text:
What worries you most about retirement? Well, if you're like most retirees and pre-retirees maintaining the value of your savings and having your investments keep pace with inflation concern you most, according to a new survey published by the Society of Actuaries.
And having enough money to pay for health care and long-term care rounds out the top three concerns, according to the 32-page 2013 Risks and Process of Retirement Survey Report — Understanding and Managing the Risks of Retirement.
These findings might not come as a surprise to anyone saving for or living in retirement. But there's plenty in the SOA report that you ought to consider no matter whether you're retired or saving and planning for retirement.
"There are areas where people can do a little bit more planning," said Cindy Levering, a retired pension actuary and member of the SOA's Committee on Post-Retirement Needs and Risks. Here's a look at some of the key findings and some action items.
Beware of scams and fraud
First off, people aren't too concerned about some of the risks of retirement, according to the SOA report. And two, many retirees are unaware of all the risks they might face in retirement. For instance, the SOA suggests that many people are unconcerned with or unaware of the risk of fraud or a scam.
"The one that struck me in (our) report is that very few people were concerned with being a victim of fraud or scam," said Levering. She noted that people, especially as they get older and their cognitive abilities change, may think that they won't be taken in by a scam or fraud, but it happens all the time.
So, action item No. 1 for retirees and pre-retirees would be this: At a minimum, become familiar with all the in-retirement risks and the ways that you can manage them, especially those involving scams and fraud.
Read Managing Post-Retirement Risks. Other resources to learn about scams and fraud: Securities and Exchange Commission's Investor Alerts and Bulletins; Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB); The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA); and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (Finra); Fraud Target: Senior Citizens; Top 10 Scams Targeting Seniors; and The MetLife Study of Elder Financial Abuse. (FYI: The SOA puts the number of retirement risks at 15.)
Cash flow management is not necessarily a risk management plan
Americans, or at least those surveyed in the SOA report, are seemingly focused on cash flow management, and managing expenses so that they could be covered by current income. "They seemed more focused on dealing with risks as they occurred than as part of specific risk management strategies that anticipate them," wrote the authors of the report.
Said Levering: "We found that people generally don't have a very long planning horizon. They are looking at it on a more day-to-day basis, adjusting their expenses to meet their income. And while that might work when things are going along nicely, if there are huge (unanticipated) expenditures such as home repairs, car repairs, health or long-term care, that all goes out the window."
Retirees and pre-retirees also say they will reduce significantly expenses if it looks like they will run out of money due to unforeseen circumstances in retirement. And some might try to return to work, downsize their house, and dip into money they might have otherwise left to their children or other heirs. The actionable advice given this finding: Reducing expenses ought to be viewed perhaps as a last-resort risk management strategy. Contemplate first-resort strategies long before you run out money due to unforeseen circumstances.
Seize the moment
Don't worry if, as a pre-retiree, you are more concerned about your short- and long-term financial future than current retirees. That's the norm apparently. What should worry you, especially if you are already retired, is this: Many retirees who are unconcerned with in-retirement risks have neither the resources nor a plan in place for risks such as long-term care. The takeaway? Don't wait until it's too late to acquire the resources and to put in place plans to deal with retirement risks.
Inflation could adversely affect your nest egg
Many retirees and pre-retirees think inflation will have an adverse effect on the amount of money they will need in retirement. And they would be right in thinking that. Consider: Something that cost $1 in 1983 would cost $2.30 in 2013. Or think of it this way, you'd need set aside $2.30 today to pay from something that would cost $1 in roughly 30 years — which is roughly the duration of retirement for some.
And, as many know, with the exception of Social Security, most income paid to retirees does not increase with inflation, according to the SOA. So, someone planning for 30 years of retirement, would need to factor in how to invest to keep pace with inflation, especially for expenditures that increase even faster than the general rate of inflation such as health care.
That means pre-retirees and retirees will need to consider investments and products that offer some protection against inflation such as stocks, Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS); inflation-adjusted income annuities, and the like. (FYI: Use the U.S. Inflation Calculator to measure the buying power of the dollar over time.)
Retirees and pre-retirees will also need to watch proposals that would change the basis for Social Security benefits, according to the SOA. Those proposals, if ever approved, would likely reduce cost-of-living adjustments to Social Security beneficiaries.
Consider risk-pooling products
Other than health insurance, pre-retirees and retirees are also less likely to use "risk-pooling" strategies to manage retirement risks, according to the SOA report. One reason has to do with money. Many don't have enough financial assets at the time of retirement or during retirement to use effectively risk-pooling strategies. Instead, most resource-constrained retirees try not to spend down assets as one way to avoid outliving their money.
To be fair, Levering said the study doesn't suggest that retirees and pre-retirees put all their life savings into annuities. "For most people you probably don't want to annuitize everything," she said. "You want to have money available to meet these crisis or these financial shocks that might occur."
But she does recommend that you consider risk-pooling products. "It's daunting because there are so many different products, it's very difficult to compare them," she said. "They all have different features and options you can buy for an additional premium. But even though it's daunting it's well worth the exercise of allocating your resources in such a way that you can sleep at night."
Of note, retirees who use a financial planner, as well as those who don't. tend not to use risk-management products, such as annuities. The reason, according to the SOA, is that "there is no general professional agreement or guideline about the correct way to prioritize risks and which risk to cover first." And that's a bit of a problem. You would never find in the field of medicine, for instance, no best practices. But alas this is the field of financial planning where what you get is likely to be quite different from adviser to adviser.
Levering is looking forward to the day when plan providers offer annuities as one of the distribution options to 401(k) plan participants.
Plan to work longer but don't be surprised if you don't
And then there's this finding. Many pre-retirees expect to delay retirement. But the reality is that many more people say they want to keep working than actually do. In fact, people actually retire at a much earlier age than people say they want to retire due to involuntary and pushed retirements. The bottom line given this finding. Working longer is an important risk-management strategy, but you'll need to plan as if you won't be able to keep working. In addition, consider other work options such as phased retirement, part-time work, telecommuting, seasonal work, and the like.
What's your life span?
And the last finding from the SOA study worth noting is this: Many people don't understand the variability of life spans, or realize that they might be the family member who lives long.
And this is an especially big problem for the surviving member of a couple — which is, more often than not, the wife. And few couples plan for this according to the SOA. To be fair, Levering said "when you drill down to the individual level it's a hard thing to wrap your head around."
One action item: Try to get a sense of your and, if applicable, your spouse's personal life span. Some of the better known calculators include the Living to 100 Life Expectancy Calculator; How Long Will I Live? - Life Expectancy Calculator; Calculators: Life Expectancy - Social Security; and Lifespan Calculator – Test Your Life Expectancy.
And, those planning and living in retirement sometimes overlook or fail to consider that difficulties are much more likely to occur late in retirement particularly as physical and cognitive capacities decline. Read Financial Acumen Declines After 60.
"Recognize that your retirement is going to last at least 30 years, so having a 10-year or less planning horizon is probably not a good thing," said Levering. "It may daunting to some people but maybe think of it in buckets and have something to protect you in the three different phases of retirement, especially when you get to the older ages, where maybe you're not as able to deal with of the decisions and financial complexities that are involved."
Read these related stories:
7 worst 401(k) mistakes by retirement savers
Five strategies to get the most Social Security
Retirement crisis is a catastrophe for women
Robert Powell is editor of Retirement Weekly, published by MarketWatch. Follow his tweets at RJPIII. Got questions about retirement? Get answers. Send Bob an email here.


text:
The upcoming 2012 Holden Barina hatch has been awarded a maximum five-star safety rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).
The new hatch is set to go on sale later this year, with a long list of standard safety features which will make it one of the safer options in the segment. Safety features on the all-new car include driver, front passenger, front side and curtain airbags, dual front seatbelt pretensioners, seatbelt reminders, Electronic Stability Control, a collapsible pedal release system and head restraints for all seats.
Holden New Zealand Managing Director, Jeff Murray, said the result proved that when it comes to buying a small car you don't need to compromise on safety. "We are very happy with this result, it absolutely reflects the commitment Holden has made to ensuring the Barina is one of the safest small cars on the road," Murray said. "Now a large number of safety features are accessible to all Holden customers, and it doesn't necessarily have to be dependent upon budget or car size."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Diddy Goes In On Que Of Day26 For Losin His Cool! (Sneak Peak)
Making The Band Sneak Peek - Diddy Goes IN On Que
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
The School hosts hundreds of events every year, from regular seminar series, featured guest speakers and professional development. View full details on all events by day, month or type of event. Most events are open to the public unless otherwise stated, but view event page for more information.
To submit an event, fill out the form here.
Click here for IHPME Event calendar Click here for JCB Event calendar
Upcoming Open House & Grad Fairs


text:
PerfectForms API - Followers
PerfectForms is a software application for creating and deploying web-based solutions to manage workflow and streamline collaborative processes. It uses a drag and drop interface that allows users to build web forms. PerfectForms API allows third party applications to pass data into PerfectForms or extract data from it. They can query and modify account-wide data programmatically and invisibly. The most common uses for the API are: * creating a new form instance and populating fields with data * updating existing form fields * deleting a form instance * reading data from an existing form instance. PerfectForms has three different API types: * Account API - Query and modify account-wide data. * Form API - Query and modify form-specific data. Each published form has a dedicated service to read data from and write data to PerfectForms form instances. * Portal API - Query user-specific data such as lists of viewable forms or pending notifications. This enables developers to create their own web portal where users can log in and view forms, reports and notifications. The API uses SOAP protocol and responses are formatted in XML.


text:
I cannot be the only one…who was filled with dread after they glanced ahead at their child's school calendar and saw the words "Kindergarten Field Trip to The Zoo" printed on the page. I immediately envisioned Sonny Boy, tears streaming down his chubby little six year old cheeks, crying in a little alcove outside the gorilla exhibit, lonely and lost at the zoo on his first field trip. My heart started racing and I knew I had to find out all the particulars of this field trip before I could sign my John Hancock on any sort of permission slip.
When the field trip paperwork was sent home in the homework packet, I sat down and studied the information, I mean studied the info, you could have tested me on the details later in the day and I would have aced that test. With all the knowledge about the field trip laid out in front of me, I painfully decided, that even with my reservations about the trip, I would sign my child's safety off to the school and hope for the best.
I know your thinking, "Geez, cut the cord woman," but my field trip fears are based on more than just an overprotective Mama standpoint; the school and Sonny Boy's teacher have given me pause about their commitment to our little learners on more than one occasion. There was the time that Sonny Boy shared with me the adventure of taking the attendance forms to the office, only to return to the Kindergarten yard to find the gate locked, and after standing around for a few minutes (who knows what a few minutes in a six year old life is, it could have been three or twenty), unsure of what to do, he and his classmate decided to return to the office to ask for help.
Another time Sonny Boy's ear swelled up to three times it's natural size in class, it was red, angry, and sticking out funny from the side of his head (you know, funnier than usual, that is). When I asked his teacher if Sonny Boy had complained or was preoccupied by the irritated ear she replied, "I didn't even know it was red, but Wow look at it." Yes, "Wow look at it," was her response.
With these and a few other, "Huh," experiences under my belt, I think it goes without saying that I was fearful of the schools ability to take my child on a bus, away from our city, get him inside the gates of the zoo, and keep watch over him. Thankfully, a few of my Mama friends were able to get time off of work to volunteer as chaperones on this zoo excursion and promised me that they would keep a watchful eye over Sonny Boy with the same kind of scrutiny as they do watching their own children.
The day of the field trip I was pretty nervous, after I dropped Sonny Boy off at school I kept my eye on the time, trying to imagine what those junior scholars were up to at the zoo....to read the rest of our first field trip experience, please visit my blog here: I Cannot be the Only One...
Views: 41


text:
plie is a valid word in this word list. For a definition, see the external dictionary links below.
The word "plie" uses 4 letters: E I L P.
Direct anagrams of plie:
lipe pile
Words formed by adding one letter before or after plie (in bold), or to eilp in any order:
a - pilea d - piled plied i - pilei m - impel r - peril plier s - piles plies slipe speil spiel spile x - pixel
Shorter words found within plie:
el lei li lie lip pe pi pie
List shorter words within plie, sorted by length
Words formed from any letters in plie, plus an optional blank or existing letter
Try a search for plie in these online resources (some words may not be found):
Wiktionary - OneLook Dictionaries - Merriam-Webster - Google Search
Each search will normally open in a new window.
List all words starting with plie, words containing plie or words ending with plie
All words formed from plie by changing one letter
Other words with the same letter pairs: pl li ie
Browse words starting with plie by next letter
Previous word in list: plications
Next word in list: plied
Some random words: ruana inro osprey vocable kerry lea fyce
This is not a dictionary, it's a word game wordfinder.
- Help and FAQ - Examples - Home
Privacy and Cookies Policy - Share - © Copyright 2004-2019 Morewords.com - 14.507mS


text: (Instructions for Lost or Damaged In Transit Items) Date of problem Month MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec Day Day12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031 Year Year20172018201920202021 My library name City, State, Zip Priority Dispatch Sort Code (i.e. DAY) My name My phone (include area code) My email * Problem Late delivery No delivery Multiple deliveries Pick up but no drop off Drop off but no pick up Careless handling of bags Bags delivered to the wrong location Wet bags Wet books in dry bags Item damaged in transit My institution is closing No Yes If your institution is closing, please provide closing and reopening dates below. Description of service issue Please include dates, time, driver's name and any other information to help resolve service issue.


text:
The Division of Administration provides technical,
financial and management support to all ADMH service
sectors via several specialized sections. The division
houses several bureaus/offices: Bureaus of
Human Resources Management;
Information Technology Services; the
Offices of Administrative Support Services;
Contracts &
Purchasing; Land & Asset Management;
Life Safety & Technical
Services; Planning & Resource
Development; Pre-Admission Screening (OBRA) which is responsible
for preadmission screening to nursing home facilities; and
A. Each year ADMH contracts with vendors and
suppliers for an array of goods and services for our
facilities, regional offices and consumers. If you would
like to know more about the types of business/contract
opportunities available you may contact the business
manager at one of our facilities or speak directly with
our Office of Contracts and Purchasing in our central office in Montgomery. Requests for Proposals are generally posted in the
major newspapers throughout the state and on the web.
A. If you encounter a problem with payroll you should first
contact your facility/regional office/central office
timekeeper or facility business manager. If you are unable to
resolve the problem at this level, you may contact Payroll in the
central office at 334-242-3192.
A. ADMH utilizes a number of methods to notify the general
public about employment opportunities. Our website, social media, local
newspapers, trade publications, conferences and
seminars are only a few ways that the agency publishes
employment information. You can also click
at the top of this
page or
visit: http://personnel.alabama.gov to find references to employment
opportunities with ADMH and other state agencies.


text:
Bounce is a library for Arduino. It debounces digital inputs and more.
Please ask questions in the official forum instead of my personal mail.
The 2 indicates that this is the second version of the Bounce library. It also indicates that it is not 100% compatible with the previous version. The library has been upgraded with different algorithms and modifications suggested by various users.
Please look at the examples included with the library for more information. But the biggest change is the following :
Bounce bouncer = Bounce(inputPin, 5);
Bounce bouncer = Bounce();
*not required with the previous version
// Setup the button pinMode( inputPin ,INPUT); // Activate internal pull-up (optional) digitalWrite( inputPin ,HIGH);
// After setting up the button, setup the object bouncer .attach( inputPin ); bouncer .interval(5);


text:
Counterfeit currency and security documents
Counterfeit currency
The circulation of counterfeit currency poses a serious threat to national economies, financial institutions and consumers worldwide. It fuels the underground economy and finances the activities of organized criminal networks and terrorists. A strong network of partnerships between the law enforcement community and the private sector is integral to putting effective solutions into place.
Issues and challenges
Recent developments in photographic, computer and printing technologies, along with the availability of low-cost equipment, have made the production of counterfeit money relatively easy. There is an obvious financial impact as counterfeit currency reduces the value of genuine currency, has an impact on the consumer through inflation, and leads to monetary losses for companies. There is also a proven connection with organized crime networks who use counterfeit money to finance illegal activities such as trafficking in human beings and drugs, and even terrorism.
INTERPOL's unique role
One of the original mandates behind the creation of INTERPOL, was suppression of international currency counterfeiting. Since the Geneva Convention of 1929, the INTERPOL General Secretariat has functioned as the International Central Office for the Suppression of Counterfeit Currency.
While the techniques of counterfeiting have become more sophisticated, so too have the tools and services that INTERPOL provides to its member countries. These include technical databases, forensic support, training and operational assistance.
Online tools and services
The sharing of data among countries and sectors is essential in order to combat the counterfeiting and distribution of currency. With this aim in mind, INTERPOL facilitates bilateral and multilateral exchange of information on operational matters, such as the seizure of counterfeit notes and the closure of illegal print shops.
A number of web-based tools are available to authorized users via INTERPOL's secure communication network, known as I-24/7:
- Counterfeit Alerts – alerts concerning newly discovered counterfeit banknotes in international contexts (except USD and EUR), along with a detailed forensic analysis;
- Counterfeit Currency Statistics – annual statistical reports detailing quantities and types of counterfeit banknotes reported by INTERPOL member countries;
- Early Warning Messages – detailed alerts published by the European Central Bank and Europol to provide relevant information about counterfeit Euro banknotes;
- Documentchecker Banknotes, from Keesing Technology – an online reference database that enables inspection and authentication of more than 4,800 different banknotes, including a library of over 70,000 images and details of security features.
Forensic laboratory
INTERPOL runs a Counterfeit Currency and Security Documents laboratory, providing forensic support to investigators. Services include:
- Sourcing, analysing and storing specimens of newly issued banknotes;
- Analysing, classifying and storing counterfeit banknotes;
- Allocating international indicatives to newly discovered counterfeit banknotes (except for USD and EUR);
- Producing technical analytical reports.
It is essential to equip the law enforcement community and other relevant parties – such as financial institutions – with the knowledge, skills and best practices to successfully detect and investigate currency counterfeiting.
INTERPOL has implemented a number of training courses and seminars, often in partnership with other organizations, which combine to form a comprehensive capacity building programme. The ultimate goal is to enhance knowledge and encourage innovation, in order to turn training into operational practice.
Currency counterfeiting is a problem that cannot be dealt with by law enforcement alone. We work closely with other stakeholders including monetary issuing authorities, central banks and the security printing industry.
Among our partners are the Center for Latin American Monetary Studies, European Central Bank, European Commission Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs, ENFSI European Document Experts Working Group, Europol, Law Enforcement Advisory Group of the Central Bank Counterfeit Deterrence Group, and the United States Secret Service.
Detecting fake travel documents focus of INTERPOL training
Combating document fraud focus of INTERPOL training
Europe: officers trained on security document examination
INTERPOL Match-Fixing Task Force closes ranks on organized crime
Physical-Chemical Study of Crossed Line Intersection
In the media


text:
Oroville >> Testimony began Monday in the trial of a Chico man charged with allegedly hanging his mother's dog to death.
Defendant Jose Luis Flores, 34, is charged with a felony count of animal cruelty for the alleged incident outside his mother's Natoma Court residence in Chico on Sept. 3.
Under questioning by deputy district attorney Erika Romo, Flores' sister, Maria, testified that their mother stayed at her residence in Paradise for the weekend because the mother didn't feel comfortable staying at her own home. On the morning of the incident, they returned to the Chico residence where the defendant was staying before going to a doctor's appointment and running some errands.
Maria Flores and her mother placed two dogs inside the house, including the mother's dog, a 1?-year-old miniature dachshund named Shrek. The other dog, Fiona, was pregnant and kept in a cage.
Maria Flores and her mother returned home about five hours later. The mother was concerned because Shrek didn't greet her as he normally does.
Maria Flores checked around the cul-de-sac. She said her brother was home but she didn't ask if he knew what happened to Shrek.
Returning to the house, Maria Flores heard Jose Flores arguing with their mother in the backyard. She called 9-1-1 because she believed her brother was being verbally abusive.
While Maria Flores was waiting for police in front of the house, she heard a neighbor in an alleyway saying who would do something so cruel to a dog.
She discovered Shrek hanging from the chain-link fence in the alley.
On cross-examination by defense attorney Mark Stapleton, Maria Flores said she saw the defendant in the house when they dropped the dogs off, but she didn't see his face.
Chico Police officer Terry Moore testified that he went to the house at 2:45 p.m. Two other officers joined him before they attempted contact.
The officers eventually contacted Jose Flores in the backyard where he was drinking a beer and listening to music. Moore said the defendant's blase reaction was unusual, especially for a situation where officers jumped over a fence to make contact.
"He didn't seem to care that we were there," Moore said.
The officer located the dog and had the animal taken to a veterinarian for a necropsy. Shrek had been tied to a branch near the fence with a red shoelace. Moore said the alley was actually a fence-lined walkway from East 12th Street to Natoma Court.
During Stapleton's cross-examination, Moore said Jose Flores was generally non-communicative, but he answered questions. The defendant became irritated at one point and told officers to go away.
Testimony is expected to resume April 17.
Flores is out of custody.
Reach reporter Ryan Olson at 896-7763.


text:
There's never been a better time
to apply to Otterbein University.
Apply online today!
In 2009, Dr. Kathy Krendl became the first female president in Otterbein University's 160+ year history. Since the history of the University involved including women as faculty and students from the very beginning, Dr. Krendl determined that a program promoting women as leaders would be part of her legacy.
She began by holding meetings with women leaders from central Ohio and asking what was missing from the broad spectrum of programming currently available for women. The answer that emerged was the need for a strong, structured mentoring and sponsorship program. Such a program would:
Otterbein's role in this structure would be to train student leaders, and to connect them to professional mentors, while allowing them to mentor younger girls. Thus, the Otterbein Women's Leadership Network (The NET) program was born. Thanks to generous and enthusiastic support from The Women's Fund of Central Ohio, the pilot version of the program took place during the school year in 2011-12.
During fall semester 2011, Dr. Krendl taught a First Year Seminar (FYS), titled Women and Leadership, to a select group of 20, first-year college women. These women learned about leadership theory and skills, interacted with local women leaders, and worked with girls' clubs in local junior high schools. In December 2011, these students, and other invited women student leaders, met with local professional women in a "speed matching" opportunity. In January 2012, the NET matched 36 university women with 36 women leader mentors from the Columbus community.
In an evaluation in May 2012, students reported not only feeling more connected through the program with women in the community, but 100 percent of students involved had also developed new strategies with their mentors to overcome barriers to future success.
Since the pilot year, a new cohort of select university women have enrolled in President Krendl's FYS class each fall. One change to the program is that these women are now linked to peer mentors - sophomores in the NET program - in November each year. As sophomores, they are connected to local professional mentors. Additionally, students have the opportunity to get involved in various community service projects and student leadership organizations, such as Sisters in Leadership.
As the program continues to evolve and grow, our goals include:
Melissa Kesler Gilbert
Associate Dean of Experiential Learning and Director for the Center for Community Engagement
p/ 614.823.1251
e/ firstname.lastname@example.com Kristi Robbins
Chief of Staff, President's Office
p/ 614.823.1232
e/ firstname.lastname@example.com
Otterbein University, 1 South Grove Street, Westerville, OH 43081 614.890.3000
Otterbein University is a private, non-profit, United Methodist affiliated, regionally-accredited institution.
© 2019 Otterbein University. Otterbein University is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer


text:
2014-10-29 / Events & Calendar
This week's Calendar of Events
The following is a list of public meetings and special events for the coming week. Readers should know that meetings are subject to change without notice. THURSDAY, October 30 •Amityville Rotary Weekly meeting: 8 a.m. For info., call Al James at 631-264-0077. The president is Martha Peterson.
You must be an online subscriber to view this story.


text:
A twist on the classic lawn darts game
Ogo Copter Darts put a new spin on the classic lawn game. These ergonomic darts are easy to grip and easy to throw. Weighted tips mean the darts stand where they land. Challenge friends and family to 1 of the 3 games included or invent your own! The fun never stops! For ages 6 years and up.Ogo Copter Darts Includes: instructions, 4 Copter Darts, Target Ball, and Dart HolsterWARNING: CHOKING HAZARD-Small Parts. Keep away from children younger than 3 years.


text:
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Boeing Co. BA, -0.41% and federal officials said Friday they're launching a technical review of the 787 Dreamliner, but stood by the certification process for the first new major plane launch in the U.S. in more than 15 years. "Nothing we've seen would indicate this plane is not safe," said Federal Aviation Administrator Michael Huerta. Ray Conner, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said the production ramp-up of the plane remains on track and that the aerospace company welcomes the opportunity to work with regulators. The move comes after a battery fire on Monday on a Japan Airlines Co. 787 on the ground in Boston. No one was hurt in the incident. Other recent problems include electrical issues and leaking fuel lines. Shares of Boeing, which is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +0.03% fell 2% in recent trades.
Have breaking news sent to your inbox. Subscribe to MarketWatch's free Bulletin emails. Sign up here.


text:
12:00 pm
Outdoor Idaho "Seeking Refuge" Nature's scenes and sounds are captured on film in Idaho's six natural wildlife refuges. Hundreds of thousands of migrating birds, plus more who find nesting sites in the refuges, also attract birdwatchers, scientists and others to these special places.G
12:30 pm
Mexico -- One Plate at a Time with Rick Bayless "Cooking on the Sea of Cortez" Rick is always up for a cooking challenge. After a day spent boating and kayaking on the Sea of Cortez with a local ecotourism group, Rick grills dinner for the group on the beach at Espiritu Santo Island - one of the most biologically diverse marine areas in the world. The waters surrounding the island support coral reefs, colonies of sea lions and more than 500 species of fish. D
1:00 pm
Katie Brown Workshop "Best of Gifts" In these "best-of" segments taken from previous seasons, host Katie Brown demonstrates her favorite homemade gifts to give and receive. In the Kitchen: designer breadsticks, matzo ball soup, Katie's truffles. Projects: putting together a welcome basket for a neighbor and personalizing planters with photos. D
1:30 pm
Paint This With Jerry Yarnell "Kim, Part 2" Having completed the basic under painting, Jerry can now start to shape the figure. This is done by adding the next layer of highlighting as well as using loose strokes to form shadow areas. Jerry continues to work throughout the painting adding highlights and shadows where appropriate. D
2:00 pm
Essential Pepin "Sweet Endings" Chocolate Mint Truffettes; Quick Almond And Plum Cake; Tuiles A L'orange; Summer Cornets Susie. D
2:30 pm
Burt Wolf: Travels & Traditions "Taipei" Burt tours the city's night market, visits traditional shops and the weekend jewelry market. He also learns about Chinese medicine.G
3:00 pm
Dialogue "Life on the River of No Return" Host Marcia Franklin interviews Isaac and Bjornen Babcock, husband and wife filmmakers from McCall, about their NATURE documentary River of No Return. The couple, who spent more than a year in Idaho's Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, discuss the making of the film, some of the highlights of their adventure, and some of the challenges they faced.G
3:30 pm
MotorWeek "$16k Subcompact Shootout" Road Test: $16K Subcompact Shootout. Road Test: 2012 BMW 3-Series. Goss' Garage: Clock Springs & Airbags. D
4:00 pm
America's Test Kitchen from Cook's Illustrated "Salmon and Sole" Host Christopher Kimball visits a Boston fishmonger to discover the truth about farm-raised salmon. Then, test cook Julia Collin Davison shows Chris how to make perfect Glazed Salmon. Next, tasting expert Jack Bishop challenges Chris to a tasting of tuna. D
4:30 pm
Painting and Travel with Roger & Sarah Bansemer "Amish Farm" Roger and Sarah visit Amish country. Roger paints an Amish barn and Sarah talks with an Amish farmer about their lifestyle at the farmers market in Shipshewana, Indiana. D
5:00 pm
Globe Trekker "West Texas" In the state capital of Austin, Zay Harding explores everything from rattlesnake hotdogs to bingo with chickens. He checks out the Alamo at San Antonio, spends a night in a haunted hotel and travels to El Paso where he treks into the desert along the old Butterfield trail. He follows Route 66 in a 1960s Mustang and competes in Amarillo's steak-eating challenge.G
6:00 pm
Song of the Mountains Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. D
7:00 pm
Austin City Limits "John Legend & The Roots" The performance is a mix of mostly 1970s soul covers and a few originals. "Captain" Kirk Douglas has a blistering guitar solo at the end of the Bill Withers cover "I Can't Write Left Handed."G
8:00 pm
Circus Dreams Step into the world of Circus Smirkus, the only traveling youth circus in the United States. Follow a group of talented teens, ages 12 to 18, as they audition, rehearse and take to the road for a summer of performances. There are comments from many of the 27 kids with the circus but the film closely follows a 12-year-old dancer/aerialist, a shy stick-juggling boy, and two girl clowns.G
9:30 pm
Music Voyager "Nashville: Music City" Known as the capital of country music, Nashville also is home to some of the world's top singer-songwriters and rock and pop bands. Host Jacob Edgar receives a personal tour of Nashville's iconic Grand Ole Opry by country superstar Vince Gill. Then, he sees Elizabeth Miller perform at a funky bar in East Nashville, the bohemian district home to many of the city's musicians. D
10:00 pm
Song of the Mountains Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. D
11:00 pm
Austin City Limits "John Legend & The Roots" The performance is a mix of mostly 1970s soul covers and a few originals. "Captain" Kirk Douglas has a blistering guitar solo at the end of the Bill Withers cover "I Can't Write Left Handed."G


text:
Speak of fashion and your thoughts are likely to wander off to anywhere other than a forum driven by the ideas of social change and consciousness, laden with a hint of political commentary. Yes, on the surface, fashion doesn't usually draw you to think, as much as it draws you to react quickly to create an imaginary world of never-ending fabulousness. But the mere thought of fashion changed when a panel graced by Arianna Huffington, Willow Bay, Rozae Nichols, and Julie Gillhart addressed the audience of Barneys New York in Beverly Hills, CA.
As a part of the launch for Rozae Nichols collection title IAN, the panel of women whom each boast phenomenal careers in media, fashion, and business, were on hand to bring forth the idea of fashion consciousness and the idea of creating a hybrid between the old and the new when it comes to the fashion industry and the media industry that supports it.
Rozae Nichols is a designer that seems to be a leader in the art of creating fashion that is born out of a positive, sweatshop-free environment. Choosing to use fabrics and patterns that symbolize the natural structures of Earth and humanity, she has been able to reach far beyond the crust of the fashion pie and cut deep into the savory middle where few have been afforded to taste the sweetness that lies within. In her latest collection which is named after her husband, Ian, the sheath dresses and tops are intricately detailed with a honeycomb design that is demurely sexy when hints of skin peek through on the collar bone or thigh.
I was immediately drawn to the unique aesthetic of the line and imagined all the places that I could where it! The designs are for every body type and it is one of those go-to collections for every occasion. Guests of the discussion wore pieces of the Ian collection with jeans, belted, or loose with flats or sandals. The collection and the premise behind all of Nichols designs are what led ex-news anchor and Huffington Post editor Willow Bay's facilitation of the discussion. Questions behind thought and practice of fashion, the movement of fashion in our current economy, and society's ideas placed on the fashion industry helped charged an intimate dialog between the panel and the guests in attendance.
Arianna Huffington of the world-renowned The Huffington Post lent her voice to explain how we are moving toward a hybrid within media and thereby within fashion. With consumers ready to obtain information quickly, the onslaught of Internet based media forums have become a more likely option. It is through these Internet forums that fashion designers and such are able to target the masses quickly and inexpensively. However, Huffington states that the feel of a tangible paper or magazine will not go extinct, just yet. "People still love the fill of flipping through a magazine," says Huffington. And I could agree with her more.
But, what I do hope becomes less of a hybrid and more of a lean toward the "left" if you will, is the need to be environmentally aware of the products we choose to use for the consumption. The ways in which we process our food and clothing are a couple of the social changes that are starting to drive consumers and creators alike. However, because of the time and money associated with doing things the "right" way, many designers have yet to follow suit. Why is that? Why does it seem as though the good is costly and the bad is cheap? I can only hope that this changes in the near future. Through the creation of awareness events like this panel discussion and through our support of designers and media outlets that promote this type of fashion conscious dialog, I am sure that we are on the right path!
Thank you to Barneys New York of Beverly Hills for hosting such a thought provoking discussion and serving passed hor'dourves and champagne!
Thank you to The News Inc. for organizing an event that managed to think outside of the box, rather than to stay bound within it!
For more information on Rozae Nichols, log on to http://www.rozaenichols.com
For more information on Arianna Huffington or Willow Bay, log on to www.thehuffingtonpost.com


text:
Reading Dimitri's piece on the Sedin twins made me think about the most under-appreciated aspect of a hockey player's existence.
Henrik Sedin's key value as a hockey player isn't that he's a moderately good possession centreman after you correct for zone starts or that he's a scoring champion. His key value is that he was the only forward to play 82 games each season between both the 2005 and 2012 lockouts. He last missed a game on March 16, 2004, a 4-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks (to any Chicago readers, yes, the Blackhawks did exist before 2010).
A great player who only plays 60 games can be downgraded to being a good player. Since so few players get on ironman streaks that last seasons in a row, being a good player for all of these games elevates a player to being great. From Sedin, to Brendan Morrison to Andrew Cassels, it's been about a decade since the Canucks had to hold their top centreman out of the lineup.
Here's something Mike Gillis said:
We're trying to define fatigue levels in those circumstances and as you know, a player usually gets hit twice when he gets hit once. He gets hit by the player and then hits the boards. How you can attribute that to success and how you attribute that to fatigue levels is instrumental in finding out when a player in the third period makes a mistake. And something happens and I think that as we've found, in a dynamic, competitive contact sport that fatigue levels are really a lot of the determining factor in success or failure.
It doesn't deviate too far from the conclusions found by Eric T. at NHL Numbers about older players playing a lot of games. I think the players who make it to 36, 37 years old in the NHL have bodies developed enough to continuously handle the grind of a season. You can think of a few players (the most prominent being Kyle Wellwood, but I made an argument for Cody Hodgson last season) who are fairly effective until they hit a certain minute threshold and they fall off the wagon.
Wellwood, for instance, is a first-line player when he plays below 14:10 per game. He's a moderate second line player when he climbs above 15:34:
|Avg. TOI
|Above 15:34
|Above 14:10
|14:10 and Below
(The Goals/82 and Points/82 are based on 14:46 of ice time per game)
Henrik Sedin played just two games under Wellwood's "maximum" threshold of 15:34 (he recorded eight points in those games, giving him a per 82 average of 212 points in those games) but the real value of what Henrik provides in those games over 15:34, or what certain centremen can't play, or just aren't good enough to play.
If a player has excellent hands and shot, it doesn't mean anything if they can't wield that for more than 16 minutes regularly.
This can also apply to goaltenders.
Two goaltenders, both alike in dignity, talent and statistics. We can call these hypothetical goalies "Cory Schneider" and "Roberto Luongo". Somebody pointed out to me on Twitter that they were looking over this page on statistics and noticed Schneider had a higher quality start rate and a higher save percentage, even at even strength.
There's this:
That's just even strength save percentage. On the surface, it appears that Schneider is the better goaltender. It just isn't the case when you tally up the player's value over the course of a long season. Over a full season, that 2-point difference in save percentage is worth a little under two goals against in value, which is close enough to be affected by randomness when you have in excess of 1500 attempted shots flying at you.
The top 30 goaltenders in goalie starts this season combined for an EV SV% of .923. The next 30 in starts combined for .916. The rest, the "replacements" combined for .913. When you celebrate a goaltender's save percentage, you need to look at it in terms of marginal value versus a replacement.
You also need to figure out how many shots a goaltender stopped compared to said replacement, presumably the guy you can just find on the farm. The list includes players like Jeff Deslauriers, Brad Thiessen, Curtis McElhinny and Jussi Rynnas. Some guys fared well in their few NHL appearances. Some fared worse, and, on average, they all fared just marginally worse than backups. Those numbers add up:
|Shots Faced
The SAR stands for Save Above Replacement. I used to calculate this against the average goaltender, but even average players have some value. By facing more shots and playing more games, to use a poker analogy, Luongo had his chips on the table more often than Schneider. He showed, for a longer period of time that he was elite, and he was eight goals better than Schneider over the course of a season.
Statistics comparing a player to a replacement aren't rate statistics: They're cumulative. Luongo helped the Canucks win about four games versus a replacement goaltender and Schneider was about 2.5 over the course of the season.
Schneider was pretty great this past year. His SAR was 18th in the NHL, good enough to be a starter, despite having just 28 games under his belt. That was better than starting goalies like Ryan Miller, Craig Anderson, Cam Ward and Carey Price. As far as everyday performance, he wasn't as good as Luongo, who performed at a similar level, but did it longer.
Luongo has started 50 games, a good benchmark for an everyday goalie since the 2000-01 season. The most concerning statistic about Luongo is that he's dipped in starts from 67 to 60 to 54 over the course of three seasons. He's managed to be near the top of the league in save percentage throughout. Go through year-to-year and you'll find that consistency is a tough thing to gauge among goaltenders. Mike Smith and Brian Elliott had very strong years this past season (helped along by coaching) but haven't been great beforehand, so it's easier to write off their good performances from last year.
I think the general idea is that you'd rather have a good player for very long than a flash-in-the-pan great player. That Henrik Sedin guy is very good. That Luongo guy is pretty good too. It's been no coincidence that the Canucks have had some very good years since those two became the Canucks' go-to guys.


text:
Ken W needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 165 designs submitted by 53 freelance designers.
The logo will be able to stand alone. The company name is not a necessary part of the logo
The company provides control systems and field service personnel to the oil and gas industry. Equipment and services are used offshore and onshore for drilling rigs, production platforms, pipelines and refineries.
The oil and gas industry including drilling, production, pipeline and refining companies.
We are looking for a logo that represents our entire company. The logo will be able to stand alone and the company name does not need to be included in the design.
1. The logo should be conceptual, not a literal representation ( We do not want oil rig drawings in the logo)
2. A modern, industrial logo
3. No cartoons, no clipart
4. We are not specifying the colors, but would like strong colors (no pink or yellow)
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
Community Outreach Week
Date and Time
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Your Local Community
Join your fellow Lakers as we unite for a week of service March 24 – 31, 2018!
This is a joint effort between the GVSU Alumni Association and the Community Service Learning Center. All alumni, Clubs and Chapters, students, as well as faculty and staff members are encouraged to coordinate and/or participate in a community service project during this week in the name of Grand Valley.
Learn more and sign up to volunteer at www.gvsu.edu/cow.
Ways to Get Involved
Volunteer With a Group
- Coordinate a project with a group of alumni, family, or friends
- Join an existing project
Volunteer on Your Own
- Record your volunteer hours at a nonprofit your regularly volunteer with
- Complete an individual project
Make a Gift to Grand Valley
For more information, please visit: http://www.gvsu.edu/cow/
Questions? Contact Alumni Relations at (800) 558-0541 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
This event also occurs on 3/24/18, 3/25/18, 3/26/18, 3/28/18, 3/29/18, 3/30/18 and 3/31/18


text:
The Murphy family's cosy first floor Killarney restaurants elegant black furniture, polished floors, bare tables and blinds mean that a lot of hard surfaces all add up to a good bit of noise, but nobody seems to mind.
Barbary duck breast is their stated speciality, served, perhaps, with pineapple, orange & salsa, but this does not do the restaurant justice as menus offer many more appealing dishes - tender whiskey & Calvados braised pork belly, for example, outstanding steaks and an attractively presented hot seafood platter; this is a selection that may include prawns (probably of the tiger variety, alas) fresh salmon, monkfish, scallops, crisp fried calamari, mussels and grilled oysters, and it is served with a choice of savoury butter sauce and spicy tomato relish.
Good food, together with great service and value ensure that this cheerful place is always packed - even on weekdays, when other restaurants may not be busy, there's lots of buzz, so reservations are strongly advised.


text:
Lot 22, Mount Whitsunday is going to auction on 4th feb. Be part the fabulous Mount Whitsunday selection of quality property and enjoy the various elements that make up the unique and wonderful Airlie Beach livestyle. Contact Charmaine Potter on 0430 768 846 at Harcourts Airlie Beach for more information.
There are no kangaroos in Austria. We're talking about Australia, the world's smallest continent. That being cleared up, let's dive right in! Australia is a sovereign state under the Commonwealth of Nations, which is in turn overseen by Queen Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth. The continent was first sighted and charted by the Dutch in 1606. Captain James Cook of Britain came along in the next century to claim it for Britain and name it "New South Wales." Shortly thereafter it was declared to be a penal colony full of nothing but criminals and convicts, giving it the crap reputation you may have heard at your last cocktail party. This rumor ignores 40,000 years of pre-European human history, especially the Aboriginal concept of Dreamtime, an interesting explanation of physical and spiritual reality. The two biggest cities in Australia are Sydney and Melbourne. Sydney is more for business, Melbourne for arts. But that's painting in very broad strokes. Take a whirl around the panoramas to see for yourself! Text by Steve Smith.


text:
Trademark Fine Art Dean Russo 'Elvis Presley' 18" x 24" Paper Rolled (190836153626)
Item #: 901-2574629
Model #: ALI1521-1824-P
Brand: Trademark Fine Art
Not yet rated.Be the first to Write a Review!
$19.99 Each
Delivery Date:
Enter Zip CodeParcel
Help with furniture delivery, assembly,...Read more + Read less -
protection plans and more.
Plus, you've got choices! You'll find options for those DIYers on a budget, those that want us to do all the work and everyone in-between. Want all the details? Get them right here.
This contemporary fine art by Dean Russo 'Elvis Presley''18" x 24" Paper Rolled - adds a touch of class and elegance to any room this piece is displayed in.
- Style: Contemporary
- 18" x 24" x 1"
- Made in USA
|Brand : Trademark Fine Art
|Customizable : No
|Weight : 1.10 lbs. per Each


text:
William Sullivan, who headed the Marshfield police force for 27 years before retiring in the summer of 2012, now works at a Marshfield insurance agency. He recently looked back on his four-plus decades in law enforcement, talking about how policing evolved and how it stayed basically the same.
MARSHFIELD – Former Marshfield Police Chief William Sullivan spent the majority of his life in uniform, weathering changes in policy and technology as he worked to better the department, both for his officers and the community.
"I worked until the last day I could by law," he said on a recent Tuesday in his office at Cook & Co. Insurance, where he now heads the Injured on Duty division.
That day was in August of 2012, after 27 years as chief and more than 40 years with the department. During his tenure as chief, he needed to see the force through a time of transition – from a "quasi-military" method of police work to a "community policing" model, Sullivan said.
He considers the period from 1969 to 1978 "probably the most difficult time to be a police officer." He describes it as "a very violent time."
There were many political protests and other social demonstrations on college campuses and in other heavily populated areas back then, so police training focused on riot control and reactionary measures, Sullivan said.
But as the baby boomers aged, "society demanded that police be more responsive" to everyday issues in neighborhoods, he said.
"It could be seen from the demographic of the population that there would be less violent behavior," Sullivan said. "I think that most people who had spent a long period of time in law enforcement recognized that it was the job of police to be a 24-hour response network."
Sullivan identified the founding of the Police Executive Research Forum in 1976 as the beginning of the shift toward community policing, but he said it took many years for community policing to become truly integrated into the academy.
"It was adopted as a cliché, but no one was actually training officers in its use," Sullivan said.
Under Sullivan's guidance, Massachusetts became the first state to change the style of training provided at police academies. In 2000, he was named chairman of the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Training Council.
Even though the evolutionary process took place, the job remained pretty much the same over the years, Sullivan said.
"No matter what changes, it's still policing. The kinds of things that happened in the 1980s still happen today," he said.
He recalled a time when officers would have to unlock a call box with a phone inside to check back in with the station.
"A radio for every guy was unheard of, and then when we did get radios, we shared a frequency with all of southeastern Massachusetts," Sullivan said.
Sullivan is happy in his job with Cook & Co. He is in charge of a department that he suggested Peter Cook create in 1986. The transition has been pleasant, he said, and he enjoys having more time to spend with his wife, children and grandchildren.
"Police work is wonderful," he said. "I'd recommend it to anyone who feels they have the skill set for it. It's a great way to get to know humanity."
Lauren DiTullio may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
READ MORE about this issue.


text:
City of Lincoln
Mayor's Office
2006 Media Releases
Mayor Coleen Seng announced today that City Departments will no longer charge processing fees to pay bills online. Those using e-pay services at lincoln.ne.gov can pay parking tickets, reserve event parking and renew animal licenses. For those who pay water bills online, the fee has been removed for those who also receive their bills online. Criminal history checks have already been available to purchase without a processing fee.
"Eliminating these fees continues our efforts to make City services focused on being more consumer-friendly and convenient," said Mayor Seng. "Eliminating these fees will encourage more to use e-pay, which is convenient for residents and more efficient for the City. Dropping the fees keeps the City on the cutting edge by using technology to benefit citizens and makes customer service the priority it should be. It is a good investment in technology."
Mayor Seng said the elimination of the fees is possible because e-pay is beginning and will continue to reduce the amount of staff time necessary to handle and process checks and cash payments. Also, in the case of water bills, sending bills electronically (e-billing) is eliminating the cost of mailing bills and producing a savings. Seng said the more citizens use e-pay, the more efficiency the City will experience. Ultimately, it could reduce the need to add staff as the community grows.
The City-County Web site, InterLinc, is currently celebrating its tenth year, and Lincoln was recently named a "Top Ten Digital City" by the Center for Digital Government. The first e-pay transaction was processed on February 26, 2002. Since then, the Web site has processed more than 60,000 online credit card transactions involving more than $7 million.
"The response from those using City e-pay services makes it clear that they prefer to make online payments, and we are thrilled to now offer the service 'convenience fee-free' to the public," said Terry Lowe, Systems Coordinator for the City's Information Services Division.
Information Services continues to develop new e-pay services. Later this spring, season swimming passes will be available online from the Parks and Recreation Department.


text:
Why do my focaccia go stale within 24 hours?
I use a recipe similar to Dan Lepard's for focaccia.
- 100% flour (obviously)
- 35% sour starter (100% hydration)
- 0.74% yeast
- 2.5% salt
- 65% water
- 5% extra virgin olive oil
When it cools, it's extremely light and fluffy, with HUGE holes in it. The closest you'll ever get to eating clouds. But for some reason, it goes tough and hard within 24h despite being kept in an airtight plastic box.
WTF?! Should I store it differently?
When I make 'dry' bread (i.e. without oil) it stays nice for days on end... sometimes up to a week. But this is no doubt because it's already dry, so it doesn't matter so much that it's getting drier every day...


text:
The holotype skeleton of Puijila darwini (from http://nature.ca)
Previously, the earliest diverging pinniped (and arguably more derived than Puijila) is Enaliarctos, a fur seal sized pinniped from the latest Oligocene and early Miocene of California and Oregon. Enaliarctos retains carnassials, although many of the other dental features are very simplified and reduced, trending toward the condition in modern pinnipeds. Enaliarctos also exhibits limbs developed into flippers – and is very clearly a pinniped. But the relationships of Puijila – to pinnipeds and other carnivores – are not so clear. Because of the older age of Enaliarctos and its marine occurrence, Puijila is hypothesized to represent a lineage of early pinnipeds that stayed in their freshwater niche while marine pinnipeds like Enaliarctos evolved, remaining otterlike. It suggests that pinnipeds went through an otterlike freshwater stage before invading the ocean. Prior to this, Enaliarctos suggested a direct to saltwater invasion – although due to the absence of intermediates, it was not exactly clear one way or the other.
The skeleton and life restoration of Enaliarctos mealsi, from Berta et al. (1989).
Before we continue – I must also be specific about some clade names. Although Rybczynski et al. (2009) refer to Puijila as a member of the Pinnipedia – which is not really the traditional cladistic nomenclature for basal pinnipeds. Annalisa Berta and colleagues (1989) proposed the clade Pinnipedimorpha, for Enaliarctos and all later diverging pinnipeds. Berta (1994) later proposed the name Pinnipediformes for Pteronarctos and all later diverging pinnipeds. Pinnipedia is nested within Pinnipediformes, and Pinnipediformes within the Pinnipedimorpha. Within this traditionally accepted and utilized framework, Puijila's obviously more primitive morphology than Enaliarctos indicates it should be referred to as a pinnipedimorph.
Rybczynski et al. (2009) listed six characteristics that unite Puijila with Enaliarctos and other pinnipeds. These are: a posteriorly expanded palate (the palate extends posteriorly past the upper toothrow in pinnipeds), an enlarged infraorbital foramen (occurring within pinnipeds due to larger whiskers and greater innervation of the snout), a shelf-like protocone on the upper fourth premolar (occurring in basal pinnipeds and some related arctoids), an upper second molar that is reduced and positioned medially to the upper first molar (reduction of the molariform teeth to conical teeth is a major dental transition within the pinnipedimorpha), a posterodorsally expanded scapula (a feature of pinnipeds, which often have very broad scapulae, an adaptation for swimming), and an expanded deltopectoral crest of the humerus (another feature in pinnipeds related to swimming).
Some of these features may be of only limited use in hypothesizing a close relationship between Puijila and pinnipeds. First, an enlarged infraorbital foramen (the small hole below the eye socket in a skull) also occurs in many mustelids, such as badgers (Taxidea), weasels (Mustela), and most (if not all) otters (e.g. Lontra, Enhydra); in badgers and weasels, this is due to a more innervated and sensitive snout, an adaptation for digging in burrows. This characteristic may not be useful in identifying early pinniped relatives, as otters (another hypothesized pinniped sister taxon) exhibit this feature – presumably evolving for the same purpose. The two postcranial features – an enlarged deltopectoral crest and a posterodorsally expanded scapula – may not be coded correctly in Puijila. To be quite honest, based on the available photographs – these features do not appear too different between Puijila and a river otter (Lontra), and don't really exhibit the derived condition, which is much more extremely developed in Enaliarctos and other fossil and modern pinnipeds). This leaves only three reliable characters behind.
Skeletons of Enaliarctos (A), Puijila (C), and Lontra (D).
One of these features – a posteriorly expanded hard palate – also appears in the aberrant arctoid Kolponomos, as well as Pachycynodon and Allocyon (Tedford et al., 1994). This feature appears to be more widely distributed than previously admitted, although it is worth mentioning that it is probably an adaptation towards aquatic feeding. The two dental characteristics are probably more reliable, although it is odd to note that these two dental characteristics are also found in Kolponomos. Kolponomos will feature more in part two of this post, as it is both a fascinating creature which I have not yet properly covered on this blog, and it is also extremely topical to the subject of Puijila.
There are a whole host of pinniped characteristics that Puijila does not have, or features that were not described in enough detail to independently evaluate. Cranial and dental features that characterize pinnipeds (either at the level of the Pinnipedimorpha, Pinnipediformes, or Pinnipedia) include a reduced upper first molar, reduced cingulum on the upper first molar, an absent or reduced metaconid, loss of the embrasure pit between the upper fourth premolar and first molar, closely spaced mastoid and paroccipital processes, a reduced nasolabialis fossa, reduced cingulum on the upper third incisor, and a reduced trigonid cusp on the lower molars. None of these derived conditions appear to be present in Puijila. A number of postcranial features which characterize pinnipeds (either at the level of the Pinnipedimorpha, Pinnipediformes, or Pinnipedia, as above) include a short and robust humerus, enlarged tuberosities of the humerus, a flattened radius and ulna that are longer than the humerus, emphasis of certain digits in the hand and foot (i.e. largest digit in the hand being the first or "thumb", and the lateral and medialmost digits of the foot being largest and the smallest being the middle digit), a short, flattened femur with an enlarged greater trochanter and medially inclined condyles, a reduced tail, and a short ilium (bone in the pelvis). Curiously, none of these features are present in Puijila – although nearly all of them (perhaps all – I can't remember off the top of my head) occur in Enaliarctos.
In summary, there are very few features that actually unite Puijila and pinnipeds. The cladistic analysis of Rybczynski et al. (2009) was relatively limited, both in terms of the number of fossil and modern species used, and also with regard to the number of morphological characters used in the analysis. An earlier study – considered to be the landmark phylogenetic analysis of pinnipeds, Berta and Wyss (1994) – utilized 143 characters, while Rybczynski et al. (2009) only used 42. Granted, the earlier study focused on relationships within pinnipeds – and many of those characters may or may not apply to Puijila and other similar arctoids.
Because of the above, I am skeptical that Puijila has a close relationship with pinnipeds – and although I'm not convinced, I am equally receptive to the idea pending further analyses. There is much we've been waiting for – a detailed description of its anatomy and large, detailed figures of its skeleton were not included in the original study, which is understandable given the short length of Nature papers (however, it was not included as supplementary info either). There is certainly more work to be done, and there are rumors of a more detailed phylogenetic analysis in the works; such a study should include a comprehensive description of the skull and skeleton of Puijila accompanied by exhaustive figures (formerly difficult, but several modern journals have made this a far less difficult prospect), sample a broader variety of caniform carnivorans as well as more fossil and modern pinnipeds (fossil pinnipeds with postcranial skeletons such as Allodesmus, Thalassoleon, Leptophoca, Acrophoca, Piscophoca, Imagotaria, Neotherium, and Proneotherium) as well as the "beach bear" Kolponomos (which was not included in the original analysis or discussed by Rybczynski et al. 2009). Puijila certainly could belong to some group of otterlike "protopinnipeds" as hypothesized, but given the few characters uniting them, it very well could be some sort of mustelid or other aquatic carnivore.
Further reading
Official Puijila website (Canadian Museum of Nature)
Puijila, a very basal 'pinnipedimorph' (this blog)
Commentary by Ed Yong (Not exactly Rocket Science)
Commentary by Brian Switek (Laelaps)
Literature cited
Berta, A., C.E. Ray and A.R. Wyss. 1989. Skeleton of the oldest known pinniped, Enaliarctos mealsi. Science 244:60-62
Berta, A. 1991. New Enaliarctos* (Pinnipedimorpha) from the Miocene of Oregon and the role of "Enaliarctids" in Pinniped Phylogeny. Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology 69.
A. Berta. 1994. New specimens of the pinnipediform Pteronarctos from the Miocene of Oregon. Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology 78:1-30
Rybczynski, N., Dawson, M.R., Tedford, R.H. (2009). "A semi-aquatic Arctic mammalian carnivore from the Miocene epoch and origin of Pinnipedia". Nature 458 (7241): 1021–24
R. H. Tedford, L. G. Barnes, and C. E. Ray (1994). "The early Miocene littoral ursoid carnivoran Kolponomos: Systematics and mode of life". Proceedings of the San Diego Society of Natural History 29:11-32.


text:
Bits to Energy Lab necesitaba un nuevo diseño de tema de wordpress y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 122 diseños de 19 diseñadores freelance.
Bits to Energy Lab
The Bits to Energy Lab (http://www.bitstoenergy.ch) combines information technology and behavioral sciences to stimulate energy conversation, efficiency, and sustainability. The Bits to Energy Lab is a part of the ETH Zurich and University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. We develop, implement, and evaluate concepts of consumption feedback, customer engagement, and data analytics – with an emphasis on economically attractive deployment and the ambition to significantly contribute to international research.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Thanks and good luck!
Our target audience includes: researchers, companies, students, and journalists.
1. Look/Feel
We'd prefer a bright site with a clear typography. The graphical requirements are mentioned in B2E_Identity.pdf. We've uploaded a webdesign draft (B2E_design_draft.pdf). Use this draft as a source of inspiration, but this is NOT mandatory.
2. Navigation
We want a clear and easy to use navigation. PLEASE COME UP WITH A BETTER WAY TO STRUCTURE THE NAVIGATION ELEMENTS than in the design draft (the navigation elements should be closer together). The navigation must contain the following links:
- Mission
- Team
- Network
- Career
- Overview
- Projects (There should be a additional "submenu" here for the different projects (Velix, eMeter, Amphiro). Each project will have it's on page.
- - Velix
- - eMeter
- - Amphiro
- Publications
- Overview
- Overview
3. Banner on start page
There should be some large graphic placement to support a rotating file of images including: Picture of the project, title, and a short sentence describing the project. Please refer to the website_draft.pdf or to http://www.opower.com. Please design banners based on the research projects included in B2E_banner.doc. In the end, we would like to have banners for every project.
4. Coding
Keep the design within the bounds of the standard WordPress Theme coding package! Do not include any other custom functionality or plugins other than those which we've named. Remember to hand over the chosen design as a layered PSD file.
5. Websites that we like:
Clear design, bright colors.
Good looking site, using large rotating banner
Bright and strong colors, clear typography
Very polished, structured, and clean


text:
The most wonderful thing I've seen today. I'm not sure if this is an ad for Apple, or for The Bird & The Bee. Either way, it's pleasant and slightly hypnotic, and someone clearly has way, way too much time on their hands.
12 May 2008
Again & Again
Posted by shadowfax at 12:36 AM
1 comment:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
50°13' / 24°51'
Translation of Lopatyn from:
Sefer zikaron le-kehilot Radikhov
Edited by: G. Kressel
Published in Tel Aviv, 1976
JewishGen, Inc. makes no representations regarding the accuracy of
the translation. The reader may wish to refer to the original material
for verification.
JewishGen is not responsible for inaccuracies or omissions in the original work and cannot rewrite or edit the text to correct inaccuracies and/or omissions.
Our mission is to produce a translation of the original work and we cannot verify the accuracy of statements or alter facts cited.
[Page 170]
|Schematic Layout of Lopatyn
Scale 1:1000
|Upper right: Road to Szczurowice
Middle left: Road to Radziechow
Lower left: Road to Toporow
Lower right: Road to Stanislawczyk
|Areas (near the top)
|Stands, Market, Stands
|Numbered sites
|1) Agricultural estate of H[einrich] Suchostaw, 16,000 dunams[1] surrounding Lopatyn with forests and the manufacture of alcohol, beer and timber
2) The kloyz synagogue of the Husiatyn Chassidim
3) Synagogue and bet midrash (place of prayer) of the Belz Chassidim
4) Residence of the rabbi of the Husiatyn Chassidim
5) Residence of the rabbi of the Belz Chassidim
6) Polish church of the 13th century
7) Agricultural estate of the Polish church and the priest's residence
8) The courthouse
9) The prison
10) Primary school
11) Distillery and brewery
12) Polish and Ukrainian residences
13) Agricultural farm of Ch[aim] Bernholz
14) Jewish residences and businesses
15) The Jewish public baths
[Page 231]
|Yosef Parnes
Letter of Condolence Sent to us from the office of the Prime Minister
State of Israel
With deep sorrow we announce that Yosef Parnes zl
Fell while serving on the day 24 Adar 5708 (March 5, 1948) in Haifa.
The Israeli government, Israel Defense Forces and the Hebrew Nation will always bear the memory of
YOSEF who fell defending the homeland and in the battle for its freedom and independence
D. Ben-Gurion
Prime Minister
He was born in the year 1915 in Lopatyn in eastern Galicia (then in Austria). He was the son of Gershon-Koppel and Yehudit and the youngest of nine brothers and sisters. He finished Polish secondary school and did office work, but found meaning in his life through the pioneering movement, which he joined in his youth. He was a member of Gordonia and Hachalutz and in his youth aspired to make aliya. In the year 1939 after much traveling, he successfully arrived in the Land. He had traveled by ship through the heart of the sea for three months. He worked as an agricultural hand in Rechovot. He was amongst the first to enlist in the British army and served in the excavation corps in the western desert, Greece and Crete. He escaped from Crete to the Land at the last moment, then joined the Hebrew brigade and once again demanded combat roles for himself. While still in the army, he dreamed of founding a Hebrew fishing village and went through appropriate training in Italy and Holland. After his release, he was one of the founders of Machmoret, a settlement of army veterans, and for a brief time, he was one of the best fisherman. He fulfilled his role in modesty, and stood on guard at all hours of the crisis. He had no children but his friends saw him as a father to everyone.
He fell in Haifa, while working as a fisherman on March 5, 1948 and was buried in Kfar Vitkin.
|Above, from the right: Uri, Elimelech and Moshe Parnes, Yaakov Leider and his wife and their children
|Above, from the right: my [David Parnes'] brother-in-law Yaakov Leider and my brothers Elimelech, Uri and Zalman
Below: my sister Breintzy and my sister-in-law Ester nee Thieman and their children
[Page 233]
Translated by Barbara Beaton One of the most beautiful memories of my youth is the summer I spent in Lopatyn. That same summer I completed seven grades at the elementary school in my small town Berestechko and I did not know what to do. In the town there were no opportunities to continue studying. Traveling to another city caused problems because there were other sisters of school age and my parents were sickly. And then the teachers of the school suggested that I go to Lopatyn to teach Hebrew to a group of youths in the town. I accepted the offer with the willingness and boldness that only adolescents possess.
One day two boys, David Parnes and another boy whose name I think was Bardach, came, towering over me in their cart with a pair of horses. With my parents' blessing and anxiety accompanying me, we set off together. At the entrance to Lopatyn, the strong scent of acacia trees, fine houses, each one neat and clean, surrounded me. In the house where I was supposed to live that summer (the Diener's house), my future students began to arrive: four or five girls and boys from every house, of all ages, beautiful, healthy and neat.
The lessons started and suddenly I began to feel a sense of inferiority in the presence of the students even though I was more fluent in the Hebrew language than they were. Nevertheless, they were the best youths: proficient in Polish and German literature, and they had full command of other languages. They took classes very seriously. A few months later when I left Lopatyn with the goal of continuing on with my studies, I received letters in Hebrew from these students. I cannot testify to the knowledge that they had gained in that short period of time, but I can testify to their intelligence and the seriousness with which they studied.
Here I would like to mention one of my students, Yosef Parnes, may G-d avenge his blood, who was laid to rest in a cemetery in a village in the homeland (Kfar Vitkin). He was murdered by Arabs at the port of Haifa while on a mission for his settlement of Machmoret, neighboring us.
This short article shall be a memorial to young men and women, the finest of the Jewish youth of a small town in the Polish diaspora, who also passed through the cup of bitterness.
JewishGen, Inc. makes no representations regarding the accuracy of
the translation. The reader may wish to refer to the original material
for verification.
JewishGen is not responsible for inaccuracies or omissions in the original work and cannot rewrite or edit the text to correct inaccuracies and/or omissions.
Our mission is to produce a translation of the original work and we cannot verify the accuracy of statements or alter facts cited.
Radekhov, Ukraine Yizkor Book Project JewishGen Home Page
Copyright © 1999-2019 by JewishGen, Inc.
Updated 13 Feb 2019 by LA


text:
No one voted for this item yet.
About Steroid.is
We're based:
Ship To:
Delivered To:
Payment Options:
Stats for Steroid.is
Average vote: 0 / 100 based on 0 votes.
Product Quality: 0
Pricing & Offers: 0
Ordering Process: 0
Delivery & Packaging: 0
Customer Service: 0
Reviews: 0
0 Votes ranked Steroid.is 0
0 is average vote for this company.
No posts written for Steroid.is yet.
76 page views overall.
76 page views today.
Steroid.isOwner? Contact us.
There was no description specified yet.
We're sorry, but there weren't any promos created. Please come back later.
No items have been added yet. Please come back soon.


text:
Not only does this Belkin Battery Backup give you six outlets, four of which are battery supported—it also has a built-in flashlight as well. This means that when your power is out, the light powers on automatically, letting you know exactly where your UPS is so you can reach under your desk and remove the flashlight.
Besides having a flashlight that's always charged when you need it, it also has a 550VA battery load capacity with 20 minutes of backup time. And at $99, it's pretty comparable to other battery backups that don't come with a flashlight.
Press Release [Belkin]


text:
109 systems found
Sort by:
Finding software can be overwhelming. We help property managers choose the right property management apps to track leases and manage portfolios on the go.
Sort by:
Property management mobile apps help owners and landlords work remotely and access data on their portable devices from different locations. These apps allow them to post vacancy ads, track rent payments, check expenses and generate invoices. For tenants, it becomes easier to pay rent and submit maintenance requests on the go. Mobile apps not only help track payments but also offer other functionalities, such as management of lease agreements, invoices, expenses, instant financial reports and work orders.
For potential buyers of property management apps, exploring native mobile apps is one way to go. For that purpose, we've created this guide and hope to provide you the necessary insight.
This guide will cover the following:
What Is a Property Management App?
Common Functionality of Property Management Apps
How Apps Differ From Browser-Based Mobile Solutions
Benefits of Property Management Mobile Apps
What Type Of Buyer Are You?
Market Trends to Understand
Native mobile apps are software programs designed for a mobile device's operating system. Property management apps allow users to perform a variety of tasks that might need to be handled remotely: for example, listing a vacancy in real time or accessing property data while on-site.
Tenants can also use apps to make payments or submit maintenance requests directly from their iPhones (or any mobile device).
Apps usually offer a few key capabilities that are best suited to working on a mobile device while in the field. Some common functions of mobile property management apps are:
|Property Management
|Track vacancies in real time and check potential tenants' rental and credit histories.
|Property Maintenance
|Perform on-site inspections, submit maintenance requests, send work orders and document damages with device camera.
|Property Marketing
|List vacancies, photograph units and upload photos and info to popular listing sites.
|Collect payments and track past transactions. Get alerts about late rent payments, lease agreements that are about to expire, upcoming routine maintenance tasks and more such reminders.
Rent Manager's mobile app, rmService, allows users to create and manage work orders from their Android or iOS device
Native mobile apps are just one mobile property management solution. Cloud-based software, which can be accessed anywhere with internet, can also be viewed on the browsers of compatible mobile devices.
Here are some key differences between a native mobile app and cloud-based software accessed from a mobile device browser:
Your unique needs determine the kind of property management mobile apps you should shortlist and purchase. Here are some of the buyer types we've considered in this guide:


text:
(Reuters) - Major League Baseball (MLB) said on Tuesday it was investigating a report alleging several high-profile players were sold performance-enhancing drugs by a South Florida anti-aging clinic.
MLB said in a statement it was "extremely disappointed" to hear any alleged links between players and banned drugs but was investigating the claims, published in the Miami New Times on Tuesday.
"We remain fully committed to following all leads and seeking the appropriate outcomes for all those who use, purchase and are involved in the distribution of banned substances, which have no place in our game," MLB said.
"We are in the midst of an active investigation and are gathering and reviewing information. We will refrain from further comment until this process is complete."
The New Times, a free weekly newspaper published in Miami, identified several players that it said had allegedly been sold human growth hormone, testosterone and anabolic steroids by the clinic's head, named as Anthony Bosch.
The newspaper said a former employee of the clinic, which is now closed, had provided handwritten medical records from the clinic that showed links between the players and banned drugs.
Two of the players named in the report, New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and Washington Nationals starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez, have denied the allegations.
"The news report about a purported relationship between Alex Rodriguez and Anthony Bosch are not true. Alex Rodriguez was not Mr. Bosch's patient, he was never treated by him and he was never advised by him," Rodriguez said in a statement released by his publicist.
"The purported documents referenced in the story - at least as they relate to Alex Rodriguez - are not legitimate."
A spokesman for Rodriguez said he had hired an attorney to represent him, while the Yankees said they would not comment on the matter while it was being investigated.
"We fully support the (MLB) Commissioner's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. This matter is now in the hands of the Commissioner's Office. We will have no further comment until that investigation has concluded," the Yankees said in a statement.
Gonzalez denied the allegations against him on his Twitter account.
"I've never used performance enhancing drugs of any kind and I never will, I've never met or spoken with tony Bosch or used any substance," he tweeted.
The Texas Rangers issued a statement after the club's outfielder Nelson Cruz was also identified in the report.
"The Texas Rangers were contacted late last week by Miami New Times regarding the story posted this morning," the Rangers said in a statement.
"At that time, the Rangers contacted Major League Baseball on that inquiry. The team has no further comment."
Human growth hormone, testosterone and anabolic steroids are banned by MLB. First-time offenders face 50-game bans, second offenders receive 100 games and players caught a third time can be banned for life.
In 2009, Rodriguez confessed to using steroids between 2001 and 2003, when he was playing for the Rangers, but said he had not used them since.
Rodriguez, the highest-paid player in baseball, has not knowingly failed a doping test and was not suspended for his previous admission because MLB did not have any bans in place at the time.
If the MLB investigation found him guilty of any wrongdoing, he would likely be treated as a first offender. A 50-game ban would have little impact on the 37-year-old because he is currently recovering from hip surgery and expected to miss the first half of the 2013 season.
Also named in the report were San Francisco Giants slugger Melky Cabrera, Oakland pitcher Bartolo Colon and San Diego catcher Yasmani Grandal. All three players were each suspended for 50 games last year after testing positive for elevated testosterone.
"We are always extremely disappointed to learn of potential links between players and the use of performance-enhancing substances," MLB said.
"These developments, however, provide evidence of the comprehensive nature of our anti-drug efforts. Through our Department of Investigations, we have been actively involved in the issues in South Florida.
"It is also important to note that three of the players allegedly involved have already been disciplined under the Joint Drug Program."
Editing by Frank Pingue


text:
After three weeks working with IBM PowerVC there's something that I can tell for sure is one of the most valuable recommendations that we are including in the new Redbook.
If you want to experience the value proposition from solutions like IBM Power Virtualization Center, and let me tell you from previous experiences, from any cloud environment management solution, you must have a consistent host naming standard in your environment.
So start by following three simple tips:
1. If you are working without a DNS, a rare thing if your are going the cloud path, all your /etc/hosts files in your solution must have the information for al the components of your virtualization infrastructure, including, for example, SAN switches host names.
2. On a Domain Name Server (DNS) present environment you must have all the host names for all the hardware components that make your infrastructure on the DNS, and both forward and reverse resolution need to work correctly.
3. And last but not least, all the host names for all the hardware components that you want to manage must be the same than the ones present on your DNS. This includes, for example, SAN switches and HMCs hostnames.
You Have Been Warned


text:
8:30 pm
Erma Bombeck: Legacy of Laughter This film examines the life and career of the late American humorist. Archival photographs, video clips and personal memorabilia trace Bombeck's life from her childhood during the Great Depression to her work as a women's rights activist. Interviews with family, friends and colleagues and readings from her work expand the portrait. Her neighbor, friend and former talk-show host Phil Donahue narrates the profile.G
9:00 pm
Small Farm Rising Right now, in our back yards, a new generation of farmers is redefining agriculture in America. Small, modern, sustainable and rooted in the community, these local farms are in the forefront of a movement growing across the nation. A family owned and operated farm produces award-winning goat milk cheeses; a farm powered solely by horses provides members with a full diet year-round; and two youthful entrepreneurs run an organic vegetable farm. D
10:00 pm
Good Food Something remarkable is happening in fields and orchards across North America. Small family farmers are making a comeback, growing healthier food, and lots more food per acre, while using less energy and water than factory farms. They are sowing the seeds of a local and sustainable food system. D
11:00 pm
American Masters "Carol Burnett: A Woman of Character" For 11 years, the wacky performer brought people together weekly through her television show during the divisive years of the 1960s and 1970s. She won - and sometimes broke - hearts with her edgy, always sympathetic, characters. She could fall down a fight of stairs or hold her own in a duet with Julie Andrews. This profile shows the many sides of this multifaceted performer.G


text:
Difference between revisions of "Pondicherry"
Revision as of 04:29, 28 January 2013
Pondicherry [16] (also known as "Pondi", and now officially called Puducherry) [17], is a city and capital of the Pondicherry union territory of Southern India.
Though very small, Pondicherry was the largest French colony in India. The city has a long and interesting history of trade and war. There is a strong French influence in the city, especially in the old quarters, with Rues and Boulevards lined with Mediterranean style houses and bakeries, although the city remains very much indian. French is still understood, and the whole city makes for rather pleasant mix of East and West. It is also known as The French Riviera of the East (La Côte d'Azur de l'Est). If you've spent some time in Tamil Nadu and approached Pondicherry by land, you'll very likely experience mild culture shock on discovering French architecture and restaurants serving steak and good wine. Pondicherry is very much a city with a dual personality: crossing from East to West of the central canal reveals two cities with very different characters.
Get in
By road
Pondicherry is well connected from all sides. Chennai is situated 160 km north of the city. Getting to Pondicherry involves a three hour road journey from Chennai. One can get a bus from CMBT in Koyambedu or from Thiruvanmiyur or Guindy. You can be sure of a seat only from CMBT in Koyambedu.
You can also take a taxi from Chennai Airport. It costs Rs. 1500 (apporox USD 35.00) (as of December 2009)
The road from Chennai to Pondicherry (the East Coast Road, commonly called ECR) is a scenic highway and a normal journey would take about 3 hours. Most tourists however, cannot resist the seashore kissing the ECR and take a number of stops en route. This route passes through Mahabalipuram, Kalpakkam, Pudupattinam, Idaikkazhinadu (Alamparai Fort also called Alambara Fort), Mudaliarkuppam (has a cool boat house), Marakkanam (contains large areas under salt pans), Kanagachettikulam/Kalapet etc. before reaching Pondicherry.
The other route that can be taken to reach Pondy is through the National Highway 45 (NH-45) famously called as the Grand Southern Trunk GST Road. This route passes through Tambaram, Madhurantakam, Melmaruvathur, Tindivanam before reaching Pondicherry. Both the major roads from Chennai are toll roads and approximately take the same time.
Pondicherry is about 320 km from Bangalore. Drive down National Highway 7 (NH-7) till Krishnagiri, take a left off the main highway (roadsigns mark the route) and then take National Highway 66 (NH-66) to Pondicherry. This route passes through Uthangarai, Chengam, Tiruvannamalai, Gingee and Tindivanam. One can reach Pondicherry either through Tindivanam (via Gingee) or Villupuram (via Thirukovilur). Gingee fort is also on the way to Tindivanam and worth spending some time. It is a Archealogical survey of India (ASI)Heritage site. The total travel time should be about 5-6 hours. Do pack some food or snacks for the way as there are no good restaurants enroute.
Pondicherry is well connected to Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Karaikal, Nagapattinam, Velankanni, etc to the South by National Highway 45A (NH-45A). The road is well maintained till Chidambaram.
Pondicherry connects to the GST or NH - 45 in two places viz. at Villupuram by NH-45A and at Tindivanam by NH-66.
By train
Pondicherry is connected to Chennai by an electric broad gauge railway line through Villupuram. There are 2 passenger trains running daily to Chennai Egmore Railway station and Tirupati and there is a weekly express train service to Bhubaneswar. In addition to this, there is also a daily express train to Chennai Egmore.It is advisable to go by road rather than train to Pondicherry from Chennai as the journey is longer by train.
Bangalore Yesvanthapur(YPR) to Podicherry(PDY) is connected by a 3-Tier AC Train called Garibh Rath Express. It covers a distance of 456 kilometres in each direction however it takes 10 hours 5 mins when operating as train number 12255 at an average speed of 60 km/h (excluding halts). It leaves Puducherry as train number 12256 on Saturday at 22:05 hrs and at the end of 8 halts arrives at Yesvanthapur the next day at 08:25 hrs. It leaves Yesvantpur as train number 12255 on Friday at 23:15 hrs and at the end of 9 halts arrives at Puducherry the next day at 09:20 hrs. Coach Composition comprises of 16 AC 3 tier coaches and 2 luggage cum generator coach taking the total up to 18 coaches.
By plane
Pondicherry has an airport with facilities for the landing of small aircraft like Dornier, Cessna, etc. But it is not available for public use presently. Several airlines have shown interest in flying to Puducherry Airport.
Get around
The best way to see Pondicherry and its surrounding areas is by renting out a "Pedal cycle" or a "motorcycle" or "gearless scooter". But as traffic increases, it is increasingly difficult to walk in many streets as they are crowded. There are several rental outlets on Mission St and MG Rd. The prices as of July 2010 were Rs.200/day for a gearless scooter, and Rs.250/day for a geared motorcycle and Rs 40/day for a bicycle. You will need to provide some identification document as collateral and an advance of Rs 500. Many of the rentals also provide delivery and pickup at the hotel which is very useful. (Note: Usually the number of days for these vehicles are calculated from 9.00 AM to 9.00 PM. The motorbikes are easily available in a couple of two wheeler rental shops in Mission Street. The Pondicherry tourism development corporation has daily bus services for tourists and it covers all the important tourist spots to be seen in Pondicherry. It is the best and most economic way to tour Pondicherry.
Car Rentals:
The main language spoken in Pondicherry is Tamil, though French is also widely spoken. Telugu and Malayalam are the other two official languages, but their use is generally confined to specific districts.
English is spoken by most educated people, and is the lingua franca between people from different linguistic districts.If you know english or Tamil, you can survive your visit to Pondicherry. French alone will not help.
There is not much one is expected to do at Pondicherry. You would understand this better once you get there and understand the pace of life.
You can also do some serious meditation at the Auroville, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, or going to Bharatanatyam performances that are often organized there by the Auroville Cultural Exchange [18] in the local temples, or at major hotels.
You can also go fishing in a Catamaran or while away your evenings at the Rocky Beach. You can also hire mopeds and go on long drives for the sandy beaches that dot the coast line.
You can also experience staying in a traditional 'Parapachai' house - an affectionate name given by connoisseurs to traditional green colored houses. First class experience.
Massage Courses
Cultural activities
Cooking classes are proposed as well in Sita Cultural CenterSita. This society provides as well cultural and artistic activities such as yoga classes, Dance classes, initiation to Ayurveda, Kolam, Tanjavur paintings.
Pondicherry is known for its wide variety of cuisines ranging from South Indian delicacies like idly and dosa to seafood like fried fish, prawn bajji and parota.
French influence can be seen to some extent in the local food. The best options are still the local delicacies; the excellent seafood. Good French food is available at restaurants around the French part of town.
Good branded liquor like Smirnoff, Bacardi and different Scotch Whiskies are very inexpensive as there is no sales tax in Pondicherry. A good store is "Costprice shop" on Lal Bahadur Shastri road.
Get out