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I'll admit that watching baseball late at night from Taiwan interested me, if only for an inning or so. Not so much for the product on the field, which was minor league at best, but for the fans banging their thunder sticks together in synchronized precision.
At least the home team had fans. First-round World Baseball Classic games that didn't feature the host country in both Taiwan and Japan drew a few hundred people at best, and even they didn't seem terribly interested in the action.
That may change this weekend, with the tournament now moving to the United States and Puerto Rico. At the last WBC in 2009, Japan and Korea played before a packed house in the final at Dodger Stadium, and everyone agreed it was a fine night for baseball.
But despite all of Commissioner Bud Selig's best intentions, the WBC isn't any better in its third incarnation than it was in the first two. The timing is terrible, the pitch count limits are a joke unless you play for the Washington Nationals, and the schedule is manipulated to give the best chance possible to the United States.
And- at least when it comes to the U.S. squad - a lot of the best players aren't playing.
No Clayton Kershaw, no Bryce Harper. Mike Trout and Josh Hamilton are busy elsewhere. Justin Verlander had other plans.
Blame the players for some of it. The WBC doesn't mean enough to them to change their spring training routine - not when there are millions of dollars in potential contracts on the line.
Blame major league teams, too. They may not be discouraging stars from playing, but there's an inferred message that loyalty to the team that pays you outweighs any loyalty to country in the WBC.
There are still plenty of good players on the U.S. team, of course. Ryan Braun is one, and if anyone needs a feel good story about leading his country to victory, it's the Milwaukee slugger who tested positive for testosterone in 2011 (his suspension was later overturned) and was linked this year to a Miami clinic that allegedly supplied performance enhancing drugs to athletes.
David Wright of the Mets is also playing, along with 15 pitchers, a number necessitated by pitch counts that begin at 65 for starters in opening- round games. Protecting arms is paramount in the WBC, even if it means some starters may never get past the third inning.
The U.S. opens play Friday in Arizona against Mexico, followed by weekend games against Italy and Canada. If all goes according to plan, the squad will head to Miami and then to San Francisco for the semifinals and finals.
Before he strained a wrist Tuesday and was taken off the roster, Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira called the competition an exhibition, and that's how most U.S. players trying to get ready for the season seem to regard it.
"It doesn't mean we don't want to win it," Teixeira quickly added.
Selig himself was frustrated by the lackadaisical approach the U.S. team took in 2009, saying after it was eliminated that players had to "push up the intensity." The U.S. has finished no better than fourth in the two tournaments.
They take it more seriously in other countries like Cuba and Japan, which won both previous World Baseball Classics. Not hard to figure out why because, with baseball kicked out of the Olympics, it's their only real chance on the world stage.
For the WBC to be meaningful in the country where baseball grew up, some changes are in order. The first would be to move the games out of spring training and into a time slot better suited for players and fans.
It won't happen in the middle of the season, because baseball owners would never stand for losing revenue. But it could be played at warm weather sites in November just after the World Series ends, and the finals could be played somewhere other than the United States.
Judging from the lukewarm response by most U.S. players, baseball also needs to find an incentive to make them play. As it stands now, they have more reasons to demur than to sign up for the red, white and blue.
Finally, the best games should be played on something other than the MLB Network. Make them easier for the casual viewer to find, and there might be more interest.
Ultimately, though, the WBC is a flawed concept, no matter how well intentioned Selig and the other founders of the tournament were. It doesn't have the cachet of the Olympics, and doesn't get the respect of many of the players. There's no real good time to hold it, and even die-hard fans greet it with little more than a yawn.
Maybe the best thing to do is scrap it and use the time and energy to lobby for world baseball to return where it belongs - in the Olympics.
Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlberg(at)ap.org or https://twitter.com/timdahlberg


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Splunk Enterprise version 6.x is no longer supported as of October 23, 2019. See the Splunk Software Support Policy for details. For information about upgrading to a supported version, see How to upgrade Splunk Enterprise.
This documentation does not apply to the most recent version of Splunk. Click here for the latest version.Download topic as PDF
The following are the spec and example files for commands.conf.
# Version 6.1.3 # # This file contains possible attribute/value pairs for creating search commands for # any custom search scripts created. Add your custom search script to $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/searchscripts/ # or $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/apps/MY_APP/bin/. For the latter, put a custom commands.conf in # $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/apps/MY_APP. For the former, put your custom commands.conf # in $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/system/local/. # There is a commands.conf in $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/system/default/. For examples, see # commands.conf.example. You must restart Splunk to enable configurations. # To learn more about configuration files (including precedence) please see the documentation # located at http://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/latest/Admin/Aboutconfigurationfiles # GLOBAL SETTINGS # Use the [default] stanza to define any global settings. # * You can also define global settings outside of any stanza, at the top of the file. # * Each conf file should have at most one default stanza. If there are multiple default # stanzas, attributes are combined. In the case of multiple definitions of the same # attribute, the last definition in the file wins. # * If an attribute is defined at both the global level and in a specific stanza, the # value in the specific stanza takes precedence. [<STANZA_NAME>] * Each stanza represents a search command; the command is the stanza name. * The stanza name invokes the command in the search language. * Set the following attributes/values for the command. Otherwise, Splunk uses the defaults. type = <string> * Type of script: python, perl * Defaults to python. filename = <string> * Name of script file for command. * <script-name>.pl for perl. * <script-name>.py for python. local = [true|false] * If true, specifies that the command should be run on the search head only * Defaults to false perf_warn_limit = <integer> * Issue a performance warning message if more than this many input events are passed to this external command (0 = never) * Defaults to 0 (disabled) streaming = [true|false] * Specify whether the command is streamable. * Defaults to false. maxinputs = <integer> * Maximum number of events that can be passed to the command for each invocation. * This limit cannot exceed the value of maxresultrows in limits.conf. * 0 for no limit. * Defaults to 50000. passauth = [true|false] * If set to true, passes an authentication token on the start of input. * Defaults to false. run_in_preview = [true|false] * Specify whether to run this command if generating results just for preview rather than final output. * Defaults to true enableheader = [true|false] * Indicate whether or not your script is expecting header information or not. * Currently, the only thing in the header information is an auth token. * If set to true it will expect as input a head section + '\n' then the csv input * NOTE: Should be set to true if you use splunk.Intersplunk * Defaults to true. retainsevents = [true|false] * Specify whether the command retains events (the way the sort/dedup/cluster commands do) or whether it transforms them (the way the stats command does). * Defaults to false. generating = [true|false] * Specify whether your command generates new events. If no events are passed to the command, will it generate events? * Defaults to false. generates_timeorder = [true|false] * If generating = true, does command generate events in descending time order (latest first) * Defaults to false. overrides_timeorder = [true|false] * If generating = false and streaming=true, does command change the order of events with respect to time? * Defaults to false. requires_preop = [true|false] * Specify whether the command sequence specified by the 'streaming_preop' key is required for proper execution or is it an optimization only * Default is false (streaming_preop not required) streaming_preop = <string> * A string that denotes the requested pre-streaming search string. required_fields = <string> * A comma separated list of fields that this command may use. * Informs previous commands that they should retain/extract these fields if possible. No error is generated if a field specified is missing. * Defaults to '*' supports_multivalues = [true|false] * Specify whether the command supports multivalues. * If true, multivalues will be treated as python lists of strings, instead of a flat string (when using Intersplunk to interpret stdin/stdout). * If the list only contains one element, the value of that element will be returned, rather than a list (for example, isinstance(val, basestring) == True). supports_getinfo = [true|false] * Specifies whether the command supports dynamic probing for settings (first argument invoked == __GETINFO__ or __EXECUTE__). supports_rawargs = [true|false] * Specifies whether the command supports raw arguments being passed to it or if it prefers parsed arguments (where quotes are stripped). * If unspecified, the default is false undo_scheduler_escaping = [true|false] * Specifies whether the commands raw arguments need to be unesacped. * This is perticularly applies to the commands being invoked by the scheduler. * This applies only if the command supports raw arguments(supports_rawargs). * If unspecified, the default is false requires_srinfo = [true|false] * Specifies if the command requires information stored in SearchResultsInfo. If true, requires that enableheader be set to true, and the full pathname of the info file (a csv file) will be emitted in the header under the key 'infoPath' * If unspecified, the default is false needs_empty_results = [true|false] * Specifies whether or not this search command needs to be called with intermediate empty search results * If unspecified, the default is true changes_colorder = [true|false] * Specify whether the script output should be used to change the column ordering of the fields. * Default is true outputheader = <true/false> * If set to true, output of script should be a header section + blank line + csv output * If false, script output should be pure csv only * Default is false clear_required_fields = [true|false] * If true, required_fields represents the *only* fields required. If false, required_fields are additive to any fields that may be required by subsequent commands. * In most cases, false is appropriate for streaming commands and true for reporting commands * Default is false stderr_dest = [log|message|none] * What do to with the stderr output from the script * 'log' means to write the output to the job's search.log. * 'message' means to write each line as an search info message. The message level can be set to adding that level (in ALL CAPS) to the start of the line, e.g. "WARN my warning message." * 'none' means to discard the stderr output * Defaults to log
# Version 6.1.3 # # Configuration for external search commands # ############## # defaults for all external commands, exceptions are below in individual stanzas # type of script: 'python', 'perl' TYPE = python #default FILENAME would be <stanza-name>.py for python, <stanza-name>.pl for perl and <stanza-name> otherwise # is command streamable? STREAMING = false # maximum data that can be passed to command (0 = no limit) MAXINPUTS = 50000 # end defaults ##################### [crawl] FILENAME = crawl.py [createrss] FILENAME = createrss.py [diff] FILENAME = diff.py [gentimes] FILENAME = gentimes.py [head] FILENAME = head.py [loglady] FILENAME = loglady.py [marklar] FILENAME = marklar.py [runshellscript] FILENAME = runshellscript.py [sendemail] FILENAME = sendemail.py [translate] FILENAME = translate.py [transpose] FILENAME = transpose.py [uniq] FILENAME = uniq.py [windbag] filename = windbag.py supports_multivalues = true [xmlkv] FILENAME = xmlkv.py [xmlunescape] FILENAME = xmlunescape.py
Last modified on 01 August, 2014
This documentation applies to the following versions of Splunk® Enterprise: 6.1.3

subset: commoncrawl


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WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Monday ordered a review of George W. Bush's guidelines for implementing legislation passed by Congress, at the same time saying that he would employ his own version of how he wants the government to follow the law.
Other political news of note
Animated Boehner: 'There's nothing complex about the Keystone Pipeline!'
House Speaker John Boehner became animated Tuesday over the proposed Keystone Pipeline, castigating the Obama administration for not having approved the project yet.
- Budget deficits shrinking but set to grow after 2015
- Senate readies another volley on unemployment aid
- Obama faces Syria standstill
- Fluke files to run in California
- Animated Boehner: 'There's nothing complex about the Keystone Pipeline!'
In a memo to senior government officials, Obama said they must check with Attorney General Eric Holder before relying on any of Bush's signing statements for guidance. Bush often issued a statement when signing a bill into law, and critics said the statements at times showed government officials how to circumvent the law if Bush disagreed with it on constitutional grounds.
"There is no doubt that the practice of issuing such statements can be abused," Obama wrote. "Constitutional signing statements should not be used to suggest that the president will disregard statutory requirements on the basis of policy disagreements."
Pledges caution and restraint
Obama ordered his administration to work with Congress to let lawmakers know about concerns over legality before legislation gets to the White House for the president's signature. He also pledged that he would use caution and restraint in writing his own signing statements.
"With these considerations in mind and based upon advice of the Department of Justice, I will issue signing statements to address constitutional concerns only when it is appropriate to do so as a means of discharging my constitutional responsibilities," Obama pledged.
Bush attached the signing statements to legislation that his administration saw as unreasonable or unconstitutional limits on executive power. However, Obama's White House spokesman, Robert Gibbs, likened the move to Bush asking "that laws be disallowed simply by executive fiat."
Obama as a candidate criticized Bush's use of signing statements, but Obama as a candidate never said he would completely eschew the centuries' old tradition.
Bush used his statements to circumvent Congress' ban on torture and prohibitions against using federal tax dollars to build a permanent military base in Iraq.
"I think the previous administration issued hundreds and hundreds of signing statements that specifically entailed ... through those signing statements, that people disregard portions of legislation or the intent of Congress," Gibbs said.
Latest rebuke of his predecessor
The Justice Department said the memo would help officials make better decisions.
"Upon request, we will offer guidance to other agencies to ensure that any reliance on a signing statement to disregard or otherwise refuse to comply with any provision of a statute is based on well-founded constitutional objections and reflects a legitimate interpretation of the statute in question," said Justice Department spokesman Matt Miller.
Obama's directive, released by the White House on Monday afternoon, was the latest rebuke of his predecessor. Earlier in the day, Obama reversed Bush's ban on federally funded embryonic stem cell research, and during his first seven weeks in office he has overturned many of Bush's executive orders.
Obama's memo was first reported on the Web site of The New York Times.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Carrie Underwood Booked as Super Bowl 2015 Halftime Performer?
Every year, fans anxiously await the announcement of the Super Bowl halftime performer ... could that person be country superstar Carrie Underwood in 2015?
Sports blog TerezOwens is reporting that there's a good chance Underwood could take the stage during next year's big game. Apparently, a lot of signs point to the 'Before He Cheats' himaker.
The website says that the performer chosen for Super Bowl halftime 2015 "already has serious ties to the National Football League." Underwood, of course, is the voice of the 'Sunday Night Football' theme song, and she'll be singing 'Waiting All Day for Sunday Night' at the kickoff of each 2014 season game. The starlet also sang the National Anthem at Super Bowl XLIV in 2010 and helped the Jacksonville Jaguars unveil their new video boards recently. During Super Bowl XLVI's Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam, she performed with Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.
Another hint it could be Underwood on the stage in 2015? A little insider info. "A few inside sources revealed to us that Carrie Underwood most likely will be doing the super bowl halftime show this year," the website claims.
Only time will tell who will take the Super Bowl Halftime Show stage in 2015, but if it isn't Underwood, she'll at least be involved in the game, as she's part of the pre-tape kick-off video.
Are you ready for some football?
Startling Facts About Women in Country Music


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This lack of golf course etiquette translates even further to a lack of courtesy within the social structure of the group affecting both the spirit and integrity of the game.
This timely article sent to me (below) struck a nerve at the heart of golf courses and players worldwide. It is with pleasure that I use it as a Spring reminder as a new season of golf is in the air. Enjoy!
Vigilant of Others
Before you tee-off, golf better practices would be to take a moment to look around to make sure that you won't be obstructing anyone else's game. Look ahead to make sure no one is in front of you and in the same manner of thinking, be aware of the golfers behind you. Tee times are often flexible on courses, but spending too much time on one hole can disrupt a whole day of careful planning.
Mind the Noise
I always like to equate the golf green to the inside of a library. It has become common courtesy over the years to be as quiet as possible while playing your round. At approach, golfer's require an immense amount of concentration and focus before they take their shot. Being distracted by loud talking, yelling or laughing can throw off someone's swing and perhaps lead to a stern talking to from course managers. Also (from GFB), either set your cellphone to vibrate or just plain turn it off!
Smooth the Sand
Launching your golf ball into a sand trap is just a natural part of the game; frustrating indeed, but that is what they are there for. After you take your chip shot, make use of those tiny rakes that are situated around the bunker and smooth out the irregularities you've made with your swing and steps as your approached it. It's common courtesy to leave the sand in the same condition that you found it.
Fill Your Divots
Repairing your divots after a shot is synonymous with good golf etiquette. No golfer wants to be playing a hole only to find themselves tripping and stumbling over someone else's mess they failed to clean up.
After you take your shot, take the few moments necessary to find your divot and then, replace it. A lot of work goes into the design and maintenance of a golf course. Do you part to keep the course you play on looking great for your future games and the future games of others.
The Player's Line
The player line is a golf term that signifies the imaginary line between the player's ball and the hole. If you are on the green and notice that your ball might be in the way of another player's ball, take a moment to switch it out with a coin or a ball marker as not to get in the way of their game. When the way looks clear, go ahead and replace the marker with your ball and proceed with your game. The rule holds true for shots taken on the putting green and on the rest of the course. Be courteous to and vigilant of those around you!
One final note from Golf for Beginners: Be sure to yell FORE if your golf ball is heading towards another group of golfers!
Voice your opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and friend on Facebook.
Photo Credit: The Girl Next Door Drinks and Swears: FORE!, Bleacher Report


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With a BFA in acting from West Virginia University, Vance Barber moved to Long Island City five years ago with dreams of hitting it big in the acting world, however after realizing there were minimal rewards to life in the limelight, he quickly changed paths.
Barber, born in Long Island and raised in the suburbs of Richmond, Va., took route to the other side of the camera, finding a job as an acting coach with One-On-One, a company devoted to teaching up-and-comers about script reading, how-to lessons in auditioning, and the tough realities of the acting world.
"I thought if I tried a different angle and fill a different artistic role, it would be a good thing," Barber said.
Barber now runs his own acting instruction company, Let's Get Reel, creating digital media reels, filming audition tapes and becoming a thespian therapist, of sorts, right out of his apartment. (www.letsgetreel.me)
Today he has an upwards of 40 clients, some of whom have found success in shows like "Vampire Diaries", "New Girl" and "Nurse Jackie".
Fulfilling his other lifelong passion in music, Barber also hosts the weekly LIC-based podcast "Ear Candy" with his friend Adam Hiniker. (www.earcandypodcast.com)
Over the last three years the two have interviewed a number of performers such as; Swear and Shake, Chappo, Charlene Kay, The Last Royals and Mike Doughty.
"The idea is; if you had the band come into your living room and set up for a practice, that's what it would be like," Barber explained of the show's platform. "We hardly ever talk about the music, and we just end up hanging out because that's the best way to get to know somebody."
Since their show began, they have also been also been invited to host concerts for Geographer, Barcelona, Delta Ray and more.
It is a long way from home, but for Barber, the make-or-break-it drive of NYC is his inspiration for success.
"If I don't achieve something while I am here it will feel like I failed," he said. "But it's the New York culture and people that makes me want to stay."


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The UK has proved that there's a little fight left in its military aerospace industry by unveiling the "Corax" unmanned stealth surveillance aircraft:
According to the BBC, the BAE systems project looks a bit like "a cancelled US military spy plane called DarkStar" (judge for yourselves here), while Jane's International Defence Review reckons Corax "indicated a new direction in combat vehicles for the UK's armed forces".
The publication also notes that "the UK has terminated plans for a future manned combat aircraft and is working closely with the US on 'Project Churchill'," which focuses on the "the joint, airborne command and control of pilotless combat air vehicles from 2015 onwards".
The US, of course, already has Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk surveillance vehicle, while the company continues to work on the X-47B attack vehicle - part of the Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS) programme designed to "to demonstrate the technical feasibility, military utility and operational value for a networked system of high performance, weaponized unmanned air vehicles to effectively and affordably prosecute 21st century combat missions".
Back in Blighty, meanwhile, details on the classified Corax are unsurprisingly sketchy, although Flight International does say the high-speed design was tested during 2004 and has "a shrouded, above-fuselage engine and...an extended wing with moving control surfaces".
The magazine adds: "BAE refers to the experimental design as 'a highly survivable, strategic UAV system' employing 'flexible and modular advanced flight-control systems'." ®
Sponsored: Webcast: Simplify data protection on AWS


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You may scrub your toilet and countertops until they shine, but when it comes to the war between you and germs, consider yourself outnumbered. Germs (the catchall name for bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms) are everywhere — at home, in the office, even in your car. Luckily, about 99 percent of them can't harm us. But the other 1 percent can be annoying, uncomfortable, or downright scary: Most of these pathogens are either viral or bacterial and can cause everything from a runny nose to a potentially life-threatening infection.
You may think you know the obvious places that germs propagate — the doctor's office, the soles of your shoes — but many more germ-friendly locales are completely unexpected yet no less dangerous. We uncovered a host of surprising new spots where germs like to lurk, and offer easy solutions to keep you and your family safe and healthy.
The kitchen faucet
That metal aeration screen at the end of your kitchen faucet reduces water flow, which is good for the environment, but not so much for your health: Running water keeps the screen moist, an ideal condition for bacteria growth. Because tap water is far from sterile, if you accidentally touch the screen with dirty fingers or food, bacteria can grow on the faucet, explains microbiologist Kelly Reynolds, PhD, an associate professor of community environment and policy at the University of Arizona College of Public Health. Over time, bacteria build up and form a wall of pathogens called biofilm that sticks to the screen. "Eventually, that biofilm may even be big enough to break off and get onto your food or dishes," she notes.
Keep it clean: Once a week, remove the screen and soak it in a diluted bleach solution — follow the directions on the label. Replace the screen, and let the water run a few minutes before using.
The garbage disposal
That raw chicken or spinach you're rinsing for dinner is often loaded with harmful bacteria, which can make the young, the elderly, or anyone with a compromised immune system seriously ill. In fact, there are often more than 500,000 bacteria in the kitchen sink — about 1,000 times more than the average toilet has.
Video: Bug killing keyboard Although the metal part of the disposal produces ions that can help kill germs, they still love to grow on the crevices in and around the slimy rubber stopper. That means your disposal can become party central for bacteria, contaminating whatever touches it — dishes, utensils, even your hands.
Keep it clean: At least once a week, clean the disposal's rubber stopper with a diluted bleach solution — soap and water aren't enough.
The welcome mat
It serves to greet not only your guests but also all the bugs on the bottoms of their shoes. One study found that nearly 96 percent of shoe soles had traces of coliform, which includes fecal bacteria. "The area near your front door is one of the dirtiest in the house," says Reynolds. Once bacteria plant their stakes in your mat, anytime you walk on it, you give them a free ride into your home.
Keep it clean: Spray the doormat once a week with a fabric-safe disinfectant (such as Lysol Disinfectant Spray). Leave shoes at the door, and avoid resting bags and groceries on the mat, too.
Your vacuum cleaner
"Vacuums — including the brushes and bags — are like meals-on-wheels for bacteria," says Charles Gerba, PhD, professor of environmental biology at the University of Arizona. "You suck in all this bacteria and food, creating an atmosphere for growth." A recent study by Gerba and his team found that 13 percent of all vacuum cleaner brushes tested positive for E. coli, which means you could spread it around the house each time you use the appliance.
Keep it clean: Change your vacuum bag frequently, and do so outdoors to avoid the cloud of bacteria that filters into the air. (Vacuum bags that feature antibacterial linings are best, and are available for many major brands.) Clean the cavity of a bagless vacuum with diluted bleach and let it air-dry.
Don't miss these Health stories
More women opting for preventive mastectomy - but should they be?
Rates of women who are opting for preventive mastectomies, such as Angeline Jolie, have increased by an estimated 50 percent in recent years, experts say. But many doctors are puzzled because the operation doesn't carry a 100 percent guarantee, it's major surgery -- and women have other options, from a once-a-day pill to careful monitoring.
- Larry Page's damaged vocal cords: Treatment comes with trade-offs
- Report questioning salt guidelines riles heart experts
- CDC: 2012 was deadliest year for West Nile in US
- What stresses moms most? Themselves, survey says
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A dish towel
You know a sponge can harbor nasty germs, but a recent study of hundreds of homes across the United States found that about 7 percent of kitchen towels were contaminated with MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), the difficult-to-treat staph bacteria that can cause life-threatening skin infections. Dish towels also rated tops for dangerous strains of E. coli and other bacteria. We often use towels to wipe up spills, says Reynolds, then reuse before washing them, which spreads germs.
Keep it clean: Stick to paper towels to clean countertops, and save the dishrag to dry just-washed pots and plates. Change towels or launder at least twice a week in hot water and bleach.
Your car's dashboard
In tests of 100 vehicles from across the United States, the dashboard was found to be the second-most-common spot for bacteria and mold. (Food spills were number one.) The researchers' rationale: When air — which carries mold spores and bacteria — gets sucked in through the vents, it's often drawn to the dashboard, where it can deposit the spores and germs. Because the dashboard receives the most sun and tends to stay warm, it's prime for growth.
Keep it clean: Regularly swipe the inside of your car with disinfecting wipes. Be more vigilant during allergy season — about 20 million Americans are affected by asthma, which is caused in part by an allergic reaction to mold.
Soap dispensers
Soap that harbors bacteria may sound ironic, but one recent study found that about 25 percent of liquid soap dispensers in public restrooms were contaminated by fecal bacteria. "Most of these containers are never cleaned, so bacteria grows as the soap scum builds up," says Gerba. "And the bottoms are touched by dirty hands, so there's a continuous culture going on feeding millions of bacteria."
Keep it clean: Be sure to scrub hands thoroughly for 15 to 20 seconds with plenty of hot water — and if you have an alcohol gel disinfectant, use that, too.
Restaurant ketchup bottle
It's the rare eatery that regularly bleaches down condiment containers. And the reality is that many people don't wash their hands before eating, says Reynolds. So while you may be diligent, the guy who poured the ketchup before you may not have been, which means his germs are now on your fries.
Keep it clean: Squirt hand sanitizer on the outside of the bottle or use a disinfectant wipe before you grab it. Holding the bottle with a napkin won't help — they're porous, so microorganisms can walk right through, says Reynolds.
The refrigerator seal
A University of Arizona survey of 160 homes in three U.S. cities found that the seal around the fridge tested positive 83 percent of the time for common molds. The mold can spread every time the refrigerator door opens — exposing anyone who's susceptible to allergies and potentially contaminating the food.
Keep it clean: Wipe fridge seals at least once a week with a diluted bleach solution or disinfectant.
Your cell phone
You probably put it down any place that's convenient, but consider this: Several studies on cell phones and PDAs found that they carry tons of bacteria, including staph (which can cause skin infections), pseudomonas (eye infections), and salmonella (stomach ailments). Many electronic devices are sheathed in leather or vinyl cases, which provide plenty of creases and crevices for germs to hide.
Keep it clean: Use a disinfecting wipe a few times a week, and be conscious of where you rest personal items.
Copyright© 2012 Rodale Inc.All rights reserved. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Rodale Inc.


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Your analysis of your local problem should give you a better understanding of the factors contributing to it. Once you have analyzed your local problem and established a baseline for measuring effectiveness, you should consider possible responses to address the problem.
The following response strategies provide a foundation of ideas for addressing your particular problem. These strategies are drawn from a variety of research studies and police reports. Several of these strategies may apply to your communitys problem. It is critical that you tailor responses to local circumstances, and that you can justify each response based on reliable analysis. In most cases, an effective strategy will involve implementing several different responses. Law enforcement responses alone are seldom effective in reducing or solving the problem. Do not limit yourself to considering what police can do: carefully consider whether others in your community share responsibility for the problem and can help police better respond to it.
Although more likely to focus on minimizing the harms that come to or are caused by runaways while they are absent from home, police can also be effective advocates in efforts to address the reasons juveniles run away (e.g., physical and sexual abuse) and to improve the quality of services designed to respond to juveniles upon their return (e.g., family mediation and preservation). Most researchers and practitioners agree that social service providers, rather than police, are primarily responsible for addressing this issue. Therefore, part of the police response may be to shift responsibility to other agencies better equipped to render services to runaways and their families.
Refer to Shifting and Sharing Responsibility for Public Safety Problems for more information.
That said, police have a legitimate role in locating juveniles reported missing and in ensuring runaways safety when they spend time on the street.[66] Police receive missing persons reports from parents, foster care providers, and group home staff. Further, their 24-hour street presence means they are most likely to encounter runaways, whether reported missing or not. Police should partner with other agencies to address the issue effectively, and a variety of agency-level responses will be required.
The Phoenix Police Department and the Tumbleweed Center initiated an outreach program designed to reduce police time spent managing runaways and to provide immediate and long-term assistance to runaways. When police come in contact with runaways, they connect with Tumbleweed staff using a crisis line, pager, or special police radio call received by staff monitoring the radio channel. Tumbleweed staff meet juveniles at the precinct and provide emergency shelter, transportation home, and follow-up services with the family. See http://www.tumbleweed.org and Posner (1994) for more information.
A framework should be developed for each agencys response to reported runaway episodes, along with procedures for assisting runaways who are identified through other means. Such collaborations have helped jurisdictions comply with federal mandates prohibiting the secure detention of status offenders. Involving social service agencies in returning juveniles to their homes or placements can also defuse potentially volatile domestic situations.
See Posner (1994) for a more complete discussion of the many forms, benefits, and considerations for policesocial service collaborations.
These agreements should be formalized into memorandums of understanding between police and social service agencies. In addition to specific protocols for transporting youth and providing services, these agreements can also create specific protections for confidentiality and privacy, when appropriate. Formalizing these agreements will also promote sustainability so the interagency relationships and protocols are not dependent on the individuals who created them.
Through an analysis of calls-for-service data, the Fresno Police Department found that 40 substitute care providers made a total of 1,024 calls in a single year. Five providers were responsible for 50 percent of the calls. Joint protocols and training from centers who manage juveniles absences without police contact were employed to reduce the high utilization rates of the five providers (Fresno Police Department 1996).
Many times, juveniles are simply late, rather than missing. Further, staff may not assess juveniles level of risk before identifying the event as an emergency. To avoid overwhelming police resources, some jurisdictions use protocols specifying a threshold for police contact when juveniles do not return to the facility as expected (e.g., call police only after midnight, only when juveniles have left the center without permission, or only after staff have failed to locate the juveniles). The protocol should categorize the various types of absences and state required procedures for each situation.[67] The circumstances surrounding the absences should be monitored and re-categorized as necessary.
Linking foster care providers and group home staff with community police officers also has benefits: [68]
Adapted from Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Florida Department of Children & Families (2002).
Parents are important partners in information sharing. They have the right to access information that agency staff may not be able to obtain. Some jurisdictions obtain parents written consent to access records from schools, social services, and other agencies.
Takas and Bass (1996) provide a sample parental consent form that features clear, simple language and specifies the types of records police may use. Police should work with local agencies to ensure the form meets their requirements for accessing information. Guidelines for approaching agency staff to request information are also provided.
Refer to National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (2005) for a sample policy incorporating these risk factors.
Classifying juveniles accordingly enables police to focus their resources on those juveniles at highest risk of being harmed and those most likely to commit crime while absent from home or care. Agreement from local partners about the types of cases to which police will dedicate resources also helps to promote a positive police image.
The specific responses to juvenile runaways are organized according to time sequencebefore the juveniles run away, when the juveniles depart home or care, while the juveniles are absent, and when or if the juveniles return. Many things can be done to address the reasons juveniles run away from home or care, such as offering support and guidance to parents and improving the quality of institutional care. A vast research base details the variety of family counseling, case management, and social work strategies that are effective in preventing runaway episodes, assisting juveniles and families with underlying dysfunction, and easing conflict upon return. These social service-based strategies are not reviewed at length here because police will have little direct involvement in such things.
See National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (2004), New York State, Missing and Exploited Children Clearinghouse (2001) for examples of brochures that police could offer when responding to calls for service or to a missing person report. See http://www.ontario.childfind.ca for an additional example. Click Programs & Services and then click the Teen Runaway Prevention Program link.
Referrals should include parent support services, advice and counseling programs and school-based support for juveniles, and family preservation and mediation services. The officer who responds to missing persons reports can provide similar information, along with guidance to help parents locate their children. Police efforts to generate awareness can be supplemented by school-based information campaigns designed to reach the larger audience of families whose children may run away but for whom police contact is not initiated.
The National Runaway Switchboard has developed a prevention curriculum for use in schools that covers coping strategies and a frank discussion of the risks juveniles commonly face when they run away.
A variety of investigation techniques can be used to determine whether voluntary departures are consistent with childrens behavioral patterns.
See Simons and Willie (2000) and Steidel (2000) for detailed discussions of investigation techniques useful for making this determination.
This classification allows police to respond to cases with an appropriate level of urgency.
Similarly, when runaways are apprehended, police can escort the juveniles to the program facility and notify the parents. Program staff receive the juveniles, await the parents arrival, and negotiate the return and follow-up care, allowing police to return to duty.
Juveniles who have run away from home or care often do not trust adults and authority figures and are easily deterred from seeking the services they need. Therefore, program credibility is essential and can be enhanced by: [75]
The Port Authority Polices Youth Services Unit patrols New York Citys bus terminal in search of runaways traveling by bus (Elique 1984). The team includes a plainclothes officer is supported by a uniformed officer and a social worker who connect juveniles with a variety of services operated by social services and community-based organizations. In 2004, the Youth Services Unit made over 4,500 contacts with juveniles found loitering in the bus terminal, 225 of whom were determined to be runaways (Port Authority Youth Services Unit 2004). Rather than tying up police time to transport the juvenile, the Youth Services Unit works in cooperation with Childrens Services staff who provide transportation as needed.
Specialized runaway units can also handle runaways contacted by other officers who lack the training or resources to intervene effectively.[76] Further, specialized runaway officers can coordinate with other units investigating those who exploit runaways.
The YMCAs Project Safe Place is a national network of businesses and agencies committed to providing a comfortable and secure place for juveniles to make contact with runaway service providers. Juveniles walk into a location displaying the Safe Place logo and are immediately put in contact with Safe Place volunteers who come to the location and help juveniles plan their next steps. Nearly 14,000 Safe Place locations nationwide have provided services to nearly 80,000 juveniles since 1983. See http://www.safeplaceservices.org/index.shtml for more information.
A few national airlines and bus companies offer free tickets to runaways from out of state who want to return home but cannot afford to do so.
Greyhounds Home Free program operates in partnership with the National Runaway Switchboard. Juveniles access the services by calling the toll-free switchboard, where staff coordinate issuing the ticket.
When police transport juveniles home or back to care, active referrals for follow-up services can help to resolve family problems and prevent subsequent runaway episodes. Rather than depending on the families to initiate contact, police can submit families names to a local service provider who makes contact with families and offers services.
The Alternative Solutions to Running Away (ASTRA) program operates in partnership with Gloucestershire, U.K. police, who refer families who made missing persons reports to the local program provider. The goal of the program is to reduce the incidence of repeat runaway episodes, which is accomplished by providing confidential, individual support to juveniles upon their return home and creating an action plan to help resolve the underlying problems (Great Britain , Office of the Deputy Prime Minister 2002).
Parents who receive such contacts often express relief and gratitude for the offer of help.[79]
Does anyone drink or use drugs?
Does anyone fight?
What is a good day for the family? What is a bad day?
Does anyone ever hurt you? (carefully question about physical and sexual abuse)
Adapted from Janus et al. (1987)
Connecticut state law requires police to confer with a juvenile before informing parents or guardians of the juveniles location. Police can transport a juvenile home only with his or her permission (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2003).
Their absence from home is not necessarily their most serious or important problem, and an exclusive focus on reunification may conceal their real needs.[83]
You may order free bound copies in any of three ways:
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Phone: 800-421-6770 or 202-307-1480
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There are no burning permits issued to City residents. Residents may have a recreational fire, contained in a fire pit, and may not burn leaves or trash.
Residents living in the east half of Bengal Township (Francis Rd. as the dividing line), Bingham Township and Greenbush Township may either call the St. Johns Police Department at 989-224-6721 or the St. Johns Fire Department at 989-224-2151 to request a 3-day burn permit. Permits cannot be given for manufactured materials, such as cardboard boxes, processed lumber, trash, tires, etc. Residents may burn leaves, tree limbs, garden waste, field materials, and ditch banks, etc. A burning permit for a recreational fire (less than 3' in diameter) is not required.
**NEW** We now offer an annual burn permit for residents in our Bingham, Bengal and Greenbush Township coverage areas. You need to stop at the police department during their regular business hours (Mon - Fri, 8-4) and fill out one form. Once you received a signed Annual permit you are not required to call for the 3-day permits.
Recreational Fires are permitted within the City limits. Residents are permitted to have small recreational fires for 'cook outs', roasting marshmallows, etc provided they are in a contained space. Residents may not burn rubbish, building materials, etc in these fires. Although burning permits are not required for recreational fires, a call to the Public Safety Office is appreciated. The phone number is 989-224-2151 or 989-224-6721.
Fire Department personnel will conduct a presentation on fire safety in the City of St Johns Schools. A School representative must request this program and it must be sanctioned by the School. For further details, please call 989-224-2151.
Tours of the Fire Station and Fire Trucks are conducted for groups of any size for local preschool, school classes, Scout groups, etc. Please call 989-224-2151 for further information on the arrangements needed for a tour.


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The 2014 "Freedom Tour" unfolds this week, showcasing USAC's Southwest Sprint Car stars in four races in Oklahoma and Kansas.
Race one is Wednesday night at Lawton (Okla.) Speedway, while Thursday's race is at Creek County Speedway in Sapulpa, Okla. The final two races are Friday's event at 81 Speedway in Wichita, Kans. and Saturday's finale at Dodge City (Kans.) Raceway Park.
All four races are considered "special events" and do not offer series points, so R.J. Johnson's 44-point lead over Charles Davis Jr. will not be affected.
Former USAC Southwest Sprint Car champ Rick Ziehl of Las Cruces, N.M. won races last year at Wichita and Dodge City, while Danny Smith won at Sapulpa and Davis also won at Dodge City.
AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car point leader Brady Bacon of Broken Arrow, Okla. has also indicated his participation in the tour and could be a force to reckon with.


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With the Visual Studio 2012 release candidate now on public display, partnering technology providers are starting to follow Microsoft's post-beta coming out action with complimentary tools that are compliant with the new development environment.
Among the "compatibility crowd" is Telerik with its suite of productivity tools. Extending compatibility across "any" Microsoft platform and device appears to be the most prudent means of showing obeisance to Redmond's standards as decreed in the gospel according to .NET, so this is where Telerik positions its functionality.
Microsoft is rewarding Telerik's deference with warm corporate assurances to state that the firm is a "trusted resource" for professional developers. "Telerik's compatibility ensures developers save time and reduces the amount of code they must write to create and launch powerful, new applications," said Tom Lindeman, director of the Visual Studio Industry Program at Microsoft.
Far more telling are the words of Kunal Chowdhury, a professional, independent software engineer based in the Indian city of Puna. Chowdhury highlights the fact that Telerik is the first company to release a commercial control library for building Windows applications.
"[This enables] .NET developers to build mobile apps quickly using Visual Studio 2012. Telerik products are broadly adopted because they boast the largest collection of controls for all developers across Microsoft's modern platforms and devices," he said.
In addition to supporting Visual Studio 2012, Telerik's developer tools will remain integrated and fully compatible with all previous versions of Visual Studio.
Compatible Telerik Developer Tools for .NET products include:
Web UI Controls & Components
RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX
RadControls for Silverlight
Kendo UI Complete for ASP.NET MVC
Mobile UI Controls
RadControls for Windows 8
RadControls for Windows Phone
Desktop UI Controls & Components
RadControls for WPF
RadControls for WinForms
Visual Studio Productivity Plug-ins
JustDecompile (standalone, free tool; but compatible with the new .NET framework 4.5)
Sitefinity Thunder


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Characterizing a new animal species can be a tricky process, but in dolphins it can be especially difficult. Now, scientists in Melbourne, Australia have managed to formally classify what will be just the fourth formal description of a new dolphin species in over 100 years.
The new species, classified as Tursiops australis (pictured up top), is endemic to a small geographic region of southern and south-eastern Australia, and will likely qualify for immediate recognition under Australia's criteria for endangered animals.
According to Monash University biologist Kate Charlton-Robb, who led the team that classified T. australis, only three new dolphin species have been described and formally recognized since the late 1800s, making her team's discovery a significant one.
But what makes it even more exciting, Charlton-Robb says, "is this dolphin species has been living right under our noses, with only two known resident populations living [near Melbourne]."
Charlton-Robb's team conducted intensive DNA screening and morphological analyses of dolphin skulls to show unequivocally that T. australis is, in fact, a new species. The team's analyses are published in the latest issue of PLoS ONE.
The researchers say their findings call attention to the demand for more thorough assessments of divergence in the area's dolphin population as a whole, which, despite living in a well populated urban environment and having been the subject of significant research efforts, has managed to elude thorough taxonomic investigations.


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Author: Jim Carroll, Chairman, BBH London
"Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet."
Bob Marley
I recently saw the Bob Marley documentary that came out last year. Insightful, inspirational, touching stuff.
I was quite struck by a story relating to The Wailers' early career in Kingston. Their manager would take them to rehearse late at night in the local cemetery. He believed that if they could conquer their fear of 'duppies' (spirits), they could also conquer any stage fright.
We often talk of advertising as a business fuelled by confidence. And it's true. Confidence gives you the courage to be honest, to be different, to challenge conventions. Confidence is the foundation of sustained success.
But I have also found that the reverse is true: agencies run on fear.
Fear of corporate change, competitive threat and Client whim. Fear of forgetting, of fluffing one's lines. Fear of fashion, of falling behind and falling apart. Fear of failure. Fear that the latest success may be the last. Fear of complacency, of hubris. Fear of lost relevance. Fear of irrelevance. Fear of redundancy. Not just losing your job, but losing your utility. Fear that your best years are behind you. And your worst meeting is in front of you.
As Nigel Bogle has been wont to warn, even in the good years, 'We're three phone calls away from disaster'.
I still go into every presentation with an awkward feeling in the pit of my stomach. And under sustained pressure I develop painfully itchy shins. Hardly the romance of a saint's stigmata. Faintly ridiculous really. But nonetheless a physical manifestation of stress, anxiety, doubt.
John Hegarty once bumped into our Levi's Client in Reception. The Client said he was worried because the proposed print route was a bit risky. Rather than reassure him that it wasn't at all dangerous, John said, 'You're right. It is risky. I'm worried it might even be a mistake, possibly a disaster.' And then he marched briskly on to his next meeting.
I think a successful business should be fuelled by confidence, but oiled by fear. The one delivers ambition, the other insures against complacency. I'm drawn to the same qualities in people too: I like enthusiasm, appetite ,optimism; tempered by a little self doubt, angst and humility. ('Once a Catholic…', I guess…)
"The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for."
Bob Marley
But whilst fear in moderation may be useful, attractive even, fear in excess is paralysing, corrosive. You see it in the eyes of the team whose competence has been questioned, whose business has been put up for pitch, whose job is on the line.
So I suspect we could still do with a little singing in the cemetery. We still need a means to confront our darkest paranoias, to defeat our deepest doubts. Of course in a modern, sanitised age we don't have 'duppies', ghosts and ghouls. Maybe, post Freud, just articulating our misgivings is healthy. Maybe we ought to give more time to sharing our angst, anxieties, apprehensions.
Maybe I'm just singing in the cemetery right now…


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The Elected at Daytrotter
Fri, Feb 2, 2007 at 10:52 AM
Blake Sennett and I are debating the definition of the word "filigree." We both think it has something to do with horses. My dictionary, however, proves us wrong. It actually refers to "any ornamental work especially of fine wire of gold, silver, or copper." We realize the horse association comes from the fact that saddles are often said to be filigreed. Then we move on to the word "piquant" and neither one of us can define it. But in case you're wondering, it means "agreeably stimulating to the palate; engagingly provocative; pungent; spicy."
Fri, Feb 2, 2007 at 10:52 AM


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Elastic Juwel steel chrome and paint finish
Star Paper Fastener steel chrome and phantom enamel finish
These two staplers really represent variations on a theme I have visited many times before. I had previously mentioned the enameled ornamentation of the Hotchkiss No 54 but the Elastic Juwel goes one step further. The Juwel is engraved with scenes of flowers and wildlife and in-painted to accentuate the engraving. The Star Paper Fastener bears the faded remains of the enamel ornamented Hotchkiss No 54 and like the Juwel is yet another example of multiple companies producing identically designed staplers. But as the Antique Stapler Collector's Website notes the Star Paper Fastener Company became the E.H. Hotchkiss Company and continued to market staplers with the Star brand. Also, frequently stapler patents were purchased from companies by their competitors and then sold under the new owner's name. It's no wonder I keep talking about the same staplers every month or so.
Excerpt from the Stapler of the Week, August 12, 2010.


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SAN DIEGO - It took 17 innings and a rare relief appearance for Clayton Richard to earn his first win of the year.
Richard pitched two scoreless innings out of the bullpen and Jesus Guzman singled home the winning run with two outs in the 17th to give the San Diego Padres a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays early Saturday.
"I was hoping I would get a win today. I was assuming it was going to be later in the day," said Richard, who had been scheduled to start Saturday night against the Blue Jays. "That's the crazy thing about baseball. You never really know what you're going to get. You come to the park thinking you've got a plan and it gets turned upside down. It was fun, though. That's part of the fun of the game is being in situations where something different happens."
Richard (1-5) came on to start the 16th. He gave up one hit and struck out two in his first relief outing since May 2009 with the Chicago White Sox.
The left-hander came in 0-5 with an 8.35 ERA in seven starts and recently spent time on the disabled list with an intestinal virus.
Padres manager Bud Black told Richard around the 13th inning that he'd probably pitch.
"We talked about it, whether to use a position player or go to one of our starters, and we felt that was the thing to do," Black said. "We wanted to win the game. We played to win the game. We took Clayton's start tomorrow out of the equation and we decided to use him tonight and go for the W. I think that's the way you have to do it."
The Padres will call up lefty Robbie Erlin from Triple-A Tucson to start Saturday night.
It was San Diego's longest game since the Padres lost to Arizona in 18 innings on June 7, 2009, when backup shortstop Josh Wilson served up a three-run homer to Mark Reynolds.
Rookie Jedd Gyorko's third hit of the night, a one-out single, caromed off third base into shallow left. Gyorko was sacrificed to second by Richard and scored when Guzman singled up the middle off Todd Redmond (0-1).
The winning hit came three innings after the 14th-inning stretch. The game lasted 4 hours, 58 minutes.
The Blue Jays and Padres weren't alone playing deep into the night, though. After nearly five hours of rain delays, the Tampa Bay-Cleveland game ended about 20 minutes before this one did — one night after the Royals beat the Cardinals in a rain-delayed game that finished at 3:14 a.m. CDT.
It was the longest game for the Blue Jays since they played the longest game in franchise history, 18 innings against the Angels on July 28, 2005.
"It's tough to watch because we couldn't get anything to fall and then couldn't get timely hitting at the end," Toronto starter Chad Jenkins said.
Each team used seven relievers, and each bullpen threw 11 2-3 innings. San Diego's allowed five hits, no walks and struck out 10. Toronto's allowed one run, six hits, walked three and also struck out 10.
"It's a tough loss for us," Blue Jays reliever Brett Cecil said. "It would be nice to have something to show for it. Unfortunately, we don't. But it doesn't take anything away from our bullpen, Redmond in particular. He got out of a lot of jams."
Four Padres relievers retired 17 Blue Jays batters in a row before Adam Lind singled leading off the 13th, his third hit.
Toronto's Colby Rasmus had a two-run homer among his season-high four hits and robbed Yonder Alonso of a solo shot.
The Blue Jays took a 3-0 lead after four innings on two home runs off Jason Marquis. Rasmus hit a two-run drive to straightaway centre with one out in the second. His ninth homer came after J.P. Arencibia walked.
In the bottom of the inning, Rasmus made a leaping catch to rob Alonso of a homer. Alonso doffed his batting helmet toward Rasmus.
Edwin Encarnacion lined Marquis' first pitch of the fourth into the balcony on the second level of the Western Metal Supply Co. brick warehouse in the left-field corner, his 15th.
The Padres tied it at 3 in the fifth. Gyorko hit a two-run double to right-centre with one out, went to third on the throw home and scored on Arencibia's errant throw to third. Carlos Quentin was hit by a pitch on the back of his left hand leading off the inning and Alonso followed with a single.
Toronto failed to take advantage of two bases-loaded situations. Marquis got two straight outs after allowing Encarnacion's homer but then loaded the bases on two singles and a walk before striking out Jenkins.
Marquis loaded the bases with one out in the sixth by allowing two singles and a walk before making way for Tyson Ross. Melky Cabrera then grounded into a 3-2-3 double play.
Marquis, making his 300th career start, got his second straight no-decision after a five-start winning streak. He allowed three runs and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings, struck out six and walked four.
Jenkins went five innings for the third straight start, allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits.
NOTES: Alonso, San Diego's first baseman, was hit on the right hand by a pitch from Aaron Loup in the seventh. Alonso played defence in the eighth but was replaced in the ninth. The Padres said X-rays were negative and Alonso has a bruised hand. ... Jenkins has gone five innings in five of his six career starts. ... Encarnacion is 10 for 20 with three homers and three walks against Marquis. ... This is the third time the Blue Jays have played a series at Petco Park. They won series in 2004 and 2010 by 2-1 margins. ... Jenkins was pitching on regular rest after waiting 14 days between his first and second starts. He missed the first month with shoulder inflammation. ... Mark Buehrle (2-3, 5.51 ERA) is scheduled to start Saturday night for Toronto. ... Sunday's series finale will be played at 7:10 p.m. due to the annual Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. The race will finish in a parking lot outside Petco Park and a post-race concert featuring the Psychedelic Furs will be held in the ballpark, with the stage set up near the first-base line.


text: Toy Story was the first feature-length film animated entirely by computer. If this seems to be a sterile, mechanical means of moviemaking, be assured that the film is as chock-full of heart and warmth as any Disney cartoon feature. The star of the proceedings is Woody, a pull-string cowboy toy belonging to a wide-eyed youngster named Andy. Whenever Andy's out of the room, Woody revels in his status as the boy's number one toy. His supremacy is challenged by a high-tech, space-ranger action figure named Buzz Lightyear, who, unlike Woody and his pals, believes that he is real and not merely a plaything. The rivalry between Woody and Buzz hilariously intensifies during the first half of the film, but when the well-being of Andy's toys is threatened by a nasty next-door neighbor kid named Sid -- whose idea of fun is feeding stuffed dolls to his snarling dog and reconstructing his own toys into hideous mutants -- Woody and Buzz join forces to save the day. Superb though the computer animation may be, what really heightens Toy Story are the voice-over performances by such celebrities as Tom Hanks (as Woody), Tim Allen (as Buzz), and Don Rickles (as an appropriately acerbic Mr. Potato Head). Director John Lasseter earned a special achievement Academy Award, while Randy Newman landed an Oscar nomination for his evocative musical score.


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ECB to keep rates on hold for start of 2013
The European Central Bank will usher in 2013 with steady interest rates at its first policy meeting this year to keep up the pressure on governments to solve the debt crisis, analysts predict.
(AFP) The European Central Bank will usher in 2013 with steady interest rates at its first policy meeting this year to keep up the pressure on governments to solve the debt crisis, analysts predict.
With ECB interest rates currently at record lows and its latest anti-crisis weapon ready and primed for action, central bank chief Mario Draghi will not pass up the opportunity to insist once again that only governments can resolve the long-running crisis, economists said.
"Whilst a (rate) cut cannot be entirely ruled out, we do not expect the governing council to change interest rates at its meeting on Thursday," said Commerzbank economist Michael Schubert.
"On the one hand, ECB executive board members have tried to dampen rate cut speculation over recent weeks, and on the other, important sentiment indicators have increased once again," he said.
Tensions eased due to OMT bond-purchase programme
On Friday, the closely watched Purchasing Managers Index or PMI for the entire euro area hit a nine-month high, offering hope the single currency area could be moving out of its deep double-dip recession.
Recent data for Germany, Europe's biggest economy, have also come in better than expected.
And German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble even went so far as to say he believed the embattled eurozone was now past the peak of its three-year-long debt crisis.
Market tensions have indeed eased since the ECB unveiled its anti-crisis bazooka in September, the so-called OMT bond-purchase programme.
The scheme is credited with marking a turning point in financial market sentiment towards the crisis-wracked euro even though it has not actually been used.
Experts don't expect monetary easing
With markets now calmer, the ECB has been able to keep its gunpowder dry, keeping interest rates at their all-time low of 0.75 percent and holding fire on other emergency anti-crisis measures as well, after pumping vast amounts of liquidity into the markets at the beginning of last year.
Nevertheless, at last month's meeting, ECB chief Draghi appeared to open the door to further rate cuts, crucially revealing that there had been "wide discussion" of such a move on the decision-making governing council and that the decision to keep rates on hold was anything but unanimous.
Commerzbank's Schubert pointed out, however, that top board members -- such as Yves Mersch, Peter Praet and Joerg Asmussen -- have all sought to play down possible rate cuts recently.
Deka Bank chief economist Ulrich Kater was similarly convinced that Draghi would not announce any monetary easing at his first press conference of the year.
"The policy of low interest rates is finally making itself felt in the periphery countries, thereby taking the pressure off the monetary policy actors to come up with new stimulus measures," he said. "For the time being, there is no immediate need to act."
ECB cannot solve crisis single-handedly
Capital Economics economist Jonathan Loynes cautioned, however, that "having prevented catastrophe in 2012 by pledging to do whatever it takes to save the euro, the ECB will have to follow words with actions in 2013".
While Loynes said he was expecting no policy changes to be announced on Thursday, "the pressure for action may soon be irresistible".
Postbank economist Thilo Heidrich said the likelihood of a rate cut was "wide open", but that he was betting on a further quarter-point reduction in the key refi rate to 0.5 percent in the early months of this year and the ECB would keep it there "for some time to come."
Loynes at Capital Economics said that "despite the sizeable challenges facing the ECB (in 2013), it appears unlikely that it will take any steps towards meeting them at its meeting in January.
"No doubt Draghi will reaffirm that the ECB is ready to implement OMTs... and he may even show signs of warming to the idea of a cut in interest rates," Loynes said.
"Either way, though, he is likely to keep the onus on governments by stressing once again that the ECB cannot solve the region's debt crisis single-handedly," he concluded.
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text:
This Taxi Booking App allows you to book a Taxi or Private Hire Vehicle from ER Roma Taxi Transfers
With this App you can:
* Make a booking directly from your Handset / Device.
* Order your Taxi discreetly in a noisy place when it is difficult to make a phone call.
-Use GPS to pinpoint your current location as a pickup point.
-Use GPS to find your location.
-Cash, Account or Card payment option.
-Save your details for any future bookings.
-Choose how many passengers require a Taxi.
Once your Taxi is booked you will receive an email or call to confirm your booking.


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Century College is known for high-quality programs and degrees taught by expert instructors.
Programs at Century are grouped under Academic Pathways. Each of the eight Century College Academic Pathways provides you with special learning opportunities and activities, along with personalized guidance from an academic advisor or counselor. Explore the exciting major areas below to find your Pathway!
The Education program provides both the foundation for upper division coursework for those planning to become teachers, as well as opportunities to earn either a certificate or associates degree in Paraeducation. Complete the Elementary Education Foundations or Special Education Transfer Pathway Degree for guaranteed transfer to a Minnesota State university.
For information on non-credit courses and customized training, visit Continuing Education & Customized Training


text: HSG Kick-off Days At the Kick-off Days we greet our new and re-matriculated students on the Bachelor's level (Second Bachelor's degree), the Master's level and the PhD level. The Kick-off Days are obligatory for all new and re-matriculated students, and they take place in the week before the start of the Spring and Autumn Semester. HSG Kick-off Day for students beginning in the Spring Semester Introductory Programme: 16 February 2019 (Sat) HSG Kick-off Days for students beginning in the Autumn Semester Academic Programme: 13 September 2019 (Fri) Extended Introductory Programme: 9-12 September 2019 (Mon-Thu) Compact Introductory Programme: 14 September 2019 (Sat)


text:
June 16th, 1967 was a momentous day in the world of rock 'n' roll: the three-day Monterey International Pop Music Festival kicked off.
Wikipedia provides the specifics for the now-legendary event, so I'll skip listing each and every act that partook in the weekend. Among them, however, were such stalwarts as Simon & Garfunkel, Big Brother and the Holding Company, the Byrds, Laura Nyro, Jefferson Airplane, Otis Redding, Buffalo Springfield, the Who, Jimi Hendrix, and the Mamas & the Papas.
(I say "stalwarts" but, of course, several of those acts wouldn't have been described as such at the time. And no act was considered legendary. "Legendary" and "rock 'n' roll" weren't believed to go together.)
In any event, D.A. Pennebacker filmed the festivities for what became the beloved Monterey Pop concert doc. Big Brother's manager didn't want the unknown group filmed without getting paid, so ordered the crew to turn off the cameras; Janis Joplin, their lead singer, so wowed the crowd on Saturday afternoon, however, that she and the group were talked into returning the next day and performing for the cameras.
It was also an inexpensive proposition. How much would a similar three-day fest set you back today? According to the Inflation Calculator, the top ticket ($6.50) should now cost $47.63 – but that's before the Ticketmaster/Live Nation overlords, and unfettered greed, play their part. In reality, it'd likely set you back $150-$200 a night.
All in all, the weekend was – in a word – groovy; and in two words, really groovy.
So, with that in mind, here's today's Top 3: Monterey Pop. As in, highlights from each of the three days…
1) Friday:
Eric Burdon and the Animals – "Paint It Black." Burdon & Co. cover the Stones.
Simon & Garfunkel – "The Sound of Silence." Why this stupendous rendition of this timeless song wasn't included in the movie proper, who knows? (It's now a bonus on the DVD/blu-ray release.)
2) Saturday:
The Byrds – "He Was a Friend of Mine." David Crosby's impromptu rap in this clip supposedly ruffled the feathers of Mssrs. McGuinn and Hillman. And the set was the last time he performed with them…
Laura Nyro – "Wedding Bell Blues/Poverty Train." The lore surrounding Laura Nyro's appearance is that she was booed…but it was less being booed and more being ignored for reasons that had little to do with her. No one knew who she was, as was the case for other acts, but she was backed by a band she'd rehearsed with just once – and, as a result, her delicate music became something of a sludge hammer. That said, the bonus clips on the DVD/blu-ray are well worth watching – the camera picked up the magic that the audience missed.
Jefferson Airplane – "Somebody to Love." The Airplane was flying high this pre-summer's night thanks to the success of this song, which soared to No. 5 on the charts this weekend.
Otis Redding – "I've Been Loving You Too Long." Another timeless performance.
3) Sunday:
Big Brother and the Holding Company – "Ball & Chain." Does it get any better than this? The band's performance is raw and ragged, but backing that voice…as Mama Cass says at the end, "wow."
Buffalo Springfield – "For What It's Worth." David Crosby substituted for an AWOL Neil Young in the Springfield's set, which didn't sit well with his fellow Byrds…
The Who – "My Generation." So the Who and Jimi Hendrix flipped a coin to see who followed who… and the Who lost. The poor Grateful Dead were stuck between them – and made to seem all the more boring my comparison.
Jimi Hendrix – "Hey Joe." Well…a full performance on YouTube of Hendrix's infamous "Wild Thing," which culminated with him lighting his guitar on fire, isn't to be found. This incendiary rendition of "Hey Joe" is, however.
The Mamas & the Papas – "California Dreamin'." The Mamas & the Papas following Hendrix, the Dead and the Who just seems…weird in the context of what we now know. But at the time? They were the hippie kings and queens of the Monterey Pop castle to three acts few were aware of.


text:
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Welcome to rec.aquaria.*
Welcome to Rec.Aquaria.*
contributed by Todd Zebert
edited by Erik Olson
Welcome to the rec.aquaria.* newsgroups! Please read this entire
document and whatever FAQs it may suggest before your first posting. We
hope this will help you get the most from the newsgroups, and aid you
in getting along with the people already here.
This document will tell you about:
the FAQs (answers to Frequently Asked Questions); what they are, and
where to find them.
Other Web Sites?
proper etiquette for posting to rec.aquaria.*
common acronyms and other terms used here.
common questions (with answers) asked about the rec.aquaria.* newsgroups.
There are several Usenet newsgroups collectively referred to as
rec.aquaria.*. They compose an international forum for the discussion
of almost everything related to aquaria and keeping fish. If you are
new to the aquarium hobby, you will find them a valuable source of
advice. If you are an advanced hobbyist but new to the Usenet forum, we
welcome your input and hope you will find some interesting discussions
and the new information that you need to keep current.
If you have questions about Usenet, newsgroups, posting messages, the
net in general, general netiquette, writing standards, how to FTP,
etc., the answers can be found in the news.announce.newusers group.
This is the single most important group for someone new to the net who
wants to get acquainted with the system. Some of the important files
(all written by Mark Moraes) in news.answers you should check out a
Answers To Frequently Asked Questions about Usenet
A Primer on How To Work With the Usenet Community
Hints on writing style for Usenet
What is Usenet?
Just the FAQ, Ma'am
Before posting for help, please read as much of the FAQs as you can.
Really! They will most likely tell you everything you want to know
about almost every beginner issue (if they don't answer your question,
WE want to know!). Reading them should be your first order of business
and is a simple courtesy to the readers of these newsgroups who get
tired of reading the same questions from newcomers, over and over.
The FAQs are available in three forms: World Wide Web, FTP, and monthly
Usenet postings. The best and easiest way to read them is through World
Wide Web at the URL
http://www.actwin.com/fish/mirror/ (U.S. mirror)
Outside the U.S., you may get faster access through another mirror
site, which are listed at the URL above.
Many of the FAQs are also posted on the aquaria groups, and
news.answers on a monthly basis. A bit of searching through articles
with the subject ``FAQ'' should bring up the latest copies. One word of
caution: now that the groups have been split, not all FAQs are posted
to all newsgroups; some may be only found on relevant groups.
If you do not have web access but do have ftp access, these text-only
versions can also be downloaded from the Usenet FAQ archive at
Other Web Sites
With the explosive growth of the web over the past few years, there are
so many sites coming and going that it's impossible to name them here.
One way to find them is to use your favorite search engine. Another
good "jumping off place" is Fish Link Central, at
http://www.fishlinkcentral.com. The old Caltech index at
http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~aquaria/ is being phased out, but should
remain for a time.
Posting to rec.aquaria.*
If the following instructions seem unclear, read the newsgroups for a
few weeks (called ``lurking'') and you'll get the hang of the way
things work. There are many readers of rec.aquaria.*, some are old
pros, some newcomers, but all would appreciate it if you would follow a
few simple requests when posting. Remember, you're asking them for help
so you should play by their rules!
1) If you've looked around for the information requested, but come up
with contradictory information, no information, or don't understand the
information, please say so. This will show that you've been actively
seeking out the information yourself.
Also, PLEASE PLEASE do not buy a fish and THEN ask the newsgroup how
you can properly care for it. Ask questions FIRST and read as much as
you can BEFORE buying the fish. Allow several days for people to get
back to you. Most stores will hold a fish for you if you ask. It also
does not hurt to introduce yourself, and come to know the owner or some
of the employees at your favorite store. They will be more willing to
do things for you if they know you are a loyal customer. It is poor
husbandry to buy a fish not knowing if you can keep it healthy.
2) Fill in the rest of the subject line with a brief description of the
problem or a couple of words that describe the concern of the post. A
descriptive subject line is more likely to get read and responded to
than a vague one (``Goldfish has white spots'' is better than
3) When asking for help, please give a complete description of your
tank size, lighting, filtration, its inhabitants and their sizes**, how
long you've had it running, measures of water quality such as ammonia,
pH, temperature, etc. You can't expect much of an answer (or any at
all!) unless you include enough information. (i.e. not ``HI, My fish
died! Why? Bye'')
**Fish sizes are measured from the tip of their head to the beginning
of their tail fin (where the tail meets the body).
4) Please do not use all capital letters. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE SHOUTING!
5) Make sure your newsreader is limiting line length to a maximum of 75
characters (or columns) otherwise it will be difficult for others to
read your post! If you don't know how to do this, ask your network
6) Do not post pictures to the rec.aquaria.* groups. Graphics in
general take lots of bandwidth, and are in general disallowed in
"non-binaries" groups. If the picture is available on a web site,
instead include the URL where others can find it. There is a special
group created on the alt. heirarchy for fish pictures,
alt.binaries.aquaria. Depending on whether your ISP carries so-called
"binary newsgroups", it may or may not be accessible (if in doubt, ask
Responding to Posts
When responding to a post, most newsreaders will include the original
message with some sort of character prefixed on every line, usually a
greater-than symbol, ``''. Please delete as much unnecessary
information from the original post as possible, while still maintaining
continuity of the conversation. This includes extraneous headers and
information from the previous post that is not relevant to the reply.
Terms and Acronyms
As you read posts in these newsgroups, you're likely to come across the
following terms, acronyms, and conventions commonly referred to as
rec.aquaria, rec.aquaria.*
Collectively refers to all groups in the rec.aquaria heirarchy.
As far as I know
Four popular aquaria magazines: Aquarium Fish Magazine, Marine Fish
Magazine, Tropical Fish Hobbyist, and Freshwater and Marine Aquarium.
America Online, CompuServe Information Systems; two commercial Internet
By The Way.
cut, snip
Means part of previous post has been removed.
Do It Yourself, home made, a device or system that is built by the hobbyist.
FAQ, FAQs
Frequently Asked Question[s].
A message which is abusive (see below)
For Sale.
File Transfer Protocol, and HyperText Transfer Protocol, two method of
transferring files.
Freshwater, Sal****er
For What It's Worth.
For Your Information.
HyperText Markup Language, used for creating web pages.
In My Humble Opinion, In My Opinion, In My Not-So-Humble Opinion, etc.
Local Fish Store
reading a newsgroup, over a period of time, to gain knowledge from
other people's questions and answers, without posting anything of your
Mail Order
Four M/O businesses: Mail Order Pet Shop, Pet Warehouse, That Fish
Place, and Wet Thumb Aquatics.
Net etiquette. The golden rule is: RTFF!
A beginner. Often, but not always, used in a derogatory way. Don't feel
too bad if someone calls another a newbie.
On The Other Hand.
An unfortunate correlation between Plocestomus Catfish deaths and
mention of their name on the net has led to the use of `pl*co' as a
superstitious habit. For our protection, the fish's full name has been
deliberately misspelled above.
message[s] on Usenet
The rec.aquaria re-organization.
Rolling On The Floor Laughing.
Read the ``fine'' Manual, or FAQ. Usually directed at people who ask a
question without first checking the obvious places to find the answer.
Substitute expletives beginning with F for ``fine'', if you like.
Siamese Algae Eater (see the ALGAE FAQ).
The initial message and all the following replies to it, a discussion.
Thanks In Advance
Undergravel Filter, Reverse Under Gravel Filter.
Wet/Dry Filter
Wanted To Buy.
WWW, W3, web
World Wide Web
Your Mileage May Vary, basically just because something works well in
one situation, does not mean it will in another.
Smileys :-) ;-) :-(
(turn the page, monitor or your head to one side if you don't see it at
first). Smileys are used to denote emotions that might otherwise not be
understood from the text, e.g. explicitly point out a statement is
meant to be humorous. The three shown here denote humor, a wink, and
sadness, respectively.
Questions & Answers
Q: What's up with all these different groups?
A: Due to the sheer volume of postings on the original newsgroups, a
proposal was passed by Usenet readers in March of 1996 splitting
rec.aquaria into several sub-groups. The official charter of the new
groups can be found in our FAQ ANNEX. Meanwhile, the old group
rec.aquaria has been phased out (effectively replaced by
rec.aquaria.misc), so you should not post to it. Please avoid
crossposting (posting to multiple newsgroups) whenever possible,
especially to the .misc groups.
A general discussion group for topics not covered by the other groups,
and topics that are appropriate to more than one group (rather than
crossposting). Post here if the topic doesn't fit neatly into the usual
freshwater/marine division (notably brackish aquaria), but does not
have a large enough following to warrant a separate newsgroup at this
time. Post here if the topic is of broad interest to many types of
aquarists. Also appropriate are such things as pointers to more
specific newsgroups, ftp and web sites, and other ``meta-issues.'' If
you don't know where to post it, it probably belongs here.
Topics specific to freshwater aquaria which do not fit into one of the
more specialized newsgroups, as well as topics which fit into multiple
specific freshwater newsgroups.
Topics specific to marine aquaria which do not fit into one of the more
specialized newsgroups, as well as topics which fit into multiple
specific marine newsgroups.
Allows ads to be found easily without burying or being buried in
general discussion. Ads related to aquaria and aquarium products and
inhabitants by private individuals and businesses.
While the organisms and special techniques vary, both freshwater and
marine aquaria face a similar set of fundamental problems and often
rely on similar devices in their solution. Discussion about the
technology of aquarium keeping, including homebuilt gadgets as well as
commercial devices. Discussions of the technical details of such
devices belong here, though the rationale for their use may be just as
appropriate in another newsgroup.
All topics related to both old- and new-world cichlids.
All topics related to goldfish and their kin.
Another specialized group, home to any and all discussion about
freshwater plants. Topics may span the entire range of beginner to
expert. Samples: ``My goldfish keeps destroying my plants,'' ``How do
you grow Echinodorus horemanii?''
The fundamental division of the marine hobby is into reef and non-reef
aquarists. This group provides a home for reef specialists while
allowing non-reef aquarists to avoid the large number of reef related
Q: What about alt.aquaria and sci.aquaria?
A: alt.aquaria is a historical remnant from the original newsgroup
creation wars of 1989. The full story behind this is now a fascinating
net.legend. We recommend that you not post to alt.aquaria as the
rec.aquaria.* groups are in place. Nonetheless, the group continues to
receive traffic more than two years after the revision.
Sci.aquaria's unofficial purpose is for more serious `scientific'
discussion. Now that the new rec.aquaria.* groups are in place, there
is no need to crosspost to sci.aquaria. This group receives very little
Q: Are there any other related groups? Mailing Lists? Chat Lines?
A: None of these other groups are supported by this documentation or
any of its FAQs or archives, but they do have related themes:
rec.ponds -- keeping outdoor ponds (usually with Koi and goldfish)
alt.aquaria.killies -- keeping Killifishes.
alt.aquaria.oscars -- keeping Oscars. Group created mid-1998 by Mark
Stone of Oscar Study Page fame.
alt.binaries.aquaria -- pictures, may not be carried by many servers.
There are also some E-mailing lists. Here are some we know about:
List Name Server Address What to Send as Message Body
Discus-L SUBSCRIBE Discus-L
BETTAS SUBSCRIBE BETTAS Your Name
Cichlids , subscribe cichlid Your Name
Dwarf Cichlids subscribe Your Name
Aquatic Plants subscribe aquatic-plants
Goldfish subscribe goldfish
Killies subscribe killies
For instance, to subscribe to the Aquatic Plants list, send e-mail to
with the line "subscribe aquatic-plants" as the
message body. Finally, there
are interactive ``chat'' services, such as Fishroom, a classy virtual
meeting place resembling the ultimate fish nerd's dream house.
Fishroom was set up by Kevin
Carpenter, and is accessible 24 hours a day. Specialized
groups now have meeting times when you might be able to
talk to some experts. Simply
and follow the directions. It is important to telnet to port 1025, or
else you will get a normal boring unix prompt. Further help is
available on the WWW, or via anonymous ftp from
Q: Can I post Non-commercial Advertisements?
A: Yes! There is a newsgroup just for you: rec.aquaria.marketplace,
which is open to both commercial and private advertisements. Here are
some guidelines:
Do not crosspost to the other newsgroups!
Since many are suspicious of people selling things on the net, be sure
to include why the items are for sale, especially if a profit motive
may be suspected.
If selling locally, include your location in the subject line
(``US-NY-Buffalo'', for instance). This will help your intended buyer
find you amongst all the posts.
It is advisable to limit the distribution of your post when the item is
only of interest to a local area (for instance, a glass tank). This is
done through your newsreader while composing your message.
Finally, after the item sells, you should delete (or cancel, as many
newsreaders call it) your original posting. Again, this is done through
the newsreader.
Q4: Can I post Commercial Advertisements?
A: If you are an aquarium-related business, as of the March 1996
re-organization, you may post to rec.aquaria.marketplace without guilt.
Beware, though, that non-advertisement posts from companies and their
representatives may be subject to scrutiny by wary rec.aquaria.*
readers. General guidelines for acceptable advertising on usenet can be
found in the ADVERTISEMENT FAQ posted to news.announce.newusers. Here
are some tips for keeping a friendly commercial presence on the
rec.aquaria newsgroups:
Do not post or cross-post your advertisement to any of the
rec.aquaria.* groups except for rec.aquaria.marketplace.
Retailers who are active participants of rec.aquaria.* can include a
reference to their business in their message signature (or better yet,
a reference to a WWW page). People can contact you or your web page
directly if interested in your business. Netters generally do not get
angry about this sort of advertisement.
If you respond to a post with a recommendation for your business, make
sure to be clear that you are associated with that business (otherwise
you are likely to get a bad reputation when your connection is
discovered). It also goes without saying that your response should be
relevant to the original post. :-)
E-mail advertising is never acceptable unless explicitly requested. If
a reader didn't specifically ask for your advertisement, do not send it.
Q: Why did no one answer my questions?
A: This question is usually answered by ``YOU DIDN'T READ THE FAQ!''
The FAQs are a collection of documents that members of these newsgroups
have written to answer questions that beginners ask ad nauseum. Before
posting, please read the relevant FAQs to be sure what you wish to know
has not been dealt with before. Despite the world-wide nature of
rec.aquaria.*, there are in fact only a few dozen members who answer
the vast majority of questions. They get tired of answering the same
questions over and over, and more often than not will simply ignore
questions that could have been answered by reading the FAQ.
Sometimes you won't get a reply if you haven't waited long enough; many
people do not read rec.aquaria.* daily, and it can take a few days for
the article to propagate to some hosts.
Another common cause of the unanswered post is a non-descriptive
subject line or vague message content. With hundreds of messages posted
daily to rec.aquaria.*, it is easy to ignore ``irrelevant'' subject
lines such as ``Subject: My Fish''. Likewise, it is also important to
convey all the necessary information in the body of your message. See
the section above on Posting to rec.aquaria.* for hints on improving
your technique.
Finally, the reason may be that nobody really feels confident enough to
answer your question, and everybody is hoping someone else will answer.
If you mention that nobody answered a previous post, you may get a lot
of answers. They may not be helpful, but you will get them!
Q5: Why did I get flamed?
A5: You may get flamed if you supply an ignorant answer to someone's
question, or just general ``bad advice''. Bad questions usually are
ignored, but bad answers are often flamed. You might also get flamed
when discussing controversial issues.
Threads on rec.aquaria.* are open uncensored conversations between
adults (and sub-adults of all ages) and so occasionally smart-ass
replies and jabs are made. These are not strictly discouraged and to
throw flames DOES NOT immediately cause one to be labeled a social
pariah, but flames should be on-topic and delivered with a sense of
humor. Neither is swearing totally unacceptable on the net but the use
of swear words will quickly remove any semblance of humor from your
flames. This may result in seriously hurt feelings, and so swearing is
to be strongly discouraged. Also, a few smileys (where appropriate) can
go a long way to save people's feelings.
Final Words
We hope that this introductory FAQ will improve your understanding of
the rec.aquaria community, and make your interaction with other netters
fun and productive. A great deal of time and thought has been devoted
to making quality answers to the Frequently Asked Questions available
at all times. A hurried post to the newsgroups might not yield an
answer for days (if at all), but if you read the FAQs you may have an
answer in minutes. Please give it a try!
[The FAQ Team can be reached by e-mail, but since we've been getting so
many irrelevant requests for help with individual problems, the address
will no longer be posted here.]
The FAQs owe their existence to the contributors of the net, and as
such it belongs to the readers of rec.aquaria and alt.aquaria. Articles
with attributions are copyrighted by their original authors. Copies of
the FAQs can be made freely, as long as it is distributed at no charge,
and the disclaimers and the copyright notice are included.
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