text:
I like to plan ahead; that much I knew about myself before I plunged into exploring my genetic code. I'm a healthy 28-year-old woman, but some nasty diseases run in my family: coronary heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer's and breast cancer.
So I decided to read the tea leaves of my DNA. I reasoned that it was worth learning painful information if it might help me avert future illness.Like others, I turned to genetic testing, but I wondered if I could trust the nascent field to give me reliable results. In recent years, a handful of studies have found substantial variations in the risks for common diseases predicted by direct-to-consumer companies.
I set out to test the tests: Could three of them agree on me?
The answers were eye-opening — and I received them just as one of the companies, 23andMe, received a stern warning from the Food and Drug Administration over concerns about the accuracy of its product. At a time when the future of such companies hangs in the balance, their ability to deliver standardized results remains dubious, with far-reaching implications for consumers.
My experiment ran into hurdles from the start. After I ordered 23andMe's saliva test kit, which for $99 promised a report on more than 240 health conditions and traits, it turned out that I could not legally send it in; the New York State Health Department forbids any labs that lack a state permit to accept specimens from a health-related test. Luckily, my in-laws mailed it from their home in New Jersey.
Then I learned that the other two companies I planned to approach were no longer offering genetic testing. Additional research led me to two more: Genetic Testing Laboratories and Pathway Genomics. G.T.L. charged $285 for a report on 25 disease risks, and required a professional sample collector to draw blood; Pathway charged $399 for a report on 24 disease risks. (In 2010, Pathway planned to sell its saliva test kit at Walgreens, but abandoned the idea after the F.D.A. challenged the sales. Now Pathway requires a doctor to order a kit on a patient's behalf.)
After my tests had been sent, I braced myself for the revelations about my DNA. It took about two months to receive all the results, and when I did, the discrepancies were striking.
23andMe said my most elevated risks — about double the average for women of European ethnicity — were for psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis, with my lifetime odds of getting the diseases at 20.2 percent and 8.2 percent. But according to Genetic Testing Laboratories, my lowest risks were for — you guessed it — psoriasis (2 percent) and rheumatoid arthritis (2.6 percent).
For coronary heart disease, 23andMe and G.T.L. agreed that I had a close-to-average risk, at 26 to 29 percent, but Pathway listed my odds as "above average."
In the case of Type 2 diabetes, inconsistencies on a semantic level masked similarities in the numbers. G.T.L. said my risk was "medium" at 10.3 percent, but 23andMe said my risk was "decreased" at 15.7 percent. In fact, both companies had calculated my odds to be roughly three-quarters of the average, but they used slightly different averages — and very different words — to interpret the numbers. In isolation, the first would have left me worried; the second, relieved.
Medical ethicists and other experts have a different kind of worry about results like these: a lack of industry standards for weighing risk factors and defining terminology.
"The 'risk is in the eye of the beholder' standard is not going to work," said Arthur L. Caplan, director of medical ethics at the New York University Langone Medical Center. "We need to get some kind of agreement on what is high risk, medium risk and low risk."
Several other problems may account for my discrepancies. The genetic testing that these three companies offer is premised on reading segments of DNA called SNPs (pronounced snips), for single nucleotide polymorphisms. But these segments, which have been linked to diseases in research studies, vary among people.
Scientists have identified about 10 million SNPs within our three billion nucleotides. But an entire genome sequencing — looking at all three billion nucleotides — would cost around $3,000; the tests I took examined fewer than a million SNPs.
"Imagine if you took a book and you only looked at the first letter of every other page," said Dr. Robert Klitzman, a bioethicist and professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia. (I am a graduate student there in his Master of Bioethics program.) "You're missing 99.9 percent of the letters that make the genome. The information is going to be limited."
Companies choose which SNPs to read. By comparing the technical reports provided with my results, I found that my tests sometimes relied on different SNPs to assess the same condition, like coronary heart disease. Each test studied four to 15 markers, with almost zero overlap, though two tests reached similar conclusions about my odds.
In the case of rheumatoid arthritis, though, the tests examined the same five markers, plus a few others, and delivered contradictory interpretations.
J. Craig Venter, chief executive of his namesake institute and of Synthetic Genomics, was a pioneer in sequencing the human genome in 2000. Though he issued recommendations to genetic testing companies four years ago to help them improve their predictions, he remains skeptical of their clinical value.
"Your results are not the least bit surprising," he told me. "Anything short of sequencing is going to be short on accuracy — and even then, there's almost no comprehensive data sets to compare to."
Another source of variation was in the estimates of average risks. For example, 23andMe listed the typical odds of obesity at 59 percent, while G.T.L. listed them at 30 percent.
But the major issue, experts say, is that the causes of most common diseases remain unknown. Genes account for just 5 to 20 percent of the whole picture.
"Even if they are accurately looking at 5 percent of the attributable risk, they've ignored the vast majority of the other risk factors — the dark matter for genetics — because we as a scientific community haven't yet identified those risk factors," said Dr. Wendy Chung, an associate professor of pediatrics and medicine and the director of clinical genetics at Columbia.
Environmental factors play a role. A study published in 2007 demonstrated this link: After pregnant mice were exposed to various levels of a chemical, their genetically identical offspring were born obese and yellow or small and brown.
There are only 23 diseases that start in adulthood, can be treated, and for which highly predictive tests exist. All are rare, with hereditary breast cancer the most common. "A small percentage of people who get tested will get useful information," Dr. Klitzman said. "But for most people, the results are not clinically useful, and they may be misleading or confusing."
23andMe declined to comment for this article. Jim Bentley, the chief operating officer of General Genetics Corporation, which owns G.T.L., said test results should be interpreted with professional guidance: "Because of the complexity of genetic testing results and other factors that have a role in determining the long-term potential health risks a person may face, such as environmental conditions and personal health habits, G.G.C. requests its customers provide information that would allow us to send the results of our predisposition test to a physician."
The chief medical officer of Pathway, Dr. Michael Nova, said: "Pathway Genomics is accredited by the College of American Pathologists, and accredited in accordance with the U.S. Health and Human Services' Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988. As such, we are held to a higher standard for report accuracy than our unaccredited competitors."
To be sure, my tests did provide some beneficial information. They all agreed that I lack markers associated with an increased risk of breast cancer and Alzheimer's.
That said, they were testing for only a small fraction of the genetic risks for these diseases, not for rare genetic variants that confer much of the risk. I could still develop those diseases, of course, but I don't have reason to pursue aggressive screenings as I age.
In June, the Supreme Court prohibited the patenting of genes that exist in nature. But the ban did not apply to DNA created in the laboratory, leaving the door open to additional patents in the field. That will encourage the industry to gather big bio-banks of people's genomes — the more, the better.
In the wake of the F.D.A. warning, 23andMe has stopped providing data on health risks, and a class-action lawsuit alleges that the company's results are "meaningless." The company's supporters have launched a petition to protest the warning.
Until and unless the predictive science improves, experts advise consumers to take most of their results with a grain of salt.
The tests "may be interesting as a kind of entertainment," Dr. Caplan said, "but do not take them seriously yet in driving your health care or your lifestyle."
He added: "If you want to spend money wisely to protect your health and you have a few hundred dollars, buy a scale, stand on it, and act accordingly."


text:
There aren't as many science fiction specialty bookstores are there used to be, thanks to the onslaught of Borders and Amazon — so it's great news to hear of a brand new SF store opening in Brooklyn. Singularity & Co. is having its opening party tonight, and should be open for business soon.
In addition to being a new place for you to go buy books and share your love of speculative fiction, Singularity & Co. is also on a mission to help save classics of the genre. The bookstore has launched the "Save the Sci Fi" project, which aims to bring one cult science fiction novel back into print every month, and also publish that novel online for free as an ebook. That project has already raised $52,000 on Kickstarter. (We covered this project before.)
As the Guardian's Damien Walter points out, this isn't the only new project that aims to bring classic SF texts back from "out of print" limbo — SF publisher Gollancz has also launched the "Gateway SF" project, aimed at reissuing some great older novels as ebooks.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
London Metropolitan Networking Breakfast
NRG Business Networks Ltd
Thursday, 20 May 2021 from 08:00 to 10:00 (BST)
Event Details
Join us for the NRG Metropolitan Group monthly breakfast with a network of like-minded business people delivering support, ideas and business to each other on a regular basis.
The breakfast meeting is facilitated to provide a unique forum for interaction with other like minded business owners and professionals who know the real value of building a network. It is structured to ensure you build long term profitable business relationships and meet new people.
Book now and take this opportunity to experience it for yourself.
"NRG is sophisticated, upmarket networking at its best" Warren Cass, Author of Persuasion
"NRG groups are ideal both for accountants who don't like networking and for those who want to network with more established and professional businesses" Mark Lee, Chairman of the Tax Advice Network
"It's the combination of a core membership who understand networking, a good mix of businesses of different sizes, and a relaxed atmosphere that make it such a worthwhile investment." Andy Lopata
Save This Event
Event Saved
When & Where
De Vere Venues West One
9-10 Portland Place
W1B 1PR London
United Kingdom
Thursday, 20 May 2021 from 08:00 to 10:00 (BST)
Add to my calendar
NRG Business Networks Ltd
Are you the Director of a Business or Partner in a Professional Firm and your best business comes via recommendation, and you know the real value of building a network?
At NRG we work with people like you to help you to build a trusted network for business, support and friendship.
Join us at one of our monthly events to see if the NRG approach would suit you and your business.


text:
Labor Department's September employment report confirms education job losses
WASHINGTON - October 08, 2010 -
The U.S. Labor Department's September employment report shows that the public sector shed 159,000 jobs last month, including more than 57,000 education jobs. The job losses, especially in education, continue to be a drag on the economy. In August, Congress passed, and President Obama signed into law, legislation containing funds to help states cope with the Great Recession and ensure educators and other essential personnel are working instead of joining the ranks of the unemployed.
The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Dennis Van Roekel:
"Today's U.S. Labor Department employment report shows that educators continue to bear the brunt of our nation's economic woes. The economy lost more than 57,000 education jobs in September despite the fact that Congress passed the Education Jobs Fund which was designed to keep educators working. The issue is that those funds remain largely untapped.
"All students need great public schools to prepare them to succeed and compete in the global economy. Clearly the road to economic recovery runs through our nation's public schools. Getting educators back to work right away will help address our nation's short-term economic blues—but it also will help meet our long-term goal of making America's students more competitive.
"Although the Education Jobs Bill has helped soften the blow, some states and school districts have been slow in making a commitment to put those funds to work—by getting educators back in schools and in classrooms.
"We renew our call to those states and school districts that are dragging their feet to move quickly and get educators back to work and off of unemployment lines.
"Congress came back into session from its summer recess with one purpose—to help school districts and communities put educators back to work so our students don't pay the consequences. We hope the U.S. Department of Education will send a stronger message to states and local school districts about Congress' intent."
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: Miguel A. Gonzalez (202) 822-7823 firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Select a country to see the content you are looking for online.
You stay competitive with HIAB loader cranes, whether your business depends on heavy lifting, fast loading cycles or the most delicate precision – or all of the above. From their power and control to their safety and reliability, HIAB loader cranes offer performance no other loader crane can match. Take a minute to discover why your choice of loader crane makes such a difference.
HIAB developed the world's first loader crane in 1944, and today there are HIAB loader cranes for almost any demand or task. Explore our range of HIAB loader cranes and get in touch today to find your ideal match.


text:
I don't think this post needs much introduction. I specifically chose it to run this week, because it explains why I feel that the "I Support You" campaign is so integral to World Breastfeeding Week. Only by approaching each woman's journey as an individual, personal, and valuable experience, can we hope to properly support mothers in their breastfeeding goals.
Thank you so much, Anne Marie, for allowing me to share your story – and I hope the FFF audience will also check out her blog, "Do Not Faint", as she is a tremendous advocate for maternal mental health.
Happy Friday (and happy Breastfeeding Week, and "I Support You" week), fearless ones,
The FFF
Anne-Marie's Story: Mama's Mental Health, Bottle Feeding, and Self-Care
Many excellent, well-informed doctors helped me take care of my mental health before, during and after my pregnancy, and I feel both grateful to them and proud that I have become such a good advocate for myself. My talent for advocacy came in particularly handy when it came to making decisions about how we would feed our baby, because I received so much conflicting advice that I once burst into tears at the idea of another doctor giving me more information. To be fair, I did a lot of planning before we even tried to get pregnant, because I depend on twice-weekly therapy, anti-anxiety meds and antidepressants in order to function as a human being. In other words, there were many people over many months with many opportunities to offer advice, information and opinions, solicited and unsolicited.
Here is a list of my decision, in chronological order, based on the advice of various "professionals" and "experts"–
- Exclusive breastfeeding.
- Exclusive bottlefeeding: formula.
- Exclusive bottlefeeding: donated breastmilk from a close friend.
- Exclusive bottlefeeding: the hospital's donated breastmilk during our stay (lawyers refuse to allow us to bring our own, but the head nurse in postpartum recovery managed to get permission to get me access to the milk bank because the whole thing was patently absurd) followed by our friend's donated milk when we got home.
- Short-term breastfeeding, followed by bottlefeeding: a team of midwives, nurses and lactation consultants meet to discuss the stupidity of the hospital's liability fears dictating our choices about feeding our son and it occurs to someone that a few days of my colostrum might actually do more good than harm, for me, my baby and everyone's stress levels.
- Breastfeeding and bottlefeeding, followed by exclusive breastfeeding, once we have established that our son and his tiny liver are doing ok with the medicine that is in my breastmilk.
- Breastfeeding with intermittent Dad-administered bottles of my own pumped milk or formula.
The point of it all, really, is that this combination of my milk, donated breastmilk and formula has worked really well for us. But a combination like that would never have occurred to me without all the expert help and opinions I had, and I don't think that many mothers consider doing anything like what we have done. Shouldn't it at least be an option? Why is it breastfeed or formula feed? And why does "bottlefeeding" always mean formula?
My midwives talked with nurses and lactation consultants, because I had so much anxiety about feeding my baby. That wonderful team directed me to a pediatrician who specializes in breastfeeding medicine, and it is she who changed my entire outlook. The psychiatrists who warned against breastfeeding on meds meant well, but they knew about adult-sized doses and side-effects. My first clue should have been that one of them actually said, "Lots of our generation, including me, had formula, and we are all fine!" Can I get an eye roll for that line? This was hardly the evidence-based reassurance I was used to getting from the same doctor who had once handed me a whole stack of pages of medical journal articles on pregnancy and psychiatric medications. The pediatrician who helped us, an actual expert in actually feeding actual babies told me that the nursing relationship only works well if everyone is relaxed and happy. This is why she was thrilled to tell me that I could breastfeed on my medicine with safety, as far as the evidence showed, and that we could use our freezer full of precious donor milk to give us peace of mind.
She also taught me to relax about breastfeeding before I gave birth, because in her experience, a mother/infant pair can learn to breastfeed even if (heaven help us!) an infant should have a bottle or pacifier early in his life. That came in really handy when my son was born with a tongue tie that the hospital staff failed to notice. He could not, would not latch. The nurses fretted. I pumped colostrum and tried to stay calm, but it wasn't until our breastfeeding expert clipped that tongue tie that we could nurse comfortably. In the meantime, we were happy to feed him from a syringe or a bottle, and we loved seeing his grandparents participate.
For the first three months of his life, my son had bottles of donor milk, and he breastfed, every day. I pumped for the ounces he drank to keep up my supply. By the time we ran out of donor milk, we were thrilled to see that he was showing no sign of any side effect from the medication in my milk. Unfortunately, he quickly began cluster feeding for hours right around the time I was getting used to exclusively breastfeeding. I had no time to pump for bottles; he was always nursing. After a night during which he nursed from 11 pm to 4:00 am, stopping only to switch sides or scream while his diaper was changed, I arrived at my therapist's office in despair. I can't manage my anxiety without sleep. Every doctor had told me that without at least a four-hours-in-a-row chunk of sleep every night, my mental health would suffer. My therapist asked about formula. I cried about how hard I had worked to feed my son only breastmilk. Then, I thought about sleeping, and bought formula immediately after leaving my therapist's office.
I ask my husband to give our son a bottle when I'm feeling very anxious or stressed, or when I would just like a break, or when I would like to finish what I am writing. When I need to sleep or recover from a migraine, all I need to worry about is keeping myself comfortable, because I know that our son will be fine with the loved ones who care for him and feed him. Usually, I find that breastfeeding strengthens my bond with my son, that we both enjoy it and, for us, it's extremely convenient. I also find that my anxiety and depression are much easier to manage when I have had enough sleep. My husband and I both get at least one break, every day, when we are "off-duty" and responsible for none of the parenting. When it's my turn, that often means a bottle of formula. I am still trying to figure out why so very many people get so very upset about that. I honestly do not understand.
Mom, Dad and Baby are happier with the way our family does feedings. That short-lived experiment with "EBF" was absolutely miserable for me. It was a huge moment for me when that switch in my head flipped from "breastmilk or formula" to "do whatever it takes to be healthy and happy," because I stopped believing that I could sacrifice my mental health for my child. All three of us suffered when I made myself a martyr.
Everything we learned about feeding babies along our rather strange journey has helped my husband and I in other areas of our relationship and family life. We check in with each other and stay creative in how we try to balance the trickier parts of this child-raising business. Sometimes, that means that one of us takes on responsibilities that may be uncomfortable so that the person who is ill or exhausted can try to get from "miserable" to "uncomfortable. A few bottles of formula have not transformed us into people who are happy all the time. But our approach to feeding our son has made us more creative problem-solvers, and that has definitely made us happier.
If you'd like to share your story for an upcoming FFF Friday, please send it to firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
//*****************************************************************************////! This function enter point for write flow//!//! \param SpiPauseSpi//!//! \return none//!//! \brief The function triggers a user provided callback for ////*****************************************************************************void SpiPauseSpi(void){// todo: code this// SPI_IRQ_PORT &= ~SPI_IRQ_PIN;}
void SpiPauseSpi(void){ SPI_IRQ_PORT &= ~SPI_IRQ_PIN;}void SpiResumeSpi(void){ SPI_IRQ_PORT |= SPI_IRQ_PIN;}As far I understand these functions enable or disabled the IRQ_SPI Line in your Microcontroller, and in case of CC3000 produce a falling edge in the IRQ Pin it would not be treatedI do the same using a Flagvoid SpiPauseSpi(void){ irq_flag=0;}void SpiResumeSpi(void){ irq_flag=1;}
The SPI protocol is used to communicate with the CC3000 device from the host MCU that is acting as the SPI master while the CC3000 device is the SPI slave. The protocol is an extension of the existing standard SPI. The endianness on transport is assumed to be most-significant bit (MSB) first.The clock and phase settings for the SPI are configured such that the data is sampled on the falling edge of the clock cycle. Note that different MCU may use different naming conventions in order to configure SPI clock phase and polarity, For example, MSP430 uses UCCKPL and UCCKPH for clock polarity and phase respectively. Both are set to 0, indicating that the data is sampled on the falling edge of the clock cycle. The more generic convention is CPOL and CPHA, however, in order to configure sampling on the falling edge of the clock cycle, CPHA is set to 1.
void SPIClass::setDataMode(uint8_t mode){ SPCR = (SPCR & ~SPI_MODE_MASK) | mode;}
There are a lot of complaints on the TI forums about the state of the CC3000 documentation (or lack thereof.) :-(


text:
What is the APR I can expect for a loan I may get from FastLoanUSA?
FastLoanUSA is not a lender and does not provide short-term loans, but refers consumers who need these loans to lenders who provide them. Because FastLoanUSA does not provide consumers with loans directly, it is very difficult for us to provide you with an exact Annual Percentage Rate (APR) that you might expect to pay on a short-term loan. APR is meant to characterize both the interest rate and the fees associated with a loan for an entire year. The loan that you are likely to be offered by a referral from our site will be a short-term loan that should be repaid in a matter of weeks, so using an APR to describe the cost of the loan may seem misleading. That said, since APR is a well-recognized standard for describing the cost of other types of loans, like mortgages, credit cards, or auto loans, we want to provide an APR for you to study that may help guide your assessment on whether a loan offered to you is the right fit. The APR may vary considerably between different loans and different consumers, and since FastLoanUSA is not a lender we can only provide a range of possible APR's that our consumers might see from our lenders. The typical fees charged by a lender in our network for a $100 loan with a 14 day term range from $15 to $35. These fees translate to an APR range of 100% to 2,500% for a 14 day loan, depending on how the APR is calculated (nominal vs. effective) during the duration of the loan, what loan fees are incurred, late payment fees, loan renewal actions, along with other factors. Please keep in mind that the APR is not your finance charge, which will be disclosed later on by the lender.
If I accept a loan from a lender in your network, when can I expect to receive my funds?
One of the benefits of a short-term loan is that you can have your cash fast. Since we work with numerous lenders we can't say specifically the time it takes to process a loan and transfer or ACH the funds to a customer account as it varies from lender to lender. Typically, the whole process should be complete and you will have your funds as soon as the next business day after you have been approved.
Can a short-term loan affect my credit?
Most lenders in the FastLoanUSA network typically do not consider your credit from Experian, Equifax, or Trans Union when determining if they will extend a loan offer to you. However, some lenders may use consumer credit reports or other personal information from alternative providers in order to make assess whether to extend a loan offer to you. If you do not repay your loan on time, your delinquent payment may be reported to a credit bureau, which could negatively impact your credit score. It is very important with short-term loans, as with any loan, that you repay the loan on time or contact the lender to agree on a modified repayment plan, if they offer one.
What happens if I don't pay back the loan on time?
If we are successful in connecting you with a lender, you accept their terms and conditions of the loan offer, and accept the loan, then you are agreeing to pay back the loan in the amount of time stated in your loan documents. If you partially repay the loan or do not pay off the loan at that time, this will likely result in additional fees. If you refuse to pay the loan then it is likely the lender will use a collections company to try and obtain payment of what you owe, just as any other lender for another type of loan product would. We encourage you not to take any loan that you cannot repay. Each lender renewal policies are different, and as a courtesy to their borrowers some may agree to alternative repayment plans. These options might include a "roll-over" of the loan that may incur additional fees and may renew automatically unless you specifically request otherwise. Please take the time to read the lender's renewal policies, as well as the other terms and conditions they provide to you before accepting a loan offer. It is your responsibility to relay your repayment preferences to the lender prior to your acceptance of a loan offer. If you have any questions or need more information about the terms of a loan don't hesitate to contact the lender and they will be happy to provide you with answers to your questions.
Can I renew a loan if I can't pay it back on time?
Most loan renewal policies are governed by state laws and regulations. If it is offered by the lender, any loan renewal options will be presented to you by the lender before you accepting a loan. The loans offered by lenders in the FastLoanUSA network are designed to be short-term solutions to your financial difficulties. You should only take a loan you expect to be able to pay back in full and on time or you may incur late fees or other charges. If you do not believe you will be able to pay the loan back on time you should consider other alternatives before choosing a short-term loan.
What are the collection practices if I don't pay back the loan?
FastLoanUSA is not a lender and does not perform any debt collection. The debt collection practices for the lender offering your loan will be disclosed in your loan documents. If you do not understand or have any questions about the collection practices used by a specific lender you should raise your concerns with the lender directly. FastLoanUSA has made reasonable efforts to only work with well recognized and trustworthy lenders who employ fair handling in their collections practices for past due accounts.


text:
Watch Lady Gaga Clip From 'The Simpsons' Season Finale
A 30-second preview of Lady Gaga's guest spot on 'The Simpsons' has landed -- and true to form, the Mother Monster wears four different outfits in this short teaser.
It was revealed that Gaga would wear a total of 18 ensembles in the episode and she cycles through four in less than a minute. Fashion Brilliance, we say! Make that Amen Fashion Brilliance, to use Gaga-speak.
The outfits are the famed meat dress, a dress made of blue birds, a fire-shooting cone bra (aimed at Springfield's favorite God fearing nebbish Ned Flanders, pictured above) and a bikini outfit with thigh high, turquoise platforms.
Gaga roars into town on the pink Gaga Express and calls all of Springfield her little monsters.
The funniest moment happen when the characters interact directly with Gaga and her persona. Grandpa Abe Simpson calls her "Lady Zsa Zsa," as in Zsa Zsa Gabor, since that's his senior citizen frame of reference. Little Maggie Simpson wears Gaga's platforms and pacifier pasties. So freakin' cute!
Homer also chows down on her meat dress. What, you didn't expect Homer to pass up meat, did you?
We half expect Gaga to wear a donut dress or one made out of filled Duff beer cans.
Watch Lady Gaga Clip From 'The Simpsons' Season Finale


text:
The fashion at the 2012 BET Awards — held last night in Los Angeles and hosted by Samuel L. Jackson — was hit and miss. For every classy, pretty ensemble, there was steaming heap of tacky.
Apparently the show was sponsored by Ford. That's cool, I mean, I guess someone needs to pay. But. Every single red carpet photo was shot in front of a hideously hued car. The poor celebs had no choice! Just… weird. Anyway, a lovely shade of blue on Taraji P. Henson. Cool and breezy dress on Kyla Pratt. The lingerie look suits Michelle Williams, even if it's a little boring.
Machine Gun Kelly barely put any effort into it. Amber Bullock's jumpsuit is not that flattering, but she looks happy. Tatayana Ali is adorable, but there's so much going on with that '80s-esque dress — from the sheer bodice to the skinny belt to the lampshape peplum — the result is an ugly eyesore.
Tonya Lewis Lee and Spike Lee exude Hollywood glam. Boris Kodjoe knows exactly what he's doing, and he's doing it well. Faith Evans does an animal print take on a tux that's kind of meh — not special enough for an awards show. She could be going to the mall.
In the immortal words of Kurt Vonnegut, Tocarra is busy, busy, busy. Kerry Washington can do better — we've seen it! This strapless neutral is a big snoozefest. Chaka Khan channels Angelina's leg and Snooki's extensions.
ANTM alum Eva Pigford gets it right: Her white dress seems simple, but with a dramatic back, neon heels and oversized earrings, it's obvious she's ready for a party.
A few ladies opted for trousers: Snakeprint leggings on Nicki Minaj; a sparkly jumpsuit on LaLa; wide-legged pants on Yolanda Adams.
It comes as no surprise that class act Angela Bassett looks flawless from head to toe. She makes Common look bad. He really ought to tuck something in.
Meagan Good recently got married, and she's still in bride mode. Pay no attention to the shorts behind the curtain, says Selita Ebanks. And Monica is dabbling in architecture: Flying buttresses, to be exact.
Busta Rhymes celebrated the 4th of July a teeny bit early. Regina King looks like she's ready for a Mediterranean cruise.
Jermaine Dupri is late for the regatta. Lola Munroe's dress really showcases her assets. Dig the modern Lady Guinevere thing.
It was really sad when Monica went back stage to change and was swallowed by a boa constrictor. Some people probably wondered where Brandy had left her pants, but she looks awesome. Miguel is like, Brandy and Monica in the same place at the same time? That's hot! Red hot.
At 11 years old, Willow Smith already has red carpet ennui… and excellent baby punk style. Brianna Perry was feeling reflective. And yet another jumpsuit, this time on Melanie Fiona. Did she get that body jewelry from The Authority?
Among the ladies who believe award shows are a formal event: Kenya Moore and Letoya Luckett, both in full-length yellow evening gowns. Beyoncé opted for a yellowish greenish chartreuse, cinched with a superhero belt.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were matchy-matchy in blinding white.
I'll admit it: Part of me really likes what's happening here.
By the way: Bey, Jay, Ye and KK are too rich and too famous to stand in front of a Ford on the red carpet.
Oh, and: Your friend, the always-charming Chris Brown, was there, too.


text:
This content has been marked as final. Show 1 reply
1. Re: Call OSGI Services from EJBthomas.diesler Mar 8, 2012 11:13 AM (in response to diego.loro)
My orignial response to this is here.
Are you using the correct BundleContext? BundleContext.getServiceReference() does a check on assignability. It would only return a reference if you ultimately can use the service associated with it. The service consumer must have a wire to the service type, otherwise you would get a CCE on BundleContext.getService()
There are special and IMHO somewhat undefined rules if the system bundle context or service factories are involved.
If you enable DEBUG on org.jboss.osgi you should see the details of service assignability


text: Riding a car along Czech roads is an adventure you will never forget. No other country in the world has so many horny "damsels in distress" who will do anything for a free ride. They may be amateurs, but they all know how to make you happy. JOIN BITCH STOP and let's enjoy our wild adventures together! Hitting on girls has never been this much fun!


text:
Prafull Sharma has not received any gifts yet
For some businesses social media recruiting has become an important part of a solid recruiting strategy. However, There are a lot of businesses who are still figuring out how social media will fit into their overall recruiting mix. This post is for everyone, even if you are already utilizing LinkedIn, Facebook and twitter for…Continue
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:00am
A lot of companies have jumped into social recruiting feast with recruiting on facebook and twitter. But have you included YouTube in your social recruiting mix?
YouTube is a highly underutilized social network when it comes to recruiting. And if you haven't looked at YouTube as a tool for recruiting and employer brand building this infographic will…Continue
Posted on December 27, 2012 at 12:32pm
In the last 11 months, the social media landscape has continued to evolve at a rapid pace. There have been tons of updates to social networks such as Global brand pages on Facebook, new LinkedIn company pages, Twitter cover photos and more. Several of these updates made social media even more attractive for recruiters.
If you have not yet jumped into social media recruiting, now is as good a time as ever to …Continue
Posted on December 4, 2012 at 2:00am — 4 Comments


text:
Oversized Cargo Transportation Industry
Global Oversized Cargo Transportation Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.8% during the forecast period.Increase in industrialisation and environmental concerns are the some of the factors fueling the market growth. Road transport segment is expected to show the lucrative growth rate owing to increasing transportation of construction equipment through this mode. Europe accounted for the highest market share as compared to other regions owing to huge development manufacturing and construction industry. The Asia Pacific region is expected to grow at a higher CAGR and is anticipated to account for the highest market share during forecast period because of huge investments flow for development of industries in Asia Pacific region.
Some of the key players in the market include
DSV, Amerijet, APL, Bohnet GmbH, DB Schenker, Dextra Industry & Transport, Global Shipping Services, IB Cargo, ISDB Logistik, Lynden, Orient Overseas Container Line, Panalpina, SNcargo, STA Logistic, TAD Logistics, UAB Eivora and Zoey Logistics.
Applications Covered:
• Construction
• Mineral Industry
• Petrochemical Industry
• Water Conservancy Industry
• Other Applications
Request for Sample Report @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/1631230-oversized-cargo-transportation-global-market-outlook-2017-2023
Types Covered:
• Air Transportation
• Rail Transportation
• Road Transportation
• Sea Transportation
Regions Covered:
• North America
o US
o Canada
o Mexico
• Europe
o Germany
o France
o Italy
o UK
o Spain
o Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
o Japan
o China
o India
o Australia
o New Zealand
o Rest of Asia Pacific
• Rest of the World
o Middle East
o Brazil
o Argentina
o South Africa
o Egypt
What our report offers:
– Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments
– Market share analysis of the top industry players
– Strategic recommendations for the new entrants
– Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets
– Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)
– Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations
– Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends
– Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments
– Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancements
Leave a Query @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/1631230-oversized-cargo-transportation-global-market-outlook-2017-2023
Table of Content
1 Executive Summary
2 Preface
2.1 Abstract
2.2 Stake Holders
2.3 Research Scope
2.4 Research Methodology
2.4.1 Data Mining
2.4.2 Data Analysis
2.4.3 Data Validation
2.4.4 Research Approach
2.5 Research Sources
2.5.1 Primary Research Sources
2.5.2 Secondary Research Sources
2.5.3 Assumptions
3 Market Trend Analysis
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Drivers
3.3 Restraints
3.4 Opportunities
3.5 Threats
3.6 Application Analysis
3.7 Emerging Markets
3.8 Futuristic Market Scenario
4 Porters Five Force Analysis
4.1 Bargaining power of suppliers
4.2 Bargaining power of buyers
4.3 Threat of substitutes
4.4 Threat of new entrants
4.5 Competitive rivalry
9 Company Profiling
9.2 Amerijet
9.4 Bohnet GmbH
9.5 DB Schenker
9.6 Dextra Industry & Transport
9.7 Global Shipping Services
9.8 IB Cargo
9.9 ISDB Logistik
9.10 Lynden
9.11 Orient Overseas Container Line
9.12 Panalpina
9.13 SNcargo
9.14 STA Logistic
9.15 TAD Logistics
9.16 UAB Eivora
9.17 Zoey Logistics
Buy Now @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=1631230
Contact Us: email@example.com Ph: +1-646-845-9349 (Us) Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (Uk)
NOTE : Our final report have added the analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on this industry, Our team is studying Covid-19 and its impact on various industry verticals and wherever required we will be considering Covid-19 footprints for a better analysis of markets and industries. Cordially get in touch for more details.
Media Contact
Company Name: Wiseguyreports.com
Contact Person: Norah Trent
Email: Send Email
Phone: +1 646 845 9349, +44 208 133 9349
City: Pune
State: Maharashtra
Country: India
Website: https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/1631230-oversized-cargo-transportation-global-market-outlook-2017-2023


text:
- Options
ChallengeGrifo 33 Cross Tire - Tubular
Item # CNG000M
- 100% Guaranteed Returns
Free Shipping on orders over $50
Consider what you consider.
If its multiple-world-championship-winning tread pattern doesn't grab your attention, then the incredibly smooth and tough 300tpi casing should do the trick, right? Or the classic tan sidewall? Or the legendary durability? If none of these things convinces you that the Challenge Grifo 33 Tubular Tire is worth serious consideration this season, then you might want to give serious consideration to your ability to give serious consideration.
The hand-made Grifo 33 Tubular Tire has a highly puncture-resistant and lightweight Super Poly casing. With 300 threads per inch, you can expect a remarkably supple ride. It's a difference that you'll feel the first time out. Additionally, the Grifo tread is hand-glued onto the casing when the casing is already mounted and inflated on a wheel. As a result, the tread isn't put under tension when you inflate the tire on your wheel, and that lack of tension leads to a lower rolling-resistance, added grip, and increased comfort.
A superior all-around 'cross tire must have tread that provides a harmonious balance between low rolling-resistance and grip, and the Grifo's tread is world-renowned for striking that balance perfectly. The knobs are relatively low-profile, but they're effectively spaced in order to shed mud and to provide excellent traction. Simply put, the Grifo Cross rolls fast, it bites into soft ground, and it corners as if it's on rails.
The Challenge Grifo Cross Tubular Tire is available in a 700c x 33mm size and in the color Black/tan. Each tire weighs in around 415 grams. Please note that Challenge gave this tire a latex inner tube to save as much weight and roll as fast as possible. Because latex is more porous than butyl rubber, you'll have to pump it up a bit before your rides.
What do you think about this product?


text:
Emblems, bages and logos are the icing on the cake for every scooter. They round off the appearance of not only classical, but can also show to others which model you have. If your lettering faded out over the years and became brittle, than it is time for a new badge on your scooter! Anyone whose importance for the original appearance must be very careful in the selection, partly because the logos have changed even within the individual model series. So that you can be sure to find the inscription that was originally fitted on your scooter, we take this procedure very carefully and arrange all the badges and emblems to their given chassis numbers.
Leg shield badge: The badges for the leg shield are available (basically in black, dark blue or chrome look) to rivet (rivet kit art. no. 13109100 order separately) to stick or secure with pins (securing plate art. no. 18190900). At models with to pins pay attention to the correct hole distance which is mentioned in the description of the article.
Conclusion: Whether as a finishing touch for the restoration job or just as an eye catcher for your tuning scooter. Badges are an absolute must have!
SIP-TIP: Generally speaking: Thumbs up for the sticker version, with this sticker you can play around and see how would it look the best on your scooter, and you do not even have to drill holes in your frame for a badge…


text:
Sonja Biggs knows how difficult it can be for parents of blind, deaf, and visually impaired people to ensure that their children are getting a quality education. When her son Brandon, who is blind, was young, available educational options did not meet the needs of a bright and artistic blind child.
That's why Biggs decided to found Sonja Biggs Educational Services, a business offering educational programs designed for blind and visually impaired students. The business offers braille and large-print resources, life-skills training, curriculum consultations, and individual assessments. Their orientation and mobility services help institutions create spaces where blind students can learn and thrive in sports, theater, and everyday activities. SBES also provides the services of interveners and paraprofessionals.
At first, the business was built around Biggs's work as an educator. But in 2015, SBES grew to include another teacher and an administrative assistant. A year later, they added two more teachers, an intervener and a paraeducator. Biggs' son Brandon, now 25, is her CFO and head of marketing. Now Biggs and her talented staff contract with local California school districts and education offices to provide blind, visually impaired, and deaf students with a quality education.
Biggs was honored as the 2012 Educator of the Year by the Northern California Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (NCAER). That same year, she received a special recognition award from the San Benito County Office of Education Board of Directors for her dedication and service to the students of San Benito County.
Despite state-mandated constraints on what she can charge for her services, Biggs has built up a profitable, thriving business.
Sonja and Brandon came to SCORE for help in 2016 when they found that, despite having revenues of around $300,000, the business was losing money. They struggled with the fact that their hourly rate was determined by the state of California.
SCORE mentors Mel Weisblatt and Jerry Rose found that the company was not charging for all the preparation time and travel time that the state allows. This small change made the business profitable. Weisblatt and Rose then helped the company develop a cost-tracking system so SBES could correctly capture employees' hours. Finally, SCORE also helped Sonja and Brandon develop a marketing strategy to show school systems why it was less costly and more effective to outsource this special education program rather than to keep it in-house.
Solving these problems has freed Sonja up to be the main spokesperson for the company and to develop educational programs that benefit her clients.


text:
The Montblanc story began in the German city of Hamburg in 1906, where stationer Claus-Johannes Voss, banker Alfred Nehemias and engineer August Eberstein set up a company producing opulent pens. Originally going by the name of Simplo Filler Pen Company, they soon became recognised by their 'White Star' logo - representative of that famous mountains snowcap from above. It is therefore little surprise they changed their name to Mont Blanc in 1934 and have not looked back since.
Over the years, Hepworth Dixon
have put together a collection of many specialist tools and fixtures originally produced by Montblanc to assemble and service their vintage fountain pens. Those that were not available have been specially made by us, utilising original sketches and drawings produced as far back as the 1930's. These tools prove invaluable if pen restoration is to be carried out competently. We pride ourselves in the quality of our workmanship.
Montblanc Vintage Fountain Pens Currently Available .............


text:
The HTC One was one of the best-reviewed smartphones of 2013, garnering numerous accolades and winning a number of awards, including the MWC Smartphone of the Year. But it didn't really do much to raise the sinking trajectory of its manufacturer who's now teetering on the brink of irrelevance.
It wasn't always thus, of course HTC used to be one of the biggest brands in the smartphone market, and the Taiwan-based company was the first to bring a commercial Android device to market. These days, however, HTC is an also-ran in terms of market share. A study performed by the NPD Group recently found that fewer than 10% of U.S. smartphone users owned an HTC phone, compared to more than 40% for Apple and 26% for Samsung.
+ALSO ON NETWORK WORLD: Intel vs. ARM: Two titans' tangled fate | The wearables of Mobile World Congress: These are the best we saw +
There are a lot of well-known reasons why HTC, despite its early leadership and some standout devices like the HTC One, has dropped off so precipitously, including poor branding, shipping delays, and unfavorable carrier exclusivity deals in the U.S. The One was the first flagship from HTC in some time to be available on all the major U.S. networks, but the aforementioned delays caused it to hit the market well after Samsung's rival Galaxy S 4.
Essentially, the HTC One's apparent successor, the M8 due to be revealed March 25 needs to address almost all of the issues that slowed down sales of the original phone. It's already going to be released later than the just-announced Samsung Galaxy S 5, so HTC has to find ways to build on the critical success of the One and turn that into more tangible results for the M8.
If HTC can't do that, it risks a slide into BlackBerry-esque dire straits.
Privacy was top-of-mind for Android-watchers this week, as two somewhat unusual OEMs independently made news with security-focused phones. Blackphone, made by a partnership between Spanish manufacturer Geeksphone and encryption specialists Silent Circle, got rolled out into pre-order availability at the Mobile World Congress, and defense contractor Boeing announced its own device, named simply Black.
They're very different devices, of course, but it's interesting to compare the two. The Blackphone is clearly being marketed to the privacy-conscious in the general public, while the Black is meant for the exact people that the privacy-conscious are most worried about the U.S. government.
(H/T: TheNextWeb)
Google's enthusiasm for the modular smartphone concept led it to hold Project Ara back when it sold off Motorola Mobility to Lenovo earlier this year, and the news that the Goog is planning a developer conference for this April has drawn a lot of ink.
It seems intensely pie-in-the-sky at this point requiring, as it will, a rethink of pretty much every aspect of the smartphone business model but that's never stopped Google before. The idea of a smartphone chassis that you simply plug the desired modules into, instead of purchasing as a unified and unchangeable unit, is an intriguing one.
Doing tech demos has to be a nerve-wracking business the embarrassment if something goes wrong, I imagine, is pretty intense. So I feel for Archos CEO Loic Poirier, who had this happen to him.
C'est tres embarrassant. (I think is how you say that, anyway.)
But look on the bright side, Loic, this can happen to the best of them.
Email Jon Gold at email@example.com and follow him on Twitter at @NWWJonGold.
Read more about anti-malware in Network World's Anti-malware section.


text:
|Find the best surf spots
GPS coordinates not set ! Edit this page and use the map selector to add the surf spot GPS location !
User rating (0)
Wannasurf.com is not responsible for the accuracy of the information contained in this guide. You use this guide at your own risk.
Choose your format: please login first
Your favourites and future surf spot lists
Just in front of Sal-Rei (Boavista )
DistanceIn the city
WalkInstant access (< 5min)
Easy to find?Easy to find
Public access?Public access
Special accessPaddle > 20mn or Boat
Wave qualityWorld Class
ExperienceExperienced surfers
FrequencySometimes break
DirectionRight and left
BottomReef (coral, sharp rocks etc..)
PowerHollow, Powerful
Normal lengthLong (150 to 300 m)
Good day lengthLong (150 to 300 m)
Good swell direction
Good wind direction
Swell sizeStarts working at 1.5m-2m /5ft-6ft and holds up to 5m / 16 ft and over
Best tide positionAll tides
Best tide movementFalling tide
Week crowdEmpty
Week-end crowdEmpty
- Urchins
- Rocks
Author: Janssen Contributors (1) They surfed this spot ! (1)
No video available
|No surf session
|No surf trip
By Anonymous , 18-08-2007
sharks - i would put them as a risk on this spot just like all spots on BV. Gusty wind is a big issue as well since swell comes in trade winds season.
You can edit this page to correct errors or add new information. If you have any problems regarding this page, Send us feedback.
Wannasurf.com on your mobile
RSS All the RSS feeds of Wannasurf.com
Newsletter All news by email


text:
Born: 1923, Riga, Latvia
Describes 1945 death march from Stutthof camp system (Burggraben camp) [Interview: 1990]
The Germans occupied Riga in 1941, and confined the Jews to a ghetto. In late 1941, about 28,000 Jews from the ghetto were massacred at the Rumbula forest. Steven and his brother were sent to a small ghetto for able-bodied men. In 1943 Steven was deported to the Kaiserwald camp and sent to a nearby work camp. In 1944 he was transferred to Stutthof and forced to work in a shipbuilding firm. In 1945, Steven and his brother survived a death march and were liberated by Soviet forces.
Copyright © United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC


text:
U.S. lawmakers clashed over Syria, Afghanistan and government spying on Tuesday as the House of Representatives began debating a $598 billion defense spending bill for 2014, including a Pentagon base budget of $512 billion and $86 billion for the Afghan war.
The confrontations began even before the measure made it to the floor of the House after Republican leaders moved to restrict the number of permitted amendments to 100, with no more than 20 minutes of debate on divisive issues like Syria policy and spying by the National Security Agency.
A final vote on the bill, which includes about $3 billion more than requested by President Barack Obama, is not expected until Wednesday at the earliest. Debate on the thorniest amendments, including on Syria, funding for Egypt and NSA spying, was not likely to begin until Wednesday.
The White House has threatened a presidential veto of the overall bill unless it is part of a broader budget that supports U.S. economic recovery efforts, saying current House proposals cut too much from education, infrastructure and innovation.
The White House joined senior House Republicans in urging lawmakers to oppose an amendment by Michigan Republican Justin Amash, a favorite of the conservative Tea Party movement, that would bar the NSA from collecting telephone call records and other data from people in the United States not specifically under investigation.
The proposed amendment comes after former NSA contractor Edward Snowden leaked details of an agency surveillance program that collects and stores vast amounts of electronic communications like phone call records and emails.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama welcomed a debate on safeguarding privacy, but opposed Amash's amendment, saying it would "hastily dismantle one of our intelligence community's counterterrorism tools."
Senior House Republicans, including Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers and Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon, circulated a letter to colleagues urging them to oppose the amendment.
"While many members have legitimate questions about the NSA metadata program, including whether there are sufficient protections for Americans' civil liberties, eliminating this program altogether without careful deliberation would not reflect our duty … to provide for the common defense," they said.
As debate got under way, lawmakers expressed concern over the constraints placed on their ability to discuss contentious issues.
Representative Jim McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat, accused Republican leaders of ignoring the "real split" in Congress over the Syrian civil war and denying "any real substantive debate" over whether the United States should intervene in a conflict that has already killed 100,000.
U.S. involvement in Syria so far has been limited to providing humanitarian assistance to refugees and non-lethal aid to the Syrian opposition. But Obama is moving ahead with lethal aid after determining the government of President Bashar al-Assad has sometimes used chemical weapons.
"The Republican leadership ducked a real important debate when it comes to Syria," McGovern said. "I hope that … a few years down the road we don't look back … and express regret that somehow we got sucked into this war without a real debate."
Lawmakers also strongly condemned the Afghan government for trying to charge the U.S. military customs duties to remove American equipment from the country.
They debated a series of amendments aimed at stripping funding from military programs for the Afghans. The bill sets Afghan war funding at $86 billion.


text:
Iranian leader warns US, Israel against strikes
Iran's supreme leader pledged Friday to aid any nation or group that challenges Israel and said any military strikes over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program would damage U.S. interests in the Middle East "10 times over."
The nationally broadcast comments by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei staked out a hard line in apparent replies to suggestions that military strikes are an increasing possibility if sanctions fail to rein in the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.
It also may signal that Tehran's proxy forces - led by Lebanon's Islamic militant group Hezbollah - could be given the green light to revive attacks on Israel as the showdown between the archfoes intensifies.
The West and its allies fear Iran could use its uranium enrichment labs - which make nuclear fuel - to eventually produce weapons-grade material. Iran insists it only seeks reactors for energy and medical research.
Israel has so far publicly backed the efforts by the U.S. and European Union for tougher sanctions that target Iran's crucial oil exports. But Israeli leaders have urged even harsher measures and warn that military action remains a clear option despite Western appeals to allow time for the economic pressures and isolation to bear down on Iran.
Although Israel has raised the strongest hints over a military campaign, Khamenei reserved some of his strongest comments for Israel's key U.S. ally.
"A war itself will damage the U.S. 10 times over" in the region, said Khamenei.
Khamenei claimed Iran, however, could only emerge stronger. "Iran will not withdraw. Then what happens?" asked Khamenei. "In conclusion, the West's hegemony and threats will be discredited" in the Middle East. "The hegemony of Iran will be promoted. In fact, this will be in our service."
On Thursday, Israel's defense minister, Ehud Barak, suggested the world is increasingly ready to consider a military strike if sanctions fail. The head of the country's strategic affairs ministry, Vice Premier Moshe Yaalon, also suggested Iran's main military installations are still vulnerable to airstrikes - even as Iran starts up a new uranium enrichment facility deep in a mountainside bunker south of Tehran.
Yaalon's comments appear to reinforce earlier suggestions by other Israel officials that the window for a possible attack is closing and Israel would need to strike by summer to inflict significant setbacks on Iran's nuclear facilities. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity under standing guidelines.
At Ramstein Air Base in Germany, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said sanctions remain the best approach to pressure Iran. But he told U.S. airmen Friday that Washington keeps "all options on the table and would be prepared to respond if we have to."
Khamenei answered by repeating Iran's declarations that it will never roll back its nuclear program, which he had earlier said was now part of the country's "identity" and a cornerstone of its technological endeavors. On Friday, Iran said it successfully sent a small satellite into orbit in the third such launch in recent years, state media reported.
"From now on, in any place, if any nation or any group confronts the Zionist regime, we will endorse and we will help. We have no fear expressing this," said Khamenei, using the phrase widely used by Iran's leader to describe Israel.
Khamenei affirmed that Iran had assisted groups such as Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas - a well-known policy rarely stated explicitly by Iranian leaders.
"We have intervened in anti-Israel matters, and it brought victory," he said, citing the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel and nearly three weeks of conflict in the Gaza Strip that began with an incursion by Israel in December 2008.
The Gaza battles ended in a cease-fire, with Israel claiming to have inflicted heavy damage on the militant organization. The war in Lebanon ended with a U.N.-brokered truce that sent thousands of Lebanese troops and international peacekeepers into southern Lebanon to prevent another outbreak.
Khamenei called Israel a "cancerous tumor that should be cut and will be cut" - a remark he has made previously.
In Jerusalem, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman said he wasn't surprised by Khamenei's remarks. "It's the same kind of hate speech that we've been seeing from Iran for many years now," Yigal Palmor said.
Half of Khamenei's nearly two-hour speech was delivered in Arabic in a clear nod to the Arab world. Iran has applauded the victory of Islamist groups in elections that followed the toppling of authoritarian regimes in Egypt and Tunisia.
The Supreme Leader said the Islamist electoral victories will "weaken and isolate" Israel and represented the failure of U.S. policies. But the uprisings also have threatened Iran's most important Arab ally, Syrian leader Bashar Assad.
Another potential military flashpoint is the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. Iran has threatened to close the strategic waterway in response to U.S. and EU sanctions targeting the country's oil exports, but it has so far taken no steps to disrupt oil tanker traffic. The powerful Revolutionary Guard said it plans naval maneuvers near the strait this month.
Khamenei also warned that Tehran would reveal a letter that it claims President Barack Obama sent the Iranian leadership in an attempt to end the nuclear impasse. The White House has denied that such a letter exists.
An Iranian lawmaker in January claimed that Obama had asked for direct talks with Iran in a secret letter, which also warned Tehran against closing the Strait of Hormuz.


text:
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
but that's not what you said. You said he wasn't good enough at Swansea or for Wales (which are both wrong). The fact he hasn't worked out is surprising and one we just have to accept. Ow and focus on replacing him in the January window
indeed thats what i was eluding too, unlike Williams who we bought when he was on the downhill... but it was in regards to Brownie20's post regarding Williams and snobbery... the big difference is, these players are younger and will improve as they get older, while when you buy a 30 + year old., its very unlikely they will peak with you or even get better.just cos Distin did it, (who always took care of his fitness) unlike someone who looks like he should be a boxing trainer.
I agree with the potential part but when someone says stuff like 'what's good enough for Swansea is not good enough for us' is the same thing we have criticised other fans for when talking about our players joining them. How many said the same about a crocked Peter Reid when he signed? Or Andy Gray? How many were fuming when we signed an aged Richard Gough? The point I'm trying to make is that clubs of all levels produce very good players who should not be written off simply because they play for XY or Z. No one could have predicted Williams' Form would deteriorate so rapidly since signing for us. When it was first mooted that Stones was going to be sold, many on here were happy to be linked with him. We signed him a year too late.
I agree on the first part, but selling Stones with Williams being the main defender we bought in, was pretty bad for the team.. We offered 50 million for that Napoli defender (so Moshiri stated) but Mosh didnt want to pay the asking price of 60m.We shouldnt have relied on solely Williams being the main CB we bought in that season, I think he;s a decent squad player, but he shouldnt have been bought in playing every match.
Serious about what?
How do you find out if an 18 year old is good/not good enough to play in the Premiership?If you don't play them at 18 just because of their age, ie, they are good enough - that is discriminationRacism was mentioned on another topic and like age, sex, religion and disability, is a protected characteristic
Page created in 0.036 seconds with 26 queries.


text:
While Marvel has been pretty upfront about their slate of films in the past, giving audiences a long lead-in to the far off films like Thor and Captain America, their next slate of movies after The Avengers has been much more quiet. Now it looks like the cat's been let out of the bag, as Marvel's next five movies after their all-star superhero flick includes: Iron Man 3, Thor 2, Ant-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, and The Inhumans. We knew about Iron Man 3 and Thor 2, as they both had release dates, and Edgar Wright's Ant-Man had been up in the air for a while, but the other two are relatively new additions. Hit the jump for the details.
As you may or may not know, Entertainment Weekly's cover story this week includes lots of Avengers images and quotes, but tucked away inside the issue was information on Marvel's other upcoming films. io9 (via SlashFilm) got their hands on the issue a little early, and grabbed the rundown of Marvel's slate.
There's really no new information on Iron Man 3. Shane Black is taking over as director, Robert Downey Jr. is (obviously) back as the star, and the film is poised for release on May 3, 2013.
Not much on Thor 2 either than the confirmation that Patty Jenkins is indeed in talks to direct. Also another hint at the universe expanding to "other worlds" than Tom Hiddleston revealed to Steve during their interview last week.
Regarding Ant-Man, Kevin Feige says that writer/director Edgar Wright "developed an excellent draft recently." EW cautions that things are still "nebulous" but definitely in the works. Wright is co-writing the film with Joe Cornish and is poised to direct.
We reported in August that Marvel was developing a Guardians of the Galaxy film, and Feige confirms that they're definitely working on it: "There's an opportunity to do a big space epic, which Thor sort of hints at, in the cosmic side of the [Marvel] universe." For those unfamiliar, the story centers on a group of alien beings in the 31st century who are each the last of their kind. They eventually travel back in time and interact with 20th century Marvel characters
The studio is also developing an Inhumans feature. The comic tells the story of a group of beings who were the result of experiments by the alien species Kree to create a race of super soldiers. The aliens abandoned their test subjects, and the "inhuman" mutants formed their own society. Feige says that if either Guardians or Inhumans becomes a movie, it would be an X-Men style ensemble a la The Avengers.
So there you have it. It sounds like Marvel is responding to the success of Thor and going more other-worldly with its features. It's not a bad idea, as there's only so much you can do on Earth. Obviously, things could change or there could be a different project unmentioned here that comes to fruition first (Dr. Strange anyone?), but this certainly looks like the direction Marvel is headed.
Here's a scan of the article (via CBM):


text:
I first heard of the legendary Pierre Hermé when he made an appearance on Martha Stewart's television show back in the late 90s. At the time, I had no idea that he was the "Picasso of Pastry". I can't remember what dessert he made with Martha, but I do remember downloading the recipe and trying to make it myself. (After some internet searching today, I'm pretty sure the dessert was a carioca.)
So with youthful enthusiasm, I was determined to make the carioca for a party. Of course I was a spectacular failure. I tried to make hot sugar syrup (caramel) in a cheap Revere pan for the chocolate mousse portion of the dessert. Needless to say, the sugar burned very quickly in the thin-bottomed pan and just seized up. Boy, was it a big pain to clean the pot after that!
I salvaged what I could so it wasn't a complete loss. I still used the genoise I made earlier and then whipped up a simpler chocolate mousse (sans caramel) with my chocolate and heavy cream. I layered coffee soaked genoise rounds with my simplified mousse and topped it all off with chocolate shavings. My friends were very impressed with the dessert and had no idea about my failed attempt.
I've come a long way since then. My pastry and baking skills have improved over time and I have a gorgeous and very functional set of All Clad pots and pans. Heavy-bottomed pans are pretty important when making caramel.
For a long time I assumed that all of PH's recipes were too complicated and difficult to recreate at home. But I now realize that the carioca I decided to make was fairly advanced. Definitely not something for a novice baker (which I was at the time and probably still am). So when I finally purchased Dorie Greenspan's English translation of Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé last month, I thought I would start with something simple like the chocolate hazelnut tart.
The recipe for the sweet tart dough makes enough for four 9-inch tarts. According to PH, making a smaller quantity would increase the chance of overworking the dough. The dough came together quickly and easily in my stand mixer. It takes almost the same amount of time to make enough dough for four tarts versus just one tart, so why not make more? It's always nice to have extra tart dough ready and waiting in the freezer.
I did make some minor changes. For the tart dough, I used ground unblanched almonds instead of the blanched ones called for in the recipe. I think the crust would've been a bit more refined with the blanched almonds, but I was too lazy to blanch my almonds. Instead of making one 9-inch tart in a straight sided tart ring, I made four 3-inch fluted tartlets. For the filling, I used half a cup instead of one cup of hazelnuts. One cup seemed like too much for four tartlets. However, the recipes I posted below are per PH's book.
Although my tartlets didn't really turn out like the photograph in the book, it was still quite delicious. My husband thought it tasted like an elegant, grown up version of Ferro Rocher candy. I'm looking forward to trying other PH recipes now. Maybe I'll even try making that carioca again.
Chocolate Hazelnut Tart
1 fully baked 9-inch tart crust (see recipe below)
2/3 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (Nutella)
4 3/4 ounces (140 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (PH uses Valrhona 56%)
3 1/2 ounces (200g) unsalted butter
1 large egg, stirred with a fork
3 large egg yolks, stirred with a fork
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and cut into large pieces
Preheat oven to 375F.
Spread chocolate hazelnut spread over the bottom of the cooled crust.
Melt chocolate and butter in separate bowls either using a double boiler or the microwave oven. Allow both to cool until just warm to the touch.
Gently stir the egg into chocolate. Try not to beat air into the mixture. Then, a little at a time, gently stir in the egg yolks and then the sugar. Stir in the melted butter.
Pour chocolate-butter mixture over the chocolate hazelnut spread in the tart crust. Scatter the hazelnuts over the top.
Bake until the filling loses its shine and the center is still a bit jiggly, about 11 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes before serving.
Sweet Tart Dough
(makes enough dough for four 9-inch tarts)
10 ounces (285 g) unsalted butter, softened at room temp.
1 1/2 cups (150g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 cup (100 g) finely ground blanched almonds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temp.
3 1/2 cups (490g) all purpose flour
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter on low speed until creamy. Mix in sugar, ground almonds, salt, vanilla and eggs. On low speed, add flour in 3 or 4 additions and mix only until the dough comes together (a few seconds).
Gather dough into a ball and divide dough into 4 pieces. Flatten each piece into a disk and wrap in plastic. Each piece is enough for a 9-inch tart. Allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days before rolling. You can freeze the dough for up to 1 month. Thaw the frozen dough for about 1 hour at room temperature before rolling.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough to about 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick. Carefully transfer the dough to your pan, gently easing it into the bottom and sides and pressing it into place. If the dough tears, patch it with extra scraps of dough.
Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350F. Line the chilled crust with a piece of parchment or buttered foil and fill with pie weights, dried beans or rice.
Bake crust until lightly colored, about 18 to 20 minutes. To fully bake the crust, remove the parchment and pie weights, and continue to bake until golden, another 3 to 5 minutes.
Allow crust to cool completely before filling.


text:
µ-Ziq: Bilious Paths
Mike Paradinas is µ-Ziq, pronounced, simply, "music." He has released music under various appellations, among them "Jake Slazenger" and "Kid Spatula". But his primary moniker is µ-Ziq. There is no way to properly capitalize µ-Ziq. According to my PC's character map, "µ" is a micro sign. It is also the symbol for the Greek letter "mu." Hence the pronunciation, "mu-sic".
It is all very abstract.
Abstract as well is the music on µ-Ziq's latest release, Bilious Paths -- but you probably have already come to that conclusion. After all, anyone who calls himself µ-Ziq, and names his album Bilious Paths, is bound to make maze-like, esoteric sonic compositions. In this respect, µ-Ziq does not disappoint. In fact, those who are dipping their toes into the IDM pool for the first time would be well advised to begin their adventure from a less daunting starting point, such as Boards of Canada, or perhaps even Múm. This is not because µ-Ziq is helplessly abstruse; it's just that his dense and fractured electronic noise isn't the ideal curriculum for IDM 101.
Although he has been making and releasing music for more than 10 years, µ-Ziq isn't remotely close to being really, truly famous. But like any uncelebrated genius, those who follow the scene know and deeply appreciate him. µ-Ziq has collaborated with one of the most visible leaders of the modern electronic movement in Richard James (Aphex Twin), and he owns and runs the electronic label Planet Mu, which hosts a number of up-and-coming IDM artists, among which are up-and-coming young talents like Aaron Funk (aka Venetian Snares) and Keith Fullerton Whitman (Hrvatski). But µ-Ziq, unlike the often juvenile and always attention-starved Richard James, keeps it low and quiet, preferring to let his music and movement behind the scenes do his talking for him.
That's admirable and refreshing, isn't it? What's even more admirable and refreshing is the work µ-Ziq has done on Bilious Paths, Paradinas's first proper album in nearly five years. Featuring an assortment of songs that are at once blithely whimsical and tightly woven, Bilious Paths finds Paradinas making a concerted effort to be both daring and diverse, drawing from several different veins of the elliptical IDM corpus. The warped hip-hop samples on "On/Off" and "Silk Ties" find an unlikely home on the same album with the turbulent melodies and feverish beats of "Johnny Maastricht" and "Siege of Antioch". And all the way through, Bilious Paths features tremendous technical craftsmanship on the part of Paradinas -- but never at the expense of emotion. The album's most gratifying moments are when he piles layer upon layer of ostensibly incompatible beats and rhythms on top of one another, twirling and looping them into different shapes and textures, until finally achieving an improbable, exquisite balance.
It's a difficult record at times, but the most challenging part of all is figuring out what to do with it. There are times when the syncopated beats will entreat you to dance. There are other times when the treble-heavy dissonance will try your patience. And then there are times when the clicks, blips, and toy gun clatter will coalesce into a wildly synergetic soundscape that will leave your synapses quivering. Without a doubt, Bilious Paths' most rewarding trait is its intermittent, undeniable beauty. From "Meinheld", an anarchic sound collage of frantic beats and samples that gains shape and depth as it unfolds, to "My Mengegus", a sublime tone poem that commands trance-like absorption through the power of suggestion rather than brute repetition, Bilious Paths is further proof that µ-Ziq is an indisputable giant in the IDM world, even if few people can see him.


text:
Walmart struggles to restock shelves as sales slump
Wal-Mart Stores, already struggling to woo shoppers constrained by higher taxes, is "getting worse" at keeping shelves stocked, the retailer's U.S. chief told executives, according to minutes of an officers' meeting obtained by Bloomberg News.
"We run out quickly and the new stuff doesn't come in," U.S. Chief Executive Officer Bill Simon said, according to the minutes of the Feb. 1 meeting. Simon said "self-inflicted wounds" were Wal-Mart's "biggest risk" and that an executive vice president had been appointed to fix the restocking problem, according to the minutes.
Once a paragon of logistics, the world's largest retailer has been trying to improve its restocking efforts since at least 2011, hiring consultants to walk the aisles and track whether hundreds of items are available. It even reassigned store greeters to replenish merchandise. The restocking challenge emerged as Wal-Mart was returning more merchandise to shelves after a previous effort to de-clutter its stores.
Wal-Mart's inability to keep its shelves stocked coincides with slowing sales growth. Same-store sales in the United States for the 13 weeks ending April 26 will be little changed, Simon said in the company's Feb. 21 earnings call.
Comparable sales increased 1 percent in the fourth quarter, compared with an average of 1.4 percent from analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.
"These are personal notes from one participant in the meeting and are not official company minutes," David Tovar, a Wal-Mart spokesman, said in a telephone interview. "There are a number of significant misinterpretations and misleading statements that do not accurately reflect the comments by Bill Simon or any other participant in the meeting."
When Simon said things were "getting worse" he was referring to "modular changes," the process of replenishing merchandise to keep up with customer demand and changing seasons, Tovar said. Wal-Mart is working to "manage this in the most efficient way possible."
"We're very pleased with our in-stock position," he said, adding that products audited by the company and its consultants match or exceed historical levels. He declined to disclose what those levels are.
Tovar declined to make Simon available for comment.
Evelin Cruz, a department manager at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Pico Rivera, Calif., said Simon's comments from the officers' meeting were "dead on."
"There are gaps where merchandise is missing," Cruz said in a telephone interview. "We are not talking about a couple of empty shelves. This is throughout the store in every store. Some places look like they're going out of business."
Tovar said Cruz's "comment appears to be national in scope. I doubt she had been to other Wal-Mart stores. I take issue with the quote."
Cruz, 41, who has worked at Wal-Mart for nine years and oversees the photo and wireless sections at her store, said it can take weeks or months for merchandise to be replaced after it sells out.
"My camera bar hasn't had cameras since early January," she said. "They let the merchandise phase out but nothing new comes in to replace them. We're supposed to have 72 cameras but we maybe have 12. What are customers supposed to buy?"
Cruz, a member of OUR Walmart, a labor-backed group seeking to improve working conditions at the discount chain, also said the number of photo and wireless employees she oversees has decreased from about 13 people to seven since the beginning of 2012.
"We haven't reduced staff," Tovar said. "People may have been shifted."
In her section at the store, the remaining workers have struggled to clear out old displays and quickly replace them with new merchandise, Cruz said. Meanwhile, they're supposed to help customers with things like mobile phone contracts, a transaction that can take up to 45 minutes, she said.
"All of this is affecting customers," Cruz said. "You see people walking out because they're looking for anyone to help them and there's no coverage."
Simon said at the Feb. 1 meeting that he is trying to improve operations.
"We need to start with the intent that our shelves will be full," he said, according to the minutes.
John Aden, executive vice president of general merchandise for Wal-Mart U.S., will be put in charge of addressing the issues, according to the minutes.
For much of its history, Wal-Mart has been considered a master of logistics, persuading suppliers to set up shop near its operations. Yet in 2011, Wal-Mart hired consulting firms Acosta in the U.S. and Retail Insight in Britain for advice on how to keep its shelves stocked. Paul Boyle, the CEO of Retail Insight, didn't return phone calls seeking comment. Meredith Rovine, a spokeswoman for Acosta, said representatives were unavailable for comment.
At that time, Wal-Mart's struggle to keep shelves stocked stemmed from the return of about 8,500 items to stores, following a failed effort to streamline its merchandise. At an investor conference in June of that year, Simon said he was focused on improving the company's restocking operations.
"The only thing that really matters to us is whether the product is on the shelf or not," he said at the time.
According to the Feb. 1 meeting minutes, Simon said, "We have to get better and remain laser-focused every day because momentum can turn against you in a second."


text:
Despite the exotic allure of the ZR1's blown LS9 and the low-end grunt of the Z06's 427-cube LS7, the engine most commonly found in today's Corvettes is the "Gen IV" 6.2L LS3, which is standard equipment in all base and Grand Sport models.
More than 38,000 LS3s have been factory installed in Corvettes since the powerplant's introduction for model year 2008. It's easy to imagine that today's sophisticated technology has put computers and robots in charge of these engines—from design and development through assembly and validation—but that's simply not the case. Behind every component in your Corvette's engine—including the block, rotating assembly, heads, lubrication system, and even the bolts and fasteners—is a highly trained GM Design Responsible Engineer.
"DREs are the core product engineers for engines," GM Technology Communications, Powertrain spokesperson Tom Read says. "They are the ones ultimately responsible for the design, development, validation, and continuous improvement of the individual components that make up the engine.
"Their expertise on their component is simply unmatched in the company, and, in many cases, in the field," Read continues. "Not only do they know their part, they influence future design direction. Our DREs assure parts can be manufactured and assembled properly at the suppliers and/or engine plants and follow up on any issues with the design. When they bring a new part to life, they make sure it fits within established best-design practices and use design secrets GM has developed over the years. The DREs work hand-in-hand with computer-aided designers, simulation experts, and development engineers. If that weren't enough, they also talk constantly with integration engineers to make sure their parts work harmoniously with the entire vehicle system and listen to feedback coming from the field—the Corvette customer."
For the most part, these engineers shy away from the limelight. Their passion is in assuring the components that go into your Corvette's engine are perfect every time, and that future Corvette engine parts take full advantage of the latest in emerging design and manufacturing materials and technologies. Though you may not instantly recognize their names, these men are critical to ensuring that you can enjoy your Corvette with absolute confidence, whether you drive it on the street or on the racetrack.
We asked eight of them to tell us about the roles they play in the Corvette's design and manufacturing process. This month you'll meet four of them—the men responsible for the LS3 block, rotating assembly, and oiling system. Next month, you'll meet the Design Responsible Engineers for the LS3's heads, intake, cam, head bolts, and fasteners.
Cylinder Block
Name: Jason Murphy
Title: Design Responsible Engineer
Years with GM: 11
Other experience: Designer: block design; Designing Engineer: Gen III block casting and machining; Designing Engineer: dyno validation testing; Component Test Engineer: component testing, Wixom Test Lab
What LS3 part(s) are you responsible for? Cylinder block, bearing caps, cam bearings
What LS7 and LS9 parts are you responsible for? Same
What other Corvette parts have you been involved with in the past? LS1, LS6 cylinder blocks
Why do you think your LS3 part is the most important part on the engine? The power output of the LS3 requires that the block can hold up to severe operating conditions. A superior design is required in order to package the big bores for max displacement and crankcase bay-to-bay breathing features inside to reduce pumping losses. The LS3 block interfaces with basically everything—cooling, lubrication, power development, and cylinder-head joints. If you have an LS3 block, you have the same strength in virtually all areas as in the LS9. As a matter of fact, LS9 block-strengthening features have gone into all 6.2L small-block blocks since the release of the ZR1.
What is a focus area you watch when designing the LS3 part, especially knowing it is for a Corvette engine? Lower-end construction to reduce mean and alternating stresses—in other words, stresses that could potentially create a fracture-initiation site. We really watch cylinder bore features that have a maximum effect on minimizing bore distortion. These areas are critical in any block, but especially the LS3 because of its high output.
What are the current trends with your LS3 part? Where is it going? Lighter weight, bore stability, increased lower-end strength, and tighter tolerances. All of these features have been hallmarks of our small-block engines from the beginning. Our design and manufacturing systems make the LS3 one of the best in the industry in these areas. Our quest in these areas will continue as we forge ahead to be even better.
Compare your part with aftermarket parts of the same item. What makes yours better? Our blocks go through a much more thorough and stringent development and validation schedule than typical aftermarket blocks. Thankfully, many of the aftermarket blocks follow very closely some of the key changes we make based on the global resources and technical expertise we have at our disposal. Our designs are pretty strong—aluminum Gen III and Gen IV blocks in the boneyards are becoming premium commodities for street rods and various other projects.
Do you own a Corvette, a classic car, or have a related hobby? One of my favorite cars of my past was my Impala SS with an LT1, to which I added a performance engine calibration and "hot" cam. I enjoy designing systems that meet end-of-test requirements at time of teardown; it's direct feedback that we did a good job. I enjoy following various types of racing, mainly to follow technology improvements for internal-combustion engines. Although it isn't in production yet, I have a patent for a cylinder-block casting bulkhead-window formation.
Name: Paul Gelazin
Title: Design Responsible Engineer
Years with GM: 26
Other experience: 18 years as an Engine Structural Analysis Engineer
What LS3 part(s) are you responsible for? Crank, bearings, damper, flexplate, engine balancer
What LS7 and LS9 parts are you responsible for? Same
What other Corvette parts have you been involved with in the past? All Gen III and IV rotating cranktrain components (crank, bearings, damper, flexplate, and flywheel).
Why do you think your LS3 part is the most important part on the engine? The crank is the main component that takes the unnatural reciprocating events and transfers them into rotational power. The design has to be robust enough to handle all the punishment that eight power cells (piston, pin, and rod), working to create 430 hp, can throw at it under a multitude of speeds and conditions.
What is a focus area you watch when designing the LS3 part, especially knowing it is for a Corvette engine? Crank structural integrity is foremost. There was an additional focus on fatigue strength enhancements to meet durability requirements, since the LS3 is the most demanding application for the iron crank. This strength is created by inducing compressive residual stresses in the undercuts (the area where the journals meet the side of the crank throws) with rolling loads in the range of 6,000-7,000 newtons. This process significantly improves the fatigue strength in the critical sections of the main and rod journals.
For the LS3 dry-sump application, a steel crank is used and is actually machined from the LS9 forging. It is also an undercut and rolled design, and can handle anything you can throw at it in the Grand Sport.
What are the current trends with your LS3 part? Where is it going? The latest focus has been on robustness enhancements in the journal-bearing system. We're always looking at improved bearing materials and coatings to provide an added level of protection against extreme operating conditions.
Compare your part to aftermarket parts of the same item. What makes yours better? The LS3 cranktrain has a significant amount of analytical input guiding the design. We have many requirements with regards to torsional response, bearing loads, oil-film thickness, bending deflections, mass, and strength. While the aftermarket may enhance a certain aspect, we use the analytical tools to design a crank that meets all the requirements for a better overall engine package.
Do you own a Corvette, a classic car, or have a related hobby? My interest has been airplanes since I was a kid, so I have more wrench time on airplane engines than car engines. I have a TCM IO-520L, which is a 520ci Opposed Six that produces 300 hp at 2,850 rpm. It's in a six-place Cessna 210M that we use like the family Suburban.
Piston-and-Rod Assembly
Name: Tom Halka
Title: Design Responsible Engineer
Years with GM: 35
Other experience: DRE for 3800 V-6 piston and rods, calibrator, emissions-test engineer, power-development engineer
What LS3 part(s) are you responsible for? Piston, connecting rods, pins, rings
What LS7 and LS9 parts are you responsible for? Same
What other Corvette parts have you been involved with in the past? All Gen III and Gen IV pistons and rods, including LS1, LS6, and LS2
Why do you think your LS3 part is the most important part on the engine? Everything about the LS3 flat-top piston is the latest and greatest in terms of performance and refinement. It has a full-floating pin for strength and quiet running, an asymmetrical skirt profile and polymer coating for close fit, and the top groove is anodized for strength and durability.
What is a focus area you watch when designing the LS3 part, especially knowing it is for a Corvette engine? One of my main priorities is making sure that the piston bosses live through high-speed inertia testing. This area has to be absolutely bulletproof. They cannot fail, period. We use structural computer analysis and high-speed dyno testing to prove out the parts. Not only that, I've personally reviewed LS3 pistons run at Virginia International Raceway and the Nürburg-ring as part of the development.
What are the current trends with your LS3 part? Where is it going? We're always looking at more specific power capability. We want to make it as light as possible for high speed but not sacrifice a nickel's worth of durability. One future trend we're watching closely is diamond light coating for rings.
Compare your part to aftermarket parts of the same item. What makes yours better? Our piston design has more analytical backing than any original-equipment Corvette piston in history. Aftermarket piston manufacturers typically don't have the capability to develop skirt profiles for good noise and scuff characteristics with given material properties.
Do you own a Corvette, a classic car, or have a related hobby? I have a rare '79 Buick Century Turbo Coupe with the 3.8L V-6, which was the prerunner to the Grand National [engine]. I rebuilt the engine with many "tweaks," including stock GN pistons. It's faster than a stock GN, while still running the carbureted turbo system. I used to crew for a friend who ran in Formula Ford. I also enjoy NASCAR and go to Michigan International Speedway when I can.
Oil Pump
Name: Tom Bishop
Title: Design Responsible Engineer, Engine Lubrication and Ventilation
Years with GM: 14
Other experience: Lube and vent systems development engineer and engine calibrator for Gen IV small-block truck applications, including the 4.8L, 5.3L, 6.0L, and 6.2L
What LS3 part(s) are you responsible for? The complete LS3 lubrication system. This includes the oil pump, oil pan, oil pickup tube, crankshaft oil deflector, oil filter, and oil
What LS7 and LS9 parts are you responsible for? Same
What other Corvette parts have you been involved with in the past? Oil pump, oil pan, oil-pickup tube, crankshaft oil deflector, valley covers, rocker covers, PCV systems (hoses and restrictors), PCV air/oil separators, front covers, oil filter, oil-fill cap, oil-fill tubes for LS2, LS3, LS7, and LS9 engines
Why do you think your LS3 part is the most important part on the engine? The most important part of any engine is the lubrication system. If it doesn't work properly, you're walking home. The oil pump is at the heart of the system and must be optimized to efficiently and effectively feed oil to the engine under all operating conditions, ranging from oil temps of -40 degrees (C) to more than 150 degrees. Corvettes are "track ready" right off the assembly line, and the lube system's performance has the ultimate say on if an engine is ready to race. The LS3 oil pump works in concert with the oil-pickup tube, the crankshaft oil deflector, and the oil-pan design (on which I hold a patent) to deliver oil to the engine at the right pressures and flows. A less-than-optimal oil pump and lube system would result in an engine that would not support the design requirements or meet customer expectations.
What is a focus area you watch when designing the LS3 part, especially knowing it is for a Corvette engine? The porting on the inside of the oil pump received a lot of attention when the LS3 pump was designed. The inlet and discharge-port geometry determine how well the pump delivers oil to the engine. Special focus was placed on port development at high engine speeds to ensure that pump performance meets the high engine-operating requirements associated with the Corvette platform. Port timing, width and depth, and port entry/exit geometry were extensively studied, analyzed, and tested to be sure that the pump's performance was optimized for all operating conditions.
What are the current trends with your LS3 part? Where is it going? Mass reductions are constantly being evaluated and implemented where feasible. Clearances between internal pump components are studied to see where internal drags and frictions can be reduced without sacrificing pump performance. More and more engine devices are hydraulically controlled, and this puts constant pressure on the oil pump to meet the ever-increasing system demands for flow and pressure.
Compare your part to aftermarket parts of the same item. What makes yours better? The LS3 oil pump is better than any aftermarket oil pump out there and backed up with extensive design work and validation testing. Before a pump leaves the GM design floor, computerized analytical tools, like Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), are used to ensure that all features are optimized for performance. Pumps are then built and extensively tested on component bench tests, as well as on firing engine-dyno tests. Finally, the pumps are installed on engines destined for test vehicles and tested on racetracks around the country—like Grattan, Virginia International Raceway, and Road America—to verify that they are track ready from the factory. Some aftermarket pumps are simply reverse-engineered versions of the GM design with cosmetic changes. Some aftermarket pump manufacturers remove or change key features without any technical understanding of the impact.
Do you own a Corvette, a classic car, or have a related hobby? My favorite work activity is riding shotgun in a Corvette on a racetrack during a development-test session, while monitoring lube-system performance. It's like riding a rollercoaster in a rocket ship. My favorite ride is my father-in-law's '79 Light Blue Corvette on an empty country road.