text:
Ramona A. Peterson, 93, of Sleepy Eye, died on Friday, August 24, 2012 at Sleepy Eye Care Center.
Ramona A. Peterson, 93, of Sleepy Eye, died on Friday, August 24, 2012 at Sleepy Eye Care Center. Visitation will be at Sturm Funeral Home, Sleepy Eye on Monday from 5 to 8 p.m. and will continue on Tuesday for one hour prior to the service at the church. Service will be held at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, Evan on Tuesday, August 28, 2012 at 10:30 a.m. The Clergy will be Rev. Rebecca Krogstad and Interment will be at Brookville-Dannebod Cemetery, rural Sleepy Eye. Arrangements are with the Sturm Funeral Home in Sleepy Eye. E-mail condolences may be sent to the family via www.sturmfh.com
Ramona Augusta Marie was born on November 11, 1918 in Sanborn, the daughter of Albert and Malinda (Heise) Radtke. After her schooling she married Elton Peterson on January 28, 1941 in Sanborn. The couple lived and farmed in Brookville Township until moving to Sleepy Eye in 1985. Elton preceded her in death in 1988. Ramona later moved to Countryside Apartments and the Sleepy Eye Care Center in December of 2010. She was a member of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, WELCA, Ladies Quilting group, Brookville 49'ers Ext. Group and a 4-H Leader. She was a wonderful cook and seamstress, she enjoyed quilting, crocheting and crafts. Ramona also enjoyed traveling, spending winters in Apache Junction and taking bus trips with her friends from Sleepy Eye. She especially enjoyed spending time with her family and visits with the grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Survivors include her son, Leon (Mary) Peterson of Sleepy Eye; grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Janelle (Dan) Gullickson and their children Matthew, Mitchell and Alex, Lisa (Todd) Jacoby and Randy Peterson and his children Sierra, Caleb and Isabella; and sister-in-law, Melva Peterson of Sleepy Eye.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Elton in 1988 and daughter Berdine in 1991.


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Campus Recreation
Big Pink Volleyball 2013
The Big Pink Volleyball Tournament is a philanthropic event co-sponsored by Campus Recreation and University Housing and Dining Services, Thompson Hall to raise funds for breast cancer charities. Teams play volleyball with a four-foot wide, hot pink volleyball. Proceeds will be donated to the Peoria Memorial Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and McDonough District Hospital's Mammogram and Other Cancer Screenings Program. Participants may contribute by participating on a team, purchasing a t-shirt and/or long sleeve shirt, or by making a donation in the Campus Recreation Office.
Dates & Deadlines
Kick Off: Thursday, September 12 from 7:00 – 9:00 pm
At the Spencer Student Recreation Center, Courts 1 and 2. Enjoy learning to play the game of Big Pink Volleyball and get your registration packets! Human ribbon photo will be taken at 7:00pm. T-shirts will be available for sale. Giveaways provided by University Union Board. **Free admission with student ID**
Early Bird Registration: Friday, September 13, 2013 by 4:30 pm
It's your lucky day! Register your team in the Campus Recreation Office. T-shirts will be available for sale.
**Receive a prize provided by McDonough District Hospital for turning in your registration packets early!**
Registration: Due Tuesday, September 17, 2013 by 4:30 pm
Entries and fees are to be turned in the Campus Recreation Office. Payment MUST be in full.
T-shirts/ Long Sleeves
May be ordered in the Campus Recreation Office through October 1, 2013. Click here to see t-shirt options.
Play: Monday, September 23 through Thursday, September 26, 2013 from 4:00 pm-11:00 pm each evening
- Teams must have a minimum of four players and a maximum of six players on the court for each game.
- Teams can be co-ed or single-gender, but everyone will play each other in the designated brackets.
- Teams can be in one of five brackets: Residence Hall, Club/Organization, Greek, Faculty/Staff, and Independent. The tournament is a single elimination tournament.
- Team pictures will be taken on the first night of play and posted on the Campus Recreation Facebook page.
- Teams can be co-ed, male, or female and a minimum of 4 people and a maximum of 10 people can be on a team. A maximum of 6 people can be on the court at one time.
- You may substitute in and out at any dead ball time. Ask the referee to do this.
- Rally scoring: A point is scored on every serve regardless of the team that serves.
- A ball cannot be played off the wall, poles, or curtain.
- Trapping the ball in the net is not allowed.
- Players must rotate after every server exchange.
- Rotation is clockwise.
- Males and females CAN both jump to hit or block the ball.
- Players in the back row may not jump in front of the 10-foot line to block or hit the ball.
- Games last for 15 minutes. The team with the most points at the end of 15 minutes wins.
- In the case of a tie, play until the next point is scored.
- Serving
- Server must serve behind the serve line (the 10-foot line).
- Two members of the team may hold the ball up and server may hit it out of their hands, but they have to be behind the serve line.
- You may not attempt to block/spike another team's serve.
- A maximum of three (3) hits per side is allowed.
- The same person may not hit the ball twice in a row.
- The ball may not be kicked or headed at any time.
- No leaning or sitting on the ball.
- A player cannot hit the net or step over the middle line while making a play.
- No jewelry or watches are allowed during play.
- Athletic shoes are required (i.e., No flip-flops, dress shoes, or barefoot).
- Have fun!!! And please be respectful of your opponents, officials, and people operating the tournament!
Additional Notes
- Be 15-20 minutes early to your games. Late arrivals will forfeit their games.
- Don't forget your student IDs for check-in to the Spencer Student Recreation Center.
- Check-in at the registration table before each game.
- Report the score of your game to the registration table. This is when you will find out when your next game is.
- The tournament is a single elimination tournament.
Dates & Deadlines
Registration & $5/person entry fee due Tuesday, September 17 by 4:30 pm in the Campus Recreation office

subset: commoncrawl


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Definitely lifted his leg to try to spike him. I have seen Brady slide dozens of times without doing that. He clearly was trying to spike him.
Karma is a biatch.
Can someone please post a link to that play? It's unreal that Simms and co didn't call him out for that. The irony is that Brady's a total b*tch whenever a defensive player gets anywhere close to his legs......
Definitely lifted his leg to try to spike him. I have seen Brady slide dozens of times without doing that. He clearly was trying to spike him.
Karma is a biatch.
How about when he rubbed up against the ref while scrambling and then assumed the fetal position...
It should have been flagged. Any other QB would have. Given the motion of his slide Ed Reed could have easily avoided him, or avoided contact.
Brady made that impossible to do by sticking his leg up.
Last edited by Fishooked; 01-21-2013 at 07:40 AM.
That was pretty ugly. Imagine if Reed took a hit to his knee and tore his meniscus or ACL? His athleticism saved him.
Re Brady, he's looking more and more gun-shy and afraid of a hit as he gets older. He really does look like he's desperate to avoid a hit at all costs.
IMO it doesn't matter what type of shoes he is wearing, he was using it was a weapon. He tried to hit him with his sneakers/cleats/spikes. When I said "spike him" I was referring to the action rather than the actual equipment.
Just b.c Brady was putting himself at risk doesn't mean he wasn't trying to hurt someone else.
I just happen to think that Brady knew exactly what he was doing there.
Last edited by DDNYjets; 01-21-2013 at 07:49 AM.
As said once in "Remember The Titans"
"Throw the flag, ref! That's a personal foul!"
"On the Quarterback, coach? Are you kidding me?"
Get over it.
The NFL is so concerned about headshots and not for the safety of the player , they simply concern themselves with the resulting lawsuits. In essence they are ruining the game.
And this crap with the QB's has got to go, if QB's are going to run then should expect to get hit just like any other NFL player. The tap to the head of Kapernick was a key play in SF winning yesterday. But its so inconsistent , how many times did Sanchez get mauled last year with no flag. In fact the commercial they were airing for the pro bowl yesterday shows a Dolphins player wrapping up Sanchez around the head. Yeah, they're real concerned - for their marquee players only.
That was a very blatantly dirty play.....it was very obvious that he intentionally raised his leg alot higher then he needed to with the intention on hitting Reed with his cleats.
Sims did point out that play, he said Brady could have hurt his leg if it got pushed in, no regard for Reed or Brady's voilent behavoir.
It looks pretty damning to me. No doubt it was a non-call only a very few (two?) QBs get in that situation.
But to me the even more damning play of Brady was his unwillingness to scramble for the first down (or even TD) on that late 4th down play because he risked getting trucked by Ngata and chose to throw it away instead.


text:
BROWN Hill remains furious that Wendouree quick Eamon Johnson has been allowed to play in this season's Ballarat Cricket Association club Twenty20 competition.
Johnson was an integral part of the Red Caps' victory over the Bulls last week despite Central Highlands rules stating that "players competing in Premier Cricket in the year of the competition are ineligible".
Due to a shortage of bowlers, Johnson has played a couple of weeks with North Melbourne in the Victorian district ranks.
"It's pretty clear what you have to do. If you have played a Premier Cricket game this year you can't play Twenty20. We're just disappointed with the BCA doing the wrong thing, not checking the rules properly and not owning up to making the mistake," a Brown Hill spokesman told The Courier.
"I doubt whether we will be entering the competition next year."
Another spokesman from the Bulls said he had fielded a number of calls from BCA clubs that had expressed their own concerns with Johnson's eligibility.
"It's just moreso for the competition. I'd like to know what happens if (Wendouree) make it all way through to the state final, what the consequences will be," the spokesman said.
"Our argument is that in theory we can get someone from Premier Cricket, register them on a Monday, have them play Twenty20 on the Tuesday or Wednesday and then they can register back with their Premier Cricket club by Friday 1pm and they are right to play on the weekend."
The Bulls are seeking their $60 entry fee returned, an apology from the BCA or to be reinstated in the competition. They are also not blaming Wendouree for the issue.
BCA pennant committee chairman David Dawson said Wendouree had followed the correct procedure in re-registering Johnson before last Thursday's game.
"We believe he is not a current competing (Premier Cricket) player because he's a current player for Wendouree. He can't be registered in two places and rule 2.2 uses the word 'competing'. This means a current Premier Cricket player and Johnson is not," Dawson said.
Dawson said the BCA was likely to form its own Twenty20 rules for next season.
Central Highlands regional cricket manager Campbell Waring said Johnson was eligible to play for Wendouree in Twenty20 matches.
"What has happened in this situation is that Eamon has played on permit (with North Melbourne), re-registered at Wendouree and that is fine," he said.
"(The rule) is trying to stop someone that is playing Premier Cricket and not really playing for the local club playing in the Twenty20 competition."
Wendouree, the reigning state Twenty20 champion, progressed to the BCA grand final with victory over Napoleons-Sebastopol on Tuesday night. The Red Caps will meet Mt Clear in what will be a rematch of last season's decider on Sunday.


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Original URL: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/11/unity_semiconductor_cmox/
CMOx shows its face in flash race
Another technology candidate to follow on from NAND
Posted in The Channel, 11th June 2009 10:49 GMT
Heard of CMOx? Here we are in the midst of a rush towards NAND flash replacing fast hard drives and successor technologies are already jostling for prominence. Unity Semiconductor came out of stealth last month and has unveiled its CMOx technology with claimed technology advantages over NAND and manufacturing advantages over other post-NAND candidates.
For a non-volatile technology, the NVRAM field looks very volatile indeed. So far we know about Phase Change Memory (PCM), Carbon-resistive RAM, Magneto -resistive RAM(MRAM), and Unity Semiconductor's CMOx (Conductive Metal Oxide x) technology. This is a resistive technology but not the same as other resistive RAM concepts. The company says it will yield products with 4x the density and 5-10x the write speed of today's NAND flash.
Unity Semiconductor has devised a way of storing bits that is based, it says, on the movement of ionic charge carriers, with Oxygen ion distribution mentioned. It's used this to build a passive cross-point multi-layer memory array which does not have a transistor in each cell, unlike MRAM and PCM. That means, Unity says, they can't use a crosspoint, multi-layer design.
Unity says its CMOx technology uses a resistance change element, with quantum mechanical tunneling (trap-assisted tunneling) mentioned, but it is not a resistive RAM memory cell because conduction across the cell is uniform and not based on filaments. Oxygen ions move from a conductive metal oxide to an insulating one and back again under the influence of electric currents.
The CMOx technology has a fast write speed, though there is no actual comparison with NAND write speed available from Unity. There is a slide deck and technical paper (pdf) available describing Unity Semiconductor's approach.
Unity says: "The cross-point memory array architecture allows for the densest memory devices of all the next-generation NVM technologies. Further, it enables the physical stacking of multiple layers of memory. (Our CMOx) designs use 4 physical layers of (2-bit) multi-level cell (MLC) memory, and is the key to increasing the density of (our) storage-class memory products."
Apparently, memory cells are often compared on the basis of a measure termed F2 , or "feature size squared". The smaller the F2 measure, the more memory cells per unit area. Unity says DRAM has a 6F2 - 8F2 cell size, single level cell NAND a 4.5F2 rating, and MLC NAND a 2.25F2 size. It says its CMOx cross-point arrays have a cell size of just 0.5F2. The Unity die size is four times smaller than NAND flash.
Unity has a second noteworthy aspect which is its manufacturing model idea, called BEOL (Back-End Of Line). It says that its CMOx memory array maufacture can be commenced in ordinary CMOS logic foundries. Custom memory fabrication plants are not needed because there is no requirement to put a transistor in each cell. Basic wafers can be built in existing CMOS fabs and then taken to a second fab for the many CMOx layers to be added, using a metallisation process. This 2-stage process enables cheaper base substrate manufacturing cost as older 90nm process plant can be used in the first stage.
This is a pitch to potential partners from fabless Unity. It wants to form a joint-venture with an IDM, an integrated (semiconductor) device manufacturing company, for volume manufacturing of its product technology. CMOS base wafers will be procured from existing CMOS logic foundries and then transferred to the joint venture's fab for the addition of the CMOx memory layers.
Unity Semiconductor, like a latecomer to a party where the big boys and girls are already paired up, needs to find a wallflower with resources and ambition that's willing to take a punt on its technology. Together, it's saying, we can build a better mousetrap - and take advantage of the problems people are foreseeing with NAND when it finds it can't go beyond a 22nm process shrink because of physics-type problems.
Then CMOx would have to compete with PCM, Carbon-resistive RAM, MRAM and STT-RAM products from the post-NAND big boys. Can Unity Semiconductor David get a big enough JV slingshot to take on these various Goliath-backed efforts? ®


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Metal Gear Solid is perhaps one of the most successful game franchises in history. It has retro roots in the form of the Metal Gear MSX2 titles. Following their success, Hideo Kojima, the series creator, added 'Solid' to the title and produced four exceptional games, following the story of Solid Snake, a world weary special ops soldier. Having played through these games multiple times as a child and young adult I jumped at the chance to dive back into the Metal Gear Solid universe with the HD re-release of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater for the Xbox 360.
Snake Eater is amazing, enough said. I seriously don't think I could rank the Metal Gear Solid games. Each and every one of them has been so memorable and wonderful in their own ways. 1-4, they're all masterpieces as far as I'm concerned.
Peace Walker is the best MGS, IMO, but a lot of people will say that MGS4 is.
My opinions on the MGS series are so weird and out there that nobody seems to agree with me. MGS4 was the least successful in my eyes. The first 2 acts were brilliant and I loved the classic MGS gameplay with updated controls and mechanics... Then we get to act 3 and the game falls flat on its face and never captures the MGS feeling again. Its all sneaking past robots (I prefer gaurds that you can hold up etc), boss fights, action scenes and that stupid mission following that dude. It is the ONLY MGS game I have not played multiple times.
MGS2 was always my fave, but now I'm older, wiser and played the game from a fresh point of view I have to say MGS3 for me is the most successful. MGS2 will always hold a place in my nostalgia filled heart, but MGS3 is the better game and the best in the series.
MGS3>MGS2>MGS1>MGS4 ... I can easily switch the first 3 games order depending on my mood, but MGS4 stays dead last.
I think this guess missed the memo where it is pretty much one of the best games ever made...Poor soul probably never played it and is missing out on one of the best experiences ever.


text: Search Of Vehicle In Niagara Falls By Randy Gorbman • Apr 19, 2013 TweetShareGoogle+Email Credit Ashley Hasseet / WBFO NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (AP) _ Authorities say a police bomb unit found nothing dangerous inside a car with Massachusetts plates that was pulled over in the city of Niagara Falls. Police officials say a state police bomb disposal team used a robot to remove several items from the car Friday after it had been stopped earlier in the morning by officers checking out a report of a suspicious vehicle with Massachusetts license plates. Officials say the two men in the car have been released after being questioned and their personal items have been returned. Police say the men are from Massachusetts and were visiting friends in the area. The police response and search of the car came amid an intense manhunt in Massachusetts for one of the Boston Marathon bombers. TweetShareGoogle+EmailView the discussion thread.


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Allen Township
12-13-12 Christoper E. and Jackie L. Claus to Timothy J. and Sharon L. Johnson, 23155 Stone Ridge, $317,300.
Benton Township
12-11-12 Kevin M. and Kathy S. Fox to Jan Howard James, 0 Stange Road, vacant land $6,000.
Rocky Ridge Corp
12-11-12 Raymond C. Cousino Jr. and Lisa B. Cousino to Michael T. Reif and Renee Dusseau-Reif, North State Route 590, $25,000.
Carroll Township
12-10-12 Carol Watson to Rudy Hanzel and Amanda Harpel, 10536 West bier Road, $130,000.
12-10-12 Donald Helle to Jackson Family Investments, Inc.., 40974 West Duff Washa Road, $415,000.
12-10-12 James M. and June E. Beard to Amy Blackford, 11901 West Salem Carroll Road, $16,500.
Clay Township
12-12-12 Sally A. Dalton to Curtis Cope, 2941 North Huss, $140,000.
Genoa Corp.
12-12-12 Kathleen C. Bergman III to Henry W.Bergman III, 206 Eleventh Street, $125,500.
Catawba Township
12-10-12 davenport Real Estate LLC to William M. Shambarger, 911 Falling Waters, $50,000.
12-10-12 Sunshine Land II to Harold M. and Sharon A. Kowalka, 28974 East River Road, $346,010
12-12-12 Charles Thomas Halsey to Todd E. and Jacqueline C. Bowerman, 4245 East Laurel Ridge, $325,000.
12-13-12 Darvin L. Banks to Gary W. Gearhart Sr. and Judith L. Gearhart, 5128 Gardner Road, $165,000.
Danbury Township
12-12-12 Jacquelyn M. Deible to Federal National mortgage Association, 175 North Hidden Beach, $73,334.
12-13-12 Barbara J. Craven to Carl S. and Karen S. Koselke, 322 North Perryview Drive, $79,900.
12-13-12 Barbara J. Craven to Carl S. and Karen S. Koselke, 322 North Perryview, $14,100.
12-14-12 Joseph C. and Cynthia L. Turinsky to Deborah R. Newman, 1953 South Allsworth Drive, $64,000.
Marblehead Corp
12-11-12 Stephen G. Weising and Mary A. Buck to Daniel J. and Jane Maisonville, 3416 Memorial Shoreway, $550,000.
Harris Township
12-12-12 Michael F. and Suzanne C. Pavlica to Christopher E. and Jackie L. Claus, 15400 West State Route 105, $179,900.
Portage Township
12-14-12 John W. Hummell to Daniel C. and Kelly J. Schmehl, 374 North Miami Place, $95,000.
Oak Harbor Corp
12-12-12 Gina M. O'Lalde et al to Federal National Mortgage Association, 206 North Locust Street, $66,667.
12-12-12 JPMorgan Chase Bank to Snyder Real Estate, 523 Churuch Street, $40,000.


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LITTLE ROCK — The day is near, said the brilliant inventor/businessman, when bars of gold will be as common and as cheap as bars of iron or blocks of steel.
LITTLE ROCK — The day is near, said the brilliant inventor/businessman, when bars of gold will be as common and as cheap as bars of iron or blocks of steel.
This week, an ounce of the precious metal was priced north of $1300.
A year ago, the SEC media missed about as badly as Thomas Edison did in 1911.
The media, which has correctly picked the SEC champion only four times since 1992, zeroed in on Alabama to beat Georgia in the championship game. Alabama received 182 votes, Georgia 38. Also receiving votes, South Carolina (18), Texas A&M (4), and LSU (1).
Instead, Auburn, tabbed for fifth in the Western Division, defeated Missouri, selected sixth in the Eastern Division.
Late this week in Hoover, Ala., a more accurate prediction is guaranteed. Replacing James Franklin at Vanderbilt, Derek Mason is the only new coach in the league and he did not inherit the talent that Gus Malzahn did at Auburn.
More than likely, Mason's first team will achieve along the lines of the other first-year coaches — Arkansas' Bret Bielema, Kentucky's Mark Stoops, and Tennessee's Butch Jones who won a total of 10 games and only two in the SEC, both by the Vols.
For good reason, the media will choose between Alabama and Auburn in the West with LSU a solid third. On the other side of the league, the top vote-getters will be Georgia and South Carolina.
You have to be present to vote in the media poll, but that doesn't prevent a stay-at-home columnist from offering a ballot. Staying true to an earlier prediction, Arkansas is down for a 5-7 record that includes SEC victories over Texas A&M and Ole Miss and the trickle down from those two games shapes the picks for the Aggies and the Rebels.
From the top down, beginning with the Western Division:
1. Alabama. The defense will catch-up with Auburn's hurry-up and whoever wins out at quarterback will be battle tested by November when the Crimson Tide plays both LSU and Auburn.
2. LSU. A slightly out-on-a-limb pick. Defense, plus the Tigers have an advantage over Auburn because their Eastern Division opponents are Kentucky and Florida vs. Georgia and South Carolina for Auburn.
3. Auburn. See above.
4. (tie) Mississippi State and Ole Miss. For bragging rights, the Rebels get the nod in Oxford on Thanksgiving weekend.
6. (tie) Arkansas and A&M. The Aggies make a bowl because of a 4-0 non-conference record and the Razorbacks fall short because of a loss at Texas Tech.
Eastern Division:
1. (tie) South Carolina, Georgia, and Missouri. Gutless, maybe. Feasible, yes. A push at running back between the Gamecocks' Mike Davis and the Bulldogs' Todd Gurley, but a slight edge at quarterback to Missouri's Maty Mauk. Missouri could lose to both the other co-champions, but finish 6-2 by beating Arkansas and A&M from the West. Either Georgia or South Carolina or both will lose to Auburn. Based on a mid-September result, South Carolina goes to Atlanta.
4. Tennessee. Peyton Manning, who knows a little something about football, says that second-year coach Butch Jones has his alma mater headed in the right direction. The Vols have some playmakers and Jones has already landed a top five recruiting class.
5. Florida. Will making a minor bowl game be enough to save Will Muschamp's job?
6. Kentucky. ESPN has called early enrollee freshman Drew Barker a program-saving quarterback. Between Barker and highly touted Patrick Towles, the Wildcats should win a conference game or two.
7. Vanderbilt. Welcome to the SEC, Derek Mason.
Alabama, on to the College Football Playoff.
Checking the standings against this column in December, the prediction could be as far awry as the one by American producer/director/studio executive Darryl Zanuck. Television won't last six months, he said. "People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night," Zanuck said. The year was 1946.
Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media's Arkansas News Bureau. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com.


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WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton had encouraging words Tuesday for a new investigation into one of the 20th century's most enduring mysteries: the fate of American aviator Amelia Earhart, who went missing without a trace over the South Pacific 75 years ago.
Clinton and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood gave their support and encouragement on Tuesday to historians, scientists and salvagers from The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, which is launching a new search for the wreckage of Earhart's Lockheed Electra plane in the waters off the remote island of Nikumaroro, in what is now the Pacific nation of Kiribati.
Earhart was an inspiration to Americans in difficult times as the nation struggled to emerge from the Great Depression, Clinton said, adding that her legacy can serve as a model for the country now.
"Amelia Earhart may have been a unlikely heroine for a nation down on its luck, but she embodies the spirit of an America coming of age and increasingly confident, ready to lead in a quite uncertain and dangerous world," Clinton said at a State Department event to announce the new search. "She gave people hope and she inspired them to dream bigger and bolder."
"Today, we meet at a time when the challenges are not so dire despite what you might hear on cable television or talk radio. But these are still difficult days for many Americans," she said. "After a long decade of war, terrorism and recession, there are some who are asking whether we still have what it takes to lead, and like that earlier generation we too could use some of Amelia's spirit."
"We can be as optimistic and even audacious as Amelia Earhart," she said. "We can be defined not by the limits that hold us down but by the opportunities that are ahead."
Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan disappeared July 2, 1937, while flying from New Guinea to Howland Island as part of her attempt to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the globe.
Extensive searches at the time uncovered nothing and many historians are convinced they crashed into the ocean. In addition, conspiracy theories, including claims that they were U.S. government agents captured by the Japanese before the Second World War, still abound despite having been largely debunked.
But the aircraft recovery group believes Earhart and Noonan may have managed to land on a reef abutting the atoll, then known as Gardner Island, and survived for a short time. They surmise that the plane was washed off the reef by high tides shortly after the landing and that the wreckage may be found in the deep waters nearby.
Their previous visits to the island have recovered artifacts that could have belonged to Earhart and Noonan and suggest they might have lived for days or weeks. Now, they are armed with new analysis of an October 1937 photo of the shoreline of the island. That analysis shows what government experts believe may be a strut and wheel of a Lockheed Electra landing gear protruding from the water.
Renowned oceanographer Robert Ballard, who discovered the wreckage of the Titanic and the Bismarck and is advising the Earhart expedition, said the new analysis of the photograph could be the equivalent of a "smoking gun" as it narrows the search area from tens of thousands of square miles to a manageable size.
Ballard confessed to having been previously intimidated by the challenge of finding clues to Earhart's whereabouts.
"If you ever want a case of finding a needle in a haystack, this is at the top of the list," he said.
Ric Gillespie, the executive director of the group, said the new search is scheduled to last for 10 days in July and will use state-of-the-art underwater robotic submarines and mapping equipment. The Discovery Channel will film the expedition for a television documentary, he said. He acknowledged that the evidence was circumstantial but "strong" but stopped well short of predicting success.
"The most important thing is not whether we find the ultimate answer or what we find, it is the way we look," he said. "We see this opportunity to explore ... the last great American mystery of the 20th century as a vehicle for demonstrating how to go about figuring out what is true."
The Obama administration takes no position on any of purported evidence and acknowledges there is fierce debate on the subject. But Clinton, who noted that the State Department and other federal agencies had actively supported Earhart's flight, cheered the searchers on.
"Even if you do not find what you seek, there is great honor and possibility in the search itself," she said. "So, like our lost heroine, you will all carry our hopes ... We are excited and looking forward to hear about your own great adventure."


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Student or Learner
I'm trying to get accepted in one of the universities in UK by applying through UCAS. I wrote a Personal Statement and I would like it to be checked. But I don't want to put it in public. So maybe someone can review it personally?
If you have a PayPal account I can even pay you several dollars for your help.
Thank you in advance.


text:
Pah! So what happens to people like me with no social network? The can't ask me to send something I don't have.
Whereas, I am legitimately not on any social network. I wonder if they could prove otherwise for people who are.
Oh, and yes... I know they can search for you if you use your real name and have a public profile. That to me seems silly. If I were on a social network it would be under an alias and would be private so they couldn't search for me.
Yes, I know- technically aliases arn't allowed... but facebook would have no better way of knowing my real name was not Billy Bob Beerhouse then Slashdot would that my real name isn't Oswald McWeany.
I'd probably have two. One "family friendly" for... well, you know, family. And one for friends who neither family nor employer should encounter.
Anybody who feels comfortable demanding extremely intrusive access to personal information will likely not even think twice about assuming that anybody who isn't as transparent as the norm probably has something to hide.
Anybody who feels comfortable providing extremely intrusive access to personal information will likely not even think twice about providing strangers access to company confidential data, and should not be hired.
I know this is a joke, but this is the type of B.S. conclusion that H.R. folks are now TRAINED to jump to. There are tons of these.
The one that has been making me angry lately is: "the person sent their resume in PDF so we will throw it away since they must not know Office and thus be computer illiterate." It's the exact OPPOSITE of what you want as the person probably used PDF to be friendly to cross platforms. I had a recruiting officer give me a lecture about this while I was job hunting. I don't even own a copy of Microsoft Office.
I think H.R. procedure is akin to voodoo right now.
You are on slashdot.
You can friend people, have a journal, post articles and discuss crap.
You are on a social network.
Ah but I am guessing your resume doesn't list "/. UID Nadaka (224565)" as a contact method.
It could, but most people do not do that.
Nor do people do that for Facebook. I'm not sure what your point is.
I am not on slashdot.
Oswald McWeany is on slashdot. Oswald McWeany is just a random name taken from combining two names on a children's TV show with a "Mc" thrown in for fun. Good luck connecting my real name to Oswald.
Even my e-mail account that created the Oswald McWeany account uses a different made-up-name.
People always ask me why I act like such a douche on Slashdot. Now I know why; could you please stop using my name?
-- Sincerely, Oswald McWeany
Oswald McWeany is just a random name taken from combining two names on a children's TV show with a "Mc" thrown in for fun
Really? I'm genuinely curious: where'd the "Weany" come from? Seems like a strange character name, even for children's TV?
But an H.R. drone isn't going to know what slashdot is.
To H.R. drone, not knowing what something is means it is not important. Therefore you're at the same outcome.
...but is not illegal
Actually, it is illegal in Canada, and given the similarity between clause 8 of the Charter of Rights and the American Constitution's clause on "search and seizure", it should be illegal in the US as well.
The difference is that in Canada, companies and people asked the government and legislators for an interpretation to confirm that it's illegal.
In the US, companies went ahead without legal advice and are waiting to be sued so the courts can clarify their position -- in 5-10 years, and after a few million has been spent on a class action law suit.
Seriously? Just because you're antisocial and do not care about being on a social network because of your tinfoil hat does not mean the rest have to follow suit.
No matter what social network I'm on, it is reasonable to expect a semblance of privacy, especially if any information I share is for consumption only within my friends in that network.
While I'm unsearchable on Facebook, most of my friends on Facebook are from college and there's a certain degree of immaturity in our interaction. However, that is in
Seriously? Just because you're antisocial and do not care about being on a social network because of your tinfoil hat does not mean the rest have to follow suit.
I've found aluminium blocks the rays better.
If you are unsearchable then you don't exist. Thus nothing to hand them.
Just because you're antisocial and do not care about being on a social network because of your tinfoil hat does not mean the rest have to follow suit.
Why exactly do you assume he's antisocial? Why do you assume he's wearing a tinfoil hat? What if someone doesn't care about social networks, like me? I just don't find them useful.
I know it can sometimes be difficult to comprehend that different people have different preferences and needs, but come on.
You can be fired in most jurisdictions for lying on a resume, if it's proven, so I'd be carefull with that.
I wouldn't put "I am not on a social network" on my resume.
I'd be surprised if many people listed the social networks to which they belong/didn't belong on their resume.
Really easy for you to say when you have not been on unemployment for over a year, your wife is about ready to leave you, your house is in foreclosure, repo guys are going to come take your car away, and the collection agencies you around the clock demanding you pay them back and harassing your family members.
In such a scenario is unfortunately, very typical in this economy for those who got laid off at the absolute worst time.
What are you going to do? So no sir Mr. potential boss. You can kiss my ass. My wife will gladly accept this, and my kids really didn't need to be fed anyway etc.
You will do it and not only will you bend over, but you will be happy with no lube and have a big smile on your face. Anything is better than not working right?
Employers are taking advantage of people in a bad situation and it is disgusting. I know I am an evil socialist for dare saying the government get involved, but this is where it is a good case to do so. This is not 1999 anymore where employers compete with you if have any reasonable talent. Today, they do not care and can under pay, overwork, and make unreasonable demands because their competitors are doing it and why not?
I'm not in the market for a job (I'm a freelancer), but if I were, I have plenty of other ways for prospective employers to find information on me outiside of Facebook.
The first (and only) thing I'd say to an HR person asking for my login/pass is this: "I use Facebook to connect only with family and friends (I really do). I do not "friend" people that I do not know in real life. Should you hire me and we become friends, I'll gladly "friend" you. Until then, if you would like to
What will happen will be similar to what happened to me when I was job hunting a couple years back:
The HR person will narrow their eyes once they get the answer that you don't have a FB account and ask, "If you are a so called IT person who is applying for something better than flipping burgers, then why are you not keeping up with modern day technology? Why should we hire a fossil, when any middle school kid can understand the concept of a social network, which you have demonstrated that you have failed t
That's silly. You should have explained to them that you don't need to belong to a social network to understand the concepts. And if they can't understand that, you should grab the nearest large object and bash their head in until they do. And then tell them they are too stupid to work for and spit on them as you leave.
Seriously, though. Any HR person who can't understand that using and understanding are different things will just cause you endless trouble if you were to be an employee. It's best to turn those jobs down.
Have you looked for a job recently? HR = silly.
Go ahead and flame, but it's an entire profession of people who are 95% incompetent.
That's silly. You should have explained to them that you don't need to belong to a social network to understand the concepts. And if they can't understand that, you should grab the nearest large object and bash their head in until they do.
Code Monkey not say it... out loud. Code Monkey not crazy... just proud.
the new (and correct) reply is: I don't accept the TOS of the current social networks and so I'll pass until their TOS is acceptable to me.
there. all you need to get a graceful 'out'. and its true, too. 100% true for many of us.
My answer was something along the lines of:
"I am quite familiar with facebook and how it works. I understand how people use it, and I understand its business model. However I believe facebook encourages people to put too much information online, and this creates too much opportunity for both personal and professional liability."
"In fact, the fact that you are requesting access to any facebook account I might have during this interview process demonstrates just how concerned the company is about this sort of
Pah! So what happens to people like me with no social network? The can't ask me to send something I don't have.
Whereas, I am legitimately not on any social network. I wonder if they could prove otherwise for people who are.
Potential Employer: "Er, so you are saying you're not part of any social network online whatsoever?"
You: "Yes, that is correct."
(Potential Employer quietly checks the box next to "Does not play well with others", and upon conclusion of the interview, places your resume in the "don't bother" pile)
Think they really need to "prove" anything at all? Companies that stoop to this level of valuation of a potential employee obviously have their priorities screwed up, so don't be shocked if this kind of crap actually goes on.
Social networks performing social engineering on society. Gotta love watching the brainwashing of the masses.
Think they really need to "prove" anything at all? Companies that stoop to this level of valuation of a potential employee obviously have their priorities screwed up, so don't be shocked if this kind of crap actually goes on.
No, I suppose they don't need to "prove" anything. That kind of company I probably wouldn't want to be part of anyway though.
For the record, I have moved around a bit in my career, and have never been asked about social networks in any interview.
As a disclaimer- I am an introvert- but I am able to fake otherwise in a social/business setting- and I am legitimately a friendly person and get along well with everyone. I've just never liked throwing my real name out in person online. I take part in all sorts
Honestly, although slashdot has some features of social networks I've never considered it a social network. News aggregator/blog... there are several things I would call it ahead of "social network".
Even though it has those capabilities- I've never used it as a social network- I've not used the friend/foe/journal/personal blog sections.
I will sometimes search using google. That doesn't mean I'm part of Google+.
stuff like this opens employers to disability & discrimination issues. So they should even be asking for them or looking at your page any ways.
The Second rule of hiring: Hire stupid people who will do what you say and who you can blame when what you told them to do did not work.
The First rule of hiring. It is better to let many excellent applicants not get the job then hire a bad employee.
If you want to end up with a company of mediocre employees.
If you want to end up with a company of mediocre employees.
Half the companies are always going to be below median no matter how much downsizing you do...
H.R. procedure.
We need to fire these people and do the hiring ourselves. I don't care if it takes more time. If I am ever lucky to run a business this is how I will do it, and I a guarantee you I'll have the best staff of anyone.
Second rule is that "in this economy" there are 20 qualified applicants for each opening. So pulling another name out of a hat isn't going to be a problem.
There are monetary costs... So the local printing company has been advertising for a CCIE for $50K for years (this is no exaggeration truth BTW I distantly know the people involved) as part of their H1B filing process... If the H1B guy refused to give up his FB password got 50K/yr, the monetary cost might be $51K/yr for the next guy, who is willing to gi
However, make sure your requirements don't filter out all the good employees.
This misses the point that many/most job postings are asking for con men and liars.
A dumb set of hyperspecific job requirements sometimes means they're just dumb, sometimes means they're doing a H1B posting requirement, and sometimes means they're looking for someone with a flexible attitude toward legality and the truth.
In quite a few fields and companies, legal and ethical does not equal your assumption of good employee.
I recently did a job search and had numerous offers none of which asked for my social media logins. If they had asked I would have moved on to the next.
That said, if it came down to it I'd have "William Roehl" on Facebook and I'd keep my Bill Roehl account for my usual FB needs. While my FB account has nothing questionable aside from birth announcements to family/friends which could be used against me, I'd be happy to hand over the l/p to a completely empty account.
They want to play stupid games? I can play
I think the way I would put it is this:
"I'm going to say no to you, potential employer, and here is why you should hire me over those who applicants who comply. When people add me as a friend and grant me access to their page, they are trusting me with information. When they contact me privately, they are trusting me not to share what they say. If, in the future, I were to leave this company and a future company asked me for confidential secrets regarding your business, you would rightfully expect that I would decline to cooperate. The fact that I am risking an employment opportunity by declining to cooperate with you here shows you that I am a trustworthy person, even under duress, and other candidates who cooperate with you are not so much."
Being in a technology related field, I think it would be an interesting test of somebody's security/privacy mentality to ask them for their password, with no intention to use it, but those who refuse to give the password are probably the ones you want to hire.
That may be true, but (assuming your working in a large enough company to have them) HR drones will have the opposite mentality, and assume that anybody that won't tell them all about their private life must be a bad choice. Never mind that such questions may be illegal.
You would be surprised. In this economy, even people with a clue are looking for a job, and they have to fight against people with far less skills, but are far more willing to do anything asked of them by an employer, laws be damned.
When I was looking for work, I told more than one company where to stick it when the HR rep demanded a password and said that if a candidate wasn't doing something illegal or immoral, they would hand it over. The classic, "if you didn't have something to hide" type of BS.
In a
Facebook, who cares. I used it for 6 months, net effect slight negative (lots of wasted time, nothing productive happened because of FB) so I deleted it some years back. I'm not so worried about HR floozies asking for my facebook account. I do worry about clueful supervisor asking for my
I think the real concern is FB is/was/will sell, at some expense, full access to anyones account for HR purposes, and they're pissed off that some HR floozies are sneaking around to backdoor their profitable little sales channel. If I tell Ms H R Floozie my password and she logs in as me, how is FB supposed to send HR a $250 bill for social network consultative services, Ms Floozie has already seen all my furry pics and fan status for the NORML page, so she's not about to pay FB to learn the same thing...
FBs only hope is to sell full access to not just my account, but full access to all my friend's accounts... I can give Ms HR Floozie my complete login info, but not me friend's info. Although I suppose asking applicants to ask their FB friends for their login info is the next logical step against that.
One possible hope for FB is to stock the hell out of FB with all kinds of protected stuff, like orientation (thats protected, isn't it?) and race and especially religion, and then crucify people (err, HR I mean) in the courts if they fail to hire someone who is a christian/jew/black on their uncensored page. They can sell access to a carefully censored for legal purposes portal for HR to use that somehow magically removes all references to Jehovah and the flying spaghetti monster.
Speaking of the FSM, his G+ page is better than I expected.
I think this is where the actual rights of an employee, are never really understood by said people. There are probably many other examples where companies have violated laws regarding their workforce, because of what I perceive to simply be insecurities on the part of the company.
In short - companies get scared that their name will be tainted from the inside, and so they are willing to go above (or below) the law to try and "protect" their image. So it's good to see that lawmakers are standing up and taking note. Now, just to educate those who don't read tech sites
Background checks that will include posting on public forums, likely even ones which used aliases. Thanks to third party tracking cookies many are already able to match up people with their 'anonymous', eventually someone will monetize it by allowing searches through decades of posting.
I'm hearing a lot about this, but I have yet to actually find someone who will confirm that they've been asked to hand over their account information. While I agree that employers should not be asking for this information, I suspect that a lot of this noise is just noise.
I want to see people name names. List the companies that are asking for usernames and passwords.
A quick Google search turned up this [msn.com] article. It gives the names of two people who were asked for passwords, one by a prospective employer (he refused and withdrew his application) and one by an employer he was returning to (he gave his info because he felt he had to). For the second of those, it names the employer: the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Evidently they stopped asking for passwords after complaints by the ACLU.
This is a public service announcement with some food for thought regarding Facebook and similar sites.
Do not post anything on these sites that you do not want the world to know!
1. User agreements. Almost all of these sites retain ownership to what you post. They can re-sell or re-publish the material later, like Twitter, and there is no guarantee that your privacy settings will be intact.
2. Follow the money. Search engine advertising is falling because it is not targeted, but social networks are easily targeted for advertising. Your data will be sold, and if it's anonymized, there's no guarantee that the anonymization will be done so completely that it won't be easy to correlate your anonymized data to your public profiles.
3. It's easy to get to your data. If your friends let in someone who's crazy, that data will be public.
4. Security is not guaranteed. These sites can get hacked and their data published, a la Wikileaks. Even if the data isn't public, it will be for sale to people including the security firms that your future employers will want.
5. People are stupid. They think it's funny, and they re-share your stunts and exploits, and then there's the picture of you naked beer bonging on your supervisor's desk.
Think defensively and don't trust large corporations like Google and Facebook with your data.
This is a lose/lose situation on both sides:
I just do not get it
Indeed. Sorry, I have no mod points, but that link sums it up pretty good.
How about a probe in to how companies use people's credit reports for hiring decisions?
How is that OK but looking at people's facebook page NOT?
I don't know about other countries, but in the US, employers may not ask about the following.
National origin
Marital/family status
Let the person asking the question know that by asking for the Facebook information, they are using a back door approach to gather information they are not entitled to ask and that you object to giving that information.
Any reasonable employer would not want that legal liability.
It'd be fun to see them break out in a cold sweat.
It'd also be fun to see them NOT hire you
Getting the HR guy all worked up is a good way to not get the job.
Companies are getting away with stuff like this on the job interview because they have 100's of applicants for each position. My bet is people are handing over the PW because they don't want to put a negative or confrontational spin on the interview.
What we seem to be missing is that we have 2 senators defining digital data in the same terms as personal possessions and papers. Using THIS argument as a starting point, I can see a good opening for the EFF and ACLU to step in and require like protections on Digital data from Government search and seizure.
The Constitution protects your possessions and papers from unreasonable search and seizure, however, megaupload and a dozen other events have shown that Law enforcement sees Digital data as something
I have yet to see a single recruiting firm or employer called out on doing this.
Employers have no right to ask job applicants for their house keys or to read their diaries
Really? What law prevents them from doing that? I was under the impression that, at least in the US, employers can ask prospective employees almost whatever information they damn well please. The only exceptions I'm aware of is stuff that could then be used to illegally discriminate against you, such as your religion and race. Unless something in your house or in your diary exposes you as a member of a protected c
Fortunately this past week has seen many groups and legislators in Canada confirming that asking for Facebook passwords is illegal here. It's an invasion of privacy, what would be in American terms an "unwarranted search and seizure" by someone who not only has no warrant, but isn't even law enforcement.
The relevant clause of our Charter of Rights [justice.gc.ca] in Canada:
8. Everyone has the right to be secure against unreasonable search or seizure.
Let Facebook deal with the problem in the only way these idiots are going to learn, through a Lawsuit from Facebook for interfering with their business since that's esentially what they are doing. Facebook also has the right to remove all listings/postings by that company and employees for the TOS violation. Combine that with a nice juicy lawsuit, even if FB doesn't win and the CEO's/Boards will get the message quick time.
"Facebook have no right to ask job applicants for their house keys or to read their diaries — why should they be able to ask them for their email account passwords [as part of the Find Friends feature] and gain unwarranted access to a trove of private information about what we like, what messages we send to people, or who we are friends with?"
And this is a practice to which Facebook is opposed and over which Facebook is willing to take legal action? Hmm. Sounds like *checks his Facebook account's Find
I agree with the FB position. I do work with youth at Church. Several of them are my friends on FB, although these days more of my friends are professional colleagues. Their parents know that. My privacy is set somewhat tighter than the default, to minimize their exposure to others.
While I am not silly enough to put anything that matters on FB, some of the kids have said things that, while actually not very serious, they might not want other people to see. The difficulty with letting third parties use my account is that most of what's there isn't my postings, but postings of my friends. And they might well not want my potential employer to see them.
I don't know what kind of suit FB has in mind, but if I were going to make up a case I'd make it up based on compromising the privacy of minors without the consent of their parents.
Q: How many IBM CPU's does it take to execute a job? A: Four; three to hold it down, and one to rip its head off.


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Anyone know what could be the cause of a sudden change in my let down time?
Tues my left boob leaked a bit in the morning when I forgot to wear a pad, and now for the past 3 days..since tues afternoon...my milk is taking longer to let down, for baby and pump. Baby is 4 months old.
Sometimes takes up to 5 minutes.
Don't remember it ever doing this with my son. What would be the reason for such a sudden change?
I worked last sat. night and brought home 11 ounces in two pumps that lasted 15 mins each. but now my milk is taking longer to let down?
i dont get it? What gives? Is this normal and to be expected at this point?


text:
Reminiscent of a quaint countryside garden, this comforter set features a lovely burgundy rose print with a grayed rose reflection on a cream background. Comforter and shams reverse to a pinstripe print. Includes diamond quilt comforter, bedskirt and two standard shams; one with twin, king size with king. Bedskirt with 16" tailored drop with box pleat on center and sides; split corners. Panels and valance are also avaiable. Cotton/polyester; polyfill. Machine wash/ dry. Import.
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Kea, or Tzia as it also known, is a small island located an hour from Athens by ferry, discovers an all organic farm and Pasteli, a healthy on the go snack. Chef Yianni makes the local specialty "Paspala" and "Spanakorizo".
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Episode #107 / Length: 25 minutes


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Whistling girls and cackling hens always come to some bad end.
If you keep shrugging your shoulders, they're going to fall off.
Girlie . . .
It's too bad you can't stay longer, but I know you have other things to do (said after non-family visitors overstayed their welcome).
You can't take it with you.


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A Pilot Study of rhBMP-2/ACS/Allograft Bone Dowel for Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion in Patients With Symptomatic Degenerative Disc Disease
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01494428
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : December 19, 2011
Last Update Posted : August 2, 2013
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Condition or disease
|Degenerative Disc Disease
|Device: rhBMP-2/ACS/allograft bone dowel Device: Autogenous bone/allograft bone dowel
|Not Applicable
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|46 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Parallel Assignment
|None (Open Label)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|A Clinical Investigation of Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 and Absorbable Collagen Sponge With Allograft Bone Dowel for Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion in Patients With Symptomatic Degenerative Disc Disease
|Study Start Date :
|April 1998
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|February 2004
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|February 2004
|Experimental: rhBMP-2/ACS
Device: rhBMP-2/ACS/allograft bone dowel
The rhBMP-2/ACS will be used in conjunction with an allograft bone dowel.
Other Name: Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2
|Active Comparator: Autogenous Bone
Device: Autogenous bone/allograft bone dowel
An allograft bone dowel contains autogenous bone taken from the patient's iliac crest.
Other Name: Autograft
- Severity and Rate of Implant-Associated Adverse Events [ Time Frame: 24 month ]
- Rate of Implant Revision, Removal and Supplemental Fixation Procedures [ Time Frame: 24 month ]
- Incidence of Permanent Adverse Events [ Time Frame: 24 month ]
- Fusion [ Time Frame: 24 month ]
Fusion is defined as:
- Bone observed connecting with the vertebral bodies above and below either through the implants; lateral to or between the implants; or anterior/posterior to the implants.
- Angulation < 5°.
- Translation < 3mm.
- Absence of radiolucent lines around more than 50% of either implant.
- Disc Height Measurement [ Time Frame: 24 month ]Disc height will be measured postoperative and compared to the preoperative measurement. Maintenance or improvement in disc height will be determined a success.
- Pain/Disability Status [ Time Frame: 24 month ]The self-administered Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire will be used. Success will be defined as pain/disability improvement postoperatively according to the following definition: Preoperative Score - Postoperative Score >= 15
- Neurological Status [ Time Frame: 24 month ]Neurological status will be assessed preoperatively and postoperatively using a comprehensive neurological status scale.
- Nature and Frequency of Adverse Events Not Associated with the Implants [ Time Frame: 24 month ]
- Rate of Reoperation Procedures [ Time Frame: 24 month ]
- Hip (Donor Site) Pain Status [ Time Frame: 24 month ]
- Patient Satisfaction/Quality of Life Status (SF-36) [ Time Frame: 24 month ]
- Pain Status (Numerical Rating Scale) [ Time Frame: 24 month ]
- Overall Success [ Time Frame: 24 months ]
A patient will be considered an overall success if all of the following conditions are met:
- fusion
- disc height maintenance or improvement
- pain/disability (Oswestry) improvement
- maintenance or improvement in neurological status
- no permanent adverse event
- no additional surgical procedure classified as a "failure."
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
Has degenerative disc disease as noted by back pain of discogenic origin, with or without leg pain, with degeneration of the disc confirmed by patient history ( e.g.,pain [leg, back, or symptoms in the sciatic nerve distribution], function deficit and/or neurological deficit)and radiographic studies ( e.g., CT, MRl, X-Ray, etc.) to include one or more of the following:
- instability( defined as angular motion > 5° and/or translation >= 2-4mm, based on Flex/Ext radiographs);
- osteophyte formation;
- decreased disc height;
- thickening of ligamentous tissue;
- disc degeneration or herniation; and/or
- facet joint degeneration.
- Has preoperative Oswestry score > 35.
- Has no greater than Grade 1 spondylolisthesis utilizing Meyerding's Classification (Meyerding HW, 1932.).
- Has single-level symptomatic degenerative involvement from L4 to S1.
- Is at least 18 years of age, inclusive, at the time of surgery.
- Has not responded to non-operative treatment (e.g., bed rest, physical therapy, medications, spinal injections, manipulation, and/or TENS) for a period of at least 6 months.
- If female of child-bearing potential, who is not pregnant or nursing, and who agrees to use adequate contraception for 16 weeks following surgery.
- Is willing and able to comply with the study plan and sign the Patient Informed Consent Form.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Had previous anterior spinal fusion surgical procedure at the involved level.
- Has a condition which requires postoperative medications that interfere with fusion, such as steroids or nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (this does not include low dose aspirin for prophylactic anticoagulation).
- Has osteopenia, osteoporosis, or osteomalacia to a degree that spinal instrumentation would be contraindicated.
- Has presence of active malignancy.
- Has overt or active bacterial infection, either local or systemic.
- Is obese, i.e., weight greater than 40% over ideal for their age and height.
- Has fever (temperature> 101° F oral) at the time of surgery.
- Is mentally incompetent. If questionable, obtain psychiatric consult.
- Has a Waddell Signs of Inorganic Behavior score of 3 or greater.
- Is a prisoner.
- Is an alcohol and/or drug abuser.
- Is a tobacco user at the time of surgery.
- Patient has received drugs which may interfere with bone metabolism within two weeks prior to the planned date of spinal fusion surgery (e.g., steroids or methotrexate).
- Patient has a history of autoimmune disease (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus or Dermatomyositis).
- Patient has a history of exposure to injectable collagen implants.
- Patient's history includes hypersensitivity to protein pharmaceuticals (monoclonal antibodies or gamma globulins) or collagen.
- Patient has received treatment with an investigational therapy within 28 days prior to implantation surgery or such treatment is planned during the 16 weeks following rhBMP-2/ACS implantation.
- Patient has received any previous exposure to BMP.
- Patient has a history of severe allergy, an allergy to bovine products, or a history of anaphylaxis.
- Patient has history of endocrine or metabolic disorder known to affect osteogenesis (e.g., Paget's disease, renal osteodystrophy, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, or osteogenesis imperfecta).
|Responsible Party:
|Medtronic Spinal and Biologics
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01494428 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|First Posted:
|December 19, 2011 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|August 2, 2013
|Last Verified:
|December 2011
Keywords provided by Medtronic Spinal and Biologics:
symptomatic degenerative disc disease
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Spinal Diseases
Intervertebral Disc Degeneration
Bone Diseases
Musculoskeletal Diseases


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PRINCETON — With the winter and holiday season here, local and state officials are encouraging drivers to slow down, be alert and drive carefully.
On Wednesday, Bureau County Sheriff John Thompson said there are several winter driving tips which drivers need to remember when traveling on the roads in the coming months. Some of those tips include making sure the vehicle is in good service condition and the gas tank is near full, not using the cruise control or overdrive on icy roads, and being especially careful on bridges and overpasses.
Also, drivers need to remember all-wheel drive not mean all weather is driveable, Thompson said.
"If you call the sheriff's department for advice on road conditions (during winter storms), you will be told that travel is not recommended. Then you and your family must decide if the trip can be delayed," Thompson said. "You will always prefer to be inside the safely of your home wishing you were traveling, rather than stranded without help or support and wishing you were inside your cozy home."
The Illinois State Police, the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Tollway have launched the "Ice and Snow-Take it Slow" campaign in preparation for winter driving conditions.
Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider said IDOT will continue to collaborate with law enforcement and transportation partners to make sure state roads are fully prepared for the upcoming winter season. IDOT is equipped with sufficient snow removal supplies and staff, and will always make state roadways as clear and safe as possible, she said.
"We strongly encourage all motorists to be ready for harsh weather conditions this year and to continue to drive defensively, slow down, never drive while distracted or impaired, and always buckle up," Schneider said.
During the 2012-13 winter season, more than 3,680 employees and 1,730 pieces of equipment will be available for deployment by IDOT to keep state routes clear and passable, Schneider said.
The Illinois Tollway has readied 182 plow trucks and other equipment to combat snow and ice storms this winter across the 286-mile tollway system in Northern Illinois. The tollway also has 84,000 tons of salt on hand along with other supplies such as liquid calcium chloride and roadway abrasives, to keep roadways clear for its 1.4 million daily drivers.
From the Illinois State Police perspective, ISP director Hiram Grau said motorists face weather conditions each year which can have a devastating impact on driving conditions and passenger safety.
"Whether it's a semi-truck or a motor vehicle, motorists should drive with extra caution to ensure that accidents are avoided and roads are safe," Grau said. "Reducing your speed, allowing for extra travel time, increasing distances between vehicles, and avoiding unnecessary lane changes are just a few simple precautions drivers can take to make commutes safer."
Comment on this story at www.bcrnews.com.
Winter driving tips
• Have your vehicle serviced before the snow flies to insure your equipment is in good serviceable condition.
• Keep your gas tank (near) full.
• Keep a window scraper and brush in your vehicle. In addition to cleaning your windshield, brush all snow off your headlights, taillights and windows.
• Always schedule extra travel time during snowy or icy conditions.
• Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.
• Install new windshield wipers in the fall.
• Keep your lights and windshield clean.
• Don't use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.
• Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses which freeze before roads.
• Keep a fully charged cellular telephone available for emergencies, but don't use the phone while driving.
• Inform family or friends of your destination.
• If stuck or stranded while traveling, never leave your vehicle. It serves as a great shelter with the ability to retain heat and will be more easily seen.
• Road flares are a good consideration, but only last 30-45 minutes after ignited and should never be used while in your vehicle.
• Keep a winter safety kit in your vehicle. In addition to the winter coat your wear, keep an extra winter coat and possibly additional clothing in your vehicle. If you travel with your spouse, keep one for each of you. Also, keep blanket(s), a flashlight and fresh batteries (annually), a first aid kit, and food such as protein bars, in the car.
• Additional items for a winter safety kit include a pocket or kitchen knife and a metal can, like a coffee can with a snap-on lid, and matches, which can serve as a safe source of heat while in a stranded vehicle.
(Information provided by Bureau County Sheriff John Thompson)


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Audio on demand
Unfair pay: Tracing tracker wages in New South Wales, 1862–1950
Michael Bennett, historian, Native Title Service Corp
Indigenous Participation in Australian Economies conference, 10 November 2009
Hundreds of Aboriginal men were employed as police trackers from 1862. They enjoyed a regular income, but the work was risky and the pay and conditions terrible. Michael Bennett describes the system and makes the case for a compensatory scheme.
Indigenous Participation in Australian Economies conference
- The hybrid economy as political projectProfessor Jon Altman, Australian National University
- Settler economies and Indigenous encountersChristopher Lloyd, University of New England
- Indigenous modes of exchange and participation in the Indonesian trepang industryDaryl Guse, Australian National University
- The art of cutting stone: Aboriginal convict labour in 19th-century New South Wales and Van Diemen's LandKristyn Harman, University of Tasmania
- 'Always Anangu' – always enterprising'Alan O'Connor, University of South Australia
- Albert Namatjira, camels and cars: the evolution of Indigenous art economies in Central AustraliaAlison French, Australian National University
- 'Afghans' and Aborigines in Central AustraliaPhilip Jones, South Australian Museum
- Evidently not!Mike Pickering, National Museum of Australia
- Between locals: Interpersonal histories and the Papunya art movementPeter Thorley and Andy Greenslade, National Museum of Australia
- The economy of shells: A history of Aboriginal women at La Perouse making shellwork for saleMaria Nugent, National Museum of Australia
- Small Aboriginal community incorporations on shifting ground: A perspective from Ltyentye Apurte Community, Santa TeresaJudy Lovell, University of Canberra (paper co-authored by Camille Dobson and Veronica Dobson)
- Before the mission station: The incorporation of settlers into a seasonal economyJohn White, Australian National University
- Workfare, welfare and the hybrid economy: The Western Arrernte in Central AustraliaDiane Austin-Broos, University of Sydney
- From barter to award wages: Aboriginal labour and Methodist missions in Arnhem LandGwenda Baker, Monash University
- The 1968–69 introduction of equal wages for Aboriginal pastoral workers in the KimberleyFiona Skyring, consultant historian
- Unfair pay: Tracing tracker wages in New South Wales, 1862–1950Michael Bennett, historian, Native Title Service Corp
- A financial scandalRos Kidd, historian and consultant
- Understanding Indigenous enterprise on Palm Island: Is resilience more than a metaphor?Erin Bohensky (paper co-authored by Yiheyis Maru, James Butler, Thomas Stevens, and Kostas Alexandridis)
- Necessity entrepreneurship within a dominant societyDennis Foley, University of Newcastle
- Demand responsive services and culturally sustainable enterprise in remote Aboriginal settingsPaul Memmott, University of Queensland
- Social and cultural factors in remote area Indigenous enterprise developmentDeirdre Tedmanson (paper co-authored by Bobby Banerjee)
- Options for developing a natural resource-based economy in Arnhem Land: Payments for environmental servicesNanni Concu, Australian National University
- Animal spirits in the Dreaming and the market: The economic development of caring for countryGeoff Buchanan, Australian National University
- Policy mismatch and Aboriginal art centres: The tension between economic independence and community developmentGretchen Stolte, Australian National University
- Wrap-up and discussionIan Keen, anthropologist


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A benefit cookout in honor of the Tyler Jett, the 7-year-old boy who was mauled by two pit bull mixes, raised $12,000.
Jett has been in the hospital since Tuesday afternoon. That's when he was attacked by two dogs outside his home on Kelly Court in Callaway,
Cissy Combs, who organized the cookout held at the Dam Bait Shop near Deerpoint Lake, was surprised by the huge turnout.
"The support that we're getting from everybody, the outpouring of love is overwhelming," she said. "Ever since then it's been one minute I'm crying from sorrow and the next I'm crying because I'm just so proud of this community, I'm so proud of the love of that these people here have."
Bay County commissioner Guy Tunnell was also in attendance wishing the best to the family.
"The most important thing right now is to focus on the well-being of this little boy and his recovery," he said. "I understand that he's making some really good progress but he's got an awfully long way to go and I would encourage our community to do what it does best and step up and help out."
The money raised by the cookout today will go towards helping the family pay their rent and keep food and other supplies readily available.
According to Cissy, Tyler is still in a coma, but is making steady


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Annie Rose
Found 2,836,849 Records, 175,559 Photos and 45,038,411 Family Trees
Born in Wilson, North Carolina, USA on Sep 1882 to Matthew Rose and Zilpha Bass. Annie Rose married Wiley Ransom Talton and had 5 children.
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Potential photos and documents for Annie RoseView All 175,559 Images
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Surname meaning for Rose
English, Scottish, French, and German: from the name of the flower, Middle English, Old French, Middle High German rose (Latin rosa), in various applications. In part it is a topographic name for someone who lived at a place where wild roses grew, or a habitational name for someone living at a house bearing the sign of the rose. It is also found, especially in Europe, as a nickname for a man with a 'rosy' complexion. As an American surname, this name has absorbed cognates and similar-sounding names from other European languages. English: variant of Royce. Jewish (Ashkenazic): ornamental name from the word for the flower (German Rose, Yiddish royz), or a metronymic name from the Yiddish female personal name Royze, derived from the word for the flower.


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To access members-only content on cta.org, please sign in below.
Register Now
Ed Gomez, Aba Ngissah, Toby Spencer, Gilda Bloom-Leiva
Delegates say they go to State Council because that's where "everything CTA" happens — policy is set, funding decisions are made, and direction is set. Everything that CTA supports or opposes is voted on by State Council after it is thoroughly reviewed and recommended by one or more of 22 committees.
Colleagues share about their committees
We each take different parts — some of us talk about bargaining strategies, others about different policies, and then we talk about how these things are affecting what goes through State Council. I encourage members to get updated on the committees, and about what each committee does.
Ed Gomez
San Bernardino Community College District Teachers Association
Negotiations Committee
As a homework assignment, we reviewed the Common Core math standards with colleagues and then brought back comments and insights. Based on that we're making recommendations that will be passed on to the California Department of Education. We're doing the same thing for the Next Generation Science Standards.
Aba Ngissah
Inglewood Teachers Association
Curriculum and Instruction Committee
My committee's issues affect all the ancillary and alternative modes of education. We're educating adults, distance learners who are isolated by rural environments, the kids who need hands-on, minds-on learning and don't learn by bubble tests. We're here from different parts of the states and in different shops. We're here for kids who need extra push and mentorship.
Toby Spencer
San Juan Teachers Association
Alternative Adult and Career Technical Education Committee
We deal with all kinds of different issues — peace and social justice issues that apply to educators and students; student, parent and teacher rights. During this meeting we are dealing with the issue of suspension and learning more about the parent trigger law.
Gilda Bloom-Leiva
California Faculty Association, San Francisco State University
Civil Rights in Education Committee Chair
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Every child deserves a chance to learn and no child succeeds alone.
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The world needs a little more TLC — at least that's how Rozonda "Chili" Thomas and Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins feel.
The two singers put an end to the R&B group, which has sold more than 65 million records worldwide and scored chart-topping hits such as "Waterfalls," "No Scrubs," "Creep" and "Unpretty," in 2004, after trying to continue following the April 2002 death of third member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes in a car crash in the Honduras.
But last week they released "20," a collection of hits plus "Meant To Be," TLC's first new single in nine years.
And on Monday, Oct. 21, VH1 premieres "CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story," which Thomas calls a "juicy" biopic directed by Charles Stone III ("Drumline," "Mr. 3000," "Paid in Full") and starring Keke Palmer (Thomas), Drew Sidora (Watkins) and Natia "Lil Mama" Kirkland (Lopes).
"This is a great year for TLC," says Thomas, 42, who dated and had a son with TLC producer Dallas Austin. "We have the biopic and the album and the new songs and ... it's just time for us to do everything again, you know?"
This year's TLC activity is the culmination of work Thomas and Watkins began in 2009, after regrouping for performances in Japan and Los Angeles. The duo has performed sporadically ever since — including on the 2011 "American Idol" season finale — and recorded a song for a 2012 tribute to the Japanese band L'Arc-En-Ciel. TLC also guested on rapper J. Cole's single "Crooked Smile," and during July the duo performed at the MixTape Festival in Hershey, Penn.
Thomas and Watkins also served as executive producers of the "CrazySexyCool" film — named after the group's 11-times platinum 1994 album — which Thomas says is "totally about the three of us and all the trials and tribulations that we've gone through and all the way up to where we are today."
"We're gonna touch on a lot of things people did not know about, things we were going through, and help people understand some of the things they heard about. They're gonna get the back story."
Thomas and Watkins were also gratified when L.A. Reid, who signed the group to his LaFace Records label in 1991, gave the project a hearty thumbs-up.
"L.A. came to the set, it was probably the last day we were shooting, and he was really blown away," Thomas recalls. "That was some good confirmation for Tionne and I that we were on the right track, 'cause he was the person who was responsible for putting us out as a group. So for him to approve meant a lot to us."
Thomas says that doing the film helped her and Watkins get some perspective on TLC's success — and why there's still an appetite for the group today.
"I think, for starters, lyrically we always talked about relevant stuff, but mostly it was the music and the chemistry between the three of us," she explains. "The fact that you have three people in a group and we're all so different but we each hold the same weight in the group, it's like God put us together — seriously. We're very different people, but it all works.
"And the people who love TLC, everybody has their favorite girl in the group or the one you felt you could relate to the most, but collectively they loved us together. And we're touchable, you know? Very touchable. Everyone kind of felt like we were their friends or family or whatever. They felt close to us. They still do."
The "whirlwind" of TLC produced its share of controversies, including business and interpersonal conflicts. In 2000, for instance, the outspoken Lopes — who in 1994 burned down boyfriend and NFL star Andre Rison's mansion after setting fire to his tennis shoes — challenged her bandmates publicly to each record solo albums and let fans determine whose was best. But as years have passed, Thomas feels TLC's music has endured beyond the controversies.
"Y'know what; I used to say to the girls all the time when we first came out, 'We're gonna be the biggest girl group ever,'" Thomas remembers with a laugh.
"It was definitely not from a narcissistic point of view or anything like that. I just believed in us so much, and in everything we stood for. I just felt that.
"And it happened. I don't think I'll ever get used to some of the reactions and stuff, and things that people say to me are so heartfelt. To know that our songs affected people the way that they did, and still do, it's amazing to me."
Thomas promises that more songs are on the way, too, in addition to the Ne-Yo co-written "Meant To Be."
"We are definitely recording new music," she notes, adding that Austin and J. Cole have been producing the sessions, with an anticipated 2014 release of the first TLC album since 2003's "3D."
And, Thomas promises, "We are going to tour. We just really want to get out there and perform and do shows, and thank God people still want to see us."
FYI: "CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story" debuts at 9 p.m Monday, Oct. 21, on VH1.


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I am having a bit of a struggle coming up with a freer practice for this language topic. I would like to do something fun with them but not sure what to do. Any ideas or suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
Do you mean you want ideas for exercises for students to learn the different degrees of certainty?


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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang favours a move to Monaco, says father and agent
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's father has confirmed the St Etienne forward favours a move to Monaco this summer.
Last Updated: 28/06/13 10:41am
The 23-year-old Gabon international, who scored an impressive 19 goals in Ligue 1 last term, has been linked with the likes of Tottenham, Newcastle, Borussia Dortmund and Anzhi Makhachkala in the off-season.
And Aubameyang senior, who also acts as the striker's agent, says that while talks over a potential switch to the Bundesliga will continue, he would prefer for his son to join a club of Monaco's ambition and stature.
He told RTL: "Much of the Germany talk is true, but proposals come from everywhere.
"I believe that we will be able to continue the discussions."
Aubameyang will be no stranger to the surrounds at Monaco, having spent six months at Stade Louis II during the 2010/11 campaign.
When asked about a possible return to Les Rouge et Blanc for his son, Aubameyang senior added: "Monaco? If they come see or see me directly, it is clear that there will be an exchange with them.
"When you see the Monaco project, [it can be seen that] this will be a serious competitor of PSG.
"This kind of club will be successful in a year or two. That is what I am now looking for my son."
France-born Aubameyang, who has represented the Gabon national side 29 times, started his career with AC Milan before sealing a switch to St Etienne in December 2011.
He also spent time on loan with Dijon, Lille and Les Verts before clinching a permanent move to Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.


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O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! –Psalm 8:9 (ESV)
In the lush mountains of northern Thailand, 400 miles north of Bangkok, the bustling city of Chiang Mai houses close to 200,000 people, with an urban sprawl of more than one million.
With its green mountaintops, white waterfalls and colorful tribal villages, Chiang Mai—and the surrounding province of the same name—can't help but declare the majesty of God's creation.
Nov.22-24, in this beautiful and ancient locale, thousands of people will gather together to hear the Gospel at the Abundant Life Festival with Franklin Graham.
The Festival will be a chance for a growing group of Thai Christians to share their faith with friends and family who may not have a good understanding of who Jesus is and why He matters.
"I'd say there's an indifference to Christianity," said Chad Hammond, director of Asian affairs for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. "They don't view it as a threat in Thailand. In India and some other places, Christianity is viewed as a threat. Here, I think there's just an indifference. A lot of people are Buddhist because their parents are Buddhist, and it's just part of the culture."
Although a lot of Thai people haven't had much exposure to Christianity, Franklin Graham's name is recognizable in many parts of Thailand. Franklin is president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), named after his father. He is also the head of the international relief organization, Samaritan's Purse.
"There is an appreciation [in Thailand] for humanitarian relief," Hammond said. "Franklin is known for Samaritan's Purse and humanitarian aid. They had major flooding in Bangkok and other areas a few years ago. I think there's a respect for Franklin because of that help. That then gives him a platform to share the Gospel."
Thailand is one of the few countries where Billy Graham never preached at a Crusade, but the BGEA has been active in Thailand for more than 30 years. In 1978, a BGEA representative took part in evangelistic meetings in Bangkok. Additional visits to the country occurred in 1980 and 1987.
In 1993, the BGEA held its first Crusade in Thailand, led by associate evangelist Robert Cunville, in Chiang Mai. Four more Crusades followed in Udonthani (1998), Meg Pun-Lon Village (1999), Huay Pa Pao Village (2002) and Trang (2002).
The Abundant Life Festival this month will mark the first time Franklin Graham has preached in Thailand.
"There's a lot of anticipation," Hammond said.
For months, the BGEA has been working with church leaders in Chiang Mai to train believers to share their faith, invite neighbors to the Festival and counsel new believers who respond to the invitation to accept Christ.
Local leaders have recruited popular musical groups from all over Asia, including Boy Peacemaker, Bee, Doe and Korean pop (K-pop) artists Lim and 3rd Wave, who will all perform at the Festival. The BGEA has even had support from Australian evangelist and motivational speaker Nick Vujicic, who is well known in Thailand and is helping spread the word about the upcoming Festival.
United in Christ
I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. –1 Corinthians 1:10 (ESV)
In a country where just one percent of the population is Christian, you might expect the small group of Christ followers who live there to stick together. But that hasn't always been the case in Thailand.
In fact, two of the most influential Christian groups in the country—Church of Christ Thailand (CCT) and Evangelical Fellowship of Thailand (EFT)—have a long history of division.
Over the last few years, however, the bond between the two groups has been strengthening, and the upcoming Festival has led to new opportunities for unification.
"The unity and the partnership that they have is something that they've never had before," Hammond said.
The leaders of the two groups are actually co-chairing the Festival together.
This past summer, during a large training event to prepare counselors for the Festival, the leaders of CCT and EFT approached the BGEA and asked to hold a joint communion service. The meaning and symbolism of breaking bread together in the name of Jesus deeply moved the 150 Christians who were gathered there.
"The two of them did communion together, and it was so powerful that people were weeping," Hammond said. "The division between these two groups had been so strong over the years. It just kind of amazed us, just watching the Holy Spirit work in these leaders."
If the communion service is any indication of what to expect during the Festival, Hammond believes great things are in store.
"People are talking about what happened in Chiang Mai when the leaders came together," Hammond said. "We're just giving all the glory to the Lord with that. God is working in their hearts and continues to do that."
Encountering the God of Hope
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." –Isaiah 52:7 (ESV)
During the three-night Festival, which will be held at Chiang Mai's 700th Year Anniversary Sports Complex, believers will be praying that many of their fellow Thai will hear the Gospel and allow it to change their lives.
Those who respond to Franklin Graham's invitation will have immediate support from their new brothers and sisters in Christ. But when they go home to their families, they may not be greeted with enthusiasm.
"In the United States and in the West, often times when someone becomes a Christian, their parents are Christians. They throw a party," Hammond said. "Over here, they are not met with approval but often disapproval. You can be disowned from your family."
Knowing that cultural ties to Buddhism run deep, the Christian community in Chiang Mai has plans to embrace the new believers and help them in their new walk with God.
"One of the things we're doing is working with the churches to prepare them for new Christians, so they can assimilate them and take care of them," Hammond said. "And we won't leave right after the Festival. We'll be here in January, February and March."
The Festival is happening at a critical time for the Thailand, when there are a number of concerns on the minds of the Thai people.
Poverty is rampant in many areas, and its effects reach from the largest cities to the smallest villages.
"Sex trafficking is a big issue here," Hammond said. "And one of the main causes is poverty. Girls will leave their villages and move to the bigger cities to provide for their families. They'll get involved in the sex trade. There are families that actually encourage their daughters to move to the city and get into the sex trade in order to provide money for the family."
There are also concerns about the future political situation in Thailand. But in the midst of these uncertain times, Thai Christians are praying the Abundant Life Festival will give their fellow citizens a purpose and a hope like never before, as they encounter the living God of hope, Jesus Christ.