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Best cars, trucks and SUVs for family road trips
Fuel's as cheap as it's been in a long time. Air travel's more stressful and cumbersome than most sane people prefer. Thus, there should be a lot of cars and trucks toting families to Grandma's house over Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
Your driving style and the size of your family make a big difference in where you want to spend your wheel time, but here are our favorites for that jaunt over the river and through the woods. They range from wild to mild, small to really big.
Most have all-wheel drive (AWD) or offer it as option, so you could get there even in the foulest of weather. And be sure and check the slide show above for a close-up look at all our road-trip picks.
SMART HOLIDAY TRAVEL:More consumer tips to help you navigate the season
•Subaru XV Crosstrek
Compact, two-row, high-style SUV that has Subaru's well-done all-wheel drive standard. Four-door hatchback that seats five. Base model is called "Premium" so you can brag-up the name to make it sound as if you got the fancy one.
Pros: Cold-weather features (e.g. heated seats and outside mirrors), power accessories and Bluetooth hands-free phone and streaming link all are standard. Styling means nobody'll think you're dull. Good mpg ratings for an SUV (up to 33 mpg on the highway).
Cons: Tight fit for big-boned folk. Today's high-style could be tomorrow's ugly.Don't take the five-passenger claim seriously; four's the maximum if comfort is a concern. Noteverybody will like the "rubber-band" feel of the continuously variable-ratio automatic transmission (CVT).
Special family-friendly feature: Standard roof rails make it easy to attach gear for your favorite sport, or mount cargo carriers to free up precious space in the car.
Price: $23,820 and up (manual transmission model is $1,000 less; gas-electric hybrid starts $3,000 more, should be on sale in time for Christmas.)
•Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen diesel
This compact wagon only comes with front-wheel drive. Most (about 80%, VW says) have fuel-efficient diesel engines, rated up to 42 mpg (but diesels often get better mpg than their ratings, unlike most vehicles).
Pros: More cargo space than some bigger models. Low bumper, wide tailgate for easy loading. Underfloor storage sized for large pizza boxes. VW's nicely done "leatherette" upholstery is standard; no cloth seats to soak up spilled juice.
Cons: Not all stations sell diesel. It's more expensive than gasoline and it'll bug you to pay the higher price, even though the engine's better mileage more than makes up for it. Some VW controls aren't easy to decipher.
Special family-friendly feature:Standard 115-volt household plug for quicker recharging of hand-held games, cellphones, Kindles, tablets.
Price: $28,170 and up (manual-transmission model is $1,100 less. Bare-bones gasoline version starts at $22,715 with manual.)
•Jeep Grand Cherokee
The mid-size, four-door SUV seats five, comes with rear-wheel drive or AWD. Classier inside than many same-size, similar-price rivals.
Pros: Four-wheel drive system probably would get you to Grandma's better than any other in the list. You feel as if you're in a vehicle that's a class above what you paid. V-6 engine and new eight-speed automatic are a smooth-driving combination. Exceptional leg and knee room in back.
Cons: Drinks fuel pretty fast (rated up to 25 mpg on the highway -- though a new diesel is rated 30 mpg on the big road).
Special family-friendly feature: Rechargeable flashlight in rear storage area. .
Price: Laredo starter model with rear-wheel drive is $29,790. Add $2,000 for four-wheel drive. The one where most buyers would start shopping is the Limited, $35,790 for rear-drive.
•Chevrolet Traverse
Big, three-row SUV for mainstream tastes; seats seven or eight.
Pros: More room inside for people, cargo than the Chevy Tahoe, which has similar footprint. Remarkably simple phone connection. Standard center airbag in front, to keep driver, front passenger from head-knocking each other in a side crash.-
Cons: Power tailgate, power seats both optional, not standard. Third-row legroom's tight.
Special family-friendly feature: Dual USB charging ports on the rear of the center console, to keep the back-benchers' gizmos ready for action.
Price: LS front-drive starter model is $31,670. AWD is $2,000 more.
•Chrysler 300
The big four-door sedan comes with rear-wheel or AWD. A new eight-speed transmission cuts fuel use.
Pros: Cool looks. High comfort level. Great cellphone connectivity and easy-to-use Garmin navigation. Exceptional rear-seat leg room.
Cons: Modest-size trunk for such a big car. Less headroom that most.
Special family-friendly feature: Optional heated/cooled cupholders.
Price: Starts at $31,035 for rear-wheel drive. AWD is $3,005 more.
•Toyota Sienna all-wheel-drive family van.
There's nothing "mini" about minivans; makes more sense to think of them as the family buses they are – especially when planning your fuel budget. Toyota's the only van-maker to offer all-wheel-drive, so it's the one if you need honest family space plus enough traction to make it through. (If you can live with front-drive, you might like the Honda Odyssey better for its sportier feel.)
Pros: People and luggage space. Even if you use all three rows of seats, there's still twice as much cargo room left as in the trunk of those big Lincoln Town Cars that pick up the special people at airports.High level of comfort and features, even on the least-expensive LE-model AWD version.
Cons: Not cheap to buy or keep fueled. Comes with the "dork" image of all family vans. Too big for tight urban areas.
Special family-friendly feature: Optional dual-view screen for the kids in back. All can watch the same program on a 16.4-in.-wide video panel, or it visually splits in two, so Johnny on the left can watch a show or play a game that's different from the one Sally on the right is watching – and neither can see the other's program.
Price: $33,780 and up.
•Ford F-150 crew-cab.
It's a full-size pickup that seats five or six, and has enough interior space that even the long-legged can stretch out in the back seat for 1,500-mile road trips. Flat floor is cargo-friendly when the back seat's folded up. Doors are big enough for easy in-out (which is why it edges out the otherwise appealing, redesigned Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra near-twins with their still-not-quite-there rear doors).
Pros: Cargo bed lets you pack like the Joads (just be sure to get a bed cover to thwart rain and snow). Four-wheel drive and good ground clearance get you to Granny's even if she's a survivalist in Nobodycanfindit, Montana. Dealers everywhere if you need fixin'. More finery than some luxury cars, if you don't mind a $50,000 price tag. Discounts are common and generous.
Cons: Three tons and shaped like a brick – would you believe a big thirst for fuel? Daunting if you're not used to the size and wide turning circle.
Special family-friendly feature:Door pockets hold enough drinks to sate a soccer team in summer.
Price: Work-truck-level XL crew cab starts at $34,175 with two-wheel drive, but that's vinyl seats, manually-adjusting outside mirrors; functional but cheap-o ambiance. Real-life starting point: XLT, $37,115 and up. Add $3,425 for four-wheel drive and extras that come with.


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Giants, Barry Zito blank Cardinals in home opener
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The World Series trophy appeared out of an entrance in center field in the arms of Giants manager Bruce Bochy. The orange championship banner arrived by fire boat, and players paraded around with it on the field and through the stands before taking turns pulling it up the flag pole in right-center field for all of San Francisco to see.
Even with all the festivities, the St. Louis Cardinals needed no painful pregame reminders of last October's disappointment — the lefty on the mound provided every last bit of it.
Barry Zito tossed seven scoreless innings to send the Cardinals to a 1-0 loss in the Giants' home opener Friday, 5½ months after saving San Francisco's season in a brilliant performance in Game 5 of the NL championship series.
BOX SCORE:Giants 1, Cardinals 0
"Sometimes it's a pain when you watch all the guys and we were so close to winning," said Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, whose fielding error in the fourth helped lead to San Francisco's only run. "But at the same time, it's motivating because you want to be in that position next year."
The slow-throwing Zito outdueled Jake Westbrook in his season debut. The lefty's sacrifice bunt — when Molina bobbled and dropped the ball — set the stage for San Francisco's run in the fourth, when Angel Pagan drew a bases-loaded walk.
Westbrook, still two wins shy of 100, matched his career high with six walks and struck out one in 6 2-3 innings. Allen Craig had two of the Cardinals' three hits.
"Six walks is a lot. But really only worried about one of them — the one that allowed the run to score," Westbrook said. "But me fighting my delivery the way I was, to only give up one run is pretty good. You can't really expect to win a ballgame walking six guys. I need to do a better job."
MLB'S TOP HITTER:Adds grand slam to rare start
The Giants won their 15th straight with Zito on the mound, including the postseason. He hasn't lost since Aug. 2 against the New York Mets, and he has been at his best against the Cardinals.
Zito blanked the Cardinals on three hits through the seventh. He also had a perfectly executed bunt single to drive in a run during that 5-0 Game 5 NLCS win in St. Louis that helped San Francisco return to AT&T Park and take Games 6 and 7 en route to a World Series sweep over Detroit.
"Extremely similar," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of Zito. "He makes pitches. We love in our organization seeing the radar gun light up because there's more room for error. But we know the value of pitching. Pitching is breaking up the hitter's timing, and he kept them out of timing by mixing up speeds, mixing up arm angles and location. That's the art of pitching."
Facing renewed criticism for his girth, World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval made several nice stops at third and also ran down a foul popup to back Zito.
Jeremy Affeldt pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Sergio Romo closed out the three-hitter with a clean ninth for his third save.
The last time the Giants won 14 or more consecutive starts by a pitcher was Carl Hubbell's 16 straight from July 17-Sept. 30, 1936, according to STATS.
JOSH HAMILTON:Boos, strikeouts in return to Texas
After the 45-minute pregame ceremony, it was Zito's turn to shine again. By the time he was done with the 102-pitch gem, he walked off to chants of "Barry! Barry!"
He allowed Jon Jay's leadoff single, then Carlos Beltran hit a hard grounder that Sandoval stopped to begin a double play — one of two turned by San Francisco.
Zito added a hit, too. He singled down the left-field line in his first at-bat to lead off the third.
FORMER ALL-STARS:Two look to mount comeback in independent league
Zito hopes to build on the 15-8 record last season that was his best since the former AL Cy Young award winner joined San Francisco on a $126 million, seven-year contract before the 2007 season.
"I'm grateful," he said. "It was such a blessing. We're not taking anything for granted."
The two clubs have captured the past three World Series championships — the Giants in 2010 and last year, the Cardinals in '11.
Westbrook walked Gregor Blanco with one out in the fourth and allowed Brandon Crawford's single before Zito produced another timely bunt. He sacrificed and reached on Molina's fielding error to load the bases with one out. Westbrook walked Pagan for the run.
Brandon Belt returned to the Giants' lineup at first base after missing the final two games at Los Angeles with a stomach bug. Bochy went with the exact same lineup as Game 5 of the NLCS against the Cardinals.
On a day the Queen classic "We Are the Champions" blared through a near-empty ballpark as pregame warm-ups began, San Francisco started off a six-game homestand.
It will be a weekend of fanfare for the Giants. On Saturday, the team will honor NL MVP and batting champion Buster Posey before the game with other former San Francisco MVPs, and Sunday will be the ring ceremony.
For Matheny, a former Giants catcher himself, San Francisco's Game 7 clinching party in a downpour is still plenty fresh.
"They're not out there trying to please us," he said. "They're trying to support the millions of people that supported this team last year and honor them."
NOTES: A moment of silence was held before the national anthem for late Cardinals Hall of Famer Stan Musial and victims from Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. ... San Francisco sold out its 166th straight regular-season game dating to Oct. 1, 2010. ... The Giants send Ryan Vogelsong to the mound Saturday against Shelby Miller.

subset: commoncrawl


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How to Create Stop-Motion with Animate It! iPad App
Stop-motion animation can be created with Animate It! iPad app, so it's easy to incorporate animation assignments in an iPad classroom. Stop-motion animation on iPad allows students to explore their storytelling ability and creativity.
1Develop an idea, and build your scene complete with props and objects that move.
Be creative! Use a variety of props and materials. Paper, LEGOs, plants, plasticene . . . whatever is available to set up your scene.
Plan how your objects will move, and make sure you've built your objects out of material that can move in the way you've intended.
If you need objects to move through the air, think of a way to move them with string or wire.
To add titles and comments, just take photos of colorful, handwritten pieces of paper. You can have titles appear a letter at a time by taking photos of the message as it develops.
Set your scene in a spot with even lighting. The camera has a hard time dealing with shadows and glare.
2Start a new project by tapping the + icon on the top-right corner of the opening screen.
The animation screen appears, with a timeline at the bottom. You're ready to start filming your animation.
3Set up your camera and take a picture by tapping the camera button on the right side of the toolbar.
Your picture will appear as a frame on a filmstrip along the bottom of the screen.
Animate It! shows you a ghosted copy of your previous photo onscreen to help you adjust your objects for the next photo. This helpful feature gives you a precise idea of where your last frame is and guides you in placing your objects.
4Continue moving your objects and taking lots of pictures that tell your story.
Most users underestimate the number of images needed. Remember, you're taking every frame as a photo. Even at a fairly slow rate, you'll display between four and eight images per second. Move your objects in reasonably small increments.
5Review and edit your stop-motion movie.
To delete and move frames, touch and hold a frame to move it to a different position, or move it out of the timeline to see it vaporized. Tap the Undo button to erase your last action.
Review the last five frames by tapping the Review button. Adjust the camera's exposure, white balance, and focus settings, and switch between front and rear cameras if your device supports these features. Tap the Review button and then tap the editing screen. The menu buttons will appear onscreen.
6Tap the Play button.
The animation starts playing at normal speed.
7Tap the Settings icon on the top-right corner of your screen and select Project Settings; on the Project Settings menu, use the sliding bar to adjust your playback speed.
Even at the slowest playback speeds, your animation may sometimes move too quickly. In the middle of the toolbar, you'll see a button with two frames and an arrow. Highlight any frame and tap that button to duplicate the frame. Creating copies of your frames is a simple way to slow down the animation in areas where it moves too quickly.
8Tap the Export button on the toolbar and select an export size.
Animate It! will create the final video and place it in your photo gallery.
One of the features sorely missing in Animate It! is the capability to add a soundtrack. Take your final video to a movie editing app such as iMovie, and you can add a soundtrack there. Note that another stop-motion animation app, Stop Motion Studio, does allow you to add music or record your own sound. It doesn't, however, have the ghosting feature which is so helpful in building your animations.
Time-lapse photography is when you set up a camera to take a series of photos over a period of time and then turn them into a video. It effectively allows you to accelerate a slowly changing scene and watch it in a fraction of the time.
Animate It! includes a time-lapse feature that allows you to set the capture time (for example, every 30 seconds), the duration in minutes, and the number of frames that you want to capture. The time lapse will automatically stop once the required number of frames has been captured.
Time lapse can be a wonderful way of documenting a changing scene. (Think sunset.) You could set up the iPad and take photos of the actions of a turtle or lizard in your classroom overnight. You just need to set up your iPad in a safe spot to record the action taking place.


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Antoine Courtois AC156R-1-0 Professional Flugelhorn
- Brand: Antoine Courtois
The Antoine Courtois Professional Series 156R flugelhorn offers players a full, dark sound with rich colors through its authentic French design and influences.
- 695121105088
The Antoine Courtois Professional Series 156R flugelhorn offers players a full, dark sound with rich colors through its authentic French design and influences.
With its small bore, large bell, and 4 valve design, the model 156R flugelhorn has the perfect depth and capacity in the lower register, which is very helpful as both a soloist and ensemble player.
Antoine Courtois employs incredible quality and experience of brass instrument making with over 200 years of history in manufacturing.
- Key :Bb
- Bell :6.69" hand-hammered gold brass bell
- Bore :.413
- Valves :(4) Top sprung hand-lapped Monel pistons
- Waterkeys :2 lever-style, forged
- Features :4 valves (extended low range), vertical valve slides, direct air column through valve block, 1st valve trigger
- Finish :Clear lacquer or bright silverplate
- Case :Deluxe hard wood case
- Accessories :Mouthpiece, micro-fiber cloth, valve oil
- Options :
- AC156R-1 :Clear lacquer finish
- AC156R-2 :Bright silverplate finish
- AC156NR-1 :XL bell diameter 7.68", clear lacquer finish
- AC156NR-2 :XL bell diameter 7.68", bright silverplate finish
Why buy from Melody Music Shop, LLC?
Located in Bloomington, Indiana, Melody Music Shop strives to maintain a diverse, high quality inventory along with exceptional customer service. We carry a wide range of instruments and accessories, including new and used acoustic, electric, and bass guitars, band and orchestral instruments, drums, cymbals, percussion, pianos, keyboards, synthesizers, workstations, amplifiers, sound systems, and much, much more!
With certified technicians on staff and a century + of experience between them all, you can rest assured any instrument or accessory you purchase from Melody Music Shop LLC is in the best condition possible! Our ENTIRE STORE is maintained at 50% humidity year-round per manufacturer's stringent requirements. All items will be packaged carefully to ensure their safe arrival. Guitars will have their string tension lowered and packaged to manufacture specs or better. Melody Music Shop LLC guarantees quality products, fast shipping, and top-notch customer service!
Please contact us if you have any questions!
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Layaway items require an initial down payment of 25%.
Layaway items can be held here for up to 90 days
A payment of 25% (or more) is due on the 30th, 60th, and 90th day from the
layaway start date (although payments may be made before the scheduled due date).
The item will ship immediately following payment in full, which may be before the 90 day layaway period.
There are no returns on layaway items. There are no refunds of payments towards a layaway item.
Please contact us with any further questions regarding our layaway policy!
Items purchased from our store will ship out within 1 business day of receiving payment. FedEX Ground or Home Delivery, fully insured, will be used for shipping instruments and large items. Items over $50 will require a signature. Accessories and other small items will be shipped via USPS Priority Mail.
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We also offer financing! Please call us for more information!


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I am very excited that The Walking Dead is only twenty six days away from becoming a reality again. I have missed the series so much, I'm actually dreaming about the upcoming episodes and where they will take me next. I can't wait to see Rick, The Governor, the walkers, the brothers, and everyone else that makes the series so flipping awesome. In light of all that I said, here is a tutorial that I made because someone asked for it. This is a tutorial on a character from The Walking Dead video game. It's on "how to draw Clementine", step by step. She is a nine year old little girl that is all along during the zombie apocalypse. In the game she joins or teams up with Lee Everett as they make their way to the upcoming events. Her personality in the game is very smart, brave, and willing to do what it takes to get the job done to survive no matter how frightened she may get or be. Clementine's character style is that of a neighborhood tomboy. She wears her hair in a ponytail or braid, and her head is covered with a ball cap style hat. She wears a read hoodie, and has brown hair and eyes. Despite being a video game figure, drawing Clementine is going to be rather simple. So go ahead and attack this tut as I prepare my next and last. Adios people, and may the alive be with you...in a good way.
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


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O'Neills Leeds
40 Boar Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 5DA 0113 245 8063
40 Boar Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 5DA 0113 245 8063
We've got an amazing selection of handpicked craft beer and cider from around the world. From bottles of cider to cans of craft ale and of course crisp draught pints. When we say we've got something for everyone, we're not messing about.
Grab a perfectly poured pint of Guinness or choose from our impressive selection of Brewdog, Beavertown and Goose Island craft ales. We've also drafted in bottles of Heineken 0.0 alcohol-free — meaning you can still enjoy the taste of great beer… without getting the fear.
Calling all cider lovers. We've chosen a great tasting, and refreshing, range of your favourite Old Mout Cider flavours just in time for beer garden weather (fingers crossed). Now, we don't know how you feel about pineapple on pizza (love it), but have you tried the new Pineapple and Raspberry Old Mout cider? Come and check it out for yourself!


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Judging from the reaction by the commentators on MSNBC, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney had a big night during Wednesday's debate with Barack Obama.
Shortly after it's conclusion, one of the President's biggest fans said, "What was Romney doing tonight? He was winning. If he does five more of these nights, forget it" (video follows with transcript):
CHRIS MATTHEWS: What was he doing tonight? He went in there disarmed. He was like, "An hour and a half and I think I can get through this thing, and I don't even look at this guy." Whereas Romney, I love the split-screen, staring at Obama, addressing him like the prey. He did it just right. "I'm coming at an incumbent. I got to beat him. You got to beat the champ, and I'm going to beat him tonight. And I don't care what this guy moderator, whatever he thinks is, because I'm going to ignore him."
What was Romney doing? He was winning.
ED SCHULTZ: He was winning tonight.
MATTHEWS: That's my thought.
SCHULTZ: I was stunned.
MATTHEWS: He was winning. If he does five more of these nights, forget it. Just a thought. Obama should watch MSNBC, my last point. He will learn something every night on this show, on all these shows.


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Signs of rapidly progressing heatstroke include:
After calling 911 or other emergency services, begin
emergency first aid treatment if emergency medical
personnel (such as paramedics) are not going to arrive soon.
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|By Liz McMillan
Article Rating:
|January 12, 2014 10:00 AM EST
Cloud Expo, Inc. has announced today that Vanessa Alvarez has been named conference chair of Cloud Expo® 2014.
14th International Cloud Expo will take place on June 10-12, 2014, at the Javits Center in New York City, New York, and 15th International Cloud Expo® will take place on November 4-6, 2014, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
"We are thrilled to see Vanessa Alvarez joining us as Cloud Expo conference chair. Our upcoming event in June will offer the best sessions and faculty to date," said Carmen Gonzalez, co-founder and CEO of Cloud Expo, Inc. "Since the 13th international conference in November, we have received the highest number of sponsorship and exhibit inquiries for Cloud Expo 2014."
"The industry has evolved these past couple of years and enterprises of all sizes are taking advantage of what the cloud has to offer. The ecosystem has flourished to enable both public and private cloud adoption, allowing companies to offer differentiated products and services," said Vanessa Alvarez, head of marketing at Scale Computing. "I'm pleased to be a part of Cloud Expo and help to shape an industry that is changing the face of IT. "
Vanessa Alvarez is an accomplished technology executive, with expertise in enterprise infrastructure technologies spanning the data center. Her current role is head of marketing at Scale Computing, a leading developer of hyperconverged solutions and private cloud infrastructure.
Alvarez spent nine years as an analyst covering networking and storage technologies, beginning with The Yankee Group, and most recently, Forrester Research. Her expertise was on advising enterprises how to best leverage their IT environment to enable their competitive advantage through the deployment of emerging technologies and operational models.
Recognized by Huffington Post as one of the 2013 Cloud Computing Experts, she has also been selected as one of the Top 50 Women in Tech for 2011, and one of the Top 10 Women in Cloud for 2012 and 2013 by CloudNOW. Alvarez appeared on Bloomberg TV and was recognized for her research through articles and quotes in publications such as CNNMoney, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and Investor's Business Daily. She is a frequent speaker at tech conferences and is sought after for her thought leadership on the evolving IT ecosystem.
A Rock Star Faculty, Top Keynotes, Sessions, and Top Delegates!
Cloud Expo 2014 New York, June 10-12, at the Javits Center in New York City, New York, and Cloud Expo 2014 Silicon Valley, Nov. 4-6, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading cloud industry players in the world.
The growth and success of cloud computing will be on display at the upcoming Cloud Expo conference and exhibition in New York City, New York, June 10-12, 2014, and in Santa Clara, CA, November 4-6, 2014.
All main layers of the cloud ecosystem will be represented at the 14th International Cloud Expo - the infrastructure players, the platform providers, and those offering applications, and they'll all be here to speak, sponsor, exhibit and network.
Sponsorship Opportunities
for Cloud Expo 2014 New York
Cloud Expo 2014 New York "show prospectus" has shipped. Sponsorship, exhibit, and keynote opportunities can be obtained from Carmen Gonzalez by email at events (at) sys-con.com, or by phone 201 802-3021.
Early Bird Registration Options
for Cloud Expo 2014 New York
Cloud Expo® delegates can pre-register for Cloud Expo® New York with $500+ savings here.
About SYS-CON Media & SYS-CON Events
SYS-CON Media (www.sys-con.com) has since 1994 been connecting technology companies and customers through a comprehensive content stream at www.sys-con.com - featuring over forty focused subject areas, from Cloud Computing to Web Security - interwoven with market-leading full-scale conferences produced by SYS-CON Events. The company's internationally recognized brands include among others Cloud Expo® (www.CloudComputingExpo.com), Big Data Expo (http://BigDataExpo.net), SDN Expo (http://SDNExpo.co),Virtualization Conference & Expo (www.VirtualizationConference.com), WebRTC Summit (http://WebRTCSummit.net), Government IT Conference & Expo (www.GovITExpo.com), Cloud ComputingBootcamp(www.CloudComputingBootcamp.com), andUlitzerLive! New Media Conference & Expo (http://events.sys-con.com).
Cloud Expo® is a registered trademark of Cloud Expo, Inc.
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But depending on the position you rest in, your nightly slumber could contribute to a range of daytime problems. Pain in the lower back and neck, numbness in your arms and fingers, chronic shallow breathing (which, in turn, leads to low energy) -- these can all result from snuggling up the "wrong" way.
"Sleep is when your body recovers," says chiropractor Lisa Kirsch of Tribeca Chiropractic in New York City. "If your sleeping position forces your spine out of alignment or compresses your muscles, nerves, or organs, your body can't heal itself effectively."
The ideal position? On your back with no pillow, says Jonathan FitzGordon, an alignment specialist in private practice in Brooklyn, New York. "It's optimal because it allows your spine to rest with its natural curves in place." But if you can't fall asleep that way -- or if you unconsciously roll into other positions -- you can still take steps to mitigate any resulting problems. To that end, Kirsch and FitzGordon helped us identify the three most common troublesome sleeping styles --and key stretches to counteract their ill effects.
"Animals stretch as soon as they wake up," says FitzGordon. "Kids do, too. Sadly, adults don't." All it takes is about 10 minutes each morning to reinvigorate yourself, say our experts. So roll out of bed and make the following moves part of your wake-up routine.
Position: Side with Arm Under Head
Affects neck, shoulders, arms, fingers
It may feel comfy, but resting your head (which weighs, on average, 10 pounds) on your arm for hours at a time stresses the body.
"This position presses on the nerves that run through the top of the shoulder and down the arm, resulting in numbness in your fingers," FitzGordon explains. The shoulder you sleep on also gets hiked up toward your ear, which constricts the muscles of the shoulder and neck.
Pillow talk
If you're a side sleeper, look for a pillow that fills the space between your ear and the outer edge of your shoulder when you're lying on your side. "Your pillow should enable both sides of your neck to be equally long," FitzGordon says, which promotes easier breathing and prevents overstretching on one side of your neck. Any pillow that maintains its shape (foam, for instance) is fine. To keep you from hiking one leg up, which rotates the pelvis and contorts the lower spine, Kirsch suggests placing a pillow that is 6 to 8 inches high between your knees.
Fix: shoulder stretch
What it does: Stretches the back of the shoulders, which tend to get compressed by the weight of your head.
How to do it: Sit tall, core tight, and extend your left arm straight out to your side at shoulder height, palm facing down. Now reach that arm across your chest and use your right hand to draw it in closer to you. Relax for five breaths, then switch arms. Stretch each side three times.
Fix: cow face pose
What it does: Stretches and brings balance to the muscles of the neck as well as the shoulders. Opens the chest.
How to do it: Hold a strap in your right hand. Standing with your core tight, raise your right arm straight up and turn your hand so the palm faces behind you. Now bend your elbow and bring your hand as far down your back as you can. Reach the left arm straight out to your side, then turn your palm to face behind you. Bend your left elbow and bring your left arm behind your back; grab the strap with your left hand. Relax for five breaths. Repeat on other side.
Position: On Stomach
Affects lower back, neck, lungs
"Sleeping on your stomach is the worst position for your spine," FitzGordon says. It flattens the natural curve in the lower back and keeps your head turned to one side all night, which distorts the alignment of the spine in your neck. All of this leads to chronic lower back pain, neck pain, and headaches. And because your body weight compresses your lungs, stomach sleeping also impedes your ability to breathe deeply.
Pillow talk
Kirsch implores her stomach-sleeping patients to change their habits altogether. She recommends investing in a body pillow (go with the long, thin rectangle or cylinder style) to make side sleeping more compelling. It mimics the pressure on the front of the body that sleeping on your stomach offers, she says, but without compressing your organs. "Placing a body pillow between your knees and hugging it with your arms will keep your pelvis, shoulders, and spine balanced," she says.
Fix: side stretch
What it does: Opens the sides of the torso, creating more space for the lungs to expand. Stretches the quadratus lumborum, thus helping to maintain proper lower back curve.
How to do it: Stand tall with abs engaged and hands clasped behind your head. Keeping your spine long, bend to the right as if making a rainbow shape with your torso; go as far as is comfortable. Stay five breaths, breathing naturally, then return to the starting position. Repeat to the left. Stretch each side three times.
Fix: easy bridge pose
What it does: Restores the curve in the lower back, which helps restore your neck's alignment as well. Opens the chest and stretches the diaphragm, improving your ability to breathe deeply.
How to do it: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, about 12 inches from your hips. To a count of three, reach your arms overhead and lift your hips off the floor; your head, arms, shoulders, and feet remain grounded. Keep your butt soft and core tight as you hold the stretch for a count of three. Now lower your arms and roll your spine, one vertebra at a time, back down to the mat. Repeat five times.
Position: On back with a big pillow
Affects neck, throat, chest
Although sleeping on your back may seem innocuous, if you've got a thick pillow under your head, your neck pays a steep price. "A thick pillow pushes your head forward, exactly opposite the natural curve of the spine in the neck," says Kirsch. Neck pain and headaches can result. This position also impedes the flow of air through your throat and closes off the top of the chest, which decreases breathing capacity.
Pillow talk
Back sleepers who still want a pillow should choose the thinnest one they can stand. A soft down pillow compresses the most. If you often wake up during the night with a neck ache or headache, Kirsch recommends keeping a small neck-roll pillow (such as the Silk Neck Pillow, available at huggermugger.com) on hand: Remove your pillow and place the roll under the back of your neck for several minutes to reset the spinal curve and ward off further pain, then go back to sleep using your usual pillow. Or create your own neck roll by tightly rolling a thin bath towel.
Fix: neck release
What it does: Balances and stretches the neck muscles, freeing the vertebrae in your neck to find their natural alignment.
How to do it: Sit tall on the edge of a chair. Drop your right ear toward your right shoulder until you feel a strong yet bearable stretch. Hold for five breaths. Return to center, then drop your left ear toward your left shoulder and hold for five breaths. Return to center. Turn your head as far as you comfortably can to the right; stay for five breaths. Come to center. Repeat to the left.
Fix: reclined heart opener
What it does: Opens the chest and encourages the head and neck to move backward. Stretches the anterior longitudinal ligament, which can shorten when you spend too much time with your head in a forward position.
How to do it: Lie flat on a mat on the floor with a rolled up blanket or towel placed horizontally under your shoulder blades. Rest your arms out to the sides in a T, palms facing up. Relax and breathe deeply for at least two minutes, gradually working up to as long as 15 minutes.


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This recipe has been in my wife's family for generations.
In our younger days we would often spend weekends at her grandparents farm.
The house always smelled of this bread it was heavenly.
This recipe makes one large loaf but can easily be doubled or tripled.
1 cup rolled oats
2 cups boiling water
1 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. butter
½ cup molasses
1 package dry yeast (dissolved in ¼ cup warm water)
4 cups flour
In large bowl scald oats with boiling water. Add salt, butter and molasses
Let stand till cool then add yeast mixture.
Stir in flour, dough will be sticky, turn out onto well-floured board.
I use another cup of flour on the board and knead until it is all incorporated,
Dough will be sticky but workable, if you add flour until it is smooth and no longer sticky the bread will come out stiff and dry.
Clean, then grease bowl flip dough in greased bowl to coat.
Cover and let dough rest for 30 minutes.
Punch down and shape into loaf and put in large greased bread pan.
Cover and Let rise until doubled in size (because this dough is kinda sticky I cover it with Saran Wrap sprayed with Pam.
Bake at 350 for 1 to 1 ¼ hours
Brush top with butter and turn out onto rack
We never manage to wait until its cool its so good warm with butter.


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The plan is to return Monday evening. Meaning, unless I'm in a hotel, I'll be quiet.
Uploaded on February 4, 2006So to the question at hand: Do you believe in evil?
by lightmatter
by lightmatter
Why am I asking?
Remember that a few days ago I talked about how I feel I don't follow through with some plot lines?
Well, the reason this is all related (evil and plot) is because I was over at Rantings and Ravings of an Insane Writer and saw this quiz - A personality quiz about your religious and spiritual beliefs.
My result - Secular Humanism (100%)
It was the first time I've heard of that and when I read about it seems to indeed fit me and my own set of beliefs and how I live my life quite well.
The point here is not to get into an ideological/religious debate. It's just that the quiz and the result made me realize (something I knew but never put into words) that I don't actually believe in the concept evil. Makes sense. If I don't believe in a force that is all good, I wouldn't, in the same manner, believe in a force that is all bad.
But, and here's the big but. This causes me to miss on some really really cool and interesting plot lines. For example, I noticed that most of my recent horror (a new thing in my writing life) comes from inner human struggle rather than outside evil force. And I think that in a few latest plots as well, this could very well have been what I was missing, what was required for the plot to be complete - evil. Yet, I couldn't follow through with it because I felt I was cheating myself.
I do envy those who can imagine evil, pure evil, in any form - physical, mental, metaphysical etc. They have more options. I now know why I tend to stick with science-fiction (oh, I can certainly imagine scientific things, or future societies) and mainstream (I can also imagine different, quirky, "evil" human behaviour).
At the same time, I have a hard time with horror/fantasy/religious concepts in my writing because of my very realistic, pragmatic world view.
And you? I think I can already tell which of you (those I know better) explore evil, spiritual, fantastic things. Alas, I keep to the ordinary.Read the rest
Categories: writing, plot, process, genre, horror


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City of Lincoln
Mayor's Office
2004 Media Releases
The Mayor's Task Force on Health Care for the Homeless today released its report, including seven recommendations for the community to improve health care for homeless people in the community.
"Homeless people face many struggles each day to survive, and health care should not be one of those struggles," said Mayor Seng. "I am impressed with the work this task force completed in a short period of time. We are fortunate to have citizens and agencies who are committed to the health of every person in Lincoln."
Mayor Seng thanked the members of the task force and the chairs – Janet Coleman, Community Health Endowment Board of Trustees; Captain Joy Citta, Lincoln Police Department; and Steve Beal, Assistant Director, Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department.
The seven recommendations are:
Mayor Seng appointed the task force last spring and outlined nine discussion questions for the 32 members. Those questions addressed health care accessability and affordability for people who are homeless. The task force then gathered information and held extensive discussions to reach consensus on seven final recommendations.
The recommendations are being provided to health care groups and health and human service funding agencies to assist in the development and implementation of a better health care system for people who are homeless. Last year, the Community Health Endowment (CHE) Board of Trustees decided to dedicate staff support and potential funding to this issue.
"Some of the recommendations are already being addressed," said Christy Chaves, President of the CHE Board of Trustees. "The Health Endowment is working with BryanLGH Health System and St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center on a strategy to minimize the amount of emergency room care for health concerns that can be met in a local physician or clinic office. We trust that the task force's work will be an ongoing catalyst for creating a community health care system that is appropriate and accessible for persons with no place to call home."
The report of the Health Care for the Homeless Task Force will be available on the City Web site at lincoln.ne.gov and the CHE Web site at chelincoln.org.
|Health Care For The Homeless Report


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A receiver on the field, a giver off it
Former 49ers wide receiver Freddie Solomon, a key figure in the franchise's first two Super Bowl wins who was known for his upbeat personality and post-career community service, died Monday at age 59 in Tampa, Fla., after dealing with liver and colon cancer for nine months.
Mr. Solomon had a distinguished playing career, first with the Dolphins (1975-77) and then with the 49ers (1978-85). He ranks fourth in franchise history in yards per reception (15.7) and tied for sixth with 43 touchdown catches. His six postseason touchdown receptions rank second to Jerry Rice.
In the wake of his death, former teammates and others connected with the 49ers focused on his unselfishness and generosity.
"He was the consummate pro on the field, and the stats and the accomplishments speak for themselves," said former 49ers safety Tom Holmoe, the athletic director at BYU. "But now that's it's been all these years since we played, I don't think much about the stats and stuff. I think about the people.
"And I will always, always remember Freddie as one of those guys that kept us going. I love Freddie Solomon. He was a one-in-a-million guy."
Said former 49ers tight end Charle Young: "Football is what Freddie did and what we did, but that's just a small glimpse at who Freddie was. Freddie was a giving person. In some cases, Freddie cared about you more than some people cared about themselves."
Former 49ers President Carmen Policy said quarterback Joe Montana always appreciated how Mr. Solomon didn't come back to the huddle asking for Montana to throw the ball to him. Mr. Solomon also gracefully accepted a diminished role in 1985, his last season, when Rice was a rookie. On Monday, in a statement released through the team, Rice said Mr. Solomon taught him about "work ethic and professionalism."
"He was an amazing personality," Policy said. "He helped develop some of the great stars connected with the game and the 49ers. And he enjoyed doing whatever he could do to see them grow. Joe and Ronnie (Lott) and Dwight (Clark) and Jerry - all of them. They just revered him and loved him. He was everybody's favorite and that's because he was such a legitimate guy."
Mr. Solomon's NFL career was bookended by his accomplishments, on and off the field, in Tampa. A quarterback at the University of Tampa, he finished 12th in the Heisman Trophy voting as a senior on an obscure 6-5 team. He left college with 3,299 rushing yards, then first in NCAA history among quarterbacks.
After his playing days, he devoted himself to community service in Tampa. He worked with youths for 20 years through a program with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. He also teamed with former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo, a Tampa resident and close friend, on an annual Christmas celebration for foster children.
"He was one of the most gentle and best men I have ever met in my life," said DeBartolo, who often took Mr. Solomon to his chemotherapy appointments. "Scores of generations will remember Freddie through their children and the youth he's helped over all these decades.
"I have never met a man who cared so much about the human race."
Mr. Solomon is survived by Dee, his wife of 33 years. Services will be held Friday at Tampa's St. Lawrence Church.
"Some people will cry and will be sad," Young said, "but Freddie Solomon's life is a life that you celebrate. Freddie's life is a life that meant so much to so many people in his community. Freddie's life is a life that God allowed to encourage us to be that bright star."
Memorable moment: On the final day of the 1978 season, Solomon was the 49ers' QB. B6
Eric Branch is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. ebranch@sfchroniclecom Twitter: @Eric_Branch


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SKU:4285Artist:Compatible Figures:Aiko 3Compatible Software:Poser, DAZ StudioRequired Products:Install Types:
SKU:4285Artist:Compatible Figures:Aiko 3Compatible Software:Poser, DAZ StudioRequired Products:Install Types:
- Daz Connect
- Install Manager
- Manual Install
- Daz Connect
- Install Manager
- Manual Install
A new look for Aiko 3, as a Glamorous Supermodel. Includes a total-body makeover, a new, more realistic face and some extra adjustment morphs. Comes with a special glued-on Trikini and Sandals. Compatible with any version of Aiko 3.
Add-ons for this product.
What's Included and FeaturesFeatures
- Body morphs for all parts other than fingers.
- Head morph may be used with or without Body morphs
- Additional Full Body Morphs may also be used on standardAiko.
- Special 'High-heel' feet.
- Unique Strapless Trikini Top matches new morphs.
- Unique Strapless, Backless Trikini Bottom adjusts for coverage and fit.
- Cute High-Heel Mule Sandals with three heel shapes.
- 5 Beautiful Poses.
- Bottle of special Adhesive for fitting Trikini.
- Textures for Trikini and Mules:
- Red, White or Black Patent, plus Gold Metallic.
- Material Poses Included for easy installation of included textures.
- Injectors for the new figure morphs package (morphs all parts except fingers).
- Injectors for the Face (morphs head, neck and eyes)
- Injectors for the new Additional Morphs:
- Breast Size A and C.
- Nipple Out.
- Buttocks.
- Removers for all Injected Morphs.
- Trikini can also be worn by standard Aiko 3.
- Glamorous Aiko installs directly into Aiko 3.0 Morphs and Maps version.
- Aiko 3 Base users can use the included Aiko 3 LE CR2 (it has INJ channels added).
- Trikini and Mules are conforming clothing.
- Hair and Figure textures shown not included. Works with all versions of Aiko 3.


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Are Americans Addicted to Outrage?
The real reason cable talking heads keep saying offensive things? We like it too much to stop them.
In December, MSNBC's Martin Bashir made headlines for calling Sarah Palin a "world-class idiot" and suggesting that someone defecate in her mouth. Rush Limbaugh stirred the pot a few weeks earlier when he decided to take on the pope, calling the Holy Father a Marxist and then, some days later, claiming, "the left's sacrament is abortion." Just this past Sunday, a panel of comedians on Melissa Harris-Perry's MSNBC drew criticism for mocking a photo of Mitt Romney's family, including his adopted African-American grandchild, with one of Harris-Perry's guests singing, "one of these things is not like the other." Incendiary comments by both provocative pundits and charismatic hosts are now commonplace. On cable news networks, talk radio and in the political blogosphere there is a constant stream of name-calling, belittling, character assassination and falsehoods.
Americans tell pollsters they dislike this kind of talk and believe it degrades our political system. But the audience data tell a different story: In fact, Americans find this type of political commentary quite compelling. By our calculation, part of an analysis we did for our new book, The Outrage Industry: Political Opinion Media and the New Incivility, the aggregate daily audience for such content is roughly 47 million people. In a cluttered media landscape where advertisers have a sea of choices, anxious television and radio producers hungry for revenue have sought new ways to break through the clutter—to stop the channel surfers as they peruse other options—and reach audiences. And the popular agent provocateurs of political talk media not only do the job—they also do it relatively cheaply. (Consider that CNN's administrative expenses make up about twice as much of its budget share as at Fox or MSNBC.) As a result, America has developed a robust and successful Outrage Industry that makes money from calling political figures idiots, or even Nazis.
Story Continued Below
The basic business model encourages hosts and bloggers to court controversy as a way of generating higher ratings (and, thus, more advertising dollars). This week's uproar over Harris-Perry's treatment of Romney's grandchild is illustrative. Harris-Perry subsequently apologized, but while she and the network may regret having offended the Romneys, it's doubtful they regret the fallout for her program. The episode has garnered a good deal of attention in the mainstream press, putting Harris-Perry square in the national spotlight. Unless she loses her job (as Bashir ultimately did), the controversy could prove more a blessing than a curse, because carefully negotiated shock is profitable.
Consider that Fox News Channel's 2012 profit (admittedly in an election year) neared $1 billion, up 11 percent from the previous year, according to SNL Kagan, the media and communications analysis firm. MSNBC's $203 million in profits, while much smaller, was up 4 percent from the previous year. The media holdings of Clear Channel Communications, the largest owner and syndicator of talk radio, are also highly profitable (though talk radio over-expanded and is now undergoing something of a shakeout). Only outrage blogs fail to make much in the way of money; few attract significant amounts of advertising, and they instead tend to be subsidized by their writers or owners, whose labor keeps these blogs going. The hope of many bloggers is to gain enough notoriety so that their writers can become political figures in their own right, like bloggers Erick Erickson or Michelle Malkin, who are now frequent guests on—you guessed it—cable TV.
Five years ago, when we started discussing this brand of incivility, and how common it seemed, we decided to investigate more deeply, by measuring the use of outrage on the most widely followed television shows, talk radio programs and blogs in the United States. We defined "outrage" for our purposes as talk designed to provoke emotional responses in the audience (anger, fear or moral indignation, for instance) through the use of overgeneralizations, sensationalism, inaccurate information and ad hominem attacks. Outrageous political content, in particular, sidesteps the messy nuances of complex policy issues in favor of melodrama, misrepresentative exaggeration, mockery and hyperbolic forecasts of impending doom. Despite its coarseness, outrage is engaging, usually driven by a charismatic figure audiences find persuasive and trustworthy. Personalities such as Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Rachel Maddow, Bill O'Reilly and Ed Schultz are loved by their fans not simply because they entertain and inform, but because their followers believe they stand up to the other side and tell the truth. And advertising executives told us in interviews that audience trust in these hosts is particularly valuable to commercial sponsors.
To assess the pervasiveness and character of outrage in U.S. political media, our nonpartisan research team conducted a large-scale quantitative content analysis of the most popular cable and radio shows and political blogs over the course of 10 weeks in 2009. Coders measured 13 distinct forms of outrage that we identified, ranging from misrepresentative exaggeration to the use of ideologically polarizing language (such as calling someone a "right-wing extremist"). To ensure consistency across different forms of outrage and different media, coders were instructed to follow a lengthy guidebook developed through four rounds of pilot tests with expansive definitions and examples for each variable. (We will spare readers further details here, but a comprehensive description of the methodology can be found in our book.) We evaluated 10 top-rated shows on cable news, 10 top-rated shows on talk radio and 20 widely read political blogs. For cable and blogs, we divided the outlets between those that are liberal and those that are conservative. Talk radio, which is more than 90 percent conservative, offered only a modest selection of liberal programs, all with much smaller audiences; as a result, only two of the 10 radio programs we studied are oriented toward liberal audiences.
What we found was a constant outpouring of venom that overwhelmed the political commentary. In many cases, outrage is not part of the content, outrage is the content. Fully 100 percent of the cable program episodes our coders watched contained outrage, while close to 90 percent of radio shows and about 80 percent of blog entries were characterized by outrage. On the Fox and MSNBC shows that predominated in our cable sample, outrage appeared roughly every other minute of non-commercial airtime. Glenn Beck and Keith Olbermann (both still on cable at the time) were the worst offenders, with Sean Hannity close behind.


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- London 2012 - Boxing
Joshua and Campbell earn shot at gold
Anthony Joshua is guaranteed a silver medal after an inspired display saw him beat Kazakhstan's Ivan Dychko to book a place in the super-heavyweight gold medal bout.
A sharp right from Joshua in the opening exchanges was the pick of the action in a tight first round, with the judges marking the contest 4-4 at the bell.
The Brit showed more intent at the start of the second, pumping out the jab and out-manoeuvring his taller opponent. However, in the final minute he seemed to stray away from the tactics that were serving him well, a lack of footwork allowing Dychko - who won bronze at last year's World Championships in Baku - to regain parity.
Roared on by a charged crowd at the ExCel Arena, Joshua bloodied the nose of his opponent and a late flurry of combinations swung the bout in the Briton's favour, a 13-11 success paving the way for a crack at defending Olympic champion Roberto Cammarelle on Sunday.
Fred Evans booked his place in the welterweight final after shocking world No. 1 Taras Shelestyuk 11-10. The Welshman produced the cleaner work, opening up a three-point advantage after a tight first round. Both men traded in the second and neither were able to assert their authority, meaning Evans carried his three-point cushion into the final round. Reigning world champion Shelestyuk came on strong in the last but Evans had done enough to sneak through.
Evans said: "I had a game plan and had a point to prove. I stuck to the game plan and I knew I had to be on top form and couldn't switch off. As soon as the bell goes and you hear the crowd it gives you a lift. The support is unbelievable."
Bantamweight Luke Campbell has the chance to emulate Nicola Adams and grab gold for GB after beating Japan's Satoshi Shimizu in his semi-final at London 2012.
Ireland's John Joe Nevin awaits Campbell in the final after he pulled out a stunning upset victory to beat Cuba's Lazaro Alvarez Estrada, the world champion and world No. 1, 19-14.
Campbell, the World Championship silver medallist, outclassed Shimizu to triumph 20-11 at the ExCeL Arena. Shimizu had already tasted defeat earlier in the tournament, only to be reinstated following a successful complaint against the referee.
But he was too crude for the Brit, steaming forward and piling on the pressure, all the while leaving himself far too open to counter-punches - and Campbell took full advantage of the opportunities.
"I was in a very tough bout, he was relentless but I got the clean punches in and I was snapping his head back," Campbell said.
"I didn't know it was five points after the second round, I thought it was one or two because that's what my corner told me so I need to fight every round, be focused and sharp. You can't switch off at this level. Nevin is a top fighter and it's going to be a great final."
Meanwhile, the Anthony Ogogo fairytale ended with a bronze courtesy of a 16-9 last-four defeat to Brazil's Esquiva Falcao. Ogogo sent shockwaves through the competition when he knocked out world No. 1 Ievgen Khytrov of Ukraine in the round of 16, but ultimately he could not go all the way.
The bout with Falcao was extremely close until the last 20 seconds of the second round, when Ogogo was wobbled by a stiff shot, and never fully recovered. He took two standing counts in the third as the chance of victory slipped from his grasp.
There was disappointment for Irish light-flyweight Paddy Barnes, whose countback loss to China's Shiming Zou, following a 15-15 score at the end of three rounds, left him settling for bronze.


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How to Define Where Your Project Starts and Stops
Sometimes the project you're managing stands alone, but, more often, it's one part of related efforts to achieve a common result. Manage the project by clearly defining the beginning and end to help you avoid duplicating the work of other related projects, and, where appropriate, coordinate your efforts with theirs.
Your description of your project's scope of work should specify clearly where your project starts and where it ends. Suppose your project is to develop a new product for your organization. You may frame your project's scope description as follows:
This project entails designing, developing, and testing a new product.
If you feel your statement is in any way ambiguous, you may clarify your scope further by stating what you will not do:
This project won't include finalizing the market requirements or launching the new product.
To make sure your project's scope of work description is clear, do the following:
Check for hidden inferences. Suppose your boss has asked you to design and develop a new product. Check to be sure she doesn't assume you'll also perform the market research to determine the new product's characteristics.
Use words that clearly describe intended activities. Suppose your project entails the implementation of a new information system. Are you sure that everyone defines implementation in the same way? For instance, do people expect it to include installing the new software, training people to use it, evaluating its performance, fixing problems with it, or something else?
Confirm your understanding of your project's scope with your project's drivers and supporters.
For example, say you have an assignment to prepare for the competitive acquisition of certain equipment and you develop a plan to include the selection of the vendor, award of the contract, and production and delivery of the equipment. You prepare a project estimate of six months and $500,000. But your boss expects it to take less than two months and cost less than $25,000.
Stop and reassess. It could be the case that your only job is to select the potential vendor, not actually place the order and have the equipment manufactured and delivered.
The question isn't whether the company plans to buy the equipment. (Certainly the intention to buy the equipment is the reason for the project.) The real question is whether your project or a different project in the future would purchase the equipment.


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Pop up Bar Co, Exeter and East Devon
Pop up Bar Co
c/o The White Hart Hotel
Fore Street Holsworthy
Tel: 01409 253475
The PopUp Bar Company is based at the White Hart Hotel in Holsworthy, North Devon - ideally placed to provide Mobile Bar Hire in Devon, Cornwall and the whole South West!
Born from an idea to provide a local brewery with a Mobile Bar Solution for events in the South West, the Pop Up Bar Company now offers truly bespoke Mobile Bar Solutions, with versatile and adaptable bars for any size event from Cardiff to Lands End.
Many of our clients feel more confident dealing with an established permenant business with a fixed address, rather than a smaller company with just a mobile number!
When you are planning your Wedding, a special event or large festival you don't want anything to go wrong.
With the PopUp Bar Company you are guaranteed professinal service, trained staff and a well stocked bar everytime.


text:
Cardinal Mark Ouellet
Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America
'Alpha brings people closer and helps them to find that power which unites. The Alpha experience is not only a means through which one finds true life, but also a way to share the good news of the Living Christ.
Archbishop Mark Coleridge
Archbishop of Brisbane
'For many years now and in various parts of the world, Alpha has shown itself powerful in bringing faith alive in all kinds of people. Its focus is on Jesus, its method is simple and its appeal is wide-ranging. It is also well adapted for use in Catholic communities looking to provide the kind of ignition we need if we are to become a more missionary Church.'
Archbishop Allen Vigneron
Archbishop of Detroit
'Many parishes in the Archdiocese of Detroit have found Alpha a great tool for helping men and women hear the initial proclamation of the gospel. I am pleased that our use of Alpha with the archdiocesan staff has invited a recommitment to the basic truths of the gospel.'
Cardinal Kurt Koch
President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
'Through Alpha, and the testimonies of those who participate in their sessions and groups, faith is renewed, rekindled, takes root.
Archbishop Octavio Ruiz
Secretary for the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelisation
'Alpha, which I have had the opportunity to attend … is a providential tool because it precisely tries to reach out to those who are far from the Church, who are indifferent to the faith. By means of a very simple and humane tool based on fraternity and friendship, Christ is introduced to them and enters little by little into their hearts...
Archbishop Rino Fisichella
President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelisation
'Alpha is without doubt a great experience of new evangelisation.'


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Week 62 Community
- Description The Birth Of A Tool. Part I. Axe Making (by John Neeman Tools) from John Neeman Tools. This is a short documentary movie that shows the whole process of how John Neeman Tools are being hand crafted. "It is a tragedy of the first magnitude that millions of people have ceased to use their hands as hands. Nature has bestowed upon us this great gift which is our hands. If the craze for machinery methods continues, it is highly likely that a time will come when we shall be so incapacitated and weak that we shall begin to curse ourselves for having forgotten the use of the living machines given to us by God." Mahathma Ghandi Music by Foreign Fields - "Names and Races". Special thanks to the band Foreign Fields from Nashvile (especially for Clayton Fike) for allowing to use their music as a soundtrack for our movie. foreignfields.bandcamp.com/ Please visit us: neemantools.com facebook.com/neemantools flickr.com/photos/neemantools/ Contact us: email@example.com
Week 60 Community
- Description Archetypes 2013 - An AfrikaBurn Time Lapse Experience. The installations at AfrikaBurn usually have quite a short lifetime and with the huge amount of effort that is put into the planning, fundraising, building and eventual burning of these art pieces, we decided quite early on that this is what we wanted our film to focus on.
Week 52 Community
- Description A Pep Talk from Kid President to You - We all need a little encouragement every now and then. Kid President, knowing this, has put together a video you can play each morning as you wake up or to share with your friend who needs a kick in the right direction. Take a moment and spread some encouragement. "It's everybody's duty to give the world a reason to dance."
Week 48 Community
- Description This is the original uncensored music video for Bright Blue's seminal South African song `Weeping'. It was filmed by Nic Hofmeyr on the Cape Flats in the late nineteen eighties, during the State of Emergency. Catch the `Nkosi Sikelela' bridge, snuck onto SABC airwaves despite the anthem's banning, and look out for the late Basil `Manenberg' Coetzee on sax, filmed in Manenberg township! The song has been covered by Josh Grobin, Vusi Mahlasela and others.


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Some neighbors on Jennings Street in Point Loma have thought for over a decade that traffic was speeding through their neighborhood at unacceptable speeds.
Dating back to 2000, they asked the city for stop signs to slow the marauders, and the city always said no. A yellow "yield" sign was the best the city could do, the engineers said.
Then last July, a stop sign appeared. And another.
Who put them in? Not the city.
A vigilante sign installer put up the signs, flying in the face of the law. And what do you know — it worked.
One of the rogue signs has been up since July, untouched by city crews. Another was taken down and later replaced by an official City of San Diego sign.
Both were blessed by a city process that allowed the local community planning group and Councilman Kevin Faulconer to overrule the determination of civil engineers.
A resurfacing crew even accommodated the unauthorized "stop" signs by painting "STOP" in big white letters on the pavement, thinking the previous "YIELD" letters were a mistake.
The issue has polarized the otherwise quaint neighborhood, along Jennings at Albion Street and Silvergate Avenue, just east of Point Loma Nazarene University.
One group of residents says the stop signs make the neighborhood safer for walkers and children who share the streets with passing vehicles.
Another faction believes the city, by approving the stop signs retroactively, has condoned the removal of its own yield signs and made a decision with incorrect facts.
"The city by its actions is saying that it is OK to take down a sign, because there is a process to legitimize it," said Don Farnsworth, who has lived on Silvergate since the 1970s.
Removing and replacing a city sign is not, technically speaking, legal. But the city hasn't searched for the instigator, and no one has been cited. City officials said they cannot remember another instance of a rogue sign being installed.
"Anyone who manipulates traffic signs is violating state law, and it cannot and should not be done," said Bill Harris, a spokesman for the city's transportation office. "However, when we encounter situations like this, which is absolutely rare and potentially unique, we carefully scrutinize the issue, explore what the community's interests are, and act according to our policy."
Harris likened the situation to the city adding a pedestrian walkway in an area where people once jaywalked.
"As staff learns of changing conditions, they respond to those conditions," Harris said.
When the matter first came to light, the city removed one of the two stop signs and replaced it with the previous yield sign.
A group of neighbors wrote several letters to Faulconer's office asking the city return the stop sign, which they said was safer.
"The issue is the danger of that corner and... a serious safety issue that could potentially affect the entire neighborhood, certainly be catastrophic for homes in the immediate area," area resident Simon Borger wrote to Faulconer in January.
Van Thaxton, who has lived on Silvergate since 1996, said the community's demographics have changed over the years, from an older retirement-aged population to one of younger families with children. Thaxton said that drivers would ignore the yield signs and speed through the intersections, putting people – including children — at risk.
Several fender benders have occurred at Silver Gate and Jennings, including one in which a vehicle slammed into the wall of a home along Jennings, he said.
"Bottom line, it's a safety issue," Thaxton said. "You have to change with the changing neighborhood."
This was not the first time residents had requested stop signs at the intersections. Requests were made in mid 2000, late 2000 and early 2001, and city staff deemed stop signs unnecessary.
Following the rogue action, the city's traffic engineering staff again evaluated the situation to see if stop signs were warranted. The city grades the intersections on a point scale, with 20 points being the minimum for an all-way stop sign. Both intersections scored 11 points, short of the requirement.
City policy, however, allows for the stop signs if the local planning group votes yes and a council member signs off.
After a hearing on the issue in January, the Peninsula Community Planning Group voted in favor of the stop sign. Faulconer then endorsed the decision.
Neighbors opposed to the stop signs say Faulconer and the planning group were not aware of key facts. First, they said, a petition that was presented and supposedly had 100 signatures of people supporting the stop signs had fewer than 50, and most of the signees did not live in the neighborhood.
Second, public records indicate that Faulconer's office and the planning group believed the city inadvertently erected the stop signs — rather than it being a vigilante action.
Faulconer's office on Wednesday said it has requested the local planning group revisit the matter in May, in part because of the new information. He hopes to find a compromise that satisfies both segments of the community.
"The District 2 office only recently became aware of deficiencies in the stop sign petition that could cause some to question whether enough neighbors had been included in the decision making process," said Matt Awbrey, Faulconer's deputy chief of staff. "That is one of the reasons our office is calling for the Peninsula Community Planning Board to hold a new hearing to ensure all neighbors can have a voice on this quality of life issue."


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I recently read that Professor Kennedy of the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit has predicted the worst conditions for hay fever as a sudden pollen surge is expected in the next few weeks.
Because of the late spring/summer this year; conditions are ripe for a terrible summer for those of us that suffer with hay fever.
My daughter has hay fever and I usually just take a swig of the generic Piriton she gets on prescription but this year I'm going to be more proactive and treat myself to the Hay fever Kit from The Organic Pharmacy.
The Kit contains:
Sneeze-away Tincture – a soothing combination of Chamomile, Elderberry and Nettles (add drops to water and drink)
Hay fever Pills – a natural homeopathic combination treatment of Euphrasia, Allium Cepa, Nat Mur, Arsen Alb and Histamine working together to combat hay fever and ease itchy eyes, nose and throat, streaming eyes, running nose and sneezing (suck one three times a day or one every 15 minutes during a hay fever attack)
Quercetin & Vitamin C Complex – a hi-tech formulated complex pill which reduces the symptoms of hay fever (3 a day before meals)
Mixed Pollens & Grasses Pills – A chemical-free formula that desensitises pollen and grass allergies during the worst months (suck one three times a day)
I like the idea of treating myself naturally this 'summer' – my Mum did it last year and although her symptoms are usually worse than mine, she found these products very effective. If you are a fellow sufferer, give yourself a natural remedy this season.
Hay fever Relief Kit – £37.96


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In April, Doctors Without Borders/Medecins san frontieres estimated the number of people displaced by the fighting in northern Mali at 260,000 – roughly half of them inside Mali, and roughly half in Mauritania, Burkina Faso, and Niger. A May estimate from the same group put the number of refugees outside Mali at 160,000, while another estimate from the United Nations has the numbers at 64,000 refugees in Mauritania, 61,000 in Burkina Faso, 41,000 in Niger, and 30,000 in Algeria.
Despite the efforts of governments and relief agencies, the refugee crisis poses severe problems for a region already wracked by drought. Coming rains, ironically, may cause difficulties in sheltering refugees. Climate Wire warns of a potential "breaking point," when food-stressed local communities would begin to oppose giving resources to refugees. The situation is a humanitarian crisis.
Here are some excerpts from news reports on how refugees are faring in Mali's neighbors.
Malians sheltered at Camp Mbere [estimated refugee population: 75,000] in northeast Mauritania face food shortages and other troubling realities as more and more displaced victims arrive.
Abou Bakr Ould Sidi and his family were among the first Touaregs to escape fighting between rebels and the army in northern Mali in January.
"Camp Mbere's guests, displaced by war in northern Mali, are suffering poor conditions and challenges on a daily basis," Ould Sidi told Magharebia. An allotment of 5 bags of oil, sugar, 4 kg of rice and a few bags of peanuts per person per week was not enough to prevent malnutrition, he added.
UNHCR, the Mauritanian Commissariat of Food Security and the International Fund for Food Security are all working to address these problems.
More on Mbere, with photographs, here.
More than 60,000 refugees have fled Mali's troubled north to Burkina Faso, where nearly three million people are already facing dangerous food shortages after poor rains and a failed harvest this year. The compound crises are straining relief efforts for the refugees, as well as local communities.
In northern Burkina Faso, near the Malian border, thousands of refugees have settled here in Mentao Camp, including Basséta Waleta Sidi and her family.
"We fled the violence and the killing in Mali. We are safe now, but the future is uncertain," said Sidi.
Aid organizations are supplying food and medical attention. But Sidi, who has one child and is seven months pregnant with another, is worried about malnutrition.
"All we eat here is rice and oil, which we are not used to," added Sidi. "And the amount is not enough, even for one child."
Many refugee children in Burkina Faso also lack access to schools. For more on Burkina Faso, see this important but somewhat dated article from March.
Already hard hit by a poor growing season in 2011-2012, with rain at the wrong time and in all the wrong places, the population of North Tillabéry in Niger now has to share its meagre resources with the many refugees arriving from Mali.
According to the authorities in Niger, more than 30,000 Malians from the Ménaka area and an estimated 8,000 Niger nationals living in Mali have found refuge in Niger since the beginning of the year, fleeing the fighting between government forces and armed groups.
Amanita Walid, from Ménaka, arrived in Niger with nothing but the clothes on her back. Members of her family and other people she knew ended up scattered across several sites. Despite the difficulties, she had a genuine sense of security: "The real change when we arrived here was not hearing any more gunfire."
The group Plan International has produced a video on Malian refugees in Niger. I leave you with that:


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In late 2002 several hundred people in China came down with a severe form of pneumonia caused by an unknown infectious agent. Dubbed "severe acute respiratory syndrome," or SARS, the disease soon spread to Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Canada and led to hundreds of deaths. In March 2003 a team of researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, received samples of a virus isolated from the tissues of a SARS patient. Using a new technology known as a DNA microarray, within 24 hours the researchers had identified the virus as a previously unknown member of a particular family of viruses -- a result confirmed by other researchers using different techniques. Immediately, work began on a blood test to identify people with the disease (so they could be quarantined), on treatments for the disease, and on vaccines to prevent infection with the virus.
An understanding of evolution was essential in the identification of the SARS virus. The genetic material in the virus was similar to that of other viruses because it had evolved from the same ancestor virus. Furthermore, knowledge of the evolutionary history of the SARS virus gave scientists important information about the disease, such as how it is spread. Knowing the evolutionary origins of human pathogens will be critical in the future as existing infectious agents evolve into new and more dangerous forms.
From Science, Evolution, and Creationism, National Academy of Sciences and Institute of Medicine. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences


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You're the Quarterback! Pass to an open receiver to score a TOUCHDOWN!
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You are on the run in Vegas, you must lose the cops and deliver the documents!
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Help Turkey escape his destiny and avoid being dinner.
Experience the thrills and adrenaline of driving a monster truck!
Devastate your enemies in Guns of Anarchy!
President Obama defends the world from an alien invasion!
Barack Obama and Mitt Romney fight it out for the Presidency!
Shoot hoops in a skill showdown!
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Kick it like a Pro to be remembered as the Pro Kicker
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Get slam dunkin' with Basketball Jam!
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Obama and Hillary fight it out in hand-to-hand combat.
Take part in the Celebrity Ice Bucket Challenge and soak top celebrities with ice cold water!
Bandits have taken over and it is your job to sort it out.
Take control of your Apache and take down the enemy forces!
Drive massive Monster trucks over crazy cool tracks
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Save London town from the terrorists bent on its destruction.
Make sure that Bush and Condoleezza get out of the White House!
Make Bush dance the night away!
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Park the cars in the shopping mall car park.
Become the team's Ice Hockey Hero!
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Join in the saloon brawl and knock out the other cowboys!
Can Commando free the world from the looming threat of world war 3?
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Step up to the plate and go for the home run!


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The prospect of dizzying energy bills, maxed-out power grids, and killer heat waves poses a dilemma for the eco-minded. Crank up the AC, and you'll burn through countless kilowatts -- not to mention your budget. Listen to your green conscience, and you'll pay with sweat.
But when you maximize the efficiency of your home's cooling system and adopt smart, low-cost strategies, you can save money and still beat the heat. In fact, by eliminating wasteful habits and power guzzlers, you could cool your home with up to 50 percent less energy and save more than $400 on annual utilities. With 100 million tons of heat-trapping CO2 emitted every year as a result of residential air-conditioning, your new habits will amount to nothing less than a step toward global cooling.
Give AC a rest when you're away for even a few hours. Set programmable thermostats to kick in half an hour before you return home unless you have heat-sensitive indoor pets. Cranking the thermostat to penguin-worthy temperatures won't cool the house faster, since AC works at full throttle until a set temperature is reached. With every degree you lower it, cooling costs increase by about 7 percent.
Position a fan to blow air out a window. But if you're lucky enough to have a strong wind, set the fan to blow in the same direction to maximize air flow. Close nearby windows to keep exhausted air from flowing back in and open those on the other side of the house (ideally in cool, shaded areas).
In a multilevel home, place the fan in a top-floor window and open windows on lower floors, where air is cooler. For windows that catch direct sun, use blackout blinds or heavy drapes to minimize solar heat gain.
Partner ceiling fans with AC to make rooms feel at least 4 degrees cooler (so you can raise the thermostat and save energy without feeling the heat). Turn fans off when you leave the room; windchill makes you feel cooler but doesn't drop room temperature or ventilate the house. Opt for counterclockwise rotation, which pulls hot air up and away.
If you have central AC, schedule annual servicing. Visits cost up to $100, but repairs and tune-ups that increase efficiency soon pay for themselves. If you want to invest in a new system, look for a seasonal energy efficiency rating (SEER) of at least 14 to qualify for up to $300 in tax credits. But take note: Credits only apply to home improvements made through the end of this year. Tax credit or no, you stand to earn significant savings by replacing a system sold in the 1990s, which can guzzle up to 40 percent more energy than today's most efficient systems.
Window units can't compete with central air's efficiency for whole-house cooling, so use them only in contained areas. For maximum comfort, keep fan speed on high except on the most humid days, when you'll want low speed to remove more moisture. If it's time for a new unit, choose one with the Energy Star label for greatest efficiency; since oversized units tend to waste energy, select an AC sized for the space you intend to cool (visit energystar.gov for guidelines).
Take advantage of summer weather and cook outdoors, as prolonged baking or stovetop cooking makes AC work overtime. Too muggy outside? Use a microwave or toaster oven, which use less energy and generate less heat. When you need to use a burner, keep pots covered to cook food faster and minimize humid heat in the kitchen.


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Thursday November 14, 2019; 09:41 am EST
With up to 100 meteors an hour, don't miss the Perseids
This year's Perseid meteor shower peaks late Sunday and Monday nights. And with the moon just a few days past new phase and setting in the early evening, the Perseids are worth staying up late or waking before the sun.
The Perseids are one of the great meteor showers of the year, and this year the International Meteor Organization predicts up to 100 an hour at the peak.
Every year at this time in August, the earth crosses the path of comet Swift-Tuttle, which is densely riddled with debris. These bits of cosmic dust and ice are speeding at 37 miles per second when they strike earth's atmosphere. They burst into flame at temperatures hotter than 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Those that streak through the sky are meteors; those that reach the ground, called meteorites.
You might spy a Perseid meteor any time after dark, but the best come closer to midnight and into the wee hours before dawn. In fact, the higher in the sky the constellation Perseus, from which the meteors appear to emanate, the more meteors you're likely to see.
Early Friday evening within a half-hour of sunset, the thin crescent moon hangs very low in the west with brilliant Venus just a few degrees higher. The next evening, sunset finds the moon a little higher with Venus closer to the horizon.
As darkness deepens, Saturn comes into view in the southwest. Monday night, it is joined by the waxing crescent moon, but by midnight both have slipped beneath the horizon.
An hour before dawn, Jupiter, Mars and Mercury shine in the east-northeast. Easiest to spot is Jupiter, both the brightest and the highest. Beneath Jupiter is fainter Mars. Lower still is Mercury, much brighter than Mars but so low you may need to scour the horizon with binoculars to spot the sun's closest planet.


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If the federal government can't pay its bills on time, the nation could start paying its lenders, many of them foreign, before its citizens.
In just a few weeks, the federal government won't be able to pay all its bills on time. If that happens, the nation could start paying its lenders, many of them foreign, before its citizens.
At some point no later than March 1, the government will reach what the Bipartisan Policy Center has ominously named the X-Date, "the day on which Treasury no longer can pay the debts of the United States except with money that is coming in on that day," according to Steve Bell, the center's senior director of economic policy and a former longtime senior Capitol Hill staffer. Unless Congress intervenes to raise the country's borrowing limit, the U.S. will default on its debt. There might be one way for the government to avoid defaulting, however. Treasury could pick and choose which bills to pay, with a preference toward paying interest on U.S. debt, much of it held by foreign investors.
Between Feb. 15 and March 15, the BPC predicts the nation will collect just $277 billion to pay $452 billion in obligations, including payments related to tax refunds, Medicare and Medicaid, Social Security, debt interest and more. In other words, Treasury will only collect enough to meet about 60 percent of its obligations.
The process of paying off the interest on the debt before other obligations is called "prioritization," and it was proposed during the last debt-ceiling fight in 2011 and more recently by Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Toomey. The reasoning behind it is simple: The United States' reliable payment on its debts is crucially important, not just to the nation but to the world, which uses U.S. debt as a basic benchmark for all kinds of other financial instruments. If the nation were ever to stop meeting its debt obligations, the ripple effect would be devastating.
"We're talking about the reserve currency of the world, we're talking about the deepest and most liquid markets in the world … and we're talking about the possibility of that country not meeting its financial obligations," said the BPC's Bell, who in a Monday meeting with reporters described how prioritization could work, though neither he nor the group endorses it.
So how does the government maintain its debt obligations, even if lawmakers fail to raise the debt ceiling? Simple: End, reduce, or delay other payments, such as those to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries or to government contractors.
"Projects would be postponed, some vendor payments would be delayed, certain programs would be suspended, and many government employees might be furloughed," Toomey wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed two years ago, describing the effects of prioritization. "Default would easily be avoided, but these cuts would certainly be disruptive." Toomey sponsored a bill (which went nowhere) that would have provided Treasury with the authority to prioritize its bills just in case a potential default scenario was reached.
But whether Treasury currently has authority to decide the order it pays its bills is up for debate. The administration and Treasury Department have argued that it doesn't. "Legislation to 'prioritize' payments would simply represent default by another name," according to Treasury. And one official at Standard & Poor's, which downgraded the government after its last debt-ceiling fight, told The Wall Street Journal that the debt could be downgraded—with potentially damaging consequences for confidence and the economy — even if prioritization were employed.
On March 1 alone, the BPC's outside estimate of when the nation will truly hit its debt ceiling, the government is expected to collect only one-fourth of the amount it needs to pay out — enough to cover Medicare and Medicaid payments, but nothing else.
Treasury is currently using so-called "extraordinary measures" to postpone hitting the debt limit, but has yet to release an official estimate of when the borrowing limit will be reached.
NEXT STORY: Analysis: Obama and the Perils of Being Aloof