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From the Tampa Times by John Romano
It's all about the children.
It's all about the children.
(Except the bit about turning a profit.)
It's a way to empower the parents.
(Except every major parent group hates it.)
It's an idea whose time has come.
(Except it's turned California into an educational war zone.)
Yes, your state lawmakers are at it again. They look at legislation that appears to be a recipe for confusion and abuse, and somehow declare it a godsend.
They say tomato, I say morons.
In case you aren't up to speed, the state House passed a bill on Thursday that allows parents to petition for a variety of overhauls if a local school is struggling.
What's so bad about that, you ask?
In theory, not a thing.
But reality has a way of perverting, misappropriating and generally mucking up even the best of intentions. And I'm not even sure this one began with good intentions.
So if we can skip all of the minor details and skirmishes, the real issue is this legislation potentially allows public schools to be handed over to for-profit charter companies.
Some legislators insist that is not the bill's motivation. Others don't even try to disguise that it is a likely outcome.
"I've never heard of making a profit being a bad thing,'' said Rep. George Moraitis R-Fort Lauderdale. "This is the United States of America.''
He's nailed his geography, but Moraitis might have an economics issue.
Those profits he is so gleefully pushing toward out-of-state charter companies are supplied by your tax dollars. Tax dollars originally earmarked for your child's education, books, lunches and so on.
"There's nothing wrong with a company making a profit,'' said Mindy Gould, the legislation chair for the Florida PTA. "But when it's made off the backs of our children, I think it becomes a problem.''
Now it's important to point out that charter schools are not the enemy here. The number of charter success stories in this state is impressive, including St. Petersburg Collegiate High School and Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High School in this market.
But it can also be said that charter schools have failed at a much higher rate than public schools, and there have been far too many stories of management companies and employees pillaging school funds for personal gain.
Between 2002-03 and 2008-09, 23 new charters opened in Hillsborough County, according to state department of education numbers. Nine have already closed their doors. Granted, that's a small sample size, but a fail rate of nearly 40 percent is staggering no matter how you slice it.
Beyond the disruption to student lives, each one of those failures potentially represents hundreds of thousands of tax dollars forever lost.
This doesn't mean we should abandon the idea of charter schools. They continue to serve a valuable role in our educational system.
But those numbers and the anecdotal cases of abuse suggest our legislators should be concentrating on how better to regulate charter schools instead of passing laws that ensure the continuation of unmonitored growth.
"We absolutely need to address failing schools, but this isn't the way to do it,'' said Gould. "We need to encourage more parental involvement, but this isn't how it's done.
"Let's bring parents to the table. Let's get them involved with their voices instead of handing them a pencil and asking them to sign a petition that hands all of the power over to some corporation. That's not empowering parents.''
This is not the first time the House has flirted with a so-called parent trigger bill. It was approved by the House last year, but got stuck in the Senate on a tie vote.
(And I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Rep. Mike Fasano R-New Port Richey and Rep. Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, were among a handful of Republicans who crossed party lines to vote against the bill on Thursday.)
It's looking more and more like the Senate is going to pass its version of the parent trigger this time around. The combination of Jeb Bush's stamp of approval, heavy lobbying by charter companies and partisan politics will likely be too much to overcome.
Never mind that it seems decidedly unpopular at the grass roots level, our lawmakers tend to see only what they want to see.
They say potato, I say nuts.


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When Sherry Marino visited the grave marked with her son's name, she would ask, "Is this you, Michael?"
Each time, she felt nothing, a feeling she brought to authorities, questioning whether the body in the grave belonged to her son, Michael Marino, a 14-year-old who went missing in 1976 who had long been labeled a victim of serial killer John Wayne Gacy.
On Wednesday, she was redeemed. She was on her way to the cemetery, marking the 36th year since the day her son disappeared, when her lawyers called her: The boy in the grave was not her son.
For years, Marino fought to have the grave exhumed. When she approached Steven Becker and Robert Stephenson of Becker Stephenson, they agreed to work on her behalf, pro bono.
After fighting bureaucracy, they said they succeeded in having the body unearthed.
"When we opened up the casket, we were immediately suspect, because there was neither a lower or an upper jaw bone connected to the skull and of course this was the major form of identification was through the dental records," Becker said.
Added his partner, Stephenson: "We did find a small piece of the jaw bone and another piece of the jaw connected to the upper part of the skull. One of those was tested, that's where we got the DNA from."
Previously, a forensic dentist said, based on dental records, that the body was Michael Marino's.
But modern DNA, pulling from the same source, found Sherry Marino was not the parent of the exhumed body.
"She was relieved that now the rest of the world knew she was right," Stephenson said.
Officials thought the body belonged to Michael Marino in part, Becker said, because the body was found in a grave site that included his friend, Kenny Parker, 16. Both boys hung out at an arcade in an area where Gacy prowled.
Officials "have always asserted that Kenny Parker and Michael were in the same grave," Becker said. "Today we have proof that that was in fact not Michael. And if it was not Michael, was it Kenny Parker if he was identified in the same means?"
Now the lawyers, who have argued that Gacy had accomplices, say the Gacy case must be reexamined.
Bill Dorsch, a former Chicago police officer, urges officials to look at a building at the corner of Miami and North avenues in Chicago where Gacy was a caretaker.
Dorsch knew Gacy and had even been in his home with his wife and son in 1974.
"One night coming home from my work as a police officer in Chicago, that's when I encountered him walking from the building with a long-handled shovel in his hands," Dorsch said.
Dorsch, who lived nearby, asked what Gacy was doing at that early hour. Dorsch said that Gacy replied, "You know me, Bill, there's not enough hours in the day."
Seven years later, as Cook County law enforcement dug up bodies of boys and young men at Gacy's home, Dorsch recalled their encounter. Since then, he's been urging the Cook County Sheriff's department to dig up the site near where they bumped into each other.
Witnesses also told Dorsch that Gacy dug trenches there at night.
Dorsch, Becker and Stephenson have also pursued the angle that Gacy had accomplices.
Related: Witnesses shed new light on John Wayne Gacy murder; suggest he had accomplice
Related: Serial killer John Wayne Gacy had accomplices, lawyers say
"The only way to bring closure to the victims' families is to investigate it," Dorsch said. "And every victim's family that we talk to says the same thing: 'I just want to know.'"
More content from NBCNews.com:
- Amid military suicide crisis, TAPS answers the call
- $500,000 payment to failed charter school principal sparks outrage
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- Federal jury acquits cousins of gay hate crime in landmark case
Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

subset: commoncrawl


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A tornado watch expired at 3 p.m., no severe weather reported
The National Weather Service has let a tornado watch for Volusia and Flagler counties expire.
The watch was posted early Tuesday and stood throughout the day as a front passed across the area, bringing gusty winds, rain and the threat of isolated tornadoes.
The watch expired at 3 p.m., the National Weather Service said Tuesday morning.
Weather forecasters predict a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Skies will be mostly cloudy with a high near 82 degrees.
A southwest wind of 10 to 20 mph gusting as high as 30 mph will produce windy conditions. The strong winds are the results of a strong cold front moving through the area, forecasters with the National Weather Service in Melbourne said.
A line of thunderstorms moved across Florida from west to east Tuesday, forecasters said, creating instability. At one point, Northwestern Flagler was in a tornado warning because rotation was detected on the Weather Service radars.
The high winds also have prompted a lake wind advisory to be issued from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. A lake wind advisory indicates that winds will cause rough chop on area lakes and small boats will be especially prone to capsizing.
Rain chances decrease tonight with a slight chance of showers expected before 1 a.m. There is a 20 percent chance of precipitation with skies mostly cloudy and a low around 54 degrees. A southwest wind of 10 to 15 mph with gusts as high as 20 mph is expected.
Temperatures will be dropping for the rest of the week, with overnight lows falling into the 40s and 30s by the weekend.
Fire officials also announced Tuesday morning that A Red Flag Fire Alert was announced by the state for Volusia County from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Fire Danger is forecast to be very high in Volusia, said Daytona Beach fire Lt. Larry Stoney in a statement released Tuesday morning. This alert has been issued by the Florida Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services, Florida Forest Service. Flagler County's emergency management website lists fire danger there as moderate.
All roads patrolled by the Florida Highway Patrol are free of crashes this morning, according to reports by the state agency. If you're heading out of the area, Interstate 4 headed toward Orlando is slower than usual after a crash near Maitland Boulevard.
For up-to-the-minute weather updates check out our weather page.
See current weather conditions and our BeachCam.
Check Volusia County traffic conditions.
Check Flagler County traffic conditions.
ON TAP: Find out what's happening today locally.


text:
Total RecallTotal Recall is a look back at the history of video games through their characters, franchises, developers and trends.
NeoGAF user jjgames has done the history of video games—or at least our ability to easily access some awkwardly amusing parts of it—a great favour. He's bought six old VHS tapes from the 90s, each containing a Nintendo marketing or training video.
They remind us of a time Nintendo was a lot warmer, a lot quainter. And also of a time where grown men wore mullets without the slightest hint of irony.
You can watch all six videos below.
Nintendo Videos [YouTube]


text:
Tiger's Mistress - Holly Sampson
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you'll be blown away with what we have to offer!
Download all of our multi award winning content today!
18 USC 2257 Record-Keeping Requirements Compliance Statements


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Are you ready to save some serious cash this Cyber Monday 2016?
The deals below are all hand-picked Cyber Monday price drops, all at their lowest recorded price - based on your requests. Every item is brand new and every single product has been tested by us. All stores, customer service and distributors have been vetted by us. All websites are 100% safe, legit and ready to rock.
Some of the links used in today's article have Bitly performance tracking codes and may include affiliate links that benefit third parties. No companies pay us to feature their products and this TV station does not benefit from any purchase. Prices are subject to change at any time and are expected to sell out. Stores reserve the right to terminate an offer at any time. Please read all return policies carefully.
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**For the $29.99 Fire TV Stick doorbuster, click here.


text:
Following the recent BEE VOTE at LA CITY COUNCIL… the press was BUZZING! Check out some of the press coverage below!
ABC News
CBS: "Los Angeles abuzz over push for urban beekeeping"
FOX 11 News
POLITICO: "LA abuzz about push for urban beekeeping"
KPCC: "LA City Council takes step to allow urban beekeeping"
CURBED LA: "Los Angeles on Its Way to Legalizing Backyard Beekeeping"
laist: "Los Angeles Considers Legalizing Urban Beekeeping"


text:
Washington, D.C. (March 8, 2011) — A new report, "Emerging Biopharmaceutical Companies, Ensuring a Favorable Environment for Continued Innovation," released today by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), underscores the commitment of America's biopharmaceutical research companies – of all sizes – to continued medical progress.
"Developing today's treatments and tomorrow's cures requires commitment, determination and a significant investment of time and resources," said David P. Holveck, President and Chief Executive Officer of Endo Pharmaceuticals and chairman of PhRMA's Emerging Biopharmaceutical Companies Committee.
"Emerging biopharmaceutical companies are defined as companies with annual revenues of between $100 million and $3 billion – yet many may not yet be profitable. These companies tend to concentrate on one or two therapeutic areas often aimed at specific medical conditions, and are generally more likely to focus on specialty rather than primary care," Holveck said.
Despite their smaller size, emerging biopharmaceutical research companies represent an increasing proportion of private sector R&D spending and serve as "a 'deep bench' for future growth and innovation," according to the research conducted by the Boston Consulting Group. The potential for these emerging biopharmaceutical companies to sustain and grow jobs and introduce new medicines depends on a stable regulatory and policy environment.
According to the report:
- Engines of job growth: Mid-sized companies grew at an average annual rate of 7 percent from 2000 to 2008. Some of these companies created substantially more jobs – with up to 12-fold increases in the number of jobs created with the introduction of new medicines. And, as they grew, these companies became an increasingly important source of high-value jobs with base salaries that in some states were more than twice the average wages of other sectors. These companies deliver clear benefits to patients in the form of a steady supply of new Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America 950 F Street, NW, Suite 300 * Washington, DC 20004 * (202) 835-3400 medical therapies and have helped to stabilize local budgets and the national economy.
- Benefits, challenges due to size: Mid-sized biopharmaceutical companies have the competitive advantage of being nimble and flexible in terms of how they respond to environmental challenges. However, due to their size and other features, they are disproportionately affected by an unpredictable business, regulatory or policy environment.
- Challenges to growth and sustainability: The paper identifies challenges that could impact future growth and sustainability including the lengthy and sometimes unpredictable Food and Drug Administration review process, uncertainty created by implementation of new federal laws, and pricing and reimbursement policies that don't adequately value medical advances.
PhRMA looks forward to working collaboratively with policymakers at the local, state and national levels to encourage proactive policies that support continued medical advances and sustain and grow high-value, high-wage jobs by America's biopharmaceutical research companies of all sizes.
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country's leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. PhRMA companies are leading the way in the search for new cures. PhRMA members alone invested an estimated $45.8 billion in 2009 in discovering and developing new medicines. Industry-wide research and investment reached a record $65.3 billion in 2009.
PhRMA Internet Address: http://www.phrma.org
For information on how innovative medicines save lives, visit: http://www.innovation.org
For information on the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, visit: http://www.pparx.org
For more information on public health emergencies, visit http://www.rxresponse.org
For information on the danger of imported drugs, visit: http://www.buysafedrugs.info


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Transfer from Grand Hotel Europe and Astoria Hotel with police escort. Departure at 18:45 (6:45 pm).
Ball hostesses arrive at the Astoria Hotel and Grand Hotel Europe early to greet guests and travel with them by Imperial Coach to Czar's Village
A comfortable transfer to Catherine's Palace on a fleet of luxurious Mercedes and Volvo coaches with a professional guide who will open to you the mystery secrets of the last centuries about Tsar's family...
Thirty-minute travel time with police escort.
After 1 am mini-shuttles leave every half-hour for all St. Petersburg Hotels. The mini-shuttle will drive you back directly to your hotel (to any hotel in the city).


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My page from 23andme.com can be found here.
Get to know Jamila's maternal ancestors.
Jamila's Ancestral Map
Jamila is part of a maternal line that scientists have labeled haplogroup H. The map below shows where people of haplogroup H lived around 500 years ago, before modern transportation allowed people to easily move from continent to continent.
H originated in the Near East and then expanded after the peak of the Ice Age into Europe, where it is the most prevalent haplogroup today. It is present in about half of the Scandinavian population and is also common along the continent's Atlantic coast.
Quick Facts
Haplogroup: H
Age: more than 40,000 years
Region: Europe, Near East, Central Asia
Populations: Basques, Scandinavians
Highlight: Mitochondrial DNA extracted from the remains of St. Luke belonged to haplogroup H.
Jamila's Ancestral History
Marie Antoinette belonged to haplogroup H.
Haplogroup H dominates in Europe, reaching peak concentrations along the Atlantic coast. It is also common in many parts of the Near East and Caucusus Mountains, where the haplogroup can reach levels of 50% in some populations. H originated about 40,000 years ago in the Near East, where favorable climate conditions allowed it to flourish. About 10,000 years later it spread westward all the way to the Atlantic coast and east into central Asia as far as the Altay Mountains.
About 21,000 years ago an intensification of Ice Age conditions blanketed much of Eurasia with mile-thick glaciers and squeezed people into a handful of ice-free refuges in Iberia, Italy, the Balkans and the Caucasus. Several branches of haplogroup H arose during that time, and after the glaciers began receding about 15,000 years ago most of them played a prominent role in the repopulation of the continent.
H1 and H3 expanded dramatically from the Iberian Peninsula, along the Atlantic coast and into central and northern Europe. Other branches, such as H5a and H13a1, expanded from the Near East into southern Europe. After a 1,000-year return to Ice Age conditions about 12,000 years ago, yet another migration carried haplogroup H4 from the Near East northward into Russia and eastern Europe.
Haplogroup H achieved an even wider distribution later one with the spread of agriculture and the rise of organized military campaigns. It is now found throughout Europe and at lower levels in Asia, reaching as far south as Arabia and eastward to the western fringes of Siberia.
Royal Lines
Because it is so common in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria.
In the Spittoon...
Scientists recently discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineage to Haplogroup H. Check out the Spittoon to learn more about this discovery.
Recent research indicates Haplogroup H made its way into the deserts of northern Africa via the Strait of Gibraltar. Find out how H crossed the Pillars of Hercules at the Spittoon.
What is a Haplogroup?
Haplogroup is the term scientists use to describe individual branches, or closely related groups of branches, on the genetic family tree of all humans. All members of a haplogroup trace their ancestry back to a single individual.
This blog will attempt to share the stories and histories of my family from Arkansas. I am researching the SMITH, SLOAN, HAWKINS & PATTILLO lines from Dallas County, Arkansas and the POOLE line from Union & Hemstead Counties.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
Returning Shortly
I am sorry for my extended absents, but work and life having been getting in the way. I hope to be back soon..
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The Narkhokul alphabet was created by Katie Molnar to write a fictional language. The name Narkhokul means "the signs of the land," in reference to the fictional place where Draphei, the language Narkhokul is used to write, is spoken. That place is Narthrall, part of the fictional world Katie and others collaborate on as a setting for stories and role-playing games.
Most consonants are pronounced as they are in English. The non-obvious ones, /th/, /sh/, /kh/, and /r/, should be pronounced as in "thin," "ship," "loch," and "red," respectively. Alternatively, /r/ can be pronounced as an alveolar trill, as in Spanish rojo ("red") or Russian рыба ("fish"), or any similar rhotic sound. It is also permissible to pronounce any unvoiced consonant with its voiced form, e.g. /t/ can be pronounced like [d], /f/ like [v], and so on.
The vowels; /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, and /u/; are pronounced as in "father," "pet," "pizza," "bone," and "sue," respectively, but they may alternatively be pronounced with any similar vowels as long as they do not become ambiguous.
Si shenokai lan khenkalpe, tilom khun tetaimos lop khamkekekhi. Ma pe pakhte lan osetisate netherte pelent, ake shisa som o fulapente naron.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed
with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
If you need to type in many different languages, the Q International Keyboard can help. It enables you to type almost any language that uses the Latin, Cyrillic or Greek alphabets, and is free.
If you like this site and find it useful, you can support it by making a donation, or by contributing in other ways. Omniglot is how I make my living.


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|2013-01-18, 11:22
|Link #39661
I am no one
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Inside your head
Probably superficial if the face not burned in literal sense, but the scar would still be visible (unless healing spell is used dood)
Anyway, I decided to use the manga as inspiration for the new fic's romance dynamic (just happen to be similar, hohoho)
|2013-01-18, 11:26
|Link #39662
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Well, since it's a pure flame, I'll make it more scarring.
Can't blame ya. Miyamura and Hori are a very sweet couple and that's what I'm basing Synchronicity's romance with Charlotte and Ichika. Also, did you get to the hand holding part? That nearly gave me diabetes.
|2013-01-18, 11:36
|Link #39663
I am no one
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Inside your head
That's like... the most realistic shoujo moment ever. Compare it to typical bastard boyfriend route, or cheerful dude route, I cannot feel the doki-doki sensation at all, but this one is very engaging.
But I agree about the diabetic part, it IS shoujo after all.
|2013-01-18, 11:39
|Link #39664
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Well Miyamura's a kind guy. Also, this isn't shoujo. The tag gets switched between SHoujo and Shounen multiple times. The general agreement is that it manages to be both at once, and the tags at one point had both Shoujo and Shounen.
Still, one has to wonder why not tying hair and wearing glasses make you unrecognizable.
|2013-01-18, 11:51
|Link #39665
I am no one
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Inside your head
You ask?
|2013-01-18, 11:58
|Link #39666
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Hori's also a nice protag. Funny and somewhat physically rough when it counts, but not to the point where she looks sociopathic. The worst she's ever done is gripping his tongue and teasing him.
Yeah, but they explain it with Superman using his speed to blur his features. Look at the latest chapter - which also has Hori being jealous rather hilariously - and tell me straight up they're not being stupid.
Anyway, some people have made a good point: WHo should I pair older Ichika with in Reversal? Many say Tabane, but since I hate her with the fury of a thousand suns.....
|2013-01-18, 12:07
|Link #39668
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
I would. Mostly me and my dad fixed up the grave and added flowers. Lastly, if you're alone, talk to the grave like you would if they were there. if you need a good example, watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WL5AWsXhzI
|2013-01-18, 12:09
|Link #39669
I am no one
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Inside your head
@ Eras
I recommend Yamada, THINK the comedy potential. Just... awesome.
Tabane MIGHT hace a crush on him, and maybe it's the same for Ichika, but she's too reckless and uncaring for him and it put a strain in their friendship and potential budding romance too.
@ Stratos
Graveyard in Japan is unique, in that they don't bury the whole body and cremate it first. They bury the ash and mark it with expensively crafted gravestone. They also seems to be very tightly packed, because cost of mortuary is expensive (~20 Million yen I think)
This doesn't apply in the rural area, where you use something like very large wooden bucket to store the body and bury it normally (like the one used to carry Sasuke in Naruto)
|2013-01-18, 12:18
|Link #39670
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
That was partly my plan. Natasha Fairbanks is also fair (lol) game since he visits America.
She has more than a "crush" on him. If you read Chapter 2, it's heavily implied she wanted to sleep with him and CHifuyu keeps her at bay.
I will also make the occasional allusions to non heterosexual relationships in the Academy and Dan crushes hard on Utsuho like he did in canon. Tatenashi also has tremendous foe yay with her cousin/Chifuyu's middle school friend.
|2013-01-18, 17:09
|Link #39675
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
A new one for the archive.
Odd Set Harmony
|2013-01-18, 21:23
|Link #39679
I am no one
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Inside your head
Anyway, I changed the planning for the gendeflip fic from strange post gospel stupid conflict ball to Kingdom hearts-like mindscrewy scene where Ichika awakened... in a graveyard, near Dan's gravestone of all things, then he met Dan who is alive.
Because the context is really that absurd, it'll take time. But I'm sure I can pull that.
|2013-01-18, 21:57
|Link #39680
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
The Familiar of Zero fic basically runs on irony. You say feel the darkness, but the main character has a soul that's literally made of darkness and corruption.....and despite this he actually has one of the highest moral compasses in the game since he's self sacrificing and selfless in his actions. By contrast, his 'Good Counterpart' is a priest who has a 'whatever it takes mindset'.
Even physical appearances turn it on its head. The MC is covered in many burn wounds and looks generally monstrous because of it while the priest is described as being beautiful and gentlemanly (Demi should know who Julio is).
So what, is Ichika a ghost now?
|fanfic ideas, fanfiction, ff.net, harem, is fanfic, warning fanfic spoilers, wincest
|Thread Tools


text:
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 10, 2011 – Russia added another gem to its long collection of gold medals in the FIVB Men's Junior World Championship following a thrilling 3-2 (25-19, 23-25, 21-25, 25-18, 15-12) victory over Argentina in the title's match of the 2011 edition at Maracanazinho Gymnasium in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday.
Russian Leonid Shchadilov, the best spiker of the tournament, was named the Most Valuable Player. Teammates Igor Filippov (best blocker) and Aleksey Kabeshov (best libero) were also awarded in the closing ceremony.
It is the eighth time –including four under the Soviet Union flag- that Russia finish at the top of the biennial competition for men under 21 years-old. They previously won the gold in 1977, 1981, 1985, 1989, 1995, 1999 and 2005. It is also their 13th medal overall taking sole possession of first place in that department –one more podiums than Brazil.
The silver medal for Argentina had historical significance since their previous best honor had been a bronze medal in 2009 when the event was held in Pune, India.
Live scoring, results, news and photos on FIVB Volleyball Men's Junior World Championship Brazil 2011.
"A gold medal is everything. That's how I feel," Russia's coach Sergey Schlyapnikov said. "We had a lot of information about Argentina and we knew it was going to be a tough game. I think the key for us was a quick recovery from our psychological problems."
"I want to congratulate Russia, but also my team as we played a great tournament without having the star players Russia has," Argentina's coach Juan Manuel Cichelo said. "We are real champions too. I am happy for Argentina's first gold match chance, but I am also sad because we were so close of the win and couldn't make it".
The bronze medal went to Serbia who defeated United States 3-1 (25-15, 25-20, 23-25, 25-13).
This bronze medal is a big goal we achieved," Serbia's coach Milan Zarkovic said. "Seven of my players won the Youth World Championship two years ago and it's important for them to be among the top three teams in the world in the Junior's age, too."
"Fourth place is the worst position you can have as you have lost the two most important matches," U.S. Coach John Hawks IV said, "but I am sure many other teams would like to be in our place and I am happy for my players."
Gold Medal Match
Russia 3, Argentina 2
Volleyball powerhouse Russia improved its supremacy by winning its eighth gold medal in the biennial tournament. The second world-ranked team in Youth and Junior defeated top-ranked Argentina in a dramatic five-setter (25-19, 23-25, 20-25, 25-18, 15-12) to confirm its condition as the most prolific winner of the tournament. Russian opposite Andrey Kolesnik scored 18 points in the deciding match to be the top scorer of the meeting. Teammates Oleg Tsentalovich and Most Valuable Player Leonid Shchadilov scored 12 points each. Argentineans Agustín Ramonda and Nicolas Mendez charted 15 and 14. Russia held the advantage in blocks (17-13) and in service aces (7-3). In attacks the champions had the edge 55-54 and made 29 errors to 30 by Argentina.
Bronze Medal Match
Serbia 3, United States 1
Fifth Youth and Junior world-ranked Serbia earned the bronze medal by scoring a 3-1 (25-15, 25-20, 23-25, 25-13) victory over United States. The Serbians were making their second appearance in the tournament. It was the best position ever for USA in the tournament as the American side had finished in seventh place on three occasions. Serbian captain and opposite Aleksandar Atanasijevic topped the scorers with impressive 24 points. Outside hitters Uros Kovacevic and Milan Petric added 13 and 10 to the winning side. USA's most effective players were wing spiker Taylor Sander (13) and opposite Joshua Taylor (10).
5th Place Match
Brazil 3, Iran 2
Hosts Brazil claimed fifth place by edging Iran 3-2 (25-22, 20-25, 19-25, 25-22, 15-10) in a well fought duel at Maracanazinho Gymnasium. Brazilian opposite Luan Weber was the top scorer for the home team by registering 29 points, all but one via spikes, while Ricardo Lucarelli posted 17. In the Iranian side, most of the points were produced by opposite Amir Ghafour (26) and outside hitter Mojtaba Mirzajanpour (24). The fifth place for Brazil is their lowest position since they finished sixth in the editions of 1985 and 1987.
7th Place Match
Spain 3, India 2
Spain mounted a spectacular comeback from two sets down to defeat India (21-25, 17-25, 25-21, 25-12, 19-17) and claim the seventh place. Francisco Ruiz and Borja Ruiz led Spain with 21 and 17 points respectively while Andres Villena started the last three sets and contributed 14 points. India's T.D. Ravikumar had a match-high 21 points. The seventh place for Spain equals the best finish of the country achieved in the 1995 edition.
9th Place Match
Belgium 3, Germany 2
Belgium survived the duel with Germany for ninth position prevailing in a five-setter by score of 25-22, 22-25, 22-25, 30-28, 15-11. The tandem of Sam Deroo (27) and Francois Lecat (23) combined to score 50 points for the winning team. Germany's Simon Hirsch led all the scorers with 34 points, including 8 blocks. The losing squad had a big advantage in blocks (26-9) while the Belgians responded by dominating in the serving ace department (13-6). After Belgium came back to win the fourth set, Germany faltered in the fifth and fell behind early. The team rallied, but it was not enough to beat Belgium.
11th Place Match
Canada 3, Japan 0
Canada claimed the 9th position following a 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-19) over Japan in the first match of the day in Niteroi. Tommy Belisle led Canada with 18 points while Takashi Dekita and Taiki Tsuruda totaled 16 and 13 for Japan. The Canadians benefited from 31 unforced errors committed by the losing side and held a 6-1 advantage in the blocking category. Canada improved from the 12th place in 2009 but was short from its best position ever, a fifth place in 1999.
Final positions: 1. Russia, 2. Argentina, 3. Serbia, 4. United States, 5. Brazil, 6. Iran, 7. Spain, 8. India, 9. Belgium, 10. Germany, 11. Canada, 12. Japan, 13. Bulgaria, 14. Tunisia, 15. Egypt, 16. Puerto Rico.
Individual awards: MVP: Leonid Shchadilov (RUS); Top Scorer: Aleksandar Atanasijevic (SRB); Best Spiker; Leonid Shchadilov (RUS); Best Blocker: Igor Filippov (RUS); Best Server: Amir Ghafour (IRI); Best Setter: Jesus Bruque (ESP); Best Receiver: S. Kanagaraj (IND); Best Libero: Aleksey Kabeshov (RUS).
Highest Scorer by Day
Day 1 (August 1) 31 points by Simon Hirsch (Germany) in the 3-1 loss to India
Day 2 (August 2) 47 points by Takashi Dekita (Japan) in the 3-2 victory over Bulgaria
Day 3 (August 3) 27 points by Steven Morales (Puerto Rico) in the 3-2 victory over Tunisia
Day 4 (August 5) 21 points by Racem Siala (Tunisia) in the 3-1 victory over Egypt
Day 5 (August 6) 30 points by Selvaprabhu Dhanabaln (India) in the 3-1 loss to Serbia
Day 6 (August 7) 26 points by Tommy Belisle (Canada) in the 3-1 victory over Tunisia
Day 7 (August 8) 30 points by Noah Marrero (Puerto Rico) in the 3-2 loss to Tunisia
Day 8 (August 9) 26 points by Amir Ghafour (Iran) in the 3-0 victory over India
Day 9 (August 10) 34 points by Simon Hirsch (Germany) in the 3-2 loss to Belgium
Top 5 Scoring Performances
47 – Takashi Dekita (Japan) in the 3-2 victory over Bulgaria on August 2
38 – Aleksandar Atanasijevic (Serbia) in the 3-2 victory over Iran on August 2
34 – Simon Hirsch (Germany) in the 3-2 loss to Belgium on August 10
31 – Simon Hirsch (Germany) in the 3-1 loss to India on August 1
30 – Selvaprabhu Dhanabaln (India) in the 3-1 loss to Serbia on August 6
30 – Noah Marrero (Puerto Rico) in the 3-2 loss to Tunisia on August 8
Top 5 Blocking Performances
11- Mohamed El Askolany (Egypt) in the 3-1 victory over Germany on August 2
11- Igor Filippov (Russia) in the 3-1 victory over Serbia on August 9
9 – G.R. Vaishnav (India) in the 3-1 loss to Serbia on August 6
8 – Lucas Van Berkel (Canada) in the 3-2 loss to Serbia on August 3
8 – Simon Hirsch (Germany) in the 3-2 loss to Belgium on August 10
Top 5 Service Ace Performances
6 – Amir Ghafour (Iran) in the 3-2 loss to Brazil on August 10
4 – Andrey Kolesnik (Russia) in the 3-0 victory over India on August 2
4 – Uros Kovacevic (Serbia) in the 3-2 victory over Iran on August 2
4 – Paul Sprung (Germany) in the 3-1 victory over Puerto Rico on August 5
4 – Stijn D'Hulst (Belgium) in the 3-2 victory over Germany on August 10
4 – Francois Lecat (Belgium) in the 3-2 victory over Germany on August 10
Top 5 Set Scores
36-34 (India versus Brazil) in second round on August 7 in Rio de Janeiro
34-32 (Puerto Rico versus Germany) in second round on August 5 in Niteroi
33-31 (Japan versus Bulgaria) in first round on August 2 in Rio de Janeiro
30-28 (Serbia versus Iran) in first round on August 2 in Niteroi
30-28 (Spain versus United States) in second round August 6 in Rio de Janeiro
30-28 (Belgium versus Germany) in 9th place match August 19 in Niteroi
Top 5 Scoring Matches
235 – India def. Brazil 36-34, 22-25, 21-25, 25-17, 16-14 in second round on August 7 in Rio de Janeiro
225 - United States def. Spain 25-21, 20-25, 26-24, 28-30, 15-11 in second round on August 6 in Rio de Janeiro
225 – Belgium def. Germany 25-22, 22-25, 22-25, 30-28, 15-11 in ninth place match on August 10 in Niteroi
224 –Serbia def. Iran 23-25, 22-25, 30-28, 25-18, 15-13 in first round on August 2 in Niteroi
223 – Japan def. Bulgaria 20-25, 20-25, 33-31, 25-18, 15-11 in first round on August 2 in Rio de Janeiro
223 – Tunisia def. Puerto Rico 27-29, 25-21, 25-21, 23-25, 15-12 in semifinal 13-16 on August 8 in Niteroi
10.08.2011 23:57:47
Sergey Shlyapnikov: "The key for our win was quickly recovering from our psychological problems"
Press Conference - Russia versus Argentina... More...
10.08.2011 23:37:17
Russia overcomes top ranked Argentina to win its eighth gold medal
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 10, 2011 – Volleyball powerhouse Russia improved its supremacy in FIVB Men's Junior World Championship by winning its e... More...
10.08.2011 21:21:49
Aleksandar Atanasijevic: "We came to Brazil with the goal of earning a medal and the bronze is just great"
Press Conference - Serbia versus United States... More...
10.08.2011 20:55:55
Serbia defeats the United States to earn its first ever medal
10.08.2011 19:06:58
Otavio Pinto: "It was our final"
10.08.2011 18:48:01
Host Brazil finishes 5th after win over Iran
10.08.2011 18:39:35
Steven Vanmedegael: "I'm happy we got our fifth victory in a row"
10.08.2011 18:30:01
Belgium wins Niteroi championship with 9th place
10.08.2011 16:25:25
Francisco Hervás: "I could not be more proud of my players"
10.08.2011 16:06:30
Spain reacts over India to finish 7th in Rio de Janeiro
10.08.2011 15:42:07
Georges Laplante: "We picked it up"
10.08.2011 15:27:56
Canada secures 11th position
10.08.2011 13:48:16
The final battle for the medals is set in Rio
10.08.2011 01:46:36
Russia and Argentina under the spotlight in Rio
10.08.2011 01:41:10
Leonardo Carvalho: "The best we can do now is be fifth placed, so we will try to make it"
10.08.2011 01:16:39
Host Brazil against Iran for fifth place
10.08.2011 01:01:49
Germany's strong ties are a weapon against opponents
10.08.2011 00:47:35
Bulgaria beat Tunisia for 13th place
09.08.2011 23:02:09
Dmitry Kovalev: "Our block worked very well and that was the difference to our side"
09.08.2011 23:01:47
Moustafa Idris: "I'm satisfied with the result"
09.08.2011 22:50:18
Egypt finishes in 15th place
09.08.2011 22:43:03
Russia to play Argentina after an eighth gold medal
09.08.2011 19:50:22
Juan Ignacio Finoli: "We practiced hard for the last five months to play this gold medal match"
09.08.2011 19:23:42
Argentina defeats USA and clinches first spot in the gold medal match
09.08.2011 18:56:39
Belgium is second finalist for ninth place in Niterói
09.08.2011 17:08:31
Stewart Bernard: "Our team strength made a difference in the end"
09.08.2011 16:55:11
Germany to play for ninth place
09.08.2011 16:47:13
Pinto is a natural leader for Brazil
09.08.2011 16:40:25
Farhad Salafzoon: "We will do our best to finish in the fifth position, but this is not our place"
09.08.2011 16:15:37
Iran advances to 5th place match after three-set win over India
09.08.2011 14:27:04
Medal round set to begin in Rio de Janeiro
09.08.2011 01:44:38
Nikolay Jeliazkov:"We want to finish this competition with a victory".
09.08.2011 01:40:19
Puerto Rico's rising star
09.08.2011 01:21:22
Bulgaria advances to 13th-place match
08.08.2011 23:50:34
Mohamed Mounir Gara: "The two teams play at the same level"
08.08.2011 23:28:33
Tunisia win five-set duel
08.08.2011 13:07:28
Action does not stop in Men's Junior event
08.08.2011 03:21:30
Russia, Argentina, USA and Serbia in Final-Four Round
08.08.2011 02:35:58
Leonardo Carvalho: "We lacked calm and capacity to win the match"
08.08.2011 02:16:52
India eliminates Brazil with five-set win in Rio de Janeiro
08.08.2011 01:54:00
Noriaki Sako: "It was very hard to win"
08.08.2011 01:38:17
Japan gets last spot for the Niterói semifinals
07.08.2011 23:51:22
Referee's youth doesn't temper his dreams
07.08.2011 23:30:07
Dmitry Kovalev: "We are happy for the result, but angry because of our performances"
07.08.2011 23:07:40
Russia remains as the only unbeaten team
07.08.2011 23:05:08
Björn Höhne: "It was our best match"
07.08.2011 22:45:47
Germany makes it to Niteroi semifinals
07.08.2011 20:47:00
Francisco Ruiz: The Flying Spaniard
07.08.2011 20:01:43
Aleksandar Atanasijevic: "We knew we needed a three-points-win to be in a good position to advance for the semifinals"
07.08.2011 19:38:32
Still alive, Serbia defeats leader and qualified Argentina in five sets
07.08.2011 19:12:42
Steven Vanmedegael: "I think Puerto Rico played its best game"
07.08.2011 19:03:08
Belgium goes undefeated in Pool H
07.08.2011 17:10:09
Georges Laplante: "We gave our best"
07.08.2011 16:56:15
Francisco Hervás: "It is difficult to play when you have no chances of qualifying"
07.08.2011 16:53:39
Canada wins a tough match over Tunisia
07.08.2011 16:27:26
Iran defeats Spain in straight sets to finish third in Pool E
07.08.2011 14:52:41
Four teams still with chances in Men's Junior Championship
07.08.2011 02:32:16
Russia and USA secure final-four spots
07.08.2011 02:11:44
Juan Ignacio Finoli: "If we keep playing like that, it will be tough for the rivals to beat us"
07.08.2011 01:46:04
Argentina beats host Brazil and takes the lead in Pool F
07.08.2011 01:04:04
Radoslav Arsov: "We were focused on this match"
07.08.2011 00:52:45
Bulgaria takes its first world championship win
07.08.2011 00:49:38
John Hawks IV: "I am one hundred percent pleased with my team"
06.08.2011 23:13:09
USA qualifies for semifinals after five-set-win over Spain
06.08.2011 22:39:11
Belgians overcome low age average
06.08.2011 22:21:43
Japan comes back with a win
06.08.2011 22:03:35
Following in his father's steps
06.08.2011 20:21:04
Mohamed Ellakany: "Canada played very well"
06.08.2011 20:08:21
Canada leads Pool G after second win
06.08.2011 19:36:08
Aleksandar Atanasijevic: "Now we can fight for our qualification against Argentina"
06.08.2011 19:16:28
Serbia reacts to win its first match in the second round
06.08.2011 17:38:19
Björn Höehne: "We lost the focus on the match"
06.08.2011 17:23:53
Belgium secures first place in Pool H
06.08.2011 16:43:36
Sergey Shlyapnikov: "I hope we can keep the same level in the final round"
06.08.2011 16:23:50
Russia stays unbeaten following 3-0 win over Iran
06.08.2011 14:48:37
Competition heats up at Men's Junior Championship
06.08.2011 14:41:08
Argentina, Russia, USA and Brazil on fast track
06.08.2011 01:51:09
Sam Deroo: " I hope we can play like this tomorrow again"
06.08.2011 01:34:15
Belgium gets another victory in Niterói
06.08.2011 01:18:56
Otavio Pinto: "When we play like this, it is very tough for the rivals to beat us"
06.08.2011 00:53:46
Brazil crushes Serbia to lead the Pool F
05.08.2011 23:31:29
Jovica Cvetkovic: "It was one of our worst matches in the last times"
05.08.2011 23:18:32
Björn Höhne: "I hope we can keep winning"
05.08.2011 23:03:48
Germany gains first tournament victory
05.08.2011 22:54:14
American block power smashes Iran in Maracanazinho
05.08.2011 19:57:10
Mohamed Ellakany: "It wasn´t a good day"
05.08.2011 19:51:19
Volleyball runs in Canadian's family
05.08.2011 19:50:35
Tunisia tops familiar foe for first victory
05.08.2011 19:06:46
Francisco Hervás: "Russia is an impressive team in the net"
05.08.2011 18:42:59
Russia starts ahead in Pool E of the second round
05.08.2011 17:09:42
Juan Ignacio Finoli: "We were aware of all their attack combinations"
05.08.2011 16:46:26
Argentina wins first match of the second round in Rio de Janeiro
05.08.2011 16:35:55
Georges Laplante: "The supporters helped us a lot"
05.08.2011 16:22:27
Russia's volleyball has a loyal follower
05.08.2011 16:18:56
Canada wins first match in the second round
05.08.2011 11:45:56
The battle is back as Men's Junior Championship resumes
05.08.2011 03:40:14
Japan's Dekita impresses with scoring ability
04.08.2011 13:56:05
German doctor flying the flag for women at Men's Juniors
04.08.2011 06:04:18
The Top-Eight Group is now completed in Men's Junior
04.08.2011 02:17:19
Leonardo Carvalho: "I believe our pool was the tougher of the first round"
04.08.2011 02:01:14
Tyler Sanders: "It was a very passionate game"
04.08.2011 01:53:21
Brazil wins second match and qualifies for the next round
04.08.2011 01:49:34
Serbia holds off challenge from Canada
03.08.2011 23:33:23
Jovica Cvetkovic: "It was a long and difficult match"
03.08.2011 23:17:02
Taylor Crabb: "We came here to fight for the gold medal"
03.08.2011 23:14:49
Iran secures a spot in Rio de Janeiro
03.08.2011 22:46:56
USA qualifies for next round with 3-1 win over Japan
03.08.2011 20:08:17
Mohamed Mounir Gara: "Puerto Rico was better than us"
03.08.2011 19:49:17
Sergey Shlyapnikov: "Matches in next round will be very hard and we need to prepare for them"
03.08.2011 19:38:20
Puerto Rico earns first win at worlds
03.08.2011 19:21:23
Russia wins European clash and finishes first in Pool C
03.08.2011 18:46:49
Argentina divides Brazilian fans
03.08.2011 17:12:00
Juan Manuel Cichelo: "We are going to the second round with great expectations"
03.08.2011 16:49:52
Argentina moves on to next round as Pool B winner
03.08.2011 16:44:12
Singh Navjit: "Ravikumar and Selvaprabhu played a great match and helped us a lot"
03.08.2011 16:17:00
India beats Egypt and advances for the second round
03.08.2011 14:07:21
Bulgaria's coach returns to Brazil for the first time
03.08.2011 08:04:17
Four spots are up for grabs at Men's Junior World Championship
03.08.2011 06:01:36
Four teams secure tickets to top-eight bracket
03.08.2011 02:38:28
Jovica Cvetkovic: "It was a difficult match for both sides"
03.08.2011 02:23:29
Otavio Pinto: "Our heart and our will of winning prevailed"
03.08.2011 02:10:05
Serbia defeat Iran in the longest match in Niterói
03.08.2011 01:56:58
Brazil achieve first win at home against the United States
03.08.2011 00:59:43
Canadians invade Niterói
02.08.2011 23:53:11
Noriaki Sako: "We bet in our defence and believed that we could win the match"
02.08.2011 23:21:57
Japan win new five-set battle against Bulgaria
02.08.2011 22:49:34
Tyler Sanders: "It wasn´t our moment"
02.08.2011 22:38:57
Belgium win a balanced match
02.08.2011 20:01:33
Limitations can't stop the dreams
02.08.2011 19:32:04
Juan Manuel Cichello: " We are happy to be on the next round"
02.08.2011 19:12:16
Dmitry Kovalev: "We can still be better for next round"
02.08.2011 19:06:31
Argentina looking for first place
02.08.2011 18:46:55
Russia defeats India and qualifies for the second round
02.08.2011 17:17:38
Stewart Bernard: "We fought, but it was too late"
02.08.2011 16:54:50
Francisco Hervás: "Our team stayed focused from the beginning".
02.08.2011 16:54:44
Egypt conquers first win against Germany
02.08.2011 16:31:31
Spain wins their second match
02.08.2011 11:18:37
Crucial matches to decide fate of teams in Brazil
02.08.2011 04:28:42
Japan score major upset in opening day at Rio
02.08.2011 02:27:22
Leonardo Carvalho: "We made too many mistakes, especially in serving"
02.08.2011 01:56:35
Japan surprises defending champion Brazil in the close of the first day
02.08.2011 01:22:22
Serbia shows their force on the first day
02.08.2011 01:14:48
Sam Deroo: "Serbia was better than us"
01.08.2011 22:57:40
Georges Laplante: "We hope we can keep improving in every game"
01.08.2011 22:48:17
Taylor Crabb: "Our serve was tough and that helped us"
01.08.2011 22:35:45
Iran's strong attack stops Canada
01.08.2011 22:21:31
United States defeat Bulgaria in first Pool A match
01.08.2011 19:12:32
Mohammed Mounir Gara: "I promise we will try to get better"
01.08.2011 19:08:15
Sergey Shlyapnikov: "We can be better, even in blocking"
01.08.2011 18:45:14
Easy time for Spain in their premier match
01.08.2011 18:39:33
Russia defeat Egypt in straight sets in Rio de Janeiro
01.08.2011 17:32:10
Juan Manuel Cichello:"In the first match, the teams are always nervous"
01.08.2011 17:16:33
Argentina beats Puerto Rico in Niteroi opening match
01.08.2011 17:13:39
M. H. Kumara: "We knew that blocking was their best weapon and had to play very fast"
01.08.2011 16:44:35
India reacts over Germany to win the first match at Maracanazinho
01.08.2011 00:54:52
Zero Hour approaches at Men's Junior event in Brazil
30.07.2011 10:54:42
Emerging stars set for the challenge in Brazil
19.07.2011 16:46:10
Serbia's young guns continue building for World Championships
23.06.2011 12:26:46
Brazilian squads head to Europe for World Championship tune-ups
04.06.2011 20:24:34
Men's Junior World Championship drawing of lots held in Brazil
25.05.2011 14:05:05
Brazil and Argentina junior teams to clash
12.04.2011 16:42:28
Jovanov to continue working with Iran youngsters
09.03.2011 16:39:37
Canada reveal Junior World Champs plans
21.02.2011 14:18:07
Puerto Rico juniors seek Pan Am Cup warm-up
18.02.2011 17:15:49
De Carvalho: Brazil face double burden
14.02.2011 15:49:45
Brazil to defend men's junior crown at home
27.01.2011 18:36:21
CEV reveals qualifying path to Junior World Champs
11.10.2010 11:51:00
Tunisia edge Egypt to reclaim crown
10.10.2010 05:11:06
Japan, Iran and India qualify for Men's Junior World Championship
28.09.2010 14:35:03
Brazil regain South American crown
05.09.2010 23:27:38
Russia back on top of Europe
22.08.2010 10:44:29
USA win gold medal at NORCECA Men's Junior Championship


text:
Wow...can't believe you rememebered my name! I love this board. I've worked with Dave Palumbo before on my diet and stuff. He and John are good people. I love it here. So welcome! Hey..do you remember my redhead girlfriend Kim? She's here as well...MuscleGoddess65. I gotta tell her you're here!
Welcome, John! I remember you from a couple of years ago on the OCB boards. Good to have you hear!


text:
"I've Got a Crush on You, Sweetie Pie" (George and Ira Gershwin)
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The Obama administration faced a mostly-friendly federal appeals court panel on Tuesday while urging the judges to uphold the constitutionality of President Obama's health care reform law.
The three judges, two Obama appointees and a Clinton appointee, engaged in an active and probing examination of a pair of lawsuits charging that Congress overstepped its authority under the Constitution's commerce clause when it passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
The controversial health care law includes the requirement that all Americans purchase a government-approved level of health insurance or pay a fine.
Acting US Solicitor General Neal Katyal defended the health-care mandate as an expense all Americans would incur anyway. "We can't know when we might be hit by a bus or struck with cancer," Mr. Katyal told the judges. Everyone in the US at some point will require medical care, Katyal argued.
At a press conference after the hearing, Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli, who argued against the law, said that his argument was ultimately about liberty, not health care. "The federal government argued in court today that it should have unlimited authority in your lives, including the authority to regulate – i.e., dictate – your decisions, not merely your actions."
Obama's health care law at the Fourth Circuit
Opponents of the law say the mandate exceeds Congress's power to regulate interstate commerce and marks the first time the government has ordered US citizens to purchase a particular product or service.
Supporters of the law say the mandate is an essential feature of a comprehensive program designed to lower health care costs nationwide.
During more than two hours of argument at the Richmond-based Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, the lawyers and judges sparred over fundamental points of constitutional law. Comparisons were drawn to earlier Supreme Court precedents endorsing federal power to dictate the home consumption of wheat on a family farm and to outlaw the private use of home-grown medical marijuana.
If the sweep of federal regulatory power extends to those areas, Katyal argued, it also encompasses a comprehensive effort to reform the national health insurance market.
The two cases heard by the appeals court stem from decisions by federal courts in Virginia. In the case filed by Liberty University, a federal judge upheld the law's constitutionality. In the other suit, filed by Mr. Cuccinelli on behalf of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a different federal judge struck it down.
Is Congress regulating inactivity?
Mathew Staver, a lawyer representing Liberty University, told the judges that Congress's power under the commerce clause is limited to regulating economic activities – like growing wheat or growing and using your own marijuana.
In contrast, he said, the individual mandate penalizes Americans for their inactivity – their failure to purchase health insurance.
"The Constitution doesn't talk about activity," Judge Diana Motz responded.
"I think it is inherent when you understand what commerce is," the lawyer replied. He said the federal government has never before extended its authority over interstate commerce to regulate idleness.
"If you removed activity as a component there would be no limit to what Congress could do," he said. Congress could order Americans to purchase and eat broccoli because it might help reduce national health care costs, he said.
Cuccinelli echoed the same point in his press conference.
"If we cross the constitutional line with health care now – where the government can force us to buy a private product and say it is for our own good – then we have given the government the power to force us to buy other private products, such as cars, gym memberships, or even asparagus," said Virginia. "The government's power to intrude on our lives 'for our own good' will be virtually unlimited."
Katyal urged the judges to reject arguments made by opposing lawyers that the individual mandate was an attempt to regulate inactivity rather than economic activity.
"Congress is regulating activity – the activity is participation in the health care markets," he said.
What is being regulated, he said, is the method of payment for a service – health insurance – that everyone will eventually need and use.
In addition to Judge Motz, a Clinton appointee, the two other judges on the panel, Andre Davis and James Wynn, were both appointed by President Obama.
31 cases attack the health-care reform law
After the hearing, Cuccinelli declined to predict how the judges might rule. He said he is hopeful a decision may be announced this summer.
If the Fourth Circuit rules against him, he said he would appeal to the US Supreme Court.
The two cases are among five high-profile cases challenging the health care reform law that are currently in the federal appeals courts.
In addition to the two Fourth Circuit cases, arguments are expected in early June at the Atlanta-based Eleventh Circuit and the Cincinnati-based Sixth Circuit. A case is also pending at the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C.
Overall, Cuccinelli said, 31 cases have been filed in various federal courts attacking the health care reform law.


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Larry Walker's '53 Chevy Is A Lessonin Simplicity
Chopped tops, reshaped fenders, and complicated suspension systems-all of these modifications are great for an old pickup, but the truck on these pages is just fine without them. And while simple qualities are often overlooked in favor of something with more "wow factor," we find it hard to dislike this uncluttered '53 Chevy. Its clean design is matched with a very dependable drivetrain and a suspension setup that offers a nice stance with a comfortable ride. What more could you ask for in a classic Chevy truck?
Larry Walker is the proud owner of this bright-red pickup, and we caught up with him at the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green, Kentucky. As it turns out, Bowling Green is Larry's hometown and the Hot Rod Reunion is definitely a must-go event for him-with 1,500 hot rods, 400 drag racers, and a huge swap meet who can blame him? Larry's truck looks right at home in the crowd, but its real home is the highway. The truck was built to be driven, so making it simple, clean, and dependable were the basic goals of the project from the start.
To give you an idea of this truck's previous condition, Larry paid $200 for it and the old adage, "you get what you pay for" couldn't have been any truer. The truck was certainly rough, but Larry was sure his brother Lewis could bring it back to life. Additional help came from longtime friend Ivan Turner and a few other folks along the way. With their help Larry managed to finish the truck in one year.
The crew started with the well-worn original equipment, and quickly stripped it down to find the usable parts and dispose of the rusted or heavily damaged ones. The frame would remain close to stock, aside from a new crossmember and mounts for a Mustang II suspension setup. They also cut a C-notch in the framerails to make room for the rack-and-pinion, which is a major step up from the original steering box and linkage. The suspension is made up of tubular control arms and adjustable coilover shocks, while a pair of 11-inch disc brakes brings the pickup to a halt. Rear suspension modifications consist of a new pair of leaf springs to lower the truck's ride height substantially. Larry used a late-model GM rearend, which is fit with a 3.73:1 gearset and kept it stock for the sake of simplicity.
When Larry established the truck's ride height it was time to pick out a set of wheels, so he opted for a set of Eagle Alloy five-spoke wheels. Coming in at 20 inches in diameter, the wheels are chrome-plated and wrapped in Ventus rubber, sized 245/35ZR20 up front and 245/40ZR20 out back to slightly enhance the truck's raked stance.
For power, Larry relies on a very mild 350ci small-block Chevy, which is dependable and easy to maintain. Internally, it's stock, but Larry outfitted it with a Weiand polished aluminum intake manifold and a 650-cfm Holley carburetor to help in the performance department, while the original HEI distributor provides the spark. Outgoing air flows through a set of shorty headers and 3-inch exhaust before reaching the Turbo mufflers, which keeps the small-block sounding healthy. And while most folks opt for an overdrive transmission, Larry kept it simple with a TH350 automatic transmission, as the rearend ratio and rear tire size are enough to keep rpms down at highway speed.
Rough and ragged, the truck's body panels were in bad shape, but it received much-needed attention from Jimmy Davis, at Davis & Son's Body Shop in Larry's hometown of Bowling Green. New body panels and hand-fabricated patch panels eliminated the rust, but the pickup still needed lots of massaging to be deemed ready to paint. After several cycles of primer and block-sanding, the truck received its final preparation before rolling into the spray booth. Torch Red is the color, and a few coats of clear provided plenty of material when it came time to sand and buff the fresh finish. The finished product is slick, straight, and very simple to match the truck's style. Davis & Son's also treated the chassis to a glossy coating of Torch Red.
While the truck was disassembled, Larry and Lewis fitted the doors with power windows and locks, and installed the Vintage Air A/C system. The inside of Larry's pickup is certainly tidy with its tan leather and bright-red dash, which retains its original trim. DJ's Upholstery in Bowling Green handled the stitchwork, wrapping the late-model bucket seats and custom interior panels. A chrome tilt steering column adds a little more flash to the interior, while a Dakota Digital dash displays the engine's vital signs.
Larry is quite comfortable behind the wheel, especially when he considers just how smooth the truck drives, and we can't forget about the dependability factor. Brothers, Larry and Lewis Walker did a great job with the buildup on this '53 Chevy, but the efforts of Ivan Turner, Davis & Son's Body Shop, and DJ's Upholstery don't go unnoticed. Clean lines mix with flawless details to create a killer truck that hits the highway in fine form. As we all know, it's the simple things in life that provide the most joy, and Larry's pickup certainly qualifies.


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LEMONT, Ill. (AP) -- President Barack Obama says the U.S. must shift its cars and trucks entirely off oil to avoid perpetual fluctuations in gas prices.
He says he expects by the middle of the next decade, Americans will only have to fill up their cars half as often.
Obama is calling on Congress to authorize $200 million a year for research into things like electric car batteries and biofuels that can wean automobiles off oil. He's proposing an energy security trust that would use revenues from federal leases on offshore drilling.
Obama says during a visit to the Argonne National Laboratory outside Chicago that American energy provides one of the greatest opportunities for economic growth. He says the U.S. can't miss opportunities while the rest of the world moves forward.


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Though they managed to avoid Hurricane Sandy, it has certainly been a busy two weeks in the fictional Hamptons.
While the real Hamptons were taking a beating from the outside forces of nature (as did this blog, which had to take a hiatus as a result), "Revenge" Hamptons is becoming unraveled from the inside, as the characters continue to scheme against each other, and one may have finally connected the dots.
Amazingly, Amanda and baby Carl survived the fall, with barely a scratch, and seem to be out of the hospital in record time. Even more amazingly, Amanda looks better than ever, and is even dressing cuter than in her pre-pregnancy days. She is busier helping Emily scheme than ever before. Could she be having reverse baby brain and actually be getting smarter? Pregnancy and child birth have definitely worked in her favor.
In an effort to be closer to her daughter, Kara decides to stick around the Hamptons. And where better to stay than with the Graysons, and the woman who had an affair with your husband? Because both Kara and Victoria are so self-involved that they can't imagine anyone else could have ulterior motives, this doesn't strike either of them as odd.
I can't quite figure out Kara's end game, and more importantly, her IQ. I can't tell if she is doing a great job at playing the dumb girl, or she might just really not be that smart. She IS Emily's mother, so of course she has something up her sleeve, but whether she has Emily's conniving spirit to gather her revenge (especially with the belief that Conrad killed Gordon) has yet to be seen.
She casually mentions to Emily on the beach that the Graysons will "get what's coming to them. People like that always do," not realizing that she is talking to someone who is working hard to ensure they get what is coming to them.
Aiden is another character whose end game I can't read — especially after Emily shoots him down. If I ever want to burn someone, I hope I can remember her line, "I needed someone, you walked through the door. Don't let it go to your head." Later in the episode Aiden replies with an equal zing, "You'll soon find out I make a far better partner than enemy," which I don't doubt for a second. Also, who would want that accent in enemy territory? Aiden is now working with Daniel to take over Grayson Global, which Emily doesn't realize she is assisting in as she takes down Conrad.
The Stowaway reopened, so now we can all cross our fingers that Mr. Ryan quickly tricks the Porter boys into giving him the bar, which shouldn't be so hard as their common sense levels seem to be dropping as quickly as Amanda's rises. Speaking of Amanda, Jack has finally proposed. I officially give up on the Porter boys.
Shortly after making their engagement agreement, the Graysons are getting married. Charlotte stands on her soap box and announces she can't be there to support a fake love — and how could she, when she has fallen back in love with Declan?
Charlotte has been a little melodramatic lately, but then we remember she is a teenager, and isn't that what teenagers are supposed to do? I was finally starting to like her, so I'm hoping she either brings up Declan's storyline, or drops him like he's hot before she gets sucked down in his bad decisions.
Of course the wedding can't go off without an appearance by the Hamptons Police — and what do you know, Conrad has been framed for Gordon Murphy's murder! Ever the romantic, Victoria visits Conrad in jail without even changing out of her Vera Wang dress — though I want to hate this, it is actually quite believable that Victoria would only wear couture, no matter what the occasion.
Ashley references knowing that Aiden and Emily go back a while – what else does this girl know? Is she actually a smart girl disguising herself as a gold digger pretending to be hard working? My head is spinning at the thought that the writers are adding ANOTHER TWIST. Seriously, we have too many storylines this season!
Last week's episode also brought the return of Mason Treadwell, because if this show needs something, it's certainly another loose storyline. How he manages to just appear places — particularly inside the Graysons' house — continues to baffle me, because, don't they have security? Even though everyone on the show seems to despise him, he manages to make himself a fixture in everyone's life, and now we will surely be seeing him everywhere, kind of like Paris Hilton in her hey-day.
Unlike Paris Hilton, however, Mason Treadwell is paying close attention to everyone — and seems to have finally put the dots together.
One dot I can't fit into the puzzle: The Initiative. I have so many questions about this group, and that mysterious lady. Of all the mysteries and questionable motives in this show (and there are a lot at this point), this has got to be the biggest, especially since we now know they have something big planned.


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A sharp-eyed Cheap Ass Gamer community member spotted a sign in his local Toys"R"Us stating that the retailer had begun taking in video games for trade-in credit. The program is, for the moment, only available in select New York locations and will be running for a limited time, but if the company likes what it sees during the trial run, you can expect an expansion of the program.
And why not? GameStop is one of the few success stories during the recession, and those profits certainly aren't coming from selling new copies of Street Fighter IV. GameStop makes a good amount of their profit from the buying and selling of used games, and I would argue the act of selling new games is simply to get more people into the store in order to expand the used-game market. So why should gamers be happy that Toys"R"Us is jumping into the world of used games?
Competition is always a good thing, and right now GameStop stands alone in the retail channels as one of the few places to get in-store credit or cash for your used games. You could take your games and hardware to Amazon or eBay or a game trading site, but all those things take time and effort; at GameStop you hand over your games and they hand you credit or new titles. The trade-in values are often low—although admittedly you can get some good deals by waiting for specials and sales—but consumers know what they're paying for is convenience.
If a gamer is able to say that Toys"R"Us is offering more for a game, or is running a better trade-in promotion for multiple games, that gives GameStop a reason to up their values. The more retailers that get into the used game market, the better for the gamer. It's about time they started fighting for our old games.
The second reason is that GameStop as a retail experience can simply be a chore. You get bothered about preorders when you try to buy something new, and the environment can be downright hostile if you're a female. My wife doesn't mind picking up a game or two on her way home from work, but it has gotten to the point where she'll only buy from Best Buy, Meijer, or even Wal-Mart. Her reason? "Those stores don't make me feel like an alien for having breasts and wanting a copy of Galactrix." Some stores are better than others in this regard, but it's a major problem. Shopping in some GameStops can feel more like being at a swap meet than being in a large retail chain. Toys"R"Us locations are much family-friendly, and provide much more of a destination location than GameStop's strip mall stores.
Lastly, it looks as if Toys"R"Us will only take games that have the original box and instructions. How many times have you been in a GameStop and had the clerk try to convince you that their broken down copy of a game—with a box they took out of the back and a price sticker saying the name of the game—is only $5 less than the game you wanted? Toys"R"Us can benefit from simply accepting a better quality of trade-in.
There is money to be had in this market, and GameStop has some weak areas that a retailer like Toys"R"Us can certainly exploit. Let's hope that they do.


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Computer Science ColloquiumIm Rahmen des Informatik-Kolloquiums, das von den Instituten des Fachbereichs Informatik, der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Informatik (ÖGI), der Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Datenverarbeitung (ADV) sowie der Österreichischen Computergesellschaft (OCG) abgehalten wird, spricht
Daniel Kroening
Oxford Universityüber das Thema:
Model Checking C++ Programs that use the STLZeit: Thu 26.11.2009, 09:00, 60 Minuten
Ort: Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, Hörsaal 9
ZusammenfassungWe present a formalization of the most relevant abstract data types provided by the standard template library (STL). We also provide an operational model, and outline the proof that the operational model is conservative with respect to our formalization. We conclude with experimental evidence that this model enables the automated verification of significant C++ programs.
VortragenderDaniel Kroening received the M.E. and doctoral degrees in computer science from the University of Saarland, Saarbruecken, Germany, in 1999 and 2001, respectively. He joined the Model Checking group in the Computer Science Department at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA, USA, in 2001 as a Post-Doc. He was appointed as an assistant professor at the Swiss Technical Institute (ETH) in Zurich, Switzerland, in 2004. Since 2007, he is a Reader at the Computing Laboratory at Oxford University and a fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford. His research interests include automated formal verification of hardware and software systems, decision procedures, embedded systems, and hardware/software co-design.
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The summer garden is largely finished and your fall crops are growing nicely, but there's still plenty to do: Winter is on its way and doing the right work now can really put you ahead next spring. The life in your garden may slow down during winter, but never absolutely ceases. So why not use your garden's downtime to your advantage? You can, with a range of fall gardening strategies.>> read "Fall Gardening Strategies" #Fall #Seeds #Winter
Picture this: You are sitting by the fireplace in January and the stack of seed catalogs is next to you. You have a hot cup of cocoa and you are looking forward to digging into the catalogs. You have your Post-It Notes right there, too, because you are going to mark everything that you want to order and plant for the vegetable garden. You place all of your orders, and then all of sudden it's planting time and you can't quite figure out how you are going to fit all of those seeds (let alone the plants that you just picked up at the garden center) in your garden. Expanding the garden is not an option (at least that's what my husband keeps telling me every year but somehow it just gets bigger and bigger!).
Does this sound familiar? I used to be really bad at over purchasing seeds and plants. I figured that since I have room, it would be OK to just let the garden size creep another foot or two. Until this got out of control and I had an epiphany one summer a few years ago: A lot of the produce that I was planting was just going to waste. So I started planning my vegetable garden according to what we would consume ...
Spring is just around the corner and even though I caution folks about planting and seeding too early in the season, truthfully… it's safe to go ahead and start a few things indoors.>> read "Starting Veggies Indoors" #Propagation #Seeds #Vegetables
Microgreens are a fun way to add variety to your daily meals. They are nutrient dense, colorful and have fresh flavors along with tender crunch. I have been growing microgreens about five years and they are easy for the home gardener to grow.>> read "Growing Microgreens" #Edibles #Seeds #Vegetables
I don't wait for January to make resolutions for the New Year. While the memory of the successes and failures of the recent season is still fresh in my mind, I like to make a list of resolutions as soon as I've put my garden to bed for the winter.
Here are just a few of those resolutions I've made over the years that have resulted in more fun, less work and a better harvest.
Grow Seedlings Indoors for an Early Spring
If you've ever tried to grow seedlings in a south-facing window, you know why supplemental light is necessary. Tall, spindly seedlings with floppy stems and pale green leaves are a good indicator that your plants are not getting enough light. Although some gardening books and online sources say that seedlings can be grown in your windowsill, I've never had this work successfully.>> read "Here Comes the Sun" #Bulbs #Seeds #Tech & Gadgets
All of nature wants to live forever.
In June I start checking the seedpods of celandine poppy, bloodroot and wild geranium. Already the showoff part of their lives has passed and they are moving on to the next phase – making merry in the plant kingdom. In other words, developing seeds.
All nature wants to reproduce itself. (Talk about egomania.) And when it comes to propagation, my three native woodland spring-bloomers can run amok, tossing their seed hither and yon, no doubt getting a little help from birds and the wind along the way.
Today I'm going to show you how to get your seeds started for your fall vegetables. You can start vegetable seeds in just about any container you have available. Whether it's an egg carton or the containers from your grocery store delicatessen even to the flats and six packs you save from your spring and summer flowers that you buy at your garden centers.
The only requirement is the bottom of the container allow adequate drainage so we don't have seeds sitting in saturated soil . That'll lead to fungal issues and a condition called damping off as the seeds germinate. What I've done with this flat is line it with paper towels so it'll hold soil and allow adequate drainage at the same time. So, all we have to do is fill this flat with our soil until it's level and then pre-moisten the soil. And, again with compost and a mixture of vermiculite and promix, moistening the soil ahead of time won't be a problem.
Well, today I'm going to show you how to save seeds from everybody's favorite crop. Our homegrown tomato. So, lets go back to the kitchen, and I'll show you how to save tomato seeds.
So, we're going to start by simply slicing a tomato open. And you can see how the seeds are kind of embedded in this juice on the inside. Tomatoes are actually berries. They're fleshy, mini-seeded fruits, and we're going to have to get the seeds out by simply squeezing the contents into this bowl.
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Enhance your health naturally with herbs from your own garden. Even if you've never gardened before, you can care for yourself and your family using time-tested herbal remedies harvested from your own medicinal herb garden. Master Gardener Dorie Byers offers simple growing instructions for more than 20 versatile medicinal herbs such as garlic, chamomile, and echinacea. You'll also find recipes and tips for using the herbs for first-aid and preventive health care.
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When in New Orleans, stop by the Dutch Alley Artist's Co-op of which I am a member. You might even catch me working my days at the gallery.
Dutch Alley Artists Co-op
912 North Peters
Open Daily 10am - 6pm
Growing up, I never dreamt I'd become an artist but here I am. I grew up in St. Louis and had your traditional Midwest upbringing. Several childhood memories really stick out and I am sure they have led me on the path to where I am today. The first is kneeling in the pews in church, gently touching the fur coats of ladies that were in front of me. TACTILE. The second is my mom's rusty gold sweater. COLOR. The third is a family trip to the St. Louis Art Museum. I don't recall the artist we were going to see. My oldest sister Dola led the expedition. We waited outside for what seemed like hours. Once inside, all I remember is the velvet chains as that the only thing I could see. I think I was about five. The warmth of being inside, the noise of the crowd and the excitement of the evening of seeing something special sticks with me to this day. EMOTION. During the summer the city had many of the public school yards open with the recreation department on hand staffing activities in sports and arts and crafts. CREATIVITY. Finally, along with checking out books at the public library, we would also check out art work. Obviously they were reproductions, but having them in our house taught us something. ART APPRECIATION.
I live in New Orleans now. You can't live here without being influenced by the rich culture and history of the city. From Newcomb Pottery to cemeteries, from our cuisine to Mardi Gras queens, the joie de vivre of New Orleans is reflected in the art and the art of living. We take a catastrophe or two, live through it, move on and allow those events to influence our art. We don't back down and celebrate what we are given.
My work is in the tradition of decorative arts. I prefer to see the beauty in objects and that is reflected in each piece I create.
Can't make it to the Co-op? Don't worry. My work is carried at the following locations:
New Orleans Museum of Art, Orlando Museum of Art, Bergstrom-Mahler Museum - Neenah, WI, Chazen Museum - Madison, WI,
Morse Museum of American Art - Winter Park, FL, Southern Ohio Museum- Portsmouth, OH, Hyatt Hotel - New Orleans, LA,
Crescent City Cooks - New Orleans, LA, Langman Gallery- Willow Grove, PA, Uncommon Angles - Fort Worth, TX,
Bud Johnson Designs - Palm Desert, CA, Random Acts of Art - Naples, FL, Sans Souci Gallery- Lafayette, LA,
The Store at the Barnwell Center - Shreveport, LA, Iris Floral - New Orleans, LA, Frick & Frack - Wayne, NJ, Panache - Ogunquit, ME,
La Porte Rouge - New Orleans, LA, Nancy Markoe Gallery - St. Pete Beach, FL, Expressions in Glass - Fairbanks, AK,
Walters and Company - Sherman, TX, Modern Artisans - Raleigh, NC, Town Square Art Gallery - Wasilla, AK,
Follette Pottery - Ruston, LA, Carlyn Gallerie - Dallas, TX, The Dutch Alley Artist's Co-op - New Orleans, LA, Helley Levy - Auburndale, MA, New Orleans School of Glassworks & Printmaking Studio
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Corning dielectric, low-temperature, tray-rated, mining and petrochemical fiber optic cables are designed for indoor and outdoor use in mining and petrochemical backbones (aerial and duct) and horizontal intrabuilding and tunnel backbones where limited-smoke and zero-halogen requirements exist. The loose tube cable construction, pioneered by Corning, places fibers in buffer tubes and provides stable and highly reliable transmission parameters for a variety of voice, data, video and imaging applications. The SZ-stranded, loose tube design isolates fibers from installation and environmental rigors and allows for easy mid-span access. The design also provides high-fiber density within a given cable diameter, allowing flexibility to suit many system designs.
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There was Bill Shorten on ABC radio the other day, desperately trying to spin cutting back research and development tax deductions as a job creation plan, when he dropped General Motors Holden in the muck as a trade cheat.
Shorten said one of the things the government was doing to save AWU membership numbers was cracking down on dumping. OK, he didn't quite say that – it might have been manufacturing jobs rather than AWU members, but we know what he means with an election in the offing and even some of the rusted-on votes flaking off.
Governments of both colours ramp up the anti-dumping rhetoric from time to time, but the rhetoric is much easier than the action. And all sorts of companies from all sorts of nations indulge in a little dumping from time to time. According to Bill Shorten's definition, Holden is one such company.
Shorten defined dumping as dastard foreigners selling stuff here for less than they do at home. So in his opinion, Holden selling re-badged Commodores in the United States for $10,000 less than they can be bought for in Australia must be, er, dumping – that bad thing the government wants to stamp out when other countries do it.
And Holden, along with Ford and Toyota, is the happy recipient of substantial government subsidies of one sort or another. In the spirit of international trade law, that would make dumping worse.
It starts to look not just like a manufacturer with excess stock flicking it at a loss in some far corner of the globe, but a national policy to compete unfairly, subsidising uneconomic activity for domestic political motives. Cue tirade against Chinese state-owned enterprises.
So, again applying Shorten's definition, Australian tax payers are subsidising American car buyers to very expensively preserve a few blue-collar jobs in Melbourne and Adelaide at the cost of a few blue-collar jobs in Detroit.
With Australians voting with their wallets by conspicuously buying fewer Commodores and Falcons, it seems a strange use of scarce public funds.
Of course the spirit and the letter of international trade law can be quiet different things and I'm sure those nice people at Holden and in Canberra are careful to arrange their subsidies and international sales in such ways as to be perfectly legal.
And there wouldn't be any illegal transfer pricing or profit shifting either, the way there isn't at Google and Apple and eBay and Amazon and all the others.
We learned a collective lesson last century about trade legalities when the Howard government was done over for subsidising the export of our beautiful Howe leather – Howe wasn't how to do it. The government cheques for Holden aren't export subsidies – they're investments in painting cars green, or something.
Besides, just about everyone does it, one way or the other – but that is no excuse for expensive policy and clouds another issue about the government's latest appeal to its heartland: what's the big deal about creating or preserving blue-collar jobs, as opposed to collars of any other hue?
It will sound like heresy to some in the manufacturing lobby and trade unions, especially those who seem to have a hold on the Prime Minister's attention, but there is nothing intrinsically superior about a manufacturing job compared with a services job or primary industry or extractive job or any other job. The idea that the only jobs that really count are the ones that make something you can touch is plain wrong.
Even within the total loop of manufactured goods, the actual manufacturing can be the least rewarding aspect, as previously illustrated by the Barbienomics story: breaking down the economic content of a Barbie doll, the Chinese manufacturer actually makes the least after the retailer, the wholesaler, the intellectual property owner (the brand name), the logistics chain and the packaging and raw materials have all had their share.
That's not the case with all products and it is nice to have internationally-competitive manufacturers, as it is nice to have internationally-competitive anything, but if we want a country with high wages and high living standards, the colour of our manufacturing collars will be mainly white, not blue. (Or, more accurately these days, fluoro.)
The key justification for subsidising manufacturing – whether directly or indirectly by such things as suppressing gas prices – is that if it's not supported, there will be nothing left here when our strong currency eventually weakens.
That is a simplistic view as the strong dollar is already pushing manufacturing further up the value chain and forcing manufacturers to become more productive, which they are.
Some can't survive and their failure can be very hard for the people involved, even personally tragic, but the track record of protectionism is that it lowers standards and, perhaps counter-intuitively, the protectors end up paying substantially more than the protection is worth.
It could be a long wait yet for our dollar to substantially weaken – until sustainable fiscal policy replaces indulgent politics and bad management in the US, Europe and Japan. Falling for the protectionists' siren song now could come at a very high price, whatever shade your collar.
Michael Pascoe is a BusinessDay contributing editor
This story Administrator ready to work first appeared on Nanjing Night Net.


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Item mastering is the process of maintaining clean and accurate product information for any application—regardless of the underlying technology (cloud, on premises, or hybrid environment). By simplifying the processes that govern the item master—your informational lifeline—you can empower decision-makers with ready access to trusted product information. Best practice item mastering maintains a 360-degree view of all product data to enable digital transformation, modern supply chain initiatives, and hybrid path-to-cloud strategies.
Oracle Product Hub Cloud
Oracle Product Hub Cloud is a purpose-built item mastering solution that rapidly enables product change on a single-source-of-truth platform. It offers a cost-effective, user-friendly, low-risk approach to consolidate, govern, share, and enrich product data. Supporting a wide range of processes [including product information management (PIM) and product master data management (MDM)] Oracle Product Hub Cloud is the cornerstone of business modernization, tightly linking hybrid environments with reliable product data. No customization required. With a proven source for clean product data, you can accelerate innovation, reduce the cost of quality, and effortlessly execute your go-to-market strategy.
Simplify maintenance by discovering products quickly through flexible search and browse capabilities.
On-board product data from multiple sources and provide business users with a graphical summary to monitor product uploads and identify errors.
Ensure that product data is accurate, clean, and consistent through native data quality features and business rule validations.
Gain valuable insight into your products with real-time business intelligence (BI) analytics and reports.
Here are some ways to get started with Oracle Product Hub Cloud:
Explore the resources on this page to learn how easy it is to get started with Oracle Product Hub Cloud.
Aberdeen Report: Drive Business Performance with Product Information Management
"A common product approach enables data harmonization across PLM, ERP, and SCM."
OracleVoice: Why Ainsworth Pet Nutrition Is Banking on the Truth Winning Out
"Businesses should be developing an end-to-end strategy around supply chain cloud deployment to maximize their ability to make supply chain an enabler of business change."
CIO Review: Navigating a Smooth Journey to Supply Chain Cloud
As you move critical systems to the cloud, can you maintain a true item master at the core?
"We think the biggest value you can offer anyone running a supply chain is full integration and visibility."
Why Oracle leads the way in cloud computing.
Discover how a modern item mastering solution accelerates commercialization and increases revenue.
Rapidly Digitize to Increase Competitiveness
Leverage product information to continuously adapt to changing market conditions and deliver stakeholder value.
Maintain Accuracy to Empower Mission-Critical Systems
Supply Chain Professionals
Create a strong foundation of accurate product information to execute your key end-to-end supply chain initiatives including perfect orders, strategic sourcing, and more.
Enable Digital Transformation without Business Disruption
IT Professionals
Establish quality product information in any environment to keep your business processes running smoothly.
Drive Down Operating Costs and Eliminate Poor Data Quality
Product Managers
Accelerate product development—from ideation to commercialization—with a simplified approach to item mastering.
"We're expecting a reduction in issues related to data quality of up to 25%. That improved data accuracy will prevent a lot of downstream problems, and help us get to market quicker. It was so easy - just configure, load your data, and go. Updates roll out regularly."
Learn more about this easy-to-use application that helps consolidate, enrich, govern and share product information.
See how you can master data across the enterprise.
Improve product success rates with highly effective data and process governance.
Discover how integrating innovation best practices complements your journey to cloud.
Engage a Sales Expert


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Beat Hazard Walkthrough and Guide
Welcome to the Beat Hazard Walkthrough where our team of contributors will help you work through the game via a step-by-step tutorial. A Gamewise walkthrough aims to take you all the way through the game to 100% completion including unlockable quests and items.
If you are stuck on something specific and are unable to find any answers in our Beat Hazard Walkthrough then be sure to ask the Beat Hazard Forum / Community for help and advice in the discussion box below and they will get back to you as soon as possible with an answer!
Finally, if you have been playing Beat Hazard and wish to help other users, feel free to sign up and start contributing!
Beat Hazard Overview
Beat Hazard is a shooter game developed by ShadowRage and released on Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360.


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Brennan Industries (www.brennaninc.com) recently expanded its mobile application, which now includes pressure ratings for more than 6000 of the firm's parts spanning 330-plus series. As part of the upgrade, the app includes pressure ratings in psi or bar units for numerous Brennan products, in addition to the ability for users to search for ratings by series or part number.
Originally introduced in 2012, the iPhone- and Android-optimized app gives users access to more than 30,000 Brennan products, product comparison information, and company contact information. It is available at brennaninc.com/mobile. The pressure rating product search is also accessible via mobile and desktop browsers at brennaninc.com/pressure-ratings.
Solon, Ohio-based Brennan offers hydraulic fittings and adapters (both standard and special) in sizes ranging from 1/8 to 2½ inches. Fitting and adapter types offered include tube, O-ring face seal, instrumentation, metric bite type, push-to-connect, conversion, and flareless bite type, as well as valves, clamps, and swivels.