text:
Canis lupus
|Scope: Europe
Language: English
|Scientific Name:
|Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758
|Regional Assessments:
Common Name(s):
|Taxonomic Notes:
|All European wolves are Canis lupus. Only two subspecies are recognized: C. l. signatus (Iberia) and C. l. italicus (Italy, France and Switzerland)
|Red List Category & Criteria:
|Least Concern (Regional assessment) ver 3.1
|Year Published:
|Date Assessed:
Needs updating
|Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe
|Helen Temple and Craig Hilton-Taylor
European regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)
EU 25 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)
Following the bottleneck of the 1960s and 1970s, the European wolf population is generally increasing in number and expanding the distribution range. The total number of wolves in the EU 25 is likely to be in the order of 4-5,000, and the number of wolves in geographic Europe is likely to exceed 10,000. Consequently the species qualifies as Least Concern at the European and EU 25 level.
1. Iberia
Near Threatened. The Iberian population is large (about 2,500 wolves) and expanding toward south and east. It does not qualify for the category Vulnerable and it is maintained in category Near Threatened because of the fragmentation in management regimes, the lack of a population level management plan, the occurrence of largely unpredictable events of human reaction against wolves (poison, shooting, etc.) that may threaten the population at local level. The small population of Sierra Morena is far from the main population in the North and should be classified as Critically Endangered (D).
2. Western-Central Alps
Endangered (D). The Alpine population is the recent outgrowth of the Italian wolf population and it is still numerically small. Though it is increasing fast, it is currently estimated to be 100-120 animals, and it has limited genetic and demographic contacts with the adjacent population of the Apennines (less than one successful migrant per year, meaning that it qualifies as a subpopulation under IUCN Red List guidelines). Its small size justifies the assessment in category Endangered.
3. Italian peninsula
Vulnerable (D1). The Italian wolf population is estimated to be 500-800 individuals distributed along the Apennines. The shape of the range is narrow and elongated, restricted to the Apennines. The population has limited exchanges with the population of the Western Alps and recent genetic evidence indicates a flux of genes only in the direction toward the Alps. In spite of the recent increase in numbers and range, the Italian wolf population is still highly vulnerable to local extermination from human pressures (poison, shooting, car accidents) and the stochastic nature of these events suggest to maintain a cautionary assessment. The population does not qualify for the category Endangered, but it may easily reverse its current favourable status.
4. Dinaric-Balkan
Least Concern. This large wolf population (c.5,000 animals) appears to be in favourable conservation status mainly due to the limited management caused by the recent political instability of large areas of the region. However, the more marginal parts of the range may be subject to excessive pressure from human disturbance (Slovenia, southern Greece) and ad-hoc management actions should be implemented.
5. Carpathian
Least Concern. This large wolf population (c.5,000 animals) appears to be in favourable conservation status mainly due to the conservation implemented in Romania. However, some of the marginal areas of the range may be subject to excessive pressure (southern Poland, Slovakia) and may require ad-hoc conservation measures. Those marginal areas are also critical because of completely different management regimes implemented in neighboring countries (Ukraine, Poland and Slovakia). To ensure viability of those marginal parts of the Carpathian population international common decisions are important.
6. Baltic
Least Concern. The relatively large number of wolves and the continuity of the range into Russia support its assessment in the category of Least Concern. However, the small portions of the population in Poland and some of the Baltic States may require conservation measures to ensure their long term persistence.
7. Karelia
Near Threatened. The total population in Finland and Russian Karelia is not known, but is considered likely to number less than 10,000, and it may be declining as a result of persecution. The degree of fragmentation is not known. Consequently it is assessed precautionarily as Vulnerable (C2a(i)). The Karelian population is generally considered to be in contact with the large Russian population, and there would potentially be a rescue effect, so the assessment is downgraded by one step to Near Threatened. Very little information is currently available on the status of the wolf in Russian Karelia, and this population should be reassessed if any new relevant data becomes available.
8. Scandinavia
Endangered (D). The number of mature individuals is estimated to be less than 250. The population has low genetic variability and has had no genetic exchange with the Finnish population since 1991.
9. Germany/western Poland
Critically Endangered (D). The population is tiny, fragmented and isolated.
|Range Description:
|Originally, the wolf was the world's most widely distributed mammal, living throughout the northern hemisphere north of 15°N latitude in North America and 12°N in India. It is distributed worldwide under domestication (as the domestic dog Canis familiaris). It has become extinct in much of Western Europe (Boitani 1995), in Mexico and much of the USA (Mech 1970). Present distribution is more restricted; wolves occur primarily in wilderness and remote areas, especially in Canada, Alaska and northern USA, Europe, and Asia from about 75°N to 12°N (Sillero-Zubiri et al. 2004). In Europe wolves are found from sea level to 2,400 m, although in central and southern areas they tend to occur in mountainous areas above 600 m, as a result of persecution (Sulkava and Pulliainen 1999). The European wolf population is a large metapopulation with several distinct fragments, which can be described as follows (LCIE 2007):
1. Iberia
Wolves are found in the north-western quadrant of Iberia including the western Basque country. Not in the Pyrenees, but south as far as Ávila. A very small number of wolves is isolated in the Sierra Morena mountains in southern Spain (Blanco and Cortés 2002, Álvares 2005).
2. Western-Central Alps
The population occupies an area that includes most of the Western Alps in France and Italy, many wolf packs territories being transboundary along the French-Italian border south of Valle d'Aosta. Isolated animals are dispersing regularly into Switzerland as far as Grisons but failed, until now, to establish a permanent pack (Boitani 2003, Marucco et al. 2005, Tropini et al. 2005).
3. Italian peninsula
Wolves occur in the whole Apennines range from Liguria to Calabria (Aspromonte) and extending into northern Lazio and central western Tuscany (provinces of Siena, Grosseto and Pisa) (Ciucci and Boitani 1998, Corsi et al. 1999, Boitani 2003).
4. Dinaric-Balkan
The population cover a vast area from Slovenia to north-central Greece and it includes the whole Dinaric mountain range through Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, western Serbia and Kosovo, Montenegro, F.Y.R.O. Macedonia, Albania, western and southern Bulgaria.
5. Carpathian
The central Carpathian mountains in Romania are home of one of the healthiest and more numerous wolf population in Europe. This population extends across several countries, from Northern Bulgaria to Eastern Serbia, Romania, south-western Ukraine, Slovakia and southern Poland. Wolves are rarely reported in the Czech Republic.
6. Baltic
This population covers eastern Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, northern Ukraine and the Russian oblasts of Kaliningrad, Lenningrad, Novgorod, Pskov, Tver, Smolensk, Bryansk, Moscow, Kursk, Belgorod and Orel.
7. Karelia
Wolves occur in Finland (mainly in the south) and Russian Karelia. The Finnish wolf population is a fringe population of a large Russian population.
8. Scandinavia
The distribution range of the population is in central Sweden and, to a lesser extent, in south-eastern Norway. It is spreading slowly toward southern and northern Sweden and into southern Norway.
9. Germany/western Poland
This population consists of scattered packs living in eastern Germany (Saxony) and western Poland.
|Countries occurrence:
Native:Austria; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Ireland; Italy; Kazakhstan; Latvia; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Moldova; Montenegro; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine; United Kingdom
|Additional data:
|Range Map:
|Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.
|Because of the diversity in climate, topography, vegetation, human settlement and development of wolf range, wolf populations in various parts of the original range vary from extinct to relatively pristine. Wolf densities vary from about one per 12 km² to one per 120 km². Sillero et al. (2004) provide details, for each range country in the world, on subspecies present, population status, approximate numbers, the percentage of former range occupied at present, main prey (where known), legal status, and cause of decline. The European wolf population is a large metapopulation with several distinct fragments, although dispersal could theoretically connect almost all fragments. Following the bottleneck of the 1960s and 1970s, the European wolf population is generally increasing in number and expanding the distribution range. However, most European populations are still small and only a few have more than 1,000 animals (see below for specific details). Dispersing animals can be found anywhere in Europe. The total number of wolves in the EU 25 is likely to be in the order of 4-5,000; some of the populations are in continuity with wolf populations living in countries not yet part of the EU. The number of wolves in geographic Europe is likely to exceed 10,000.
1. Iberia
Population size: 2,500 wolves (including c.50 in the Sierra Morena). The Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus) may be a distinct subspecies. After the population reduction up to the 1960s, it is currently increasing in numbers and expanding its range across central Spain. The northwestern population is expanding, having recently crossed the Duero river in Spain. There are three distinct population segments within this population. The largest is that north of the river Duero in both countries. South of the Duero in Portugal there is a small segment of around 50 wolves which has only limited exchange of animals with the segments north of the Duero in Portugal and east to the Spanish segment south of the Duero. The isolated population in the Sierra Morena numbers c.50 individuals and appears to be stable.
The nearest wolf population is in the Western Alps and connections between the two are nonexistent or limited to exceptional cases. In Cataluña, there are currently 2-3 wolves that have been genetically identified as members of the Alpine population from where they are assumed to have dispersed naturally (Blanco and Cortés 2002, Álvares 2005).
2. Western-Central Alps
Population size: 100-120 wolves. This population is of Italian origin and all wolves share the same Italian genetic haplotype. Individual wolves dispersing from the Apennines first colonized the Alps in 1992 and succeeded in establishing a permanent and expanding population which shows a highly dynamic spatial pattern spreading towards the west and north. The total number is estimated to be 100-120 wolves, increasing on average by 10% per year. The genetic continuity with the Apennines population has been recently assessed at 2.5 individuals per generation, all of them moving from the Apennines to the Alpine population. In 2005, a young radio-marked wolf dispersed more than 1000 km from Parma to Nice, providing evidence of the natural dispersal along the northern Apennines range. In spite of the continuity between the two populations, their ecological and socio-economic contexts are sufficiently different to justify a separation for management purposes (Boitani 2003, Marucco et al. 2005, Tropini et al. 2005, LCIE 2007).
3. Italian peninsula
Population size: 500-800 wolves. The population has been described in 1921 (Altobello 1921) and confirmed in 1999 (Nowak 1999) as a distinct subspecies (Canis lupus italicus). It is genetically recognized by the presence of a unique mtDNA haplotype. After the population bottleneck of the 1960s, when total numbers were estimated to be about 100 animals, the population has steadily recovered and expanded into the western Alps. In 2006, the population was estimated to be 500-800 wolves. The nearest population (apart that in the Western Alps, see above) is in Slovenia (Dinaric-Balkan population). However, a large portion of the central Alps and the agricultural Po river valley effectively separate the Italian and the Dinaric populations (Ciucci and Boitani 1998, Corsi et al. 1999, Boitani 2003).
4. Dinaric-Balkan
Population size: 5,000 wolves.There is continuity of the population and suitable habitats throughout the range although the population might be significantly structured within the elongated range. The population is estimated to number c.5,000 individuals, although locally the densities may vary greatly and its overall demographic trend is unknown. In Croatia and Slovenia, the population has recovered significantly following active management started in the 1990s. To the north, the population has no contact with the nearest population in Italy, although dispersing animals are reported in Austria and eastern Italy. To the east, the population may exchange individuals with the large wolf population of the Carpathians which extends into northern Bulgaria (Iliopoulos 1999, Kusak et al. 2005, Štrbenac et al. 2005).
5. Carpathian
This population is estimated to number c.5,000 animals, the majority of them living in Romania and Ukraine. Slovakia hosts about 400-500 wolves and southern Poland contributes with good wolf habitat in the areas along the south-eastern borders (wolf population in Polish Carpathians is about 180-220 individuals). In the past, there was natural continuity with wolves living in northern Poland and Belarus but the link is now constrained by large areas where wolves have been exterminated. Nevertheless, it is likely that some level of genetic exchange still occurs with the Dinaric-Balkan population in western Bulgaria and with the Belarusian population in eastern-central Poland (Okarma 1993, CLCP 1997-98, 2000, 2001, 2002; Smietana and Wajda 1997, Okarma et al. 2000).
6. Baltic
Population size: 3,600 wolves. The trend throughout the region appears to have been very consistent. At the start of the 20th century populations were reduced, but still widely present, these increased during and after World War 1. In the period between the wars, populations were greatly reduced again, but recovered to peak levels during and after Word War 2, only to be heavily persecuted in the 1950s such that they again reached very low levels in the 1960s and early 1970s. The populations appear to have then increased, peaking in the early 1990s – before being shot down again in the late 1990s. There are about 1,000 wolves in Poland and the Baltic States, about 1,000 in Belarus and 1,600 in the neighbouring Russian oblasts. This population is the westernmost portion of the large Russian population and it connects with the wolf range of Russian Karelia. In Poland, although the distribution is not continuous, it is highly likely that dispersal is still possible between the northern and southern populations (Carpathian), and dispersal towards west (Germany) is still observed (Bluzma 2000, Ozolins and Andersone 2001, Valdmann 2001, Sidorovich et al. 2003, Linnell et al. 2006).
7. Karelia
Population size: 750 wolves. Following widespread control of the population in the first part of 20th century, the population recovered after the 1980s and 1990s. The current estimates are based on counts of family groups in Finland (about 200 wolves in Finland) and the population is expanding. In Karelia wolf numbers appear to be stable.
8. Scandinavia
Population size: 130-150 wolves. The population derives from a pair that immigrated from Finland and first reproduced in Sweden in 1983. A third immigrant in 1991 boosted the reproduction and the population is now estimated to be 130-150 wolves (about 20% in Norway), with as many as 15 litters produced in 2006. The population has been steadily increasing from 1983-2001, then slightly decreased in 2002-3, and is currently increasing again. There is evidence of no genetic exchanges with the Finnish/Russian wolf population after 1991. Immigration from Finland is the only possible mechanism to increase the genetic variability of the population.
9. Germany/western Poland
Population size: <50 wolves. Wolves were exterminated in Germany during the 19th century, but individuals that were dispersing from Poland were shot occasionally throughout the 20th century. In the mid 1990s a pack began breeding in Saxony, and there are currently two packs breeding regularly. Wolves in western Poland have had a dynamic history, but presently there are only a few widely scattered packs throughout the region. This population is extremely fragmented internally. Potential connections exist to both the Baltic and Carpathian populations, but the distances are in the order of several hundred kilometers.
|Current Population Trend:
|Additional data:
|Habitat and Ecology:
|Wolves live in diverse habitat types and their broad distribution ranges show the species' adaptability to the most extreme habitat conditions. The wolf's habitat has been described as everywhere where humans do not kill it and where there is something to eat. Where wolves depend on wild ungulate prey, their habitat is that of their prey. Habitat quality should thus be interpreted in terms of human disturbance, prey densities and range size. In general, large forest areas are particularly suitable for wolves in Europe, although wolves are not primarily a forest species. The wolf has a very diversified diet and is a true generalist that feeds opportunistically on what is most available in its habitat. The wolf diet may include large prey, such as moose, deer and wild boar, or small vertebrates, invertebrates, vegetables and carcasses. Diet composition throughout the geographic range and seasonal variations depends on the relative abundance of potential prey, as well as accessibility and availability. A wolf typically requires 3-5 kg of meat per day, although it can fast for several days when food is not readily available.
|Major Threat(s):
Human intolerance is perhaps the greatest threat facing wolves in Europe today. Fear, misunderstanding and the fact that wolves do kill livestock have prompted an uneasy relationship with people in many areas, leading to direct conflict and persecution. In some countries unrestricted hunting of wolves poses a threat, while in others, licenses for killing wolves are issued irrespective of biological understanding. Poaching is widespread and probably represents the most important mortality factor for the wolf in Europe. Wolves preying on domestic animals have been a problem since man progressed from hunter/gatherer to farmer, and although the numbers of sheep or cattle taken are, as a percentage very low, livestock depredation remains the primary reason for exterminating wolves. Human encroachment is the most significant threat to wolf habitat. Wolves can live close to humans but they require safe areas in which to retreat. This is not considered in land planning in wolf areas and the small, fragmented populations in Western Europe can result in animals moving into unsuitable habitat. Specific threats to different European wolf populations are as follows:
1. Iberia
Illegal killing is still common (estimated to account for 50% of the total mortality) and poison baits are used (Blanco and Cortés 2002, Álvares 2005).
2. Western-Central Alps
Documented causes of mortality include primarily car or train accidents and poaching events. Several cases of illegal killings have been reported in France and Italy, and conflicts with hunters and farmers are constantly reported. Both France and the Regional Government of Piemonte have been carrying out extensive and continuous research and monitoring of the wolf population and the damages to livestock and excellent data is available for management purposes. The number of livestock depredations in the Italian Alps is decreasing, despite the increase in wolf numbers, due to the high efforts in the implementation of preventive practices promoted by the Regional Government of Piemonte. Also if the wolf presence is still far from being accepted by local farmers and livestock breeders, the general attitude is improving (Boitani 2003, Marucco et al. 2005, Tropini et al. 2005).
3. Italian peninsula
The population is protected on paper but the law is poorly enforced and unpersecuted illegal killing is very common throughout the range. Poison baits are increasingly used against dogs, foxes and wolves. Hybridization with dogs has been found and it appears to account for at least 5% of the total wolf population (Ciucci and Boitani 1998, Corsi et al. 1999, Boitani 2003, Verardi et al. 2006).
4. Dinaric-Balkan
Legal hunting and illegal killing are taking an unknown number of wolves throughout most of the range. Other pressures are commonly reported: widespread use of poisons, habitat fragmentation due to construction of fenced highways and shortage of wild preys (Huber et al. 2002, Iliopoulos 2005).
5. Carpathian
Poison baits and illegal killing are widespread throughout the range. In Ukraine, wolves are often treated as a pest species.
6. Baltic
The Latvian population appears to be on the way to being divided into two, with the area south of Riga starting to appears as a carnivore free area. This development will greatly increase the vulnerability of carnivore populations in western Latvia.
7. Karelia
The main threat to wolves in this region is killing by humans. In Finland, wolves cause very limited damage to livestock; predation on domestic dogs is the most frequent damage that cause strong resentment from the public.
8. Scandinavia
The inbreeding coefficient is very high, on average higher than for full siblings mating (Liberg et al. 2005). Predation on domestic dogs, sheep and reindeer are the most frequent damages that cause continuing debate on wolf conservation.
9. Germany/western Poland
The main risk for this population is its very small size, highly fragmented internal structure, and long distance from any other source. Coordination between Germany and western Poland is crucial. A single litter of wolf-dog hybrid pups was born in 2003.
|Conservation Actions:
The species is strictly protected by the Bern Convention (Appendix II) and is in Appendix II of CITES. In the European Union the species is protected by the Habitats Directive but there are several exceptions:
1) in Spain, wolves north of the Duero river are not protected
2) in Greece, wolves north of 39°N are not protected
3) in Finland, wolves occurring in the reindeer herding area in northern Finland fall under Annex V of the Habitats Directive; wolves outside the reindeer herding area fall under Annex IV
4) in the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) wolves are harvested (HD Appendix V)
In general, habitat restoration is required in key areas to increase a healthy prey base and encourage wolves to move back into their former territory where appropriate. Corridors of land between small populations need to be established to allow movement of animals and prevent local extinctions. Conflict with humans needs to be addressed by involving local people in wolf management plans and through education programmes to increase people' s understanding of wolf biology and behaviour. Problems resulting from wolves preying on domestic animals need to be tackled by livestock protection schemes and compensation systems. Details of specific conservation measures for European wolf populations are given below:
1. Iberia
Wolves are fully protected in Portugal and south of the Duero river in Spain. North of the Duero, wolves are game species under various management regimes depending on legislation of 8 autonomous regional governments. Asturias has a wolf management plan and Galicia and Castilla y León are about to approve their plans. The autonomous regions are gradually approving their action plans. However, management coordination among the regional governments and between Spain and Portugal is very limited. The sub-population of Sierra Morena require ad-hoc management to ensure its viability (Blanco and Cortés 2002, Álvares 2005).
2. Western-Central Alps
The population is fully protected under the French, Italian and Swiss law. In France and Switzerland the national Action Plans include provisions for legal take of few wolves under strict conditions of damages on livestock. The three countries have recently (2006) signed a formal agreement of cooperation for the management of the entire population, marking an innovative procedure based on the recognition that the biological population needs to be managed through a common and accepted approach.
3. Italian peninsula
Fully protected by a national law, while damage compensation is provided by 14 different regional laws. Compensation paid per wolf has been estimated to be the highest among European countries, but the effectiveness of compensation programs has never been assessed and it is increasingly questioned. Apart from formal protection the population is not actively managed. The species occur in several protected areas throughout its range but the size of these areas is far too small to protect a viable population. In spite of formal protection, illegal killings are estimated to take a substantial portion of the population every year (up to 15-20%). A national Action Plan sets the broad strategic ground for management but is not being implemented by the national and regional governments (Ciucci and Boitani 1998, Corsi et al. 1999, Boitani 2003).
4. Dinaric-Balkan
Management is fragmented by several national laws. It is a game species in almost all countries, except for Slovenia, Croatia and Greece south of 39° latitude where wolves are fully protected. In Croatia, an effective Action Plan is in place and implemented (Štrbenac et al. 2005). In general, law enforcement is weak or totally absent even in protected populations.
5. Carpathian
In Slovakia wolves are game species with hunting season 1.11-15.1 and no quotas per season; in the Czech Republic they are protected game species, but hunting is prohibited; in Poland they are protected and in Romania they are protected game species with hunting quotas decided yearly; in Ukraine wolves are not game species nor protected (often treated as "pest" species, with bounties of c.20 Euro per individual) (Salvatori et al. 2002).
6. Baltic
The standard management practice for most of the 20th century was open harvest, often with bounty incentives, all with the view of exterminating wolves, or at least seriously reducing their numbers. This situation persisted until the 1990s, when restrictions on their harvest gradually came into place in all countries They are currently protected in Poland, but harvested in the three Baltic States (EU Habitats & Species Directive Appendix V) and in Belorussia and Ukraine. The sub-population of western Poland and Germany requires ad-hoc management to ensure its viability. There is an action plan for the conservation of the wolf in Latvia (Ozolins and Andersone 2001).
7. Karelia
In Finland, wolves occurring in the reindeer herding area fall under Annex V of the Habitats Directive; those outside the reindeer herding area fall under Annex IV. Finland has recently approved a National Management Plan that include removal of some wolves under controlled circumstances. In Russian Karelia, wolves are killed throughout the range and at any time. In spite of the small number of wolves, Finland has approved a plan to maintain the population within the current size (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry 2006). Discontinuous flow of dispersing wolves from Russia allow a reasonable but cautiously positive forecast on the conservation of this population.
8. Scandinavia
it is fully protected in Sweden and Norway; however, Norway applies a zoning system that includes culling of wolf numbers in the areas where damages are considered unacceptable. Both Norway and Sweden provide full compensation of damages; Sweden applies a preventive compensation system to reindeer breeders that operate in areas where wolves live.
9. Germany/western Poland
Wolves are protected in both countries, but the extent to which protection is enforced in western Poland is questionable.
|Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe. 2007. Canis lupus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2007: e.T3746A10048689. . Downloaded on 22 September 2018.
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FULTON, Mo. -- The men's basketball team entered Wednesday's tilt with conference leader Westminster riding the high of two straight conference wins. The result of the game disappointed as Greenville (7-5, 3-2 SLIAC) lost 76-61. Rutger Neece posted 15 points to pace the Greenville offense.
Rashod Seaton and K.J. Hilliard each scored nine points with Hilliard collecting a team-high six rebounds and two steals.
Westminster (9-6, 6-0) only led by six, 37-31, at halftime, but outscored Greenville by nine in the second half.
Greenville returns to action Saturday at Fontbonne in a 3 p.m. game.

subset: commoncrawl


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It is natural, and useful as well, that most politically engaged people dwell on the defects of their own camp while overestimating or failing to perceive the problems in the other camp. In the aftermath of the election result, conservatives are notably downcast, reflective, and at times vindictive against the factions (Tea Party, RINOs, etc.), candidates (Romney, Akin, etc) and key individuals (Karl—cough, cough—Rove) they believe are responsible for the failure last November. This I have always taken as a sign of health, and I actually think we conservatives are moving with dispatch to reflect on our difficulties and to plot adjustments to do better in the future. (Whether the GOP campaign establishment performs as well in 2014 and 2016 is another matter, but I think chances are good that they will.)
Meanwhile, while we lament the liberal dominance of the media, academia, Hollywood, etc., we often fail to perceive their weaknesses and infighting. The Left does indeed appear monolithic, and to a certain extent it is, but enforced orthodoxy of the architecture of the Left is one of its defects. While the Left fights over spoils and money and power, they fight with each other much less about ideas. (As I heard Michael Lind once put it: "What is the Left's position on immigration? It's what La Raza wants.") So it is interesting to note that a few lonely voices on the Left are upset right now, rather than basking in Obama's currently high approval ratings. First, Jennifer Rubin notes ("The Left protests: The GOP is cheery"), the Left is grumpy that we conservatives seem to be happier people. We seem to be enjoying life, and moreover starting to flank the Left:
After years of saying Republicans are the angry party or the party of no, you'd think they would be pleased to hear them turn to education reform, health-care alternatives, immigration reform and other quality-of-life issues. But now it is the left that is grumpy and trying furiously to convince voters there is nothing there. Unfortunately for the lefty bloggers, it's hard to conceal the outbreak of substance on the right. . .
The good news for the GOP is that by putting their fingers in their ears and humming, left-wing pundits give the GOP plenty of room to embark on bold initiatives and popular reforms.
And then take in the dyspepsia of lefty historian Michael Kazin, with whom I've sparred a few times by email. In the latest issue of the new New Republic (and more about the "new" New Republic some other time), Kazin laments ("Who Are You Calling a Liberal?") that Obama isn't really reviving liberalism at all:
Contrary to what everyone who loved—or hated—his inaugural address seems to think, President Obama has yet to demonstrate that he is determined to launch a new liberal era. . . (T)o believe that Obama has truly revived the great tradition of egalitarian reform is to neglect the distinction between two species of modern liberalism: that which promotes the equality of rights and that which works toward a greater equality of opportunity and wealth.
Glad Kazin has explicitly embraced the old time religion of redistributionism.
There's just no making some people happy I guess. Or at least liberals, for whom unhappiness comes with the ideology if you drill down just a little ways. Yes, I think we can indeed say that "happy liberal" is an oxymoron. But one can see here the seeds of liberal dissatisfaction in a year or two when Obama fails to deliver the Left's equivalent of the 18th Brumaire or something.


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On the monthly chart notice how since 2008 the longest consecutive drop in the Dow was the five months between May 2011 and September 2011, opening in May at 12,787 and closing in September at 10,841. Look at October 2007 and the high hit at 14,267. Will we see this happen again, and if so then what? Well looking back at the weekly chart, take a good look at the Traders in Financial Futures. This past week Dealer/Intermediary came in net short -37,228 contracts, Asset Managers were net long 12,313 contracts and Leveraged Funds were net long 16,888. If we see increases in net shorts and net longs, there is a solid chance of 14,000 and beyond. If liquidation occurs, watch for a drop. If we see a break above 13,600 and the market stays above this area, there is good reason to believe 14,267 could be here soon.
Have a prosperous week.
To read my market views daily you can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TrendsinFutures


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A brilliant sendup of the television industry.
The TV Set is a little wonder of a movie, as smart and sad and true as any comedy I've seen this year. But I fear it won't get the love—and the viewers—it deserves because of its subject matter: the internal struggles at a major TV network during pilot season. Show business satire has become such a ubiquitous and self-regarding form that audiences may think they've seen this movie already, in the form of Network or For Your Consideration or even HBO's Entourage. But take my word for it: You haven't. First of all, The TV Set isn't really a satire at all. For all the absurdity of the world it documents, there's not a line, a character, or a scene that feels exaggerated for comic effect. All of these things could have happened in real life, and in fact, most of them are probably happening at a frantic pace right now (mid-April being the traditional end of pilot season).
Secondly, you don't have to be an entertainment-industry insider to identify with this movie's narrative of artistic compromise and the irresolvable conflict between work and family. If you've ever had to muffle your best instincts to please your boss, if you've ever found yourself doing something you never thought you'd do to support your family, you'll get it.
The TV Set was written and directed by Jake Kasdan and executive-produced by Judd Apatow. The two worked together on the pilot (and several more episodes) of Freaks and Geeks,the prematurely axed NBC series that has to be one of the most artistically uncompromised shows in recent memory. The TV Set imagines what might have happened if a show like Freaks and Geeks had done what it had to do to stay on the air. The film follows the trajectory of a single show, a sitcom called The Wexler Chronicles. As conceived by its creator, Mike Klein (David Duchovny), it's an autobiographical tragicomedy about a young man who returns to his hometown after his brother commits suicide.During the casting and shooting, Mike's original script is diluted little by little: "What if the brother didn't kill himself?" suggests Lenny (Sigourney Weaver), the ball-busting network president, as Mike stands in front of a chart of prime-time offerings with titles like Slut Wars and World's Grossest Meals.
The network also insists on casting a lead actor, Zach (Fran Kranz), whose delivery veers wildly between barn-broad shtick and ersatz-De Niro earnestness. At each new betrayal of his vision, Mike—a scruffy, bearded schlemiel who clearly doesn't belong in the corporate conference room—threatens (behind his bosses' backs, of course) to quit the project. But his wife, Natalie (the delightful Justine Bateman, who's overdue for a comeback), is expecting their second child, and Mike doesn't have the luxury of turning down work.
Mike has one ally at the network, a recently imported BBC executive named Richard (Ioan Gruffudd), who believes in The Wexler Chronicles and promises to defend it against the slow drip of crassification. But Richard has struggles of his own: He needs to impress his new colleagues by squiring a hit show to completion while somehow convincing his wife, Chloe (Lucy Davis), that the move to L.A. hasn't made him into a soulless workaholic.
Duchovny, looking a touch heavier and sadder than he did on The X-Files, finds just the right note for his portrayal of Mike Klein, a self-pitying, self-medicating basket case who's also an honest and decent guy. The casting of Gruffudd and Davis was a sharp choice on Kasdan's part, as both actors bring to mind the best of British television (Davis played Dawn on The Office; Gruffudd was Bosinney in the 2002 miniseries The Forsyte Saga). And Judy Greer, an Anne Heche lookalike with Lisa Kudrow's comic timing, nearly steals the movie as Mike's desperately chirpy manager.
The strength of The TV Set is how it doesn't present the dumbing-down of America as the work of some greedy cabal in a boardroom (well, maybe a little, but isn't that sort of the case?). Mike doesn't sell out his show in one fell swoop. Rather, he gives way slowly under the weight of countless choices, compromises, and betrayals. Television, like democracy, can be abjectly dependent on the audience's approval, forced to appeal to the widest possible base in order to survive. Kasdan has said he was inspired to make the film during the 2004 election season, and while the political parallels are never made explicit, they lend another level of richness to this deceptively slight 89-minute movie. The TV Set could make for an excellent series itself—that is, if its subtlety and dark humor could survive the rigors of pilot season.


text:
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text:
Kyle Kendrick may have to pitch a shutout to snap this losing streak.
Jose Reyes hit a leadoff homer, J.A. Happ tossed three-hit ball over five innings and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-0 on Monday night.
Kendrick (0-3) lost his eighth straight decision, dating to last season. He gave up three runs and seven hits in seven innings.
"The record is kind of out of your control sometimes," Kendrick said. "You just want to go out there, take the ball every fifth day, give your team a chance to win, make your starts and be healthy. That's the main thing. Obviously you want to win the game, that's why you play, but, some of those as a starting pitcher are out of your control. So keep battling, stay after it."
Kendrick has a decent 3.58 ERA, but isn't getting the run support to help him end his losing skid.
"He's pitched better than his record shows," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "He hung in there and gave us a chance."
The Phillies failed to go two games above .500 for the first time since Oct. 1, 2012. They are 0-4 in those situations this season.
A video review in the eighth inning cost Marlon Byrd an infield single after replay officials overturned a close call at first. Reyes charged the slow roller, barehanded it and his one-hop throw was in time to get Byrd.
Reyes hit his 19th career leadoff homer to give the Blue Jays the lead. Melky Cabrera followed with a single and scored on Juan Francisco's bloop single to left with two outs.
Josh Thole's RBI double to left-center made it 3-0 in the second.
"First couple of innings obviously the command wasn't good," Kendrick said. "I was falling behind hitters, ball was up. I was just trying to get into a groove, get the ball down and down and I was able to do that. I got out of some jams."
Byrd greeted reliever Esmil Rogers with a triple to start Philadelphia's sixth. But Byrd was thrown out by right fielder Jose Bautista trying to score on Ryan Howard's fly out. A video review confirmed the call.
"It was a perfect throw," Sandberg said.
Side-winding lefty Aaron Loup struck out three batters in the seventh, including Chase Utley to strand two runners. Brett Cecil worked the ninth for his second save.
Jimmy Rollins wasn't in Philadelphia's starting lineup because he tweaked his right groin in Sunday's 1-0 win over Washington. Freddy Galvis filled in for him and snapped an 0-for-24 slump with a line-drive single to right in the third. Rollins popped out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth.
Facing his former team, Happ (1-0) walked four and pitched out of trouble often in his first start of the season. The left-hander was filling in for injured righty Brendan Morrow. Four relievers finished off the seven-hitter.
"Happ pitched one heck of a game," Phillies leadoff man Ben Revere said. "Hit his spots. Got runners in scoring position, but couldn't really do much. It's one of those games where you put the ball in play but it didn't go our way too well."
NOTES: Reyes has more hits (181) against the Phillies than any current major leaguer. ... Phillies LHP Jake Diekman caught an infield popup in the eighth inning, calling off SS Galvis and C Carlos Ruiz. ... Galvis' hitless streak was the longest by a Phillies position player since Ruiz went 0 for 26 in 2011. ... LHP Cole Hamels (0-2, 6.75) makes his third start of the season on Tuesday night against Toronto RHP Drew Hutchison (1-2, 3.82). Hamels was pushed back two days because of the flu.


text:
Details about this Driver
|Download driver for: SONY SVD1121Q2EB
|Supported System
|win 10(64bit), win 10(32bit), Windows 8 (32bit), Windows 8 (64bit), Win 8.1 (32bit), Win 8.1 (32bit), Windows 7 (64bit), Win 7 (32bit), Windows Vista (64bit), Win XP (64bit), Win Vista (32bit), Windows Server 2003 (32bit), Windows XP (32bit)
|File Size
|1109 kb
|CyberLink PowerDVD for Win8Upg driver for SONYSVD1121Q2EB
The Most Efficient Way to Update Sony Drivers
Method to Update Driver with Device Manager
QUESTION:Each and every time I use the front side digicam it offers me the content:
Something went wrong
Make sure your camera is connected and not being used by another app
The final time I tried it was monthly ago, it absolutely was working good. I don't know why it suddenly discontinued working.
ANSWER: Follow these steps to troubleshoot a webcam that is not working or not found in the os.
IMPORTANT: Before beginning this procedure, download and install all available driver, application and system updates for your Sony product.
NOTE: Check the webcam status after completing each step, because each of these steps represents a possible solution to this issue.
- Disconnect any external devices (including external webcams) and for notebook computers, remove the computer from any docking station (if connected).
- Use the System Configuration Utility to determine if a Startup or System Services item is causing the issue.
- Make sure the Visual Conversation Camera device is selected in the settings of the software you are attempting to use (Skype, Google Chat, etc.).
- Permit all USB composite gadgets under Usb 2 . 0 controller classification in the Device Manager.
- Uninstall & re-install all Usb 2 . 0 composite gadgets under the Usb 2 . 0 controller category in the Device Manager.
- Uninstall & reinstall all USB Host Controller devices under the USB control category inside the Device Manager.
- Perform a Program Restore process to return the computer to an earlier date when the webcam was operating properly.
- Perform format and recovery procedure to restore the complete system.
To update driver for SONY SVD1121Q2EB using Windows Update.
You can check Windows Update any time to see if it's found updated drivers for your devices, especially if you recently installed a new device. Then, you can install the updated drivers. Here's how:
- Open Windows Update by clicking the Start button. In the search box, type Update, and then, in the list of results, click Windows Update.
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- On the Select the updates you want to install page, look for updates for your SONY SVD1121Q2EB, select the check box for each driver that you want to install, and then click OK. There might not be any available driver updates.
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text: When: Saturday, Feb. 15, 2013 10 a.m. to 12 noon Where: 232 Carver Drive, Bldg. 2, Garland, TX 75040 City of Garland's Fair Housing Services Department will host a free workshop to provide an opportunity for participants to learn about their rights as tenants from a fair housing perspective. This interactive meeting will teach strategies such as recognizing discriminatory housing practices, understanding a lease agreement, how to request maintenance, and avoiding or resolving landlord-tenant disputes. Many people are unaware of what their rights are, and assume they have no resources available to aid in situations that interfere with the ability to fully enjoy their housing choice. In addition, many of us are service providers and have clients and/or employees who could benefit. The workshop will include light refreshments and an opportunity to win a door prize.


text:
as a leading optical storage manufacturer, announced at the end of April, a
new 8X DUAL burner, the "SOHW-832S". The main difference
with the presently available SOHW-812S series was the adoption
of Double Layer (DVD+R DL)
Our main interest is to see how the new LiteON drive compared with the previous
812S series and most importantly, if and how DL writing works. Another important
issue would be writing quality and the various subtests where the LiteOn 812S
performed very well. So, let's get cracking!
The most important new feature of the SOHW-832S is the ability to read/write
Double Layer DVD+R media.
Double Layer DVD+R system uses two thin embedded organic dye films for data
storage separated by a spacer layer. Heating with a focused
laser beam irreversibly modifies the physical and chemical structure of each
layer such that the modified areas have different optical properties to those
of their unmodified surroundings. This causes a variation in reflectivity as
the disc rotates to provide a read-out signal as with commercially pressed read-only
discs. Below is a picture showing the structure of a DVD+R DL media.
For more information about DVD+R DL technology, you can visit the DVD+RW
Alliance website or
Philips Research website.
The LiteOn SOHW-832S also supports:
terms of writing/reading speeds, the drive supports 8X (Z-CLV)
writing for both DVD±R and 4X (CLV) writing for DVD±RW
formats, while it can read DVD-ROM (pressed) up to 12X (CAV). The drive offers
40X (P-CAV) / 24X (Z-CLV) / 40X (CAV) specs for the CD formats.
The drive's model name, SOHW-832S, is coded according to the SONY Alliance
Models ODD Naming Rule:
- Specifications
DVD±RW: Disc-at-once,
Incremental recording, Multi-border recording, Restricted overwriting
The specs don't indicate whether the drive supports Mount
Rainier for either of CD or DVD formats, but we will check this later. The
drive also uses the RPC II region control, allowing a user to change the drive's
at most 5 times, which however can easily be bypassed with various utilities.
Below are the drive's main specs as given by NeroInfoTool and DVDInfoPro:
Lastly, let's see what additional information KProbe software returns for
LiteON based drives:
- European Retail package
European retail package includes the LiteOn SOHW-832S, a quick install guide,
mounting screws and a sound cable. While the retail box doesn't mention
it, it supports 1-year warranty for Europe, Middle-East and Africa. Included
software is Nero v6 OEM version and CyberLink PowerDVD v5.0 retail
version. The total cost is expected to be around €135.00.
The package also contains one LiteON 8X brand DVD+R media (RICOH, ID Code:
RICOHJPNR02) and a LiteOn 4X brand DVD-R (CMC Magnetics, IDCode CMC MAG. AF1)
Our retail package included a DVD+R DL (from Mitsubishi Chemicals) media,
but we suspect that this won't be included with most retail packages that users
Now let's take a look at the drive itself.
The SOHW-832S looks more or less the same as the previous 812S series
and it has all the appropriate logos indicating the supported formats. The
busy indicator lights up green when the device is active, orange when reading
/ accessing a disc and red when burning. On the front, the user will distinguish
the DVD+R DL logo!
On the rear panel you can see the analogue and digital outputs (SPDIF), the
IDE connector
and the power input. Our drive was manufactured during May 2004 in Taiwan.
Something that should be noted is that the drive is much shorter than the
usual CD/DVD recorder, making its mount an easy task even for PCs with small
Below you can see a picture of the drive with noticeably smaller dimensions
compared with the Plextor Premium drive.
Removing the screws and opening the drive's cover voids the drive's warranty.
For reference reasons, we post the following pictures. You can click on the mainboard
picture for a higher resolution image:
The LiteOn SOHW-832S further incorporates (located on
the underside of the controller circuit board), a high-speed
DVD dual Optical Disk Controller chipset from MediaTek Inc. consisting of
two CMOS ultra-scale integrated circuits, the MT1816E and MT1818E. The MT1816E
is the front-end analog signal processor and the MT1818E is the servo control
and Endec IC. The pickup system is the Sanyo SF-DB 10SA. Note
that the LiteOn SOHW-812S used the exact same board design (with slight differences
in memory brand used but at the same memory timings)!
- Installation
The drive was installed as secondary master and under WindowsXP recognized
as a "LITE-ON DVDR SOHW-832S". The drive arrived
with firmware vVS01 and till today there hasn't been a newer firmware release.
Below is a picture from Nero Burning Rom, showing the drive's specs.
After all tests had finished, LiteON released a newer firmware, VS03 with the update description "match more media".
Nothing really changed in the drive's properties, except the firmware revision.
Notice that the drive is already one month old, and for
beta testers there is already available a newer revision, VS05, which according
to Lite-On, greatly improves writing quality:
We will compare the drive with its older brother, the SOHW-812S, and the
Plextor PX-708A, since all three drives have exactly the same DVD/CD recording
In order to perform our tests we used:


text:
The Crème de la Crème of Cookbooks
There has never been a better time to be an enthusiastic domestic cook. And while cookbooks may be the least-used items in most modern kitchens, given the time involved to follow many recipes and the effort needed to track down exotic ingredients, we continue to have a desire to snap up the latest offerings in search of the next great meal. Of course, we all turn to the Internet for recipes, but when you want to know more of the background of a chef or a regional cuisine, nothing beats a definitive volume on the subject.
The Middle East and Mediterranean are the current food fashions, but by next year we will no doubt see intricate volumes on the state of Latin American—particularly Peruvian—cuisine.
But for now, the cookbooks I list here, all published this year, will provide plenty of stimulus. And, with any luck, they will result in exciting new experiments in your home kitchen.
'Astrance: A Cook's Book'
By Pascal Barbot, Christophe Rohat and Chihiro Masui (Éditions du Chêne), £60
Only in France could someone do their military service as chef to the admiral of the South Pacific fleet. Pascal Barbot is arguably the most internationally minded three-star chef in France, working in London, Sydney and the South Pacific before opening his tiny place in Paris. He is the master of the improvised plate, which explains why there is no set menu. Instead, dishes appear such as sweet onion, chorizo, truffle; hare, quince, gray shallot; or rhubarb, blood sorrel, purple shiso. Comes with a step-by-step illustrated supplement to help cooks at home.
By Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi (Ebury Press), £27
The cookbook of the year? It is impossible not to be stimulated to cook many of these well-described and photographed dishes. The bold colors and contrasts demand it. The reason for the book's acclaim is that despite its exotic location, it is aimed squarely at the home cook elsewhere. Given the potentially explosive nature of the setting, it is inevitable that Jerusalem, a joint effort of Israeli and Palestinian business partners based in London, has to includea foreword explaining that the authors don't wish to offend anybody by claiming which community or religion was first to create specific dishes.
By Magnus Nilsson (Phaidon Press), £35
How did a chef with just 12 covers on a faraway Swedish estate of 8,000 hectares become so renowned? This is New Nordic cuisine with a vengeance—simple but not simplistic, with starters like wild trout roe surrounded by a warm crust of fried pig's blood. Because of Fäviken's remote location, it is completely dependent on the seasons, with preserved vegetables and beef aged for months providing winter sustenance. Apart from explaining his philosophy, there are numerous recipes that translate to more temperate regions.
'Modernist Cuisine at Home'
By Nathan Myhrvold and Maxime Bilet (The Cooking Lab), £100
Hot on the heels of their encyclopedic "Modernist Cuisine," this single-volume version is aimed specifically at domestic foodies who want to emulate the techniques of Molecular chefs such as Ferran Adrià, Grant Achatz or Heston Blumenthal. It isn't trying to promote haute cuisine. Rather it brings science to everyday dishes such as potato purée, eggs sunny-side up or microwaved eggplant Parmesan. This high-tech approach extends to the "Kitchen Manual" supplement, elegantly included in the sturdy slipcase, which is printed on tear- and water-resistant paper.
'The Food of Spain'
By Claudia Roden (Michael Joseph), £25
Claudia Roden has already established herself as the thinking person's cookbook writer with her work on Italian, Jewish, Arab and North African food. This compendium has more than 100 pages on the origins, regions, ingredients and techniques of Hispanic cuisine. There are also hundreds of mouthwatering recipes, along with fascinating asides on an Andalucían gourmet, a banquet in Alicante or an essay on paella. Every chapter and recipe also includes a brief but readable introduction, making it an ideal armchair treat, as well as an essential guide to the varied cuisines of Spain.
Write to Bruce Palling at email@example.com


text:
Regular full-time faculty and staff are eligible to join the plan immediately upon employment. Other employees may be eligible depending on circumstances. If you are not a regular full-time employee (including part-time, temporary or contract workers) you may become eligible to participate in either The University of Western Ontario Academic or Administrative Staff Pension Plans. There are two ways to qualify:
Participation in the plans is voluntary for part-time faculty and staff; however, we encourage you to consider using this very generous pension plan for your retirement savings. Depending on the plan for which you qualify, the employee contribution can range from 1.5% to 5.5% and the employer contributions start at 7.5%.
You can use the plan to save more towards your retirement, in addition to or in lieu of making RRSP contributions. While we hope that you have a long and sustained employment with Western, we recognize that you may not be planning a long-term relationship with the University. It is important to note that all the funds accumulated in the plan (yours, the University's, and the investment return) are payable to you when you leave Western, regardless of the period of time you are a member of the plan. Note: the funds are not available until you leave Western. Your options on how this money can be received (as a taxable cash payment or as a locked-in transfer to another registered plan) will be determined by the applicable pension laws at that time.
If you have qualified using one of the above eligibility criteria, you will be contacted, so it is not necessary for you to track this information. If however, you believe you have met the qualification criteria, please email email@example.com and we will investigate.
* The year's maximum pensionable earnings (YMPE) is the maximum amount of earnings on which contributions to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) are based. You can get information on the CPP pensionable earnings ceiling from the Canada Revenue Agency website.


text:
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — The mayor of the Serbian capital, who leads the country's main opposition party, has been ousted from the position by the ruling populist majority.
Dragan Djilas was removed in a 60-0 vote in the Belgrade city assembly Tuesday. Fifty assembly members abstained from the vote.
The Belgrade mayor is not directly elected by the people but rather selected by the city assembly.
Djilas' pro-Western Democratic Party lost the presidential and parliamentary election last year, but the party did well on the municipal level and Djilas had managed to hang on as mayor.
That changed when allies of the Democrats decided to join the ruling Serbian Progressive Party in ousting him Tuesday.
Djilas has accused the Progressive Party of pursuing authoritarian rule in the country.


text:
Why Healthcare.gov Sucks? Because They Hired Political Cronies, Not Internet Native Companies To Build It
from the you're-doing-it-wrong dept
The Sunlight Foundation (link above) figured out the list of contractors who worked on the site, and noted that the big ones not only are well-known DC power-player insiders, but they're also big on the lobbying and political contributions side of things. You've got companies like... Booz Allen Hamilton, famous for promoting cyberwar hype and employing Ed Snowden. There's defense contracting giant Northrup Grumman. Then there's SAIC -- which I can't believe can still get government business. This is the same firm that famously was given a $380 million contract to revamp the FBI system, on which it went $220 million over budget, and then saw the entire system scrapped after it (literally) brought some users to tears, and the FBI realized it was useless in fighting terrorism. SAIC is also the company that NYC Mayor Bloomberg demanded return $600 million after a city computer project (budgeted at $68 million) actually cost $740 million. SAIC has a long list of similar spectacular failures on government IT projects.
As you look down the list put together by the Sunlight Foundation, it's all companies like this: giant monstrosities which are simply tied in closely with the government. All the large consulting firms are listed: Accenture, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, McKinsey. What's missing? Basically any company with even the slightest smidgen of experience building and maintaining large-scale, public-facing web-based apps. The list has no "internet native" companies.
Many, many years ago, I worked for an e-commerce startup here in Silicon Valley, and I ended up (sort of by default) in charge of trying to open up the government market for what we were doing. It involved meeting with a slew of all-too-slick, ex-politician, ex-military "consultants" with no technical knowledge whatsoever, who, for $15k to $25k/month retainers plus a (large) cut of any deal, would drink hard liquor and promise to "connect" us with big companies with government connections, and then help us sneak past the government bidding process to get no-bid contracts. It was an eye-opening experience that highlighted for me that getting government contracts in the tech world was very much about who you knew, rather than any actual knowledge, skills or experience. While this was quite a long time ago, it would appear that little has changed.


text:
- August 31: Minivan Crash Test Ratings For 2018-2019 Models news | 25 days ago
- August 22: Honda Earth Dreams Engine Lawsuit Filed For CR-Vs and Civics news | 34 days ago
- July 25: Honda Recalls 2018 Civics to Replace Gibberish Labels recalls | 62 days ago
- July 21: Honda CR-V Seating Capacity of Five is False: Lawsuit news | 66 days ago
- July 21: Honda CR-V Vibration Lawsuit May Be Settled news | 66 days ago
2006 Honda Element
Electrical Problems
2006 Honda Element Electrical Problems
Click on a problem below to read more.
- Drive Light Indicator "D" Flashing1
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text:
AfriGeneas Genealogy and History Forum Archive
Re: "The Known World"
In Response To: Re: success story:had to tell somebody ()
Amen Denise! Edward P. Jones wrote "The Known World", a fictional novel about a former slave who then owns slaves. It has won a book prize of some sort, don't ask me which one.
Messages In This Thread


text:
Leaders in the veterinary profession go toe to toe over supply and demand
An assemblage of CEOs and executive vice presidents, deans, board members of veterinary medical associations and nonprofits, salespeople, consultants, analysts, practitioners, past practitioners and, yes, members of the veterinary media gathered for the Banfield Pet Healthcare Industry Summit in Portland, Ore., recenlty to discuss the very thing everyone seems to be talking about. If the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) says the profession is experiencing a 12.5 percent excess capacity in veterinary services, is the problem oversupply of veterinarians or underdemand for veterinary services?
Eleanor Green, DVM, DACVIM, DABVP, dean of the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine, and Mike Thomas, DVM, PhD, founder of Noah's Animal Hospitals in the Indianapolis area, took the stage Aug. 13 to debate the issue with dvm360's own News Channel Director Kristi Reimer as moderator.
"There is no oversupply of veterinarians—there is underdemand," Green says. "We're still called one of the most viable professions. Our focus should be on demand, not supply." She says the profession has to be creative in order to increase demand and that oversupply should be an opportunity for innovation.
Thomas calls this looking through "rose-colored glasses" and counters that as the number of veterinary colleges increases along with class sizes and debt loads, the problems of the profession will also grow as demand remains flat.
For Green, the key ingredients are service, marketing and value in order to convert potential demand into actual clients. But Thomas questions the effectiveness of those tactics in a still tepid economy. "We need to yield to the wisdom of the market," Thomas says. That means capping class sizes and putting the brakes on the creation of new veterinary schools.
But Green says academia is not the problem. "Veterinary colleges are fed with demand," she says. "How do we look at the masses who want our education and say no?" She says the quality of applicant is not waning and the applicant pool increased nationwide in 2013. And she says discouraging students from becoming veterinarians would hurt the profession. "Why can't we start bragging about it instead of crying about it?" she asks. "There's a need out there for us. No one ever shrunk themselves to greatness and neither will we."
The discussions and comments that followed seemed to trend toward Green's glass-half-full approach to the profession's future as members of the crowd took to the microphone. Patty Olsen, DVM, PhD, chief veterinary advisor for the American Humane Association, said, "Market the heck out of it [the profession]. We have lots of services to provide. Why shy away from that?"
David Haworth, DVM, PhD, president and CEO of the Morris Animal Foundation, spoke for his table, saying, "We believe there is an inherent, unrealized value in veterinary medicine."
Others, however, backed Thomas' concerns surrounding how to effectively market the value of veterinary medicine—"We've tried these strategies before and they haven't worked," Thomas told the crowd—and questioned whether that would be enough.
John Volk, senior consultant with Brakke Consulting, shared the same concern from those at his table. He said if demand is need plus ability to pay, the profession needs to "find ways to increase demand and add lower costs."
Those from the AVMA pointed directly to the Partners for Healthy Pets pet owner campaign and its advertisements aimed at getting more clients in for annual exams for their pets. According to CEO Ron DeHaven, DVM, MBA, who addressed the conference on its second day, the campaign is designed to change the conversation from a strategic ideal to an actionable outcome for veterinarians.
Banfield Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Jeffrey Klausner, DVM, MS, DACVIM, expressed Banfield's view that the profession seize potential demand. Clint Lewis, executive vice president and president U.S. Zoetis, echoed the sentiment, saying he couldn't see how cutting the supply of veterinarians would be good for the profession. "We all need to be doing our part to make sure this industry is vital," Lewis said when he took the stage to accept the John Payne Industry Leadership Award Tuesday night of the summit. "So goes the industry, so goes Zoetis; so goes the industry, so goes everybody in this room."


text:
Role Models: Unrated (US - BD)
Gabe goes in for some slightly above average cursing kid shenanigans...
Danny (Paul Rudd) and Wheeler (Seann William Scott) make a living going from high school to high school, speaking inspirationally against drugs, and selling Minotaur Energy Drink. The two men are complete opposites though; Danny is a bitter and bored man approaching middle age, and Wheeler is a fun-loving party boy. When Danny's girlfriend Beth (Elizabeth Banks) breaks up with him for his negative behaviour, Danny goes on a brief and destructive rampage, Wheeler in tow. Now the guys find themselves between a rock and a hard place. The rock is thirty days in prison, the hard place is one hundred and fifty hours of community service with Sturdy Wings, a Big Brothers like organization that sets up troubled boys with adult role models.
It's clear that we're in the midst of a new generation and brand of film comedy these days, fed by the R rated comedy classics of the 1980s, and led by performers, writers and directors like Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Bill Hader, Paul Rudd, and many, many others. Over the last four years we've enjoyed the adventures of The 40 Year Old Virgin, and had our high school dramas redefined by Superbad, and even people that normally don't embrace Hollywood comedy (like myself) have found themselves snickering at inappropriate situations. The fart joke was finally wrapped up in a smart enough bow to appeal to the snobs. I'm very happy that the people seem to have lost interest in easy jokes without a plot, but I'm also getting a little bored with the Apatow/Rogen formula. Technically Apatow and Rogen had nothing to do with Role Models, but there are plenty of similarities in joke and story structure, not to mention actors and visual style.
Role Models mostly works because of a string of strong and charming performances. Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott are both actors that can pull a good performance out of even the dullest script (even if they pretty much play the exact same characters in every film), and their kid co-stars Bobb'e J. Thompson and Christopher Mintz-Plasse are cute and sweet enough to hold their own. The plot developments probably won't surprise anyone that's seen any three act comedies in their lifetime, but the minor conflicts and dramas are touching because of the well built characters, structured around solid performances.
The comedy is a little too simple, and a little too dependent on the audience being shocked by children cursing at adults, and adults cursing back at children. The comfortable vulgarity is charming, but it's not really very funny. That's kind of the theme of all the film's humour—charming, but not hilarious. Besides the vulgarity among minors gags, the jokes are divided among those at the expense of the geeky SCA and LARP types, and those at the expense of motivational speaker types. The last act SCA/LARP battle is a rousing climax for the film, but the real thing, as seen in Luke Meyer and Andrew Neel's Darkon, or likely your local park (weather permitting), is just as funny, perhaps funnier. Sadly, the movie's best jokes have mostly been relegated to the original trailer.
Like I said earlier, these newer adult-oriented comedies seem to have a preset style, which includes the look. Role Models cinematographer Russ T. Alsobrook comes from TV, specifically Apatow and company's Freaks and Geeks, and his recent credits include Superbad and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. His films, like those others, are characterized by soft, pastel colours, and bright but defused lighting. Details aren't particularly impressive beyond what normally accompanies 1080p transfers, and there are some slight inconsistencies throughout. The standard comedy colours are all bright and soft, and are mostly very well separated, as are hard contrast elements. There is some slight noise and miscolouration in the less vibrant hues (like skin tones), but nothing too rough, or reminiscent of standard definition releases.
This particular DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track isn't particularly aggressive. Those listening closely will notice a few state of the art touches, like bass infused giant truck engines, chirping birds and laughing children in the rear and stereo channels, and the sounds of artificial battle surrounding the entire climax. Major dialogue is always centred, even if the character speaking it isn't. Most of the track is about the music, which falls into four categories—whimsical, dramatic, mock heroic (for the LARP scenes), and pop library music. The music is every bit as loud as action movie music, though the rear channels are mostly left out of the equation.
The R rated cut of the film features an audio commentary with director/co-writer David Wain. Wain's a pretty easy going, occasionally kind of boring commentator, but he's got some amusing things to say, not to mention a few interesting facts about the long gestating film, which started its life as a straight forward drama. Fans of Adult Swim's newish series Superjail may recognize Wain as the voice of the warden, while others may remember him as the director and co-writer of the cult favourite Wet Hot American Summer, which contrary to my statements concerning Apatow and Rogen's control over recent comedy, predates The 40 Year Old Virgin.
There are a total of forty two deleted scenes, extended scenes, and alternate takes, thankfully featuring a 'play all' option. In all, these run about fifty minutes. A lot of these, assuming they're displayed in order of appearance, are from the first act. Wain says on the movie commentary (there is no deleted scene commentary) that after filming it was decided that they needed to get to the kids as quickly as possible. This was probably the right decision, but these brief gags are still pretty funny. The deleted scenes from post-kid parts of the movie are more of the full scene variety, and pretty funny too (you might have seen some of them in the trailers). Actually, I think I laughed harder at the deleted footage than I did at the stuff that made the final film.
After four minutes of bloopers, you might want to check out 'On the Set', which moves along the lines of the normal EPK, but much more vulgar than would be acceptable on basic cable. The seven and a half minute featurette is funny and sweet, like the movie itself, and covers the writing process (which was largely ad-libbed), casting, filming, etc, all set to mushy interviews and raw behind the scenes footage. 'Game On' is a nine minute companion piece covering the set-up and filming of the LARP scenes. There was real fight coordinator (Jeff Imada, a big name in choreography) on set, who trained the actors, which isn't actually as surprising as the effort that went into costume design, which I had assumed was just what the extras brought with them. Sections from these behind the scenes bits can be found using the U-Control PiP option while watching the movie.
'In-Character and off Script' is a collection of three improv sessions with three separate actors, set up like interviews with the characters, and cut to footage from the film. These total about eight minutes and are followed by 'Ye Olde Crest Maker', an interactive feature which allows you to create your own battle crest from four screens, each with four choices.
I suppose that even beyond the comparisons to other recent and popular R rated comedies, Role Models takes many cues from the father of all troubled kids hooking up with troubled adults movies— The Bad News Bears. Overall it's a pretty good film, but isn't drop-dead funny or sweet enough to totally overcome the familiar elements. Definitely worth seeing for fans of the actors, and of director David Wain's other work, like The State and Stella. The disc looks and sounds good (as expected), and the deleted scenes feature some very funny moments.
* Note: The images on this page are not representative of the Blu-ray release.
Review by Gabriel Powers
This product has not been rated
Disc Details
Release Date: 10th March 2009
Discs: 1
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: No
Video: 1080p
Aspect: 1.78:1
Anamorphic: No
Colour: Yes
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English, DTS 5.1 French, DTS 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: English SDH, French, and Spanish
Extras: Director Commentary, U-Control PiP, Deleted Scenes and Alternate Takes, Bloopers, On the Set of Role Models, Game On: Creating a Role Playing World, 'In-Character and Off-Script', 'Ye Olde Crest Maker'
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: David Wain
Cast: Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, Elizabeth Banks, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bobb'e J. Thompson
Genre: Comedy
Length: 102 minutes
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How Sexually Charged Is Lil Wayne's 'I Am Not A Human Being II'?
Lil Wayne is no stranger to sex. Weezy has flexed his Energizer Bunny-esque virility throughout his career, both on and off wax, and his new album "I Am Not A Human Being II" is no exception. We break down his love of all things intercourse track-by-track.


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A 13-year-old gets fouled on the basketball court by another student. In turn, later that evening, he sends a Myspace message to that student, saying, "You'd better watch out. I'll get you next time."
Is that 13-year-old being a bully?
One person might say yes, another might disagree. But who's right? And what, if anything, should be done about it?
"History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again."
-From Maya Angelou's "On the Pulse of Morning"
Beginning with today's issue and continuing through the month of February, the Central Kentucky News-Journal will be running a four-part series highlighting Campbellsville residents in honor of Black History Month.
A bill being proposed in the state legislature would require children to have a dental exam before starting school. Students today already must have a physical exam, an eye exam and up-to-date immunizations. And an addition such as this, while it could pose a hardship for some families, certainly makes sense.
A similar bill was first proposed about seven years ago. Each year, however, it has gotten lost in the legislative process.
Tomorrow is the last day for candidates to file to run in the May 20 Primary Election.
On a local basis, the ballot includes races for Campbellsville City Council and 51st District State Representative.
The State Representative's race will be particularly interesting as incumbent Russ Mobley, a Republican, is not seeking re-election. Instead, two other Republicans - Russell Montgomery and Asa James Swan - have filed to run. No Democrat had filed papers as of press deadline for this edition.
We hear the words more often lately - budget cuts, recession, economic downturn. No one is sheltered from the ramifications - especially our government agencies that count on tax dollars to make ends meet.
So, it comes as no real surprise that one of our school systems is looking at the possibility of raising the mileage fee it charges school groups for extracurricular trips.
We can be relatively sure that there will be many more such proposals if budget cuts reach the level already being discussed in Frankfort.
We don't have a problem with legitimate discussion.
Decades ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said to supporters of the civil rights movement in Washington, D.C., "... I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.'
Campbellsville and Taylor County were once again well represented at this past weekend's Kentucky Junior Miss program.
Megan Romines made a Top 15 showing. Taylor County's junior misses always do well at the state program and this year was no exception.
Megan, you should be proud of your accomplishments. We are. We congratulate you on your success and wish for you only more in the future.
"I'm warning you," Mom says. "This is the last time!"
That idle threat is probably heard on a regular basis in every household from here to Timbuktu. But Taylor County magistrates heard something similar recently, and we certainly hope they'll really start to listen soon.
Last November, magistrates voted to adopt a resolution recommended by the Court's Transportation Committee that the County no longer accept gravel roads into its road system - with the exception of three roads already in the process of being accepted.
Thanks to technology, our families will soon be safer.
A new "One Call Now" program, already in use at some local schools, will notify us by telephone in the event of an emergency in Taylor County.
The one-call system can send a pre-recorded message to as many as 5,000 phone numbers in a minute's time. In less than 10 minutes, all of Taylor County could be warned of an approaching storm.
Victims of domestic violence go to great lengths to protect their children. They do not want their children to be hurt and will voluntarily take a beating in order to keep their children from being hit.
A mother's worst nightmare is to have her children become a victim of the violence.
Renewed public discourse about the advisability of lowering the legal drinking age, largely fueled by former Middlebury College President John M. McCardell Jr., has opened a different front in the war on substance use and abuse among young people.
While some have tired of the now decades-old debate, a fresh round of honest discussion by informed public policy-makers and pundits can only inure to the benefit of those with the most at stake.
Ask anyone what comes to mind when they hear the words "Girl Scouts" and they're likely to say: "cookies."
And they'd be right.
But Girl Scouts are much more than just cookies. Just ask one.
For nearly 100 years, Girl Scouting has helped to build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.
According to the organization's Web site, Girl Scouting is the world's leading organization dedicated solely to girls where, in an accepting and nurturing environment, young ladies build character and skills for success in the real world.
In response to (The) Courier Journal's Dec. 17 trashing Interstate 66 and Kentucky as a whole ...
The first time I ever heard of the "Road to Nowhere" was when Happy Chandler, running for governor in 1953, called Gov. Lawrence Wetherby's proposed Kentucky Turnpike from Louisville to Elizabethtown, the "Road that starts nowhere and ends nowhere." Today, what was the Kentucky Turnpike is now part of I-65, one of the busiest roads in Kentucky.
Thirteen may be an unlucky number for some, but for Campbellsville High, which hosted its 13th basketball tournament during the holiday break, it was another great run of basketball entertainment.
Sixteen teams, three days, 24 games, 42 hours of basketball.
The tournament committee led by Campbellsville High Coach Tim Davis, Athletics Director Jim Hardy and a host of volunteers did an excellent job of moving things along. Thirteen years is a good foundation for success.
Five hundred. That's the number of children whose Christmas prospects were improved this year because of Toys for Tots and Toys for Kids.
We are a giving community, but we're also an active community with many active participants. All the giving in the world does not necessarily compute to a good project. But we're blessed to have a couple of great coordinators - Sharon Dobson at the fire departments and Denise Gupton at Rescue.
In about a hundred hours the calendar will flip to a new year - 2008. Almost hard to believe, isn't it?
But as we move ahead, we know that promises can be a dime a dozen. The ones we make that are worth carrying through are as scarce as a hen's teeth. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.
We may have a few personal things that we're going to resolve in 2008 - trim a few pounds, stop smoking, get right with God, rekindle a friendship, or be a better mom or dad.
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
It's a shame it's even necessary, but a recent purchase by the County makes good financial sense.
Taylor Fiscal Court recently bought a $7,435 machine that will let County employees make road signs themselves rather than having to order them to help cut the cost.
Last year alone, the County spent $8,900 on signs. With the new machine, hopefully that cost will decrease to the cost of supplies.
And we're off, to coin a popular Derby day refrain.
Last Tuesday, Steve Beshear was inaugurated as Kentucky's new governor. Let's hope that Campbellsville and Taylor County are as well represented in what happens during the next four years as we were in Beshear's inaugural parade.
Band members from Campbellsville and Taylor County high schools as well as the Campbellsville University Marching Tigers were a part of Tuesday's celebration.
It's commendable that our small community had three groups invited to be a part of such a momentous occasion.
Someone once said: "The manner of giving is worth more than the gift."
And around this community the hearts are always warmer than the dead-of-winter weather.
The Holiday Helpline has ensured that nearly 400 families will have a better Christmas than they might have had otherwise. But the Helpline isn't taking credit. That credit belongs to the community - the one that is always so giving.
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The Central Kentucky News-Journal is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Campbellsville, KY and the surrounding area.


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ST. ALBANS, W.Va. (AP) — Nine people have been hurt, two critically, after more than three dozen vehicles were involved in an early-evening pileup on an Interstate 64 bridge in West Virginia.
Amy Shuler Goodwin, a spokeswoman for Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, said 38 vehicles were involved in the wrecks Thursday evening on a bridge crossing the Kanawha River at St. Albans, near Charleston.
State highway spokesman Brent Walker says nine people were taken to area hospitals with injuries.
Goodwin said that while authorities were still trying to determine the cause, a sudden rain squall had hit the area before the wrecks.
She said those stranded included a group of Winfield High School seniors heading to graduation. Another bus took them to the ceremony.
Walker said two of those injured were in critical condition.