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For decades tankless water heaters haven't been worth the effort to install due to our artificially low cost of natural gas in the USA and the high price of tankless heaters. Tankless water heaters have dropped to under $1,000 while tank water heater prices have continued to climb. Are tankless water heaters worth rethinking?
I have found 3 basic types of tankless water heaters:
1: Non-modulating with battery powered igniter such as they use in Europe. These can be bought in the US for under $230, and use 1/2" gas lines. Most will require an vent upgrade to 4" B-vent. 54 -87% efficiency.
2: Modulating tankless that automatically adjusts the burner output based on temp rise and water flow. They sell for about $550 but must either be mounted outdoors or require very expensive Stainless Steel venting. Most require upgrading gas lines to 3/4". 82% efficiency
3: Condensing that can vent with ordinary PVC pipe, cost just under $1,000. Also requires 3/4" gas line and condensate drain. 95% efficiency.
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HPWH are the least efficient when demand is greatest. As temps drop in the winter, HW demand increases. Incoming water temps are at their lowest and there is less heat available in the garage/basement/wherever WH is located.
That really depends on your location. Northern climates yes, but Hawaii, or climate zones 1 or 2, the difference is small compared to the gain.
If the house is in a mostly cooling climate, with humidity - the HPHW can move some of that heat from the room into the water. It can also provide some limited dehumidification.
Within in perhaps five years we may be seeing the CO2 based HPHW, which can run at higher water temps, with even higher COP's. As more of the utilities move off of coal to NG, or if they complete LNG export facilities - you can expect the price of NG to increase. And the electric HW tank options may become more attractive -- even over the tankless heaters.
I find most tankless gas line to small,
Most do not ramp up to give top BTU rating, with small gas lines. Then get limed up so do not getting full range
Absolutely! I sometimes cringe when I've seen some of the DIY tankless installations, they could not have pulled a mechanical permit and done the sizing calculations.
And the cost of changing the gas line in the house can easily be equal to or double the cost of the tankless.
It really is very customer / application dependent.
This seems like discussion about how to make the Emperors suit more elegant.
But maybe we need to move this conversation from 2004 to 2014 first:
But is the juice worth the squeeze? Where's the beef? ENOUGH talk about "combustion efficiency" or "recovery efficiency", those are abstractions unless you connect to consumption, cost, and savings. And when you do, the whole discussion starts looking pretty silly.
We have low flow shower heads, use cold for laundry (and have front loaders even if we don't). Our hot water consumption continuously drops, and with it drops the opportunity to save with some non forward looking " efficiency analysis."
At 8000 miles a year that Prius doesn't justify on savings alone. Next year when you only drive 5000, that statement becomes even more true. If you bought it assuming 20,000 a year your results are WAY off your target.
Midwest energy recommends electric - plain jane simple electric - to clients unless they have 5-6 occupants. Electric is the energy that gets CLEANER with time. Its the energy consumers can cleanly, easily and cost effectively produce themselves.
I know, boy children like nifty toys. I think Navien are cool too. But plain jane electric solves a lot of problems, removes one more combustion appliance, and leaves $ free for better effect elsewhere.
Put money where it matters. We must serve client best interests, leverage their opportunities, not squander them.
Precisely Ted,
Demand reduction trumps production efficiency every time because its forever!
Still love the hybrid electric (Heat Pump) water heaters though as you get the best of both worlds, presuming you don't have access to low cost natural gas as many of us in more rural locations don't.
If I go with another tank it won't be an expensive direct vent model. I'll most likely just buy the one they have on sale at the big box store for $400 or so. Easy swap out, no venting/gas line changes.
And that really is a very good point.
I have friend/relative that really seem to like tankless, but when you ask how much longer they expect to stay in the house... they don't know. I expect less than ten years. If they stay only three or four years - they would never fully recover their cost of the tankless.
While it doesn't seem like much, a tanked gas heater (.62 EF) can had quite a bit of heat into a basement. If you've lost power during a winter storm.. that tiny amount of additional heat can sometimes help keep the pipes in the area from freezing. Of course it doesn't help with the distant lines, or lines in the wall, etc. But I've seen a couple of cases where the tank was near the well pump's storage (air tank) and that happened to be area that doesn't freeze... during extended loss of power. (well doesn't work) but when power is back, there is some hope for cold and perhaps hot water.
Sometimes we try to squeeze too much energy savings out of things and forget that the "waste heat" was providing some functional benefit in areas we hadn't thought of...
Low efficiency natural draft water heaters have all kinds of unmeasured costs and overstated benefits. Once you've seen utility bills from a few hundred houses, the pattern becomes clear. Devices that inefficiently burn a product benefit those selling the product.
The gas companies have done a great sell job on how much gas appliances "save" that people are chasing pennies thinking they are chasing $20 bills.
If you've lost power during a winter storm.. that tiny amount of additional heat can sometimes help keep the pipes in the area from freezing. Of course it doesn't help with the distant lines, or lines in the wall, etc. But I've seen a couple of cases where the tank was near the well pump's storage (air tank) and that happened to be area that doesn't freeze...
Dennis, that smells like FUD. Fear, uncertainty, doubt. Fuel for irrational decisions. Not good emotions for driving smart decisions, in fact when these are present there is high likelihood of bad decisions and abuse.
"You need to heat the earth so when the zombie apocalypse comes you have hot water."
The fallacy here is excluded middle. Using extremely unlikely events to sell very expensive insurance. All of us fall prey to this low quality thinking from time to time, both on the delivery and the receiving end.
Awareness, simply being on the lookout, is powerful key to avoidance. Once we see it, if we have integrity, we stop. I'm assuming everyone here has high integrity, that I'm not wasting my breath. Awareness - makes me think this is NOT how I want to sell to my clients, and it's not how I want to be treated by consultants & experts I engage.
If you have pipe freeze risk, fixing the house is much cheaper and more effective than heating the ground. It will help prevent ALL the pipes from freezing, not just the ones near that water heater that is losing so much heat to the basement and up the chimney.
A tight, reasonably insulated house without a leaky basement doesn't have pipes freeze even when power outages go from hours to days, and the likelihood of days worth of outages is likely as "getting struck by lightning on the 18th hole after getting a hole in one".
Tom, whether there are chimneys or not doesn't matter when you have electric hot water...
The small heat loss from the heater and keeping the area warm is exactly something that I have observed multiple times. It only extends to that service area - but it certainly works. The point is that tankless doesn't provide the same effect. A tanked electric heater offers the same added warmth. No FUD, just simple observation. I am not suggesting that this is used to heat the house - instead a simple observation that sometimes minor things are over looked. If that service area (sometimes a garage) doesn't have heat in it... it may need something added to prevent the freeze up of heaters if the technology is changed.
In climate zones 5 & 6, the tankless heaters also can have some pretty nasty wind induced drafts through them which can result in the heat exchanger freezing. I know of at least one case where that occurred.
No - end of the world - just some rather surprising real world observations. I could possibly add data loggers on one or two sites in future... but I don't see the need. The house is old - the owners are old, my suggestion was simply be prepared to replace the tank with the same type in the future - don't spend the money to upgrade the tank to another technology. Instead the pipes were upgraded to pex with home runs and lots of insulation.
A combustion device that requires continuous make-up air means the device is sucking unconditioned air into the building. This is a latent energy, sensible energy and control penalty. It may also have numerous other penalties including health and safety.
Vague quantifiers like "small heat loss" makes me think of these auto commercials where the savings is "HU-GE". Can you put HU-GE on a deposit slip and take it to the bank?
When you refer to the loss it is somehow big enough to matter when it comes to the fictional freezing pipe scenario, but inconsequential when it comes to cost or waste. And somehow this "heating the basement" is identical to the "benefit" of an electric tank that has insulation covering 100% of it's surface and no metal chimney pulling cold air up off the cold floor, putting heat into it, then sending that heat outdoors?
Making decisions based upon vague words like "small heat loss" is simply not an acceptable way to treat other people's money. If you are a professional doing this, stop, or you risk having your reputation seriously suffer.
Most people want to know what things cost. Net cost. When there are rebates, or energy savings, they want net cost. Overstating or giving inaccurate savings kills consumer confidence.
Promising $1 and delivering 50¢ is NOT going to build consumer confidence:
When it comes to conversations of "energy efficiency" we need to abandon vague terms. Is it clear what a slippery slope they create? Without clarity there is no accountability. Without accountability, integrity follows. When an industry has no integrity, consumers have no trust.
What is your background so I can speak to your level rather than above or below it. Do you have any experience with building envelope, building science, modeling, or measurement and verification of your model results?
I am an engineer. And yes I do understand latent and sensible heat. And I do have building science and air quality experience.
The authors article was about tankless is it time to switch. My comments have been about the observations that it may/or not may make sense to switch. I have deliberately avoid a discussion about making the building envelope more efficient -- because that simply is out of scope with Bob's original blog entry.
I am also very astute on steps that can be taken to reduce energy consumption. That wasn't the point of Bob's original blog.
Re-read my comments, I have been trying to add things to consider when looking at tankless vs tanked -- not justify a decision.
As for the comment about Midwest power. I live in the Seattle area. My local utility has both gas and electric- they rebate for customers to swtich from electric to gas. In Portland (150 miles south) Portland General Electric is only a electric provider, I've had discussions with engineers/(execs) about heaters in their service area - why not fuel switch, or HPHW (which do work well in the area) and the comment had been "we are an electric company, gas is our competitor" And also in their comment was the reminder that they prefer demand response resistance heating instead of HPHW because of the value stream (sales of electricity).
There are lots of issues if you go beyond Bob's blog entry. It is just easier to focus on the pro's and con's of tankless vs tanked. And for both there are a number of variations of heaters. electric flash heaters, gas flash heaters, tanked - HPHW, resistance and gas low eff, direct vent and condensing.
When comparing - you need to look at the location that the unit will be installed, its environment (service area of the house), and if the occupants will see a payback. And the payback needs to include all of the balance of system items that may need to be included if you change heater technologies in the house.
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NEW YORK (AP) — David Letterman is reassuring Mitt Romney that he doesn't hate him — and getting in a dig at Jay Leno in the process.
The Republican presidential candidate said in a private speech to donors made public this week that Letterman "hates me because I've been on Leno more than him."
Letterman said on the "Late Show" Wednesday that Romney and his wife are welcome on his CBS late-night show. Romney has been on three times but hasn't made any appearances since he became GOP nominee. Democratic President Barack Obama was on Letterman on Tuesday.
Letterman says he certainly doesn't hate Romney for going on Leno's NBC show. Says Letterman: "I mean, why hate a guy who's suffered through that?"

subset: commoncrawl


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Lewis captures HSBC Champions title
American Stacy Lewis won the HSBC Women's Champions on Sunday for her sixth career LPGA Tour title, overcoming two bogeys and some shaky putting on the back nine to hold off South Korea's Na Yeon Choi.
Lewis, the 2012 LPGA Player of the Year, shot a 1-under-par 71 in the final round at Sentosa Golf Club to finish at 15-under 273, one stroke ahead of Choi.
"The last four or five holes, I was pretty nervous. I'm not going to lie," Lewis said. "I just played hard and put my head down and tried to make as many putts as I could, and, fortunately, I came away with the win."
Choi, who had a 72, was runner-up at the tournament for the second consecutive year. She lost to Angela Stanford in a four-player playoff last year.
Paula Creamer, hampered by a shoulder injury from a car accident last week in Thailand, briefly held a share of the lead early in the day but struggled with her putting on the back nine and faded to a 71 to finish third at 13 under.
Top-ranked Yani Tseng shot a 74 to finish a disappointing week in a share of 28th place.
Lewis started the day tied with Choi atop the leaderboard, but she was able to gain some distance with a superb shot on the par-5 seventh hole.
After a long drive off the tee, Lewis hit a perfectly placed, 200-yard shot toward the pin that stopped about five inches short of going in for an albatross. She tapped it in for eagle, which put her one clear of Choi and two up on Creamer.
"It was probably one of the best shots I've ever hit," Lewis said. "It had to be pretty close. I couldn't really tell from where I was but it was perfect."
On the back nine, however, the 28-year-old American had to battle nerves and a determined challenge by Choi.
Leading by two shots on the 15th, Lewis hit her tee shot into the water for the second time this week and slammed her club into the turf in frustration. She took a bogey on the hole, allowing Choi to pull within one.
"I hit the fairway (on 15) in the practice rounds, but I did not hit it on any tournament day," she said. "I had two in the water and two in the bunker."
"Today I was just glad to get out of there with a bogey."
Then, on the 17th, Lewis hit into the bunker off the tee and missed a long par putt to card her second bogey of the back nine.
That gave Choi one last chance to even the score on the 18th, but she pulled her birdie putt wide by an inch. Lewis exhaled deeply after making her own par putt for the win.
"I tried to do my best until the last hole," Choi said. "Last year, I finished runner-up, too. I went into the playoff and lost. I really wanted to win this week."
Lewis and Choi had their putting woes, but it was almost worse for the 26-year-old Creamer, who was aiming for her 10th LPGA title.
She missed a 20-footer for eagle on No. 12 by inches, covering her mouth in disbelief. Then she barely missed a 25-foot birdie putt on No. 14 and started laughing. Two more near-misses followed on No. 15 and 16, which wiped the smile from her face.
"I had some good, long efforts and they just didn't fall in. Sometimes it's your day and sometimes it's not," she said.
Creamer never dreamed she'd be this close to the title after the car accident on the way to the airport in Bangkok after the LPGA Honda Thailand tournament last week.
She slammed her right shoulder into the dashboard of the car and woke up Thursday morning still numb from the injury. Her caddie, Colin Cann, and fellow golfer Ai Miyazato were also injured. Miyazato withdrew before the tournament began with soreness in her back, neck and head.
Creamer set low expectations for her chances, which may have taken the pressure off.
"This is much more than what I even bargained for. Didn't even know if I was going to tee it up, and taking a third after what Colin and I have been through, it's pretty good," she said.
It was a tough week for Tseng, who was never a factor after the first day. The five-time major winner hasn't won a tournament in nearly a year and could soon lose her top ranking to Choi or Lewis, who moves up to third after this week.
"I didn't hit the ball very well this week but it's OK. You know you always have next year to come back here," she said.
"World No. 1, I know it's good and people like it, but I want to care about myself more and I just want to enjoy (my golf)," she said. "If I lose (it), I'll get back one day, too."


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch)—Fuel cell stocks rallied Wednesday following upbeat analyst comments for FuelCell Energy Inc. while 3D Systems Corp. slumped after announcing it will sell new shares.
FuelCell Energy FCEL, -1.04% shares rose 8.1% while Plug Power Inc. PLUG, +2.66% jumped 9.8% and Ballard Power Systems Inc. BLDP, +2.71% surged 14%.
Analysts at Stifel Nicolaus on Wednesday resumed coverage of FuelCell Energy with a buy rating and a price target of $2.90. Shares traded at $2.41 ahead of the closing bell.
"We believe that, following several years of investment and effort, the company has made strong progress in reducing its fuel cell technology and manufacturing costs, and is successfully transitioning its stationary fuel cell power plant solution from the realm of R&D to an economically deployable renewable energy technology with a potential to become a part of the baseload generation mix," said analyst Sven Eenmaa in a report.
St. Jude Medical Inc. US:STJ shares gained 2.7%. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the CardioMEMS HF System, a device to monitor heart failures, according to a statement from the FDA. "The FDA believes that there is reasonable assurance that the device is safe and effective for heart failure management with the goal of reducing the rate of heart failure-related hospitalizations in certain patients. The FDA is requiring a thorough Post-Approval Study to continue to learn about the device's performance when used outside the context of a clinical study," the regulator said. St. Jude holds an equity stake in CardioMEMS.
Valero Energy Corp. VLO, +2.04% shares rose 4%. It was not immediately apparent what is propelling the stock higher but Valero shares are up 11% so far this year.
PetroLogistics L.P. US:PDH shares surged 10%. A subsidiary of Koch Industries Inc. on Wednesday agreed to buy the company, which produces propylene, in a deal worth about $2.1 billion in cash, including debt.
Qihoo 360 Technology Co. US:QIHU shares gained 5.9%. The Chinese Internet company late Tuesday said it earned 54 cents a share in the first quarter, significantly better than the average 31 cents forecast by analysts.
Shares of 3D Systems Corp. DDD, +4.07% skidded 12%. The 3-D printer late Tuesday announced a secondary offering of approximately 6 million shares.
DSW Inc. DSW, +1.09% shares slumped 28%. The discount shoe retailer cut its forecast for full-year results, now expecting per-share earnings of $1.45 to $1.60 and a low single-digit decline in same-store sales. DSW also posted first-quarter results that fell short of analyst estimates.
Allergan Inc. AGN, +2.75% shares declined 5.3%. Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. US:VRX which has launched a bid to buy Allergan, sweetened the deal by increasing the cash portion by $10 a share to $58.30, boosting the overall package to $49.4 billion from $45.5 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Tickers to Watch
KORS: Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. KORS, +2.55% shares advanced 1.1%. The luxury retailer said Wednesday its fiscal fourth-quarter profit rose to $161 million, or 78 cents a share, from $101.1 million, or 50 cents a share, a year ago. Sales rose to $882 million from $577.4 million. Results topped estimates.
TOL: Toll Brothers Inc. TOL, +3.29% shares were up 2.5%. The home builder reported better-than-expected fiscal second-quarter results Wednesday, with earnings that more than doubled to $65.2 million, or 35 cents a share, and revenue that jumped 67% to $860.4 million.
WDAY: Shares of Workday Inc. WDAY, +5.66% added 2.7%. The enterprise cloud-application company late Tuesday reported a smaller-than-expected adjusted loss of 13 cents a share. Total revenue rose to $159.7 million from $91.65 million, beating estimates.
SYK: Shares of Stryker SYK, +3.36% rose 2.6%. The medical-device maker said it doesn't intend to make an offer for Smith & Nephew, as it responded to a Financial Times report that Stryker was putting together a bid for the U.K. firm.
More must-reads from MarketWatch:
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Last week, President Obama proposed some relief for graduates with student loans. But for too many, decisions made in college on student loans continue to haunt them. Edited for clarity.
I am my family's first college graduate. The choices I had were: staying on in the housing projects where I grew up, or student loans. So I took the loans to improve my life. Since I graduated in December, I have applied for over 100 jobs and landed three interviews. I also got a bunch of emails stating I'm overqualified or that I lack the experience for better-paying jobs.
I have my bachelor's in political science and master's in public administration. I currently work at the university library but the wages I earn barely cover daily living expenses, let alone my student loans. I remain hopeful of achieving my dreams and be a positive influence on others.
NEXT: $80,000 for my daughter's education


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The Last Alliance site will be running another Painting Competition. You are invited to join in and share your painting and conversion projects. Free Entry, Prizes and Limitless Glory.
Start Date: November 26th 2015
End Date: January 31st 2016
Enter a single Lord of the Rings or Hobbit model. This can be any single model from the GW range.
1st Prize will win BEORN AND BEAR - or model of equivalent value.
Post photos of your finished model here viewtopic.php?f=27&t=8426
Enter a single model which can be used with a TLA Unreleased Profile.
Conversions are more than welcome, but you can enter any model that could be used to represent an entry in the Unreleased Profile PDF published by TLA. These can include models like Kings of Men and heroes that already exist such as Faramir and Theoden, as long as they appear in the pdf.
See the full list here: download/unreleasedprofiles.pdf
1st Prize will win RANDOM DWARF on ARMOURED HOG - or model of equivalent value.
Post photos of your finished model viewtopic.php?f=27&t=8427
Enter a warband, group of models, or anything on a larger base.
This can be anything from several palace guards to a cave troll to Smaug the Magnificent.
1st Prize will win NOBLE ELF LORD - Foot and Mounted, or model of equivalent value.
Post photos of your finished model here viewtopic.php?f=27&t=8428
Small Print:
Entry is free!
Membership of TLA is free!
Prizes are free and include postage for free!
You can enter all three categories, but cannot enter the same model more than once.
You can enter more than once, as long as all models entered are finished during the competition's time period (no older re-entries please ).
The entries will be voted on by judges appointed by The Last Alliance. All decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into.
And one last thing - please feel free to enter even if you don't think you can win. It's a great way to share your work and get tips and advice from talented and enthusiastic people.
Have fun, good luck, get painting!


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hello there,
i've run into an issue trying to capture flashing lights at night with my GH4. There's a kind of horizontal colour banding that's happening...almost as if the camera is behaving like an interlaced and not a progressive cam. Has anyone else run into this? Any thoughts on how to solve?
Rob aka orbitrob
p.s. i was going to post a helpful link showing the footage - but i see that i need 6 posts before i can do that.
once youtube has indexed the video perhaps try entering, "panasonic gh4 - horizontal line issue when filming strobing lights" into the search bar.


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Recall Details
Mercedes–Benz is recalling certain 2008 GL-Class, M-Class, and R-Class vehicles for a possible defect in the driving pin used to control power steering oil pressure. If the pin breaks during normal vehicle turning, the steering assist will no longer operate, causing difficulty operating the steering wheel. Dealers will replace the steering gear in affected vehicles.


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The Office of Highway Safety will conduct an aggressive driving enforcement set Oct. 23-Nov. 3.
The Office of Highway Safety will conduct an aggressive driving enforcement set Oct. 23-Nov. 3.
Law enforcement agencies participating include Delaware State Police and all three counties, along with Georgetown, Milford, Newark, New Castle County, Seaford and Wilmington police departments.
Currently, 32 of the 83 fatal crashes in the state this year have been attributed to aggressive driving behaviors.
Motorists can be charged with aggressive driving when an officer observes a driver committing three or more traffic violations in a single incident such as speeding, failing to yield right of way, tailgating, making improper lane changes, and running red lights or stop signs. Drivers cited for aggressive driving will get six points on their licenses and fines between $100 and $300.
To learn more about aggressive driving, visit www.AggressivedrivingDE.com or www.ohs.delaware.gov.


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The man wanted for killing an elderly man in cold blood in Cleveland and posting a video of it on Facebook shot and killed himself after a brief pursuit in Erie County, PA early Tuesday, authorities said.
Authorities pinging his phone said Steve Stephens -- who'd become the focus of a nationwide manhunt -- was headed east through Pennsylvania, possibly to New York State when a tip came in around 11 a.m., Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams told reporters.
Stevens had been seen in a McDonalds parking lokt near Erie, PA -- about 100 miles away, the chief said.
Seeing the responding officers, Stevens sped off, Williams said.
They caught up to him two miles down the road, where Stephens shot himself, the chief said.
A medical examiner pronounced him dead at the scene, he said.
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The Entergy Nuclear subsidiary owns, operates, supports and provides
management services to a national fleet of reactors in eight locations in the
United States. The company also owns Vermont Yankee, which ceased operations
December 29, 2014, and is now in the process of decommissioning.
With the purchase of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in 1999, Entergy was the
first company in the U.S. to acquire an operating nuclear plant through
competitive bidding.
In another first, Entergy obtained a management contract in 2002 providing support and management services to Cooper Nuclear Station in Nebraska. The contract with Coopers owner, Nebraska Public Power District, has been subsequently extended until 2029.
With 6,000 nuclear employees, Entergy is also recognized globally as a provider of nuclear services to companies in the U.S. and around the world.


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Jose D. Garcia to Receive 2012 AAPT Distinguished Service Citation
College Park, MD, April 25, 2012—AAPT has announced that Jose D. (JD) Garcia will receive the association's Distinguished Service Citation during the 2012 Summer Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Garcia is Professor of Physics Emeritus at The University of Arizona in Tucson. Throughout his career, his Research interests included time-dependent quantum models for collisions, quantum electrodynamics, physics education research, and improving science teacher education. He earned his Ph.D. in Physics at the University of Wisconsin. His career has included a Fulbright Scholarship in Germany, and a NORDITA Fellowship in Sweden. Garcia is a Fellow of the APS and was the recipient of the APS' Bouchet Award. He has served as a Program Officer in the Division of Undergraduate Education at the National Science Foundation, was the Charter President of the National Society of Hispanic Physicists (NSHP), and has just finished a term as President of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanas and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS).
A long time member of AAPT, Garcia has served as a member of the Committee on Professional Concerns, Committee on Minorities in Physics, Committee on Undergraduate Physics, and the Meetings Committee. He has also served on several task force groups: as a member of the National Task Force on Undergraduate Physics (SPIN-UP), the Joint AAPT-APS Task Force on Graduate Education, and recently on the Task Force on Teacher Education in Physics (TTEP). A life member of the Arizona Section of AAPT, he has coordinated the meetings of the Tucson Area Physics Teachers (TAPT), a local physics teachers' support group for more than 20 years, and is still active in promoting physics outreach efforts in Tucson.
About the Distinguished Service Citation
About AAPT
For more information: Contact Marilyn Gardner, Director of Communications, firstname.lastname@example.com, (301) 209-3306, (301) 209-0845 (Fax), www.aapt.org.


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Ratings & Reviews
Special Features
- Writer/Director Commentary
- Cracking Safe
- Criminal Battleground
- The Art of the Gunfight
- Closed Captioned
A suicidal New Jersey cage fighter protects a young Chinese math prodigy from Triads, Russian gangsters, and corrupt cops in this action thriller from producer Lawrence Bender (Pulp Fiction) and writer/director Boaz Yakin (Fresh, A Price Above Rubies). Ten-year-old Mei (Catherine Chan) is a genuine numbers wizard from Nanjing. Unfortunately, her unusual proficiency in mathematics has made her the target of Triad boss Han Jaio (James Hong), who abducts the young girl from her home and sends her to America to help keep his underhanded business dealings a well-guarded secret. Mei has the ability to store a virtual library of financial information in her head, and by having the young girl as his personal bookkeeper, Han is able to operate without fear of being implicated by a telling paper trail. Meanwhile, as Mei follows her new "father" Chang (Reggie Lee) on his many extortion outings, Luke Wright (Jason Statham) takes flight from the Russian mafia after botching a fixed fight and seeing his wife murdered in retribution. Mei's and Luke's fates collide, however, when, soon after Han Jiao makes the trip to America to give the young girl a secret number, the fallen fighter witnesses her fleeing from Russian gangsters just as he is about to take his own life. At that moment, Luke pulls himself back from the brink and decides to take action. But now Luke's death wish may come true sooner than he anticipated; not only are the Triads and the Russians determined to get that number by any means necessary, but corrupt NYPD captain Wolf (Robert John Burke) is hell-bent on beating them to it -- and has the power of the law on his side. As day turns to night, Luke realizes that his time is quickly running out. Perhaps if Luke can save Mei, he will have finally taken the first crucial steps down the road to redemption and toward a new life where he won't have to fight in order to survive. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Cast & Crew
- Jason Statham - Luke Wright
- Catherine Chan - Mei
- Robert John Burke - Captain Wolf
- James Hong - Han Jiao
- Anson Mount - Alex Rosen


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ACE Flyer
VNY ACE Video
ACE Application
Los Angeles World Airports' Aviation Careers Education (ACE) Academy is a free, week-long motivational program designed to introduce students to the broad spectrum of career opportunities within the aviation/aeronautical industry, as well as general knowledge about Van Nuys Airport (VNY).
The ACE Academy is open to all 7th-12th grade students. However, priority will be given to those students in the neighboring area of Van Nuys Airport.


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11-year-old witness describes mom's death at murder trial
11-year-old testifies in murder trial about fighting parents
The murder trial of Heriberto Ramirez began Wednesday in Rolling Meadows with testimony from his daughters, including the now 11-year-old who said she was "sitting there scared" during the early morning hours of Feb. 14, 2011, when her mother was killed in the couple's home near Des Plaines.
Ramirez, 50, is charged with the stabbing death of his wife Alicia Ramirez, 45, in the couple's Des Plaines area home at the Touhy Mobile Home Park, just north of O'Hare International Airport.
The girl, who was 9 years old at the time, testified that her mother -- who worked six days a week as a cook at Avanti Cafe in Mount Prospect -- was preparing to leave for work about 5:30 a.m. when she and Heriberto began arguing about the title to the house.
The girl, whose name the Daily Herald is withholding to protect her privacy, entered the courtroom carrying a small stuffed animal and showed poise and self-control during hr testimony. She described hearing her parents argue from where she sat in the master bedroom she shared with her mother. Older sister Karen Ramirez, now 21, occupied the second bedroom but had already left for work. Heriberto Ramirez slept on the couch.
Karen Ramirez, who has custody of her sister, testified that her parents' relationship had changed before her mother's death and the two sometimes argued with raised voices.
The younger girl testified she watched through the open bedroom door as her father backed her mother into the bathroom.
"I was sitting there scared," said the girl. She testified she heard her mom yell "no" and "stop," at which point the girl said she dialed 911, then hung up when her father entered the bedroom and told her "everything is going to be OK and not to worry about anything." She described Heriberto Ramirez "breathing rough" when he entered the room.
The girl went on to describe hearing her father rummage through a toolbox and hearing running water. Ramirez then grabbed his keys and prepared to leave, she said, but was greeted by Cook County sheriff's police officers when he opened the door.
Ramirez told the officer that everything was OK, after which the girl told the officer "my mom was in the bathroom." The officer looked in the bathroom and returned telling the girl her mother was "seriously injured," at which point the other officer handcuffed Heriberto Ramirez, the girl said.
Cook County Chief Medical Examiner Stephen Cina testified that Alicia Ramirez suffered 34 stab wounds to her chest, abdomen, neck, arms and legs. They included wounds to her aorta, liver and lungs, which Cina testified would have killed her within minutes.
Under cross examination from Cook County Assistant Public Defender Larry Kugler, the girl admitted it was dark in the house and that she couldn't distinguish her father's face. She also said that she hung up the phone, not her father, and that he never threatened her. She further testified that she did not observe any blood on his clothes.
In his opening statement, Kugler reminded jurors that Ramirez is presumed innocent and told them that "your duty is to do justice."
"Mr. Ramirez has been charged with a terrible crime. That doesn't make him guilty," Kugler said as he urged jurors to put prejudice aside and only consider the evidence.
"This is a case about anger," said Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Mike Clarke in his opening statement, "and how one man's anger led to the brutal stabbing and killing of Alicia Ramirez."
Testimony continues Thursday.


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Thursday November 24, 2011
Miley Cyrus is among the artists featured on a new collection of Bob Dylan cover songs to be released in aid of Amnesty International.
The human rights organisation said that all of the songs on the 4-CD collection will be new or previously unreleased versions, with the exception of Bob's Chimes of Freedom.
Miley, 19, has recorded You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go, while 92-year-old folk legend Pete Seeger has covered Forever Young, with a children's choir singing on the chorus.
The disc, to be released in the US on January 24, is being produced by the same music executives who made a 2007 benefit album for Darfur featuring John Lennon songs.
Photo: © Getty


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Posts Tagged 'access'
Linux file permissions and chmod
When you view files and directories on Linux hosts, how can you tell which users have access? And how do you determine the extent of their access? Before approaching the sizable (but very important) subject of Linux (and Unix) file permissions, it is helpful to review the definitions of key terms which IT professionals need to be familiar with. Before proceeding, let's define these terms clearly.
Common across all operating system (OS) platforms, files are the objects or things that OSes and user applications work with. More specifically, a file is a distinct collection of data that has a name and properties, or characteristics. Files can take the form of text documents, graphics, music, scripts, etc. If you prefer the geeky definition, Wikipedia states that a computer file is "a block of arbitrary information, or resource for storing information, which is available to a computer program and is usually based on some kind of durable storage."
Computer files can be created, edited, deleted, moved, and stored. The orderly arranging of files is accomplished by means of directories, which are simply containers for files and other directories. On the Windows operating system, directories are often called "folders" because they are visually represented by icons resembling the paper folders which you would find in filing cabinets. This method of depicting directories as paper folders has also been adopted by Linux desktop environments, such as KDE and GNOME.
Directories are arranged in a hierarchical model. Users and software can use these directories to navigate the file system to find certain files. Files are often logically co-located based on type and usage.
Operating systems support access control restrictions on files and directories because it is not a best practice to permit the same level of system access to all users of a host or network. Users may not want other users to access their files for reasons of privacy and separation of duties, while system administrators often do not want non-administrative personnel to be able to change or possibly delete critical files needed for proper OS function. Therefore, file permissions are designed to prevent the unwanted viewing, editing, or deletion of files and folders. Within the popular discretionary access control (DAC) model, file owners can adjust the access permissions of the files they own. That is, file owners can determine who can read, change, or delete the files belonging to them. On a Unix-like OS like Linux, we will examine how to work with these file permissions.


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BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Starbucks announced plans Monday to open its first cafe in Colombia, where the popular Juan Valdez chain has a very firm foothold.
The Seattle-based chain said the Bogota store will open in the first half of 2014 and be operated through a joint venture between the company's Latin American franchisee, Alsea, and the food company Grupo Nutresa.
Starbucks says it has "aggressive plans" to open cafes across Colombia over the next five years. CEO Howard Schultz said he expected to have up to 50 stories in Bogota and other major cities by then.
Schultz met with President Juan Manuel Santos on Monday and also met with Colombia's coffee federation, with whom he said he discussed increasing Starbucks' use of Colombian coffee worldwide by about 20 percent over the next three years.
The federation created the Juan Valdez chain, which opened its first story in 2002 and has more than 225 shops. Most of them are in Colombia, but it has stores in Miami, New York; Mexico City; Santiago, Chile; Lima, Peru; and Madrid.
Starbucks is already a customer of the National Federation of Coffee Growers, which comprises 560,000 families dedicated to growing the bean.
Starbucks also announced a $3 million partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development to help Colombian farmers boost coffee yields and economic stability. Some Colombian coffee growers are currently involved in protests to demand a renewal of government subsidies secured after previous unrest.
The coffee federation's press office said it had no fear of the new competition. Unlike Starbucks, Juan Valdez only sells Colombian coffee.
In north Bogota, 41-year-old office worker Rafael Reyes said he hadn't tried Starbucks as he hadn't been outside Colombia. But he added, sipping black coffee at a Juan Valdez shop, "we will remain loyal to the Colombian coffee of Juan Valdez."
Starbucks operates in 62 countries and says it has more than 650 stores in 12 Latin American markets.
Associated Press writer Candice Choi in New York contributed to this report.


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"Another collaboration between Daddy Spencer and the Shiloh Ites.
5 years since "Can't win this time" he returns with Jah spear.
Out now on Itunes. 7" release later this year."
Jah spear - Music video
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The mid-Hudson's approximately 96,000 public school students will begin heading back to classes Sept. 4, 5 or 9 depending on their district's calendar.
The mid-Hudson's approximately 96,000 public school students will begin heading back to classes Sept. 4, 5 or 9 depending on their district's calendar.
High school students, in particular, are likely to find themselves getting a quick refresher on a familiar subject — the dress code. If you've gone back-to-school shopping as I already have, then you've probably seen what's being showcased in back-to-school fashions.
The key word is "bodycon" — as in "body conscious." The figure hugging fashion trend has been around for at least a couple of years, but the industry has managed to pump out new lines of mini skirts, dresses, crop tops and leggings just in time for your teenager to scoop them up this fall.
Made from elasticized or composite material, such as spandex or lycra, they leave little to the imagination. It's a fashion trend that is almost certain to be on a collision course with most school dress codes.
Plenty of bodycon miniskirts and tops made their way into schools last year, but this fall the hemlines and waistlines are rising. The micro miniskirts of the 1960s and the crop tops of the '80s are back and tighter than before.
Schools across the state could become faced with a case of deja vu. Back in June, many of them ran into a problem when fashion-forward teenage girls began coming to class in short shorts. In some cases, the girls found themselves rounded up and yanked out of class right in the middle of Regents test prep.
Some districts have tried to skirt controversy by having very specific dress codes. For instance, the Kingston and Port Jervis school districts ban Spandex or "Spandex-like" clothing.
"If a building principal deems that it's distracting to the educational environment, the student will be asked to change," said Matthew McCoy, Kingston School Board president. He explained that if the student doesn't have a change of clothes, then a parent will be notified and asked to take the student home.
The problem wasn't limited to girls. School administrators are also on the lookout for boys will droopy jeans that appear ready to fall off and T-shirts with inappropriate sayings or images printed on them.
"Some students wear T-shirts with pictures of weapons, drugs or alcohol and we ask them to turn their shirts inside out," said Andrew Marotta, Port Jervis High School principal. "We ask students to have an extra set of clothes on hand because we know kids violate."
I'm a big believer in school uniforms, but many parents might balk at the extra expense and kids want to celebrate their individualism. While it makes sense to leave the inappropriate clothing at home, there are kids who will repeatedly violate the dress code at the risk of missing classes and even wind up with in school suspension.
With increased emphasis on testing and the Common Core curriculum, it's a no-brainer to encourage students to start the school year right. Leave the inappropriate clothing home and think about dressing for success.


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Cropperware, the maker of the Page In Progress box, announced Tuesday they are seeking a buyer for the company. And they announced their "for sale" sign in a very 21st century way: via social media.
Company owner Mary Petto put the process in motion with the following on her Twitter account at 8:34pm on Tuesday: "Okay, world. We're accepting bids for Cropperware LLC: inventory, IP, the whole enchilada. Please send inquiries to firstname.lastname@example.com." The tweet was also cross-posted to Facebook, and transmitted to Plaxo as well.
Petto explained the untraditional approach this way:
We made the decision to sell Cropperware and its intellectual property a few weeks ago, but going the traditional route of finding an M&A expert isn't necessarily proving the best way to go. If we can't show them that we are a $3 million company, they hang up. We're not sure what happened to the good old days when big businesses were opportunists looking for the next big idea, but we've got it, and we've got the social proof and orders to prove it. Twitter may be a bit casual, but who knows who will see it and take a second look? Another individual with dreams of his or her own can take our product to the next level. It's too great a concept to keep behind the closed doors of the traditional M&A world.


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Vibration ?
I don't know about the effects of ''climatic variation'' but the shaking in almost 7,000 miles of rail journey is going to test many a PC to destruction.
PC vendors may be finally bowing to pressure to build more flexibility into the supply chain amid reports that Acer is to start shipping PCs by train. Forty carriers are already en route to Europe. Disties have been calling for alternative transportation techniques following the growing mountain of notebooks in the region …
I don't know about the effects of ''climatic variation'' but the shaking in almost 7,000 miles of rail journey is going to test many a PC to destruction.
This isn't much different than the situation you must have now. Electronics have to get off the boat sometime. Chances are that they are unloaded on the coast and take the rest of their journey by rail or by truck.
Certainly they've solved this problem by now as there are plenty of stores that aren't near the ocean.
they travel by boat when the sea is calm and there are no waves, then?
How many of those containers are going to "fall off the back of the train"?
I thought for a minute they were going to be opening a distrubution centre in Macclesfield......
I'm surprised that the Chinese don't have a direct rail link to Kazakhstan (or do they?) to cut out Russia altogether. I'm sure some of that 'security' aspect will be linked to the Russians.
I think that rail is a great idea though, it helps decrease supply times and will become cheaper with bigger orders. In the future if North Korea sorts itself out and the Koreans and Japanese build a bridge they've been talking about you could get train journeys from Tokyo to Berlin.
There is a rail route through Kazakhstan, but it still has to run through Russia in the North Caucasus to Ukraine. There is no route through Iran to Turkey.
I wouldn't worry about vibration or shock on modern rolling stock, not much of an issue, but banditry, yup. I'm not sure why they are worried about climate either, insulated containers exist, which could keep the contents at a relatively constant temperature and humidity for a reasonable time period. The Siberian winter is harsh, but no worse than CP or CN have to cope with on the Canadian Praries, or the run to Churchill.
The Eco answer would be sailing ships though.
There is a line from Russia to Iran, then west via Turkey and the rest of Europe (and south to Syria...).
You can also go east into Pakistan and India.
You're mistaken. Most of the "Russian Mafia" is actually Ukrainian.
If you look at the history of Russia, originally ,their capital was Kiev (look up Kieven Rus). Then the Mongols invaded. During the period of the Mongol Yoke, many of the Rus' fled northward, into what is now Russia -- primarily those who objected to the corrupt ways of the Mongols. Those who were ok with the corruption and outright crime stayed in Ukraine. This is the source of the enduring antipathy that the Russians have towards the Ukrainians.
And I say this as someone whose great grandparents left Ukraine for the U.S. in the first decade of the 1900's.
... because the Ukrainians are eastern Europes land-pirates.
Beijing to Moscow: 7 days,
Moscow to Helsinki: 1 day
From Helsinki you still have to get to the rest of Europe, but there are lots of boats/trains/trucks along those routes. I think anywhere in Europe can be got to within a couple of days.
"Oi! Why is my brand new PC actually just a slab of shale?"
Shurely if you'd ordered an Acer & you got a lump of shale you'd actually be ahead of the game?
Alright, I'm going...
I thought it was a slate? Steve Ballmer said they are the in thing.
Use traditional silk route caravans, with camels or horses through Kyrgyzstan.
A Japanese TV company I worked for in the late 70's tried this over the trans-Siberian. The results at that time were poor:
In winter glued labels and badges would peel or fall off.
Vibration was not a problem, but loose-shunting caused the packing of incompletely filled containers to disintegrate and the goods move and become damaged. The g-forces our sensors recorded were impressive!
On a couple of occasions we were informed by Customs of seal tampering. Upon inspection, many boxes were filled with house bricks to the weight of a TV.
What the thieves did with UK PAL standard TV's in the SECAM standard USSR, we never found out.
They probably sold/traded it to the next gullible person.
The track in Russia is a different guage (wider) so they have to change the wheel sets on carriages. Not sure if they will lift the containers off one flat wagon and onto another or change the bogies. Either way it is a pain in the neck. I know, because I travelled by train from Warsaw to Minsk in Belarus when a flight failed.
They change bogies, according to a famous travel writer who took the trans-Siberian.
I wonder whether they have ever considered the option of doing final assembly in the UK (or EU). Ship components rather than complete laptops, and then configure CPU / hard disk size / RAM / Case colour in the UK as orders are received.
It works for cars.
..is this glut of cheap Acer products due on our shores? I'm in need of a new lappy but have put off buying one until this fabled chalice of discount goodness comes our way...
toot toot!
Australia's Indian Pacific traverses a comparable distance in 3, across some of the most hostile terrain on the planet. That must be some really shitty railway infrastructure forcing trains to crawl at 5 miles an hour most of the way if it takes that long to get there!


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bounty42 wrote:So what are the odds we got two Noah's Ark shirts?
Probably has to do something with us being brothers. Old inside joke.
Re: Noah's Sandwiches
Good job, brosky! I knew this was you as soon as I saw it.
Re: Old Fashioned Fur Burgers
ALF is going to get this rejected. Pop culture, 'celebrity' likeness, protected character...take your pick.
Flavor like this won't last forever!!!
Here's a detail of what's on the menu!!!
Re: From Table to Fable
Re: Pizza Buddha
I heard this joke the other day, some anchor was trying to tell this joke to the dalai lama and he didnt get it.
Mavyn wrote:To avoid rejection, Magic 8 ball says Try again later. Pick one tee color, make sure it's one that Woot carries.
The background color is that: Slate - #818189
Re: Marge's Poop Cafe
Potty humor is rejection fodder.
Radscoolian wrote:Probably has to do something with us being brothers. Old inside joke.
Haha, I had a feeling this would happen.
You almost had three but I figured I'd be playing a crowded field...
Home of the All Creatures great and small COMBO!!! hehe
Re: Food Chain Cafe
This shirt would be awesome to wear while teaching the food chain to my students!
Re: Authentic Melmacian Cuisine
Are you tired of the usual Chinese, Italian, and Indian dishes? Want to try something different? Come to A Taste of Melmac, and have your appetite satiated with authentic Melmacian feline dishes!
tmdowling wrote:...but in truth I'd not buy because of the awkward wording of "Will Make You Revive". Sooo close.
I totally agree - love the design but the wording is off and I wouldn't be able to comfortably wear it.
That's 2 Pop Culture designs!
ampersandink1 wrote:I think I've been there.
I know I have!
Re: Nice to Meat You
could this be considered text?!
ChuckleNorris wrote:Haha, I had a feeling this would happen.
Ha! Me too!
oakenspirit wrote:Flavor like this won't last forever!!!
Here's a detail of what's on the menu!!!
Hmmm... pics dont work...
tmdowling wrote:I voted for this because I mostly love it, but in truth I'd not buy because of the awkward wording of "Will Make You Revive". Sooo close.
I agree. Change it to "Will Revive You", "Will Bring You Back To Life", or some other more natural language, and it will get my vote.
Re: Byte bistro
I've always liked Nibbles, I was waiting to incorporate them in a design. Hope you like this design.
Pop Culture design #3!
oarbitero wrote:could this be considered text?!
The rules for this derby don't ban text. They ban submissions that don't have any graphical component.
It contains text, but is not "text only".
Re: Narwhal Noshery
Mmmm...Delicious Narwhal
srbaritono wrote:The background color is that: Slate - #818189
The mockup uses non-woot tees. they're pretty specific about that--what you show MUST match what would print.
Re: Underwater Restaurant
"Enjoy your meal."
Re: Late Night Snack
This isn't even funny.... it's true! I want one!
Re: Dino-BBQ
Yay! Spiritgreen is back!
Awesome character, as usual!
Rejectionator Pass #1, and we're looking good:
All 3 pop designs killed
1 Potty Humor killed
Re: Pander Express
I love the irony in the artist's handle.
Re: The Elemental Eatery
Re: Let Them Eat Cake!
I LOVE this shirt design! It's really elegant and funny, and the colors...just everything, needs more votes!!
Re: Black Hole Snack
Too bad it was rejected
This week give us your best ad or slogan for an imaginary restaurant of your very own creation
Really good.
I like it!
WarholBot wrote:I heard this joke the other day, some anchor was trying to tell this joke to the dalai lama and he didnt get it.
Haha! That's the first thing I thought of when I saw this. That video was so awkward I couldn't even watch the whole thing. :P
Re: Dingo Daryl's BBQ Shack
The Dingo ate my baby!
I, uh...
Well, okay, I drew this and it's pretty self-explanatory so I'm gonna go now.
Oh, I see what you did there. But I have a question, are you serving to humans or serving humans as meals?
Re: Fang's Diner
View All →


text:
Via Composer
All releases at packagist.org: packagist.org/packages/propel/propel
All releases at github.com:
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Propel is strongly unit tested and is developed under Continuous Integration with a Test Driven Development approach.
We use
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to automatically build our projects, and here are the statuses of our master branches:
Propel2's code climate:
Propel is an open-source Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) for SQL-Databases in PHP 5.5. It allows you to access your database using a set of objects, providing a simple API for storing and retrieving data.
Additional to its ORM capabilities it does provide a query-builder , database schema migration , reverse engineering of existing database and much more.query-builder database schema migration reverse engineering
Propel gives you, the web application developer, the tools to work with databases in the same way you work with other classes and objects in PHP without writing SQL.relations
You need to write the definition of your tables as xml, export it from your existing database through our 'database:reverse' command or build it via a tool like ORM-Designer.
It uses PDO as an abstraction layer and code generation to remove the burden of runtime introspection to achieve the fast execution time.
Propel implements all the key concepts of mature ORM layers: the ActiveRecord pattern, validators , behaviors , table inheritance , reverse engineering an existing database , nested sets , nested transactions , lazy loading , LOB , you name it.
READ's mission is to revolutionize access to archival documents with the support of cutting-edge technology such as Handwritten Text Recognition (HTR) and Keyword Spotting (KWS).Free Shipping Store Cheap Perfect Womens Lightly Lined Multiway Demi Bra Pink Connected 34D Manufacturer Size 0D34 Calvin Klein 9wawkhS
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Research in READ comprises exciting fields such as Artificial Intelligence, Pattern Recognition, Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing.Learn more
READ technology is available via the service platform Transkribus. Upload documents, train a Handwritten Text Recognition (HTR) model, process text and follow the progress of the project.Learn more
A quick announcement about some new German language resources for users of our Transkribus platform.
You can now find the following German language How to Guides on the Transkribus wiki :
Transkribus beginners can also watch a German language webinar to start learning the basics:
The Gender History research group at the University of Jena (Thuringia, Germany) have been experimenting with Transkribus as part of a digital edition project on the correspondence of the eighteenth-century regent, Erdmuthe Benigna von Reuß-Ebersdorf (1670-1732) .
Early Modern scripts are very challenging for Automated Text Recognition technology because letters tend to be closely intertwined, abbreviations occur quite often and the spelling of words is not standardized. As the below example suggests, Erdmuthe's writing is not easy to follow! She had a unique writing style and often broke words into separate parts.
Sample page of a letter (Source: Landesarchiv Thüringen – Staatsarchiv Greiz, Paragiatsherrschaft Köstritz, From IV 15, fol. 56r ., All rights reserved)
In order to train a model to recognise Erdmuthe's writing, the Gender History research team used about 250 pages of existing transcripts that had been produced in the course of their work on the digital edition. They also used these same transcripts to create a dictionary of Erdmuthe's vocabulary that can be integrated into the recognition process.
Asset Reports are intended to be created on a per-user basis. In the context of a loan application, for example, the lender would create an Asset Report for each borrower on a given loan.per-user
Finally, Asset Reports are
, meaning they can only be created and removed, not updated. If you would like to retrieve updated transactions and balances, for example, you can simply create a new Asset Report by submitting the same
s and other information you provided when creating the original report.
With your desired
in hand, all you need to do to create an Asset Report is to call the
endpoint. For a description of each required and optional parameter, see the Assets parameter reference.
To obtain an Asset Report for a given user, you'll need to complete the following steps:Create Items Create the Asset Report Retrieve the Asset Report Share the Asset Report
First, you'll obtain an
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. In order for an
to be used to obtain an Asset Report, it must have been generated with
included in Link's
array (see the
Link parameter reference above
); otherwise, you will encounter a
error when creating an Asset Report with that
If the user needs to link accounts at multiple institutions, simply repeat the Link flow for each, instructing the user to authenticate the next institution until they have linked all of their intended Items. You can include multiple Items in a single Asset Report by including an
for each Item.
With your desired
in hand, all you need to do to create an Asset Report is to call the
When creating an Asset Report, the only required fields are your
, an array of
s (one for each
to be included in the Report), and the number of
which determines the duration of transaction history to be included. All other fields are optional.
object allows you to provide additional information about the user to be appended to the Asset Report. All fields in the
object are optional if you simply want to retrieve an Asset Report, however the
, and
fields are required if you would like the Report to eligible for Fannie Mae's Day 1 Certainty™ program.
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Compunode.com Pvt. Ltd. ( www.compunode.com ).Designed for .
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text:
Poland, Hungary Gain Space for Rate Cuts
Consumer price inflation in Poland and Hungary was lower than expected in December, giving both countries room to ease monetary policy if they wish, having so far resisted slashing interest rates as a way of stimulating economic growth amid stagnation in the euro zone.
Polish inflation unexpectedly slowed to 2.4% on the year in December, putting it below the central bank's 2.5% target for the first time since August 2010. Hungary's indicator was at a 12-month low of 5%, well below expectations of 5.3%.
Both countries are expected to continue with monetary easing to help their economies rebound. The Polish central bank, which had tried to calm inflation by increasing borrowing costs in 2011 and 2012, is now reversing that policy and in January brought its benchmark rate down to 4% from last May's peak of 4.75%.
Polish economic growth slowed last year by more than had initially been expected as the problems afflicting its euro-zone neighbors took their toll. Even though the central bank's only mandate is to keep a lid on inflation, rate setters recently mentioned that economic growth is one of the factors they consider in their rate decisions.
Parliament-installed Hungarian rate setters are also expected to continue cutting rates from their current 5.75% level despite inflation remaining above the government's 3% target. Monetary policy there has been the subject of disagreement between the central bank's officials appointed by the parties that were previously in power and the current government as it struggles with recession in the debt-laden country.
Hungary's prime minister will soon name the person who will replace the outgoing central bank governor Andras Simor, with whom the ruling Fidesz party has had an uneasy relationship.
Even with Mr. Simor in place, parliamentary nominees are already able to hold sway over decisions at the Hungarian National Bank and have likely outvoted the governor and his two deputies in previous policy meetings, pushing forward rate cuts.
Hungary's base rate will probably fall to 5% in the middle of 2013 because easing is unlikely to boost domestic demand and therefore won't risk driving up inflation, said Takarekbank economist Gergely Suppan. Further cuts would require an improvement in the country's risk assessment and the maintenance of favorable international sentiment to avoid the forint coming under additional pressure, he said.
Because inflation will keep falling sharply in Poland, the central bank may eventually cut its benchmark rate to 3% in the current cycle, which is expected to end some time this year, said ING analysts. But Governor Marek Belka has said the Polish panel was unlikely to tolerate leaving the benchmark rate below inflation for long. This will continue to differentiate Poland from the neighboring euro-zone and the Czech Republic, where the benchmark rate is near zero. Czech inflation reported last week was 2.4% in December, the same as Poland's.
Veronika Gulyas in Budapest contributed to this article.
Write to Marcin Sobczyk at email@example.com


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Eileen Brennan of 'Private Benjamin,' 'Clue' dies
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Whether she was issuing orders as an Army captain in "Private Benjamin," rambling as a real-life rendition of Mrs. Peacock from "Clue" or blasting an immortal monster with a shotgun as a crazy cat lady in "Jeepers Creepers," actress Eileen Brennan injected perfectly timed comedy into each of her roles.
Brennan died Sunday at home in Burbank, Calif., after a battle with bladder cancer, said her managers, Jessica Moresco and Al Onorato. She was 80.
"Our world has lost a rare human," said Brennan's "Private Benjamin" co-star Goldie Hawn in a statement Tuesday . "Eileen was a brilliant comedian, a powerful dramatic actress and had the voice of an angel. I will miss my old friend."
Brennan achieved her first major role on the New York stage in "Little Mary Sunshine," a musical comedy that won her the 1960 Obie award for best actress, as well as the attention of director Peter Bogdanovich,, who cast her as a weary waitress who inherits the cafe where she works in 1971′s "The Last Picture Show."
Brennan went on to capture several sharp-tongued roles that won her fans on television and in movies, including gruff Army Capt. Doreen Lewis in 1980′s "Private Benjamin," aloof Mrs. Peacock in 1985′s "Clue" and cruel orphanage superintendent Miss Bannister in 1988′s "The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking."
"I love meanies, and this goes back to Capt. Lewis in 'Private Benjamin,'" Brennan said a 1988 interview with The Associated Press. "You know why? Because they have no sense of humor. People who are mean or unkind or rigid — think about it — cannot laugh at themselves. If we can't laugh at ourselves and the human condition, we're going to be mean."
"Private Benjamin" brought her a supporting actress nomination for an Oscar. She also won an Emmy for reprising her "Private Benjamin" role in the television version and was nominated six other times for guest roles on such shows as "Newhart," ″thirtysomething," ″Taxi" and "Will & Grace," in which she played an over-the-top acting coach.
"Eileen Brennan was a brilliant actress, a tough and tender woman and a comic angel," tweeted "Clue" co-star Michael McKean.
Brennan's "Private Benjamin" role led to an enduring friendship with Hawn. A couple of years after they filmed the movie, Brennan and Hawn had dinner one night in 1982 in Venice, Calif. As they left the restaurant, Brennan was struck by a car. Her legs were smashed, bones on the left side of her face were broken, her left eye socket was shattered. Brennan said she fought her injuries with rage.
"I was no saint," she said in an interview with Ladies Home Journal. "I was angry, and anger is a powerful emotion. It increased my determination not to go under, to get well."
Brennan became dependent on painkillers, and two years after the accident she entered the Betty Ford Center to cure her addiction.
"We get addicted to dull the pain of life," she told the magazine. "But once we accept that life is tough and painful, we can move on and grow and evolve."
A decade after the accident, Brennan said she was glad she was struck by the car.
"You learn from powerful things," she said in 1992. "Initially, there's enormous anger, but your priorities get shifted around."
She was a member of the original company of "Hello, Dolly" on Broadway. From the New York stage, Brennan moved to the screen in "The Sting," ″The Cheap Detective," ″Divorce American Style" and "The Last Picture Show" and TV guest shots on everything from "All in the Family" and "McMillan & Wife" to "Kojak," ″The Love Boat," ″Murder She Wrote," ″Mad About You" and "7th Heaven."
Brennan was born Verla Eileen Regina Brennan in Los Angeles. She was educated in convent schools and studied at Georgetown University and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.
"Our family is so grateful for the outpouring of love and respect for Eileen," her family said in a statement. "She was funny and caring and truly one of a kind. Her strength and love will never be forgotten."
Brennan is survived by her ex-husband, David John Lampson, their two sons, Patrick and Sam.


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60th Wine & Tapas
Party Recap
Louella had travelled a lot over the past 60 years, so we wanted to create a party that reflected this, showing off all the things she loved & told a story of her 60 years.
Combining her love of outback Queensland, good food and wine set amongst a very styled backdrop made this party all about the Birthday girl.
We used many items from around her house and from her parents property to highlight her journey and tell a story while guests mingled.
Party Highlights
Mini vanilla bean pana-cotta's The birthday cake - bottom layer tradition family recipe fruit cake with fondant icing, middle tier gluten free chocolate mud cake with dark chocolate butter cream frosting, top tier orange and almond gluten and dairy free cake with citrus butter cream frosting over with glacéed orange peel.
Activities / Games
To help remember the night we hired a friend, Beck from Rebecca Williams Photography to take pictures and she also set up a photo booth, after a few bubbles this was a great hit, she had all the props and it gave everyone a chance to mingle. As we also had 10 children under 10 at the event we set up a games room underneath the house with an Xbox & DVD's, which made them feel rather grown up as they had a space that was separate to play in.
Under $3000 This included everything & we had 2 fridges of drinks!!
Party Favors
Homemade Macadamia Nut Brittle, wrapped in clear cello bags with twine.
Best Moment
The look on my mum's face when she arrived, as she can be an organiser like myself, I didn't want her to be stressing about what was happening so I had sent her away, for the weekend to her friends house to "relax" she arrived 15mins into the party & had no idea what I had planned..all she knew was who she had asked and that I was host!!
What People Ate
As my Mum and also the birthday girl, works in hospitality it was especially import for me, to get the food right, serving interesting dishes that reflected the places she had travelled over the past 60 years, incorporated the food with the theme & relying on the flavour of fresh produce brought it all together. On arrival they were greeted with a glass of bubbles & Gorgonzola (cheese) & fresh figs wrapped in prosciutto, we had a make your own bruschetta station with avocado & shallot, egg & fish roe, traditional tomato basil & onion with an array of fresh and dry breads for guests to choose from. This was set amongst an array of cured meats, fresh figs, grapes, cheeses, quince & my personal favourite cabinet paste!! We also walked around platter of freshly made duck or chicken Vietnamese rolls with soy & honey dipping sauce, lamb, chilly, mint & date meat balls with yoghurt dipping sauce, prawns with chilly & lime, these were all cold so they were prepared during the day and then during the party the beef goulash and green curry chicken were prepared by our in house chef (a family friend) & served with jasmine rice in noodle boxes, this allowed guests to move freely throughout the party & they were certainly not hungry by the end.
What People Drank
Australian and important red & white wine Champagne Coronas (beer) Blondes (beer) Hahn (beer) We also made a 60th Mocktail - using fresh ginger juice, soda water and cloudy apple juice (mint was in the first batch though everyone ended up with green teeth so we quickly removed it). This Mocktail was delicious as it wasn't too sweet and for those not wanting to drink, it gave them something just as interesting to try, it also was lovely topped up with champagne or white wine!!
Most Touching Moment
As a gift we asked everyone to contribute photos and stories about my Mum and this played on a large flat screen off to the side so you could see if from anywhere in the party. We also asked everyone to contribute to a "60 years on" photo book, that we are producing for her and of course we can now add in all the pics from the night too.
Funniest Moment
The photo booth - best ever!!
The cake & theme
My favourite moment was creating the cake, as it had many little details on it that all told a story about my Mum's life. The food station was also something I was especially proud of, the backdrop was hand painted as a gift a few years earlier by myself, reflecting a favourite place Mum had travelled to and the centre piece I used to theme her 60th around.
Party Helpers
Rebecca Williams
I have known Beck over 20 years and had the pleasure of her company, photographing some very important events in the life of my family.
Beck is relaxed, friendly, professional and has a beautiful eye for photography http://www.rebeccawilliamsphotography.com.au
0432 882 533
Hanging Pretty
Hanging Pretty creates modern paper and fabric hanging décor.
Hanging Pretty
Cake designer
Hanging Pretty creates modern paper and fabric hanging décor.
Hanging Pretty
Party Planner
Hanging Pretty creates modern paper and fabric hanging décor.
Creatively Bespoke Weddings and Events
Props, Linen & Inspiration
Carol is by far one of the loveliest people I have had the pleasure of meeting, she has a vast array of event knowledge, fantastic props, linen and everything one could need to hire and was a great inspiration.
+61 4 03196423
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Where's Waldo? Just ask the NSA
December 08. 2013 4:19PM
Your cell phone transmits location data to your phone service provider at all times, even when the phone is powered off. Which is why the National Security Agency loves cell phones — and has developed a program to track millions of them. What would the Founders say?
Based on information from the Edward Snowden leaks, The Washington Post reported the existence of the NSA cell phone tracking program last week. The NSA confirmed that it tracks cell phones, collecting nearly 5 billion records a day. The agency says two things that are hard to believe: the program is perfectly legal, and it does not "intentionally" collect data on Americans inside the United States.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year in United States vs. Jones that the government's use of a GPS device to track the movements of a criminal suspect "constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment." In that case, the FBI was trying to bust a man suspected of cocaine distribution. The Obama administration said that it was OK to use a GPS device to track the suspect after the warrant for doing so had expired because such tracking was not a "search" as defined by the Fourth Amendment. The court held that it was a search (but did not rule on whether it required a warrant).
Now Obama's NSA argues that its cell phone trackings are not searches. But if using a GPS device to track a criminal suspect on public streets constitutes a search, how would using cell phone data to track millions of innocent people, even on private property, not constitute millions of searches?
The NSA insists that its tracking program is concentrated overseas and that any data it collects on Americans inside the United States is incidental. Even if that is true, one must ask: For how long will it be true?
The NSA has developed the power to know where virtually anyone is at anytime. The whole point of our system of government is to deny the state such vast, unchecked powers. As James Madison said, "If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary." We are not governed by angels.
Are we to trust the men who govern us with the unchecked (for it certainly is not checked by the FISA court) power to monitor us at will?


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School's Out for the Summer: Paul Winstanley's Spare Portraits of Empty Art Schools
The subjects of Paul Winstanley's paintings are what he calls "semi-public spaces"—the likes of waiting rooms, lobbies, hospitals, and airports. "Often aspiring to look like private spaces [these spaces] never quite make it, so they have something of an ill-defined quality about them," he explains. Each of these types of spaces has been the subject of an extensive series; among his most famous are the "Veil" paintings, an ongoing collection Winstanley begun in 1999 depicting curtained windows. Winstanley bases his compositions on photographs of uninhabited interiors and landscapes in a process he likens to Johannes Vermeer's use of the camera obscura as a painting aid; his realist style has a distinctive out-of-focus quality. The artist cites Northen European painters Vermeer, Casper David Friedrich, and Vilhelm Hammershoi as strong influences.
British, b. 1954, Manchester, United Kingdom, based in London, United Kingdom
School's Out for the Summer: Paul Winstanley's Spare Portraits of Empty Art Schools
Our Highlights from Art Los Angeles Contemporary
Cliff & Mandy Einstein


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Laughter Heals Gala - 1/23/10
Staying true to the event's theme of laughter, sounds of good humor permeated throughout Heinz Field's East Club Lounge while 350 patrons of the Laughter Heals Gala enjoyed an evening of comedy, music, and charity. The Laughter Heals Gala, hosted by Jefferson Regional Medical Center Foundation and sponsored by PNC, entertained its guests with cocktails, dinner, stand-up comedian Andy Pitz, and music by Pittsburgh's Dreamscape. The Laughter Heals Gala was attended by a number of VIP guests, including WTAE-TV's Andrew Stockey, master of ceremonies. Following dinner, guests attended an auction where items such as a trip to Spain and a take-home chef from Aramark were put up for bid, which helped net $55,000 for the Jefferson Regional Medical Center's Senior Services Program. Photography by Megan WylieRead More
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posted by Thom Holwerda on Thu 31st Jul 2008 22:03 UTC
There are probably lots and lots of lawsuits going on every day in the technology world, and generally, they are quite uninteresting to all of us. Exceptions exist, of course, and the case of Apple and PsyStar is definitely one of them. It's a lawsuit that could test one of the most debated issues in the world of software: the EULA issue. To refresh your memory: PsyStar started offering Macintosh clones earlier this year, which caused quite the uproar in the Mac community. Apple was silent on the issue at first, but a few weeks ago the company decided to take legal action against PsyStar, claiming PsyStar violated Apple's copyright and license agreements (EULAs), and motivated others to do the same. While several legal experts agree that Apple's EULA will stand the test of court in The Netherlands, the situation in the US might be completely different. PsyStar seems prepared for the worst, as they have hired lawyers from Carr & Ferrell LLP, a firm who successfully fought Apple in court over IP issues before. I'm breaking out the popcorn, because this is hopefully going to be a big one.


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Northern Pass vs. the unregulatedBy DAVE SOLOMON
New Hampshire Union Leader
April 01. 2013 8:56PM
A report issued by the New England Power Generators Association, which represents unregulated energy suppliers in the region, says the promise of low-cost power from the Northern Pass hydroelectric project has been upended by the low price of natural gas, that the economic impact of the project has been overstated, and that the project is seeking special treatment that defeats the purpose of deregulation.
Northeast Utilities, which has proposed Northern Pass, wasted no time responding.
"At a time when regulators, policy makers and customers are looking for solutions to our long-term energy needs, NEPGA appears to be looking out for its bottom line," reads a post on the project website. "NEPGA's own fact sheet boasts that it controls more than 84 percent of all New England's existing generation. It's clear that Northern Pass concerns NEPGA because the clean hydro-power the project will deliver will displace the more expensive fossil fuels produced by NEPGA's members."
The March 25 report sparked the latest war of words between Northern Utilities, which owns Public Service of New Hampshire, and the group that lobbies on behalf of companies that own unregulated power plants throughout New England, which are now mostly fired by natural gas.
"We honestly have never taken a position in favor or opposed to Northern Pass," said NEPGA President Dan Dolan. "We just believe in an open and competitive playing field, and we haven't seen that historically from Northern Pass."
Northern Pass spokesman Mike Skelton said the timing of the NEPGA report is suspect: "It's telling that only days after several news articles from across the region reported real challenges facing the grid and the need for diversity, that NEPGA issues a report attacking Northern Pass, a project which is a solution to the very problem we are facing."
Skelton was referring to recent reports that New England came close to an electricity shortage during extremely cold days in January and February, due to the growing reliance on natural gas in a region with limited pipeline capacity.
"It seems NEPGA is suffering from a blackout of reality when it comes to the serious challenges facing our energy grid," said Skelton. "Recent warnings from the independent system operator have made clear the need for greater diversity in our energy supply, or we will continue to face the prospect of blackouts and price volatility."
He described the NEPGA report as nothing more than an "update" of a white paper from last year. "There is no new content in last week's report," he said. "ISO New England's warnings on natural gas, as you know, are very new, but NEPGA seems to be avoiding addressing them."
Dolan said the power generators' group is very concerned about the reliance on natural gas, and that he serves as co-chair of a regional initiative involving the electric and natural gas industries that is looking at various solutions.
"We are spending an enormous amount of time on this issue," he said, "but we can walk and chew gum at the same time."
He said last year's report focused mostly on the threat of eminent domain, which has since been resolved by the state Legislature through a ban on any property taking for Northern Pass. The new report focuses on threats to the competitive marketplace from Northern Pass, at a time when New Hampshire consumers are reaping the benefits of competition through lower electric service charges.
The report claims that Northern Pass is seeking special treatment that would give it an unfair advantage in the marketplace in areas such as property rights, subsidies and sole source, no-bid contracting.
"All we ask is a level playing field, on which all participants operate under the same rules," Dolan said.
Northeast Utilities executives last year told investors they would have a route for the high-voltage transmission lines designed to carry hydroelectric power from Quebec into New England by the end of 2012. In late December, the company said it had a route, but it was not ready for presentation to the public or regulators.
The company repeated that claim in a March 29 post: "Although we have identified a new route which meets our project requirements, we believe it is in the best of interest of landowners, communities, and all stakeholders for us to continue to build on the details of this proposal and to take the time now to make some additional refinements before we begin the formal public review processes at both the state and federal levels."


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Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is the world's largest retailer and grocery chain by sales. Wal-Mart is so large that its almost 50% more than its 5 closest competitors combined, including Target (TGT) and Sears Holdings (SHLD). Because of its mammoth size and buying power, Wal-Mart can buy its products at rock-bottom prices, exchanging high purchase volumes for low cost while passing the savings onto its customers. Many suppliers give in to Wal-Mart's pressure because they depend on the discount retailer for a majority of their sales.
Conversely, Wal-Mart's reliance on Chinese-made imports makes the company vulnerable to a weakening dollar or strengthening of the Yuan. Wal-Mart purchases billions worth of merchandise directly from China every year with many of its other inventory from companies like Mattel (MAT) coming indirectly from China. In fact, if Wal-Mart were a country, its imports are so substantial that it would be China's sixth largest export country. A stronger Yuan means that Wal-Mart will have to pay more for its merchandise from China, an issue that threatens Wal-Mart's bottom line.
Wal-Mart operates 8,000 stores across three business segments of retail stores worldwide that offer a wide array of general merchandise including groceries, apparel, electronics, and small appliances. In addition, the company is the world's largest retailer and grocery chain by sales and just over half of the company's sales comes from grocery items. Over half of the company's stores are located in the United States, with the majority of international stores located in Central and South America and China.
Wal-Mart stores come in one of three traditional formats:
Provides goods for stores, restaurants, offices, daycares and schools, and motels. Sam's Club management remains focused on growing this foundation and improving its relationships with small business owners. To this end, the company has expanded its offerings of office furniture and restaurant supplies. The company also has services geared towards small business, such as prescription drug plans and worker's compensation claims.
Wal-Mart operates international locations of its Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores as well as other retail and supermarkets in Central and South America, Mexico, Canada, Japan, China, and the United Kingdom. The company also has a global e-commerce unit called Global.com. The purpose of the site is to drive online growth in new and existing markets.
Wal-Mart depends heavily on China for manufacturing its merchandise as it purchases billions of dollars worth of merchandise every year. Additionally, many of the company's suppliers like Mattel (MAT) manufacture their products in China, which in turn are sold in Wal-Mart stores. Wal-Mart's imports are so substantial in fact, that if Wal-Mart were a country, it would be China's sixth-largest export market. By outsourcing to China, Wal-Mart is able to secure lower costs of inventory, which the company in turn passes on to low prices for customers.
However, as a result of its dependency on Chinese manufacturing, Wal-Mart is vulnerable to fluctuations in the value of the dollar compared to the Chinese Yuan. If, for example, the dollar weakens compared to the Yuan, the price of Wal-Mart's Chinese imports would rise. As a result, the company would either have to raise its prices or would have to cope with narrowed gross margins, reducing its profitability. Additionally, the company is vulnerable to adverse legislation, such as higher tariffs, that would raise the cost of its Chinese imports.
Wal-Mart is the largest retailer in the world by sales, with almost 50% higher sales than its 5 closest competitors combined, including Target (TGT), Sears Holdings (SHLD), and Macy's Inc. (M). Wal-Mart uses its enormous size and buying power to pressure its suppliers into extremely low prices, offering orders of high volumes of merchandise in exchange for low prices. Wal-Mart then passes on these savings to its customers. Since many suppliers depend on Wal-Mart for a majority of its business, companies often give in to Wal-Mart's cost cutting demands, narrowing their margins or even redesigning their product offerings.
Wal-Mart's bargaining power has helped the company maintain its low price leadership despite fluctuating commodities prices. For example, to fight rising prices of gasoline, grain, and dairy products, Wal-Mart pressured companies like General Mills (GIS) to shave its costs by implementing redesigns of its products and packaging.
Target (TGT) is Wal-Mart's most direct competitor, offering a range of general merchandise in a similar store format (standard Targets, with limited food offerings, compare to Wal-Mart's discount stores, and Supertargets compare directly to supercenters). Target's major competitive advantage over Wal-Mart lies in its customer base: the average household income for Target customers is about $50,000 a year, whereas the average yearly income for a Wal-Mart customer is only $35,000. Finally, because of its focus on low prices, Wal-Mart has found it difficult to promote higher-quality items or private labels that come in at a higher price point; meanwhile, Target has had success with its quality-at-value-prices strategy among higher-income demographics, where price is not the only influence on sales. This higher-income customer base gives Target more stability than Wal-Mart, particularly as energy costs rise and the real estate market slows.
Kmart (SHLD), as the third discount retailer of the "Big Three", has seen steadily declining sales since 2000, losing considerable market share to both Wal-Mart and Target.
As a large-scale retailer, Wal-Mart competes with a wide variety of other, specialized retailers, such as Safeway in groceries, Best Buy (BBY) in consumer electronics, and department stores such as Macy's in apparel and home decor. Wal-Mart's focus on price differentiation means that these companies, while competing in overall market share, are not necessarily competing for the same type of customer; however, in more volatile or price-sensitive markets, such as consumer electronics, discounters like Wal-Mart are able to leverage their pricing advantage and apply increasing pressure on other retailers.
Sam's Club directly competes with Costco Wholesale (COST) and BJ's Wholesale Club (BJ) in the warehouse club sector, where Costco has the advantage in terms total sales.
Wal-Mart's major international competitors are Britain's Tesco, France's Carrefour, and Germany's Metro. Each of these companies have a competing presence in China, the UK, and Japan, with Wal-Mart contending with at least one of them in many of its other markets.


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This vegan banana pudding is made the Southern way, with a crust of vanilla cookies. Make it with sugar, stevia, or your choice of low-calorie sweetener.
A few weeks ago, E. and I had lunch together at a local restaurant that serves "Southern Style" food. At the end of the meal, E. spied the dessert cart, which contained, among other tempting dishes, banana pudding. E. had never seen banana pudding layered between vanilla wafers before, but I told her that my mother had made it a lot when I was growing up. She looked at me as though I must be the worst mom on earth and said, "Why haven't you ever made it for me?"
Poor deprived E! Her mother is so busy trying to cook healthy foods that she forgets to make the traditional childhood desserts. In my own defense, I had pretty much forgotten about banana pudding until E. pointed it out. But once she'd seen it, I had to promise her that we'd make a vegan version of it soon.
So at the grocery store yesterday, when I found a huge bag of overripe bananas for a dollar, I knew just what I wanted to do with some of them. The only trouble was finding vegan vanilla wafers; I looked through all six of the different brands in the store, and every one of them contained either eggs or milk or both. I finally settled on using something a little less traditional, but apparently vegan: Earth's Best Organic "Letter of the Day" Cookies:
When E. got home from school, we got to work making this delicious dessert together. Of course, I just had to try to make it a little more healthy: I reduced the sugar and used a little pure stevia powder, an herbal sweetener with no calories. To make up for the bulk of the sugar, I had E. mash half a banana and add it to the pudding. If you'd like to make this using the full amount of sugar, I've included instructions at the end.
Southern-Style Vegan Banana Pudding
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon pure stevia extract powder
- 3 cups soymilk (or other non-dairy milk)
- 1/2 banana , mashed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon rum extract (optional)
- 5 ounces vanilla cookies (approximately)
- 2-3 bananas
- Mix the cornstarch, sugar, and stevia in a medium saucepan. Stir in the soymilk and begin heating on medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and boils. Add in the mashed banana and cook, stirring, for one more minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and rum extracts.
- Line the bottom of a 1 1/2-quart baking dish with vanilla cookies. Slice one of the bananas to cover the cookies. Pour about half of the pudding over the bananas. Repeat the layers of cookies, bananas, and pudding, reserving some of the cookies and placing them around the edge of the dish. Refrigerate until completely chilled. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
To make the full-sugar version, make the following changes: Use 3/4 cup of sugar and do not add a mashed banana to the pudding.
Nutritional data below includes Earth's Best cookies, fat-free soymilk, and reduced sugar.
If you'd like to lighten this up even more, you can leave out the cookies or reduce them to a single layer. Each serving, without cookies and with reduced sugar and fat-free soymilk, contains 184 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (1% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 45g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 44mg Sodium; 1g Fiber.
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5 Ways to Move on From an Ex
You just broke up with the person you thought was the love of your life. Your heart feels like it's been ripped out of your chest and you can't bring yourself to get out of bed. You've called in sick to work two days in a row and have no idea how you will be able to face anyone in the office tomorrow. While breaking up may be hard to do, getting over that break up is even harder.
Sometimes you just need time to heal that wound we call a broken heart. However, if it's been a few months and you're still feeling like you want to check your ex's Facebook account to see if they've met someone new, then it's time to move on! Fear not, here are five ways to help you mend that broken heart.
Faith.com is a new lifestyle site, devoted to filling daily life with grace and inspiration through uplifting articles, useful reviews, powerful photos and videos. Faith.com features family and faith-based lifestyle topics including cooking, entertainment, parenting and health features from across the Web.


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|2008-07-07, 04:14
|Link #42
Senior Member
b) i know plenty of people that still complain about some things in it.
and that thinking is again assuming that an anime need to be identical to its manga.
which is still a matter of opinion.
and i am 90% sure that statistically manga fans are the most to bitch about any given anime..
with the "well it was done better in the manga!"
and the "what is this!? they changed X from the manga!! I'm sure in one of the covers her hair color was 12D1A2 while in the anime its 12D1A1!!!!!"
|2008-07-07, 05:07
|Link #44
Observer/Bookman wannabe
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Singapore
Age: 33
Heck, even Naruto and Bleach without the fillers are ok in my book.
|2008-07-09, 11:11
|Link #46
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
|2008-07-09, 11:45
|Link #47
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Moe Land
Age: 37
Imho this second season will indeed follow the the 1st. Looking at the promotional trailer it seems to present the manga chapters, yet seeing the licking scene incident in the manga is different from trailer it might be another revise(I don't wanna say butchered since that's a little to harsh imho) to be "different" from the manga, giving the viewer a different a fresh look from the manga. Non the less the story as seen in the promo covers the parents are there will and might revolved on the last few chapters of the 1st season manga and the 1st few chapters of the 2nd season manga.
And yes we are all waiting for your awesomeness GHOUL TSUKUNE!!! The question here is the vampire blood dormant or Tsukune does needs more to become a vamp? If ever Moka gives him or he awakens as a ghoul/vamp that'll be the turning point of the series.
More of the girls and MOAR Mizore air time in the anime!
|2008-07-21, 23:19
|Link #56
Heaven's Nightmare
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Why should you care?
Age: 29
I think they are going to have fun mixing S1 and S2. Kokoa is surely from S2, but they need a main bad guy too, and it certainly has to be from S1 (Manga readers should understand). Of course they can bring a brand new bad guy but I don't think that's gonna happen.
|comedy, ecchi, harem, romance, shounen, vampire
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