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This peptide is an active segment of LL-37, a peptide derived from the C-terminal domain of human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide. This peptide purportedly exhibits high antibacterial activity.


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Champagne! (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
By Mike Mulhern
RICHMOND, Va.
Kevin Harvick backed up his rep as a formidable 'closer' with a furious finish to win Saturday night's curious Richmond 400, in overtime, taking advantage of a late caution that doomed surprising Juan Pablo Montoya.
Montoya, who has won only twice since joining the Sprint Cup tour in 2006 and who has had a long run of mediocre finishes since his last top-10 nearly a year ago, was the man to beat down the stretch. And he was hitting his marks perfectly, holding Harvick at bay...when Brian Vickers crashed hard, bringing out the yellow with only six laps to go at this three-quarter-mile track. Without that yellow, Harvick said he didn't think he could have overtaken Montoya.
In a surprising move, most of the front runners pitted for fresh tires, giving up track position, including Montoya and Harvick.
Jeff Burton, Jamie McMurray and AJ Allmendinger stayed out and were at the head of the pack for the last restart, but with tires 60 laps more worn than those behind. And fresh tires did trump that track position.
Harvick was seventh on the restart but quickly blitzed through to the lead at the white and pulled away from Clint Bowyer and Joey Logano for his first win of the season -- a season that will be his last with team owner Richard Childress after 13 years as the man hired to fill the void left by the 2001 death of Dale Earnhardt.
"A lot of people thought we might lay down this year, but no way," Harvick said. Next season he is to drive for Tony Stewart.
The final restart, with Jeff Burton on the inside, Jamie McMurray on the outside, and Kevin Harvick stuck back in seventh (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
For most of the 3-1/2-hour race, the action was generally follow-the-leader, with Toyota's Matt Kenseth, Bowyer and Kyle Busch dominating.
Then with 90 laps to go in the 400-lapper things got crazy quickly.
Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch were hot and heavy when the yellow came out, for a blown engine. Everyone pitted, and NASCAR officials first ruled against Kyle Busch that, in pitting routinely, he did not have his two left-side tires below the 'commitment line.' That would have all but taken him out of the race, by putting him at the rear of the field.
However after several minutes checking replays officials gave Kyle Busch the benefit of the doubt, putting Kyle sixth on the restart.
But moments after that restart Tony Stewart slid up into Jimmie Johnson, triggering a crash that took out Kyle Busch. Stewart quickly took the blame and apologized.
The crashing -- temper tantrums perhaps -- continued. Kasey Kahne took out Mark Martin. Then Kurt Busch put Martin Truex Jr. in the wall in a battle for second place.
During the melees and pit stops, Montoya wound up in the lead, and Harvick appeared not quite strong enough to run him down.
Then the final yellow, the stunning pit stops, and Harvick's victorious charge.
Yet the crashing was still not over.
Stewart, who has had a rough season, got bounced around and shuffled from eighth to 18 in those final minutes. And he and Kurt Busch tangled hard, including several hard bumps after the race, followed by an angry encounter in the garage.
Kyle Busch on the inside, brother Kurt on the outside, dueling late in the Richmond 400. Both had great shots to win (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
"You have to take chances," Harvick said of that last pit call. "But we've been beaten by (fresher) tires this year, and Gil Martin (his crew chief) made the right call. The guys on 'no tires' were sitting ducks.
"The seas parted on the restart. I didn't know how those guys on old tires would do. But we got through."
Kurt Busch, who has struggled this season, had a brilliant night, perhaps his best since joining Barney Visser and crew chief Todd Berrier. And Busch had a great shot at the win. That, he said, was more important than the banging with Stewart.
"This was a solid run. We were there, top-five all night. A great night for us," Kurt Busch said.
"You could tell, green-white-checkered, it was just a free-for-all. There was heavy rubber up high (difficult to race on), and everyone was pushing and gouging.
"I don't know what Tony was upset about. I was getting hit from all sides. Matt Kenseth hit me at the end, and I didn't like that.
"But today was a great day. We've got to go for wins."
The night's surprising loser was Montoya. He was poised to win....though team owner Chip Ganassi wasn't even at the track.
"It was no-brainer to take tires," Montoya said of that end-game strategy.
"But what hurt us was restarting on the outside. Where can you jump? On the inside you can jump up.
"But we've had six really bad weeks, so I'm really proud of these guys."
Gil Martin's crew spot-on in Saturday night's Richmond 400. Maybe that will overshadow Friday night's controversies (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
© 2010-2011 www.mikemulhern.net All rights reserved.
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Roy D. Blunt (born January 10, 1950) is the junior United States Senator from Missouri. He is a member of the Republican Party. The seat was previously held by Republican Kit Bond who decided to retire.
He served as the U.S. Representative from Missouri's 7th congressional district from 1997 to 2011. The district takes in most of Southwest Missouri, the most conservative part of the state, anchored in the city of Springfield and also includes other cities such as Joplin, Carthage, and Neosho. The district also contains the popular tourist destination of Branson. In January 2011, Blunt was succeeded in the House by Billy Long.
Blunt was the House Minority Whip during the 110th Congress but announced that he would step down from the position following the results of the 2008 general elections. After House Majority Leader Tom DeLay stepped down due to a criminal indictment in Texas, Blunt served as interim House Majority Leader from September 29, 2005, to February 2, 2006, when John Boehner of Ohio was elected as DeLay's permanent replacement.


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All American Game : : Story
Perfect Game USA in conjunction with Blue Ridge Sports & Entertainment to Showcase the Nation's Top High School Baseball Players
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA. (June 6, 2011) – Jerry Ford, President of Perfect Game USA, announced today that the 2011 Perfect Game All-American Classic Presented by Rawlings (www.pgallamerican.com), formerly known as the Aflac All-American Baseball Classic, will take place on Sunday, Aug 14 at PETCO Park in San Diego, Calif, home of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres. This is the 9th annual edition of the country's premier high school baseball all star game and the fifth time it has been played in San Diego. The first eight games have produced 81 former first round draft picks and 40 of them have already appeared in Major League lineups.
The East versus West matchup features 38 of the nation's best high school players, battling at PETCO Park for the third consecutive year, providing them with a rare opportunity to create Major League memories. These top-level players continue to make their mark in the big leagues. In it's brief history, the Classic has had 80 alumn selected in the first round (appendix A) of the Major League Baseball draft, including Bryce Harper (2009), Justin Upton (2004), and Tim Beckham (2007) who where selected with the #1 pick overall. The game has also produced an impressive 40 players that are currently on a Major League Baseball roster (appendix B), including two current Padres players, Mat Latos (2005) and Cameron Maybin (2004).
Since the game's inception, Perfect Game USA has been the selection partner of the Classic and has now assumed the role of title sponsor and managing partner. Rawlings, the biggest name in baseball, has been named the game's presenting partner and Reebok, the leader in footwear innovation, has rejoined the event. Topps will once again be involved in producing All-American Baseball cards for each player, which have become extremely popular and valuable to collectors.
New television partner CBS Sports Network (www.cbssportsnetwork.com) will air the 2011 Classic live on Sunday, Aug. 14 at 8 pm EST, and will also air the game's first-ever selection show, which announces the 2011 roster and highlights this year's group of talented young players. The selection show will air on Wednesday, July 13 at 10:00 pm EST.
"Year after year I am impressed with the extraordinary high school talent this All American Baseball Classic brings to the forefront of the baseball world," said Jerry Ford, President of Perfect Game USA. "These young athletes have the ability to become Major League stars of the next generation."
"Also, this event is THE BEST high school baseball all american game in the country which is evident when you look at the celebrated alumni that have played in it. Perfect Game USA is the nation's top independent baseball scouting service and Jerry Ford and his team excel every year in selecting the very best players," said David Gardiner, President of Blue Ridge Sports & Entertainment, Inc. "This event provides a unique opportunity for the players to learn on and off the field through various community events and the baseball activities."
Continuing an ongoing commitment to giving, the proceeds from this year's Classic will once again benefit Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego.
About Perfect Game USA
Perfect Game USA is devoted to furthering the development and career of the high school baseball player. To that end, Perfect Game USA produces the very highest, national level, individual player showcases and team tournaments all over the United States. These events have proven invaluable to the collegiate coaching community and Major League Baseball as they can scout a large population of talented baseball players in one location. Perfect Game USA has a full-time staff of 50 and well over 100 part-time staff. Nearly all have vast professional and/or collegiate baseball experience. Perfect Game staff members are located throughout the country. Perfect Game USA has the largest scouting department in all of baseball. The Perfect Game USA high school player database is the largest of its kind anywhere in baseball. At any given time there will be nearly 100,000 high school players being followed via their database.
© 2011 Blue Ridge Sports & Entertainment, Inc.


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Chain Link Stud Earrings - Silver
Chain Link Stud Earrings - Silver
Item Number 552SV
Rhinestone stud earrings with plated chain link on deerskin leather. Nickel- and lead-free posts.
All orders are subject to a 7-day manufacturing period. Purchased items will be shipped within 7 days after the order date.
Add To Cart


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3M is a diversified technology company which was founded in 1902, and has pioneered technological innovation ever since. It makes more than 55,000 solutions delivering an extensive range of products, technologies and services to customers in over 200 countries. Our brands include: Post-it, Scotch and Nexcare.
Today 3M invests more than $1.5 billion a year in R&D. It has applied its expertise in RFID technology to deliver biometric passports; it is using its understanding of the healthcare industry to provide hospitals with infection prevention and detection solutions; and its digital signage offerings are revolutionising the way business communication with their customers, their employees and the general public.
3M employs more than 75,000 people in over 60 countries. The UK and Ireland is home to one of the largest 3M subsidiaries outside the USA, employing 3,850 people in 17 locations, 11 of which are manufacturing sites.
Corporate responsibility is now high on national and international agendas. Yet 3M has long held the belief that reputation depends not solely on our financial performance, but also on the way we run our business. In 1975, 3M was the first major manufacturing company to actively address environmental issues and, as with our drive for innovation, we involved employees through our benchmark programme 'Pollution Prevention Pays'.
We believe we have a sound record of achievement in corporate responsibility but continually strive to improve our performance and address the ongoing challenges and opportunities. We are committed to sustainable development through a proactive approach to environmental protection, social responsibility and strong economic progress.
We also play an active role in the communities where we have manufacturing plants or offices. Learn more about our 3M Community Programme in the UK and Ireland.
3M is a founder member of the World's Business Council for sustainable development. The company is also frequently cited as a benchmark for its environmental policies and is regularly among the world's most respected and most socially responsible companies in the national and international surveys.
Read more about 3M's environmental, community and economic programmes.
Visit the 3M website for more information.
What's new
Innovation to cut crime and protect victims
Electronic Monitoring can be used to track and locate offenders, and is being trialled to tackle the most persistent offenders. Reducing crime, improving efficiency, protecting victims and assisting rehabilitation.
First class results delivered at Post Office with DI-NOC Architectural Finishes
Diversified technology company 3M today announced that its innovatively crafted, decorative surface finishes have been used to refresh service counters as part of a Post Office Network Transformation Project involving 6,500 main and local category outlets.
Transforms school spaces to inspire pupils and staff
Diversified technology company 3M today announced its high quality vinyls have been used to transform spaces at Garth Hill College in Bracknell into inspirational and thought provoking areas for both staff and students.
Innovative purifier removes host cell DNA and proteins in bioprocessing applications
3M introduces next generation purifying device.
3M introduces latest sterilising-grade air and gas filters for food processing
Innovative membrane technology combines reliable retention with high airflow for efficiency and longevity.


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I quite enjoyed my trip to Chiaksan. The park seems more public friendly, with more signs and difficulty ratings for various parts of the hike are all described. It was another day of great weather and I started cold but was soon carrying my coat. At the peak, the wind was gentle enough that I rested there a bit before descending.
On the way to the parking lot, I found this sign. I've seen signs for tanks elsewhere in Gangwondo but not in Sokcho-Yangyang and I was happy to finally photograph one.
I had likewise seen this type of caccoon elsewhere but hadn't taken a picture of it. A coworker suggested that it was chemically tricking the tree into retaining the leaf, perhaps as a temperature control measure. I have no idea what's inside it.
Handsome guy with no coat:
Please click to embiggen this picture. I am quite proud of how the ice crystals turned out.
At the peak: Chiaksan is enough lower than Seoraksan, that despite the very steep climb and descent, my knees were not totally worn down.
I have more photos and some video, but I will post those after returning home and using something other than this poor nine-year-old notebook. It has served me well this camp, but it doesn't have many features (Thanks go out to Firefox, which has breathed new life into it. Google Chrome won't run on it).


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To provide planning, training, resources, response, warning, coordination and information through communications to the public, elected officials and public safety agencies to assist them in preparing for, responding to and mitigating emergencies and disasters which affect the residents of Broome County.
Communications - administers the Broome County Emergency Dispatch/911 Center.
Public Safety Systems - administers the Broome County Emergency Communications Systems.
Emergency Management - conducts hazard vulnerability studies, provides Disaster Planning and preparedness for response and recovery. Admisterers the county's NY- Alert emergency public notification system.
Emergency Medical Services - administers NYS certified emergency medical training programs. Plans for adequate delivery of emergency medical services and coordinates mutual aid among EMS providers.
Fire Prevention & Control - administers New York State Outreach Fire Training program, Broome County Fire Mutual Aid Plan, Hazardous Materials Response Team, Wildland Search & Rescue Team, Water Rescue and Dive Team, Firefighter Assist and Search Teams, and Fire Investigation Team.
Want to be a Firefighter? Click here!


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A flier her daughter brought home from school changed Christmas this year for Cassidy Heaton and her family.
A flier her daughter brought home from school changed Christmas this year for Cassidy Heaton and her family.
The Hendersonville native read about Salvation Army's holiday toy, clothing and food distribution and decided to look into it further.
"It was really really easy (to apply for)," Heaton said. "You just walk in there ... you have to take your paycheck stubs and things like that, and it took maybe 20 minutes."
The Salvation Army began handing out its annual Angel Tree Christmas gifts Friday at its distribution center in Hendersonville. Gifts were donated for more than 800 children, along with food boxes and gifts cards for 716 families.
Heaton, a mother of two, said she was glad she looked into the Salvation Army's program.
"It's definitely awesome and it helps a whole lot, especially with a one-(parent) income — it's very hard to do Christmas for two small ones," she said.
Each year the Salvation Army gives a food box, a gift card to purchase meat, stocking stuffers and a bag for each child containing at least two presents and an outfit to those who apply and qualify.
"Starting in October, angel tags were printed and they (were) at Walmart, Sam's Club, the mall and several small businesses," Salvation Army Capt. Linda Thornhill said. The tags included information about each child, including their age, clothing sizes and desired gift, "so anybody can go and pick up an angel and shop for them."
Residents also have the option of giving a donation to purchase bicycles for each child they sponsor.
"Every child hopefully gets what they've asked for," Thornhill said.
If only one or two requested items are donated, the Salvation Army dipped into its toy reserve — $18,000 worth of toys purchased from donations made to the nonprofit.
"We have businesses and agencies who are collecting toys, doing toy drives for us, so we'll put that in with stuff that we have so that every child will get something," Thornhill said. "There's a lot going on, but it's fun and it keeps us busy and hopefully it makes them happy at Christmas."
Heaton's grandparents, Janelle and Arnold Heaton, came with her to collect the toys and bikes at the distribution center.
"I appreciate the ones that sponsored her. My prayer is that every boy and girl will get something for Christmas, and God bless the ones that sponsored her," Janelle Heaton said. "I hope they have a very merry Christmas."
Cassidy Heaton said she already has a plan to hide the bicycles from her girls, ages 7 and 4, until Christmas and will sneak the toys under the tree around 1 a.m. on Christmas Day.
"We've got like maybe four presents under the tree right now, so they'll be surprised," she added. "I couldn't thank them enough because there's no way my kids would have had a very good Christmas without this at all; it's very hard and I really appreciate it.
"There still are good people in the world; my girls will be very, very happy."
Reach Bindewald at 964-7890 or email@example.com.


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Most musicians need an instrument to make music. But for Fort Lewis College assistant professor Jonathan Latta, the world is his instrument.
At least thats how it seemed Friday night during his recital for a crowd of about 85 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Durango. We enjoyed the finished product, but about two months earlier, shoppers at the La Plata County Humane Society Thrift Store got a preview of the piece, Table for One by David Noon, that had the crowd abuzz.
Ably assisted by senior music education student Michael Morris, Latta made a dinner table setting ring, chime and purr as he waited for service at a restaurant. I had to go up and look at the musical notation for the piece afterward, and I was just one of many audience members who also wanted to check out the instruments up close.
Latta said he tried every piece of tableware and glass at the thrift store to get the right range of tones and pitches for the piece, which is the kind of thing one has to see and hear to appreciate. Im not a talented enough writer to describe the creativity of both the piece and the musician in pulling it off, but it was both impressive and fun.
A percussionist extraordinaire, Latta tackled a wide variety of musical numbers, beginning with Bach on the marimba. Yep, youre awake, and you read that right. He said the marimba was recently extended to a low C, giving the instrument a five-octave reach, the same as a cellos.
In fact, he actually used the cellos score on Bachs Suite No. 1 in G-Major for Cello (BMV 1007), commenting to me later that cellists give marimba players a hard time, saying cellists have the challenge of constantly having to retune. Lattas comeback is that while its true he doesnt have to retune nearly as often, he does have to keep moving throughout the piece, because two notes that are a string apart on a cello are 3½ feet apart on the marimba.
While the Bach was certainly lovely, I have to say I preferred the pieces that were specifically written for percussion, an oeuvre that is still in its youth. Latta said he and his colleagues are always begging, borrowing or stealing from other instruments material.
Another great thing about percussion is the sheer variety and number of instruments in the discipline, with versions hailing from every part of the world and every age of man. Drums are, after all, considered one of the earliest forms of musical instrument. Latta said its an unending challenge to learn them all, and he has a bucket list of different percussion instruments he wants to learn to play its a good thing hes a quick study.
Latta treated us to a piece called Inside the Shining Stone, using crotales, or ancient pitched cymbals that originally hailed from Mesopotamia, written by a composer he knows at the University of Central Arkansas, Blake Tyson.
The lyrical beauty of Echoes, on the marimba, by composer Kevin Bobo, a professor at the University of Indiana, was a clear crowd favorite. I found the second movement of Robert Maggios Songs from the Wood, called ballad in rosewood and a little starlight, to be the most magical of the evening, still a melody haunting my memory three days later.
So I had to ask is the marimba actually made with rosewood? The answer is yes, Honduran rosewood, and therein lies a quandary.
It is an ecological and economic topic of great debate among marimba players, as the tree comes from a rainforest, which is delicate at the best of times. As the very finite resource becomes scarcer and more expensive, there is no Plan B wood waiting in the wings that maintains pitch the same way, is as tunable or has the resonance of rosewood.
On top of the overall scarcity, many marimba players play with such force they break the bars, requiring replacements. There goes more rosewood.
While the last piece on the program was titled Prelude I by a young composer named Robert McClure, it ended up being a rousing send-off.
Ive been thinking a lot about mentors since I wrote a story about Big Brothers Big Sisters of La Plata County, so I had to ask Latta how he came to play percussion.
He mostly credits his mother, who often played her fathers Buddy Rich records, for exposing him to the excitement of rhythm. But it was his fourth-grade music teacher who truly set him on his path.
He said we could play any instrument we wanted, except percussion, Latta said about his teacher. For percussion, we had to audition, and there were so many kids who wanted to audition it took four weeks. My mother told me we had a clarinet in the garage when I didnt make it, and that made me determined.
I must confess that I often sit where I have the best view of the percussion section at orchestra concerts because its such a show. Latta said one reason hes good at shifting from instrument to instrument is because he spent several years playing in musical theater. Musical blocks, cymbals, cow bells, the triangle and timpani are just a few of the instruments hed play with each performance.
Ann Smith and Susan Koonce coordinated a reception with quite a goodie spread after the recital, where guests couldnt decide whether to talk about Lattas performance or Juanita Ainsleys art, which had just been hung in Bowman Hall at the fellowship. Wow paintings that look like collages. Judith Reynolds tells me Ainsley will have a show at the Fort Lewis College Art Gallery in the future. I highly recommend you keep an eye out for that opening.
This was the third in the four-recital series. Topping it off for the year will be series organizer Marilyn Mangold Garst at 7 p.m. April 5. She will be presenting an entire recital on the harpsichord, a rare treat indeed.
Feeling their New-Age sides emerge as they celebrate their Aquarian birthdays are Mary Jo Paxton, Wynn Berven, Randy Swan, Terry Swan (no relation as far as I know), Thomas Boness, Jim Williams, Marjorie Cornwell, Sarah Phelps, Nita Anderson, Kevin Martin, Savanna Safran and Linda West.
Because Im not the only person pondering mentors, nominations are being sought for an award that will recognize people who have a significant impact on young peoples lives.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of La Plata County is teaming up with San Juan Basin Health Department to honor adult role models. Anyone 21 and younger can nominate an adult who inspires them to be a better person.
Categories include Durango, Bayfield, Ignacio, Latino role model and Native American role model.
Nominations are due March 15, but just like anything else, kids, its better to get it done sooner rather than later. Nomination forms are available at www.sjbhd.org/en/nominate-an-adult-role-model.
Since I know my readership trends to the over-21 crowd, if you hear your child quoting a favorite teacher, coach or neighbor, show them this item and encourage them to take a moment to acknowledge how much that person means to them.
My apologies to Diane Wildfang, for leaving her off the list of Womenade Council members in my story about the Womens Resource Center in Saturdays Neighbors column. Anne Swisher, the Volunteer of the Year honoree, was quick to note that Wildfang just joined the council earlier this month. Theyre lucky to get her. Wildfang has been a mainstay of the philanthropic community ever since she moved here.
Thrilled that the weather is no longer Arctic cold for their anniversaries are Shep and Sarah Shepherd and Lou and Gay Kiene.
Heres how to reach me: email@example.com; phone 375-4584; mail items to the Herald; or drop them off at the front desk. Please include contact names and phone numbers for all items.
I am happy to consider photos for Neighbors, but they must be high-quality, high-resolution photos (at least 1 MB of memory) and include no more than three to five people, who must be identified left to right.


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Find a Home Inspector with Construction Experience
Hiring a home inspector can be difficult. With so many companies to choose from, consumers can easily make the wrong decision and hire a inspector that is not experienced enough to look beyond the glaring problems, and search for the hidden issues within a structure. It's best to employ a company with experience and an understanding of the intricacies involved with home building and construction.
The Importance of Construction Experience
It's not enough to simply inspect a residential property and highlight the obvious code violations. Inspectors need to have a background in construction to accurately identify potential foundation issues, mechanical hazards, and other serious structural deficiencies. These deficiencies could lead to a number of costs that could dramatically increase the overall price of the home.
Attic Inspections
Some common areas that inexperienced inspectors often neglect to investigate thoroughly include the attic, roof, and room additions. An inspector with the right background would know to not only check the attic, crawl space for proper ventilation and insulation, and would also highlight any vulnerability in the joists and sub flooring, in addition to checking the integrity of any vents routed to the space.
Roof Inspections
When inspecting the roof of a residential structure, the condition of the shingles and downspouts should be carefully taken into consideration, as well as a few other items. If the flashing is not properly installed or show signs of damage, water could easily find its way into the structure and cause further deterioration, and increase costs.
Other important items to check on a roof inspection are skylights, gutters, and chimneys. An inspector with construction knowledge and experience installing and maintaining these structures, can perform a meticulous investigation that could uncover installation or manufacturer deficiencies.
Inspection of Built-Ins
Built-in items include oven, ranges, dishwashers and other appliances. Knowledge of local building codes and laws will help to properly inspect the installation of these appliances, including the components used to complete the job. All wiring and plumbing connected to the built-ins should always be inspected, in addition to their overall working condition.
When buying a home, your primary concern should be the outcome of the home inspection. This report will help you determine whether the structure is worth the asking price, or if you'll need to look elsewhere for your dream home. It's important to ensure that the inspection company you select has experience in the building and construction industry, and knows how to conduct a thorough property investigation that covers every inch of the home.


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In a kitchen, storage space is very essential. You need to store away food, pots and pans, utensils and miscellaneous items like cutleries and kitchen tidy bags etc. Cupboards should be at least 450mm deep. Adjusteble shelves and a lot of drawers are useful. Pullout storage racks are a good idea for holding tea towels, aprons and other clean linen.
The wrong use of colours can also have adverse effects: If some family members do not like the coloursof the kitchen, it may cause them to refrain from the kitchen and kept them from helping out with the kitchen chores. So, colour selection should always be a family affair.
All trademarks mentioned belong to their owners, third party brands, product names, trade names, corporate names and company names mentioned may be trademarks of their respective owners or registered trademarks of other companies and are used for purposes of explanation and to the owner's benefit, without implying a violation of copyright law.
Copyright © 2005 - 2019 Shreead. All sponsored products, company names, brand names, trademarks and logos arethe property of their respective owners.
I try to design rooms around their architecture or to create - architecture where none exists. Eleanor McMillen Brown


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Over the past year or two, I've been in a pile of discussions surrounding attempting to increase the number of contributions to Python (as a project and ecosystem) - specifically around bug fixes/patch reviews, filing bugs, pointing out documentation issues, website content, etc. Many of these conversations seem relatively insular (people already involved talking about how they get work done, and how easy it is) or relatively hand-wavy ("let's make it better! *crickets*"). We all know that the fact is that there are plenty of areas for anyone (both programmer and not) to contribute to the Python project/ecosystem, this is actually true for most, if not all, open source, and open communities out there. While I am looking at this through the myopic lens of Python-core, the same discussion could be applied anywhere.
In the discussions I've had on mailing lists, and in private conversations with people about why they don't contribute, I've found a set of recurring issues cited by people who could be contributors, roughly speaking these are:
- Don't know how (documentation issue)
- Don't know where (site layout, organization issue)
- Don't want to fight/argue with the "but this is the way we've always done it" people (perception issue)
- For many issues, see checkout (svn), build (learn a "new" build system), run tests/write tests, generate patch, file bug, defend bug as a "high bar" (process/tool issue)
- Don't feel that they'll be valued (perception issue)
- Can't invest the time to learn the tool chain(s) (make, ReST, regrtest, svnmerge/svndiff, sphinx, etc) (I got nothin here)
And so on.
What interests me more than the things I've listed about (which is a distillation of months of discussions) is what, if anything, prevents you, my reader(s) from contributing to the following areas:
- Filing bug reports (including the stdlib and documentation)
- Filing patches for bugs/improvements (including the stdlib and documentation)
- Fixing issues/sending patches on website content
- Proposing new website or documentation content
- Contributing to website maintenance
- Contributing to the Documentation
And anything else you can think of. What I'm asking for, is for you to give me thoughts, ideas and feedback on how we can lower the bar and reduce the friction of any of this so that you too can help out. Everything is fair game, even "I find the method of arguing for PEPs to cause lower intestinal irritation" (although, I hope to get more constructive comments than that).
Here's the reason I'm asking/reaching out - I firmly, and totally believe that every single person who uses Python today can become a contributor to the project and ecosystem beyond that of a user. While it is true that philosophically, everyone who uses Python is contributing, I would like to see if we can make it so that even the most "basic" user feels that they can file a bug, submit a patch, fix the documentation, fix/add website content, etc.
Much like I think anyone can, and should be empowered to contribute back to the "Python Project" - I believe the culture of "everyone contributes" is an important one. Citing the wonderful keynote from PyCon 2010 by Antonio Rodriguez (video here), I maintain this is should be a goal for everyone, not just companies - but open source projects as well.
There are lots of things we can change/fix/improve - but before we can do that, we have to be able to identify the "bugs" in what we have now. Do we need a giant flowchart with flashing text (I joke!) or do we need simplified "how do I..." text to the website? Everything's fair game (except "just put it on github").
So, do you have any thoughts? If you don't feel comfortable airing them publicly, you can email comments to jnoller at (gmail.com|python.org) as you see fit. I promise not to share any identifiable information, but I reserve the right to share the feedback you provide, albeit anonymously. I also promise to ask meaningful questions so I can squirrel out more detail if needed.


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The securities litigation law firm of Brower Piven, A Professional Corporation, announces that a class action lawsuit has been commenced in the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico on behalf of purchasers of Doral Financial Corporation ("Doral" or the "Company") (NYSE: DRL) common stock during the period between April 2, 2012 and May 1, 2014, inclusive (the "Class Period"). If you have suffered a loss from investment in Doral common stock purchased on or after April 2, 2012 and held through the revelation of negative information during and/or at the end of the Class Period, , as described below, and would like to learn more about this lawsuit and your ability to participate as a lead plaintiff, without cost or financial obligation, click here: http://www.browerpiven.com/securitiesfraudcases.html. You may also request more information by contacting Brower Piven either by email at email@example.com or by telephone at (410) 415-6616. Attorneys at Brower Piven together have more than a century of experience litigating securities and other class action cases. No class has yet been certified in the above action. Members of the Class will be represented by the lead plaintiff and counsel chosen by the lead plaintiff. If you wish to choose counsel to represent you and the Class, you must apply to be appointed lead plaintiff no later than July 14, 2014 and be selected by the Court. The lead plaintiff will direct the litigation and participate in important decisions including whether to accept a settlement and how much of a settlement to accept for the Class in the action. The lead plaintiff will be selected from among applicants claiming the largest loss from investment in Company units during the Class Period. The complaint accuses the defendants of violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by virtue of the defendants' failure to disclose during the Class Period that as a result of having under-reserved for loan losses, the Company, Doral Bank did not meet its regulatory capital requirements to operate the bank. According to the complaint, following the Company's March 21, 2013 announcement that the Company had been forced to take an increased provision for loan and lease losses and that it would be forced to restate previously reported financial statements, and following the May 1, 2014 disclosure that its inability to include a large tax receivable in its capital ratio rendered the bank significantly undercapitalized such that the FDIC had ordered Doral to revise its capital plan, the value of Doral shares declined significantly.
If you choose to retain counsel, you may retain Brower Piven without financial obligation or cost to you, or you may retain other counsel of your choice. You need take no action at this time to be a member of the class.


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LeTourneau University will host its annual "Spiritual Emphasis Week" Monday through Friday, Sept. 9-13, with special chapel guest speakers and performances that are open to the public. The events will be held in the S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center, 2100 S. Mobberly Ave., in Longview. All are free, except a Thursday evening Ballet Magnificat performance.
Kicking off the week on Monday, Sept. 9, will be internationally known speaker and writer Sean McDowell who will speak on biblical apologetics at a 10:50 a.m. chapel service. McDowell will also give a 7 p.m. presentation that evening. Both events are free.
McDowell is a prolific apologist who has authored, edited and contributed to 15 books and has written dozens of articles on philosophy culture and ethics. He has spoken for numerous organizations, including Focus on the Family, the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview, Campus Crusade for Christ, Youth Specialties, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Association of Christian Schools International. He has also appeared as a guest on radio shows, including "Focus on the Family," "Point of View," "Converse with Scholars" and "Stand to Reason." Sean is the son of Josh McDowell, famed apologist, youth ministry expert and author of "Evidence that Demands a Verdict."
Best-selling author and apologist Mark Mittelberg will speak on having a confident faith during chapel service at 10:50 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11. He will speak on "The Questions That Christians Hope No One Will Ask" at 7 p.m. Both events are free.
Mittelberg co-authored a book with Bill Hybels called, "Becoming a Contagious Christian." Mittleberg has years of experience in evangelism and leadership and has authored and co-authored numerous books and contributed to "God Is Great, God Is Good: Why Believing in God Is Reasonable and Responsible," which was awarded the 2010 Christianity Today apologetics book of the year.
The Ballet Magnificat, a Christian dance troupe, will conclude Spiritual Emphasis Week. Tickets are available for the Ballet Magnificat's performance at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12. Tickets range in price from $11 to $24 and may be purchased online at www.BelcherCenter.com or by calling (903) 233-3080. The Ballet Magnificat will also perform during a free chapel service at 10:50 a.m. Friday, Sept. 13.
Magnificat is Latin for "to magnify him," and Ballet Magnificat does so by presenting the good news of Jesus Christ in their national and international performances. Their ministry includes audiences in the U.S., Canada, Israel, China, Korea, France, Germany, Singapore and many others. The Ballet Magnificat School of Arts was founded in 1989 and currently has 300 students in Jackson, Miss. The school provides technical and spiritual training through specialized class instruction and workshops for dancers of all ages.
LeTourneau University is an interdenominational Christ-centered university located in Longview, Texas, with undergraduate and graduate programs online and at education centers around the state.
Academic majors include aviation, business, communication, computer science, criminal justice, education, engineering, health care administration, health science-nursing, human services, kinesiology, the liberal arts, psychology, the sciences and theology.
Claiming every workplace in every nation as its mission field, LeTourneau University graduates are professionals of ingenuity and Christ-like character who see life's work as a holy calling with eternal impact.
Categories: (none)


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ShanyaWolf video.ShanyaWolf webcam
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CP World Report: Sikh Temple Gunman's Ex-Girlfriend, Syria and Iran, Olympics
The suspect in the Wisconsin Sikh temple tragedy is dead and can never be questioned about his motives, but authorities have now arrested Wade Michael Page's former girlfriend on a weapons charge. Misty Cook was charged with the felony of possessing a gun. No other details are available. Any possible connection of Cook to the shootings at the Sikh temple that left six people dead….isn't known.
Meanwhile, the weekend killings at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin have put the spotlight on "hate rock." Wade led a hate-rock band and such music is becoming increasingly important to the U.S. white supremacist movement, drawing in new recruits and bringing in cash, according to groups that keep tabs on those groups.
On a visit to cape town South Africa, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton addressed South African students, too young to remember apartheid. In a personal reflection on forgiveness and redemption, she told them not to lose sight of the example their country holds for the world and themselves. As Clinton ends of her term as America's top diplomat, Clinton delivered a message about statesmanship in unscripted references to her own unique transformation from a pilloried first lady and failed presidential candidate.
On another occasion, Clinton talked personal business. She referred to the days that her husband Bill Clinton was the President of the United States and the bad press that followed the scandals.
Syria and Iran have re-affirmed their alliance. Iranian security minister Saeed Jalili and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad discussed how to end Syria's 17-month long civil war. Jalili is in Damascus to discuss the alleged kidnapping of 48 Iranians in Syria on Saturday. Rebels say more than a hundred people have been killed across Syria yesterday alone.
Renowned atheist, author and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins has been invited to speak at a faith-themed Book Festival in Scotland. Some local church groups are questioning how the atheist professor's presence would benefit attendees. But the festival explores belief and faith in the various ways it is presented in literature; and that includes works like Dawkins' own "The God Delusion." Dawkins, a fierce proponent of rationalism and evolution, has called faith a "cop-out," insisting that people do not need faith in their lives. His presence as a speaker is causing conflict, as church leaders suggest that a discussion on atheism shouldn't be a part of such a festival.
The United Methodist Church has continued to decline in the U.S., according to reports. Mark Tooley, president of the Institute on Religion & Democracy and a practicing Methodist, told our partner, The Christian Post, that he did not feel confident in the survival of the denomination in America. But there is a positive report: the United Methodist Church is growing, especially in Africa and the Philippines. Tooley believed that this growth would come to influence the theology of the American United Methodist Church.
We've heard a lot about second hand smoke and how it can affect people. Now scientists are finding out about the dangerous effects of: third hand smoke
HERE'S the Olympic rundown…..
US beach pair Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings made history with a third gold. No one had ever won even two beach volleyball gold medals before they won their second straight in Beijing. And no woman had ever won three Olympic beach volleyball medals of any kind.
And last night in basketball, the US took down Australia 119-86 in the quarter finals.
Allyson Felix celebrated winning gold in the 200 metres yesterday. Following that were: Aries Merritt in the 110 hurdles. He won a gold and Brittney Reese won gold in the long jump.
From Canada: in women's wrestling Carol Huynh (Hine) captured a bronze and… the Canadian women's soccer team will have redemption on its mind when it takes on France today to battle for the bronze medal .
The Medal Count: US. Has finally passed China with 81 medals. China, 77. The two rivals were neck in neck all along with China leading and with both sides finger-pointing about doping and poor sportsmanship. Canada now has 14 medals; and the U.K. 48


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ARNOLD, Md. (AP) – Anne Arundel County fire officials say a 6-year-old girl was seriously injured when she fell from a bedroom window at a home in Arnold.
WBAL-AM reports (http://bit.ly/15qWoJV ) that the girl tumbled from a second- floor window at a home on Blackfoot Drive on Sunday night. She was taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital in serious condition, but her injuries are not considered life- threatening.
Division Chief Keith Swindle says it is not clear why she fell. — Information from: WBAL-AM, http://www.wbal.com


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How to run a plant when expertise is lost
When plant institutional knowledge leaves, process control soon follows. How do you keep your plant running if nobody remembers how? Senior Technical Editor Rich Merritt reports.
ayoffs, cutbacks, outsourcing, retirements, forced retirements, mergers and consolidations are stripping plants of instrument engineers, control engineers, technicians, maintenance people and operators. Once gone, their accumulated knowledge of the plant&rsquos processes goes with them, leaving companies without in-house expertise. Companies are turning to vendors for help.
If current trends continue, most of you will no longer be working as a control engineer for an end user company 10 years from now. More likely you will be working for a systems integrator, a process control vendor, or a service company of some kind. Soon, there may be nobody left in the plants, your accountant-bosses will have subcontracted all the work out, and process control will have become another purchased utility, like electricity and water.
That&rsquos what happened to the engineering and technical staff who worked at the Danube Refinery, Százhalombatta, Hungary. The refinery is the biggest production facility of the MOL Group, a huge oil conglomerate in Europe. Eight years ago, 130 engineers and technicians worked in the refinery. Today, after downsizing, outsourcing and restructuring, all of them are gone.
&ldquoAs the former instrumentation department disappeared, most of its services were taken over by vendors like Honeywell,&rdquo says an MOL manager, who asked to remain anonymous. Another 45 employees were eliminated when the refinery contracted out operation of its wastewater and waste incineration facilities to EarthTech in the UK.
The refinery also gave Emerson $10 million to design and install a new control system as the main automation contractor (MAC) for a control project. As the MAC, Emerson will perform front-end engineering design, applications engineering and project management, install and commission the automation solution, and supply operator training.
That doesn&rsquot leave much work for the refinery&rsquos control people. &ldquoThe company tries to hire back or subcontract former MOL employees when it needs specific knowledge,&rdquo says the anonymous manager.
This is happening at smaller companies, too. &ldquoOur chief instrument engineer left for greener pastures, and was never replaced,&rdquo laments a manager of a small, specialty organic chemical manufacturer in the Midwest. &ldquoThen another instrument specialist left. Now we are relying on an engineering service to support our PLC programming, HMI programming and instrument specifications, and relying on process engineers to tune controllers. The few remaining instrument technicians we have do not have the time to tune controllers since there are too many other fires to put out.&rdquo
The power industry is an excellent example of what happens when knowledge leaves. As we point out in this month&rsquos Control Report (p31), no coal-fired power plants have been built in 25 years, all the people who knew how to control coal-related process have retired, and there is no one left–except a few vendors–who know how to control a coal-fired power plant. Many in the process industries are going down that road, too, as knowledge leaves the plants.
One reason for loss of institutional knowledge is the aging and shrinking workforce in our business. A CONTROL reader poll shows that 71% of you are 41–50 years old, and 12% of you are over 50. Only 3% of you are under 25 and ready to step into their shoes and learn the business. Few young engineers choose to enter our profession, maybe because their fathers warn them away. Or maybe young engineers avoid control because of the disturbing trend of process companies to contract out major parts of a control engineer&rsquos work and shut down entire instrumentation departments, as MOL did.
A Boon to Suppliers
There&rsquos no question that the loss of knowledge in plants is benefiting suppliers, such as process control vendors, systems integrators and service companies. &ldquoWe are seeing a very large upswing in engineering services,&rdquo says Bill Robertson, director of global services and support for process systems and solutions division of Emerson Process Management. &ldquoCustomers are increasingly outsourcing engineering services on new projects, migrations and, to some degree, ongoing system maintenance and operations.&rdquo
Honeywell says it takes deep pockets for a process company to keep up these days. &ldquoUnless a plant has the luxury of being able to overstaff and over-train, they will have to address the issue through the strategic use of suppliers who combine expert knowledge with technology that allows that knowledge to be disseminated out over a broad customer set,&rdquo says Andy Drexler, Global Marketing Leader, Services, Honeywell Process Solutions. Drexler, of course, means companies like Honeywell.
&ldquoTo prevent the impact of lost expertise, plants must carefully select partners whose expertise they can use on an â˜as needed&rsquo basis and who offer the technology to help less experienced workers quickly reach a level of proficiency that once required years of experience,&rdquo he adds.
All the big process control companies are aware of the outsourcing trend, and are gearing up to provide services ranging from design to installation to operations to maintenance. John Berra, president of Emerson Process Management, agrees that Emerson is capable of doing everything in a plant, including running it. &ldquoWe have no plans to offer such a service,&rdquo says Berra, &ldquoand I doubt that any company would want us to actually run their plant.&rdquo
Nevertheless, the vendors are developing new hardware and software that gives them the capability to take over more and more responsibilities, such as automated monitoring, documentation, tuning, diagnostics and so on.
&ldquoAdvanced diagnostic capabilities, such as our Loop Scout /Alarm Scout Service, enable the Experion control system to quickly identify and isolate problem areas in the large sea of control loop and alarm performance data,&rdquo says Drexler. &ldquoThese services automate and optimize plant work process that would have required significant time and effort from expert personnel in the past.&rdquo
Analysts who understand vibration data are leaving plants for greener pastures, and are not being replaced. Emerson&rsquos CSI 9210 machinery health analyzer diagnoses problems with rotating machinery and tells operators and maintenance exactly what is wrong and how long before the motor-pump fails completely. Source: Emerson
Unintended Consequences
No one can blame vendors for taking advantage of the opportunity. Plants are losing or divesting their control systems professionals for various reasons, some good, some bad. Sometimes the motivation is a clear attempt to shake up and modernize plant and organizational systems that are stuck in the mud. Sometimes the motivation is clearly to appease Wall Street analysts. Sometimes, the motivation is just plainly to provide more income for the top management of the company. Companies do what their management believes they have to do. And so we meet the law of unintended consequences.
In many cases, plants that divest themselves of engineers have nowhere else to turn for help but to their vendors. The vendors have the necessary expertise, experience, process knowledge and a staff of engineers. However, rumors persist that the vendors are stretched very thin these days, and are not keeping up.
Glenn Givens, a control systems specialist at Innovention Industries in Burlington, Ontario, Canada, certainly isn&rsquot impressed by vendor expertise. &ldquoIf you ask one of their technical people a question, they usually know less than I do and their answer is â˜I don't know, why don't you try it?&rsquo," says Givens. &ldquoWhen I find an important bug and I have hard data, they first say they're interested, and then nothing is done. I don't bother telling them any more. I see their controls expertise as â˜entry level&rsquo or perhaps slightly more advanced than the average instrument technician.&rdquo
The manager of the small specialty chemical company says help eventually comes. &ldquoWhen we scream for help, so far we have been able to get help from our engineering service,&rdquo he says. &ldquoBut it comes at a high price, and sometimes with a delay.&rdquo
To keep from getting overwhelmed by the increasing requirements of plants, the vendors are coming up with ways to simplify their lives.
&ldquoWe&rsquove systematically engineered complexity out of our systems, at times eliminating tasks that used to take up valuable engineering time, like configuring highway addresses,&rdquo says Robertson. &ldquoAdvanced control is now easy enough for the basic automation engineer and some configuration tasks can be accomplished by operators instead of engineers.&rdquo
Berra says they&rsquove seen this trend at Emerson. &ldquoAs our diagnostic tools do more of the low-level work, we&rsquove been moving up our engineers into more responsible jobs,&rdquo he says. &ldquoOur support engineers spend more time on bigger customer issues, and less time diagnosing equipment problems.&rdquo
Perhaps such a realignment of work is the future for control engineers. Instead of working with the actual equipment, tuning loops and diagnosing problems, you will let software do that work while you operate at a higher level–such as approving invoices from vendors.
Keep the Knowledge
When experienced engineers leave the plant, they take valuable knowledge with them, such as the reasons for certain types of loop-tuning parameters, why PLC logic was done a certain way, or why batch sequences are done in a particular order. Therefore, you should make every effort to capture that knowledge before it is sent away. Good documentation right from the git-go helps, of course, but if that&rsquos lacking, you need to create it. To justify the expense of documenting your existing system, you can explain to your senior management that such documentation will reduce the cost of future upgrades.
&ldquoOften the lack of knowledge of existing systems becomes obvious when customers attempt to migrate to newer generation equipment,&rdquo says Robertson. &ldquoThe first and sometimes painful step along this path is to fully document what the customer has. We provide a wide array of services and technology to make the process of untangling the spaghetti code that we occasionally find for the customer so they can migrate their valuable configurations.&rdquo
Givens has known this for years. &ldquoWe configure and build controls, write software, diagnose process problems, tune controls and, occasionally, train technicians,&rdquo he says. &ldquoWe have detailed records of every single bump test done to every single loop since the day we went into business. I can find the data files for every one and tell you how I calculated the tuning parameters, how I determined how much backlash/stiction was present, and so on.&rdquo
A great deal of new software is available to help you document your system. Wonderware&rsquos Industrial Application Server, for example, allows control and system engineers to standardize system implementation and encapsulate knowledge on ArchestrA-based systems, says Steve Lewarne, Wonderware's vice president of product marketing. &ldquoArchestrA provides a structured model and approach to designing supervisory automation and information systems,&rdquo he explains. &ldquoArchestrA is also self-documenting with respect to initial configuration and modifications made throughout the life cycle of the system. These allow system engineers to easily design, build, deploy, and maintain secure and sustainable automation and information applications.&rdquo
Yokogawa has something similar. &ldquoYokogawa has developed a software solution called Exapilot for capturing this fleeting best-operations knowledge,&rdquo says Fred Woolfrey, Productivity Solutions Consultant at Yokogawa. &ldquoExapilot is a Microsoft Windows-based operation efficiency improvement software package that allows operating personnel to standardize and automate what would normally be manual procedures and incorporate the know-how and skill of expert operators. Operating personnel can build and modify these procedures with an icon based interface. Users can easily configure and test complex procedures. Procedures built with Exapilot can be used to standardize and automate manual procedures, improve plant efficiency, and improve the safety of plant operations.&rdquo
Because vendors must document what they do when developing and configuring control systems so they can support them later, they&rsquove developed such tools for their own use. Check with your control system vendor to see what&rsquos available.
Train and Keep Maintenance
An I/E Supervisor at a power company in Texas trains his technicians and spreads the knowledge around, so he&rsquos not crippled if a key person leaves. He&rsquos also less dependent upon vendors. &ldquoWhen we purchase an upgrade or a new system, we add in cost for training in the price of the equipment,&rdquo he explains. &ldquoIf it is not cost effective to send all the techs, then the ones that do attend the training are required to train the rest of the group. I also rotate areas of responsibilities with the techs to keep them current in the understanding, Troubleshooting and repair of the equipment. This helps these individuals become more of an asset to the company and it makes my life a whole lot easier. You can never train enough.&rdquo
He loves the new open control systems, because it gets him away from proprietary hardware. &ldquoControl system manufacturers used to build and supply every component, but now they buy from third parties to build their systems,&rdquo he says. &ldquoBelieve it or not, this is really a cost savings to the customer. For example, if I lose a hard drive on my engineers console, I run down to Radio Shack and buy one at a quarter of the cost than when you had to buy from a single source.&rdquo
It&rsquos not just economics. He says the vendors have lost some of their expertise in repairing their own equipment. All the vendors responding to my question of how much they support their older equipment said they go back to the dawn of time, but that&rsquos what you would expect them to say. They did not say they had experts doing the work. Therefore, you can probably build a case against letting a vendor take over maintenance on your system on the basis of cost and performance. Cruising the automation lists on the Web would probably get you enough anecdotal evidence to even make a flint-nosed bean counter think twice about outsourcing maintenance. Keeping equipment knowledge in-house helps keep jobs for you and your techs, but you also have to be cost effective.
Analyze Those Loops Yourself
The process control vendors and service companies have built powerful analysis and diagnostic capabilities into their new software systems. They have the ability to monitor every process variable, put all the data into a process historian, and analyze it on a loop-by-loop basis for efficiency from remote service centers or locally, in your plant.
You might want to take advantage of the same tools to preserve your job. PlantTriage from ExperTune and similar software from other vendors can perform the same service that the process control companies offer. In fact, the vendors might be using the same software, because it works.
&ldquoA performance monitoring package like PlantTriage prioritizes the loops that need attention and automatically diagnoses the problems,&rdquo says John Gerry, president of ExperTune. &ldquoThe only way to survive and be competitive is to use software tools like this.&rdquo It also helps you preserve process knowledge, because it records all PID tuning changes and allows you to enter notes as to why you tuned it that way, he adds.
Run Your Own Server Farm
With server-based systems soon to be announced, the big control vendors will be able to run your plant from centralized server &ldquofarms,&rdquo where specialists of all kinds will be available to diagnose problems, retune loops, decide when maintenance needs to be done, and even operate the plant from afar. In other words, the entire control system and all its engineering and tech support can be outsourced.
There is no reason why a forward-thinking control engineer such as yourself could not set up a similar server farm in your company; that is, a centralized system that monitors and controls all your company&rsquos process operations around the world. In other words, instead of having instrumentation departments in each plant, set up a central Instrument Engineering department at company headquarters, and run all your plants from there.
Such a system documents and preserves all the process knowledge in one place. A centralized system also preserves the jobs of your company&rsquos expert control engineers, techs, and operations people, and keeps all their knowledge in house.
The wave of the future is to consolidate all the control, maintenance and diagnostics work in a plant anyway, so just ride the wave, set up your own central operation, and keep your knowledge in house. Otherwise, you might do better to shop your resume to whoever will have to pick up the ball as the knowledge disappears from your plant.
Adversity always breeds opportunity. When your business accounting management starts looking for ways to replace engineers and techs with outside services, show them that you can do the same job at a lower cost by using the same knowledge management tools that the outside suppliers will use if you don&rsquot.
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Can hemorrhoids lead to rectal or colon cancer?
Last Reviewed: November 1, 2001
Dear OncoLink "Ask the Experts,"
Can hemorrhoids lead to rectal or colon cancer?
Thank you.
James D. Lewis, MD, MSCE, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Senior Scholar at the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Senior Fellow in the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania, responds:There is no reason to believe that hemorrhoids lead to colorectal cancer. However, the symptoms of hemorrhoids are often similar to those of colorectal cancer or anal cancer. Some symptoms of hemorrhoids include:
- rectal bleeding
- blood in the stool
- blood on the stool
- blood in the toilet bowl
- blood on the tissue paper


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Just a hardcore modder, experience on various levels of asset production of various type on differing systems.
The member you are trying to view has set their account to private. Only friends of this member are able to view their details.
Continue browsing the member list, to find the profile you are after.


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Summer fun is for everyone! Your dog's don't want to miss out on the bathing suits trends for the summer so get them their very own Dog Bathing Suit. From Bikinis to Swim Trunks, we've got the hot summer style for your pooch. Practical? Perhaps not. But always good fun all around!
Site & Contents © BaxterBoo.com®. BaxterBoo is located in the United States.


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Republican Senate Primary in Alaska Goes Down to the Wire
Two Opponents Try to Make the Ohio Roots of the Favorite, Attorney General Dan Sullivan, an Issue
By most conventional measures, Dan Sullivan looks to be the favorite to win the Republican Senate primary in Alaska.
The former Alaska attorney general and natural resources commissioner has consistently led in polls, has far outraised his two GOP rivals and won support from business groups and grass-roots conservatives. National Democrats have spent more attacking him than any other Republican in the primary season.


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Dr. Jeffrey M. Bale
Dr. Jeffrey M. Bale is the Director of the Monterey Terrorism Research and Education Program (MonTREP) and an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of International Policy and Management (GSIPM) at the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS). Dr. Bale has been studying violence-prone political and religious extremists for nearly 3 decades—long before it suddenly became "fashionable" in the wake of the tragic September 11, 2001 (9/11) attacks on the United States. He has published numerous scholarly articles on nonstate and state terrorism, right-wing extremism, Islamism, apocalyptic religious groups, and covert political operations, and (together with Bassam Tibi) co-edited a special June 2009 issue of the journal, Totalitarian Movements and Political Religions (recently renamed Politics, Religion & Ideology), devoted to Islamism. He is in the process of updating a two-part manuscript on underground neo-fascist networks in Cold War Europe and the terrorist "strategy of tension" in Italy, and preparing three new scholarly monographs: one (for Routledge) on the growing links between dissident left- and right-wing radicals in the West and Islamist groups (Where the Extremes Touch); another (also for Routledge) on the burgeoning "conspiracy theory" literature related to 9/11 and other major recent terrorist attacks (Imagined Terrorist Plots); and still another on the ideological background and organizational connections of Norwegian terrorist Anders Behring Breivik (A Strange Tale of Rival Right-Wing Extremisms). Dr. Bale has carried out specialized archival research in the United States as well as in several European countries, has personally interviewed extremists from several political and religious milieus, and has accumulated an extensive collection of primary source materials related to both extremist and terrorist groups and covert politics. He frequently serves as a consultant and researcher for government agencies and other organizations on matters related to terrorism and ideological extremism, and regularly teaches on a visiting basis at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). He previously taught at the University of California, Berkeley; Columbia University; and the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Bale holds a B.A. in Middle Eastern and Islamic history from the University of Michigan, an M.A. in social movements and political sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in contemporary European history from Berkeley.
*The above information may not be current. It was current at the time when the individual worked for SSI or was published by SSI.
SSI books and monographs by Dr. Jeffrey M. Bale
Jihadist Cells and "IED" Capabilities in Europe: Assessing the Present and Future Threat to the West
November 14, 2012
Authored by Dr. Jeffrey M. Bale.
The increasing diffusion and application of expertise acquired by jihadists in fabricating "improvised explosive devices" and the extent to which local jihadist cells in the West may or may not be connected to veteran terrorist groups and networks in other countries and regions are vital concerns for Western military forces and security and intelligence agencies as they relate to these veteran terrorist groups and networks in other countries and regions of the world.


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Riders isn't bad....but it's the pits....that can
kill the fun. Read on. by
Vaughn Smith
28, 2006 - Sonic
has seen a lot of wacky action outside of his regular
video game activities over his 16 year career, such
as racing, pinball and fighting. Sonic Riders attempts
to cash in on the racing genre, perhaps in another
bid to usurp Nintendo's Mario Kart as the pinnacle
of the lighthearted racing genre, but that ain't gonna
happen anytime soon. Instead of running on foot as
we last saw in Sonic R, Tails, Knuckles, Sonic and
some new characters (all equally forgettable and generic),
this time out it's all about hoverboards. Yes, hoverboards
- as in TrickStyle, EyeToy: Antigrav and Namco's AirBlade.
For some reason, Western civilizations' fascination
with hoverboards hasn't fared well in the video game
arena and unfortunately, Sonic Riders isn't the catalyst
to spark a newfound gaming fad even though it tries
to amalgamate surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding
and racing.
back story of Sonic Riders involves a new team of
emerald stealing thieves known as the Babylon Rogues
who just happen to ride around on "extreme gear"
(aka hoverboards). Sonic's seemingly only worthwhile
nemesis, Dr. Eggman, throws a racing tournament in
a thinly veiled evil plot to get his hands on - what
else? - and before you know it, you have a barebones
understanding of why you're playing Sonic Riders,
aside from the fact that you either bought or rented
it. As you progress Sega will continue to force the
half-assed story down your throat via cutscenes, but
will you really care?
racing in Sonic Riders is fast and might make you
furious, due to a few factors that should have remained
on the cutting room floor. The worst gameplay mechanic
in years has to be the loss of air while using your
hoverboard. Using boost drains your air supply (if
only it drained the lifeforce of Air Supply, the 80's
wussy band that annoyed the crap out of me back then...)
which results in your chosen character running on
foot if emptied completely. To restore the air, you'll
have to find a pitstop along the way. Not only does
this waste valuable time, but it completely disrupts
the entire flow of the game. I believe Sega thought
it would add a strategic element to the game, but
it only succeeds at annoying you since you'll probably
find yourself avoiding the boost feature at all costs;
without it, the game seems like your standing still.
element of gameplay that does work as intended is
the use of riding opponent's turbulence trails. Streaming
from behind them, you'll be able to jump onto their
tailwind and increase your speed and execute tricks
and combos by leaping to and from a variety of turbulence
created by the other riders. The shallow trick system
isn't anything to get excited about and the stunts
are executed by a directional push - the only downside
to the tricks is landing them incorrectly which can
result in a small scale wipeout, which will cost you
valuable time. The only way to make that time up is
to use the boost, which drains your air supply which
requires a visit to the pits....Argh! Enough already!
the game is pretty hot stuff across the three available
platforms (GC, PS2 and Xbox). Sonic Team kept the
environments in Riders to look as though they were
lifted from the same bizarre Sonic universe that all
of the other games were borne from. The game is very
smooth with the occasional framerate hiccup, but it's
nothing to get your panties in a knot over. Remember,
I've played Tomb Raider: Angel Of Darkness (PS2) so
I've seen the benchmark for worst framerate in a video
game ever. Angel of Darkness was akin to playing a
video game on one of those "Flip the pages as
fast as you can!" books; that's how bad the frame
rate was. As mentioned the character designs are as
generic as they come, but let's face it, that all
began with the introduction of Tails in 1992 and hasn't
showed any signs of slowing down since. At the very
least they work within the framework of what has come
track structure is more than a little attention deficit
- it's like someone went crazy with the Track-Designer
3000. The tracks start out busy and distracting and
manage to assault the senses even more the further
you progress - which means they should be just perfect
for the youngsters and teens this game is targetted
at. Hey, I know I'm old. My eyes are going. Lots of
flashy lights give me headaches. I'm not saying the
level design is bad - Sonic has always featured level
layouts jammed with everything and the kitchen sink
- it actually suits the style of the game quite well
and allows for the limited amount of technique the
hoverboard mechanic offers the player.
game supports up to 4 players which signifies that
Cube and Xbox owners will be ready to play right out
of the box, while PS2 owners require the multi-tap.
Let me just say for the record that playing a game
as involved as Sonic Riders is a nightmare on a small
TV in 4 player split-screen mode. The speed of the
game is impressive with 4 players, but the twisty
turny, hair-pin curve, level design and reduced visibility
make most of the races trial and error rather than
pure talent. Two player split-screen is definitely
workable however.
your chosen character is a snap for the most part
and gamers of all skill levels will be able to pick
up and play it with minimal instruction; whether they
can manage a 1st place win or not is another story.
The game requires the use of just a couple of buttons
- jump, boost, R and L tight turns (shoulder buttons)
and once you get the hang of it, you'll begin exploring
the landscape using different characters to mine their
various abilities (based on speed, flight or power)
to reach cool new places.
value is high if you persevere and manage to like
the game enough to beat many difficulty levels. There
are no less than 10 extra characters to unlock, including
NiGHTS, Aiai (Super Monkey Ball), Shadow the Hedgehog,
Ulala (Space Channel 5) and Super Sonic just to name
a few. Unfortunately, Super Sonic is a mixed blessing
as you'll constantly be reverting back to Sonic due
to Super's high ring count which you must maintain,
and if you've played this game you'd know keeping
the ring count above a certain number can be a little
overwhelming given the lack of rings and hazards that
tend to take them away.
you're a patient gamer as well as high ranking Sonic
fanclub member, chances are you'll be able to overlook
some of the games weakspots and enjoy Sonic Riders
for what it is. It's certainly not perfect, but it
is definitely playable and enjoyable. Again, my biggest
complaint is the pits...pitstop that is. At any rate
it's a far site better than the recently released
Shadow the Hedgehog game. If you're sitting on the
fence, rent it. Sonic Riders is a bit of a bumpy ride,
but what do you expect with all of that turbulence?
Vaughn Smith
Site Director
TrickStyle for the DC? Criterion created that. If
Criterion doesn't ring a bell, certainly Burnout will.
They created that too. How about Namco's AirBlade?
Another hoverboard game. Now add Sega to that short
list. Sonic Riders will feature your favorite Sonic
characters shreddin' the laws of gravity on their
very own hoverboards in this futuristic racer.
the Hedgehog, Knuckles the Echidna, Storm the Albatross,
Jet the Hawk, Miles "Tails" Prower, and
Web the Swallow. Gamers will compete for a Chaos Emerald
in a speed challenge set up by Dr. Robotnik.
board runs on air. You can fill your air at various
points during the game, but you must also get air
by performing tricks on your board throughout the
course. You also want to use turbulence from racers
in front of you in order to get speed or make your
board leap into the air. When you are using turbulence,
you dont use your air supply. Yet, the downside
of using turbulence is that players can knock you
off course by creating irregularity in their turbulence.
is promising a lot of game play with numerous tracks
like Splash Canyon, Egg Factory, Green Cave, and Sandy
Ruin along with different modes including two and
our player split screen. Sega is promising the game
will be an "eXtreme" experience. The game
has a planned winter release in Japan for the Xbox,
PS2, and GameCube.
Rating Legend
1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor
2.5 - 2.9 = Average
3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
3.5 - 3.9 = Good
4.0 - 4.4 = Great
4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
5.0 = The Best


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Cirque Mechanics' 'Birdhouse Factory' Set for 3/2
A clever twist on the cirque genre, Cirque Mechanics' "Birdhouse Factory" combines traditional circus elements - acrobatics, juggling, trampoline antics, contortionists, dancing and clowning - with a story steeped in mechanical ingenuity. This cirque-meets-industry romp fills The Eccles Center on Saturday, March 2. The spectacle begins at 7:30 p.m.
Set in a 1930's depression era widget factory, "Birdhouse Factory" is brimming with mechanically inspired artistry. The genius of the show is the way the factory's "machines" become props for the workers/acrobats. A trapeze artist soars thanks to the spins of an acrobat inside a giant gear-like wheel. A contortionist performs on a turntable powered by unicyclists. Trampoline wall artists defy the laws of physics by virtually flying and walking on air. And, Cirque Mechanics rounds out the fun with ample clowning, acrobatic-dancing and an enchanting story of laughter, love, flight and birdhouses.
Critics have flipped over this unique approach to cirque-style entertainment. According to The New York Times "Birdhouse Factory" is "exceptional, evocative, eye-catching, ear-catching and, to keep the list short, engrossingly entertaining." And Time Out Dubai writes, "With the wonder of Cirque du Soleil and the grassroots chic of Stomp, this is circus without the tack."
Cirque Mechanics was founded in 2004 by seasoned BMX cyclist, circus acrobat and stage performer Chris Lashua. This unique company finds its roots in the mechanical and its heart in the stories of American ingenuity. The shows, rooted in realism, display a raw quality, rarely found in modern circus, which makes their message timeless and relevant. The company's first show, "Birdhouse Factory" was produced in partnership with the Circus Center of San Francisco and the Pickle Family Circus.
Tickets and information are available at The Eccles Center box office, 435-655-3114 or www.ecclescenter.org.


text:
Stone 19
sold out
Stone 19
This "stone" is the story of a personal struggle with vulnerability told in sculptural form, cast from the body of an Alaskan, and made by the hands of their community members.
Materials: Casting plaster, burlap, concrete (cement, sand, perlite, acrylic bonding agent), straw, 0-5% polyurethane insulating foam, iron.
Photographed by Michael Conti
Add To Cart


text:
Cobbles. Wow. Real cobbles, just, wow.
Rough, uneven, large, disjointed, rock hard cobbles are something everyone must experience. Be it downhill, flat or up the Muur, they are serious fun. The are a serious challenge. But a fun challenge.
That's right, upon the same Muur where we saw Fabian 'motor' away from Boonen, another 198 oxygen depleted cyclists attempted the same feat yesterday in the Internationale Wielertroffe Oetingen.
The race consisted of a 100k big loop including three cobbled climbs; the not so festive Congoberg, the steep forested Bosberg and of course the aforementioned Muur van Geraardsberg. Through this first section of the race it was just crazy; the bunch was tense, on edge, ready to jump into any gap between wheels. The modus operandi for every rider being get to the front, at all costs. Footpath, gravel edges, grass edges, no path to the front can be passed up.
Why such desperation? Well, take the Muur for example, this road is so narrow that the team cars have to detour and meet the back of the peleton on the descent! So, imagine sending 198 riders up an 18% cobbled hill too narrow for a car to fit up. Yes, mayhem ensues. I got myself close enough to the front to avoid getting caught in the bottleneck that resulted in many riders having to run up the last 500 metres of the hill. I still missed the front group though! Luckily everything came back together.
So I survived the first 100k without too much drama, there were some splits, some very intense climbing but all to plan. The race finished with 4 laps of a 15k circuit with two 2.5 kilometre cobbled stretches. As we hit the circuits there was a small group ahead of the peleton which now consisted of maybe 50 less riders than when we began. As we hit the cobbles the race literally exploded. One of the stronger Belgium teams had 4 riders at the front just before the cobbles so I jumped through a few tight gaps to get to the front. Turned out to be a good move as after the first cobbled stretch there were maybe 60-70 guys left in the peleton. On the 2nd lap I got blown away on one of the cobbled stretches but made it back on 5k later with some other guys. All the grovelling came to an end just before we started the last lap with my legs, lungs and mind all giving way simultaneously. I battled away to finish 47th, with only 56 guys finishing.
My impressions of my first real cobbled race are that they are definitely an art. Picking the correct line is tough, usually the dirt strip down the outside of the road is the quickest and smoothest path, but when a 100 man peleton hits the pave only so many guys can ride down the outside of the road. After two kilometres of bouncing and clattering your whole body seems to go numb, your hands get sore from gripping the bars, your arms and shoulders are just clenched tight, and your nether regions get worked over in a less than satisfactory fashion.
I am trying to find some race photos somewhere but I have so far come up short
Now the team looks ahead to another pro race in Aarschot, Belgium, on Sunday. Another 180k dose of all things great about riding a bike.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Clutter, Clang, Bounce, Bang
Posted by JONATHAN LOVELOCK at 2:31 AM
5 comments:
- AnonymousJuly 2, 2010 at 9:23 PM
Jono, would be great to see you post your race watts, watts per kg etc just so 120kg peeps back home dont say '515watts? I can hold that for 34minutes! what is he complaining about?'..ReplyDelete
And would be good the junior riders to see what watts per kg it takes, give em something to aim for cos
460watts doesnt mean much if we cant see bodyweight.. :)
Thanks bro and keep on liv'n the dream..
Need new cycling glasses? Just go to GlassesUSA.com to get 25% off on your glasses! Use this coupon code:ReplyDelete
Hey Jono, good to hear that your rocking and rolling in some big races. Check ya later bignuts.ReplyDelete
keep smashing 'em JonoReplyDelete
...yer nuts, I mean
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
BROOMFIELD, CO - July 22, 2014
Webroot, the market leader in cloud-based, real-time internet threat detection, today unveiled the new Webroot® Channel Edge® Reseller Program. This improved structure enables Webroot to provide market-specific tools and resources to help its growing global network of value added resellers (VARs), distributors, service providers and systems integrators to increase their close rate and grow their business. The revamped Webroot partner program is another step in the company's increased channel focus which has driven triple-digit year-over-year growth in the small and medium business (SMB) segment.
Click to Tweet: Webroot Channel Edge Reseller Program Empowers Partners.
"Channel partners are a critical component of Webroot's growth strategy in the SMB segment, so having a strong partner enablement program is very key to our success," said David Bennett, vice president of worldwide consumer and SMB sales at Webroot. "The new program offers an innovative set of tools designed to support our partners at every stage of the sales cycle. Our objective is to increase our network of highly-skilled and motivated partners with deep expertise in our products, so our users get the best experience possible from pre-sales evaluation to post-sales support."
New Webroot Program and Incentives
In addition to delivering attractive profit margins, Webroot's innovative new program includes access to the Channel Edge Partner Toolkit for all partners. This toolkit contains an innovative set of sales and marketing tools designed to help partners rapidly grow their business with Webroot support at every stage of the sales cycle, from customer education and prospecting, to successful deal closure.
Key elements of the Channel Edge Partner Toolkit include:
- Web Content Syndication delivers product content, trial software downloads and whitepapers directly from a partner's website. Prospects can educate themselves on Webroot solutions and initiate a trial that links back to the partner. All of the information is updated automatically by Webroot, so partners and their prospects, always have the most current materials.
- The Resource Center provides a wide range of pertinent sales and marketing materials directly to partner sales and marketing teams, giving them instant access to the information they need when they need it—without the hassle of remembering login information.
- Social Syndication empowers partners to become a savvy security thought leader and influential voice in promoting security solutions and services to their prospects. Through this syndication module, partners can easily push fresh content and communicate with potential buyers through multiple social media sites.
In addition, partners committed to working with Webroot and meeting a minimum quarterly revenue attainment are enrolled as Elite Resellers and receive added benefits such as qualified sales leads, speaking engagements and joint seminars, market expansion programs, sales incentives, and a dedicated channel account manager.
"The Webroot Channel Edge Reseller Program continues to evolve and prove that innovation is core to the Webroot DNA. The new program enables partners with a set-it and forget-it portal where we have the ability to select syndicated web content and current marketing materials, which are automatically co-branded. We can easily access resources directly from the desktop without the need to remember passwords," said Matt Biben, sales and marketing director at TLIC Worldwide, Inc. "This tool streamlines our ability to market and sell Webroot products and is unique among the vendors with whom we work."
Significant Market Momentum and Industry Recognition
In addition to the revised partner program, Webroot's increased channel focus has driven significant momentum, resulting in 315 percent revenue growth since the beginning of 2013, led by resellers, MSPs and distributors rapidly adopting Webroot SecureAnywhere® Business – Endpoint Protection and Webroot SecureAnywhere® Business – Mobile Protection to provide remote security management and administration to their customers.
Further, Marya Munir, senior channel marketing manager at Webroot, was selected for CRN's 2014 Women of the Channel. The annual list highlights the accomplishments of female executives within vendor, distribution and solution provider organizations.
"The modern threat landscape is increasingly more sophisticated and complex, with new malware emerging constantly. Partners are hearing the demand for more effective, better performing solutions from their customers and are turning to Webroot to meet this need. With our superior, cloud-based security solutions and our enhanced partner program, Webroot partners can offer the best protection, improve customer satisfaction and grow their business effectively," said Bennett.


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Last fall, a book entitled �Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help,� by Robert Lupton, was being passed around and studied in religious circles in our community. For a while, it was the buzz around town, at least among church folks, invoking new ways of thinking about and working with the poor.
As you might can guess from the title, Lupton�s working thesis is that charities � particularly religious ones � have done more harm than good in their traditional way of doing benevolent work. His contention is that our �handout approach� has created situations of dependency, and that it has diminished the dignity of those persons we have sought to help.
Lupton is much more into ministries that empower people, that give them a �helping hand up� rather than a �handout.� I don�t remember if he mentions Habitat-for-Humanity as a model for what he would consider a good charity, but I think it fits. Habitat has long tried to partner with low-income persons in building a home, rather than just giving them a house.
Lupton�s argument is well thought out and persuasive, and he certainly has the personal experience from which to draw. He has four decades of inner city work in Atlanta, with much of that including living among the poor. His message resonates with people, especially with those who grow weary of the amount of charity that comes out of the public and private sector.
At Gordon Street, we had a Sunday school class that took its turn in reading Lupton�s book. There were a lot of nods of agreement in the class as people read his claims that charitable work may well undermine personal initiative and responsibility. There were also some �uh-huhs� when Lupton mentioned the problem of abuse, i.e., people who work the system or systems that simply do not work.
There were some who said that it was one of the finest books that we had read, and that they could understand why it was so popular with other churches in Kinston. But � and this was always a strong �but� � there was something about the book that continued to leave us uneasy and just shaking our heads.
Was it his claim that so much of our charitable work is ineffective and wasteful, if not downright harmful? I don�t think it was that. Was it his critique of the youth mission trip, which he basically says is a colossal waste of funds? Not that either. What bothered us, I think, was how his book would be used by many, i.e., as an excuse to ignore the poor and to reinforce negative stereotypes that many people already hold about them.
�See, we are creating a culture of dependents!� �See, our charity just encourages them to be lazy!� �See, I told you that there is too much welfare! Lupton�s a Christian, and he even agrees with me!�
In fairness to Lupton, this is not what he intends his book to do. He argues for deeper involvement with the poor, more long-term investment with them and more development. But I�m afraid it will be hard for many people to get that from his writing. What most will hear is that charitable work is broken, that we need to stop doing so much of it, that there are many undeserving poor out there and that we are right to withhold our money.
That will be a sad message to walk away from this book with, but I�m afraid that is what many will hear. Our class agreed that poverty is complex, and that as people of faith, we were called to care for the poor. It was that simple and that difficult. We were so intrigued and rattled by this book that we have invited a well-known theologian to come and respond to the book. Dr. Stanley Hauerwas of Duke Divinity School will be with us at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 1. I invite you to join us.
Mark Benson is pastor of Gordon Street Christian Church.


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Hi HollyB. Welcome! It's great to meet you. I'm a moderator here at Work it, Mom! so please give a shout if you have questions or comments. :) What's cool about Work it, Mom! is that you're free to post questions or answers on whatever grabs your interest. The Q&A page is a great place to start,
http://www.workitmom.com/questions as is the Groups page. Have fun!
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We Were Promised Jetpacks @ GAMH
SHOW 9pm DOOR 8pm
In 2009 Adam Thompson (Vocals / Guitar), Darren Lackie (Drums), Sean Smith (bass) and Michael Palmer (Guitar) were a band of nineteen year old University Students, bunked up together in a tenement flat in the West End of Glasgow, Scotland. On signing to Fat Cat Records later the same year, the band could not have anticipated the journey they were about to embark on. Now, five years later, We Were Promised Jetpacks are ready to release their third studio album entitled "UNRAVELLING".
We Were Promised Jetpacks debut album "These Four Walls" (2009) was released to critical acclaim. Thus began the band's busy touring schedule, playing high profile festival slots around the UK and USA supporting label mates Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad.
2010 saw the release of the follow up album "The Last Place You'll Look", an EP comprising of unreleased tracks and swelling, orchestrally inspired rewrites of songs from their debut album "These Four Walls".
The band's sophomore release followed in 2011 and was recorded at Sigur Ros's Sundlaugin Studios in Iceland. "In the Pit of the Stomach" was testament to the poise, control and vigor the band had learned to command. The extensive touring schedule continued and the release received support and high praise from the likes of Rolling Stone and Spin Magazine. The band also continued to build on their high profile live performances with sets at Coachella, Fashions Big Night Out at New York's Rockerfeller Centre and on Last Call with Carson Daly
During the 2012 US Tour the band recorded and captured footage from their live set at Union Transfer, Philadelphia. Early 2014 saw the release of "E Rey: Live in Philadelphia", in ode to Esteban Rey the bands' friend and then tour manager. The album captures the explosive energy and drama fans have come to expect from a We Were Promised Jetpacks show, with behind the scenes footage allowing fans a unique insight to life on the road with the band.
Early 2014 saw the band working tirelessly on "UNRAVELLING" which will be the band's most confident and accomplished record to date. Recorded in Glasgow at the infamous Chem19 Studios with Paul Savage who has previously worked with numerous established and diverse Scottish acts such as Teenage Fanclub, King Creosote, The Twilight Sad, Franz Ferdinand and Mogwai.
Lead vocalist Adam Thompson says, "It was a fairly straightforward decision to work with Paul. He has done plenty of brilliant work and we had worked with him for a few days before recording our first album and always remembered enjoying recording with him. I'm really chuffed with that decision. I think Paul has done a great job and its the first time we've ever been present to mix the album with the same person who has recorded it, which has been an enjoyable and much more relaxing experience for us."
The impending album release also sees the addition of a new member to the band in the form of multi-instrumentalist Stuart McGachan. Thompson's explains, "Stuart is an accomplished keys, piano and guitar player as well as having a lovely little singing voice and with him we have tried to do something a little different with this selection of songs. We've known him for ages and played music with him before so we were pretty sure it would work out. It has just been the 4 of us since about April 2004 so having someone new with us has been an enjoyable part of the process."
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