text:
- Released: Jun 14, 1990
- Sound: 8
- Lyrics: 9
- Overall Impression: 10
Users' score:
(8 votes)
Sound — 8
So this is the (not) so famous Amarok. This album was created after Virgin Records tried to convince him to make a "Tubular Bells II". At the time Mike had had various disagreements with the label and in response created Amarok (there is even a moorse code message in the song that spells out an insult to virgins manager). This is an album that he created to be completely un-marketable. A 60 minute song that has so many changes that not one part could be re released for radio play or promotional use. This album defiantly has a very unique sound. The song starts out with a very intense folk guitar riff and then uses a flamenco section to transition into a choir section in which the word happy is repeated randomly in a robotic voice. As you can tell this song is kind of really all over the place in terms of sound. It has varies from polka sections, to a sea shanty and back to country/bluegrass section. To spite the songs randomness it does have reoccurring themes. There is a choir section that comes back in variations from time to time. The folk section that the song starts with comes back a few times as well. Overall however most of the sections; especially the choirs, reflect an African styled sound. Mike, in addition to choirs, keys, guitars, basses and the other traditional instruments in the song also uses several unorthodox instruments. He uses a Tuba, Tubular Bells(haha) and even in some spots a toothbrushes, shoes, spoons and Hoover vacuum cleaner. The song also includes sound effects of footsteps and breathing. As for the overall sound there is really some great musicianship on this album. Mike really showcases his powerful and emotional guitar leads and solos as well as his powerful heavy hitting riffs. This is most evident at the finale of the song that ends with a passionate guitar lead followed up by one of the most powerful choir arrangements around. This album/song is really an innovation in music. As with many philosophers this is an album that is well noted not for what it achieved (although it is a rather large achievement) but for what it attempted. This is an album that was clearly free from the influence of record labels and marketing agents. It has broken down many boundaries that many other musicians have been unable to break themselves.
Lyrics — 9
This is a mostly instrumental song that's only words consist of "Happy" and "Torn". There is however some lyrics to the choir sections sung in the Xhosa language:. For example "Sondela, uSomandla, sukuma, wena, obengezela"; which means: "Come closer to us, o Almighty: arise, you who shines.". The choir arrangements were done by a group called Jabula. The singing on this album is both very powerful and captivating. Though there are little to no lyrics the liner notes tell also short story of "two men that discover a huge golden statue somewhere in ancient Africa. One man can hear music emanating from this figure, while the other hears something totally different, which in fact is the theme of Amarok. What is heard by some, may be heard differently by others, but nonetheless the result is music in one form or another". This is an interesting concept that can be heard in the song. Since many parts are so complex and the song is so hard to follow, the listening experience will vary greatly between listeners. Overall the singers on this album are really quite magnificent and bring a lot to the sound. Though there are not much lyrics in the actual song the linear notes instil in the listener a interesting philosophy.
Overall Impression — 10
This album is hard to compare to other albums. It has the characteristics of a concept album, only there is no real direct story in the song without referring to the liner notes. One may compare it to a classical symphony however it varies styles to much to be compared to such. This is an album that is truly one of a kind, unique. Amarok may be a long listen but it sure isn't a boring one. It has a charming ability to hold you captive. Give you a few giggles, maybe even stir a few tears here and there. To a musician or someone who is experienced with progressive music it is defiantly a great listen. I would not however recommend it to some one with little knowledge of music or this style in general, for it can be a very difficult song to listen to otherwise. Amarok is a great work of art, as it was meant to be. An expression of the human creativity and free to be whatever it can be.


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


text: Houston Texans Updated:02/26/2007 RB Adrian Peterson appears to be the Cleveland Browns favorite pick at No. 3 should they stay put. But, according to the Dayton Daily News, the Texans are interested in moving up the draft board for a shot at Peterson and could propose a trade to the Browns that would send starting QB David Carr and draft picks to Cleveland for the No. 3 position. http://cbs.sportsline.com/nfl/story/NFL_SC-RUMOR


text:
Student Email
Student Help Desk
Staff / Faculty Email
Home Page
Top Stories
High demand for skilled welders & joiners
Learn more about ALL programs
Program of Study
Financial Aid
demand for skilled welders and joiners is growing rapidly in Georgia
, especially in Barrow and the surrounding counties, and the
profession is lucrative
for those artisans with the in-demand skills.
, an online portal developed by the
Governor's Office of Workforce Development
that promotes the need for skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen in Georgia, shows the median wage for a construction welder at $22.45 per hour.
Georgia's Department of Labor
gives the current average monthly salary of a "specialty trades contractor" at $3,768.
Lanier Technical College
helping to meet the business and community need
for skilled welders and joiners. The College's
Welding and Joining Technology Program
teaches a wide variety of welding and joining skills at the Oakwood, Dawson, and Winder-Barrow Campuses.
Industry experienced instructors
teach the highly needed welding and joining skills and work ethics to students in
hands-on, state of the art facilities
. Students can enroll in
diploma or technical certificate programs in Welding and Joining Technology
at each of the three campuses.
Caterpillar, Inc.
, the well-known major manufacturer of "big yellow" heavy construction equipment, located a manufacturing facility in the Athens area in 2012, and the demand for skilled welders has continuously increased.
Mike White, Caterpillar Human Resource Manager
stated, "Partnerships with the
Technical College System of Georgia
are critical to our recruitment and training successes. We currently have 60 welding positions open, and more positions will be available in the future. We believe
Lanier Technical College's Welding and Joining Technology Program will be key to finding great talent for Caterpillar.
It is important students realize the opportunities presented to them after completing a welding program."
Instructor, Tom Rieger, helps Mark Knight with his technique.
Tom Rieger
, a highly experienced industry professional and instructor, has rejoined the
staff of Lanier Technical College's Winder-Barrow Campus as Welding and Joining Technology Instructor.
Rieger explained that while the most lucrative jobs for welders are in the aircraft industry, many diverse industries in Barrow and the neighboring counties need welders immediately. The same need for skilled welders and joiners in Barrow County and the surround area is found throughout Georgia and the US.
Ryland Pendley, Canyon Wallace, Zachary Coats, and Dustin Everett, watch
Rieger demonstrate proper technique.
Lanier Technical College, in partnership
with the
Barrow County School System
, is building a
new joint education campus
. BCSS high school students and LTC students will
learn in a state-of-the art environment
, and Rieger will get to put the final touches on the new Winder-Barrow Campus welding lab at the joint education campus. "It's exciting to be able to pick out what you need and set it up the way you want to best teach the safety and skills required to meet the demands for welders. There are so many methods of welding now that it's important for the students to get a feel for them (various welding methods) before they go into the workplace", noted Rieger.
The new
Barrow Campus welding lab
will incorporate a
plasma table
with a
Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC)
cutting system. Plasma cutting is a process that is used to cut steel and other metals of different thicknesses (or sometimes other materials) using a plasma torch. In this process, an inert gas (in some units, compressed air) is blown at high speed out of a nozzle; at the same time an electrical arc is formed through that gas from the nozzle to the surface being cut, turning some of that gas to plasma. The plasma is sufficiently hot to melt the metal being cut and moves sufficiently fast to blow molten metal away from the cut.
CNC allows the cutting to be precision controlled by a computer commands.
The new welding lab will also train students in robotic welding in a new
robotic station
, called a
. Rieger notes that many manufacturing companies are using robotics in production, and the demand for welders to maintain the robots is growing.
Lanier Technical College is
accepting applications
for enrollment in the
Spring semester beginning in January of 2014
. The College has a
98.6% job placement rate
and offers over
40 programs of study in some of the nation's fastest-growing career fields
including healthcare, energy, business and industry, and public or private service. More information about
Lanier Technical College
may be obtained by calling the Oakwood Campus at 770-533-7000, the Dawson Campus at 706-216-546
1, the Barrow Campus at 770-297-4527
, or by visiting
. Lanier Technical College is a unit of the
Technical College System of Georgia
Campuses / Contact Us / Directions
© 2014 Lanier Technical College
2990 Landrum Education Drive, Oakwood, Georgia 30566
Phone: 770-533-7000 | Fax: 770-531-6328
A Unit of the
Technical College System of Georgia
An Equal Opportunity Institution
Disability Services
National Human Trafficking Resource Center


text:
NewswireToday - /newswire/ -
London, United Kingdom, 2010/10/27 - Swedish software developers Laidback Solutions launching powerful new features for both FileTrain and Cargo Ad Portal at MediaPro 2010, Olympia 2, London, 2nd & 3rd November. Laidback will be exhibiting on Stand 33 with The Digital Asset Lab.
FileTrain is the ultimate automaton software, making all repetitive tasks simple. New features in FileTrain 5.5 not only include sFTP & FTPs compatibility but an imaginative configuration sharing option between all FileTrain users worldwide.
Pär Andersson, Laidbacks CEO commented FileTrain is very versatile and FileTrain users equally imaginative in configuring FileTrain to solve repetitive tasks. Now they can upload their configurations to our web site, which other FileTrain users can download and instantly use
The ability for FileTrain users to select from a wide range of pre-configured tasks is a massive time saver. This new feature allows us to harness individual expertise and share it with the entire FileTrain community, said Laidbacks Joakim Lundberg.
The Digital Asset Labs Managing Director, Alastair McDavid said Laidback Solutions are such an innovative company. Visitors to MediaPro from the publishing industry must visit Stand 33, and view their entire range of software, particularly Feedback, which is taking the magazine industry and photographic agencies by storm. The rising star in Digital Asset Management is MediaFiler and users should check out the plugins for Quark and InDesign that Laidback have developed for MediaFiler.
Cargo, Laidbacks AD Portal (laidbacksolutions.com) the powerful and simple ad management software, including online PDF Preflight - has a host of new features too, which will be launched at MediaPro.
1. Watchdog - checking all new bookings made in the customers booking system (integration with any SQL-based system)
2. Online order confirmations automatically sent
3. Automatic reminders for advertisers who have not sent the advertising files in time
4. e-mail with direct links to Cargo for customers sending advertising files to a newspaper / publishing house
5. Automatic matching of advertising files / advertising booking
6. Preflight of PDF-files in the web browser using Enfocus Pitstop Server or callas PDF Toolbox
7. Proof handling online for all production of advertising files
8. Plug-ins for proof handling for the producers, the producers can handle all the proofing from inside InDesign.
Written by / Agency / Source: The Digital Asset Lab
Availability: All Regions (Including Int'l)
Traffic Booster: [/] Quick Newswire Today Visibility Checker
Distribution / Indexing: [+]


text:
Want To Know How Much Celebs Get Paid Per Tweet?
A lot of money!
Kim Kardashian is always tweeting about something inane. Sometimes she'll try to tweet about a product without it being incredibly obvious that they're asking her to. But it's always obvious. Lohan has been doing her own product endorsement, although the company claims they are not paying her.
And yes, apparently some celebs get paid to tweet about companies and products — even the D-list celebs. The more followers/famous the celeb, the more money they can command per tweet.
Want to find out how much celebrities are earning?


text:
A candidate forum for Arizona's superintendent of public instruction was interrupted Thursday evening by a group of protesters who support TUSD's ethnic studies program.
Democratic candidates Jason Williams and Penny Kotterman and Republican opponents John Huppenthal and Margaret Dugan were in Tucson answering questions on various educational matters, including school funding, special education, charter schools and early childhood and adult education. About 200 people attended.
Republican candidate Beth Price did not attend.
About 20 minutes before the two-hour forum concluded, a group of protesters made their way into an already packed theater at Rincon/University High School, 421 N. Arcadia Ave.
At the time, Dugan was responding to an audience member's question on tuition tax credits but was interrupted by someone yelling "freedom of speech" and urging the candidates to keep their hands off of the ethnic studies program.
Audience members told the group to let the candidates finish and tried to keep the protesters out before eventually letting them enter.
The protesters held banners that read "Defend ethnic studies. No to HB 2281" and "$ for education not border militarization" as the candidates promptly gave their closing statements. No one in the group claimed affiliation to a particular organization.
One member of the group, 21-year-old Armando Sotelo said he felt the protest was the only way of getting a message across to the candidates.
"We don't have newspaper ads or commercials to get out our message," said Sotelo, who graduated from Tucson High Magnet School and participated in the ethnic studies program. "We are concerned citizens."
Earlier in the evening, Dugan and Huppenthal were criticized by a few members of the audience for supporting the ethnic studies bill. The measure prohibits courses that promote the overthrow of the U.S. government or resentment toward a race or class of people. The bill also bans courses designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group or courses that advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.
Current Arizona schools chief Tom Horne believes TUSD is in violation of the bill and has vowed to withhold funding from Tucson's largest school district as a result.
Dugan, who currently serves as Horne's deputy superintendent, has said she will pursue the matter if elected.
The district denies the allegation and says it is in full compliance with the law.
Contact reporter Alexis Huicochea at 573-4175 or firstname.lastname@example.com


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This is going to be another embarrassing chapter in the never ending saga of the Thuggins recruiting model. I have a hard time believing that this could have taken Huggins by surprise.
From today's enquirer article on UC's offseason...
That's so reassuring...glad to know the bar is set so high.According to the report, Bright "pulled a .32-caliber Iver Johnson revolver from his right pocket and the revolver was fired. The arrested, Roy Bright, is not sure if he fired the weapon or if the weapon was dropped and discharged. After the revolver was fired, Mr. Bright placed the weapon back into his pocket."
Huggins dismissed Bright immediately after Bright confirmed that he had been in possession of a firearm on campus.
"Huggins stepped right up to the plate," Goin said. "He knows our guidelines."
Here is the entire article.


text:
If you have kids, you inevitably have to deal with it. Call it what you will: the bogeyman, the dark, monsters under the bed. Fear plays a big role in kids' lives. Eventually they reach a point where they're conscious that we're not OK and things can go wrong, and that's scary.
At our house, it shows up around bedtime every night. "Daddy, I don't want to be alone," says my four-year-old daughter. I always explain that we are all in our home and it's a safe place. Nothing can harm us when we're here. I also point out that I will always do everything in my power to protect her, and that God tells us that he is always watching over us.
As I thought about that child-like, "irrational" fear, I realized that we never really gets rid of it. No matter how old we are, we always struggle with some kind of fear. What we need to remember is that we are in a safe place. Our father is always watching over us and he will do everything in his power to protect us.


text:
MONONGAHELA – Luke Simpson doesn't practice in a pool with multiple lanes and school records affixed to a fancy wall display or banners hanging from the ceiling.
When Simpson arrived for practice Tuesday afternoon, Manfred Mann was blasting on a boom box, the pool's one lane was full, and he was the youngest swimmer there – by 40 or 50 years.
The top-seeded entrant in the 50-yard freestyle at this week's WPIAL Class AA swim and dive championships doesn't come from a big-time program.
In fact, Simpson doesn't really have a program at all since Charleroi cut swimming two years ago.
But he keeps his passion alive here, at the Mon Valley YMCA, kicking it with the early-bird supper crowd.
"It's tough," said Simpson, whose seed time in the 50 free is 21.53 seconds. "I like the feeling of having someone there yelling at me, telling me to go faster."
Simpson will be represented at the WPIAL meet by Dr. Brad A. Ferko, but he has another voice inside him, urging him to push himself and not give up.
Dean Simpson Sr., Luke's grandfather, taught 3-year-old Luke how to swim on a family vacation in New Jersey, and the youngest Simpson has been hooked ever since.
He works at the Mon Valley YMCA. Works out there three times a day sometimes, too.
Feb. 19 marked one year since his grandfather died of cancer at the age of 79 – he lifted weights and swam right up until a week before his death, Luke said – but it's safe to say that he won't be forgotten Thursday and Friday.
"I know he's there pushing me," Luke said. "I know he's there cheering for me. He's my coach. An angel in the outfield."
Simpson qualified for the WPIAL meet by swimming with Ringgold's team, though he wasn't allowed to compete or score points.
If there was an extra lane, he got it. Otherwise he had to swim by himself – pretty much a death sentence in a racing sport.
"I actually got my best 50 free time swimming by myself," Simpson countered.
Though he wasn't required to attend all of Ringgold's meets, Simpson did anyway, soaking up the competition. He even broke two Ringgold school records … on Senior Night.
"That was the one meet I actually had fans going to," Simpson said. "Our meets were all over the place. I'm sure if they were home, I would have a bunch of people. It was my Senior Night, and I figured I would go out with a bang."
It's a thought that might help explain Simpson's entire high school career.
After finishing fifth in the 50 free with a time of 22.22 last winter, Simpson added a morning workout to his routine; he now wakes up at 4 a.m., eats breakfast, lifts from 5:30-7 a.m., then heads to school.
He swims after school, drives home to eat, then heads back to the YMCA to swim later at night.
"There are a lot of days where I don't want to do it, but I think of the end result," Simpson said. "I want it."
Simpson, unfortunately, knows not doing it all too well. As a freshman and sophomore, Simpson didn't challenge himself in the pool or in the classroom. He crumbled.
Without that stimulation, he was a 2.6 student, an average swimmer at best. Then a few of his teachers started challenging him, same for his former coach, Jamie Stache.
"I have this weird thing where I need to be challenged when I do things. I didn't realize that until beginning of junior year.
"I realized that I needed to get my head in the game."
Simpson raised his GPA to 3.0 as a sophomore and now 4.0 on a weighted scale, with all honors and AP classes. His swimming has obviously improved.
Simpson, who's also seeded ninth in the 100 backstroke, knows how close he is to Blackhawk graduate Mark Stepanian's 2009 WPIAL record (20.79).
He and No. 2 seed Cameron Clerici – the reigning 50 free champion – have even joked about finished with the same time, as long as it's below Stepanian's.
"It's going to be tough," Simpson said.
So is swimming by yourself, many might argue. But that sure hasn't stopped Simpson, who hopes to attend Pitt, Westminster or Saint Vincent, continue swimming and study mechanical engineering.
"I'm just trying to do my best," Simpson said. "I know no matter how I do at the WPIAL meet, my pap will be proud of me. I'm satisfied with that. My parents and everyone I know … I just want to make them happy."
Extra laps
The South Fayette girls have three top-seeded relays: the 200-yard medley, the 400 free and 200 free. … Maddie Bartrug of South Fayette is the top seed in the girls 50 free at 25.03 seconds. … Teammate Morgan Fink is No. 1 in the 100 breaststroke at 1:09.04. … In Class AAA, Peters Township's Kyle Higgins is the No. 2 seed in the boys 100 butterfly (51.92) and the 100 backstroke (53.07). … Saoirse Palu-Benson of the Peters Township girls team is second in the 500 free at 4:58.52.
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text:
CHICAGO – TV fans know Monica Raymund as paramedic Gabby Dawson on the long-running "Chicago Fire." But the talented actor is expanding her range, debuting her first film as director, "Tanya," at the Midwest Independent Film Festival on Tuesday, August 1st, 2017. The short film – written by Sam Forman – will be part of "Female Filmmakers Night" at the Midwest Indie, and is part of Raymund's involvement with Hidden Tears Project, an organization dedicated to raising consciousness by creating media on gender inequality, sexual abuse and human trafficking.
Jacki Weaver
Film Review: 'Magic in the Moonlight' is Woody Allen By the BookSubmitted by PatrickMcD on July 25, 2014 - 3:53pm
CHICAGO – After last year's powerful "Blue Jasmine," writer/director Woody Allen's trajectory seemed destined toward another film masterpiece, but "Magic in the Moonlight" isn't it. Colin Firth and Emma Stone are an unlikely pairing in this seen-it-before-Woody film trifle.
Blu-ray Review: Oscar-Winning Crowd-Pleaser 'Silver Linings Playbook'Submitted by BrianTT on May 10, 2013 - 3:48pm
CHICAGO – They often say that a movie is written three times - on paper, on film, and in the editing bay. Look no further for this truth than the deleted scenes from "Silver Linings Playbook," recently released on Blu-ray and DVD. While some of the scenes are fun and allow Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert De Niro more chances to shine, I would argue that all 26 minutes of them were correctly cut. If they hadn't been, the movie's not an Oscar winner.
Film Review: Mia Wasikowska Finds Trippy Mystery in 'Stoker'Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 1, 2013 - 11:05pm
CHICAGO – There is cause and effect in life, and there are times when random acts of circumstance rinses it all away. Those emotions are realized in the strange yet compelling composition of the new film "Stoker," featuring Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, and Matthew Goode.
Film Review: Amazing Ensemble Rewrites 'Silver Linings Playbook'Submitted by BrianTT on November 16, 2012 - 3:32pm
CHICAGO – It's funny that a movie with the word "Playbook" in its title is so clearly about how those of us who think we know exactly where life is taking us are merely kidding ourselves. Like so many of us, the hero of "Silver Linings Playbook," Pat Solatano (Bradley Cooper), has a plan to find happiness, to find his silver lining.
Film Review: Darkly Comic Jason Segel in 'The Five-Year Engagement'Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 27, 2012 - 7:35am
CHICAGO – There are some major laughs in "The Five-Year Engagement," good old fashion you-can't-breathe laughs. But is it also dark and serious at times, and makes some surprising contemporary statements regarding coupling. Jason Segel and Emily Blunt portray the engaged couple.
DVD Review: Excellent 'Animal Kingdom' Features Oscar-Nominated PerformanceSubmitted by BrianTT on January 25, 2011 - 6:28pm
CHICAGO – One of the most wonderful nominations on Oscar morning this year was that of the great Jacki Weaver for the movie that most "E!"-watchers probably had never even heard of — "Animal Kingdom." This searing crime thriller barely found an audience when it was released in art houses but should get a nice boost from the Academy and was just released on DVD last week, Jan. 18, 2011.
Film Feature: The Best Supporting Performances of 2010Submitted by BrianTT on December 14, 2010 - 3:16pm
CHICAGO – It started with the best lead performances of 2010 yesterday and now we naturally move on to many of the stars who made those lead turns possible. For what is a great lead performance without the supporting ones that got it there? These were the MVPs of 2010 who may have allowed others to take the spotlight but also made it shine so much brighter.
Film Review: Guy Pearce Delves Into Corruption in Riveting 'Animal Kingdom'Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 20, 2010 - 7:09am
CHICAGO – The thin line between anarchy and social peace is shriveling into a microscopic blur as sentencing and incarceration become increasingly less effective as a deterrent. The human side of this perspective is explored with an artistic elegance, featuring Guy Pearce in writer/director David Michôd's "Animal Kingdom."
Interview: Director David Michôd Explores His 'Animal Kingdom'Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 18, 2010 - 8:46am
CHICAGO – The gangster movie gets a nice Freudian twist in director David Michôd's new film, "Animal Kingdom." This Australian import focuses on a family of bank robbers whose mother is the glue that holds their criminality together. Guy Pearce ("Memento," "The Hurt Locker") lends his talent as Leckie, a pursuing police officer.


text: Introducing a super cute Pikachu theme for android devices - made for all you Pokemon fans out there! Download it FREE from google play HERE :: DESCRIPTION :: For GO Launcher EX- reskin your whole phone with adorable pikachu! Includes custom wallpaper, auto-skinned icons + 20 custom app icons & dock icons, indicator. All your icons will be held by adorable, chubby pikachu~ :: NOTE :: SEE MORE FROM THIS DEVELOPER HERE Please rate and review if you want more! Thanks for your support~~


text:
A new on-demand certificate program
in laboratory management
The most practical and complete training resource in laboratory management.
Lab Management University (LMU) is a new self-paced certificate program that improves competency in laboratory management, with customizable options for all skill levels. See why LMU has already grown to over 12,000 participants worldwide.
Developed by an impressive lineup of laboratory leaders, LMU teaches you the practical, day-to-day skills needed to make your career and your lab a success. Complete 25 topics from a growing library of interactive, self-paced courses, covering all key competency areas needed to be successful in laboratory management. Enroll today!
Ronald L. Weiss, MD, MBA FASCP
Professor of Pathology
University of Utah School of Medicine
Salt Lake City, UT
Lauren Gilmore, MD
Department of Pathology
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, MA
Alfred W. Campbell, MD FASCP
Obstetrics & Gynecology, Pathology, and Anatomic
Pathology & Clinical Pathology
Carolinas Pathology Group
Spartanburg, SC
David C. Hoak, MD FASCP
Laboratory Medical Director
InCyte Pathology
Spokane Valley, WA
Lewis A. Hassell, MD FASCP
Associate Professor of Pathology
University of Oklahoma HSC
Oklahoma City, OK
Melissa Lord-Toof
Director of Operations
American Pathology Foundation
Laguna Beach, CA
Tricia L. Hughey
Past Vice President of Business Development
Denver, CO
John A. Baci, MBA
Director of Pathology Administration
Boston Children's Hospital
Children's Hospital Pathology Foundation, Inc.
Boston, MA
Kent B. Lewandrowski, MD FASCP
Associate Chief of Pathology
Massachusetts General Hospital
Professor of Pathology
Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA
Amy J. Wendel Spiczka, M.S. SCT, MB, HTL (ASCP)CM
Manager, Anatomic Pathology
Mayo Clinic Arizona
Scottsdale, AZ
John F. Boyle, PhD
Administrative Director of Laboratory, Respiratory and Ancillary Services
Mercy Medical Center
New York, NY
Jean Marie Marden, MA, CFP®
Past VP Human Resources & Development
American Society for Clinical Pathology
Chicago, IL
Elizabeth Wagar, MD FASCP
Professor/Chair, Laboratory Medicine
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, TX
Kristin Marriott
Director of Support Services
Denver, CO
Ronald B. Lepoff, MD FASCP
Clinical Laboratory Director, UCH
University of Colorado Hospital Clinical Laboratory
Aurora, CO
Irina Lutinger, MPH, FACHE, MASCP, MT(ASCP)DLM
Sr. Admin. Director, Clinical Labs
NYU Langone Medical Center
New York, NY
Ruth A. Cheng, MBA, MT(ASCP)
Specimen Processing Area Supervisor, Clinical Laboratories
Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Hershey, PA
Krista Crews
Executive Director
Pro Path
Dallas, TX
Karen Babish
Vice President of Finance
Denver, CO
Jeffrey S. Warren, MD FASCP
Department Director
University of Michigan Medical School
Ann Arbor, MI
Richard E. Horowitz, MD FASCP
Clinical Professor of Pathology
University of Southern California (USC)
Emeritus Professor at UCLA
Los Angeles, CA
Ulysses Balis MD
Associate Professor, Department of Pathology
Director, Division of Informatics
Director, Informatics Fellowship
University of Michigan Hospital and Health Systems
Ann Arbor, MI
Richard Cooper, Esq
McDonald Hopkins LLC
Dennis, MA
Jane Pine Wood, Esq
McDonald Hopkins LLC
Dennis, MA
Michael Feldman, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Director, Division of Pathology Informatics - Perelman School of Medicine
Philadelphia, PA
Gregory G Davis, MD FASCP
Jefferson Co. Coroner/ME
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, AL
Liron Pantanowitz, MD, FASCP
Director of the Pathology Informatics Fellowship
Program/Associate Director of the Pathology
Informatics Division
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Pittsburgh, PA
Brian R. Jackson, MD, MS
Vice President, Chief Medical Informatics Officer
ARUP Laboratories
Salt Lake City, UT
Heather Signorelli, DO
Pathology Resident
University of Colorado - Denver Campus
Denver, CO
Karen Rupke
Quality Auditor
Laboratory Sciences
Grand Rapids, MI
David W Glenn, MASCP, MLS(ASCP)
CEO Emeritus, Consultant, Pilot
Pathology Services, P.C.
North Platte, NE
Jeanne Carr, PhD, BCLD, CC, MT(ASCP)
Technical Director, Molecular Microbiology and Virology
Memphis, TN
Richard E Warren, MT(ASCP)SH,DLM
Administrative Director
Memphis, TN
Kelley Suskie
Administrator, Compliance Coordinator
Univ of Arkansas College of Medicine
Little Rock, AR
Anil V Parwani, MD FASCP
Staff Pathologist/Dept of Pathology
UPMC Shadyside Hospital
Pittsburgh, PA
Jonathan M Heller
Administrator, Laboratory Medicine
Georgetown University
Washington D.C.
Lee H Hilborne, MD, MPH, DLM(ASCP) FASCP
Medical Director, Quest Diagnostics
Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine,
Los Angeles, CA
Jason Baron, MD
Medical Director Core Laboratory
Massachusetts General Hospital
Instructor in Pathology
Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA
Greg Bocsi, DO
Director, University of Colorado Hospital Core
Aurora, CO
Jessica Harms (CONFIRMED)
Senior Marketing Manager
American Pathology Partners, Inc.
Denver, CO
Anna M Moran, MD FASCP
Lead Physician for Performance Improvement
University of Pennsylvania Health System
Shillington, PA
Yolanda S. Garcia, MS, MLS(ASCP)CMSBB
Manager, RML Blood Center
Instructor, College of Health Sciences
Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, IL
Lee B Springer, PhD, MLT(ASCP)
Director of Laboratory Services
Glencoe Regional Health System
Lester Prairie, MN
Amy L. Thompson, Ph.D., MLS(ASCP)
Associate Professor
Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, TN
Robert Schmidt MD, PhD, MBA
Medical Director
Huntsman Hospital Clinical Laboratory
University of Utah Health Sciences Center
Salt Lake City, Utah
Michelle Hadley MA, HT (ASCP)
Sr. Administrative Project Manager
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, MA
Jackie Cuda BS, SCT(ASCP)
Cytology Supervisor
UPMC Shadyside
Wexford, PA
Annika Windon, MD
University of Pennsylvania
Wynnewood, PA
Ericka Olgaard, DO
Assistant Professor, Anatomic and Clinical
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Little Rock, AR
Ann-Leslie Zaslav, PhD
Associate Professor
Head of Cytogenetics
Stony Brook Medicine
Stony Brook, NY
Michael L Talbert, MD FASCP
Chair of Pathology
Oklahoma City, OK
Andrea Carley
Incyte Diagnostics
Spokane Valley, WA
Diana Mass, MA, MT(ASCP)
Arizona State University
Valley Center, CA
Nathan H Johnson, PhD, MASCP
Director, Center for Laboratory Medicine Services
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Health Affairs
Falls Church, VA
Scott A. Kirkley, M.D.
Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
University of Rochester Medical Center
Rochester, NY
Enrique Terrazas, MD, MS
Clinical Professor
University of California
San Francisco, CA
Flexible and customizable, LMU was created for everyone, including those who are either currently in or aspiring to be in leadership positions in the lab. Content is relevant for laboratory professionals, pathologists, and pathology residents alike.
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LMU Fundamentals
Recommended for the majority of users, this customizable program lets you choose 25 out of 36+ on-demand courses covering all key management concepts. Topics range from essential knowledge to more specialized and advanced topics. See all available courses topics below.
Upon completion, you will earn your certificate in laboratory management and be fully qualified to move on to LMU Advanced.
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47 Courses and Counting
New LMU courses are always being developed. All courses can be taken online, at your own pace, through LMU's interactive learning module. Additional live LMU courses are also available to take at select ASCP and APF events, providing you options to fit with your individual learning preferences.
LMU Fundamentals course
LMU Advanced course
The Laboratory Medical Director: Roles, Responsibilities and Expectations (Required for Pathologist/Residents)
This course explores the various roles, responsibilities and expectations of Laboratory Medical Directors. Participants will learn what knowledge and skills are essential to be successful at leading and managing laboratory strategies, processes and teams. (Optional for Laboratory Professionals)
The Laboratory Manager/Supervisor: Roles, Responsibilities and Expectations (Required for Laboratory Professionals)
This course focuses on the roles and responsibilities of a clinical laboratory leader who is new to the manager/supervisory positions. This includes expectations of leadership, managing the customer service process, and ways to systematically manage your team to achieve organizational and laboratory goals. (Optional for Pathologist/Residents)
Management Theory: Applying Emotional Intelligence in the Healthcare Environment
This course emphasizes the development of Emotional Intelligence as an essential component of leadership. Participants will learn new areas where they can apply leadership and management approaches to stay competitive in today's laboratory and healthcare environment.
Conducting an Effective Team Meeting
This course examines the skills involved in preparing for and conducting effective meetings aimed at achieving organizational and departmental goals. Participants will also learn how to facilitate discussion, handle common barriers and avoid time wasters during the course of a meeting.
Delivering Effective Presentations
Presentations in the laboratory setting are essential to communication, gaining stakeholder support, demonstrating quality processes or leading others to change. This course focuses on developing and achieving presentation goals, building content, engaging the audience, and preparing PowerPoint presentations and handouts.
Basic Elements of the Strategic Process
This course provides an introduction to basic elements of the strategic process. Participants will learn about components of vision and mission statements and how to conduct a SWOT analysis.
50 Ways to Lead Your Laboratory (enduring material)
You are continuously asked to do more with less. This session will help you accomplish that task by developing Shared Management Work Teams that improve productivity, raise morale and increase staff retention. You will also explore ways that you can keep yourself motivated while creating a motivational environment for your staff. At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to: identify how to do more with less by using Shared Management Work Team;, create a motivational atmosphere for the lab, and; recognize 25 Tricks for Success.
Getting to the Soul of Leadership in Laboratory Medicine: The Skills You Need to Navigate Change (enduring material)
This course will help develop leadership skills that are built on personal and social competencies of Emotional Intelligence. It will help to build teams that are effective, communicate well and are focused on conversations and interactivity and help to manage time, harness 'big picture' thinking. It will also help to enhance group emotional intelligence and learn techniques to allay stress in the workplace.
Steps to Developing a Sales Strategy for Your Organization
This course will help you identify steps to developing a sales strategy for your organization.
Empowerment as a Function of Leadership and Peak Performance (enduring material)
A major factor that influences a quality conscious environment is empowered leaders who have the ability to foster productive outcomes. Leaders must create an organizational culture of empowered people who have the freedom to exhibit self-direction in achieving the institutional mission and goals. In this work environment all staff members are leaders. Discussion will center on the elements and benefits of empowerment, influence strategies, and self- empowering tools which promote peak performance that can assure patient safety and thus quality patient outcomes.
Pathology Personnel and The Challenge of Change (Advanced)
Change management is arguably one of the most challenging aspects of any leadership position in the Pathology environment. This lecture will address and discuss change management at all levels of technical, administrative and physician leadership. Examples of best practices, past successes and frequent failures will be presented, discussed and evaluated.
Setting Performance Expectations
Performance management is a continuous process between supervisors and laboratory personnel. Participants will develop key job performance objectives and competencies and performance expectations appropriate for lab personnel.
Coaching for Performance Improvement
This course focuses on developing skills and methods of helping lab personnel to overcome performance gaps through motivation and coaching. Participants will examine factors effecting performance in their environment.
Appraising Employee Performance
While each supervisor has a different style, if you do not have a basic understanding of the performance appraisal process and a way of communicating with and preparing your staff, this process may result in disappointments or frustrations for everyone involved. This course will review the performance appraisal process and explain how you and your employees can prepare. You'll also learn how to avoid common errors and best practices for a successful appraisal meeting.
Delegating for Success and Accountability
This course examines how delegating can be instrumental to making the lab more productive, improving staff skills and confidence and achieving goals. You'll learn how to identify what tasks should be delegated and who are the appropriate team members. You'll also be introduced to the delegating process and have an opportunity to practice a delegating discussion with an employee.
Maintaining Ethics in the Laboratory
This course provides a framework for ethical decision making amongst the challenges involved with managing patient care, operations, employees, and finances. This course covers the pathologists' ethical responsibilities towards patients, staff, organization and the profession. As a manager you'll also review your responsibilities for employee rights, non-discrimination, and reporting sexual harassment.
Essentials for Creating a Laboratory Job Description
This course will focus on how to develop and write a functional job description. In addition, included are key competencies, sample job descriptions and training and certification options.
Laboratory Personnel Issues: What Works in the Real World (enduring material)
Are you preparing yourself to lead your lab? Are you worried about the impending shortage of qualified laboratory personnel? Do you want to be a more effective manager/supervisor? If you answer yes to any of these questions, this session is designed specifically for you. Leaving management theory behind, and stepping into the "real world", we will use an interactive case study approach to tackle and solve common and perplexing personnel issues.
The Benefits of Mentoring in the Pathology Department (enduring material) (Advanced)
This course will help develop effective mentoring skills for all technical and administrative levels within your organization and use mentoring as an effective practice recruitment tool.
Portfolio Development (worth 15 credits) (Advanced)
Improve chances of a professional's ability to achieve success in their career by providing them with an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and competence of lab management concepts and applications in leadership, personnel management, financial management, informatics, operations and compliance.
Designing Test Menus for a Majority Population
To ensure viability in a rapidly changing health care environment, the clinical laboratory must constantly improve the quality of testing and the test menu offerings. A strategic, well-developed and optimally communicated test menu ensures that the best practices for test ordering and triage are followed consistently for the best patient care and strong outcomes for quality and efficiency. This course will help learners to successfully complete the process and apply best practices for selection and design of a new test menu.
Developing Quality Control Systems
This course is designed to help you with developing or improving Quality Control systems in your organization. Quality control systems in the clinical laboratory are important to:
Preparing Standard Operating Procedures and Reports
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) ensure your lab will consistently perform quality procedures and deliver quality results. Properly formatted lab reports reduce the chances of communication errors between the laboratory and physician. This course is designed to help you accomplish this by explaining the Quality Management System framework and its Quality System Essentials and the development and delivery of SOPs and lab reports.
Competency Assessment of Testing Personnel Using a Test System Approach (enduring material)
This course focuses on designing a competency assessment program based on a test system approach that will aid in providing clinical laboratory personnel with a systematic assessment while providing the institution with necessary documentation to meet requirements of various regulatory agencies. Topics to be covered include: how training and competency differ; approaches to defining test systems; developing and documenting annual competency assessment; setting acceptable criteria for performance; action to take in cases of unacceptable performance; and the Lab Director's responsibility in the process.
Analyzing and Managing Workflow in the Lab (Advanced)
The focus of workflow analysis and quality improvement in the pathology lab is not only on improving efficiency but also patient outcomes. This course will cover the basic steps for quality process improvement, methods for assessing and challenging current processes, requirements of workflow management systems, criteria for measuring improvement and factors for success.
Lean Quality Improvement: A Practical Approach (enduring material) (Advanced)
The lean quality improvement course is divided into two parts. The first is an introduction to lean techniques and simulation based education, and knowledge. The second part involves three case studies in lean implementation focused on patient safety, productivity, and failures in lean implementation. Participants will gain an applied knowledge of lean concepts while recognizing how lean may be used to decrease cognitive errors.
Managing the Utilization Of Diagnostic Tests: Developing a Laboratory Utilization Management Program (enduring material) (Advanced)
Utilization management is one such role in which pathologists equipped with the appropriate knowledge and skills can become leaders in the design of new models of care. Current and future models for reimbursement of health care will increasingly focus on controlling unnecessary utilization while improving the overall quality of care.
Project Management (Advanced)
This course will provide an introduction of principles and the life cycle of project management as well as life cycle and an overview of templates and software utilized for project monitoring and tracking.
Nuts and Bolts Financial Management for the Pathology Practice (enduring material)
This lecture examines the fundamentals of budgeting and reporting financial information. You will review key measurements that are typically used in health pathology practices and you can compare your metrics against best practices. You will also learn key strategies for effectively managing your revenue stream.
Foundations in Business Planning as a Basis for Financial Management
From strategic planning to performance monitoring, it is important to adhere to the foundational concepts of financial planning in order for your lab to be successful. This course will delve into three foundational concepts for sound business planning and will present the learner with real life scenarios where poor planning leads to disaster. Learners will think critically about what leads to financial crises in laboratory settings and will be exposed to best practices that will help them avoid crises in their own laboratories.
Show Me the VALUE (enduring material)
During this lecture, participants will gain an understanding of the variety of ways we get paid for what we do. With the trend towards payment reform, pathology must identify our value. This session will provide participants with tools to aid in our valuation.
Preparing a Budget for Pathology and Laboratory Services
Managing the laboratory budget requires knowledge of your capital investment, sources of revenue, return on investment, direct and indirect costs and as well as negotiating skills and an understanding of the impacts of purchases and new tests on the strategic plan as well as profit. This course is designed to help improve your skills in these areas.
Budget Analysis and Financial Performance
Budget Analysis is a fundamental requirement for meaningful assessment of Financial Performance. Financial Performance is a critical measure of success (or failure) in an organization's pursuit of its strategic goals. This course provides a model for Financial Management of the lab, best practices for analyzing the Operating (Profit and Loss) Statement and ways to develop and interpret benchmarks to measure financial performance.
Reimbursement in the Lab
The "Reimbursement in the Laboratory Course" provides current regulatory guidelines and procedures to help the learner identify and apply reimbursement best practices in their laboratory.
Strategic Planning and Performance Analysis for Your Pathology Practice Budget (enduring material) (Advanced)
This course will help you plan, prepare and analyze your pathology and laboratory budget.
CPT Coding and Medicare Payments: Preparing for 2015 and Beyond (enduring material) (Advanced)
This course looks forward to 2015 and beyond from the perspective of anticipated CPT coding changes for pathologists and laboratories as well as Medicare payment policy changes. You'll learn if the 2014 coding and payment problems with IHC and FISH will continue or abate with CPT-2015, whether Medicare plans more lab payment bundles for hospitals anytime soon, what the future holds vis-à-vis clinical lab test payments to independent labs, and much more. We'll even take a peek at ICD-10-CM: Is Oct. 1, 2015 a pipedream or for real?
Laboratory Management Information Systems in Daily Practice
This course will follow Dr. Jones, a laboratory director, through the selection process of a new Laboratory Information System. It covers considerations for the LIS decision-making process including selection, contracting and integration with other systems. It also focuses on providing details about the functionalities and interfaces of LISs.
Informatics in the Anatomical Pathology Laboratory: Making It Work For You (enduring material)
Pathology informatics has become critical to help pathology laboratories meet current and future challenges. Some of these challenges include providing synoptic reporting, patient safety, subspecialty centralization, and personalized medicine. This educational session is specifically geared towards helping attendees overcome technical challenges. Key aspects of synoptic reporting and prospective peer review at sign out within the laboratory information system will be demonstrated.
Harnessing Automation and Informatics to Improve Quality, Efficiency, and Turnaround Time in the Clinical Laboratory (enduring material) (Advanced)
The proposed educational session will present a practical guide on how to use automation and informatics rules to improve efficiency and quality in the clinical laboratory. The presenter is a medical director of a core laboratory that has been able to achieve 99% auto-verification of clinical chemistry and hematology results.
Patient Safety
This course provides an overview of patient safety in the laboratory by demonstrating best practices, and identifying current regulations and management systems used to minimize risk to the patient.
Developing Model Compliance Programs
As a lab manager you are required to ensure your lab focuses on patient safety and meets Federal, State and private payer health care program requirements. Compliance programs are a fundamental to the clinical laboratory's ethical and business policies. They establish culture that promotes prevention, detection and resolution of instances of conduct.
Laboratory Inspections: How To Ensure Your Lab Will Meet The Regulatory Guidelines (enduring material)
This session will review tactics that one healthcare system (MedStar Georgetown University Hospital & MedStar Health) have implemented to assist the laboratory team in regulatory compliance. Participants will also be exposed to lessons learned from an experience that involved inspection teams from multiple regulatory agencies at the same time. Additional tools and resources for laboratory leaders will be reviewed to provide the participants with a regulatory tool box of strategies to use in their laboratory.
Fundamentals of a Laboratory Safety Program
This program is intended to introduce laboratory leaders and staff to the essential components of a laboratory safety program. You will learn about the various workings within a laboratory safety program specially how to define a safety program, areas of workplace safety and handling compliance with regulations.
Safety Culture, Teamwork, Effective Communication and More: Utilization of High Reliability Practices in Pathology (enduring material)
High reliability organizations (HROs) have systems in place that make them exceptionally consistent in accomplishing goals and avoiding potentially catastrophic errors. The course will include both a didactic component as well as hands-on audience participation in simulated communication scenarios that include among others, pathology error disclosure to patients.
How to Develop an Individualized Quality Control Plan: Laboratory Risk Management in Action! (enduring material) (Advanced)
The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services(CMS) has incorporated risk management principles into the CLIA Interpretive Guidelines allowing laboratories to develop Individualized Quality Control Plans (IQCP). These IQCPs will allow laboratories to reduce risk by optimizing the use of liquid quality control, built-in manufacturer engineered controls and other control processes available on laboratory devices and instrumentation. This course will review risk management principles and participate in developing an individualized quality control plan for a simple laboratory device.
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Enroll now in LMU Fundamentals or LMU Advanced, or the entire LMU Complete package for a 20% savings. Enrollment includes online access for 3 years, or until completion. All graduates of either program are invited to a yearly graduate celebration at the ASCP & APF Annual Meeting!
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ASCP & APF Members: $799 | List Price: $949


text:
Compression 101
But when we actually read the article by Adam Sherwin, "media consultant," we happened upon a sentence so ill-informed that our eyebrows nearly zoomed through our hairline (well, if we had a hairline, that is). After a discussion of the effect of dynamic compression on the sound of recordings, Sherwin wrote: "Downloading has exacerbated the effect. Songs are compressed once again into digital files before being sold on iTunes and similar sites. The reduction in quality is so marked that EMI has introduced higher-quality digital tracks, albeit at a premium price, in response to consumer demand."
This is, of course, poppycock. We are sure that Mr. Sherwin is a fine and princely fellow, undoubtedly kind to his mother and generous to small children and tiny animals, but what he most certainly is not is a writer who knows anything about audio. Why, oh why do newspapers seem to think that "media" writers—writers who have spent years familiarizing themselves with computers or appliances can write intelligently about hi-fi matters. Real estate correspondents need to know real estate, business correspondents presumably need to know about, well, business. Why are the standards lower for audio?
For the record then, here's what got Mr. Sherwin in trouble: "compression" means different things depending on how it is used. There's compression that is used as a studio tool—allowing, say, drums to "sound louder" and have more impact. Then there's dynamic compression, which "louderizes" softer sounds until they are as loud as the loudest portions of the recording. This makes the track "sound louder," but at the expense of true dynamic range.
Finally, there's data compression (also known as source coding), which encodes information using fewer bits. This can be done by discarding redundant bits—called "lossless" compression, because the original data can be completely restored—and by eliminating information that a psychoacoustic model suggests might not be audible anyway—"lossy" compression. MP3 is a form of lossy compression; as well as discarding redundant bits, the coding eliminates information on the theory that space is more important than accuracy. (When accuracy is valued, but space also matters, there's lossless compression.)
Digital recording, which allows engineers to work closer to the 0dB "ceiling," is frequently cited as the reason the practice of dynamic compression has become so ubiquitous, but its roots lie back in the 1950s, when record executives wanted singles mastered so that they sounded louder than the competition when played on the radio—on the theory that louder sounded better. Eventually, everybody caught on to that trick—and then radio stations started compressing their signals so that they sounded louder than their competition. Now the practice is so common that there's little point in owning a high-end tuner. Almost every station's signal sounds like crap.
Of course, digital mastering has helped the "loudness wars" reach their current state, where some recordings have as little as 4dB dynamic range—maybe less. How can there be less? 'Splaining that is hard to do, but fortunately, this page shows you what that means.
Ouch, that hurts to look at.
Confusing? Yes, it can be—if you're just visiting from the gadget pages. Next time, perhaps Timesonline will hire a hi-fi expert. They could call me—I know a few.


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18 Jan 2006, 02:20pm by P. Ryan Wilson
I'm sure Bill Cowher calls Joey Porter (or his comments) ridiculous at least once a week, so nothing surprising there. What's interesting however, is that the NFL said they will not fine Porter for suggesting the officials were conspiring against the Steelers during Sunday's game. Let's see, Clinton Portis gets slapped with a $20K fine for wearing mismatched socks, Sean Taylor loses $17K for spitting in another player's face, and Joey Porter gets off clean for saying the fix was in.
34 comments, Last at 07 Feb 2006, 2:25pm by dryheat
17 Jan 2006, 11:33pm by Aaron Schatz
In the latest TMQ, Gregg Easterbrook sees the football gods get famous, the Redskins blitz too much, the Steelers outthink the Colts, and the Patriots completely collapse.
39 comments, Last at 19 Jan 2006, 5:50pm by Peter
17 Jan 2006, 09:40pm by P. Ryan Wilson
And no, I'm not referring to college football teams. In this issue of the Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports, Hal Stern writes that all statisticians should boycott the Bowl Championship Series because, in part, the quantitative ratings used in the computer ranking have never been clearly defined and the inputs used are limited (for example, neither score nor site of game is currently used).
42 comments, Last at 09 Jun 2011, 5:07am by ffxi gil
17 Jan 2006, 09:16pm by P. Ryan Wilson
Eric Mangini: the new HC of the NYJ. Does this mean that Bill Belichick will now serve as offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and head coach?
53 comments, Last at 18 Jan 2006, 6:10pm by CaffeineMan
17 Jan 2006, 03:47pm by Russell Levine
BenMaller.com is reporting that the NFL will award its new late-season game package (probably Thursday and Saturday nights the last four weeks of the season) to .... itself. Or, more properly, to the NFL Network.
If accurate, this is a very interesting development, with ramifications all over the place. For one, if your cable company doesn't carry the NFL Network, it will. For another, it means that Comcast probably won't form an all-sports network to challenge ESPN.
27 comments, Last at 18 Jan 2006, 4:12pm by giving him the business
16 Jan 2006, 07:55pm by Michael David Smith
The NFL has acknolwedged that Troy Polamalu's interception should not have been overturned. Anyone think they'd have made this acknowledgement if Vanderjagt's kick had been good and the Colts had won in overtime?
100 comments, Last at 18 Jan 2006, 1:18am by Tom C. Huskey
16 Jan 2006, 03:48pm by P. Ryan Wilson
This week DJ Gallo has some thoughts on Peyton Manning throwing his team, uh, under the bus, explains why Troy Polamalu's apparent interception wasn't, discusses the Belichick Face, thinks the Steelers-Broncos game should be officially dubbed the Beard Bowl, and takes a look this morning's headlines from around the NFL.
35 comments, Last at 19 Jan 2006, 1:05pm by DD Ohio
16 Jan 2006, 01:14pm by Michael David Smith
Peter King muses on the losses of the Patriots and Colts.
31 comments, Last at 18 Jan 2006, 1:00pm by bartleby
16 Jan 2006, 12:12am by Aaron Schatz
Consider this an open thread to talk about the Final Four until Audibles goes up tomorrow. I really don't care about what Don Banks wrote, I just wanted to point one thing out.
He ranks the four remaining teams in order of their chances to win the Super Bowl like this: Carolina, Denver, Pittsburgh, Seattle. Why Carolina? "The Panthers are the only team that has managed to put two very impressive games together."
Can you tell where that reasoning breaks down?
59 comments, Last at 17 Jan 2006, 1:30pm by MJK
14 Jan 2006, 10:02pm by Aaron Schatz
The Indianapolis Colts blitz less often than any other defense in the NFL. How much less? The team ranked 31st blitzed THREE TIMES as often as the Colts. I got to use STATS Inc. numbers on team blitzes because the NY Times pays for those rights, but the tackle breakdowns for Bob Sanders and Gary Brackett come from the FO individual defensive stats.
(free registration/bugmenot required)
16 comments, Last at 17 Jan 2006, 1:48pm by ChicagoScott
We break down the very ugly game Joe Flacco had against Jacksonville, how completely ineffectual the Ravens offense was -- and why it wasn't even the worst game among quarterbacks this week.


text:
TEL AVIV (Jul. 11)
An Israeli lawyer who is an authority on the military code said here today that contrary to widespread belief, the military tribunal now trying Kozo Okamoto can impose the death penalty. The lawyer, Evyatar Levin, said the authority to pronounce the maximum sentence depended on the terms under which the tribunal was appointed.
When the three-man panel was named last month by Army Chief of Staff Gen. David Elazar, it was believed that capital punishment was ruled out because only one member, the tribunal's president, Lt. Col. Abraham Frisch, is a lawyer. Israeli law requires that at least two members of a military tribunal be jurists in order to impose a death sentence. Levin told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today that this rule applied only to a tribunal appointed under emergency regulations in the occupied territories. He said that a military tribunal appointed under the military code which is part of the Israeli penal code and which sits inside Israeli territory can impose capital punishment without having two jurists on the bench.
The tribunal trying the Japanese "kamikaze" gunman captured in the May 30 Lydda Airport massacre was appointed under the Israeli penal code which stems from the British emergency regulations in effect during the Palestine mandate. Inasmuch as it is sitting in Israel and is trying a crime committed on Israeli territory, it can impose the death penalty, Levin said.


text:
Tony N' Tina's Wedding
Valid: 10/5/2011 - 12/31/2012
Eat! Drink! Laugh! Enjoy all the fun of the off-Broadway smash Tony n' Tina's Wedding for 25% off! Enjoy an all-inclusive night out and join the happy couple as they tie the knot at the Edison Hotel, located in the heart of Times Square. Then, it's time for the hilarious reception featuring a full Italian dinner, champagne toast, wedding cake, dancing to a live band and plenty of laughs!
$15 Off General Admission tickets
$25 Off VIP tickets (Friday & Saturday performances)
Two easy ways to order!
Call Theatermania at 212-352-3101 and mention code: TNT15202.
Visit www.tonyandtinanewyork.com and enter code: TNT1520
Price Value: $25% off
Offer Locations
Offer subject to availability and may be revoked at anytime. Additional blackout dates may apply. Not valid for previously purchased tickets or in combination with any other offer. All sales final; no refunds or exchanges. Phone orders are subject to service fees. When purchasing tickets at the box office, patron MUST present this printout to the box office. Limit 10 tickets per order.


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FRVTA Readies for 2014 Florida RV SuperShow
January 7, 2014 by RVBusiness · Leave a Comment
The Florida RV Trade Association (FRVTA) will host the 29th Annual 2014 Florida RV SuperShow Jan. 15-19. According to a press release, the RV SuperShow will again be held at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa.
FRVTA reported that the 2014 SuperShow will have representation from every major RV manufacturer as well as hundreds of accessory booths exhibitors. "We will have more supplier booths and every type, size and style of RV on the market," said Marketing Director David Kelly. "With the addition of new entertainment and more seminars, we're anticipating record crowds this year. We're also renewing the two-day pass so the public will have two full days to see everything at the SuperShow at no additional cost."
The theme of the 2014 Florida RV SuperShow is "It's Your Turn."
"A lot of people have held off either buying their first RV or upgrading what they have," Kelly said. "The 'It's Your Turn' theme conveys that now's the best time to buy, and you deserve it. With hundreds of RVs on display and educational seminars, the SuperShow is the place to trade in your old RV or get all the information you need to get acquainted with the RV lifestyle."
In addition, some of Florida's finest campgrounds and resorts will have booth exhibits to show attendees the best camping opportunities found anywhere. A huge display of camping accessories and supplies will be found in the Camping World Store. Entertainment will include clowns and unicycle riders along with barbershop quartets and bagpipe bands.
The Super Rally celebrates its 27th year at the SuperShow. The rally is open to any RV clubs and the general public, and offers a number of amenities, including free admission to the SuperShow all five public days, meeting facilities for RV clubs, free coffee and donuts every morning, and seminars. Three nights of entertainment and refreshments are also included.
Admission to the SuperShow is $10 for adults and that includes a second day admission for the cost of one day and children under 16 are free. The SuperShow hours are Wednesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. s).
For more information visit www.frvta.org.
Report: Thor in High Gear; Sees Sales in Tampa
January 24, 2013 by RVBusiness · Leave a Comment
The Florida RV SuperShow drew heavy traffic last week as more than 50,000 consumers gathered at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa to scope out the new 2013 models of recreational vehicles.
Investors Business Daily reported that the show, which ran Jan. 16-20, is a venue for dealers to sell the products on display from the manufacturers they represent.
Thor Industries Inc. had a strong presence in Tampa, where all its subsidiaries and brands were represented.
Thor President and COO Bob Martin gave an upbeat early read on the show, noting, "Attendance at the Tampa show is up from last year, early indications suggest that retail sales are strong, and our dealers remain upbeat," Martin told Investors Business Daily Jan. 17. "These are all very positive signs for growth for Thor and our industry this year."
The warm reception at the show is in keeping with the overall climate for the RV industry, which has seen demand heat up after cooling off in a big way during the recession.
The industry started to move on the comeback trail in 2010, and has been gaining speed ever since. RV wholesale shipments are estimated to have grown to 277,000 to 285,000 units in 2012, says Kevin Broom, a spokesman for the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA). That would be up from 252,300 units in 2011. Forecasters call for a 4% to 5% rise in RV wholesale unit shipments in 2013, says Broom.
Thor, which makes the whole gamut of RVs, has been cashing in on the rebound. Sales have climbed by double digits in all but one of the past 13 quarters. And profits have risen by double digits for two straight quarters.
First-quarter fiscal 2013 sales popped 30% to $875.6 million, the highest level of sales growth in over two years. Profits climbed 41% to 58 cents a share.
Thor, which also is a major builder of commercial buses and ambulances, saw total RV sales rise 36% to $761.14 million from a year earlier. Its biggest piece of business is in towable RVs, which enjoyed a 28% pop in first-quarter sales to $639.2 million. Motorized RV sales surged 95% to $122.2 million.
First-quarter results were supported by dealer optimism and strong orders at its open house for dealers in Elkhart, Ind., in September, said Thor Chairman and CEO Peter Orthwein in a statement.
'Now's The Time' for '13 Florida RV SuperShow
January 7, 2013 by RVBusiness · Leave a Comment
The 28th Annual 2013 Florida RV SuperShow, hosted by the Florida RV Trade Association (FRVTA), is set to run Jan. 15-20 at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa.
As in past years, "Industry Day" will be held on Jan. 15 followed by "Public Days" for the remainder of the show. According to a press release, the theme of the 2013 Florida RV SuperShow is "Now's The Time," conveying the idea that there will never be a better time to buy an RV.
Those attending the show will be the first U.S. consumers to get a look at the North American recreational vehicle industry's 2013 lineup, all assembled at one time in one coordinated retail exposition.
After a series of late year, trade-only industry events at which manufacturers first unveiled their latest products to dealers, attendees will be able to view 1,100 units while 450 vendors will be on hand to service the RV-enthusiast public.
"The SuperShow as well as all our regional shows provide our manufacturers and dealers with excellent opportunities to display their new products all over Florida," FRVTA Executive Director Lance Wilson told RVBUSINESS.com. "With a record attendance in 2012 of over 54,000, we are expecting the 2013 SuperShow to be even bigger and better than ever."
Along with the displays of the nation's largest and best known manufacturers, show attendees will be able to view altogether new brands from some authentically new companies, including:
• An all-new upscale fifth-wheel lineup from LIFESTYLE Luxury RV, a new sister company to Middlebury, Ind.-based EverGreen Recreational Vehicles LLC.
• Entirely new from-the-ground-up SporTrek towables manufactured since July by Venture RV, a new stand-alone subsidiary of KZRV LP, Shipshewana, Ind.
• The inaugural unveiling of an entirely new lineup of extended stay, Solitude-brand fifth-wheels from Grand Design RV Co., a fledgling Indiana-based towable RV manufacturing firm that's been drawing a lot of initial attention.
• The first Flex-brand travel trailers and fifth-wheels from Augusta RV, a new company that opened its doors this year in Bristol, Ind.
• The rollout of Ocean One Class B motorhomes built on Mercedes Benz Sprinter platforms by Advanced RV, an Ohio-based startup.
• The North American debut of European-built RVs from one of the more unusual exhibitors at this year's SuperShow, HYMER AG, Europe's largest RV builder. HYMER executives say they're taking a look at the U.S. market and gauging consumer tastes in showing several European-built coaches. The end result is that HYMER could well become a significant player in the U.S. RV marketplace.
In addition to the RVs on display, the event will offer a host of educational seminars while several of Florida's campgrounds and resorts will have booth exhibits. Camping accessories and supplies will be shown in an on-site Camping World store.
RV writer Bob Marx will host two seminars daily, including "Tips for Buying an RV" and "Full Time & Extended RV Travel." Additional seminars focus on basic RV maintenance, weight and tire issues and "RVing 101-Everthing You Need to Know."
The Super Rally celebrates its 26th year at the event. The rally is open to RV clubs and the general public, and includes a number of amenities for the show.
For more information on the 2013 Florida RV SuperShow or to attend "Industry Day," contact FRVTA at 10510 Gibsonton Drive, Riverview, Fla., 33578, (813) 741-0488, or visit www.frvta.org.
Florida RV SuperShow Space Up 12% for 2013
August 15, 2012 by RVBusiness · Leave a Comment
The Florida RV Trade Association's (FRVTA) space drawing for the 2013 Florida RV SuperShow yielded a 12% increase in manufacturer space over last year's show, according to a press release.
FRVTA reported that the order in which space was selected during the drawing, held in the FRVTA office via phone and Internet, was determined by the "Grandfathered Drawing Order."
"We want to thank all our manufacturer members for their continued support," said FRVTA Executive Director Lance Wilson. "The SuperShow as well as all our regional shows provide our manufacturers and dealers with excellent opportunities to display their new products all over Florida. With a record attendance in 2012 of over 54,000, we are expecting the 2013 SuperShow to be even bigger and better than ever."
The theme of the 2013 Florida RV SuperShow, held at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, is "Now's The Time!" FRVTA said the theme emphasizes there won't be a better time to buy an RV as dealers are highly motivated and interest rates may never be this low again. It is also an invitation to discover what so many people have already found out – RVs offer freedom, flexibility and fun not found in any other activity.
Industry Day at the 2013 Florida RV SuperShow will be Jan. 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Attendees will be treated to coffee and donuts in the morning and a free lunch. Public Days will run Jan. 16-20. Hours for the show are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday is Senior Citizens Day with seniors receiving $1 off the cost of admission (not valid with other discounts).
For more information on the 2013 Florida RV SuperShow or to register for Industry Day, contact the Florida RV Trade Association at 10510 Gibsonton Drive, Riverview, Fla., 33578 or visit our www.frvta.org.
FRVTA to Hold Space Drawing for SuperShow
June 6, 2012 by RVBusiness · Leave a Comment
The Florida RV Trade Association (FRVTA) will hold the space drawing for the 2013 Florida RV SuperShow on Aug. 7-9, according to a news release.
FRVTA reported that each manufacturer that has returned its contract with a deposit will be called during the drawing to pick a space in the show. The "grandfathered drawing order" will determine the order in which space is selected.
In conjunction with the SuperShow, the 2nd World RV Conference will be held Jan. 17-20, 2013, at the Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina in Tampa. Hosted by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), the conference will draw RV industry executives and leaders from around the world.
The event will feature an informative conference agenda that will provide attendees the opportunity to share market information and statistics, discuss technical issues and standards and explore how RV companies can work together in an interconnected world market. In addition to compelling keynote speakers and general and breakout conference sessions, the 2nd World RV Conference will also include trips to the 2013 Florida RV SuperShow and Lazydays RV Super Center.
Industry Day at the show will be held Jan. 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Attendees will be treated to coffee and donuts in the morning and a free lunch. Public Days will run Jan. 16-20.
The RV SuperShow hours are Wednesday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday is Senior Citizens Day with seniors receiving $1off the cost of admission (not valid with other discounts).
For more information on the 2013 Florida RV SuperShow or to register for Industry Day, contact FRVTA at 10510 Gibsonton Drive, Riverview, Fla., 33578 or visit www.frvta.org.
FRVTA Expects Record Crowds for SuperShow
January 4, 2012 by RVBusiness · Leave a Comment
The Florida RV Trade Association (FRVTA) will host the 27th Annual 2012 Florida RV SuperShow Jan. 11-15 at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. RV Industry Day will take place on Jan. 10 and all RV industry personnel may attend for free.
According to a news release, the show will have representation from every major RV manufacturer as well as hundreds of accessory booth exhibitors. "We will have more supplier booths and every type, size and style of RV on the market," said FRVTA Marketing Director David Kelly. "With the addition of new entertainment and more seminars, we're anticipating record crowds this year. We're also renewing the two-day pass so the public will have two full days to see everything at the SuperShow at no additional cost."
The theme of the 2012 Florida RV SuperShow is "Take Another Look," conveying the idea that "if consumers haven't seen all the new and exciting changes in today's RVs it's time to take another look," according to FTVTA. Entertainment will feature clowns, unicycle riders, barbershop quartets and bagpipe bands, and a free shuttle service inside the SuperShow will be available to transport visitors throughout the fairgrounds.
Seminars include Tips for Buying an RV, Basic RV Maintenance, Weight and Tire Issues, How to RV to Alaska and Full Time and Extended RV Travel, explaining how RV travelers deal with banking, bill paying, telephone communications, e-mail, mail forwarding, medical care and other concerns while on the road for extended periods of time.
The "Super Rally" celebrates its 25th year at the SuperShow. The RV rally is open to any RV club and the general public, and includes a number of amenities including free admission to the SuperShow all five public days, meeting facilities for clubs, free coffee and donuts every morning, and seminars. Three nights of entertainment and refreshments are also included and will feature "The Rivoli Revue" music by Kay and Ron Rivoli, a fun evening with Rick Arnold and turning back the clock with Malt Shoppe Memories. There will also be a collection of antique RVs from the members of the Tin Can Tourists.
For more information visit the FRVTA website at www.frvta.org.
Florida RV SuperShow Garners No. 12 Ranking
November 15, 2011 by RVBusiness · 1 Comment
The Florida RV Trade Association's (FRVTA) Florida RV SuperShow has been named to Tradeshow Executive's Gold 100 largest trade shows in the United States for the 14th straight year.
As listed in the annual Tradeshow Executive's Gold 100, the 2010 Florida RV SuperShow ranked No. 12. The RVIA National RV Trade Show was ranked No. 7.
"We're happy to get the recognition," said FRVTA Executive Director Lance Wilson. "The FRVTA is committed to making the Florida RV SuperShow not only the largest but the most profitable and successful show for our exhibitors, and the 2012 Super Show is already looking like another winner."
The 2012 Florida RV SuperShow will be held at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. Industry Day is Jan. 10 with Public Days running Jan. 11-15. For more information on exhibiting or attending the 2012 Florida RV SuperShow, contact the FRVTA state office at 10510 Gibsonton Dr., Riverview, FL 33578 or call (813) 741-0488 or visit www.frvta.org.
RVIA Encouraged As '09 Shows Top Expectations
June 4, 2009 by RVBusiness · Leave a Comment
Interest in RVs among consumers remains high, RVIA maintains, with more than 44,000 people attending the Florida RV Super Show, 35,000 showing up for the Utah RV Show and 30,000 crowding the Maryland RV Show. The large crowds at these shows and others have pleasantly surprised organizers and dealers, says RVIA, adding that people are not just looking at RVs, but buying them, too.
"Our sales were up 20% over last year's (Maryland RV) show," says Charlie Wolf, sales manager for Beckley's Camping Center. "People are still buying RVs. They still want to go camping, get away and have fun."
And while RV manufacturers have requested about 35% less space for the upcoming National RV Trade Show, slated for Dec. 1-3 at the Kentucky Exposition Center, some in the industry feel that the show still promises to fulfill its designated role in a big way this year in terms of business relationships as well as outright wholesale trade.
"The National RV Trade Show remains one of the most important and valuable events on the RV industry's calendar," says RVIA's Mary "Mike" Hutya, vice president of meetings and shows. "In addition to providing the opportunity to launch new products, the show is invaluable for helping companies gauge trends and generally stay competitive."
There are those who contend that trade shows, especially important during a down economy, are a highly cost-effective means of reaching potential customers. An Exhibit Surveys Inc. study indicates that the average trade show enables exhibitors to reach more prospects in three days than they could with their sales force in three months, RVIA reports, adding that the average cost of reaching a trade show visitor is $177 compared to the average $295 cost of a field sales call.
Trade shows also require less closing effort – 0.8 calls to close a qualified lead compared to 3.7 calls to close a typical business sale, according to the study. And, on average, 54% of all orders placed as a result of a trade show lead require no personal follow-up visits, according to a separate McGraw-Hill Research Foundation study.
One of the biggest benefits of trade shows is the opportunity they provide for face to-face meetings with prospects, typically the fastest way to build relationships.
"In any industry, these shows provide a huge amount of networking," says Peter MacGillivray, vice president of communication and events for the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA), Diamond Bar, Calif. "In this day and age, you've got websites that offer virtual networking on line. But nothing can replace face-to-face meetings. When you see how much networking takes place at a show, you realize what a bang for the buck they provide."
"Whether they're trade or consumer, these shows provide the most economical use of people's time and money, enabling them to 'do it all' in one place," maintains Ben Wold, executive vice president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) in Chicago. "We live in a three-dimensional environment, and the Internet only gets you so far. The ability to meet, talk face to face, see products is vitally important for staying on top of what's happening in the industry and also for staying one step ahead of the competition. And that's true in good times or bad."
Jayco Inc., Middlebury, Ind., still hosts its own dealer meetings/shows. Even so, says Jim Jacobs, vice president of sales and marketing, no individual manufacturer's show can provide the cost efficiency of a national show like Louisville in terms of reaching dealer customers and prospects. "We feel it's extremely cost effective for showcasing products, getting with current dealers and signing up new ones," Jacobs says, adding that the company tends to drive its new products around its June/July dealer meeting and follow that with the Louisville Show.
Dropping out of the show altogether, RVIA maintains, can pose risks to a company's image and reputation. SEMA's MacGillivray agrees, adding that exhibit size isn't as important as just showing up. "You don't have to spend a lot of money (on a trade show)," he said, "but it's important to be part of the mix, part of the industry. If you're not at the show, you're really doing your business a disservice. If you miss out and rely on hearsay, you're giving up a competitive edge. Once consumers get back to spending money, you won't have your pulse on the latest products and technology, if you skip such a major event."
Skipping a show can also send a strong negative message about a company's commitment to its market and dealers and its financial conditions, which competitors can exploit. As Jayco's Jacobs points out, "A lot of dealers will question your staying power."
RVIA is currently offering exhibit space for the 2009 National RV Trade Show and the deadline for securing exhibit space is July 7. To reserve space, contact RVIA at (703) 620-6003 ext. 305.


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Hey guys, I am looking for a little advice here.
As you can see, I am the FNG here to AR15.com. I have used this site in the past with tips and tricks for my AR-15, now I've decided to finally become a member.
My current AR is a DPMS Oracle chambered in the .223/ 5.56 NATO. I use this rifle for many different purposes with those calibers. However, I am looking for something with a little more power, without having to buy another rifle. I found on MidwayUSA an Olympic Arms 7.62x39 complete upper receiver, said to be compatible with "standard" AR lowers. Does this mean that my lower receiver chambered in the .223/5.56 can work with this specific upper receiver? If so, is Olympic Arms my best choice value wise ($550)?, or should I go with another brand? If at all possible, I would love to keep the entire rifle DPMS ( im not a huge fan of mixing a bunch of different manufacturers for one rifle).
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks everybody for assisting the FNG!!!
Last but not least, it would be awesome if nothing negative was said about anybody's preferred rifle or products they use. This is the BLACK RIFLE COMMUNITY and would love to keep it that way!!!
Welcome to the site.
Lower receiver markings are essentially worthless. They are all made to the same dimensions. Many receivers are marked "MULTI" instead of a particular caliber for this very reason.
Nothing horrible was ever sold as a bad idea.
Originally Posted By mdean2011:
Does this mean that my lower receiver chambered in the .223/5.56 can work with this specific upper receiver? If so, is Olympic Arms my best choice value wise ($550)?, or should I go with another brand?
Your lower isn't chambered at all, as whatever chamber you have is in the upper. So yes, you can use that lower with almost all 7.62x39 AR uppers. Some other worthwhile options as alternatives to the Oly upper include AR Performance, ArmaLite, Model 1 Sales, Bushmaster, Del-Ton and Yankee Hill Machine. The hard primered eastern european steel case ammo (Wolf, Barnaul, etc.) is most reliably lit off using either the Model 1 firing pin enhanced for 7.62x39 or the AR Performance bolt with a standard firing pin.
Don't bother with the MGI firing pin/bolt comkbo.
ASC 10 and 30 round mags are the ticket.
Have fun! You'll like it.
Thanks, the advice is much appreciated!!!
"""ASC 10 and 30 round mags are the ticket.""""
this is the key to having fun with that new upper...buy these mags, they are hard to come by at a good price but can be found at a higher price, the best place to get them is AIM. when they are in stock they sell really fast so get on the email list and they will let you know when they have them... around $15 each


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Australian stocks have opened weaker, with mining companies posting the largest falls amid broad-based declines.
At 10.28am AEDT on Thursday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 32.2 points, or 0.65 per cent at 4925.5 points. By 10.56am, it had improved slightly, down 19.3 points, or 0.39 per cent, to 4938.4.
Baillieu Holst director Richard Morrow said the Australian market fell in line with a disappointing night in overseas markets. The Dow had slipped 0.76 per cent and the S&P500 sank 1.05 per cent following the release of weak economic data.
"There is a lot of red on the screen," Mr Morrow said. "It is very hard to find too many stocks that are going up today."
Gold stocks was the worst-performing sector at the open, having fallen 3.84 per cent. Newcrest Mining had fallen 63 cents, or 3.23 per cent, to $18.87.
Energy stocks and the metals and minerals sectors were also deep in negative territory. During the overnight offshore session, futures contact prices for gold reached a nine-month low and platinum prices were at their weakest level since the start of this year.
The benchmark crude oil contract tumbled 2.8 per cent in US trade.
In Australia, Fairfax Media is reorganising its operations into five business arms as part of its continuing huge restructure program. Fairfax was down three cents, or 4.84 per cent, at 59 cents.
Troubled retailer Billabong asked for an indefinite suspension of its shares, which last traded at 73 cents, while it continued takeover talks with two potential suitors.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics was due to publish retail sales and building approvals figures for February at 11.30am AEDT.
Mr Morrow said he expected the market to drift a little lower over the rest of the local trading day.
"There are really no positive influences out there," Mr Morrow said.
National turnover was 345 million securities worth $536.2 million.
The Australian Financial Review


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Re: City of Brooksville
Let the county take over city
It is a pitiful joke that the Brooksville council calls itself a "city." Brooksville, located in Hernando County, has a population of about 5,000. It has about 112 employees. Spring Hill, on the other side of the county has a population of about 60,000 and it is not an incorporated city.
I say get rid of Brooksville as an independent little jerkwater town and let the services provided be incorporated into the Hernando County Government. You could get rid of the high-paid council and other overhead, transfer about 60 to 70 of the working-class folks to the county payroll and save about $1.5 million per year.
Brooksville has done nothing to beautify or encourage tourism and is just there stroking the egos of the "city" council. Let it go away.
W. D. Carpenter, Brooksville
Re: Hospice gains new name June 16 story
A new name, but the same services
What's in a name? Everything.
Reputation. Character. Memories. The hospice you have come to know as Hernando-Pasco Hospice over the last 25 years has made a change. Our new name is HPH Hospice.
No, it's not that different, but it will take a little bit of getting used to, especially since we've had it since 1984.
We are still the same not-for-profit, community-based hospice that provides care, comfort and support to individuals affected by a life-limiting illness regardless of their ability to pay. Our offices, Hospice Houses and Hospice Care Centers are in the same places throughout Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties. And, our patients and families can expect to see the same staff and volunteers today, tomorrow and the day after.
So, why the name change? It was time.
When HPH Hospice began serving Citrus County residents in 2005, leaving out that county's name just didn't seem right. Still, we wanted to retain a big part of our agency's past. So, as many people have referred to us as HPH over the years, it seemed sensible to choose that abbreviation as our new name and add Hospice to it.
The candle has long been our hospice's symbol and the signature color was teal. Now, look for forest green and gold when you see HPH Hospice on literature, our Web site, signs and staff or volunteer badges. As in the past, the candle is the "i" in hospice. When you see that trademark, you can be assured that you are connecting with your longtime neighbor, HPH Hospice.
We're still here, we're still growing and we're more committed than ever to being there when you need us most.
Thank you for allowing us to be of assistance to you and your loved ones in a time of great need over the past quarter of a century. From being with you at the bedside to preparing a home-cooked meal, the privilege has and continues to be ours.
Tom Barb, HPH Hospice president and chief executive officer
Re: School Board leans against tax hike as options weighed | June 17, article
Accountability, but only at times
Wednesday's article expressing an interest by some members of the Hernando County School Board to investigate the admissions policies of Nature Coast Technical High School contains more than a little irony.
Regular readers of this newspaper might be perplexed by statements made by board members Dianne Bonfield and Sandra Nicholson. "I want to see where the accountability lies," said Bonfield. Nicholson said "To find out where the breakdown occurred may be beneficial to everyone, I don't want to turn a blind eye to it."
How long ago was it when board members James Yant and Pat Fagan also expressed the importance of clarity and accountability but Bonfield and Nicholson were among a trio of indifferent board members? I'm referring, of course, to the second occasion when superintendent Wayne Alexander opted to seek employment out-of-state but failed, for the second time, to notify the board, in violation of his contract.
The superintendent's duplicitous actions and dismissive statements were an expression of contempt and disrespect not only to the School Board but to all teachers, students and parents. We deserve accountability on all substantive issues.
Thankfully, Fagan and Yant offered voices of reason and said it was time for the board to find a new school superintendent — on the timetable of Hernando County schools — not on the whims of someone whose bags have been packed for some time.
But on that issue, Bonfield, Nicholson and board member John Sweeney remained silent. Their concern then for accountability was conspicuous by its absence.
Gregg Laskoski, Spring Hill