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Ron Finch's '57 Oldsmobile Hardtop
It shouldn't be a stretch of the imagination that most folks have a pretty good opinion of the car they're driving around, but that thought gets amplified when it comes to people who own a hot rod. Some may tell you their car "Has the best lines of any ever made," which is how Ron Finch, from Fresno, California feels about his '57 Olds Golden Rocket 88 hardtop.
Sure, he had one of these cars when he was younger, which might augment the bias in this retired computer specialist, but it didn't alter the fact that when he finally decided he'd like to own another one (building it for his wife, Bonnie), nothing was going to slow him down.
Finch found this '57 in Arizona, but it got there via an extended trip from Michigan and Colorado. He bought it 8 years ago as a fairly solid car with only a little rust and a few dents here and there, and with an engine that had a couple of frozen, rusted pistons.
Nonetheless Finch took on the rebuild, blowing the body off the frame and starting with the chassis. The original rear end (3.73:1) was used, though the leaf springs were reworked and a set of Gabriel air shocks were bolted up. The original front suspension was also used, though Finch opted for a set of disc brakes rather than stay with the stock front drums.
Chassis and suspension pieces were powdercoated by Caps Powdercoating (the company responsible for also coating the exhaust and other pieces throughout the car). The steering column is a new unit, too, and came from Flaming River, while Billet Specialties delivered both the steering wheel and road wheels (16-inch Legacy wheels wrapped in Michelin rubber).
The Olds Rocket 88 debuted as a vehicle in 1949 ("You've got to drive it to believe it! so said the slogan) and came with the company's new Rocket engine, brimming with 135 horses of overhead valve technology. Every few years Olds would up the displacement and performance of their Rocket engines and, by 1957, had three different versions of their 371-inch motor. Each with 10:1 compression, the engines differed on induction, which netted different horsepower ratings. The econ-o-way carb version offered 265 hp, the Quadrajet version ponied up 305 hp, but the top-of-the-line J-2 engine, with its six-barrel, triple-two carb system offered 300-plus horsepower with 415 lb.ft of torque.
Finch knew the J-2 was at the top of the class of Olds engines for a '57, but for this ride he upted the ante a bit by having Dave Hyatt bore the block .060 over for a final displacement of almost 400 cubes-more than enough power even for a heavy boat like this.
Finch turned to Doug Omstead for help in assembling the motor, which uses a group of parts (including many of those found in the heads) and pieces from Egge Machine. Offenhauser valve covers were obtained, and a four-barrel air filter was modified to cover all three carbs. A custom exhaust system was fabricated (exiting through Flowmaster mufflers) and the V-8 was soon mated to a 700-R4 transmission (equipped with a B&M Transmission shift kit).
And even though Finch declared the car had great lines, he found a way to improve on them by shaving the door handles as well as the trim on the hood and trunk. After the body was perfected by Va Song, the car was taken to Fortney Auto Body in Clovis, California, for black-with-blue-pearl paint job.
Finch says Bonnie wanted a blue car, and he wanted a black one. The compromise was that the blue pearl would show up better in the daytime (when Bonnie would drive it) and Ron would have his black car for cruising Fresno at night!
Reassembly soon began, and Finch got help in that department from Rick Anderson of Custom Fabrication (Fresno, CA) who worked on the entire build-up. Rechromed parts from Clovis Specialty Plating were added and Finch ordered a set of gauges from Dakota Digital for a spot in the dash in front of the steering wheel. The stereo system came from Custom Autosound and installed at Cooks Communications in Fresno. The major electrical work for the car was then finished up by Bob Cook, who used a Haywire wiring kit as a base to work from.
A 60/40 split bench seat, taken from a '86 Lincoln, was recovered in black and beige leatherette by Dave Stoeckel of DSco Interiors in Madera, California. DSco also created the small center console under the dash, which houses the controls and vents for the Vintage Air climate control system.
With the car finished after a seven-year build, Finch was happy to get behind the wheel and get some miles on the car. Not interested in the car show trophy scene, Ron is happier when driving his ride down the road with his wife, Bonnie, by his side. But other times she's following in the couple's other hot rod: a '29 Ford Tudor, which Ron had built back in 1994. Both cars have an unmistakable attitude, and both are fine examples of the early-late hot rod combination that are found in the garages of today's hot rodders.


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STERLING – Eric J. Peterson, 45, of Sterling, died Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, at his home.
Eric was born Feb. 22, 1967, in Sterling, the son of Eldon Peterson and Donna Barber. He was formerly of Loves Park and Camdenton, Mo. Eric worked at Bullet Stop Gun Shop in Rockford for 3 years, and enjoyed target practice with his guns. He also enjoyed spending time on eBay, cooking, and baking. Eric really loved the time he spent with his dogs, Lucky, Dewey, Cash, and Benji.
Survivors include his father, Eldon Peterson of Camdenton; mother, Donna (Curt Hagen) Janssen of Sterling; one sister, Christy (Paul) Carlson of Loves Park; one aunt, Kathie Nicodemus of Freeport; one uncle, Kent Peterson of Sterling; one nephew, Tyler Charleston; one niece, Sierra Sprague; and one cousin, Julie Nicodemus.
He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Jean and Price Barber; paternal grandparents, Evelyn and Don Peterson; and one brother and best friend, Jeff Peterson.
There will be no services. Cremation rites have been accorded.
The family would like to say thank you to SwedishAmerican Hospital in Rockford and Hospice of the Rock River Valley for all of their help.
Visit www.mcdonaldfuneralhomes.com to send condolences.

subset: commoncrawl


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WSJ House of the Week: And the Winner Is…
An open and spacious Wisconsin lakefront retreat and a 175 acre property with an Old West town are two homes in the running to be WSJ House of the Week. Stefanos Chen joins Lunch Break to unveil the winner. Photo: Robert Reck.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... I ... I ... do you love classic Western film so much that you've written your own old West town alot one of the owners of property in the running for House of the week they did just that ... the sub look at the competition Alec loss to Journal Mansion reporter Stefanos Chen their state ... I don't mind starting in South Bellevue Washington ... then we have another one here this is the home of Josephus that we might know As Gino on my ... roots with the I must admit that I was I am always the answer I will always be perpetually in the CFL commissioner of the family out from the late to this the ... suburbs of Seattle school Bellevue Washington she says just than one or raise her kids in the Poste Muslim allay ... such about this this that approving a new ... home out there in Bellevue ... you've seen some interior shots there that's easily the second owner and it's it's a very modern ... way up in the home very open dining area kitchen and living room office together ... and that she has a fifty two and a square foot home altogether it is five bedrooms and a great little outdoor deck with pecuniary damage can be heated patio destroy me and I three million dollars for that one ... on intensely Chile Aerialist lakefront front retreat in Wisconsin ... yet this is out the number in Wisconsin is a very kind of out door is the woodsy area and it's interesting cuz it's a modern home and ... you would expect to see home a cassette Wisconsin but its forty four hundred square feet with four bedrooms ... and Daddy was built to be very spacious and accommodating for the owners of very large families that of a ticket have anywhere from fifty enough ... relatives coming over so they wanted to make sure that that ... they have room for them is also Bolthouse read by the water with a karaoke sorry that unique eco wrong with that carry a key two point nine million and enroll took outlays compound Santa Fe yes this one's pretty while this is the home of someone who would you are basically ... had this fantasy of a kind of living a perfect Western lifestyle built up this huge compound in Santa Fe hundred semi five acres of quibbles I was a willing to look second What's Chapel ... there's a general store with the registered happy there is that ... this long home there is ... the wound in the home a bar that looks like an old style strip of ... I mean houses thirty thousand Ford is perfect on its own has ... this amazing you knitters out there the choco candy inspired after all that bad is about me that's the that's an incredible looking back in at seven point five million for that I am leaning toward this for my take on any get the last shot Tuscany by way of grated cheese and hit a home here that in the nineteen ... twenties this the whole plot was pretty basic design with variants to homes is one of the men's Tuscan villa style house ... but the fun that I held ... which said the owners to we must inspire the return on its buildup is one of its Italian estate because of the previews you have ... it was gut renovated recently but they kept in the very intricate painted ceiling in the living room which you can see ... I add has a scream handpainted at the sign on at the home is up thirty four hundred square feet and to change ... there's a very large wood burning fireplace and that plenty of doors up to the landscape gardens ... and some nice art on the walls aren't getting it the one that I really think that another lighthouse account crossed the one that account was compound Santa say that's my pick the one and the winner to this week is the ... Wisconsin who was Khona very modern guests at the beautiful palm Melaka to come in second and hit the karaoke with that I understand why to meet new readers and viewers


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One of my favourite things to do at the weekend is to browse around
architectural salvage shops and yards, looking for a gem in the rubble.
I went to a lovely place in Bath, UK this week and was totally inspired
by their lovely white, rustic space. Here are a few shots for you to see...


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SOURCE: Security First International Holdings, Inc.
November 19, 2012 16:49 ET
LAS VEGAS, NV--(Marketwire - Nov 19, 2012) - Security First International Holdings, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: SCFR), a leading provider of mobile financial products and services for consumers, announces today their partnership with a Bank of America Merrill Lynch third party ACH service provider. This ACH CashPro service provider partnership will enable batch processing and settlement of funds to reloadable pre-paid debit cards for the company's M-Cash™ Wallet.
The company's M-Cash™ Wallet is a convenient way for consumers to securely fund prepaid re-loadable cards without needing cash -- directly from an Android mobile device carrier bill.
"In a single daily session, we are now positioned to seamlessly initiate as many ACH transactions that are required to accommodate the millions of consumers looking to fund their prepaid reloadable cards without cash. Our partnership with a Bank of America Merrill Lynch ACH service provider positions our proprietary funding gateway M-Cash™ as a leader today with 'no cash required' prepaid card funding," says Brian Fowler, President.
Bank of America Merrill Lynch has been an ACH industry leader for over three decades and as the number one receiver of ACH payments and the third largest ACH payments originator, they respectfully process billions of transactions annually. Security First International Holdings confidently leverages this partnership to create a standardized and automated agile prepaid card funding strategy, which today is a top priority for all multinational corporations.
"Our M-Cash™ product is designed and readied for the adoption of and opening of new reloadable prepaid cards, which today are surpassing basic checking accounts with a trending opportunity expected at $440 billion by 2017. Security First International Holdings, Inc. is riding this wave of growth as the first reloadable prepaid card provider to marginalize the need for a cash load requirement through collaborations with a Bank of America Merrill Lynch ACH Service Provider and mobile carrier direct billing partnerships," says Chief Executive Officer Teresa Ambroz.
About Bank of America Merrill Lynch ACH CashPro Online
CashPro Online is a worldwide client access channel designed to deliver the global power of Bank of America Merrill Lynch through one portal and one password. Developed in collaboration with our clients, CashPro Online represents a multi-million dollar investment in our shared client vision to create the industry's best banking experience.
Innovative new functionality will be implemented through phased strategic approaches, with clear communication and support at every step. The end result will be a world-class electronic banking experience driven by how, when and where you prefer to navigate the broad range of financial tools and information you use to help your business succeed and grow.
Learn more:
About Security First Holdings International Inc. (PINKSHEETS: SCFR)
Security First Holdings International Inc. (PINKSHEETS: SCFR) creates innovative possibilities that extend Security First International Holdings is a company focused on providing innovative financial payment products and services to consumers globally. We provide new possibilities for the mobile commerce market through technology and platforms that will create a meaningful financial impact on all consumers. Through a mobile technology that works in combination with Android devices, direct carrier billing and prepaid reloadable cards; Security First International Holdings, Inc. is re-defining the conventional application of funding sources for prepaid reloadable cards.
A technology company redefining mobile shopping, Security First International Holdings, Inc. is bringing together alternative consumer financing solutions designed to create a consumer mobile shopping lifestyle that is a more connected, powerful experience.
Our mission is to be the leader in innovative consumer financial products.
More information about Security First International Holdings, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: SCFR) is available at:
This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including statements about the business plan and prospective financial condition of Security First Holdings International, Inc. The forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including that the parties may not complete the transaction or that when completed, the transaction might be different than presently contemplated. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Security First Holdings International, Inc. does not undertake any obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. In addition, any forward-looking statements regarding expected industry patterns and other financial and business results that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from results expressed or implied by this press release. Such risk factors include, among others: whether Security First Holdings International, Inc. can successfully execute its operating plan; its ability to integrate acquired companies and technology; its ability to retain key employees; its ability to successfully combine product offerings and customer acceptance of combined products; general market conditions; and whether Security First Holdings International, Inc. can successfully develop new products and the degree to which these gain market acceptance. Actual results may differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements in this press release.
©2012 Security First International Holdings, Inc. (SCFR). The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for SCFR products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. SCFR shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.
For more information, contact: email@example.com Info:
Security First International Holdings, Inc.
Phone: 1-888-361-3898
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Web: www.scfrinc.com
For more information, contact: firstname.lastname@example.com Info:
Security First International Holdings, Inc.
Phone: 1-888-361-3898
Email: email@example.com
Web: www.scfrinc.com
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VERGENNES — The annual Vergennes Union High School senior class fall charity walk-a-thon, which concluded atop Mount Philo on Oct. 9, raised more than $3,000 to help an Athens, Ga., resident with connections to Vermont in her battle with a rare form of bone cancer.
Keri Kinsel, 27, was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma in January, and has undergone treatments since then. Doctors at the nonprofit Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., say that a bone marrow treatment more common in Europe will help prevent the cancer from returning to Kinsel.


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dallascane needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 132 designs submitted by 23 freelance designers.
Julia Lauren Photography
This logo is for a fun-loving female starting a photography business. After years of a 9-5 job, she is ready to take a leap of faith and go out on her own. She loves people and loves to take pictures - so what better way to put 2 passions together than to become a professional photographer. Her main focus is going to be on children, baby, engagements, and family portraits.
Since her focus is on children/family portraits, the target audience is women - mostly wives and mothers. These women put a lot of effort into finding the right person to capture these special moments in time so using "JL" and "Julia Lauren" in the logo/name of the company helps to create that personal touch and intimacy that is important in this type of business.
She is wanting an elegant design. Nothing related to babies/kids/cameras. She wants a logo that has "JL" in it that can be used by itself for watermarking photos, etc and then next to (or below) the logo, it needs to say "Julia Lauren Photography."
Elegant Design
Utilize "J" and "L" in icon/logo
Professional well-designed logo
Clean, relevant logo
Don't Want:
Cartoon style logo
Amateur, kiddy logo
Stock images, clip art
Here are a few examples of the "look" she is after:
1. http://jlindeberg.com/ - Like how the "J" and the "L" are used together to create an icon/logo. Don't like the font and would prefer something more elegant.
2.. http://www.heidimckelvey.com/ - Love the watermarked section. Would love to use a similar font for the text/logo
3. http://www.captureeden.com/ - Love the area surrounding her name. Would like to use a similar font/design for the "J" and "L"
4. http://jessicahamlinphotography.com/blog/ - Like use of letters and colors to create logo. Would prefer something that is cleaner/more elegant.
5. http://www.logomoose.com/logo-desig…t-peacock/ - Like how there is a stand-alone logo (don't like the logo), with lettering underneath.
The files we will require are: Print file format - .ai (CMYK), Web file format - .jpg and layered .psd (RGB).
Please feel free to experiment with colors!
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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JUAN DOLIO, D.R. - In their final day in the Dominican Republic, the Bisons basketball team visited La Romana Orphanage in the morning and played their final exhibition game in the evening, a 92-83 victory against La UASD.
Click on the image to play a video from La Romana
Click here to view a photo gallery from La Romana
Monday morning the Bisons departed the hotel at 8:30 a.m. local time to visit the La Romana Orphanage. La Romana is located 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Juan Dolio near the southeast part of Hispaniola. On our way we stopped at JUMBO again to pick up enough food for two meals at the orphanage.
La Romana currently has 140 girls living there. They don't have enough beds for the girls as seven girls sleep on the floor and several more actually share a bed. Boys from another orphanage a couple blocks away also came for our visit.
Stephanie Walton, wife of assistant coach Jay Walton, and her church Sunday school class had prepared backpacks for each player and staff member that included items like coloring books, crayons, chalk, and puzzles.
The team spent about two hours playing with the children outside before taking a tour of the orphanage. La Romana spends about $11,000 USD per month on food which equates to 87 cents per meal per child. The complex includes a church which the children attend five days a week and is open to the community. It also has a school that goes up to sixth grade.
Because of the overcrowding, La Romana is attempting to raise $1.8 million dollars to expand its size. Professional baseball player Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals gave a $600,000 gift to the orphanage which has allowed them to begin construction.
The stop at the orphanage was another great example to the team of how blessed we are in America. With only four staff members, the older girls at the orphanage are essentially surrogate mothers for the young orphans acting on collective responsibility to raise each other.
In the evening the Bisons boarded two mini-buses to travel to Santo Domingo for their fourth and final exhibition of the "foreign tour" allowed every four years under NCAA rules.
They defeated the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo 92-83 behind 20 points and 10 rebounds from freshman forward Malcolm Smith. The "Santo Domingo Autonomous University" is the oldest university in the Americas and was founded in 1538.
The Bisons opened up a 27-16 lead after the first quarter but La UASD did not go away coming back to take a 55-54 lead with 5:36 to play in the third quarter.
Coming out of a timeout with the game tied at 60, Lipscomb went on an 11-0 run. While La UASD continued to battle, the Bisons made several key defensive stops in the final minutes of the game to ensure the victory and a perfect 4-0 sweep of their Dominican competition.
The trip back to the hotel contained its own excitement. One of the mini-buses blew out a tire. There wasn't a jack to change the tire, so the team had to lift the bus off the ground while a spare was placed on the mini-bus. The hotel dining area was scheduled to close at 10 p.m., but they held it open an extra thirty minutes so the team could eat dinner upon the late return.
The team is scheduled to depart the hotel for the airport at 3:45 a.m. and will arrive back in Nashville mid-afternoon Tuesday.
Lipscomb 92, La UASD 83
Scoring: Malcolm Smtih 20, Jordan Burgason 15, Robert Boyd 12, Damarius Smith 9, Zavion Williams 8, Deonte Alexander 7, Jacob Arnett 7, Marvin Williams 6, Cater Sanderson 5 and Martin Smith 3.
Lipscomb 27 20 28 17 - 92
La UASD 16 24 26 17 - 83


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SOURCE: Vishay Intertechnology, Inc.
November 21, 2012 18:00 ET
Held Jointly With the China Power Supply Society, Seminar to Explore Capacitors, Resistors, Inductors, MOSFETs, Power Modules, and Diodes in New Energy, Military, Communications, and Industrial Applications
Held Jointly With the China Power Supply Society, Seminar to Explore Capacitors, Resistors, Inductors, MOSFETs, Power Modules, and Diodes in New Energy, Military, Communications, and Industrial Applications
MALVERN, PA--(Marketwire - Nov 21, 2012) - Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (NYSE: VSH) today announced that it will be presenting at the 2012 West China Power Seminar on Nov. 24 at the Xi'an Empress Hotel. Held jointly with the China Power Supply Society (CPSS), the seminar will include four technical presentations by Vishay experts exploring capacitors, resistors, inductors, MOSFETs, power modules, and diodes in new energy, military, communications, industrial power, and other industries. They will be joined by a number of additional industry experts making presentations on a wide range of topics.
From 9:40 to 10:15 a.m., Vishay regional marketing manager Michael Huang will discuss how different types of capacitors offer different characteristics -- including long lifetime, high current, high voltage shock, and resistance to high temperatures -- to meet the requirements of various applications. He will explore Vishay's offering of capacitors for power and special power supply applications, such as power transmission, oil exploration, and new energy.
Vishay regional marketing manager Steven Lv will discuss the use of resistors and inductors in a variety of power supply applications from 10:15 to 10:50 a.m. He will highlight the importance of selecting the right component, with a focus on the characteristics and applications of Vishay's resistor and inductor offering.
Tom Xu, Vishay assistant product application manager, will present on power MOSFETs and integrated DrMOS solutions for power supplies in new energy, military, and communication applications from 2:10 to 2:45 p.m. He will explore cutting-edge TrenchFET® Gen IV low-voltage power MOSFETs and the latest high-voltage MOSFET technologies, such as Super Junction technology.
From 2:45 to 3:20 p.m., Vishay senior engineer Tony Wei will discuss the use of diodes and power modules in new energy and industrial applications. He will focus on the use of low-forward-voltage-drop TMBS® Trench MOS Barrier Schottky diodes as bypass diodes in solar junction boxes and in inverter power modules; FRED® Pt ultra-fast diodes; and thyristors in solar inverter and industrial applications.
Additional industry experts featured at the 2012 West China Power Seminar will include:
More information on the 2012 West China Power Seminar is available at
Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., a Fortune 1,000 Company listed on the NYSE (VSH), is one of the world's largest manufacturers of discrete semiconductors (diodes, MOSFETs, and infrared optoelectronics) and passive electronic components (resistors, inductors, and capacitors). These components are used in virtually all types of electronic devices and equipment, in the industrial, computing, automotive, consumer, telecommunications, military, aerospace, power supplies, and medical markets. Vishay's product innovations, successful acquisition strategy, and "one-stop shop" service have made it a global industry leader. Vishay can be found on the Internet at www.vishay.com.
TrenchFET, TMBS, and FRED Pt are registered trademarks of Vishay Intertechnology.
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Already a hotspot for herbicide-resistant weeds, Arkansas experienced even more weed troubles this summer. Flooding this spring scattered seeds from resistant weeds all across the cropland. These seeds took root and created a carpet of resistant weeds in fields that used to be clean.
On a trip sponsored by Dow AgroSciences, members of the media visited the area along the White River in north-central Arkansas. Here flood water covered 100,000 acres of farmland. As the water receded, growers hurried into the fields to replant. Often, timely applications of herbicides were delayed. Now those fields are tangled with difficult-to-treat, resistant weeds.
Malcolm Haigwood, grower and custom applicator at Newport, AR, took the group to two soybean fields sitting across the road from each other. One field was completely clean with no weeds in sight. In the other field, soybean plants were barely visible among the giant Palmer pigweed stands.
What happened? Haigwood said it was a combination of poor timing and incorrect herbicides applied after both fields were flooded and then replanted.
"Both fields were (re)planted the same day," he explained. "The difference in the fields is one had a preplant herbicide put down in a timely fashion so it was activated and then followed by timely postemerge applications. Three applications of glyphosate combined with another chemistry with a different mode of action were applied. The other (weedy) field had only two applications of glyphosate."
The cost of treating these resistant weeds is high, Haigwood says, considering he used to only need one application of glyphosate a year, which cost just $12 to $15/acre. The four applications of herbicides total $80/acre.
In addition, the field is treated four times versus just one. Haigwood does some custom application and now he needs three sprayers to handle his application jobs versus only one sprayer a few years ago.
Glyphosate is still a good product, Haigwood added, but it can't handle resistant pigweed alone, and certainly not after pigweed grows beyond 4 in. He said growers also need to follow recommended rates for herbicides. Under-applying a herbicide to save money only gives weeds more room to develop resistance.


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In the age of smartphones and tablets, can new versions of the Xbox and PlayStation dominate the living room like their predecessors, asks Tom Chatfield.
My first taste of technological tribalism came courtesy of video games. Born at the start of the 1980s, I entered my teens at a time when the most central badge of belonging to many geeks my age was the answer to a single question – Sega or Nintendo?
In my case, it was Nintendo all the way. To be precise, it was the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES to its friends). From the outside the SNES looked like an undistinguished grey lump of plastic while its rival, Sega's Genesis/Mega Drive (the former name used only in North America), was black and seductively sleek. But beneath the shell, as I never tired of explaining, mine was a superior machine, with its 32,768 colours, Mode 7 graphical scaling, and a stable of iconic games: Zelda; Metroid; Unirally; and the criminally addictive Mario Kart.
Owning or endorsing both brands was unthinkable. At the time, games consoles were the apogee of electronic achievement, and their rise or fall was the single most important question in my digital world.
Two decades and four generations of consoles later, dedicated gaming machines still fuel passionate debate. Today, though, it's not so much about winning the console war as fighting for survival.
Witness Microsoft's announcement this May of its new console, the Xbox One: successor to the seven-year-old Xbox 360. Despite the corporate rhetoric and razzmatazz, much of the speculation that accompanied its unveiling centred on whether this product was aimed at "a customer which arguably no longer exists" – someone willing to hook up a clever, expensive box to a huge television set and put digital games at the centre of their household.
In an age of smartphones and tablets, it's easy to see why warring to dominate the living room looks like an anachronism. Microsoft has made several concessions to evolving technologies, emphasising the Xbox One's integration with TV and social media – an emphasis that bred its own brand of contempt from critics underwhelmed by "the world's most expensive TV remote." But, as games industry expert Nicholas Lovell argued on his website following Microsoft's event, "The future battle is not for the control of the living room: it is for control of the direct relationship between creator and consumer via this personal screen. It's like Microsoft is fighting to be the person who controls the fixed line phone in an age of mobile telephony."
When the last generation of games consoles appeared, there was no such thing as an iPhone. Today, there are more smartphones in the world than consoles have been sold in history. Digital play has been democratised in a way unthinkable a decade ago, while – as Lovell notes – personal, portable screens are rapidly overtaking monitors and televisions in every aspect of our lives. Even at home, the big screen on the wall plays second fiddle to the small ones clasped in our hands.
It's a different world even to that of 2008, when Nintendo's then latest consoles – the Wii and DS – helped it to become the world's most profitable company per capita. Five years later, the company posted its first ever annual loss, while sales of its new Wii U have been disappointing since its release in November last year.
Virtual unreality
Yet there remains something in games consoles that still feels significant to me. Like play itself, it's as much emotional and symbolic as it is pragmatic, and it rests on a distinctly old-fashioned vision of computing: of technology not as an efficient facilitator, but as a conjurer of other worlds.
To put a games console at the heart of your house is to create a magic circle into which you can step with total attention – and which in return grants access to digital realms crafted to enthral, engage and amaze. As many have pointed out, the $50-plus price point of "triple-A" console games looks like an anachronism at a time when top-notch apps can be had for a dollar, while soaring budgets are a major issue for developers. At its best, though, the bargain remains unique: enter an adventure at the cutting edge of unreality, and for a moment leave your life behind.
It's an impulse that can quite reasonably be called adolescent, regressive and escapist. Games consoles have never been for everyone. They're a playground for those who – like my teenage self – want not simply to be served by technology, but to be transported by it. Hence the success of perhaps the most remarkable accessory to grace consumer electronics, Microsoft's Kinect: a sensor array able to track, and to model onscreen, users' every movement via stereoscopic cameras.
An upgraded version of Kinect is one of the centrepieces of Xbox One, and rightly so – because what seems gimmicky when you're waving at it to change TV channels can become, in the middle of play, little less than a miracle. Kinect is not just about controlling a machine with your body: it's about becoming an active, physical presence within the screen itself. Like deities descending from a higher plane, it's the closest we've yet come to incarnating ourselves within virtual worlds.
If this sounds grandiose, that's because it is. It's far too early fully to judge Microsoft's latest creation, of course, let alone to back winners in its combat with Sony's forthcoming PlayStation 4. Despite the ferocious competition for attention and dollars, though, there's something at the heart of console gaming that isn't going away: the passionate desire to meld play and technology into something entirely apart from everyday life.
If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on Future, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.


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Happy New Year to all of you! Hope you are having amazing holidays:)
A little black dress is such a classic piece with which you can never go wrong! I am obsessed with this dress, I love the detailing at the back. It adds such a nice and sexy touch to the outfit. Of course, I didn't want my hair to be in the way so I decided to an updo, let me know if you would like to see a tutorial about it! I kept the whole outfit black by adding a black faux fur coat, as all black outfits are so classy..and added a pop of colour by my clutch!
I am wearing:
Faux fur jacket - New Look
Dress - Republic
Shoes - Dorothy Perkins
Clutch - Primark
Watch - D&G
Rings - Warren James


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There's about a month to go for the Illinois General Assembly to complete its business — and there's a lot of business to do if the state is going to shed its image as a deadbeat.
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There's about a month to go for the Illinois General Assembly to complete its business — and there's a lot of business to do if the state is going to shed its image as a deadbeat.
One of the reasons Illinois is in such dire financial straits is because not enough people are working. Illinois' 9.5 percent unemployment rate in March was the second worst in the nation, trailing only Nevada's 9.7 percent rate. However, Nevada's 1.9 percentage point drop was the largest year-over-decline in the country.
Meanwhile, Illinois lost about 18,000 jobs and unemployment increased in seven of the state's 12 major metropolitan areas.
When people aren't working, they aren't paying taxes. When tax dollars are scarce, there's no money for the state to finance essential services. That's a losing formula.
The Deadbeat Illinois series has pointed out week after week how the state's inability to pay its bills affects residents of the state.
This week we read about KCCDD, a developmental disabilities service group in Galesburg, that is $2 million short out of a $5 million budget.
According to the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, groups like KCCDD statewide are owed $220 million from the state under this year's budget.
As with other groups that have been highlighted since GateHouse newspapers started examining who gets hurt by the state's deadbeat ways, KCCDD has had to find creative ways to make ends meet. Furlough days and holding the line on salaries have been common tools to balance budgets. KCCDD has benefited from community fundraisers that have kept the agency going.
Some of the help being considered may make Illinois' situation worse. House Bill 374 would allow the state to borrow $2 billion to pay some bills.
Borrowing has exacerbated the state's ills. In 2009, the state used two rounds of borrowing totaling $2.25 billion so it could pay its bills. Even with all that borrowing, the state has not come close to paying its bills on time.
Increasing taxes hasn't helped either. State revenues are up about 7 percent, yet Illinois is spending money as fast as it comes in.
Don't be fooled by the numbers shown on The Ledger, the online database of Illinois' financial information brought to you by Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka.
Today's tally showed the state "only" owed about $3.5 billion, about half of what has been listed on the site.
The numbers are misleading because people pay their taxes in April and the influx of revenue would indicate the backlog is dropping.
However, when you take into account bills that are sitting at agencies and have yet to be submitted, the backlog is estimated to be $6.7 billion. The fiscal year ends June 30.
Putting more people to work would bring in additional tax revenue, People with money in their pockets tend to spend a lot of it, which would add to the state's sales-tax revenue.
Last week we wrote about Texas Gov. Rick Perry's attempt to lure Illinois businesses to the Lone Star State. Texas has no state income tax, an unemployment rate of 6.4 percent and has a budget surplus of $8.8 billion.
Maybe it's time for Illinois lawmakers to raid Texas for ideas in creating a business-friendly, job-creating atmosphere.


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10 Drawbacks of Harmonic Pattern Trading
The price of all assets traded within the financial market moves in cycles. These courses tend to replicate themselves and then form geometric patterns. Studies have shown that the ribs that make up these unique geometric patterns are linked to each other through Fibonacci ratios. Each of these patterns is referred to as a different name, usually an animal name, as shown in the graph. As these patterns evolve naturally, they are referred to as consensual patterns.
Through harmonic models, the Tera APP trader can determine the price level at which the price can be subject to a reversal. Thus, it gives an early entry feature to the trader as long as the validity of expectations is shown. However, like any other trading system, the harmonic pattern has some flaws. This article discusses the main disadvantages of harmonic trading or harmonic model.
1. It has too many patterns
The ribs forming the harmonic pattern are always linked to Fibonacci ratios, which is the focus of price movements. Hence, harmonic patterns are based mainly on Fibonacci ratios. If there is one pattern, the trader may be able to remember those ratios. On the contrary, there are at least half a dozen of harmonic models (bat, butterfly, crab, AB = CD, Gartley, etc.) and thus, it becomes difficult for the trader to study, remember, and identify those patterns without using specialized software or indicators. In addition, the trader finds it difficult not only to identify the harmonic model that is likely to achieve successes but also the model that would provide significant gains.
2. Contradictory signals
This is the most common problem faced by novices. Harmonic models, evolving in different time frames, may show conflicting signals. So much so that we may see two bullish and bearish models at the same time. Which may create a kind of confusion in the minds of traders. The USD / JPY chart below shows a bearish harmonic pattern in the 15-minute timeframe and another Harmonic pattern of the ascending bull in the 30-minute timeframe. In such circumstances, only prior trading experience will enable the trader to assess the situation and make a sound decision on the trading. Just knowing the harmonic pattern will not be enough:
3. High probability of losing contact
Traders who strictly follow the harmonic trading rules confirm the accuracy of entry levels and stop loss levels. However, it can be understood that entry rules and stop loss are susceptible to manipulation by key players and can become a major flaw. In the Forex market, a few points in the potential reversal zone (PRZ) may be more than enough to trigger stop loss orders easily during periods of price volatility.
4. Forecasting accessories
Although harmonic models are generally seen as a specific set of trading rules, this is not always the case. In many compatibility models, the ribs that form the compatibility pattern can have extensions. For example, in AB = CD, the length of the CD leg can be either 1.27 or 1.618 from the length of the AB leg. In such circumstances, the professionals calculate the possible length of the CD leg by studying the BC leg. Needless to say, experience is the only source through which these techniques can be learned and thus we get rid of the concept of smart decision making by learning compatibility models.
5. Time frame
Harmonic models only deal with the ratio between price fluctuations. TeraAPP does not mention anything about the time frame you choose or the time needed to achieve or violate a particular pattern. Furthermore, compatibility models are mostly used by swing traders who hold an open position for several days. Harmonic trading is not commensurate with short-term time frames and trading day in general.
6. Pure technical model
Consensual models are based on the assumption that humans tend to repeat past behavior even unconsciously. If the fundamentals of financial assets have changed radically, the pattern will surely fail. A professional trader must attach importance to the fundamentals that strengthen or weaken the currency. When a large number of traders place orders to buy or sell just because the pattern refers to a bounce at a certain point, if the whole thing becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The Smart Capital Manager can easily transfer stop-loss orders very quickly at any given time. While there is no denying that short-term fluctuations can not always be explained by economic data, still, placing a buy or sell order that entirely depends on the harmonic pattern is certainly not a wise decision.
7. Style can be changed to other style
There is no guarantee that the harmonic pattern will complete as expected. The ribs can stretch leading to model failure. Moreover, the pattern can also turn into another style. Let's assume that the Gartley model evolves in the price chart. AB should be equal to the CD leg. However, CD regression may not be equal to AB. To represent the last high swing with X, then in the harmonic Gartley model, point B and D should not exceed point X, while point C should not exceed A. If D exceeds point X, the pattern becomes a failure. In addition, the pattern can be transformed into harmonic Butterfly pattern. This prospect would put the novice trader into a dilemma.
8. Issues related to the potential bounce area (PRZ)
In some harmonic models, there is a potential reversal region where the price is composed of many ratios of Fibonacci. The issue is that the levels shown by Fibonacci ratios may be more than 50 points. For example, the ratios that make up the potential reversal levels in the Gartley model are 0.786 XA, 1.27 BC, and 1.618 BC. Moreover, the level at which AB = CD can eventually achieve a potential reversal area. Therefore, it is not possible to place an order immediately and wait for the price to reach the potential reversal area. So the retailer should constantly monitor the formation of bottoms or higher price peaks to enter into a buying or selling position. This makes the model-based harmonic structure a complex process.
9. Graphs Idiots
When you look at the price chart you find it particularly inaccurate when you attach the harmonic pattern on the chart. Early-dated traders are often advised to keep the price chart clean so that support and resistance levels can be clearly seen. Having multiple lines on the price chart would distract the trader from significant levels.
10. Abundance of new patterns
There is no paucity in claims for new compatibility models on the Internet. There are slight differences in style between the six harmonic patterns. In fact, such claims add another dimension to the complexity of the circulation of harmonic models. .
There is no doubt that harmonized models provide a degree of excellence to the Tera APP Scam trader. However, experience, practical experience and compliance with rules, such as turtle traders, are the most important to success in trading.


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The Holy Bible
containing the
Old and New Testaments
Old and New Testaments
translated out of the
Original languages
Original languages
and with
the former translations diligently compared and revised
with Marginal References
Apocyrpha, Concordance and Psalms
text conformable to the Oxford edition
and the American Bible Society
Edition of 1816
William W. Harding
with Marginal References
Apocyrpha, Concordance and Psalms
text conformable to the Oxford edition
and the American Bible Society
Edition of 1816
William W. Harding
These fragile Bible pages contain vital information regarding the Stephen Cummins family. This is particularly important to people who are descended from this family, because many of the Rockcastle County Kentucky records were destroyed by courthouse fire.
While researching Cummins family I came across a reference for the dates of Stephen Cummins of Rockcastle County Kentucky that I had never seen before and contacted Kevin Geiss. Kevin's mother, Norma Ellen Cummins Geiss of Excelsior, Missouri is a descendant of Charles Cummins and Lou Virginia McMullin. Norma has possession of the Bible. Kevin photographed the cherished Bible and the delicate pages. More photographs of the Bible are located at this link, http://astrophoenix.com/bible/
Permission to post the photographs was given by Kevin Geiss.
Transcription of the above pages by Valerie J. Thompson:
Stephen Cummins was Bornd December 13th 1815
Amanda Cummins was Bornd March 30th 1810
Samuel C. Cummins was Bornd September 11th 1832
William C. Cummins was Bornd October 1st 1835
James B. Cummins was Bornd April 3rd 1840
Mary E. Cummins was Bornd July 15th 1843
Jane Bodle was borned January 21st 1812
Charles K. Cummins was Bornd Feb 18th 1872
Graydon M. Cummins was bornd April 27 day 1893
Clarence Cummins was Bornd Jan 29? 1895
Stephen G. Cummins & Amanda Carson was united in the bonds of wedlock December 27th 1831
Stephen G Cummins & Jane Bodle was united in the bonds of wedlock April 10th 1864
W. S. Cummins and Saly W. Griffin were maried July 31, 1884
Charles Cummings & Lou Virginia McMullin was united in the bonds of wedlock July 28th 1892
Rebecca J Cummins was born March 30th 1897
Eula Cummins was bornd Sept 21st 1901
Mintie Marie Cummins was bornd Apr 17th 1904
Lucile Cummins was born Nov 22 1907
William S. Cummins was Bornd August 14th 1867
Saly W. Cummins was Bornd June 26th 1866
Ardy L. Cummins was Bornd May 22nd 1885
Melisie Cummins was Bornd Jan 9th 1887
Esie Cummins was Bornd April 5th 1888
Joy Dottie Cummins was " Dec 5th 1890
Lucile Cummins was Born Nov 22 1907
Samuel C Cummins Departed this life May 21st 1840
James B Cummins Departed this life April 6th 1858
Amanda Cummins Departed this life April 12th 1863
Elizabeth Roylty Departed this life December 11th 1865 Age 73 yrs 10 mo 9 days
S. G. Cummins Departed this life October 28th 1880 11 o'clock 25 min in the morn
Clarence C. Cummins Departed this life Dec 21, 1915
Stephen Cummins and Amanda Carson are listed on the 1850 and 1860 Census of Rockcastle County Kentucky. Also on the 1860 Rockcastle Census near Stephen and Amanda is Stephen Cummins, Sr born about 1787 in Virginia. In 1870 Stephen Cummins, Jr is listed with Jane on the Rockcastle County Census. Stephen Cummins, Sr was the son of Moses Cummins, (1745-1803) Revolutionary War soldier. Stephen Cummins, Sr married Clarissa Dearmon/Durmin in Garrard County Kentucky 11 June 1801. Moses left a will in Garrard County Kentucky, Will Book A, page 142 dated 15 Sep 1803. Stephen Cummins, Sr was executor along with his brother, Daniel. More about this family is written in Cummins Ancient, Cummins New by Francis Funk. This family has deep American roots.