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With the beginning of a new fiscal year, most club operators have recently spent some time creating a marketing plan for 2004. Of course, looking at what worked and what didn't in previous years is an important part of the process; it allows you to constantly tweak marketing efforts to match your local market and conditions, as well as brainstorm new and creative ways to reach prospective members in the New Year.
While preparing for this year's Marketing Matters column, I also did an audit of sorts by reviewing all the previous subjects I had written in an attempt to find new and interesting materials that could be brought to you. When I placed all four year's worth of columns on the conference table I noticed something. Although a full spectrum of marketing tutorials, theories, ideas and case studies designed to drive more prospects through your club doors had been covered, I had yet to cover "off-beat" marketing ideas.
What exactly are off-beat marketing ideas? Well, they are your non-traditional marketing efforts. The kind of things you hear someone has done and think to yourself, "That's kind of cool and different, I'd like to give that a try." Certainly, off-beat marketing efforts never replace proven items on your annual marketing plan, but rather they are used as a supplement to drive more traffic through the clubs' doors and in the process perhaps find a new, successful marketing strategy. So, this year's Marketing Matters will be dedicated to bringing you off-beat marketing ideas.
In this year's first article I will discuss four different off-beat marketing efforts, most of which we incorporated into HEALTHY INSPIRATIONS' 2003 marketing plan. Remember, as it relates to creating a successful marketing plan, there are five "pillars," that make your Marketing Parthenon. These five pillars are: external marketing, internal marketing, guerrilla marketing, corporate marketing and community marketing/outreach.
In this category, the first "off-beat" effort is called "wrappers," which refer to a printed ad that is wrapped around the cover page of a delivered newspaper. Most delivered newspapers come folded inside a long plastic bag. When the bag is clear, the headline of the newspaper is displayed on one side. Even when the delivery bag isn't clear, when the reader takes the paper out of the plastic bag, the first thing he or she sees is the cover of the newspaper. When a wrapper is on the newspaper (it is the same size as the entire cover of the paper) the reader must at least glance at the advertisement prior to removing the wrapper to get to the front of the newspaper.
Up until a few months ago, the only type of wrapper available in our area was one made out of the same texture as the regular newspaper. What makes it so desirable, though, is that it is in color and stands out, regardless of the delivery method. As a result, the typical response rate for this wrapper has been between two and three times greater than a normal display ad in the same newspaper. This makes this "off-beat" marketing effort worth the increased investment (almost twice the expense for the same size display ad).
Three months ago, however, the largest state newspaper began a new wrapper program. Like the first kind, the size of this wrapper is such that it covers the entire front of the paper. What is different about this one is that the paper isn't a newspaper stock, it is a heavy, white paper stock that is printed in full color. This makes the ad stand out in two ways. First, full color on white paper stock is much brighter than on newspaper print. Second, the difference in the paper type makes you stop (to the feel) and inquire as to what is this thing on the front of the paper. Although these differences may diminish in the reader's mind with time, those people getting in on this marketing vehicle early enough should get noticed. One final note about this wrapper is that the paper is using it as a promotion to gain more readers. Instead of this wrapper going to subscribers, it is hand delivered (driveway or doorstep) to a random sample of 3,000 non-subscribers on a Saturday. I like this because it is a highly visible way to reach a segment of the population that might not be seeing our display ads each week.
Because this is new and we have only run two wrappers, I can't give you as confident of a recommendation as with the first wrapper. What I can say is that the first two runs have been successful. For the investment of $450 for 3,000 viewers, our response rate has more than paid for the piece. In addition, dozens of members have told us they have seen the ad. Although they aren't new prospects, we don't get that type of member response from a traditional display ad, leading me to believe that the ad is giving us good top of mind awareness.
The next "off-beat" marketing effort is also something new. In fact, so new that our company hasn't had the opportunity to do it. (It became available right after we committed to the wrapper program.) Somewhat similar to the wrapper, this external marketing program is one that places Post-It Notes on the front of the newspaper. When done only occasionally (so the reader doesn't become blind to it), this lower cost program also has the ability to provide good top of mind awareness. And, although I don't think it has as much pizzazz as the color wrapper, I think it is clever because someone interested in the offer can simply remove the Post-It and conveniently stick it on their refrigerator or in their day timer.
The next idea was one I originally heard about a few years back from a former Faust roundtable member, Dean Wallace. I recently saw it being done locally and it reminded me of what a great idea it was. This guerrilla marketing effort involved placing small guest pass stickers on coffee cups. These small, oval stickers are not much bigger than an inch and a half. They simply say, "Two-Week Free Trial" and can have either a local phone number or a web site, depending upon the length of the address and a miniscule club logo. The reason for the small size is that the coffee shops are placing them on the lids of the take-out coffee cups and don't want to inconvenience the consumer with a sticker that might interfere with their drinking ease and enjoyment.
The great thing about this concept is that it's simple and generates a lot of top of mind awareness quickly. Furthermore, although there is an initial cost in getting the stickers printed, they are relatively inexpensive when printing thousands of them in one color and by the roll. (It may seem as though printing 5,000 or 10,000 seems like a lot, but you would be amazed at how many hundreds of coffee cups a busy café goes through every day.) Therefore, when combined with your other monthly marketing efforts, additional prospects and sales can be realized without adding a lot to the lead and customer acquisition costs.
The next "off-beat" marketing idea is using an outside consumer-marketing group to sell mini-membership packages door to door. Perhaps you have had the experience where a young, professional-looking person came knocking on your door or walked into your place of business selling Blockbuster Video, Dominoes Pizza or even a local restaurants' coupon packages. Typically, these coupons come on an oversized, folded cardboard stock brochure that is attractive and professionally done and sells from $20 to $40, depending upon the product or service. The value of the coupons must substantially outweigh the cost to the buyer, but be done in a way that won't cost the featured business more than their typical lead or customer acquisition cost (depending upon whether they just tour or buy).
The marketing group usually incurs all the cost of the brochure development, printing and door-to-door sales, which is targeted to homes and professional office buildings. The group that HEALTHY INSPIRATIONS used was highly professional and employed good looking, well spoken and degreed young adults who had been through a rigorous sales training program. The "Pamper Package," as we named it, was sold for $39.95 but had a potential end-value to the customer of $750, if they used every aspect of the coupon; some things were outright freebies while others involved the purchase of products and services.
What about the promotions success? From a sales perspective, the company sold more coupons (500) in one week than any other offer they had run. Now, before you get your calculator out and figure out the profits, know that the marketing group keeps all the income from the coupon sales. And, although that initially seems unfair, know this. First, every coupon that was sold had a tear-off portion that collected the name, address, e-mail and phone number of the person buying the coupon (90 percent were obtained). This allowed us to market directly to them, even if they didn't use the coupons. Second, the goal was to simply drive people through the doors; if the offer was good enough, the end-result would be profitable.
In fact, HEALTHY INSPIRATIONS Centers only incurred an actual out-of-pocket cost when an individual walked through the centers' doors. Most of the coupon items involved some level of staff labor, such as providing a body composition analysis, instruction on the exercise equipment prior to their using a two-week free membership or simply showing the person how to use the shiatsu massage chair. Other services had labor cost and a small cost of goods, like the mouthpiece ($5) for a free resting metabolic rate check or materials for a free facial. A good majority of the coupons, though, were buy one service and get another free, which meant substantial savings to the customer but no cost (actually a profit) to the center.
Because we had such an initial influx of calls and walk-ins, we told the company to put a hold on any more sales. We let two months go by and then allowed another 300 to be sold. In the end, although we drove a lot of people through the doors, I wasn't particularly pleased with the sales income. I believe, however, that it was no fault of the marketing company but rather how we positioned the coupon booklet. In an effort to make it more attractive to the general public, we pushed the spa side (Pamper Package) of our business. As a result, when people came in and saw our primary focus was weight loss, they took their freebies but none of our core activities. I think if the right offer was used in the health club environment, with trial membership and other fitness services, it could be tremendously successful.
Whether it be a wrapper program, Post-it notes, stickers or a door-to-door sales program, each of the off-beat marketing effort we employed last year helped to enhance our pre-designed marketing plan (of proven promotions) and allowed us to identify new things that have the potential to become staple marketing items in our future plans. In addition, these unique marketing approaches infused excitement into the staff and gave us increased exposure in ways our traditional marketing efforts don't. Finally, as a bonus, doing such things has helped to create a more creative culture within our organization, where the employees are motivated and feel comfortable approaching us with marketing ideas that seem a little wacky. Wacky, perhaps, but when they work we all benefit and grow as a team. So this year, where all your new members have made resolutions to become more fit, make your own resolution to try some "off-beat" marketing efforts.
Call to action:
If you have a unique marketing concept that you would like featured in Marketing Matters, contact Casey at firstname.lastname@example.com or call the HEALTHY INSPIRATIONS offices at 800-725-6147.


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1 – "Effectiveness of Aloe Vera gel compared with 1% silver sulphadiazine cream as burn wound dressing in second degree burns." Department of Plastic Surgery, Nishtar Hospital, Multan, 2013.
2 – " Influence of Aloe vera on collagen characteristics in healing dermal wounds in rats." Department of Biochemistry, Central Leather Research Institute, India, 1998.
3 – "Screening methods used to determine the anti-microbial properties of Aloe vera inner gel." Kuwait University, Kuwait, 2007.
4 – "The anti inflammatory effects of methylsulfonylmethane on lipopolysaccharide induced inflammatory responses in murine macrophages." Hallym University, Korea, 2009.
5 – "Turmeric reduces inflammatory cells in hamster opisthorchiasis." Khon Kaen University, Thailand, 2009.
6 – "Anti-inflammatory activity of Lychnophora passerina, Asteraceae (Brazilian "Arnica")." Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Brazil, 2011.
Sunfood's "Natural Solutions" does not promote or suggest natural cures, natural healing or natural remedies for any disease, disorder or ailment thereof. This information should be treated as educational material gathered and discovered from various studies, clinical trials and customer reviews. It is designed to encourage healthy lifestyles, and independent conclusions in regards to natural products and alternative health choices. It is best to consult with your healthcare practitioner before attempting any form of natural cure, natural healing or natural remedy to any health issues.


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Keco Coatings Gains Second DuPont License
As one of only 26 U.S. companies carrying the DuPont Licensed Industrial Applicators title, Keco Coatings, Indianapolis, IN, announced that it has been granted a second license by DuPont. Keco now can apply DuPont Teflon industrial coatings at its plant in Statesville, NC.
The NC Statesville facility, opened in 2008, has recently undergone extensive expansion and welcomed new equipment.
See also: Keco Engineered Coatings, Inc.
Related Enterprise Zones: Materials/Coatings
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We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.
The Bhagavad Gita, a 5000 year old book followed by millions in the east and the source of all yoga, tells us that our biggest enemy is the mind and our identification with it. For one who has conquered his mind it becomes his best friend. And for one who doesn't, it remains his greatest enemy.
Mind Body Soul is your mid-week pause. These Wednesday evening events will keep you inspired and help you spiritualise your thinking and lifestyle. You don't need to change much, just your perspective and a little bit of your lifestyle. You'll see how a little bit of meditation, some understanding of the philosophy, and some spiritual practices will change your life for the better. Everyday life will become much easier and enjoyable, and you will develop traits that will enhance your character, relationships and feelings.
A must go to event! Entry £5, first time FREE


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Alan Roger Mulally (born August 4, 1945) is an American engineer and businessman who is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Ford Motor Company. Ford, which had been struggling during the late-2000s recession, returned to profitability under Mulally and was the only American major car manufacturer to avoid government-sponsored bankruptcy.
Mulally was previously executive vice president of Boeing and the CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA). He began his career with Boeing as an engineer in 1969 and was largely credited with BCA's resurgence against Airbus in the mid-2000s.
Mulally was born in Oakland, California to Charles R. "Dick" Mulally and Lauraine Lizette Clark, who met at a USO dance. Mulally grew up in his mother's hometown of Lawrence, Kansas, where he was a member of Plymouth Congregational Church. He considered Rev. Dale Turner "a mentor and an inspiration." He used to sit at the front of the church to study the minister's influence on the congregation. Mulally said that he found himself motivated at the age of 17 by president John F. Kennedy's challenge to send a man to the moon. He has three sons and two daughters with his wife, Jane Connell.


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Rep. Erik Paulsen called the tax a "tax on innovation."
Jerry Holt, Star Tribune
Taking aim at med device tax
• Article by: JIM SPENCER and KEVIN DIAZ (FiDA blog bold)
• Star Tribune staff writers
• May 30, 2012 - 9:11 PM
WASHINGTON - Republican House members are not waiting for the long-sought decision of the U.S. Supreme Court next month on the constitutionality of President Obama's signature health care law.
Spearheaded by Minnesota Republican Erik Paulsen, the GOP-led House is expected to vote next week to repeal an estimated $28 billion tax on medical device makers. While the tax is intended to help pay for the expansion of health care in the U.S., its repeal would provide relief to an industry with a major hub in the Twin Cities, home of pacemaker giant Medtronic.
Paulsen's bill, scheduled to pass out of the House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday, represents the third time this year that the House's GOP majority has moved to dismantle the health care law in whole or in part, fulfilling a central promise of the 2010 Tea Party movement that dubbed it "ObamaCare."
Paulsen's device tax repeal bill has 239 co-sponsors, including a dozen Democrats, which virtually ensures its passage once it comes to the House floor, possibly as soon as early next week. At a business roundtable in Minnetonka on Wednesday, Paulsen called the medical devices tax a "tax on innovation" that would "hit companies in Minnesota pretty hard" unless it were repealed.
Minnesota is home to some 400 medical device makers who employ 35,000 people, making the state one of the leading regional economies in the U.S. to feel the pinch once the planned 2.3 percent levy on revenue kicks in next January.
Chances for a repeal are far less likely in the Senate, where Democrats are reluctant to blow a $28 billion hole in a massive health care overhaul that needs every dollar Washington can muster to expand coverage to about 30 million people.
Potentially caught in the crossfire could be Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, Minnesota Democrats. Both have staked out positions against the medical devices tax, but it is unclear whether they could support a repeal effort that did not include a another means of filling the funding gap.
"I still think we need to eliminate the tax," Franken said, "but any plan to do so must be offset in a responsible and fiscally sound way."
Klobuchar pushed to reduce the tax from the $40 billion that was originally proposed in the 2010 health care law. Appearing at the Minnetonka roundtable with Paulsen, she said she would "continue to support repealing it, reducing it, whatever we can do."
She has not said whether she would require the offset that other Democrats want, waiting to see what might be proposed. The GOP plan headed for the House floor next week provides no offset.
Industry presses
With no agreement on how to backfill the lost revenue that would be generated by the tax, next week's action in the House could turn out to be largely symbolic, much like previous votes to dismantle the Affordable Care Act's cost-control board or to repeal the law altogether.
But political analysts say the election-year House votes will count heavily on lawmakers' records, regardless what the Senate or the Supreme Court do in the coming weeks. The medical technology industry also has become heavily involved.
"We expect the House to pass the measure [repealing the tax] with a significant number of Democrats voting to do so," said Steve Ubl, CEO and president of AdvaMed, the country's leading medical device advocacy group. AdvaMed has poured time and hundreds of thousands of dollars into lobbying to get rid of the device tax, which it calls a job killer.
In the 2012 election cycle, Paulsen received $64,000 in campaign contributions from medical suppliers -- more than any other member of the House, according to records compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.
Those records also show that Klobuchar, who is running for reelection this year, ranks third in the Senate, with $63,650 in campaign contributions from medical suppliers.
Paulsen quipped that "we're counting on Senator Klobuchar to twist the arm of [Senate Majority Leader] Harry Reid to schedule it on the Senate floor." But that appears unlikely.
"The Senate couldn't put [the House bill] on the floor today and pass it," admitted Shaye Mandle, government relations vice president for the LifeScience Alley, which represents the med-tech industry in Minnesota. "There's a lot of politics, given the presidential election."
'Congress' responsibility'
Even if the Supreme Court strikes down the individual mandate, which forces individuals to buy health insurance or pay a penalty, experts believe the entire Affordable Care Act will be difficult to dismantle because many parts already have been put into place.
Using the individual mandate to increase the number of healthy people buying insurance was the reform's most critical source of revenue. If the Supreme Court throws that out, other revenue sources, such as the device tax, magnify exponentially in importance.
Some in the medical device industry don't see that as their problem.
"I don't think it's our responsibility to go through the whole federal budget and find $20 billion," Mandle said. "It's [Congress'] responsibility."
AdvaMed's Ubl believes there are other ways to recoup the tax money that would be lost, should the device tax be repealed. But his organization is not advocating for any offset and in fact hopes the Senate will not attach one to the repeal bill.
The issue is complicated and controversial enough that Ubl thinks it will not be taken up as stand-alone legislation, but perhaps included in an end-of-the-year, overall tax package.
"We've heard from Senate Democrats who are concerned if it gets pushed to a vote [right now]," Ubl explained.
Meanwhile, the IRS is moving ahead with rule-making to collect the tax. The medical device industry is playing a role in that process to protect its interests in the event that the House and Senate deadlock over the device tax repeal.
"On the one hand, we want to get rid of the tax," Ubl said. "But we have to prepare for its implementation."
Jim Spencer and Kevin Diaz are correspondents in the Star Tribune Washington Bureau.
© 2011 Star Tribune


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So tonight I went to dinner with various bigwigs of the IHEU at a place that I think was called "La Mama", and tried some of that authentic Romanian food. I had something called a Transylvanian bulz, which I chose just because I liked the name, and something that in the English version of the menu was called "mindblowing spicy pan as at mom's house". They were both very good. I have discovered that at least these Romanian dishes expressed a distinct fondness for paprika — I think I've sweated most of it out now.
I've only got a few days here. Somebody make recommendations for must-have true Romanian food before I leave.
(Also, it's quite late here and my brain is beginning to drip out my ears. I might just pass out for a few hours and with any luck, wake up with my circadian rhythms reset to Eastern European time.)


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Happy Summer Everyone!
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Hey guys.Do you remember SPAZQUEST?Well here's PINKIEQUEST
I love how they play a country version of the Benny Hill theme whenever there's a chase scene. YESSSS.
I just want to give Fluttershy a big hug. And some ritalin to Pinkie.
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THEY MICROWAVED PINKIE PIE!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aCDtxPUGPQ&NR=1
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BERKELEY — New Cal football coach Sonny Dykes is expected to unveil a solid recruiting class Wednesday, but a couple last-minute decisions loom.
In addition to the 27 players the Bears will announce on national signing day, the status of two prospects remained uncertain: defensive backs L.J. Moore and Patrick Enewally.
The Bears got a recommitment late Monday night from three-star (out of five) linebacker Johnny Ragin III of Wilsonville, Ore., who rebuffed 11th-hour efforts from Oregon. Ragin flipped from BYU to Cal late last month.
"Oregon was the dream growin' up, and I had a nice visit," Ragin said via Twitter. "But My Future's at Cal, and I can't wait to get there and go to work! #GoBears"
The Bears probably have lost four-star offensive guard Cameron Hunt, a 6-foot-4, 267-pounder from Centennial-Corona who gave them a commitment in July. He reportedly told Cal's coaches a week ago he will sign with Oregon.
However things unfold, Dykes and his staff seemingly have constructed a class that will add depth and fill needs. They got commitments from four offensive line prospects besides Hunt, addressing one of the team's weakest areas.
Cal is switching to a 4-3 alignment under new defensive coordinator Andy Buh and expects to bolster area that by signing five linemen.
Four-star quarterback Jared Goff of Marin was CalHiSports' second-team all-state pick and is one of five players already enrolled and ready to tackle spring practice.
"Because of the lack of stability in spring and summer and fall, they were never going to end up with a top 15 or top 20 class," said recruiting expert Brandon Huffman of Scout.com. "But now they have a chance to be a top 25 or 30 class."
In the days before Cal played its season finale at Oregon State, the Bears' sagging fortunes and the uncertainty of coach Jeff Tedford's future had taken a toll on recruiting. The Bears' class at that point was rated No. 53 nationally by Rivals.com and No. 47 by Scout.com. Its standing among Pac-12 schools was no better than No. 8.
As of Tuesday morning, Scout had the Bears at No. 25 nationally, and Rivals rated them No. 27.
Exactly where the Bears wind up in the rankings will depend on decisions made by two prospects still being pulled in multiple directions:
Cornerback Darius Allensworth, a four-star player from Heritage High in Riverside County who committed Cal in August, confirmed late last week he intends to sign with the Bears, even after a mid-January visit to Washington State.
Dykes lost only a handful of players who committed on Tedford's watch. As many as 16 of the Bears' expected signees came on board after Dykes was hired on Dec. 6.
"I do like what he's got, especially how many of them are West Coast kids and how little of the staff is West Coast-based," Huffman said. "With a lot of those guys, they had to start from scratch."
For more on Cal sports, see the Bear Talk blog at ibabuzz.com/beartalk. Follow Jeff Faraudo on Twitter at twitter.com/CalBearsBANG.


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While we had to wait until Election Night to find out that John Boehner eclipsed Nancy Pelosi, and that Harry Reid withstood Sharron Angle, one politician's success was pre-ordained by corporate media long before the votes were cast: Herbert Hoover.
Although pundits rarely if ever named the long-dead former president as a winner of the midterms, the way they framed the election made it inevitable that his once-discredited policy of responding to economic crisis with austerity would come out on top on Election Day.
That framing was perhaps best summarized the day after the election by the New York Times' Peter Baker (11/3/10): "Was this the natural and unavoidable backlash in a time of historic economic distress, or was it a repudiation of a big-spending activist government?" The "left" pole of debate is that bad economic times were something that just happened to the Democrats, and there was nothing they could have done to improve them.
Progressive economists, though, maintain there is plenty more that could have been done to bolster the recovery-from passing a bigger stimulus bill to "printing money" (Paul Krugman, New York Times, 1/9/09; Dean Baker, Guardian, 10/12/10). As long as there is insufficient private demand to make use of idle workers and factories, the Keynesian thinking goes, government spending can increase employment without sparking inflation-though many economists believe that a slightly higher rate of inflation would benefit the economy as well (Economist, 2/15/10).
Such solutions are unappealing to the business class that owns and funds most U.S. media outlets, however; in the simplest terms, policies that increase the money supply are not in the interests of those who currently have plenty of money. With notable exceptions like New York Times columnist Krugman, the U.S. media discussion treated a left critique of Obamanomics as beyond the pale, leaving the Tea Party's calls for slashing "big government" as the sole proposal for improving the dismal job situation.
Having thus truncated voters' options for action, pundits and reporters frequently translated their concern about jobs into concern about the deficit-even though the mechanism by which cutting government spending in a recession would reduce employment is necessarily unclear.
"The federal deficit has emerged as a chief concern for voters," declared New York Times reporter Matt Bai (6/17/10), who later (9/9/10) explained that the Obama administration failed to invest in large-scale infrastructure projects "largely because the public never seemed open to the idea of huge new spending." The Times' Jackie Calmes (10/26/10) wrote of "a midterm campaign that has turned heavily on the issue of the mounting federal debt."
A Washington Post story (5/19/10) likewise described "voters up in arms over the mounting federal debt." The Post's Lori Montgomery (6/19/10) acknowledged that many economists saw additional stimulus as vital to the recovery, but countered that "a competing threat-the exploding federal budget deficit-seems to be resonating more powerfully in Congress and among voters." The Post (10/10/10) later identified the "overarching theme of election 2010" as a "question of how big the government should be and how far it should reach into people's lives."
Newsweek's Eleanor Clift wrote a piece (Newsweek.com, 10/15/10) with the subhead "How Did a Concept as Unsexy and Complicated as the National Deficit Become the Galvanizing Political Issue of the Day?" "Why is the deficit the top issue in voters' minds?" asked Clift, answering herself: "The deficit is really a symbol for the anger that people feel about the amount of money that has been poured into the economy, without any tangible returns that they can see in their own pocketbooks."
But the assertion that the deficit is the voters' "top issue" or a "chief concern" is contradicted by much of the polling data. One Gallup survey (6/17/10), for example, found that 60 percent of the public approved of "additional government spending to create jobs and stimulate the economy." Bloomberg (12/10/09) summarized one of its polls, "Americans want their government to create jobs through spending on public works, investments in alternative energy or skills training for the jobless."
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A New York Times story (9/16/10) on a poll taken at the height of the election season observed, "The economy and jobs are increasingly and overwhelmingly cited by Americans as the most important problems facing the country, while the federal budget deficit barely registers as a topic of concern when survey respondents were asked to volunteer their worries."
One of the few polls to ask people to choose between jobs and the deficit directly (CBS/NYT, 4/5-12/10) found 50 percent agreeing that "the federal government should spend money to create jobs, even if it means increasing the budget deficit"; only 42 percent chose deficit reduction over stimulus.
It's true that CNN's exit poll found slightly more voters choosing "reducing deficit" (39 percent) than "spending to create jobs" (37 percent) as the "highest priority for next Congress." But exit polls reflect only the views of those who have been motivated to vote; if the same electorate had voted in 2008, CNN found, John McCain would have gotten the same percentage of the vote as Barack Obama. While election analysis tends to treat voters as the only citizens whose views matter, the issues that turn voters into non-voters can do as much or more to influence election outcomes.
Media analyses pointed to Obama's deficit commission as the logical path to fulfilling the electorate's supposedly fervent wish for deficit cutting. As USA Today (11/5/10) editorialized after the vote:
At the end of this month, a presidential commission on the deficit is expected to vote on recommendations for ending Washington's red-ink addiction. Obama could take the commission's ideas, regardless of whether they are backed by the supermajority necessary to formally propose them to Congress, and run with them.
While the group deliberately delayed its recommendations until after the election, comments from the group made it clear that Social Security would be a prime target of its spending-reduction mission. In a piece published a week before the election (10/27/10), the Washington Post's Mont-gomery quoted commission member Judd Gregg, a Republican senator from New Hampshire: "This is an election that's going to have a very clear message: Do something about the deficit and debt.... I think the American people are going to send a very clear message."
It was clear, at any rate, what message corporate media were going to hear-regardless of what signal voters intended to send.


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Protocol Agreement Signed between LCP and LCMS
Jun 9th
President Reyes and President Harrison Sign Protocol Document
On 8 June 2016, The Lutheran Church of the Philippines (LCP) and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) signed a protocol agreement. The LCP was a mission start of the LCMS after World War II. The church became a self-governing partner church in 1967. The LCP has about 25,000 members, with about 200 congregations and 110 pastors. President Reyes also serves as the International Lutheran Council (ILC) regional representative for Asia.
Dr. Collver and Vice President Felipe Ehican, Jr, shake hands after signing
The Protocol agreement was signed by President Harrison and President Reyes, and Dr. Collver and Vice-President Felipe Ehican. The agreement outlines how the LCP and the LCMS will work together. It states that the basis for our fellowship is based on the Holy Scriptures and subscription to the Book of Concord. The agreement outlines areas of joint work such as higher education (theological education), cooperation in mission work, mass media and literature, and other programs. It states that communication between the church bodies are between the two presidents.
Mr. Darin Storkson and President Reyes
These sort of agreements are important for the life together of the two church bodies. We look forward to strengthening the partnership between the LCMS and LCP.
President Harrison autographs his new book, Letters from a Pastor's Heart, for the guests from the Philippines.
The Nordic Lutheran Dioceses and the International Lutheran Conference Discuss Membership
Jan 20th
(From http://www.ilc-online.org/2016/01/20/the-nordic-lutheran-dioceses-and-the-international-lutheran-conference-discuss-membership/)
20 January 2016
Gothenburg, Sweden
Participants: Dr. Lawrence Rast, Chairman of LCMS CTCR; Rev. Jakob Okkels, Swedish Mission Province and Assistant to Bishop; Dr. Robert Bugbee, President of Lutheran Church Canada / Vice-Chairman of International Lutheran Council; Dr. Hans-Jörg Voigt, Bishop of SELK / Chairman of ILC; Dr. Albert Collver, Director of Church Relations / Executive Secretary of ILC; Rev. Bengt Birgersson, General Secretary for Swedish Mission Provence; Roland Gustafsson, Presiding Bishop of the Swedish Mission Provence; Göran Beijer, Assisting Bishop of the Swedish Mission Provence; Juhana Pohjola, Dean of the Finnish Mission Provence; Risto Soramies, Bishop of the Finnish Bishop Province; Lars Artman, Assisting Bishop for Swedish Mission Province; Thor Henrik With, Bishop of the Norwegian Mission Provence; Rev. Jon Ehlers, Chairman of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England / ILC Representative for Europe; Norberto Gerke, President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Paraguay / ILC Representative for Latin America; Gijsbertus van Hattem, President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Belgium / Secretary of the ILC.
The executive committee of the International Lutheran Council (ILC) and the Nordic Lutheran Dioceses met January 20, 2016 to discuss future opportunities for collaboration. The three Nordic Dioceses—the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of Finland, the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese in Norway, and the Mission Province in Sweden—all formed in response to the secularization of the National/State churches in their respective countries involving matters of both Christian doctrine and ethics. These new, independent Dioceses were formed in Sweden (6 September 2003), in Finland (16 March 2013), and in Norway (20 April 2013). On 7 November 2015 the three Dioceses declared altar and pulpit fellowship with one another and formed the Communion of Nordic Dioceses, which then quickly approached the ILC about possible membership.
Roland Gustafsson, Bishop of the Mission Province in Sweden, said membership in the ILC is important because "being in a rather small environment in the Nordic countries, we need the global fellowship of the Church of Christ. The ILC represents a Lutheran community, where we do think our Nordic Dioceses belong."
The Nordic Dioceses hosted the representatives of the ILC, which includes 37 member churches (www.ilc-online.org), in Gothenburg, Sweden. On the eve of the meeting, Gothenburg, which typically enjoys a temperate climate, experienced a freak snow storm that slightly delayed the meetings.
Bishop Hans-Jörg Voigt, D.D., Bishop of the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany and Chairman of the International Lutheran Council, was glad to hear the confession of the Nordic Dioceses. He said, "While we experienced the outside of Gothenburg as very cold with lots of snow, we experienced from our hosts a very warm and close confessional brotherhood during this conference. It enables us to look forward to deeper connections between the Nordic church bodies and the International Lutheran Council."
The International Lutheran Council seeks to encourage and support confessional Lutheran churches throughout the world through education, conferences, and discussion of contemporary theological issues.
After heartfelt, serious, and collegial discussions related to the belief, confession, and practice of the Nordic Dioceses, the executive committee of the International Lutheran Council invited each church body of the Nordic Dioceses to submit an application for membership, which will then be considered at the next scheduled World Conference of the International Lutheran Council.
Dr. Albert Collver, Executive Secretary of the ILC, noted that "despite the challenges the Lutheran church faces around the world in this day and age, the Lord has opened tremendous opportunities for the proclamation of the Gospel and for the encouragement of brothers and sisters in Christ. The discussions with the Nordic Dioceses were incredibly heartening and we look forward to continuing these conversations."
After the discussions concluded in the late afternoon, the ILC executive committee toured The Lutheran School of Theology, Gothenburg (LSTG) where the Mission Province in Sweden provides training for future pastors (http://www.ffg.se). In the Fall of 2014 Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, opened an extension site at LSTG and now offers a Master of Sacred Theology (STM) degree accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (http://www.ctsfw.edu/seminary-news/ctsfw-opens-international-extension-site-in-sweden). This program offers a unique opportunity for students in Scandinavia and other nearby countries to receive an advanced research degree in theology.
The meetings concluded with dinner at the LM Engströms Gymnasium, which was the former bishop's palace for the Gothenburg diocese of the Church of Sweden. Bishop Bo Giertz lived here during his tenure, 1949-70. Today, the LM Engströms Gymnasium serves as a Lutheran high school with approximately 500 students. It is the largest Christian high school in Sweden.
Dr. Lawrence Rast, special consultant to the International Lutheran Council and chairman of the LCMS Commission on Theology and Church Relations, participated in the discussions with the Nordic Dioceses in preparation for future fellowship discussions with The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. "We are witnessing the emergence of new era of collaboration between confessional Lutherans throughout the world. As the Nordic Lutheran Dioceses and the ILC move into the future, we're all excited to see what God has in store for his church."
Election and Installation of Torkild Masvie as Provisional Bishop
Jan 17th
Front Row: Pastor Andreas Masvie Sr, Bishop Torkild Masvie, Pastor Alf Donbolt
Back Row: Pastor Olav Berg Lyngmo, Rev. Dr. Albert Collver, Pastor Hanss Jensons
17 January 2016
In a church service held in Oslo, Torkild Masvie was installed as the provisional bishop of The Lutheran Church of Norway.
The Norwegian installation service involved lay people from the church counsel reading Scripture verses.
Provisional Bishop Masvie presides over Holy Communion and concludes the service with the benediction.
Marie Lyngmo, Pastor Olav Berg Lyngmo, Rev. Dr. Albert B. Collver
Pastor Olav Berg Lyngmo serves a congregation in the Norwegian Lapland. He was defrocked by the King of Norway for his rejection of women's ordination and the blessing of same-sex marriage.
Dr. Bruce Kintz participated in the convention of The Lutheran Church of Norway. The Lutheran Church of Norway's constitution grants the LCMS one clergy and one lay delegate. This privilege also is extended to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia.
It has been a wonderful time in Norway visiting with The Lutheran Church of Norway, who is a new LCMS partner and a recently added member into the International Lutheran Council.
— Rev. Albert B. Collver, Ph.D.
Convention Worship of Lutheran Church of Nigeria
Jan 12th
LCN National Choir Processing into Church
On January 10, 2016, the Lutheran Church of Nigeria finished out its convention, "Christ in Me for Life Together," with worship that carried on for 8 hours with about 6,000 people in attendance.
One of the songs the Lutheran Church of Nigeria's National Choir sang was "Holy, Holy, Holy."
A view of one third of the worship space.
Rev. Dr. Albert B. Collver preached on the Baptism of Our Lord from Luke's gospel. The evening before the service Dr. Collver gave the convention essay titled, "Christ in Me for Life Together."
A woman dancing and singing during the offering.
Archbishop Christian Ekong consecrates two new bishops for the Lutheran Church of Nigeria.
All of the bishops gather to pray and bless the newly consecrated bishops.
After the consecration of the bishops, Holy Communion was celebrated.
Communion distribution to the 6,000 attendees was an exercise in organized chaos.
Archbishop Christian Ekong gives the benediction at the end of the service.
At the convention, contests were held for children to know the Bible and Catechism, as well as dance to church music. Awards were presented during the service.
Children dancing at the Lutheran Church of Nigeria for a contest.
The Lutheran Church of Nigeria's Convention was a wonderful experience. The church also did fund raising for the Nigerian Lutheran University and ground was broken near the LCN's headquarters in Obot Idim. This is just a little flavor of the 8 hours of worship and fellowship.
— Rev. Dr. Albert B. Collver, Director of Church Relations
Lutheran Church of Nigeria Biennial Synod Convention
Jan 9th
The Lutheran Church of Nigeria is holding its Biennial Synod Convention from Wednesday, January 6, 2016, to Sunday, January 10, 2016 in Obot Idim. The 2016 Convention marks the 80th anniversary of The Lutheran Church of Nigeria, founded in 1936 by LCMS Missionaries. The Convention theme: Christ Lives in Me, For Life Together based upon Colossians 1:27. Approximately 6,000 people attended the convention.
A focus of the convention is on the funding and development of the Lutheran University Nigeria Project. The Lutheran University would have a huge effect on the Lutheran Church of Nigeria. In Uyo, there are at least two other universities. Education is very important and desired in Africa. Bishop Paul Fynn of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana operates a university of 8,000 students. The potential for a Lutheran University in Nigeria is huge.
The convention begins at 6 AM and finishes around midnight. There are generous breaks during the day for rest and protection from the high temperatures, which is projected to be 108 F (or 44 C) today. More on the convention in the coming days.
Archbishop Ekong
The convention schedule follows.
Convention Schedule January 6-7
Convention Schedule January 7-8
Convention Schedule January 8-9
Convention Schedule January 9
— Rev. Dr. Albert B. Collver, Director of Church Relations


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What do we want from "Local Food Systems"?Posted on May 15, 2013 | No CommentsBy Dr. Jennifer Phillips Over the coming decades, climate change will challenge regional, national, and global economies. Some regions of the world will see agricultural productivity drop by 50% […]
The SCC: the most important number almost no one has ever heard of.Posted on May 14, 2013 | No CommentsBy Karen Corey Love Canal. Chernobyl. Bhopal. Three Mile Island. Deepwater Horizon. Fukushima. Each of these is a place that has become synonymous with environmental disaster, provoking environmental regulation and concerns about large-scale environmental devastation. […]


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Thanksgiving Help Line
Have a Thanksgiving quandary? The staff of The New York Times Dining section and other experts answered your questions on food, drinks, entertaining and more.
All Thanksgiving Coverage »
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Video All Thanksgiving Videos »
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Melissa Clark shows how to make candied sweet potatoes using maple syrup. View recipe »
The Thanksgiving-erator
Start building a menu with this interactive feature.
What's the main course?
Thanksgiving should be graced with just a touch of bacon.
Bacon should have a large supporting role in the meal.
I am methodically replacing everything I eat with bacon.
Illustration by SARAH WILLIAMSON


text: Minimally Invasive and Advanced Hip Replacement Procedures Anterior Approach The anterior approach is the new alternative to traditional hip replacement surgery where the surgeon approaches the hip joint from the front instead of side or back. In a traditional hip replacement surgery, the surgeon makes an incision along the side of your leg to access the hip joint. When approaching from the front, the surgeon can access your joint without cutting muscles. By sparing major muscles, the anterior approach results in faster recovery and less pain. Many patients who underwent surgery using the anterior approach were back to normal activities within few weeks. An assessment and evaluation by an orthopedic surgeon is needed to determine if you are a candidate for the surgery using the anterior approach or whether a more traditional approach is necessary. Mini Total Hip Replacement Less invasive techniques have been used to perform hip replacement through smaller incisions and less muscle trauma. This has resulted in faster recovery, less pain, and quicker return to full activity. In this procedure, the surgeon removes the damaged cartilage and bone and replaces them with new prosthetic parts to restore the motion and function of the hip. The new construction consists of two basic parts: the ball and the socket. Regardless of whether a patient has traditional or minimally invasive hip replacement surgery, the new, artificial materials used are the same. Your surgeon will choose the type of prosthesis that best fits your needs. The surgeon starts by removing the femur (thigh bone) from the hip socket along with the femoral head (ball). After damaged portions are removed, a metal shell implant is pressed into the hip socket. In some cases, surgical cement may be used to secure the remaining bone to the implant. A polyethylene (plastic), ceramic or metal liner is then attached to the metal shell, completing the replacement of the socket. Finally, the femoral implant is placed into the area where the femur was removed, followed by the replacement of the femoral head. The ball and socket are then joined to form the new hip joint. Total Hip Resurfacing Approved by the FDA in 2006, hip resurfacing is a less invasive approach to hip replacement. Similar to complete replacement, the procedure replaces damaged portions of the hip with implants. The femur is also separated from the socket and the damaged portions are taken out. However, unlike hip replacement, the ball is then reshaped to fit the implant as opposed to removing it completely. Before the reshaped ball is pressed in, a metal shell is inserted into the socket. The metal ball is then attached to the reshaped femur. The advantage of hip resurfacing is that it recreates a more natural hip and preserves more bone than traditional hip replacement. Therefore, it decreases the risk of dislocation, allowing patients to return to high impact activity such as running and playing basketball. The surgery is intended for younger patients with more active lifestyles – typically males under 65 and females under 55. It is not recommended for patients with low bone density levels. Hip Arthroscopy In a hip arthroscopy, the surgeon diagnoses and treats a damaged hip joint with the help of an instrument called an arthroscope. Inserted through a small incision, the arthroscope uses fiber optics to light the area being examined, while a video camera attached to it transmits the image to a video monitor. Saline is pushed through the joint to clear out fluid obstructing the view, allowing the surgeon to thoroughly examine the area. The arthroscope also enables the surgeon to remove inflammation and loose fragments, treat frayed cartilage, and remove bumps of bone that may be causing pain. To read about patients who have had hip replacement procedures, please click here.


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Linux Fedora 19 Schrödinguer's Cat works perfectly on this computer (Lenovo Y480 Idea Pad). I've recently installed and it recognizes all drivers automatically. On the other hand, previous to insalling this Linux Distro (And others too, I've tried Ubuntu 13.10 before), is necessary to change in the boot options Secure Boot and UEFI. The OEM put this as a "lock" to avoid installing other OS, but it is not a big deal.
Is worth to mention that before installing Linux, I also measured the temperature of the mass airflow out of the fan and I notice that in windows is around 35 ºC, in contrast in LiveCD linux is around 43ºC (LIVE CD!!!), when you install the operative sistem this problem is solved.
¡Enjoy your preferred Linux!
Juan José.
Engineer, Sciencist.
Yucatán, México.


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Tools cut narrow and straight trenches
Developed for cutting narrow straight trenches in a variety of soil types, the Trencher Work Tools for skid-steer loaders or compact wheel loaders are designed for laying electrical, telephone and cable lines. The trenchers operate with the skid steer loader traveling in reverse with the boom angled down between 45 and 65 deg from the horizontal position. Engineered to provide the right balance of chain speed, torque and chain pull for maximum productivity in a broad range of soil types, two models of Cat Trenchers are available. Both feature a direct-drive system with a variable-speed, bi-directional, gerotor-style hydraulic motor. The motors mount directly to the trencher frame and couple to a hub shaft, which drives the sprocket and auger. Hydraulic or manual side shift options are available. The model T9 trencher operates to a maximum depth of 48 in. and width of 10 in. and the model T15 trencher operates to a maximum depth of 60 in. and width of 12 in. Caterpillar Inc.
Lighting streamers are reusable
The Budget-Miser (BM-755) lighting streamers suit a range of worksites including construction sites, tunnels, bridges and shipyards. The reusable streamers provide safe, overhead temporary lighting. Sockets, which are spaced at 10-ft intervals with a 5-ft lead and tail, are ruggedly constructed and integrally molded in Hypalon rubber to a heavy-duty SOW-A cable. A rubber "O" ring forms a watertight seal around the neck of each bulb, eliminating problems associated with oil, dirt and moisture. The Budget Miser system comes ready to hang and is customizable to any length. Each socket is equipped with a mounting hole for quick and convenient installation. The streamers feature factory-installed NEMA male and female plugs, and can operate with either incandescent or fluorescent-based lamps up to a maximum of 100W. Duraline
Tool provide fast terminations
The EZ-RJ45 connectors and EZ-RJ45 crimp tool offer quick, cost effective UTP wire terminations. The connectors feature openings that allow wires to be inserted, extended out of the front of the connector and terminated, with the help of the craft- friendly crimp tool. Leviton
Circle 247 on Reader Service Card
Tap or splice connector handles 600 kcmil cable
The EZ600 connector, which is specifically designed for 600kcmil cable, provides a compact, economical solution to tap or splice this popular wire size. The product eliminates the need to use a larger 750kcmil split bolt for 600kcmil cable. It handles a range of wire sizes from 600kcmil to #2/0AWG and installs quickly and simply with a single wrench. Greaves
Circuit mapper checks breakers and feeders
The CMT24S circuit mapper system makes it possible for one person to identify which circuit breakers or fuses are feeding specific branch circuits. The mapper is said to test up to 96 branches concurrently, saving time and money over more traditional testers. The transmitter clamp leads send 24 separate digital signals, per transmitter, to live or dead lines with equipment still connected. The receiver digitally indicates the appropriate circuit number when the probe makes contact with an outlet, switch or any other electrical connection. Tasco Inc.
AFCI device protects against home fires
The Fire-Guard arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) can protect against arc faults, a major cause of residential fires. An AFCI has the ability to detect many types of arc-faults in home wiring and turn the power off to the electrical circuit, reducing the potential for a fire to occur. This AFCI combines arc fault technology with conventional circuit breaker protection against short circuits and overloads. Cutler-Hammer


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I've been very concerned about my level of pre-fermentation aeration. I feel it is lacking.Does anybody know of any good / affordable aeration systems or aquarium pumps or something else.Thanks!
Why concerned?I use either a mixstir attachement for a cordless drill (like a paint stirrer, in fact you can USE a paint stirrer) or lateley I have been sanitizing my balloon whisk and just going at it.
So, I have a few ideas of what it might be:1. Young / Green beer. I'm going to age it a little bit to see what happens.2. Unhealthy yeast. I'm going to try to create a yeast starter and increase aeration.3. Water problems / mash pH problems. I'm going to try different brewing salt additions to my water to see if I can get the pH under control.I'm would like to do one thing at a time so I can see what the true problem is....
As for the water, do you have an analysis of your tap water or do you plan to build it from RO? And have you downloaded Bru'n Water?
Quote from: davidgzach on February 11, 2013, 06:22:58 PMAs for the water, do you have an analysis of your tap water or do you plan to build it from RO? And have you downloaded Bru'n Water? I recently got my water analysis back from Ward Labs. I have not yet downloaded Bru'n Water. I usually just add a Campden Tablet and a teaspoon of Gypsum simply because my Calcium is a bit low.Where can get Bru'n Water?


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Twitter Cuts Off Illegal Neo Nazi Group Account In Germany
from the censor-locally deptBack in January, we wrote about Twitter's decision to set up tools to allow it to censor locally if required to under local laws. While many people got upset about this, believing it meant that Twitter was supporting censorship, we noted that the issue is a bit more nuanced than that. You could take the extreme position that Twitter should stand up for free speech absolutely, no questions asked, anywhere around the world. And, to some extent, I'm sympathetic to that viewpoint. However, at the same time, it is a fact that different countries have different laws, and some of those laws restrict free speech. Twitter's decision, then, is a compromise on that, but in a somewhat more effective way. They will only block the content in that specific country where it has been deemed illegal.
And, now, nine months later, Twitter's General Counsel Alex Macgillivray (@amac), has admitted to using the censorship ability for the first time, for the account of a neo-Nazi group based in Germany, where it has been declared illegal. The block only applies to Germany. As some have noted, this is a really bad group. But, of course, it's always those kinds of cases that test your principles. As promised, Twitter has publicly shared the takedown letter it received on ChillingEffects.
Dear Madam, Dear Sir,This is the kind of thing that Twitter absolutely expected -- and the fact that is only banning the account in Germany, rather than following the demands of the letter ordering the account be shutdown completely, suggests that Twitter isn't just caving in here. Of course, given my strong belief in the importance of free speech, I think that the demand to shut down the account itself is the bigger issue here, rather than Twitter's reaction to it. In ordering it shut down, and leading to this public admission about it from Twitter, all that German law enforcement has done is call more attention to this group.
the enclosed letter gives you the information that the Ministry of the Interior of the State of Lower-Saxony in Germany has banned the organisation "Besseres Hannover". It is disbanded, its assets are seized and all its accounts in social networks have to be closed immediately. The Public Prosecutor (State Attorney's Office) has launched an investigation on suspicion of forming a criminal association.
It is the task fo the Polizeidirektion Hannover (Hannover Police) to enforce the ban.
The organisation "Besseres Hannover" uses the Twitter account
I ask you to close this account immediately and not to open any substitute accounts for the organisation "Besseres Hannover".
Please confirm that you have received this letter and let me know what measures you have taken.
Yours sincerely,
Head of Police Admin Dept
Also, I'd take some issue with Amac's claim that this is the "first time" the company has used its ability to "withhold content." It has done so repeatedly in the past over DMCA claims. Yes, that's somewhat different, but not as much as some would like to believe. Both are cases where the local law claims that the content in question is illegal, and upon notices sent to Twitter, it blocks that content. That makes no statement on whether or not such content should or should not be illegal. But the basics of the situation are really the same.
Either way, I appreciate that Twitter is at least trying to walk the fine line of both complying with the laws in countries like Germany, while simultaneously effectively demonstrating why such laws don't necessarily work well. I can certainly understand why Germany has laws against neo-Nazis and hate groups. Given the history there, it's hard to imagine such laws not existing. But situations like this raise questions about just how effective they really are. In this case, all it's really done is call more attention to the group in question. As for Twitter, you could argue that the company could go much further, but it would clearly run into significant legal challenges. And, while it would be great if it also recognized that the DMCA notice situation really isn't all that different, it's difficult to fault Twitter for deciding this particular battle wasn't worth fighting against.
Filed Under: free speech, germany
Companies: twitter


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some problems
Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy comes with an intel graphics driver that crashes the system on lid-close. This does not happen when an external monitor is attached. Driver bug is solved, but not yet added to Gutsy updates.
The latitude D505 has a bluetooth on-off switch that is triggered through Bios. Currently you can only switch bluetooth on or off using the driver inside MS Windows. The switch remains in the same state after reboot (into Ubuntu) and even after power cycle.
You can set the screen to blank after some idle time. On the D505 the screen turns gray instead of black because the backlight remains swithed on.


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Home | About Us | Calculators | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Security
The Main Office
101 E. Bridge on the Historic Square
(817) 573-2655 | Toll Free (800) 447-1688
About Us
First National Bank was chartered in 1887 by Texas Pioneers Dan Cogdell, John Traylor, E.A. Hannaford, Jess Baker and James H. Doyle.
While the early years of the Bank's existence were economically prosperous for the area, the Great Depression and droughts of the 1930's would soon have a negative impact on the community. However, First National Bank persevered through this time and gave the community a sense of hope. We even assumed the accounts of the City National Bank as it fell victim to the times, saving many Granbury residents their hard earned money.
First National Bank continued to grow through the years and serve the community wherever needed, becoming a pillar of strength to the area. During World War II the Bank's President, Jake Green, served as the chairman of the War Bond Drive, helping accumulate funds for the effort. During the 1960's the Bank's Presidents, Henry Zweifel and John S. Luton, as well as Director Norma Crawford, worked hard to bring the damming of the Brazos River to form Lake Granbury, which has had an enormous impact on Hood County. Mrs. Crawford also led the drive to bring renovation to Granbury's historical square, which is a strong tourist attraction still today.
By the late 1980's, the Bank began to branch out and provide the community with more convenient locations. Today there are six First National Bank locations in Hood County, helping provide a major source of employment and economic activity for the area. In 2017 the bank opened its first full service branch outside of Hood County with our Nolan River Banking Center in Cleburne, Texas.
As in the beginning, First National Bank is still a locally owned community bank with its focus on serving the community. While adapting and staying up to date with modern day technologies has helped First National Bank persevere through the years, our real secret to success has been our strong integrity and honesty in our banking relationships, and our continued service to Hood, Johnson, and surrounding areas. If you want friendly, personal, comfortable banking, stop by and visit any one of First National's offices, where bankers treat customers like family, as we have done since 1887.
Matt Bufkin
VP Chief Financial Officer
It is an honor to be able to work for a company with such historical significance in this great community. FNB has been successful because of the relationships it has established with the residents of Hood, Johnson, and surrounding counties. While staying up-to-date with technology is a priority for us, establishing and maintaining relationships based on trust and integrity will always be the top priority. We want every customer to know that they can trust us, and that sort of relationship is not something you can just arrive at through marketing or a short-term effort; it's something that is planted and grown over years of doing the right thing. That's the company that I'm proud to say I work for, and that's the company philosophy that I will do everything I can to help maintain.


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About this blog
This blog is brought to you by the members of the BCS Internet Specialist Group and allows you to harness their skills, expertise and knowledge. The internet is ubiquitous and has a major impact on our daily lives, at work, at home on the move. The associated risks and security concerns are real, but the magic and advantages of the internet are significant.See all posts by Internet Specialist Group


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What was contemporary art?
June 11th, 2013
Click to play:
Recorded: Thursday May 9, 7 pm in Jackman Hall
Duration: 00:51:25
Contemporary art in the early twenty-first century is often discussed as though it were a radically new phenomenon unmoored from history. Yet all works of art were once contemporary to the artist and culture that produced them. In this lecture, based on his recent book What Was Contemporary Art?, Art Historian Richard Meyer reclaims the contemporary from historical amnesia, exploring episodes in the study, exhibition, and reception of early twentieth-century art and visual culture.
Richard Meyer is the Robert and Ruth Halperin Professor in Art History at Stanford University. He is the author, most recently, of What Was Contemporary Art (MIT Press: 2013) and co-editor, with Catherine Lord, of Art and Queer Culture (Phaidon Press: 2013).
Richard Meyer's talk is presented in assocation with the Joan & Martin Goldfarb Summer Institute in Visual Arts, produced by the Graduate Program in Visual Arts and the Graduate Program in Art History and Visual Culture, Faculty of Fine Arts, York University


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Last summer when Jacob went to Budapest for a conference, he took an few hours to stroll around the city's "Chinatown." Except there wasn't much of one, at least not the kind with red-and-gold gates and tons of indistinguishable souvenir vendors - kitschy but telltale signs that a city at least tries to embrace its multicultural identity.
With Hungary, the situation is a little more complicated. Through numerous conversations with Hungarians, many of them ultra-liberal on a range of political issues, there was an underlying resentment of recent Chinese immigrants. The country's Chinese population mostly consists of Fujianese who arrived starting in the 1980s, a good portion who may have entered illegally, and who have not really integrated into Hungarian society yet. It seems like an instance of vicious-cycle tension: newcomers keeping to themselves because of societal disdain, society feeling disdain because newcomers keep to themselves. Despite this, Chinese restaurants were doing okay business, though not nearly the lunch volume as their US counterparts.
Of course, it's common for previously homogenous cultures to take a backlash to immigration, at first. (Like China's current situation with African merchants, for example.) The US took almost two centuries to feel reasonably comfortable in its multicultural skin. It's the same with England and France. Even if a full-blown Chinatown never develops, it may take a couple decades before Hungarians will enthusiastically venture into immigrant enclaves in search of some good sweet and sour pork.
Or judging by this ironic Budapest billboard, maybe they would be more receptive to momos...


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The image used for the Childkiller reputation in the final version of Fallout 2 is the same as for the Hated reputation. As it turns out, a special image for Childkiller was created but was never used. Brian Menze, the artist who made it, shows it on his DeviantArt page and explains why.
"This image was unused and the only Vault Boy image to ever be cut from Fallout 2. (I'm sure you can figure out why) I remember when I got the request to do a perk illustration for "child Killer" that there would be no way to keep in from being offensive. I mean really! how do you make an illustration of "child killer" and keep it from being offensive? Anyway for some reason, I thought this was the least offensive way to do it. I have no idea what i was thinking. Even the designer who requested it realized it was a bad idea, so we nixed it. Looking back on it now, I can't beleive I drew this."
Aside from that, Brian Menze has published other high-quality Vault Boy images and concept art for games like Knights of the Old Republic II and Alpha Protocol on in his DeviantArt gallery.
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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Bits and pieces from the local sports scene:
Burroughs, Providence volleyball squads lead the way: Two area boys' volleyball teams are ranked among the top 10 in their respective divisions in this week's CIF Southern Section rankings.
The team ranked the highest this week is Burroughs High, which holds down the No. 3 spot in Division III. Cerritos Valley Christian is the No. 1 team in the division, followed by Warren.
In Division IV, Providence is fifth behind No. 1 Vistmar, Chadwick, Summit and Salesian.
In softball, Bellarmine-Jefferson is the third-ranked team in Division VII. Pomona Catholic is the No. 1 team in the division, followed by Rolling Hills Prep.
Tubert has another fine come-from-behind effort: Freshman Emily Tubert shot up the leaderboard with her second consecutive under-par round leading the No. 26 University of Arkansas women's golf team to the title at the LSU Golf Classic in Baton Rouge, La., Sunday.
Arkansas shot a final round one-under 287, 18 strokes better than the first round, and was the only team under par on the final day at the University Club Course, a par 72, 6,194-yard facility just off campus.
The Razorbacks won the event, shooting 24-over 888 with rounds of 305-296-287 for the three-day event. They were seven strokes better than second-place No. 7 Virginia with 895, and had every player match or better her previous round score.
"We kind of had a slow start this spring, but despite that, this team kept believing in each other," Arkansas head Coach Shauna Estes-Taylor told the university's website. "We have continued to work hard and we've talked a lot about 'attitude equals altitude' and that if we had the right attitude that our scores would move up the leaderboard. I'm so proud of this team."
The Razorbacks won the event with an 888, followed by No. 7 Virginia with an 895. Top-ranked Alabama was tied for third with 18 Tennessee and No. 4 Duke, which all counted 900.
Tubert finished third overall, shooting three-over 219 for the weekend. She opened play with a 78. but went low with a 70 on Saturday and a 71 in the final round. She was one stroke off the leaders, Lindy Duncan of Duke and AnnKarin Ljungstrom of Louisville, who were co-medalists with 218.
Tubert began her day on hole 1B and birdied the third and fifth holes. She carded a four on the par-five 496 third hole and counted two moving to two-under after the fifth.
Her scorecard remained uncluttered until a bogey on the par-four, 327-yard 15th hole, and that's how she finished.
Jeff Tully


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Hot path detection using decaying bloom filters
Instead of using a hash of pointer to counter, implement the following:
- allocate a bitfield of size N. More bits = more accuracy. Maybe look into
dynamic bloom filters, to accomodate growing optree. Not really
- prepare K hash functions (simple galois field multiplications over random
primes or sth)
- for every opcode address that matches the opmask, apply:
bitfield, bloom_fill;
do {
bitoffset = hash(i++, ptr); /* ptr is a CV or a PL_op */
} while ( i < k && bitfield[bitoffset] );
if ( i < k ) {
if ( ++bloom_fill > max_fill ) {
/* if the bloom filter is too full implement random decay */
for ( i = 0; i < chunk; i ++ ) {
bitfield[random] = 0;
/* finally set the bit for hash(k, PL_op */
bitfield[bitoffset] = 1;
} else {
/* opcode exceeded threshold, execute trigger */
The bloom filter is a constant size, relatively low overhead
alternative to a hash, which can produce false positives, but
not false negative. The hot path is pretty much guaranteed to be found,
but a cold path could be mis identified as a hot path.
By adding decaying when the bloom filter is too full we can dynamically
identify a changing hot path.
Guesstimating that a pretty large (accurate) bloom filter with K at
around 3-4 and max_fill set fairly low should provide good results with
relatively low overhead.
CV tracing
Allow conditional tracing of ENTERSUB based on the CV it will invoke, instead of/in addition to the PL_op of the ENTERSUB.


text:
CAIRO, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- The U.S. Embassy in Cairo closed Thursday after fighting between protesters and police blocked access to the building.
The clashes stem from Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's refusal to back away from a showdown over his decree granting himself near absolute power, CBS News reported.
CBS said the protesters were targeting riot police, not the U.S. Embassy in the confrontations occurring near the diplomatic compound.
Most embassy staff were gone, and the embassy was closed for all American citizen services, officials said.
Activists warn Morsi's actions could spark a "second revolution" for the democratically elected Islamist president who enjoys support of the nation's most powerful political movement, the Muslim Brotherhood.
Meanwhile, Egypt's Constituent Assembly began voting on the draft constitution, approving 40 of the 234 articles to the new constitution one by one, The Egypt Independent reported.
The first article, approved unanimously, states Egypt is an independent, sovereign, democratic state and a part of the Arab and Islamic nation and the African continent, Article 2 states the principles of Sharia [Islamic law] are the primary sources of legislation and Article 3 gives personal religious freedom the Christians and Jews.
A copy of the draft constitution is to be submitted to Morsi Saturday, the Independent said. The current draft retains controversial clauses not agreed upon by different political parties.
Analysts have described the draft as an effort to defuse the positions of the military and other Islamist forces polarized by Morsi's decree.
The state-run al-Ahram newspaper reported lawmakers approved an article that would allow civilians to be tried by the military for crimes that "harm the armed forces."
The draft also establishes a National Defense Council that doesn't include lawmakers on the panel other than speakers of both parliamentary chambers, the Independent said.
The draft also states "the principles of Islamic Sharia [law] shall include full evidence, orthodox and jurisprudent rules, and sources approved by schools of the Sunnis and the community."
Al-Ahram said members of the Constituent Assembly agreed Wednesday on an electoral system in which a third of Parliament would be elected by single-winner voting and the remaining two-thirds would be elected through party lists. In June, the Supreme Constitutional Court ruled regulations governing a similar system were unconstitutional, which led to the dissolution of the People's Assembly.


text:
So, lately, I've been playing around a little bit with Poison, and noticed that its kind of hard to use it together with Burndayraz, which probably has something to do with the fact that manaregen stays constant .
This reminded me of the Alpha B2P, which doubled your manaregen on expense of your healthregen. While I personally prefer its current incarnation by far; however, I still keep wondering about that - manaregen.
We have monks and the Bloody Sigil, but as it stands now, we have nothing that boosts mana regen.
Now, I'm well aware that mana and health are two rather different things, in more ways than one - but I'd still like to hear your thoughts on this.
What would happen if there were a way to boost your manaregen? Would it be broken? Would it be crap?
Oh, and something completely unrelated: Outside of Assasin Bronze, we don't have a troll Boss. For every other Monster sprite* exists at least one boss, but not for Trolls.
*Not counting Pallete Swaps.


text:
Addressing a question about complaints from disappointed marathon participants, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said "I wish that we didn't have a hurricane and that we could have had a great event. Should've, would've and could've isn't something that I have to worry that I deal with."
Bloomberg, who spoke during a Saturday evening news conference at City Hall, initially brushed aside a question about the marathon cancellation, saying storm recovery issues were more important. But he turned back to the marathon issue at the end of the briefing.
"What simply happened was that it became a source of dissension, and we don't need that right now," said Bloomberg. "And hopefully next year we'll have a great event where people can come to the city and enjoy what the city has to offer and compete and participate. The spirit of the race is to bring people together. When it became a divisive issue, I just made the decision that it should not go on."
He said the cancellation led to some good news: about 600 medical blankets readied for the marathon were instead delivered to hard hit residents of Staten Island's Midland Beach area by volunteers who went door to door Saturday. And 10,000 cases of water were redirected to a central distribution center at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn.
"The situation changes, and it's a shame that it had to happen, but we've got to do the right thing each time," said Bloomberg. "I'm looking forward and I'm sure all those runners are, to coming back next year."
On Sunday, more resources are expected to be redistributed.
Earlier Saturday, in an interview with WCBS-TV New York, Bloomberg said, "I still think that we had the resources to do both, and that we want people to take a break and that sort of thing. There are lots of people in this city – some hurt, some not. It's a big part of our economy. But it was just becoming so divisive that whether it's a good idea or not, we just don't need the distraction."
As many across New York continued to recover from superstorm Sandy, Bloomberg came under fire for saying that the race should be run as planned. Local politicians voiced their concern, and thousands of critics took to Twitter and Facebook to protest the decision.
Bloomberg defended the decision Friday just hours before the race was called off by city and marathon officials, saying, "It does use some resources but not resources that can make a difference in recovery. It's a relatively small amount."
The mayor drew a parallel between 2001 and 2012, saying "Rudy (Guiliani) made the right decision" holding the 2001 race after 9/11.
A day later he spoke of the visitors who came to New York for the race. "I'm sorry," he said in the WCBS interview. "I fought the battle, and sometimes things don't work out."
Contributing: Roxanna Scott


text:
I am happy I have spent a great year here. I made many friends, learned many things and made a lot of progress with my English. I would like to take the time to say thanks to my host family: Mark, Sara, Madison and Logan More. And also to all of the may other relatives that welcomed me as one of their own. We had many great times together. Also I would like to say thanks to the ELC High School and the staff for everything you did for me. I enjoyed running cross country, being a member of the basketball team and running track, Thank you Coach Barrett for being a great coach! Thank you to the community for welcoming me in. Thank you to Trinity Lutheran Church for letting me be apart of it. Lastly, I want to thank AYUSA, which is the exchange student program that I chose. And to Shirley Nickel the Regional Director of AYUSA who helped guide me through any problems I had this year. I am very appreciative to everyone who took the time to help me and to know me.
Estherville is now my second home and I look foward to returning someday. I am studying for college this year and am hopefully going to college in Los Angeles next year.
Xiaoyi Zheng, AKA Jay
Fuzhou, Fujian, China


text:
Collapse survivors protest in Bangladesh; toll tops 761
Hundreds of garment workers who survived last month's tragedy demand outstanding wages and disaster compensation.
DHAKA, Bangladesh — Hasina Ahkter, 18, was at work folding clothes on the sixth floor when the eight-story building crashed down around her. Two hours later, she was rescued, with injuries to one leg.
Nine days later, rescuers found the corpse of her husband, Quim Ali, who ironed clothes for the same factory, New Wave Style, a supplier of Canadian brand Joe Fresh.
"They don't think we are human beings. We try to know whether they will pay our salary. I call them many times, but they don't accept my call," she said of the trade consortium that oversees many textile factories in Bangladesh.
Hundreds of garment workers in Bangladesh who survived last month's collapse of a factory-filled building blocked a highway near the site Tuesday to protest unpaid wages and compensation for the disaster.
The death toll from the April 24 collapse — already the South Asian nation's worst-ever industrial accident, and the worst tragedy to hit the garment sector worldwide — passed 700 Tuesday, when more corpses were recovered from the rubble of Rana Plaza in the Savar suburb of Dhaka, the Bangladesh capital.
The likely final death toll remains unclear as authorities have not completed a list of who was working in Rana's five factories that made clothes for brands sold worldwide, including North America. Over 2,500 people were rescued in the days after the tragedy.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), a consortium of textile businesses and a lobbying group, blamed the incomplete numbers for its failure to meet a pledge to pay outstanding wages Tuesday.
A few hundred workers who had gathered close to Rana Plaza reacted by blocking the adjacent highway Tuesday morning. For some survivors, frustration at their post-disaster treatment is worsening the pain of bereavement and injury.
Hasina, who earned $51 a month, took part in Tuesday's protest and vowed to join another planned for Wednesday. She also complained that no factory or government representative assisted her during a hospital stay where she had to pay for her own treatment.
The garment industry earns Bangladesh almost $20 billion a year and is a major engine of solid economic growth in recent years. About 3.5 million Bangladeshis — 80% of them women — work in the sector, but wages for many remain low.
Farzana Akhter earned $61 a month sewing clothes inside Rana Plaza before the collapse that trapped her for a day under concrete, injuring her waist.
Although the garment industry is credited for empowering many young rural women like Farzana, who otherwise have traditionally lacked employment opportunities outside the home, her young age points to weak or non-existent enforcement of labor laws. Now 17, she says she has worked in clothes factories for almost four years.
The survivors of the disaster say they are owed their April salary plus three months' salary as compensation for the loss of their jobs, and a further payment based on length of service, as stipulated in labor law. They claim that the garment association is only offering one month's salary and the additional payment.
"The government assured us that we'll get a new job and compensation, but we're yet to get anything, not even a single medicine pill," Farzana said Tuesday near the disaster site. "I was admitted to hospital for three days but we didn't get any compensation there, and only the saline drip was for free."
Local government administrator Yousuf Harun told the Associated Press they are working with BGMEA to ensure the workers get paid.
Contributing: Pinaki Roy


text:
z/OS Unix System Services For Beginners - Java Hello World
MartinPacker 11000094DH Comments (6) Visits (21478)
In this post (and any others in a similar vein) I'm going to be displaying a great deal of ignorance - but I think I'm doing it in a good cause. I know a fair amount about things like Java, XML and C++ - but NOT on z/OS. So I'm determined to learn and present what I learn as "For Beginners" posts here. The idea is that I'll encourage other people with more traditional... [More]
Java's Not The Only JVM-Based Language
MartinPacker 11000094DH Comments (9) Visits (20176)
JVM-based languages have an interesting property for z/OS programmers: They are zAAP-eligible. As we all know zAAP Eligibility brings a number of benefits - including the licence charge benefits and the ability to run on a full-speed processor even when your general-purpose processors are subcapacity ones. (I'll briefly mention zAAP-on-zIIP here for completeness, and then move on.) You... [More]
Javascript on z/OS For Beginners - Getting It To Run
MartinPacker 11000094DH Comments (4) Visits (19661)
Here's another "For Beginners" post to encourage people to just leap in and try it... Javascript is a language popularly used for such things as web pages with some programming in them (and that includes frameworks like dojo), building Firefox extensions, and the Adobe AIR (desktop) runtime. As it happens I'm pretty familiar with Javascript anyway - having done all 3 of the above. This post shows... [More]
Filtering REXX Query Results With BPXWUNIX
MartinPacker 11000094DH Comments (5) Visits (16928)
I've talked about BPXWUNIX before but here's a nice use case: Filtering REXX query results. When I get your performance data I have code that stores it in a database which I query with (essentially) REXX. The predicate syntax is very simplistic so I'd like to do better. I can't replace the syntax (not entirely true but close enough) but I can filter the results better. Consider the following... [More]
Two Kinds Of Pipes
MartinPacker 11000094DH Visits (15549)
It's been a while since I last posted here. And that's been more a matter of being incredibly busy than anything. Some of you will have seen me "on stage" - there having been several conferences and user groups recently. Some of you were with me at the zChampions meeting and some of you I'm actively working on customer situations with. (By the way one of the rules of zChampions isn't... [More]
XML, XSLT and DFSORT, Part Zero - Overview
MartinPacker 11000094DH Visits (14010)
In the distant past I've written about using DFSORT to parse XML. This post (and two follow-on posts) will describe an experiment to make such processing much more robust. In this post I'll talk about what the problem I'm trying to solve is. And why. And a brief outline of my solution. About XML This isn't meant to be the most detailed description of XML, nor a complete list of where it's used. I... [More]
MartinPacker 11000094DH Visits (11881)
The very first computer game I ever played was called Rhino and it ran on a Commodore PET. The school had been lent one for a fortnight. (I don't know why as we didn't go on to buy any, instead getting a single RML 380Z.) Imagine a character-grid screen where the rhino's are represented by pi symbols that chase you as you try to move from A to B. It was written in BASIC and allowed from 1 to 10... [More]


text:
A completely updated and revised edition replacing the 2002 Stanage guide - designed in the modern BMC format similar to that of Burbage, Millstone & Beyond the climbing guide now has excellent full colour photo-topos (running left to right) of all the buttresses.
Innovative features such as bouldering circuits and My Favourite Five, as well as all the other great features we have come to expect from BMC guides, this is a great guide to perhaps the greatest crag on grit. Featuring: - Details of every route and every boulder problem on the crag - 140 full colour action photos - Over 200 full colour photo-topos - 5 Fontainebleau-style bouldering circuits - 1300 routes from Moderate to E8 - 400 boulder problems from V0 to V13 - A full climbing history and first ascents list - Anecdotes and yarns from the crag's colourful climbing history.


text:
So today I turned in my [item]Furies Deck[/item] and received my [item]Darkmoon Card: Vengeance[/item]. My standard normal tanking trinkets are now [item]Darkmoon Card: Vengeance[/item] and [item]Gnomeregan Auto-Blocker 600[/item] or [item]Moroes' Lucky Pocket Watch[/item], depending upon the encounter.
I am hoping it will generate a fair amount of threat in addition to the +51 Stamina. The listed 10% proc rate would basically average out to about 10 points of average return damage per hit. Of course, this trinket will be very nice for multitanking. I'll report back my findings as I've had a chance to try out this new toy