text:
COLUMBUS --The White House issued warnings of cuts to Ohio schools, work-study programs, child care and other federally funded programs if mandated spending reductions take effect at the end of the week.
In a conference call with reporters Monday afternoon, senior officials from President Barack Obama's administration outlined "devastating" impacts to states from $85 billion in automatic spending cuts over the next seven months.
"These cuts would have macro-economic consequences nationwide," said Jason Furman, deputy director of the president's National Economic Council. "Hundreds of thousands of jobs would be lost... The bulk of the job loss would be private jobs that are lost because of the reduced economic activity associated with the sequester and the impact that would have on the entire economy."
But state officials responded that federal spending is unsustainable and would prove "disastrous" if left unchecked. And the head of the Office of Budget and Management said he didn't expect any major disruptions to state services as a result of the potential federal action.
"Sequestration may not be the most desirable means of addressing this issue, but clearly the federal government must follow Ohio's example and put its fiscal house in order," Tim Keen, Gov. John Kasich's budget director, said in a released statement.
Friday is the deadline for Obama and Democrats and congressional Republicans to reach a compromise with Republicans on budget issues to avoid a series of automatic spending cuts triggered as part of law changes that were part of federal budget legislation.
Furman said federal officials did not mean for the cuts to occur -- rather, the language was designed to force Republicans and Democrats to compromise on a budget deal.
Among potential cut that would affect Ohio, the White House projected:
A reduction of about $25 million for primary and secondary education, "putting around 350 teacher and aide jobs at risk."
Less aid for work-study programs, affecting 3,320 low-income residents attending college and 1,450 involved in government-backed jobs that assist with college costs.
A loss of more than $6.8 million in funding for clean air and water programs, plus close to a million in grants for fish and wildlife protection.
The forced furloughing of 26,000 defense employees in the state, reducing gross pay by more than $161 million.
Cuts to child-care assistance for up to 800 needy youngsters and cuts to immunization assistance affecting 5,000-plus children.
Keen said Ohio's Office of Budget and Management is closely monitoring the potential federal cuts.
"Those provisions -- along with various alternative measures being discussed in Washington, up to the present moment -- present a great many uncertainties and changing scenarios," he said. "This makes it difficult to project the nature or impact of specific cuts."
Keen added, "Under the present plan, Medicaid and most transportation programs, two of the largest sources of federal funding in Ohio's budget, are exempt from sequestration. OBM is prepared to work with all state agencies to manage any other impacts the sequestration might create. However, it is our general sense that we will not see significant disruptions to state operations or federally funded programs."
Marc Kovac is the Dix Capital Bureau Chief. Email him at email@example.com or on Twitter at OhioCapitalBlog.


text:
So this morning I overslept. I had planned on getting in five miles and then seeing how my knee felt. I decided that I would just try to run a little bit faster in order to get my run in before I went to work for the day.
Faster is right. 7:55 pace. Where in the WORLD did that come from? Came home, SWEATY! :) I haven't ran that fast in a long time and I really had to push myself to run that fast, but I feel like it was well worth it. My legs felt good and we will see in about two hours how my knee is feeling. My toe didn't seem to bother me, but it usually after I take off my shoes after a long day. I then did 20 push ups and finished with 200 sit ups. Dying. The abs. Dying.
Tonight I'm going to a little election party gathering. Here in CA its time to vote for some city officials and one of my close family friends is running for the City of Bellflower. Should be exciting and hopefully he is a shoo-in!
Well we all know I would have to address it sometime. About this bachelor debacle that I saw last night. From day one I disliked the guy, anyone who leaves his small child with no mother to find 'love' on television is a crock for me. Melissa will probably be the next bachelorette since she loves to be on TV, and has her own calender. Wow, no wonder when I tried out for the show a while back I didn't make it. I didn't know you had to be a model. Enough with that, I am sad I just wasted perfect blog space for that.
I leave you with this lovely race photo from the Race on the Base 10k that was two weekends ago.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Kenny, Kyle, Cartman, and Stan join forces to defeat Tenorman's Ginger Army in South Park: Tenorman's Revenge. How? Perhaps these latest screens can shed some light.
Don't worry, redheads. I realize cartoons are cartoons, and I still love all of you.
Except for you, Frank. You're a bit of a jerk. Sorry, had to be said.
Edit: Originally had the game listed as South Park: The Game, which is something else entirely.


text:
Windows enthusiast site JCXP.net is asking fellow fans to delete the Opera web browser from PCs and devices in an act of solidarity against European antitrust action.
"Today we are proposing a complete boycott of all Opera software," David Taraso, editor of the JCXP group, wrote in a blog post late on Friday. Taraso blames Opera Software for goading European regulators into a regulatory showdown with Microsoft.
The European Commission filed antitrust charges in January alleging Microsoft unfairly stifles competition by bundling Internet Explorer with Windows. The investigation was spurred by a 2007 complaint from Opera Software, maker of a rival web browser and long-time outspoken critic of Microsoft's dominance. Although the lawsuit was later joined by Google and Mozilla, Taraso blames Opera as the instigator.
The plot thickened in the EU case on Thursday, when Microsoft said it would ship the upcoming Windows 7 operating system in Europe without Internet Explorer, in an apparent attempt to preempt antitrust measures. The EU hastily rejected Microsoft's response as inadequate, with Opera jeering at the sidelines.
"This is absolutely nothing more than a company who can't legitimately gain market share trying to squeeze their unpopular browser onto Windows systems," Taraso wrote. "Opera is simply upset because their browser is dead last in market share, and has already been surpassed by the recent released Google Chrome browser and Apple's Safari browser for Windows."
Critics of the IE-drop solution, such as the anti-Microsoft lobby known as the European Committee for Interoperable Systems, claims that the announcement is "too little, too late" and that "further action is needed to undo the effects of decades of abuse."
In a second post on June 14, Taraso clarified that his call for an Opera boycott doesn't have the full support of JCXP staff, while further laying out his stance against the company. In particular, he dismisses Opera's demands that Windows 7 include a "ballot screen" for users to select their choice of at least five preloaded browsers.
"The idea of having a ballot screen as a whole is a ridiculous idea. The entire purpose of this ballot screen would be to promote competing products within Windows," he wrote. "Hello!!! Do I really need to explain to you how ridiculous that is? You can't honestly look me in the
eyes monitor and not laugh a little inside at the thought of this."
Taraso compares the browser ballot idea with General Motors being forced to hang an air freshener in their cars suggesting, "Perhaps you would prefer a Toyota?"
Taraso added that while he doesn't hate Opera or their browser, he believes the company shouldn't be trying to expand its market share by forcing Microsoft to advertise its product.
"I think Opera would be able to make a fairly large splash in the market if they simply invested in some proper advertising," Taraso said. "Put some commercials up on TV, start a viral ad campaign, advertise on some web sites. Spread the word that you're out there, the world should know, but not by taking down your competitors - that's just silly." ®
Sponsored: Webcast: Ransomware has gone nuclear


text:
Rocker by Patrick Martone and Beaven Burkett
Barns and outbuildings are important icons of country life in New England. When there is no longer hope in preserving a structure, salvaging allows the materials to live on in new form. We are a two man team that dismantle these structures piece by piece without the use of heavy machinery. We are able to salvage all usable pieces and preserve the distinctive character markings left on these old growth wood.


text:
FlowerPot Fruitcake
Here's a new variety of fruitcake folks will surely favor. Mary Kay Calnan of Worthington, Ohio started with a pound cake mix and added traditional spices and raisins to give it a fruitcake flavor. Then she took the recipe a crafty step further by baking it in individual foil-lined flowerpots. "After the cakes are cool, I remove them from the pots and replace the foil with fabric, then fit the cakes back into the pots," describes Mary Kay.
Total TimePrep: 20 min. Bake: 55 min. + cooling
Makes3 loaves
- Heavy-duty aluminum foil
- 3 clay pots, 4 inches wide and 4 inches deep
- 1 package (16 ounces) pound cake mix
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2/3 cup apple juice
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- Corn syrup
- Red and green candied cherries
- Cut foil into three 12-in. squares. Turn pots upside down; press one square of foil over each as smoothly as possible. Remove shaped foil. Turn pot right side up and press foil down into pots, pressing firmly against all sides. Let extra foil hang over rim of pots to aid in removal later. Generously grease inside of foil and dust with flour; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine cake mix, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add apple juice and eggs; beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium for 3 minutes. Combine raisins and flour; fold into batter. Fill each prepared pot three-fourths full. Sprinkle with almonds. Place pots on a baking sheet.
- Bake at 325° for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place pots on a wire rack to cool. When cooled, remove foil liners from pots. Carefully peel off foil and discard. Heat a small amount of corn syrup and brush over tops of loaves. Decorate with candied cherries. Wrap loaves in plastic wrap or with a napkin and put back into pots for gift-giving.
Every product is independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.


text:
ALBANY — Dion Lewis, a backup running back for the Philadelphia Eagles and former phenom at Albany Academy and University of Pittsburgh, was arrested over the weekend on felony charges after police said he and his older brother nearly knocked a downtown hotel's glass doors off their hinges and pulled a fire alarm.
Word of the pre-dawn incident surfaced Monday as Lewis, one of the more decorated professional athletes to recently come out of the Capital Region, was scheduled to appear at the Troy Boys and Girls Club on Tuesday and speak with summer campers. The incident occurred at 4:40 a.m. at the Hampton Inn on Chapel Street, when Lewis and his brother, Lamar, were stuck outside behind the locked clear glass door leading to the hotel's lobby, said Officer Steve Smith, a police spokesman. Lewis and his brother were both drunk, police said, and began to strike the doors, hitting them "with such force as to rock them and nearly break them from their hinges," according to court documents.
Todd Reichelt, general manager for the Hampton Inn, said the doors to the hotel are locked after midnight to anyone who does not have a key.
Either Dion or Lamar Lewis then pulled the hotel's fire alarm, waking dozens of patrons and prompting emergency crews to visit the hotel, police said.
Both brothers were charged with falsely reporting a fire, a felony, and misdemeanor reckless endangerment.
Dion Lewis, 21, was released after his arraignment in City Court. Lamar Lewis, 35, was being held at the Albany County jail without bail because he has two previous felony convictions, a court clerk said.
Police said they believe Saturday's arrest was Dion Lewis' first.
Lewis hung up when reached by the Times Union on Monday. He later issued an apology through the Eagles.
"I want to apologize to my family, the Albany community, the Eagles organization and fans, and to the NFL for my involvement in an incident this past weekend," Lewis said. "It was never my intention to cause any public alarm or damage any property. I am sorry for any embarrassment and inconvenience that my actions have caused."
Lewis said he would continue to conduct himself "with the high moral, ethical and professional standards that I have my entire life and of which so many others rightly expect of me. Because the matter is still in the hands of the court system, I cannot comment any further."
Lewis' appearance at the Boys and Girls Club, where he was expected to talk to roughly 100 kids about "the value of working to the best of their abilities both on and off the playing field," was canceled and may be rescheduled for later this summer.
"He was supposed to talk about things like how to make better choices," said Sharon Smith, the club's director. "I think it's certainly a teachable moment."
Set to begin his second season in the NFL, Lewis has been a familiar face at local charitable events over the past year, appearing at a Police Athletic League youth football event in October and a benefit hosted by former NFL defensive back and University at Albany graduate Rashad Barksdale in March. Also in March, Lewis stopped by one of the city's SNUG anti-gun gatherings and visited with students at the Abrookin Vocational-Technical Center on Kent Street.
As NFL teams are beginning to prepare for training camp, where rosters will slowly go from 90 players to 53 over three weeks, Lewis' clean record may go far in determining his future.
Though Commissioner Roger Goodell has been known for handing down stiff punishments for on-field conduct, most recently in a bounty scandal involving the New Orleans Saints, first-time offenders accused of low-level felonies or misdemeanors are almost never suspended, sometimes facing a fine or no penalty at all. Many players have their charges greatly reduced or dismissed altogether in criminal court.
The charge lodged against Lewis of false report of an incident is a Class E felony, the lowest felony class under state penal code, punishable by up to four years in prison.
The Eagles did not return a phone call seeking comment, but issued a statement saying, "We are aware of the incident involving Dion Lewis over the weekend in Albany and have since spoken to Dion and his representatives about it. They have a good understanding of the serious nature of this matter and understand the embarrassment it caused to not only himself, but the entire organization. Because it is a pending legal matter, we will have no further comment at this point."
After transferring from Albany Academy following his junior year, Lewis finished out his high school career at Blair Academy, a private school in New Jersey. Lewis went on to become the nation's top freshman running back at the University of Pittsburgh in 2009, rushing for 1,640 yards and 17 touchdowns. He topped 1,000 yards again during his sophomore season and declared for the NFL draft in 2011.
Lewis was drafted by the Eagles in the fifth round and served as a kick returner and backup running back in his rookie season last year. He rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries in 14 games.
Dion and Lamar Lewis are both scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing Wednesday.
firstname.lastname@example.com • 518-454-5414 • @BFitzgeraldTU


text:
The 2020 Mazda MX-5 has won countless awards during its 31-year reign over the roadster category – and it continues to do so. In 2020 and beyond, the Mazda MX-5 keeps getting better and better, exciting drivers around the world with its focus on "lighter weight, more power", combined with Kodo Design and surprising comfort.
Models shown may not be to UK specification. Colours and some exterior and/or interior elements may differ on screen from the actual model.
The official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the 2020 Mazda MX-5 Convertible Range: Combined 40.9 (6.9) – 44.8 (6.3). CO2 emissions (g/km) 155 - 142
Figures shown are for comparability purposes; only compare fuel consumption and CO2 figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real life driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including the accessories fitted (post-registration), variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load. All figures quoted are derived from the latest WLTP test cycle.


text:
Richmond County Sheriff's Office Online
Welcome to the online home of the Richmond County Sheriff's Office. This website is an integral part of Sheriff Richard Roundtree's pledge to encourage community involvement in law enforcement. By working together, we can identify and resolve issues which affect the safety and security of our city and county.
We invite you to visit our website regularly and to follow us on Facebook to stay informed. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Use our anonymous crime reporting form to report suspicious activity or our contact form to share your thoughts with the Sheriff.


text:
NASA Team Sea Ice Algorithm
Donald J. Cavalieri
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Published 1992
- Algorithm Description
- SSM/I Tie Points
- Weather Filter
- Algorithm Sensitivity and Sources of Error
- Algorithm Accuracy
Algorithm Description
In 1985 the NASA Sea Ice Algorithm Working Group (NSAWG) reviewed the state of passive microwave sea ice algorithm development for the purpose of recommending an algorithm for deriving sea ice products from the new DMSP SSM/I. The NSAWG chose three candidate algorithms that had been developed and tested, and selected one of these for processing the SSM/I data. A description of each of the three candidate algorithms and the rationale for selecting the NASA Team algorithm are summarized in Swift and Cavalieri (1985).
The three SSM/I channels used in calculating sea ice concentration with the NASA algorithm are the 19.4 GHz horizontally (H) and vertically (V) polarized channels and the vertically polarized 37.0 GHz channel. This algorithm is functionally the same as the Nimbus 7 SMMR algorithm described by Cavalieri et al. (1984) and Gloersen and Cavalieri (1986). The SSM/I radiances from each of the three channels are first mapped onto polar stereographic grids also called the SSM/I grid. The gridded radiances are then used to calculate grids for the two independent variables used in the algorithm. These are the polarization (PR) and spectral gradient ratios (GR) defined by:
Tb is the observed brightness temperature at the indicated frequency and polarization. From these two parameters the first-year ice concentration (CF) and the multiyear ice concentration (CM) are calculated from the following equations:
CF = (a0 + a1PR + a2GR + a3PR * GR)/D (3) CM = (b0 + b1PR + b2GR + b3PR * GR)/D (4) Where D = c0 + c1PR + C2GR + c3PR * GR (5)
The total ice concentration (CT) is the sum of the first-year and multiyear concentrations
The coefficients ai, bi, and ci (i = 0, 3) are functions of a set of nine brightness temperatures. These brightness temperatures , referred to as algorithm tie points, are observed SSM/I radiances over areas of known ice-free ocean, First Year (FY) sea ice, and Multi Year (MY) ice for each of the three SSM/I channels. The algorithm tie points, as well as the coefficients in equations 3 to 5, are given in Table 1. The reasons for dropping the FY and MY ice nomenclature and for calculating only CT for the Antarctic are discussed in the next section.
In addition to constraining the solutions to concentrations between 0 percent and 100 percent, the algorithm also sets the total ice concentration to 0 percent for those SSM/I grid cells with GR values greater than preset thresholds. This serves to reduce spurious ice concentrations caused by weather-related effects over ice-free ocean. This so-called weather filter is discussed below.
SSM/I Tie Points
The selection of the SSM/I F8 tie points was based on an analysis of SSM/I brightness temperatures, PR-GR distributions, histograms of sea ice concentrations, and on comparisons with near simultaneous measurements from the Nimbus-7 SMMR during July and August 1987. Refer to Table 1. The two sets of SSM/I tie points (one for the Northern Hemisphere and one for the Southern Hemisphere) represent a global set designed for mapping global ice concentrations. While this global set of tie points provides a uniform measure of sea ice concentration on the large scale, improved accuracy is obtained with the use of regionally selected tie points (Steffen and Schweiger 1991). Note that tie points are the same for F8 and F11 data.
The ice-free (open water) tie points were chosen to be near minimum ice-free ocean brightness temperatures (corresponding to near maximum values of PR). By choosing near minimum brightness temperatures, the PR range between open water and FY ice is about an order of magnitude, permitting greater algorithm sensitivity for detecting changes in ice concentration. Although the Arctic and Antarctic open water tie points were selected independently, the brightness temperatures difference for corresponding channels is no more than about 1 K. Refer to Table 1.
The ice tie point selection was more difficult, since the passive-microwave ice signatures depend on region and season. This is particularly true of Arctic MY ice. Even for a given region and season there is a certain amount of random variability for a given ice type. Thus, there is generally a range of brightness temperatures that could be used as tie points. The series of SSM/I aircraft underflights helped in this regard (Cavalieri et al. 1991). Mosaic patterns covering several SSM/I image pixels were flown in the central Arctic over a two-week period in March 1988. Although the mosaicked aircraft data did not provide radiometric coverage at the SSM/I frequencies and polarizations, it did provide a constraint on the ice concentrations, which were calculated from passive and active microwave imagery. This allowed adjustment of the ice tie-points within the range of allowable values to improve the accuracy to within a few percent (relative to the aircraft data).
The need for different ice type tie points for the Arctic and Antarctic results from the very different environmental conditions of the two polar regions. Indeed, the observed physical characteristics of Antarctic sea ice are different from those in the Arctic (Ackley et al. 1980, Wadhams et al. 1987), implying a corresponding difference in microwave radiance characteristics. In the Antarctic the two ice types distinguished by the algorithm are identified as ice type A and ice type B. Examination of Table 1 shows significant differences between the Arctic first-year and Antarctic ice type A tie points and between the Arctic multiyear ice and Antarctic ice type B tie points. While ice temperature differences may explain some of the observed tie point differences for corresponding ice types, real emissivity differences are reflected in the polarization and spectral differences. In the Antarctic the radiometric distinction between first-year (seasonal) ice and multiyear (perennial) ice is lost. Unlike the Arctic, where the predominant source of negative gradient ratios is the volume scattering by the empty brine pockets in the freeboard portion of multiyear ice, in the Antarctic, the main source of volume scattering is from sources other than multiyear ice. One very likely source of volume scattering is the snow cover on the sea ice. Snow cover of sufficient depth and of sufficiently large grain size will mimic the microwave signature of multiyear ice.
Weather Filter
A problem in mapping the polar sea ice covers in both hemispheres has been the false indication of sea ice over the open ocean and at the ice edge. These spurious sea ice concentrations result from the presence of atmospheric water vapor, nonprecipitating cloud liquid water, rain and sea surface roughening by surface winds. While these effects are relatively minor at polar latitudes in winter, they result in serious weather contamination problems at all latitudes in summer (Cavalieri et al. 1992).
This problem was addressed for sea ice concentrations derived from the Nimbus 7 SMMR data through the development of a weather filter (Gloersen and Cavalieri 1986). The filter is based on the polarization (PR18) and spectral gradient ratio (GR37/18) distribution of ice-free and ice-covered seas. If GR(37/18) is greater than 0.07, then the sea ice concentration is set to zero. While this eliminates most of the unwanted weather effects, it also eliminates sea ice concentrations less than about 12 percent in FY ice regions and 8 percent in MY ice regions. Applying GR(37/19) filters to SSM/I-derived sea ice concentration maps is less successful because the closer proximity of the 19.35 GHz SSM/I channels to the center of the 22.2 GHz atmospheric water-vapor line makes the 19.35 GHz channels more sensitive to changes in atmospheric water vapor, resulting in greater contamination problems.
A new composite weather filter has been developed (Cavalieri et al. 1994) and implemented in the NASA Team sea ice algorithm for routine processing of the SSM/I data for generating sea ice concentration maps. The new filter is a combination of the original SSM/I GR(37/19), which effectively eliminates most of the spurious concentration resulting from wind-roughening of the ocean surface, cloud liquid water, and rainfall with another GR filter based on the 22.2 GHz and 19.35 GHz channels. The rationale for using GR(22/19) is based partly on the sensitivity of the 22.2 GHz to water vapor and partly on the need to minimize the effect of ice temperature variations at the ice edge.
This new weather filter works as follows: If GR(37/19) is greater than 0.05 and/or GR(22/19) is greater than 0.045, the sea ice concentration is set to zero. These GR thresholds effectively eliminate most of the weather contamination, except for winds greater than about 30 m/s, cloud liquid water more than 24 cm, water vapor greater than 0.2 cm, and rain rates greater than 12 mm/hour. Except for a few case studies completed during the development of this filter, the extent to which it eliminates ice-edge concentrations in different regions of the Arctic and Antarctic for different seasons is unknown. Work is currently underway to determine the overall effectiveness of the new SSM/I weather filter.
AlgorithmSensitivity and Sources of Error
Algorithm Sensitivity
The sensitivity of the algorithm to random errors has been described previously (Swift and Cavalieri 1985) for the SMMR version of the algorithm. The sensitivity analysis was redone using the SSM/I algorithm coefficients in Table 1. The results are presented in Tables 2 and Figure 1 for the Arctic and Antarctic sets of tie points, respectively. The sensitivity coefficients given in Table 2 were calculated for regions of First Year (FY) ice and multi-year (MY) ice in the Arctic at three different ice concentrations. This was repeated for the Antarctic with ice type regions labeled A and B. Each coefficient represents the uncertainty in concentration in units of percent per 1 K uncertainty in brightness temperatures . The total root-summed-square (rss) sensitivity is also given for each concentration.
The coefficients given in Tables 2 and Figure 1 may be used to obtain an estimate of the error incurred by variations in the radiometric properties of the ice surface. For example, a random variation in ice emissivity of ñ.01 over 100 percent FY ice corresponds to a variation in brightness temperatures of 2.5 K (assuming a value of 250 K for the physical temperature of the radiating portion of the ice), which in turn corresponds to an error of ñ4.5 percent (ñ.018 x 2.5) in total ice concentration, assuming all three channels are subject to this variation.
The sensitivity of the calculated ice concentrations to ice temperature variations is reduced through the use of radiance ratios PR and GR (Cavalieri et al. 1984, Swift and Cavalieri 1985). Except at the onset of melt, there is no apparent correlation between PR and the increasing brightness temperatures resulting from seasonal warming. This is not the case for GR, which is correlated with the seasonal variation in brightness temperatures. An estimated error of ñ 0.005 in GR (Gloersen et al. 1992) corresponds to an uncertainty in total ice concentration of about ñ 1 brightness temperatures, while the error in MY ice concentration is about ñ 9 brightness temperatures . These estimated errors are consistent with the results obtained from previously published comparative studies (Cavalieri et al. 1991, Steffen and Schweiger 1991).
Sources of Error
Errors in the derived sea ice concentrations arise from several sources. In order of importance, these are (1) the inability of the algorithm to discriminate among more than two radiometrically different sea ice types, (2) seasonal variations in sea ice emissivity, (3) nonseasonal variations in sea ice emissivity, (4) weather effects at concentrations greater than about 15 percent, and (5) random and systematic instrument error.
The largest source of error is the inability of the algorithm to discriminate among more than two radiometrically different sea ice types (including different surface conditions). The broad categories of radiometrically different sea ice types are new and young ice, FY ice, and MY ice types. Since the algorithm allows for both FY and MY ice types, the largest source of error in total ice concentration is caused by the presence of newly forming sea ice. New and young ice, most commonly found in leads and coastal polynyas during winter, are characterized by polarization differences intermediate between open water and thick FY ice (Cavalieri et al. 1986). PR for thin ice will vary in proportion to ice thickness (Grenfell and Comiso 1986) and will increase in proportion to the fraction of new ice filling the SSM/I field of view. For example, if we presume that an FOV contains 10 percent new ice (PR = 0.14) and 90% FY ice (PR = 0.03), then the increase in PR results in an underestimate of about 10 percent in total ice concentration. Larger areas of new ice within the sensor FOV will result in proportionally larger underestimates by the algorithm. Recently, a new thin ice algorithm has been developed (Cavalieri et al. 1994) which mitigates this problem in seasonal sea ice zones and also permits the mapping of new and young ice types.
Seasonal variations in sea ice emissivities can be extremely large. MY ice, for example, loses its characteristic microwave spectral signature (negative GR) during spring and summer and becomes indistinguishable from FY ice. Another condition resulting in large errors in total ice concentration is the formation of melt ponds on the ice surface, making the ponded region indistinguishable from open water. While the areal extent of ponding is not well known, unpublished data reported by Carsey (1982) show that for the summer of 1975, 20 percent or less of the Arctic ice pack was covered by ponds and that ponding reached maximum areal extent in early July. For an area of the Beaufort Sea (AIDJEX triangle) during August 1975, Campbell et at. (1984) report that the average ponding was 30 percent. The percent coverage of melt ponds varies spatially and temporally across the Arctic and the extent to which they influence summer ice concentrations remains uncertain.
Nonseasonal variations in sea ice emissivity include local variations, resulting from fluctuations in the physical and chemical properties of sea ice, and regional variations resulting from environmental differences. Regional and hemispheric variability may be considerable, as indicated by previous studies (Comiso 1983, Ackley 1979). Differences between Arctic and Antarctic sea ice microwave signatures noted above result in different sets of algorithm tie-points for each hemisphere. Algorithm errors can be reduced by using locally and seasonally chosen algorithm tie points.
While weather effects resulting from atmospheric water vapor, cloud liquid water, rain, and sea surface roughening by near-surface winds on the calculated sea ice concentrations are greatly reduced over open ocean at polar latitudes by the algorithm weather filter described previously, they may nevertheless contribute to the sea ice concentration error at concentrations greater than about 15 percent. Presuming that the atmospheric contribution is nearly zero over consolidated FY ice and that the contribution at the open water end results totally from atmospheric effects estimated to be up to 15 percent, then the error resulting from atmospheric effects for any intermediate concentration may be estimated by a linear interpolation. While the effects of weather on high total ice concentrations are small, there is the potential for significant reductions in multiyear ice concentrations (Maslanik 1992).
Finally, errors in ice concentration also result from random and systematic instrument errors. Except for the 85-GHz channels, over the two years of SSM/I operation, no instrument drifts are apparent. Based on prelaunch measurements and on observed radiances over relatively stable targets where temporal and spatial geophysical variability is small, the error for each of the three SSM/I channels used in the algorithm is less than 1 K, and the absolute accuracy is estimated at 3 K (Hollinger 1989). Assuming a 1-K level of random instrument noise in each channel, an upper limit to the rss uncertainty in the calculated concentrations, which depends on surface type and concentration, ranges from about 1 percent to 1.8 percent for total ice concentration and from 4.5 percent to 6 percent for MY ice concentration.
Algorithm Accuracy
Several sea ice validation studies have been published involving the NASA Team Sea Ice algorithm. Some of these resulted from the NASA Sea Ice Validation Program for the DMSP SSM/I, while others were conducted independently. Please review the bibliography for pertinent references.
Table 1 lists the tie points for open water, first year ice, and multiyear ice.
|Tb (Kelvins)
Northern Hemisphere
|Tb (Kelvins)
Southern Hemisphere
Table 2 lists the coefficients derived from tie points used to compute the first year and multiyear ice fractions according to Equations 3 and 4.
|Northern Hemisphere
|Southern Hemisphere
Figures 1 and 2 list the NASA SSM/I Algorithm Sensitivity Coefficients for First-year and Multiyear Ice Regions of the Arctic at Different Concentrations. Each coefficient represents the uncertainty in concentration in units of percent per 1-K uncertainty in brightness temperature
Table 3 lists the NASA SSM/I Algorithm Sensitivity Coefficients for Ice Type A and Ice Type B Regions of the Antarctic at Different Concentrations. Each coefficient represents the uncertainty in concentration in units of percent per 1-K uncertainty in brightness temperature.
|Ice Type A
|Ice Type B


text:
During the phases of the business cycle, inflation, housing starts, consumer credit, auto sales, etc., have a tendency to follow a general historical trend. Assuming there is some relationship between economic activity and stock prices, in this post we'll examine a few of these tell-tale signs and discuss how they may lend insight into the future stock price movement. Of course, a brief post is clearly insufficient to cover such a vast topic such as this, but it may prove beneficial to focus on a couple of keys in the process. Let's begin by defining the business cycles and discuss how certain economic measures tend to trend during the different stages of the cycle.
The business cycle has four phases:
- Expansion
- Peak
- Contraction
- Trough
Most recently, the cycle hit bottom (trough) in the U.S. in mid 2009 and has been slowly expanding since then. However, this expansion is historically weak as compared to the majority of past expansions. During this recovery, GDP has struggled to surpass 2.0%. GDP is officially published three times after each calendar quarter. The second time (i.e.; first revision) for Q1 2013 was 2.4%. However, in late June it was revised downward to its final figure of 1.8%.
When the economy is expanding, it's common to find housing starts trending higher, along with consumer credit and auto sales. In short, an increase in economic activity begets economic expansion which begets more lending which begets more sales which results in increased corporate profits, which are critical to higher stock prices. Also, during periods of expansion, demand and sentiment rises and inflation often declines, at least initially. Recently, consumer sentiment fell slightly which coincides with the downward revision in Q1 GDP.
The difficultly in forecasting the future of stock prices lies partly in knowing what stock investors will buy based on what they believe is going to happen, which is essentially an educated guess. For instance, if investors believe economic growth is about to rise sharply, they would buy heavily and stocks would rise accordingly. Then, when reality arrives, if they've guessed correctly, absent any other catalysts, stock price movement may be somewhat subdued as the positive news would've already been priced in. However, if their guess were wrong and the economy contracted, and especially if the contraction were severe, stocks would fall hard. Part of the reason for this is that stocks would've risen sharply based on the good news and, hence, would have even farther to fall.
Even though this recovery has been one of the weakest since the Great Depression, stocks which fell dramatically (after rising dramatically during the housing bubble), have been rising as if the economy were booming. However, without the Fed's intervention, I doubt we would've seen anything close to the rise we've had.
Where do we go from here? If the divergence between expectation and reality is great, the market adjustments would tend to be more extreme. However, as long as the Fed remains accommodative, and Europe doesn't implode, and China's GDP doesn't contract too much (it just announced GDP of 7.5%, matching estimates), and the upcoming U.S. earnings season doesn't disappoint, I believe domestic stocks could continue to trend higher. There are many other catalysts, but these are a few of my favorite things.
Next week, we'll expand this subject and discuss in greater detail how certain economic statistics typically react during the various phases of the business cycle. In short, I suppose you could say that the business cycle—and the market, for that matter—doesn't always follow the rules. This is because bubbles come in various sizes and their incubation period fluctuates. Therefore, because the extremes are often just that, extreme, we need to remain somewhat cautious. However, one cannot afford to stay away from stocks completely as it seems they remain the only game in town, thanks in great part to Big Ben! Oh, I forgot to mention that his impending retirement and chosen successor could also have an influence on the markets.
Until then, thanks for reading and have a nice week!


text:
Ivymount CEO Jan Wintrol appeared live as an expert guest on Fox 5 DC this morning (9/27).
The Fox 5 team called on Jan to take part in the Love & Order segment of the morning news program. Jan offered advice and guidelines to a parent on how children can successfully interact with peers with autism who display aggressive behavior.


text:
This was published 5 years ago
MH17 crash site a farce as amateurs control recovery of bodies
Read our full coverage of the MH17 crash
Kiev: The recovery of the bodies of the travellers that fell from the sky over eastern Ukraine should be ordered, respectful and expert.
But it isn't. It has become an invasion of body snatchers and a duel over possession of the dead.
It should be a seamless operation where forensic examination of clues as to MH17's fate leads swiftly to identification and return of remains to the deceased's grieving family.
But reports from the crash site describe a farce, a scene run by a man who has dubbed himself 'Commander Grumpy' and acted out by amateurs under a veil of secrecy, confusion and denial, while international observers look helplessly on.
The masked gunmen controlling the site told a Buzzfeed journalist, Christopher Miller, they were under the command of the DPR's general prosecutor, Ramil Halikiv.
The rebel commander who said he was in charge of guarding the crash site identified himself to Miller as Commander Grumpy –- "because I get grumpy when I spend too much time away from destroying Ukrainian BMPs [armored fighting vehicles] and tanks. You don't want to see me grumpy".
'Commander Grumpy' told the journalist he did not know where the bodies would be taken.
"Maybe they will go here, maybe there," he said.
Relatives of the MH17's fallen are expected to start arriving in Ukraine over the next few days to take their loved ones home - but it seems they may at first find only delay and frustration here.
MH17 fell into the middle of a civil war, almost certainly because of it.
The plane's wreckage and contents, including passengers, lie scattered over tens of square kilometres of fields and villages under the control of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic – pro-Russian separatists that Ukraine claims are under the influence of - and armed and supported by - Russia.
The bodies, some whole, some not, some burned, some apparently looted for their belongings, have spent more than two days in the humid warmth of eastern Ukraine.
On Friday night, Ukraine claims, the separatists moved in to do what they had prevented others from doing: recovering bodies.
The Ukraine government said 38 of the bodies of the victims had been picked up and taken to a morgue in Donetsk city, where Russian-accented experts would perform autopsies.
Andriy Lysenko, spokesman for the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council, accused the rebels of trying to hide evidence inside the remains that could incriminate them in the attack on the plane.
"According to the information we have that was done in order to find in the bodies of victims parts of missile which shot down the plane," he said.
On Saturday, international journalists tried to establish what was going on at the Donetsk morgue.
Al Jazeera journalist Nazanine Moshiri saw a refrigerated lorry driven by a rebel waiting to drive out to collect more bodies.
The DPR's self-proclaimed minister of health first confirmed to her that the previous night's collection had been moved to the morgue - but then he denied it.
Guards at the morgue told Moshiri they would not move the bodies anywhere, and they were waiting for international experts to arrive.
Meanwhile at the crash site, hundreds of separatists wielding heavy weapons controlled all access to the area.
After some negotiation they let through a convoy from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, a body set up by international governments to act as observers in conflict zones.
The group's spokesman Michael Bociurkiw said the militants in control of the crash site had granted his team more access than on Friday, when they first arrived and were only permitted 75 minutes before being told to leave.
They were told to stay on roadways and not venture into fields.
"There's a lot of security, people with heavy arms, we are being watched very carefully," Mr Bociurkiw said.
"We are unarmed civilians so we are not in a position to argue heavily with people with heavy arms."
While there, Mr Bociurkiw's 24-strong team witnessed unidentified local emergency personnel moving the bodies of the dead.
"There are 'experts' here who brought body bags with them. They are moving the bodies to the side of the road - as far as we can tell no bodies have been moved beyond the crash site," Mr Bociurkiw said.
"We don't know who they are because we are not allowed, yet, access to them.
"They are going about business of collecting bodies and body parts, putting into them into what looks like professional body bags and bringing them to the side of road."
Christopher Miller, editor of the English-language Kyiv Post, accompanied OSCE to the area.
He wrote for Buzzfeed that those investigating the wreckage were "a motley mix of local emergency-service workers, civilian volunteers and miners — many of whom confessed to supporting the separatist cause … none had experience conducting such a task".
He estimated more than 80 bodies were bagged during the day.
The bodies collected by the locals spent much of the warm, sunny day in bags, some open, some closed, by the side of the road.
But soon after the OSCE vehicles left the crash site around 4pm Saturday TIME reporter Simon Shuster saw workers beginning to stack the bodies onto trucks.
"Workers in filthy uniforms stacking corpses from flight MH17 onto old Zil trucks," he tweeted. "All refusing to say where the dead are being taken."
Shuster said the crash site was "lawless". The local mine boss had sent men to the area to help clear the bodies.
Buzzfeed's Max Seddon said rebels told the OSCE their "experts" had been photographing bodies before removing them and would put the photos into a database.
And freelance reporter Volodymyr Solohub watched as the local 'rescue workers' loaded bodies onto the trucks, taking a picture of open-bed trucks lacking in any refrigeration.
Ukraine foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin said the treatment of the bodies was "going beyond any sort of moral ground and moral consideration".
His government's central priority was to recover all bodies in a decent and human way, he said.
Ukraine Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Groisman said Australia's ambassador to the Ukraine has been working with the government in Kiev to put together a plan for the recovery of bodies from the crash site, however the plan has been frustrated by separatists' refusal to guarantee the safety of rescue workers.
Equipment, including refrigerated trucks, was ready to transport the bodies from the scene of the crash.
However Mr Groisman said the team could not move in without a guarantee of safety from the rebels in the area - and that had not been given.
There were up to 900 separatists guarding the site, who had only allowed Ukraine's experts short and limited access to mark the bodies' location. So far 192 bodies had been found.
The government had established a nearby city as the best place to put a temporary morgue and victim identification centre, but the separatists had not guaranteed its safety either so no work has yet been done setting it up.
"Gunmen destroyed all our plans," he said.
Crash investigation and emergency response experts have gathered in Kiev from the US, UK, the Netherlands, Malaysia and Switzerland, however they had not been given permission to access the crash site.
Mr Groisman said when the relatives of the deceased arrived in Ukraine they would be given visas at the airport and looked after by their respective embassies, until there was a more concrete plan for allowing them access to their loved one's remains, and the site where they came to earth.
"We will do everything to support them here," he said.
The Ukraine government was still in delicate, indirect negotiations with the separatists over access to the site, he said.
Mr Groisman called on international governments to put pressure on Russia, which would in turn push the separatists to reach an agreement on unfettered access to the site.
But Russia's willingness to do so, and its influence over Commander Grumpy, are yet to be tested.
Nick Miller is Arts Editor of The Age.


text:
16 Great Websites For Teachers
From Educational Technology and Mobile Learning: A Resource of Free Educational Web Tools and Mobile apps for Educators. https://www.educatorstechnology.com/
As part of their preparation for the new school year teachers try to look for new web resources and materials they can use to help them with their teaching. This is definitely not an easy task for one needs to live online in order to be able to keep up with the new releases and sift through the tsunami of web tools available online. In this regard, Educational Technology and Mobile Learning has recently started posting a series of articles featuring some of the best free web resources for teachers across different educational spectrum.
They have already published lists of free websites for teachers of ; Math, Science, Language Arts, Social Studies , Music Education , Economics, and Physical Education and Health, ESOL and today they are going to provide you with another list of great websites where teachers can find lesson plans, teaching tips and many more.
Check out the list below and let us know what you think.
1- Teachers Network
Teachers Network provides lesson plans, classroom specials, teacher designed activities for different subjects and many other resources.
2- Smithsonian Education
Smithsonian Education offers a wide variety of free resources for teachers, students and parents.
3- Education World
This is another great website for teachers. It provides teaching tips, lesson plans, activities, academic articles, web resources and many more.
4- Discovery Education
Discovery Education offers a broad range of free classroom resources that complement and extend learning beyond the bell
5- The Gateway
This is one of the oldest publically accessible U.S repositories of education resources on the web. It contains a variety of educational resource types from activities and lesson plans to online projects to assessment items.
6- EdHelper
EdHelper provides teachers with free printables, graphic organizers, worksheets, lesson plans, games and many other activities.
7- Thinkfinity
Thinkfinity is a free online professional learning community that provides access to over 50.000 educators and experts in curriculum enhancement, along with thousands of award-winning digital resources for k-12
8- PBS Teachers
This is a great website that can help teachers grow professionally. It offers free teaching resources relevant to different grade category.
9- Teachers.net
Teachers.net is a platform where teachers can get to discover new teaching ideas and tips, lesson plans, classroom projects and many more
10- 42explore
42explore is a web project that provides resources and teaching materials on different subject areas and disciplines.
11- A to Z Teacher Stuff
This is a teacher-created site designed to help teachers find online resources more quickly and easily. It provides lesson plans, thematic units, teacher tips, discussion forums for teachers, downloadable teaching materials, printable worksheets and many more.
12- Teachers First
This is a rich collection of lessons, untis, and web resources designed to save teachers time by delivering just what they need in a practical, user-friendly, and ad-free format.
13- About Education
This is another awesome website for teachers. It includes free resources on different subject matters as well as articles and tips on teaching and learning.
14- Scholastic
Scholastic is a great website that provides a lot of different resources for teachers, parents, kids, administrators, and librarians.
15- Teach Hub
Teach Hub provides k-12 news, lessons and share resources created by teachers and shared with teachers.
16- Edutopia
This is an excellent website that empowers and connects teachers, administrators, and parents with innovative solutions and resources to better education.
- Free Worksheets and Printables for Teachers
- A List of 16 Websites Every Teacher should Know about
- Free Web Resources for Teaching Physical Education and Health
- Great Websites to Explore History
- Great Free Lesson Plan Templates for Every Teacher
- This is a great list. I would also recommend teachers check out TeacherCast.net for all of their professional development needs. They have Podcasts, App Reviews, Screencasts, an Educational Magazine, a Video station and a FREE iOS app.


text:
HI everyone I should have did a intro.
Am from Ottawa I have been a coin, bill, bonds and stamp collector for over 20 years and I love it, I just started to collector wwii stuff I got some older POW German letters and so on.
I have lost count on how many coins and bills I have, stamps I can tell you I have about 40,000+.
I love my hobby and my kids loves it as well. Am a big Canadian collector then anything else, By nicest find was a Canada 1900 Dominion of Canada 25 cents VF and a New 2013 bank of Canada $5 polymer GEM UNC from the mint. BTW I have a buddy that works at the mint in Ottawa.
Discuss about everything else here.
Post Reply
3 posts • Page 1 of 1
- Posts: 693
- Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2008 7:41 am
- Location: Golden Horseshoe, ONT
Re: Intro
Welcome aboard
Bill in Burl
- Posts: 135
- Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2013 10:44 am
- Location: Oregon
Re: Intro
Welcome from Oregon.
Post Reply
3 posts • Page 1 of 1


text:
Diane Bellego doesn't have any movies playing in theaters.
If you feel like heading out, check out other movies in theaters.
36 Fillette
All Diane Bellego films
Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
Copyright © 2020 FANDANGO MOVIES.


text:
The Rough Guide To The Usa
Author by : Rough Guides
Languange : en
Publisher by : Penguin
Format Available : PDF, ePub, Mobi
Total Read : 34
Total Download : 982
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Description : The Rough Guide to the USA is the ultimate guide to all fifty states. Whether you're planning a classic American road-trip, a visit to New England in the Fall, or a west-coast sun and surf holiday, this guide is the perfect companion. Packed with colour maps, itineraries and route suggestions, it will help you discover the best the United States has to offer, from New York's museums and Chicago's skyscrapers to the deserts of the Southwest and vineyards of California. With expert reviews of hotels, restaurants, diners and bars, plus all the information you'll need on city sights and national parks, you'll make the most of your American adventure with The Rough Guide to the USA. Now available in ePub format.


text:
70% of Orders Ship in 48 Hours.
For guaranteed shipment within 1 business day, select 'Expedited Production Fee' during checkout.
70% of Orders Ship in 48 Hours.
For guaranteed shipment within 1 business day, select 'Expedited Production Fee' during checkout.
PPG Porter Paints has a rich tradition of premium products that began in 1921. Through constant research and development innovations, they continue to be a preferred choice of professional painters and homeowners. PPG Porter Paints draws on the resources of PPG as a global coatings leader to bring you technological innovations in a wide array of paints and stains. They believe in quality and performance. Their premium paints deliver durable, washable, fade-resistant finishes that go on with the PPG Porter Paints touch.
MyPerfectColor is able match all of the Porter paint colors so you can find and enjoy the colors you love. MyPerfectColor uses its expert capabilities to recreate the original Porter color by matching the original Porter color books and swatches. MyPerfectColor is not using Porter paint.
The colors shown on this website are computer video simulations of the Porter Color and may not match Porter Color standards. Refer to Porter Publications to obtain the accurate color. Please know that MyPerfectColor is matching the original Porter color. If you intend to touch up paint that has been on your walls for years, know that your color has undoubtedly changed from the original due to exposure to light and age and the new paint may not match. You will achieve best results by re-coating the entire surface.
If you need more assistance, please feel free to contact us and one of our expert staff would be happy to help.


text:
In the event that a child is taken from his or her parents, the Masons are increasing the likelihood that the missing youngster will be identified.
The Free and Accepted Masons from the Fairfield Lodge #125 are bringing the Michigan Child Identification Program (MICHIP) to Morenci Sunday in conjunction with the Town and Country Festival.
Children are invited to make their way through a series of stations—about a 10 to 15 minute period—to generate six forms of identification that parents take home, at no cost. None of the information is kept by the Masons.
Parents are urged to take the completed kit with them on trips and vacations.
The kit contains a dental impression; a DNA sample and trace scent for a canine search team, obtained by a cotton swab in the mouth; digital fingerprint impressions and photograph; and a short video/audio clip to record facial expressions, speech and mannerisms. The information is recorded on a CD.
"This is the first time our Lodge has become involved with the program," said Carlos Garcia of Adrian. "The equipment is centrally maintained by the Grand Lodge and offered to any Masonic Lodge in the state of Michigan."
State coordinators volunteer countless hours to each of the events around the state, Garcia said. Nationally, the Comprehensive Masonic CHIP program is used in nearly 20 states and is known as the most complete child recovery and identification program in the nation.
The program is supported by all Michigan Masons, Garcia said, although donations are always accepted.
The Morenci Kiwanis Club is assisting in the visit Sunday, known as Family Day at the festival. The identification program is planned at Wakefield Park from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.
• The Fairfield Lodge is looking for other events in Lenawee County to sponsor the MICHIP program. For more information, call Garcia at 517/266-8470, Wayne Carpenter at 517/436-3570 or Larry Keller at 517/436-6269.


text:
Dear Editor,
On April 9, I traveled from Reidsville to Baxley to attend the Executive Board Meeting of Concerted Services. As I crossed Lanes Bridge I was aware that I had struck something on the road with my car and as I traveled a few miles farther into Appling County it became obvious that I had experienced a blown tire.
Writer expresses appreciation for kind act of local citizens
No Trackbacks
Display comments as (Linear | Threaded)


text:
Society For Applied Anthropology Conference 2012
Graduates of the 2011 Chesapeake Semester successfully presented at the 72nd Annual Conference of the Society for Applied Anthropology in Baltimore on "Bays, Boundaries, and Borders." In attendance were Ashley Burdette, Zach Hall, Joseph Hemphill, Brendyn Meisinger, Zoe Newell, Kelly Kunsch, Rettie Duke, and Jeffery Sullivan.Each of the eight presentations was inspired by group final projects completed last fall. At the start of the fall's Chesapeake Semester, students were divided into two groups addressing separate "umbrella" topics. Working within their respective groups they developed focus and individual research tracks supporting their assigned group topic. The first group developed research around the connection between "waterscapes and landscapes." The second group tackled "Edges," exploring the notion that the edge is the farthest point from the center.


text:
PLYMOUTH, Mass. —
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says a power plant in Massachusetts has lost power and shut down during a massive snowstorm.
The NRC says the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant in Plymouth experienced an automatic shutdown at around 9:15 p.m. Friday after losing off-site power. Spokesman Neil Sheehan says the plant has declared an unusual event, which is the lowest level of emergency classification.
Sheehan says that the reactor shut down without any problems and that backup generators are powering plant equipment.
The NRC says there's no threat to public safety.
The shutdown came as a major snowstorm began clobbering the New York-to-Boston corridor, knocking out power to more than 300,000 customers in Massachusetts.


text:
Maps & Radar
Severe Weather
- Winter Storm Remus: Wintry Mess Across South, Snow for Midwest (FORECAST)
- Winter Storm Quantum Ice and Snow Reports
- How New England and Boston's Snow Measures Up In The Record Books
- Winter Storm Remus in the South: Minibus Crashes on Icy Texas Roads, States of Emergency Declared
- Maine Pileup on I-95 During Winter Storm Quantum Causes Serious Injuries, Officials Say
- All News
Climate Change
- Cold Air Invasion Coming: What's the Role of Warming?
- Doomsday Clock Moves Due to Climate Change, Signaling Mankind is Closer to a Global Catastrophe
- 2014 Was Earth's Warmest Year on Record
- California Offers a Comprehensive Response to Climate Change, State Government Says
- U.S., China Reach Landmark Climate Deal
- All News
Maps and Radar
Health Maps
Updated: 5:00 AM GMT on May 29, 2020
About this map
This colored contour map shows the peak air quality index (AQI) for the day with respect to ozone pollution, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The key below the index corresponds to the peak AQI for each color.
Updated: 5:00 AM GMT on May 29, 2020Animate Map Stop Animation
© Copyright 2020 The Weather Company, LLC
Weather API - About Us - Contact - TOS - Privacy
|© Copyright TWC Product and Technology LLC 2014, 2020
|Terms of Use - Privacy Policy


text:
After she'd driven all over northern New York State one afternoon, Stacey Pulsifer was convinced she heard mewing coming from somewhere. Still dressed in fancy wedding clothes from a friend's nuptial celebration earlier that day, she got down on her hands and knees and began rooting around under her Jeep.
Sure enough, there was a kitten wedged behind the bumper. The poor little beast had been face to face with rushing tarmac for a whole day, and had a broken paw. Pulsifer cried, because she really loves cats.
Who knows how the thing got in there, but cats have a knack for getting themselves stuck in weird places. Do you ever see firefighters pulling dogs out of trees? No, because dogs know better than to climb trees they can't get out of — or crawl under random Jeeps and get stuck in there. If dogs end up on or near bumpers, it's probably someone else's fault.
Still, we're glad to hear the kitten survived the journey and we hope she gives the cat an awesome name like Jeepster.
Photo credit: Benjamin Preston; Bart Kowski/Shutterstock


text:
Nicki Minaj + Drake Shop for Snacks in 'She Came to Give It to You' Behind-the-Scenes Footage [VIDEO]by Maggie Malach | PopCrush
When Drake buys a lady snacks, he goes all out!
According to Vulture, Drizzy took Nicki Minaj on a snack-filled shopping spree on the set of Usher's 'She Came to Give It to You' video. Thankfully, cameras tagged along to capture a snippet of the outing for us. Here's what went down:
In the video, Drake jokes with Nicki, "Get whatever you want!"
Nicki takes his words to heart, announcing that she wants some "Cheez Its and s—."
Of course, Drake is super generous. He calls over to the woman in the next aisle, asking, "Your friend want something too? You want something?"
The camera jumps to Drake asking Nicki, "You want some Nutella dip sticks? What you want? I'm splurging today!"
And splurge he did! We took a close look at the loot Drake took up to the cashier and we ID'ed Cheetos, a possible bottle of Honest Tea and, of course, Cheez-Its.
Who knew that watching Drizzy and Nicki snack shop would be so entertaining? Watch the hilarious outing in the video above!
You've Got to See These Celebs' Yearbook Pics!


text: So the news broke today earlier than I was expecting. This is something that I'm very excited about but can't really say much about. I don't know what DC wants me to say and not to say, so I won't say anything. I'm going to be doing pencils for Dave's Batman: The Dark Knight #4 and it's really a dream come true. Dave has been my mentor for the last few years as well as a great friend. It's an honor for me to tackle this book and I'm looking forward to everyone seeing it when its done. I really want to make Dave proud with this one. More to come in the future!


text:
A Cambridge, Mass., man and woman were among 10 Russian intelligence officers arrested on suspicion of serving as illegal agents of the Russian government in the United States. Eight of the 10 were arrested Sunday and accused of carrying out long-term, deep cover assignments in the United States on behalf of Russia.
A Cambridge real estate agent and her global consultant husband were arrested Sunday on allegations of being Russian spies.
Donald Heathfield and Tracey Foley were arrested at their previous apartment Sunday night at 111 Trowbridge St., according to the Justice Department.
The couple, in their 40s, reportedly have two teenage sons and recently moved to a new house at 35 Trowbridge St., neighbors said. No one answered the door at either apartment Tuesday evening.
Heathfield is a principal at Global Partners Inc., an international consulting and management development firm. He is also the developer of Future Maps, a software system that helps map a picture of anticipated future events.
A message left on Heathfield's work phone was not immediately returned.
Heathfield has worked as a business consultant in information systems across the globe with companies like Alstom, Boston Scientific, General Electric, Praxair and T-Mobile, according to his work profile.
He is highly educated and studied at the London School of Economics, holds an MBA from Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussees in Paris, a master's in public administration from Harvard's Kennedy School and a BA in International Economics from York University in Toronto.
Heathfield is also a member of several key U.S. and international associations like Oxford Futures Forum, Harvard China Group, Ivy Groups, U.S. Government Relations and Public Affairs, National Emergency Management Resourse Center and the World Future Society.
Tracey Foley is a licensed real estate broker, according to state records. She also goes by the name Ann Foley and has been an agent at Redfin Corp. in Somerville for the past five months and at Weichert Realtors under Channing Real Estate in Cambridge for two prior years.
She claimed she's from Montreal and studied at McGill University, according to her real estate website. She also said she's lived and was educated in Switzerland, Canada and France. Prior to her career in real estate she worked as a human resources officer in Toronto and ran her own travel agency in Cambridge that "specialized in organizing wine enthusiast trips to France."
Foley is also a member of key U.S. and international associations like InterFrench, Expat Web, French American Business Alliance, Singapore Global, Global Mobility Management and Worldwide ERC - US Domestic Relocation.
A Realtor who who worked with Foley but did not want to be identified told the Chronicle on Tuesday that "she used to get to Paris a lot. ... I thought they had a villa there."
Foley did not return a message left on her cell phone Monday evening.
According to the FBI, the married couple adopted Canadian identities and have been living in the Boston area for 11 years. They claim to be naturalized American citizens who were born in Canada. The FBI said that the man known as Healthfield actually posed as Donald Howard Graham Heathfield, a Canadian man who was born in 1962 and died in 2005.
The couple was among 10 Russian intelligence officers arrested on suspicion of serving as illegal agents of the Russian government in the United States.
The two were charged with carrying out long-term, deep cover assignments in the United States on behalf of Russia, according to our news partner, WCVB.
Federal law prohibits individuals from acting as agents of foreign governments within the United States without prior notification to the U.S. attorney general. Nine of the defendants are also charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Richard Murphy and Cynthia Murphy were arrested Sunday by FBI agents at their home in Montclair, N.J. Vicky Pelaez and Juan Lazaro were arrested Sunday at their home in Yonkers, N.Y. Anna Chapman was arrested in Manhattan on Sunday.
Michael Zottol, Patricia Mills and were Mikhail Semenko arrested Sunday in Arlington, Va. Federal officials said Christopher R. Metsos remains at large.
The charge of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the U.S. attorney general carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. All the defendants are charged with this violation.
The charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. All the defendants except Chapman and Semenko are charged with this violation.
The arrests are the result of an FBI investigation into an alleged network of agents based in the U.S. Officials intercepted a message Russian intelligence headquarters in Moscow that said, "You were sent to USA for long-term service trip ... to search and develop ties in policymaking circles in US and sent intels."
Wicked Local Cambridge


text:
When it was announced that legendary defender C.J. Brown would be returning to the Fire family last month, you felt like a family member had just returned from a long trip abroad. Admit it: You did the "C.J. Dance" once or twice. We all know C.J.'s back but his return as an assistant coach wasn't always as clear. Through directives at the top and a desire on both sides to see the 13-year Fire veteran back in Chicago, C.J.'s return was secured.
Here's how it happened:
C.J. Brown brought his 13-year Fire career to an end the day before the team's final game of the 2010 season but the veteran of 372 competitive matches for the Men in Red still sought a chance to stay with the club in some capacity.
During the course of 2010, Brown had discussions with then head coach Carlos de los Cobos and the Fire technical leadership team, a post-playing position with the club didn't pan out.
A free agent for the first time since 1998, Brown instead took an assistant coaching job under Jason Kreis at Real Salt Lake, earning an education in a new area of the game from one of American soccer's top up-and-coming head coaches.
As RSL found success over the course of two-and-a-half seasons, rumors began to swirl last summer regarding new MLS expansion club New York City FC's interest in Kreis, who along with some of his staff, were out of contract in Salt Lake at season's end.
Around the same time, Fire ownership and club executives were working to develop plans for the soon-to-be-created Chicago Fire Soccer Center on the city's North Side. Estimated as a $15-20 million investment, the new Soccer Center is a continuation of Fire ownership's deep commitment to promoting the game in Chicago, with a clear purpose of expanding the club's footprint in the city.
The initiative includes not only building the physical facility but also a broad, long-term programmatic vision with benefits for both the club and the ever-growing soccer community. With the scale of the initiatives, it was a priority to secure someone who resonated with the soccer community in Chicago and who would be based at 3626 N. Talman Ave.
"Between this new venture and the new Juniors club, we were looking for an individual that could be the face of the Fire in the city," said Fire Chief Operating Officer Atul Khosla. "During a planning session with Andrew [Hauptman], he asked, 'What about C.J.?'"
"We have been on a mission to build a best-in-class team and are always looking for opportunities to bring important and impactful players back into the Fire family, so I thought it was a great idea," added Khosla.
With that, permission was asked of Real Salt Lake for the opportunity to speak with Brown, which RSL granted, and he quietly flew to Chicago to interview for the position and meet with Fire leadership.
"We spent a day in Chicago, at the end of which, Andrew and I spoke," said Khosla. "I told him I agreed with his assessment that C.J. is our guy. Andrew gave the green light to make it happen and we made C.J. an offer right away.
"C.J. was sincere in his reaction, admitting that he would need to think about it before making a decision. He was intrigued especially by the chance to be a key part of this new endeavor, but it wasn't a First Team position. When he said that he had to talk to his wife about the details, I knew we had a real shot at getting him back."
Brown considered the opportunity, and mulled over the idea of leaving the first team side of professional soccer. Throughout the process, he maintained a desire to return to Chicago and he accepted the position in early October, days after RSL fell to D.C. United in the U.S. Open Cup final.
"The opportunity with the Chicago Fire Juniors City and the Soccer Center was very compelling," said Brown. "Even when I was playing, coaching the youth was something I enjoyed doing and it seemed like a great opportunity to get my family back to Chicago. It all came out of nowhere but it was great knowing that I was Andrew's and the team's first choice, and it was the right time for me in my career."
"We kept it really quiet," continued Brown. "Jason and Garth [Lagerway] knew, and everything was set for us to move back. I was behind the scenes trying to get an idea of what was going on with the club and get my feet planted for working with the Center."
On October 30, Hauptman set a new course, reorganizing and introducing Frank Yallop as the club's new head coach and director of soccer.
Yallop's first order of business was to determine who would be part of his new technical team along with getting up to speed on his new roster and the team's salary budget.
"I spoke with Andrew and he mentioned that since C.J. was already confirmed to come back I might want to consider him for my staff," said Yallop. "After knowing that, things really fell into place."
"Right at the start of the playoffs, Frank called me and said it was a no-brainer for me to be working with the First Team," said Brown. "Initially, I was both conflicted and excited as I had already accepted the Soccer Center position, but Frank told me it was all part of the same family, everyone was supportive, and we would figure things out."
Brown's focus remained on RSL and their run to the MLS Cup final, but in the days following their penalty defeat to Sporting KC, he and Yallop were on the phone hammering out an agreement.
After the MLS Cup Final, the Fire officially announced Brown's return to the club as first assistant coach. Brown moved back to Chicago just before Christmas and said he's looking forward to working with his new boss and being back at the club he feels so deeply connected to.
Asked about the decision to bring back a Fire legend, Yallop said, "C.J. really is the perfect choice. He has proven himself, not only as a coach and player, but also as someone who embodies the spirit and character of Chicago and the Fire."
Following an interesting process between the front office and technical sides, a certain camaraderie seems to have been built in bringing a club legend back to Chicago.
"We're looking forward to all sitting down together in the coming weeks, grabbing a beer and I can remind Frank that we signed C.J. to a front office contract before he came on as a coach," Khosla joked.


text:
A total of 237,310 San Diego County residents will qualify for a health insurance tax credit in 2014, according to a report released Tuesday by the nonprofit health advocacy group Families USA.
Tax credits would be available to uninsured individuals and families earning up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level, or $94,200 for a family of four.
Geoffrey Joyce, a health economist at the University of Southern California, said most people are aware of the individual mandate — the requirement that all uninsured Americans purchase health insurance from new exchanges starting on Jan. 1 — but few realize that significant subsidies come along with that mandate.
"I think a lot of people are surprised when they see that the income guidelines for tax credits go so high," said Joyce, the health policy director for the Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics at USC.
He added that Congress had to do something to soften the blow of mandating coverage in the Affordable Care Act. "If you're going to mandate that people buy insurance, you have to make it affordable," Joyce said.
The new subsidies will be awarded on a sliding scale, with those who make more getting less.
Covered California is the name of the state's health care exchange. Though open enrollment is not set to start until Oct. 1, the exchange has posted a special benefit calculator on its website that gives uninsured residents a quick estimate of what they might have to pay for coverage once the individual mandate takes effect in 2014.
For example, a 35-year-old single mother of three earning about $35,000 per year would pay about $114 per month to cover her family, with the Uncle Sam picking up the remaining $1,035 of her estimated $1,149 monthly premium.
On the other end of the example spectrum, a software engineer earning $94,000 per year with a family of four, also age 35, would pay $744 per month, receiving a $404 tax credit.
Covered California's estimates are just that. Since the exchange has not yet selected the insurance plans that will be offered to the public, total premium cost is not yet known.
Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, attended a telephone news conference on the study Tuesday, calling the tax credits "one of the best-kept secrets in the Affordable Care Act." He, and the president of Families USA, which has been a big supporter of health reform legislation going back to the Patient Bill of Rights under the Clinton Administration, touted the credits as a serious boon for the middle class.
Joyce, the USC health care economist, agreed that the tax credits represent a serious boon to many families who now either go uninsured or pay a large percentage of their income in health insurance premiums.
But he noted that this boon does not come without a serious cost. He said the U.S. Congressional Budget Office recently estimated the cost of the health law at about $1 trillion over 10 years and, by far, the bulk of that cost is from new tax credits to subsidize care for 20 million to 30 million currently uninsured Americans.
"That trillion dollars, almost all of it, is helping people pay for their health insurance," Joyce said.
He said the federal government considers the Affordable Care Act to be budget neutral because it raises money through higher taxes on some groups like medical device manufacturers, drug companies and high wage earners and through lower reimbursements for doctors and hospitals.


text:
Louis Philippe, duc d'Orleans
Louis Philippe (lwē fēlēp´), 1773–1850, king of the French (1830–48), known before his accession as Louis Philippe, duc d'Orléans. The son of Philippe Égalité (see Orléans, Louis Philippe Joseph, duc d'), he joined the army of the French Revolution, but deserted (1793) with Gen. Charles François Dumouriez. Although in exile for the next 20 years, he did not collaborate with France's enemies. Reconciled with the Bourbons, he returned to France after their restoration and soon recovered his huge fortune. He figured in the liberal opposition to kings Louis XVIII and Charles X and was supported by the discontented upper bourgeoisie and by the liberal journalists.
In the July Revolution of 1830, Louis Philippe was made lieutenant general of the realm and, with the support of the marquis de Lafayette, was chosen "king of the French." His reign, known as the July Monarchy, marked the triumph of the wealthy bourgeoisie and a return to influence of many former Napoleonic officials. Although the constitutional charter of 1814 was revised (1830) in a liberal direction, the new legislature was unresponsive to the economic needs and political desires of the lower classes.
In the early years of his reign, Louis Philippe's basically conservative outlook was strengthened by a number of workers' demonstrations and by several attempts on his life, notably that of Giuseppe Fieschi (1835). Although the king was a constitutional monarch, he gained considerable personal power by splitting the liberal movement and appointing weak ministers, such as Louis Molé. Eventually a conservative ministry, dominated (1840–48) by François Guizot, who had the king's confidence, came to power.
In foreign policy, Louis Philippe promoted Anglo-French friendship and supported colonial expansion; Algeria was conquered in his reign. He cooperated with England in support (1831) of Belgian independence and in the Quadruple Alliance of 1834. The Franco-British rapprochement was ended (1846), however, by the Spanish marriages (see Isabella II), which violated a previous Franco-British agreement.
In France, Louis Philippe became increasingly unpopular. On the right he was opposed by the legitimists (who supported the senior Bourbon line) and by the Bonapartists. The leftist elements organized numerous secret revolutionary societies. The opposition to the government undertook (1847–48) a banquet campaign to propagate the demand for electoral reform. The campaign led to the February Revolution of 1848. Louis Philippe abdicated in favor of his grandson (see Orléans, family), but a republic was set up. The king fled to England, where he died. Louis Philippe was known as the "citizen king" because of his bourgeois manner and dress, and he and his regime were satirized by Honoré Daumier.
See J. Lucas-Dubreton, The Restoration and the July Monarchy (tr. 1929); biographies by J. S. C. Abbott (1902), C. Gavin (1933), A. de Stoeckl (1958), T. E. Howarth (1961), and P. H. Beik (1965).


text:
To the EDN:
The Upper Des Moines Outreach Staff would like to thank everyone who so generously supports us in the year 2010. There are so many of you, and we want you to know how much we appreciate all you have done.
The support of our Christmas Programs and our Food Pantry was outstanding. All of our families were very thankful for the presents and food they received. These families had a wonderful holiday season because of your generosity.
We do indeed live in a very caring and giving county. Thank you again for your generous donations and support this past year. With your continued support we will give our families the encouragement that they need to empower them to self-sufficiency.
If you have an questions or concerns, please feel free to give us a call or visit us at the outreach office.
Cinda Joynt, Center Director
Dawn Peta, Outreach Specialist


text:
|Jepson Flora Project: Jepson Interchange
previous taxon |
next taxon
Jepson Interchange (more information)
©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
Annual to tree
Leaves basal or cauline, alternate to whorled, simple to compound
Inflorescence: 1° inflorescence a head, each resembling a flower, 1many, generally arrayed in cymes, generally subtended by ± calyx-like involucre; flowers 1many per head
Flowers bisexual, unisexual, or sterile, ± small, of several types; calyx 0 or modified into pappus of bristles, scales, or awns, which is generally persistent in fruit; corolla radial or bilateral (rarely 0), lobes generally (0)45; stamens 45, anthers generally fused into cylinder around style, often appendaged at tips, bases, or both, filaments generally free, generally attached to corolla near throat; pistil 1, ovary inferior, 1-chambered, 1-seeded, style 1, branches 2, generally hair-tufted at tip, stigmas 2, generally on inside of style branches
Fruit: achene, cylindric to ovoid, generally deciduous with pappus attached
Genera in family: ± 1300 genera, 21,000 species (largest family of dicots): worldwide. Largest family in CA. Also see tribal key to CA genera: Strother 1997 Madroño 44(1):128. See glossary p. 25 for illustrations of general family characteristics.
Shrubs < 50 dm, resinous, generally gland-dotted
Leaves < 10 cm, thread-like to wedge-shaped, entire
Inflorescence various; heads radiate or discoid; involucre 314 mm, obconic to hemispheric; phyllaries in 26 series, ± lanceolate to ovate, generally resinous, tips erect to recurved, obtuse to acuminate or tailed, midrib often thickened with a resin gland
Ray flowers 030; corollas 212 mm, generally yellow
Disk flowers 470+; corollas 311 mm, yellow
Fruit 28 mm, ribbed; pappus white to brown
Species in genus: ± 27 species: w North America
Reference: [Nesom 1990 Phytologia 68:144155]
Generally flowers summer/autumn. Some species hybridize with Chrysothamnus nauseosus.
Plant 110 dm, glabrous, ± gland-dotted
Leaf 225 mm, ± oblanceolate or obovate, obtuse
Inflorescence: heads radiate or discoid in small compact cymes; involucre 612 mm, 414 mm diam, obconic; phyllaries 2030 in 46 series, lanceolate to obovate, glabrous, sometimes resinous
Ray flowers 03; corollas < 5 mm
Disk flowers 770; corollas ± 5.5 mm
Fruit 2.53 mm, 5-ribbed, silky-hairy; pappus < corolla, sparse, brown
Ecology: Outcrops, slopes, cliffs
Elevation: 1002800 m.
Bioregional distribution: Sierra Nevada, Inner South Coast Ranges, Western Transverse Ranges, San Gabriel Mountains, Peninsular Ranges, East of Sierra Nevada, Desert
Distribution outside California: s Nevada, Arizona, nw Mexico
Synonyms: Haplopappus c. A. Gray


text: Hey, Kids! Curious about sex? Maybe you should check out this video from Ignite Church in which a way cool dude explains how your parts work. Sound boring? It's not — bro is hilarious and explains your bodies in terms of carrots and donuts. Rockin,' right? Be sure and check your homosexuality at the door though. This talk is for straights only because, to borrow the words of the raddest Christian sex lecturer in town, "'God never created us men to sword fight and didn't create women for pastry parties either." No, but he did intend for us to stick carrots into donut holes. Crystal analogies, my man!


text:
Robert Kanter necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 35 diseños de 13 diseñadores freelance.
PCR - Professional Computer Repair
We specialize in business and consumer computer repairs. We have gotten all of our consumer business through our sign out in front of our building. It currently has the parent company name (Innovative Technologies) on there so it doesn't immediately draw them in on what we do. We are moving to a location that would have a lot more traffic passing by and our idea is to create a brand for consumer repairs that would state simply what we do. Professional Computer Repair was our idea – simple and direct to the point of what we do for consumers. We wanted a professionally designed logo for this brand that would attract immediate attention.
Primarly consumers driving by our building - we want to draw them to our building.
We want people to immediately recognize what we do as they drive by our building (average speed 40-50MPH). The sign will be a 6'x4' lighted box sign.
We are pretty open to designs, but one thing (you probably figured out from what you've read so far) we want to immediatelyknow that it is a computer repair shop.
We try to separate ourselves from the standard 'Geek shops' around and pride ourselves in professional computer repair, so we would like the design to have very professional look (think financial planning, attorney, medical services companies)
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
Tinfoil hat wearer? Here's what to slap on your walls: wallpaper that keeps Wi-Fi signals boxed in - and, maybe, alien brain-probe waves out.
As you know, setting up a solid Wi-Fi password is never enough: Illuminati aliens can bypass such menial protection techniques. With this Wi-Fi blocking wallpaper, though, hacking into your home router is near impossible from outside the room, French site L'Informaticien reports.
As long as you cover your windows up too, that is.
While up to three different frequencies can be blocked simultaneously, the paper still lets through GSM and 4G signals, so I wouldn't take that tinfoil hat off just yet.
Developed by scientists at the Institut Polytechnique Grenoble and the Centre Technique du Papier, the wallpaper will go on sale in 2013 after a Finnish firm acquired a licence to produce the material.
The snowflake-like design might not appeal to everyone, but you could always paint over it with some Wi-Fi proof paint, just in case the one layer doesn't satisfy your paranoia.
While previous "stealth wallpapers" developed for the defence sector cost roughly £500 per square metre, the researchers reckon rolls of this new decor will be reasonably priced, matching the cost of a classic mid-range wallpaper.
It's probably worth noting that the windows on a microwave would do just as good a job, so several visits to the dump may yield the materials you need to pave your walls with such tech for a fraction of the cost.
It could make you look a little daft that way, but if you're fitting the walls of your home with Wi-Fi blocking wallpaper, how ridiculous you appear to your fellow peer(s) is probably the least of your worries. ®
Sponsored: Webcast: Ransomware has gone nuclear


text:
The Environmental Protection Agency has granted emergency exemptions on two pesticides that will help Mississippi rice and corn producers protect crops from damaging pests this year, according to Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner Lester Spell.
The products receiving emergency exemptions under Section 18 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act are:
• Dermacor X-100 Seed Treatment manufactured by E.I. Dupont de Nemours & Company. Rice seed may be treated with Dermacor at a commercial seed treatment facility prior to being made available to the public to suppress the presence of rice water weevils. This exemption expires July 31, 2008.
• Avitec Liquid Seed Treatment and Avitec Dry Powder Corn Seed Treatment manufactured by Arkion Life Sciences LLC. Corn producers may treat corn seed with Avitec prior to planting to prevent blackbirds from consuming the seed. This exemption expires Aug. 15, 2008.
The rice water weevil is a destructive early season insect pest in Mississippi rice and the loss of corn seed after planting due to large flocks of blackbirds has been extremely detrimental. Both have been continual problems for Mississippi rice and corn producers in past seasons.
The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce's Bureau of Plant Industry has authority under Section 18 of FIFRA to obtain an exemption from EPA for a non-labeled used of a pesticide if significant losses of an agricultural commodity are likely and further alternative, labeled products are not available or effective.
The Bureau of Plant Industry is responsible for administration of these exemptions. Rice and corn producers can contact the Bureau at (662) 325-3390 or toll-free at (888) 257-1285.


text:
We'd heard that Jesse Litsch was working out with Roy Halladay over the winter, which perhaps explains why Doc prefers the pinkly efficient starter as the Jays' number five guy. It also might explain why Litsch doesn't look nearly as round and doughy as he did last year. (Then again, it could just be that he looks slim compared to corpulent golfer John Daly, who was in attendance at Sunday's game. Musta been Free Hot Dog Day at the ballpark in Clearwater.)
Speaking of Litsch, here's our vote for the stunning meaningless spring stat of the weekend: Litsch struck out six in four innings as the Jays topped the Phillies 9-4 in Sunday's fake game. His game-high in 2007 was five strikeouts. Not that we want to read too much into Spring stats.
Drunk MLB Rumours
The Drunk Jays Fans' Stoeten has been handed the reins of MLB Trade Rumors for a few hours. True to form, he showed up late and hung over. Aside from that, we're amazed at how straight he's played it so far. Seeing the restraint that he demonstrated when blogging about Sidney Ponson makes us worry about the onslaught of filthy words and thoughts that are sure to spill out when he returns to his home digs.


text:
A New Hampshire man has been fined $2,000 for allegedly using Microsoft's name to lend credibility to false claims that users' PCs were infected with spyware.
Seth Traub, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, paid the modest legal costs and attorneys' fees to settle a lawsuit brought by the State of Washington over charges that he punted bogus warnings to persuade surfers to buy deceptively marketed software.
Traub promoted Secure Computer's Spyware Cleaner program using Google AdWords. The use of a hyperlink marked "Microsoft AntiSpyware" meant these ads appeared prominently when surfers searched for Microsoft's line of anti-spyware products. But users who clicked on this wound up on Secure Computer's site rather than Microsoft's.
An investigation found that an initial "free" scan always detected spyware on a user's computer, even if none existed. The full fat version of Spyware Cleaner, which was sold for $49.95, failed to detect most forms of spyware on deliberately infected computers. It also erased files used to keep a record of blocked programs. Traub received three-quarters of the income from sales of Spyware Cleaner he generated.
"The Attorney General's Office alleges that Seth Traub deceptively represented that Spyware Cleaner is a Microsoft product or sanctioned by Microsoft," Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna said. "His ad also misrepresented that the program would remove all spyware. In fact, our investigation found that Spyware Cleaner not only failed to detect most spyware on an infected computer, it left that computer more vulnerable to attacks."
Traub is the third defendant to settle over the first lawsuit brought under Washington State's computer spyware act. The suit alleges that Secure Computer has used deceptive marketing practices (pop-up ads, deceptive hyperlinks and spam emails) to promote Spyware Cleaner since at least 2004.
Another defendant, Zhijian Chen, of Portland, Oregon, admitted breaching Washington's Computer Spyware Act and Consumer Protection Act in an April settlement. He was ordered to pay $84,000 in fines and customer restitution after been held liable for promoting Spyware Cleaner through Net Send messages sent to PCs that allegedly mimicked system warnings.
Gary T Preston, who is listed as the owner of Secure Computer's web domains, paid $7,200 in legal costs and attorneys' fees to settle charges that his name was used as an alias in business dealings by Secure Computer.
The lawsuit remains ongoing against defendants Secure Computer LLC, of White Plains, New York; company president Paul E Burke and Manoj Kumar, of Maharashtra, India, a Spyware Cleaner advertising affiliate.
Return to internet news headlines
View Internet News Archive


text:
I have a backyard business selling plants and honey. I want to do live bee removals this year for a fee. I know from the dept. of taxation that it is a taxable service. BUT, do I need a license such as exterminator or pest control? Technically, it is not exterminating, and I would not be doing other pest removals or using pesticides. I looked at Dept. of Commerce, Dept. of Agriculture, and Dept. of Taxation, and couldn't find the answer. I am in Ohio. JP, do you know the answer? :-\
But be very careful...wouldn't want to get a R.U.I. (removal under the influence)Scott