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Lagoon 440
Below are some general terms and conditions, offered by charter companies. Details vary from charter to charter. When you make your booking, Adriatic Holidays will point out which particular conditions of any charter companies apply.
Standard: GPS, Autopilot, Bed linen and Dinghy
Outboard Engine 80 Euros per week
Skipper 140-150 Euros per day + food
Stewardess/Chef 100-120 Euros per day + food
Gennaker 100-150 Euros per week
Safety net – up to 40ft 100 Euros, catamaran and boat over 40ft 120 Euros, boat over 50ft 150 Euros
Land transfers
Food provisioning
Beach towel: 8 Euros per person per week
Obligatory Extras:
Final cleaning: From 100-140 Euro, depending on the size of the yacht
Discounts will apply for early bookings, for two-week charter or more and for repeat clients.
50% upon sailing of the contract, 50% 5 weeks before embarkation.
Check-in: Saturday, from 05.00pm, Split ACI Marina
Check-out: Saturday, until 09.00am, Split ACI Marina
Security deposit will vary with a size of the yacht. It is payable by credit cards or cash (credit card payments not cashed unless required) directly to the charter company when checking in.
One-way charter is possible but an additional fee may apply.
The client skipper must be in possession of a certificate of competence (internationally recognised) in order to charter a bareboat, including the licence of authorization to operate the radio-telephone station on the yacht. If the client does not possess the said certificate, he must take a skipper at extra charge. The boat must be returned clean with full tanks of petrol and water on the final Saturday morning. For all practical purposes this means that the boat should return to the marina on the Friday evening, in order to comply fully with the conditions of return.
The tax of cca 1 EUR/person/day is expected to be paid in cash at one-time basis upon the arrival to any charter starting base. The payment settles the whole charter stay in Croatia.


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By Greg Johnson
Citing temporary decals and logos that may cause players to slip, the Men's and Women's Basketball Rules Committees are recommending a rules change that requires the court be "of a consistent surface" so student-athlete safety is not compromised.
The committees believe most surfaces already are in compliance, but no rule exists requiring a consistent surface. In some cases, temporary decals can create a difference on the floor that may cause players to lose their footing.
All rules proposal must be approved by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel, which is scheduled to meet via conference call June 12.
While this is a non-rules change year, committee members believe this change should be effective for the 2012-13 season for student-athlete safety purposes. The committees have asked NCAA staff to work with appropriate facility managers and court manufacturers to provide resources and best practices to the membership.
Members of both committees, which conducted their annual meeting May 6-8 in Indianapolis, agreed that "the playing court must be completely finished in a manner that is consistent throughout."
This rules change does not restrict the use of decals, but it does make clear that those marks must be similar to the rest of the court. This includes the three-foot sideline and restricted area behind the baseline.
The host game management will be responsible for ensuring the court is of a consistent finish, including any logos or decals that are legally allowed on the floor.
Members of the National Association of Basketball Coaches were briefed on the rules proposal last week and were supportive of making sure the playing surface was a safe environment.
Rules committee members cited times they've seen players slip on areas not consistent with the rest of the court. They are suggesting that any additional logos or decals have the same kind of traction as the rest of the floor.
"The safety of our student-athletes has to come before anything else," said John Dunne, the chair of the men's basketball rules committee and coach at St. Peter's. "We're seeing players slip on the non-consistent parts of the floor too many times."
Dunne said the committees have talked about this change in the past.
"Sometimes it takes a high-profile event to make a rules change," Dunne added. "But we don't want to sit back and wait for injuries to happen and then pass the rule."
Both committees also recommended more stringent adherence to officiating guidelines regarding bench decorum by coaches and bench personnel next season.
Committee members believe the following behaviors hurt the image of the game and should result in a technical foul against the coach or other bench personnel:
- Comments directed at or referring to any game official that question the integrity of an official (repeated references to the number of fouls called against each team; suggesting an official is cheating" a team, etc.).
- Profane, vulgar, threatening, or derogatory remarks or personal comments relating to race, ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation directed at or referring to any game official or opposing player/bench personnel.
- Prolonged, negative responses to a call/no-call that are disrespectful or unprofessional and include waving or thrashing the arms in disgust, dramatizing contact by re-enacting the play, or running or jumping "in disbelief" over a call/non-call.
- A negative response to a call/no-call that includes approaching/charging an official in a hostile, aggressive or otherwise threatening manner; emphatically removing one's coat in response to a call/no-call; or throwing equipment or clothing on to the floor.
- Continual criticism during a game regarding the same incident after being warned by an official.
Committee members understand that there will be spontaneous reactions to calls, but they don't want coaches to cross the line with officials.
"Emotion is a big part of the game, and you don't want to take it out of the game," Dunne said. "But you can still be emotional without displaying unsportsmanlike behavior."
The Men's College Basketball Officiating, LLC Board of Managers assisted and supported the development of more specific guidelines in this initiative. The MCBO, composed of NCAA conference commissioners, was developed to encourage consistent officiating nationally.
Monitor reviews
Both committees talked broadly about the use of video replay monitors during the game.
The women's committee split into working groups and discussed areas to monitor, such as which calls fall under correctable errors and technical fouls. Thatled to a discussion about whether monitor reviews hurt the flow of the women's game.
"We want to give our officials a tool to get the plays right," said Leslie Claybrook, women's basketball rules committee chair and assistant commissioner for championships at the Southeastern Conference. "But we don't want unnecessary stoppages of play. We want officials to use the monitor when something egregious has occurred or has a significant impact in the game."
Key in the discussion is whether the last few minutes of a contest merit different treatment.
"We are asking ourselves questions like, are we considering the last minute of a game to be more important than the previous 39 minutes?" Claybrook said. "The bottom line is the technology is here to stay, and it's not going anywhere."
The men's committee discussed the last minute of the game as a potential area to expand the use of the monitor to get calls right. With the expanded acceptance of technology, the committee will continue to review the appropriate use.
The women's committee also decided not to tinker with the rule that allows teams to have electronic devices such as tablets and laptops on the bench. These are allowable in the women's game for keeping statistics, but they cannot be used to transmit information. The men's committee discussed this and will continue to prohibit these devices on the bench, regardless of purpose.
Men's Officiating Guidance
The men's committee reviewed blocking and charging plays and the impact of the three-foot restricted area arc. The committee believes that in some cases thecall is not being made correctly, sometimes giving the defense an advantage.
To help address this, the committee approved guidelines to help better administer these rules:
- Before the offensive player (with the ball) becomes airborne, the defender must have two feet on the floor, be facing the opponent and be stationary to draw a charge. Otherwise it should be a blocking foul.
- Secondary defenders (help defenders) moving forward or to the side are also in violation, and these should be blocking fouls.
- Contact that is "through the chest" is not de facto proof of a charge. The rule in its entirety must be considered before determining a foul.
- In some cases, it appears that a defender is being rewarded solely for being outside the arc, without considering the other aspects of the rules.
The committee plans a more thorough review of several other areas during the next year and will continue to develop better guidance for officials as needed.
Women's chair
Eastern Illinois Athletics Director Barbara Burke was nominated to be the next chair of the Women's Basketball Rules Committee.
If the Playing Rules Oversight Panel approves, she will replace Claybrook, who is rotating off the committee.

subset: commoncrawl


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Swarovski Crystal Carousel - Sahara - 7451 060 000 SAHARA. The Sahara Swarovski cupcake paperweight is one of a number of other vibrant Swarovski Paperweights originally available in the Carousel shape.
Swarovski Collection: Swarovski Silver Crystal
Designer: Max Schreck
©2019 Crystal Exchange America - Retired Swarovski Crystal Dealer | Swarovski Crystal | Home
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The operator of this web site, Crystal Exchange America, is not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by Swarovski A.G. This web site has in no way been approved by Swarovski A.G. Crystal Exchange America is an independent company providing a specialist service to collectors of Swarovski Crystal and Swarovski Silver Crystal. For the official Swarovski web site, please visit www.Swarovski.com.


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As fans of Google's Android mobile software well know, each new version is named after a sugary treat, such as Gingerbread or Honeycomb. Android is about to get even sweeter with Ice Cream Sandwich a smooth, feature-rich operating system that will run first on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone.
The combination of Google's software and Samsung's hardware makes the Galaxy Nexus one of the best candidates to compete with Apple's latest iPhone, though its price is steep. It began selling last week in the U.S. for $300 with a two-year Verizon Wireless contract.
Like the previous phone in the Nexus line, the Nexus S, the Galaxy Nexus was jointly developed by Google Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. It features a slim frame with a large, curved glass screen that's comfortable for chatting with friends and excellent for watching videos. There are 32 gigabytes of built-in storage space on the Verizon version of the phone, but no external slot for a microSD memory card.
The screen, a pocket-busting 4.65 inches at the diagonal, makes the iPhone's 3.5-inches look diminutive. And despite the size, the Galaxy Nexus manages to weigh just 4.8 ounces, slightly less than Apple's offering.
On it, videos and Web pages looked crisp and bright, with rich colors. I started watching a video during testing — an HD copy of "The Help" that I rented from Google's Android Market — and had to force myself to break away to test other features of the device.
With the latest version of Android under the hood, the Galaxy Nexus is packed with new and improved features. Many of them are great; others are simply great in theory.
Overall, the software looks fresher and less cluttered. The virtual "buttons" that usually sit at the bottom of the screen have been redesigned. There's still a "home" and a "back" button, but no "menu" button to pull up various options within an app. Instead, there's now a "recent apps" button that shows what you've been doing lately on the phone.
Another neat change: The buttons are completely virtual, so they change directions when you flip the phone sideways and disappear when you're viewing photos or videos.
Other changes to Android include an overhaul of its virtual keyboard, meant to make it easier to type without messing up — something I've always had trouble with on the stock Android keyboard. I was often able to type more accurately than in the past, but sometimes still ended up with unintended words in my messages.
The Android browser and Gmail are updated, too. Gmail's new functions include the ability to search emails while offline The browser is zippier and has a "request desktop" option so you can check out Web pages in their non-truncated desktop version.
One new feature that falls into the "great in theory" category is Face Unlock, which uses facial-recognition technology to unlock the phone from standby mode. To set it up, you take a picture of your face with the phone. Then, all you have to do to unlock the phone is stare at the screen after you press the power button.
Most of the time it didn't work, though, probably because the phone couldn't recognize my face from certain angles. I was also able to fool it by holding up a shot of my face on an iPhone. So much for security.
Ice Cream Sandwich also has Android Beam, which lets you share such content as a Web page, map or video between two Android phones by bringing the backs of the phones close together. It only works with phones that have this Android software and near-field communication technology, though, so unless you and your friend both buy the Galaxy Nexus you'll be out of luck at launch.
More immediately useful was the phone's 5-megapixel camera, which is the snappiest I've seen on any Android phone. There was almost no shutter lag between shots, even when I had just turned the camera on.
Still, I would have preferred a higher-resolution sensor — 8-megapixel cameras are quickly becoming common on smartphones. In addition, photos I took could have been brighter, though this can be improved somewhat by using some of the available editing options, including numerous color filters and adjustable contrast options.
Like the iPhone 4S and some other high-end smartphones, the Galaxy Nexus can record high-definition videos in 1080p — the best resolution you can get on a consumer camera. I had some fun taking sunset videos with a time-lapse feature, and there are some goofy filming effects to play around with, too.
» Read More...


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Mitch Cairns
- Medium
- oil on linen
- Read label text
Mitch Cairns' self-portrait began as a painting of somebody else. 'Originally, I had organised a couple of meetings with another sitter and completed two rather unsuccessful paintings of them,' he says. 'So I decided to shelve that particular idea and make a self-portrait.
'I hadn't attempted a self-portrait since art school but my studio used to be a make-up school and so there are plenty of mirrors in it. A self-portrait was bound to happen sooner or later.'
With this painting, Cairns wanted to do as little as possible in terms of composition, using both an economy of line and measured paint application. 'The Archibald Prize is generally filled wall-to-wall with large works so I wanted to make a relatively small, straightforward picture without all of the overtly symbolic filler that can sometimes distract the viewer from the primary subject,' he says.
Carins doesn't paint many portraits but says he approached the genre as he would any other, with the subject at the service of the painting. 'If it sings, I'll make it happen,' he says.
Cairns was awarded the 2012 Brett Whiteley Travelling Arts Scholarship and was a finalist in the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize in 2010. His work has been exhibited nationally in galleries and museums including BREENSPACE, Museum of Contemporary Art, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Artspace, Neon Parc and The Ian Potter Museum of Art.


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DTP Connectivity Project Committers Meeting Minutes: December 8, 2008
Revision as of 19:16, 8 December 2008 by Brianf.sybase.com (Talk | contribs) (→Minutes)
← Back to DTP Connectivity Project Committers' Meeting Page
- Brian Fitzpatrick
- Linda Chan
- Larry Dunnell
- APIs for Transient Connection Profiles
- Add one method to ProfileManager
- public IConnectionProfile createTransientProfile(String providerID, Properties baseProperties) throws ConnectionProfileException;
- All other ProfileManager APIs deal with permanent (i.e. non-transient) profiles
- deleteProfile from ProfileManager could be retooled slightly to understand transient vs. non-transient profiles
- another option is to simply add another property that indicates that a given profile is "transient". if such a profile is found when the ProfileManager is disposed, it gets discarded
- Open discussion
- ProfileManagerInitializerProvider issue discussed with Larry


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Vestas warns on profits, chairman resigns
The chairman of Vestas Wind Systems A/S, the world's biggest maker of wind turbines in terms of revenue, will step down after the company said Wednesday that its 2011 profits were substantially below target.
Bent Erik Carlsen said in a live television interview that investors wanted change, forcing him and Deputy Chairman Torsten Erik Rasmussen to decline a re-election bid at next month's shareholder meeting.
The pair have been criticized for poor financials and a loss of market share to Chinese competitors. Last month, the company announced it would lay off 2,335 people.
CFO Henrik Noerremark resigned Tuesday after the company twice slashed its 2012 forecasts. In a statement, the company said another board member, Freddy Frandsen, would also forego re-election, though no reason was given for his departure.
Vestas said that its 2011 results were "substantially lower than original expectations," causing its shares to drop more than 13 percent to 58 kroner ($10.27) in Copenhagen.
Revenue was euro5.8 billion ($7.63 billion), which Vestas said was euro1.2 billion ($1.97 billion) lower than the original forecast and 16 percent lower than in 2010.
Sluggish sales have already forced the company to slash its 2012 forecasts twice. It has also abandoned its targets for 2015 sales of euro15 billion ($19.1 million) and profit margin of 15 percent.
In January, the Danish turbine maker announced it would lay off 2,335 people worldwide and that 1,600 U.S. jobs would be at risk if Congress failed to extend tax breaks for renewable energy.
The company has invested more than $1 billion in four facilities in Colorado. Its U.S. operations are headquartered in Portland, Oregon.
Vestas has also faced tough competition from China and fallout from a global recession that slowed investments in wind power.


text: ROG Strix XG27VQ Curved Gaming Monitor – 27 inch Full HD (1920x1080), 144Hz, Extreme Low Motion Blur(1ms MPRT), Adaptive-Sync(FreeSync™) 27 inch 1800R curved gaming monitor with ultra-fast 144Hz refresh rate designed for professional gamers and MOBA aficionados Features ASUS Extreme Low Motion Blur (ELMB) Technology with 1ms MPRT to further reduce ghosting and motion blur ROG Strix XG Series gaming monitors feature ASUS Aura RGB lighting on the back and a customizable light signature projection for gaming-inspired aesthetics Features an ergonomically designed stand to offer extensive swivel, tilt, and height adjustment Shop Modal header The Curve to Victory ROG Strix XG27VQ blends silky-smooth graphics and gorgeous gaming aesthetics to deliver incredible gaming experiences! It's the absolute best gaming monitor for professional gamers and MOBA aficionados. The Strix XG27VQ is a Full HD curved gaming monitor with an engaging 144Hz refresh rate. It features ASUS-exclusive Extreme Low Motion Blur and Adaptive-Sync (FreeSync™) technologies for incredible gameplay without tearing and stuttering. Its game-inspiring design integrates onboard ASUS Aura RGB lighting to add ambience to any gaming setup or LAN party. An Immersive Gaming Arena Experience the Curve ROG Strix XG27VQ wraps its 27-inch panel around an 1800R curve, extending your field of vision so you feel fully immersed in the game. The display's curvature ensures every point is equidistant to your eyes, so you get a comfortable viewing experience, even during marathon gaming sessions. This monitor also lets you enjoy wide viewing angles with minimal distortion and color shift — so you get better visuals with games, movies, or anything else, from almost any viewing angle! Seamless Gameplay Super-fast 144Hz Refresh Rate With an astonishing 144Hz refresh rate, fast-moving visuals pose no problem for ROG Strix XG27VQ. There's no frustrating lag so you get the upper hand in fast-paced first-person-shooters, racers, real-time strategy, and sports titles. The ultra-fast refresh rate also lets you play games at the highest visual settings, so you can instantly react to what's onscreen and always be the first to strike! Your browser does not support the video tag. ASUS-exclusive Extreme Low Motion Blur Technology ROG Strix XG27VQ features the latest ASUS Extreme Low Motion Blur technology, which achieves 1ms MPRT to eliminate smearing and motion blur, and makes objects in motion look sharper, so gameplay is more fluid and responsive. Your browser does not support the video tag. Adaptive-Sync (FreeSync™) Technology for Smooth Gameplay Adaptive-Sync (FreeSync™) technology delivers the smoothest, fastest, and most breathtaking gaming visuals imaginable by eliminating screen tearing and choppy frame rates, and by minimizing display stutter and input lag. ROG Strix XG27VQ gives you seamless, lag-free visuals when playing the latest fast-paced first-person-shooters, sports, or action-adventure games. Your browser does not support the video tag. Game-Inspiring Aesthetics The ROG Strix series is a continuation of the ever-lasting legacy of ROG, with a bold, streamline design featuring the iconic tripod stand. The series is made using high- quality materials, skillfully crafted with the expertise and adventurous spirit synonymous with ROG. ASUS Aura RGB Lighting ROG Strix XG Series gaming monitors feature ASUS Aura RGB lighting on the back. It offers several lighting modes to provide a cool and stylish backdrop to any gaming setup. Customizable Light Signature Light Signature lets you create and customize ROG Strix XG27VQ's light-projection* effects. It includes two ROG logo covers and one blank covers that you can use to create customized, unique light projections to enhance your desktop surface. *LED Lighting projection is patent pending. Super-Narrow Bezel Strix XG27VQ features a super narrow design, making it the ideal solution for almost-seamless multi-display setups. Build the ultimate battle station, and enjoy total immersion! Gamer-Centric Enhancements GamePlus Technology ROG Strix XG27VQ features the ASUS-exclusive GamePlus hotkey with in-game enhancements that help you get more out of your game. This function is co-developed with input from pro gamers, allowing them to practice and improve their gaming skills. A crosshair overlay provides four different crosshair options, so you can select the one that best suits the shooter you're currently playing. Onscreen timer that can be positioned on the left of the display to keep track of elapsed game time. The FPS counter lets you know how smoothly the game is running. *This can be activated while FreeSync™ is on. Activating the display alignment function gives users three alignment lines on all four corners of the monitor to take the guesswork out of multi-display set-ups, so each monitor lines up perfectly. ASUS-Exclusive DisplayWidget Software DisplayWidget is an intuitive software utility that lets users tweak settings or configure ASUS GameVisual, App Sync™, and Blue Light Filter. Adjustments to these utilities can be made via the On Screen Display (OSD) menu or the navigational joystick, but ASUS DisplayWidget makes accessing and using these various settings much faster and easier. GameVisual + - ASUS GameVisual gives you six preset display modes and one user mode tailored to suit different types of content. App Sync™ + - Lets you assign specific ASUS GameVisual modes to individual applications and game titles to make sure the program you are using is in your preferred mode. You also have the option of changing these assigned settings quickly . Ultra-Low Blue Light technology + - DisplayWidget also lets users access different blue light filter settings. ASUS Ultra-Low Blue Light technology reduces the amount of blue light emitted by the display and features four different filter settings onscreen to suit the task at hand. These settings can also be easily accessed via the OSD menu. Sharable display setting parameter + - All customized GameVisual settings can be saved to an AXML file format that can be shared with other same monitor users. Racing Cinema MOBA RTS/RPG FPS sRGB Scenery Reduces input lag, making it ideal for racing games when Adaptive-Sync technology is on. Cools and saturates colors for more immersive movies. Enhances the color of your opponents' health/mana bars, so that you can simultaneously respond and be the first to destroy the opposing team's main structure. Enhances color saturation and contrast sharpness to give you better, brighter colors and detailed visuals for real-time strategy (RTS) or RPG games. High contrast brightens up darker areas and shadows onscreen to help gamers spot hidden enemies. Perfect for surfing the web or editing photos. Provide more contrast gradations makes grass greener and skies bluer so it's ideal for slide shows. Robust Connectivity ROG Strix XG27VQ offers a wide selection of connectivity options, including DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI and Dual Link-DVI. Designed for Marathon Ultra-Low Blue Light Technology ROG Strix XG27VQ comes with TÜV Rheinland-certified ASUS Ultra-low Blue Light filters to protect your eyes from harmful blue light. It's easy to access and select the four different filter settings via the OSD menu using the 5-way joystick. Low Blue Light Level 0 1 2 3 4 Flicker-Free Technology ROG Strix XG27VQ reduces onscreen flicker to give you a more comfortable gaming experience. This minimizes eyestrain during marathon gaming sessions. Ergonomic Design ROG Strix XG27VQ features a stand that's ergonomically designed to offer extensive swivel, tilt, and height adjustment — so you can always attain that ideal viewing angle. Swivel (+50° ~ -50°) Height Adjustment : 0 ~ 100 mm Tilt : +20° ~ -5° An Immersive Gaming Arena Seamless Gameplay Game-Inspiring Aesthetics Gamer-Centric Enhancements Designed for Marathon


text:
Gear up with a Scareless Sticker!
Please review the details you entered below before finalizing your order.
– Adhesive Backing is Very Strong
– Long Lasting
– Vivid Colors
Please note that manufacturing time is approximately 7-16 business days. All custom orders are final, no returns, cancellations, exchanges or refunds will be accepted.


text:
Millions of European workers hit the streets, heading not for their jobs but for demonstrations against austerity measures that have worsened the suffering of individuals in numerous countries.
Reuters reported Wednesday that coordinated strikes were called in Spain and Portugal, as unions joined forces to practically shut down railroads and flights were canceled. Ports and automobile factories ceased to function as workers reported to demonstrations instead of shifts. Bloomberg reported that the Portuguese economy shrank for an eighth straight quarter in September as the country's leader continues to implement austerity policies.
In Madrid and Rome, protests saw violence; Spanish riot police went after demonstrators with batons, and arrests and injuries piled up; Italian students threw rocks over planned cuts to the educational system. Cash machines were disabled by protesters who used coins and glue to jam the works, and idle factories drove power consumption lower by 16%.
Strikes caused interruptions in international rail service in Belgium and in Greece, Italy and France a "European Day of Action and Solidarity" was planned, with demonstrations and work stoppages.
"We're on strike to stop these suicidal policies," said Candido Mendez in the report. Mendez is the head of the General Workers' Union, Spain's second largest labor organization.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has been the focus of two strikes as he pushes austerity measures on an unwilling public in the midst of record unemployment, particularly after running on a different platform before his election. Now he is trying to hold off as long as possible in asking for European assistance to try to forestall demands for additional cuts and tax increases.
Anger at bank bailouts at the expense of the people has given force to the protests; last week as bailiffs attempted to evict a Spanish woman from her home, she instead jumped to her death. Rajoy has since said that he will expedite measures to prevent evictions and has won a concession from banks to declare a two-year moratorium on evictions for "extreme" cases.


text:
All News Releases By Date
West Virginia Department of Transportation Settles Alleged Violations of Underground Storage Tank Regulations
Release Date: 03/21/2013
Contact Information: Heron 215-814-5113 / firstname.lastname@example.com
PHILADELPHIA (March 21, 2013) -- The West Virginia Department of Transportation (W.Va. DOT) has agreed to pay a $30,000 penalty to settle alleged violations of underground storage tank (USTs) regulations at 10 facilities operated by the department's Division of Highways, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today. As part of the settlement, W.Va. DOT has also agreed to statewide improvements of its UST monitoring procedures.
With millions of gallons of petroleum products and hazardous substances stored in USTs throughout the U.S., leaking tanks are a major source of soil and groundwater contamination. EPA and state UST regulations are designed to reduce the risk of underground leaks and to promptly detect and properly address leaks thus minimizing environmental harm and avoiding the costs of major cleanups.
EPA cited W.Va. DOT for not complying with federal and state safeguards designed to prevent, detect, and control leaks of petroleum and other hazardous substances from underground tanks. EPA alleged that the W.Va. DOT failed to perform and/or document required release detection activities at a total of 17 USTs used to store diesel fuel and used oil at Division of Highway facilities. These facilities are located in the following W.Va. municipalities: Barbourville, Berkeley Springs, Buckhannon, Forest Hill, Gassaway, Harrisville, New Creek, Peterson, Wilkinson, and Williamson.
In addition to the $30,000 penalty, W.Va. DOT has agreed to improve release detection procedures at 43 underground fuel tank facilities statewide by upgrading to a more sophisticated monitoring system which complies with regulatory requirements.
The settlement penalty reflects the W.Va. DOT's cooperation with EPA in correcting the alleged non-compliance and resolving this matter.
For more information on underground storage tanks, go to: https://www.epa.gov/oust/index.htm.
Search this collection of releases | or search all news releases
View selected historical press releases from 1970 to 1998 in the EPA History website.


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Anyone else out there writing a non-fiction book proposal?
Holy moly! How complicated can it get? Not that I believed for one moment that writing a GOOD non-fiction book proposal – in this case a cookbook proposal – would be easy, but really? Come on! You've got to be kidding!
It's tough enough to come up with a unique idea, back it with credentials and make it shiny with bells and whistles, but when it comes to writing a non-fiction book proposal, I'm convinced a writer needs a suit of armor and many, many weapons to succeed.
Please don't get me wrong, I'm not angry or frustrated or even seriously irritated by the process. It's actually a necessary one, and I've been known to vehemently encourage my Author Success Coach clients to do just that. I explain that writing a good Book Business Plan for fiction (as well as non-fiction) is just as important for gaining success as being born under a lucky star. I'm even teaching an online workshop next week for SavvyAuthors.com on Creating an Effective Book Business Plan, I believe in it THAT much. AND … it's not like I don't practice what I preach. I have built several wonderful book business plans that have proven successful in gaining literary agent representation for me. Now I'm pushing through the real jungle to create a powerful non-fiction book proposal for that agent to pitch. It's a long story and I'll try to abbreviate it.
Let's start with the reason. Many writers have a book inside them – different from the one they're currently pitching or have already become known for. Some fiction writers have a non-fiction lurking deep in their heart, a memoir or historical recounting, something personal and powerful they'd love to get out there. Some publishing professionals say it's easier to get a fiction published first, then rock a pitch for your non-fiction piece. I say yes, that may be very true, it might be easier, but sometimes wowing someone with something so well conceived and so sharply presented can do the trick too. Oh, and it doesn't hurt if you have a great hook.
My hook? Simple. See, I wrote a fun tongue-in-cheek supernatural romance about a twice dead vampire who gets one last chance to earn heaven. The only problem is, he has to live out his purgatory in a West Hollywood warehouse with several other dead supernaturals, all trying to earn redemption against their natures. Fun huh? My agent fell in love with Cold in California and offered representation within hours of finishing the manuscript. How cool is that? Then suddenly I didn't know what to do with myself. The baby bird was now under other feathered tutelage and I was left to sigh and wait in the nest.
Having been a chef (among many other crazy things in this long life so far), I have always wanted to write a cookbook using my recipes. Now that I have the time to put together the book proposal, all I needed was the best hook possible. Something that would not only get the recipes out there but somehow build onto a platform for the Cold in California book series my agent is currently toting to publishers. The solution came like a wooden stake to the heart …
A Vampire Cookbook that playfully explored the various vampires in our lives (psychic, emotional and biological). Viola! A concept was born. The plan is to interlock the cookbook series with the supernatural romance Cold in California series and rock them both, letting them feed off each other (pun intended) as well as build on each other. This is a hybrid promotion I've never actually seen before in the market. Neat concept; now to mold it into a non-fiction book proposal that will knock the socks off my agent and the publishers he talks to.
Can I do it? Who knows. How hard will I try? Let's just say I'm looking forward to adding more to the hundreds of rejections I've already gotten because baby, it only takes one "yes" to change the trajectory of a writer's life. The more "nos" I get, the closer I come to a resounding "YES"!
Now for the warnings. This isn't for the faint of heart at all.Writing a good book proposal is hard. It takes time and diligence, creative problem solving skills and lots of tools. The weapons are simple – creativity, courage, guts and hard work. Your armor must be lined with rejection letters and polished with conviction. The challenges – oh good lord, so many challenges, but if all the required information can be found, you will find it and compile it, by George!
Whew! Thank goodness I've already got the recipe part done and in the can.


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John Riepenhoff, Pascal Spengemann
Marion Dana, Aphrodite Gonou
Dan Rees
Jessica Nowitzki, James Cope
Jessica Nowitzki, James Cope
Ken Downing and Sam Saladino
Rachel Vancelette
Sally Morgan-Lehman, Samantha Choppa
Sanford and Paula Mott
THE SETTING The Goss-Michael Foundation celebrated the opening of an exhibit by British-born artist Dan Rees, its first official resident artist, by inviting guests to admire original works he created during his stay. THE SCENE Rees himself was in attendance, greeting admirers of his painting-meets-sculpture pieces, which incorporated Plasticine, Artex (the material responsible for those '70s era swirled and textured walls of your childhood home), rocks, pebble dash and oils. Guests sipped Champagne during the relaxed evening of fun, while basking in the portrayed nostalgia of the Welsh suburb where Rees grew up. THE CROWD Joining the foundation crew—Kenny Goss, Joyce Goss, Associate Director Ariel Saldivar and Curator Aphrodite Gonou—were many familar faces, including Anais Assoun, Barbara and Don Daseke, Claire and Dwight Emanuelson, Gregg Asher and David Martin, Jessica Nowitzki, Ken Downing and Sam Saladino. Photography by Bruno
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The revisions to Windows 8 will be released later this year. The free update, called Windows 8.1, represents Microsoft's concessions to long-time customers taken aback by the dramatic changes to an operating system that had become a staple in households and offices around the world during the past 20 years.
Microsoft announced it plans for Windows 8.1 earlier this month. The first details about what will be included in the update are being provided in a Thursday post on Microsoft's website.
The Redmond, Washington, company gave The Associated Press a glimpse at Windows 8.1 Wednesday. A more extensive tour of Windows 8.1 and several new applications built into the upgrade will be provided in San Francisco at a Microsoft conference for programmers scheduled to begin 26 June.
With the release of Windows 8 seven months ago, Microsoft introduced a start-up screen displaying applications in a mosaic of interactive tiles instead of static icons.
The shift agitated many users who wanted the option to launch the operating system in a mode that resembled the old setup.
That choice will be provided in Windows 8.1, although Microsoft isn't bringing back the start menu. That menu that could be found in the left-hand corner of a computer screen by clicking a Windows logo on all other versions of the operating system since 1995. The lack of a start button ranks among the biggest gripes about Windows 8.
Microsoft is hoping to quiet the critics by allowing users start the operating system in a desktop design with an omnipresent Windows logo anchored in the lower left corner of the display screen. Users will also be able to ensure their favourite applications, including Word and Excel, appear in a horizontal task bar next to the Windows logo.
The switch should ease the "cognitive dissonance" caused by Windows 8, said Antoine Leblond, who helps oversee the operating system's program management.
Windows 8.1 will lean heavily on Microsoft's Bing search technology to simplify things.
Bing for PC
As with Windows 8, the search bar can found by pulling out a menu from the right side of a display screen. Rather than requiring a user to select a category, such as "files" or "apps," Windows 8.1 will make it possible to find just about anything available on the computer's hard drive or on the Web by just typing in a few words.
For instance, a search for "Marilyn Monroe" might display biographical information about the late movie star pulled from the Web, a selection of photos and video and even songs she sang. Anyone who want to hear a particular song stored on the computer or play a specific game such as "Angry Birds" will just need to type a title into the search box to gain access within seconds.
The redesigned search tool is meant to provide Windows 8.1 users with "pure power and instant entertainment," said Jensen Harris, Microsoft's director of user experience for the operating system.
Applications also can be found by sorting them by letter or category.
Other new features in Windows 8.1 include a built-in connection with Microsoft's online storage system, SkyDrive, to back up photos, music and program files; a lock-up screen that will display a slide show of a user's favourite pictures; larger and smaller interactive tiles than Windows 8 has; and a photo editor.
In an effort to avoid any further confusion about the operating system, Windows 8.1 also will plant a tile clearly labelled "helps and tips" in the centre of the startup screen.
Microsoft made the dramatic overhaul to Windows in an attempt to expand the operating system's franchise beyond personal computers that rely on keyboards and mice to smartphones and tablet computers controlled by a touch or swipe of the finger.
But Windows 8 has been widely panned as a disappointment, even though Microsoft says it has licensed more than 60 million copies so far.
Fine tuning
One major research firm, International Data, blamed the redesigned operating system for worsening a decline in PC sales by confusing prospective buyers. Meanwhile, Windows 8 hasn't proven it's compelling enough to put a major dent in the popularity of Apple's pioneering iPad or other tablets running on Google's Android software.
Microsoft, though, remains convinced that Windows 8 just needs a little fine tuning.
"We feel good about the basic bets that we have made," Leblond said.
It's crucial that Microsoft sets things right with Windows 8.1 because the outlook for the PC market keeps getting gloomier. IDC now expects PC shipments to fall by nearly 8% this year, worse than its previous forecast of a one percent dip. IDC also anticipates tablets will outsell laptop computers for the first time this year.
The growing popularity of tablets is now being driven largely by less expensive devices with 7- and 8-inch display screens. Microsoft built Windows 8 primarily to run on tablets with 10-inch to 12-inch screens, an oversight that Leblond said the company is addressing by ensuring Windows 8.1 works well on smaller devices.
If Windows 8.1 doesn't stimulate more sales of PCs and tablets running on the operating system, it could escalate the pressure on Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Although the company's revenue and earnings have steadily risen since Ballmer became CEO 13 years ago, Microsoft's stock performance has lagged other technology companies.
Investors, though, appear to becoming more optimistic about Ballmer's strategy. Microsoft's stock has risen by 25% since Windows 8's release last October, outpacing the 17% gain in the Standard & Poor's 500 index during the same period.


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It's been rightfully said that today's investors, likely many of your clients and particularly those of the pre-retirement sort, are both 'scarred' and 'skeptical.' They're scarred from the $12.8 trillion of net worth they lost in 2008 and skeptical of their chances of ever getting it back. As if that weren't enough, now we can add 'scared' to the mix. Why? Because just as some 76 million Americans move into the retirement corridor, not only are the pleasant tailwinds of recent decades fading, a financial storm is taking shape. Investors who expected to rely on fixed income as a significant portion of their retirement portfolio allocation will have to make preparations.
Where You Start Matters
When it comes to investing, particularly for retirement, the starting point matters, and there's no denying this generation of pre-retirees suffered a major setback. By most accounts, Americans lost some 20% of their collective wealth as a result of the financial crisis—the largest loss of wealth since World War II, by the way—and to date have recovered less than half the amount. The 'wealth effect' of the 1990s, i.e., rising equities and rising home values, was essentially wiped out. It's been slow to come back, and by all appearance, the path to recovery is only going to get more difficult.
At this hour, virtually every economic risk factor we follow points to continued volatility. On a global basis, our good friends in Europe are struggling mightily with a sovereign debt crisis, while our less well-known acquaintances in China and the emerging markets are battling their own economic slowdowns. Here at home, our own economy labors under $16 trillion of debt, declining corporate earnings, and the possibility of a double-dip recession if we fall off the 'Fiscal Cliff.' There's also the small matter of a presidential election. At the least, it's a confluence of factors that complicates the investment picture for any American, and it's hardly the least of our worries.
Storm Warnings
Despite, or maybe because of, the difficulties of this current environment, investors nearing retirement are, as conventional wisdom would dictate, moving to fixed income in a meaningful way. Recent asset flow data from the Investment Company Institute show that, with only a handful of exceptions, net mutual fund bond flows have consistently trumped equity fund flows on a monthly basis over the last five years. Unfortunately enough, these folks are re-allocating their retirement portfolios at or near the bottom of a 30-year secular decline in interest rates.
Since yield is predictive of future returns, and since there is little room for interest rates to fall from here, there is a bleak outlook for returns. Duration risk is exceptionally high as well, as evidenced by the August 31, 2012 modified Duration of the 30-year Treasury at 20.1 years at 2.7% yield. With a yield this low, just a 1% rise in yield would result in a 20% price decline. Simply put, investors entering retirement are facing an extraordinary risk from rising interest rates on the back of several years of global stimulus.
In the meantime, these same investors are likely to be approaching retirement today with only a modest savings levels, without pension income, and with the number of years they'll spend in retirement on the rise. Not to mention there is a Social Security financing shortfall on the horizon. It's a perfect financial storm, and it's heading right at a traditional fixed-income portfolio.
Proceed…With Caution
The good news is that, like any predictable storm, there are certain precautions to take. Our suggestion is for investors to immediately expand their definition of fixed income securities. It's time to look past things we know well—Treasuries, agencies, corporates, and munis—and give careful consideration to things we need to know well: TIPs, emerging market debt, floating rate loans, and international sovereign and corporate debt.
Beyond that, there are smart ways to diversify risk exposure by including alternative asset classes and strategies like REITs, MLPs, infrastructure and natural resources as replacements for fixed income. Non-traditional strategies can include merger arbitrage, managed futures and convertible bond arbitrage where the direction and magnitude of returns are less dependent on the stock market or interest rates. In general, many alternative strategies relative to equities are "risk reducers" and relative to fixed income are "return enhancers." These alternative strategies can potentially reduce volatility, lessen the risk of a big loss in a portfolio and enhance the return potential for an investor.
As with any preventative measure, however, these strategies should be implemented with caution. While the number of available options is increasing, the relatively short length of track record for most funds makes it difficult to identify the quality managers. The value of professional advice cannot be overstated here. Neither can the value of a well-thought-out plan. There's a financial storm coming, and every smart investor thinking about retirement will start making preparations now.
Author's disclaimer: Past performance is not indicative of future results. The opinions expressed herein reflect our judgment as of the date of writing and are subject to change at any time without notice. They are not intended to constitute legal, tax, securities or investment advice or a recommended course of action in any given situation. Investment decisions should always be made based on the investor's specific financial needs and objectives, goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance. Information obtained from third party resources are believed to be reliable but not guaranteed. Any mention of a specific security is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended as a recommendation or advice regarding the specific security mentioned.


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CREW TV brings you closer to the industry's
most influential leaders and thinkers. Click on the videos below to watch the interviews:
Making the leap to commercial investing from the residential pool can be daunting, but here's a checklist you can't afford to overlook, from cap rates to tenant lease review and corporate covenants. Jemima Codrington reports.
Video transcript below:
Jemima Codrington: So you want to make a move from residential to commercial investing. You selected the area, now how do you select the property. Find out in this week's episode of Investor Insight on Crew TV.
Commercial real estate broker and investor, Chris Seepe says investors should look at specific criteria when picking their property.
Chris Seepe, Professional Real Estate Investor
Chris Seepe: The single most important consideration in the acquisition of a property is probably the net operating income. That's the difference between the rent for the income that's brought in, minus the expenses but before financing. That net operating income is then treated to what's referred to as a capitalisation rate and that's a long conversation of what that is, what that means, but the short version is that a cap rate represents a blended ratio of the return of investment and return on investment.
Jemima Codrington: But purchasing a commercial property requires different elements of due diligence than when purchasing residential.
Paul Kondakos, Professional Real Estate Investor
Paul Kondakos: You have to make sure to review all the leases for commercial tenancies, because you want to make sure that if you can try to get a triple A tenant, which means that they have a very high probability of paying you, you have to take into account if they are B tenant, if there is corporate covenants on the tenant which means that if it's a franchisee and they go bankrupt, do you have a corporate covenant that's in place. That means that, head office will end up paying, continuing to pay the rent for that commercial unit as long as they are there.
The other thing you have to remember about commercial tenancies is that, with residential tenancies it's typically pretty easy to get a new tenant into a residential unit. However when you start looking at commercial tenancies, you have to remember that it typically is a lot more difficult to get a new tenant in a commercial property and when you are looking to get a new tenant in a commercial property, you have to take a couple of things into account, which is you might have the unit vacant for a while and you also have to entice the new tenant by either offering them free rent or offering leasehold improvements which are both things are going to impact your bottomline or might require to come up with some cash out of pocket.
Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Devin P. McComb has joined the firm's Seattle office as a partner in the Real Estate & Land Use practice
Grimsby skyline to be reshaped by tallest buildings in city: two-tower residential complex
Connect Asset Management Challenges the Financial Community to Invest in Downtown Toronto Real Estate for a Good Cause


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Squid Squabble Surfaces in California
Scoopers seek separation from seiners
The 2013 season for one of California's most lucrative commercial fisheries opened April 1 amid a lingering controversy that erupted late last season.
Briana Brady with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW, officially changed from Department of Fish and Game on January 1) said the fleet is out pursuing market squid, so the nearshore waters of southern California are sure to be alive at night with the eerie green-and-white glow of the 30,000-watt lanterns used to lure the squid to the surface for capture.
Fishermen say the fishery has produced lots of black ink in their ledgers during the past three seasons, as they capitalized on favorable ocean conditions that are drawing market squid by the millions.
But brail-boat (scoop net) squid fishermen say they're losing out to seiners under the quota system adopted by the state's fish and game commission in 2004 and started in March 2005. They also point to an infiltration by what they claim are large (50-to-80-foot) foreign-built seiners, mostly from Canada, whose crews snatch up an unfair share of squid, as much as 80 to 150 tons per vessel.
The seiners, they add, leave little or no quota remaining for them to pursue during the last few months of the year-long season, when the brail boats typically go after them.
"I haven't been able to fish for three straight years," said one, noting that he generally fishes for squid from December through March. When the fishery closes earlier because the quota is reached, he's left out, and it's driving him "in-seine," so to speak.
Under guidelines set by the state's Market Squid Fishery Management Plan, the CDFW closed the fishery in November 2011 and 2012, because fishermen had met the overall quota of 118,000 short tons. Agency leaders say they put those restrictions in place "to ensure long-term conservation and sustainability of the market squid resource, reduce the potential for overfishing and provide a framework for management."
Squid fishing expanded during the 1990s as worldwide demand skyrocketed. Surging demand in China, Japan, Mexico and Europe boosted prices and launched the fishery atop the state's most lucrative, lately at about $70 million per year. Market squid also provide vital food for seabirds, marine mammals, and other commercial fish species. Conservation groups have noticed the abundant catches and are now asking for additional protection for squid, sardines, anchovies, herring and other small schooling prey or "forage fish" they say are the foundation of a delicate marine food web.
One thing fishermen and processors know: Squid are more than plentiful.
"The truth is there's a lot of fish," said Joe Cappuccio, president of Del Mar Seafoods, headquartered in Watsonville, California. Del Mar owns and operates fishing vessels and processing facilities in California and Oregon that catch, package, freeze and export 80 million pounds of squid, anchovies, mackerel, sardines and Pacific whiting (hake) per year.
"Marine reserves have taken a foothold and have been phenomenally successful, at least for squid," Cappuccio noted. "They're stacked top to bottom, with nowhere to hide. It's an explosion of squid."
Yet, despite their huge economic and ecological value, their behavior mostly remains a mystery. NOAA scientists say, "many aspects of the life history of market squid remain unknown," which makes conservation efforts and additional research imperative. Because the market squid fishery works directly above spawning grounds, management efforts aim to allow enough of them to spawn before capture to ensure production for the next generation. During the past decade, CDFW leaders opted to get a handle on things with catch limits, weekend fishing bans and caps on the number of commercial squid fishing permits and vessels (55 seiners, 34 light boats, 18 brail boats). Closing the fishery on weekends, they note, gives the squid a break by allowing "periods of uninterrupted spawning."
The Fish
Market squid – also known as opalescent squid for the way light reflects off their six-inch bodies, which can change color from milky white to ruddy, live less than a year, range from southeastern Alaska to Baja, California, and are generally found within 200 miles of shore.
Market squid are extremely sensitive to variable ocean conditions. Researchers say market squid "go where they go and do what they do when they want to do it," based on available nutrients, water temperature and other factors.
CDFW officials say they live about 10 months maximum, spawning on the ocean bottom before dying. As juveniles, they feed on plankton and krill. As adults, they eat small fish, other squid and small crustaceans. Adult squid move into deeper water during the day, but return to near the surface (upper 295 feet) at night to feed. When adults reach maturity, they move into shallower waters, 240 feet to 360 feet deep with a soft or sandy ocean bottom – to spawn.
The Fishery
NOAA researchers say almost all of the world's market squid are hauled in from California's shallow water, where they gather in gigantic schools to spawn and die. A fraction of the catch goes directly to fish markets or is sold as bait, but most is frozen and shipped overseas to serve as calamari, which is how most folks recognize squid, sliced, breaded and deep-fried.
"Two distinct fisheries have emerged north and south of Point Conception due to the timing of peak spawning periods in each region," noted the CDFW's 2011 Status of the Fisheries report.
Historically, the north fishery, located mainly around Monterey Bay, operated from April through September while the south fishery was most active from October through March. But "spawning and fishing activities can occur in both areas throughout the fishing season (April 1 to March 31)," the report noted.
California market squid are extremely sensitive to warm water trends of El Nino, with overall catches decreasing before rebounding during cooler La Nina phases and their boost of upwelling. El Nino conditions squelch the south fishery leading to minimal landings, while north fishery landings often rise, then drop for several years afterward. With the nutrient-poor, warm-water conditions, landings can disappear entirely in some areas.
The past few years, however, have proven exceptional for most squid fishermen, and the southern fishery has dominated landings since 1985.
Market demand, resource availability and quality of product all affect prices paid to fishermen. Average prices have ranged from $257 per ton to $320 per ton, occasionally dropping as low as $100 per ton for some vessels bringing in full loads. Significantly higher prices are paid for market squid taken by brail gear and squid purchased in lower volumes by smaller local dealers. Since 2005, prices have remained at about $499 per ton due to high international demand and the collapse of other squid fisheries.
Not everyone has shared in the good fortune, and the limited entry and quota system is stirring up concerns for some fishermen, specifically the small brail-boat operators.
Seine or Scoop?
Fishermen use either seine or brail (scoop) nets in combination with lights to catch aggregations of adult squid in their spawning grounds.
Seine fishing is the most common practice, using two vessels and a skiff to capture market squid. Most fishing takes place at night, so a light boat with high-wattage bulbs is used to attract the squid and concentrate them near the surface. The seine vessel then deploys the skiff to encircle the squid with the gear to haul them aboard. Light boats can also use brail gear, a scoop net, to bring in more squid. Brail fishermen use scoop nets to harvest floating squid at the surface after they have spawned.
All permitted vessels have access to the fishery's 118,000-ton quota. But brail-boat fishermen say they're at a disadvantage, especially from foreign-built vessels from Canada that some fishermen believe are obtaining permits illegally by misrepresenting their capacity through a process known as ad-measurement to obtain their California registrations. As a result, they say daily catch rates have jumped from 1,000 tons to more than 4,000 tons, and the seiners, US and foreign, snatch up the quota before the scoop fishery even begins.
"I'm paying the same permit fee as a Seiner and being denied my rights," said one, noting that it's not the seiners he considers as the culprit, but a flawed CDFW permit process. A few are looking into possible legal action as a remedy.
From a sustainability standpoint, scoop fishermen say their method is better. In fact, the fishery was entirely a scoop fishery (first launched by the Chinese in their sampans in 1863) until the seiners took over.
The scoop fishery, they note, goes after squid that have already spawned and will soon die, leaving the spawning ground and future population unscathed.
"Our harvest practices are like a highly-efficient hatchery system that's self-funded," said one. "It's all about sustainability. So we enhance the squid population, and we should be able to fish seven days a week year-round."
Seine owners and operators say they are properly registered under the proper tonnage, and they comply with all state and federal regulations.
"The resource is really strong," said Cappuccio. "Even if the fleet was a third the size it is now, it would still easily reach the quota." While the quota could be higher and not hurt the resource, he said it "could be economically devastating, it would crush our prices. It makes no sense to flood the markets."
As for foreign-built vessels, Cappuccio said maybe a half or so dozen from Canada sought squid in California waters, and they were here legally. Permits, he added, are based on size, and "an 80-ton permit is an 80-ton permit, whether the boat is from China, Canada or the United States."
Seiners say the Asian market demands squid caught prior to spawn, and although a market exists for spawned squid, the product isn't the best.
Cappuccio said the success of the past few seasons has drawn more brail boats back into the fishery, and while there's plenty of squid for all, the quota can make small boat owners feel as if they're being left behind. Brail boats, he added, are back primarily due to a loophole in the management plan that CDFW is trying to close.
"I feel their frustration," he said. "They do offer a whole other niche by supplying the fresh market when we can't. It's a good market. But we're all in this together."
Some scoop fishermen disagree. They say they want more access to squid, and the best way to go about it is to split into two fisheries, seine and scoop, each with its own quota.
"We don't want a separation, we want a divorce," one noted. "We want our own allocation, our own access. That's the heart of the matter. Small boats are family fishing enterprises, and we just want our little piece of the resource."


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0% fat
0% sugar
100% cotton!
I saw this the other day and thought this was a clever idea for a client thank-you gift. Contact us through our Denver promotional products website for more information.
Visit often to get new, innovative, and useful promotional product ideas for your Denver business. If you use branded promotional products or logo apparel, you'll find our blog fun and informative. If you don't use promotional products, we hope we can open your eyes to the many unique promotional products available from Red Canoe Promotions in Denver, CO. If you can imagine it, we can probably put your logo on it. From the Denver promotional products company that rows through hoops for you!


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Amid doubts about cloud file-sharing services, enterprises operate their own
- 15 March, 2012 21:27
Cloud-based file-sharing services like Dropbox have become popular, but organizations with sensitive data say they're reluctant to turn it over to cloud services. Instead, they're buying file-sharing products they manage on their own for bulk file transfers among business partners.
Dropbox optimizes app for Android 4.0
They're setting up their own large-file transfer services using products from Biscom and Accellion, among others, to allow password-protected access to upload or download large amounts of data. Among the advantages to these products, according to enterprise IT managers using them, is they can be integrated with Active Directory or LDAP for role-based end-user authentication privileges.
Rodney Cook, information technology manager for Denver-based CACHIE Support Services, the separate tech services arm for the Colorado Community Managed Care Network (CCMCN), says his job is to provide help to outside healthcare providers in setting up electronic patient records that qualify under federal Medicare/Medicaid rules.
CACHIE provides a fairly new type of electronic file storage and management service that's now being funded in every state as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, Cook says. "Every state has at least one," he adds, saying CACHIE is funded in Colorado to encourage the rollout of electronic health records and provide data storage for organizations that don't want to do this on their own.
While CACHIE's parent organization, CCMCN, did at one time use Dropbox for its own internal needs such as writing research grants, some of the security incidents at Dropbox during the past year prompted CCMCN look to for alternatives to cloud services when it was setting up CACHIE Support Services to share sensitive personal health information.
Dropbox had a glitch related to a software upgrade last June that affected the authentication mechanism and allowed logging into an account without the correct password, Dropbox acknowledged. Dropbox was also in the news when last August, security researchers at USENIX disclosed exploits against the service, vulnerabilities that Dropbox fixed.
It all convinced Cook that CACHIE should manage its own file-sharing with healthcare providers, and the choice was made to use the Accellion Secure Collaboration appliance to send and receive large electronic files securely.
"Not only is it encrypted but we integrate it with Active Directory," says Cook. There's a file-synchronization feature and it's possible to set timelines for documents, requiring them to be checked at specific intervals. CACHIE now uses this with 123 healthcare providers in Colorado to help them manage electronic patient files.
Boston-based Children's Hospital, the primary pediatric teaching hospital for Harvard Medical School, also had a file-sharing requirement, and it chose to go with the Biscom a few years ago. Scott Bolser, messaging and collaboration team leader at Children's Hospital, says at the time, the licensing arrangement for the Biscom Delivery Server was more attractive than comparable products from Accellion.
The Biscom software, which sits on a Windows server, supports encrypted file-sharing mainly among researchers that might need to send a 50MB radiology file, which falls way outside the normal 10- to 20-meg limits for e-mail messages. For those authorized to use Biscom, "they fill out a form and it looks like you're composing e-mail," he says. "But we have the file, not a cloud service."
Bolser says the integration with Active Directory and LDAP for internal users helps in security administration. Biscom is set up at Children's Hospital to allow users to register themselves and create a password, and it's used with outside partners on a sporadic basis when file-sharing needs arise. Biscom has a flexible licensing scheme that lets the hospital buy 500 licenses but revoke any of them when they're not in everyday use. And Children's Hospital IT staffers have administrative oversight to determine how any of the file-sharing takes place.
Both Accellion and Biscom are expanding their platforms to support mobile devices such as Android, iPad, iPhone and the like.
But can cloud-based file-sharing services suffice instead of the enterprise operating its own bulk file-sharing?
"Dropbox doesn't make the cut for enterprise-class security," says Gartner analyst John Pescatore, but he adds that other cloud file-sharing services, including Box, might under certain circumstances.
Enterprises, especially those with sensitive healthcare or financial data, must not only ensure the encryption they need is in place, but that the service provider can satisfy various regulatory requirements, he says.
For the government's HIPAA guidelines, for example, that would include having a so-called "business associate agreement." In addition, in general it needs to be clear how e-discovery can be done to satisfy any legal demands. Plus, if there's concern over where exactly data is held, the cloud provider is going to have to be transparent about that, Pescatore says. And when an employee leaves the company, you'll want to be sure you can de-provision them, which is generally more easily done with file-sharing products maintained on site.
Ellen Messmer is senior editor at Network World, an IDG publication and website, where she covers news and technology trends related to information security.
Read more about wide area network in Network World's Wide Area Network section.


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So you want to recreate 'Mad Men' style at home?
Now that another season of "Mad Men" is taking us back to the 1960s, lovers of Mid-century Modern style are eyeing the sets for inspiration.
Luckily, the popularity of both the AMC show and the design style makes it easy to find furniture that sets the stage.
The retro decor complements many of today's furnishings - something to remember when you're trying to capture that `60s vibe, says Anthony Larosa, former furniture design department chair at Savannah College of Art and Design. He cautions against going all-in on the vintage look, even if you love it.
"People would have had a mix of furniture in their homes," he notes. "We get attached to things; we take them with us when we move and redecorate."
If you're keen to incorporate vintage, reproduction or newly reissued pieces from the "Mad Men" era, he suggests starting by looking at books and magazines from the period to see what real interiors looked like.
That's the approach the show's set production team took.
"Mad Men's" set decorator, Claudette Didul, says she and Production Designer Dan Bishop are especially proud of the Manhattan apartment they created for newlywed characters Don Draper, an ad agency exec, and his former secretary, Megan Calvet. The split-level, open-plan living room was initially envisioned by show creator Matthew Weiner, but it was up to the production team to make the space cool, livable and able to accommodate shoot requirements.
"We have to be able to move walls, and set up camera platforms, so we couldn't have actual furniture in certain places. The sofa, bench and wall unit are all built for the space and can be easily removed," says Didul.
Those looking to capture the look might like Gus Modern's tweedy, tailored Rochelle sofa, designed by David Podsiadlo, which looks a lot like the Drapers' ($1,999 at https://www.wayfair.com ).
Crate & Barrel's Bel-Air collection of coffee and side tables features walnut-stained tops on svelte, cast-aluminum tripod bases (side $399, coffee $549). Vintage Danish modern pieces are hard to find and often pricey, but the Calista teak sideboard, with its honey hue and lean profile, has the look at a reasonable price ($1,499).
Florence Knoll's Lounge series of geometric chairs and sofas are classics. While the real thing will set you back $4,000 or more, you can find a similar one at https://www.roveconcepts.com for $549. Niels Bendtsen's airy, glass-topped, floating-drawer Homework desk often sells for about $2,000, but Rove, a Vancouver, British Columbia-based retailer, offers it for $899. There's a wide variety of "inspired by" pieces here.
Herman Miller commissioned furniture designer Mark Goetz to design a sofa that would complement the work of early Modern icons like Isamu Noguchi, George Nelson, and Charles and Ray Eames. The result is a tailored yet comfortable leather seat wrapped in a clean curve of molded plywood veneer ( https://www.allmodern.com , $3,949).
Goetz says, "What makes the best Mid-century pieces is that they not only appeal to our personal sense of style; they have a degree of visual and functional truth that makes people want to live with them."
In period TV shows, light fixtures are essential in delivering the right look. On "Mad Men," they're practically characters in themselves. Tall, slender wood, colorful opaque glass, gleaming metal - every set's personality is punctuated by one or two statement lamps.
Didul says the production team favored vintage lampshades despite their fragility. "The slubbed silk on them is just beautiful, and the light through them is really unique," she says.
Hers came from Los Angeles-area prop shops and vintage stores.
You can find similar versions, such as Lamp Work's walnut Tulip table and floors lamps (from $224.89 to $427.39 at https://www.wayfair.com ), and https://www.shadesoflight.com's long-necked turquoise or orange ceramic table lamps ($129 each).
Babette Holland's new capsule-shaped Gemini and Apollo lamp designs reference the `60s space missions. She's done some of the bases in solid hues, others in her signature stripes, but the palette is true to the era - cranberry, gold, olive, sapphire ($450 each at https://www.ylighting.com .)
"We've been told that the colors remind people of those 1950s tumblers, so they immediately love them," she says, talking about the aluminum drinkware found in many homes at the time. "So much of the design of that period is timeless. We did our best to tap into that and bring it forward."
Most of the modern art on "Mad Men" isn't actually vintage. Didul has found great pieces at rental galleries such as Art Pic in Los Angeles, and through artist friends.
The dramatic dot graphic in the show's ad agency office was created by the art department under Bishop's guidance. The piece echoes the work of English Op Art proponent Bridget Riley. Similar posters are at https://www.zazzle.com , starting at about $100.
You can find reproduced examples of one of that era's most prolific designers, George Nelson, known for sunburst, asterisk, polygon and ball wall clocks (Polygon clock, $590 at https://www.wayfair.com ) as well as the molded polypropylene Swag desk chair and Marshmallow sofa ($499 and $3,299 respectively at https://www.hivemodern.com ).
Debra Kling, a New York-based color consultant and decorator, sees Mid-century Modern style as grounded in neutral hues. "Simple lines, natural elements like stone and stained wood, and earth tones, punctuated by what I call `Diner Brights' - orange, magenta and turquoise," she says.
To stay true to the style, Kling advises mixing these hues into a background of neutrals, and keeping the floor plan open.
Didul and her team have done that on the "Mad Men" sets, incorporating colorful throw pillows, ashtrays and drinkware throughout the rooms.
Etsy.com is a good source for vintage fabrics; mod Pucci prints, modern florals and groovy graphics are a fun way to add `60s style with textile accents.
The offices of "Mad Man's" advertising agency, Sterling Cooper Draper Price, are filled with cool furniture that would work at home, in living and work spaces alike.
One of the show's most popular sets is the black, white and chrome sanctum of silver-haired company partner Roger Sterling. Didul says the brief from Weiner was "`Italian hospital,' and there's actually a scene where copywriter Freddy Rumsen calls it that."
You can buy the Artemide Nesso mushroom table lamp for $455 at https://www.allmodern.com .
Hokku Designs' off-white Concorde leather sofa would fit right in too ($1,897 at https://www.wayfair.com ).
Blu Dot's Chicago series of wood veneer and tubular steel-box shelving looks similar to pieces found in Sterling Cooper Draper Price's offices ($599 and up at https://www.wayfair.com ).
Larosa says secondhand stores are a particularly good source for mid-century office furniture.
"Companies that sell used office furniture often have the best prices for vintage stuff," says Larosa.


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I love browsing through 3-4 blogs of super crafty women. I love their style and how DIY their projects are. There are a few significant problems with DIY projects though....
- I love too many of them.
- It makes me feel envy in my heart, and I think it's against some rule/commandment to envy thy neighbors horse or house or something. I don't remember it word for word.
- My mom totally grounded me from blog stalking when my wedding plans were mostly finished. I kept seeing so many cute ideas. But I seriously stand by the pennant flag banners we made. My mom really came through on that one :)
- I spend money on the supplies for the envied items.
- I seldom begin any of the aforementioned projects.
- And I rarely (and I'm not exaggerating the rarely part) finish any of these projects. Anything I have finished has required significant support, encouragement, and manual labor from this girl.
Back to the purpose for this post....I ran into this photo and free printable on this blog, which I began stalking today. She's got some super great ideas and she is also quite talented. Tonight, I had some free time while the kids were away so I printed the letters and away I went!
DISCLOSURE: THIS PHOTO IS NOT MY HOUSE! (this is a very beautiful house that belongs to a person I've never met)
My banner doesn't look nearly the same because it's not surrounded by perhaps the coolest living space I've seen in a while, but that's not the point. The point is....I finished! I started today and finished today! It's a Joey miracle!
This picture is actually my house. I don't have a fireplace so I hung it above the back door. I will say that mine is a little better because I put a few mini star jewels on it.


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The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and National Futures Association (NFA) have taken action against Peregrine Financial Group, also called PFGBest, a Cedar Falls, Iowa-based broker, after the discovery that client accounts that should have held $225 million only contained $5 million. In addition, the CFTC is said to be on the verge of approving the "Corzine rule" in the wake of the money's disappearance.
The Omaha division of the FBI is investigating the matter, with the Chicago division possibly becoming involved as well. The National Grain and Feed Association was "infuriated" and demanding answers as members, many of whom had already been hit by the fall of MF Global, stood to suffer yet another financial blow as trust in markets plunged. Alarm bells should have sounded, say experts, at the firm's use of a tiny auditor operating out of a private home.
And in an odd personal note, it was learned that PFGBest founder Russell Wasendorf Sr. (left), who had sent out invitations to a planned local wedding with his fiancée Nancy Paladino, had actually already married Paladino in Las Vegas on June 30—just three days before he signed over power of attorney to his son.
In what is seen as a black eye for the CFTC and NFA, the regulators had given a clean bill of health to PFGBest and numerous other firms in January, after undertaking an industrywide review of the 70 largest futures commission merchants to reassure clients after the collapse of MF Global in October, which was run by former New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, Reuters reported Tuesday. The New York Times reported that the money was discovered to be missing on Monday by the NFA, which stopped operations at the firm; that evening, Wasendorf Sr. attempted suicide outside the firm's offices in his car. On Tuesday the firm filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
At the time of the review, the CFTC said it found no "material breaches of customer funds protection requirements." Gary Gensler, chairman of the CFTC, said in the report on Tuesday that the review was conducted by the NFA and was not equivalent to a full-scale audit. The same day, the CFTC filed suit against Peregrine Financial Group and owner PFGBest, charging fraud, failure to segregate client funds and the making of false statements. It has also asked a federal court to appoint a receiver for the firm and freeze its assets.
On Thursday the CFTC was reported by unnamed sources to have already gotten three votes in favor of implementing the "Corzine rule," proposed by the NFA, which would require top executives at futures brokers to sign off on major withdrawals from customer accounts. The rule has been under consideration since May, but seems to have found new life in the wake of the PFGBest scandal.
In the bankruptcy filing, Peregrine Financial Group was shown to have $500 million to $1 billion in assets, $100 million to $500 million in liabilities, and 10,000 to 25,000 creditors. A board resolution to authorize the filing was signed by President Russell Wasendorf Jr., who also signed on behalf of Chairman Russell Wasendorf Sr. A power of attorney dated July 3 empowered Wasendorf Jr. to act for Wasendorf Sr. should he become incapacitated.
According to a CNBC report on Thursday, "an apparent suicide note found in Wasendorf Sr.'s vehicle indicated possible accounting discrepancies at the firm, according to a police report. Authorities will not discuss Wasendorf Sr.'s condition, but a local newspaper, quoting unidentified sources, reported he is alert and responsive at an Iowa hospital, and possibly able to shed some light on the bizarre events leading up to the firm's collapse."
In its complaint, the CFTC said that records had been falsified as far back as 2010. Reuters reported that, according to a confidential source close to the situation, Wasendorf Sr. intercepted confidential regulatory documents mailed by the NFA to a post office box he had set up. The NFA had been led to believe that the address belonged to U.S. Bank, which was PFG's bank. Instead, the documents, which were used to independently verify a broker's bank balances, went to Wasendorf Sr., who forged signatures, made up bank balances, and sent the forms back to the NFA. He also stalled on signing off on electronic confirmations, which would have revealed the shortfall much more quickly.
Dozens of large farm-related businesses among the grain trade group's members, which include more than 1,000 grain elevators, food processors and exporters, were hit with massive losses by the failure of MF Global in October. This fresh blow has NGFA members steaming—particularly at regulators.
Todd Kemp, NGFA's vice president of marketing, was quoted saying, "We are really looking forward to a full explanation from the regulators about just what happens and how apparently it happens over a fairly long period of time before detected."
Diana Klemme, vice president of Grain Service Corp. in Atlanta, was more outspoken, saying, "The industry is infuriated over this because it affects everyone. Our customers raised the question of—if an audit doesn't catch problems, what does? In this case it was a suicide attempt. It's almost beyond belief that after MF Global that's the way a problem was discovered … You'd certainly think NFA would be suspicious of directing inquiries to a post office box … Clearly more regulation and laws do not necessarily change anything. We've got plenty of regulations and audits that didn't catch the problem."
Questions arose over why the firm appeared to be using an accounting firm that was so small it operated out of a suburban Chicago house. PFGBest had several hundred employees not just across the U.S., but also in Canada and Shanghai, and had (or was supposed to have) more than $500 million in assets. Futures industry investigators are looking into the matter even as experts say the arrangement should have sent up red flags.
The tiny Veraja-Snelling Co., based in Glendale Heights, Ill., had certified that client funds were segregated at the firm, and of course that was not the case, with more than $200 million missing from accounts. The NFA said that the accounting firm, which has no disciplinary history with Illinois financial regulators and has not been accused of any wrongdoing, audited PFGBest's financial statements in 2011. In its 2010 report, the accounting firm said that there were no material weaknesses involving internal controls and that the "corporation's practices and procedures were adequate."
Amid the confusion over Wasendorf Sr.'s marriage, there was also outrage among some PFGBest employees, many of whom had relocated in 2009 from Chicago to the new building that housed the firm. One former employee has sued, saying that he and others in the firm's offices in Chicago and Iowa were fired en masse on Monday without cause or 60 days' notice, in violation of federal law.
Trade clerk Mike Leska, who worked for the firm in Chicago for six years, said he had been told that Wasendorf Sr. was conscious and had apologized for what he had done. Employees had been stunned by the turn of events. Leska was quoted saying, "It's really disgusting. We all thought he was different."
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., chairwoman of the agriculture committee, which oversees the CFTC, announced that the committee will hold hearings on July 17 and Aug. 1 at which regulators, reform advocates and industry groups will testify about progress on swaps and futures market reforms. Gensler is scheduled to appear at the July 17 hearing.
A former employee was reportedly worried that more action was not taken to assert the company's innocence in an earlier case of fraud. Trevor Cook of Minnesota, who is serving a 25-year prison sentence, had run a $194 million foreign exchange-trading Ponzi scheme. PFGBest had acted as Cook's broker, and in February was fined $700,000 by the NFA for failing to notice the scheme. The broker was later sued for $48 million by the receiver seeking to recover assets from Cook's scheme.
"They never admitted they were aware of what was going on, but they didn't deny it either," said the former employee in the report.
Ironically, in 2008 Futures Magazine named the firm the 30th best futures brokerage.


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Reclyn Sandy, January 28th , 2019.
Be that as it may, before settling on what sort of hairdo you need to go in for you should pre-think about a couple of things. The principal thing, while at the same time picking a hairdo that you should investigate is the specific haircut ought to be perfect with the sort of life you lead. On the off chance that it includes a great deal of open air exercises as in games, its better you wear your hair short as you will wash up pretty frequently and it is much simpler to oversee shorter hair than to think about longer hair.
For ladies or bridesmaids searching for an additional option to their haircut that makes for a one of a kind lovely look, include new blossoms. Including new, luxurious roses that coordinate your dress to your hair can make for an exceptionally engaging look. Simply buy a couple of crisp blooms that coordinate your dress shading, trim the stems down to about the span of a barrette and you have a characteristic hair embellishment that gives an extraordinary look. Hair is a standout amongst the most vital things about you. It is the main thing other individuals focus on. Indeed, even your picture relies upon your haircut and solid look of your hair. Your hair is likewise the first to reaction to any medical issues. That is the reason you should answer to the hair issues close by as fast as could reasonably be expected. When you need time for yourself, it is plainly self-evident. In any case, in the event that you treat your hair with consideration, it pays you back continually by pulling in consideration.
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Shadow Halflings (Fleshforge Legacy Supplement)
From D&D Wiki
Shadow Halflings[edit]
Shadow Halflings are the dark reflection of the halfling race, the dark secret the race keeps. One in five halflings is born as a shadow halfling. Shadow halflings lack the presence and social grace of their halfling brothers and sister, but they are unmatched in the arts of stealth. The shapers built the shadow halflings into the bloodline of the halfling race to use them as a Trojan horse. On the surface, a shadow halfling is merely a somewhat less charming halfling.
Shadow halflings are generally quiet and soft-spoken by nature. To outsiders, they appear to be the black sheep of halfling families, and in a way, they are quite literally so. Shadow halflings are quiet, but their minds are constantly scheming beneath the silence. Most shadow halflings are good at putting up a façade of stupidity or clumsiness, but they are masters of stealth and trickery, to an almost supernatural degree.
Physical Description:[edit]
Shadow Halflings stand about 3 feet tall and usually weigh between 30 and 35 pounds. Their skin lightly tan to a deep, exotic brown, and their hair comes in shades of brown and black, almost always black and worn long. They have deep brown or black eyes. Shadow Halflings of both genders are generally attractive, but lack the presence of their siblings. Shadow Halflings tend to favor bright colors and exciting patterns in their clothes, but they almost all maintain a second wardrobe of dark, practical clothes for their more subtle work. A shadow halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 20 and generally lives into the middle of her second century.
Shadow halflings may see themselves as cursed or blessed depending on the halfling caravan they're born into. Some shadow halflings are never truly aware of their latent talents, simply believing themselves to be worse musicians than their brothers, becoming craftsmen or the like. Some halfling communities treat shadow halflings like champions and valued assets, while others see them as a burden, a secret to be hidden away and ashamed of. Most shadow halflings receive training in the arts of stealth from the shadow halflings of the previous generation. However a halfling community views their shadow halflings, their true nature is never to be revealed to outsiders.
Most shadow halflings are chaotic, with a slight tendency towards evil, though most are solidly neutral. Most use their powers for simple things, robbing here and there or pickpocketing to get their caravan a little extra gold to help out, but others get swept up and end up performing assassinations for money. Most halfling communities disapprove of this use of the shadow gift.
Shadow halflings live in halfling caravans. Virtually every family has at least one shadow halfling in their number, some with two, and others with none. Shadow halflings tend to seek one-another out, seeking common ground among their more charismatic brothers, and others to empathize with the sense of disconnection they feel.
Shadow halflings speak common and halfling, though they are known to learn many languages, some speaking dwarven or gnomish when they go about their stealthy work. Shadow halflings have also developed a secretive system of gestures and hand-signs to communicate silently, known as halfling silent.
Shadow halflings are named the same as any other halfling.
Shadow halflings will often become adventurers, mostly rogues, ninjas, and assassins to capitalize on their stealth. There are a good number of rangers and beguilers among their numbers, however, and some choose even less typical paths. They rarely take the role of frontliner, however.
RACIAL TRAITS[edit]
•+2 Dexterity, -2 Strength. Shadow halflings are nimble and good with their hands, but their size keeps them from being particularly strong.
•Small: As a Small creature, a shadow halfling gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but he uses smaller weapons than Medium characters use, and her lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
•Shadow halfling base land speed is 30 feet
•Darkvision: shadow halflings can see in the dark out to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and shadow halflings can function just fine with no light at all.
•+4 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks. Shadow halflings have an uncanny knack for stealth.
•+2 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks: Shadow halflings have keen eyes and ears.
•+1 racial bonus to saving throws. Shadow halflings are lucky creatures, which often allows them to escape the worst effects of spells and abilities.
•Silence: A shadow halfling can be supernaturally silent when he so wishes. A shadow halfling can supress or resume a supernatural effect identical to a silence spell centered on himself as a swift action. This silence effect only extends to the shadow halfling and a 5-foot-radius area around him. The halfling may only have this ability active for a number of rounds each day equal to (2 x HD) + Charisma Modifier.
•Automatic Languages: Common, Halfling, and Halfling Silent. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Gnome, Goblin, Gol-kaa, and Orc.
•Favored Class: Rogue. A multiclass shadow halfling's rogue class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for Multicasting.
Vital Statistics[edit]
|20 years
|Middle Age1
|Maximum Age
|62 years
|93 years
|125 years
|+3d20 years
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Campaign Settings → The Fleshforge Legacy Campaign Setting


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Vodafone, Verizon Agree on $130 Billion Deal
Negotiators for Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC have agreed to a deal in which Verizon will pay about $130 billion for the U.K. company's stake in their U.S. joint venture, a person familiar with the matter said.
The terms still needed to be approved by the companies' boards, but if all goes well a deal could be announced as soon as Monday afternoon, the person said. Vodafone's board was meeting Sunday to discuss the deal, and Verizon's board was to meet after hearing the result, people familiar with the matter said.