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Until now Windows Azure was synonymous with PaaS: Microsoft built a reputation as arguably one of the most successful PaaS providers. This is about to change with Microsoft's announcement of Windows Azure 2.0, which adds a slew of improvements and new capabilities on top of their existing offering. Most notable among the new capabilities is the addition of IaaS (infrastructure cloud), allowing us to support Windows Azure on par with other clouds. We will be releasing all our core ServerTemplates very shortly – yes, that's Windows and Linux based ones – including a SQL Server 2012 ServerTemplate complete with replication and snapshot backup support.
The adoption of IaaS vs. PaaS across the cloud industry has shown that large-scale cloud usage requires IaaS. This fits with what we are seeing in that workloads being ported to the cloud by our services team are consistently increasing in complexity. Nowadays very few deployments are satisfied with pre-built configurations. That does not mean that PaaS is irrelevant – far from it – but rather that PaaS by itself is rarely sufficient. For both technical and non-technical reasons, key parts of large-scale deployments require more control, which is currently only available at the IaaS level. Being able to move these key application components into an infrastructure cloud is often times a prerequisite for moving anything to the cloud. One interesting outcome is that adding IaaS should actually help increase the usage of PaaS as it lets users pick and choose the right tool for the right component.
Our journey in integrating Windows Azure into RightScale began a few years ago when the stateless "VM role" was introduced. We provided detailed feedback to Microsoft at that time about the roadblocks we encountered. The kickoff for the current integration was a call with the new Windows Azure IaaS team where they walked us through their proposed API to ensure we could be successful. During this call it became clear that the IaaS effort is an all-out initiative and on equal footing with the PaaS offering. In the intervening years we significantly increased our portfolio of Windows solutions on other clouds, which we were then able to port to the new Windows Azure IaaS. All this made the decision to fully support Windows Azure relatively straightforward.
Microsoft is now in a unique position offering both PaaS and IaaS services through a consistent set of tools and APIs. It's not just about the tools though, it's also and foremost about the platform itself: Windows Azure makes it possible to run PaaS applications and IaaS servers on shared infrastructure. To give an example: "Web role" instances (i.e., hosted ASP.NET, PHP or Node.js web applications) can now run on the same private network as "IaaS VMs" that may run the backend database. You get to choose: Use the simple deployment but prescriptive solution that is SQL Azure or get the full power – and complexity – of managing your own database. This is a very powerful story that has many applications. What makes this story especially good on Windows Azure is the completeness of the IaaS offering: Microsoft's first stab at it is quite impressive from a feature set point of view. Aside from the "traditional" VMs, Windows Azure IaaS includes support for attachable disks and virtual networks.
Quick Tour of Windows Azure IaaS
Windows Azure supports Linux. For real. One of the telling moments for me was when I walked into a design event at Microsoft and saw a whole slew of program managers and even Scott Guthrie using MacBooks, bash and git to showcase the new features of Windows Azure. I took a quick look around: Yes, I was indeed at Microsoft, yes I was awake, yes, these guys are in it with both feet, yes, when they say that the new prerogative is openness they are taking it seriously. Microsoft has partnered with the leading distributions to make sure that they would all be represented.
At the low level, the API actually supports configuration elements that are specific to Linux, such as specifying key pairs to enable SSH access. Microsoft has also been contributing to the Linux kernel to make sure that recent versions work well on their Hyper-V hypervisor used in Windows Azure. Finally they have developed a special agent that runs on Linux servers that takes care of smoothing out any discrepancy in behavior between Windows and Linux servers, for example, when the server is being moved because of hardware failures. The upshot of all this is that we will be releasing all our core Linux CentOS ServerTemplates on Windows Azure in our initial release!
Screenshot of the RightScale Dashboard showing a single deployment in Windows Azure with a mix of Linux and Windows servers running three-tier web application stacks.
As one would expect, the Windows integration is top notch. Microsoft images include the latest 2008R2 and SQL Server 2012, which we've used to create RightImages – these are images that include our configuration management and monitoring agent and that we have tested to work with our ServerTemplate solutions. Our ServerTemplates take this to the next level and add replication, snapshot backups, and other management features. Thanks to the integration between the Hyper-V hypervisor and the Windows 2008R2 OS, Microsoft is able to pull some interesting tricks such as moving VMs between hosts while keeping the same network IP. The API also allows specifying the LUN when attaching disks, which makes it easier to predict the drive letter of an attached disk, something that has given us grief on other clouds and is mundane but required for any non-trivial automation. We've been able to work around these issues on other clouds using our agent running on the server but it's nice not to have to rely on that for Windows Azure.
Being able to run MySQL or SQL Server in the cloud efficiently requires a high-performance disk subsystem with snapshot backup. Windows Azure delivers by leveraging the pre-existing Windows Azure storage service. This is an interesting case of IaaS being implemented on top of PaaS. Going "down" to the PaaS API makes it possible to read/modify/copy the raw blobs backing both "OS" and "data" disks directly. This also means that the disk performance on Windows Azure benefits from all the work done by the PaaS storage team. In particular Windows Azure storage implements what amounts to "dynamic striping" where the service will transparently split a disk into multiple disks in overload situations. The white paper from Brad Calder et al. goes into great details about how the Windows Azure Storage service is implemented and is a great read if you want to understand the details.
The end result is that with both its PaaS and IaaS services, Microsoft is allowing a wide range of workloads to run, making a compelling solution for a much wider audience than its previous offering.
RightScale Support of Windows Azure
Out of the box, RightScale makes available on Windows Azure all the Windows ServerTemplates that currently exist on other clouds, including Base, IIS, and SQL Server 2012. We've also ported the LAMP AIO and HAProxy Linux ServerTemplates and are hard at work porting others, including the Database Manager for MySQL. These ServerTemplates unlock new scenarios on Windows Azure. For example, it is now possible to pick between running a PaaS web role or running a server array of IIS application servers. The second option is needed when guaranteed performance becomes an issue, when other software needs to be installed next to IIS, or components need to be plugged into IIS that can't be placed into a web role container. Similar tradeoffs arise when comparing SQL Azure vs. running a SQL Server ServerTemplate. Using a ServerTemplate unlocks the full performance of running a dedicated SQL Server 2012 server with a dataset size that is only limited by the size of the disk.
During the development of our support for Windows Azure, we worked very closely with the Windows Azure IaaS team to navigate some of the challenging areas. One of them is that you can't just launch a VM on its own. Rather, a VM is a "role" in either the "production deployment" or the "staging deployment" of a "hosted service." These abstractions come with features that are mostly relevant in a PaaS environment and frankly get in our way. In the end, each of Window Azure's deployments has a single public IP address, which is not practical if you put multiple VMs into it. After a good amount of back-and-forth with the Windows Azure team, we concluded that the best path forward is to put each VM into its own hosted service. Not ideal, but it works and some of the constraints are being remedied. The good news is that we took care of this so you don't need to battle the details yourself.
The virtual network feature set supported by Windows Azure is impressive and provides a great deal of flexibility in configuring services and VMs into networks. Subnets defined in the cloud can be linked to customers' data centers through hardware VPN clients hosted on-premise whose configuration files are generated by the cloud. Unfortunately this is one of the areas where we struggled the most with the API because it hooks into the PaaS functionality in the back-end. The result is that any network configuration change must be performed by uploading an XML description of the entire network, causing concurrency issues as well as creating ill-defined corner cases. Fortunately, once we brought up the issues to the Windows Azure team, they were very open to our feedback. Through this experience it has been very interesting to see how differently we approach systems management from the PaaS mindset, (or at least the one of Windows Azure PaaS): With a PaaS, users upload full-system descriptions and restart everything while we tend to perform many incremental changes over long periods of time to effect changes in deployments.
Our partnership with Microsoft has also allowed us to glean some best practices for running Microsoft's newest application stacks in the cloud. For example, the next release of our SQL Server ServerTemplates (available on Windows Azure but also on many other clouds) uses a new setup flow that allows for more customization and improves startup times. This leverages the fact that SQL Server 2012 includes multiple optional services which can be enabled independently. There are more Windows-based ServerTemplates in the pipeline that are a direct result of these interactions, so stay tuned!
All in all we have learned a lot through this partnership and we have been able to provide lots of input to the Windows Azure team. This is great news for everyone: A better cloud and a better integration means the ability to deploy more workloads faster. From all our experience thus far, Windows Azure 2.0 is very impressive. The number of improvements that went in is staggering and it marks the start of a new chapter in the cloud story at Microsoft. Obviously, at the end of the day, what you will make of it will dictate how successful Windows Azure becomes, and we can't wait to see all the workloads you have in store! Let us know if you would like to participate in the Windows Azure with RightScale beta.


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Twenty summers ago Orange Coast College reopened its remodeled Robert B. Moore Theatre with a rousing production of the beloved Broadway musical "South Pacific."
The campus theater originally opened in 1955.
The iconic 1949 Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein musical provided Americans with a coming-out-of-World War II treatise on racism.
OCC's production ran July 16 to 25, 1993, for eight performances. I watched every performance from the stage as a member of the cast. I'm totally unmusical, and director Alex Golson wisely cast me in a non-singing role.
My supporting character necessitated my presence in four or five scenes. The remaining 15 scenes or so I could watch — beginning with the overture's majestic swelling of the rich "South Pacific" theme — from the wings of the theater.
I relished every scene and every number, including "There is Nothin' Like a Dame," "Bali Hai," "I'm Gonna Wash that Man Right Outa my Hair" and "Younger than Springtime."
I first fell for "South Pacific" at the age of 10.
Based on James Michener's 1946 novel, "Tales of the South Pacific" (which I read in college), the musical's libretto makes a poignant case for tolerance. The show renders a pair of love stories that take place in a war-torn island paradise.
Nurse Nellie Forbush of Little Rock, Ark., struggles to accept island planter Emile de Becque's "half-caste" children from an earlier marriage. In a parallel story, Lt. Joe Cable falls in love with Liat, the lovely Tonkinese daughter of an eccentric island souvenir dealer, Bloody Mary.
I was introduced to "South Pacific" in 1955 when my father bought the original cast recording on 78-rpm vinyl. The production starred opera virtuoso Ezio Pinza and stage and screen star Mary Martin. I soon had every note and lyric memorized.
In 1958 I went to the Lido Theatre to view a motion picture version of the show, starring Rossano Brazzi and Mitzi Gaynor. At 13, I fell for the island girl, Liat, played in the film by the beautiful France Nuyen.
OCC initially opened the Robert B. Moore Theatre with the show in 1956. I saw my first stage production of "South Pacific" when the college reprised the show in 1968. In 1993, OCC reopened its theatre, following an extensive renovation, with a third production of the musical. I portrayed base commander Capt. George Brackett.
The '93 cast was talented, dynamic and enthusiastic. Local well-known musical theater performer Nils Anderson was wonderful as Emile de Becque. Nils and I had become friends several years earlier, and I loved watching him — alone in a spotlight at center stage — close out Act One each night with a magnificent rendering of "Some Enchanted Evening." It brought down the house.
Young OCC musical theater student Terry Mowrey was captivating as Nellie. As a testament to her virtuosity, two years earlier she'd played the rough and tumble Bloody Mary in a different production of the show.
Sean Cox was uproarious as Luther Billis.
Sixteen years later, in 2009, my wife, Hedy, and I saw the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of the show at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center. To our surprise, the cast included Nils Anderson's son, Eric, as Luther Billis' sidekick, Stewpot.
I'd known Eric when he was an OCC student. Following the final curtain, Hedy and I slipped backstage to visit him. It was a treat.
Nils passed away — much too early — a couple of years back. I often think of him, and miss him. He was a talented performer and dear friend.
The 2008-09 Broadway production was stunning, but I sincerely believe Nils' portrayal of de Becque at OCC was every bit as nuanced and brilliant as the Broadway portrayal. His performance was Broadway worthy!
Every night, just before curtain, Nils would come to me and say, "Jim, time to pray," and we'd repair to a quiet corner of the stage and ask God to calm our nerves, give us strength, and bless our efforts.
Never once did Nils Anderson let his audience down!
JIM CARNETT lives in Costa Mesa. His column runs Wednesdays.

subset: commoncrawl


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Archived Publications
contain dated information
that do not reflect current
WDFW regulations or policy.
These documents are provided
for archival purposes only.!
WDFW Publications
Grouse of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, 1803 To 1806
Wildlife Research and Management - Wildlife Research
Date Published: 2003
Number of Pages: 19
Author(s): Fred C Zwickel and Michael A Schroeder
Members of the Lewis and Clark expedition produced written descriptions of many species of wildlife, including 6 species of grouse.We reviewed the accounts of 83 grouse observations, plus summary descriptions and indirect references to grouse by Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and 3 of their sergeants.We then assigned them to species based on described characteristics, known distributions, habitat, behavior, and/or other written clues. Fifty-nine (71%) observations were considered relatively unambiguous as to identity because of a bird's morphology and appearance, a descriptive name, a non-overlapping range, and/or other clues. These included greater prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido), sharp-tailed grouse (T. phasianellus), greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), blue grouse (Dendragapus obscurus), spruce grouse (Falcipennis canadensis), and ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus). Other observations were assigned to 'possible' species based on available evidence. Our evaluation of Lewis's and Clark's written descriptions differed in some cases from earlier reviews. Most notable differences involved blue, spruce, and ruffed grouse and we offer suggestions for changes. We also used journal records to compare pre-settlement (by Euro-Americans) distributions of grouse as indicated by the journal records with those today and to speculate on changes in abundance. Greatest changes have occurred in distributions and abundances of the 3 prairie grouse, species whose habitats have been most impacted by settlement. Other highlights of the expedition include the 1st written descriptions of blue grouse and greater sage-grouse and of undescribed subspecies of sharp-tailed, spruce, and ruffed grouse.
Suggested Citation:Zwickel, F. C., and M. A. Schroeder. 2003. Grouse of the Lewis and Clark expedition, 1803-1806. Northwestern Naturalist 84:1-19.
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text:
Barbara Caspar
Barbara Caspar (b. 1979, Graz, Austria) After a year of studying photography in London, Caspar studied philosophy and psychology at the University of Vienna between 1998 and 2002. At the same time she was also studying multimedia art at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, and painting and conceptual art at the Viennese Academy of Fine Arts. In 2003-2006 she completed her doctoral studies in Vienna and Paris, and in 2003 she also completed a one-year course of study in film with Michael Haneke in Vienna. In later years she lived and worked in Vienna and New York, and exhibited her paintings in Europe and the US. She has spent the last three years working on her debut, Who�s Afraid of Kathy Acker? (09/09)
Who's Afraid of Kathy Acker?A film by Barbara Caspar, 2008, 84 min., ColorA multi-layered work featuring animation, archival footage and interviews with the likes of William Burroughs, Carolee Schneemann and Richard Hell,


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Dhp 33. Just as a fletcher straightens an arrow shaft, even so the discerning man straightens his mind — so fickle and unsteady, so difficult to guard.Alex123 wrote:Considering how precise the Buddha was making sure that He would not be misinterpreted, is there any clear statement that He was merely talking about momentary mind states?
34. As a fish when pulled out of water and cast on land throbs and quivers, even so is this mind agitated. Hence should one abandon the realm of Mara.
35. Wonderful, indeed, it is to subdue the mind, so difficult to subdue, ever swift, and seizing whatever it desires. A tamed mind brings happiness.
36. Let the discerning man guard the mind, so difficult to detect and extremely subtle, seizing whatever it desires. A guarded mind brings happiness.


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If you are meeting a friend for a drink after work or attending a holiday party where alcohol is being offered, is it a health risk or a benefit? The medical and nutrition literature reports that moderate consumption of alcohol can offer some health benefits, particularly for your heart. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 defines drinking in moderation as no more than one drink per day for women or two drinks per day for men. One drink, by definition, is a 12-ounce beer, eight-ounce glass of malt liquor, five ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor. Moderate alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of having a heart attack or stroke, lower the risk of developing gallstones, and prevent the development of type 2 diabetes in people with pre-diabetes. Studies show that those benefiting from moderate consumption are middle-aged and older adults. It is not recommended, however, that anyone begin drinking or drink more frequently on the basis of health considerations.
Drinking more than the recommendation is harmful to your health. Excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of adverse health consequences. Over time, excess alcohol can cause cirrhosis of the liver and heart damage, increase the risk for cancer and pancreatitis, and increase the occurrence of injuries due to impairment. Alcohol consumption must be evaluated in reference to any health conditions or prior history of alcohol abuse. Many prescription medications are contraindicated with even moderate intake of alcohol. In cases of a medical condition, regardless of medication, alcohol consumption should be discussed with a healthcare provider.
People with diabetes can consume alcohol in moderation if they are prepared and regularly monitor their blood glucose. Take into consideration the medication used to control your diabetes and the timing of your meals. Alcohol should be consumed along with a meal or substantial snack of at least 15 grams of carbohydrates. Whether you have diabetes or not, avoiding sweet wines and sugary mixers is a healthy choice. Drinking alcohol adds extra caloric intake, and drinking calorie-free beverages, especially in addition to alcohol, is best for people with diabetes.
Alcohol does have common interactions with prescription and nonprescription medications taken by people with diabetes. Medications to lower blood glucose, blood pressure, or cholesterol are commonly affected by drinking alcohol. Within minutes of consuming a drink, alcohol moves into the bloodstream and is metabolized by the liver. For most people, it takes the liver two hours to metabolize one drink of alcohol. When you drink fast or in excess, the liver cannot keep up and alcohol begins to reach other parts of your body, including the brain. Excessive amounts of alcohol compromise the liver, which impairs its ability to regulate your blood glucose levels.
Abiding by safety recommendations for alcohol consumption for people with diabetes will reduce risk of injury or even death. People with diabetes should monitor blood glucose prior to drinking and before going to bed to ensure safe blood glucose level of 100 to 140 mg/dL. Regardless of alcohol consumption, people with diabetes should wear medical identification and be prepared with low glucose treatment. Alcohol can have an adverse affect on oral and insulin medications for diabetes. Studies did not reveal adverse effects among those having one to two drinks per day while taking a sulfonylurea or thiazolidinedione. For those having type 2 diabetes, however, the FDA issued a black box warning to avoid excessive alcohol intake while taking metformin. Metformin. like alcohol, is metabolized by the liverresulting in fluctuating blood glucose levels.
Moderate and excessive alcohol consumption affects blood glucose levels causing hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia usually occurs with moderate consumption of alcohol. Of greater concern is hypoglycemia, which occurs with excessive alcohol intake without food. Hypoglycemia can occur immediately or up to eight to 12 hours after drinking alcohol, leading to sleepiness, light-headedness, and confusion. Furthermore if you drink too much, you may fail to recognize the symptoms of hypoglycemia. Therefore, monitoring your blood glucose is critical to detect falling glucose levels before severe hypoglycemia occurs.
The treatment for alcohol-induced hypoglycemia is ingestion of a sugar-containing liquid like fruit juice, regular soda, or honey, or taking glucose tablets. Wearing a medical ID bracelet is essential in cases when a person has hypoglycemia and appears to others to be intoxicated from drinking alcohol. The symptoms of drinking in excess and low glucose levels are similar and very dangerous, especially when taking insulin. Though moderate consumption of alcohol among persons with diabetes appears to have no acute effect on glycemic control, discuss any concerns with your doctor.
Adopting a lifestyle of healthy eating and being active improves blood glucose control and overall well-being. Maintaining a healthy weight can reverse the risk for heart disease and diabetes. For weight management, moderate alcohol consumption can fit into a healthy meal plan. Alcohol does not provide any essential nutrients needed by the body. Over-indulgence in alcohol adds excessive caloric intake and can lead to weight gain. The caloric intake from alcohol can be substituted for a snack or extra portion of carbohydrate at a meal. An excess of 500 calories each day causes an average of one to two pounds of weight gain within a week. Often calories consumed in liquid form are unnoticed, yet they contribute more than 50 percent of the daily recommended amount of calories for many Americans. According to the standard drink measurement, the average caloric, carbohydrate, and alcohol content of each alcoholic beverage is listed in Table 1.
Table 1
Alcohol (ABV)
12 oz beer
12 oz light beer
5 oz red wine
5 oz white wine
1.5 oz liquor
The average person consumes about 150 to 300 calories per day from alcohol when drinking in moderation. Over time, this additional caloric intake will cause weight gain unless activity is increased and meals are appropriately portioned.
The assertion that drinking a glass of red wine can improve heart health is a common headline in healthcare news. The most health benefit, however, is found in the older adult population when drinking in moderation. Alcoholic beverage consumption can be apart of a balanced meal plan with minor substitution. A lifestyle of eating a variety of foods, staying active, and having one to two drinks per day is known to reduce health risks. If you already drink alcohol, choose a drink low in calories and carbohydrates, while avoiding sugar sweetened mixers. People with diabetes can maintain good glucose control and reduce the risk of injury by being cautious and prepared for hypoglycemia when consuming alcohol.
Table 2
Tips About Drinking and Diabetes
● Avoid sweet wines and sugar sweetened mixers
● Always eat food when drinking alcohol
● Always test your blood sugar after drinking
● Never have more than one drink if you plan to drive
● Always wear a medical identification bracelet
● Always carry treatment for hypoglycemia
● Avoid alcohol if you:
○ • Have a history of severe hypoglycemia
○ • Have hypoglycemic unawareness
○ • Have diabetic neuropathy
Author Information:
Savanna M. Cummings RD, LDN, CDEClinical Dietitian
Department of Endocrinology
The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. Chapter 9: Alcohol. USDA. http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/pdf/DGA2005.pdf
Howard, Andrea A. et al. Effect of Alcohol Consumption on Diabetes Mellitus A Systematic Review. 2004. American College of Physicians. 211-224.


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Muscle Mustangs & Fast FordsEvents
Photo Gallery: Woodward Dream Cruise 2013
The Woodward Dream Cruise takes place every year on the third Saturday of August and draws an incredible crowd. The Dream Cruise is named the world's largest one-day classic automotive event, which attracts about $1.5 million people and 40,000 classic cars. The majority of cars on display range from the 1950s to the early 1970s before the OPEC oil embargo – which led to more fuel efficient vehicles with less power.
You don't need a classic car to attend, the event welcomes any make and model vehicle that has been meticulously maintained or customized to make a unique statement. With the Mustang reaching 50 continuous years in just a few months, you can bet that there was an incredible amount of ponies present at the Woodward Dream Cruise representing its hometown of Detroit.
The WDC event takes up Woodward Avenue in Oakland County, Michigan from Pontiac through Ferndale all the way to the State Fair Grounds. During the post-war era, people would "cruise" down Woodward Avenue searching for friends or peers that were also out and about or find reasons to street race or "light 'em up" when the light turns green.
Nelson House, a plumber from Ferndale, started the cruise in 1994 to help raise money for children's soccer in the community. About 30,000 to 40,000 were expected, but minds were blown when 250,000 people actually showed up. The Woodward Dream Cruise is noted as the largest single day classic car event in the world and brings in over $56 million annually to give back to the Metro Detroit economy. A few car owners make the trip earlier in the week in preparation for the one day event.
If you weren't able to attend this year, please enjoy the photos!
Photos courtesy of Nathan Bone.


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morganatmorton needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 63 designs submitted by 28 freelance designers.
We need a new logo for our boutique PR firm. We specialize in "targeted" media outreach, which means that we deal with a lot of internet based media, like blogs and social networking sites. The logo needs to be simple and elegant, and preferably it would somehow reflect our commitment to both traditional and new types of media.
Morton PR
We need a logo for our growing PR business. We were recently founded, and our expertise comes from knowing how to reach out to "traditional" media like newspapers and magazines, as well as "new" media, like online blogs, social networking sites, etc. The logo should be simple, elegant above all else. If possible, it should also reflect this mix of the "old and the new" types of media. It should also have the tagline: Targeted Communications
- A palette of purple, black and white (tones and shades are okay), simple but elegant design, a tagline of "targeted communications", maybe a target for the O in Morton?
- We don't want a cluttered design
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Star Cluster R136
The image shows the central region of the Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The young and dense star cluster R136 can be seen at the lower right of the image. This cluster contains hundreds of young, blue stars, among them the most massive stars detected in the universe so far. Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope were able to conduct a detailed imaging and spectroscopic study of the central and most dense region of this cluster. Here they found nine stars with masses greater than 100 times the mass of the sun. The cluster is located 170,000 light-years away from Earth.
For more information, contact:
Mathias Jäger
ESA/Hubble, Garching, Germany
Ray Villard
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Maryland
Paul Crowther
University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom


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Charitable Gift Annuities
The Charitable Gift Annuity is often referred to as the "gift that keeps on giving." This popular deferred gift arrangement allows you to make a gift of cash or appreciated assets and receive a fixed amount of income in return. If you are interested in supporting The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art but are concerned about your own income stream, the gift annuity may suit your needs.
How it works:
A contract governs the terms of an agreement between the donor and The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art/FSU Foundation whereby the Foundation agrees to pay the donor and up to one other individual a fixed amount of income for life, in return for the donor's gift of cash or securities. The payout rate is determined by the age of the annuitant(s) at the time the contribution is made.
Special Tax Advantages:
Upon setting up a charitable gift annuity, the donor receives a federal income tax deduction that is equal to the present value of the gift (the value of the gift in today's dollars). If appreciated assets are used, the donor may be able to avoid paying income tax on the amount of capital gain recognized. In addition, the annuitant(s) only pays income tax on some of the income received each year.
Flexible Payout Schedule:
In certain situations, it may make sense for annuity payments to be deferred so that the donor or another annuitant can delay receipt of income until a certain event occurs, such as retirement. This can be accomplished by establishing a deferred payment charitable gift annuity. The payout rate is established at the time the contract is signed and is based on the age of the annuitant(s) on the date they actually begin receiving the income.
A minimum of $25,000 is required to establish a charitable gift annuity with The Florida State University Foundation in support of The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.


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E.vega necesitaba un nuevo diseño de otro y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 19 diseños de 6 diseñadores freelance.
WIRED SERVICES (E-Flyer)
We sell and install Audio Visual equipment into the corporate and education sector.
i.e. Plasma Screens, projectors, automation systems, etc..
We are after a single page E-Flyer promoting Epson's new projector. The intention is distribute these via email to primary and secondary schools.
We are promoting a new Epson interactive projector into schools. This projector sits above an ordinary Whiteboard and allows the teacher to write on the board via an infra-red pen.
It is meant to be an alternative technology for interactive whiteboards currently on the market. Interactive Whiteboards are special boards which are essentially large touch screens that allow you to use your finger or special pen as a mouse and interact with the projected image.
Product Info:
Epson EB-455Wi (Brightlink 455Wi in the U.S.) http://epson.com.au/microsite/450wi…_455wi.asp
1. Smartboard (http://www.smarttech.com)
2. Promethean ActivBoard ( http://www.prometheanworld.com/serv…=nav.21892 )
3. Mimio (http://www.mimio.dymo.com)
The main goal is to make them aware that there is an alternative to the traditional interactive whiteboards.
Would like to highlight advantages over traditional whiteboards (Use Epson promotional Material)
• Save Money – Save $1000's per classroom
• More responsive than traditional touch sensitive interactive boards.
• Save space – Unlike interactive boards u can still use surface as normal whiteboard.
• Doesn't break – Because you are not writing on any special surface there is no risk of damaging writing area.
Would like material to be in keeping with sample style (I've attached image sample)
I've attached a sample ad we've had done previously which I'm not 100% happy with i.e. colour scheme, fonts, format etc..
I've done a quick mock up design which I think is more what I am looking for.
Design needs:
• To display our Logo
• To display phone number
• Be attention grabbing because this is most likely to be put in the junk folder within the first few seconds
• Needs to have information as per original design(attached)
This will mainly be intended for viewing by the I.T. manger of the perspective schools. Typically they are male, 30 to 50 years of age and reasonably tech savvy.
It may also be viewed by the Schools business manager and/or the Principle and vice principle.
Would prefer to receive file as HTML but sliced .PSD will also do.


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Ojai Valley News offers free subscriptions to active duty military
In honor of the sacrifices made by those served in the armed forces of our country, the Ojai Valley News will give free online subscriptions to U.S. active duty service members.
Ojai Valley News Publisher Tim Dewar announced today that any active duty military person is eligible regardless of where they are stationed.
"Having served in the military myself, I know some of the sacrifices these men and woman make," Dewar explained. "Being away from their hometown, often in foreign lands, can sometimes be difficult. That desire to maintain a connection with your hometown and your roots is something that this newspaper can, in some small way, help our military members and their families with."


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The American University in Cairo (AUC) was founded in 1919 and is major contributor to the social, political and cultural life of the Arab Region. It is a vital bridge between East and West, linking Egypt and the region to the world through scholarly research, partnerships with academic and research institutions, and study abroad programs. An independent, nonprofit, apolitical, non-sectarian and equal opportunity institution, AUC is fully accredited in Egypt and the United States.
Contact Information:
AUC Avenue,
P.O. Box 74
New Cairo 11835,


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WTF: Brutal & Evil Dungeon In Philadelphia! (Mentally Disabled Ppl Held Captive While Thieves Stole There Money)
"Four people were found chained up in the basement of an apartment building"
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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Stonger driveline for FX16
5 posts • Page 1 of 1
Stonger driveline for FX16
Any ideas for a reasonable setup to get a stronger transmission and and shafts for a FX16 that is running rallycross. I just dumped a bunch of money and work into rebuilding a 20V ST and got it running in there, but sheared a CV shaft at last event. This is the third shaft I've snapped, and this one was a custom Driveshaft shop one. To be fair, this one sheared at the transmission side which was using the OEM end. The custom parts are the center shaft and wheel end which are stong now, but it's only as strong as its weakest link, which moved to the transmission side. I'm thinking I'll have to move to a E51/58 and have new shafts made, that should make it near bulletproof. But I'm afraid it will mess up gear ratios. Rally cross we only see to 2nd gear, with the N/A 4age's I like to keep revs high. Are there options for adjusting the final drive on these? I'll want to put in an LSD, going without one would be silly. If I didn't run an LSD, I wouldn't need to get the stronger drivetrain in the first place. I understand AW20 MR2 LSDs should work.
- oldeskewltoy
- Club4AG MASTER
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Re: Stonger driveline for FX16
friend who use to rally ran a C60, and installed a mount on the engine so the car ran equal half shafts
OST Cyl head porting, - viewtopic.php?f=22&t=300
Building a great engine takes knowing the end... before you begin
Enjoy Life... its the only one you get!
Building a great engine takes knowing the end... before you begin
Enjoy Life... its the only one you get!
Re: Stonger driveline for FX16
OST is right, the AE101/111 has the right parts for the 2 piece passenger side shaft. It reduces axle wrap-up and was originally to battle the effects of torque steer.
One shot, one kill.
Re: Stonger driveline for FX16
Unfortunately our courses are pretty rough, grass cow pasture. This past event we had a total of four broken driveshafts! My worry is could get full custom shaft made with stronger materials, but then the transmission would not be able to handle it.
The other thing I could do would be to modify my driving and be more mellow, but that wouldn't be any fun!
The other thing I could do would be to modify my driving and be more mellow, but that wouldn't be any fun!
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Re: Stonger driveline for FX16
I happen to have an E58 that came attached to my AE92 4AGZE that I won't be using. Non-LSD I think, or at least you can see straight through the axle inputs. Shoot me an email if it's something you'd be interested in. email@example.com
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Items where Author / Artist / Editor is "Ross-Macdonald, P. B."
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Casimir, Colin M. and Gates, P. B. and Ross-Macdonald, P. B. and Jackson, J. F. and Patient, R. K. and Brockes, J. P. (1988) Structure and expression of a newt cardio-skeletal myosin gene. Implications for the C value paradox. Journal of Molecular Biology, 202 (2). pp. 287-296. ISSN 0022-2836


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Facebook Legal Notice E-Mail is Real
Friday morning I got an e-mail titled "Re: LEGAL NOTICE OF SETTLEMENT OF CLASS ACTION". Normally I'd delete it thinking it was someone in Nigeria offering me millions, but after reading it, I thought I'd check it out a little closer and guess what? It's real and offering Facebook users CASH!
OK, so it's not a LOT of cash. Like a cap of $10, but still, it's very real and it went out to an estimated 125 MILLION Facebook users (of an estimated 165 million users worldwide)
Remember back in 2011 when you got that notice from Facebook that said they were going to randomly put us in 'Sponsored Story" ads based on our 'Likes"? It caused some very embarrassing situations and there was nothing you could do to stop it other than not liking anything or not being a member of Facebook.
"Fraley vs. Facebook" was born. Angel Fraley sued Facebook saying that Facebook was using our likenesses without notifying us OR paying us. She later dropped out of the class action lawsuit, saying that lawyers were digging up embarrassing stuff about her, mainly from her Facebook account.
Fast forward to December 2012 when the suit was settled for $20 million to be divvied up among us! Here's the catch, if too many people file the form and the 'take' gets to $4.99 or less each, the money will instead go to charities (which is fine with me too)
So if you didn't already delete the e-mail as spam (which I'm guessing a LOT of you already did) go ahead and take a minute to file for your take (or the non-profits take) and continue to 'like' freely because the part of the suit that should interest you the most is this: Facebook now has to give all their users "additional information about and control over the use of their names and profile pictures in Sponsored Stories."
I'm going to celebrate by liking hundreds of pages and products this weekend!


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:Corona Regional Medical Center
Corona Regional Medical Center is a 238-bed hospital facility on two campuses, providing comprehensive healthcare services. It is fully accredited by The Joint Commission, employs over 1100 trained healthcare workers, and has a Medical Staff of approximately 350 physicians representing over 40 specialties.
Building a Healthier Community...Big Changes are already here!
Corona Regional Medical Center and UC Irvine Health are proud of our affiliation and Corona Regional's NEW emergency department that is double the size of the former emergency area is now open and includes plans for future patient rooms.
Registered Nurse- Home Health
Essential Job Duties:
Reporting to the Nurse Manager and the RN Case Manager, the Staff Nurse is responsible for providing safe, appropriate nursing care to patients in their place of residence and encouraging patient participation in planning for care.


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Items where Author / Artist / Editor is "Coleman, Mike"
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Annaz, Dagmara and Remington, Anna and Milne, Elizabeth and Coleman, Mike and Campbell, Ruth and Thomas, Michael S. C. and Swettenham, John (2010) Atypical development of motion processing trajectories in autism. Developmental Science, 13 (6). pp. 826-838. ISSN 1363-755X


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Brand Name: Jellycat
Rainbow Pom Pom
Prices vary by size.
These beautiful, high quality stuffed animals have a whimsical charm and style unique only to the Jellycat brand. These characters are just right for children of all ages to hug, smooch, drag and love. Their sweet faces and super soft fabrics have created fans and followers everywhere. Child safe and surface washable.
Available as a 7" (small), 12" (medium), 15" (large) or 21" (huge) sizes.


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Rams Overpower Panthers for Conference Win
Farmingdale State - 75, Old Westbury - 53
Farmingdale, N.Y. - The Farmingdale State women's basketball team defeated SUNY rival Old Westbury tonight, 75-53, in a Skyline game played in Farmingdale, N.Y. Tonight's game, the "This is my Season" Tip Off, was a fundraiser for the Dominic A. Murray 21 Memorial Foundation, Inc. and a special night of ballin' for Heart Awareness to raise awareness of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).
The Rams held a 34-25 lead at halftime, before shooting 48-percent in the second half and rolling to their 15th win of the season, holding a 15-6 overall record and 11-3 in conference play. Junior guard Kayla Koch (Kings Park, N.Y./Kings Park) led with 19 points, seven rebounds and five steals. Junior forward Keona Jones (Brooklyn, N.Y./Grand Street Campus) scored the games only double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, along with four assists. Senior guard Juanita Chappel (Brooklyn, N.Y./Grand Street Campus) scored 11 points and finished with a game-high six assists.
For Old Westbury, Kim Weather had 21 points and five steals, while Ruth Vargas pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
Farmingdale State will travel to face Purchase College in a conference double-header with the men's team on Thursday, February 10th, starting at 6:00 p.m.
For more information on the Dominic A. Murray 21 Memorial Foundation, Inc., click on the link below:


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How a young Saudi's passion for numbers gave rise to actuarial company | Al-Arabiya English
"The expression "the love of adventure pushes entrepreneurs to leave
typical businesses and shift towards taking risks in pioneer works" best
applies to 26-year old Saudi Ahmed Bukhamseen." inform Al-Arabiya English.
|Saudi entrepreneur, Ahmed Bukhamseen, 26, established Quant Data and Analytics – a company specialized in business intelligence platforms.
Photo: Saudi Gazette
The beginning
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Wish that Turret was available outside the set with a figure or something. It's pretty neat from a hardware POV... Cool set Greg.
I did experience a problem with the AHFDS set, particularly the Tank Gunner Commander figure. This probably isn't the best place to ask this, but long story short, the figure's right leg was unattached at the knee joint (i.e. the point where the peg goes into the thigh; the lower leg literally fell out of the peg/hole section upon opening it). There's no damage to the joint or the figure, but as I am severely impaired when it comes to even simple customizations or assembling figures, my technique of "push until it pops into place" has not paid off thus far. Does anyone have any quick and easy suggestions as to how I can push the (extremely difficult to insert) knee peg into the thigh hole?
No offense to Pete - I was once in your realm for the most part, but I'm sooooooo glad I dropped CW from my carded/boxed stuff. Makes life a little easier on the collecting front, not to mention the pick and choose aspect which I happily applied to this line.
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23 hotels found in Donggang
Result 1-23
Jincheng, No.2-2, Guqu,
Jincheng, Minsheng Road 16
Xiamen, No. 55 Jiangshan Dijing, Siming District
Xiamen, No.199 Conference and Exhibition 2nd Rd
Xiamen, No 199 Huizhan 2nd Road
Xiamen, No19 Lingshiguan road
Xiamen, No.300 Huizhan Road
Xiamen, 6699 Huandao South Road, Siming Distric
Xiamen, No.1697, East Huandao Road
Xiamen, No. 88 Qiancunpu Road, Siming District
Xiamen, No. 199 Wenxing East Road,
Xiamen, No. 400 Wenxing East Road, Qianpu,
Xiamen, No 1697 The East Ring Road Siming District
Xiamen, 375 Qianpu, Siming District, Xiamen. 0
Xiamen, No.7 Lotus Road South, Siming District
Xiamen, No.163 Exhibition South 7th Road
Xiamen, No. 577 Huangcuo Road, Siming District
Xiamen, Opposite of International Convention
Xiamen, Inside Yunyue Villa, Huangcuo North
Xiamen, Haibin Station, Luhuangcuo, Huandao,
Xiamen, No. 54 Huangcuo Village, Siming District
Xiamen, 1267-8 Qianpu South Road, Siming District, Xiamen.
Xiamen, No.90 Huangcuoshe, Huandao Road Siming District


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Chef Ansel: Cronut Craze Didn't Change My Life
Dominique Ansel joins The News Hub to talk about the frenzy surrounding his wildly popular culinary masterpiece, the cronut. Photo: Getty Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the ... it's the most sold ... a stake in the country perhaps even the twelveth so elusive ... those are willing to wait as long as they would force just that the that that is just to get the facts ... on its way to the online only at ... some mysterious ... pastry chefs across the globe on rethinks crime that though ... speaking of course but ... joining me now is chef Dominique and soul to Rob I'll be run at his bakery in New York City just one month ago ... still makes these products just in case anyone was wondering map ... the piece of course quite quite a study just unveiled in a month ago ... aam I supply lines mind ... I was I was this president doesn't really become that unless as being a man ... and a less Victorian expected something new from the menu ... and ... just in addition to many something simple mandate to Cost Bahrain ... and overnight ... Tom tells the story of how you are you invested in front of which is a cross between and done on a quiet song that's right so it's actually not exactly for some though but ... it's him in all ... its recipient of one of them out of steam on the left and the Fed recipe is ... typically a very tough time in an order for dipping into the reception ... we I wanted something guys fall apart in ten years during the thing ... I can to put that this has to be ... and I'm I'm ... we loved and on this is taken off ... in in a way that it is just quite staggering I mean this ... thirty people of actual who will line up for hours ... was the summing cautious site YouTube YouTube went out to make this a big thing did did you get on that and then to use you will about not only was arm ... to me is important to do a pre recorded departed and had ... agreed to bless many as we can disown the phrase down ... that route to the point Even high ... and that the Smithsonian some people ... have on coming and talk about it and ... trying to start on Kara did today ... now ... one other things we've seen also as people doing copycats aam and I you use last of my mouth I knew what redefined as you know I think if you take something as in spirit ... it's that ... all the Knesset on the ninth of June few printed copy and ... use it for some of the fun started ... okay ... now this was something you you you would invent a ton of the last Friday things can happen by accident in our YouTube you know ... that that things when you know maybe the chef is in a rage Startup potatoe chips or invented the stuff was enraged and and and and that something magical would ... be needed to buy a BP cost them up and in fact the cost mind of what it is not something that could have an ABV of the hubby's with something ... was fishy is intended to compete in Dhaka says it's time to think so yes to measure of waves carry with them so yes to be very precise time in order to develop resistance ... and aha direct it still yet to open in fall of a long time ... to you you will be diesel cronuts mob is my understanding of the car at this exhibit is written for this month ... given the climate for that one of the soul sings them ... this one is called the candidate of auto despite this round ... about are ... mainly found in Rome AG since I inside of a lifetime and tender ... yes I chose ... sometimes they can call for Moncton and the SEC three US intention is called a DJ it stands for the mini screen among ... its the sneaky sound as ... Dominique steps you will be to get green am I ... that means very taken Celtic we spoke with people but some look ... online but they never checkbook why am I sell it to peak hype is about twelve twenty we are both clergy and creamy and sweet tea so those are a wonderful thing when the pastry ... I've heard from and then my girlfriend ... topped the list is the and ... analysts see with all the fuss is about ... action not Guinea get that right um me in line for my parents thirtieth anniversary whimpering an expert in it ... the weighted suggesting the day tickets if we get for the week the first came out in a tense during the winter and it right ... I ... people waiting online Feel pastries I'll be and I would have a taste of ... right ... now but I've never had one of these ... days many things do you do you recommend olive salad suggested trying them on vacation traveling on the onthe because I we scanned the line to fund a pickup this one right up to this epic run-up and bonds a walk ... we didn't even though the outside sound is going on and wrong in its sights on an uncompromising views either yes or no squeaky Laos and you can see the inside cream and Amazon to read ... while ... I is the phone went off ... the time I am I am absolutely ... but it's something I've just taken a fights ... like that like an eight from one of these Eminem on how many calories on hold one of these things that that does worry me if I'm not sure exactly when ... weekend receipts that ... secrete ... to return ... but it's a small benefit small them a slice of cucumber is that it's it's a very idyllic this ... detailing ... its deadline to its riffraff Ian and bathe them right so ... I will of the entry to to to think it is common to order a preface of some people attuned to Time and The and that the diversity with me ... okay um well ... above but may happen nonetheless it will get Lexi with that now what what is one of these costuming is the lack of FarmVille speech by policy for ... so ahead like about fifty cents with the right ... so when when this became a craze in you have people queuing around the law can and in line at waiting Alison hours to do to ... change a life it is impossible to get to go out now ... known people and if we organize mean on Sinai and people use the service we Concannon him to be an attorney with the opening bell for lamb ... a senior from morning to come ... ok and you don't have the way of a false was bashed this guy is elected some admit it all happen ... or will we wish you all of success with its like you Grandma


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|TidBITS#110 19920309
by Mark H. Anbinder, TidBITS Contributing Editor
Patience is a virtue, right? Well, Pacer Software Inc. has just rewarded its loyal PacerTerm customers for being so virtuous, by sending out a two-diskette update for this high-end Communications Toolbox (CTB)-compatible communications package. The update includes Pacer's long-awaited ZMODEM file transfer tool, which was promised to purchasers last summer.
In addition to the ZMODEM tool, the update package includes PacerTerm 1.0.2, the MacTCP 1.1 update, the Hayes Modem Tool for use with the CTB, and an assortment of updated Pacer CTB tools. The Hayes Modem Tool is a nice addition; this tool is intended to replace the Apple Modem Tool, which is widely held to be the weakest link in the CTB chain.
Of course, the weakness of the Apple Modem Tool simply reflects the fact that Apple's intention was for third-party developers to provide the REAL functionality for the Communications Toolbox, and Pacer and Hayes have clearly answered the call. The Hayes tool offers numerous improvements over the Apple tool that it replaces (among other things, it's vastly more configurable), and Pacer's ZMODEM tool is, as far as I know, the first one available for the CTB.
With the number of users clamoring for a ZMODEM file transfer tool for use with Communications Toolbox applications, we suggest that Pacer offer their ZMODEM tool for sale as a stand-alone product. [Adam: I suggested to this to Pacer at Macworld, and they said that although they would like to do just that, they just can't afford the costs of bringing out a commercial package that they couldn't sell for much money.] A reminder, though... Pacer's ZMODEM tool is not freeware, and should not be distributed or copied. At first glance it looks like one of Apple's free tools, but it's not one of them. PacerTerm is $249 retail, which is bit steep just to get a ZMODEM tool, but it's an excellent package overall.
[Adam: Also note that Seaquest Software will supposedly ship in April an extension to the Communications Toolbox to support ZMODEM transfers. It will be bundled with Seaquest's XMODEM and YMODEM tools for $69.]
Pacer Software -- 619/454-0565
Seaquest Software -- 503/531-0252


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Malloy: Christie no hero on pensions
The popularity of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie grates on Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. That seemed apparent when, without any prompting, the Connecticut governor brought up the rising Republican star during his meeting with our editorial board March 11.
The subject was the challenge Connecticut and many states face in addressing grossly underfunded pension plans for state employees. Gov. Malloy referenced some of the tough political choices he has made to improve the pension outlook in Connecticut. Then, without using the name, he referenced Christie. He proceeded to tie him to a former Connecticut governor, Republican John G. Rowland, who coincidentally was driven from office in scandal and spent a year in the federal pen, before landing a radio show.
"My good friend, the governor of New Jersey, who went to the legislature, got changes enacted by legislation, but under that legislation did what John Rowland did in our state by agreement with the unions. (Christie) got an agreement to not fully fund the pension obligation for eight years (actually seven)," said Malloy, who appears to have been paying attention to New Jersey's pension policies. "When they start to fully fund their pension obligation the unfunded portion � will be larger than on the day he signed the legislation."
There are many other states and governors doing a lousy job funding state pensions, so why point to Christie? I suspect Malloy considers Christie to be overrated, his much heralded ability to hold the line on taxes a bit of a flimflam, built on cutting municipal aid and kicking pension obligations down the road.
It has to annoy Malloy, a Democrat, that it is working very well for Christie, his latest Quinnipiac University poll number an unheard of sky-high 74 percent in New Jersey, a traditionally Democratic state. This month Malloy achieved his highest approval rating since taking office in January 2011, a modest 48 percent.
But on the pension matter, Malloy has a point.
When Christie pushed through pension changes that required public workers for the first time to contribute toward their retirement, and raised the retirement age from 62 to 65, the national media saluted the ability of a tough Republican governor to rein in out-of-control government unions.
Left out of that narrative was Christie's decision not to put any state money towards pensions in his first year in office, which makes it much easier to balance the budget, but causes long-term fiscal problems. And the 2011 law that required workers to kick in, and retire later, also allowed the state to wait another seven years to contribute the amount necessary to properly fund the pension plan, building to that total in increments.
For example, this fiscal year New Jersey will contribute about $1 billion to its pensions, when the actuaries call for $3.74 billion. Christie concedes that approach moves finances in the wrong direction. "The unfunded liabilities will continue to increase somewhat," Christie told the New Jersey press. But, he noted, his state is at least going in the wrong direction slower. "We're falling behind by a heck of a lot less than we were in the years before I got here," he said. A self-administered slap on the back for that achievement seems hardly Christie like.
Under the deal Malloy's administration reached with Connecticut labor unions, his state employees will also begin contributing to their retirements starting July 1. And penalties for early retirement will encourage state employees, many who in the past have left in their late 50s, to work longer. By 2022 the mandatory retirement age will be 63 or 65, depending on date of hire. The Malloy administration estimates savings from the concessions at $21 billion over 20 years.
But unlike New Jersey, Connecticut's governor, in order to start catching up, is pursuing a policy to contribute amounts larger than the spending necessary to tread water - $468 million extra next fiscal year, $180 million the following year, according to the governor's budget proposal. The administration estimates saving another $5.8 billion in financing by paying more up front. The plan also addresses perhaps the most serious threat to adequately funding the pension plan. In 2029 and 2030 the state faced balloon payments totalling $7.8 billion. Given the state spends $20 billion on the entire budget, making those payments would have been impossible. How did that happen? To save money short term, Rowland inflated those balloons in a deal he made with the labor unions, thus Malloy's comparison with Christie's approach.
Unfortunately for Malloy he inheritid a pension plan in far worse shape than did his New Jersey counterpart. Connecticut's pension plan has a funded ratio of 42.3 percent, when 80 percent is recommended, a goal Malloy wants to reach in 2025. New Jersey, with $77 billion in assets, has a funded ratio of 64.6 percent.
I emailed Christie's press office for comment on Malloy's criticisms. I received no response. I suspect Christie is not terribly preoccupied with how Malloy is doing or what he is saying.
Paul Choiniere is editorial page editor.
School merger hostility far more than 'feisty independence'
What the governor perceives as "feisty independence" is just how what remains of the middle class in Connecticut is saying: It's enough that you've turned the cities into poverty factories, so spare us from the mess you've made.
Serious reporters should be proud of reporting on Russia probe, not bullied for it
What would be a good idea is for the media to be less obsessed with this subject to the exclusion of others important to Americans: health care, the economy, affordable housing and crime.


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While the housing industry has been hit hard by a credit crunch, automakers are not seeing a similar dramatic slowdown in car loans.
That's one of the encouraging signs that Richard Wagoner, chairman and CEO of General Motors, is seeing as he steers the giant company through choppy seas.
"We observe credit standards are tightening by providers of credit, but the ability to offer credit has remained and we hope that continues because that is critical and will be a part of how quickly auto industry sales come back," he said at a Monitor breakfast Tuesday.
Mr. Wagoner represents a change of pace for the Monitor breakfasts, normally a venue for politicians. But he arguably wields greater power than many members of Congress. GM is the nation's third largest corporation when ranked by sales, according to Fortune Magazine. The company operates in 33 states and multiple international locations.
Wagoner is tall and trim, looking very much like the former Duke University basketball player he is. "We're a big player in society," he said, while picking at a fruit plate.
He declined to say whether the company would be profitable in 2008 – it lost $38.7 billion last year – Wagoner said the stimulus package Congress passed earlier this year would have a helpful effect on the economy "relatively soon ... probably more in June than May."
New models with greater consumer appeal, like the Chevrolet Malibu and Cadillac CTS, are adding "good momentum" to sales, Wagoner said. But he added, "frankly we look for a time period when we are not selling against a pretty tough economy."
Wagoner defended the North American Free Trade Agreement, which has come under attack in the presidential campaign. Democratic hopefuls Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama say it has harmed American workers. "The data is absolutely irrefutable that relatively more open trade is good for consumers and societies and long-term economic growth," he said. A move away "from what I think has been a fairly progressive position on trade ... would be long term not good for the US economy and would send a tough message to the rest of the world, too," the auto executive said.
The call for fair trade to accompany free trade is one Wagoner echoed. "Where we have gotten killed in this trade area is specifically with regard to Japan," he said. "The fair trade there has been an ongoing practice of controlling the value of the yen and keeping it artificially weak. And the cost to the US domestic auto industry is incalculable."
The US has the ability to make major progress in reducing its dependence on imported oil, Wagoner said. "If we wanted to very seriously go after the amount of oil the US consumes, the amount we import, we could address this surprisingly rapidly at a relatively low cost." While saying he was reluctant to call for an industrial policy, Wagoner noted that in trying to reduce its dependence on foreign oil the US needed, "some degree of coordination rather than just 'Hey, everybody go at it.' "
Wagoner disassociated himself from widely publicized comments by GM's vice chairman calling global warming "a crock." "The data is pretty clear that the temperature on the earth is rising," Wagoner said. He noted that the auto industry has had a protocol to reduce CO2 emissions for years "and other industries haven't. So we do understand the economics of how this works. And that suggests to me we can really contribute to this debate."
In the future, most of the growth in auto sales will come overseas, Wagoner said. "Our industry is a global one and every piece of data we look at suggests most of the growth will be outside the US.... Our guess is that in 2012, 85 million units [will be] sold globally ... probably about 80 percent of that in the emerging, developing markets."


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@Shawna: thank you!
@Marisa: i think we're going to Petra but other than than, i don't know where we'll be staying. who knows, i could just end up somewhere near enough to meet up with you! i'll get in touch if i see a possibility. i think that would be awesome!
Bucket Lists
@Shawna: thank you!
1. travel the world ... everywhere and anywhere ... and then do it all over again.
2. learn as many languages as I possibly can.
3. go sky diving ... i've always wanted to.
4. read all the classic books that everyone always talks about (I've actually started this one ... made my way through Austen, Verne, Stephenson, and others ... finding Dickens a little tough though)
Sing backup with an artiste or band on tour anywhere, be it the US, Europe, Australia, as long as we'll get to travel to most if not all tour stops by bus! i want to live life on the road, experience the subtle differences between each city even within the same country, and take lots and lots of photos to document my travels, then SCRAP!
Yeah, that's the ONE thing i really wanna do for myself before i die. Possibility near zero, but feels good just to get it out!
@Melissa: I would love to travel the world... if money were no issue, I so would do this ALL the time! and My grandfather could speak 13 languages... I guess that gene fell a little further from the tree than I hoped it would have.
@Diana: who knows maybe just maybe someday your dream might come true! dream on!
I want to see Broome, Australia- and the Grand Canyon. And I want to make a living with my writing! That would be my dream, NO IDEA if it ever will come true, but I try...
Somewhere I can talk about my bucket list... eeek! How awesome!
Cannot wait til June/July... I am heading to America (again).. But this time I will be meeting a friend who I have been talking to for almost 5 years now ! She happens to live in San Fran and the first item on my bucket list when I started writing it (I was 14 when I wrote number 1) is to see the Golden Gate Bridge.. *FLAIL...* You totally know that will be happening!
Then.. as you go further down my list, most of which is meeting awesome peoples I have befriended via Tumblr, fanfiction and Twitter, you come to my next big thing... Spending a 4th of July in the US.. This has been a biggie for me cause I love ALL things American ! A real sad act I am LOL! But heyho! !
I am sure I will message about my little escapades! And I will defo see about making something awesome too !
@Maja: You and I have similar tastes in the places we would like to see and visit!
@Nonnie: So very very cool that you are getting to fulfill two or three of your bucket lists items in July!!! We will welcome you to America... although I live on the exact opposite of the continent where you will visit. You will be in the North West and I am in the South East almost 2,900 miles away. Our country is a "little" big.
@shawna ! Its a 17 day trip.. gonna be in the San Fran region for 9 days then heading to Chicago... so will I be getting closer then? LOL.. America certainly IS a huuuuuuuuuge place haha!
@Nonni: Yes a lot closer as you would then be in the North MidWest but still 14 hours away from me at 950 miles You will LOVE Chicago though!!! There is so much Awesome stuff to see and do there, especially in the summer... and it won't be near as hot there as it is down here further in the south east region. What a Fun trip it sounds like you have planned.
@Shawna I have actually been to Chicago before, I went in April 2010, was certainly hot enough then LOL.... Also been to Tennessee ! Both wonderful places...
San Fran is where I will meet my 'online twinnie' We have been talking for almost 5 years now, but never had a chance to meet, so I cannot wait ! rock on!
I love reading everyone's bucket lists! I just started a Bucket List board on my Pinterest in the last week and I'm looking forward to pinning plenty to it!
here's just a few of my favorites!
1) Run a Disney half marathon
2) Travel! LOTS of travel! Italy, Greece, Ireland, Scotland, England, France, New Zealand, Germany, Denmark, Amsterdam, Sweden, India, Egypt, the list goes on and on!
3) finish college and get my degree in Veterinary Technology so I can take care of sick animals
4) have beautiful and healthy children that grow up to have a wonderful childhood and life. I don't want them to ever end up the way I did.
5) read and learn as much as I can before it's too late
1. Go to Ireland
2. Meet Bret Michaels
3. Go swimming with the dolophins
1. I want to be paid for something I created (art-wise)
2. Write like a serial killer on a spree, than my once a year bursts.
3. Be exposed to more food so someday theyll ask me to judge Iron Chef
4. Be conversable in sign language
5. Drums or violin or more piano, guitar
(This was not my list last year. How art changes one.)
@Laura Fraser: Swimming with dolphins is on my bucket list too! These are things my husband and I talk about when we buy lottery tickets and we're daydreaming about what we could do.
1. Start an animal rescue/dog rescue (especially chihuahuas)/group home farm. We would buy a big chunk of land (like 100 acres) and have a place like on the show Dog Town. We would also like to have a group home for underprivileged children where they could work with the animals as a means of therapy and teaching (medicine/veterinary sciences).
2. Go on a Mediterranean cruise and take my family (since they've never been able to travel either).
3. Go back to school and finish my masters degree and then get my doctorate.
@Diana Lee: Id like that too. With my favorite band Suede. But I'd have to leave my cats.
@Cat Armstrong: I think I'll copy your 1 too. Ive been rescuing a bit, but not on a grand scale as yours.
I have never really thought about it, so here are a few things off the top of my head:
1. I would love to see the Aurora Borealis (northern lights)
2. Travel with my Husband and kids to see Germany (my husband lived there years ago)
3. Swim with dolphins
This is a great topic. I've been reading all your posts and they are wonderful. What an inspiration you all are.
I think one of the things I've always wanted to be able to do is illustrate children's books with water color drawings.
Will probably not happen as I have very little talent in that area.
Would love to be able to lose the 80 pounds I need to shed and get back out on my bicycle as my first mode of
And I would love to see the Maritime Provinces particularly PEI, as an inveterate fan of LM Montgomery I really
need to see Green Gables! LOL
I don't have very lofty goals, but have been blessed with such a pleasant life and wonderful family that I am very
happy right where I am.
My bucket list is long and I've left many things out.
Money (or the lack of it) is probably the reason that I will never do all the things on that list, but that's okay, putting it together was great and very often I go back and see what's on there.
I've dedicated one of my Pinterest boards to my bucket list, it's too long to mention
1. I wanted to meet Shane Willard - which I got to do in July 2013
2. I want to see and touch snow - Always miss it because it doesn't snow where we live
3. I want to touch and milk a cow - I'm a city girl
4. I want to visit Lesotho - first need a passport though
1.) I would love to trace my roots in our old Family bible to Ireland and get to see where I come from in person.
2.) Some surgical work to my body.
3.) See any an all Museums all over the world. (I really love History of all countries)
My bucket list needs a fork lift lol .... I want to go to Ireland and Whales to see the ancient castles, France and London for the old buildings, see the pyramids, travel on the Orient Express, ride in an air balloon ... not just go up in one, but go on a trip in one .... have one month where somebody does all the cleaning and cooking so I can spend time in my studio whenever I want for as long as I want .... that's just the tip of it
Oh my goodness....there are so many things I would love to do...but here are some of them:
1) Visit Paris France
2) Go to the Carribean
3) Take a Disney Cruise with my kids
I am going to write this list as if I have no limitations whatsoever:
1. See the Galapagos Islands
2. See the Grand Canyon
3. See South Africa, (Go on Safari and go nuts shooting wildlife pictures, with a Nikon D4.)
Wish me luck!
Oh and no, I don't own a Nikon D4, but a girl can dream, right?
Hey Maria: At $4-5K it would HAVE to be on my bucket list too.
For my 40th b'day gift (and most people thought it weird, but it just meant he knew me very well after all these years!!!) ...the hubby got me a new lens for my D70 and a 10 day trip down the Shenandoah Skyline Drive & the Blue Ridge Parkway for tons of photo ops! and quality time together, of course. It was the best gift I could have ever got, instead of some typical party.
I really enjoyed reading all your lists, thank for sharing with us and I hope you all get to realize your dreams
Here is my list, and they are not exactly in order of importance or priority:
- To finish all the Genealogy Research about both branches of my family before my grandmother passes away, she is 82 already Being far away from all my relatives and all the records repositories and other locations I needed to visit in Brazil makes my research goes very slow (I live in Canada). Also, I would include locations in Italy and Portugal because of the ancestry origins of each branch of my family tree, and having 150.00 dollars to buy a Flip-Pal mobile scanner would help too
- To visit Walt Disney World with my family again, but this time bringing my parents as well.
- To visit Japan with my family, specially Tokyo and Kyoto. Some of the required stops: Akihabara Electric Town, Harajuku District, Ghibli Museum and Osamu Tezuka Museum. *nerd*
- And of course, to see my two girls succeed in life and being awesome ethical happy human beings
- PLUS: To travel around Europe again, especially England and Germany: the most magical fairy-tale countries ever!
I love it how you structured a Pinterest board as a Bucket List, great find of that Tumblr website.
@Daniela: what a beautiful & honorable thing to have on your bucket list!!! it speaks volumes to the kind of woman you are.
And of course, to see my two girls succeed in life and being awesome ethical happy human beings smiley
On the note of Antoinette's "bucket list" Pinterest board. I thought I'd share this link I found the other day. It would make it very easy for one to create their own personalized bucket list board. It has a searchable list feature and then it brings up all the images you can pin.
Create away! http://perfectbucketlist.tumblr.com/list
1. open a fabric store
2. travel to Vietnam
3. see my kids get married and have their own children
1.) Go U.K. All my life I have wanted to go there but in my dreams the walls would talk to me I am a history nerd!
2.) Go on a cruise liner just because I have never been on one.
3.) Go back to school an earn a degree! I can be proud of.


text:
Our program theme, The Teacher as Leader in a Learning Community, summarizes the goals of our classes. The principles of democracy and social justice are key ideas that guide this process. The classes offered through this program integrate these ideas with the concepts of planning and preparation, the classroom environment, instruction, and professional responsibility. The following themes direct that integration:
- Teacher Effectiveness
- Professional Growth
- Equity in Schools
- High Expectations
- Technology Integration
- Purposeful Teaching
- Coherent Planning and Instruction
Candidates within the program are expected to integrate these themes in order to be leaders among those with whom and for whom they work.
TMC's Teacher Leader M.Ed. is a five semester, thirty-three (33) credit hour program. The suggested course load is two classes per semester during the school year, with three courses taken over the intermediate summer. Classes will be held at the Thomas More College campus with hybrid classes, off-site meeting arrangements, or online. All classes will be offered in a hybrid format--meeting both face-to-face and online over the course of the semester--at least one-third of the meeting times (5 out of 15 weeks). Several courses will be offered with a higher online content delivery rate (up to 15 weeks) to accommodate student schedules. Additionally, faculty may accommodate candidate needs via off-site meeting arrangements. Transfer credit options and independent studies will be offered on a case-by-case basis.
Courses offered cover topics such as leadership in 21st century schools, 21st century skills, diverse student populations, professional learning communities, action research, data-driven decision making, digital age learning and teaching, content specific needs, and curriculum development.
EDM701 (Capstone)
**EDM 661 and EDM 662 offered every semester as transfer credit/independent study credit courses
EDM 611 (3) Instructional Leadership in Schools for Diverse Populations
In this course, the teacher leader candidates will study the foundations of school/district leadership and how effective leaders address issues related to race, gender, sexual orientation, social class, socio-economic status, disability, and/or language, in order to transform schools and districts in ways that serve the interests of all students.
EDM 631 (3) Curriculum Design and Assessment for All Learners
This course reviews the research and implementation of curriculum and assessment design principles for teacher leader candidates. Through this course, teacher leader candidates will understand how to evaluate curriculum for quality, accuracy, and effectiveness.
EDM 612 (3) Standards and Reform in Educational Leadership
This course explores the historical and current standards of reform in educational leadership. Throughout the course, candidates will examine how reforms in educational leadership stress the ways in which teachers can work collaboratively to build a shared vision and a supportive culture that identifies common school-wide goals while simultaneously monitoring and evaluating the progress of these goals.
EDM 632 (3) Transforming Schools and Classrooms for 21st Century Skills
This course reviews the most current research in the area of 21st Century Skills, teacher leadership development, curriculum development, and student learning. It will provide candidates with current models, techniques, and processes recommended by leaders in school reform to create effective change in schools.
EDM 621 (3) Educational Change and Effectiveness
This course explores how teacher leaders can be catalysts for change by deepening their knowledge about educational policy and affecting change in diverse school settings. This course considers how broader trends affect the structure and purpose of educational systems, how changes within education affect the wider society, how systems of schooling themselves change, and the prospects for planned change within systems of schooling. Finally, this course will discuss the framework for professional learning communities, systematic change, and effectiveness through a review of literature.
EDM 622 (3) Research in Educational Issues: Contemporary Perspectives
In this course, students will explore how educational research is performed, interpreted, and applied to revise/improve instruction. In professional learning communities, students will collect and analyze educational data to improve student achievement or address key issues within a school.
EDM 633 (3) Conducting Action Research in Classrooms
The primary focus of this course is to implement and complete action research from a practitioner's point of view. In this course, through action research, teacher leader candidates will design, adapt, and deliver action research projects to address diverse student learning strengths and needs and create opportunities for candidates to demonstrate their learning in various ways.
EDM 634 (3) Content Literacy and New Media in Education
In the 21st Century students need to develop new literacy skills to be college and career ready for our evolving global economy. In this course, teacher leader candidates will critically examine and analyze the way media and information literacies influence student understanding of content. This course will allow the teacher leader candidates to have a critical media literacy education that provides a framework for the multiple forms of new literacy needs for living, working and citizenship in the 21st century.
EDM 651 (3) Integrating 21st Century Skills in the Classroom I:Content and Skills Development
This course provides teacher leader candidates the practical skills needed to learn about current educational technologies that aid in developing 21st Century Skills. Teacher leader candidates in this course will learn about ways to use and integrate technology in classrooms for delivery of instruction, assessment, and feedback.
EDM 652 (3) Integrating 21st Century Skills in the Classroom 2: Integration Processes and Techniques
This is a second course in a sequence to address 21st Century Skills integration in classrooms. The primary focus of this course is for teacher leader candidates to learn to integrate and implement age/grade appropriate educational technologies in classrooms.
EDM 661 (3) Independent Study/Transfer Credit/Content Related
This course assists the teacher leader candidate with the opportunity to develop and master skills to address needs for their professional growth in any of the following areas: content, foundations, procedures, application, or analysis. This course should have a direct impact on student learning or school improvement. The candidate consults with the faculty advisor in order to develop a plan of action that supports both the professional growth plan and/or the capstone project.
EDM 662 (3) Independent Study/ Transfer Credit/Content Related
This course assists the teacher leader candidate with the opportunity to develop and master skills to address needs for their professional growth in any of the following areas: content, foundations, procedures, application, or analysis. This course should have a direct impact on student learning or school improvement. The candidate consults with the faculty advisor in order to develop a plan of action that supports both the professional growth plan and/or the capstone project.
EDM 701 (3) Capstone Project in Assessment, Reform, and 21st Century Skills: Independent Study
The capstone project is a reflection of teacher leadership candidate skills he or she has developed through the course of the Teacher Leader Masters in Education program. It provides the opportunity for teacher leader candidates to apply the knowledge they have gained and conduct an original project over a period of time that showcases the concepts and skills that you have acquired as a Teacher Leader.


text:
Just when we thought it was safe to say that Maci Bookout and ex-fiance/baby daddy Ryan Edwards miiight be getting friendlier than usual in the wake of his breakup with longtime girlfriend Dalis Connell, Bentley's mom and dad began flirting up a serious storm on Twitter. And when I say serious, I mean SERIOUS -- as in, Ryan may have just made a marriage proposal. OMG!
Out of the blue, Ryan tweeted, "marry me!" to Maci, to which she responded with a confused, "ur s— got hacked BRO! outta ur mind haha." Ryan wrote, "I would never let happen," and when Maci responded with, "idk wat that means," he replied, "It means that I want to get on one knee and tell you how much I love you." Uh, wow?!
Thank goodness Maci responded the way I would hope any woman would to a Twitter proposal: By saying, "twitter is not the place. ima kill u." Ha. But whoa whoa whoa. Granted, they could totaaally be putting on a show and pulling our chains. Or Ryan is realizing that being with his reality star ex would magnify his own star power (a la Jef Holm?). Eww. But ruling those possibilities out, this is crazy huge evidence that they're on track to, at the very least, getting back together ... if not making their way down the aisle at some point sooner or later!
More from The Stir: 'Teen Mom' Jenelle Evans' Quickie Marriage Could Cost Her Everything
Plenty of Maci fans would be thrilled to see her say "I do" to Ryan, if only because it could be stellar news for Baby Bentley. And it's possible that the differences that drove them apart four years ago -- when they were first struggling with teen parenthood -- have very much dissipated by now. After all, they've both grown up quite a bit and learned a lot about themselves while being in different relationships. So maaaybe another go could actually work. Maybe they're destined to be one big happy family! So sweet.
But in order for that to happen, Ryan's definitely gotta do at least one more thing ... take his grand declarations of true love offline!
Are you psyched for these two?
Image via MTV


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24 Brianna Segerson
|Fairlawn, Ohio
|High School:
|Walsh Jesuit
2008-09: Appeared in 25 games...Averaged 2.9 points and 1.9 rebounds per game...Scored nine points in her collegiate debut, the Nov. 15 season-opening win at Holy Cross...Hauled in a season-high six rebounds in the Nov. 29 win over New Hampshire...Hit her first career three-point field goal on Dec. 28 at UC Irvine...Dished out a season-high four assists in three games. At Walsh Jesuit: Named Walsh Jesuit Athlete of the Year as a senior while also earning third team all-state honors...Holds schools records in career assists and steals and ranks fourth all time in scoring...Member of 2005 state championship team...Also earned all-state honors as a varsity soccer goalkeeper...Owner of the single-season and career records for shutouts in goal...Soccer team won a national championship in 2007 as well as two state championships during her career. Personal: Timothy Dwight College...Daughter of David and Mary Segerson...Father played quarterback at John Carroll University...Born Nov. 28, 1989.
Total 3-Point Rebounds Year GP-GS Min/Avg FG-FGA Pct FG-FGA Pct FT-FTA Pct Off-Def Tot Avg PF-FO Ast TO Blk Stl Pts/Avg 2008-09 25-0 342/13.7 26-87 .299 2-8 .250 18-29 .621 19-29 48 1.9 32-0 36 36 2 18 72/2.9


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text:
About Drew
There doesn't appear to be any such law proposed. For the time being, it sounds like this is just a politician supporting a good idea.
Why the hell are you railing against someone making a REALLY good point? Sure his implementation was poor, but what's the point in ripping him for "grandstanding" and then claiming that politicians should be "telling websites what protocol to use?"
I mean, he's right. Stop trying to gin up controversy.
Its entirely possible that no one would ever have known who the heck Douglas Ruskoff is, if he hadn't been graciously granted a place to blog on Huffpo. And the fact that we care what he says now obviously means he's reaped some form of "fame" (bad word, can't think of a better one right now) from that exposure.
This is an easy one...
Well, the thrust of this is that the Daily Kos probably devoted resources to certain races based upon the information they were getting from their pollster. And if they did that on the basis of fraudulent information from their pollster, Kos can definitely claim damages. And on top of that, they were paying a polling firm to poll, which it looks like they weren't actually doing...
They're independent in the sense that one result isn't directly influenced by the other. If I go out on the street and poll a hundred women, and then go out a day later and poll a hundred men, you wouldn't call my results dependent upon each other. They might be (in the general sense) somewhat similar or different based on your "mens and womens brains" theory, but that would have NOTHING to do with the trailing digit of each of my individual polls being odd or even...
This is another example of Techdirt articles ripping on a company for doing EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT THEM TO DO! McDonalds decides NOT to lawyer up and sue, but instead laughs along with us, and you complain!
I just don't understand it. You wonder why Techdirt gets painted as this radical anti-copyright, anti-business organization, it's because sometimes (according to Techdirt articles) business can do no right.
Let's think about this before next time.
In a word? Yes.
I hear what you're saying when you point out that what's harm to him is simply disruption to you, but to some degree, you have to take into account his audience.
He's making this speech to the dinosaur generation. A group of Italian lawmakers... It's not like he's got a snowball's chance in hell of converting them into open culture fanatics. He's trying to make some incremental progress by saying, "Look, I understand your perspective. And given the choice between giving a radical speech and having you ignore it completely, or toning my message down a bit so that you might, just might take it to heart, I'll do the latter."
He has a very effective message here that I think would play well to an open minded person, even if you're a stuffy old legislator. "Don't regulate punitively. You're just waging war on your children. Find a way to keep the good while making the bad not quite so bad. If you focus only on ELIMINATING the bad, you will also eliminate the good."
So yea, I cut him a little slack on moderating his message a bit. Consider the audience.
He traded one scarce resource (his reputation) for another (money). We do it all the time, trading our time for money. He seems to be just fine with that tradeoff, and avoids the press because he doesn't feel like talking about his (perhaps illegitimate) former business.
I gotta give this article a big "meh." A damaged reputation is only a burden if you give a crap. He's rich and he has a silver medal because he's an awesome skier. I doubt he gives a damn that the Internets are angry with him.
OK, so I agree for the most part with your points on Lanier...
But you make a rather baseless throwaway claim that "QWERTY is no worse than Dvorak" as well. I don't think this claim holds up to scrutiny. I'll spare everyone the laundry list of reasons, but suffice it to say that if we'd have started with keyboards instead of typewriters, Dvorak would be much more efficient typists...
Hey man, we complain about newspapers that "don't get it" all the time, let's give credit where credit is due here, so long as they follow through on their intentions...
Otherwise we're the guys who damn them if they do (HEY ABOUT TIME STUPID!) or damn them if they don't (GET WITH THE PROGRAM STUPID!).
Maybe I'm dense, inartistic, or didn't RTFA, but it doesn't look like the secondary artist added much content to the original, beyond making it bigger. If that's the case, the WSJ may be justified.
If I'm wrong, I'm wrong, but I'm not, I don't think the Shep Fairey precedent is germane. What kind of value is being added here?
What if they had sent this information to his US Postal Service mailbox? Could they have sued to confiscate (and destroy) it?
Players do this ALL THE TIME in post-game interviews. In this case, it's a coach trying to make a proactive statement on his players use of Twitter. I'd argue this had very little to do with the content of the tweet itself.
You don't have to amend the Constitution to bring about this change. No one here is saying that Copyright has no place in our society.
However, the laws that govern copyright are easily changable and in fact, OUGHT to be changed.
You're right, as the law is written now, songs are the intellectual property of the copyright holder. As such, they have the right to determine what happens to their intellectual property. But just because that's the way the law is written now doesn't mean that's the way it OUGHT to read.
Reforming a business model can come about two ways. By choice or by law. If the laws are changed to reign in copyright, the business models would have to change to survive. And in changing, Mike contends, they would prosper.
The Recording Industry, however, can also CHOOSE to embrace a "digital-age" business model instead of clinging onto a model that is doomed to failure. Suing your customers is never a sound business model. Soon (some would argue VERY soon), people will turn away from that model and embrace something different. Something they WANT.
And that is the choice that the Recording Industry faces. Reform by choice, go down with the old law, or be reformed by new law. Only one of these routes involves choice and survival, and we can only sit back and wonder, "When will they get it?"