text:
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1963 Topps #211 Fred Whitfield (Indians) Baseball cardPrice = $ 9.95
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Inserts - special randomly-inserted cards which are not part of the regular set. Many modern inserts are sequentially-numbered and rarer than the card sets into which they are inserted.
O-Pee-Chee / OPC - a subsidiary of Topps, this card issue was produced specifically for distribution in Canada.
Promotional Card - generally referred to as cards issued to show what the product will look like on release and intended to help spur future sales. Often called a "promo" card.
Reprint - cards issued to reproduce the originals. With the current trend of vintage reprints, the new versions have a distinguishing characteristic evidenced by numbering.
Restored - a card or piece of memorabilia which someone has tried to return to a "like-new" condition. A restored card is considered to be of very little value.
Rookie Card - any league-licensed, widely distributed card to feature a player in his first year of trading cards.
Series - a group of cards within an issue deliberately split up by the manufacturer to distribute at different times of the year. (i.e.- vintage 1st series cards 1-100 were released in April and 2nd series cards 101-200 were released in July, etc.).
Short Print (SP) - a card printed to a lesser quantity than other cards in a set. Many recent short prints are also individually & serially-numbered.
1974 Topps StampsTopps released this 240 stamp issue in 1974. These 1 by 1 1/2 stamp are unnumbered and feature a color photo with the player's name, team and position inside a colored oval at the bottom of the stamp. Very similar to their 1969 Topps Stamps issue, the 1974 Topps Stamps were issued in panels of 12 stamps. Alomg with the stamps, Topps also issued a set of 24 stamp albums, one per team, to store the stamps. Due to double prints and different combinations of stamps on panels there are actually 24 different 12-Stamp panels. The stamps were not inserts but a totally separate issue and were sold in packs containing one 12-Stamp panel along with one stamp album.
The 1974 Topps Stamps set is packed with SuperStars including over 23 members of the Baseball Hall-of-Fame with greats such as Nolan Ryan, Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench, Ernie Banks, Pete Rose, Reggie Jackson, Al Kaline, Joe Morgan, Willie Stargell, Tom Seaver and plenty more !!! The set even contains seldom seen ROOKIES of Dave Winfield and Dave Parker.
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1974 Topps Baseball Stamps checklist and prices
1963 Fleer BaseballIn an attempt by Fleer to circumvent Topps exclusive rights to baseball cards, Fleer issued their 1963 baseball cards with cookies instead of gum. It is commonly thought that the 1963 Fleer baseball card issue was intended to be a much larger set issued in multiple series but Topps sued Fleer after their first series was released stopping further production. Due to Topps deep pockets Fleer soon pulled the set from the market and cancelled their plans for the remaining series leaving this very, very popular set at just 66 cards plus one unnumbered checklist.
But what a 66 cards !!! The 1963 Fleer Cards are attractive and feature an extremely high percentage of stars. Some of the top stars in the 1963 Fleer baseball card set are Brooks Robinson, Willie Mays, Carl Yastrzemski, Sandy Koufax, Roberto Clemente, Don Drysdale and Warren Spahn.. The set also included 2 very scare Short Prints, Joe Adcock and an unnumbered checklist.
The most interesting card in this set is the Maury Wills Rookie card. Even though Wills started his major league career with the Dodgers way back in 1959 quickly becoming a superstar, his 1963 Fleer card is considered his rookie card ! How is this possible ? Well, back in 1959, 1960 and 1961, Topps did not consider Wills worthy enough to have a baseball card.
As hobby lore has it: Needless to say, Wills was very upset at this slight from Topps. After Wills won the 1962 N.L. MVP award, Topps quickly came a courting but Wills answered with a large "NO". From 1961 thru 1966, Wills prevented Topps from making any of his baseball cards. Wills and Topps finally made up making his 1967 Topps high number short print his first Topps card and also his most expensive card. Adding interest to the Wills baseball card story, Post Cereal released a Maury Wills card in their 1962 set making that the earliest Maury Wills rookie card. Wills was also pictured on a special 1960 Topps card featuring the 1959 World Series. The card features Luis Aparicio stealing 2nd base with Wills pictured trying to make the tag.
Much of the above is true but Wills has said there was no "fued" with Topps and that he simply had signed exclusive agreements with Fleer.
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1963 Fleer baseball cards Checklist and Prices
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text: Hey, I installed everything according to the Perfect Server Tutorial but the FTP server because ProFTPd was preinstalled and ready-to-use. Is it possible to use ISPConfig 3 with ProFTPd and if yes, what do I have to change? If not, when I have to remove ProFTPd and install Pure FTP, what do I have to do to make it work with ISPConfig? Thanks in advance.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Lexi Myers is changing jobs, but she will only be moving across campus.
After six seasons with the Lipscomb Lady Bisons softball team, two as a graduate assistant the last four as a full-time assistant, Myers will be taking over as head coach of the Lipscomb Academy Mustangs softball team replacing Gary Davis who recently retired.
"I thought it was a great opportunity for me to coach high school softball and teach physical education," Myers said. "I don't necessarily want to be a head coach at the college level. I was comfortable being an assistant but I always had an interest in coaching high school softball.
"I know traditionally they have had a very good program at Lipscomb Academy. They expect me to come in and continue that tradition and to take it to the next level."
Engaged to Lipscomb Bisons pitching coach Tyler Shrout, the couple plans to get married in August of 2013 and Myers likes that fact that both of them will not be traveling to games and for recruiting visits.
"It was just good timing for me in planning the future," Myers said. "This was not an easy decision for me. It is very tough. I thought about it a lot."
Breaking the news to Lipscomb head coach Kristin Ryman proved to the biggest challenge.
"I love the program," said Myers. "I love the girls. I love working with Kristin. We are great friends outside of softball. The most difficult part of the process was telling Kristin."
It was difficult for Ryman to hear that her long-time assistant was leaving, but she wishes her the best of luck in her new position.
"I knew at some point in her career that Lexi would move on," Ryman said. "It was a tough conversation to have.
"We were, and still will be, good close friends. The decision wasn't made because of a lack of friendship; a lack of believing in each other's coaching abilities or a lack of a belief in where this program is headed. It was a lifestyle change that she felt like she needed to pursue at this point."
Myers has been responsible for coaching the pitchers during her time with the Lady Bisons. After ranking third in the nation in ERA in 2010 and in the top 15 in 2011, the Lady Bisons continued solid work on the mound in 2012 finishing with a 2.20 ERA just ahead of national champion Alabama.
Also in 2010 pitcher Whitney Kiihnl ranked No. 1 in the country in ERA and was both Atlantic Sun Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year. She also was a third team All-American. Kiihnl closed out her career this season ranking third in the history of the Atlantic Sun in career strikeouts.
Myers doesn't plan to turn her back on the Lady Bisons program.
"I called the returning players to tell them that I was leaving," Myers said. "I told them that I would still come to watch them play and stick my head in at practice."
Slated to teach health and physical education classes for LA, she received her bachelor's degree in physical education at Campbell University and was awarded her master's in education administration from Lipscomb in 2008.
A native of Hanover, Pa., Myers was a two-time NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete at Campbell and a two-time member of the Atlantic Sun All-Academic team.
Ryman will welcome two new pitchers, Heather Parker and Tanner Sanders to the staff for the upcoming season. Ashley Anderson will be back after a strong redshirt freshman season. Ryman knows the importance of making the right choice in a new pitching coach.
"That is a concern for me right now," Ryman said. "We have to establish that part of our game again with two new pitchers coming in. Graduating somebody like Whitney doesn't mean that Lipscomb is not known for its pitching any more. I think we absolutely can be.
"I think we've got three really good girls to be able to do that with. It is going to be important to find the right person that not only works well with me but that works well with our pitchers. It doesn't matter what you know but how you get it across."
Ryman doesn't have a timetable for making a new hire.
"It can be really difficult to find a good pitching coach," Ryman said. "We want to find somebody who understands what Lipscomb is all about and what the core values of our program are. We also need a great recruiter.
"We have been blessed to have the same pitching coach for six years. I'm glad Lexi was here for six years. She had a great approach and a great relationship with our players. She allowed us to have stability in our program. She has helped our program to be successful."
Written by Mark McGee, Senior Publisher/Director of Media Relations.


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Armed gun rights activists rally at the Alamo
Several hundred gun rights activists armed with rifles and shotguns rallied Saturday outside of the Alamo in a demonstration that broke a longstanding tradition of not staging such events at the enduring symbol of Texas independence.
The "Come and Take It San Antonio!" rally was intended to draw attention to a right Texans already have — to carry long arms publicly so long as they don't do it in a menacing manner. Organizers thought it necessary to offer a reminder after several open carry advocates were threatened with arrest at a Starbucks in the city two months ago. The problem remains that a local ordinance effectively limits the open carrying of firearms to police and security guards.
That ordinance was not enforced Saturday. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus mingled in the crowd that police estimated at about 300 to 400, but the larger police presence remained around the perimeter of the Alamo plaza.
"There are too many issues associated with trying to enforce every ordinance here today," McManus said. He said his priority was that people be able to exercise their constitutional rights and that everyone remain safe. Volunteers walked through the crowd placing red plastic straws in rifle chambers, a visible assurance they were not holding a round.
Rally organizers said just holding their demonstration in front of police without incident was a victory.
"(The San Antonio Police Department) is no longer going to be messing with us," said C.J. Grisham, president of Open Carry Texas, with the Alamo's famed Spanish mission behind him.
Organizers had also hoped that seeing a large peaceful gathering of armed citizens in the downtown of the country's seventh largest city would be a step toward making people comfortable with the sight. There were people of all ages in the crowd, including young children. Some waved flags that read "Come and Take It," others dressed in period costumes, but most looked like anyone else one might encounter on the street, they just happened to be carrying rifles.
Men strolling through the streets with rifles isn't an image to which Hilary Rand thinks people should have to grow accustomed.
Rand, a regional manager for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, was at a counter-demonstration about a half mile away. Amid hula-hoops and face painting, Rand called the gun rights rally "bullying" and said it may serve opponents' interest as well.
"If anything, they're just alerting the general public that this is something that needs to be changed," she said. "Just because you can do something doesn't mean that it's OK and that you should. And if anything they're helping to make that argument for us." She said the threat of an accidental discharge was too great to justify gun rights advocates making their point.
For the tourists who just happened upon the rally — 2.5 million visit the Alamo annually — there was initial trepidation among some.
Mark Roberts, 63, of London, Ontario, was among a group of Canadian tourists caught off guard.
"We're not used to seeing guns carried openly in Canada, so that was almost like a culture shock," Roberts said, noting that it appeared well organized. It was more unnerving for his wife.
"I didn't like it at all because you don't know who you're dealing with," Julie Roberts said. "You don't know who these people are."
Another member of their group, Peter Hinch, declared it "fantastic," but was dismissed by his friends as not your typical Canadian.
It didn't give Don Norwood, 49, of Little Rock, Ark., any pause. Norwood, who was visiting the Alamo with his wife and daughter, hadn't expected the demonstration, but gazing over the crowd, he said, "it's healthy, that's what America's about."
Asked if it made him nervous to approach the old mission chapel through the armed crowd, Norwood said, "No, they're not a threat to me."
The rally proceeded peacefully without incident.
For some, such as 27-year-old Colt Szczygiel, a retired U.S. Marine rifleman who just moved in September to Converse, Texas, from Connecticut, the rally was also his first visit to the Alamo. He toured the grounds reading plaques laying out the site's history with his Bushmaster ACR rifle hanging from his shoulder.
"It's great to be able to come here with my rifle for the first time," he said. Texas' gun-friendly culture made the move all the more attractive coming from Waterbury, Conn., he said. He had participated in gun rights rallies there, but this was his first in Texas.
A 21-year-old from Houston, who would only give his name as Neil, was a little more apprehensive. At the edge of the crowd he paused, while his girlfriend snapped photos.
"I was just trying to figure out what was going on and then I saw everybody carrying their weapons and I caught on," he said.
He described himself as impartial about the rally. "I don't own any guns, but I do feel people have the right to bear arms as per the Constitution," he said.
He did express doubts though about the location. "Why here? Why come out in an open park? Why in front of a monument? I do think that's a little inappropriate."
It was a question raised earlier by the Alamo Defenders' Descendants Association. Lee Spencer White, its president, said her group considers the Alamo its family cemetery and as hallowed ground should remain free of demonstrations, which historically have been held on the adjacent plaza.
From 1905 to 2011, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas were the Alamo's custodians. But in 2011, lawmakers gave the state's General Land office control of the monument where Col. William Travis and 200 Texas defenders famously died in a siege with the Mexican army in 1836. It was Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson who approved the rally here.
"I respect the opinions of folks who say this is not the right place," Patterson said to the crowd on Saturday. "But I submit to you there's one standard we should apply to gatherings here at this sacred cradle of Texas liberty and that is whether our activity and our purpose would be supported by those men who gave it all."
Patterson, who is running for lieutenant governor, asked attendees to not block the path to the mission and to leave their rifles and signs outside when entering the chapel. "Even though you can lawfully do that, we have a reverence for that location where those men died."


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The Journal
It is with regret that I announce the closing of the Temple Journal of Science, Technology & Environmental Law, effective May 12, 2014. The journal was the second oldest student-edited periodical at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Articles published in the journal centered on a variety of topics, including environmental innovation and the challenges presented by a globalized technological world. The discontinuation of the journal was based on a faculty-initiated process to reevaluate journals in a way that will better serve the students in the future.
We would like to thank Dean Joanne A. Epps, the Law School faculty and administration, and our members for their support, guidance, and encouragement throughout the journal's tenure. Any questions regarding current or previous issues should be directed to the Law School's librarian, John Necci.(firstname.lastname@example.com) Any other questions may be directed to the Office of Student Affairs.
Andreas N. Andrews


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Friday's Lucky Winner of a $100 Gift Card!
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20 $100 Gift Cards to 20 Lucky Swaggernauts! What a great way to start the holiday season. Come back here to the blog M-F to see who today's winner is.
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Click here for official rules. Contest open to US Swagbucks members.


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Chieko Pierce
Chieko Pierce, 57, of Cameron died Saturday, May 18, 2013, in Fort Smith, Ark. She was born Jan. 30, 1956, in Urasoe, Okinawa, Japan, to Shoei and Yae Okuma. She was a homemaker.Chieko is survived by her husband, Ray Pierce of the home; a son, Daniel Ray Pierce of Norman; a daughter, I Lena Holloway of Fort Smith; two grandchildren, Kaetyn Drury and Armani Drury, both of Fort Smith; her parents, Shoei and Yae Okuma; a brother, Kazahiko and wife Mitsue Okuma and their children Tomohito, Kohei and Karen; three sisters, Michiko and her husband Shoekichi Nakamura and their children Ikuko, Atuushi, Satako and Motoko, Kyoko and and her husband Takao Higa and their children Iayano, Kazuki, and Miyuki, Etsuko and her husband Yoshiki Nakasone, their children Maimi, Kae and Ko; and a host of other family members, friends and loved ones.A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 22, at Calvary Assembly of God Church, Poteau, with Bro. Scott Martin officiating. Services are under the direction of Grace Manor Funeral Home. You may leave an online greeting to the family at www.gracemanorfh.com.


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All-Flash Arrays: The VDI Solution?
Posted by
Jim O'Reilly
April 17, 2014
Flash technology is fast changing the profile of datacenter storage. From desktops booting in 10 seconds to server workloads that are big multiples of the hard-drive versions, SSD has finally brought storage into line with Moore's Law.
After a slow start, array vendors are delivering SANs with SSD and HDD tiered to optimize cost/performance. We are seeing the important metric for storage moving from cost per terabyte to cost per IOPS -- in other words, recognition that SSD and HDD are not just flavors of drives, but are vastly different in what they can do in a given time.
But, as always, the evolution of a new technology has built up momentum, and hybrid arrays now compete with all-flash units. All-flash arrays boasting more than 1 million IOPS are on the market, and the numbers keep rising. Of course, the Zen of benchmarking has been applied to get such results, but these units are still really fast!
One use for this sort of performance is as a front-end cache or as a top-tier of storage for a SAN. Depending on the environment, this can be a big boost for a relatively small outlay, perhaps $50,000 to $100,000.
The stellar use case, though, is with virtual desktops. However, this requires a bit of scrutiny. EMC reports that a typical VDI instance uses just 25 to 40 IOPS on average, which would imply a single all-flash array could power 40,000 VDI instances. That's enough for a huge enterprise. The cost would be very small compared to the racks of expensive hard-disk storage needed for the same job. Using EMC's number, we'd need 10,000 hard-drives for those 40,000 instances.
The problem is that EMC's calculation is wrong on two points. The issue with virtual desktops is the so-called "boot storm" when everyone fires up their computers at 8 A.M. As any PC user knows, a hard drive running flat out at 150 IOPS takes a couple of minutes to complete boot. So, to match the standard PC expectation, we can only boot one fourth of the load, or 10K VDIs.
The second issue may cause a couple of snickers. Replacing the boot drive in a PC with an SSD has already sped up the boot process. Most such PCs see a boot of around 10 seconds, which is a factor of about 10 times faster than before. THIS is the target that the all-flash arrays will really be measured against, and the humor is that it's a result of the SSD's own success!
A quicker boot time will be important for VDI, especially with most users having instant-on experience with tablets and mobile phones. These are becoming the endpoint for the virtual desktops to be displayed, and a long period to boot up every time the desktop is accessed isn't going to fly.
This brings those million IOPS into sharp perspective. We can boot roughly 1,000 VDIs with a million IOPS. Realistically, at this level of usage, the boot time is probably stretched out a little due to "reality versus benchmarks," but we are in the right ballpark.
One question bound to come up is capacity. A single all-flash array containing 32 terabytes provides 30 gigabytes per VDI. With deduplication of the operating system and most apps, that's a good deal of space for user data. In other words, capacity and dollar per terabyte aren't issues.
For now, the metrics to focus on are cost per IOPS and by extension, cost per VDI instance. At $100,000, that storage costs just $100 per VDI instance, which is a fraction of what a traditional HDD farm would be.
Remember too that it's a good idea to have two all-flash arrays running as mirrored LUNs, to remove single points of failure, and that there is no restriction on how many can be put into a given SAN. Speeding up general computing, as opposed to VDI, will keep the forklifts away for a while, although the urge to replace those slow servers and get job times down even further may be overwhelming.
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I think the crown is a little too big :)
OK, I'm all partied out and ready to nap for about a week. There is so much I want to show you from our son's new room, but that post will have to wait a little bit. See you again soon!
Great party, favors and I love the shirts!!ReplyDelete
So fun! Great ideas...I love planning kids parties, don't you?
Love that picture with the crown...that's a keeper!
Natalie and I had a blast!! great party with great people!ReplyDelete
You did a GREAT job on the blanket stitch! I couldn't do that!ReplyDelete
That was awesome party.... i totally love it!!ReplyDelete
What a fun, sweet party!
dang girl!!! these are SOOOO CUTE! :)
You make me want a Dora party! And I'm 29! Come over and see my Wisdom Teeth necklace.ReplyDelete
Cute! Added this to my Party Directory! Thanks for linking to Things I've Done Thursday!
You are amazing! I love your ideas! What great memories for your children! Love all the details that you added! Thanks for sharing @ Show & Share! I appreciate your support each week!ReplyDelete
These are all such adorable ideas.. and I just love the name you came up for it! Loveing the shirts and crowns! Thanks for sharing with the Pink Hippo Party!ReplyDelete
What a fantastic party idea. I love the favors, and the super cute shirts. I especially love the blanket stitch around the number.
I'd love it if you'd share these with my readers by linking up this project, along with any other shirts you've made, to my Top-toberfest link party.
Looks like it was a great party and everyone had a great time. Well done for arranging it, so many wonderful ideas :)ReplyDelete
Really cute! Especially love the jelly bean bracelets!ReplyDelete
Awesome! Dora is one of my daughters favorites. I do not sew or have a good machine, but I think I may be able to pull of the blanket stitch to make a cute shirt like you did! Fun looking party!ReplyDelete
Tee hee -- Spidoraman! Love it! I love all your creative and loving details, especially the t-shirts.
Thank you for lending your creative spirit to "A Little Birdie Told Me..." at Rook No. 17
Thanks for the link-back!! I love the stitching on your applique. Nice work!!ReplyDelete
Experience the thrill of outdoor laser tag skirmish in a new and exciting way.
It's an ideal activity for kids and teenagers birthday parties!
Mobile laser tag is an exciting, new and fun way to experience the thrill of outdoor skirmish.
games birthday party kids
I love getting your feedback! Leave a comment and I will write you back (as long as your settings include your email address). Thanks for the love!


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Tim's Diner Style Home Office
Name: Tim Westergard
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Your Home Office Organization or Tech Tip: You do not have to spend a lot of money to get your desired work space, what you need is creativity. Utilize the tools of your workspace to search and find pieces that will compliment your workspace or items that can be altered or fixed up with some good old fashioned elbow grease and a vision.
Being the editor of a music magazine, I have to watch a high volume of video, and listen to even more in audio, in the meantime be in constant communication with others. I have built the ultimate workspace for my needs.
- Laptop with wireless connection to internet, and printer
- Backup external hard drive located under the table top jukebox that has am/fm radio for listening to music or talk radio
- iPod hooked up to drive in movie speakers, for podcasts, music, etc.
- 15" flat screen TV for news and market updates
- desk- 50's style diner, very comfortable, and lots of room for work
- notes are kept on diner menu spinner
- cold drinks located in small retro cooler
- Dvd player, PS2, and surround sound with 15" flat screen remote housed inside full size gas pump.
I did not build this workstation from scratch, nor did I do it all at once. I simply built it piece by piece, and was very thrifty in my search for the right stuff. Garage sales, and numerous internet searches helped me to find these items at bargain prices. My workstation rocks: having the diner style setup, I can easily meet face to face with clients, and have even done interviews and photo shoots with bands.
Do you like Tim's home office? Spread the word about Tim's workspace and also be eligible to win your own Apple iPad by tweeting this entry using the button below. We'll be choosing a random winner from all readers who use Twitter to share their favourite setups from The Perfect Workspace Contest. Or better yet, double your chances and enter your own home office or studio at our contest page.
For information or to enter your home office or studio in Unplggd's 2010 The Perfect Workspace Contest, visit our contest and entry page.


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Josh Beckett had his valuable right elbow examined Friday morning by noted orthopedic surgeon James Andrews, and the results of those tests were "awesome," said manager Terry Francona.And the Globe has video of Tito.
"Everything came out completely structurally sound," Francona said Friday afternoon. "There was some inflammation. They did a number of tests and he came out with flying colors. That was awesome for us."
Beckett is expected to rejoin the team at some point Friday night and ... could make his next start in a week, on Sept. 5 in Texas ...
Steven Krasner, Providence Journal:
The Red Sox announced moments ago that Josh Beckett is suffering from a strained right elbow and has been placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Aug. 18.Not. Good. At. All.
To replace him, the Sox have purchased the contract of Pawtucket catcher David Ross, whom they signed to a minor-league deal last week. They will need to make a corresponding move to clear a spot on the 40-player roster for Ross.


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Two University of Colorado Boulder undergraduate student teams have been named among the 10 top winners from a field of 3,697 teams that entered the international Mathematical Contest in Modeling.
Results of the 2012 contest were announced this month by the Consortium for Mathematics and its Applications. The contest took place at the students' home institutions Feb. 9-13.
One of the two CU-Boulder teams designated as an "outstanding winner" was comprised of students Stephen Kissler of applied mathematics, Christopher Corey of electrical and computer engineering and Sean Wiese of computer science. This team also was awarded the MAA Award sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America.
The other "outstanding winner" from CU-Boulder was made up of students Christopher Aicher and Tracy Babb of applied mathematics, and Daniel Sutton of computer science. This team also was awarded the INFORMS Award sponsored by the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences.
Anne Dougherty of CU-Boulder's Department of Applied Mathematics served as faculty adviser to both teams.
According to the contest rules, the students had 96 hours to decide which of two problems to complete, research their problem, come up with a mathematical model, program a numerical model, and write a report. Both CU-Boulder teams chose to solve a problem related to scheduling camping for a series of rafters on a long river.
"It is amazing what they can come up with in just 96 hours," Dougherty said, noting that all six of the winning students are in the Engineering Honors Program.
"CU has had remarkable success over the years in the Mathematical Contest in Modeling," she added. "Since 2000, we've had a total of 11 "outstanding" papers. I don't know of any other universities with this type of track record. It is a testament to the quality of our students and the strength of CU's programs that we've been so successful for so long."
Only 9 percent of the teams entering the contest this year were from the United States. The others were from Canada, China, Finland, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Mexico, Malaysia, Palestine, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Official results are posted at http://www.comap.com/undergraduate/contests/mcm/contests/2012/results/
Anne Dougherty, 303-492-4011
Carol Rowe, 303-492-7426


text:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Worth considering...
30 comments:
- AnonymousApril 24, 2013 at 9:58 AM
So true yet so hard to do, especially if you already forgave once and it happened again. The tears and sorrys don't hold the same meaning any more. Are we actually now forgiving again or are we just agreeing to give it our all and putting our anger aside for the sake of our own sanity. Not sure on that one. Spiritually and realistically I'm torn on the answer. I continue after 11 months to push ahead and try to feel and show the love that once existed. It is so hard to admit to myself that , yes things are different, that fairy tale doesn't exist for you. Yet with children and real life we must sometimes take the uncharted waters that we never hoped to have to travel down. As the saying goes, always be serene as a swan above the water and never show your paddling like hell below.Replies
It is hard to do but I remain convinced that it's hard to do in large part because we think it's letting the other person off the hook. I've never "officially" forgiven my husband but what I have done is accept that he is who he is, and I've stopped wishing he was different. I've stopped expecting him to be capable of things that, at this point in time, he simply isn't capable of. Once we accept another person for exactly who they are, no who we wish they were, it gives us the grace to forgive and the freedom to choose our own path. We're no longer hostage to our dreams of what could be "if only".Delete
And...there is no fairy tale. Not for any of us. As you point out, even the serene swan is "paddling like hell". Aren't we all?
- AnonymousApril 24, 2013 at 10:54 AM
You should get payed for your words of wisdom. You are so right in saying that it is in accepting the individual that we married and have finally learned who they are that is the hardest task at hand. As mothers we want the best for our children and to believe that we could have chosen someone with more flaws than we could have imagined is difficult. I do want to heal and I want my children to only know the good in their father. I continue to pray and work together with my husband towards a happier more solid place where not only I can accept who he is, but that he can too. So needless to say the acceptance that you speak of is painfully difficult to achieve. Thank you for listening.
- AnonymousApril 24, 2013 at 1:58 PM
I had responded back earlier but I'm not sure what happened to it. I had said that you need to be payed for your wisdom. Of course you are correct that I am having a hard time accepting who my husband is, instead of who I thought he was. Crazy 23 years later to be in this spot. The sad part is I think that he doesn't even like "that" person either. As a mom I don't want our children to know that person as well. We are working hard piecing life back together but yes at times you can't help but think ,"who is this stranger?". It sure changes the dynamics of your intamacy. Especially when he always hated people just like himself. Thank you for listening and being so wise on the subject even though I'm sure you could have done without.
- AnonymousApril 25, 2013 at 9:06 AM
It's been a little over a month since D-Day. The day I found out that my husband of almost 5 years and father of my three year old daughter, just might have fathered this 5 month old little girl that this woman contacted me in regards to.ReplyDelete
Makes your stomach drop, just thinking about it, doesn't it? If you've ever discovered that your husband, the one you have given your everything to, built a life for and around, fathered another woman's child, you know what I mean. That child that was supposed to be my second child, his sperm was supposed to create only for me! I felt so robbed of my future. How could he do this to me? His wife, ten years younger than himself at the age of 22, wasn't worthy enough to be thought about during an extramarital affair with a woman at the age of almost forty, and being 100lbs bigger than I, to even stop and think about birth control? I was so shocked to discover that the man I devoted my everything to had such lack of control. Buh.
Now that I've put my drowning emotions aside and have taken the forgiveness, reconciliation, and rebuilding path, I am having trouble accepting the fact that this other woman is going to be in my life for quite some time. I know I need to forgive her, but in all honesty, I feel like I am just trying to accept her and this child into my life to "show" her that she is not worth a failed marriage, that she is not worth what she says she is to him. We had a few confrontations, where she popped off all sorts of lies about him having 9-10 orgasms per day by her, etc. She also decided to call us all sorts of names, like loser parents, white trash, etc. I love children, I feel I could love her child greatly—I already love his other child from a previous relationship. She is as innocent as I am, how could I not love her? But this woman is not. She knew my husband was mine. She knew us. She even confessed to me that she pursued him to great and desperate extent (I know my husband isn't innocent either, please don't bash me for being "blind", I am not and know very well who is the one who should be held responsible for this act). I just don't know how I could ever truly forgive her, rather than only wanting to flaunt that "I won" (even though there was really no competition, he ended the affair before she told him about the pregnancy and there was no doubt that he struggled with this guilt for quite some time). I need help on reasons why I should forgive this woman, in order to live my life happily with my "new" family.
Thank you for all opinions, thoughts, and concerns.
Forced to Accept,Delete
What a sad, sad situation you're dealing with. I'm so sorry.
You don't have to forgive this other woman. The point of the quote, I believe, isn't so much to "forgive" as in "be kind/compassionate" as to "accept". It sounds as if you're quite capable of extending compassion to the innocents in this situation. You're right in that this Other Woman clearly intends to hurt you. Don't let her get close enough to do that to you. Forgiving doesn't mean letting her abuse you. It doesn't even mean being nice to her. It means accepting that she is who she is...and that who she is is the product of all sorts of experiences that you likely know nothing about. Does that make her behaviour okay? Absolutely not. But it makes it more likely.
Control what you can...which includes your exposure to this woman. Cut her from your life as much as possible. Your husband should have as little contact as possible. Is he sure he's the father? Has there been a paternity test? Is he financially responsible for the child? Does he have visitation?
In the meantime, focus on your own happiness. If appropriate, create a relationship with this child that's yours alone. Both of you are survivors of others' selfish choices.
One more thing: Please don't worry about being "bashed" on this site. We strongly discourage bashing of betrayed wives, no matter their choices. It serves no-one.Delete
- AnonymousApril 25, 2013 at 6:32 PM
I love what Elle has said here to you. Also take into account how fresh your trauma is. I am only 3 months post Dday and wonder if it will be years before forgiveness enters my heart. It's really a releasing of anger towards another person and not allowing yourself or you emotions to be influenced by that anger...I am really not there...often find myself imagining her perfect demise... hugs to you for the burdens you carry. Join a support group if you csnDelete
- AnonymousApril 25, 2013 at 1:36 PM
Forced to Accept,ReplyDelete
I, too, have chosen to rebuild a marriage with a husband who fathered a child with his affair partner. I think my healing would be farther along if it were not for the baby's mother. She has no remorse and seems to see herself only as victim although we are certain that she intentionally got pregnant after my husband had told her he couldn't continue their affair. She begged to see him and threatened to go to his workplace if he didn't comply. They did not use a barrier method of contraception because she said that she was both infertile and on the pill for hormonal imbalance. He broke up with her before she told him she was pregnant. I do believe this baby is a gift to our marriage. Without the baby, my husband would never havve revealed the affair, and he would have either resumed it or our marriage would have eventually disintegrated. The revalation,even as devastating as it was, was a wake upcall for our marriage.After months of therapy and prayer and careful consideration, my husband decided not to have a relationship with his child beyond the financial responsibilities. He feels that it is the best thing he can do for his child and everyone involved.It had been a heartwrenching sacrifice, and he is sometimes struck with grief over the loss. the affair partner has had extreme difficulty letting go of my husband. she has stalked me online and in person and hacked my email and social media accounts. She has stated on occasion thinks he has cheated on her with me, his wife of over 20 years. She used the pregnancy to try to destroy our marriage, and we could plainly see through her actions and words, that she would use the child in ways that would cause the child great emotional harm. I'm tired of having this woman who was the perpetrator of unspeakable wrongs against me exercise power over me. Some days, I feel like I will never emerge from the darkness. The only thing I can do is try to control my own thoughts. I'm trying to let go of my anxiety and worries over what she will pull next. the only way I have found to do this is to articulate in my own journal what I genuinely want for her. I pray that her child will be healthy and loving toward her, that she will be a good mother to her child, that she will find acceptance of the state of her relationship with my husband ( that it permanently ended over a year ago), that she will move on and enter a healthy relationship with a single available man who will love her child like his own. I do want to work toward forgiveness toward her even though she will never know that I have forgiven her. this is an act to help me attain peace.
- AnonymousApril 25, 2013 at 6:21 PM
oh goodness! I have been struggling all week with this... I too want to forgive the O.W. I want her out of my head and she wont be until I forgive her (I think). Because I havent forgiven her she (in imagination form) has so much power over me.ReplyDelete
For now I took a baby step and just asked God to protect my husband and I from her...AND protect her from me! haha!
That's a fantastic start. I spent a few months (at least!) imagining all sorts of gruesome and humiliating ways that the OW could disappear from my life. And then, one day, I got tired of my anger. I wanted her out of my head.
Someone told me something about her the other day -- she's married and has a baby. And, honestly, I felt very little. No anger. No "that's not fair". Not even really any curiosity. I don't care where she is or what she's doing. As long as she's doing with HER husband, not someone else's. :)
I don't know if I will ever be able to forgive but I hope to one day not care anymore. I don't think that's the same as forgiving. Forgiving is accepting what they did, not caring is accept that they are an ass and you shouldn't have expected any more of them.ReplyDelete
I don't think I will ever forgive the OW. She has never indicated she is interested in it either... in fact she acts like she was the victim. Nope. No sympathy for her here. At least not yet. She gets instead my lack of attention, lack of attention and lack of compassion. She is losing the power she had over me.ReplyDelete
My husband I will one day forgive because I want to heal my family and myself. It's important to forgive him because he's my children's father & I want to them the best of everything. So in that way I want to give them a better father, if not the best father.
Thanks Elle... ok, ok, I'll try to forgive her. Not today though. Maybe next year. Have a good one and thanks for all you do.Replies
I'm actually not someone who believes that you must forgive to move on. I'm not sure I've "forgiven" my husband. I have accepted that he was the man who cheated on me. I'm glad he's not that man anymore. But forgive? Not sure about that.Delete
Thanks for your honesty. I guess I am confused.Delete
As for me I will forgive, I know I will, because I have been forgiven myself so much in my life. I am NO saint.
This isn't faith based either its just recognizing that I have a lot to grateful for, that this affair will not kill me and that I can survive with our without him. And its not for him. He in fact has asked me for it but I don't even think he knows what it means. But I do know I won't survive with this hanging on to me because its just too exhausting. Plus my best revenge to the OW is really about showing her that she was just a bump in my marital road. In a way my husband and I communicate better than we have before. A small gift?
I don't want to move on without forgiveness because then it would for me, feel unresolved, and I need that resolution. Maybe the moving on process, practicing to be friends again, will bring the forgiveness with it? Practice makes semi-perfect? We wont be perfect ever, I don't know what we'll end up but that's my plan.
I've heard all the reasons for finding forgiveness. I've read all the pillow embroidery worthy quips and quotes about how forgiveness will benefit me.Delete
None of it has swayed my position.
Count me in the ranks of no forgiveness , no way, no how. Betrayal of this magnitude is unforgivable. Let God forgive them. I'm fresh out of compassion for cheaters and that means my well of forgiveness is bone dry.
The good news...you can be happy without it! I've accepted what my FWH did, as unbelievably selfish and cruel as it was, and I've chosen to move forward. It's not an attitude that works for everyone, but it works just fine for me.
Now..about forgiving the OW?? Are we petitioning for Sainthood here? PLEEZE! Best to not waste any energy on her at all. Not forgiveness, not anger, not a single moment of emotion...period. The end.
I'll raise a glass (or two!) to that.Delete
- AnonymousApril 29, 2013 at 10:00 AM
So glad you said that, it really helps alleviate the pressure on those who blame themselves for not being able to forgive. For most of us the first question a counselor asks is, do you think that you will ever be able to forgive him? Let's get real, our lives have been turned upside down and we are supposed to know if we can forgive!! Forgiveness is a process, easier for some but much harder for others and we should not have to feel bad or guilty for having a tough time with it. Our pain is enough to suffer with, there is no need to blame ourselves, we can only hope that one day forgiveness greets us at our doors.ReplyDelete
I agree with Shawn - no way, no how will I ever forgive the OW. She's a deeply pathological mole and not worth ANY of my mental space. She's never asked for forgiveness and I wouldn't wave the magical forgiveness wand in her direction even if she did ask.ReplyDelete
My H on the other hand, he too has never asked for forgiveness. I don't think it's a component in my healing process, nor in his. I have struggled to even *accept* this horrid event and that my H could do something so cruel. Forgiving it? I don't even know what that would mean. Is that the key to moving through this, getting to a better place, etc. I've done some rotten things in our marriage and he did this horrible, rotten thing. We sometimes get into an unfortunate 'who hurt the other worse' battle (and I always think I 'win' - cheating in my book trumps most other things), but, really, no one wins that stupid game. Seems we need to accept that we're far from perfect people who have done some bad things to the life partner we were supposed to do good by, not bad by. We explore, reflect, share, grow, learn, grow, learn and grow some more. But, please, someone please tell me if/how forgiveness helped you (and not in the religious sense please). Thank you!
"Forgiveness is a strange thing. It can sometimes be easier to forgive our enemies than our friends. It can be hardest of all to forgive people we love. Like all of life's important coping skills, the ability to forgive and the capacity to let go of resentments most likely take root very early in our lives."ReplyDelete
― Fred Rogers
Elle and Everyone --ReplyDelete
This is off topic for this post so I apologize but has anyone read the book "Vow: A Memoir of a Marriage and Other Affairs" by Wendy Plump? I devoured it in close to a single sitting and am curious if you, Elle especially, have read it? And, then, of course, what you thought of it.
WARNING: if you are newly out from Dday or just not feeling strong this may NOT be a good book to read. It's triggering and unsettling and comforting and normalizing all at the same time. Just like infidelity, nothing about this book is black and white.
It was just one of those books (albeit I wish it didn't hit so close to home) that made me wish I was still in a book club so I could discuss it and hear what others thought. Anyone read it?Replies
Nice to hear from you! How are you doing?
I haven't read it though I've heard of it. I'll make a point of reading it and posting my thoughts. Perhaps we can have a virtual book club.
Hi Elle --Delete
I'm good . . . most days. I'm in that place where I fear being fooled again but so much stronger now. I just try to remember that I survived it and if it happens again it will be life altering (as if the first time wasn't!) but it will not kill me.
"Vow" was interesting to read because Wendy betrays her husband repeatedly early on in their marriage. He then has a couple of affairs as well. But, she is devastated when she discovers that he has had a 10 year affair with a woman that is now the mother of her husband's eight month old child. With such a history of betrayal I was surprised that Wendy was so leveled by the revelation.
But, the book is triggering. I had a rough couple of days after reading it. Reading about someone else's Dday always seems to take me right back to mine. Never want to forget that day but it's still so hard to revisit.
I found once I forgave my hubby and the other women, I was able to move forward with my healing process. It was so freeing!ReplyDelete
It's been 14 mths since D-Day and last week I finally was able to forgive my husband. A few months ago I thought I was getting better, I thought I was finally getting to the point of being able to start putting this all behind me. And then, one random Saturday, everything resurfaced when the voluntary paternity request papers came in the mail. I went physically numb in a split second. It all came flying back; all the hurt, the fear, the worry, the anxiety, the sadness....the vengeful feelings. Everything I've worked SOOOO hard to overcome. The first thing I did was text my therapist. I was sitting back in her office within 2 days, shaking, crying....crumbling. I told her I knew I needed to leave this in God's hands, it was the best thing I could do at this point. So I started praying....and praying, and praying, and praying. And all I kept seeing were messages everywhere...Facebook, Pinterest...everywhere, were messages of the importance and the power of forgiveness. So after a major blow-out in a moment of pure rage, I realized that I needed to forgive him. I needed to stop being angry at him.ReplyDelete
So after attempting for about a week, I finally had a good opportunity to have his undivided attention. I told him that I decided to forgive him....not to excuse what he did, not to dissolve the pain and the fear, but to help me release the anger that I realized had still been harboring inside me and was literally a monster hiding in the shadows, feeding on my insides, just waiting for a trigger. It needed to be released because there's still too much unknown on the table and we need to be able to work through this together....in peace.
It was definitely not easy to get out, but once it was done I realized it wasn't so bad and the boulder that I'd been carrying around in my shoulders was lifted. I knew I'd done the right thing.
I still have a ways to go, and depending on the results, it would be long and agonizing, or it could be over. I'm still praying like a crazy person for the obvious. I want nothing more right now, than to be able to move on.
- AnonymousJune 3, 2013 at 8:43 AM
I decided that I had to forgive so that I can move forward. I decided pretty early in our recovery process that I needed to forgive my husband. He still does not believe he is worthy of my forgiveness, but no one is really worthy of forgiveness. That's why it is such a difficult thing to do. I did not believe I could stay in our marriage and help it become healthy again or help myself recover if I continued to live in a state of anger, sadness, resentment and pain. Like the writer above described, these emotions weighed on me like a boulder, anchoring me in a horrible place. I had to start with the decision to forgive. The process is ongoing. I have triggers and pain flare up, and I have to forgive again. They are getting less painful and not dominating my life the way they once did, though I am not sure the triggers will ever completely disappear. Praying for the other woman and the child of the affair isn't a selfless, saintly act. I have chosen to do it to help me gain the strength to forgive her so that I can drop another boulder. I do want good things for the child. Biologically, the child is my children's have sibling and the offspring of the man I love. The baby is an innocent victim of a selfish, immoral act. I don't want the child to suffer because of this. In order for the child to have a good life, the mother needs good things in her life. She needs to heal and gain some sense of self worth and boundaries. She is a sick. hurting person to have accepted the kind of relationship she had with my husbandi want her to get emotionalally well so that she can move on and stay out of our lives. I'm Hopi.g that I'm not the delusional one now!ReplyDeleteReplies
No you're not delusional at all; you're incredibly compassionate. Though I hope, like you, the Other Woman does in fact use this as a chance to grow emotionally and spiritually and to provide a healthy home for her child...I wouldn't hold my breath. Some people learn on a different timeline than others. Unfortunately.Delete
Kudos to you for recognizing how much richer your own life is when you can lay down those boulders. And thanks for sharing your wisdom.


text:
Beaver Valley Power Station Unit 2 Returns to Service After Refueling Outage
AKRON, Ohio, Nov. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), announced its Beaver Valley Power Station Unit 2 in Shippingport, Penn., returned to service at 5:22 p.m. last night following a September 24, 2012, shutdown for refueling and maintenance. The 904-megawatt plant is currently operating at 23 percent power and is expected to reach full power in the next week.
During the outage, 65 of the plant's 157 fuel assemblies were exchanged. Numerous inspections and maintenance and improvement projects were completed to ensure continued safe and reliable operations, including replacement of the unit's two low pressure turbines. The new, approximately 153-ton turbine rotors feature an enhanced blade design that is expected to increase plant efficiency.
Prior to the outage, Beaver Valley Unit 2 operated safely and reliably for 532 consecutive days and generated more than 12 million megawatt hours of electricity since the completion of its last refueling in April 2011.
FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company headquartered in Akron, Ohio. Its FENOC subsidiary also operates the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station in Oak Harbor, Ohio, and the Perry Nuclear Power Plant in Perry, Ohio.
Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes forward-looking statements based on information currently available to management. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. These statements include declarations regarding management's intents, beliefs and current expectations. These statements typically contain, but are not limited to, the terms "anticipate," "potential," "expect," "believe," "estimate" and similar words. Forward-looking statements involve estimates, assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially due to: the speed and nature of increased competition in the electric utility industry, the impact of the regulatory process on the pending matters before FERC and in the various states in which we do business including, but not limited to, matters related to rates, the status of the PATH project in light of the PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., (PJM) direction to suspend work on the project pending review of its planning process, its re-evaluation of the need for the project and the uncertainty of the timing and amounts of any related capital expenditures, the uncertainties of various cost recovery and cost allocation issues resulting from ATSI's realignment into PJM, economic or weather conditions affecting future sales and margins, changes in markets for energy services, changing energy and commodity market prices and availability, financial derivative reforms that could increase our liquidity needs and collateral costs, the continued ability of FirstEnergy's regulated utilities to collect transition and other costs, operation and maintenance costs being higher than anticipated, other legislative and regulatory changes, and revised environmental requirements, including possible GHG emission, water intake and coal combustion residual regulations, the potential impacts of any laws, rules or regulations that ultimately replace CAIR, including CSAPR which was stayed by the courts on December 30, 2011, and the effects of the EPA's MATS rules, the uncertainty of the timing and amounts of the capital expenditures that may arise in connection with any litigation including NSR litigation or potential regulatory initiatives or rulemakings (including that such expenditures could result in our decision to shut down or idle certain generating units), the uncertainties associated with the company's plan to retire its older unscrubbed regulated and competitive fossil units, including the impact on vendor commitments and PJM's review of the company's plans for, and timing of, those retirements, adverse regulatory or legal decisions and outcomes with respect to our nuclear operations (including, but not limited to the revocation or non-renewal of necessary licenses, approvals or operating permits by the NRC including as a result of the incident at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant), issues that could result from our continuing evaluation of the indications of cracking in the Davis-Besse plant shield building imposed by the Confirmatory Action Letter issued by the NRC, adverse legal decisions and outcomes related to Met-Ed's and Penelec's ability to recover certain transmission costs through their transmission service charge riders, the continuing availability of generating units and changes in their ability to operate at or near full capacity, replacement power costs being higher than anticipated or inadequately hedged, the ability to comply with applicable state and federal reliability standards and energy efficiency mandates, changes in customers' demand for power, including but not limited to, changes resulting from the implementation of state and federal energy efficiency mandates, the ability to accomplish or realize anticipated benefits from strategic goals, FirstEnergy's ability to improve electric commodity margins and the impact of, among other factors, the increased cost of fuel and fuel transportation on such margins, the ability to experience growth in the distribution business, the changing market conditions that could affect the value of assets held in FirstEnergy's NDTs, pension trusts and other trust funds, and cause FirstEnergy and its subsidiaries to make additional contributions sooner, or in amounts that are larger than currently anticipated, the impact of changes to material accounting policies, the ability to access the public securities and other capital and credit markets in accordance with FirstEnergy's financing plan, the cost of such capital and overall condition of the capital and credit markets affecting FirstEnergy and its subsidiaries, changes in general economic conditions affecting FirstEnergy and its subsidiaries, interest rates and any actions taken by credit rating agencies that could negatively affect FirstEnergy's and its subsidiaries' access to financing or their costs and increase requirements to post additional collateral to support outstanding commodity positions, LOCs and other financial guarantees, the state of the national and regional economy and its impact on major industrial and commercial customers of FirstEnergy and its subsidiaries, issues concerning the soundness of domestic and foreign financial institutions and counterparties with which FirstEnergy and its subsidiaries do business, the risks and other factors discussed from time to time in FirstEnergy's and its applicable subsidiaries' SEC filings, and other similar factors. The foregoing review of factors should not be construed as exhaustive. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all such factors, nor assess the impact of any such factor on FirstEnergy's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. FirstEnergy expressly disclaims any current intention to update, except as required by law, any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.


text:
July 22, 2013
Middle Hope, NY
George D. Vega, a devoted husband, father and grandfather, passed away at home on the morning of July 22, 2013. George was a longtime resident of Middle Hope and served as an officer and Chief of the Middle Hope Fire Department. He is the son of Jorge David Vega and the late Carmen Rodriguez-Vega of Salinas, Puerto Rico.
He was a stagehand with Local 1 at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. He also served several years in the Plumber's Union Local 373 where he worked as a plumber, steamfitter and welder.
George was blessed with an infectious, magnetic personality and a sense of humor that bought joy and laughter to anyone he met. He will always be remembered for his George-isms: "Just another day in paradise" and "We're not here for a long time, we're here for a good time!"
George is survived by his loving wife, Louise Vega; two former wives: Lorraine Crespo and Ellen Munzer; his brother, Julio Vega, as well their seven children: Lourdes Miranda, Desiree Vega-Crespo, Brigette Tracey, Brian Colt, Melinda Bauman, Jessica De Petro and George Vega III; their spouses: Brian Tracey, Melanie Colt, John De Petro and Vivian Salamone, and grandchildren: Gabriella Cruz, Cherlene Sanchez, Sophia Sanchez, Joaquim Bauman, Ella Colt, Quinn Tracey, Jack De Petro, Murphy Colt, baby Lyla Vega on the way, and his niece, Jasmine Vega.
Visitation will be held Friday, July 26th from 5 to 9 p.m. at Brooks Funeral Home, 481 Gidney Ave., Newburgh. Church Services are incomplete at this time for Saturday.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to The Autism Research Foundation. Donations can be mailed to: 72 East Concord Street, R-1014, Boston University School of Medicine Boston, MA 02118, or online at theautismreserachfoundation.org/donate
To send a personal condolence or for further information, please visit www.brooksfh.com or call 845-561-8300.


text:
[QUOTE=@llli*alilwest;1287578]So, my primary care doc can't write me an rx so I'm waiting to hear back from my OB.
I'm starting to feel like a negative nancy again. I'm taking fenugreek, more milk plus, and goats rue and have yet to see any improvement. Starting to wonder if they really work. I will be incorporating brewers yeast and brown rice tomorrow. Just starting to feel like I'm wasting my time and money.
I know the feeling. Supplements can be expensive. Thats on thing I like about reglan is that it works the best for me and its affordable.


text:
You are listening to a Catchy Little Tune featuring the famous Ukulele, playing an uplifting, positive rhythm. The very memorable Melody is played by a Glockenspiel (bells). Many different claps, a few drum-elements and a shaker support this neat little performance.
Included files are:
-Main File 0:44
-Main File with Claps mixed unobtrusivly (less loud) 0:44
If custom changes are needed, please feel free to contact me.
I would very much appreciate if you would rate and/or comment this track.


text:
Why pay, if you can get it free? If you are not an enterprise, but a smallish outfit, a free database is all you need. You get free databases from all the big vendors, yes, that includes IBM, Oracle, Sybase and of course, Microsoft. Many of these databases include the keyword "express" in their names, which means do not wait, go get them and experience the freedom of free databases.
This article is about Oracle's latest free database, the Oracle 10g Express Edition, abbreviated as Oracle XE. I tried to install 10g once, the full version, and everything came to a standstill on my poor 800 MHz machine with 256 Mb memory. Oracle 10g XE is cool, and you may download it from the link I included above. The executable installation program is about 162 MB; most of the express editions are indeed small and can be installed on a Windows OS. Some of them even work on Windows XP Home.Installation of Oracle 10g Express
You click on the executable and you will see the following welcome screen. The InstallShield wizard takes you through the steps which this tutorial also follows.
In this step you will choose a destination directory for the Express Edition files. The wizard will choose one for you, and should you disagree, you may choose one for yourself. The default is accepted for this tutorial.
This is an important step; take down notes as you type in your password. The password is for System and Sys. This is what you will be using for logging in the first time you use it. At this step, use Username: system and password: whatever password you choose.
Presto! Can it be any easier than this? You are ready to move on because the screen after this one says it's done.
This next screen shows the Oracle XE related items in the Services folder, which may be accessed by going through the trail Start –>Control Panel –>Administrative Tools –>Services.
This next screen shows the path to the executable on your local machine. This pops up when you right click OracleServiceXE in the Services screen.
Now the next screen shows how your folder structure looks after the installation. The list view on the right shows the expanded view of the folder oradata.
{mospagebreak title=Starting and stopping the database}
As you can see from a previous picture which shows the Windows services, Oracle XE starts automatically when the Window OS starts. You can also start, stop, and pause the server from the services screen.
When XE is installed, several shortcuts are also added to All Programs (in Windows XP Professional) as shown in the next picture. What you would be doing normally is start and stop from the shortcut. When you click on the Go to Database Home Page… shortcut, you will encounter the login screen shown in the next section.
Logging on as System
In the beginning you will be logging on as SYSTEM using the password that you chose in an earlier step. I hope you did save the password. Enter the credentials now. Note that there are a number of useful links which will enlarge your view of XE as well as allow you to participate in forums where you can pose your questions.
Now with these credentials entered you will get to the next screen, which shows you a pretty neat, tidy and well organized UI. Now there are four main areas that you should know about. These are Administration, SQL, Object Browser, and Utilities. Each of these is a node with several child nodes which you will access.
Clicking on the Administration Icon on the down arrow marked 2 pops up other menu drop-downs from which you may access the particular drop-down menu. This interface is very convenient for accessing the specific area in which you are interested. You don't have the Microsoft Menu style, but still this is as good as the menu system you may be very familiar with from other software.
On the other hand, if you click on the icon at the position marked 1, you will find the following screen.
The Object Browser gives you access to all the database objects, such as tables, views, functions, and so on as shown in the next picture.
The SQL icon gives you access to the SQL Commands, SQL Scripts, and the Query Builder.
Of course, you cannot do without utilities, and this next screen gives access to the various utilities.
{mospagebreak title=Using the sample database}
Oracle 10g XE comes with a sample database called HR which stands for human resources. However, this database is locked when installed. You need to unlock it before you can use it. Click on Administration, then click on the HR icon. The first click opens the following screen.
The second click on the HR icon opens the screen as shown here. Enter hr for both username and password and make sure the unlocked choice is showing on this screen for Account Status. Make sure that both Connect and Resource are checked for the "Roles" before you click on the Alter User button which makes the requested changes to the User. Now you are rocking! You will be able to access the HR database.
{mospagebreak title=Getting used to tables in hr}
Click on the Object Browser icon after logging in with hr, hr credentials. You will see the following in the default view. On the left you see the various objects with the Tables as the default. Clicking on the drop-down arrow you may access other objects. In this window you may also start creating various objects by clicking on the Create button. In the search box just below the Tables drop-down you may also search for table objects by entering a single letter.
You can look at all the existing tables by clicking on the table name, say Departments, which fills the table design information on the right pane as shown here.
The tutorial introduces the readers to Oracle XE. The user interface is very user friendly, colorful, and well documented. The tutorial describes how to get authenticated as a user and access the various resources. The object browser which is the window to the objects is described. Future tutorials will focus on hands-on guidance to the use of objects, SQL, and application development using this interface.


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Happy Day of Birth!
did u see the new video for easy?
happy birthday! we share the same one! haha
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo snap
99 friends
ooooooo snap
Congrats on your 100th friend.
You're still #1 on our Coachella Meetup list!
I have an idea! How about I just post ever attempt I've made at posting a pic of our meeting in the Sahara Tent, and then you can figure out how to see it? (Geez, somedays these computers annoy me!) LOL
Hope all is well and you're behaving yourself! Beverly and Pete
You big eejit. :D
What up, anyway?
heys! i had to change my twitter acc. =( my new user is MusicNcolorS. its no longer discovme or reasonsunknwn. sorry for all the changes. this is the last time! thanks
Coachella Junkie
old school


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Precision Optics Manufacturing in CaliforniaContour Metrological & Manufacturing (CMM) began manufacturing high-precision optics and precision components over 25 years ago. We specialize in producing difficult requirements in machined optics and unusual optical components that many of our competitors are not capable of producing. We push the limits of our state-of-the-art technology in order to solve our customers' product challenges. Total customer satisfaction of our products is our highest priority, and as a result, we are a global leader in diamond turned precision components for the production of advanced optics.
World Leader in Diamond Turned OpticsCMM is leader in diamond turning, as well as an innovator in computer modeling and proprietary computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) methods that solve production optics challenges. Mirrors, lenses, and precision components are made with proprietary programming and machining techniques. We utilize experience, talent, software, and the latest in 5-axis machining technology.
What We MakeMirrors: A large part of our business is manufacturing mirrors for an array of typical applications. Capability can be scaled to make single unique mirrors for R&D applications or thousands of mirrors for production part runs.
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Let us quote your latest concept or production part! Request more information by contacting us today.


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When Mackenzie and Payton Brundage are not in school, you won't find them chilling on the sofa with a bag of chips while watching cartoons or playing video games. In fact, a lot of adults could not keep up with these two.
At 12 and 10 years of age, McKenzie and Payton run their own business and most of their spare time is devoted to its development and success.
The sisters created the Peace. Passion. Positivity. inspirational bracelets for young girls to have simple, wearable reminders to take pride in themselves, spread positivity and display their own uniqueness.
The bracelets came about after Mackenzie won a county-wide speech contest about two years ago when she was in the fourth grade.
The subject matter for the contest was "What to Say When You Talk to Yourself � The Power of Positive Thinking."
In writing her speech, Mackenzie learned about the power of thinking positively and that thoughts can become things and reality.
She wanted to share what she learned with her friends and classmates in a tangible way and made some woven bracelets on which she hung charms to remind her friends to think positive thoughts.
Her first bracelet bore a charm that read �Be Yourself.�
With her younger sister joining her, the girls began selling their handmade bracelets at Mermaids Boutique at Baytowne Wharf, where their mom was a co-owner.
The bracelets, which now bear charms depicting a variety of positive messages, hobbies or passions, caught on and the store began selling more than 100 per week.
To keep up, help was needed; so mom sold her interest in the shop to help her daughters full time.
The bracelets are still growing in diversity and are now carried in more than 160 stores locally and regionally.
The girls are totally involved in selecting each color combination of the woven material and which charm will go on each.
The charms advocate faith, following your dreams, following your heart, and peace, passion, and positivity, hence the name the girls chose for their company.
In addition to the 160 stores that now carry their products, they have gone wholesale; they go to market nationally twice a year, and they have a booth at the Seaside yard sale twice a year.
Somehow they find time to travel, promoting their bracelets and message, and visit stores that carry them.
"They have done really well," said mom, Kim.
Their mother says her daughters have a bubbly energy and personalities that help in promoting their product.
However, she attributes their mature and outgoing personalities to being exposed to business ownership at such a young age and what it takes to succeed in that arena.
"Owning a business costs money and all its expenses; and being an entrepreneur takes sacrifice, and they are learning that," said Kim. "They are also learning through this that if you have an idea, don't be afraid to take it to the next level. Keep positive and learn lessons along the way. They are willing to double up on their school work to do this and have become role models for their peers."
And if the young entrepreneurs did not have enough to keep them busy, they also baby sit, help stuff backpacks for the Food For Thought project, and last year, Mackenzie taught herself to play guitar and she and her sister occasionally sing and perform at Baytowne as the Sisters of Soul. They also take their performances into the local nursing homes.
"Volunteering teaches compassion and exposes them to people in need," said Kim. "A lot of kids don't have to work, especially around here. College is paid for and cars paid for ... my girls have never gone hungry, but it may not always be that way. I need to know they can stand on their own. I always had to work and didn't have an allowance, and I always wanted to work for myself. I have cleaned houses. It makes you a stronger person and you can survive in any economy. I pass that on to them as no one gets paid at our house for doing chores."
And the children are grateful for that life lesson.
"If you learn this while you're young, you'll know what to do when you're older," agreed Payton.
"Being in the store prepared me," added Mackenzie.
The girls created a charm for the Food For Thought organization and donated 125 bracelets to the organization that it can sell and keep the proceeds. They have also donated to the Cystic Fibrosis foundation and the Children's Advocacy Center.
"We think it's important to give back and what you give will return to you," said Payton.
The inspirational bracelets sell for $10 and since the jewelry line�s inception, the sisters have sold more than 20,000 nationwide in both retail and wholesales stores, travel and resort locations mostly in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, and Louisiana.
Proceeds from the sale of their bracelets are set aside for college and cars. They both want to attend Old Miss.
"We sat down at the computer and tallied the cost of going to Old Miss, and tallied how much for the cars they want," said Kim. "This teaches them how to set goals and the value of a dollar. Putting away money for college is a great goal."
After college, Mackenzie is still giving some thought to what she wants to do. But Payton has set her sights on being surgical doctor and developing her own software.
Mom has no doubt they will achieve whatever goals they set through hard work and following their dreams and their hearts.
"This has opened their eyes to not just having an idea but following through," she said. �Foster an idea, and thoughts become things."
Another goal the girls do have in common is to some day be on the Ellen Degeneres Show. No doubt they will make it, as last week they were featured on WEAR-TV out of Pensacola, and "Girls Life" magazine has called and asked to feature them.
Peace.Passion.Positivity bracelets can be purchased at local stores and online at www.myfunbracelets.com.
For more information on the bracelets see their Facebook page, email info@myfunbracelets, watch the sister�s YouTube video http://youtu.be/pce-Xa2PfZI or phone 217-0534.


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The exhibition of Marisa Merz's work at the Fondazione Merz in Turin is a remarkable event. For this rarely seen artist, there is a lavish amount of work on display, with exquisite drawings and daring… Read more
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Elves sent from the North Pole to keep an eye on Houma-Thibodaux children have become increasingly common in local households.
Elves sent from the North Pole to keep an eye on Houma-Thibodaux children have become increasingly common in local households.
The plush and plastic figure typically shows up the day after Thanksgiving and hangs around through Christmas eve. The elf is intended to serve as a spy for Santa, appearing as the children sleep following nightly reports on their good or bad behavior.
The mischievous elf typically takes up a new spot in the house upon his or her return, often amid a scene that smacks of some shenanigans.
According to local children, many of the elves are calm and well-behaved, but an increasing number have been caught sneaking into rooms, trashing Christmas trees and even hanging from ceilings and light fixtures.
Last year was the first time George, one of Santa Claus' legions of watchful elves, visited 8-year-old Piper Gambarella's house in Bayou Blue. Piper said George was initially well-behaved, watching calmly from his perch on the shelf and even cleaning up toys.
But over the summer while at the North Pole, George met a girl elf named Lacey. That, Piper said, was when the partying started.
"They came in here and unwrapped all the presents," Piper said. "They threw underwear on the tree. Every day when I get home from school they're in different places."
Overall, Piper said the two elves are "good neighbors," and points out that she doesn't have much choice when it comes to putting up with Santa's watchdogs.
Gage and Gracie Mistretta also said their two elves have been acting up recently.
"It keeps trashing my Christmas tree with toilet paper," said Gracie, 6. "They go crazy everywhere."
"The elf made a mess in my room because he got stuck in there," said Gage, 3. "You can't touch him though, or he will lose his magic. Besides I want Santa to bring lots of presents."
Loralei and McKenna Dehart, ages 4 and 2 and also of Bayou Blue, say they have had fits with their elf, Phoebe, who became evil after someone touched her.
"Last night she was in the bathroom, and she flew across the hall, jumped off the counter, over the fridge, and now she's up there," Loralei said, pointing to the chandelier above the table where she ate macaroni and cheese. Phoebe was lodged spread-eagle on the light fixture.
Phoebe had been fairly well-behaved until one of her friends, a boy who did not know about Phoebe's connection to Santa Claus, touched her.
"She then became evil. One time she put toothpaste on the mirror, and yesterday she was hiding in my puppy stocking," Loralei said. "My puppy stocking!"
One of Loralei's friends has an elf who has developed a taste for beer.
"Yesterday, Tati told me her elf was named Silly because she drank her dad's beer," Loralei said.
Six-year old Kaylie Lacompte, who lives near the Deharts in Bayou Blue, shared a similar experience with an elf who had been touched by a child and wound up in the emergency room at Terrebonne General Medical Center.
"He had been sitting on the window when somebody touched him," Kaylie said. "He lost all of his magic."
It was only after Loralei and McKenna pleaded with Phoebe to stay that the elf begin its recovery following the touching incident.
"We woke up and heard them talking to Phoebe the next morning," said Dana Dehart, Loralei and Mckenna's mom. "They were thanking Phoebe for coming back. We hope we never have to worry about Phoebe like that again.
Kaylie's sister, Tracey, explained that it is difficult to find or even catch the elves in action because of their powers.
"I woke up one morning, and it was just staring at me," Tracey said. "One time he was on the floor, lying face down. I blame it on the dog. Anytime something happens just blame it on the dog."
Staff Writer John Harper can be reached at 857-2209 or email@example.com.


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JEANETTE, Pa. (AP) – In his short life, the 2-year-old Pennsylvania boy who died days after he served as best man at his parents' wedding touched the hearts of many people.
The Rev. Jan Zotter told a funeral audience Saturday that Logan Stevenson's life "had an impact over the whole world."
About 75 family and friends attended the service at the Mason-Gelder Funeral Home in Jeannette, about 25 miles east of Pittsburgh, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (
http://bit.ly/13rrFcH) reported.
Christine and Sean Stevenson had planned to marry next year but moved the ceremony to Aug. 3 so their son could participate after the couple learned he had weeks to live.
The child, who died Monday night in his mother's arms, had leukemia and other medical complications, including a mass on his remaining kidney.
"He was a fighter," said Seth Antoniak, who was with Logan and the couple as they exchanged vows. "He was 2 and had everything thrown at him."
Some people attending the service left notes with pictures of Logan on poster boards bearing such headings as "Sweet Baby," "We Miss You Already" and "The Best Man."
"Even though it was heartbreaking to let you go, Heaven is very lucky to have you," said a note from Logan's grandparents, Debbie and Larry Stevenson.
Zotter said that when a child dies, everyone asks why. But such questions are "mysteries of God that we can't fathom," she said. She assured the boy's relatives and friends that they will one day understand the reason, when they are reunited with him.
"Logan is with God, the Father," Zotter said. "I bet he's playing baseball. I bet he's seeing the horses there."
Information from: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review,
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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So, you're at a party with your favorite squeeze and you notice that a stunning specimen of the opposite sex has just sauntered into the room. How long does it take you to lapse into a blithering state of semiconsciousness, thinking the new arrival is the only other person in the room?
Less than half a second, according to new research out of Florida State University in Tallahassee.
The fixation on a beautiful face happens so quickly that it's involuntary, meaning the poor bloke who's about to get clobbered by his wife for checking out another woman, or vice versa, had no control over that initial impulse to stare at someone else.
"It's happening way too quickly for us to have any conscious control over it," said Jon Maner, associate professor of psychology at Florida State, lead author of the study, "Can't Take My Eyes off You: Attentional Adhesion to Mates and Rivals, which was published in the September issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
But, that excuse expires very quickly, say, in about 100 milliseconds. After that, Maner said, consciousness should take over. So, this research isn't going to get anybody off the hook.
Maner and three graduate students, Matthew Gailliot, D. Aaron Rouby and Saul Miller, ran three experiments to measure something scientists call attentional adhesion. That's the length of time something holds our attention, even if we know we're supposed to be looking at something else.
More than 440 students at the university took part in the experiments, so, this is a young crowd and not necessarily representative of society as a whole, but Maner suspects it might be pretty close.
They found that participants who had been primed to think about sex and mating — by writing an essay about a time when they felt extremely sexually aroused &$151; took longer to divert their gaze from a beautiful face of the opposite sex than they did from an average face.
"We were able to show that, within a blink of an eye, people were able to physically latch on to the attractive faces," Maner said.
But when they carried the experiments a step further, they came up with a very different result.
When participants were primed to think about an event that made them sexually jealous, they fixated on an attractive face of the same sex, not the opposite.
Those two results, Maner noted, are typical of all members of the animal kingdom that reproduce by mating. Everyone wants to get the best mate possible, and everyone wants to be sure no one else horns in. Hence, it's important to keep an eye on the competition.
There's one weakness in the research, in that it's impossible to control all the variables in a crowded room. So, the researchers turned to the virtual world of computers for their experiments.
Participants were "emotionally primed" either to be sexually aroused or jealous. Then, they sat in front of a computer terminal as various images flashed on different areas of the screen.
The rules called for participants to shift their gaze immediately to anything new that appeared on the screen. For example, a picture of a beautiful face could appear in a lower corner of the screen, and less than a second later, a circle or a square could appear elsewhere on the screen, just as the face disappeared.
Using extremely precise measuring techniques, the researchers were able to determine how long it took for the participants to shift to the new image. It took slightly longer to shift the gaze from a beautiful face than it did from an average face, and that held equally true for both female and male participants. The difference was about 100 milliseconds. (One millisecond is one-thousandth of a second.)
That held true, even though the face disappeared just as the other image appeared. If the face was beautiful, the participants continued to stare, ever so briefly, at the spot where the face had been — something scientists call the "episodic memory" of the face.
The researchers selected their photos after submitting them to a group of undergraduates who rated them according to physical beauty. That may sound a bit arbitrary, but Maner said deciding who is physically beautiful, and who is not, is not as romantic as it might seem.
"Although a lot of people say beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, there's a great deal of agreement across [professional] observers, in terms of who is attractive and who is not," Maner said.
"There's actually a large and intriguing body of literature on what specific features people find attractive. One of the big ones is facial symmetry — how one side of the face mirrors the other. Symmetry is a sign of good genes and overall health."
"Attractiveness in men includes markers in testosterone, like a square jaw. In women, it's facial features associated with youth — a high forehead and big eyes. So, there are very objective qualities that we use to judge someone's personal attractiveness, even though we don't really realize we are doing it."
But, in the case of jealousy, in which participants fixated on images of beautiful faces from their own gender, were men and women the same? Both genders fixated on members of their own sex in apparent recognition of a formidable rival, but most men would be unlikely to admit that.
"It's funny, men are often less willing to call other men attractive," Maner said. "Women are very willing to say that other women are attractive. I'm not sure why. Maybe latent homophobia."
Maner cautions against using this study to soothe the troubled waters of a relationship soured by one partner spending too much time sizing up someone else.
"The fact is that, although the immediate response may be involuntary, there's certainly all sorts of chances to use self-control, to use one's own will to pull attention away."
In other words, the grace period is only 100 milliseconds.
Lee Dye is a former science writer for the Los Angeles Times. He now lives in Juneau, Alaska.