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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — If colleges were automobiles, the University of Texas at Austin would be a Cadillac: a famous brand, a powerful engine of research and teaching, handsome in appearance. Even the price is comparable: Like one of the luxury car's models, in-state tuition for a four-year degree runs about $40,000.
But in an era of budget-cutting and soaring tuition, is there still a place for "Cadillacs" — elite, public research institutions like Texas, Michigan, California-Berkeley and Virginia that try to compete with the world's best? Or should the focus be on more affordable and efficient options, like the old Chevrolet Bel Air?
It's the central question in a pointed clash of cultures in higher education. And when Gene Powell — the former UT football player and San Antonio real estate developer who chairs the Texas board of regents — raised it with precisely that automotive comparison, reaction was swift and angry.
Convinced the state board was hell-bent on turning their beloved "university of the first class" required by the Texas constitution into a downmarket trade school, faculty, students and alumni have rallied behind campus president Bill Powers in protest.
Powell insists he wants UT-Austin to be great — but also accessible, and for students to have options. Republican Gov. Rick Perry and many of the reform-minded regents he's appointed have made clear they think UT's quest for global prestige has produced too much ivory-tower research, and too little focus on teaching and keeping college affordable for Texans.
In Perry's push for accountability and productivity, many here see something nefarious: a campaign, rooted in a longstanding anti-intellectual strain of Texas politics, to gut a university that shouldn't have to apologize for being "elite."
"I just don't understand why they want to dumb down a public institution of this magnitude," said Machree Gibson, chairman of the Texas Exes, UT's powerful and independent 99,000 member alumni society, which has pushed back.
With Perry due to appoint three new regents this month, the fight is set to flare up again. But the debate is bigger even than Texas.
Like-minded governors in Florida, Wisconsin and elsewhere are watching how Perry and his allies fare. Unusually, it's political conservatives who are the radical reformers, and their opponents the ones digging in to resist upending well-established institutions.
Along the way, career casualties are piling up. Over the last 18 months, presidents of 11 of the 35 leading public research universities have quit or been fired. That doesn't include the University of Virginia, where a reform-minded board fired President Teresa Sullivan, only to reinstate her two weeks later after a faculty revolt.
But Texas is "ground zero" in the national debate, said Hunter Rawlings, president of the Association of American Universities, which represents 62 top public and private research institutions. Among the combustible elements here: fanatical alumni, an ambitious governor with unique power over his state's universities, and an influential conservative think-tank — all situated within a few blocks of each other in downtown Austin.
Public research universities, with a mission of both teaching and research, date back 150 years. They produce 70 percent of scientists, engineers and physicians, and two-thirds of U.S. campus research — the value of which isn't always obvious in advance.
"During the Second World War, it was radar and atomic energy that came off of these campuses that saved us," said James Duderstadt, the former University of Michigan president who helped lead a recent National Research Council study of the sector. Before the war, those technologies "looked like the most abstract, frill research."
But lately these globally ambitious institutions have strained against the reins of what some call an anachronistic system of state control and funding. Duderstadt calls them "critically endangered." Another recent report, by the National Science Foundation, found state support for the 101 major public research universities fell 20 percent between 2002 and 2010.
Those institutions are "the backbone of this nation's knowledge economy," Duderstadt said. "If the states turn their back on them, they're committing a grievous act against the national interest."
UT-Austin, the flagship of the 216,000-student UT system, is among the biggest With more than 52,000 students, the university has 3,166 faculty, plus more than 10,000 professional staff. About 10,000 students also have jobs in labs, classrooms, libraries and elsewhere on campus. Recent discoveries range from lithium-ion batteries to the two largest black holes in the universe. It's also spun off hundreds companies and helped make Austin a tech hub, which in turn benefits the university. On Thursday, UT announced a $50 million gift to establish a medical school from the family foundation of Michael Dell and his wife. Dell dropped out of UT-Austin to start his namesake computer company in Austin.
Thirty years ago, Texas taxpayers funded more than half the university budget. This year, the state contributes about 13 percent, or $295 million.
In-state tuition at public research universities has increased 43 percent beyond inflation over the last decade, to more than $15,000. UT-Austin remains considerably less — around $10,000 per year.
Yet while state funding cuts have been devastating, Duderstadt says universities and their growing legions of well-paid administrators haven't always helped their cause with the public. "They're just totally deaf, dumb and blind on how the crazy things they do on campuses convince the American people that they don't have any ability to control costs," he said.
In Texas, an ascendant group of critics with Perry's ear thinks the flagship university has lost sight of a key mission: affordable and efficient undergraduate education.
"We've gone too far in the direction of research at the expense of our students," said Thomas Lindsay, director of the Center for Higher Education at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a think-tank with ties to several of Perry's regents. He cites a (much-disputed) study arguing the research of most UT-Austin faculty isn't top quality, and that reassigning some research-focused faculty to teach more could halve tuition. That, he says, could also decrease class sizes and boost completion rates.
In fact, most of UT-Austin's endeavors beyond basic teaching are supported by non-state sources — $700 million annually in outside research funding and $300 million in philanthropy.
Still, in spots on campus one could wonder if this isn't more car than Texas taxpayers need. The law school's faculty is highly regarded in academia — and very well paid. But could it use fewer theorists, and more practitioners? What about the seven museums, like The Harry Ransom Center, which has spent millions buying literary collections like Jack Kerouac's notebooks, and recently spent $30,000 to preserve dresses worn by Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind"?
Powell, the regents chairman, insists he supports UT-Austin's research mission and values its reputation.
But "we are a public institution that (is) paid for by the citizens of the state of Texas," Powell said. Texas has "a lot of students who cannot afford an institution that is a very high-priced, Ivy League-type institution."
In the broader debate, the two sides are separated by a common language — terms all agree are worthwhile in the abstract, but which carry associations that delineate a cultural divide.
Does "academic research" call first to mind tweedy professors expounding on poetry in journals nobody reads? Or scientists curing diseases and spinning off businesses?
Is "productivity" common-sense practices for cutting through academic inefficiency and lowering costs? Or code for replacing the nuanced work of nurturing young minds with crude, assembly-line widget-making?
In "affordability," some hear a self-evident, primary mission for any university. Others hear "cheap."
Affordability is a top Perry priority, and he's pushed Texas universities to offer a complete four-year degree for just $10,000 — about what UT-Austin currently charges per year.
Re-elected with strong Tea Party support to a third term in 2010, Perry has appointed all 60 regents of Texas' six public higher education systems, including UT and Texas A&M. He and his regents have encouraged Texas public universities to expand enrollment and online offerings.
But critics say they're destroying quality for quantity. Early alarm bells rang with a push from Perry's Texas A&M regents for business-like metrics for faculty productivity, reporting how much they "made" or "lost" for the university. Worries grew when the UT board briefly hired a consultant with ties to the Texas Public Policy Foundation who was openly skeptical of academic research's value.
So when Powell made his "Chevy Bel Air" comments, shortly after becoming chairman in February, 2011, the car metaphor struck a nerve.
The Texas Exes president e-mailed alumni warning "the mission and core values of our beloved University are under attack." A high-profile group of state business and political leaders called the Texas Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education was launched, roiled by a study from another conservative group arguing that UT-Austin could get by with one-third its current faculty if they taught more efficiently.
Last spring, a fight over tuition became a litmus test for competing visions of the university — and even higher education itself.
Perry let it be known that despite sharp state funding cuts, UT-Austin shouldn't ask to increase tuition the coming year. On campus, many saw the move as a first step toward imposing a $10,000 degree.
The feeling was a university offering a $10,000 degree couldn't be great. It couldn't be a Cadillac.
Powers breached protocol, requesting a 2.6 percent in-state increase anyway. The board turned him down.
"It was viewed as a personal attack on the campus," said Alan Friedman, a longtime faculty senate leader. More than a swipe at the faculty's job performance, he said, "it's that they don't like the job at all. It's a right-wing backlash against higher education, especially the notion that campuses like this one are controlled by liberals."
But the defeat was an Alamo moment — a tactical loss that galvanized supporters. Even students saw a tuition freeze as a threat to the prestige of their degrees. When reports surfaced the board wanted Powers out, a Facebook group called "I Stand With Bill Powers" surged past five-figure membership.
Then, the University of Virginia fiasco unfolded. Powers declined to comment, and Powell said he hadn't closely followed what happened there. But by every other account, events in Charlottesville were followed breathlessly in Austin. Virginian's Sullivan was a longtime UT professor and administrator, and widely admired.
If the board wanted Powers out, it reconsidered the PR ramifications. His job now appears safe, though many here still think UT-Austin's reputation remains threatened.
Many observers share Friedman's view that the debates over tuition and research are really about something broader.
"There seems to be a political move, and it's not just in Texas, away from the classical mission of the university — cultivation of the mind and pursuit of knowledge — to a concept of a public university as sort of a job corps or a trade school," said Peter Flawn, who came to Texas more than a half-century ago and was UT-Austin's president from 1979 to 1985, then again in 1997-98.
In an interview in his office in the geological sciences building, Flawn, now 86, recounted UT's efforts to build a world-class university in a state with little history of generously supporting education.
Far-thinking governors, like John Connally and Bill Clements, working with UT loyalists in the Texas legislature, grasped the potential of a great research university to diversify Texas away from a boom-and-bust commodities economy, Flawn said. Donors like Dallas investor Peter O'Donnell, who has given more than $135 million to the university, helped retain world-class researchers who would otherwise have been poached away.
"It takes a long time to build a first-class university," Flawn said. "You wonder, how long would it take to destroy one?"
Campus liberals aren't the only critics. Neither the Texas Exes nor the Texas Coalition lacks Republicans. O'Donnell, a state GOP stalwart, has publicly criticized Perry's higher education priorities. Republican former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who previously headed Texas A&M, seemed to do the same in a speech in November, calling the contention that research comes at the expense of teaching "a profound misunderstanding of how universities become great and stay great, and a profound misunderstanding of the higher education enterprise as a whole."
Southern Methodist University political scientist Calvin Jillson says UT grads of both parties occupy an "urban elite" who see UT-Austin's benefits in their communities. But Perry's base among Texas' rural residents sees more "value in a '3Rs' preparation for the job market."
Recent events follow a pattern of "anti-intellectual populism that has assaulted UT regularly over the school's history," Jillson said.
"Political authorities find the faculty and their research interests to be counter to the political culture of the state and therefore dangerous," he said. "The question is always: 'Is this what we're paying for with our tax money?'"
Gibson, the first black woman to head the Texas Exes alumni group, sees the dispute through the lens of a growing and diversifying Texas.
"There are a lot of alumni that are upset that their kids can't get in," she said. "They've been coming here for generations. But there are so many more people in the state of Texas now." She also sees a racial element, with some resenting the university's diversity efforts, notably its recent defense of racial preferences in admissions before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Lindsay, from the Texas Public Policy Foundation, says lower-income students get grants, and high-income kids can afford to pay. But "it's the middle class that's being squeezed." He adds, "none of us wants to compromise one bit" on UT's research mission. But he doesn't think making some faculty teach one extra class does so.
"To somehow say if we do that, we're somehow not going to discover a cure for cancer, I think they get a little hyperbolic about it," Lindsay said.
In an e-mailed statement, Josh Havens, the governor's spokesman, said Perry appreciates the value of research for the state economy and that "(f)alse claims that university research is under attack damage our schools and Texas as a whole."
Asked if Perry thought Powers was the right person for the job, he said that was up to the regents.
Regents chairman Powell passionately recounts his own upbringing in the disadvantaged Rio Grande Valley. He won't apologize for championing Texas students who could be priced out of the route to a better life that a UT education offers.
"We have a duty to be an elite institution," he said. "But we also have a duty to be accessible and affordable."
The Atlantic magazine recently named Powell one of 21 "Brave Thinkers of 2012" for taking on college costs.
But it was Powers, the UT-Austin president, whose name was floated in the Dallas Morning News for Texan of the Year.
In an interview in his library-like office, Powers speaks carefully, emphasizing how seriously he takes cost-cutting and efficiency. He rattles off recent money-saving reforms and undergraduate teaching initiatives.
But while "productivity" is important, it can't mean the same thing here as in a factory. A great university's "outputs" must include research, he said. As for cost, he wants to make a UT-Austin education "as affordable as we can, consistent with it being a high-quality education."
He and Powell clearly want to lower the temperature. Powell emphasized it would be up to UT-Austin whether to offer a $10,000 degree (three UT regional campuses have started such programs). Despite denying UT-Austin's tuition request, Powell says the board has directed other new resources there. Meanwhile, he and UT system Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa talked up a "Framework for Advancing Excellence" that the board and campuses agreed to in 2011 for cost-cutting and improving outcomes.
But asked if he agreed the framework showed everybody was now on the same page, Powers was laconic.
"We've complied and (are) following the framework," Powers said. "We're doing that stuff. That'd be my thought on it."
Meanwhile, Republican governors in Florida and Wisconsin have also pushed the $10,000 degree Perry first proposed (every Florida college offering a bachelor's degree now offers at least one such program).
Florida Gov. Rick Scott also has Florida faculty alarmed over a "job corps" approach to public universities, questioning whether the state should subsidize liberal arts degrees he contends often don't lead to jobs. This week, North Carolina's new governor, Republican Patrick McGrory, made similar points in announcing legislation to fund universities based on job placement (he was speaking to conservative talk show host William Bennett, who has a doctorate in philosophy from UT-Austin).
"It's clear that other governors are watching what Gov. Perry is doing," said Rawlings of the American Association of Universities, who calls such approaches "misbegotten."
"It seems just out of whack to ask the university to be something other than what it is," he said.
The most contentious word in this clash of campus cultures may be "elite" — and the different takes on it here are revealing.
Powers says he doesn't like the word. He prefers to see higher education as an ecosystem, with different institutions playing different parts, but a distinctive role for the likes of UT-Austin.
"Maybe it's an OK term," he later allowed, asked if UT-Austin should really shy away from calling itself elite. But he doesn't want to imply "other educational needs are somehow not important."
Powell says UT-Austin "absolutely" should aspire to be elite, "if by elite you mean providing an excellent education to all students at a reasonable cost."
"If you're talking about elite in the terms of, say, Harvard or Yale or Stanford, maybe that's different," he said.
Flawn, the emeritus president relieved of any duty to diplomacy, says the word is no cause for apology.
"Universities are by their very nature elite," he said. "Their job is to separate the sheep from the goats and the goat-sheep from the sheep-goats, and try to produce people who are knowledgeable and can reason, think and solve problems. As much as you would like everybody to be intellectually equal, they're not."
Texas Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education http://texaseducationexcellence.org/
Texas Public Policy Foundation http://www.texaspolicy.com/
Follow Justin Pope at http://www.twitter.com/JustinPopeAP


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By Pedro Moura | ESPNLosAngeles.com
LOS ANGELES -- When USC's Robert Woods and Dion Bailey were youngsters in Carson, Calif., their Pop Warner team was among the best in the state.
Then, one Saturday morning, they suffered a crushing loss to a team from Carlsbad, quarterbacked by an older prodigy named Tate Forcier. Bailey, now a sophomore linebacker for the Trojans, says he still remembers everything about it vividly today: the first touchdown they allowed, when he knew it was over, when he knew how badly he wanted to forget it and how hard he found he would work to do so.
"That," he says now, pausing for effect, "is the worst I've ever lost."
Bailey and Woods lost 28-6 to a team they never saw again. Take the margin of that loss and more than double it against your biggest rival, and that's about how badly UCLA lost to USC last Thanksgiving weekend: 50-0.
Bailey said he couldn't imagine facing his classmates after a loss of that magnitude.
"Here, at this school, with our tradition, if we lost 50-0, I probably wouldn't show up to school," Bailey said this week. "We didn't have any games after, we weren't bowl-eligible. That was our last game.
"I'd probably just show up for finals, keep my head down and avoid eye contact with everybody."
Of course, UCLA's players had to go to school the week after their devastating loss to USC last season. And they had to play in the conference championship game six days later, too -- against Oregon, the fifth-ranked team in the country.
Given all that, USC receiver Marqise Lee understands what has happened to the UCLA football team since that fateful night at the Coliseum.
"I'd change my mindset, too," Lee said. "Play harder. Play better. That's what they're doing."
UCLA safety Andrew Abbott, a Bruins captain and a former receiver of Matt Barkley's in high school at Mater Dei, said this week that the game was partially responsible for the drastic change he and his teammates made sometime in between December and September.
"It's something that kind of drove players individually," Abbott said. "The team remembers it, and we thought about it and it helped us in the offseason. But it wasn't something like we were like, 'We lost 50-0, let's go get extra work in.' We didn't do that."
Similarly, most USC players this week shied away from saying the Bruins are who they are today specifically because of how they were beaten last season, choosing instead to channel their coach and emphasize Jim Mora's hire as the most important part.
But a number of Trojans indicated they thought last year's loss was also part of it. And, maybe, part of why the Trojans are where they are, too.
"If that's the way UCLA wants to put it, that's the way I'll put it," USC cornerback Nickell Robey said. "I know as far as us, we came in feeling like the No. 1 team in the nation. That's the way things were. Last year, we were in full tilt. They caught us at the wrong time. The timing was great, for us.
"We created a perfect storm and they ran right into it."
Is it possible the Trojans were caught in the storm, too?
Consider this: If USC had won last year's rivalry matchup by a score of, say, 28-14, would the Trojans have opened up this season as the AP preseason No. 1?
It's uncertain. The UCLA rout was the final game USC played in 2011 and it led to a situation in which the Trojans kept improving in the public eye even while off the field over the next month. Then, when Matt Barkley and T.J. McDonald announced they were staying for their senior seasons, the Trojans' preseason fate was just about sealed.
When LSU's Tyrann Mathieu was dismissed from the Tigers' program in early August, it then vaulted USC to the preseason No. 1 ranking in the Associated Press poll.
With players admitting at various points this year that the corresponding hype proved difficult to live up to -- no matter how many times they ran by "prep not hype" painted on the practice field -- it's hard to not directly connect that with the unequivocal disappointment this season has been.
That doesn't mean USC simply wants to forget that the 50-0 victory ever happened. The nature of the win will stick with Trojans -- and Bruins -- fans for decades. But, in retrospect, it has proven to not be quite the harbinger for success most expected.
USC coach Lane Kiffin was noncommittal this week when asked if expectations were a little too high for his team this season based on how it finished the past one.
"Obviously, with the way we ended last season, with the Oregon win last year and the 50-0 and Matt and T.J. coming back, that created a lot of expectations," he said. "But that's gonna happen here. That's part of being here, we understand that.
"It's part of SC, it's part of L.A. And you just gotta deal with it."
But, one day earlier, Kiffin said everything that happened last season is "totally irrelevant" to this season, at least as far as USC-UCLA goes.
"You could have won a game 50-0 and played that same team the next Saturday and the score's not gonna be the same," Kiffin said. "I don't think [the score] has anything to do with where they're at now.
"I think that has to do with how Jim's come in there and done a great job, came in with a lot of discipline, and they're coached really well."
Woods and Bailey's team never won the Pop Warner Super Bowl. Forcier's did.
But the two Trojans ended up all right. The loss stuck with them and motivated them over the next decade.
It seems as if the same can be said for UCLA, too. Will it continue?
Back to All News

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Quote from: Raymond on April 19, 2009, 07:43:29 PMHEYYYYYYYYY Sorry Raymond the tribe has spoken you are banned for 8 days!
......... Neobie had it right
Jaime conf: She did not speak English, at all. Both: GOODBYE! That was unbelievable! They run toward the Calligraphy Detour. Calligraphy 4th station. Voice: Two words. (But then, why did there appear 3 words on my screen? I'm confuzzled.) Mark/Michael take taxi to Ancient South Gate. Tammy/Vic finish. CLUE: Travel by foot to your next pitstop. They unravel the picture for the next pitstop, and must stand where they can see exactly that pic. Phil: Banyan Lake, last team to check in may be eliminated. Margie/Luke finish in 2nd Kisha/Jen finish in 3rd Phil: We have 3 teams all together! FOOTRACE! Man: Welcome to Guiling, China. Phil: Kisha/Jen, you are team #1. Tammy/Victor, team #2. Margie/Luke, team #3. Congratulations! Kisha/Jen, you've won a trip for two to Barbados!
I'm not going to say Jen & Kisha laughed at Luke. But Margie's going to defend Luke no matter what. She's sensitive to anyone laughing when Luke's signing.
NEXT TIME ON .. THE AMAZING RACE: Phil: Teams get a relaxing foot massage. Kisha is in agony! Phil: ... and when Jen faces her fear of water, she reaches her breaking point. Olympic-sized swimming pool. Jen can't even dog paddle! Jen gets out and cries. Kisha can't comfort her.
But I digress. A great episode nonetheless (marred only by Margie's black references. Seirously?).
I really loved Tammy & Victor tonight. Very upbeat tonight! I enjoyed hearing them talk in Mandarin/Chinese (?) I really hope the spoiler on them is wrong...don't want them to leave next. Did I miss the departure/arrival time on Michael/Mark, or did they not show it? I'm curious if the spoiler was factual or not.
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Cape Town – The provision of fresh water has been delayed in some parts of South Africa, President Jacob Zuma said on Thursday.
Tag Archives | Hartbeespoort dam
South Africa faces water challenges – President Jacob Zuma
By admin on February 10, 2012 in WATER, WATER CONSERVATION, water quality South Africa, water storage, WATER TANK, WATER TANK PRICES, water tanks
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Blue-green Algae Can Make Water Dangerous
By admin on April 28, 2011 in Health, JOJO, JOJO WATER TANKS, Pollution, RAINWATER, RAINWATER COLLECTION, RAINWATER HARVESTING, RAINWATER SYSTEMS, RAINWATER TANKS, RECYCLING, SOLAR ENERGY, SOLAR GEYSERS, SUSTAINABLE, WATER, water and health, WATER CONSERVATION, water pollution, water quality management, water quality South Africa, WATER SYSTEMS, WATER TANK, WATER TANK PRICES, water tanks, YES SOLAR
Blue-green algae bloom in China In South Africa, we are highly dependent on surface water (rivers and dams) for our daily water supply. Pollution of these water bodies can have serious effects such as eutrophication and the presence of algal blooms. Nutrient enrichment (eutrophication) remains one of the leading causes of water quality impairment in […]
Hartbeespoort Dam drinking water unsafe
By admin on March 10, 2010 in water pollution
Authorities have finally admitted the drinking water sourced from the Hartbeespoort Dam is not safe. Last month Eyewitness News reported on a serious sewerage spill at the dam. At the time the Madibeng Municipality insisted the tap water in the area was safe.
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flour storage issues
I'm going to be a cliche now ;-)
Had a chat with my Mother in Law (figures!) who is also a bread baker...she tends to do straight doughs in her bread machine; I'm making European-style breads with sourdough/yeast (al a Hamelman) in the KAM. We were discussing purchasing and storing flour. I said I tend to buy when I'm in the store and keep the unopened flour in my freezer (in the original package and then in a freezer bag) until I need to refill my cannister.
She only buys when she needs because she noticed that flour that had been stored in the freezer did not give as much of a rise in the final loaf.
I hope we were talking apples to apples...I only use the flour once it has come up to room temperature (a few days after taking it out of the freezer). She felt it was the freezing process itself that affected the flour and subsequently the final product.
Anyone else noting that freezing the flour affects the final rise?


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MARTINEZ, Calif. (AP) — Two more men have been found guilty for their roles in the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl outside a Northern California high school.
Contra Costa County jurors on Thursday convicted 20-year-old Marcelles Peter and 22-year-old Jose Montano of forcible rape, sexual penetration and forced oral copulation.
The charges stemmed from a 2009 assault outside Richmond High School's homecoming dance that attracted national attention.
Peter and Montano are among six men accused of raping the victim. Authorities say she was beaten, robbed and sexually abused over two hours while as many as 20 people watched.
Two of the men were convicted earlier of gang rape in the case. The other two are awaiting trial on lesser sexual assault charges.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
Jurors have reached verdicts for two of the men charged with gang raping a 16-year-old girl at a Northern California high school.
The Contra Costa County jury is scheduled to render a verdict Thursday in the case against Marcelles Peter, 20 and Jose Montano, 22, the Contra Costa Times reported (http://bit.ly/14ZR0gp).
Peter and Montano were among six people accused of raping the victim in October 2009 in a dark courtyard outside a homecoming dance at Richmond High School.
Both are charged with gang rape, forced oral copulation in concert and penetration with a foreign object, but their respective juries were instructed to consider lesser offenses. They face life in prison if convicted.
Authorities said the girl — a sophomore at the time of the attack— was beaten, robbed and sexually abused over two hours while as many as 20 people watched the attack that drew national attention.
Police found the 16-year-old girl partially nude and unconscious under a picnic table. She had been suffering from a near-fatal blood alcohol level and head trauma.
"My head really hurt, and I saw five of everybody staring at me," the victim testified last month about waking up in the hospital after the assault. "I felt very nauseous, as if someone had taken out my insides and stabbed them and put them back in."
In the nearly four years since the assault, the victim said her right shoulder and hips regularly pop out of socket. She also said she now suffers from migraines regularly and has trouble learning.
Over six weeks, two juries heard from about 30 witnesses, including two men who already have been convicted of gang rape in the case.
Peter's jury deliberated for about seven hours before announcing Tuesday that it had reached a verdict. Montano's jury deliberated for about 11 hours before reaching a verdict Wednesday.
Another two men are awaiting trial on lesser sexual assault charges.
Information from: The Oakland Tribune, http://www.oaklandtribune.com


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American Express said Wednesday that its net income edged up 2 percent in the first quarter, as increased spending by cardholders helped boost revenue for the credit card issuer.
While the latest earnings came ahead of Wall Street expectations, revenue fell short.
Management also announced plans to raise its dividend in the next quarter by 15 percent to 23 cents per share, and it will return up to $3.2 billion to shareholders through share buybacks this year. It plans up to $1 billion more in buybacks in the first quarter of next year.
The New York-based company said cardholder spending rose 6 percent during the quarter, or 7 percent, excluding the impact of foreign currency exchange. Annual cardholder membership fees also increased from a year earlier.
"We are off to a strong start in 2013, thanks to our ability to grow revenue in a slow growth economy, control expenses and maintain a strong balance sheet," CEO Kenneth I. Chenault said in a statement.
American Express cardholders tend to be more affluent than other credit card users, which was one reason the company has done well during the economy's slow rise out of the recession.
Even so, credit card spending traditionally slows in the first three months of the year, as consumers focus on paying down cards after more spending during the holiday season.
Sales at U.S. retailers declined a seasonally adjusted 0.4 percent in March. That followed a 1 percent gain in February and a 0.1 percent decline in January.
Some of that decline may have been due to an increase in Social Security payroll taxes that went into effect in January and cut into many Americans' paychecks.
Despite the payroll tax squeeze, American Express revenue for the quarter came in ahead of the same period last year.
"In the quarter, spend growth continued to be healthy, and was relatively consistent with the past several quarters, despite the negative impact of having an extra billing day in the first quarter of 2012 because of leap year," Dan Henry, American Express' chief financial officer, said during a conference call with analysts.
Total revenue grew 4 percent to $7.88 billion, but it fell short of the $8.01 billion that analysts expected, according to FactSet.
Net income rose 2 percent to $1.28 billion, or $1.15 per share, for the three months ended March 31. That compares with $1.25 billion, or $1.07 per share, in the same period last year.
Analysts had forecast adjusted earnings of $1.12 per share.
Expenses rose 1 percent to $5.5 billion, reflecting ongoing investments and efforts to trim operating costs.
The company has set itself a goal of keeping annual operating expense growth at less than 3 percent for the next two years as it moves to revamp its business, particularly its travel division.
Meanwhile loan losses — mainly card balances that it is unable to collect from customers — remained near all-time lows. The money it set aside to cover bad loans, known as a provision for losses, shot up 21 percent to $497 million, but that reflected higher loan loss reserve releases a year earlier.
Shares ended regular trading down 46 cents at $64.13 amid a broad market decline. The stock fell 38 cents to $63.75 in after-hours trading. Shares are up about 12 percent this year.


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Who doesn't love a pair of classic Converse Chuck Taylors? After that, jump up the style ladder more than a few rungs with a pair of kicks that will make heads turn.
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The shoe is a collaboration with Puma and designer Hussein Chalayan in the Urban Mobility Collection. Puma clarifies that this is not an athletic shoe, per se, but another in a long, venerable line of casual sneakers. $275 at puma.com.
French fashion powerhouse...


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PRINCETON, N.J. – Ryan Zapolski of the South Carolina Stingrays is the Reebok Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week for Dec. 24-30. It is the second time this season that he was won the weekly award after also winning for the week ending Dec. 2.
The 26-year-old posted shutouts in both of appearances last week, stopping all 26 shots in a 4-0 win at Gwinnett on Friday and turning aside 23 shots in a 3-0 victory against Wheeling on Saturday.
A native of Erie, Pa., Zapolski is 12-5-0 in 17 appearances this season, and leads the ECHL with a 1.65 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage, and is tied for the league lead with three shutouts.
Zapolski has appeared in 32 career ECHL games with South Carolina, Gwinnett, Toledo and Kalamazoo, posting an overall record of 20-9-1 with five shutouts, a 2.00 goals-against average and a save percentage of .929.
Prior to turning pro, Zapolski played four seasons at Mercyhurst College where he appeared in 109 games and went 48-43-11 with eight shutouts, a 2.77 goals-against average and a save percentage of .920.
Runners Up: Mark Guggenberger, Alaska (1-0-0, 0.00 GAA, 1.000 save pct.) and Tyler Beskorowany, Idaho (1-0-0, 1.00 GAA, .968 save pct.).
Also Nominated: Maxime Clermont (Elmira), Paul Karpowich (Evansville), Ken Reiter (Fort Wayne), Joel Martin (Kalamazoo), Joe Fallon (Las Vegas), John Curry (Orlando), Philipp Grubauer (Reading), Thomas Heemskerk (San Francisco), Tyler Bunz (Stockton), Kent Simpson (Toledo) and Andrew Engelage (Utah).
|Oct. 12-14
|Marc Cheverie
|Elmira Jackals
|Oct. 15-21
|Josh Robinson
|Idaho Steelheads
|Oct. 22-28
|Mike Lee
|Gwinnett Gladiators
|Oct. 29-Nov. 4
|Chris Carrozzi
|Ontario Reign
|Nov. 5-11
|Mike Lee
|Gwinnett Gladiators
|Nov. 12-18
|Philipp Grubauer
|Reading Royals
|Nov. 19-25
|Thomas Heemskerk
|San Francisco Bulls
|Nov. 26-Dec. 2
|Ryan Zapolski
|South Carolina Stingrays
|Dec. 3-9
|Cody Reichard
|Stockton Thunder
|Dec. 10-16
|Nathan Lieuwen
|Greenville Road Warriors
|Dec. 17-23
|Peter Delmas
|Wheeling Nailers


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LOS ANGELES (AP) — CBS Corp. Chief Executive Les Moonves gave an upbeat view of the health of broadcast TV Wednesday as the company reported strong results for the first three months of the year. He also dismissed startup Aereo as an "insignificant player" that was stealing CBS' signal.
Moonves told investors that Aereo has "gotten way too much attention" from the news media. The New York-based company takes broadcast signals for free from the airwaves and charges customers to watch them over computers and mobile devices. That threatens CBS' ability to collect fees from traditional service providers such as cable TV for rights to redistribute its stations' signals.
"We're not losing sleep over it. It is an insignificant player that has a couple thousand (subscribers)," Moonves said on a conference call. "We think ultimately that it goes away."
Broadcasters such as CBS have sued Aereo for copyright infringement, but so far Aereo has managed to keep operating thanks to a preliminary ruling in its favor last month. The company captures signals using thousands of tiny antennas, which it argues is comparable to individuals buying digital antennas for themselves.
Moonves echoed the comments of News Corp. Chief Operating Officer Chase Carey, who said last month that if Aereo gets a legal OK to keep operating, he would consider changing the Fox network to a channel available only through cable and satellite TV services.
Moonves said that making this switch at CBS would be "fairly easy to do" and not that disruptive because 85 percent of people who watch CBS do so through TV providers such as cable and satellite companies. But he added, "I'm very doubtful that happens."
Moonves' comments came as CBS, the maker of shows such as "NCIS: Los Angeles" and "The Good Wife," reported that first-quarter earnings rose 22 percent to $443 million, or 69 cents per share. Excluding a loss from the outdoor billboard business in Europe and Asia, which CBS expects to sell this year, adjusted earnings came to 73 cents per share, 5 cents better than the 68 cents predicted by analysts polled by FactSet.
Revenue rose 6 percent to $4.04 billion, the highest since the company's 2006 split from Viacom Inc. That topped the $4.02 billion expected by analysts.
Advertising revenue grew 8 percent to $2.46 billion, helped by big events such as the Super Bowl and Grammy awards. Excluding these one-time events, the company said ad revenue would have grown in the "low single digit" percentages.
CBS Corp.'s stock rose 50 cents, or 1.1 percent, in after-hours trading to $46.90.
Moonves said that demand for last-minute ad buys on the CBS network was strong. He predicted that both bulk airtime sales and prices would be "up considerably" during the mass sales period ongoing now called the "upfronts." Such price hikes would boost CBS's finances in the final quarter of the year. He said prices would be up in the "high single to low double digit" percentages from a year ago.
Alan Gould, an analyst with investment bank Evercore Partners, said Moonves' comments were reassuring. Gould said the quarterly results were much better than expected.
"I do believe him that CBS will do better than the rest of the industry," he said.
Earlier Wednesday, NBC and Telemundo owner Comcast Corp. said broadcast television revenue fell more than 18 percent to $1.5 billion because the quarter last year included the Super Bowl on NBC. Excluding the Super Bowl, which was on CBS this year, revenue fell 5 percent. Comcast blamed lower prime-time ratings at NBC and lower revenue from content licensing.
ABC and ESPN owner Walt Disney Co. and Fox owner News Corp. are scheduled to report results next week.


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Celebrate Homecoming 2009University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Posted: Oct 28, 2009
The University of Hawai'i at Mānoa celebrates the start of its second century with a full slate of Homecoming 2009 activities. Highlights are a Bachman Hall lawn celebration on Friday evening, Nov. 6, and an open-to-all Homecoming Football Tailgate party the next day at Aloha Stadium before the Warriors take on Utah State.
Alumni Nights — UH Alumni Association members will receive a special "Alumni Night" discount of 50% off ticket prices to the Homecoming football and volleyball games. A valid UHAA membership card is required when purchasing tickets at the Stan Sheriff Center or the Aloha Stadium box offices. Tickets are in special sections and supplies are limited. Other restrictions may apply. To join UHAA, visit www.UHalumni.org.
Fri., Nov. 6
· 3:30-6:30 p.m., UH Mānoa Homecoming Celebration, Bachman Hall lawn. Live music, food, games and more! Event is free and open to UH Mānoa students, staff, faculty and alumni.
· 7 p.m. (immediately following the Homecoming Celebration), Women's Volleyball vs. Fresno State, Stan Sheriff Center.
Sat., Nov. 7
· 2-5 p.m., UH Alumni Association Homecoming Tailgateat Aloha Zone, Aloha Stadium parking lot. Pre-game fun with live entertainment, good food and great company. Free goodie bag for first 300 tailgaters. Warrior fans can buy logo items from Rainbowtique. Free and open to the public. Food and drinks available for purchase. For information, please contact the Alumni Relations office at (808) 956-2586 or email@example.com.
· 5:05 p.m., Warrior Football vs. Utah State, Aloha Stadium.
Other alumni events being held in celebration of Homecoming 2009 include:
Mon., Nov. 2
· 8:30-11:30 a.m., Arbor Day Mānoa Makeover, University Lab School's Metcalf Lawn and Varsity Gate Area.
Tues., Nov. 3
· 11 a.m., 4th Annual UHAA Homecoming Golf Tournament at Honolulu Country Club, presented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1186. This tournament will be a day of fun, fellowship, UH pride and reminiscing about the good old days.
Wed., Nov. 4
· 3:30-8:30 p.m., Engineering Alumni Association Homecoming Celebration, Art Auditorium and Holmes Hall.
· 5:30-7 p.m., School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene presents lecture: Emotional Intelligence: Why It Matters to Nurses and nursing simulation lab tours, Spalding Auditorium.
· 7 p.m., Women's Basketball exhibition game vs. HPU, Stan Sheriff Center.
Thu., Nov. 5
· 3-5 p.m., College of Education Homecoming BBQ, COE courtyard fronting University Avenue.
· 3-4:30 p.m., Reading and conversation with novelist and playwright, Jon Shirota, on An Okinawan American Sense of Place, Kuykendall Hall room 410.
· 5-6:30 p.m., Degrees of Distinction: Alumni Invitational Exhibition, Art Gallery.
· 6-9 p.m., Grand re-opening and recent renovations of music complex revealed, Orvis Auditorium lanai and music department lawn.
· 7:05 p.m., Men's Basketball exhibition game vs. BYU-Hawai'i, Stan Sheriff Center.
Fri., Nov. 6
· 3-6 p.m., Back to Business, Shidler College of Business – features two lectures and a networking reception with Shidler alumni.
· 5:30-7 p.m., Law School Alumni Homecoming Lecture and Reception, William S. Richardson School of Law.
· 5:30-8 p.m., Department of Urban and Regional Planning presents Planning Pau Hāna: World Town Planning Day Celebration, Architecture Courtyard.
Sun., Nov. 8
· 2-4 p.m., Kennedy Theatre presents Behind the Scenes at Kennedy: the 2009-10 Season, Kennedy Theatre.
· 5 p.m., Women's Volleyball vs. Utah State, Stan Sheriff Center. Sunday 's game is senior night for Wahine volleyball players Amber Kaufman, Aneli Cubi-Otineru, Stephanie Brandt, Jayme Lee and Catherine Fowler.
For more information on UH Mānoa Homecoming activities, visit: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/homecoming.


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PARAMARIBO, Suriname (AP) — Paraguay was welcomed back Friday into a group of South American nations known as UNASUR.
The country, which was temporarily suspended after it impeached its president, was officially reinstated during the seventh UNASUR summit held in Suriname.
Leaders observed a minute of silence for late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez before discussing issues such as regional security and tourism and economic cooperation.
Paraguay President Horacio Cartes issued a statement saying he would seek to strengthen the bloc as he urged integration.
"Inequality is the enemy we have to defeat," he said.
Those attending included Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. The leaders of Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Colombia sent delegations to represent them.
The summit was held hours after the son of Suriname President Desi Bouterse was arrested Thursday in Panama on U.S. drug and weapon charges. Dino Bouterse pleaded not guilty in a New York federal court on Friday.
Desi Bouterse, himself previously convicted of drug offenses, did not talk about the arrest after delivering his welcoming remarks.
Mike Antonius, Suriname's UNASUR diplomatic representative, said officials were not talking about the case.
"We were busy with UNASUR matters and were somewhat unaware of what was happening in the outside world," he said.
The summit marked the transfer of UNASUR's rotating presidency from Peru to Suriname, the smallest country in South America.
UNASUR was created in May 2008 after 12 South American countries signed a treaty to advance the region's interests, including the creation of a single market.
Associated Press Writer Pedro Servin in Asuncion, Paraguay contributed to this report.


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A former police constable accused of offering to sell a story to The Sun today accepted the evidence against him was "compelling", but insisted he was innocent.
While working for Wiltshire Police in 2010, Darren Jennings, 41, asked the newspaper for £10,000 in exchange for information about a "womanising and bullying" colleague, Sgt Mark Andrews, the Old Bailey trial has heard.
Under cross-examination in the witness box, he denied the suggestion that Sgt Andrews was the "root and branch cause" of all his problems at the force.
The twice-married father-of-two has said he did not give The Sun details about Sgt Andrews and other colleagues and maintained that he was "set up" by someone else.
Prosecutor Oliver Glasgow asked: "Don't you agree when you look at it and stand back, it does look like you are guilty, doesn't it?"
Jennings replied: "The evidence against me does seem compelling evidence. Even though it is compelling I will still stand here today, tomorrow, and next year and deny the allegations put before me, because I'm innocent."
He admitted he had made "a catalogue of errors" but was not guilty of the offence he was accused of.
Mr Glasgow went on: "You say that somebody else has got you into trouble for this. Somebody has a sufficient grudge against you that they have deceived the press and now the police. Somebody else has done it and made it look like you have done it?
"That person must be a police officer. We have all these officers who are willing to help - is there a single name you would like them to investigate to see if there is any evidence that might prove your innocence?"
Jennings replied: "I will name every single person in Wiltshire police."
The prosecutor asserted that even though Jennings had tried to cover his name, the phone and computer evidence in the case "all came back to you".
Jennings, of Saffron Walden, Essex, denies misconduct in a public office.
The trial continues.
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According to http://www.trailerparkboysmovie.com the soundtrack comes out Sept 3, the Tuesday before the movie comes out.
All I have to say is: Thank goodness there's only 1 Rush song on it!! I'm sorry to everyone who loves Rush, but I just can't stand 'em.
more hip less rush sounds fine by me!
Not that I'm complaining, but I'm kind of surprised that they used Bobcaygeon from The Tragically Hip instead of The Darkest One, given the boys history with the Hip in that video. But by that logic they would have to include Snow on their soundtrack, and I think we can all be thankful he isn't on there!
THE BIG DIRTY BAND, the one-off project featuring RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson and singer/bassist Geddy Lee, along with former TEA PARTY drummer Jeff Burrows, Adam Gantier (THREE DAYS GRACE), THORNLEY's Ian Thornley, and singer Care Failure of Toronto thrash band DIE MANNEQUIN, have posted the cover of the BOBBY FULLER FOUR classic 'I Fought The Law' at this location.
I hear there is at least 6 clips/references to the hip in the movie which is awesome.
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Research support for this article was provided by The Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute.
Even though Julia DeLeon has lived in Houston for more than half her life, built a business here, raised two daughters and is now helping to rear a toddler grandson, she doesn't exist—not statistically at least. DeLeon first moved to Houston in the 1980s. When she got sick while pregnant and an emergency room attendant refused to admit her because she's not a documented resident, she retreated to Guatemala. But DeLeon couldn't stay away. Her sister had lived here and was certain the town held opportunity. So she returned with her newborn, settled in at a friend's apartment in Southwest and started rebuilding her life.
If either the 1990 or 2000 Census crossed her mind amid all of this, she doesn't remember it. She wouldn't likely have participated, anyway. After all, she didn't even have a valid lease, let alone a valid visa. Standing up to be counted by federal officials wasn't high on her to-do list.
"I just make a little part in the corner where they grew up," DeLeon recalls of the apartment where she raised Evelyn DeLeon, now 21, and Sharon Garcia, 16. "I just try to find a way in the school, any program so they not just stuck in the house. Like, making the Girl Scouts, art classes, in the church—some kind of organization where they can go, and it's not costing me much and they learn something."
Now, having painstakingly built a successful house-cleaning business, DeLeon sits in her own living room and listens proudly as her daughters talk about the importance of finally "being counted" in the 2010 census. "I do it," she shrugs. "Ten years back, I was maybe afraid if they deport us—what happen with these two girls? But now, if something happen with me, it's not really a worry," she says, turning to Evelyn, who's been volunteering in an ad hoc campaign to encourage Census participation in the neighborhood. "She can support now."
That seemingly blasé statement represents a huge victory for the Census Bureau. The DeLeon family—working-class, urban people of color—is just the sort of household the bureau has struggled to count for decades. Census statisticians discovered in 1940 that they were undercounting blacks by as much as double-digit percentages. Decade after decade, as the overall count grew more accurate, a racial gap in undercounting held firm. When the bureau began measuring across all races and ethnicities in 1990, it found blacks, Latinos and Native Americans were all undercounted at more than double the national rate.


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|January 5, 2012, 01:39 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: June 16, 2008
Location: Wyoming
Posts: 11,015
So the bandit has the drop on you, so what
After reading several topics on bandit with gun on you, you're armed what would you do.
I am a firm believer, that if someone has a gun pointed at you, and you are carrying, the advantage is in your court. I think you can draw and fire before the bandit can shoot his gun he already has out.
But it requires you to practice drawing and firing. But here is a way to tell.
Take a buddy to the range. Both of you have separate targets, or I guess you can do it with one target.
Have your buddy aim his pistol at his target. Tell him when he sees you start to draw to fire. See who gets a round off first. You'd be surprised. It helps if you get him distracted, for example, get your wallet out and drop it. Chances are he'll look down.
I've taught this in LE, it works, if you get the guy talking, you'll beat him every time. You can't talk and draw at the same time.
Before you chime in and tell me I'm full of it, go to the range and try it. If you can draw your pistol/revolver, you have the edge.
If you ever read Jordon's NO SECOND PLACE WINNER, you'll know he stresses practicing drawing and firing one shot. Not that he's against multiple shots, but that its the first shot that counts.
I know I'm going to catch a lot of flak for this post, I'll only pay attention to those who've had tried it.
After reading about the Cousin who got carjacked, or maybe another subject I want out in my back yard, no warm up, I drew my pocket revolver out of my pocket and hit the center of a silhouette target in .43 seconds. Can't remember if it was 3 or 7 yards, but thats not the point. It was in the danger zone. I will admit I started with my hand on the gun, but I walk around most of the time with my hands in my pocket anyway.
I don't think the bandit can react that fast.
Kraig Stuart
CPT USAR Ret
USAMU Sniper School Oct '78
Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071
|January 5, 2012, 01:50 PM
Junior member
Join Date: April 21, 2011
Location: Illinois
Posts: 4,555
I don't know...
I think if I "had the drop" on someone and they drew, I'd shoot them twice before they could bring their firearm to bear.
Chicago police officer was killed over the holidays, it's not totally clear if BGs just opened fire on him and he was before and while attempting to draw or if he began to draw and then was shot multiple times...
Of course being a police officer doesn't garauntee that you get good training either. Chicago notoriously underfunds their police in pay, equipment and training, and I'm not aware of any training of Chicago police where they train to basically outdraw someone. But still - he was a police officer and he was gun downed in a situation that sounds similar to what you are describing.
I can't say I've tried this so you can pay me no mind, but it's just my opinion.
|January 5, 2012, 01:51 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: May 1, 2001
Posts: 9,703
I think to take it one step further, force on force with airsoft guns will give you a better picture of whats more likely to happen, and actually let you practice it. You are actually trying to shoot each other, the only difference is, the guns arent "live", but you still get a ''result" to reinforce things.
"If the rule you followed brought you to this,
of what use was the rule?"
"The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he is on." - Joseph Heller
|January 5, 2012, 01:54 PM
Junior Member
Join Date: December 31, 2011
Location: Texas
Posts: 5
Good Training Advice
I totally agree with what your saying...the faster you can unholster and pull the trigger the better. True, that first round counts, and chances are "Bandit" isn't traning like you. It is a perishable skill though...don't expect to lock this down and stash it in the tool box for later use. To add to this technique, try shooting from the hip. This will save you time and get rounds down range. Take it slow the first few times, it might seem uncomfortable. "Cheater's Win The Gun Battle"!
Be Safe!
CHL San Antonio
|January 5, 2012, 01:59 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: December 4, 2009
Location: Frozen Tundra
Posts: 2,414
I think part of the equation is that if the person has the gun drawn on you and already decided to not shoot or at least delay shooting it takes a moment for them to comprehend your drawing a concealed weapon...
The attacker felt they had superiority and the shock of you moving to action when they feel clearly superior takes the advantage from them to a degree...
Also you have to take in account they may have drawn on you but at that moment they have to decide in a instant if they have what it takes to pull that trigger, yet one more slight delay..
Molon Labe
Last edited by BGutzman; January 5, 2012 at 03:12 PM.
|January 5, 2012, 02:01 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: November 15, 2007
Location: Outside KC, MO
Posts: 10,128
Depending on distance, if I decided fighting was still the best course of action, I would physically attack with my weak hand, while simultaneously getting off the X and drawing.
That option would not be available if I were seat belted in a vehicle...
|January 5, 2012, 02:10 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: December 28, 2009
Location: North Central Illinois
Posts: 2,008
Kraigwy, funny you should bring this up. Just a couple weeks ago I saw a clip on TV, I believe the show was American Handgunner but not sure. They tried something similar, but face to face with air soft pistols. You can not draw and shoot before someone with a pistol in hand shoots. It just can't be done. They even tried side stepping while drawing. The guy with the gun in-hand won. I believe the guy drawing and shooting is the National Three Gun Champion, so he's no dummy when it comes to firearms.
|January 5, 2012, 02:14 PM
Join Date: November 17, 2000
Posts: 19,537
I've seen it done in FOF classes. Given a distribution of speeds, reaction times, and all the human performance issues - it is mistaken to say:
1. You can definitely do it.
2. It can't be done.
There are techniques to enhance your chances.
Try it in FOF class.
NRA, TSRA, IDPA, NTI, Polite Soc. - Aux Armes, Citoyens
|January 5, 2012, 02:22 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: June 16, 2008
Location: Wyoming
Posts: 11,015
Maybe some of the older guys remember when the book, The Onion Field came out there was a big change in LE training stressing NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN.
We started a extensive training session where as we trained a great deal on drawing against someone who has the drop on you, I admit I was surprised but I received an education.
You also have the eliment of supprise, just look at the response I'm getting, no one expects one to draw their weapon when someone has the drop on them.
The question is, Try it, practice it, the worst thing that happens is you waste a few rounds shooting at a paper target.
Like anything else, the results you get is dependent on the amount of effort and practice you do.
Kraig Stuart
CPT USAR Ret
USAMU Sniper School Oct '78
Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071
|January 5, 2012, 02:28 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: September 26, 2005
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 6,141
Maybe it can be done but I'm pretty sure I couldn't do it, even with a month of practice. The biggest problem is concealment, which I am assuming here, so doing a fast draw from a pocket holster is impossible and from real concealment is next to impossible--for me. I have tried it, though not from a pocket holster (none of my guns will fit in a pocket). I am also assuming that the other man does not know I have a gun--I'm not assuming which one is the bad guy, however.
No assumption was stated, I think, in the original post about which way we are facing when we are in this hypothetical situation.
There is another factor, too. The other man has probably made up his mind that shooting me is not a problem and I don't think that way. He has the edge on that point. You might call that the killer instinct.
Shoot low, sheriff. They're riding Shetlands!
Underneath the starry flag, civilize 'em with a Krag,
and return us to our own beloved homes!
Buy War Bonds.
|January 5, 2012, 02:34 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: May 1, 2001
Posts: 9,703
Its all going to depend on whats going on at the moment, and whos lucky.
"If the rule you followed brought you to this,
of what use was the rule?"
"The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he is on." - Joseph Heller
|January 5, 2012, 02:35 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: October 18, 2011
Location: 609 NJ
Posts: 705
"Kraigwy, funny you should bring this up. Just a couple weeks ago I saw a clip on TV, I believe the show was American Handgunner but not sure. They tried something similar, but face to face with air soft pistols. You can not draw and shoot before someone with a pistol in hand shoots. It just can't be done. They even tried side stepping while drawing. The guy with the gun in-hand won. I believe the guy drawing and shooting is the National Three Gun Champion, so he's no dummy when it comes to firearms."
Tell that to bob munden
But yea for the rest of us... I must agree
"...with liberty and justice for all." (Must be 21. Void where prohibited. Some restrictions may apply. Not available in all states.)
|January 5, 2012, 02:46 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: July 21, 2009
Posts: 797
Snubnose in the jacket pocket... you don't even have to draw Good luck beating the time it takes for the primer to initiate!
|January 5, 2012, 03:03 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: June 18, 2004
Location: Central Ohio
Posts: 2,566
This is the proverbial "between a rock and a hard place" scenario: do you not move, hoping the bad guy will disappear, . . . or will you be shot dead with your weapon in it's holster?
From observation of other people, . . . plus knowing my own abilities, . . . I will probably be more inclined to take my chances at getting him before he can get me. I have seen very, very few people who can truly shoot a hand gun, . . . and none of them were of the bg variety.
The key, IMHO, is the timing of the act: during one of his distracted moments, . . . while he is threatening someone else, . . . ya just gotta look for the opening that gives a better percentage.
I always remember the old Marine at the Subway, . . . robbed him and herded them all toward the men's room, . . . probably to do em all away. Bg came around the door to meet a .45 slug in his face, . . . lost interest real quick. The old Marine waited his chance, . . . took it, . . . won the fight and the war.
May God bless,
If you can breathe, . . . thank God!
If you can read, . . . thank a teacher!
If you are reading this in English, . . . thank a Veteran!
|January 5, 2012, 03:11 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: November 21, 2011
Location: Southern Louisiana
Posts: 1,399
A little demonstration we run the first week of every training class demonstrates how wrong you are. It's easy to duplicate if you want to verify it.
I have an officer point his weapon downrange with his finger on the trigger (weapon cocked if it's DA/SA). Hold a shot timer up next to his ear. All he has to do is shoot when he hears the beep. No target, nothing to hit, just shoot at the berm.
Fastest reaction time I've ever seen is .12 of a second. Slowest is just over 1/4 second. Never seen anyone over .30, most people are between .20 and .25.
So even a slow robber will have a reaction time around 1/3 of a second. If you can draw your concealed weapon and get off a shot in less than .30 of a second, you need to be putting Bob Munden out of business doing demos.
You'll also find that most people can easily do splits (time between shots) of .15 to .20 seconds.
That means that 1/3 of a second after you start to draw, your opponent will put his first shot into your chest, and .20 seconds later, his second shot will be in your chest.
Not to hard to demonstrate. Most smart phones can download a shot timer app. Do a few draw strokes and shots from concealment and see what your best time is. Typical times for a draw and first shot from a hip holster (no retention features, not concealed) are just over a second.
You may find the results of the test below interesting. A suspect already holding a gun in his hand and bringing it up is about equal to the reaction time of the cop already pointing a gun at him. No need to even try the experiment with the suspect's gun in the holster, it wouldn't be close.
Last edited by 45_auto; January 5, 2012 at 03:24 PM.
|January 5, 2012, 03:13 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: December 4, 2009
Location: Frozen Tundra
Posts: 2,414
in a test the Aggressor already knows the defender will draw... in real life this isnt so.... the test is not entirely valid...
Molon Labe
Last edited by BGutzman; January 5, 2012 at 06:22 PM.
|January 5, 2012, 03:27 PM
Join Date: November 17, 2000
Posts: 19,537
When I've seen it done in FOF, the draw was initiated not in a standing face off when the guy with gun was watching you and ready. It was when the guy with the gun was spouting off commands. His verbalization drew his attention and he was shot.
On the other hand, we did an exercise where we stood at arms reach and watched the opponent for a draw. Usually we could block the draw and tussle for the gun (red guns).
Or, I held the gun on the teacher - who told the class to watch this. He was obviously going to get off the X. So I 'shot' him. Did this before. Later, he ambushed me in while moving through a house. Payback!
So, it depends on the situation. The general principle unless you are the Flash is to see if attention of the gun holder is distracted by something or their own behavior.
NRA, TSRA, IDPA, NTI, Polite Soc. - Aux Armes, Citoyens
|January 5, 2012, 03:39 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: July 21, 2009
Posts: 797
|January 5, 2012, 03:43 PM
Junior member
Join Date: April 3, 2010
Posts: 1,231
My CCW instructer in Idaho pocket carries a .357 scandium lightweight. His approach is to act like a wimp saying don't shoot, don't shoot, let me get my wallet and then bring the snubbie up into the belly and shoot. He is a professional with combat experience and a private security/protection expert. That was his approach.
For me, I don't think I would attempt to draw while drawn upon unless there is evidence that they are taking you somewhere to do you in. Open public typical mugging, give the wallet, be a good witness. Too many stories in real life of off duty cops deploying their weapon in crowded areas and a bystander is shot and killed, not necessarily by the cop, but there is likely in many situations more people at risk than you alone.
If I was going to draw, I would throw my wallet in a clumsy manner not making it look deliberate as a distraction. If the creep already has a gun in your face, you may have already missed your chance of self protection.
|January 5, 2012, 04:00 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: May 12, 2009
Location: West Coast
Posts: 450
Well, I know it's not gun related, but if their gun or wrist is within my reach I can grab and press it across them while drawing a knife and "sticking it in" quite fast. I've never had the luxury of a timer but we used an airsoft gun and I haven't been shot yet. At a further distance, I know I'm screwed, please no flaming.
I have also done this pistol versus pistol from outside the waistband behind a jacket. Got shot every time. I'd also like to point out it was a fake "reaching for the wallet" situation. Even when the person didn't know what I was going to do, I was shot. There was no adrenaline/increased heart rate involved, may be my fault there.
I feel numbers can be irrelevant in these situations, I don't care how fast I move as long as it's fast enough to accomplish what I need. I do understand for training purposes it's a great tool, just keep in mind that those numbers aren't the same every time.
"Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men." - Miyamoto Musashi
[Insert random irrelevant religious quote here]
|January 5, 2012, 04:01 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: November 21, 2011
Location: Southern Louisiana
Posts: 1,399
Their results seem to agree with mine, the very fastest may approach .10 of a second. The test results are here:
|January 5, 2012, 04:13 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: July 3, 2011
Location: S.E. Texas Gulf Coast
Posts: 743
Someone has to be honest about their abilities even with a lot of practice. In my case I'd have let the BG smoke a cigarette while I drew. My reaction time would not be very good against someone younger. For me heightened awareness is my best defense. To be truthful, once "most" folks had a gun drawn on me I'd be in a really bad spot.
|January 5, 2012, 04:21 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: December 29, 2004
Posts: 3,342
An already nervous criminal with a finger on the trigger has you beat.
You are not going to make any large movements before that finger can move.
Many years ago I used to help demonstrate for police training.
The students dressed in riot gear for protection, and then tried to get the drop on me pointing a gun with wax bullets and only primers at them (simunition was way in the future).
It took very few attempts for them to quickly learn it was not going to work (and I was pretty far from any type of fast guy then).
It did take more with a supposedly 'trained' fighter.
He was second after I popped his classmate twice.
He never got a foot more than a few inches off the floor, or a hand more than halfway to me.
Keep in mind there is not a lot of a penalty for firing early.
|January 5, 2012, 04:27 PM
Junior member
Join Date: April 3, 2010
Posts: 1,231
Yikes, forget about outdrawing anyone on my part. My best was 223. Not going to state my average or worst, but I will leave the fast draw to the young kids. I guess I am just a slow old fart. Better to be aware before something happens than to try and outdraw someone with the a gun to my head.
|January 5, 2012, 04:38 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: March 5, 2009
Location: Uh-Hi-O
Posts: 2,602
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text:
Invisible Acts of Power
Personal Choices That Create Miracles
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Bestselling author Caroline Myss was pondering her next body of work when she witnessed a spontaneous act of generosity. A young man, tattooed and pierced, ran to help an older woman with a bundle of packages at the risk of missing his oncoming bus.
That act, coupled with her own experience of receiving a helping hand just when she needed it, got Caroline thinking: What are the long-range consequences that result from even the smallest favors offered to others? What really takes place in the energetic field of life when someone responds to someone else in need?
On Invisible Acts of Power, this four-time New York Times bestselling author employs her experience as a renowned medical intuitive to answer these questions, explaining why being of service to another person is not an option—it is a biological necessity. Invisible Acts of Power invites you to learn more about:
- The seven gifts of generosity and your chakras—how giving to others balances your vital energy system and sustains optimum health
- Chance meetings: coincidence or synchronicity? How to recognize the Sacred Contracts that they hold, and translate the messages they bring you
- The electricity of grace—where your currents of prana (life force) intersect Divine intention, and affect every choice you make
As we move from visible acts, such as caring for a friend, to invisible acts, such as prayer and healing, we act divinely, without desire for credit or reward. Using her own stories and those drawn from her thousands of readers and listeners worldwide, Caroline Myss chronicles the many ways you can create small yet profound miracles, gain a greater sense of spirituality, and transform your life and others' lives in an instant.
An original adaptation of the author's book by the same title.
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Customer Reviews
- Review for Invisible Acts of Power Review by leslie a
I am drawn to Carolyn's commonsense approach. She is both deeply "spiritual" and practical-minded. I love that she stands apart from the usual "new age" doctrine. Sometimes her temper gets away on her and she yells a bit, but hey, as I think she'd say, sometimes you just have to suck it up - especially when she's right.
(Posted on 12/2/2013)
- Review for Invisible Acts of Power Review by Sandra M
What an eye opener!! Amazing how even the smallest gesture, thought or words(s) could profoundly impact a life of another person.
There are lessons in here for everyone!!
(Posted on 10/4/2013)
- Review for Invisible Acts of Power Review by David E
As I expected Caroline Myss was/is an inspiration.Bless that woman.XX
(Posted on 8/8/2013)
- Review for Invisible Acts of Power Review by Cat G
I really enjoyed this Cd!
(Posted on 7/4/2013)
- Review for Invisible Acts of Power Review by Cat G
I really enjoyed this Cd!
(Posted on 7/4/2013)
- Review for Invisible Acts of Power Review by Christina H
Another great, insightful read from Caroline, nobody can get too me like she does.
(Posted on 11/3/2012)
- Review for Invisible Acts of Power Review by Victoria Jarvis
I'm still learning from this CD. I also have the book and I am taking my time to learn what she is teaching here.
(Posted on 12/31/2011)
- Review for Invisible Acts of Power Review by Helene Chenard
Once again, Caroline Myss has something profound to offer. Not only is this concept valuable for me as a person, but it is what the whole planet needs right now. Her passion and wisdom draw me in each time and I am motivated to begin being a more compassionate human being.
(Posted on 12/29/2011)
- Review for Invisible Acts of Power Review by Linda Crow
Classic Caroline Myss, she is plugged into the mystical and the sacred as she sets forth some of the smallest acts of power. Everything is connected, every act, thought, decision she holds as acts with mystical results.
(Posted on 10/17/2011)
- Review for Invisible Acts of Power Review by Jeri Allen-Smith
Wonderful as always.
I love her work and the way she presents.
(Posted on 10/6/2011)
- Review for Invisible Acts of Power Review by Wayne Brittain
Caroline Myss invites us to create miracles that transform our own life and others through personal choices that can and do create miracles
(Posted on 8/26/2011)
- Review for Invisible Acts of Power Review by Jennifer Bailey
I love Caroline Myss. This is all about generosity in ways that I've never consciously considered. Now I recognize that I have been the source of and the recipient of generosity in so many more ways than I have ever really realized. Love this!
(Posted on 7/19/2011)
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text:
Package: nova-network (2012.1.1-18)
Links for nova-network
Debian Resources:
Download Source Package nova:
- PKG OpenStack (QA Page, Mail Archive)
- Loic Dachary (OuoU) (QA Page)
- Julien Danjou (QA Page)
- Thomas Goirand (QA Page)
- Ghe Rivero (QA Page)
- Mehdi Abaakouk (QA Page)
External Resources:
- Homepage [launchpad.net]
Similar packages:
OpenStack Compute - network manager
OpenStack is a reliable cloud infrastructure. Its mission is to produce the ubiquitous cloud computing platform that will meet the needs of public and private cloud providers regardless of size, by being simple to implement and massively scalable.
OpenStack Compute, codenamed Nova, is a cloud computing fabric controller designed to be modular and easy to extend and adapt. In addition to its "native" OpenStack API, it also supports the Amazon EC2 API, and it supports many different database backends (including SQLite, MySQL, and PostgreSQL), hypervisors (KVM, Xen), and user directory systems (LDAP, SQL).
This package equips a system to function as a network node. This service is responsible for managing floating and fixed IP addresses, DHCP, bridging, and VLANs, and in some cases acts as a gateway. Different networking strategies can be accessed by setting the network_manager flag to FlatManager, FlatDHCPManager, or VlanManager (the default).
Other Packages Related to nova-network
- dep: bridge-utils
- Utilities for configuring the Linux Ethernet bridge
- dep: dnsmasq-base
- Small caching DNS proxy and DHCP/TFTP server
- dep: dnsmasq-utils
- Utilities for manipulating DHCP leases
- dep: iputils-arping
- Tool to send ICMP echo requests to an ARP address
- dep: lsb-base (>= 3.0.6)
- Linux Standard Base 4.1 init script functionality
- dep: netcat
- TCP/IP swiss army knife -- transitional package
also a virtual package provided by netcat-openbsd, netcat-traditional
- dep: nova-common (= 2012.1.1-18)
- OpenStack Compute - common files
- dep: python (<< 2.8)
- interactive high-level object-oriented language (default version)
- dep: python (>= 2.6.6-7~)
- dep: vlan
- user mode programs to enable VLANs on your ethernet devices
- sug: radvd
- Router Advertisement Daemon
Download nova-network
|Package Size
|Installed Size
|17.6 kB
|140.0 kB
|[list of files]


text:
Unified Communications Virtualization Sizing Guidelines
From DocWiki
m (→Application Co-residency Support and Server/Storage Selection)
m (Protected "Unified Communications Virtualization Sizing Guidelines" [edit=sysop:move=sysop] [cascading])
Revision as of 22:34, 2 February 2011
This article provides specifics and examples to aid in sizing Unified Communications applications for the UCS B-series and C-series servers.
Application Co-residency Support and Server/Storage Selection
All UCS tested reference configurations are sized for co-residency except for C210 M1 Tested Reference Configuration #1 (which is only sized to host a single VM of 7500 user capacity). Note that the tested reference configuration for UCS C200 M2 is sized for co-residency at a lower capacity per VM than UCS B200 or C210 so only supports a subset of Virtual Machine templates.
The max number of virtual machines supported per physical server depends on the hardware selected and the quantity and resource usage of selected virtual machine OVAs.
To determine which applications may share a physical server, use the following guidelines:
- Supported co-resident applications are "UC with UC only".
- Co-residency of UC with 3rd-party application VMs - such as TFTP/SFTP/DNS/DHCP servers, Directories, Groupware, File/print, CRM, etc. - is not supported at this time. These applications may be placed on a separate physical server from UC. For UCS B-series, this can be an adjacent blade in the same chassis.
- Co-residency of UC with non-UC VMs such as Nexus 1000V not supported at this time. These applications may be placed on a separate physical server from UC. For UCS B-series, this can be an adjacent blade in the same chassis.
- The following UC apps have product-specific co-residency rules on their web page. Product-specific rules take precedence over the support policy on this web page.
- Note that Cisco Unity requires CPU Affinity which may not be desirable for other applications sharing the server.
- All applications that will be co-resident must support UC on UCS. Note that supported versions may vary by application. so check inter-product version compatibility.
- You must use a server/storage/network configuration that is supported by all the applications/versions that will be co-resident. E.g. some applications/versions do not support C200, or only support M2 generations but not M1.
- Otherwise you can mix and match UC apps on the same server.
- All applications must use a supported virtual machine OVA template.
- All applications require a 1:1 mapping of VM vCPU cores to physical CPU cores. Cisco Unity VMs also require VMware CPU Affinity.
- If there is at least one live Unity Connection VM on the server, then one CPU core per physical server must be idle/unused (it is actually being used by ESXi scheduler).
- The sum of virtual machines' vCPU cores may not exceed the total physical CPU cores on the physical server (less one if hosting at least one live Unity Connection VM).
- The sum of virtual machines' vRAM (plus 2GB for VMware overhead) may not exceed the total physical memory on the physical server.
- For supported DAS deployments, the sum of virtual machines' vDisk may not exceed the physical disk space of the physical servers' logical volume(s) (based on RAID configuration).
- For UCS B200 and C210, you may otherwise mix and match applications, versions and OVAs (of any size) in any quantity as long as you do not oversubscribe any physical server resources as described above.
- For UCS C200, you must align with these rules:
- The only supported virtual machine OVA templates are:
- CUCM - Unified Communications Manager 1000 users
- CUC or UCxn - Unity Connection 500 users, 1000 users and 5000 users
- CUP - Unified Presence 1000 users
- CUCCX - Unified Contact Center Express 100 agents
- Other unlisted OVA templates are not supported on C200 as they are sized too big.
- If C200 is used for Unified Communications Manager Business Edition 6000 then you must follow its co-residency rules.
- Otherwise at this time the following co-residency scenarios are supported:
- Four VMs: CUCM 1000 users + CUC 1000 users + CUP 1000 users + CUCCX 100 users (the scenario used by Unified Communications Manager Business Edition 6000 )
- Up to four VMs: 1 to 4 CUC of various user sizes provided you don't over-subscribe any physical server resources as described previously.
- Four VMs: 4 CUP 1000 users
- Four VMs: 4 CUCM 1000 users
- Three VMs: 3 CUCCX 100 users
- The only supported virtual machine OVA templates are:
See the Sizing Examples at the bottom of this page for examples of using these guidelines.
Redundancy and Failover Considerations
Application-layer considerations (such as Unified CM Cluster over WAN or Unified CCE Remote Redundancy) are the same for virtualized (UC on UCS) or non-virtualized (MCS 7800) deployments.
However, since there is no longer a 1:1 relationship between hardware and application instances, "placement logic" must be taken into account to minimize the impact of hardware unavailability or unreachability:
- Avoid placing a primary VM and a backup VM on the same server, chassis or site
- For failover groups, avoid placing all actives on the same server, chassis or site
- Avoid placing all VMs of the same role on the same server, chassis or site
Note that Fibre Channel SAN is currently mandatory for UC on UCS B200, optional for UC on UCS C210 and not supported for UC on UCS C200.
To get the IOPS per virtual machine OVA and other information required to properly design SAN connectivity and array, see IOPS.
For more information on supported storage arrays, see the UCS page at http://www.cisco.com/go/swonly.
Sizing Examples
This section shows a sample system configuration based on following the High-level Checklist for Design and Implementation for the following set of customer requirements:
- General Requirements
- Three sites - Headquarters (HQ) and two Branches (A and B)
- CUCM and Applications located at each site
- Up to 30,000 lines per sites
- 100+ sites
- Transparent use of PSTN if IP WAN unavailable
- Headquarters (HQ) Requirements
- 12K Phones, use Cisco TFTP server
- 10K Messaging users
- 10K users equipped with Cisco Unified Personal Communicator (CUPC)
- Contact Center with 240 agents and 10 supervisors
- Branch A Requirements
- 2K Phones, use Cisco TFTP server
- 2K Messaging users
- 2K users equipped with Cisco Unified Personal Communicator (CUPC)
- Contact Center with 145 agents and 5 supervisors
- Branch B Requirements
- 500 Phones, use Cisco TFTP server
- 500 Messaging users
- 500 users equipped with Cisco Unified Personal Communicator (CUPC)
- Contact Center with 45 agents and 5 supervisors
After going through the design process, the following servers were selected to host the virtualized UC applications:
- Six Cisco UCS B200 Blade Servers for HQ (running in a UCS 5100 Chassis connected to UCS 6100 Fabric Interconnect Switches)
- Three Cisco UCS C210 General-Purpose Rack-Mount Servers for Branch A
- Two Cisco UCS C200 General-Purpose Rack-Mount Servers for Branch B
- Note this example does not include non-UC applications (such as Cisco Nexus 1000V or Cisco Network Registrar) or 3rd-party applications such as customer-provided DNS / DHCP / TFTP servers, directories, email, groupware or other business applications. These applications need to run on separate physical servers and are not allowed to be co-resident with UC at this time. See the Co-residency section on this page for more details.
See below for details on the server layout and application placement at each site.
HQ server detail:
Branch A server detail:
Branch B server detail:
Sizing and Ordering Tools
The suite of tools listed below can assist you with the sizing, configuring and quoting of Cisco Unified Communications solutions on the Unified Computing System.
Cisco Solution Expert
Cisco Solution Expert assists Cisco field and Cisco Unified Communications specialized channel partners in designing and quoting UC on UCS solutions using the Cisco Unified Workspace Licensing or the traditional design model. Solution Expert delivers a Bill of Materials for the Unified Communications software and the UCS B-series Blade Servers and VMWare ordered as Collaboration SKUS.
Netformx DesignXpert
Netformx DesignXpert is a third party application used to design and quote the Cisco Unified Computing System B-series. DesignXpert has two advisor modules that can be used to quote a Unified Communications solution with the Unified Computing System:
- UC Advisor – a designing and quoting solution used to quote Unified Communications software and the UCS B-series Blade Servers and VMWare ordered as Collaboration SKUs. Other UCS B-series components must be configured via UCS Advisor below.
- UCS Advisor - a designing and quoting solution for all UCS B-series components ordered as Data Center SKUs, including Blade Servers, UCS 5100 Blade Server Chassis, UCS 2100 Fabric Extender and UCS 6100 Fabric Interconnect Switch.
Cisco Unified Communications Sizing Tool
Cisco Unified Communications Sizing Tool delivers hardware sizing for complex Enterprise Unified Communications solutions, including Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise. The Sizing Tool delivers the virtual machine requirements for Unified Communications applications on the Unified Computing System platform.
Cisco Configuration Tool
Cisco Configuration Tool (need link here) is part of the suite of Internet Commerce Tools for managing online ordering of Cisco products. It enables you to configure products and view lead times and prices for each selection. The Cisco Configuration Tool, also known as the Dynamic Configuration Tool, is used to configure the Unified Communications products and the B series SKU and VMWare ordered as Collaboration SKUs.
Ordering Guides
Ordering Guides for Unified Communications System 8.x releases are available for Cisco sales, partners, and customers.


text:
I'm moving and rifling through four years' worth of notes and books and clothes. Here are a few fragments from notebooks that didn't make the storage cut.
Summer 2011, Fiction Writing II:
I'm kind of in love with my professor for only calling me Beatrice.
How to be an asshole:
1. Mention your typewriter
2. Humblebrag about how post-modern your work/question is
3. Say these things:
3a."I think, for all of us, youth might be our greatest fault," and
3b. "I read a lot of Native American poetry," and
3c. "You all know who Kerouac is, right?" and
3d. (on Indians) "Not Columbus' misconception(????), the Asian ones"
Spring 2010, Earthquakes and Natural Disasters:
We lose dollars; we tend not to lose people
Unknown Class, Unknown Time:
New Mexico is for introspective writers/actors and geologists. Give it back to the Native Americans (96)
Summer 2011, Fiction Writing II:
Golf ball through the kitchen window
This guy did not. Get. It.
Every (f) Good (a) Boy (c) Does (e) Fine (accompanied by a picture of a treble clef and scale)


text:
LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — A man arrested for phoning in a fake bomb scare that led to the evacuation of a 15-acre university campus last week unsuccessfully attempted to rob a bank the same day, authorities said Tuesday.
Devin Haywood called television station KATC about 5:30 a.m. last Wednesday and claimed he had placed two explosive devices at different points near the University of Louisiana at Lafayette: one in a public park and the other in an unspecified place, according to an FBI affidavit unsealed Tuesday.
Minutes later, as the search for the bombs unfolded, Haywood donned a hooded jacket and mask and hid behind an air-conditioning unit outside a branch of MidSouth Bank in Lafayette, the affidavit says. About 7:20 a.m., two bank employees arrived in separate cars and began a routine security sweep before entering the bank. One was in her car; the other had gotten out of her car.
The affidavit says surveillance video shows a man pointing a gun at one of the women, who ran back to her car. Both women were able to drive away. The same man was also seen later running across a nearby school campus, where he discarded a drawstring gym bag, the affidavit says.
Investigators said they recovered DNA from a glove inside the gym bag that was later matched to Haywood's through the state probation and parole office.
An image of Haywood from a crime database was then compared to security video from a Wal-Mart store where, using phone records, investigators determined that the phone used in the bomb threat had been purchased on July 15. The database photo of Haywood appeared to match the image of the man seen purchasing the telephone, said the affidavit from FBI agent Steven Kruger.
Haywood was arrested Monday night. By Tuesday afternoon, court records show, he was in the custody of federal marshal, charged with attempted bank robbery and using a cellphone to make the bomb threat.
There is no record of bail having been set after Haywood's initial court appearance Tuesday. U.S. District Court records indicate he waived a detention hearing. His lawyer is public defender Wayne Blanchard, who declined comment.
As for the explosive devices, police found one after the threat was called in. It was a fake. They said later that there was no second device.
Classes for about 5,500 students enrolled in summer courses were canceled that day, along with other activities. About 400 incoming freshmen had been scheduled to start orientation that day. The 1,500-acre campus was evacuated.
The university said Tuesday that its response to the threats, including text alerts to faculty and enrolled students, were "timely and effective."
The university said it looked into 15 notifications from students who said they did not receive a text alert and found that none was enrolled in summer classes.