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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration says it has approved a new form of a best-selling breast cancer drug that targets tumor cells while sparing healthy ones.
The drug Kadcyla (kad-SY'-luh) from Roche combines the established drug Herceptin with a powerful chemotherapy and a third chemical linking the medicines together. The chemical keeps the drugs intact until they bind to a cancer cell, where the double-shot of medication is released.
The FDA approved the drug for about 20 percent of breast cancer patients who have a particular form of the disease. These patients have tumors that overproduce the protein HER-2.
The approval will help Roche build on the success of Herceptin, which has long dominated the breast cancer marketplace. The drug had sales of $6 billion last year.


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Albany County, NYHome Menu
Our primary mission is to study the planning, economic development, and conservation needs of Albany County; to formulate and/or carry out plans and recommendations which promote sound and coordinated planning of the entire County; to advise the County Executive, County Legislature, and County Planning Board in such matters.
We provide support for the Planning Board and, as such, provide information and technical expertise to assist with their review of land use, zoning, and subdivision applications.
The department is headed by a Director who is appointed by the County Executive and confirmed by the Legislature.
The department's programs are organized in the following areas (click title for additional information):
Please Note: Planning and Land Use is now managed by the Albany County Department of Public Works (DPW).
Please Note: Economic Development is now managed by the Albany County Executive's Office.
Albany County Economic Development, Conservation and Planning
112 State Street, Room 1310
Albany, NY 12207
Phone: (518) 447-5670
Fax: (518) 447- 5662
Natural Resource Conservation and Agricultural & Farmland Protection
Contact: Laura DeGaetano
Phone: (518) 447-5670
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Economic Development
Contact: County Executive's Office
Phone: (518) 447-7040
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Planning and Land Use
Contact: Laura Travison
Phone: (518) 655-7932
Email: email@example.com
Geodatabases of Vector 2-ft Contours for Albany County
2-ft contours for Albany County derived from 2008 LIDAR data are now available for download on the New York State GIS Clearinghouse website.

subset: commoncrawl


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Learn Unity 4 for iOS Game Development (Technology in Action)
Hardcover$5 per week
Book Description
Unity is an incredibly powerful and popular game creation tool, and Unity 4 brings even more great features, including Mechanim animation. Learn Unity 4 for iOS Game Development will show you how to use Unity with Xcode to create fun, imaginative 3D games for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. You'll learn how to optimize your game for both speed and quality, how to test and profile your game, and how to get the most out of your iOS device features, including the gyroscope and accelerometer.
You'll also learn how to incorporate the latest Game Center improvements in iOS 6 into your game, how to make sure your game gets into the App Store, and even how to promote your app and track revenue.
If you have a great 3D game idea, and you want to make it a reality in the App Store, then Learn Unity 4 for iOS Game Development has exactly what you need.
What you'll learn<li> How to build, debug and test a Unity iOS game
<li> How to include iAds
<li> How to integrate Game Center leaderboards and achievements
<li> How to process touch, accelerometer and gyroscope input
<li> How to profile and optimize performance
<li> How to promote your app and track its revenue
Who this book is for
iOS developers interested in using Unity and Unity developers who want to customize their games for iOS devices.
Table of ContentsChapter 1: Getting Started
Chapter 2: A Unity Tour
Chapter 3: Making a Scene
Chapter 4: Making it Move: Scripting the Cube
Chapter 5: Let's Dance! Animation and Sound
Chapter 6: Let's Roll! Physics and Controls
Chapter 7: Let's Bowl! Advanced Physics
Chapter 8: Let's Play! Scripting the Game
Chapter 9: The Game GUI
Chapter 10: Using Unity iOS
Chapter 11: Building for Real: Device testing and App Submission
Chapter 12: Presentation: Screens and Icons
Chapter 13: Handling Device Input
Chapter 14: Game Center
Chapter 15: iAds
Chapter 16: Optimization
Chapter 17: Where Do We Go from Here?
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text: I see you looking over there on the right.. No, it's not the same poll as last week! This is Horde, baby! Lets hear what you think about the Horde races this week. Pick your favorite and then leave a nice comment here about the why and wheretofore of your choice. Have fun!


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Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II Premium Kit#9167B022
Capture your image with DSLR-like performance and PowerShot portability. Kit Includes: case and viewfinder accessory
- With its large sensor and fast f/2 zoom lens, the PowerShot G1 X Mark II delivers DSLR-like performance and versatility from the body of a compact camera
- Protect your Canon PowerShot camera with a soft leather camera case when you are out and about.
- A responsive, high resolution electronic viewfinder for comfortable framing. Pivots up to 90 degrees for traditional SLR-like handling or waist-level shooting.
Min. 2 year guarantee included
Extensive range of genuine Canon products
Eligible for free delivery


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Super Smash Land, the PC 'demake' of the beloved Super Smash Bros. series is here in full, free of charge and looking faithfully Game Boy-esque.
Last December, we showed the game's demo release. Now, the complete version of the game is live and, as the statement on the site guarantees, it will always be free. So go check it out!
Download Free! [Super Smash Land via Piki Geek]


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Alberta is a beautiful province with three regions: open skies and fields in the south east, stunning mountains in the west, and rugged forests & lakes in the north. The great airports at Calgary and Edmonton are a handy gateway ot all this, and there's no provincial sales tax to make the shopping more fun!
Here is the route of the Trans-Canada Highway from east to west:
You enter Alberta on the Trans-Canada highway from Saskatchewan. The first 300 kilometres runs through grasslands (just north of the Cypress Hills parklands), and passes through the city of Medicine Hat. On the south side you can see the famous Brooks Aqueduct, built in the early 1900s, the largest concrete structure in the world at that time, and on then north side is Dinosaur Provincial Park and the city of Drumheller, home of the world-renowned Royal Tyrell Museum.
Then you arrive in Calgary, a booming city of 1,200,000 with a very pretty downtown with lots of glass and mirrors along the Bow River. The stretch of the highway through Calgary actually has stoplights. As you leave the city, you pass Canada Olympic Park, with its ski jumps and bobsled runs.
Banff National Park is a major vacation destination, and many visitors take an extra day or two to drive north up the Icefields Parkway into Jasper National Park.
This road takes you beside the Athabaska Glacier, where you can walk to the glacier's toe, and also take a Columbia Icefield trip in a bus equipped with huge icegoing tires.
Another great side trip from Banff is the drive south into British Columbia and Kootenay National Park. Take Route 93 to drive through the beautiful Kootenay River Valley. This road ends at Radium Hotsprings, in the Columbia Valley. Just east of the BC border on the Trans-Canada is the stunning resort community of Lake Louise.
While the Rockies are the main attraction in Alberta, there are lots of other things to see and do. These include sampling the multicultural lifestyles of Calgary and Edmonton. There are also several scenic side roads.
A few miles west of Calgary, Route 22 leads you south through Cowboy Country, past historic ranches and Indian buffalo jumps. A little further west, Route 40 heads south at the edge of the Rockies, through Kananaskis Country and Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. Route 22 heads north from the Trans-Canada at Cochrane, past many scenic campgrounds in the Rocky Mountain Forest Reserve.
Alberta Road Map Itineraries along the Trans-Canada:
Here is the route of the Yellowhead Highway (#16) from east to west:
The Yellowhead Highway enters the province of Alberta at Lloydminster (noted not only for its oil industry, but as the only city in Saskatchewan that is taxed as if in the province of Alberta). The highway meanders through the gentle and lush farm lands of eastern Alberta. About 150 kilometres from the border, you pass through Vegreville, the heart of the Ukranian community in Alberta. You then pass through Elk Island National Park, with a herd of wood bison before arriving in Edmonton.
Edmonton is the gateway to the North, and has been for many years. First during the Klondike Gold Rush, then during the bush plane era, and then as the start of the Alaska highway. Edmonton's 1,300,000 residents (2017) are in the middle of the bulk of Alberta's oil & gas fields.
From Edmonton, the Yellowhead heads west and you pass the vast coal fields and neighbouring power plant at Wabamun. From that point, the highway movies through undulating farmland and bush country, before entering the Rocky mountains at Jasper. The Jasper area is unique in the Rockies for its wide glacier-swept valleys, and a number of hotsprings and disappearing rivers (they actually are underground). You cross into Bridith Columbia over the Yellowhead Pass, the lowest pass over the Continental Divide.
During the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898, many prospectors used Edmonton as their jumping-off point on a land route to the Yukon. It later became the main airstrip for bush planes and flat planes taking supplies and people into the arctic. During the Second World War, it became the starting point of the rushed-to-completion Alaskan Highway.
Our Pick of Useful Links:
Known Speedtraps in this province Large Roadside Attractions Trans-Canada Trail Gas Prices
Use mouse to drag/move map. Click on "+" or "-" to zoom in or out. "Satellite" combines map & photo.
Here are some featured Alberta cities & towns along or near the Trans Canada Highway:
AB: Calgary is a vibrant city of 1,200,000, located within breathtaking sight of the Rockies, Calgary is the head office city for Canada^s \oil patch\, and home to the Famous Calgary Stampede, held every July.
More info...
AB: Lake Chestermere^s lake is fed by an irrigation canal from the Bow River, from the weir just below the Calgary Zoo. The lake is popular for sailing, windsurfing, water skiing, and fishing.
More info...
AB: Drumheller is located 138 km northeast of Calgary, and is the gateway to the badlands of the Red Deer River Valley, and is home to the Royal Tyrell Museum
More info...
AB: Edmonton has over 1,100,000 people and is the province^s center for oil and gas production and is the seat of Alberta^s government
More info...
Here are some featured itineraries of Alberta segments of the Trans Canada Highway:
AB: Here is the itinerary for the 284 km along Highway #1 between Calgary and Medicine Hat: via Lake Chestermere, Strathmore, Gleichen and Brooks
More info...
AB: Here is the itinerary for the 180 km along Highway #1 between Lake Louise and Calgary, via Banff and Canmore:
More info...
If your local area business is not already here or in the FoundLocally.com directory (try the SEARCH box at the top), and you would like to be featured (randomly), add yourself to the Free Listings!
Be found on FoundLocally.com AND TransCanadaHighway
Add Free Listing


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After falling behind early in the match, the Bisons showed tremendous heart and fought back to take home the victory.
"The guys showed a ton of resolve after losing the doubles point in dramatic fashion," men's assistant coach Mike Sherman said. "They absolutely played their tails off the entire match and showed what it's like to be relentless our there. This win is a definite confidence builder for the rest of the conference season."
At No. 1, freshman Oliver Strecker and senior Joe McArdle stomped Mercer's Peter Tauchner and Evandro Rosindo 8-0.
Sophomore Colby Shaw and freshman Miguel Cortez fell at No. 2 to Pierre Tafelski and David Barton in a tiebreaker, falling 9-8 (1). At No. 3, sophomore Tanner Brown and freshman David Salazar were defeated 8-6 by Guilherme Frias and Fernando Armendaris.
With a 1-0 deficit, the Bisons headed into singles play.
At No. 2, junior Chad Pierron fell to Tauchner 6-4, 6-3 to deepened the Bisons hole to a 2-0 deficit before Strecker posted a solid win at No. 1 over Tafelski 6-3, 6-3 to put the Bisons on the board 2-1.
Brown tied the score up at 2-2 with a three set win at No. 4, defeating Rosindo 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(3).
The Bisons fell behind once again with a loss at No. 6. Shaw was defeated by Barton 6-3, 6-3 to give Mercer a 3-2 lead over the Bisons.
Cortez tied the score once again at 3-3 with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Frias.
The even match boiled down to Salazar in a third set tiebreaker. After suffering through full body cramps throughout the match, Salazar posted a three set win over Armendaris 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 at No. 3.
While Salazar collapsed to the court following the match and received medical treatment for his cramps the Bisons joined their teammate on court to congratulate the freshman on his crucial win and celebrate their first conference win of the season.
The Bisons will hit the courts again on Saturday to face A-Sun foe Kennesaw State at Richland Country Club at 6 p.m. Results:
Oliver Strecker/ Joe McArdle (LU) def. Peter Tauchner/ Evandro Rosindo (MU) 8-0
Pierre Tafelski/ David Barton (MU) def. Colby Shaw/ Miguel Cortez (LU) 9-8(1)
Guilherme Frias/ Fernando Armendaris (MU) def. Tanner Brown/ David Salazar (LU) 8-6
Oliver Strecker (LU) def. Pierre Tafelski (MU) 6-3, 6-3
Peter Tauchner (MU) def. Chad Pierron (LU) 6-4, 6-3
David Salazar (LU) def. Fernando Armendaris (MU) 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(3)
Tanner Brown (LU) def. Evandro Rosindo (MU) 6-4, 3-6, 7-5
Miguel Cortez (LU) def. Guilherme Frias (MU) 6-1, 7-5
David Barton (MU) def. Colby Shaw 6-3, 6-3
Written by Ashlan Williams, student assistant in the athletics media relations department.


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Saxophonist and singer Reggie Houston moved to Portland recently, leaving the rich music scene in New Orleans where had been a fixture for decades. He led Charmaine Neville's band and playing with greats such as Fats Domino. In Portland he leads two bands, one R&B and one jazz. He's also teaching and also coming out with his own line of praline cookies.
First Broadcast: 2005
Producer: Tom D'Antoni


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For information on property A10156372 contact us right away, properties are often times removed because they are no longer available, but this is not always the case.
To get the latest information about MLS ID: A10156372, inquire below for the full status update or for listings very similar to it.
Geane Brito , International Real Estate Sales & Leasing
Compass Real Estate
605 Lincoln Rd, 7th Floor
Miami Beach, FL 33139


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"A profound, intricately stratified novel full of life, love lost and love enduring." — The Globe and Mail
"Swift is surely one of England's finest living novelists…. The tale he tells is as affecting as it is convincing…. Quietly, but with conviction, he seeks to reaffirm the values of decency, loyalty, love." — The New York Review of Books


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Double Drive Failure Debunked: XIV Two Years Later
Comments (3) Visits (64820)
"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth will be a revolutionary act."
Well, it has been over two years since I first covered IBM's acquisition of the XIV company. Amazingly, I still see a lot of misperceptions out in the blogosphere, especially those regarding double drive failures for the XIV storage system. Despite various attempts to [explain XIV resiliency] and to [dispel the rumors], there are still competitors making stuff up, putting fear, uncertainty and doubt into the minds of prospective XIV clients.
Clients love the IBM XIV storage system! In this economy, companies are not stupid. Before buying any enterprise-class disk system, they ask the tough questions, run evaluation tests, and all the other due diligence often referred to as "kicking the tires". Here is what some IBM clients have said about their XIV systems:
In this blog post, I hope to set the record straight. It is not my intent to embarrass anyone in particular, so instead will focus on a fact-based approach.
For more about IBM XIV reliability, read this whitepaper [IBM XIV© Storage System: Reliability Reinvented]. To find out why so many clients LOVE their XIV, contact your local IBM storage sales rep or IBM Business Partner.
technorati tags: IBM, XIV, DDF, RAID-5, RAID-10, RAID-X, RAID-6, RAID-DP, HP, EVA, HDS, USP-V, EMC, CLARiiON, V-Max, Disaster Recovery, HGST, UltraStar, A7K1000


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ESSAY- C'ville groper: He should work for the TSA
Did you hear about the C'ville Groper? If you've been keeping up with the local news in the past few weeks, you've heard about this guy who attacks young women around UVA. He accosts them and puts his hand up their skirt and gropes their genitals.
Not the kind of experience you want to arrange when you send your daughter off to college. You don't want someone you love to experience hands-on groping any more than you want her to be a victim of the virtual groping that results from "upskirting" or "downshirting." That's when some jackass sneaks a photograph as a woman goes up or down a staircase, and he then posts the photo on the Internet.
We want to keep our kids safe. We remind them not to walk around alone at night, stay in well-lit areas, yadda yadda yadda.
However, consider that when you buy your son or daughter a plane ticket, you may well be underwriting an all-inclusive experience: not just a plane ride, but an assault by a stranger on your loved one's genitalia – plus your child may get to pose, hands over head, for a naked photo.
But we're told: It's okay! The person having a gander at your loved one's naked body is only seeing it on a screen, not for reals. That person is not even in the same room! No worries. And if it happens to go out on the Internet, those people ogling her body won't be in the same room, either. So that's okay, right? It's practically medical! And these TSA workers are trained professionals who derive no pleasure whatsoever from seeing such images. Right?
That's what's going on in airports all over our country: The appropriately-named "stimulus" funds have been used to purchase these $150K machines that see right through your clothes – the fantasy of every 12 year old boy who has ever been entranced by those ads for X-Ray specs advertised in the back of comic books.
A "stimulus," indeed, for the guy who's secreted in a room somewhere, watching the naked parade.
And once you're selected for the virtual strip-search scanner, or for the probing genital exam, there's no turning back and deciding you'd prefer not to fly. You would then be considered a terrorist who's looking for a weak link in our security fence. You must submit to the will of the TSA employee.
As I type this, I'm more than a little concerned that publication of this essay will land me on the list of people targeted for the see-me-naked machine AND the in-the-pants body search.
What does this say about the state of American freedoms? If I may refresh your memory, here's what the Fourth Amendment to our Constitution says about such things:
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
Apparently, "wants to get on an airplane" now qualifies as "probable cause." Now that we are in freefall down this slippery slope toward utter lack of privacy, "probable cause" can easily be expanded to "wants to ride the subway" or "wants to enter a shopping mall," or "wants to drive a car."
Are you prepared for this? Sadly, I suspect you are.
But we have laws against such assaults on our privacy, including the federal Video Voyeurism Prevention Act of 2004:
"Whoever, in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, has the intent to capture an image of a private area of an individual without their consent, and knowingly does so under circumstances in which the individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both."
While traveling home from Chicago in October, I was photographed by one of those intrusive scanners at O'Hare International Airport. No explanation was given about the kind of image they were capturing, and no one asked for my consent. I was given no information, and nothing to sign.
And yes, I had the expectation of not being seen naked by some TSA guy in front of a video screen. Here's what I was told: "Stand over here. Raise your hands and make them look like moose ears."
Somebody explain to me how that does not violate the Video Voyeurism Act of 2004.
TSA tells us that they do not save the images, but what's to prevent the employee with a cell phone from capturing all the images he wants?
(And I don't even want to think about who is maintaining those machines, monitoring the radiation levels to be sure there's no malfunction, and no "oops!" overdoses. And the guy who told me to make moose ears with my hands wasn't sporting a lead apron, either. How much radiation is he exposed to?)
To the best of my knowledge, Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport does not yet have one of these see-me-naked body scanners. I'm not sure whether or not they have begun the up-your-skirt and in-your-pants style of body search.
Whenever that is implemented in our very own airport, we should recruit the C'ville Groper to work for the TSA. After all, dude has experience, and apparently is quite comfortable with government-style genital examination.
The author is rumored to always be naked, underneath her clothes of course.
8 comments
Well written and well thought out, as well as very funny.....This article is a good natured look at what we are allowing these days. But how far will it go? It has already reached a level I would have NEVER believed possible a few years ago. What horrifies me most is that something over 80% of the people poled ( I wonder who chose those people? Do they fly?) say they would rather be radiated or groped than fly with less "protection" from the government.
I don't believe any of this really protects us.
And we are setting ourselves up for more and more intrustions into our daily lives. We have already given up our freedom. The terrorists have won. Sad.
Good article. Keep writing about this and as Anderson C. says "Keepin em Honest."
The Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport should advertise the fact that they DON'T use a see-me-naked machine and DON'T put their hands into your underwear. Major selling points, don't you think?
When asked, I would have retorted in my best Bullwinkle voice and replied " Welllll, dumby, moose ears are small, but their antlers are big, huch huch huch"
@Janis: But then you have to be sure to fly back from somewhere without the scanners.
I hear you, but I have to say, if you don't have anything to be concerned about, what's the problem? I know, I know, now everyone is going to say "but what about my rights????" Do I want to go through the scanner? Not really, but if I wish to fly, I will. Would I want a total stranger doing a full body patdown? Well, I'm single and not that young, so it's probably the most action I've had in a long time but if that's what it takes to get me on a plane and to my intended destination and not blown up mid air by some jack-wagon with something in his (or her) panties,then so be it. The playing field has changed so we have to work with what we've been handed. I'm just sayin'.....
Great essay! This is an absurd and bizarre situation. If this nonsense were being carried out by a foreign power on Americans, it would have been a cause of war at one time.
I also wonder what the training classes for the TSA designated gropers are like. Can't you just see them performing gropes on each other? What a demeaning and disgusting occupation? Who would want this useless job except the most degenerate or the most desperate?
Sara: If the US government cared about your safety, we'd all have to use a breathalyzer gizmo in order to start our cars. Tobacco products would be outlawed.
They don't want a plane to go down due to terrorism because the US government would lose face. This is not about safety.


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ASU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.
In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.
Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at email@example.com.
- Chamberlin, Ralph
- Beckstein, Oliver
- Seyler, Sean Lee
- Vaiana, Sara
- 1 Arizona State University
- 1 Matyushov, Dmitry
- 1 Thorpe, Michael F
- 1 English
- 1 Public
- conformational transitions
- Biophysics
- 1 Computational physics
- 1 Fluid mechanics
- 1 adenylate kinase
- 1 enhanced sampling
- 1 fluctuating hydrodynamics
- more
- 1 molecular dynamics
- 1 path similarity analysis
- Mobile Crowd Sensing in Edge Computing Environment
- The Effect of Disability on Subjective Well-Being across the Adult Lifespan: The Moderating Roles of Age at Disability Onset and Disability Type
- Mechanically Active Heterogeneous Polymer Matrix Composites
- Attribute-Based Encryption for Fine-Grained Access Control over Sensitive Data
- 并购背景下教育行业品牌价值研究
In a typical living cell, millions to billions of proteins—nanomachines that fluctuate and cycle among many conformational states—convert available free energy into mechanochemical work. A fundamental goal of biophysics is to ascertain how 3D protein structures encode specific functions, such as catalyzing chemical reactions or transporting nutrients into a cell. Protein dynamics span femtosecond timescales (i.e., covalent bond oscillations) to large conformational transition timescales in, and beyond, the millisecond regime (e.g., glucose transport across a phospholipid bilayer). Actual transition events are fast but rare, occurring orders of magnitude faster than typical metastable equilibrium waiting times. Equilibrium molecular dynamics (EqMD) can …
- Contributors
- Seyler, Sean Lee, Beckstein, Oliver, Chamberlin, Ralph, et al.
- Created Date
- 2017


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ATR: Ask the Reports Answers Your Baseball Questions: MLB Free Agency Season Is Upon Us!
Sunday November 4th, 2012
Posted every Weekend: Your top baseball questions from the past week are answered. E-mail all questions to email@example.com, message us on Twitter, post on our Facebook Wall and leave comments on our website! There are many ways to reach us and we will get to your questions from all social media outlets!
Jonathan Hacohen: Here we go again. We spend the whole offseason waiting and hoping for the MLB season to start. We speculate where free agents will sign, which teams will pull off trades and which teams have reason for optimism once the season. We dissect every move and weigh the dollars/years on each contract. Welcome to hot stove baby! But then the season comes and goes in a flash- then we end up right back to the offseason again. Right back to free agency talk again.
This week we have a nice mix of topics. From covering free agents, to trades, division realignment- our readers really went through the whole spectrum of baseball topics. We couldn't possibly jump into ATR during free agency season without hearing the names Hamilton, Greinke or Upton? Of course not! So enough talking- more asking! It's time for Ask the Reports.
Now let's get to your top questions of the week:
Q: Any chance the Dodgers could get a starting pitcher like Greinke or Shields? Christopher
JH: I had a chance to think about this one Christopher after you threw it out on Twitter the other day. I'm going with my story and I'm sticking to it. The Dodgers have apparently more money that the United States right now. But then apparently so do I. All kidding aside, the Guggenheim group is ready to take on any and all big contracts. They will apparently make the old Yankees look poor. I certainly hope they enjoy paying luxury taxes and forfeiting draft picks if that is the case. Realistically, they will splurge at the beginning and then calm down.
So the word is that the Dodgers would like to add a solid starter or two to their rotation. Will they do it through free agency or trades? My answer flatly is free agency. Take a look at the Mat Latos deal last year and what it cost the Reds. That was nearly the package I had predicted. Here is the article from July 2011 for your reading pleasure. Salaries are of no consequence when it comes to James Shields. He is Big Game James. 31 years old and under team control for 2 more seasons. The Rays can name their price when talking a swap of this magnitude. For example, the Royals would have to part with Wil Myers, Mike Moustakas and 1-2 more prospects to get a James Shields. You see the asking price? Aside from a Felix Hernandez or Clayton Kershaw, James Shields would be one of the most expensive pitchers to acquire on the open market in terms of prospects. But apparently the Rays are looking to move him or David Price. I will believe it when I see it. Shields is the more likely to go in the event of a trade. But his arm would be missed and the effect on the Rays would be detrimental unless they get some guaranteed offense back for him.
The Dodgers to me don't have the prospects to pull off a Shields swap. Teams that are prospect heavy like the Royals and Jays could do it, but the Rays will not trade in their division (no Toronto) and Shields still has a heavy salary to carry (no Royals). If I was a betting man, the Rangers would be the best pick to get Shields. Maybe the Nats, Cards or even the Braves. But the Rangers make the most sense. They have the best farm system in baseball and the wallet to lock up Shields long-term. As a result, the Dodgers will need to turn to free agency. The biggest pitching prize is Zack Greinke. He comes with his risks, including perceived attitude and previous personal issues. But the Zack Greinke of today is not the same one from many moons ago. He is a confident young man who most wants to win. I would have never sent him to a big market before, but the bright lights of L.A. may work for him. Some surf and sun never hurt anyone. Zack Greinke to the Dodgers? It is growing on me. Because he is so in demand, I can see Greinke getting a 7-year deal. So if his services are up to the biggest bidder, the Dodgers will need to decide if they are prepared to hand Greinke's agent a blank check. Judging by the Beckett/Gonzalez/Crawford swap, I think we know our answer. Greinke to the Dodgers? Yes, it could very well happen.
Q: How I love Josh Hamilton and his story is one of the best perhaps better than the Movie Rudy. I believe that Josh's time is up in Texas he has served them well and he will be missed. There is no doubt as great ball player he has his personal issues have to be of some concern. What teams need to do is built into and returns contract Clause that gives them an out if he relapse and returns to being addict again. I have heard The Brewers too. I don't like the choice. I would prefer Washington -San Francisco and even the Dodgers. To me, Hamilton is a great ballplayer. If things were different with the Yankees, you know he would be playing right field in the Bronx. However we all know under the present conditions this isn't going to happen but we all can dream. That being said I have a lot of respect for J Narron currently a coach with the Brewers. It has been said by some in my view that Hamilton would be better off in Left or Right field rather than Center Field. I don't agree with that either as he is a natural for Center field. Another landing spot for Josh could be Atlanta. With Clipper retiring, Josh could be a perfect replacement. In my view, no matter where he goes, the team that gets him has to understand that they must give him unconditional support. If this happens, he will have a great season. It's my belief that the support that Josh had in Texas prior to 2012. I believe the stories on the negative messages he received from the Texas organization when he was struggling, in particular from Nolan Ryan. Didn't help the overall situation. It's clear to me that the Texas organization wants to go in a different direction. That's fine. Let's see how they do without Josh. He is replaceable but let's see them do it. It's my strong opinion that Texas is due for a big fall and the playoffs in 2012 is just the beginning of that story. Jim
JH: Wow Jim, you have earned the comment of the week for that one! I think to properly answer all your comments, I would need to write several articles on Josh Hamilton. You certainly feel very strongly about the kid and I certainly don't blame you. When he is on, he is one of the best in the game. It is unfortunate that he experienced the ending of 2012 that he did. If he does leave Texas, it may leave a bad taste in his mouth. Parting on nicer terms would have been more ideal. I will respond to your comments on a point-by-point system:
- The Josh Hamilton story is definitely on part with the movie Rudy. I would love to see that film when it is produced. And believe me, it will definitely happen. Hamilton's story was made for Hollywood.
- Hamilton's time is done in Texas. He wants $100 million+, the team wants to go a maximum of 3 years. This is not going to happen.
- I doubt the player's union would be happy about an "out clause" on a replace/addict. If Hamilton does screw up again, he will be gone from the game. That I believe will void his contract if I am not mistaken. But if he consumes alcohol or acts in a manner that gets him only suspended, it is a different story. A behavior/conduct clause should be included in all players' contracts. But alas the players' union is far too strong and will not allow it. To obtain a ruling on "conduct detrimental to the team" when it is included in a contract is still very difficult as to favoring the team. Any organization that signs Josh Hamilton will need to accept the risks that he entails. Plain and simple.
- I like the Milwaukee choice, but only if they get Hamilton for up to 3 years. Having Mr. Narron around will help. But anything beyond that and the Brewers will be in trouble. Josh Hamilton is getting of the age and physical conditioning that he is due for even more of a breakdown. Not a chance that a small market like the Brewers can take. They can't afford any bad long-term deals. The Dodgers have a full outfield and the Giants will not spend. The Nationals is an interesting pick. I would be very interested to see him there.
- Josh Hamilton the Yankees? Remember that All-Star game Home Run Derby show? I wouldn't put it past the Yanks to grab him at the last second. I don't like the fit and I think that Josh Hamilton in New York will be a disaster. The fans and media pressure would be far too much. But the Yanks are due for a splash. It could happen.
- I have heard the Hamilton to Braves rumors. I can't see the fit in that lineup. Also he needs to be able to DH on occasion. Not going to happen.
- Center field is wearing on Josh Hamilton's body too much. The move to a corner outfield spot will help and should happen one day soon.
- I agree on the support aspect. Josh Hamilton needs support pretty much 24/7 to ensure he stays on the wagon. Again, the price you pay given his history.
- I don't want to get into the he said/she said debate. Josh Hamilton's play at the end of the season speaks for itself. He could have played much better, in the same manner that perhaps the Rangers could have supported him more. In fairness, the Rangers went above and beyond for him during his stay in Texas. At some point, Hamilton has to look into the mirror and take accountability for his play. Period.
- The Rangers are in a funny position these days. After back-to-back World Series appearances, they collapsed to dramatic proportions this year and ended up as one of the Wild Card teams. We all know how that ended up. If the Rangers want to get back to World Series contention, they need stronger pitching. Giants type pitching. Rays type pitching. Thus the trade for James Shields which I think will happen. With or without Hamilton, this team will fall if they don't pitch at a high level consistently. Sure Hamilton is nice to have, but the team will still score a ton of runs. The money saved on Hamilton can be invested in other needs better. The business of baseball is a cruel one sometimes.
Q: It is all over the news about Lance Armstrong losing all of his Tour De France titles etc. My question is why if every sport strips the athletes of their medals, titles, etc. why does baseball not do the same? There have been several baseball players that have broken records etc. that have stood for some time. Then down the road, you find out that they took steroids and enhancing drugs, but yet their records still stand. My question is why? Alice
JH: Amazing question Alice. I challenge you to find one serious baseball fan that hasn't asked themselves that very question before. You won't succeed. This is the debate with Cooperstown and generally dealing with baseball statistics and records. It is the issue that nobody seems to want to deal with. And I will tell you why.
I am going to throw out all other sports in this discussion. In soccer teams are suspended, in college sports trophies and bowl games are stripped. I get that much. But baseball is a different creature. It operates in its own world. For the reason that as long as there has been baseball, there has been cheating. The spitball was in place until 1920 (although many still found a way to use it afterwards). Emery boards. Pine tar in gloves. Corked bats. Vaseline. Baseball players have been cheaters for years. Amphetamines (greenies) were in the game forever until recent years. Everyone apparently took the greenies and now they are illegal. It is one thing when a player takes a known banned substance or cheats. But when something was not illegal at the time, do we frown upon it after the fact? Even when a player cheats, we don't know how often they cheated and when. Do we void all statistics for that player? What about the team? If we were to remove all stats related to cheating, I don't know how many stats we would have left in the game. Everyone has a different scale of what is considered clean/dirty baseball. If baseball was an individual sport like cycling or golf, voiding stats would be easy. But if we void a ball player's stats, we have to think about how that affects the team stats as a whole. Do they lose their wins? What do we do?
This issue was front and center this year when Melky Cabrera was suspended. His play earned him All-Star game honours and helped the NL gain home field advantage in the World Series. Ironically, it was his Giants team that benefitted. People started to scream that the All-Star game score should be taken off the record. That the Giants unfairly earned so many wins to start the year thanks to Cabrera's strong play in the first half. The list of "recommendations" went on and on. At the end, Cabrera did the right thing by being asked to be removed from consideration for the batting title. His choice. But imagine if he didn't put in that request and won? Fans would have screamed to the heavens and changes would have likely been made. So I can see the difficult slope we face on voiding statistics (hello Barry Bonds). But the case of a Melky Cabrera batting title or Ryan Braun MVP (if he was found guilty) creates a real issue. What if a player used an illegal substance only once all season? Do we completely banish him from any awards that year? How far do we go? Do they lose eligibility for Cooperstown? Major League Baseball is sitting on the fence on all these issues right now. They are hoping that new drug testing has solved the PEDs issues and that all other problems will just go away. They won't. MLB has to take a stance once and for all so that we know how cheating in the sports affect records and individual accomplishments. You are right to be confused Alice. We are all confused. But it is very hard to change a system that has been around for decades. It doesn't make it right, but it is what it is. It is something that all of us as fans of the sport have learned to live with. Hopefully in the next 5 years when many players from the "Steroid Era" become eligible for Cooperstown we will see how baseball will react. My gut says nothing will change and that is sad.
Q: I would like to see them (MLB) do away with divisions and play 14 league teams, 11 games for a total of 154 games. Let the 1st seed play the 4th seed and the 2nd seed play the 3rd seed. Dennis
JH: Dennis, your comment interested me. Now I am not sure if you want to do away with 2 teams, as we are now in the state of 15 teams per league. If we take travel and everything else aside, playing each team in your league for the same amount of games would be more fair. But we are missing interleague play in that equation, which now has to happen almost every day for a full schedule to occur. Then from there, your equation has only 4 teams per league make the playoffs. I guess we lose the Wild Card game and one less team makes the playoffs. Very interesting.
We can talk in hypotheticals, but today I will talk reality. Firstly, MLB will not be contracting 2 teams. If anything, I can see future expansion by 2 teams to bring the total teams to 32. That will allow for 16 teams per league and help get rid of the daily interleague need. Secondly, I can also not see divisions completely eliminated. If we went 16 teams per league, we can move to the 4 divisions system, 4 teams per division. That will create a more intimate rivalry. The schedule does not need to be balanced for balance. I also agree. I do like the double Wild Card teams and elimination game, so I can't see that going. So Major League Baseball has many decisions ahead of it. But it will all be economically driven. That means more teams, more playoffs, more games and more cash. Maybe a 165 game schedule, but no reductions to 154. Teams do not want to lose that revenue stream. What is good for the game and good for the wallet can be conflicting. Money will win out at the end of the day. When you look at the size of the television deals in place for MLB teams and the contracts that will be given to players this offseason, it should all make sense. Baseball is a business, not a game.
Q: Why is B.J. Upton getting any attention for free agency? He has done nothing to earn anything more than a one year deal! Troy
JH: For a guy that has owned B.J. Upton before on fantasy baseball teams, I can certainly sympathize with your statement. Upton is truly one of the most frustrating players in baseball. He has all the talent in the world, but can never utilize it consistently to become a true superstar. When he hit .300 with 24 home runs back in 2007, we all thought he was ready for the big season. What we found is that he would regress into a .240 hitter with 20+ home run pop. After 8 seasons, his .336 lifetime OBP and .422 SLG is what you will get. At 28 years old though and entering the prime of his career, a team will figure that he is ready to put it together. "I can fix him", they will say. Every team wants to believe that they have the secret formula, the perfect combination of coaches and atmosphere to turn around a ballplayer. To turn Jose Bautista from a utility player into the home run king. To evolve Ryan Vogelsong into a top game pitcher. Every team wants to turn something into nothing. But it is more efficient to take on players at minimal salaries for those experiments than paying top dollar.
Word is that Upton could receive a 5-year $60 million deal. That is ludicrous for a great defender, inconsistent bat. Superstar money for a non-superstar player is not the way to go. But every baseball agent wants to find that one sucker. The one MLB GM who will give that big contract. They are usually out there. In the worst case, Upton will get a 2-3 year deal for $10 million per season. That is still very good. When a player is in his early 20's, teams pay for potential. As a player gets older, the teams are supposed to pay for past production and hoping it can continue. In the case of B.J. Upton, he is still young and has all the tools. Teams will look to his potential, rather than his past production. That is a mistake in my book. You are absolutely right in your assessment Troy. If only every MLB GM was as smart as you and I! But before we pass final judgement, let's see firstly who signs B.J. Upton. Then let's view his final numbers at the end of the contract he receives this offseason. He may still yet prove us all wrong.
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Posted on November 4, 2012, in The Rest: Everything Baseball and tagged ask the reports, atr, b.j. upton, baseball, baseball questions, david ortiz, edwin jackson, free agency, ichiro suzuki, james shields, jose valverde, josh hamilton, kyle lohse, lance armstrong, Major League Baseball, Marco scutaro, mlb, nick swisher, Torii Hunter, zack greinke. Bookmark the permalink. Comments Off on ATR: Ask the Reports Answers Your Baseball Questions: MLB Free Agency Season Is Upon Us!.


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Ford F100 Trucks - 25th Annual F-100 Western Nationals
Hosted By Pickups Limited Orange County
Pickups Limited is an F-100 club that was started here in Orange County, California, in '68 by Lee Hill, who posted an ad in a local paper looking for others interested in '53-56 Ford F-100 trucks, and the rest is history! For 25 of the last 39 years, Pickups Limited has hosted the F-100 Western Nationals truck show, which has become the largest all-Ford truck show in the Western United States.
This year, prior to the big show, Pickups Limited organized a beach cruise that led down to where else but Surf City, USA.
F-100s lined beachside parking in Huntington Beach much of the day, basking in the summer sun before heading out to John Force's Race Station for an exciting tour of his facilities. Unfortunately, we were unable to attend Friday's activities, but we heard rave reviews of the day from more than a few participants on Saturday. We should have the Bumpside Build-Off '68 F-100 there next year!
The '07 show was held at Featherly Park in Anaheim, California, which has a nice campground, RV parking, a central location, and, best of all, a large canopy of trees that provided plenty of shade for the almost 200 Ford trucks in attendance. A good number of the entries were from surrounding states, but Steve and Autumn Neiheisel won the Long Distance Award by driving their '53 panel all the way from Ohio. Over 25 awards were given out, plus more than $7,000 worth of prizes from all the sponsors raffled off, including a four-post lift from Garage Equipment Supply-that we didn't win-to make the day that much more exciting.
In celebration of the F-100 Western Nationals' 25th anniversary, Pickups Limited invited Pat Ford out from North Carolina to sign autographs, shake hands, and share stories. In case you don't know who Pat is, he puts on the F-100 Supernationals in Tennessee, which is proud to hold the title of world's largest F-100 event. Pat's a legend, and with that last name of his he'd have to be! Pat's son Squire also made the trip, and both were made honorary members of Pickups Limited for their hard work in the world of F-100s. Jack Reis was also honored for his involvement since the early days of the aftermarket for pioneering and providing products for classic truckers. It's hard to tell where we'd be today in the hobby without people like Jack who dedicated their lives to furthering it.
Pickups Limited has another two-day event planed for '08, with the show taking place June 21. For info on upcoming as well as past events and more, go to www.f100westernnationals.com or www.pickupslimited.com for all the details. We'll see you there next summer!


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Quote:Parable nonsense?
Quote: Its a vital part of martial arts, not just to teach the forms but the concepts of responsibility and/or maturity.
Quote: But again, it is a form of traditional martial introspection, the ability to see something as more than what it appears to be.
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Recent deadly fires have highlighted the need to make sure your family is prepared in the event of an emergency. Gerard Fitzgerald, the president o fthe Uniformed Firefighters Association, stopped by CBSN New York to discuss it.
Fire Safety Tips To Know
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Program: CBSN New YorkCategories: News, Local News, WCBSTV
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|Working Group I: The Scientific Basis
|Other reports in this collection
184.108.40.206 Uptake of anthropogenic CO2 by the ocean
Ocean uptake is constrained to some degree by observations of anthropogenic tracers. Three transient tracers are commonly used. First, anthropogenic CO2 itself gives a direct benchmark for model estimates of the quantity and distribution of anthropogenic CO2 that has penetrated the ocean since the pre-industrial era. Anthropogenic CO2 can be inventoried by an indirect method whereby carbon concentration is compared to what would be expected from water exposed to pre-industrial air (Gruber et al., 1996). The 14CO2 released in the early 1960s by atmospheric nuclear testing (commonly called bomb 14C) provides a second tracer; the content of bomb 14C in the ocean is used to constrain global air-sea CO2 exchange (Wanninkhof et al., 1992), and ocean model results can be compared with its penetration depth as a benchmark for vertical transport (Broecker et al., 1995). Bomb 14C is computed by subtracting the observed 14C concentration from an estimate of its pre-industrial value (Broecker et al., 1995). Finally, CFCs also constrain the downward transport of tracers in ocean models. No natural background needs to be subtracted from CFCs. None of these three tracers provide a perfect indicator of anthropogenic CO2 uptake: CO2 equilibrates with the atmosphere ten times faster than 14C and ten times slower than CFCs; anthropogenic CO2 and 14C are indirectly estimated. As part of the Ocean Carbon-Cycle Model Intercomparison Project (OCMIP), a comparison of carbon models with respect to all three anthropogenic tracers is in progress (Orr and Dutay, 1999; Orr et al., 2001).
Although regional estimates show discrepancies, modelled estimates of anthropogenic tracers agree reasonably well with observations when integrated globally. The mean value of the penetration depth of bomb 14C for all observational sites during the late 1970s is 390 ± 39 m (Broecker et al., 1995). For the same years and stations, modelled estimates range between 283 and 376 m (Orr et al., 2001). Modelled and observed CFC concentrations have been compared locally but not yet globally (England 1995; Robitaille and Weaver, 1995; Orr and Dutay, 1999). Modelled anthropogenic CO2 inventory since 1800 is comparable to the estimate of 40 ± 9 PgC for the Atlantic Ocean (Gruber, 1998) and 20 ± 3 PgC for the Indian Ocean (Sabine et al., 1999; Orr et al., 2001). Latitude-depth profiles of anthropogenic CO2 in the Atlantic, extracted from data and from models, are shown in Figure 3.9. Modelled CO2 uptake for the global ocean between 1800 and 1990 ranges between 100 and 133 PgC (Figure 3.8), comparable to the preliminary data-based estimate of 107 ± 27 PgC for the global ocean, which includes the Pacific value of 45 ± 15 PgC (Feely et al., 1999a). Although in reasonable agreement with basin and global estimates of anthropogenic CO2, modelled inventories exhibit large differences at the regional scale: models tend to underestimate the inventory of anthropogenic CO2 between 50°S and 50°N in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and to overestimate it at high latitudes (Sabine et al., 1999; Orr et al., 2001). In the Southern Ocean the uptake of anthropogenic CO2 varies by a factor of two among models (Orr et al., 2001). The difficulty for models in reproducing the spatial structure of anthropogenic tracers may be indicative of problems in ocean physics mentioned earlier, and may be responsible for the increasing range of model estimates when future CO2 uptake is projected by the same models (Figure 3.10c).
The most recent model estimates of the ocean-atmosphere flux obtained with process-based models are -1.5 to -2.2 for 1980 to 1989 (Table 3.4), in agreement with earlier model estimates for the same period (Enting et al., 1994; Orr et al., 2001). These estimates are fully consistent with the budget based on atmospheric observations alone (Table 3.1), with estimates based on pCO2 and 13C observations (Table 3.4), and with the SAR estimate of -2.0 ± 0.8 PgC/yr. Figure 3.8 shows modelled ocean CO2 uptake for 1900 to 2000. (These results do not include natural variability and therefore appear smoother than in reality.) The oceanic regions absorbing the largest quantities of anthropogenic CO2 according to models are those where older waters come in contact with the atmosphere, such as high latitudes and upwelling regions of the equator. In contrast, modelled sub-tropical regions rapidly saturate at atmospheric CO2 level and do not absorb large quantities of anthropogenic CO2 (Sarmiento et al., 1992; Orr et al., 2001).
Other reports in this collection


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The Wildlife and
Countryside Act 1981 consolidates and amends existing national
legislation to implement the Convention on the Conservation of
European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention) and
Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds
(Birds Directive) in Great Britain (NB Council Directive 79/409/EEC
has now been replaced by Directive 2009/147/EC of the European
Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the
conservation of wild birds (codified version)). Equivalent
provisions for Northern Ireland are contained within the
(Northern Ireland) Order 1985 and the Nature
Conservation and Amenity Lands (Northern Ireland) Order
The Act received royal assent on 30 October 1981. It is
supplemented by the Wildlife and
Countryside (Service of Notices) Act 1985, which relates to
notices served under the 1981 Act. Various amendments have occurred
since the original enactment, some of the most significant being
via the
There are also numerous country-specific Orders pertaining to
Variation of Schedules of the Act.
In Northern Ireland legislative amendments have taken place
through the Wildlife
(Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 and the
(Northern Ireland) Order 2002.
The original Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 text
is available and an
updated version is available on Legislation.gov.uk
There is also a statutory five-yearly review of
Schedules 5 and 8 (protected wild animals and plants respectively)
and period review of Schedule 9 (in relation to non-native
species). These reviews are undertaken by the country
agencies and coordinated by JNCC. Containing four Parts and 17
Schedules, the Act covers protection of wildlife (birds, and some
animals and plants), the countryside, National Parks, and the
designation of protected areas, and public rights of way. (Further
details on the Schedules>>>)
The Act makes it an offence (with exception to species listed in
Schedule 2) to intentionally:
Special penalties are available for offences related to birds
listed on Schedule 1, for which there are additional offences of
disturbing these birds at their nests, or their dependent young.
The Secretary of State may also designate Areas of Special
Protection (subject to exceptions) to provide further protection to
birds. The Act also prohibits certain methods of killing, injuring,
or taking birds, restricts the sale and possession of captive bred
birds, and sets standards for keeping birds in captivity.
The Act makes it an offence (subject to exceptions) to
intentionally ([or recklessly] - only under the Nature Conservation
(Scotland) Act 2004) kill, injure or take any wild animal listed on
Schedule 5, and prohibits interference with places used for shelter
or protection, or intentionally disturbing animals occupying such
places. The Act also prohibits certain methods of killing,
injuring, or taking wild animals.
The Act makes it an offence (subject to exceptions)
Non-avian animals and plants (vascular plants, bryophytes,
lichens and fungi) on Schedules 5 and 8 are reviewed every five
years in a process called the Quinquennial Review. Animals and plants
found on schedules 5 and 8 are listed on a spreadsheet of conservation designations for UK
The Act contains measures for preventing the establishment of
non-native species which may be detrimental to native wildlife,
prohibiting the release of animals and planting of plants listed in
Schedule 9
in England and Wales. It also provides a mechanism making any of
the above offences legal through the granting of licences by the
appropriate authorities. Schedule 9 -
March 2015.
In Scotland, the release offences are different and take a
general 'no-release' approach. Where exceptions are needed, they
are provided through
secondary legislation. For a list of exempted species,
please see the latest Wildlife and Countryside Act (Exceptions to
Section 14) Amendment Order on the
Scottish Government's website. In addition, the
Code of Practice on
Non-Native Species describes some circumstances which are not
considered to be releasing an animal or planting in the wild.
Every five years, the statutory nature conservation agencies
Natural England, Natural Resources Wales (formally Countryside
Council for Wales) and Scottish Natural Heritage, working jointly
through the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), are
required to review Schedules 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and
Countryside Act 1981, and to make recommendations to the Secretary
of State and Ministers for the Environment. Schedule 5 lists
animals (other than birds) which are specially protected, and
Schedule 8 lists plants (vascular plants, bryophytes, lichens and
fungi) which are specially protected.
The statutory nature conservation bodies and JNCC prepare
recommendations which are sent to the Joint Committee for approval
prior to being submitted as JNCC advice to Defra and the Devolved
Administrations in Great Britain.
There have been five QQRs and recommendations from the sixth QQR are under
QQR was submitted by JNCC in 2008. Defra and the Welsh
Government responded to these recommendations
in 2010.
Sections 28 to 33 of Part 2 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act
detail the law regarding SSSIs. See Sites of
Special Scientific Interest. Sections 34 to 53 deal with other
protected areas within Great Britain.
The Act provides for the notification and confirmation of
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) –
these sites are identified for their flora, fauna, geological or
physiographical features – by the country conservation bodies in
England (Natural England) and Wales (Natural Resources Wales). (NB
In Scotland similar powers are afforded to Scottish Natural
Heritage under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 and in
Northern Ireland the Council for Nature Conservation and the
Countryside have powers under the Environment (Northern Ireland)
Order 2002) to designate Areas of Special Scientific Interest
A notification must be served on the relevant local planning
authority, all land owners and occupiers, and the Secretary of
State, specifying the time period within which representations and
objections may be made. The country conservation bodies must
consider these responses and may withdraw or confirm the
notification, with or without amendment. The Act also contains
measures for the protection and management of SSSIs.
The Act provides for the making of Limestone Pavement Orders,
which prohibit the disturbance and removal of limestone from such
designated areas, and the designation of Marine Nature Reserves.The
Act prohibits the undertaking of agricultural or forestry
operations on land within National Parks which has been either moor
or heath for 20 years, without consent from the relevant planning
authority. Planning authorities are also required to make available
to the public up to date maps of moor and heath land within
National Parks, which are important for the conservation of natural
March 2015


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OAKLAND (InsideBayArea) - Bishops from one of the world's oldest Christian churches gathered in the Oakland hills for a four-day summit last week, hoping to sort out their differences as they shepherd an East African denomination to new lands.
The gathering was "to talk about the next generation, the one in the United States, what we have to do for them," said Palo Alto resident Benyam Mulugeta, president of the board of Oakland's Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Mekane Selam Medhane Alem Cathedral. "We don't want to lose the next generation."
Exiled Patriarch Abune Merkorios was scheduled to preside over the convening of the Holy Synod, but the elder church leader fell ill shortly before his flight to the Bay Area.
Merkorios was dethroned and replaced amid Ethiopia's political turmoil of the 1990s, but he still has a worldwide following of Ethiopian emigrants who consider him the true spiritual leader of an institution that dates back to the 4th century.
Merkorios lives in New Jersey. A rival patriarch and institution continue to be seated in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.
Clergy from Australia, Canada, Germany, South Africa, Sweden and across the United States gathered at the Mountain Boulevard cathedral from Wednesday through Saturday.
Ethiopian Orthodox Christians say they hope to establish the kind of American footprint that Greek and Russian Orthodox churches began more than a century ago, building their own churches and monasteries and appealing to younger, U.S.-born congregants who grow up speaking English.
Hosting the convention was 90-year-old Abune Melketsedek, who heads the Oakland cathedral and is also the general secretary for the exiled church. Bishops and congregants were seen tearfully hugging on Friday after resolving some internal disputes over church policies.
"It's one of the big events of our church," Mulugeta said of the meeting.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Exiled Ethiopians meet in Bay Area
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The French Creek Skirt in Katydid was designed by Laura Birek who you may know if you've ever seen the pullover she designed back in 2008, an intarsia version of Shepard Fairey's Obama poster with the work "Hope" written across it. I'm not a knitted skirt person generally, but the openness of this one appeals to me. It's not as much a garment as it is an accessory, and I love the look of it over wide leg pants or a long skirt.
The Mountour Falls cardigan from Melissa Goodale is an open cardigan with beautiful, delicate, twisted cabling around the hem, cuffs, and band. Cotton Bam Boo is the perfect choice, with its combination of drape and weight.
The Lodi Cardigan by Tanis Gray is a fitted cardigan with eyelet raglan shaping knit in Solstice. I love the slim fit of this cardigan, and the the embellishments at the waist and elbow add visual interest and flatter the figure.
The Radian Yoke by Wendy Bernard is done in one of my absolute favorite Spring yarns, Firefly. The lace patterned yoke lets you show a little summer skin without going too bare (mental note, wear sunblock when wearing this sweater in bright sunlight.)
Pick this up at your LYS or online on April 19th!


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Transformers Prime Voyager Class Optimus Prime Toy Review
General Information:
Release Date: February 2012
Price Point: $22.99 (Depending on retailer)
Retailer: General release (Toys R Us, Wal-Mart, Target etc.)
Accessories: Sword, Blaster
- In Box (Official Photo)*
- Vehicle Mode (Official Photo)*
- Robot Mode (Official Photo)*
- Scan of Box (front/bottom)
- Scan of Box (back)
- Scan of art
- Tech Specs
- Vehicle Mode
- Vehicle Mode (Side)
- Vehicle Mode (Back)
- Vehicle Mode (Front view)
- Vehicle Mode (Angle view)
- Vehicle Mode (Rear Angle View)
- Vehicle Mode (Weapons attached)
- Vehicle Mode (Extra Weapons attached)
- Robot Mode
- Robot Mode (Side)
- Robot Mode (Back)
- Robot Mode (Close up)
- Robot Mode (Focus on head)
- Robot Mode (Angle view)
- Robot Mode (Posed)
- Robot Mode (Weapon transformed)
- Robot Mode (Alternate view of weapon)
- Robot Mode (Extra weapons)
- Robot Mode (Close up with extra weapons)
- Robot Mode (With melee weapons)
*Images with asterisks* and text in italics below from The Official Transformers Web Site:
It took long years of patient training, battlefield experience, and constant modifications for OPTIMUS PRIME to achieve the raw might with which he combats MEGATRON and the DECEPTICONS. Now, he is a perfect warrior and a courageous leader, against whom evil can never stand.
No DECEPTICON enemy in his right mind will want to mess with this incredible OPTIMUS PRIME figure! This robot-to-vehicle warrior figure has the strength and weapons to prevail in all of your adventures. His glowing battle blaster converts to a cannon in truck mode, so he always has the firepower he needs. Keep converting him from robot mode to truck mode and back, so he can handle whatever his DECEPTICON opponents dish out!
Figure comes with accessory. Includes 2 button-cell batteries. Voyager Class Series 1: 001 OPTIMUS PRIME. Ages 5 and up.
Following the controversial "First Edition" releases, fans were finally able to get a Voyager Class Optimus Prime figure from "Transformers Prime". This Optimus was not quite as large as the "First Edition" Voyager class Optimus Prime figure, but it was widely available and as part of the "Powerizer" sub-division of Transformers, he includes a light up feature not found on the previous version.
Robot Mode:
Since the comparisons will be inevitable, it's only fair to give some notes on how this version of Prime compares to the "First Edition" version. The Powerizer version is smaller than the "First Edition" figure. Height wise we're talking about a head shorter. If you take into account the proportions, he's also not as bulky as the "First Edition" version. He also does not include the more show accurate weapons included with the "First Edition" version but rather has weapons inspired by the weapons shown on the television show (more details on that in a bit). On this alone I don't think the figure should be dismissed outright just because of these facts. Sadly the reality is now that costs have driven the size of Transformers down overall, but I think given economic realities, what matters more is the quality of the toy design itself.
Optimus Prime's design has all the main design elements fans of "Transformers Prime" have become familiar with. This includes his head design with a long central crest and antennae on the sides. His shoulder armor is curved on top and his chest is wide, leaing to a relatively narrow waist area that then leads to angular, thick lower legs. Smaller details are also seen in this form including smokestacks on his back, layered line and armor designs on his waist and line details sculpted into the panels behind his chest windows. It's a fantastic sculpt I have to say. It isn't as large as the "First Edition", but it looks great and there's a lot of fun detail to look at (including those found on his neck area and forearms). This is definitely not a simple sculpt.
Optimus is cast in red, blue, silver, translucent blue and black plastic. Matching up nicely with the CGI model, the red is largely focused on his upper body while the blue is found on his lower legs and head. The silver plastic forms parts that wind up in between these sections such as his thighs and waist area. The translucent blue plastic comes into play on his chest but also on his forearms. This is tied into his light up gimmick, which involves light from his weapon moving along the forearm to make it look like there is "power" moving through his arm and weapon at the same time. Black is used for the wheels attached to his lower legs. The paint colors used on Prime include silver, black, blue and yellow. Silver is used the most, providing detail to everything for his head to the chest and the lower legs. The black color is mosetly found on his feet, which are cast in silver but painted black. The blue and yellow can be found in his waist area, painting in small details to break up the silver plastic color. Overall it's a fantastic color scheme that looks really nice and pops well. The colors are brighter than the darker "First Edition" figure but it still looks cool. I like the use of translucent colors even though they're not 100% show accurate, but I'm a fan of translucent plastic on figures so your mileage will vary.
There are seventeen points of articulation on this figure. This includes four on each arm and leg. The joints are a combination of ball joints and swivel joints, allowing him a good range of motion. Optimus has six connection points on him that you can attach 5mm weapon pegs to. Two are in front of his head on top of his chest. Another two are found on his forearms and then of course ther eare his hands, which are cast in a semi-open position but still allow you to attach weapons.
Optimus' primary gimmick involves his blaster weapon. It begins curled up, looking almost like a block and then you push the trigger mechanism and it extends with a translucent barrel out in front, bearing a slight resemblance to the blaster he used on the television show. As the weapon transforms, a red light shines from it, moving from the back to the front. At the same time the light tracks along the translucent forearms, simulating the look of power moving along the arm. Conceptually I'm totally behind the idea of power connecting the figure and the weapon. Unfortunately, the actual excecution of this is pretty ugly. The weapon looks like Prime is holding a thin box on his arm and the weapon cannot be locked in its blaster form (which looks good on its own). The result is a pretty useless looking accessory most of the time unless you hold the weapon's trigger down. This was a complaint of mine with many of the "Mech Tech" weapons, but at least they looked like a real weapon in either mode. This just looks like...a really complex, detail filled box. Optimus' other accssory is a sword, inspired by his arm blade weapon seen in the television show. Unlike that sword, this one has two pegs that allow hiim to attach it to his forearm pointing forward or held in his fist like a regular sword. This weapon isn't super exciting but it is successful in evoking the arm weapon.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Pull the chest panel out and swing it down.
- Swing the robot head down, revealing the vehicle mode grille.
- Move the robot feet into the insides of the lower legs.
- Connect the two legs together.
- Swing the armor piece over each lower leg up.
- Swing each fist up.
- Swing each arm back at the shoulder joint.
- Adjust the forearms so they form the front of the vehicle.
- Move the front wheel wells on the sides up, this allows the clearance for the arms in the last step to fully come together.
- On each shoulder armor piece, swing the small crescent shaped piece down, then connect the two together to form the wind vane.
- Swing the wind vane down over the top of the chest piece.
- Swing up the side sections that have smokestacks on them.
- Swing the robot legs up to form the rear of the vehicle.
Vehicle Mode:
The robot mode of this figure was pretty accurate to the television show model, so it's no surprise the vehicle mode does a good job of following the CGI model as well. In this form, Optimus is a long nose tractor trailer cab, inspired by the Peterbilt truck used on the live action Transformers films. It's a really sleek dsign thanks to the curves and angles on the front end and wind vane. To borrow a phrase, he looks like was poured, not built in this form. Even better, he is full of sculpted detail from his front grille (which includes a spot for a small Autobot symbol) to the sides, which feature details ranging from windows, to raised circles representing bolts to raised cross hatch patterns. Even his rear section (often neglected on many figures) has some great detailing. Look inside the wheel well and you'll see tubes and pump details and the top of the back section has a hitch complete with a hole in it that could accomodate a trailer should the powers that be ever decide to make one.
All the same plastic colors seen in robot mode appear here, with most of the red parts consolidating in the front and the blue in the back. His wheels are black and many of the smaller details such as the outline around his windshield and the smokestacks are silver. Translucent blue fills in for the windows, but also for his side view mirrors as well, something I thought was a fantastic touch. Surprisingly, while his smokestacks are a softer plastic for safety reasons, they're not the kind of plastic that easily warps, something that will come as a relief to fans who want to store this guy in a bin with other figures.
Silver once again plays a big part in the paint applications, appearing on the front grille in a beautiful brushed metal pattern as well as the windshield area, the sides of the truck and an Autobot symbol on the top of the wind vane. You'll also find silver on the back, coloring the trailer hitch. Offering some brightness in the front is yellow, used to paint the headlights. Overall, it's a very strong but clean paint job. Could there have been more deco? Absolutely. For instance, I'm starting to get bothered a bit by the lack of deco on the wheels (which in the past almost always had some type of silver deco on the sides). However, it looks very clean and not plain at all.
Both of Prime's weapons can be stored in this mode on the back of the cab. There you'll find two holes that fit his weapons on the left and right above the rear wheel wells. His blaster weapon can fit into the hole in the trailer hitch as a sort of rear turret, but it fits more loosely than the other holes. What is nice however is that the blaster has a hole on its side that allows you to attach an additional weapon. The sword also has such a hole, so potentially you could really load up Prime with weapons back there!
Final Thoughts:
Powerizer Optimus Prime himself is a cool toy. He's well sculpted, brightly colored, looks strong and imposing in both forms and has cool posability. The primary problem with the figure is in its gimmick. The whole point of the "Powerizer" is the light source moving across a translucent part of the figure into a stunning weapon. It succeeds on the first point, but falls completely flat on the second. The sword weapon is nicely sculpted, but not the most exciting thing in the world. I'd say if you can get this guy for about $20 and don't intend to get any other larger scale "Transformers Prime" Optimus figure, then this is the guy for you. However some stores began selling this guy at $26.99 when he was first released and I really don't think he's worth that! Recommended but with reservations.


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Creamy Spinach and Tofu Spaghetti (Adapted from CL)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 cups tightly packed fresh baby spinach
6 ounces cubed silken tofu
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 ounce grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti, cooked
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
Preheat oven to 450
Place tomatoes in a small bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place tomatoes, cut sides up, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 7 minutes or until tender.
Using a food processor, process the other 2 teaspoons oil, remaining 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, spinach, tofu, basil, cheese, red wine vinegar, salt and garlic until smooth.
In a large skillet over medium heat, combine spinach mixture and pasta. Cook about 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Gently stir in tomatoes and toasted pine nuts.
Friday, June 03, 2005
Creamy Spinach and Tofu Spaghetti
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Man has debated the true nature of vegetables since the beginning of recorded history. Does celery have a soul? Do carrots believe in a higher existence? And what's the deal with garden cress? We don't think we would be able to sleep at night if we thought that, when he passes to his great reward, that Wilmington Blue Rocks mascot Mr. Celery would not be ascending to a higher plain. And thanks to our good friends at Heavenly Images, we have blessed reassurance. We can now sleep the sleep of angels.
And the Lord said, "Blessed are the herbacious vegetables, for they will be called crunchy and nutricious."
It's a shorter day before the holiday weekend, so we've got another Hall of Fame vote and a week in review coming up today. So this is just our way of saying "Have a good weekend," and don't do anything that we wouldn't do.
Minor Enterprise: An Interview With Mr. Celery [Deadspin]
Planning For That Sad Time When Barbaro Leaves Us [Deadspin]


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November 09, 2009
Just before the day shift at Grundfos left work on 3 November, ALPHA2 pump number one million was produced on the fully automatic ALPHA2 line at Group HQ in Bjerringbro, Denmark.
However, there will be no time for resting on laurels: In the light of the present climate changes and the political initiatives in the European Union, Group President, Carsten Bjerg, is sure that Grundfos will soon be producing and selling more than one million ALPHA2 pumps a year.
The ALPHA2 pump, the first A-rated pump in the world, revolutionised the market for circulator pumps. With its plug-and-pump feature and the greenest profile on the market, the ALPHA2 pump is an obvious part of the solution to the climate problems. If all circulator pumps in the European Union were replaced by A-rated pumps, 35 billion kWh and 14m metric tons of CO2 could be saved.
It is common knowledge that the first million is the hardest to obtain. Although this saying usually applies to money, it may also be used for pumps. The ALPHA2 line was started in November 2007. Since then staff have built up a large amount of experience in operating the line as productivity increased steadily. The productivity will continue to increase as the European countries adapt to the EuP directive of minimum efficiency requirements, which imply that only A-rated circulator pumps are allowed to be sold in the EU starting from 2013.


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Washington�s recent compromise on interest rates for student loans is a good sign as far as political compromise goes.
Washington�s recent compromise on interest rates for student loans is a good sign as far as political compromise goes.
But the compromise itself doesn�t really do anything about the larger problem of college affordability. College costs are going up, and there is less incentive for institutions of higher learning to control costs as long as state governments and the federal government are picking up part of the tab.
So what happens? Every year, students have to borrow more, apply for more grants (ones made mostly by the taxpayers) and pay more.
The student-loan interest rate mostly affects graduates. Compromising on the rate won�t help make college more affordable. And Congress is really just postponing higher interest rates. This won�t help students in the long run.
The proposed compromise in Congress would set the rate next year on subsidized Stafford loans at 3.85 percent. Caps would also be put on loans to undergraduates (8.25 percent), graduate students (9.5 percent) and parents (10.5 percent).
The rates doubled on July 1 after Congress could not initially agree on new rates. Democrats want lower rates and Republicans want the rates tied to market rates.
Generally, both Republicans and Democrats praised the deal. No side wants to look like they support making college unaffordable for more students.
But if tuition and living costs continue to rise at both private and public colleges and universities, college will be put out of reach for more students.
Even graduates of more affordable public colleges and universities can leave school loaded with debt. Other costs add significantly to the bill.
On the other extreme, we can also expect student-loan debt to weigh down the economy. The nation�s student-loan debt is approaching $1 trillion, and has surpassed what Americans owe on automobile loans, according to the Washington Post.
It isn�t unusual for some students to finish college owing $100,000 or more. The nation�s future doctors and lawyers are carrying even more debt than usual.
Many college graduates may postpone buying a house for a decade because of student-loan debt. There are already indications that student debt is becoming a drag on the national economy.
So what have our leaders done about it? Very little.
The nation and its leaders need to take a deeper look at the impact of rising tuition. We must recognize that lowering interest costs on student-loan debt isn�t a long-term solution.


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|Performance Parts and Accessories for the Acura RSX
Password JDM Front Performance Brake Rotors 02-06 RSX Base
Product Overview
Brakes are the one area of performance modifications that are often misunderstood. Some think the OEM stock is fine, some think that BBKs are a must, and there are probably a dozen or so opinions about x-drilled and/or slotted rotors. Let's set the record straight once and for all. Start with what you have, and if that currently works for you, keep it. When its time for you to upgrade the performance of your car and step up your driving style, then maybe its time to upgrade your brakes as well. This is where we step in. Here at PWJDM… all of our products are well thought out, we don't just go off on a tangent and do things. We actually do sit down and calculate things out before our moves are made. Our latest and greatest for the month… the PasswordJDM Performance Brake Rotors are no different… 100% drilled, slotted, and zinc plated here in the USA with quality control at every level that's common with all PWJDM products.
PWJDM Performance Brake Rotors are well thought out. Each design is first proven on a 3D CAD system and then modeled to fit the vane pattern unique to each rotor application. Our goal has always been to improve performance without sacrificing quality. PWJDM starts off by sourcing blank rotors from the best foundries. We offer our rotors in 2 distinct designs. The first design is a X-drilled/slotted rotor that's perfect for moderate to aggressive street use. The second design is a dimple drilled/slotted designed for track use. What makes our rotors different from the competition is that we perform all the slotting/drilling in house on our 3axis HAAS CNC machines using only American Made Carbide tooling for precision that's unmatched by the competition. Each individual hole is also chamfered on the CNC machines as well. This does cost us a bit more, but the cost is also offset by the fact that everything is done in house other than sourcing the blank rotors from the best foundries. Once drilled and slotted, each rotor is then individually zinc plated within a few hours to protect all raw surfaces against corrosion. Finding a rotor of this quality will probably cost you twice to three times as much with the competition.
X-drilled/slotted rotors offer the best of both worlds in terms of street performance. X-drilling greatly improves brake response by giving pads the ability to quickly outgas and cool off during pad contact. The slots acts like "wipers" clearing the pad face and eliminating the "glaze" created by pad friction during contact. We found that this combination although a bit more expensive to produce, actually works best in most application. Use of these rotors has shown to greatly increase brake performance and pad life as a result of the additional cooling from x-drilling. We calculate the number of x-drills and slots based on the size of the rotor, the number of vanes and the application to optimize performance. We think it's counterproductive to just drill as many holes in a rotor and calling it a performance item… that something the competition would do.
Dimple Drilled/Slotted Rotors offers the best of both worlds in terms of track performance. Dimple Drilling allows the rotors to outgas during contact without too much cooling. When on the track, what you want from a rotor is one that's stable in temperature without the excessive heat cycling that will crack rotors over time. This design has proven itself time and again to get the job done and increase brake performance and still keeping the pad temps within an optimal heat range for the best in brake performance. The slots acts like "wipers" clearing the pad face and eliminating the "glaze" created by pad friction during contact. Through our extensive testing, Dimple drilling and slotting outperforms all other designs for track use. This is the best solution
As you can see, not all performance 1pc rotors are equal. PWJDM has taken the time to research and design a better rotor option. Our time as been well spent so you can have the best rotors on the market at a price that's reasonable. These are definitely the best bang for your buck in these trying times. Buy a set today and start… I meant stop as soon as possible. Better brakes should definitely be high on your list of mods to do. When the time comes, remember that PWJDM products are that much better than the competition all because we design and produce each product in house so you can have the best.
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Contains spoilers
Now if I've read the dedicated Resident Evil fans correctly, I've gone all about this the wrong way. You see I'd watched all the films either on or at least within a year or two of their initial release way before being introduced to the games. I've now played 4 and 5, in the wrong order I might add and I'm very much of the mind set they're two branches of the same tree, complimenting each other and idealistically twinned but not necessarily needing to follow exactly the same rules or tell the same stories. I mean from where I'm sitting the whole RE world is a bit far fetched and incoherent so what's in a bit of artistic licence.
With this in mind I went back to Resident Evil (1) with some trepidation. As well as having generally low expectations of it, just as a film, because I'm now more immersed in the gaming side of RE I expected to be outraged at writer and director Paul W. S. Anderson's total betrayal of its origins. However, now I've watched it again, whilst I'll happily acknowledge it's definitely a different take on the universe, I also think the film does work as a worthy tribute to the franchise and is a well written, well acted, bloody good claustrophobic sci-fi action zombie romp to boot.
Under Raccoon City the all powerful Umbrella Corporation conduct highly dangerous and hugely profitable top secret biological, chemical and genetic experimentation. The research facility known as the Hive is manned by 500 people and after the genetically engineered T-virus gets loose, the facility's artificial intelligence kicks in and controls the situation by killing all those contaminated and sealing itself off from the rest of the world.
So to the star of the show; Alice (Milla Jovovich) regains consciousness naked in the shower of a mansion above The Hive with no memory of who she is or what she's doing there. She stumbles into Matt (Eric Mabius) an investigative journalist who's trying to find evidence of The Umbrella Corporation's illegal and immoral work just as a crack group of commandos sent to investigate the situation storm the building.
Taking Alice and Matt with them they infiltrate The Hive, uncover fellow amnesiac Spence (James Purefoy) and explain they work for Umbrella and have been sent to investigate why the computer AI known as The Red Queen has killed everyone and how Alice and Spence have been gassed by the Red Queen causing them to forget they also worked for Umbrella as a married undercover couple protecting the mansion.
After a few mishaps getting past the AI's defences, the depleted group get themselves to the core of the Red Queen and successfully reboot her despite her warnings. With her defences down the depleted gang learn the hard way that she was the only thing protecting them from the effects the T-virus has had on the staff of the facility.
The T-virus is of course the zombie virus and the staff have all been infected. As we're introduced to Anderson's zombies we find they adhere to the established traditional western model; they're mindless and driven by impulse and a primal desire for the sustenance of human flesh, they require severe head trauma (read: bullet to the noggin) to put them down permanently and they seem to prefer to roam in packs. As we've seen before the T-virus is transmitted through blood so a bite or a scratch and you're in trouble. What's interesting here though is that if treated quickly, I'm assuming before the victim dies, there's actually an anti-virus.
With the zombie threat released the film becomes a battle for survival with the group desperately trying to make their way out before the automatic defences kick in and the facility is locked down for good. On this journey Alice starts to regain her memories and the fact she's not a helpless pretty young thing but actually a kick-ass ultimate fighting champion. As she kicks, jumps, weaves, punches and shoots with pin point precision through many tight action-packed zombie sequences we realise the suspense and horror of the first half of the film has made way for something else but it's no big loss; Anderson seems at home with the high octane stuff and it's meticulously constructed and highly stylised.
Anderson has done a fantastic job of producing a coherent tight claustrophobic sci-fi experience full of suspense and great action scenes. The soldiers are a bit formulaic and there isn't much depth to the characters but there's enough there for the film to get by. From Alice waking alone and confused in an empty house her journey overcoming her amnesia is used to drive the narrative, and the film does a good job of aligning this with the pace of action. A slow intense start builds to a frenetic action based climax and whilst I didn't particularly care for the super-mutant that's pitted against the survivors I didn't actively dislike it and it produced a fist-thumping good ending.
As I've said before I think Anderson has done a good job of paying homage to the franchise as well as crafting a solid zombie survival story that stands up against the genre. I don't see Resident Evil on many top zombie film lists and this is a pity as there's really nothing really very wrong with it. Strong, stylish and a little different, 8/10.