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About the Destinations:
The Roopkund trek is an invigorating expedition from the high altitude region of Loharjung, in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand at 3200m, to the 'Skeletal Lake' of Roopkund shadowed by the mighty peak of Trishul standing tall at 5000m. The trail for the trek that leads to the frozen Roopkund Lake also overlaps with the religious pilgrimage of Nanda Devi thus making this experience of trekking in Uttarakhand, an overall mix of culture and adventure.
Going by legends, the 'Mystery Lake' is immersed and circled by hundreds of skeletons which is the major attraction of this trek. The skeletons happen to belong to pilgrims who fell to their deaths due to the unexpected natural calamities.
For trekking enthusiasts, the Roopkund trekking is an idyllic one comprising of trails cutting through dense thickets, surpassing the gushing waters of brooks and streams as well as charming lakes and vast expanse of lush grasslands, also known as 'Bugyals'. At the top of the mysterious lake of Roopkund, get the opportunity to witness and marvel at the stunning views of Roopkund Glacier, Trishul, Nandaghungti and Choukhamba peaks.
Temperature: May – June: 15 to 20 degrees (during daytime) and 7 to -2 (during night), Sept – Oct: 15 to 10 (during daytime) and night 5 to -5 degrees (during night)
About the Destination:
Snuggled in the lap of snow-peaked mountains, the Panchachuli Base Camp trekking originates in the Darma valley of Pithoragarh district between the borders of Nepal and Tibet. Bestowed with nature's splendour, the route to the Panchachuli glacier, lying in the lap of Kumaon Himalayas, is adorned with enchanting landscapes, snow-capped mountains, cascading waters, Alpine meadows and a rich variety of flora and fauna. Situated in Eastern Kumaon Himalaya, the trekking route forms the watershed between the Gori Ganga and Darma Valleys.The entire trek to the glacier is a walk along the river Dhauliganga.
The last road head Dar is 42km from Dharchula, and from Dar to Panchachuli Glacier is a pleasant walk .The trail goes through the tribal Villages of Bongling ,Sela ,Nagling, Baaling and Duktu along the river Dhauliganga and thick Forests of deodar and Bhojpatra and conifer. The five peaks of Panchachuli form majestic sights and enhance the Him Khand, Yuli River skirted by the forests of Devdaar, Bhoj Patra and conifer trees. This amazing Panchachuli Base Camp trek is truly a feast to the eyes and the scenery throughout the journey is one that can only be experienced, not explained.
Temperature: 1 to 8 degrees in nights, days are relatively warmer
About the Activity:
Perched at a very high altitude, the Roopkund Lake in the Garhwal region of Uttaranchal remains frozen throughout the year. Legend has it that this 'Mystery Lake' or 'Skeletal Lake' is surrounded and immersed with hundreds of human skeletons
Trek to Roopkund is the typical Himalayan trek because it takes one through deep forests, cascading brooks, lakes, verdant meadows and folklores. Moreover, one gets a chance to come across vast stretches of green pastures, called 'Bugyals' during the course of this trail. At the end of the steep climb to the summit is the pristine frozen water body of Roopkund from which one can marvel at the magnificent peaks of Trishul, Nandaghungti and Choukhamba.
The Roopkund trek route also overlaps with the Raj JatYatra, a festive pilgrimage to worship Nanda Devi. Thus, one often stumbles upon the warm-hearted and kind locals participating in the pilgrimage and dressed in their traditional attires. As a result, it encompasses a mixture of culture and adventure giving one an ideal trek.
Temperature: 12-20 degrees (days) and -2 to 6 degrees (nights) between May to June, 10-16 degrees (days) and - 5 to 5 degrees (nights) between September and October
Max Alt: 4750m
About the Destinations: An ancient magical and inspiring Himalayan peak, the Om Parvat trek has a vast collection of mythological stories around it. Rising to an altitude of 6,191m, this peak is also referred to by several other names such as Adi Kailash, Chota Kailash, Baba Kailash, and Jonglingkong. A virgin peak largely because of its religious significance, the most astounding trait of this peak is the miraculous impression of "OM" naturally formed with the deposition of snow against black background of the mountain.
Being the only one to be discovered among 8 such natural "OM" formations in the Himalayas, Om Parvat is also part of the Kailash trilogy in the Himalayas which consists of Kailash Manasasarovar (Bada Kailash – Tibet, China), Adi Kailash (Chota Kailash, Om Parvat – Kumaon, Uttarakhand), and Kinnaur Kailash (Himachal Pradesh). A moderately difficult alpine trek, this trail is for the experienced seasoned trekker.
Duration of the Tour: 11D/ 10N
Altitude: 14,816ft
Meal Types: Veg meals
Activities: Trekking, Camping
Total Trekking Distance: 86km
Difficulty Level: Moderate
About the Destinations:
The second highest peak in the Indian Himalayan Range, Nanda Devi Base Camp Trek is indeed a jewel that gives you an unforgettable experience of trekking in India. The scenic beauty of the snow-clad peaks, the surreal nature that prevails around the peak, the exotic range of flora and fauna in the vicinity has earned it the fame of being one of the most magnificent peaks in the world.
Originating from Munsyai, Uttarakhand, this high altitude trek takes you through some of the exhilarating passes, winding trails, lush forests and several pictorial meadows. Following the ancient trade routes between India and Tibet, this astounding trek also offers glimpses of life in the higher altitudes and several cultures that are indigenous only to the Trans Himalayan Range.
About the Destination:
Originating from Dar and trailing to Panchachuli Glacier, this 40km trek is amongst the most sought after treks in the Kumaon Himalayas. Embraced by the sensational beauty of the alpine glaciers, snow-clad mountains and peaks, lush meadows and scenic forests, this moderate graded trek is ideal for beginners to expert trekkers.
With the April-June and September-October as the best season, this Panchachuli base camp climb attains a height of 13,976ft and showcases a myriad list of flora and fauna. Be it during the winters or other seasons, the trek always fascinates its enthusiasts with its wonders and woos them to come over and over again!
Duration of the Tour: 8N/9D
Altitude: 13,976ft
Temperature Range: 1 to 8 degrees in nights, days are relatively warmer
Meal Types: Vegetarian
Activities: Trekking, Camping
Total Trekking Distance: 63km
Difficulty Level: Moderate
About the Destination:
Treat your senses to landscapes that have been a source of inspiration to many an artist! Hidden in the most remote corners of the extensive Kumaon Himalayas are landscapes that are diverse and strikingly beautiful. Visit villages that are significant with regard to mythology and mingle with locals to get a taste of the local life and culture.
Trek through charming rhododendron forests and walk along paths that are lined with colourful flowers, flora and exotic fauna. You will also make your way across wooden bridges and cross over rivers! The Pindari Glacier trek is a must-visit for adventure seekers and nature lovers alike!
About the Departure:
The Pindari Kafni Glacier trek is one of those that leaves you completely rejuvenated and relaxed. Travelling to remote villages tucked away along high peaks gives you an experience that you will cherish for a lifetime! Stunning and calm lakes with crystal clear waters, snow clad mountain peaks, charming wooden bridges, everything just add for a mystic and exhilarating experience!
Villages in this region are small and comprise of people who take hospitality to new heights. Get familiar with the lifestyle and culture of regions in the vicinity. Trek to Pindari Glacier has diverse landscapes and is a one stop shop for people who want to witness the most stunning lands and waters the planet has to offer.
About the Destinations:
The second highest mountain in the Indian Himalayas, Nanda Devi forms an integral part of the Trans Himalayan peaks in the Kumaon region. This is indeed the heartland of excellent and rare experiences and adventures! Not just snow capped mountains, open green pastures of the high altitude meadows, or diverse flora and fauna, it also adds for an enthralling trekking paradise.
Another added feature of Nanda Devi trek is the easy access to some of the best glaciers in the world outside the polar region. Other than this, visit Munsiyari a gorgeous hamlet on the arterial water body of the Gori Ganga River, the Nanda Devi reserve, and the Martoli Village with houses at least one hundred and fifty years old reminding every one of the extent of Indo-Tibetan trade through the old silk route.
Duration of the Tour: 11D/ 10N
Altitude: 3,880m
Meal Types: Vegetarian
Total Trekking Distance: 150km
Difficulty Level: Moderate
About the Destinations:
A gem set in Dev Bhoomi (Land of the Gods), Uttarakhand; Roopkund trek- Skeleton Lake has attracted many a travellers and thrill seekers all over the world. Locally known as the 'Mystery Lake'; it has beckoned to many myth busters who have tried to solve the perplexing mystery of skeletal remains that that are easily visible at its bottom when the snow melts.
Formed by the melting glaciers, this stunning lake is located at a height of 5,029m. This gorgeous water body lies in the shadow of the Mt. Trishul Massif in the Garhwal region of the Himalayas. Blessed with the sights of every imaginable kind, the region around is bestowed with lush, green forests, charming streams and of course a combination of soft snow and ice.
Duration of the Tour: 7N/8D
Meal Types: Vegetarian meals
Activities: Trekking, Camping
Total Trekking Distance: Approximately 53km
Roopkund Trek Altitude: 15,696ft
Temperature Range: 14-16 Degrees (Daytime) and -1 degrees (Night)
Roopkund Trek Difficulty Level: Moderate to slightly challenging
About the Destinations:
Standing guard over the Pitthoragarh settlements in Uttarakhand, the peaks of Panchachuli match each other almost perfectly in their size and shape. The name roughly translates to mean 'Five hearths.' According to the legends, the five Pandavas brothers of Mahabharata cooked their last meal before embarking on their final journey towards heaven.
The Dharma valley on the way to Panchachuli Base Camp, is blessed with an abundance of spectacular beauty. Snow covered peaks and streams gushing alongside, make up for a picture perfect trail! The region is richly endowed with a lush variety of vegetation and animal life. Cutting through the Gori Ganga and Darma valleys on either sides, the Panchachuli trek opens up vistas that soothe your eyes and hearts.
Duration of the Tour: 8N/9D
Meal Types: Vegetarian (with Eggs)
Activities: Trekking, Camping
Total Trekking Distance: 61km (approx.)
Highest Altitude: 13,975ft
Temperature Range: 5 to 8 Degrees
Difficulty Level: Easy to Moderate
About the Destination:
Close to the border of Nepal, the Nandadevi and Panchachuli peaks spread across Garhwal and Kumaon districts in Uttarakhand. The pinnacle of peaks in India, they hold a high spiritual significance in the minds of Indians. The name Nandadevi, in the local language translates to mean 'Bliss Giving Goddess'. It is this meaning that you will witness in full measure as you traverse the paths that lie in their shadows. Heavenly views, fresh and crispy mountain air and an experience worth a thousand lifetimes!
Meal Types: Vegetarian
Duration: 8N/9D
Maximum Altitude: 3670 m
Temperature Range: 1-8 degree Celsius
Difficulty Level: Moderate


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Real or Fake Video Game Quiz
Are These Video Games Real or Fake?
There's a ton of amazing games out there, from vintage to forthcoming, but with all that awesomeness, there's bound to be a few titles that make you scratch your head. Up for a challenge? Find out how well you can decipher these real head-scratchers from the fakes!
Source: Flickr user j.reed
Are These Video Games Real or Fake?
The Bachelor

subset: commoncrawl


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After thousands of votes we are pleased to announce the winners of our apparel contest. It was really close! Thanks to everyone who entered and to all who voted.
1st place and winner of our Riley Blake Beach Cruiser bike:
5 tier ruffled skirt, t-shirt and cap featuring Riley Blake Summer Song
April Byers of Florida
2nd place winner:
- Ruffled knot top and matching ruffle capris in Summer Song
Jill Ackfeld of Missouri
Our 2nd Place Winner will receive a Pre-Cut Package of Holiday Fabrics from the Holly Jolly, Christmas Candy and Trick or Treat collections. Package will include one (1) Fat Quarter Bundle, one (1) Roly Poly 2.5″ Strips Bundle, one (1) 10″ Bundle, and one (1) 5″ Bundle. Winner will also receive a package of coordinating trims from the Riley Blake Sew Together collection.
3rd place winner:
Uptown Girl Jacket using Love Birds
Toni Coward of Australia
Our 3rd Place Winner will receive a Fat Quarter Bundle and a package of trims from the Riley Blake Sew Together collection.
Our quilt contest begins next week!


text: My wife and I are coming to Atl next week. There is a tourney I would like to get in while there but do not know about the area. does anyone have any input on the touney/area?? ONE LOVE TENNIS OPEN/NTRP SPRING CLASSIC (Level III, 150 pts) 2051 Old Rockbridge Rd Norcross, GA30071 Thanks


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The University of Maryland's emotional, thrilling victory over rival Duke on Senior Night had plenty of positive ramifications for the Terps program. And not just the basketball program.
Premium Content
Subscribe today to read the full article and get everything Rivals has to offer.
- Member-only message boards
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The right products and services to make your campaign successful
EmpowHER users want smart content that teaches them something and is easy to find online. They seek validation about their experiences from peers they trust, and empowerment to make the best choices for themselves and their loved ones.
Empowering Solutions
Browse through our services and sponsorship programs to see which solutions are the right fit for your next campaign.


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LAWRENCEVILLE -- Mill Creek recovered four Mountain View fumbles, including two returned for touchdowns in a 42-3 defeat of the Bears in Lawrenceville.
The Hawks (3-0, 1-0 Region 7-AAAAAA) pounced on Mountain View early, scoring 28 unanswered first quarter points, including two defensive touchdowns for Andrew Sciara, who scooped and scored two Bears fumbles -- the first coming after the Hawks fumbled after already picking up a Bears turnover originating on the same play.
Mill Creek needed just 238 yards of offense to complete the domination and allowed just 182 for Mountain View.
Johnathan Hawkins paced Mill Creek with seven rushes for 51 yards and a touchdown, while Carter Governale added six carries for 34 yards and a score. Quarterback Daniel David finished the game 4 of 8 passing for 66 yards and a touchdown -- a 27-yard scoring strike to Joe Hull in the first quarter.
DeVozea Felton also had a four-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
The win put Mill Creek at 50-50 in its 100th ever contest. The Hawks will look to ride that momentum into next week's showdown with Peachtree Ridge in Hoschton -- where the Hawks have yet to beat the Lions, previously only winning at Peachtree Ridge.


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Shares of Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) set a new post-IPO low of $21.86 earlier this morning, not on any specific news, but on general ennui following last week's weak earnings report and next month's end of a lock-up period for some of Facebook's pre-IPO shares. Some investors apparently believe that institutional investors in the pre-public Facebook can't wait to unload their shares even at around $20/share. These shares could nearly triple the number of Facebook's shares outstanding.
Facebook founder and owner of a majority of the company's voting shares, Mark Zuckerberg, has publicly shown little interest in the woes of investors. After all, he got what he wanted when the IPO valued the company at $100 billion. His personal fortune, though significantly slashed since then, remains north of $20 billion, and Facebook stuffed its bank account with more than $15 billion IPO dollars. Why should Zuckerberg or Facebook, for that matter, care about the gripes of investors?
Why indeed. Zuckerberg never promised that the company would be run for the benefit of stockholders. He has maintained that building a great and innovative company is the only thing that matters. In the long run, that's right, of course. But in the short- and medium-runs, unhappy shareholders can make a CEO's life miserable, especially if Facebook has to start repurchasing shares out of its cash reserves.
Facebook shares are trading down -4.7% at about noon today, at $22.05. The previous 52-week range was $22.28-$45.00.
Paul Ausick


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STARLIGHT, Pa (Sep. 9)
The creation of a national Jewish youth council for the United States and Canada was recommended today by the almost 200 delegates at the Second North American Regional Conference of Jewish Youth at the four-day conclave held at Camp B'nai B'rith.
Delegates representing 22 national Jewish youth groups, with member ships totaling more than 250,000 charged the planning committee that organized the regional conference to consider steps toward the formation of a permanent national Jewish youth council. The delegates also voted to recommend another meeting of the regional conference next year. The planning committee's proposal for a permanent youth council will be submitted to the governing boards of the youth group attending the conference.
Meanwhile, the conference urged the participating organizations to create program aides for unified action by the youth groups on both national and local levels. Pending creation of the national council on a permanent basis, the delegates urged formation of local youth councils throughout the United States and Canada.


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Active learner
The quality of Northwestern's academic programs and the opportunity to play college football drew TJ to consider NWC. But it was the welcomed he received from coaches and players that ultimately sealed the deal. Now, he's majoring in business administration/marketing and is on the football and track teams. He is also involved in dodgeball, volleyball and basketball intramurals, and is a member of Northwestern's campus chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Bottom line: ethics matter
Studying business has challenged my faith in a variety of ways, and I especially appreciate the business ethics course I took. We were able to discuss difficult scenarios from a Christian perspective, which was extremely valuable. I have no doubt I will personally encounter many similar situations in my future career.
Business models
What I appreciate most about the business department faculty is how the professors are genuinely willing to help. Not only are they great teachers, but they are also positive role models and people I look up to. Yes, the professors care about your grade, but more than that, they care about you personally and are always willing to give advice.
A whole education
Northwestern has prepared me for the future by giving me opportunities to become a well-rounded student. A course of study, like Northwestern's, that requires science, history and art classes enables students to interact with different groups of people besides those just in their major. Developing relationships with people outside of an academic department encourages students to understand others' passions, as well as to see things from another perspective, which will be valuable assets as I begin my career.
At your service
Northwestern does an incredible job of providing opportunities for students to meet different people and broaden our worldview, one of which is the 10-day Spring Service Partnerships trips over spring break. I've welcomed the chance to go on three different SSPs during my time at NWC. I've traveled to Compton, Calif., with the football team and completed a variety of hands-on service projects; I went to Mount Olive, Miss., and served local kids in the community; I've also been to Lindale, Texas, and visited a prison to work alongside former inmates who are born-again Christians. Each trip has produced invaluable memories and learning experiences.


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Women's Insulated Boots
Waterproof and comfort rated to -40, we bring spring to the cold weather with fresh flowers on the 7mm Neo-Tech™ of the Classic Watercolor Tall. It has a non-marking, self-cleaning outsole for superior traction and Bogs Max-Wick moisture-wicking lining to help feet stay dry and comfortable.
Plum Multi
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text: I purchase a 1993 Isuzu Npr a year ago and will never ever go back to pulling a trailer again. I love it. However, I'm only getting 13mpg. It is a four cylinder turbo diesel automatic with the open bed and dove tail. I realize the fact that it is an automatic hurts the fuel mileage not to mention the 200,000 miles on it. Is anybody else using one and what type of mileage are you getting?


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And a Fashionista Shall Lead Them
In honor of Chloe's triumph on Project Runway (design at right), I thought I'd blog about Chris Sprigman's and Kal Raustiala's brilliant paper, The Piracy Paradox: Innovation and IP in Fashion Design.
"Soft IP" rights (as copyright and trademark are often called) have grown enormously. In many industries, copyrightholders are insisting on the right to control even fragments of works. Trademark holders can protect not only their marks, but also aspects of the packaging and design of their products. Promoters of this trend claim that without strong rights, no one would invest in music, books, marks, or other easily copiable expression.
But IP protection apparently isn't that necessary in the fashion industry. In couture, "copying is rampant . . . [y]et innovation and investment remain vibrant." The authors attempt to solve this "piracy paradox" by describing how the "snob value" of high fashion is preserved via "induced obsolescence." As a design gets copied, its value falls precipitously–driving early adopters to buy newer designs.
The article hits some sublime points, such as Jean Cocteau's observation that "art produces ugly things which frequently become more beautiful with time. Fashion . . . produces beautiful things which always become ugly with time." But it sidesteps some normative questions about induced obsolescence that might point to new directions for IP scholarship…
First, couture appears to be a positional good–that is, its value depends at least in part on how it ranks compared with other designs. Robert Frank has done terrific work detailing the drawbacks of positional goods (in both economics and law review literatures). Drawing on the economic theory of auctions, he demonstrates that individuals can waste a lot of time and money in "positional arms races" for status. As they strive for status via "observable goods," they end up with longer commutes, more debts, and other impediments to happiness.
Now of course, the people at the top of the fashion food chain probably have money to burn. And as any careful reader of Us or People knows, there are many ways a frugal fashionista can imitate high style cheaply. But perhaps many people are choosing not to, and are indulging in shopping sprees that express little more than the capacity to outspend their reference group. Is there any way to distinguish between the aesthetic value of this sort of conspicuous consumption, and its mere signification of the buyer's purchasing power? I don't know if there is, but perhaps we should at least try to disaggregate these values before taking Virginia Postrel's celebration of the "rise of aesthetic value" too seriously.


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PRZOOM - /newswire/ -
Chelmsford, MA, United States, 2013/03/14 - Aspect Software, announced that it has renewed its Microsoft Partnership, attaining seven Gold Competencies and six Silver Competencies - Aspect.com.
Aspect earns distinction through demonstrated technology success and customer commitment;
Communications, Collaboration and Content, Business Intelligence just a few Gold competencies attained.
Aspect Software, a leading provider of next generation customer contact and enterprise workforce optimization, announced today that it has renewed its Microsoft Partnership, attaining seven Gold Competencies and six Silver Competencies. Microsoft Gold Competencies place Aspect in the top 1% of Microsofts partner network and demonstrates the companys ability to meet Microsoft Corp. customers evolving needs in todays dynamic business environment.
To earn a Microsoft gold competency, partners must successfully complete exams (resulting in Microsoft Certified Professionals) to prove their level of technology expertise, and then designate these certified professionals uniquely to one Microsoft competency, ensuring a certain level of staffing capacity. They also must submit customer references that demonstrate successful projects (along with implementing a yearly customer satisfaction study), meet a revenue commitment (for most gold competencies), and pass technology and/or sales assessments.
Aspect has had a mutually beneficial relationship with Microsoft for over five years and this level of achievement is representative of the significant commitment and dedication our Microsoft Professional Services group has shown, said Stewart Bloom, Aspect CEO. We believe that our history and our competencies with Microsoft differentiate us in todays competitive market as the Go-To contact center solution for Microsoft-centric organizations. We expect that our current increase in R&D investment and market expansion will only accelerate the value Aspect and Microsoft provide to our joint clients.
As a Microsoft Partner with Gold and Silver competencies, Aspect (aspect.com) is in the top tier of the Microsoft Partner Network. Earning the Microsoft competencies means Aspect gains access to exclusive training, software licenses and support to better serve clients.
By achieving a gold competency, partners like Aspect have demonstrated the highest, most consistent capability and commitment to the latest Microsoft technology, said Jon Roskill, corporate vice president, Worldwide Partner Group at Microsoft Corp. These partners have a deep expertise that puts them in the top 1 percent of our partner ecosystem, and their proficiency will help customers drive innovative solutions on the latest Microsoft technology.
Aspects Gold Competencies include:
Collaboration and Content
Digital Marketing
Business Intelligence
Customer Relationship Manager
Aspects Silver Certifications include:
Application development
Data platform
Application integration
Midmarket solution provider
The Microsoft Partner Network helps partners strengthen their capabilities to showcase leadership in the marketplace on the latest technology, to better serve customers and, with 640,000 Microsoft partners in their ecosystem, to easily connect with one of the most active, diverse networks in the world.
Agency / Source: Aspect Software, Inc.
Availability: All Regions (Including Int'l)
Traffic Booster: [/] Quick PRZOOM - Press & Newswire Visibility Checker
Distribution / Indexing: [+] / [Company listed above is a registered member of our network. Content made possible by PRZOOM / PRTODAY indexing services]


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With wins over Holy Family, Annandale, and Hutchinson, the Waconia softball team finished 3-3 last week, spending the entirety of it on the road. With the conference season now closed, the Wildcats finished second in the Wright County East division with a 9-4 conference record behind Orono (13-2). Waconia is currently 10-7.
Waconia 5, Holy Family 0
Holy Family 6, Waconia 2
The Wildcats split a double header at Holy Family on May 13, winning the first game 5-0 thanks to a shutout game pitched by Kiela DeVlaeminck. DeVlaeminck threw all seven innings and struck out five, while allowing five Fire hits and five walks.
The 'Cats posted one run in the first inning and another in the second to take an early 2-0 lead. They would not score again until a three-run homer by senior Jaci Reinke in the top of the seventh to clinch the game 5-0.
Waconia collected eight hits, led by Nicole Groeneveld who was 2-3. Reinke was 1-3 with three RBIs, while Kia Pankey, Jordyn Goldschmidt, Ashley Pannier, Madi Heckmann, and Haley DeVlaeminck (double) also picked up hits.
Holy Family jumped out to an early lead in Game 2, after grabbing four quick runs in the top of the first inning. Waconia was limited at the plate with only two hits, one each from Pannier (double) and Reinke (home run).
The 'Cats pushed one run across the plate in the fourth inning when Kiela DeVlaeminck was able to steal home. Their other run came on Reinke's solo home run in the sixth.
Kaylee Vanderhoff pitched three innings for WHS and took the loss. She allowed five runs (three earned) on five hits, walked two, and struck out one. Kiela DeVlaeminck closed for the Wildcats, throwing the final four innings and allowing one run on six hits. She walked one and struck out two Fire batters.
Dassel-Cokato 6, Waconia 3
Waconia 6, Annandale 5
In two roads games on May 14, the Wildcats first fell to Dassel-Cokato 6-3. After taking an early 3-2 lead after two innings, the Chargers posted four runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take the game from Waconia.
The 'Cats tallied just four hits, one each from Pannier (double), Haley DeVlaeminck, Reinke, and Groeneveld.
Vanderhoff pitched just over one inning, allowing two runs on two hits. She struck out one and walked four. Lexi Kretsch threw the final 4.2 innings for Waconia, allowing four runs on five hits, while striking out five and walking two Chargers.
In the same night, the Wildcats pulled off a nine-inning 6-5 victory over Annandale. Trailing 5-0 headed into the fourth inning, Waconia quickly caught up with a five-run inning fueled by a string of Wildcat hits.
Waconia clinched the game by pushing another run across the plate in the top of the ninth inning, after two Annandale errors put Waconia runners on base. The Cardinals had eight total errors to Waconia's four.
Goldschmidt and Kiela DeVlaeminck were both 2-4 at the plate, with additional hits from Haley DeVlaeminck, Reinke, Pannier, and Heckmann (double) to tally eight total hits for WHS.
Kretsch started on the mound, throwing three innings and allowing five runs (one earned) on five hits. She struck out four and walked one. Kiela DeVlaeminck threw the final six innings, allowing four hits, but no runs. She struck out eight Annandale batters.
Buffalo 5, Waconia 1
The week continued at Buffalo on May 16, where the Wildcats fell to the host team 5-1 despite eight WHS hits. Buffalo was able to string its 10 hits together for five runs.
The lone Wildcat run came in the top of the fifth. After Goldschmidt singled to the pitcher and subsequently reached second on an error from said pitcher, McCall Helstrom singled to left field to score Goldschmidt.
Goldschmidt led WHS at the plate going 2-4, while Helstrom, Groeneveld, Reinke (double), Pannier, Heckmann, and Kenzie Clouse also picked up hits.
Kretsch threw four innings allowing four runs on seventh hits. Vanderhoff closed, allowing one run on three hits, including one home run.
Waconia 5, Hutchinson 1
The 'Cats wrapped up their conference schedule May 17 at Hutchinson, winning 5-1. Waconia scored five runs on seven hits and two errors over Hutchinson's one run on six hits and two errors.
Groeneveld was a perfect 3-3 at the plate for Waconia, while additional hits came from Goldschmidt, Pannier, Reinke (2 RBIs), and Clouse.
Vanderhoff threw the first inning, before Kiela DeVlaeminck threw the final six, allowing one unearned run on six hits. DeVlaeminck collected nine strikeouts during her time on the mound.
Up next
The Wildcats hosted Shakopee in the final game of the regular season on Monday. Seedings for the section tournament will be announced later this week with games beginning this weekend.
Contact Melissa Marohl at [email protected]


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February 28 2013
D. Johnson, Woodland try new putters
By Jonathan Wall, PGATOUR.COM Equipment Insider
Two notable names on the PGA TOUR could have new putters in the bag at the Honda Classic.
After using an original Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball putter recently, Gary Woodland switched to Odyssey's new Versa 2-Ball on Monday.
Update (12:10 p.m. ET): Dustin Johnson's first round with the Scotty Cameron Notchback prototype was extremely positive. Johnson, who went off early at 7:25 a.m., fired a 4-under 66 and only needed 29 putts to get around PGA National.
For more information or to buy the Odyssey Versa 2-Ball 90 putter, click here


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Dean Markley Introduces Blackhawk Coated Strings
Dean Markley has introduced its new Blackhawk coated guitar strings.
Behold the All-New Holeyboard Dragonfly!
Chemistry Design Werks has unveiled its new new Holeyboard Dragonfly pedalboard.
Hear Seven Boss Metal Zone Pedals at Once
If distortion is your thing, listen up.
Boss Announces AD-2 Acoustic Preamp Pedal
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Tone Shootout: Les Paul vs. Ibanez RG Premium
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RETIRING RAF warrant officer Al Sylvester will march through Warrington later this year in memory of his friend and colleague, Dean Singleton, who died of cancer aged 43.
The gruelling 900 mile trek will also mark the end of Al's career in the Royal Air Force when he walks from Land's End to John O'Groats.
Al, from Shrivenham, will pass through Warrington on September 27 after setting off on the challenge on August 16.
He said: "Walking through Warrington will give me a good opportunity to see a small part of this lovely town and I'll hopefully get some support from the local people along the way.
"I won't be the first person to walk the full length of this wonderful island, and I'm sure there will be others who will be attempting the walk this summer, but what's different about my challenge is that I will be completely unaided.
"So I won't be afforded the luxury of sleeping in a comfortable bed or have the extravagance of electricity and hot showers each night – instead I will be sourcing my food en route and setting up my camp at the end of each day, and cooking my meal on a stove."
Al, who has served in the RAF for 31 years, hopes to raise £25,000 for Prospect Hospice in Wroughton, who cared for Dean in his final days, but is already on his way to reaching his target having raised almost £15,000.
To donate visit virginmoneygiving.com/AlSylvester.


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Offensive line prospect Dakota Dozier spoke with The Dixon and Fowler Show, on Furman's WPLS radio, on Tuesday about his preparation for the NFL draft combine and his time at Furman University.
How did Furman best prepare you for this process of being a draft prospect?
Every day, we would come in and the coaches would train us the best they could. Whatever it was, whether it was getting ready for a scheme that an opposing defense would run, teaching us proper technique, or helping us get stronger in the weight room. Just the entire organization at Furman made sure we were the best we could be, on and off the field.
What would you say your favorite moment was as a Furman football player?
Personally, I would say was favorite moment was this year, winning the Southern Conference Championship. It was the first time
that I had ever won a championship, and it was the most wins I've had as a player so it was really fun watching the team come together and fight the adversity of having 14 guys have surgeries throughout the year, and we battled whole year. Also, playing at Clemson was pretty exciting for me; I'm from South Carolina, from Columbia so it's a local school, and actually, my aunt went to Clemson, and she was able to come back, she lives in Dallas, and she was able to be at the game, which was exciting for me.
You have played against some really fantastic talent, so who would you say is the best opposing player that you have lined up against at the collegiate level.
Vic Beasley, Malachi Goodman, who's playing for the Falcons, Cliff Matthews, who 's also playing for Falcons, Ronald Powell, D-end at Florida, Sharrif Floyd, first round pick to the Vikings…a lot of good talent. I've definitely had to opportunity to play a lot of good players throughout my career.
That's quite a resume there. At what point in your career did you realize that you had NFL talent?
I would say, after sophomore year it really became more apparent. I started getting a little more attention from the media. It's always been my dream but it started to look more like it had a chance of coming true, and when that happens you just start working really hard, and it's been a really fun ride, and I'm just trying to make the most of it.
What has been the coolest or most fun part of this experience so far? You've done the East West Shrine game and several other events, what would you say your favorite has been?
I'm not really sure to be honest; I've really enjoyed it all. Whether it's been training here in Atlanta, the time I put in everyday there, trying to get better at East West and meeting a lot of guys. It was really cool at the East West Shrine, the offensive linemen got together and started hanging out and got really close, and in that short week, it was amazing how close you got to each other, and I think it really showed when we came out and played as a unit. Even at the East West Shrine, getting the chance to sit down with scouts from pretty much every team, coaches, GM's…it was just an awesome experience.
So your next step is the combine and that obviously requires a lot of training. What kind of training do you do and with whom do you train?
I train with Chip Smith, here in Atlanta. He has done a great job, and he's had a hand on 1300 different guys who have been to the NFL, so he's definitely got a good thing going here. My daily routine, I get up at 6:30, get to the facility at 8, and from 8-9:30, we're on the field doing different speed drills and footwork drills. From 9:30-11:30, I'm in the weight room. Mondays and Thursdays are upper body, Tuesdays and Fridays are lower body, and Wednesday is a pool workout for us. Then, from 12:30-2:30, I work with an offensive line coach on different hand drills, different footwork and everything, so it's a full day, and I really enjoy it.
Wow, yeah that's a lot going on. Ok, so what's harder to do: wake up at 6:30 to work out or wake up at 8:30 to go to class?
Absolutely 8:30 to go to class.
Would you say that there is one player that you really model your play after?
I really haven't thought about that. I watch a lot of NFL and know a lot of different linemen, but I've never really compared my game to any of them. I know the obvious names, but I've never really thought about that, that's something I'll have to look into in the future.
You have played offensive tackle for most of your career. What types of challenges are associated with making the switch to guard that you are most likely to make?
Well, I started 45 games at Furman: 43 at tackle and 2 a guard, so that is definitely a lot more in favor of the tackle, but I've just embraced the experience and I'm really trying to make the most out of it. Throughout the season, I got a lot of opportunity to practice at guard but didn't get a chance to play until late in the year, but it's fun. For me, I want to be as versatile as possible to any NFL that I end up with. I've played tackle for a long time, and I feel like, in a pinch, if they need me to, I could still play. Everybody is projecting me as a guard, so I just embrace. For the past three months, all I've done is just work on guard sets. It's kind of hard to get rid of some of those tackle tendencies, but I just have to get used to the different mechanics and get ready to go.
Do you have any weird superstitions or things that you do before games?
Nothing too crazy…every Thursday night, I would eat at the same place for dinner. That's not too superstitious, it just happened to be convenient for me. I would only let one trainer tape me on game day. That's really it, I have a certain playlist I listen to before games, but that's about it. I don't put a spoon in my sock or anything.
Be sure to follow Dakota @bulldozier78


text: Recently a question was asked about whether numpy/scipy had a data rebin command similar to IDL's rebin. IDL's rebin can rebin data to smaller or larger arrays whose dimensions are factors or multiples of the original size. I have had a play and placed some code which takes care of the reducing case for ndarrays on the wiki here: <http://scipy.org/Cookbook/Rebinning> Gary R.


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On the eve of a key State Canvassing Board meeting on the U.S. Senate race, Democrat Al Franken presented affidavits today from 62 Minnesotans who said their absentee ballots were improperly rejected.
With Franken behind in the official Senate recount, the affidavits were the latest attempt by the campaign to increase the pressure on the board to count absentee ballots that were improperly rejected. The affidavits followed the release of a web video Wednesday by the campaign that portrayed the stories of seven Minnesotans whose ballots were improperly rejected. A campaign spokesman said the video had been viewed more than 13,000 times on YouTube in less than 24 hours.
The Coleman campaign reports that they are mad at the Franken campaign for doing this.


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Former Germany goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand caught the eye on his FC Schalke 04 debut as the Group J winners helped end Maccabi Haifa FC's UEFA Europa League campaign.
The Israeli side began the day in command of their own destiny but Jurica Buljat's ninth-minute own goal was the worst possible start. They improved in the second period, and could have restored parity when an Alban Sabah handball gave Yaniv Katan his chance from the spot. Diving to his left, Hildebrand was equal to it and while late goals from another debutant, Andreas Wiegel, and Ciprian Marica sealed victory, FC Steaua Bucureşti's 3-1 triumph over AEK Larnaca FC confirmed Maccabi's exit.
A largely second-string Schalke, whose name in Friday's draw was secured amid a run of one loss in 11 matches, began with real freedom, and José Manuel Jurado had already gone a whisker wide after a sweet set of one-touch volleys when the visitors forged ahead. Marica sprang the offside trap, squaring towards Julian Draxler, in space at the far post; Buljat had to intervene but could only guide the ball into the roof of the net.
Idan Vered could have levelled almost immediately after cushioning Vladimir Dvalishvili's pass and stepping inside Benedikt Höwedes, but his scuffed shot brought a comfortable introduction for Hildebrand. It was a glimmer of light; for the rest of the half Schalke's dominant shadow loomed large, and only the alert Bojan Šaranov kept the hosts in touch, notably denying Draxler on 35 minutes.
Yet from the gloom, Maccabi emerged for the restart with real hunger and urgency, Katan orchestrating things as they pushed Schalke further and further back. Stresses began to emerge in the visiting back line now, and 18 minutes from time Sabah's handball threw Maccabi a lifeline – only for Hildebrand to promptly withdraw it. Marica and Wiegel cut them adrift once and for all.
©UEFA.com 1998-2017. All rights reserved.


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text:
Friday, May 22, 2009 | 3 a.m.
Related story
Sun Topics
Sun Archives
- Report: Vegas home prices at 1998 levels as sales surge (5-19-2009)
- Foreclosure filings drop (5-15-2009)
- Valley home prices plummet toward ZIP (5-15-2009)
- As home prices sink, sales pace skyrockets (5-15-2009)
Beyond the Sun
More than 80 percent of the homes bought in Las Vegas from 2005 to 2007 are underwater, a reflection of the danger that still lingers for the housing market.
The real estate Web site zillow.com released a report that shows 67 percent of Las Vegas homeowners owe more on their homes than the houses are worth — the No. 1 ranking in the nation. Stockton, Calif., was second with 51 percent. Twenty-one percent of the nation's homes are underwater, the report said.
"Considering the bulk of those homes were bought in 2004 to 2007, that is not a surprising figure," said Steve Bottfeld, executive vice president of Marketing Solutions. "The key question is how long can those people hold on and how rapidly prices come back. Nobody has the answer to either of those questions."
The rising number of homeowners underwater has raised the specter that many will walk away from their homes and let them go into foreclosure. Las Vegas is ranked No. 1 in the nation in foreclosure filings, and that has prompted prices to fall more than 50 percent from their peak in June 2006.
"I think we are getting to the point where people are realizing they don't want to be stuck in this house where they literally are buried and the prices aren't going to come back in any realistic time frame," said Richard Plaster, president of Signature Homes. "What I see is the number of foreclosures are definitely going to increase."
Under the Obama administration's plan, homeowners can only be underwater up to 5 percent to receive assistance. For those greater than 5 percent, lenders would have to agree to assist homeowners but that has been rare, Zillow spokeswoman Katie Curnutte said.
"I have to be worried about these people walking away because pundits are telling them that is the thing to do and go to the end of the block and buy something cheaper," Bottfeld said, adding that that is a mistake because people will take a hit on their credit.
Plaster has been one of the people urging others to walk away even though he said he would never do so because he needs good credit for his business.
Banks aren't interested in helping out homeowners and reducing the loan amount, and they are the ones who are benefiting from the bailout, Plaster said. It can take several months for banks to foreclose and, in the meantime, the homeowners can horde their cash, he said.
These people only need to wait three years to qualify for a Federal Housing Administration loan and four years for a conventional loan and prices should remain low for a while, he says.
Plaster said he doesn't understand the criticism leveled against people who walk away from their homes. Local developers have done it on master-planned communities and no one bats an eye. And when casinos are unable to make debt payments, no one criticizes them, Plaster said.
Plaster said the more people who walk away from their homes, the quicker the housing market and prices will stabilize.
"If you are paying $2,500 a month on something that you can rent across the street for $1,200, it is not the brightest course to stay in that house," Plaster said. "The banks have been bailed out. Why should the homeowners be the ones to suffer?"
Dennis Smith, president of Home Builders Research, said the high number of homeowners underwater doesn't bode well for the housing market's recovery anytime soon. Many of those homeowners won't be in a position to sell their house and move up to a pricier home.
"We may not see any changes in the move-up market for some time," Smith said. "Maybe two years."
The boost in home sales has been driven by houses at the lower end of the scale. The median price of existing-home sales was $125,000 in April, according to SalesTraq.
The inventory is already expected to swell because of the 10,000 to 25,000 homes in foreclosure that banks are holding out of the market for now, Smith said.
"I don't think anyone expects the foreclosure part of the market to change significantly for three years, and we haven't even heard from high rises yet," Smith said.
Markets such as Las Vegas that had a lot of construction have had the highest number of homes underwater, Curnutte said. There is no indication the Las Vegas housing market is recovering because prices continue to fall at the same rate, she said.
According to Zillow's numbers, the median price has fallen 49.3 percent between the first quarter of 2006 and first quarter of 2009.
"Vegas is one of those markets that is not showing improvement (in terms of prices)," Curnutte said.
Over the past five years, 75.4 percent of homes purchased are underwater, according to zillow.com. Ninety-five percent of homes lost value but the median percentage of owner equity was 29.6 percent, it reported.
Homes bought in 2007 had the highest percentage of homeowners underwater at 82.7 percent. Eighty percent of the homes bought in 2005 are underwater. That lessened to 65.4 percent for homes bought in 2008. In a reflection of falling prices, 22.6 percent of the homes bought in 2009 are underwater, zillow.com reported.


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Lack of Follow-Up, Failure to Address Risks Behind New London's Demise
The CU regulator's Office of Inspector General conducted a material-loss review of the New London, Conn.-based CU to determine the causes of failure and the resulting loss to the NCUSIF. The OIG also assessed NCUA's role in supervising the CU. Ultimately, the office suspected fraud led to New London's liquidation due to a misappropriation of the CU's $12 million in investment funds by an investment account manager. It was discovered that 82-year old Edwin R. Rachleff controlled all of the CU's investment activity. Rachleff committed suicide on July 28, 2008, the day of NCUA's liquidation of New London.
New London management also failed to implement adequate internal control over the CU's investment activity, NCUA's OIG report read. For instance, the account manager made the investment purchase and sale decisions, executed investment transactions and submitted reports and recommendations to the board with little or no CU oversight. Beyond contracting with external auditors to perform annually required work, the CU's supervisory committee was inactive for more than four years despite an NCUA document of resolution that repeatedly recommended the committee become more active or contract out quarterly reviews for such things as internal control reviews.
The OIG said NCUA recommended New London execute a safekeeping/custodial agreement with a third party independent of the account manager. According to NCUA examination documents, the New London board passed a resolution to have a safekeeping arrangement with its investment brokerage firm and the CU's attorney reviewed this agreement to ensure the credit union's interests were protected. However, NCUA staff was unable to locate a written safekeeping agreement, which could have shown that the CU's interests were protected.
The lack of controls goes even further, the OIG found. Although the external auditor purportedly obtained annual independent confirmations from the brokerage firm, the confirmations received were not sufficient to ensure the investments existed.
"We determined there were several confirmation responses the external auditor should have questioned and performed additional confirmation procedures. For example, one confirmation request was mailed to the brokerage firm's headquarters in St. Louis, Mo., but the confirmation response received was from the account manager's office in Waterford, Conn.," the OIG said in its report.
Additionally, for the six years of confirmations NCUA reviewed, two confirmations were not signed and the last two years' confirmations were not in the external auditors' work papers. The external auditors failed to challenge the third-party confirmations, thereby allowing the suspected fraud to go undetected, the OIG said.
NCUA examiners also failed to adequately evaluate the risk in New London's investment program, according to the OIG. Investments accounted for more than 90% of the CU's assets. While NCUA examiners noted the high concentration of investments and the lack of controls over investments, including the lack of a safekeeping agreement, they failed to elevate these repeated issues for stronger supervisory actions. "Consequently, examiners did not expand examination procedures when they should have done so," the OIG said.
There were instances where NCUA examiner work-paper documentation contradicted the information found in the external auditor's work papers. Examiners also failed to ensure that New London management took corrective action on repetitive document of resolution issues.
"As a result, NCUA missed opportunities to mitigate the loss to the NCUSIF caused by New London's failure," the OIG said.
New London's troubles were gargantuan for a CU of such small size. Chartered in 1936, member deposits were limited to mostly $100 per month. The CU had one employee, a manager, who handled most business activities such as manually maintaining books and records and authorizing and posting cash receipts and disbursements. New London also had five board members and three supervisory committee members. In 1988, the CU changed investment brokerage firms, and the firm's account manager who managed the CU's portfolio, also served on New London's board of directors from 1985 to 2004. The OIG doesn't name Rachleff as that account manager in its report. As of June 30, 2009, the CU reportedly had approximately $12.7 million in assets with net investments totaling $12 million. At the time of its failure, New London had 365 members and with over 94% of its assets in investments, the CU operated primarily as an investment club, the OIG said.
New London received monthly brokerage statements for an investment account and a deferred compensation account. NCUA examiners compared both June 2008 statements to each other and noticed that the investment statement differed in appearance from the deferred compensation statement. It was soon determined that the existence of one brokerage account, the New London Security FCU deferred compensation account, held approximately $55,000 in investments as of July 2008. The assistant manager for the investment firm told examiners the account number used for the investment account did not belong to New London. Examiners later determined that the account number used by the account manager was actually the account number for a shoe company that was owned by the family of the account manager's wife. A criminal investigation, which was closed after Rachleff's suicide, led to the discovery of evidence suggesting he was involved in the suspected fraud.
CU Card Site for Consumers Launched
Card Analysis Solutions, a CU card consultancy run by Ondine Irving, has launched a Web site, dubbed Credit Card Connection, designed to help consumers find consumer-friendly credit union credit cards.
"This new Web site was created from my vision to provide the best credit card options to American consumers in the wake of the unfair and deceptive practices prevalent with the major credit card market," Irving said. "I knew the majority of credit unions offer the most fair and ethical credit card programs in the market, yet no one was getting the word out effectively. Through communication with nationally known personal financial expert, Suze Orman, we have collaborated to get the word out to America that there are alternative options," Irving added.
Irving explained that each credit union's credit card program is being rated on a five-star system. A fair and ethical credit card program is deemed as one with either fixed or variable rates of less than 18%, no balance-transfer fees, no annual fees, late fees at or less than $25 and no penalty pricing.
"Most credit unions have been receiving a five-star rating," Irving said. "It is highly unlikely those credit unions which have sold their credit card programs to banks will be eligible for the registry, as most of these programs have rates that exceed 18% along with other typical bank fees."
Irving said that, as of its launch, more than 200 credit unions had signed up to take part in the site and that credit unions can register for inclusion in the CCC site through Card Analysis Solutions (www.cardanalysissolutions.org).


text:
How Many Calories Does Jump Rope Burn?
Healthy Dose Link Time: Blast 200 Calories in Just 20 Minutes
- A workout that burns 10 calories per minute? Believe it — Shape
- Hair that takes you from the gym to the street in no time — Self
- 6 tips to stop yourself from mindless eating — HuffPost Healthy Living
- Menstrual cramps left you feeling sick? Try these natural cures — Blisstree
- Healthy eating advice from The Biggest Loser's nutritionist — Fitness
Image Source: Thinkstock


text:
Yes. Our cash management application deploys SSL 128bit encryption technology to provide a secure communication session to be established between your computer and the Cash Management server.
Cash Management User security is set up so that the financial transactions uploaded or created through a template by one employee are required to be verified by another employee before the transactions can be released.
Call our Cash Management Support Team at 575-437-4880.


text:
New Delhi: Ssangyong Motor Co. Ltd, the beleaguered South Korean firm that was acquired by Indian auto maker Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd (M&M) in 2010, will invest at least Rs.4,500 crore in a turnaround plan, said Pawan Goenka, chairman of the unit.
Goenka is also president and chief executive of M&M's automotive division.
"We have significantly improved our financial performance during these six months compared to the last six months," Goenka told analysts in a conference call on Thursday evening. "We are not at all in any kind of a concern mode for Ssangyong either in terms of current performance or in terms of future investment requirement."
Despite losses in the 18 months since the takeover, the company has been able to generate enough internal funds for capital expenditure requirements, thanks to "a good cash flow situation", Goenka said.
"We have already approved 450 billion won, which is say approximately $410 million (Rs.2,200 crore) of capex for Ssangyong," he said. "We have another 800 billion won to 900 billion won (at least Rs.4,500 crore) in the pipeline for approval. And, we have a reasonably good sort of idea of how we will generate funds for this capex."
The turnaround of Ssangyong, which is expected to declare its September quarter earnings next week, will depend upon its performance in India.
Ssangyong launched its first sports utility vehicle in India, the Rexton, on 17 October. The vehicle will be assembled by M&M at its Chakan unit with parts sourced from the South Korean firm, which is limping back to normalcy. In the first nine months ended September, Ssangyong sold 86,240 units globally, registering a growth of 0.6% from a year ago. The management still expects to grow at 5% this calendar year to 120,000 units. Ssangyong's market share in South Korea has increased by 2 percentage points in a declining domestic market this year.
Mahindra bought a 70% stake in Ssangyong in 2010 for $378 million amid initial resistance from the South Korean company's labour union that perceived M&M as a manufacturer of low-cost vehicles that wanted to squeeze out technology benefits from the transaction. The acquisition was aimed to help fortify M&M's position in the utility vehicles market globally.
Goenka said on Thursday that the money will be spent on at least two vehicle platforms, with one development project being led by Mahindra with Ssangyong as the partner. The other one will be led by Ssangyong and will have Mahindra as the partner.
"We have always said that unless we have a strong product pipeline, there cannot be any sort of turnaround of any auto company, Ssangyong included, and therefore, our focus on product development cannot be diluted," Goenka said. "All the products that we are talking about are going to have a sort of joint development effort between Ssangyong and Mahindra and a situation where there will be in most cases a Mahindra version of the product and a Ssangyong version."
Ssangyong's volumes are stagnant because of the overall economic situation, he said. "But if you were to compare that to other companies, we are certainly not in a situation which is any more bad than anybody else."
Goenka said the turnaround of Ssangyong will take some time. "Every large acquisition (in) the auto industry where a company in poor financial position has been taken over by a new company, every time it takes two to three years before you see a financial turnaround," he said.
The focus of Ssangyong is on improving financial performance before posting good numbers on a monthly basis, said V.S. Parthasarathy, Mahindra's chief information officer and executive vice-president, mergers and acquisition, finance and accounts. "We will first look at Ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) positive and then PAT (profit after tax) positive and...already the last two or three quarters, we have been ebitda positive," Parthasarathy said.
A sector analyst who tracks Mahindra's stock said a turnaround was not possible before 2013-14 as a great deal of work needed to be done in order to make Ssangyong profitable.
"The Ebitda swing has come because they have managed to reduce overheads in terms of staff cost and other unnecessary costs," said Bhaumik Bhatia, sector analyst, IDBI Capital Market Services Ltd.
"The turnaround is not possible before FY14 as the new products will only come that year and the South Korean market has been declining and above all, they are yet to start operations in China," he said.
Besides India, the company is also banking on the Chinese market to boost sales.
"India is the key market. We would be happy to see a volume averaging about 500 a month and if that happens, that's 6,000 vehicles sales in India," Goenka said. "Six thousand is a very significant volume for Ssangyong in terms of export. The second market where there is a little bit of struggle right now, and we hope that this market will pick up for us, is China."


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685Egypt Students Demonstrate for Democracy
Expand Messages
- Apr 4, 2005http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4914160,00.html
Egypt Students Demonstrate for Democracy
Tuesday April 5, 2005 4:46 AM
By PAKINAM AMER
Associated Press Writer
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - About 300 university students
staged a rowdy protest in downtown Cairo on Monday
calling for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to step
down and further democratic reforms.
The protest, held on the grounds of the American
University in Cairo, was the latest in a series of
demonstrations aimed at increasing political freedoms
in Egypt, the Arab world's largest country, which
Mubarak has ruled since 1981.
Truckloads of police cordoned off the university
during the protest, which comes ahead of planned
September presidential elections in which more than
one candidate - other than Mubarak - will be able to
``Change for Change ... Not for Bush,'' said one
student banner in reference to contentious Middle East
reform calls by President Bush.
Another said: ``No more extensions. No to
Succession,'' displaying opposition to Mubarak
continuing as president or handing power to his
youngest son, Gamal.
``One of our main demands would be the immediate ...
(end) of emergency laws, limitation of how many terms
a president can be in office, and free elections
observed by U.N. personnel,'' said Ahmed el-Droubi,
one of the protest organizers.
Egyptians enjoyed a brief period of relatively free
protest following Mubarak's surprise Feb. 26 call on
the parliament, which his National Democratic Party
dominates, to amend the constitution to allow for open
presidential elections.
But security officials since have cracked down,
arresting members of Egypt's largest Islamic movement,
the Muslim Brotherhood, and banning protests.
Officials have been particularly angered by criticism
of Mubarak and his family.


text:
What can I do about over-packaging in supermarkets?
There are already some laws to tackle over-packaging.
Wastewatch provide a good overview on both packaging and existing legislation.
You can also raise concerns about over-packaging with your Trading Standards Officer.
For more choice on packaging - shop at local outlets or farmers' markets. Find out what's available in your area.


text:
TRY telling John Wilmot that the romance of the FA Cup is dead.
The 49-year-old Blues fan and his 16-year-old son Michael will be making a 13,704-mile journey from Newman in the north-western Australian outback to see Phil Brown's side take on Hull City in the fourth round of the competition this weekend.
And Wilmot cannot wait to see the Shrimpers in action for the first time.
"I have been trying to make this happen since the mid-1990s and I'm so excited about coming over," said Wilmot, who also intends to watch Blues against Dagenham & Redbridge and Newport County next week.
"I have got close on several occasions, but a death in the family or a sickness, or lack of funds has prevented it from happening.
"But this time my 16-year-old saved some money from an internship, so him and my wife have worked together to make it possible for my Christmas present with my son footing the bill – how awesome is that?
"There is nothing like seeing your team live and in some ways I don't really feel the journey is complete until I sit at the Hall and yell 'Up the Blues'."
The Australian has been a fan of the Shrimpers since 1994 after deciding he wanted to support what he considered to be a "real" football team and not one playing in the Premier League.
He opted to follow the fortunes of Blues after being impressed by their fans on internet forums.
Newman tracks the team's progress online and wakes up in the early hours of the morning to listen to live commentary of their matches.
"I decided on the Shrimpers and have never looked back," said Wilmot. "I lived in Malawi, in Africa, for 10 years, working in community development.
"There was a lot of sadness working with people in extreme poverty and getting on to fans' forums like Shrimperzone brought me great relief.
"Just reading all the stories about when folks went to watch Blues made me laugh my guts out and really got me into it.
"It would cost me about £5 a session on the internet and I must have spent hundreds of pounds over the years but it has all been worth it because Southend still brings me endless hours of pleasure.
"I'm always on the club website and on the Echo one as well as that's the best way of keeping up to date with what's going on."
But his support of the Shrimpers often confuses Wilmot's neighbours who prefer to support the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea.
"Many people support Premier League sides round here so it's not an uncommon question to ask who I support, but when I say Southend United they often laugh and ask who they are," said Wilmot.
"Most people get it after a while and it's certainly a great sports topic starter.
"But I wouldn't have it any other way and I couldn't be happier about coming over to see the team play, it really is a dream come true.
"I just hope the games don't get called off."


text:
Maine Google Doodler Needs Your Vote to Win Scholarship
Vote now and vote often for Maine's Google Doodle finalist Inga Zimba a fifth-grade student at Albert S. Hall School in Waterville. She could win a $30,000 scholarship and needs your votes.
From Google.com, "Young artists coast to coast doodled their inventions to make the world a better place. Doodle 4 Google guest judges have chosen the 50 state winners. Now it's your turn to vote!" Public voting deadline is Friday, May 9th.
The contest began with over 100,000 contestants, but judges have since narrowed the submissions to 50, one finalist from each state. Inga is one of 10 other finalists in her fourth- and fifth-grade group. "I love to draw; I sketch things all the time," says Inga.
Google will be sending Inga to an awards ceremony at Google Headquarters in Mountain View, California. The national winner's animated doodle will be featured on the Google homepage for the day of June 9.
"Google is inspiring children to do amazing things," said Inga. "In the future, I think I'd like to study bees." Go Inga! Vote now at Google.com


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Cause and effect essay writing
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Hello! I created a sort list of header files, whos refered by other installed .h-s but not preset in src/backend/Makefile. This list based on output of gcc -E ${installed}.h Can Somebody add them to install-headers target? I have a little idea, to solve the problem of missing headers (because i created my list on a linux_sparc, but on other system may diffrent (I don't know. Realy can be different?)) So what do you mean about a "make-install-headers-with-deps" script? -- nek;(
Next: From: Karel Zak Date: 2000-05-23 08:56:19 Subject: Re: CVS commit broken Previous: From: Matthias Urlichs Date: 2000-05-23 07:58:29 Subject: Re: A test to add to the crashme test


text:
The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies has issued a report entitled "Improving the Social Security Disability Decision Process", which is available for the bargain price of $36.90. Before you buy it, you may want to read all the way to the end of their blurb on the study:
The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a time saving screening tool called the Listing of Impairments (Listings) to identify individuals who meet the Social Security definition of disability, but it is concerned with a substantial drop in the percentage of claims granted disability benefits based on the Listings over the past 25 years.One day I would like to read a report from one of these beltway bandits that says "There is no solution to the problem, so quit wasting your money on consultants." Instead we always get studies that advise things like setting up "an external advisory committee system" or "support promising alternative approaches", with the authors of the study being ready, willing and able -- for a hefty price -- to set up and man these external advisory committees and explore the "promising alternative approaches."
At the request of the SSA, the Institute of Medicine formed a committee which issued the report; Improving the Social Security Disability Decision Process, addressing the medical aspects of disability determination and recommending improvements. The committee recommended the SSA:
The committee concluded that a better mechanism than the Listings does not exist at this time, although it recommends that SSA monitor and support promising alternative approaches to disability assessment.
- Investigate the reliability and validity of the Listings as a tool for identifying the truly disabled;
- Incorporate condition-specific functional assessment tools in the Listings that demonstrate a strong correlation with work disability;
- Strengthen the process for revising and updating the Listings;
- Expand medical and functional expertise at the staff level; and,
- Establish an external advisory committee system


text:
Bachmann warns of 'sex clinics' and abortions in schools
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a speech on the House floor yesterday, Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., claimed that that health-care reform bills would establish school "sex clinics," which would exclude parents from their children's health decisions, including abortion.
"What does that mean?" Bachmann said. "It means that parents will never know what kind of counsel and treatment that their children are receiving. As a matter of fact, the bill goes on to say what's going to go on — comprehensive primary health services, physicals, treatment of minor acute medical conditions, referrals to follow-up for specialty care."
"Is that abortion?" Bachmann continued. "Does that mean that someone's 13-year old daughter could walk into a sex clinic, have a pregnancy test done, be taken away to the local Planned Parenthood abortion clinic, have their abortion, be back, and go home on the school bus that night? Mom and dad are never the wiser. They don't know any different."
The section that Bachmann refers to in the House bills specifies that the established health clinics must follow federal, state, and local laws governing patient privacy and student records and parental, or guardian, consent.
Here's a video of Bachmann's remarks:
Here is a transcript of most of Bachmann's statement:
But there's something that hasn't been talked about much, and it's the whole idea of school-based clinics in schools all across America. And that's in H.R. 3200.
Now, this would raise the hackles on the necks of school parents all across this country when they understand section 2511 of H.R. 3200. The House government takeover of health care bill has a section called school-based health clinics. It would allow a nonprofit health agency -- just say Planned Parenthood because that's what this is written for.
Again, we need to be serious. Planned Parenthood is an organization that is the largest abortion provider in the United States. And written into this bill is a provision whereby Planned Parenthood could become the proprietor for school-based clinics in every school across the United States.
These have been more accurately called school sex clinics.
One of the very first school sex clinics that was put into this country was in St. Paul, Minnesota. And it was told to the families and the parents that this would actually reduce pregnancy. Of course we knew it wouldn't reduce pregnancy. It increased pregnancy. It increased sexually transmitted diseases. It was a disaster for young women in St. Paul public schools.
The greatest, kindest, most compassionate gift we could give to our young people — whether it's young girls or young boys — is to teach them and tell them the travesty that they can encounter with early onset of sexual activity. It really is an epidemic now in this country.
For so many girls across this country now, 25 percent of girls have sexually transmitted diseases, potentially life-threatening sexually transmitted diseases. Boys as well.
This isn't the kind of country that we grew up in, but today where we have almost a patting on the back of telling young people, it's your choice; do whatever you want to do. Now the Federal Government is going the final step, and they're saying, Let's put sex clinics in our schools.
Can you believe this, Mr. Speaker? Let's put sex clinics in our schools, and let's put Planned Parenthood in charge of these sex clinics, because the bill requires under this provision, Planned Parenthood would be authorized to serve as a sponsoring facility for the Nation's schools. As a matter of fact, the bulk of this health care bill is scheduled to go into effect in 2013. Remember, all the taxes will start this coming January, Mr. Speaker. Right away, at the time we can least afford it, the taxes will go into place, but the provisions of this bill actually go into effect in 2013.
Not the school-based sex clinics. They would go into effect next summer so that these clinics would appear in public schools next fall, and it would require that the school-based sex clinic would provide on-site access during the school day when school is in session and have an established network of support and access to services with back-up health providers when the school is closed.
Can you imagine what this would cost, Mr. Speaker, if every school in the United States had a built-in health clinic? And this health clinic, parents won't have access to.
How do we know that? Parents are going to be excluded from Planned Parenthood as they write these clinics because the bill orders that these clinics protect patient privacy in student records.
What does that mean? It means that parents will never know what kind of counsel and treatment that their children are receiving. As a matter of fact, the bill goes on to say what's going to go on — comprehensive primary health services, physicals, treatment of minor acute medical conditions, referrals to follow-up for specialty care. Is that abortion?
Does that mean that someone's 13-year old daughter could walk into a sex clinic, have a pregnancy test done, be taken away to the local Planned Parenthood abortion clinic, have their abortion, be back, and go home on the school bus that night? Mom and dad are never the wiser. They don't know any different.
As a matter of fact, the bill also provides for mental health planning.
This is very concerning. In our State in Minnesota we've done a lot of research on this. Mental health; mental health assessments; crisis intervention; counseling; treatment; referral to a continuum of services, including emergency psychiatric care, and mom and dad can't know what's going on?
Mr. Speaker, I am almost without words to think that we have come to the time when the Democrats that control Washington, D.C. — and, make no mistake, they control every level of power in this city. Now they want the taxpayers, if they haven't been beleaguered enough, to pay for sex clinics all across the United States... And now we're going to have the sex clinics in the schools and they're essentially going to take over the health care services of our kids?...
Comments (4)
It's hard to believe that thinking people voted a scatterbrained shrill like Michelle Bachmann into a position higher than, say, cafeteria counter help. In fact, having said that, I apologize to cafeteria workers - they're typically much brighter than Congresswoman Bachmann. Living in California and now Florida I thought weirdo's were mainly concentrated on the coasts. I was wrong.
Congresswoman Bachmann is apparently gearing up for Halloween ghost stories. I'm impressed with her fear mongering. She could make a fortune as a conspiracy fiction novelist if she weren't so quite transparent, pandering for votes from the anti-abortion single issue voters.
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Mr. SCHNEIDER. I rise to lend my support to the underlying bill we are debating today. The Homeland Security appropriations measures make key investments in technology for our first responders, disaster relief funding for our communities, and critical grant funding for our local fire departments.
It is the centerpiece for how we invest, not only in our national security, but also in the security of our local communities.
Earlier this year, the district I represent was severely affected by regional flooding that damaged hundreds of homes and businesses. The impacts on families is a human one. Many lost their homes. Many lost their business and may not be able to reopen. This terrible situation highlights the tremendous need for disaster relief that is comprehensive and far-reaching.
FEMA helped many in my district to recover a small piece of their lives after the storms; and, consequently, I am happy to see that the committee included $6.2 billion in disaster relief funding. This funding will be critical as we, in Illinois, continue the effort to rebuild our communities affected by the flooding, as well as for those in Oklahoma, New Jersey, and other areas as they rebuild after natural disasters.
I also applaud efforts by the committee to support $1.5 billion allocated for FEMA State and local grant programs. Specifically, I would like to highlight a program that addresses the distinctive security needs of nonprofit groups, helping at the local level to safeguard human life and property against credible threats to the safety of our communities.
The Urban Area Security Initiative provides a funding source for targeted nonprofit groups to invest in their own security. These grants, typically utilized by churches, synagogues and community centers, are designed to acquire and install equipment that can help prevent and mitigate terrorist attacks in our communities.
Organizers use these grants to make capital improvements, such as installing security cameras, physical barriers, or controlled-entry systems, safeguards that can make a difference in deterring threats.
Recent incidents in Boston, New York, Wisconsin, and New Jersey highlight that credible threats to these pillars of our communities exist. The need for these grants is clear, and the impact in our communities can be profound.
I would like to thank the committee for its support of these critical programs that can be utilized by States and local groups to address emerging threats and security concerns specific to their circumstance. I appreciate the bipartisan work done on this important bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Source: http://thomas.loc.gov


text:
Sunset SAC discusses school issues
January 17, 2014
— For more information on how to get involved with your School Advisory Committee or similar organization, visit moffatsd.org for school contact information.
The topic was an important one during the monthly Sunset Elementary School Accountability Committee meeting Tuesday night, as parents, teachers and school administrators convened to discuss recent and upcoming happenings in the school.
The meeting, led by SAC President Becky Fritz and Principal Laura Vinger, included information about projects in development at Sunset, such as a student council, for which representatives were elected from each classroom last week.
Vinger said having a student council, a new development for Sunset, will allow kids to have a voice in what kind of school they want to see.
"I had a fifth-grade student who came to me back in October who brought it up, and we thought about it for a while and met on how to do it," she said. "He actually came up with the whole plan how to do the voting and campaigning and when we should do it, so it was very student-generated."
Vinger will be in charge of overseeing the project and working with the kids involved, hopefully bringing in other staff members.
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"It's a new endeavor, and we'll see how it goes," she said. "The kids are super excited."
An environment where ideas can be discussed freely is what the staff of Sunset strives for, Vinger said, citing the school's Twitter account and SAC's Facebook page as methods to improve communication.
The newly designed school website sunsetelementaryschool.shutterfly.com is another option for parents to find useful information. The school most recently used the platform to announce the change in policy about Sunset's red-flag days.
The alteration will allow students to enter the school through the front doors between 7:40 and 8 a.m. if they choose, rather than be required to walk around to individual classroom doors on the sides of the building.
Vinger said the decision was the result of numerous parental requests at the December SAC meeting.
"Some parents came up with some ideas, and we met with some others, and we were able to come up with a plan," she said.
Although some methods of communicating have worked out for the better, others have been problematic. The idea to implement a "call-all" system in Sunset to alert parents to emergency situations such as lockdowns was mentioned at the SAC meeting, but financial issues are a hindrance.
Vinger said she previously has requested funding for a call-all system and hopes to bring forth the topic again.
The subject of former Sunset employee Pam Williams also was broached at the meeting by parents who felt they had not been shown the proper consideration by being kept in the loop.
During the meeting, parent Stanley Peroulis said his family never received an email sent by Vinger to parents about Williams' Dec. 20 resignation. Vinger replied that the email had been "kicked back" to her from the Peroulis family's account and she was unable to contact them by phone.
Peroulis said he thought Vinger was "dodging the question" about Williams' resignation.
More than once, parents requested Vinger divulge the details about Williams' resignation, which she refused to do, stating that discussing personnel matters would be a violation of federal law, as well of a violation of Williams' privacy.
"The personnel law protects both parties," she said. "It's not up to me, and it's not up to (Moffat County School District Superintendent) Dr. Petrone."
Contact Andy Bockelman at 970-875-1793 or email@example.com.
— For more information on how to get involved with your School Advisory Committee or similar organization, visit moffatsd.org for school contact information.


text: Show Hide image Politics 28 May 2012 Blair, Hunt and Cable take the stand at Leveson Inquiry Michael Gove and Theresa May will also appear this week. Sign up for our weekly email * Former Prime Minister Tony Blair will be subjected to a day of questioning about his relationship with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp and the rest of the media at the Leveson Inquiry today. Blair will come under particular scrutiny about the extent to which he made a deal with News Corp in exchange for support from The Sun newspaper in 1997. Blair famously flew to Australia in 1995 to address a News Corp conference. Blair's period in office was one characterised by spin with many journalists sharply critical of the way press secretary Alastair Campbell operated. Read more at Press Gazette Dominic Ponsford is editor of Press Gazette Subscribe from just £1 per issue More