text:
Strong Offensive Effort Leads to Sweep of Long Beach
Sep 1, 2013
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Behind a sizzling offensive display of 53 kills on a .371 hitting percentage the 17th-ranked Kentucky volleyball team cruised to a 3-0 (25-17, 27-25, 25-15) win over Long Beach State on Sunday afternoon. Sophomore Shelby Workman posted a career-high total with 13 kills, senior Alexandra Morgan notched 11 kills on a .647 hitting percentage, and senior Whitney Billings logged her third-straight double-double effort with 13 hammers and 10 digs.
"I'm proud of the way we battled back in game one being down 10-6, and I liked our fight and composure in game two to pull that out," UK head coach Craig Skinner said. "Those two moments were the difference in the match. We had several great individual performances tonight, and it really helped show a glimpse of the team we can become."
Kentucky improves to 1-2 on the year with a win over the 49ers who are receiving votes in the preseason poll. Long Beach drops to 1-2 on the young season. The tournament was considered one of the top fields in the nation in the opening weekend of competition with UK and Florida State ranked in the top 20, and Illinois and Long Beach receiving votes to begin the season.
"This tournament featured four very good teams who are all capable of winning big matches this season," Skinner said. "I think all of the teams will really benefit from this weekend as the season progresses."
UK returns to the court Friday, Sept. 6 as the Wildcats play host to the Kentucky Classic Tournament in Memorial Coliseum. The Blue and White take on VCU on Friday at 7 p.m. ET. Liberty and East Tennessee State will also comprise the field for the weekend's round robin tournament.
Billings was joined on the All-Tournament team by sophomore setter Morgan Bergren. Bergren contributed 36 assists, six kills, seven digs and a block in tonight's victory while leading the offense to the tune of its season-high hitting percentage.
Billings again led the team with 13 kills, a team-high 10 digs and a team-best three blocks. Morgan was perfect from the field with 11 kills with zero errors. Workman notched the career-high tally in kills (13) while adding four digs. Sophomore Sara Schwarzwalder contributed four kills and a trio of blocks. Freshman Anni Thomasson added a career-best four kills to couple with six digs. Junior Jackie Napper added eight digs and senior Jessi Greenberg logged a trio.
Morgan got things going for the Wildcats with a kill off a slide to begin the scoring in the first set. Following a kill from the 49ers, O'Conner and Morgan gave UK back-to-back kills for an early 3-1 lead. The home squad was able to fire back and knot the score at five, before stretching the lead to two at 7-5. Kentucky took its first timeout trailing 10-6 after a 6-1 run by the 49ers.
Out of the break, UK got Billings involved who ignited an 8-1 run to go in front 14-11. In the run, Billings had a pair of kills and Workman two momentum changing digs. The Wildcats continued to roll en route to a 25-17 opening set victory capped by a thunderous kill from Billings.
Morgan led the offensive effort with six kills on an .857 hitting percentage and Billings added four on a .500 clip. As a unit, Kentucky laid down 16 kills on a sizzling .429 percentage with Bergren dishing out 12 assists.
A back-and-forth battle ensued to open the second stanza, until the 49ers shook loose for two points to go ahead 8-6. The Wildcats rallied back with two kills from Billings to tie the score at nine apiece. The run continued as UK jumped in front by a 12-10 margin after a spectacular defensive effort from the Cats. Long Beach fired back and tied the score at 12, and the teams would then exchange points until Long Beach converted on consecutive blocks to once again maintain a two-point edge at 15-13. Kentucky opted to use its first timeout to attempt to quell the run.
Kentucky clawed back and tied the score at 15, but a pair of blocks ignited the Cats to an 18-16 lead forcing Long Beach to burn a timeout. The 49ers were able to fight back and knot the score at 20 promptly taking the lead at 21-20. A misplay by Long Beach State tied things up at 23 apiece and the home team opted to use its final break. A block by the 49ers gave them set point, and Kentucky opted to take its last timeout. Workman responded with a cross-court shot, and then Long Beach was forced into a miscue giving UK set point at 25-24. With their backs against the wall, the 49ers responded with a kill of their own to again tie things. Schwarzwalder came up with a timely kill off the block once again giving the Blue and White set point. After a stellar dig from Bergren, Thomasson used her wits and simply found an open spot on the floor for the set-clinching point and a 2-0 lead into the lockerroom.
UK throttled the 49ers for 20 kills in the second set led by five from the hand of Billings. Schwarzwalder and Morgan both contributed four apiece. Billings led the charge defensively with six digs and a trio of blocks in the 27-25 second set victory.
Morgan eclipsed 10 kills with her opening swing in the third set. Bergren followed the point with a block and UK quickly went ahead 2-0. Long Beach State opted to take a very early timeout with UK ahead immediately. Out of the break, the home team fired back for three points to take the 3-2 edge. Kentucky responded with a 5-1 run for a 7-4 lead. With UK out in front by three, Long Beach State took its final timeout. It would be all the breathing room UK would need as the Cats cruised to a 25-xx third set victory and a sweep of the host 49ers.
Workman's six kills in the stanza paced the offense which laid down 17 kills on a sizzling .500 hitting percentage. Billings logged four and a squad-high four digs.
Kentucky's Memorial Coliseum will play host to the NCAA Regionals Dec. 13-14. UK is one of four sites selected for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight matchups with one team advancing to the Final Four in Seattle, Wash., from the Lexington Region. This marks the second time in three seasons Memorial Coliseum will host this premier volleyball event.
Visit UKathletics.com for the most up-to-date information on the Kentucky volleyball team and all 22 varsity sports.


text:
'MacArthur, Buffalo's third-round choice (74th overall) in the 2003 Entry Draft, was tied for fourth on the Sabres in exhibition scoring with three points in four games. Sekera, Buffalo's third-round choice (71st overall) in the 2004 Entry Draft, registered a single assist in five preseason appearances.'
MacArthur, Sekera assigned to Rochester
October 3, 2007 Submitted by
Via: Sabres.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I'm new to ducks, bought all the gear i could think of and I'm ready to hit the water.
I've read the snops multiple times and i still havnt found my answer.
It appears you may bag 1-2 of certain species like the pintail, and canvasback for example.
Are there any ducks in general you can't shoot???? wood ducks?
This would be really helpful before i hit the water as i don't have anybody to teach me or help me, just going out on a limb and trying to get some birds by myself.
Thanks a lot guys.
Also if theres any goose hunters in zone 1 maybe you could shed light on that too. says you may bag no more than 2... whatever (darks) but which geese can't you shoot??? or protected???


text:
" Brand: Ted Baker / spray / Type: Body Spray / Suitable for: Body "
I received the Ted Baker Heavenly Fragranced body spray as a Christmas gift last year, along with the matching shower gel. When I first opened it I thought it would be like most of the stuff I get for Christmas and I would end up never using it.
*The packaging*
The spray comes in a pink bottle, which has a darker pink decorative pattern all over it. It has a purple box on it which has the Ted Baker logo inside. The packaging looks very sophisticated and is very pretty.
The bottle has a large, push down spray top, which is very easy to use and dispurses a lot of the spray in one go.
*The Scent*
I'm not great at describing scents so have found a description of it. It is described as:
'Wear with pride, treat with care. Let Ted transport you to heaven on a cloud of Jasmine, rose, pear and apple.'
I must admit, I did not detect a hint of any of these in the spray but I am not that great at picking up scents.
In my own words, the scent is quite fruity. It is the kind of scent you could wear for work and people wouldn't complain that it is too strong. I really like it.
Although the spray smells lovely at first, I tend to find that I cannot smell it on me after 5 minutes. I have asked other people and they also say that they cannot smell it on me. I feel that I would have to shower myself in the stuff for anyone to notice it, which is very disappointing as it is lovely.
I am not sure on the RRP of the spray, I received mine in a set and know that the person who purchased it was on a budget, which makes me think it was not too expensive.
Overall, I do love the spray and think it smells amazing but the fact that it does not last long at all really disappointed me. I wouldn't go out and buy this for myself as I fell it is a waste of money but it is a nice gift.
If you're young and poor, you may require something stronger than a deodorant but less expensive than a perfume. The answer is, of course, the humble body spray, but products like 'impulse' and 'charlie' have such teenage associations that you're bound to avoid them. You may also want something that's not an aerosol.
Ted Baker's body spray is, therefore, a reasonable alternative to all of these, because it has a sophisticated scent and sprays like a perfume, but is much cheaper than one! It usually sells for around five pounds for a 150ml bottle, which is obviously a very cheap way of buying perfume. The difference is that the body spray contains more alcohol and water than the perfume itself.
The scent itself, if you understand such things, is fruity and flowery blended with 'rare woods' and amber. I have no idea what this means, but it smells very nice, in my opinion, so I have no complaints about that. The only issue you might find is that it doesn't stick around for very long. However, if you're using it as a kind of deodorant, that doesn't matter so much.
The packaging is another feature a lot more grown-up than most body sprays. It should be, given that it's made by Ted Baker: the bottle is purple, the cap is a lighter shade, and the label is decorated in the Ted Baker BODYWEAR range style, with a rather sophisticated elegance. It's the kind of thing you wouldn't be embarrassed to have in your handbag. The instructions are helpful, if a bit dramatic (but whose aren't): "Let Ted take you to paradise on his magic carpet of bergamot, tangerine, lychee, peach, plum and mysterious vetiver." Hmmm.
I first used this body spray as part of a set from the BODYWEAR range, which came in a beautiful wash bag along with the Ted Baker body lotion. This came in a purple and green packaging, but now the colour scheme has changed to purple and pink, as detailed earlier. You can buy the body spray as part of a set still, but I buy it on its own from the Ted Baker shelf in boots. You'll locate it easily because of the mass of purple. Be careful not to buy the similarly priced and bottled 'moisturising mist'; they look very similar.
I use this spray very often, and have found very few disadvantages to it, if you understand that it's not a perfume. It's particularly useful for poor teenagers like me, who are fed up of the stink of 'Impulse' but don't want to spend an arm and a leg smelling nice. It will last quite a long time if you don't use it too heavily, which is why I think it's a reasonable price for how useful it is. The reason that I'm only giving it three stars is that I understand it may have quite a small market: those of us who haven't quite decided whether we're teenagers or adults, who haven't quite decided whether we want to buy perfumes or just deodorants.
I recently came about to using this product as it was part of a Ted Baker gift set that was given to me Christmas 2008. (Yes I know I'm late in using this product, but now I am I'm reviewing it also).
*** Packaging
The bottle is very elegant and lady like, and would look great on display I think. The bottle is 150ml, it comes in a pale pink, dusty rose color, with a very deep plum, almost black spray pump lid and cap. All the wording and imformation regarding the product is displayed on a sticker around the bottle; which is good if you want to reuse the bottle and peel of the labelling. The background image to the sticky label is a pattern of a variety of girly objects, such as hairdyers, books, baths, lipsticks ect, it adds to the detail when you take the time out to look at the pictures. Finally another nice detailed feature is that the bottle on the top has slightly embossed wording of 'Ted Baker' going around, so even if you change the sticky label you can still see the bottle was always originally from this brand.
*** Scent & Staying Power
Ok so this is bodyspray and to me doesn't particuarly last that long. This just may be my perception of it as I am used to very strong perfumes such as "Britney Spears, fantasey, and Calvin Kelin Eupthoria" so maybe I am just use to very distinctive scents. I personally feel as though the smell you intially get is very much like a very strong chemically type of smell. When this has settled you can then smell the Ted Baker fragrance which is quite feminine and sweet, however I personally think It's not something that other people would be able to notice on youl. I could only smell the fragrance on me when I had my hand actually on my face so my nose was able to detect the scent.
*** The Claims
"Wear with pride, treat with care. Let Ted transport you to heaven on a cloud of Jasmine, Rose, Pear and Apple. Heavenly fragranced body spray has a joyful, floriental perfume, perfectly balanced with bright fruit notes, resting on a wood and amber base."
*** Overall Opinion
I love the packaging design and bottle, the final settled smell is nice and sweet, yet not very strong, or lasting, this is the downfall for me. This product is currently on sale in Boots for £3.30, however this is normally priced at £4.95. I deffinatly wouldn't purchase this product at this price, and even though I love sales, I wouldn't purchase it at a sale price either unfortunatly.
Hope this helps :)
Part of the Ted Baker gift set I received for Christmas was this body spray which, like all the products in the set, is in the "Heavenly" range.
Having tried the bath salts, body wash and scrub, I knew that the fragrance wasn't my favourite, but livable for washing purposes. But as a fragrance? Eh, not so much. Still, in the name of reviewing I thought since I had already washed in the same scent I may as well spray some onto myself.
The scent is a lot stronger and muskier than I would like, yet somehow at the same time sickly and floral. Apparently it is "jasmine, rose, pear and apple with a wood and amber base". I think the reason it doesn't work out so well is that while perfumes often mix completely different things in the top and base notes, they are designed in that way so different scents are released at different times to compliment each other. With a body spray, everything is pretty much thrown in together with the same scent-life, so it smells like the mish-mash that it is. I hate to say it but the phrase "tart's handbag" does spring to mind!
The spray comes in either a 50ml or 150ml bottle, which is made of pink plastic with rather tacky designs printed onto the label. I realise that this is a body spray, not a perfume, and as such there will not be as much care and time taken over designing the bottle, but I think we could all live without the pictures of toe separators and shopping bags. Yes Ted Baker, we know this spray is for women, the pink bottle helped us distinguish that, you don't need to imply that all we know how to do is get dolled up and spend money. (And apparently smell bad too).
In use, the spray is quite forceful even in the mini version I have. It feels like water on the skin and dries quickly. However, I find it difficult to use because it doesn't "spray" as such. The pump is so strong that it squirts one circle onto your skin, and you either have to rub that around before it dries or spray elsewhere, which can lead to a pretty potent scent if you are spraying numerous times. An aerosol would be far more effective at regulating the spray. As an aside, don't plan on wearing any type of perfume with this as you won't be able to smell it!
As for scent-life, I noticed it lasted fairly well, although due to the problems regulating spray I tend to only smell it on certain patches of my skin. I'm afraid I will only use this if I have bathed with the matching products and am not going out anywhere wearing perfume. In fact, I will admit that I resorted to using it as a room spray to get rid of cooking smells the other day. As it's so potent, it did a good job!
The miniature version of this product is £2.25 for a 50ml bottle which should last a fair amount of time. The full-sized 150ml is £4.95. Both pretty reasonably priced, but only if you like the smell. Scents are very personal, and personally I would not choose this had I not been given it as a gift! However, Ted Baker products are often on special offer at Boots, particularly minis, so it's a handy size (and has a cap over the spray nozzle) for a gym bag if you want to try out a new scent.


text:
Community and social computing
Going from social networks to Communities
rawn 100000R0P5 Tags:  community community_building 3,285 Views
I'm not sure if I've posted this graphic before but I use this inslides quite often to familiarize those who new to community buildingbut have heard of Web 2.0.
I've heard a number of comments from people within IBM and beyond thatthis makes sense, in terms of how think of the different "levels" ofpopulation in groups, starting from a General Population, moving intoan Audience (or specifically categorized population), to a SocialNetwork, and finally to a Community. The final level above is sort ofdisconnected and may start off in its own way: the Organization.
As you can see from the graphic, most of dW is currently at the levelof an audience. This is natural when you start with a magazine formatas we did. Most magazines have audiences but not social networks orcommunities; some do, especially when they have means for members tointeract with each other (in online forums, live events, conferences,webcasts, etc.) Building the interaction gives the first level ofsocial networking, but you can improve this in many ways to exposesocial network especially in online systems (e.g., social tagging,wikis, forums, comments, polls, etc.)
The distinguishing factor between social networks and communities isthe level of group identity. This is when people start associatingthemselves with a particular idea (an interest, a hobby, a belief, atechnology, a product, a company, etc.) and regularly return to thatgroup of people with the same interest.
Social networks may have this behavior, where people start buildingrelationships with each other, but it is when they start to organizearound the idea, is when you start building a community. It takes work,leadership and time to keep the group together and build a community.The rewards are that the communities tend to collaborate and create newresults of their own. If it is a strong and vibrant community, you evenget community members evangelizing their ideas to others. The morepeople behind the idea, the easier it is to accept or adopt the idea(unless it directly conflicts with yours of course).
- rawn
[Read More]
Wetware Grid/"Crowdsourcing" idea
rawn 100000R0P5 1,872 Views
Ian Hughes talked about that the idea relating to Amazon's Mechanical Turk as I mentioned last week. While having lunch with my wife today, and reading an article in the previous issue of BusinessWeek, I found a connection to the Simple PC/Community PC idea popularized by Nicholas Negroponte of MIT.
Say you have thousands of people with such low-cost PCs, even shared insome netcafe, if must be. Then take the idea of wetware/human grids todo processing to analyze data. Add a payment mechanism per itemprocessed. This'd be a solution looking for a problem.
How is this for a problem:
Millions of hours of video and similar numbers of photos are takenevery day at security checkpoints such as banks, the motor vehicles/IDcard department, airports, ports, etc. This already happens widely inthe US for example. Now take a security issue like the Top Ten wantedcriminals with photos provided of each of them. How about sending allthat data soon after they are gathered to process in a wetware grid totry to identify potential suspect-matches. People are usually better atmatching faces than computers, even if it is not a perfect method. Paythe grid members a small amount per photo processed (2 to 5 centsperhaps) and ask them for sets of e.g., 100 photos to look over in asingle session; and pay a big bonus ($1000?) if an identificationeventually leads to the criminal's apprehension.
People living in many first world countries may say that $5 for aboutmaybe 1-2 hours work is simply not worth the time. But again this goesback to the "PC for the People" idea: make computing cheap for themasses in nations where $5 is a lot of money for some and $1000 is anunbelievable sum. Take a 1000 or 10,000 people in this wetware grid andyou have parallel processing of photos on a large and stillcost-effective scale.
Obviously there's a lot to be thought out here but it is the seed of an idea that could help:
PS: You might also want to read this month's Wired article on Crowdsourcing.
[Read More]
The Psychology of new-product adoption
rawn 100000R0P5 3,674 Views
The HBR June issue has an article(requires subscription) by John Gourville which is one of the firstI've read to explain so clearly the issues behind the psychology ofadopting new products. I take this to mean not just products but alsoservices from any organization.
In summary, the idea was raised by the Nobel-prize winning psychologistDaniel Kahneman that explores why people deviate from rational economicbehavior. This combined with other work, on how individuals valuechoices in the marketplace, define the basis on how people handle theintroduction of a new product or service.
The four behaviors that arise are: people evaluate new product asalternatives, based on perceived value rather than subjective value;they consider new products relative to points of reference to existingones; they view such references as benefits/gains orshortcomings/losses; and finally, the most important behavior, losses have a far greater impact than gains.
This leads to the endowment effect whichthe author reports as the behavior where people hold things theyalready have in much greater value than those they don't. In fact, itleads to a multiplying effect in the market where consumers value theirexisting holdings as three times more valuable, while organizationswith new ideas/products value their own holdings as three times asvaluable. Thus, to convince consumers to change from the old to the newproduct may require up to nine timesthe improvements over the older product. As the author explains, AndyGrove of Intel has held the belief that an innovaion that can transformthe industry rapidly needs to offer a 10x improvement over existingalternatives. (I know my Sharp Aquos HDTV doesn't quite reach thathigh, but I still like the switch over from my 25" inch Sony tuber :)
The author continues by giving several categories of probability: the Sure Failure, the Easy Sell, the Long Hauls, and the Smash Hits. AnEasy Sell indicates limited (small) changes to the existing product andlimited changes to the behavior necessary. A Smal Hit has significantchanges to the product but only limited changes to the behavior.
I strongly suggest you pick up a copy of the HBR to understand the full extent of this article.
This has direct impact on any new technology, a topic of constant focusfor us at dW. Every company wants the smash hit, but for many it ismore by accident than on purpose. However, often they focus onimprovements to products based on what they think is important, andduring the product development stage do not really consider the factorsof user adoption behavior because it is so hard to measure. I've comeacross so many cases where the technology is considered quite advancedby the technical team that develops, supported by surveys of groups ofthe bleeding edge customers who are already raring to use it; but, theyfall short when they call out to the general market which issignificantly slower to adopt the idea.
In fact, in some cases, the improvements are just not enough (per theabove marketing theory). In other cases, the perceived value of theproduct is just conveyed either adequately to the consumers, or by the right influencers who can change perception. Ittakes the right mix of technical know-how, eloquence, stubbornness,ingenuity, and charm to find the proper evangelists for a project. Butfirst you need to be able to find those who are fans of the idea in thefirst place (goes back to my other thought on building a fan-base); theevangelist themselves must be a convinced fan, or others willeventually consider them a sham.
This theory applies to the tens or hundreds of thousands of newprojects that start up on the internet. A product manager needs toconsider if the product falls into the win category of Smash Hit or will be a Long Haulsell as much as the innovation of the product itself. This meansunderstanding the user behavior and need for the product in the firstplace. The difficulty lies in quantifying the improvements.
In some cases, you can do it by this process:
The impact of the endowment effect is the old adage: people fear change.It's not fear per-se, but more inertia. To overcome the inertia, youneed to change perceptions. To grow customers and fans, you need tobuild the audience and community around the idea, to build up momentumof understanding and acceptance to overcome this inertia. (I mentionthat this is a crucial second step of the Open Source business model earlier)
[Read More]
Marketing in the virtual world
rawn 100000R0P5 Tags:  secondlife virtual_environments 2,534 Views
As I mentioned previously, the HBR article, Avatar-based Marketing, talksa bit about how 3D worlds and online characters are becoming asubstantial population online. The author (a senior editor at HBR)mentions the big names like World of Warcraft, Everquest, etc. thathave millions of members focused in game-based environments, and theopportunity to market to this audience. He also mentions the otherenvironments that are more based on socializing such as SecondLife, Stagecoach Island, MyCoke/Coke Studios, There, etc.
The article has potential and certainly opens this topic up to a wholelot of others who would probably not be familiar with this newtechnology (i.e., HBR readers tend to be high-level business andmanagement folk). This is a hot topic obviously if it is starting toinvade such ranks.
However, the article seems to focus primarily on how to advertise in such environments as the marketing strategy, in subtle or obvious forms. This is a certainly of interest to the avant-garde advertisingand marketing firms. My interests lie elsewhere primarily in the newdomain of building online communities as not just an advertising basebut an actual loyal following of members.
The utility of the online world still seems to be lost on many people;instead they focus on existing strategies/mechanisms that they couldtranslate into an online setting, such as the advertising strategy.Advertising will always have a place in the world, but it is only thevery first stage of gaining a following.
In my view, there is actually a progression of "people interested in what you have": the uninitiated, the aware, the casual member, the customer (or user), and finally the fan (theeager customer). Advertising primarily focuses on driving the firstthree towards a vague hope of them becoming customers. Most companiesare happy when people become customers, even if some are reluctantcustomers. The real wins come from those who become fans.
The thought goes that the fans are the ones who assist in acquiringother new customers. This makes it easier on the organization's effortstowards growth. The fans are worth a whole lot more to an organizationthan just a regular customer. An easy example is Apple, which has asignificant number of fans compared to regular customers. This hashelped them not just stay in business but also in the lead as one ofthe most insipiring and innovative companies.
The honest truth is that it takes a lot to elevate customers towardsbecoming fans. This is based on not just the creation of innovativeideas technology but also on how these innovations are conveyed anddelivered. Then comes the on-going support of these fans, not just theproducts and services.
The million dollar question: How do you start and cultivate fans?
I'll give a hint, it's not a short-term process...
[Read More]
What are conferences for?
rawn 100000R0P5 Tags:  secondlife community virtual_environments 2,501 Views
I picked up the latest Harvard Business Review first to read what their Avatar-based Marketing article was all about (more on this later) but also came across a few other articles which I thought were very useful. The first was an interview with Richard Saul Wurman on making events meaningful or useful (requires subscription).
Wurman has put on many events and conferences before but is best known for this Technology, Entertainment, and Design conferences. For an event-holder, his view is that the conference business sucks up huge amounts of marketing dollars, and is an enormous waste of the time of both participants and businesses. It is a fixture of the industry (and certainly the IT/Software industry).
However, his main issue is that most people go to these gatherings only to network and play golf. They don't really listen to the CEOs who can't really talk about all their vision. Marketers have to beg and plead exhibit-goers to take a look at their products, and pnael discussions are usually uncoordinated unrelated speeches. No one gets inspiration and overall nothing sticks.
Amusingly, I see a different view of what Wurman considers negative: "the networking". The term usually implies some sort of negative: the sleazy businessman trying to kiss up to their customers/bosses/etc. However, whether they know it or not, that is what most community forums are. An opportunity not just to learn more and ask questions, but to find that right person who may be able to help you. The way to do it is "networking". Or you could simply sit in a room where everyone is talking for long enough, and eventually someone might say something that can help you. Either way, this implies that some people need to be in the same venue to discuss topics. Others may participate or just listen in.
The venue is the issue. A physical forum like a conference is usually by far a better way to meet others, but obviously there are cons such as cost to travel and participate, time, etc. Virtual forums like discussion groups can provide many of the similar effects but it is more natural human behavior to want to meet others in person. Most real conferences are variances on different settings for in-person meetings.
The mode of how the forum occurs can also affect the benefits or usefulness of a forum. For example, an online group chatroom gives a more immediate interaction point, although if too many people are in the room, it makes for haphazard communications unless you have some sort of moderation/chat leader. A different mode is the bullentin board system that most of us just call plain old "discussion forums", that allows people to come whenvever they want, say their piece, have it recorded as part of their group, and then leave, only to return later to check for responses. This is much more asynchronous a mode of discussion.
The online chatroom is closer to the format of a physical conference than the discussion forum/bulletin board format (synchronous vs asynchronous mode). However, most chatrooms suffer from being in a text-only mode (with minimal graphic smileys), thus the impact is not quite the same as in a real conference, and almost will never be because there is a lot of social cues just simply missing when you cannot see another person. There are certainly new ones that you can notice in text-form, but humans are very visual animals, and we consciously or unconciously rely a lot on how we see others react.
This is one reason why I find 3D worlds like SecondLife and other MMO environments compelling venues. They can provide the synchronous mode feel, with actual visual representation, without the forced geolocation that live conferences require of us. SL for example, still requires a lot of the user to make it a universal tool, not just in terms of your computer's ability, but also in terms of behavior, tool controls/usage, and environment support, to overcome the substantial inertia that people have to new things (something for a future blog), but it is a solution to expensive live conferences. FYI: There have been a number of separate events (meetings, conferences, awards ceremonies, etc.) already held on SL. I wish they were all documented somewhere (by Linden Labs) to analyze the social behavior, issues, and successes or failures of these SL events, because it is these kind of events that can draw big crowds and more new subscribers.
Anyway, back on Wurman: his view is that rather than large conferences with many exhibits, sessions, etc., he would rather than one large meeting by invitation to all the people that the organizer feels wouold be interesting and active participants on the main or multiple topics at the event. This does away with the many failings that he sees and focuses entirely on enabling the exchange of ideas and facilitating discussions, rather than doing presentations and sales pitches.
He may be right in some sense. I'm a veteran of more than a decade of trade shows from every angle: hoster, promoter, attendee, booth bunny (I prefer "rabbit"), exec, press, and now more the "floater"/researcher. While seeing the range of products is nice, it's the constant shilling of products/services that makes it a drag, whether on the exhibit floor or session room. I prefer the conversations that are "in between", during the event but not necessarily part of it. This seems to me what Wurman is pointing out as his ideal.
If that's the case, I guess I'd agree with Wurman on that part. At the same time, I'm still looking around for alternatives in my purview and some of these MMOs are good possibilities.
PS: The HBR issue this month (June) has at least 4-5 articles that I found relevant which was worth the high $17 retail price for a copy.
[Read More]
Day 3 RSDC 2006
Day 3 came and went quite quickly.
The interesting event of the day was Amazon's sessions on its Web services. Amazon Web Services is the software side of the company, sort of separate from the main sales/retail site that they are so well known for. The retail side uses some of these same Web services within the site, but they are also available to external customers as well. I listened to Jeff Barr from Amazon describe them some of which include:
and many more... You should go to aws.amazon.com to find out more.
-rawn[Read More]
Day 2 RSDC
Okay, it's really Day 3 but I'm posting on yesterday's events.
I took a bunch of photos. Unfortunately, they're all off a 5MP camera so I have to resize them each time. Maybe it's time for me to get one of those cellphones that can post photos directly to your blog. Anyway, I'll have photos back-posted soon.
The blogger meetup went well with some analysts, execs and tech folk all around. It was mostly a leisurely meet up with folks we work with but rarely see. We signed a big get well soon card for Grady that's being sent out today as I speak.
I spent part of the day manning the booth (okay only an hour or two compared to the other dW staff members) talking to different people as they come by. It feels like there are a lot of first-timers to the RSDC this year, and we had about 50-50 split on people familiar with dW and others not. I had an interesting conversation with a gent from Amazon Web services and there's a session later today on Mashing with Amazon Web Services that I intend to visit.
I'm heading back to the booth again for now.
-rawn[Read More]
Day 1 Rational Software Dev Conference 2006
rawn 100000R0P5 Tags:  conferences 2,418 Views
I'm at the Rational Software Development Conference 2006, taking a break between sessions. If you haven't seen it already, there is a lot going on. You can start on our blog and podcast page for this event.
The first interesting session I found was on Building a Strong Software Business on Open Source, by Palle Pedersen, CTO of Black Duck Software. His company works on testing compliance in software products. In particular, they have taken a look at the issues around licensing, usage and behavior of teams who use open source software or incorporate them into products of their own.
Interesting factoid: there are now about 600 different variations of open source licenses. Can you imagine checking compliance of code/products that incorporates that kind of range/possibility of OS software?
More interesting to me is his point that there is a common best practice to how to incorporate OSS into your own line:
This is oversimplification of the whole thing but its step two of this business model that obviously catches my eye. In fact, there were a few questions about how to do Step 2. This is in fact exactly what our Community team in dW is tackling. I'm just glad that people are starting to recognize the importance of this as a required part of the open source business model.
We've known this for a while but many groups tend to just gloss over this. The assumption is that if you start a discussion group, you've satisfied that step. It's not as simple as that. In fact, there are many OS products with discussion groups but that still never take off as a success. What is needed is a more scientific way of performing this overall step (which is what I'm hoping would become the outcome of my current side-project to create a course for Community Management at the University of Arizona MIS dept. More on that later).
In any case, I think there's a story there in what Palle said around this OSS business model and community development to pursue.
[Read More]


text:
Fox News gets it wrong
In a December 17th Fox News story (See full report here) Steven Milloy comments on a lecture by Lonnie Thompson at the Annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco. He uses a common ploy of truncating what Thompson said, to ensure that a quotation fits with his message. According to Milloy, Thompson said, "Any prudent person would agree that we don't yet understand the complexities with the climate system." But what he actually said was "Any prudent person would agree that we don't yet understand the complexities with the climate system and, since we don't, we should be extremely cautious in how much we 'tweak' the system." (see full press release here). Such manipulations are designed so that Milloy can't be accused of misquoting, but clearly, he completely contorts Thompson's point. Milloy also misunderstands the science.
In his talk, Thompson described two samples of moss that are 5,000 and 50,000 years old, respectively (based on radiocarbon dating). These samples have been revealed as the Quelccaya ice cap in Peru receded over the last few years. Milloy argues that "the plant find is a strong indication that, thousands of years ago, the high Andean climate must have been warm enough to cause the glacier to be recessed and to allow for the plants to grow in the first place…". That is correct. But he goes on to say, "So if natural forces caused those climate changes, isn't it reasonable to conclude that perhaps natural forces might also be largely responsible for whatever climate changes may be occurring now?" Unfortunately, that isn't reasonable.
Milloy makes the common mistake of confusing (1) different factors that cause climates to change (see forcings) and (2) the rates of climate change. Warming in the early to mid-Holocene (the post-glacial period that covers the last 12,500 years) resulted from changes in the earth's orbit (as described by Milankovitch). In the western United States, many glaciers disappeared altogether at this time, only to re-form around 4500 years ago. The temperatures slowly changed as the earth's position altered, in relation to the sun, causing the distribution of energy received on earth to change geographically and seasonally. The changes observed by Thompson (since he started studying the Quelccaya ice cap in the late 1970s) have been extremely large and rapid; in fact, the rate of ice recession has increased over time. Thompson noted in a 2003 peer-reviewed article, that "The rate of retreat from 1983 to 1991 was three times that measured from 1963 to 1983." (Climatic Change, vol 59, p.137-159). Evidence of glacier retreat has been observed in almost all parts of the world in the 20th century, and the rate of retreat has also increased in the latter half of the 20th century. This has nothing to do with the slow changes that result from orbital forcing. It is a consequence of rapid worldwide global warming, the rate of which has increased in the last 20 years. As discussed elsewhere in these pages, there is strong evidence that anthropogenic effects are largely responsible for this warming.
Page 1 of 2 | Next page


text:
and can help me become better and learn the ins and outs of the game and who i can practice with.
Right now I'm 17
Been playing for about a year now
I like to play front snake or mid
I have my license and can borrow my parents car
I have a well paying summer job that can pay for paintball
My set-up is an Autococker Trilogy Pro SF, with 48/3000 Steely Crossfire, and Halo loader.
I play at Allstar, but could go to any other local fields around there
Edited by bestmarty, 14 June 2009 - 12:03 PM.


text:
A9 TV; 13 January 2012
People live in a numbed state when they do not think deeply. They literally live in a sub-dimension. They do not even see filth. And if they see it, it does not make them particularly uncomfortable. They feel no desire for a new, better life. They cannot know this. They live in a horrible environment. They think they should always live in it. They hear terrible words, for instance, but a way of escaping them never even occurs to them. They think they always have to live with them. Their horizons are narrow. They are on a bad path, but they stick to it. If they do something illicit they never give it up, as if they had an obligation to persist in it. They never even feel that wound. They just think superficially. Allah may sometimes wake people up with disease, troubles or afflictions. He may bring them to their senses in a very serious way. But good spiritual guides and teachers can also wake people up. And a good circle of friends can wake them up.
What was the first emotion felt by the brothers of the Prophet Joseph (pbuh)? The desire to kill. So the first thing that comes to the mind of the enemies of good people is to kill them, and then of injuring them. The mildest feeling is that of insulting them. They want to make themselves feel better by insulting them.
How many words of love are there on Facebook? And how many of hatred and blasphemy. Work the proportions out. When you compare the number of words of love and hatred, there will be nine hundred and ninety-nine words of hatred and blasphemy for every one word of love. Note how they talk to one another, across the world. There are terrible insults and put-downs. Either they are tired of living, or are thinking of killing themselves, or exhibit aggression or mockery or defamation. Even if they do use words of love, they tend to be formulaic ones, such as, "You are very good looking," just for the sake of conversation. You will not see any sincere expressions of love. You see expressions like, "You are like a celebrity, spreading havoc wherever you go," but there is not true love in that. For example, one says; "You are looking good," and the other replies, "You are looking good, too, way to go, you are almost burning everywhere out." But these are not sincere or genuine words. It is no good like that. This lack of genuine love causes people pain and trouble.
One must strive to make people good. One must strive for them to be good. It is not appropriate to return evil for evil. One must strive for them to be good. You cannot do it with hatred. Or with anger. I never feel anger towards those who do wrong. But if they leave me no other alternative, then of course I have to resort to legal measures.
(In reference to the hate-filled and angry language on the internet)
Why are love and affection not the main features on Twitter and Facebook? Our brothers should initiate such a trend. There is something really odd going on here. People should teach one another love, friendship, beauty and helping others. There is an unbelievably widespread hatred. Is there nobody loved at all? They must send one another expressions of love and friendship. They belong to different parties or hold different views, it does not matter. We are all children of this country. Everyone must love everyone else and treat them as friends and brothers.
Our brothers must behave on the basis of a profound love and brotherhood, and must use their free wills. They must respond kindly to all ugly words. There is a verse about that; "A good action and a bad action are not the same. Repel the bad with something better and, if there is enmity between you and someone else, he will be like a bosom friend." (Surat al-Fussilat, 34). But if people refuse to amend their behavior despite all the warnings, then of course a person will have to defend himself by resorting to the law.
What we must strive against is the mutual hatred and anger arising in people. Hatred and anger have so enfolded the world that they are all fighting. They go to Afghanistan, for instance, and martyr people there. But that is not enough. Think of America - they cut the fingers off the people they martyr in Afghanistan and dry them and wear them as a necklace. Dried fingers are highly acceptable presents. They boast about it, asking, "How many have you got, and how many have I got?" Torturing people to death. Then if they get bored they take the Afghan people's sheep, goats and animals into their encampments and beat them to death, laughing all the while. An unbelievable hatred and anger have enfolded the world. It is essential to oppose this by talking to people with patience and living by love, affection and compassion.
(On how to enter into the presence of a sheikh)
I am always amazed by people who enter into the presence of a sheikh by saying, "Selamun aleykum, I am here." That is disrespectful and impolite. Many people come and go, and they are all served and costs are incurred. So you cannot approach things with a nonchalant mentality as if to say, "Who cares where it comes from?" One must respect the people there and behave in a good manner toward them. One must behave in such a way as to respond to what they will eat and drink there. Skeikh Nazım hodja is an immaculate person and has a lovely house. He has a garden. He is a most kind and noble individual, and one should never talk like that to him. One must be a mature, rational and deep-thinking person. So one must not go empty-handed to such places. They will give you things. And you must give things to them. That is the proper etiquette. When one goes to someone's house for dinner one takes along a dish of some kind. That is just good manners. One cannot just turn up and say, "Selamun aleykum, it's me." "What do you want?" "I want to be married." "I want to find a job." That place is not an employment agency.
("Is it not forbidden in the hadiths to look at someone who is not permissible to one?")
If your mind is healthy you can look at people how you like. But if your mind is impure, you cannot look at your sister or your mother or anyone else. Because if your mind is unhealthy, you can even look lustfully at your mother, may Allah forbid, if your faith is weak, if you are unbalanced or if you attach no importance to what is lawful and unlawful; it all has to do with good intentions. If your faith is sound, have no fear. How did the Prophet Moses (pbuh) look at the daughters of the prophet? And how did they look at him? In a healthy manner on both sides.
(Mr. Adnan Oktar describes how one must always think the best of Allah)
Do you know what the greatest delight in this world is? Deep faith. . Someone starts expecting he will go to paradise, and paradise starts then. Paradise starts once you have deep faith. At that very moment. It begins right away. All your burdens are lifted. If one has deep faith, then by Allah's leave one will go to paradise, if one is a believer, insha'Allah. That is what he hopes from Allah. He has surrendered himself to Him. "Do what You wish, O Lord, I submit to you," he says. He is incredibly joyful. He seeks neither wealth nor anything else. Just to have deep faith and think the best and avoid distrust. "O Lord, keep me from distrust, from distrust in Your sight," he will say. "Always permit me to love and think the best of You," he says. But some people have faith in Allah, yet distrust Allah, may He forbid. A child dies, and they immediately doubt Him. And they pull themselves together by the next day. Something else happens and they doubt Him, but then pull themselves together. That is why one hadith says, "In the End Times, faith will be burning like flame." "A man will take it in his hand, and it will burn his hand." "But if he drops it, he will be without faith." . Faith comes and goes. That is because of distrust, distrust of Allah. The important thing is unconditionally thinking the best of Allah. Unconditionally. One cannot approach Allah with logic. There is no logic in love of Allah. A person drowns in logic. One can only approach Allah with one's mind and good conscience because we cannot know the wisdom behind what Allah does. Logic cannot unravel that wisdom. And distrust may ensue when one cannot unravel that wisdom. But everything is fine when you look through the eyes of faith. You must see with eyes that think the best, insha'Allah.
So in your opinion, all those people who have fun at weddings and festivals and generally have a good time are apostates. "How can a Muslim go around having a good time?" they say. Well, of course they can. You must be ignorant of the time of the Companions. You do not know about the time of the Messenger of Allah (saas). The Messenger of Allah (saas) took our mother, Hazrat Ayesha (r.a) and the companions danced with tambourines. There are hadiths about that.
(In response to a viewer who says, "Hazrat Hassan (r.a) had three hundred women. I thought that more than four is not permissible. Is that information wrong?")
Three hundred women means freed concubines. Wives are different. One goes through a marriage ceremony with them. But one can have three hundred women, or three thousand. That is in Islam, insha'Allah. That is how it was at that time, insha'Allah.
(In response to an e-mail saying, "Our Prophet's wives spoke behind a veil. For womens speech to be Sunnah, they must speak from behind a veil.")
This is limited to the wives of the prophets. Allah deliberately differentiates them in a verse, saying, "You are not like any of the wives of the Muslims." In other words, you cannot enjoy their freedom and liberty, says Allah. Because they are the wives of a prophet; they speak from behind a broad veil when speaking with the male companions, so that he who has disease in his heart may not desire you. This is unique to the wives of the prophet. Allah says it is different when it comes to the wives of Muslims. He says you cannot have their liberty, or way of speaking or lifestyle. You will be different. You are the mothers of the entire Ummah. None of you can ever marry them after the Prophet (saas). It is unlawful because they are now your mothers," He says. They are the equivalent of mothers. That never even crossed the minds of the companions of the time. They regarded them as their mothers. But this applies to the wives of the prophet. Allah says that the wives of the prophet are not like anyone else. The wives of believers can speak and meet with people. They are different. They are all together on the hajj. And in war. But the wives of the prophet were carried in a special closed vehicle at that time. They made something like a tent, and the wives of the prophets were inside it. They could not speak with the people. But that was unique to them alone.2012-03-04 16:06:13


text:
Tigers are about to put the Yankees out of their misery. Now up 4-0 in the 4th
Tigers are about to put the Yankees out of their misery. Now up 4-0 in the 4th
Make that 6-0. And Scherzer is pitching pretty daggon good too.
Now if the Yankees were to end up in the World Series.. THIS would be an epic collapse
and the career of Derek Lowe comes to a crashing end.
Kinda funny. I filled out a MLB playoff bracket at work and I had the Tigers and Reds in the fall classic. I got 1 right
"Losing feels worse than winning feels good." -Vin Scully
Definitely rooting for the Tigers regardless of who they face. Hopefully Verlander and the Tigers rotation keeps up the dominance.
The Lost Decade Average Season: 74-88
2014-16 Average Season: 69-93
Mike Ilitch is really, really old.
"Since I've been with the Reds in 1989, we've never had a farm system this loaded," Bowden said. "If we were the New York Yankees and had unlimited dollars, we could have traded for Colon, (Jeff) Weaver, Rolen, (Cliff) Floyd, (Kenny) Rogers and Finley and gotten them all -- and still held onto our top five prospects. That's an amazing statement."
Barry On Baseball Also blogging at Banished to the Pen.
Is this the end of the line for Ichiro?
"I have just been more than a little suspect of all the trades since the Willy (Scott Williamson) cash grab. That one left such a bad taste in my mouth that even a 1985 Dom Pérignon couldn't cleanse it." -- Creek14
I shouldn't be watching the NLCS
The horse shoe continues to go further up the Cards butts. Ugh
This series is over. 6-1 Cards and Zito starting tomorrow night
Two more for the cards.
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.


text:
Raining here today so I'm locked down from doing any work. Figured I'd sit down and do a quickie paint job on a bird to pass the time. Haven't been carving or painting much for a while now so it felt good to at least get my hands dirty.
Had a glowing review from my daughter. She said "It's not your best work.". Then when my wife told her she could have phrased that a little differently she said " I've seen you do better.".
Can't say that I disagree alot ....it'll hunt though.
This pic shows how nice and unsymmetrical I can paint


text:
"'It's a neck injury," Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said after the 4-3 overtime loss. "He was X-rayed here and they took a precaution. They took him for some further tests. I have no update."'
Kaleta taken to a hospital after hit in loss
January 30, 2013 Submitted by
Via: AP


text:
'Penguins captain Jaromir Jagr expects to play against the Buffalo Sabres tonight in Game 4. He'll probably need an injection and some pills to block out the pain in his right shoulder. If only he could find a way to block out the past six days.'
Jagr battles distractions, pain
May 2, 2001 Submitted by
Via: Pittsburgh Tribune Review


text: I'm looking at purchasing a 2008 A4 2.0T with the nav and bluetooth. I was wondering if my droid phone would be able to play music over the stereo? Does the bluetooth support it? My current mercury milan w/microsoft's sync supports it, so I don't see why the RNS-E wouldn't. Thanks in advance!


text:
You can follow the progress of Arsenal's stars during the current Premier League break by reading our International Watch. Scroll down for the latest call-ups and reports:
Jack Wilshere, Carl Jenkinson
Sweden v England, November 14
Jack WIlshere and Carl Jenkinson have been called up to the England squad for their friendly in Sweden. Theo Walcott had also been included but pulled out due to injury.
Lukas Podolski, Per Mertesacker
Holland v Germany, November 14
Lukas Podolski and Per Mertesacker have been called up to Germany's squad for their friendly against Holland.
Santi Cazorla
Panama v Spain, November 14
Santi Cazorla is in the Spain squad for their friendly against Panama.
Olivier Giroud, Laurent Koscielny
Italy v France, November 14
Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny have been called up to France's squad for the friendly against Italy.
Johan Djourou
Tunisia v Switzerland, November 14
Johan Djourou has been called up to Switzerland's squad for the friendly against Tunisia.
Nicklas Bendtner
Tunisia v Denmark, November 14
Nicklas Bendtner is in the Denmark squad for their friendly in Turkey.
Joel Campbell
Bolivia v Costa Rica, November 15
Joel Campbell is in the Costa Rica squad for their friendly against Bolivia.
Benik Afobe
England U-21 v Northern Ireland U-21, November 13
Benik Afobe is in the England Under-21 squad for their friendly against Northern Ireland at Bloomfield Road.


text:
Transcend Information has introduced the latest addition to its StoreJet external hard drive lineup, the StoreJet 35T. The 3.5-inch StoreJet 35T offers up to 1.5TB capacity.
The StoreJet 35T features Transcend's TurboHDD USB technology that enhances write speeds from 33MB/s to an average of 42MB/s - an increase of nearly 30%, the company highlighted. When the drive is switched from standard mode into TurboHDD USB mode, its ring-shaped LED indicator will also change colors from green to bright blue to help users identify the drive's current speed status.
Now available in 1TB and 1.5TB capacities, the StoreJet 35T is certified by Microsoft to work with Windows 7.
- Wireless broadband developments in Southeast Asia markets
As of 2013, the 10 ASEAN nations had a total of over 700 million mobile subscriptions, with the CAGR from 2003-2013 reaching 24%. This Digitimes Research Special Report analyzes the various mobile broadband markets in ASEAN and looks at the respective trends in 4G LTE development for those markets.
- 2015 global tablet demand forecast
This Digitimes Research Special Report provides a 2015 forecast for the global tablet market and analyzes the strategies of key market players such as Google, Apple, Intel, and Microsoft.
- 2015 China smartphone panel trend forecast
This Digitimes Research Special Report analyzes the strategies of key China-based major panel makers BOE, Tianma and IVO for attacking the different market segments through technology and pricing, and their relationship to local vendors Huawei, Lenovo, ZTE, Xiaomi and Coolpad.


text:
Carlson: "many black churches are basically political organizations"
On the January 14 edition of MSNBC's Tucker, while discussing Sen. Barack Obama's speech at the Pentecostal Temple Church of God and Christ in Las Vegas, host Tucker Carlson asserted that "many black churches are basically political organizations."
On the January 14 edition of MSNBC's Tucker, while discussing Sen. Barack Obama's (D-IL) January 13 speech delivered at the Pentecostal Temple Church of God and Christ in Las Vegas, host Tucker Carlson asserted that "many black churches are basically political organizations." During the segment, which featured Democratic strategist Peter Fenn, Carlson also asserted that "I just think it's immoral to use a church for politics. Period. And I don't care if [former Arkansas Gov. Mike] Huckabee does it, any right-winger does it, I'm against it."
From the January 14 edition of MSNBC's Tucker:
CARLSON: I was impressed, though, very much by, Peter, Huckabee's decision not to get political in church yesterday. All these different candidates go down to South Carolina and Nevada and preach these kind of political sermons -- which, by the way, I believe is illegal -- and Huckabee decides not to. By contrast, I want you to take a look at something that Barack Obama said in church on Sunday. Watch this.
OBAMA [video clip]: We're on the brink, on the cusp of doing something important. We could make history. Not, by the way, just -- you know, I know everybody's focused on racial history. That's not what I'm talking about. We could make history by being the first time in a very long time where a grassroots movement of people of all colors -- black, white, Hispanic, Asian -- rose up, and went up against the princes, the powers, and principalities, and actually won a presidency.
CARLSON: Now, why should you have a tax exemption, Peter, if you're campaigning in a church? Why should that church not pay taxes? I've got to pay taxes.
FENN: Speaking in a church. Oh, I see. So it was fine for Pat Robertson --
CARLSON: No, campaigning in a church. No, it's wrong. And I'm asking not about Pat Robertson, but it was wrong when anybody brings politics into a church.
FENN: Yeah, and, I mean, look. I have a fundamental agreement with you on that, on a basic principle here. But unfortunately what we have is a situation where you have voter guides put under people's windshields, where you have the Pat Robertsons and the Jerry Falwells of the world who turned churches into political machines. So, you know, I don't worry as much about a speech in a --
CARLSON: Really? Are they -- but you know what? You know the truth -- well, hold on. You know the truth, which is that many black churches are basically political organizations, and no one wants to say that, but you know full well it's true. You look into that camera and tell me you know that's not true, because you know it is. And yet nobody says anything about it.
FENN: No, no, no --
CARLSON: I just think it's immoral to use a church for politics. Period. And I don't care if Huckabee does it, any right-winger does it, I'm against it.
FENN: Well, this is the question. I agree -- I agree with that, Tucker. And I -- the thing that I think a lot of times happens is folks use it for social change. You know, and that is very important, because there are, you know -- if you're going to feed the unfed, if you're going to help the poor, if you're going to go out there, then you do it through a church. And so, you know, a lot of that comes very strongly from black churches in this country and white churches. But the point being that churches should not be agents in a political campaign. And that, I think, is -- you know, if that happens, then they should lose their tax-exempt status.
CARLSON: At the Pentecostal Temple Church of God, where Obama was on Sunday in southern Nevada, Pastor Leon Smith of that church said this: "If you can't support your own," he said to the congregation, mostly black, "you're never going to get anywhere." He was saying vote for Barack Obama. Man, I hope he loses his tax exemption.
- Posted In
- Diversity & Discrimination [1], Race & Ethnicity [2], Religion [3]
- Network/Outlet
- Person
- Tucker Carlson [5]
- Show/Publication
- Tucker [6]
- Stories/Interests
- Religion [7], Barack Obama [8], 2008 Elections [9]


text:
Jump to:Page Content
Home > News & Events > Events Calendar > Politics as a Noble Pursuit
Politics as a Noble
A Study Group by IOP Fellow Jim Doyle
Tuesdays, 4:00 – 5:30PM
Jim Doyle, governor of Wisconsin (2003-11) and attorney general of Wisconsin (1991-2003) will be leading a study group this fall on the politics as a noble pursuit by asking What is the nature of public service? What are the options? What are the major considerations in a person's decision to enter, or not to enter, electoral politics? How does this vary depending on a person's political views, the office being considered, a person's independent wealth, etc.?


text:
Pictures: NextGen squad train in Athens
Arsenal's under-19s are in Athens for the next step of their NextGen Series campaign.
Terry Burton's squad trained in Greece on Wednesday ahead of their game at Olympiacos.
Our club photographer was there and sent back these exclusive pictures.
To buy official Arsenal pictures visit Arsenal Pics Arsenal Pics
Related Stories
Olympiacos U19 v Arsenal U19
Wenger - NextGen so vital for development
'It's the best thing that has happened to our younger generation'


text:
Posted by William Band on May 23, 2011
One trend in the CRM industry that is hot, hot, hot is mobile CRM. Mobile CRM solutions — the ability to use handheld devices to manage sales, sales contacts, and customer service activities — have clearly moved beyond their previous status as a specialized nice-to-have option and into the mainstream. Organizations are also rushing to find new ways to allow their customers to interact with them using consumer-owned mobile devices.
The emergence of ubiquitous high-speed broadband connectivity, smartphones, and tablet devices with enormous computing power and longer battery life, along with increased employee adoption of touchscreen devices (iPhone/iPad/BlackBerry) in every sphere of life, are all trends that serve to "liberate IT from the desktop."
I am currently midway through a major research cycle on the topic, talking with CRM vendors, systems integrators, and end users. My goal is to define mobile CRM best practices and spotlight the pitfalls that can get in way of capitalizing on the mobile technology revolution.
I recently talked with Model Metrics, Wipro's CRM consulting practice leaders, and Tata Consultancy Services' CRM practice leadership team. These consulting and development firms are all doing a lot of mobile CRM projects for their clients. We brainstormed about the critical considerations that that must be addressed when defining a mobile CRM strategy:


text:
- The Oil & Gas Conference® 17 – Denver, Colorado – August 12-16, 2012
- The Oil & Services Conference™ 11 – San Francisco, California – February 19-21, 2013
- EnerCom's London Oil & Gas Conference™ 5 – London, England – June 11-13, 2013
DENVER, July 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- EnerCom, Inc. ( www.enercominc.com) will host The Oil & Gas Conference® 17 at the Westin Denver Downtown on August 12-16, 2012, in Denver. The Conference is the oldest and largest energy investment conference hosted in Denver. Investment and oil and gas professionals interested in attending the event can register through the conference website. Conference Details and One-on-One Meetings: The Oil & Gas Conference® 17 forum offers investment professionals the opportunity to listen to the world's key senior management teams present their growth plans, and provides industry professionals a venue to learn about important energy topics effecting the global oil and gas industry. EnerCom works with the presenting company management teams arranging one-on-one meetings with the attending institutional investors and research analysts during the Conference. EnerCom's Oil & Gas 360® (OAG360) will interview executives and analysts during the Conference for viewing on the OAG360 website. Who are the Presenters: Please visit the Conference's "work-in-progress" presenter schedule to view the agenda for EnerCom's The Oil & Gas Conference® 17. Who Attends the Conference: More than 2,000 institutional and hedge fund investors, energy research analysts, retail brokers, trust officers, high net worth investors, investment bankers and energy industry professionals gather in Denver each year for the unique opportunity to meet and discuss future industry plans, growth opportunities, and economic trends that are impacting the exploration and production of oil and natural gas. History and Sponsors: EnerCom, Inc. founded The Oil & Gas Conference® in 1996. Global sponsors of EnerCom's Conferences are Credit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank; Netherland, Sewell & Associates; Preng & Associates; and Hein & Associates LLP. Sponsors of The Oil & Gas Conference® 17 are: Wells Fargo Securities; Canaccord Genuity; Royal Dutch Shell plc; Macquarie Group; Whiting Petroleum Corporation; Energy XXI; Vinson & Elkins LLP; MLV & Co.; Mutual of Omaha Bank; Robert W. Baird & Co.; Howard Weil Incorporated; Stephens Inc.; and U.S. Bank. About EnerCom, Inc. Founded in 1994, EnerCom, Inc. is a nationally recognized investor communications consultancy firm advising and serving energy-centric clients on corporate strategy, investor relations, media and corporate communications, and visual communications design. The Company's professionals have more than 150 years of industry and business experience and a proven track record of success. Headquartered in Denver, EnerCom uses the team approach for delivering its wide range of services to public and private companies large and small, operating in the global exploration and production, drilling, OilService, and associated advanced-technology industries. The Company annually hosts three oil and gas investment conferences:


text: Reversible Snake-Embossed/Patent Belt Style: 570076909 Out of Stock Love it? Everyone else did too. This item sold out! Use our search tool, chat online or call 1.877.948.2525 to find something equally desirable. Iris adds a pop of spring color to the waist or hip. Reversible belt is snake-embossed leather on one side, pure glossy color on the other. With a substantial silvertone buckle. Team with the Iris Lattice Tri-Fold Clutch and Iris Cap-Toe City Flat. 50% snake-embossed leather, 50% man-made patent. Nickel-free metal. 1.5" wide. Imported. Read More… Share on Facebook Tweet Pin


text:
Browse by Publication
|Up a level
Number of items: 1.
Arber, Anne, Hutson, Nicky, Guerrero, Douglas, Wilson, Sally, Lucas, Caroline and Faithfull, Sara (2010) Carers of patients with primary malignant brain tumour: Are their information needs being met? British Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, 6 (7). pp. 329-334.
Information about this web site
© The University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH, United Kingdom.
+44 (0)1483 300800
+44 (0)1483 300800


text:
By Chris Toronyi
You gotta love social media. It's a great resource for information -- and most of all entertainment. Reactionary emotions that builds like a hurricane over the Atlantic. Yesterday it was reported that KOS suffered an injury. A "serious looking" injury.
Then the flood gates of retweets, copying and pasting opened. It was highly comical. Everyone became a reporter (and doctor) who witnessed the knee knocking between KOS and Ribery.
Now it may well have looked bad, but what that simple tweet did was create an emotional outbreak of hate for France and concern for our prized player, BUT without the whole story. It even made its way to Facebook where people were cursing the international break, calling for Deschamps' head.
I guess the learning from yesterday is that we love the club, we're passionate about the club, love our players, but in the end, why scream from the top of the mountain because of one person's tweet?
Just because he or she has a press badge doesn't make them a doctor.
'Stateside Gooner' Chris Toronyi is a longtime Arsenal supporter and the host of The Arsenal America podcast, available every week at ArsenalAmerica.com and on iTunes at "Arsenal America Podcast." You can read more of Chris' thoughts on Twitter.
The views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect those of Arsenal Football Club or Arsenal Broadband Ltd.Copyright 2017 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source


text:
- Home
- News
- Sports
- Opinion
- Obituaries
- Features
- Special Sections
- Classifieds
- Public Notices
Adam Lobert hopes residents will start the New Year off right by jumping on a bike and thinking about fitness goals once they shake off the effects of the New Year's Eve parties.
If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the The News Enterprise, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.
Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.
If you are new to the award winning The News Enterprise and wish to get a subscription or simply gain access to our online content then please enter your ZIP code below and continue to setup your account.
|ZIP Code:


text:
#1 Ranked Children's Hospital by U.S. News & World Report
MyPatients provides referring primary care providers with secure access to their patients' information.
Boston Children's has launched the world's 1st program dedicated to offering hand transplants to children who qualify.
Innovation insider is a semi-monthly e-newsletter analyzes innovations at Boston Children's, other academic medical centers and from industry.
Read the latest blog by a Boston Children's doctor, clinician or staff member.
There are many ways you can help children and their families get the care they need.
The Medical Acupuncture Service, offered by Boston Children's Hospital's Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, helps children and young adults manage their acute and chronic pain through a procedure called acupuncture.
Acupuncture is a form of traditional Chinese medicine that dates back more than 2,500 years. It's performed by professionally trained, licensed acupuncturists who insert tiny, hair-thin needles through the skin into underlying tissues at strategic points in order to ease pain and treat many diseases.
"The goal in my clinic is to decrease children's pain and symptoms so that they may participate in activities at school, in sports and with their peers," - Yuan-Chi Lin, MD, director of the Medical Acupuncture Service.
Acupuncture is often used along with other forms of treatment to provide the best pain relief possible. Yuan-Chi Lin, MD, and Cynthia Tung, MD, are board-certified physicians and experienced medical acupuncturists who are world-renowned leaders in medical acupuncture.
Dr. Lin oversees one of the most active pediatric medical acupuncture services in the country—yet he often spends nearly an hour with first-time patients and their families to make them completely comfortable with the procedure. He carefully explains the process and can demonstrate it on your child's toy animal—or even on his own hand.
As a pediatrician, anesthesiologist and pain specialist, Dr. Lin has a unique opportunity to integrate acupuncture with more common therapies. He's found that adding acupuncture sessions to antihistamine treatments, for example, can achieve comparable results to higher doses of the medication alone, while decreasing side effects such as drowsiness. Similarly, post-operative acupuncture can reduce the nausea and vomiting caused by narcotic painkillers.
We are grateful to have been ranked #1 on U.S. News & World Report's list of the best children's hospitals in the nation for the third year in a row, an honor we could not have achieved without the patients and families who inspire us to do our very best for them. Thanks to you, Boston Children's is a place where we can write the greatest children's stories ever told."


text:
'Mair might be the last player called upon in a shootout. His minutes rarely reach double digits. Yet without him, the Sabres might not be on their run. They enter tonight's game versus the Anaheim Mighty Ducks as the NHL's hottest team, having gone 8-1 with a shootout loss in their past 10 games.'
'Scud' hits mark for Sabres
December 8, 2005 Submitted by
Via: Buffalo News


text:
Laws, Regulations & Annotations
Business Taxes Law Guide – Revision 2011
Hazardous Waste Fee Health and Safety Code
Article 2. Definitions
Section 25120.55
25120.55. Used or spent etchants, etc. (a) Used or spent etchants, stripping solutions, and plating solutions are spent, contaminated, or used material for purposes of this chapter.
(b) Used or spent etchants, stripping solutions, and plating solutions which meet a characteristic established by or are listed by the Environmental Protection Agency or the department as a hazardous waste and are transported from the site where they are produced, and transferred to an unrelated or unaffiliated person for any purpose, are subject to the requirements of this chapter which apply to hazardous waste unless the department waives any specific provision of this chapter pursuant to Section 25143. Nothing in this section exempts any used or spent etchant, stripping solution, or plating solution from any other requirement of this chapter.


text:
|How do I apply for admission?
All graduate applicants must apply online at https://app.applyyourself.com//?id=nccugrad
Application fees not submitted with the online application must be submitted by money order to cover processing fee. $40 application fee should be sent to the appropriate admitting office in which the degree program resides. When all required documents are received, the department representatives will be able to review the application and render a decision for admission or denial.
|Search For a Topic


text:
Frankenmuth Munich Style Dunkel Lager may be a mouthful of a title, but it comes with the credentials to back it's flashy name. After recently winning the silver medal in the World Beer Championships, the Dunkel also took home the bronze medal from the 2011 World Expo of Beer. Elsewhere, the Alström Brothers, founders of BeerAdvocate, also gave the beer an "exceptional" score of 90. All together, the Frankenmuth Dunkel is some of the best beer in Michigan.
The Dunkel, meaning "dark" in German, is a traditional style of beer developed in Munich that gets it's name from the dark roasted malts used in the brewing process. These malts, aside from giving the beer its trademark color, give the beer a toasty, nutty and chocolate-like taste with a smooth, malty finish. Drinkers might also detect added hints of raisin, coffee, and a slightly smoky taste while enjoying the Frankenmuth Dunkel.
This recent cold snap in Michigan offers a great opportunity to try this dark and warming brew. At only 5.1% ABV, this beer is big on flavor but light on alcohol when compared to other dark brews, making it a great partner for foods with big, hearty or spicy flavors like barbecue, sausages, and roasts. You can even try this great recipe for French Onion Soup that uses the Dunkel as an ingredient. For dessert, pour some beer in a glass and have some fun by dunking some Oreos, drawing out the chocolate notes of the Dunkel.
The Frankenmuth Dunkel offers tradition, flavor, and fun, truly proving that it's one of the best beers in Michigan.


text: Berry Hoop Earring Style: 570074041 Out of Stock Love it? Everyone else did too. This item sold out! Use our search tool, chat online or call 1.877.948.2525 to find something equally desirable. A classic goldtone hoop sparkling in spring color and signature black and white. Wear with the Berry Mixed Metal Tassel or Berry Mixed Metal Convertible Necklace. Click-it closure. About 1" diameter. Glass faceted jet, clear and pink cat's eye stones; acrylic faceted Very Berry stone. Goldtone nickel-free metal. Read More… Share on Facebook Tweet Pin


text:
'"I think it really depends on how it feels tomorrow," Ruff said. "The fact that he made it through the whole practice was good. We just have to see where he's at when it comes to fitness and how much he can tolerate."'
Grier nearing return
November 23, 2009 Submitted by
Via: Sabres.com


text:
Are you preparing to give a gift to a child, sibling, parent or friend? If you want to go the extra mile and make it clear that you really care, take the time to add custom gift tags to your gifts. Attaching a personalized gift tag to a present is a very simple thing, but it can make a big impression. Gift tags can also make a fashion statement and add visual interest to your presents, especially when you choose from the many colorful and fun design options on our site.
The way your gift looks is more important than you may realize. In fact, some people claim that the presentation of a gift is just as important as the actual gift. A cute, beautiful, edgy or colorful gift tag can dress up any box or bag and help build excitement for what may be inside. We have a wide variety of colors and styles that are perfect for practically any occasion, including:
Our design options range from dinosaurs, farm animals and other cute kid-friendly designs to elegant and sophisticated selections that are perfect for formal events. So, whether you plan on attending a birthday party or a wedding dinner, we have the perfect gift tag design that you can customize and attach to your gift with confidence.
Gift tags make it easy to add a splash of personality to any box or bag. You can easily customize yours with your name, the name of the recipient, or a brief message. Adding photographs to your tags is a great way to personalize them even more and make them more meaningful. Gift tags can also be attached to party favors as a way of saying thank you to your party guests and sending them away with a tangible reminder of the event. Even business owners can use gift tags to add a more personal touch to corporate gifts. Simply fasten customized gift tags to packages before sending them out to clients and employees during the holidays or other special occasions.
When combined with our personalized gift wrap, tags can bring a gift to life and create a stunning presentation. You can even choose colors and designs that complement a specific party theme or invitation template. Look over our extensive selection, choose your favorite designs and get ready to wow your friends, family and party guests with your thoughtful, custom-labeled gifts.
For more inspiration, check out our DIY Gift Wrapping Ideas & 10 Housewarming Gift Ideas.
"Great quality, perfect colors. fast shipping. We used these as labels for the top of a small mason jar for wedding favors. Perfect fit."
"This is so cute and perfect for Christmas packages next year! I love the color and that the from is already printed! So handy :)"
"Even though the item does not have real sparkles, you definitely get what they are going for. Very cute. Will be great for attaching to gift bags. Always very pleased with all my Tiny Prints purchases!"
Copyright © 2004-2017 Shutterfly, Inc | Tiny Prints | Terms of Use. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.


text:
Tweed Pencil Skirt
Out of Stock
- Sits 1/2" below the natural waist. Straight style.
- Side invisible zipper with hook and eye closure.
- Chiffon at top and bottom of waistband, front pocket zippers, front and back princess seams. Tweed self trim on hem.
- Fully lined.
- 92% cotton, 8% rayon. Machine wash. May be dry cleaned. Imported.
- Length: 20".


text:
I-REACH for Art Annual Fundraiser
Additional Information
Join us Friday August 8th for the I-REACH for Art Annual Fundraiser. Our theme is "Luau Wyoming Style" so break out your grass shirts, coconut shell tops, and add your Wyoming flare as we raise money to benefit I-REACH 2 Inc. The luau will commence at 6:00pm at the Yellowstone Garage. Entertainment will be provided by the Grease Monkeys and Bullwhip Catering will fill your bellies as we "hang loose" throughout the night. Tickets are $45 per person, $90 for a couple and $250 for a table of 6. For tickets and information please contact 265-8086.


text:
Blu-ray Walk the Line [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray 6307394),
Movie Mars Home Page
Welcome to MovieMars.com!
Sign In
My Account
back to browsing
Walk the Line [Blu-ray]
1 disc
Region 1 USA/CA (
Primarily the story of the love that grew between country stars Johnny Cash and June Carter during the early years of Cash's career, WALK THE LINE is the result of intense collaboration between director James Mangold, co-writer Gill Dennis, Johnny Cash, and June Carter Cash. Though both Cashes died in 2003, they oversaw the script's development for seven years. Mangold and Cash's insistence that the film's stars would actually sing paid off. Witherspoon's singing (as June) is lovely, and Phoenix's contains the raw energy and soul that defined Cash's sound.
Even as a child on a cotton farm in Depression-era Arkansas, Cash shows a strong interest in music, escaping from his no-frills life and strict father (Robert Patrick) through hymns and listening to the radio. When his brother dies in a freak accident, young Johnny feels responsible, and worries that he will never live up to his brother's goodness. The film follows Cash through his first marriage with Vivian Cash (Ginnifer Goodwin) and into the early stages of his touring career alongside such musicians as Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, and most importantly, June Carter. As Cash's success grows, so does his relationship with drugs, alcohol, and Carter, putting a strain upon his family life. From his initial audition with Sam Phillips of Sun Records on through his legendary 1968 concert at Folsom Prison, Cash is transformed from a hesitant singer riddled with demons to a man whose uniquely bold style would make music history. WALK THE LINE never attempts to paint a full picture of Cash's prolific career, but instead focuses on the passions that drove his music and on the woman who gave him strength. With magical performances by Witherspoon and Phoenix, a haunting and inspiring American romance is brought beautifully to life.
Academy Awards Best Actress 2005 Reese Witherspoon American actress, CRUEL INTENTIONS (1999)
Read More...
Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick, Tyler Hilton, Dallas Roberts, Shelby Lynn, Waylon Payne, Shooter Jennings, Jonathan Rice, Sandra Ellis Lafferty, Dan Beene, Ridge Canipe
Critic Reviews
"Witherspoon's bubbly twang brings the brassy former child country star and future Mrs. Cash into adorable reality."
Film Comment
"Phoenix is commanding, and Witherspoon is just plain sensational; she captures June's sassiness along with her levelheadedness....WALK THE LINE turns out to be an entertaining ride through musical history, flavored with a sweet romantic spirit."
Movieline's Hollywood Life
"[A] big, juicy, enjoyable wide-canvas biography with a handful of indelible moments....WALK THE LINE is zesty and satisfying."
Entertainment Weekly
3.5 stars out of 4 -- "There is something really special going on in WALK THE LINE....Phoenix and Witherspoon are dynamite, and their chemistry is palpable."
Rolling Stone
3 stars out of 4 -- "[With a] very clear respect for Cash and his music...[and] two superb, heartfelt performances..."
"Cash and Carter's long infatuation, tumultuous relationship and eventual marriage provide the film with an emotional core."
New York Times
"WALK THE LINE goes from compelling to enthralling with star Joaquin Phoenix's breakout scene. His re-creation of 'Get Rhythm' is an exhilarating moment, with showmanship that truly surprises."
USA Today
"Phoenix handles the transition from faltering baritone to growling basso profundo brilliantly, his voice dropping deep into his boots as Johnny's soul descends into the ring of fire."
Sight and Sound
4 stars out of 5 -- "It's a career-high channelling of the myth, the voice....Witherspoon nails Carter as a spritely, sun-tickled puppy-dog with the soul of a poet..."
Total Film
5 stars out of 5 -- "James Mangold's stunning biopic of Johnny Cash showcases a mesmerizing central performance from Joaquin Phoenix..."
Ultimate DVD
average rating
Reviews •
Be The First To Write A Review
Joaquin Phoenix
Reese Witherspoon
Ginnifer Goodwin
James Mangold
Run Time:
In Stock -- Item Ships for FREE
Our price
Add to wishlist
What viewers like you said...
Have you seen this movie?
Be the first to write a review
Also suggested for you...
buy now for
buy now for
buy now for
buy now for
Web Store
About us
Contact us
Gift Cards
Shipping Terms
Shopping Cart
View Cart
Copyright ©
All rights reserved. This website and its contents are the exclusive property of Movie Mars, Inc. As such, reproduction in whole or in part, by any means, and any use for commercial purposes, of any portion of the material contained herein, including, but not limited to, text, graphics, logos, trademarks, photographs, video clips and sounds files is strictly prohibited. Portions of this page Copyright
Powered by
Ecommerce Solutions


text:
Portland Trail Blazers vs Brooklyn NetsWed, February 26, 2014 - 7:00 PMModa Center at the Rose Quarter Arena in Portland, OR
We are sorry, the date for this event has already passed. This event took place on 2/26/2014. Click here to view upcoming events for Portland Trail Blazers.
Please continue to check back as additional tickets may become available for purchase at a later time.
Still unsure? Check out our user reviews for:


text: Nurra Bangles Style: 570069110 Out of Stock Love it? Everyone else did too. This item sold out! Use our search tool, chat online or call 1.888.855.4986 to find something equally desirable. A trio of bangles with textured finishes. Set of 3. Metal and synthetic materials. Read More… Share on Facebook Tweet Pin


text:
Location: Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research
Project Number: 2050-21000-032-15-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 1, 2013
End Date: Jun 30, 2018
Screen potential new varieties for Potato virus Y (PVY) resistance using molecular markers in West, Midwest, and Eastern potato breeding programs in the U.S. Publish a list of resistant parents and their associated resistance genes.
Markers currently available and associated with extreme PVY resistance are the SCAR marker RYSC3 for the Ryadg gene and the STS marker YES3 for the Rysto gene. These markers and other appropriate markers for these genes will be used to screen a set of parent varieties currently used and other varieties that have reported PVY resistance. This screening will be done by a team of scientists at the USDA, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Aberdeen, Idaho; University of Maine, Orono, Maine; and, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. Additional work may be done with markers that target the Rychc gene for PVY resistance if the pedigrees of parental germplasm show Solanum chacoense background. The Michigan breeding program has 7 different advanced breeding lines that are being used as parents, USDA-ARS, Aberdeen has approximately 40 resistant lines and the Maine breeding program typically uses 5-10 resistant clones as parents each year. True potato seed of the crosses will be shared between the programs and progeny will be grown out at multiple sites. The progeny will be selected for heritable tuber traits in the first field year, then DNA will be extracted from tubers or leaves of the year 1 selections for PCR-based PVY screening. Those selections that are positive for the PVY marker will be further advanced in the breeding programs for more intensive selection and evaluation.


text:
As the federal and state governments face continued budget deficits and tight revenues, grant and low-interest loan programs with huge funding behind them could be a thing of the past.
But funding is out there. U.S. EPA's recently released "Infrastructure Financing Options for Transit-Oriented Development" report identifies three types for which transit-oriented design (TOD) infrastructure might qualify.
Federal Transportation Grants
Typically accessed through metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) and/or state DOTs:
Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program. Jointly administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA), funding can be used for a wide range of capital investments that reduce emissions. Projects must be a part of the MPO's current Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) to be eligible. Contact your MPO for information about the process for placing projects on the TIP and with suggestions for CMAQ projects.
FHWA's Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). Funds awarded in a competitive process to local governments, regional transportation authorities, transit agencies, natural resource or public land agencies, and tribal governments. Federal funds pay up to 80% of a project; the rest is the sponsor's responsibility. State DOTs are responsible for developing and administering their own TAP, so the application process varies by state. Usually, local governments and nonprofits partner to apply to the state.
FTA's Urbanized Area Formula Funding Program. For populations of 200,000 or more, funds can be used for capital projects, planning, operating assistance, and job access and reverse-commute projects. For areas with fewer than 200,000 people, public transportation operating costs are eligible. Projects must be a part of MPO's TIP. To access Urbanized Area Program funds, local governments typically work with their MPO to place projects on their region's TIP.
Federal Community Grants
Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD Community Development Block Grants support affordable housing and community services, job creation, and business retention in vulnerable neighborhoods. There are annual grants to local government agencies and states through a variety of funding programs that might not be directly applicable to TOD infrastructure but can make TOD infrastructure possible by funding a portion of a larger TOD project.
Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The EDA provides grants to economically distressed communities to generate new employment, help retain existing jobs, and stimulate industrial and commercial growth. TOD is recognized as an economic development tool by the EDA, which funds up to 80% of total project cost.
Philanthropic Sources
Foundation grants. Foundations are nongovernmental organizations that make grants with a charitable purpose, and studies show they're interested in supporting TOD. February 2013 Public Works ("21st century financing") showed how the Rockefeller Foundation provided significant seed money to help the West Coast Infrastructure Exchangeyfvdfdzdrbywwacuw increase private financing to address significant infrastructure backlogs in California, Oregon, Washington State, and British Columbia. Supporting sustainable infrastructure solutions is a key objective.
Program-related investments. Foundations make program-related investments to support their mission and leverage their donations. These investments allow the recipient to borrow capital at lower rates than might otherwise be available.
To read EPA's recently released "Infrastructure Financing Options for Transit-Oriented Development," visit here.