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Long before Himself and children, my roommate Sara and I would make the trek to White Castle's for some sliders or Gut Busters as we liked to call them. Piping hot and smelling so good we could down two or three before our brain knew what was happening and made us slow down. Kinda like Krispie Kreme Hot and Nows. Those days are far away and so is the nearest White Castle, therefore I have resorted to making my own. I have tried the frozen kind but I prefer fresh.
Let's start. First evenly cover the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish with 1/2 cup dried onion flakes.
Firmly pat 2 pounds of ground chuck over top of the onion flakes and sprinkle with your favorite seasoned salt. It must be chuck to render juices, a lean ground beef will be too dry. You need an 80/20 combo for good flavor and juices.
Bake for 25 minutes in a 400 degree oven. The beef will shrink and the onions will rehydrate from the meat juices, er, grease. Blot grease from the top of the giant patty, cover with 6 slices cheddar cheese and return to oven for 2 more minutes.
Cut the burger patty into 24 pieces.
Slice open 24 party rolls and separate. Place bottoms of rolls on a platter. Using a small spatula, lift patties with onions and place on each bun bottom.
Top each slider with a dill slice.
Top off with bun lids and enjoy immediately.
Look at the juicy layer of onions, a signature of White Castle Sliders.
White Castle-like Sliders
1/2 cup dried onion flakes
2 pounds ground chuck- 80/20 ground beef
1/2 t. seasoned salt
6 slices cheddar cheese
24 small party rolls- I use Martin's Potato Bread Party Rolls
24 dill pickle slices
Evenly spread the onions on the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Gently press the ground beef on top of the onion flakes. Press evenly making one giant pattie. Sprinkle with seasoned salt. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Using a paper towel, pat the excess grease from the top of the pattie. Top with cheddar cheese, return to oven for 2 more minutes. Remove from oven, let set 5 minutes then cut into 24 patties. Slice open and separate each party roll. Place bottom of rolls on a large platter. Using a spatula lift pattie with onion layer onto each bun bottom. Top each slider with a pickle slice then the bun lid. Serve immediately. Makes 24 Sliders.
Note- I store these upside-down in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This will prevent the bottom bun from getting soggy from the onion layer. To reheat, place a few on a microwave safe plate and heat in the mircowave for 20 seconds then 5 second increments after that until warm through.
Our last day of school is this Friday, a bittersweet day actually. I look forward to being off with my children this summer but it also hurts me that another year has passed all too quickly. I wish I could slow down time when it comes to my children growing up so fast.
Related Posts
Teriyaki Turkey Sliders
Bratwurst Sliders


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DEC PDP-1 Collection
The PDP-1 archive contains documents, photos, movies and music relating to Digital Equipment Corporation's groundbreaking PDP-1 computer. The launch of the PDP-1 (Programmed Data Processor-1) computer in 1959 marked a radical shift in the philosophy of computer design: it was the first commercial computer that focused on interaction with the user rather than the efficient use of computer cycles. It was also Digital Equipment Corporation's first computer.
Search DEC PDP-1 Collection
Spacewar! 4.8 7/24/63 pt.2 dfw
Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)
Software, 1963 ca.
Spacewar! 4.8 7/24/63 dfw .pt1
Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)
Software, 1963-07-24
Stars by prs for s/w 2b
Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)

subset: commoncrawl


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There are several competing plans to avoid the "fiscal cliff," a one-two combination of tax increases and automatic spending cuts. The GOP-controlled House is scheduled to vote Thursday on House Speaker John Boehner's scaled-back "plan B" tax proposal exempting people earning less than $1 million a year from tax increases. Boehner and President Barack Obama have also exchanged offers in their ongoing talks.
Highlights of the three competing plans include:
—Obama would increase taxes by $1.3 trillion over a decade, including raising the top rate on income exceeding $400,000 from 35 percent to 39.6 percent. He also would increase the tax rate on capital gains and dividend income exceeding $250,000 from 15 percent to 20 percent and increase the estate tax rate from 35 percent to 45 percent, while exempting estates of $3.5 million per person. He would limit the deductions claimed by wealthier people. Tax brackets would be indexed for inflation less rapidly.
—Boehner's latest offer totals $1 trillion over 10 years, including raising the top rate on income exceeding $1 million to 39.6 percent and increasing rates on dividends and capital gains. Boehner also proposes a tax overhaul next year that would lower rates and eliminate numerous deductions, credits and other tax breaks.
—Plan B would increase taxes by about $310 billion by raising the top tax rate to 39.6 percent on million-dollar-plus incomes. It also would increase the tax rate on capital gains and dividend income exceeding $1 million from 15 percent to 20 percent and maintain the estate tax rate at 35 percent, while exempting estates of $5.1 million per person. It would permanently update the alternative minimum tax for inflation.
—Obama proposes to cut spending by $1.2 trillion over a decade, though that includes $290 billion in interest savings not counted under GOP math. He proposes cutting $400 billion from health care programs and $200 billion in cuts and fees from other so-called mandatory spending. He proposes $200 billion in cuts from agency budgets set by Congress each year, half from the Pentagon and half from non-defense. He claims $130 billion from a lower inflation adjustment that reduces Social Security and federal retirement benefits.
—Boehner's original offer promised $1.4 trillion in spending cuts over a decade, including $600 billion from health care programs, $300 billion from non-health mandatory programs, $200 billion from the lower inflation adjustment and $300 billion from agency budgets. Last week, he winnowed the savings to as low as $1 trillion, with about half to come from health care programs.
—Plan B includes no spending cuts.
—Obama would raise the government's borrowing cap enough to last for two years.
—Boehner's offer would raise the debt limit enough to last 1 year.
—Plan B would not increase the debt limit.


text:
Notice Number: NOT-AI-10-039
Key Dates
Release Date: July 20, 2010
Issued by
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) (http://www.niaid.nih.gov)
The purpose of this Notice to amend the NIAID Contact and Funds Available information of the FOA U.S.-India Bilateral Collaborative Research Partnerships (CRP) on the Prevention of HIV/AIDS and Co-morbidities (R21) RFA-AI-10-022 which can be found at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AI-10-022.html.
The Funds Available language now reads:
Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. It is anticipated that $3 million will be available in FY 2011 to fund 8 to 10 new awards. The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) and/or other Indian Government research funding organization has issued a similar call for applications to support the Indian collaborators (http://www.icmr.nic.in/icmrnews/joint_call_HIV.htmJ). Awards issued under this FOA are contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.
All other aspects of this FOA are unchanged.
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
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Officials say dog likely started Deering blaze by turning on stoveBy PAUL FEELY
New Hampshire Union Leader
June 15. 2014 8:33PM
DEERING — Two dogs died in a mobile home fire after one of the animals apparently turned on the stove while its owners were out, according to the fire chief.
Deering Fire Chief James Tramontozzi said the source of Saturday's fire at Longwoods Mobile Home Park was food left on a stove.
"It appears one of the dogs turned on the stove, which ignited the food," Tramontozzi said Sunday. "It's a little unusual, but it appears pretty cut and dried at this point that's what the cause was."
Tramontozzi said his crews were dispatched to 47 Martin Road around 3:35 p.m. after a neighbor reported seeing smoke and flames in a mobile home. Firefighters put out the flames in under an hour, and kept the blaze from spreading to other homes.
Tramontozzi said he did not know the names of the dogs, but one appeared to be a Siberian husky and the other a beagle.
"Both dogs were taken out of the home and CPR performed on them, but they perished as a result of injuries sustained from the smoke and flames," Tramontozzi said.
Tramontozzi said his department did not have a record of who was living at the home. Deering police said they did not immediately have a name of residents at 47 Martin Road. A number listed online for the Longwoods Mobile Home Park is no longer in service.
"It suffered significant damage," Tramontozzi said of the mobile home. "We're not sure if it's salvageable right now. We'll know more after an inspector gets down there Monday."


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04 December 2009|
Written by Dave Pankew | Photos by RCH Designs
If you have been in the tuning world for a while chances are you have owned an A'PEXi upgrade of some sort over the years. Although it might not have been one of the super rare electronically-controlled extreme carbon fiber wings you see here adorning your ride, I'm sure it may have been one of their more prolific products like the S-AFC fuel controller or Super Ground kit. A'PEXi has been there for the long haul continuing to innovate despite the challenges. And now, rising from the ashes is one of the cars that made them famous here in North America.
A'PEXi's RX-7 is one rare ride the company has campaigned over the years and is No. 2 of 3 FD3S chassis in their fleet. Built back in 2003 by A'PEXi USA, the No.2 car was built to campaign as a drift car back when D1 Grand Prix drifting first came to the United States. It's sister cars No. 1 and No. 3 were both built in Japan by the A'PEXi Japan staff and campaigned in the D1 Grand Prix Series winning a championship victory back in 2003 with Youichi Imamura behind the wheel. When the D1 schedule became more unpredictable in the US, the No.2 car started gathering dust and we recall seeing it more than once sitting in a solitary corner of A'PEXi's Orange, CA warehouse.
As luck would have it, A'PEXi forged ahead when new partners came aboard. After years of neglect, car No.2 saw full-time action in 2007 in the Formula D Series to attempt to accomplish what A'PEXi had in Japanese professional drifting. Although it had extensive modifications, the car had to be further dialed-in to reach the podium in 2009. It is a rare beast being one of few purpose built cars by a top Japanese manufacturer with a Japanese driver behind the wheel, Ryuji Miki.
When we heard about this car, we knew its history and believed that under the new vinyl, the RX-7 was much of the same. We couldn't have been more wrong since A'PEXi did some major surgery to the car. Originally built as a LHD car, it was converted to RHD to accommodate the Japanese driver's skills behind the wheel. A'PEXi also used this car to develop new products and it truly is a rolling showcase of everything the company offers right down to the oil filter.
Work got under way on the twin-rotor powerplant, which is a staple of the A'PEXi catalogue. The 5th generation 13B-REW motor was built by R-Magic in Japan using a side port SPL. An A'PEXi RX6 P27 turbine was added to a factory Mazda manifold and is fed by an A'PEXi power intake filter. The compressed air is fed into a maze of A'PEXi intercooler piping and into an A'PEXi Type-B V-mount intercooler. On the hotside, the gases are dumped into an innovative A'PEXi water-cooled wastegate. The spent gases head into an A'PEXi titanium SPL downpipe connected to an A'PEXi N1 ExTi Titanium SPL exhaust with primary 850cc injectors, and secondary 1600cc injectors fed by twin Bosch fuel pumps. NGK plugs light up the mixture all connected with A'PEXi spark plug wires.
The engine management was a snap using the A'PEXi Power FC, an ECU well known for its ease of use. The boost was regulated using the infamous A'PEXi AVC-R boost controller. The tune was done to achieve decent instant-on power as opposed to just a lofty figure. The dyno yielded 460whp with 390lb-ft of torque, which was going to run through a whole new drivetrain. The A'PEXi team installed a stout G-Force 4-speed race tranny along with an Exedy twin-plate carbon clutch with integrated Chromoly flywheel. The custom lightweight driveshaft spins up an OS Giken Super Lock LSD for a positive connection to the road.
The attention to detail on the chassis and body is evident. An R-Magic GT widebody kit has been installed consisting of front and rear bumpers, fenders and sideskirts to round out the sinister appearance of the car. An R-Magic Type II vented carbon fiber hood was added along with Seibon carbon fiber doors and an elaborate CF rear hatch to reduce weight.
Underneath, the car was fitted with an R-Magic undertray and rear diffuser along with canards to reduce lift. An A'PEXi electronically-controlled Extreme carbon fiber wing is found on the hatch that can be adjusted from inside the car for maximum downforce. The shell was then taken to a shop called Downforce to hit it with matte black, while S&A Design and Graphtech plastered it in vinyl.
The rolling gear required some careful selection. A'PEXi sourced out some staggered Gram Light 57 Max wheels from Rays in 17x9 and 18x9.5-inch flavors. The multiple sets of wheels are cloaked in multiple sets of Hankook Ventus RS-3 tires with a 225/45R17 up front and a 265/35R18 in the rear.
Keeping the car under control while sideways was again dealt with by opening an A'PEXi catalogue. A set of their off-the-shelf S1 dampers were fitted with N1 springs rated at 22Kg up front and 10Kg in the rear making this definitely not a street machine. Ikeya Formula helped out by providing a set of their front lower arms and both upper and lower arms in the rear. The suspension was all pieced back together with R-Magic bushings pressed in. The steering components were of course heavily modified by A'PEXi to achieve the extreme angle needed in competition. Braking was ramped up by using Hawk HP+ pads gripping Dixcel slotted rotors.
A stripped interior was the perfect canvas for a Formula D-spec cage. Bride Zeta III seats were bolted in and dressed with Sparco 5-point harnesses. A Sparco MOD 383 steering wheel was added in addition to an APR titanium shift knob. All of the vitals relayed to the driver are delivered via gauges from A'PEXi. The ELII System Meters include: boost, EGT, oil temperature, water temperature, oil pressure and fuel pressure. There were also a couple of not-so standard meters in the mix for transmission and differential temperature mounted under the hatch Lexan for the pit crew to view.
After hundreds of man hours, the end result has brought this car back into the spotlight (and podium) once again, and A'PEXi has returned with a fair degree of success. They set out to occupy some podiums in 2009 and they accomplished just that by bagging 3rd place at Sonoma and 2nd place in Las Vegas. At this pace, we should see a first place podium next year and with some consistency we might see a repeat of what A'PEXi accomplished so many years ago.
ESSENTIALS // Owner: A'PEXi USA | Location: Orange, CA. USA | Vehicle: 2000 JDM Mazda RX-7 | Power: 460whp with 390lb-ft | Engine: Mazda 1.3L 13B 2-Rotor
ENGINE MODIFICATIONS // Engine built by R-Magic Japan | R-Magic Sideport | A'PEXi RX6 P27 turbine | A'PEXi AX Turbo Manifold SS | A'PEXi power intake filter | A'PEXi intercooler piping | A'PEXi Type-B V-mount intercooler | A'PEXi water-cooled wastegate | A'PEXi Titanium SPL downpipe | A'PEXi N1 ExTi Titanium SPL | A'PEXi 850cc injectors w/ 1600cc secondary | Bosch fuel pumps x 2 NGK | A'PEXi spark plug wires | Setrab Oil Cooler
ENGINE MANAGEMENT // A'PEXi Power FC | A'PEXi AVC-R
DRIVELINE // G-Force 4-speed box | Exedy Hyper carbon twin plate | OS Giken Super Lock | Setrab transmission cooler
SUSPENSION | A'PEXi S1 dampers | A'PEXi N1 springs 22Kg / 10Kg | Ikeya Formula suspension links | R-Magic bushings | A'PEXi SPL steering rack and links
WHEELS, TIRES, BRAKES // Gram Light 57 Max wheels; 17x9-inch +12, 18x9.5-inch +22 (r) | Hankook Ventus RS-3 tires; 225/45R17 (f), 265/35R18 (r) | Hawk HP+ pads | Dixcel slotted rotors
EXTERIOR // R-Magic GT widebody kit | R-Magic Type II vented carbon fiber hood | Seibon carbon fiber doors | Seibon CF rear hatch | R-Magic undertray | R-Magic rear diffuser | R-Magic canards | A'PEXi electronically-controlled Extreme wing | Downforce bodywork & paint | S&A Design / Graphtech vinyl graphics
INTERIOR // Formula D-spec cage by A'PEXi | Bride Zeta III seats | Sparco 5-point harnesses | Sparco MOD 383 steering wheel | APR shift knob | A'PEXi. The ELII System Meters (boost, EGT, oil temperature, water temperature, oil pressure, fuel pressure)
SHOUTOUTS // Hankook Tire (www.hankooktireusa.com) | Exedy Clutch (www.exedyusa.com) | R-Magic (www.rmagic.net) | Mackin Industries (www.mackinindustries.com) | NGK Spark Plugs (www.ngksparkplugs.com) | BRIDE (www.lot-usa.com) | Seibon Carbon (www.seiboncarbon.com) | Torco Oil (www.torcooil.com) | Dynamic Autosports | S&A Design | Downforce


text:
It is possible that the main title of the report Stenosis, Spinal is not the name you expected. Please check the synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and disorder subdivision(s) covered by this report.
Spinal stenosis is a rare condition characterized by abnormal narrowing (stenosis) of the spaces within the spinal canal, spinal nerve root canals, or bones of the spinal column (vertebrae). Affected individuals may experience pain in the lower back and/or the legs. In some cases, affected individuals may have difficulty walking. Spinal stenosis may occur as a result of spinal injury, surgery, abnormal bone growth, or deterioration. In some cases, spinal stenosis may be inherited as an autosomal dominant genetic trait.
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Exeter girls blank Bedford, stay unbeaten in soccerBy JOHN HABIB
New Hampshire Union Leader
October 02. 2013 12:03AM
EXETER — Casey Estey didn't know. Head coach Megan Young and Anna Vogt weren't sure and, athletics director Bill Ball took an educated guess and fell short by one game.
To a player, coach and even an AD, it seems no one in Blue Hawks country knows exactly how many consecutive games the girls' soccer team has won.
The bottom line is, after Tuesday's 3-0 blanking of previously unbeaten Bedford at William Ball Stadium, the four-time defending state champion Blue Hawks remain the hottest team in the region.
Take note, Exeter fans. Your 8-0 team has won 32 straight games and is ranked No. 1 in the weekly Region 1 National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll.
"We really don't talk about it (the streak)," said Young. "Our mindset is just on our next game. We knew we were playing a tough opponent today and we played well."
Estey, a junior who scored twice, echoed her coaches' thoughts about the impressive winning streak. "We don't think about it until someone brings it up." As for Vogt, she said remaining on an even keel is the right way to handle a long winning streak.
"For us, it's a game-to-game basis," she said. "We win, we put it in the win column and move on to the next game. That's the way we approach it as a team."
Bedford entered the contest 7-0-1 in Division I but it didn't take the Bulldogs long see first-hand why Exeter is tough to beat.
"They just move the ball quickly," said Bedford captain Brenna Williams. "They have a good solid team and leadership. We took many shots today, but we just couldn't finish. We will learn from this game and hopefully if we play them again, we'll come out stronger than we did today. It took us about 15 minutes into the game to settle down and we can't start that way against a team like Exeter."
The Blue Hawks scored the eventual game-winning goal 13:15 into the game when Estey, after taking a pass in front of the net from Casey Scott, faked a shot, which caused Bedford goalie Brooke Barrett to commit too soon. As Barrett slid to the turf, Estey sidestepped the netminder with one dribble and deposited the ball into the open net.
Bedford almost tied the game a minute later, but Exeter goalie Megan Defeo blocked a hard shot labeled for the net off the foot of Williams. Exeter took control when Vogt connected from the right side on a low shot that dribbled past Barrett into the far corner of the cage with 15:45 remaining in the half.
Estey, only a junior, on an assist from Taylor O'Donnell, scored the third goal with 23 minutes left to play.
"Compared to last year, I thought Bedford played with more confidence today," said Estey. "But when Anna scored to give us a two-goal lead, we could see their (Bedford's) heads drop." Exeter has scored 33 goals and, with six shutout wins, has allowed only four goals this season.
"We wanted to take it to them and we did," said coach Young, whose team must travel to Derry on Thursday to face the 8-0 Astros.
The game is on grass, which should be an advantage for Pinkerton. But Estey noted "we practice on grass. So it's not like we don't know how to play on it. We'll be fine."


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This World Water Week 2013 post was originally published in March for World Water Day. The theme of "water cooperation" ties both events together. The annual Stockholm World Water Week is one of the largest and most important water-focused events, which runs this year from September 1-6.
What is the 21st century outlook for the world's freshwater future? Many believe that the path ahead leads to a dystopian future of drought, pollution, water and food shortages and, ultimately, "water wars" among nations (and sub-nations) as rapidly growing populations compete.
But this World Water Week, let me offer another possible - maybe even more likely - scenario where people engage in water cooperation rather than conflict. March's World Water Day (WWD) marked the launch of the UN-adopted 2013 International Year of Water Cooperation, which emphasizes the importance of freshwater to the natural world and human social and economic systems. As stated on the official WWD website:
In designating 2013 as the UN International Year of Water Cooperation, the [United Nations General Assembly] recognizes that cooperation is essential to strike a balance between the different needs and priorities and share this precious resource equitably, using water as an instrument of peace. Promoting water cooperation implies an interdisciplinary approach bringing in cultural, educational and scientific factors, as well as religious, ethical, social, political, legal, institutional and economic dimensions.
This theme of cooperation might seem naïve to some because of the real and daunting challenges that confront us in the so-called global freshwater crisis. The evidence in favor of impending conflict is convincing. For instance, even though the volume of water on earth remains essentially same, demands on freshwater are increasing due to population growth that is expected to rise from seven billion today to an estimated nine billion by 2050. Population growth combined with increased wealth in developing countries further increases water use demands since an improved standard of living often means greater consumption of water-intensive goods and services, like meat, electronic gadgets and electricity to power it all. Add to those factors the intensification of the water cycle due to climate change - producing "drought and deluge" conditions - and arid areas may become even drier.
Conflict over freshwater is as old as human civilization (see the Pacific Institute's Water Conflict Chronology), and today the world is rife with water scarcity hot spots where potential outbreaks between countries could tip into conflict. Tension over water exists between many countries such as India and Pakistan, India and China, Ethiopia and Egypt, and Israel and Palestine, to name a few. In some instances the conflict turns hot, as was the case with Sudan where control of water resources played a role in the long, violent civil war that led to the South Sudan's eventual break from Sudan to the north.
Ongoing disputes over water rights happen closer to home in the US, as seen with continued legal and political flare ups between competing states like Florida, Alabama and Georgia over water use from two contested river basins, the continued mess between northern and southern California over Delta water transfers, or between Texas and Oklahoma over the Red River water which will go to the Supreme Court in April 2013.
Projections of more water-related problems like water shortages keep mounting - the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Environmental Outlook to 2030 report estimates that the number of people living in severely water-stressed areas will increase to include 47 percent of the global population. Another recent analysis by the US National Intelligence Council warns that that the world must be wary of natural resource scarcity, particularly with regards to water.
From that perspective, how could anything but water wars be expected? But water is a shared resource with unique characteristics to which no one person, ethnic group, company or country can lay claim. Plainly, water is needed by everyone yet total control over it is extremely difficult to achieve.
According to Dr. Aaron Wolf, one of the foremost scholars of transboundary water conflict, resolution and management at Oregon State University, there are 263 water basins and 265 aquifers (groundwater) that cross and are shared by two or more countries. Of the world's total global population, 90 percent of people live in countries with international basins, which means that most countries around the world are currently and peaceably sharing freshwater resources. He goes on to write that
While the potential for paralyzing disputes is especially high in these [shared] basins, history shows that water can catalyze dialogue and cooperation, even between especially contentious riparians. Moreover, as we move from thinking about rights to thinking in terms of equitably sharing "baskets" of benefits, opportunities to cooperate become palpable.
Considering the many challenges we face, Wolf emphasizes the need of all parties involved to engage and update existing water treaties and transboundary arrangements with a "new focus on resilient agreements." This is as true for India and Pakistan as it is for US states waging their battles in the courts.
So the good news is that water tends to bring people together rather than tear them apart. The strongest argument for this cooperation theme are the nearly 450 international water agreements signed between 1820 and 2007 still in effect today. Water cooperation extends to the type of technologies we deploy, too, as we create mutually beneficial processes and systems like wastewater reuse for power plants. In a time of water resource constraints, a reminder of humanity's genuine and enduring water cooperation is in order.
Read seven experts debate the "existence of water wars, consider the difficulty of owning a fluid resource, and examine the hot spots for future conflict" in this interesting SEED Magazine special feature.


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Take a moment to assess your workstation. Then explore the following
simple and inexpensive ergonomic problems.
Desk too low:
Desk too high:
Dangling feet:
Homeless mouse:
Source documents or books flat:
Flat writing surface:
Chair uncomfortable:
Keyboard flat:
Sharp edges on the desk:
Monitor placement:
Regardless of your ergonomic situation, always remember to take your
breaks-micro-, meso-, and large movement.
Copyright 2003 Erik Peper, Ph.D. and Katherine Hughes Gibney
Permission to copy and distribute Healthy Computing Email Tips for
personal use is granted. Distribution or copying of Healthy Computing
Email Tips for commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written
consent of the copyright holders


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Arnie Johnson very properly wants us to have a clean environment and lots of jobs. So does everyone else I know. But the real question is, "Are the continuing subsidies for alternative energy going to be effective in reaching those goals?"
Arnie Johnson very properly wants us to have a clean environment and lots of jobs. So does everyone else I know. But the real question is, "Are the continuing subsidies for alternative energy going to be effective in reaching those goals?"
The first problem I have with the subsidies is that they are corrupt crony capitalism at its worst. As just one example, the Department of Energy 1705 loan guarantee program had 460 applicants and 26 of them received government funding support. Of those 26 approved programs, 90 percent were controlled by bundlers or major donors for administration political campaigns. Additionally, many of these firms have declared bankruptcy, experienced layoffs, or had other financial problems — Solyndra was joined by A123, Abound, Amonix, Beacon, Bright Source, and many, many more.
The second problem I have with the subsidies is that they are very inefficient at producing jobs. In Spain, a comprehensive study by researchers at La Universidad Rey Juan Carlos found that each "green" job cost more than $750,000 and 2.2 jobs were destroyed in the non-green sector for every new green job. Anecdotal evidence here suggests that we are not doing much better. According to Investor's Business Daily, executives at Johnson Controls turned $300 million in green technology grants into 150 jobs — that's $12 million per job. Worse, the federally subsidized Smart Grid Initiative at General Electric will be a net destroyer of jobs — 28,000 meter-reading jobs will be replaced by the Smart Grid's automatic transmitters. And the 2009 economic-stimulus plan spent $90 billion on clean energy and "saved or created" 225,000 positions through 2010, the President's Council of Economic Advisers reported in November 2010 — that's a cost of $400,000 per job.
My final problem with the subsidies is that they are economically unsustainable. According to a recent CNBC report on energy economics, coal energy costs 4 to 5 cents per kilowatthour, natural gas energy costs 3.5 to 4.5 cents per kwh, wind energy costs 7 to 9 cents and solar energy costs 15-50 cents. This means that switching to wind would double everyone's electric bills (though some of this might be paid through taxes and subsidies) and switching to solar would quadruple everyone's electric bills. Most Americans would not choose to pay this much more for wind or solar.
If we decide that we need to reduce carbon emissions, we should levy a tax on all carbon emissions. This would provide the transparency needed to eliminate the crony capitalism, provide incentives for political orphans like geothermal and tidal energy to develop their promising technologies, and let the voting public decide if the taxes are too high to justify the benefits.


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ASTRA32 - Advanced System Information Tool is an ideal solution for providing comprehensive information about the configuration of your system. Not only does ASTRA32 provide a detailed analysis of your system it also offers diagnostics and comes with some unique features such as a Drivers Troubleshooter and a quick HDD Health Status checker. You will appreciate the accuracy with which ASTRA32 acquires the information about the detected devices as it mostly refers directly to the hardware not to the registry. ASTRA32 uncovers even undocumented data.
What is new in this release:
Version 3.22 added support of new processors, bug fixes, updated hardware database.


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LFTC goes on hiatus as I relocate. . . .
To LFTC readers:
I am suspending activity on LFTC. My Twitter page will, however, remain active, with a series of Campaign 2016 Tweets, beginning today. And you can access all my articles, podcasts and books on LFTC.
I am relocating to Charleston SC, after 37 years in the nation's capital (and 31 years growing up in Manhattan).
Preparing to move with seven decades of stuff to sort through, and to settle into a new location will prove a nearly full-time job from now into the fall.
Bottom Line. LFTC is suspended at least for the rest of 2015. LFTC remains a one-stop shop for all my publicly accessible online content.
Original May 1, 2015 post updated October 4, 2015.


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The Belgium international has been the club's star man this season, netting 12 goals in the Premier League as the Baggies have defied expectations to sit comfortably in the top half.
And, despite speculation suggesting that Fernando Torres will leave Stamford Bridge in the near future, the Scot is optimistic about securing the youngster's services for another year.
|Romelu Lukaku is 100/1 to be the top Premier League goalscorer with William Hill
"Then after that, hopefully we will get a chance to put ourselves in the hat. If Chelsea want to leave him out for another season somewhere I think we would have a strong chance of getting him back here, but it is a discussion for the summer."
The west London outfit paid Anderlecht £18 million for the now 19-year-old in 2011, but the forward has only ever made one Premier League start in a Blues jersey.
Clarke described how his parent club's desire to loan him out has benefited all involved, while praising the young Belgian for a work ethic which he believes can help him become one of the best around.
"Chelsea saw it as a long-term investment," he added. "We're just pleased that he chose to come to us to get more minutes on the pitch, to get time played in the Premier League. It's a package that's been good for all three parties.
"For such a young player the sky is the limit. It's refreshing for me as a coach to work with a young player with the attitude that he wants to be the best and improve every day.
"He's one of those players I have to drag in off the training field and say 'you need to get inside now, go and have a shower and get ready for tomorrow's session'."


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Pity the man who conceived four babies with four women and suffered anxiety attacks and nightmares after all four, with his consent, were aborted. Pity the man who saw his soon-to-be-born baby on an ultrasound and instantly came to believe that he "had killed two of my own kids" through abortion. Pity the man who abused alcohol after his girlfriend aborted. Pity the man who suffered a nervous breakdown, depression, psychosis and nearly suicide after his girlfriend had an abortion despite his pleas.
And pity these men who, wittingly or not, are allowing their pain to be co-opted for political gain. Whatever the cause of their suffering, it is real and they deserve support. But they are also the new face of the antiabortion movement: Post-Abortion Syndrome–for men. In conferences and counseling, they're being wrapped in the fuzzy blankets of men's healing, but behind these men and their stories are the same crackpot research, coercive counseling and policy-by-anecdote that have defined the antiabortion movement's tactical emphasis on women's suffering after abortion. It's a maxim among the antichoice crowd these days that there are "two victims of abortion"; the men's PAS movement wants to take that to three.
A casual prochoice activist might dismiss this movement out of hand. After all, politically speaking there's no great constituency for men's PAS. The men's rights movement–which fights to improve men's standing in custody, child support and fatherhood-related issues, on which they say the law favors women–doesn't particularly embrace men's PAS: men's rights advocates are divided on abortion, and besides, some say, the pain of losing a child to abortion simply doesn't measure up to the pain of losing one's born children. Plus, the Supreme Court has definitively told men, including husbands, that they have no rights when it comes to abortion, which leaves antichoice activists no judicial openings to revive, for instance, spousal notification laws.
Still, it's clear that men's PAS is a syndrome whose moment has come. The first conference dealing with men's pain after abortion was held in San Francisco last fall, and the National Right to Life Committee included men's PAS in its annual convention last summer. Many counseling centers dealing with women's postabortion suffering now include resources for men, while activist groups are collecting men's testimonies about their postabortion suffering for use in the courts.
This isn't all just coincidence, and it's not all about healing. Post-Abortion Syndrome has rocked the antiabortion world. It has given new humanity to a movement that even a decade ago seemed locked in violence and lacking in empathy. More important, by blaming abortion for divorce and child abuse, depression and drug use, sex addiction and suicide, it has given conservatives a very distinct culprit in the disintegration of American family values–and another argument for ending the thirty-five-year reign of Roe v. Wade.


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From the makers of Silent Storm comes Hammer & Sickle:
Hammer & Sickle is a tactical RPG set in the spring of 1949. The player will assume the role of a top Soviet spy on clandestine duty in the British-American controlled sector of Germany during the early years of the budding Cold War. In a world where no one is quite who they appear to be, the player is trapped in a hellish plot that could trigger a third world war, this time between the United States and Soviet Union and their respective nuclear arsenals. Gamers will have to navigate a web of intrigue and make decisions that could determine the fate of the world.


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Amber Nicole MacDonald has not received any gifts yet
Welcome to the club! I hope we can connect!
I'm a wife, mother, entrepreneur and serial researcher passionate about health, motherhood, living green, travel and helpful life tools. My blog is committed to sharing the things I'm most passionate about with the broader community in hopes to help others live the most fulfilling life possible.
Check me out at:
Blog: www.touttoday.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/touttoday
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tout/128982127156837
Leah K. Dillon
Wife. Mother. Entrepreneur
Hi Amber! Welcome to the club and feel free to check out my blog: Swanky Baby http://swankybaby1.blogspot.com. I'm looking forward to checking yours out too!
Welcome! I just wanted to introduce myself, and my blog, The Book Buff: Book Reviews for Regular People. Check it out at http://www.thebookbuff.blogspot.com
It can be a bit overwhelming around here, so if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!
-Kate the Book Buff


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The Ochsendorf Company is a family-owned business that has been providing promotional products, unique gifts, and packaging for over 40 years. We are a full service, promotional advertising agency. Originally founded by Eugene R. Ochsendorf, the company is currently directed by son, Robert J. Ochsendorf. Our Columbus, Ohio headquarters features a 4,000 square foot showroom, offices warehouse, distribution and fulfillment center.
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EXECUTIVE GIFTS - Leather items • Desk accessories • Portfolios • Executive Toys
SPECIAL EVENTS - Golf outings • Company picnics • Theme parties
FUNDRAISING - Our Castles and Dreams division specializes in assisting you with ideas and merchandise that helps generate funds for your charity or cause.
BRANDED APPAREL & TEXTILES - T-Shirts • Sweatshirts • Hats • Golf Shirts • Jackets • Aprons • Tote Bags • All Textiles
ELECTRONICS / COMPUTER ACCESSORIES - USB Flash Drives, iPods, Mousepads
IDENTIFICATION & SIGNS - Name plates (plastic and metal) • Decals • Stickers • Magnets • Badges • Buttons
GRAPHIC DESIGN - Whether you need a logo designed or typesetting for a specific project, our graphic design department can take your sketch and turn it into a masterpiece.
LOCAL PICK-UP & DELIVERY - No need to waste time away from your office. We'll bring everything to you!
OFFICE PRODUCTS - Journals . Letter Pads • Writing Instruments • Ring Binders • Calendars • Portfolios
JEWELRY - Custom watches • Lapel pins • Rings • Necklaces • Precious metal and gems for awards, gifts, achievement, anniversary
SPECIAL PROGRAMS - Safety & Recognition programs • Gift Certificates • Gift Cards • Incentive Programs


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Wow! Just look at all the crazy! We ran across this clip from a New Left Media documentary on YouTube, and we just had to make sure you see it!
The interviewer talks to a number of right wingers, and the ignorance just oozes from them! They really don't like Obamacare, as we have figured out by now–and they certainly know why! Socialism! While they don't quite know what the word means, thanks to Glen Beck and FOX News they know enough to know they hate it! In fact, after watching this we're sure that they don't know much else!
While we could tell you the plethora of horrors you will see while viewing this, we'd rather just let you see for yourself exactly how moronic America's right wing proves to be. Their unwavering opposition to all things rational would be impressive, if it was not also destroying our nation.


text: Without putting too fine a point on it, this Christmas was largely a flop for gamers, with a paltry amount of titles released during the biggest buying season of the year. We know Modern Warfare 2 scared many publishers into postponing their games' releases into 2010, but why do the publishers persist with dumping all . . . → Read More: The Playlist: January 2010


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Our all-round waterbed
The Oregon waterbed is a quality waterbed with a smart finish and a proven technology.
It is available in over 80 colours and can be upgraded with numerous accessories.
Custom work is no problem for the Oregon. That is why it also the best choice if you want to install a waterbed in your existing bedstead.
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Length: 190, 200, 210, 220 cm
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The indicated lengths and widths are always 'order sizes'. The actual dimensions deviate from these. Click here for more info.
XL of XXL extension
This extension is useful for installation in combination with a head- and/or footboard. This option creates more space between the bed and the head- or footboard, so making the bed is easier. The bedframe (soft-side) is 5 cm longer at the head end (XL) or 5 cm at the head and foot end (XXL).
Other fabrics
Should you not find your choice in our extensive fabric collection, then there is always the possibility to provide a fabric yourself. Of course, the fabric must be suitable for upholstery. Please ask for advice from your local vendor or our technical service.
Water mattresses
The correct choice of the mattress is important for personal comfort.
Covers for the perfect hygienic sleep system.
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Choose the right colour to match your interior.
Waterbed technology
Technology for your comfort.


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The more astute among you will notice that I take a lot of screen shots. I don't just use them here, either—I send at least a few out in e-mails every day to explain this or that to a client. So being able to take nice ones is pretty much my job. And in this tip, explaining to you how to do the same thing is also my job. I'm going to try to cover all the bases here, so hold on to your hats.
If you don't like the default shortcuts I'm going to go over here, by the way, you can always change them in System Preferences > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Screen Shots, but it might be easier to just remember the darned things as they are.
So first of all, the basic screen shot keyboard shortcut is Command-Shift-3. That'll take a picture of your entire screen, place the image file on your Desktop, and dub it "Screen Shot [date] at [time]." (Attractively formatted name, huh?)
The second most popular shortcut is Command-Shift-4, which will turn your cursor into crosshairs. You can click and drag those crosshairs around an object to snap a picture of it when you release.
If you tap the Spacebar after you've hit the above shortcut, you'll get a little camera icon. Hover the camera over a window and click your mouse, and zap! You'll get a fancy shot of that window by itself in a file on your Desktop.
If you decide you want to cancel out on one of these screen shots before you take it, just press Escape.
Here's where things go all crazy, though. If you add the Control key to either of the above shortcuts, the resulting file will go to your clipboard rather than your Desktop—which makes it pretty easy to paste into an e-mail message or a document. So Control-Command-Shift-3 will copy an image of your entire screen to your clipboard, and Control-Command-Shift-4 will allow you to either select a portion of the screen or use a window to create the image. If you'd like to verify what's happened, you can always choose Finder's Edit > Show Clipboard command.
And let's face it—I just wanted to mention Edit > Show Clipboard because I like it. So sue me.
So we've gone over the basics. We've gotten a bit crazy. Now we have complete wildness a-comin'. I hope you're prepared.
You can also use modifier keys after hitting Command-Shift-4 (or Control-Command-Shift-4). Here's the deal: when you've got the crosshairs ready and are drawing a box around your object, hold down Option if you want to resize from the center (as opposed to resizing from the corner where your crosshairs are). You can also hold down the Spacebar, and you will then move your screen shot box around instead of resizing it. Finally, holding the Shift key will make your box resize only along one axis (up-down or left-right, depending on which way you move first). As long as you don't release your mouse button, you can continue to make changes before taking your image. Whew! That's a lot of modifier keys.
There's only a couple more things you need to know, I promise. First, I've already talked about how to change the default screen shot format away from PNG in a previous tip. But did you know you can also change the default screen shot location if you don't like them popping up on the Desktop? To do this, open Terminal (from Applications > Utilities), and type in the following:
defaults write com.apple.screencapture location [Path?]
Instead of "[Path?]," of course, you'll need to fill in where you want your screen shots to go. You can do this pretty easily by typing the above command, hitting a space after "location," and then dragging in the folder where you want the screen shots to live. Terminal will fill the path in for you that way, and it'll look something like this:
defaults write com.apple.screencapture location /Users/melissa/Documents
Finally, if you need more control over your screen shots than these keyboard shortcuts have the capability for, there are plenty of other options to check out. For example, you have a program in your Applications > Utilities folder called Grab that, among other things, will allow you to take timed screen captures. That's pretty useful if you ask me. There are also tons of third-party choices—one that I've heard some TMO staff members mention is called Skitch. It's free and can be found on the Mac App Store. The program I personally rely on for most of my own images here is Snapz Pro X, which is not free, but it's well worth its $69 price tag for my purposes.


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STOCKTON - Authorities are warning parents, students and school officials to be alert and cautious following an attempted kidnapping and a series of other incidents involving men who approached school-age children near area schools.
STOCKTON - Authorities are warning parents, students and school officials to be alert and cautious following an attempted kidnapping and a series of other incidents involving men who approached school-age children near area schools.
The attempted kidnapping occurred Monday on Holman Road near Bryant Drive, not far from Cesar Chavez High School. According to police, a 15-year-old girl was walking home from school when a gray, four-door sedan with a white vertical sticker on the windshield pulled up alongside her.
The driver, described as an Indian man 30 to 40 years old standing 5 feet 8 to 5 feet 10 inches tall with a thin build, asked the girl if she needed a ride. When the girl said no, the man got out of his car, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her toward the vehicle, but the girl broke free, ran home and called police, authorities said. The Stockton Police Department released a sketch of the would-be kidnapper.
On Tuesday, an Oakwood Elementary student was walking home from school when a light-skinned man, about 20 years old and wearing a hooded sweatshirt, ran up from behind and slapped her buttocks, police said. The victim ran to her house, while the man fled south on Dutchess Street, officers said.
On Wednesday, a bald, white man in a white pickup parked in the parking lot at John Muir Elementary School and tried to engage two female students in conversation, police said. When the students started walking toward the office, the man drove out of the parking lot, authorities said.
Then on Thursday at about 3:30 p.m., a parent was waiting to pick up her child at Christa McAuliffe Middle School when she noticed a blue, two-door Chevy pickup parked in front of her vehicle on McAuliffe Road near the overpass, officers said. The driver, an older white man with glasses, attempted to converse with students as they walked past his truck, rolling down his window and asking for directions, then asking students to take him to the street he was looking for, police said.
About 15 minutes later, near the Trinity Parkway Shopping Center, two men in a beige Honda drove by two girls and took pictures of them while they were walking home from school, authorities said.
On Friday at about 8:15 a.m., a man in an older, white, compact four-door car approached a high school-age student who was walking near Harrisburg Place and Rosecrans Way, the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office said. The man pulled in front of the girl and told her to get in the car, deputies said.
The girl refused, and the man then fled north on Harrisburg Place, authorities said. He was described as an unshaven white man in his 40s with a medium build, short brown hair, a tan or brown windbreaker and yellow or brown rotted teeth, deputies said. The Sheriff's Office has released a sketch of the man.
"Recently, there have been several reported cases where young people have been approached by strangers," said Officer Joe Silva, a spokesman for the Police Department. "Even though these appear to be isolated incidents involving different strangers, we want to remind students not to walk alone. Always walk with a friend or in a group. If you are approached by a stranger or a suspicious vehicle, get to a safe place and call for help.
"Remember, try to get a good description of the suspect. Also, for parents or anyone who is picking up students near a school, if you see suspicious activity, call the police immediately."
Contact reporter Jason Anderson at (209) 546-8279 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/crimeblog and on Twitter @Stockton911.


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WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned Congress Tuesday that the budget stalemate and lawmakers' spending choices are among the greatest threats to the U.S. military today, increasing the stress on the force and making it difficult to fund programs that best keep troops ready to fight.
Speaking as lawmakers try to wrap up negotiations on a defense bill, Panetta said defense officials have built a budget that tries to protect military readiness while also providing needed services to troops who have been involved in wars for more than 11 years.
"Nevertheless, there is pressure on the department to retain excess force structure and infrastructure instead of investing in the training and equipment that makes our force agile and flexible and ready," said Panetta, during a wide-ranging speech at the National Press Club. "Aircraft, ships, tanks, bases, even those that have outlived their usefulness have a natural political constituency. Readiness does not. What's more, readiness is too often sacrificed in favor of a larger and less effective force. I am determined to avoid that outcome."
He complained that lawmakers have taken about $74 billion in proposed budget savings and diverted them to programs the Pentagon doesn't need.
And Panetta said the current impasse over how to avoid the "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and more than $1 trillion in automatic spending cuts could inflict lasting damage on America's national defense.
If the automatic cuts are not avoided, the Pentagon could face about $500 billion in across-the-board budget reductions, he said. Failure to find a solution "will weaken this nation in the minds of our allies, our partners, and our potential adversaries, and undermine the work and the sacrifices that our troops are making every single day."
While Panetta also offered an optimistic view of the Afghanistan war, he said that other threats to the U.S. — from al-Qaida-linked terrorists and cyberattacks to hostile powers such as Iran — are growing.
"The threats to our security and our global interests are not receding, as they appeared to do in past wars, coming out of World War II, coming out of Korea, coming out of Vietnam, coming out of the end of the Cold War, where the threats receded," Panetta said. "The fact is today we still confront these threats in the world, threats that are more complex, more dispersed, and in many ways, more dangerous."
Just days after he returned from his most recent trip to Afghanistan, Panetta spoke optimistically about the war effort there. He said the international military coalition has managed to reverse a five-year trend of growing violence and that Afghan forces are on track to take the lead for securing the entire country next year.
And, he said, military commanders "believe that we have fundamentally turned the tide in that effort, after years in which we lacked the right strategy and the necessary resources to try to achieve the mission we are embarked on."
.Panetta spent two days in Afghanistan last week, consulting with top American commanders and with Afghan government officials. He announced during his visit that President Hamid Karzai will come to Washington next month to meet with President Barack Obama to discuss the way ahead.
By all accounts, Panetta is in the final weeks of his tenure as Pentagon chief. He has long said he intends to return to California where his wife Sylvia continues to work at the Panetta Institute for Public Policy, which they founded in 1977.
Chuck Hagel, a former Republican U.S. senator from Nebraska, is considered the leading contender for the job as Panetta's successor.


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Judge: Some immigrants can't be held without bond
SEATTLE (AP) — Certain immigrants can't be held in detention without a chance at a bond hearing, a federal judge ruled late Tuesday.
The ruling from U.S. District Judge Richard Jones stems from a complaint filed on behalf of three men who were held for months at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma with no chance at a bond hearing, where a judge would determine if they present a flight risk or a danger to the community.
The complaint was filed by the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and the American Civil Liberties Union.
"The court's ruling recognizes what is at stake, the anguish and hardship caused by being locked up for months," Matt Adams, legal director of the immigrant rights group, said in a statement Wednesday. "A bond hearing is not a free ticket out of jail. But at least a person has the right to present their case. That is all they are seeking, a fair shot."
The ruling comes as a hunger strike at the Tacoma detention center winds down. Hundreds of immigrants participated in the first few days of the strike. Only four detainees were still refusing food on Wednesday morning, the strike's sixth day.
Activists said the detainees are seeking better food and treatment, as well as to be released on bond while their cases are heard.
At question is a "mandatory detention" rule for immigrants who have been convicted of certain crimes and have served a sentence, and come into the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement dragnet. Over the years, the agency has focused on picking up immigrants who have committed crimes and immediately moving them into deportation proceedings.
But attorneys for the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project said the men in the complaint were arrested years after serving their sentences, and had gone back to their families and jobs. They argued ICE was using a broad interpretation of the federal rule.
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman declined to comment.
"There can be no serious question that some of these aliens present no risk to their communities and no risk of flight, because some of them have been living in this country for decades and have families and careers," Jones wrote. "What the government thinks about a law that locks away peaceable family members without release, the court can only guess."
Adams estimated that of the 1,300 or so immigrants held in Tacoma, about a dozen qualify for this group at any given time. He added ICE was provided with dozens of example beyond the three men in the complaint.
Up next for Adams are meetings with ICE attorneys to see whether any more court action is needed. ICE also has the option to appeal, but it's not known now if that will happen.
There have been other complaints around nation on this subject, Adams said.
"Hopefully we resolved it for folks here, but this is an issue throughout the country," he added.
Manuel Valdes can be reached at http://twitter.com/ByManuelValdes
Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.


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Looking for a new tourer
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Looking for a new tourer
Postby Major Taylor » Tue Mar 27, 2012 1:03 pm
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Re: Looking for a new tourer
Postby RonK » Tue Mar 27, 2012 1:14 pm
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Re: Looking for a new tourer
Postby WestcoastPete » Tue Mar 27, 2012 1:31 pm
There's a reason why everyone and their uncle has an LHT by the way - they're well proven. But the Vivente is better value, is local and is a great ride.
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Re: Looking for a new tourer
Postby Major Taylor » Tue Mar 27, 2012 4:02 pm
RonK wrote:The Vivente World Randonneur, discussed in this thread is highly recommended for its local support and "bang for the buck" inclusions, and is available from Epic Cyles, Baroona Road Paddington, also highly recommended - all the staff are helpful, but talk to Mark for a fellow cycle tourists perspective.
Thanks for that. It looks like a good option. I may call epic and ask about them.
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Re: Looking for a new tourer
Postby il padrone » Tue Mar 27, 2012 5:48 pm
I reckon the Thorn Raven Nomad is the best tourer for my needs.
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Re: Looking for a new tourer
Postby Meditator » Tue Mar 27, 2012 11:28 pm
Are these touring bikes that are discussed made of steel? If you are not touring in Australia but overseas, what difference does it make where the bike originates - except that's its obviously easier to get one?
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Re: Looking for a new tourer
Postby Baalzamon » Wed Mar 28, 2012 1:00 am
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Re: Looking for a new tourer
Postby GregLR » Wed Mar 28, 2012 9:22 am
Meditator wrote:Why does it have to be steel?
Titanium, for example ? As noted in the very helpful link posted by IP, Spa Cycles in the UK offer several brands of ti touring bikes (Sabbath & their own Chinese-made model). See:
http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php ... 87s21p1995
http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php ... b0s21p2554
CTC's review of the Spa Cycles ti touring bike is here: http://www.ctc.org.uk/resources/Magazine/201107062.pdf
But are there many traditional touring bikes made in other materials these days, robust enough to support the rider & luggage and with fittings & clearance for pannier racks ? Cannondale made an aluminium tourer for years but my quick search suggests that it's no longer offered. But I found others in the following CTC reviews:
- Santos 'Travelmaster' aluminium expedition bike, reviewed along with the Thorn 'Nomad': http://www.ctc.org.uk/resources/Magazine/201007054.pdf
- 3 aluminum expedition bikes: http://www.ctc.org.uk/resources/Magazine/201011058.pdf
- Dawes 'Vantage' (budget tourer): http://www.ctc.org.uk/resources/Magazine/201105064.pdf
- Edinburgh Cycles' 'Revolution Country Traveller' has an aluminium frame - there's a CTC review of this and another (steel) budget tourer, the Raleigh 'Royal', in the Dec '11/Jan '12 issue of CTC's "Cycle" magazine but it's not up on the website yet.
This page on the FW Evans site in the UK gives a rundown of the variety of touring bikes they offer at various price points, with prices in $A which would exclude the 20% VAT (though I haven't investigated Evans' shipping costs).
http://www.evanscycles.com/categories/b ... =AUSTRALIA
Here are links to CTC reviews of some steel touring bikes:
- Surly 'LHT' is reviewed on the 3rd page of this article: http://www.ctc.org.uk/resources/Magazine/201111056.pdf
- Thorn 'Club Tour': http://www.ctc.org.uk/resources/Magazine/200909060.pdf
- Dawes 'Super Galaxy': http://www.ctc.org.uk/resources/Magazine/200803062.pdf
- Tout Terrain 'Panamericana' expedition bike: http://www.ctc.org.uk/resources/Magazine/200903058.pdf
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Looking for a new tourer
Postby RonK » Wed Mar 28, 2012 1:57 pm
Aluminum is the frame material of choice in Europe - as well as Santos there is Koga Miyata, idworx and many others, and for ti, Van Nicholas, now owned by Koga is the go. If you can get one delivered, the idworx Off Rohler or Ti Rohler are very innovative and excellent quality bikes.
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Re: Looking for a new tourer
Postby elStado » Mon Apr 23, 2012 4:16 pm
Major Taylor wrote:I am looking at replacing my ancient bike and am looking for suggestions for models. I found that Fuji makes a touring bike but not in my size (60/61). Kona makes one which looks nice to me (Kona Sutra) but there don't seem to be any dealers in Brisbane. I don't want a Surley as everyone and their uncle owns one plus I think they cost a bit much. Who makes a reasonably priced steel touring frame that I can purchase right here in Brisbane?
Go the Vivente World Randonneur mate, or at least put it at the top of your short list for consideration. Aussie company (made OS though), well thought out and designed (Noel McFarlane tours each model through the year and takes on any suggestions for improvements from customers too), great bang for buck and almost perfect off the shelf touring bike in terms of design and features. Not much you would want to change or modify unless you have a specific purpose for it.
I got one a couple of weeks ago (the 2012 drop bar STI version) and I am very happy with it. Only a few small niggles and things that need modification/changing, e.g. changed the saddle and the rear rack, plus I have to clean up the cables (which the bike shop offered to do but I was happy to DIY anyway).
I just started up a cycling/touring blog (link in my sig) and I will be doing a in-depth user review of the VWR in the next few days (maybe on Wednesday as I've been stuck home with a bad cold for the past few days).
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Re: Looking for a new tourer
Postby Baldy » Mon Apr 23, 2012 6:49 pm
- elStado
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Re: Looking for a new tourer
Postby elStado » Tue Apr 24, 2012 7:49 pm
elStado wrote:I just started up a cycling/touring blog (link in my sig) and I will be doing a in-depth user review of the VWR in the next few days (maybe on Wednesday as I've been stuck home with a bad cold for the past few days).
Got this review done today, can be found here for anyone interested: http://velophileaustralia.wordpress.com ... s-version/
Any questions feel free to leave them on the blog.
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The government shutdown may have ended, but the bitter partisanship and unwillingness to compromise that permeates our politics is unlikely to disappear. Partisan gridlock and bickering has come to define government for too many voters, justifiably leading to frustration and outrage with the entire process.
The recent shutdown was merely the latest example of a political system that seemingly gets uglier as the years go by. Political battles have defined our nation since the dawn of our republic, but the intransigence of lawmakers and their abdication of responsibility just led to a government stoppage of more than two weeks.
Unfortunately, there is no single root cause of this problem. Voters can point to the influence of money in the political process or the 24-hour news cycle, but one of the most significant sources of our political headaches today is gerrymandering.
Gerrymandering has been a tool to consolidate political power for centuries.
Used by both Democrats and Republicans alike, politicians use the redistricting process after each census to draw state legislative and congressional districts to favor the party in power.
In North Carolina, we saw Democrats do this for years to help maintain their power in Raleigh. And after Republicans won control of the General Assembly in 2010, they followed the same playbook. No matter which party is in power, gerrymandering puts that power over the best interest of voters.
By drawing district boundaries to favor one party over the other, a vast majority of districts end up being "safe" for one political party. That means one party is a virtual lock to win elections in that district, which leads to a lack of competition in campaigns and deprives voters of any real choice on Election Day.
In addition, a lawmaker elected from one of these safe districts does not have to worry about appealing to a broad cross section of moderate or independent voters to succeed politically. Rather, their only real concern becomes ensuring they do not face a primary challenge from the left or right. As a result, you find lawmakers deeply entrenched on one side of the political divide and unwilling to compromise on anything.
If legislative districts were drawn with the focus on voters' interests and not political power we would produce more competitive districts, forcing candidates and elected officials to speak to more than just the base of their political party. In the end, this would not only give voters a real say in who represents them, but it could also lead to a more well-functioning government.
While taking politics out of redistricting may sound like a fantasy, it is achievable. Several other states have already moved toward such a system and here in North Carolina the idea enjoys broad, bipartisan support. Many Republicans and Democrats in the General Assembly, and civic leaders across the state, have endorsed the idea of reforming the process to make it less political.
The next round of redistricting is still seven years away and even the best political prognosticator has no idea which party will be in power when the time comes to redraw legislative and congressional districts. So now is the time to enact meaningful reform, take politics out of redistricting and restore accountability to the political process.
Brent Laurenz is executive director of the N.C. Center for Voter Education, a Raleigh-based organization that promotes citizen participation in their democracy.
Brent Laurenz - Take politics out of redistricting
The government shutdown may have ended, but the bitter partisanship and unwillingness to compromise that permeates our politics is unlikely to disappear. Partisan gridlock and bickering has come to define government for too many voters, justifiably leading to frustration and outrage with the entire process.


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Former boxing champion Mike Tyson is set to produce a movie about his early years in the ring.
The Hangover star will work with his wife, Lakiha Spicer, to chronicle his meteoric rise to the top of the boxing world, which resulted in him becoming the youngest heavyweight champion ever at the age of 20.
Tyson is looking to cast an unknown to play himself, but he wants Kevin Spacey to portray his mentor and trainer, Cus D'Amato, and Helen Mirren to star as his adoptive mother, Camille Ewald, according to the New York Post.
Last year (13), Tyson brought his life story to the Broadway stage in a one-man show, which was directed by filmmaker Spike Lee.


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August 10. 2013 10:24PM
Garry Rayno's State House Dome: Electric costs again before Legislature
By GARRY RAYNO
State House Bureau
As New York Yankee sage Yogi Berra once said, "It's déjà vu all over again."
A meeting last week of the Electric Utility Restructuring Oversight Committee was eerily similar to legislative hearings two decades ago when lawmakers clashed with the state's electric utilities over how best to deregulate or restructure the electric industry.
In the early 1990s, the goal was to lower consumers' electric bills, which were among the highest in the country. Today, lawmakers want to reduce the bite on small businesses and residential customers who continue to buy power from Public Service of New Hampshire.
The deregulation of the industry separated electricity transmission and distribution from power production, which puts the risk for building new power plants on investors, not ratepayers.
The separation did not quite come to fruition in New Hampshire because of what was happening at the time in California, where price spikes and rolling blackouts resulted when Enron and other large electric suppliers manipulated the market.
During that period, all but one of New Hampshire's electric utilities, Public Service, had shed their ownership in power plants, and even Public Service was well on its way to reaching that goal; the company had sold its share of the Seabrook nuclear plant and many of its hydro-generating facilities.
Not wanting New Hampshire to experience the same problems California had seen, lawmakers allowed Public Service to retain its existing generating plants, including its fossil-fuel plants in Bow, Portsmouth and Newington.
Some folks warned against Public Service's retaining the plants, saying it would shatter any possibility of developing a competitive energy market for small business and residential customers. The critics' dire predictions did not come true for 15 years, but now the situation is reaching crisis stage.
As expected, the competitive market developed quickly for large electric users, such as factories and major retailers, and almost 100 percent of those companies moved to other suppliers a decade ago.
For much of the last 20 years, Public Service's power price has been competitive for small-business and residential customers, and few alternative suppliers were willing to wade into the market.
But that has changed in the last few years.
Today, more than half of New England's power is produced by natural gas, whose price has fallen to record lows.
As a result, electric costs have fallen, and Public Service's fossil-fuel generating plants cost much more per kilowatt hour to operate and maintain than the going rate in the New England market.
A competitive market has developed for smaller consumers, and now 55 percent of all the electricity flowing through Public Service's service area comes from alternative suppliers.
But with more and more small businesses and residential customers leaving Public Service, the cost has gone up for those remaining with the company on what is known as default service.
Default customers now pay the highest electric rates in New England.
One of the main reasons for the high rates is a $422 million emission scrubber at Merrimack Station that began operating about two years ago.
Since that time, the company has been recovering the cost of the scrubber from its customers.
Public Service worked with lawmakers in 2006 on a law mandating the scrubber as part of a program to significantly reduce mercury emissions. As a result, Public Service claims it legally can recover 100 percent of its investment.
That is very similar to the company's claims 20 years ago, particularly for its investment in Seabrook Station and its obligation to buy over-market-priced electricity from a half-dozen wood-burning power plants.
As was the case then, the company now wants to collect 100 percent of what are called stranded costs from its customers. Stranded costs are akin to the costs a homeowner faces when a house is worth less than what is owed on the mortgage.
Twenty years ago, Public Service eventually wrote off some of its investment in Seabrook, but the company's former CEO, Gary Long, said last week before the legislative oversight committee that Public Service is not going to write off any of its stranded costs this time if it is forced to sell its generating plants, which the Public Utilities Commission staff, environmentalists and the company's competitors are all pushing.
And as was the case 20 years ago, those opposing Public Service's position say the utility has greatly inflated the value of the plants, and consumers should not be burdened with ensuring the profits of Public Service's parent company, Northeast Utilities, for the next 20 years to pay off those stranded costs.
All this set up a heated exchange between Long and Sen. Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro, last week before the oversight committee.
In defending his company's position that the power plants are needed, Long laid out four or five reasons why electric rates were high, and all were attributable to what lawmakers or state regulators had done.
That set off Bradley, who reminded Long the company was complicit in many of the problems Long outlined, and the war of words began.
There is obviously a lot of blood in the water right now.
Like 20 years ago, this is not going to be an easy or quick fight, but both sides know time is short as more and more Public Service costumers leave for other power suppliers and the cost for those remaining customers goes up.
The vice president of one of the competitive suppliers, Dan Allegretti of Constellation Energy, said the situation is like playing musical chairs. "If you're the last customer standing, you'll be handed a bill for four hundred and something million dollars," he told the committee.
Lawmakers know they are going to have to do something, but just what is the question, particularly in an election-year session.
- - - - - -
Brown Alert: Although former Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Scott Brown appears more interested in running for governor of the Bay State than jumping the border and seeking a showdown with U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., that did not stop her campaign from ramping up the fundraising last week.
Brown appeared in Salem Friday to benefit state Republican Rep. Joe Sweeney's reelection campaign.
According to the Friends of Jeanne Shaheen email, written Friday by Kari Thurman: "For Brown, who's said he 'isn't ruling out' running against Jeanne, this is his fifth trip here in the last four months. He's also got Karl Rove talking him up in the pages of the Wall Street Journal.
"Jeanne is the only Democrat elected to the Senate from New Hampshire in 30 years. The only way to win again - especially against fundraisers as prolific as Brown and Rove - is to run the strongest grassroots campaign in New Hampshire history.
"To do that, we need 150 donations to come together by midnight to show Brown the strength of the campaign we're building. Jeanne is counting on your support - it's the only way."
Shaheen has already raised several millions dollars for her reelection effort, while there are no officially announced candidates on the Republican side, although Bradley, former state Sen. Jim Rubens and former gubernatorial candidate Karen Testerman are exploring a run.
- - - - - -
Rest In Peace: Former state Sen. Leo Fraser, R-Pittsfield, died last week at the age of 86.
Fraser served five terms in the Senate from 1991 to 2000 and served three terms in the House, where he chaired the Commerce Committee.
Fraser, who served a short time as the state's insurance commissioner, was the Senate's insurance expert, but also worked on many economic development initiatives. In the House, he was one of the architects of the Pease Development Authority, created to develop the former Air Force base after it was closed.
Fraser was a true gentleman and one of the nicest people to grace the halls of the State House. He will be missed.


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'Nova faces deep threat from UNC in NCAA opener
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Villanova fans had no idea when Miami beat North Carolina 68-59 back in January that something bad had just happened to them.
It was then that a discouraged Roy Williams decided to stray from his long-established coaching philosophy and install a smaller lineup. As a result, Carolina (24-10) has turned its season around and developed some topflight 3-point shooters.
That could be a problem when Villanova (20-13) faces North Carolina on Friday in the second round of the NCAA tournament because perimeter defense has been a season-long bugaboo for the Wildcats.
"They definitely shoot the ball well," said Villanova guard Ryan Arcidiacono. "In practice earlier today we were working on it. That's what we've been trying to do these past couple days, just trying to get better at defending the 3-point line."
Carolina has hit 255 3-pointers — almost eight a game — and accelerated the pace as the season wore on. Complicating things for anyone trying to guard the perimeter against the Tar Heels is the height of some of their top shooters, Reggie Bullock (6-7) and P.J. Hairston (6-5). Hairston, a part-time starter, is 81 for 208 from behind the arc while Bullock is 84 for 192 — a solid 43.8 percent.
The Wildcats have given up 30 more 3-pointers than they've scored.
"They have great guard play," said Arcidiacono. "Great shooters, great defenders. Me, Darrun (Hilliard), the rest of the guards we have great responsibility. But at the end of the day, it just falls on just doing what we do. We have to focus on the little things. It's just a matter of not letting them play harder than us."
Williams admits it was tough making the decision to go in a different direction.
"It's been interesting and it's also been scary because it's not something I've been comfortable with," Williams said. "Most coaches develop a philosophy, a style that they stick with most of the time. If you've done it for 25 years as a head coach, you're probably not going to change very much."
North Carolina will be facing one of the most up-and-down teams in the tourney. The Wildcats were good enough to beat both Louisville and Syracuse, and bad enough to lose at home to Columbia by 18 and Alabama by 22. Just before the Alabama debacle, they carved out an 89-81 overtime win over Purdue.
"The coaching staff was sitting there saying, 'Who is this team?' In the Purdue game, we were saying the same thing — who is this team?" said coach Jay Wright. "They've had some incredible accomplishments, and we've had some great disappointments. That's just the personality of this team."
It could be a memorable day for Williams in more ways than one. If his eighth-seeded Tar Heels get past the ninth-seeded Wildcats, it will be his 700th career victory, a plateau few have reached.
"That is a great accomplishment for him and I am honored to be a part of it," said Tar Heel guard Dexter Strickland.
Said Bullock, "It would mean a lot to me and this team. "He has been a great person to us. We definitely want to make him get to that point."
A total of 418 of those wins came during Williams' 15 years at Kansas. And thousands of Jayhawk fans cramming the Sprint Center to see their team play Western Kentucky later Friday know it well.
Many were bitter when Williams left for North Carolina three years after turning the Tar Heels down and vowing to remain a Jayhawk for life. Many are still bitter, even though Kansas has faced Williams' North Carolina teams twice in the NCAA tournament since then, and won twice.
Tis is the first time Williams has brought his team just a few miles from the Jayhawks' storied Allen Fieldhouse. The reception he gets on Friday will be interesting.
If Kansas and North Carolina both win on Friday, they'll meet for a third time under Williams in the third round on Sunday. Williams and his players say it's nothing they've given a thought to.
"When I came back to North Carolina, it was a very emotional thing," Williams said. "It's a very emotional thing when I didn't go the first time and it was when I did go the second time. I realize some people were upset when I left. Hopefully, time is going to cure a lot of those problems."


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Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School as well as Mountain Brook, Homewood, Oak Mountain, Hoover, Vestavia Hills and Spain Park high schools are ranked. Others on the list are Loveless Academic Magnet Program and Booker T. Washington Magnet School in Montgomery; Grissom, Huntsville; Bob Jones, Madison; and Alabama School of Math and Science in Mobile.
The Challenge Index was created in 1998 by Washington Post education reporter Jay Mathews to determine how committed a school is to preparing an average student for college. The index divides the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Advanced International Certificate of Education college-level tests given at a specific school by the number of seniors who graduate.
In past years, Mathews looked at Washington-area public high schools. This year, he expanded the index to 1,904 public schools throughout the nation.
"With a few exceptions, public schools that achieved a ratio of at least 1.000, meaning they had as many tests in 2010 as they had graduates, were put on the national list," Mathews said in his report.
"I think 1.000 is a modest standard. A school can reach that level if only half of its students take one AP, IB or AICE test in their junior year and one in their senior year. But this year, only 7 percent of the approximately 27,000 U.S. public high schools managed to reach that standard and be placed on our list.
"AP, IB and AICE are important because they give average students a chance to experience the trauma of heavy college reading lists and long, analytical college examinations."
Mathews said the list also includes what he called an "Equity and Excellence" rate, the percentage of graduating seniors who never took an AP course. The average E and E rate was 16.9 percent. All 12 of the state schools exceeded the average rate.
The Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School scored the best in Alabama with a ratio of 11.7, which means students had the option of taking as many as 11 times the number of tests as it had graduates. The school ranked sixth in the national poll.
Mountain Brook ranked third in the state and 446th nationally with its ratio of 2.6. At fourth place in the state is Homewood with a ratio of 2.4. The school is ranked 555th nationally. Oak Mountain High is fifth in the state and 663rd nationally with a ratio of 2.2.
Rounding out the state schools are Hoover, Vestavia Hills and Spain Park. Hoover, at seventh with a 1.8 ratio, is ranked in the 1005th national spot. Vestavia Hills is 10th with a 1.5 ratio and 1,268th nationally. Spain Park, in 11th place, has a ratio of slightly less than 1.5. It is ranked in the 1,312th national spot.
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Heart Surgery
With heart surgery, small advances in surgical technique can make a world of difference for the patient. At the University of Chicago Medicine, our heart surgeons are constantly refining their approach to surgery--taking steps to improve every aspect of the treatment experience for our patients. From reconstructing failing hearts to offering minimally invasive and robotic cardiac surgery, our surgeons are helping people with heart disease return to active, full lives.
University of Chicago cardiac surgeons are internationally known for their expertise, and have developed some of the most advanced surgical solutions to treat heart failure, heart valve disease, and many other heart conditions.


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Otter Tail County sees continued rise in gun applications
Otter Tail County continues to see a rise in gun applications, with many people surmising a link to the national debate on Second Amendment rights.
On Feb. 22, the county sheriff's office reported five permit to carry applications, three permits to purchase and two handgun renewals. This was for the previous day, on Feb. 21.
Permit to carry applications must be renewed every five years, and applicants must first take classroom training. Permit to purchase renewals take place every year.