text:
The Sports Xchange
NASCAR Driver Capsules, May 15
Capsules for the top 20 drivers in the Sprint Cup stands, plus five additional drivers of note.
By Jerry Bonkowski and Bob Moore
The Sports Xchange
NASCAR Driver Capsules, May 15
Capsules for the top 20 drivers in the Sprint Cup stands, plus five additional drivers of note.
By Jerry Bonkowski and Bob Moore
48 JIMMIE JOHNSON, Chevrolet
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
WHERE HE STANDS: Jimmie Johnson remained in first place for the sixth straight week after Darlington. He leads second-ranked Carl Edwards by 44 points and third-ranked Matt Kenseth by 59 points.
ALL-STAR RECORD: 11 career starts, 3 wins, 7 top-5s, 7 top-10s, 1 pole. Best career finish: first in 2003, 2006 and 2012 races. Finished first in last year's race.
LOOKING AHEAD: Johnson is tied with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon and the late Dale Earnhardt for most All-Star wins, including last year's win. Johnson comes into the race with the third-best driver ranking of the field, behind Marcos Ambrose and Kyle Busch. Here's Johnson's thoughts on Saturday night's race, particularly with the $1 million bonus put up by track owner Bruton Smith to potentially go along with the $1 million prize for winning the All-Star Race: "It means a lot now, it's got a million more reasons if you are able to win all the segments. It's a huge payday. It's fun to race without points and that sets you up for a nice Memorial (Day) weekend and a good starting point with your race car."
LOOKING BACK: Johnson won last year's All-Star race to tie Jeff Gordon and the late Dale Earnhardt for most wins in the exhibition event (three wins each). Johnson wound up winning $1,071,340 for the triumph.
ETC.: Johnson's average start in the All-Star Race is 9.1 and his average finish is an outstanding 6.6.
99 CARL EDWARDS, Ford
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
WHERE HE STANDS: Carl Edwards remained in second place for the third consecutive week after Darlington. He trails points leader Jimmie Johnson by 44 points and is 15 points ahead of third-ranked Matt Kenseth.
ALL-STAR RECORD: 7 career starts, 1 win, 6 top-fives, 9 top-10s, 0 poles. Best career finish: First in 2011. Finished 23rd (last) in last year's race.
LOOKING AHEAD: Edwards went from winning the 2011 All-Star Race to dead last (23rd) in the 2012 event after suffering engine problems after just 25 laps. It was a bitter disappointment in a season that mirrored that disappointment. In a sense, everything that went good for Edwards in 2011, when he missed winning the Cup championship by a tie-breaker, went totally bad in 2012. Given the bounce back he's made in the standings this season, look for Edwards to have a big race Saturday night.
LOOKING BACK: Edwards came into last year's All-Star Race thinking he'd have a great race, coming in very optimistic. Unfortunately, his day ended just over a fourth of the way through when his engine suffered failure, ending his race after just 25 of the scheduled 90 laps.
ETC.: Edwards career average starting spot in the All-Star Race is 13.0 and average finish is 11.3.
20 MATT KENSETH, Toyota
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
WHERE HE STANDS: After having most of the points he had lost due to penalty after his controversial win at Kansas reinstated upon appeal last week, Kenseth moved up one spot in the standings, from fourth to third after Darlington. He trails series leader Jimmie Johnson by 59 points, is 15 points behind second-ranked Carl Edwards and leads fourth-ranked Dale Earnhardt Jr. by five points.
ALL-STAR RECORD: 12 career starts, 1 win, 5 top-fives, 9 top-10s, 2 poles. Best career finish: First in 2004. Finished 3rd in last year's race.
LOOKING AHEAD: Kenseth has been one of the hottest drivers during the first 11 races of the Sprint Cup season, including a series-leading three wins, most recently this past Saturday at Darlington. He comes into this Saturday's All-Star Race looking for not only the win, but also to win all five segments to collect the $1 million bonus put up by track owner Bruton Smith. Here's Kenseth's thoughts on the success he and his team have enjoyed thus far this season: "I think the goal of a race team and an organization is to never peak. I think it's to continue to keep getting better. That's one thing I've seen over there pretty much from day one. They're not standing still. They're always trying to build a better car. TRD (Toyota Racing Development) is trying to build a better engine. We're always trying to do that -- working on the future. I think that's how racing is. No, I don't have any concern. I really feel like with this team, driving this car, I feel like the sky's the limit. This stuff has been incredibly fast. Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) and I have a special bond right away -- with the whole team. Gosh, I couldn't feel much better about our year so far."
LOOKING BACK: Kenseth had a strong run in last year's race, finishing third. He challenged for the lead, but Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski finished ahead of him.
ETC.: Kenseth's career average starting spot in the All-Star Race is 9.3 and average finish is an outstanding 6.3.
88 DALE EARNHARDT JR., Chevrolet


text: #Doctorwho Joy finds the TARDIS Funko Pop Style September 28, 2015 at 09:04AM By derkdork, writer at creators.co Which companion is most like Joy? Byderkdork, writer at Creators.co Comments Powered by Creators Trending Latest from our Creators #thewalkingdead Extended 'The Walking Dead' Season 7 Premiere Dream Sequence Will Break Your Heart All Over Again by Kara Hedash on Aug 16, 2017 #BatmanAndHarleyQuinn How 'Batman And Harley Quinn' Breaks New Ground For The Queen Of Arkham by Dena Pech on Aug 16, 2017 #Riverdale 'Riverdale' Creator Teases A Frightening Character Named Sugar Man — Is Season 2 Taking A Supernatural Turn? by Kara Hedash on Aug 16, 2017 #MissionImpossible 'Mission: Impossible 6' Director Reveals That Tom Cruise Kept Acting Even With A Broken Ankle From Stunt Gone Wrong by Franco Gucci on Aug 16, 2017 #BirthOfTheDragon Birth Of The Dragon: How Bruce Lee And Wong Jack Man Were The Original Mayweather Vs. McGregor by Carlos Rosario Gonzalez on Aug 16, 2017 #gameofthrones Hold Fire: 'Game Of Thrones' Director Explains The Show's General Lack Of Dragons by Ricky Derisz on Aug 16, 2017 #gameofthrones I'm Not Really Playing A Romantic Interest Here: Aiden Gillen Confirms That Littlefinger Def Doesn't Love Sansa by Genevieve Van Voorhis on Aug 16, 2017 #JamesBond Double No Seven: Daniel Craig Clarifies His 'Slit My Wrist' Comments About Bond by Tom Chapman on Aug 16, 2017

subset: commoncrawl


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POLICE have released an E-fit of a sex attacker who struck in Southend.
He is believed to have assaulted a woman at a grassy area near Clifton Terrace, Sourthend at around 12.30am on October 10, 2012.
The victim, aged in her 20s and from Southend, had been in The Last Post pub in Weston Road, Southend, and left at closing time.
She walked with the suspect and was then assaulted near Clifton Terrace.
The man is described as white with mousey brown hair and is aged somewhere between 21 and 40-years-old. He is 5ft 8ins to 6ft tall, of stocky build and has a pierced right ear.
Detectives believe he may frequent the local homeless shelters.
At the time of the incident he wore a pink McKenzie polo shirt with 1974 printed on it, light coloured chino trousers, white trainers and was carrying a JD Sports bag with a Union Jack design. He carried this on his left side.
Anyone who can identify the man is asked to contact detectives at Southend on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


text:
- 8-10 foot spray
- Ballistic Stream deliver to reduce wind blowback
- Comes with a quick-release key ring
Pepper spray works great as a first line of defense against would be attackers. The active ingredients in Sabre 3-in-1 formula are a careful blend of Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) and tear gas. The OC Pepper causes the eyes to slam shut and uncontrollable choking. The tear gas causes profuse tearing and disorientation. The combination of the two agents produces a powerful self defense spray making this pepper spray model a good choice for an everyday personal defense product. This Sabre pepper spray formula also contains UV dye to invisibly mark an assailant which may aid in identification. This spray is effective at a distance of 8 to 10 feet and the ballistic stream helps to decrease wind blowback.
Technical Information
- Formula: OC Pepper Spray, Tear Gas
- Spray Pattern: Ballistic Stream
- Range: Up to 10'
- Can Volume: 1/2 oz
- Number of Short Bursts: 25
- Marking Dye: Yes
- Carry Method: Key Chain
- Safety: Flip Top


text:
Beautiful, magical and enchanting version of the popular Christmas carol "Deck the Halls" arranged for piano, bells, strings and harp. Ideal for Christmas commercials, web, animation etc.
You may also like:
Save your money $$$ This track is included in the Christmas Pack 2
We are always open for collaboration and cross-promotion.You are welcome to use any of our preview tracks in your work. Just be sure to provide the LINK TO OUR TRACK in your item description and send us the LINK TO YOUR VIDEO, so we could promote it on our profile page and item page.


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Sends unique homing signal/distress call
LED strobe light shows your exact position
Small and rugged design
Easy to carry or wear
GPS acquisition test mode for added security
Head offshore with confidence. With three levels of integrated signal technology-GPS positioning, a powerful 406 MHz signal, and 121.5 MHz homing capability-the AquaLink quickly and accurately relays your position to a wordwide network of Search and Rescue satellites, reducing search time and increasing your chances of survival. It's reliable signaling technology that has saved more than 25,000 lives since 1982. The AquaLink broadcasts a unique registered distress signal that not only tells rescuers where you are, but who you are. The onboard GPS can fix your position to within 100 meters and then utilizes a powerful 406 MHz signal to relay your distress call to orbiting satellites. As local Search and Rescue is deployed, a separate homing signal and integrated LED strobe light guide rescuers to your exact location. The AquaLink is small enough to be easily carried in a pack or pocket or can be worn on deck, at the helm, in quarters, or on a life vest. Average transmit time of 35 hours. Non-hazmat lithium battery pack lasts up to 11 years in storage. ACR Exclusive: Built-in GPS acquisition test mode allows you to test GPS functionality up to 12 times over the life of the battery. Waterproof down to 33' and will float if accidentally dropped overboard. 5.88"H x 2.25" W x 1.49" D. Five-year warranty.


text:
SOUTH Lakeland will be marking Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) for the first time by remembering the 300 child survivors who came to Windermere in 1945.
The event, called 'Journey from Hell to Paradise', will include an exhibition and film about their journey to the Lakes.
The film shows Jewish refugees waiting for the aeroplanes that brought them to Carlisle, where they would then journey on to the Lake District.
Before embarking on new lives, the children spent a period of recuperation in Windermere, with some describing it as 'Paradise'.
Director of the Lake District Holocaust Project Trevor Avery said: "The former housing scheme of Calgarth Estate was home to the first Jewish child survivors to arrive from Eastern Europe after the war.
"An estimated 1.4million Jewish children had been murdered in the Holocaust, and these 300 were some of the very few who did survive."
During the event, Mr Avery will read out a letter from Ben Helfgott, one of the children who came to Windermere and is now Honorary President of the HMD Trust.
Mr Helfgott was born in Poland in 1930. In 1939 German troops entered his town and established the first Jewish ghetto in the country.
He was deported to Buchenwald in 1944 and put to work in Schlieden concentration camp. In April 1945, he was then deported to Theresienstadt, Czechoslovakia, which was liberated on May 9.
Mr Helfgott described his time in Windermere as 'the most wonderful four months you can imagine'.
"We had just been liberated from a concentration camp where the conditions were so terrible many people had to be taken to hospital afterwards.
"When we came to Eng-land it was the first time in years that we had slept in a proper bed by ourselves, with fresh sheets, and it was unbelievable.
"We hadn't had that kind of freedom before. We played football and table tennis, we went on trips and it was really something very special.
"Anyone passing by would never think we had been in a concentration camp, because we had recovered physically, but during our stay we were also slowly recovering mentally.
"Most of us had lost our parents and we worried because didn't know what the future was going to be."
On the significance of HMD, Mr Helfgott said: "We should learn what happened during the Holocaust, and why it happened, so it never happens again.
"The lesson we have to learn is that nobody's life is safe under a dictatorship.
"We must always make sure that we live in a democratic country where people's rights are assured."
As well as the exhibition at Kendal Town Hall on January 23, a short ceremony will be held at noon at the Birdcage, Finkle Street.
There will be a message from South Lakeland District Council Chairman Coun Evelyn Westwood, who organised the occasion alongside the Lake District Holocaust Project.
The Birdcage will be adorned with luggage tags for schoolchildren and members of the public to write messages.
Some relatives of the children will also be attending, including Sue Bermange, whose father Bob Obuchowski was one of 'the Boys', as they became known.
Sue, who is also on the Holocaust Education Trust board, said: "One of his most vivid memories is having bread and marmalade on that first morning – and he's had toast and marmalade every morn-ing since.
"He says that they were all quite wild and the Lake District brought them back to life again."


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Did you know?
A charcoal and oil on canvas work by leading South African contemporary artist William Kentridge was sold on auction for R3,5 million in London in 2012.
South Africa's contemporary artists include painters, sculptors, photographers, digital and multi-media artists. They are constantly finding new ways to express themselves and the themes that interest them.
South African contemporary art draws on the legacy of both European and African traditions. In the process, local artists create something new, informed by their different social, political and cultural positions.
There are many well-established contemporary artists in South Africa, including the likes of William Kentridge, Diane Victor, Willem Boshoff, Lien Botha, Zwelethu Mthethwa, Penny Siopis, Roger Ballen, Sandile Zulu, Willie Bester and David Koloane.
There are also a number of exiting young artists who use new and varied media in their art. Kudzanai Chiurai is a painter interested in the aesthetics of propaganda. Nandipha Mntambo uses cowhide as a canvas for exploring the creative process and challenging societal and cultural norms. Mary Sibande uses the human form as a vehicle to explore the construction of identity in a post-colonial South African context.
Nicholas Hlobo is making international waves with his large sculptural works that contrast femininity and masculinity, using dissimilar materials such as rubber inner tubes, ribbon, organza, lace and found objects. Jeremy Wafer uses photography and fibreglass sculpture to create works that deal with ideas of borders and boundaries.
The complex installations of Sue Williamson use found and reworked materials to explore memory and history. Sandile Zulu has made paintings out of the unpredictable marks left by fire. Ordinary refuse has been imaginatively turned into suggestive collages by Moshekwa Langa. Kendell Geers has used a variety of media, from improvised actions in situ to commercial art tools, to examine the process of art-making itself.
Other South African artists put a conceptual spin on traditional art forms: Jane Alexander pushes sculpture to new limits with her disturbing figures; Jo Ractliffe works with photography to investigate personal and familial memory, death, decay and love.
Other young artists are constantly emerging on South Africa's dynamic modern art scene, exploring themes of local and global relevance in new and meaningful ways.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Art One Sixty
Tel: +27 (0)11 447 4967
Email: email@example.com
Gallery 2
Tel: +27 (0)11 447 0155/98
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Artspace Gallery
Tel: +27 (0)11 880 8802
Email: email@example.com
The Everard Read Gallery
Tel: +27 (0)11 788 4805
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Gallery Momo
Tel: +27 (0)11 327 3247
Email: email@example.com
Goodman Gallery
Tel: +27 (0)11 788 1113
Email: email@example.com
Kim Sacks Gallery
Tel: +27 (0)11 447 5804
Email: email@example.com
Resolution Gallery
Tel: +27 (0)11 880 4054
Email: email@example.com
Warren Siebrit's Modern and Contemporary Art
Tel: +27 (0)11 327 0000
Email: email@example.com
What's happening
There are a number of corporate sponsored competitions that ensure a vibrant calendar of exhibitions by contemporary South Africa artists.
Best buys
The FNB Joburg Art Fair, held annually in September, offers contemporary South African art for sale at good value for money.


text:
Contact the Experts
Relocating to Knysna, South Africa with Movecorp
Movecorp offers a vast range of shipping, moving and storage services to customers relocating to Knysna, South Africa.
We understand that it can be a stressful time when moving to Knysna, South Africa which is why we offer several solutions to make the process simple and as stress free as possible.
All of our customers who move to Knysna, South Africa are given their own dedicated removals coordinator who will be able to help out with all the required paper work, offer advice and be there to answer any questions there may be.
Moving to Knysna, South Africa Services
We have daily collections across the whole of the UK and a team of dedicated move managers that will be on hand to help and advise at every step along the way.
Services Offered
Just some of the services offered:
Part Load or Groupage Service
A groupage service is when one or more people share space in a container, this is the most cost effective way of moving items across the world. As you can see from the diagram below the shipping container is divided up and customers only pay for the space that they use..
Total Peace of Mind
Movecorp is a proud member of a BAR the British Association of Removers and also the Guild of Removers and storers. For your total peace of mind Movecorp operates under the BAR and OFT approved code of practice.
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All pre payments that are made to Movecorp for international removals are covered by the International Movers Mutual Insurance Company pre payment guarantee scheme.
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Our Shipping to South Africa crews are fully trained in export packing and wrapping of furniture, and we only use the highest quality shipping boxes and materials to ensure a totally professional shipping to South Africa service.
South Africa Shipping Price Promise
Movecorp offers a cost effective shipping to South Africa service and we are that confident that we will beat any like for like quote from any professional moving company just ask your move manager for more information.
Documents required for shipping to South Africa
All shipping to South Africa shipments require a packing list or inventory, if you have opted for a packing service our crew will complete this documentation for you. However if you are shipping self packed boxes then please provide us with a content list for each box. The inventory does not have to list every individual item just a brief description of the contents will be fine.
A copy of your passport picture page is also required, along with a delivery address and telephone number.
South Africa Shipping Transit Times
Cape Town: 16-19 days
Removals – Shipping – Moving – Packing – Boxes – Parcel Shipping – Luggage Shipping – European Removals – International removals – Free Moving Quotes
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Contact us for a free quotation for your relocation on the details below and one of our team will contact you with a free no obligation quotation.


text:
Not a MonsterRiddles are little poems or phrases that pose a question that needs answering. Riddles frequently rhyme, but this is not a requirement.
Half-animal, half-man
Does not live in the sea
Not a centaur, called a hand
A she then a he, hiya hee.
Question: What is this creature?
AnswerA Cowboy.
Half of COWBOY is COW(a female mammal)
The other half is BOY (a young man)
A cowboy does not live in the sea.
A cowboy is also called a COWHAND.
A cow is a she... a boy is a he... hi ho hee is kinda what cowboys scream sometimes.
What Next?
See another brain teaser just like this one...
Or, just get a random brain teaser
If you become a registered user you can vote on this riddle, keep track of
which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
Back to Top


text:
Topic: Introduction
Hi, My name is Jeff and I have CC. It was discovered March, 1999 stage IV. Have had 2 surgeries. One to remove the left lobe of liver and my gal bladder and the other was one year later for lung biopsy. Biopsy showed positive for mets. I monitored by way of CT Scans for a few years and pressed on with my life. As of two years ago I started Chemotherpy as nodules on lungs were begining to multiply and the tumor that returned to my liver started to enlarge. I'm about to complete my third different regimen of chemo on Wednesday and next week have a CT to see what if anything has changed. I've tried many different treatments. Some may have helped to slow down this beast but who knows for sure. My prognosis I'm told is terminal and have 6-12 months. That's what I was told two years ago. My heart and prayers go out to all of you! I've been dealing with this CC for quite a while, so I'm completely open to questions and always looking for new suggestion.


text:
Hair Makeover Challenge
Even though her hair is usually blond (see this year's Oscar's hairstyle), Scarlett Johansson is no stranger to the dark side—but the auburn color she debuted last spring was especially fiery! Designed for her reprisal of Black Widow in The Avengers, the hue was redder than the role's original look. For now, Johansson is back to blond: she attended this month's We Bought a Zoo premiere wearing a flaxen updo.
Two Mildred Pierce events, two different looks! At the New York premiere in March, Evan Rachel Wood wore platinum-blond locks and ruby lipstick; by the film's Venice Film Festival debut in September, she was retro-chic with a golden pixie and '60s-inspired eye makeup.
Winter Skin Care Guide


text:
Welcome to Thunderbird Add-ons.
Add extra features and styles to make Thunderbird your own.Close
FoxyProxy Standard 4.6.5 Requires Restart
by Eric H. Jung, groeg, Jesper Staun Hansen
FoxyProxy is an advanced proxy management tool that completely replaces Firefox's limited proxying capabilities. For a simpler tool and less advanced configuration options, please use FoxyProxy Basic.
About this Add-on
Animated icons show you when a proxy is in use. Advanced logging shows you which proxies were used and when. QuickAdd makes it a snap to create new URL patterns on-the-fly. FoxyProxy is fully compatible with Portable Firefox, has better support for PAC files than Firefox itself, and is translated into more than 34 languages.
Developer's Comments
Please report bugs to http://forums.getfoxyproxy.org
Version Information
Version 4.6.5
* Fixed import/export of settings
* Fixed display of alert boxes to notify user of problems
* Ensured alert boxes are titled as "FoxyProxy" and not the generic "Javascript" so that users know the origin of the alert
- Source code released under GNU General Public License, version 2.0
- What's this?


text:
Make your own rules this fall with China Glaze REBEL, a colour collection heavily influenced by the gritty luxe street style of the unrestrained grunge–era.
China Glaze is a revolutionary nail colour system for professional application. Using special methods, China Glaze offers incredible durability, fast drying, easy application and exclusive colours. This longwearing nail lacquer is oil based, offering great coverage with a nonthickening formula. China Glaze Nail Lacquer makes nails look spectacular and dries in seconds.


text:
The words 'first, tallest, deepest, most expensive, lavish, outlandish' could have been created for this city. Where else would you find a seven-star hotel, visit a series of 200 man-made islands in the shape of the countries of the world, or climb the world's tallest building?
Amidst all this modernity, as you head from a swim in the sea or a business meeting to designer boutiques, a round of golf or a top teppanyaki restaurant, the age-old souks still attract those who like to haggle. And yet only a few kilometres into the magnificent desert there are still camels roaming free.
There is a vibrant and cosmopolitan air about Dubai, for instance the way the traditional abra boats carry a kaleidoscope of tourists side by side with sari-wrapped Indians and locals sporting spotless dishdashas.
Outside of Dubai life is more traditional and moves at a slightly slower pace. As you explore the barren beauty of the mountains, or go about the UAE's East coast beaches you will find people friendly and willing to chat, even when lacking a common language.
It's easy to learn more about Dubai – just watch our video introductions. There are videos and pictures about Dubai shopping, dining, sport, business, family/kids, nightlife and sightseeing – to access them, simply click the appropriate links below.


text:
There was a lot of bad about that game last night, but bad/unsightly/grotesque victories beat the living daylights out of good/artistic/glamorous losses. Right? I mean, a year ago, they'd have lost this game 5-2.
1) Sean Avery=difference maker for one of the few times this season, but a lot like he was at the end of the 2008-09 season. I'm pretty sure after the last Gaborik goal he doubled back to have some Avery-like words with the Islanders bench, and probably Martin who challenged him just before the GWG, and that's why the officials were talking to him on the bench. But we all know Avery can play this way if given the opportunity. And we also don't know why he can't always play this way.
2) Marian Gaborik. Every line on which he played was the first line. I liked him with Anisimov and Frolov once or twice when Boogaard was in the box. I really liked him with Dubinsky and Callahan on the PP (wonder if those three could work as a legit first line one of these days).
3) You almost feel sorry for guys like Gillies when they have to fight Boogaard. Man, he's scary. Just so big and mean. Just a mismatch.
4) What are the odds that both Konopka and Prust get in the boxscore and it isn't for fighting each other, but for scoring a goal apiece. Prust was terrific again, but there has to be some major concern about that left arm/shoulder. He shouldn't fight until it's better, but I'm sure he will if needed. And for Konopka, how'd you like a guy like that on your team. Like Prust, he'll fight every night, and he can kill penalties, and he's unbelievable on faceoffs.
5) Faceoffs are becoming a huge problem for the Rangers, aren't they? And shots that miss the net.
6) I thought Del Zotto was quietly fabulous. Thought Rozsival was pretty good, too.
7) Your shutdown defense pair sure had some non-shutdown moments. The first Islanders goal, they were both awful. The second Islanders goal, they were worse. I know it was Dubinsky who failed to pick up the guy who scored, but the right defenseman (Girardi) was up by the blue line, and the left D (Staal) was along the defensive right wall. Neither was in the picture during the replay, and that's never good. And right after the Gaborik goal, those two gave up a breakaway off a center-ice faceoff. That should never happen.
8) Brian Leetch is really getting good in the studio.
9) Let's do this again tonight.
AP Photo above.


text:
Engines — By
the PMY staff
Outboards — Mercury Marine
|2001 Engine Preview
Want a little good news? Optimax technology, introduced in 1997 and currently enjoying a well-deserved reputation for husky reliability, low emissions, and fuel economy, just got a tad better. In fact, via various refinements, the new 135 Optimax now satisfies EPA 2006 emissions standards as well as the Ultra Clean 3-Star exhaust emissions standards promulgated by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). A new multipurpose electronic controller from Motorola, the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) 555, is at the bottom of it all. Dubbed "the brain box to end all brain boxes" by Mercury, it is said to be the most powerful engine microprocessor available today, capable of wringing even more fuel economy and power out of the Optimax's patented and proven direct-fuel-injected Orbital technology. Mercury reps say all Optimax engines will incorporate the new Motorola controller by the end of this year.
On the four-stroke front, Mercury just recently put a couple of lean new beauties on the market, a 115 EFI (at a dry weight of 386 pounds, 110 pounds lighter than the four-stroke Honda BF115) and a new 60 (at a dry weight of 236 pounds, just a tad heavier than Honda's BF50). Both are CARB 3-Star certified and satisfy EPA 2008 guidelines.
Marine (920) 929-5000. Fax: (920) 929-5060. www.mercurymarine.com.
This article originally appeared in the May 2003 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.


text:
Phyllopteryx taeniolatus
|Scope: Global
Language: English
|Scientific Name:
|Phyllopteryx taeniolatus
|Species Authority:
|(Lacepède, 1804)
Common Name(s):
Hippocampus foliatus Perry, 1810
Phillopteryx (sic) elongatus Castelnau, 1872
Phylllopteryx elongatus Castelnau, 1872
Phyllopteryx altus McCoy, 1882
Phyllopteryx foliatus (Shaw, 1804)
Phyllopteryx lucasi Whitley, 1931
Syngnathus foliatus Shaw, 1804
Syngnathus taeniolatus Lacepede, 1804
|Taxonomic Source(s):
|Lacepède, B. G. E. 1804. Mémoire sur plusieurs animaux de la Nouvelle Hollande dont la description n'a pas encore été publiée. Annales du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle 4: 184-211, 4 plates.
|Taxonomic Notes:
|Synonym = Phyllopteryx lucasi Whitley, 1931.
|Red List Category & Criteria:
|Near Threatened ver 3.1
|Year Published:
|Date Assessed:
Needs updating
|Connolly, R.
|Morgan, S.K. & Martin-Smith, K. (Syngnathid Red List Authority)
More information is available about weedy seadragons than when the species was last assessed, and this has resulted in a reassessment of Near Threatened (NT).
There is no evidence of changes in population sizes, but its habitat has been adversely affected by pollution. The extent of degradation and loss of habitat has not been measured but, at this stage, probably represents a small proportion of the total extent of habitat available.
Some issues point towards criteria within the Endangered (EN) category, and these points are described below. None of the information provides compelling evidence for trends in occurrence or occupancy.
The extent of occurrence is estimated to be 2,000 km², which is below the 5,000 km² threshold for EN B1 and well below the 20,000 km² threshold for Vulnerable (VU). Total area of occupancy may be less than 2,000 km² (VU B2 threshold) but at this time is unknown. Criterion B2 therefore cannot be used.
Seadragons have been sighted at numerous locations within the range but it is impossible to determine how fragmented occurrence is. Therefore, sub-criterion B1a cannot be used at present.
EN B1b(iii) (continuing decline in area, extent and/or quality of habitat) is met. Seadragon habitats such as algal covered reefs are being adversely affected by human activities and loss in quality and quantity of habitat has been documented (Baker 2003). The threat to habitat is greatest near major urban centres (e.g., Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne), where discharge of storm water and treated sewage leads to eutrophication and increased sedimentation. The threat to seadragons is lessened to an extent by the occurrence of seadragons at sites distant from these cities, provided that these areas are biologically connected through movement or dispersal.
In Tasmania, the macroalgae-covered reefs on which seadragons occur face another threat. Over the last 20 years, the sea urchin Centrostephanus rogersii, has become more common and increased its range around the state. The increase in sea urchins is considered to have resulted from harvesting of rock lobster, a known predator of urchins, and climate change. Grazing by urchins reduces the abundance of kelp and other macroalgae through the formation of urchin barrens. Furthermore, significant losses of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) have been documented over the past 20 years (Edyvane 2003), associated with increased water temperatures. The reduction in macroalgae could adversely affect seadragons although this has not been demonstrated.
In South Australia, a possible contraction in extent of occupancy has been mentioned (Baker 2003). Historical records exist from benthic surveys in Gulf St Vincent in the period 1965–1971, where reportedly "numerous weedies were observed" in northern Gulf St Vincent, adjacent to the city of Adelaide (S. Shepherd, pers. comm. to Baker, 2003). No sightings in this area have been reported to Dragon Search during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Admittedly the lack of recent sightings might be due to the lack of popular diving spots in the northern gulf, and the lack of systematic surveys in recent years (Baker 2003). However, the occurrence of seadragons might have been affected by significant habitat degradation and loss recorded since the 1960s in this part of the gulf. In particular, large areas of seagrass have been lost in waters deeper than 10 m south of a line between Ardrossan and Port Prime (Baker 2003). More rigorous monitoring of seadragon populations would assist in assessing changes in occupancy such as this.
In summary, the lack of trend data means that seadragons cannot be described as meeting any of the threatened categories at present, but it nearly meets Endangered under criterion B (currently only one sub-criterion (B1b(iii)) is met). Therefore it is assessed as NT. The greatest threat is habitat loss but at this stage the loss is limited to regions immediately around large cities, which in Australia are well separated.
Continued monitoring is required to establish population trends. Research is also needed to establish areas of occupancy.
|Previously published Red List assessments:
|Range Description:
|Weedy Seadragons are found along much of the southern Australian coastline, from near Newcastle, NSW (approx 32° 56'S) southwards to Actaeon Island, TAS (43°32'S) and westwards through VIC and SA to Geraldton, WA (28°46'S) (Pogonoski et al. 2002).
Phyllopteryx taeniolatus can be locally common in NSW, VIC and TAS. In Victoria it can often be seen in shallow areas of Port Phillip Bay (surrounded by the city of Melbourne) and Western Port. In NSW it is often found on sheltered reefs in waters exceeding 15 m, but is also found in shallower waters in large open bays (Kuiter 2000a). In TAS large numbers have been observed at a number of sites in the D'Entrecasteaux Channel, particular in the Blackman's Bay/Kingston area (Martin-Smith and Davey, unpublished data).
See the Supplementary Material for a map of the known range of P. taeniolatus.
|Countries occurrence:
Native:Australia (New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia)
|FAO Marine Fishing Areas:
Indian Ocean – eastern; Pacific – southwest
|Additional data:
|Range Map:
|Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.
|No firm population estimates exist for Weedy Seadragons, but an approximate estimate can be made using certain assumptions. Estimates of densities can be obtained for several locations, although at this stage no analyses of trends in densities are available.
From the study by Sanchez-Camara and Booth (2004) near Sydney, NSW, using certain assumptions about the width of transects (recorded as 350 long, and assumed to be approximately 20 m wide), densities averaged 58 fish ha-1 at the 2 sites where most work was done. At a nearby site with fewer fish where less work was done, densities were about a quarter of these estimates. Densities at two sites in the Derwent estuary in TAS have been estimated using mark-recapture methods at 12–20 and 4–10 fish ha-1 (M. Davey and K. Martin-Smith, unpubl. data).
In making an overall population estimate, the following estimations and assumptions were made:
1. The sites at which Sanchez-Camara and Booth (2004) worked were chosen because relatively frequent sightings had been made there previously. An average density across the distribution would be lower, probably lower even than the third site used by Sanchez-Camara and Booth (2004) and the sites in TAS surveyed by Davey and Martin-Smith. A figure of 5 fish ha-1 was used (approximately 10% of upper estimate by Sanchez-Camara and Booth (2004)).
2. The coastline along which Weedy Seadragons occur is an estimated 20,000 km long (including TAS).
3. The species occurs most frequently in a thin strip of shallow water along the coastline, most frequently along the edge of reefs supporting stands of macroalgae. This strip is estimated to be, on average, 100 m wide, giving a total of 200,000 ha of occupancy.
At five fish per ha, the estimated total number of Weedy Seadragons is ~ 1,000,000. Confidence limits cannot be stated but the estimate is clearly based on very loose assumptions. The purpose of making such an estimate is to give perspective to the number of fish that might be removed from the wild (see Threats, below).
Mapping of habitat at sites far from major population centres and research into variability in habitat use at different sites is required to make the estimate of total population size more rigorous.
|Current Population Trend:
|Additional data:
|Habitat and Ecology:
|Weedy Seadragons occur over rocky reefs supporting stands of kelp or other macroalgae, or over adjacent stretches of bare sand (Kuiter 2000a). Phyllopteryx taenoliatus is most commonly observed along reefs in areas abutting sand where it feeds on mysids and small crustaceans (Kuiter 2000b). Individuals have been shown to have broad, overlapping home ranges that can vary in length from 50–150 m, and be up to 50 m wide (Sanchez-Camara and Booth 2004). Baker (2000a) found that Weedy Seadragons also live in association with sponges. The species' depth distribution ranges from shallow bays down to reefs at depths of up to 50 m.
The extent to which the species occurs over seagrass meadows is unknown and needs investigation. The other large syngnathid from southern Australian waters, the Leafy Seadragon, was not considered to be associated with seagrass until recently. For that species, ultrasonic tracking of individuals demonstrated that they were at least as likely to occur over seagrass as over algae. Although this may not be true for Weedy Seadragons, it is important to establish any use of seagrass meadows because seagrasses are known to be adversely affected by pollution in southern Australia; habitat use is therefore important in the consideration of potential threats (see Threats, below).
The breeding season for Weedy Seadragons is early summer and there is one brood per season. Males carry the eggs externally below their tail and the skin forms a cup on each egg during deposition. Incubation time is about eight weeks and up to about 250 young hatch. Some individuals mature in one year, but most usually breed in their second year when fully grown (Kuiter 1993). Baker (2000a) reports that brooding males have been observed in NSW from mid-winter to mid-summer, but never from February to June, despite sightings of over 350 seadragons during this period.
In the Sydney area and in southern NSW, aggregations of between 20 and 40 seadragons have been observed, respectively (Baker 2000a).
Phyllopteryx taeniolatus feeds on mysids and other small crustaceans and attains about 45 cm in total length (Kuiter 1993).
|Major Threat(s):
The main threats to the weedy seadragon include; 1) intrinsic life history traits thought to limit dispersal, 2) habitat degradation, 3) collection for trade:
1. Weedy Seadragons lack a caudal fin and are weak swimmers; in conjunction with a lack of a dispersive egg phase, this potentially makes them vulnerable to habitat loss and degradation, which is the main threat to this species.
2a. Both algae-covered reefs and seagrass meadows have been adversely affected by human activities and loss in quality and quantity of habitat has been documented (Baker 2003). The degradation of habitat is worst near major urban centres (e.g., Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth), where discharge of storm water and treated sewage leads to eutrophication and increased sedimentation. Losses of seagrass have been particularly severe along the metropolitan coasts and are well documented (Short and Wyllie-Echeverria 1996). Reefs have been more strongly affected by increased rates of sedimentation resulting from human activities such as sand dredging, land reclamation and coastal urban development (Baker 2003).
2b. Urchin consumption of kelp beds and loss of giant kelp in TAS through climate change.
3. The legal and/or illegal collection of wild specimens has little likelihood of causing long-term changes in population sizes, unless demand increases substantially. The small numbers taken could result in the reduction or loss of groups of animals at particular sites, but this is unlikely to result in measurable effects on populations. Weedy Seadragons have not been reported in surveys of incidental bycatch in trawl fisheries of southeastern Australia.
|Conservation Actions:
Legislation (Source: Pogonoski et al. 2002)
1. Protected Species in NSW under Fisheries Management Act 1994.
2. The Tasmanian Living Marine Resources Management Act 1995 prohibits the take of all syngnathids in Tasmania (by non-permit holders).
3. Protected Aquatic Biota in Victoria.
4. Subject to Export controls since 1st January 1998, in the Commonwealth Wildlife Protection (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Act 1982.
5. Listed as marine species under s248 of The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
6. No Australian Society for Fish Biology listing.
More information (Source: Martin-Smith et al. 2003)
All Australian pipehorses have been protected in Australian Commonwealth (federal) waters (greater than three nautical miles from the coast) since the beginning of 1998. As most pipehorses are caught in Commonwealth waters they are protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 wherein they are 'listed marine species'. It is an offence to take, trade, injure or kill listed marine species except under permits issued by the Minister of the Environment. Such permits for exports of syngnathids are issued subject to a management plan, which must be approved by the executive agency, Environment Australia (within the Department of Environment and Heritage). Legal protection is variable for pipehorses caught in Australian State waters (less than three nautical miles from the coast), ranging from full to no protection.
|Connolly, R. 2006. Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2006: e.T17177A6801911. . Downloaded on 21 August 2017.
|To make use of this information, please check the <Terms of Use>.
|If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please provide us with feedback so that we can correct or extend the information provided


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Time to face the facts, players need helpLinda Pearce
Published: January 17 2013 - 3:00AM
THERE is a clear distinction between the soaring success of the Australian Open, and the declining health of Australian tennis, which is fortunate, because the on-court performance has reached historic new lows. Of the 16 Australians in the first round, just three reached the second, the worst result in the Open era.
Rod Laver ruled the sport when it started, in 1969, through a second momentous grand slam year, and as much as the global landscape is vastly different more than four decades later, it is not adequate to simply shrug, talk about the promising juniors coming through and the fact that rebuilding takes time, while hoping that Sam Stosur and Bernard Tomic can progress far enough to help mask a disastrous cavernous lack of depth. Well, Tomic, anyway.
The two Queenslanders aside, only James Duckworth expanded the second-round presence past the two obvious candidates: she who has been a three-year fixture in the top 10, and he who surely will be Australia's next. Duckworth is 20, ranked 223rd, and a likely replacement for the suspended Tomic in the next Davis Cup tie. Which, for the 28-time champion, is in the Asia-Oceania zone group for the sixth consecutive year. But so it goes on.
Indeed, it was in 2007 that Tennis Australia took out a full-page newspaper ad to celebrate the junior Davis and Fed Cup double that seemed awfully overplayed at the time and now seems even more so. The six players in those respective squads were Isabella Holland, Sally Peers, Olivia Rogowska, Tomic, Mark Verryth and Alex Sanders.
No prizes for picking the standout, for Rogowska is the only other player to have come even close to a double-figure ranking. For all the millions spent on player development, and the burgeoning numbers of staff on the Tennis Australia payroll, the transition to the senior game is the point at which the majority are tripping up.
The latest decline is incremental, for had Jarmila Gajdosova's late-Tuesday loss to Yanina Wickmayer been happily different, the Australian aggregate would merely have equalled the combined headcount in 2011, 2010, 2006, 2002. Four was awfully low. This - and bearing in mind that Duckworth was playing another Australian wildcard, so a victory was unavoidable - is lower still.
Confirmation involved an interesting trawl through the records - Evie Dominikovic and Bryanne Stewart were both multiple second-rounders, there were a couple of Larkham brothers, two Woodies, a Crabb (Jaymon), a Hill (Michael) and a famous shirt-shredder (Andrew Ilie) since the new century dawned with nine Australian men and three women winning at least one match. A healthy dozen, and not so long ago.
Peter Johnston is uniquely placed to comment on the evolution, having run men's tennis in Australia in what can not now be regarded as such dark days, and heads the WTA's rapidly expanding Asia-Pacific operation.
''It's not for me to comment on the Australian program and I just hope it goes well, but what I'm seeing is the insatiable appetite for improvement in the region,'' Johnston said. ''They love what it brings to their culture, to their reputation. We're now looking at how many new events we have - in China alone we have five WTA tour events in 2014 as three $125,000 events and we're still talking to more and more cities that want these products. And with that they want China to succeed with this product.
''The race is on in every country. I think it just means that Australia has to keep the foot on the gas. I know Australia is doing so much, but it needs to keep doing more and more and more, because the race is getting harder and more competitive.
''It's just so crucial to get your programs right because the others are just motoring forward.''
So, the key question: what programs are the right ones? Coaching and training are at the heart of it, along with the domestic tournament structure, and access to international competition. A welcome development is the new National Tennis Centre at Melbourne Park, with the eight new Italian claycourts among 21 new indoor and outdoor courts complemented by an indoor running track, recovery pools, treatment rooms and video playback facilities for game analysis.
There are also many more tournaments played around the nation now, although the counter-argument is that Australians playing each other is not necessarily ideal, and that what some consider to be ''cheap'' rankings points can be as misleading as they are helpful in boosting rankings in the short-term. Another criticism is of the constant changes to the structure and pathway, although it could also be argued that endless tinkering with the recipe is preferable to serving up the same dud meal.
Many more former players have been hired as coaches, among many more coaches hired, full stop. Grant Doyle is among the latest batch, returning from a successful career in the US to work with former junior Wimbledon champion Luke Saville and runner-up Ben Mitchell in Melbourne. Australian No. 2 Marinko Matosevic has been particularly vocal in his endorsement of the benefits of working with someone who has been there before.
It is clear that Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter is having a growing impact on the men's half of the equation, and is a driving force behind the dilution of an overly-generous culture of player handouts. Rafter's close friend Josh Eagle has become his delegate on the circuit for the 30 weeks a year that Eagle will travel, with Rafter's on-the-road duties limited to about 10 weeks, but a power shift increasingly apparent.
Like or loathe his move to suspend Tomic from next month's Davis Cup tie - and even argue, as some have, that it was a soft call to make given the lowly calibre of the Taiwanese opposition in a gimme fixture - do not expect Rafter to shirk any of the decisions he believes must be made for the good of the Australian game.
Which, on the strength of this latest set of underwhelming results, seven months after Australia's worst Wimbledon performance since 1939, clearly needs any and all the help it can get. The Australian Open, too, is breaking records. So that's the good news. Sort-of. For another day.
This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/time-to-face-the-facts-players-need-help-20130116-2ctwk.html


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The ELLE 25
Since the release of ELLE's now legendary shoot with Justin Bieber and Kim Kardashian, we've been inundated with questions. Apparently, once our readers were done swooning over Bieber's side-swept hair, they wanted to know where we captured the unlikely duo on film.
The Cove Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas, was ELLE's home base for the weekend. Its tropical beaches and endless lagoons were a distracting, but still perfect backdrop for the sultry shoot.
In case you need even more of a reason to drop down for a weekend, here's our our ultimate guide to the fantasy resort.
Bored is just about the only thing you can't be at the Atlantis.
Atlantis, Paradise Island, boasts eleven pools, most of which feature waterfalls, rivers, DJ's and sun beds and an 141-acre water park with a reconstructed Mayan temple at the center; and a waterslide down its edge. A river, complete with rapids, runs through almost everything – including the lap pool – and stops at lagoons along the way.
You'll have to get out of the pool and walk a few feet to reach the white sand beaches. There are three, one of which offers paddle boats, another full of lounge chairs and yet another with nothing but sand.
Trust Us: September's Movies, Music, and Books


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I've seen some talk about 'programming groups' that was started on the last forum and then just died out.
Now I don't know if someone took the initiative to start those groups again, but I'm guessing no one did (yet).
I don't even know if the python-forum community contains enough personel to divide itself into groups.
So I thought it could work with a 'collaboration section' in the forums in stead, where people can share ideas, talk about how to execute them, ask for collaboration on some part of their project, or ask for full collaberation on a project or idea they got in mind.
This way you can join a project of your choosing or ask for someone to join you in making your idea into a working program. Even if it's just for fun, for learning, or if you want to look for a partner(s) in making a selling product.
If it works, it works. If not you can always shut it down. Without the hassle of creating a system with programming groups of different experience levels and deciding what projects to focus on and what decisions to make.
Just my 2cents.


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NCCASA's 2015 Conference, Sexual Violence at the Intersections, will focus on the importance of converging social justice movements, as we work collectively toward equity for all people and a society free of sexual assault and other forms of violence. We will also highlight issues of sexual violence including, but not limited to, campus work (Title IX & Clery Act), military sexual assault, human trafficking, and the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). We are looking for workshops that address primary prevention, service delivery & intervention, enhancing agency capacity, outreach, community organizing, and program management & development.
© 2016 National Sexual Violence Resource Center – Founded by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape
This site is supported by Grant/ Cooperative Agreement No. 1UF2CE002359-04 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


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Saint Leo Gets Two on Inaugural All-SSC Swim Team
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Saint Leo men's and women's swim teams each had a lone representative named to the All-SSC Swim Team it was announced by Sunshine State Conference Commissioner Jay Jones on Thursday afternoon. Maggie Walker, fresh off her NCAA Championships appearance, earned first team honors on the women's team, while Michael Cozzi earned All-Conference Second Team honors on the men's side.
Walker, who was the only Lion to represent Saint Leo in the NCAA Swim Championships, dominated the 50 and 100 yard freestyles and contributed in the 100 yard butterfly and 100 yard backstroke as she set new team marks in each event. Making the biggest strides in the SSC Championships in February, she made her biggest mark in winning the championship in the 100 freestyle, a win that ultimately propelled her to the national competition. She was also named the Sunshine State Conference's Swimmer of the Week on November 1st.
Overall, Florida Southern's Mary O'Sullivan was named Women's Swimmer of the Year. Tampa's Heather Glenday was selected Freshman of the Year, while UT's Ed Brennan was tabbed Coach of the Year.
In addition to Walker, O'Sullivan and Glenday, those earning All-SSC first team accolades were Ewa Jamborska (Nova Southeastern), Rae-Lynn Sheffield (Florida Southern), Jenny Nilson (Rollins), Caroline Belli (Tampa), Lisa Menne (Florida Southern), Ashley Aranda (Nova Southeastern), and Catherine Patrell (Tampa).
Receiving All-SSC second team honors were: Lindsay Calimer (Tampa), Kelsey Lubbers (Tampa), Taylor Reynolds (Florida Southern), Ashley Bransford (Nova Southeastern), Cara Potter (Florida Southern), Lisa Bero (Tampa), Kaitlyn Smith (Florida Southern), Alexandra Hipolito (Tampa), and Kelsey Duncan (Florida Southern).
On the men's side, Cozzi was one of a number of solid performers for the Lions as he claimed the SSC title in the 1,000 yard freestyle in the championship's first day. He set new marks for the Lions in swimming the 200, 500, 1000 1650 yard freestyle events and also in the 100 yard breaststroke. Cozzi earned his stripes as one of the Lions most enduring swimmer of the season as he was also a member of four relay teams that set new school records in 2010-11.
The men were headlined by Florida Southern's Jeb Halfacre, who was named Men's Swimmer of the Year. Tampa's Brad Hines was selected Freshman of the Year, and Nova Southeastern's Hollie Bonewit-Cron was chosen Coach of the Year.
Receiving All-SSC first team designation were Halfacre, Jorge Ospina (Nova Southeastern), Miguel Ferreira (Florida Southern), Chris O'Linger (Tampa), Armin Hornikel (Nova Southeastern), David Humphrey (Tampa), Ash Dougan (Nova Southeastern), and Jonas Grundstrom (Nova Southeastern).
Aside from Cozzi, Jeffrey Fiore (Tampa), Bruce Janzen (Florida Southern), Chris Norris (Nova Southeastern), John Michael Hayes (Nova Southeastern), Michael Weinstein (Rollins), Roberto Duran (Nova Southeastern), and Jack Rund (Florida Southern) were named to the All-SSC second team.
Voting for the swimmer, freshman, and coach of the year was conducted among the coaches and sports information directors of the member institutions which sponsor the sport of swimming. The All-Sunshine State Conference team was determined by total points accumulated at the inaugural SSC Swimming Championship, which was held Feb. 17-20 in Orlando. The top eight swimmers were named All-SSC first team, while those who finished ninth through 16th were designated All-SSC second team.
First Team
Mary O'Sullivan, Florida Southern, Senior
Heather Glenday, Tampa, Freshman
Ewa Jamborska, Nova Southeastern, Junior
Rae-Lynn Sheffield, Florida Southern, Junior
Jenny Nilson, Rollins, Sophomore
Caroline Belli, Tampa, Freshman
Maggie Walker, Saint Leo, Sophomore
Lisa Menne, Florida Southern, Freshman
Ashley Aranda, Nova Southeastern, Junior
Catherine Patrell, Tampa, Freshman
Swimmer of the Year – Mary O'Sullivan, Florida Southern
Freshman of the Year – Heather Glenday, Tampa
Coach of the Year – Ed Brennan, Tampa
Second Team
Lindsay Calimer, Tampa, Junior
Kelsey Lubbers, Tampa, Senior
Taylor Reynolds, Florida Southern, Junior
Ashley Bransford, Nova Southeastern, Freshman
Cara Potter, Florida Southern, Senior
Lisa Bero, Tampa, Freshman
Kaitlyn Smith, Florida Southern, Junior
Alexandra Hipolito, Tampa, Freshman
Kelsey Duncan, Florida Southern, Senior
First Team
Jorge Ospina, Nova Southeastern, Senior
Miguel Ferreira, Florida Southern, Sophomore
Jeb Halfacre, Florida Southern, Sophomore
Chris O'Linger, Tampa, Senior
Armin Hornikel, Nova Southeastern, Junior
David Humphrey, Tampa, Sophomore
Ash Dougan, Nova Southeastern, Junior
Jonas Grundstrom, Nova Southeastern, Sophomore
Swimmer of the Year – Jeb Halfacre, Florida Southern
Freshman of the Year – Brad Hines, Tampa
Coach of the Year – Hollie Bonewit-Cron, Nova Southeastern
Second Team
Jeffrey Fiore, Tampa, Junior
Bruce Janzen, Florida Southern, Sophomore
Chris Norris, Nova Southeastern, Freshman
Michael Cozzi, Saint Leo, Sophomore
John Michael Hayes, Nova Southeastern, Freshman
Michael Weinstein, Rollins, Sophomore
Roberto Duran, Nova Southeastern, Freshman
Jack Rund, Florida Southern, Freshman


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|Latest & Greatest
Presto Chango
By Elizabeth Ginns Britten — June 2005
Changing oil on an outboard where the drain plug is often inaccessible can be messy. With X-Change-R Oil Change Systems' Models 904 and 910, specifically designed for outboards, you can easily and cleanly change oil with your boat still in the water.
Model 904 is a portable pump that will drain the crankcase and refill it with fresh oil. Simply insert the drain tube (included) into the dipstick receiver, flip the toggle switch to activate the pump, and then properly dispose of the used oil. Flip the switch again to refill your engine with fresh oil. The 910 comes with a five-gallon bucket for easy disposal and is also suited for inboard applications, in addition to the outboard and stern-drive applications; the 910 also has a four-foot oil wand. Both systems are fuse-protected, come with insulated alligator clips, and can connect to your boat's battery.
X-Change-R Systems ( (904) 829-1800. www.x-change-r-com.
Is there something you would like to know more about or see PMY put to the test? Write: Latest & Greatest, Power & Motoryacht, 260 Madison Ave., 8th Fl., New York, NY 10016. Fax: (917) 256-2282. e-mail: email@example.com. No phone calls, please.
Next page > Walker Airsep > Page 1, 2, 3
This article originally appeared in the May 2005 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.


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COMSOL, Inc.
Media Contact
COMSOL Multiphysics® 4.4 Shines with a New COMSOL Desktop® and Upgraded Tools for Powerful Multiphysics Modeling
COMSOL Multiphysics® 4.4 is now available for download. Learn about the new multiphysics coupling functionality and enhanced user interface at www.comsol.com/release/4.4
BURLINGTON, MA (November 27, 2013) — COMSOL, Inc., a leading global provider of engineering simulation software, today announced the release of COMSOL Multiphysics® 4.4, the latest version of its powerful platform for the modeling and simulation of electrical, mechanical, fluid, and chemical applications.
New COMSOL Desktop Interface for Windows® Offers Enhanced User Experience
A ribbon design has been introduced to the COMSOL Desktop® environment, when run on Windows® platforms, to provide easier navigation and an enhanced user experience. By grouping commands and displaying them as needed, the ribbon makes it easier to find and use the tools available to let you get your work done faster. Commands are grouped and ordered according to the main modeling tasks, which are themselves grouped under dedicated tabs for definitions, geometry, physics, mesh, study, and results. The COMSOL Desktop brings several additional workflow improvements, such as a one-click select feature that enables faster selections in the graphics window. Using this feature, users can now hover over a boundary or domain to highlight it, and then select it with a single click. Another noteworthy feature is the new auto-complete search function, which allows you to quickly find the postprocessing variables you need among the many that are created when working with multiphysics models.
"The new user interface in COMSOL 4.4 offers excellent usability and guidance by delivering a complete overview of all the physics and features available in a structured way," says Ed Fontes, Chief Technology Officer at COMSOL AB. "The ribbon provides users with a clear picture of the workflow of the modeling process, helping them to quickly and easily determine the functionality that is available for each of the steps involved."
New Multiphysics Coupling Capability with the Multiphysics Node
A completely new Multiphysics node is now available in the model tree, enabling streamlined setup of multiphysics models. It allows users to easily expand upon combinations of single-physics interfaces by choosing from a list of relevant multiphysics couplings. "Years of being the leader in simulating multiphysics applications has led COMSOL to develop this method for governing the modeling workflow," says Bjorn Sjodin, VP of Product Management at COMSOL, Inc. "The Multiphysics node gives you a comprehensive overview of the available couplings in your model. You can then control how to account for multiphysics phenomena by deciding how the physics included in your simulation interact with one another."
Introduction of the Mixer Module
The new Mixer Module, an add-on to the CFD Module, was designed specifically for the analysis of stirred mixers and reactors used in the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, food, fine chemical, and consumer products. With its dedicated features for simulating mixer and impeller designs, as well as concentrations, velocities, and temperature profiles, the Mixer Module is ideal for accurately modeling a variety of industrial processes. The Mixer Module expands on the rotating machinery capabilities of the CFD Module by providing features for the simulation of turbulent and laminar flow, Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, free surfaces, non-isothermal flow, and reacting flow. The Mixer Module provides results on a number of quantities specific to mixing, such as mixing efficiency, power draw, and the impeller pumping number.
New Functionalities in COMSOL 4.4
COMSOL Multiphysics 4.4 also introduces a variety of enhancements to existing functionalities of the software. "COMSOL is committed to providing reliable and intuitive simulation tools that support creativity and save precious development time," says Svante Littmarck, CEO of COMSOL, Inc. "COMSOL 4.4 delivers on this mission by providing significant upgrades to the capabilities of the software, therefore ensuring that users can verify and optimize their designs with the highest accuracy." These improvements offer increased performance and usability throughout the entire product suite:
Geometry and Mesh – Core functionality enhancements include new geometry subsequences for user-defined geometric primitives, if/else statements in the model tree for geometry creation, and mesh export to NASTRAN® file formats.
Mechanical and Acoustics – The Structural Mechanics Module now provides easy access to rotordynamic forces and includes a new fast penalty method for contact. Joints with friction and three new joint types have been added to the Multibody Dynamics Module, while new evaluation methods for nonlinear materials and thermal fatigue are now included in the Fatigue Module. The Acoustics Module now offers aeroacoustics simulations based on the linearized Euler equations, enabling better simulations of noise in jet engines, mufflers, and gas flow meters.
Heat Transfer – The Heat Transfer Module now includes two fast and memory efficient methods for modeling radiation in participating media, the thermoelectric effect, and heating in biological tissues.
Fluid – Surface wall roughness for turbulent flow and a more efficient outlet boundary condition have been added to the CFD Module. Mass and energy conservation for laminar flow is greatly enhanced thanks to updated flow formulations.
Electrical – The AC/DC Module now contains a nonlinear magnetic material library. A new feature in the RF Module enables the simulation of components with ports on interior boundaries. The Wave Optics Module now includes scattering with a Gaussian background field and Laser Heating interface. The Semiconductor Module has been enhanced with many updates, including heterojunctions and tools for impact ionization.
Multipurpose – The Optimization Module is now expanded with a new gradient-based method for topology optimization, and a gradient-free method for geometric dimensional optimization. Particle-field and fluid-particle interactions can now be easily modeled in the Particle Tracing Module using a new efficient method.
Interfacing – User-defined selections can now be synchronized in LiveLink™ for SolidWorks® and material selections and material names can be synchronized within LiveLink™ for Inventor®. The ECAD Import Module now enables multiphysics simulations using the ODB++ format for printed circuit board (PCB) designs.
About COMSOL
COMSOL provides simulation software for product design and research to technical enterprises, research labs, and universities through 18 offices and a distributor network throughout the world. Its flagship product, COMSOL Multiphysics®, is a software environment for modeling and simulating any physics-based system. A particular strength is its ability to account for coupled or multiphysics phenomena. Add-on products expand the simulation platform for electrical, mechanical, fluid flow, and chemical applications. Interfacing tools enable the integration of COMSOL Multiphysics® simulation with all major technical computing and CAD tools on the CAE market.
COMSOL, COMSOL Multiphysics, Capture the Concept, COMSOL Desktop, and LiveLink are either registered trademarks or trademarks of COMSOL AB. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners, and COMSOL AB and its subsidiaries and products are not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or supported by those trademark owners. For a list of such trademark owners, see www.comsol.com/trademarks


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Get all of your Memorial Day barbecue questions answered LIVE!
Join grilling expert @SRaichlen and host @KevinsBackyard for a Twitter chat from 4PM to 5PM EST on Thursday, May 23rd!
Follow the hashtag #BarbecueBible to get all of the tips & tricks you will need –- from the perfect burger to the ultimate grilled corn -- to make this Memorial Day the best cookout ever!
Tweet using #BarbecueBible and tag @KevinsBackyard to ask questions during the chat -- Kevin will be selecting questions for himself and Steven to answer.
And everyone who uses the hashtag during the chat will automatically be entered for a chance to win copies of @SRaichlen's cookbooks (courtesy of @WorkmanPub) and a burger press (from @WeberGrills)!
Don't forget to follow @SRaichlen and @KevinsBackyard to get all of their grilling updates!


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Premiums for home and car insurance are set to rise by 5 to 10 per cent over the next 12 to 18 months due to inflation in the cost of meeting claims, one of the country's biggest insurance companies says.
The chief executive of Insurance Australia Group, Mike Wilkins, today said the costs of meeting insurance claims were continuing to rise faster than inflation.
Although the costs from recent flooding and bushfires are within insurance companies' allowances, Mr Wilkins today ''underlying longer-term cost trends'' were likely to result in higher prices for customers.
''On a blended basis we could see prices moving in the 5 to 10 per cent range,'' Mr Wilkins told BusinessDay.
Mr Wilkins said the likely increase was not due to any individual event, but was being caused by ongoing rises in costs such as salaries.
IAG, the group behind the NRMA, RACV and CGU brands, is Australia's biggest insurer of cars and homes.
The comments came after it handed down a big jump in profits, with earnings tripling to $461 million in the six months to December amid lower claims from natural disasters and buoyant financial market conditions.
In early afternoon trade IAG shares were up 3 per cent, or 16 cents, at $5.58.
Like all insurers, IAG has been hit by an increase in claims from natural disasters in recent months.
Earlier this month it said the recent bushfires and damage caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald would cost the group up to $175 million.
While these costs are within the company's allowances, Mr Wilkins said such incidents inevitably pushed up repair costs.
''The flooding coming from Oswald and the bushfires in Tasmania and Victoria and NSW.... do see our claims spike,'' he said.
''On a regionalised basis, where those events are, the laws of supply and demand coming with people like builders and people who carry out smash repairs.''
During the six months to December, IAG posted strong growth in earnings from its core Australian and New Zealand operations. Group profit margins widened substantially to 19.9 per cent.
The group also said it was carrying more capital than was needed under its own benchmarks - analysts estimate it is holding between $240 million and $740 million in surplus capital.
In a bid to tap into an expected jump in demand for financial services from Asia, IAG aims to get 10 per cent of its gross revenue from premiums from Asia by 2016, and has established profitable businesses in Malaysia and Thailand.
It is also eyeing potential acquisitions in Indonesia, though Mr Wilkins said the company was in no hurry to announce a deal.


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Fox's Camerota Twice Repeats False Claim About Salaries In "Right-To-Work" States
Fox News host Alisyn Camerota twice propagated the false claim that workers in so-called "right-to-work" states make $7,000 more a year than those in states without right-to-work laws. In fact, average wages in states with right-to-work laws are lower than those without.
Guest-hosting the December 11 edition of Fox News' America Live, Camerota said to guest Leslie Marshall during a discussion of a right-to-work law in Michigan: "The president said something that was possibly incorrect yesterday. He said that it's legislation like this that will lower workers' wages, when in fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics in their latest report say that it's the right-to-work states where workers' wages are higher, on average $49,000 versus $42,000. Here are the statistics. So the president was actually inaccurate when he said that this would lower workers' wages."
Camerota's claim, however, is false. According to a June 20 Congressional Research Service report [1] on right-to-work laws, the average annual wage in right-to-work states is $42,465, compared with $49,495 in "union security" states.
Meanwhile, a graphic that appeared during Camerota's interview actually got the numbers correct:
Later in the program, Camerota repeated the false claim during an interview with Mark Mix of National Right to Work Legal Defense:
- Posted In
- Jobs, Wages, & Unemployment [2], Labor Unions [3]
- Network/Outlet
- Fox News Channel [4]
- Person
- Alisyn Camerota [5]
- Show/Publication
- America Live [6]


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Our Father - by Winnifred Bremmer Jones
unknown — Burbank, California
Carl Jerry Bremmer was born 3 December 1881 in Osceola County, Iowa he was the second son of Henry Bremmer and Martha Rhoda Greene. The name Carl came from (?), Jerry was the name of one of mother Martha's brother.Carl was a handsome little boy, brown eyes, brown hair and that precious charisma that is real gift. School was easy for him he excelled in mathematics and history. He was always full of devilment and pranks. Spoiled by parents and the Bremmer grandparents, he could get bewitch almost anything, be forgiven and escape punishment.Life on the family farm was not hard for the four Bremmer children. There were plenty of hired hands to do all the work and chores. The father dealt in buying and selling of cattle and horses. Money was plentiful.
During his college days at Ellsworth he majored in having a good time and minored in pranks, instead of studies. He was expelled as a result of sending "dirty" Valentines to hip professors, the culmination of several years of such tactics. By todays standards he would have been considered a playboy. During this time, he developed a great taste for alcohol.
Carl went to the Des Moines Recruiting Station to enlisted for service in the Philippines during the Spanish American War. When his mother discovered where he was, she immediately went to the army base with proof of his age. Underage (he had lied to the recruiter) he was dismissed from the service and his mother literally marched Carl back to Iowa Fall home and college.
He courted Lucy Methesmith Sharpe who was sure she could reform him after marriage (famous last words). Lucy came from a deeply religious background that did not allow cards, tobacco or liquor in the home.
After their marriage and the birth of their first child, LeRoy, the parents of Carl thought the solution to his problems was for his family to move to one of the family farm of their land holdings. But Carl had early on decided he was not a farmer and world not farm the land. He spent his day in town with buddies drinking and playing cards, leaving Lucy to run the home place.
Several year of this and Carl's parents decided that "enough was enough" Carl moved his family into Iowa Falls and he went to work for the railroad. This was a job that really was to his liking. After a short tour of duty in Des Moines, he was transferred to the Minneapolis, St Louis Railroad in Ft Dodge.
Carl was a good husband, a good father and provider until a drinking about would interfere with a normal home life. Then he lost all sense of responsibility for the family. He was never cruel, just a "good Joe" when drinking but he would cause great embarrassment and we suffered financial losses many times.
One example of this: Carl who was a railroad engineer, had a train wreck near Tara. It was ruled that he was at fault, he had been drinking. His fine was z six months lay off, without pay and Union rules did not allow him to work for pay elsewhere during this period. With six children (Quentin had died) to be taken care of, the saving began slipping away. Carl had a ferret, trained to search out wild rabbits. Each morning Carl would take his gun and the ferret and like the pioneer of old, go to secure food for the family. But a steady diet of rabbit, three times a day for those many months left a lasting impression on all the children. Lucy would prepare the rabbits in various ways to tempt our appetites and to vary the menu, but never again would any of the Bremmer kid eat rabbit. The same was true of raisin's and oatmeal, we had eaten a lifetime of these foods in those long six months. Lucy did dressmaking to augment the income and Carl never drank a drop of liquor.
Carl enjoyed the theatre and night clubs. The railroad sponsored stage plays periodically for the employees and the whole family would attend. He was a real stickler for proper dress and I can well remember a clash with him over clothing when I was very young. Mother had just bought me a new khaki outfit preparing to attend the theater but when father saw me, he told me to change into a dress. I stormed, cried, argued but he was firm " we dress properly for any occasion or else we did not go". I changed to a dress.
Carl would often ask the family to a Cabaret with a black Harlem jazz orchestra. The entertainment and dancing was great, this must have been during Prohibition as we children always went along.
Carl insisted that we children be well mannered, saying people always admired the marks of good breeding. It was not necessary to be wealthy to have these attributes. At home we might quarrel and have childish arguments, but in public we were always united. We were raised with the thought that "we only break bread with friends".
Carl wanted his home to alway be in order, clean, attractive and a place of calm security. This was in direct contrast to his drinking bouts, when he was a "jolly good fellow" willing to give anybody the shirt off his back, which at times he literally would. His love of poker was another problem, he was excellent player, playing for high stakes, with great winnings at times (once he won a diamond valued at $1700) again he had hug losses.This continual embarrassment and financial insecurity in the family led to mother's divorcing from him.
It was right for Lucy to divorce Carl. In fairness to the family, it was the only way she could hold her children together.
After the divorce Carl transferred to the Union Pacific railroad in Cheyenne Wyoming. He was a handsome man, six food tall, well built about 10 pounds, brown eyes and brown hair. He was a healthy man, some allergies were he only problem. There were foods he could not tolerate, his skin was sensitive. Palmolive soap was the only personal soap allowed in the home. Lucy would always give his underclothing a extra rinse on wash days.
Carl was a great reader, he would read every word in any publication. The radio news "on the hour" was a must. He had a good head for figures. He believed in unionism and was a strong supporter of the brotherhood of railroad trainmen. Carl loved good food and was a good cook. He surely could have made it in life as a professional chef.
During the depression days, he was laid, off by the Union Pacific, others had seniority over him. After working at odds ends jobs (including WPA) Carl went to work for the Federal Government at the Detention Center at Nogales, Arizona. He worked as a cook.
In 1936 when Carl heard from Lucy that Winnifred had serious surgery and would be confined to bed for some weeks, he immediately quit his job in Nogales and came to Sioux City. (as we look back, we don't see how we could have survived with him, he took over the management of the home and provided excellent care of the children and me). In 1937 when the Jones's left for California to make a new home, Carl came along.
He went to work for a mining camp in the High Sierra's, owned and operated by Noah Berry, Sr. Again Carl was a cook. Later he worked for the ___________ Boys Ranch School near Perris. He really enjoyed the activities and companship of these teen age boys who came from wealthy families. This school combined a strict 3R education plus featuring outdoors sports, such as horse back riding. During the year in the Sierra's and at the ranch school, Carl gave up drinking.
He retired and came to Los Angeles to e close to the family. Applying for his social security, he was turned down. The requirement at the time was forty quarters of employment, his records listed only thirty nine quarters. Checking the social security records it was found that Noah Berry Sr. had not turned in the social security withdrawals funds deducted from Carl's paycheck while he was working at the mining operation. This was a great blow to him, as he had so carefully planned for his retirement. By now he was too old to secure employment. After his death, we applied for the social security death benefit to help pay burial expenses, we were refused any payment due to the missing one quarter. In those days there was a no penalty for employers who did not pay deductions into the social security funds, today there is.
In 1947 he became ill, this necessitated a long surgery at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Belt informed the family that Carl had one year to one and a half years to live. He came to the Jones's home to recuperate but soon insisted on returning to his apartment.
Alcoholism is a terrible disease, not only does it slowly destroy the body but always destroying the great potential that one has. Carl's alcohol problem caused him to be trustworthy in his commitments when drunk. Without the alcohol he could have go as far as he wanted to, he had knowledge and ability. I do not believe that my father was a true alcoholic, he would go for years, under the right circumstances, and not have a drink. So he was able to control it. But he enjoyed drinking and just didn't know how or when to stop, once started.
Carl had an excellent mind even to his last day, he clear solving of problems was remarkable. One year, five days after his surgery, he was gone.
His death certificate date 6 October 1948 states cause of death:
Acute pyelonephritis, advancing carcinoma of prostate metastasis, subacute cirrhosis.
He is buried beside Lucy at Forest Lawn Glendale.
By Winnifred Rhoda Jones (Bremmer)


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History of Army Service of Harry W. Mayer
10 December 1943 — Fort Sheridan, Ill.
Army sent him for 6 weeks of training in airplane & engine repair. He spent his entire time in Army at Fort Sill, Ok. as an airplane & engine mechanic. He was also expert with a carbine. He attained the rank of Sgt. and spent 2 yrs 4 mons in Army. He received the Good Conduct metal and the American Defense Service Metal. Entered the service and was discharged through Fort Sheridan.


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This is all types of cool. Basically the PMPF and their South African mentors/trainers rescued the hostages of the MV Iceberg 1 after a two week siege. This is significant, because this rescue/siege was conducted by a private South African force who commanded an assault force they trained, with the blessing of the Puntland government. And they rescued 22 hostages who had been held for over 1000 days, after a 10 day siege. Ross Perot, eat your heart out.
What is interesting about the account below is the tactics involved and how they adapted to the changing situation. And how Rolf van Heerden's crew was able to finally resolve the siege using some recoilless weapons, minus the weapon sights. lol
"I asked Mohamed Farole if we could get hold of larger weapons or even mortars. I also talked personally to President Farole about the situation and he raised a concern that we might kill or injure the hostages. We did manage to get hold of a Soviet 82 mm B-10 recoilless rifle and a number of rounds and it wasn't long before we had deployed it on the beach. With no sights available the crew took aim by aligning the weapon and the ship through the open breach and we fired a number of rounds, striking the vessel around the bridge area.
"The pirates on board obviously took fright and contacted the Puntland ambassador in Dubai to inform him that they wished to surrender but that we should stop shooting at them first. We held our fire on two occasions in an effort to give them the opportunity to surrender but, after a number of breakdowns in communication, I had had enough and we resumed the bombardment of the vessel with all available weapons.
"An old United States 106 mm recoilless rifle, unearthed from the rear of a private home, was the next heavy weapon to arrive, together with six rounds provided by the Puntland government. The aiming process was repeated and after two misses the crew found the correct range and four rounds smashed into the ship with resounding explosions, setting the vessel on fire. This effectively changed the pirates' minds and they indicated that they really wished to surrender and talk."
If you want a good primer on Roelf, check out his book called Four Ball One Tracer. He was a commanding officer for Executive Outcomes back in the day, and currently he works under the employ of the PMPF.
Now I am not sure if he is still with Sterling Corporate Services, Bancroft Global Development, or hired directly as a member of the PMPF? There was a lot of back and forth about money and the survival of the PMPF, and it is hard to say what the arrangement is now. All though it is obvious that the men of Sterling Corporate Services are still with the force, and they are still operating.
If you remember, SCS lost one of their men in a PMPF operation last year, and that put them on the map. The UN has been trying to shut them down because they are viewed as the competition that is making the UN look bad. lol Funny how the UN could support and oppose such a force, all at the same time?
With that said, there have been several sources that have identified the effectiveness of the SCS trained and mentored PMPF force, and a reduction in piracy could be attributed to their actions.
Building up indigenous ground forces has also helped. What has really thwarted pirate networks is a ground force known as the Puntland Maritime Police Force, according to an expert who has worked on the ground in Somalia. The PMPF is about 400 men, recruited locally and trained to be a professional anti-piracy police force. And it's worked, says former Green Beret Roger Carstens, who is working on a project about Somalia and the maritime force and has spent much time on the ground there in recent months. "They basically went in and chased the pirates to keep them out," Carstens told Situation Report. "That kept the pirates out of the pirate towns, where they staged their attacks, and it screwed [their] investors," he said. But he warns that if support and resources ebb for the ground force, it could falter. That would be a good thing for the pirates.
"If they fail, you could easily see a resurgence of piracy writ large," Carstens said, emphasizing that the concentration of pirate activity emanates from Puntland, an area of northeastern Somalia that was declared an autonomous state in 1998.
The other thing that I was curious about is who is paying for the PMPF now? I imagine that the UAE is still funding it. or maybe the owners of the Iceberg paid Puntland to conduct this rescue? Who knows and if anyone is familiar with the funding and survival of the PMPF, I am all ears. Either way, good on Roelf and company and good on the PMPF for rescuing these guys. –Matt
Exclusive: South African-led operation frees hostages from Somali pirates
Written by Andrew Hudson
Tuesday, 29 January 2013 This is
In December 2012 the Puntland Maritime Police Force rescued 22 sailors who had been held hostage on board the Panama-registered ship Iceberg 1 for nearly three years – the longest period for any hostages held by Somali pirates. Roelf van Heerden, the South African commander of the ground force, gives an exclusive first-hand account of the operation.
The Iceberg 1, a 4 500 tonne roll on/roll off cargo vessel owned by Dubai-based Azal Shipping, was hijacked just ten nautical miles off Aden, Yemen, on March 29, 2010. She was carrying generators, transformers and fuel tanks and had a crew of 24 from Yemen, India, Ghana, Sudan, Pakistan and the Philippines.
The Iceberg 1 eventually ran aground in September 2011 off Garacad, a small coastal village in the Galmudug region on Somalia's eastern seaboard. With two hostages dead, a continuing standoff between the owners and the pirates, and an exhausted, sickly crew of hostages, the last months of 2012 held little prospect of an end to the ordeal. That was until the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF), under the command of a team of South Africans, took action.
Roelf van Heerden, who commanded the ground forces, is permanently employed by the PMPF and his main role, together with other South Africans, is to train the PMPF and deploy the police force. Van Heerden now takes up the story:
"On 28 October 2012 Mohamed Farole, son of Puntland's President Abdirahman Mohamed Farole, called me at the headquarters of the PMPF in Bossaso and briefed me about the Iceberg. Mohamed, who is the director of the PMPF, also asked me to carefully assess whether the PMPF could undertake an operation aimed at freeing the hostages.
"All previous attempts to resolve the hijacking, including offers of a ransom, had failed due to disagreements between the parties on the ransom amount, the means and the location of the ransom transfer. The ship's crew were also reportedly in a sorry physical and mental state. The first fatality, a Yemeni, was said to have committed suicide in October 2010 after continuous harassment by the pirates. The other fatality amongst the hostages was the first officer, Dhiraj Kumar Tiwari, who had been severely tortured by the pirates and had not been seen since September 2011.
"The vessel had also run out of fuel and the seasonal high winds had caused both the ship's anchors to break loose allowing the vessel to drift helplessly onto the rocks. The Iceberg's hull had ruptured and the lower hold containing eighteen very large generators in 12-metre containers had flooded.


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/1/2013 (1680 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
IT lasted for 113 days, most of them frustrating, and then carried on with nearly another full week of limbo before the NHL and NHLPA were able to officially put the lockout behind them.
The green light on the 2013 NHL season came mid-evening Saturday when the league and its players union put ink to paper on a memorandum of understanding. They had agreed on the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement in the wee hours of last Sunday morning.
The MOU was reportedly a hefty legal document several hundreds of pages long that will provide the platform for the league's restart.
The Jets' schedule was announced late Saturday night.
A version of it appeared on Twitter on Friday but was not correct, only a draft.
A 48-game season opens Saturday, including an afternoon contest featuring the Ottawa Senators at the MTS Centre against the Winnipeg Jets at 2 p.m.
Winnipeg's first road game is one week from Monday, an afternoon game in Boston.
The NHL's owners endorsed the labour agreement last Wednesday, 30-0.
The players began voting on it late Thursday and wrapped up the electronic balloting Saturday morning. The NHLPA tally was 667 yes, 12 no, giving it a 98.2 per cent approval among those who voted. Eighty-four players among the NHLPA's 763 did not vote.
"I don't think there are any surprises," Jets captain Andrew Ladd said. "You saw by the amount of guys headed back to their cities and getting ready to play that most guys were going to be in favour of ratifying it.
"I think it was just more of a formality, making sure everything was good, that everything that was agreed upon was in the agreement."
Most teams, including the Jets, have been holding informal practices or on-ice workouts, where the players run matters by themselves or with fitness trainers but without their real NHL coaching staffs.
Today will be the first day NHL coaches are permitted to do 100 per cent of the jobs with their teams.
"Everyone's excited to get playing now and focusing on getting this game back where it needs to be," Ladd said.
The Jets and the NHL confirmed that Winnipeg's Southeast Division games will include five each against Washington and Florida and four each against Tampa Bay and Carolina.
The Capitals have three games of their five vs. the Jets in Winnipeg -- including a concession by the NHL to allow a double-header here March 21 and 22 -- while the Jets have three of five at Florida.
That's 18 games, and the other 30 are made up by playing each of the other Eastern Conference teams three times apiece.
Among those opponents, the Jets drew two home games and one road game against Boston, the Islanders, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Toronto.
The season will end April 27 (April 25 for the Jets) and the Stanley Cup playoffs begin April 30. The league's trade deadline is expected to fall on April 3.


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HOUSTON - Investigators said two teens have been linked to several dangerous fires in the Memorial area.
Xavier McKnight, 19, was arrested late Tuesday, along with a 16-year-old. Both have been accused of starting nearly a dozen fires since December.
On Thursday, fire officials gave details about the investigation that led to the arrests.
"By the end of January, we figured out we had either a serial arsonist or multiple people setting the fires," said Robert Carnes, an arson investigator with the Houston Fire Department.
Investigators said McKnight and the other teen are responsible for 11 fires. Some of those fires were in occupied homes and others were in Dumpsters, officials said. What worried fire investigators the most were the fires set inside stairwells, which could have potentially killed people trying to escape.
"How somebody didn't get hurt is a miracle to me," said Carnes.
Fire investigators said they were finally able to identify the two teens with the help of police at the Spring Branch Independent School Distirct. That's where, officials said, the pair attended school before dropping out.
"For whatever reasons they do it, it's very hard to determine," said Chuck Brawner with the Spring Branch ISD Police Department. "It's very unfortunate for them, but now they have to pay the consequences."
McKnight has been charged with arson in connection with a fire on Jan.6 at the Sheffield Square apartments. Fire crews said they'd been called to the same complex earlier that evening after reports that a phone book was on fire.
McKnight is being held on $30,000 bond.
Investigators estimate the total amount in damages from these fires at more that $1 million.
Copyright 2013 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 6/2/2013 (1658 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The way Manitoba's latest lottery millionaire recalls it, she thought the three "Set for Life" symbols on a winning ticket probably had a catch.
"I turned the ticket over to look at the expiry date. I thought there must be something wrong!" St. Eustache winner Dianna Boyer told the Western Canada Lottery Corporation in a prepared statement.
The lottery corporation routinely releases personal accounts in statements along with an announcement of the latest winners.
It was last Saturday, Boyer recalled. She'd just finished house cleaning and she picked up the two tickets she buys every payday and scratched them to see if she'd won anything. Typically, it's a free ticket or maybe $5, she said.
Winners have a choice on how they collect their prize: $1,000 a week for 25 years or a single payment of $1 million.
Boyer said she and her husband don't plan any big changes right off. "We have some bills to pay but we want to take it all in and collect some interest while we collect our thoughts."
She'd like to take her husband on a trip and buy a small house, with a window in the kitchen. "We love nature and we'd love to watch all the birds and animals from the kitchen," she said.
She bought the winning ticket at the Elie Grocery Store, located about 48 kilometres west of Winnipeg.