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Eagles sweep Sandhills Conference titles
NORTH PLATTE—Depth was a definite advantage for Brady at the Sandhills Conference track and field meet at North Platte High on Thursday as both the girls and boys squads earned team titles.
The Eagles didn't capture an unusually large number of gold medals en route to their first conference sweep since joining SHC four years ago.
Coach Rich Britten said the Eagles dominated with multiple medalists in well over half of the events.
"We didn't necessarily win more (events)than any other team but we had multiple kids place in a lot of areas," the coach said. "That adds up well."
For the girls, four Eagles won individual events with Brady taking first in two of the three relays.
Megan Polt won the 200-meter dash with Shaylin McClellen taking first in the long jump, Valerie Most winning the high jump and Shelby McClellen pulling out a gold in the discus.
"We didn't have any really outstanding performances," Britten said. "The weather wasn't very cooperative but the girls did well."
On the boys side, Brady and Stapleton/McPherson County each earned seven golds but again it was the multiple event medalists that made the difference.
Britten commended the shot throwers as all three placed in the top six with personal best performances for the season.
Ryan Porter won the event with Tyler Egenberger in second and Matt Litzenberger in sixth.
"For all of them to improve in one week proves they're working hard," Britten said.
Other individual winners for the boys were Tyrel Grasz in both the 110- and 300-meter hurdles and Michael Neiman in the 100-meter dash.
"It helps that our relays are doing so well," Britten said.
Of the six relays between the girls and boys, the Eagles won five.
Brady has only one meet left before the D-10 district meet as the Eagles travel to Arnold on Friday for the Stapleton Invite.
Britten said most teams won't compete at full strength, keeping athletes fresh for the district meet next week.
Field events will begin at 10 a.m.
Brady competes at Sutherland on May 9 in the D-10 district against teams from Hayes Center, Hitchcock County, Maxwell, Maywood, Medicine Valley, Paxton, Sutherland, Wallace and Wauneta-Palisade.
Britten expects Paxton to dominate the team race for the boys and Sutherland to put up a fight against Brady's girls.
"But at this point, it's really not about the team title," the coach said. "It's about getting as many kids as possible to state."
The top two places in the district from the individual running events qualify for the state meet along with the two fastest thirds from all districts.
In field events, only the first two finishers qualify and only the top relays and five next fastest times from all districts go to Omaha.
The D-10 district is scheduled to begin with field events at 10 a.m.
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Kenny Boynton and Patric Young had been pulled from a game that had been reduced to garbage time. They stood at the end of the bench, watching their teammates finish out a blowout.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Kenny Boynton and Patric Young had been pulled from a game that had been reduced to garbage time. They stood at the end of the bench, watching their teammates finish out a blowout.
They had been in this situation so many times before, just not on this end of it.
On a day when Florida had a chance to reach the Final Four, the Gators collapsed in a pool of lazy passes, empty possessions and missed chip shots.
"There's no easy exit out of the tournament," Florida coach Billy Donovan said.
But Michigan made it look easy. Florida kept clanging shots and Michigan kept making them. Especially Nik Stauskas, who was draining 3-point shots as the lead grew.
"The shooter, I can't pronounce his name, but we gave him open looks and he made us pay," Boynton said. This was a game Florida wasn't going to grind out. This was a game where Florida had to match offense with offense. Michigan was going to score points. Florida allowed 53.7 points during the first 36 games and allowed 54 with 15 minutes remaining in the second half in this one. It got away from the Gators early. They looked tight to start the game. Maybe it was the memory of losing Elite Eight games the last two seasons. Maybe they were worn out from the late Friday game. Michigan looked like a team with nothing to lose. "Whether or not we were starry-eyed, I can't put my finger on it because these guys have been in this situation before," Donovan said. "Sometimes you can want something too bad." For the three seniors, it was especially numbing to have their season end this way, with a 20-point loss when the Final Four was so close. And nobody feels worse today than Erik Murphy. Murphy picked a bad time to play what was probably the worst game of his career. He went 0-of-11 with three turnovers. For Florida to have had a chance to beat a team with the offensive skills of Michigan, it couldn't have Murphy throwing up a bagel. In the end, this was a game between NBA players and college players and the NBA talent won. Trey Burke set everything up and Florida was so concerned with him they over-rotated defensively and left Stauskas open. Florida was better defensively in the second half and made an 8-0 run to pull within 11 points early in the half. Because Michigan doesn't defend the lane very well, the Gators were able to drive the middle. They just didn't finish enough plays. And that brief glimpse of hope was soon wiped away. "You've got to make some plays around the basket," Donovan said. "You've got to put the ball in the basket." Any time a season ends in a loss — and almost all of them do — it's easy to look at the flaws of a group of college kids. It's easier to remember the blown leads than the blowouts. It's easier to remember the misses than the makes. It's easier to point to what they didn't do rather than what they did do. This was a really good basketball team. It was flawed, just like the four who are still playing. But it was really good. If I had told you before the season that this Gator team would win the SEC championship, play for the SEC Tournament championship and be one of the last eight teams playing, you probably would have taken it. But nobody feels like looking back at the good times on the morning after a bad time. It's simply the nature of the beast. And so we say goodbye to Kenny and Murph and Rosie (Mike Rosario). Florida fell short of the ultimate goal, but these player should only be remembered with great fondness. We know that how you do in the NCAA Tournament defines a team, whether it's fair or not. To define this team based on one really bad day is a joke. "There's a lot of really good things these kids have done," Donovan said. "I wish they could walk out of that locker room and say we played our very best game, did our best and came up short." This exit wasn't like the previous two from the Elite Eight. Those were heartbreaking. This one was just sad. "We weren't that close here today," Donovan said. "This game ... we didn't deserve to win the game." That doesn't make it any less painful. Contact Pat Dooley at 352-374-5053 or at firstname.lastname@example.com. And follow at Twitter.com/Pat_Dooley.

subset: commoncrawl


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Since 1988, Duarte Design has created more than one-quarter of a million presentations. Her clients include Apple, Cisco, the Food Network, Facebook, GE, Google, Al Gore, HP, Nokia, TED, Twitter, and World Bank. She released Resonate: Present Visual Stories That Transform Audiences, which identifies hidden story structures inherent in great communication. She authored the award-winning book slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations, where more than 20 years of experience is distilled into visual-communication best practices.
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Skip to comments.Cats domesticated in China over 5,000 years ago to prey on rodents
Posted on 12/16/2013 6:13:56 PM PST by BenLurkin
Our data suggest that cats were attracted to ancient farming villages by small animals, such as rodents that were living on the grain that the farmers grew, ate and stored.
Results of this study show that the village of Quanhucun was a source of food for the cats 5,300 years ago, and the relationship between humans and cats was commensal, or advantageous for the cats.
Even if these cats were not yet domesticated, our evidence confirms that they lived in close proximity to farmers, and that the relationship had mutual benefits.
Cats have lived alongside humans for a very long time, but when and where they were tamed remains a mystery.
Previous evidence suggested they were first domesticated in ancient Egypt, where they were kept some 4,000 years ago.
(Excerpt) Read more at yorkshirepost.co.uk ...
"...when we see them open door"
Right after cats invented the can opener?
Poor Kitty
When did cats first domesticate humans?
According to Frisky the wonder tigress, two-leggers are only semi-domesticated, which means I owe her an extra tin of extra-special treat food right this minute, and if I want to try to ignore her, she'll wait until 5:00 in the morning to walk around on my head to keep me from wasting time sleeping.
weird by apparently frisky has a sister
Day one.
"General Tso's cat"
"But I need my nightlight!" -Tristan Cameron the Black, furry denizen of my residence.
He also likes running water and stereo music.
Power goes out, he's devastated.
In the Middle East and North Africa?
Much more likely.
And the furry little feline overlord says that human domestication is come along nicely and more scritchies.
My kitty has domesticated me from the git-go...
Scene: me, in bed sleeping
time: 0630
Location of kitty: cuddled at my feet, starting to get hungry
Paw-paw-paw means "I want something" (context of the time is FOOD)
I ignore it
She steps it up a notch to lick-lick-lick my face
I ignore that
Then she goes to the ultimate level, picks up my fingers in her mouth and lets go, or, if they are not available, does the same to my hair.
Lets go? Inconceivable! (Yes, that word means what I think it means!)
Yup, she knows the difference between my fingers/hair and one of her toys :)
The toy doesn't get up and give her her breakfast :D
cats are tamed?
this article is written by someone who knows nothing about cats.
cats are not tamed.
cats may tame human "owners"
but cats are never tamed
cats are tamed?
this article is written by someone who knows nothing about cats.
cats are not tamed.
cats may tame human "owners"
but cats are never tamed
The was a grave excavated by archaeologists on the island of Cyprus that contained two bodies 8000 years old - a woman and a cat.
The world's first crazy cat lady?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


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Keith PoughFree Agent
Ht: 6.3 | Wt: 225
News | Stats | Stat vs. Team | Targets | Injury | Depth Chart | Roster
|Def Sacks
|Int TD
|Fum Rec
|Fum TD
|Browns | Seven signed to futures deals
Mon, 29 Dec 2014 15:45:07 -0800
The Cleveland Browns re-signed DT Calvin Barnett, OG Karim Barton, WR Kevin Cone, CB Kendall James, DT Jacobbi McDaniel, LB Keith Pough and DT Christian Tupou to futures contracts Monday, Dec. 29. Terms of the contracts were not disclosed.
|Comment (0)
|| Share:
|| Source: NFL
|Browns | Make two roster moves
Tue, 25 Nov 2014 13:59:11 -0800
The Cleveland Browns re-signed free-agent LB Keith Pough and released L'Damian Washington Tuesday, Nov. 25.
|Comment (0)
|| Share:
|| Source: The Baltimore Sun - Aaron Wilson
|NFL | Seven players clear waivers
Mon, 24 Nov 2014 15:26:59 -0800
Atlanta Falcons WR Freddie Martino, Cleveland Browns LB Keith Pough, Denver Broncos RB Kapri Bibbs, Indianapolis Colts WR Griff Whalen, New York Giants OT Charles Brown, San Diego Chargers CB Richard Crawford and Washington Redskins LB Akeem Jordan cleared waivers Monday, Nov. 24, and have become free agents.
|Comment (0)
|| Share:
|| Source: NFL
|Browns | Josh Gordon activated
Sat, 22 Nov 2014 10:28:24 -0800
Cleveland Browns WR Josh Gordon was officially activated from the exempt/commissioner permission list Saturday, Nov. 22. In a subsequent move, the team waived LB Keith Pough.
Fantasy Tip: Gordon has a favorable matchup against the Atlanta Falcons in his first game back from a 10-game suspension and is worth his FantasyScore price of $6,900.
|Comment (0)
|| Share:
|| Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
|Browns | Week 11 Inactives
Sun, 16 Nov 2014 08:44:27 -0800
The Cleveland Browns have declared RB Glenn Winston, CB Johnson Bademosi, TE Jordan Cameron, LB Keith Pough, CB Pierre Desir, WR Rodney Smith, OT Vinston Painter inactive for Week 11.
|Comment (0)
|| Share:
|Browns | Keith Pough added to roster
Fri, 14 Nov 2014 12:11:48 -0800
The Cleveland Browns signed practice squad LB Keith Pough to their active roster Friday, Nov. 14. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
|Comment (0)
|| Share:
|| Source: The Cleveland Plain Dealer - Tom Reed
|Browns | Sign five to practice squad
Sun, 31 Aug 2014 16:25:36 -0700
The Cleveland Browns signed OL James Brown (Bears), DL Jacobbi McDaniel, TE Emmanuel Ogbuehi, LB Keith Pough and LB Justin Staples to their practice squad Sunday, Aug. 31.
|Comment (0)
|| Share:
|| Source: ClevelandBrowns.com - Kevin Jones
|Browns | Make roster moves
Mon, 25 Aug 2014 18:25:15 -0700
The Cleveland Browns placed OG Jeremiah Warren, OG Ryan Lee, CB Royce Adams, CB T.J. Heath, WR Tim Smith, WR, Anthony Armstrong, TE Martell Webb, TE Keavon Milton, DE Cam Henderson, LB Caleb McSurdy and LB Keith Pough on no-recall waivers Monday, Aug. 25. OT Randall Harris and WR Jonathan Krause were waived with a waived/injured designation, and RB Edwin Baker was waived with an injury settlement designation.
|Comment (0)
|| Share:
|| Source: NFLMedia.com
|Browns | Six unable to practice
Fri, 15 Aug 2014 19:33:42 -0700
Cleveland Browns OL Michael Bowie (shoulder), LB Darius Eubanks (shoulder), OL Randall Harris (knee), LB Eric Martin (concussion), OL Nick McDonald (wrist) and LB Keith Pough (ankle) were each sidelined from practice Friday, Aug. 15.
|Comment (0)
|| Share:
|| Source: The Chronicle-Telegram - Scott Petrak
|Browns | Sign four players
Tue, 05 Aug 2014 15:14:16 -0700
The Cleveland Browns signed free-agents TE Kyle Auffray (Patriots), LB Keith Pough (Bills), TE Martell Webb (Colts) and undrafted free-agent WR Tim Smith (Virginia) to undisclosed deals Tuesday, Aug. 5. Per NFL rules, all UDFA deals are three years in length.
|Comment (0)
|| Share:
|| Source: ClevelandBrowns.com
Also see


text:
Drought Stokes Water Fights
Texas Asks Supreme Court to Force Neighbors to Slake Part of Its Growing Thirst
Water wars are heating up in Texas, where officials are suing New Mexico and Oklahoma over river water as the Lone Star State tries to quench the thirst of its booming population.
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed this month to take up a dispute between Texas' Tarrant Regional Water District, an agency that supplies water to 1.7 million people in north Texas, and Oklahoma, over water that flows into the Red River. So far, lower courts have ruled for Oklahoma....


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To download the entire release and statistics as a PDF, click here.
Game No. 23
Saturday, February 9, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos vs. Univ. of the Pacific Tigers
at UCSB's Thunderdome - Santa Barbara, Calif.
Radio: AM 1290 KZSB in Santa Barbara
On-Line Audio: UCSBgauchos.com
On-Line Video Stream: BigWest.TV
• Davis Introduced As Legend Of The 'Dome On Saturday
Saturday's game will not only mark the final Big West regular season match-up between UC Santa Barbara and Pacific, it will also be the night that former Gaucho great Lucius Davis becomes the fifth men's basketball Legend of the 'Dome. Davis (1988-92) helped lead the program to three postseason appearances, including its only Division I NCAA Tournament victory in 1990, and he was named Big West Player of the Year and Honorable Mention All-American in 1992. The banner saluting him will be unveiled at halftime of the game. Fans can purchase tickets for the Legend of the 'Dome night by clicking here.
• Single Game Tickets Available!
Single game tickets for all Gaucho men's and women's basketball games are now available and can be purchased in advance from the Ticket Office in the Intercollegiate Athletics Building on campus, by calling 805-893-UCSB (8272) or online by clicking here. Great seats for the showdown with Long Beach State, and for all games, are also available at the Thunderdome ticket office one hour prior to tip-off.
• On The Radio
All UC Santa Barbara basketball games are broadcast live in Santa Barbara on AM 1290 KZSB and will stream live online at UCSBgauchos.com and NewsPress.com. Gerry Fall is in his ninth year as the play-by-play voice of the Gauchos. Former Los Angeles Lakers and UCSB superstar Don Ford and Santa Barbara News-Press legend Mark Patton handle the color commentary.
• Talk'n Gauchos
UCSB Athletics' weekly radio show, Talk'n Gauchos, airs every Tuesday from 6-7 p.m. on AM 1290 KZSB. The show is broadcast live from The Beachside Café, located on Goleta Beach and it features UCSB coaches and athletes. Hosted by Gerry Fall, the voice of the Gauchos. Fans can also catch Gaucho head coach Bob Williams every Thursday morning at 8:50 a.m. as he visits with Baron Ron Herron on "Bob and The Baron" on AM 1290.
• Gauchos Host Sacramento State In Ramada World Wide BracketBuster Game
UCSB will host Sacramento State in a Ramada World Wide BracketBusters game on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 7:00 p.m. The game against the Hornets will mark the Gauchos ninth, and final, appearance in the BracktBusters series. In their first eight games, they have gone 4-4 with wins over Utah State, San Jose State, Fresno State and Montana State and losses to Detroit, Eastern Washington, Utah State and Boise State.
• The Gaucho Record
UCSB enters Saturday's game against Pacific with an overall record of 7-15 and a Big West Conference mark of 3-8. The Gauchos have lost their last five games, including Thursday's 64-56 decision to UC Davis. Last week, Santa Barbara suffered back-to-back road heartbreakers at Long Beach State (57-55) and UC Irvine (62-60).
• Injury Update: A Mixed Bag
On Feb. 2 at UC Irvine, Alan Williams, UCSB's leading scorer and rebounder, returned to the lineup after missing three full games and most of a fourth with a strained left hamstring tendon. He played 24 minutes before fouling out and had 22 points, eight rebounds, three steals and a blocked shot. He also had a double-double on Thursday against UC Davis. That's the good news. There is also some bad news. Nate Garth, the only senior on the team, injured his left hamstring on Jan. 30 at Long Beach State and is out indefinitely. In practice the day before the Gauchos' game at Irvine, freshman Mitch Brewe suffered a fractured left index finger and is out the remainder of the season. Finally, Keegan Hornbuckle, who was just beginning to round into shape, came down on someone's foot in the game against the Anteaters and sprained his right ankle, forcing him to leave the game. He too is out indefinitely.
• Icy UCSB Falls To UC Davis
UCSB missed its first nine three-point attempts on Thursday night and that set the tone for a 64-56 loss to visiting UC Davis. When Kyle Boswell hit the first of his four three-pointers in the waning seconds of the first half, it ended the streak of nine straight misses. While Boswell would finish 4-for-7 from outside the arc with 14 points, the rest of the Gauchos were just 1-for-20 in the defeat. UCSB never led in the game. Sophomore Alan Williams, playing his second game after missing almost four full contests, had his 10th double-double of the year with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Freshman Michael Bryson scored 13 and added eight boards. Santa Barbara trailed by as many as 16 points and never got closer than seven in the second half. Corey Hawkins led the Aggies with 20 points and nine rebounds.
• Probable Starters - Quick Fact (Note: These are almost completely guesses.)
G 11 T.J. Taylor- Has had at least four assists in 10 of 11 Big West games.
G 10 Kyle Boswell - Has scored 10 or more in six straight, 9 of 10 and 15 of last 17.
F 12 Lewis Thomas - Career-high 11 at CSF on Dec. 29, has 7 points in 10 games since.
F 15 Alan Williams - Scored 15 and had 13 boards vs. UC Davis, his 10th double-double.
G 24 Michael Bryson - Grabbed a career-high eight rebounds Thursday vs. UC Davis.
• Probable Reserves - Quick Fact
G 1 Nate Garth - Pulled hamstring on Jan. 30 at LBSU and is out indefinitely.
G 4 Aamahd Walker - Back injury will force him to redshirt.
F 5 Keegan Hornbuckle- Sprained his right ankle on Feb. 2 at UCI and is out.
F 21 Mitch Brewe - Fractured finger on left hand will sideline him for the season.
G 32 John Green - Projected starter, broken bone in his foot has him sidelined indefinitely.
F 34 Shawn Moore - Has scored in consecutive games for first time since early-January.
F 35 Taran Brown- Came off the bench on Thursday, a first for him.
G 43 Duke DaRé - Walk-on guard had career-highs of 4 assists, 21 minutes vs. UC Davis.
F 44 Sam Beeler - Has made 24 of his last 34 field goal attempts, 70.6%.
• The Opponents
UCSB and Pacific have played 107 games through the years with the Tigers holding a 54-53 advantage, including an 80-62 win on Jan. 10 in Stockton. Prior to the January game, the Gauchos had won four in a row between the schools, including a 72-52 decision in the first round of the 2012 Big West Tournament. UCSB also defeated the Tigers in the 2011 tourney.
• The Gauchos At Home
UCSB is 5-5 at home this season after dropping its last three in a row to UC Davis, Hawai'i and Cal State Northridge. After opening the year with Thunderdome wins over The Master's College and the University of San Diego, the Gauchos lost a game to Wyoming. On Dec. 15, they defeated San Diego Christian and on Jan. 3 they topped UC Irvine. After a loss to Long Beach State, they bounced back with a Jan. 19 double-overtime win over Cal Poly, but they've not won since.
• Streaky
The Gauchos' five-game losing streak is the program's longest since it lost five in a row in December of 2002. This marks the Gauchos longest Big West losing streak since 1998 when they dropped eight in succession.
• Marginally Different
The Gauchos began the year by playing six straight games decided by 14 points or more. In fact, eight of their first nine, win or lose, were decided by 14 or more. The last seven games? Not so much. Each of the last seven contests have been decided by eight points or fewer and three have been by two points. On Thursday they lost an eight-point game, 64-56, to UC Davis. Last weekend, UCSB dropped road games at Long Beach State and UC Irivine by two points each and both games were decided with under 10 seconds to play. In fact, the Gauchos have lost five straight games by a combined 23 points, an average of 4.6 points per game. Before the current run of close losses, Santa Barbara was perfect in games decided by five or fewer points with wins over Santa Clara (three points in overtime), UC Irvine (three points) and Cal Poly (two points in double-overtime).
• Williams Passes McCarthy For Third On Big West Conference Victory List
The Jan. 19 win over Cal Poly was the 143rd Big West Conference victory for head coach Bob Williams since his arrival at UCSB for the 1998-99 season. The victory broke a tie with former New Mexico State head coach Neil McCarthy for third-place on the league's all-time list for conference wins. Williams is 143-99. With 244 overall wins as coach of the Gauchos, Williams is in fourth in that category, four behind McCarthy.
• Youth Is Served
The Gauchos' leading scorer is sophomore Alan Williams. Their third leading scorer is freshman Taran Brown and the fourth leading scorer is freshman Michael Bryson. Of the 1,454 points that UCSB has scored through 22 games this season 1,017, or 69.9%, have been scored by freshmen or sophomores. Of the team's 706 individual rebounds 602, or 85.3%, have been collected by freshmen and sophomores. Also, of the team's 97 blocked shots 97, or 100.0%, have been recorded by freshmen and sophomores. Finally, of the 4,475 minutes played by all Gaucho players this season, 3,208 have been played by freshmen and sophomores, 71.7%.
• Gauchos Limping To Three-Point Record
UCSB remains on a record-setting pace for three-pointers, but that doesn't tell the entire story. The Gauchos are limping towards the record. In Thursday's loss to UC Davis, they made just 5-of-27 shots from beyond the arc, 18.5%. In fact, all players without the name Kyle Boswell (he was 4-for-7), were a combined 1-for-20, 5.0%. In the last three games, UCSB has made just 17-of-70 three-point attempts, 24.3%, but through 22 games, the Gauchos are averaging 8.32 three-point baskets per game, a pace that would equate to approximately 250 over a 30-game season. The current record of 242 was set over a 32 game schedule in 2007-08. On Dec. 29 at Cal State Fullerton, UCSB made a season-high 15 three-point baskets, the third highest total in school history and the most since it made 16 against Arizona in the first round of the 2002 NCAA Tournament. One game after making a season-high 15, the Gauchos hit for season-best 50.0% (13-of-26) in a Jan. 3 win over UC Irvine. They've made 10 or more eight times this year, but just once in the last nine games.
• The "Other" Williams
Sophomore forward Alan Williams recorded his 10th double-double of the season on Thursday night when he had 15 points and 13 rebounds against UC Davis. Williams returned to the Gaucho lineup at UC Irvine on Feb. 2 after missing three full games and most of a fourth with a strained left hamstring tendon. He was injured in the first half of UCSB's Jan. 19 game against Cal Poly. In his return against the Anteaters, Williams had 22 points, eight rebounds, three steals and a blocked shot in 24 minutes before fouling out. It marked the seventh time this season that he has scored 20 or more points in a game and he has done so five times in his last eight appearances. He has 10 double-doubles on the season - the most since Kealon Wallace had 10 during the 1995-96 season - and 12 in his career. Williams continues to lead the Gauchos in scoring (17.5 points per game), rebounds (10.0 per game), blocked shots (2.2 per game) and steals (19). The last Gaucho to finish the season averaging 10 or more points and 10 or more rebounds per game was Eric McArthur in 1990. On Dec. 1 at Santa Clara, Williams had a career-best game with 29 points and 17 rebounds. That performance marked the first time a Gaucho has had 25 or more points and 15 or more rebounds in the same game since Jan. 29, 1990 when McArthur had 28 points and 21 rebounds against Cal State Fullerton. The 17 boards were the most by a UCSB player since Josh Merrill collected 18 against Westmont on Dec. 7, 1996. For his efforts, he was named Big West Player of the Week. In all, Williams has scored in double-figures 17 times in 19 games. Also, he has collected 10 or more rebounds 11 times. In addition to his career-high 17 on Dec. 1 at Santa Clara, he had 16 in the Big West opener at Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 29. The 13 he had Thursday equaled the third-highest of his career. Williams has 42 blocked shots this season. He has at least one in eight straight and 16 overall. In fact, he has two or more 13 times. He has a high of five twice, once each against San Diego and UC Irvine. Williams now has 83 blocks, eighth in school history.
• Taran It Up
Freshman Taran Brown came off the bench on Thursday against UC Davis, a first for him. Brown struggled offensively with four points on 2-of-10 shooting. He did have eight rebounds, two assists, one blocked shot and one steal. In his last two games, he has averaged 5.5 points and made just 5-of-19 shots overall, 26.3%, and 1-for-7 from three-point territory, 14.3%. In fact, Brown's shooting struggles go back four games. While he averaged 9.5 in the last four, he made just 17-of-61 field goal attempts, 27.9%, and 4-of-27 three-point attempts, 14.8%. Despite his shooting troubles, Brown continues to rank third on the team at 12.0 points per game. He is also second with 5.8 rebounds per outing and in the last six games he has averaged 6.7 per game and had seven or more four times. Brown is also tied for the team-lead with 19 steals and is second with 22 blocked shots, the fourth most ever by a Gaucho freshman. Overall, he has tallied 10 or more points 15 times this year. He has 50 three-point baskets on the season - a UCSB freshman record - ranking him second on the team. On Dec. 29 at Cal State Fullerton, he made a career-high six three-point baskets and scored 20 points. He has 20 or more three times. Brown scored 22 and 20 in back-to-back games against Illinois State and The Master's College in mid-November becoming the first Gaucho freshman ever to score 20 or more in two straight games. The 22 he had at Illinois State were the most by a UCSB freshman since James Nunnally had 22 against North Carolina on Nov. 21, 2008. Brown has had three or more three-pointers 11 times this season. He's made at least one in 18 of 22 games. Finally, he had the first double-double of his career with 20 points and 13 rebounds vs. The Master's College on Nov. 17.
•Who's The Bos?
Junior Kyle Boswell scored 14 points in Thursday's game against UC Davis and his scoring average is up to 13.1 points per game, matching his highest mark this season, not including when he scored 17 in the opener. Boswell has scored in double-figures in six straight games, equaling a career-long streak, nine of 10 and 15 of 17. He has tallied a career-high 23 three times, most recently in a Jan. 19 double-overtime win over Cal Poly. In the game against the Mustangs, he scored six of his points in the final 1:10 of the second overtime, including a lay-up and free throw with nine seconds left. He also scored 23 on Dec. 6 at San Diego State and Jan. 3 vs. UC Irvine. In the game at SDSU, he made a career-best seven three-point buckets, the most by a Gaucho since Joe See made eight at Utah State on Jan. 6, 2005. On Thursday, he was solid from long distance, making 4-of-7. The rest of the team didn't fare as well, making 1-of-20. On the season, Boswell has 60 threes, six more than he had in 31 games last season, and he needs seven to move onto UCSB's single-season top-10 list. In 17 games since his scoring average dipped to a season-low 8.0 per game, Boswell has scored 249 points and averaged 14.6 per game, making 52-of-119 from three-point range over that span, 43.7%. He had made at least one three-pointer in 16 consecutive games before a Jan. 26 game against Hawai'i. He has now made one or more in 20 of 22 and two or more 17 times. Boswell has 125 career threes in 295 attempts, 42.4%, the second highest percentage in school history. Finally, he has played 30 or more minutes in 11 consecutive games after doing so twice in the first 11 games of the season.
• Taylor Made
Sophomore point guard T.J. Taylor has started the last 10 games. On Thursday against UC Davis, he had four assists. It was the 10th time in 11 Big West games that Taylor produced four or more assists. He still averaging 5.7 assists per game in Big West play and he has a sparkling 3.1-to-1.0 assist to turnover ratio over that span. On Jan. 26 against Hawai'i, Taylor scored a career-high 11 points while adding four assists and no turnovers. On Jan. 5 vs. Long Beach State and Jan. 10 at Pacific, he had a career-high nine assists. Taylor is averaging 4.0 points and 3.9 assists overall. He has 18 three-pointers on the season and he's made two or more in seven games.
• The Life Of Bryson
Freshman Michael Bryson scored 13 points - his second highest total ever - and had a career-high eight rebounds on Thursday against UC Davis. Bryson has scored in double-figures in two straight games for the first time in his career. He had 12 points and had four rebounds in the Feb. 2 game at UC Irvine. His career-high of 15 was set on Jan. 5 vs. Long Beach State. In the last three games, Bryson is averaging 11.3 points and 6.3 rebounds while making 13-of-29 field goal attempts, 45.0%. He is now averaging 6.6 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. In the last nine games, Bryson has averaged 9.9 points per game and in the nine games, he has hit 15 three-point baskets, including two or more five times. He made a career-high three three-point baskets in the Jan. 5 game vs. Long Beach. In all, Bryson has been in double-figures five times, including four of the last nine games. He is averaging 23.3 minutes per game, but has averaged 27.3 in the last eight. Bryson has played in 21 of the 22 games this season, missing the Nov. 17 contest against The Master's College with a strained back. He is third on the team with 26 three-point baskets, the sixth most ever by a Gaucho freshman.
• The World According To Garth
The team's only senior, Nate Garth, pulled his left hamstring on Jan. 30 at Long Beach State, missed the last two games and remains out indefinitely. Garth logged just six minutes before injuring himself in the game against the 49ers. Earlier in January, he missed two full games, and parts of two others, with a sprained ankle. Garth is averaging 5.7 points and a team-leading 4.1 assists per game. In his last full game, Jan. 26 vs. Hawai'i, he had eight points, eight assists and just one turnover. Garth also had eight assists, to go with a season-high 13 points, in UCSB's Jan. 19 double-overtime win over Cal Poly. His assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.2-to-1.0 is second on the team. Garth had a career-high nine assists on Dec. 6 at San Diego State and has had five or more eight times in his 18 games.
• Into The Fire
With the injury to Alan Williams, freshmen forwards Mitch Brewe and Sam Beeler went from the frying pan into the proverbial fire. Now, with Brewe injured and likely out for the season, Beeler is going to have to fend for himself. If you include the Jan. 19 game against Cal Poly when Williams went down with about six minutes to play in the first half, the Brewe-Beeler combination has scored 53 points (13.2 per game) and grabbed 31 rebounds (7.7 per game), while making 22-of-33 shots from the field, 67.7%. Although he had been ill all week, Beeler played 12 minutes on Thursday against UC Davis, made 2-of-4 shots, scored five points and had two boards.
• Walking Into The Lineup
The numerous injuries that UCSB has suffered this season have presented an opportunity to a pair of walk-ons whose roles have varied, but seem to be increasing. The injury to Nate Garth has opened the door for freshman Duke DaRe (Duh-Ray). He played 20 minutes on Feb 2 at UC Irvine and the topped that with a career-high 21 minutes on Thursday against UC Davis. In the last two games, DaRe has had seven assists, including a personal-best four against the Aggies. While he is scoreless since he had two points vs. San Diego Christian on Dec. 15, he has produced four steals in the last two games. The injuries to Mitch Brewe and Keegan Hornbuckle have given junior Shawn Moore (More) and opportunity. He's played in the last two games and scored a basket in each.


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Endothelin- and angiotensin II- antagonism inhibit the systemic hemodynamic response to exogenous noradrenaline
Suche in Medline nach
|10. August 2005
Background: Both stimulation and inhibition of the various components of blood pressure (BP) control may be the result of interactions of the BP-regulating systems. We performed this study to characterize the influence of the Endothelin (ET)-system and the renin-angiotensin- system on sympathetically mediated vasoconstriction.
Methods: 7 young, healthy men were investigated in a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over study. They received either placebo, the angiotensin II (ATII)- receptor antagonist candesartan (8 mg orally) or the ET-A-selective antagonist BQ123 (60 ug/min iv.) with subsequent infusion of noradrenaline (NA 20-160 ng/kg/min). Hemodynamic measurements were performed at baseline, after 3.5 h and after each NA dose. Statistical significance was assessed by t-test or two-way ANOVA.
Results: Following application of placebo BP rose dose dependently in response to NA-infusion (max. rise in systolic BP 46±5 mmHg, max. rise in diastolic BP: 16±4 mmHg (mean ± SEM, P= 0.0001 and P= 0.011 vs. baseline). The NA-induced effect on systolic BP was inhibited by BQ123 (P= 0.002 vs. placebo) as well as by candesartan (P= 0.004 vs. placebo) with no difference between the responses to these drugs (P= 0.67 for candesartan vs. BQ123). The NA-induced change in diastolic BP was also reduced by ET-A- and AT II-receptor blockade, but this was not statistically significant. The rise in BP was accompanied by a fall in heart rate that was similar for placebo and candesartan but was significantly less for BQ123 (P= 0.013 and P= 0.004 for BQ123 vs. candesartan and BQ123 vs. placebo).
Conclusion: AT1- antagonism and ET-A-antagonism reduce the hemodynamic response to exogenous alpha-adrenergic stimulation. The difference between candesartan and BQ123 in heart rate response may reflect a differential influence of the drugs on central sympathetic tone.


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Versatile Crêpes
Before we set out on our two week crêpe making journey courtesy of Martha Holmberg's Crêpes, it's important that we begin with a foundation. These Versatile Crêpes are the brown buttery base for all of the recipes within the book.
Reprinted with permission from Crêpes by Martha Holmberg. Copyright © 2012. Published by Chronicle Books. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.
Read more: Bake the Book: Versatile Crêpes
- Yield:makes fifteen to eighteen 8-inch crêpes (depending on how many you mess up at first!)
- Active time: 25 minutes
- Total time:30 minutes
- 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 cups /420 to 540 ml whole milk
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups/190 grams all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons/85 grams unsalted butter, melted (preferably brown butter; see below), plus regular unsalted butter for the pan
Put 1 3/4 cups/420 ml of the milk, the eggs, and salt into a blender. Whiz for a few seconds to blend everything together. Remove the lid and add the flour. Cover and blend until very smooth, about 20 seconds. Remove the lid, pour in the melted butter, cover, and whiz until combined, 10 seconds more.
Transfer the batter to a large glass measuring cup with a spout (or a bowl that's large enough to easily dip a 1/4-cup/60-ml measuring cup into). Let the batter rest for at least 5 minutes and up to 24 hours. (If resting for more than 30 minutes, store in the fridge.) When you're ready to make the crêpes, test the batter's consistency; it should be as thick as heavy cream but not as thick as pancake batter. If it feels too thick, whisk in up to 1/2 cup/120 ml more of the remaining milk.
Heat an 8-inch/20-cm crêpe pan or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it's hot enough to make a drop of water sizzle upon contact. Using a folded paper towel, spread about 1/2 tsp of butter around the interior of the pan. The butter should sizzle upon contact, but not instantly turn brown. You don't want the pan to be so hot that the butter burns.
Pour about 1/4 cup/60 ml of the batter into the center of the pan, and at the same time lift the pan from the heat, tilting and turning it in all directions so the batter spreads evenly across the bottom of the pan in a thin circle. If the crêpe has any holes in it, quickly add a few drops of batter to fill them in. Or, if you have too much batter and the crêpe looks too thick, immediately pour the excess back into the measuring cup or bowl of batter. You can always trim off the "tail" that's left behind later.
Cook the crêpe until the edges begin to dry and lift from the sides of the pan, and the bottom is nicely browned, about 1 minute. To check for color, use a table knife, slim off-set spatula, or your fingers to lift up an edge of the crêpe and look underneath. When the first side is ready, use the knife, spatula, or your fingers to lift the crêpe and quickly flip it over. Smooth out any folded edges or pleats and then cook until the center is firm and the second side is browned, too, about 20 seconds more. The first side is almost always much prettier and more evenly browned (in these recipes, we'll call it the presentation side), while the second side tends to be more spotty.
Slide the crêpe from the pan onto a large plate or cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining batter, adjusting the heat and wiping the pan with more butter as you cook. You can stack the crêpes on the plate as they're done. If you're going to store them in the freezer, lay pieces of waxed or parchment paper between them so they don't stick together. To keep in the fridge, just stack them neatly; no need for the paper separators. (Keep the stacks small if you usually cook for a few people, or make the stack larger if you find yourself cooking for a crowd most nights.) The crêpes will soften as they cool.
To store, wrap the stack in plastic wrap, and then slide it into a large zip-top freezer bag. The crêpes will keep in the fridge like this for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for 2 to 3 months.
To thaw, let the stack sit at room temperature until the crêpes are pliable, about an hour, and then peel them apart and proceed with your recipe.
Making Brown Butter: For most recipes, I not only melt the butter, but I cook it until the water has boiled off and the milk solids are starting to turn golden and take on a toasty flavor. At this stage, it's called beurre noisette in French ("hazelnut butter") or brown butter in English. I've been making my crêpes this way since learning the trick from the food writer and fellow alum of La Varenne cooking school in Paris, Charles Pierce. I think it's such a clever way to add a depth of flavor to the crêpes.
Melt 7 tablespoons/100 grams of unsalted butter in a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Cook the butter, swirling the pan every few seconds, until all of the water inside the butter has sizzled off and the milk solids at the bottom of the pan begin to turn a pale golden color, 2 to 4 minutes. Continue cooking the butter until it turns golden brown and smells nutty and delicious, another few seconds. Immediately pour the brown butter into a bowl to stop the cooking. Let it cool to room temperature before using. And when you add the butter to your crêpe recipe, be sure to include the delicious toasty brown milk solids. Makes about 6 tablespoons/90 ml brown butter.
This Recipe Appears InBake the Book: Versatile Crêpes
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Nearly 50 percent of active-duty soldiers don't believe the Army is committed to them, according a survey. (Army)
Almost 50 percent of soldiers don't believe the Army is committed to them, according to an annual leadership survey.
In a report released in July, the 2012 Center for Army Leadership Survey of Army Leadership showed that 47 percent of active-duty soldiers and 42 percent of reserve component soldiers agreed or strongly agreed that "the Army no longer demonstrates that it is committed to me as much as it expects me to be committed."
This is a 6 percent increase — among troops in both components — since 2010, according to the report.
In addition, junior noncommissioned officers showed the highest level of agreement that they perceived "unequal commitment" between themselves and the Army — 58 percent of active-duty junior NCOs and 48 percent reserve component junior NCOs felt that way.
The survey report cites the uncertain future of the Army and the ongoing end-strength drawdown as possible reasons for how soldiers are feeling, adding that tracking this issue can provide leaders with early warning signs for "the potential cascading effects of uncertainty on lower morale, loss of quality leaders, and lack of unit cohesion."
Lt. Gen. David Perkins, commanding general of the Combined Arms Center, which includes the Center for Army Leadership, said it's important for senior leaders to understand how soldiers are feeling.
He cited captains as an example.
"They came into an Army that was expanding, the budget for the Army was going up, they were deploying, they were engaged in their craft," Perkins said. "But what has happened in this last year? The Army is downsizing to 490,000, brigades are going away, they see we're conducting [selective early retirement boards] for colonels, they see the resourcing of the Army is going down. So the future of the Army, in their mind, is very different from when they signed up. They're no longer in a growth industry, quite honestly."
Senior Army leaders must talk to their soldiers, Perkins said.
"We need to spend more time explaining this and what the big picture is," he said. "We're still going to promote people, there are still going to be opportunities, but it does give us pause. These captains are looking at what's going on in the Army and they're making decisions about their future."
Leaders must help their soldiers set expectations, Perkins said.
Every colonel who will go before the SERB this month will have been counseled by a three-star general, he said. This directive, from Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno, ensures the colonels get all the information they need about how the board will work and what their options are, Perkins said.
"I think part of the concern with folks is they say the Army is going to get smaller, but they don't know how we're going to get smaller," he said. "There's anxiety about the unknown. What we try to do is provide clarity. Everybody can't stay in the Army forever, but we do care about how we treat you and we're going to work this out together."
More than 20,100 sergeants through colonels in the active and reserve components and almost 7,300 Army civilians participated in the 2012 leadership survey. The survey was sent to a random sample of 140,857 soldiers and civilians; the 27,469 participants represent a 19.5 percent response rate.
The survey was administrated in October and the findings were released in July.
See more about the leadership survey in Monday's print edition of Army Times.
Original Article:


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General News
: Local News
Culver's Under New Ownership
Submitted: 01/09/2013
- But don't worry, your butter burgers and custard will be as good as ever! Josh and Jennifer Clark are the new owners of Culver's on Kemp Street in Rhinelander.They're excited to get to know the community.The Clarks may be new to the area, but Jennifer has a little history here. She bought this business from her grandfather. And her great-grandfather's family established the Rhinelander Pub and Cafe in 1911."To be a strong supporter of everyone that does live here and we're looking forward to putting our roots down here." said Jennifer. "So we hope to grow customer base and loyalty."Jennifer's husband grew up in a small town as well. Family is his top priority, but employees, customers and the community are all important too."It's really nice to know who your providing for. We have 30 employees here." Josh said. "You're providing a lot of livelihood as well so it's very gratifying."The Clarks will show off the restaurant's new interior at a grand opening in May. In the meantime, they are open for business.
Written By: Shardaa Gray
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Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Fall Election?
I see plenty of pitfalls for the Conservatives if they do a 2008 redux, basically creating a crisis where none existed, forcing an election. To assume the government can pull that off again, without any blow back, fails to consider recent events. I would argue that the Conservatives would suffer the same polling fate as the Liberals did last fall, should they arbitrarily push for an election. The appetite for an election hasn't grown in the slightest, and I see little reason to believe that changes in the near future.
In addition, Harper has expended all available political capital with his prorogation move. Should Harper emerge from the summer break and dissolve Parliament, any campaign will start with his government on the defensive, the same issues that have plagued him recently will be revisited. The slightest perception that Harper is trying to avoid accountability, the Conservatives will pay dearly.
I believe the Conservatives would much prefer to go in the fall, as opposed to next spring or later. Unpopular choices are on the horizon, deferred until the next budget, to avoid that presentation, best to secure another mandate first. When you consider the various timings, the Conservatives logically conclude sooner is better than later.
The only way the Conservatives could pull off a fall election, if they can avoid overtly chiming. In other words, the government needs to bait the opposition, but no so blatantly that their motivations are beyond obvious. I would look for certain new initiatives that push the opposition, without the appearance of poison pill. A very subtle dance, that provides mutual culpability, allowing for a dysfunctional Parliament that requires another mandate. This calculation means that the fall session must begin, you can't dissolve prior, it has to be a reactive development.
I'm with Travers, and I believe the PMO is already playing out different scenarios to bring about an election, without appearing terribly eager. Within this want, maybe an eventual climbdown on the detainee issue, give enough that the "wheels are in motion", but not far enough process wise, that it interferes with a fall election. I could actually see a surprise proposal in the offing, towards the end of this spring session, if the Conservatives conclude fall is their best moment.
18 comments:
- Omar said...
When is the next federal election slated for anyway? Since Harper invoked fixed-election dates I never know when an election will be held.
- 12:55 PM, March 09, 2010
- Steve V said...
"Since Harper invoked fixed-election dates I never know when an election will be held."
- 1:06 PM, March 09, 2010
- Tof KW said...
The current Afghan detainee scandal exploded in the government's face at their worst possible moment. Harper needs to have an election between now and this fall, and it was actually planned for this spring if all went according to plan. The budgets from here on in are going to get really bad (should have been dealt with now, but wouldn't be good for Harper politically), the jobless recovery is going to continue for the next 5 years (much like the recovery in the mid-1980's), and – worst – the Auditor General's first report on EAP spending is coming this fall. If Harper had any hope of winning a majority, it was within the timeframe of this spring. It would only get worse from here on in. Now add this scandal on top and prorogation to avoid questioning, and this is a real mess for the 'chessmaster'.
Hell, the Liberals should welcome any move Harper makes towards having his own government fall. He has no hope of getting his party anywhere above the 35% mark because Mr Pianoman is dead. His best case scenario now is that the CPofC makes it out losing a minimum of 10 seats, anything worse means Harper is done politically regardless of whether the party still holds government. Because after 4 elections and still no majority, there is no 5th chance – even the staunchest CPofC supporters will realise Steve just can't win a majority, and leadership challenges will be out in the open. And I for one look forward to that day.
- 1:24 PM, March 09, 2010
- Nero Wolfe said...
Completely off topic.
Thoughts on Law and Order conservatives.
Tough on crime conservatives.
Plea bargain for Rahim Jaffer.
Why aren't they screaming about those soft on crime liberal judges.
Our soft on crime justice sysyem
In their infantile world, shouldn't Jaffer have received 150 years of hard labour.
- 2:02 PM, March 09, 2010
- Jeff said...
Steve, does recent polling still show that Canadians are so opposed to an election?
- 2:04 PM, March 09, 2010
- Steve V said...
All that's changed is they are more likely to expect an election this year, but that hasn't translated to wanting one.
- 2:19 PM, March 09, 2010
- Jeff Jedras said...
The question for Liberals is can we position ourselves as a credible alternative in the minds of Canadians by that time? We're making progress, so I'd hope so.
But every time an election is seen as possible, whether we're forcing it or not, we go down in the polls, because people like the theory of an LPC government better than the actual prospect at the moment. So if we're not there yet, any blowback by the CPC forcing it could be mitigated by a hold your nose sentiment.
Nevertheless, whether it's this fall or not, the task ahead for the LPC remains the same.
- 3:16 PM, March 09, 2010
- JimmE said...
I like elections. I have never understood why most folks say they don't. As you've said the detainee scandal is a Game Changer. Rather than let the Present PM set the ballot question the opposition should tun the tables on the Present PM & force an election over the rule of parliament. Making the ballot question about FREEDOM & DEMOCRACY would see the end of the present PM.
I know, I know, people don't want an election and they will blame the opposition- & they will get over it and vote. NOBODY (except Jack & Mr H) wanted a Christmas election, & Paul Martin was leading in the polls. What happened when the Reform party set the ballot question about FREEDOM & DEMOCRACY?
- 3:25 PM, March 09, 2010
- Steve V said...
There's another factor Jeff. Putting aside last fall, because that was clearly a self inflicted wound and subsequent reaction, the other times you refer also came with a massive Con ad buy savaging the Liberals. I'm not sure the poll change was as much apprehension, as it was a result of a co-ordinated attack coming from the Cons. Prior to dissolution in 2008, the Cons softened the ground. I hear what you're saying, but it's a bit more complicated that simply saying election threat=Liberal decline.
- 3:26 PM, March 09, 2010
- Steve V said...
What I'm trying to say, part of the equation here, we've been caught flat footed in the past, which has widened the gap. If there is one thing I hope, we have our rapid response at the ready.
- 3:28 PM, March 09, 2010
- Steve V said...
You may take an initial hit, but one has to wonder if voter backlash would be sustained once a campaign begins. Conventional wisdom used to hold that "blame" lasted as long as the first day of the campaign.
Part of the reason for the Lib backlash last fall, our posture came out of nowhere, we didn't give Canadians an argument. It was just we're voting against, without a compelling narrative to rationalize the positioning.
- 3:30 PM, March 09, 2010
- Tof KW said...
The LPC needs to do two things before any potential election; set firm policy on how you would do things different (to which there have been positive steps, but still work to do), and frame the election around transparency and accountability.
If anyone needs to be reminded, this is the formula Harper used to win against Martin in 2006. He made the CPofC a realistic alternative (overcoming the 'secret agenda' tag), and frame the question to transparency and accountability in government.
To that last point, might I suggest to the LPC that they promise to adopt those two major recommendations of the Gomery Inquiry that Harper neglected to. As a bonus, promise to table the same tough government advertising guidelines that the McGuinty government did in Ontario. There's two off-the-shelf policies guaranteed to keep a lot of hardcore CPofC supporters home on election day. And Harper can air as many attack ads as he wants against those …good luck!
- 3:59 PM, March 09, 2010
- Jerry Prager said...
Since the liberals lack the courage to protect parliament by a contempt of parliament charge, I suspect nothing will come of any of it. The moral collapse of liberalism always precedes dark interregnums, and that is where we are. God I get so tired of being disappointed by the Liberal Party. Too seldom philosophically liberal, and too often self absorbed and right wing.
- 6:22 PM, March 09, 2010
- ottlib said...
Mr. Travers must be bored.
There is alot of politics to go before the Fall so speculating on a Fall election is very premature.
- 6:37 PM, March 09, 2010
- Omar said...
What Jerry said. In spades.
- 6:47 PM, March 09, 2010
- CK said...
An election this fall? Could be beneficial for the Harpercons then; in fact, they could get a majority then. Harpercon media will serve up 'the economy is recovering faster than everybody else and it's all thanks to steve kool-aid'
Election this spring? Stevie best he could hope for is a minority; torturegate brewing. Provided the strategy used against Stevie is not about torture; unfortunately, (especially after reading a cbc comment board today), most Canadians don't like Muslims and don't care if they get hurt. Sad reality, I know. Make the crisis about accountability and about breaching international laws; Geneva Convention is very much legally binding.
As for for moaning about the opposition having not much to offer. Do they really have to? this should be a no brainer to progressives really. Basically an anybody but Stevie should be suffice.
Don't know about you, but nothing but nothing frightens me more than a st-stevie majority.
Difference between Libs and cons? Give St-Stevie a majority and you'll find out. Trouble is, we don't want (or we shouldn't anyway). One major major difference between St-Stevie and any Liberal leader?? Evangelical Christian fundamentalist far right sub-culture.
It's a no brainer: stranger v Evangelical Christian Fundamentalist. I'll pick the stranger.
Besides, Iggy won't get any better anyhow and the only way to be rid of him is an election. When he loses, they will get rid of him and find another leader.
I would hope that the next leader won't be Bob Rae for obvious reasons; pure suicide.
Besides, after the talk from cons and Quebecers and many others, the Liberals now have the reputation as a regional party: the Toronto party.
therefore, if they are to be successful; next leader should not be from Toronto; not even Gerard Kennedy
- 9:44 PM, March 09, 2010
- Tof KW said...
Besides, after the talk from cons and Quebecers and many others, the Liberals now have the reputation as a regional party: the Toronto party.
Sorry but that's rich, the ex-Reformers & Bloc-heads calling the Grits a regional party? Who the hell exactly caused the sectarianism in our current political quagmire? Advice to Grits - don't put a lot of stock in what your enemies brand you.
...therefore, if they are to be successful; next leader should not be from Toronto; not even Gerard Kennedy
Funny, I said that about the new CPofC back in the day. To be successful the new party was supposed to shed the Reform party image and pick leader NOT from Alberta. After all the top leaders of the conservative movement since they last held government have been: Preston Manning, Stockwell Day, and Stephen Harper. So who did they go with after the 2003 merg …I mean take-over of the PC party? Right! And after Harper is finally done, will their next leader be chosen from some other province? Personally I'm figuring it will be Jim Prentice, after all he was from the PC side and is still considered a Red Tory …and from Alberta. So if the Reformatories are saying the Grits should pick someone outside of Toronto, my only answer back to them is 'pot - kettle - black'.
- 9:46 AM, March 10, 2010
- CK said...
Tof KW: there really is no need to get touchy here. Time for practicality. Reality is, in recent decades, most successful PMs (before St-Stevie naturally) were not from Toronto, but from Quebec: Trudeau, Mulroney and Chretien. And French Quebec nationalists view Trudeau and Chretien as traitors. Mulroney; not so much. Mulroney also doesn't come from Montreal, which appealed many.
Let's be practical here, Bob Rae would be absolute suicide for the Liberals.
Harper was successful actually because he's not from Toronto (well, can't call him a TO guy anymore, can we?), but because he's from Alberta or if you like, anywhere but TO or even Montreal.
No, I'll tell you who would probably be successful leading the liberals: Frank McKenna (I know, he's refused, but you know that saying; throw enough things at the wall and something will stick) or Martin Cauchon; I honestly believe he can take back his seat in Outremont.
STock and Preston Manning didn't lose because they were from Alberta, they lost because the right wasn't merged yet.
Prentice, a red tory? What is that anymore? A dying bread is what. Most of those old Progressive Conservative and even liberal centrists have all been led on Stevie's sharp right turn. Stevie predicted one thing correctly when the right would merge; he predicted Reform would win and they have.
And it wasn't just Conservatives and their cheerleaders showing disdain for the "Toronto" party. Quebecers feel the same way these days. So do many others.
Our priority should be getting the Evangelical Christian fundy out of office or at the very least, for the immediate future anyway, keep him from getting his coveted totalitarian regime.
The NDP will never govern.
That leaves the Liberals for better or worse (at least they would never have a draconian Christian fundy governing with Extreme Christian values). Iggy can't cut it and he will never get better. A new leader is needed and it's best that they not come from TO.
No, I don't hate folks from TO: My whole family lives there and they agree with me too.
- 7:39 PM, March 10, 2010


text:
Writing on the Wall Street Journal
editorial page (10/1/09) under the headline "How Teachers Unions Lost
the Media," two education writers praised the press for turning on
teachers, showing a "new attitude" that is in sync with today's
But it's hard to imagine that many people who follow the media would consider this much of a surprise. In fact, one of the first prerequisites for being deemed an education "reformer" by corporate media has long been an eagerness to bash teachers' unions—and it cuts across the usual liberal/ conservative lines.
When someone like Fox News host Bill O'Reilly (7/13/10) declares that liberals oppose school vouchers "because they are protecting the teachers' unions," the only surprise might be his uncharacteristic restraint. Nominally liberal pundits like Newsweek's Jonathan Alter, who wrote (2/12/07) that Democrats are "wrong to kiss up to teachers unions," are hard to distinguish from O'Reilly on this issue.
Anti-union bias is not just found among opinion journalists. Newsweek's cover story (3/15/10) on the failures of American teachers assembled a catalog of downbeat statistics about the state of American education and the failures of American teachers—and then observed, "At the same time, the teachers' unions have become more and more powerful." Newsweek writers Evan Thomas and Pat Wingert noted that teachers' unions "are major players in the Democratic Party at the national and local levels," and explained that "it is extremely significant—a sign of the changing times—that the Obama administration has taken them on" by promoting policies that would "weaken the grip of the teachers' unions." The implication, of course, is that this is a welcome development.
New Orleans schools, Newsweek told readers, were the beneficiaries of the upside to Hurricane Katrina:
It is difficult to dislodge the educational establishment. In New Orleans, a hurricane was required: Since Katrina, New Orleans has made more educational progress than any other city, largely because the public-school system was wiped out. Using nonunion charter schools, New Orleans has been able to measure teacher performance in ways that the teachers' unions have long and bitterly resisted.…Measuring teacher performance based in part on the test scores of their pupils would seem to be a no-brainer. New Orleans uses student scores to measure teacher effectiveness.
The idea that the New Orleans system, freed of union constraints and brimming with charter schools, is obviously more effective than its pre-Katrina era is taken as a given (FAIR Blog, 2/5/10). Research from the University of Minnesota's Institute on Race & Poverty (5/15/10), though, suggests that New Orleans' charter schools do not generally outperform traditional public schools, and are contributing to problems of segregation and the "skimming" of high-performing students.
When the same edition of Newsweek contrasted union president Randi Wein-garten and anti-union D.C. schools chief Michelle Rhee (see page 13), the feature was headlined on Newsweek's online homepage as "The Union Boss vs. the School Reformer." It's not hard to figure out which option is supposed to be more attractive (unless you're the pro-boss, anti-reform type). But this kind of slant seems built into the corporate media template for discussing education policy: There are sensible "reform" ideas, and the unions oppose them.
On November 15, 2009, NBC's Meet the Press assembled a panel featuring Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Republican leader Newt Gingrich and community activist Al Sharpton—all of whom are more or less on the same side of corporate-friendly school "reform." An opposing view could be found in a taped soundbite from the American Federation of Teachers' Weingarten—which was then countered with a soundbite from Rhee. All of which served as a setup for NBC host David Gregory to pose this question to Duncan: "Why should anybody believe that a Democratic president, who relies on interests like the unions who are out there organizing and who vote, why should somebody believe that he's really going to take them on, that you are really going to take them on to force accountability?"
No evidence required
What goes mostly if not entirely unexplained amid these anti-teacher
assaults is any coherent explanation of what it is that teachers unions
have done or failed to do to promote excellence in schools. A survey by
Robert M. Carini of Indiana University (School Reform Proposals: The Research Evidence,
2002) of the available research comparing achievement in unionized
versus non-unionized schools found that "teacher unionism favorably
influences achievement for most students." Such findings are not the
final word, of course. But given corporate media's relentless message
that unions are the enemy of "reform," it is worth noting that this is
based largely on the media's elevation to scientific truths of a set of
mostly unproven strategies for improving schools—from charters to "merit
pay"—and their suggestion that the implementation of said truths is
made impossible by teachers unions.
Take "merit pay," which would mostly use test score data to identify effective teachers and pay them more for their success—a "no-brainer," according to Newsweek (3/15/10). As Diane Ravitch recounts in her recent book The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education, much research suggests that teachers judged excellent or effective one year often fall out of the category the next, and vice versa. Either the teachers themselves are practicing wildly different methods from year to year, or the attempts to link test scores to teacher performance are not actually a "no-brainer" at all, no matter what the media might think.
And as journalist Barbara Miner pointed out in Rethinking Schools (Fall/09), the idea that unions are opposed to differential pay as a matter of principle is simply wrong: "Although the media promotes the view that teacher unions are inflexibly opposed to modifying the traditional pay structure, both the AFT and NEA [unions] have been involved in local initiatives that differentiate teacher pay." Miner noted that surveys of teachers find some openness to different pay structures, but that merit-pay schemes in some places saw most of the benefits flowing to teachers in upper-income schools.
The superiority of charter schools, touted by many of the media's most prominent education "reformers" as an obvious and necessary element of their schools agenda, is likewise more based in faith than in empirical research. One of the most exhaustive studies of charter performance, from Stanford University's Center for Research on Education Outcomes, found 37 percent of charter schools "deliver learning results that are significantly worse than their students would have realized had they remained in traditional public schools." About half produced similar outcomes to public schools, with just 17 percent outperforming public schools (Extra!, 8/09).
Charters should be controversial for other reasons as well. A report from UCLA's Civil Rights Project (2/4/10) found that they are more racially segregated than traditional public schools. Another long-standing criticism of charters is that they tend to educate lower numbers of English language learners. The UCLA study noted that gaps in data collection make it difficult to offer any definitive national assessments—which is a problem in itself. The data available for California, though, showed the number of English learners attending charter schools was minuscule.
Base bashing
Unions of any sort are going to provoke ire from conservative pundits.
But some of the most vocal opposition to teachers unions comes from
center-left pundits. Part of the explanation might be that corporate
media coverage of American politics invariably counsels the Democrats to
move to the right (Extra!, 8/06), and
an easy way to demonstrate lack of allegiance to the left is to attack
teachers, who are an important part of the Democrats' progressive
electoral base.
Time's Joe Klein has made this pitch for years, arguing (3/27/05) that "Dems' knee-jerk support for the unions is a perennial portrait in cowardice." Today he sings the same tune, writing (1/28/10) that "unions, and their minions in the Democratic Party, have been a reactionary force in education reform for too long."
Likewise, Newsweek's Howard Fineman (10/14/91) praised candidate Bill Clinton because "has already shown some willingness to take on vested interests, such as the all-powerful teachers unions." And Jonathan Alter has been one of the most vociferous union-bashers in the media. On June 28, 2002, he asserted that "the union agenda is not the reform agenda," arguing that union opposition to charter schools means that "Democrats need to fight their longstanding allies on this, or lose any credibility on school reform."
Six years later (7/21/08), Alter had removed the gloves, pounding the "Paleolithic teachers unions" and predicting that middle-of-the-road voters would rally behind "a Democratic candidate willing to show he can slip the ideological stranglehold of a retrograde liberal interest group." As if the point weren't clear enough, Alter advised then-candidate Barack Obama to lay out his demands to teachers and tell them "they must change their focus from job security and the protection of ineffective teachers to higher pay and true accountability for performance—or face extinction."
Their man in Washington
After the election of Obama, who was seen as potentially aligned with
the corporate-friendly "reform" movement, the generic form of
teacher-bashing got more specific, as talking heads expressed their hope
that Obama would live up to their expectations. Conservative columnist
David Brooks of the New York Times
(2/19/08) wondered: "Does The Changemaker have the guts to take on the
special interests in his own party—the trial lawyers, the teachers'
unions, the AARP?"
After a March 1, 2010, speech that called for the firing of "failing" teachers, Brooks (3/12/10) cheered: "Obama has taken on a Democratic constituency, the teachers' unions, with a courage not seen since George W. Bush took on the anti-immigration forces in his own party."
Elsewhere on the Times op-ed page, Nicholas Kristof (10/15/09) argued:
The pundits' embrace of dumping veteran teachers for an untested, for-profit charter system is meant to be seen as a sign of their abiding concern for "disadvantaged children"—a concern not actually much in evidence from right-wing commentators, with their longstanding commitment to tax cuts for the wealthy, or from most liberal pundits, either, who tend to address actual support for poor children as an afterthought, if at all.
A 2009 New York Times editorial (7/6/09) was illustrative: hundreds of words of celebration of Duncan's "bold policies," with a tossed-off note at the end that "efforts at especially difficult schools will need to include social service and community outreach programs"—a complicating stipulation absent from subsequent discussion.
Still, the corporate media consensus is clear on one thing: Unions are the problem.


text:
Le Berlinois, the in-house label of Berlin super boutique SOTO, teams up with London's maharishi to rework the classic MA-1 bomber jacket. This is the second time the two have worked together and the resulting garment is presented in a waxed resin cotton exterior accentuated by a contrasting orange lining. In addition, the bomber jacket includes a muted camouflage paneling running along the back of the sleeves and with an embroidered flap on the zip's residual layer. Most impressive of all, however, is the embroidery laying discreetly on the back. The message is clear, simple and distinctively represents SOTO: "This is Berlin. Bitches be Cryin'." Alongside this leitmotif, the "Tor 72" signature, representing the SOTO address, surrounds the skull and antler centerpiece.
The collaborative jacket is available now for €349 euros at SOTO.


text:
The Shaw Group (NYSE: SHAW) is an engineering firm that provides comprehensive services in the energy industry, with revenue in 2009 of $7.28 billion.[1] The firm builds and maintains nuclear reactors and clean fossil fuel plants, also modifying "dirty" energy plants to match U.S. energy regulations. SGR often contracts with the U.S. government in environmental and industrial remediation following catastrophes like hurricanes.
The rising worldwide demand for energy has driven the company's growth. SGR has expanded its nuclear energy projects. World energy demand has also increased world demand for environmental services; pollution from coal plants in China, for example, has gotten so bad that some experts believe it is responsible for 750,000 deaths a year[2], and SGR can retrofit coal plants to reduce pollutant emissions, or build nuclear plants as an alternative energy source. U.S. pollution control legislation has stimulated domestic demand for power plant retrofitting services, a market of which SGR controls 25-30%.[3]
Demand for SGR's services is cyclical because companies and governments usually pay for larger infrastructure projects when times are flush, and cut spending during economic downturns. Rising commodities prices decrease gross profits, as 52% of SGR's contracts are set at a fixed price, so operating income drops when input costs increase.[4] SGR's engineering projects are also massively expensive, which makes it more difficult for SGR to bring in project revenues in excess of expenses once they account for working capital. The Shaw Group's main competitors are Bechtel, Fluor, Jacobs Engineering Group, KBR, and URS.
Shaw Group is an industrial manufacturer with international operations that are divided into five major segments (Fossil & Nuclear, Environmental & Infrastructure, Energy & Chemical, Maintenance, and Fabrication & Manufacturing). The Shaw Group brings in revenue through contracts with both government and private entities in many facets of project-related services.
Third Quarter 2010 Results[5]
Shaw Group reported revenue for the third quarter of $11.79 billion, compared to $1.86 billion in the third quarter of 2009. Net income during the quarter was $68 million, or $0.79 per diluted share. This compares to net income of $10.68 million in the third quarter of 2009. Gross profit margin during the quarter was 8.5%.
The Company's Fossil, Renewables & Nuclear segment provides a range of services, including design, engineering, construction, procurement, technology and consulting services, primarily to the fossil, renewables and nuclear power generation industries. The Company provides a range of technical services, including engineering, design, procurement, construction, and project management that support the domestic and international nuclear power markets. The Company's air quality control (AQC) business includes domestic and international markets for flue gas desulfurization (FGD) retrofits, installation of mercury emission controls, fine-particle pollution control, carbon capture and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) processes used at existing coal-fired electric power plants.
The Company's Maintenance segment provides a range of technical services to complement its engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services for the electric power generation, refining and petrochemical/chemical industries. It provides clients with turnaround maintenance, refueling outage maintenance, routine plant maintenance, capital construction, reliability engineering, plant engineering, off-site modularization and other specialty services. The Company provides systemwide maintenance, modification and capital construction services to 40 of this domestic nuclear reactors.The Company offers fossil plant maintenance services for energy generation facilities throughout North America. The Company has presence in approximately 90 United States field locations serving petrochemicals, specialty chemicals, oil and gas, manufacturing, refining and infrastructure markets. Its Maintenance segment also includes a capital construction component serving existing client sites. Capital construction projects include renovations and green-field projects. Its scope includes constructability reviews, civil and concrete work, structural steel erection, electrical and instrumentation, mechanical and piping system erection
The Company's E&I segment provides engineering, design and construction, construction management, regulatory, scientific, logistics support, operations and maintenance and program management services to both commercial clients and federal, state and local government clients worldwide. The Company provides engineering and design services, including navigation, sediment management, port and waterway development, coastal engineering, environmental services, levee development and construction, shoreline protection and restoration, and marine security. It performs wetland construction, mitigation, restoration and related work for clients around the world.
The Company offers program management for infrastructure projects related to transportation, water and wastewater systems. It offers a range of technical and management services to design, plan, engineer, construct, renovate, operate and maintain highways, railways, transit systems, waterways and airports. It provides airport-related services for runways, taxiways, aprons, terminals and concourses. The Company offers program management, operations, engineering, design, construction, consulting and technology-based solutions to help various U.S. government clients including the Department of Energy (DOE), United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Department of Defense (DoD), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Its services include environmental remediation and restoration, regulatory compliance, facilities management and operations and emergency response services.
The Company's E&C segment provides a range of project-related services, including technology, project management, engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning/start-up and consulting to the oil and gas, refining, and petrochemical industries worldwide. In addition to fluid catalytic cracking (FCC), the Company offers related technologies, including deep catalytic cracking (DCC) and catalytic pyrolysis process (CPP), which boost production of ethylene and propylene. The Company offers consulting services to the energy, power, process, petrochemical, refining, and government market segments, as well as to the investment and financial community.
The Company's F&M segment supplies fabricated piping systems. It provides support and work for both external clients and for other business units within the company. F&M provides pipe and structural steel fabrication for projects, such as the E&I segment's DOE work and several Fossil, Renewables & Nuclear segment's power projects, as well as the E&C segment's project. The Company fabricates integrated piping systems for heavy industrial clients around the world. The Company fabricates the pipe by cutting it to specified lengths, welding fittings, flanges or other components on the pipe and/or bending the pipe to precise client specifications. It operates pipe fabrication facilities in Louisiana, Arkansas, South Carolina, Utah, Mexico and Venezuela and through a joint venture in Bahrain. The Company produces custom fabricated steel components and structures used in the architectural and industrial markets.
The Company's investment in Westinghouse includes a 20% interest (Westinghouse Equity) in Westinghouse. Westinghouse serves the domestic and international nuclear electric power industry by supplying nuclear plant designs, licensing, engineering services, equipment, fuel, and a range of other products and services to the owners and operators of nuclear power. The Company competes with Bechtel, Fluor Corporation, URS Corporation, Black & Veatch, Zachary, Chicago Bridge & Iron Company, KBR, Inc., Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., TECHNIP, JGC Corporation, CH2M Hill, URS Corporation, TetraTech, Inc., KBR, Inc., Day & Zimmerman/The Atlantic Group, Turner Industries, Areva, General Electric (GE), Mitsubishi, Hitachi and AtomStroyExport.
On November 4, 2008, Shaw sold its interest in Little Rock Family Housing LLC, Hanscom Family Housing LLC and Patrick Family Housing LLC. On May 7, 2009, the company acquired 52% of Nuclear Fuel Industries, Ltd.[6]
SGR purchased a 20% stake in Westinghouse, whose technology is used in over 40% of nuclear reactors built internationally. [7] Domestically, Westinghouse AP1000 reactor designs are being considered at least 12 reactor construction projects. If Westinghouse wins these contracts, it will be the first time they have built this type of reactor in the U.S.[8] As alternative energy sources have become more popular and the price of fossil fuels has increased, Westinghouse has increased its backlog of construction projects. Demand for nuclear energy as an alternative energy source has grown stronger in the past five years, especially in response to climate change legislation.
Following such catastrophic disasters as Hurricane Katrina, many state and local governments are installing new damage control and prevention measures. SGR earned revenues of about $1.0 billion in 2006 from work done in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita draining water out of New Orleans and providing temporary housing services for displaced residents.[9] Though revenue growth in the Shaw Group's Environmental and Infrastructure segment has declined since these disasters, the American government is actively pursuing infrastructure restoration and protection efforts. This has traditionally been a neglected area when budgets are tight, but SGR uses a number of strategies that lead it to win contracts over its competition. The company sets a fixed price for many of its projects rather than asking its clients to reimburse costs, which can escalate quickly for larger tasks. Also, the firm's wide range of services and history of successful projects with the Department of Energy, Army Corps of Engineers, and FEMA often lead to repeat business. SGR's task focus has shifted to catastrophe prevention from catastrophe response in the last two years, with major projects in levee and irrigation canal construction.
Demand for cleaner energy sources is rising, especially amidst public pressure for tighter U.S. Energy Regulations. Following issuance of the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions in 28 eastern states are required to drop to 70% and 60%.[10] SGR controls 25-30% of the market for retrofitting domestic coal plants to make them compliant.[11] As a result of CAIR and other environmental legislation, air quality control is becoming a much bigger contributor to SGR's revenue. Pollutant emissions abroad are growing, as foreign, emerging economies industrialize, especially visible in Chinese air pollution. Though current emissions reduction initiatives in China have been limited at best, there is potential for the demand for SGR's services to grow as pollutants become more dangerous (over 750,000 deaths a year are caused by air pollution and other environmental damages[12]).
SGR's customers mostly function in the energy and petrochemical industries, which are susceptible to cyclical changes in demand. Especially with respect to oil prices, energy company revenues (and, correspondingly, their ability to pay for contracts) are relatively volatile. Oil is a commonly used factor of production for the Shaw Group and many of its customers. For SGR in particular, rising oil prices increase the cost of petrochemical manufacturing and, thus, the cost of goods produced. This introduces volatility in revenues to SGR's manufacturing segments. With its construction and design clients, SGR's revenues come from fixed-price contracts (a fixed payment for an entire project is agreed upon) and cost-reimbursable contracts, (the client agrees to pay for project costs as well as a value-added premium). With fixed-price contracts, SGR is not reimbursed for over-budget spending on resources like oil if prices rise quickly. A little over half (52%) of SGR's projects are fixed-price and the remainder are cost-reimbursable. Therefore, the company can even take a loss on a project if factor costs increase sharply, though price volatility can also increase profit margins if production costs drop.[13]
Growing economies abroad have lifted energy demand over the last ten years. China in particular expects to increase nuclear power generation by five-fold in the next 12 years.[14] SGR's Fossil & Nuclear segment has grown as energy demand has surged. Aside from increased crude oil and petrochemical consumption abroad leading to more projects for SGR, alternative energy sources are becoming more popular. After acquiring a 20% equity stake in Westinghouse, one of the two major global nuclear reactor builders, the Shaw Group has benefited from industrial growth in China and South Korea. In addition to 30 new domestic reactors, Westinghouse has been contracted to build 6 reactors in South Korea and 4 reactors in China.[15]
The Shaw Group's main competitors include Bechtel (privately held), Fluor Corporation, Jacobs Engineering Group, KBR, URS, and Washington Group International.
|Operating Segment
|Bechtel (privately held)
|$20.5 billion[16]
|Fluor Corporation
|Fossil and Nuclear, Maintenance
|$16.7 billion[17]
|KBR, Inc.
|Energy and Chemical, Environmental and Infrastructure, Maintenance
|$8.6 billion[18]
|Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.
|Energy and Chemical, Maintenance
|$8.5 billion[19]
|URS, Inc.
|Environmental and Infrastructure
|$5.83 billion[20]
|Shaw Group, Inc.
|$5.7 billion[21]
While SGR may be among the smallest of the large engineering firms (by revenue total), it is among the most diversified. The scale of operations for many of its competitors, notably Fluor Corporation, are larger. After its expansion into nuclear design and construction with the 20% purchase of Westinghouse, however, SGR is positioned to provide a variety of services. This variety of businesses exposes SGR to competitors in other markets as well. The main competitors for the Westinghouse segment are Areva, General Electric, Mitsubishi, Hitachi, and Atomstroyexport.
|Total Backlog (billions US$)
|Backlog Fixed-Price Contracts Value (billions US$)
|Backlog Fixed-Price Contracts Percentage
|Backlog Cost-Reimbursable Contracts Value (billions US$)
|Backlog Cost-Reimbursable Contracts Percentage
|Fluor Corp.[22]
|KBR Inc.[23]
|*Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.[24]
|Shaw Group, Inc.[25]
URS has a backlog of about $18.7B but uses different types of contracts than the other companies.[26]
SGR has accepts a greater proportion of fixed-price contracts than its competitors. This exposes the Shaw Group to greater risk in factor cost variation, though it helps the company to compete for project contracts.


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Bruce Brown, Owner/Engineer at Puget Sound Studios is a long time audiophile, musician and mastering engineer. Discussions will include all facets of recording, mixing, mastering and restoration for archival.
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Statement by Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers, On Sen. McCain's Comments on Education Reform to National Urban League
"Sen. McCain clearly has his talking points down about education, but we're still waiting to see any comprehensive plan. This follows his more than a quarter-century in Congress without showing interest or initiating policy to help public education. Contrast this with the record of Sen. Obama, who has stood for strong education policies and shown a genuine interest in working with teachers to help reform education in constructive ways.
"Sen. McCain's naiveté about education reform is only as stunning as his hypocrisy. He takes a cheap shot by demonizing teachers, yet lauds the very education reforms that I collaborated on with his new best friends, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and School Chancellor Joel Klein. (bold added by ICE)
"As the new AFT president, I will continue to work with others on education reforms that are good for students and fair to teachers. But I will not shy away from criticizing anyone, including McCain, who would rather pick fights with—rather than support—those who work with children every day and who know what works in the classroom."
Janet Bass


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Superstardom guarantees three things: money, paparazzi, and stalkers. Just ask Rihanna. A burglar was arrested near her Southern California home on Thursday night. Originally there were reports that the man had actually entered her house, but now it seems he broke into the place next door believing it was the "S.O.S." singer's. No telling what he would have done if he had found her. It's a bone-chilling thought. The intruder's mistake was a lucky break for Rihanna, but other stars haven't been so fortunate. Many have caught these creepy crooks in the act, putting their lives at risk. Check out the scariest celebrity burglary stories of all time.
Image via MiKeARB/Flickr


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EAT IT: Steak + Frites
You know what feels really really good on a hot Friday?
Grabbing a window seat in our perfectly air conditioned Cafe and ordering the Cumbrae Farm Steak + Frites ($25).
Topped with preserved lemon brown butter and cooked to taste (mid-rare for me), this Cumbrae farm-fresh steak literally melts in your mouth. Add in sauteed honey mushrooms and handcut fries and you'll forget all about the humidex. It really is the best summer indulgence.