text:
The recruitment adds to the Welsh contingent in the Lions' backroom team and Jenkins will link up with the side when they meet in May.
The WRU Group Chief Executive, Roger Lewis, said: "The appointment of Neil is yet more confirmation that we have assembled a remarkably skilled backroom and coaching team here in Wales.
"The complement of coaches, analysts and conditioners from Wales is testimony to the strength of our systems and structures which are supported by incredibly talented and experienced individuals.
"We now have Warren, Rob and Neil along with our analysts Rhys Long and Rhodri Bown plus Prabhat Mathema our medical performance manager and Adam Beard all travelling to Australia with the squad.
"We have worked hard here in Wales to create the right environment and recruit coaching and backroom staff with the calibre to make sure we coach winning teams.
"This has been a clear priority and we are now making our vision a reality when the Lions show such confidence in the staff from Wales.
"I am delighted for all the individuals who will be travelling with the Lions and I am confident they will also be accompanied by a strong contingent of Welsh players on the tour.
"The strength of the coaching and backroom team we are sending to Japan under the leadership of Robin McBryde also proves what depth of quality we now have in our backroom team."
Jenkins will now not travel to Japan with Wales this summer but the side will benefit from this experience on his return according to McBryde, who will lead Wales on the two-test tour.
"It's a great opportunity for Neil and I'm delighted for him," said McBryde.
"Neil excels in his field and it's a chance for him to show that once again with the Lions. From a Wales point of view it will add to his coaching experience and CV and I'm sure we will reap the rewards on his return."
Speaking on his appointment, Jenkins, who is Wales' record points scorer, said: "It is a great honour to once again be part of a British and Irish Lions tour. I am delighted and grateful to have been offered this opportunity to join the 2013 coaching staff.
"As a player, I was lucky enough to tour Australia with the Lions in 2001. It is a great country and they are one of the top teams in world rugby. Like 1997, it was a terrific series but unfortunately, we lost 2-1.
"I have clear ideas of what I would like to contribute and I cannot wait to get out onto the training pitch and get started."


text:
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS/AP) – Jim Harbaugh practically galloped through the locker room, lively as ever, offering a wave and a smile to long snapper Brian Jennings before putting his arm around right guard Alex Boone.
San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh was back at work a day after undergoing a minor procedure for an irregular heartbeat.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," Harbaugh said. "No limits. Going about everything as normal. Had a little irregular heartbeat. I've had that before. Now that I have the procedure, a cardiovert, it's amazing. It gets the heart rate back to normal. Atrial flutter is something I've had for a while, most of my life."
The reigning NFL Coach of the Year returned to the field to lead San Francisco through a morning walk-through session, with a full practice scheduled for the afternoon. He did stop by for the final hour of Thursday's practice for a "little bit" of coaching but "more standing."
"It was pretty cool to see him," safety Donte Whitner said. "We knew it was a minor heart thing, but a heart thing no matter if it's minor, it's serious. It felt a little different without him. Hopefully, he doesn't have to go through it again."
Harbaugh, who turns 49 on Dec. 23, was away from the team Thursday for his procedure at Stanford Hospital after undergoing tests Wednesday night. Several players said Friday they were initially scared for their coach, who acknowledged Friday that he underwent a similar procedure called an "ablation" 13 years ago while still playing during a 15-year NFL career at quarterback.
"He's an intense person," fullback Bruce Miller said. "It's definitely a serious issue already with his heart. He's not going to slow down. We're glad he's back."
Doctors talked to Harbaugh about improving his diet and cutting down on caffeine. He said he also will take aspirin and other medication. Whether he could need a follow-up procedure down the road, Harbaugh doesn't know.
"They'll evaluate it as it goes," he said.
His father, Jack, and older brother, Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, both encouraged him to "listen to the doctors and eat right."
Does he consider himself coachable when it comes to his health?
"Sure, absolutely," said Harbaugh, whose NFC West-leading
Niners (6-2-1) host the Chicago Bears (7-2) in a key NFC showdown on Monday Night Football. "You're not going to be stubborn like a mule."
His players had some fun with Harbaugh once they knew he was OK.
"He gets fined $500," linebacker NaVorro Bowman said with a grin. "He missed meetings."
Earlier this fall, Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker missed 11 games late in the regular season, hospitalized because of a mini-stroke and irregular heartbeat. He returned to manage the Reds in the playoffs, a five-game division series loss to the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants.
Harbaugh said he isn't worried about burning out with the rigorous year-round schedule and pressures on an NFL coach.
"I don't foresee that, no," he said. "I'm just glad to be back at work, glad to be preparing for this ballgame."
Concern for Harbaugh's health reached his old Stanford campus, too.
"Pretty scary stuff, but it sounds like he's doing OK now," Cardinal coach David Shaw said. "And if I know Jim Harbaugh, it's going to take a lot more than that to stop Captain Comeback."
Running back Frank Gore certainly doesn't expect the excitable Harbaugh, who regularly becomes red-faced and angry at officials, to stray from his approach.
"He's going to be him," Gore said. "Coach is a tough guy."
And Harbaugh didn't seem to mind a little bit of good-natured razzing from his guys.
"We had to," defensive tackle Ricky Jean Francois said. "He's the guy you never think is going to get sick. He's good. We got him out there joking and laughing. He's in good spirits. It's good for him to be back on the field."
Notes: Harbaugh said QB Alex Smith's status for Monday is still unknown as he works back from a concussion, and he will be evaluated again by a neurologist. Backup Colin Kaepernick is getting a "little bit more work than normal," Harbaugh said. "Alex seems like things are progressing as it does." Smith practiced in a non-contact black jersey for the third straight day. … RB Brandon Jacobs said his series of Twitter posts Thursday in which he referenced never working "in a place where you hate your boss so much, you should always be happy at work" were not directed at Harbaugh but rather toward the unstable work environment of his big brother, Michael. "I don't look at him as my boss. He's our coach and leader," Jacobs said. "I look at (GM) Trent Baalke as the boss." Jacobs—who hasn't played all season— also revealed he has long had an irregular heartbeat, and that the 49ers are aware of it. … The NFL fined DT Ray McDonald $21,000 for a third-quarter hit on Rams QB Sam Bradford in Sunday's 24-24 tie.
(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I am looking for yii developer to help me with one project, $15/h. The project will last about one or two month. You must have developed more than 370k lines of yii/php code in the past 3 years. There is nothing you haven't done in web development area.
Here is the interview question:
in a web application, there are
- plan1, plan2, and plan3
- feature1, feature2, feature3,... featureN
- role1, role2, and role3, ..., role-customized,
- action1, action2.... actionX
Different role can have different action, and role -> action is customizable
different role should have different UI elements.
different plan allows different roles, UI elements, and different features
What are the DB structure to implement the above requirement?
I am looking forward to working with great developers.
- Nicolas
Attached File(s)
Screen Shot 2012-12-08 at 6.24.32 PM.png (71.68K)
Number of downloads: 118


text:
What is the worst film of the year? Yes, it's tempting to just give the award to Adam Sandler's most recent offering and be done with it, and few would argue passionately for pardoning this year's instalment – That's My Boy. Yet, surely the measure of a film is in how it lived up to expectations. If it was meant to be good, but was bad, it is far worse than if it was expected to be awful and, well, was.
So if Sandler was just coming off the back of Punch-Drunk Love, expectations might have been high and the disappointment significant. But as last year he gave us Just Go With It and Jack and Jill, it was hard not to be pleased with anything that didn't leave us drooling in our own laps following full cerebral cortex shut-down. The writer and director of Punch-Drunk Love, Paul Thomas Anderson, has gone from strength to strength, so the expectations on his new film The Master were very high, hence the resulting inclusion below.
At the other end of the scale, some films, some glittery vampire-ridden monstrosities, can manage to underachieve when held up to even the most basic requirements of sub-par cinema.
So which films this year delivered the greatest discrepancy between promised magic and soulless reality? Which 10 films most disappointed fans in 2012? These are the worst 10 films of the year, and a short list of other dishonourable mentions. And yes, such a list is inherently subjective. Some of these films were loved by other critics. To my eyes, that just makes them all the more disappointing.
Most disappointing musical: Rock of Ages
Dishonourable mention: Alvin & the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
When Tom Cruise is the best thing about a musical, something has gone really wrong. This was a genuinely fun stage musical, but it revolved around taking the mickey out of glam rock and the '80s. Unfortunately Cruise was the only one who got that, as he committed to hamming up as Stacee Jaxx while the rest of the cast committed to nothing except a sense of awkward desire to retain their dignity. Hint: Glam rock and dignity just don't mix.
Most disappointing romance: Bel Ami
Dishonourable mention: A Little Bit of Heaven, Wuthering Heights
Where Andrea Arnold's rendition of Bronte tried far too hard to be important and clever, Kate Hudson made painfully little effort to engage our brains in A Little Bit of Heaven. Yet it was Guy de Maupassant who was most abused when his 1885 novel was adapted into a mindless and soulless vehicle for Robert Pattinson and three otherwise excellent actresses to stumble around 19th-century Paris trying to solve the mystery of the lost will to live.
Most disappointing teen film: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
Dishonourable mention: Streetdance 2 3D
On a list defined by expectations, it was always going to take a lot for a Twilight film to qualify. After all, we expect nothing from these films except glitter and bloodless fangs. Yet the final instalment in the saga only highlighted how well constructed the other films had been by comparison. Storyline aside, this film had no beginning, no ending and its only plot twist was borrowed from a 1980s soap opera. Here's hoping we can all wake up soon to discover that the potent lack of chemistry, drama or narrative was in fact all a dream.
Most disappointing thriller: Savages
Dishonourable mention: Arbitrage, Gone
If the Twilight filmmakers were looking for an ending, they should have called Oliver Stone, as he had two. Despite the wonderful efforts of the elder trio of Salma Hayek, Benicio Del Toro and John Travolta, this was a woeful film as the three young leads conspired with Stone to deliver an impotent, self-indulgent story set in the drug world that managed to contain no real action, drama or point. As for the core romance, when you have to get Blake Lively to constantly narrate the love scenes to tell you there's chemistry, you have a problem.
Most disappointing "serious" film: Cosmopolis
Dishonourable mention: W.E.
Robert Pattinson starring as a rich man who has lost interest in the world seemed at least convincing, however placing him in a limousine in front of criminally poor green-screened New York traffic with the goal of a haircut and a fondness for fortune-cookie wisdom was the beginning of a terminally tedious journey. Madonna's W.E. was a worse movie, but we have come to expect no more from Madge.
Most disappointing comedy: Kath & Kim'derella
Dishonourable mention: American Pie: Reunion, The Three Stooges, The Watch
It was a disappointing year for big names in comedy. Reuniting the American Pie team left a bad taste, the decision to modernise The Three Stooges was like being poked in the eye and The Watch was, well, unwatchable. Yet when Kath and Kim were handed a big-budget trip to Italy it was hard not to hope for a bit of cinematic Azzurri amusement. Instead we got an over-long, over-tired, over-big television episode with a touch of half-hearted pantomime.
Most disappointing rom-com: A Few Best Men
Dishonourable mention: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, The Wedding Party, Friends with Kids
Declared "unreleasable" by one critic who was in turn publicly called out by the film's director, A Few Best Men did find an audience. How it did so remains a mystery as this romantic comedy proved to have less chemistry than Steve Carell and Keira Knightley, fewer laughs than the interminable Friends with Kids and less cohesion than the meandering Wedding Party. A Few Best Men was big, very big, but it was also unfunny, very unfunny.
Most disappointing action film: Taken 2
Dishonourable mention: Alex Cross, Act of Valor, Killer Elite
The toughest call. Alex Cross was quite literally laughably bad, with audiences taking to jeering the woeful lack of action. Yet Taken 2, one of the most anticipated films of the year, was a lesson in poor sequel making. It took the same premise and the same characters and pressed repeat, hoping no one would pause to ask ... well, anything. It was dull, unoriginal and worst of all had action fans noting how implausible the whole thing was.
Most disappointing ... What was it? The Master
This was possibly one of the most technically proficient films released in 2012. The performances from both Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman were excellent, the look and style exceptional, but it was lost in terms of plot and engagement. This is not a question of escapism, clearly this was not popcorn entertainment, but as a holistic piece it was not engaging or captivating. From a master like Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master was disappointing.
Most disappointing sci-fi movie: Prometheus 3D
Dishonourable mention: Total Recall, Underworld Awakening 3D, Dredd 3D
Total Recall and Underworld Awakening were just plain bad. Dredd would have been a whole lot better were it not a pale imitation of The Raid. Prometheus, though, was almost bound to disappoint as cinema fans anticipated the second coming of film, Ridley Scott returning to the Alien franchise. Would it be horror? Would it be action? Would it be something else? Sadly we still don't know. It was long and vague, over-ambitious and underwhelming. It wasn't awful, but it was a galaxy shy of our expectations.
The Big Losers
There are a few trends worth noting above. Clearly it has not been a good year for comedy with so many worthy candidates for the wooden spoon. Sadly we can also see that while Australia keeps producing some outstanding cinema, we are also more than capable of producing some of the biggest turkeys as well, though at least we are doing it in a number of genres. It is also disappointing to see how many sequels or remakes made the list as Hollywood proves once again that it is always a good idea to destroy a legacy if money can be made. Most impressive is Robert Pattinson's ability to star in no fewer than three of the worst films of the year, which should at least provide some good news as surely our expectations next year will be so low it will be much harder for him to make the list again.


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FRANKLIN — With his team trailing by a run, and with two runners in scoring position with two outs in the sixth inning, Franklin's TJ Paulsen appeared to get hit in the knee by a pitch from Foxboro pitcher Will Ginsberg.
The home plate umpire didn't see it that way, and so the play continued, with the ball rolling to the backstop.
While Paulsen started to trot to first base under the assumption he had been hit, Bryan McGrath ran home to tie the game, catching Foxboro off guard.
Three pitches later, Paulsen knocked a double past the left fielder to bring home the winning run, as Franklin Legion bested Foxboro 4-3 in Tuesday's Zone 6 matchup.
"It did get me," Paulsen admitted after the game. "It just barely skimmed me in the knee."
After the run scored, Ginsberg and Foxboro manager Billy Travers instantly started to complain to both umpires but the call remained and the run counted.
Correct or not, the game remained tied and three pitches later, Paulsen knocked a double past the left fielder to bring home the deciding run.
The win brings Franklin over .500 with an 8-7 record while Foxboro falls to 9-7 on the year.
"Whether the pitch hit him or not, TJ stayed focused and stayed ready to hit there and came through with a big hit for us," said Franklin head coach Mark D'Angelo. "I've got to give our guys credit, they stuck with it and got clutch hits when we needed to."
Although Post 75 produced runs at the end of the game, they only mounted two hits in the first four innings and trailed 3-0 heading into the fifth.
Franklin starting pitcher Mike Skaza gave up two runs in the third when Adam Chochrek hit a double to the right-field gap to bring home a run and then on the next at-bat Mike Slaby hit a base hit up the middle to score a run and make it a 2-0 game.
Foxboro's third run came in the fourth inning when Cam Nagle nailed an RBI double to the right field fence to make it 3-0.
Skaza finished the game with 5 1/3 innings pitched, giving up six hits while punching out six hitters.
Kyle Wardrop came in to pitch for Skaza in the sixth inning and with runners on first and third and one out, he forced a fly ball and ground out to get out the jam and keep the score at 3-2. Wardrop also closed out the game in the seventh inning for Post 75.
"I just stuck with the fastball and change-up throughout the game and I started to feel pretty confident with the change-up as the game went on," Skaza said. "Right when they took me out, I knew Wardrop had to come in and help me out and he was able to get it done."
Franklin scored twice in the fifth inning when with two runners on, Eric Abruzzi hit a hard grounder toward Slaby. The ball took a bad bounce off the edge of the grass and hopped over the glove of Slaby to score both runners.
Franklin got production out of the bottom of the order all day as Paulsen, who hit ninth, finished the game 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI, and Colby Lewis, who hit eighth went 2-for-3 with two base hits and a run. Jordan Papula, the seventh hitter in the lineup, had a double and a run scored in the game as well.
"We have been fighting all year," Paulsen said. "We are finding ways to win and our teams looking good and coming together now."
Franklin 4, Foxboro 3: Missed call boosts Post 75
FRANKLIN — With his team trailing by a run, and with two runners in scoring position with two outs in the sixth inning, Franklin's TJ Paulsen appeared to get hit in the knee by a pitch from Foxboro pitcher Will Ginsberg.


text:
Q: My grandfather just had a hemorrhagic stroke and is in pretty bad shape. What is it, and how is it treated?
A: I'm sorry to hear this, but there's a chance he'll make a good recovery. There are two major kinds of strokes. In the most common type, a blockage in one of the brain's arteries shuts off the blood supply to a part of the brain. That's called an ischemic stroke.
A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when one of the brain's arteries bursts and spills blood into the surrounding tissue. This can create pressure inside the skull that damages the brain. The spilled blood can also provoke arteries to clamp down, and the reduced blood flow to the brain causes further damage. Without immediate treatment, a hemorrhagic stroke can cause disability or death.
Hemorrhagic strokes, like all strokes, are an emergency. The immediate treatment goal is to prevent a second hemorrhage and to stop any more bleeding from the initial rupture. The options are a procedure called coiling, surgery or medication. The cause and location of the bleeding, either inside the brain (intracerebral) or on its surface (intracranial), helps determine treatment.
Some hemorrhagic strokes are caused by a ruptured aneurysm. An aneurysm is a weak spot in a blood vessel wall. Coiling can prevent an aneurysm from causing a second hemorrhage. In this procedure, the surgeon inserts a catheter into an artery and works it up to the aneurysm in the brain. The doctor releases a tiny coiled ball inside the aneurysm. The coil makes the blood in the aneurysm clot.
Once this happens, the aneurysm is no longer dangerous.
Surgical procedures may also be used to prevent a second hemorrhage. For example, in another treatment for hemorrhagic stroke caused by an aneurysm, a surgeon may open the skull, clamp the base of the aneurysm to keep it from bleeding any more and remove the accumulated blood. Removing blood is particularly important when heavy bleeding has produced increased pressure in the brain.
In addition to reducing the risk of re-bleeding, surgery must wash clotted blood away from the artery. Clotted blood can cause constriction of arteries at the base of the brain. This can be so severe that it can even cause death.
Drug therapy for hemorrhagic stroke involves medications to control blood pressure that is too high or too low, or to reduce brain swelling.
People like your grandfather with hemorrhagic strokes often are severely affected at first. But if they receive medical care quickly and escape the dire consequences of the first hours after the stroke, they can actually recover a lot of brain function.
DR. ANTHONY KOMAROFF is a physician and professor at Harvard Medical School. Go to his website to send questions and get additional information: www.askdoctork.com.


text:
Danny Royce McMahan
Danny Royce McMahan, 67, of St. Cloud, Fla., formerly of Benton, died Oct. 19 in hospice care in Orlando, Fla.
He was retired from the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority as a lieutenant aircraft rescue firefighter. He also was a firefighter at Kennedy Space Center and was a member of the astronaut rescue team for the Apollo 15 and 16 launches.
He served in the Air Force from 1962 to 1966, based in Guam. He was an avid antique car buff, serving as chairman of the 18th National Convention, Falcon Club of America and numerous regional meets of the Sun Coast Chapter of the Falcoa Club group. He also was a member of the Tennessee Valley Falcon Club..
He was proceeded in death by his parents, Oliver and Lucille McMahan; and his sister, Martha Evans.
He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Marilyn McMahan; two daughters, Kristi Prario and husband Ron and Krinda Loper and husband Bill; four grandchildren, Chaz and Cale Prario and Justin and Jessi Loper, all of St. Cloud.
He is also survived by three brothers, Ray Mcmahan and wife Elizabeth of Fort Smith, Ronny McMahan and wife Vicky and Bill MacMahan and wife Fairy, all of Benton; and several nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 28, at First Baptist Church in Orlando, Fla. Arrangements are by Neptune Society of Kissimmee, Fla.
Family comments: Danny was a good man who gave unconditional love to his family and friends. For the past five years Danny and Marilyn have enjoyed going to their cabin in the Smokey Mountains where their many friends from around the country liked to come and visit. It was Danny's wish that he could go to Tennessee this October to view the fall colors. Now his spirit will see them.


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He reckons the Dragons have the potential to become Wales' leading region and set out his plans to implement it.
"The Dragons are the sleeping giants of Welsh rugby and it's about opening up that potential, but it takes time," said Jones.
"I am looking to build relationships - what's gone on in the past, I just don't know.
"It's about making a regional side that people can be proud and part of but there's a lot of work to do.
"I see no reason why we can't be the better region in Wales. I think anybody who has been here realises what a good region it can be.
"Friday nights at Rodney Parade can be a difficult place to come and play. For me, the challenge is to take that spirit and hwyl away from home to other venues as well.
"If you think small, you will be small. I want to change that mindset. We need to freshen our attitude here and be a little more positive.
"There will be lots of trials and tribulation throughout the next year and it's how we react to them but I'm excited about the possibilities that exist in Gwent with the Dragons."
Former director of rugby Rob Beale reverts to his previous role as team manager amid the sweeping changes at the region.
Darren Edwards remains the Dragons head coach while assistant Rob Appleyard has left the region by mutual consent.
But Dragons chairman Martyn Hazell insists the changes were necessary and he is confident Jones can revive the outfits fortunes.
"This is a crucial appointment for the Dragons. Last season was a difficult one for us at the region, but having brought our finances under control, we are looking to build our team for the future.
"With some key signings made during the off-season, we are confident that Lyn has the experience and expertise to support our coaching team and ensure that we get the very best out of our group of young, talented players. "


text:
Quality Product
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Timely Delivery
Credit Rating
Credit Services
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Shandong Guohong is a professional tower crane manufacturer.
Shandong Guohong can manufacture topless crane & luffing crane & topkit crane , the capacity from 40mt to 1000mt tower cranes . we have manufactured these cranes for various client in Korea, Middle east, Malaysia, Pakistan, Australia, Germany(OEM), South Africa and China.
Shandong Guohong prides itself on offering the most products and services around the world.
The leading products are mechanical devices such as various type of tower cranes and construction lifts; as well as road construction like asphalt mixing equipments together with steel building structure installation, etc. With the right to engage in foreign trade,we have passed ISO-9001 Quality Management System Certification,CE Certificate and got National Special Permission Authentication Grade A and Russia EAC certificate of tower crane.
Shandong Guohong Group, originally founded in 1999, is one of the first enterprises that restructured in Weifang City in 1997. The present group company was founded in 2003 and composed of four companies- Guohong Steel Structure, Guohong Door & Window, Guohong Leasing and Guohong Properties. It has 400 staff, fixed assets of about RMB70 million and land area of 90,000m2. Main products include FO/23B, 7030, QTZ125, QTZ80, QTZ63, QTZ40 and QTZ315 series tower crane, construction lifts and material elevator, as well as construction steel structure and high-grade aluminum-plastic doors and windows. Its products are sold in more than 10 provinces and cities in China and over 20 foreign countries.
Shandong Guohong Group is Top 10 Tower Crane Enterprises of Shandong Province, Top 100 Private Enterprises of Weifang City, Top 20 Enterprises of Guohong City, "AAA" Level Banking Credit Enterprise, Provincial-level Advanced Equipment Management Unit, Provincial-level "Contract Honored and Promise Kept" Unit and Top 100 Provincial-level Honest Enterprises. " Guohong " trademark was rated as Shandong Famous Brand, and Guohong tower crane is honored Shandong Brand-name Product
1. Manufacturer Overview
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3. Manufacturer Capability
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text:
Fortinet UTM
Fortinet sells 23 different models of UTM appliances ranging from 20 Mbps to 559 Gbps of firewall throughput. And, the company holds the market share lead, according to Frost & Sullivan's Rodriguez. He said the company has done a good job propelling its brand name and recognition.
Fortinet provides the FortiGate security platform designed to scale from small offices to very large enterprises, service providers and carriers. The appliances are updated on a continual basis with threat and vulnerability information from the FortiGuard Labs team. In addition to next generation firewall, VPN, and IPS capabilities, the appliances also provide data loss prevention, antimalware, antispam, application control, Web filtering, wireless controller and vulnerability management along with wireless access on certain models. The appliances support IPv6 and VoIP.


text:
April 18, 2012
Honourable Vice President Joice Teurai Ropa Mujuru, Honourable Vice President John Landa Nkomo, Honourable Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Honourable Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara and Mai Mutambara, Honourable Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe, Mai Muzenda, Honourable President of the Senate, Mai Edna Madzongwe, honourable Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr Lovemore Moyo, Honourable Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku, honourable Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku, Honourable Ministers, Honourable Members of Parliament, Service Chiefs, His Worship the Mayor of Harare, Muchadeyi Masunda, families of heroes of the Zimbabwe Liberation struggle, representatives of different political parties present, your Excellencies Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Performing Artists joining us on this Day,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Comrades and Friends.
I welcome all those of you who are here today and the many other thousands following today's events through other sources of information dissemination, with the great sense of national pride with which we celebrate this occasion. As we are aware, Independence Day is one of the special, indelible days in our history as a country, a day that cannot lose its value nor its importance, for it stands unchanging as a signal of our victory over imperialism , colonialism and racial subjugation. Because of this historic day, first celebrated in April 1980, our people cannot be regarded, much less, treated, as second –class citizens, in their land anymore.
Gradually over the years, in different, phased programmes, and as a united people, we have transformed that political independence which came on the 18th of April 1980 and raised it onto the next step of economically empowering our people. We are not dreamers anymore –we are now masters of our destiny. My gratitude and that of the leaders here, goes to the people of Zimbabwe, who have refused to be divided by the same enemy they encountered yesterday who, today, like the cunning wolf, comes in sheep's clothing.
We can never forget the difficulties and the barbarous treatment that marked the road to the freedom we enjoy today. It was long, bloody arduous and protracted. It thus took commitment , focus and great sacrifices for our people to effect the complete liberation of this country which Ian Smith had, in his small mind, thought could never be ruled by blacks – certainly, not in a thousand years as he had proclaimed . oh, yes, our sons and daughters backed by their mothers and fathers, scarred physically and emotionally, fought valiantly to dislodge the strongly fortified and arrogant racist settler regime. All of us in this country, whatever our ethnic and cultural backgrounds are proud inheritors of that legacy of total sovereign independence, with all its freedoms and ownership of natural resources.
I say, congratulations, to you all on the attainment of this 32nd Anniversary of our Independence.
But sovereign independence also imposes on us certain obligations and responsibilities as leaders and as ordinary citizens. Thus the security and welfare of every citizen needs to be guaranteed at every stage of our development. Every one of us has the right to life. In this regard, government must fight hunger. Government is aware that while the early rains initially raised the prospects of a good harvest, many parts of the country subsequently succumbed to a devastating dry spell. Provinces such as Masvingo, Matabeleland South and North, parts of Manicaland and Mashonaland East will require some food assistance. Government has accordingly decided that the Grain Loan Scheme and the Free Assistance Programme will be extended until next season in order to assist those of our people in food insecure areas.
As a precautionary measure, government has set aside funding for food shortage mitigation programmes in the affected areas.Government also continues to enhance social safety net programmes targeting children, particularly orphaned and vulnerable, children.
The initiative to create a peaceful environment has recorded some success and those leading the process should be commended for a job well done. Peace is an inevitable pre-requisite for sustainable development in the country. To this extent, all political party leaders should encourage their supporters to promote the spirit of peace, tranquillity and harmony through social dialogue.
Finalization of the Constitution-making Process needs to be hastened. The Principals sin the Global Political Agreement will be examining the Draft Constitution so it can soon be put before the people in a Referendum marking the beginning of a definite process towards general elections this year.
Efforts to create the necessary environment for rapid and sustainable economic growth have been thwarted by the continuedillegal sanctions imposed by Britain, the United States of America, the European Union and other Western nations. This has in turn frustrated the steady economic recovery efforts through impediments to Zimbabwe's access to world commodity markets and critical conscessionary funding facilities which are important for rehabilitating infrastructure, industry and the importation of essential industrial raw materials and spare parts.
It is in this context that we call upon those responsible for imposing these sanctions to urgently remove them unconditionally. On this very important matter, we sho9uld speak with one voice as a nation.
Notwithstanding the challenges we have endured, I am happy that the economy has continued to register positive economicperformance. Last year, growth was estimated at 9,3 percent underpinned mainly by agriculture, mining, manufacturing, tourism and financial services. Production of major commodities in agriculture, which included tobacco, cotton, livestock and Soya beans, recorded a significant rise.
In manufacturing, capacity utilisation levels which averaged 38 percent in 2010 peaked at around 54 percent last year. This development resulted in the further availability of locally produced goods on the domestic market. To further stimulate industrial growth and development, government simultaneously launched the Industrial Development Policy (2012-2016) and the National Trade Policy (2012-2016) last month. The Industrial Development Policy will provide new impetus for industrialisation and sustainable industrial development by promoting value addition for both domestic and export markets and align the country with global trends. The National Trade Policy is expected to provide the framework for all trade negotiations and agreements for the country at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels.
Mining continues to be on an upward trend, as reflected by increases in the production of gold, platinum, diamonds and coal. We need more facilities for the local processing of our mineral output in order to maximise on value and to provide employment for our people.
As a major sign of confidence in our tourism industry, Zimbabwe and Zambia won the bid to co-host the 20th Session of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly in Victoria Falls next year. Preparations to host this very important occasion are at an advanced stage. I would like to urge the nation to support the initiative as it carries immense benefits through new investments, employment creation and income generation. This year, Zimbabwe will conduct its fourth Census, from the 18thto the 28th of August 2012. The main aim of the Census is to provide demographic and socio-economic data required in the formulation, monitoring and evaluation of development plans and programmes. I wish to call upon every Zimbabwean to fully support this process and ensure that we have a successful 2012 National Population Census.
The recent launch of the Presidential –eLearning Programmes at Chogugudza Primary School in Mashonaland East Province is clear testimony to Government's commitment to providing quality education to our children. Throughout 2012 and beyond, Government will intensify the introduction of the Programme at our schools, tertiary institutions and universities.
The implementation of the indigenisation and empowerment policy continues to gather momentum through the implementation of various programmes such as the community Share Ownership Schemes which ensure that communities benefit from the resources found in their areas. Such Schemes have been established at Zimplats, to cater for Zvimba-Mhondoro-Ngezi-Chegutu, the Unki and Mimosa Schemes in Shurugwi and Zvishavane and the Schweppes Employee Scheme. The Small and mediu7m Enterprises sector (SMEs) will continue to receive Government attention for the potential it has towards poverty eradication and the empowerment of communities.
Government takes the welfare of its employees seriously and is committed to improving their conditions of service in tandem with improvements in the economy. To this end, the Civil Service Housing Loan Facility has been re –introduced and will help civil servants to acquire houses and stands on a home ownership basis.
In the health sector, the number of people on anti-retroviral treatment for HIV/Aids increased to 410 000 last October . malaria control programmes now cover 89 percent in 45 target districts while immunisation of children exceeded 85 percent. Loss of critical health staff such as doctors and specialist nurses to the private sector is adversely affecting health delivery.
To meet the growing demand for higher education, preparations have begun for the establishment of the Marondera University of Agriculture Science in Mashonaland East; Manicaland University of Applied Sciences and the Gwanda State University in Matabeleland South. In this way, we would have brought on board the three remaining provinces that were still to have a State university each.
Zimbabwe's foreign policy objective is anchored on safeguarding the country's hard-won Independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. In pursuit of these core values, Zimbabwe continues to strengthen and further deepen its relations with various countries in the Southern African Development Community, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the African Union, Asia and Latin America through the framework of strategic bilateral Joint Commissions and regional cooperation meetings. The Look East policy is an important consideration on our agenda as it continues to bear fruit both politically and economically.
On the international front, Zimbabwe is concerned that some Western countries continue to abuse the United Nations Security Council and regional oganisations in pursuit of subtle and dirty regime change agendas under the guise of supporting democracy, rule of law and human rights.
In this context, Zimbabwe will continue to call for the urgent reform of the United Nations Security Council to make it more representative of the majority of Member States.
The commitment of our defence and security forces to maintaining peace and security in Zimbabwe and beyond is always applauded. I wish to encourage them to carry on the good work in various local, regional and international peace-keeping United Nations and African Union assignments.
Now, as we look forward to the coming years, I would like to avail myself of this opportunity to wish our dear nation a happy 32ndIndependence Day Anniversary!
I thank you.


text: Feel free to delete this topic if necessary--I was just watching the end of the presidential news conference, and Brian Williams said that NBC's Super Tuesday special would start at 8 p.m. on the West Coast (10 p.m. on the East, where I am). I assume they will have to preempt or move BL--? Just FYI for those of you in that area.


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December 4, 2002
Members of this year's Tonganoxie High wrestling team are, front
row, from left to right: Brad Nickle, Chad Starcher, Corey Doughty,
Aaron Adcox, Shawn Everhart, middle row: Hunter Samuels, Garrett
Palmer, Jerry Hartshorn, back row: coach Jeremy Goebel, Alan Athon,
Adam Hamby, Ross Starcher, Alan Bauerly, Andrew Miller, James
Hartshorn, Chuck Riddle, Matt Weyer, Andy Koontz and assistant
coach Scott Underwood. Not pictured is Brian Price.
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
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1,530 individuals supported KLRU during this winter pledge drive and as of this morning, we have raised $218,486 that will help us continue providing extraordinary programming and services to this community. Thank you to everyone who contributed online, by phone, or by check during this 17 day fundraising period. Each and every one of you got us closer to our goal, so no matter how big or how small your gift, you truly made a difference!
If you didn't get around to it, there's still time to donate to help us reach our $240,000 goal – your gift today could be the one to get us there!
With much gratitude,
KLRU Membership Team


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Found near the town of Ennis in County Clare, Temple Cronan Early Christian Church was dedicated to St Cronan of Roscrea, or Tuamgraney.
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April 16, 2005
A major weekend for USA Track & Field as many athletes and universities converge upon these two meets to compete against the best, the conditions are always ripe for qualifying marks and fast times. For the Gauchos, on top of qualifying for the Big West Championships, these athletes were focusing on one magic number - a West Regional Qualifying mark, which are based on the top 100 marks in the nation in each of event of the previous year.
Regionals will be held in May at the fabled venue Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene. Indeed, the Gauchos were focused with nine male and female athletes getting their respective events' regional qualifying mark.
On the men's side at the Mt. Sac Invitational, Micah Tyhurst (So.) in the 5000m continued what has been one of the best stories of 2005 by taking another twenty seconds off of his time racing to a 14:17.72, just missing the regional qualifying time of 14:15.75. His time is the 6th fastest UCSB All-Time mark. Micah had a personal best high school two mile time of 9:25.48, and on this night he came through at 9:05 en route to finishing this 3.1 mile race. He has taken forty four seconds off of last year's 5000m seasonal best.
In the Men's Olympic Development 1500m, school record holder Scott McConville (Jr.) ran another great race finishing with a time of 3:46.79 just .02 seconds off his own school record. Mike Chavez (So.) also in the 1500m ran 3:50.98 a little off of his personal best but nonetheless consistent for 2005. Rounding out the distances, Scott Brandos (Jr.) again missed the Regional Qualifying mark in the 3000m steeplechase by just over one second racing to a 9:09.92. Justin Coburn (Jr.) in the 800m also ran another good time racing to a 1:53.87.
At the Pomona Invitational, the Gaucho men had good marks out on the field. Sean Thomas-Bignami (Jr.) continued a good season in the pole vault by winning the competition with a vault of 16'02.75. Isaac Herrera (So.) and Preston Biller (Sr.) finished one-two respectively with leaps of 22'09.25 and 22'06.50.
In the throwing events at Pomona, the men shot putters all threw over 50 feet, while the discus saw some big personal bests. Reif Lawson (So.) got a personal best by throwing the disc 158'01, Scott Anderson (Fr.) went for 145'04, and Nick Sheurman (Fr.) threw 144'01, all personal bests. The second farthest Gaucho toss came from Travis Leonard (Fr.) at 151'09, just shy of his best.
In the Men's Hammer Throw, Eugene Bradley (Jr.) again went for over 190 feet throwing the hammer 196'04, well over the Regional mark. Jeff Stewart (Fr.) tossed it 166'10, a personal best for him.
The events this weekend continue today at Mt. Sac in Walnut, CA with many of the Gaucho throwing and field squad competing. On Sunday at Mt. Sac the elite sections of all Track & Field events will commence at 9:45am with the Women's Shot Put. Tetlo Emmen, 2004 West Regional 800m Champion will be competing at 2:55 in the Olympic Development 800m run. Also competing on Sunday will be Heather Quinn in the Shot Put, Amy Haapanen in the Shot Put and Hammer Throw, Scott Anderson, Jeff Stewart, Matt Barkley, Ryan Lockner and Euegene Bradley all also in the Shot Put and Coach John Dagata in the Ha mmer Throw.
Visit www.ucsbtrack.com for complete results and statistics.


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How do you know what has taken place in a home that you plan to buy? Well, a new law that gives buyers the right to take action before moving in.
They are scattered all around the Grand Valley, both new and old, but how do you know what happened in that house before you buy it? Toni Heiden, Heiden Reality, says, "We want to make sure that that property is something to give enjoyment of life." That combined with health and legal issues is the purpose of senate bill 2, which is now in effect.
"This gave property buyers the right to test properties for the presence of residue that would indicate a meth lab," says Steve DeFeyter, Director of Mesa County Environmental Health. If this tests does show an unsafe amount of residue, the seller has the right of a secondary test. DeFeyter says, "The seller can hire another industrial hygienist, a certified industrial hygienist to perform the test to challenge the first test." Then if dangerous amounts of meth residue is still found, the potential buyer can cancel the contract up to the closing date. "The only out for the seller is if they clean up the meth prior to the sell, and then they can be exonerated," says DeFeyter.
With this law and in these contracts it doesn't matter if meth was made in the home twenty years ago or just last month. Instead safety is determined by how much meth residue is actually in the home.
DeFeyter says, "If the results of the test shows greater than five micrograms per hundred square centimeter then it's a meth lab."
This small amount of residue may cause the seller to shell out about thirty thousand dollars in renovations. In extreme cases the interior of the home including the sheet rock and under flooring may all need to be gutted out.
So if a seller suspects there may be a problem from previous owners or renters the test is recommended before putting the home on the market.


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With Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper poised to test free agency, the Eagles signed a big wide receiver Friday.
The addition is Joe Anderson (6-1, 196), an undrafted free agent out of Texas Southern released last November by the Chicago Bears.
Anderson, 25, was active for nine games in two seasons with the Bears. He averaged 16.5 yards on five kickoff returns.
The Bears had one of the biggest contingents of wide receivers in the league. The cast included Brandon Marshall (6-4, 230), Alshon Jeffery (6-3, 216) and Marques Wilson (6-3, 195).
Anderson capped a productive preseason with a huge game in the finale. Anderson hauled in a 37-yard pass from Jordan Palmer in the Bears� preseason finale against the Cleveland Browns. He finished with four receptions for 64 yards and a score in that game. But Anderson played exclusively on special teams for the Bears.
The Eagles hoped Arrelious Benn (6-1, 220) would add size and kickoff-return ability. But the 2013 import from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers missed the season after injuring a knee at training camp.
Later the Eagles added Brad Smith (6-2, 212), a utility player who can play wide receiver and return kicks.
A chunk of the 1,600 new seats the Eagles are adding to Lincoln Financial Field are in the lower bowl and require stadium builder licenses, also known as personal seat licenses.
Licenses near those areas on sale on websites generally start around $3,000 and depending on location can go up to around $12,000, according to websites advertising them.
All of the lower-bowl tickets require licenses.
The Eagles announced they�re raising ticket prices for 52 percent of the seats as they begin the second phase of the stadium revitalization project. About 5 percent of the tickets will decrease in price.
The next part of the project features new HD video boards and LED ribbons.
The new seating sections are in the northeast and southwest corners of the stadium and will connect the upper concourse, taking away a bit of those breathtaking views once you exit the covered portion of the concourses. Seats are being added on every level.
�With seats being added and the structure of our seating bowl changing, we took a step back and reviewed how the building was priced,� Eagles president Don Smolenski said. �We decided to adjust the prices in certain sections to more accurately reflect their value and popularity compared to other sections around the stadium.�


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DemotedSiteCollection class
Represents a collection of DemotedSite objects.
Namespace: Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration
Assembly: Microsoft.Office.Server.Search (in Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.dll)
Demoted sites contain content that is less relevant in your environment, and therefore should be ranked lower than that of all other sites. For more information, see Authoritative Pages and Demoted Sites.
Use the DemotedSites() property of the Ranking class to get the collection of demoted sites for a Shared Service Provider.
Use an indexer to return a single authoritative page from the DemotedSiteCollection object. For example, assuming the collection is assigned to a variable named demotedSites, use demotedSites[index] in Microsoft Visual C# or demotedSites(index) in Microsoft Visual Basic, where index is the index number of the demoted site in the collection, or a System.Uri object representing the demoted site's URL.
To designate a site as a demoted site, use the Create method of the DemotedSiteCollection class.
To remove an demoted site, use the Delete method of the DemotedSite class.


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Harry Barnett stays faithful to Variety Show for almost 50 years
PUNXSUTAWNEY — For almost 50 years, Harry Barnett has faithfully attended the Variety Show, and this year was not one to miss.
Walking into the debut of the Class of 2011's show Thursday night, Barnett reminisced about his own class' Variety Show in 1962.
"Our 1962 Variety Show had the theme, 'Going On a Sentimental Journey,' with 'Sentimental Journey' being the class song," he said.
Year after year, the Variety Show continues to take on a similar framework of talent acts. Barnett said he saw much of the same talent this year as when his class took the stage, with the various acting, singing and skits.
He also recalled trying out for the acting roles. Everyone who tried out received a part, which he said was nice.
"I was Cinderella in my Variety Show; I waved a magic wand," he laughed.
Similar to this year's show, Barnett also recalled his class holding hands, walking down the aisles to sing their final, traditional song: The high school's alma mater.
"It was so nice to see the alma mater being performed this year," he said.
The Variety Show is fun and exciting, but it also takes patience, time and effort. Barnett said.
"I remember being very nervous the first night," he said. "We wanted to get everything just right. It was nerve-wracking."
While the showbiz term "break a leg" is common, Barnett recalled that term taking on a different meaning for his class, as when performing a football skit, girls were dressed up as football players and had to fall down for their part. However, just as one of the girls fell, she actually broke her leg.
But in keeping with another common showbiz term — "The show must go on" — Barnett said the girl didn't tell anyone about her leg until after the show.
He also said the Variety Show serves two good causes.
"Since it continues to benefit the Margaret C. Boles Foundation and the senior class party, I think it is for a good cause, so I will continue to come," Barnett said.


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1. What's your name & Your Company Name? Robert M Vendetti & Spencer C Pilon, Spunky Bobs Candles
2. Why did you decide to go into business? What was your motivation? How long have you been in business? I started with candle kit online, my girlfriend wanted soy wax candles. It turned out I had extra candles and gave them to friends. They started asking for more and more candles and a month later I was making 30 scents. Time was motivation, and friends asking for more scents too. We have been in business since January 19th
3. What products do you make and sell? Soy wax candles four different size jars and tins.
4. What are your business goals? To make great smelling soy candles for everyone, and be successful at it.
5. What are some products you use from Natures Garden; what are your favorite products from Natures Garden? Many different scents: Green Irish Tweed Type, Lick Me All Over, Patchouli, Lavender, Black Raspberry & Vanilla, Twilight of the Woods, Fresh Cut Roses, China Rain, Butt Naked, NG Clean Linens, and others.
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Spunkybobscandles


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Carl "Brad", Lewis Jr., 80, longtime resident of Sandarac Condominiums on Fort Myers Beach and of Columbia, Conn., passed away peacefully at Hope Hospice Health Park, Friday, April 10, with his family at his side.
Lewis, a consummate University of Connecticut Huskies basketball and New York Yankees baseball fan, spent nearly eight months a year dining and dancing with a close circle of friends primarily at Holiday Inn, Castaways, and the Sand Bar. He will be sorely missed by many Fort Myers Beach friends -- particularly his happy hour sidekick Jay as well as his numerous Conn./Fla. beach friends, all who date back to his partying days with his late wife, Lorraine.
"He was a gentleman and gentle man," many recalled. "Brad always wore a wide smile and was eager for a turn on the dance floor."
Brad was born July 31, 1928 in Hartford, Conn., son of the late Carl Lewis, Sr. and Alice (MacDonald) Lewis. He and Lorraine had two children, daughter Karen Vanderbilt and her husband David; and son Scott Lewis and his wife Donna, all of Columbia, Conn.; and two grandchildren, of whom he was very proud.
Lewis graduated from Windham High School and went on to attend the University of Connecticut. Brad served in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954, and was stationed near Anchorage, AK during the Korean War.
After serving his country, Brad and Lorraine moved to their home in Columbia where they resided for more than 50 years. He was an owner and president of Capitol Garage in Willimantic and a director of the New England Chrysler Plymouth Advertising Association for a number of terms. Brad was a lifetime member of the Willimantic Elks Club as well as a longtime member of the Columbia Lions Club and the Willimantic Country Club. He was a member of Eastern Star Lodge #44 AF & AM for over 50 years.
Brad's funeral service was held on April 15, in Connecticut. Messages and photos can be sent to the family care of Karen Vanderbilt, #213, Route 87, Columbia, Conn. 06237, or posted online in his guest book , searchable under obituaries at www.courant.com.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Brad's name may be made to Columbia Lions Club, P.O. Box 1, Columbia, Conn. 06237.


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A guild's raiding suffers most when your players feel entitled to rewards without making the effort to earn them. Part of what makes leading a hardcore raiding guild easier in some respects than leading a casual raiding guild is that your players are always motivated to do their best to succeed. This week, an officer asks how she can motivate her casual raiders to meet some basic requirements and get a second team up and running.
Hi Scott,
We run a small casual raiding guild on a server that isn't very progressed. We currently have one successful 10-man team, and have been trying to get a second one off the ground since February. We have some lenient requirements for raiders to pass: they must be willing to listen on Vent, have DBM installed, be appropriately gemmed, enchanted and glyphed, and as of 4.1, have an ilevel of 346. The raiders in the current 10-man team had no problem with this at all, but the people who would comprise the second team, and complain about wanting to raid, have put in very little effort towards actually raiding. At the time of writing this, it's June -- we have endured 4 months of trying to get this team off the ground, 4 months of complaining, and 4 months of trying to help these people get a raid happening, to no avail.


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Finding the Missing You!
By Rae Lewis-Thornton
January 26, 2012
This piece originally appeared in Rae's blog, Diva Living With AIDS.
I know ... I know, I've been missing in action, but really it seems like I've been missing a part of me. Like my spirit just walked right out of my body and left a 160-pound shell. Yes, I said a 160-pound shell, but that's another topic altogether.
Let me be honest here, this herpes is giving me the freaking blues. For Real! I'm so sick of being on IV medication I can't think straight. No forget that, I can't even think. When I started this round 36 days ago I was optimistic. It had been three months since my last round and that break was a godsend. Then, when this infection appeared, the doctor and I thought we had caught the infection early and I would only be on IV for maybe 10-15 days; But before I could get the picc line in my arm, the infection got worse and the rest has been history.
The thing about this herpes is this: It's aggressive. Yes, I had herpes before I had HIV, but for the most part herpes was a non-issue for about 13 years. Then I made a transition to AIDS and my compromised immune system couldn't fight it off. Now with years of taking oral medication to keep it under control, I have developed a resistance to all treatment except IV medication. The doctors have concluded that those early days of AIDS destroyed a part of my immune system that cannot fight herpes off.
Any who, I'm coming to the realization that this problem seems to be here to stay. There's nothing the doctors can do to prevent it, so I'm stuck with IV treatment. And this realization sent me to a place of nothingness. I've been missing me: My spirt, my mind, my dreams, my ministry, my hope and even my feelings. Like the best part of me just freaking left.
Accepting that life has changed without my permission and there is nothing I can do is a bitch. It's been over three years now. Hoping that this issue with herpes will just go away is wishful thinking in the face of my reality. It's been even harder to accept because my T-cell count and viral load is very good. On the surface, this should not be happening, but it is. The reality is, I've lived with HIV for 29 years and AIDS for 20. That's almost all the entire epidemic, so truly the doctors have no idea what it should look like for someone like me. I'm living history and the doctors are making sense out of what AIDS looks like as I live.
With all of this to consider, on top of the side effects from the IV medication, extreme fatigue and nausea, on top of the side effects of my regular HIV medications and let's not forget my financial issues, I can't seem to get ahead to save my life, I found myself slipping into a depression. Before I realized it, the me that I know just up and left me. I couldn't write to save my life. My ability to think seemed to be gone and my desire to do anything withered to nothing.
So here I am, trying to find me. Trying to reclaim that part of me that I can own, that I can control. I think acceptance is part of the ball game, the other part is saying it out loud. Moving beyond the shame, denial and secret of it all will help me get to a better place. I cannot change the fact that I contracted herpes in college or that I contracted HIV years later and now the combination of the two has deeply affected my life in the most unexpected way.
The on and off again IV treatment seems to be a way of life for me now, just like taking my 15 pills a day. This is what my AIDS looks like, even with an undetectable viral load. I get it! Now I'm taking baby steps to peacefully co-exist with it all. In part writing this blog today is a major step.
Reclaiming parts of me that I can. So in this attempt to find me, I'm gonna blog everyday, even if I don't have anything deep and profound to say. Saying something is better than sitting on the sofa doing nothing.
Finding yourself in the face of trauma sometimes requires baby steps. The expectations for yourself should be that you do. Doing something will give you fuel to do more. Rome wasn't built in a day and working your way out of a dark place will not happen in a day. But to do nothing is allowing that trauma, that thing to control the parts of you that should be in your control.
Now, let me be clear, depression is also physical, just as it's emotional. So, there's no one thing that will help, but many. Yes, I'm on antidepressants, have been for a while now, but that's clearly not enough. So in addition to the baby steps in life style changes and medication, I'm hitting the treadmill, exercise will help.
There is also some benefit in white tea in helping depression, I'll drink more and I think I'll keep a journal. Not of what's in my head, for some that's good. Writing down what's in your head, helps you let it go. But I'm not in my head, it feels like there's nothing in my head. For Real! So I will instead keep a journal of my daily routine, from the littlest things like washing my tail and putting on fresh PJs. Lately, there have been days where that didn't happen.
I'm going to journal my day just to have a better perceptive of me. I will start with a list of goals for each day. Then I will journal at the end of the day. I will even keep track of what I wanted to do and why it didn't happen. What efforts I've made to reclaim me throughout the day will give me clarity on how far I've come and how much farer I need to go. Depression has a way of taking time away from you, that time is your life.
I think if I can see some movement in my life it will no longer seem lost. Finding Your Lost Self Requires Work! I value me and believe that I'm worth the work. So here I go reclaiming that part of me that I lost to that dark place in AIDS. I know that I know that I cannot let AIDS have all of me! I'm taking me back!
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Rae Lewis-Thornton Speaks
Rae Lewis-Thornton
Rae Lewis-Thornton is an Emmy Award-winning AIDS activist who rose to national acclaim when she told her story of living with AIDS in a cover story for Essence Magazine. She has lived with HIV for 27 years and AIDS for 19. Rae travels the country speaking and challenging stereotypes and myths about HIV/AIDS. She has a Master of Divinity degree and is currently working on her Ph.D. in Church History. Rae has been featured on Nightline, Dateline NBC, BET and The Oprah Winfrey Show, as well as in countless magazines and newspapers, including Emerge, Glamour, O, the Oprah Winfrey Magazine, Jet, Ebony, the Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune, to name a few. She earned the coveted Emmy Award for a first-person series on living With AIDS for Chicago's CBS News.
Rae is an active user of social media -- read "Long-Term HIV Survivor Discovers the Power of Twitter," an article on TheBody.com about Rae's social media activities.
Visit Rae's Web site, Diva Living With AIDS
Learn about RLT Collection, Rae's line of AIDS awareness/fashion bracelets
Speaking engagements: Inquire about booking Rae to speak at your organization or event!
Subscribe to Rae's Blog:
Recent Posts:
November 17, 2015 - Charlie Sheen: And This Is What I Think!! A Blog Entry by Rae Lewis-Thornton
June 3, 2015 - Living With Intent: A Blog Entry by Rae Lewis-Thornton
May 25, 2015 - The Problem With Pride and Shame: A Blog Entry by Rae Lewis-Thornton
May 22, 2015 - Reflecting on 53! A Blog Entry by Rae Lewis-Thornton
November 7, 2014 - One Day at a Time: A Blog Entry by Rae Lewis-Thornton
A Brief Disclaimer:
The opinions expressed by TheBody.com's bloggers are entirely their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheBody.com itself.


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Senator Grassley Visits H1N1 Vaccination Clinic
January 22, 2010
On January 17, Curtis W. Dickson, M.Ed., Health Director, Linn County Public Health, welcomed US Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to an H1N1 Mass Vaccination Clinic in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. During the visit, Dickson expressed appreciation for the 2009 supplemental funding provided by Congress for the H1N1 influenza response, which helped Linn County undertake their mass vaccination and education effort.
Dickson estimated that Linn County Public Health has reached 45% of the county's residents with vaccinations and vaccine distributed to health care providers."I've met with Iowans in every county, every year I've represented Iowa in the United States Senate," Grassley said. "Events like these allow me to have an open and honest dialogue that provides greater input directly from Iowans so I can better serve them in the U.S. Senate."
If your health department would like help arranging a visit with your Representative or Senator, please contact Eli Briggs, NACCHO's Government Affairs Specialist, at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Angry Lions Fan Gives His 2 Cents Worth...
A little pro football funny at the expense of the hometown Lions today.
Posted by Yost at 12:04 AM
Labels: NFL
4 comments:
- MGoBlue93 said...
- July 10, 2007 1:30 AM
- Mgrad01 said...
I feel like doing the same thing with my cable bill when I can't get the Michigan game on tv, despite paying for ESPN College Gameday... those fucking bastards...
- July 10, 2007 11:18 AM
- Out of Conference said...
With the way things are going, perhaps they should change the name of the field to "GM Field".
I didn;t read the article, but somewhere (MSNBC, CNN.com???) I saw a headline that Detroit may be a contender this year. Anyone read that?
- July 10, 2007 2:44 PM
- Yost said...
You sure you didn't read that on The Onion?
- July 10, 2007 2:53 PM
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Republican pundits have proclaimed that we have a crisis on the Mexican border. The New York Times estimates that 300,000 women and children have entered the U.S. illegally since April 2014.
Not to worry; Vice President Joe Biden has a handle on it. In 2008, Biden sponsored an amendment to the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 signed by Bill Clinton. That amendment allows illegal alien children from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and other countries to enter the U.S. as a victim of sexual trafficking or violence. In 2013, Biden supported the Violence Against Women Act, an amendment to the 2008 Victims Act, which also allows women victims to enter the U.S.
Where will the illegal aliens be housed? Not to worry. The U.S. Department of Defense has made arrangements to transport them to military facilities across the country. Barbara Gonzalez, a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has acknowledged that the administration had been soliciting transportation services, buses and planes to transport the illegals since Jan. 29.
We have a well-orchestrated attempt to allow 1 million illegals — nearly the population of San Jose, California — to enter the U.S. over the next 12 months, with no end in sight.
— William Burns, Rockford


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Department of Wildlife and Parks to start stocking soon
PRATT -- The Kansas trout season begins Oct. 15 and runs through April 15. During this cool period of the year, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) stocks rainbow trout in designated waters throughout the state. Anyone fishing for trout in these waters must purchase a $12.15 trout permit, whether they are required to have a fishing license or not. Trout permits are valid for the calendar year, so permits purchased last January are valid through Dec. 31. All residents 16-64 years old, and all non-residents 16 and older must also have a valid fishing license.
Trout fishing at Mined Land Wildlife Area #30 (Cherokee County) and Tuttle Creek Reservoir Seep Stream, where trout survive through the summer, requires a trout permit year-round.
The daily creel limit is 5 trout. The possession limit is 15.
Trout permits are available online, at KDWP offices, some county clerk offices, and license vendors. For information on stocking dates and locations or to purchase a permit, visit Trout Fishing Program.


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When Mike Cornwell's car broke down this week, he knew he could still get to his job on time.
He followed an increasing trend among Terrebonne and Lafourche residents and just took the bus.
"A lot (of people) can't afford cars, so they take the bus," he said. "I'm using it to get to work."
When Mike Cornwell's car broke down this week, he knew he could still get to his job on time.
He followed an increasing trend among Terrebonne and Lafourche residents and just took the bus.
"A lot (of people) can't afford cars, so they take the bus," he said. "I'm using it to get to work."
Good Earth Transit, which has been serving Houma since 1997 and extended its reach in Thibodaux a little more than a year ago, has steadily grown its ridership over the last five years. In 2008, the transit agency served 142,819 people on all its routes. By 2012, that number had risen to 190,869 — about a 33.6 percent increase.
The Houma system served 171,412 in 2012 — about a 20 percent increase from 2008.
The swell carries over to the newer Thibodaux system, which was expanded in late 2011. During its first year of service, the Thibodaux system served only 2,609 people. The following year, Thibodaux served 19,457 people.
These increases come despite Good Earth Transits' struggle to hire enough bus drivers to staff its routes, which Public Transit Administrator Wendell Voisin said is a constant problem. The system runs four lines that weave through Houma, and two that run through Thibodaux.
"When we hired one person, another would leave. ... We're forever short-handed," Voisin said.
The shortage necessitated cuts in service in January. On the Martin Luther King Drive and Nicholls State University route, which is the only bus line that crosses parish lines, four round trips from Houma to Thibodaux were eliminated. A stop on the South Bayou line in Houma was also cut.
Voisin said he cut the scheduled stops that were the most underused.
"We had to see what times of day people were boarding what routes and made adjustments and prioritized the routes people were using the most," he said.
Peak travel times on the lines — such as the early run to Thibodaux and the 2 p.m. run back to Houma — were not affected, Voisin said.
Many people who use the bus system every day said the system is a life-changing convenience. The buses stop at all the local hospitals, major stores and colleges, Voisin said.
"I'm very grateful for them," Tina Davis said, as she sat in the downtown Houma terminal Tuesday morning, waiting for her bus. "I ride four buses every day Monday through Friday to get to work. I use them to go to the store or get to appointments. They're like any vehicles."
Davis said the buses hold to their schedule for the most part.
"They do their best to get where they need to be," she said.
"It runs pretty close to schedule," said Joe Turner, another morning rider.
Other riders said they wish the schedules were posted at every bus stop. Though the schedules are posted online and at the terminal, individual bus stops do not list the bus timetable.
"I'd be nice if they had a number on the bus stops that you could call to see when the next bus is coming," Matt Osterholt said.
Chad Triche, who was riding the bus Monday afternoon, said he wishes the buses ran later.
"Most restaurants close at 9 p.m.," he said. "People need a ride home then."
This year, Houma and Thibodaux together budgeted nearly $2 million to fund the Good Earth Transit, said Jamie Elfert, Terrebonne Parish chief financial officer. Though the system is funded in part by the two parishes' governments, about half of the agency's money comes from federal and state grants, Voisin said.
"These grants play an instrumental role," he said. "Without them, we would not be able to operate in a small urban area."
The dollar amount the agency receives in fares is a small percentage of its operating costs. A bus ride costs $1. A day pass costs $2.50.
"We're not trying to make money off of people," Voisin said. "We're trying to help people.


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Honorable Mention: WNBA-New York Liberty @ Washington Mystics (Tuesday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet/NBA TV), Washington Mystics @ Indiana Fever (Friday 7pm from Indianapolis live on WNBA Live Access), Washington Mystics @ Connecticut Sun (Sunday 4pm from Uncasville, CT live on WNBA Live Access); MLL: Charlotte Hounds @ Chesapeake Bayhawks (Saturday 7pm from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium live on YouTube); Charm City Roller Girls (Saturday 6:30pm Laurel Ice Gardens)
10. Jim Gaffigan (Saturday 8pm Wolf Trap); Jim Breuer (Friday & Saturday Magooby's Joke House); Doug Benson (Thursday DC Improv); Baltimore Summer Restaurant Week (Tuesday-Sunday throughout Charm City); Otakon (Friday-Sunday Baltimore Convention Center); "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "Into The Storm" out in theaters (Friday); "Divergent" and "Oculus" available (Tuesday)
Jim Breuer will be appearing on "The Reality Check" Tuesday. We will be discussing this. AT LENGTH.
Also, don't go see any other movie until you see Guardians of the Galaxy. I'M NOT KIDDING. I WILL FIND YOU.
9. JD McPherson (Thursday 7pm Canton Waterfront Park); John Legend (Tuesday 8pm Pier Six Pavilion), Slightly Stoopid/Stephen Marley/G. Love & Special Sauce (Thursday 6:30pm Pier Six Pavilion), Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration feat. Baltimore Symphony Orchestra & Warren Haynes (Friday 8pm Pier Six Pavilion), Heart (Saturday 8pm Pier Six Pavilion), Panic! At The Disco/Walk The Moon (Sunday 7:30pm Pier Six Pavilion); David Gray (Thursday 6:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion); Gavin DeGraw/Matt Nathanson (Sunday 7pm Wolf Trap); Gregg Allman (Tuesday & Wednesday 8pm Rams Head on Stage); Sublime with Rome (Thursday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds (Friday 7:30pm Howard Theatre), Project Pat (Saturday 11:30pm Howard Theatre); Presidents of the United States of America (Friday 8pm 9:30 Club); Kenny G (Sunday 7:30pm Birchmere); Jerry Douglas (Tuesday 7:30pm The Hamilton), Carbon Leaf (Saturday 8:30pm The Hamilton); Moonrise Festival feat. Kaskade/DJ Snake/Wacka Flacka Flame (Saturday & Sunday Pimlico Race Course); Godsmack "1000HP" and Shooter Jennings "Don't Wait Up For George" available (Tuesday)
Go see JD McPherson. You won't regret it.
John Legend is married to Chrissy Teigen and it's the second most impressive thing about him.
I enjoy the Walk The Moon a bit, friends.
Can someone buy me a bourbon and a David Gray ticket?
(Continued on Page 2…)


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U.S. equity indexes are off to a strong start this year, and money flows into equity exchange-traded funds tell the same story: The market's move toward risk is on.
The roughly $25.2 billion that have flowed into U.S.-listed ETFs through last Friday resulted in a run rate of $1.5 billion a day, a notable figure for three reasons, Nicholas Colas, chief market strategist at ConvergEx Group, told clients Tuesday.
The run rate outstrips the January 2012 pace of $900 million in daily flows by a "healthy" 66%, he wrote. Secondly, of the $25.2 billion in total new capital this year, 92% of it has ended up in stocks compared with the roughly 65% that went into equities during the same time in 2012. The balance went into fixed-income products, wrote Colas.
But perhaps most notably, he said, the first two weeks of this month show a move into U.S. equity mutual funds as well, of about $12.7 billion. "That's been the fragile part of the money flow story for five years, so it's too early to call a turn for traditional long-only active management," said Colas. "Still, with ETF flows so solidly "risk on," at least we know the market's huge move from the March 2009 lows is, finally, getting some attention."
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 6.4% this year, on its way to best annual start since 1987, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices. The S&P 500 index has risen 5.6% this month, on track for its best January since 1997.
Separately, Citi strategists on Tuesday said of the five indicators needed for most major equity markets worldwide to rise by 20% or more over the next 12 months, two are currently supportive of higher moves. The strategists said they remain worried about the outlook for profit, a mixed economic backdrop and the sustainability of equity flows.
– Carla Mozée
Follow The Tell blog on Twitter @thetellblog
Follow Carla Mozée on Twitter @MWMozee


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Target audience: Marketing professionals, SEO specialists, PR pros, brand managers, businesses, entrepreneurs, educators.
Post by Andrew Lisa
If you're spending too much time on social media – or too little – you may want to consider hiring a social marketing expert. Your business's most direct link to customers, social media gives your business personality, voice and – most importantly – reach. If you can't do it yourself, be honest about your own talents and limitations and bring a pro into the picture. But first, consider the following.
Unless you need a manager, get a consultant
1There are different kinds of experts. Managers construct, implement and maintain a social media strategy. Their services are ongoing. Consultants, on the other hand, immerse themselves in a business, analyze what they have and what they need, and then they teach dedicated staff members how to implement and run the strategy. Once they're confident that the client business has it down, they – and their fee – move on. Continue reading


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CHICAGO — Illinois residents are being reminded to check on older family members during this flu season and, if needed, to help get them to clinics or a pharmacy to get a flu shot.
The American Association of Retired Persons cites health officials as listing Illinois as one of 41 states reporting widespread flu activity. The advocacy group also notes Illinois health officials have reported six deaths due to flu-related illness so far this season.
In a Wednesday statement, AARP Illinois State Director Bob Gallo says this year's fast-spreading flu virus presents serious health risks for the elderly. And he encourages older residents to take the time to get vaccinated.
The AARP says that 90 percent of flu-related deaths are of people age 65 and older.


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Just as their backup goaltender returned, their starter left with an injury. The Detroit Red Wings, whose season has been defined by a decimated lineup, saw Jimmy Howard leave in the first period of Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Predators at Bridgestone Arena. Howard experienced blurry vision, general manager Ken Holland said, after getting hit during practice. "I didn't know about that," Mike Babcock said. "He wasn't seeing good or something like that. "He'll get tested tomorrow, we'll find out more." None of Howard's teammates seemed aware of what happened, either. "It happened really quick," captain Henrik Zetterberg said. "We didn't really know why. I'm not sure really what happened." Mikael Samuelsson missed the game with a sore hand after getting hit by Ian White's shot during the morning skate. Samuelsson had only just returned from a groin injury. Half the team has been injured and the season is only a month old. Johan Franzen missed his fourth game because of a hip flexor but he said he should be ready to play Thursday. Defenseman Brendan Smith, who hurt a shoulder Feb. 2, is aiming for next week. Defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo, also sidelined by a shoulder injury, has also been skating and is nearing a return. The worst of the bunch remain the two forwards who are dealing with back pain. Darren Helm is skulking around with the team but not practicing, while Todd Bertuzzi is in such bad shape he's basically on bed-rest. "You can't let it get to you," Zetterberg said. "Injuries are part of the game. Unfortunately, we have a lot. We've just got to battle through it."
NHL Headlines
Red Wings' Jimmy Howard (blurry vision) the latest to join injured list
Detroit Free Press | Feb 20


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Peters named Northants captain
Stephen Peters will lead Northamptonshire in first-class cricket next season, after Andrew Hall stepped down as club captain. Alex Wakely has been named vice-captain and will take charge of Northants' CB40 and T20 sides.
Hall, who led the club from 2010, when he succeeded Nicky Boje, is contracted until 2014 and has decided to focus on his own form. Peters has been given a benefit year in 2013 and will now take on the captaincy as well.
Northamptonshire's chief executive, David Smith, said: "Splitting of the roles between red- and white-ball cricket was something that had been identified by a number of counties as the best way forward in the modern day game."
Northants finished second from bottom of Division Two of the Championship in 2012, while winning just two games in limited-overs cricket. Wakely captained the side in Hall's absence through injury and the club said his appointment as Peters' vice-captain formed part of their "succession planning for the future".
Peters, 33, joined Northants from Worcestershire in 2006, having begun his playing career with Essex. Last season, despite a slow start, he finished as the team's leading Championship run-scorer, with 763 at 36.33.


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A look at mosquito-borne illnesses
Updated 12:59 pm, Tuesday, July 8, 2014
It's all over the news: a mosquito-borne virus that's hard to pronounce. Texas health officials recently confirmed the first case of chikungunya in the Lone Star State, though the disease is primarily found in Africa and southeast Asia. Texas joins 26 other states in America who have confirmed cases of the virus.
The infected person lives in Williamson County near Austin and had recently returned from a trip to the Caribbean. The virus was detected in the Caribbean last year and has been either suspected or confirmed in roughly 135,000 people in the region. Though the virus is considered less deadly than the West Nile Virus, this illness causes joint pain and fever. In fact, the virus' name translates to "that which bends up," which refers to people contorting with joint pain.
Any illness with the word "mosquito" somewhere in the description is bound to perk up the ears of Texans, seeing as the insect is practically our state bird. While chikungunya dominates the headlines, it isn't the only virus that's spread by mosquitoes. Take a look at the gallery above to see which other illnesses are spread by the blood suckers. Keep clicking to find out which clothing and products you may you can actually attract mosquitoes.


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Minecraft for Xbox 360 continues to rack up the number of copies sold since its release in May, surpassing the 5 million mark on the last day of 2012. Those numbers were fueled by a 453,000-unit bump on Christmas Day alone.
Daniel Kaplan of Mojang Specifications tweeted the milestone only days after Markus "Notch" Persson revealed the Christmas Day figures. The new numbers show the continued popularity of the game, which became profitable after its first hour on the shelf, and sold 1 million copies within the first five days of its launch on May 9. The game continually gives Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 stiff competition on Xbox Live.
The game is almost a direct port of the PC version, which officially launched in November 2011 and has sold more than 8 million copies. The mobile version hit 5 million copies sold earlier in December.


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(Neb.)- Neb. Gov. Heineman Vetoes Teacher Retirement Bill
By: Jeremy Anderson Posted at: 05/13/2013 02:56 PM LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman has vetoed a teacher retirement bill, arguing that a proposed increase in the state's contribution is unsustainable.
Heineman said Monday that he supports a short-term fix within the bill, but called on lawmakers to conduct a study of Nebraska's public-employee retirement system.
The bill seeks to address projected shortfalls in the retirement plans for public school employees. The employee contribution would remain the same at nearly 10 percent, while the state's contribution would grow from 1 percent to 2 percent.
Heineman says the increase would cost the state an additional $20 million annually.
Sen. Jeremy Nordquist says he will move to override. He says the bill was a compromise, and teacher and school-district contributions have increased 28 percent in recent years.


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Value Line is regarded as the best independent research available. More than just recommendations, Value Line provides the rationale behind its picks for greater understanding.
American Vanguard (AVD) is a specialty chemicals manufacturer that through its subsidiary AMVAC Chemical Corporation develops products for agricultural uses. Most of the company's revenues are derived from selling insecticide and herbicide products, which accounted for 45% and 30% of total sales in 2011, respectively, as well as other crop and non-crop offerings. Over the last two years, crop prices and farmers' incomes have increased dramatically and American Vanguard's sales have surged along with them. Indeed, farmers are now planting more acres of corn, soybeans, and wheat than ever before. According to the U.S Department of Agriculture, the amount of corn planted this year is estimated to rise to 96.4 million acres, up 5% from last year, and the highest planted acreage in the United States since 1937. The same goes for soybeans and wheat, which are being planted at similar, albeit slightly slower, rates than corn. What's driving this are record increases in crop prices stemming from a number of factors, including increased global demand for food, animal feed, and bio-fuel, reduced food supplies from drought conditions in the Midwest, and farmers' desire to capitalize on the high prices.
With crop prices growing by leaps and bounds, growers have a financial incentive to invest in products that would increase their yields and protect their crops. Additional factors play in American Vanguard's favor. As prices rose further, many farmers abandoned their practice of rotating crops, which increases pressure from insects. Moreover, prolonged use of certain kinds of herbicides lead to resistant weeds, which led to increased demand for the company's products. All in all, it is fair to say that American Vanguard is well positioned to participate in the exceptional growth of the crop protection market.
For the third quarter of fiscal 2012, American Vanguard posted earnings of $0.28 a share, easily topping consensus estimates. This was a 75% increase in profits over last year. Moreover, the gross margin and the operating margin both expanded, thanks to operating efficiencies and good expense controls.
Investors have taken notice, too. American Vanguard's stock price is already up nearly 200% over the last 12 months. However, the stock market is a forward-looking mechanism, so it is necessary to consider whether or not there is potential for further upside here. At the recent price, AVD stock is trading at 21.4 times our 2013 earnings-per-share estimate, a lofty valuation, even when considering the company's healthy growth prospects.
However, recent developments, such as the company's partnership with Monsanto to co-market its Impact brand of herbicide could potentially boost that product's reach significantly in 2013, given Monsanto's scale and reputation in the agricultural sector.
Over the long-run, demand for the company's products should increase exponentially as rising global populations strain the planet's food resources. Plus, only a fraction of the total market is currently utilizing soil insecticides, so the opportunities remain. The potential for expansion is considerable in our view. Thus, the fundamental case for the American Vanguard's stock is strong.
At the time of this article's writing, the author did not have positions in any of the companies mentioned.


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This piece was first published in The Times of Israel.
Steve who? That's what Malcolm Gladwell says people will be asking in the future when someone mentions the late co-founder and CEO of Apple. Steve Jobs is not even dead a year, and the Canadian journalist and author of "The Tipping Point," "Outliers" and "Blink" is already saying that the guy who urged us to think different will be lost to history.
On the other hand, Gladwell believes Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates will be remembered fondly. Actually, that would be putting it too mildly. According to PC Magazine, Gladwell, speaking at a recent engagement in Toronto, "likened Gates' charitable work to the German armaments maker Oskar Schindler's famous efforts to save his Jewish workers from the gas chambers during World War II."
Although the author did not use Jewish terms like tzedaka andpikuach nefesh, he clearly had charity, justice and the saving of lives in mind when making his off-the-cuff remarks about Gates, who stepped down a few years ago from his position as head of Microsoft to focus on his work with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Gladwell believes future generations will ultimately remember tech giants more for what they gave back to society than for what they achieved business-wise.
Click here to read more.
© 2012 Renee Ghert-Zand. All rights reserved.


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Around the world, at least 93 million children — or 1 in 20 of those aged 14 or younger — live with a moderate or severe disability. Each one of these children is more than a statistic; each child is a son or daughter, brother or sister, friend or classmate.
Each should have the same rights and opportunities as any other child. Governments must do their part by ratifying the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
It is time for the United States to ratify the CRPD! The U.S. Senate will consider the CRPD for ratification this year. We need you to let your Senators know that you support this important human rights treaty!
Support the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Dear [Decision Maker],
I am writing to let you know that I strongly support the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and I urge you to support ratification of this important treaty.
I am particularly concerned about the plight of children with disabilities. Globally, at least 1 in 20 children aged 14 or younger live with a moderate or severe disability. Children with disabilities are targets of discrimination, exclusion, stigmatization, neglect, exploitation, violence and abuse. Worst of all, children with disabilities are too often invisible — ignored by governments and communities.
I believe our Nation has made great strides in removing barriers for people with disabilities. Ratifying the CRPD would reinforce our global leadership as advocates for people with disabilities, and also help us continue to improve our own laws and policies to ensure full participation of people with disabilities.
Please vote in favor of ratifying the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. I look forward to your response.


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With Halo 4 arriving on store shelves next week to start a new chapter in the series, it's time for another story to end. The fifth and final episode of live-action webseries Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn launched today, wrapping up the prequel story of a rag-tag group of space-cadets facing an alien invasion.
This isn't the last you've seen of main character Thomas Lasky, as he crops up in Halo 4. Forward Unto Dawn will be available on DVD if you want to rewatch it in a more convenient way.
The game is due exclusively on Xbox 360 on November 6, the first in the series since 343 Industries took over from creator Bungie. How does 343 do? Read our review to find out.