text:
An improved turnaround time for laboratory services.
HKD continues to improves the grading process while maintaining faster turnaround times for selected services across all three laboratories. While maintaining standards the industry has grown accustomed to, HKD ensures the highest grading practices at faster turnaround times.
here for current Laboratory turnaround
Check out these articles of interest provided to GIA:
Latest-Generation CVD-Grown Synthetic Diamonds from Apollo Diamond Inc.
CVD Synthetic Diamond with Unusual Diamond View Image.
Luminescent Regions in CVD Synthetic Diamond.
Heavily Irradiated CVD Synthetic DIamond.
HKD introduces instant online report verification process.
An increased effort to maintain additional security measures and to support online commerce, HKD has indtroduced an online report verification to meet the needs of the industry.
» More
HKD introduces Gemstone country of origin reports.
After many years of research at HKD Thailand, we are proud to introduce the HKD Gemstone Origin Report for Rubies, Sappires and Emeralds. Take a look at our library of gemstone inclusions.
» More
here for current Laboratory turnaround
View the new HKD Corporate Flash
A Who, What, When, Where and Why about HKD
» Click here to view flash.
Now available, the 4C's Diamond Guide
Download the HKD 4 C's Diamond Guide to help you through the buying process.
After many years of research at HKD Thailand, we are proud to introduce the HKD Gemstone Origin Report for Rubies, Sappires and Emeralds. Take a look at our library of gemstone inclusions.
» More
HKD featured article in Jewellery Business
October 2014
WITHOUT QUESTION - Is the industry becoming complacent? » More
May 2014
Says Hue? Is there a place for hue on diamond grading reports?» More
February 2013
In the eye of the beholder - How experience and close observation can save you money » More
June 2012
Secret identities - Two gemstone treatments you should know about» More
December 2011
Man-made versus natural - Are white synthetic diamonds about to shake up the industry?» More
August 2011
Time for a change - What can you do to prepare for the new business realities?» More
June 2011
India and China - The diamond industry rides the wave of change» More
Febuary 2011
The opulence of opal. A rainbow of colours frozen in time. » More
Other HKD featured article in Jewellery Business
December 2010
Keeping watch. Protecting the flow of information.
» More
October 2010
Hue knew. Understanding the norms of coloured stone grading.
» More
August 2010.
Clear cut? The nuances of clarity grading.
» More
June 2010.
School of thought. Better your business through education.
» More
April 2010
Making the grade. Evaluating cut grades of fancy shapes.
» More
Febuaray 2010.
True blue. Distinguishing kyanite from blue sapphires.
» More
December 2009
Seeing the light. Understanding the nuances of fluorescence in diamonds.
» More
October 2009.
Buyer beware. "Cash for jewellery" rasies issues for disclosure.
» More
August 2009.
Back in black. A back to basic approach of identifyng black gems.
» More
April 2009
Not like it used to be. Gemology grows more complex day by day.
» More
Febuary 2009.
Cut to the chase. Can diamond cut grading systems be standardardized.
» More
August 2008.
D, E, F, G or HPHT A brief exploration of HPHT treatment.
» More


text:
High rollin' John Kane served as party chairman during much of Bob Ehrlich's term as governor, when the party achieved some fundraising success and served as an extension of the Ehrlich political machine. When he left the position after Ehrlich's 2006 defeat, the party was largely bankrupt, partly due to Kane's free-spending ways, and its partisans demoralized.
Veterinarian Jim Pelura then took the party's helm during highly unfavorable circumstances. Amid party infighting and continuing complaints about finances, he walked away, frustrated, from the job before the expiration of his term.
Then former Ehrlich Planning Secretary Audrey Scott rode in to save the day. Mrs. Scott claimed to have achieved great fundraising success during her year as chair, almost solely due to the largess of then-RNC chairman Michael Steele. But Mrs. Scott's deficiencies – including inflated fundraising totals, a failure to recruit a candidate for Attorney General, and her insistence at directing resources at the expense of other candidates to Andy Harris (who was doing perfectly fine raising money on his own) and Bob Ehrlich (who lost to Governor O'Malley by 15 points during their 2010 rematch) – were exposed when she ran, unsuccessfully, to represent the state on the Republican National Committee, usually a gimme job for former party chairs.
Then former Senator Alex Mooney won the job in 2010. I nominally supported Mooney that year. While I saw him as a clean break from the party's recent, Ehrlich-centric past, I also wondered if he wanted the job, or simply a platform from which to carry on his political ambitions.
Now, in light of the MDGOP's disastrous election returns, the hanging party has ridden into town in search of Mooney.
The gentlemen at Red Maryland laid out the case for removing Mooney from office. They make some very valid points, including the MDGOP's humiliating shut out among the three ballot questions which partisans worked so diligently to get on the ballot, yet lacked any semblance of a strategy to actually get passed (I blogged about the ballot initiative debacle here).
As I ponder Mooney's fate, I find myself asking two questions.
First, if the party dumps Mooney, who will the next chairman be?
Hierarchically speaking, First Vice Chair Diana Waterman is next in line. I don't know Mrs. Waterman personally, but her reputation is that of a loyal, diligent, hard-working, devoted partisan. However, she is very much an establishment figure, and is aligned with the Audrey Scott wing of the party. Elevating her will likely not produce the kind of sweeping change many partisans are demanding.
Many cite the possibility of a sizzle candidate emerging, such as 2012 Senate nominee Dan Bongino. After all, Bongino racked up some impressive fundraising totals due to the efforts of fundraiser Hillary Foster Pennington, and built a grassroots network of 3000 people across the state.
Such pondering leads me to the second question: If Mooney goes, who worth having would actually want the job, especially given the recent history of infighting and rebellion and the party's seemingly grim future prospects?
Given these challenges, can a new chairman personally make things better, or will he/she simply follow his/her immediate predecessors onto the scaffold after another disastrous election cycle?
The case against Mooney has several different elements, but it is clear that the failure of the ballot initiatives is the tipping point in terms of people demanding his ouster.
Indeed, Chairman Mooney should have played a traffic cop function with respect to the petition drives, discouraging those that lacked the strategy or resources to succeed during the ballot phase from moving forward.
He didn't. And, as a result, the party is in a worse position than if the questions had never appeared on the ballot.
But, in all fairness, he was not singlehandedly responsible for getting them there. Neil Parrott, Tony Campbell, and others who blithely used the MarylandPetitions.com process as some kind of silver bullet have some things to answer for, too.
I guess the point I'm trying to make is that, while I am open to replacing Mooney, I don't see anyone among the current crop of party leaders who would likely do a better job, assuming they even wanted it.
Chairman Mooney stated to me that he "doesn't think" he is running in 2014 for the 6th Congressional District seat just captured by Democrat John Delaney. If accurate, that removes one of the biggest criticisms partisans have had about him during the past two years.
Absent a consensus alternative arising, the members of the state Republican Central Committee may have to resign themselves to demanding answers and accountability from Mooney, and extracting from him a plan of corrective action.
That plan of corrective action might also include examining the extent to which the MDGOP's Executive Director, David Ferguson, needs to be held accountable, too.
Mooney is a hands-off manager, and some of Ferguson's operational decisions – including planning and executing a Red White and Blue fundraising dinner which netted only $8,000 for the party, and his rumored alliance with controversial GOP political consultant Lawrence Scott – has drawn criticism among some central committee members.
When I talked to Chairman Mooney at the party's spring convention he said to me, "I'm not perfect, but at least I'm trying to do the right thing."
I believe that.
Now, it is up to him to convince partisans that he's the right person to lead the party out of its present moment of darkness.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Chalet in the Shrubbery
Rochester, Kent
Unknown photographer
Dickens died here on 9 June 1870
Other views of Gadshill
Source: Memories of my Father, facing 16
Dedicated to Daphne Nisbett.
Philip V. Allingham explains how he acquired the volume from which he scanned this image: "Sir Henry F. Dickens's Memories of My Father . . . [was] given to me by my cousin, Daphne Nisbett of 1 Rock Road, Borough Green, Kent, prior to her death in 1998. She acquired both while she was working in London at the BBC (she retired from the music criticism department in 1949!). Her father, who built Brough Green House at the turn of the century, had in his youth been a copy-boy in a London publishing house, and in that capacity had to clean out the wastebaskets (which explains how an envelope addressed by Dickens came into his possession)."
Dickens suffered what proved to be a fatal attack after leaving here for the main house on the afternoon of 9 June 1870. The Swiss Chalet was presented to him by his friend the French actor Charles Fechter at Christmas, 1864, in fifty-eight boxes, and was eventually constructed with the aid of the Lyceum Theatre's French carpenter, M. Godin. Dickens so arranged the building that the second floor afforded him a view of the Thames, whose shipping he sometimes inspected with the aid of a telescope that he had placed in his study.
Belonging to the house, but unfortunately placed on the other side of the high road, was a shrubbery, well wooded though in desolate condition, in which stood two magnificent cedars; and having obtained, in 1859, the consent of the local authorities for the necessary underground work, Dickens constructed a passage beneath the road from his front lawn; and in the shrubbery thus rendered accessible, and which he then laid out very rettily, he placed afterwards a Swiss châlet presented to him by Mr. Fechter, which arrived from Paris in ninety-four pieces fitting like the joints of a puzzle, but which proved to be somewhat costly in setting on its legs by means of a foundation brickwork. "It will really be a very pretty thing," he wrote (January 1865), "and in the summer (supposing it not to be blown away in the spring), the upper room will make a charming study. It is much higher than we supposed." Once up, it did really become a great resource in the summer months, and much of Dickens's work was done there. [Forster, II, 151-52]
Dickens's last few days at Gads Hill were entirely given over to the writing of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, during which time he began to look unusually fatigued. On the 8th he spent the entire day in the Chalet, except to have lunch in the main building. At ten minutes past six in the late afternoon, expiring on the sofa, he cried, "On the ground." These were the last words he uttered.
Dickens, Sir Henry F. Memories of my Father. London: Victor Gollancz, 1928.
Forster, John. The Life of Charles Dickens The "Charles Dickens Edition." 2 vols. London: Chapman and Hall, [n. d.]


text:
This is coming from a Death Knight.
No, no, and no.
It's a Warrior's Tier set, we should never be able to get another classes actual set, solely due to how nice it looks. If you would look, you can get some of the set recolor's from drops inside BT and Battle for Hyjal.
If they allowed any class to obtain any other classes tier sets, Paladin's could sport my epic T7, the only armor imo to be truly original and never used again.


text:
Why do my cakes bulge in the middle everytime I do a fondant cake? Am I putting to much icing in between the layers? It never fails, the cake looks perfect at first, but then after a short time, presto--it's bulging--of course, after the other decorations are already on it and I can't fix it! It's times like this that make me want to quit all together!
I think maybe the filling is being squished out of the cake, if you don't use a dam before filling, then try that and see if it helps. And is your icing too soft? If it is then try using a stiffer icing to help keep everything from bulging out.
I suggest letting your cake settle for atleast 12 hours prior to covering with fondant. I level, damm, fill and place 2-3 tiles on top of my torted cake to allow any squishing of the filling to happen. If it is going to have several tiers on top then I add more weight. Once it has settled, then at that point I look for any bulging and remove any excess I see. It is much better for the bulging to happen now and not later. Then I proceed to covering with fondant. Also, I use a very thick buttercream (almost rolled buttercream) for my damm icing only. This really helps keep your filling inside and avoids that bulge.


text:
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — President Obama's plan to nearly double American troop numbers in Afghanistan needs to be matched by a similar surge in development workers and aid funding, NATO's top official said Thursday.
In a sign of the tough fight there, NATO and Afghan troops earlier in the day killed up to 22 militants in airstrikes and ground battles near the Afghan border with Pakistan, officials said.
The U.S. has about 33,000 soldiers in Afghanistan battling a resurgent Taliban, and Obama is expected to send up to 30,000 more this year as his administration shifts its focus from the war in Iraq to the Afghan conflict.
Speaking in Pakistan, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the new troops will take the fight to "places where it was not, or insufficiently, possible up till now."
Scheffer said other NATO allies should also boost troop levels in Afghanistan if possible, but also increase the number of civilian experts to help with reconstruction and development in a country brought to its knees by decades of war.
"I do see the need for the military surge President Obama is proposing, but it should be met with a civilian surge," he told reporters. "Let us not be under the illusion that extra U.S. force (alone) will do the trick."
In a message posted Thursday on Islamic militant sites on the Web, the Taliban's political committee said Obama should rethink his plans for sending more troops to Afghanistan, according to SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors militant Web sites.
"It is understood by this that the new American administration wants to continue the same path as the painful (President George W.) Bush plan, which led to the besmirching of America's reputation and the provoking of hatred and international anger toward the American people."


text:
Man City land again into 'group of death' at UCL
City's 'group of death' fears in CL come true after being pitted against three titleholders
Follow >
Click here to add Champions League as an alert
Disable alert for Champions League,
Click here to add Emilio Butragueno as an alert
Disable alert for Emilio Butragueno,
Click here to add Madrid as an alert
Disable alert for Madrid,
Click here to add Real Madrid as an alert
Disable alert for Real Madrid
English champions Manchester City's worst fears of once again landing themselves into a group of death at the Champions League group stage came true when they were pitted against Spanish champions Real Madrid, Dutch champions Ajax and German champions Borussia Dortmund.
Champions League draw were announced on Thursday in Monaco, and City faces a grim prospect of bowing out of the group stages of Europe's elite competition just like last year.
City couldn't go past the group stage in the Champions League last year after coming third in a group, which boasted of European stalwart Bayern Munich, Italian giants Napoli and Spanish team Villareal.
However, City is now considered a force in Europe, as confirmed by Real director Emilio Butragueno.
"City are a very strong team after an enormous investment in recent years and they will be a rival of the highest level," The Telegraph quoted Butragueno, as saying.
Despite being a part of the toughest group in the Champions League, City is still favourites to reach the knock out stage along side Madrid. (ANI)
Top Headlines
- Dzeko warns Man City team-mates Ajax defeat will spell end of CL dream
- Man City vs Bayern Munich UCL projected lineups
- Manchester City fears landing into another group of death in Champions League
- 8-year-old Yemeni child dies at hands of 40-year-old husband on wedding night
- Hell on earth: Yarmouk residents trapped between Daesh and Bashar


text:
No one has mentioned the success (or lack of success) in using this product if you are undergoing chemo, thus the reason for the loss of eyelashes. Please advise.
Latisse for Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy?
Doctor Answers 1
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.


text:
CULT comedian Frank Sidebottom has died after he was found collapsed at his home, it was reported today.
The comedian, real name Chris Sievey, was famous for wearing a huge papier mache head on stage. He had recently undergone an operation to remove a tumour from his chest, his agent Nigel Round said.
His comic creation Frank became a student favourite in the 1980s, and in 1992 starred in his own Yorkshire TV series, Frank Sidebottom's Fantastic Shed Show.
He revived the character several years later and only last week released a comedy song for the World Cup, titled Three Shirts On My Line. He posted a message on his Twitter account on Sunday morning saying: "I'm still feeling very poorly".
Mr Sievey, 54, also worked as an animator on several children's TV shows. He was found collapsed at his home in Hale, Manchester, by his girlfriend.
Yorkshire Post Digital Editor David Behrens, who produced his YTV series, said: "Chris was a genuinely funny and creative comic talent, and he had a huge and loyal base of fans. He had been ill recently but his death is terribly sudden and sad.
"He came from a great comedy tradition in refusing to acknowledge his real identity when he was in character. As soon as the prop head went on he'd answer to Frank, never Chris. A real one of a kind - he has gone tragically young."
Before finding fame as Frank, Mr Sievey had enjoyed a pop career with his punk band The Freshies, who had a minor hit with "I'm In Love With The Girl On The Manchester Virgin Megastore Checkout Desk".
The comic creation's songwriting skills led to Frank Sidebottom singles and EPs including Christmas Is Really Fantastic, the Timperley EP and Smiths parody Panic! (On The Streets Of Timperley).
His live act would also see Frank sing a medley of Queen songs, complete with Freddie Mercury moustache.
Sgt Pepper Knew My Father - am album released to celebrate the Beatles' original - featured Frank Sidebottom alongside acts including Wet Wet Wet and Sonic Youth.
Despite fading from TV in recent years, Frank remained a popular gigging comedian.
He was performing until the end, appearing on stage only last week, his agent said.
Announcing his death, Mr Round said: "Everybody who knew Frank is going to be gutted."
The agent said Sievey's girlfriend was devastated by the news.
Mr Round said the comedian downplayed the cancer he was fighting in recent months.
"He always said it was no problem, he was going through treatment but it was being sorted out."
Mr Round added: "He was just a nice bloke. He was quite a private person. He never spoke about Chris Sievey, it was all about the character."
His agent said Sievey was planning to come out from under the paper-mache mask in the coming years.
"Everyone kept it really quiet. We were probably only 12 months from him uncovering himself," Mr Round said.


text:
Lovable Labels offer so many different types of labels such as the regular and slimline that I mentioned above as well as shoe labels which are perfect to put in your kids shoes for daycare and press n' stick clothing dots for your children's coats, sweatshirts, etc.. The best thing about Lovable Labels is that all of their labels are microwave and dishwasher safe, waterproof, and UV resistant. The press n' stick clothing dots are washer, dryer, and bleach safe so they don't have to be replaced after every wash!
Another great perk of being part of the Lovable Labels Love Bug Program is that I was sent a coupon code to share with my readers for 10% off of their very own label order! Go check out Lovable Labels website for yourself and see all of the amazing products they have to offer and make sure to use the code: DanielleMELB1 before March 21, 2012 to get 10% off your order.


text:
On the cover of Time twice
In "Made in Space," curated by Laura Owens and Peter Harkawik at Night Gallery, Jedediah Caesar's bricks of resin run along the floor near where the wall meets it. Mungo Thompson's two mirrors, which have Time magazine's logo at the top and its classic red border along the edges, hang opposite each. This means, if you stand staring into one mirror, you'll look like you're on the cover of Time, but you'll also see the reflection of you being on the cover of Time in the other mirror. In a tapestry by Michael Decker, animals cut from T-shirts wear sunglasses. Davida Nemeroff's dreamily blurred photo of a horse's ass hangs on an angled wall, right behind Liz Larner's standing, human-sized sculpture, made of blue and silver tubes so frenetic they look like limbs of a tumbleweed. But if I'd been able to ignore who made what and just experience the show as a shifting landscape of well-made, somewhat surreal objects, I would have. 2276 E. 16th St.; through April 15. (650) 384-5448, nightgallery.ca.
Tuesdays-Saturdays. Starts: March 19. Continues through April 15, 2013
Related Location
2276 E. 16th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90031
Get the Things to Do Newsletter
Sign up for our weekly guide to events in Los Angeles, and never be bored again. With suggestions for every day of the week, our recommendations will keep you busy on any budget.
Popular Stories
Upcoming Events
Hamilton (Touring)
TicketsSat., Oct. 21, 2:00pm
5-Star/Cabrillo presents Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
TicketsSat., Oct. 21, 2:00pm
We Can Survive
TicketsSat., Oct. 21, 5:30pm
Koo Koo Kanga Roo
TicketsSat., Oct. 21, 5:45pm
Sponsor Content


text:
Gateway to Samadhi: A Guided Meditation
Samadhi is a blissful state of unity consciousness and connectedness to all of existence. With peaceful, soothing background music, Leslie guides us on a mystical journey of relaxing the physical body and opening up the chakras and subtle body. She offers a unique, powerful technique to unhook our breath from our thoughts, taking us beyond the limitations of the mind and into timelessness. By going beyond thought, we enter samadhi, an experience of who we truly are.
Track 1 (4:50) Introduction, relaxing the physical body Track 2 (15:30) Mystical journey of opening the chakras and subtle body Track 3 (21:29) Unhooking the breath from the mind and the thoughts
Please visit Help Page for Questions
regarding ISBN / ISBN-10 / ISBN10, ISBN-13 / ISBN13, EAN / EAN-13, and Amazon
Home | ISBN Directory | Affiliate
Program | Contact
Copyright © 2003-2014 AllDiscountBooks.net All rights reserved.


text:
The Future Is Foggy for Newsprint Pricing
By: Gretchen A. Peck
"Shared sacrifice" is the latest political buzz phrase making the media rounds. Economic strife abounds in the U.S. and elsewhere, leading politicians and citizens alike to ponder, "If we all do a little; if we all do our part, maybe – just maybe – we can bring our economy back around."
It's a theme – this so-called "shared sacrifice" – that's particularly apropos to the paper, printing, and publishing verticals, as each segment faces great challenges, including the rising cost of raw materials and energy, the influence of digital media, and the decreasing demand for paper, quality print, and even, sadly, the written word. The codependent nature of these allied industries is forcing each to take a hard-line look at how to be more lean and stealthy, while at the same time working hand-in-hand to control one of the greatest costs of publication – paper.
Newsprint: That was then; this is now
"When the market is soft – meaning, there's not a big demand for product – publishers and printers have the upper hand. And the natural inclination is to take the upper hand to the extreme," said Tony Nanna, president/West, McGrann Paper Corporation in Charlotte, N.C. "What we sometimes forget is that the paper producers have to survive, too. We've all seen the decrease in the number of producers. There's a lot of consolidation that continues to happen in our industry, and we've got to find a way to work together to sustain our health."
In other parts of the world-namely, Asia and Europe-newsprint prices have been consistently creeping up. Fortunately, for North American newspaper publishers, the cost-per-ton has remained flat for approximately the past eight months.
"Prices were very high in 2008, and very, very low in 2009. They recovered toward the end of 2009 and through the first half of 2010. And they haven't moved [considerably] since," said John Lafave, senior vice president, pulp and paper sales and marketing, AbitibiBowater, Inc., Montréal.
"Right now in our marketplace – and throughout the paper industry – everything but newsprint has been subjected to an announcement of increases," Nanna said. "Coated? There was an announcement of a $2 per cwt (centum weight) increase, effective in April. Uncoated freesheet – meaning offset and copy paper – as well as supercalender papers? Those commodities went, effective April 1. But our newsprint numbers in the states for the past six months have been at par. Nothing has changed.
"But we're all trying to figure out when it's going to happen, because it will happen," Nanna said. "Will it decrease? No."
Some of the market stressors are obvious – rising energy costs, for example.
"Paper is shipped by truck, by rail, and by intermodal," Nanna said. "Those costs are going up right now. I was in Los Angeles not long ago, and diesel was at $5 per gallon and climbing. Currently, the suppliers are eating these costs, but sooner or later, they're going to have to pass it along to publishers in, at least, the form of a surcharge. A lot of publishers and printers are going to revolt against it, but someone has to pay it. The suppliers have to pass it along to their customers, and in turn, the publishers will have to pass it along to their customers. Things just aren't normal right now, and no one has the fiscal health to absorb all of these costs and not pass them on. It has to be done."
Another contributing factor to the precarious position paper manufacturers find themselves in is scarcity of ONP – old newspapers that have already been printed, read, and discarded/recycled by the consumer – essential to newsprint production.
Lafave described the "shrinking basket" of North American consumption: "North America consumed 13 million tons (of newspaper) in 2000, but only 5.4 million tons in 2010. And when that basket shrinks – and there is far less ONP – the price of recovered fiber goes up dramatically. It's putting incredible pressures on those relying on it.
And not only has the cost of ONP per ton gone up, but the yield has gone down as we've moved to single-stream collection," Lafave said, referring to what is more commonly called comingled recycling, in which all types of recycled materials are collected and processed together, in a "single stream."
"So there's an additional cost, as you're getting less actual fiber out of your ton of ONP. It's got more contaminants or non-fiber in it, because of the single stream," he said.
Mitigating the Risks
Publishers would be well-served to become intimately familiar with the broad-sweeping market trends and predictions, and equally as familiar with individual manufacturers' adaptations.
Under the direction of new President and CEO Richard Garneau, AbitibiBowater, for example, is striving for better profit margins and fiscal health by overhauling its operations, rather than simply ratcheting up prices.
"Our focus is on reducing cost, so we're looking at our mills differently than we have in the past," Lafave said.
AbitibiBowater's operations include 18 pulp and paper mills and 24 wood-products facilities across Canada, the United States, and South Korea. On Feb. 14, 2011, the company announced the permanent closure of its paper machine at Coosa Pines, Ala.
"We've taken a lot of capacity out, but still, the paper that we're running – we believe it to be produced at some of the lowest-cost mills in North America with good safety records. Low cost mills with strong safety records are a good combination, because safety is among our core values," Lafave said.
A discerning operational restructuring has also enabled AbitibiBowater to make new technological investments. "As we've taken the highest costs out of our operations, our cost-per-ton continues to drop," Lafave said. "(And) now that we've come through Chapter 11, we can start investing in our more competitive mills."
Nanna is a natural proponent of merchant-publisher partnerships, but notes that having a partner of McGrann's ilk can be particularly valuable to publishers in these tumultuous times.
"(As a merchant), I would buy your product and have it shipped, by rail, to my warehouse. I, in turn, deliver it to you, just in time. So, instead of the publisher paying for [newsprint] up front – because the mill would invoice the publisher the minute it's shipped – we take on the billing. We buy the paper from the supplier; we bring it to our floor. We don't inventory it until you need it. And, often, a lot of our customers will take the product from our delivery truck and go right on press with it," Nanna said.
"There's no carrying of any inventory. Years ago, publishers would have inventory of up to 30 days worth of newsprint. They're not doing that today. Even if you have 15 days worth of supply on hand, that represents money that's tied up," Nanna said. "We buy so much paper that I'm able to offer the same price from my floor that a publisher could get if they bought direct from the manufacturer. … I'm able to negotiate pricing based on my own portfolio of as much as 360,000 tons each year."
AbitibiBowater's Lafave concurs that small to mid-sized newspaper publishers may find that they can leverage volume buys via a merchant or co-op.
"It tends to be the larger publishers that buy direct and the smaller publishers that opt for the distribution model," he said. "Often, they're not buying full truckloads [of newsprint], so they go to a merchant and buy so many pounds of newsprint, and so many pounds of some other type of paper. Size is usually the determining factor in buying behavior. There are pros and cons to both models – direct and distribution."
Empathy as a Strategy
Perhaps the most important trait publishers and newsprint suppliers can embrace right now is empathy – paper suppliers being empathetic to the well-reported challenges that newspaper publishers face, and publishers reciprocating, but obviously not to either's detriment. As Nanna said, "We're all in this together, and communication is essential. If we can create a market that's cooperative instead of feeling as though we're always at war, we can manage through these uncertain times. For example, if the mills or merchants and publishers can get their heads together and talk about increases in the context of scheduling."
Being a merchant and a distributor, Nanna oftens finds that his role is not merely to manage the supply of paper but, in many respects, to be a mediator. It's his challenging role to not only nurture relationships between mill and publisher. But the position enables him to offer some valuable insight into navigating
pricing increases.
"Perhaps the mill or the merchant says to the publisher, 'Hey, we need some relief. We need to make money, too. So how do we do this? When is your business season? When is your prime time for revenue during the course of the year? Maybe we can implement an increase then, during those months?'" That would enable the supplier to help offset some of its rising costs, without an untimely and profound impact on the publisher's bottom line, Nanna said.
"One of the things that's pushing cost is the Canadian dollar," John Lafave said. "That has had a very negative impact on Canadian mills. We have Canadian and U.S. mills, but there are some companies that have only Canadian mills, and they're under tremendous pressure. "
"So there's going to come a point where rising chemical costs, shipping costs, energy costs, currency exchange rates, etc. could force pricing up.
For more than 15 years, Gretchen A. Peck has written about the business of publishing, printing and graphic communications. She formerly served as editor-in-chief and editorial director for Book Business and Publishing Executive magazines. Her byline has appeared in more than 50 international magazines, newspapers, and online publications. Peck holds a Master's Degree in writing.


text:
Wudeema's father to be forced to attend hearing
Dubai: A court has given Dubai Police the power to force Wudeema's father to attend an upcoming hearing after he refused to attend his trial on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old Emirati father, Hamad S., will have to attend the next hearing on January 2 before the Dubai Court of First Instance.
"The court permits law enforcement officers to use the required legal power against Hamad and force him to come to court in case he refused to do so," said presiding judge Maher Salama Al Mahdi.
A policeman from Al Rashidiya Police Station, where Hamad is being detained, provided judge Al Mahdi with a written document confirming that the defendant refused to attend Wednesday's hearing.
One out of three prosecution witnesses appeared in court to have their statements read.
Under the Criminal Procedures Law, the court is obliged to hear all prosecution witnesses in the presence of the defendant.
Wednesday's incident comes after a dramatic scene unfolded during the previous hearing when Wudeema's father got irritated by a lieutenant's testimony and jumped over the dock to attack the witness before police restrained him.
Three policemen restrained Hamad, preventing him from approaching the witness.
Hamad and his 27-year-old Emirati girlfriend (who claims to be his wife), Al Onoud A. have denied illegally confining the two daughters in a flat, torturing eight-year-old Wudeema to death and injuring seven-year-old Meera.
Al Onoud previously admitted in court that she bore full responsibility of what happened.
"I did everything. I want you to give me a capital punishment… [she cursed and used foul language against the lieutenant]."
During Wednesday's hearing, Hamad's lawyer requested the court's permission to produce defence witnesses in the hearing.
Prosecutors are seeking capital punishment against the defendants.


text:
That game was so ugly, it went into a haunted house and came out with an application.
You're right. That wasn't funny.
And neither is the sequence of numbers 0, 1, 2. As in 0 runs, 1 hit and 2 errors. If Stanley Kubrick was around, I think he'd be working on Clockwork 2.
Thank goodness Carlos Beltran was able to scratch out 1 hit, otherwise literally hundreds of Pirate fans in attendance would have had something to cheer about for the first time since the 1990s.
(Side: this won the 'Hyundai Drive of the Game' award. Considering the Cardinals have deals in place to run these promotions every game, what happens when they get no-hit?)
At least the bullpen is getting on tra… what's that? They got lit up for 3 runs to salt this one away?
Well at least Shelby Miller is showing why he's the '5th' starter. 6 innings and 2 runs on the road? You'll take that 10 times out of 10 from your 5th.
I guess you're going to have games like this when you play 162. Every team will.
But last night's odious performance was as as bad as you can play in one of the most depressing parks to do it in. Let's forget it even happened and get back to our regularly scheduled pounding of the Pirates.


text:
SEOUL, South Korea — In a reversal of recent progress toward reconciliation on the divided Korean Peninsula, North Korea said Monday that it would ban South Korean tourists from the ancient city of Kaesong and "selectively expel" South Koreans working in a joint industrial complex there starting Dec. 1.
The North also said it planned to shut down the only train service with South Korea, idling the freight train that makes a daily round trip between Kaesong and Seoul, the South's capital 45 miles to the south.
If North Korea carries out its expulsion threats, operations will be seriously disrupted at the Kaesong Industrial Park.
North Korea issued the threats even as it agreed to hold six-nation talks in Beijing on Dec. 8 with South Korea and other regional powers seeking to dismantle its nuclear weapons programs.
North Korea is refusing to allow nuclear samples to be taken out of the country for testing. The North will stick to that stance in hopes of using it as leverage in negotiating with the administration of President-elect Obama, analysts say.
Relations between the two Koreas have soured since February, when Lee Myung Bak, a conservative, became South Korea's president. Lee has expressed skepticism about the billions of dollars in investment promised to North Korea by his two liberal predecessors and irritated impoverished North Korea by refusing to ship food aid unless its government asked for it.
North Korea warned Monday that the actions it was announcing were only a "first stage." Analysts and officials in Seoul feared that North Korea would attempt to extract concessions from Lee by gradually strangling the operations at Kaesong.


text:
Details & Care
Decorative gears style the dial of a clever watch designed to look like a mechanical timepiece. A croc-embossed leather strap perfectly tailors the urbane look.
- 42mm case; 22mm band width.
- Buckle closure.
- Quartz movement.
- Stainless steel/leather.
- By Fossil; imported.
- Fossil Watch Instruction Manual PDF
- Item #350532


text:
ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. – CSU Bakersfield's men's golf team wrapped up the regular season with one final round of golf at the Cal Poly Shootout on Tuesday. Senior Izzad Ibrahim led the way with a four-over-par 76 while a total of four Roadrunners shot in the 70s to close out the tournament.
"The team fought their way through tough, wet conditions," said Meggan Bunker, CSUB's Head Coach. "We had a drizzle, if not rain, for a lot of the tournament. It was a great preparation for Conference next week and we are looking forward to a few more days of hard work at practices. We're looking forward to playing great in Arizona at the WAC Championship."
Ibrahim, a native of Malaysia, carded a pair of birdies on his way to a final-round score of 76. Freshman Dominick Hoover and junior Nathan Green were two strokes behind their teammate while Warren Miller was the fourth 'Runner to shoot in the 70s with a 79. Junior Garry Cai posted his best 18-hole score of the tournament in the final round with an 81.
CSUB's five-man score of 392 in the final round was the highest of the tournament, but only by a slim margin as the 'Runners were fairly consistent all week. Bakersfield finished ninth of nine teams in their first six-count-five format tournament of the year.
On the tourney, Green led the 'Runners with a 54-hole score of 225 strokes (+9). The native of Green River, Wyo. tied his second-best three-round tournament score of the season and continues to lead all CSUB scorers.
Just three strokes behind Green on the tourney was Ibrahim, who came into the clubhouse at 228 (+12), his second-best result of the season. Miller was third at the Cal Poly Shout for CSUB at 230 while Hoover was fourth at 235. Cai rounded out the CSUB scorers with a 54-hole total of 250 strokes.
UC Santa Barbara ran away with the team title at 1058 strokes, cruising past second-place UC Irvine by 34 strokes. UCI's David Kim birdied his final hole to win the tournament by one stroke with a 54-hole total of 208 strokes (-8).
The Roadrunners have concluded the regular season and will return to postseason action, Apr. 28-30, at the Western Athletic Conference Championship. The three-day, three-round tournament will be held at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Ariz.


text:
Subscribe to Newsletters
Retirement Plans
Health & Welfare Plans
Press Releases by Date |
Press Releases by Company Name
View More Press Releases by Digital Insurance
Date: Jan. 12, 2012
Clients to Experience Enhanced Capabilities
ATLANTA, January 10, 2012 -- Digital Insurance (www.digitalinsurance.com), the nation's fastest-growing employee benefits agency, has acquired Strategic Employee Benefits Services (SEBS) of Virginia, which serves the entire state from its offices in Richmond, Charlottesville and Roanoke. This acquisition further reinforces Digitals presence in the region, and the Virginia-based firm now operates under the banner of Digital Benefit Advisors (DBA), a division of Digital Insurance. President Nancy Grasso and her staff joined the new organization and continue to provide service to clients.
Strategic Employee Benefits Services of Virginia is the twelfth agency nationally to join our innovative network, which delivers a powerful new approach to employee benefits, says Mike Sullivan, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Digital Insurance. We combine the commitment of experienced, local market advisors with the sophisticated technology and innovative resources of a respected national company. Employers receive access to a broader variety of carriers, dynamic tools, proprietary products and the ability to effectively navigate the complexities of health care reform.
The Virginia-based firm began operating in 1998 and has successfully grown revenues, even during the economic downturn.
I am excited about the merger with Digital Benefit Advisors. Providing exceptional consulting services to the customers we serve has always been our top priority. Digital Benefit Advisors creates an opportunity for us to continue serving our clients in the fashion that we are accustomed, but offer us the resources to enhance our deliverables, says Nancy Grasso, president of Strategic Employee Benefits Services (SEBS) of Virginia. Digital Benefit Advisors and SEBS together will provide a value proposition that far surpasses our competitors. Our great organization just got better.
Digital has built a market stronghold in the region. Earlier this year, Dominion Benefits, based in the Richmond area, as well as CCA, located in Reston, Va., joined Digital Benefit Advisors.
About Digital Insurance
Digital Insurance Inc., the nation's fastest-growing employee benefits agency, delivers unmatched capabilities and a progressive approach to a marketplace demanding evolution. An unparalleled technology platform transforms the benefits experience, amplifies operational efficiencies and enriches communications to simplify the health care journey. The company's scale, leadership and resources create distinct opportunities for industry innovation. With an adaptive culture that embraces change, the privately held firm is positioned for enduring success.
This is a press release issued by the company named above. BenefitsLink is not the author. Use of any information obtained from this release is voluntary, and reliance on it should only be undertaken after an independent review of its accuracy, completeness, efficacy, and timeliness. Reference to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, service mark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by BenefitsLink.


text:
8 Real Suggested Uses for Nukes In Peacetime
Gotta nuke something.
As the United States (and the world at large) found itself staring at tons of nuclear bombs that it wanted to threaten to drop but not actually drop on anyone after World War II, various scientific and civilian institutions tried to come up with creative, peacetime ways to use the weapons of mass destruction.
The most prevalent of these programs was Project Plowshare (alternatively sometimes referred to as Operation Plowshare or the Plowshare Program) from the United States' Atomic Energy Commission. From 1958 to 1975, the AEC conducted and planned a series of tests and uses for the arsenal the country had accumulated while the Soviets created and executed a similarly themed program.
Here's some of the suggestions for using nukes for peaceful purposes that came out of that time, almost all of which were (fortunately) abandoned before fruition.


text:
Credits & Info
- Views
- 44,609
- Score
- 4.61 / 5.00
- Uploaded
- Mar 29, 2013 | 11:03 PM EDT
- Category
- Illustration
- File Info
- 1291 x 1300 px
- 615.4 kb
- Tags
- anime
- punkin
- sticky-muffin
- thesexiestoffenders
Share this submission?
Related Stuff
Licensing Terms
You are free to copy, distribute and transmit this work under the following conditions:
- Attribution:
- You must give credit to the artist.
- Noncommercial:
- You may not use this work for commercial purposes.
- No Derivative Works:
- You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.
Author Comments
Rated 5 / 5 stars
A healthy serving of Punkin is scientifically proven to cure erectile dysfunction disorder.
Stupid pun aside, I love this piece. The detail to clothes, even if only panties and a jacket, is superb. Punkin's unique attitude as made her one of my favorite OCs and hope she never changes lol. I also find a good bit of inspiration from her for my poetry, so big thanks for that!
Rated 5 / 5 stars
Haha I bet not many people would mind seeing her walking around in public as is! Great Work as always! <3TSO!


text:
Toughing It Out in Afghanistan
Not available
(If any tax is payable it will be calculated and shown at checkout.)
moreIs Afghanistan another Vietnam, a quagmire that the United States should escape as soon as possible? Or is it a crucial war than can and must be won? The daily news is sobering, with its continued attacks on NATO troops and a resurgent Taliban. In "Toughing It Out in Afghanistan", however, Michael O'Hanlon and Hassina Sherjan show that all is not lost-far from it. The authors acknowledge current difficulties in Afghanistan but also explicate how the war-torn country can emerge as a stable sovereign nation, free from the yoke of the Taliban and al Qaeda. "Toughing It Out in Afghanistan" is designed to help the reader understand more about the Afghan nation and to inform international debate on how to approach the conflict there in 2010 and 2011. The stakes are very high, and O'Hanlon and Sherjan are not Pollyannas. They acknowledge that the war could still be lost. But they consider the prospects for establishing a reasonably stable and functional Afghan state to be much better than is commonly perceived. Drawing on personal experience, eyewitness accounts, and the Brookings Institution's Afghanistan Index, O'Hanlon and Sherjan present the current lay of the land. less
Brookings Institution Press; Read online
Title: Toughing It Out in Afghanistan
Author: Michael E. O'Hanlon; Hassina Sherjan
Title: Toughing It Out in Afghanistan
Author: Michael E. O'Hanlon; Hassina Sherjan
More History
Between the World and Me 2015 US$ 9.99 208 pages
Band of Brothers 2001 US$ 12.99 336 pages
An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States 2014 US$ 15.99 296 pages
The American Revelation 2007 US$ 7.99
Subject categories


text:
The better team lost insists Vietnam's Riedl
HANOI, January 24 (Asean Football Championship) - Vietnam coach Alfred Riedl insisted that his side's dominance in the first leg of the 2007 Asean Football Championship against Thailand on Wednesday did not warrant a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the three-time champions.
Goals from Datsakorn Thonglao and substitute Pipat Thonkanya gave the Thais a healthy advantage ahead of Sunday's return leg in Bangkok but Austrian coach Riedl felt his team deserved better.
'I don't know where to start,' said Riedl, who is currently in his third stint as head coach of Vietnam. 'We saw a very strong Vietnam team and we were very unlucky to lose.
'I don't remember a Vietnam side dominate Thailand the way we did, particularly in the second half.
'Missing a penalty didn't help but I think today the better side lost.'
Vietnam were undone by a goal in each half with Datsakorn sweeping home a superb free-kick in the 27th minute before Pipat sealed the win with a low strike nine minutes from full-time.
The Vietnamese had the chance to go into the interval on level terms but Phan Thanh Binh missed a penalty on the stroke of half-time
'The first goal was a free-kick and you can always concede from these while the second goal was an individual defensive error,' said Riedl.
'We missed a penalty which would have made it 1-1 and the outcome could have been very different, but I am pleased with the performance of the whole team today.
'The second leg will be a lot more difficult than we expected but we are still in the race. If we put in that kind of performance and get a bit of luck then we can still go through to the final.'
Meanwhile, Thailand coach Chanvit Polchivin felt that Vietnam's overly-physical approach was their downfall.
'Vietnam committed so many fouls and I think that is why Vietnam lost,' said the former Asian Coach of the Year. 'It is football, not boxing.
'I have seen Vietnam play many times and I love Vietnamese football. There are always so many supporters which you don't really get in Asean right now and if Vietnam played the football they are capable of playing they can beat Thailand.
'But so many times they kick Datsakorn, why? They kick Kiatisuk (Senamuang), why? They start to lose control and start fouling players and they lose the match.'
While away goals are not a factor in the Asean Football Championship, Thailand will be confident of completing the job in Bangkok, where they beat Vietnam twice during December's King's Cup tournament.
But Chanvit is refusing to take anything for granted.
'In football you always have a chance until the referee blows the final whistle,' he said. 'If we can come to Hanoi and win 2-0 then there is no reason Vietnam cannot do the same in Bangkok.'


text:
Positive Pro-Day for ASU Football
Thu, 21 Mar 2013 04:35:27 GMT —
Albany State pro-day has yielded positive football results for some of the former Golden Rams.
NFL scouts from the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs and New York Giants were on hand to watch a handful of ASU players.
Defensive lineman Justin Blash, running back Nathan Hoyte and receiver Ronnie Tubbs made the best impression. The three players were asked to stay after workouts. According to Blash, the scouts were interested in all three of the Golden Ram players.
Looking to the future holds a lot of excitement but Hoyte has the right approach.
"I'm going to wait till the end. I don't want to get overexcited about how I'm performing...I think I could still do better. Trying to take it one event at a time," Hoyte said.
Blash's representation is expecting an NFL call in the sixth or seventh round. The 2013 NFL draft runs from April 25 -27.


text:
It's my wife's birthday, and so I take the day to reflect, as I often do even when it is not her birthday, how gobsmackingly unlikely it was that a schlub like myself could have ever gotten together with such a gorgeous, smart, fun, good human being such as her. Really, all my friends are still trying to figure that one out. I hope they'll let me know what they come up with. At the moment, however, I'll just go with what Cory Doctorow said to me last year, after he met her: "Dude, you are so out of your league." Oh, I know. I know.
She is a gift and a joy to me, bright and shining, every day of our lives. Today of all days I'd want her, and you, to know that.


text:
F1 Fanatic - Stephanie Nash
Hello again,
SO as far as I can see there are still no tickets available to us in the UK… When I go to ticketmaster they say they have none available, bookf1 and f1.com have no tickets showing…
Can anyone at all shed any light on this situation?! We have flights, hotels etc booked and no race tickets…!
Thanks! :)
Does any one have any information on when tickets will be for sale? We have purchased our Austin tickets already and are really keen to get the Mexico ones sorted! :D Thanks in advance! :D
I booked my tickets and camping from this site – http://www.spagrandprix.com/
I received an email from Elephant camping this morning, stating that camping can be reserved via this link – http://fd8.formdesk.com/gerhardgaberinternational/form1
I have not been able to view the website though, due to rubbish broadband….
Steph :)
Ouch, that's an expensive hotel!!
We went to Spa for the first time this year and stayed at the CampingF1 site. To be honest I did not like it at all. The site was very bumpy and a massive hill (I know spa is hilly, but there are flat areas!) They completely ran out of water for 1 day, so no showers and overflowing toilets. The management were not overly helpful either. Our airbed went flat on the first night, so was super uncomfortable, we asked to borrow/rent one from the campsite, but they refused! So we had to spend Friday searching for one, and ended up spending 80 euros for 2 singles!! I know it is not the managements fault our airbed was defective, but I thought they could at least let us rent one!
We have booked the green zone camping for next year, I think it will be super noisy, but it is like 2 seconds from one of the entrances, so we can relax at the track and not have to worry about driving at the end of the racing day! :)
I have also heard that the elephant campsite is very good, but I was unable to get a response from them….!
Steph :)
Has any one got a working email address for the Elephant Campsite please? I have tried firstname.lastname@example.com and it does not appear to be working……!
We stayed with CampingF1 this year and was not that impressed…..
Thanks, Steph :)
Hoping to go Spa & Monza next year. Can any one give me details of the best place to camp in Monza? Somewhere close to the track would be awesome! :)
Thanks, Steph :)


text:
Spyderco Manix 2 XL for sale.
Used a few times, and I gave it a slightly thinner, more polished edge. Cuts great. Its in very good shape, would pass for new if I hadn't altered the edge.
65$ shipped.
Moderators: Timko, Fritz, Solty, Booter, Blake_T, Frank Delicious
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


text:
A cook's work is never done -- especially on a working cattle ranch
After USC, Drummond headed back home for what was supposed to be a pit stop. She had her sights set on Chicago, and applying to law school. Then she locked eyes across a crowded room with an honest-to-goodness cowboy. The rest is blogging history. RELATED: O Pioneer: A chronicle of ranch life and cooking is an Internet and publishing sensation
Shane Bevel / For The Times
Copyright © 2017, The Morning Call


text:
Our organisation currently has one Primary Site and 80 secondary sites running SCCM 2007 RTM.
We are looking to upgrade to SCCM 2012 having one Primary site and converting the secondary sites to distribution points and having no secondary servers, via an upgrade first to SCCM 2007 SP2 of the primary site, we are hoping the leave the secondary
sites at SCCM 2007 RTM before moving to SCCM 2012.
Can the secondary sites stay at SCCM 2007 RTM when doing a side by side migration to SCCM 2012 and converting the secondary sites to SCCM 2012 distribution points and removing the secondary server role ?
Many Thanks,
Torsten Meringer | http://www.mssccmfaq.de
Microsoft is conducting an online survey to understand your opinion of the Technet Web site. If you choose to participate, the online survey will be presented to you when you leave the Technet Web site.
Would you like to participate?


text:
Tunisia calls conservative Islamic group terrorist
TUNIS, Tunisia — Tunisia's prime minister on Tuesday branded an ultraconservative Islamist group implicated in last year's U.S. Embassy attack as a terrorist organization with links to al-Qaida.
Ali Larayedh said in a press conference that the Salafi group Ansar al-Shariah was considered a terrorist organization based on seized documents, confessions and weapons captured. The designation means that membership in the group is now a crime.
|The article you requested is no longer available on BostonHerald.com.


text:
Michael Guerin <guerin(at)rentec(dot)com> writes: > Is this message the sign of trouble, or is it harmless? It's not good. The least bad explanation is that you had a system crash recently that occurred between extending a table by one page and filling that page with useful data. (The page is filled with zeroes on creation.) If you haven't had any crashes lately then I'd wonder about whether your disk is dropping data. regards, tom lane
Next: From: Eduardo V. Rodríguez Date: 2004-06-16 19:12:40 Subject: Re: Primary Key Previous: From: Michael Guerin Date: 2004-06-16 14:10:29 Subject: page x is unitialized


text:
A vice-president of a bidder for the Liquor Distribution Branch's warehousing and distribution said "it's a mystery" why the privatization was suddenly halted September 28.
"We're disappointed in the abrupt cancellation," Chris Jarvis of Metro Supply Chain Group told Business in Vancouver.
Metro was one of four shortlisted companies.
The government shelved the controversial privatization, claiming it was because of a new two-year, provincewide deal with the BC Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU). (See "Shelved liquor privatization plan applauded – BIV issue 1198; October 9-15.)
The tentative agreement, signed September 27, was hatched behind closed doors coincidentally during the same week the joint LDB/Citizens' Services evaluation committee met with bidders. The request for proposals schedule said the evaluation committee was supposed to recommend a successful proponent for the Treasury Board's approval and announcement on or about October 16.
Jarvis said Metro has requested a post-mortem on its bid.
"We are interested in figuring out how we can improve our position next time, should there be other B.C. bids," Toronto-based Jarvis told BIV.
The government did not say it was permanently shelving privatization. The key clause in the BCGEU tentative agreement says the "LDB will continue to operate a provincewide distribution system for the term of the ... master agreement."
Jarvis would not say how much it cost the company to tender its bid.
Metro was shortlisted on July 20 with ContainerWorld, Exel and Kuehne + Nagel. BIV found ContainerWorld and Exel had hired lobbyists and donated money to the ruling BC Liberals.
An October 2009 internal Exel memo obtained by BIV said Exel considered buying the ContainerWorld warehouse in Richmond. ContainerWorld has a business relationship with an Italian company owned by Exel's German-based parent, Deutsche Post DHL.
Meanwhile, the Washington state government reported price and sales increases of spirits after it privatized liquor sales and distribution in June.
Sales by volume for hard liquor were up 11.8% to 3.6 million litres in August, on a year-over-year basis. Sales were also up 11% for the May to August period. Consumer purchases at retail stores increased 16% by volume, but restaurant purchases were down 1.3%.
The average retail price grew 10.1% from $22.46 per litre in August 2011 to $24.73 per litre in August 2012.
"Businesses appear to continue to be using up substantial inventory they stockpiled in May, the last month state liquor stores were in business," according to the Washington State Department of Revenue. "They purchased 46.7% more spirits in May 2012 than they did in May 2011." •


text:
Celebrating new life together… this teal wedding photo reception invitation shares joy, love and your wedding news with all of your invitees in custom style! A beautiful vintage floral pattern surrounds the design in deep teal blue, with a faux ribbon bow "wrapping" the card and dividing your wedding photo from your text. Your names can be accented in a beautiful script font if you wish, with the rest of your text in a block style font for readability. Use flat or folded card stock printing to share additional text or photos on the inside (if folded) and back of this design, which will then be finished with the same colors of your choosing and patterns if you wish.
See more ideas & customize this design for your own wedding celebrations here: Fine Wedding Reception Invitation (simply share your color & design requests in the personalization form).


text:
Spectrum Bridge Inc. today announced it has partnered with Carlson Wireless to expand adoption of TV white spaces.
The aim: to extend broadband access in rural parts of the country by helping wireless Internet service providers (WISPs) reach so-called "last mile" customers in areas that are geographically unsuitable for deploying fixed or fiber-based broadband services, the companies said in a joint statement.
"Many parts of the country and the world lack high-speed broadband access, due to the physical limitations of traditional wireless network technology," Spectrum Bridge CEO Rod Dir said. "Carlson has been one of the staunchest advocates for rural broadband deployment in the U.S., and we are proud to partner with them as they pave the way in delivering solutions to this underserved market with TV White Spaces."
Carlson's RuralConnect products harness the non-line of sight (NLOS) capabilities of TV white space frequency bands to deliver speeds comparable to traditional wireless networks. That is up to 16 Mbps in the current generation.
Meanwhile, Spectrum Bridge will provide Carlson guidance during the FCC-certification process for RuralConnect and future products and services.
Spectrum Bridge is based in Lake Mary, Fla. Carlson Wireless is headquartered in Arcata, Calif. Both are privately held companies.
For more:
- see the release
Related articles:
Is white space the next frontier for mobile operators?
TV white space offers a blank slate for innovation


text:
Known for its natural ingredients and highly effective quality, New Generation Anti-Aging Skin Care Treatment from Doctor D. Schwab is the best beauty product to smooth out wrinkles and firm mature skin. This skin care treatment is a more natural, less harsh alternative to Botox. It will promote the health of your skin as well as giving it the desired youthful look and feel. The formula is carefully crafted from organic oils from fruit and kernel combined with SOD, Copper and Zink Gluconates, Peptides, amino acids, Vitamin C, E and used with Dr. D. Schwab's special Alphasomes. It also uses materials made with olive oil to boost SPF which increases the effectiveness of UVB and UVA ingredients, decreasing possible irritation. Watch your wrinkles disappear within minutes of applying this unique skin treatment.
New Generation Anti-Aging Skin Care Treatment does the following:
• Removes wrinkles
• Gives skin youthful look
• Gently moisturizes and smoothes skin
• Uses natural oils, vitamins and ingredients
• Renews skin without using harsh medical treatments
Doctor D. Schwab's products are known for using organic ingredients that successfully do the job, yet also harmonize with your body's natural system. That is why this anti-aging cosmetic product is a wonderful and healthy choice over many harsher peels, masks, lotions or surgery. This anti-wrinkle cream's natural oils and vitamins are relaxing and work gently on the neuron cellular junction to show obvious development over days. Your skin will emerge with less wrinkles and a healthy, hydrated dewy glow.
Buy this exceptional anti-aging skin care product today and begin to watch your wrinkles naturally dissolve.
Xylitol, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Euk-134: provide intense skin rejuvenation and help protect against free radicals
Grape Stem Cell Extract: helps protect against and reverse visible signs of aging
Hydrogenated Olive Oil, Copper Gluconate, Olive Fruit Oil, Grape Stem Cell Extract, Rosehip Oil: moisturize and help to reduce the appearance of skin damage
White Tea Extract, Green Tea Oil: help to reduce the appearance of wrinkles
Doctor D. Schwab's Enzymeceutical®: helps to strengthen skin and create a plumper appearance by adding necessary moisture
Peptides, Xylitylglucoside, Bisabolol, Lavender Oil: help to improve skin tone and firmness
Zinc Gluconate, Sweet Almond Oil, Palmitoyl Hydrolized Wheat Protein, Magnesium Aspartate, Pomegranate Extract: intensely moisturize and nourish and help to lighten the appearance of age spots
Staff Notes: Dr. D. Schwab New Generation Anti-Aging Skin Care Treatment uses natural ingredients to reduce wrinkles and enhance hydrated, smooth, rejuvenated skin for mature people. The organic oils, SOD, Copper and Zink Gluconates, Peptides, Amino Acids, Vitamin C, E and Alphasomes blend together to create a strong yet gentle anti wrinkle treatment.
Review This Product & You Could Win $100! »
Please login below to add a review. If you do not have an account, you can sign up for one.


text:
Email letters, Sept. 21, 2011
Oil and gas industry is doing fine
Rep. Scott Tipton shouldn't be using the economy as political football just to give more handouts to the oil and gas industry. The simple truth is that we can have both responsible energy development and strong protections for clean air and clean water.
In fact, the oil and gas industry is thriving under Obama administration. Drilling activity is nearing a record 20-year high, and that includes a strong rebound in Colorado. Onshore oil production from public lands actually increased by 5 million barrels – the most we've seen since 1997.
If Rep. Tipton cared about sound energy policy, he'd end the $15 billion a year in special tax breaks to the oil and gas industry. Companies like BP and ExxonMobil are doing just fine without our tax dollars.
Rep. Tipton works hard for his constituents
I wish to respond to the half-page ad in the Sept. 19 editon of The Daily Sentinel criticizing Congressman Scott Tipton. Rep. Tipton strongly supports seniors and no cuts to their Medicare. He did vote for the Paul Ryan bill, but that bill strongly emphasizes no cuts for seniors 55 and older.
The current plan is unsustainable without some changes. If some of the additions to that were never intended in the original Social Security plan will eliminated, such as adding illegals to the plan, aid to dependent children ad nausea, then perhaps it could be sustainable. Rep. Tipton is striving for changes to the tax code. Would that eliminate subsidies to big corporations? Probably so.
Rep. Tipton is not going to give back the contributions he has received. Why should he? Obama is raising $1 billion for his campaign with no Democratic challengers. Where is all his money coming from?
If you don't feel Rep. Tipton is working for his constituents, then come to one of his many town hall meetings throughout his district. He is willing to listen to each person attendee and make note of any complaints. I challenge anyone to find a U.S. congressman who works harder than Rep. Tipton. You can't please all of the people all of the time, but Rep. Tipton is doing his very best to do what is right for the constituents in his district.
Grand Junction
Jobs will solve our problems
When will the liberals admit to a simple set of facts — jobs will solve the revenue problem and reduced spending will solve the debt problem. Forget the class warfare and blaming others.
Grand Junction
Pleasant conversation was had at concert
I just wanted to say how much we enjoyed the gentlemen from Loma who sat by us at the Willie Nelson concert. It was a pleasure to interact with them and refreshing to engage in conversation where the strongest words were "gosh darn." Pleasant conversation with a bunch of young ranchers who were having a good time.
Grand Junction
Ways to solve Postal Service problems
Solving the financial crisis facing the U.S. Postal Service is quite simple. Just implement these changes.
1. Raise the price of first class mail to 50 cents.
2. Double or triple the price for bulk mail, except for charities.
3. Double the cost for mailing catalogs and magazines.
4. End service on Saturdays.
You're welcome.


text: Microsoft Messenger for Mac 7.0.2 and Microsoft Communicator for Mac 2011 are two instant messaging clients that are designed for use with the Apple operating system in an Office Communications Server or Lync Server 2010 unified communications environment. This combination of technologies requires user knowledge of the preliminary steps that are needed to get Mac IM clients connected to the Windows unified communications environment. This link to the article troubleshooting steps that you can use to test Mac connectivity to the Communications Server or Lync Server 2010 pool servers.


text: Nathan Marz – Suffering-Oriented Programming. Good article. I've came to a similar model in the past year or so, and found myself describing a number of the same steps to others in order to describe how I've built certain applications. I might use the word pragmatic over suffering-oriented, though whatever the case it's a well-written piece and is worth looking over for anyone involved in making software.


text:
Rs. 150+ shipping charges
Rs. 150+ shipping charges
The book is a collection of the author's philosophical articles ranging from philosophy of science to philosophy of biolinguistics, sociolinguistics , language and aesthetics.
Ningombam Bupenda Meitei is a member of International Network in Biolinguistics. A poet and author of A countryside's innocent heart, he was educated at St.Stephen's College,Delhi.


text:
Mondays, Wednesdays and FridaysDuration
12 hoursStart time
0650h (06:50am)
Duration: 12 hours
Your hotel in Cairns.
(We would require your hotel details in order to arrange your pick up. If you do not have this information at the time of booking, please contact the local activity operator at least 48 hours prior to the start of the tour with these details)
Your hotel in Cairns
Take a guided cruise in an electric boat to see the fantastic variety of waterbirds at Mareeba wildlife sanctuary. Observe egrets standing sentinel among the reeds and jacanas feeding among the waterlilies.
Visit the old mining town of Chillagoe. See the copper smelting towers, a monument to fortunes lost. Hear stories and scandals of the mining boom and bust.
Visit the labyrinthine limestone caves of Chillagoe with an expert. Admire sparkling stalactites and spectacular stalagmites, and see ancient corals from the Age of the Dinosaurs.
This is an Outback Adventure you will never forget!
Your naturalist driver/guide will come to meet you at your hotel, Cairns CBD, Northern Beaches incur an additional transfer fee. After introductions you will set off in a 4WD (4-wheel drive) vehicle for your exciting Mareeba and Chillagoe Outback Tour from Cairns.
You will ascend the McAllister ranges and drive west across North Queensland. After about an hour you will reach the wildlife oasis of Mareeba Tropical Savannah and Wetland Reserve. This pristine wilderness area protects over 5000 acres of savannas (tropical grasslands) and wetlands.
When you arrive at Mareeba, you will have morning tea and then embark on a 20-minute cruise in an environmentally friendly electric boat. A naturalist guide from Mareeba Reserve will accompany you. As you slip quietly through the waterlilies, you can see egrets, jabirus, jacanas and numerous other water birds as well as frogs, freshwater crocodiles and other animals. This may change due to flooding in the wet season. Wet Season Alternate is Granite Gorge and to hand feed the rare Granite Gorge Rock Wallabies.
After your cruise you will drive through grasslands where, if you are lucky, you may spot kangaroos, wallabies, lizards, emus and other wildlife.
From Mareeba you head west across the Great Dividing Range to the historic mining town of Chillagoe, a journey of about 140km (84 miles).
The old town of Chillagoe dates from the 1870s. You will visit the Chillagoe copper smelters, built in the 1900s by investors convinced of the area's potential. The mineral wealth failed to materialize, fortunes were lost by speculators and the smelters were abandoned in the 1940s.
At Chillagoe, you will also enjoy a delicious barbeque Australian Pub lunch. The menu includes rump steak or veg patty or fish and a selection of salads. Home made Australian Beef Burgers and Chips or Fish, Chips and Salad. Vegetarians are catered for upon notification prior to commencing tour.
After lunch, you embark on an enthralling tour of Chillagoe limestone caves (approximately 1 hour). A National Park Ranger from the Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park will guide you through this underground 'wonderland'. As you view the spectacular caverns and fossilized coral reefs, you will be transported back to the time of the dinosaurs.
Afterwards, board your vehicle for the return trip. You will stop for refreshments at the Australian Coffee Plantation "Skybury" (payable direct) on the way, admiring the spectacular views of the Atherton Tablelands and arrive in the early evening.
At the end of your thrilling excursion, you will be dropped back at your hotel in Cairns.
A certain level of fitness is required for this tour as there are steps into the caves
Transfers from the Northern Beaches are AUD27.00 per person (payable direct). From Port Douglas, transfers are AUD54.00 per person (payable direct)
Please call the activity operator at least 24 hours prior to start of the tour for reconfirming departure details
There should be a minimum of 2 passengers for guaranteed departure
Voucher information: You must print and surrender a paper version of your booking voucher for this activity (showing your voucher on a smartphone is not accepted). No refund can be given for customers without a printed copy of their voucher.
The confirmation voucher includes the local activity operator's contact details and local telephone numbers at the destination. They will happily answer any logistical questions you may have.
Dancing dolphins, remote beaches to delicious smell of jumbo shrimps on ice! San Deigo offers it all
The post A Guide To San Diego appeared first on The Guidebook - isango!.
Making out with metronomes, reveries of a marsh mellow kingdom is all in a day's work at the Edinburgh Fringe
The post Edinburgh Fringe Turns Seventy appeared first on The Guidebook - isango!.
Love coffee? Love to travel? Taste the best coffee in these destinations around the world
The post The Worlds Best Destinations For Those Addicted To Coffee appeared first on The Guidebook - isango!.


text:
Compass offers a safe place for abandoned and abused women and children and helps rehabilitate them back into society. The team offers medical care, education and food to people in need and are currently in the process of opening a computer school as part of their upliftment programme.
MovementX in Norwood has offered Compass their fantastic facilities and all of their state-of-the-art equipment for the mornings of 12 and 13 March so that those who are interested can join the teams for some unique circuit-based training sessions. The best part? You breaking a sweat will benefit the children in need at Compass.
The workout, known as Xtreme is one hour long, and before you start getting scared, it caters for everyone, from hard-core gym bunnies all the way to novices. Xtreme will be a total body workout led by a personal trainer – think strength, cardio and flexibility, all set to great music so that you'll hardly notice you're doing a H.I.I.T (high intensity interval training) session.
Each day has three sessions available.
The session schedule is as follows:
Saturday 12 March
Session 1 – 10am to 11am
Session 2 – 11.15am to 12.15pm
Session 3 – 12.30pm to 1.30pm
Sunday 13 March
Session 1 – 10am to 11am
Session 2 – 11.15am to 12.15pm
Session 3 – 12.30pm to 1.30pm
Sessions cost R300 and all the proceeds will go to Compass.
Those participating will receive a free bottle of water on entry and a smoothie after the workout session.
Compass will be hosting the Xtreme workout on 12 and 13 March, 10am to 1.30pm at Shop 17 Norwood Mall, corner of Hamlin and 6th Avenue, Norwood.
Details: 072 185 9568; [email protected]; www.movementx.co.za; www.compass.org.za


text:
Aspen bus driver allegedly drives drunk
February 15, 2017
A RFTA bus driver was allegedly driving drunk early Sunday before suspicious supervisors pulled him off a downvalley bus, sources said Tuesday.
Jeffory Estes, 46, of Basalt, admitted to drinking "a couple of shots" and failed roadside sobriety tests after he was stopped by law enforcement officers in Basalt, according to a Pitkin County Sheriff's Office report. He was later charged with DUI and also was cited for driving with a suspended license.
"I'm quite upset with Mr. Estes," said Dan Blankenship, Roaring Fork Transportation Authority general manager. "If something would have happened while Mr. Estes was driving the bus while impaired, it would have been a very serious and unnecessary situation."
Estes, who was driving a bus between Aspen and Blue Lake, first came to the attention of supervisors when he began loading passengers in the wrong spot at Rubey Park, said Paul Taddune, RFTA attorney.
A supervisor told deputies that "Estes was a veteran driver who 'made some rookie mistakes'" and that his "voice sounded slurred on the radio," according to the Sheriff's Office report.
Estes left Rubey Park and headed downvalley, though a supervisor at RFTA's maintenance yard near the Aspen Business Center directed him to stop at the facility on his way downvalley, Taddune said.
Recommended Stories For You
It is not clear how many passengers, if any, were on the bus at the time it left Rubey Park, he said. However, Taddune said he thought some riders were aboard because they were transferred to another bus with another driver at the maintenance yard. No passengers were on the bus between Blue Lake and Aspen before Estes arrived at Rubey Park, Taddune said.
Supervisors at the maintenance yard contacted Estes when he arrived, suspected he might be inebriated and took him off the bus, Taddune said. Two supervisors then ushered Estes into a RFTA car for a trip to Aspen Valley Hospital so medical personnel could draw his blood for testing, according to Taddune and the sheriff's report.
But "Estes declined, got out of the vehicle, walked toward the employee parking lot and started to sweep snow off of his personal vehicle," the supervisor told deputies, according to the report.
"(The supervisor said) he saw Estes drive away in the westbound direction on Colorado State Highway 82," according to the report.
The supervisor then called a drunken-driving hotline and reported the make, model and license number of Estes' vehicle about 1 a.m., the report states.
A Pitkin County sheriff's deputy heard the report, called a Basalt police officer and told him to be on the lookout for Estes' 1989 Toyota Tercel station wagon. At about 1:20 a.m., the officer clocked Estes' Toyota going 55 mph in a 35 mph near Basalt, pulled him over and reported smelling alcohol on him, according to the report.
"(The Basalt officer) said when he initiated the traffic stop the vehicle swerved heavily, almost hitting a construction barrier," the report states.
When asked to exit his car, Estes was unsteady on his feet, used his hands for balance and smelled strongly of alcohol, according to the report.
"I told Estes I could smell alcohol and asked if he had anything to drink today," the Pitkin County deputy wrote in his report. "Estes replied, 'Uh, yeah I had a couple of shots.'"
Estes failed sobriety tests, then declined to take a breath-alcohol test. Instead, the deputies took him to Aspen Valley Hospital, where medical personnel drew his blood, which will be tested for alcohol content, the report states.
Estes was charged with DUI, careless driving, speeding and driving with a suspended license. His license was suspended because of an expired medical certificate typically associated with a commercial driver's license, according to the report.
Taddune, however, said Estes' license was last checked by RFTA in November, when it was found to be valid through 2018 with an updated medical certificate.
Blankenship said Estes was not intoxicated when he showed up for work about 6 p.m. Saturday. It isn't clear if Estes drank alcohol while driving the bus or stopped somewhere in the valley for a drink, he said.
"I believe it happened while he was at work," Blankenship said.
Estes did not return two phone messages Tuesday seeking comment.
Also, while the sheriff's report characterized Estes as a "veteran driver," Taddune said this was just the second winter he'd driven a bus for RFTA.
His career as a bus driver, however, appears over.
"He's no longer an employee of RFTA," Blankenship said. "He's not going to drive for us again."


text:
Maclaren Issues Recall for Faulty Hinge on Stroller
Maclaren Recalls One Million Strollers
One of the top pram producing companies of the world is facing a tough task this morning. The always-popular Maclaren is recalling one million strollers that were sold between 1999 to the present. The problem at hand? Faulty hinges. The press release issued by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports wee fingers are at risk of getting severed during the unfolding or opening of the stroller.
Parents are being advised to stop using their strollers immediately until the models are known and the repair kits are issued. The buggy manufacturer will be providing the hinge covers on their website and through a hotline. The models have not been announced yet as the recall was to be released tomorrow. We will have an update on the make and model when the information becomes available.


text:
Stroke Prevention in Sickle Cell Anemia (STOP 1)
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Anemia, Sickle Cell Cerebral Embolism and Thrombosis Cerebrovascular Disorders Hematologic Diseases Hemoglobinopathies
|Procedure: blood transfusion
|Phase 3
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Primary Purpose: Prevention
|Study Start Date:
|July 1994
|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|August 2000
Stroke, occurring in about 10 percent of pediatric patients with sickle cell disease, is one of the most devastating complications, with a high recurrence rate after the first episode. Several non-randomized studies have shown reduction in stroke recurrence when periodic blood transfusions are administered to maintain hemoglobin S under 30 percent. Periodic blood transfusions are associated with significant risks of iron overload and other complications and must be accompanied by parenteral iron chelation therapy. However, this has become a standard of care for prevention of recurrent stroke in SS children. Thus, a randomized trial of blood transfusion for secondary prevention would not be feasible because it would be considered unethical. Based on various studies, the recurrence rate is reduced from 46 to 67 percent to approximately 7 percent on transfusion therapy. Because most stroke patients are left with some neurological deficit, and face a lifetime of disability, primary prevention would have a significant impact on the management of patients. However, because of complications of blood transfusions, the hypothesis should be proven by a randomized clinical trial.
A primary prevention trial had not been possible because an acceptable means of detecting those children at risk of stroke was not available. The advent of TCD to identify arterial abnormalities for the prediction of stroke has provided a means of detection. TCD abnormalities have a high specificity (100 percent) and high sensitivity (90 percent) for detecting angiographically proven narrowing of arterial diameter. Thus, TCD examination of the basal cerebral arteries is predictive of who will develop a stroke.
Randomized, Phase III, multicenter. Approximately 3,000 children from 12 clinics were screened with transcranial Doppler (TCD). A total of 130 were randomized to receive either standard supportive care or periodic blood transfusions if they were found to be at high risk of stroke on the basis of elevated cerebral blood flow as measured by TCD screening tests. Primary endpoints included clinically evident symptoms of cerebral infarction with consistent findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and/or symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. Secondary endpoints included asymptomatic brain lesions detected by MRI in brain areas not involved in primary endpoints. Hematologic characteristics of the high risk group were analyzed and serum and DNA samples frozen for future analysis. Recruitment ended in October 1997 with the accrual of 130 subjects. The clinical phase ended in 1999.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|2 Years to 16 Years (Child)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00000592
|Donald Brambilla
|New England Research Institute Inc.
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00000592 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
U01HL052193 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract )
|Study First Received:
|October 27, 1999
|Last Updated:
|December 21, 2015
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Embolism and Thrombosis
Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis
Hematologic Diseases
Cerebrovascular Disorders
Anemia, Sickle Cell
Intracranial Embolism
Vascular Diseases
Cardiovascular Diseases
Brain Diseases
Central Nervous System Diseases
Nervous System Diseases
Genetic Diseases, Inborn
Anemia, Hemolytic, Congenital
Anemia, Hemolytic
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


text:
OROVILLE — A light agenda faces the Oroville City Council during its meeting Tuesday, at least in open session.
The council will meet first in closed session to discuss six items: two about contract talks with the Oroville Police Officers and Firefighters associations, two on four potential litigation cases, one on existing litigation, and one concerning a piece of property at the airport.
The regular meeting opens at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 1735 Montgomery St.
In an unusual action to face a city council, it is being asked to "deaccession" a number of items at the city museums. Deaccession is the process of removing something from a museum collection.
The list includes 28 items, all of cloth and described as being in poor condition. Typical characterizations include: "Oval cut work doily, badly stained & torn," "Black lady's cape, badly damaged," and "Two hand towels, with holes."
The other main item concerns a contract with Harvest Accounting and Management Systems, which provides businesses with technical assistance on things from obtaining loans to managing their finances.
The firm was hired Jan. 3, 2012, on a $40,000 appropriation from the Economic Development Program Income account, running to Nov. 4, 2013.
There's a carryover of $29,775 from that initial expense, and staff is asking that it be rolled over to extend the contract another two years.
The item was continued from the pervious meeting's agenda.


text:
Yet another innovation - miniature valves - have been added to their ever-growing collection of inexpensive, easy-to-manufacture and highly efficient microfluidic devices made from plastic films and double-sided tape, by researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Traditionally, microfluidic devices - tiny gadgets with fluid-carrying channels used in medical diagnostics, DNA forensics and "lab-on-a-chip" chemical analyzers - have been fabricated like microchips using photolithography. A desired pattern of micrometer-sized channels and ports is created on top of a silicon substrate, which can then be replicated many times by techniques such as molding or embossing. However, the process requires specialized cleanroom equipment and can take several days to complete.
If valves are needed in the system, they traditionally have been made from silicones. Unfortunately, silicones are not the best materials to use with particular laboratory assays or for manufacturing lab-on-a-chip structures.
NIST researchers have spent the past few years developing and refining a method for making microfluidic devices using plastic films and double-sided tape that produces a functional apparatus in hours rather than days and requires only simple tools to create channels and ports. The NIST designs allow for folding the films to make multilayer or three-dimensional structures, can be used to make devices with multiple functions, and cost a fraction of traditional fabrication techniques.
But until now, there has not been a practical way to incorporate valves for dynamic control of fluid flow in these devices. In a new paper in the journal Lab on a Chip,* NIST bioengineer Gregory Cooksey and research engineer Javier Atencia describe the first-ever technique for building pneumatic microvalves into 2-D and 3-D microfluidic devices made with plastic films and tape.
Double-sided tape is cut with channels and ports that will align when folded (A). The polymer membrane that supplies the valve function for the microfluidic device is sandwiched between (B). The completed apparatus (C) has ports for fluid flow into and out of the device, as well as a valve inlet for air. Air pressure pushes the membrane into the flow channel, blocking fluid movement.
Credit: Gregory A. Cooksey/National Institute of Standards and Technology
Like previous NIST systems,** the new valved microfluidic device is built in layers. Narrow slits and holes are cut into pieces of double-sided tape that become tiny channels and ports when the tape is folded on itself. The microvalve is made by sandwiching a flexible membrane between two channels that intersect, one on top of the other. Applying air pressure to the top channel pushes the membrane down like a diaphragm valve, closing the lower channel.
Cooksey and Atencia have demonstrated that their novel microvalve also can work with more complex configurations of the NIST microfluidic system. These include devices with different designs for performing different tasks simultaneously, multiple layers with different flow rates, and single units with multiple "microfluidic walls" that can fold together to form a 3-D shape. In one trial with a cubed-shaped device, the researchers filled it with agar and grew nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans) inside. Using the microchannels, ports and valves built into the cube's walls, they injected chemicals at controlled concentrations that either attracted or repelled the worms. This showed that the cube was a unique setup for studying a living organism's response to chemical stimuli within a closed environment.


text:
Diabaly: French and Malian troops on Monday entered the central Malian town of Diabaly, which has been the theatre of airstrikes and fighting since being seized by Islamist fighters a week ago, an AFP journalist witnessed.
A convoy of about 30 armoured vehicles carrying some 200 French and Malian soldiers moved into the town at about 9am (local and GMT), without meeting resistance.
French soldiers from the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment as well as parachutists and Malian troops entered the town after reconaissance flights by Gazelle helicopters, said an AFP reporter with the soldiers.
They had set out at dawn from the town of Niono, which is 60 kilometers south of Diabaly in Malian government-held territory.
Army commanders expressed fears that Islamists fleeing the town had planted landmines.
After heavy fighting in Diabaly over the past week there was uncertainty over whether all the Islamists had fled the town.
French Defense minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Sunday that Diabaly, which is 400 kilometres north of the capital Bamako, had not yet been retaken by the Malian army.
"Everything indicates that the evolution of Diabaly will be positive in the coming hours," he added.
On Saturday the Malian army patrolled the periphery of the town, where the situation was "not very clear," according to a French officer based in Niono.
"In theory the rebel fighters have left the town," he said, but added they were both determined and mobile.
A colonel in the Malian army said that a "fringe of the Diabaly population adheres to the jihadists' theories and we must be very careful in the coming hours."


text:
People often say "We're doing agile at my company." What does that really mean? Unfortunately it usually means the organization has picked a small number of agile practices they attempt to do without really paying attention to the overall results. If a company is "doing agile well" it may even mean they are doing as many agile practices as possible. However, in practice there is a big difference between "doing agile" and "being agile!" Companies BEING Agile perform better than companies doing agile. They see higher morale among their employees. They use Agile as a tool rather than a process. Most importantly, being Agile means being devoted to the principles which drive success rather than hoping the practices will drive success. Whether you are using XP, Scrum, AUP, Crystal or another agile methodology come learn the basic principles and how to internalize them so your team, organization or enterprise can BE agile rather than DO agile!
Bio: Bob Hartman, also known as Agile Bob, has spent over 30 years in software development. His logic-based approach to development and quality was honed early in his career when he obtained both Bachelors and Masters degrees in Computer Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. After graduation he acquired wide-ranging industry knowledge by working in almost every role in the software industry including developer, tester, documentation writer, product manager, project manager, business analyst, development manager and executive. Bob is no stranger to problems inherent in using an agile process having spent 5 years as VP of a publicly traded company which switched to agile during difficult times.
Over the past 10 years he has grown from being an early adopter of agile to his current status as a Certified Scrum Coach (CSC) who has done significant training, coaching and mentoring in all areas of agile development. He has been a speaker at numerous conferences, seminars and workshops where his engaging style, holistic view of development, and personal anecdotes are always well received by attendees.
In order to get to this location you can use the following subway lines:
JMZ to Broad St
2 or 3 to Wall St
4 or 5 to Wall St or Bowling Green
R orW to Rector St
1 to Rector St
Meetup members, Log in
By clicking "Sign up" or "Sign up using Facebook", you confirm that you accept our Terms of Service & Privacy Policy


text:
This property has been removed by the agent. It may be sold or temporarily removed from the market
3 bedroom terraced house for saleHigham at Richmond Park, School Lane, Higham Ferrers NN10 8NQ
Property Description
Key features
- Ready To Move Into Now
- Mid-Terrace
- Parking Space
- South West Facing Garden
- Cloakroom
- 1168 Square feet
- En suite
- Your New Address could be Patenall Way, Rushden, Northamptonshire
- Choose from beautiful homes in a beautiful village
- Traditionally styled to match the elegant surroundings
Full description
This elegant 3 BEDROOM, 3 STOREY TOWNHOUSE is delightfully spacious with everything the modern family needs. Enter through a WELCOMING HALLWAY to a pleasant LIVING / DINING room with French doors leading to the rear garden, or into the sleek FITTED KITCHEN. The first floor has TWO DOUBLE BEDROOMS and a family bathroom. The luxury MASTER bedroom with its EN SUITE SHOWER ROOM is on the second floor.
Parking - Allocated Parking
Room Dimensions
- Lounge/dining - 4.95 x 4.68m (16'2" x 15'3")
- Kitchen - 2.62 x 3.54m (8'6" x 11'6")
- Bedroom 2 - 4.95 x 3.3m ()
- Bedroom 3 - 2.62 x 3.51m ()
- Bedroom 1 - 4.95 x 4.4m ()
Listing History
Floorplan 1
Floorplan 2
Floorplan 3
View in fullscreenView in fullscreen
Street View is unavailable in this location
Market Info
Disclaimer - Property reference 3_527. The information displayed about this property comprises a property advertisement. Rightmove.co.uk makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the advertisement or any linked or associated information, and Rightmove has no control over the content. This property advertisement does not constitute property particulars. The information is provided and maintained by David Wilson Homes. Please contact the selling agent or developer directly to obtain any information which may be available under the terms of The Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 or the Home Report if in relation to a residential property in Scotland.
Map data ©OpenStreetMap contributors.


text:
Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said on Saturday that his country would ink the additional protocol of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in coming days.
Quoted by IRNA, Kharrazi told a press conference at the end of talks with his Indian peer Yashwant Sinha that Tehran and New Delhi are in agreement on the so called "Channel of Strategic Cooperation" framework. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com [1])
[1] http://www.albawaba.com