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Fire Emblem
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- Fire Emblem
- The Definitive Newbie FAQ (Look here before asking questions)
1. Are Marth and Roy in the game?
No. When the trophies in Super Smash Bros Melee said that Marth and Roy hail from "Fire Emblem", they meant the Fire Emblem series. Fire Emblem is actually a long-running series from Japan that started on the original Nintendo Famicom (the Japanese NES). Apart from being the first strategy RPG to ever come out (beating the often-attributed-to Shining Force of Sega fame), it was one of Nintendo's first RPG series. The first Fire Emblem, Fire Emblem: Ankoku Ryuu To Hikari No Tsurugi (Fire Emblem: Dark Dragon and the Sword of Light), is the game which features Marth. He also appeared in Fire Emblem 3, Fire Emblem: Monshou no Nazo, which was a remake of the original, as well as additional second half of the game. This game, Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken (or Fire Emblem: The Blazing Sword, although the subtitle was dropped out of its US release), is the seventh game in the series, hereby referred to as FE7 for short. Roy, the red-headed Marth clone from SSBM, hails from this game's predecessor, FE6. He has a cameo in this game, though it's very minute, and does not come about until the end. So, if you're playing this game looking for Marth or Roy, look elsewhere.
2. Is it true that if my characters die they are permanently dead?
Correct. There are no Phoenix Downs or other methods of bringing your characters back from the dead. If a character dies, they are dead. They don't faint, they don't fall unconscious, and they don't sustain serious injury. They die, and you don't bring them back. If you want to keep them from dying, don't throw them into risky situations. It's up to you as a tactician to keep your characters out of harm's way; if you allow them to die in battle, the game won't hold your hand and let you bring them back to life once the battle ends. They disappear, and they can never be used in battle again. The only way to "bring a character" back is to restart the chapter, but that, as the action suggests, mean you restart the entire mission.
3. What if I let a character die on a chapter and I saved over it? What do I do?
Learn from it, and next time either don't regret that you let your character die, or restart the mission until you get through it without letting a character die.
4. This character died when he got hit by an enemy. If I keep doing a soft-reset when he gets hit, can I eventually get him to dodge it?
No. The game's auto-save feature is a double-edged sword: On the one-hand, you can turn off the game any time you wish and you'll instantly come back right where you left off when you play next time. However, it also means that the game will instantly record every one of the mistakes you make. If you move a character within range of an archer and don't realize it until you've ended his turn, you're stuck. You can't reset and try to take back his move, hoping to move him somewhere else. The unit has moved, and you'll have to deal with the consequences.
In the case of the fight with the archer, you can reset the game until Hell freezes over, but it won't make any difference. Your character will never dodge the attack. This is because the game does not pull a random number instantaneously for every situation. Instead, it pulls numbers from a list of preset ones that are chosen at the beginning of the chapter. Your character got hit because that particular number happened to be next in line when the game required that a number be used to determine whether or not the archer hits. Resetting the game just makes the game go back to the point right before that number was chosen, and go back down the list. You can't alter it, and you can't control it.
5. Everyone on the boards says that Marcus sucks, and I have no idea why. I just got him, and he rocks! He kills everybody, even the bosses! Why do people hate him?
Most newcomers to the series will fall pray to the "Jeigan" character. The Jeigan refers to a character in the original Fire Emblem, Jeigan (hence the name). He was a purple Paladin that accompanied Marth on his adventures. He was notoriously strong compared to everyone else, primarily because he had already been promoted to his higher class. Once you play through Lyn's mode, you will be taught about "promotion" and the effects it has. Marcus has already been trained (to an extent) and promoted, leaving him significantly beefier than everyone else currently in your party. However, players who look more than two feet ahead of them before they swing their sword should find something suspicious about Nintendo intentionally giving you a player who can wipe out the entire enemy army for you. Jeigan was powerful, but because he was promoted, he gained much less EXP than everyone else. In the same way that in any other RPG a level 50 character will gain much less EXP from a random monster than a level 10 character will, Jeigan gained around 3 EXP per enemy, while most other players could gain anywhere from 10 to 30 for killing an enemy. Thus, for Jeigan to even level up, he had to kill 34 enemies. Those 34 enemies could have fed the entire rest of your party, and probably leveled a few of them up.
But the problem didn't stop there. To further discourage his use (and to screw players who tried to take the easy way out by relying on him), Jeigan had exceptionally low stat growths. Stat growths are what controls the frequency of your character's stat increases. Characters with very high stat growths were likely to gain many stats when they leveled up. Jeigan's, however, were incredibly low, meaning that when he finally even managed to level up, he may gain little to no stats, effectively meanig that he never gets much better than whe you first get him. Marcus is the same way. He may appear strong now, but if you trained Sain or Kent to his level and compared their stats, both of them would outclass Marcus in nearly every area.
Using Marcus puts a terrible strain on the rest of your party, because people who don't know how to use him effectively will simply use him to do everything, leaving the rest of your characters underleveled. Soon the game will catch up to you. Marcus will not be able to handle everything on his own, and the rest of your characters will be left weak and unable to deal with the enemies. You'll constantly have them dying, and you'll ultimately end up having to start the whole game over.
6. How do I use Marcus effectively?
Marcus is a below-average character, but he is not worthless. In the early portions of the game, because he is so much more powerful than everyone else, he can literally unequip all of his weapons and still be useful. He has enough HP and defense to take little to no damage from attacks, thereby creating a decoy for enemies to attack while your characters can pick them off from a safe distance or sneak up on them. This type of character who can absorb tons of damage while protecting others behind them from enemies is called a "Meatshield".
Marcus also has more movement than anyone else at the beginning of the game, making him a great candidate to attend tasks which need to be done quickly, such as getting to a village before it is destroyed, or rescuing a comrade in danger. If you can learn to use Marcus effectively like this, he can actually have some use in the earlier parts of the game. His usefulness, however, drops very quickly soon afterwards.
7. What does 20/20 mean? Or what about 20/1 or ??/20?
20/20 refers to the current levels of your characters. The first two digits refer to your character's base levels.
This is the level you got them to in their base class. The digits after the slashes represent their accumulated levels after promotion. In Lyn's normal mode, you are forced to promote Wallace at level 12. When he promotes, he changes classes, resetting his level to 1. That makes his total levels equal to 12/1. 20/20 refers to a character who was fully trained to level 20, and then fully trained again to level 20 after promotion, maxing out their possible amount of experience. ??/20 refers to one of two things. It usually refers to the Prepromotes, characters you recruited who were already promoted when you got them. Marcus is an example of a prepromote, as he is already promoted once you gain control of him. However, since he is already promoted, we have no idea what level he was when he originally was promoted, so we don't know his total levels. It's speculated that most of the Prepromotes were promoted before level 20 due to their slightly lower stats, so the term "??/20" is used to indicate the level of a Prepromote that has been fully trained. It also is sometimes to used to indicate that a player is too stupid to remember at what level they promoted their character. -_-
8. Why should I bother raising my character to level 20 if he can promote at level 10?
This is something that many people ask themselves, but generally don't think about. Fire Emblem is a game of stats, not of levels. A level 20 character could still have inferior stats to a level 12 character if he just happened to have really bad luck with the RNG (more on that later). If you want to maximize your character's potential, you want to get him as many chances to gain stats as possible. Thus, it seems somewhat pointless to effectively skip 10 possible levels your character could have of gaining stats to get the momentary gains of promotion bonuses. If you were to compare a level 12/1 Wallace to Sain at level 20/1, you would notice that Sain's stats are much better. Why? Because Sain had 8 more levels to train and get his stats built. For this reason, it is recommended that you always wait until level 20 before promoting your characters. It will be much better for the characters, and you'll feel better in the long run.
9. What is a character's constitution/aid?
Constitution and aid are character stats, like HP and strength. While they don't level up (except upon promotion), they are still very important to the character. A character's constitution is their ability to lift their weapons, or literally the strength of their arms. Each weapon has a might, as well as a weight. If the character wielding the weapon's constitution is higher than the weight of the weapon, they attack normally. However, if the weapon's weight is larger than the character's constitution, they lose attack speed.
10. What is attack speed?
Attack speed is a character's ability to attack the enemy. Attack speed is determined by the comparison of one character's speed to his or her opponent. If the first character has four or more speed than his opponent, he will attack his opponent twice (unless his weapon only has one use left, in which case he will attack once and the weapon will break). If his opponent has four or more speed than he, the opponent will double-attack him. If the difference of their speeds is three or less, each character only attacks once.
11. How is that linked to constitution?
As I said before, if a weapon is too heavy, the character loses attack speed. For every point of weight that the weapon has which is more than the character's constitution, the character loses a point of speed. So, if Lyn, with a normal constitution of 5, tries to wield a Steel Sword, with a weight of 8, she will lose three speed. That loss of speed could make the difference between her being able to hit an opponent once or twice. So, think about whether or not the extra damage a steel weapon does over an iron is worth the possible loss of not being able to double-attack the opponent.
12. What is aid?
Aid is like constitution, in that it doesn't normally change. Aid is a character's ability to rescue another character. If one character is hurt or close to dying, another character can move adjacent to it. If the character has enough Aid, he or she can select the "Rescue" command and pull in the hurt character, protecting them from danger until you decide to drop her. For a rescue to work, the aid of one character must be higher than the constitution of another. Because of this, strong characters with lots of constitution are harder to rescue. Typically, characters with horses (Cavaliers and Pegasus Knights/Fliers) have much higher aid than unmounted characters, so it's best to use them if someone needs rescuing. Be warned, though, that a character who rescues another effectively has the rescued character riding on their back, and they lose a large amount of speed.
13. What is the weapon triangle?
The weapon triangle is the system that governs the way in which characters fight. Most melee weapons fall into the category of Sword, Lance, or Axe. Swords are deadly accurate, but are often the weakest of the bunch. Lances are slightly more powerful, and still pretty accurate. Axes are by far the most powerful of the bunch, but are also the least accurate, meaning they will miss more often than the other two.
The "triangle" refers to the order of priorities when two weapons face off. Generally speaking:
Swords beat axes
Lances beat swords
Axes beat lances
This creates a triangle because each weapon's strength is what ends up beating their weakness. It is important to remember the weapon triangle when choosing whom your characters fight, as the weapon which holds the advantage will get a bonus to their hit rate and damage. So, don't go sending sword users against lance users in early parts of the game unless you want to get them killed. Later in the game when your characters have become significantly stronger or are facing weaker enemies the triangle becomes less important, but it is always important to keep in mind.
If you're having trouble remembering it, just think of it like Rock-Paper-Scissors.
14. What about bows?
Bows don't fall into the weapon triangle, and thus don't have any advantages or disadvantages.
15. What are the reaver weapons?
Reaver weapons are weapons that reverse the weapon triangle for that particular weapon type. For instance, a Lancereaver is a sword that is strong against lances, but weak against axes. It's something which is helpful to have handy on your soldiers in case they are forced to deal with enemies carrying a weapon they have a disadvantage against, but it is not wise to keep them permanently equipped, as they still have a disadvantage. So, a Lancereaver is occaisonally good to pull out, but keeping it on to long will eventually result in a Brigand then coming over and whacking you in the head with an axe.
16. What happens if two reaver weaopns collide?
The weapon effects will generally cancel each other out. If a Lancereaver (a Sword) faces a Swordreaver (an axe), they will cancel each other out and be treated like normal weapons. However, since a sword normally beats an axe, the sword will win.
17. What about magic?
Magic has its own weapon triangle:
Light beats Dark.
Dark beats Anima.
Anima beats Light.
18. What is this tactician bonus I keep hearing about?
This is a long circulating rumor that has infected most of the boards, and has finally been debunked. It was originally thought that if you had characters sharing the affinty of the tactician that they would gain an extra 5% to all of their stat growths. However, it was accepted without much question, and never really thoroughly researched. We now know that no such thing exists, and so expecting your characters to turn out much better than normally because you had them all share your affinity is pointless. The only way to increase the stat growths of your character is through the item Afa's Drops. What the Tactician's Bonus does do, however, is slightly boost all characters who share the affinity's hit rate and avoid rate.
19. What is "Weapon Level"?
Weapon level refers to the level of experience your characters have regarding certain weapons. Each weapon type has an invisible experience bar that builds up whenever you attack with one of its weapons. As you use those weapons, the bar fills up, and your characters gain levels in weapon types. The lowest level a character can have in a weapon type is E, and the highest they can have is an S. At an "S" level, they can wield the rare Legendary weapons, and also get an extra 5% hit when wielding that weapon.
20. Why can't my character wield this weapon? It says he can wield that type!
Your character does not have a high enough weapon level to wield that particular weapon. Each weapon has a certain level that the character must have before it can be wielded. Increase your character's weapon level by having him wield some other weapons of that type first, and then try using it again when they've reached whatever level the weapon requires.
21. What is special about the Devil Axe?
As mentioned before, wielding weapons slowly increases a character's proficiency/weapon level with that weapon type. Most weapons only give one point of EXP per use (meaning using an entire Iron Sword gives 46 sword experience). Some of the heavier weapons like the Iron Blade and Steel Blade give two, but are so incredibly heavy that they are rather pointless to use unless your character is exceptionally strong/fast. The Devil Axe is unique in that it gives a whooping eight points of axe EXP per use. This means that if Raven were to use all 20 of the Devil Axe's uses at his starting axe level (E), by the time the weapon breaks he would have an S level in axes. It is also one of the most powerful axes you can get.
Unfortunately, it comes at a cost. The Devil Axe is "cursed", and can actually backfire on the wielder, dealing damage instead to himself instead of the enemy. The only way to avoid this is to have high luck (17 is considered to be the number a character must have before they are immune to the Devil Axe's backfire).
22. What is unique about the Swordslayer?
The Swordslayer is a Reaver-type weapon. However, it is also a weapon that was designed specifically to kill Myrmidons/Swordmasters. Normally, Swordreavers will allow you to damage Swordmasters pretty well, but their amazing speed and deadly accuracy will still usually leave you taking more damage, due to the inaccuracy of axes. The Swordslayer, however, has an incredibly high hit rate of 80, making it very unlikely to miss a Swordmaster. It also adds alot of bonus damage to the attack, effectively allowing you to kill Swordmasters in no more than two sweeps. However, there is only one that you can legitimately acquire in the game.
23. What about the Killer weapons?
The Killer weapons are pretty much like normal weapons, except that they have an added critical bonus. All critical weapons add a total of 30 percentage points to the wielder's critical rate, making almost anyone likely to pull off a critical attack. When used on characters like Swordmasters and Berserkers, it can make their critical rate so high that they will be likely to perform a critical attack almost every turn.
24. What's special about the Brave Weapons?
Back at #10-11, I said that a character only attacked twice if his speed was four or more than his opponent's. Well, these are the exception. The Brave weapons will always double-attack, regardless of the speed difference between the two characters. However, if a character would normally double attack and uses a Brave weapon on an opponent, he will now attack four times. This makes the Brave weapons incredibly useful on bosses and in the arena.
25. Florina/Rebecca/weak character keeps getting killed in battle! Why do people keep saying they're strong?
All strong characters do not necessairily start out strong. Some start out quite weak, but because of their large stat growths they will become very strong with time. Your first problem is probably that you're expecting too much of your characters. Many characters are fragile, and you need to take care of them. For starters, you shouldn't be sending Florina at a group of bandits and expect to come out of it without a scratch. Remember that the weapon triangle means that the bandits have a hit advantage over her, and she will get hit very frequently, despite her high speed and luck. Remember that archers are never supposed to try to take out a bunch of enemies on their own, as they can only attack from medium-range. If you're going to send Rebecca to attack someone, get every possible advantage you can. Get her into a forest to increase her evasion. Put someone in front of her to block any direct damage. Don't send her against enemies that can counterattack. In time, she'll learn to take care of herself, but for now you have to take the initiative to protect her. Characters will never grow to be strong if you don't give them a chance. So just because a character seems initially weak doesn't mean that you should automatically ditch them for a stronger one. The weaker one may in time greatly outshine the stronger looking one.
26. What is arena abuse?
Fire Emblem contains a few locations scattered around certain missions called "Arenas". These are locations in which you send a character in to fight another character for a set amount of money. It is one of the fastest ways to raise your characters, and one of the best ways to raise money. However, it is also one of the riskiest ways to do both. The opponents you fight will usually be stronger than your characters. Your characters will be forced to fight with iron weapons, while the enemy can use everything from iron to silver. More importantly, your characters will fight to the death. You two don't each attack each other then win or lose depending on who took more damage. Two people enter, one comes out. Because of this, you want to make sure you never send in slow people into the arena (like Oswin), because the enemy will be able to damage him, and they'll double him so many times that before it even occurs to you to try to stop the match and get him out of there, he's dead. Also, it is very unwise to send characters at a triangle disadvantage into the arena, especially when there is a Swordmaster or Berserker in there. A general rule of thumb is that anything that can go wrong in the arena will, and an enemy with a 2% critical rate will activate, killing your character.
27. What happens if a character dies in an arena?
The same thing that happens if a character dies anywhere else. They die, and you lose them. You also lose the money you bet on the match (kind of a sick way of rubbing it in your face, isn't it?)
28. What is the RNG?
The RNG stands for the Random Number Generator. It is what I briefly explained back at #4, and again at #8. The RNG is a preselected list of random numbers that are used to determine everything that happens within the game. When a character attacks, the game pulls two numbers from the RNG and averages them together. If the number is lower than your character's hit rate, the attack hits. If it's higher, it misses. Two more numbers are also chosen. Both will only occur if the attack is a hit. The first determines whether or not the attack is a critical hit (using the same method as for regular hitting), and the fourth number is used to determine if there is an OHKO. The RNG will determine pretty much everything in battle. When a character levels up, the RNG will also determine what stats the character will increase in. It takes several numbers from the list, then comparing them to the character's stat growths. If the number in the RNG is lower than the percentage of the character's stat growth, that stat will increase. If it's higher, it doesn't, and the next number is compared to the next growth percentage.
There is a way which people have found to explot the RNG that involves moving about in a certain fashion to determine if a number is higher or lower than 50, but I'm not going to bother explaining it here. The term "RNG-screwed" refers to a situation in which a character gets particularly unlucky with a set of stats. Since it's all random, a character with a 70% speed growth can still wind up with low speed. Conversely, a character with 30% strength growth can still wind up with incredibly high strength. So while alot of it is dependent on averages, luck has alot to do with it as well. The term "RNG-blessed" derives from someone getting incredibly lucky with a stat that is normally not high on a character.
29. What is an OHKO?
The OHKO refers to a skill that is exclusive to Assassins. In Fire Emblem 8, its official name was changed to "Silencer", but the fans had long since come up with its unofficial name. The skill is something with the probability of acting equal to half that of the assassin's critical rate. Thus, if a character's critical rate is 30, a number 15 or below will activate the character's critical rate. When this happens, the assassin will do a normal critical animation, but the second he strikes the screen will breifly flash red. The enemy will immediately die, regardless of whether or not any damage was actually done. Since it can wipe out any enemy in one blow, it was dubbed the "One-hit Knockout" or OHKO.
30. Who can use the Wo Dao?
Guy, Karel, Karla, and Lyn. The pattern there would suggest that any Sacaean can use it, however Rath cannot. It may just be that Guy, Karel, and Karla are Swordmasters, allowing them to wield any weapon while Lyn is a Blade Lord as well, and the fact that they're all Sacaean is purely coincidental.
31. What is the LA?
The LA is short for "Link-Arena", a multiplayer option in which players devise a team of up to 5 characters and have them duke it out in a turn-based fight against another player. The Link Arena is different from normal battles in that there is no field to fight on; the teams are simply right across from each other, individually challenging one another. The LA has become a sort of Elitist stage, allowing the best players to show off their "Uber" teams, and prove whose team is better.
32. Why do people say that XX character is better than YY character in the LA?
People who fight seriously in the LA use teams in which all characters are at their maximum stats. Rather than focus on characters they like, they focus on characters who have the highest possible stat caps, support options, and the least amount of weaknesses. Because of the fact that all characters used in serious LA play are at max stats, there are quite a few characters who are left out. All magic users aside from Canas and Athos are ditched, due to the fact that at max stats, most characters' resistances will be so high that magic is ineffective (Canas and Athos, however, have access to the resistance-negating spell, Luna, leaving them effective). Other characters are left out because they have inferior support options, or have less constitution than their counterparts (Karel, for instance, is typically valued over Guy in the arena, due to the fact that Guy's only supports with people that are used in the arena are Karel and Rath, and having two Swordmasters in an arena team is risky. Karel, on the other hand, supports with Geitz and Dart, both of whom are very good characters at max stats, and also has more constitution than Guy, allowing him to wield heavier weapons without speed loss). Saint Cyan has a Link Arena FAQ that is worth consulting if you want to make an effective max-stat LA team.
33. What are the Mario Kart: DD items
The Mario Kart: DD items are items that were transferred from a Mario Kart: Double Dash bonus disk. This bonus disk was only received if you pre-ordered the game, and is no longer packaged with the game. So, if you don't have it, it is not easily attainable. Most of the items were stat boosting items, along with a few meager weapons (the only real notables of which were the Wind Sword and the Dragon Axe), as well as a holdable item that would give a character the Tactician's Bonus.
34. I've sat my two characters next to each other for XX turns, but their support ranking won't go up! Why?
Two characters cannot support if they have already supported on that map. Characters can only support once per level. Also, characters can only have a maximum of 5 supports. If Lyn has an A support with Eliwood, a C with Florina, and a C with Hector, her Florina and Hector supports cannot go up anymore. They're stuck. If you killed Florina, her support with Lyn would drop, allowing you to get to a B with Hector, but it could not get to an A. You also cannot kill Eliwood since he is a lord.
35. What are "HHM Bonuses"?
HHM stands for "Hector Hard-Mode", a quest which is unlocked when you complete Hector's normal mode. The enemies are much tougher, and there are alot more of them. But what's most important is that some enemies on HHM actually get random stat boosts to their starting stats to make taking them down more difficult. As such, recruitable characters which start out as enemies also get these bonuses, making them more powerful on HHM. The characters which gain these bonuses are Guy, Raven, Legault, Heath, Harken, Vaida, and Geitz. These bonuses are determined at the end of the previous level, so restarting the level because you don't like Guy's HHM bonuses won't change them.
36. Why can't I go to Chapter 19xx on Hector's Mode?
You need to have played Lyn's mode, and during it gotten Nils to level 7. Then, during chapter 19x, you need to kill Kishuna in one turn. If you attack him and don't kill him by the end of that turn, he will teleport away.
37. Why doesn't the Earth Seal change my Pirate or Thief?
Pirates and thieves require a different item to promote. Pirates require an Ocean Seal, and Thieves require a Fell Contract.
38. Where can I get these?
The Ocean Seal is a 2x2 square two spaces to the left from the bottom-right corner in "Living Legend". The Fell Contract is obtained after beating the boss in "Night of Farewells". The Ocean Seal can also be bought in a secret shop in "Four Fanged Offense".
39. Why do Serra/Priscilla/Ninian/Merlinus gain levels in strength? They can't attack!
Serra and Priscilla can use magic upon promotion. It is unknown why Ninian and Merlinus gain points in those, since they can't attack in any situation. It may simply be that it is much easier within the engine of the game to give the character's a growth in a stat they can't use, rather than write a protocal telling the RNG to skip over that stat and cause a number of problems with references and coding.
40. Why can't I damage the final boss?
You probably forgot to train your lords. One would assume being required to use a character would mean you'd at least take the time to properly train them, but alas some people forget. Your lords are the only people who will have the right equipment to be able to effectively damage the final boss. If you didn't train them, they will be too weak to properly damage the boss without dying, and you'll have to rely on an alternative strategy (which I can't mentioned without containing a number of spoilers, so I'll stop here).
It's 2 AM right now, and that's all I can think of right now that people frequently ask, so that's all I'm going to put up right now. Feel free to ask anything else, and I or the other fellow vets of the board will be happy to answer.
And for the love of god, help me get this stickied.
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U.S. officials and the state of Louisiana continue to battle over whether the state's attempt to build sand berms that will protect wetlands from oil could damage sensitive barrier islands. Yesterday the federal government ordered a temporary halt in the dredging program, declaring that "enough is enough."
"If it were to continue for another week, we might pass a tipping point" of harm, said Tom Strickland, assistant secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
Scientists raised several objections to the state's first proposal last month to build a long line of sand berms on 10 May. One key concern was that taking sand from in front of the Chandeleur Islands would make them more vulnerable to erosion. The state agreed to change its approach by taking sand from a site further away and then pumping it through pipes to build the berms.
Despite that agreement, on 13 June the state asked the federal goverment for permission to dredge sand from in front of the Chandeleur Islands. Apparently, the state has had trouble constructing the pipe. The Army Corps of Engineers agreed to let the state dredge from in front of islands for a week, citing the imminent threat to the wetlands. And yesterday the state asked for permission for another 5 to 10 days of dredging in the same location, promising that tit would eventually put sand back.
But Strickland says that replacing what was packed sand with loose sand wouldn't suffice. The "preservation of the barrier island" is at stake, he says.
Although Strickland said no final decision had been made about allowing more dredging in that location, right now the dredges are idling. "They shut down yesterday evening," he says.
Billy Nungesser, the president of Plaquemines Parish and a strong advocate of the berms, is reportedly furious. Governor Bobby Jindal is equally insistent that there should be no delays. "We absolutely want to continue dredging in the current spot for another 5 days until we can make a seamless transition to the next borrow site," he said in a statement released yesterday evening. "We absolutely cannot afford to lose another day."
Jindal says that almost 1 kilometer of berm had been built. That's about 14% of the project. Strickland says the berms are unlikely to last more than 90 days before they're eroded away.

subset: commoncrawl


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We may all be dreaming of spring and warmer weather (unless you're lucky enough to live where the weather is always perfect, in which case – can we come?), but cold weather worries are still very real for most of us, and our pets. Keeping your pets safe and comfortable when the temperature drops can be a challenge, but one that you can thankfully manage with a bit of preparation and know-how.
Don't Flake Out
Low temperatures combined with low humidity can lead to dry, itchy skin, especially in pets affected by seasonal allergies. If winter itch has your pet scratching for summer, think about using a humidifier in your home or adding Omega-3 fatty acids to your pet's diet. Using a pet-approved moisturizing spray or rinse can also help relieve some winter skin issues. By taking care of winter itch early, you can prevent more serious (and costly) conditions from occurring, like skin infections or hot spots.
Snow Before You Go
When snow is on the ground, do your best to keep your dog on the leash at all times. With landmarks and scents covered by snow, she could very easily lose her way. In fact, more dogs are lost during the winter months than any other season. It is particularly important to keep ID tags with current information on your pet's collar, especially in the winter. Better yet, make an appointment with your veterinarian to get your pet microchipped. This permanent ID can make all the difference in bringing a lost dog home.
Slippery Slopes
Just because our pets have four feet doesn't mean they are any more graceful than we are when it comes to navigating slippery ice. A simple slip on the ice can cause serious injury, especially in geriatric pets, so scout the terrain before your next winter hike. Don't forget that ice can be hiding under new snowfall, so giving the sidewalk a two-legged test run isn't a bad idea. And avoid letting your dog near frozen lakes or streams—falling through thin ice into shockingly cold water can lead to hypothermia (or worse) very quickly, and rescuing a pet from freezing waters is no safe task.
Chemical Reactions
Chemicals that we use to counteract the cold are dangerous to our pets. Salt and other de-icers can be caustic to our pet's paws and can cause sickness if licked, so be sure to wipe down their feet after they come in from the cold. Pets with sensitive skin or those that love to lick their paws clean may benefit from the use of booties during ice and snow. A common household item in the winter, antifreeze is particularly dangerous – just a small amount can cause kidney failure and death in cats and dogs. The ethylene glycol in antifreeze gives it a sweet but deadly taste, putting pets at risk to accidental poisoning if they decide to sample some from the garage floor. Clean up any leaks or puddles immediately and only buy antifreeze that has a bitter flavor added to prevent unwanted ingestion.
Joint Decisions
Cold weather aggravates arthritis in dogs and cats, especially those who are long in the tooth. Watch for signs of discomfort and consider adding supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin to help with joint pain. There are several pain control options for pets with arthritis. Visit your veterinarian to determine the best option for your pet, and never give over the counter human pain medication to your pet without checking with your veterinarian first.
Think Outside the Box
If your pet loves to be outside even when the mercury drops, take a few extra precautions. Check your pet's water bowl twice a day to ensure that the water is not frozen and increase the amount of high quality food you are feeding, since energy requirements increase in the winter for outdoor pets. Outdoor kitties will seek warmth, and very often find it under the hood near the warm engine of a car. Always bang on the hood of your car before you start it in the winter to avoid accidental injury to a neighborhood cat.
Hearty Heartworms
Finally, even though it's freezing outside, don't forget monthly heartworm prevention. Mosquitos are not a threat for most of us during the winter, but heartworm preventatives also contain medication to treat intestinal parasites. These parasites are quite hardy and can survive freezing temperatures, but are easily treated with the monthly preventatives you are already giving.
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Good articles. My two and a half year old Aussie loves the snow.
I would like to give him a balanced diet that EXCLUDES kibble of any kind. Do you have a recommendation?
Petplan pet insurance policies do not cover routine care such as monthly preventives. Our policies are designed to give you comprehensive protection against unexpected vet bills for the best possible value. We know firsthand that unexpected accidents and illnesses can create financial stress and pressure at a time when you want to be focused on getting your four-legged family members back to optimum health, as quickly as possible. Because routine care, such as annual check-ups, vaccinations and spaying or neutering, are costs that all pet parents can plan and budget for, Petplan does not offer coverage for routine care. Our more than 35 years of experience and actuarial data shows us that insurance for regular, scheduled treatments can inflate premiums and represent poor value for money. Coverage for routine care can often come at the expense of coverage for hereditary and chronic conditions, or even unexpected accidents. At Petplan, we're committed to providing you the best coverage where it matters most, and to ensure you have the financial tools and support to provide your pet the best care possible when it matters most.
are the monthly preventatives COVERED BY YOUR INSURANCE?
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Visit your vet at least once a year to keep your pet protected from preventable diseases.
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text: Anton & Gemma got married this December 27th at the amazing Leez Priory in Chelmsford. What's even more amazing about their Wedding is that they both now live in Australia and co-ordinated it (well mostly Gemma did..hehe) all from over there, including booking the venue and yours truly. Anton & Gemma are just the coolest couple and so easy to get on with (just ask Anton about the time he bumped into Ryan Giggs in a mens loo – and offered him some sage career advice lol!) so the whole day just had this amazing buzz around it as all their family & friends from the UK, Australia and even America all got together for this massive reunion and send off including Anton's seven groomsmen (inc two best men) and Gemma's four close bridesmaids. Even though they faced the challenge of organising a wedding from abroad I loved their attention to detail and the effort they went to to make every single guest special and a part of the day. So for instance they de-assembled and flew over with them some gorgeous centre pieces, and hand wrote a personal note and gave a little present to every single guest. I'm fast appreciating that every season has something special to offer, and Christmas weddings are so amazing because Christmas is usually a time for family and just having everybody together celebrating a Wedding so close to it with the mulled wine, Christmas decorations and carols playing just is like the best of everything combined! Gemma & Anton's wedding is the kind I love where you can tell they're just made for each other, they're surrounded by family and friends that you know truly love and care for them and best of all for me, they invite you in and treat you not as an outsider but as a guest to be a part of it all…here's a few from the day: enjoy!


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Our stakeholders are very important to us. Because Teijin Aramid is a global organisation, our stakeholders form a large and diverse group. We continue to seek new ways to engage with them – so as to take better account of their positions, and to use their input in making decisions, improving our sustainability strategy and in reporting. This engagement sometimes results in further cooperation – for example, with customers and knowledge institutes.
Most of the dialogues we take part in as a company are with customers, suppliers, employees (in combination with our PURE core values) and the community. However, we also try to discuss sustainability-related topics with governments, NGO's, banks, industrial organisations and other concerned parties.


text: Felon in Glasgow police shooting awaits gun sentence By Kate White July 4, 2013 Story Share CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A man charged with shooting a Glasgow police officer is to be sentenced on a related charge in federal court Monday, even though a Kanawha County judge has found him incompetent to stand trial.Nickey Don Smith II, 37, has been held in the South Central Regional Jail since he was arrested and charged with malicious wounding in the shooting of Steven Smith in December 2011. The two are not related.Nickey Smith allegedly shot the Glasgow officer in the arm and chest with a sawed-off shotgun when the officer went to Nickey Smith's Glass Fire Lane home to help investigate a burglary report.The blast shattered Steven Smith's right arm and peppered a lung and his liver with shotgun pellets. The officer has had three complex surgeries to rebuild his arm.After reviewing two psychological evaluations, Kanawha Circuit Judge Carrie Webster found that Nickey Smith was not competent to stand trial on the malicious-wounding charge. Webster said Smith should be sent to a hospital until he is able to participate in his defense.However, Smith has remained in jail awaiting sentencing because he pleaded guilty to a federal charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm in connection to the alleged shooting. Smith was convicted in February 2002 of unlawful wounding, a felony -- meaning he was barred from possessing a firearm.According to federal court documents, psychologists found that Smith was suffering from delusional and personality disorders when the alleged shooting occurred. The evaluations are sealed, but some documents reveal parts of what psychologists found. A pre-sentencing report in federal court included a psychological evaluation by Dr. Fred Krieg, concluding that Nickey Smith "is not competent to stand trial and to assist in his defense," and that the defendant at the time of the offense "was clearly suffering from a Delusional Disorder, Persecutory Type that impaired his judgment," court documents state.In a "forensic evaluation" requested by Richard Holicker, Nickey Smith's attorney in circuit court, Dr. Timothy Saar said Smith has a "Delusional Disorder" and is not competent to stand trial."He is in need of a competency restoration, in-patient program. With proper medication and if he responds in a positive manner, it is likely that Mr. Smith will become competent within six months," Saar wrote in the report, according to court documents.In another report, though, Dr. David Clayman found that Smith "has the capacity to rationally assist his attorney, if he so chooses."Clayman found that Smith suffers from "Personality Disorder" with "paranoid, narcissistic and antisocial features." He also said Smith "was cooperative and revealed an understanding of the adjudicatory process. He was able to explain the differences in his status in federal and state courts. He knew the possible sentences," according to federal court documents.Lex Coleman, Smith's federal court attorney, told U.S. District Judge John Copenhaver that, despite the psychological evaluations, "he was satisfied with the defendant's mental competency to understand the proceedings against him and assist his attorney in his defense at the time of the entry of his guilty plea."On May 17, Holicker filed a motion asking Webster to adopt Clayman's finding that Smith was competent to stand trial.Reach Kate White at email@example.com or 304-348-1723. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 DHHR: WV medical marijuana law will need $2 million in upfront costs 2 Correctional officers need raises, lawmakers told 3 Stats back KU coach's praise of WVU offense 4 Capital High closed for the week after high mold, C02 levels found 5 Gazette editorial: Is it time for health care for all yet? Fireworks dealer wants W.Va. law clarified Previous Story Sexting, kids' tanning, cramped cells addressed in 217 new W.Va. laws Next Story


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Route Grade Votings
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Adjacent Routes
12m. The left-hand crack in the recess was well scoured by nailed boots in the past. Start awkwardly then continue by laybacking and jamming. Runners are available in the thin crack immediately to the right.
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|April 28, 2008, 05:57 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: April 4, 2008
Location: Indiana
Posts: 127
Anneal your brass?
A guy told me he Anneals his brass every 4 or 5 loadings. He says the brass gets brittle which screws up neck tension. He says this really extends the life of the brass as well.
Anybody out there doing this???
How do you do it?
|April 28, 2008, 06:08 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: April 6, 2007
Posts: 2,568
Dont know about why you would do it or if it helps. Maybe to soften the metal? I dont know. I beleive you take a torch and hit the brass untill it glows orange, then either let it cool at room temp, or plop it in some water to cool of quickly.
Anyone know why? Or if it works?
|April 28, 2008, 06:20 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: June 12, 2007
Location: Maine
Posts: 265
It softens the brass at the neck. I don't bother, by the time your necks are that brittle there has generally been a lot of brass flow also that can lead to head seperation. If someone has the proper equipment and keeps an eye on the brass flow you could get some more usable life out of brass, in my opinion brass is cheap and firearms aren't so I just toss it at the first signs of fatigue.
|April 28, 2008, 06:59 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: October 19, 2007
Location: Fort Bragg, CA
Posts: 655
Annealing is usually done by bringing the metal to a set temperature (usually where the microscopic grain turns spherozoid vs crystalline) and cooling it down SLOWLY to keep that shape on a microscopic level. I don't do it with brass, but probably should.
Different materials are annealed and hardened with different processes, and brass has a tendency to "work harden" In other words, if you work it, (sizing, and fire forming when shooting) it hardens. If it hardens, it becomes brittle. If it becomes brittle, it cracks. Hence, if you anneal it, it will be soft and durable versus hard and brittle. Most references by persons practicing this process demonstrate greatly extended case life, especially with high pressure cartridges. Such that shells are tossed when the primer pocket wears out and is too loose for a primer.
|April 28, 2008, 07:10 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: December 20, 2007
Location: S.E. Minnesota
Posts: 4,295
Does anyone ever anneal the mouths of their big-bore revolver brass? The brass doesn't flow forward on those (like rifle brass) they just get brittle and eventually crack or split.
"The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun"
|April 28, 2008, 07:22 PM
Junior member
Join Date: November 25, 2002
Location: In my own little weird world in Anchorage, Alaska
Posts: 14,172
In my match loads I anneal at the first trim (about 6 loadings)...
WildloademupAlaska ™
|April 28, 2008, 07:58 PM
Join Date: November 28, 2005
Location: Montana
Posts: 8,825
I haven't started on my brass yet. I helped my uncle years ago with rifle brass. At the rate he shot, it was beneficial to anneal the brass. Also, he did it as part of the hobby aspect more than saving a buck. You do extend the life of the brass and he did save money doing it. But, if you're a casual reloader that maybe cycles through your brass 5 times in a period of years, I'd rethink the notion of really saving much money...
If it were up to me, the word "got" would be deleted from the English language.
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|April 28, 2008, 08:01 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: November 20, 2007
Location: South Western OK
Posts: 2,470
I never anneal my cases. When a batch of cases starts to split at the mouth they go into the recycling barrel.
|April 28, 2008, 08:13 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: October 17, 2004
Location: Southwestern OH
Posts: 232
Cartridge brass becomes soft once you hit the recrystallization temperature. Unlike many steels, which get harder if you quench them in water (or oil) after heating, brass will stay relatively soft whether you quench it or let it air cool.
You definitely do not want to heat up the case head, since it will become soft as well, and you don't want to give up strength in this area. That's why most guys heat the necks while the cases stand upright in a dish of water. It keeps the heads relatively cool. Then they just tip the cases over to cool them (but, again, you don't have to do this).
|April 28, 2008, 09:03 PM
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Join Date: November 22, 2006
Posts: 2,685
It helps prolong the life of bottle neck brass. Start by filling a shallow pan with ¾-1" of water place cases upright heat with propane torch until the neck turns color and tip into water.
|April 28, 2008, 10:23 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: July 4, 2006
Location: Spokane Valley
Posts: 334
Annealing will help in a variety of settings -
First, it will soften the brass that has been work hardened (repeated sizings and other things that work brass line up the crystals in the lattice and make them brittle).
Second, if you are forming an obsolete caliber from parent brass it can help with the process and save split brass. I use this in forming .357 mag into .256 win mag. Without annealing, the cases split (a lot). I also use it in forming 32-40 from 30-30 brass as well as forming 35 Whelen from 30-06 (270 etc).
The process is basically to heat until the neck glows dim red and then quench in water. This is backwards from carbon steel where you heat red "until the shadows disappear" and then quench in water, oil, or whatever is recommended for hardening the type of steel. Only then do you temper it by heating to a given temperature and then slowly cooling. Annealing steel is heating it until it is a dull red and letting it cool slowly.
Hope this is some help.
|April 29, 2008, 09:33 AM
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Join Date: April 26, 2008
Location: Greenville, SC
Posts: 144
It's supposedly hard to do, and I hear that most people who do it, aren't doing it correctly. Not to start any arguements. But if you feel like it works for you, then I'm not gonna tell you it isn't.
|April 29, 2008, 10:10 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: November 19, 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 810
The guy told me that what most reloaders do wrong is heat the brass too hot. By the time you see the neck glowing in normal light, you've over-heated it. Other than that, it's not hard to do--much easier on larger cases. Smaller cases like .223 (which are also plentiful) is a pain.
If every single gun owner belonged to the NRA as well as their respective state rifle/gun association, we wouldn't be in the mess we're in today.
So to those of you who are members of neither, thanks for nothing.
|April 29, 2008, 10:52 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: December 20, 2007
Location: S.E. Minnesota
Posts: 4,295
Does anyone know what the transition temperature is for cartridge brass?
|April 29, 2008, 11:05 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: May 27, 2007
Posts: 5,040
Here is a phase diagram. Cartridge brass is 70% CU
Don't know if this will help
|April 29, 2008, 11:34 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: March 2, 2002
Location: Mid-Tennessee
Posts: 150
Proper annealing is a matter of temperature AND time.
You can anneal at 650-700 deg. but that requires several minutes and the result is poor and increases the possiblility of the case head/web area becoming too hot.
Ideally, 750-800 deg. for 10 seconds gives the best results with a quick quenching immediately after attaining the temperature.
As previusly noted, bringing the case to an orange glow in a lighted room is TOO HOT. Glow starts around 950 deg.. With experience you can detect a change in shine/dullness and a slight color change when the temperature is correct. I suggest learning with Tempilaque or Tempilstick indicators.
Annealing results in uniform neck tension and extended case life. Your ES and SD's will appreciate it.
No wind,
|April 29, 2008, 12:06 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: December 20, 2007
Location: S.E. Minnesota
Posts: 4,295
Thanks. I was thinking a quick dunk (maybe a second or two) in my lead pot, set at about 850 or 900 degrees.
"The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun"
|April 29, 2008, 11:45 PM
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Join Date: May 13, 2006
Location: WA, the left armpit of the USA
Posts: 1,323
Rifle cartridge brass is annealed best by QUICKLY heating to 650 - 700 degrees and allowing to cool slowly. A single propane torch heats the brass of a typical cartridge neck too slowly, so overheating is required in order to reset the crystalline structure of the metal. We don't want the case body to be reset so, at this point we quench the brass in cool water to stop the heating process. Trying to anneal brass that is standing in water using a propane torch is an exercise in futility. The water acts as a heat sink and wicks away the heat as fast as you can apply it.
Certainly annealing can be done properly with a propane torch. It takes a bit of experience to get it right, but it is not rocket science. The Ken Light annealing machine works quite well in my experience, especially when you use the two torch option. Frankford Arsenal expects to market a similar (cheaper) unit this summer through Midway USA which will also have the two torch option.
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NewswireToday - /newswire/ -
Ft. Lauderdale, FL, United States, 2007/02/22 - Catamarans.com is pleased to announce that we are once again winners of the Best Booth Awards at this years Strictly Sail Miami boat show held February 15th-20th, 2007 at the MiaMarina at Bayside in Miami, Florida.
With more than 25,000 attendees, the Miami International and Strictly Sail Boat Shows are recognized as the largest international expos featuring the most innovative catamaran designs, nautical products and technologies in the world of boating.
The booth award committee selected winners Friday, February 16th based on ambiance, creativity, lighting, display skills, signage, wall systems, floor systems and of course, the friendliness and helpfulness of the booth staff.
The architecture of Catamarans.coms innovative 20 ft. x 50 ft. display was a play on the tropical lifestyle, and scaled for different applications. Beneath the white three-peak weather resistant tent were a collection of vibrant printed lifestyle graphics, a V.I.P. bar, two tiki meeting areas, as well as a tiki work station for our support staff. Our plan was to design a booth that effectively demonstrated the numerous catamaran services we offer in a warm and welcoming environment. The Best Booth award was particularly significant for Catamarans.com as we continue to personalize our brand attributes for our core audience. The award was confirmation that the right message was being communicated to the right market, and that the market is listening.
"In creating our booth design, we incorporated sight, sound, and feel, to achieve a truly 'organic' environment that will appeal to Miamis style, said Annie Dufour, Catamarans.coms exhibiting coordinator. The atmosphere needed to be inviting- it needed to bring a feeling of serious fun and thoughts of good times. Lighting, music, shape and color all added to this."
Catamarans.com applauds Annie Dufour, John Potter (Art Director) and the service team at BHMarine.net for all the hard work theyve put in to this award-winning booth over the last two weeks. We look forward to what they have in store for next year!
Written by / Agency / Source: The Catamaran Company
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Billy Elliot Ottawa Tickets
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It's not only the West End where Billy Elliot has charmed the masses but it also a spectacle on Broadway where it tours often. Billy Elliot Ottawa ON is a part of one such tour and is the hot talk of the town at present because no matter how many times people watch it, it's still amazing. Since 2005, when the musical premiered, it has been sweeping everyone who watches it off their feet because of its brilliant production, direction and flawless performances.
The story of Billy Elliot, inspired by the events of miners' strike in 80s, shows a boy's stance to break the bounds of his community and follow a passion which was unapproved of by his family. This is the inspirational tale of a coal miner's son who decides to follow his passion of ballet dancing and makes efforts to pursue it. What follows is a heart-touching tale that is made more brilliant with the scores presented by none other than the legendary Sir Elton John.
This musical which shows Billy's dreams coming true, a dream which changes his life is unforgettable for the audience. That is the reason why it deserved not one but ten Tony Awards and ten Drama Desk Awards. Tickets for this musical are always a matter of coming into inventories and going out as everyone buys them quickly. Make the wise move of booking your share of Billy Elliot Ottawa ON tickets well before time so that you can enjoy the show from the best seats in the venue.


text: G'day potential Cousins! My name is Ken Amoore, I live in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and I have been doing family research on and off since 1996 (was it really that long ago?). I'm very pleased to have found WeRelate, it's just the thing I have been hoping for as it's nearly impossible to keep my database up to date and consistent. I am slowly learning the system and gradually loading all my work, fixing mistakes and making corrections. Hopefully I can help others make connections they didn't know about, and find a few myself. I can see WeRelate becoming huge in a few years and everyone will automatically go to it like Googling. I am enormously grateful to all of those previous generations over the years who started the research on our genealogy and gave me such a great kick start as well as all of those kind and helpful people who have encouraged me to continue finding exciting snippets.


text:
Will Chiquita Merger Affect Fruit Prices?
ABC Digital
Updated at
(NEW YORK) — What does the merger of two giant banana producers — Chiquita Brands in the U.S. and Ireland's Fyffes Plc — mean for U.S. consumers and the prices that they pay for fruit?
With $4.6 billion in sales, the combined company, ChiquitaFyffes, Plc, will be by far the world's biggest banana producer and a major player in melons, pineapples and packaged salads.
David Holohan, head of research for Merrion Stockbrokers in Dublin, calls the Chiquita-Fyffes combo a good deal for both companies. "It's a consolidating market, fragmented between four players," he says of bananas.
Before the merger, Chiquita already had the biggest market share of the banana market, he says, with 125 million cases sold globally, followed by Del Monte (117 million) and Dole (110 million). Fyffes had been a distant fourth with 55 million. In the U.S., says Holohan, Chiquita ranks No. 1 in supermarket sales of bananas and No. 2 in sales overall.
Referring to ChiquitaFyffes, Holohan tells ABC News, "Now there's a clear No. 1 market leader. They'll be able to achieve significant synergies going forward."
That's important, he says, because bananas are a low-margin business: "It's a case of 2 plus 2 equals 5."
What effect will the merger have on the prices consumers pay for fruit? Little, if any, Holohan thinks.
In the banana business, he says, even the biggest producers and distributors are not in a position to set the price. Rather, he says, "They must take the price," which is dictated by seasonality and by supply and demand.
"It isn't likely to add or remove any pricing pressure," he says of the merger. It will, however, "benefit shareholders and the management of these two companies, because they can now increase profit by avoiding duplication."
On news of the deal, Chiquita's shares rose a little over 12 percent to $12.15.
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio


text:
|Sport, 2 pitches, 180'
|YDS: 5.9- French: 5c Ewbanks: 17 UIAA: VI ZA: 16 British: HVS 4c [details]
|Mark Maffe 1995 First Pitch, Ray Bernard? 2nd Pitch
|year round
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|Adam on Dec 24, 2006
|Warning Stainless-steel bolts are suspect near the coast. A rebolting effort is underway. MORE INFO >>>
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|Show which comments —
By caughtinside
From: Oakland CA
Mar 3, 2007
|This is a really fun and unique climb! A couple of things: it's really probably only 5.8, and it gets a big line! both times we walked by fire wall, there were at least 3 parties waiting to get on this thing! It's good, but I wouldn't say it's worth waiting more than 10 minutes for. Lots of hype on this one...
By reboot
From: .
Jun 25, 2007
|The second pitch is fairly short and arches to the left. It goes ~5.10. Be warned that a 60m will NOT get you (rappel) down to the ground. There is a set of bolts 100 ft above ground you can rap off of that's somewhat below the 2nd pitch, but please back up the rap as you might swing trying to reach it.
By susan peplow
From: Joshua Tree
Oct 19, 2007
I believe the first pitch has as many as 11 slings on it. To me, it's a classic and worth waiting for and I thought it was unique. Then again......we didn't have to wait.
By Livia
From: Moose Jaw, SK
Jan 18, 2008
rating: 5.10- 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
|I think some of the variability in ratings for this climb has to do with the polished rock combined with the heat and humidity. On a cool(ish), dry(ish) day, this would feel 5.8. On a hot, humid (read--normal) day, this feels like climbing on butter (damp hands combined with chalk) spread on glass and feels more low 5.10. That said, I had a blast. For those that really enjoy climbing unique features on a non-contrived route, this is your climb.
By Lindsey Robinson
From: Salt Lake City, UT
Nov 21, 2014
Because of the tube-like nature of the climb, it stays fairly shaded in the morning, but your belayer will be roasting in the morning sun.
definitely squeeze your way through the hole at the start (if you can fit)
By Genevieve Lampinen
From: philadelphia
Jan 7, 2016
|Suspect anchor. Rope was very worn, possibly worn through core. Maybe someone can bring up some slings and replace them :)


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The Rutgers offense seems to look sharper every week. Three game into the season, they find themselves averaging almost 50 points per game. Here is a breakdown of how each position has fared duri...
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A dynamic analysis of GP visiting in Ireland: 1995-2001
This paper examines the determinants of GP visiting in Ireland, using panel data from the Living in Ireland Survey from 1995-2001. While cross-sectional studies provide important information on GP visiting patterns at a certain point in time, with panel data we can also control for unobserved individual heterogeneity, as well as identify whether it is the same individuals who consistently visit their GP year on year, or whether there is more mobility in visiting. We therefore estimate dynamic models of GP utilisation, and attempt to decompose the observed variation in GP visiting into components attributable to observed individual characteristics, unobserved individual heterogeneity and state dependence. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Volume (Year): 16 (2007)
Issue (Month): 2 ()
Pages: 129-143
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| Web page: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/5749
References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Martin Schellhorn, 2001. "The effect of variable health insurance deductibles on the demand for physician visits," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 10(5), pages 441-456.
- Verbeek, Marno & Nijman, Theo, 1992.
"Testing for Selectivity Bias in Panel Data Models,"
International Economic Review,
Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 33(3), pages 681-703, August.
- Verbeek, M.J.C.M. & Nijman, T.E., 1990. "Testing for selectivity bias in panel data models," Discussion Paper 1990-18, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
- Verbeek, M. & Nijman, T., 1990. "Testing For Selectivity Bias In Panel Data Models," Papers 9018, Tilburg - Center for Economic Research.
- Ulf- G. Gerdtham, 1997. "Equity in Health Care Utilization: Further Tests Based on Hurdle Models and Swedish Micro Data," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 6(3), pages 303-319.
- Gerdtham, Ulf-G., 1996. "Equity in Health Care Utilisation: Further Tests Based on Hurdle models and Swedish Micro Data," SSE/EFI Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance 116, Stockholm School of Economics.
- Paul Contoyannis & Andrew M. Jones & Nigel Rice, 2004. "The dynamics of health in the British Household Panel Survey," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 19(4), pages 473-503.
- Hurd, Michael D. & McGarry, Kathleen, 1997. "Medical insurance and the use of health care services by the elderly," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 129-154, April.
- David Madden, 2007. "Doctors' Fees in Ireland Following the Change in Reimbursement: Did they Jump?," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 38(2), pages 259-274.
- David (David Patrick) Madden, 2005. "Doctors' fees in Ireland following the change in reimbursement : did they jump?," Working Papers 200520, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
- Teresa Bago d'Uva, 2006. "Latent class models for utilisation of health care," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 15(4), pages 329-343.
- Teresa Bago d'Uva, 2005. "Latent class models for utilisation of health care," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 05/01, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
- Nolan, Brian, 1993. "Economic incentives, health status and health services utilisation," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(2), pages 151-169, July.
- Katharina Hauck & Nigel Rice, 2004. "A longitudinal analysis of mental health mobility in Britain," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 13(10), pages 981-1001.
- Tussing, A. Dale, 1985. "Irish Medical Care Resources: An Economic Analysis," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number GRS126.
- Mundlak, Yair, 1978. "On the Pooling of Time Series and Cross Section Data," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 46(1), pages 69-85, January.
- Sergi Jiménez-Martín & José M. Labeaga & Maite Martínez-Granado, 2002. "Latent class versus two-part models in the demand for physician services across the European Union," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 11(4), pages 301-321.
- Nijman, T.E. & Verbeek, M.J.C.M., 1992. "Testing for selectivity in panel data models," Other publications TiSEM 7ec34a6c-1d84-4052-971c-d, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
- Winfried Pohlmeier & Volker Ulrich, 1995. "An Econometric Model of the Two-Part Decisionmaking Process in the Demand for Health Care," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 30(2), pages 339-361.
- A. C. Cameron & P. K. Trivedi & Frank Milne & J. Piggott, 1988. "A Microeconometric Model of the Demand for Health Care and Health Insurance in Australia," Review of Economic Studies, Oxford University Press, vol. 55(1), pages 85-106.
- VAN OURTI, Tom, 2002. "Measuring horizontal inequity in health care using Belgian panel data," Working Papers 2002034, University of Antwerp, Faculty of Applied Economics. Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)
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KidKraft Pink Wooden Kitchen Set
Don't have space for a gigantic play kitchen? Kids won't miss out on any of the fun with the KidKraft Pink Wooden Kitchen Set! This kitchen set has all the great features of a full-sized kitchen--a microwave that opens and closes, a clock with moving hands and a convenient storage space below the sink--and fits perfectly into a classroom or home playroom! The set includes a mixing spoon, spatula, and pretend salt and pepper shaker. Made from wood with plastic elements, it is a sturdy, heirloom quality play set that will be fun for years to come. Measures 23" x 14" x 37".
From KidKraft |
Item # 53195 KK DS
- Price:
- $134.95
- Customer Reviews:
- Currently 0/5 Stars.
- Recommended Age:
- 3 years and up
- Availability:
- In stock (guaranteed)
- Available for pre-order
- Temporarily out of stock
- Usually Ships:
- within 3 to 7 business days
- Wooden play kitchen comes with four fun accessories: a mixing spoon, spatula, pretend salt and pepper shaker
- Features a microwave oven that opens and closes, a clock with moving hands and a convenient storage space below the sink
- Smart, sturdy construction
- Packaged with detailed, step-by-step assembly instructions
- Measures 23" x 14" x 37"
- Materials: wood and plastic
- CAUTION: Adult assembly required.
- WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD - Small parts. Not for children under 3 yrs.
Developmental BenefitsLearn more
Types of PlayLearn more
Product RatingWrite a review
Average Rating
- Currently 0/5 Stars.


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Woman caught on camera cashing forged checks
Fri, 22 Jul 2011 22:16:15 GMT —
A woman was caught on camera cashing stolen checks and now the Albany Police Department need the public's help identifying her.
The woman -- who you can see in the pictures -- cashed checks from an Entering Automobile incident that occurred at 200 North Westover Boulevard. Police say she forged the checks and cashed them with an identification that was also stolen from another Entering Automobile incident in Cobb County.
If you recognize the woman, please call Albany Crime Stoppers at (229) 436-TIPS or Albany police at (229) 431-2100.


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Grant Resources
Emergency Loan Resources
- How To Find Bad Credit Loans
- Home Loans For Low Income Families
- 3 Tips To Find Quick Financial Help
- Affordable Insurance For Single Moms
- 6 Tips To Fix Your Credit Score
- Check Your Credit Score For Free
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- $1500 + Payday Loans
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Financial Aid Resources
Housing For Single Moms
Budgeting and Financial Planning
Career Advice For Moms
Tag Archives: life insurance for single moms
Affordable Life Insurance For Single Moms
Protect Your Children with Affordable Life Insurance
Making a conscious effort to seek provision for your family in the event of your death is an ultimate sacrifice of love and concern for them. That is why many people make the decision of purchasing life insurance to ensure their family's future even after they're gone.
The truth is that you can protect your children with affordable life insurance that will ensure their financial needs will be well taken cared off even if you're no longer there to see them through.
Purchasing a life insurance policy is not the same experience as buying an insurance policy for your car or your property.…


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Kimberley - Several schools in Kimberley could be without water and electricity from Thursday following non-payment of municipal rates by the Department of Public Works, which owes the Sol Plaatje Municipality more than R26 million.
The payment of municipal taxes is the responsibility of the Department of Public Works.
Dr Jaco Deacon, Deputy CEO of the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (Fedsas), said on Thursday that Fedsas member schools in Kimberley had received letters stating that their water and electricity supply would be cut on Thursday (July 31), should payment not be received.
"Schools are responsible for the cost of the consumption of water and electricity while the Department of Public Works has to pay municipal taxes. These schools' accounts are fully paid, but Public Works owes the Sol Plaatje Municipality millions."
Deacon added that the Department of Public Works in the Northern Cape and the Sol Plaatje Municipality were scheduled to meet on Wednesday to discuss the situation. "However, the deadline for payment is Thursday, which means schools will probably be without water and electricity in any event."
Deacon added that Fedsas understood the pressure this situation placed on the municipality.
"The millions owed by Public Works is resulting in the municipality struggling to deliver services. It is a vicious circle and now the children are the victims."
The Sol Plaatje Municipality confirmed on Tuesday that the letters had been handed to the Department of Public Works as well as the schools affected.
Municipal spokesman, Sello Matsie, said four schools (which was the number of schools that made up the sample that was selected) were affected.
"The letters were sent out on Friday last week." He added that the only response had been queries from three of the schools regarding the notices.
The department owes the municipality a total of R23.6 million, which is mainly comprised of outstanding rates. The total paid last year was R15.7 million. There are a total of 138 school properties in the city that the department is responsible to pay the rates for.
Matsie added that the meeting scheduled for today would give the municipality some direction regarding the arrangements that the department would have to make to prevent municipal services from being cut at the schools.
A total of 26 accounts were targeted by the municipality and these received similar letters. "A top to bottom approach was used to select debtors who owe the Municipality R1 million or more - and 26 accounts were selected in total. This is an on-going project as we are currently in the process of moving to local businesses indebted to the municipality and where no arrangements are in place."
The Northern Cape Department of Roads and Public Works said on Tuesday that the payment of rates and taxes was previously done by National Public Works, but this function devolved to the Provinces.
"This meant the budget was also devolved as a grant to Provinces until last year. This grant was never enough to pay for all provincial properties even before the devolution," department spokeswoman, Crystal Robertson, said.
She added that the department was aware of the challenge in terms of the payment of rates and taxes, and added that this was being attended to.
"We are not in a position to disclose how much Sol Plaatje is owed as this figure is in dispute due to ownership of certain properties billed. We cannot report on municipal services bills as services are paid for by the individual user departments."
She added that the Department of Roads and Public Works was sometimes billed for both rates and services in one bill "and as explained we are responsible for rates only". "Reasons for blackouts cannot always be attributed to outstanding rates and taxes bills as we know," she stated. "The department is actively attending to this matter and we firmly hope to resolve it within the soonest timeframe possible."
Earlier this month (on July 9) a court order was granted which determined that the Emfuleni Local Municipality is not allowed to cut the water supply to public schools in the Vanderbijl Park area due to the non-payment of municipal taxes by the Department of Public Works. Several other schools across the country have experienced similar problems.
Fedsas, together with Afriforum, brought the Emfuleni appeal before the court. "Despite the previous court order and the country's laws, government entities are simply continuing as if they are above the law. Fedsas will not hesitate to approach the court again should this matter not be resolved satisfactorily."
Fedsas also called for action against government officials responsible for this situation.
Diamond Fields Advertiser


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An extra 15 kilograms during pregnancy may ruffle a woman's wardrobe, but it's nothing compared to the plight of a female tick. Before laying her eggs, she sucks enough blood to balloon up to 100 times her body weight. Now researchers have discovered what stokes the blood feast: a protein made by well-nourished male ticks and passed on during mating. The protein may harbor the biochemical secret to a vaccine to protect livestock from tick-borne illnesses.
After mating, the female African cattle tick feeds slowly on her host at first, expanding up to 10 times her starting weight in 4 to 7 days. Then she abruptly starts to feed faster. Again, her body weight multiplies by 10--this time in a mere 24 to 36 hours. Scientists knew that sex was critical to this rapid engorgement, but until now knew little about what triggered it.
Well, where else to look, but in the male gonads? These make proteins that can be transferred to the female along with sperm during mating. To determine if one of these proteins spurred the females' feasts, biologists Brian Weiss and Reuben Kaufman of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, injected extracts from male gonads into feeding virgin females. Gonad extract from males that had not fed off a host had no effect on the females. But the extract from recently fed males caused virgin females to engorge like a mated female.
Narrowing down the field, they engineered proteins from 28 genes activated in the male gonads by feeding. This isolated the one protein responsible for causing rapid engorgement, which they dubbed "voraxin," from the Latin word for gluttonous. They report their findings online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers also report that they are in the early stages of developing an antibody to voraxin that can be injected to host as a vaccine. In preliminary tests with immunized rabbits, they found that the antibody prevented 74% of mated female ticks from engorging.
Such a vaccine would not only reduce the ticks' effects on livestock, but it would also greatly reduce the females' egg-laying capacity, and thus the overall tick populations and risks of tick-borne diseases, says Anthony Kiszewski, an instructor in the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. "The discovery is certainly novel, with potential practical applications in agriculture," he says.
Related sites
Food and Agriculture Organization information on ticks and tick-related diseases
Kaufman's site


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Il Cesvi è alla ricerca di un Project Manager per la Bosnia ed Erzegovina con esperienze di lavoro in ambito sanitario.CLOSING DATE 8/22/2011 12:00:00 AM DURATION 3 months
University degree in public health and/or combination with relevant working experience in health sector
Minimum 5 years overseas work experience as Project Manager in PVS countries with an International NGO
Excellent knowledge of the Italian language, spoken and written
Excellent knowledge of the English language, spoken and written
Computer literacy in Microsoft Office Programmes
Excellent and proven experience in dealing with local governments challenges;
Excellent analytical, report writing and budgeting skills
Excellent interpersonal skills including communication and diplomacy
Knowledge of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs rules and regulation;
Public purchasing and contracting principles and practices, including competitive bidding procedures;
Ability to plan work, set priorities and complete it under pressure
High level of maturity, excellent inter-personal, negotiation and team leading skills required;
Previous experience in BiH
When approaching problems linked to mental health within the population of Republika Srpska, alarming aspects related to the increase in numbers of psychiatric (mentally disturbed) persons can be pointed out.
Main causes for this situation can be referred to: war and post-war living conditions, migrations, economic instability, high social insecurity, high unemployment, vulnerable groups among whom refugees (30% of the population).
These illnesses constitute the focal point of the reform within the health sector at the Republika Srpska level. The related action plan aims at helping 22 Centers for Mental Health becoming fully operating by 2015, so as to promote access to first level services for the whole population.
To comply with all the needs of primary mental health, institutional capacities shall be reinforced through a methodological approach in line with the communitarian standards, above all of the work in team, day hospital organization and post recovery therapies such as reintegration at work.
General objective: To support the reform process at the primary mental health level, with the aim to promote mental health through effective and efficient services for mentally ill people and their families.
Specific objectives:
1. To promote the access to services for mental health, opening of new Centers for Mental Health and supplies for already existing ones.
2. To strengthen the Ministry of Health of Republika Srpska and of Centers for Mental Health as well as to standardize the quality of mental health therapies through training for the medical and para medical staff of remote areas and training on management and assistance to ill people.
3. To ameliorate diagnosis detection and the related post recovery therapies for further reintegration at work.
Direct beneficiaries:
- 29.000 mentally disturbed people addressing to the Centers for Mental Health
- 435 psychiatric medical and para medical staff
In direct beneficiaries:
- 50.000 people (families of mentally disturbed people addressing to the Centers for Mental Health)
- 1.411.000 inhabitants, representing the population of Republika Srpska, benefiting from activities at the Centers for Mental Health level.
The collaboration will start on August 2011
The main working place will be Banja Luka and Sarajevo
The person will respond to the HQs Desk Officer
Project Management:
Manage all resources (human, financial and material) within organizational parameters
Ensure that project objectives are met
Coordinate, plan and schedule project equipment and supply needs
Undertake regular visits to each activity location to gain a clear understanding of projects conditions, requirements, and constraints
Assist with the execution of the current project, ensuring that appropriate accountability mechanisms are followed
Prepare project proposals and reports as required, in a timely manner
Provide technical support and advice to project staff
Staff management:
Supervise and support national staff
Assist staff in setting clear work goals and objectives
External Relations:
Represent Cesvi with stakeholders, local authorities, and NGO's
Participate in relevant external meetings and workshops
Promote alliances and exchange of information and lessons learnt


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If you are in the process of shopping for a new or used car, you may be very excited about the possibilities. However, many consumers are so excited about buying a car that they overlook some important factors, and this can cause them to take out a loan that they can't afford. Here are some considerations that you need to keep in mind before taking out a car loan.
[More from Manilla.com: 5 Financial Numbers You Should Know]
1. Used or New?
As you are shopping for a car, you need to decide whether you want to buy one that is used or new. If you need a spare car that you will drive infrequently, then a used vehicle may be the best choice because it will cost less. You may even decide that an extra car is not necessary, which will save you thousands of dollars. If you are in need of a vehicle that you will drive every day, you can shop for a new or used car that meets your size and budget requirements.
2. Budget
Your budget will be one of the most important factors to consider while you are shopping for a car. If you only have a few thousand dollars to spend and don't want to take out a loan, then browse the vehicles in used car lots. If you have closely examined your budget and can afford a monthly payment, then you need to determine how large of a payment you can make. It is crucial that you are honest about your income and expenditures while creating your budget. In addition, you will need to factor in costs for insurance, registration, maintenance and repairs. Once you have decided how much you can pay, you will be able to narrow down your options considerably while ensuring that you don't take on a loan that you can't afford.
[More from Manilla.com: Financial Tracking & Budgeting Tips]
3. Credit Score
If you are considering applying for a car loan, then you need to check your credit score beforehand. If your credit has taken several hits lately, then you may not qualify for the loan you need in order to buy the car of your choice. Your credit score will also determine how high the interest rate on your loan will be, which will affect your monthly payments. If your credit score is not where it should be, then you may want to delay your car purchase for a few months while you make some financial adjustments that will improve your score.
[More from Manilla.com: How to Get Credit without a Good Credit History]
4. Car Loans
If you have determined that you have a good credit score and can afford to make monthly payments on your vehicle, you can start applying for car loans. As you shop for the best loan, take the time to read the fine print carefully. Pay close attention to the interest that you will pay and ask the lender about any fees and charges that may apply. If the interest on the loan seems much lower than the others that you have found, you need to make sure that you won't be responsible for extra fees and charges.
When you are in the process of buying a used or new vehicle, it is easy to get swept up in the joy of shopping. However, you need to carefully review your budget, credit score and loan choices before you commit to buying a car. Your time and caution will ensure that you make the best choice for your finances.
Bill Akintoye works at Shabana Motors in Houston. The company offers in-house car financing options for people with bad or no credit and has a large inventory of used cars, trucks and SUVs.
More from Manilla.com:


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Students who have completed clinical specialty training at an accredited institution are eligible to apply for the Doctor of Science in Dentistry (DScD) program without certificate. To apply to the DScD program alone, please submit the following credentials:
Additional Information for International Applicants
Please submit the above materials in their entirety to:
Office of Graduate Dental Education
Robert Schattner Center
Penn Dental Medicine
240 S. 40th St., 3rd Floor Evans Building
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6030
All materials, completed in full, must be received in the Office of Graduate Dental Education or postmarked by the November 1 deadline to ensure review by the Admissions Selection Committee. Make generous allowances for international mail. Late materials will be marked as such and not necessarily examined.