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The future of health care insurance: What's ahead?
The US health insurance industry plays a ubiquitous role in the nation's economy. Major changes are afoot—from employer activism, to increased participation in government-sponsored health insurance plans, to the state-by-state implementation of the Affordable Care Act of 2010. The implications for products and services, costs, and the role of trust in the system are worth a closer look.
The concept of insurance is fairly straightforward: Individuals or organizations purchase a service that mitigates their risk in the event of an unforeseen problem. It's about financial security—hoping it may not be required to use the coverage purchased but hedging just in case. In many insurance markets, premiums paid by policyholders are pooled so that the financial impact of a single event doesn't wipe out a household or organization. The majority pay, and over time, many receive a payout, but in a given year, a large majority do not. Health insurance is an exception where many policyholders use their insurance frequently. Thus, the math of insurance is about basics: pooling of risk from a large number of policyholders to fund a smaller number of unforeseen losses.
... since the mid-1950s, employers have paid the bulk of costs for employee coverage while being timid about restrictions on how their employees use the benefit. That has changed.
For many types of coverage, the insurance industry has two customers:
- Employers, including not-for-profit organizations, purchase a variety of insurance services—property and casualty coverage to mitigate damages to physical property; directors and owners liability for errors of omission or commission; liability protections; and for many bigger businesses, health insurance coverage for employees, dependents, retirees, and so on. The same is true for health insurance: Today, 56 percent of employers purchase health insurance coverage for their employees.1
- Individuals purchase homeowners, auto, and life insurance coverage as an after-tax discretionary investment. Insurance companies that target individuals frequently advertise on TV and are known for direct-to-consumer marketing campaigns. Health insurance is also sold to consumers—currently comprising 17 million—termed "the individual insurance market" by health insurers.2
But, in the United States, health insurance is different than other types of insurance coverage. It has its origins in Texas where physicians in the 1920s created a model to help individuals handle the costs of hospital care when needed.3
Two events drove the growth of the industry in the modern era: To recruit veterans returning from World War II, companies used their health insurance coverage to differentiate in recruiting efforts. And in 1972, as part of the Nixon administration, when wage and price controls were placed on employers to control runaway inflation, health insurance costs were not counted against constricted wage ceilings. Health insurance offered by employers became standard fare—first dollar coverage, modest (if any) co-payments, low premiums and deductibles, and large networks of doctors and hospitals from which to choose were common features of many plans. In effect, the workforce was treated to a benefit that mitigated the full gamut of risk from routine office visits and medications to hospitalization for serious medical problems. And Congress granted employers a tax exemption for their portion of premiums now worth $216 billion today.4
Health insurance, therefore, is different than other types of insurance coverage. Unlike insurance that covers risk for catastrophes or big-ticket items, health insurance evolved as a form of comprehensive coverage for everything from minor cuts and routine visits to organ replacement and accidents. It's akin to a hypothetical automobile insurance plan that covers flat tires, not just collisions. And complicating matters, in traditional employer-sponsored coverage, the company pays 75 percent of the premium so the individual's share is relatively low and the tendency to overuse health services is high.5 Thus, consumers have little skin in the game. As a result of these structural flaws, health insurance is widely used because it covers everything—and it is expensive for the same reason.
Where is the industry now?
Fast forward to the present, where the US health insurance industry plays a ubiquitous role in the nation's economy and in many American households. More than 160 million Americans are covered by employer-sponsored insurance plans.6 Another 17 million Americans purchase insurance for themselves in the private insurance market, and about 100 million are covered by government-sponsored insurance plans.7 Notably, in each of these categories, there are unique eligibility, enrollment, and premium requirements, and each is under intense regulatory scrutiny at the state and federal levels.
It's a big industry comprising about 400 operators, including 154 with more than 100,000 enrollees, with enrollment split almost evenly between investor-owned plans and not-for-profit plans.8, 9 And it is growing at home and abroad as individuals, governments, and companies seek to mitigate the financial risk of health cost while attracting/retaining employees.
... the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated up to 27 million could be newly insured, and over the decade only 4 million may lose coverage as a result of employers paying a penalty and walking away.
Three major changes are reshaping the health insurance industry:
1. Changing role of employers in the insurance market: Many working Americans choose a plan from options preselected by their employer, often balancing the premium, out-of-pocket costs, and co-payments against the size and scope of coverage and provider participation. And, since the mid-1950s, employers have paid the bulk of costs for employee coverage while being timid about restrictions on how their employees use the benefit. That has changed. Employer activism is a forcing factor in the health insurance industry: Ten percent of employers, mostly smaller companies and organizations, dropped coverage altogether in the last decade.10 For those that have maintained the benefit, a three-pronged strategy has become the norm:
- Shared financial responsibility with employees: Shifting financial responsibility to employees via high deductible plans and defined contribution plans that replace benefits programs are increasingly the norm for employers. And employees are being encouraged to pay attention to prices for the services they use, in some cases through incentives to purchase from "high value" providers, and in other cases limiting access to providers that are too pricey.
- Narrowing networks of providers: Employers are contracting with fewer providers (doctors and hospitals) to extract better prices and drive volume to those that deliver higher quality and lower costs. In some cases, larger employers are contracting directly with providers; in others, they are pooled through arrangements with health insurance companies to get better pricing in their contracts.
- Focused efforts in employee wellness and prevention: Lifestyle-related habits and chronic diseases contribute to 75 percent of health costs.11 Employers are using coaching programs targeted to employees with chronic illnesses (obesity, diabetes, heart disease) and implementing incentives to encourage healthy lifestyles. Employers believe wellness-related activities—for those with medical problems already and to prevent the healthy from becoming unhealthy—are strategic investments in their workforce strategy and in health cost containment.
2. Increased enrollment in government-sponsored health insurance plans: Today, enrollment in federal and state insurance programs is over 100 million including Medicare, Medicaid, Federal Employee Health Plan, Children's Health Insurance Plan, State & Local Government Employee Health Plans, and Military Health Plans (Veterans Health/TRICARE).
Enrollment in each is increasing, and as a result, the influence of the government as a sponsor of the health insurance programs is growing. In some cases, government agencies purchase insurance coverage through private insurance companies: For example, 13 million Medicare enrollees have a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) purchased through a private insurer; another 32 million have a Part D Prescription Drug Discount Plan offered through private issuers; and private plans are routinely offered to federal, state, and local employees.12
The significance of the increased role of government as a sponsor in the US insurance market is size: It affords the government the ability to purchase for large numbers of enrollees and negotiate aggressive terms and conditions with private insurers who want to enroll and manage a plan on their behalf. The growing role of the government as a purchaser of coverage for employees from private health insurers is an important dynamic in the US health insurance market.
3. The Affordable Care Act and health reform: The third factor driving fundamental change in the US health insurance industry was the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in March 2010. Prior to the ACA, there was no law that required employers to provide health insurance coverage to employees and no law that required individuals to buy it for themselves. Both have changed: The law requires employers with more than 50 full-time employees to provide affordable insurance or pay a penalty—$2,000 per employee per year.13 And starting in 2014, US citizens not eligible for Medicaid or other public programs must purchase health insurance or pay a penalty that is the greater of $95 or 1 percent of the difference between the household's taxable income and tax threshold, increasing annually for three years. As a result, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated up to 27 million could be newly insured, and over the decade only 4 million may lose coverage as a result of employers paying a penalty and walking away.14, 15, 16
But the law also added a number of new regulatory constraints on how health insurance plans operate, adding new rules at the federal level and vesting responsibility in states to implement a number of major structural changes including Medicaid expansion and creation of health insurance exchanges. So while the industry is likely to see increased coverage as a direct result of the ACA, it also faces additional compliance and oversight from state and federal regulators.
Each of these three factors has contributed in a unique way to the changing landscape of the health insurance industry in the United States. Each is unique, but their combined impact is a significant disruption to the industry.
Figure 2. Affordable Care Act provisions directly impacting the commercial health insurance industry
Prohibits lifetime limits
Restricts annual limits
Restricts rescissions
Requires coverage for preventive services with no cost-sharing
Extends dependent coverage to age 26
Requires uniform explanation of plan benefits
Prohibits discrimination based on employee compensation
Requires quality of care reporting
Requires reporting of medical loss ratio and provision of rebates
Requires internal and external appeals processes
Patient protections
Annual rate review
Prohibits coverage exclusions for pre-existing conditions
Imposes adjusted community rating rules
Imposes guaranteed issue requirements
Imposes guaranteed renewability requirements
Prohibits discrimination based on health factors
Prohibits discrimination against medical providers
Requires coverage for essential health benefits
Limits out-of-pocket spending
Limits cost-sharing
Prohibits excessive waiting periods
Requires coverage for clinical trials for qualified individuals
Sources: ACA and Congressional Research Service [CRS] analysis, *Includes Sections 1302, 1341, 1342, 1343, 1101, 1104, 1001, and 1201
What's ahead for the health insurance industry?
There are four likely themes that could help frame the future of the US health insurance industry:
1. Enrollment growth at home and abroad: Enrollment in insurance plans sold by private insurance companies may increase dramatically in coming years. Employers that provide coverage may offer high deductible plans that transfer risk to employees while protecting them against catastrophic costs. Individuals lacking access to insurance through an employer and the self-employed may purchase individual plans through private insurers. The popularity of the Medicare Part C and Part D programs shows no sign of slowing, and individuals eligible for subsidies through state health insurance exchanges may expand the market by up to 24 million per the CBO.17 And, there's growing interest among state legislators and governors to contract with private plans to manage Medicaid enrollment. The health insurance industry's core value proposition—reducing costs by managing health—is a solid platform for growth. The core competencies and infrastructure necessary to manage individual and population health cost effectively are required in health care systems worldwide, so enrollment growth may be significant at home and exponential abroad for many US health insurance operators.
2. Consolidation—fewer players with wider reach: The insurance industry is heavily regulated and capital intense. The margins in its core business—managing health—are thin, so for many, it's a mandate to "go big or get out." Consolidation is accelerating in the US health insurance sector and in some cases, globally.
Margin erosion and increased regulatory oversight have driven increased merger activity among incumbent companies. In 2011, 20 managed care M&A transactions took place, totaling nearly $8 billion, and more deals took place the year after the ACA was enacted than in each of the three years prior.18
The increased "urge to merge" is driven by necessity in many cases: Increased costs of operations and downward pressure on premiums by individual, employer, and government purchasers are a requisite for scalability and size. It's increasingly a competitive industry that historically pits strong "local" brands against "national" brands. Consolidation is expected to continue among US operators, as well as acquisitions of insurance companies in emerging and developed health systems of the world.
Ultimately, the health insurance industry's value proposition boils down to this: managing health costs without compromising safety and outcomes. The escalating costs of health care borne by employers, families, and taxpayers call for innovative solutions that balance these dual goals.
In all likelihood, there may be fewer US health insurers, but their enrollment and scope of operations may be broader.
3. Diversification—new products and services: The health insurance industry is in the enviable position to take advantage of these major drivers of innovation:
- Consumerism: Behavioral economics is a daunting term. It essentially means that individual behavior is influenced by a complex set of triggers—incentives, circumstances, needs, values, opportunities—that determine how we respond. The majority of health care costs worldwide are the direct result of unhealthy lifestyles and/or failure to adhere to recommended treatment plans. Nevertheless, how does a health care system change how its citizens behave? The health insurance industry might provide new mechanisms to influence behavior—incentives, benefits design, and technologies—that reward desired responses from individuals and populations. As the individual (retail) insurance market grows, the ability to adapt health plans to individual needs and offer self-care tools that are useful when making decisions provides an attractive opportunity.19
- Integrated health: In an emerging trend, the convergence of clinical and administrative management of the system means bigger organizations that deliver and finance health care services (a.k.a. integrated health systems). Insurers are in an enviable position to collaborate with or acquire clinical delivery capabilities either through acquisitions or as business partners in accountable care organizations and medical homes. In some communities, health insurers may become business partners to hospitals and physicians who sponsor a plan. In others, health insurers might manage a provider's accountable care organization or medical home programs. In a few, health insurers may own and operate hospitals and clinics, and manage a network of employed physicians.
- Big data: Health care is rich in data and weak in information. As health insurers engage as business partners in large, regional/national integrated systems of care, they may amass huge amounts of data about what treatments work best, which diagnostics are predictive, what stimuli prompt optimal consumer engagement, how processes optimize efficiency, and what everything costs based on an individual's customized plan. And the emergence of state insurance exchanges, widespread adoption of electronic health records in medical practices and hospitals, and the ubiquitous presence of social media provide huge opportunities for further data gathering (as well as opportunities for its abuse). As a result, health insurers may play a lead role as infomediaries about health—structuring data into useful tools for individuals, employers, and providers.
Figure 4. US health insurance market
|Significant absence of health insurer competition exists (based on revised Horizontal Merger Guidelines issued 2010 by the US Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission)
|83% of metropolitan markets rate as "highly concentrated"
|At least one health insurer had a commercial market share of 50% or more
|Roughly 50% of metropolitan markets
|Two largest health insurers had a combined commercial market share of 70% or more
|24 of 48 states studied
|Average market share of state's largest insurer
|Individual market: 54%Small group market: 51%
|Average number of state insurers with at least 5% market share
|Individual market: 4Small group market: 4
|States with least competitive commercial health insurance markets
|From least to most competitive: Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, District of Columbia, Maine, Michigan, Nebraska
Sources: AMA, "2011 Competition in Health Insurance: A Comprehensive Study of US Markets"; Kaiser Family Foundation, "How Competitive are State Insurance Markets?"
The majority of health care costs worldwide are the direct result of unhealthy lifestyles and/or failure to adhere to recommended treatment plans. Nevertheless, how does a health care system change how its citizens behave?
4. Value—the balance of costs and care: Notably, in the heat of the health reform debate of 2009, President Obama used a phrase that is perhaps the essence of one of the health insurance industry's greatest challenges: trust. On numerous occasions he reiterated this reference to trust, and while encouraging the passage of health care reform, cited a need to "keep them honest," in reference to insurance providers.
Like any industry that is highly regulated, highly visible, big, and getting bigger, US health insurers are in the spotlight. It is an industry that elicits strong feelings and wide ranging opinions.
- Many physicians think health insurance plans limit access to needed coverage they recommend and impose unnecessary administrative paperwork that's burdensome and costly.20
- Many employers think health insurance benefits are a necessary but costly talent recruitment and retention strategy.21
- Consumers who can afford health insurance coverage think it a hedge against back-breaking health care costs. Yet even those with coverage do not feel completely secure. See our latest findings from the 2012 Deloitte* Survey of US Health Care Consumers.
- Ironically, seniors on Medicare feel the most secure of all insurance populations—perhaps the reason politicians are hyper-sensitive to changes that might arouse their passion to protect the program.22
Trust is an issue for the industry. The potential loss of financial security as a result of health costs is a widespread fear, even among those with health insurance.
Health insurers understand the challenge. Their response to date has not fully remedied the trust gap fully. Some are rebranding, some are methodically changing their business model to enhance relationships with consumers, and all are active in educating legislators and community leaders about the role and scope of their operations. It may likely take more effort. Increased transparency about the business operations in a health plan—how coverage and denial decisions are made, how doctors and hospitals are evaluated and compensated, how premiums are spent—is clearly a step in that direction.
Ultimately, the health insurance industry's value proposition boils down to this: managing health costs without compromising safety and outcomes. The escalating costs of health care borne by employers, families, and taxpayers call for innovative solutions that balance these dual goals. The health insurance industry has an opportunity to deliver on this value proposition, leveraging its unique competencies in partnerships with providers.
Bets on the demise of the health insurance industry are ill-advised. It's an industry with challenges but with substantial opportunity. If managed care is a dubious concept in some circles, unmanaged care is the greater risk. Therefore, the future of the insurance industry is bright—at home and abroad.


text: Robert H. Goddard was the father of American rocketry. After his experiments with liquid fueled rockets alarmed the local authorities in Massachusetts, he was sponsored by Guggenheim and Charles Lindbergh to continue his experiments in Roswell, New Mexico. Secretive, working in isolation, unwilling to work in the necessary large industrial teams required for the new technology, he solved all the fundamental problems of guided rockets - but his work represented a dead end. Parallel work by Von Braun in Germany and at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena duplicated his discovereis and led to post-war rocketry in Russia, Europe, and America.

subset: commoncrawl


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1. approximately 8 in every 10 new cars supplied by dealers are not bought with cash but are actually funded by a monthly payment using car finance?
2. comparing a car finance deal quoted to you by a dealer with other alternatives can save you thousands of pounds?
3. the four major types of car finance are car leasing (either PCH or business contract hire), PCP, hire purchase and a personal loan;
4. the most popular car finance product provided by UK dealers is PCP (UK Finance and Leasing Association) where you pay a monthly price for 2 to 5 years after which you have the option to buy the car?
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VPBA Newsletter - May 2006
Business Horizons
University of
May 2006
In All
We Do,
Horizons is long this month with some most important news, so please read this edition thoroughly. Those of you who are HMO Blue participants need to pay particular attention to the relevant article below. Also, we have a very interesting spotlight on Debbie Hansen, and we must again say congratulations to our Inventory Department on their Team Spirit Award recognition! We are proud of each of you.
And finally, our annual Business Affairs Forum is on Thursday the 25th starting at 9:30 a.m. in the Main Building ground floor auditorium. Guest speakers; more giveaways than last year; the new Business Affairs 'Welcome!' video; an entertaining and fun series of pictures beginning at 9 a.m.; and perhaps a couple of other surprises await you – so please come and help fill the auditorium. Need transportation? Read on!
Remember: A person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated. Fill a need today. Kerry
Mother's Day
Memorial Day Holiday
|Did you know?
Faculty, staff and students calling the UTSA Police Department regarding an emergency situation should dial 4911 when using a campus phone or 458-4911 from a non campus phone or cell phone. If calling regarding a non-emergency, students should dial 4242 when using a campus phone or 458-4242 from a non-campus phone or cell phone.
| Spotlight
on...Debbie Hansen
Debbie Hansen joined the Disbursements Office on January 28, 2002. "I like the work that I do and consider myself fortunate to be here at UTSA. Nowhere else have I found such a pervasive spirit of friendliness, cooperation and professionalism."
Born and raised in San Marcos, Texas, she attended Texas State University, then known as Southwest Texas State. Debbie spent several years in Houston with her husband, Charlie, before moving to San Antonio. They have been married since 1985. In 1993, they moved to Boerne, where they currently reside along with Molly, their cat.
Debbie was raised in a family that enjoyed music, singing, laughter, church, family get-togethers and each other. She says, "God has blessed my life in many ways." Debbie's mother had a "green thumb" and Debbie believes that her mother passed that along to her. Debbie has been blessed from both sides of her family; her Dad's parents were Central Texas farmers. "Either way," she says of working in her garden, "it is in my blood."
Taking daily walks around campus for exercise and recreation, Debbie has come to know and recognize many people. If you ask Debbie's co-workers about her, there's a common response that reflects on her generosity and kindness. "Debbie is the most thoughtful person we have in this office. She is also the first one willing to help if at all possible." Debbie arrived with her "positive attitude" and in the past 4 years, she has helped in building Disbursements' reputation of being customer-oriented and giving everyone she meets her full attention. Thank you, Debbie, for your commitment to excellence in Business Affairs and the university.
|Police Appreciation Week
National Police Week is May 14 - 19 honoring those law enforcement officers who, through their courageous deeds, have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their community or have become disabled in the performance of duty, and to voice our appreciation for all those who currently serve on the front lines of the battle against crime.
Please take time to thank our UTSA police officers and attend a tour of the police department or the Flag Ceremony. We are celebrating National Police Week a week earlier, May 8-15, before the students and many faculty depart for the summer. Below are some of the Police Appreciation Week activities.
Midnight Pancake Breakfast (All Police Invited at No Cost) May 8, 10:00 pm - 12 midnight at Roadrunner Café
Summer Safety "Citations" wishing the students a safe summer with safety tips. May 8-12, 2006
Police Department Open House - May 8 and 9 with tours at 10:00 am, 11:00 am, 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm each day - If you wish to take a tour, Go to the PD lobby at the MS Building & wait for a tour guide at the above listed times.
Wreath and Flag Ceremony with Honor Guard and University Officials at the Flag Poles - May 15 at 3:00 pm.
HMO BLUE PARTICIPANTS face significant out-of-pocket premium
changes for 06-07 fiscal year
Due to rising healthcare costs and available funding, there will be a significant cost increase to HMO plan premiums in all coverage categories. Currently, there is no out of pocket cost for "employee only" coverage. Those employees with dependent coverage will experience a greater out of pocket cost than those at the "employee only" level. Additional information about the premium increase will be provided in the OEB June newsletter. Due to the rising cost in HMO coverage, the 06-07 fiscal year will most likely be the last year the HMO Blue plan is offered to University employees.
In previous years, you did not have to make a selection if you wanted to retain your existing coverage. However, if you wish to continue with HMO Blue you must elect the coverage during the July Annual Enrollment period by using the UT Touch enrollment system, otherwise you will be defaulted in the PPO Plan.
REMEMBER: If you do not take action to elect the HMO Blue plan for next year, you will be enrolled in the UT Select plan for the 06-07 fiscal year.
Faculty and Staff who will be out of the office or who will not have access to their email accounts during the summer are encouraged to meet with a benefits representative prior to departure to ensure their annual enrollment changes will be recorded. Please contact the Benefits Department at firstname.lastname@example.com or 458-4250 for an appointment or to answer any additional questions.
Shuttle #1 pick up:
Shuttle #2 pick up:
Inventory Department - Team Spirit Award winners
The UTSA Inventory Department's mission is to report and reconcile all university capital and controlled inventory. The inventory can either be bought by UTSA funds, transferred to or donated to UTSA departments. This year, the inventory staff overcame workload barriers, promoted procedural changes, maintained task consistency, embraced diversity and provided top-notch customer service.
The staff, Miriam Marin, George Estevez, Frank Bates, Olinda Ongay, and James Sumner, have worked together as a cohesive team, leaning on or lifting each other up to get the job done right.
This year, they managed an inventory training schedule that trained 159 people in four months. They coordinated state agency transfers with other UT System institutions and state agencies and ensured that property transfers of nearly $500,000 were recorded correctly. The team overcame file-transfer crossover failures, system errors and learning curves. They continually worked out the problems until the files were created, and confirmed the transfer of 100 percent of inventory records between three databases with accuracy and reconciliation.
According to their boss, inventory manager Cassandra Porter, "They've had an amazing year -- far exceeding established goals that couldn't have been achieved without a coordinated group effort. I'm very proud to have them on my team."
| Business Affairs Service Awards
Congratulations to all Business Affairs employees who received service awards for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 years. To view, click Service Awards. Be sure to thank these employees for their service to UTSA.
Celebrating Excellence Award
May 31 ends the third quarter. This is the last month of the quarter and time for you to nominate a deserving Business Affairs employee for the Celebrating Excellence Award for their outstanding efforts demonstrating Creativity, Promoting Change and Communication in the performance of their duties. You can nominate someone using the Business Affairs website and clicking on the Celebrating Excellence logo or through your department using forms they've specially prepared for their internal programs. Either way, don't let this opportunity to recognize an outstanding employee go by!
Business Affairs Branding Initiative
The Business Affairs management team has partnered with Dr. Tom Cannon, Professor of Marketing and Tourism, to identify a "brand" for Business Affairs.
To kick off our "branding" exercise, we asked members of the UTSA community "What is Business Affairs?" As expected, many people answered by describing one or more functions within Business Affairs, others described how they felt about the work done by Business Affairs – some were delighted and others were not.
Dr. Cannon, became our partner and our guide, leading us through our own "discovery" of the customer's perspective of the benefits received when they interact with Business Affairs, and how we can build a Business Affairs brand that represents the promise we make, and keep, with our customers.
A brand is a promise, a promise to deliver products and service, based on stated objectives (for example "on time delivery", Maytag's lonely repairman, or BMW: "The Ultimate Driving Machine".) As consumers, we make purchase decisions every day as a result of positive and effective branding. Our goal is to develop a Business Affairs brand that is representative of our commitment to excellence,…. every person, every day and every job. We want our customers (internal and external) to feel confident in us and in our service and delivery commitment; to know that when they seek assistance, we deliver.
We are anxious to take the next step – to share what we have learned and to find out from YOU how we can, together, build a Business Affairs brand that we can all be proud of. Lastly, and most importantly, we must work every day to deliver on our commitment to our customers, to live our BRAND.
VPBA Breakfast
The next VPBA breakfast in the Roadrunner Café will be held June 21st. There will not be a breakfast for July and August because the café is booked with orientation and summer camps. Breakfasts will resume in September.
Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management
|Expanded Chemical Waste Storage Facility on West Campus: On February 28th, Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management (EHSRM) broke ground on its expansion of the Chemical Waste Storage Facility. The expansion includes an additional chemical storage building with complete containment, two material storage container units, a paved drive, and security fence. Brian Moroney, Director of EHSRM, says this expansion will serve UTSA's growing research faculty's needs for the next five years while ensuring the safe storage of these waste materials until taken offsite for reuse, recycling, or disposal. The $86,000 project is being overseen by Roy Garza, Project Coordinator with Facilities Services, constructed by Alpha Building Corporation, and scheduled for completion the first week of May.
|Ysabel Trinidad, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs
On April 24th, President Romo announced the appointment of Ysabel Trinidad as interim vice president for student affairs effective immediately.
Ysabel replaces Rosalie Ambrosino, who recently was named UTSA provost and vice president for academic affairs. We congratulate Ysabel and look forward to working with her in her new position.
Other Important Information
REMINDER.....Please email us
the new employees in your department,
so we can add them to the


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The United States is a great place to design and build world-class machine tools. That's one of the messages Mazak Corp. hopes visitors to its Booth S-8300 will take home with them. Of the 22 machines on display, eight are models entirely designed and exclusively built in Florence, Kentucky. Although these designs may reflect specific needs and interests of U.S. buyers, all of these machines will be marketed globally. Mazak's Florence-based design team has been creating models of its own since 2005 but has become more prolific in recent years, as the record number of Kentucky-designed and built machines at this show attests.
A good example of a machine whose inspiration, design, development and construction took place in the U.S. is the VCN 530C II TT vertical machining center. This VMC features an innovative split-table design that enables it to function as a two-pallet machine with an integral pallet changer or serve as a VMC with a single, extra wide table for twice the X-axis capacity. This is accomplished by making it possible to lock the two tables together and sync the servo systems so the X-axis travel is fully integrated. With tables locked together, the machine can handle parts that require an X-axis stroke as long as 58.66 inches. When the tables are separated for twin-table operation, each has a 25.4-inch X-axis capacity. In either mode, the Y axis is 21.0 inches.
Rick Bramstedt, product manager for Kentucky products, says the design concept has numerous advantages. The main one is increased flexibility for job shops with production work that wish to accommodate extra-long workpieces without investing in dedicated equipment. These oversized jobs can be mixed into the workflow less disruptively. Changeover to locked-table operation can be completed in less than 15 seconds.
The twin-table design also takes up less floor space than a similarly sized VMC with a pallet changer. For faster, simpler installation, the machine ships on one pallet instead of three separate pallets for machine, pallet changer and chip conveyor. In production, operations can shift from one table to the other in less time than it takes to change pallets on a conventional pallet changer. In addition, both tables can be equipped with rotary devices for four-axis machining, whereas pallet-changing machines are usually limited to one rotary table because of difficulty managing cable connections.
Bramstedt says the design also is economical to produce in the Florence factory because it uses modular components shared with other popular machine designs. Only the base casting is specific to this machine. The pallet changer is integral, so axis alignment can be performed at the factory, rather than in the field by the installer, to save the buyer time and money.
Other notable machines on display in the Mazak booth include the Variaxis i-700 and the Integrex i-400ST. The Variaxis i-700 is a five-axis machining center with a tilt/rotate trunnion table designed to reduce setups for complex workpieces and curved surfaces requiring high accuracy. With Y-axis travel of 43.3 inches (1,100 mm) and X-axis travel of 24.8 inches (630 mm), the machine can accommodate workpieces as large as 33.46 inches (850 mm) in diameter and 19.68 inches (500 mm) high.
The Integrex i-400ST is a multitasking center that employs two turning spindles, a milling spindle and lower turret, so that manufacturers can process first and second operations simultaneously or perform required sequential operations on a single workpiece. The machine's main horizontal turning spindle with a 12-inch chuck is capable of C-axis indexing in 0.0001-degree increments. The main turning spindle is a 40-hp (30-kW) integral spindle motor that provides a 3,300-rpm maximum spindle speed, while the second, opposed headstock with a 10-inch chuck features a 35-hp (26-kW) integral spindle motor and 4,000-rpm top speed.


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Laurence Yvon
Country Manager tagetik France
"Tagetik has a strong reputation in the corporate performance management market. After spending years working for software conglomerates, I am thrilled to be part of an agile and highly focused technology innovator where I can be a primary contributor to its global market expansion."
Laurence brings to Tagetik a 20-year track record for successful business development in the technology market. Her execution methodology and sales management experience will help Tagetik to reach large and mid-sized organizations and build out the partner network in France.
Prior to joining Tagetik, Laurence served as a senior sales director for Microsoft. She has also held sales executive roles at Kyriba, Oracle, Hyperion, Cognos, and Brio Software. Her responsibilities spanned team recruiting and development, channel development, and business planning and strategy.


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Walter Sobchak, Neocon
The prescient politics of The Big Lebowski.
The Big Lebowski, the seventh of the Coen brothers' 13 feature films, begins when two goons break into the modest home of Jeffrey Lebowski and one of them pees on his rug. They've mistaken Lebowski, who calls himself "the Dude," for another, wealthier man of the same name. So the Dude seeks out this other Lebowski in search of compensation for his rug. That meeting does not go well. A few days later, though, the rich Lebowski offers the Dude 20 grand to deliver a $1 million ransom to men who claim to have kidnapped his wife. The kidnapping involves some German nihilists and a porn tycoon, plus a few others. It's a simple story, really.
Just released for a third time on DVD, The Big Lebowski has, in a decade, inspired a following to rival all cinematic cults, complete with annual festivals, monthly podcasts, and teachings to live by. At the heart of this denomination is the Dude, brilliantly incarnated by Jeff Bridges as a Zen slob whose three great loves are weed, white Russians, and bowling. And the Dude is indeed a fantastic character. Ten years on, though, the movie's most striking role belongs to John Goodman as Walter Sobchak: a hawkish, slightly unhinged Vietnam vet and the Dude's best friend and bowling partner. Watching The Big Lebowski in 2008, it becomes clear that appreciating Walter is essential to understanding what the Coen brothers are up to in this movie, which is slyer, more political, and more prescient than many of its fans have recognized. Perhaps that's because Walter, with his bellowing, Old Testament righteousness and his deeply entrenched militarism, is an American type that barely registered on the pop-culture landscape 10 years ago. He's a neocon.
If that seems like a stretch, consider the traits Walter exhibits over the course of the film: faith in American military might (the Gulf War, he says, "is gonna be a piece of cake"; in the original script, he calls it "a fucking cakewalk"); nostalgia for the Cold War ("Charlie," he says, referring to the Viet Cong, was a "worthy fuckin' adversary"); strong support for the state of Israel (to judge from his reverent paraphrase of Theodor Herzl: "If you will it, Dude, it is no dream"); and even, perhaps, past affiliation with the left (he refers knowingly to Lenin's given name and admits to having "dabbled in pacifism"). Goodman, who has called the role his all-time favorite, seems also to have sensed Walter's imperialist side. "Dude has a rather, let's say, Eastern approach to bowling," he said in an interview. "Walter is strictly Manifest Destiny."
The Coen brothers present this bellicose figure "in the early '90s" (as an opening voice-over provided by a mysterious cowboy informs us) "just about the time of our conflict with Sad'm and the Eye-rackies." After the cowboy has spoken, the first words we hear come from the elder President Bush: "This aggression will not stand," he declares, responding to the invasion of Kuwait and appearing on a grocery store television while the Dude buys some half-and-half. Bush's threat of force frames all that follows. When Walter hears about the "carpet-pissers," he insists that the Dude draw "a line in the sand":
The Dude has his own politics—or once did, at least: member of the Seattle Seven, co-author of the "original Port Huron Statement" (not the "compromised second draft"). A student activist who's become a SoCal layabout, he contrasts neatly with Walter, a veteran who interprets everything through the lens of Vietnam. In other words, the Dude and Walter are on opposite sides of the American divide that opened during the 1960s. And while the Dude is the movie's hero, more or less, it's Walter who drives the plot. He tells the Dude to seek out the rich Lebowski. He accompanies the Dude during the ransom delivery and insists that they fake the handoff and keep the money. When the Dude's car is stolen, with the money in it, Walter tracks down the apparent culprit and brings the Dude along to interrogate him.
This last scene, if filmed today, would almost certainly be taken as an allegory about the younger Bush's war. The police have recovered the car, and the Dude has found, wedged between the seats, a page of homework belonging to one Larry Sellers. Walter figures out Larry's address and arrives at his house, the Dude in tow, the homework in a plastic bag. He then makes a brief presentation:
When Larry says nothing, Walter proceeds to Plan B: destroying the new Corvette parked outside—purchased, he assumes, using the money left in the car—with a crowbar. Actually, though, the Corvette belongs to a neighbor. Neocons everywhere can sympathize.
Is this eerie foreshadowing of the second Iraq war coincidental? Not entirely. The Coen brothers created a character with traits that run deep in American culture: unflinching righteousness and a tendency to violence. (He was largely based on John Milius, who wrote and directed Red Dawn, the Cold War-paranoia film that later gave its name to the military operation that captured Saddam.) This character confronts a situation that combines both injustice and the opportunity for material gain. He responds more or less as one would imagine. The Dude's pacifist leanings are no match for Walter's assertiveness: While the Dude's disposition may be admirable, he has little effect on the tide of world events. (Refugees from the 1960s can also sympathize.)
Within the world of the movie, though, the destruction of the bystander's Corvette is a fairly minor incident. Immediately afterward, we see Walter, the Dude, and Donnie—the third and least conspicuous member of the bowling team, played by Steve Buscemi—on their way home in the Dude's car, eating hamburgers and listening to "Oye Como Va." Watching The Big Lebowski today, one notices its insight into basic American attitudes but also the lightheartedness with which it's able to treat these attitudes. Donnie does die of a heart attack during a climactic showdown with those German nihilists, and one might call his death a casualty of Walter's aggression and the Dude's inability to reign it in. But his death quickly gives way to Walter and the Dude's reconciliation, at a makeshift funeral they hold for Donnie by the Pacific Ocean:
This gentle, comic conclusion came to mind while I watched the Coen brothers' new farce, Burn After Reading, which revolves around the misplaced memoirs of an ex-CIA analyst. The new film is a similarly sharp satire of American life, and there are parallels with the Lebowski plot: a greedy attempt at extortion, multiple schemes incompetently botched. The contrast in tone, though, is stark. There's no real friendship in the world of Burn After Reading, there's even less heroism, and paranoia abounds. No one mentions 9/11 or the war in Iraq, but these characters, like their audience, are living in a darker world. The cult of Lebowski, I've begun to suspect, has more than a little nostalgia in it—for a decade when one could poke brilliant fun at the national disposition and the stakes didn't feel so high.


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How to Use the Images Illustrations
Peace medals became an integral part of the U.S. government's relations with American Indians in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Lewis & Clark Expedition maintained this practice of presenting peace medals to ensure goodwill between the United States government and the American Indians since the expedition depended--both for its economic and political success--on winning the respect and friendship of the American Indian tribes they encountered. However the medals given out on the Lewis and Clark expedition came with a price. Only if the chief would promise to be under the rule of the "the Great Father," and would make peace with the other Indian tribes in the area, would he be given a medal.
Questions for Photos 1a & 1b
1. Examine Photo 1a and read the engraved text. Who is "the great father" whose profile we see on one side of this medal?
2. Examine Photo 1b. What symbols are used to convey a message of peace to the Indians?
3. Throughout history, coins and medals have been used to tell stories and pay tribute. What story does this medal tell? Considering that most Indian chiefs presented with a medal could not read English, do you think the images engraved on the medal effectively tell the story? Why or why not?
4. Examine your own coins and medals. What story do they tell?
* The images on this screen have a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), and therefore will print poorly. You can obtain a larger version of Photo 1a & Photo 1b, but be aware that each file will take as much as 20 seconds to load with a 28.8K modem.


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I felt this community could use a tutorial concerning installing latest wireless cards. As we all know wireless
cards tend to not be supported alot under linux, although vendors seem to slowly get the message that we,
linuxers, can't be denied anymore.
Anyway, as i said a bunch of cards still aren't officially supported, and if they are only for windows or Mac.
Here's where ndiswrapper comes around the corner.
Ndiswrapper is a project focusing on those unsupported cards, as my Linksys WPC54G pcmcia card. This card uses the
Broadcom wireless chip and will be my reference through out this tut. My OS is gentoo and my kernel is 2.6.7 rev 11
, but i tried as good as possible to generalize the tut for other linux distro's.
First we need to see if ndiswrapper supports our nic. Therefore we need to know what chip it uses.
If its nowhere on the package or so, we can use lspci to detect it.
Its important that it even gets detected, so don't skip this step and make sure it detects it,
and if it not gets detected, make sure you have Wireless Lan support and pcmcia support compiled in your kernel.
While you're at it disable support for SMP in kernel.
Also if you don't have lspci, download and install pciutils (or via your distro's package manager).
This is my chip. Also notice further info on the type of chip (BCM94306). Remember or write this down.Code:root@S04200 /home/n300851 # lspci 0000:03:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation 802.11g (rev 03)
Now we have this info, we can go and check if our card is supported by ndiswrapper.
Go to this page : http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/s..._chipsets.html
OK, we are sure our card got supported and we know the references to use. For me it would be the "bcmwl5.*" driver-set.
Mostly it will be the same as the windows drivers, but I'd urge you to take the set found at the ndiswrapper site.
Download and extract that package in a directory (doesn't matter where). We'll need it for later use.
Now we need to install an important package which will make the management of your wireless preferences easier.
Got to this page, http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Jean_...nux/Tools.html and download the wireless-tools package.
I always use wget. Of course make sure you get the latest tarballs . This can differ from this tut
After this is done without errors, we're gonna setup ndiswrapper itself. In this example I use the Dublin-mirror, You can use a closer mirror though. Your choice ... Of course make sure you get the latest tarballs . This can differ from this tutCode:#wget http://pcmcia-cs.sourceforge.net/ftp...ools.26.tar.gz #tar xvzf wireless_tools.26.tar.gz #cd wireless_tools.26 wireless_tools.26#make wireless_tools.26#make install
If this worked out, we're half way ...Code:#wget http://heanet.dl.sourceforge.net/sou...er-0.10.tar.gz #tar xvzf ndiswrapper-0.10.tar.gz #cd ndiswrapper-0.10 ndiswrapper-0.10#make install
Remember we checked our chip later on, and I asked you to download that particular set of drivers. If you were good
you extracted it already.
Now, make a directory /lib/windrivers and copy the .sys and the .inf from that package into the /lib/windrivers directory.
(example bcmwl5.sys and bcmwl5.inf)
What we're gonna do know is actually wrap the windows-driver using ndiswrapper.Code:#mkdir /lib/windrivers #cd <to-dir-where-extracted-driver-package> <dir>#cp <driver>.inf /lib/windrivers <dir>#cp <driver>.sys /lib/windrivers
Verify if ndiswrapper loaded your driver correctly. You should see something like this.Code:#ndiswrapper -i /lib/windrivers/<driver>.inf
Load the ndiswrapper as a module in your systemCode:#ndiswrapper -l Installed ndis drivers: bcmwl5 present
If everything went good, you should see it loaded, and you should see your wireless nic with a dmesgCode:#modprobe ndiswrapper
Code:# lsmod | grep ndiswrapper ndiswrapper 72448 0If you have problems here check especially your kernel, and the detection of your wireless card.Code:# dmesg | grep wlan wlan0: ndiswrapper ethernet device 00:0f:66:54:61:91 using driver bcmwl5.sys
Now If this did work, we want this to be done automatic on boot next time.
Of course your version of kernel where <version>. (kernel-2.6 or kernel-2.4).Code:#echo "ndiswrapper" >> /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-<version>
At this moment the wireless card should function at default values, that is without wep and such. Next I will briefly
show how to configure the card to your wishes and network. This is where those wireless-tools kick in.
ok, lemme first show you how to lookup current configuration. This WILL differ with mine cause mine is already configured
So here you see your current settings, now you need to tweak to yours. If you have problems setting things,Code:#iwconfig ... wlan0 IEEE 802.11g ESSID:"*******" Mode:Managed Frequency:2.472GHz Access Point: 00:0B:6B:30:**:** Bit Rate:54Mb/s Tx-Power:14 dBm RTS thr:2347 B Fragment thr:2346 B Encryption key: off Power Management: off Link Quality:100/100 Signal level:-27 dBm Noise level:-256 dBm Rx invalid nwid: 0 Rx invalid crypt: 0 Rx invalid frag: 0 Tx excessive retries:9 Invalid misc:79919 Missed beacon: 0
consider the "--help"-function on a command. (for.ex. #iwconfig --help will give you short help on the usage)
The most important commands you need are iwlist and iwconfig. Lets for example scan the network now, for available
networks. Also check its manpages (#man iwconfig and #man iwlist)
As you can see you now know the current settings of your card and the network, so now go and configure your cardCode:# iwlist scanning lo Interface doesn't support scanning. eth0 Interface doesn't support scanning. eth1 Interface doesn't support scanning. wlan0 Scan completed : Cell 01 - Address: 00:0B:6B:30:**:** ESSID:"********" Protocol:IEEE 802.11b Mode:Managed Frequency:2.472GHz (channel 13) Quality: 0/100 Signal level:-27 dBm Noise level:-256 dBm Encryption key: off Bit Rate:1Mb/s Bit Rate:2Mb/s Bit Rate:5.5Mb/s Bit Rate:11Mb/s Bit Rate:6Mb/s Bit Rate:9Mb/s Bit Rate:12Mb/s Bit Rate:18Mb/s Bit Rate:24Mb/s Bit Rate:36Mb/s Bit Rate:48Mb/s Bit Rate:54Mb/s
to the according network. Here are some examples ...
These are the more common settings. Surely "man iwconfig" is still at your disposal. So consider checking out the manpageCode:#iwconfig wlan0 essid on #iwconfig wlan0 freq <2.****> #iwconfig wlan0 chan <channel> #iwconfig wlan0 enc <encryption-key> #iwconfig wlan0 nwid <network-id>
It's there for a reason, cause i can't talk over every single possibility.
Now last to bring up the nic. Don't forget to make an additional conf for your wlan0 interface. For me that would be to copy the conf file of eth0 into a conf file for wlan0.
Of course this can be automated. I found and adapted a script. Now i know its a gentoo-like script.Code:#ifconfig wlan0 up #dhcpcd wlan0
Maybe some other linuxlover here can adapt this better. For me on gentoo its #!/sbin/runscript, but I believe for other
distros a #!/bin/bash will do. Not sure of this one tho.
Here's my script which i place in the correct runlevel. Cause i work with a pcmcia it also first goes and detect
the card first. If you can scroll back, you'll see my nic situates at hardware adress 0000:03:00.0.
I'm not going into this script deeper. That's up to you. If you need me, you can find me on my IRC.
If things are wrong or can be done better, please PM me and i'll change it in the tut.Code:#!/sbin/runscript state=`lspci | grep 03:00` start() { if [ "$state" = "" ]; then ebegin "No Wireless adapter present." eend 0 else ebegin "PCMCIA Wireless adapter found." eend 0 ebegin "Initializing wireless network ..." `/usr/sbin/iwconfig wlan0 essid <network-id>` `/usr/sbin/iwconfig wlan0 key <my-encrypted-key>` `<other options here if needed> eend 0 fi } stop() { ebegin "Stopping wireless network ..." eend 0 }
Hope this works for you,
Peace I'm out.


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Edgar Weiss, M.S.
Associate Project Manager
Edgar Weiss joined the Delaware Valley Node of the CTN as a project manager in 2008. He previously worked for six years coordinating clinical trials for the Stokes Research Institute at The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in the Division of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology. He brings an additional 20 years of experience to the CTN in communications and human resources, having consulted for such organizations as Times Mirror, Arthur D. Little, DuPont, and SmithKline Beechum. He has also has taught on the grade school, college, and University levels. His work on CTN0027, the "START" project, a study evaluating the impact of methadone and Suboxone maintenance on liver function, including a pharmacogenetics component and a follow-up survey, has pressed him to use his management, human resources, and data management skills. A graduate of Villanova University with an MS in Human Resource Development with an emphasis in organizational design, Mr. Weiss is a member of the SHRM, ASTD and ACRP. He proudly includes being principal trombonist for the Lower Merion Symphony Orchestra.
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text:
Blink and you'll miss it. The Predator 84 was made for speed. Sleek and powerful, it's the perfect blend of power and poise. Accommodating eight guests and three crew, the impressive interior is stylish yet purposeful, with an outstanding level of comfort and only the most exclusive materials featuring throughout. Sitting beneath the vast sliding hardtop roof is the main saloon and cockpit. When opened, natural light illuminates the interior allowing guests to indulge in the lavish surroundings. The cockpit features a blend of contemporary style, design and modern technologies, while the flybridge is just as sumptuous and innovative. Rarely overshadowed, never outrun. It leaves all others in its wake.
Deck Saloon
Forward VIP Stateroom
Forward VIP En Suite
Port Guest Cabin
Port Guest En Suite
Starboard Guest Cabin
Starboard Guest En Suite/Day Head
Master Aft Stateroom
Master En Suite


text:
I think with the addition of percy harvin solidifies the offense and the rest of the attention this offseason has to be D line. I think there has to be some scenario where the GM can free up money for adding D line talent through free agency i don't think they would risk going into the season with just a few new rookies and the vets we have under contract. there is usually a learning curve to rookie d lineman in the NFL and i think JS/PC will demand a proven (not expensive) comodity to pair with mebane in the middle.
with that being said i've seen reports that say they can sit back and wait for the value of players to go down but i'm in the thinking they need to be proactive early lock up that one DT fast and not let the niners pick up one of the key players that can help us on D, their lookin for lineman too. if u look at D lineman they value the same thing a DT and that is where we need the most help. It does seem we are in a bit of an arms race with the 9ers so i could see them being a little mad about missing on Harvin so it could be like a free agency chess game with free agent D lineman. With Harvin it does seem like an older player looking to win a super bowl before they retire would'nt need much convincing to play with our squad and would take the pay cut for the improved possibility of making a run in the post season while being able to put up good numbers doin it (seattle's D gives lineman opprotunities).


text:
PHOENIX (AP) — A judge who ruled an Arizona sheriff's office had racially profiled Latinos in its signature immigration patrols will hold a hearing Friday to consider proposed changes aimed at ensuring that the agency isn't making unconstitutional traffic stops and arrests.
Attorneys who pressed the case against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio are expected to ask U.S. District Judge Murray Snow to impose a set of remedies that include beefing up training for officers, requiring better record-keeping on traffic stops and a court-appointed official to monitor the agency's operations to ensure that the judge's orders are being followed.
Three weeks ago, Snow concluded that Arpaio's office has systematically singled out Latinos in its immigration patrols and that sheriff's deputies unreasonably prolonged the detentions of people who were pulled over, marking the first finding by a court that the agency racially profiles people.
The six-term sheriff, who turned 81 years old on Friday, is expected to resist a court-appointed monitor. Arpaio rejected a court-appointed monitor last year when the U.S. Justice Department leveled similar racial profiling allegations against the agency. His objection was that allowing a monitor would mean that every policy decision would have to be cleared through an observer and would nullify his authority.
The May 24 ruling by Snow prompted the sheriff's office, which is expected to appeal the decision, to temporarily suspend all his immigration efforts until Friday's hearing. It's not known whether Arpaio will resume immigration enforcement after the hearing.
The ruling doesn't altogether bar Arpaio from enforcing the state's immigration laws, but imposes a long list of restrictions on his immigration patrols, such as prohibitions on using race as a factor in deciding whether to stop a vehicle with a Latino occupant and on detaining vehicle passengers who are Latino on only the suspicion that they're in the country illegally.
Arpaio won't face fines or jail time as a result of the ruling. A group of Latinos that first brought the racially profiling allegations to court wasn't seeking damages and instead wanted a declaration that the agency was violating the constitutional rights of Latinos and to force changes in the agency's operations.
The case focused on Latinos who were stopped during both routine traffic patrols and special immigration patrols known as "sweeps."
During the sweeps, deputies flood an area of a city – in some cases, heavily Latino areas – over several days to seek out traffic violators and arrest other offenders. Immigrants who were in the country illegally accounted for 57 percent of the 1,500 people arrested in the 20 sweeps conducted by his office since January 2008.
The agency hasn't conducted any sweeps since October 2011, but continued immigration enforcement by enforcing state laws that ban immigrant smuggling and prohibit businesses from employing people who are in the country illegally.
The ruling against the sheriff's office serves as a precursor to a lawsuit filed last year by the U.S. Justice Department, which also alleges racial profiling in Arpaio's immigration patrols. The Department of Justice, however, alleges broader civil rights violations, such as allegations that Arpaio's office retaliates against its critics and punishes Latino jail inmates with limited English skills for speaking Spanish.
Legal experts say the judge presiding over the Department of Justice case isn't bound by Snow's decision and that the racial profiling allegations and evidence could differ between both cases. Still, the latest decision will loom large for participants in the Department of Justice case.


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Reading the forum on your cell phone? There's an easier way. We've enabled a Tapatalk app that makes browsing the forum a whole lot easier. Check it out in the iPhone or Android store if you don't own it already.
This is on the craglet to the left of Cathedral?
i figured chris needed a hand with the FA.
The bears would be on you before nightfall
Page created in 0.177 seconds with 31 queries.


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Portraits of Patrick
He's in France for the LeMans 24 hour race enjoying his Grey's hiatus and the benefits of his paycheque...from the show and movies like Made of Honour.
Patrick may be the perennial silver medallist in the Sexiest Man sweepstakes but having achieved a rare teen to bleak to adult success comeback in Hollywood, he - unlike so many of his female tv contemporaries - appears to have tamed the itch to overreach.
Earning at least a hundred thousand per episode on a top rated show, the occasional million from a cheesy chick flick here and there, and a great future in movies of the week, Patrick has his farm, his cars, a great lifestyle with his family, and he's happily not hungry for more. What's there to scowl about? Well, yeah, the sacrifices were unsavoury but he's lucky...they paid off.
Some people aren't so fortunate.
Photos from Gettyimages.com


text: GE unveils new TV spot in 'Brilliant Machines' campaign Published on September 06, 2013. New York—General Electric Co. debuted a new TV spot in its "Brilliant Machines" campaign Thursday evening during a broadcast of NFL Football on NBC. The spot, created by BBDO New York, shows how GE is connecting big machines, Big Data and people as part of its Industrial Internet business. The new spot features the DeLorean car from the movie "Back to the Future," along with a voice-over from "Back to the Future" star Michael J. Fox. The ad, demonstrating how GE is using data to power entire cities, will continue to run on NBC and other networks including CNBC, Fox Business News, MSNBC and NBC Sports through the end of the year. The budget was not disclosed. Most Popular In this article: BtoB


text:
Huawei's dual-core Ascend P1 smartphone will be hitting Europe in summer, following launches in Asia and Latin America this May and June respectively.
The Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone isn't quite as skinny as its 6.68mm P1 S counterpart, with a comparitively chunky 7.69mm waistline – but it packs the same 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM and 4.3in Super AMOLED 960x540px 256ppi screen.
You also get a 8MP 1080p rear camera and 1.3MP 720p front camera. Oddly, the Huawei Ascend P1 only packs in a 1670mAh battery, unlike its slimline P1 S counterpart's 1800mAh battery.
So are you going to pick up the P1, or hold out for its skinnier sibling? Let us know on Twitter.
You may also like
What's new in Chrome for Android?
Windows Phone 8 will come to the HTC Mozart (and everything else)


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Macmillan Cabinet Papers 1957-1963
Macmillan Online provides historians and political scientists with direct access to over 30,000 documents from the highest level of the British Government during the Macmillan Administration.Expand
Covers not only domestic politics but also major foreign policy challenges including the erection of Berlin Wall, the Cuban Missile, Crisis and the dissolution of the British empire. Includes scholarly essays to provide context.Walk in users: OK
Subjects: African Studies Sub-Saharan, Area Studies, Government Information, History Modern 1800-, Archives and Primary Sources
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MarciveWeb DOCS is the World Wide Web version of MARCIVE's GPO record database. MarciveWeb DOCS includes GPO records from 1976 to the present as well as shipping list records for access to titles not yet cataloged.Expand
You can also check to see whether your library or others you are interested in might have the titles you are looking at.
Subjects: Multidisciplinary Databases, Government Information


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Individuals charged with animal abuse will have to pay up under a new bill that passed the Pennsylvania state House on Wednesday. The "cost of care" legislation now goes to the Senate where it will be considered by the Judiciary Committee. The latest from Philly Dawg here.
A South Jersey man may get drug rehab in lieu of prison in the death of a beloved police K-9. A Superior Court judge is considering a lighter sentence for Skyler Robinson who through a German Shepherd named Schultz into traffic after police pulled him over in June 2011. More from the Inquirer here.
A former Pennsylvania Game Commissioner and current Lancaster County township supervisor pleaded guilty to animal cruelty after a humane officer found five dogs living outside in inpleaded guilty ches of feces and mud. The Lancaster Intelligencer Journal reports Stephen L. Mohr, who is a Conroy township supervisor pleaded guilty to two counts of cruelty and paid a $100 for keelping his three German short-haired pointers and two beagles in filth. Despite the plea, the dogs were not removed and he was ordered to keep their cages clean. Mohr has a history of run ins with authorities on animal issues, In 2011 he pleaded guilty to importing wolf-hybrid dogs and selling them without a license.
An Amish man in Lancaster County is facing charges for killing a young bald eagle. Paul Zook was charged with killing an endangered or threatened species after shooting the eagle that he thought was a hawk menacing his chickens. Lancaster Intelligencer Journal has the story.
A Dauphin County attorney has pleaded not guilty to animal cruelty charges related to the 30 Morgan horses seized on her property within in the last month and another one found dead after vet care was ordered. Here is Philly Dawg's previous story on the Rebecca Roberts case.
And on a happier note, we ask: Is Newark Mayor Cory Booker really a super hero in a suit? Remember last year when he rescued a woman from a burning house? This week he sped to the rescue of a freezing dog left outside for hours in the cold. Faster then you can Tweet, WABC News reports, Booker arrived at a house last night to rescue the dog.


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Big splash, cold cash.
Since late July, the "ice bucket challenge" of donate-or-get-doused has raised about $9 million a week for those with the condition better known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. As of Wednesday, the total given to the ALS Association was approaching $100 million.
An association spokeswoman, Carrie Munk, says the trick now is figuring out how to spend the windfall wisely. Research, care and advocacy are the group's three main missions.
"We realize there are responsibilities that come with being good stewards of these dollars," she says.
In the last month, everyone from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to former President George W. Bush has been doused. The Internet and airwaves are awash in videos of people taking the challenge — even if they intend to write the check.


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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama, in some of his most blunt remarks to date, said on Monday that Osama bin Laden would have escaped if the United States had sought Pakistan's permission ahead of the raid on the al Qaeda leader's compound.
Obama administration officials have previously justified the decision not to involve Islamabad by citing the risk that bin Laden might somehow be tipped off and flee his compound in Abbottabad before the team of Navy SEALs arrived.
Leon Panetta, then the director of the CIA and now defense secretary, said in an interview with TIME magazine shortly after the May 2011 raid that there was a concern that the Pakistanis "might alert the targets."
But in Monday's presidential foreign policy debate against Republican opponent Mitt Romney, Obama presented such risk as a certainty.
"If we had asked Pakistan (for) permission, we would not have gotten him," Obama said.
The bin Laden raid was one of the many issues Obama used to differentiate himself from his opponent.
Romney - during his failed bid for the 2008 Republican nomination - criticized Obama for warning publicly that, if Islamabad didn't act, he would go into Pakistan to get high value targets like bin Laden. Romney suggested such comments were not helpful in building ties.
On Monday, Romney said he also would have ordered the raid.
"We had to go into Pakistan. We had to go in there to get Osama bin Laden. That was the right thing to do," Romney said.
The question of who in Pakistan might have known about bin Laden's whereabouts is still a matter of speculation.
The Pakistani ambassador to the United States at the time of the raid, Husain Haqqani, told a forum in Washington in August that he believed someone somewhere in Pakistan must have known -- a similar sentiment echoed by Panetta.
"I don't have any hard evidence, so I can't say it for a fact. There's nothing that proves the case. But as I said, my personal view is that somebody somewhere probably had that knowledge," Panetta told CBS' "60 Minutes" program in January.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Jim Loney)


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The European Union's planned tax on financial transactions could add 3.95 billion pounds ($6 billion) to the cost of issuing U.K. government debt, according to a report commissioned by the City of London Corporation.
Investors would demand an extra yield for purchasing the bonds as the tax increases the cost to them of trading the securities, London Economics, which conducted the study for the city, said today. The expense would have arisen even though Britain hasn't signed up to the proposal.
"The financial transactions tax is an ill-conceived idea that risks significantly damaging economic prospects across Europe," Mark Boleat, policy chairman at the corporation, the financial district's municipal government, said in a statement. "Not only would it adversely affect the cost of sovereign debt but it would also make it more difficult for businesses across the continent to access funding."
The European Union on Feb. 14 unveiled its proposal for a 0.1 percent levy on stock and bond trades and 0.01 percent on derivatives trades with ties to participating countries. The measure exempts primary offerings of government bonds though includes secondary market trades. The EU estimates the move could raise as much as 35 billion euros ($45 billion) a year. To become law, the proposal has to be approved by all the nations that agree to participate, which currently stands at 11 countries including Germany, Spain and France.
The effective tax rate would be 10 times the EU levy on bonds because the tax would be repeatedly charged at each step in the settlement of a trade, the report said. That "cascade effect" could cripple trading in the debt-securities markets, London Economics said.
The estimate is based on the issuance of about 128.1 billion pounds of non-index linked U.K. gilts had the levy been in place this year, the 30 percent of transactions liable for tax and the number of times a bond is traded, the report said.
To stop traders from escaping the levy by operating outside the tax's zone, the EU plan invokes "residence" and "issuance" ties to firms in participating nations. That means, for example, that a French bond traded in London would still be affected.
"The financial transaction tax is likely to negatively affect end users such as pension funds, while generating less revenue than estimated due to the behavioral change that would result," Boleat said. "Policy makers need to reconsider this proposal."
About half of European investment-banking activity is conducted through London and U.K. financial firms generated almost 12 percent of the country's tax revenue from 2011 to 2012, according to TheCityUK, a bank lobbying group started by the corporation.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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India's Kumbh Mela is the mother of all Hindu festivals, attracting millions of people to bathe at the holy confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers in Allahbad. It's billed as the world's largest human gathering.
The Kumbh Mela festival is held every three years in four different cities on a rotating basis.
The present festival in Allahabad also happens to be a Maha Kumbh Mela, which comes once every 144 months, adding to the celebration's magnetic pull. Maha means "big" or "grand" in Hindi.
The event attracts more than 100 million bathers over a 55-day period. The largest and most important bathing day was on Sunday, when between 30 and 40 million people are expected to plunge into the holy water to wash away their sins.
A colorful sight
For Europeans, the bathing festival is a sight to be seen.
A little girl, perhaps five years old, clings tightly to her father as he dives with her three times into the icy water without warning.
The girl protests but her father doesn't relent. For him and millions of Hindus, bathing at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers during the holy period is the ultimate religious ritual.
"We have made a long journey here," the father says. "My daughter needs to bathe and cleanse her soul. She should be a good student and have a bright future."
The Kumbh Mela bathing festival is about redemption, enlightenment and relief, according to guru Ram Charan Giri. It's about seeking deliverance from sins and fulfilling wishes, he says.
The spiritual leader is standing along the river, preparing for his purifying bath. The corpulent man is dressed from head to toe in a saffron-colored cloth. His face is also painted with the bright orange of Hinduism. In his hand, he is holding the golden trident of the Hindu god Shiva representing destruction and renewal.
Heaven or hell
"When you bathe in the holy water during the Kumbh Mela, you purify yourself from the inside," says Giri. "You reach a state of complete satisfaction. After the bath, you will not go to hell but to heaven."
From their pilgrimage, many Hindus hope for the end of the cycle of eternal rebirth. But Giri sees this differently.
"In the end, everything depends on karma; your karma will determine whether or not you go to heaven or hell," he says. "I don't know how this relates to the notion of rebirth. But after a cleansing bath at the Maha Kumbh Mela, heaven opens up to you in the end. Your soul rests and you attain inner peace. If you make this pilgrimage, you are surrounded by gods and holy men, and you live in the lap of Mother Ganges."
Every 12 years, when the sun, moon and Jupiter meet in a special constellation, a parallel world arises at the gates of the otherwise quiet northern Indian city of Allahabad. There a sea of tents with millions of people arises along the sandy shores of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers.
Sea of tents
It is the world's largest human gathering. It is fully equipped with mobile clinics and mobile cell phone masts. With streets, bridges, electricity lines and sewage pipes connected to more than 35,000 toilets as well as with shops and centers for missing people. It's a place that's full not only of religious leaders but of charlatans as well.
For Munni Bai, Maha Kumbh Mela is the highpoint of her life. She has come by train to participate in the festival for the first time. In fact, this is her first train trip ever and she has spent several days en route.
The gaunt, old peasant woman is wearing a bright red sari. She drops to her knees in front of a Naga Bada, a holy man who lives a wandering ascetic life. He is moving around his tent nude, his body smeared with ashes. A small fire is burning in front of him, and he is smoking hashish.
The Naga Baba gives Munni Bai some ashes. In return, the devout pilgrim gives him a crumpled bill and proceeds to push the ashes in her mouth and swallow them.
Mother Ganges
"For me, this holy man is like the god Shiva. I firmly believe that my wishes will be fulfilled - I feel great," she says. "I want to keep coming back to the Kumbh Mela and die in the lap of Mother Ganges."
No one worries about how dirty and polluted the water is - not even Shoba, a doctor who has lived in Washington for more than 30 years. For her, the long trip to celebrate the Kumbh Mela bathing festival fulfils a lifelong dream."
"Our beloved Mother Ganges can' be contaminated," says Shoba. "You know what? I'm specialized in infectious diseases but I'm still going to take a holy dip. Mother Ganges is life. I bathe in her without hesitation. I believe in the cleansing power of the bath."
Dozens have been killed in a stampede on their way home from India's popular Kumbh Mela festival. Railings on a bridge reportedly gave way under the weight of the crowds. (11.02.2013)
Tens of millions of Hindus are expected to gather for the holiest day of the Kumbh Mela, the largest religious festival in the world. Devotees will bathe in the Ganges River to wash away their sins. (10.02.2013)


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A 'cool burn' on the Gundary Plains
One winter afternoon in July 2010 Museum curator George Main together with Museum photographer George Serras visited the Gundary Travelling Stock Reserve near Goulburn to photograph a 'cool burn' undertaken by the Gundary Rural Fire Brigade.
While summer bushfires generate massive amounts of heat, burning away organic matter from both the surface and underground, wintertime 'cool burns' happen slowly. Only the surface matter burns, and much organic material remains after the flames have died.
Gundary Travelling Stock Reserve is a rare remnant of the biologically diverse grassland that once cloaked the surrounding Gundary Plains. Endangered species like the striped legless lizard (Delma impar) and the button wrinklewort (Rutidosis leptorhynchoides) continue to thrive here. Before colonisation, the local Gundungurra people burned grassland in the Gundary area to maintain the productivity of the land. Over the last decade, with the assistance of the Gundary Rural Fire Brigade, managers of the Gundary Travelling Stock Reserve have regularly conducted winter burns to protect its biological diversity.
The Gundary Travelling Stock Reserve and objects used by the Gundary Rural Fire Brigade feature in the Never Enough Grass exhibit as part of the new Landmarks gallery, and images shot on the day will be included in a large multi-touch interactive.
All photography by George Serras.


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This post is a thank you to my dentist, Dr. Woermke and his staff for their Kindness.
|The View from the dental chair, a home made light shade from Cumberland
|Mantel and copper favorites
|Mr. Pickwick, Kilby Ruins, Buddy after a bath and a Rose because.
|Campbell River Carvings and Summer colors
|And Things that make me smile
|Wheels are going to be part of my Christmas Porch display, Middlenatch Island view from where I was getting seaweed and seaweed on garden
I'm working on my outdoor Christmas Display,
post coming soon.


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Delivery and pick-up details
Get it how and when you want it. Preferred scheduling and delivery costs available at checkout.
Delivery Includes
- Prep and assembly of your furniture. Except on "Ready to Assemble" merchandise.
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Dimensions: Width: 34'' Height: 37'' Depth: 37''
Dimensions: Width: 34'' Height: 37'' Depth: 37''
Product Overview
Totally Elegant. You'll appreciate the style and comfort of the Tracy accent chair. Its dense and durable seat cushion is reversible for easy cleaning ... see more
Dimensions: Width: 34'' Height: 37'' Depth: 37''
Finish: Oakley III Granite
Material: Polyester
Construction: Frame is built from solid hardwood and engineered wood products for rugged durability.
Cleaning Code: W. (Water based cleaners): Spot clean using the foam only from a water-based cleaning agent such as a mild detergent or non-solvent upholstery shampoo. Many household cleaning solvents are harmful to the color and life of a fabric. Apply foam with a soft cloth and brush in a circular motion. Vacuum when dry.
Cushions: Fiber-wrapped cushions have a high-density foam core to ensure comfortable seating.
Fabric Content: 100% polyester.
Springs: 8.5-gauge, no-sag sinuous springs guarantee even, long-lasting support.


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Off the Shoulder Striped Dress
Added Jan 28, 2014
By MegH
Toronto, Canada
This off the shoulder dress is a design made and drafted by myself, and I used the print of the fabric to my advantage. In this case, I had my fabric in hand before I decided what to make with it, so I designed this dress especially for this fabric. You can draft this dress yourself too following the steps shown in my latest Web Seminar From Sketch to Pattern: How to Transfer your Style Lines from your Fashion Sketch to your Pattern. The Web Seminar recording has several other examples of design drafts as well!
The base pattern I used for this sewing project was our Theater Dress, which is my favorite simple BurdaStyle pattern. I have made many different designs off that pattern because it is so simplistic and I know I will always get a great fit from it! But I will say, that I went down two sizes from what I normally make since the fabric I was using had stretch in it. The end result turned out great though, and fit like a glove.
I love how fabric can enhance a pattern, and I am going to be doing more of these types of projects this year (which I am excited about), using existing BurdaStyle.com patterns. I also documented my sewing process step-by-step that you can see here. Try your hand at drafting and sewing this lovely dress… The off the shoulder line is super cute as well as the A-line skirt shape (I converted the dart into fullness at the hem). This dress is going to get a lot of wear this year, I even wore it with tights and a leather jacket out in this polar vortex!
Material Notes
Stretch Striped Knit Fabric
11 Comments Sign in to add a post
Apr 8, 2017, 03.04 PMby sewing fanatic
Absolutely fantastic in every way :)
Nov 17, 2016, 05.13 PMby Evmorales
Love it! Looks super nice on you! I really like how you played with the fabric.
Jan 25, 2015, 09.43 AMby CharismaStyle
Super cute Meg! I love it. I attended that from sketch to pattern webinar and this dress looks so great. Came out fantastic. I'm excited seeing you in this. It's very inspiring.
Feb 2, 2014, 06.00 AMby yenny lee
Lovely :)
Jan 29, 2014, 06.30 AMby Mary Athey
This is lovely on you meg, you have done a smashing job with tricky stripes and added a lot of interest by mixing up the direction of them. This is super cute and so well done xx
Jan 29, 2014, 12.40 AMby rita61
Nice dress on you; thanks for sharing.
Jan 28, 2014, 10.24 PMby Ellen Hatteland
Fancy! :-)
Jan 28, 2014, 09.51 PMby kisses
I adore this Meg! The stripes are match up so beautifully and it is really cute
Jan 28, 2014, 09.06 PMby SassyT
Jan 28, 2014, 08.51 PMby papermothballvintage
Love it Meg! So hard to line the stripes up sometimes, great job. It looks perfect on you!
Jan 28, 2014, 08.23 PMby julib
This is really cute!! What a fun dress! I bet that it looked awesome paired with a leather jacket and tights too. Off to check out this pattern! :-)
1 Reply
Jan 28, 2014, 08.45 PMby MegH
Thanks so much!
Add to Favorites 13 people added it


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LOS ANGELES (AP) — The "Firefly" saga consists of 14 TV episodes, one big-screen movie and the undiminished passion of the space Western's fans, stars and producers.
To mark the 10th anniversary of the Fox show's abbreviated 2002-03 run, the Science Channel is airing the hourlong "Firefly 10th Anniversary: Browncoats Unite" at 10 p.m. EST Sunday.
The special will be preceded by a marathon showing of all the "Firefly" episodes starting at 7 a.m. EST.
For "Firefly" devotees, only one word can describe the prospect of seeing star Nathan Fillion, other cast members and creator Joss Whedon talk about making and missing their baby: "shiny," which is "Firefly"-speak for cool or good.
Fillion, who came down to Earth successfully in ABC's detective series "Castle," is happy to wallow in nostalgia and fan fervor. This summer, he took part in a packed San Diego Comic-Con tribute to "Firefly."
"The sheer volume of people is just the first part of it," Fillion said recently of the event. "Then you have to get down to how excited these people are. It's incredible energy. It's a very visceral feeling."
"The way I see it is there are people who love 'Firefly' as much as I do. 'Firefly' has a very special meaning to me, so I share in that excitement. It's easy for me to understand it," the 41-year-old actor said.
The series, a 26th-century adventure leavened with droll humor, followed the misfit crew of the Firefly-class spaceship Serenity. (The 2005 movie that rose, improbably, from the ashes of the low-rated "Firefly" was titled "Serenity." Comic books are among the other spinoffs.)
The ship's captain, Fillion's dashing but discontented Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds, fought with the losing, good-guy Browncoats in a civil war and now lives and works on the fringes of a repressive society.
For Fillion, the drama was the start of a leading-man career that he makes plain he owes to Whedon, whose cult-inducing credits range from online sensation "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" to TV's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" to blockbuster "The Avengers."
Fillion savored the experience.
"I remember the first time I put on my costume, walked onto the ship for the first day of work ... and the director of photography, David Boyd, saw me and hollered out, 'Captain on deck!' and everyone stopped and clapped."
"That's a moment I'll never forget," the Canadian-born actor said. Add the chance to be a classic Western hero and he was in heaven.
"Nothing makes you feel tougher than putting a gun on your hip in the desert and getting on the back of an animal and riding. There's something very manly about that," he said.
Fillion shares this tidbit: No matter what planet he ended up on while in the saddle, he always rode the same horse, Fred.
The special includes clips from the drama, a round-table conversation with cast members including Fillion, Jewel Staite (who played Kaylee), Sean Maher (Simon) and Summer Glau (River), along with snippets from the Comic-Con panel headed by Whedon.
"I just wanted to make something that felt real, like a piece of history," Whedon told the convention. "I wanted to tell an American immigrant story. I wanted to tell a Western story. But I need spaceships or I get cranky."
The writer-director-producer grew emotional, telling the crowd at one point that "the story is alive" because of them.
The enduring popularity of a show that couldn't get ratings traction in its first time around is something Fillion has pondered.
"There's certainly more fans now than there's ever been. It's interesting that the show, being this brief moment in time, it didn't have an opportunity to suck, to get bad," he said. "So it's this wonderful contained unit of what I like to think of as quality storytelling."
The show has left its mark on a new and unsuspecting generation.
"'Firefly' fans are out there and they're breeding," Fillion said. "I'll be scanning Twitter and someone will show a baby and say, 'This is Kaylee.'
"So I'm going to be out one day and someone will walk up and say, 'I am Kaylee.'"
EDITOR'S NOTE — Lynn Elber is a national television columnist for The Associated Press. She can be reached at lelber(at)ap.org.


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If we learned anything from last year's New York Giants, it was the value of peaking at the right time. This year's Denver Broncos appear to be doing just that. Are they the team to beat in the AFC?
The "NFL GameDay Morning" crew debated the topic Sunday, but couldn't come to consensus. That has to do with timing.
As Steve Mariucci argued, it's premature to label the Broncos the kings of the conference with the Houston Texans sitting there at 6-1, but Denver possibly is "heading there."
The Broncos have played most of this season on the national stage, thanks to a collection of schedule-makers who opted for a heavy dose of Peyton Manning on prime time. That dynamic has allowed much of the country to follow Manning's progress as the Broncos have gone from rusty to white hot in recent weeks.
Manning's play of late has been nearly perfect. Combine that with a jelling defense and developing ground game, and the Broncos are the clear front-runners in a bad AFC West. The conference is another story.
The Broncos were outmatched by the Texans and couldn't keep pace with the New England Patriots. Both teams hold the tie-breaker over the Broncos, but here's another thing we learned from the Giants last winter: Holding the No. 1 seed guarantees nothing.
It's not about where Denver lands in the seedings come January. It's about the reality of Manning comfortably settling into the offense -- looking better than he has in years -- on a team that can beat you in more than one phase of the game.
That alone makes the Broncos a monster in a weak conference.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.