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The role of natural gas as an energy source continues to expand as the United States moves toward energy independence. That bodes well for the companies that transport gas and other fuels and that provide infrastructure to the industry. Research asked several master limited partnership (MLP) fund managers and analysts to share their insights into what is driving and should continue to drive the performance of Midstream MLPs.
This year's roundtable participants include:
- Kenny Feng, CFA, president and CEO, Alerian, Dallas;
- Jim Hug, senior portfolio manager, Yorkville Capital Management LLC, New York;
- Brian Kessens, CFA, senior investment analyst, Tortoise Capital Advisors LLC, Leawood, Kan.;
- Quinn T. Kiley, managing director and senior portfolio manager, FAMCO MLP, a division of Advisory Research Inc., St. Louis;
- Erin Moyer, vice president and senior analyst, OFI SteelPath, Dallas; and
- Daniel L. Spears, partner and portfolio manager, Swank Capital LLC, Dallas, Texas.
Research: How did the Midstream MLPs that you follow perform in 2012?
Kenny Feng, Alerian: Alerian does not manage assets. The Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index, a benchmark for Midstream Energy MLP performance, returned 7.7% on a total return basis through Nov. 30, 2012.
Jim Hug, Yorkville Capital Management: We have been particularly positioned in the general partners (GPs) for reasons that we have discussed in the past; namely, if we are correct in our analysis of the underlying partnership (and our opinion that the underlying securities are attractive) then the return to the general partner is magnified.
Brian Kessens, Tortoise Capital Advisors: 2012 was a good year for pipeline companies. The energy infrastructure sector, including MLPs and pipelines, delivered sound performance.
Distribution growth accelerated to 7%, following the tremendous need for additional pipeline infrastructure to support greater production from emerging shale basins.
Throughout the year, pipeline companies steadily increased their anticipated level of capital investment due to the heightened level of opportunity for new projects to transport increasing volumes of crude oil and natural gas liquids.
There also was a healthy appetite for acquisitions, which further enhanced the opportunity set in the sector: Total acquisition activity topped $40 billion.
Demonstrating the resilience of this sector, this growth and opportunity occurred despite slower economic growth, a contentious election and a lack of consensus in Washington related to fiscal policy.
Quinn Kiley, FAMCO MLP: Generally, Midstream MLPs performed well. If you look a little deeper you see that MLPs that focus on certain sectors did better than others.
MLPs focused on building and operating crude oil infrastructure performed exceedingly well during the year. This stems from a continuing shift in rig activity towards crude oil and liquids-based reserves. Those MLPs with price exposure to natural gas liquids lagged, as these commodity prices were depressed due to production exceeding demand.
Erin Moyer, OFI SteelPath: At OFI SteelPath, we focus on energy infrastructure opportunities and follow all Midstream MLPs closely. Importantly, that does not necessarily mean we consider all Midstream MLPs appropriate energy-infrastructure investment candidates, because risk profiles within the group can vary dramatically. In fact, there was fairly dramatic dispersion in performance across Midstream MLPs throughout the year based in part on these different risk profiles.
On average, petroleum transportation-focused names performed very well, with average price returns above 10%, and a number of individual names soaring 20% or more. However, names with margin exposure to natural gas liquids pricing generally did much worse, with most of those names experiencing a modest to significant correction over the year.
More broadly, names that were able to offer very visible paths to robust distribution growth performed well, whereas those that were unable to provide such visibility, whether due to commodity price exposure or company specific issues, performed poorly. Importantly, we think such performance bifurcation can often lead to opportunity, as market behavior in such times can exhibit exaggerated price performance relative to underlying fundamentals, both on the upside and the downside.
Daniel Spears, Swank Capital: The Midstream MLPs that we follow had a very good year. We continue to focus on those MLPs with greater exposure to crude oil transportation and natural gas liquids infrastructure.
Did those 2012 results differ significantly from your pre-2012 expectations? If they did, what factors caused the unexpected results?
Feng: These results were roughly in line with our expectations of 9%-11% total return (6% yield and 3-5% distribution growth) for the sector. MLPs experienced strong gains in the beginning of the year, but macro issues such as the Eurozone crisis and post-election fears of tax reform pared back some of those gains.
Hug: We did not see any significant surprises in 2012. The fundamentals remained strong and the outlook remains highly favorable.
We would say the one statistic that is somewhat surprising is the enormous spread between the average yield on the Midstream MLPs and the 10-year Treasury (450 basis points). Over the last ten years this space has averaged 320-330 bps.
While we acknowledge that interest rates are at historically low levels and have nowhere to go but up, we believe we will eventually experience some compression in MLP yields. This would parallel what occurred in REIT yields. The average yield for REITs decreased from 7.4% in the 1990s to 5.7% in the 2000s, down to 3.7% from 2010 to present as the asset class gained wider investor acceptance.
Kessens: Sector growth this year met the high expectation we held going into 2012. We anticipated growing volumes of U.S.- and Canadian-produced crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs) to result in increased demand for energy infrastructure, which proved to be the case.
We also expected natural-gas- fired power generation to continue to displace coal-fired generation due to lower natural gas prices versus coal. While this occurred, the absolute level exceeded our expectation at times, as coal to natural gas switching stretched north of 6 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d).
To a lesser extent for pipeline companies, we believed NGLs' prices would move lower following the increased level of NGL production without an obvious source of immediate demand. The relatively warm winter of [2011] exacerbated this impact to price. Indeed, we continue to work through higher NGL supplies.
Kiley: We generally expected crude oil and NGL infrastructure [MLPs] to perform well during 2012. Performance for the year was highly correlated to an MLP's valuation at the beginning of the year and distribution growth during the year. The end result is a story of haves and have-nots for 2012. This was somewhat surprising as high-yield MLPs fared poorly, despite the strong "yield trade."
Moyer: We didn't expect MLPs to repeat their 2009 or 2010 performances, but we certainly felt that given the strong positive fundamentals that the sector might perform better than the broader market for 2012. By most any measure, whether on a market-cap-weighted basis or equal-weighted basis, Midstream MLPs underperformed the broader markets by a fairly large margin.
We think there are a couple reasons for this. First, we saw approximately $25 billion in equity supply hit the market, which is a staggering sum for the market to digest. For comparison, equity supply in 2012, through IPOs and secondary offerings, into the sector was 20% more than in 2011, which was also a record year.
Secondly, the dramatic drop in natural gas liquids pricing impacted those with exposure and even some that really only have minimal exposure seemed to have corrected in sympathy. Further, late in 2012 it appeared the sector was subject to selling from investors looking to capture gains ahead of potential 2013 tax changes.
Spears: We generally expected mid-teen type returns for MLPs in 2012, which was a function of both yield and distribution growth. There were certainly names within the crude oil andNGL infrastructure sectors that performed better than we expected.
We were positively surprised by both the sheer number of and accretion from organic opportunities within those businesses, as well as how much of that accretion management teams were willing to pay out in distributions. As an example, Sunoco Logistics Partners increased its distribution by approximately 10% sequentially for each of the past two quarters.
What potential upside do you see for Midstream MLPs for the next six or 12 months, and why?
Feng: There are several areas with enormous opportunities for MLPs to relieve crude pipeline takeaway constraints, such as in the Bakken and Niobrara shales, as well as from Cushing, Okla., to the Gulf Coast.
Midstream MLPs addressing such issues stand to see potential upside over the next 6 to 12 months. For the Bakken and Niobrara, a solution that bypasses Cushing—which is already congested—may be more optimal for producers.
On the natural gas liquids (NGLs) front, if additional chemical companies restart their domestic facilities or relocate operations currently handled abroad, these decisions would catalyze stable and long-term demand for NGLs domestically, particularly ethane. Midstream MLPs with NGL exposure—through processing, fractionation, or storage—would be the beneficiaries of such NGL demand.
Hug: We have been positive on MLPs since the founding of Yorkville and prior to that back to the mid-1990s, when we first began to follow the MLPs. We believe the "MLP Story" is more powerful today than at any time since we have followed the industry.
The reason for this is quite simple: the shale energy revolution that is taking place in the U.S. because of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. We buy into the story that the U.S. could become energy independent by 2020. This will have profound implications for the U.S. economy and for the MLP sector.
Kessens: We think Midstream [MLPs] continue to offer an attractive risk-versus-reward tradeoff over the next year. We anticipate petroleum pipelines will continue to benefit from two tailwinds.
First, significantly higher crude oil volumes, especially in the Permian and Bakken plays, are expected to drive increased volumes. Second, a higher inflation-tariff escalator should boost cash flows.
The outlook for natural gas pipelines is one of consistency, because contracts are anchored by a reservation fee. Producers continue to focus on generating value through the liquids uplift. Hence, we expect gathering and processing activity to remain strong, especially in the Marcellus and emerging Utica and Eagle Ford shales.
We think assets will continue to migrate into the MLP structure. Several companies are in registration to become public as MLPs, recent IRS private letter rulings are supportive, and the upstream companies' capital needs facilitate the sale of their midstream assets to MLPs.
This should continue to drive sector growth, along with management-team focus on robust growth, capital investment execution and pipeline integrity maintenance. This backdrop leads us to expect a 6-8% distribution growth in 2013, supporting a total return expectation in the low double-digits.
Kiley: Given the sell-off we have experienced since the [November 2012] election, it is conceivable that MLPs post a total return in the high teens for 2013. We would expect Midstream MLPs to outperform commodity-price-exposed MLPs, as the oversupply situation in domestic commodity markets continues.
Moyer: Generally, we don't like to set expectations over short-term periods, because the short term can be dominated by non-fundamental factors such as the performance of the broader markets or the broader energy sector.
MLP units are, after all, equities, and though long-term correlations to other asset classes have been relatively weak, short-term correlations are higher. With that caveat, however, and assuming the broader markets remain supportive, we believe the sector could perform above our long-term expectation over the next six to 12 months, simply due to the fact that this [past] year's record-setting equity supply and late year tax-management related weakness has left the sector attractively priced.
We believe fundamentals remain very supportive, and long-term growth prospects for most MLPs are even clearer today than they were heading into 2012. Importantly, a number of MLPs have growth projects that have been underway for several quarters or more, but which are expected to enter service in coming months, potentially allowing investors to benefit from those investments.
Spears: Barring extreme negative macro- or policy-driven outcomes, we think MLPs are poised for double-digit returns over the next year. We believe that the crude oil infrastructure build-out is in the early stages of development, similar to where the natural gas industry was a decade ago.
The continued increasing domestic production of crude oil from existing mature basins like the Permian and new basins like the Eagle Ford and Bakken have created the need for new infrastructure. Additionally, as the MLP space matures, new investment products should continue to attract significant capital.
How do you expect the Midstream MLPs to perform in in the intermediate and long term?
Feng: Due to new drilling techniques and technologies, there has been a resurgence of oil and natural gas production over the past few years. The most recent International Energy Agency (IEA) report indicates that the U.S. could potentially be the world's largest oil producer by 2020. And the U.S. now has such a large supply of natural gas that companies with facilities that import it are now filing applications with the government to export it.
With a shift in both supply (the Marcellus Shale in Appalachia) and demand (U.S. population growth in the South), the need for energy infrastructure is now greater than ever.
Pipelines, storage tanks, and processing plants are not cheap, and they will not be built overnight. A single pipeline can cost $2 million to $3 million per mile, and take one to three years to build.
Al Monaco, the new CEO of Enbridge, summarized the current environment well when he said, "North America is in the process of being re-piped."
Midstream MLPs will be at the center of such re-piping, either by building new infrastructure or by repurposing existing infrastructure—flowing pipelines in different directions or moving different product—to meet current needs. All of this translates into cash-flow growth for Midstream MLPs.
Over the past five years, MLPs have spent at least $15 billion annually on new infrastructure, resulting in average distribution increases of 6% per year.
As such, we conservatively expect Midstream MLPs to grow their distributions by 3%-5% annually. This, on top of a current yield of 6%, translates into our total return expectations of 9%-11% on an annualized basis over the long term.
Hug: Midstream MLPs are an asset class in growth mode. For reasons previously discussed, there will need to be significant energy infrastructure investment in order to develop these unconventional shale deposits.
Currently, the market capitalization for the industry is approximately $320 billion. It is estimated that $250 billion to $300 billion of investment is going to be needed to develop these reserves. This investment will drive Midstream MLP distribution growth for decades.
In addition to this organic growth, we expect that there will be growth via acquisitions, as well. Just look at this year when Energy Transfer Equity LP (ETE) acquired Southern Union Company (SUG) for $ 9.3 billion, and Energy Transfer Partners LP (ETP) acquiring Sunoco Inc. (SUN) for $6.8 billion.
While these were unusually large acquisitions, we anticipate that acquisitions will play an important role in growing MLP assets.
Kessens: We see a clear and ongoing need for increased pipeline-takeaway capacity due to growing crude oil, NGL and natural gas production from unconventional drilling.
In 2005, there were two primary unconventional plays: the Barnett Shale in Texas and the Canadian Oil Sands. Today, companies are producing oil and gas from more than 10 unconventional basins, and we expect this number to continue to increase over the course of the decade.
As of the end of the third quarter [of 2012], production in the onshore lower 48 states was up 21% year-over-year, primarily from the middle of the country in the Permian Basin, the Eagle Ford shale and the Bakken formation.
We anticipate $122 billion of capital investment in upstream in 2012 alone, and a total of $4.3 trillion in capital investment is expected by 2035. This capital investment requires additional pipeline infrastructure over the same extended time frame.
In just the next three years, we estimate $75 billion in Midstream needs. Market activity for both debt and equity has been supportive of this growth, and we expect it to remain so.
Combined year to date [through mid-December 2012], equity and debt MLP offerings topped $44 billion, $4 billion more than the elevated levels of 2011. We would not be surprised if 2013 measures well against the previous two years.
There is reason to believe the elevated level of growth likely in 2013 is sustainable over the next few years as cash flow follows investment. Over the longer term, there is visibility to growth from a larger population, inflation protection inherent in pipeline contract structures and incremental internal projects.
Kiley: The rapid growth of domestic oil and gas production [and] associated infrastructure projects, and low interest rates for the next several years may produce higher returns, if the economy continues to recover and capital markets remain healthy.
We continue to believe the MLP space can deliver 8-10% total returns over the long term. We get to this expectation by assuming 6% yields, 4-6% distribution growth, and the specter of rising rates over the long term acting as a headwind.
Spears: The macro-landscape continues to be front and center, and we have seen certain key risks reduced while others remain. On the positive side, there have been signs that the U.S. economy is improving. Additionally, accommodative central bank policy action here and globally has been astounding. On the negative side, key risks include China's "hard landing," Eurozone economic weakness, the budget debates in the U.S., and Middle East instability.
Nonetheless, we remain positive about the long-term opportunities for MLPs. As we have noted before, we believe ongoing discovery and development of shale gas and crude oil will continue to drive demand for energy infrastructure.
We believe the current slate of accretive, fee-based projects coupled with positive underlying sector fundamentals support our estimates of multi-year annual distribution growth in the range of 6-10%. We believe this growth, in addition to a current yield of approximately 6%, presents a very compelling total return story going forward.
Valuations for MLPs are within historical averages, and given the Fed's expectation of low interest for the next several years, we think the thirst for MLP yield in a low-yielding environment will continue.
Additionally, if projected fiscal-policy changes come to fruition and ordinary dividend tax rates are increased, there could be further interest in MLP-structured equities, as MLP distributions are largely a return of capital and largely tax deferred until sale.
What do you see as the advantage of the Midstream MLPs' toll road model for investors?
Feng: The main advantage of the Midstream toll road business model is that cash flows tend to be more stable and predictable. This is a function of the inelasticity of energy demand, which has grown at a 1% average annual clip over the past 30 years.
Additionally, all interstate liquids pipelines have a federal mandate to increase their tariffs (or tolls) annually by the Producer Price Index plus 2.65%.
And finally, the majority of Midstream MLPs own assets with fee-based contracts, which significantly reduce their exposure to fluctuations in commodity prices.
Hug: Consistency of distributions is the primary advantage. Midstream MLPs generally derive fee-based revenue with no commodity price risk. Investors like the reliable and growing fee-based income produced by these partnerships. The market generally rewards partnerships possessing these characteristics with premium valuations, lower yields and a lower cost of capital.
Kessens: We believe the advantage of the "toll road" business for investors is the stability of cash flows the business model affords. Companies are able to distribute a certain level of cash flow quarter after quarter, year after year. And with the increased level of hydrocarbon supply due to technology advances in energy, there is a need for more toll roads in the U.S. This leads to not only stable, but also growing cash distributions for investors.
In addition, because of the fee-based nature of cash flows and the fact that energy use is relatively inelastic, the model is somewhat immune from political uncertainty and economic cycles. For this reason, the sector is a bit of an oasis in a world that continues to be mired in deep fiscal and economic challenges.
More broadly, the business model ensures reliable transport and distribution of energy across the country, enabling economic sustainability and growth.
Kiley: Generally, we think the "toll road" model reflects about 75% of the cash flow in the space, so investors must pay close attention to the remainder of the business they are buying. Many MLPs own assets with very different cash flow volatilities.
For example, Williams Partners (WPZ) owns a premier suite of federally regulated, interstate natural pipelines. However, almost 60% of its cash flow comes from gathering, processing, and fractionation activities and half of that has some commodity price exposure.
Another example is Enbridge Energy Partners (EEP), a predominantly crude oil focused MLP, but it suffered along with other MLPs when gathering and processing margins took a hit from falling NGL prices during the first half of 2012, despite only having about 16% of its cash flow exposed to commodity prices.
In the end, when you purchase an equity security for the long-term, you are buying the entire company, not just the assets that may currently be in favor. Buyer beware—very few Midstream MLPs are pure plays on the "toll road model."
Spears: Investors who are seeking current income benefit from the fee-based contract structure that most Midstream MLPs strive to have. The advantages of this model are the consistent and steady or growing distributions that get paid to unitholders on a quarterly basis.
What potential risks should Midstream-MLP investors monitor?
Feng: With fiscal cliff and tax reform discussions, the largest current risk comes from headlines regarding potential legislative reform in MLP tax status and accelerated depreciation provisions.
While headline risk is a real risk for unit prices, most MLP industry analysts view the signing into law of actual legislation affecting MLPs as highly unlikely.
The fundamental thesis for investment in the asset class remains intact. MLPs are an integral part of domestic energy infrastructure and critical to securing energy independence. They create jobs and, according to the Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation, would only generate $300 million per year in tax revenues.
Many investors also worry about dividend tax reform. If this were to occur, all dividend paying entities would be impacted; however, MLP distributions are mostly tax-deferred return of capital (70%-90% is typical), with the balance being characterized as ordinary income. So, lower after-tax dividends in other yield-oriented asset classes like utilities and REITs might actually serve as a catalyst for inflows into MLPs.
Hug: The capital markets are currently very receptive to MLP equity and debt. MLPs are shrewdly issuing long-term debt taking advantage of record low rates. We have seen many partnerships issue 30 year-plus paper in 2012. That said, MLPs are dependent on the capital markets to fund their ongoing business growth.
Concern of change in tax laws is another potential risk. Very little tax revenue would be raised by eliminating the MLP structure. In January, the U.S. Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation estimated such a change would raise $200 million to $300 million in tax revenue (de minimis relative to our current trillion-dollar deficit).
Eliminating the MLP structure would raise cost of capital and hinder the build-out of energy infrastructure, thus delaying the United States' move toward energy independence. Such a [tax] move would also hurt the creation of high-paying construction and manufacturing jobs that accompany the build-out of energy infrastructure.
Kessens: We don't expect any event resulting in what might be labeled a crisis. But we realize that because of increased activity in the energy sector, there will potentially be a greater regulatory and tax focus.
With Washington's resources focused on the election for much of 2012, not a lot of progress was made with respect to energy regulation. Related to the election, it was our belief ahead of the vote that the result would have little impact on MLPs, as both candidates realized energy is one of the few sectors creating jobs and enhancing economic growth. Over the past four years, MLPs thrived under the Obama Administration.
There has been concern about the continuation of MLPs' favorable tax status, though there is not any direct legislation aimed at changing the tax status of MLPs. In fact, recently a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators and Representatives sent a letter to President Obama asking that MLPs be a priority in an all-of the-above energy strategy. Specifically, the letter is seeking support to include renewable energy sources as qualifying income for MLPs. We're encouraged by this initiative.
Providing additional assurance, a recent study conducted by the Joint Committee on Taxation estimated MLP taxation would generate only $1.5 billion over five years, a relatively inconsequential amount compared to other proposals. These efforts and facts lead us to conclude any potential elimination of MLPs' tax advantaged status is unlikely.
The other area where we receive questions relates to advances in drilling techniques. We expect and welcome more standardization of best practices related to the safety of drilling practices. We think the industry's chemical disclosure registry at www.fracfocus.org is a good step in that direction.
Of note, though, a draft of the EPA's report on the potential impact of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources is due for release soon. The report won't be finished until 2014, but the draft may provide an early indication as to the regulatory path the Obama Administration may take related to energy production.
Kiley: The two most impactful issues for 2012 were tax risk and commodity price risk. There has been, and remains, a risk that MLPs will be caught up in a broad tax overhaul.
We believe the likelihood of a tax change that specifically targets MLPs is unlikely. That being said, tax rumors, well-founded or not, put selling pressure on the MLP asset class at least five times over the last three years.
On the commodity front, investors should be aware that volatile moves in commodity prices will impact MLP trading over short periods. We broadly expect commodity prices to be lower than the futures curve, and therefore fee-based MLPs may produce better returns in the medium term.
Spears: Even more so today, not all MLPs are created equal. As more companies utilize the MLP structure, investors need to be careful about hidden pitfalls. There are significant differences among MLPs in the contracts, asset locations, growth opportunities, management teams and balance sheets.
When evaluating an MLP, performing due diligence and analysis of the MLP's contract (both its terms and structure) and the underlying credit risk of the counterparty are equally important.
The domestic energy sector is undergoing dramatic changes from a variety of different angles. Supply centers are changing, flow directions are changing, and storage destinations are being refitted and redirected. Evaluating the impact of these macro changes is critical to the process of determining which MLPs are likely to be able to accomplish their objectives.


text: URMC / National Center for Deaf Health Research / Information / About About RPRC:NCDHR The Rochester Prevention Research Center (RPRC) works with populations of Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users and people with acquired hearing loss, two distinct disparity populations that have in common the experience of being overlooked, excluded and underserved by healthcare, health research and public health programs. Historically, most health research programs that include Deaf people and people with acquired hearing loss have focused on hearing acuity, so the knowledge base related to basic health indicators is lacking. RPRC is the only research center in the world that works with Deaf sign language users and people with hearing loss to promote health and prevent disease using community based participatory research (CBPR). RPRC:NCDHR is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the Prevention Research Centers (PRC) Program. The PRC program is a network of academic researchers, public health agencies, and community members that conducts applied research in disease prevention and health promotion. RPRC:NCDHR is located within the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at the University of Rochester Medical Center. RPRC is guided by 7 premises: Deaf ASL users and people with hearing loss comprise distinct health disparity communities that are profoundly underserved and understudied relative to health. Community based participatory research (CBPR) is well suited for health research with Deaf communities and communities of people with hearing loss. Some health disparities experienced by Deaf people and people with hearing loss are related to lack of communication with sources of health information & healthcare. Communication via sign language and other non-auditory channels can be greatly expanded and accessed through the use of readily available and evolving technologies. Adaptation of evidence-based interventions to address major health issues with Deaf and hearing loss populations should be rigorously evaluated for efficacy, safety, and cost prior to dissemination. The advancement of health research with Deaf and hearing loss populations will require education and training of health researchers from the Deaf, hearing loss and hearing communities. RPRC:NCDHR should be rigorously evaluated for attainment of planned outputs and outcomes in the context of its CBPR and related programs Our Organization The RPRC:NCDHR is a Prevention Research Center funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is located within the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Click on the image above or here to view the Org Chart Structure diagram Click on the image above for a blown up copy of the RPRC:NCDHR Structure Diagram. Logic Model The Logic Model provides a "big picture" with four components (inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes/impacts) of any given program. Logic Models can be used for planning, implementation and evaluation. Click here for the PDF of NCDHR's Logic Model

subset: commoncrawl


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ENGLEWOOD Colo. (Reuters) - Olympic swimming champion Amy Van Dyken said she was excited to be starting her new life on Wednesday as she arrived partially paralyzed at a hospital near her hometown of Denver for specialist treatment after severing her spine in an all-terrain vehicle accident.
Van Dyken, 41, whose six gold medals make her one of the most decorated Olympic swimmers of all time, has put a particularly brave face on her recovery since the accident, chatting warmly with well-wishers on social media and posting photos of her smiling and waving.
The crash happened on June 6 in Arizona and she had six hours of surgery the next day at a hospital in Scottsdale. On Wednesday she was transferred to the Craig Hospital in Englewood, a suburb of Denver where she grew up and where much of her family lives.
"I'm doing alright. Rocking and rolling!" Van Dyken told reporters as she was wheeled from an ambulance into the facility, which specializes in spinal cord and brain injuries.
"I'm feeling great. We've got the pain under control. I'm excited to start my new life."
Van Dyken says she has no feeling from the waist down and does not know whether it will return.
Van Dyken won six gold medals at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta and the 2000 Games in Sydney, winning in relay races, the 50-meter freestyle and 100-meter butterfly. In recent years she had been a sports radio talk show hostess.
Before flying from Scottsdale to Denver, Van Dyken said her neurosurgeon had advised her and her husband, former Denver Broncos punter Tom Rouen, to say goodbye to each other because of the risks involved.
"It was one of those things where I looked at my husband and basically said, 'I love you, goodbye, please continue on with your life,'" Van Dyken told reporters from a stretcher.
"I'm so thankful to be alive," she said, her voice breaking with emotion at times.
Luis Manuel Tumialan, the neurosurgeon who operated on her, said Van Dyken would benefit from having so many family members and friends around her in her Colorado hometown.
"That's her family nucleus. I can't put that in a bottle," Tumialan told reporters.
Reporting by Keith Coffman; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Bill Trott


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Feb. 16, 2014
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (seminoles.com) – Riding a two-game win streak going into Sunday, the Florida State women's basketball team could not continue its late-season momentum as it lost to rival Miami, 76-73, on Sunday afternoon at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
Foul issues throughout the game and a giant edge by Miami in the rebounding department were two areas that plagued the Seminoles (17-8, 5-7). Six Florida State players in Ivey Slaughter (4), Natasha Howard (4), Morgan Jones (4), Cheetah Delgado (3), Kai James (3) and Lauren Coleman (3) were whistled for three or more fouls, with many of them having to be careful early in the second half when five FSU fouls were whistled on Miami's first three possessions.
The Hurricanes (13-12, 5-7), who committed 25 fouls with many coming toward the end of the game, took advantage of FSU's lack of size in the post. Miami generated 51 total rebounds, the most allowed by FSU this season, and grabbed 17 offensive boards to help keep possessions alive. The `Noles entered Sunday's contest as the top ACC team in offensive rebounding in conference games, but many long rebounds were corralled by an athletic Hurricane squad and resulted in better possessions for Miami.
"Just a great effort by Miami on the boards and just a poor effort on our part," FSU head coach Sue Semrau said. "That's what we really pride ourselves on and I thought that was the difference in the basketball game."
Sophomore forward Keyona Hayes, who was averaging 9.3 points, led Miami with 22 points. The Hurricanes took advantage of slip screens and high-low action on the lower block to generate 26 points in the paint, slightly above FSU's average.
"She really was effective in their offense and we didn't do a good of effectively shutting her down," Semrau added of Hayes.
Miami ended with four double-figure scorers, including Necole Sterling (14), Krystal Saunders (12) and Adrienne Motley (10) along with Hayes. Florida State got a good shooting performance from redshirt sophomore guard Morgan Jones, who generated 19 points for her most in ACC play. Jones tied her season high as well as the team's high with five 3-point field goals, shooting 7-of-14 while adding eight rebounds.
Jones' five treys give her 44 this season, tying her for 16th on the FSU single-season 3-point field goals list.
Senior Natasha Howard finished with a hard-earned 17 points on 4-of-13 shooting. The Toledo, Ohio, native was double-teamed every time she touched the ball, but managed to get to the free-throw line 11 times and convert nine points from the stripe.
Florida State hurt itself by missing several baskets underneath. It shot 32.8 percent (22-of-67) to tie for its worst shooting performance of the year. Its other season-low performance actually came in a Top 25 win over Michigan State on Dec. 4.
A bright area for the `Noles was once again free-throw shooting. FSU shot 23-of-30 from the free-throw line, hitting 75 percent of its free throws for the fourth consecutive game. FSU also forced just 10 turnovers to tie for its lowest this season.
Sunday's loss puts an end to a four-game win streak against Miami. FSU was also riding a 10-game win streak against Florida-based opponents that was snapped.
With Miami leading 30-29 in what was a rough first half for both teams, the `Noles were mostly trading baskets with the Hurricanes early in the second half. A long 3-ball from Jones with 14:12 left gave FSU a 43-42 lead, but the Hurricanes responded with a key 10-0 run to establish a 52-43 lead with 9:12 left. A big play in the run was a three-point play from Sterling that resulted in Howard's fourth foul with 11:58 remaining.
FSU refused to give up, as an inside basket from Ivey Slaughter cut their deficit to 59-55 with 5:48 left. However, Saunders responded with a 3-pointer and a jumper to put Miami on top by a nine-point margin with five minutes left in the game. Later, a basket by Motley with 3:38 remaining put Miami ahead 68-57.
Jones tried to keep the `Noles in it with her fifth 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 74-69 with 25 seconds left, but a few free-throw conversions by `Canes ended FSU's two-game win streak.
Florida State looks to regroup on the road as it travels to No. 9 Maryland for a televised matchup on Thursday, Feb. 20, at 8:30 p.m. The game will air on FOX Sports Florida as well as a host of other regional networks that are in the ACC footprint.
For more information on Florida State women's basketball, follow the Seminoles on Twitter at @FSU_WBasketball and like their official Facebook page (Facebook.com/FSUWomensBasketball).


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Lacuna Coil's Andrea Ferro Talks About His Experience on Gigantour
Italian rockers Lacuna Coil will be on the road nonstop this year to support their new album 'Dark Adrenaline.' Fresh off their run with Megadeth, Motorhead and Volbeat on Gigantour, the band is gearing up to go back on the road at the end of March.
Loudwire caught up with singer Andrea Ferro toward the end of Gigantour and he had a lot of good things to say about the entire experience. "It's great, our relationship with every band is really cool, the crews, the technicians they're doing the best, we've been treated really well."
He went on to say, "We have a lot of fun with the Motorhead guys, it's a very easygoing tour … It's fun and it's a great way to promote the album in the beginning of the cycle."
Check out our photo gallery and concert review from Gigantour's New York City stop and exclusive photos from the Massachusetts show. Stay tuned for our full exclusive interview with Andrea Ferro of Lacuna Coil.


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This Week's PS4, PS3, and PS Vita Deals Revealed
There are a lot of games from the Tom Clancy's franchise available on sale this week.
GRAW2 offers up a better, though shorter, single-player game than its predecessor. But the bulk of its gameplay can be found in its impressive multiplayer game.
A trailer all about the new content pack.
There are a lot of games from the Tom Clancy's franchise available on sale this week.
We arm ourselves with the senior game designer Christopher Roby and brand manager Christopher Goh about Ubisoft's upcoming shooter.
Microsoft apologizes to resident of 800-person town after his online handle was ruled in violation of online service's code of conduct.
[UPDATE 2] Next installment in Ubisoft's squad-based shooter due out this holiday on PS3 and 360; Wii, PC, PSP, and DS versions also confirmed; 360 Splinter Cell Conviction buyers get ...
Here's a ton of new content, including Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, Serious Sam HD: TFE, and add-ons for Rock Band and Forza Motorsport 3 this week on Xbox Live! ...
Xbox Live Update: Microsoft lays out month's remainder of Arcade, Games on Demand additions, which include Death by Cube, Dead Rising, more.
Ubisoft USPTO filing reveals likely name of next installment in its tactical Tom Clancy shooter series, due out after Q1 2010.
Hothead Games' Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness - Episode One was released to positive reviews in May 2008 as one of the most expensive downloadable games ...
Ubi Montreal's Yannis Mallat, Far Cry 2 lead Clint Hocking, POP producer Ben Mattes, and EndWar director Michael De Plater discuss the French publisher's approach to film-game cross-pollination.
[UPDATE] Ubisoft confirms stealthy, heavily armed sequels will join postponed survival horror game on next year's release docket.
Warner Bros. enlists PC GRAW and Bionic Commando Rearmed developer to craft third-person sci-fi shooter based on forthcoming fourth Terminator film.
News of the Rainbow Six publisher's tie-up of military media mogul's empire sends company's share price skyward.
[UPDATE] Author-inspired techno-military media empire--including book, film, and game rights--purchased by Rainbow Six publisher; CEO Yves Guillemot says Ubi looking at massively multiplayer project.
Legacy Edition to bundle Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 with extra disc including DLC packs, new maps, missions, weapons.
A trailer all about the new content pack.
Find out the winners of the awards for Outstanding Achievement in Music during part three of the industry's premier awards show.
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Secrets of the Highwayman
Melanie Jones thought she was imagining things. Surely there's not a breathtaking man astride a magnificent black horse racing her sports car on a country road. And he has the nerve to wink at her, just before he vanishes into the night! When he appears to her in solid, sinewy muscle, Melanie realizes he's real . . . and irresistible.Nearly two centuries ago, Nathaniel Raven was betrayed and murdered by a trusted friend. He now has one opportunity to uncover the secrets of that night, and Melanie is the only woman who can help him. She may be the most infuriating and independent woman he's ever known, but there is no denying the burning passion between them . . . or the lethal danger that has followed him from the past . . .
Weiterlesen weniger lesen


text:
Quick reflexes and situational awareness are key attributes for any player looking to make his way into the National Football League. Tennessee Titans linebacker Jonathan Willard just didn't expect those skills to be needed so desperately while driving down the freeway to report for training camp.
According to David Hood of TigerNet.com – a site that covers Clemson University athletics – Willard helped save a woman, her three children and their dog from a car fire while driving to report for camp on Tuesday.
Willard was driving along Interstate 40 in Tennessee when he noticed a car driving along the road with black smoke spewing from the vehicle. He flagged the car down and got the woman driving the car to pull it over to the side of the road.
The car quickly became overrun by flames.
"When she pulled over, the car was really on fire at that point," Willard said. "The driver, she acted like she was in some kind of daze or something. She told me that she didn't stop because she didn't think it was her car that was on fire. Another guy stopped, and we managed to get the kids and the dog out and get them to safety, and then I finally got the woman out."
Willard went undrafted and signed with the Titans after a productive career at Clemson. As a senior, Willard recorded 95 tackles with 10.5 for loss and three sacks.
With the number of arrests seen this offseason involving NFL players it's great to see a player getting in the news for the all the right reasons.


text:
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Lipscomb Bisons' coach Scott Sanderson didn't take long to start looking ahead to returning to Atlantic Sun Conference play.
His Bisons fell 88-70 to No. 21-ranked Memphis here Thursday night at the FedEXForum to close out the non-conference portion of the season. The Bisons will be on the road when A-Sun play resumes at Stetson in DeLand, Fla. Monday night.
Center Adnan Hodzic scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds, both team highs for the Bisons, in 36 minutes of play. Guard Josh Slater added 12 points, four rebounds and three steals in 24 minutes.
The biggest concern for Sanderson, especially with the grind of the A-Sun schedule ahead, is finding some help to give Hodzic and Slater some rest.
"I probably played certain guys too many minutes," Sanderson said. "But when you get behind a little bit you have to play certain guys.
"Adnan and Josh played too many minutes. We have to have some other guys to step up. We could easily wear Adnan and Josh out in January and February so they wouldn't have anything left in the tank in March. We have to be very careful about that."
The Bisons reserves scored 16 points. Memphis got 19 points from the bench.
"I'm not comfortable enough about the production of some of our bench players," Sanderson said. "We have to find another guy or two that can eventually play in the league.
"Hopefully, in league play and in practice, we can develop some guys who can come in and help us some. Right now some of those guys have a short rope. They have to be productive or do something possible when they enter the game. That is critical for them and also critical for our team."
The Bisons, playing their last non-conference game of the season, fell to 7-4. Three of their four losses have been to nationally ranked teams. Memphis, from Conference USA, is 10-2.
Memphis shot 54 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range, 11-of-22. Forward Wesley Witherspoon led the way with 28 points, hitting four of five attempts from 3-point range.
Also scoring in double figures for Memphis were guard Will Barton with 15, guard Joe Jackson with 13 and guard Antonio Barton with 12.
"Memphis hit eight threes in the first half, " Sanderson said. "They jumped out there like they were supposed to make them and they had been shooting 30 percent from 3-point range for the most part.
"They jumped up, so obviously that hurt us. We wanted to play more zone and the few times we did play zone we didn't rebound very well. We got crushed on the backboard."
The eight 3-point shots made by Memphis was the team high for the season in a half. Witherspoon's four 3-pointers made tied a career high.
Memphis held a 42-23 advantage on the boards. Once again Witherspoon led the way for Memphis with a game-high 14 rebounds.
"We haven't finished halves very well," Sanderson said. "We turned the ball over two straight times. Those types of things, against a team like Memphis, are magnified.
"They hit a three and then hit another bucket and are back to fighting a 10-point deficit. That is a big difference in the psyche of players' heads. Those things are critical."
The Bisons opened with a 4-0 lead in the first half, but fell behind 7-6 at 17:13 and never trailed again.
Forward Brandon Brown, who finished with 10 points, four rebounds, two blocks and a steal, scored the first two points of the second half.
The Bisons shot 46 percent from the field, hitting 29-of-63 shots, but made only four of 21 shots from 3-point range.
"Memphis did a good job of contesting our 3-point shots," Sanderson said. "It is hard to overcome getting outrebounded by nearly 20 and having a team hit 54 percent from the floor and making 11 threes."
The Bisons have 18 games in the A-Sun to play with the first two on the road.
"They are obviously going to be very challenging," Sanderson said. "We just need to get rested up, healed up a little bit and get ready for Stetson."
Written by Mark McGee, Senior Publisher/Director of Media Relations.


text:
Slate Cheese Board
If you're like me, then you also prefer eating to shopping. But with the holiday gift giving season underway, we have to shop, right? Yes, but how about shopping at your computer while munching on cranberry-pistachio biscotti and hot coffee?
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Well, I've got ya covered. Here's the ideal holiday gift for the foodie in your life: "The Box." What is "The Box"? It's a holiday gift box from Ecosalon that's chock full of $500 worth of foodie-related goods from cookbooks to artisan chocolates to stylish kitchen accessories such as bamboo utensils. And the best part is it's only $99!
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Really. It's true, and it's all legit. In fact, my friend Anna from Ecosalon included my cookbook, Recipes Every Man Should Know, as one of the gifts in the box.
Here's the only catch: There are a limited number of holiday gift boxes, which are selling quickly. So if you'd like to purchase one, hop on over to Ecosalon and place your order. And while you're at it, have a biscotti for me.
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text:
2013-06-12 • "Forced Breeding"
Start: 11:55:44
Seventies: I'm on time today.. even early! http://www.folkstreams.net/film,82 hello alt
alt: hi early bird LOL
Seventies: Yeah, I didn't want to be teased today! lol
alt: I wouldn't dare tease you.
Seventies: lol thanks Things are going well on the Forks of the Road group. Finally! Someone who knows that there were black people in Adams County!
daviss: hi alt and seventies
Seventies: hi daviss
alt: Hi daviss, what's up on "Zona?
daviss: nothing but the heat alt
Seventies: the temp
alt: yeah Seventies, I see you're helping Boxley get the site off to a good start.
daviss: heat alert all day today
alt: stay inside and be safe daviss
daviss: no worries alt...
Seventies: Ok while you're sitting inside in the cool AC, you should check out http://folkstreams.net Lots of good folk type mini docs from all cultures in the U.S.
daviss: I will stay in for sure
Seventies: So has anyone read my short blog entry "Uncle Thurman was a Gandy Dancer" ??
daviss: nope
Seventies: lol
alt: not yet Seventies
daviss: Whats a Gandy Dancer?
Seventies: A Gandy Dancer was a man who worked on repairing the RR tracks during the 20th century. http://thefamilygriot.blogspot.com/2013/06/uncle-thurman-was-gandy-dancer.html hello vkn
vkn: Good afternoon to all good people!!!!!
daviss: hi vkn!
Seventies: daviss, they specifically speak to the African-American men who were fortunate enough to get a job with the RR...
alt: Hello vkn, how ya doing today?
Seventies: vkn, did you have any family members who were Gandy Dancers for the railroad in GA or AL?
daviss: oh really seventies, so they were only AA specific? What were the Chinese workers called/
vkn: doing good alt No Seventies at least not to my knowledge
Seventies: I don't know... lol
daviss: ah ha!
Seventies: But those railroad chants sounded just like the church songs..at least in the Baptist/holiness tradition.
daviss: wonder why the term Gandy? I guess its like calling PP George huh
Seventies: Gandy was a company that made railroad tools
daviss: Oh ok thanks
Seventies: Hi Selma
Selma: Good Wednesday afternoon alt, daviss, seventies and vkn
vkn: Selma
daviss: Hello there Selma!
alt: I would imagine AA "work songs" all had a gospel 'tinge' to them Seventies railroad, cotton fields, coal mining, etc.
daviss: oh yeah alt
alt: Hello Ms Selma... nice direction you've pointed "Cherokee" with you wealth of resources .. Good Job!!!!
vkn: The compositions/arrangements by R. Nathaniel Dett reflect & display what you say of the "worksongs" alt
Selma: Actually..I believe she might have the book..
alt: not familiar with Mr. Dett vkn
Seventies: gospel tinge... lol they are all soul
vkn: We will have to get you familiar alt, lol
alt: okay Seventies .... okay vkn, gonna check him out after chat.
vkn: lol
Seventies: I remember hearing the same type of singing in church songs when I was growing up. The call and response etc. And I'm just 21... lol
Selma: Yeah right..we know better.. LOL
Seventies: lol
alt: 21 ... dividing by what Seventies?
Seventies: lol lol you all are so funny!
daviss: In some small baptist churches here they still do that type of singing led by the deacons
vkn: to the ???? power lol
alt: there you go vkn.... sitting here watching some guys across the street doing some roofing work... man, I know it's "hot" up there on that roof.
Seventies: Yep its called long verses or something like that daviss... I posted a link on the Family Griot FB...
Selma: Its gonna be 90 something here today...for daviss..that is probably balmy
vkn: Humid in Hotlanta this day
Seventies: We're in the upper 60's today.. Maybe 70
daviss: 112 or higher
alt: oh my daviss !!!!!
Selma: Like I said..90 is balmy for daviss
vkn: Been Slater surfing for a good portion of the 3AM
daviss: heat alert
Seventies: lol yeah she laughed at me when it was 77 low last week
Selma: Anymore luck vkn on the Slater search?
Seventies: Here is another one from FolkStreams. "I Ain't Lying: Folktales from Mississippi"
vkn: Fun to manipulate results via HeritageQuest
Selma: Comment..there is a person posting on a number of the forums about finding "death notices"..does anyone know what she means?
Seventies: I don't know what in the world they post about sometimes.. lol
Selma: I guess not a Comment but question
vkn: No real luck at search selma but broadened views of what is out there as friend Joseph would say lol
Selma: Hey where is Joseph?
Seventies: Maybe they are talking about newspaper death notices or legal death notices
vkn: Send me a link Selma I am not familiar with the posts
Selma: For the time frame she seems to be talking about..don't think they were putting death notices in newspaper for black folks..unless they killed a bunch of folks
Seventies: okay
vkn: did send Daviss one about 'incest" etc Selma lets post the Q to Tim Pinnick about when notices were initiated in papers
Selma: The poster is obviously finding something..
daviss: Their terminology vkn, mabe they don't realize that there was a profit in that Grrrrrr that was to the incest statement vkn
Selma: Actually Tim..just responded to her post which she originally posted on deaths of 3 children
alt: just had a presentation at our AAGGMV meeting on death notices/obits would y'all like a copy of the handout?
vkn: Gotcha Daviss which raises another question Send handout Alt
daviss: yes alt
Selma: My suggestion that she get hold of the Death Register for that county might yield more results..it would also give her an opportunity to see who else was dying and when
alt: If y'all wnat a copy send me your email addtress to email@example.com
vkn: Q:would we called "forced breeding" incest during the period of enslavement as we do in post civil war
alt: hmmmn , good question vkn
Seventies: Well forced breeding is a very generic term
vkn: Oops
alt: I would think that the "breeders" would be very careful about who they had "mated with" to ensure a healthy child. ... so no actual incest in the strictest sense of the word
daviss: breeding pens
vkn: Well will report back later in week on what the literature indicates
alt: okay vkn
vkn: The research work of Wilma King indicates behaviors
daviss: money was their behavior
vkn: Just thinking how the vocabulary of today did not even exist in my growing up
alt: I've often thought about my enslaved ancestors who had many children if their children were fathered by just one man, or if they had multiple partners "forced" upon them.
daviss: that vkn or the meaning of same alt women were probably "expected" to have at least 5 children
alt: a great-great grandmother in particular who had 8 children, supposedly by the same man, but they were "owned' by different pwners and lived on separate farms/plantations.
Seventies: sad alt.
alt: I think that was a "common" thing Seventies, of course I could be wrong.
Seventies: Well the children could've been leased out.
vkn: Well in the TN/GA mountains there was an institution for lack of an actual term called "constabulary' where breeding was organized and supervised
alt: example.... the first lady's enslaved family ... the great-grandmother had children by the "master" and also with another enslaved person. it would be interesting if DNA could be done and it was determined that 'so called brothers' had different paternal haplogroups.
vkn: I will try and find the reference and post
Seventies: Oh you are referring to how the 'massa' could have sexual relations with any African woman he wanted to, regardless of if she was 'married' or partnered with someone else.
alt: if 25-30% of AA males have Euro haplogoups that would indicate that it is not too far=fetched for there to be multiple fathers among what we believe to be monogamous slave relationships.
Seventies: Here is a story from a women in MS telling the story of her grandmother. http://tinyurl.com/ldn47ws
daviss: brb
alt: when we go deep behind the 'scene' there are things we really don't want to know, or even possibly accept as fact.
Seventies: "If the master went in the little shack and decided to meet with their mama, there was nothing that nobody could do. That's why Aunt Sally was bright and she was dark....that's how it was when she was coming up 'cause she was slave" A quote from the interview I just posted.
alt: I can believe/accept her statement Seventies all of mamma's children aren't necessarily daddy's children.
Seventies: So I think considering the conditions, it wasn't so much a lack of monogamy, but the complete control through rape. Demeaning the man and woman who were enslaved.
alt: yes, we know what it was Seventies
Selma: Yes
vkn: Even to today alt
daviss: yep
alt: and sadly today we're doing it to ourselves in too many cases.
Seventies: It certainly affects the way I think of having an interracial relationship. I don't do it.
daviss: that wasn't love Seventies for sure
alt: rape & the breeding process certainly weren't daviss
daviss: it was the love of money
Seventies: Well I've said my piece. And we've been doing that for many generations. So let's not just look at TODAY... some folks in their senior years don't know who their fathers are. I had a close relative who had a daughter whom he completely ignored. Fortunately WE had a good relationship with this persona and their family. We = the rest of our family. I gotta get going.
daviss: exactly seventies and it won't change that fact. Seniors, juniors etc.
alt: true Seventies, I'm not meaning to make it a "cookie cutter" statement, but today is definitely different from even my youth.
daviss: look whats happening now in the military
Seventies: ah huh... remember, alt, I grew up around a lot of black folks from 100 to 1... lol I've seen alot. lol
daviss: and they still dont get it
Seventies: Nothing new under the sun... I've figured that much out.. lol
alt: you're saying I didn't grow up around black folks Seventies ???????
daviss: :o
Seventies: No I'm saying that there is nothing new under the sun.
vkn: With that I agree Seventies
Selma: Except for Twitter.. LOL
Seventies: And now I gotta go... Have a good day all!
alt: oh yes there is ... thank you Selma LOL
daviss: run seventies
vkn: With that I agree Seventies they just name it different
Seventies: lol daviss...
daviss: my mom used to say its all a wheel within a wheel. it rolls the same way
alt: that'll work for me daviss
daviss: me too alt lol lol
alt: good luck vkn.. upgrading anyhting has gotten to be a headache for me. oh my vkn... how do you transfer all of your "stuff' to a new 'puter?
vkn: with a special cable happens in minutes alt
daviss: leave that texas stuff on your old puter and I will pick it up next month LOL
Selma: Ummmm Our own techie Fearless Leader
vkn: lol
daviss: lol lol notice I said Texas
vkn: lol
Selma: Folks..gotta run..need a nap Bye
daviss: later
vkn: bye
daviss: ok alt they left us to do the heavy lifting again
alt: lights, I got'em daviss
daviss: heyyyy
alt: you can have the chairs LOL LOL
daviss: lol ok I am a strong woman
alt: W-o--------m-a-n
daviss: have a good day partner
alt: laters
daviss: lol bye


text:
Sunday, March 22, 2009
got tagged...
I got tagged by Nathalie et cetera, the artist behind that great painting.
The rules are:
1. Respond and rework. Answer the questions on your blog, replace one question you dislike with a question of your own invention. 2. Tag six other un-tagged people. Change the rules if you wish.
What is your current obsession?
Finding a new job with a reasonable wage.
What are you wearing right now?
The black dress my friend Paule just gave to me.
Do you nap a lot?
Who was the last person you hugged?
My friend Paule for having buy me a dress.
If you were a tree, what tree would you be?
A lonesome tree in a field.
What's for dinner?
I don't know yet, probably meatsauce spaghetti.
What was the last thing you bought?
A bottle of wine.
What are you listening to right now?
La semaine verte.
What is your favourite weather?
I love sunny, warm and dry mornings.
What's on your beside table?
Le mystère Frontenac, from François Mauriac.
Say something to the person/s who tagged you.
Thanks Nathalie! That is fun to do in this lazy sunday!
What was the last play you saw?
I never did!
Favourite vacation spot?
La réserve faunique Mastigouche.
A book you're currently reading?
Besides what's on my beside table? Les algues bleues, des solutions pratiques.
What is your favourite sound?
The sound of a creek.
What would you like to get rid of?
My student loan.
If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
On my woodlot with my dog.
What did you want to become as a child?
An Olympic champion.
Your favorite movie?
One flew over the cuckoo's nest.
What is your plan for tomorrow?
I will mail my subscription for a craft fair in june, apply on two, maybe three jobs. Than I will go to work where I will do some research and write a press release. Than I will go to a board meeting for a non-profit organization I am involved on.
I am tagging Audrey, Eve, Little Gray Pixel, Erin, The bohemian Scientist and Tchoubi.
Posted by Set Carré at 1:00 PM
Labels: Life is Life
4 comments:
- nathalie et cetera said...
Merci pour la pub ! :)
Et bonne chance pour la job !
- March 22, 2009 at 10:14 PM
- Nathalie (tchoubi) said...
Voilà c'est fait :)
- March 23, 2009 at 11:40 AM
- M comme...Maman said...
Génial! Je viens de découvrir ton blogue et ça fait du bien de lire quelqu'un de créatif au Québec! Il n'y en a pas assez! ;-)
Je reviendrai te lire!
- March 25, 2009 at 1:54 PM
- LilithEvy said...
Très plaisant à faire!!!
Merci bien!
- March 25, 2009 at 8:12 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
SOURCE: UC4 Software
November 28, 2012 05:00 ET
Study Reveals Path to Reducing IT Complexity and Consequently Driving Business Value
Study Reveals Path to Reducing IT Complexity and Consequently Driving Business Value
BELLEVUE, WA--(Marketwire - Nov 28, 2012) - UC4 has announced that Forrester Consulting has released a new, data-rich commissioned study, "The Changing State of IT Operations," for which they conducted an in-depth survey of 160 IT decision makers (ITDMs) and business decision makers (BDMs) to understand the expectations and the key challenges that IT faces in the upcoming year. The study offers rich insight into how the challenges can be overcome and points to the need for advanced, integrated systems management and IT process automation solutions.
According to the study, commissioned by UC4 Software, business and technology decision makers agree that IT isn't keeping up with the needs of the business. For example, 65 percent of ITDMs indicated that it takes a full three months to deliver new services with 24 percent reflecting six months or more. In a hyper-competitive business environment, for many firms, this equates to lost competitive advantage and lost revenue.
The two camps also agree on the top challenges facing IT. However, there's a significant disconnect on how each measures IT success, which is indicative as to the reason for the divide. While 49 percent of BDMs consider response time/performance as the primary measurement, only 27 percent of ITDMs agree, favoring uptime and cost control as the top two measurement criteria.
While the research indicates that the overwhelming majority of respondents would fund a solution that could deliver just a 25 percent improvement in their most important business process, speed is a big issue.
"I believe that the study clearly states that today's IT operations are simply too complex, and this is caused by a build-up of too many outdated, un-integrated tools that create a conundrum," said Randy Clark, chief marketing officer for UC4 Software. "Companies spend millions to integrate outdated tools or continue to operate in a slow and tremendously inefficient manner with a lack of good process visibility and the constant need to fight fires with valuable IT staff."
The study states that to overcome IT complexity and improve agility, "IT process automation is the way forward." If IT processes are slow and inflexible, are poorly integrated, or require too much hand holding, options are limited: retire them, outsource them or automate them. If they support key, revenue-generating business processes, retiring them isn't an option. If outsourced, there is no guarantee a service provider can do any better. According to the study, "The best option is to automate them."
About UC4 Software
UC4 Software is the world's largest independent IT Process Automation software company. UC4's ONE Automation platform delivers IT Process Automation for organizations facing increasingly dynamic applications and infrastructure, and those migrating to next generation service models for cloud, DevOps and big data. ONE Automation unifies workload, application release, application process, run-book, data transfer, and VM automation, with predictive analytics based on complex event processing technology. Unified process automation is proven to help IT Operations gain greater control and significantly improve both service delivery and cost savings. With 25 years of experience, UC4 automates tens of millions of operations a day for over 2,000 customers worldwide. Rethink IT automation at www.UC4.com.
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Situated in the province of East Nusa Tenggara , West Timor is one of Indonesia's lesser known destinations compared to neighboring Flores or Komodo Islands, but is no less captivating and therefore well worth a visit.
Sharing the border with the young independent country of East Timor, the region is characterized by mainly rugged terrain which is home to unique traditional villages, and vast diversity of flora and fauna. Timor is in many respects one of the Indonesian archipelago's undiscovered jewels. Some of these gems are located in the administrative district of Kupang, outside the city of Kupang itself, which serves as the capital of the entire province of East Nusatenggara.
Leaving downtown Kupang, buzzing with its bemos and honking horns, beyond the city, West Timor's landscape captivates with its spiky Palmyra palms, rocky soils and central hills dotted with villages consisting of sharp cone-shaped thatched huts, and some fantastic coastlines.
Located about 12 Km from the heart of Kupang, one can find a 3.5 hectares flat shore covered with soft white sands called the Lasiana Beach. With hundreds of coconut and old fan palm trees nicely lined up, the beach is not only naturally sheltered, but also offers lots of genuinely fresh air. Another unique feature of the area is the lopo-lopo, the local term for their traditional cone-shaped houses, that are completely covered with thatch from the mast down to the floor with only a small opening to crawl in. These lopo-lopo are now mainly used to store foodstuff since inside these cabins it is cool and pretty dark.
As one travels further to about 25km from downtown Kupang city, a Fishing Paradise awaits off the coast of Tablolong Beach. Located at the tip of Timor Island on a strait facing the island of Rote, the waters 10 miles away from the coast of Tablolong Beach are known as a crowded migration line for many species of fish.
Marlins, tuna, barracudas, Layaran, Tenggiri, Wahui, Kuwe, and Lemadang are among the many types of fish found plentiful in these waters. Its abundance has made it the ideal site for an annual international fishing contest participated by fishing enthusiasts from around the globe.
About half an hour drive from Kupang, the Oenesu Waterfall offers the perfect place to relax and enjoy its refreshing atmosphere. As one of the few waterfalls found in West Timor, the site is a favorite for local and tourists to enjoy nature, the pleasant weather and fascinating scenery. Among the four levels waterfall, natural ponds are formed that are perfect to dive in for a cooling swim. The debit of the waterfall is quite stable, so one can still enjoy it even during the dry season.
The diversity of flora and fauna on Timor can also be observed at the Menipo Island Natural Park. Aside from its stunning white sand coast, the wildlife within the island is as colorful as its scenery. Timorese Deer (Cervus timorensis), Apes (Macaca fascicularis), Wild Boar (Sus vitatus), Giant Lizards (Varanus salvator), and Timorese Python Snake (Python timorensis), are among some of the animals that dwell on the island. Between August to November, the island is also visited by sea turtles that annually lay eggs on its shores. The 2.449,50 hectares island itself is located within the Amrasii county, Kupang Regency, about 118 Km east of Kupang.
About 46 Kilometers from the city of Kupang, near the town of Soe, lies an enchanting forest filled not only with wildlife but has also some beautiful landscape at the Camplong Forest Park. Located at the foot of Mount Fatuleu, the forest comes with a natural bathing place created by natural springs. The forest is decorated with colorful plants such as the red wood, pines, Palmyra palms, eucalyptus, and many others. The Camplong Forest area also accommodates a crocodile breeding facility. Timorese Deer and pythons, olive-shouldered parrots, and black-backed fruit-doves, are most likely the inhabitants that one will encounter as you make your way through the forest.


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Asked by Terry Ryals, Louisiana
My glucose levels usually run between 120 and 135 with a nonfasting blood test, though do not have a diagnosis of diabetes. I suffer greatly with my feet and been told by a podiatrist that it is neuropathy. Is it possible that my high glucose levels are causing the neuropathy?
Conditions Expert
Dr. Otis Brawley
Chief Medical Officer,
American Cancer Society
Dear Terry, Thanks for your question.
I like to think of blood glucose values as a spectrum of numbers with no clear cutoff between nondiabetic and diabetic. In similar manner there is a gray area of blood glucose that defines pre-diabetes. Many people use blood sugar and blood glucose interchangeably.
The definition of diabetes has changed over time. The numbers you quote might very well be considered diagnostic of diabetes today whereas they were not 20 years ago. In 1997, the American Diabetes Association definition of normal blood glucose decreased from 120 to 110 mg/dL (6.1 mmol/L). In 2002, the American Diabetes Association defined a normal fasting blood glucose as less than 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L).
Today we consider fasting blood sugars of 100 mg/dl to 125mg/dl to be in the realm of glucose intolerance which is sometimes called pre-diabetes. These patients are at increased risk for developing frank diabetes. Several fasting glucose levels over 125 or a single random glucose over 200 mg are considered diagnostic of diabetes.
There are other tests used to make the diagnosis of pre-diabetes or diabetes. Pre-diabetes is defined as a blood sugar of 140 to 199 mg/dL (7.8 to 11.0 mmol/L) two-hour after drinking 75 grams of an oral glucose solution. The diagnosis of diabetes is confirmed with a blood sugar of 200 mg/dL or greater, two hours after ingestion of the glucose solution. Hemoglobin A1C is a blood test that gives an estimate of blood sugar levels over the previous three months. Persons with a value of 5.7 to 6.4 percent are thought to have pre-diabetes. Those with a value of 6.5 percent or higher are considered diabetic.
About 30 percent of patients with frank diabetes for more than a decade have some neuropathy. It usually presents as numbness, itching or tingling in the legs but can also be pains. It can even present as digestive problems such as difficulty digesting food or diarrhea due to problems with nerves in the bowels. Most diabetic neuropathy is caused by peripheral artery disease, in which the small blood vessels are obstructed or partially obstructed and cannot carry oxygenated blood to areas of the body. These areas have pain or other difficulties due to the lack of oxygen.
It is very possible for someone with numbers that are considered pre-diabetes to have some of the complications of diabetes This is especially true of big vessel disease such as myocardial infarction (heart attack), stroke and peripheral vascular disease. Retinopathy, neuropathy and kidney disease are rarer in pre-diabetics but can occur, especially in someone who has pre-diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure). The condition of pre-diabetes combined with hypertension is often referred to as the "metabolic syndrome." Elevated cholesterol and triglyceride combined with diabetes and hypertension increases risk of neuropathy even further. Of note, there are some nondiabetics with neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease caused by elevated cholesterol and triglycerides only.
It is prudent that you have a relationship with a physician who will measure not just blood sugar, but cholesterols, triglycerides and blood pressure. He or she may decide that lowering your blood sugars through diet or medication or both might be beneficial for your long-term health. Lowering blood sugar can sometimes even better the pain of diabetic neuropathy. Many pre-diabetics and diabetic patients are also treated for cholesterol and triglyceride problems and get a baby aspirin daily to decrease risk of heart disease. There are also a number of treatments for pain caused by neuropathy.
In addition to having the above tests, people with pre-diabetes and diabetes should get an annual eye examination to rule out early diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is treatable and is the most common cause of blindness. It is also prudent to examine the feet for wounds that the patient might not appreciate due to loss of sensation as a part of diabetic neuropathy. Assessment of kidney function and some studies of the heart and vascular system may also be called for.
By the way, there are other causes of peripheral neuropathy. Not uncommon are amyloidosis, which is a disease in which excess protein is deposited in nerve tissue, and vasculitic neuropathy, a rheumatologic disease in which the patient has inflammation near the nerve. Also we must consider alcoholic neuropathy in someone with an extreme drinking history and even lead poisoning as a possible cause. Patients who have been treated with chemotherapy for cancer and some rheumatologic diseases can also get some painful neuropathies.
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Cbsingletondvm needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 99 designs submitted by 24 freelance designers.
South Park Animal Hospital
We are a brand new start-up animal hospital in South Austin. South Park Animal Hospital is still under construction with plans to provide South Austin a hip, esthetically appealing animal practice that services all of their pet health needs. Our mission is to provide superior quality medicine to pets of all species and excellent service to our clients, community, and team members. Our most common patients will be dogs and cats; however, the doctor has experience and a passion for exotic pets and will see most exotic pets (except for birds and monkeys). We want to project a positive and friendly image. We encourage our clients to do the best they possibly can to support their pet's health without using fear or guilt tactics. Client education is a huge focus for our clinic and the doctor will take the appropriate amount of time to discuss health and wellness solutions with the client. We plan to be as flexible as possible to meet clients needs by offering walk-in service, boarding, and on-call emergency care.
Our market is South Austin. There is a very eclectic and diverse mix of clients in this area. Our target market is middle class to upper middle class pet owners who consider their pet part of the family. We are not targeting any particular age group as there are people of all ages who feel this way about their pets. These are the people who spend time with their pets and take them out to experience this beautiful city together. Our prices will be about average for the veterinary industry. Our target clients will be responsible pet owners who spend the money for general pet wellness such as vacinations, dental cleanings, and periodic blood work for senior patients. We specifically want to target clients who may be unhappy with the other veterinary services they have experienced in the area or just want to become a part of a fresh new vet clinic where they will build a long-standing relationship with the doctor.
Because we do not know exactly what we want we hope for some creative results. We know that we want something fresh and new so the generic dog paw with a band-aid across it just won't do. Not saying that a paw should not be used in the design but if it is it should be fresh and different. Though we see exotic pets this does not necessarily need to be incorporated in the logo. If animals are used a dog and cat will represent our patients sufficiently. It should be more friendly than formal. It should be clean, fresh, and modern.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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It's time to eat.
You've been anticipating this meal all day.
You're with some of your favorite people at your go-to special occasion spot.
When the server nods at you, you name the dish you've been craving. If you could see the look of anticipation and excitement on your face as you order, you might be a touch embarrassed. (Should a grown person really be this excited about food??)
Even now, your mouth waters as you catch a whiff of the chef's handiwork and watch other patrons savoring it by the mouthful.
The music sets the perfect mood. Just loud enough to be enjoyed, but soft enough not to stifle conversation. The lighting and decor enhance the moment. Everything seems to be….well…perfect.
Your meal finally arrives. You resist the primal urge to stuff your face impolitely and somehow muster the patience to let everyone receive their plates too.
Someone suggests a prayer of thanksgiving. You reluctantly agree- a touch annoyed to be further delayed- but also sincerely grateful.
Amen is said and with all barriers removed, you hoist your fork and target your first bite.
A hair.
One that is definitely not yours.
In your food.
Are you still hungry?
Excited to dig in?
Has your appetite been ruined? Or at least diminished?
Some of us might be able to set aside the follicular invader and eat with abandon. But most wouldn't.
Even if we sent our plate back to the kitchen and got an unsullied portion with the manager's apologies and an appropriate bill reduction- we'd still struggle to recover the bliss we felt before we found the hair.
Isn't that interesting? How can one small, unfortunate- and even unintentional- detail negate all the other fantastic parts of the evening?
And yet it can. And does.
And not just at the dinner table either.
Most of us live pretty good lives. Things aren't perfect, but our blessings greatly outnumber our struggles.
Yet our problems carry so much weight that they easily waylay us- capturing inordinate amounts of our attention, time and energy.
We have 50 positive interactions in a day- and fixate on the one person who was rude to us.
We get 20 thank you notes- but obsess over the one critical email.
We cross 99 items off our to-do list- and lose sleep over the 1 that remains.
We make a dozen great decisions- and beat ourselves up over a single gaff.
Isn't that silly?
And yet true?
What is the "hair in your food" right now?
What problem or distraction has stolen your sense of joy and gratitude?
Is there a way set it aside with God's help and enjoy the moment anyway?


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Even a small group can make a big difference helping meet community needs.
The members of the "Pages Book Club" of Richmond have again celebrated the holidays by holding their third annual food drive to benefit the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program.
Members Saundra Alexander, Linda Daigre, Carolyn Dickens, Mary Spearman and Dorothy Stewart collected more than 500 items, primarily canned goods, for the GRIP Souper Center that feeds the needy each day.
GRIP — a coalition of 45 congregations of all faiths in West County as well as Berkeley, Albany and as far away as San Ramon — operates an emergency shelter for families along with its soup kitchen. It serves 90,000 meals annually and can still use donations and support.
For details, visit www.gripcommunity.org or call 510-233-2141.
WEST COUNTY NOTES: The Contra Costa Chorale, a fixture in West County for 46 years, invites new singers to join the community chorus as it prepares to rehearse its spring program Mozart Requiem.
Rehearsals, which start Jan. 14, are from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Mondays at Hillside Community Church, 1422 Navellier St. in El Cerrito.
For more details, call 510-255-0703, visit ccchorale.org, or send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com.
"We've got the building up for sale, and we'll see what happens," said Dolores Bonds, one of the siblings who have carried on the business founded by their parents. "Until it sells, we're going to stay open as long as we can and keep going strong."
Sale hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
A blood drive will be from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 3 at the Red Cross bus in the parking lot at the Starbucks Coffee shop at 1540 Fitzgerald Drive in Pinole.
The Elks Lodge at 3931 San Pablo Dam Road in El Sobrante is hosting a drive from 2 to 7 p.m. Jan. 4.
The Red Cross bus will be at Castrol Premium Lube Express, 3220 San Pablo Dam Road in El Sobrante, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 5.
Valley Bible Church at 1477 Willow Ave. in Hercules is holding a drive from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. Jan. 14.
To make an appointment for any of the blood drives, call 800-733-2767. Appointments can also be made online at redcrossblood.org. Enter sponsor code STARBUCKSPIN for the Pinole drive, ELSOBRANTE for the Elks Lodge Drive, CASTROLES for the Castrol drive, or VBC for the Hercules drive.
Contact Chris Treadway at 510-262-2784 or email@example.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/christreadway. Stay up-to-date on West Contra Costa news at IBABuzz.com/westcounty.


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Update: After you're done with the secret menu don't forget to read about the blind taste test we did between Burger's Priest and Holy Chuck and the new BP location at Yonge and Lawrence.
This June The Burger's Priest will celebrate its first anniversary of opening on Queen Street just east of Coxwell. For Shant Mandirosian and his team it has been a year of unexpected success. I've posted before about the place but the food is so good that just like the Stockyards it deserves another write-up.
Following in the footsteps of Now Magazine's Steven Davey I'm going to risk a lifetime ban and list the Burger's Priest secret menu. The blocks that build this menu are BP's delicious house-ground, all-beef 4 oz. patties; the breaded and deep-fried portobello caps with cheese (i.e. the vegetarian alternative or "The Option" for short); and their pleasingly standard-issue compressible and absorbent bun. Here's the standard menu as posted in the restaurant. (more…)


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Customer Reviews
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After purchasing this deal, you will need to visit the website listed on your Groupon voucher to complete redemption.
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