text:
The company that supplied electricity to the Super Bowl says the blackout that halted the big game was caused by a device it installed specially to prevent a power failure. A look at key events surrounding the blackout:
— May 19, 2009 — New Orleans is awarded the 2013 Super Bowl, beating out Miami and Glendale, Ariz. It will be the 10th time the city has hosted the game and the first since thousands of people took refuge in the heavily damaged Superdome after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
— 2011 — The main electric utility for New Orleans, Entergy New Orleans, begins considering possible upgrades at the Superdome in anticipation of the championship game.
— July 2012 — Most of the work on the Entergy upgrades is done, but the final touches and the switch to the new equipment won't take place until December, weeks ahead of the big game.
— Oct. 15, 2012 — While Entergy is working on the upgrades, concerns arise about the Superdome's electrical equipment. A memo to the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District describes decay in the electrical feeders that connect the stadium to the power grid, creating "a chance of failure." The district authorizes nearly $1 million for Superdome improvements, including more than $600,000 to upgrade the feeder system.
— December 2012 — Entergy completes the upgrades, and the new equipment is energized.
— Jan. 2, 2013 — The Superdome is showcased on primetime television as Louisville upsets Florida in the Sugar Bowl — the third event since the upgrades. No problems reported.
— Feb. 3, 2013 — Less than two minutes into the third quarter of the Super Bowl, power is lost to half the Superdome, dimming lights and forcing suspension of the game. It takes 34 minutes to restore power. The game is completed, but the outage takes some of the sheen off what many praised as a flawless hosting effort by the city.
— Feb. 8, 2013 — Entergy announces that a relay device that was specifically designed to prevent a power failure caused the blackout. But the utility stops short of taking all the blame and says it's looking into whether the electrical relay at fault had a design flaw or a manufacturing defect.
The manufacturer of the relay, S&C Electric Co. of Chicago, says in a statement that the blackout occurred because system operators put the device's so-called trip setting too low.


text:
A Reason To Celebrate
I quit smoking ten years ago today. I was trying to think of an appropriate way to celebrate when my daughter suggested smoking a big cigar! I decided a better idea was to share my experience with others so hopefully they can quit too.
The most important thing to do is pick a date, now, and stick with it. Two months in advance should give you adequate time to prepare. If you wait to quit on the spur of the moment when you get a sudden burst of inspiration or courage, that day will most likely never come. During this time, read all you can about different strategies for quitting and apply as many of them as you can. Also be sure to read about the health aspects of smoking. You need to understand that it's killing you. You may or may not get cancer, but it'll certainly kill you anyway; not to mention that it will ruin your retirement years.
Talk to your doctor about getting help, but "just say no" to nicotine replacement therapies. That is like giving an alcoholic gin and declaring him cured of his vodka addiction. I was prescribed an antidepressant that is commonly thought to help curb the urge to smoke. Frankly, I don't think it helped, but who knows? Maybe it would've been worse without it.
I used filters that allowed me to reduce my nicotine intake gradually as I approached my quit date. Note that reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke does not help, because it increases your craving and makes you enjoy smoking more, making quitting more difficult. But gradually reducing the nicotine in each cigarette seemed to help me. Cleaning the gunk out of the filters was also a revealing exercise.
Tell your family, friends and co-workers you are quitting. You may not want to tell them for fear you won't be successful and you don't want them to know you failed, but that is only your addiction talking. You will be successful; it's just that simple. You are going to need their support anyway. You will also need them to understand when you become a jerk for a couple weeks! Get ready to apologize a lot! But bear in mind that the irritability associated with quitting is not permanent.
Every time you light a cigarette, remind yourself of your quit day. Know that the day you have chosen will be the day you assert your freedom! When I got to the week before my quit day, I knew I had two jury trials in my first week, back to back. I've been practicing law for 24 years and this was the only time I have been faced with that situation. Due to the stress, I considered delaying my quit day. But I had myself so convinced that I would quit then, that I absolutely refused to change the date.
Don't discount relying on divine intervention. Pray for strength if you are inclined to do so; even if you are not. Three days before I quit I walked into the only store in town that carried my brand. Smokers know how you become partial to a certain brand. I asked for three packs and the clerk smacked them on the counter and said, "That's it, no more of these for you!"
"How did you know I was quitting?" I asked.
His reply startled me, "You're quitting? Well it's a good thing because they quit making that brand. Those are the last three packs!"
When you quit, don't hide a spare pack for yourself "just in case you need it." You won't need it! You're quitting, remember? You never needed it. It is your addiction trying to play tricks on you again.
When the appointed day arrived, I'd have to say my initial feeling only compares to grief at the loss of a loved one. That was soon joined by the gnawing craving that smokers will understand. I went to work with a bag full of carrots, celery, gum, sugar free candy and several "executive toys" to keep my hands busy. The first few days were hard, very hard, but after that it became bearable. The urge struck less frequently every day; and passed more quickly. After three months it was easy, but it wasn't until six months that I actually knew I would never smoke again.
I've known many people who have quit for a few days; many, many times. I can't see putting yourself through the worst part over and over. When you get past the first three days and the urge hits you, remind yourself that you don't want to have to start over. After a week, buy yourself something with the money you've saved. You deserve it! After three months buy yourself something big.
The money saved and the health benefits are great, but I'd have to say the best part is the freedom of not being tied to an addiction. No more craving a cigarette when you can't have one. No more having to make a special trip to the store. No more missing the middle of a movie or a conversation because you had to go smoke. Set your date now, I promise you won't regret it.
David Gohn
© 2009-2018 Spencer Evening World, Inc. | Privacy Policy
No commercial reproduction without written consent.
Electronic reproduction of any kind forbidden without written consent.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Used Car - 2012 Chevrolet Camaro Coupe 1LT in Bay City, Tx
Please Call For Price
About This 2012 Chevrolet Camaro Coupe 1LT
Vehicle Location:
Bay City, Tx
Coupe 1LT
Call For Price
Exterior Color:
Stock Number:
Fuel Economy Estimates
City MPG
Highway MPG
Combined MPG: 22
Estimated Monthly Fuel Cost: $101.14*
*Based on $1.78 per gallon and 15k miles per year.
Actual costs may vary.
Actual costs may vary.
Send This Vehicle To Your Smartphone
Seller's Description and Comments:
Located at Auto Row Sales Center in Bay City, Tx. Call Auto Row Sales Center today at 979-323-0800 for more information about this vehicle.
Vehicle Options:
- Abs Brakes
- Air Conditioning
- Alloy Wheels
- Am/fm Radio
- Automatic Headlights
- Cd Player
- Cruise Control
- Daytime Running Lights
- Driver Airbag
- Driver Multi-adjustable Power Seat
- Electronic Brake Assistance
- Fog Lights
- Front Air Dam
- Front Side Airbag
- Interval Wipers
- Keyless Entry
- Passenger Airbag
- Passenger Multi-adjustable Power Seat
- Power Adjustable Exterior Mirror
- Power Door Locks
- Power Windows
- Rear Spoiler
- Rear Window Defogger
- Second Row Folding Seat
- Side Head Curtain Airbag
- Steering Wheel Mounted Controls
- Tachometer
- Telematics System
- Telescopic Steering Column
- Tilt Steering
- Tilt Steering Column
- Tire Pressure Monitor
- Traction Control
- Trip Computer
- Trunk Anti-trap Device
- Vehicle Anti-theft
- Vehicle Stability Control System
- Voice Activated Telephone
Carfax Vehicle History Report:
View the CarFax vehicle history report and protect yourself from:
Major Accidents, Lemon History and Odometer Problems
» Get A Free CARFAX Record Check
Major Accidents, Lemon History and Odometer Problems
» Get A Free CARFAX Record Check
Financing Information:
Payment Calculator:
2012 Chevrolet Camaro ReviewThis car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale.
Better fuel economy, more power.
It's the 45th year of Camaro, an icon from the day it was born as a 1967 model. To commemorate, there's a 2012 Camaro SS 45th Anniversary edition with a powerful V8. The standard V6 has been upgraded for 2012, and a new ZL1 is available.
Camaro convertibles are equipped like the coupes but feature a soft top fitted with acoustical foam in the headliner to minimize noise with the top up. This latest-generation Camaro was designed from the outset to include convertible models, and reinforcements were added in four key areas to increase rigidity.
2012 Camaro LS and Camaro LT models come with a 3.6-liter V6 engine that's been revamped with many improvements. For 2012, there's a new cylinder head design with integrated exhaust manifolds, improved intake ports, larger intake valves, longer-duration camshafts, a composite intake manifold, new fuel pump, optimized-flow fuel injectors, cylinder block enhancements, stronger and lighter connecting rods, and finally a cleaned up camshaft cap and throttle body. This new engine makes 323 horsepower, 11 more than before, and it weighs 20.5 pounds less.
The revised V6 delivers better fuel mileage for the 2012 Camaro LS; the 2LS model, which uses a tall 2.92 rear axle ratio, gets an EPA-estimated 19/30 miles per gallon City/Highway. In terms of power, the V6 can pretty much pass for a V8, a bonus for the price. The V6 on 2012 models revs to 7200 rpm, which is 200 rpm sweeter than before. The V6 offers a choice between 6-speed manual transmission and 6-speed automatic (with semi-manual shifting).
Camaro SS uses the 6.2-liter Corvette V8, making 400 horsepower with a 6-speed automatic or 426 horsepower with a Tremec 6-speed manual gearbox (same as Corvette). The SS uses firmer shocks, springs and anti-roll bars than the V6 models, but the ride doesn't suffer for it. A limited-slip rear differential is included to reduce wheel spin when trying to put all that power down. With the optional 6-speed TAPshift manual automatic transmission, the SS uses a slightly different 6.2-liter V8, with Active Fuel Management. It makes only 400 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque.
The 2012 Camaro SS 45th Anniversary edition comes in black (Carbon Flash Metallic), with retro reddish-orange stripes on the bulging hood and deck, new 20-inch painted aluminum wheels, and special interior trim with 45th anniversary badging.
Stealing the headlines is the uber high-performance 2012 Camaro ZL1, making 580 horsepower by adding a supercharger to its 6.2-liter V8. It can accelerate from zero to 60 in 3.0 seconds and hit 184 mph, according to Chevrolet. While testing at the Nurburgring, the Camaro ZL1 set a lap record, beating the Porsche 911 GT3. At $55k the ZL1 is cheap, given its level of performance. GM is proving something to the likes of Porsche, Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and Maserati.
We found the handling, ride and brakes to be excellent in both the Camaro LT with the V6 and the Camaro SS with the big V8, although the SS suspension is stiffer and its 20-inch tires are firmer. The chassis structure is rigid, helping make turn-in precise for a car this size; grip is secure, and damping is solid and supple. We never encountered a harsh moment with the ride, in either model, during a full day of hard driving east of San Diego in both of them, and later a full week in the Pacific Northwest with a 426 horsepower Camaro SS with the 6-speed. We found the handling balance of the Camaro SS excellent.
As for the brakes, the Camaro LT stops superbly. The Camaro SS uses four-piston Brembo brakes, but because it's 200 pounds heavier, the stopping distance isn't much shorter. However, the Brembos with four-piston calipers make the brakes on the SS more resistant to fade, important on race tracks and mountain roads where the brakes are being used repeatedly.
The automatic transmission does what you tell it to do when using the TAPshift manual feature, nothing more. We love that. But the 6-speed manual transmission with the V6 is the most all-around usable sporty combination. We like the manual with the V6 because 426 horsepower is overkill on the street. The gearbox is solid but not quite slick, and the throws are shorter than some. The 6-speed shifts nicely, including easily down into first gear for hairpin turns.
Inside, the cabin is quiet, so 80 mph feels more like 70. Interior materials are good, but the instrumentation is disappointing, with GM still trying to be retro rather than clean with gauges. The bucket seats are comfortable, with decent bolstering. The front seat slides 8.5 inches and the steering wheel tilts and telescopes, so drivers of all sizes will fit, most notably Camaro's many female buyers. The standard cloth upholstery is good, with excellent leather available in black, gray, beige, and two-tone Inferno Orange. The windows are small, with high doorsills for safety, and the A-pillars wide, so it makes the cockpit feel a bit like a cave. Visibility through the windshield is compromised by the long hood and raked windshield, although careful location of the driver's seat helps. Rear visibility over the driver's shoulder isn't very good, but then it's impossible to make it good with a roofline this sporty. Rear seat legroom measures a meager 29.9 inches, so you'll want to avoid sitting back there.
Camaro LS ($23,200) comes with the 3.6-liter V6 and 6-speed manual transmission. Not a bare-bones model, the Camaro LS comes with cloth upholstery, manually operated air conditioning, power windows, power locks, power mirrors, cruise control, telescopic steering wheel, six-speaker AM/FM/XM/CD/MP3 sound system, Bluetooth, OnStar with turn-by-turn route guidance for six months, limited slip differential, 18-inch steel wheels. (Prices are Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Prices and do not include the destination charge.) The 2LS ($1,200) comes with the 6-speed automatic transmission with TapShift manual controls on the steering wheel and a 2.92:1 axle ratio and rear spoiler.
Camaro LT ($25,200) upgrades with sport cloth seats, six-way power front seats, foglamps and integral front fascia, and 18-inch painted aluminum wheels. The 2LT ($28,350) includes leather upholstery and 9-speaker Boston Acoustics sound system, Head Up display, rearview camera, 19-inch aluminum wheels, and the gauge cluster with oil temp, oil pressure, volts, and transmission fluid temperature.
Camaro SS ($31,850) features the 6.2-liter V8, a Tremec 6-speed manual gearbox (same as Corvette) with limited slip differential, and the Sport cloth seats. The SS has special exterior trim, a beefier suspension, 20-inch painted aluminum wheels, and four-piston Brembo disc brakes. The 2SS ($3,600) upgrades to leather-appointed seats, heated front seats, rearview camera, multi-function auxiliary gauges, head-up display, Bluetooth, PDIM wireless auxiliary device control, Universal home remote, steering wheel-mounted controls, auto-dimming mirror, heated mirrors. There's a new optional suspension package for the SS models, called FE4. The 45th Anniversary package ($1,375) includes the retro hood and deck stripes, HID headlamps with integrated LED halo rings, 20-inch aluminum wheels, and interior trim with accent stitching and anniversary logos.
Camaro ZL1 adds a supercharger to the 6.2-liter V8 to get a mind-bending 580 horsepower and 556 foot-pounds of torque, with traction control and magnetic ride control.
Camaro LT Convertible ($30,100) and Camaro SS Convertible ($37,900) are equipped similarly to the coupes. Nine production exterior colors are available, with tops in black or tan.
Safety equipment on all Camaros includes electronic stability control with traction control, anti-lock brakes, frontal airbags, front side airbags, airbag curtains, and tire pressure monitor. A rearview camera is optional.
This latest-generation Camaro, completely redesigned for 2010, captures the look of the original '67, though it's bigger in every dimension: longer, wider and taller.
Viewed head-on, classic 1969 Camaro headlights appear. Behind the shark nose with black mesh grille, up on the long aluminum hood, there is a suggestive power bulge for the V8 engine. It's the long hood and shark nose that catch your eye and trigger your longing. The SS has an additional wide and thin black simulated intake on the nose.
Slight twin humps on the roof are visible at the top of the steeply raked 67-degree windshield that helps produce a 0.37 Cd in the LS and LT, and 0.35 Cd in the SS.
Viewed from the rear, and especially from above, the lines suggest the 1963 fastback split-window Corvette. That classic Corvette made a strong impression on the Camaro's young designer, Sang Yup Lee, who came to the U.S. from Korea as a boy and grew up in the California car culture.
Styling gills located just forward of the rear wheels add a nice touch to the Camaro. Even though the power dome hood and cooling gills are not functional, they all work as touches of style and don't come across as phony.
The shapely strong hips stand out, like the long hood, an edgy element the designer is most proud of, because they took so much work. He said it took 113 tries to get the one-piece sheetmetal right, from the doors and pinched beltline rearward. There's no indifferent craftsmanship with this car, that's for sure.
The rigid B-pillar is blacked-out, thus creating a clean outline for the side glass, blending into a handsome hardtop roofline. The short rear deck climbs upward and looks hot. The twin taillights look like blinking red sunglasses in each corner, under the small lip of a rear spoiler.
The convertible chassis is reinforced to stiffen the body structure, with a cross brace under the hood to connect the front shock towers, a transmission brace, an underbody tunnel brace, and underbody V-shaped braces front and rear. This helps the convertible ride and handle more like the coupe. Chevrolet says the convertible chassis is rigid enough that the suspension didn't need to be changed from the coupe, and that the Camaro convertible has more torsional stiffness than the BMW 3 Series convertible.
Designers and engineers erased the appearance of ribs in the convertible top, by using composite rather than aluminum knuckles, extending the material below the beltline, and revising the stitch lines. The result is a top that appears smooth, taut and carefully tailored, while retaining the sleek roofline of the coupe.
The cabin is oriented more around style than function.
The standard cloth bucket seats are good, although the bolstering isn't fully there for hard cornering. It's a tough compromise to make, given the spectrum of Camaro buyers. The low bolsters make getting in and out of the Camaro easier. Excellent leather upholstery is available in black, gray, beige and two-tone Inferno Orange, and interior materials are good. The front seat slides 8.5 inches and the steering wheel tilts and telescopes, so drivers of all sizes will fit. The stitched leather wrap on the steering wheel is nice, and the wheel itself has been changed for 2012.
The instrumentation graphics have been revised for 2012, and the new instruments are better. A recessed speedometer and tachometer are set in square housings, a nod to the classic Camaro interior. Between those two big gauges is a driver information center controlled via a stalk on the steering column.
The climate control buttons on the center stack appear to have been designed for looks, and thus aren't as functional as they could or should be. An optional console-mounted gauge package includes oil pressure, oil temperature, volts and transmission fluid temperature. The information is good, although the location down by the driver's knee makes it difficult to see while driving.
The windows are small and the A-pillars are wide, so it makes the cabin feel a bit cave-like. Visibility through the windshield is compromised by the long hood and raked windshield, although careful location of the driver's seat helps. Rear visibility over the driver's shoulder isn't very good, but then it's impossible to make it good with a roofline this sporty.
The trunk is deep but the opening isn't large and it's almost flat. This compromise is worth it for the handsome rear deck. There's a pass-through to the trunk behind the rear seat, which isn't easy to crawl into, and feels like a pit.
Rear-seat legroom measures 29.9 inches, a distinction, as few cars today break below that 30-inch mark. You'll want to avoid riding in the back seat.
The convertible top is made of thick, durable canvas. An acoustical headliner material is designed to provide a quiet, coupe-like ride when the top is up, and the soft top incorporates a glass rear window and rear window defogger. The power folding convertible top retracts in about 20 seconds. It folds in a simple Z-pattern and latches with a single handle located at the center of the windshield header. The transmission doesn't have to be in Park for the top to be activated, allowing fast lowering while stopped at a red light, or when it starts raining in a dead-stop traffic jam.
Driving Impression
The Camaro chassis is engineered well. The rigid structure makes the turn-in precise for a car this size; the grip is secure, and the damping is solid and supple, with both the V6 (FE2 suspension) and firmer V8 (FE3). The front suspension uses struts, and the rear is an independent multi-link that's rubber isolated.
The Camaro is a hefty car, 3860 pounds for the V8 and 3800 for the V6, so the handling couldn't be called nimble, just secure and satisfying. The new Mustang is nearly 300 pounds lighter, and feels it.
We never encountered a harsh moment with the ride, in either the LT or the SS. We spent week in a 426-hp SS in the Pacific Northwest, and before that one day driving east of San Diego, where we had the chief designer, Canadian Gene Stafanyshyn, riding shotgun and giving us the backstory. He's the guy you can thank for the true programming of the TAPshift manual automatic transmission. It does what you tell it to do, nothing more. We love that. Stafanyshyn said he too hates manual automatic transmissions that shift on their own.
One especially nice thing about the transmission is that when you're in sixth gear on the freeway and lightly accelerate, it won't kick down when it doesn't need to. It uses its sufficient torque.
The Camaro LT with its 3.6-liter V6 shines. We said it was the future in 2010, and we must have been right because now, two years later, other manufacturers (most notably Ford) have powerful and efficient new V6 engines. The Chevy V6 sounds sweet and gets 30 miles per gallon highway with the 6-speed automatic and optional 2.92 rear axle ratio. With the standard 3.27 gear, it accelerates from 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds, and will do the quarter mile in 14.4 seconds, which is quick in anyone's book.
The LT will also stop from 60 mph in a superb 106 feet, as measured by Motor Trend magazine, or 128 feet according to GM. Surprisingly, the SS with its four-piston Brembo brakes doesn't do much better, but the Brembos can be used harder without fade. And the vented rotors are huge, 14 inches front and 14.4 inches rear on the SS, compared to the LT's matching fronts and 11.8-inch rears.
The V6 LT with a 6-speed manual gearbox is the most versatile sporty engine-transmission matchup. The gearbox is smooth if not buttery, and easily shifts down into first gear for hairpin turns. Chevrolet says the throws are short, yet there's a Hurst short-throw shifter available as a dealer option. We'll take it. We tested it in the Shelby Mustang, and it made a world of difference.
Two 6.2-liter V8 engines are offered in Camaro SS models: the 426-horsepower LS3 is paired with manual gearboxes, while the 400-horsepower L99 comes in cars with automatics. Both engines are derived from the engine that debuted on the 2008 Corvette, with an aluminum block with cast iron cylinder liners, and aluminum heads. The L99 features the Active Fuel Management System, which saves fuel by shutting down half of the engine's cylinders during certain light-load driving conditions, such as highway cruising.
The Camaro SS is humongous fast, so if you're driving it hard, you're deep into the danger zone with the law or you're on a race track. Its throaty exhaust turns heads. The SS with the manual transmission and 426-horsepower engine revs to 6600 rpm, while the automatic with its 400 horsepower only revs to an underachieving 6000.
It's hard to say who wins the perennial muscle-car battle between the Camaro, Mustang GT, and Dodge Challenger; those with a favorite aren't likely to change their minds. But a battle of the stats gives the Mustang the edge, with its beautiful new 32-valve 5.0-liter engine. We think it's more enjoyable to drive, too. The Mustang wins the pounds-per-horsepower battle, 8.7 to 9.1 (412/3580 vs. 426/3860), but the Camaro SS still wins in the quarter-mile, 13.0 to 13.2. Not that two tenths of a second makes any difference in how much you enjoy your car.
The Chevrolet Camaro offers all the classic benefits of a Camaro: striking lines, powerful engines, great transmissions, superb handling and ride, good V6 gas mileage, great prices. Interior visibility is limited, pinched because of the car's shape. And the back seats are not for adults. The front seats are good, but the retro-wannabe instrumentation will leave you flat if you're looking for function. In short, drivers who have wanted a Camaro will not be disappointed.
NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Sam Moses drove the Camaro coupe and convertible models near San Diego and in the Pacific Northwest.
Model Lineup
Chevrolet Camaro LS ($23,200); LT Coupe (425,200), LT Convertible ($30,100); SS Coupe ($31,850), SS Convertible ($37,900); ZL1.
Assembled In
Oshawa, Ontario.
Options As Tested
45th Anniversary package including stripes, HID headlamps with LED halo rings, 20-inch aluminum wheels painted Midnight Silver, interior with accent stitching ($1375).
Model Tested
Chevrolet Camaro 2SS Coupe ($35,450).With design cues evocative of the legendary 1969 model, the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro combines the spirit of the classic American muscle car with the fuel efficiency, safety, handling, technology and build quality expected in a modern performance coupe. The new-for-2012 ZL1 is the most powerful production Camaro ever. The Camaro is available in four trims: LS, LT, SS and ZL1. The LS and LT are powered by a 323-hp direct-injected 3.6-liter V6 with a six-speed manual or an optional six-speed automatic transmission. The SS's 6.2-liter V8 generates 426 horsepower with the standard six-speed manual, and 400 horsepower with the optional six-speed automatic with sequential shift control. The heart of the ZL1 is a supercharged 6.2-liter engine is SAE-rated at 580 horsepower and 556 lb.-ft. of torque. Standard equipment on all Camaros includes independent rear suspension, StabiliTrak stability control with traction control, six airbags, air conditioning, OnStar and SiriusXM satellite radio. The LT adds fog lights, 18-inch alloy wheels and power seats, while the SS features unique front fascia, sport suspension, Brembo brakes, and a limited slip differential. The ZR1's standard magnetic fluid-filled shock absorbers react instantly to road conditions and driver inputs, and Performance Traction Management, the launch control feature (manual transmission only), automatically modulates engine torque for the best-possible acceleration without excessive wheel spin. The ZL1 also features a rear-differential cooler, electric power steering, an integrated engine- and transmission-oil cooler, leather seating surfaces with suede microfiber inserts, distinctive front fascia and hood with air extractors, unique 20-inch forged aluminum wheels and rear-park assist with a rear-view camera display. The available RS Package includes 20-inch aluminum wheels with performance tires and distinctive high-intensity headlights with a "halo ring" display. Optional equipment includes Bluetooth wireless connectivity, power sunroof, performance tires, Boston Acoustics sound system and a variety of exterior stripe packages. For 2012, the revised 3.6-liter V6's horsepower is bumped from 312 to 323. The new FE4 suspension debuts as a performance improvement for the SS coupe, focusing on more refined handling. The taillamps that had been a part of the RS appearance package in 2011 and a rear spoiler are now standard on all trims. A new Rear Vision Package adds a rearview camera system and an auto-dimming mirror to the existing Rear Park Assist feature. Interior updates include a revised instrument panel appearance, with new instrument graphics and trim, as well as a new steering wheel design and a power lift feature for the front passenger seat. The big news for 2012 is the debut of the ZL1 trim, the highest-performing and the most technically advanced Camaro ever produced.
P.O.Box 1079
Bay City, Tx. 77404
Email This Seller
Contact: Sales Manager


text:
Our holdings include hundreds of glass and film negatives/transparencies that we've scanned ourselves; in addition, many other photos on this site were extracted from reference images (high-resolution tiffs) in the Library of Congress research archive. (To query the database click here.) They are adjusted, restored and reworked by your webmaster in accordance with his aesthetic sensibilities before being downsized and turned into the jpegs you see here. All of these images (including "derivative works") are protected by copyright laws of the United States and other jurisdictions and may not be sold, reproduced or otherwise used for commercial purposes without permission.
Vintage photos of:
Washington, D.C. "Oldsmobile Sales Co. interior, 1919 or 1920." National Photo Company Collection glass negative, Library of Congress. View full size.
Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Affleck's Drug Store." Hurry over now for the big closeout! National Photo Co. Collection, Library of Congress. View full size.
June 30, 1925. "National American Ballet." National Photo Company Collection glass negative, Library of Congress. View full size.
August 1862. "Culpeper Court House, Virginia. Railroad depot." Photographs from the main Eastern theater of war, Bull Run, second Battle of Bull Run. Wet plate negative, half of stereo pair, by Timothy O'Sullivan. View full size.
October 1863. "Culpeper, Virginia. Gen. George G. Meade's horse, Baldy." Wet plate glass negative, photographer unknown. View full size.
September 1908. Grafton, West Virginia. "Tipple Boy and Drivers. Maryland Coal Co. mine near Sand Lick. Boy with mule was afraid at first to be in the picture; another boy said he feared we might make him go to school." View full size. Photograph and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine.
July 10, 1924. "Pushball at Tidal Basin." National Photo Co. View full size.
"Boxer at Washington Barracks, 1924." National Photo Co. View full size.


text:
Schriever man cited for four-wheeler speed-off with daughter on board
Schriever man cited for four-wheeler speed-off with daughter on board
SCHRIEVER, La. —
A parent who picked up his daughter from school Friday driving a four-wheeler ATV has been cited with careless operation of a vehicle, Terrebonne Parish sheriff's deputies said.
The Courier reports the incident happened at Schriever Elementary School.
Deputies said school workers told them William Douglas Jones, 23, arrived at the school at dismissal time. Investigators said he argued with employees, who asked him to wait until school buses departed. But the workers said he and the child boarded the four-wheeler and sped away so quickly that the vehicle almost flipped over.
Sheriff's deputies found Jones later and issued a summons charging him with careless operation.
It was unclear whether Jones has an attorney.


text:
Whenever I observe a Karate demonstration, whether live, or on a video or DVD, I pay special attention to the way the performer generates power.
All styles are different. Even people in the same style can move differently. Techniques vary widely. Comparing one technique to another does not make much sense.
But it is fair to question power generation. How does the performer generate power? Is it all from his upper body? Is it just from his arms and legs? Does power from his lower body transfer to his upper body. Does the power come from the inside and radiate outwards? Does he use his whole body or just part? Does he use his koshi? Is he intentionally hiding his power generation or using a basic method because he is in public?
Now here's the big question. Is the power he generates more than the sum of his parts? In other words, do his body dynamics give him an advantage? Is his power somehow boosted?
Sometimes I see a large person generate very little power. In constrast, a small, slight person might be a virtual dynamo. Why? How?
In Kishaba Juku, skilled students and instructors generate power using their koshi as something of a central processor and transfer point. Power is generated using the whole body, and is directed as desired.
Other styles might generate power differently.
Good is good and power is power. Again, the question is how?
Another question I ask is how I would defend against the type of power generation being used by a person I am watching. This is a really good question when observing Goju-Ryu experts. They move very differently than Shorin-Ryu practitioners and generate power differently as well.
Which generates more power per square inch -- a sledge hammer or an ice pick? I guess it depends.
I should add that I can't always figure out how a person generates power. I do not understand all methods of generating power, or even many of the ways.
But our focus should be on power generation. Techniques are only ways of generating and transferring power. The more we recognize this in others, the more we can work on it ourselves.
Charles C. Goodin
Observing Demonstrations
Whenever I observe a Karate demonstration, whether live, or on a video or DVD, I pay special attention to the way the performer generates power.
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Wednesday, September 20, 2006


text:
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took power in December as confidence among manufacturers hit a three-year low. Now, as the yen weakens and stocks surge, sentiment is set to rebound by the most since 2011.
The large manufacturers' index in the Bank of Japan's Tankan survey due April 1 will rise to minus seven in March from minus 12 in December, according to the median forecast of 17 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. The outlook index, a gauge of how firms see conditions in three months, may increase to plus one from minus 10. A positive reading means optimists outnumber pessimists.
Abe needs companies to boost investment and wages for his policies to have a lasting effect on prices and economic growth. Improving sentiment may help Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda achieve a 2% inflation target as he prepares to unleash stimulus at his first policy-setting meeting next week.
"We can expect manufacturers to gain in confidence throughout the year," said Tomo Kinoshita, chief economist at Nomura Holdings Inc. in Tokyo. "Kuroda will raise market expectations for further easing, lifting stock prices, which in turn will boost corporate sentiment and investment."
The yen strengthened yesterday to 94.20 per dollar as of 5:50 p.m. in Tokyo on concern over Europe's debt crisis, paring its more than 8% fall since the start of the year on Abe's pledge to revive the economy. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average fell 1.3% after reaching a 4 1/2 year high last week.
Industrial production data for February due today will probably show a 2.5% rise from the previous month, according to a separate survey of economists.
Kuroda, who has said that influencing expectations is crucial to ending deflation, told lawmakers yesterday that he would push for more monetary stimulus until 2% inflation is achieved. The BOJ meets on April 3-4.
Yen 'Weapon'
The yen's fall has drawn criticism from trading rivals, with South Korean carmaker Kia Motors Corp. saying yesterday the currency is becoming a "weapon" for Japanese competitiveness.
While companies in the Nikkei index showed a more than 50% decline in aggregate net income in the four years through 2012, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, firms including Toyota Motor Corp. have raised profit estimates for the fiscal year starting next month.
Toyota agreed this month to pay its employees in Japan the biggest bonus in five years and Kubota Corp., a tractor maker, predicts record sales.
Despite the improved outlook, a negative reading on the Tankan's main sentiment index may reflect lingering caution, with Honda Motor Co. on Jan. 31 forecasting lower net income for this fiscal year, based on an exchange rate of 81 yen per dollar.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


text:
Meet thousands of Saint-Laurent singles through one of the best St-Laurent online dating sites. Matchmaker.com has great instant messenger and live video St-Laurent chat service for our members. Saint-Laurent dating has never been easier with our show interest feature that will allow you to break the ice with attractive local singles.
Matchmaker.com has some great services for St-Laurent singles looking for a longer term relationship. Besides our great Saint-Laurent chat product with live video matchmaker users can send email messages to people in the area. The Saint-Laurent dating scene can be hard to find the right person at times; however, we are here to help and our St-Laurent online dating service is free to register.
Saint-LaurentJoin Now Free!
St-Laurent Girls | St-Laurent Men | St-Laurent Gay | St-Laurent Lesbians
More Saint-Laurent Links:
Saint-Laurent Personals | Saint-Laurent Speed Dating | Saint-Laurent Chat | Saint-Laurent Singles | Saint-Laurent Love
Senior Dating | Catholic Dating | Christian Dating | Muslim Dating
Black Singles | Asian Singles | Latin Dating
Try our Saint-Laurent dating service today. Matchmaker.com is one of the oldest Saint-Laurent online dating services on the Internet and has brought thousands of couples together from the area. Test drive our Saint-Laurent Chat room with one of the best online communities for the St-Laurent single person. Also, keep in mind that we have a huge member base of Saint-Laurent singles and that we also cater to members of the many backgrounds.
Still not convinced that matchmaker is the free St-Laurent dating service for you? Once you've filled out the quick registration process you will be to see full size photos and profiles of thousands of Saint-Laurent singles. Did you know that free St-Laurent dating is a few clicks away? Find love and romance in Saint-Laurent at matchmaker today!


text:
Jeanne Louise CarriereJohn Minor Wisdom Professor of Civil Law Emerita
BA, 1970, St. Mary's Dominican College; MA, 1972, PhD, 1975, University of California at Los Angeles; JD, summa cum laude, 1986, Tulane University
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com: 504.865.5892Office: Weinmann Hall, Room 259-F
Biography:Jeanne Carriere's speciality is Civil Law. She is a co-author of the leading casebook on Civil Law Property, the newest edition of which is being published in Fall 2013.
She has been a member of the Louisiana State Law Institute since 1987 and of its Council since 1989. The Institute is the state's law reform body responsible for revisions of the Louisiana Civil Code. In addition, she served on the Louisiana Bar Advisory Committee for seven years.
Carriere joined the Tulane Law faculty in 1987 and has taught courses in Civil Law Persons; Civil Law Property; Family Law: Civil and Common Law; and Trusts and Estates, as well as seminars on The Outsider in Law and Literature; Law in the Plays of Shakespeare; and Selected Institutions in the Civil Law of Persons. At Tulane's summer programs in London and in Cambridge, England, she taught The Ownership of Cultural Property; and at programs in Rhodos and in Spetses, Greece, she taught a course on Concepts of Law and Justice in Ancient Greek Literature.
Besides articles on Civil Law subjects, she has written on law and film and on the relationship of culture to law in the Indian Child Welfare Act.
Professor Carriere's CV
For media inquiries, email email@example.com


text:
VANCOUVER, BC - Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced today that the Vancouver nominee for the 2012 MLS W.O.R.K.S. Community MVP contest is Alan Bates, president of the Vancouver Street Soccer League and head coach of Portland FC, a team who participate in the street soccer league.
The Vancouver Street Soccer League uses soccer to inspire and empower the most vulnerable. The league is made up of teams that provide friendship for the homeless, physical fitness for the ill and addicted, direction for at-risk youth, and cultural focus for other unique communities such as inner-city First Nations people. The Vancouver Street Soccer League is associated with Street Soccer Canada and the Homeless World Cup.
"It's a great honour to be selected as the Vancouver nominee for the Community MVP program," said Alan. "Street soccer offers members of the homeless community a chance to be part of a team and belong to a community of athletes. This is why the Community MVP program is a great tie-in for the Vancouver Street Soccer League."
For Alan Bates, it's his love of the sport of soccer and Vancouver that make him want to continue to give back to the community.
"We are thrilled to have Alan Bates represent Vancouver in the 2012 MLS Community MVP contest," said Rachel Lewis, Whitecaps FC chief operating officer. "We encourage all of our fans to vote for Alan and help him win $10,000 for local charity. We are proud to support Alan's quest to be the MLS Community MVP."
The Community MVP contest runs until Friday, July 13 at 2 p.m. PT. The winner will win the grand prize of $10,000 to their local charity, as well as a trip to the 2012 MLS All-Star game at PPL Park in Philadelphia.
You can vote for Alan online on the MLS W.O.R.K.S website at mlssoccer.com/mlsworks/community-mvp/vote. You can vote as many times as you want. Help Alan win this contest by voting today, and throughout the duration of the contest.


text:
Welcome to OrthodoxWiki!
Hello, Welcome, and welcome to OrthodoxWiki!
Thank you for your contributions. I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Please note that OrthodoxWiki is always in development, so not everything works quite right yet. You can help, though!
OrthodoxWiki is a community-edited encyclopedia of Orthodox Christianity. Articles are created and edited by our members, and so everything that we do here is subject to review and revision. The result is a true consensus product, with every interested editor contributing his own knowledge and writing skills. As such, when you feel that criticism of an article is warranted, we encourage you to join in and fix it! Don't worry about breaking anything or doing something wrong - the other editors here are happy to jump in and help you learn.
|For newcomers
|For editors
|Important notes
| About OrthodoxWiki
User guidelines
Community Portal
User list
Admin list
OrthodoxWiki News
| Help files
How to edit a page
How to create a new page
How to write a great article
Copyright policy
Image licenses
Style Manual
| PLEASE read carefully the section of the Style Manual titled OrthodoxWiki:Style Manual (Point of View).
Also please note that other editors will assume that you have read the Style Manual (our official editing guidelines) and will edit your articles accordingly. If you're wondering why an edit was reverted, an article renamed, or any other unexpected changes were made by another editor, check here.
Please also take a few moments to edit your user page by clicking on your name here, so that we can know a bit about you: User:Welcome. Feel free also to add your picture to the OrthodoxWiki:User gallery.
Your user page can also be reached by holding down the Alt key and pressing . (the period or dot) or by clicking above on your username. You can also use that page to include links you find helpful for your work here on OrthodoxWiki.
By the way, you can sign your name on Talk and other discussion pages using three tildes, like this: ~~~. Four tildes (~~~~) produces your name and the current date. Please sign your comments on Talk pages, so everyone will easily be able to see who left them.
If you have any questions, see the help pages, add a question to the Questions page, or ask me on my Talk page.
We hope you enjoy editing here and being a part of our community!


text:
La Terrazza del Subasio B&B
Nature and tradition, comfort and relax, environment and history are the most important ingredients for a special holiday at La Terrazza del Subasio. Our family-run Bed&Breakfast is situated in the green natural park of Assisi, in Costa di Trex, a small village surrounded by gentle Umbrian hills, just 3 miles from Assisi and 1900 feet above sea level. It is composed of rooms and apartments with every comfort, obtained from the restoration of an old country stone house dating back to the 18th century and refurbished according to the local traditional style. Big rooms, kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms are appointed with taste and have traditional but simple furniture: all this makes La Terrazza del Subasio a real, typical farmhouse of the ancient Umbrian tradition. All the rooms are named after evocative parts of the Monte Subasio: Gli Stazzi, La Maddalena, La Spella.
In our big garden you will find flowers, plants, a typical country scent and you will enjoy a great view on the surrounding hills and the Appennine Mountains. There is a lovely well-equipped terrace with view (that is why our bed&breakfast is named La Terrazza del Subasio, where our guests can relax and enjoy one of the best spots of Umbria, The Green heart of Italy.
During your stay at La Terrazza del Subasio you can go on escorted tours on foot through the woods and pinewoods, you can enjoy trekking or riding a mountain bike along the numerous paths recommended by the Italian Alpine Club (C.A.I.) and discover all the beauties and some interesting historic places of the Monte Subasio.
Marisas cuisine is one of the highlights of our bed & breakfast. Our guests can taste her specialities, in particular sweet and salty cakes. with her food, every day breakfast becomes a special event!
Please note that our rooms are actually similar to mini-apartments and kitchen is provided. The guests have every thing to cook, for lunch and dinner. The quad are composed by two double rooms, private bathroom and dining room. The flats are very larges and comfortables.
Transfer from S.Egidio Airport possible on request. Contact property directly or for the taxi-service call (Massimo)
Payment: Cash only, on arrival.
Please advise about arrival time.
Check-out: before 11:00am.
Cancellation policy: 72hrs
Availability & RatesTo view availability and prices please select dates and click 'Update Dates'
B&B Facilities & Policies
- Free Breakfast
- Cable TV
- Free City Maps
- Free Internet Access
- Free WiFi
- Hair Dryers
- Internet Access
- Self-Catering Facilities
- Laundry Facilities
- Outdoor Terrace
- Parking
- Tea & Coffee Making Facilities
Cancellation PolicyThis property has a 3 day cancellation policy. Failure to cancel within this time will result in a cancellation charge equal to the first night of your stay.
DirectionsShow MapHide Map
How to get to Assisi:
Motorway A1 del Sole Florence-Rome
For those arriving from the North exits at: Valdichiana, Chiusi/Chianciano.
For those arriving from the South exits at: Orte, Attigliano, Orvieto, Fabro.
Motorway A14 Adriatic
For those arriving from the North exits at. Rimini (follow signs for Citt di Castello) Fano (follow signs for Gubbio).
For those arriving from the South exits at: Ancona Nord (follow signs for Gubbio); Pescara (follow signs for Terni via LAquila-Rieti); Civitanova Marche (follow signs for Foligno-Perugia).
Dual carriage-way E45 Cesena-Orte
Crosses Umbria from top to bottom
For those arriving from the North: lines:
Florence-Terentola-Passignano sul Trasimeno-Perugia-Assisi- Spello- Foligno- Spoleto-Terni-Orte-Rome;
For those arriving from the South, lines:
For those arrivino from the Adriatic, lines:
Ancona-Fossato di Vico/Gubbio-Foligno-Spoleto-Terni;
Ancona-Fossato di Vico/Gubbio-Foligno-Assisi-Perugia.
Umbria SantEgidio Regionale Airoport
12 km from Perugia tel. 075/592141
Tickets: Tel.: 075/5921433 Fax: 075/6929562.
Raffaello Sanzio Airport Falconara (Ancona)
155 km from Perugia and 175km from Terni
Tel.: 071/28271 Fax: 071/2070096.
Amerigo Vespucci Airoport Peretola (Firenze)
160 km from Perugia and 235 km from Terni
Tel.: 055/373498 Fax: 055/315874
Leonardo da Vinci International Airoport Fiumicino (Rome)
210 km from Perugia and 120 from Terni
Tel. 06/65951 Fax: 06/65953646
Flights informations: Tel.: 06/65953640 06/65955238
Connections to and from Perugia by coach: Acap-Sulga line (Tel. 075/5009641- Fax: 075/5053733).
Transfer from S.Egidio Airport possible on request.


text:
Warning: I am able to write to the configuration file: /home/asiahome/public_html/includes/configure.php. This is a potential security risk - please set the right user permissions on this file (read-only, CHMOD 644 or 444 are typical). You may need to use your webhost control panel/file-manager to change the permissions effectively. Contact your webhost for assistance. See this FAQ
- Important Links
- How To Order
- Yahoo
Copyright © 2018 Asia Home CDs Entertainment. Powered by Zen Cart


text:
'Fast food init' is a term used by mainly men in the UK to describe the food being eaten at the time. Often used by teenagers who have low self esteem and poor self-confidence.
"what you got there mate?"
"fast food init"
"fast food init"
by Knowledge Communicator March 14, 2010
buy the domain for your diy blog


text:
Who We've Got: Dancers
- Order artists by:
- Newest
- |
- Name
- |
- Height
- |
- Age
Quick Search
Casting List
If you are casting a large job you can create a 'Casting List' of artists you are interested in. Simply click the symbol below an artist or visit their portfolio page and click 'Add to casting list'.
Once you have a collection of artists you are happy with you can create an Online Casting Package which can be viewed by collegues and amended at any time. You will also be able to download your selction as a printable PDF to help your casting process.
©2013 Atmosphere Entertainment Ltd | Disclaimers | Artist Login | Sitemap
Email: email@example.com Tel: +44 (0)203 664 6325
Website design and development by Ember Interactive, Bristol


text:
Welcome from the Dean
Welcome to the ACTS (Association of Chicago Theological Schools) Doctor of Ministry in Preaching Program. This program offers preaching practitioners the opportunity to use their homiletical gifts to advance the work of ministry to which they have been called. Through academic study and praxis in your ministry setting, you will hone your preaching skills and most importantly advance the church's mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ and kingdom building in the world.
Come and join us in an exciting adventure in preaching the gospel. We welcome you!
Dean Gennifer Brooks
Journey of the Preacher
Effectiveness in preaching necessitates openness to the Holy Spirit, imagination, creativity, and embodiment of the good news of Jesus Christ. The power and authority to proclaim the Word of God calls for engagement of mind and spirit, and a healthy dose of divine grace in the life and work of the preacher. Growth in preaching results from the preacher's willingness to be fully engaged in all aspects of the sermonic task. The ACTS DMin in Preaching Program is designed to honor these dynamics and to help you become the preacher God is calling you to be in the context of your ministry.
Learn how this program can be a part of your journey as a preacher »


text:
Scott wrote this morning about claims that Iran's incoming president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was one of the terrorists who took Americans hostage at the American embassy in Tehran in 1979. The administration has now taken note of those allegations and is investigating. President Bush expressed concern about Ahmadinejad's apparent history as a hostage-taker.
It is not so interesting to me, or especially surprising, that Ahmadinejad may have played a role in the events of 1970-1980. After all, it is a safe bet that a number of the Mad Mullahs who hold real power in Iran cut their teeth on the hostage crisis. What is more interesting, I think, is the Iranians' reaction to the charges against Ahmadinejad. Ahmadinejad himself has denied involvement in the episode, and claims that he argued against it becaue he "was more concerned with putting down leftists and communists at universities than striking at Americans." The new president's denial was supported by some of his current associates. Those who question America's power and stature in the world should ask themselves why, even in theocratic Iran, extremists do not want to associate themselves publicly with one of America's worst defeats of the 20th century.
One more comment: Consider this sentence, authored by the Associated Press:
Ahmadinejad has been the ultraconservative mayor of Tehran and, according to his associates, was a member of the radical student group that planned the embassy takeover in 1979.
Historically, if one said that a man had been a "radical" in his youth, but is now an "ultraconservative," the implication would be that he had changed his views. (Dostoevski comes to mind as an example of this phenomenon; some would say that Deacon and I qualify too.) But here, the AP isn't suggesting that Ahmadinejad has changed his stripes. Nor has he. His opinions today are the same as they were in 1979. In the AP's lexicon, "radical" and "ultraconservative" now mean the same thing–a level of incoherence that may be unprecedented in political discourse.
Of course, in the parallel universe of the mainstream media, "liberal" and "moderate" now mean the same thing, too.


text:
PIQUÉ SHIRT WITH STAND-UP COLLAR Details
Colour: White
1. Choose a colour
Other colours
Slim fit piqué shirt with a stand-up collar, short turn-up sleeves and a button-up front.
Care for fiber: ecologically grown cotton.
Ecologically grown cotton is produced using practices that help us to protect biodiversity, such as crop rotation and the use of natural fertilisers.
HEIGHT OF MODEL: 189 cm. SIZE L


text:
Reporting might not be the sexiest DBA task, but it's essential for every company and every department that stores information in a database. Many people use front-end tools such as Microsoft Excel and Access to get reports from SQL Server and other databases. Microsoft also offers development tools that you can use to build your own reports. But strangely, Redmond has stayed out of the reporting space, ceding this lucrative market to a variety of third-party vendors—until now.
By the end of the year, Microsoft will roll out a new SQL Server product called Reporting Services that will let you manage the entire reporting life cycle, from authoring, to management, to delivery. The company says it developed Reporting Services in response to customers who've been asking for a reporting platform that is built on the Microsoft .NET Framework, integrates well with other Microsoft applications, works great with SQL Server and other database systems, and can be extended by third-party developers. Like many Microsoft offerings, Reporting Services—formerly code-named Rosetta and originally expected as part of the Yukon release of SQL Server—is designed as a platform play. Microsoft wants to own the core reporting platform while leaving enough gaps in the offering to encourage a rich vendor add-on and partner market, as we've seen develop in the larger SQL Server space and in the Analysis Services OLAP arena. Let's look at the three core areas of the reporting life cycle and see how Reporting Services fits in.
Report authoring. Reporting Services will provide a WYSIWYG designer for defining a report's layout. You'll also be able to lay out data in a variety of formats and create powerful banded reports that incorporate tabular and visual representations of data on the same printed page or online display.
However, Reporting Services' authoring capabilities run much deeper because Microsoft is publishing the XML-based Report Definition Language (RDL) that the product uses under the covers. With RDL exposed, Reporting Services becomes a genuine server platform that corporate IT shops and commercial software vendors can develop against. For example, vendors could create visual authoring environments for end users, who would then be able to create custom reports and integrate their existing reporting products with Reporting Services. Such add-ons, in fact, will be welcome because Microsoft's initial authoring support seems tailored more for developers and IT professionals than for end users.
Reporting Services will also let you easily create heterogeneous reports based on multiple data sources, including relational, flat file, and OLAP. Today, most people use manual processes of some sort to build their multisource reports. For example, you might paste data from multiple sources into an Excel spreadsheet before doing further pivoting or analysis on the integrated data sets. Of course, reporting products from such companies as Business Objects, Cognos, and Crystal Decisions make reporting from heterogeneous data sources easier, but these products are invariably expensive and lock users into a particular reporting platform paradigm. This is where RDL's openness becomes so important: You'll be able to easily extend the core Reporting Services' platform by using third-party tools or homegrown development efforts.
Report management. Report management encompasses scalability, security, and scheduling of reports. Microsoft implemented Reporting Services as a Win32 service that will allow multithreaded processing of complex reports that pull data from multiple data sources in parallel. This approach provides much better response time and throughput for complex reports than querying heterogeneous sources serially.
In addition, Microsoft built Reporting Services to be stateless with respect to user connections asking for reports. This statelessness will let you create a scalable Web farm of report servers that can service thousands or perhaps tens of thousands of connected users. IT architects will be able to deploy one logical image of a Reporting Services solution that could comprise multiple physical machines. Consider large telecommunications or utility companies that want to provide sophisticated reporting solutions to customers and deliver those reports through email or Web phones to home PCs. These companies might have more than tens of thousands of customers who all want to look at their monthly bill at the same time. Scalable reporting farms suddenly become an important architectural feature.
You'll be able to achieve additional scalability through Reporting Services' ability to provide on-demand reports that are either live or cached. A live report queries the underlying data source in realtime to retrieve data, whereas a cached report maintains a cached version of the report's data set for a defined period of time. Suppose that five users all want to run an expensive report. With cached versions of the report, your system could generate the data set once, then reuse that data set for the other four users requesting the same data. You could also use Reporting Services' scheduling capabilities to run the report every Monday at 8 a.m., then all users could simply grab the cached copy.
Reporting Services' reliance on XML and .NET-based data technologies provides a flexible architecture, creating the foundation for another interesting Reporting Services feature: letting one report "piggyback" on another. For example, the Show Yearly Sales report contains annual sales data, but you might want to have another report that lists quarterly sales. With Reporting Services, you could use the data set output of the yearly report as the data set input for the quarterly report. And role- and user-based permissions let you horizontally and vertically partition the data in a report so that multiple people can use the same report and see only the data they're supposed to.
Report delivery. With Reporting Services, you'll be able to define a report independent of how you want to render it. Reporting Services lets you easily create a single report that you can deploy in almost any format (including PDF, TIFF, HTML, and data formats such as XML or CSV) for almost any device.
Existing reporting solutions support a pull model, in which the report consumer initiates the process of running the report. However, you can also deliver Reporting Services reports through a push model, in which an administrator initiates a report or a specified event triggers the report.
You can build static reports, or you can build interactive reports that let users drill down into the data or re-sort it, even if the report is disconnected from the original data source. Reporting Services' interactive features use standard Web-based technologies such as HTML, HTTP, and SOAP protocols that you'd typically use to develop Web applications. In fact, the Reporting Services demos I've seen blur the line between traditional reporting functions and application development. For example, how many applications have you seen in which the Web page is simply a container for showing tabular or graphical data of some type? Reporting Services can easily become a development environment for applications that need to display data in tabular and visual formats.
Filling a need. More than one excited reader contacted me about how to get into the Reporting Services beta program after I wrote about the new product in SQL Server Magazine UPDATE ("Reporting Services Quietly Develops," May 8, 2003, InstantDoc ID 38983). And 89 percent of the 333 people who responded to an Instant Poll in that issue of UPDATE said they were interested in the new product, as Figure 1 shows. (You can apply for the public beta, expected in August, at http://www.microsoft.com/sql/evaluation/betanominations.asp.)
Daniel Reber of Datamasters, Inc., a Pennsylvania company that designs, develops, implements, and supports healthcare software, said that Datamasters is looking at Reporting Services to enhance its current report-delivery system. "We believe that a reporting solution tightly integrated with SQL Server could lead to major performance gains for our report-delivery system," he explained. "Depending on the sophistication of the event-based \[push\] delivery, we may also replace our current alert functionality. Because we're planning to integrate with SharePoint in the near future, Reporting Services could give us a big head start."
Every SQL Server shop will need to reevaluate its current reporting strategies to see whether the Reporting Services tool suite will provide more functionality for less money than existing third-party tools.
Many organizations that are looking for a managed reporting solution might choose Reporting Services even if their underlying data isn't stored in SQL Server (although you'll need a SQL Server 2000 license to use Reporting Services). This scenario has been common in the extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) and OLAP spaces, where SQL Server's Data Transformation Services (DTS) and Analysis Services have become important offerings in their own right, apart from SQL Server.
Reporting Services' rich features across the entire reporting life cycle, coupled with the aggressive pricing that Microsoft is sure to set, will create an offering that could profoundly affect the way corporate and noncorporate individuals receive the reports they use daily. (As of press time, Microsoft hadn't released pricing or packaging details; for the latest Reporting Services information, see http://www.microsoft.com/sql/evaluation/bi/reportingservices.asp.) With the launch of Reporting Services, SQL Server will become the only major relational database management system (RDBMS) to include a rich, managed reporting environment as a core part of the platform. Even if you don't like or use Microsoft database technology, you'll eventually benefit from the release of Reporting Services as Oracle and IBM are forced to follow suit and give their customers the value of integrated reporting capabilities.


text:
Roofing North Jubilee
Your local North Jubilee BC roofer
Our roofing North Jubilee company specializes in high quality work that you can trust. We are a local North Jubilee company, that has years of construction experience and offers one of the highest quality roofs available on the market today and our roofers are some of the best in the roofing business.
Living in North Jubilee, your home endures a lot of rain and dampness, especially in the winter months. Receiving some of the heaviest rainfall in Canada, your roof must be able to endure months worth of pressure.
We specialize in protecting you and your family from natures elements. Most of our staff grew up in or around North Jubilee and they know how nasty winters can be, and they are here to guarantee your protection with a high quality roof over your head.
North Jubilee Roofing Contractors
Can you imagine never having to repair or replace your roof again?
Think about the savings you will have to spend on other aspects of your home. This is completely possible with a permanent metal roof. Metal roofs last up to 100 years and are an environmentally friendly solution perfect for British Columbia.
They do not require inspections or maintenance because they simply do not have the issues that come with other roof types. They do not grow mould, moss, nor are they subject to decay which again makes them perfect for West Coast North Jubilee weather. They are sustainable in almost any weather condition and they are fireproof.
Cost Saving Roof
With the added advantage of lowering your power bill, a metal roof can actually help you lower your energy costs by up to 30%. Energy star gives the "cool roof rating." Permanent metal roofs even help you to go green by being 100% recyclable. This is a huge chance to lower the amount of roofing going into landfills which can be as much as 30 million pounds a year.
Great Looking Roof
The curb appeal on a metal roof can be just as good as or even better than other roof types. They have come a long way from the tin roof look that is associated with metal roofs. They can be given the look of asphalt or slate. Your home can be the envy of all your neighbours.
Add torch on repair for your flat roof and increase the durability and strength of your permanent metal roof. This is just the beginning of all the great things that come along with a metal roof.


text:
To Gelt or not to Gelt? There is no question!
Since 2003 ChocolateGelt.com is the source
to buy chocolate gelt, dreidels and other Chanukah
supplies year-round. Don't miss these great bulk deals! Click Here>>
Dear customers, we are just sharing what you've said!
Dear Sirs,
Thanks again for the good service that I got. All came just fine, and again, thanks for the chocolate.
Thanks for having such a short feedback!
Website Rating = AverageOnline...
- Wholesale
- Contact/FAQ - Site
Map - Testimonials


text:
NEW YORK (AP) — Stock futures edged lower Thursday following an extraordinary streak for U.S. markets this week.
Dow futures slipped 25 points to 15,037. The broader S&P futures fell 3.9 points to 1,624.80. Nasdaq futures fell 11.25 points to 2,950.50.
U.S. unemployment aid applications fell to 323,000, lowest in more than 5 years, the Labor Department said Thursday. The less-volatile four-week average fell to 336,750, a level not seen since November 2007, before the recession began.
Corporate strength is also leading to renewed confidence in U.S. equities in recent weeks.
Mortgage giant Fannie Mae earned a record $58.7 billion in its first quarter, the company said Thursday.
Tesla Motors posted its first quarterly profit after the market closed Wednesday, and shares soared more than 13 percent in premarket trading Thursday. Shares of Groupon jumped after it did better than Wall Street had expected.
The government on Thursday also releases its March wholesale inventory report and economists expect that surging sales bumped up wholesale inventory levels.
Retailers are also reporting sales numbers for April.
Better corporate and economic data have sent U.S. markets to new heights. The Dow closed above 15,000 for the first time Tuesday and then again on Wednesday.


text:
People affected by cancer may face challenges related to work. Macmillan can offer information and support.
Find information, articles and activities relevant to you.
If you're struggling to find what you need, call our Support line on 0808 808 0000 (Monday to Friday, 9am-8pm)More ways to contact us
Whether you're an employee, caring for someone with cancer while working or self-employed, there are laws in place to support you.
Find out about how cancer can affect your work.
Find out about how cancer can affect your work.
People affected by cancer may face challenges related to work. Macmillan can offer information and support.
Talking to your employer can help them support you. You may also be wondering what to say to colleagues.
When you're self-employed, you may have particular questions about treatment decisions and how they could impact on your work.
Cancer treatment can cause different side effects. They can affect your ability to work.
Deciding whether to work during cancer treatment can be very difficult. It depends very much on individual circumstances.
Order booklets and audiobooks with advice about finances. Or if you're coping with cancer at work then our toolkit has the information you need.
The type of treatment you might be offered depends on the type of cancer and your situation. Find out what to expect from treatment, possible side effects and what can help you cope.
The Government is proposing to cut £125 a month for some people receiving Employment and Support Allowance. Agree this is unfair? Support our new campaign.
What's happening near you? Find out about support groups, where to get information and how to get involved with Macmillan where you are.
Read Aoife's post about the rights of people affected by cancer in the work place. She explains how the law can help job applicants, employees and the self-employed.
Share experiences and advice on practical issues when living with cancer, such as money, work, benefits, transport, food and drink, organising support at home, or getting specialist equipment.
We rely on a number of sources to gather evidence for our information. If you'd like further information on the sources we use, please feel free to contact us on: firstname.lastname@example.com
All our information is reviewed by cancer or other relevant professionals to ensure that it's accurate and reflects the best evidence available. We thank all those people who have provided expert review for the information on this page.
Our information is also reviewed by people affected by cancer to ensure it is as relevant and accessible as possible. Thank you to all those people who reviewed what you're reading and have helped our information to develop.
You could help us too when you join our Cancer Voices Network – find out more at: http://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancervoices
Need to talk? Call us free* 0808 808 00 00 Monday to Friday, 9am-8pm
© Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604). Also operating in Northern Ireland. A company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales company number 2400969. Isle of Man company number 4694F. Registered office: 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7UQ. VAT no: 668265007
We make every effort to ensure that the information we provide is accurate and up-to-date but it should not be relied upon as a substitute for specialist professional advice tailored to your situation. So far as is permitted by law, Macmillan does not accept liability in relation to the use of any information contained in this publication or third party information or websites included or referred to in it.


text:
|Event Category
|Event Type
|Trail Ride
Signposted from SH2 at Kopuku Road. Event at Schumaker Road at the Honda Motorcycle Park
|Ph: 027 445 4429
The famous HONDA Hamilton Twilight - Adults Only Trail Rides are now scheduled and raring to go.
With Daylight Saving and Forestry Operational requirements: All rides now start at 2 pm
Remember your first GOURMET BURGER AND DRINK are included in the $40 entry fee so make a meal of it.
Don't forget to check this site or ring 027 4454429 before travelling to Maramarua on a week day as Forest Operations during the week may in exceptional circumstances, meaning we cannot go into the forest. You have been warned!


text:
xiei22 wrote:unbelieveble difficult in choosing here!!!
volumex wrote:Star Wars?
volumex wrote:Star Wars?
volumex wrote:Star Wars?
volumex wrote:Just bring my comment up to speed, Which one would best fit into the Star Wars Universe and would survive the battle...
That said, only one can advance! Good Luck to you both, this is a tough call......mmm. Will leave this for another day and think about it.
onions wrote:volumex wrote:Star Wars?
i'm not sure what you mean here either. there was nothing in the rules that said the ship had to look like "star warsy".
VHPFAU wrote:...its like you make a contest for the design of a beach house, and i deliver you the most perfect and beautifully designed mountain lodge...
zhouston wrote:VHPFAU wrote:...its like you make a contest for the design of a beach house, and i deliver you the most perfect and beautifully designed mountain lodge...
I actually live in the mountains and I think my house would hold up fairly well on the beach
volumex wrote:Star Wars?
Fat Tony wrote:Congrats Legohaulic, I knew the Avid Steele was trouble the moment I saw it Best of luck to you in the next round, I'll be cheering for you.volumex wrote:Star Wars?
My entry last year couldn't have been more "Star Wars" and it didn't make it as far as this year's entry: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=4560
Besides, it's a big galaxy, full of infinite possibilities.
Legohaulic wrote:I knew this would be close. I just hate seeing the S'iv not making it to at least the final 3. Tony, you ship was my favorite in the contest. I'm glad I'm moving on, but I really hate seeing you get knocked out.
Return to Contests & Community Builds
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests


text:
Motorola Xoom on-contract price and starting data plan revealed
February 22, 2011 | by Michael Heller
There had been rumors going around that the Motorola Xoom would be $599 on a two-year contract and they have been confirmed. So, this means your options for the Xoom are $799 off-contract, and $599 on-contract for the 3G/4G model, and ~$600 for the fabled WiFi only model, which has yet to have a release date announced.
The price on the 3G model will include a free upgrade to 4G in Q2 of this year, but no firm date has been set. There will supposedly be more information on the 4G upgrade starting on the 24th on a special website Motorola has set up.
The press release also says that the starting data plan on 3G will be $20/month for 1 GB of data. No other tiers have been announced, and this is specifically stated as "3G data service", so you can expect that the 4G plans will be even more expensive. Although the data plan pricing hasn't fully been revealed, I wouldn't be surprised to see it match the tiers set up on the Cr-48 Chrome OS tablet, which are:
- 1GB $20 per month
- 3GB $35 per month
- 5 GB $50 per month
It will be interesting to see if they also include the $10 unlimited day pass that is offered on the Cr-48.
contract, data plans, motorola xoom, pricing, tablet, verizon
YAY! This is good news...I think. It's a little less painful this way.


text:
Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is examining the sale of products and services that offer faster access to data and richer information on trades than what's typically available to the public, according to the person. Wall Street banks and rapid-fire trading firms pay thousands of dollars a month for these services from firms including Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. and IntercontinentalExchange Group Inc.'s New York Stock Exchange.
The attorney general's staff has discussed his concerns with executives of Nasdaq and NYSE and requested more information, said the person, who asked not to be named because the inquiry hasn't been announced. Schneiderman's office is also looking into private trading venues, known as dark pools, and the strategies deployed by the high-speed traders themselves.
"This new breed of predatory behavior gives a small segment of the industry an enormous advantage over all other competitors and allows them to use new technologies to reap huge profits based on very, very minor, but nonetheless unfair, advantages," Schneiderman said today at New York Law School during a speech in which he described his concerns with trading. He said he looked forward to working with other regulators on the issue, while saying his office would keep looking for "unseemly" practices.
Disrupting Strategy
The investigation threatens to disrupt a model that market regulators have openly permitted for years as high-speed trading and concerns about its influence have grown. Trading firms pay to place their systems in the same data centers as the exchanges, a practice known as co-location that lets them directly plug in their companies' servers and shave millionths of a second off transactions. They also purchase proprietary data feeds, which are faster and more detailed than the stock- trading information available on the public ticker.
"We publicly file with the SEC for each and every one of these services, and we're always engaged with government officials around the world," Robert Madden, a spokesman for New York-based Nasdaq, said in a phone interview, referring to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He and Eric Ryan, a spokesman for NYSE, declined to comment on Schneiderman's investigation.
Nasdaq Falls
Shares of Nasdaq today dropped as much as 4 percent, its biggest intraday drop since an Aug. 22 technical malfunction at the exchange forced it to temporarily halt trading for thousands of companies. ICE, which purchased the New York Stock Exchange in November when it acquired NYSE Euronext, fell as much as 1.3 percent today and was down 0.7 percent as of 10:43 a.m. New York time.
Dark pools, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc.'s Sigma X and Credit Suisse Group AG's Crossfinder, operate without the same regulatory oversight as the public exchanges and disclose little about their trading or the participants. Bloomberg News parent Bloomberg LP owns a stake in Bids Trading LP, which operates a dark pool. Michael DuVally, a spokesman for New York- based Goldman Sachs, declined to comment, as did Drew Benson, a spokesman for Zurich-based Credit Suisse.
"My office is going to continue to shine a light on unseemly practices" in high-speed trading, Schneiderman said during his speech in New York today. "I look forward to joining with other regulators and my colleagues in government in taking real, concrete steps to deal with this problem. We've had some inquiries and ideas floated by the SEC" and U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, "but it's time for us all collectively to step up to this challenge."
Flash Crash
Special services have helped fuel high-frequency trading, in which computer programs execute orders in a fraction of a second and take advantage of fleeting discrepancies in security prices across trading venues. High-frequency activity represented more than half of all U.S. stock trading in 2012, according to Rosenblatt Securities Inc.
Critics including some regulators and market participants say that such trading, which captured the spotlight in the May 2010 flash crash in U.S. equities, serves little purpose, may distort the market and may leave retail investors at a disadvantage.
Human Eye
Computer-driven trades can be executed in about 300 microseconds, according to one study. At that speed more than 1,000 trades can be made in the blink of a human eye, which lasts 400 milliseconds. At their peak, algorithms shot out about 323,000 stock-trading messages each second in the U.S. last year, compared with fewer than 50,000 for the busiest period in 2007, according to data compiled by the Financial Information Forum.
Andrew Brooks, head of U.S. equity trading at Baltimore, Maryland-based T. Rowe Price Group Inc., told a Senate hearing in late 2012 that the quest for speed has threatened the market.
Proponents say that high-speed trading actually increases the availability of shares in the market and that interfering with such programs would lead to higher costs and be harmful to financial stability. Indeed, the rise of computers in stock trading has helped squeeze out specialists and market makers, who had long facilitated transactions.
The current market structure, which has led to more participants, has lowered the cost of trading for investors, said Peter Nabicht, a spokesman for Modern Markets Initiative, an industry group formed last year by firms including Quantlab Financial LLC, Hudson River Trading and Global Trading Systems.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


text:
Featured Job: Ultrasound Technologist – ECHO
Job Summary
Performs peripheral vascular and/or echocardiographic procedures at a technical level not requiring constant supervision. Uses independent judgment, ingenuity and initiative to perform state-of-the art diagnostic ultrasound procedures.
Minimum Knowledge, Skills, Experience Required
HS/GED required. Graduate of an AMA approved ultrasound program and ARDMS registered. BLS Required.
Previous Echo experience required. Ability to perform general diagnostic ultrasound procedures required.
Additional Skills/Abilities
Must possess excellent communication skills with the ability to work in a fast paced environment, requiring prioritizing and changing tasks frequently and quickly.
Click here for more information or to apply for this job.


text:
Mar 18, 2008 at 11:49 am
Very nice! I came so close to buying an Elise... I went to look at a car for a friend and ended up with a Z06 Corvette instead. The next week an Elise showed up used in the color and options I wanted with 500 miles for less than my Vette..... I was pissed.
Feb 16, 2007 at 10:48 am
Yo "Shagg", Cool ride man!!!!
Jan 27, 2007 at 3:20 am
Honestly I was always envious of KG and CO and was even considering a trade. AW was one of two on the lot and I fell in love.


text:
Technical Details
|Download driver for: SONY VGN-CS160J
|Supported System
|Windows 7, Windows 10, Windows XP, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2003
|File Size
|9773 kb
|VAIO Launcher Software for SONY VGN-CS160J
This utility installs the VAIO Launcher software for compatibilitywith the Microsoft® Windows® 7 operating system and providessupport for the Sony® function keys
Efficient Method to Update Sony Drivers
How to Update Drivers with Device Manager?
1. Click Start button and right-click on Computer.
2. Click Manage.
3. Click Device Manager in left pane.
4. In Device Manager window, expand categories and locate the hardware that you wish to update driver for. For instance, if you want to download a driver for Mouse of "SONY VGN-CS160J", find the related device. Then right-click on the device name and select Update Driver Software.
To download and update the driver for SONY VGN-CS160J yourself (If you are a geek)
It's best to let Windows install device drivers automatically. But if Windows can't find a driver for your SONY VGN-CS160J, you can look for a driver on the manufacturer's website of SONY. Driver updates are often available in the support section of such sites.
Once you find the updated driver, follow the installation instructions on the website. Most drivers are self-installing—after you download them, you usually double-click the file to begin the installation, and then the driver installs itself on your computer. But make sure your are downloading drivers from a safe website to avoid virus attack or registry corruption. Download a professional driver updater or find a geek to help you.
That error still there? Try DriverTuner
1. Download DriverTuner and install it
2. Scan your computer for outdated drivers. Select the ones(here you should select SONY VGN-CS160J) which need to be updated and click download. Or you can just check SELECT ALL.
3. When the download process is finished, click SETUP to install them. Voila! Your driver for SONY VGN-CS160J has been updated. Sometimes you need to reboot your computer to put the drivers into use.
|Fix Driver Problems
|Driver Update Tool
Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista and XP


text:
ASWG - Terms of Reference
- ASWG - Terms of Reference
- Objectives
- Membership
- Scope/ constraints
- Main Users/ Stakeholders
- Evaluative Research questions
- Available Knowledge
- Methodology & process
- Reporting
- Deliverables
- Success Criteria
- Assumptions
- Timelines and Key Milestones
- Governance
- Communications
2. Objectives
2.1. Develop a strategic plan for ICANN activities in Africa addressing the needs for presence in Africa, African participation and representation in ICANN.
2.2. Determine how best to reach out to governments, private sector, civil society, academia and others from Africa for increased participation of Africans in ICANN. Governments have a significant influence in Internet development in Africa.
2.3. Identify education and technology needs of the region that ICANN may be able to assist with.
2.4. Formulate an ICANN regionalization program to Africa and why, when and how to accomplish it.
2.5. Develop a clear 3 year strategy and a concrete plan for the first 12 months – with clearly stated objectives, timelines, roles/responsibilities, governance, and metrics by which we can measure success


text:
The Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer (TREC) Center at Washington University in St. Louis (TREC@WUSTL) brings together a broad base of nationally and internationally recognized investigators in their disciplinary focus areas to lead transdisciplinary research across the life course on cancer and obesity.
To accomplish this, the TREC@WUSTL:
The Washington University TREC Center is funded by the National Cancer Institute at NIH (U54 CA155496), Washington University, and the Siteman Cancer Center.
Interested in obesity, cancer and energetics? Get involved with TREC today! Email firstname.lastname@example.com
TREC Investigators and Staff: Access the secure TREC website here; click on the login tab


text:
"Enough is enough!" proclaimed Allied Grape Growers President Nat DiBuduo to the state's grape growers at Allied's 51st annual meeting recently in Fresno, Calif.
Grapevine planting must stop today throughout California, he said. There is an oversupply of many of the fighting varietals as well as generic San Joaquin Valley varietals and until demand meets supply, no more vines need to be planted.
Duran returned to the ring to fight again more than 30 times over a span of 20 years after that Leonard fight.
DiBuduo hopes it doesn't take two decades before the wine grape industry returns to profitability. It if does, grape growers will be as scarce as Duran in the ninth round on that night against Sugar Ray.
However, DiBuduo told growers that this down cycle for raisins and wine grapes may last longer than anyone could foresee tumbling into this financial abyss that "may be one of the toughest periods for raisin and wine grape growers that we have ever faced."
Scary numbers
Here are the numbers that sent DiBuduo to the ringside bell to stop the planting:
--There are more than 950,000 acres of grapes in the state with 100,000 acres (90,000 wine grapes) non-bearing in a market where some wine grapes will not find a home this year nor over the next five years.
--Only 20,000 acres of SJV wine grapes were pulled in 2001 while the bearing acreage reached 480,000, an increase of 22,000.
--This year another 15,000 to 20,000 acres likely came out in the valley, but the 33,000 additional acres planted in 1999 officially moved into the bearing acreage category. Next year 28,000 will come into production and 18,000 acres more in 2004.
--Allied wine grape sales for its 500 members tumbled from $40 million in 2000 to $34 million, a precipitous loss of 29 percent in one year.
San Joaquin Valley grape growers have stopped planting with a non-bearing acreage of less than 7 percent compared to a statewide non-bearing acreage of 18 percent for reds and 17 percent for whites. Central Coast non-bearing acreage is 27 percent while non-bearing acreage for Cabernet Sauvignon is 29 percent and Pinot Noir 34 percent in Napa and Sonoma counties.
So far the hardest hit area of the state is the San Joaquin Valley where districts 12, 13 and 14 account for 60 percent of the state's annual crush. DiBuduo said the central coast and other areas of the state are next in line to feel the downturn.
That may come this year or next since this year's statewide grape crop is projected to be a big one with raisin grapes up 38 percent over last year; wine grapes up 7.5 percent and table grapes, the only profitable element of the grape industry now, up 10 percent.
Litany of woes
DiBuduo undoubtedly felt like the cruise director on the Titanic as he extolled a litany of woes descending on the state's wine and raisin grape growers.
Putting on his first mate's uniform from the Good Ship Lollipop, DiBuduo said there are bright spots:
--Wine marketers are working hard to take wine into mainstream America with programs like, "Wine—What are you saving it for?"
--Inventory of wine grape concentrate, a key element in SJV grape crush is low and demand is good.
--California wine sales are up 4 percent for the first quarter of 2002.
--U.S. wine exports are up 2 percent with a 33 percent increase recorded for the United Kingdom. Bulk wine exports, a major part of SJV wine sales, was up 27 percent. Exports account for a bigger share of SJV production than in other wine grape growing regions of the state.
--California's top 15 premium wineries first quarter shipments were up 9 percent.
--Although 77 percent of wine purchased in food stores is $7 or less, sales of wine in the $7 to $14 per bottle range are up 14-189 percent.
DiBuduo and longtime friend and grape producers Carson Smith believe the way out of the San Joaquin Valley malaise is through increasing demand by producing better quality.
Smith is president of the fledgling Central California Winegrowers Association, a two-month-old organization that wants to change not only the perception of SJV grapes as being low quality but the reality as well.
Some of this can be done right away by adopting improved viticultural practices. Research can also foster better wine grapes.
Encourage growers
Smith and DiBuduo say valley wineries are encouraging their growers to irrigate and fertilizer less and prune more severely to improve quality.
The founding of new wineries and winery groups on the central valley is a step toward improving perception and quality of valley wine grapes and wine.
Growers, however, struggle with the notion that if they improve quality, wineries will be more inclined to pay higher prices, especially now when wineries are rejecting some grapes at any price.
Smith acknowledged that there is a financial risk in spending more money or changing cultural practices that will ultimately reduce tonnage and may not entice wineries.
Smith said waiting until wineries offer higher prices before changing cultural practices or replanting to more desirable varieties may be dead-end street.
"If we do not change now, we may not be around when prices turn around," he said.


text:
Sometimes a college coach doesn't simply work at an institution of higher learning. He becomes an institution himself. That's Boston University hockey coach Jack Parker, who formally announced Monday he's putting away the whistle at the end of the season.
In his 40th season as the bench boss on Commonwealth Avenue, Parker is that rare breed of coach who has become synonymous with and inseparable from his university, like Paul "Bear" Bryant (Alabama), John Wooden (UCLA), Dean Smith (North Carolina), or Mike Krzyzewski (Duke).
He is a coaching treasure who endured the tragic paralysis of Travis Roy with grace and continuing compassion as if it were his own son. He provided four of the players for the "Miracle on Ice" 1980 US Olympic team. He turned down the opportunity to coach the Bruins — twice — to stay at his alma mater.
Parker's contributions to BU can't be measured solely in wins (894 and counting), Beanpot titles (21), national championships (three), and NHL players (dozens) because his influence on the school transcends the dimensions of a hockey rink. Those who never laced up a single skate for BU, but have been associated with the university are the beneficiaries of Parker's legacy.
The transformation of BU can be traced to two driving forces. One is the late John Silber, the domineering former president and chancellor who ruled the school with an iron fist. The other is Jackie Parker, the kid from Somerville and Catholic Memorial who gave a diverse and divided campus a unifying force to rally behind on the ice.
Even if you're an academic whose idea of a power play is the French Revolution and you attended BU you still probably know who Parker is.
Save for one season he spent coaching at Medford High right out of college, Parker has spent nearly all of the last five decades as a player, assistant coach, or head coach at BU.
"It's time," said Parker, who celebrated his 68th birthday Monday. "I've been a coach here for 44 years. I was a player here before that. For 48 out of the last 49 years I've been reporting to duty for BU hockey, and that's enough."
It was fitting that Parker's announcement came inside Agganis Arena, the state-of-the-art ice palace that is The House that Jack Built.
Flanked by athletic director Mike Lynch and school president Dr. Robert A. Brown, Parker was charming and witty, playing to an audience packed with former players, including Olympic legend Mike Eruzione.
He held court as the King of BU athletics, even if his reign was coming to an end.
"Yeah, it will definitely be strange," said former Terrier Mike Grier. "You just always kind of assume he's going to be there. I got a 9-year-old son and in the back of mind it's always been like, 'Oh, it would be great for him to play for coach Parker.' Obviously, that's a long time away. You just kind of always think of him being here running the program. It will definitely be a change."
Parker is leaving the bench, but not BU. He's going to work as a fund-raising special adviser to Brown, and has a contract that goes through 2017-18.
The obvious question about Parker's retirement is whether this is his choice or someone else's? Is he walking away or being nudged out after the school dealt with two embarrassing episodes of alleged sexual misconduct by hockey players in a 10-week span last season, causing the university to do some serious soul-searching and an internal investigation.
Lynch was asked if Parker would be the coach next season if he had not decided to retire. "Oh, yeah, this was his decision," he said.
The task force BU established a year ago released its findings in September. The ice hockey inquisition declared that the team's "elevated social status" fostered a "culture of sexual entitlement" among some players. The top recommendation of the task force was to strip Parker of his title as executive director of athletics.
"People have asked whether this will tarnish my legacy here or will this be a bad thing for the university in the long run," said Parker. "The only way I can put it for you is that people have their opinions of what went on. Everybody is welcome to their opinions. The people that I'm most concerned about know what BU hockey is all about . . . We've incorporated the stuff that the task force has asked us to do. We were doing a lot of it already. I think our program is better for it. I know our program is better for it. I'm proud of the way my team handled it."
It's been a trying 40th season for Parker.
Two players left the team in the midst of the season, unhappy with their playing time. BU lost in the first round of the Beanpot to Northeastern during a slump in which the team went 3-8-2.
Freshman goalie Matt O'Connor was lost for the season earlier this month to a collapsed lung. The Terriers lost defenseman Garrett Noonan to a separated shoulder on Friday in a 4-2 win over Northeastern.
"You don't really coach for the outcome. You coach for the process," said Parker.
Only his players can delay Parker's retirement a little longer.
BU (18-15-2) is the third seed in the Hockey East tournament, facing off with Merrimack in the first game of a best-of-three series on Friday.
There were dalliances with Yale early in his career and Causeway Street later on. But Parker's heart — like all of his victories as a coach — remained at BU until the end.
"It's been a great ride, and I'll remember it all," said Parker.
Parker should be remembered as more than a hockey coach for BU, as a champion of the university.Christopher L. Gasper can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @cgasper.