text:
This document describes how to configure and upgrade a replacement Firewall Services Module (FWSM) for one that has failed. This document also describes how to configure the Catalyst 6500 Series Switch in order to minimize downtime. This applies to a FWSM as part of a failover pair, and a FWSM that is already physically swapped (refer to the hardware installation guide for details).
Before you complete the procedures in this document:
Ensure the basic properties of your switch are configured.
Note: This document does not describe the initial configuration of the FWSM and switch. Rather, it assumes the FWSM and switch successfully worked before a hardware failure.
The information in this document is based on the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Firewall Services Module.
The information in this document was created from the devices in a specific lab environment. All of the devices used in this document started with a cleared (default) configuration. If your network is live, make sure that you understand the potential impact of any command.
Refer to the Cisco Technical Tips Conventions for more information on document conventions.
These steps instruct you in the configuration, upgrade, and replacement of the FWSM. The steps are explained in further detail in the remaining sections of this document.
Define a separate VLAN as a firewall VLAN (remove the old firewall VLAN definitions) on the switch with the replacement FWSM.
Plug a PC into the Catalyst 6000 and assign the switch port to the same VLAN that you just defined.
Session to the FWSM and enable an interface.
Use the PC as a TFTP server to download the software. Ensure that you use the same version of code as the current Active device.
Configure basic failover settings on the FWSM and restore the old firewall VLANs and the failover interface (remove the interface configured for TFTP). At this time, configuration replication occurs and the FWSM becomes the backup.
In order to run failover, the two FWSMs must run the same version of code. In the case that the RMA'd FWSM does not come with the same version of code as the active firewall, complete these steps in order to upgrade.
Download FWSM software (registered customers only) to your TFTP server.
Complete these steps:
Add the VLAN to the switch.
The VLAN cannot be a reserved VLAN.
Use the vlan vlan_number command to add the VLAN if you run Cisco IOS® software on the switch.
Use the set vlan vlan_number command to add the VLAN if you run Catalyst Operating System software on the switch.
Assign the VLAN to the switch port to which you plan to connect the PC.
Enter these commands in order to assign a VLAN to a port, using Cisco IOS software:
router(config)#interface type slot/port router(config-if)#switchport router(config-if)#switchport mode access router(config-if)#switchport access vlan vlan_id
Enter this command in order to assign a VLAN to a port, using Catalyst Operating System software:
set vlan vlan_number mod/ports
Copy the old firewall commands to Notepad in order to back them up. Next, remove and then replace them by substituting the VLAN defined in steps 1 and 2.
For Cisco IOS software:
Router(config)#firewall vlan-group firewall_group vlan_range Router(config)#firewall module module_number vlan-group firewall_group
For Catalyst Operating System software:
Console> (enable) set vlan vlan_list firewall-vlan mod_num
Enable an interface on the FWSM and IP address:
nameif interface interface_name security_lvl ip address interface_name ip_address [mask] interface interface_name fwsm(config-interface) no shutdown
Test connectivity between the FWSM and the PC, using ping. Use theis command to download the image from the TFTP server when connectivity is confirmed. Reload the FWSM when the download is complete.
FWSM#copy tftp://server[/path]/filename flash:
For example, enter this command:
FWSM#copy tftp://188.8.131.52/cisco/c6svc-fwm-k9.2-1-1.bin flash:
Replace the commands that you removed in step 1 of the Upgrade the FWSM Code procedure.
For Cisco IOS software:
Router(config)#firewall vlan-group firewall_group vlan_range Router(config)#firewall module module_number vlan-group firewall_group
For the Catalyst Operating System software:
Console> (enable)set vlan vlan_list firewall-vlan mod_num
Setup some basic FWSM settings to prepare it for re-introduction into the pair. Then reconfigure the switch firewall groups/firewall VLANs to include it back into the failover pair.
Remove the old nameif and IP address defined in step 4 of the Enable a New Switch VLAN that is not Currently in Use procedure.
Define the device as the primary or secondary.
FWSM(config)#fail lan unit {primary|secondary}
Enter this command in the system execution space to configure the failover VLAN interface for multiple context mode:
primary(config)#failover lan interface interface_name vlan vlan
Enter this command to set the IP address of the failover interface:
primary(config)#failover interface ip failover_interface ip_address mask standby ip_address
Enable failover:
This output shows an example:
FWSM(config)#failover lan unit secondary FWSM(config)#failover interface ip fover 10.1.1.10 255.255.255.0 standby 10.1.1.11 FWSM(config)#failover LAN Interface fover vlan 50 FWSM(config)#failover
This output appears:
Detected an Active mate. Switching to Standby Beginning configuration replication from mate. This unit is in syncing state. End configuration replication from mate.
The Output Interpreter Tool (registered customers only) (OIT) supports certain show commands. Use the OIT to view an analysis of show command output.
Issue this show command:
fwsm(config)#show failover Failover On Failover unit Primary Failover LAN Interface fover Vlan 150 Unit Poll frequency 15 seconds Interface Poll frequency 15 seconds Interface Policy 50% Monitored Interfaces 249 of 250 maximum Config sync: active Last Failover at: 10:58:08 Apr 15 2004 This host: Primary - Standby Active time: 0(sec) admin Interface inside (10.6.8.91): Normal admin Interface outside (184.108.40.206): Normal Other host: Secondary - Active Active time: 2232 (sec) admin Interface inside (10.6.8.100): Normal admin Interface outside (18.104.22.168): Normal
Check to see that This host is in standby. Also check to see if you can ping devices off your interfaces from the FWSM. If you want the new device to become active, use the no active failover command to force failover.
Enter this command on the active module to failover to the standby module:
primary(config)#no failover active
Enter this command on the standby module to force it to become active:
secondary(config)#failover active
Refer to Using Failover for more details on failover configuration options and troubleshooting.


text:
LAREDO, TX (KGNS) - How about breakfast for lunch? Or dinner?
IHOP restaurants nationwide are offering up a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes to customers on Tuesday March 4 for National Pancake Day.
In return for the free food, IHOP asks that you consider leaving a donation for the Children's Miracle Network or other designated local charities.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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How many bricks are in the Empire State building? How far away is Pluto? Make your best guess in this party game of estimating far-out facts. Draw a card and ask others for their best estimate to one of 600 questions. Then decide whether their answer is either OVER or UNDER the correct amount. Collect the most cards and guess what? You win!
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Stay fresh and protected all-day with PAYOT Deodorant Fraicheur Natural 24-Hour Deodorant Spray, an alcohol-free antiperspirant that keeps skin feeling fresh and clean.
Infused with a delicate fragrance, the aerosol deodorant harnesses the natural antiperspirant propertites of alum stone, and delivers the necessary amount of product to provide optimum protection, all day long. Helping to neutralise odours whilst freshening underarms, the spray will leave you feeling soft, fresh and protected.
Free from alcohol and aluminium salts hydrochloride.
Suitable for all skin types.
PAYOT does not practice tests on animals.
Apply only on underarms and on clean skin.
Butane, Propane, Isododecane, Isobutane, Potassium Alum, Dimethicone, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Parfum (Fragrance), Dimethiconol, Propylene Carbonate.
*List of ingredients can be modified.
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Express Delivery Available - If ordered before 9pm, delivered by courier next working day. More Info »
If ordered before 9pm, delivered by courier next working day. Available on orders placed before 9pm (2pm weekends and Bank Holidays) for delivery next business day. Applies to most delivery addresses within mainland UK.
Please check the stock availability notice on your item when placing your order. This item is:
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Please allow 10 working days from dispatch of your order before notifying us of any late deliveries.
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text: > People may argue that fftw3 or MKL is faster: it is true in theory, but > in practice, not so much. In particular, with the current > implementation, both fftw2 and fftw3 are as fast or even slower than > fftpack (because the wrappers are relatively naive, and do not use fftw > effectively to get max speed). MKL is faster, but a lot of > functionalities are missing for this backend. Besides, the latest MKL versions may crash with Python at the moment (and the Intel engineers do not seem not care about the issue). Matthieu -- Information System Engineer, Ph.D. Website: http://matthieu-brucher.developpez.com/ Blogs: http://matt.eifelle.com and http://blog.developpez.com/?blog=92 LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/matthieubrucher


text:
Detroit postal worker charged with dumping mail
Wed, 15 Jan 2014 13:40:06 GMT —
A mail carrier has been charged with deserting her job after hundreds of pieces of mail were left on Detroit streets before Christmas.
Agents who interviewed Anntina Thigpen say she felt overwhelmed a few weeks before Christmas. Postal Service employees on Dec. 17 began recovering mail on Appoline Street in Detroit. The discoveries lasted for days as snow melted.
There were about 400 pieces of mail, including 175 first-class letters and 34 greeting cards that had been opened. Thigpen denies opening mail.
A criminal complaint against Thigpen was filed Tuesday in federal court. There's no home phone number listed for her, and The Associated Press couldn't reach her for comment.
No defense attorney has been assigned yet.


text:
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text: Ryan, Try installing the latest scipy version 0.51. There's a windows binary for it. Worked fine for me. Martin Ryan Krauss wrote: > I am a Linux user trying to install Numpy/Scipy on a Windows machine > in my office. > > I went to the website and grabbed the two latest versions: > scipy = scipy-0.5.0.win32-py2.4.exe > numpy = numpy-1.0b5.win32-py2.4.exe > >


text:
The Wayne County Humane Society will receive increased funding from the city, albeit much smaller than was originally proposed.
After 80 minutes of discussion, one amendment and one failed amendment attempt, a failed effort to table and a failed effort to formally end all discussion on the subject, city council approved a one-year, $33,765 contract with the Humane Society by a 6-1 vote.
The vote leaves in doubt whether the humane society will agree to the contract, which could result in the loss of 24-hour service for cat and dog calls. Were that to happen, Wooster would then fall under Wayne County provisions, which call only for dog services Monday through Friday, during regular business hours.
"If this contract amount is not offered, it is very possible they will cancel the contract," said Wayne County Dog Warden Mary Ickes. "Then, my office will respond to calls regarding dogs but not cats, and my office operates 8 to 5 weekdays."
Members of the humane society were disappointed with council's decision.
"We are disappointed that council has rejected the value of the services we provide to the city of Wooster," said society member and volunteer Jim Patterson. "To provide those services internally would result in a much higher cost than $45,000."
The lone council member to vote against the $3,765 increase was Inell Keller, D-at large, who said she refused to vote for anything other than the originally proposed $15,000 increase. After the measure was passed, she said she will hold a safety committee meeting Monday at 6 p.m. to discuss other ways of increasing funding to the humane society.
"Fifteen thousand dollars to do a community service," Keller said, "$15,000 -- we spend millions of dollars and never blink an eye. I think it's an embarrassment to turn down $15,000."
Keller offered the original amendment, which would have increased the amount of city-provided, humane society funding from $30,000, which it has been at for the last three years, to $45,000. That amendment failed by a 4-3 vote, with Tom Vura, R-at large, Barbara Hustwit, D-Ward 2, Judi Mitten, R-Ward 4 and Robert Breneman, R-at large, voting against the measure.
Hustwit then offered an amendment of her own -- a $3,765 increase, taking funding to $33,765.
"We do have other considerations here," Hustwit said. "For me, one of the main ones is the fact our city departments are being held to a 3 percent increase this year. Everyone on council tries to spend tax dollars wisely. The figure I have come up with is an annual 3 percent increase from 1997. That is consistent with what other departments have been getting."
That amendment was passed by a 6-1 margin, with Keller casting the dissenting vote. She then made a motion to table the amended legislation, which failed when Hustwit, Breneman, Vura and Mitten again sided together.
Those four legislators all said they were concerned, not with the fact that the humane society was seeking increased funding, but by the size of the requested increase.
"This is still a 50 percent increase on paper," Vura said. "We just can't afford that. There are 24,000 citizens who have asked us and trust us to be good stewards with their money."
Anne O'Planick, R-Ward 3, on the other hand, argued that if this were a consultant coming back and asking for more money, council would approve it without any questions.
"We have a group who has proved what they can do," she said. "We only pay them 50-some percent (of the estimated cost of services provided), and would be paying 80 percent with the new contract. I have never seen a consultant come here and say they were only going to charge us for 80 percent for what they provide us."
Mitten said it is now up to city council and the humane society to work together to find a new source of revenue that the city may be able to pass on, one that does not involve taxpayer monies.
"We need to be a partner, but we can't continue to reach into our pockets and give money," Mitten said. "Their costs are going to continue to go up and our pockets are only so deep."


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Andretti Becomes First 3-Time Fedex Championship Series All Star; Joined On 2001 Team By De Ferran, Brack, Castroneves, Da Matta DETROIT (December 12, 2001) - Team Motorola driver Michael Andretti, who finished among the top three in the ...
Andretti Becomes First 3-Time Fedex Championship Series All Star; Joined On 2001 Team By De Ferran, Brack, Castroneves, Da Matta
DETROIT (December 12, 2001) - Team Motorola driver Michael Andretti, who finished among the top three in the championship for the eighth time in his illustrious career this past season, became the first three-time all-star with his selection to the five-driver 2001 CART FedEx Championship Series All-Star Team announced today.
Andretti is the only driver to be named to the CART FedEx Championship Series All-Star Team every year since the program's inception in 1999 and his latest selection comes courtesy of a third-place finish in the championship during the inaugural season for Team Motorola.
He captured his 41st career win with a dramatic run at Toronto, where an early-race incident dropped him to last in the 26-car field before storming back for one of the greatest comebacks in his 18-year career. It marked the 14th season he has registered at least one win, extending a CART record, and his career victory total ranks first in CART history and third in all-time Champ Car annals.
Andretti, driving a Motorola Honda Reynard, added four podiums to his win at Toronto and had 12 points-paying finishes in 20 starts to finish with 147 championship points. He also ranked seventh in the series in laps led with 108. Andretti concluded the season with 290 career starts, breaking the CART record of 273 established by Al Unser Jr.
"It's an honor to be selected to the CART FedEx Championship Series All-Star team for 2001," Andretti said. "The CART FedEx Championship Series remains one of the most competitive forms of racing today and to be selected as an All-Star team member is a reflection of the effort everyone on Team Motorola put forth during the season. It is also a very special honor to be a member of the All-Star Team since the trophy that goes to the top vote-getter is named for my dad, Mario Andretti."
Andretti was joined on the 2001 CART FedEx Championship Series All-Star Team by two-time series champion Gil de Ferran of Marlboro Team Penske, Kenny Brack (formerly) of Team Rahal, Helio Castroneves of Marlboro Team Penske and Cristiano da Matta of Newman/Haas Racing.
The recipient of the Mario Andretti Trophy, as well as the order of finish with voting totals for each All Star, will be announced at the All-Star Celebration during the soon-to-be-announced CART FedEx Championship Series Sneak Preview 2002. The CART FedEx Championship Series All-Star Team is voted upon by the drivers, a select group of motorsports media and fans.
De Ferran, the 2000 Mario Andretti Trophy recipient, becomes a two-time All Star following his second consecutive FedEx Championship Series title and Vanderbilt Cup. He became only the fourth driver in CART FedEx Championship Series history to capture consecutive titles, joining Rick Mears (1981-82), Bobby Rahal (1986-87) and Alex Zanardi (1997-98).
De Ferran, driving a Marlboro Honda Reynard, earned 199 championship points on the strength of a series-high eight podiums, which included victories in England and Houston, and 15 points-paying finishes in 20 starts overall. He was second in the series with five poles (Toronto, Mid-Ohio, Germany, Houston, Laguna Seca) and had 11 top-three starts in all. He also was third in laps led with 328.
"I was very honored last year to win the Mario Andretti trophy, and I feel the same way about being included on the CART FedEx Championship Series All-Star Team this year," de Ferran said. "I think there are a few things that make this a very special group: the Mario Andretti name - he is one of the drivers who achieved the highest degree of excellence in the history of our sport - and the very knowledgeable group that constitutes the voting panel."
Brack, Castroneves and da Matta are making their inaugural appearances on the CART FedEx Championship Series All-Star Team. All five All Stars utilized Firestone tires, the Official Tire of CART during the 2001 season.
Brack, driving a Shell Ford Lola, was the series leader in three categories en route to a runnerup finish in the championship race with 163 points. He led the series in wins (4), poles (6) and laps led (621). Brack earned wins at Japan, Milwaukee, Chicago and Germany as he scored in 13 of 20 starts. He grabbed pole positions at Mexico, Texas, Milwaukee, Michigan, Road America and England and qualified among the top three 12 times. His 621 laps led rank ninth in CART history for a single season.
"It is quite an honor to be chosen for the 2001 CART FedEx Championship Series All-Star team," said Brack, who moves from Team Rahal to Target Chip Ganassi Racing for the 2002 season. "To me, being a member of the CART All-Star Team means that you are regarded as not only one of the best drivers in CART, but one of the best drivers in the world. That is very special. As a child growing up in Sweden, I always dreamed of being a top race-car driver and it feels great to have achieved this honor. We came so close to winning the championship last year with Team Rahal, and my goal in 2002 is to bring home The Vanderbilt Cup with Target Chip Ganassi Racing. Team Target gives me that opportunity and I'm excited to hit the track this winter in preparation for another title run ... and another year as a member of the CART FedEx Championship Series All-Star Team."
Castroneves drove a Marlboro Honda Reynard to three wins and a fourth-place finish in the championship with 141 points. He scored victories at Long Beach, Detroit and Mid-Ohio and scored championship points in 14 of 20 starts. Castroneves led every lap in his wins from the pole at Long Beach and Detroit en route to finishing second in the series in laps led with 411. His other pole position came at Japan. Castroneves also became the second consecutive CART driver to win the Indianapolis 500, following Juan Montoya's victory in 1999, as he led a top-five sweep by CART drivers in the event's 85th running.
"I'm very excited about being named to the CART FedEx Championship Series All-Star Team for the first time in my career," Castroneves said. "Actually, I'm almost speechless. Last year when the All Stars were standing on stage at the [Sneak Preview All-Star] awards ceremony, I remember thinking that next year maybe that would be me, and now I'm really happy the dream has come true. I also want to thank all of the fans who voted for me and supported me during the 2001 season."
Da Matta, driving a Texaco/Havoline/Kmart Toyota Lola, finished fifth in the series championship with 140 points as he closed the season in a flourish. He opened with a win in the season opener at Monterrey, Mexico and then closed with consecutive victories at Australia and California Speedway. The latter earned him a series-high $1 million prize for the victory. He had five podiums in all and 13 points-paying finishes in 20 starts. He had seven top-five starts, including a season best of second at Monterrey, Portland and California Speedway, and ranked eighth in the series in laps led with 104.
"It's really cool to be on the CART FedEx Championship Series All-Star Team because of the people who did the voting," da Matta said. "They are very knowledgeable about racing and that is what makes this honor even more special. We started the season strong and ended strong, but we struggled in the middle of the season or we would have been a contender for the championship. The entire team - from the engineers to every mechanic - worked very hard and it is a testament to their commitment that I made the CART All-Star Team."
Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc. (NYSE: MPH) owns, operates and markets the FedEx Championship Series. Former series champions Michael Andretti (1991) and Jimmy Vasser (1996) are among the stars who will battle for the 2002 FedEx Championship Series title on ovals, temporary street circuits and permanent road courses. The 2002 CART FedEx Championship Series season kicks off March 10 at Monterrey, Mexico and the 19-race schedule will be broadcast by new television partners, CBS and Fox Cable Networks Group, including Speedvision/Speed Channel. CART also owns and operates its top development series, the Toyota Atlantic Championship. Learn more about CART's open-wheel racing series at www.cart.com.


text:
- Sbarro LLC09.Feb 2016
- Employee
Suggestions for improvement
- Sell it back to the original owners.
What I like about the company
nothing now, it was a company that was great to work for. good team work, proud to be part of the company. then the new owners came in and it was a rapid decline.
What I dislike about the company
they do not care about there employees, they do not communicate and are dishonest with their employees. From the top executive teams, they could care less of any of their employees concerns or their input.


text:
After my latest foray into the world of celebrity perfume, it's sparked a bit of a roll. The latest addition to my no holds barred collection is none other than everyone's favourite teen pop country princess, Taylor Swift with Wonderstruck Enchanted.
First things first, the bottle has far more dressing table appeal than my previous subject and has a pretty, almost middle eastern feel to it. It would fit right in at a Moroccan bazaar, if Moroccan bazaar's did celebrity perfume...the dinky charms hanging from the bottle set it off a treat.
Let's get down to the good stuff, how does it score in the scent department?
Before I throw this out there, I acknowledge I'm sailing close to the wind but it had to be done. Everybody knows Janis Ian is the law.
Some may agree, but I don't care. After initially thinking it's too sweet, gourmand and sickly for my usual more unisex taste, I let it settle on my skin and I actually think it's a corker. The seal of approval came this morning when I put my scarf back on after spraying myself last night and forgetting about it. I was met with a fruity vanilla fragrance that was warm and inviting, yet not overpowering. It provides a light feminine relief to the peppery ginger scents I usually favour.
So Taylor, like your incessantly catchy tunes,Wonderstuck Enchanted is a definite grower that will win you over. It's a definite winner if you're looking for a gift for a teen girl but it can also hold its own if you're slightly older but still want to smell fruity and fresh.
Thumbs Up Taylor, This is like my sordid love affair with Britter's Fantasy all over again.
*provided for consideration, although my own thoughts entirely, swear guv'nor.


text:
Drosophila model for wireless biosensor
Fruit flyes nervous system inspires researcher Fredrik Sandin, Luleå University of Technology to develop the next generation of wireless sensors. They can be used eg for monitoring of machines, processes, medical applications, monitoring of plantations, roads, railways and represents a major technological revolution
- The impact of these developments on society, industry and daily life is expected to be comparable to the change that the Internet has brought, says Fredrik Sandin, researchers belonging to the Department EISLAB at Luleå University of Technology, which recently launched a 4-year research project.
Wireless sensor networks consisting of sensors, microcomputers and wireless communication via the Internet, which cooperate to enable the collection and analysis of information, is expected to revolutionize both industry and our everyday liv. En prerequisite for their effective functioning is low energyconsumption and this is where the fruit flies is interesting
- If you compare today's microprocessors with biological nervous systems, such as in fruit flies, you realize that they use a fraction of the energy needed for the technology to encode and analyze information, says Fredrik Sandin.
To enable large-scale systems it requires that the sensor units, for a long time is able to analyze the enormous amounts of data produced in the sensor network, without consuming large amounts of energy. Today, information is sent to a central computer that performs the analysis, which is energy intensive. The researchers' goal is to develop a so-called "neuromorfic" chip capable of encoding and processing the signals from the sensors in an extremely energy efficient way.
- We try to transfer the brain's calculation principles for a chip that simulates small nervoussystems, says Fredrik Sandin.
A neuromorfiskt chips can consume as little as a few tens of microwatts. It represents the power required to maintain current technology in power saveing mode.
The research project Bio-inspired computing and novel technology for networks of tiny wireless sensor divices is led by EISLAB at LTU. Prof. Jerker Delsing coordinates the project together with Fredrik Sandin. Monash University in Australia, the Institute of Neuro Informatics in Switzerland and PETRONAS University of Technology in Malaysia is also participating in the project, financed by STINT (Foundation for International Research and Higher Education)


text:
AgustaWestland Philadelphia has experienced rapid growth in recent years and is planning for even more. The workforce at the plant has increased from 160 in 2005 to 560 today and workers there assemble the AW139 medium twin and the AW119Kx single for deliveries in North and South America. Since 2005, AW Philadelphia revenues have grown by $500 million to $717 million in 2012, about 18 percent of AW's total revenues, when the plant assembled 36 AW139s and 12 AW119s. And that production is growing. Over the last five years, AW has built 150 AW139s in Philadelphia, and 45 percent of all helicopters built there are exported. It also provides major product and engineering support for AW; engineers at Philadelphia developed the AW119Kx with the Garmin G1000 avionics system and major options and modifications for the AW139.
Last year the company announced that it would begin assembling the new AW169 twin there in 2015 and planned to ramp production of that model up to 20 per year beginning in 2017. (The main AW169 assembly line will remain in Vergiate, Italy with major components produced at AW Yeovil, UK.) AW Philadelphia also is becoming an increasingly important part of AW's overall global components sourcing.
The AW169 is the first serious challenge to Sikorsky's S-76 dominance of the U.S. corporate market and AW Philadelphia president Bill Hunt thinks the AW169's larger cabin and speed make it a serious contender. "More than anything else, our corporate and executive customers demand speed and ultimate levels of comfort in their helicopters," Hunt told AIN. "We expect to grow our market share. The AW169 is unlike any other aircraft in its weight category, with regards to avionics upgrades, increased cabin and baggage space, greater power-to-weight ratios and use of composite materials in its airframe."
The AW169 also remains a contender for U.S. DoD and parapublic roles as the bias for new helicopter acquisition programs is expected to shift to commercial off-the-shelf solutions for select applications. AgustaWestland already has had success with promoting the larger AW139 for these missions globally and with local and state governments in the U.S., and AW North America CEO Bob LaBelle sees no reason why this formula cannot be applied to the somewhat smaller AW169 as well. "Operators in Italy, UK, Spain, Estonia, Japan, Republic of Korea and Malaysia, are using the AW139 with great success for parapublic missions like border patrol and search and rescue," he said. "Here in the U.S., our federal and state government AW139 operators include Customs and Border Protection, New Jersey State Police and the Maryland State Police, which take advantage of flexible configurations that allow for homeland security, law enforcement, EMS and search and rescue operations to be carried out using the same aircraft. Likewise, the AW169 is uniquely suited to support a wide range of missions including aerial escort, command and control, security operations, deep operations, target acquisition and targeting, and fire support coordination."
AW has invested heavily in U.S.-based product support in recent years and finished second in AIN's product support survey in 2013. There are 13 autorized service centers in the U.S, three in Canada, three in Mexico, one in Puerto Rico and one in Panama, all managed from Philadelphia. Additionally, AW has 20 tech reps working in the field throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico and 45 technicians available from AW's Part 145 facility in Philadelphia where more can be drawn from production as needed. AW deploys technicians to assist customers with fleet integration and training and performing heavy field maintenance and repairs. Two mobile support trucks, one in the U.S. in partnership with Mecaer, and another in Mexico operated by Hawker, support these efforts. Philadelphia also partially supports operations in Brazil with AW Italy.
AW maintains an extensive parts inventory at Philadelphia as well as at its regional supply centers in Las Vegas and near the Gulf of Mexico. Plans also are in the works to build another supply center in Canada. Philadelphia also provides support and oversight of several different customer maintenance support plans.
AW Philadelphia also is home to the AgustaWestland Training Academy, staffed with 15 pilots, nine ground instructors, a business support staff and a senior training manager. AW Philadelphia instructors technicians are currently completing maintenance training on the AW169 and AW189 and will be ready to instruct and work on those aircraft by the time they are certified, the company said.
The training academy is currently equipped with one AW119, maintenance simulators for the AW119 and AW139, one AW139 full flight simulator (located nearby in Whippany, N.J.), two virtual interactive procedure trainers for the AW139 and AW109SP and spare parts for hands-on technician training. Training academy classrooms recently underwent thorough updating with the installation of smart boards, and the academy is developing new multimedia courses.


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Slate names Julia Turner EIC
Julia Turner is the new editor-in-chief of Slate. David Plotz, the site's current top editor, is stepping down, Leslie Kaufman reports.
Plotz may "start a new operation for Graham Holdings, the parent company of Slate," Kaufman writes. Turner will be based in New York. Plotz was based in D.C.
"I'm not leaving for any secret reason," Plotz writes in a farewell note. "Maybe it's the rule of six: Mike [Kinsley] edited Slate for six years. Jacob [Weisberg] edited Slate for six years. I've been editing Slate for six years, and I'm ready to try something new."


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St. John's U. Selects New President; U. of Nebraska Appoints Dean of Dentistry
Job Moves
Conrado M. Gempesaw, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Miami University, in Ohio, will become president of St. John's University, in New York, on July 1. He will succeed the Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, who became interim president following the retirement last year of the Rev. Donald J. Harrington.
Janet Guthmiller, associate dean for academic affairs and a professor in the department of periodontology in the School of Dentistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has been appointed dean of the College of Dentistry at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. On September 1 she will succeed John W. Reinhardt, who has held the job since 2000.
Chukuka S. Enwemeka, a professor and dean of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, will become provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at San Diego State University on July 1. He will succeed Nancy A. Marlin, who is stepping down from the role she has held since 1998.
Terry Papillon, director of the University Honors Program at Virginia Tech since 2008, will become dean of the college at Sewanee: the University of the South, in Tennessee, on July 1. He will succeed John Gatta, who plans to step down on June 30 after seven years in the post.
Andrew W. Moore, a Google vice president who is founding director of its engineering office in Pittsburgh, will become dean of Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science in August. A former professor of computer science and robotics there, he will succeed Randal E. Bryant, who will return to the faculty after having served as dean since 2004.
Katherine Anandi Rowe, a professor of English at Bryn Mawr College and a leader of digital-humanities efforts, will become provost and dean of faculty at Smith College on July 1. She will succeed Marilyn Schuster, who has been provost since 2009.
Thomas L. (Les) Purce says he will step down in August 2015 as president of Evergreen State College, which he has led since 2000. The college says he is the longest-serving president among public baccalaureate institutions in Washington State.
Barry Mills, president of Bowdoin College since 2001, says he will step down in June 2015. He told the Bowdoin community in an email that he did not plan to retire but would seek another "professional challenge."


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Corey Kluber sparked the start of the Cleveland Indians' current win streak, and he could be the right guy to keep it going and get them back to .500 for the first time in nearly six weeks.
As Kluber looks to match a career high with his fifth consecutive win Wednesday night, the Indians try for a season-high sixth straight victory and a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox in front of new Cleveland fan favorite Johnny Manziel.
Kluber (6-3, 3.04 ERA), who won his final five decisions last year, has been victorious in his last two starts. The right-hander stifled Colorado in a 5-2 win Friday, yielding a two-run homer and four other hits while striking out 12 over 7 1-3 innings, as he finished May 4-0 with a 2.09 ERA in six starts.
"He's the same guy every single day whether he pitches good or bad," pitching coach Mikey Callaway told the Indians' website. "There's no peaks or valleys. He's consistent and he does his work probably better than everybody."
Tied for the major league lead with 95 strikeouts, Kluber fanned 10 in his only start versus Boston last year as he gave up one run and three hits in 6 2-3 innings before the bullpen blew a late lead in Cleveland's 6-5 loss.
All three of Kluber's starts this season with 10 or more strikeouts have come at home, where he has 55 in 44 innings over six outings.
Manziel will try to precede Kluber with his own strike for the ceremonial first pitch, which - at worst - should be better than rapper 50 Cent's highly mocked left-handed toss that sailed about 30 feet outside the strike zone at Citi Field last week. The rookie quarterback should also provide a boost at the gate since the Indians rank last in average home attendance.
Cleveland (29-30) has not been .500 since owning an 11-11 mark April 24, but put itself in position after Tuesday night's 5-3 win. Leadoff hitter Michael Bourn again helped stake the Indians to an early lead, scoring in the first inning for the third consecutive game, and had a go-ahead two-run double in the seventh.
Bourn, hitting .367 with 14 runs scored in 15 lifetime contests versus Boston, is 8 for 19 with six runs during the five-game winning streak.
"It can look so daunting when you look too far in advance, but when you take care of what you're supposed to do that day, all of a sudden things can mount in a good way," manager Terry Francona said.
Brandon Workman (0-0, 3.24) will make his scheduled start for the Red Sox after appealing his six-game suspension handed down Tuesday for throwing behind Rays third baseman Evan Longoria on Friday. The resulting ejection ended the right-hander's night with two runs and four hits allowed in 5 1-3 innings of Boston's 3-2, 10-inning victory.
"I really didn't know what to expect," Workman told the team's official website. "I knew beforehand that if you get ejected, automatically you get a fine. I didn't know about a suspension, I was kind of waiting to see.
"It wasn't intentional, it was raining, the ball slipped out of my hand. They can take that into consideration."
Workman, who has never faced Cleveland, has given up five runs and nine hits with six walks in 10 1-3 innings over two starts since joining the rotation.
Xander Bogaerts homered for the second straight game and is hitting .467 in his last seven for Boston (27-31).
"He's in a good place offensively," manager John Farrell said. "He's balanced, extra base power pretty consistently. He's playing very well."


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Sporty's Introduces a New Pilot Backpack. If you prefer a backpack as your flight bag, Sporty's has introduced its Cross Country Backpack with specific pockets to organize headsets, iPad, flashlight, fuel tester, handheld radio and other equipment. Sporty's Cross Country Backpack is priced at just $64.95. For more information, visit Sportys.com
Sporty's New Instrument Rating App. In addition, Sporty's Complete Instrument Rating Course is now available as an iPad/iPhone app. The app includes 13 hours of real-world video and advanced graphics that include 3D animations to help explain difficult concepts. Sporty's Instrument Rating App Demo is available as a free download and the entire course can be purchased for $199.99 at Sportys.com/apps.
Sallie Mae Back in the Flight Student Loan Business. Over in the USA, AVweb has reported that Student Loan Marketing Corporation (Sallie Mae), is getting back into the business of offering student loans for flight training. However, more details on the funding will become available at the Flight School Association of North America (FSANA) convention in Orlando from February 11 to 14.
Podcast: SocialFlight. AVweb also has a podcast interview with SocialFlight's Jason Clemens about his new mobile app and website that presents members with every single aviation-related event and provides them access to an interactive social platform.
Skydiving App. Skydiving enthusiasts take note, Skydiver Joe Peterson has just released an Android app based on the "Book of Skydiving Formations" by Mike Truffer that includes a database of more than 1,000 formations ranging in all sizes from 2-ways through 20-ways. The app is available from the Google Play store for $9.95.
New Flight Tool Cabinet. If you are also the mechanic for your own aircraft, Snap-On Industrial has introduced Flight Line Roll Cabinets that are designed to handle the rigors of a flight line. The Flight Line Roll Cabinets are available in five-drawer or six-drawer configurations as well as with both 8" and 10" deep bottom drawers. For more information, visit SnapOn.com/industrial.
The Girls With Wings Pilot Shop to Close. Lynda Meeks has regretfully announced that her Girls With Wings Pilot Shop will be closing as sadly, the venture was not making a profit, let alone breaking even. That means her remaining merchandise is available for mostly 50% off and this might be your last opportunity to buy pilot or aviation related items specifically intended for your daughters, granddaughters or nieces.
Pilots Without Pants 2013 Calendar. Finally, the Pilots Without Pants calendar is once again available to help raise funds for the Antique Airplane Club of Greater New York. For 2013, the club decided to return to its roots and once again feature aircraft owners poising with some of the best looking antique aircraft imaginable. The calendars are for sale on the club's website for $19.99 or or by mailing a check for $22.98. For more information, visit AACGNY.org.


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Session Title: The importance of sales transformations to effectively compete in business in 2010
SellingPower Sales Leadership Conference
Hosted by: David DiStefano, CEO Richardson
Session Description: If you are like most companies, the past 18 months uncovered significant sales performance challenges that were previously overlooked - from ineffective sales processes, lack of operational efficiencies and the skills and talent required to be successful. Join David DiStefano, President and CEO of Richardson, a leading sales training and consulting firm for an interactive panel discussion with Al importance of transforming sales organizations to effectively compete in business in 2010 lison Kerska, Kelly Services, Jennifer Hammonds of WellPoint, Larissa Chaikowsky, BMO, and Matthew Serynek, SunGard, Tim Weyland of Trinet. David will lead this highly experienced group in an open discussion on theand beyond. The group will address the vital elements of the sales function from structure, processes, and talent development to help better equip sales organizations with the capabilities it needs to optimize revenue impact and operating effectiveness.


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Sitting back, laughing, and chatting about your day is the best way to enjoy a haircut and the simplest way to ruin your child's clarinet recital. Get a lively look with this Groupon.
The Deal
- $30 for a haircut (up to a $45 value) and a blow-dry (a $30 value; up to a $75 total value)
Image Beauty Spa
Image Beauty Spa immerses hair, skin, nails, and even muscles in treatments that adorn and refresh. Essie polish drenches fingertips in new colors, and acrylic nails keep them looking sharp. Keratin treatments smooth locks, and shears snip to reveal new cuts and detach too-tight top hats. Even faces aren't safe from spa staff's beautifying urges: aestheticians shape brows and swaddle complexions in European-style facials. Massage therapists, meanwhile, assuage aches.


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For at least one moment on Saturday night, head coach Jim Mora's judgment was slightly off.
Premium Content
Subscribe today to read the full article and get everything Rivals has to offer.
- Member-only message boards
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ShopSugar! SugarShop!
OK, try saying that five times fast...or try shopping in our very own ShopSugar! You can now buy your very own Sugar paraphernalia for your favorite sites - which is all of them right? But for you Fab devotees be sure to check out the FabSugar shop. There are comfy tees and undies for men, women and kids & fun stuff like totes, mugs, license plate covers and doggie tees. Help us represent!
Also, we have decided that the winning Fab Finders of the Fab Spring outfit challenge will all receive Fab tees. But if you simply can't wait until the winners are revealed (soon!), shop ahoy.


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Vampire Weekend + Killer Mike Will Perform at a Bernie Sanders Rally in Iowa
Vampire Weekend, Killer Mike and Foster the People will perform at a Bernie Sanders rally at University of Iowa this weekend.
Vampire Weekend, Killer Mike and Foster the People will perform at a Bernie Sanders rally at University of Iowa this weekend.
The first installment of the "musix mix-perience" in San Diego kicks off this week and we've got 15 artists you'll definitely want to make time to catch.
Lollapalooza has announced details for its South American locations and the first-ever European event.
Isom Innis has had a busy year touring and playing with Foster the People. However, the Los Angeles artist shows that he still has some things up his sleeve with his latest solo track, 'Freak Show.'
Foster the People's latest single features the eyebrow-raising title of 'Pseudologia Fantastica.' For those of you who are too busy to check Wikipedia or someplace that can fill you in on what this pretentious mess of words means, we did the heavy lifting: It's a fancy name for pathological lying.
In their new video for 'Coming of Age,' Foster the People confront maturity with a series of scenes that may or may not bring back some painful and awkward high-school memories. There's even a sexy older woman whose mere presence makes a little kid's ice cream cone slip limply from his hand.
Delaware's Firefly Festival, back for its second consecutive year, is set to take place at the Woodlands of Dover International Speedway from June 21-23. The three-day affair, led by headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, boasts performances by Vampire Weekend, Foster the People and dozens more.
You might get a workout just by watching David Beckham in the H&M ad for its new bodywear line. The commercial features the tattooed athlete sprinting through the neighborhood in only his underwear and has been paired with Foster the People's 'Don't Stop (Color on the Walls).'
Foster the People frontman Mark Foster reached the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro yesterday. He and singer Kenna scaled the Tanzanian natural landmark to spark awareness about the need for clean water across the globe.
Foster the People's breakthrough smash 'Pumped Up Kicks' was pulled from many radio stations in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Conn., which left 26 people dead, most of them young children. The song was a point of contention, due to the lyrics "You better run, better run / Outrun my gun / You better run, better run / Faster than my bullet." The band has responded to the song being temporarily removed from the airwaves.


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TULSA, Okla., Jan. 9, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rose Rock Midstream, L.P. (NYSE:RRMS) and SemGroup ® Corporation (NYSE:SEMG) (SemGroup) announced today that Rose Rock Midstream has agreed to acquire a 33.3 percent interest in SemCrude Pipeline, L.L.C., which owns 51 percent of the White Cliffs Pipeline, from SemGroup for $273.9 million. Following the acquisition, Rose Rock Midstream will effectively own 17 percent of White Cliffs Pipeline. The White Cliffs Pipeline is a 527-mile common carrier, crude oil pipeline system that originates in Colorado and terminates in Cushing, Oklahoma. It has a current capacity of 70,000 barrels per day and has announced an expansion project for an additional 80,000 barrels per day resulting in total capacity of 150,000 barrels per day. This expansion is expected to be completed in the first half of 2014. "We are excited to announce our first drop down transaction for Rose Rock Midstream, which will be immediately accretive to the partnership's common unit holders," said Norm Szydlowski, president and CEO of Rose Rock Midstream. "This acquisition supports our strategic plan and is complementary to our existing crude-based business. The White Cliffs Pipeline is a very strategic asset and the only pipeline that directly transports crude oil from the DJ Basin to Cushing, OK." The acquisition, which is expected to close by January 14, 2013, will be immediately accretive to distributable cash flow on a per unit basis and will be funded with approximately:
- $130.3 million of cash borrowings under Rose Rock Midstream's revolving credit facility,
- $59.3 million of equity from the private placement of common units,
- $44.4 million of equity from the issuance of common units to SemGroup, and
- $37.0 million of equity from the issuance of Class A units to SemGroup. The Class A units will not receive any distributions, but are convertible into common units on a one-for-one basis once the White Cliffs Pipeline achieves an average monthly volume of 125,000 barrels per day.


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Politics of Wednesday, 14 November 2012
Source: myjoyonline
My attention has been drawn to an allegation from the Deputy Minister for Central Region and Member of Parliament for Mfantsiman West Constituency, Aquinas Tawiah-Quansah that I am behind the circulation of a supposed sex video in circulation in which he is believed to be the male sex partner.
I have read the allegation from Aquinas Tawiah-Quansah on the website of Radio XYZ and also in The Herald newspaper and on several other websites. I am also aware of a desperate attempt by him and his cohorts to put out a fake text message allegedly emanating from me.
I want to put on record that Mr. Aquinas Tawiah-Quansah's allegations are not only untrue and spurious but also a figment of this own imagination.
I therefore ask him to leave my name out of this apparent embarrassment he finds himself and carry his own cross.
For the records, I have not seen the said sex video and I cannot be said to be the one circulating a video I have not seen. I am focused on my campaign within the constituency, propagating the good message of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as I look up unto the Lord for h is blessings on my parliamentary ambition. I firmly believe it is only God who will give me the nod to serve my people.
It is therefore not true I am behind the circulation of the video and I consider it unfair for Aquinas Tawiah-Quansah and his cohorts to drag my name into this scandal when he knows very well I was neither part of his love-connections nor present when he did whatever he is alleged to have done in the said video.
I was not and do not wish to be part of it in anyway.
I suggest he focuses on the issues and addresses them directly rather than play politics with it.
Fortunately, The Herald has mentioned the name of the said female sex partner in the video and given an explanation as to how and why the video was recorded and now in the public domain. I believe the information is enough lead for Aquinas Tawiah-Quansah to get to the bottom of this.
I wish him well.
Stephen Asamoah-Boateng


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[Noozhawk's note: This article is part of Day 2 in Noozhawk's 12-day, six-week special investigative series, Prescription for Abuse. Related links are below.]
Unlike methamphetamines or heroin, which could have been made in a stranger's garage, a uniformly manufactured pill from a pharmacy is considered a paragon of safety.
"There's this perception that it's safe, because it's prescribed by a doctor and comes in a plastic bottle with your name on it," Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown told Noozhawk.
"The public has to realize this is a very serious problem; this is not something that is superfluous."
The fact is that medical professionals regularly prescribe drugs that can — and do — become addictive.
| Prescription for Abuse | Complete Series Index |
Addiction can be caused by taking prescription medications recreationally, taking more than the prescribed dosage, or following every direction given by a physician. Treatment for an injury or attempts to get high can lead to complete dependence.
The most abused prescription drugs — strong opioid painkillers like morphine, Vicodin and OxyContin — are derived from the same opium poppy plant as heroin.
More than 7 million Americans report using prescription drugs nonmedically within the past month, according to the Health and Human Services Department.
Pain is perceived differently by different people, explained Dr. Chris Lambert, who worked as a full-time emergency department physician from 1977 to 2010. He now heads Cottage Health System's Frequent Opiate User Program, which monitors patient prescription histories to determine if they're seeking additional drugs.
"Until there's clearly a flagrant example that I'm getting worked, so to speak, I treat them," he said.
Lambert teaches doctors in residency the same thing — to treat first and later deal with any problems that are identified.
At Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, triage nurses assess patients so they don't have to be in agony while waiting for an hour in the emergency room, Lambert added.
He said he has treated many close calls related to prescription drug overdoses, especially when patients take a mixture of narcotics about which they know nothing.
Opioids include natural opium poppy products (opiates), like morphine and codeine, and semi-synthetic products hydrocodone, hydromorphone and oxycodone. The products are often used as painkillers because of their effects to decrease the reaction to and perception of pain.
Alicia, 31, only stopped abusing prescription drugs when Santa Barbara County took away her two children. It took her nine months of treatment and drug court to get them back.
"I never tested positive for drugs ever again," the woman told Noozhawk on condition of anonymity. "It's sad, but I needed my kids taken from me to (give up drugs)."
A Vicodin prescription after a car accident started her 10-year problem.
"I discovered pills at 20 and fell in love with them because they were legal," she said. "You didn't have to feel guilty about it."
Alicia's habit grew when she discovered how easy and inexpensive it was to make online purchases of pain, sleep and muscle-relaxant drugs.
"I used to be so envious of people who could go through their day-to-day life without being on something," she said. "But I didn't have the willpower to stop."
Benzodiazepines and psychotherapeutic drugs are also commonly abused.
Informally called "Benzos," benzodiazepines act as sedatives in low doses, affect the central nervous system and are widely prescribed to help relieve anxiety or insomnia and to prevent seizures. Some name-brand products include Xanax, Valium and Klonopin.
Psychotherapeutic drugs like antidepressants are commonly taken without a prescription as people self-medicate, said sheriff's Sgt. Sandra Brown, supervisor of the county Coroner's Office, a division of the Sheriff's Department.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse defines addiction as a chronic, relapsing brain disease characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences. Drugs can change the structure of the brain and how it works, which is why addiction is considered a brain disease.
There are many origins to abuse, from people taking medications as prescribed to experimenters whose only interest in the drug is getting high. But there are serious physical and mental effects from long-term drug abuse and addiction, and recovery is a lifelong ordeal.
One effect Lambert has observed in abusers is a change in mental status, which causes their perception of reality to suffer while also damaging family relationships. These psychosocial consequences are in addition to the risks of driving under the influence or an accidental overdose, he said.
Lynn, a UCSB student who had to leave school to seek treatment for her drug abuse with the Santa Barbara Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse's Project Recovery, said the drugs are so strong that people can get addicted even when taking them just as prescribed. Even among people who were abusing them intentionally, some didn't realize drugs had a time-release formula, which increased the risk of overdose, she said.
"If that's an issue for people who don't mentally crave this, it's going to be that much more of an issue for people who do," she told Noozhawk, also on the condition of anonymity.
Now 21, Lynn said she abused OxyContin for two years before switching to heroin after the formula changed and the anti-crushable tablets made it too difficult to freebase them — that is, melt them on a piece of foil and then smoke it.
She bought the pills on the street, mostly.
"If you're into a certain thing, I feel like you will always find it because you work to find it, whether that way is sketchy or not," she said. "People are very clever."
Lynn's story is not uncommon. Within the past two decades, the statistics are staggering: Both prescription and abuse rates have skyrocketed, resulting in hundreds of thousands of overdose cases annually. The number of patients treated in emergency rooms for prescription drug overdoses doubled between 2004 and 2008, to 305,885, and death rates have risen astronomically since the late 1990s.
Prescription drug abuse is not one county's problem; it ranges across socio-economic and geographical lines.
The number of unintentional opioid painkiller deaths in the United States nearly quadrupled over the last decade, to 11,499 in 2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Vital Statistics System. That same year, there were 38,371 total drug-induced deaths involving illegal and/or prescription drugs.
Santa Barbara County's Premature Death and Preventable Illness Report in 2008 noted that accidental drug overdose death is the third leading cause of premature death in the county, with males accounting for two-thirds of the deaths and whites accounting for 81.6 percent.
Hundreds of people visit local emergency rooms and get admitted because of unintentional and self-inflicted/suicidal poisonings every year.
In 2009, Santa Barbara County reported 143 unintentional poisonings, making it the third cause of nonfatal hospitalizations, and there were 485 emergency department visits for poisonings. There were 226 and 189 self-inflicted/suicide poisonings in 2009 and 2008, respectively, statistics show.
This year, the three Cottage Health System emergency departments — in Santa Barbara, the Goleta Valley and the Santa Ynez Valley — reported 117 accidental poisonings between Jan. 1 and June 30, although there is no further breakdown into type of substance, according to the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development.
Prescription drugs are involved in more U.S. overdose deaths than heroin and cocaine combined, according to the CDC.
The Santa Barbara County Coroner's Office sees dozens of alcohol- and drug-related overdose deaths every year, and its records list the drugs found in each deceased person's system; the cause of death is either a lethal amount or lethal mixture of drugs and/or alcohol.
The drugs found most often in fatal overdose cases between 2005 and 2009 are methamphetamine, morphine, hydrocodone, methadone, the benzodiazepine diazepam, cocaine, nordazepam, marijuana, codeine and hydrocodol.
Overdose risk is closely tied to the method of delivery, and combining drugs with each other or alcohol often results in death, said Sgt. Brown of the Coroner's Office.
In the county's 2009 coroner reports, there are people with 15 different drugs in their system at the time of death. In fact, it's extremely rare to only have one drug present, she said.
Getting access to these medications is relatively easy, with or without a prescription. Sgt. Brown knows the seven ways people have been getting drugs in Santa Barbara County from her background in narcotics: prescriptions, prescription fraud, doctor shopping, Internet sales, street sales, theft and from a family or friend.
The 2009 National Survey on Drug Use & Health, compiled by the Health and Human Services Department's Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, noted that more than 70 percent of people who abused prescription painkillers reported getting them from friends or relatives.
If people don't monitor their own medicine cabinets, it's easy enough for someone — really, anyone using the bathroom — to take the drugs. Drugs are stolen from pharmacies, in home burglaries and even during real estate open houses, often with a two-person team with one acting as a distraction for the agent, authorities say.
Young people frequently abuse over-the-counter cold and cough medicines, which many of them steal if they are under the age limit to purchase them, law enforcement officials said.
Access also increases every year as more prescriptions get handed out by doctors.
The number of prescriptions filled for opioid painkiller increased 402 percent between 1997 and 2007, according to industry statistics reported by SDI's Vector One in the Modern Medicine network.
Meanwhile, 257 million total prescriptions were dispensed by retail pharmacies in 2009, up 48 percent from 2000.
In 2010, hydrocodone — a component in Vicodin — topped the lists for most prescriptions written and retail dollars spent, with both categories showing increases from the previous year. There were 122.8 million prescriptions written in 2010, bringing pharmaceutical companies $1.9 billion in revenue, according to data analyzed by SDI's Vector One.
Oxycodone, a component in OxyContin, is in the top five in terms of retail dollars at $1.26 billion, and a 95.8 percent jump from 2009.
With the increase in accessibility, health-care practitioners, law enforcement and treatment personnel say they see the need for changes in the way prescription drugs are handled.
"Times are stressful and a lot of people seek and get drugs prescribed as coping mechanisms to help them sleep or help them with their anxiety, help them with chronic pain or their stress level," Sheriff Brown said. "It's that, seeing drugs as the answer to the problem instead of making some other lifestyle changes or healthier practices, that's the hard part.
"We're Americans, we want things now — you know, instantly. We'd much rather have the instant fix than the long-term fix that's better."
While researching this project, Noozhawk repeatedly has heard sources proclaim the need for change. Among the suggested remedies: comprehensive prescription history databases, increased prevention and enforcement by law enforcement, and widespread public education about the risks, signs of abuse and proper disposal and prevention.
Most people say they would never abuse drugs, but anyone can come in to a home and take medication from a medicine cabinet, Sheriff Brown said.
"So you have to recognize if you no longer have any need for those medications, the best thing you can do is properly dispose of them," he said, putting in a plug for the Sheriff's Department's Operation Medicine Cabinet, which provides secure drop-boxes for residents to get rid of all types of unwanted medications.
"We couldn't make it any easier: drive to the nearest sheriff's station and drop them off in a box. We'll take it from there."
| Prescription for Abuse | Complete Series Index |
2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health-SAMHSA


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Detroit motor city madness
It's show time in Detroit! Well, not yet, but it will be during the middle of next month. America knows how to put on a good show, and we expect Motor City to be buzzing when the world's biggest and best carmakers arrive at the one million-square-foot Cobo Center in Michigan. Over 50 debuts (the majority of which will be global premieres) are expected — way too many to bring you details of on just two pages, so we've narrowed it down to the cars you really shouldn't miss.
Cadillac ELR
Back in the day, Cadillac was known for its huge engines and lavish interiors. The latter hasn't changed, but the engines sure have, or will, if the ELR concept is anything to go by. What we have here is the first range-extender Cadillac. Hmm, that sounds weird when you say it out loud. We guess it really is a sign of the times. It's not all bad though. The ELR, which is based on the Converj concept (which debuted at the 2009 Detroit motor show) is basically a luxury, two-door, fourseat coupé version of the Chevy Volt and Vauxhall Ampera.
The design will likely feature the same Voltec range-extender powertrain found in those two. President of GM North America, Mark Reuss described the ELR as "a luxury coupé featuring extended-range electric technology." He forgot to mention it looks hot too — we can tell that just from the teaser images. The electric propulsion system will be made up of a T-shaped lithium-ion battery, an electric drive unit and a four-cylinder engine-generator.
The 148bhp electric motor has a range of 80km. When the battery runs flat, an 85bhp 1.4-litre petrol engine kicks in. The ELR will be built at General Motor's Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant late next year. Yes, we're excited.
Chevrolet Corvette C7
We haven't been this excited about a car since perhaps the Aventador, but we're getting rather tired of the teaser series for the 2014 Corvette C7. It's becoming worse than those Hollywood sequels. The first one is usually good, but by the fourth installment, you're fed up. But, as this is the Vette that we're talking about, we're prepared to accept anything about the new model that GM throws our way.
First it showed us a bit of the exterior, which includes a refreshed logo (what was wrong with the old one?) and then we were teased with footage of the gauge cluster and some of its suspension. The third installment focused on the interior (something the Vette never seemed to manage to get right), but not once have we been privy to the exterior in the series. However, the final teaser will go live on January 10 — three days before it is unveiled in all its glory on the 13th at the show.
There have been many renderings of what it'll look like, but what's for certain is that it is going to be two or three generations ahead of the current car. Not a surprise really, as the last two generations looked kind of alike. Not that there's much wrong with the C6. We fully expect the new Corvette to redefine the sports/muscle/supercar segment, especially since it won't break the bank and will offer more than enough bang for the buck. This is going to be a massive car for GM.
For a start, the aluminium-built Chevy with a front-engine, rearwheel drive platform, will boast a new 5.5-litre V8 (still a pushrod…) with 450bhp and direct injection. Torque will top 610Nm. The manual transmission will feature seven forward gears (like the latest Porsche 911), while an eight-speed automatic should also be available. The base C7 will be great, no doubt, but just wait until the new Z06 is launched. As for the competition, well the M3, Shelby GT500 and SRT Viper had better watch out. The latter better save up some of that venom — it's going to need it when it tackles the mighty ZR1…
Ford F-150
General Motors may have just unveiled their 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra fullsize pickup trucks, but that is old news to Ford. There are rumours that the automaker is planning a surprise reveal of a concept for its redesigned 2015 F-150. The two Chevys are evolutionary designs, but the new Ford will be revolutionary. It'll be built extensively of aluminium to help cut weight by more than 300kg from the vehicle in order to improve fuel efficiency.
Ford is aiming for a 15 per cent improvement over the current F-150, which is rated at 12 litres-per-100km. How so? By using a new line of turbocharged V6 engines that will use Ford's EcoBoost technology, which are under development. The new generation F-150 is expected to go into production in late 2014.
Lexus IS
Joining the next generation of Infiniti's G series premium saloon will be the all-new 2014 Lexus IS, and it is bound to be a looker. How do we know? Because it's inspired by the LF-CC concept and will feature design cues from the LFA. The new IS will be closely styled to the LF-CC, which was displayed at the Paris motor show a few months ago. It should provide the base for a new IS Coupé model.
But back to the new saloon (the first redesign of the IS since the 2006 model year), Lexus says it has been completely remodelled. It will feature Lexus' prominent spindle grille design, while the wheelbase should be similar to the outgoing car. The front overhangs seem to have grown by a few millimetres, and safety technologies will have undergone an overhaul.
Not much else is known about the new IS, but the V6 range may be expanded with an efficiency boosting four-cylinder option. A hybrid version is also likely.
Toyota Furia concept
Competent but boring. That might be the image Toyota has, but calls from CEO Akio Toyoda asking the company to inject more excitement into its line-up, seem to have been answered. Well we hope so anyway, andjudging by the teaser images and video of the Furia concept, this could be just the shot in the arm the carmaker needs.
Not much is known about the saloon, except that it features a carbon fibre rear spoiler and diffuser with trapezoidal exhaust. Its profile resembles a Corolla (a car very much in need of a redesign), while the headlights sit further out from the honeycomb grille. We'd love it to be a rear-wheel drive sports saloon to compete with the 2014 Chevrolet SS and not an electric or hybrid, which it's rumoured to be. We'll know for sure, whatever it is, in a few weeks time. Stay tuned!


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The City watchdog is investigating claims that power companies are manipulating wholesale gas prices.
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) and energy regulator Ofgem said they are both looking into the claims. Investigations have been launched after a whistleblower, named as Seth Freedman, claimed the gas market has been "regularly" manipulated by some of the big power companies, the Guardian reports.
Mr Freedman, who works as a price reporter for ICIS Heren, a company responsible for setting so-called benchmark prices, raised the alarm after identifying what he believed to be attempts to distort the prices reported by the company. It was also reported that Ofgem has been warned by ICIS Heren that it has seen evidence of suspect trading on September 28, the date that marks the end of the gas financial year.
An FSA spokesman said: "We can confirm that we have received information in relation to the physical gas market and will be analysing that material." Ofgem, the energy regulator, said it had also received information relating to trading in the gas market.
Energy Secretary Ed Davey said: "I am extremely concerned about these allegations and will be keeping in close touch with the regulators while they get to the bottom of this." It is understood the Treasury and the Department for Environment were alerted to the allegations - made by a whistleblower and reported by the Guardian newspaper - by Ofgem and the FSA on Monday. Mr Davey is expected to make a Commons statement on the matter on Tuesday afternoon.
An Ofgem spokesman said: "In preparing for full implementation of new EU legislation to tackle market abuse, we will consider carefully any evidence of market abuse that is brought to our attention as well as scope for action under all our other powers. Ofgem has already activated its established procedures to review the information we have received."
ICIS said in a statement that it has "detected some unusual trading activity on the British wholesale gas market on September 28 2012", which it reported to energy regulator Ofgem in October. "The cause of the trading pattern, which involved a series of deals done below the prevailing market trend, has not yet been established," an ICIS spokesman said. It is believed that on September 28 prices went down by about 0.4%.
Many of the UK's six energy companies spoke out about the allegations. EDF Energy said: "EDF Energy does not participate in loss-leading trading activity and considers it to be against existing market regulation." NPower said: "There is an explicit commitment in our code of conduct to comply with all laws and regulations." E.On said: "We are confident that all of our colleagues always act in the correct manner and as a company we fully abide by all appropriate regulations."
An SSE spokeswoman said: "We are entirely confident that our energy portfolio management team operate in a fair and legitimate way." A ScottishPower spokesman said: "ScottishPower has never engaged in trying to fix wholesale gas trading markets. Our trading division always acts with integrity and follows all rules in all of its engagements with the market."
Centrica, the UK's biggest energy supply company and parent company to British Gas, said in a statement that it wished to make its position clear in response to the claims: "Centrica has very robust governance and compliance policies, which regulate its market participation and behaviour. These policies are reviewed on a regular basis. Centrica's traders are prohibited from providing price information to price reporting agencies."


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- 12 total posts
- 8 comments
- 4 questions
Questions from Akbirdy
Breast Lift and Acne?
I had a breast lift 5 months ago. About 2 months after, I started getting tiny bumps on my breasts. I have never had acne on my breast, just an occasional one on my decollete... READ MORE
Is This Normal Scarring for Breast Lift?
I had a breast lift with anchor scar back in November 2012, about 7 months ago. I have noticed the scars to be healing well, but that the scar under my breast towards the... READ MORE
Can I anticipate my tummy tuck scar to heal as well as my breast lift scars from 2.5 yrs ago?
I had a breast lift, full anchor scars. Healed very well and faded nicely. Recently did a tummy tuck. I wanted to know if I should expect the scar to heal and fade as nicely as... READ MORE
Do I have swelling or weight gain in thighs after tummy tuck?
I am currently 3 months post op from a tummy tuck. I noticed following surgery I had swelling in my thighs as well as my abdomen. Although I still have swelling in my abdomen,... READ MORE
Recent comments from Akbirdy
I had my tummy tuck on 1/22/15 and so we are at similar points in our recovery. I too have gained 5 pounds and it has all gone to my thighs! Keeping my weight steady after surgery has been a struggle since my doctor is conservative... READ COMMENT
You look great! It is very helpful to see the progression from the beginning to after a year so thank you for the photos. I am 5 weeks out and sometimes even though I know I am swollen a lot, it is hard to picture the end result. READ COMMENT
Hello CiciWantsBBL- I am only about 3 months since surgery but I did read up on scar phases and treatment for breast lift. I read that it was normal for the scar to go through a raised phase, because collagen is going to that area to... READ COMMENT
Glad to hear that you are happy with your results and decision! Just out of curiosity, how long before most of the redness was gone on the scar area? I am a little over 2 months out. Also, did you notice a change in the shape even after... READ COMMENT
I am also using silicone sheets to treat my lift scars and they seem to really be helping and I have only worn them for about 2.5 weeks now. My surgeon sells them in his office but after my first purchase I found them directly through... READ COMMENT


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Rise of the Don
Bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Atacama Desert in the north, the Andes in the east, and the Patagonian ice fields to the south, Chile's geography and climate makes it uniquely suited to agriculture. But despite the influence of the humble grape on its cultural identity — with burgeoning wine tourism and the likes of Don Melchor, Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta and Almaviva appealing to even the harshest of critics — vitis vinifera (the common grape vine) isn't actually native to Chile. It arrived in the 16th century with the Spanish missionaries who needed wine to celebrate the Catholic mass.
Maipo Valley, the closest wine region to capital city Santiago, is perhaps Chile's most historic wine area with plantings that date back to the Spanish settlers. The first vines were of the País grape (similar to California's Mission grape), which quenched the thirst and filled the spiritual needs of early residents. But it wasn't until the 19th century when French wine varieties were first imported to Chile that Maipo Valley started producing its now famed Cabernet-based wines.
In fact, it was at Puente Alto, the Maipo wine region at the foot of the Andes Mountains, where the first French plantings were made prior to Europe's phylloxera outbreak. Here, one of the nation's biggest wine groups Concho y Toro produces one of Chile's foremost wines: Don Melchor.
Located 650m above sea level, the vineyards of Don Melchor benefit from the stony, alluvial soil carried down from the Andes by the Maipo River. Poor in nutrients and with good drainage, which is necessary to curb excessive fruit production and maintain quality of the grapes, the 114 hectares of vineyards are sub-divided into seven sections — six Cabernet Sauvignon and one Cabernet Franc parcel — that are individually harvested and vinified to reflect its micro-environment before going into the final blend. On summer nights, cold mountain air channelled down from the Andes extends the ripening process, allowing for the grapes to achieve proper maturity.
The result is a wine that, over 24 vintages (1987 to the recently released 2010), has ranked seven times in Wine Spectator's annual Top 100 list. The 2010, at 93 points, was also judged by Robert Parker to be Chile's best Cabernet Sauvignon of the vintage — not that one should be appreciating wine by its scores.
Recently in Singapore for a whirlwind visit as part of The Secret Tour, which took in seven Asian cities over 10 days, head winemaker Enrique Tirado attributes the wine's complexity and elegance to a "respect for the terroir". "I try to make a wine that really expresses its origin and this comes from the combination of the soil, climate and vineyard [characteristics]. That's always been my philosophy behind winemaking," he says.
Each vintage is blended by Tirado and long-time collaborators Eric Boissenot and his father Jacques, one of the world's most prolific and important wine consultants who passed away in September. It was Jacques — under the direction of Émile Peynaud, the Frenchman regarded as the father of modern winemaking — who helped winery owner Concha y Toro put together its inaugural 1987 Don Melchor vintage. Over the next decade, Jacques also travelled to Chile annually to exact the best from the Puente Alto vineyards and determine the final blend of the wine alongside its winemaker.
"The first time [Jacques] met me, he said: 'We're going to make the best quality wine; a Chilean wine that really expresses the vineyard.' Hearing him say that made me so happy, as that was exactly what I was thinking," says Tirado, who joined Concho y Toro in 1993 before being appointed head winemaker of Don Melchor in 1997.
It was his obsession with Puente Alto — Tirado lives just five minutes from the vineyard — that drove him to conduct the first study of terroir in the country, in 2002, in conjunction with France's Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon. Not on his own leading the surge in Chile's quality wines, his twin brother, Rafael (the older of the two by four minutes) owns the Laberinto winery in Maule Valley, half a day's drive south from Santiago. Known for its affordable Sauvignon Blanc — which was named Chile's Best White Wine, by Chilean wine guide Descorchados in 2010 — Laberinto's non-conformist vineyards are planted in relation to shade and sun, in almost circular arrangement rather than in straight lines.
Just as wine had featured on the dining table in their youth, it is the winemaking process — which Tirado describes as "magic" — that now fuels their daily conversations. "Wine has been part of our lives for many, many years. We talk about wine every day, if not every week," says Tirado, who also admits to harbouring some brotherly rivalry. "It's all good, friendly competition!"
Keen to shore up the reputation of Chilean wines, both brothers welcome wine tourism. While Don Melchor already sees some 150,000 visitors pass through its doors annually, Tirado believes more needs to be done in flying the Chilean flag abroad. "That's why outside of harvest, I travel so much. Because we need to help people discover our wines. We want you to taste our wines and we want to tell you about the beautiful Andes and the uniqueness of the soil."


text: To commemorate the 50th anniversary and in conjunction with the new Skyfall James Bond film Toy State have produced under licence this latest 2012 50th. Anniversary Goldfinger, Thunderball, Casino Royale 007 car, and very nice it is too being of good quality with nice details and lights and sound. Made in China by ToyState, all plastic with operating features, powered by 3 x AA batteries. Four buttons on the roof control the James Bond theme music, the machine guns at front, the bullet proof screen at rear, forward motion with all the actions and reverse motion. No ejector seat and bandit/baddie to eject. 23 cms/9" long. The smaller scale 007 Aston Martin by ToyState with the theme tune and motorised wheels but without the weapons is shown on top of the box. No doubt in a few years time if not earlier it will be highly sought after, just as the plastic Gama Aston Martin DB5, M101 Durham/Bandai remote control and Gilbert tin plate ones are today. Toystate also make 50th anniversary Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me , Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day & DBS from Quantum of Solace all with similar actions and sound, some with remote control. James Bond = Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig. Check out my website for more toys at www.mrmercury.webs.com


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tbaker474 commented on the post, The FOTA Fans Forum needs to ask the questions that matter 5 years, 7 months ago
I believe this has as much to do with the quality of the event moderator as it does with the questions submitted.
I attended the FOTA Fans Forum in Montreal last summer, which was moderated by James Allen. We […]


text: Charleston tourism efforts intensify By Rusty Marks May 22, 2013 Story Share CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Members of the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau hope an aggressive new marketing campaign will help lure visitors to West Virginia's capital city.At the bureau's annual organizational meeting on Wednesday, members were told the visitors bureau has a new website, a new media ad campaign, and a new marketing plan.Members of the visitors bureau heaped praise on bureau president Alisa Bailey, finishing up her first year on the job. "The marketing plan is a real marketing plan," said Yeager Airport director and visitors bureau member Rick Atkinson."If you look back at where we were, versus where we are, it's night and day," said Charleston Mayor Danny Jones. "New leadership works."The bureau has adopted a new marketing plan that specifically targets the National Boy Scout Jamboree, scheduled to take place in Fayette County July 15-24. Officials are expecting 40,000 to 50,000 Boy Scouts and their support network to descend on the Mount Hope area for the Jamboree.Visitors Bureau Vice President Jama Jarrett said Beckley and Fayetteville don't have enough hotel rooms to handle the expected influx of people for the Jamboree. "We know we're going to get some guests," Jarrett said. "We just aren't sure how many there's going to be."Since many Scouts and their parents will have to stay in Charleston for the Jamboree anyway, visitors bureau staff decided to roll out the red carpet and show off all the area has to offer.Bailey and Jarrett said travelers flying into Yeager for the event will be greeted with information booths telling them all about Charleston and the area and touting the city's selling points. Other information booths will be set up around town, and visitors will find out about opportunities to visit the Clay Center, Appalachian Power Park and other destinations.Special Scout-themed events and promotions also will be going on. Jarrett said the National Boy Scout Jamboree Band would perform at Live On the Levee, which is going on at the same time as the Jamboree."What we're doing is capitalizing on what we've already got going on," Jarrett said. "It's going to be a couple of Boy Scout-themed weekends. We'll see how it goes." Bureau staff plan a similar approach to the state's sesquicentennial celebration, also planned for this summer.The visitors bureau recently had a quirky advertising video shot featuring an Abraham Lincoln impersonator checking out the sights, driving around town with Mayor Danny Jones and hanging out at local restaurants and other establishments. The ad is designed to lure visitors to town for the state's 150th anniversary.Members of the visitors bureau are also pinning high hopes on the bureau's new "I'm Charlie West" advertising campaign. The campaign features prominent local citizens and is intended to show the many sides of the Charleston community.Bailey said the new marketing campaign would rely more heavily on social media to help spread the word about what Charleston has to offer.A new Internet website seems to be working, because the number of new visitors has jumped from about 6,400 the month before the new site made its debut to almost 12,000 in the month after it came online. Bailey said local residents were tweeting pictures of Abraham Lincoln and talking about the impersonator on Facebook before the ad campaign became public knowledge. Bailey and Jarrett hope the "Charlie West" campaign will get city residents involved in touting the city from the inside out, spreading the word through word of mouth and social media. "If this is going to work, we all have to buy into it," she said.Jarrett echoed the sentiment."We want to engage the community," she said."We want the community to get behind this brand of 'Hip, Historic ... Almost Heaven, Charleston, West Virginia,'" she said, referring to the city's new marketing motto.Reach Rusty Marks at email@example.com or 304-348-1215. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 Deer in 8 WV counties found dead from EHD 2 New company planning $73M synthetic fuel plant in Greenbrier County 3 Richwood mayor on leave amid investigation of purchases 4 WVU law professor announces run for Congress 5 Morgantown coal operator Laurita indicted in alleged campaign finance scheme Launching Live on the Levee Previous Story Hitchhiker's dad stands by son in NJ killing Next Story


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Last weekend Andy and I ventured out to Alhambra for the Gallery Nucleus preview of Scott C.'s new book. I'd been meaning to go to Gallery Nucleus for a while, they always have great stuff on, but it's a bit of a trek and I've only recently learned to drive so braving the journey to L.A. is still quite daunting.
I've been a fan of Scott's work for a long time and was lucky enough to meet him a few years ago when we both had stalls at SPX. We wanted to see his new work and also we'd heard there'd be dogs at the show so we decided it was finally time to visit Gallery Nucleus.
We got there early and went foraging, because terrifying road trips make you really hungry. Luckily we found Grill 'em all.
I'm watching what I eat at the moment so I just got a salad (which came with fried chicken, bacon, and the croutons were deep fried waffles) - super healthy. Andy got a burger which came with grilled cheese sandwiches instead of buns. Awesome. It reminded me of the burger van from Regular Show. Then Andy discovered the signed storyboard from that episode hanging up on the wall, so guess what? It IS the van from that episode!
The exhibition was excellent and we got to watch Scott drawing and talking about his work.
And we got to play with a lot of dogs (and almost adopted one). Scott's new book 'If Dogs Run Free' is based on a Bob Dylan song. I think it's intended for kids but really it's for anyone who likes cute/funny/amazing art and/or Bob Dylan songs. Gallery Nucleus have a limited amount of signed copies you can buy here (if they're still in stock)
Last night we decided to endure another trip to L.A., complete with rush hour traffic, to attend the Comics Industry meal, which is an informal networking type thing. I met lots of awesome, inspiring people, and not just from the world of comics but also from the animation, games and film industry.
Mairghread Wild Scott (IDW / We Comics) and Jason Enright (We comics / Darby Pop Publishing) were there and Jason gave a wonderful talk on social marketing and kickstarter for comics. He also did a very helpful Q and A session. I was sitting next to cartoonist Lonnie Millsap, who does funny one panel cartoons, check out his stuff here. I also chatted to artist / writer William O'Neil, creator of comics published by Image and IDW, check out his stuff here. It was nice to finally meet some comics people in the area, thanks to Emily McGuinness (Latchkey studios) for organizing it.
What else have I been up to? I've got some new paintings for sale at a local gallery.
I've also been keeping myself busy with a new project. I had an idea in my head for a long time and finally decided it was worth putting down on paper. Character designs, 2 issues of scripting and a 20 issue overview later....it went from pet project to all consuming project very quickly. That, my friends, is the danger of making comics.
It's a sci-fi thing and here are some of the rough character sketches so far :
Friday, 30 August 2013
Galleries, dinners and ideas.
Posted by Leonie O at Friday, August 30, 2013 0 comments
Monday, 5 August 2013
New Comics Out Soon!
Newcastle Science Comic:
There's a wonderful anthology of work on it's way for British Science Festival in September. Artists, writers and scientists teamed up to create exciting new comics and puzzles for kids. I worked with scientist Catherine Tétard-Jones to create a comic strip about aphids - the tiny insects which are part of Catherine's area of study.
Find out more about the comic and check out the other amazing contributors here:
And follow the project on twitter:
Twitter: @NCLScienceComic
Dead Roots:
More info here: http://www.deadroots.co.uk/ and a Bleeding Cool review here:
Posted by Leonie O at Monday, August 05, 2013 0 comments
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Discussion in 'Forum News and Announcements' started by Purr, Apr 19, 2005.
Gus has 1,000 posts. Congrats
Wow and shes only been here about 2 or so months. I've been here for 10 months and still only 300. CONGRATS Gustav.
yay gustav, well done
Thank You, Thank You!! *Takes little bow* I always have had lots to say for myself!!
You and Renee are chatterboxes LOL