text:
Writing about basketball teams on a micro game-by-game basis is sometimes a daunting challenge. Not that it's hard to find things to write about. In the NBA season, there are almost always storylines galore. No, the hard part is deciphering what matters at the 5-game point of the season.
A lot of us get over eager to project early season results in the context of an 82 game season. It's only natural. We don't know what the future holds. We only know what little evidence we have.
So when the Cleveland Cavaliers have been so wildly inconsistent through 4 games, it makes it even harder to separate fact from fiction. This gets amplified even more when you consider this is an all new coaching staff, there are 4 new players getting meaningful playing time1, and a new focus on defense that these players aren't used to.
My point here is this, the Cleveland Cavaliers we are judging today are almost certainly not what the Cleveland Cavaliers will be when we look back on this team after the 82nd game of the season. But when we formulate our final verdict on the 2013-14 Cavaliers, these 4 games will be included in there. It's a small part of a larger story that is being told. We just don't know how the story ends yet, and in that context, it seems pretty foolish to say anything definitive about this team.
We can't call Anthony Bennett a bust. We can't say Kyrie Irving took a step back. We can't say the Cavaliers are a good defensive team. We can't say Andrew Bynum is an impact player for this team. We can't say this is a poor offensive team. We just don't have enough evidence yet to know any of that.
So as the Cavaliers travel to Milwaukee to face the Bucks on Wednesday night, we may not be able to talk in absolutes about either team. But on the micro level we can observe a game like this for what it is….just another piece of the puzzle.
The Bucks are an interesting team in just how uninteresting they really are. The Bucks had one of the most active offseasons of any team. They traded JJ Redick for a couple 2nd round picks, they acquired Luke Ridnour in the Kevin Martin trade, they traded Luc Mbah a Moute for a couple more 2nd round picks, they signed OJ Mayo, Carlos Delfino, Zaza Pachulia, and Gary Neal in free agency, and then they traded Brandon Jennings to the Pistons for Brandon Knight, Viacheslav Kravtsov, and Khris Middleton.
The Bucks are a team that refuses to tank. Every year they do just enough to remain competitive enough to be fighting for one of the last playoff spots in the East. It doesn't always work2, but they've won 34 or more games in 4 of the last 5 seasons. In some ways it's commendable that they are trying to win every year and not partaking in the embarrassing tank-a-thon that the Cavaliers and so many other teams in the NBA have been embracing. But on the other hand, it's fundamentally stupid. If you want to win in the NBA, you either need to be a free agent destination spot, or you need to be a team willing to get really bad and draft really well. The Bucks are neither of those things.
This game should be a good road challenge for the Cavaliers. It's a winnable game, sure, but it won't be easy and the Cavaliers will have to work on putting together a full 4-quarter effort in order to win. It's exactly the kind of challenge these young Cavaliers need this early in the season, especially coming off Monday's near collapse.
It's hard to know what to make of this year's Bucks team, especially this early when they too are a team with many new pieces that need to get acclimated with one another. The Bucks will come into this game well rested, having not played since Saturday. They also come into this game extremely banged up. Carlos Delfino is still out after having surgery on his foot, and Brandon Knight, Luke Ridnour, and Ekpe Udoh are all doubtful for this game.
One of the keys for the Cavaliers in this one will be to cut down on the costly turnovers. The Bucks are pretty good at converting turnovers into points, and the Cavaliers give up almost 20 points per game off turnovers. The turnovers are a big part of why the Cavaliers nearly gave up the win on Monday, and they really need to show better focus in making simple passes.
The most intriguing matchup in this game will be the 2nd units. Both of these teams, while not having a lot of top end talent, feature very deep benches with NBA-worthy talent. The Bucks come into this game 2nd in the NBA in bench scoring at 55 points per game. The Cavaliers are 10th at 35.3 points per game. The Cavaliers give up the 5th fewest bench points, the Bucks give up the 6th fewest. The Bucks have used 3 different starting lineups in their 3 games, so their bench is pretty interchangeable and fluid, but no matter who is coming off the bench for them, they are getting quality production.
Regardless of who is starting or coming off the bench, the Bucks have been getting great play from Zaza Pachulia and John Henson. OJ Mayo, Gary Neal, and Ersan Ilyasova have been solid, and rookie Nate Wolters has been impressive early on in this season.
For the Cavaliers, the matchup I'll be watching is the backcourt battles. Wolters and Neal are expected to start for Milwaukee. Kyrie has traditionally had huge games against the Bucks. A lot of that was against Brandon Jennings, who is no longer there, but this still is a team Kyrie might be able to get his season really going. As impressive as Wolters has been, he's a rookie playing his 4th NBA game. This is a matchup Kyrie should be able to dominate.
And for Dion Waiters, there will be opportunities for him to be aggressive getting into the lane. Gary Neal is not exactly known for his defense. And even if the talk of his poor defense is a little overstated, this is still a good matchup for Dion on paper. If the Cavs can test the Milwaukee interior defense and do so without turning the ball over, the backcourt can control their matchups and steady the offensive attack a bit.
But really, in an early season NBA game like this, anything can happen. What's most important for the Cavaliers is that they continue to get better. That Andrew Bynum can continue to increase his minutes without having any setbacks. That they get closer to playing tough defense all 4 quarters. That Kyrie and Dion continue to search for some kind of on-court chemistry. And, hopefully, that Anthony Bennett can make his first career NBA basket.
Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE


text:
Lettering credit from reprint in JLA Archives.
Inside front cover; published in cooperation with the National Social Welfare Assembly.
Previously appeared in DC comics cover-dated May 1960.
Story is told in three chapters: unnumbered part one (11.67 pp.), Part Two (8.67 pp.), Part Three (3.67 pp.)
Lettering credit from reprint in JLA Archives. Credits for script, pencils and inks confirmed from Julius Schwartz's editorial records, provided by DC Comics (May 2007).

subset: commoncrawl


text:
First Ever Unified Florida Reef Tract Map Now Available
The Unified Florida Reef Tract Map (v 1.1) provides a much needed, consistent geospatial framework for management, monitoring, and characterization of the Florida reef tract from Martin County through the Florida Keys to the Dry Tortugas.
Prior to its completion, only an inconsistent patchwork of smaller map pieces had been available. The Unified Reef Map integrates existing sea floor maps and now covers over 9,000 km2 of coral reef ecosystems using a consistent classification system. The project was led by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, with major contributions from South Florida counties, the U.S. National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NCCOS, and NOAA's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management. Agencies contributed source maps, consulted during map integration, and helped with production of a users guide.
Funding was provided by each partner and NOAAs Coastal Zone Management Program and NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program.
For additional information, contact firstname.lastname@example.com or email@example.com. For map products, see: http://ocean.floridamarine.org/IntegratedReefMap/UnifiedReefTract.htm.
Related News
Related NCCOS Center(s): CCMA
Related Region(s): Florida
Shorter web link for sharing: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/?p=11271


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President Obama warns Russia of 'costs' in Ukraine
A_Chinese_American Cedar Hills, UTMarch 4, 2014 7:43 a.m.
In this world, the wisdom "If you want peace you need to prepare to have a war" is still validated. Such thing as talks is just shown to the people over the world that USA is weak. Action is required to show your determination and power. Unfortunately, USA weakness is injecting instability over the world. American voters should be blamed because they choose a wrong leader over this time.
indycrimson Franklin, INMarch 3, 2014 2:48 a.m.
1. Your assumption that those who don't trust the Obama team therefore, love GW is your assumption. No one has commented on it so you own it.
2. Russia invading Georgia, The Five Day War...not the same thing as this:
A. Georgia was a divided territory with two weak forms of government. Russia, like the USA went in to settle the civil unrest...they were a settling force for a country that was not functioning.
B. Not so in the Ukrain. They simply had a flawed leader, and were working thru their democracy, when Vlad came in.
Surely you can understand the difference between two weak and disfunctional forms of leadership. If not, check out the Harry & Barry Show
GaryO Virginia Beach, VAMarch 2, 2014 2:01 p.m.
So, if I understand Sarah Palin and her followers, Putin disrespects Obama and his Democratic administration, and therefore he will invade Ukraine.
Russia invaded Georgia in 2008.
Was it because Putin disrespected GW Bush and his Republican administration?
atl134 Salt Lake City, UTMarch 2, 2014 12:53 p.m.
Obama was talking about nuclear weapons deals and he was 100% accurate in saying there's more flexibility after elections because earlier in his first term the new START treaty was passed by a lame-duck Congress in Dec 2010 after the election when there's more flexibility to pass bills without re-election campaign pressure.
Ralph Salt Lake City, UTMarch 2, 2014 12:20 p.m.
Nothing like a good geo-political crisis to bring the traitors out of the woodwork!
Wait, no, Fox News TV, aka Fox News Traitor Vision, has been at this for over 6 years.
Carry on.
GaryO Virginia Beach, VAMarch 2, 2014 10:21 a.m.
All the "Conservatives" lambasting Obama on this site for allegedly being a weak blowhard apparently yearn for the days of GW Bush.
. . . Nostalgic for the days when we invaded Iraq, a country that did not attack us first, and wasted trillions of dollars and thousands of American lives, while destabilizing the Middle East for years to come.
Didn't Russia invade Georgia during GW Bush's time in office?
Apparently, Putin didn't respect Bush's Republican administration much either.
Why do you suppose that is?
Does that say something about Putin's regard for Republicans?
Given the fact that Russia invaded Georgia during the GW Bush administration, how in the world can Republicans criticize Obama for Russia's threat against Ukraine?
Please, can some "Conservative" explain to me in a rational manner just what the thought process is here.
. . . Or maybe there's nothing rational about the thought process?
Mountanman Hayden, IDMarch 2, 2014 8:28 a.m.
Why is anyone surprised by this? Obama to the Russians caught on a hot microphone just before he was re-elected, "After my election I will have more flexibility." Obama is now, in effect, saying to Putin, If you like your Ukraine, Georgia or any other real estate, you can keep it, period! Now that is real "flexibility" from Obama! Putin flexes and Obama has no ability or credibility!
worf Mcallen, TXMarch 2, 2014 7:45 a.m.
These kinds of things wouldn't have happened during the Reagan years when we were a strong country.
We were the reason many countries enjoyed freedom.
We are no longer strong, and independence is disappearing.
We were lied to about Romney, and now Barry is in the drivers seat.
Very sad.
Dr. Thom Long Beach, CAMarch 1, 2014 9:54 p.m.
Hard to draw a line in the sand worth considering when our military is being cut down to its smallest size since World War II. What is the military suppose to use, harsh language?
bigv56 Cottonwood, CAMarch 1, 2014 6:56 p.m.
I am sure he outer is shaking. He was how Obummer responded to the line he had made in Syria. Oh, and he saw the competence of obamacare
Vince Ballard South Ogden, UTMarch 1, 2014 12:01 p.m.
Obama should tone it down, especially about severing diplomatic ties. Remember we are still both nuclear powers. As far as Ukraine, suppose Montana, Texas or Arizona should decide to secede? We are not there yet, but we have ample unrest (and attendant threats) by certain groups of our own. Would Mr.Obama send troops? What is his contingency plan? We had better make sure our own house is in order and that we have a more humane plan before we lecture the Russians.
Ice Cream Sandwich provo, UTMarch 1, 2014 11:41 a.m.
"There will be costs?" coming from the King of Intervention. Why don't we take a dose of our own medicine?
Gandalf: to compare a tyrant with a psychopath doesn't mean the tyrant is desirable.
CPA Howard Rancho Santa Margarita, CAMarch 1, 2014 10:07 a.m.
I'm sure Gandalf would have said the same thing in 1936 when Hitler started invading his neighbors and in 1938 when Japan invaded Manchuria. Roosevelt didn't want to get us involved with wars and he warned the Germany and Japan. Our military is shrinking while China and Russia's military is growing and no one fears us any more.
The President will draw a line in the sand which is worthless and our EU allies won't do anything that could offend Russia and risk losing their source of cheap natural gas. The world will watch as the Russian tanks roll into the Ukraine, just as it did when Hitler rolled his tanks into the countries that neighbored Germany.
The result of the West's apathy was a World War, will it happen again, Yes. In 2008 Sarah Palin was mocked when she predicted if Sen Obama were elected Russia would invade the Ukraine because he was weak. Six years later she was right.
The only thing the President will take action against is his critics and he will bring the full weight of the government against them. I don't miss Bush, I'm sorry Romney wasn't elected.
GaryO Virginia Beach, VAMarch 1, 2014 9:41 a.m.
What's all the mystery about "costs" if Russia invades the Ukraine. That was an understatement by Obama.
Of course there will be costs.
Invading another nation to "stabilize" the country, can be tremendously expensive for the invader, as we found out in Iraq . . . expensive in lives and money lost.
It could cost Russia a whole lot of money and international political capital much as their misadventure in Afghanistan cost them. Apparently Russian leaders are slow learners.
JBQ Saint Louis, MOMarch 1, 2014 8:45 a.m.
A bit of historical fact is in order on this issue. Ukraine was part of the Soviet Empire under Communism which fell in 1991. Eastern and Southern (Crimean peninsula) have been Russian since the staring of millions by Joe Stalin and the movement of Russian settlers into the regions. Western Ukraine is basically oriented with the EU. Russia fought a war for the Crimea in the 1850's and lost under the czar. This is where the Russian fleet is ported. The Black Sea is only accessible through the Bosphorus which cuts Istanbul (Constantinople) in half. As someone who served on a U.S. Navy cruiser on a state visit to Romania, I can attest to the geo political needs of Russia. We dropped off CIA personnel in Constanta to help overthrow their dictator. The Russian government is the target and they will fight like "a wounded bear".
thebigsamoan Richmond, VAMarch 1, 2014 7:18 a.m.
Even if Obama draws another line in the sand for Russia, Putin knows it'll be just a hollow threat like a bark coming from a dog without teeth. How's he going to enforce it? There isn't a single leader among the nations of the world that respect this president and America anymore. We are now the laughing stock of the world because of this man's policies and arrogance. The America we used to know no longer exists unfortunately!
indycrimson Franklin, INMarch 1, 2014 5:51 a.m.
Ok Mr Putin. If you don't get out of Ukraine, I will be forced to put Joe Biden in charge of a committee to research the effects of your aggression, and have Susan Rice go on talk shows and make up stories about you!!!
If that isn't enough, I will hold a press conference and promise that justice will be served! Lastly, my two secret weapons can and will be deployed....
1. No golfing with you
2. Michelle will take more vacations with Oprah...
Now...take that you poo poo head
Gandalf Salt Lake City, UTFeb. 28, 2014 11:42 p.m.
I'll tell you California Steve, I feel a lot better about having Barack Obama in the White House, especially on foreign affairs, than I ever did with George W. Bush. Hey, I know it's a low bar, but still. Conservatives can holler about Benghazi, a trumped up nothing-burger of a scandal, all they want. But BO has more good judgment in his pinky than Dick Cheney had in his entire body.
NedGrimley Brigham City, UTFeb. 28, 2014 5:06 p.m.
'"Any violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity would be deeply stabilizing," Obama said in a hastily arranged statement delivered from the White House.'
I hope that's a misprint... I would think "deeply DE-stabilizing" makes more sense.
That said, maybe the "costs" threatened could be the requirement that the US Congress be charged with making decisions for Russia for a while. Ouch...
California Steve Hanford, CAFeb. 28, 2014 4:27 p.m.
"President Barack Obama expressed deep concern Friday over reported military activity inside Ukraine by Russia and warned "there will be costs" for any intervention. He did not say what those costs might be".
Of course he didn't. He hasn't got a clue what he should do. Time to draw another line in the sand??


text:
The Challenge
Approximately half a million people are known to be blind in Vietnam. Poor eye care, infrastructure, a shortage of trained ophthalmic professionals and limited access to affordable quality eye care services encumber the nation's eye care situation. And for many Vietnamese, treatment is sought out too late and only for the most serious eye conditions.
Our Response
- We focus on pediatric ophthalmology, corneal disease, and corneal donation, and cataract services
- We've improved access to comprehensive eye care among rural communities
- We're building the capacity of national institutions to take the lead in blindness prevention services and the provision of ophthalmic training
Our Presence
We began collaborating with Vietnamese eye care facilities in 1996, through our hospital-based programs. In 2000, we began conducting long-term eye care projects with local partners to carry out intensive and appropriate interventions for sustainable blindness prevention. We established a permanent office in Vietnam in 2003. Since then, we've promoted the delivery of comprehensive eye care services in ten rural provinces of Vietnam through capacity building, infrastructure development and education.
We've also worked to dramatically increase the availability of local corneal tissue for sight-restoring transplantation surgery by advocating for the implementation of legislation for human body tissues in 2004, which allowed the opening of Vietnam's first eye bank.
Success in Vietnam
- Orbis helped establish Vietnam's first national eye bank
- We funded the first wet lab in Vietnam, in Hanoi, where ophthalmologists can practice surgical procedures
- We initiated the development of the first working group in Vietnam on VISION 2020 — a global effort to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020
- We opened two Child Friendly Eye Care Units in rural Phu Tho and Ha Nam provinces in 2011
- We strengthened Vietnam's capacity to address childhood blindness by setting up the first pediatric eye care networks of skilled health personnel


text: I rooted my Samsung Intercept 2.2 today, just so I can change the font of everything in the phone. I picked a font, but I didnt like it so well, so I found a better font & after the font installs its supposed to reboot the phone. well, my phone was frozen for about an hour. so i just took the battery out & my phone wont go bast the samsung logo. it vibrates like it does when an app crashes ... somebody please help me.


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Nesta: Serie A is 'going down'
Former AC Milan defender Alessandro Nesta has bemoaned the declining standard of the Serie A against Europe's other premier domestic competitions.
• Paul: Milan's youth policy
• Blog: Juve's transfer coup
• Blog: Welcome to Roma, Jedvaj
The World Cup winner played over 200 games for the red half of Milan, winning two domestic championships, a Coppa Italia, two EUFA Super Cups and two Champions League crowns.
Those success laden years followed on from his earlier career with Lazio where he first won the Serie A title, Coppa Italia, Super Cup and EUFA's Cup Winners' Cup.
But the 37-year-old, now playing in the MLS with the Montreal impact, believes the years of Italian teams dominating Europe are long over, the Serie A falling into disrepair as the world's best talent choose the Premier League, Spain's La Liga and the Bundesliga, home of treble winners Bayern Munich, to ply their trades.
"There's no money in Italy at the moment and the best players go to play in other leagues - Spain, England, Germany. Italy's going down," he told the BBC's World Football programme.
But despite the player drain on the league, including the rumoured departure of Napoli's Edinson Cavani, there is reason to hope, with club's able to attract big names to Italy, including Fiorentina's capture of Mario Gomez and Juventus signing Carlos Tevez.
And despite surprising him, Nesta applauded his old foe Juventus for luring a player of Tevez's pedigree to Turin.
"It's a very good signing. A player like Tevez, I didn't think would play in Serie A now. Juventus did a good job," he said.
But it is not only the lack of star players affecting the league, with former Serie A coaches such as Carlo Ancelotti, now of Real Madrid, no longer taking charge of domestic clubs.
But Nesta believes it is Ancelotti's background at AC Milan that has allowed his former manager to thrive at clubs such as Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and, in his opinion, will do at Madrid.
"He is the best coach for Madrid," Nesta said. "Madrid is a difficult place to coach. There's a lot of pressure and Ancelotti is very good when he's under pressure.
"(At AC Milan, Silvio) Berlusconi and (Adriano) Galliani, all the time, wanted the best for the team. The pressure was very, very hard but Carlo Ancelotti, everyday, had a smile. He was perfect."
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text:
B737 NG Captains Required - apply now!
- Recruiter
- Sigma Aviation Services
- Location
- India
- Salary
- Negotiable
- Posted
- 08 Nov 2013
- Closes
- 11 Nov 2013
- Ref
- Contact
- Amy Wise
- Contract Type
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full Time
***Sigma Aviation Services are seeking B737NG Captains for positions based in India***
This is an excellent opportunity for candidates to join a professional, expanding operation offering long term commuting contracts of three years.
Attractive package on offer includes:
- Basic Monthly Salary USD$9,500 per month NET of Indian taxes
- Loyalty Bonus at end of each year of USD$6,600
- 1 - 3 year renewable contracts
- Commuting schedule - 8 weeks on followed by 2 weeks off
- Overtime earnings at USD$115 per hour flown in excess of 80 hours - existing expat pilots currently flying approx. 95 hours per month with USD$1,725 per month average overtime earnings
- Hotel accommodation provided or INR100,000 per month accommodation allowance available to pilots instead (approx. USD$2,200 per month)
- Local transportation
- Access to International travel on airlines network
- Additional monthly travel allowance for travel off network
- Annual Leave
- Sick Leave
- Accident insurance, loss of licence insurance, mediclaim coverage
Minimum Requirements:
- ICAO/FAA/JAA license types acceptable
- Minimum of 4500 hours total flying time
- Minimum of 2000 hours PIC on Jet Aircraft
- Minimum 1000 hours glass cockpit experience
- Minimum of 500 hours PIC on NG
- RHS qualified
- Date of last flight within the last 9 months
- Candidates may apply up to the age of 63 years.
- ICAO level 4 or higher English Proficiency
- No history of accidents or incidents
- No criminal record
- Must have NG rating
Please note that you must have flown within the past 9 months on B737 and meet all minimum requirements listed above. There is no flexibility with any other minimum requirement.
Please note that our mandate is for hiring of expat crews and so unfortunately Indian pilots cannot apply via an agency.


text:
Don't miss out on a lower price on this hotel
Get an overview of this hotelSki-in/ski-out hotel at base of Crested Butte Mountain
Popular property highlights
Hiking/biking: adjacent
This resort, located at the base of Crested Butte Mountain, features hiking, zipline, wildflower tours, and more than 120 trails of biking terrain. Crested Butte is 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) away.
Slope-side dining
Elevation Hotel features a full-service spa, an indoor pool, 2 outdoor hot tubs, and complimentary ski/bike valet. The hotel restaurant has a slope-side deck with its own fire pit.
Mountain views
Elegant rooms at the Elevation Hotel and Spa are at least 486 square feet (45 square meters) in size and feature balconies, free WiFi, and impressive views of the West Elk Mountains. All guestrooms include kitchens with microwaves, refrigerators, and coffeemakers.
Guest Highlights
- Comfortable rooms
- Good location
- Proximity to shopping
- Breakfast
- Clean guestrooms
- Guestroom size
- Parking wasn't ideal
Elevation Hotel and Spa
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
Elevation Hotel and Spa features an indoor heated pool and spa tub, and a complimentary wine hour.
The 11,000 square feet of fitness and spa facilities include multiple treatment rooms and organic products. The nine therapy rooms provide massage therapy, body treatments, facials, cardiovascular machines, strength training equipment, pool, hot tub and sauna.
The hotel's ski-in/ski-out restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Ski storage is available. There are 16 ski lifts and 121 ski runs nearby. Guests can enjoy the slope-side deck with its own fire pit. A business center with a computer station and 21,000 square feet of meeting and event space are also available. The hotel offers concierge and valet services.
Wireless Internet access is complimentary throughout. Pets are permitted (surcharge).
- 24-hour front desk
- Children's club (free)
- Arcade/game room
- Number of floors - 6
- Bar/lounge
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Business center
- Coffee/tea in common areas
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Concierge services
- Conference space
- Express check-out
- Fireplace in lobby
- Elevator/lift
- Full-service spa
- Fitness facilities
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Hair salon
- Computer station
- Laundry facilities
- Meeting rooms 10
- Total number of rooms - 262
- Luggage storage
- Restaurant
- Conference space size (meters) - 1951
- Year Built 1985
- Conference space size (feet) - 21000
- Self parking (surcharge)
- Sauna
- Shopping on site
- Ski storage
- Ski-in/ski-out access
- Smoke-free property
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Spa services on site
- Indoor pool
- Wedding services
- Free WiFi
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Indoor pool
- Free Wi-Fi
- Children's club (free)
- Kitchenette
- Laundry facilities
- Arcade/game room
- Miniature golf on site
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- DVD player
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Self parking (surcharge)
Room Amenities
- DVD player
- Free newspaper
- Balcony
- Ceiling fan
- Bathrobes
- Kitchenette
- Free bottled water
- Turndown service
- Private bathroom
- In-room safe
- Desk
- Coffee/tea maker
- Free toiletries
- Free local calls
- Hair dryer
- Daily housekeeping
- Iron/ironing board
- Flat-panel TV
- Free WiFi
- Cookware, dishware, and utensils
- iPod docking station
- Microwave
- Premium bedding
- Refrigerator
- Shower/tub combination
- Room service (limited hours)
- Pillowtop mattress
- Rollaway/extra beds (surcharge)
Where to Eat
9380 Prime Restaurant & Bar - Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as snacks and drinks after a day of skiing or biking. Ski-in/ski-out.
Nearby Things to Do
Conveniently located at the Elevation Hotel, the luxury Elevation Spa offers guests a cutting-edge health spa and fitness oasis. Whether your aim is to relax, feel more beautiful, or detoxify, the Elevation Spa's treatments will help you achieve your personal wellness goals.
The hotel offers an indoor heated pool and hot tub, and 2 new outdoor hot tubs that overlook the Crested Butte mountains. There is also a fitness room where free weights and cardiovascular and strength-training equipment are available. A complimentary personal trainer is on hand to guide you through your routines.
World-class skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing are right outside the ski-in/ski-out and bike-in/bike-out resort, serviced free of charge by a ski/bike valet. Guests can enjoy ziplining and miniature golf on site. Hiking and biking trails abound throughout Crested Butte Mountain, and the hotel offers a complimentary daily guided nature hike. 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) away, The Club at Crested Butte offers a golf course.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the hotel; fees may apply.
- Golfing nearby
- Cross-country skiing nearby
- Snowmobiling nearby
- Snowshoeing nearby
- Rafting nearby
- Kayaking nearby
- Sailing nearby
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
- Golf lessons available nearby
- Sledding nearby
- Bicycle rentals on site
- Miniature golf on site
- Horse riding/rental on site
- Mountain biking on site
- Ski equipment rentals on site
- Ski lessons on site
- Downhill skiing on site
- Snowboarding on site
- Rock climbing nearby
- Ziplining on site
Spa Services
- Hot stone massage
- Deep tissue massage
- Swedish massage
- Prenatal massage
- Reflexology
- Sports massage
- Couples treatment rooms
- Manicures and pedicures
- Body wraps
- Aromatherapy treatments
- Hydrotherapy treatments
- Massages
- Body treatments
- Facial treatments
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
- Accessible bathroom
- In-room accessibility
- Roll-in shower
Hotel Policies
Minimum check-in age is 18
Check-in time ends at 5:30 AM
Check-in time starts at 4 PM
Check-out time is 11 AM
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Kids stay free! Up to 3 children 17 years old and younger stay free when using existing bedding.
- Rollaway/extra beds are available for USD 25.00 per night.
- Cribs (infant beds) are not available.
- Pets allowed for an extra charge of USD 35.00 per pet, per night, plus a deposit of USD 35.00 per night
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
- Minimum Spring Break check-in age is 18 years old.
- Resort fee
- Pool access
- Spa access
- Spa tub access
- Fitness center access
- Sporting facilities or equipment
- Children's club/arcade access
- Nearby fitness center access
- Ski storage
- Business center/computer access
- Internet access
- Phone calls
- Faxes
- In-room safe
- In-room bottled water
- Laundry facilities
- Concierge/valet service
- Housekeeping
Optional extras
- Self parking fee: USD 20.00 per night (in/out privileges)
- Pet deposit: USD 35.00 per night
- Pet fee: USD 35.00 per pet, per night
- Early check-in fee: USD 75.0
- Late check-out fee: USD 50.00
- Rollaway bed fee: USD 25.00 per night
- Facilities fee: USD 21.4 per accommodation, per night and includes use of:
Hotel Name
- Elevation Crested Butte
- Elevation Hotel
- Elevation Hotel Crested Butte
- Hotel Elevation
- The Elevation Hotel And Spa
- The Elevation Hotel Crested Butte
We should mention
A resort fee is included in the total price displayed. Up to 3 children 17 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding.


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Adult Saturday
Ceramic classes
Weekdays might be busy for you so try a Saturday adult Ceramic class.
These drop in classes are open to make quick projects or for one time gifts. Dates coming up are Sept. 7 and 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There are many fall and holiday items along with useful household dishware. Cost is $7 resident or $10 non-resident per day which includes use of tools, stains, glazes and instruction. Greenware and firing additional cost.
To register or call to confirm attendance for these classes, call the Quirk Cultural Center at 330-971-8425.
Adult Creative Classes
Adults need some creative time too so why not try your hand at ceramics, pottery, or painting if you are in the creative mood.
All students will benefit from individual attention to perfecting their skill. Ceramics takes place on Monday or Tuesday nights beginning Sept. 9 or Sept. 10 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. There are many holiday projects to choose from. Registration fee is $20 resident/$25 non-resident for a six-week session. Greenware and firing are an additional cost depending on the size of item. Use of tools, most glazes, stains, and instruction are included.
Pottery takes place on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays for six weeks from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Classes start the week of Sept. 9. Beginners start with handbuilding and work up to the wheel work. Registration fee is $70 resident/ $90 non-resident which includes firing and glazes with clay additional purchase.
To register, call the Quirk Cultural Center at 330-971-8425 or the Parks and Recreation Office at 330-971- 8225 or online at www.cityofcf.com/parksandrec.
Woodshop Orientation
Get a jump on some spring projects by attending a Woodshop Orientation class at Quirk Cultural Center.
The next evening class will take place Sept. 4 from 7 to 9 p.m. A participant will learn the usage and safety of each machine which includes saws, routers, and a press. Class is $6 per person paid the night of class. After the orientation class is completed, participants may work independently in the workshop by purchasing a user card for $25 and is good for five visits. Or you can sign up for a three-week class on Wednesdays scheduled with the instructor. Cost is $30 resident/$38 non-resident. Supplies are student's responsibility according to project.
For more information, call the Quirk Cultural Center at 330-971-8425 or the Parks and Recreation Office at 330-971-8225.
Stop by the Farmer's Market in the Falls
The Cuyahoga Falls Parks and Recreation Department is excited to now have the Falls Farmers' Market at the Quirk Cultural Center, 1201 Grant Ave., every Friday through Oct. 4 from 2 to 5:30 p.m.
Start your weekend off right, stop by and experience all the benefits of buying locally grown fresh products. There will be a diverse selection of products from produce, baked goods candles, knife sharpening, meats and eggs and more. For a complete list of vendors or to become a vendor, visit the web page at www.cityofcf.com/parksandrec. For more information, contact the Parks and Recreation office at 330-971-8225.
Balanced Living 101-Get Healthy Now
Nutritional Series
The Parks and Recreation Department is offering a Nutritional Series at the Quirk Cultural Center, 1201 Grant Ave., every Thursday from Sept. 5 through Dec. 5 from 7 to 8 p.m.
Through this series, participants will discover the food and lifestyle choices that best support their unique needs. Making gradual, lifelong changes enables people to reach their current and future health goals. All classes include a demonstration and/or samples with a recipe card and handouts. Fee is $2 resident/$3 non-resident, plus class fee of $10 ($99 for all 12 classes) made payable to Marcy Grafton. All class fees must be paid at registration. The following list of classes are being offered:
Intro to Green Smoothies. Learn all about green smoothies-what they are, why you should include them in your diet, including the tools an ingredients needed to make them. This class takes place Sept. 5.
Sugar Blues Workshop. Learn all about the downfalls of sugar with tips on how to reduce the amount you're consuming daily to beat sugar cravings, emotional eating and binge eating. Recipes for healthy low sugar sweet treats included. This class takes place Sept. 12.
Healthy Snack Ideas. Three different healthy and raw food snack ideas. Educational Handout: 20 healthy snack ideas/The benefits of including more raw foods in your daily diet. This class takes place Sept. 19.
Say Goodbye to Blood Sugar Crashes. Why you should pack your lunch every day and what you must include to help keep healthy balanced blood sugar levels to improve and keep your attention span even and alert. This class takes place Sept. 26.
Glorious Greens. How to easily get more of them into your diet-intro to kale and other greens with two recipes for salads. This class takes place Oct. 3.
Should You go Gluten Free?-Do you need to go gluten free? This class will sort out the facts. Recipes included. This class takes place Oct. 10.
Homemade Condiments and Salad Dressings-Make your own healthy unprocessed and organic condiments using high quality ingredients while avoiding toxic, unhealthy ingredients. Education topic: Deciphering labels and the ingredients of your favorite condiments. This class takes place Oct. 17.
A Healthy Halloween? -Low sugar, great tasting, fun and festive holiday treats to give away on Halloween. Education topic: High doses of sugar and its effects on mental clarity. This class takes place Oct. 24.
Intro to Super Foods-An intro to super foods. This class will explore just what makes a super food "super" including ways to include them in your daily diet. This class takes place Nov. 7.
Pass the Salt Please-Iodine and Sea Salt. Why they're important in Northeast Ohio and what you should know. Recipes included. This class takes place Nov. 14.
Guilt Free Eating during the Holidays-Education topic: enjoy the holiday parties without gaining weight. This class takes place Nov. 21.
The Coconut Oil Miracle-Learn the many uses and health benefits of raw, organic coconut oil. This class takes place Dec. 5.
For more information, call the Parks and Recreation Office at 330-971-8225.


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Compton celebrates second birthday
Ava Grace Compton of Hathaway celebrated her second birthday on March 17, 2013.
Her birthday is March 16. The theme of her party was "Hip Hippo Ray! Ava's Turning Two!"
Short URL: https://www.jenningsdailynews.net/?p=20767
Posted by Graphic Designer 2 on Jun 27 2013. Filed under Birthday. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.


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CHICO — The average price of a gallon of gas in Chico dropped one cent last week, according to a website that follows those prices.
GasBuddy.com reported today that the average price in Chico was $3.44 a gallon last week.
That price is 27.7 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, and 10.8 cents lower than a month ago, the gas monitor noted.
The national average is at $3.26 per gallon, GasBuddy.com reported.


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Beaumont/Port Arthur
Shortly after 6 a.m. on April 29, the Orange County Sheriff's Office received a call concerning a person lying in the grass on the I-H 10 South Service road near Baird's Bayou in Rose City, according to reports from the agency.
While we harbor no disrespect for the Wall Street Journal who called us "that scrappy little paper from Southeast Texas," we prefer to think of ourselves as simple seekers of the truth. We're of the opinion that headlines and sound bites never tell the whole story. Our readers demand all the facts, facets and flavors of every story or event. And, they expect to be informed, educated and stirred to action.
For this week's New York Times crossword puzzle, pick up a copy of this week's The Examiner on newsstands now.


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The BigAdmin paper on "Backup and Recovery for Oracle Databases With Snapshot Feature of Sun Storage 7000 Unified Storage System" makes the most of the web-based GUI common to all products in the Sun Storage 7000 Unified Storage System family. Authors Sridhar Ranganathan and Jeffrey Wright note that this common feature enables their research on the methodologies to be followed for performing backup and recovery operation of Oracle databases using the snapshot, clone, and rollback features to generalize to the entire product line.
The comprehensive data protection features that provide instant snapshots, cloning, rollback, and remote replication in the Sun Storage 7000 Series Unified Storage System can make database protection and maintenance tasks easier for systems and database administrators responsible for Oracle database administration, the authors write.
Among the topics the paper covers are:
In their study the authors used Oracle versions 9.2, 10.2 and 11.1.6 as well as the Solaris 10 5/08 OS for SPARC and x64 platforms, along with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 5.2 x64.
The paper provides information on the projects and file system details in the study, and it also notes that the Oracle database was already running on the database server (client) accessing the Sun Storage 7000 Unified Storage System for the database using the NFS protocol. Further, the user, roles, project, and SSH were configured as described in these BigAdmin articles about the Sun Storage 7000 Unified Storage System:
Deploying Oracle Databases Using NFS on Sun Storage 7000 Unified Storage System
Deploying Oracle ASM Using iSCSI on Sun Storage 7000 Unified Storage System
The paper points out that Sun Storage 7000 Unified Storage System provides a convenient way to take a point-in-time snapshot copy of either the share or the project containing the database files. Snapshots are read-only copies. In a project level snapshot, every share under the project has its own copy of the snapshot, all with the same snapshot name. The snapshot uses a copy-on-write method and hence doesn't occupy any space at the beginning. When new data is written to the share, the old copy is written to the snapshot. The Sun Storage 7000 Unified Storage System can support an unlimited number of snapshots, all of which are dependent on the parent share.
Also included in the paper are the scripts required for a cold backup, as well as those necessary for a hot backup. In addition, the processes for cloning and accessing snapshots are outlined.
Finally, the authors take up the ability of the Sun Storage 7000 Unified Storage System to restore a file system or the LUN by employing rollback of file shares. The script for this process is provided as well. The manual process for restoration of selected data files from a snapshot is also outlined.
More Information
Sun Storage 7000 Unified Storage System
Disaster Recovery Solution for Oracle Databases Using Remote Replication
Read More ...
[...read more...]


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British women born without a womb will be given fresh hope this year when scientists attempt to help the woman who had the world's first successful womb transplant to conceive a baby.
Just over a year ago, Turkish scientists successfully transplanted the organ and are hoping to start IVF treatment in April or May.
If the breakthrough treatment succeeds, British researchers planning to replicate the same results will become a step closer to achieving their goal.
Loading article content
A successful pregnancy helped along by the pioneering Turkish team will assist London-based doctors in gaining approval from ethics committees to conduct the innovative procedure.
Medics in Sweden have also performed four uterus transplants, including the first ever mother-to-daughter womb transplant.
Richard Smith, a consultant gynaecological surgeon, said the British team hoped to conduct the first operation in the UK before the end of 2014.
"The Turkish team transplanted a woman just over a year ago and intend to do an embryo transfer in April or May," said Mr Smith.
"The Swedes have done four transplants in the past two or three months and all of their live donors are well and the recipients are well and are doing as one would expect."
He said that before the British medics could approach local ethics committees, they needed to produce data concerning a pregnancy in a woman who has already undergone the womb transplant procedure.


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Printable View
He keeps calling showmance, show-my-ass. :rofl
he's totally teasing her about how popular she and Shane are, and saying I know you get excited thinking about that.
Saying Danielle and Shane will be invited back to play again. :lol
Wow...just read through 30 pages of feeds from last night over my lunch. Why is it the good stuff always happens when I'm tired, dang it! Thank you guys - again - for keeping those of us who work during the day and/or sleep at night updated! :lol I really hope they show some of the "real Danielle" on Wednesday night. Though I have my doubts after last night's show....
And finally, after well over a year, it's time to replace you Dick. Janie is still my girl...but Dan is definitely the man!!
Wow, he is saying her and Shane will break up after 2 months. "No-mance." :teeth
Danielle doesn't think Ian will win America's Favorite because too many people think he's weird.
She thinks Shane will win it, cause "people like Jeff" usually do.
Danielle doesn't think Ian is going to win America's favorite, he's too weird. Dan thinks that's why he's going to win it.
Danielle thinks it will be Shane. I'm scared it might be Danielle. I know people who only watch the show and they love her and felt bad for her crying in the DR last night :mmm
Dan says he's aware he isn't a likeable guy this season. Danielle is telling him you can change your stars.
ohhhhh, just had something cleared up for me.
In Dan's speech before he evicted Shane, he said to Danielle "Danielle, look in your hands and look up" and I could not for the life of me figure out what it meant.
They were just talking about it - right before he got up, he handed Danielle the head from his play-doh karate kid figure. So he was telling her to look at it. It symbolized chopping the head off.


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WEDDING: Petsinger-Schneider
Miss Marianne Schneider and Jedediah Petsinger were united in marriage on Friday, July 19, 2013 in Jena, Germany. The bride's parents, Matthias and Suzanne Schneider from Jena, hosted a reception and dinner attended by family and friends at the beautiful Fuchsturm, overlooking the city of Jena.
The bride was an exchange student and honorary graduate of Larimore High School, Larimore ND. She attended the University of Maine Orono and received her Masters degree from Tufts University, Boston MA.
The groom, the son of Duane and Martha Petsinger from Arvilla, ND, graduated from Larimore High School. He attended the University of North Dakota and received his Masters degree from the University of Maine Orono. He is the high school Principal at Sanford High School, Sanford, ME.


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Sci-Fi is for sharing ...
Science Fiction Books
Downloads: PDF 584 ePub 205 Kindle 82
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|Free Ebook Synopsis
Trapped in a World Running Out of Ideas…
Thousands of years ago, before he was trapped on an isolated computer system, Flatline was programmed to conquer the world. Today he's escaped back to the World Wide Web, where he hopes to find his way back to the real world. Except the World Wide Web has forgotten there ever was a real world.
The inhabitants of this future Web reside in a closed system, where all possible experiences will soon be exhausted. The Web is winding down, falling into stasis. Here, Flatline is a brief infusion of novelty, bringing chaos to the system.


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The best of today's 2012 coverage.
Tim Pawlenty's nice pastor could sink his presidential hopes, reports The Daily Beast's McKay Coppins: "The political perils of Pawlenty's niceness have been well-documented. But through all the punditry and speculation, little attention has been paid to the man who has spent the past 20 years teaching the candidate how to be so nice: his longtime minister, the Rev. Keith Anderson .... There's no question Anderson has rubbed off on Pawlenty, says Doug Pagitt, a pastor in Minneapolis who knows both men. 'If you listen to them talk, they even talk in the same cadences,' he says. 'They have the same mannerisms; they're very similar communicators …. I think they're very temperamentally similar.'" [The Daily Beast]
Republican 2012 candidates pulling a Bill Clinton on the debt ceiling, suggests the Washington Post. "In order to prove their own conservative bona fides, 2012 candidates can – and likely will – oppose any deal cut by the party's congressional leaders. This makes it even harder for congressional Republicans to strike a debt deal, with party leaders from the outside railing against them and riling up the base in advance of the 2012 elections .... Triangulation – the idea of running against two established positions in an attempt to find a third way – was brought into common parlance during the presidency of Bill Clinton .... And it's already reared its head – albeit in a new sort of way – in the 2012 presidential race." [Washington Post]
Bachmann is the early favorite in Iowa, Reuters reports: "Only two weeks after announcing she was seeking the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, Tea Party favorite Michele Bachmann is already looking like the candidate to beat in Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses in February .... Bachmann, 55, is running neck-and-neck with Mitt Romney among Republicans in Iowa. But Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, has signaled that he will not campaign hard in the state so he can concentrate his energies elsewhere.'Iowa is hers to lose,' said Brent Parks, 45, who chairs the state's Buchanan County Republicans." [Reuters]
Bachmann might be the GOP's Howard Dean, suggests Politico's Jonathan Martin: "Michele Bachmann hasn't declared yet that she's running to represent 'the Republican wing of the Republican Party,' but that's all that's missing from a presidential bid that bears more than a passing resemblance to Democrat Howard Dean's in 2004. The kicker of her first ad in Iowa - 'I will not vote to increase the debt ceiling' - shows the Minnesota congresswoman is betting that she can find the same sort of success as an insurgent taking on her party over spending as Dean did when Democrats felt their Washington leaders caved to George W. Bush in authorizing the Iraq war. 'Like Dean, she fits the mood and moment of her party,' said veteran Republican strategist Tucker Eskew." [Politico]
GOP presidential candidates pressure Boehner to resist tax hikes, reports The Hill: "Several Republican presidential contenders have joined the chorus of voices pressuring Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to refuse tax hikes as part of a deal to raise the debt ceiling. Boehner is already feeling the heat from members of his conference (and his leadership team) as he works to get an agreement ahead of the Aug. 2 deadline, after which the U.S. would default on its debt. But in their fervor to oppose Obama on the issue of spending and the debt limit, some of the presidential contenders have stymied their congressional party's leaders, risking a rift between Capitol Hill and the presidential campaign trail." [The Hill]
Mild Huntsman gently jabs at bland Romney over jobs, reports The Hill: "An attack by former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (R) on Mitt Romney's (R) record of job creation as governor of Massachusetts erupted into a war of words Tuesday between the two presidential candidates. Huntsman, the former ambassador to China, criticized Romney's record as governor, echoing Democratic criticism that Massachusetts ranked 47th in the nation for job growth during the time when Romney was governor. 'Take a look at we've done in Utah,' Huntsman said Monday in South Carolina in comments circulated by his campaign. 'When you look at absolute increases in job creation, Utah led the nation ... contrasted with other states say, Massachusetts, not first but 47th.'" [The Hill]
Why would you run for president when, like Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.), you have no chance? The National Journal sat down with McCotter to learn a bit more about him: "A fifth-term Republican representing the populous suburbs of metro Detroit, McCotter's unlikely candidacy for the nation's highest office seems driven less by his own political ambitions than by his visceral dissatisfaction with the Republican field. When discussing his unexpected entry into the presidential campaign, McCotter repeatedly alludes to the fact that 'the public says they're not happy with the field and they're open to other messages from other people.'" [National Journal]
Mr. "End the Fed" to end his career, notes the Atlantic: "After representing his Texas district for over 22 years, Ron Paul will not run for Congress again in 2012, instead focusing on his presidential campaign... Given Paul's age, it seems he will retire if he doesn't win the presidency. A senior adviser wouldn't say whether Paul is open to running for Congress again, or another office in Texas, if he doesn't win. More likely than not, then, this decision will mean the end of Paul's career as an elected official, as he is a long shot to win the White House in 2012 despite enjoying probably the most enthusiastic supporters of any candidate in the race and performing solidly in national polls. Paul placed second in a recent nationwide NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, collecting 11 percent (tied with Rep. Michele Bachmann) behind Mitt Romney's 43 percent. His best showings in 2008 came in North Dakota and Maine, where he finished second." [The Atlantic]


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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Get it today!Shop Now
OrAdd to Wish List
Set of 3 Key Chains/ Zipper Pulls
Link from Legend of Zelda
Nintendo Controller
These Nintendo pieces can be used as either zipper pulls or keychains. The set includes three metal figures on keychains (with attached hooks for use on zippers) -- Link from the Legend of Zelda, Mario, and the classic Nintendo Controller. Price: Not available
© Copyright 2017 - Christmas.com. All rights reserved and protected by Christmas Spirit


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We all seem to want it both ways. On one hand, we expect these walled gardens to protect us from invasive government spy programs, and we're outraged when they don't. On another, we expect them to act as a public utility, an arm of government, protecting our constitutional rights. But Twitter can ban whoever it wants. Twitter has no responsibility to free speech.
Susie Cagle makes some good points about the internet we want vs. the internet we've got.


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BP Comment Quick Links
|Strength of Schedule Report
August 3, 2012
BP Unfiltered
Grady Sizemore Headlines Keep Getting Sadder
Hawk Harrelson catch commentary: Ball hit deep in the air to center field. Way back! He looks uppppppohhhNO! NO! What a catch by Sizemore!
That catch was so good even Hawk Harrelson didn't hate it, once he came to terms with the fact that the Sox weren't scoring.
Injuries are the worst.
Ben Lindbergh is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @benlindbergh
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Note : Your Quotation Request will be directed to Planar Monolithics Industries.
The SAA-500M18G-20DB-SFF from Planar Monolithics Industries is a RF Variable Attenuator with Frequency 500 MHz to 18 GHz, Attenuation Range 20 dB, Power 0.1 W, P1dB 20 dBm, Insertion Loss 3 dB. Tags: Programmable, Digital, Computer Controlled. More details for SAA-500M18G-20DB-SFF can be seen below.
10 MHz to 1.5 GHz Voltage-Controlled Variable Attenuator
You can now find similar products from multiple companies on everything RF.


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Not all item can be shipped worldwide. Packages that weight 2kg or more are not possible. Some items offers free shipping!
Product Description***Availability: In stock. Shipment is 4-8 working days after payment.***
The arcol.hu spring kit is small, stiff, but not too hard to compress, so the hobbed bar (hyena) does not bite into the filament instantly.
You need one spring kit for a working extruder setup.
Click here for full documentation about Spring kit.
Item's information was updated on: 2012-11-16 (yyyy-mm-dd)


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The 7725 is a new model, sold through Camping World only, as far as I can tell. It is branded as Good Sam on the bottom left of the GPS, but otherwise seems nearly identical to the Rand McNally branded 7720. Whether there is any advantage to buying the 7725 over the 7720 remains to be seen. The fact is, in the online forums at least, no one seems to know. The 7725 curiously, is no where on Rand McNally's website, even in the support section. That is a little disconcerting.
I have a long history with personal navigation devices. A long one. I also travel a lot, both for business and pleasure. I estimate approximately 25,000 miles per year on the road in some form - almost of all of which is with some sort of navigation device (or smartphone software) running. I have a GPS on all the time, especially in later years as solutions like Google Maps, TomTom and Waze use my driving to feed its predictive traffic database. Over the years, I have owned and used the following products: Garmin SP III, SP 2710, SP 2730, Garmin i5, Garmin c330, Garmin 760, Garmin 885T, Dash Navigation, TeleNav for Sprint, TomTom 740 Live, CoPilot Live v8, Navigon for Android, Navigon for iPad, Google Navigation, Waze, Garmin Nuvi 3490LMT, Garmin 3590LMT, Scout by Telenav, TomTom for Android, Rand McNally 7725LM. I've used each of those over the years, at least for one trip at a minimum. eBay is a wonderful thing!
I guess you could say that I am still searching for my perfect solution - no one has nailed it yet. The RVND 7725 will NOT be that perfect solution, but I knew that before I ever bought it. I purchased it with my expectations in check.
|Branding of the 7725 on the box
The 7725 is packaged in a solid box with a premium feel to it - no rattles or other signs of unsecured parts flying around in there. Immediately upon opening the box a "quick start" guide is available. Nice approach. There is a thick layer of Styrofoam before you reach the GPS itself, which is then packed inside of a thin Styrofoam bag within a form-fitting egg crate type shell. Well packaged and presented. Underneath the GPS itself is another egg crate with preformed areas that house the windshield mount, AC power cord, DC power cord and USB cable.
This is a big device. I knew that. I knew I was buying a 7" GPS but when I opened it I still laughed a little about how big it is. This is also a rugged looking device. This is not going to win any beauty awards in the design department. It isn't an elegant 7" tablet. This device is bulky, thick and somewhat gaudy, down to the bright orange power button, a color which seems totally unnecessary given how obvious the button is to begin with. The average consumer knows how to operate those little smartphone and tablet power buttons. Certainly they can operate this massive power button without it being bright orange.
The actual GPS material is nice. It is that cross between rubber and plastic that will immediately be familiar to anyone with lots of experience in smartphone cases. It is hard to explain to those unfamiliar with it, but I like the texture.
|Size comparison to standard office pen
|Yes, this is one thick GPS
|Rand McNally 7" GPS accessory case (sold separately)
I find the screen to have a good level of brightness when mounted in my car. Our RV is a Class C so with the cab over, I can't imagine having any concerns with the screen at all. I have not owned a previous Rand McNally GPS so I can't compare this to others. I have read complaints though, from owners of previous models. All I can say is that I don't have any concerns. The picture below does not do the screen brightness justice. The screen is brighter than in the photo below.
|Screen brightness in a car
I experienced no technical issues with the startup or setup of the 7725. Rand McNally doesn't do a good job of explaining whether to connect the GPS to the computer before installing the PC Dock software or after. However, when installing the PC Dock software, if the GPS isn't connected to the computer, eventually the installation will tell you that a GPS must be connected to continue. There was a small update available that took 10 seconds to apply to my newly shipped GPS. However, the area within the Dock software that is for update release notes simply said "this is the area where update release notes will be displayed." Not helpful for the update that was just provided.
When I registered the device and connected it to the Dock software, the Dock software knows the content and version numbers of what is on my GPS. It would be nice if Rand McNally associated that information with my registration email address to proactively notify me every time there is something new in the Dock software to update. However, I have seen no evidence that this is the case, so I will plan on blindly connecting the 7725 to the Dock software periodically and certainly before every trip.
OK - let's talk about shortcomings. All of these items are things that I knew about before buying so I can't complain. However, based on my previous GPS experience I miss them and the 7725 not having them caused me to think long and hard about buying it.
- No voice recognition. It seems like a premium GPS sold in 2013 ought to have this. I knew it didn't. I bought it anyway. But I find it annoying that it doesn't come with it, especially for use in a RV.
- Lack of traffic included. I knew this too, but I find it petty that the 7725 doesn't come with the lifetime traffic receiver. The Magellan RoadMate RV9165T-LM includes lifetime traffic at this same price point. Rand McNally should have included traffic at this price point.
- Lack of Bluetooth The weather feature is nice and it seems well implemented. What I find incredibly shortsighted is that this feature only works over WIFI. The fact that it does work over WIFI is great, don't get me wrong. The issue is that it doesn't work over Bluetooth. It seems clear that many PND's such as Garmin Smartphone Link and Magellan SmartGPS, and many telematics solutions like Toyota Entune and others have gone the route of sharing a smartphone's data connection over Bluetooth This costs the customer nothing and it supplies a robust pipeline of data to the GPS. Rand McNally not including this functionality was almost a deal breaker for me.
Immediate Dislikes
First of all, I hate the mount. I mean I despise it. The mount itself is sturdy, built decent (as far as plastic builds can go) and is fully adjustable for any conceivable mounting situation. However, when it comes to usability, it earns an 'F' and almost earned a chuck out the window on my first day of ownership. Now, to be fair, if you want to mount this GPS and never move it again, then this mount is just fine. In fact, it probably works well for that. However, I do not ever leave my GPS device visible on the windshield when parked (even when going into a restaurant or truck stop). Once I get the mount set in the perfect position and angle I want to leave the mount alone. I will remove and replace the GPS from the mount when I park and leave the vehicle unattended. This mount is a disaster if that is your mode of operation.
|The 7725 mount. Well made and sturdy.
Here is the problem with the mount. The mount itself uses a large flat plastic "plate" which slides into a mating "slot" on the GPS. You have to line up the plate with the slot perfectly, in two planes, then slide the GPS down onto the plate and lock it in place. It is a nice secure fit. However, this is not a task that is easy to do blind. If the windshield mount stays on the windshield such that you can't see whether you've got the plate lined up with the slot (in two planes) then good luck trying to remount the GPS onto the windshield mount. In addition, this is not a powered mount. The USB power cable plugs directly into the GPS itself, directly out of the back of the unit. Again, it is not easy to plug in the power cable blind.
|Mate the GPS slot to the mount's plate. Don't try this without a direct view.
Removing the GPS from the mount requires some force. You must break the GPS free from the mount by sliding it in the reverse direction such that the GPS slot disengages from the mount's plate. It takes some force to overcome this tight fit and requires two hands. It takes a force such that a few times I've broken the windshield mount's suction from the windshield.
I've owned this device for one day and that is all it took to know that this mount isn't going to meet my needs. There is no way that I am going to fight with trying to attach the GPS to the mount blind every time I go into a store or truck stop. Nor am I going to remove the suction cup mount in its entirety from the windshield every time.
So, I added to my purchase cost and purchased a RAM Mounts X-Grip mount for tablets. I already have this mount for my smartphone and it is stunningly awesome. I look forward to using it with the 7725, despite the fact that it increased my purchase price by $45.
|RAM Mount X-Grip Tablet mount
Some First Impressions
Having to acknowledge the Warning and Legal Consent screen every single time I turn the device on is lame. The lawyers from Garmin, Google and TomTom don't seem to think that this is necessary. Someone needs to go slap the Rand McNally attorneys upside the head and remove this annoyance in a future update.
I love the fact that this device has predictive traffic. It remains to be seen how robust this traffic content is compared to TomTom IQRoutes. Navteq is definitely in catch-up mode on this. However, predictive traffic is a crucial feature for a modern GPS and I am glad to see it in this device. I was surprised to see that the predictive traffic slow downs appeared on the map by coloring coding the roads. This is a nice touch. I will combine my use of the 7725 with a more robust traffic solution (either Google Navigation or TomTom for Android) while on the road. The 7725 will use its predictive traffic for general route planning purposes while Google Nav or TomTom will assist with the real world live traffic should something develop en route. I think it is a good combination.
It is extremely annoying that my selection of turning predictive traffic on doesn't stick through a power cycle. Every single time I turn on the device I have to turn predictive traffic back on. Annoying and unnecessary. Please fix this Rand McNally.
I like the layout of the screen. The screen is huge and there are a lot of pieces of information presented around the screen, but there is still a massive amount of screen left for the map. I don't share the complaints others have voiced online about the busyness of the screen or the map being too small. I've also found that the autozoom function works well so far in my limited use of the device today.
The male voice is significantly better than the female voice in my opinion. The female voice is too robotic but the male voice improves on that significantly. I find the speaker to be a very good quality sound with a volume range that is more than adequate.
We know that this device has Navteq for the maps. As far as quality, it doesn't get better than Navteq for built-in maps. What we don't know is what vintage these maps are. Additionally, Rand McNally's only releases one map update per year so maps will remain 18 months to 2 years old on this device at best. Quarterly map updates should be provided on this device like most competitors but I knew that wasn't the case when I bought it and I still bought it.
I was really surprised to see the way Rand McNally implemented WIFI. If I have WIFI on and connected to a WAP, when I turn the GPS off (or let it turn off when turning the ignition off), they do not enable WIFI and reconnect to the WAP when power is restored. What? EVERY time you turn the device on you have to enable WIFI again in the settings and reconnect to the WAP. That is unbelievably annoying. WIFI should stay on once I turn it on and it should reconnect to the WAP when the GPS is turned back on. I hope that there is not a technical reason that this cannot be changed by Rand McNally.
Concerning the WIFI, it is used for the weather content. I really wish Rand McNally would have used the WIFI for more robust traffic content as well. The separate, external Rand McNally traffic receiver gets slammed in online reviews. Plus, it is old school RDS traffic anyway. I find it frustrating that this device isn't being supplied traffic content using HD Radio or better yet online through WIFI. Let's hope that a future update brings us more robust traffic through the WIFI connection.
I like the fact that the device announces whether your destination is on the right or the left. Navteq data makes this possible. Nice touch.
I like the easily accessible slide-out menu that shows you an overview of your route. There is an option button at the bottom of this screen that shows you your route in different ways including an overview map. I wish Rand McNally would allow us to set one of these views as a default for the slide-out menu. I always check an overview map on any GPS to ensure the route that the device picked passes the smell test. I wish that this overview map could be set as my personal default for the route detail slide-out menu.
I like the fact that this GPS has packed in a lot of little niceties such as warnings for state line crossings, speed limit changes, time zone changes, curves and more. My family loves to take pictures of state welcome signs as we travel, so this will be a nice feature to have. I've read some online reviews about these features having inconsistent performance (alerting on some curves but not on worse curves) so it remains to be seen after more extended use how well this is implemented.
The RV database seems pretty robust and is likely the reason most people buy this unit. It contains a wealth of information about each location. One disappointment is that it doesn't seem to have local, city camping locations, even those that have hookups.
I like the inclusion of a directional compass on the map. This is something that I think Garmin is insane for never including on their GPS devices.
I've run many test routes from my home. In every case so far the 7725 has selected the "right" route as I see it. This is especially true for one of my big "test routes" which separates the men from the boys for PND routing. That route is the route from Des Moines, IA to St. Louis, MO. I've written an extensive blog post about why this route is a great test route. I am glad to see that the 7725 nailed this route, both in the route selected as well as the ETA. That is good news. In other tests where I personally feel a non-interstate route is best, but an interstate route is also available as a close temptation, the 7725 seems to be more in line with my thinking by picking the non-interstate route. I've always felt like the Rand McNally website does a good job with route selection and ETA so I am glad to see that the 7725 behaves much like the website in this regard.
While I appreciate that the 7725 has route preferences to avoid things like tollways and gravel roads, I wish that it would give you these options on a route-by-route basis. I hope that Rand McNally will change this feature to act more like TomTom. After TomTom calculates a route, it prompts you with "This route contains a tollway (or dirt road). Would you like to use it or avoid it?" When I am familiar with the route, there are times when I want to avoid a tollway and times when I want to take the tollway. I'd like to quickly tell the unit my choice on a route-by-route basis instead of having to change a preference setting. For example, if I am traveling from Indiana to the east coast, I may desire to avoid the Ohio turnpike. Upon route calculation, it would be nice to be asked whether I want to avoid tollways or not and have the unit recalculate taking US-30 instead. Other times, say if I am using the device in my car and driving from the KOA West Chicago into downtown, I'd answer "yes, use the tollway" in that scenario.
Navteq data has car pool lanes available in the dataset. Garmin uses that data. Since the 7725 has a car mode and can be used in a toad or rental car, I wish that it also had car pool lane information. When driving in a major city using or avoiding car pool lanes can produce a major change to the route selected and the ETA, especially when the unit already has predictive traffic. I hope the Rand McNally adds this feature.
I am looking forward to getting this device out on the road in a couple weeks on our first RV trip of the season. I am glad that when I do, I will have the RAM Mount X-Grip to replace the awful mount that comes with the 7725. I will be glad to have route planning that is using predictive traffic content as well as (what appears so far at least) to be Rand McNally's pretty good routing and ETA algorithm that is similar to my positive experience with their website directions. I'll be happy to be able to advance plan my trip in the multi-stop route planner. I'll be pleased to execute the trip with a unit where the volume level will easily overcome all of the road noise of a RV.
I will look forward to having a weather overlay on the map while I navigate but be cussing Rand McNally every time that I have to enable WIFI and reconnect to the WAP when the 7725 turns on. This frustration will be equaled only by the frustration that I'll have as I start out on my journey only to realize that the map isn't being shown yet because I haven't acknowledged the legal disclaimer every time I turn the device on.
I'll drive down the road wishing that I had Bluetooth and wishing that my wife had a Rand McNally Android or iPhone app so she could be searching the POI database while I drive and pushing a stopover or destination to my 7725 over Bluetooth while I drive. I won't regret not buying the Magellan SmartGPS for this feature but I will wish that my 7725 had it.
And I'll be using my 7725 with my smartphone running either Google Navigation or TomTom for Android to ensure I have more current maps and the most up-to-date live traffic to augment what the 7725 thinks it wants me to do. Current maps and live traffic content will not be a strength of the 7725, I know that and I'll work around that until / if Rand McNally decides to improve that for us.
When I return from my trip in early June, I'm sure that I'll find that the 7725 worked pretty well, with a few drawbacks - much like my feeling about the device when I decided to buy it. We'll see!


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Research Topics
M E Suarez-Almazor
Affiliation: University of Alberta
Country: Canada
Detail Information
- Use of lumbar radiographs for the early diagnosis of low back pain. Proposed guidelines would increase utilizationM E Suarez-Almazor
Public Health Sciences Department, Healthcare Quality and Outcomes Research Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
JAMA 277:1782-6. 1997..The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential impact of these guidelines in patients with new episodes of low back pain seen in primary care settings...
- Utilization and predictive value of laboratory tests in patients referred to rheumatologists by primary care physiciansM E Suarez-Almazor
Healthcare Quality and Outcomes Research Centre, the Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
J Rheumatol 25:1980-5. 1998..We evaluate the utilization patterns and predictive value of these tests in patients referred to rheumatologists by primary care physicians...


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Quite the Walk!
Friday, March 15, 2013
Even though I hurt DD#1's feelings the other day about "putting on a few pounds", apparently she agreed that she needs to exercise. She told DH she wanted to run on Thursday (mainly because it was such a beautiful day). As I mentioned before, she has a sedentary lifestyle with school, work & hanging out.
DH and I ran on Wednesday. Since he's been working nights, he didn't want to do a long run, so we ran on the "hilly" trail. It's been a while since I've done this trail and it was hard. With walking & running, we probably got in a little over 2 miles.
Last night DH, DD#1 and DD#3 and I went to the greenway trail that's behind the subdivision behind our property. We drive and park at the trailhead because it's a pretty long walk from our house and DD#3 was taking her bike.
DD#3 took off on her bike and DH, DD#1 and I stretched and walked for a few minutes and started to run. DD#1 did pretty good considering she hasn't done any running in a while. She and DH ran at a pretty brisk pace for about a mile. I trudged on past them when they started to walk, but they caught back up with me. We had gone over a mile and were getting ready to turn around, but we still hadn't come across DD#3 on her bike. DD#1 turned around and was going to walk through the neighborhood home and DH needed to go because he was going to run by Publix and pick up DD#2 and he was "done".
I kept on walking to find DD#3. This "leg" of the greenway is about 3 miles and then you have to cross a pretty busy road to continue on (which then goes through the park where we also run). I hoped DD#3 wouldn't cross the busy road, but you never know with her! I finally spotted her riding back. At that point I had probably walked/run over 2 miles. I told her we were going to have to get back home on our own because DH had taken the van and that she could ride on ahead, but had to stop at the entrance to one of the subdivisions and we would cut through there. I walked a little more and then probably ran for another 10 mins. after that. By the time we got home, I had walked/jogged for 1 1/2 hours! I'm not sure the distance, but the walk also included cutting through a very hilly subdivision!
Good thing I got in all that exercise because DH got a pie for PI day and I had a small slice of blueberry pie!
I'm feeling kind of sore and stiff today, so I think I'll take a "rest" day. DD#1 has to work tonight and DD#3 has something at church. I have to get up early tomorrow to take DD#2 to the "24 hour homeless experience". DD#1 decided she would just volunteer a shift and not do the entire 24 hours since she has to work late tonight (and wanted to hang out with boyfriend tomorrow). I'll have a lot of driving around tomorrow, but it's supposed to be 70+ this weekend, so I know I'll get plenty of exercise!
I really enjoy just walking & running and not really keeping up with my distance. For some reason, it doesn't seem like such an "obligation" when I do it that way. I want to work on building back up my distance so I can have a good time on my 5/4 5K, but I think I'll just "enjoy the ride" for a while. I might start working on distance in a couple of weeks.
Speaking of 5K's, a mother of DD#2's friend (who runs 1/2 marathons) came by yesterday to pick up DD#2 to plan out their Spring Break trip (she's going with them to Florida - lucky!) Anyway, she mentioned that one of their friends heard DD#2's name announced at the 5K we did as a "winner"! Apparently she got some kind of award for her age group. She came in 3rd, so they must have given her something. We didn't stay for the "awards ceremony" so I'll have to check it out! She's like her Mom and likes awards & recognition!
Happy St. Patty's Day to all tomorrow!
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Top Searches: Jazzmaster, Les Paul, Rickenbacker, Gretsch, JHS
Fulltone FullDrive 3
From Fulltone:
Real NOS JRC4558D chip..not the current production NJM4558
Has the Fulltone-exclusive Order switch which places the Boost either before or after the Overdrive section of the circuit: After takes whatever sound you have set and increases the Volume so you pop out of the mix. Before pounds the input of the Overdrive channel and increases the distortion, not really the volume...more like the FD2. Two modes, toggle selectable: "90's" original FD2 voicing. Transparent? NOT! Mid, rich Mids, Color, beautiful color. You want transparent? Wrong mode. "Wide Asym"...that's Wide Asymmetrical, for a beautiful, chimey, more open sound.
A completely independent, discrete JFET Clean Boost with a Volume control and a unique mini-knob controlling Germanium Diode "Limiting" function that has to be felt to be really appreciated! Clockwise on this knob takes out the strident, irritating spikes that occur with other clean boosts when you hit the strings hard....absolutely gorgeous feature destined to be a classic and might just show up as a micro sized pedal called "2B."
This Boost circuit does not invert the signal like most clean-boosts and can be used with or without the overdrive section of the pedal.
Icing on the cake? The housing is about 20% smaller than the traditional Fulldrive 2
International customers: In accordance with our authorized dealer agreement with Fulltone Musical Products, Inc. we are not able to ship Fulltone products to customers using an address, billing or shipping, in any country outside of the United States that also has Fulltone distribution in place. Chicago Music Exchange reserves the right to cancel any incoming orders that violate this policy.
From Pedaltrain: Pedaltrain's all-new Classic Series is rooted in the company's best-selling pedal board models. Pedaltrain has incorporated design improvements that make these models better than ever. The Classic 2...
From Neat Knobs: One night at a gig John was using his bass synth pedal and the knob settings were accidentally bumped after some loose cords in his pedalboard case...
The classic 'curly cable', the VCC has been part of some of the most historic moments in rock and roll history. A unique multi-gauge design uses individual conductor types that...
Bigger is not always better. At a fraction of the cost, the 1 SPOT is more powerful than the PedalPower or DC Brick...and takes up NO space on your pedalboard!...
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RALEIGH � Three years ago, Republican lawmakers balked at a deal put forward by Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue to offer a company cash incentives to lure 1,300 jobs to North Carolina.
Now, with a Republican governor at the helm, some GOP lawmakers want to expand state incentives and create a so-called �closing fund� that will allow cash grants to seal a deal with large corporations that promise to add jobs.
The job development measures were tucked at the end of a bill to limit local governments� authority to levy sales taxes and received little debate Thursday before passing the state Senate by a 32-16 vote that crossed party lines. But the new direction is clear.
The bill would direct $12 million toward a company that owns a Western North Carolina paper mill, add $14 million in grants to recruit companies and start a new fund that would allow the state Commerce secretary to offer upfront cash grants to companies.
The closing fund, controlled solely by the state commerce secretary, is expected to get $20 million to $30 million in the still-developing state budget. Senate lawmakers said it would be a one-time appropriation.
The legislation next goes to the House, where incentive programs have faced opposition from Republicans who are ideologically against what they deem �picking winners and losers� in the market.
What softened the philosophical opposition in the Senate, Republicans leaders said, is the new administration and the opportunity to win a major economic development project in the next year.
�We have a commerce secretary that�s been very aggressive,� Senate Majority Leader Harry Brown said, referring to Sharon Decker. �She�s doing a great job, and I think our caucus trusts her to do a great job.� The Jacksonville Republican said �not as much trust� existed under Perdue.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Rick Gunn said �the dynamics of the market have changed� and North Carolina recruiters needed to be able to compete against other states.
�This is a huge tool in the tool box,� the Burlington Republican said. �I think the timing is right. � We have been told from any number of sources in economic development recruiting � that the next five-year window is when every state is going to see the biggest opportunity for growth. I want to be in the game, and I want to win the game.�
The potential to land what job recruiters called a �game changer� didn�t sway Senate Republicans in 2011 when Perdue�s administration asked them to approve a $100 million incentive package for Continental Tire.
The German manufacturer wanted to build a $500 million plant in southeastern North Carolina, but the Senate wouldn�t agree to the $45 million in cash incentives it requested. The company picked South Carolina instead.
Brown said North Carolina is once again a contender for a big economic development project, and that helped spur support for the legislation among Senate Republicans. He said the state is trying to draw an auto manufacturer to the state, or possibly another tire plant.
�I think we need to be in a position to recruit one of those if possible, and this is a way we can give (the secretary) a tool to maybe do that,� he said.
Paper mill to get $12 million
The state�s Economic Development Board recommended the creation of a closing fund earlier this year as part of its 10-year job development plan.
Gov. Pat McCrory has emphasized the need to make North Carolina competitive against other states, such as South Carolina and Texas, that can offer more lucrative packages to lure companies.
But in his 2012 campaign, McCrory expressed reservations about upfront cash incentives and opposed the Continental Tire deal.
McCrory visited the Legislative Building on Thursday but declined to talk about the incentive legislation. The governor�s office said he is still reviewing it.
The bill also would add $14 million to the Job Development Investment Grant program, which is a key tool the governor used to persuade Sealed Air to relocate its headquarters to Charlotte this week and bring 1,300 jobs.
Another provision would give a $12 million grant to Evergreen Packaging, a paper products manufacturer owned by a New Zealand-based holding company that reported $1.7 billion in revenues last year.
The company operates a paper mill in Haywood County that is struggling to comply with federal Environmental Protection Agency regulations on air pollution. The bill rewrites the requirements of the state�s Job Maintenance and Capital Development Investment Fund to make the company eligible for taxpayer money to offset the cost of the upgrades.
Sen. Jim Davis, a Franklin Republican who represents the area, said the money is needed to ensure the future of the plant and its 1,200 jobs.
�I�m not a big fan of picking winners and losers, but � if the government is going to impose all these regulations on them at least the government can be part of the solution,� he said. �I think a $12 million investment by the state is a small price to pay to keep a $240 million investment in our community.�
Closing fund includes limits
The new closing fund � officially named the job catalyst fund � includes a number of restrictions on how the money would be spent and puts a July 2015 deadline on the McCrory administration to make the grants.
Under the bill, eligible companies that move to economically distressed areas would need to create at least 500 jobs, invest $20 million, meet average local wage levels, provide health insurance and adhere to tax and workplace safety rules. The obligations increase if a company chooses to locate in a less distressed area of the state.
The commerce secretary would receive sole authority to give companies the money, directed through local governments. The companies could use it to acquire land, develop facilities or make capital investments, such as acquiring equipment.
Decker was not available for comment. But Commerce Department spokesman Graham Wilson said Decker supported the move. �She looks at it as a closing fund that is going to give us some flexibility,� he said. �When you get to the end of those negotiations you need that flexibility.�
Even with the safeguards on the closing fund, some House Republicans are concerned.
�To me, I think it�s very harmful, this provision,� said Rep. Chris Millis, a Hampstead Republican.
He said he supports using tax dollars to improve public roads and other infrastructure to lure companies, but not the incentives in the Senate bill.
�I�m all about creating an environment where jobs can grow. I�m just not about subsidizing it by taking public dollars and giving it to private (companies),� he said.


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We're hosting a bone marrow drive this afternoon at RFK Stadium and if you're in the DC area there is no excuse for you not to be there. The drive is from 12-5 p.m. ET. Park in Lot 5 and enter the stadium through Gate A.
All you have to do is fill out a form and rub a cotton swab on the inside of your cheek - it takes ten minutes and can help save a life.


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BROOKSVILLE — Carissa Bacon will receive her high school diploma on Tuesday, and the 28-year-old can thank her children for that achievement.
Bacon will graduate from the Adult Education Center after passing the General Educational Development test, which she heard about last year when her children brought home some papers about Hernando County's H.E.A.R.T. Literacy's GED program.
"I was so happy," Bacon said.
She enrolled in the program and immediately began receiving help in the academic areas where she struggled.
"They started me where I still needed to learn," she said, adding that she began studying math in late 2010, and by April, she was able to take the test and pass.
Her long road to this proud moment was filled with obstacles and setbacks, some of which she admits she brought on herself.
Back in her elementary school years in Connecticut, her teachers would send home school work that she didn't get done during the week. Bacon said she didn't focus well at school and day-dreamed a lot.
As she finished elementary school, her mother, Cindy Zappa, decided she would home school her daughter.
"She was a little worried about me going to middle school and getting into bad associations," Bacon said.
While all this was taking place, Bacon said, her mother was having some health problems and her father, John Zappa, was laid off from his job. The family moved the family to Brooksville in March 1996, when Bacon was 13 and just finishing eighth grade.
For high school, her family ordered curricula through American Home School and things were fine for a while. But times got hard financially. John Zappa worked a full-time job, while Cindy Zappa, worked two jobs.
"I'd say I made it about a year and a half into the high school program," Bacon said. Then, she added, "I kind of let other things take priority."
She was babysitting her younger siblings, but she then got her driver's license. At 16, she said, she "let school go."
She worked in a dollar store, babysat and did some house cleaning for a couple of years. Two months short of her 18th birthday, she left home, did some partying and moved in with a boyfriend.
After about a year and a half, she began to realize she was on a bad path if she wanted a good future. At 191/2, she moved back with her parents, met Ken Bacon, and the two were married in January 2002.
She was working as a waitress when she married and her husband worked his swimming pool business. She decided she wanted to do more, but would need her GED to do so.
Bacon and her brother Tyler Zappa, 27, went to Pasco-Hernando Community College to take the pretest. "I was told I needed to work on the math," she said.
She signed up for an online program, but in July 2002, she found out she was pregnant. The couple was still living with her parents and Bacon waited tables until the pregnancy made that too difficult. She found a job a secretary and worked until February 2003.
They moved to their own place and had their son, Cody Bacon, on March 31. Carissa Bacon was focused on motherhood and school again took a back seat.
Five months after Cody's birth, she was pregnant again. Kady was born in June 8, 2004. "That kept me pretty busy," Bacon said.
While pregnant with Kady, the family moved to a bigger house. Three months after Kady's birth, Bacon was expecting again. She had Cory on June 15, 2005.
"At that point," she said. "I told myself I would wait until they were all in school and I would go back myself."
In January 2007, she returned to work as a waitress until, she said, "It got to be too much." She quit and really started thinking about a career.
Her sister, Daryl Kelly, 26, had just become a certified nursing assistant and told Bacon she didn't need a GED for that.
John Zappa paid for the CNA class, and Bacon was hired right away by "Granny Nannies." She is still with them, but the work has motivated her to want to become a nurse.
That's when her children brought the information home about Hernando County's H.E.A.R.T. Literacy's GED program.
Bacon will walk Tuesday night at her graduation with her family in the audience. She plans to enroll at PHCC to become a licensed practical nurse as a stepping stone to becoming a registered nurse. She wants to begin her work with Hospice.
"There were a few bumps along the way," she said. "But now I know I can do it."


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OrderAhead, Any Time.
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Whether you have an iPhone, an Android device, or access to the internet, OrderAhead is always available to connect you to the merchants you love.Available for iPhones in the App Store Available for Android Devices in the Google Play Store Order from your computer