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Family: Fagaceae, Beech view all from this family
Description Also called Spotted Oak, Schneck Oak, Shumard Red Oak, or Swamp Red Oak, this member of the red oak group (Quercus section Lobatae) is native to the Atlantic Coastal Plain primarily from North Carolina to northern Florida and west to central Texas. It is also found north in the Mississippi River Valley to central Oklahoma, eastern Kansas, Missouri, southern Illinois, Indiana, western and southern Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. It is found locally north to southern Michigan, southern Pennsylvania, Maryland, and the extreme south of Ontario, Canada.
Mature Shumard Oak typically reach heights of 25 to 35 meters (82 to 115 ft), trunk diameter is typically 60 to 100 centimeters (24 to 39 in), and crown width typically reaches 12 to 18 meters (39 to 59 ft) in width. Typical size varies according to region, with larger specimens occurring in the southern portions of its native range in the United States. Record Shumard Oaks have been measured at up to 42 meters (138 ft) tall, with crowns up to 27.5 meters (90 ft) in width. Young specimens generally exhibit conic or ovate crowns, with the upper crown filling in as the tree reaches maturity. Trunks are relatively straight and vertical.
The young bark of the Shumard Oak is light grey, very smooth, and very reflective. Shumard Oak bark darkens and develops ridges and furrows as it ages. There are occasionally white splotches on the bark.
Shumard Oak twigs terminate in a cluster of buds. The buds are lighter in color than the olive-green twigs. The young twig is highly reflective.
The leaves are arranged alternately and are broadly obovate with 5–9 lobes, each of which are terminated by bristle tipped teeth. The leaves mature to between 10 to 21 centimeters (4 to 8 in) in length. The surfaces are glabrous, except for the tufted vein axils. They are dark green on the top, while the bottom is a slightly lighter shade of green. The leaves turn brown to red in the fall, and sometime have hues of yellow mixed in. Fall colors are relatively late; specimens in central Texas may be at their most red in early December, while Florida specimens may not color substantially until February.
Shumard Oak bears relatively large acorns, which typically reach up to 3 centimeters (1 in) in diameter. Acorns take between 1.5 to 3 years to fully mature, and may go unnoticed during their early stages of development.
The acorns of the Shumard Oak provide food for various songbirds, game birds such as wild turkey and quail, waterfowl, white-tail deer, feral hogs, and various rodents such as squirrels. The leaves and twigs can also provide browse for white-tail deer.
Habitat Scrub, shrub & brushlands, Watersides (fresh).
Range Plains, Mid-Atlantic, Texas, Southeast, Florida, Great Lakes.


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Driving Experience Control.
The Driving Experience Control gives you the choice: you use the button in the centre console to activate the desired mode.
Change from Comfort mode, with the standard engine and transmission settings, to ECO PRO mode, geared towards efficiency, or Sport mode, which enables more dynamic driving. You can see underneath the rev counter which setting is currently activated.
The economical ECO PRO mode intelligently adapts the characteristic curves for accelerator and transmission as well as the heating/air conditioning strategy. ECO PRO tips help you optimise your own driving and the bonus range gives you feedback on how many additional kilometres you have gained thanks to ECO PRO mode optimised fuel consumption.
The ECO PRO mode reduces fuel consumption by up to 20 per cent, depending on individual driving styles. The functions coasting, proactive driving assistant and ECO PRO Route enable another five per cent of savings potential. These are available in conjunction with Steptronic transmission and Navigation system Professional. Saving potential calculated in internal fuel consumption studies.
The proactive driving assistant works with the latest generation of the Navigation system Professional to anticipate local details and give you tips long before you become aware of the situation yourself. If there is town or a speed limit around the next corner, the system recommends you slow down before the bend so as to adapt speed as efficiently as possible.
ECO PRO Route also ensures economical use of fuel. It offers you a route optimised for efficiency based on traffic volume, individual driving style and local conditions. You can assess the saving potential indicated and then decide for yourself whether you want to follow this recommendation.
With the "Coasting" function (only for Steptronic transmission), the car glides along the road at speeds of up to 160 km/h as soon as the driver removes their foot from the pedal and does not apply the brakes, and as long as the proactive driving assistant doesn't adapt speed to save fuel.
By contrast, in Sport mode the car responds more directly and allows a sportier driving style. A predefined set-up provides much sportier engine and suspension settings as compared to the standard set-up. For example, the engine becomes even more responsive. For models with the 8-speed Steptronic Sport transmission, the gearshift timing is made much sportier. In conjunction with the Adaptive Suspension, the suspension settings are much more agile in Sport mode. Meanwhile Servotronic and variable sport steering reduce steering support.
Thanks to BMW EfficientDynamics, it is now possible to actively boost performance in vehicles with the new Predictive Drive Train via the Driving Experience Control. In the "Sport" mode, the transmission management uses data from the navigation system to deliver a level of responsiveness that is even more dynamic and spontaneous based on route characteristics. As suggested by its name, the "Comfort" mode offers a comfort-oriented shift programme with fewer shifts.

subset: commoncrawl


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Have you ever purchased from PartSelect.com before?
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PartSelect Number PS454077
This round chrome drip pan contains a center hole of approximately four inches wide.
This part works with the following brands: Frigidaire, Gibson, Kelvinator, Kenmore, Tappan & White-Westinghouse.
Took out the old & easily replace it with the new set. No tools required.
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As the previous people stated on similar repairs;I took the new drip pans out of the box,removed the old grate burners and the old rusty drip pans; then, simply set the new pans in place and replaced the existing grates. This whole process took less than 10 minutes.
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Everyone loves homemade lemon squares! These refreshing sweet and lightly tart lemon squares are Betty's Best.
Grate only the yellow portion of the lemon; the white portion, or pith, is very bitter.
Rise to the occasion! Self-rising flour can be used in this recipe. (Do not omit baking powder and salt.)
To ensure recipe success, do not use vegetable oil spreads.
For a bright lemon color, add 4 to 6 drops of yellow food color with the eggs and sugar mixture.
One medium lemon should give you just enough peel and juice to make these refreshing bar cookies.
Make Lemon-Coconut Squares: Stir 1/2 cup flaked coconut into egg mixture in step 2.
© 2017 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved


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By Biz Buzz Blog
Biz Buzz has a little sandwich shop news for you today regarding Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches and Firehouse Subs.
First, it seems Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches is looking at Tupelo. The Champagne, Ill.-based chain has more than 1,200 locations in 40 states, with Mississippi stores in Columbus, Corinth, Oxford and Hattiesburg.
Biz Buzz spoke to the Corinth owner – who also plans to open one in Florence, Ala., – and he said he's very much interested in opening in Tupelo. However, he said the owner of the Columbus store has territory rights for Tupelo. So, we called the Columbus store, and lo and behold, spoke to the owner's wife, who said that they do indeed have plans to open in Tupelo soon.
In fact, they're negotiating a site now. She also said they hope to have at least two locations in Tupelo.We'll be following along closely to see how develops.
So what's the latest on Firehouse Subs? The Jacksonville, Fla.-based chain has more than 600 locations in 35 states and PuertoFirehouse subs logo Rico. In Mississippi, there are locations in Oxford, Starkville, Hattiesburg and Flowood.
Last year, it appeared the restaurant was on its way to opening a Tupelo location at the former Dixie Gas site on West Main Street. That didn't happen on Jan. 1, as planned. However, we've heard work is cranking up again soon. A Firehouse spokeswoman just called and said, "As far as we know, it's still planned."
However, she did say we'd get a call back on Monday with additional details.
Click here for more business news at Biz Buzz Blog.


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Latest Headlines
This isn't a Kohn job, it's an improbable Angels comeback
Posted on 21 Jul 2011 by Bill Mahoney.
I really like the Angels 50th anniversary ceremonies. Getting past players, and key executives, to throw out the first pitch is a nice touch. Tuesday saw the late Gene Autry get inducted in to the Halos Hall of Fame. The original owner of the Angels is so deserving. It's just too bad that he never got to watch his beloved team win the series in 2002. Brian Downing threw out the first pitch in W...


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Make a two-step Italian "app" in just 20 minutes.
If you already have your grill going, use it to toast the bread for this recipe, too.
For a warm appetizer, place the topped bread on the grill for 1 to 2 minutes. Cut the slices in half after heating them.
Make the mushroom mixture several hours ahead; cover and refrigerate. Toast the bread in advance, and top it off just before serving.
Add small curls of fresh Parmesan cheese and fresh marjoram leaves to the tops of these tangy treats.
© 2017 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved


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With a great team performance and an amazing action, Cannondale Pro Cycling scored a beautiful double at Strade Bianche. Moreno Moser claimed a solo win after an attack with 17 km to the finish, while Peter Sagan jumped from the chase group of favorites to claim second place. For the young Italian Moser, this is the first win of the season and the sixth as a professional. For Cannondale Pro Cycling, the Strade Bianche is the fourth victory since the team's launch in January.
The Strade Bianche is the first win for Moser in 2013 and is a meaningful win: "Yesterday I said that I liked this race and I thought I was suited for it," affirmed Moreno. "My tactic in this type of race is to race by instinct. When the group slowed, I attacked and I think the others expected the tactic that for sure, Peter was going to help me. He was the one everyone else had to keep an eye on and control, so I benefitted from this. Peter closed all the attacks from behind. Of course, other than Peter, the rest of the team was incredible because they took the situation in hand immediately. Everyone worked well, so I have to thank them as well because I wouldn't have won alone".
"I think you saw that at a certain point I was a bit nervous, rightfully so, when nobody with me in front would give a hand. Of course, I can't blame them. And there of course I was a bit nervous but I couldn't up the pace by myself and give everything. To have done that and lose in the finale would have been dumb on my part. When I saw the group coming behind, I knew that was the time to go and give a bit more. Maybe you could say that I was given an opportunity to race calmly and calculating because I was pretty sure Peter behind could have won as well, even had they caught me. So I think it's a question of racing as a team. From the moment I was ahead, I couldn't push hard enough to risk being beaten by my breakaway companions. With one behind who can win, it's an advantage to race with Peter, and the same for him" added Moser.
Moser's satisfaction was echoed by Sagan. "I think the team did a perfect performance. Our teammates made a lot of effort to lead the group and in the final we had double the chances to win. Moreno had the role of the joker and claimed a beautiful win. My second place? If a teammate wins I'm happy too" said Sagan.


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Staying in this Black Friday? Good call. No pushing, shoving, early mornings rising, or smelly shoppers rushing you to checkout. Instead of waiting for that Cyber Monday deal, we've got one right here for all your penny pinchers. For a limited time, we offer you the remote-controlled Micro Drone complete with four rotors and USB rechargeable battery. Micro Drone is programmed to perform 360 flips and tricks, which doesn't even include the one where it takes off after you accidentally plant it in the ground, sideways. Get this one ticked off your personal gift list now, so you can show up your snot-nosed little kid neighbors on Christmas Day who think they got the coolest presents on the block. Because nothing's cooler than a drone … except maybe a 54-percent savings on a drone!
Come by the DT Deals store today and you can score the Micro Drone set for just $49, a huge shave off its original retail value of $108. Now that's something worth being thankful for. Hurry in before the set sells out!


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Web Stories
Senior wins national rugby honor
Posted May 17, 2000; 08:50 a.m.
senior Katherine Stewart won the 2000 Woodley Award, considered the Heisman Trophy of rugby, at the national championships May 14. Stewart, who played fullback for Princeton, also won the tournament's Most Valuable Player award. The Woodley is awarded by the New York Rugby Club to the top male and female players.
Princeton finished second to Penn State in the national championship game.
Contact: Justin Harmon (609) 258-3601


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RichardSolo Esmooth Ebony Earphones w/microphone
Esmooth earphones are made of pure ebony from sustainable forests in Malaysia, and may well be the lightest earphones you will ever wear. Weighing less than an ounce - they are so comfortable, you will barely notice you are wearing them. They are designed to fit snugly and are classified as an "in-ear" style of earphone compared to outer or "over the ear" models. Since the...
Nuclear Waste Earbud Design Clip
Budclicks patented the ability to click charms to earbuds. They allow kids, tweens, and adults to style up those bland white earbuds. The Budclick mount works on iPod and iPhone style white earbuds created by Apple. With over 150 million of these earbuds on the market Budclicks have appeal to just about everyone. Budclicks has found the largest audience in music listeners on the go. Whether on...


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A friend of mine likes to work with glass. I've always admired her work via FB. I had asked her if she would like to give a black dog a try a few months ago - she has done mostly abstract and nature type of mosaics. It peaked her interest. Considering how hard it is to capture black dogs in photos, I could of only imagine how difficult it would be to try and capture them in glass. The first picture I gave her was too difficult so she picked another to work with...this is what she came up with. Pretty neat, eh??
Oh how much I miss you Flash...you were an amazing dog to me. Rachael doesn't think she did you justice, but I think you would wag your entire body in approval!! I can't wait to see it in person, the photo doesn't really show it off very well.


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1st Preview for this week's episode, Shades of Reason.
1st Preview for this week's episode, Shades of Reason.
I can't believe they were able to find any pieces or Artoo at all considering he was so close to the detonator, yet they found him in one piece minus a leg...
Other than that, the episode was interesting. I did think they cheapened the whole Jabba's palace scene. I know they were fighting Sith, but they didn't look like they could protect the palace from a bunch of nerf herders...
Nowhere in your incoherent ramblings did you come anywhere close to the answer. Thanks to you, everyone in this room is now stupider having heard you. I award you no points and may God have mercy on your soul. -Billy Madison-
The Falleen were not even on their homeworld. It looked like they were on Mustafar.
Darth Maul decimated Black Sun in the comics before TPM. Now they've had 13 years about to rebuild. The Falleen would only be one species in Black Sun. So the guy at the head of the table might be the leader of Black Sun, or he might just be another Vigo for the Falleen species.
If Han Solo was 29 in ANH and this CW episode takes place, Han would be about 9 years old now (during this Darth Maul episode).
Niow the EU establishes that Han caused DENGAR's wounds in a swoop racing duel when Han was a slave of Garris Shrike's and forced to compete. That's why Dengar hates him. Dengar might be 20 years old here. That would make him in his 40's in ESB. Is he 10 years older than Han (thereabouts)?
Is he the kind of guy that wants to hold a death grudge against a 9 year old for 20 years? Well, he did name his ship the Punishing One.
Also, I think Jabba might honor his pledge to ally himself with the Republic and betray Maul and Vizla. Afterall, Maul and Vizla forced him to say he'd join them, while Obi-Wan and Anakin returned his child and asked him nicely.
BAD Pts Need: R5-C7 lf leg (x2), , R4-P44 right leg BAD Pts Offered For Trade: PM me - I have lots of parts now including BG-J38!. New Kyle Katarn is also available.
Got a question for Hasbro? Ask it here!
My Photos and Reviews: SSG Toy Guide
My Star Wars Fan Film: The Lazy Jedi
Darth Vader is becoming the Mickey Mouse of Star Wars.
Kylo Ren - came from Space Brooklyn, although he moved to Space Williamsburg before it was trendy.
The use of a lightsaber does not make one a Jedi, it is the ability to not use it.
Actually, just curious: but who here, if the victim of an accident caused by a 9 year old that scarred you for life, disabled you, or infected you - or something terrible anyway - like causing your family or loved one(s) to be executed, would then stalk that 9 year old 23 years until you could torture, carbon freeze, and / or kill that individual and present whatever's left of that (former) 9 year old to a drug cartel boss for more torture, death, or life in serious hardcore incarceration (like in a carbonite block)?
I'm just curious.
Isn't after 23 years there a time you'd "move on?"
And say you were trying to work as a bounty hunter and/or professional "mechanic." Would your little uh - personality problem - interefere with your work at all?
I mean would Dengar go to "Shasha-Herme Elementary School?"
That's kind of creepy.
Now if it's like JabbaJohn speculates, that Dengar wears wrappings, what planet / culture does he come from? (We know he's human, but beyond that, where does he come from? - And why does he find Yarna dal Gargon attractive?)
BAD Pts Need: R5-C7 lf leg (x2), , R4-P44 right leg BAD Pts Offered For Trade: PM me - I have lots of parts now including BG-J38!. New Kyle Katarn is also available.
"Shades of Reason" was pretty damn amazing. I need to watch it again since I kept having to pause, but it seemed like, as with last week, they were trying to pack an awful lot into one episode - again, after so many arcs that are stretched too thin, that's a fine problem to have. You'd think it would be more obvious to the people that Death Watch just showing up out of nowhere was kind of suspicious, but they did end up solving the problem more efficiently than the Mandalorian police could have (the Black Sun and Pykes helped make it look that way, of course), so it wasn't that bad. Mandalore is probably my favorite environment they've designed on this show, and it never looked better than it did here - and it was also apparently Fall, given the usually-green trees, so that was lovely.
The duel was, quite simply, the best one they've ever done in the show by a huge margin. From the fluidity of the animaton to the clever use of Vizsla's equipment to the fact that you didn't really know how it would end, it was just thrilling. It's sad to see Pre Vizsla go, but damn, the way he went out was spectacular. Now the trailers with the Maul-clad Death Watch fighting the blue-clad Death Watch (including Bo-Katan) make sense.
I really, really appreciated them bringing back Almec - that was a total surprise. It's things like this that make the show feel like one whole entity rather than just a collection of random episodes, and it might make Season Three's "Corruption" and "The Academy" actually worthwhile. (Potential spoiler - the latest Insider shows that Korkie, one of the cadets from "The Academy," has been redesigned for an appearance next week, which is also pretty cool.)
It's such a shame that Hasbro has all but abandoned the Clone Wars line, since there were so many designs here (and last week) that would make for amazing figures - Darth Maul with his new legs, Pre Vizsla's redesign, Bo-Katan, Savage Opress with broken horns and robotic arm, Black Sun warriors, etc.
Next week is the last episode in this arc before a trip to Cato Neimoidia (and the introduction of the Eta-2 Jedi Starfighters) in "Sabotage." Judging by what the trailers showed for "The Lawless," it's going to be freakin' amazing.
Got a question for Hasbro? Ask it here!
My Photos and Reviews: SSG Toy Guide
My Star Wars Fan Film: The Lazy Jedi
Mostly this was a good episode, but it was uneven. I was ashamed to watch the crappy attack on Mandalore, it's a whole planet and yet they have like 3 police officers at most in any location? And not just during the first attack, within a short time the Duchess knows about these tiny attacks (even though they seem pretty small-potatoes for a whole planet's leader to deal with) and yet nobody seems interested in marshaling troops to the later attacks? And then Saltine's only reaction to Death Watch's ludicrous, laughable claims to the public is a mega-sadface, she just mopes as her world gets taken away over petty vandalism, really? Screw Saltine and her crackers, she's delivered exactly zero times on this show and it's time to cut her damned head off, she's a drag.
Also, she's made Mandalore an incredibly drab place, there's nothing visually interesting, and the only hint of color is her outfits and the paintings and stained glass windows of her, and they're not much less drab either, she uses dark colors similar to gray to fit in, I guess.
Honestly, watching Maul's plan - taking the planet, having Death Watch save the day and then oust the Duchess - should have been its own episode, and then the stuff with Pre Viszla turning on Maul and the escape from prison should have been a separate episode. Everything here on paper seems watchable, it's too bad it got so compressed that the first half felt silly.
The big fight was fun and Viszla getting dispatched was intense, I'm glad they didn't wimp out on that bit, but were this not a cartoon I'd be a little annoyed at the lame cliche of "you defeated our leader so now you're our leader", who does that in real life? What kind of gang or any fighting force just gives up and switches sides, tosses away their beliefs wholesale because their enemy killed their boss? Obviously CW isn't the first thing to use it, so that complaint is more about the cliche in general.
I disagree, not a fine problem to have. We wasted 4 episodes focusing on Col. Gascon and WAC and the droid squad, the entirety of which amounted to absolutely nothing whatsoever that wasn't contrived in the arc itself, and stated nothing on the universe in which they lived, and didn't even do much with the supposed stars: the astromechs. But here we've got a real story to tell finally, one that could impact the galaxy in several very different ways, and will affect our Jedi heroes directly at some point (in theory, they talked about it then let it drop, but I can't imagine that'll stay dropped), yet they cheap out on getting there - they even have the same police voice actor appear in multiple attacks across the planet. There's room for battles and character nuances and shifting alliances all within this arc, yet instead we get the barest of bones, and it mainly only works because Maul and Viszla kick and slice at each other for a while in an interesting one-on-one fight."Shades of Reason" was pretty damn amazing. I need to watch it again since I kept having to pause, but it seemed like, as with last week, they were trying to pack an awful lot into one episode - again, after so many arcs that are stretched too thin, that's a fine problem to have.
Darth Vader is becoming the Mickey Mouse of Star Wars.
Kylo Ren - came from Space Brooklyn, although he moved to Space Williamsburg before it was trendy.
The use of a lightsaber does not make one a Jedi, it is the ability to not use it.
I've said it before, how the heck is this "moderate violence"? I liked the show overall, found the ending one of those surprising-but-expected paradoxes. Action and schemes were good, too. But The Black Sun gang has been neutered so far.
I predict that the upcoming Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi film will include the word "and." Multiple times.


text: Everybody is like "oh, they don't do good articulation" and "this figure can't be in very many poses" and all that. shut up you chowderheads! Appreciate McFarlene action figures for what they truly are- works of art. The detailing is truly amazing, I think they are more like statures with moveable limbs. And everyone's like "they are not a kids company" and "they are too dark" or whatevr- god, they did Shrek didn't they? They did Yellow Submarine! Leave McFarlene toys alone- personally prefer their products to some god ugly figure that is covered with those damn metal bolt joints and so much articulation that their arms and legs look like Pinnochio


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The Flip Lapper : Volume π - CodeZTM Interview
This forum is for the general discussion of Anime Music Videos.
12 posts • Page 1 of 1
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The Flip Lapper : Volume π - CodeZTM Interview
Disclaimer: These interviews are not associated with a-m-v.org's administration. Continued exposure to "The Flip Lapper" may cause unexpected amounts of laughter and glee.
Welcome to the Lip Flapper! Each week, we delve deep into the community and get a look into both individual members as well as group discussions on various issues that surround our hobby.
This Week in "The Lip Flapper"
This week, we talk with CodeZTM! Later in the week, we'll see an ostrich fighting a kangaroo!
Interview Spotlight
So why did I decide to interview CodeZTM this week? Well, if you've even remotely ever been in our forums, you'll notice his name popping up everywhere! Cause he just can't keep his mouth shut. Or because he is a very active member of the community and constantly tries to make the forums a more interesting place to be. One of the two. I'll let you decide.
Q: Thank you for joining me today, Code. Why don't we start with a little introduction and you telling us a little bit about yourself.
Well, my name is Zackary and I'm a full time tax accountant and a senior in college. I have a love of literature and music, which contributes to my editing style.
I live in central Arkansas, which is in the middle of the United States, and is part of the "south". Yes I do speak with a strange accent (we speak very slowly and with a drawl), please to be getting over it. XD
Q: How did you get involved in AMVing? Is this a creative outlet for your imagination since you can't exactly use it when doing someone's taxes?
Hey, I can get creative with taxes!
Well, I could, but the IRS doesn't like that.
Haha, anyway I got started here in mid 2005 when I was directed here from another website. I didn't join the forums until 2006, but after I did, I found a nice community of people that were just a little scary looking on the outside, but had a lot of fun things to say/do on the inside. So I stuck around!
While originally it was just a fun hobby to do, it really is a way (in the present) to be creative. As you said, taxes aren't exactly a colorful career, and AMVs are something that just bring a little life back into me at the end of the day.
Q: You started way back in 2005. As you have admitted many times, you weren't very good with the technical stuff and your videos have had some technical issues. Then, at one point, everything got better all of the sudden. What happened, years of practice finally paid off?
Yes and no.
First of all, the best advice I can give anyone is to LISTEN to others around here. While they appear overly critical, it's the best way to learn! Take criticism and learn from failed AMV projects or techniques that just didn't work. That was my first flaw, which was being unable to take criticism and apply it to my work. I'll never forget the time I should have listened to jubjub2 in the Valentine MEP, and instead released my monstrosity of a track to the world, only to get it shot down. >_<
Anyway, years of practice certainly helped things. I learned the "hard" way (AKA: No mentors, not reading the guides fully, not having beta testers until late 2008), so practice certainly helped along the way as I learned new tricks with each video.
I think the thing that really turned me from being a "bleh" editor to an "average" editor was me finally taking the time to read the AMV Theory guides (in General AMV) as well as the AMV Technical Guides (as well as bugging the ever loving crap out of mirkoSP and a few Re-Evo editors). Once I did that in 2008ish, things went MUCH more smoothly from them on.
I also have a lot to thank Sanchez for. When I started getting "good", was when I started talking to him on MSN and getting film/editing/technical.
Q: According to my observations and what you have written on your profile, romance is your favourite genre. You have proven that with great AMVs such as "Betwixt and Between" and "Selfless Regret". Where did the love for that particular type of AMV come from?
Long story short is that I'm a sucker for romance.
I love seeing people happy together, and it's sort of one of those things that shows that love exists in this world. Well, in the imaginary AMV world anyway.
Q: At the end of "Betwixt and Between" you say it's your favourite of you AMVs. Why's that?
It may or may not be based on a set of real-life events that occurred when I was in college.
Actually, it was. XD
I felt like I really captured the situation well (from the shy yet violent Taiga to the bitchy blue haired demon and the clueless guy). Oh, and for the record, I was not involved in the love triangle, but had a great ringside view for quite a while. I was a friend of the blue haired bitch's inspiration, and knew Taiga's inspiration as well. We were all pretty good friends, and I later became a good friend of Ryuji's inspiration.
Taiga/Ryuji's inspirations did get married by the way.
The blue hair bitch's inspiration? Well, she's doing fine too. Met a nice guy that actually loved her, can stand her tempter/arrogance and I think they've been dating for 2+ years. Funnily enough, she actually saw this video a year or so after the fact and laughed her ass off about it. XD
Her: "Was I really that bitchy to you?"
Me & Taiga's Inspiration: "YES!"
All: LULZ
Q: Even though you say you're not a fan of action, you have tried editing stuff in that genre. In fact, you've tried almost every possible AMV genre out there. How does it feel to be editing stuff outside of your comfort zone?
It's difficult because you've got your mind set in how you like to edit a particular genre (for example, I cross-fade like a nut in romance videos), and trying to deviate from that to such a large degree can definitely be challenging.
HOWEVER, it's an invaluable experience to have. I personally have learned a lot of interesting tricks and how the different genres work. It makes me better able to review/judge material in contests, and be able to fuse together many different genres. Selfless Regret was the first of these kind of fusions (romance/drama/action), and is not going to be the last.
I definitely think that EVERYONE should do this sort of thing. Which reminds me that I may actually have a very special contest/event for this very topic come Winter 2012 to be the brother/sister contest to Project OrgEditor.
Q: One of the things you're known for are MEPs. Multi Editor Projects make up almost half of your AMVs. Why do you like participating in/organizing MEPs so much?
I have a terrible disorder that makes it hard for me to edit full length AMVs with a consistent concept/editing. MEP tracks are easier for me to put a lot more effort into, and just generally end up being something that I like doing.
Plus, I love working with people. The Disney, Cascada and Re-Evo MEPs that I've been involved with are very fun, low-stress (most of the time!) and a great way to collaborate many different styles together into one lovely piece.
Q: One of your most successful projects is the Disney MEP. It even had a second edition. Where did the idea for that come from?
Shamless Plug: There's a third edition in the works too! Check it out summer 2012! :3
I love the collective Disney films/music probably more than any other media in the world. So it's not a long shot to say that my love of it was the biggest factor behind it.
But the REAL motivation behind it was that I wanted to push editors into editing with this kind of music, because there is a great shortage of *good* Disney AMVS. Considering how close Disney themes are to many anime themes, it's just a great combination that I want to see done more often!
Q: I've always had this image of you being an org editor. Yet, at some point, you joined one of the more known YouTube studios, Re-Evolution. How did that happen and how is this working out for you?
They had a trial audition going, so I gave it a try! I'd always wanted to work with a studio, and this was my shot! Somehow or another, they actually liked Betwixt and Between, and accepted a "Raw" editor into their group.
Re-Evolution is probably the best group of editors I've had the pleasure of working with. While I haven't been active as of late (tax season! YUCK!), when I am active, the members are always ready to look over my material and help me out with editing/pacing/effects advice. It was probably my favorite decision I've made while being an active editor.
StrawberryKiss, Khoa, Trever, Vivamist, Corsair, Replay, and everyone else are all great people to work with, and all extremely kind.
So be nice to them around here!
Q: You're a very active member of the org community and beside editing, you have started some interesting projects. Let's start off with Project Editor. Where did the idea for that come from?
It started out as a MEP version of the hit TV show "Project Runway", which is basically what Project Editor is, but with fashion instead. I loved the idea of making editors edit in creative and unique ways, and thought it was a great way to get some interesting videos out of it, while still letting people have fun with it!
Q: I'm terribly sorry, but I just have to ask this. The first Project Editor had some... teething problems. At some point you did an infamous rage quit, which even earned you an award at godix's Troll's Choice Awards in 2009 and the contest was then finished by The Origonal Head Hunter. What the hell happened there?
Ehehhe… And here I'd hoped that everyone had forgotten about that.
*Sigh*. I'll just be honest.
At the time, I was going through a very stressful bit of my life involving something that I don't want to discuss publicly. I took my frustration/anger about this situation on a few editors that were just simply trying to help me better run the contest.
When the shit hit the fan, I realized what an idiot I had been and didn't want to de-rail the project anymore than I already had. I messaged Original on MSN and told him that he was in charge, and just left for good.
It was a very childish thing that I did, but I can guarantee that it will not happen again. We've had 2 successful iterations of this contest, and I've matured as a person and now know how to better handle my stress. I've added Nya-Chan Production as a co-coordinator to the project, and [key]Scarlet is handling our graphic design.
Q: Yet you came back. Is the hobby that addicting?
It wasn't so much the hobby as it was the people. When I peeked my head in and made a comment on an AMV, a few people recognized me still, and didn't seem to hate me too much. I met a new group of editors that had joined in my absence and made some new friends. I started editing again, and I'd realized that I just loved the community/hobby as a whole.
Oh, and come a few years later and I started up Project NeoEditor. Still full of problems/complaints, but I managed to finish the project and learn from the mistakes that had been made. But people had fun!
A year later and a-m-v.org sponsored the very first season of Project OrgEditor. A few bumps with the themes chosen and some disagreements on judgment calls I made, but we managed to finish! Plus, I learned which themes were best to try and make, so we should have a lot more fun in season 2!
Q: Now you're running the very interesting interview/panel series, The Lip Flapper. The reception has been incredibly positive so far. Where do you keep getting all of these cool ideas? Also, have you tried talking to the admins to regularly place the interviews on the main page, not just the forums?
I just think about what I'd like to see on the forums and try to make it a reality! I'm planning a second contest to run in the opposite season of Project OrgEditor (this one isn't org-sponsored, just to clarify) because it's something I thought I'd personally enjoy, and that others might enjoy as well!
As for admin support? Well, I haven't officially asked yet (outside of comments in threads), but I hate to bother them. They're in the middle of making major website changes, and my interviews (I feel anyway) aren't up there on the scale of "SHIT THAT MUST BE DONE NOW". XD
Oh, but if an Admin is reading this, and they would like to talk to me about how I can make my interviews something that a-m-v.org would actively sponsor, please to be letting me know! I would certainly take up the reigns and do more work if it were necessary.
Q: To sum up, you edit, run MEPs, run contests, do interviews, and also do a lot of AMV reviews. It would be hard to find someone doing more on than you this site. How do you find the time to do all of these things?
I've mastered time magic and can cast a +4 Hastega buff on myself, while casting a +2 stop on the earth.
Haha, actually the real truth is in major planning. I started planning OrgEditor season 2 in January and had the funding for it wrapped up in February. I'll likely have my other contest start planning as soon as OrgEditor is finished. It's still nearly a month away, but the entire contest (forum posts, the website, registration, ect) is all ready to go! All I really need finished up is the scoring system, the promotional video and a few tutorial videos for the contestants.
Lip Flappers (except in March when I had a few schedule-conflicts with editors), are all planned exactly 1 month in advance. Since April is coming up, I'll likely start contacting editors for May interviews and panels.
While I may not have a lot of "free time", my micromanaging and future planning definitely let me take the time to properly dedicate to school/work and still be able to add to this community.
But come May 15th? YAY! I'll be more active again and hopefully have new content to share!
Q: Anything you might like to say to the a-m-v.org community?
Thanks for not hating me too much. ;________;
Haha, but seriously it's a pleasure working with and talking with such a diverse group of people from around the globe. It's an experience that not every hobby gets to have, and I think I'm a better person because of it.
DISCLAIMER: The cheese in the above paragraph is not dangerous. In fact, it is quite delicious. The cheese will not try to hurt you, and will never try to stab you. However, it may wish to teach you French. We are not responsible for any and all mistranslations that the cheese may cause.
Q: Thank you for taking the time to answer all these questions. Any last minute thoughts you might like to make, or perhaps some tips for new editors just starting their adventure with the AMV world?
What an irritating question! Who on earth would ask this question to someone…
Oh wait. >:|
Anyway, the biggest thing I can recommend is not to be afraid to ask questions! Always search the forums for a question similar to yours first, and if in doubt, pm/ask an active member! We usually don't bite, and can be quite helpful!
The other thing I can recommend is to never post anything out of anger. You can't take it back!
Monthly Calendar
April 2: Fall_Child42 Review
April 9: Effects Panel
April 16: GuntherAMVs Review
April 23: Unconfirmed
Past Interviews/Discussions
Check the Main Thread for all relevant information about future Lip Flappers, as well as past/future interviews!
- Replay Studios
- A Studio Within A Studio
- Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2008 8:10 pm
- Status: Replaying myself
- Contact:
Re: The Flip Lapper : Volume π - CodeZTM Interview
just awesome ^^
- Shin-AMV
- Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 10:15 pm
- Status: Ching Chong Dumpling Princess
Re: The Flip Lapper : Volume π - CodeZTM Interview
Sweet. Well deserved interview for Mr. ZTM after doing so many interviews.
- Rendakor
- Falling Like A Star
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 7:54 pm
- Contact:
Re: The Flip Lapper : Volume π - CodeZTM Interview
I came in and expected some epic trolling, given today's date. However, got a very good interview with the man behind the interviewing. Great read.
- TritioAFB
- Ambassador of the AMVWorld
- Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2009 12:38 am
- Status: Doctor
- Location: Honduras
Re: The Flip Lapper : Volume π - CodeZTM Interview
It's strange to see Code as the interviewed :O
Good interview
Good interview
Making AMVs by day, Going to Gym by Night
- Nya-chan Production
- The :< point of view
- Joined: Wed Nov 15, 2006 11:21 am
- Status: White bracelet
- Location: Ward 7F
- Contact:
Re: The Flip Lapper : Volume π - CodeZTM Interview
Kosmit wrote:Q: I'm terribly sorry, but I just have to ask this. The first Project Editor had some... teething problems. At some point you did an infamous rage quit, which even earned you an award at godix's Troll's Choice Awards in 2009 and the contest was then finished by The Origonal Head Hunter. What the hell happened there?.
It was actually the SECOND Project Editor which had such problems, the first one finished just fine ;x
- irriadin
- Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2005 11:59 pm
- Status: I fight for my friends
- Location: Los Angeles, California
- Contact:
Re: The Flip Lapper : Volume π - CodeZTM Interview
Very interesting read!
- Diegao
- Enjoy the music
- Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2009 1:28 am
- Location: Italy
- Contact:
Re: The Flip Lapper : Volume π - CodeZTM Interview
Yeah finally an interview about you
It was interesting, and I have to say that I admire you in your ability of managing time
Keep going on!
It was interesting, and I have to say that I admire you in your ability of managing time
Keep going on!
- Ijexis
- Joined: Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:53 am
- Status: Compliant Model Basis 2.1
- Location: Unilateral Matrix 001
Re: The Flip Lapper : Volume π - CodeZTM Interview
That was a pretty good read.
- Mkid
- Im on the case
- Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 1:08 am
- Status: No more mutants.
- Location: A Farm in New York
- Contact:
Re: The Flip Lapper : Volume π - CodeZTM Interview
Answered alot of the questions i wasnt asking!
I surprisingly read it all, so it was entertaining. nice to know more about code
I surprisingly read it all, so it was entertaining. nice to know more about code
- Ikore
- Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 7:08 pm
- Status: Alive
- Location: Costa Rica.
- Contact:
Re: The Flip Lapper : Volume π - CodeZTM Interview
nice goog interview for one of the best amv editor/critic I've known so far ;D
SING! Never mind the words!!!
- [madaraxD]
- L1king Lolis
- Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2010 11:34 am
- Status: Under your bed!
- Location: Argentina
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Re: The Flip Lapper : Volume π - CodeZTM Interview
Interesting read
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Now / Art & Design, Tech
The electree+, this artificial bonsaï uses the sun to charge your phone
By AMUSEMENT
[CONCEPT] This little artificial tree does not require the patience and care a bonsaï needs. It will even release you from a very stressful problem: dead batteries. Its "leaves" are made of 27 solar panels which will store the energy to charge your smartphone.


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Salsa and peanut butter "Thai" a whole new look and flavor to everyday chicken.
Fresh gingerroot can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 4 months. Grate it straight from the freezer as needed.
Serve with hot cooked rice that has been made with canned coconut milk (not cream of coconut) instead of water. Stir in a dash of ground turmeric for a rich golden color. Add a side salad of sliced cucumbers drizzled with vinaigrette and sprinkled with chopped red onion for a true Thai-inspired meal.
© 2017 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved


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With the help of Elnaz Sarbar and Meelad Zakaria, Phorum 5 translated and customized.
Two major problem about doing this:
- Making the forum RTL. It has not this feature in it! Designed as to be LTR always!!!
- Making it to work with both Firefox and IE. As some of our users is going to use the forum in Firefox (We shipped Firefox 1 in Sharif Linux 2) and Firefox has some problems with RTL support...


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I'm sorry, but I have to say this: Advogato sucks. Hmm... let's see why...
- There are no threads in discussions. Can't we get some order in here?
- Users communicate through their diaries. Can we add a little private-message thingy at least?
- The documentation for the site is all over the place.
C'mon. This site is about free software discussion, right? We need to make communication easier, IMHO. Yes, I know a lot of you will think "OK, then do it yourself!". The thing is, it will take me a while to get the feel of the advogato code. Also, I don't know enough of the libraries that the code uses. Other people are better suited to messing with the code.
BTW: If someone adds threads and private messaging, I have an idea: any replies to your comments will be put in your private-message list, if you wish.
If you reply to this through your diary, I probably won't see it. I don't
spend all day looking at diaries. If you need to tell me something,
you can use my comments
End Rant


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The major credit cards we accept are Visa, Mastercard and Discover. We do not American Express.
You can purchase or renew your membership at the Zoo or online at https://www.forestparkzoo.org/membership/.
Please contact the Education Office at (413) 733-2251 X 305 or email us for more information or to book your Zoorific party.
The Zoo is open on holidays weather permitting. Updates about closings due to inclement weather can be found on the homepage of our website.
You can find our more information on guided tours and programming on our website here
https://www.forestparkzoo.org/programs/ or by calling us at 413-733-2251.
No outside food is permitted to feed to the animals. Be aware that there are no tables or facilities for eating at the Zoo but groups and individuals can picnic outside of the Zoo in the surrounding park. Tables are available on a first come, first serve basis.
12 people or more are required for group rates:
Learn more and get rates here.
Only licensed guide or service animals permitted inside the Zoo. No other animal of any kind is permitted.
There are a few rules you should know about when visiting the Zoo:-Balls, bicycles, roller blades, skate boards etc. are not allowed at the Zoo-No radios or loud music of any kind allowed while visiting-Running is not allowed -No smoking on Zoo grounds
Children (ages 12 and under): $3.25
Adults: $5
Seniors (62+): $3.50
Military: $3.50
Wild Apple Design Group
Hardcore Marketing Management - Western Massachusetts - Web Mobile Print Social Media


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Nutty, chewy wild rice goes perfectly with creamy Northern beans, here blended together with celery and herbs and a simple vinaigrette.
Wild rice, indigenous to the Great Lakes region of the United States, grows in marshy bogs, rivers and lakes. It has a chewy texture and a nutty flavor.
If you can't find wild rice in the freezer section of your grocery store, look for it in cans in the rice and dried bean aisle.
Cook wild rice when you have time and freeze in 1-cup portions in resealable plastic freezer bags. If you have the ingredients on hand, this is a good recipe for last minute preparation.
© 2017 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved


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Red Hot Holiday Trends - Stout beer, roasted almonds and plenty of milk chocolate chunks make this caramel popcorn an irresistible snack.
The sweet milk chocolate balances the dark and bitter flavor of the stout beer. Milk chocolate chips can be used in place of the chocolate chunks.
Brown rice syrup is a sweetener derived from brown rice. It has mild malty notes that enhance the beer flavor in this recipe. It is available at large supermarkets or specialty shops.
Need a gift for a beer lover? Package a bag of this tasty mix and a bottle of stout beer for a great gift!
Interested in a non-alcoholic version? Root beer or cola can easily be substituted for the beer.
© 2017 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved


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"Sometimes I feel like Sir James Murray must have felt while he was grubbing away at writing the Oxford English Dictionary," the Washington Post once quoted Victor McKusick as saying. "He managed to complete the first 17 letters before he died." When McKusick, University Professor of Medical Genetics at ...
Tag: Victor McKusick
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July 24, 2008


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Coakley's opposition is not only principled; as more becomes known about the pernicious nature of the House compromise, her position demonstrates foresight. And in political terms, it also appears shrewd. Coakley's chief Democratic rival, US Representative Michael Capuano, now has egg on his face. After blasting Coakley for her congressional naiveté, Capuano conceded that he will vote against a final measure that does not erase the abortion compromise.
Conservatives are trying to scare the pants off Americans by claiming that "Obama Care" — their code name for a government overhaul of health policies and practices — would limit individuals' choices and regulate the kinds of treatment they can or cannot receive.
Is it ironic, then, that a coalition of Republicans and Blue-Dog Democrats would engineer restricted care to women? Not at all.
Irony is too subtle a concept for these snake-oil salesmen. Their stock and trade is deception, employing the big lie, saying one thing and turning around and doing the very thing they decry.
The agency of this deception is the Stupak-Pitts Amendment. It is the work of Democratic representative Bart Stupak of Michigan and Republican representative Joseph Pitts of Pennsylvania. Both are anti-abortion die-hards. Stupak, a Catholic, is considered an amiable clod; Pitts, an Evangelical, is presumed to be the team's brains.
The Stupak-Pitts Amendment will force private insurers — who, after all, will receive government funds — to curtail or abandon abortion coverage. It is a radical extension of the Hyde Amendment, which already prevents most federal funds from being used for abortions. But unlike the Hyde Amendment, which shamefully impacts low-income women, the Stupak-Pitts Amendment would extend the reach of anti-choice zealots.
The details of this amendment are disturbing on their own terms. But its triumph — for the time being, at least — testifies to the growing influence of right-wing religiosity within Democratic ranks.
An alliance of fundamentalist Catholics and conservative Evangelicals known as the "co-belligerency" is increasingly active in Washington. When in the capital, Stupak lives in a C Street house that is home to other religious conservatives. The house is owned by "The Family," a secretive organization not unlike Opus Dei, the shadowy Ultramontane Catholic organization that attracts — among others — those with neo-fascist sympathies.
It is testament to how torturous the health-care-reform effort has been that Democrats have been either witless or sufficiently desperate enough to agree to even the prospect of further restriction to abortion access. As many as 40 House members have pledged to reject a final bill that contains the Stupak-Pitts Amendment. And in the Senate, where the health-care effort now moves, there is opposition.
Coakley's rejection of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment highlights what may become a key question for pro-choice Democrats, if or when a final health-reform bill comes to a vote: when does the acceptance half a loaf rather than a whole degenerate into the abandonment of fundamental principles? The line may be fine, but it is real.
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BATON ROUGE (AP) — Residents of Lake Arthur and the surrounding areas may be getting some federal help to recover from the flooding that hit in the early part of the year.
Gov. Bobby Jindal has asked the White House to a disaster declaration for areas of the state that suffered from January flooding and severe storms.
Those areas include Jeff Davis and Vermillion parishes.
Jindal says in the letter to President Obama and the Federal Emergency Management Agency that the damage meets the requirements of the Stafford Act for an expedited major disaster declaration.
Jindal says preliminary damage assessments for 18 parishes and some state agencies is more than $6.5 million.
Jindal says the severe weather began on Jan. 8 and continued until Jan. 17 with extended periods of torrential downpours followed by flooding.
Other parishes listed in the letter are Acadia, Avoyelles, Catahoula, Concordia, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, Evangeline, Franklin, Iberville, Livingston, Madison, Rapids, St. Helena, St. Landry, St. Martin and Tensas.


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After almost two years of building dioramas, I figured its time to reminisce about what has been stored in the archives. For those whove been around that long, youve probably seen most of these works and for those who havent, youll get a first look of what has been. Ill try to give some background info on each work thats featured and feel free to post comments/questions along the way.
The Jedi Training was one of my first works. Ive started out with this simple but dramatic scene or so I thought. Fixing up the background with the tree limbs and marsh type ground was the easy part. Getting Yoda to stand still on Lukes feet during the one arm handstand proved to be difficult. Countless hours spent on figuring out how to make this work and get the pics even for just a few seconds proved fruitless. Frustration sets in and I actually had to leave it for a couple of days before I got back and tried another way of accomplishing this task. Wanna give it a shot at how I did it?


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By Ben Levisohn
It's time to leave the safety of defensive stocks for more economically sensitive ones, Credit Suisse strategists say in a report released today.
Credit Suisse's Sakthi Siva and Kin Nang Chik give investors three reasons to buy so-called cyclical stocks.
Reason #1: The U.S. ISM
One, US ISM New orders rose in April. While there has been a spring swoon every year for the last four years from February to June…that US ISM New Orders rose from 51.4 in March to 52.3 in April…
Reason #2: U.S. Bond Yields
Two, US bond yields rose by 8 bp after Friday's stronger US payrolls data…[The] three-month moving average for US non-farm payrolls is still around 200k compared with a slowing to around 100k in 2012 and 2011 and to a negative 50k in 2010. As we had highlighted previously, US housing – both starts and prices also suggest a milder slowing in 2013 compared with the three prior years…
Reason #3: Asian Corporate Earnings
Three, reporting season – we are now almost half-way through and so far we are seeing a 1% upgrade to 2013E consensus EPS. So far, 255 companies have reported or 45.4% of market capitalisation have reported. And while there are still more misses (57.6%) versus beats (40.8%), we note that on a market cap weighted basis we are still seeing a 1% upgrade to 2013E consensus EPS.
The strategists add these three reasons to their previous valuation based call, when they noted that the "cyclicals-defensives price-to-book gap was at 90% of 2008 lows."
Still, they prefer so-called quality cyclicals–those with rising return-on-equity–or beaten-down commodity cyclicals. The reason: quality cyclicals are located in the sectors with the most positive adjustments to earnings forecasts, including etch and consumer cyclicals.
Their favorite stocks include Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM), Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), Keppel Corporation (BN4.SI) and Hyundai Motors (005380.KS).


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Last week I got to go to the States for an interview with Teach for America. Though the interview was only one day, the whole trip seems to have flashed by in a whirlwind blur of the insides of various airplanes, airports, cars, offices, houses of family and friends, and coffee and book shops. All with the requisite insane security precautions, of course. It was a little strange being back in a place where I could, without effort, understand everything that people around me talked about. And also strange spending a whole week without constant internet access.
The Iraq War was on everyone's mind, in all the places in all the countries that I visited. Among the people that I talked with, there seems to be no support for Bush and general apprehension about aggression in Iraq. I wonder where the supposed supporters of this war are keeping themselves. Maybe I'm electrically repelled from them.
My friend Jon observed that the Iraq situation shows that there can be times when everybody is just wrong : anti-war protesters, pro-war protesters, brutal Iraqi dictators, belligerent and ignorant American presidents, media purveyors, etc. ... nobody seems to have the right answer, whatever that might mean.
murrayc : I've found that my German, as bad as it is, generally follows your described pattern of random declensions. It's amazing to me that little children will learn this stuff—and even more complicated stuff—just by sitting around listening to it. Though I suppose if I were allowed to sit around and listen to somewhat-linguistically-helpful people talk to me for two years, with no other expectations of work or productivity, my German might improve too. :)
So I'm back at work, preparing for a first open source release of the project I've been working on. If you're interested in a code generator for CORBA components and test components, check out the ccmtools project. We'll have a release out this week, as soon as Confix supports multiple configuration files.
Might also get a chance the next couple of weeks to help out with GStreamer a bit. The editor needs some bug fixes, and the docs still need much love. So much typing to do ...
I picked up Trainspotting in London's Stansted airport. It's an excellent book, very well crafted out of a series of short stories. Next on the reading list are The Poisonwood Bible ; Guns, Germs, and Steel ; and Porno (the sequel to Trainspotting). Reading is so pleasant.


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Meatball sandwiches with a twist ooze with melted cheese, making them easy for kids to handle. Using Italian Square Meatballs (link) from your freezer gives you a head start!
Place any leftover pasta sauce in a covered freezer container; label and freeze up to two months. Thaw for the next time you make these delicious hoagies.
Turn up the heat! Add 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper to the pasta sauce for the spice lovers.
© 2017 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved


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Allen & Heath Xone:XD-20 Advanced Bass In-Ear Headphones
Allen & Heath's name is synonymous with premium mixers, but with the Xone:XD-20 they have applied their sound know-how to headphones. The Xone range is the first choice for many of the world's most discerning clubs and DJs. Whether you're browsing for new tracks or just listening for pleasure, Xone:XD-20 in-ear headphones let you experience the same exceptional performance...
Motorola VA76r Tundra Earbud Hands-Free Headset
This OEM Motorola VA76r Tundra OEM Handsfree Headset allows you talk on the phone with your hands on other tasks.


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Mountainview College wins the Binghamton University Energy Conservation Contest
Binghamton University, New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) and the Student Association announced that Mountainview College earned top honors in the University's first annual Energy Conservation Contest.
The contest, which began in early February and ran for five weeks, pitted Binghamton University residential communities against one another to see which could save the most energy compared to usage from the previous year.
Mountainview, which saved the most energy each week of the contest, was the overall winner, saving more than 11 percent in energy use per student over the five-week period. Their prizes include a Jared Campbell concert, earned for leading at the mid-point of the contest and as overall winners, an audio/visual system for the community.
The annual equivalent savings that the contest generated amounts to over $88,000. About 350,000 pounds of carbon dioxide was not released into the atmosphere as a result of student efforts during the five-week contest period. This amounts to about 40 pounds per student, per week.


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Tuned In: PBS to air 'Vicious,' a British sitcomJanuary 20, 2014 9:02 PM
PASADENA, Calif. -- In its continuing experiment with bringing scripted fare to Sunday nights outside the "Masterpiece" banner, PBS will air "Vicious," a British sitcom, at 10:30 p.m. Sundays starting July 6.
While PBS stations individually buy and air British comedies, PBS itself has rarely programmed a live-action comedy series. To date there have been few examples besides "Monty Python's Flying Circus" and the six-episode "Trying Times," a comedy anthology from 1987.
"Vicious" stars Ian McKellen ("The Hobbit") as Freddie and Derek Jacobi ("Last Tango in Halifax") as Stuart, a gay couple who have lived together in a London flat for 50 years. They pick on one another and fight constantly, like an old married couple, but do love one another.
PBS president Paula Kerger said PBS has been looking to try different scripted programming on Sunday night, and this title was of particular interest, in part because its stars are familiar to the PBS audience having appeared in past "Masterpiece" productions.
"Being able to mix something up and try different things over the course of the last couple of years, we've tried to look at different content to bring into the schedule," she said. "A lot of our stations love to use British comedies and have found it to be very successful."
"Vicious," which has already been renewed for a second season in England, will air the same night as Mr. Jacobi's other PBS series, the light drama "Last Tango in Halifax," which returns for a second season at 8 p.m. June 29.
The character in "Last Tango" "is the sort of role I'm very rarely asked to do," Mr. Jacobi said. "I'm considered a bit posh, classic, costumed, and in 'Last Tango' I'm an ordinary Yorkshire bloke. It's wonderful somebody had the vision to cast me, because my roots are very, very ordinary. And to contrast that with Stuart, who is queeny and camp, it's wonderful for an actor to be able to do those two things almost simultaneously."
ABC's own 'Fifty Shades'
ABC had clips but no screeners of a complete first episode from its midseason drama "The Black Box" (10 p.m. April 24), which sounds a little like "Fifty Shades of Grey" made for TV with a bipolar protagonist, Dr. Catherine Black (Kelly Reilly).
The show has medical stories, but also a relationship builds between Black and Will (David Ajala), a chef. But she's torn between him and a womanizing neurosurgeon colleague (Ditch Davey).
In lieu of a pilot to watch, ABC gave TV critics the script from the show's first episode, which includes a sex scene with biting, slapping and the female protagonist begging, "Hurt me, yes hurt me." Also purring: "Meow."
The premiere ends with the male protagonist expressing how much he enjoyed the rough sex: "Maybe I'm not as 'normal' as you think. What you did to me, that night? I liked it and I want to do it again."
In a press conference for "The Black Box" there was more talk about the character's bipolar condition, which brings to mind Carrie on "Homeland" (Black appears to be hiding her bipolar diagnosis from her colleagues). The show also suggests "House" with its unconventional doctor character who solves neurological medical cases.
"What you may not understand about it is bipolar is one of the most treatable forms of mental illness," said executive producer Amy Holden Jones. "There are people who, when medicated, you would not know they are bipolar."
Ms. Jones, whose father was bipolar, said "The Black Box" is not a show about bipolar illness; it's part of the character but not the focus.
As for the rough sex in the pilot, executive producer Ilene Chaiken ("The L Word") said it's not something the show will avoid.
"We acknowledge hyper-sexuality is part of mania and we portray it as a part of mania in Catherine's life, and it's one facet of what she deals with and sometimes something that becomes destructive in her life," she said. "We don't shy away from it, but we're also not seeking it out. It's just one part of the story we tell."
NBC development
On Sunday NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt announced a three-year producing deal with "Parks" star Amy Poehler, who will executive produce a comedy pilot, "Old Soul," starring Natasha Lyonne ("Orange Is the New Black") as a young woman who works as an aide to elderly people.
NBC will also make a drama pilot, "State of Affairs," starring Katherine Heigl ("Grey's Anatomy") as a CIA analyst who daily briefs the U.S. president.
NBC readies 'About a Boy'
First it was a book by Nick Hornby. Then it was a movie starring Hugh Grant. Next month "About a Boy" comes to TV as an NBC comedy executive produced by Jason Katims, executive producer of "Friday Night Lights" and "Parenthood."
The series has a preview during the Olympics at 11 p.m. Feb. 22 and moves to 9 p.m. Tuesdays beginning Feb. 25.
The pilot episode basically burns through the entire plot of the film: Will Freeman (David Walton, "Bent," "Perfect Couples") is single and loving it when a needy single mom, Fiona (Minnie Driver, "Good Will Hunting"), and her 11-year-old son, Marcus (Benjamin Stockham, "1600 Penn"), move in next door and disrupt his carefree life.
Mr. Katims said the "About a Boy" pilot was designed to honor the movie and book while allowing room for telling new stories going forward.
"It's a story about a family that will never in their lives admit that they're a family," Mr. Katims said. "It takes a little bit of Fiona and a little bit of Will to make the best version of Marcus, but Will and Fiona will never admit they need each other to raise this boy. I don't see this becoming romantic anytime soon between Will and Fiona."
Mr. Katims said he was drawn to the opportunity to write a half-hour show for the first time and work with a small ensemble while still evolving characters through the season. While uptight Fiona is the antagonist in the pilot, Mr. Katims said that will change.
"What I'm interested in seeing from the Fiona character is to watch her as she slowly begins to accept Will's role in Marcus' life and see a different side of her," he said. "Why I love doing television is you're telling more than one story and the relationships between your characters evolve and change over time, and I'm looking forward to seeing many sides of Fiona."
"About a Boy" exists in the same universe as "Parenthood," and the Will character from "About a Boy" recently appeared on "Parenthood." Mr. Katims said the Crosby (Dax Shepard) character from "Parenthood" will appear in an episode of "About a Boy" later in the season.
Channel surfing
When Jimmy Fallon takes over as host of NBC's "The Tonight Show" on Feb. 17, his first guest will be Will Smith and his first musical guest will be U2. ... When Seth Meyers becomes host of NBC's "Late Night" on Feb. 24 his first guest will be Amy Poehler. ... PBS documentary filmmaker Ken Burns will chronicle the history of "Country Music" in a multi-episode series due to air in 2018. ... Fox's "The Following" garnered its highest-rated episode ever Sunday (more than 13 million viewers) by airing after the NFC championship game, but the episode started earlier than programming guides predicted so viewers using DVRs missed the first 12 minutes. That episode will re-air on Fox at 8 p.m. Jan. 27 before episode two debuts at 9 p.m.
A portion of this column originally appeared online in the Tuned In Journal blog. Post-Gazette TV writer Rob Owen is attending the Television Critics Association winter press tour. Follow RobOwenTV at Twitter or Facebook. You can reach him at 412-263-2582 or email@example.com.


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I am teaching Rowdy the over piles in the T. They are about 2/3 of the way down the baseline to the back pile.
But first a look at Rowdy running the baseline. Dang, I thought I had lost the knee flex but I guess it came back as the tape doesn't line. The baseline is 75 yds.
I guess I need a sun filter but one is not available for my camera.
I shortened up this video. I had an additional simple casting drill at the beginning which I edited out to shorten the video. I also did some casts to the back pile at the very end.


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Hello, everyone
I have a pair of Skullcrushers (skullcandy of course) and I know that's really a pleb. move, I have no style, there are much better headphones for my money, I have terrible taste, I should get better headphones.
Ok, that's over with. So I have become accustomed to the sensation of the vibration that skullcandy markets as "subwoofers in cans" and actually enjoy the feeling, but I want to be a bit more refined/grow up/stop being so pleb.
Now my question- what (non desktop, over-ear) headphones should I get if I want to actually have good sound quality, but not sacrifice so much of the sort of visceral feeling of bass that the vibration produces?
I have read up and come up with stuff like XB700, V-moda M80, Audio Technica ATH500, some gaming headphones not even worth mentioning, and many more, but I'm not sure as to which I should actually buy.
If anyone has some advice or words of wisdom they will be greatly appreciated.


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Myocarditis -- Adult
Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart's muscular wall, the myocardium. Although rare, it can be devastating. Myocarditis can occur with no symptoms and remain undiagnosed.
Many cases of myocarditis have no identifiable cause. This is called idiopathic myocarditis. When a cause is identified, it falls into one of three categories: infectious, toxic, or immune-mediated.
Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart's muscular wall, the myocardium. Although rare, it can be devastating. Myocarditis can occur with no symptoms and remain undiagnosed.
Healthy Myocardium Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.
The diagnosis of myocarditis is often difficult. There is no specific test for it. Many other causes of heart problems must be ruled out. To do this, your doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history, and perform a physical exam.
Tests may include the following:
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
—a test that records the heart's activity by measuring electrical currents through the heart muscle.
- Chest x-ray
—a test that uses radiation to take pictures of structures inside the body.
- Cardiac enzyme blood test—in some cases certain enzymes are elevated.
- Echocardiogram
—a test that uses high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to examine the size, shape, and motion of the heart.
- Biopsy
—removal of a sample of heart tissue to test for infection.
- Cardiovascular magnetic resonance—the use of magnetic waves to take pictures of structures inside the body.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
Myocarditis is hard to prevent. To help reduce your chances of getting myocarditis, reduce your exposure to identified causes. Some examples include:
- Practice good hygiene to avoid the spread of infection. For example, wash your hands regularly.
- Always use latex condoms during sexual activity.
- Have sex with only one partner, who has sex only with you.
- Do not use illegal drugs.
Risk Factors
A risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a disease or condition.
There are no known risk factors for developing myocarditis.
The symptoms of myocarditis vary from person-to-person depending on the cause and the severity. Symptoms may appear slowly or come on suddenly.
If you have any of these symptoms you should contact your doctor right away.
Flu-like complaints, including fever, fatigue, muscle pain, vomiting,
, and weakness
- Rapid or irregular heart rate
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath and respiratory distress
- Loss of consciousness
- Sudden, unexpected death
Sudden, intense myocarditis can lead to
congestive heart failure
Some people have no symptoms (asymptomatic).
The universally recommended therapy for myocarditis is bedrest, no physical activity, and supplemental oxygen. Corticosteroids may be given to help inflammation. You will most likely be admitted to a hospital.
Specific treatment is directed at the underlying cause if possible. For instance:
- If the cause is a bacterial infection, antibiotics are prescribed.
- If it is viral, antiviral agents will be prescribed.
- Immunosuppressive therapy may be used if myocarditis is due to an autoimmune disorder such as lupus or scleroderma.
If heart failure symptoms are present, medications are given to support the function of the heart. These include diuretics, ACE-inhibitors, beta-blockers, and antiarrhythmic agents.
Additionally, a defibrillator, which helps maintain the normal rhythm of the heart, may be implanted into your chest. Severe cases may require a cardiac transplant.


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Headlines (Campus Updates)
Communications, Public Affairs & Marketing
Laurier Faculty of Social Work hosting charity garage sale
Apr 25/12
Volunteers from Wilfrid Laurier Universitys Social Innovation Research Group (SIRG) are organizing a garage sale Saturday, May 5, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Faculty of Social Work, 120 Duke Street West, Kitchener.
The garage sale will take place in the parking lot off College Street. In the case of adverse weather, the garage sale will be held indoors on the main floor of the Faculty of Social Work building.
SIRG will be partnering with several downtown community agencies and businesses for the garage sale, and proceeds collected will be donated to three local charities.
The Laurier community is invited to donate gently used clothing, jewellery, purses, toys, books and other household items for the sale. Items can be dropped off at the SIRG office at the Faculty of Social Work, room 207, or the office of Laurier Associate Professor Ginette Lafrenière, room 310.
SIRG is a research and training incubator in Lauriers Faculty of Social Work for graduate students interested in research and community development.
View all Communications, Public Affairs & Marketing news
View all Laurier news


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"Spicy Seared Quail with Kale Slaw"
I'm in New York doing all sorts of things, one of which is to go through 100 years worth of family stuff that has been collected since my great grandparents. I have to decide what goes into a garage sale, what gets donated, what goes to the dump, and what gets boxed up into a nice clean plastic box and tucked away. Why do we humans collect so much stuff? […]Pin It


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Custom 1996 GMC Yukon - All the Way Down
For This yukon, Ground Zero is the Limit
Being a part of the custom-truck scene in Texas is a huge commitment. The trucks that seem to magically emerge from the super-sized state are built with show-winning good looks and usually lean towards the extreme in the modifications department. Alfonso Cantu, who hails from South Houston, is a member of the Ground Zero club. And his '96 GMC Yukon was built right and looks tight. Taking an eye-catching yet subtle modification approach has garnered himself plenty of attention from show judges, and the Yukon is a staple at almost any show in the South.
Mando's Drop Shop in Houston, Texas, took the Yukon under its wing and proceeded to administer the lowered-suspension treatment. Belltech 2-inch drop spindles replaced the stock pieces, while the coils were removed in favor of Firestone airbags. Holding the rear suspension in place is a two-link and Panhard bar replacing the archaic leafsprings. All the way around, KYB shocks damp the undulations of the lonely Texas highways. GC 1/2-inch valves lift and lower the GMC with authority and use nitrogen from the interior mounted tank as the sole means of air sourcing. A set of Centerline Smoothy wheels was procured from Big Wheel Rus, before being laid in the capable hands of Custom Wheels by Dima, in Houston. Once locked into a CNC machine, they were whittled into one-off works of art. Hankook high-speed rubber sized 265/35R22 keep Alfonso glued to the road.
Rolling low, Alfonso's Yukon was headed for a full-body makeover from Diaz Custom Auto in Pasadena, Texas. Once there, the crew got busy freeing the exterior metal of most of its extraneous items. Parts like the rear bumper, radio antenna, door handles, gas door, and taillights were unceremoniously removed and welded closed in the name of customizing. The rear bumper was replaced with a Sir Michael's roll pan with LEDs and the fuel filler was moved and hidden in the rear pillar. Adding to the cool factor is a cowl-induction hood. The body shop owner Israel Diaz laid down the clean two-tone graphics and covered his company's bodywork in Midnight Blue, Orion Silver, and Limetime Green. Once it had been cut and buffed to a high sheen, the stock Yukon grille insert was cut out and replaced with a 30-bar billet unit. Further reassembly of the SUV found diamond-cut clear headlights, turn signals, and corner lights sprucing up the nose of the vehicle, as well.
Inside of the GMC is a host of entertaining multimedia gear, which was laid out to impress any discerning eye. PNG Custom,in Houston, labored intensively to make the interior flow smoothly from the dash to the luggage compartment. A one-off custom console made its way from the dash, dipping and rising its way between the front seats before sliding up and over into the rear of the vehicle, where it became the amplifier rack and subwoofer enclosure. A JVC head unit with mini viewing screen was fit into the center console along with the relocated HVAC controls. In the dash, a 10-inch monitor sits cleanly, and for the rear passengers, an additional LCD screen was placed center-stage in the console. Just to be sure that the video entertainment was covered, one more screen sits atop the amplifier pyramid, like a beacon to draw in lost travelers. Two Kicker amplifiers power the sound array with the stock GM door locations filled with Kicker components, while two Kicker subwoofers in their enclosure drop the bass frequencies. Two capacitors and an Optima battery keep 12-volts ready to pump up the jams at the turn of the volume control knob. Midnight Blue paint trims the console, dash, and a few other strategically contrasting components. The rest of the interior is mostly stock, save for the Aronjas Upholstery stitched, blue-ostrich inserts in the seat centers and the lower door panels. Everything available from the Empire Motorsports billet catalog was placed into the truck, along with a matching Billet Specialties billet steering wheel. The contrast of the blue, gray, and billet allows plenty of show without looking like a gaudy afterthought.
Alfonso's affiliation with Ground Zero is proof that the customizing hobby is a disease with no cure in sight. But when you have a ride like this and the backing of friends and family, then we say this is a disease we can live with. Alfonso pointed out that he couldn't have made it all happen without the help of Ground Zero, PNG Customs, Mando's Drop Shop, Custom Wheels by Dima, Diaz Custom Auto, Big Wheel Rus, and Big Arnold from New Jersey. It sounds to us like a motley crew of custom-truck buccaneers customizing their road through life and feeding the disease.


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Family: Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes view all from this family
Description Glossy black, blue-black or dark brown ground color overlaid with a series of 23-52 white chain-like rings. Single anal plate. 19-25 rows of smooth scales.
Dimensions 91.4-208.3cm. (36-82")
Subspecies Eastern - brown/black under chainlike pattern and 21 rows of scales. New Jersey through to Florida, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and Alabama.
Caifornia -Brown/black with crossbands. Oregon through California to Baja California. Also Utah and Arizona.
Florida - Brown scales, yellow at base. Crossbands form chain-like pattern. Florida.
Speckles - Brown/black scales, light crossbands. Iowa, illinois, Texas, Mississippi to Alabama.
Eastern Black - Black. White dots form chain pattern. Ohio, West Virginia, Georiga and Alabama.
Western Black - Black, light spits on scales of sides. Sonora to Mexico and Arizona.
Desert - Blackish/brown with crossbands. Texas & Arizona into Mexico.
Breeding Breeds March-June. 3-24 yellowish eggs in a clutch laid May-August, hatch inAugust-October. Hatchlings 23-30cm (9-12") long.
Habitat Rocky hillsides to swamps and marshes. Also prairies, desert and chaparral.
Range New Jersey through Florida, Oregon, California to Mexico.
Discussion Active during daytime. In hot weather becomes nocturnal. Terrestrial, sometimes hides in shrubs. Constrictor. Rattlesnakes, lizards and mice are part of its diet. Longest living was 24 years. Common belief is that it hunts venomous snakes to prevent death from their venom if bitten, which would be the outcome for humans. Dangerous as a constrictor, but can be docile even when found in the wild.


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ISO/TS 16949:2009 Automotive Standard
The ISO/TS (Technical Specification) 16949:2009
ISO/TS 16949:2009 is an international Quality Management Systems automotive "sector-specific" technical specification based on ISO 9001:2008. ISO/TS 16949:2009 (TS 16949) was jointly developed by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) members and the ISO/TC 176 committees of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for approval and publication.
This document, plus the individual OEM customer-specific requirements, defines the quality system requirements for use in the automotive supply chain to which the suppliers must be registered to be "recognized" by the IATF.
Third Party Registrars
The IATF has developed its own unique and proprietary registration process and requirements for organization registration. It also conducts its own qualifying of registrars and registrar auditors. The registration scheme includes common rules for consistent global registration processes.
ISO/TS16949:2009 was approved and issued in July 2009 as an automotive sector-specific Quality Management System set of requirements that uses the updated ISO 9001:2008 (verbatim) as its base. It replaced ISO/TS 16949:2002 based on ISO 9001:2000.
As an international specification:
- Anyone can acquire a copy of this International Technical Specification, TS 16949, through ANSI or other locations such as www.AIAG.org.
- Anyone can acquire a copy of the "Rules" for achieving IATF recognition.
- Anyone can utilize this document to improve their Quality Management Systems.
- It is an international specification to which any organization that meets the applicability rules (noted below) can be certified by a third party certification body/registrar.
Satisfying Your Automotive Customer
Subscribing automotive OEM companies will only recognize and accept a TS 16949 registration which has been conducted using the prescribed registration process ("rules" available from the IAOB) and conducted by third party registrars that have been selected by the IAOB/IATF.
Registration to TS 16949 by an IATF "selected" registrar is required before a certificate can show the IATF mark and indicate IATF recognition.
The IATF has asked all registrars to assure that TS 16949 registrants meet the following applicability requirements:
- The TS 16949 definition of supplier applicability must apply to the organization seeking registration (see 3.1.6 in TS 16949).
- Any tier may be registered if it has a direct customer in the automotive supply chain (most affected are Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers). Distributors cannot be registered to TS 16949.
- Evidence of being a potential supplier to a customer requiring TS 16949 could include a Request For Quotation issued to the organization or the organization being on a current bid list of the TS 16949 subscribing customer.
Second and Third Edition Rules
The IATF has established new third edition "Rules" for Achieving IATF Recognition, adding to the changes published in the second edition. The "Rules" include criteria for the registrar, registrar audit process, auditor qualification, certification requirements and expectations for the registering organization. The "Rules" now mandate a two stage process for registration. Stage 1, the "Readiness Review," is conducted on-site for a minimum of one to two days. Stage 2 is the registration event conducted for the on-site audit days quoted per the "Rules," to take place no greater than 90 days after the acceptable Stage 1 event.


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Cook: Only silver lining for Steelers fans is that Flacco will command a big dealFebruary 4, 2013 5:00 AM
NEW ORLEANS -- Well, try to look on the bright side. The Baltimore Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII Sunday night and quarterback Joe Flacco was the Most Valuable Player. But that will cost the team dearly. Flacco is up for a new contract, perhaps $20 million a year. The Ravens won't be able to keep a couple of good players under the salary cap after they re-sign him. That should help the Steelers.
Hey, that's the best I've got for you after the hated Ravens hung on to beat the San Francisco 49ers, 34-31, at the faulty Mercedes-Benz Superdome in one of the great Super Bowls.
There will be no cheap jokes here about the embarrassing power outage that delayed the game for 35 minutes early in the second half with the Ravens leading, 28-6. Nothing about how New Orleans got its revenge on NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for Bountygate. Nothing about Beyonce's hot, steamy halftime performance blowing out the dome's electrical system. Certainly, nothing about how the lights were turned out on the 49ers' season a bit prematurely.
Flacco deserves better.
This Super Bowl was about him.
This postseason was about him.
"Joe Cool," they call Flacco in Baltimore. That's what they used to call 49ers quarterback Joe Montana, a four-time Super Bowl winner, three-time Super Bowl MVP and, simply, the greatest player in Super Bowl history. It no longer is sacrilegious to mention the two in the same paragraph. Flacco threw for three touchdowns Sunday night and had a passer rating of 124.2. In this postseason, he had 11 touchdown passes -- none bigger than the tying 70-yard pass to wide receiver Jacoby Jones against the Denver Broncos in the final minute of regulation -- with no interceptions. That 11-0 combination matched what the great Montana did after the 1989 season when he led the 49ers to their fourth title.
Baltimore's Joe Cool kept his composure after the Ravens nearly blew that big lead. The 49ers scored on four consecutive possessions and trailed, 31-29, when the Ravens took possession at their 21 with 9:51 left. On a third-and-inches play at the Ravens 45, coach John Harbaugh put all his trust in his quarterback and Flacco delivered. His perfect pass to wide receiver Anquan Boldin went for a 15-yard gain despite excellent coverage by cornerback Carlos Rogers. That led to a 38-yard field goal by Ravens kicker Justin Tucker and a 34-29 lead.
It turned out the Ravens needed those points at the end. Instead of being able to kick a winning field goal in the final two minutes, the 49ers had to go for a touchdown. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick threw three consecutive incompletions from the Ravens 5 to essentially end the 49ers' quest for a sixth Lombardi Trophy, which would have matched the Steelers' great feat.
Instead of 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and Kaepernick, his brilliant young quarterback, hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, it was John Harbaugh and retiring linebacker Ray Lewis who had the privilege of doing it.
Deal with it, Pittsburgh.
Lewis thanked Flacco for making his last NFL ride arguably his best ride. Flacco's first-half touchdown passes of 13 yards to Boldin, 1 yard to tight end Dennis Pitta and 56 yards to Jones helped the Ravens build that big lead. His big fourth-quarter pass to Boldin made sure that it held up.
Boldin, a Super Bowl winner this time, was a member of the Arizona Cardinals, who lost to the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII. He played with future Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner.
Yet ...
"I think out of all the quarterbacks that I've played with, physically, [Flacco] is the most gifted that I've ever been around," Boldin said. "He can make every throw."
Forget that debate about Flacco being an elite quarterback. It's a fact now. He belongs with the greats.
Flacco's timing couldn't be better. He has played out his rookie contract and can become a free agent in March. Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti has said the team will put the franchise tag on Flacco for the 2013 season if it can't do a new long-term deal with him.
"We have a franchise quarterback. He's going to get franchise money," Bisciotti said. "We've got our franchise quarterback for the next 10 years and we're going to ride Joe."
Bisciotti said he has all the confidence in the world in general manager Ozzie Newsome working out a new deal with Flacco's agent, Joe Linta, a Freedom native.
Why not?
You think Newsome has a pretty good idea how valuable Flacco is to the Ravens?
"If Joe Flacco wasn't a very good quarterback, I'd probably be playing golf down in Alabama somewhere," Newsome said. "It all goes with the quarterback."
Certainly, it did last night for the world champion Ravens.mobilehome - roncook
Ron Cook: email@example.com. Ron Cook can be heard on the "Vinnie and Cook" show weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan.


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Biology Xplainer: Evolution and how it happens
|Evolution: a population changes over time
|Charles Darwin, a smart, thoughtful,
observant man. Via Wikimedia.
|Ernst Mayr, via PLoS.
- The first fact is that populations have the potential to increase exponentially. A quick look at any graph of human population growth illustrates that we, as a species, appear to be recognizing that potential. For a less successful example, consider the sea turtle. You may have seen the videos of the little turtle hatchlings valiantly flippering their way across the sand to the sea, cheered on by the conservation-minded humans who tended their nests. What the cameras usually don't show is that the vast majority of these turtle offspring will not live to reproduce. The potential for exponential growth is there, based on number of offspring produced, but…it doesn't happen.
- The second fact is that not all offspring reproduce, and many populations are stable in size. See "sea turtles," above.
- The third fact is that resources are limited. And that leads us to our first conclusion, or inference: there is a struggle among organisms for nutrition, water, habitat, mates, parental attention…the various necessities of survival, depending on the species. The large number of offspring, most of which ultimately don't survive to reproduce, must compete, or struggle, for the limited resources.
- Fact four is that individuals differ from one another. Look around. Even bacteria of the same strain have their differences, with some more able than others to with stand an antibiotic onslaught. Look at a crowd of people. They're all different in hundreds of ways.
- Fact five is that much about us that is different lies in our genes–it is inheritable. Heredity undeniably exists and underlies a lot of our variation.
- First, there is that struggle for survival, thanks to so many offspring and limited resources. See "sea turtle," again.
- Second, different traits will be passed on differentially. Put another way: Winner traits are more likely to be passed on.
- And that takes us to our final conclusion: if enough of these "winner" traits are passed to enough individuals in a population, they will accumulate in that population and change its makeup. In other words, the population will change over time. It will be adapted to its environment. It will evolve.
|A pigeon depicted in Charles Darwin's
Variation of Animals and Plants
Under Domestication, 1868. U.S.
public domain image, via Wikimedia.
|Cheetahs underwent a bottleneck that
has left them with little genetic variation.
Photo credit: Malene Thyssen, via
|Arguably the most famous of the
egg-laying monotremes, the improbable-
seeming platypus. License.


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A thought has been bugging me for the last couple of days. It's a "What if...?"-thought.
What if MS removed all support for plain text files in new versions of Windows?
Think about it. It would be possible for them to do it, wouldn't it? That would almost be the definite break between Open Source vs Closed Source.
Almost nobody complained when they removed edlin.