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Kim Kardashian is suing mad today following the release of the latest issue of In Touch Weekly magazine.
The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star graces the cover, released this morning, under the heading "Kim Caught Cheating!" On the cover alone, the mag claims the newly engaged Kim has been engaging (pun intended) in a 5-month affair with NFL player Bret Lockett behind the back of her NBA fiance Kris Humphries.
Even more surprising, the mag seems to have an exclusive interview with the alleged other man, Bret. Kim however strongly denies any affair and had her lawyer fire off a demand letter to In Touch, threatening to sue if they ran the cheating story. The letter put "In Touch" on notice stating the cheating allegations "are, at a minimum, damaging, defamatory, and an invasion of her privacy."
Kim's reps also tell TMZ that Kim has never even met or spoken with Bret and threatens to sue not only In Touch, but Bret as well.
As for the In Touch story, it claims Kim had a secret phone-only relationship with Bret, 24, a player for the New England Patriots, the same time she was dating Kris. Multiple sources tell the mag that Kim and Bret even planned to go on vacation together, and that she begged him for a "SEXY picture" during one of their flirtatious text exchanges.
Bret's brother Colin Lockett spoke to the mag, saying the relationship began in Oct. 2010, when Kim's friend – actress Lauren London – requested Bret's phone number for her. "They chatted and then they started texting each other," Colin reveals, with a friend adding that their relationship carried on even after Kim met Kris the next month.
The mag claims Kim aggressively pursued Bret via text, and allegedly sent him a nude photo of someone's lady parts to entice him. Bret apparently ended the back-and-forth when he caught wind of Kim's relationship with Kris. "[Kim] still wanted [Bret] to send nudie pics of himself, but he wouldn't do it because of Kris," the friend says. "He's not that kind of guy."
As for Bret, he is quoted as telling In Touch, "I knew this was a game to her, and this is what she does… She pursued me." A bigger cover of the In Touch Weekly cover is below.
So if the In Touch story is to be believed, Kim was sexting Bret during the early stages of her relationship with Kris. Here's to hoping this does not put a damper on Kim's new engagement to Kris, you know, the one she worked so very hard for.
Photo credit – WENN.com.
UPDATE – Things just got a little more real between Kim and Bret. Kim took to her blog today to deny all cheating allegations and even denied knowing Bret whom she referred to as a "loser." Kim blogged, "I'll be damned if anyone, especially some loser I've never even met, is going to try to come between Kris and me." Kim has since deleted all references referring to Bret as a loser on her blog.
Bret however fired back through TMZ stating he has concrete proof. Bret claims he has phone records, text messages and very personal cell phone pics of Kim — and he's willing to present the evidence in court if Kim decides to sue him. In Touch Weekly also stands by their story. So tell us: who do you believe?
[polldaddy poll=5125680]


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Barrow County's support for Tripp Halstead continued to gain strength this week as his family reported the toddler's condition seemed to be improving. Meanwhile, the acts of charity exhibited for the family continued to multiply with area restaurants chipping into a fundraising cause started with the goal of keeping Stacy Halstead and Bill Halstead at Tripp's bedside as much as possible.
For the full story, see the Nov. 14 issue of the Barrow Journal.
Community responds to toddler's medical needs
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Applicable to:
- Plesk 12.5 for Linux
- Web Presence Builder for Linux
- Plesk 11.x for Linux
- Plesk 11.x for Windows
- Plesk 12.0 for Linux
While working on the content and design of a website, you can save several copies of each site to the server and restore sites from the saved copies (also referred to as snapshots). Saving site copies can be useful in the following cases:
- You want to prepare several versions of the same website so that you can later load them for review, choose the best-designed or the most appropriate version, and publish it to the Internet.
- You want to make significant changes to or experiment with the site's design or content and ensure that you can safely undo the changes, should anything go wrong.
In Parallels Automation for Web Presence versions 10 and 11, and in the application Web Presence Builder for Parallels Plesk Panel versions 10 and 11, a site snapshot may be created and restored through the main menu in GUI of Web Presence Builder.
To create site snapshot:
In the "
" tab click the button "
" to create a site snapshot.
To restore site snapshot:
In the tab "
" mark the snapshot you want to restore and click "
Additional Information
[HOW TO] How to back up and restore Web Presence Builder site with command line utility
Important: A snapshot created with the command line tool is not equal to a snapshot created through GUI.


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Hands on Experience
Student Scholar Emily Delmonte
Multi-functional equipment is not unusual. But, the combination of a bicycle, tent and cart in one kit makes for an out-of-the-ordinary, but convenient travel package. Emily Delmonte's composite project is a minimalist's dream and a practical invention for travelers hiking in the forest or in the big city.
That's the premise behind her composite conversion bicycle project—a multi-functional set of tools, that when joined together, becomes a bike, or a cart or even a tent, she says. The three-in-one device is part of her senior design independent study project.
Delmonte, a fifth-year mechanical engineering technology student in the College of Applied Science and Technology, works independently in the machine fabrication and composites shop in the Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies. She produced several carbon fiber rods and multi-dimensional couplers in the lab that when assembled in different combinations form a bicycle, then a cart or a basic tent.
Carbon fibers are threadlike metals. They are overlaid in a cross-weave pattern that can be molded to form dense, high-strength objects such as the rods Delmonte designed. The composite structure is essential, she explained, and allows for uniform strength distribution across the equipment, especially at the joints, to hold the rods securely for the cart, bike or tent.
Imagine traveling with one kit of tools and couplers that can become a carry all, a method of transportation, even a temporary home. With a user manual, provided by Delmonte, along with the required number of rods, couplers and a few extra components like bicycle wheels and canvas, individuals can both travel light and travel conveniently.
"I would like to add more components," Delmonte says of her project. She intends to market the composite bicycle to outdoor gear companies. An avid sportswoman herself, she sees the value in its simplicity. With the composite project features, she may never have to hail a taxi again.


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Kitchen Cabinets Floral Design are the built-in furniture installed in many kitchens for storage of food, cooking equipment, and often silverware and dishes for table service. Appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, and ovens are often integrated into Kitchen Cabinets Floral Design.
Nobody does Kitchen Cabinets Floral Design better. Let us help you update your kitchen with new custom, semi-custom, or ready-to-assemble Kitchen Cabinets Floral Design. DIY Kitchen Cabinets Floral Design range from adding storage and fixtures to painting and refinishing. See what homeowners have done to spruce up their kitchen.
These are Kitchen Cabinets Floral Design must-haves for your home. Get expert advice on what to ask for when planning your look. Kitchen Cabinets Floral Design. Sleek and elegant in appearance, this stylish wall unit is a symphony of color and contemporary lines, as pleasing to the eye as it is comfortable to use. Prelude. Cool, precise, simple and yet consumately elegant Prelude expresses the alchemy of geometric magic as if it were music for the eyes.


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USC and Clemson recruiters were among the coaches to visit Thursday with DE Andrew Williams of McDonough, GA.
Joe Robinson from USC was in during the day and Clemson's Marion Hobby attended Williams' high school banquet Thursday night. Ole Miss recruiter Chris Kiffin also visited Williams Thursday.
Williams will visit Auburn this weekend, Ole Miss on the 24th and Clemson on the 31st.
Right now USC is on the outside looking in on official visits.


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Revealing the Truth About Lies in the Textbooks: How American Students are Being Taught to Accept Islam.
Usama and Kristie examine how textbooks in American Public Schools are being edited to promote the idea that Islam is a legitimate religion consistant with the Bible and the Judeo Christian viewpoint. In many cases textbooks even teach that Islam, Muslims and the Qur'an are superior to Christianity, the Jewish faith and the view of the Bible.
Usama's Website: www.thestraightway.org for DVD's, the Generous Qur'an, an accurate translation by Usama Dakdok. Usama is available to speak at your church or organization, "Revealing the Truth About Islam." Also see videos: "Freedom or Surrender," "Revealing the Truth about Barack Hussein Obama," and "The Truth about the Mohammed Movie" on his website.
Usama Dakdok on Facebook:
Usama Dakdok M-F 12:30 PM CT on VCY America Radio: http://www.vcyamerica.org/radio
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Eight years ago today, Faith and Fear in Flushing took flight. We're still aloft. The Mets were taking off for the sky on February 16, 2005. These days they're learning to crawl.
Time's flight has been steadier than that of the Mets' ascent, which stopped cold on a called strike three that I couldn't have fathomed would mark the peak altitude for the Mets Jason and I began blogging 20 months earlier. I can't believe the Mets didn't win the pennant (and the World Series) in 2006. I also can't believe the Mets didn't make the playoffs in 2007 (and 2008). But if I'm honest with myself, I can't believe the Mets soared as high as quickly as they did following our 2005 launch given how crummy they were from 2002 through 2004.
That's a lot of not believing for a fan of a team in whom, by custom, you gotta believe. Yet 2005 to 2008, the salad days for Faith and Fear, were halcyon days for us as Mets loyalists compared to the four seasons of nosedive that followed. There were moments to treasure between 2009 and 2012 — there are always instances that transcend the depths of a given campaign, as anyone who's read The Happiest Recap could tell you — but boy, oh boy, was the prevailing context a tough thicket to negotiate. I've spent the first halves of the last four seasons not quite accepting whatever good Met fortune was transpiring before my disbelieving eyes and all four second halves dutifully documenting how that tenuous progress had evaporated upon re-entry into the atmosphere.
But I can't stress this enough: we were there to watch it burn up. We watched the Mets go to hell in 2009; make a return trip in 2010; go back to find the jacket they apparently left behind in 2011; and treat it like a timeshare in 2012. The Mets have made a late-summer home in hell these past four seasons, and Faith and Fear has been on top of every baseball day of it.
I'm strangely proud of that. It's easy enough to check out when August and September become choke points on the calendar. Many Mets fans — bloggers and non-bloggers alike — swear they throw up their hands rather than throw up something worse as one dispiriting loss becomes a losing streak…which becomes a losing month…which becomes a losing record. But I swear faithfully (if occasionally fearfully) that I'm here: keeping tabs, watching closely, listening hard, giving it as much thought as it takes to glean something out of close to nothing so we harvest as much digestible fruit off the Met vine as possible.
Why? Because it's what I do.
Probably the nicest thing a reader said to us in our eighth season of blogging was this, after yet another deflating September 2012 loss:
It's amazing to me that with the incredible glut of horrific, unwatchable and indescribably boring games that you guys keep coming up with interesting posts. Seriously, you guys are having a Dickey-like experience. You keep winning despite this terrible team. Kudos!
Granted, a comment like that carries a very different emotional resonance than one that appeared on our site the morning of October 20, 2006, hours after that called strike three…
Brilliant as always. Poignant as expected. Well done. This goes for the 2006 Mets as well. Ya know, if I didn't read about the exploits of my beloved Mets on FAFIF, it's like it never happened. Thanks for a fantastic season, guys. (You too, Mets.)
…but I think each sentiment speaks for what we do here. High times and low, we do with this team all that we can. Maybe it involves the Mets as they valiantly fall one unhittable curveball from greater glory, maybe it involves the Mets as they trudge on and on until we wish they'd just trudge off a cliff already, but we're with them in our own way and we don't depart.
I was wondering yesterday on the eve of this anniversary if instead of 2005, Jason had asked me if I wanted to start a blog about the Mets in 2013. This time we wouldn't have the promise wrought by the splurge that brought Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran to our shores and we wouldn't be bolstered by having consumed a significant taste of the talents young Jose Reyes and David Wright had already exhibited. Instead, we'd be coming off a winter when R.A. Dickey was traded and no desperately needed outfielder in his obvious prime was acquired, whatever the means necessary to have done it. Yeah, there'd be one young pitcher we salivated over for a few starts the year before, another we'd been assured will be even better than that guy and a catcher capable of making trading the Cy Young winner seem like a bargain. But there'd also be an ownership not necessarily capable of doing anything that pushes the team from a maybe to an almost-definitely — and in real time, we're not nearly assured of "maybe" territory yet; we're maybe "maybe," at best.
Having watched the unwatchable and described the indescribable as a matter of horrific course in terms of the four seasons that have withered and died on us (never mind the unhappy endings attached to '08, '07 and '06), I can't honestly say for sure that non-blogger me would be dying to jump in cold in 2013. Who would root limply through the belief-draining second halves of 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 and volunteer, "You know what I want to do? I want to write about this team every darn day that it plays!"
Then again, who am I kidding? The Mets lost 88 games last year on top of losing 85 the year before, pausing in between to let my favorite player leave as a free agent. Sound bad? Shoot, the Mets lost 91 games in 2004 on top of losing 95 the year before — and those were seasons played out in what were also sold as the gateway to a potentially brilliant new era (they all are)…oh, and they let my favorite player from just prior to that period walk as a free agent. Yet there we were, on February 16, 2005, ready to go, not knowing what Pedro had left from Boston or if the Carlos of Houston could possibly be the Carlos of New York or how far David and Jose had to go to live up to our burgeoning expectations, never mind the usual questions about a miserable bullpen (et al) and an ownership that hadn't noticeably distinguished itself to date, checkbook availability or not.
Of course we'd start blogging now if we hadn't already. I was Mets-miserable for most of 2003 and 2004, and I was on board the first day of Spring Training in 2005. The Mets were Mets-miserable all kinds of years and dispatches from St. Pete/St. Lucie beckoned regardless the following Februarys. If the technology existed in 1978, I'd have blogged those Mets from the first of their 66 wins to the last of their 96 losses and been gladly back for more in mind-shatteringly abysmal 1979.
This Metsian blog turns eight today, but I'm pretty sure I've been a Mets blogger all my life. I was born this way and I'm still this way. So whether we're in for a "fantastic season" or an "incredible glut of horrific, unwatchable and indescribably boring games," Flight FAFIF continues aloft. As a dependably friendly voice was careful to remind us from the cabin, fasten your seatbelts.


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The Department coordinates many educational programs that are offered state-wide to the public for free!
The Oklahoma National Archery In The Schools helps to introduce archery to students statewide in their classroom. Hundreds of schools across the state are participating, along with thousands more all across the country and the world are also participating in the national program.
Another educational program the department has been offering since 1988 is the Aquatic Resources Education Program (AREP). AREP promotes the sport of fishing and educates the public on the aquatic resource. Every year the department offers free fishing clinics across the state open to the public for those interested in fishing or finding out what fishing is all about.
Hunter Education is probably one of the more well-known programs the department offers. For years Hunter Education has been offered all across the state to hunters looking to get into the sport of hunting. Hunter Education though isn't just for hunters, some of the topics covered in Hunter Education include wildlife management, wildlife identification and responsibility. Hunter Education plays an important part in teaching hunter safety, and is required by most states for hunters.
Explore Bowhunting curriculum was developed to teach students (aged 11-17) basic skills used to bowhunt. The program not only teaches students how to interact with nature using ageless hunting skills, but it also teaches an appreciation of what is around them and enhances their encounters with the outdoors.
Teacher Resources are developed for use by teachers of our various programs to assist in teaching students about wildlife and nature. Newest to the repertoire of resources is a very well done and beautiful guide to Oklahoma's native aquatic species in streams, rivers and lakes, titled Getting to Know Oklahoma Streams.


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By Francesca Trianni
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Mayor Michael Bloomberg is fighting to preserve his legacy on law and order, working behind the scenes to win over the New York City Council as the final months run out on his 12 years in office.
Bloomberg made fighting crime a hallmark of his time in office. After succeeding Mayor Rudy Giuliani less than two months after the attacks of September 11, 2001, Bloomberg pressed ahead with aggressive police tactics that have reduced crime but drawn criticism from civil liberties groups.
Those policies have also come under fire from left-leaning mayoral hopefuls and the city council.
Now Bloomberg, relegated to the sidelines of November's mayoral election as he completes his final 4-year term as mayor, has undertaken a campaign of pressuring city council members to reverse their votes on police oversight and racial profiling.
Much of the campaign has involved phone calls placed to council members from top officials of the mayor's office, according to six sources with direct knowledge of the conversations. In one case, a candidate said he was recruited by the mayor's office to run against a Queens council member who refused to change his vote.
The New York mayor's office has acknowledged its lobbying of city council members but declined to comment on its role in recruiting a challenger for the Queens race.
The city council defied Bloomberg by passing two laws in June. One creates an independent inspector general to monitor the New York Police Department, and the other expands the definition of racial profiling and allows people who believe they have been profiled to sue police in state court.
Bloomberg vetoed the bills in July, challenging the council to override him with a two-thirds majority vote. The inspector general bill passed by 40-11, meaning seven council members would have to change their vote. But the racial profiling bill passed by 34-17, meaning only one of those 34 council members would need to switch sides to uphold the veto.
A vote on the veto has been set for August 22.
In a show of force, the mayor has been lobbying at least three council members to convince them to withdraw their support from the bills, according to more than a dozen people involved who declined to be identified because they were not authorized to speak about the matter.
"They're using the power of persuasion at their disposal," said Peter Vallone Jr., a council member representing parts of Queens, referring to the Bloomberg administration. Vallone sided with Bloomberg and voted against both bills.
Bloomberg has cited pro-active police tactics for helping reduce homicides from 649 in 2001, the year he was elected, to a record low of 419 in 2012. Other major felonies have fallen by similar proportions.
"The mayor has been very clear about why these bills are bad for public safety, and we will continue to make our case to council members leading up to the override vote," said John McCarthy, a spokesman for the mayor's office.
Bloomberg's efforts to overturn the bills were "highly unusual" and part of a wider effort by the mayor to leave his mark on a city he has governed for over a decade, said Doug Muzzio, a political science professor at Baruch College.
"The Bloomberg legacy has to stand on a couple of pillars: one is education, the second thing is public safety," Muzzio said. "Clearly, Bloomberg is using all of his political muscle."
In one instance, the mayor's top aides made last-minute efforts to find a candidate to run against Queens City Councilman Mark Weprin in retaliation for his support of the two bills, said a source close to the Weprin campaign who is not authorized to speak about the matter and asked not to be identified.
Weprin said he was not contacted by the mayor's office about changing his vote.
The former police officer who was recruited to run against Weprin, Joseph Concannon, said he decided to run only after the profiling bills were passed.
"The mayor and I champion wiping this law off the books," Concannon told Reuters. Concannon, who announced his candidacy on Thursday, said he had been prodded by the mayor's staff to run.
"We had conversations," he said.
McCarthy and Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson did not respond to queries about encouraging Concannon to challenge Weprin.
Weprin said he tried to reach out to the mayor's office to verify the involvement of officials. "They never returned any of my calls."
Other council members have received phone calls from top aides in the mayor's office urging them to uphold the vetoes and thus overturn the laws.
The calls were "serious" in tone but "civil," said one source with direct knowledge of the conversations who did not want to be identified for fear of retribution.
Among those who received phone calls were three Democratic council members - Mathieu Eugene, Sara Gonzalez and Erik Dilan - said sources with direct knowledge of the conversations but who asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to speak about the matter.
Bloomberg, who will step down on January 1, is still able to reward those who support him, said Jumaane Williams, the lead sponsor of the racial profiling and inspector general bills.
"Where possible, they have promised them a lot of things; where possible, they have threatened them; where possible, they tried to find people to run against them," Williams said, declining to be more specific.
Eugene, a Brooklyn council member who is seeking re-election, received up to 10 phone calls in the past two weeks "that were serious but not nasty" and "explained their reasoning to change the vote," said a source close to the Eugene campaign who did not want to be identified because the matter is not public.
(Editing by Daniel Trotta and Richard Chang)


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As the sixth entry in the Call of Duty franchise, this next game brings back developer Infinity Ward as the general in command. P8I.com asks the question, "Can Modern Warfare 2 compete?"
CoD4 is still one of the (if not the) best FPS games this generation. Of course it can compete.
...what does the title have to do with the article? The article just summed up what happened in the E3 presentation.
Of course it will compete, it's like any other game. No matter how popular a game is, games that come out after it have a edge up because they are the new game and are "fresh". Even if MW2 is absolutely awful which I totally doubt, it will have some amount of popularity just because it's new. It was that way with halo 3, then when Cod4 came out, then kill zone 2, this will just be the next big thing and eventually something will come along that will out due it.


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Prosecutor says attorney considered girl 'an object, a thing'By DALE VINCENT
Union Leader Correspondent
January 09. 2013 2:42PM
CONCORD - Jurors in the child pornography trial of Manchester attorney Lisa Biron in U.S. District Court saw videos that Biron is accused of making in which a 14-year-old girl is shown having sex with two different men.
In his opening argument, U.S. Attorney John Kacavas said Biron was a pot pusher, pornography producer and predator who considered the teen "an object, a thing."
Biron, 43, is accused of taking the girl to Canada, giving her alcohol and marijuana, and videotaping her as she had sex with a Canadian man she had met online.
Biron is also charged with making more videos, on a cellphone, of the girl having sex with another male in New Hampshire.
Defense attorney James Moir cautioned jurors that they were going to see graphic videos and said the issue here is not whether Lisa Biron is morally depraved.
He said the jury's verdicts must be based "on one thing and one thing only. Has the government proved each and every element beyond a reasonable doubt?"
During the morning session, the witnesses were two young men who testified they had sex with the 14-year-old and with Biron and that they were videotaped during their sexual activities with the teen.
The teenager will be one of the witnesses in what Judge Paul Barbadoro said he expected would be a two-day trial.


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Iain Banks
Edgy Scottish novelist
Iain Banks, 59, a Scottish writer who alternately wowed and disturbed readers with his dark jokes and narrative tricks, died Sunday. His publisher, Little Brown, announced his death but did not provide other details.
Banks, whose writing took readers from rural Scotland to the edge of space, said in April that he was terminally ill with gall bladder cancer and that his soon-to-be released novel, "The Quarry," would be his last.
Banks had two parallel literary careers: one as a general fiction author whose twisted plots were sprinkled with brutality, the other as a science fiction writer whose imaginative universes spawned a fanzine and spun out a devoted online following. He even had two names: Iain Banks for the general fiction and Iain M. Banks for the sci-fi.
Banks published his first novel, the dark and funny "The Wasp Factory," in 1984. His first science fiction book, "Consider Phlebas," was published three years later.
His books were both critical and popular successes. "The Crow Road" — which opens with the memorable line, "It was the day my grandmother exploded" — was adapted for television in 1996.
In 2008, he was named one of the 50 greatest British writers since 1945 in a list compiled by The Times of London.
After his cancer diagnosis, Banks canceled all public appearances and married his longtime partner, Adele, saying she had agreed to the honor of "becoming my widow."
David Jin
Developed Grand Canyon Skywalk
David Jin, a Las Vegas businessman who developed the Grand Canyon Skywalk glass bridge in northwestern Arizona and later became entangled in legal battles about it, has died, a company representative said.
David Jin died Thursday at UCLA Medical Center after a four-year battle with cancer, Grand Canyon Skywalk Development spokesman David Weissman said. He was 51.
Jin's death came amid a continuing legal fight over his contractual rights to the Skywalk, a horseshoe-shaped, glass-bottom walkway that has become the Hualapai Tribe's premier tourist attraction. An attorney for the development company said Jin's family will continue to pursue legal rights to Skywalk, in which Jin invested more than $30 million.
Originally from Shanghai, Jin worked in a sweater factory before moving to the U.S. in 1988. His first job in Las Vegas was as a busboy in a Chinese restaurant that catered to busloads of Asian tourists. Investing his savings in the bus company, he told the South China Post in 2006, he lost his nest egg to a business partner.
He bounced back, however, running helicopter tours of the Grand Canyon and party boats on the Colorado River. Through those ventures, he got to know the Hualapai leaders who eventually approved Skywalk. The attraction opened in 2007.
Jin is survived by his wife, Yvonne Jin, son Michael Jin and stepdaughter Catherine Han.
Dwight Opperman, 89, the former president of West Publishing Co. who is credited with leading the legal publishing company into the digital age, died Thursday at his home in Bel-Air after battling liver cancer, according to an announcement from his philanthropic organization, the Dwight D. Opperman Foundation. Opperman became president of West Publishing Co. in 1968, when the company was based in St. Paul, Minn., and was instrumental in leading the company into delivering its services electronically and creating Westlaw, a major online legal research service. West Publishing was sold to Thomson Reuters in 1996 for $3.4 billion.
Times staff and wire reports


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Next: Sessions Up: Overview Previous: Aids to the User
Reserved names
When Xselect exits, it deletes all files of the form (session name)_*.xsl and (session name)_*.tmp in the work directory, unless you save the session. Therefore, you cannot use names of this form, unless you are willing to have them deleted on exit.
Next: Sessions Up: Overview Previous: Aids to the User Keith Arnaud
HEASARC Home | Observatories | Archive | Calibration | Software | Tools | Students/Teachers/Public
Last modified: Monday, 19-Mar-2012 14:16:49 EDT


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Racine Zoo wants help naming three little pigs
Racine Zoo wants help naming three little pigs
RACINE, Wis. —
The Racine Zoo is looking for help in naming three little pigs that are due to arrive this spring.
Zoo officials announced on their Facebook page that the three little pigs are due to join the zoo's Barnyard Safari exhibit on Memorial Day weekend.
The zoo is holding a "Three Little Pigs Naming Contest" on its Facebook page. Entries will be accepted through May 8. Click here to view their page.
Zoo staff will narrow the submissions to five finalists, and public voting will again be held May 15-26.
The winning names will be announced on May 28. Winners will receive a zoo prize pack including a family admission package.


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It's time for a Vortex development update!
Since our last news post back in May we have setup a focus group of around 30 individuals who have been given access to an early build alpha of Vortex using a rudimentary design and UX flow. Tannin has been working with these users, taking on their feedback and patching up bugs that have been found over the past couple of months. At this stage, the core functionality is all done and now it's a matter of rounding off any rough edges and patching up any holes the focus group can find.
While Tannin has been working on the overall functionality of the application, our new UX/UI designer, Kit, who officially began her work at the beginning of October has been working on the overall look and feel. Kit's first task has been to work on the design of Vortex, drawing up wireframes and now mock-ups that eventually Tannin will implement into Vortex. The first of these mock-ups were offered to the focus group for consultation and feedback last week while Kit worked on the rest of the screens that Vortex needs.
I've been reliably informed that, today, Kit has run out of screens to mock up, so these final screens will be in the hands of the focus group by the end of today. We will give the focus group most of a week to provide their feedback on these mock ups. Following that, Kit will spend a few days implementing any necessary changes based on this feedback before they are handed over to Tannin as "final".
From there, Tannin will need to spend some time implementing the new design into the current build of Vortex, which is no small task. The focus group will be provided with these builds as and when they're ready for feedback. After that, it's all touching and shoring things up ready for an official public Alpha release.
Tentatively, we're aiming for a January release date for the open Alpha of Vortex. Naturally, that's subject to change as with all development cycles, but we're quietly confident that we will hit that deadline.
While I've juggled with the idea of providing you all with mock up screens of Vortex to tide you over until then, I think without you being able to actually experience the user flow and experience the software fully, a lot of the context will be lost, which will ultimately mean any feedback you could provide would be superficial (and potentially, negative, without any context to back it up). As such, I think it would be better for all of us if we waited until it was actually possible for you to use it. Then the feedback you provide will be far more useful, and relevant, to us.
Not long now!


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Yeah, LDO
.! That is the entire point of the whole RAW histogram discussion. What's the use of stating the obvious?
You should also be aware that the output colorspace rendition on the camera is usually a perceptual rendition, not the usual matrix conversion, therefore clipping indication may still be accurate, regardless of colorspace.
This is an interesting comment, worth spending some time on imo. It entails understanding and visualizing color spaces (camera, colorimetric and human) in 3D, something most people (including myself) haven't done much of. Can you elaborate Francisco?
2) If a captured color falls outside of, say, aRGB will it necessarily result in one of the three channels saturating (clipping) when rendered neutrally into aRGB's cube?
More sophisticated color space conversion algorithms might compress the out-of-gamut colors so that they fall within the aRGB gamut. I don't know of raw processors that use that kind of perceptual rendering, but that doesn't mean they're not out there.
It's up to the user to decide what trade-off, if any, is more important. Power to the user, who can also use it in a dual conversion strategy (by blending normal + OOG conversions, compressed or not).


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- Inside Athletics
- Tickets
- Fan Zone
- Media Zone
- Social
- Shop
- E Fund
Special ticket incentives announced for Friday and Saturday's conference doubleheaders
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (March 24, 2011) - The Buccaneer softball team begins Atlantic Sun Conference action this weekend at Betty Basler Field, and the ETSU Marketing Department has announced exciting promotions for the pair of doubleheaders.
ETSU kicks off league play Friday evening when the Bucs host Lipscomb at 4/6 p.m., while Belmont visits Johnson City on Saturday afternoon for a 1/3 p.m. doubleheader.
Friday's promotion is "Book the Bisons," so fans who bring a new or gently used book will receive admission for only $1. The books collected on Friday will be donated to the Reach Out and Read Program for ETSU Pediatrics.
Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based nonprofit organization that promotes early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms nationwide by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud.
Reach Out and Read builds on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers to develop critical early reading skills in children, beginning at 6 months of age. The 3.9 million families served annually by Reach Out and Read Program read together more often, and their children enter kindergarten better prepared to succeed, with larger vocabularies, stronger language skills, and a six-month developmental edge over their peers.
To learn more about the Reach Out and Read program, visit http://www.reachoutandread.org/.
On Saturday, the Bucs have teamed up with Nike's ReUse-A-Shoe Recycling program for a special "Boot the Bruins" promotion. Fans who bring an old pair of sneakers to the park will receive a special $1 ticket price.
The Nike Reuse-A-Shoe program is designed to take used sneakers and turn them into Nike Grind material. The material is then used to build play grounds and different sporting surfaces across the country. To learn more about the program, visit http://www.nikereuseashoe.com/.
For more information on Buccaneer softball, visit www.ETSUBucs.com.


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Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult keep romance by ignoring each other
Young lovers Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult have found a way to keep their romance alive when they're both working on location – they ignore one another.
Rather than get upset when a text or phone message isn't returned, the couple has come up with a plan to avoid the frustrations of trying to keep a long-distance love affair alive and simply give each other the space to work.
Lawrence tells Marie Claire magazine, "When we're busy, we agree to mutually ignore each other. Not completely, but neither of us gets mad when the other doesn't text back or call. Life's super-busy.
"Obviously you know what they're doing, and you trust them… At least this way he's in the same boat as I am – we can go out and have our own lives and know that we have each other."
And The Hunger Games star has no time for jealousy when it comes to her British boyfriend, insisting recent reports suggesting she was unhappy when she discovered Hoult would be starring alongside Kristen Stewart in new movie Equals were way off.
She says, "There was something in a magazine, and I was like, 'Oh, my God, that's hilarious,' because Kristen and I are friends. I actually texted her a picture of it and was like, 'Just so you know, this is absolutely true'."


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- Premier League
Gullit: Pep Guardiola would struggle at Chelsea
Former Chelsea star Ruud Gullit feels Pep Guardiola would struggle to replicate the success he had at Barcelona, were he to take the reins at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea are a club in a state of flux, with Rafa Benitez in charge following the Blues' decision to sack Roberto Di Matteo.
Benitez has been handed a deal until the end of the season, which has only added weight to those who feel Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich wants Guardiola to take control.
Guardiola is taking a year out of management, following a stellar time in charge of Barcelona. The former Spain international's record at Barca stands up to the closest scrutiny, notably three Liga titles and two Champions League wins, but he had the likes of Lionel Messi, Carles Puyol and Xavi strutting their stuff.
Although Chelsea have top-class talent on their books, Gullit does not feel they are of the same calibre as the players Guardiola worked with at Camp Nou and believes success would be far harder to achieve.
"I think what Pep [Guardiola] did with Barcelona is difficult to repeat," Gullit said. "Also because he had the players there. You cannot do the same thing twice, especially not in another culture.
"I remember with other cultures, they try because they think they have a formula, and it doesn't apply everywhere. No, it doesn't."
Many Chelsea fans are unhappy with the appointment of Benitez and Gullit feels the club have work to do to repair the damage.
He said: "Abramovich [has done] a great job at Chelsea. Development, new training ground, trophies, he also brought them trophies. So for that reason you cannot blame him. But sometimes it's a hard cookie to swallow in the way things happen. But it's his club, he can do what he likes.
"I'm afraid [for what] the consequences can be. Publicly-wise. About Chelsea. Because I love Chelsea, I love the way the club has evolved, now you have to work hard to get your sympathy back."


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Hypanus dipterurus
|Scope: Global
Language: English
|Scientific Name:
|Hypanus dipterurus (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880)
Common Name(s):
Dasyatis brevis (Garman, 1880)
Dasyatis dipterura (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880)
Dasyatis hawaiiensis Jenkins, 1903
Dasybatis dipterurus Jordan & Gilbert, 1880
|Taxonomic Source(s):
|Eschmeyer, W.N., Fricke, R. and Van der Laan, R. (eds). 2016. Catalog of Fishes: genera, species, references. Updated 29 September 2016. Available at: http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp. (Accessed: 29 September 2016).
|Taxonomic Notes:
|The genus Hypanus formerly was a junior synonym of Dasyatis (Kottelat, 2013); it was resurrected by Last et al. (2016) in their revision of the family Dasyatidae.
The nomenclature of this species is often confused, occasionally resulting in the listing of brevis and dipterurus as separate species. Both Jordan and Gilbert and Garman published descriptions of this species in the same year, 1880. However, Jordan and Gilbert published their account of specimens from San Diego in May of 1880, while Garman published his description in October of that year. Garman (1913) subsequently overlooked these facts and inappropriately synonymized dipterurus with brevis. However, Jordan and Gilbert's description has precedence and is recognized as the original by the American Fisheries Society and Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes. The species originally described as Dasyatis hawaiiensis Jenkins, 1903 from Hawaii was later synonymized as Dasyatis (=Hypanus) dipterurus (Nishida and Nakaya 1990). Additional taxonomic work on the Hawaiian dasyatids is necessary to further clarify the relationships of these stingrays to the eastern Pacific fauna.
|Red List Category & Criteria:
|Data Deficient ver 3.1
|Year Published:
|Date Assessed:
Needs updating
|Smith, W.D., Bizzarro, J.J. & Lamilla, J.
|Kyne, P.M. & Fowler, S.L.
This is an amended version of the 2006 assessment to accommodate the recent change in genus name from Dasyatis to Hypanus.
Hypanus dipterurus is a broadly distributed but poorly known stingray from the eastern Pacific. Biological and fishery information is primarily available from México where H. dipterurus is commonly landed among artisanal elasmobranch fisheries and frequently taken as bycatch in trawl fisheries (especially by shrimp trawlers). Populations from the Mexican Pacific display seasonal movement patterns related to reproductive events, but no information is available on trends in abundance. Recent studies indicate that this stingray is relatively long lived (to at least 28 years), has a low fecundity (1 to 4), and a low intrinsic rate of increase. Female growth rates are estimated to be among the lowest reported for any batoid. These combined factors indicate that H. dipterurus populations are of low productivity and demonstrate limited resilience to fishing pressure. Due to its vulnerability and importance within the unregulated artisanal elasmobranch fishery, this stingray is considered Near Threatened in México. Based on the lack of information pertaining to the biology, distribution, and fisheries for this species throughout the majority of its range, H. dipterurus is classified as Data Deficient in the USA as well as Central and South America. Where is it taken in fisheries in those regions it may prove to be at risk when more information is available.
|Previously published Red List assessments:
|Range Description:
|Reports of this stingray from British Columbia, Canada (Hart 1973) are questionable and have not been verified. If accurate, they represent anomalies, as H. dipterurus is typically a subtropical to tropical species. The confirmed range is from southern California, USA to Chile (where it is occasional only); including the Galápagos and Hawaiian Islands (Eschmeyer et al. 1983, Nishida and Nakaya 1990, Lamilla et al. 1995).
|Countries occurrence:
Native:Chile; Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador (Galápagos); El Salvador; Guatemala; Honduras; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chiapas, Colima, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Sinaloa); Nicaragua; Panama; Peru; United States (California, Hawaiian Is.)
|FAO Marine Fishing Areas:
Present - origin uncertain:
Pacific – southeast; Pacific – northwest; Pacific – eastern central
|Additional data:
|Range Map:
|Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.
|Rough estimates of H. dipterurus abundance were calculated by Mathews and Druck-Gonzalez (1975) from the Bahía Magdalena lagoon complex, Baja California Sur, México based on trawl surveys. These authors noted a distinct seasonal trend in abundance within the lagoon complex and estimated 112,000 individuals present in February, increasing to 378,000 in August. Species identifications were problematic and these estimates may include H. longus or urotrygonid rays. In the Gulf of California, exploratory trawl surveys indicated that H. dipterurus comprised 26% of the total demersal catch weight (Flores et al. 1995). No details on the abundance of this species outside of México are available.
In Chile, the southern extent of the species' distribution, and southern California, the northern extent of its distribution, this species is rare. In Chile, it is known only from three specimens taken in the north (Antofagasta). Its occurrence in these extremities of its range appears to be linked to suitable climatic conditions due to El Niño (Lamilla, et al. 1995, Ebert, 2003).
No information on subpopulations or fragmentation is available.
|Current Population Trend:
|Additional data:
|Habitat and Ecology:
|Hypanus dipterurus is a demersal stingray known primarily from relatively shallow, inshore waters over sand and mud bottoms or near rocky outcrops and kelp beds (Feder et al. 1974, Eschmeyer et al. 1983). Off southern California, the species has been reported to occupy shallow waters (intertidal to 7 m) in the summer and moves to depths of 13 to 17.7 m during the late fall and winter months (Feder et al. 1974). In Chile the species has been reported at depths of 3 to 30 m. However, Chave and Mundy (1994) reported H. dipterurus from depths of 52 to 150 m over sand bottoms in the Hawaiian archipelago. The Hawaiian records may represent a misidentification or indicate that a much broader depth range may be potentially utilized by this species.
The limited biological information available for H. dipterurus is derived primarily from the Bahía Magdalena lagoon complex, Baja California Sur, México. These parameters may differ markedly throughout the species' range. In the Bahía Magdalena lagoon complex, courtship and insemination is thought to occur in the late summer during July and August (Mariano-Melendez 1997). Sperm storage or diapause may contribute to delayed development of embryos and gestation is suggested to occur over 2 to 2.5 months with pupping taking place the following summer (July-September) in shallow estuaries (Mariano-Melendez 1997). Reproduction appears to be annual and litter sizes range from one to four pups (Mariano-Melendez 1997, Smith 2004). Reproductive mode is aplacental viviparity in which embryos are nourished by a combination of a small yolk-sac and histotrophe secreted from the uterus (as with all myliobatoid rays). Only a single ovary is functional. Maximum size is ~100 cm disc width (DW) (McEachran and Notarbartolo-di-Sciara 1995) and size at birth ranges 18 to 23 cm DW (Mariano-Melendez 1997, Smith 2004). The median size at maturity is estimated to be 58.5 cm DW (males) and 43.4 cm DW (females). Growth estimates based on vertebral ageing indicate that these sizes correspond to ages of 10 years in females and seven years in males (see life history parameters below for other maturity estimates). Age analysis indicates slow growth rates and maximum observed ages up to 28 years. Von Bertalanffy models estimate growth coefficients of 0.55 y-1 for females and 0.10 y-1 for males (Smith 2004). Females attain greater sizes and ages than males. Catch records suggest that the species may segregate by size and sex (Mathews and Druck-Gonzalez 1975, Smith 2004).
Diet is comprised primarily of infaunal organisms and large feeding pits are excavated by jetting water and through movements of the pectoral fins. Some epibenthic species are also taken. In the Bahía Magdalena lagoon complex, pea crabs (Pinnotheridae), razor clams (Solyema valvulus) and polychaetes are the primary prey items, in order of decreasing importance (Bizzarro 2005).
Life history parameters
Age at maturity: 10 years (50% maturity) (Smith 2004) (female); 7 years (50% maturity) (Smith 2004) (male).
Size at maturity (disc width): 50% Maturity: 58.5 cm DW (Smith 2004), 65.5 cm DW (Mariano-Melendez 1997), 1st Maturity: 57 cm DW (Smith 2004) (female); 50% Maturity: 43.3 cm DW (Smith 2004), 45.5 cm DW (Mariano-Melendez 1997), 1st Maturity: 47 cm DW (Smith 2004) (male).
Longevity: at least 28 years (maximum observed) (Smith 2004).
Maximum size (disc width): ~100 cm DW (McEachran and Notarbartolo-di-Sciara 1995).
Size at birth: 18 to 23 cm DW (Mariano-Melendez 1997, Smith 2004).
Average reproductive age: 14.6 years (Smith 2004).
Gestation time: ~2.5 to 3 months (Mariano-Melendez 1997).
Reproductive periodicity: Annual (Mariano-Melendez 1997).
Average annual fecundity or litter size: Maximum observed: 4 (Mariano-Melendez 1997); Mean litter size: 2.7 (Smith 2004).
Annual rate of population increase: Mean λ = 1.06 per year (Smith 2004).
Natural mortality: General indirect estimates: 0.07 to 0.15 per year (range; multiple methods of estimation) (Smith 2004); Age-specific indirect estimates: 0.03-0.35 per year (range; Peterson and Wroblewski and Chen and Watanabe approaches) (Smith 2004).
|Major Threat(s):
Directed artisanal fisheries and incidental catch among trawl fisheries and other artisanal fisheries using gillnets, longlines, or traps.
Hypanus dipterurus represents a primary component of artisanal elasmobranch fishery catches of the Pacific coast of México and the Gulf of California (Bizzarro et al. 2000, R. Hueter et al. unpublished data, Smith 2004, Bizzarro 2005). Its contribution to the fishery is likely underestimated due to the lack of species-specific landing information and potential misidentification. Although present in artisanal landings throughout the year, catches of this stingray are highest during the summer and fall (Notarbartolo di Sciara 1987; Bizzarro et al. 2000). Hypanus dipterurus is the second most abundant batoid landed in coastal waters of Sonora, México, comprising ~19% of all batoid landings in seasonal surveys conducted in 1998 and 1999 (R. Hueter et al., unpublished data, Márquez-Farías 2002). This species is targeted during primarily summer months in Bahía Almejas, located in the southern portion of the Bahía Magdalena lagoon complex, Baja California Sur, México. In this embayment, it is most abundant batoid species landed in August (~43%) and the fourth most abundant batoid in June landings (~8%) (Bizzarro 2005). Individuals are primarily captured in demersal gillnets in which their tail spines are entangled. This method of entanglement allows a wide range of mesh sizes to be effective for capturing juveniles as well as adults. Juveniles comprised the majority of individuals landed in the Bahía Magdalena lagoon complex artisanal elasmobranch fishery during 1998-2000 (Smith 2004, Bizzarro 2005, Bizzarro and Smith in preparation).
Based on records from exploratory fishing surveys, it is likely that this species represents a significant component of trawl bycatch fisheries (especially shrimp trawl bycatch) in the Mexican Pacific (Mathews and Druck-Gonzalez 1975, Flores et al. 1995). No information is available on the species' actual contribution to bycatch in other artisanal or trawl fisheries in México, or through its Central and South American range.
Many coastal embayments and mangrove lagoons in north Pacific México, which serve as habitat for D. dipterura, are being altered for the purpose of shrimp farming. Although these activities are presently limited, their expected increase could detrimentally alter suitable habitat for this species (Bizzarro pers. obs).
|Conservation Actions:
Hypanus dipterurus fisheries and bycatch are unmanaged throughout the species range. In México, a moratorium on the issue of elasmobranch fishing permits was enacted in 1993, but no formal management plan has been implemented. However, legislation is currently being developed in México to establish national elasmobranch fishery management. Elasmobranch fisheries are unmanaged throughout Central and South America. Attempts to monitor and regulate fisheries in the eastern tropical Pacific would greatly improve conservation of H. dipterurus and other chondrichthyans.
Elasmobranch landings reported from México and Central America typically lack species-specific details. Large sharks are generally grouped as "tiburónes" and small sharks as "cazonés" while batoids are often simply termed "manta raya" collectively. Mexican federal fisheries agencies recently began providing slightly more taxonomic resolution of ray landings by listing several new categories. Landings of H. dipterurus, however, may still be unknown as they are grouped in the modified category of "manta raya" that may include dasyatid as well as urotrygonid and mobulid species. Additional monitoring of artisanal elasmobranch fisheries and commercial trawl bycatch on a species-specific basis is critical for detecting trends in effort, abundance, and catch of elasmobranchs. Concise guides to species identification for both fishermen and fisheries biologists would be a valuable aid for improving the monitoring of these landings. Fishery-independent surveys of this and other demersal elasmobranchs are necessary to provide estimates of abundance and biomass.
In addition to species-specific catch details, life history information including age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, habitat use, diet, and further reproductive studies from other portions of the species range are necessary to develop effective conservation actions for H. dipterurus. Direct estimates of fishing and natural mortality are critical for assessing the impact of fisheries on a species and would greatly improve population models of this vulnerable species.
The development and implementation of management plans (national and/or regional e.g., under the FAO International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks: IPOA-Sharks) are required to facilitate the conservation and sustainable management of all chondrichthyan species in the region. See Anon. (2004) for an update of progress made by nations in the range of H. dipterurus.
|Smith, W.D., Bizzarro, J.J. & Lamilla, J. 2016. Hypanus dipterurus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T60152A104124276. . Downloaded on 19 September 2018.
|To make use of this information, please check the <Terms of Use>.
|If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please provide us with feedback so that we can correct or extend the information provided


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Erin Jackson has rarely found a reason to slow down in nearly eight years of competitive roller speed skating.
As a former junior world and U.S. national champion, Erin Jackson has rarely found a reason to slow down in nearly eight years of competitive roller speed skating.
Before graduating from Ocala Forest High School in 2011, the 19-year-old inline skater already owned seven medals from racing at the World Championships — her sport's highest annual competition.
Unlike many of her professional peers jostling for position on the track, however, Jackson is also balancing her time with the demands of studying materials science and engineering at the University of Florida.
"I don't have much time to train until the college semester is over," said Jackson, who is entering her junior year at UF. "Kind of like this year. I didn't really start training until May." Despite being named the U.S. Olympic Committee's Female Athlete of the Year two weeks ago, Jackson felt that her world-class form slipped during international meets due to her hectic schedule. Jackson finished 2012 undefeated in domestic competition, but had one of her lowest finishes at the World Championships in September when she came away from Ascoli Piceno and San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy, with a lone bronze medal in the 500-meter. "It was actually a pretty bad year," she said. "That was the worst I've done since I've been on the (U.S. national) team. That was my fourth year going to worlds, so I usually get more medals or better medals." A member of Team Florida, Jackson knew she wanted to change her training regimen during the school year, which hinged on her ability to travel to either Tampa or Orlando on the weekends. Instead of commuting to one of Team Florida's facilities, Jackson was encouraged by her Australian-based professional sponsor, Bont, to begin competing in roller derby to get more time on her skates in the offseason. "The strength training for derby, it's not so much endurance as it is quick bursts and sprints," said Debbie Rice, who manages Team Bont USA. "So she gets a lot better training out of that for her sprint work in inline." Known as "Ms. Jax'em" on the derby course, Jackson parlayed her speed skating background into a spot on the Jacksonville RollerGirls team as a jammer, who scores points by lapping players on the opposing team. She also recently tried out for Team USA in an effort to make its final squad for the 2014 Roller Derby World Cup, but will not know her placement until late August. "Speed skating is really the only sport I've ever done — the only one I've ever been serious about," Jackson said. "It was different doing a team sport. I'm used to the individual with speed skating." While roller derby is a more physical brand of skating than Jackson's inline races, Team Florida coach Tony Cabral said the potential benefits of competing in the sport outweigh its risk of injury. Roller derby is one of the most rapidly growing sports in the world with more than 1,200 leagues in about 38 countries, according to USA Roller Sports. "I knew she'd be good at it, because anything this girl touches she can just take off in it," said Cabral, who has coached Jackson since 2008. "That seems to be what's happening with the derby. She's doing well." Jackson will put her unorthodox training to the test today when she competes at the Outdoor Speed Skating National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo., for a chance to make the U.S. national team ahead of August's World Championships in Belgium.


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Stocks firmed on Friday after a jobs report showed the pace of hiring met expectations by easing slightly in December, but gave indications of momentum in the labor market recovery.
The market also reacted modestly to data from the Institute for Supply Management, which showed the U.S. service sector grew at its fastest pace in 10 months in December, boosted by a rise in new orders.
Continue Reading Below
"The jobs number today was somewhat benign, it was pretty close to what estimates were, so there wasn't much to draw out volatility from that report," said Gordon Charlop, managing director at Rosenblatt Securities in New York.
"I get the sense we're just sort of going to digest the events of earlier this week," he said, referring to the "fiscal cliff" deal in Washington that averted a possible recession.
The S&P saw its largest gain in over a year to start 2013 on Wednesday, following the agreement struck late Tuesday.
The Labor Department said payrolls outside the farming sector grew 155,000 last month, slightly below November's level. Gains in employment were distributed broadly throughout the economy, from manufacturing and construction to healthcare.
Shares of Apple Inc dropped 2.9 percent to $526.20, continuing its downward path of recent months and pressuring the Nasdaq.
Adding to concerns about the iPhone maker's ability to produce more innovative products going forward, rival Samsung Electronics Co Ltd <005930.KS> is expected to widen its lead over Apple in global smartphone sales this year with 35 percent growth, propped up by a broad product lineup, according to market researcher Strategy Analytics.
The Dow Jones industrial average was up 3.99 points, or 0.03 percent, at 13,395.35. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index gained 2.38 points, or 0.16 percent, at 1,461.75. The Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 3.47 points, or 0.11 percent, at 3,097.10.
New orders received by U.S. factories were flat in November, missing expectations as demand for aircraft sank sharply, although a gauge of business spending plans gave a positive sign for the economy.
The lackluster economic growth indicated by the jobs data did not make a dent in the still-high U.S. unemployment rate, but it calmed fears about the possibility of the U.S. Federal Reserve ending its highly stimulative monetary policy.
Concerns about the endurance of the Fed's stimulus program prompted investors to pull back from the market Thursday after a two-day rally.
Minutes from the Fed's December policy meeting, released Thursday, showed Fed officials were increasingly worried about the risks of asset purchases to financial markets, though they looked set to continue with the open-ended stimulus program for now.
Some policymakers thought asset buying should be slowed or stopped before the end of 2013 while others highlighted the need for further stimulus. The Fed's policy of easy credit has helped push the S&P 500 to a 13.4 percent gain in 2012. Ending that policy would remove an incentive for investors to purchase riskier assets like stocks.
The S&P Energy sector index rose again, up 0.7 percent, led by a 3.5 percent gain in shares of Chesapeake Energy .
Eli Lilly and Co stock rose 3.9 percent to $51.68 after the pharmaceuticals maker said it expects its 2013 earnings to increase to $3.75 to $3.90 per share excluding items from $3.30 to $3.40 per share in 2012.
Shares of Mosaic Co gained 2.6 percent to $58.25 on the fertilizer producer's announcement that its quarterly operating profit fell 30 percent as international distributors delayed buying potash and phosphate to avert the price risk associated with the company's negotiations with China and India.
(Additional reporting by Angela Moon; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Nick Zieminski)


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University of Vermont
2011-12 Online Catalogue
Biochemistry (Master of Science)
General Requirements
Specific Requirements
Requirements for Admission to Graduate Studies for the Degree of Master of Science
Satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Examination. Subject (advanced) portion not required but helpful. In addition: year-long courses in organic chemistry, physical chemistry, and physics (equivalent to CHEM 141/CHEM 142 or CHEM 143; CHEM 144, CHEM 162 and PHYS 015/PHYS 016); quantitative chemistry; mathematics preferably through differential and integral calculus; a year-long course in a biological science. If a physical chemistry course has not been taken previously, a student must take Physical Chemistry (CHEM 162) in their first year (for which they do not receive credit toward the M.S. degree).
Requirements for Advancement to Candidacy for the Degree of Master of Science
Successful completion of a Phase I exam is required for advancement to candidacy.
Minimum Degree Requirements
Thirty credits, seventeen of which must be taken from graduate courses offered by the Department of Biochemistry, including BIOC 301, BIOC 302, BIOC 309, BIOC 381, and two upper level courses selected from BIOC 351, BIOC 352, BIOC 353 or BIOC 370. At least thirteen credits of Master's Thesis Research (BIOC 391).
See the Department of Biochemistry website for more details.
Option A (Thesis): At least thirteen credits of Master's Thesis Research (BIOC 391).
Option B (Non-Thesis): Up to eight credits of Independent Literature Research (BIOC 392).
- Colleges and Schools: Graduate College. College of Medicine.
- Departments and Programs: Biochemistry Department.


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The Walrus Says
Sunday is President Abraham Lincoln's birthday. By the usual wisdom of Congress, he was lumped together with the other presidents for a holiday named Presidents' Day to be observed this year on Feb. 20. But our 16th president deserves his own day. He brought our nation through its most perilous time, saving the Union and freeing the slaves. His eloquence is obvious in his Gettysburg Address in 1863 in which he defined the war as a rededication to the egalitarian ideals of the Declaration of Independence. In his second inaugural address in 1865 he urged "malice toward none" and "charity for all" in the peace to come. On Sunday, fly your flag in honor of this great American.
Conrad Henselder says there's a rumor going around that the building going up at the toll plaza is going to be a new casino.
In years past, the island had its own casino. Where was it?
Check in your kitchen drawers and see if you have any old rolling pins that you no longer use. The Jamestown Arts Center is in need of the pins to roll out clay. If you would like to donate one, call Joan McCauley at 595-5593 and she will be happy to pick it up. ***
In last week's column we misspelled the name of the cruise ship that capsized off Italy. She is the Concordia.
Congratulations to Superior Court Judge Franes J. Darigan Jr. who will retire on Feb. 29 after 28 years on the judicial bench. Frank is a member of the Jamestown Community Chorus and islanders have always enjoyed his many hats and deft steps as emcee of the chorus's annual talent show. Enjoy your retirement, Frank.
Harbormaster Sam Paterson reports that the water temperature in the East Passage is the warmest in his memory. He said it's at 45 degrees when it normally would be 33 degrees at this time of year. *** Speaking of which, before we go building 6-foot sea walls, what do "scientists" project as the high watermark at East Ferry 50 years from now?
Kevin Carty writes, "Just curious: Why has DEM or someone else cut a road through Beavertail on the East Passage side?"
Anyone know why?
We're lauding to heck Beverly R. Snyder and Elizabeth Mancini who came up with the correct answer to last week's trivia question. In "Now, Voyager," Paul Henreid lit two cigarettes, handed Bette Davis one and smoked the other one.
Want to rock your chakra? You can do so the second Friday of each month beginning tomorrow through June 8 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Jamestown Arts Center. But, before I rock mine, I want to know what I'm rockin'. Google tells me that there are seven primary chakra points. Each relates strongly to a specific part of the body, specific emotions, mental and spiritual concerns. I don't think any of my parts could handle a rockin' right now so I'll pass. The first two hours of the sessions will "use expressive arts and yoga to feel and catalog the different layers of self and focus on fluid and dynamic movement associated with each chakra." You can really rock your chakra during the final hour at a dance party. It's $25 "to experience the full evening," and $10 for the dance party only. The experiences will be led by Rachel Balaban and Liz Lindh.
Rock, rock, rock your chakra, rock, rock, rock your chakra.
A Valentine's Day poser:
While I'm far away from you (Ooh, baby),
I know it's hard for you (Ooh, baby),
Because it's hard for me my baby,
And the darkest hour is just before dawn.
Congratulations to 9-year-old Melrose Avenue School thirdgrader Kyle Takata who was selected by the Newport Daily News as its Student of the Week.
Sunday is Darwin Day.
Be true!
Call in your stuff to 829-2760 or 423-0383, or email me at jtnwal email@example.com. Thank you.


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If You Love Bacon, There's A New Club For You
Bacon. It's delicious, it's nutritious, and it's seen a huge surge in popularity recently. Here's some good news for any bacon enthusiast, you now have a place to gather, discuss and win bacon. Farmland Bacon has just started their own Bacon Club. The free, online club describes itself as:
This is where bacon lovers can connect with others who share their passion – and we can all let our bacon flags fly high.
Membership is free, and has its benefits – like bacon. But you'll also get the chance to win bacon prizes, watch bacon videos, try extreme bacon recipes, and discover amazing bacon creations. We've got bacon flavors of the month, members of the month, and sizzling hot bacon discussion and debate you won't be able to resist.
We only have one prerequisite to joining: Love bacon. Do that, and you're one of us.
There's pages for recipes with bacon. There's a calendar where you can make sure you know all your bacon related dates. There's even how-to videos about bacon, like this one about how to make your own bacon dress.
If you want to be a part of the Farmland Bacon Club, just visit their site and sign up. Soon you will be in the know about everything bacon and privy to such fine recipes as bacon cookies and bacon shelled tacos.


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Champion Picnic Basket - Purdue University BoilermakersManufactured By: Picnic Time
Item Number:
The Purdue University Boilermakers Champion basket comes complete with picnic service for two. The premium woven basket contains two wine glasses, two Purdue University Boilermakers plates made of porcelain, two sets of stainless utensils (knife, fork and spoon) and two Purdue University Boilermakers cotton napkins that match the baskets cloth interior. Constructed of willow and accented with dark brown leatherette closures and sturdy handle. The lid to the Champion overlaps when closed keeping the contents securely inside during transport. Show your Perdue spirit with the Champion picnic basket, also makes a great gift for any Boilermakers fan.
Shipping Information for Picnic Time 208-40-179-514-0 - Purdue Boilermakers Champion Picnic Basket
- This product ships directly from the manufacturing center in California
- Ships UPS ground service only to the 48 contiguous states.
- For other shipping areas such as APO/FPO, HI, AK or expidited shipping please contact us for options and pricing.
- Items are generally shipped within 2 days, although team licensed products may take up to 7 days to ship due to printing, embroidering or laser etching if required.
Below is a map of average shipping times once the products leave the warehouse:
The manufacturer is so confident in the integrity of their products that they offer a limited lifetime warranty for every product they sell. Their product are warranted to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for the life of the product when the product is used for the purpose intended, and does not apply to damages caused by unreasonable use, neglect, accident, intentional misuse or acts of nature, normal wear and tear, exposure to extremes in temperature or humidity, immersion in water, fading or variations in color or finish over time, scratches, blemishes or slight color variations in wood grain, minor variations in size, unauthorized repair, alteration, abuse or misuse of Product.
Return Policy
This manufacturer accepts non-warranty returns. Your purchase may be returned up to 10 days after receiving it. However, you must first contact us (in writing) by sending an email. We will then issue a Return Authorization Number to you. It must be new, it may not have been used, and in the original packaging...so it can be re-sold. Upon receipt and inspection to determine if the item is in the same condition as when shipped by the manufacturer, a credit will be issued to your card minus a 5% (of the selling price) restocking fee, and original shipping costs incurred to send your purchase to you. The customer sets up and pays for the return shipping cost.
Product Specific Identification:
Merchandise Vendor: Picnic Time
Title: Champion Picnic Basket - Purdue University Boilermakers
Buy SKU: 208-40-179-514-0
Purchase Primary URL: Purdue Boilermakers Champion Picnic Basket
Type: picnic basket
Buyer SMS URL: champion purdue university boilermakers
SMS ID: ChampionPicnicBasketPurdueUniversityBoilermakers
SMS Desc: The Purdue University Boilermakers Champion basket comes complete with picnic...
Buying SMS Tags: AccessoriesDiningFood ServiceNCAApicnic basketPicnic BasketsPicnic TimetoteTotesTotes and Backpacks
Purchasing ImageID: Purdue-Boilermakers-Champion-Picnic-Basket Product Price: 149.95


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AMP-430x0 (-D30x0) Series
Power Supplies & Accessories for Servo Amplifiers
2 and 4 Axis Brush/Brushless 500W Servo Amps for DMC-40x0
from $450.00/ea
The DMC-40x0 motion controller is Galil's highest performance, stand-alone motion controller. It belongs to Galil's latest generation motion controller family: the Accelera Series, which accepts encoder inputs up to 22 MHz, provides servo update rates as high as 32 kHz, and processes commands as fast as 40 microseconds-10 times the speed of prior generation controllers.
The DMC-40x0 is a full-featured motion controller packaged with optional multi-axis drives in a compact, metal enclosure. The unit operates stand-alone or interfaces to a PC with Ethernet 10/100Base-T or RS232. The controller includes optically isolated I/O, high-power outputs capable of driving brakes or relays, and analog inputs for interfacing to analog sensors. The DMC-40x0 controller and drive unit accepts power from a single 20-80 VDC source. The DMC-40x0 is available in one through eight-axis formats, and each axis is user-configurable for stepper or servo motor operation.
Like all Galil controllers, programming the DMC-40x0 is simplified with two-letter, intuitive commands and a full set of software tools such as WSDK for servo tuning and analysis, and an ActiveX Tool Kit for Visual Basic users.
Features of Power Supplies & Accessories for Servo Amplifiers


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Rimping Village locates in the perfect historical place of the city; Wat Kate community,
the trading area of Chiang Mai in the old days where people from diverse cultures reside together,
creating the unique style of culture of the whole community as reflected in people's lifestyle and architecture.
As we concern the significance of such cultural aspect toward local people, the hotel is designed with the certain style that perfectly suits the architectures around the area as several local designs are applied including the shape of the roof, slab covering the walkway, Lanna-style door, and especially the walls which is created with the appropriate height, well uniting the hotel and the community together.
However Rimping Village has gone for a simple and comfortable hotel with 34 rooms and excellent facilities, this is a boutique hotel that deliver comfort and community feel while still offering everything you want to make for your perfect holiday.
Superior Room(24 sq.m.)
Deluxe Room(28 sq.m.)
Grand Deluxe Room(39 sq.m.)
Family Suite (4 persons)(48 sq.m.)
|Our restaurant offers a range of exotic Thai food
cooked with "Rice bean oil" which is cholesterol free and high in
vitamin E. We use only fresh, natural ingredients with no MSG
added. Apart from our great concern toward the taste and
ingredients added into dishes, the environment is also one important
aspect we pay serious intention to: the outdoor seats within
refreshing atmosphere of the shady giant Yang tree by the pool as
well as the indoor ones with cooling air-conditioners and soft music
are available.


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GreenPower premium v9.11.2 Apk battery saver extends your battery life!Unlike other battery savers that require regular user manual actions, GreenPower is fully automatic: Once configured, it runs and saves your battery by itself.
Updated: December 20, 2013
Current Version 9.11.2
Requires Android 2.1 and up
Category Productivity
Size: 2.4M
It does so by smartly managing Wifi, Mobile data & Bluetooth: Turning them off when you don't need them, but ensure minimum disturbance: Automatic turned ON when needed by you or by other apps (e.g retrieving mails).
Similar but easier cleaner and faster than JuiceDefender!
- Wifi mgmt: Based on schedule, screen state, power connected, signal level…
- Mobile data mgmt: Based on schedule, screen state, power connected…
- Mobile data mgmt: Either Internal API or APN renaming
- BLUETOOTH (premium) mgmt: Based on devices connected or in range, screen state, power etc
- Traffic check: Configurable to prevent disturbing other apps
- Apps Whitelist (premium): To keep data on when using specific apps (like music streaming)
- Simple WIDGET (premium): To quickly pause or resume
- NIGHT (premium) mode fully configurable, Airplane mode…
- Tasker & Locale Plug-in (premium)
- Compatible with Cerberus 2.0
- Very lightweight and fast app
- Easy and clean interface
- Fully configurable settings
- Settings backup / restore
- 20 Languages (changeable at run time)
- Bluetooth support
- Widget
- Night mode
- Tasker & Locale Plug-in
- Apps whitelist
- No ads
- The good feeling to support an independent developer
- Dedicated Forum for support issues
- Support from the developer. I'm answering each issue.
- Regular updates with bug fixes and new features
- Handles WIFI, Mobile Data (2G, 3G, some 4G) & BLUETOOTH
- Supports most phone types (both GSM & CDMA) and most carriers
- Supports Android ICE CREAM SANDWICH, HONEYCOMB, GINGERBREAD & FROYO
- Mobile Data toggling using clean Internal API or APN renaming (you can chose)
- Most features below available in Free version unless marked with (*)
Free Download GreenPower Premium v9.11.2 patched
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NEW YORK (AP) — Faith Prince will soon be getting in touch with her mean side — she's about to play Miss Hannigan in the "Annie" revival on Broadway.
Prince, who will begin performances on July 19, won a Tony Award in 1992 for "Guys and Dolls" and was nominated three other times for "A Catered Affair," ''Bells Are Ringing" and "Jerome Robbins' Broadway."
Emmy Award-winning "Glee" star Jane Lynch will play her final performance as Miss Hannigan on July 14. She had taken over from Tony-winning Katie Finneran as the evil orphanage matron.
Prince will star opposite Lilla Crawford in the title role and Anthony Warlow as Daddy Warbucks. The musical has such gems as "Tomorrow" and "It's the Hard Knock Life."
Online: http://www.AnnieTheMusical.com


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Meet thousands of Camden singles through one of the best Camden online dating sites. Matchmaker.com has great instant messenger and live video Camden chat service for our members. Camden dating has never been easier with our show interest feature that will allow you to break the ice with attractive local singles.
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Taunton's Carissa Catarella was running her first Boston Marathon last year when the bombs went off as she climbed Heartbreak Hill.
Little did she know that her then-boyfriend, Mark Tigano, was waiting for her to cross the finish line, ready to propose to her after she completed the race. But the bombing attack interrupted all of that, taking the lives of three young bystanders and injuring 264 others.
"Looking back on that day, all I can remember is how completely shocked and upset I was," said Catarella, 27. "When I found out what had occurred, I could not believe it — it felt like a bad dream that I couldn't wake up from. I remember the feeling of panic when I could not reach my family right away, followed by the pure release of emotion when I saw my dad come to get me. I completely broke down in tears."
Later that night, determined not to let the tragedy completely derail his plans, Tigano proposed to Catarella at a restaurant, surrounded by family and friends. It was a horrific day, capped off with a moment of goodness.
She said yes.
"(That day) made me appreciative of all the little things I may have taken for granted before and when the moment felt right at dinner with my family, Mark proposed," Catarella recalled. "In that moment, you realize what's important, and spending our lives together is all we could ever want. Although it was a bittersweet day, it was one that I will never forget."
Catarella said it just as easily could have been her who was horrifically injured or killed in the bombing. She said that an injured knee slowed down her pace significantly, preventing her from being near the finish line when the bombs went off.
"Once everything sank in and became reality, I realized how lucky I was that my knee had been bothering me that morning," she said.
Catarella and Tigano are now doing some long-term planning for a wedding set for October 10, 2015.
"We cannot wait," she said. "Even though it is still a year and a half away, we have almost everything already booked and planned."
Catarella said due to health reasons, she is unable to run in the 2014 marathon and to complete what she set out to do last year. But Catarella said she gave her spot in the race to a family friend while still raising money for the charity she supported for the marathon last year, Boston Partners in Education.
"I am sad about it, but I need to work on getting healthy again," Catarella said. "Plus, there is always next year."
Catarella said she will watch this year's Boston Marathon, given the special significance surrounding the race, as the community rallies together in the "Boston Strong" spirit.
"I want to support my friends who are running, in addition to the thousands of others running," she said. "This year will be the biggest year for the Boston Marathon and I cannot wait to see the Boston Strong spirit shine through on that day, as it will be an emotional one."


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Bad Breath Smell Permeates Baltimore
By Dr. Harold Katz - Bad Breath Expert
Posted: February 21, 2011
Due to a leak of the chemical mercaptan (according to the Frederick News Post) an odor compared to rotten cabbage has been permeating the air from West Virginia all the way to Baltimore. The Maryland Emergency Management Agency has been monitoring the mercaptan leak that originated in West Virginia. Residents may have to put up with the smell until it subsides, but luckily there is no real cause for alarm. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports that residents shouldn t alarmed as the gas is only dangerous at very concentrated levels. The funky stench may be annoying but at least it isn t harmful.
What is mercaptan? It s a relatively benign chemical that is often mixed with odorless natural gas to help detect natural gas leaks. Interestingly, mercaptan is one of the main gases produced by oral bacteria to create bad breath. Just imagine when someone at the office speaks to you and you re hit with a serious case of halitosis or morning breath that is exactly what the residents throughout Frederick, Prince George s and Montgomery counties have had to smell but on a larger scale, reports the Baltimore Sun.
While we can only offer sympathy to those affected by the mercaptan leak, we do have solutions for those that have the rotten cabbage smell coming from their mouths. If you have chronic or severe halitosis, we suggest trying TheraBreath s line of TheraBreath PLUS our most potent line for those suffering from constant problem bad breath. Is dry mouth the cause of your bad breath? You can shop by solution at www.TheraBreath.com and view our products specifically recommended to stop dry mouth. You can customize your own products or pick one of our already configured starter kits.
Whether it s in the air or coming from someone s mouth, the smell of rotten anything is not pleasant. Be sure you aren t contributing to the smell by using TheraBreath products they are guaranteed to stop bad breath.
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meow wrote:So what other options are there? I've heard Ryan Miller, which is a lateral move at best. What about Victor Fast? Heck, even Tim Thomas might be lured out of Florida at the deadline. Moving goalies isn't exactly the easiest thing from a GM's perspective.
It's not so much what's available. It's what was available before the start of the season. Namely Bernier and Schnieder.


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Economics is the study of how society uses its scarce resources. The goal of the department is to promote an understanding of economic aspects of society and to develop each student's ability to reason about economic issues - that is, to provide a basis for intelligent, responsible participation in modern society. The major is comprised of eight, four credit Economics classes with accompanying course work in History and Mathematics. View more information about the major.
Economics Department
Sep. 24
Oct. 9
Nov. 5
Nov. 13
Department Information
Phone(641) 269-4803
Fax(641) 269-4985
Carnegie Hall
1210 Park St
Grinnell, IA 50112
United States


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Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. (NYSE: ALEX) is the largest of three companies that ship between Hawaii and the U.S. mainland, and also has fingers in the agribusiness, logistics, and real estate honeypots. The fortunes of A&B's shipping arm, Matson Navigation Co., has been tied to the health of the Hawaiian economy, which has been faltering lately. Although the Jones Act bars foreign companies from shipping along Matson's routes, new competition from Pasha Hawaii Transport Lines in 2005 cut prices by 10% and Matson's market share by 20%.[1] In an effort to expand its operations and gain from China's strong economic growth and increasing demand for imported goods, Matson opened up a new international route to the country in 2006. Despite volume growth of over 57% in 2007 along that route, it still represents just 15% of the segment's overall traffic. [2] Even more, competition along the China route is much fiercer than competition along the Hawaii route, because the Jones Act does not apply. Combined with rising fuel costs, margins have been pressured from all sides. Its real estate segment, however, is thriving; although GDP growth in Hawaii has slowed due to stagnating tourism, median home prices have stayed up. Despite bringing in just 13% of the company's overall revenues, A&B's real estate subsidiary, A&B Properties, accounted for 32% of A&B's operating profit in 2007. [3][4] Falling sugar yields and sugar prices has crushed A&B's agribusiness segment, making land more profitable for real estate than for agriculture.
Alexander and Baldwin has a market capitalization of $2.07B, and had revenues of $1.69 billion in 2007. In the first quarter of 2008, quarterly earnings were 70.40% higher than in the year before, and 51.90% higher than in 4Q07. These increases were fueled by growth in the company's China shipping segment, high value housing sales, and a recovery in its sugar business. [5]
A&B operates four main segments:
From 2005 to 2007, the operating profit of the agribusiness segment fell by approximately 98%. The first cause, lower production yields, was a result of dry weather conditions lasting over two years. That, combined with lower sugar prices, accounts for over 94% of the decline in profit margins from 2006 to 2007. [19][20] U.S. raw sugar prices have fallen approximately 20% since 2006. As a result of NAFTA, starting in 2008 Mexico was allowed to export unlimited quantities of duty-free sugar to the U.S. Since then, sugar prices have fallen approximately 15%, and have shown no sign of stabilizing. [21]
Woah nelly, how about them appels!
The Hawaiian economy is primarily driven by tourism and military spending. A slowing U.S. economy has already negatively impacted tourism; the number of people visiting Hawaii in 2008 has fallen to 2005 levels. [22] As a result, container shipping volume along the U.S./Hawaii route fell 3% in 2007. [23] A U.S. recession would further cripple Hawaii's largest industry, tourism. The value of the dollar compared to the Chinese Yuan has also fallen by about 14% since 2006, lowering freight rates to China.[24] However, volume growth of 57% along that route has more than made up for falling prices. [25]
From 2006 to 2007, the price of oil rose by over 66%, raising the company's fuel expenses by $53.1 million.[26] Through fuel surcharges, subsidiary Matson Navigation is able to recover some of the increases in its fuel expenses. However, there is a lag between price and surcharge increases, causing the company to lose some potential revenue anyways. Furthermore, competitive pressures limit the potential increase in surcharges.[27] From 2006 to 2007, Matson was only able to raise fuel cost surcharges by $43.4 million, $9.7 million less than needed to prevent income loss. [28]
The smaller agribusiness component of A&B faces significant competition, but is able to sell approximately 80% of its coffee at a premium, above commodity market prices. [29] Subsidiary Kauai Coffee's largest competitor is Kona Premium Coffee Company. Kauai Coffee competes primarily over taste and product variety.[30] Subsidiary Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company (HC&S) produces over 60% of Hawaii's white (not premium) sugar. Although HC&S faces competition from companies all over the globe, from Bunge's growing operations in Brazil to Imperial Sugar Company in the U.S, tariffs and import quotas have drastically reduced the impact of competition. In 2005, sugar prices in the U.S. were three times the world markets'.[31] That has been changing; however, in just the six months since Mexico has been allowed to export duty-free sugar to the U.S., prices have fallen over 15%. Nevertheless, the market remains heavily subsidized, keeping prices above a floor minimum of 18 cents per pound of raw cane sugar. As comparison, the price at the start of 2008 was 20 cents per pound. [32]
Subsidiary A&B properties, has, through a 50 year process of mergers and acquisitions, become Hawaii's fourth largest private landowner. The company's size lets it expand quickly into high value real estate markets. Competition comes from Hawaii's other, large land owners, like the Bishop Estate.
Land Ownership in Hawaii in 2005[33]
|Bernice P. Bishop Estate
|Parker Ranch
|Castle & Cooke, Inc.
|Alexander and Baldwin, Inc.
|James Cambell Estate
|Dole Food Company, Inc.
|Land Ownership (in acres)
|Percent of Total Land Area
Within the domestic shipping market between the U.S. pacific coast and Hawaii, Matson competes on quality, breadth of service, price, and speed of delivery, as the number of shipments it makes is greater than all of its domestic competitors combined. [34] Until 2005, Matson's only significant competitor was Horizon Lines. In 2005, however, Pasha Hawaii Transport Lines began to transport automobiles to Hawaii. Pasha competes with A&B primarily over price; after it announced its entrance to the U.S./Hawaii market, A&B cut automobile transportation fees by over 10% - but still lost 20% of its market share.[35]
|Average Age of Fleet (Yrs)
|Hawaii Container Shipping Market Share
|Guam Container Shipping Market Share
|Matson Matson Navigation Co., Inc.
|Horizon Lines
Strong growth in the U.S./China rout has buoyed the entire company, but competition along that route is fierce. Matson Navigation competes with carriers such as Maersk, COSCO, Evergreen, Hanjin, APL, China Shipping, Hyundai, NYK Line and Yang Ming. [37] Matson's shipment time is faster than the route average, but it is still forced to compete over price. The company represents less than 15% of the route's traffic in terms of the total size of cargo delivered.[38][39][40]
Ocean Shipping Time for U.S./China Routes[41]
|Transit Days
|Discharge Days
|Matson Navigation
|Other Carriers
|11 to 13
|2 to 3


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To report an emergency in progress, call 911.
March 13, 2013
The Placer County Board of Supervisors took an important step Tuesday down a path begun a year ago that seeks to ensure the best balance between high-priority public-service needs and available revenues.
At Tuesday's meeting, board members informally approved a multi-year budget framework that seeks to balance county priorities with available resources.
"It is clear that county revenue is gradually recovering from the recession years, but is not increasing quickly enough to keep pace with projected cost increases," said Board Chairman Jim Holmes. "The new framework will help us make sure the county continues to live within its means, but still meets the public's high-priority service needs."
He noted that the new framework will complement the county's transition to priority-based budgeting, an approach focused on allocating resources based upon the highest-priority programs and services. The county plans to phase in the priority-based approach over several years.
"Priority-based budgeting will focus on communication; measuring performance; and linking identified priorities, funding, and results so county residents know exactly what they are getting for their taxpayer dollars," explained County Executive Officer David Boesch.
Tuesday's board guidance will allow the county budget team to develop a balanced proposed budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year consistent with the framework. It also will enable implementation of departmental supplemental funding requests within available revenues.
The board annually adopts a proposed budget in June so it has an interim spending plan in place when the new fiscal year begins July 1. Board members hold budget workshops in August before adopting a final budget in September that reflects updated revenue and expenditure estimates.
The multi-year approach is part of a comprehensive effort by the county to make certain its operations can be sustained in the coming years. It is based on the county's Budget and Financial Policy, and the overriding principle is identifying the most reasonable balance between county priorities and available revenues over the next several years. It is intended to:
Underlying the effort is a recognition that county revenue will not increase fast enough to keep pace with projected cost increases.
"The long-term challenge appears manageable, but requires continued prioritization of limited resources to address costs pressures that are continuing to outpace expected revenue growth," explained County Finance and Budget Operations Manager Graham Knaus.
Placer County expects gradual increases in property tax revenue over the next few years and continued annual sales tax funding growth of 3 to 5 percent. Revenue from most other sources is projected to remain flat.
Potential cost increases facing the county include opening and operating the new county jail at the Bill Santucci Justice Center in Roseville. Knaus told board members that the County Executive Office is working with the Sheriff's Office to develop a phased plan for opening the jail.
The multi-year model also calls for bolstering county reserve funds, supporting county infrastructure, and reducing the need to use one-time revenue to fund ongoing operations.
Placer County's goals also include making the budget-development process more transparent so it is easier for the public to provide input. In keeping with that goal, budget documents for the 2013-14 fiscal year are posted on the county website at www.placer.ca.gov. The "County Budget" link in the upper left corner of the home page can be used to view budget documents.