text:
Women's Boots
Take style in your stride this season in our casual, versatile and comfortable boots for women. Whether you choose a pair of women's waterproof boots to brave the elements, or opt for casual comfort in our women's lace up leather boots.
Real Suede$81.00 $54.002 colours
$54.002 colours
Lightweight$58.00 $45.00
$54.002 colours
$54.00 $27.002 colours
Comfortable Boots For Women
Give aching feet and ankles the boot with our collection of versatile women's boots. From women's lace ups to knee high boots, our sturdy boots provide day long ankle support with adjustable fastening for optimal comfort. Browse our selection of flexisole boots, providing arch support whether you are walking the high street, or the hill tops.
Women's Ankle Boots
The right pair of women's ankle boots is an essential addition to any ladies' wardrobe. Explore our versatile collection of ankle boots for women, including women's Chelsea boots, comfortable lace-ups and wedge boots today.
Our women's Chelsea boots are designed with comfort in mind. Elasticated side panels make them easy to slip on, while solid soles with a small heel offer a slight lift. Choose from traditional black or brown women's Chelsea boots; classic colors that make them a versatile option.
Women's Waterproof Boots for the Great Outdoors
For footwear that protects whatever the weather, head out in a pair of our women's waterproof boots. Laced high to support the ankles, and designed with a deep tread for extra grip, you can stride out in confidence. Our great value women's walking boots are not only practical, but look good too. With a range of colors including ever-popular black, and classic women's brown boots, you'll find something to pair with your hiking gear or more casual attire.
If you're planning to spend the day under grey skies and lower temperatures, be sure to pack a pair of ladies' waterproof leather boots. Our collection includes our fur lined waterproof boots, that keep your feet warm and dry all day long.
Order your favourite pair today.


text:
That's awesome, JP, and actually easier for her, too. My first husband's name was Fred. I married a Greg. Just change two consonants - after 26 years of saying one, it was very hard to not slip every once in awhile - the poor guy! But he's been understanding about it, and it hasn't happened more than two or three times, but each time I feel like such a jerk! :roll:
Oh, he's been around, but he hangs out on a metal detecting forum more, and both of us are on a local gun forum. I spend quite a bit of time here on Beemaster and tell him to look at this or read that, I'm his information collector :lol: Actually Greg is the one who wanted to become a beekeeper, something I'd always wanted to do but didn't have anyone to do it with. His uncle was a founding member of a local bee club and he used to help his uncle work the bees when he was younger. Yes, he is definitely my new and improved! :-*

subset: commoncrawl


text:
There are very few people in the world who have remained untouched by cancer, either from personal experience or in supporting a family member or friend through the different stages of dealing with this insidious disease.
Click on the "Link Up For Pink" logo above to join Yolie, Celeste and Gaby in raising awareness of the many issues surrounding cancer care, detection and early intervention.
Feel free to open these heart images in your own picture / photo editing software to recolour as desired. MS Word has picture editing which allows you to change colours and even skew the picture.
copyright Beccy Muir 2011 - Free Printables #175 - #180


text:
Research News
For 20 years, Welch's has invested in nutrition research to better understand the health benefits associated with the Concord grape and 100% grape juice, and we continue to build on that scientific evidence today. Learn more about our approach to scientific research and check out the below for our latest grape science news. And, to discover even more about the goodness of our grapes, be sure to visit grapescience.com.
November 2015
Research Links Concord Grape Juice to Cognitive Function Benefits
October 2014
Healthy Heart, Healthy Circulation
October 2014
New Research Supports Concord Grape Juice and Healthy Circulation
August 2013
A Deeper Look into Concord Grape Juice and Healthy Circulation
June 2012
New Research Links Concord Grape Juice To Healthy Circulation & Possible Memory Benefits
May 2012
New Survey: American's Don't Know Their Grapes During National Wine Month
February 2012
New Research Provides Report Card On Americans' Heart-Smarts and Shopping Carts
October 2011
A Toast to Your Health with Grape Juice
January 2011
Juicy New Research on Immune Health
November 2010
Hearty Research on Concord Grape Juice
June 2010
Weighing the Facts on Concord Grape Juice
February 2010
Something to Think About


text:
Q- Is it free?
A- Yes, it's free and open source.
Q- How can I install it?
A- Download the APK from the releases page and run it in your preferred Android device OR install directly from F-droid. It is also available in the Google Play store.
Q- What are the requirements?
A- So far not much except you should have Android LOLLIPOP(Android 5.0) OS at a minimum. Below this version may not work.
Q- What Gitea version I need?
A- Please make sure that you are on Gitea 1.7.x stable release or later. Below this may not work as one would expect because of the newly added objects to the API at later versions. Please consider updating your Gitea server. Check the versions compatibility page which lists all the supported versions with compatibility ratio.
Q- Will it work with other applications similar to Gitea like Gogs?
A- It's not tested and may not work because of the difference in API endpoints. But if the APIs are the same it would definitely work.
Q- I want to help translate it to my language
A- That's great to hear. Take a look here for strings, please ignore the lines with
translatable="false". It is recommended to create a Merge Request with your changes. Check the contributing guide.
Q- How can I help?
A- You can help in many ways, for example, using the app and reporting issues you encounter. Contributing via code and translations. If that are not your things you can help via donations to get the development going and help in infrastructure costs.


text:
Cowboys acquire former Ravens LB Rolando McClain, put Sean Lee on season-ending injured list
IRVING, Texas – The Dallas Cowboys have acquired the rights to former Baltimore linebacker Rolando McClain and are placing Sean Lee on season-ending injured reserve with a torn knee ligament.
The team reported on its website Tuesday that it also would send a sixth-round pick in next year's draft to the Ravens while getting a seventh-round pick in return.
McClain was the eighth overall pick by Oakland in 2010, but off-the-field issues, including multiple arrests, shortened his career. He has been retired and hasn't played since 2012.
McClain, who turns 25 this month, has 173 tackles and 6 1/2 sacks in 41 career games over three seasons.
Lee tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the first offseason practice.
AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL


text:
Stay at home, stay safe, and shop online! Due to the Covid 19 crisis and the health and safety of our customers and staff, we are not accepting returns at this time and all items are final sale until further notice. Our priority is our customers safety and all members of our team as we move through these unfortunate circumstances. In addition, you may experience delayed shipping and processing orders will take 2-5 days. Thank you for your understanding and continued support! We appreciate you! Enjoy Free Shipping On All Orders $100 or Over! No Code Needed!
Regular price
Model Wearing Small
Great Stretch
Knit Top and Drawstring Pants


text:
Mozillian for 8 years Dec 2012
Mozillian Profile
Khaleel Jageer
கலீல் ஜாகீர்
L10n & SUMO Translator, FxOS app Developer, Tech evangelism
I'm a free software activist.
Involved in Tamil Mozilla Localization and Translation, Web-maker Localization in Transifex, SUMO Translation, FxOS app Development and also involved in Mozilla tech Evangelism.
Tagsadd-ons, apps, india, l10n:ta, localization, open badges, addons, bugzilla, firefox student ambassadors, sumo, mozilla india, support, android, tech evangelism, firefox os translation
Skillsandroid, android app developer, community builder, evangelism, foss speaker, java, javascript, public speaker
LanguagesEnglish, Hindi, Tamil, Urdu
External Accounts
- Mozilla Add-ons: jskcse4
- Bugzilla (BMO): email@example.com
- Facebook: syed.khaleel1
- MDN: khaleeljageer
- Mozilla Reps: khaleeljageer
- Mozilla Support: khaleeljageer
- Transifex: jskcse4
- Twitter: JSKaleel
Vouched By
Jayakumar Sadhasivam
Localization vouch
Amy Tsay
Kahleel is a localizer and actively contributes to app translations.
Havi Hoffman
Khaleel Jageer is a skilled localizer and active contributor to our Firefox App localization project. He was instrumental in getting ConnectA2 app translated in Tamil for our launch in India, is very active in Transifex app localiation, and is generous and responsive with his translation abilities and experience.


text:
Bruce Wayne a.k.a. Batman has more toys and gadgets than many of us could ever dream of, but that's why he's the hero – and Gotham's ultimate playboy. With billions of dollars under his utility belt, Batman will be upgrading his daily driver from the already fierce Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 to the powerhouse Lamborghini Aventador for the upcoming Batman: The Dark Night Rises movie, slated to hit theaters next summer.
Although we would never dare to say that the Batmobile is anything less than adequate, Bruce Wayne certainly can't take it to run errands on his lunch break in Gotham. The sexy and aggressive Aventador is a stunning piece if Italian supercar that fits the mysterious billionaire just right.
[Source: autoblog]


text:
Jefferson scores 26 as Jazz defeat Bobcats 112-102
Al Jefferson had 26 points and eight rebounds, and the Utah Jazz beat the Charlotte Bobcats 112-102 Wednesday night for their fourth win in five games.
Jefferson was 11 of 15 from the field and the Bobcats simply had no answer for the 6-foot-10 center in the paint.
Paul Millsap chipped in with 19 points and Gordon Hayward was 4 of 5 from 3-point range for 14 points as the Jazz made light work of the Bobcats' zone defense, shooting 54 percent from the field.
Utah led from the opening tip, building a 19-point halftime lead. The Jazz (19-18) never allowed the Bobcats to get any closer than 10 in the second half and moved back above .500.
Ben Gordon led six Bobcats in double figures, scoring 20 points. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 15 points and eight rebounds, while Gerald Henderson, Ramon Sessions and Kemba Walker each had 14 points for the Bobcats (9-25).
The Bobcats came in feeling confident, having won two of three since their 18-game losing streak. But once again they struggled coming out of the blocks.
The Jazz outscored the Bobcats 29-11 in the final six minutes of the first half to take a 19-point lead into the locker room.
They did it with five 3-pointers - two each by Randy Foye and Hayward - during one 4 1/2-minute span.
The Jazz hit 10 of 22 from 3-point range.
Alex Burks chipped in with 14 points and DeMarre Carroll and Derrick Favors each had 10 for the Jazz. Favors hit all five shots from the field.
Jamaal Tinsley had nine points and eight assists to go along with his two steals for Utah.
Whenever Charlotte tried to make a run, the Jazz had a quick answer.
Most of the time that meant getting the ball down low to Jefferson, Millsap and Favors, who had little problem scoring against Charlotte's big men Brendan Haywood and Bismack Biyombo. Together that trio was a combined 24 of 30 from the field.
Jefferson had all his points in the first three quarters and didn't play much down the stretch as the Jazz didn't particularly need his services with the game mostly out of hand.
Two Charlotte starters - Biyombo and Tyrus Thomas - did not score, and rookie Jeffery Taylor only managed six points.
Charlotte's bench outscored its starters 67-35.
NOTES: Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap decided to bench Henderson in favor of the Taylor. ... The Bobcats continue to be without center Byron Mullens, who remains out with an ankle injury.


text:
Cuddly Shark really are a bit of what you fancy, if you're in love with the Nineties. A Glasgow residing three-piece, they've found a direct, no-nonsense answer to the 'difficult second album' conundrum – to blast out 12 tracks of gimmie-indie-rock anthemia in half an hour, convincingly.
Accordingly, 'The Road To Ugly' is a continuation from their self-titled debut. Colin Reid's vocal underpins the brief, blusterous, tracks with eccentric enthusiasm and a refreshing willingness to yelp. Frank Black's been cited as an obvious reference point but with the sheer Colin Mochrie 'Hoe-Down' delivery of some of the melodies, ('The Road To Ugly', 'Doodlebug') Les Claypool's rap-attacks seem to be a happy component of Colin's style as well.
The songs are strong, direct and brazen. There's no sheen to the recording. It's a three-piece, sounds like a live recording in all but the vocals and percussive overlays - and it captures the chugging well. 'Overpriced' constantly accelerates and pounds, the chorus simply Reid shouting "Take my advice/You're never over-priced" over fuzzed out chords. It's a nice step into the indie disco.
There's acid humour here too, or maybe merely spite. 'Broken Arm' whips through off-kilter country guitar riffs that plateau into despair. With the lyric "You've got no clue/You just sit and stare/With your beady eyes/And your pubic hair/That's somehow on your head", the singer of the Fratellis leaps to mind... The idea of a Cuddly Shark vs Fratellis fight is appealing, though the Fratellis do look petrifying. Reid's arsenic tongue might not be enough. Musically though, Cuddly Shark write hooks the Fratellis couldn't attempt, 'Fiddly Dee' is part Delgadoes, part circus theme and as it swings into the cello and bass riff of 'BMI' it's a glorious segway from accomplished arrangement into pretense-free rocking.
Cuddly Shark are clearly happy to set their stall as music for music's sake. Three music fans playing songs that happily reference their influences and that don't pretend to be anything else. Whereas some acts may feel a need to justify their influences with the heady parps of faux intellectualism (TOY, cough cough), others (Cuddly Shark) do not. A quick look at the video for 'BMI' shows pubs, garages and high streets, not calling cards for David Lachapelle or Chris Cunningham.
The Road To Ugly is a pleasingly frank stomp through the memories of the Nineties indie disco, a realm where Sonic Youth, Primus, Sebadoh, Teenage Fanclub and Pavement parlayed. Admittedly this is a US-centric set of touch points, but when you blast it all out with glee of Reid and co. where it comes from doesn't matter. All that does matter is that this is finely crafted guitar pop doused in noise and metallic baselines. It gets the feet moving, the mane shaking and feeds plenty of earworms. It's fantastic.
8Jon Falcone's Score


text:
Hyundai's follow-up to the much-acclaimed Genesis sedan leaked onto the web today and thanks to Hyundai-Blog we've got the official designer sketches as well.
Codenamed VI, the 2010 Equus is an all-new full-sized flagship sedan from the Korean manufacturer, Hyundai. The all-new Equus will ride on an extended-length version of Hyundai's rear-wheel drive platform first seen on the Genesis Sedan and Genesis Coupe. It replaces the old Mitsubishi co-developed front-wheel drive Equus sold in Korea.
The 2010 Hyundai Equus will receive the first vehicle in the line up to receive the in-house developed 8-speed automatic gearbox and will be mounted to the 4.6-liter V8 engine already on duty in the Genesis Sedan. Six months after the Equus goes on sale, Hyundai will release a direct injection 5.0-liter V8 capable of putting out 400+ horsepower. For the sake of fuel efficiency, it's rumored that Hyundai will include a cylinder deactivation system to the larger engine.
Along with the new 8-speed transmission and 5.0-liter V8, the 2010 Equus will feature many new safety technologies including a Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), Vehicle Stability Management System (VSM2) and a Pre-Safety Seatbelt System which predetects a front-end collision and automatically initializes the seat belt tensioners.
We're not sure when Hyundai will first show the new flagship Equus Sedan, but it's likely that it'll hit South Korean showrooms in February 2010, with a U.S. release date shortly after. In the meantime, check out our gallery showing the first design sketches of the 2010 Hyundai Equus Sedan.
[via Hyundai-Blog]


text:
Academic round-up
On October 5, the Court will hear argument in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church & School v. EEOC, which has been called the Court's "most important religious-liberty case in many years." The Court will decide whether the so-called "ministerial exception" bars a teacher at a Lutheran grade school from suing the school for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. The "ministerial exception" "" which has been widely recognized by the lower courts but never addressed by the U.S. Supreme Court "" is a First-Amendment inspired doctrine that immunizes religious institutions from lawsuit for some employment decisions concerning employees with religious duties. With this case, the Court has the opportunity to address the contours of a rule excepting religious institutions from many of the laws regulating employment. (Disclaimer: Goldstein & Russell represents the NAACP Legal Defense Fund et al. as amici curiae in support of respondent.)
The legal academy has been debating these issues for years, and thus it is not surprising that law professors are well-represented on both sides of the issue. Professor Christopher Lund has a forthcoming article in the North Carolina Law Review defending the ministerial exception. Taking the opposing view, Professors Caroline Mala Corbin and Marci Hamilton have each published articles critiquing the ministerial exception. Law professors have filed amicus briefs for both the petitioner and respondent. Finally, Professor Douglas Laycock of the University of Virginia School of Law is counsel of record for the Church. This is a case that will be closely watched by religious and academic institutions alike.
Recommended Citation: Amanda Frost, Academic round-up, SCOTUSblog (Sep. 15, 2011, 1:57 PM), https://www.scotusblog.com/2011/09/academic-round-up-76/


text:
One of the most recent FDIC filings seeks at least $53 million from four directors of the failed Orion Bank of Naples.
The pace of bank failures has slowed, but federal lawsuits targeting the bankers who ran those faded institutions are speeding up. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has filed seven lawsuits so far this year against officers and directors of failed banks. Those actions are part of 51 negligence complaints filed since mid-2010 that seek hundreds of millions of dollars from bank executives and board members.
One of the most recent FDIC filings seeks at least $53 million from four directors of the failed Orion Bank of Naples, which was a major lender in Sarasota and Manatee counties during the real estate boom of the mid-2000s.
The suit alleges the four committed "a pattern of unconsidered acquiescence" -- basically serving as rubber stamp -- to the whims of now-imprisoned Orion chief executive Jerry J. Williams.
"Their unwillingness to inform themselves about, or exercise meaningful oversight over, Williams' performance was so apparent that Williams eventually began boasting to other bank employees that the defendants would never reverse his decisions," attorney Aviva L. Wernick wrote in the suit.
A total of 66 banks in Florida failed during the Great Recession and its aftermath. The FDIC so far has gone after officers and directors of four of those institutions, including the former Century Bank of Sarasota.
The agency also reached a pre-suit settlement with eight former executives and directors of the defunct First Priority Bank of Bradenton. They, and their liability insurer, agreed last year to pay $1.75 million to resolve any FDIC claims.
FDIC spokesman David Barr said the agency has authorized, but has yet to file, another 50 lawsuits against directors and officers of failed institutions. As of Feb. 28, a total of 468 U.S. banks have failed since 2008.
"We will most likely be seeing more lawsuits filed down the road," Barr said.
The FDIC begins investigations immediately after a bank failure to determine its cause, and tries to complete that work within 18 months.
It typically has three years from the failure date to file a lawsuit, though that can be extended. As in the First Priority case, settlements are sometimes reached to avoid litigation.
"If those talks end up not going anywhere, then we file a complaint in U.S. District Court," Barr said.
During the savings-and-loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s, the agency filed "D&O" -- directors and officers" lawsuits in about 25 percent of the nearly 750 failures.
The FDIC and the former Resolution Trust Corp. collected $6.46 billion from professional liability claims from 1986 through 2011.
It is impossible to say at this juncture if the ratio or dollar amounts collected will be similar in this cycle of failures.
Not all bank failures are caused by negligence or inappropriate actions by executives and directors, of course, in which case the FDIC does not take any action.
There also are instances in which neither the individuals nor their insurer would generate enough money to justify a lawsuit.
But in many cases, the agency determines there is sufficient evidence to take the matter to court.
Since 2009, the FDIC has authorized suits against 836 individuals for liability. That includes actions against 369 officials last year and 94 in the first two months of 2013.
Many of the more recent lawsuits, however, involve bank failures dating back several years. Both Century and Orion, for example, failed on Nov. 13, 2009. None of the cases involving local lenders, however, have trial dates attached to them as yet, records show.
While some have criticized the FDIC for not aggressively suing more bankers, Barr said the FDIC is meticulous about making good cases.
"A lot of people were thinking we weren't taking action and moving fast enough," he said. "But if we sue people, we want to make sure we have cause to do so. That takes time. When it comes time to file lawsuits, we don't want them thrown out of court."
Southwest Florida ties
Four of the 51 suits filed so far are against Florida banks, and three of those have ties to Southwest Florida.
In all, the agency and taxpayers lost more than $1.2 billion as a result of those banks failures.
The first lawsuit was filed last March 2012 to recover nearly $63 million from the former chief executive and the directors of the failed Florida Community Bank of Immokalee, which operated offices in Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda, in Charlotte County.
The FDIC accused CEO Stephen L. Price and the bank's board of directors of "grossly negligent" lending and acting in a "reckless" manner that led to the bank's collapse in January 2010.
The agency specifically cited a $5.9 million personal loan made to Orion CEO Williams as evidence. That loan, cut in October 2008, was made by Price, according to the lawsuit. Price's involvement was significant because it violated his lending authority as well as the bank's loan policies, since it was secured by Williams' shares in Orion, which were not readily marketable. Those shares became worthless after Orion failed.
In November, the FDIC sued the former CEO and directors of Century Bank, accusing them of gross negligence in the bank's $357 million demise.
The agency charged the five men with engaging in risky lending even after Century fell into deep financial trouble, including cutting $16 million in loans to a Ponzi schemer from New York.
The suit said the directors "routinely" failed to use safe and sound banking practices when approving large loans.
"In short, the defendants regularly violated the bank's policies and prudent banking standards, engaged in numerous wrongful acts and, as a direct and proximate result, caused substantial damages," attorney Joseph G. Galardi said in the complaint.
Named in the lawsuit against Century were its former president and chief executive, John P. O'Neill, who also was a director; bank owner Barry M. Florescue; chairman Charles W. Miersch; and directors Stanley Kreitman and James M. Nickerson. O'Neill and Florescue live in Broward County. Miersch lives in Tennessee, Kreitman in New York and Nickerson in Indiana.
Attorneys for the men recently filed a 30-page response that asked for the suit to be dismissed and for an order that would force the FDIC to produce a more definitive statement on the allegations of negligence.
At $728 million in assets, Century was the largest failure among the nine bank closures in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties.
And in late January, the FDIC went after the four Orion directors over the failure that cost the agency's insurance fund $880 million.
Sued were James Aultman of Marathon Beach, Earl Holland of Fort Myers, Alan Pratt of Vero Beach and Brian Schmitt of Marathon. All had been directors for at least 12 years; Holland sat on the board for 22 years.
By 2004 Williams had become the "dominant decision maker" at Orion, subject to little or no scrutiny from the directors who were supposed to supervise and oversee him, according to the suit.
"Far from acting as a check on Williams, the defendants made Williams' authority so absolute that one bank officer even characterized Orion as a 'dangerously cultish environment,' " Wernick said in the lawsuit.
The directors allowed Williams and Orion to take on high concentrations of commercial real estate, acquisition and development and construction loans, even after the real estate market began to decline. The directors often approved large and complex loans with less than four minutes of review and discussion, the suit says.
Williams pleaded guilty last year to three counts of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and making false statements to bank regulators. He is serving a six-year sentence at Federal Prison Camp Montgomery in Alabama, a minimum security facility within Maxwell Air Force Base.
He joined two other Orion executives and a bank borrower, who are all serving time in the federal prison system on bank-fraud-related charges.
Williams is not off the hook with the FDIC, either. A federal judge has ordered him to pay $31 million in restitution to the agency for his role in Orion's collapse.


text:
Showing resources in...INDUSTRY State & Local Government PRODUCT Workforce Activities Grant and Project Tracking PRODUCT SUITE Workforce Central Suite Clear All Filters
Workforce Activities for Grant and Project Tracking Datasheet
Workforce Activities for Grant and Project tracking gives you a unique and effective way to identify how your labor measures up against key metrics.
Where Does the Money Go?
Where Does the Money Go? Survey shows state and local governments and K-12 districts need help to improve the tracking of labor costs to grants and projects.


text:
IMED 2011, The third International Meeting on Emerging Diseases and SurveillanceArchived
The emergence of cholera in Haiti once again reminds us of the ferocity with which infectious diseases can strike and of the complex interactions of emerging infectious diseases with social conditions, human migration, and the ecosystem.
First joint meeting on antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infectionsArchived
This was the first joint annual plenary meeting of the EARS-Net and HAI-Net participants and the National Antimicrobial Resistance Focal Points.
EARS-Net and HAI-Net Coordination group meetingArchived
This will be the first joint meeting of the EARS-Net and HAI-Net Coordination groups. The meeting will address epidemiological, microbiological and technical aspects related to surveillance and reporting of antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections.
Health Protection 2011Archived
During this conference, ECDC presents the results of the Neisseria gonorrhoeae susceptibility testing external quality assurance (EQA) scheme
European Antibiotic Awareness Day 2011 – Launch eventArchived
The launch event of the fourth European Antibiotic Awareness Day took place in Brussels and will follow the Commissioners' Midday Press Briefing, where Commissioners Dalli presented the European Commission's Action Plan to tackle Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
Annual meeting of healthcare-associated infections surveillance network (HAI-Net) and HAI-Net coordination groupArchived
The annual meeting of the healthcare-associated infections surveillance network (HAI-Net) and of the HAI-Net coordination group took place in Stockholm on 19-21 June 2012.
Meeting and workshop on ECDC point prevalence survey (PPS) of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial use in acute care hospitalsArchived
A meeting and a workshop on the ECDC point prevalence survey (PPS) of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial use in acute care hospitals took take place in London on 5-6 March 2012.
Workshops for EPIS VPD and EPIS AMR-HAIArchived
This workshop enabled all to agree on the relevance of EPIS VPD to be used as a platform for the reporting and monitoring of measles outbreak in the EU, agree on the type of information to be reported, the nature of outbreaks to be notified and the further usage by ECDC (e.g. European Monthly Measles Monitoring1) and other Member States of data that will be shared through EPIS VPD by countries.
Second joint meeting of Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-associated Infections (ARHAI) NetworksArchived
The meeting addressed a wide range of issues concerning antimicrobial resistance, antimicrobial consumption and healthcare-associated infections.
European Antibiotic Awareness Day 2012Archived
The European Antibiotic Awareness Day is marked annually on 18 November to raise awareness about the threat to public health of antibiotic resistance and prudent antibiotic use.


text:
Alexandria Technical and Community College awards credit for prior learning based on Minnesota State policy and procedure 3.35 http://www.minnstate.edu/board/policy/335.html.
Alexandria Technical and Community College (ATCC) is committed to recognizing the educational importance of learning accomplished outside traditional academic settings. Work, hobbies, leisure time activities, civic participation and personal study are examples of areas in which learning can take place.
The preparation of a competency demonstration for credit can be a significant educational experience. The work of organizing evidence and interpreting past learning will often be much more than a review of what the student accomplished in previous years. The student may be discovering how this learning has been integrated into his/her subsequent life and work and, in the process, form a new perspective on his/her experience and discover new relationships between prior, present and projected learning.
In additions to writing a paper that describes the learning, additional documentation may include:
The completed competency demonstration for which credit has been granted will become the property of the College. If the student wishes to keep the originals, he/she should place copies of certificates, letters, clippings, etc. in his/her portfolio.
The following are criteria for granting credit by portfolio review or competence demonstration.
The fee for earning credits through the credit by exam process is $40 per credit. If the request for portfolio review or competence demonstration is approved, a CR is recorded on the transcript; however, no notation is recorded on the transcript if the request is not approved. The student's GPA is not impacted in either situation but credit is awarded for a CR.
Approved by: ATCC Leadership Council
Effective Date: 8/16/12
Last Date Revised: 8/13/12


text:
Israel's security cabinet approved Wednesday the police closure of occupied East Jerusalem, alongside several other new measures in response to the recent wave of violent attacks in Israel.
It announced the police were now authorised to "impose a closure on, or to surround, centers of friction and incitement in Jerusalem, in accordance with security considerations."
The cabinet also said that homes "terrorists", alongside being demolished, cannot be rebuilt on the site, and the permanent residency rights of "terrorists" will be revoked and property confiscated.
Additionally, army reinforcements will be called in for police in cities and main roads, and 300 security guards are expected to be stationed on and around public transportation. The reinforcements will cost 80 million NIS.
Further according to the new measures, the permanent residency status of Palestinians who carry out attacks will be revoked and their property confiscated.
Palestinians living in occupied East Jerusalem are not Israeli citizens and hold the status of "permanent resident." Israeli policy makes it difficult for Jerusalemite Palestinians to retain the status, and over 14,300 Palestinians have lost residency since 1967 despite being from the area.
The announcement comes after the Israeli security cabinet convened at 4:30 P.M. Tuesday following multiple attacks in Israel as violence escalates across the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Israeli rights group B'Tselem called the Israeli government's response "the very inverse of what ought to be done" in the efforts to ease the continued violence escalating across the region.
"The events of recent weeks cannot be viewed in a vacuum, isolated from the reality of the ongoing, daily oppression of 4 million people, with no hope of change in sight," the group said in a statement on Tuesday.
"At present, Israelis are exposed to untenable violence, but the status quo almost all Israelis have come to see as acceptable in fact exposes millions of Palestinians to violence that is a consequence of the very regime of occupation, with its inherent features of oppression, dispossession and the trampling of rights," B'Tselem added.
The group expressed criticism for the Israeli government officials who "shoot and kill" Palestinians suspected of carrying out an attack even if they pose no immediate threat, stating that "the lives of Palestinians suspected of perpetrating attack are forfeit."
Yesterday three Israelis were killed and up to 27 injured in four separate attacks across Israel and occupied East Jerusalem. Two suspected Palestinian attackers were shot dead on scene.
Since the latest wave of violence started on Oct.1, thirty Palestinians have been killed in the occupied Palestinian territory by Israeli forces.
Nearly 1,300 Palestinians have been injured by live ammunition and rubber-coated steel bullets in the same time period.
Back to Top


text:
Bevis OH Real Estate & Homes for Sale
Bevis real estate listings include condos, townhomes, and single family homes for sale.
Commercial properties are also available.
If you see a property you're interested in, contact a Bevis real estate agent to arrange a tour today!
There are currently no properties in Bevis OH Please click the Refine Your Search button below to find other properties in the area.
Refine Property Search
Nearby Homes For Sale
How may I help you?
Get property information, schedule a showing or find an agent


text:
Senate candidate George LeMieux won the straw poll of the Florida Federation of Republican Women straw poll after yesterday's forum. Frontrunner Connie Mack came in third -- last place -- behind former Army Reserves Col. Mike McCalister.
FFRW President Cindy Graves said the results were "surprising." She said the organization wouldn't release the vote totals for each candidate, just the order.
Straw polls come and go, but this one matters because these are the red-meat Republican grassroots soul of the party. If they liked LeMieux, it says he performed well in the forum and that Mack wasn't so hot. There's also a word-of-mouth aspect to the win: The FFRW members will tell their friends and send the message that Charlie Crist's former brain is his own man.
According to some Republicans in the room, LeMieux won for four reasons: 1) He came off as the most-informed on the issues, 2) He drew a distinction between him and Mack, who had voted for billions of dollars of earmarks in Congress 3) Mack seemed a bit nervous, walking around instead of sitting down at one point, 4) LeMieux went last, and that leaves an impression.
"We represent the largest grassroots army in the state, especially if our members get behind a campaign," said Graves, counting her membership at 3,500. "The FFRW doesn't endorse, but once the Republican women shine a light on you get help in and it helps with fundraising."
Here's the AP story on the forum and our story (source documents here, video here), which focused more on Mack addressing questions about his finances -- a line of inquiry he found "ridiculous" and an issue he sort of blamed on his ex-wife.
Mack wasn't asked about his finances. But LeMieux was asked about his relationship with Crist and, it appears, answered the question satisfactorily.
The press release:
(Tallahassee, Florida) Former Senator George LeMieux was the decided winner of the straw poll conducted by the Florida Federation of Republican Women in Tallahassee this past Sunday at the Hotel Duval. The straw poll comes on the heel of the first ever and hugely successful FFRW U.S. Senate forum as part of the FFRW annual meeting.
While only the leadership of the Florida Federation of Republican Women participated in the straw poll, the meeting was standing room only accommodating elected officials, members of the media, other local Republican friends including RNC CoChair Sharon Day, Congressman Steve Southerland, Congresswoman Sandy Adams,Representative Matt Gaetz and Commissioner Bryan Desloge.
Senator LeMieux spoke on topics that included the importance of following the Constitution and the importance of family and God to the success of this nation. He is ready to challenge Bill Nelson on his record.
"To host such a tremendous event has been such an honor for the members of the Florida Federation of Republican Women. Congratulations to Senator LeMieux and a heartfelt thanks to Congressman Connie Mack and Col Mike McCalister as well. We are invigorated and motivated to take the fight all the way to defeat Senator Nelson," says President Cindy Graves. She also stated that while the straw poll indicated the feelings of the GOP women leadership, the results do not constitute an endorsement.


text:
Actress Kate Hudson has upset fans after suggesting cesarean sections are for lazy moms in a new magazine interview.
The Almost Famous star is the covergirl of Cosmopolitan magazine's October (17) issue, and when asked what she considers to be the laziest thing she's ever done in the publication's 'Q&A' section, the 38-year-old listed, "Have a C-Section!", as her response.
Kate, a mother-of-two who had a cesarean section operation when her eldest 13-year-old son Ryder was born, stirred up controversy with the comment, and many moms have taken to social media to slam the actress for her "insensitive" remark.
One Twitter user wrote: "Hey #KateHudson. Please tell me which part of major abdominal surgery is 'Lazy?' The procedure? The heal time? The 9 months of work prior?"
Other social media critics emphasized the fact that most moms are forced to undergo a cesarean section operation due to birth complications, and the surgery is necessary to save a mother and child's life in the delivery room.
"How insensitive," one mom fumed. "Shaming a way that so many women don't chose (sic) to have their babies but have to! I labored for over 24 hours before it was no longer safe for me and my baby. I think that's the furthest thing from lazy!"
Another Twitter user added: "As women most of us don't choose a c section (sic) I know I didn't, and I have had both and believe me having a c section was one of the hardest things I have ever done I ended up almost dying I was very very ill and it took a long time to recover, some of us are a little to (sic) sensitive…"
However, supporters of the star have also turned out on social media to defend her, insisting she was probably just joking: "I had three c sections in the last 4 years, and I found the comment hilarious. Sounds exactly like something I would have said as a joke."
Kate has yet to respond to the criticism.
– Cover Media0


text:
How To Clip Images with Complex Objects
Artboard makes it easy to clip your images with complex vector objects. Draw any shape and use the Intersect command. Here's how.
Tutorial Details
Program : Artboard 1.7+ for Mac OSX
Difficulty: Intermediate
Topics Covered: Image Browser and Intersect
Estimated Completion Time: about 15 minutes
Step 1 – Draw the Clipping Shape
Open the Image Browser and drag-and-drop from the Browser to your drawing canvas to place your image. Draw any shape – from a simple rounded rectangle to a complex outline of the area you want to clip. Here we've used the Bezier Path [b]tool to draw an outline around the girl in the picture. We used a simple red stroke with no fill to better see the outline as we traced over the picture.
Step 2 – Clip the Image
To clip the image with your shape, hold the Command-key and use the Select [s] tool to select both the image and the shape. Then click the Intersect icon on the Toolbar, or choose Graphic > Combine > Intersect from the main menu. Clipping images is non-destructive – an image that is clipped still has the original image hidden behind the clipped area, and the clipping path can be removed later as desired. Double-click the image to reposition it or scale it within its bounding box. An image effects panel is also displayed. If you want to remove the clipping path, right-click the image and choose "Remove Image clipping path" from the contextual menu.
Step 3 – Mask and Resample Image (optional)
An image with a clipping path can be permanently cropped to remove portions of the image that are hidden, thus reducing overall file size. Cropped images are resampled to the clipped area. To crop a clipped image, right-clicking the image and choose "Crop and resample image" from the contextual menu.
Final Image
Clipping images in Artboard is as easy as 1-2-3! We hope you enjoy the simplicity of how it works just like the Boolean operations with any vector objects.


text:
Denver's first teacher-led school takes center stage at national conference
Educators look at innovative model for potential path to student academic success
WASHINGTON—February 14, 2011- As the Mile High City plays host to a historic education conference focused on union-school district collaboration, a national spotlight will shine on one of the host city's own public schools that has turned traditional teaching on its head, while yielding some promising results for closing student achievement gaps.
Innovative Union-District Approach
Denver's Math and Science Leadership Academy (MSLA), a teacher-led public school that uses collaboration as the cornerstone of its philosophy, is aimed at attracting and retaining the most accomplished educators to boost learning in this high-needs school.
With 60 percent of its student body identified as English-language learners and some 90 percent eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, teachers at MSLA have had their work cut out for them since opening in 2009.
The school's teachers work together on everything from curriculum to peer review and professional development. Students are engaged in hands-on learning and service-learning projects, where they use knowledge gained in the classroom to conduct real-world, community-based projects.
Educators are clamoring to work at the innovative school; more than 30 teachers apply for each vacancy. Early indicators show that the collaborative approach to teaching is paying dividends for its students. In fact, educators, administrators, parents and community members at MSLA credit the collaborative union-school district partnership for the school's transformation.
"Real education reform is not about the blame game," said Dennis Van Roekel, president of the 3.2 million-member National Education Association (NEA). "When all the adults decide to come to the table and collaborate together, that's when we'll bring about real lasting, sustainable change for students."
Lori Nazareno, one of the co-lead teachers at the MSLA, agreed collaboration is the key ingredient, allowing them to design the school to meet the needs—and provide a high-quality education—for some of the most disadvantaged students in Denver.
"The collaboration and creativity utilized by the district and association served to model some of the very 21st century skills that we are teaching our students," said Nazareno, who is also a National Board Certified Teacher. "The school community at MSLA is a testament to what can be accomplished when all stakeholders work together in service to students, their families and the community."
Historic National Conference
The Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA) proposed the groundbreaking idea of a teacher-led school to Denver Public Schools. Now that partnership is taking center stage at a national conference that will focus on improving student achievement through labor-management collaboration. The event is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education in partnership with NEA, the American Federation of Teachers and other education organizations.
The union-school district team from Denver will be joined by Colorado Education Association President Beverly Ingle and DCTA President Henry Roman, and DCTA Executive Director Carolyn Crowder. The Denver union-school district group is just one of more than 70 NEA affiliates participating in the Conference on Advancing Student Achievement through Labor-Management Collaboration. An additional 47 of the attending affiliates are represented jointly by NEA and AFT.
"We thank the Department of Education for hosting a conference that will showcase union-district collaboration and success," added Van Roekel. "When unions and school districts share with others how they worked together for better solutions that help students succeed, we're on to something."
Follow us on twitter at: www.twitter.com/NEAMedia
# # #
The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.
CONTACT: Staci Maiers, (202) 270-5333, email@example.com
Teacher-Led School is Making the Grade
Click bellow for video


text:
New Jersey SAS
Site Created Jun 11 2000
Last Updated Feb 20 2007
NJ chapter of the
We offer a live and open forum for hands-on science
We're Moving!
Seeing atoms is our theme for 2004/5. We're still collecting ideas.
Light polarization There are two kinds of light but our eyes can't see the difference. Some animals can, though, and so can some clever experiments! One of our 2003 activities.
Measuring the speed of
light There are many ways. How do they compare? Which is the
most convincing, the most elegant, the most accurate, ... the cheapest?
Detecting tidal forces from your basement. Is it possible? The effects are very, very small and that's the challenge. The question is still open!
Building a bat detector was our summer 2000 project. Locate bats by listening to their ultrasound emissions! We have built detectors and have some bat recordings. We can always use more!
Pictures and accounts of some of our other activities
Taxonomy Database, Integrated Taxonomic Information System


text:
EarthSky lunar calendars are cool! They make great gifts. Order now. Going fast!
The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), which is visible to the unaided human eye, is a familiar sight to observers in Earth's Southern Hemisphere. Along with the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), not far from it on our sky's dome, it looks like nothing so much as a small, faint bit of the Milky Way that has broken off. And yet it is not part of our Milky Way galaxy. It is a separate small galaxy, thought to be orbiting our larger Milky Way.
How to find the Large Magellanic Cloud. For observers south of about 20 degrees south latitude, the LMC is circumpolar, meaning that it can be seen (at least in part) all night every night of the year, weather permitting.
In the Northern Hemisphere, only observers south of about 20 degrees north latitude can ever see it at all. This excludes North America (except southern Mexico), Europe, northern Africa and northern Asia.
The LMC is located about 22 degrees from the South Celestial Pole, approximately on the border between the constellations Dorado and Mensa in a region of faint stars. It covers an area of the sky about 9 by 11 degrees, and shines with a total integrated magnitude of approximately zero. If all of its light were concentrated in a starlike pinpoint, it would be one of the brightest stars in the heavens. However, since the light is spread over nearly 100 square degrees, it appears only as a faint smudge.
From tropical latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, where it still can be observed, the LMC is best seen in the evening from December to April. When the constellation Orion reaches its highest point in the sky, so does the Large Magellanic Cloud. But even at 15 degrees north latitude (the latitude of Central America), the LMC never gets far above the southern horizon.
However, it's fairly easy to star-hop to this southern treasure by using the two brightest stars in the nighttime sky: Sirius and Canopus. Draw a line from Sirius and past the right side of Canopus to descend to the LMC. Our sky chart is designed for about 15 degrees north. Farther south, the LMC sits higher in the southern sky.
History and myth of the Large Magellanic Cloud. Being so far south on the sky's dome, the Large Magellanic Cloud was not known in classical northern mythology at all. Understandably, it fares better for observers in the Southern Hemisphere. The nearby constellation, Mensa ("Table"), originally was named after South Africa's Table Mountain, and a story from that country equates the Large Magellanic Cloud with a puff of smoke from a pipe-smoking contest held on the mountain. Australian Aboriginal storytellers relate that the LMC is the campsite of an old man, whereas the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is the campsite of his wife. The couple, known jointly as Jukara, had grown too old to feed themselves, so other star beings bring them fish from the sky river we know as the Milky Way.
The European "discovery" of the LMC and SMC is attributed to explorer Ferdinand Magellan, although such obvious heavenly bodies certainly were seen before.
Science of the Large Magellanic Cloud. After two smaller galaxies not visible to the human eye, the LMC is the third closest galaxy to the Milky Way, and in fact is thought by most astronomers to be orbiting the Milky Way.
Although there is some uncertainty due to various methods of distance determination, the best current estimate puts the LMC at 150,000 to about 160,000 light-years away, or about five or six times as far from Earth as Earth is from the center of the Milky Way. Other estimates have it as far as 180,000 light-years.
Its shape suggests a transitional form between a small spiral galaxy and an irregular galaxy. About 30,000 light-years across in the longest dimension, it appears from Earth more than 20 times the width of a full moon.
Estimates vary from a few billion to perhaps 10 billion stars in this galaxy, at best no more than about one-tenth the mass of the Milky Way.
The center of the LMC is approximately RA: 5h 23m 35s, dec: -69° 45′ 22″
Bottom line: From tropical latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, where it can be observed, the Large Magellanic Cloud is best seen in the evening from December to April. From the Southern Hemisphere, it's easy to see and spectacular!
Larry Sessions has written many favorite posts in EarthSky's Tonight area. He's a former planetarium director in Little Rock, Fort Worth and Denver and an adjunct faculty member at Metropolitan State University of Denver. He's a longtime member of NASA's Solar System Ambassadors program. His articles have appeared in numerous publications including Space.com, Sky & Telescope, Astronomy and Rolling Stone. His small book on world star lore, Constellations, was published by Running Press.


text:
Siteimprove Recognized as a 2015 Top Workplace by Star Tribune
jun 14, 2015
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – June 14, 2015 – Continuing its reputation as a go-to for workplace satisfaction, employees again ranked Siteimprove as one of the best places to work in the state with a new spot on Star Tribune's Top Workplaces 2015.
"Company culture is at the forefront at Siteimprove," said Siteimprove CEO, Torben Rytt. "Simply, we believe that happy people work better. Since this award is based on employee feedback, it means even more – we're excited to see that our employees agree, and that we're on the right track."
Star Tribune's Top Workplaces recognizes the most progressive companies in Minnesota based on employee opinions measuring engagement, organizational health and satisfaction. The analysis included responses from over 69,100 employees at Minnesota public, private, and nonprofit organizations.
Since opening their doors in Minneapolis in 2007, Siteimprove has evolved from a team of just 3 to a family of 80 in order to keep up with the growing demand for their web governance tools. This constant demand translates to a fun and exciting work environment, perfect for hardworking, lighthearted individuals open to collaboration and unlimited growth potential. Committed to placing the best people, Siteimprove empowers employees to succeed inside and out of the office through progressive office culture and comprehensive benefits.
About Siteimprove
Since 2003, Siteimprove has provided industry leading Web Governance tools to thousands of organizations worldwide. Headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark and Minneapolis, Siteimprove has a strong presence in dozens of countries across North America, Europe, and the Pacific. Siteimprove's Web Governance Suite, offered via Software as a Service (SaaS), helps organizations manage and maintain their large websites through web quality assurance, web accessibility, web analytics, SEO analysis and web performance alerts.


text:
Database contains 95398 items submitted by the player community
register now | forgot password
Found an item with wrong or missing stats? Report it!
Other Resources
Dropped by
Purtog (High Keep [Heroic])
Confirmed Locations
This feature is available only to the registered users.
Mob that drops this item also drops
Amber Amulet
Amber Scrying Stone
Ozocerite Wax Sealed Document
Chocolate Buttons
an Erudin amulet
Cannibalize Thoughts VI (Master)
Charged Adornment of Agility
Charged Adornment of Critical Chance
Charged Adornment of Energy
Charged Adornment of Haste
Charged Adornment of Heightened Power
Charged Adornment of Intelligence
Charged Adornment of Mending
Charged Adornment of Parrying
Charged Adornment of Strength
Charged Adornment of Weaponry
Charged Adornment of Wisdom
Cryptic Herb-Concoctor Shoulder Pads
Cryptic Pauldrons of the Gorger
Enrage VII (Master)
Frostbite VI (Master)
Frozen Palm VIII (Master)
Moderate Essence of Runes
Netherealm III (Master)
Oration of Sacrifice III (Master)
polished amber orb
Rune: Crit Bonus
Rune: Damage Per Second
Rune: Fighter's Potency
Rune: Potency
Rune: Power
Rusty Rummager Blades
Shoulder Charge VII (Master)
Sign of Pacification VII (Master)
Soul Cannibalize IV (Master)
Stoneshard Recipe: Jun'Rah Seer's Crystal
Stoneshard Recipe: Pickclaw Trickster's Gemstone
Storming Tempest III (Master)
Warring Deities VI (Master)
Item submitted by bucky168 on 2014-04-16 03:21:51
Website © 2007 - 2020 by LootDB.com. All rights reserved.
Send your comments and suggestions to firstname.lastname@example.com.
EverQuest® II © 2004-2012 Sony Online Entertainment LLC. EverQuest is a registered trademark of Sony Online Entertainment LLC in the United States and/or other countries. SOE and the SOE logo are registered trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment LLC. Uses Granny Animation. © 1999-2001 by RAD Game Tools, Inc. The software platform logo ( and ©) IEMA 2004. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.


text:
Packers to release defensive back Charles Woodson
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers have informed 36-year-old defensive back Charles Woodson he will be released with two years left on his contract.
NFL.com first reported the move on Friday and it was confirmed by The Associated Press with Carl Poston, Woodson's agent. The team has not commented.
Poston says Woodson is motivated to continue his career with a Super Bowl contender.
Woodson signed a five-year deal before the 2010 season that was worth as much as $55 million. He missed nine games during the 2012 regular season because of a broken right collarbone and played in two postseason games for the Packers.
Woodson was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1998.


text:
Well, finally. Someone at NBC has admitted that its coverage of the Olympics wasn't absolutely perfect.
Bob Costas was on Conan last night and didn't care for NBC's decision to delay the—already tape-delayed—performance by The Who during the closing ceremony. For an hour, in mid-ceremony, NBC paused things to broadcast a show about a monkey.
"I'm sure you'd be the first to attest, Conan, that when it comes to the tough calls, NBC usually gets them right," Costas told O'Brien.


text:
Natives, North American
Natives, North American, peoples who occupied North America before the arrival of the Europeans in the 15th cent. They have long been known as Indians because of the belief prevalent at the time of Columbus that the Americas were the outer reaches of the Indies (i.e., the East Indies). Most scholars agree that Native Americans came into the Western Hemisphere from Asia via the Bering Strait or along the N Pacific coast in a series of migrations. From Alaska they spread east and south. The several waves of migration are said to account for the many native linguistic families (see Native American languages), while the common origin is used to explain the physical characteristics that Native Americans have in common (though with considerable variation)—Mongolic features, coarse, straight black hair, dark eyes, sparse body hair, and a skin color ranging from yellow-brown to reddish brown. Some scholars accept evidence of Native American existence in the Americas back more than 25,000 years, while many others believe that people arrived later than that, perhaps as recently as 12,000 years ago. In pre-Columbian times (prior to 1492) the Native American population of the area N of Mexico is conservatively estimated to have been about 1.8 million, with some authorities believing the population to have been as large as 10 million or more. This population dropped dramatically within a few decades of the first contacts with Europeans, however, as many Native Americans died from smallpox, influenza, measles, and other diseases to which they had not previously been exposed. Native Americans were far more likely to die. From prehistoric times until recent historic times there were roughly six major cultural areas, excluding that of the Arctic (see Eskimo), i.e., Northwest Coast, Plains, Plateau, Eastern Woodlands, Northern, and Southwest. Information about particular groups can be found in separate articles and in separate biographies and subject articles (e.g., Pontiac's Rebellion; Dawes Act).
Sections in this article:
- Introduction
- The Plateau Area
- The Northwest Coast Area
- The Southwest Area
- Contemporary Life
- The Eastern Woodlands Area
- The Plains Area
- The Northern Area
- Bibliography
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: North American indigenous peoples


text:
Here we are, back again after a very long and extended break from writing here. To say my colleagues and I in the valuation and wine business services groups have been busy this past year would be an understatement. That being said, people all over the country and even the world continue to struggle with low real estate prices, high unemployment and huge amounts of debt. And in spite of all that, I do see some pockets of optimism. Despite an uncertain and volatile economy, there are signs that the worst is behind us. The wine industry appears to be one of those industries that is getting back on track. The following are my personal observations:
1. Local tasting rooms have been packed on weekends, even in February! Several I visited in Napa and Sonoma had no tours or tasting appointments available over the weekend.
2. Restaurants are busier – Sante in Sonoma and Bottega in Yountville both had no open reservations for dinner throughout the weekend (I tried making them on Thursday and Friday, but still…).
3. People seem to be starting to trade up in wine price – I even saw a guy buy a bottle of Cristal at Bottega a few weeks ago on a Sunday night. On a Sunday night!
- I have also seen fewer people in general bring their own wines into restaurants in recent months, which may indicate people are starting to feel comfortable spending money on wine again (as opposed to the past few years). If that is the case, I have a wine for you!
4. Value wine sales also appear to be increasing as Sutter Home, Gallo and The Wine Group's sales are all reaching or at all-time highs, the majority of which come from wines under $10 per bottle.
5. Americans continue to drink more wine, consuming more than 3.7 billion bottles of vino in 2011, more than any other country in the world (according to Vinexpo and International Wine and Spirit Research). Sales of wine over $10 per bottle grew 15% in 2011.
6. According to the recent USDA's grape crush report California grape prices rose to a record high of $588.96 per ton for all varieties, up 9.5% year-over-year (YoY) from 2010. Red wine grape prices increased 12% YoY while white wine grapes rose 8%.
- Grapes from Napa County, with the state's highest grape prices, had an average price of $3,407.56 per ton, up 5% YoY.
- Part of the increase in overall grape pricing is likely due to lower yields; however, it also shows that wineries are back to buying grapes from growers and out on the spot market. That would seem to indicate that wineries are starting to get more optimistic about the future demand for wine.
7. U.S. GDP grew 2.8% in Q4 2011, the 10th consecutive positive quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) increase and the largest since Q2 2010.
8. Wine auction prices appear to have recovered and have trended upward in recent months as well. The Liv-ex Fine Wine 100 Index closed January with a rise of 1.4% QoQ (the majority of which were First Growth Bordeaux wines), its first increase since June 2011. The Liv-ex Fine Wine 100 Index is the industry's leading benchmark. It represents the price movement of 100 of the most sought-after fine wines for which there is a strong secondary market and is calculated monthly.
9. Relative to 2008-2010, winery valuations and multiples increased in 2011, primarily for those wineries with strong operating margins and a solid tasting room/direct to consumer presence.
Now I'm not saying everything is all roses (except for today maybe), but from a somewhat basic quantitative and qualitative standpoint it seems like there are some strong tailwinds in the wine industry, which should continue driving increased wine sales.


text:
Well here is me:
The game always puts Tamren in the second row to get off the skyranger. Behind Tomayto and Davet and the tank. Out of all of our soldiers Tamren has by far the highest amount of Time Units and probably the highest strength as well.
This is Prozac:
His stats are actually not that spectacular. I think its probably because he does a lot of long range sniping. So he doesn't run around a whole lot and rarely gets reaction fire attacks. He just has something lucky about him. Well call it plot armour and leave it at that.
Every single one of our soldiers has really high stamina and strength because I always load them down with tons of gear. Tamren and Prozac as squad leaders tend to leave the skyranger with completely full belts and maybe one or two spaces left in the backpack.
Out of all of us the most badass soldier stat wise is probably Nevin. I keep forgetting to rename him a Heavy.
Stamina and Time Units increase from experience, as does health. Reactions only increases when you attack aliens on their turn. Firing accuracy improves with practice, whether or not you hit anything. And strength increases when you run around encumbered with a lot of gear, which is all the time. Strength is mostly used to determine how far you can throw something. The heaviest ordnance we have are detpacks and Tamren can easily lob one about as far as a rookie can throw a regular grenade. Throwing accuracy is essentially meaningless, except in very rare circumstances such as throwing through a window.
By far the most valuable stat is Psi strength which we can't see yet. And bravery because it very very rarely increases and only (I think) if you get wounded. This is why I reject all soldiers with 20 or less. Normally I would reject 30 or less, but I expect a lot of attrition.
It's a shame that in real life I need to catch my breath from going up the stairs.
Except for the one occasion where I literally couldn't hit the broad side of a barn I'm really kicking ass. Edna II is serving me well.
Our scientists did some more work and we now have the tech to build hyper wave decoders, rendering current radar systems obsolete. Unfortunately each one costs a sh*tton at $1.4 million. If you combine the loss of US funding as well as the large network of bases and interceptors we have going, the maintenance costs just don't add up. This means we will have to board and recover every single UFO we can get our hands on.
This isn't really a *problem* but I'm a bit worried that these missions will become boring. You see we are essentially hard bitten veterans at this point. Anyone who survives 10 missions or more is a certified badass by XCOM standards. This is why we regularly clear missions with no casualties. And this exactly what we should be doing, building up a large cadre of experienced veterans. However we will need far more than 2 squads of 5 and a tank for the truly tough missions. And given that we have yet to meet aliens other than sectoids or floaters, we have to account for future attrition. The cryssalid apocalypse is just around the corner.
To that end I am placing most of our veterans in reserve. Future missions, unless we tackle a battleship or base will be composed of rookies and a few veterans to show them the ropes. We will want to end up with about 30 members.
I currently have more recruits on the way. So until they arrive we have 2 UFOs to clean up. With Prozac out of action Tanglebones finally has a chance to take up a heavy laser and join the team as sniper. In addition for this mission we will be swapping out Devil for Nihilo because our spiffy new laser tank just rolled out of the workshop and needs breaking in.
Mission begins. Its night, and we are just across the border from Ottowa in hilly a forested area. Nihilo rolls of the ramp and *SKPEW* takes a plasma hit to the front armour! The tank is hurt but survives. Spinning the turret around Nihilo blasts the floater down with a direct hit to centre mass. Clearing the ramp for the rest of the team he spots another floater in the darkness. Tomayto, first off the ramp hops off the side and fires on the floater. He can't aim too well at night apparently because he sprays lazer all over the side of the UFO before finally hitting with his 6th shot. Floater down. Davet and Tamren hop off and pop flares.
New turn. No new sightings, we spread out. The supply transport UFO is right in front of us. Seems intact from the outside. With the door so close I send all nearby members to breach while a small group moves uphill to the east with nihilo. There are so many trees around its hard to see past 10 feet.
New turn. We take plasma fire but can't tell where it comes from. Falchion is first through the door. The whole inside of the UFO is a mess and filled with smoke. Moving inside he spots a floater and guns it down. The rest move inside and take positions around a lift. Outside Tamren spots a floater in the darkness and takes it out with a laser to the head. Tanglebones throws a flare to reveal another floater, but misses the shot. No one else has line of sight.
New turn. The floater aims and attacks Nihilo! Nihilo is hit! Thankfully this time the armour holds and he is unhurt. His first shot vapourizes a small tree, but the second hits the floater dead centre. Another kill for Nihilo. Back in the UFO Tanglebone breaches the second door and comes face to face with a floater. Obscured by smoke the floater can't see him, and with a single shot Tanglebones gets his first kill! Falchion and Edosan climb the first lift, but find no floaters. Milkman rides the second up and... *BLAM* Plasma fire dents the ground inches away from his feet! He turns around to find a floater RIGHT BEHIND HIM. After sh*tting a brick he blasts the alien on full auto, taking him out with the second shot. Phew...
New turn. Suddenly the door opens beside Milkman and a floater emerges. But standing beside the door Milkman is out of sight and the floater turns and exits! Before the floater can do anything more Milkman leans around the doorway and shoots him in the back! Edosan and Bighoppa join him on the second level. Bighoppa steps out the door and *BOOM*. A stun ball comes out of nowhere and knocks him out cold! Milkman is down as well! Edosan, shielded from the blast is unaffected, grabbing Milkman's stun rod off the ground he rounds the corner and tazers the floater medic. Level 2 secured.
New turn. Upstairs Edosan Mudbunny and Falchion creep up on the bridge. Clearing one side of the UFO they approach another blind corner and Falchion throws a grenade.
New turn. *Whump* the grenade takes out an unseen floater. They creep closer, revealing the bridge door. Falchion breaches... Falchion is hit! His armour smoking and charred Falchion escapes harm! Returning fire he misses but hits a nearby bridge console! The console explodes and the floater is downed! UFO Secure.
Mission Accomplished. 10 aliens down, 1 captured. Falchion mildly singed and Nihilos tank took a beating. No other injuries. No power core or elerium, but we did salvage the pretty big UFO which helped raise our score of 420.
This mission marks another milestone. Tamren has just been promoted to Colonel and now gets to wear an uncomfortably phallic insignia. This has caused a tier jump in the chain of command. Additional promotions as follows:
Captain: Prozac, Tomayto, Nevin
Sergeant: Davet, Mudbunny, Grubber, Milkman, Falchion, Edosan, Tanglebones.
Never Fear! Captain Prozac is here!
For Boogle!
If you need a rookie, you can throw me into the mix for the fun of it. I can be the FNG who opens the door or goes around the corner first. That's how I roll.
I bought the whole series in some sale or another back in September, but I've just now started playing the game for the first time so I'm a bit over my head. The graphics fool you into thinking it's a simple game, but it's pretty damn complicated once you get down in there. I built a base, did my first ground mission versus a UFO that had landed on it's own, lost half my team due to stupid stuff (my own fault.. at one point I accidentally ordered one of my soldiers to throw his rifle at an alien. He duitfully carried out this order, unslinging his rifle and hurling it to the feet of some unknown Being, said Being not humored at all at the turn of events and vaporizing my brave (stupid?) soldier), and am now starting a new campaign. Not sure how long I'll stick with it (damn you Steam sale) but it's got my attention for the time being. There seems to be a lull in these types of game recently unless I'm missing out on them. The last I played was Silent Storm and loved, loved, loved it until it went all sci-fi on me. Not that I mind sci-fi (obviously since I'm playing this) but I didn't like the Star Trek mixing with my Saving Private Ryan (if that makes any sense). Anyway, carry on. I've been enjoying the stories Tamren and they've been helping me figure out some of just what I'm supposed to be doing.
Phew! Not sure how much more longer my luck is going to last with all the breaching actions.
One thing that I have been wondering is that our research seems very far ahead but yet we are still facing floaters. Just how many months have past since X-Com went operational?
Alrighty. It is now the 30th day of the month. The recruits arrived and have been vetted. Out of 20 scrubs 5 were given the boot. Which means operation meatgrinder can begin. We have had no contacts except for a large UFO we were unable to engage. But just before the end of the month a small UFO appeared and was downed over the Russian border. I am taking this opportunity to break in 8 rookies. Tamren and Mudbunny will be along this mission to keep an eye on things. As well as Tanglebones who has already earned his stripes having survived his first mission. We will also be taking Nihilo with us.
As per his request I am creating a special rank for Rat Boy. His role of Commissar means that if any of you happen to fall under alien control, or a civilian is about to be turned into a cryssalid. It will be his job to immediately take them out. The catch, is that he can ONLY use an earth projectile pistol to do this.
- Squad Leader Tamren - Assault
- Vega
- Feeank
- Rat Boy - Commissar
- Quintin
- Mudbunny - Assault
- Vector
- Kier
- Dr Awkward
- Tanglebones - Sniper
- Nihilo - Tanker
Mission begins. We have landed in a nice friendly corner. Moving Nihilo off the ramp reveals probably the best LZ I have ever seen. We are beside 2 wheat fields with a long continuous fence providing us with perfect cover. Tamren is out first and spots the first alien. Its a snakeman. Not having anything better to do he takes a hail mary snap shot with his stun launcher and manages to down the snakeman. The rest of the squad spills out.
New turn. Rolling south Nihilo spots another snakeman. Feeank has a shot and pulls of a perfect double tap to the snakemans head! Well done! Maybe I should have made him a sniper. We advance, but see nothing new.
New turn. A snakeman appears out of an orchard to the south. Kier opens fire with his autocannon, but after 6 shots only manage to blow away an intervening hedge and fence. Vega tries next and gets a direct hit with his heavy cannon. The snakeman is unfazed, shooting back but missing us completely. Finally Quntin crouches down and hits the snakeman in the, uh, leg, with a heavy laser shot. Kill to Quintin! searching the area we find nothing else.
New turn. After forming up the breaching team. The *honor* of breaching the door goes to Vector. He bursts inside and... Snakeman! Vector fires 3 shots. The first is a miss! The second hits, and the third takes down the snakeman! UFO secure.
Mission Accomplished. We lucked out this time and the UFO landed intact. Delicious Elerium! We took out 3 snakemen and Tamren stunned a navigator. Total score 116.
To account for the new influx of soldiers Tamren has been promoted yet again to Commander. In his place Nevin has become a Colonel and Davet a Captain.
A couple hours later the month has ended. Our score is an amazing 3566. Our funding has increased by 762k. Which is less than last time, those cheap jerks.
We now have stun launchers, rendering the old tazer prods obsolete. Even better we now have power armour! Because of the limited supply of elerium not everyone will be getting a suit, for now only the assaults.
In addition for this mission we will be swapping out Devil for Nihilo because our spiffy new laser tank just rolled out of the workshop and needs breaking in.
*grumble* *grumble* frickin' lasers *grumble* *grumble* Miss one barn and I'm benched. *grumble* *grumble*
Whatever you do don't put Quintin in my squad or I'll be giving the Commissar the order...
*PEW* *PEW* Smell that? That's cooked alien! I love my new laser tank.
I'm only a sergeant because of my reckless disregard for regulations and the chain of command. I'd be much higher if I would only behave.
As per his request I am creating a special rank for Rat Boy. His role of Commissar means that if any of you happen to fall under alien control, or a civilian is about to be turned into a cryssalid. It will be his job to immediately take them out. The catch, is that he can ONLY use an earth projectile pistol to do this.
Oooo, I hope it's a Colt Single Action Army. Might as well execute them with a classic.
I will volunteer for service!
Whatever you do don't put Quintin in my squad or I'll be giving the Commissar the order...
I can't wait to shoot my CO in the back for his suicidal orders!
The highlight of the mission however is this AMAZING shot by Rat Boy. By crouching on a hay bale he manages to spot the alien through two windows. From this angle he can only see half of the snakeman, but still manages to nail him in the shoulder, taking him out in one hit. Drinks on me.
All thanks to those fine pistol skills I've been honing in Red Dead Redemption. Seriously; didn't even need Dead Eye to take out the hostage takers or that angry farmer's flying hat.
According to the clock today is Tuesday the 1st of June. XCOM has been in operation for exactly 6 months. I really expected snakemen to show up sooner. We have already tackled a landed battleship and not one but two alien bases. Anyhow it does indicate that things will be getting a lot more dangerous from here on.
Before the first day is over we shoot down a small UFO near Shanghai. I only put the order in for power armour yesterday so its not ready yet.
The mission was so short and routine I won't bother posting it. The UFO was completely trashed on landing, and we only salvaged some 8 units of metal. Tamren breached with his stun launcher in hand in case we wanted to catch anyone inside the UFO. But the snakeman inside turned out to be a soldier. So he stepped aside and Quintin shot him in the foot, this wasn't enough to put it down completely so we now have a snakeman soldier sitting in the slammer.
The highlight of the mission however is this AMAZING shot by Rat Boy. By crouching on a hay bale he manages to spot the alien through two windows. From this angle he can only see half of the snakeman, but still manages to nail him in the shoulder, taking him out in one hit. Drinks on me.
A couple days later on the 4th. HQ radar detects a terror ship to the north and we shoot it down. Mudbunny reached the 10 mission veteran mark, so Khoram will be taking his place. We now have 3 suits of power armour distributed among the squad.
Mission begins. Nihilo rolls of the ramp and before he can even get 5 feet plasma fire splashes against his side armour! Luckily the laser tank is a tough beast and shrugs off the hits, taking massive damage in the process. Rolling further on he spots a sectoid off the ramp to the right! A stone fence blocks his shot, so the first man off the bird, Vega, slides off the ramp and fires a shot from his heavy cannon. Miss. Tamren is up next and easily hits the sectoid in the face with a stun ball. But its still up! Nihilo rolls south and rounds the corner of the fence. He shoots, but misses the sectoid by inches. Finally Khoram clanks down the ramp in his power armour and melts the sectoids face with a heavy plasma blast. Turning around... he spots another sectoid on the other side! Luckily for us this one has its back turned. Tangle bones clanks down the ramp and snipes the alien in the back. Clean kill.
New turn. No contacts. The rest of team Mead Grinder hops off the bird and fans out. Khoram and Tanglebones lead another 3 members south to follow Nihilo to the UFO. The rest follow Tamren east to sweep a couple orchards in search of aliens.
New turn. Plasma fire! An alien appears around the UFO hull and fires on Nihilo, but the aim is high and the bolts streak over the turret. Up north two sectoids appear from an orchard. The first misses but the second shoots Tamren in the head! Thankfully his spiffy new power armour takes the hit without even a scratch! Sweet. The first to open fire is Vega back at the landing gear. His first shot almost makes it, but hits an apple tree short of the target. His second shot is worse and hits a nearby fence, filling Quintin's ass with splinters and shrapnel, whups. Quintin takes this in stride and finishes Vegas job for him by sniping the alien in the chest. The rest of squad 1 takes cover behind a fence.
Down south. Nihilo rolls forward and turns to spot two sectoids facing him down in front of the UFOs door. Taking aim he blasts down the first who carries a heavy plasma. The rest of the squad moves to support but they cant get a shot. So Tanglebones throws a grenade, but it falls short, landing around the corner.
New turn. The grenade goes off to no effect and the sectoid shoots a single shot at Nihilo. The shot spatters off the front armour and doesn't penetrate. So the sectoid retreats inside the UFO. Moving east Tamren and squad 1 find no futher aliens and advance to the west door. Down south Khoram moves up to the UFO corner beside the door and the rest line up behind him.
New turn. That same sectoid pops his head out to shoot at Nihilo again, but the armour holds. Khoram rounds the corner and guns down the alien. The rest of the squad forms up to breach.
New turn. Khoram breaches the door. The inside of the UFO is a mess, but through the haze and smoke he spots a duo of cyberdisks at the far end. Tamren breaches the other door and backstabs both disks with a stun ball. They both drop to the floor. Khorams moves forward to the lift. Tanglebones moves to follow but spots a cyberdisk on the level above! Throwing a det pack he dives for cover.
New turn. *KABOOM* The cyberdisk is down! Khoram reaches the lift and spots an alien in the room above, blasting in the leg. Rising up squad 2 forms around the upper door. Tamren follows behind readying a stun launcher.
New turn. Uh o! Tanglebones is under alien control! He turns and shoots Vector and Dr Awkward! Vector is unhurt, but the Doctor is out! Rat Boy draws his sidearm and hits Tanglebones 3 times in the head! The armour holds, and the hits only raise sparks.
New turn. Those hits to the brain seem to have shook some sense into Tanglebones because he just started to panic. Upstairs Tamren rounds a corner and comes face to face with a sectoid leader! Blasting him in the face with a stunbomb he downs Tanglebone's tormentor. UFO Secure.
Mission Accomplished. 7 aliens neutralized. 1 sectoid leader captured. We lost Dr Awkward :(. While the UFO was a wreck, the bridge was intact and we salvaged 8 nav consoles and 70 units of metal. In light of the up-armouring of XCOM personnel Rat Boy will be authorized to use whatever weapon he has on hand to take care of rogue agents. Reserving his Revolver for other targets.
New turn. Uh o! Tanglebones is under alien control! He turns and shoots Vector and Dr Awkward! Vector is unhurt, but the Doctor is out! Rat Boy draws his sidearm and hits Tanglebones 3 times in the head!
New turn. Those hits to the brain seem to have shook some sense into Tanglebones because he just started to panic. Upstairs Tamren rounds a corner and comes face to face with a sectoid leader! Blasting him in the face with a stunbomb he downs Tanglebone's tormentor. UFO Secure.
Well.. not exactly honorable action, but I did get a kill
If you need a rookie, you can throw me into the mix for the fun of it. I can be the FNG who opens the door or goes around the corner first. That's how I roll.
A stone fence blocks his shot, so the first man off the bird, Vega, slides off the ramp and fires a shot from his heavy cannon. Miss.
The first to open fire is Vega back at the landing gear. His first shot almost makes it, but hits an apple tree short of the target. His second shot is worse and hits a nearby fence, filling Quintin's ass with splinters and shrapnel, whups.
I probably forgot to mention that by roll I mean after a glass of gin and tonic. And by glass, I mean that I used the same glass all night. It's all good though. The alcohol fights off the mind control so I don't have Rat Boy come knocking.
I guess it was a good thing Vega wasn't loaded with incendiary rounds.
The first to open fire is Vega back at the landing gear. His first shot almost makes it, but hits an apple tree short of the target. His second shot is worse and hits a nearby fence, filling Quintin's ass with splinters and shrapnel, whups.
This makes me happy.
I've been playing a bit of UFO: Alien Invasion 2.3
Its a bit rough around the edges and such. But as a game its pretty good. The creators put in a staggering amount of detail in the UFOpedia. Some articles, like the history of the world cover almost 5 pages.
This Prozac guy sounds like a beast. Also, I hear he's a hit with the ladies ;)
Hmm... I wonder what was going on in the Skyranger prior to the mission, that prompted no less than 2 people "accidentally missing."
I've been playing a bit of UFO: Alien Invasion 2.3
Its a bit rough around the edges and such. But as a game its pretty good. The creators put in a staggering amount of detail in the UFOpedia. Some articles, like the history of the world cover almost 5 pages.
I've been tooling around with it as well. Seriously, if it had destructible terrain, IMO, it'd dethrone x-com. Well worth a play though.
If you do check out Alien Invasion I would suggest playing it on easy. I tried my first game on normal and it was just too hard. Well, not hard per se, but very busy. There were so many missions that I think I had captured my 8th UFO by the time my scientists puttered their way into developing laser pistols. And it would be another 90 hours of workshop time before I could use any of them.
I started again on easy and I am now settling into a more familiar pattern. 1 or 2 missions a week. UFO sightings every week or so. New tech developments arrive between missions. It just fits better with what I think of the strategic portion of the game.
For missions I would suggest turning off realtime lighting, bump contrast up slightly, bump gamma up a bit and raise the brightness. Otherwise you will find it almost impossible to see things in dark buildings and night missions.
New mission. A couple days after the previous one we detected two battleships over north america. One landed in Vancouver and the other in Washington. Team meat grinder is headed for Vancouver. Our interceptors are no match for a battleship so we will have to let the other one go. As Dr Awkward is down we will be bringing back Judge as Judge II to fill in the teams.
Mission begins. Right off the ramp Nihilo spots a floater to the east and takes it down with ease. Next Vega drops off to the west and spots a floater and a reaper. After 4 shots he is unable to hit the floater, so Khoram steps in with his autocannon to finish it off. Everyone off the ramp shoots at the reaper in succession but its tough and we are unable to take it out.
New turn. Vector, Khoram and Feeank all open fire on the reaper. After the fireworks I'm not sure who got the final hit. We advance north towards the lift. Quintin rounds a corner and spots a floater, takes one shot but its a miss. Nihilo rolls around the corner as well but can't get a hit. The rest of the squad led by Tamren prepare to breach the UFO.
New turn. Quinting tries to hit that same floater but misses twice. Finally Nihilo blasts the floater in the chest and the area is secure. Now for the UFO... First to breach is Tanglebones! He opens the door to find a floater with his back turned and guns him down. As he drops to the floor a blaster launcher falls out of his hands. Almost got us all wiped out there! Next inside is Tamren. He spots a floater on the level above and hits him with a stun ball. No effect, so he opens fire with his laser pistol and downs the floater on his 5th shot! Third up is Khoram who rises to the second level and downs a floater in a hail of autocannon fire. Taking some return fire to the chin his armour holds and Khoram is unhurt! No further contacts.
New turn. Feeank checks his motion scanner and gets contacts to the east and south. We spread out a bit searching the rooms but find nothing yet. Scanners detect all movement but not what level the object sits on. So its hard to translate the scans. Quintin and Tamren rise to floor 3 while everyone else begins to sweep the second floor. Peeking out a door Tamren finds nothing but Quintin on the other side spots a floater. He misses once before ducking back inside.
New turn. We sweep the second floor but find nothing. Up top Quintin rounds a corner but the floater has moved. Tamren flanks from the other side and surprises the floater from behind, taking it out with his laser pistol. Khoram on the south side gets ready to breach the command room.
New turn. Khoram bursts through the door and comes face to face with the floater leader! Opening fire with his autocannon the entire room is wracked with explosions as the shells and the various consoles erupt in smoke. The floater is obliterated but Khoram's armour deflects it all.
New turns. I then spent the next 4 turns searching for one last floater. We swept every room of the UFO before finally finding an unarmed floater sitting in the elevator on the ground floor. Where the heck did he come from? Rat boy took him out. UFO secure.
Mission Accomplished. Only 10 aliens were inside the battleship and we managed to get the jump on them all. I'm beginning to wonder if our game got affected by the difficulty bug. Total score 611.
Thanks to the abundant elerium brought back for this mission I am beginning production of power armour for everyone. Whats better is that we also have flying armour coming down the pipe. At 6 metal and 15 elerium each however the flying suits are very expensive and were going to have to work hard to get them for everyone.
At 6 metal and 15 elerium each however the flying suits are very expensive and were going to have to work hard to get them for everyone.
Prozac doesn't need one. Neither does Vega.
Prozac doesn't need one. Neither does Vega.
And I'm the one who gets shot in the back? *grumble, grumble*


text:
Univa, the upstart HPC software company that forked Oracle's Grid Engine this January, has grafted it onto both the public Amazon EC2 cloud and onto private clouds based on the open source Eucalyptus framework that clones EC2.
Why on earth would you need to mix grid software, which harvests compute cycles from clusters of machines for high performance computing workloads, with clouds, which virtualize server instances and let you create and destroy them with ease? Because sometimes it costs less to be inefficient on the compute side and more efficient on the human side of running a cluster.
Long before there were virtualized clouds of compute and storage pools, gridding software such as Grid Engine was created to be a workload-management and job-scheduling layer on top of a cluster, generally to do massively parallel calculations on cheap server clusters or harvested cycles on PCs. This is all well and good, but provisioning the servers in a cluster to run programs such as Grid Engine is still a pain in the neck.
That's why Univa created its own homegrown provisioning tools for Sun/Oracle's Grid Engine or its own Univa Grid Engine 8.0, the fork off the Grid Engine project. But even if you use Univa's provisioning tools, they only Grid Engine down on bare-metal servers and the underlying cluster itself – really its software stack – is not dynamic. It can't be rolled from one machine to another to, for example, get a performance boost from faster iron, nor can it be seamlessly burst out to public clouds such as Amazon's EC2 if the internal grid doesn't have enough oomph to do the crunching in the allotted time.
Perhaps more importantly, with grid software running on cloudy server infrastructure, you can use the cloud fabric as a workload manager – keeping workloads isolated while the run so they don't interfere with each other – much as a hypervisor and its virtual-machine containers have become a de facto workload manager/job scheduler for Windows and Linux operating systems
All of these reasons are why customers using Grid Engine approached Univa to skyhook the grid software onto cloudy infrastructure. As Gary Tyreman, president and CEO at Unix, tells El Reg: "There are a lot of organizations that are trying to bring Eucalyptus and Grid Engine together in their virtual computing environment. That's why we are bullish about putting hypervisors under grids. But to be honest, virtualization is not a technology that a lot of HPC shops are overly familiar with."
This runs counter to the idea that HPC shops don't like to use virtualization because of the performance penalties it imposes for compute and, more importantly, network and disk I/O. Tyreman says that CPU overhead for virtualization was the bottleneck a few years back, but recent generations of Intel Xeon and AMD Opteron processors have integrated virtualization features that can minimize the CPU overhead to near nothing.
Univa conducted serial-workload tests running Grid Engine atop a cloud based on Oracle's Xen hypervisor – think electronic-design grids or life-sciences grids where there's not a lot of multithreading in the application and not a lot of communication across the server node – and found that the CPU overhead averages somewhere around 2 per cent on a cluster based on modern Xeon 5500 or 5600 processors.
That's no big deal – and for those kinds of workloads, a cloud will help make the grid cluster easier to manage. In some cases, the Xen scheduler inside the hypervisor is actually better than the scheduler inside of Red Hat Enterprise Linux for a particular workload, and putting it on a cloud boosts performance by 2 to 4 per cent.
The marriage of grids and clouds is not yet for everyone – at least not yet. Tyreman says that on parallel HPC workloads, where you are using the message-passing interface (MPI) protocol to move data around the cluster as part of a simulation, the performance degradation of using virtualized server instances over bare-metal servers running Grid Engine can be on the order of 30 to 50 per cent. "The network I/O is what is so punishing," says Tyreman. "There are just so many layers of software."
The good news is that Univa can dispatch such parallel jobs to bare-metal Grid Engine machines. And as soon as I/O virtualization improves in the processor and chipsets, that overhead will be greatly reduced as well. (That's the plan at Intel and AMD, at least.)
The linkage between the Amazon EC2, Cloud.com, and Rackspace Cloud public clouds and any internal Eucalyptus clouds is done through a piece of software called UniCloud, which was developed by Univa to help a customer set up a cloud on EC2 running Grid Engine.
UniCloud supports the deployment of Grid Engine inside of Xen or VMware ESXi containers in whatever format the cloud framework supports – Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) on EC2, and so forth. Tyreman says that Univa has not added support for KVM yet because although "it is good and it is fast, it is not yet enterprise-ready".
Univa Grid Engine costs $99 per core per year if you want to run it on your internal bare-metal or virtualized cluster. The UniCloud add-on brings the price of the base Grid Engine 8.0 license up to $150 per core per year. To burst Grid Engine out to Amazon's EC2, you have to buy the EC2 instances and then pay a 2-cents per hour premium on top of the Amazon price. (That pricing is for a small instance; obviously it costs more on a larger EC2 instance.) Univa gives volume pricing as well for both internal and public cloud installations. ®