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PHILADELPHIA — Urban Outfitters said Thursday that its fiscal fourth-quarter revenue rose 15 percent to $856.8 million, beating analysts' estimates.
Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected revenue of $836.6 million.
The stock rose 12 cents to $43.27 in premarket trading.
CEO Richard Hayne said in a statement that the quarterly performance was helped by new stores, better products and more effective marketing across its brands.
The Philadelphia company, whose brands include Anthropologie, BHLDN, Free People, Terrain and its namesake, said that revenue from stores open at least a year was flat. Removing direct-to-consumer returns at its store, the figure would have increased by a low single-digit percentage rate.
This metric is an indicator of a retailer's health because it excludes results from stores recently opened or closed.
Comparable retail segment sales, which includes direct-to-consumer, climbed 11 percent. This was led by a 37 percent increase at Free People. The Urban Outfitters brand reported an 11 percent rise, while Anthropologie climbed 7 percent.
Direct-to-consumer sales rose 44 percent in the quarter, while wholesale sales rose 22 percent.
Full-year revenue climbed 12 percent to $2.79 billion from $2.47 billion.
Revenue at stores open at least a year dipped 1 percent. Excluding direct-to-consumer returns at its store, the metric would have climbed by a low single-digit percentage rate.
Comparable retail segment sales increased 7 percent.
Direct-to-consumer sales climbed 31 percent for the year. Wholesale segment sales rose 12 percent.
Urban Outfitters Inc. will report its fourth-quarter and full-year financial results on March 11. It has 215 Urban Outfitters stores in the U.S., Canada, and Europe; 180 Anthropologie stores in the U.S., Canada and Europe; Free People wholesale, which sells its product to approximately 1,400 specialty stores and select department stores, 77 Free People stores in the US and Canada; two BHLDN stores and two Terrain garden centers.


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I've just started my Greek studies (I'm all on my own...no teachers) and I have some questions:
When translating (for example "small armies") where should the adj. be placed? Before or after "armies"?
The preposition ")en" (par. 40), when in a sentence preceeding the dative; how exactly does it translate to english...does it become something like "within"?
If anyone has any useful tips on wordorder in general, I would appreciate it!
Thanks! Great Forum!

subset: commoncrawl


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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partners. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Monday, December 5, 2016
Use the information here to help you stay healthy. Learn about which screening tests to get, whether you need medicines to prevent diseases, and steps you can take for good health.
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Two men arrested following Concord police chase of stolen SUV
August 02. 2013 9:54AM
CONCORD – Two Manchester men are under arrest after an early Thursday morning police chase involving a stolen SUV during which a third man was dragged a short distance when he tried to bail out of the car, police said.
The incident began about 12:15 a.m. when a motorcycle officer pulled over a 2003 Range Rover on Loudon Road at the Interstate 93 northbound ramp.
The driver did not have a license to show the officer who recognized him as James Jones, 26, of Manchester. Jones, while talking to the officer, stepped on the accelerator and sped off, heading north onto I-93, according to police.
The officer informed dispatch and other patrol units of what had just happened and learned the Range Rover was reported stolen July 13 in Manchester.
The officer pursued the SUV as it took Exit 15W to get off I-93, then proceeded back onto the highway heading south. The Range Rover then took Exit 14 on Loudon Road and headed to Stickney Avenue where one of the passengers tried to bail out as the SUV was still moving. That man, whose name police did not release, was dragged a short distance.
At that point Jones and another passenger, Amuri Diole, 20, of Manchester, also abandoned the SUV and ran towards the Main Street area, police said.
Other officers converged on the scene and ultimately, caught up to and arrested both Jones and Diole. Jones is charged with receiving stolen property, two counts of resisting arrest, disobeying a police officer and operating a motor vehicle without a license. A parolee, the state Probation and Parole Department also put a hold on him.
Diole is charged with two counts of resisting arrest and one charge of receiving stolen property. His bail was set at $20,0000.
The man who was dragged was treated at the scene by emergency personnel from the Concord Fire Department, according to Lt. John Thomas.
What's next:Jones and Diole are to be arraigned at 11 a.m. today in 6th Circuit Court, Concord District Division.


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Komunitas Salihara
Tucked on a narrow street in south Jakarta, Komunitas Salihara, or Salihara community, is a must visit. Located on a 3,800-square-metre plot, the complex consists of a rooftop theatre, café, gallery and an art store, and is a vibrant centre for Indonesian art and culture both traditional and modern.
Jalan Salihara 16, Pasar Minggu, Jakarta Selatan
+62 21 789 1202+62 21 789 1202


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CDE Organizational Chart (PDF)
A broad overview of how CDE is organized, including the State Board of Education, Commissioner of Education, and other divisions within CDE.
A complete listing of all CDE Divisions, Units and Offices. Each individual "office page" is intended to give a high-level overview of the division, unit or office and also provides a link to that area's home page where more in-depth content is available.
For additional information, see the About CDE page or email Stacey Macklin, firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Squats and shoulder presses are hard enough when done as isolated movements. Let's see what happens when we combine them into one movement, the thruster. The results may surprise you.
Squats and shoulder presses are hard enough when done as isolated movements. Let's see what happens when we combine them into one movement, the thruster. The results may surprise you.
First of all, let's take the heavy-weight part out of the discussion. Think of a weight that you can comfortably shoulder press about 10 times. That is the weight I want you to keep in mind as you read today's column. Since your shoulder-press weight is far less than your squat weight, you should feel pretty comfortable moving through this exercise.
Thrusters are another total-body exercise with loads of benefits. Combining a squat mechanic with a press mechanic and holding it together with a tight core is genius.
Functional movements transfer to daily living. If this is your first time reading my column, I should tell you I love the squat. It is a functional exercise that teaches so many good movement habits. The squat is in most of your daily movements and mastering it will take you far, as will the shoulder press. Understanding its form principles will help your shoulders last for years to come. See my earlier columns on these exercises for the breakdown at reviewjournal.com/trainer.
Thrusters are functional because they condition many areas of the body to move together correctly. Core stability and strength form the glue that holds the upper- and lower-body exercises together. The core will get strong as you progress the thruster by working on form and adding weight.
Thrusters are a great exercise for building back strength. Having the weights in the front rack position does two things. First, it creates an upright torso when squatting to prevent the bar from falling forward. This means the entire back works hard to maintain that posture. Second, you also get some hip training. Athletes who tend to lean forward on a back squat will look a lot better when the weight is in front.
You will notice a stronger back within a few weeks of doing thrusters.
There is a hip mechanic built into the thruster that is superbeneficial to learn.
That is where the thruster gets its name. Thrust for thrusters is achieved by creating speed through the middle of the squat. A full range squat requires the hip to crease below the knee level. When coming out from that bottom position, it is difficult to generate maximum strength. When the hip reaches the midpoint between the knee and full hip extension, it has potential to generate maximum power.
Training athletes to find and engage this point is the difference between lifting 75 pounds and 100 pounds overhead. This is the trick to having the shoulders appear to lift more than their maximum load safely and with ease.
I like to use the analogy of our hips being a supercar parked in the garage. When athletes incorporate efficient hip mechanics into movement they can do extraordinary things.
If unlocking hip potential is tricky for you, get with a trainer at your gym and have him or her help.
Shoulder position and strength will improve from doing thrusters. Having a straight back means the shoulders will be pulled into a stable position. Using the hip to generate speed through the middle means the shoulders don't have as much to lift. The hip will do about 75 percent of the shoulders' work. This means all the shoulder has to do is minimal lifting and mostly stabilization.
Total-body exercises like thrusters are extremely good at tiring athletes.
Supercars use tons of gasoline, and so do your hips. Combine that with all of the stabilization the body does to get a weight from the bottom of a squat to an overhead position and you have a recipe for metabolic conditioning.
Use this exercise as a primary exercise with a few reps at maximum load or as a secondary exercise with high reps and light weight. Either way, you will feel tired and spur your body's natural adaptive ability.
When athletes get tired of thrusters there are some telltale signs. The elbows drop at the bottom of the squat. This means the back is getting tired. Do not lift with a rounded back. Put the weight down and recover some strength. Another cue is for the weights to press slowly toward the overhead position. This means there is no thrust in the athlete's thruster. Take time to recover and try again. You will get better every week. Just be patient and focus on the technique.
If you have issues with squatting or pressing as isolated movements, take time to address them and move properly without pain before progressing to the thruster.
Chris Huth is a Las Vegas trainer. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. Consult your physician before beginning any exercise program.


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For some time there has been a reasonable and just need for limited on-campsite storage, transportation and disposal of wastewater generated by recreational vehicles on dependent campsites in recreational vehicle campgrounds. This need is a matter of convenience; i.e. instead of taking the RV to the dump station, a small portable holding tank is used to temporarily store and transport material prior to final disposal. The Campground Rule does not address or provide for on-campsite wastewater storage at dependent campsites other than that referenced in Bulletin S.E. 13, Rule 410 IAC 6-10.1, and Rule 410 IAC 6-12.
Since 410 IAC 6-7.1 does not specifically address RV holding tanks, the following Guidelines are hereby established. The Guidelines will identify consistent and uniform procedures and methods for the safe and proper methods for wastewater storage and disposal and clarify appropriate use of holding tanks.
The applicable rules that apply to these Guidelines include: RULE 410 IAC 6-7.1, RULE 410 IAC 6-10.1, RULE 410 IAC 6-12, Bulletin S.E. 13, and Bulletin S.E. 11. For the purpose of these Guidelines:
This policy applies to all campgrounds with dependent campsites as defined in 410 IAC 6-7.1, "Recreational Vehicle Campgrounds" and supersedes all previous Guidelines.
Campgrounds with dependent campsites may use portable holding tanks to temporarily store and transport wastewater to an approved sanitary dumping station. Under no circumstances may holding tanks, other than portable holding tanks or vehicle installed holding tanks, be installed or used on any campsite unless the holding tanks are owned and operated by a conservancy district, sewer district, private utility, or municipality as a part of its sewage disposal plan. (410 IAC 6-10.1-49e)
Campground operators may pump on board or portable holding tanks with equipment designed and constructed for that purpose provided that such pumping can be accomplished without spillage. Wastewater pumped from on board or portable holding tanks can only be disposed of into an approved sanitary dumping station. Under no circumstances can wastewater be removed from the property or disposed of in any other manner unless done in full compliance with this Policy or within the parameters of IC 13-18-12. Portable holding tanks or on board holding tanks containing formaldehyde or similar chemicals shall not be disposed of into an on-site sewage disposal system.
Pursuant to 410 IAC 6-7.1-24(c) Campground privies and portable toilets may only be pumped by a wastewater management business licensed under the provisions of IC13-18-12. Disposal of waste generated and pumped from privies and portable toilets must be removed from the campground property and disposed of in compliance with the wastewater management business license.
Effective Date: January 1, 2005
Revison: January 4, 2013


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VANCOUVER, BC – Jay DeMerit has achieved a lot in the game of soccer, and now he can add another honour to the resume.
On Sunday, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC captain was named to the 2012 MLS All-Star First XI, which will represent the league in a match against English Premier League side Chelsea at PPL Park in Chester, Pa., on July 25.
The First XI is chosen by fans, and DeMerit won't necessarily start the match – that decision lies with All-Star coach Ben Olsen, but he will be part of the 32-man squad either way.
"It's great," DeMerit told reporters after a training session at Burnaby Lake field on Monday. "Any time you get a chance to go into something like that it's an honour and a privilege to be voted in.
"Hopefully I can go in and represent the Whitecaps well. These things come with a group effort. You don't have success without your teammates so a big thanks goes out to them as well."
DeMerit credits his improved performances this season to his ability to stay healthy – at just past the halfway mark of this campaign he's only 141 minutes away from eclipsing his 2011 total time on the pitch after struggling with groin and adductor problems – as well as having higher quality teammates on the backline in Martín Bonjour and Young-Pyo Lee.
"It's a lot easier to maintain your consistency when you're out there every week and playing every minute," DeMerit said. "That's the first step. Second, the additions we've added has allowed me to concentrate on my job a little bit more instead of trying to always dictate what others have to do – or instruct others – which can take away from your game.
"I think the combination of all those has allowed me to have a little bit better season and hopefully we can continue that on all levels."
The Green Bay, Wisc., native has helped Vancouver keep nine clean sheets in MLS play, often playing the leading role in a defensive unit which has largely been responsible for the club's current fourth-place position in the Western Conference.
"It's a team effort," head coach Martin Rennie said. "He's been our captain and a good leader for us and he's played consistently very well since I've been here. It's been a well deserved reward for him and I think it represents the team and especially the defensive side of our game very well, because we have been one of the best defensive teams in the league and he's been a big part of that."
Clarke returns from Germany
Whitecaps academy product Caleb Clarke, who recently signed a deal to play with the first team, is back training with Vancouver after picking up an injury while on trial with German third-division side Rot-Weiss Erfurt.
The 'Caps were hoping to loan Clarke out for a year to give him more game time, but because of that injury it now looks as if the German side has lost interest.
Martin MacMahon covers the Vancouver Whitecaps for MLSsoccer.com.


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Time Traveller: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (UK - DVD R2)
Marcus downs a potion and goes back to 1974 in this time travel adventure....
After her mother gets into a car accident, Akari (Riisa Naka) learns of a potion her mother created in order to travel back in time. Briefly waking from her coma, Akari's mother asks her daughter to travel back in time to 1972 and deliver a message to a mysterious man from her past. Unfortunately Akari travels back to 1974 and must now work out how to complete her mission two years after her desired destination.
I'd seen and enjoyed the original animated Girl Who Leapt Through Time back when it was released and I sort of expected the same thing but in live action here. It didn't take long to work out that this live action version was its own story and I have to say it was quite refreshing to see where this new tale was going.
I'd seen on the cover art that this was being touted as a Japanese Back to the Future and this sort of thing usually ends up as a dubious way to sell a movie, but there really are a lot of similarities here. The story of Akari discovering things about her mother's past had the same warm feelings as Back to the Future. The same sort of fun glints are in the adventure and this all feels like a personal journey ala Marty McFly rather than broody sci-fi ala Star Trek.
Time Traveller: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was a light enjoyable drama and the being a massive fan of time travel tales I probably enjoyed it a bit more. It's not all that memorable, as beyond a few emotionally powered dramatic scenes there's nothing in the way of set pieces or originality really. This really comes down to how much you buy into Akari's story and how sensitive you are to the pretty loose science being played with here (waving a hand over someone's face to erase their memory was a bit much for even me). Its comic book sensibilities worked and the odd twists and turns really kept the story alive. Oh and the end was really nice in a way only time travel stories do this well.
I was very impressed with the transfer here. The whole movie looks like a summer's day with bright colours and real warmth. The image is a clean grain free affair throughout, black levels are solid and everything looks nice and sharp.
The bold dark blues of Akari's school uniform, the glowing greens of the sun bathed trees and the red of Akari's scarf look fantastic throughout and even when the setting switches to the seventies with a slighter browner look and a winter backdrop, everything looks great.
Despite lacking the sort of detail HD can provide, this standard definition presentation looks pretty darn great none the less and is one of the best looking DVDs I've seen in a while.
Beyond the crazy weird initial time travel sequence (which really sticks out like a sore thumb from the rest of the movie) the 2.0 audio track doesn't really have much to do. Dialogue is strong and the melodramatic quite typical synth score is decidedly simple without any sort of layering. There's not all that much going on beyond that. The atmospherics are barely noticeable and this track is a simple as they come really.
Two trailers (01:09 and 02:05) and seventeen minutes of film clips (providing a mini version of the entire film??) is all that's on offer here, so pretty disappointing really.
Time Traveller: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a solid time travel story without being all that memorable. The drama is heartfelt and the journey of Akari is really effective but the science fiction element isn't really explored to a satisfying level for me and while that didn't spoil the movie it did leave me wanting a bit more detail.
The disc itself looks fantastic but has lacking audio and extras that let the release down and all in all this ends up being something that's probably a better rental consideration than a blind buy.
Review by Marcus Doidge
Existing Posts
I love the anime. I wonder when the live action will come to the USA.
Yeah, I guess we swallow a lot more of the madder stuff in Anime than we do in live action.
I understand that. No anime adaptation comes nearly as good as the anime itself. It's that 'Unique Charm' that I've been looking for. Like Shinobi: Heart Under Blade, Casshern, and Deathnote live action for example.
I wouldn't say it was as good as the Anime but it has it has its own charms.
Haven't seen this yet. So, the story is really different from the original Toki o Kakeru Shoujo? Glad to hear that this is a decent movie. I thought this will be as bad as another anime adaptations like Blood: Last Vampire or Detective Conan live action.
I read "The Guy Who Leapt Through Time" in your Overall section and immediately did double takes of the screen caps hoping to god it wasn't a man.
Suitable only for persons of 12 years and over
Disc Details
Release Date: 2nd May 2011
Discs: 1
Disc Type: Single side, dual layer
RCE: No
Video: PAL
Aspect: 1.85:1
Anamorphic: Yes
Colour: Yes
Audio: Dolby Stereo 2.0 Japanese
Subtitles: English
Extras: Trailers, Clips
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Masaaki Taniguchi
Cast: Riisa Naka, Akinobu Nakao, Narumi Yasuda
Genre: Drama and Sci-Fi
Length: 116 minutes
5Review Guide
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Playing the Weekly Grand lottery can be very exciting especially if from time to time you are a winner. Winning can be accomplished quit often if the correct system is used. There are many so called experts in the market offering winning number secrets and scratch off ticket recommendations that promise to help you win. Most are not legit. However, there are a few systems on the market that has produced some promising results.
When you consider that that there are many different lottery systems available and lots of past winners you remain anonymous or don't talk about their winning strategies how many more winners might there be who have used such systems?
Think about it: is it possible that a huge percentage of lottery winners are actually using mathematical or statistical formulas to help them win? If that is the case then anyone who is not using a system is merely feeding the prize fund and has an almost zero chance of winning.
Would You Like to Win The Weekly Grand lottery?
Lottery predictions is quite popular these days. People used to be skeptical with the predictions as they thought that the winning numbers are a matter of luck and fortunes. Not many people believe that lottery can be won by using some kind of a sophisticated science based predictions. It was not until the late 90s when lottery players began using lottery predictions to help them to win lottery or at least get closer to the winning numbers. When Gonzalo Garcia-Pelayo, a Spanish man who managed to study and analyze many games in two different countries, Spain and the US and win a lot of money by using different strategies. After him people started to believe that lottery results can be predicted.
Lottery players start thinking about how to win the lotteries using predictions. They use many kinds of predictions: from mechanical predictions on mechanical lotteries to technological predictions using computer software. A lot of people use algorithm to analyze and predict lottery results.
Analysis of Groups
There are many kinds of group analysis that lottery predictors use to get into the winning numbers. Lottery players can group the months having the best winning numbers of a certain period or they can group the numbers winning in certain period of time.
Analysis of Hot-Cold Trend
This algorithm analysis is one of the most favourite so far as it can record the frequency ranks and use the variations to predict the tendencies of hot and cold numbers in the next drawings.
Analysis of Repetition Pattern
A lot of lottery players share the same opinion that repetition is quite important to predict the winning numbers as most of jackpots will appear again in the future.
The analysis mentioned above represents only a part of the strategies that lottery players can use. There are still many other algorithm analysis that can be done by predictors to help them win.
Powerball: How To Use Easy Pick To Win The Powerball
Why bother going to a gas station and buy some Pick 3 tickets when you can go for Pick 3 Online? Yes, you read that right. Pick 3 Online, the same Pick 3 lottery game that everyone is crazed upon can now be played without leaving your own home. If you have been playing the famous lottery game for quite sometime now then going through the ABC's on how to play it would just be a waste of time. Perhaps some guidelines on how to cling closer to the chances of winning might interest you?
If you've been playing the lottery game by betting your favorite numbers, you probably noticed that it doesn't pay out the way you expected it. Using favorite numbers are already a thing of the past when it comes to betting. Upon getting to try the Pick 3 Online, try a new strategy other than guessing; that would have to be not guessing at all. Pick 3 Online lottery is not a game of chance but a somewhat mathematical and logistic inclined game for the itching winner.
Be careful of downloading systems that assure you of winning online betting games. Those that offer cheats with a price seldom work and would just make a run for your money. Be mindful of the fact that online lottery games like Pick 3 Online are more of taking good strategy than taking a chance.
Winning the Weekly Grand lottery is very rewarding. Give this system a spin and watch your winnings grow.


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Response to the draft 'BEREC Strategy 2018-2020' consultation
|Jul 5, 2017
|Latest News
|FTTH Council Europe
The FTTH Council Europe responded today to the consultation on the draft BEREC strategy 2018-2020.
In its response, the FTTH Council Europe welcomes the importance of Very High Capacity (VHC) networks in the new draft and fully endorses the view that competition will drive VHC investments. The FTTH Council believes that the competitive process should drive private investments in telecom networks but notes the need for a stronger focus on infrastructure-based competition vis-a-vis service-based competition.
The FTTH Council also welcomes BEREC's priority on empowering consumers and highlights that the most important aspects mentioned is consumer protection which includes clear and transparent information on network performance.
You can download our response through the link below
< back


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Prospress needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 93 designs submitted by 31 freelance designers.
For thousands of years, the Golden Koi has represented both adversity and prosperity. This oversized Goldfish spends much of its life struggling in a swim upstream. But if a Koi reaches the "Waterfall Gate" at the end of the stream, it is transformed into a powerful "Water Dragon". At least, that's the legend.
Can you craft a clever logo that captures the spirit of prosperity that this legend conveys?
This logo will become the visual figurehead of Prospress.com, a soon to be launched online marketplace. Ideally, the logo should represent prosperity in an aesthetically clever, yet simple manner.
The target audience for your creation are startup mavericks. They have seen more startup logos than they care to remember. This logo should be one they care to remember.
You don't need to include a water dragon or any other element from the introduction. That was just to set the scene. :)
But the design does need:
- Clever factor.
- Simple, yet impactful representation of a Koi or some variation of a Goldfish or fishes.
- "Prospress" in a font that will make even a typography snob feel warm inside.
- Preferably a gold & red colour scheme, in a flavour of your choosing.
- Vector format preferred.
The 'clever' factor of the logo is very important. It's hard to define what the clever feature should be, really anything that gives the viewer an "ah" moment once they see it. Something like the hidden arrow in the FedEx logo, or the a to z arrow/smile in Amazon's logo. Google can show you many more examples of clever logos.
The rest, I leave up to your artistic genius.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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|2011 Wamidan Spring Concert Album 1
The 11th Annual Wamidan Spring Concert brought the College's world music ensemble together with the Wamidan Children's Ensemble and guest artists for an evening of songs ranging from Acholi children's songs to Argentinian ballads to folk songs of the Baganda people.
In the photo above, Marshall Horton sings "We are the People of This World" with his mom, Wamidan Children's Ensemble Co-Director Naomi Horton, along with the rest of the Children's Ensemble. The song was written by Children's Ensemble Director Stella Sabina.


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Financial Markets… Ukraine's hryvnia tumbled against the dollar on Wednesday as the country's central bank scaled back support for the currency amid shrinking foreign reserves and growing withdrawals from banks. The hryvnia depreciated as much as 4% to a record low of 10 per dollar, with Ukraine's turmoil spreading to Russian financial markets where the ruble weakened to five-year lows and bank stocks slumped. With mounting political uncertainty, Ukraine's 5-year sovereign credit-default swaps spreads jumped 76 basis points and the country's dollar bonds due in 2017 have erased over half the gains made in a strong rally on Monday that followed a collapse of previous government.
High Income Economies…With consumers expressing concerns about the short-term outlook for business conditions, jobs, and earnings, the Conference Board U.S. consumer confidence index fell to 78.1 in February from a downwardly revised 79.4 in January. While consumers' appraisal of current conditions improved for the fourth straight month, a larger share of consumers expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months dropped and those anticipating business conditions to worsen rose. Consumers were also more pessimistic about the outlook for the labor market.
The British economy grew as estimated in Q4 2013, while the full year 2013 growth came in weaker than initial calculations. GDP expanded 0.7% (q/q sa) matching initial estimates, following Q3's 0.8% increase. For whole year 2013, GDP growth was revised down marginally to 1.8% from 1.9%. Output of the agriculture, forestry & fishing industries fell by 0.1% (q/q), on top of the 2.7% decrease seen in Q3. Total production increased by 0.5% while the service sector grew by 0.8%.
The GDP of Hong Kong SAR, China increased 1.1% (q/q sa) in Q4 2013, following a 0.7% increase in Q3. For the whole of 2013, GDP increased 2.9% over the prior year. Both private consumption and government consumption gained 3.2% (y/y) in Q4, while gross domestic fixed capital formation grew by 5.3%. At the same time, merchandise exports saw a 5.8% increase while imports increased by 6.5%.
Developing Economies…Europe and Central Asia: Hungary's unemployment decreased for the third consecutive month to 8.9% in January, the lowest rate in four years, from 9.1% in December 2013. Hungary's unemployment rate was at its lowest in January 2009, when it stood at 8.4%. Year-on-year, the number of unemployed fell by 94,000 in January to 393,000 and the number of employed persons increased by 175,000 to 4.03 million. Youth unemployment edged up slightly to 24.2% from 24.1% in December.
Latin America and the Caribbean: Mexico's trade balance deteriorated in January, moving into a deficit of US$3.2bn, the highest on record, after posting a surplus for two consecutive months in November and December 2013. Driving the deficit, exports fell 1.0% (y/y) as oil exports contracted 15.8%, offsetting a 2% increase in non-oil exports. Month-on-month, exports decreased 15.8%. Imports rose moderately, by 0.3% (y/y).


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10 Beyonce Magazine Covers We'll Never Forget
Beyoncé's February 2013 GQ cover has officially been unveiled, and it features the megastar in one of her most racy shots ever. The wife, mother, actress and platinum recording artist is proving that she still has it, but has it ever really left? We think not. Bey has been sexy, and we're out to prove it with "10 Beyonce Magazine Covers We'll Never Forget" Get familiar.


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I would say 7 or 10 :)
7 because its the first one i reaaaaaaaallllyyy loved,
but i think 10 just swings it for me. Tidus and Yuna forever <3
i quite like 13 though.
Yuna and Tidus forever <3
I like 7 just because it took several 'leaps.' You can love it or hate it but it changed a lot of things and we see the effects of it in games that followed. I thought 8 had a better love story then 10. And a lot of people are going to make mention of you liking 13 lol. As for the 'best' while it's not my favorite probably 9. It didn't stand out in anyway but it just seemed to do everything right.
want to get back into rp
Tigerleelee wrote:
I would say 7 or 10 :)
7 because its the first one i reaaaaaaaallllyyy loved,
but i think 10 just swings it for me. Tidus and Yuna forever <3
i quite like 13 though.
Amazing minds think alike. LOL joke.
7 was pretty good. Started playing the prequel first, which had a real fun battle system.
10 felt pretty long. Background which is pretty cool. (Yes, Tidus and Yuna! Pretty sad they separated though) <which adds up more points this game.
13 is.. e. I just watched while cousin's playing. (Aww poor me. XD) Had a pretty cool cast. (Oh.. Fang! XD)
I, Final Fantasy 1, will knock you all down!
But seriously, there are a lot of good aspects to FF1. There are no tacked-on cinema scenes, or obligatory dramatic sequences. None of the characters are annoying, because barely any of them have more than three lines of dialogue. The game constantly throws challenges at the player, from the Marsh Cave all the way to the final dungeon. And since the game lets the player choose a party of four, it was one of the few NES games which can be replayed with a somewhat different experiences every time.
There's also a lot of bad aspects to FF1. The NES version can be punishingly tough. (The GBA version might be too easy... consider the iOS, PS1 or PSP remakes.) It lacks features which showed up in later video games, and a few features that existed in other 1987-vintage games, like multiple save files. And if you like games with lots of plot, characters, and customization, then it's not for you.
VIII despite the iffy battle-system. Great story that made no sense (just the way I like my stories <3), coupled with one hell of an atmosphere, thanks to some breathtaking (at the time) graphics and probably Nobuo Uematsu's best work to date.
Just listen to [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jho-peCAKs]Man with the Machine Gun and tell me it's not the greatest thing ever.
Are you bored or are you blind - beware the contents of your mind
FF6 , a more gothic and longer game. Plus i feel like the gameplay is tighter than other ff games
http://youtu.be/txINV-l0qlI GOD FUCKING SPEED
7 was pinnacle in reaching mainstream success but I'd toss my hat at Parts 1 and "2" (aka FF4)
ღ - https://youtu.be/GSyXSeAHL_k - ღ
I liked the first eight Final Fantasy games. Nine was alright, ten was better, skipped 11, and love 12.
FF7 was good at its time and you can also explore the entire world when you advance far enough, but the first part sticking to the city was a little boring to me, it's when he breaks out and gets into the larger world is when I started to really like this game.
FF8 Was fun and had good replay-ability and played through a half dozen times or more. Like FF7 I didn't like being contained in the city for the first part of the game, but once out and collecting draw points the game started to get more interesting.
FF9 Played most of the way through twice when the game was still new. I haven't played it since, but do have good memories of the game. I know I won't have the time to play it again.
FF10 I've played through and beat four or five times since it was new and only played it through once a few months ago, which isn't something I've done in years.
Final Fantasy 12 is my favorite of them all. The world is absolutely huge and you can literally wander everywhere without having to strictly stick to the story ala 13. I found that once you get used to the battle system that killing monsters was actually fun and having a three dimensional fight was more to my liking.
FF13 I didn't like this as it's not the Final Fantasy I grew up playing and gets further and further from being an RPG with every new FF13 release. I guess to me the best graphics don't always make for the best games. I'd happily play FF1 before I'd play 13 again.
Living with the Parum of manliness, mennnnn!!
hard to say, the steam punk setting of final fantasy 6, the drained up mako ridden world of ff7...
maybe even ff8...(GUNBLADES! Duh...also Squall and Rinoa better love story than TIdus and Yuna!)
ff9, back to the roots man, and the world music, so soothing...
ff 4 as well, the story is so good! lunarians...but if I had to choose one of them, I would say...ff8
I like to call myself a Violent Pacifist...
FFX will always have a special place in my heart. Super excited about the remake!
i will always love FF8 since that was the very first game that started my relationship with Square Enix's final fantasy series. 7 was good where the storyline was, but i felt as if they had too many unnecessary characters that wasn't really needed. Cloud, Tifa, Vincent, Aerith, & Sephiroth were all more the major characters or major side characters that made any real legit sense with the story. everyone else just took up space and game time. i wish they could have narrowed it down to the main characters, other than that it was just all over the place to an extent. But i did like Crisis Core a lot.
Final Fantasy X was really good. Characters and story was lovely. I love the world they inhabit in too. Just breath taking. That story stayed on point and had character turmoil that actually went along with it. and i dont care what anyone says about Final Fantasy XIII because that game kicked ass and is the start of the Fabula Nova trilogy. therefore everyone elses points and arguments are invalid. JK. but really ok, i fell head over heels in love with FFXIII. The music and emotions are just as fabulous as its realm Pulse/Cocoon. I love how they were able to incorporate so many different characters, along with culture difference all in one game and it all made sense. there were plenty of really good cutscenes that went along fabulously with the mood. point blank: I LOVE IT.
So my top ff games are: Final Fantasy III, IV, VI, VII-CC, VIII, X, and XIII
The so-so ratings are: FFVII, FFXII
Could do without: any of the other ones i didn't mention
Why is a Raven Like a Writing Desk?
Imo I say, Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Final Fantasy 12
I also liked Dirge of Cerberus (Actually that game made me fall for Vincent xD) though I wish it was longer-such a short game.
I really can't wait for Versus 13 because dammit I want Noctis nowww!! I've been waiting too damn long! D:
Sticking to the mainline games (Frankly, the only spinoffs worth mentioning are Crystal Chronicles and Mystic Quest (aka FF USA), both of which are merely okay. The Legend games were part of the Saga series, and Seiken was Adventure in the US.), I'll give a quick thought on them from my view:
FF1: Surprisingly deep and long, with some customization upon starting. This game is truly difficult. (Well, if you play the original; the remakes are all watered down. Sad part is, this is true for pretty much every remake.) It also takes forever before you have a chance to think you have too much money. 7/10
FF2: The concept of what you do gets stronger is interesting, but is seemingly random, and matched with equally random losses for things you don't use. However, it retains the customibility and challenge, and is still worth a gander. 6/10
FF3: More customability is great! Change your job at will! But I didn't care much for the disposable 4th character. The story also seems to start a better formation process here, leading it to be the start of games that pull you in, and have you cursing its difficulty because you want more! 7.5/10
FF4: Wow... story! Coupled with great gameplay, decent challenge, and the addition of a 5th party member! Unfortunately, formations are kinda limited, and you don't have control over your party composition. These don't stop it from being an awesome game, though. And the music... this is really where things take off. 8/10
FF4 After Years: It's... more FF4! With more challenging areas! And later in, you also get control over your party makeup! I can't deny it rides some of FF4's tails, but it fixes a few things that make it even better of a game! I was shocked anyone at S-E even remembered how to make a game like this anymore. 8.5/10
FF5: Customization with 3 is back, and with a better story. Keeping the challenge and fun up, this is probably my favorite in the series. It's just got this... quirky magic that I can't really describe. 9/10
FF6: Another contender for best in the series. Plenty of characters, the best story in a FF to date, and engrossing gameplay make me simply adore this! The main reason I put 5 above this is because I feel the start of the graphics over challenge started here. 9/10
FF7: *cries* What happened? Getting lost in a dungeon is now very hard, we lost a party character slot, and the idea of a forced mini-game started here. It may look pretty, but it's painfully easy. And these better graphics lost the charm with the series. It's clear that this is where the series was sold out to the mainstream. 4/10
FF8: *gags* Okay, fine, Square, I'll give you credit for trying new things. But none of them worked! Drawing spells was only a trick to lengthen battles. The Guardian Force was only a way to show off your FMV sequence more often. And while I like the idea of tying enemy levels to the party, tying them to the only person you CAN'T remove basically means anyone you get after the 3rd person is useless. Add to this another painfully easy (and boring) game, and you have one of the worst in the series. 1/10
FF9: Well... better. It was a nice throwback to fans of the older games, but that alone doesn't make a good game. The world was a little more open, and it had the best minigame in the series, but the story, strong since 4, fell flat. This game is also insultingly easy. A fair bit of optional side stuff makes this perhaps the best PS game in the series. 5/10
FFX: It's... FF Run-In-A-Line! Exploring is lost now. This contributes to it being another painfully boring and easy game. Add to this the worst mandated minigame (blitzball), the overly simplified battles, coupled with swapping in anyone else at will without penalty, a still weak story, and unmemorable characters, and this is one that's easy to overlook. It's only saving grace is the sphere grid, an interesting (but partially failed) concept for leveling up. 2/10
FFX-2: Okay, so I can explore now. But... what's this fanservice doing here? We're now targetting your stereotypical horny teenage male here. It's just too much for me to get past for what seems like a bit better of gameplay and the customization I love. And I still don't remember anything about the characters. 2/10
FF11: I can't say much. I refuse to do games that charge me for the software, then more to even play it. n/a
FF12: Better again, but that's not saying much. It's wide open for exploring, and there's plenty to do aside from the plot. But, the talk of the main character being changed shows in the weak plot, and whoever thought controlling only 1 character at a time like this game is an idiot. And the gambit AI system... it's way too restrictive. I can't even do an else/if? 4.5/10
FF13: We've got FF Run-In-A-Line 2 point.... oh my god. Everything's a line now! Even the towns are just something to run through. Overworld map? What's that? The tutorial itself is several hours long, leading to a game you wish would just end. I want to explore, not have my hand held through half the game! But I have to look this way first, despite my knowing there's nothing there... 1/10
FF13-2: Another no comment, though this is from my not playing it, and my complete lack of interest in doing so. n/a
FF14: I... would refer to my comment on 11. But when even fans of 11 are trashing this, and S-E had to offer several months of free play just to keep people even playing it while they patch the obvious flaws, it's clear this should never have been released. 0/10.
A Roku is great for watching shows!
the above is the most biased and crap review i have ever seen. the aspergers is killing me.
there has never been a FF game that didn't keep me hooked, lots of gameplay, replay value.
i mean hell... the fact that this guy above has actually PLAYED all the FF titles says differently about his review.
either that or he enjoys playing crappy game
Drawing on my fine command of the English language, I said nothing.


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Time, Chance, and ReductionCambridge University Press 2010; US$ 115.00
Presents a summary of current research on the philosophical issues inherent in the reduction of thermodynamics to statistical mechanics. more...
Statistical Mechanics: Algorithms and ComputationsOUP Oxford 2006; US$ 64.99
This book discusses the computational approach in modern statistical physics, adopting simple language and an attractive format with many illustrations, tables and printed algorithms. The style will appeal to students, teachers and researchers in the physical sciences. The focus is on orientation, with implementation details kept to a minimum. more...
Deterministic ChaosWiley 2006; US$ 203.00 US$ 182.70
A new edition of this well-established monograph, this volume provides a comprehensive overview over the still fascinating field of chaos research. The authors include recent developments such as systems with restricted degrees of freedom but put also a strong emphasis on the mathematical foundations. Partly illustrated in color, this fourth edition... more...
Statistical Physics for Cosmic StructuresSpringer Berlin Heidelberg 2006; US$ 126.82
This book has its roots in a series of collaborations in the last decade at the interface between statistical physics and cosmology. The speci?c problem which initiated this research was the study of the clustering properties of galaxies as revealed by large redshift surveys, a context in which concepts of modern statistical physics (e. g. scale-invariance,... more...
Lectures On Statistical Physics And Protein FoldingWorld Scientific Publishing Company 2005; US$ 46.00 US$ 41.86
This book introduces an approach to protein folding from the point of view of kinetic theory. There is an abundance of data on protein folding, but few proposals are available on the mechanism driving the process. Here, presented for the first time, are suggestions on possible research directions, as developed by the author in collaboration with... more...
Statistical MechanicsElsevier Science 2001; US$ 51.95
Thirty years' teaching experience have been condensed into this concise introductory book on Statistical Mechanics. Ideal for second and third year undergraduates in physics, applied mathematics, physical chemistry, chemical engineering, metallurgy, materials science and polymer science. Provides a concise introduction to statistical mechanics Ideal... more...
Directions in Chaos - Volume 2World Scientific Publishing Company 1988; US$ 70.00 US$ 63.70
Volume 2 of Directions in Chaos consists of the contributions made to the Beijing Summer School on Chaotic Phenomena in Nonlinear Systems held in August 1987. more...
Directions in Chaos - Volume 1World Scientific Publishing Company 1987; US$ 70.00 US$ 63.70
This volume, the first of a two-volume book, consists of a collection of comprehensive reviews and lectures written by active researchers on topics in chaotic phenomena. more...
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First lady fashion statements
Fashion trendsetting has been an unofficial role of first ladies since Martha Washington. The most recent trend, that was started by first lady Michelle Obama in 2009: Sleevelessness. In this gallery: Obama's fashion statement, and some highlights from other first ladies through history. (By Wendy Donahue/Chicago Tribune reporter)
Copyright © 2018, The Morning Call


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There are now 20 sequences Mikey is teleporting into! Help him reach a high score!
That Mikey, he's in trouble again. Help him survive as he is transported from one adventure to another in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Turtleportation! Help Mikey save April from an evil Kraang robot or dodge lazers as you speed down the city streets! With 20 different sequences you'll have tons of adventures to play! And Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Turtleportation isn't the only free online adventure game on Nick, there's tons more to check out!,,How To Play:,,Use the mouse to click and move.


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Critically-acclaimed and much-beloved teen dramedy that aired for less than one season. Created by Paul Feig and Judd Apatow, F&G deconstructed the prevalent myth among adolescents (and adults) that a person has to be pretty and popular to be okay. Freaks and Geeks focused on the not-so-pretty aspects the teenage years—specifically the awkwardness of physically changing and socially trying to fit in, the ups and downs of real-world relationships, and the utterly demoralizing experience that high school can be for those who are not cheerleaders or jocks. Feig and Apatow were geeks when they attended high school in the early 1980s and sought to be as truthful to their experience as possible in Freaks and Geeks--through the wry humor that has become Apatow's trademark.
Freaks and Geeks was such a kickass show! What kind of numbskulls were running NBC when they took it off the air?
by GeekTeach81 August 11, 2009
The best television show known to man. Too intelligent for most of America, so was pulled off the air due to low ratings.
by Torch October 21, 2003
once you start down the road you can never go back at least thats what yoda says
by scarysnowman May 28, 2004
In the tradition of the show a freak is a person associated with bad scholastic habits, drug use, sex, rock and roll, and the other fun things in life... while maintaining the fact that they have no future.
A geek is a person with excellent scholastic habits, drug free, D+D playing, and virtually invisible to the opposite sex because they're just too nerdy to be popular. These are the successful people of the future.
A geek is a person with excellent scholastic habits, drug free, D+D playing, and virtually invisible to the opposite sex because they're just too nerdy to be popular. These are the successful people of the future.
The geeks watched a porno tape given to them by a freak because they thought it would teach them about women... that's the difference between freaks and geeks.
by Tony Pavich February 12, 2006
The best show that WAS on TV. Cancelled after one season. Now can be found on DVD at freaksandgeeks.com or freaksandgeeksdvd.com
If we lived in a perfect world, Freaks and Geeks would have taken the place of Friends and run for however many million seasons Friends did, since Freaks and geeks was a far superior show. At the same time, Friends would never exist or only be shown to inmates in prison as punishment.
by Austin August 24, 2004


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And Injustice For All
West of Memphis
North of Incredible
Official Website | Trailers & Mo
R | 147 min
The West Memphis Three (Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley) – falsely accused of horrific murder, rushed to judgment, and left to rot in jail/hell, but after much uproar (from Eddie Vedder, Johnny Depp AND MORE!), the three are finally sorta freed, but remained guilty. Got all that? Doc makers Joe Berlinger & Bruce Sinofsky shed light on the Three's injustice plight of un-fancy over 15 years in their muss see Paradise Lost doc trilogy. It's a lot to take in, so Amy Berg & Billy McMillin decided to simplify everything in their Peter Jackson & wife produced doc West of Memphis, catch us up on the Three, while trying to pin-point the finger on the real culprit… although one reviewer brought up a good point – that the filmmakers are rushing to judgment on their new suspect juss as quickly as the original prosecutors did with the Three. Regardless, the truth may not be fully out there, but whatever truths are know muss be told, even if they're already known, cause the real murderer still walks free. Don't know how many times you can sit thru the pain, suffering and agony, but it's a little easier to sit thru all of these docs than being a horrifically murdered child or being falsely accused of horrifically murdering children and going to jail for no reason. Sh!t is fcuked up, that much is 100% known
Verdictgo: Breast In Show
West of Memphis opens in NY/LA today & elsewhere elsewhen and until next thyme the balcony is clothed…


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Congratulations to Dr. Anne Taylor, she was selected as a 2013 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow. A link to the Sloan site showing the 2013 winners and further links to background and history of this very prestigious recognition follows:
Congratulations to Drs. Ben Philpot, Bryan Roth, and Terry Magnuson, who were awarded $2.2 million by The Rett Syndrome Research Trust to attempt reversing the course of Rett syndrome by a gene unsilencing approach. There is no mystery about why a girl suffers from Rett syndrome – the disorder is due to mutations in the MECP2 gene. Because MECP2 is on the X chromosome and all females have two X's, each active mutated gene rests beside a healthy but silenced twin. This biology suggests that a small molecule activation of the silenced MECP2 gene might prove therapeutic for Rett syndrome.
A recent paper by CIDD investigators Philpot, Roth, and Zylka published in Nature describes successful reactivation of the silenced gene in Angelman syndrome, demonstrating that gene unsilencing is possible.
To read more please click the link below.
Congratulations to Becky Edmondson for being selected to serve another term as Act Early Ambassador for the state of North Carolina!
This program is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau. The primary objective of each State Ambassador is to support innovative State programs, which serve to strengthen state and community systems for early identification and intervention for children with signs of autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities.
Congratulations to Jason Wolff, Ph.D., and others on the publication of his article in and on the cover of the December 2012 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry!
Title: Evidence of a Distinct Behavioral Phenotype in Young Boys With Fragile X Syndrome and Autism
Click here to view the abstract.
Dr. Piven and Dr. Sikich receive Autism Center of Excellence grants for new research. Multimillion dollar grants further enhance UNC's recognition as one of the world's top autism research centers.
Read more: http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_story/20022688/article-Researchers-receive-autism-grants-
Ann Palmer is the new Family Faculty member for the LEND Program at the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD) located at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. She is a parent of an adult son with autism and a professional working in the field of autism for the last 20 years. She is the former Director of Advocacy and Chapter Support for the Autism Society of North Carolina where she coordinated over 50 Chapters across the state of North Carolina. She also worked for Division TEACCH as the Parent Support Coordinator, developing and coordinating a parent mentor program that served more than 800 families.
We are happy to announce that Ann is the author of A Friend's and Relative's Guide to Supporting the Family with Autism: How Can I Help?, recently published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. When a child is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), what the family really needs, and often lacks, is positive reassurance and understanding from those closest to them. Ann gives advice on how extended family members and friends can provide that necessary support and what the parents can do to encourage and develop these supportive relationships. The book uses examples from real families to illustrate the complex feelings that parents and other members of the family are likely to go through after a child is diagnosed. It gives practical tips on the kinds of help that might be needed most. This book is a great resource to families of individuals with ASD and to the professionals who support families.
Ann's two other books are, Realizing the College Dream with Autism or Asperger Syndrome: A Parent's Guide to Student Success, and Parenting Across the Autism Spectrum: Unexpected Lessons We've Learned, co-authored with Maureen Morrell and winner of the Autism Society of America's Literary Work of the Year for 2007. We welcome Ann to our LEND program! Ann's email address is email@example.com and her website is www.annpalmerautism.com.
Questionnaire completed by parents may help identify 1-year-olds at risk for autism
Lauren Turner-Brown, of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, and colleagues analyzed information from about 700 children whose parents had completed the First Year Inventory when their children were 12 months old. The survey asked 63 questions about infant behaviors, including questions about the infants' communication, imitation and repetitive behaviors. Read More…


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These global-scale changes are not necessarily projected to occur in all tropical cyclone basins. For example, our 2015 study projects an increase in tropical storm frequency in the Northeast Pacific and near Hawaii, and a decrease in category 4-5 storm days over much of the southern hemisphere basins and parts of the northwest Pacific basin–both at variance with the global-scale projected changes. These differences in responses between basins seem to be linked to how much SSTs increase in a given region compared to the tropical mean increase in SST. Basins that warm more than the tropical average tend to show larger increases in tropical cyclone activity for a number of metrics.
Our 2015 study simulations also project little change in the median size of tropical cyclones globally; the model shows some skill at simulating the differences in average storm size between various basins in the present-day climate, lending some credibility to its future climate change projections of tropical cyclone size.
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", an assessment by a World Meteorological Organization Expert Team on Climate Change Impacts on Tropical Cyclones is now available. This assessment was published in Nature Geoscience (March 2010). For more information on the expert team, see this Syna 18kt Green Chalcedony amp; Ruby Earrings 08yxjIK0
This report assesses published research on "Tropical Cyclones and Climate Change" from the international scientific literature.
The strongest hurricanes in the present climate may be upstaged by even more intense hurricanes over the next century as the earth's climate is warmed by increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Although we cannot say at present whether more or fewer hurricanes will occur in the future with global warming, the hurricanes that do occur near the end of the 21st century are expected to be stronger and have significantly more intense rainfall than under present day climate conditions. This expectation ( Figure 11 ) is based on an anticipated enhancement of energy available to the storms due to higher tropical sea surface temperatures.
The results shown in Figure 11 are based on a simulation study carried out by Thomas R. Knutson and Robert E. Tuleya at NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL). In this study hurricanes were simulated for a climate warming as projected to occur with a substantial build-up of atmospheric CO2. An increase of intensity of about one-half category on the Saffir-Simpson scalewas simulated for an 80 year build-up of atmospheric CO2 at 1%/yr (compounded). For hurricane wind speeds, our model shows a sensitivity of about 4% per degree Celsius increase in tropical sea surface temperatures, with a larger percentage increase in near-storm rainfall.
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Connect for Health Colorado's CEO, Kevin Patterson, testified in support of the exchange when the bill was heard by the Senate Finance Committee in early February. Patterson has noted that the cost of transitioning to HealthCare.gov — based on what other states have spent to do so — would be roughly $20-25 million. Colorado's House has a Democratic majority, making S.B.3 relatively unlikely to be enacted, even if it passes the Senate.
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in January 2017, asking lawmakers to protect Connect for Health Colorado. Smallwood was quick to defend his bill, noting that people would still be able to obtain coverage , but from HealthCare.gov rather than Connect for Health Colorado. But in light of federal GOP lawmakers' proposals to repeal and replace the health care law, ACA supporters in the state have also considering possible ways to keep the state-run exchange alive , as a back-up in case the federal government repeals the ACA (this was a distinct possibility in 2017, but is no longer likely in 2018, with midterm elections approaching). Among other options, they've considered the possibility of partnering with neighboring states to better serve people in the mountain time zone.
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has been conducting an audit into the exchange's use of federal start-up funding in 2013 and 2014. In December 2016, the OIG recommended that $9.7 million in start-up funding be returned to HHS. Although news coverage of the audit report has been fairly negative, the money in question was only about 5 percent of the $184 million that Connect for Health Colorado received in start-up funding, and most of the issues are not what the average person would consider improper use of funds .
Their recommendation was based on the fact that their audit determined that a total of $9.7 million had either been used for costs that weren't allowed to be funded with the start-up grant, had been improperly transferred from one grant to another, or had been improperly documented.
The exchange notes that the period being audited was in their early stages of operation, and that they have worked with auditors over the past few years to rectify problems that were found. They are continuing to work with HHS to determine whether any of the funds must be repaid; for now, it's just an OIG recommendation, and the exchange has until January 26 to submit an official response to the audit.
On September 20, the Colorado Division of Insurance
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. In the individual market, the Division of Insurance announced that premiums will increase by an average of 20.4 percent (on-exchange, the average is 20.9 percent, while off-exchange, it's 19.9 percent), but in the small group market, the average increase will be just 2.1 percent.
UC Davis Library 100 NW Quad University of California, Davis Davis, CA 95616 (530) 752-8792 firstname.lastname@example.com
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Copyright © 2018 The Regents of the University of California, Davis campus. All rights reserved.


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D'Antoni has lost control of locker room
The Lakers took a huge hit on their road trip back to respectability Thursday night in Boston, losing to their hated rivals 116-95. And head coach Mike D'Antoni threw himself directly into the Dwight Howard injury controversy, saying that Howard could have played in any of the last three games he missed with an injured shoulder.
"He's been cleared (to play) for a while," D'Antoni told the media after the loss in Boston. "He's always been cleared."
Moments later D'Antoni must have realized the potential impact of his statement, because he tried to clarify — or tone down — his comments.
"Yeah, he's always been cleared," the coach said, "because he's got a tear that's always going to be there. But he's had pain, and obviously he's not going to play with the pain. He felt better today and that's why he played."
Howard scored nine points and grabbed nine rebounds in 28 minutes before fouling out. However, it was D12's off-the-court actions — or inactions — that dominated the headlines before and after the game, starting with some pointed remarks from Kobe Bryant.
During a Wednesday night interview with ESPN.com, Bryant lobbed the first salvo.
"We don't have time for [Howard's shoulder] to heal. We need some urgency," he said, intimating that Howard should play through the pain. The big man wasn't pleased with Bryant's jab, saying he'd be back when he felt ready, and wasn't going to be pressured into returning by Bryant or the specter of Pau Gasol being out for close to two months with a foot injury.
"He's not a doctor. I'm not a doctor. So that's [Bryant's] opinion," Howard said at Thursday morning's shootaround. "I mean, I want to play. But at the same time, this is my career, this is my future, this is my life. I can't leave that up to anybody else because nobody else is going to take care of me.
"If people are [ticked] off that I don't play, that I do play, whatever it may be, so what? This is my career. If I go down, then what? Everybody's life is going to go on. I don't want to have to have another summer where I'm rehabbing and, you know, trying to get healthy again. I want to come back and have another great year."
Bryant claimed that he wasn't taking shots at Howard's toughness "not even a little bit."
He also tweeted out: On our way to the Garden. Ready to do that work. If D12 is healthy he will play if he's not he won't. Simple math #countonmediahype.
Howard played, but it made very little difference.
The Celtics (26-23) won their sixth in a row after losing their best player, Rajon Rondo, to a torn ACL. He'll be gone for the rest of this season and likely part of the next, but with Avery Bradley and Courtney Lee replacing Rondo in the backcourt, Boston is playing its best basketball of the season. Head coach Doc Rivers has the team believing it can win no matter the circumstances. And they are doing just that.
The Lakers (23-27) only wish they could say the same.
After winning six of their previous seven, they inexplicably didn't show up for a game that is usually among their biggest in any regular season. The Celtics-Lakers rivalry is every bit as meaningful and intense as the Yankees-Red Sox, yet the fellows in the purple and gold uniforms once again got caught up in their own drama and lost focus of what was important — beating Boston.
The Lakers have run out of excuses and are left to confront the reasons why they are having such a horrible season through the first 50 games.
At all times this season, they've have had at least two eventual Hall of Famers in the lineup, and they've even developed a couple of impact players who were buried on the bench — Earl Clark and Jordan Hill. Hill is gone for the year after hip surgery, but Clark has been a true revelation, and when D'Antoni shows confidence in his reserves and lets them play a regular role — like Antawn Jamison and Jodie Meeks — they've done well. So why does success continue to elude a team that was picked by many to go to the NBA Finals?
The blame fits squarely on the shoulders of D'Antoni.
He obviously doesn't have control of his locker room, resulting in more daily controversies than any time in Lakers' history.
He humiliated Gasol by benching the four-time All Star in the fourth quarter of close games, then finally removing him from the starting lineup. He's tried to first bury Hill, then Jamison at the end of the bench, only to be forced to return them to the rotation and see each play better than the players they replaced. And he revealed after the loss in Boston that Howard could play through his injury, but chose not to because of the pain. That came less than 12 hours after the whole Bryant-Howard dust-up, making you wonder about the overall coaching expertise of someone who is allegedly trying to keep his team intact.
At the NBA level, there are very few coaching innovators. Most of them know the same X's and O's. What separates the great leaders from the rest is the everyday ability to keep their players excited, motivated and ready to give 100 percent every game.
D'Antoni's inability to do this seems to be a fatal flaw in his ability to coach this team at this time.
Simply, he and his staff just can't reach this team on an emotional or motivational level that should keep the effort consistent every game.
Asked by a writer about his job security, D'Antoni told him that he had a multi-year contract and if it didn't work out, he could be playing golf.
If he doesn't quickly figure out a way to gain trust and respect from his players, and get them to play hard at all times, he might be working on lowering his handicap next fall.


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Departs: Returns:
Day 1 : Fly to Boston
Our adventure begins with a pleasant flight to Boston where we enjoy two nights at the Royal Sonesta hotel.
Day 2 : Boston City Tour
Today we discover Boston, steeped in America's colonial history and one of the focal cities of the American Revolution. We join an 18th-century costumed guide on a tour exploring the historic sites on the Freedom Trail, learning about the important events that shaped the city and our country. Visit the Granary Burying Ground, where some of America's most notable citizens rest, including Paul Revere and Samuel Adams; and see the Old North Church, where signal lanterns ignited the American Revolution. Enjoy lunch on your own and time to explore Quincy Market, a National Historic Landmark. This afternoon we visit the Boston Tea Party Museum. History comes alive as we enjoy presentations from costumed actors, engaging interactive exhibits and authentically restored tea ships. This evening we enjoy a special Holiday Vacations Welcome Dinner. B,D
Day 3 : JFK Library & Set Sail
We begin our final day in Boston at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. Enjoy a documentary film and exhibits providing insight into the Kennedy Era, with personal and historic artifacts shedding light on the life and times of JFK and his family. Later, we board our elegant Holland America ship for a scenic seven-night cruise. Enjoy the luxurious amenities onboard including exceptional dining and entertainment options. All meals are included aboard the ship.D
Day 4 : Bar Harbor
Located on the shores of Mount Desert Island and sitting on the entrance to Acadia National Park is the resort town of Bar Harbor, Maine. The incredible scenery of the region transformed the area into a popular destination for notables John D. Rockefeller and Joseph Pulitzer. You may choose to visit the iconic lighthouses of the area or enjoy a traditional lobster bake. B,L,D
Day 5 : Halifax
This morning we dock in Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, and one of the first English cities in Canada. Its vast harbor extends 16 miles inland. Today we enjoy an included excursion to the picturesque fishing village of Peggy's Cove followed by time to explore Halifax on our own. B,L,D
Day 6 : Sydney
We arrive in Sydney, Nova Scotia, today to take in the stunning coastal scenery of the area. You may choose to stroll through town and explore the city's historic houses and churches dating from the 1700s, or participate in an optional excursion to the beautiful Cabot Trail or Fortress of Louisbourg. B,L,D
Day 7 : Charlottetown
Our port today is Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island. Legendary for its sweeping vistas, this elegant city offers vintage architecture on Victoria Row, tranquil parks and unmatched harborside beauty. Nearby is Prince Edward Island National Park, the inspiration for Anne of Green Gables. B,L,D
Day 8 : Scenic Cruising
Enjoy a relaxing day cruising the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Unwind on one of the spacious decks in a comfortable personal lounge or revel in the included amenities and entertainment featured onboard. This evening we gather together with fellow travelers for a private reception. B,L,D
Day 9 : Quebec City
We arrive in charming Quebec City today. Optional shore excursions include touring famous Old Town, visiting the Le Château Frontenac castle or discovering the Notre Dame des Victories Cathedral.B,L,D
Day 10 : Montreal
This morning we bid farewell to our floating home as we disembark and explore Montreal. Known as the cultural capital of Canada, this vibrant city offers dining, shopping and history with a European flair. We tour the city with a knowledgeable local guide, then take time for individual pursuits in the afternoon. This evening, enjoy a special Holiday Vacations Farewell Dinner to celebrate our time together. B,D
Day 11 : Fly Home
We fly home with wonderful memories of our fantastic New England & St. Lawrence cruise.
B - Breakfast; CB - Continental Breakfast; L - Lunch; D - Dinner; T - Tea
Your Holiday Vacations Experience Includes
• All airfare, taxes & fuel surcharges
• All cruise port charges, government fees, taxes & fuel surcharges (minimum value of $490 per person)
• Holiday Vacations Tour Director
• Baggage handling at hotels and aboard ship
• Hotel and cruise ship transfers
• $100 travel voucher for a future Holiday Vacations tour
23 Excellent Meals Featuring
• Holiday Vacations Welcome Dinner in Boston
Exclusive Cruise Ship Benefits
• 7 nights aboard Holland America Line's ms Zaandam
• All meals aboard the ship with As You Wish Dining®
• Included Halifax Shore Excursion:
Peggy's Cove & Hop On Hop Off tour(minimum value of $99.95 per person)
Ports of Call
• Bar Harbor, Maine*
• Halifax, Nova Scotia
• Sydney, Nova Scotia
• Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
• Quebec City, Quebec
*Denotes tender port
Attractions & Highlights
• 2 nights in Boston
• 1 night at the in Montreal
• Boston Freedom Trail guided tour
• Boston Tea Party Museum
• JFK Library
• Montreal guided city tour
A valid U.S. passport is required for all U.S. citizens. Passport cards and enhanced driver's licenses are NOT acceptable.
Additional fees applied by Holland America Line are not included in your tour price. These fees include but are not limited to: daily service charge for cabin & wait staff, specialty restaurant cover charges and optional shore excursions.
|Category - Occupancy
|Price (Per Person)
All tour prices include airfare from the guaranteed airports listed below. Additional cities, including flights from states not listed, are availible on request. Additional fees may apply. for more information, please call 1-800-826-2266 and one of our friendly Tour Consultants will be happy to assist.
The requirement to collect your date of birth, gender and full name as it appears on the government issued photo identification you will use on your tour is federally mandated by the Transportation Security Administration. TSA's privacy policy as well as additional details can be found at www.tsa.gov using the keywords Secure Flight.
Little Rock, Fayetteville
Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco
Washington D.C.
Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonvillle, Orlando, Tallahassee, Tampa/St. Petersburg, West Palm Beach
Chicago, Moline/Quad Cities
Indianapolis, Evansville, Fort Wayne, South Bend
Des Moines, Cedar Rapids
Louisville, Lexington
New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Shreveport
Detroit, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Saginaw
Duluth, Minneapolis/St.Paul, Rochester
Jackson, Gulfport/Biloxi
St.Louis, Kansas City, Springfield/Branson
Billings, Bozeman, Missoula
Omaha, Lincoln
Las Vegas
New York City, Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh/Durham Fargo, Bismark, Grand Forks Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton Oklahoma City, Tulsa Portland
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
New York City, Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse
Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh/Durham
Fargo, Bismark, Grand Forks
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton
Oklahoma City, Tulsa
Philadelphia, Allentown, Harrisburg/Middleton, Pittsburgh
Charleston, Greenville/Spartanburg
Sioux Falls, Rapid City
Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis
Houston (IAH) George Bush InterContinental Airport, Austin, Dallas/Ft.Worth, San Antonio
Salt Lake City
Norfolk, Richmond
Seattle/Tacoma, Spokane
Milwaukee, Appleton, Eau Claire, Green Bay, Madison, Central WI/Wausau/Mosinee
Tour prices are guaranteed and include airfare, federal taxes, airport security charges, airline segment fees, airport passenger facility charges and fuel surcharges, if applicable. International airfare also includes applicable airport fees and taxes assessed by individual countries. Airline luggage fees are an additional charge and are payable directly to the airlines at check in.
Seat assignments are controlled by the airline. We will no longer solicit requests and seating cannot be guaranteed by Holiday Vacations
PLease be advised that some commercial airlines offer reduced award miles to travelers booked on a group reservation. Holiday Vacations is happy to submit your frequent flyer number to the airlines, but makes no guarantee that full mileage will be awarded.
Departue cities are subject to change due to limited or discontined airline service. The availablility of airline seats may be limited from each departure city. Holiday Vacations reserves the right to provide ground transportation to or from a larger or alternate airport.
You may request a departure from a city not listed. Holiday's air department will determine the feasibility of your request and advise you of any additional cost, if applicable.
You may request a land only price. If the tour is purchased as land only, it will be your responsibility to meet the group at the arrival airport at the time designated by Holiday Vacations. If you prefer, you can join the tour at the first night's hotel. Taxi or other airport transfer costs are not included for independant arrival or departure.


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Latest News!
The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire has received a $10,000 grant from the Lincoln Financial Foundation in support of expanding the museum's high school aviation education program.Read more...
Become a Member
Help us save our state's historic aviation-related buildings, aircraft, photos and other memorabilia by becoming a member of the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire.
Slusser Aviation Learning Center (SALC)
In September, 2009 the New Hampshire Aviation Historical Society was honored with a $1 million gift from members Eugene and Anne Slusser of Hopkinton. The purpose of the gift is to establish the Slusser Aviation Learning Center (SALC) to be built adjacent to the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, which the society operates on the east side of the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.
Groundbreaking for the Slusser Aviation Learning Center at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire happened Thursday, May 13th at 11 a.m. Speakers included representatives of the New Hampshire Aviation Historical Society, City of Manchester, Manchester-Boston Regional Airport and the Federal Aviation Administration.
"This is obviously an exciting time for the society and for the management of Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, owner of the site and a strong supporter of the Museum," said Jack Ferns, building committee chair. "The Slusser's gift has set the ball in motion. Their vision to inspire young minds with a sense of awe for the aviation field is a timeless gift for generations to come."
A building committee, led by Gene Slusser as honorary chair, Jack Ferns as chair, Pat Duffy as financial adviser, along with appointed members of the NHAHS board and membership, has been working since late last year to plan the new center. The professional design team is led by Sheer, McCrystal, Paulson Architects with the contractor, Milestone Engineering and Contracting. Wondercabinet is working with the committee to develop high quality, interactive exhibits.
SALC will be used by students of all ages to learn the science and wonder of aviation, as well as its history in New Hampshire. The groundbreaking started a one-year construction process for both the building and exhibits. The schedule calls for the building to be complete by 11/30/10, exhibits to be fabricated and moved in through mid-March, 2011, a "soft opening" the end of March, 2011, and a grand opening May, 2011.
Grand Opening Spring, 2011
Please leave us your contact information and you will be notified of the date and time of the event!
Ground Breaking/Progress


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We don't know the outcome of this yet, but if the General Assembly votes to make the temporary income tax hike permanent, can we forever retire the phrase "temporary tax increase" from the state's political vocabulary?
However you feel about the need, or lack thereof, of making the income tax increase permanent, you have to give Gov. Pat Quinn credit for at least one thing: He's given political analysts material to debate for who knows how long.
How many major party candidates for governor call for an income tax vote in an election year? Especially when a poll released the same week shows 60 percent of voters against making the temporary increase permanent. It's not the standard dodge and weave we've come to expect from candidates.
Will Quinn's straight talking, as he is calling it, enable him to win another term? Or will pundits forever debate whether Quinn cost himself the election by calling for continuation of an unpopular income tax increase?
Alas, it's going to be several long months before we will know.
Seeking real news
By the way, that poll which showed most voters opposed to making the tax hike permanent also showed voters had no real taste for cutting the budget to make up for the lost revenue.
In category after category — education, public safety, aid to the poor — a majority said they didn't want to see cuts in that area. Most thought the billions in lost revenue could be made up by eliminating waste and fraud.
It can't. No one, but no one has identified anywhere close to that amount of waste and fraud. If you hear a candidate claim that is the solution, demand that the person specifically identify where and how much fraud and waste they've identified.
If one comes up with the $4 billion or so that will be needed in a couple of years, contact us. That would be a major news story.
Quinn vs. Edgar
In his budget speech last week, Quinn drew a comparison between himself and former Gov. Jim Edgar.
It was because Quinn's budget proposal calls for property tax relief to be part of the deal where the income tax increase is made permanent. Quinn said Illinois has underfunded schools and, consequently, overburdened property taxpayers who supply most of the money for schools. Quinn likened his proposal to Edgar's 1997 plan to swap higher income taxes for lower property taxes.
Whether you buy that comparison, it was an interesting choice for Quinn. Edgar's plan ultimately went nowhere. Presumably, Quinn hopes his plan doesn't experience the same outcome.
However, in 1990, when Edgar first ran for governor, his platform included a call to make permanent what had been at the time another temporary income tax increase. His Democratic opponent was against the idea. Edgar, of course, won.
You'd think Quinn would use that example if he's going to compare himself to Edgar.
She said what?
> "He was saying things that make my little heart go pitter-patter. I think he finally got it. I don't know about the rest of these guys." Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, giving Quinn generally high marks for his budget speech.
> "It would take a few years to do. Anything else would be such a shock to the system. Think of the government as a human body. It would be like a heart attack. No aspirin involved. I mean, kaboom. That would not be good." — Topinka, explaining why phasing out the income tax hike would be better than letting it expire all at once.
> "There are a lot of promises that get thrown around down here. We have to start learning how to keep them. This is one." — Topinka, saying the income tax increase should expire, although not all at once.
Doug Finke covers Illinois politics for the Springfield State Journal-Register. He can be reached at (217) 788-1527. His email is firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him at twitter.com/DougFinkeSJR.


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Physics at the CrossroadsInnovation and Revitalization in Undergraduate Physics-Plans for Action Executive Summary
On September 20-22, 1996, the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) sponsored a conference to articulate issues and raise questions about undergraduate physics education innovation and revitalization. In the light of statistics showing the number of physics bachelors degree recipients at a 37-year low and informed by the recent National Science Foundation comprehensive review of undergraduate science education, the participants considered whether the physics community needs and is ready for a broad-based effort analogous to the calculus reform movement in mathematics and similar nationwide efforts now underway in chemistry and engineering. The participants concluded that the situation in physics is somewhat different from that of the other undergraduate science and mathematics fields. Rather than calling for just large-scale curriculum development projects, the participants recommend a plan of action to create an infrastructure to provide rapid and wide-spread dissemination of innovations in undergraduate physics education, to develop the scholarly basis for designing and assessing changes in physics education, and to provide mechanisms to assist departments in implementing these innovations. In short, we propose a program that will focus on continuous improvement in undergraduate physics education, rather than on local, short-term projects.
The plans for action include the development of
Immediate action plans:
The Report
I. Introduction
Physics finds itself at a critical juncture. Physics research is flourishing, vibrant, and alive, but the availability of governmental, private-sector, and institutional funding for research is changing dramatically. The academic and basic research job market in physics is in bad shape. Critics of higher education and even some of our scientific colleagues question the value of introductory physics courses just when many innovations in undergraduate teaching are bearing fruit and physics education research is beginning to provide a scholarly basis for teaching and learning. At the same time, we find disturbing statistical trends in undergraduate physics. The number of bachelors degrees awarded in physics in the United States has declined 15% in the last six years, reaching a 37-year low [Ref. 1]. Of the 300,000 students taking introductory physics, fewer than 5% ever take another physics course. The physics community needs to make an important decision: take the road that rises to meet these extraordinary challenges or continue down the path of business-as-usual, which may well lead to a dramatic reduction in resources allocated for both education and research in physics. Undergraduate physics will play a critical role in tackling the challenges physics faces.
During the weekend of September 20-22, 1996, twenty-two physicists and three guests from other disciplines met at the American Center for Physics for a conference "Planning the Revitalization of Undergraduate Physics," sponsored by the American Association of Physics Teachers. This document summarizes the conclusions of the conference and the suggested plans for action.
After examining the goals of undergraduate physics education in the light of several recent commentaries on undergraduate science education [Ref. 2, 3], we ask the difficult question: Is the physics community meeting its own widely-shared goals for undergraduate education? We believe not. We examine why we are convinced that now is the ideal (and necessary) time for wide-spread efforts to revitalize undergraduate physics education. We conclude with plans for action.
II. The Goals of Undergraduate Physics Education-The Context
As physicists, we have historically prided ourselves on having a "can do" attitude. Ideally, our students acquire both this attitude and the skills necessary to support it. We believe they can develop an intellectual flexibility that permits them to tackle problems that have not necessarily appeared explicitly in their previous education. This claim resonates with the challenges presented in the Project 2061 report.
In the fall of 1996, the National Science Foundation released the results of a comprehensive review of undergraduate science, mathematics, engineering and technology (SME&T) education [Ref. 2]. (The last such study was done ten years ago.) The primary imperative of the "Shaping the Future" report is that
"...all students [should] have access to supportive, excellent undergraduate education in SME&T, and all students [should] learn these subjects by direct experience with the methods and processes of inquiry."
"All" in this case includes not only our physics majors, but also students in our service courses, including engineers, pre-medical students, and pre-service teachers. "All" also means that we need equal access to SME&T education for women, minorities, and others underrepresented in the scientific community. The "Shaping the Future" report will guide both the NSF and administrators in colleges and universities across the country in examining undergraduate science education programs in the years to come. This examination presents an important challenge to the physics community: Are our programs accessible to and effective for all students and do they provide students with direct experience with methods and processes of inquiry?
III. The Situation in Physics
The 300,000 students taking introductory physics each year in two- and four-year colleges and universities are the people who will become the leaders of the next generation in science and technology (engineers, physicians, chemists, biologists, technically-oriented business people, lawyers, and legislators) and, perhaps most important of all, those who will be the K-12 teachers educating the succeeding generations of students. For 95% of the students taking introductory physics, the so-called "introductory course" is their terminal course in physics. We have but one chance to reach them.
A. Introductory Courses
B. Programs for Physics Majors
It is our conviction that restructured curricula based on already existing innovations in content and pedagogy, designed to provide a flexibly educated physics major can permit physics major programs to serve a substantially larger number of undergraduate students preparing for careers dominated by technology and information processing. More students should see physics as an attractive undergraduate major, useful to them in a wide variety of endeavors.
IV. Reasons for Major Innovation and Revitalization Now
V. Plans for Action
As noted above, the following recommendations recognize that for the past 20 years there have been substantial curriculum development and physics education research projects. We are not suggesting another round of large-scale curriculum development projects (though we recognize that some such projects may well be needed and that funding for small-scale course and curriculum development projects will need to increase as more colleges and universities adopt and adapt innovative materials and pedagogy). Our suggestions for action call for a wide-spread effort to disseminate information about innovations already in existence as well as about newly developing tools. We also need to develop mechanisms that assist physics departments in their implementation of changes in undergraduate physics education. In short, we call for a structural change in the way we approach undergraduate physics: a change from a "one shot, one size fits all" view to a view that builds an infrastructure for continuing review, innovation, assessment, redesign, and improvement of physics teaching. Above we cited Melba Phillips famous remark: "The problem with physics education is that the problems don't stay solved." This bit of wisdom contains two truths: educational solutions that work don't get propagated effectively, and situations change; so the old solutions no longer apply.
More recently John Russell (Chair of the APS College-High School Interaction Committee) noted that nationwide efforts at reshaping science education will founder unless there is strong and on-going local departmental support. Several of our recommendations focus on developing and sustaining that departmental role.
Many national committees and reports urge faculty to shift their attention from teaching to learning. [Ref. 2-4]. We recall John Dewey's maxim that if there is no learning there has been no teaching. We need continually to improve our understanding of the processes by which students learn, but we need also to improve our understanding and our practice of the processes involved in teaching. This must be an on-going activity that will help faculty at all levels to be better teachers. We urge an emphasis on both student and instructor, on both learning and teaching. They are not independent of one another.
Specific Plans
VI. Final Remarks
There are a multitude of ways in which this responsibility can be fulfilled, and no single process can speak cogently to all of the needs of all colleges and universities. Nevertheless, we do have at hand tested means for substantial improvements in many areas, and a developing research base for further innovations. We need now better ways of keeping the profession informed on a continuing basis of developments and successful experiments in the field, and of encouraging and supporting the continuing professional growth of all who teach physics. The achievement of the goal of continuous improvement is not an easy task. It will depend on the efforts and cooperation of many persons in many different communities, and on the availability of resources, both human and financial, to initiate and continue the development process. The questions that now need to be answered are the old ones: If not us, who? If not now, when?
N.B. A longer report, giving details of several proposed programs for implementing the action plans, is in preparation.
Additional Reading:
Conference Participants:
Professor Robert Beichner
Professor David K. Campbell
*Professor Robert Beck Clark
Professor Howard Georgi
Professor Richard Hake
Professor David Hestenes
*Professor Robert C. Hilborn
Professor Charles Holbrow
*Professor Donald F. Holcomb
*Professor Ruth H. Howes
*Professor Karen L. Johnston
Professor Leonard Jossem
Dr. Bernard V. Khoury
Professor Priscilla Laws
Professor Diandra Leslie-Pelecky
Dr. Ramon Lopez
Professor Lillian McDermott
Professor Mark N. McDermott
Dr. Dwight E. Neuenschwander
Professor Marvin L. Nelson
Professor Thomas L. O'Kuma
*Professor Edward F. Redish
Professor George Dieter
Professor Deborah Hughes-Hallett
Professor John Wright