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Valentina1975 necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 143 diseños de 33 diseñadores freelance.
Zuni is a new communications agency in the market with digital at its heart. Despite being new, Zuni has industry experience of over 35 years, across London, Singapore and Sydney. The website will introduce Zuni to the market, and be the agency's hub on the web.
- To gain awareness of the brand in the market
The brand is new. There will be a PR effort to raise awareness of the brand, the website needs to support this effort and give people more information about the agency and what it can do.
Measurable: Hits to the website, length of time.
-To showcase work and establish the team as industry experts
This will be achieved through the existing blog, as well as team bios, client testimonials and case studies of work.
Measurable: Interactions with blog i.e. ratings, share, comments. Blog articles published on industry sites, requests for articles / speakers at events
Direct team skills / areas of expertise
o Digital strategy
o Media strategy
o Client service & account management
o Project & production management
o People management
o Website specification
o Website testing
o Search
o Media
o Flash development
o Website design and development
o Print
o Branding
o Video / film production
o Creative / Art direction
Marketing managers / directors and digital marketing managers
Mid 30s to 50s, generally time poor, but keen to seem knowledgeable within digital. Need quick snippets of information / stats that they can relay on to others. Insight: I want my business objectives delivered. Digital solutions should complement my broader marketing strategy and be handled by reputable digital experts.
Digital marketing managers & product managers
Mid 20s to 40s, generally time poor, they are keen to be well informed on what's happening in digital, and be innovative in this space. Insight: I want to partner with digital experts that make me look good and make my life easier.
Industry peers
Zuni can position themselves either as a lead digital agency engaging industry peers for executional or specialist services, or as a specialist digital agency looking to offer their services to traditional agencies. Insight: I want to partner with digital experts that complement my skills.
Freelancers / contractors
Freelancers need to be able to get an understanding of the agency, as well as contact details and a place for them to submit their resumes. Insight: I want to work with like minded people that will pay me for my services.
Wireframes / prototype to follow is here:
All layout and design elements are open to your interpretaion, but the wireframes show all the elements that need to be included.
- We are a small team with a lot of experience. This allows us to efficiently work directly on your business.
- We are independent and our desire is to produce great work that produces great results. We don't have to answer to shareholders.
Happy clients:
o Zuni deliver what we said we would, when we said we would
o Zuni are transparent and honest, partners rather than suppliers
o Zuni delivers results
o Zuni makes my life easier
o Zuni delivers digital solutions that have measurable business benefits
Happy team:
o Zuni is a lifestyle, not just a job, the team want to be here
o Zuni seek out challenges
o Zuni ensure they have the right tools and facilities to perform great work
o Zuni sets clear expectations with their team
o Zuni invests in training and education for their team
o Zuni is a team with complementary skills who respect and support each other
Quality work:
o Zuni do not except second best or cut corners
o Zuni are a collaborative team, accountable to each other
o Zuni stand by their work and its effectiveness
- Friendly, down to earth simple language
- Authorative and confident, not afraid to be opinionated
- Credible


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Born and trained in France, Master Chef José Gutierrez offers a surprisingly fresh perspective on French cooking. After studying nouvelle cuisine directly under the celebrated Chef Paul Bocuse, Chef Gutierrez arrived in the U.S. Drawn to the flavors of the South, Chef Gutierrez soon found himself in Memphis as Chef de Cuisine at the Peabody Hotel's Chez Philippe.
Chef Gutierrez's exploration of nouvelle Southern cuisine ultimately led him to open his own Encore Restaurant & Bar — where he embraces both his French heritage and traditional Southern tastes. Much to the delight of critics and patrons, his signature recipes like Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Mascarpone Polenta Cakes and Port Wine Reduction apply distinctly French flavors to the hearty dishes of the South.

subset: commoncrawl


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2000 Chevy Camaro - Six-Tease Camaro
A fallen soldier's legacy is often heralded in flag-draped coffins and 21-gun salutes. But what if that fallen soldier is your father? Tom Nichols of Arden Hills, Minnesota, knows that feeling all too well. You see, Tom's father bought this third-gen Camaro brand new in April of 1992, right off the showroom floor. At the age of 11, young Tom learned to drive a manual gearbox in this car, his short legs barely able to reach the clutch. As fate would have it, Tom's father was killed in a helicopter crash on March 13, 1993 while serving in the Minnesota Army National Guard. Tom watched helplessly as the car was sold during the estate sale with a few other cars, one being a red-on-red '69 convertible Corvette with a white soft top, a 427 and a four-speed.
The story could have ended there-another lost car slipping through the fingers of chance. Just another gem to tell the grandkids about "the one that got away." This version has a different ending as providence would have it. In 2004, Tom gratuitously flipped through an Auto Trader while standing in line at a gas station when a '92 Camaro caught his eye. He feverishly called the number listed and reached a retired couple who had surely purchased it during an estate sale. Tom flew out of the gas station and drove the 150 miles to find the car virtually untouched by the elderly couple who couldn't work the clutch pedal anymore. Tom got lucky and found this car before someone got their hands on it and blew the motor, or worse yet, hacked it to bits. You see this is Tom's fathers' car, right down to the VIN number. Tom purchased the car on the spot and parked it until his college graduation, where it was pulled from the garage and given one final glorious drive before being ripped apart for a fresh rebuild.
Tom honored his father's heritage by rejuvenating the Camaro the way his father would have; with an LT1 and a Tremec T56. Tom made sure this rolling memorial would not be a slouch. The seemingly plain-Jane LT1 was well-messaged to a full 383 ci by Wheeler Racing Engines and assembled by Jesse Gese. Most guys would have stopped there, but Tom was determined to make this car go as fast as it looked. A set of Stage III TEA aluminum heads make sure the E85 gets to the cylinders in copious doses. The motor is rounded out with a set of Mahle pistons at 12:1 compression, an Edelbrock LT4 hydraulic camshaft and a Callies crankshaft. Andy Wicks from Dyno Tune USA helped reprogram the Holley fuel injection system to work in conjunction with the polished 58mm throttle body. With 449 rear-wheel horsepower and 462 lb-ft of rear wheel torque, this is a fire-breathing corn-fed dragon.
Nothing was overlooked in the name of speed and safety. This theme continues into the cabin. Ron at Clocksoff Racing made sure this car was safe in the case of incident by installing a custom rollcage. Jim from Premiere Upholstery completely stripped the Corbeau A4 buckets and recreated the stock Camaro look, right down to the Camaro logo on the seat back. A pair of RJS five-point harnesses keeps everyone in their places during Tom's spirited driving episodes.
Don't think for a second that this is a tire-smoking, E85-guzzling pretty face that only goes in a straight line. The car has been treated to a full Spohn suspension with a torque arm, lower control arms, adjustable track bar, sub-frame connectors and a K-member. The 18-inch Boze Speedster custom rims wrapped in Nitto rubber keep it firmly planted on the asphalt in the twisties (18x7.5 in the front and 18x10 in the back). Up front, a set of Wilwood six-piston calipers grab the 14-inch rotors with precision, while out back, a pair of four-piston Wilwood's brings the car to a halt on a dime.
With the help of buddies, Mike Bighley and Todd from Tracktime Motorsports, and three long, arduous years, the car was finally completed with a bright coating of red paint complemented with a pair of black rally stripes gracing the top of the 2-inch steel cowl hood. The stance comes from a compilation of 21/4-inch Eibach lowering springs on all four corners with adjustable KYB AGX shocks. As fate would have it, Tom followed in his father's footsteps and became a pilot. Pilots are a rare breed of humans who crave a combination of speed, adrenaline, and aviator-style sunglasses. They do hundreds of preflight checks, and on this Camaro's checklist it looks like every box was checked and double-checked. Stance, looks, performance, and the plain old cool factor, combine to make a solid, all-around amazing car.


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- Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
- EMS Basic Information
- EMS Training
- EMS Success Stories
- Waste Management Related Initiatives
Basic Information
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
What is an Environmental Managment System (EMS)?
- A set of processes and practices that enable an organization to systematically assess and manage its environmental "footprint" ---the environmental impact associated with its activities, products, and services.
- An important vehicle for improving environmental performance by providing organizations with the tools to successfully manage their environmental activities in a cost effective manner.
What are the Benefits of an EMS?
- Helps an organization comply with its regulatory responsibilities, and provides a means for addressing non-regulated environmental aspects such as energy efficiency and resource conservation;
- Facilitates assessment of risks and liabilities;
- Increases operating efficiency, creates standard operating procedures, and captures institutional knowledge of experienced employees;
- Increases employees' environmental awareness and involvement throughout the organization;
- Potential environmental and financial benefits; and
- Provides a competitive edge and improve public relations.


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The Tom English range is designed for the contemporary man, offering stylish suits at affordable prices. This machine washable suit is made from hard wearing fabric making this the perfect addition to your working wardrobe. This blue check is made on our tailored fit block for a more tapered look with a single breasted two button jacket and tailored fit flat front trousers. Add in the matching waistcoat to achieve another level of formality to your business look.
Jacket: 0042760
Waistcoat: 0042762
50% Wool 50% Polyester
Click and Collect:
Click and Collect from one of our 25 store locations across the country. This service is free and your order will be ready for collection after 10am 2 working days after you order. When you collect your order please bring a proof of purchase and the card you have used for payment.
Standard Delivery:
Standard delivery is free on all UK Mainland orders over £70 and your order will be will be delivered within 2-3 working days. For orders under £70 the standard delivery option is £4.95.
UK Next Day Delivery:
Unfortunately we are not able to offer Next Day Delivery at this time.
All returns on UK orders are FREE, you can return via Collect+ or via Royal Mail or alternatively you can return all or part of your order one of our stores. You have 60 days from receipt of your order to do so as long as they are unworn and in a saleable condition. For exchanges we ask that you place a new order for any items you require and return back to us any unwanted items.
Please visit our Delivery & Returns page for full information.


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It's easy to fix a leaking roof or get a waterproof edge with Selleys range of silicone sealants. Selleys provides you a range of sealants for inside and around the home for when you need to seal out water or need specialist protection.
Silicone sealants are great for keeping the weather out of your home or for waterproofing corners in the bathroom, kitchen or laundry. They can even be used to repair an aquarium. Selleys Silicone sealants form a tough and flexible rubber, which remains flexible for years. Flexibility is important to allow for the movement of different building materials.
Sealing cracks and waterproof edges – Silicone Sealants
Selleys silicone sealants will give you a neat professional edge around baths and tiling. Better still our range of silicone sealants come with a 25 year guarantee (see pack for details) and help resist any unsightly mould and mildew.
Silicone sealants are available in small squeeze tubes and caulking cartridges for an easy professional application.
Sealing larger areas – Selleys All Clear
Selleys All Clear is a multi-purpose co-polymer sealant that forms a clear flexible film on top of a surface that won't crack or dry out. Selleys All Clear is a high grade water resistant sealant that dries crystal clear, blending into the surface for an invisible finish . You can also paint over with oil or water based paints. All Clear contains a fungicide to protect against unsightly mould growth.
Selleys All Clear is available in a small tube, caulking cartridge or a 1 litre tin for painting.
Construction Joints – Selleys Pro-series Sealant
Selleys Pro-series Sealant is formulated for sealing expansion and construction joints between building materials in vertical and horizontal surfaces. It is ideal for expansion joints and can be used internally or externally. Its flexibility and strength will give you years of endurance in harsh weather conditions.
Flooring Sealants
If you're planning a timber floor over a concrete slab, then you'll need a moisture barrier to protect your timber flooring. Selleys Liquid Nails VBS Epoxy Kit can be rolled onto concrete floors to prevent any moisture deteriorating your timber floor overlay.
High Performance Sealants
Powered by SMP technology Selleys High Performance Sealant Range is more durable than conventional polyurethane sealants.
Silicone and other Sealants
Silicone sealants form a tough and flexible rubber, which remains flexible for years.
Co Polymer Sealants
Co-polymer sealants are highly versatile sealants, which can be painted.
Flooring Sealants
Moisture vapour barriers are somewhat different to waterproofing systems in that the rolled on liquid layer of the vapour barrier does not have a membrane and is designed to stop moisture vapour that may be transferred from a concrete slab to the timber overlay.


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Seven Seas Mariner: The Long Cruise Challengeby Art Sbarsky
It used to be Radisson Seven Seas. Now the company has changed to Regent, but more on that later. As far as the product is concerned, by either name it's a truly luxurious experience. On a recent 20-night cruise from Buenos Aires around Cape Horn to Peru, I had a chance to indulge myself, especially as there were several scenic days at sea.
The Seven Seas Mariner offers some very strong features. The all-suite, all-balcony configuration appeals to an upscale group. The entry-level suite is very comfortable at 252 sq. ft. plus a 49 sq. ft. balcony. For more space, larger suites get as big as 1,204 sq. ft., with two balconies totaling 798 sq. ft. Second, at 48,015 gross registered tons and only 700 guests, the space ratio with a full ship is 69 -- one of the highest in the industry.
Open-seating dining works superbly, as it does on Mariner, when there are enough seats in the combined venues to sit everyone at once, when and with whom they want. Reservations are needed at two of the four dining rooms for dinner, but on this longer trip there didn't seem to be a problem getting one; and only at peak hours in the other two did any guests have to wait even a couple of minutes. In addition, the cruise fare covers all tips as well as the excellent wines served at dinner -- nice touches to be sure.
The Long Cruise Challenge On a long cruise such as this, consider some of the challenges Regent faces when it is selling the trip as four segments of a 62-night circumnavigation of South America. On this 20-night leg, there were 574 guests on board; that was about the same for each four segments of the full trip. I learned that 168 passengers were on for the full cruise, the rest for one or more segments. Moreover, 68 of those were on last year's RSSC world cruise. Naturally, the largest numbers of guests were from the U.S. -- about 80 percent. Fifty-seven were from the U.K., 14 from France, 13 from Germany and the rest from 21 various countries.
The challenge is this: How do you feed, entertain and provide shore excursions for such a group over a long period, without repeating things or becoming boring? It takes a lot of thinking and innovation, and I was quite impressed by RSSC's performance.
Dining In the dining area, the main restaurant, Compass Rose, did not repeat a menu -- not even any of the entrées or appetizers (except traditional things always available such as a shrimp cocktail). They always managed to come up with variations in terms of accompanying ingredients and presentation to keep things interesting. In Latitudes, one of the two reservations-only alternative restaurants, the theme is now Indochine, with lots of Southeast Asian items. But the menu was varied during the cruise, so it never got stale. Food here is served family-style (in a very classy way - even the dishes are beautiful) and the taste-sensation is excellent.
Signatures, the other reservations-only alternative restaurant, is the Cordon Bleu dining venue. For those who like top-notch French cuisine, it's great. On two consecutive nights when I went to Signatures and Latitudes, I had the chicken soup. One was Vietnamese style, the other was a "cappuccino" style. Both were sensational, and you would not guess they were made with a chicken base. The daytime buffet restaurant, La Veranda, becomes a casual café at night, where guests select their salad and dessert items from a buffet and the wait-staff brings soup and the main course. This cruise featured a variety of menus: Argentinean dishes, a steakhouse, Chilean flavors and an all-encompassing buffet on a scenic sailing night.
Entertainment For entertainment, the most prolific group was the production team's four singers and six dancers. But gone is the day when the leads could only stand around and sing. This may have been the most talented group, top to bottom, I have seen in the last five years. Their range was from Broadway to rock 'n roll and more. It's amazing what raw talent, some choreography and a bit of staging can do to enliven what is occasionally demeaned as passé. They performed four complete production shows, and then segments for other evenings. The Beatles review and the rock 'n roll show were the best of that sort I have seen.
The cruise director and the assistant cruise director were also very talented and helped create greater variety. Along the way, cabaret acts -- three singers, a magician/comedian, a guitarist and a flutist -- appeared at least twice each. For themed entertainment, there was a two-brother gaucho act and a late afternoon tango/folkloric show in Buenos Aires, and a troupe of 40 Chilean folk singers/dancers that came on board in Valparaiso. The production team helped stage a British Pub Night, a Western Night and a mystery Sherlock Holmes musical game. In addition, the two excellent guest lecturers were a former Managing Director of the Falklands - boy, did he have some stories - and Jean-Michel Cousteau, a very firm advocate of saving our seas. Regent's resident destination expert gave several talks on the historic and cultural aspects of the ports we visited.
The Extras But the quality of the experience involved more than just the standard cruise features. The officers' welcome-aboard presentation, usually quite ho-hum, was done differently than I've ever seen, and was very enjoyable. So were the farewell Captain's presentation and the cruise-ending crew show. I won't go into details about what they did (who knows what competitors may be lurking), but they seemed to reflect a sense of innovative thinking in corporate headquarters as well as on board. Well done!
Officers and crew aboard Radisson Seven Seas Mariner
On Shore For shore excursions, the challenge was putting together enough options for this very well-traveled group to keep them interested. It's not easy when you visit these ports only once a year, and have no real control over what's going to happen. But every tour I took was well handled, with clean, comfortable transportation. When one of two buses broke down on a very steep, dirt mountain road, re-arrangements were quickly made, keeping guest dissatisfaction to a minimum. Many of the ports on this cruise were not names that roll off the tongue of most travelers. They weren't really much in themselves, but they served as the gateway to so much. On a shorter cruise, many people stay away from itineraries with no-name places; but when they are part of a circumnavigation of a continent, you have to go with the flow. And it's worth it. For the scenic highlights of the cruise -- including Cape Horn and the Chilean Fjords -- the destination specialist provided well-informed commentary from the bridge to tell us what we were seeing.
As I mentioned at the top, the corporate name of the cruise line has been changed from Radisson to Regent, properly identifying it as part of the parent company's luxury hotel division. The company has announced many changes that will take place over the coming months. Modifications to the already excellent suites -- such as new comforters and Egyptian cotton linens, new mattresses, cashmere throws, soft bathrobes and towels, and Regent luxury bathroom amenities -- will be part of a multi-million dollar investment; lots more is scheduled to be done. Now, if they would just go to double odds at the mini-craps table.
For more information, check with your travel agent or go to: www.rssc.com.
|Copyright © 2000 - 2013 , Anne Campbell. All rights reserved.


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We have exciting news to share with you. The SNS Creative Challenge will now be held on Facebook.
Search for the Sparkle N Sprinkle Creative Challenge group and ask to join today. This is a closed group, but we want anyone who wants to participate to join (just trying to keep out spammers 😀). You can join today!
The new challenge will begin July 1 and will run from the 1st - 25th of each month. A SNS image (either rubber or digi) needs to be used. If you don't have any yet, no worries, there are some Freebies located on the new website. They are located on the Home page, just scroll down a bit to see them:
The Winner and Top Three will be posted on the last day of each month. The Winner will receive a $15 Gift Certificate to the new on-line store. Please review all the Challenge Rules before submitting your photo.
We hope to see you soon in our new Facebook Group!


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Our morning has been filled with chocolate, flowers and lots of PINK! We want all of you to know how MUCH we love and appreciate you today... and we hope that everyone has a fabulous day filled with lots of love
Ooo, exciting! Seriously, though, don't forget to remind us. :)ReplyDelete
Oh...I cannot wait!!!ReplyDelete
That's so awesome. Congrats! I've gotten everyone in my family hooked on your blog! We love it. :)ReplyDelete
How fun and exciting!! I just love love love that yellow chair!! You're girls are so adorable as well!!ReplyDelete
Oh my goodness- your girls are adorable!! I have to ask- how do you get their hair curly like that? It's so cute~ReplyDelete
Happy Valentines to you too!
Carmen and the Primcats
I can't wait to see your entire collection. I have been following your blog for a while and just love your style.
I am also envious that you got your girls into that tshirt! I wanted my girls to wear it today, but they opted for a black tshirt with a heart on it. I guess at 6 and 4 they are already goth!
Oh a BIG Happy Valentines Day to you and yours... Love the ADORABLE pictures... :)ReplyDelete
wow- that site can be dangerous on my monthly budget! Thanks! :)ReplyDelete
Congrats! Happy Valentine's Day and aren't those cuties so sweet!ReplyDelete
your girls are beautiful! and your photography ;)ReplyDelete
Congrats! You must be over the moon.
Your girls really are darling.
Happy V-Day.
Congratulations! What an honor!! BTW...love those adorable little models. Cute shirts!
Absolutely love the girls valentine shirts. Did you make them?
Congratulations on hosting Joss & Main event.
ok, those three are just too adorable! Hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day:)
love their stuff! i signed up :) i'm anxious for next tuesday to see the sales!!ReplyDelete
I look forward to your event. I love Joss & Main and have made many purchases from their site. They also offer great customer service.ReplyDelete
love the girls shirts! where did you get them? and, how do you curl their hair like that? it's perfect...maybe it's natural? they are all such beauties:)ReplyDelete
Adorable pics of your girls!!ReplyDelete
They are dolls!ReplyDelete
Thank you for taking the time to leave your thoughts and comments. We truly love and appreciate each one!


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Astros 2014: Houston could be ready to turn the corner
This is the first of Sporting News' 30 MLB team previews, which will run through March 30.
Houston will be universally picked to finish at the bottom of the American League West this season.
In future years, though, that may not be the case. The Astros' long, carefully planned rebuild has the team pointing in the right direction—even if the process is a little painful. In their first season in the tough AL West, the Astros lost a major league-worst 111 games.
SN POWER RANKINGS: Astros come in at No. 30
It's a given, with a club that has zero shot to contend, that there are a lot of needs. What's surprising might be what Houston is doing right: compiling top talent with a run of No. 1 picks, and assembling one of the top farm systems in baseball.
The Astros took Stanford starter Mark Appel with the first pick in last June's draft, and shortstop Carlos Correa with the top pick the year before. Correa is ranked the team's best prospect by Baseball Prospectus, and Appel the third best. Houston will again have a No. 1 pick in June.
"Potential superstar," Baseball Prospectus says of Correa, who could be up by the end of the season if he's moved along quickly from Double-A. And consensus says that Appel will be with the Astros at some point this summer, especially given Houston's need for pitching. The club's 4.79 ERA was the worst in the big leagues in 2013.
Jose Altuve (AP Photo)
So that was an area of emphasis in the offseason, with the Astros signing veteran starters Scott Feldman and Jerome Williams, experienced reliever Chad Qualls and 2013 All-Star reliever Jesse Crain. And, of course, the very raw pitching staff of 2013 has gained some big-league talent, which also should help.
"Because we have more established players and we've added veteran players to that core group, you look at our roster, and we overall have a better group of talented players," manager Bo Porter says. "That's going to equate to more wins on the baseball field."
Houston also added center fielder Dexter Fowler, who is coming off a down year in Colorado after being hit with various injuries. The 27-year-old switch hitter becomes the Astros' best defensive player and potentially their top offensive weapon while batting out of the leadoff spot.
"He's a guy that can impact the game on defense," Porter says. "He can impact the game in the batter's box. He can impact the game on the basepaths."
Beyond Fowler, second baseman Jose Altuve and catcher Jason Castro—the team's 1-2-3 hitters, according to Porter—there are more questions than not. First baseman/DH Chris Carter, obtained from Oakland last season for shortstop Jed Lowrie, led the team with 29 homers and 82 RBIs, but he also struck out at a furious pace, with 212, a franchise record and third most in MLB history.
MORE: Advanced defensive stats changing the game | Why so many strikeouts?
Houston hitters combined for 1,530 strikeouts in all, a major league record. That mark must come down in 2014, and the walks need to go up. The Astros drew 426 bases on balls, the 25th-best mark in baseball. The team's .299 on-base percentage was last in the league, with 610 runs scored being the second-lowest total.
Some bright spots included excellent defense from third baseman Matt Dominguez. In his first full big-league year, Dominguez contributed 21 homers, second on the team to Carter. Shortstop Jonathan Villar led all MLB rookies with 18 steals, and that was in just 57 games.
Outfielder Robbie Grossman is likely to stick with the club this season after batting .322 during his second stint up in 2013. And the organization's No. 2 prospect, George Springer, who like Correa played in the Futures Game, could get a look in the outfield after hitting 30 homers and stealing 30 bases between Double-A and Triple-A last year.
Castro was the team's lone All-Star. He's steady behind the plate and hit 18 homers, making him the target of trade rumors. He missed the end of last season with a knee injury but is expected to be fine for spring training.
Houston has accumulated a lot of talent in the rotation and the bullpen, but most of the team's pitchers lack seasoning. The cream of the crop is 23-year-old righthander Jarred Cosart, who made 10 starts and put up a 1.95 ERA with the Astros after debuting in July. Lefthander Brett Oberholtzer, 24, also made 10 starts (and 13 appearances), putting up a 2.24 ERA in those starts, and righthanders hit .216 against him. Former Nationals and A's prospect Brad Peacock, 26, improved over the course of last season, with a 3.67 ERA in his final 12 games (including nine starts) and posted a 5.18 ERA overall. Lefty Dallas Keuchel went 6-10 with a 5.15 ERA in 31 games, making 22 starts. Righthanders Lucas Harrell and Alex White will also compete for rotation spots.
On the relief side, righthander Josh Zeid had a promising final two months, stranding 15 of 17 inherited runners. He had a 1.23 ERA in September. Chia-Jen Lo and Josh Fields both got save opportunities, and Lo, a Taiwanese righty, held hitters to a .203 average. Fields, also a rookie, had an ERA of 4.97 in 41 games but converted five of six save chances, and opponents hit .220 against him. He, too, stranded 15 of 17 inherited runners. And another rookie, lefty Kevin Chapman, looked impressive after coming up in August, not allowing an earned run in his first 13 appearances.
Houston also acquired righthander Anthony Bass from the Padres in December along with signing Qualls, Crain and Matt Albers. Those moves give the Astros the makings of a much-improved bullpen over last year's.
Buy your Sporting News 2014 Baseball Yearbook now!
C-Jason Castro
1B-Jesus Guzman
2B-Jose Altuve
SS-Jonathan Villar
3B-Matt Dominguez
LF-Robbie Grossman
CF-Dexter Fowler
RF-L.J. Hoes/George Springer
DH-Chris Carter
RHP Scott Feldman
LHP Brett Oberholtzer
RHP Jerome Williams
RHP Jarred Cosart
RHP Brad Peacock
Jesse Crain or Chad Qualls
Dexter Fowler (AP Photo)
A major league scout analyzes CF Dexter Fowler:
"He's better than what they had. He's a better leadoff-type of presence. He will change the lineup for the better. He's a switch hitter and a solid defender—and that was (while) playing in a spacious park (at Colorado). He had a breakout season in 2012 and regressed somewhat in 2013, and his home/road splits strongly favor Coors Field, so it will be interesting to see how he does at Minute Maid Park. He's a good center fielder, like an old-school Devon White—smooth, graceful, positions himself well, great instincts. He has a high ceiling; I think this was a nice pickup. He'll steal some bases, probably hit .260-.270, hit 15 homers."
A scout's take on the Astros:
"I think they'll be better. It would be hard to be worse. I think they've added a few pieces, and I like Bo Porter's energy—he's definitely the right guy for that situation. They're still so young. Are some of these big-name prospects ever going to come into their own? Brett Wallace is not the answer, I'm not sure Chris Carter is the answer. I like (Jonathan) Villar—he's a cheap man's Josh Reddick, but he needs to mature. I love (Matt) Dominguez—he's a potential Gold Glove third baseman. …
"They play hard for nine innings, and that's a testament to Bo, but they'll finish in last place. Scott Feldman will help if he can get back where he was; he's a good add. Their rotation is seriously lacking, though there is definite talent there with (Brad) Peacock and (Brett) Oberholtzer. If (catcher) Jason Castro is healthy, great, but if he gets traded, it's a long year for the pitching staff. …
"They definitely have a plan in place, and they'll be able to parlay their record into another top draft pick. They're accumulating a lot of top-tier talent."
Scott Feldman (AP Photo)
Feldman, the longtime Rangers starter, moves south with a three-year contract and becomes the savvy veteran in a rotation full of inexperienced youngsters. The righthander has pitched in 234 MLB games, he's pitched in the postseason and he's won as many as 17 times in a season.
Houston's young pitching staff gave up 616 walks last season, the most in the majors since the Nationals gave 629 free passes in 2009. It's a figure that goes a long way toward explaining the major league-high 848 runs allowed by the Astros in 2013.
Houston will finish last in the AL West again, but with a great quantity of promising talent around the diamond and especially on the pitching staff, this team should improve and become more "watchable." Look for splashy debuts by Appel and Springer, and potentially Correa. And watch out in 2015 or 2016.
This content originally appeared in the Sporting News 2014 Baseball Yearbook. To order a copy, click here.


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Hi Sonya,
Thanks for getting back to me! Sure, weekday afternoons on Kits beach sound good, if we can find a non-rainy day ;) my email address is firstname.lastname@example.com, it will probably be easier to communicate. I am available next week.
Hi Sonya, are you still looking for someone to play with? I live in Kits and have a pretty flexible schedule. I think I'm a 3.0 player, used to play lot and stopped a few years ago. Anyways drop me a line and we'll hit the courts!
Hi, I'm Mark, the founder of Tennisopolis, the world's largest and most active tennis network. Please share Tennisopolis with your friends by supporting our Facebook page. Click here for a Guide to Meet Tennis Partners.
Have a look at our introduction page which will help you navigate the massive network which now has over 40,000 members and 600 local tennis groups.
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5Cities and Bags are the perfect travel companion for any concerning jetsetter. The range spans across many different styles and designs and offer travellers an affordable but reliable way to enjoy seeing the world without worrying about being let down by their luggage.
This 5 Cities Carry-on bag is the ideal trip/business travel bag, available in either a 18″ 50x40x20cm or 21″ 55x40x20cm size, depending on which airline you're flying with.
A retractable handle means you'll be able to either hide the handle to allow you to carry the bag yourself, or employ it to use the two-wheel functionality and take the strain out of your travelling.
It feature two front facing pockets, ideal for storing important items such as your passport, your book or travel money.


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Selecting the SG
Want to know how the SG is selected? Here is a summary.
Innovative WFP feeds the world's video gaming community
WFP's free video game – Food Force – has notched up impressive coverage since it was launched in April 2005. Hats off to WFP and to the game designers and programmers. The game looks slick. And the Food Force website claims more than three million players – with English, Japanese and Italian versions. That figure seems impressive for a game where players save people, rather than kill them. Should we expect a UN Department of Peacekeeping – "Keep the Peace" – video game?
LLP Report: Practical steps to a more efficient and effective United Nations
When most people talk about reform of the United Nations, they talk about big reforms – changing mandates, merging agencies, restructuring the Security Council. High level reforms are hugely political and famously difficult to agree – look at 2005's World Summit in New York for example. Large reforms are only part of what is needed to improve the UN's ability to deliver its mandates and make the world better. We also need to overhaul the internal workings of some parts of the UN to make it a more effective and more efficient organisation.
For many of us – UN staff – internal management reform is not as interesting or important as the politics of the Middle East, anti-narcotics work on the Afghan-Tajik border, or planning food distribution in Sudan. But we need to focus more on internal reform because the cumulative impact of low level problems on our work is immense.
We waste resources on muddled administrative processes and needless reporting. Some of us lose motivation because we are badly managed and projects are struck by crises that better planning could have averted. Jobs go undone because rigid human resource rules prevent managers transferring personnel rapidly from one post to another to meet a sudden need. This all adds up to an organisation that is becoming less effective as a partner, and less attractive as an employer. We must reverse that trend.
First, Member States must decouple political debates about what the UN should do from efforts to change how it works internally. Member State representatives should consider internal management reform proposals on their merits, and support the UN's managers and advisors in their efforts to make the organisation more efficient and effective. Internal change then becomes our – all UN staff persons' – responsibility.
We can do much to make our corners of the UN work better. In this report, the LLP's 1st, we make 32 suggestions. UN managers and staff could implement nearly all of them without spending a lot of money and without having to seek Member State approval.
The UN was designed as a force for change
Ralph Bunche, the first UN official ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize, said that the UN exists "not merely to preserve the peace but also to make change–even radical change–possible without violent upheaval. The United Nations has no vested interest in the status quo."
The UN budget compromise
Last week's budget compromise in the UN General Assembly seems to be a satisfactory, albeit interim, measure to ensure funding for the Secretariat for the first half of 2006 without perpetuating the status quo. Maintaining momentum for meaningful management reform is critical, so it is helpful that member states will have to readdress these issues in a few months' time. more
SG's present to next SG: a revamped UN
"If there's one thing I would like to hand over to my successor when I leave office next year, is that it should be a United Nations that is fit for the many varied tasks and challenges we are asked to take on today," U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan told reporters during his traditional year-end press conference last week.
Should the next SG be a "superior administrative officer"?
The US permanent representative to the UN said this week that the US will be looking for a "superior administrative officer" as the next SG. The UN's Charter mentions the role of the SG only briefly – explicitly referring to the SG's internal role as the chief administrative officer, and making no mention on the post's external role. However, over the years that external role – making peace, focusing policy-makers' and the public's attention on certain issues, convening talks on a particular conflict or maintaining the world's focus on a broad issue – has become the majority of the workload that passes through the Executive Office. more
Whistleblower policy arrives
The Secretariat's whistleblower policy comes into force on 1 January 2006. Whistleblower Policy
Mandate review; budget review
Member States are supposed to approve the UN regular budget for 2006 and 2007 by 31 December. The US has proposed passing a budget for only four or six months in order to allow the budget to be shaped by the various UN reform proposals the Secretary-General is expected to present to the General Assembly by the end of the first quarter of 2006. Nearly all the other Member States are willing to pass a full two-year budget – perhaps with the significant exception of Japan. However, it appears hard to argue with the logic of the US on this point. more
Deputy Secretary-General departure
Louise Fréchette, as Deputy Secretary-General, is the second-highest ranking official in the United Nations. The post also has a lot of responsibility over the Secretariat's internal reform agenda. Ms Fréchette announced last week that she will depart the Secretariat in April next year. Intelligent design could turn her departure into something helpful; a failure to appoint the right candidate early and transparently would reduce even further the chances of meaningful internal reform taking place next year.


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Coming Soon
Sparkle is a timeless story of the bonds of family, the trials of success and the power of music. In her feature film debut, "American Idol" sensation Jordin Sparks stars as Sparkle, a young woman whose big dreams seem almost impossible. She's been warned against the pitfalls of the music industry by her protective mother (Whitney Houston), yet encouraged by the handsome and ambitious Stix (Derek Luke), Sparkle forms a trio with her sisters (Tika Sumpter and Carmen Ejogo). Together, they perform the soul-stirring songs that Sparkle pens. But as their fame grows, so does the risk of jealousy, self-doubt and insidious temptation. This sweeping drama is brought to life with a powerful cast including Mike Epps, Omari Hardwick and CeeLo Green.
|Abe Larkin
|Carmen Ejogo
|Cee Lo Green
|Derek Luke
|Jordin Sparks
|Mike Epps
|Nicholas Ritz
|Omari Hardwick
|Tika Sumpter
|Whitney Houston


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When you launch an EBS instance on EC2, you get a root disk size that is the same as what the machine image was created with. For example, the Ubuntu AMIs by default are 8GB. Typically, the best approach is to leave the root volume this size and add additional volumes provisioned with the size needed for particular data (mysql data files or whatever).
However, sometimes, you just need a bigger root disk than 8GB. It IS possible to launch such an instance. Use this command:
# Launch an instance with a specific root disk size instead of the default UBUNTU_EBS_IMAGE=ami-d0f89fb9 # New volume size in GB VOLUME_SIZE=30 SNAPSHOT_ID=`ec2-describe-images $UBUNTU_EBS_IMAGE | egrep "^BLOCKDEVICEMAPPING" | cut -f4` ec2-run-instances $UBUNTU_EBS_IMAGE # Don't forget all your other normal parameters --block-device-mapping "/dev/sda1=$SNAPSHOT_ID:$VOLUME_SIZE:true:standard" # Ubuntu images on boot will auto-resize their root disk to match the available EBS size


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Germany's capital city, Berlin, offers many worthy sites to tourists. Famous for the wall that once divided East and West, Berlin will leave you with a sense of nostalgia. Even though only fragments of the wall remain, you are still left with a feeling of history. The city lives up to its old reputation of being full of fun and energy. Morning and evening people alike will find something to do in Berlin.
{{"New %s account".replace('%s', data.sAgencyName)}}Why it's valuable to create an account?
You will be able to:
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- Manage your orders history
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FV MAGAZINE Description
FV magazine endeavors to showcase the work of some of the world's best artisans and emerging photographers , stylists , writers to create a forum that inspires the passionate, about the beauty of pop culture to devour and contribute to its dialogue.
FV is a composite of the visual, textual and technological elements that define a great periodical. Our pages present a rich content on celebrity interviews, high profile models and the creative icons of our time, interspersed with exclusive features and smart, seductive editorial stories.
With offices in NY , PARIS& RIO , FV has always exercised the task of featuring exclusive interviews with pop culture's and the music industry trendsetters in terms of sound , image and statement.
Published 4 times a year[+ 2 FV Men issue ] , it is rapidly establishing a high reputation for its cutting edge interviews ,constant original concepts and visuals.
FV Magazine focuses on the trendsetters in the fields of High Fashion, Beauty, Arts/culture and music. It examines the "life well lived" by those that inspire and not only brings their experiences to the reader, but uses technology to take the viewer even further into those worlds blending literature , philosophy , architecture , travel to create an original content .
To keep every issue on the cutting edge , FV is in constantly developing affiliations with Top Fashion & trends media outlets , blogs , podcasts , prints press and websites .
FV MAGAZINE 2 Part-time, Unpaid Responsibilities
You will be working within a team of experienced Fashion and Beauty Editors .
Your duties will include |
*Assisting in building a project database
*Media relations
*Develop detailed marketing plans
*Interact with clients
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*Sell to current customers and prospect for new business
*Coordinate with internal departments to respond quickly to customer needs, requests and problems
*Perform market research through interviews, focus groups and surveys
*Assist in various duties as needed
*Contact PR houses
Successful applicants will be contacted and we will discuss your role further
FV MAGAZINE 2 Part-time, Unpaid Requirements
As part of our Fashion or Beauty Department , you must have |
You will be working with one of the most famous makeup artist in the world so you must have :
*Experience ( already worked at a PR firm or publication )
*Attention to detail
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*Strong confident written and verbal communication.
*Have audience understanding
* photoshop and indesign skills


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AFSP Eastern Missouri
Chapter Events
Virtual Missouri S&T Campus Walk
April 18th
Featured Program
More Than Sad
Learn more about this program ››
Suicide affects each state differently.
It doesn't take much to make a big difference, and there are opportunities for all levels of commitment.
Contact us to learn how you can get involved in your community. Volunteer with AFSP Eastern Missouri
Phyllis Blackwelder
Area Director, Missouri[email protected]
(314) 703-1600
About the AFSP Eastern Missouri chapter
The grassroots work we do focuses on eliminating the loss of life from suicide by: delivering innovative prevention programs, educating the public about risk factors and warning signs, raising funds for suicide research and programs, and reaching out to those individuals who have lost someone to suicide.
As a part of AFSP's growing nationwide network of chapters, we bring together people from all backgrounds who want to prevent suicide in our communities. Families and friends who have lost someone to suicide, vulnerable individuals, mental health professionals, clergy, educators, students, community/business leaders, and many others energize our chapter.


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Today, most home improvement manufacturers offer products that save water and energy to make your home truly green, and this is especially prevelent in the kitchen, bath and laundry areas. Following are a few green products for the kitchen, bath and laundry that conserve precious resources and include features that make it easy to live green every day.
A green clean with steam
The word in green cleaning is steam, and LG's Steam Laundry Pair puts it to work to wipe out allergens and among green products that increase energy and water savings. The convenience of these new front-load laundry appliances begins at their generous square doors with an industry-leading washer capacity of 4.5 cubic feet and expansive 7.4 cubic feet of capacity in the dryer, adding up to fewer wash loads and bigger energy savings. Using LG's TrueSteam Generator to produce real steam in the wash tub, the SteamWasher can reach the appropriate temperature to break down and remove allergens while keeping energy costs low, saving over 7,000 gallons of water annually and protecting clothing in the process. Its Smart Washing System monitors such factors as detergent levels, water hardness, temperature and water level to automatically adjust settings for optimal washing and rinsing, and an Allergiene Allergen-Reduction Cycle removes common allergens such as dust mites and pet dander.
The SteamDryer offers several great laundry care features as well, including SteamSanitary to quickly sanitize dry clothing and other items like blankets, towels and bedding; SteamFresh to reduce wrinkling in large loads and bulky items; ReduceStatic to neutralize static electricity in normal loads; and EasyIron, which lightly and evenly moistens a dryer load before the end of the cycle to make ironing easier. The Steam Laundry Pair also works quietly thanks to an enhanced anti-vibration system, and is available in a variety of eye-catching finishes.
Use less energy to do dishes
Bosch dishwashers have long had reputation for quiet efficiency, and the Ascenta model ratchets up the standard with an appealing, durable stainless steel and reinforced polypropylene design that's an upscale alternative to all-plastic tub dishwashers. Like other Bosch dishwashers, the Energy Star-qualified Ascenta exceeds the federal energy standard by 36 percent, thanks in part to the exclusive ECOSENSE Wash Management System that examines the soil level in the water and customizes water consumption and heat to cut energy costs. Ascenta also has a Half Load option and a QUICKWASH program that allows you to run a speedy 30-minute cycle for smaller loads or less-soiled dishes. Its overflow protection system adds safety, and it's the quietest dishwasher in its class thanks to sound reduction technology that includes a new drain pump to reduce noise as water is draining from the machine. What's more, a redesigned and repositioned dispenser optimizes the release of detergent and rinse aid, reduces the amount of water spray hitting the unit's inner door and lowers the volume of water used for the cleaning agents. Ascenta is a green product available in four models, three having easy-to-use exterior controls and one with sleek concealed controls.
The latest in low-maintenance, high-efficiency toilets
If you're shopping for WaterSense-labeled high-efficiency toilets (HETs), look no further than American Standard's stellar collection. The Dual-Flush FloWise Two-Piece HET reduces water usage with a sleek, striking profile featuring a concealed trapway and provides a flush volume choice of 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf) or 0.8 gpf, potentially saving 30 percent more water than 1.6 gpf toilets. The transitionally styled Dual-Flush FloWise also happens to perform in the best category for bulk waste removal, and is available in an elongated bowl in either Right Height or standard height.
American Standard's Compact Cadet 3 One-Piece is an HET with space-saving flair, incorporating a comfortable Right Height elongated bowl that fits in the same space as a round-front bowl. Its clean, dramatic look incorporates a rolled-edge detail on the tank top and slow-close seat, with a permanent EverClean surface that inhibits the growth of stain- and odor-causing bacteria, mold and mildew on the surface. The Cadet 3 Two-Piece also offers these design hallmarks and water-saving performance, as does the fashion-forward Tropic Two-Piece with its contemporary styling and a trip lever that perfectly coordinates with American Standard's Tropic Faucet.
Convenient control of electricity and water consumption
Maintaining a green scene throughout your home is made easy with GE's SmartCommand System, which integrates existing and future heating, cooling, lighting, security and audio entertainment systems into a single color touchscreen. The new Energy Monitor product adds clever functionality to help the homeowner closely manage electricity and water consumption by consolidating feedback from home appliances and systems, and graphically depicting energy utilization on the unit's touchscreen. Current local utility rates can be entered for an even more specific picture of energy spending, and if someone in the family has a habit of leaving lights on behind them, you can easily shut off fixtures in empty rooms using this green products convenient SmartCommand controls for easy energy savings.


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|Cast of the first specimen found with wing membranes, Musée de sciences naturelles de Bruxelles
|Scientific classification
Meyer, 1846
|Type species
|†Rhamphorhynchus longicaudus
Münster, 1839
Synonyms of R. muensteri
Rhamphorhynchus (/ˌræmfəˈrɪŋkəs, -foʊ-/,[1] "beak snout") is a genus of long-tailed pterosaurs in the Jurassic period. Less specialized than contemporary, short-tailed pterodactyloid pterosaurs such as Pterodactylus, it had a long tail, stiffened with ligaments, which ended in a characteristic diamond-shaped vane. The jaws of Rhamphorhynchus housed needle-like teeth, which were angled forward, with a curved, sharp, beak-like tip lacking teeth, indicating a diet mainly of fish; indeed, fish and cephalopod remains are frequently found in Rhamphorhynchus abdominal contents, as well as in their coprolites.[2]
Although fragmentary fossil remains possibly belonging to Rhamphorhynchus have been found in England, Tanzania, and Spain, the best preserved specimens come from the Solnhofen limestone of Bavaria, Germany. Many of these fossils preserve not only the bones but impressions of soft tissues, such as wing membranes. Scattered teeth believed to belong to Rhamphorhynchus have been found in Portugal as well.[3]
The largest known specimen of Rhamphorhynchus muensteri (catalog number BMNH 37002) measures 1.26 meters (4.1 ft) long with a wingspan of 1.81 meters (5.9 ft).
Contrary to a 1927 report by pterosaur researcher Ferdinand Broili, Rhamphorhynchus lacked any bony or soft tissue crest, as seen in several species of contemporary small pterodactyloid pterosaurs. Broili claimed to have found a two-millimeter-tall crest made of thin bone that ran much of the skull's length in one Rhamphorhynchus specimen, evidenced by an impression in the surrounding rock and a few small fragments of the crest itself.[4] However, subsequent examination of this specimen by Wellnhofer in 1975 and Bennett in 2002 using both visible and ultraviolet light found no trace of a crest; both concluded that Broili was mistaken. The supposed crest, they concluded, was simply an artifact of preservation.[5][6]
The teeth of Rhamphorhynchus intermesh when the jaw is closed and are suggestive of a piscivorous diet.[3] There are twenty teeth in the upper jaws and fourteen in the lower jaws.[3]
History and classification
The classification and taxonomy of Rhamphorhynchus, like many pterosaur species known since the Victorian era, is complex, with a long history of reclassification under a variety of names, often for the same specimens.
The first named specimen of Rhamphorhynchus was brought to the attention of Samuel Thomas von Sömmerring by the collector Georg Graf zu Münster in 1825. Von Sömmerring concluded that it belonged to an ancient bird. When further preparation uncovered teeth, Graf zu Münster sent a cast to Professor Georg August Goldfuss, who recognised it as a pterosaur. Like most pterosaurs described in the mid 19th century, Rhamphorhynchus was originally considered to be a species of Pterodactylus. However, at the time, many scientists incorrectly considered Ornithocephalus to be the valid name for Pterodactylus. This specimen of Rhamphorhynchus was therefore originally named Ornithocephalus Münsteri. This was first mentioned in 1830 by Graf zu Münster himself.[7] However, the description making the name valid was given by Goldfuss in an 1831 follow-up to Münster's short paper.[8] Note that the ICZN later ruled that non-standard Latin characters, such as ü, would not be allowed in scientific names, and the spelling münsteri was emended to muensteri by Richard Lydekker in 1888.
In 1839, Münster described another specimen that he considered to belong to Ornithocephalus (i.e. Pterodactylus), with a distinctive long tail. He named it Ornithocephalus longicaudus, meaning "long tail", to differentiate it from the specimens with short tails (the true specimens of Pterodactylus).[9]
In 1845, Hermann von Meyer officially emended the original species Ornithocephalus münsteri to Pterodactylus münsteri, since the name Pterodactylus had been by that point recognized as having priority over Ornithocephalus.[10] In a subsequent 1846 paper describing a new species of long-tailed 'pterodactyl', von Meyer decided that the long-tailed forms of Pterodactylus were different enough from the short-tailed forms to warrant placement in a subgenus, and he named his new species Pterodactylus (Rhamphorhynchus) gemmingi after a specimen owned by collector Captain Carl Eming von Gemming that was later by von Gemming sold for three hundred guilders to the Teylers Museum in Haarlem.[11] It was not until 1847 that von Meyer elevated Rhamphorhynchus to a full-fledged genus, and officially included in it both long-tailed species of Pterodactylus known at the time, R. longicaudus (the original species preserving a long tail) and R. gemmingi.[12] The type species of Rhamphorhynchus is R. longicaudus; its type specimen or holotype also was sold to the Teylers Museum, where it still resides as TM 6924.
The original species, Pterodactylus muensteri, remained misclassified until a re-evaluation was published by Richard Owen in an 1861 book, in which he renamed it as Rhamphorhynchus münsteri.[13] The type specimen of R. muensteri, described by Münster and Goldfuss, was lost during World War II. If available, a new specimen or neotype is designated the type if the original is lost or deemed too poorly preserved. Peter Wellnhofer declined to designate a neotype in his 1975 review of the genus, because a number of high-quality casts of the original specimen were still available in museum collections.[14] These can serve as plastotypes.
By the 1990s (and following Wellnhofer's consolidation of many previously named species), about five species of Rhamphorhynchus were recognized from the Solnhofen limestone of Germany, with a few others having been named from Africa, Spain, and the UK based on fragmentary remains.[5][14] Most of the Solnhofen species were differentiated based on their relative size, and size-related features, such as the relative length of the skull.[14]
In 1995, pterosaur researcher Chris Bennett published an extensive review of the currently recognized German species. Bennett concluded that all the supposedly distinct German species were actually different year-classes of a single species, R. muensteri, representing distinct age groups, with the smaller species being juveniles and the larger adults. Bennett's paper did not cover the British and African species, though he suggested that these should be considered indeterminate members of the family Rhamphorhynchidae and not necessarily species of Rhamphorhynchus itself. Despite the reduction of the genus to a single species, the type species remains R. longicaudus.[14]
The cladogram (family tree) of rhamphorhynchids below is the result of a large phylogenetic analysis published by Andres & Myers in 2013.[15]
Life history
Traditionally, the large size variation between specimens of Rhamphorhynchus has been taken to represent species variation. However, in a 1995 paper, Bennett argued that these "species" actually represent year-classes of a single species, Rhamphorhynchus muensteri, from flaplings to adults. Following from this interpretation, Bennett found several notable changes that occurred in R. muensteri as the animal aged.[14]
Juvenile Rhamphorhynchus had relatively short skulls with large eyes, and the toothless beak-like tips of the jaws were shorter in juveniles than adults, with rounded, blunt lower jaw tips eventually becoming slender and pointed as the animals grew. Adult Rhamphorhynchus also developed a strong upward "hook" at the end of the lower jaw. The number of teeth remained constant from juvenile to adult, though the teeth became relatively shorter and stockier as the animals grew, possibly to accommodate larger and more powerful prey. The pelvic and pectoral girdles fused as the animals aged, with full pectoral fusion attained by one year of age.[14]
The shape of the tail vane also changed across various age classes of Rhamphorhynchus. In juveniles, the vane was shallow relative to the tail and roughly oval, or "lancet-shaped". As growth progressed, the tail vane became diamond-shaped, and finally triangular in the largest individuals.[14]
The smallest known Rhamphorhynchus specimen has a wingspan of only 290 millimeters; however, it is likely that even such a small individual was capable of flight. Bennett examined two possibilities for hatchlings: that they were altricial, requiring some period of parental care before leaving the nest, or that they were precocial, hatching with sufficient size and ability for flight. If precocious, Bennett suggested that clutches would be small, with only one or two eggs laid per clutch, to compensate for the relatively large size of the hatchings. Bennett did not speculate on which possibility was more likely, though the discovery of a pterosaur embryo (Avgodectes) with strongly ossified bones suggests that pterosaurs in general were precocial, able to fly soon after hatching with minimal parental care.[16] This theory was contested by a histological study of Rhamphorhynchus that showed the initial rapid growth was followed by a prolonged period of slow growth.[17]
Having determined that Rhamphorhynchus specimens fit into discrete year-classes, Bennett was able to estimate the growth rate during one year by comparing the size of one-year-old specimens with two-year-old specimens. He found that the average growth rate during the first year of life for Rhamphorhynchus was 130% to 173%, slightly faster than the growth rate in alligators. Growth likely slowed considerably after sexual maturity, so it would have taken more than three years to attain maximum adult size.[14]
This growth rate is much slower than the rate seen in large pterodactyloid pterosaurs, such as Pteranodon, which attained near-adult size within the first year of life. Additionally, pterodactyloids had determinate growth, meaning that the animals reached a fixed maximum adult size and stopped growing. Previous assumptions of rapid growth rate in rhamphorhynchoids were based on the assumption that they needed to be warm-blooded to sustain active flight. Warm-blooded animals, like modern birds and bats, normally show rapid growth to adult size and determinate growth. Because there is no evidence for either in Rhamphorhynchus, Bennett considered his findings consistent with an ectothermic metabolism, though he recommended more studies needed to be done. Cold-blooded Rhamphorhynchus, Bennett suggested, may have basked in the sun or worked their muscles to accumulate enough energy for bouts of flight, and cooled to ambient temperature when not active to save energy, like modern reptiles.[14]
Though Rhamphorhynchus is often depicted as an aerial piscivore, recent evidence suggests that, much like most modern aquatic birds, it probably foraged while swimming. Like several pteranodontians it has hatchet-shaped deltopectoral crests, a short torso and short legs, all features associated with water based launching in pterosaurs. Its feet are broad and large, being useful for propulsion, and the predicted floating position is adequate by pterosaur standards.[18]
The animal's ability to swim may account for the genus' generally excellent fossil record, being in a position where preservation would be much easier.
Sexual dimorphism
Both Koh Ting-Pong and Peter Wellnhofer recognized two distinct groups among adult Rhamphorhynchus muensteri, differentiated by the proportions of the neck, wing, and hind limbs, but particularly in the ratio of skull to humerus length. Both researchers noted that these two groups of specimens were found in roughly a 1:1 ratio, and interpreted them as different sexes.[5][19] Bennett tested for sexual dimorphism in Rhamphorhynchus by using a statistical analysis, and found that the specimens did indeed group together into small-headed and large-headed sets. However, without any known variation in the actual form of the bones or soft tissue (morphological differences), he found the case for sexual dimorphism inconclusive.[14]
Head orientation
In 2003, a team of researchers led by Lawrence Witmer studied the brain anatomy of several types of pterosaurs, including Rhamphorhynchus muensteri, using endocasts of the brain they retrieved by performing CAT scans of fossil skulls. Using comparisons to modern animals, they were able to estimate various physical attributes of pterosaurs, including relative head orientation during flight and coordination of the wing membrane muscles. Witmer and his team found that Rhamphorhynchus held its head parallel to the ground due to the orientation of the osseous labyrinth of the inner ear, which helps animals detect balance. In contrast, pterodactyloid pterosaurs, such as Anhanguera, appear to have normally held their heads at a downward angle, both in flight and while on the ground.[20]
Daily activity patterns
Comparisons between the scleral rings of Rhamphorhynchus and modern birds and reptiles suggest that it may have been nocturnal, and may have had activity patterns similar to those of modern nocturnal seabirds. This may also indicate niche partitioning with contemporary pterosaurs inferred to be diurnal, such as Scaphognathus and Pterodactylus.[21]
Several limestone slabs have been discovered in which fossils of Rhamphorhynchus are found in close association with the ganoid fish Aspidorhynchus. In one of these specimens, the jaws of an Aspidorhynchus pass through the wings of the Rhamphorhynchus specimen. The Rhamphorhynchus also has the remains of a small fish, possibly Leptolepides, in its throat. This slab, cataloged as WDC CSG 255, may represent two levels of predation; one by Rhamphorhynchus and one by Aspidorhynchus. In a 2012 description of WDC CSG 255, researchers proposed that the Rhamphorhynchus individual had just caught a Leptolepides while it was swimming. As the Leptolepides was travelling down its pharynx, a large Aspidorhynchus would have attacked from below the water, accidentally puncturing the left wing membrane of the Rhamphorhynchus with its sharp rostrum in the process. The teeth in its snout were ensnared in the fibrous tissue of the wing membrane, and as the fish thrashed to release itself the left wing of Rhamphorhynchus was pulled backward into the distorted position seen in the fossil. The encounter resulted in the death of both individuals, most likely because the two animals sank into an anoxic layer in the water body, depriving the fish of oxygen. The two may have been preserved together as the weight of the head of Aspidorhynchus held down the much lighter body of Rhamphorhynchus.[22]
A large number of Rhamphorhynchus species have been named, but are currently considered year-classes of R. muensteri by most researchers. Currently recognized specimens of Rhamphorhynchus have previously been published on under the following junior synonyms:[24]
Note that Rhamphorhynchus is also a genus of orchid, named in 1977 by botanist L.A. Garay. In biological nomenclature, the same name may be used for an animal that has already been used for a plant or vice versa.
Synonyms of Rhamphorhynchus muensteri:
- R. longicaudus (Münster, 1839) von Meyer, 1846
- Pterodactylus longicaudus Münster, 1839
- R. gemmingi (von Meyer, 1846) von Meyer, 1855
- Pterodactylus lavateri von Meyer, 1838a
- Ornithopterus lavateri (von Meyer, 1838a) von Meyer, 1838b
- Pterodactylus gemmingi von Meyer, 1846
- Pterodactylus (Rhamphorhynchus) gemmingi von Meyer, 1846
- Rhamphorhynchus (Pterodactylus) gemmingi (von Meyer, 1846) von Meyer, 1855
- R. suevicus O. Fraas, 1855
- Pterodactylus hirundinaceus Wagner, 1857
- R. curtimanus Wagner, 1858
- R. longimanus Wagner, 1858
- R. meyeri Owen, 1870
- R. phyllurus Marsh, 1882
- Pteromonodactylus phyllurus (Marsh, 1882) Teryaev, 1967
- R. longiceps Woodward, 1902
- R. kokeni F. Plieninger, 1907
- R. megadactylus von Koenigswald, 1931
- R. carnegiei Koh, 1937
- Rhamphorhynchus intermedius Koh, 1937
- R. intermedius var. brevialata Koh, 1937
Dubious species
Dubious species of Rhamphorhynchus:
- R. jessoni (Lydekker, 1890)
- R. tendagurensis (Reck, 1931)
"Odontorhynchus" aculeatus was based on a skull with lower jaws that is now lost. This set of jaws supposedly differed in having two teeth united at the tip of the lower jaw, and none at the tip of the upper jaw. The skull was 6.5–7.0 cm (2.6–2.8 in), making it a small form.[25] Stolley, who described the specimen in 1936, argued that R. longicaudus also should be reclassified in the genus "Odontorhynchus". Both Koh and Wellnhofer rejected this idea, arguing instead that "Odontorhynchus" was a junior synonym of R. longicaudus.[5][19] Bennett agreed with their assessments, and included both "Odontorhynchus" and R. longicaudus as synonyms of R. muensteri.[14]
See also
- ^ "Rhamphorhynchus". Oxford Dictionaries UK Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
- ^ Frey, E.; Tischlinger, H. (2012). "The Late Jurassic pterosaur Rhamphorhynchus, a frequent victim of the ganoid fish Aspidorhynchus?". PLOS ONE. 7 (3): e31945. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0031945. PMC 3296705. PMID 22412850.
- ^ a b c "Rhamphorhynchus." In: Cranfield, Ingrid (ed.). The Illustrated Directory of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Creatures. London: Salamander Books, Ltd. Pp. 302-305.
- ^ Broili, F. (1927). "Ein Exemplar von Rhamphorhynchus mit Resten von Schwimmhaut". Sitzungs-Berichte der bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften mathematisch naturwissenschaftlichen Abteilung. 1927: 29–48.
- ^ a b c d Wellnhofer, P. (1975). "Die Rhamphorhynchoidea (Pterosauria) der Oberjura-Plattenkalke Süddeutschlands". Palaeontographica A. 148: 1–33., 148: 132-186, 149: 1-30.
- ^ Bennett, S.C. (2002). "Soft tissue preservation of the cranial crest of the pterosaur Germanodactylus from Solnhofen". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 22 (1): 43–48. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2002)022[0043:STPOTC]2.0.CO;2.
- ^ Münster, G. Graf zu. (1830). "Nachtrag zu der Abhandlung des Professor Goldfuss über den Ornithocephalus Münsteri (Goldf.)." Bayreuth, 8 p.
- ^ Goldfuss, G.A. (1831). "Beiträge zur Kenntnis verschiedener Reptilien der Vorwelt". Nova Acta Academiae Caesareae Leopoldino-Carolinae Germanicae Naturae Curiosorum. 15: 61–128.
- ^ Münster, G.G. (1839). "Ueber einige neue Versteinerungen in der lithographischen Schiefer von Baiern". Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geologie, und Palaeontologie. 1839: 676–682.
- ^ Meyer, H. von. (1845). "System der fossilen Saurier [Taxonomy of fossil saurians]". Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geognosie, Geologie und Petrefakten-Kunde. 1845: 278–285.
- ^ Meyer, H. von. (1846). "Pterodactylus (Rhamphorhynchus) gemmingi aus dem Kalkschiefer von Solenhofen". Palaeontographica. 1: 1–20.
- ^ Meyer, H. von. (1847). "Homeosaurus maximiliani und Rhamphorhynchus (Pterodactylus) longicaudus, zwei fossile Reptilien aus der Kalkschiefer von Solenhofen." 4X, Frankfurt, 22 p.
- ^ Owen, R. (1861). Palaeontology, or a Systematic Summary of Extinct Animals and their Geological Relations. Adam and Charles Black, Edinburgh, 1-463.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Bennett, S. C. (1995). "A statistical study of Rhamphorhynchus from the Solnhofen Limestone of Germany: Year-classes of a single large species". Journal of Paleontology. 69: 569–580.
- ^ Andres, B.; Myers, T. S. (2013). "Lone Star Pterosaurs". Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 103 (3–4): 1. doi:10.1017/S1755691013000303.
- ^ Wang, X.; Zhou, Z. (2004). "Pterosaur embryo from the Early Cretaceous". Nature. 429 (6992): 623. doi:10.1038/429621a. PMID 15190343.
- ^ Prondvai, E.; Stein, K.; Ősi, A.; Sander, M. P. (2012). Soares, Daphne (ed.). "Life history of Rhamphorhynchus inferred from bone histology and the diversity of pterosaurian growth strategies". PLoS ONE. 7 (2): e31392. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0031392. PMC 3280310. PMID 22355361.
- ^ Witton, M. P. (2015). "Were early pterosaurs inept terrestrial locomotors?". PeerJ. 3: e1018. doi:10.7717/peerj.1018. PMC 4476129. PMID 26157605.
- ^ a b Koh (1937). "Untersuchungen über die Gattung Rhamphorhynchus". Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geologie und Palaeontologie, Beilage-Band. 77: 455–506.
- ^ Witmer, L.M., S. Chatterjee, J. Franzosa, T. Rowe, and R. C. Ridgely. (2004). "Neuroanatomy and vestibular apparatus of pterosaurs: Implications for flight, posture, and behavior." Annual Meeting of the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology, New Orleans, LA. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 43(6): 832. [1]
- ^ Schmitz, L.; Motani, R. (2011). "Nocturnality in Dinosaurs Inferred from Scleral Ring and Orbit Morphology". Science. 332 (6030): 705–8. doi:10.1126/science.1200043. PMID 21493820.
- ^ Frey, E.; Tischlinger, H. (2012). "The Late Jurassic pterosaur Rhamphorhynchus, a frequent victim of the ganoid fish Aspidorhynchus?". PLoS ONE. 7 (3): e31945. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0031945. PMC 3296705. PMID 22412850.
- ^ Paleomania , International Museum Institute
- ^ Olshevsky, G. (2001), "Re: Pterosaur Help", discussion group, The Dinosaur Mailing List, viewed January 10, 2009. http://dml.cmnh.org/.
- ^ Stolley, E. (1936). "Odontorhynchus aculeatus novo. gen. novo. sp., Ein neuer Rhamphorhynchide von Solnhofen. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geololgie, und Paläontologie". Beilage-Band. 75: 543–564.


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In ShortSubway's health-conscious menu is built around greaseless deli sandwiches--turkey, chicken, roast beef, etc.--made on soft rolls baked daily in-house. Customers pick white, wheat or a specialty bun, name the length, choose the toppings and watch as the sandwich moves down the assembly line. Wraps, melts, salads and chips by the bag diversify the streamlined menu. And despite the bread...
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Sleep Medicine Doctors in Davenport, IA
We found 4 Sleep Medicine Doctors in Davenport, IA.search & filter
Sleep Medicine Doctors
A sleep medicine specialist is specially trained in diagnosing and treating disorders involving sleep.
Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome and insomnia are very common and can often cause other serious health issues, such as depression, asthma, and migraines. Sleep medicine specialists often work in sleep centers where they observe a patient while sleeping and monitor brain waves, behavior, and vital signs in order to identify the causes of sleep disturbance, or an inability to sleep (insomnia).
Sleep medicine specialists treat patients through advising on sleep hygiene, providing cognitive behavioral therapy, using light therapy, or medical sleep aides.
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Of all of opera's greatest masterworks, Hector Berlioz's Les Troyens (The Trojans), completed in 1858, is by far the least performed and least well known. It is a massive work, exceeding four hours in length without intermissions, and requires a huge orchestra, chorus, as well as extremely talented singers with high stamina to interpret the principal roles. It is because of these reasons that the work was never performed in full in Berlioz's lifetime; rather, the opera, which is based on Vergil's ancient text, The Aeneid, was divided into two parts and performed separately. Those two parts are: La Prise de Troie (The Capture of Troy), in which the Greeks cleverly destroy Troy using the Trojan Horse, and Les Troyens a Carthage (The Trojans at Carthage), in which the Trojans who escape Troy find safe haven with the Carthaginian queen, Dido, who falls deeply in love with the leader of the Trojans, Aeneas, only to be betrayed by him when he leaves Carthage to fulfill his people's destiny by settling in Rome. Berlioz intended the works to be performed as an integrated whole, inspired by Wagner's conception of the Ring Cycle, but because of the difficulties associated with performing it, above all its massive scale and its demands on any opera company, the task found no takers willing to produce the work in its entirety. The work was performed mostly in fragmented versions of one variety or another, until a definitive performance was given at London's Covent Garden in 1957, almost a hundred years after its completion and 88 years after its composer's death. This text has been the one used by opera companies in the subsequent years, but it has still been rarely performed and is limited to the world's largest opera companies. In addition, only three commercial recordings of the opera have ever been made. New York's Metropolitan Opera is staging a revival of Les Troyens this season, using the production it debuted 10 years ago and has not used since. Fortunately, the January 5 presentation of Les Troyens at the Met was transmitted to theaters worldwide as part of the Met's Live in HD Series.
In perhaps the leading book on opera, Kobbe's Opera Book, one of its authors, The Earl of Harewood, points out that "there is no doubt that Berlioz has put many obstacles between score and public, some of them probably unavoidable. There is equally little doubt that the work ranks among the major operas." Les Troyens is a work worthy to stand aside the greatest of Mozart, Beethoven's Fidelio, Wagner's Ring and Tristan und Isolde, and Verdi's Otello and the great works of the 18th Century composer Gluck, whose music was the primary influence on Berlioz during the writing of the opera. The opera's dramatic scope is virtually unequaled, save for the Ring: the two stories cover a variety of episodes, taken from Vergil, beginning with the doom of Troy foretold by Cassandra (in the Met's production, soprano Deborah Voigt), whose prophecies go unheeded and the Trojan Horse, secretly filled with Greek soldiers, destroy much of the Trojan forces. However, some of the Trojans, led by Aeneas (tenor Bryan Hamel), manage to escape with the Trojans' treasures, guided by the appearance of the ghost of their great warrior, Hector, who instructs Aeneas to move the remnants of their civilization to Rome. The Trojan women, left to the mercy of Greek soldiers, choose to follow Cassandra's example and commit suicide en masse. In the opera's second part, Aeneas seeks sanctuary in Carthage, whose queen Dido (mezzo-soprano Susan Graham) has been lamenting the loss of her husband for several years. The arrival of the Trojans allows them to provide defense of the city, which is under imminent attack. After the Trojans win the victory, Dido and Aeneas fall in love, but Dido is apprehensive nonetheless until she and Aeneas share a spectacular duet, "Nuit d'Ivresse," in which the pair reach a state of enraptured bliss. This bliss does not last for long, as the Trojans pressure Aeneas to fulfill their destiny and leave for Italy, which he reluctantly but heroically does. Dido, humiliated by the betrayal of her lover, kills herself, but not before she foretells the future, in which the conflict between the Trojans and the Romans will be settled in a great war, with their people led by Hannibal. Like Wagner, Berlioz wrote his own libretto, and like Wagner, was inspired by mythology. However, the similarities between the two composers end there, as Berlioz's music lacks the intensity of Wagner's, but is more melodic.
The Met's cast is excellent. Cassandra is a role that has long been a mainstay for Deborah Voigt; in fact, she sang the role on one of the few recordings of the opera, made in 1994. She is in command of the role, but her voice seemed a bit overwhelmed by the vocal demands and she was often drowned out by the orchestra. As Dido, the tall, striking Susan Graham is physically impressive in her powerful role; vocally, her performance is very effective, though not highly individualized until her big aria in act V, "Adieu, fiere cite", when her characterization becomes fully realized and powerfully emotional. The most impressive member of the cast is tenor Bryan Hymel, who stepped into the role of Aeneas after Marcello Giordani backed out. He is in full command of the very difficult dramatic tenor role, with particularly impressive high notes. His voice is reminiscent of a young Placido Domingo's, though without the exceptional lyricism that made the latter's voice especially distinctive. His Act V aria, "Inutiles regrets," brought the house down in a way that I had never heard before. The Met's chorus deserves special recognition, too, as they were highly active in the opera from its opening bars. The chance to conduct Les Troyens is a rare and prestigious assignment, so it is not surprising that the task went to Fabio Luisi, the Met's principal conductor; in previous productions, it would have gone to his predecessor, James Levine. I have now had a chance to hear Luisi conduct Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera and Aida, and now Les Troyens, all in the past month, and he has done an exceptional job in all three. His handling of Berlioz's score does a magnificent job with the marathon conducting, with the Met's great orchestra beautifully handling the long melodic lines.
The production was also highly impressive. Directed by Francesca Zambella, with sets designed by Maria Bjornson and costumes by Anita Yavich, the look of the opera was quite striking. The Trojan sets were dark and scary, with a backdrop that was used throughout the opera. The Carthaginians were dressed largely in white, with Dido and Aeneas donning purple robes in the wake of Aeneas's military victory. They stood in stark contrast to the dark colors worn by the Trojans, indicative of the fall of their society, the war that has made them so wary, and the doom prophesized by Cassandra that they refused to believe. The chorus, impressive as their vocal contributions were, were asked to perform too many movements and seemed silly at times given the amount of expression they were expected to show. The opera's one longueur came in the fourth act, when the main characters sat around watching a ballet, ballet being a convention of 19th Century Parisian opera that even Berlioz couldn't evade. I dislike the way the ballet took away from the dramatic momentum of the opera, and wish it could be excised, though the music was superb.
I strongly urge anyone interested in opera to try to see Les Troyens. The Met's Live in HD broadcast will be re-transmitted Wednesday, January 23, at 6:30 PM local time. If you are unable to see the HD broadcast, I highly recommend tracking down a video or audio recording, particularly the 1969 recording on Philips conducted by Colin Davis featuring the incomprable Jon Vickers as Aeneas.
Photo credits: Metropolitan Opera


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Killzone: Mercenary gives a new perspective on the Killzone Universe. This time you're not an Army grunt who follows orders - you're freelancer, a gun for hire, a soldier of fortune.
These guys don't play by the rules or fight for any flag. They're in it for the money.
The client might give the objective, but they're not going to be telling you how to do your job. You get to pick your own gear and tactics; as long as you get the results.
Killzone: Mercenary hosts a full single player Campaign, spread over 9 missions. In addition to the main missions, there is a new Contracts mode, offering an additional 27 sets of objectives.
You can choose from three difficulty settings; Recruit Trooper and Veteran. The harder the difficulty selected the higher the rewards gained.
- Platform
- Campaign players
- 1
- Online players
- 2-8
- Streetdate
- 4/09/2013
In Killzone: Mercenary, it's all about the contract. It's about doing the job and getting paid. And you get paid well. Every action, every kill, every contract earns you cash.
- See Both Sides of the War
As a Mercenary, you're the perfect deniable asset to perform some of the more clandestine operations that need to be done. The sort of mission they'd rather not use their own troops for.
- Fill Your Bank Account
All your earnings from both single player and multiplayer go into a single bank account. Money you earn in the Campaign can be used to buy gear and weapons in multiplayer, and vice versa.
- Deploy the VAN-Guard
The latest in combat gear, the VAN-Guard is a unique and powerful set of weapon systems which allows you to deploy a wide range of different tactics.
- Fill Contracts
Three special challenge contracts unlock after completing each mission. These new contracts offer additional objectives to complete, focusing on Precision, Demolition or Covert play-styles.
- Collect Valour Cards
Valour Cards can be collected from fallen enemies in multiplayer game modes. Collected cards are placed in your personal collection, and you can pocket big cash rewards by completing different "hands".
Killzone: Mercenary contains a full-fledged online multiplayer experience unlike anything seen on a handheld platform before. Up to 8 players can fight across 6 different maps featuring key events from the Killzone universe. The game also supports 3 different game modes:
- Mercenary Warfare
A chaotic free-for-all, where players engage in a brutal and uncompromising race to earn the most Vektan Dollars in the set time limit. You have no allies here!
- Guerrilla Warfare
ISA and Helghast factions go head-to-head in a team-based deathmatch. The faction that takes out the most enemy troops before the time runs out is the winner.
- Warzone
Two factions face off in five different missions. Each mission features its own rules and objectives that rely on teamwork, strategy and tactical play. The results from each mission are tallied together to reveal the winners of this epic battle.


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Marbury strained the patella tendon in his left knee during the first half of the Philadelphia 76ers' 117-112 victory and spent the second half on the bench in his suit. He watched Allen Iverson turn in his best performance at the Garden in years, scoring 47 points for Philly while Chris Webber added 34.
Marbury will have an MRI today, and with only 11 games remaining, there is a chance that Marbury - who in recent years has been bothered by knee tendinitis - will be shut down for the season.
"Let's see what happens with the MRI and go from there," Larry Brown said after his team fell to 19-51. "We're not going to do anything foolish."
If Marbury's season is over, speculation about his future will begin in earnest. Earlier yesterday, Brown admitted that moving Marbury to shooting guard could be beneficial to both the Knicks and Marbury.
This could have been the last game for Marbury in a Knicks jersey


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Yahoo has reported that Marcus Landry's illustrious Celtics career is over. Well I guess this is good news on two accounts. The celtics now have an extra open 1st row seat for the playoffs to sell and TB can start working on his "What the Hell Happened to Marcus Landy?" piece.JR 4/09/2010 04:33:00 PM Tweet Edit
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Organizing Bike Awareness Rides/Rallies
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Driving a vehicle while texting is six times more dangerous than driving while intoxicated, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
With the number of deaths from distracted driving on the rise, the Milt Olin Foundation was formed to protect pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers and advocate safe roads for all. Your generous donation helps us continue to save lives.


text: Our team of National Aquarium animal experts, including aquarists, herpetologists, aviculturists, curators, veterinarians and marine mammal trainers, have dedicated themselves to providing our living collection the highest possible quality of care. In addition to providing care and enrichment for the animals, our staff members are consistently involved in research projects as well as conservation and outreach work. We are incredibly proud of the collective impact they've made on the lives of our guests and our local community! Throughout the week, we'll be introducing you to just a few of our amazing animal care staff members! They'll be sharing favorite aquarium memories, how they got started in their respective fields and more! Meet the people who keep our animals happy and healthy: Calvin Weaver, herpetologist Aimee Milarski, aviculturist Animal Care Staff Amanda Gensemer, herpetologist Tags: baltimore, zookeeper-appreciation-week, national-aquarium-experts Categories: Behind-The-Scenes Previous Post Next Post


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I recently left my previous job at Malmö University and started a new role as an analyst with Search Integration – this is an awesome opportunity for me, Search Integration are a great company and the hook for me was being able to work 100% with web analytics. A huge bonus is being able to work with Brian Clifton, whose book 'Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics' got me into the field of web analytics in the first place – definitely a Matrix moment!
Part of my new journey with Search Integration was to formalise my Google Analytics knowledge by taking the Google Analytics IQ test. I'm happy to say that I passed first time, with a score of 94%. There's already some great posts about the IQ test out there – for example, I recommend checking out the very candid 'How to fail the Google Analytics Exam'; but I thought it would be useful to share my insights about taking and passing this exam.
Passing the Google Analytics IQ Test
You can find a good description of what the test is like here, so I won't bother going over that ground again. Here's my top tips for passing, and getting maximum benefit from the exam:
1. You need to be familiar with Google Analytics, and using it on a regular basis, before taking the exam. You need to have a basic understanding of implementation and, crucially, interpreting the GA reports – this will give you a strong foundation to build on; otherwise your revision is going to be very abstract. Despite having worked a lot with GA I was very glad that I had revised – there were definitely areas I needed to brush up on.
2. Google's IQ exam presentations are great. Watch them several times and make notes. I'd put aside at least 2 full days to go through them. Incidentally, right click on the links and open them in a new tab to get the full screen view – I noticed a few people were missing this on some forums and squinting at the preview size. My approach was to watch the presentations, pausing them often and referring to the Google Analytics help site and Brian's book as supplementary material.
3. Use the awesome Google Analytics Test site – it's an unofficial community driven labour of love led by Eric Fettman. I would say that most of the questions are harder, and require more lateral thinking, than the GA IQ itself. Beast yourself on their site. To get maximum value from the questions pay attention to the answer sections – for all the questions, not just the ones you got wrong. I found the site particularly helpful in identifying my weak spots.
4. Don't get cocky. My revision was good, and I've a lot of experience in using Analytics but there were definitely a few questions which got me scratching my head. I made sure that I was particularly confident with the following sections:
– Cross domain, and sub-domain tracking
– Attribution rules (and dudu's blog has one of the best visual explanations I've seen)
– Adwords integration with GA
– How cookies work in GA
– Ecommerce tracking
– Filter functionality
Really, the subject is so broad that it's hard to point at particular subjects and say you must understand these more than others. However, a big epiphany for me – in my journey as an analyst – was really getting to grips with what a visit is, and how Google Analytics measures them. Also, really work hard at understanding the difference between a dimension and a metric – this will pay back big time.
5. As my driving instructor said to me, 'don't learn to drive to pass the test, learn to be a good driver'. Aim to exceed the level of the GA IQ test with your revision and you'll not only feel very confident as you answer the questions, but also as you continue to use it in your job – which is the whole point.
My revision benefited from the following resources:
– The IQ Exam presentations
– Brian Clifton's book and blog
– The Google Analytics help site (this gets better and better – good explanations, often with examples)
– The Google Analytics Developer site (I love this site, but you don't need to dive too deep into it – it will help with GATC customisations and cookie understanding; the dimensions and metrics reference guide is also awesome))
– Google Analytics YouTube channel (check out the web analytics TV – benefit from web ninja wisdom and lots of real world cases)
There's a ton of good analytics blogs, but here's a start:
– Advanced Web Metrics
– Occam's Razor
– Google Analytics Blog
– Lunametrics
– Analytics Talk
I guess my main take away is to make your understanding of Google Analytics as real world as possible – if you've got a access to a range of accounts representing different types of websites then you've got a great start. Otherwise pay particular attention to the examples and demonstrations in the resources I identify above.
Good luck, and feel free to get in touch (via comments below) if you've got specific questions, or comments, about the IQ exam.


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According to Facebook's 10-Q filing, the social media site has approximately 83 million fake accounts.
Here is the breakdown from the quarterly filing:
4.8% are duplicate accounts where users have more than one account.
2.4% of accounts are misclassified accounts, where users either create personal accounts for companies, organizations, a pet, or other non-human being.
1.5% are "undesirable accounts." Spamming accounts fall under this category.
This brings the total of fake accounts to 8.7% of Facebook accounts, or 83 million users. So, the number of active accounts is only 872 million.
This number is up from its initial claim in its IPO filing earlier this year, where the social media stated 5-6% of Facebook accounts were bogus.


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Since we need more dreads and a WR might be worth a look.
Cribbs not long for Cleveland? -- 11:58 a.m. ET
Josh Cribbs' days in Cleveland appear numbered.
A source told FOXSports.com on Saturday morning that Cribbs has drawn interest from "multiple" NFL teams as franchises are now allowed to contact agents about the pending unrestricted free agents on other squads.
The source, though, said the Browns are currently not in that mix as the free-agent signing period is set to open Tuesday.
Cribbs has spent all eight of his NFL seasons in Cleveland primarily as a special-teams standout and jack-of-all-trades offensive player. Cribbs was named to the NFL's All-Decade team in the 2000s as a kickoff returner and is the all-time leader in Browns history in that role. Cribbs also is tied for the NFL all-time record in kickoff returns for touchdowns with eight.
Cribbs will be signed as both a wide receiver and returner by a new team, the source said. Cribbs posted a career-high 41 receptions in 2011 but wasn't a significant part of the team's passing offense in 2012. He finished with only 13 touches (seven catches; six rushes), marking his lowest production since Cribbs' rookie campaign in 2005.
Cribbs, 29, should benefit from being in a relatively weak group of second-tier free agent wide receivers behind Pittsburgh's Mike Wallace and Green Bay's Greg Jennings.
Even though Cleveland reportedly has an NFL-high $47 million available in salary cap space, Cribbs' departure was expected with a new Browns front office making the team's personnel moves. -- Alex Marvez