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The Walking Dead coming to PC, Mac, and PS3 tomorrow
AMC's hit TV series The Walking Dead has finished its season, and now zombie fans have the long wait for season three. If you want to fill the undead-shaped hole in your heart with video games, however, you don't have to wait much longer. The first episode of The Walking Dead game from Telltale is coming to PC, Mac, and PlayStation Network tomorrow.
An announcement on the game's official site, and then echoed on the PlayStation Blog gives the details. The first episode, "A New Day," will come tomorrow for $4.99. You can also pre-purchase all five episodes for $19.99, netting you a savings of five bucks and (with the PSN version) a PS3 premium theme.
The series tells the story of a new character in the world of the comics, which the TV show has deviated from in some ways. You won't be spending all your time with Rick and his crew, but you're in roughly the same geographical area, so you might see familiar locales or characters pop up from time to time.
An Xbox 360 and iOS version is also due in the future.


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Google is working on a plan to connect a billion people in emerging markets in Africa and Asia to the Internet by using special balloons.
The new Wi-Fi would serve far-flung places like sub-Saharan African and Southeast Asia where Internet connection is unavailable, according to unnamed sources, the Wall Street Journal reported. The search titan will team up with local carriers in emerging markets to develop the networks, but it was unclear how many of these projects were ready to go.
Google has also been working on creating a new ecosystem of microprocessors and low-cost Android smartphones, like to benefit from the new connections. Google's Wi-Fi will be achieved by making special balloons or blimps, to transmit signals to an area of hundreds of square miles.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe

subset: commoncrawl


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Diablo III is a joy on a desktop. It's even fun to play on a Macbook Air. But how will Blizzard's online-only dungeon crawler fare while played on a train traveling 90 miles an hour down New York's Harlem Valley using a Sprint 3G card?
Sure, the specifics may not apply to everyone, but it does tackle a broader concern: How reliable and strong an Internet connection will you need to play Diablo III. And what happens when you lose that connection.
Watch the video to find out.
You can contact Brian Crecente, the author of this post, at email@example.com. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook, and lurking around our #tips page.


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Air Med Care
Boom-A-Rang Diner
Clao's Antique Fair with Flea Market Flair
Checotah Church of God
Subway - D & D Food Services
Campbell's Country Store & BBQ
Red Dirt Productions Services, LLC
Color Me Class
Cross Timbers Quilt Studio, LLC
Street Side Deli & Creamery
ABS Communications
Checotah Medical Dispensary Products
Modern Relics-Antiques-&-Gifts
Digital Future PC
Downtown Antique Mall
150 Boat Sales
918 Design Company, LLC
Stanley's Get It Today!
Urgent Care of Muskogee (Checotah Branch)
Best Nails
Momma T's BBQ
Haney Truck Services
Okie Country 101.7
Checotah Livestock Market
Mann's Fencing
Hammons & Price, PLLC
Checotah Pack 642
The Checotah Chamber of Commerce has been proudly promoting the city of Checotah, OK since 1946. Ours is a place that teems with progress here and there, a fit place for citizens to live in comfort and in peace. Aside from being famous as the world's capital for steer wrestling, there is more to know and to discover about our progressive town. As you navigate through our site, we think you'll see why Checotah, OK is a good place for you, your family and your business.
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P.O. Box 424, Checotah, OK 74426
918. 473.2070
© Copyright 2020 Checotah Chamber of Commerce. All Rights Reserved. Site provided by GrowthZone - powered by ChamberMaster software.


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NEW YORK — One of the principles of sports has always been that meaning is conferred, not created. By point of example: It is the mutual loathing, or dislike, or even polite dismissal of various fan groups that tend to create the best sports rivalries.
Narrow it down from "sports" to "soccer," and the direct-line correlation becomes even clearer. Just Google "soccer tribalism" and you'll get nearly 300,000 hits, the first of which is a piece from CNN pondering whether "a Cosmos comeback" could spark soccer tribalism here in North America.
The author had obviously never been to The Home Depot Center on the day of the LA Superclasico. Or to the Pacific Northwest during a Cascadia Cup match. If he had, he would've known that soccer tribalism is here already. And it's here to stay.
Over the course of the past decade, various rivalries, some expected, some not, have pushed MLS slowly away from the "Big 4" professional sports model, where the regular season is, frankly, watered down, and toward the NCAA football model, where it's an annual ritual to circle rivalry games on the calendar months ahead of time.
With that in mind, here are five feuds I'm greatly looking forward to come March:
The I-95 Corridor: The league's oldest rivalry is the one between D.C. United and New York (first MetroStars, now Red Bulls), which began before a ball had ever been kicked in MLS. It started, as seemingly all things do these days, with an internet war of words and has continued in earnest through 15 years.
The addition of Philadelphia Union to the Atlantic Coast just added to the volatile concoction, particularly, since so many Philly fans are ex-Screaming Eagles. While this has led to a level of fraternal good-fellowship between D.C. and Philly groups, the Sons of Ben maintain United's animosity toward everything NY-related.
2011, with the Union and United having already made major offseason acquisitions and New York trying to build on their conference title, looks to be even better.
The Rocky Mountain Cup: The rivalry between the Colorado Rapids and Real Salt Lake doesn't get much publicity on the coasts, but it should. The Rocky Mountain Cup, as it was anointed by fan groups of the two teams, has simply been a bloodbath the past three seasons. Each year, Colorado seem poised to take it back (they won the first two versions in 2005 and 06), but RSL cruelly slam them on some improbable play and defend their title.
Throw in the fact that they're the last two MLS Cup champions, and that both team's rosters have been together long enough to get to know—and dislike—the other, and the coming year's Rocky Mountain Cup promises 180 minutes of pure entertainment.
As of this moment, this is the best rivalry in the league.
The Battle for Canada: The story of Canadian soccer since 2000's Gold Cup victory has been one of missed chances. Fans across the country are hoping that comes to an end in 2011, and that the budding rivalry between Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps is the catalyst for it.
At stake are not just points in the league standings, but the love of a nation. Because whichever of these two clubs is more successful at turning out Canadian stars will capture the hearts of English-speaking Canada.
The California Classico: If you're a non-Galaxy US soccer fan, Landon Donovan is a hero for whom you clap politely when he's announced in the starting lineup, then boo for 90 minutes.
If you're a San Jose Earthquakes fan, he's the guy you burn in effigy just before gametime, "The Goal" be damned.
Once upon a time Donovan led the Quakes in what was, without question, the league's best rivalry. San Jose beat LA 2-1 in MLS Cup 2001. LA got revenge the next year, clinching the Supporters Shield with a 1-0 win at San Jose.
Then came the 2003 playoffs. LA won the first leg 2-0, then took a 2-0 lead inside 20 minutes of the second leg. With the Quakes down 4-0 on aggregate, Donovan led what is still the most impossible comeback — and most dramatic game — in league history, as the Quakes netted four times in regulation then added a fifth in injury time for a shocking 5-4 aggregate victory.
Donovan left San Jose for LA a year later, and Quakes fans have never forgiven him.
Thanks to Chris Wondolowski & Co., there's great hope in the Bay Area in 2011—and a strong desire to knock their one-time hero off on the way.
The Cascadia Cup: This rivalry deserves a column in and of itself, but I'll keep it short.
Basically, the Seattle Sounders, Portland Timbers, and Vancouver Whitecaps have been doing battle for decades. And they're going to escalate things when the latter two join MLS in 2011. Hell, before they've even fired a ball at an MLS goal, the Timbers and 'Caps have already fired shots across Seattle's bow—and at each other for good measure.
Tifo, billboards, two-footed tackles—this one has it all.
If you're a fan in the Pacific Northwest, it's going to be as intense as any rivalry in the world. If you're a fan outside the region, it's going to fun to watch.
So enjoy it. Enjoy them all. Tribalism may be a dirty word in some ways, but it's the lifeblood of this sport: Do your part and hate thy neighbor.
Matthew Doyle can be reached for comment at email@example.com and followed at twitter.com/mls_analyst.


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Palma de Mallorca - Travel Guide & Offline Map
iOS Universal Travel
The Palma de Mallorca City Guide from tripwolf contains everything you could possibly need for your trip: the Palma de Mallorca offline map, the hotspots of the city selected by the experienced travel authors at Fodor's Travel and MARCO POLO, including attractions, restaurants etc. and the possibility to book tours and hotels directly in the Palma de Mallorca app. Over 10 million travelers are already using tripwolf to get the best travel experience out there - here is an overview of what you'll get in the Palma de Mallorca City Guide:
» Free preview of the Palma de Mallorca Travel Guide with the possibility to upgrade
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» Download the app offline and use the Palma de Mallorca map, travel guide and trip planner without an internet connection
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With the City Maps Palma de Mallorca App you'll find your way through the city both online and offline. Enable the subway and other public transport options on your Palma de Mallorca offline map and plan the perfect city trip. You'll of course find an overview of all the metro lines in the travel guide itself, too.
The Palma de Mallorca City Guide is your personal travel buddy! Create your own Palma de Mallorca trip with the attractions, restaurants, bars, museums, hotels etc. you are most interested in and look at the map to see where they're located. The Palma de Mallorca Travel Guide contains premium content from Fodor's Travel and MARCO POLO, hotels from booking.com as well as sightseeing tips from Yelp, Foursquare and Wikipedia.
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The Palma de Mallorca Travel Guide is available in 5 LANGUAGES: German, English, Spanish, Italian and French.
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We hope you enjoy our new app updates, and of course we appreciate every review in the store. If you have questions or feedback, reach out to us anytime at [email protected]!


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Weather is an fundamental aspect that has been existing throughout most of the Grand Theft Auto games; Grand Theft Auto III being the first to have multiple weather changes viewed in a 3-Dimensional form. It plays a crucial role by complementing to the vibes and atmosphere of the game such as a pink setting sky to suit the Vice City's 80's vibe and a dull, plain sky to suit the Liberty City atmosphere. The weather in the game is controlled by a time cycle which controls certain weather types to occur at a particular time. Anonymous types of weather occur at rarer times than others. In places such as San Andreas, A certain type of weather only occurs in a particular climate or area such as sandstorms in the desert of Bone County, Las Venturas. Thus, some time cycles of weather are included exclusively for a Grand Theft Auto game depending on the area's real-life climate. The games can also simulate transitions between weather types. For example; it may be cloudy, then a slight drizzle may fall, followed by rain and then a thunderstorm. This is a perfect example of the wide varieties of weather mixtures the game is capable of doing. Consequently, only the core, standalone weather types are listed below. The games can also simulate wind, which can realistically result in trees swaying back and forth and planes pushed at random directions.
Types Of Weather
Rain occurs in most GTA games from every 3-5 days though sometimes it can vary depending on what climate you are in. For example, in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, rain may occur in Los Santos, San Fierro, and in the countryside, but never in Las Venturas and the desert. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City first introduced realistic rain drops forming on the player's screen as if they were literally in the protagonist's shoes. The GTA III era first introduced car's headlights reflecting the rain on the road which instantly resulted in senses of realism, making the game more 'alive'. The rainfall can vary depending on how clear the skies are. Heavy rainfall results in occasional thunder and lightning, causing the console version's controller vibrate rapidly, again as a sense of realism.
Sunny weather occurs quite often in most cities, ranging from 2-4 days in the III era; especially if you are flying in a helicopter or plane above the clouds to see you could view it pretty much nearly everyday. The GTA III era first introduced players to visualise heatwave when the sun reaches blazing heats however does not affect the player's health in any way. It brings a cheerful atmosphere and reputation to areas such as Vice City and most areas in San Andreas. The sun causes short shadows to appear behind objects such as lampposts and buildings. A clear sky implements a similar reaction.
Fog and mist is a common weather in Liberty City in the GTA III era and GTA IV era renditions and the countryside of San Andreas. The weather brings an eerie atmosphere with limited visibility.
Cloudy weather is probably the most common occurring type of weather in GTA out of the lot as well as clear sky. Cloudy weather has been featured in every single GTA game out of the current franchise and does not bring a particular vibe or atmosphere to the game. It is described as a 'default' weather due to how common it occurs. It can be seen pretty much everyday at some point, except in some places such as the desert, where overcast conditions may never take place. Cloudy weather does not have much of a visual difference, as the sky is still brightly lit (during the day, of course) unlike foggy or rainy conditions, and visibility is still high.
A sandstorm is an unique weather available in GTA San Andreas. They arise when a gust front blows loose sand and dust from a dry surface. It occurs regularly only in the desert or near Las Venturas as it suits the climate. It clearly mimics aspects of the Nevada desert in Las Vegas. When sandstorms occur, visibility is severely restricted. Clouds of dust can be seen blowing and the sky's color changes to a dull brown. Sandstorms also have a physical impact on flying vehicles (such as fixed-wing aircraft), blowing them hard towards random directions, which can make flying treacherous. Additionally, Police Mavericks do not spawn during a sandstorm.
Watching the sunset or sunrise in GTA makes this undoubtably one of the most beautiful types of weather in the game. The colour of the sun when it sets or rises depends on the city. In places such as San Andreas and Liberty City, the sun varies from orange, yellow and red whilst Vice City's sky is usually pink or purple to suit the 80's Miami atmosphere. The colours of the sky play a vital role in bringing up the atmosphere of a city. The shadows off objects and pedestrians become longer however the process of the sun setting only lasts around 2 to 3 hours (Game Time).
A sunny morning awaits in San Fierro.
Dusk commencing over Blackfield, about two hours after sunset.
Rain beats down in Whetstone, accompanied by thunder.
A cloudy night in Los Santos.
Sunset looming over Las Venturas.
- Broadcasters in GTA San Andreas and GTA IV in some radio stations announce the weather forecasts in the local area. The Internet in GTA IV also announce weather forecasts.
- Since the introduction of a weather system in GTA III, the game engine can realistically simulate weather transitions. For example, it may go from sunny to cloudy to rainy and then back to cloudy, rather than rain starting to fall from a clear sky. This makes the weather more realistic.
- There is a glitch in which Tierra Robada uses the countryside's weather patterns, despite being a semi-arid region. Thus, it may rain but sandstorms would never occur.
- Mods and cheats are available to tweak the weather time cycle.
- Foggy weather is included in Vice City but is extremely rare. In most occasions, players would have to resort to cheats to enable fog/mist.
- Rain was noticeably rare in the original PSP release of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. Rain/storms generally occurred less often than they did in preceding games, and clouds were less commonly seen. This was rectified in the PlayStation 2 port; rain and storms occurred more regularly, and clouds were also seen more often in the sky, making the weather more similar to past games in the series.
- On some modestly powered computers, rain can significantly reduce the frame rate of the game, sometimes making it very low.
- Snow was originally supposed to be included in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Grand Theft Auto IV, however, it was cut for unknown reasons. In GTA Liberty City Stories, snow is however shown only once at Level 9 of the Car Salesman side missions (PSP version only).
- In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, during heavy thunderstorms, traffic lights will flash yellow. This would suggest a power loss, as flashing yellow lights usually occur when traffic lights have been shut down. During this, cars will no longer stop at any traffic light. However, flashing yellow lights can also mean "proceed with caution".
- In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto IV, during heavy rain or a heavy thunderstorm, pedestrians and vehicles spawn less commonly.
- In Grand Theft Auto V, a temporary update on December 25th 2013 allowed constant snow to fall on all of Los Santos and Blaine County for all online servers of Grand Theft Auto Online.


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Who were the prophets?
The art of prophecy is very difficult," Mark Twain once said, "especially with respect to the future." Surprisingly, Twain's words pretty much describe biblical prophecy.
In the vast majority of cases, the biblical prophets were not in the business of predicting the future-that idea came along much later in the history of prophecy-but of saying something important about the present, though sometimes in terms of the future. Prophet doesn't mean one who predicts what is to come but refers to the Greek word prophētēs: "one who speaks for another."
In Hebrew scripture prophets spoke for God. Their visions, revelations, and other intense mystical experiences gave them a certain standing and authority to defend God in their day and bring the people-kings included-to task for superstitious beliefs, idolatry, and moral failings. Prophets brought and interpreted the word of God to a people who needed to be reminded of it.
Most of the discussion of prophecy in the New Testament comes from St. Paul, though prophets show up in the Acts of the Apostles, which calls some of them people who "encourage and strengthen the believers" (Acts 15:32). In the gospels John the Baptist was "regarded . . . as a prophet" (Matt. 14:5), and the travelers on the road to Emmaus called Jesus a "prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people" (Luke 24:19). What's more, many scholars think Jesus' prophetic calling to be closest to his own understanding of himself.
Paul's well-known list of those with particular gifts in the church includes prophets (1 Cor. 12:28), and he exhorts members to "pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts, including prophecy" (1 Cor. 14:3). Prophecy for Paul seemed to involve those who spoke with particular insight and wisdom about the things of God.
But prophecy was not an unlimited gift. To discern what was false from true prophecy, Paul said prophesying had to be an orderly activity subject to other prophets' testing. Like all spiritual gifts, prophecy was for "building up" the community, not destroying it.
While the church does not formally use the name prophet for those outside of scripture, it has seen any number of people who took the role of the prophets who came before them: to call the community to be true to itself. Figures such as Francis of Assisi, Catherine of Siena, Bridget of Sweden, and others had vivid direct experiences and communicated them for the benefit of the church.


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Stephen Shore and The Nature of Photographs
The book apparently grew out of a class that Shore has been teaching at Bard College in New York. He mentions teaching the course in the early years using John Szarkowski's The Photographer's Eye as the text which is another must read about photographic perception. Like Szarkowski's book, The Nature of Photographs uses short well written texts to plant the ideas in the readers mind and then illustrates the points with a wide range of photographs.
Shore writes about perception using three levels: The Physical level, The Depictive Level and The Mental Level. The basic aim of the book is to bring awareness of what happens when you turn the three dimensions of the real world into the two dimensional world of the photograph. Essentially, it is a manual for understanding the transitions in photography. The first transition is in making an image. A photographer stands in front of a subject and makes several decisions: Where to stand, what to include, how to utilize focus and finally, how to use time to record the image. Then after the print (the physical level) is made, he describes the transition from the print to the deeper mental level and how we perceive "reading" photographs.
The last chapter which is called Mental Modelling I found most interesting. Here is an excerpt:
"Earlier I suggested that you become aware of the space between you and the page in this book. That caused an alteration of your mental model. You can add to this awareness by being mindful, right now, of yourself sitting in your chair, its back pressing against your spine. To this you can add an awareness of the sounds in your room. And all the while, as your awareness is shifting and your mental model is metamorphosing, you are reading this book, seeing these words – these words, which are only ink on paper, the ink depicting a series of funny little symbols whose meaning is conveyed on the mental level. And all the while, as your framework of understanding shifts, you continue to read and to contemplate the nature of photographs."
While you were reading that excerpt you probably found yourself taking the instructions from Shore and altering your perception on a conscious level. This is what this book does best. The short bursts of text fall next to images that both illustrate his point but also serve as images to "practice on" and see your perception working. These lessons of observation are invaluable to photographers (I would extend their importance to anyone alive in this world of images) so keep a copy of this book near by and exercise your mind.
Book Available Here


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With Max Joseph leaving MTV's Catfish, Nev Schulman needs a new co-host and the TV staple said that he'd love to recruit Cardi B as his new partner in crime.
On Thursday (August 9), TMZ shared their interview with Nev, where he admitted that he'd love to have Bardi help him expose those sneaky liars on the Internet. "Max cannot be replaced, so as corny as it sounds, it's true, but the show must go on," he explained. "If somewhere down the line, we find the right person and it's a good fit and the fans like our chemistry, then perhaps a permanent co-host could be in order."
Asked if he had anyone in particular in mind, Nev admitted that the show would benefit a lot from a female perspective. "The first person that comes to mind lately I think for her humor and insight is Cardi B," Nev confessed with a slight smile. "Obviously, I know that she's a new mom, so she's a little busy, but we can certainly work around her schedule. There's so many great people. There's probably so many people that I don't even or haven't even thought who might love the show and want to come on now that they know there's an open invitation."
TMZ previously reported that Max is leaving the series to pursue a career in filmmaking. "For a while now I have been straddling two careers as TV host and filmmaker and, while this level of busy-ness is a dream come true, my life can no longer sustain it," he said. His final episode airs August 22 at 9 PM ET.
Photo: Getty Images


text: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased this ranch in the early 1870s to operate as a tithing ranch. Pioneer members of the church, unable to pay their tithe in cash would donate cattle which were raised here. Dairy and meat products were prepared (in the fortified house up the hill) and then distributed to the church members and the needy. Carts would enter one end of the fort and exit the other, bringing supplies and leaving with meat and dairy goods.


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Using voice control (S Voice) on my mobile phone
Transferring files between a computer and my mobile phone
Turning NFC on my mobile phone on or off
Turning call waiting on my mobile phone on or off
Making a video call with my mobile phone
Want to answer an incoming call during an ongoing call? It's called call waiting. It's easy, but you need to turn on call waiting before you can use this function.
Use call waiting
When you have an ongoing call, the new call is indicated by a sound signal.
Tap and drag the accept call icon right.
Tap Put on hold.
The new call is answered and the active call is put on hold.
Swap calls
Tap Swap.
End active call
Make sure the call you want to end is active.
Tap End call.
The active call is ended and the call on hold is automatically activated.
End call
Tap End call to end the call and return to home screen.
Tap anywhere to dismiss
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Collect, recycle and transport bikes
We bring bikes to the ones in need
Give a bike's goal is to let anyone in the world experience the freedom and flexibility of riding a bike. We collect, re-cycle and transport bikes to support social projects anywhere in the world, we enhance and extend the value of the bikes. Everyone should be able to get on a bike to cross distances for daily commute, going to school or visiting a family member. It will provide you with a free, green and healthy transport.
Two ways you can help
The craziest thing is to do nothing


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NEW YORK — Stocks are rising at midday, pushing the Standard and Poor's 500 to another five-year high.
Strong reports on housing starts and unemployment claims made investors more optimistic about the U.S. economy.
The S&P 500 gained seven points to 1,479 shortly before noon Thursday. Earlier, it climbed as high as 1,480, its highest level since December 2007.
The Dow Jones industrial average also rose, gaining 67 points to 13,578. The Nasdaq composite rose 17 points to 3,134.
U.S. builders started work on homes in December at the fastest pace since the summer of 2008, the Commerce Department said. Homebuilder stocks rose broadly following the report.
Also, the Labor Department reported that the number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell to a five-year low last week.
EBay rose after reporting higher earnings.


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Apple Tree Creek is a convenient stop on the way to either Bundaberg or Gin Gin, just outside of Childers. A family-friendly picnic ground with great facilities is on the left as you enter Apple Tree Creek from the south. Almost diagonally opposite is the Flying High Flora and Fauna Bird Habitat, on the corner of the Bruce Highway and Old Creek Road. It's the creation of John Woodall, an ex-farmer with a penchant for birds, who has created the largest walk-through free flight aviary in the country.
Other highlights include The Pip Stop for homemade jams and preserves made from local produce. Check out the purpose-built Swiss-designed wood-fired pizza oven.
Note: Information on listed products and services are provided by the operator and were correct at the time of publishing. Rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available prices of products and services. Please visit the operator's website for further information. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD).


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Friday, 23 May 2008
The Oatmeal Diet
It has gone through a slight metamorphosis since it's inception, which I wrote about previously.
First of all, I buy oatmeal in the 100 calorie packets, some "regular" flavored, some "sugar free maple."
3 bowls (1.5 packs each) of oatmeal with sprinkle of TVP and sprinkle of fiber one cereal.
480 calories
3 pieces of lefse
90 calories
1 viactiv chew
20 calories
2 wraps consisting of 1 piece of lefse, 1 piece of tofurkey, slice of tomato, bunch of sprouts, one carb ketchup and mustard.
75 calories each!
Large bowl of oatmeal with TVP and fiber one cereal
550 calories
One and a half medium sized acorn squash.
250 calories
one viactive chew
20 calories
Total Calories 1560
My basal metabolic rate = 1300
Lactation plus excercise = 1500
Net loss: 1420
While this may be a lot of calories for someone who is not exercising 2 hours a day and not breastfeeding, it is easy to eat less oatmeal or less gords as needed to suit your personal weight loss needs.
12 comments:
- Allison Chapple said...
But 1500 cals is NOT a lot for someone who is not exercising or breastfeeding. That is the minimum suggested for most (inactive) women.
- 23 May 2008 at 02:28
- Danni said...
Not to put too fine a point on it, but most people would still lose weight eating 1500 calories/day, even without exercise and without breastfeeding.
If you're running 2 hours/day, let's say on the conservative side that you're burning 1000 calories. You're then netting 500 calories per day. How many did you say breastfeeding burns? That brings you down to what, zero net calories?
I'm sure this sounds critical and I don't mean it to be. But I don't think the key to your quick weight loss is the oatmeal :-) Whatever works for you, that's great.
P.S. You should check out this blog: roosterruns.blogspot.com -- she is super skinny and wicked fast and eats like 4000 calories/day. . . something to consider.
- 23 May 2008 at 02:29
- Meghan said...
I would starve and die on day 1 of The Sealegs Trademarked Oatmeal Diet. ;) I don't know how you did it; I'm thinking strong will power?
I don't closely monitor my caloric intake, but I'm positive that I surpass 3000 calories most days, and lord knows how many on long run days. It's almost exclusively good, healthy, nutritious calories to fuel 15-18 hours of exercise per week.
Breakfast- Rolled oats, berries, flax seed, nuts, coffee, milk
After workout foods- Ultragen after hard/long running workouts, milk and protein powder after gym workouts
Lunch- often something sweet potato-based, always including a vegetarian protein and good fat
Snacks- fresh vegetables and fruit, a handful of some sort of nuts, etc.
Dinner- often something wild rice, lentil, or wheat pasta based, always including a vegetarian protein and good fat, perhaps a piece of dark chocolate ;)
Dinner #2- repeat above
You're a doctor and would know this better than most, but I've always assumed that the BMI isn't a fair analysis for athletes as it doesn't account for body composition variations. As in, athletes will have more muscle and denser bones than sedentary people.
My anecdotal example: In November, I started lifting weights diligently. At the time, I weighed about 123 at 5'6", giving me a BMI of 19.9. Currently, I weigh around 127, giving me a BMI of 20.5. I haven't gained any fat; I'm positive that it's all muscle (I have not had my body's composition measured, though.). If anything, I've lost fat with the lifting and adherence to a healthy diet.
I'm sure it will be a challenge to find a point of moderation and stability, now that you've lost the weight you wanted to lose. With your volume of training, I believe that food really is fuel, though. I don't follow the old saying, "I run so I can eat whatever I want." Often this is the moniker folks use to excuse their regular indulgence in a big cardiac burger or a huge ice cream sundae. Sure, that stuff is fun, as a treat. My saying is something like, I eat specifically so that I can train as much as I want.
Oh my, have I ever rambled.
Good luck Sealegs, and thanks for sharing with us!
- 23 May 2008 at 07:05
- Allison Chapple said...
These two have great advice! When I am training for any endurance event, I eat 2500-4000 calories a day and my weight and BMI both stay within a low-normal range. I am just worried you're not giving your body enough fuel to power your workouts and to have enough reserve to create a milk supply for your baby. 1500 calories for someone of your athletic caliber would be considered a starvation diet. Just something to think about...maybe it would be helpful to see a sports nutritionist to get a better idea of what your body's needs are? I've done that in the past and it was really helpful to see that I needed more calories than I thought I did and that by restricting, I was just causing my metabolism to come to a screeching halt.
- 23 May 2008 at 13:46
- sea legs girl said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- 23 May 2008 at 16:26
- sea legs girl said...
(that was MY comment I deleted up there)
Wow. Really, really interesting discussion everyone. Yes, 1500 is NOT enough. It's a diet. It is approximately 1300 less than I need a day and causes me to lose about 0.2 kg or a little less than half a pound a day (these are all estimates!). I can't be on this diet every day of the week, so I take the weekend off, that revs up my metabolism gain. Diets are no mystery, really, you just need to eat less calories than you need. How many less depends on what you can tolerate.
Meghan, thanks for sharing your awesome-sounding maintenance diet. You can cook for SR and I anytime you like. :) Seriously, you should consider posting some of your recipes on your blog. And you are right about BMI not telling the whole story for athletes!
Happily I am still feeling strong and actually running faster than usual on my daily runs. Losing weight can be exhilarating. The one lingering concern I have is the milk supply. I haven't been able to find any good resources in the medical literature or on the internet. I just contacted the lactation consultants at my hospital and am expecting a call back. I'll let you know what I find out.
All this being said, I am stopping the diet tomorrow.
- 23 May 2008 at 16:29
- sea legs girl said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- 23 May 2008 at 16:35
- sea legs girl said...
One more comment. Danni, you'd have to be a man or a very tall woman (at least 6'0" or overweight)to lose weight on a 1500 calorie diet and not exercise.
Check out http://health.discovery.com/tools/calculators/basal/basal.html
- 23 May 2008 at 16:46
- Naomi said...
I was going to say that I am surprised that your milk supply is keeping up with your diet. But I see that you are already there. Can you just bump up the calories on the diet a little bit to lose weight and still keep up the milk?
And, GREAT site for BF'ing:
- 23 May 2008 at 16:55
- Olga said...
When I started my "food log", and then later made n\adjustments to healthy eating 2 months ago, I figured I get about 2000 cal with tops at 2500 a day. It is less than Ronda, but more than you. Our theoretical level of excercise is even, though I bet you girls (Ronda for sure) have a much higher intensity. I can never put myself on 5,000 cal thing mentally - yes, I know all about BID, and since I were chubby and my emotional state about it is screwed up (long story), it's something I admit and accept. So, back to calories and weight loss - I know I am not in negative net of it, but at least not in positive, and I believe this is what helped me loosing weight lately (and less stressful mind). Now, when I had a second baby and saw pictures of myself (this is where I was the fattest), I got paniky and went bulimic (not so much on diet, as simply purging) and an excercise freak (3 times daily, though again, not near the intensity/miles what I do now, but I guess back then at sedentary level it was a huge jump-start). My weight rolled down like crazy - but (here is a "but" for you) so did my milk. On the other hand, I didn't pump and went to work at 5 weeks - though still walked home for one extra feeding besides nights and so on. I think I missed out on 2 feeding times. So this could ceratinly play a role. However, my milk also was turning thing, and the flow got less. By 4 months I was out. Again, this is a single-out example. I didn't breastfeed my first one longer than that either - totally different reasons (mastitis), but still, may be I am just not "milky":)
Back to calories. In 2005 (what was actually my best racing year) I weighed 145 lbs (17 more than now). In September I decided to crack the whip and hired PT at the gym (lots of weights), upped the runs and trained for a SD100. PT put me on 1300 cal diet (yikes! my resting metabolism was 1450). I did it, first 2 weeks long runs were very fady, but then adjusted. I dropped 17 lbs in 6 weeks - and felt light on my feet yet strong. BTW, I won that SD100 and broke a CR at the time. Go figure - I was fast when I was fat and I was fast when I wasn't. I mean I was just faster back then, but that's not the point. My point is that those changes were all within 1 year, so it's a good way to say that weight along is by no means can be a "make it or break it" cause. So each of us has to have a feel what's best for each of us (and on top of it, what makes each of us emotionally happy - because that's important too!).
Gee, did I just, like, type a whole post here?
- 23 May 2008 at 18:22
- H said...
Sea Legs-- metabolism is not so cut and dry as a calculator can give you.
"One more comment. Danni, you'd have to be a man or a very tall woman (at least 6'0" or overweight)to lose weight on a 1500 calorie diet and not exercise.
Check out"
I'm 5'4. I can lose weight on 1500 Calories a day and not exercise. My resting metabolism (I've had it tested; you can do this for about $40) is 1700, plus my daily activities besides exercise. I have a lean body mass of 125 lb (measured by hydrostatic weighing).
Breastfeeding is supposed to burn another 300-500 Calories a day, in addition to your exercise, basal metabolism, and daily activity.
Now, that isn't for everyone. I believe in Pam Reed's book she says her metabolism is such that she must eat much less than her peers...
but it would be ill advised to suggest that each person's metabolism is so low or easily predicted.
(Though per pound of lean body mass, there's not typically much variance. If a person typically eats very little, it might be lower.)
- 24 May 2008 at 00:33
- Danni said...
I've also had my basal metabolism checked and am about the same as Heather -- 1700 (I'm 5'4" and 127). So if I ate 1500/day I would lose weight. Not quickly, but I would lose weight nonetheless.
- 27 May 2008 at 23:51


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SALISBURY – The U.S Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding citizens and business owners that assistance is available for those who have been affected by Superstorm Sandy.
SBA Public Affairs Specialist Karen Knapik attended both the Salisbury City Council and Wicomico County Council sessions to inform the public on SBA assistance for victims of Hurricane Sandy.
"In times of disaster, we are tasked with being the federal government's source of long-term funding for communities," Knapik said. "In partnership with FEMA, when there is a disaster and it hasn't met FEMA's criteria, we have our own individual criteria to come to areas and help provide assistance. This one is Hurricane Sandy."
SBA is assisting seven counties in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia that have been affected by Hurricane Sandy. The counties are Accomack and North Hampton in Virginia, Sussex in Delaware and Somerset, Wicomico, Worcester and Dorchester in Maryland.
According to SBA, the administration offers low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private, non-profit organizations to repair and replace real estate, personal property, machinery and equipment, inventory and business assets that have been damaged or destroyed in a declared disaster.
Renters and homeowners are able to borrow up to $40,000 but homeowners can apply for up to $200,000. Renters and homeowners are able to receive low interest loans at the rate of 1.68 percent.
For businesses and non-profits the SBA makes physical disaster loans up to $2 million with low interest loan rates from 3 to 4 percent. All loans have a repayment period of up to 30 years.
Knapik added that all loans do not have to be taken right away but can be put on hold status for up to six months giving the applicant the time to cover other issues, such as what will be available through their insurance.
"The object is to help people get their lives back to the way it was before the disaster, and with Hurricane Sandy we understand that there are lots of different types of effects," she said.
Knapik pointed out when applying for assistance through FEMA applicants will also receive an application for SBA.
"What people need to realize is that if they do not complete that application they are preventing themselves for being eligible for additional monies that FEMA does not consider eligible for until they apply with us," she said.
Knapik also assured those affected by Hurricane Sandy to be wary of taking on another loan.
"What we want people to understand is that they need to just consider that to apply for our process doesn't cost you anything, it will just take a couple of minutes to fill out an application of about two pages, and there are no fees associated with our loans, there is no prepayment penalties," she said.
The deadline for Wicomico County to apply with SBA for disaster assistance is Feb. 12. Residents and business owners can begin the disaster application process with FEMA at www.disasterassistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA.
When there is a declared disaster, the SBA will have representatives at temporary centers in the disaster area. For center locations and hours of operation, visit www.sba.gov or call 1-800-659-2955.


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I think this speaks for itself.
The Fox News Factor
At a strategy meeting earlier this month, Delaware GOP Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell reportedly told party insiders skeptical about her campaign that she had Fox News' "Sean Hannity in my back pocket, and I can go on his show and raise money by attacking you guys." The fact that Fox News and its right-wing news personalities favor conservative candidates is not a secret to many people with a cable box, but amidst the current discussion over how big money is influencing this election cycle, Rupert Murdoch's highly rated "news" channel is rarely placed in the discussion. It should be: Fox News, part of the multi-billion dollar News Corporation, uses its $1.21 billion budget to provide a 24-hour propaganda and fundraising outlet for conservative candidates, many of whom confess the channel is their preferred method of "getting their voice out." The channel hosts or straight-out employs more conservative politicians than any other outlet, and provides a constant stream for their misinformation, which is often abetted by Fox News personalities, many of whom campaign for or advise GOP candidates off the air. The right-wing billionaires who are the financial backbone of the Tea Party movement have a partner in Fox News, which has been instrumental in propagating its message, even hosting live Tea Party rallies from outdoor Fox News studios. And in recent months, News Corp. has simply handed over millions of dollars to conservative campaign outfits like the Republican Governors Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
GETTING THEIR VOICE OUT: O'Donnell received instruction on how to use Fox News to her political advantage from the master: paid Fox News contributor Sarah Palin. "[O'Donnell] is gonna have to dismiss that, go with her gut, get out there, speak to the American people, speak through Fox News, and let the independents who are tuning into you, let them know what it is that she stands for, the principles behind her positions," Palin explained. Palin herself turned to Fox News during the 2008 campaign after embarrassing interviews with other mainstream outlets, and in the time since, retained Fox News personality Greta Van Susteren's husband as a political adviser. In fact, every major contender for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination that's not currently in office is on the Fox News payroll, with the exception of Mitt Romney, and all but one speak only on that network. According to Media Matters research, these potential candidates made a whopping 269 appearances on Fox News through the end of September. So far this year, none of the potential contenders on the Fox News payroll have appeared on any other television news outlet with the exception of Newt Gingrich. "We have tried to book many of them, but they have always refused, saying they are exclusive to Fox," one rival network staffer told Politico. This election cycle, numerous Republican congressional candidates have also chosen to "speak through Fox News." For example, Washington Senate candidate Dino Rossi has given at least five interviews to Fox News just in the past month, including having Fox News cameras on the campaign trail with him twice, while giving no interviews to any other national cable news outlet. During these interviews, Rossi has stood up to questioning that can generously described as "helpful" -- like this probing question from Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum: "That's a lot of pressure on you, Mr. Rossi. How [are] you holding up under that?" Or this one from Hannity: " So what story is it that you want to tell in this election that's going to make the difference and push you over the top?"
MISLEADING CONTENT: Fox News coverage of this election cycle is no more balanced than its guest list. The list of falsehoods and bogus story lines advanced by the network is too long to catalogue entirely, but just a few examples from recent weeks: Bill O'Reilly said Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) "may have come out of the closet" in support of "socialistic philosophy;" the hosts of Fox & Friends later wondered if a Pelosi speech struck a "socialist tone." Hannity also opined that House Democrats passed health care reform "with, basically, what I consider to be the moral equivalency of a bribe," and Neil Cavuto asked Republicans to promise "destroy" health care reform on the campaign trail. Even ostensible straight news reporters like Carl Cameron assert things like Obama's "liberal agenda caused" an "uproar" in Indiana. The Fox effect has a real impact on the nation's business, extending beyond elections to the passing of legislation.When Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was negotiating to join Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) in their attempt to craft an energy bill, the Republican warned Lieberman and Kerry that they needed to get as far as they could in negotiating the bill "before Fox News got wind of the fact that this was a serious process," one of the people involved in the negotiations said to The New Yorker's Ryan Lizza.
SHOWING THEM THE MONEY: When conservative politicians appear on Fox News, they don't just get softball questions -- they also get money. During his frequent appearances, Rossi was sure to note several times that viewers could visit his website, and that he "needed the help." Nevada Senate candidate Sharron Angle, another politician who gives interviews almost exclusively to Fox News, explained that she doesn't do interviews with other mainstream outlets because "Well, in that audience, will they let me say I need $25 dollars from a million people go to SharronAngle.com send money?" But on Fox News, when she made a fundraising pitch on Hannity's show, she made $40,000 "before we even got out of the studio in New York." Fox News has provided tremendous helps towards organizing and fundraising for the Tea Party movement as well -- Sean Hannity, Greta Van Susteren, and other Fox News personalities actually hosted the first tax day Tea Party rallies, in 2009, and just this week have been relentlessly promoting the Tea Party Express campaign bus.When candidates aren't raising money on Fox airwaves, the parent company is often just forking it over to conservative causes: News Corp. has given repeated donations to the Republican Governors Association and has also given $1 million to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is running an aggressive ad campaign against Democratic candidates. There's a benefit for Fox News in this too -- it made $534.8 million in pure profit last year. The Fox News political and money machine is hard to even categorize. Few reasonable people would call it a journalistic outfit. As Center for American Progress senior fellow Eric Alterman wrote, "Fox is something new -- something for which we do not yet have a word. It provides almost no actual journalism. Instead it gives ideological guidance to the Republican Party and millions of its supporters, attacking its opponents and keeping its supporters in line. And it does so at a hefty profit, thereby turning itself into the political equivalent of a perpetual motion machine."


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Stanford University student from Maine named Rhodes Scholar
BRUNSWICK, Maine (AP) � A young woman from Maine is one of 32 American college students selected for a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship.
Margaret Hayden of Brunswick is included in the newest group of Rhodes Scholars announced Sunday to earn scholarships at Oxford University in England.
Hayden is a senior at Stanford University, where she majors in human biology and ethics in society. At Oxford, she plans to study medical anthropology.
The Rhodes Trust says Hayden has published two papers, served as a patient advocate and is passionate about the medical, sociological, political and moral contexts of mental illness.
She was one of 838 applicants from 302 college and universities. She will enter Oxford next October.


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Obligatory Pun on The Word Tired
We were listening to Mozart, going 42 miles an hour down I95. It didn't start that way. And even if it did, I wouldn't admit it. But 12 hours earlier, we really were doing 90 and listening to Kid Rock. And we had four tires, too.
Let me rewind. While I write newspaper columns each weekend, during the week, I am mild-mannered stand-up comedian Clark Kent. My current tour involves myself and fellow comic Josh Jacobs, and the current leg of it involves 10 states in one week. 11, if you count the state of confusion produced when you have to drive a car with less than four tires.
Our original plan called for two stops between Columbia, South Carolina and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. But Josh's grandparents live in Ft. Lauderdale. Let me make that clearer - free rooms and free food live in Ft. Lauderdale.
Just before 11:00 that morning, we packed our car and set out to Ft. Lauderdale, by way of the post office and the Food Lion. I, sans license, even did a little of the driving. I know, I'm a badass. Actually, I'm just a bad driver. 23 minutes into the trip, Josh took over. And why I don't have a license is another column for another time. (See week, next).
South Carolina was easy - we hurtled down I95 and set our sights on the Georgia border. Which we could practically see when our back right tire exploded. When I say exploded, I mean exploded. There were pieces everywhere - other tires stopped to leave flowers and candles.
40 minutes, three exits, and a car donut later, we arrived at the local Walmart. Walmarts are huge to anyone, but tremendous to a New Yorker. This Walmart would have taken up half of midtown. At one point Josh called me to see where I was.
"I don't know," I said, "I see an exercise bike, panties, and a sandwich. I think I'm on the Upper East Side. Wait - it's a ham sandwich. I think I'm in Mike Tyson's apartment."
The car people mockingly explained to us that we shouldn't have left the exploded tire on the side of the road, since it had a piece we needed for the new one. Josh drove to get the poor thing while I went shopping for a few necessities. We needed a wireless internet card, new sneakers, and a bottle of baby powder. The wireless card is obvious, the new sneakers are because my old shoes had gotten smelly, and the baby powder was to prevent the same fate from befalling the new ones.
After easily finding baby powder (Aisle 4,217) and having the guy in the computer department try to answer my questions by reading off the side of the box in my hands, I located a wall of sneakers with exactly four pairs in my size. The four weren't my style, since I prefer shoes that don't have paint chips missing. But I spotted a hidden fifth pair. Not only did it have Velcro, but it, like everything else in the store, was only $9. I loved how retro the shoes looked. And so did a kid who was walking by.
"Man, those are O!," he said.
"Old school?," I replied.
"No. Orthopedic."
Okay, so that part didn't happen - I just thought of it later. Your mind wanders when you're sitting outside a Walmart in Savannah for four hours waiting for the three minutes it takes them to fix your car. And that's what I did. Sat there. Wrote some. Ate some. Broke in my new orthopedic sneakers. And sat there. Josh was obviously not happy with the situation. And neither was I. Hell, with that situation, even that stupid roll-back-prices-Walmart-happy-face was getting a little pissed.
We were thrilled to be back on the road. A bit slower, but with our minds trained on getting to Ft. Lauderdale by midnight. It was about 5:30 when we left Walmart.
And then it happened again. Somewhere between Melbourne and Vero Beach, we started rumbling. A few exits later, we pulled over. The back left tire was done, too. Newly experienced at changing flats, it only took us 12 minutes to get back on the road. And then the decision that could have easily killed us - to set out to Ft. Lauderdale on three tires and a donut.
The thing about a donut is you can't do more than 40 on it. And the thing about Kid Rock is it's not good to listen to when you're already severely frustrated. So twelve hours after we left South Carolina, we found some classical music, put the damn car on cruise control, and I began writing this. We were still 100 miles outside of Ft. Lauderdale. We rolled in (rolled, not drove) at about 2:00 AM. We were fine - or as fine as anyone could be on the same day they spent four hours at a Savannah Walmart.
In other words, I may be a humor columnist, and Josh and I may be both be stand-up comedians. But god has a way better sense of humor than we do.


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There are a number of places in Santiago de Compostela where you can spend an evening in the most authentic Galician style: against a background of live music, you can take part in the ritual preparation of the typical local brew known as queimada. The aguardiente (a kind of brandy) is set alight in an earthenware bowl while a spell is recited to ward off evil spirits.
For a more detailed insight into the local cuisine, sign up for a guided tour of traditional shops (along typical streets such as Orfas and Caldeirería), where you'll be invited to taste the local produce and learn Atlantic recipes. Other things to do: a full-day outing from Santiago to discover the flavours of the Rías Baixas, or if you're visiting in June and July, you can attend the city's tapas competition.
It's easy to get chatting to people at the local market. You'll find fresh products such as octopus, which you can even ask to be cooked for you on the spot, or you can buy the local wine or the famous Santiago Tart to take home as gifts.
Have you found this information useful?


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CHARLOTTE, N.C. - NASCAR won't penalize Tony Stewart for scuffling with Joey Logano on pit road at California and saw nothing to indicate Logano or Denny Hamlin were trying to intentionally wreck each other as they raced for the win.
In addition, NASCAR officials have given no thought to policing blocking, which is what Logano did to Stewart on the final restart to trigger the post-race confrontation.
"There are no conversations internally inside of NASCAR to look at blocking as a violation or a penalty as some other forms of motorsports do," Sprint Cup Series director John Darby said Tuesday. "As good as the racing has been, as exciting as it's been, I don't know that we need to jump in the middle and screw it up."
Stewart parked his car near Logano's and angrily approached him after Sunday's race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana. There was some shoving, but crew members intervened before any punches landed. Logano threw a water bottle at Stewart.
Darby said the incident didn't escalate to a level where NASCAR had to take action.
"A few years ago we backed away from micromanaging drivers' emotions, you would hope in today's world that if somebody didn't win a race, they would be upset about it," Darby said. "I don't know that we've actually got a rule book that describes every push in the chest or kick in the shin. If two guys get into a helluva fight, we're going to have to react. But a couple of guys blowing off some steam and slapping at the air is not going to get anybody in a whole lot of trouble."
As for the last-lap crash between Logano and Hamlin, Darby said NASCAR viewed it as a racing incident.
The two former teammates have feuded since the closing laps of the season-opening Daytona 500 and it escalated after contact from Hamlin sent Logano spinning into the wall two races ago at Bristol. Logano angrily confronted Hamlin after the race before being pulled away by crew members.
The two moved their feud to Twitter for at least the second time this season and then came Sunday's race.
They were racing side-by-side on the last lap for the win when they banged into each other. Both cars spun and Hamlin's hit head-on into an inside wall not protected with energy-absorbing SAFER barriers.
He spent Sunday night in a Southern California hospital, where he was diagnosed with an L1 compression fracture in his lower back. He was back in North Carolina on Tuesday, scheduled to be evaluated later this week by Dr. Jerry Petty of Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine Associates.
"It was the last lap of the race, and the last time they were both going to see turns three and four. They were side-by-side. If somebody was of the mindset to retaliate, they probably would have been lined up nose-to-tail and somebody would have drove into the other car and spun him around," Darby said. "In this case, that is so far from the opposite, that it never even crossed anybody's mind that I'm aware of that paid attention to the race."
Meanwhile, NASCAR is still going over data from Hamlin's accident and will need to meet with officials from the University of Nebraska, home to the engineering school's Midwest Roadside Safety experts, and IndyCar before making any recommendations on whether a SAFER barrier should be installed where Hamlin hit.
When NASCAR first began installing SAFER barriers following the 2001 death of Dale Earnhardt, the priority was locations where cars frequently hit the wall. Officials at Nebraska also make recommendations not to install the barriers at certain points at a facility because of various issues, including the potential for a car to sling-shot back into traffic after impact.
Track officials usually follow the recommendations.
Tom Gideon, senior director of safety research and development at NASCAR, said where Hamlin hit was not an area that cars frequently make impact.
"Each point on the track we look at the application and you don't want to put (barriers) in places where the angle of impact may not be appropriate for a SAFER barrier," Gideon said. "We also look at the possibility of impact and the frequency of impact, and when you look at the frequency of impact, especially at oval tracks, it's reasonable to think they are going to be with outside walls."
NASCAR does not race at Auto Club Speedway again this season, but IndyCar's October finale is scheduled at the track.


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While the three-year investigation into the missing McStay family has yielded few clues, sheriff's detectives said Tuesday that evidence seems to indicate the foursome traveled into Mexico of their own free will.
Because the family is believed to be out of the country, the case has been transferred to the FBI as the lead investigative agency. The FBI has more international resources, as well as agents who specialize in missing persons cases that involve children.
The announcement Tuesday is the first time sheriff's investigators have revealed a strong consensus in the case.
The McStays — Joseph, wife Summer, and young sons Gianni and Joey Jr. — disappeared from their new Fallbrook home in February 2010, shocking their friends and family. Investigators had little to go on as they worked to determine if the family ran off or fell victim to foul play.
They haven't been heard from or seen since Feb. 4, 2010.
Mike McStay, Joseph McStay's brother, has agonized over the mystery ever since. He said Tuesday that while physical and circumstantial evidence seems to point to a trip to Mexico, no one has actually spotted them down there.
"They've never really been able to confirm anything. It's really just circumstantial evidence," he said.
The family apparently left in a hurry. Groceries were found abandoned on the kitchen counter, and their two dogs in the backyard.
The family's Isuzu Trooper was found parked in a lot in San Ysidro and towed days after their disappearance, with two car seats and a child's asthma medicine inside.
On the family's computer, investigators found Internet searches for passport requirements to bring children into Mexico.
A surveillance tape at the border four days after their disappearance seems to show a man, woman and two children crossing, but the video quality is poor.
The Sheriff's Department, with help from the FBI, ran down hundreds of tips that have come in over the years, with no success.
Sheriff's Lt. Glenn Giannantonio said he gathered all the investigators working the case about a month ago and asked for their best conclusions.
"We may never know for sure, but do we think it was them (in the video)? The answer is yes," Giannantonio said.
"There is nothing to show that they went other than voluntarily when they are seen crossing the border," he said. "They walk past three customs agents and make no attempt to get any help." Detectives found no other indications of a struggle or crime scene.
With that, they decided the FBI would be the most appropriate agency to follow up. Still, tips keep coming in. Sheriff's homicide Detective Troy DuGal, who has handled the case from the beginning, just got three or four new leads last week, including a possible sighting in New York. They will all be checked out, Giannantonio said.
Mike McStay, who lives in Orange County, has his own doubts about who is really seen crossing in that video.
He said he has sent his own team down to Mexico three times, scouring Baja down to Cabo San Lucas and over to Guerrero Negro. A lack of funds has prevented him from making more trips.
He said he welcomes the FBI's added resources and continued help from the Sheriff's Department.
A reward of up to $1,000 is being offered for information that leads to a resolution in the case. Tipsters can remain anonymous by contacting Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 or sdcrimestoppers.com.


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Hearing on coastal management initiative planned by Legislature
JUNEAU – The Judiciary committees of both the state House and Senate will conduct a joint hearing on a pending ballot proposition to reestablish a state coastal management program, Rep. Carl Gatto, R-Palmer, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said in a Jan. 23 briefing by House leaders.
The hearing is required by law, Gatto said. Statue statutes require the Legislature to conduct a hearing on a possible ballot proposition within 30 days of petitions for a citizen initiative being turned into the Lieutenant Governor.
No date has yet been set for the hearing but it will allow for public testimony, Gatto said.
The Alaska Sea Party, a group pushing the ballot proposition, turned in petitions with nearly 36,000 signatures on Jan. 17, the first day of the 2012 legislative session.
Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell must certify the initiative within 60 days of the petitions being turned in, a process to ensure that signatures are valid and that the petitions were gathered in different parts of the state as required by law.
Petition organizers appear to have surpassed the minimum total requirement of about 25,000 signatures, although those must still be validated, but House Minority Leader Beth Kerttula, D-Juneau, said there are concerns whether the organizers, led by municipal officials including Juneau Mayor Bruce Botelho, were able to meet another requirement, getting the required number of signatures in 30 out of the 60 state House districts.
In the same briefing Rep. Alan Austerman, R-Kodiak, said the House Majority has not yet taken a position on the ballot proposition, and will wait until the final decision on certification is made by the lieutenant governor. This will not prevent individual legislators from introducing bills to reestablish the program, said Austerman, the Majority Leader in the House.
Under state law the Legislature can pass a bill enacting a law substantially similar to that proposed in a pending ballot proposition, resulting in the removal of the proposition. If no law is enacted and the ballot proposition passes in the election it goes on the books as law.
The Legislature can amend a law enacted by a ballot proposition but it must generally wait two years, although there is a case where the Legislature made substantial changes in a state minimum wage law enacted by ballot proposition one year after it was passed by voters. A state court upheld the Legislature's action in that case.
Gov. Sean Parnell and major resource industries in the state like petroleum and mining firms are concerned about the ballot proposition because it would reenact the coastal zone management program, which "sunset," or ended, last June, in a form existing prior to major structural changes made by former Gov. Frank Murkowski.
The worry is that, reestablished in that form, the program would impose a complex new set of permit requirements on resource development projects that would be controlled, or at least heavily influenced, by coastal communities.
If the proposition goes to the ballot and is passed by voters, it may be difficult to change once on the books. Legislators are generally reluctant to make substantial changes in laws enacted by citizen votes, particularly if the public vote is substantially in favor.


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TOULOUSE, France (AP) — In a dramatic end to a 32-hour standoff, a masked French SWAT team slipped into an Islamic extremist's apartment Thursday, sparking a firefight that ended with the man being shot in the head as he jumped out the window, weapon in hand.
The suspect, 23-year-old Mohamed Merah, was wanted in the deaths of three French paratroopers, three Jewish schoolchildren and a rabbi — all killed since March 11 in what Merah reportedly told police was an attempt to "bring France to its knees."
Police had been trying to capture the suspect alive since a predawn raid on his apartment Wednesday in the southwestern city of Toulouse. The killings he was accused of — and boasted about to police — have shocked France, ignited fear in moderate Muslims about stoking discrimination and may even affect the country's upcoming presidential election.
The seven slayings, carried out in three motorcycle shooting attacks, are believed to be the first killings inspired by Islamic radical motives in France since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, speaking in Paris, said an investigation was under way to see if Merah, a French citizen of Algerian descent who claimed links to al-Qaida, had any accomplices. His mother and a brother were detained a day ago by police after the mother's computer became a critical link in tracking Merah down. The brother Abdelkader had already been linked to Iraqi Islamist networks.
Prosecutor Francois Molins said Merah burst out of his bathroom when police gingerly entered his apartment Thursday morning, wildly firing his gun about 30 times before jumping out an apartment window.
"(He)launches an assault, charging police through the apartment and firing at them with a Colt .45, continuing to advance, armed and firing, as he jumps from the balcony," Molins said.
Merah fired "until he was hit by a retaliatory shot from the RAID (elite police unit), which felled him with a bullet to the head," Molins said.
The prosecutor said police fired in self-defense after going in cautiously through the front door, using robot cameras to see if there were any boobytraps. Three members of the special squad were wounded Thursday, bringing the total of injured French officers throughout the standoff to five.
Merah, lying on the ground below his second-story apartment, was wearing a flak jacket and black djellabah robe. A Colt 45 — the type of weapon used in the three attacks — was at his side along with a sack, Molins said.
Authorities said Merah espoused a radical form of Islam and had been to Afghanistan and the Pakistani militant stronghold of Waziristan, where he claimed to have received training from al-Qaida. He also had a long record of petty crimes in France for which he served time in prison.
Elite police squads had set off sporadic blasts throughout the night and into the morning — some blew off the apartment's shutters — to pressure Merah to give up. A new set of detonations, known as flash bangs, resounded at 10:30 a.m. (0930 GMT), portending an end to the standoff. Volleys of gunfire were heard an hour later.
Interior Minister Claude Gueant said police "went in by the door, taking off the door first. They also came in by the windows."
He said police used special video equipment to search the second-floor apartment but could not find him until the instruments surveyed the bathroom.
"The killer came out" firing "with extreme violence," Gueant told reporters. Police "tried to protect themselves and fired back."
Merah had made "extremely explicit films" of all three deadly attacks, video since viewed by police, and claimed to have posted them online, the prosecutor said.
In the film of the March 11 attack that killed a paratrooper, the prosecutor said the gunman is heard saying: "You kill my brothers — I kill you."
In his film of the second attack, on March 15 that killed two paratroopers and wounded a third in nearby Montauban, Merah cried out "Allahu Akbar!" or "God is great" in Arabic, the prosecutor said.
Authorities spoke little about the video of Merah slaying a rabbi and three children at a Jewish school in Toulouse. A witness to other video of that rampage, from the school, had described him shooting young children in the head.
Merah told negotiators he killed to avenge the deaths of Palestinian children and to protest the French army's involvement in Afghanistan. He was also upset over a French government ban last year on face-covering Islamic veils.
Molins said Merah told investigators where to find the bag with the videos of the slayings, caught by a camera that had been strapped to his chest and given to someone else to keep.
After the standoff ended, Sarkozy announced tough new measures to combat terrorism. He said anyone who regularly visits "websites which support terrorism or call for hate or violence will be punished by the law." He also promised a crackdown on anyone who goes abroad "for the purposes of indoctrination in terrorist ideology."
The French president also appealed to citizens not to confuse violence with France's estimated 5 million Muslims.
"Our Muslim compatriots had nothing to do with the crazy motive of a terrorist," Sarkozy said, noting that Muslim paratroopers were among those killed by the radical.
In Toulouse, the state prosecutor said off-and-on negotiations Wednesday with the suspect — all recorded by authorities — broke down again at night. Merah, after initially saying he would surrender, later said he would resist, and that it would be either them or him.
"If it's me, who cares? I'll go to paradise," the prosecutor quoted Merah as saying.
Merah was tracked down by more than 200 special investigators after the Monday attack on a Jewish school in northern Toulouse.
The prosecutor said two major breaks in the case led them to Merah: his mother's computer, which was used by Merah to respond to an online ad by a paratrooper trying to sell his scooter. The soldier became Merah's first victim. Authorities also found a Yamaha motorcycle shop where Merah suspiciously sought information about how to deactivate a GPS tracker.
Molins said Merah had plans to kill another soldier, which prompted the first police raid at around 3 a.m. Wednesday. After that erupted into a firefight, wounding two police, the standoff dragged on and on, with sporadic negotiations.
French standoff ends with suspect shot in the head
TOULOUSE, France (AP) — In a dramatic end to a 32-hour standoff, a masked French SWAT team slipped into an Islamic extremist's apartment Thursday, sparking a firefight that ended with the man being shot in the head as he jumped out the window, weapon in hand.


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Price History
Ranking - Photo-Video (iPhone)
ZeeweTV - Top Internet Television
[ This app is no longer available for download ]
Zeewe is a full-featured YouTube client that helps you keep up with the videos your friends are watching.
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• Take it to the big screen: AirPlay support lets you watch your favorite videos on your huge TV set.
Zeewe: Your New YouTube Experience


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Corey Hawkins scored 21 points and Ryan Sypkens became UC Davis' career and single-season 3-point leader as the Aggies defeated Hawaii 89-65 Thursday night.
Sypkens entered the game tied for both marks and hit 5 of 7 3-pointers, finishing with 17 points for UC Davis (10-13, 6-6 Big West). The junior guard now has 88 3-pointers this season (breaking Fowzi Abdelsamad's record set during in 2004-05) and 202 for his career (a mark also held by Abdelsamad).
Paolo Mancasola and Tyler Les scored 11 points each and J.T. Adenrele had 10 for the Aggies, who were 11 for 19 on 3-point attempts and outrebounded the Warriors 38-29.
Hawaii (15-10, 9-5), which had its five-game winning streak snapped, got 17 points from Hauns Brereton, 12 from Brandon Spearman and 10 from Ozren Pavlovic.


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This option should
be used if you have received an email or letter from the school which clearly provides both a registration number and password.
If you have not received an email or letter for registering on this portal please contact the school.
If the information you type below is correct the next page will ask you for your email address and allow you to specify a password.
Registration Number:
Enter the Registration Number that is specified in the Wycliffe Parent Portal email or letter.
Registration Password:
Enter the Registration Password that is specified in the Wycliffe Parent Portal email or letter.
* The fields in red are required.


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Last couple of months I was having a tough time getting the plugins in my wordpress to work with the ping.fm service. This is the only service that I rely on to post my blogs. So, basically I was left with no mechanism to publish my new posts 🙁
Now thanks to this post I am able to use the plugin again and thus update my status at multiple places again.
Related articles
- Google Is Bullying Associated Content Again (stephencrose.wordpress.com)
- WordPress Ping List – Updated (journalxtra.com)
- Pinging 101: The Importance of Pinging Your Blog (couchcontent.com)
Link to this post!


text:
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[We have the following announcement courtesy of H-US 1918-45:]
The Dirksen Congressional Center invites applications for grants to fund research on congressional leadership and the U.S. Congress. A total of up to $35,000 will be available in 2010. Awards range from a few hundred dollars to $3,500.
The competition is open to individuals with a serious interest in studying Congress. Political scientists, historians, biographers, scholars of public administration or American studies, and journalists are among those eligible. The Center encourages graduate students who have successfully defended their dissertation prospectus to apply and awards a significant portion of the funds for dissertation research. Applicants must be U.S. citizens who reside in the United States.
The awards program does not fund undergraduate or pre-Ph.D. study. Organizations are not eligible. Research teams of two or more individuals are eligible. No institutional overhead or indirect costs may be claimed against a Congressional Research Award.
There is no standard application form. Applicants are responsible for showing the relationship between their work and the awards program guidelines. Applications are accepted at any time. Applications which exceed the page limit and incomplete applications will NOT be forwarded to the screening committee for consideration.
All application materials must be received on or before February 1, 2010. Awards will be announced in March 2010.
More information.


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A KINGDOM FAR AWAY (part 3)
"Why don't you come back this evening around 7 and we can go out and see if we can fool a few fish. Tell your folks that I will bring you home after we get done fishing but it may be after dark."
I was at Joe's place at least a half hour early just to make certain that he didn't leave without me. Joe was waiting on the porch when I walked up.


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Welcome to GeogSpace, an initiative of the Australian Geography Teachers Association (AGTA) supported by the resources of Education Services Australia (ESA).
There has never been a more exciting time to study geography, with it being a subject vital to the education of every young Australian in the 21st century. GeogSpace has been designed to provide materials to support primary and secondary teachers in implementing the Australian Curriculum: Geography. It has been developed by AGTA's team of practising geography teachers, dedicated to ensuring all schools across Australia have access to a unique resource that reflects best practice using current technology and pedagogies.
GeogSpace offers quality primary and secondary geography resource materials for all teachers of geography, including those that are very experienced and those just commencing their involvement. The materials will support teachers to develop their knowledge, skills and pedagogical capacity to teach geography of the highest quality.
GeogSpace comprises two major resource sections, Core units and Support units.
Core units comprise illustrations of practice for stages of schooling described in the Australian Curriculum: Geography. The illustrations are provided for:
The illustrations are designed to provide classroom-ready ideas and resources that reflect the dynamism of this exciting learning area. Each illustration is linked to the Australian Curriculum: Geography and provides opportunities for students to actively engage in learning, whether it be through undertaking class research, practical activities, field investigations or through taking local action.
Core units have three sections for each of the stages of schooling:
Support units provide illustrations of practice designed to support teachers' professional learning and provide guidance, information and resources in eight areas of geographical education:
It is anticipated GeogSpace will continue to grow and become even more interactive and comprehensive as it reflects the dynamism of geographical education in the 21st century.
AGTA welcomes feedback about the GeogSpace site and resources, and wishes all users every success in their teaching of geography in Australian classrooms.
This project is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.


text:
Services on Demand
Related links
- Cited by Google
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Journal of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering
On-line version ISSN 2309-8775
Print version ISSN 1021-2019
J. S. Afr. Inst. Civ. Eng. vol.54 n.2 Midrand Jan. 2012
The importance of plane end-bearing surfaces when measuring the strengths of concrete core specimens
T Bugai; D Kruger; R G D Rankine
The importance of plane end-bearing surfaces in the preparation of concrete core specimens for compressive strength testing is demonstrated by means of physical tests.
Keywords: compressive strength, concrete cores, plane end-bearing surfaces
Incorrect measurement of the in situ strength of concrete by crushing extracted cores has serious economic and legal implications. Recent experience has shown an alarming spread of results when cores from a single structure were capped and tested by different laboratories using different procedures. In South Africa, the procedure for preparing and strength-testing cores is defined by SANS 5865 Concrete Tests - The drilling, preparation, and testing for compressive strength of cores taken from hardened concrete. This standard provides for two methods of preparing the load-bearing ends of the core specimens, namely the use of hot sulphur mortar and High Alumina Cement (HAC) mortar.
The SANS 5865 method of preparation using sulphur mortar entails mixing equal parts of molten sulphur (at a temperature of approximately 240°C) and sand with 2% - 3% carbon black. This molten mixture is then cast onto both ends of the core specimen using a collar (often a piston ring compressor) and a precision-made rigid metal plate that is plane to within 0.5 mm/m with a slightly bevelled rim to create the required plane surface.
The SANS 5865 method of preparation of end caps with HAC mortar is essentially the same, but a sheet of flat glass (of thickness at least 6 mm) is used (instead of metal) to form plane-bearing surfaces, since it does not need to withstand high temperatures.
A number of laboratories have elected to cap core specimens with the HAC mortar instead of hot sulphur for stated health and safety reasons - including risks of burns, fire and inhalation of sulphur fumes. Observations of HAC mortar-capped specimens confirmed that the end-bearing surfaces were often out-of-plane (lumpy), evidenced by rocking when placed on a plane surface and/or forming gaps between the cast ends and a plane surface when tested with a feeler gauge. Specimens with convex end-bearing surfaces often split in half vertically during testing - analogous to a cylinder splitting test. Further investigation by Bugai confirmed that a reason for the departure from planeness was due to the fact that laboratory workers trowel the end surfaces instead of casting them against flat glass plates. Figure 1 shows typical "footprints" of cores capped with and without plane casting surfaces. Caps formed with a steel trowel tend to make contact against a flat bearing surface (such as a precision-ground steel plate or a plate of float glass) at only three contact points. Two graphical techniques were found suitable to illustrate points of contact - transfer onto a plane surface using fingerprint paint, and transfer onto a plane surface using carbon paper and pressure. (Use of "engineers' marking blue" proved too viscous and rapid drying.) The sulphur-capped specimen (Figure 1a) exhibits even distribution of colour, confirming a large area of contact. The steel-trowelled HAC mortar surface (Figure 1b) exhibits three pinpoints of contact (ringed to highlight their positions).
A simple experiment was conceived to explore the effect of these different casting techniques on measured compressive strength. In the first series of tests, a single homogeneous batch of concrete was cast. A slab of concrete (from which cores were later drilled and extracted) and a set of test cubes were cast using this concrete. As far as possible, variables that could influence the measured strength of these items were controlled (including compaction, wet curing conditions, temperature, etc). Twenty cores were drilled and extracted from the slab and sent to two different commercial laboratories (ten cores went to each laboratory). One set of cores was capped with sulphur mortar in accordance with the SANS 5865 standard and the other set was capped with HAC mortar using a steel trowel to form the end-bearing surface. All cubes and core specimens were crushed in accordance with SANS 5863 and SANS 5865 respectively at the same age (28 days). The results are presented in Table 1. The HAC mortar-capped specimens were significantly weaker than the average cube strength (by 46.5%)
A second series of tests was then conceived to test the hypothesis that the low strengths of the HAC mortar-capped specimens were a consequence of their "lumpy" end-bearing surfaces. A single homogeneous batch of the same concrete mix was cast into a slab and used to make test cubes. Cores were drilled and extracted as before and divided between the same two laboratories. This time, the HAC mortar-capped specimens were prepared strictly in accordance with the method described by SANS 5865. The results are presented in Table 1. This time there was no significant difference in strength between the HAC mortar-capped cores and their sulphur-capped counterparts.
One observation worth noting was the difficulty encountered when releasing the HAC mortar from the float glass. Despite the application of a generous quantity of release agent, the HAC mortar bonded very tightly to the glass. This observation might explain why laboratory workers have ignored the SANS 5865 requirement to cast HAC mortar against plane glass surfaces.
This investigation illustrates the need for proper preparation of core specimens to obtain accurate compressive strength results. The planeness of end-bearing caps has a significant influence on the measured compressive strength of concrete core specimens. The choice of capping material (sulphur mortar or HAC mortar) does not appear to have a significant effect on the results, as long as a standard procedure is followed to ensure that the end-bearing surfaces are plane. At least one commercial laboratory has changed its procedures as a result of this research initiative. Should low strengths result from core testing, it would be worth questioning the method of preparation and adherence to testing procedures. It is also prudent to specify that under-strength core carcasses (tested core specimens) should not be discarded, as these often provide clues as to whether proper procedures have been followed.
SANS 5865: 2006. Concrete tests - The drilling, preparation, and testing for compressive strength of cores taken from hardened concrete. Pretoria: South African Bureau of Standards. [ Links ]
Contact details:
Powercall Investments
PO Box 93C
Highlands North
South Africa
E: email@example.com
Contact details:
Department of Civil Engineering Science
University of Johannesburg PO Box 524
Auckland Park 2006
South Africa
E: email@example.com
Contact details:
Rod Rankine Engineering Solutions cc
PO Box 506
Ferndale 2160
E: firstname.lastname@example.com
TAL BUGAI is a graduate civil engineer from the University of Johannesburg. He is currently working for Powercall Investments, a property development company specialising in residential property development. This technical note is the fruit of Tal's undergraduate research project in partial fulfilment of the 'eguirements ofthe B.lng Engineering degree, for which he was awarded a distinction.
DEON KRUGER, who is a Fellow ofthe South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE), is a registered professional engineer and academic specialising in the field of construction materials, with special emphasis on concrete repair and rehabilitation. He is a senior lecturer in the Department of Civi Engineering Science at the University of Johannesburg. His research interests include the use of polymer modified concrete repair materials and the use of electronic non-destructive testing techniques in forensic investigations into concrete failures. He is a member of the Concrete Society of Southern Africa, the International Concrete Repair nstitute and the Institute for Concrete Technology
DR RODERICK RANKINE, who is a member ofthe South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE), is a registered professional engineer and concrete technologist specialising in the field of construction materials. His company, Rod Rankine Engineering Solutions cc conducts forensic investigations into failures, develops construction specifications and solutions to construction problems, and provides training to personnel who will be responsible for executing important work. Rod holds PhD and MSc degrees in Engineering, and a BSc Building degree, all from the University of the Witwatersrand. He also holds an Advanced Concrete Technology diploma.


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52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Week 9 Friday - Final
Suggested by Amy Coffin at WeTree and hosted by Genabloggers
Here we go, for Friday, the last day of an interesting week's project!
Gen Journey
Sarah Cummings the Genealogist (Feb 22 )
A January 1880 letter with family history questions provides the basis for a good blog post!
Finding Josephine
Who Do I Think I Am? (Mar 5)
A wonderful story about "An unlikely Daughter of the Confederacy." How lucky I have been to be following this blog this week! THANK YOU! ;-)
Reconnected Roots
First Post (2/14) - no new posts, yet.
Such familiar comments - welcome aboard! ;-)
Southwest Arkie
"Keep This" ~ Family Treasures, Sold a Auction (Mar 5)
Just read it! Very nicely done. My Mom wrote "Keep This" on newspaper clippings... I'm still finding them, ten years later, going through different boxes of her stuff! ;-)
Clue Wagon
This Might Actually be Better Than Ice Cream (Mar 5)
Nice promo for WDYTYA!
Families are Forever! ;-)


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iTunes Gift Code Generator DOWNLOAD UPDATE: March 2013 This is the easiest way to get free iTunes gift codes… With this codes you can download music from iTunes for FREE! ———- HOW IT WORKS ———- 1) Download Gift Code Generator 2) Select your country and gift amount 3) Press "Generate" 4) Take your generated code 5) Download music from iTunes for FREE 6) Have fun 🙂 Scanned with Avast and AVG antiviruses, no virus found (clear) If you need some help about this just PM me and i will help you!
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iTunes Gift Code Generator [February 2013]
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