text:
Story highlights
- Greece is voting in its second election in six weeks
- The first poll was inconclusive, and talks later failed to deliver a government
- In both upscale and edgy cafe hubs of Greece's capital, Athens, business is down
- Greeks want to stay in the euro, but say austerity measures have made life tough
Kiki Sarakinou doesn't think the Greeks owe their European peers anything. "Whoever lent us money, we don't owe them anything," she says. "They owe us."
Because, she says, Greece gave Europe culture, thinkers like Aristotle, Socrates, "all the philosophers and mathematicians."
Despite that, Sarakinou will vote for New Democracy, the pro-austerity party in this weekend's elections. "Because there is no option," she says. She is afraid of a return to the drachma -- the currency Greece had before it entered the euro -- the specter of which looms large over the vote. "It would be chaos if we went back to the drachma."
Sarakinou is sitting outside Cafe Peros, a resplendent figure enjoying the country's cafe culture in Kolonaki, one of Athens' most affluent areas.
Sarakinou could be seen as one of the lucky ones. Her husband, a lawyer, has passed away but she is able to support herself independently. Yet "every day is disappointing," she says. "[The country] has just collapsed."
She calls the situation "very sad, [and] bad." The country must take an "honest fight" to corruption to bring itself out of the crisis, she says.
Kolonaki is populated by the city's elite. It is a place where businessmen, politicians and actors gather to chew over the country's political and economic crisis with cigars, espressos and cold beer.
Its wealthy clientele has ensured it is slightly shielded from the crisis, and the square remains buzzing with families, businessmen and the elderly, relaxing into the hot Athens evening.
Yet the area is far from immune. Restaurant manager Dimitris Konstantopoulos says business has dropped by half since last year, and numbers of staff have been cut from 60 to 29.
This time last year the square would have been full, Konstantopoulos says, because "it is the best area in the Mediterranean." But nowadays, people are staying at home, he says; they have no money. "This is a problem."
Just down the road, past Athens' central Syntagma Square, the focus of anti-austerity protests over the past two years, is Psiri, an edgy area which was known as the "Soho" of the city before the crisis hit.
Here, restaurant worker Mario Makris simply drops his thumb down when asked how business is.
"Business has dropped by over 60%," he says.
But Makris says he will vote for New Democracy, because a swing to the left -- which has enjoyed as surge of support on the back of Greeks' despair after almost three years of austerity -- would take the country to hell, he says.
Restaurant owner Paul Papageorgiou says the area has changed, but he blames immigrants -- another ferociously debated topic on Greek streets -- for the country's problems, rather than the financial crisis.
His family has spent decades here, and he has seen it slump from its vibrant years in the early 1990s to an area he says now suffers from crime and is home to drug dealers.
On Sunday, Papageorgiou says, he will vote for extreme right wing party Golden Dawn, one of several fringe parties to benefit from voters' dissatisfaction with traditional political groups in the last election.
Greek citizens -- and the rest of the world -- will have to wait and see if those same extremist parties will play a key role in the country's political future, be it inside or outside the euro.


text:
Anyone have Pokemon Pearl or Diamond yet? I reserved mine so I picked it up yesterday.You can talk about it here and exchange friend codes.
And if you don't like pokemon and/or don't have a DS,then DON'T POST!
Pokemon Pearl and Diamond
Started by badgerman , Apr 23 2007 04:50 PM
Started23 Apr 2007
Last Post23 Apr 2007
Posted 23 April 2007 - 04:54 PM ( #2 )
Umm...everything together so I can't vote but I shall give you my friend code Later becuz my sis using the DS
Posted 23 April 2007 - 05:21 PM ( #3 )
Ugh.I messed up my poll again!I'll have my friend code in a minute too.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Qataki is a shell script that you can use to read/post notices from the command line in a simple manner. It supports Identi.ca, Twitter, and StatusNet. You can post, reply, retweet, or send direct messages; read personal, public, and user and group timelines (last statuses); read messages directed to you (i.e. where you are mentioned); read messages in context (conversations available only for Identi.ca/StatusNet); and search for notices.
Xpostulate is a blog/microblogging client that posts to Livejournal, InsaneJournal, IziBlog.net, DeadJournal, Scribbld, Inksome, Wordpress, and DreamWidth. It can tweet to twitter.com and dent to identi.ca so that you can announce new articles. This is all done via one interface, saving your login information for each, and thus simplifying cross-posting to your various social networking sites.


text: A Winchester 14-year-old earlier this month was the grand prize winner of the Just a Minute film festival. Maisie Smith, a freshman at the Cambridge School of Weston, walked away with the $500 top prize for her stop-motion movie dubbed "Parachute." Smith took digital photographs of paper drawings and used video editing software to create a one-minute film that illustrates the lyrics of the song "Parachute," by Ingrid Michaelson. In all, more than 200 entries were submitted to this year's festival, which invites amateur filmmakers to showcase their talents in short film clips, no longer than 1 minute. The Just a Minute festival is an online competition that celebrates short visual productions created using any format, media, or equipment. To view all of the videos entered in the competition, visit justaminute.tv.


text:
FORMER Olympian Russell Johnstone produced flawless rides to clinch the top two places at the Shipwreck Coast Showjumping Championships in Warrnambool.
Johnstone, a Whittlesea rider, steered his mounts Carlo and Borealis Centurion over 14 jumps to win the A-B grade section in a jump-off yesterday.
Carlo earned the Atlanta Olympian the top honours, finishing in quicker time than Borealis Centurion.
The performance handed Johnstone a second consecutive win in the annual competition. Last year's triumph came aboard Borealis Centurion.
Carlo and Borealis Centurion were two of just four which completed Saturday's first round without blemish, earning them a spot in the jump-off.
Former Warrnambool rider Jess Barton took third aboard Lamaz, which hit a rail yesterday.
She also rode Alondra into fourth, although attempting the wrong jump yesterday meant judges disqualified the combination in the jump-off.
Shipwreck Coast Showjumping Championships secretary Tony Woolley said the event went ahead in front of a solid crowd at Warrnambool racecourse.
He praised the help of the Warrnambool Racing Club which allowed the championships to run alongside Koroit Cup day at the Grafton Road course.
"It's been a good day today and it's been good for the jumping people that there's a crowd watching," Woolley said. "It's brought colour, movement and spectacular jumping to the course.
"On a normal race meeting here there are very few. Today there would've been 300 people on the bank there.
"They're watching the races, they're going off to have the occasional bet and they're watching the horses jumping.
"It tips the balance to get people to come on the Sunday."
Woolley said about 50 horses contested the championships, although entry numbers were higher because horses could compete in two grades.
He said Mount Gambier's staging of a showjumping event on the same day hindered entry numbers.
"For people this side of Melbourne, to Hamilton and down to Portland, it is certainly a popular one in terms of atmosphere at the track itself," he said.
"We jump on front lawns in front of a racetrack. It's lovely grass and a flat deck.
"Our numbers seem to be holding pretty well but I understand several years ago where there's 25 or 26 in an event there might've been 40."
Other class winners included Mortlake rider Kristy Haworth aboard Jingella Delta in the 21 and under section.
Hawkesdale's Melissa Julius rode Another Sportsman to victory in the C-D grade section.
And Barton tasted success on Carisma in the D grade section.


text:
President Obama wants to lay out his latest jobs plan before a joint session of Congress next Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.
In a letter sent to House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and just released to the news media, the president writes that:
"Our Nation faces unprecedented economic challenges, and millions of hardworking Americans continue to look for jobs. As I have traveled across our country this summer and spoken with our fellow Americans, I have heard a consistent message: Washington needs to put aside politics and start making decisions based on what is best for our country and not what is best for each of our parties in order to grow the economy and create jobs. We must answer this call.
"Therefore, I respectfully request the opportunity to address a Joint Session of Congress on September 7, 2011, at 8:00 p.m. It is my intention to lay out a series of bipartisan proposals that the Congress can take immediately to continue to rebuild the American economy by strengthening small businesses, helping Americans get back to work, and putting more money in the paychecks of the Middle Class and working Americans, while still reducing our deficit and getting our fiscal house in order. It is our responsibility to find bipartisan solutions to help grow our economy, and if we are willing to put country before party, I am confident we can do just that."


text:
USFWS National Digital Library
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Fisheries and Habitat Conservation
Environmental Contaminants Program
Our mission is
working with others
to conserve, protect,
and enhance fi sh,
wildlife, and plants
and their habitats for
the continuing benefi t
of the American
Pollution is one of the American
public's greatest environmental
concerns. Like the proverbial "canary
in the coal mine," fish and wildlife
often signal pollution problems that
ultimately affect people and their
quality of life. The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service) is the
primary federal agency dedicated to
protecting wildlife and their habitats
from pollution's harmful effects,
helping to create a healthier world for
all living things.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Environmental Contaminants (EC)
Biologists have unique expertise and
experience that sets them apart from
other biologists in the Service. They are
experts on:
Oil and chemical spill response,
Restoring habitats harmed by
Water quality effects on fish and
wildlife, and
Pesticide effects on fish and
The EC Program's operations are
interwoven with all other Service
activities, and the Service's
Contaminants Biologists regularly
work as partners with other agencies
and organizations that have come to
rely on our expertise.
Serious, long-term ecological damage
often accompanies major oil and
hazardous waste spills. To prevent or
reduce the impacts of these events
on fish, wildlife and their habitats,
the Service's EC Program places
a strong emphasis on pre-spill
contingency planning at local, state,
and national levels. During a spill,
EC Biologists advise the Federal On-
Scene Coordinator about possible
impacts of response actions to
threatened and endangered species,
migratory birds, anadromous fish,
some marine mammals, and Service
lands. Environmental Contaminant
Biologists also oversee the collection
and rehabilitation of oiled wildlife and
evaluate the extent of wildlife injury
caused by a spill.
Service Contaminant Biologists play
a major role in restoring habitats
and natural resources degraded by
pollution. The entities responsible
for spilling oil or releasing hazardous
Dolores Savignano/USFWS
This mussel release is part of a program to restore mussels in the Clinch
River. In 1998, nearly all aquatic life for seven miles was killed when over
1,300 gallons of a toxic chemical were spilled.
Oiled crested auklet from M/V
Selendang Ayu spill. The spill occurred
on December 8, 2004 and impacted the
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife
Refuge. Nearly half a million gallons
of fuel were spilled. This was the
biggest spill in Alaska since Exxon
substances are liable for restoring
or funding restoration of natural
resources affected. In partnership
with other affected state, tribal, and
federal natural resource trustees, EC
Biologists plan and implement natural
resource restoration activities.
Aquatic species are declining at an
alarming rate. More than 400 aquatic
species either have, or need, special
protection in at least part of their
natural or historic range. These
species include important recreational
and commercial fish such as salmon,
sturgeon, and trout. The Service's EC
Program helps the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and others
evaluate how water pollutants affect
fish and wildlife and their habitats. This
information is critical for developing
effective water quality standards, which
protect these valuable resources and
the watersheds that support them.
Pesticides can benefit society when
used to manage disease-causing
organisms and other pests. Pesticides
also pose some risk to the environment.
To prevent and minimize unintended
Affairs, and Law Enforcement.
Our Analytical Control Facility is
responsible for sample analysis,
sample quality control, and database
management. This emphasis on quality
assurance results in high quality data
that decision-makers can rely on for
making management decisions. The
EPA, U.S. Coast Guard, Department
of Defense, or other Federal or State
agencies responsible for cleaning
up contaminated areas often call on
EC Biologists to ensure that fish
and wildlife and their habitats are
adequately protected during, and upon
completion of, the cleanup.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
For more information please contact:
Division of Environmental Quality
4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 322
Arlington, VA 22203
703/358 2148
October 2005
impacts of pesticides, EC Biologists
work cooperatively with EPA during
pesticide registration and labeling.
National Wildlife Refuges use
pesticides as part of an integrated
pest management (IPM) approach
to manage invasive plant and animal
species or potential disease carrying
organisms, like mosquitoes. When
Service land managers determine that
pesticide use will be necessary, EC
Biologists help to ensure fish, wildlife,
and people are protected through an
internal pesticide use proposal review
and approval process.
The EC Program designs and conducts
investigations to identify and quantify
contaminant impacts to fish and wildlife
resources on and off Service lands.
The investigations result in specific
management actions, which prevent,
reduce, or eliminate these impacts.
Recent examples include investigating
contaminants in fish feed and fish
raised at National Fish Hatcheries, and
an ongoing cooperative effort between
the United States and Canada to
determine the sources of lead causing
trumpeter swan poisonings and die-offs.
Approximately 17% of National
Wildlife Refuges have major
contaminant issues that must be
addressed. Refuges face a wide variety
of contaminant threats including
impaired air and water quality and
an ongoing threat of spills. EC
Biologists investigate potential sources
of contamination on refuge lands,
prioritize cleanups, and assist Refuge
Managers on cleanup and restoration.
EC Biologists survey lands prior to
acquisition to prevent the Service from
unknowingly acquiring contaminated
parcels that will be costly to clean up.
The EC Program provides
contaminants expertise to all Service
programs including the National
Wildlife Refuge System, Endangered
Species, Migratory Birds, Fisheries,
Marine Mammals, International
A former sludge pit that was
contaminated with cadmium, lead,
and zinc, now cleaned and converted
to a lush vernal pool that provides
valuable breeding habitat for New
Jersey endangered blue-spotted
Mike Horne/USFWS
Phyllis Cooper/USFWS
The Environmental Contaminants
Program works to ensure clean water
and healthy habitats throughout the
United States. Father and son fishing
at Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge.
Roxanna Hinzman/USFWS
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Environmental Contaminants
Biologists conducted shoreline and
aerial assessments after Hurricane
Katrina to locate hazardous materials
that threatened human health and the
environment. This drum was marked
and mapped to facilitate retrieval by
Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections.


text: STAR WARS: DARK TIMES—FIRE CARRIER #1 Jedi Master K'Kruhk is on the run with a group of young Padawans. In a galaxy suddenly hunting Jedi, they are forced to land on an Imperial-run planet, hiding in the refugee camp, among other beings who were displaced by the Clone Wars. But K'Kruhk senses there is something wrong!* Is K'Kruhk the last hope for the Jedi Order?* On the run from Vader!


text:
Serviços Personalizados
- Citado por SciELO
- Acessos
Links relacionados
- Similares em SciELO
Ingeniería mecánica, tecnología y desarrollo
versão impressa ISSN 1665-7381
FLORES M, F et al. Acondicionamiento de Espacios con Enfriamiento Evaporativo mediante Ladrillos Cerámicos. Ingenier. mecáni. tecnolog. desarroll [online]. 2011, vol.4, n.1, pp.001-014. ISSN 1665-7381.
A combined system consisting of a semi-indirect evaporative cooling system made of hollow bricks (Ceramic Evaporative Cooler, CEC), a bank of heat pipes (HP) to permit heat recovery and obtain cooling and humidification of outside air (warm and dry) to be introduced into living space or climatic chamber (CC). This airstream gets into direct contact with the water drops in the porous surface of the bricks, enabling the heat and mass transfer. The system is characterised through the design of experiments technique. It is then analysed how variation within different ranges of the parameters considered affect (supply volume flow rate, outdoor air inlet temperature and humidity content). Finally, a study of the behaviour of the air conditioning system is developed, focusing in the heat recovery achieved, the coefficient of performance obtained, the saturation efficiency and effectiveness registered, among others. Results permit concluding that the HP-CEC system is an efficient alternative for the comfort of indoor spaces, as it reduces the energy consumption required for conditioning the ventilation air supplied, and thus downsizes the conventional systems air-air installed.
Palavras-chave : Air-conditioning; evaporative cooling; heat pipes; heat recovery; hollow bricks.


text:
Princeton Dines Out for Parkinson's Disease
Thursday, April 29, 2010
We invite you to join us when Princeton Dines Out for Parkinson's Disease research.
Dine at any of the participating restaurants below and a portion of that evening's proceeds will be donated to The Parkinson Alliance. Donations by the restaurants will be matched by The Tuchman Foundation and 100% of all donations go directly to research.
As you enjoy a meal with friends you will be raising money for Parkinson's research. Please help to spread the word and invite a friend or two to join you for dinner!
Restaurants participating on April 29th include:
Blue Point Grill
Teresa Caffe
Witherspoon Grill
Yankee Doodle Tap Room
Participating on April 28th: (Eno Terra will be closed for a private function on 4/29 so they will donate a percentage of proceeds from Wednesday, April 28th.
Eno Terra


text:
0 Members and 3 Guests are viewing this topic.
Hey! Guess what! I have my oven back! Long story short: My husband decided the estimate we were given at first was a gross overcharge and called a local appliance repair shop for a second opinion. Second opinion? The gas valve worked fine, and only the ignitor needed replacing. Instead of a 482.00 repair bill, we had a 289.77 repair bill. Not only that, but the original guy told me he'd have to order the part if I decided on repair, and it would take two weeks to come in. The local guy had the part on hand and fixed my oven today. Just now. Took him about 45 minutes. I happily wrote him a check, and there you are!
Page created in 0.153 seconds with 19 queries.


text:
Aaron Poreda still is one of the White Sox' best young pitchers, and the 22-year-old lefty is likely to get a shot to start as early as next season. For now Poreda is pitching long relief, but he has issued 5 walks in 5 innings over his last 3 outings. Manager Ozzie Guillen puts up with plenty of flaws, but walks aren't one of them. That's why he didn't call on Poreda to face the Orioles on Friday in a tight game.
"The perfect guy in that (sixth) inning last night was Poreda, but I didn't feel comfortable putting that kid in that situation with the game on the line," Guillen said. "I wish I had a little more confidence in Poreda, not because he's bad, just because he's a kid."
July 18, 2009
Ozzie Guillen on Aaron Poreda
Leave a Comment »
No comments yet.
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI


text:
Moderator: Tournament Directors
Aaron234 wrote:I want to join.
Xayton wrote:Let's do it, in
musicalmaven wrote:sign me up please.
sonicsteve wrote:You will need to pick 6 (and only six) subjects from the 12 First Year subjects listed in the Year 1 spoiler below. If you simply can't choose then just say "Sorting Hat, please" instead of listing subjects on your registration form and random.org will decide for you. Please fill in a school registration form like this sample one, which you can copy (or plagiarise I believe they call it nowadays) and paste into the thread below:
School Registration Form
Name: sonicsteve
Subjects: English, Economics, Maths, French, Sports, Astronomy.
Declaration: I have read the school rules and agree to abide by them. I accept that if the class I apply for is oversubscribed, I shall study an alternative subject picked for me by the sorting hat.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users


text:
NEPONSET — The Neponset Village Board conducted the following business when it met July 24:
• Minutes were read and accepted. Bills were approved. No treasurer's report this month.
*Trustee Gene Costin reported they are putting up new traffic signs and also the village should get three new culverts for Chestnut, Elm and Commercial streets next week.
• Trustee Ken Snyder reported he and Markus Chapman will meet with Matt Hansen from Willett Hofmann Engineering regarding the generator bids for the water plant, Hansen will also speak about the surge suppressor and one leg phase protector cost as related to the village's loan. Wayne Gerrond recommended approving the new proposal with a $500 increase for discretionary spending to expedite the Installation of the surge suppressor and one leg phase protector for Well No. 4.
• Barb Jannie had a request for a building permit from Matt Holton for a deck around his pool. The mayor said if it's not connected to the house, Holton will not need a permit.
• John Pratt handed out the police report for June and filed the police roster for 2013. He will work with the clerk to get the lawns at vacant properties cleaned up.
• Wayne Gerrond reported the water department is replacing all meters in need of repair and hopes to complete the project this year.
• Mayor Carl Rohrig said there have been reports of stolen gas cans from garages. Residents should keep their garages locked. Rohrig also mentioned reports of four-wheelers speeding around the streets without permits and with drivers who appear to be underage. If the city receives a complaint, the city will give a citation and possibly confiscate the vehicle.
• The village is getting new trash cans for the village and is considering asking the school to have the art students design and paint the new trash cans.
• Regarding the bids for the generator for the water plant, Matt Hansen from Willett Hofmann gave each board member a summary of the three bids and the summary of the Environmental Protection Agency loan amount for the water plant. Hansen said there would be no increase to the water bill rates if this is added to the EPA loan.
Special hearing in Neponset
NEPONSET — No questions were asked from the public at a special hearing held July 24 by the Neponset Village Board on an infrastructure project in the village.
Mayor Carl Rohrig introduced Kendall Cramer, Community Development coordinator for the North Central Illinois Council of Governments (NCICG). The village hired NCICG in 2010 to prepare and submit a grant application to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, resulting in the village receiving $350,000 for its water treatment system improvements.
The village leveraged the CDAP grant by contributing about $614,087 to the project, which brough the total project cost, including engineering and administration, to about $964,087.
The general contractor was D.J Sickley Co., Inc. The engineer for the project was Willett Hoffmann and Associates.
Grant funds were used to construct a hydrous manganese oxide filtration system to remove high levels of radium in the village's water system. The village underwent this project to comply with a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrative order.
No questions were asked from the audience.


text:
Friday was the last day of yoga and meditation classes at Highland Lake Yoga, as the studio has closed to benefit both the families of the building's owner and the yogis.
FLAT ROCK — Friday was the last day of yoga and meditation classes at Highland Lake Yoga, as the studio has closed to benefit both the families of the building's owner and the yogis.
Highland Lake Yoga has operated for 14 years out of a cottage-style building on a plot of garden-covered land originally part of the Highland Lake community in historic Flat Rock. With chicken coops at either end of the building, flower boxes on the windows, tall pine trees and a white peacock that visited regularly, the studio offfered a secluded haven for meditation.
But it was also one room of the cottage housing the landowner's aging mother, who needs continuing care and a space for her resident caretakers to live.
Kerry Lindsey established the Highland Lake community in 1985, and a few years later brought his parents to the cottage, where his mother, Treska Lindsey, raised goats and chickens and planted bountiful gardens.
Jack and Linda Grup now own the 26 acres belonging to the Highland Lake Inn & Resort, while Treska Lindsey continues to reside on land owned by the Lindsey family.
Though Highland Lake Yoga isn't technically part of the resort, it has been open to the inn's visitors, as well as residents of the nearby Highland Lake neighborhoods and rental cottages.
Fred Brown, who has practiced yoga for 45 years and taught for the past 40, began Highland Lake Yoga at the studio in 2000 and introduced gravity-defying techniques to individuals as part of their yoga and stretching routines.
Brown said the inversion swing "turns gravity around," allowing users to position their bodies in poses they wouldn't normally be able to sustain right side up. This helps them move all their bodies' joints in their maximum ranges of motion, which is one of the practices of yoga, he said.
A one-inch slack line stretched taught across the room was used for practicing one's balance — with or without the help of handles hanging from the ceiling.
"It was invented by rock climbers, but yogis have adapted it because it's such a great tool," said Brown.
He said when people are concentrating on walking barefoot across the slack line, they're not thinking about anything else, "cultivating awareness and focus. That's what yoga is all about."
When the studio is converted to create a living space for Treska's caregivers, Brown's yoga equipment will head to the Shelby Yoga Center, where he's been teaching more regularly since moving to Shelby in March.
Originally, Brown had been teaching 11 classes a week at Highland Lake Yoga, but since moving to Shelby to be with his daughter and new granddaughter, he's cut back and taught only five days a week in Flat Rock.
The early morning "Dawn Patrol" classes, taking place from 7-8:30 a.m. six days a week, will be continued locally by Susan Bailey and Steve Westin, who have attended the classes regularly for four years and eight years, respectively. The "Dawn Patrol" classes will begin Sept. 1 in Arlene Riley's Spiritus Studio Yoga in Hendersonville.
Kerry Lindsey, who operates the Highland Lake Cove Retreat and Learning Center, said Brown's class members who still reside in the area are welcome to use the two larger buildings on the retreat's campus for yoga practice.
Though he'll miss his regular classes at Highland Lake, Brown holds no resentment about the move, and is thankful Treska Lindsey has been such an understanding neighbor for so long.
"We've been kind of guests in her house for all this time," he said. "I feel lucky to have been here, in her space, for so long."
Reach McGowan at email@example.com or 828-694-7871.
Follow Molly McGowan on Twitter at https://twitter.com/TNmollymcgowan


text:
Council OKs new water rates; schedule takes effect Jan. 1
After a year of work by a citizen task force, the Homer City Council on Monday passed a resolution changing the water-sewer rates to what's largely a commodity based model — everyone pays the same rate for a gallon of water and a gallon of treated sewage.
The new rates take effect Jan. 1.
A new citizen group, Homer Voice for Business, had opposed the rate changes. The group largely objected to what it said was a mixed model and not strictly a commodity system. The Water-Sewer Task Force, the citizen and council member group that came up with the rate changes, pitched it as a cost-causer, cost-payer model. Commercial and residential customers pay the same per-gallon rate for sewage, $14.70 per 1,000 gallons, but users in areas that have a lift station pay a higher rate, $21.80 per 1,000 gallons. Michael Dye, chief executive officer for Land's End Holdings, had said earlier that if the intent is to have a fair, commodity based system, it should also be commodity only for sewer.
In a public hearing Monday, testimony ran mostly against the rate changes.
Josh Garvey, chief financial officer for Land's End Holdings, said Homer Voice for Business has tapped into a feeling by many businesses that the council and city government are anti-business. Council member Beau Burgess said he had gotten eight phone calls recently about the rates, and seven of the callers said they would see their rates drop.
"They're not concerned about saving some dollars. They're looking at the overall community," Garvey said.
Many people criticized the high cost of Homer's water and sewer system and inefficiencies in it.
"The amount the general fund has charged the enterprise fund for administration is very high and I think unwarranted," said Ken Castner, who served on the task force.
Castner also noted that a third of treated water goes into Kachemak Bay unused.
"It's not a good thing to throw away a third of the water we treat and produce," he said.
Paul Hueper reiterated a common criticism: that Homer water is more expensive than other Kenai Peninsula cities.
"We're losing sight of the big picture here, that we are three times the city of Soldotna," he said. "We've got to find a way to reduce these water costs."
Adrienne Sweeney, owner of the Driftwood Inn and AJ's OldTown Steakhouse, pointed out other inefficiencies: that water lines at the fish cleaning station run constantly, that Coast Guard housing has a water line leaking, that manholes leak and that the flow into the sewage treatment plant increases a third in heavy rains.
Homer Voice for Business had proposed revisions to the water and sewer rates. Council member Bryan Zak, who is running for re-election in October, tried to introduce five amendments, but none passed. Some failed for lack of a second and others on a roll call vote. Making the schedule strictly commodity, with no lift station extra charges, failed. Zak also tried to decrease the conservation rate from 6.5 percent to 3 percent.
That rate is the calculated loss in revenue predicted that would come from the rate changes. The per-gallon water rate is the revenue projected to furnish water divided by the number of projected gallons sold. The conservation rate lowers the projected gallons sold by 6.5 percent, thus charging more per gallon.
Council member Beau Burgess, who served on the task force, said the task force tried to be conservative in its usage projections.
"I would encourage us not to be stingy," he said. "If we overcharge, great — we can reduce that rate in the future."
"I agree with you we have to be a little conservative," Zak said. "That 3 percent is on the burden of the business owners, the biggest users."
Council member Francie Roberts pointed out that the per-gallon water rate is the same and affects everyone the same.
Mayor Beth Wythe agreed. "What Bryan is saying is because they use more, they pay more," she said. "That is exactly the purpose of a commodity based system."
One idea proposed by Homer Voice for Business did get some traction: creating a standing commission or task force to review the city's budget, including the water-sewer budget, on an ongoing basis.
When that idea was proposed at the Committee of the Whole meeting, Wythe said, "I read that and I thought, 'Oh, that's what they elected the council to do.'"
Zak proposed the commission idea as an amendment, but Council member Barbara Howard pointed out that because it's a substantial change to an introduced ordinance it might not be allowable. City attorney Holly Wells advised that creating such a commission be done in a separate ordinance. The amendment died for lack of a second. Zak said he would ask city staff to prepare such an ordinance.
Homer Voice for Business also had proposed using $150,000 of $700,000 in Port and Harbor fees paid by the jack-up rig Endeavour-Spirit of Independence to offset some of the rate changes. Zak proposed that as an amendment, too.
"We thought if they used our sewer system they should pay for it, too," Garvey said.
Wythe said that $700,000 did pay for sewer use through Port and Harbor fees. That money went to an enterprise fund.
"We do not steal money from an enterprise fund to pay for the water and sewer fund," she said. "That's what you would be doing."
That amendment failed on a 5 to 1 vote, with Zak voting yes.
On the final resolution as amended, the council also voted 5 to 1, with Zak voting no, to approve it. On a vote of immediate reconsideration, the council also voted to add the effective date — a detail lost earlier. Council member David Lewis used that opportunity to make one more change, changing consideration of water-sewer rate changes from every two years to annually. That idea had come from former council member Kevin Hogan in public testimony.
"I think you need to listen to the people until they're satisfied," Hogan said. "Take it up as often as needed for the next three years."
Burgess said the rate model took as assumptions the cost of water and sewer as set by the city. It's an allocation of costs. The council needs to look at the bigger issues of waste and how to get more users in the system, he said. Burgess said the city should do what it did with natural gas and create a city-wide water and sewer system paid for by equal assessments by lot.
"Let's do what's best for our community as a whole," he said. "What's best for business as a whole."
Michael Armstrong can be reached at email@example.com.
A Facebook login using a real name is required for commenting. Respectful and constructive comments are welcomed. Abusers will be blocked and reported to Facebook.


text:
Description: BRIG Eagle E340 RIB
The 340 is the baby in the Eagle range and was designed specifically as a luxury sports tender. It is extremely comfortable and dry for its size even in heavy seas with the deep V hull cutting through waves. The navigation lights are mounted on the bow block which has a molded channel to take the anchor line and protect the tubes from rubbing. There is comfortable seating for four passengers with large lockers under each seat.
White ORCA Hypalon tubes
Deep V hull
Anti-skid deck surface
Hard tube ends with two antiskid steps on each
Front and rear stowage lockers
Hull ventilation system
Twin self-bailing unit
Built-in fuel tank with external deck filler
Front step-plate
Front towing bow ring
Front cleats (bollards)
Built-in davit lifting points
Rubbing strake
Safety handles & carrying handles
2 paddles & foot pump
Repair kit
Accessories bag
Owner's manual
Steering console
Steering system (mechanical)
Steering wheel
Navigation lights
Automatic bilge pump
Battery container
Battery isolation switch
Fuel gauge
Waterski towing eyes
Front locker removable grey SilverTEX cushions
Rear grey SilverTEX cushion with soft back
Overall cover
Comes with Honda 40HP Engine
5-year warranty
Electric start and power tilt
Length: 11'2"
Width: 5'10"
Tube Diameter: 1' 6"
Persons: 4
Max HP: 40hp
Shaft length: 20"
Boat Weight: 396 lb +/-
Tubes: White ORCA Hypalon
Cushions: Grey SilverTEX
Warranty: 5 years on tube and seams, 2 years FRP
Made in Europe
About BRIG
Brig Inflatable Boats are designed and built in the Ukraine by a dedicated team of ex-military aeronautical engineers.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union the transition from fighter jets to leisure craft was an easy one. Founder and MD Slava Rodionov, and his brother, ex-MIG fighter pilot, have applied the same exacting standards and cutting edge technology to building RIBs in their 70,000 sq factory.
With labor rates less than China and a highly educated work force, Brig is able to provide a European made and European quality boat.Brig is now the largest RIB manufacture in the world.
603 Chinquapin Round Road
Annapolis, MD
Contact: Pete Dierks
Telephone: (410) 690 7780
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Length Overall (cm)340
Width Overall (cm)178
Height Overall (cm)112
Tube Diameter (cm) 46
No. of Chambers 3
No. of Persons 4
Boat Weight (net) (kg) 180
Maximum Payload (kg) 600
Minimum Power (HP)20
Recommended Power (HP)25
Maximum Power (HP)35
Design Category C
Fuel Tank Capacity (L) 33
3277 SE 14th
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
United States


text:
Posting to undo accidental mod
Uhh, yeah, except you're the first post. Unless I'm missing something, there was nothing here for you to moderate.
It was preemptive action. Like Iraq.
> Posting to undo accidental mod
Let's think about that. You're the first post. Who did you mod?
This is mysterious. I'm guessing there's some steganographic message here about a sting axe and the Talmud.
This is probably just for non-sensitive information.
Presumably CIA employees know about things like watermarking [wikipedia.org], so they'd be stupid to copy and spread information.
Presumably CIA employees know about things like watermarking
That would be waterboarding
Watch out for falling knives...
You can't store information on American citizens in that kind of network. It's not a "database on 10's of thousands" of people. Think of it more as short useless summary articles on topics like Iraq, Afganistan, insurgent groups, etc. No domestic info at all, by design.
Additionally, Intellipedia is TS (well, there's a TS version that is used primarily, and a SECRET version that is not used nearly as much), but not SCI (meaning, none of the really high level intelligence. TOP SECRET is _fairly common_ access). If somebody is able to read Intellipedia as a spy, you've got much bigger problems that any information they would get from Intellipedia. A later post whined about compartmented information--there is NO compartmented information on Intellipedia.
Also, Chris Rasmussen is the genius who is trying to introduce twitter to the intelligence analysis community. Apparently he wants to reduce the productivity of intel even further!
I'm kind of hoping this is some billion dollar counter-intelligence initiative. All the "sensitive" information on this site will have just enough truth to be dangerously false.
Fifth, stealing data from outside a classified DOD network is terribly hard. Having a clearance means that the DOD thinks a given person is trustworthy, so unless a person decides to become a spy there is no way it's getting out.
That is the worst kind of hubris. Have you not been watching news over the past several weeks?
Citation needed
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8086547.stm [bbc.co.uk]
Because I like BBC...
I think it's very dangerous to think that your data is safe simply because your data transport is deemed safe.
No, what's prideful was the OP's 5th point saying how hard it was to steal from a classified network--has nothing to do with the security of yet another website on a classified intranet. I take the viewpoint that it's always better to be vigilant in terms of network security. just because the tubes are supposed to be secure and the users are supposed to be sure doesn't mean that's always true. FWIW, the creators and maintainers of Intellipedia seem to agree with this--Intellipedia is not allowed to contain
You're right. The CIA should stop using computers.
If anything needs to be written down, it should be on paper, in invisible ink.
Little bit of a non-sequitur there!
Caution and vigilance and keeping people educated about security issues is something that is smart for ANY job and ANY network. I like my banks to be careful with my information, for instance...doesn't mean that I don't use online banking.
While pithy, your comment is offtopic and nonsensical.
Actually, you are offtopic.
Yes, any data in a computer is potentially subject to unauthorized access.
Yes, inter-agency networking probably increase that risk somewhat.
But this debate is *not* about whether the CIA should be sharing intel.
Experience has proven that sharing is very necessary.
This is about changing the default attitude toward inter-agency sharing. Some things need to be kept secret (identity of sources, etc.). But most things don't. This is about changing from a default of "keep everything
Uhh, I'm not sure if you missed a post or are looking at the thread out of order or something, but the only thing I replied to in this thread was:
Fifth, stealing data from outside a classified DOD network is terribly hard. Having a clearance means that the DOD thinks a given person is trustworthy, so unless a person decides to become a spy there is no way it's getting out.
You may be trying to make some greater overarching point out of that statement, but thats not what I was saying. Anything else you think I'm saying about sharing being bad (??) is purely in your imagination/interpretation I'm afraid...
I suppose it's asking too much to ask where you think I'm claiming anything else??
You're not Need to Share, not Need to Know guy, are you?
Nevermind, I was just curious... I thought I might have personally insulted you.
For starters, USB devices are no longer allowed on any DOD networks
So they were hit by the Windows "Autorun from USB" idiocy too? Serves them right...
It sounds like there's no way around their need for fine grained access control.
What would probably help would be to set it up so that if you were trying to edit an entry related to a topic and someone else already has their own version to give you a message saying "Another user already has an entry on this topic. Would you like to send a request to compare notes?"
Although I guess having the ability to check if something is in the namespace might be exploitable.
Maybe what they really need is Intellitwitter.
CIA is about the last agency I'd suspect of trying this. I use Intellipedia at work
That's interesting. You apparently had no idea that CIA started, funded, and makes far more edits than any other intelligence organization? Maybe you should know a little more about the tools you use before spouting ridiculous comments.
People like you were one of the prime reasons I left intelligence. It was so damn tribal. You ever try taking a look at what agencies make the most changes to wikipedia--take a look at the specific updates by a couple agencies in specific (defense, satellites mostly). Those t
See, that's the exact type of comment I'm talking about...you admit you didn't have a clue about how Intellipedia works or who has provided the most information to it, and then you go on a rant about CIA. I'm guessing you're defense from the words you use, because I've heard it all a thousand times before. Maybe time for some introspection in ALL parties of the IC. These kinds of pissing matches are riduclous and quite frankly DANGEROUS to national security and a waste of taxpayer money.
"CIA reputation in the IC"
I absolutely stand by my tribal statement and I think you back it up pretty damn well. There's always a lot of jealousy, anger, and pettiness out there, and it frankly got unbearable. You just keep going propagating stories about how horrible CIA is and how everybody hates them (let me guess--you've worked in intel 1-3 years tops?) and then give yourself a big pat on the back for how you're improving work relations between IC agencies by hanging out on a chat channel and editing your intellipedia userpage.
And now I'm only semi-AC!
And now I'm only semi-AC!
Don't you mean, "Outed field-agent"?
Heh, I wish (in my experience the people out in the field were the ones who liked their jobs the best, and had to deal with the least politicking bullshit). They're technically not supposed to use internet boards at all. Intelligence/analysis/government employ was a terrible fit for me and I would not recommend it for most people. Can believe it or not (obviously)
then give yourself a big pat on the back for how you're improving work relations between IC agencies by hanging out on a chat channel and editing your intellipedia userpage
OK, troll, I never said anything about a chat channel or what if anything I personally edit. Read my posts. Or better yet, get the aforementioned clue.
Like I said the IC needs some major introspection in ALL of its part. I quite frankly find your very obvious anger and loathing very unfortunate. When you go around trashing your fellow-IC mates, I absolutely do have a problem with that. Like I said--I quit, I didn't like the job and I didn't like the tribalism. I've never once claimed CIA is perfect on anything...far from it. The sorry bottom line is this...how many people work in the IC? I think that's technically classified and I don't really know, but l
When I talk about tribalism, it DOES go both ways, because your org has a certain reputation as well (if you're where I'm guessing you are)
1. You have no idea where I am. Guess all you want. And if you're trying to guess from my posts, you're probably wrong
2. My first post merely stated surprise that the CIA was coming on board. You then said some very nasty things accusing me of bitching. YOU are the one bitching. YOU are the one laying down hate and blaming everyone for all the problems in the world. YOU are the one who is disgruntled and clearly needs some closure or something. Leave me out of it.
So you're saying you DON'T use jabber chat and DON'T edit your iped userpage?
First of all, this is entirely irre
1. You have no idea where I am. Guess all you want. And if you're trying to guess from my posts, you're probably wrong
Ok, that's fine, I understand you can't/don't want to say (and I wouldn't ask) but hey, I had a what, 1/14 chance of getting it right? Probably more like 1/6 when you exclude the agencies who don't really care about CIA
2. My first post merely stated surprise that the CIA was coming on board. You then said some very nasty things accusing me of bitching. YOU are the one bitching. YOU are the one laying down hate and blaming everyone for all the problems in the world. YOU are the one who is disgruntled and clearly needs some closure or something. Leave me out of it.
You're absolutely right that I'm bitching about the tribalism in the IC--100% true. What "hate" am I laying down and what "blame" am I laying down for all the problems in the world? I have been very, very specific. I think the agency-partisanship and t
This is awesome, let me know when the fight scene between you two is k?
How about some spoilers: will there be Bond references?
Ooh, I can't wait.
Heh yeah... it's (obviously) something I still feel passionately about.
Just really reinforced to me that I am not equipped to work for the government. Some good benefits yes, but sooo much hierarchy, inter-department, inter-agency sniping, politicking, not to mention the military vs civilian hierarchies which gave many agencies VERY different atmospheres.
I actually think that is part of the reason why some Intelligence people don't like cia
I've worked at several places both in the Marine Corps and as a contractor, and they all suck in different ways
Heh, that sums it up fairly nicely.
Regards to the rest...it's all who you feel like rooting for in a particular day. One of my best friends at my job was former Marine intel, went through DIA and then to contracting at CIA (where he had been for a number of years). He was not a fan of DIA. OTOH, the friends I previously mentioned who worked at DIA said the exact same things about CIA. I guessed DIA because they seemed to hate the CIA the most.
I alluded to this in another post, but I think a LOT of the tens
My experience with Intellipedia is just a way to expose information about specific programs across multiple agencies, without too many program details. This is different than pages always being about specific places or specific people, this is about detailing various goings on in various compartamentalized environments.
There are always people within the various organizations and agencies that work on almost the exact same thing... but have no idea that they work on the exact same thing. Hell, there are peo
It's actually kinda simple, you just modify wiki software in such a way that the page creator can specify default behavior of the page and add user accounts to the ACL of that page. It requires 1 custom column on the page data table for default behavior and 1 table to store the ACL info. The ACL table should have a composite key of page id, user name, access level.
Sort of. IMHO it does provide a good deal of service. Although the information is locked down, you still have the link relations, further more, you can find out who has which piece of information. Requesting for that information shouldn't be too hard. That's the whole advantage wiki provides the intelligence community. You can link different pieces of information and find relationships between them. So in the old school way, you don't really know who has what, so you run around and ask until you find out. Using wiki, you can follow a chain of leads via links until you hit a stop, then you send an e-mail, get access, and move on. I think "need to know" is a tried and true method as when ever there are leaks in the intelligence community people tend to end up in prison or disappear. ACL provides the perfect balance between "need to know" and "need to share"
Well cited, very informative. I love it. Hey, what is with the helicopter over the hou0u8409ulksfd['OQ#([No Carrier]
I dunno, a lot of small to medium sized business have used wikis to speed up documentation (though employees tend to document in-office jokes more than work related activities). Still it is great for getting QA their best practices.
IAAIU - I Am An Intellipedia User.
It's not connected to the Internet, and it handles compartmentalized information quite well, thanks. It's actually been quite incredible watching it "grow up" over the past few years. It's also not plagued by the problems that most people associate with Wikis - astroturfing, self-made experts, anonymous contributions - and sure, you will have people with special "pet" pages, it is because they are, in fact, the acknowledged expert and have a vested interest in making sure that the information on the page is as correct as possible.
Imagine Wikipedia made entirely of subject matter experts who have verified credentials and identities. Yeah. It's rad.
Get off the fence and start sharing.
A lack of sharing is pretty clearly responsible for the success of the attacks on 9/11.
Sure, old habits are hard to break. But when you watch thousands of people die because of your agency's failure, that should probably do the trick.
And if it didn't, you need to GTFO and find another line of work.
Get off the fence and start sharing.
A lack of sharing is pretty clearly responsible for the success of the attacks on 9/11.
Which lead to ther budget DOUBLING.
Watching thousands of people die was very good for their expense accounts.
How quaint - someone who believes the CIA exists or has *ever* existed to protect American lives.
Don't ever lose that innocence, it's just all so warm and fuzzy to see someone so naive.
My bad. I must have misinterpreted their mission statement:
We are the nation's first line of defense.
https://www.cia.gov/about-cia/cia-vision-mission-values/index.html [cia.gov]
Let me guess, the CIA planned 9/11 right?
'Inevitably, every person, the first question we were asked is "How do I lock down a page?" or "How do I lock down a page so that just my five colleagues can access that?"'
Intellipedia: 3 million pages, all blacked out.
BTW, have they been sued by Intel for trademark infringement yet?
Looking at the posts...seems we did "out" a lot of people who work in the intel community on Slashdot...
Forty two.


text:
DELRAN — A man wanted in connection to the murder of a Willingboro gas station attendant has struck again, authorities said.
The Burlington County Prosecutor's office and Delran Police said that Zedrick T. Johnson, 34, of Willingboro was charged with robbing a Delran gas station at knifepoint on Wednesday.
Police were called to the National Fuel gas station on Route 130 North and Tenby Chase Drive at 5:30 p.m. for a robbery on Wednesday. An attendant was pushed to the ground during the robbery, police said.
Johnson was charged with one count of armed robbery in Delran.
Johnson is also wanted for the Feb. 11 murder of Bal Krishna Karki during a robbery at the Lukoil Gas Station on Route 130 North at Charleston Road. The cause of death and specific details of Karki's death are being withheld.
The Willingboro man is also charged with robbing a convenience store on Van Sciver Parkway the morning after the gas station robbery, on Feb. 12. Johnson entered the Sunny Food Mart at approximately 9:15 a.m., put his hand in his pocket, pointed it at the cashier and demanded cash from the register. He then fled in the victim's car.
Johnson is described as a heavyset black male, standing 5-feet-9 inches tall and weighing roughly 265 pounds, his last known address was 2 Bentley Lane in Willingboro.
Anyone with information about Johnson's whereabouts is asked to call Willingboro Township Police at (609) 877-2253 or the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit at (609) 265-5059 during work hours or after hours at (609) 267-8300.


text:
AT&T has announced that it will have completed a country wide rollout of its HSUPA 3G service by the end of June. We're guessing that a little voice from Cupertino might have been hurrying AT&T along. You know, just like AT&T boosted EDGE speeds last year on the iPhone's launch day
Source: AT&T Confirms High Speed Rollout In Time For iPhone 2.0 | Gadget Lab from Wired.com


text:
Never miss a deal, always be up to date -
The most important events and product news
with the MUSIC STORE Newsletters!
free with orders starting at 199 € (within Ireland)
With the Crane Elite CV-5 you get a first-class, easy to transport stand. The Crane Elite CV-5 is the perfect laptop stand for stationary as well as mobile applications. The Elite CV-5 weighs in at only 1400 grams and when folded together only 3 centimetres high. There a re no loose parts or fasteners so nothing can get lost.
Highest Possible Quality:
The Elite CV-5 is crafted from materials that originated in space research, to guarantee stability.
Particularly critical components are made from carbon fibre…
… and many others are composed of CNC machined and cast 6061 aluminium elements.
The stand is setup very quickly; the height of the shelf can be set continuously between 4 and 36 centimetres high. The slightly angled design of the Elite CV-5 ensure for perfect ergonomics, regardless if used for a computer, DJ equipment or any other devices.
To keep you stand safe and to prevent scratches and damage during transport, an elegant carrying pouch is included.
All in all, the Crane Elite CV-5 is a very light weight, extremely stabile and very flexible laptop stand, perfectly suited for laptops, tablets, projectors, controllers and other similar devices.
Every month we are giving away a shopping voucher among all submitted reviewers worth 500 EURO!
Congratulations to the winner of December: Michael Rauser, Heilbronn (DE)
The winner from the previous month (November): Martin Reinert, Siegburg (DE)
You can rate this product if you like. By rating this product you will be automatically entered into our monthly shopping voucher giveaway!


text:
Man arrested after speeding
A 46-year-old man was arrested and taken to Grant County Jail after allegedly trying to elude police early Monday morning.
The vehicle that Ernie Andrew Smith, of 57899 W. Cardinal Road, was driving was allegedly clocked at 50 mph in a 35 mph zone heading east on Alcan Road when Officer Heath Otto gave chase.
Smith lost control of the vehicle and it hit concrete posts protecting a Grand Coulee water main and then continued on until it stopped at 901 King Street, Otto's report said.
Otto contacted Smith and had him spread-eagled on the ground when Officer Joe Higgs arrived to offer assistance.
At the time, Smith claimed that another person had been driving the vehicle, but those at the house on King Street acknowledged that it had been Smith.
The Cardinal Road resident collected a host of charges. Those included trying to elude police, hit-and-run without notifying anyone of the damage his vehicle caused, resisting arrest, and a first-degree charge of driving while his license was suspended.
The police report stated that a number of vehicle parts were left at the scene where Smith hit the concrete protective posts, and a trail of anti-freeze was followed to where the vehicle ended up.
The report stated that the vehicle was being driven in a "reckless manner" and at one point was in the "wrong lane."


text:
About this paper
Introducing technology into an organization can be tricky, but when you are introducing technology -- such as a marketing operations management solution -- into a marketing organization, tricky doesn't begin to cover it. This paper explores how the way an organization addresses people, processes and technology can make or break the successful adoption of a marketing operations management solution.
About SAS
SAS is the leader in analytics. Through innovative analytics, business intelligence and data management software and services, SAS helps customers at more than 83,000 sites make better decisions faster. Since 1976, SAS has been giving customers around the world THE POWER TO KNOW®.
Have a SAS profile? To complete this form automatically Sign In
Welcome, . Edit Profile Log Out


text:
Talk:Pavano Family
| This talk page is for discussing the Pavano Family article.
This includes commenting on the article, questioning whether it is correct, or adding suggestions for improvements
Questions about GTA games, not about the wiki page itself, should be asked at Community:Questions.Remember to always add your signature to the end of your comments/replies using four tildes:
In a newspaper article about the death of Jon Gravelli in GTA IV it is said the Pavano family is the second-most powerful crime family, after the Gambetti family. You can read the article in one of the internet cafe's in Liberty City. If you have finished the game you will find the article on the first page. I also think this family is based on the Genovese crime family, since they also operate in New Jersey (Alderney) and for decades were the second most powerful crime family.
Yeah, you're right : Tony Smith (end)
I meant to edit that, they are the second-most powerful family and, like the Genovese Family, they operate in upper Manhattan (Algonquin) and New Jersey (Alderney). NYYankees333
" , the family had become the most powerful of Liberty City's crime families, rivaling the Pavano family."
I'll change this for the Commission section.Nostrein 14:28, March 17, 2010 (UTC)
Real life sources
I deleted a section at Trivia, in where it was said the family could be based on the Colombos. I deleted this because in the first place they do not bear similar names, besides ending with an "o". They have not much in common with the Colombos, and very much in common with the Genovese crime family; both operating in Manhattan and New Jersey and both rivaling with the Gambino's for the most powerful crime family of New York. I don't see why this is being reverted, not that it really matters, but I do would like an explanation for it and why you still think they are based on the Colombos, cause the reasons given are not convincing at all..
--Sonny Black 21:25, April 2, 2010 (UTC)


text:
I think RZ can support a heavy metal thread. This thread is to share heavy music. I invision this thread covering classic metal, thrash, nu-metal, black metal and any other heavy music there is. I kind of stole this idea from the AOR thread I like so much. The point is not to tell someone what sucks, but to share what you like. Although you do not have to post links, they are appreciated (I will listen to every one that is posted). Also, anyone wanting to share news (new releases, live performances, deaths) this would be a perfect place to do so.
I hope everyone enjoys the first post. They are some of my favorites, from bands spanning from 1970-current.
Black Sabbath-N.I.B.
Simply put, my favorite riff of all time.
Metallica-For Whom The Bell Tolls
My favorite song on my favorite Metallica record
Danzig-Dirty Black Summer
Love the guitar, love Danzig
Pantera-Drag The Waters
Huge, heavy riff.
Epica-Cry For The Moon
Something completely different. I dig this European symphonic metal. I saw Epica last year, and she (Simone Simons) sounds just as good live as on the CD.)
The above are not necessarily the best artists (or the best by these artists), but a great place to start a thread about heavy metal.


text:
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Missed opportunity
I was really hoping for a sweep, but three out of four against a good team ain't bad. The Giants go to Chavez LAtrine for three games starting tomorrow. The Dodgers just got swept in St. Louis and are a game behind us. Perhaps we'll turn it around against the NL West this week. Struggling James McDonald gets the call against Madison Bumgarner. That looks like a good opportunity, I hope we can take advantage of it.
11 comments:
Worst loss of the year because it really should have been a win. I hope we drop a pitcher now and call up maybe Bowker or someone.
- Sun Jul 18, 07:34:00 PM PDT
- M.C. O'Connor said...
I wonder why we are carrying 13 pitchers, too.
- Sun Jul 18, 07:58:00 PM PDT
- Brother Bob said...
We wuz robbed.
It was a step in the right direction for JSanchez. There was an inning, I think the 4th, where he came out looking like crap, but he pulled it together and minimized the damage. So he seems to be learning how to re-focus and avoid meltdowns.
He's always the favorite trade bait in fantasy GM speculation, such as Sanchez for Cory Hart. I could live with that one. We should get a strong outfielder and move Huff back to first, even though he's doing OK out there.
- Mon Jul 19, 08:35:00 AM PDT
- M.C. O'Connor said...
I dunno, I think pitchers are worth more than position players. Hart straight up for JS would be selling him too cheaply.
- Mon Jul 19, 09:40:00 AM PDT
I just wrote a long post explaining why Hart for Sanchez is a bad idea, but it was lost in the ether. I'll try again.
- Mon Jul 19, 10:14:00 AM PDT
- 22gigantes said...
The Giants will go back to a 12-man staff soon since he starters have pretty much fixed their issues.
When the G-men DO call up a bat, I hope it is NOT Bowker. Say all you want about our lack of offense, no legitimate power threat, yada yada yada. But what this team needs more than anything else is SPEED on the base paths.
That's why I hope the Giants call up Emmanuel Burris. Or better yet, have you seen this Tyler Graham kid in Fresno? I watched him run silly at Raley Field when the Grizzlies visited the Rivercats a couple weeks back. He is explosive on the bases and gets from first to third like nobody's business. And he's a solid contact hitter, too, batting .346/.390/.452 in AAA. I would much rather see Graham (who has 24 SBs in 2010) called on to pinch run than an Edgar Renteria or Eli Whiteside.
- Mon Jul 19, 10:29:00 AM PDT
Second try: Trading Jonathan Sanchez for Corey Hart is a bad idea. First, Hart would be a marginal upgrade. He is not a middle-of-the-order slugger that defines a team's batting order. He would take the place of Edgar Renteria, which would place Juan Uribe where exactly? As it is, we can swap out Uribe for Renteria for an upgrade making Hart, as I say, marginal. Second, you trade Sanchez, you make your rotation 4/5 of what it was. Given that Madison Bumgarner is a child, he might reach the end of his pitch count/inning count, or he might simply wear out at the end of the season. You do not want to push him and risk injuring him, so now you are down to 3/5 of your rotation. And what if someone gets hurt? Wellemeyer may or may not come back to full strength, but his "full strength" was not all that great before he got hurt. I know I have been a proponent of marginal upgrades, but those were dependent on replacing one guy with a better guy, not downgrading one position while upgrading another. The Giants do need a hitter, and the hitter they need is already on the team: Pablo Sandoval. He looks much better since the break, which, if it continues, simply makes the downside of a Sanchez/Hart trade (even if the Brewers would accept that) more potential down with less potential up.
If the Giants are going to make a trade, they need to trade Rowand or Renteria and either Torres or Schierholtz for an outfielder like DeJesus. They can even up the trade with minor league talent. That way, they can upgrade and clear less productive players at the same time. Leave our rotation alone.
- Mon Jul 19, 01:09:00 PM PDT
Nooo not Andres. I won't allow it. I love him. Yes, I'm from NJ, but, he's everything that they/we wanted Fred Lewis to do. He has the speed, he plays an amazing Center Field, he gets on base, he's a real lead off hitter, he's a nice guy that never seems to have a complaint, and is just happy to play everyday. He is arguably the finest Center Fielder this year (at least that's what fangraphs told me). I wouldn't mind having DeJesus on the team, not at all. He would be a great 1-2 punch in the lineup with Andres:
CF Torres
RF DeJesus
LF Huff
C Busta
3B Pablo
SS Uribe
1B Ishi
2B Sanchez
Something along those lines would be nice. However, DeJesus is their best position player and they know it. They won't part with him cheap. And I hope that if we do get him, we won't trade away Brandon Belt. He could be the next big thing to come out of the minors for us. He'd form an excellent Triforce with Buster and Pablo. Pablo, the Triforce of Courage, Buster, the Triforce of Wisdom, and Brandon, the Triforce of Power. I can't wait.
- Mon Jul 19, 02:11:00 PM PDT
- M.C. O'Connor said...
Losing Torres would kill what little offense we have. Torres, Huff, and Posey are what we've got. And Sandoval--assuming he can find his old form. I don't expect .943 OPS (2009), but .726 (2010) is not cutting it.
The sad part about "adding a bat" is that there isn't anyone out there to add. Prince Fielder, just to throw out a great hitter, would cost more than the Giants can or will spend. The latest name, god help us, is Jose Guillen. Bleah. Here's what David DeJesus (a good player) will cost: "a major league-ready prospect, along with at least one midlevel prospect or a pair of lower-level players" (MLBTR)
Both of our "ML-ready prospects" are in the bigs and producing (Buster and MadBum).
No, I think all we can do is hope the Panda can hit again, and that Torres, Huff, and Posey continue to produce.
And we can't trade Rowand or Renteria unless we eat their salaries.
If Tyler Graham can take a walk he might be a useful PH/PR. His ML numbers outside of this season are not encouraging, though. But I'm willing to try anybody. The team needs more hitting. How about Travis Ishikawa getting more time (moving Huff to OF)? He's swinging the bat well lately.
- Mon Jul 19, 05:04:00 PM PDT
I am not advocating such a trade, but stating that if we do absolutely need to make a trade, we should NOT deal Sanchez or any of our starting rotation, and we should attempt to do something with our outfield that, as of today, has Huff, Schierholtz, Torres, Rowand and Velez. If we could clear the way by trading two of these non-Huff guys for an upgrade, I would do it. We probably can't. I do not favor trading Torres, but if we could trade him for DeJesus and clear some other dead weight, I would do so. You are correct, we would have to pay salary for Rowand or Renteria. Right now these guys are overpaid bench players and deservedly so. The season has changed. We could use another bat, but as of right now, we are not nearly as desparate as we were earlier.
- Tue Jul 20, 09:48:00 AM PDT
- M.C. O'Connor said...
Clearing out the dead weight would be lovely. I'm all for it. Torres is too valuable, at this point, to consider moving him. In terms of wOBA, he's the 13th best OF in all of baseball. His 3.6 WAR (which includes defense) is 5th among all MLB OF.
I never imagined he was anything but a useful (speedy, great glove, some pop) platoon/4th or 5th OF type, but he proved me wrong. He's one of the best players in the game right now and the Giants would seriously hurt themselves by trading him. Without him and Huff having career years the Giants would probably be a .500 club at best.
- Tue Jul 20, 10:15:00 AM PDT


text:
Log in
The Douglass Community Association was a byproduct of the First World War. Camp Custer was home to large numbers of mobilized troops, both during the war and in the immediate years that followed. These men needed something to do in their downtime, and thousands of them flocked to neighboring cities, including Kalamazoo. Their presence in the business district was likened to an invasion. Although this was a welcome boost to the local economy, many felt that a supervised facility specifically reserved for the recreation of soldiers was necessary. The War Camp Community Service, was created in order to solve the problem. The WCCS established a social club for soldiers at 121 West Main Street, today's Michigan Avenue. However, due to the racial attitudes at the time, Camp Custer's African American population was not welcome and was effectively overlooked.
Fortunately, the shortcomings of the situation were recognized by local, camp, and WCCS authorities. R.O. Brundage was assigned by the WCCS as chairman of a committee to resolve the matter. The result of Brundage's efforts was the creation of a recreation center named for Frederick Douglass, the famed abolitionist and civil rights leader. In its infancy the institution had many variations of its name, including the Douglass Community House, the Douglass Community Club, and more commonly, the Douglass Community Center. It opened on 1 July 1919 in five rented rooms on the third floor of 230 North Burdick Street. This address was later renumbered 262 North Burdick.
The intended purpose of the center was short-lived since the First World War had ended on 11 November 1918, before the center had even opened. Throughout 1919 and 1920 the troops at Camp Custer were gradually mustered out of the Army and thus the crowds seeking recreation in Kalamazoo dwindled. With its military mission coming to an end, the center faced the cessation of funding from the WCCS, and thus an end of its brief existence.
Despite having outlived its original purpose, the Douglass Community Center had proven its value in a short time. For many in the Kalamazoo community it was clear that the city could benefit from having such an institution on a permanent basis for the use of the local African American population. In 1921 a new non-profit, the Douglass Community Association, was created to take over operations of the WCCS and to keep the center operational. Independent from its military origins, the Douglass Community Association maintained an emphasis on recreation. However, Kalamazoo's African American youth became the target audience instead of soldiers.
The local need for a African American recreation center was not unlike the military need. Kalamazoo's African American population often found themselves unwelcome at many of the city's stores, restaurants, and recreational venues. The Douglass Community Association provided them with a place of their own, where they would not face the discrimination common in the broader community. Sewing and craft clubs, dances, live music, theater, basketball games, a soda fountain, and a pool room were among the options one could find at the Douglass.
In 1925 the Douglass Community Association became one of the first local organizations to enjoy the support of the Community Fund of Kalamazoo, later known as the Community Chest. The Community Chest, part of a nationwide network of like groups, was an umbrella fundraising organization that acted as the fiscal agent for local health and social welfare agencies that were dependent upon public support. The Chest held annual fundraising campaigns and disbursed funds as needed. This enabled agencies to devote their resources to programming rather than to fundraising. Community Chest funded agencies, such as the Douglass, remained independent, with their own governing structures in place. Other participants included the YMCA and YWCA, the Merrill Home, the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts, and the Salvation Army. The Community Chest has since evolved into today's United Way.
As the Douglass Community Association expanded its programing, the space limitations and other inadequacies of the center's first home became increasingly apparent. Among other things, the third floor quarters were difficult to access for many patrons. The building lacked an elevator. Additionally, the rooms were heated by coal stoves, the fuel for which had to be carried up the three flights of stairs. Discussions to build a new stand-alone building began as early as the mid-twenties. In 1928 land was purchased for this purpose, on the northwest corner of Ransom and Pitcher Streets. However, the onset of the Great Depression in 1929 delayed the project for years.
Depression aside, the dream refused to die. By the summer of 1935, fundraising efforts were again underway. Revised plans called for the use of Works Progress Administration money to cover a considerable portion of the cost of the $70,000 structure. The WPA was the largest of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs, intended to combat the Depression by providing work to the unemployed. The core of WPA activities was providing the funding for construction of civic improvement projects, including post offices, public buildings, and roads. In order to qualify for the funds, the Douglass Community Association deeded the land at Ransom and Pitcher to the city of Kalamazoo. The city would own the structure and lease it to the association for a nominal fee.
The needed Federal and local funds were secured by 1939, allowing work to commence. Local architect Ernest Batterson, who had previously designed the First Methodist Church, drafted an Art Moderne styled structure featuring a multicolored brick exterior, large gymnasium, snack bar, library, and several social rooms spread out over three levels. The building was completed in 1941 and formally dedicated with great fanfare on February 16th. The new Douglass Community Center was hailed as one of the finest facilities of its type and remained the association's home for over forty years.
Facilities and programming received an additional boost when, on April 1960, the Douglass Community Association was the recipient of a generous gift. A local farmer, Kenneth Melching, donated his forty acre farm at 9th Street and Hart Drive to the association. Melching moved to a remote part of Canada and requested that the land be used to "provide happiness for the greatest number of children possible." The association utilized the farm as a community garden and campground.
The purpose and structure of the Douglass Community Association has changed several times throughout its history. In 1946 the organization changed its constitution and governing structure. Prior to this, the assocation had been under a mostly white board of directors with a predominantly African American advisory board. With the change, one biracial board was put in place.
In 1962 the Association shifted its chief focus from recreational activities to confronting the social problems facing Northside residents. Gradually the barriers keeping the African American community from using other recreational facilities were breaking down. However, Kalamazoo's African American population was growing rapidly, with large numbers of migrants from the south. Many of these new residents required education and job training.
One of the more large-scale programs to emerge from this era was INTREFOL, launched in 1966. INTREFOL was a three-pronged program based on intake, referral, and follow-up. The intake phase involved identifying those in need of help and the problems they faced. Referral phase sought to connect those individuals with existing outside agencies that were best suited to offering help. Lastly, follow-up involved providing assistance to the individuals with using the services offered by the outside agencies.
Additionally, the Association's mission placed a greater emphasis on social change. As the Civil Rights movement gained momentum throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the Douglass Community Association was at the center of local efforts. National and statewide civil rights leaders made the center their headquarters while in town. It served as a base of operations for planning local activism on school segregation, as well as employment and housing issues.
However, throughout the 1970s and 1980s a number of new non-profits were launched to cater to specific issues or to community needs that had previously been served by the Douglass Community Association. The resulting overlap allowed the Douglass to concentrate more resources on a smaller number of core programs.
As early as 1951, only ten years after the Douglass Community Center building had opened, a report was published which, among other things, argued that the structure offered insufficient space to satisfy the association's growing needs. By the end of that decade, groups of Northside residents pushed for a new facility, claiming that the Ransom Street building was too small and difficult to access for many of the association's clients. The association's increasing focus on social services pushed demand for a new building. The 1941 structure had been designed as a recreation center and lacked adequate office space that was now required. Proposals for a new building became a regular feature of neighborhood discussions for the next quarter century.
In 1981 the Douglass Community Association took steps towards a new facility. After debating the merits of renovating a former dairy for their use, it was decided to build an entirely new structure on Paterson Street. The new Douglass Community Center was designed by Detroit architect Roger Margum and erected at a cost of 2.3 million dollars. Funds came from the City of Kalamazoo, the Kalamazoo Foundation, and local residents. The building was designed around the association's social services with a renewed emphasis on recreational programs and educational opportunities for youth. It contains a gymnasium, day care center, and the Alma Powell Branch of the Kalamazoo Public Library. The building opened in 1984.
In 1998 an organization of retirees, motivated by fond memories, purchased the Douglass Community Association's old building on Ransom Street from the Mount Zion Baptist Church. The building had been vacant since the new building opened in 1984 and had since fallen into disrepair. Roof leaks resulted in considerable water damage to the interior and boarded up windows gave the exterior a blighted appearance.
The group, known as the Merry Makers, desired to restore the building for service to the neighborhood with a $400,000 renovation. Over the next two years, they invested a considerable amount of money and effort to repairing it. By 1999 the group had spent $15,000 on an interior clean-up and a further $104,000 on a new roof.
Unfortunately the Merry Maker's hopes of reopening the facility failed to materialize. The group sold the building in 2006, and it remains vacant as of 2013. However, the Merry Maker's efforts did have a long-lasting positive impact. The new roof they installed remains in place and has slowed the further decay of the north side landmark, greatly increasing its chances of being reopened.
Meanwhile the Douglass Community Association has continued to provide Kalamazoo with a variety of social and recreational services from its home on Paterson. Its past traditions have been maintained and expanded. In February 2010 the institution celebrated its 90th anniversary with a banquet featuring a keynote address by Elson Floyd. The former president of Western Michgian University was selected for the example of success he provides to the center's young audience. The attention that this celebration received in the local media is partial recognition to the Douglass's continued importance to the Kalamazoo community. But the association's greatest tribute isn't in the form of celebrations or architecture, but rather in the thousands of lives who have been positively impacted in the course of the Douglass's history.


text:
Original URL: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/05/09/sony_ericsson_spring_collection/
Sony Ericsson phones slim for spring
Posted in Personal Tech, 9th May 2007 10:52 GMT
Sony Ericsson's spring handset launch - out of which sprang the revamped P series smart phone and the "nature inspired" S500 fashion phone - also the launch of a pair of lesser models.
Sony Ericsson T250
First, the T250, a low-end handset with high-end looks inspired by the new T650. The basic model is a dual-band phone with a 0.3-megapixal camera and a 1.7in, 128 x 160, 65,536-colour display. Measuring 10 x 4.5 x 1.3cm, it's thin but packs a big enough battery to bring up to seven hours' talk time.
The T650 is essentially a candybar version of the slider-equipped S500. It's a very skinny 12.5mm thick, packs in a 3.2-megapixel auto-focus main camera and a lesser front-mounted snapper for video calls: the T650 is a 3G phone.
Sony Ericsson T650
It's also a tri-band GSM/GPRS device and sports a 1.9in, 240 x 320, 262,144-colour screen. It has 16MB of memory, expandable using Memory Stick Micro cards - there's a 256MB card in the box. Coming in at 10.4 x 4.6 x 1.3cm, it's barely bigger than the 2.5G T250.
Like the S500, the T650 has is has illlumation effects built in, but not the fancier phone's time-triggered "ever-changing" on-screen themes.
Sony Ericsson T650
The T650 will be offered in a choice of two colours – "Growing Green and Midnight Blue" – and goes on sale in Q3. So does the T250, which will be offered in a choice of silver or black".