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Monday, February 04, 2013
SAP Goes Back to the Well for a Maintenance Fee Hike
Jarret Pazahanick alerted me to an email that went out this morning to SAP partners, announcing a unilateral price increase on standard support, for new maintenance contracts signed after July 15, 2013.
The email reads, in part,
To be able to provide the same level of support in the future, we will change the maintenance rate for new maintenance contracts with SAP Standard Support from 18% to 19%, effective July 15, 2013.I would point out that this is not a 1% increase in maintenance fees: it is a 5.5% increase (1/18 = 5.5%).
This moderate adjustment does not apply to any existing maintenance contracts for SAP Standard Support closed before July 15, 2013. We also want to be respectful about budgets being planned for 2013. Therefore, we encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity to place purchase orders with SAP Standard Support ahead of this change at the existing 18% rate until July 14, 2013.
If I were an SAP customer, I would have four questions for SAP:
Several years ago, SAP customers fought back SAP's attempts to impose a maintenance fee increase by forcing all customers to move from standard support (at 18%) to enterprise support (at 22%). After a great deal of public outcry, SAP backed down. Now SAP appears to be trying to impose a smaller price increase, with no apparent improvement in service, in hopes customers will not notice.
- What improvements in SAP support will SAP deliver to justify this 5.5% price increase? Can we expect our internal costs to drop by at least 5.5% as a result of SAP's improvements in its support program?
- What is the gross margin on SAP's maintenance business today, and how will that change after this increase is in effect? Maintenance is the most profitable segment in SAP's financial performance. Why should it become even more profitable?
- How have SAP's cost of support increased to justify this increase in my maintenance fees? Normally the cost to support mature products decreases over time, as issues with the program code are resolved. Offshoring of application support and deflection of support activities to SAP's user and partner network also have introduced support efficiencies. Shouldn't SAP be considering a reduction in maintenance fees rather than an increase?
- Since SAP uses some of its maintenance revenue to fund development of new products as well as make acquisitions, will SAP provide these new products to customers at no charge? It seems SAP charges customers for new products twice: once, when it charges maintenance fees, and again when existing customers buy those new products.
The only good news in this announcement is for providers of SAP third-party maintenance, such as Rimini Street.
Update: Chris Kanaracus at IDG News Service reports on the SAP maintenance fee hike. Larry Dignan at ZDnet also chimes in.
Update, Feb 5: Dennis Howlett has a deeper dive, and he gets clarification from SAP on several issues.
Related PostsSAP backs down on 22% maintenance fees
Mad as hell: backlash brewing against SAP maintenance fee hike
Labels: 3PM, rimini street, SAPby Frank Scavo, 2/04/2013 10:30:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
Reader Comments:Great questions Frank on an important topic for SAP customers. By all accounts this only affects a small amount of customers given that a "majority" are on Enterprise Support but wondering why SAP would stir up a hornets nest on maintenance and the value it brings.
I know that SAP HCM customers will be upset with ANY increases as many would like to see a decrease given SAP's strategic direction that for several key areas of HCM that SuccessFactors is where the innovation will be going forward and obviously it comes with additional licenses.
I thought Jon Reed summed it up very well yesterday on Twitter:
"SAP (+ other) on-prem vendors need to rethink support pricing/come up w/ smart new options,they're milking an aging cow"
what is the chance of a customer-owned (ala Vanguard for personal investment/retirement accounts) or non-profit foundation type of organization (ala The Document Foundation for LibreOffice), providing an open source ERP/SCM/CRM software suite at "at-cost" (ala Vanguard) pricing?
Are the top "Global 2000" CXO execs so "religious"/zealous in neo-liberal ideology, that 5% of these companies don't see the screamingly obvious ROI of each contributing 1% each to create & fund such an organization? Or perhaps these companies next-quarter extremist orientation prevents them to making investments that are obviously great ROI in a 5 yr timeframe?
Is it too idealistic to hope that such an organization would be a legitimate competitor to the SAP/Oracle oligopoly by 2020?
Mr. Scavo, would enjoy hearing your take/response to my questions in this comment.
Your questions are really relevant. I would also like to point out some of the simple steps which can be taken for reducing first of all the license cost :
1. Locking users for inactivity on a regular basis
2. Making sure users are classified across all the system by proper license type
3. Having the the same first and last name in all the systems
4. Turning on the parameter so users cannot have multiple logons
SAP Audit |SAP Controls| SAP Security Audit


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Week One: May 12
Thursday, May 1
Latina Leadership Network Reception
Las Mujeres de Foothill College invites staff and students to a reception celebrating the newly formed Foothill College Chapter of the Latina Leadership Network, an organization committed to educational excellence, student access and success, and leadership development for Latinas who work and/or attend California community colleges.
Time: 56:30 p.m.
Location: Administration Building Quad
Friday, May 2
Latino Heritage Month Evening Extravaganza
Featured performers are Grupo Folklorico "Alika del Nayar," an exquisite group formed in 1994 in Tepic, Nayarit, by director Cipriano Galindo. Alika de Nayar symbolizes a dove, and Nayar represents the ultimate king. This group represents the excellence in dance, culture and tradition of Mexico. "Bill and Elia" will be performing to Libertango by Astor Piazzolla. Bill Frankeberger who is a dedicated enthusiast of writing, composing, and dancing is a Foothill College family member. Elia Wu grew up in Shanghai. A graduate of New York University, whose parents aspired her to become a doctor or an engineer, Elia instead chose to major in computer science and continues to dance. Ensembles Ballet Folkorico de San Francisco is an authentic Mexican Dance Folklore group which began in 1989 by dancers with varying degrees in aptitude of Mexican Folklore. They have participated in various events, such as Young Audiences of the Bay Area, Margeret Cruz Latina Breast Cancer Foundation and many more. Committed to performing the standard of excellence, they perform authentically and passionately under the direction of Zenon Barron.
Time: 79 p.m.
Location: Smithwick Theater
Tickets: $7 General or $5 w/OwlCard
Children 12 and under FREE
Box Office: (650) 948-4444 or Tickets will be sold at the door.
Fiesta on the Hill: Dance & After Party
The Latino Heritage Club will be host of an after party following the show. The D.J. will play a variety of music including Hip-Hop, House, Salsa, Merengue, Raggae and more.
Time: 9:30 p.m.1 a.m.
Location: Main Dining Room
Tickets: $7 General or $5 w/OwlCard
Children 12 and under FREE
Tickets will be sold at the door.
Monday, May 5
Opening Day Luncheon & Speaker
The Latino Heritage Month Opening Day speaker will feature program director, Sandra Madrigal, from the Third Street Community Center. Sandra is a strong believer that it takes a community to raise a child. This outlook has allowed her to have a philanthropic perspective towards community-minority development. She believes in making students dreams of success a reality. Entertainment will be provided by Mariachi Garibaldi, which is directed by Nativadad Sanchez, and has been performing in the Bay Area for 20 years.
Time: Noon1:30 p.m.
Location: Main Dining Room
Tickets: $7 General or $5 w/OwlCard
Wednesday, May 7
Grupo Folklorico "Alika del Nayar"
Grupo Folklorico "Alika del Nayar" is an exquisite group formed in 1994, in Tepic, Nayarit, by Director Cipriano Galindo. Alika de Nayar symbolizes a dove, and Nayar represents the ultimate king. This group has represented the excellence in dance, culture and tradition of Mexico.
Time: Noon1 p.m.
Location: Main Dining Room
Thursday, May 8
Student Panel & Presentation: "Faces Behind the Statistics: Latino Achievement in Higher Education"
Moderator and English Instructor Tess Hansen and Foothill College Puente students discuss the problems of Latino underachievement by giving voice to the inadequacies of the United States educational system. In giving snapshots of their own experiences, student panelists discuss the challenges facing this majority minority.
Time: Noon1 p.m.
Location: Room 3525
Monday, May 12 & Tuesday, May 13
Video Presentation & Discussion: Lone Star
Presented by Miguel Sotomayor, Latino Heritage Club president, and Tess Hansen, Puente/English Instructor. The film explores interpersonal and interracial tensions between Latinos, African Americans and Caucasians in the border town of Rio County Texas.
Time: 10 11:30 a.m.
Location: Campus Center Lounge
Wednesday, May 14
Danzantes Aztecas Calpuli Huitzalopochtli
The name Huitzalopochtli means the force of our own will in our thoughts. Aztec dancers will perform in the Mexican elders tradition.
Time: Noon1 p.m.
Location: Cesar Chavez Plaza
Thursday, May 15
Poetry Slam
Poetry Slam is a celebration of Latino poetry and music. Join "Enddependence, a Latino poetry group, for a day of celebration of the spoken word. Students and staff are encouraged to read their own poetry or poems from other writers.
Time: 10 a.m.1 p.m.
Location: Appreciation Hall (Room 1501)
Wednesday, May 21
Raza Day, Una Puerta al Exito
Featured speaker is Luis Chavez, Puente's new community college training director. He finds his work in bridging community and schools extremely rewarding both personally and professionally. Luis has a long history with the Puente Community College Mentor Project. He has served at the Puente state office for more than 11 years in various positions ranging from community college volunteer trainer/facilitator and community college mentor coordinator. There will be career and transfer panels: including student and industry representatives discussing Career and Transfer Program successes and also the opportunity to meet with employers at the career and job fair. Campus tours and lunch will be available for participants. Co-sponsored by: Bay Region Consortium, Foothill Puente, EOPS, Tech Prep Programs and Foothill Outreach Office.
Time 11 a.m.Noon Career Panel
Location: Room 3523 FREE ADMISSION
Time 11 a.m.Noon Puente Workshop
Location: Altos Room FREE ADMISSION
Time: Noon1 p.m. Luncheon
Location: Toyon Room FREE ADMISSION
Wednesday, May 28
Artist Reception
This years featured artist, whose work is on display in Semans Library throughout May, is Juan Fuentes. He serves as director of Mission Grafica, the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts located in San Francisco.
Time: Noon1 p.m.
Location: Semans Library Patio
May 130
Throughout May, flags from Latin American countries will be displayed throughout Foothill College along with information and history of each country represented.
Location: Campuswide
May 131
Art Exhibit
Featured artist throughout May is Juan Fuentes who serves as director of Mission Grafica of the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts in San Francisco.
Location: Semans Library

subset: commoncrawl


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Five Reasons to Drop Everything Right Now and Follow Katherine Webb on Twitter
If you watched the National Championship game last night, chances are you've already looked this babe up on Twitter. You can keep reading anyway though; just skip over the pesky words to the pretty pictures.
Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron got his spotlight stolen out from under him by his former Miss Alabama girlfriend, who unhinged the collective jaws of every fan watching at home when she appeared on TV for several minutes, post-victory. So many of us were intrigued, in fact, that Katherine racked up over 90k new Twitter followers in under three hours. We just checked, and she's up to 165k, then we reloaded the page and the number went up by almost 1,000. You get the idea.
In celebration of Alabama, Katherine, and the ultimate babe database they call Twitter, we present the 5 Reasons to Drop Everything Right Now and Follow Katherine Webb on Twitter:


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Evert journey starts with a small step and (often) an airport transfer…
It's 4am on the coach from Birmingham to Manchester Airport, which puts me in mind of The 4am Project – so I take a phone snapshot aboard the National Express 422 service. It's a blurry fail (those lights are the view out the front window) but also kinda pretty. The world at 4am is a whole different kettle of surreal fish – and that's the point really.
Blue neon tunnel on the travelator to Terminal 3. More crazy lights but I like it. It's a 12 mins walk to checkin, though.
Arcade games at the gate? We're not in Birmingham now, Toto. Still, the seats are great for kipping on.
FYI, Gate 52 at Terminal 3, Manchester Airport is also a Defibrillator Station. With my fear of flying (see yesterday's confessional post), I felt strangely reassured.
Checking the plane over through the window – it looks shiny and new. Ok then, I'll board.
One of the swifter boardings, thankfully. It was funny when a crew member changed into her comfortable shoes aboard the flight. Glamour – check.
Bmibaby cabin crew action shot!
That's France down there. (I'm much happier now I'm in the cruise corridor.)
Kiss the pilot, we've landed. Toulouse Airport is packed with urban, futuristic chic.
The transfer down to the coast is a swift autoroute ride with a viewing point for Carcassonne Castle.
Next step: the holiday.
Bmibaby.com flights to Toulouse from Manchester in October cost between £41 and £63 return, taxes and charges included.


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Congratulations Anna!!! Our very own Design Team member Anna has recently been featured on a scrapbooking.com e-zine! Click HERE to see the full article and all of the pictures of her lovely booklet featuring Savor Sweet Cupcakes stamps. An exclusive set of Simon Says Stamp.
Savor Sweet Cupcakes
Anna's beautiful vintage style and impeccable eye and attention to detail make her not only a great artist and crafter but the perfect combination of talents to keep memories through scrapbooking. Check out her blog HERE. Below I have added a few other pieces of her more recent work to give you a better idea of her style.
Please leave a comment on Anna's work. I'm sure she would love to hear your feedback!
Happy crafting!
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TAKE THE CHALLENGE: Simon Says Stamp Challenge! | Vintage Simon Says Stamp & Show Challenge


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La Boheme is a fabulous tote and provides you with lots of options to add embellishments! The quilted central panel is great just quilted and it's also the perfect place to add your favorite handwork details such as beading and embroidery. The La Boheme Tote is made using 44" wide quilting cotton in my Celestial and Glow prints from my 'Hapi' collection for Rowan. This Tote can be best made using any print with a focal design for the Exterior, Flange and Side Panels. Choose from two Handle styles: Fabric Straps embellished with optional ribbon, or Leather Straps made from repurposed leather belts. Instructions for optional beading techniques are included. Have fun creating your masterpiece! - Love, Amy
Finished Dimensions: 16 1/2" wide x 14" tall (excluding Strap)
The yardage given is for a one-way design. Please allow extra yardage for matching or centering a design on your fabric.
La Boheme Tote
Fabrics Required
(44" wide quilting cotton)
Fabric Yardage
Focal Print for the Center Panel & Flange
1 1/8 yards
Print for Side Panel
1/3 yard
Lining Print
5/8 yard
Bias Strip
1/2 yard
Fabric Straps (optional)
Fabric Straps
Note: There will be enough fusible woven interfacing from the 1 1/8 yards above for the Fabric Straps
Leather Straps


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orangehat needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 102 designs submitted by 41 freelance designers.
Pray for Vocations or prayforvocations.org
Pray for Vocations is a new organization formed in this Year of the Priest to encourage lay Catholics to pray (prompted, encouraged, led and organized in an on line forum) for men to be called to the priesthood.
Devout Catholics that regularly attend mass. May or may not be web savvy but are coming to the website to volunteer. Many will be recruited thru Facebook and Twitter. Hardcore Catholics that worry about their Church.
This is wide open. It is our hope to have something very professional looking however.
Also remember prayer is the central activity that visitors to the website will engage in. Praying hands might be a nice design touch but please do not feel obligated to use them. We would like to re-emphasize that praying hands are not a required part of the design.
The colors are attached below in a screen shot from Kuler. BLACK IS NOT A PREFERRED COLOR (Kulers background is black and that is the only reason it shows up on the screen shot). The palate should be soft greys (probably a nice base color), lighter blues (periwinkle almost), light greens, and light purples are all part of the palate that designers can choose from.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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I am searching for more druids. I am trying to figure out how many of you enjoy druids, and what spec you think you would be. Judging by my name, I am the Kung-Fu Bear King. I will now allow you to proceed into my domain. I vigorously await all answers and comments down below!
Edit: The reason it is in this section is because I am making this spread off into anything, but I wish to also have it have that hint of World of Warcraft.


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Snoop Dogg - Blue Carpet Treatment [Animated DVD Trailer]
Bigg Snoop Dogg takes you into is his Snoopadelic world in this creative animated film. Hits shelves June 24th.
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.


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Thursday, 26 August 2010
Sepia Saturday 38
18 comments:
- Alan Burnett said...
It's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, so think of me being very late for 37 rather than early for 38.
- 26 August 2010 at 17:37
- Marilyn said...
I have got mine in early this week.
- 27 August 2010 at 10:19
- CrazyasaCoolFox said...
I'm in early this week too. Sepia Saturday is cool!
- 27 August 2010 at 15:49
- Jo said...
I'm a wee bit early too :-) couldn't resist when I found "the" photo
- 27 August 2010 at 18:14
- Tattered and Lost said...
Featuring a photo I've had for many years. A strangely haunting shot of an old house with two young girls. It provides a visual example as to why I call my site Tattered and Lost.
- 27 August 2010 at 20:32
- Titania said...
As I live on an other continent I am later. School
Photos 1910 and 1951. I hope you enjoy.
- 27 August 2010 at 21:40
I'm excited to be a part of SS 38! I'm continuing my exploration of an antique photo album found it an antique shop.
- 27 August 2010 at 22:01
- Pat transplanted to MN said...
This is early and brief for me as I am battling some kind of "bug"
- 27 August 2010 at 22:07
- Pat transplanted to MN said...
oops I reentered thinking it did not take the first time....sorry and 'scuse the duplicate...It's the bug!
- 27 August 2010 at 22:34
- daylily (Queenmothermamaw) said...
I got bugs in my computer too. I be glad when and if they wear themselves out. Glad new folks are joining.
- 28 August 2010 at 00:47
- Jinksy said...
Blogland has enough bugs to drive us all to drink! But I think they've let me post today. Whether they will let me visit others, is an unknown at present! LOL :)
- 28 August 2010 at 12:39
- PattyF said...
It's been a while since I've participated in SS. It's good to be back!
- 28 August 2010 at 15:32
- tony said...
I,m In!
- 28 August 2010 at 15:32
- brokenbiro said...
I haven't linked in to SS before but I've often seen Jinksy and Martin(?)'s entries... I thought they actually had to be sepia!
Anyway - this is my mum and dad 50 years ago, aren't they gorgeous?
- 28 August 2010 at 20:00
- Your Genetic Genealogist said...
I'm a little behind in everything due to a migraine, but here is my post for today. Better late than never!
- 29 August 2010 at 05:56
- www.dakotaboo.com said...
A bit late for Sepia Saturday 38 but have only just got back from holiday. This week's theme from me is (sepia) storms ... very appropriate today in the UK.
- 29 August 2010 at 15:43
- a Vintage Cottage said...
Thank you so much for having this sepia Saturday, it gives mw so many places to visit, and it's fun!
- 30 August 2010 at 01:44
- Jinksy said...
Only just made it before Sunday arrived!
- 4 September 2010 at 23:45


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Things could get ugly
By Lady Liberty
So, tell me: Did you get what you wanted for Christmas? My guess is that some of you did, and some of you didn't. I'm willing to bet that every last one of you, though, got something that you can't, under any circumstances whatsoever, imagine anybody wanting at all. Me? Among other more welcome gifts, I got some costume jewelry that was...well, "hideous" might not be too strong a word. (Don't worry, I'm not so ungrateful as to say such a thing about any gift I got from somebody who actually owns a computer and who might conceivably see this particular column. And those of you who do see it will kindly not say anything, right?)
Now that the holidays are over and the decorations stored away for another year, there's really only one thing left to do. That, of course, involves dealing with those unwanted gifts. Fortunately, you have several options available to you where that seriously ugly sweater you received from Aunt Nancy is concerned:
1. Assuming you know where the sweater was purchased, you can return it, at which time you can exchange its value for something you like better.
2. You might hide the sweater away at the bottom of drawer somewhere, only to be brought out on select holidays ("select" being defined as those at which Aunt Nancy will be present).
3. You could give the sweater to charity (in fairness, those in need might think of "ugly" as less important than "warm").
4. Finally, you could grit your teeth, tell Aunt Nancy how much you love the sweater, and wear it regularly despite the sidelong looks you get from everyone you meet.
The good news is that, no matter what your style, you only have to worry about ugly sweaters once a year. Unfortunately, it seems like it's Christmas year 'round in Washington, and most of us are the unwilling recipients of all sorts of "goodies" given to us by all sorts of politicians who say they're only doing what they think will make us happy and keep us warm.
When we get these unwanted "presents" from Washington, what options do we have?
1. We can, either individually or via class action, file lawsuits to fight specific provisions of bad laws.
This technique hasn't been terribly successful in preventing Washington from passing bad laws, but it has had some positive effects in delaying the implementation of such laws. Further, some particularly onerous things might be made less onerous or even eliminated as the result of sufficiently burdensome (to the government, of course) lawsuits.
2. We can ignore the laws.
Ignoring bad laws is both a really good idea and a singularly bad one.The good part of ignoring unconstitutional laws is that (technically, at least) it's not only legal for us to do so but mandatory under the Constitution itself. The bad news is the likely result of doing the right and patriotic thing, which may involve such negative consequences as arrests, fines, seizures, and jail time.
While I can't and won't encourage you to ignore any duly legislated laws (mostly because it would be illegal for me to do so), I can point out that people in sufficient numbers ignoring laws will spread the risk out over so many people that the risks to any given individual may suddenly plummet into the acceptable range. There are, after all, only so many cops, courtrooms, and jail cells! And while I'd certainly never suggest you take it on yourself to accept an even larger risk, I will say that precedents can be very, very good things when it comes to overturning bad laws.
3. We can pretend the laws don't apply to us.
We have nothing to hide, after all. We aren't criminals or terrorists, so the law actually won't affect us anyway.
The problem here, of course, is that having nothing to hide or not being a criminal has nothing whatsoever to do with whether or not the law will "punish" us. We are losing our anonymity and our privacy at an alarming pace. We're losing our dignity (are you personally so anxious to appear naked before TSA screeners?) almost as quickly. Our children think nothing of offering up fingerprints to buy their school lunch or to board their school bus. And if that's not enough to lose, remember that mistakes have been and will be made and that our previous losses will likely pale when we're faced with losing our freedom!
I'd also point out that, while cases landing innocent Americans in jail will probably be few, the mistakes made on databases will be rampant. Those mistakes will cost people jobs, ruin reputations, make travel inconvenient or impossible, and probably involve significant expense.Those things are going to happen to the guilty and the innocent alike, and since most people aren't guilty, most sufferers will be innocent.
4. Finally, and as is sadly the usual case, we can accept the law however personally disgusted we may be, and then comply willingly if not happily with it.
Many people aren't thrilled with the upcoming implementation of REAL ID. They're smart enough to know it won't do much to curb illegal immigration, and they're well aware that it will be expensive and inconvenient for states to implement. These national ID cards will also provide a centralized database for the federal government to monitor our travels, jobs, and who knows how much more — though fewer people seem to know or care about that little caveat.
Despite the obvious disgust, with the exception of a few diehard freedom fighters and fundamentalist Christians who consider such things the Biblical "Mark of the Beast" (I'll certainly go along with it being evil if nothing else), most people will hold their breath and comply. After all, they won't be able to get on a plane or open a bank account or get into a federal building without one, and we can't be so inconvenienced, can we?
(We can be so inconvenienced, of course, but most of us won't be — and here's the really ironic thing: REAL ID is an ideal opportunity to exercise option 2 and ignore the law. You won't be arrested for failing to have a compliant ID card. You'll just be inconvenienced. And if enough people are inconvenienced, do you really think that the banks without customers and the airlines without passengers won't have a little something to say to the government about it?)
There are many unappreciated (or underappreciated) Christmas gifts. There are even more laws that are ugly, ill-fitting, or outright threatening. But the unattractive sweater and REAL ID seem to sum them all up quite nicely: We don't want them, and we don't need them. But for all the things we can see in common, there's one all important facet that makes the two very different indeed, and that is this:
You can see and be disgusted by the ugly sweater the moment you open the package. Those eye stabbing colors, that design that only Aunt Nancy could love, is right there in your hands. But the ugliest laws require that you know about them before you can see how really problematic they are. You have to know that they've been passed, and you have to know what provisions they contain. You have to go beyond media overviews (which are all too often propaganda stories disguised as news). And most people just aren't willing to go to that much effort. In fact, they'll go to more trouble to avoid wearing an ugly sweater than they will to work to see that ugly laws are repealed or, better still, aren't passed in the first place.
Now that we've looked at the unfortunate difference between these two kinds of unpleasant "gifts," let's get back to their similarties. I've offered up some options we all have when we receive those unwelcome presents. But I deliberately left one off. It's the one that's the most uncomfortable for most of us, but it has the virtue of also being the most effective. It's called "honest communication."
Tell Aunt Nancy you hate the damned sweater! Oh, not in those words, of course. But make it clear you'd rather have a scarf, a clock, or some hideous costume jewelry instead. It won't be easy to look her in the eye and tell her, but it will likely make your gratitude next Christmas more real and your satisfaction with your gift that much greater.
Frankly, the corrollary where Congress is concerned will be more work for you — Aunt Nancy is only one person, and Congress is legion — but it will certainly be emotionally easier on you. And all you need to do is just what you did when you explained things to Aunt Nancy. You tell your politicians that you're tired of getting the same things from them. Make it clear you don't want any more of your freedoms taken from you and that, in fact, the next "gift" out of Washington had better be one that begins to restore those lost freedoms.
Finally, tell your politicians that if they don't start giving you things you like, you'll give them something you're quite sure they won't like: a pink slip. Make it heard loud and clear that, if you don't like what you get, you'll opt to exchange it at the first available opportunity. Now's the time to do that, by the way, what with a "new" Congress just taking office most members of which won their elections based on their promises to get rid of some of the uglier laws we've seen passed in recenet years — and who almost certainly only said they'd do that to get your vote.
You know what I think would be especially cool when we go to vote the next time around? I think we all ought to make a point by wearing an ugly sweater when we cast out ballots. But that's just me.
Oh, and one last thing for the record: The hideous jewelry is on its way to Goodwill. It won't keep any poor people warm, but maybe there's some elderly woman out there on a limited income and with awful taste who will bless the day some kind-hearted soul donated it so that she can feel pretty. I can only hope she doesn't end up giving it to some unsuspecting young thing next Christmas.
Lady Liberty, a senior writer for ESR, is a graphic designer and pro-freedom activist currently residing in the Midwest. More of her writings and other political and educational information is available on her web site, Lady Liberty's Constitution Clearing House, at http://www.ladylibrty.com. E-mail Lady Liberty at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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The draft policy updates the current On-Site Environmental Policy that has not been updated since 1992.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced Wednesday proposed changes to its Environmental Monitoring Services Policy.
The proposal updates its an existing On-Site Environmental Monitor Policy. DEC Commissioner Joe Martens stated in a release that "The new policy could ensure clarity, establish uniformity, provide notice to the regulated community and limit the need for monitors."
A public comment period on the draft policy begins today and extends through April 14, 2014.
The draft policy updates the current On-Site Environmental Policy that has not been updated since 1992. "Many environmental and administrative changes have occurred over the past two decades," stated the release.
The draft policy outlines four specific criteria for DEC to use in determining whether environmental monitors will be used: where environmental monitoring is required by law; where the material at the site is a concern due to its characteristics or quantity; where there are concerns with the compliance history or past practices of the regulated entity; and where DEC determines the regulated facility, site or regulated activity needs additional oversight.
The draft policy also outlines four methods in which environmental monitoring services will be provided: by qualified DEC employees who operate under DEC supervision; by qualified individuals who are employed by another governmental agency approved by DEC, operating under DEC supervision; by qualified entities whose services are directly contracted by DEC, operating under DEC supervision; and by qualified entities whose services are directly contracted by the regulated entity, subject to DEC's initial and continued right of approval, operating under DEC supervision.
Comments on the proposed policy can be submitted through April 14, 2014 by email to email@example.com or mailing them to:
Michael McTague
NYS DEC – Division of Materials Management
625 Broadway
Albany, New York 12233


text:
This is the moment we've all been waiting for – the BlackBerry Z10 has taken the stage and we're pleased to introduce it to you. It is a gorgeous device in black and white, and it's designed to showcase the elegance of BlackBerry 10.
When introducing the BlackBerry Z10, Thorsten Heins said, "This is the most beautiful BlackBerry we have ever launched. I can't wait for you to try it out. We knew a large beautiful display was important. This is the window into the BlackBerry 10 experience."
I would definitely call this the best BlackBerry smartphone to date! The BlackBerry Z10 has a specially designed screen for precise touch input, so typing on the BlackBerry keyboard can be faster and more accurate. The BlackBerry Z10 screen uses the latest technology to ensure images are sharp, clear and incredibly vivid.
The device and BlackBerry 10 software were designed together. At the core of the BlackBerry Z10 is BlackBerry Flow (something we've been showing off for a while); what this means is that you don't have to seek information on your device. Instead, it's delivered to you within thumb reach, so you can take action quickly and easily.
"Whatever you're doing, you're only one swipe away from the heart of all your activity."
Of course, showing is better than telling, so I caught up with Nawdesh, a member of the BlackBerry product management team, to show me around BlackBerry Z10.
[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]
Nawdesh mentioned he loves the camera, and I definitely agree – the Time Shift camera feature is one of the coolest aspects to BlackBerry 10, plus the video camera can shoot stunning full HD videos. When it comes to viewing movies and photos, we've created a cinematic experience thanks to that gorgeous screen.
After using it for the past few weeks, I can say another great feature is the texturized backing and smooth edges on the device. It's designed to let you have the ideal grip while holding it, but it can also tuck easily into a pocket or bag.
The wait is over, #TeamBlackBerry – what do you think about the new BlackBerry Z10? Be sure to let us know in the comments.


text: Ever wanted to buy that nice Italian car you've been dreaming about? Well, I believe you are in luck!� Last week, we received a Gianni shipment with some brand new products. Yes, including a car! We even held a Facebook contest giving away a free car key chain in the color of your choice . . . → Read More: Vroom vroom!


text:
Insight Control
Server lifecycle management software that quickly and consistently provisions, manages, controls and optimises HP ProLiant servers.
Centralise ProLiant Server Lifecycle Management
Centralise your server management and achieve visibility and control across your entire server infrastructure lifecycle. Use HPE Insight Control to manage, deploy, migrate and optimise your HPE ProLiant Servers. You can manage HPE servers running Microsoft Windows, Red Hat and SUSE Linux, VMware ESXi and Microsoft Hyper-V virtual environments, and integrate with third-party enterprise management consoles such as Microsoft System Center and VMware vCenter.
Server Lifecycle Management Benefits
Provision and Migrate Servers Quickly
Stand up servers fast and accurately by provisioning your operating system to bare-metal servers. Send firmware updates to thousands of servers at a time and automate migration of O/S, apps, settings and data between servers, VMware ESXi and Microsoft HyperV.
Monitor Infrastructure Health and Performance
Quickly pinpoint and resolve issues with processors, memory, NICs and PCI buses, and compare performance against baseline in real time to tune your infrastructure for increased performance. Get proactive notification of actual or impending failures.
Control Servers Remotely
Control remote servers using iLO Advanced whether running or offline. You can capture video footage of failure sequences to aid in troubleshooting, and perform unattended server provisioning and remote operations such as switching the server on and off.
Optimise Power and Energy Effectively
Customise power usage to fit more servers within your power and thermal capacity, and increase uptime without affecting performance. You can measure power usage for individual servers or for a specific group of servers.
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Discover and identify devices and have access to inventory data in databases. You can generate pre-defined reports, create and schedule your own reports or edit, copy and delete report configurations.
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Seamlessly integrate with management consoles such as Microsoft System Center, VMware vCenter Server and Red Hat Enterprise Virtualisation at no additional cost.
HPE OneView for VMware vCenter with Operations Manager and Log Insight
Integrate manageability features of HPE ProLiant, BladeSystem, and Virtual Connect and Storage with VMware by managing your virtualised HPE environment from VMwareManage. Get deep insight through powerful analytics, and fully configure an entire cluster with compute and storage in five easy steps.
HPE OneView for Microsoft System Center
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HPE IT Management Solutions
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Contact us today to learn more about Insight Control and other our server management solutions.
Reference Guide : Licence Options
Licence Options
Reference Guide : Licence Redemption
Licence Redemption
Solution Brief : One Unified Management Solution
One Unified Management Solution
Brochure : Control Your Infrastructure with HPE OneView for VMware vCenter
Control Your Infrastructure with HPE OneView for VMware vCenter
White Paper : HPE Insight Management Media
HPE Insight Management Media


text:
The Student Help Desk is purposed to service the students of Virginia State University who may be experiencing computer-related issues.
The Student Help Desk is located in Harris Hall, room 8A. Student workers, who are supervised by members of the staff, run the Student Help Desk. Some of the services offered include:
- Installing Microsoft Windows patches
- Scanning for and removing Viruses
- Scanning for and removing Ad-ware and Spy-ware
- Troubleshooting dorm room connectivity issues
- Assistance with VSU accounts and passwords
- Installation of Operating Systems With System Disk Provided by Student
Please note that the following services are NOT offered:
- Installation of Non-VSU software
- Replacement of any hardware
- Advanced Data Recovery


text:
Mayor Don Wesely today announced that NuStyle Development Corporation of Omaha has been selected to redevelop the Old Federal Building on "P" Street between 9th and 10th streets. The plan by NuStyle, which has extensive experience in the Omaha's downtown and Old Market areas, was unanimously recommended by a citizen review committee.
NuStyle's proposal calls for developing the first floor of the building into office and retail uses. The upper floors will be developed into 43 apartments. The third floor courtroom will be converted into a community room, and the basement will be converted into 52 parking stalls.
"The NuStyle proposal is the right project at the right time for this landmark building," said Mayor Wesely. "It maintains the historic character of the building, while creating commercial and residential space that complements the downtown and Haymarket areas. This $7 million investment will also place the property on the tax rolls for the first time."
The redevelopment project also includes the smaller building on the northeast corner of 9 th and "O" streets. The Old City Hall at 920 "O" Street will remain in city ownership. The space just north of these two buildings and south of the Old Federal Building will become pedestrian space with a restaurant.
The city will enter into negotiations with NuStyle and prepare a redevelopment agreement for approval by the City Council. NuStyle hopes to begin construction in January 2003.
The Old Federal Building was built in several phases beginning in 1905, and is considered to be eligible for placement on the National Registrar of Historic Places. It was used as the post office and federal office space until 1969, when the new post office at 7th and "R" and the new federal building at 15th and "O" were completed. The building was then acquired by the City of Lincoln, which declared it surplus in 1987, making it eligible for sale and redevelopment.
The County-City Public Building Commission manages the building, which houses two city departments, Urban Development and Aging Services, and three Lancaster County agencies -- the Veterans' Services Administration, Probation and Child Support.
The options for relocating these agencies include leasing private office and the possibility of relocating to the third floor of the County-City Building, 555 South 10th, which has about 34,000 square feet of partially finished space.
About 35 state employees are also temporarily located in the Old Federal Building while the Tower of the State Capitol is being renovated. They will return to their Capitol offices as the renovation project in their area of the Capitol is completed.
The Old Federal Building was also used temporarily by the court system as the former County-City Building was renovated into the Justice and Law Enforcement Center.
The city and county offices take up about half of the 58,583 usable square feet in the Old Federal Building. State offices occupy about 40 percent, and about 10 percent is vacant. Because of the uncertainty over the building's future, needed improvements to the building have been deferred. The cost of making these improvements is at least $2.2 million.
A 1998 study of downtown Lincoln identified the redevelopment of the Old Federal Building as a priority project. In January 2000, the city Urban Development Department and the Downtown Lincoln Association commissioned Leland Consulting Group of Denver, Colorado to study the redevelopment of the building. The Public Building Commission participated in the study. A request for proposals was issued earlier this year, and NuStyle's proposal was chosen over two others.
Media Release


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Category : Coffee Table.
Topic : Coffee table art books. Author : Ramon Huffman.
Posted : Sat, Oct 14th 2017 15:03 PM.
Format : jpg/jpeg.
Using a vintage object for a coffee table adds a bit of history — a story — to a room, and is one of my favorite things to do. Make sure the piece is stable and all the connections are secure. If you need to refinish the piece, ask the vendor precisely what it's made from, as this will help in the refinishing process. Another consideration is how it will sit on your floor or rug, and if it will damage those surfaces. Splintered table legs or rusty metal bases can scratch or stain the flooring. Secondhand stores sometimes leave those areas unrefinished, so be sure to check.


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Lyann needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 26 designs submitted by 12 freelance designers.
We are an on-line retailer selling industrial motors and related equipment to commercial end users such as plants, factories, oil fields and so on since 1994. We are re-modeling our website and have a sexy new logo. We need a killer web template that reflects our powerful, modern new image. I need two templates.
Plants, factory floors, oil companies, water parks, water districts, farms, food processors. The MRO space or Grainger type business. Our demographics are generally older men. They need to see us as professional, competent and trustworthy. We want something especially great.
The logo design is red and gray, the gray is supposed to represent metal. Can you make a template where the gray actually looks like brushed aluminum or steel? We're going to have live chat, 3 or 4 security certificate type things and BBB, We want folks to search by model or application and will all the catagories we have now plus many others. We will have a size your motor/resource area and a site map. The whole site is being re-built with Merchant Metrix cart software which will help us optimize it better for SEO purposes. I don't want sound or anything slow or anything that will screw up our SEO stuff. Of course, it needs to run on all browsers and monitors. Much of what we have now as far as content needs to go on the new site, check out http://www.electricmotors.com
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
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text:
Behind many closed doors and drawn curtains this is what you will find in Italy: back door card games. Ok, it may not be the Poker World Championship in Vegas, but the stakes are just as high for these small town hustlers!
It's not just the men that sit for endless hours outside Crazy Bar playing scopa, the women do it too...look what I found as I peeped inside this window in Piobbico:
After I was spotted, I asked the women if I could come in & take their photo as they played. I tried to snap a few quick shots because I was getting the evil eye - they were in the middle of some serious business:
...just a glimpse of life in Le Marche.


text:
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Korean Tea Classics Book Club- Dong Cha Song- Hymn In Praise of Korean Tea- 17
"With no other guests but a white cloud and a bright moon, I am raised to a place far higher than any immortal."
Feel free to join the online book club at anytime by simply purchasing Korean Tea Classics. Dong Cha Song is 17 stanzas in length, we will go through each stanza week by week. Jump in and join the discussion as you please.
Labels: book club, tea culture
1 comment:
- Matt said...
Notes on Stanza 17:
"With no other guests but a white cloud and the bright moon, I am raised to a place far higher than any immortal."
This quote references two tea classics.
As Choi-Ui's foot note mentions the classic reference to the optimal amount of people tea should be served to. It is also recorded in Section 10. On Drinking Tea in ChaSinJeon. See commentary here as well as an alternative translation by Steve Owyoung:
This quote continues to reference to Lu Tong's Song of Tea (see notes on Stanza 16).
- October 15, 2011 at 8:00 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Favourite Books of 2015
The Martian by Andy Weir
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Honourable Mentions:
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Winter by Marissa Meyer
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
(see: all the books I've read this year, my Goodreads)
Favourite Movies of 2015
Mad Max: Fury Road
The End of the Tour
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (yes, this choice surprises me too)
Honourable Mentions:
Inside Out
Far from the Madding Crowd
Your Sister's Sister
Favourite TV Shows of 2015
Last Week Tonight
Brooklyn 99
Honourable Mentions:
Jessica Jones
The 100
The 100
Game of Thrones
(I've pretty much stopped watching TV this year, much to my own surprise)
Favourite Podcasts of 2015
Hello Internet (got me into podcasting)
WTF Podcast with Marc Maron (got me through Europe)
Call Your Girlfriend
The Bugle
Untitled Patrick Rothfuss Podcast
Honourable Mentions:
The Nerdist / You Made it Weird
Dear Hank & John
First Draft with Sarah Enni / This Creative Life
And to the lovely readers of this post:
I hope your 2015 was filled with good books, movies, music, friends, and family. I've always enjoyed doing extravagant year-end lists, but this is all I felt like doing this year. It's not much, is it? That said, I wrote it because I want to share my interests and pass them on, because that's how I find out about all the wonderful things in my life.
I look at these Favourites lists as these small whispered promises of something good; something great.
Much love and cheers to the coming year,
I'd love to hear what your favourites are in the comments below. xo


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This appeared in Mumbai Mirror....
Just wonderful. Why don't you write something like this always, rather than writing about those politicians ,page 3 people and those film celebrities.Why don't people like Shaku do not come up in spite of toiling so hard for so many years?
I wholly agree with Suresh ji..this post is nearer to life.
Nice write-up, Shobhaa!
Here is something offbeat about Diwali. I had termed it conditional greetings - and had done that last year. Those WERE MY HOPES.
And this year, a couple of days after Diwali, we Indians splurged Rs.500 crores on a rocket that would encircle Mars. All of us patted ourselves on the back. And then some killjoy scientist pointed out this: SOME FOOLISH PEOPLE ARE CRIBBING OVER THIS. BUT WE IN INDIA BLOW UP RS. 5000 CRORES ON DIWALI CRACKERS AND POLLUTE THE AIR. THE SO-CALLED ROCKETS SENT UP DO NOT EVEN GO BEYOND 10 METRES.
I would say that is a great comment, but with one caveat.
I agree that we Indians waste money on crackers.
But what was that rocket to go round the circumference of Mars some 400 km away from the Red Planet? After spending Rs.500 crores, if the rocket completes its job next year's September, we would get a confirmation of what NASA, the Russians and the European missions have already stated! In a nutshell, Indians as a whole waste Rs.5000 crores on nationwide rockets and bangs for nothing. Our clever scientists waste Rs.500 crores on one blast off for nothing!
I hope
This Diwali
Concludes as
A happy occasion
To all those
Celebrating it
The smog
From the gunpowder smoke
Does not cause asthma
The burst crackers'
Falling embers
On their own
Do not trigger
Fatal fires in hutments
Commercial establishments
Trying to sell off their residue stock
Do not burst into flames
By careless acts
Of some smoking joker
Or civic-sense-absent behaviour
Of a neighbourhood establishment
Or home
The revelry does not
Inter-faith quarrels
Morphing into
Communal riots
Celebration drinking bouts
Do not result
Into domestic
And/or local violence
The cracker bursting
In residential
Cheek by jowl
Do not hinder
The hospital-ward journeys
Of cardiac patients
Or pregnant women
Or accident victims
To retain lives
The differences of the gifts'
Monetary values'
Given to near and dear
Do not cause
Fissures in relationships
And hopefully
Humanity realises
Diwali is in the memory
Of an event
That propounds
Hindu religion's profound philosophy
Divine parents
Krishna and
Had to slay
Their wayward
Cruel son
The festivities of this day
Is a grim reminder
That deeds of any wrongdoer
When crying out for punishment
Ought not to deter
Even parents' jointly
Awarding the death penalty
On offspring
So that the world at large
Exists peacefully!
Jai Hind!
Happy Diwali, this post can make me imagine Mumbai and the colours and sweets of Diwali, although i've never been to Mumbai. Loved this post, very natural and could instantly draw a parallel with Karachi
What an absolutely beautiful and moving piece, Ms. De. I am homesick and crying here in Minneapolis. Thank you!!!!
Marian Doherty remembers U and Janice.
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aunty photos without saree
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text:
Ashton was talking about business affairs on the phone during her lunch break at home. The maintenance man came to tell her that he finished power washing the drive way. She told him to come inside so they can discuss other jobs for him to do. She explained that her husband was in Canada and she had an important job that needed to be taken care of. She needed to be fucked and she grabbed his cock. She began sucking his cock. She pulled out her gigantic tits and he instantly began squeezing them. She got her sweet pussy pounded and got man juice all over those huge melons.
2257: service.adultprovide.com/docs/records.htm


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Involved in various functions within the body, nicotinic acid aids in red blood cell formation, plays an active role in more than 50 different enzymatic reactions, and is considered necessary to maintain the health of the skin and digestive tract. Consequently, a dietary deficiency of the vitamin is primarily characterized by digestive disturbances and skin lesions. Known as pellagra, this condition may also lead to dementia in severe or prolonged cases. Occurrences of pellagra are most common is countries whose inhabitants eat little or no protein-rich foods, but the illness is also sometimes a side effect experienced by long-term alcoholics. A similar condition that occurs in dogs is known as black tongue disease.
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This website is maintained by our


text:
Re: Imperial Conquest
Alo looked over the group, which consisted of a Human, an Aqualish, a Rodian, and a Twi'lek, all male. Alo sighed mentally. Just her luck to run into a group of males...
"Well, looky here boys, a little lady just ran right into us," A human male said, a lecherous grin on his face.
"We have fun with human female," A Rodian said, pulling a vibroblade out of his hilt.
"No!" The human barked, pushing the Rodian's sword down. "We have to...test her first, see how good she is." He licked his lips, eyes roaming over her frame. Alo rolled her eyes.
"You know "boys" you really shouldn't judge people on how they look," She said, nonplussed by the advancing group.
"Oh, and why is that?" The human asked, his hands reaching out for her.
"Glad you asked," She smirked, grabbing his wrist, turning him around, and pushing him against a nearby wall in one fluid motion.
"Because looks can be decieving," She whispered in his ear, lashing a foot out at the Twi'lek, catching him in the stomach. She spun around, just in time to block herself from the Rodian's Vibroblade, using her quarry as a shield.
"Any more questions?" She asked, dropping the now dead human. The other thugs scattered, not wanting to end up like their companion.
"That was too easy. I was expecting more of a challenge," She shrugged, dusting her hands off. "It's going to take days to get that filth's stench off me," She sneered. She looked around, getting the feeling she was being watched, before blinking and leaning against the wall for a minuet, keeping on her guard.
-Rampage, Beast Wars


text:
I am convinced that the 24 hour race (and it's even gnarlier cousins the 48 and 72 hour races) is the purest form of running endurance challenge.
Generally held on small closed circuit courses, you lack the sense of going anywhere. Minimal scenery change. Progress is measured by a number, not a place, or even a time. Such a race is guaranteed to be, at least some of the time, psychologically grueling.
Throw in inclement weather, and you can at least triple your pleasure.
photo by Toshikazu HosakaBefore last year's PCTR San Franisco One Day, I dreamed at least twice about it beforehand. Knowing what to expect this year, I must have had less unconscious anxiety, since I had no pre-race dreams. Last year I worried that I wasn't training enough off hilly trails. This year, I realized that running on completely flat surfaces was as impractical as relatively unenjoyable for someone who lives where I do. So I stressed less. This race was going to be a fun, challenging change of pace.
pre-start signing in, when still dry
I knew I probably went out too fast last year, hurting my overall performance (just under 118 miles). This year I would be more controlled. Indeed, I was able to do this from the start, making no move to fun with the front pack. There was nothing close to heavy breathing, as I averaged about 9:30 per mile for the first hour.
Jean Pommier, running his first set time running event ever, the 12-hour race, lapped me twice that first hour. He went on to pass me multiple times, and win that race. his race report
There were puddles all over the course even before the first rainfall, complicating the path of each circuit since running with soaked feet that long is never advisable. We enjoyed maybe 4 hours of pleasant dry weather, before the first rain the afternoon, while running several laps with Toshi and a couple with his fiancee Judy. They were going to see Madame Butterfly in the city.
photogenic happy couple after Firetrails 2 weeks earlier
The rain didn't let up, so rows of chairs set up near the timing mat for a wedding were put back into a large truck. The rain made things tougher-- I wanted it to be light while it was daytime. It helped that I still had the competitive race to spur me on. I started gaining on the 3-5 runners ahead of me around mile (or was it lap?) 40, and by lap or mile 60 or so had assumed the lead. (Need to finish these reports faster while this stuff is still fresh!)
Through the rest of the night the rain would start and stop, along with a wind, with gusts up to 30 mph or more. I switched out of my black Sportiva jacket to a pseudo-water proof one (couldn't find my Gore Tex as I left home that morning, whoops). That became soaked, I grew no less skinner and so colder. Finally I asked for a garbage bag, which I popped over my head. It was a bit restrictive, but did the trick. The rain and wind would stop, I'd get warm, I'd take it off. Off and on several times through the night.
sporting my mega-hip bag-jacket post-race
Around midnight, the increasing pain on the top of my left pinkie forced me to pit stop-- I needed to cover the blister before it wore down to the bone (my toes are exactly fat). Maybe it took 10 minutes to tape it and switch my drenched socks, almost a lap. Thanks for volunteer Mike for helping me out.
And yes, half my toenails are nasty anyways.
At home 2 hours post-race, my early trench foot was still both swollen yet shrivelled
Toshi ran back from downtown SF to Crissy Field to run with me my last laps. Last year I was able to crank out a several laps at a decent pace, but unfortunately, this year the last hour or two I had lost the ability to run, so it wasn't much of a workout for him. He wasn't really dressed for the rain and cold, so I felt bad for him, though being of tougher samurai blood than I, he said he felt fine.
On the last lap, I saw the cones on the far side of the course. Since I knew I wasn't going to finish my last lap before time ran out, I thought I'd do the RDs a favor and pick them up and bring them in.
action photo by Toshi Hoshizaka
As wet, windy and cold as it was, Sarah called off the post-race awards ceremony, a big extended love-fest photo-op last year. So no post-race socializing or picture taking, but I'm sure we were all relieved. My prize schwag:
Mike Nutall, age 61 and 3rd place overall, quite impressive:
Winning is often less an expression of my talent and more a function of who doesn't show up. Last year Suzanna Bon mega-chicked me. This year, she skipped our local PCTR event to do a 24-hour race in Oklahoma for a 24-hour race the same weekend, and went almost 8 miles farther, gigo-chicking me (and everyone there). Wow!
1 F Suzanna Bon SONOMA CA 137.78 143 23:56:25
Thanks to the RDs Sarah Spelt and Michael Popov, all the volunteers and fellow runners who braved it out there that weekend. You make me feel more normal for still having fun!
race results
race website
last year's report


text:
We live in a culture where "bigger" is always perceived as being "better." Some might argue that this concept is The American Way.
Well, Jeremy Buckley, the impresario behind the annual Lincoln Calling Music Festival, isn't concerned about getting "bigger." On the surface, one might look at this year's festival -- the 8th Annual, an achievement in and of itself -- and say that it's a step backward. There are no significant national touring acts on the 100-plus-band 16-DJ (so far) roster whose schedule is spread over five nights at 10 venues in downtown Lincoln. Financial support was cut in half for '11, thanks to a tsunami that not only devastated Japan, but also washed away sponsorship dollars from Toyota. But a glance at the schedule shows (which you can view at lincolncalling.com), this year's event may be the best ever.
Buckley, as you can imagine, agrees.
"Each year is a different beast," he said between football games last Sunday afternoon. "Last year the sky was the limit. We had an assload of money from sponsors and a perfect storm of national touring bands that just happened to be coming through at the right time. This year it was doing what we could with what we had, and I think we put together something great."
Though the festival's organization falls exclusively on Buckley's shoulders -- and that's the way he wants it -- this year he loosened the reins oh so slightly and got input from folks who asked to be part of the fun. The result is a more varied lineup that spreads the festival's genres beyond its usual indie-only focus.
"I guess I tried to put an emphasis on making other people do my work," Buckley said. "Quite a few aspects of this year's festival came from people asking to help out."
For example, Buckley received a Facebook message from Corey Birkmann asking why so few punk and metal bands were involved in the program. Buckley's reply: "I don't know much about punk or metal, so I don't know the difference between the good and bad bands." Birkmann offered to help by booking a show a day at The Spigot that was metal and/or punk-oriented.
"So I said, 'Roll with it.'" Buckley quipped.
As a result, 12 Lincoln punk and/or metal acts are booked Thursday through Saturday at The Spigot, including Dust Bled Down, Ten Dead and Beaver Damage. "So this year, metal and punk are getting some love," Buckley said.
KZUM talent Hilary Stohs-Krause, host of radio show "X-Rated Women in Music," asked Buckley if she could curate a showcase that featured women musicians in an MTV Unplugged-style setting. "I told her to roll with it," Buckley said. The two-hour Friday afternoon program will take place in the art gallery above Duffy's. Called The Parrish Project, it will feature student artists from the LPS Arts and Humanities Focus Program under the tutelage of Mezcal Brothers' Gerardo Meza.
Then there's music website hearnebraska.org (which Buckley helped develop), that will host a Saturday afternoon program that includes musicians merch booths at The Bourbon Theater. And DJ Spencer Munson a.k.a. $penselove, who pulled together a posse of DJs who will perform at clubs throughout the festival, including the all new Mix Barcade, a venue in the old Bricktop space that will debut as part of Lincoln Calling.
While all that help is "making things a lot less stressful" for Buckley, the festival's primary attraction continues to be its overall line-up. No, Lincoln Calling didn't attract any Saddle Creek bands this year, but it did draw the cream of the crop of the non-Creek acts, including Ideal Cleaners, Conduits, Digital Leather, Eli Mardock, Gus & Call, Icky Blossoms, McCarthy Trenching and Pharmacy Spirits, The Show Is the Rainbow, So-So Sailors, UUVVWWZ, Machete Archive, Talking Mountain, Son of 76, The Whipkey Three, Matt Cox, and even some out-of-towners. They include the always amazing The Photo Atlas, poorly named Gauntlet Hair and Nebraska adoptees Cowboy Indian Bear.
Glancing at the line-up, there were a lot of acts that I flat-out didn't recognize. Buckley even has an answer for that in the form of a massive 47-song digital download available for free from the Lincoln Calling website.
Like like every real festival, all bands are receiving some sort of compensation, whether it's a guarantee, a cut of the door or an all-access pass to all five days of the event. Helping defray costs were donations from the Downtown Lincoln Association, Guitar Center and Lincoln's Young Professional Group.
The particulars: The festival kicks off Tuesday, Oct. 11, with the Homegrown Film Festival at The Bourbon Theater at 8 p.m., a listening party at Duffy's at 10 p.m. and an acoustic open mic night at The Zoo bar at 9 p.m. The real stuff gets rolling Wednesday, Oct. 12, and runs through Saturday, Oct. 15. All access passes for the full festival are $30, one-day passes run $10 to $12, or you can pay the door at each venue, which runs from free to $8.
So no, Lincoln Calling isn't as big as it was in 2010, "and I'm OK with that," Buckley said. "I know there are 5,000 people who will go to this and have a good time, and the bands will have better crowds than on any given Friday night."
That said, Buckley's already thinking about the 10th Annual Lincoln Calling in 2013, and for that one, size will definitely matter.
Lazy-i is a weekly column by Reader senior contributing writer Tim McMahan focused on the Omaha music scene. Check out Tim's daily music news updates at his website, lazy-i.com, or email him at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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There's nothing wrong to wear basic summer apparels like t-shirt and a pair of shorts during the hottest time of the year, but if your want to have fun and look more stylish this summer.You might want to try summer layering. It's very tricky to wear many layers and not widely accepted in a boiling hot country as many people think it will make their body look bigger and not very comfortable but that doesn't mean it's inappropriate to wear layers in summer if you know how to pull it off without overheating.
Recently, there're many international designers like DVF, Marni, Maxmara, Phillip lim and more started to combine winter silhouettes with airy fabrics in their designs to better fit global customers needs. This allows people especially who live in a hot countries to be more creative in styling different summer looks. Besides, summer layering trend is becoming more acceptable in Bangkok fashion scene. You can see fashionable women wearing slip dress over simple tank top walking down the street and that is the easiest summer layering look anyone can try. For a more advance approach, try opt for lightweight and breathable fabrics in winter silhouette like turtle neck sheer blouse. Feels free to take this look as an example. I am wearing white long sleeves sheer blouse under this lightweight oversized shirt dress, unbutton the 3 top buttons and wear it a little bit off the shoulder. Just let some part of the sheer blouse peek through for a cool contrast.
Outfit Details


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Petteri necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 848 diseños de 166 diseñadores freelance.
We consult and train businesses in communications, in what they say and how they say it. Our specialities include Presentation design and coaching, Corporate storytelling, Data visualization, Infographics and Idea pitching.
Our clients are mainly medium to large technology and life science companies based in Finland. Human resource managers and Marketing managers are the people who we sell our services to.
We are looking for a logo to represent our agency – Havain.
It should be a typeface only logo – no icons.
One colour can be used in addition to black and white: either pink (eg. r228 g47 b137) or blue (eg. r0 g166 b236). But not both in the same logo. Those RGB's are just for an example - you can decide the tone you prefer.
Ideal logo will work well in plain black and also as white text on either pink or blue backround.
The most important qualities in the design are 1. Clarity 2. Persuasiveness.
Our customers typically have complicated messages or ideas that they need to communicate to their audience (colleagues, clients, bosses etc.). We help them craft those messages so that they're clear and to the point. So clarity is important in the logo also – it has to be extremely readable.
The other feel we are looking for is persuasiveness. Our clients need to present their ideas in a way that people take action. So they're looking to influence people. If you know the book Made to stick by Chip and Dan Heath – that's basically what's it about.
The company's name Havain is a finnish word (not exactly but almost) and it means to elucidate, to illuminate or make something that's abstract concrete.
Accepted File Formats: Vector Formats (.eps, .pdf or .ai); Layered Formats (.psd or .tiff)
Logo should include full color and black/white version.
72 and 300 dpi files should be supplied for all iterations of logo design in the accepted file formats listed above.
Looking forward to working with you!
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Mike Trout reported to Angels' camp at 240 pounds.
Trout, who was listed at 210 pounds last season, gained 10-15 pounds over the winter. In the words of Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, while the 21-year-old outfielder looked like an NFL running back last season, he now resembles a fullback. Still, we wouldn't hesitate grabbing him as one of the first players off the board in fantasy drafts this spring.
jeez thats a lot of weight to put on in one off-season


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Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) offer investors instant diversification at low cost — tracking indexes, commodities, currencies or a basket of managed assets — with the ability to trade like stocks. Investors have been increasing their positions in these instruments, with assets in U.S.-listed ETFs and ETNs (Exchange-Traded Notes) totaling $1.2 trillion as of April 2012, a 6 percent increase compared to April 2011, according to the ETF Industry Association. According to the association, ETF net cash inflows totaled approximately $3 billion in April, with year-to-date positive net cash flows totaling $58.9 billion.
ETF inflows and outflows show where investors are putting their money. They signal bullish or bearish attitudes from investors toward the underlying strategy of an ETF, as the market places bets and pushes capital in the direction of a specific fund. These cash flows change the value of the assets under management and act as proxies for what investors are looking for in the market. For instance, a recent report noted that metals ETFs were attracting those looking for safe haven investments away from U.S. Treasurys, signaling a preference for hard assets.
As the lower cost alternative to mutual funds, ETFs continue to attract more of investors' money. Although ETF assets are still dwarfed by the nearly $8 trillion mutual fund industry, ETFs raked in double the amount of new money that mutual funds did last year: $119 billion for ETFs, compared to $59 billion for mutual funds.
The following is a list of ETFs that have seen the largest absolute net inflows and outflows year-to-date through the market close on May 29, according to data from IndexUniverse.com, an independent source for information on ETFs, indexes, and index funds. Assets under management (AUM) and top holdings are according to data from Morningstar based upon the most recent portfolio date. Market information on the listed ETFs is provided by the CNBC Analytics team.
So, which ETFs are attracting or shedding the most capital? Click ahead for the ETFs with the biggest net cash flows year to date.
By Paul Toscano, Robert Hum & Giovanny Moreano
Posted 30 May 2012


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Hey guys!
My name is Zach, and I'm studying International Fashion Merchandising/Marketing in Florence for my 3rd year at FIT. I'm pleased to say that I'll be blogging for the FIT in Florence blog now!
Today, us Merchandising/Marketing students took a trip to the GUCCI Headquarters, located in Scandicci, just outside of Florence. In this particular building, there are 1,200 employees. Despite the pouring rain, we were all wide-eyed and excited to see the secrets held inside of this huge designer facility. Upon arrival, we received guest passes with our names on them to be worn around our necks.
We were greeted warmly by a girl who was not much older than us students. She studies part time in Milan and works full time as an assistant to the Production Manager for Gucci in Scandicci. She gave us a tour of each department of the facility. Here, they develop products and create all of the prototypes which are then sent out to 60 different factories who produce and assemble the goods. We were shown an archive of every textile used for their accessories. Every kind of leather (crocodile, python, Louisiana alligator, ostrich) with every type of finish imaginable. I personally loved the black "rubberized" leathers. The things I'd do for a motorcycle jacket of this material! We saw furs of all forms and colors, synthetic materials, sheet-thin deer-skin, and more. The artisans showed us how they cut the leathers, using only the most flawless parts of the leather and using the less-nice parts for finishing touches and small goods. They source from the best tanneries located in Florence. Everything is hand cut using a very tiny, special cutting knife that's sharpened before every use. Going through the workshop, we saw tons of skilled workers, each working on a different Gucci product, mainly handbags. There is only one man who makes the customized travelling trunks. They take about a month to make each, and sell for an unimaginable amount. You can take your pick from buying a new house, or a hand-made Gucci trunk. Some recent clients mentioned were Rihanna and John Travolta (who apparently uses his two trunks as coffee tables). They can be made with any textile of your choice, and are finished with luxurious hardware, usually gold. Lastly, we were taken to "the bamboo room." This is where they finish, heat and reform stalks of bamboo for their famous "bamboo bag". The bamboo is imported from China, and only the roots are used because they are strong and not hollow like the plant itself.
Walking through the halls of Gucci's headquarters is an overwhelming feeling. We all know gucci, and the quality that is associated with it. Some of us know the crazy story of the Gucci family (Guccio's vision, the rebellion of his grandchildren, Maurizio's assassination). Gucci represents a powerhouse of a family, their struggles, and their triumphs. Along the walls are black and white photographs from the 60's, 70's and 80's, showing family members, celebrities, and handsome people wearing Gucci. The lights inside were bright and everything sparkling clean. I hope to someday work at a place like this.
The next time you see a Gucci bag, consider the amount of time and effort that goes into making it. Know that it passes through this facility in Scandicci, and is, in every aspect, a luxury item!


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- Niall O'Dowd / Pope Benedict pastoral latter a huge disappointment in abuse scandal / Click here
- Text / Benedict's letter to the Irish Church / Click here
- News / Pope says abuse sinful, but does not say Bishops should resign / Click here
- Father Tim / In defense of the Holy Father / Click here
Victims groups in Ireland have been quick to criticize Pope Benedict's pastoral letter on child abuse, which was released yesterday.
Maeve Lewis, head of 'One in Four' victims group, stated that the Pope "passed up a glorious opportunity to address the core issue in the scandal, the deliberate policy of the Catholic Church at the highest levels to protect sex offenders, thereby endangering children.
"The Pope speaks only of failures in the Irish church and neglects the role of the Vatican. If the church cannot acknowledge this fundamental truth, it is still in denial, "she told the Sunday Independent
She said she was "astounded" at the Pope's previous assertion that the roots of clerical sexual abuse lie in the secularization of Irish society, the falling off of religious devotion, and failures to adhere to canon law.
"This shows a complete misunderstanding of the dynamics of sexual violence and creates little hope that the church will ever respond effectively to the problem."
Author and survivor Andrew Madden said issues highlighted by him and others in a letter to the Pope had been ignored
"There has been no owning up of the Catholic Church's part in causing the sexual abuse of so many children by protecting pedophile priests.
"Instead Pope Benedict has repeated his apology for the hurt caused to those abused but the church's role is referred to only as failing to deal with criminal and sinful acts.
"The Catholic Church did not fail to act -- it acted very clearly to protect itself and leave other children to pay the price," he said.
Another survivor, Marie Collins said she welcomed the order that church leaders should co-operate with police, but she said there had been "no mention of Vatican directives that may have led to the problem."
Fine Gael member of parliament Alan Shatter also lashed out at the Pope, saying: "We should never again tolerate a foreign state issuing directives to members of the hierarchy and other clerics in this state to violate Irish law by concealing reports of child sexual abuse and not reporting such allegations.
"Nor should we ever again tolerate a foreign state requiring that an oath of any nature be taken by an adult or child to maintain a veil of secrecy over incidents of sexual abuse."
The latter was a reference to a case involving current Cardinal Sean Brady who in 1975 swore two young children to an oath not to reveal their abuse.


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Brown Announces Major DNA Lab Expansion
RICHMOND-- California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced a "major expansion" of California's DNA laboratory and database, preparing the state to begin collecting DNA samples from every felony arrestee beginning January 1, 2009.
"Today's major expansion of the state laboratory prepares California to collect DNA from every felony arrestee starting in 2009,' California Attorney General Brown told a news conference at the Jan Bashinkski DNA Laboratory in Richmond. 'California's DNA program is giving local law enforcement critical investigative leads in thousands of unsolved crimes,' Brown added.
Since Proposition 69 passed in 2004, the state laboratory has uploaded an average of nearly 200,000 DNA profiles annually. When law enforcement begins collecting DNA from every adult felony arrestee in January 2009, the quantity of DNA submissions is estimated to increase to 390,000 per year.
In preparation for the incoming DNA, the state has expanded its laboratories and storage facilities in Richmond by approximately 28,000 square feet.
At today's grand opening ceremony, Attorney General Brown announced that California's DNA database, which currently houses more than 1 million offender DNA profiles, has completed a $10 million expansion to accommodate the more than 2 million samples expected over the next 5 years as a result of Proposition 69 expansions, starting in 2009.
Susan Fisher, the Governor's Crime Victims Advocate, joined Attorney General Brown in making today's announcement.
The California Attorney General's Office has the third largest DNA database in the world, just behind national databases in the United States and United Kingdom. The current DNA budget is approximately $31.5 million, $28 million of which is Proposition 69 funding.
To date, the state laboratory has reported over 6,000 hits, links between crime scene evidence and an offender in the DNA database or to other crime scenes. These hits continue to solve crimes and improve public safety in California.
The Bureau of Forensic Services is the scientific arm of the Attorney General's Office whose mission is to assist the criminal justice system. Forensic scientists collect, analyze, and compare physical evidence from crime scenes or persons. They also provide criminalistics, blood alcohol, and related forensic science information services to state and local law enforcement agencies, district attorneys, and the courts.
For more information on Prop 69 and the state's DNA program visit: http://ag.ca.gov/bfs/prop69.php


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Screening and Charting Services
Tools to screen and chart finances.
Stock screeners allow you to select specific stocks based on various criteria that you supply.
Charting services allow users to look at charts showing the price (and other measures) of a stock or mutual fund over time. The data for the charts comes from the stock exchange where the issue is listed, and vendors buy the data stream and package it. There isn't any difference in the data that is displayed on two different charting services.
Stock Screeners
CNBC.com: Stock Screener
Google Finance: Stock Screener
Morningstar: Stock Screener
MSN Money: Stock Screener
Yahoo! Finance: Stock Screener
Charting Services
Big Charts
MSN Money Charts
Yahoo! Finance Charts


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Today's map was brought to my attention by a reader, Tina, and comes from the Department of Parks and Urban Forestry in Verona, Wisconsin:
This is the city's recommended bike loop for 2006 (the most recent available year on their website, at the time of this posting). The top of the map mentions that this is "Map 10.4.5," which makes me worry that they've got a lot more of them somewhere.
There is plenty of needless detail on this map – the boundaries of every city lot are included, which is wholly unnecessary unless, as Tina suggests, "they really wanted riders to know that such-and-such a ride starts in front of the THIRD house from the corner of S. Main and W. Verona Ave, not the second." If you start from the second one, the man there will probably come out waving a shotgun and yelling at you to get off of his property. The map is for your safety.
Needless detail is not harmless. This is a map about where to ride your bike – that means you need to be able to pick out a route following certain roads. On this map, you have to dig the roads out of all the clutter. Many of them aren't even labeled, though most of the critical ones are. The lot boundaries, being in black, are the thing that stand out most on this map, and they're exactly the thing that is least important. All the important stuff is in bright cyan and green, which is much harder to see against the white background.
There are a lot of non-functional labels here – consider "New Century School." Where is it? I can't tell. The label just sits there among a bunch of lots. The school is probably the biggest one nearby, but there's no real connection between the label and any specific place. The parks, at least, have green dots in the middle, though, if you're going to draw the park boundaries on the map, why not fill them in green rather than putting a dot in the middle? Unless the City of Verona, in fact, has a series of small circular parks (I am imagining them as having exactly one tree in the middle) surrounded by a barren lot. Perhaps full of broken glass and cinderblocks strewn about.
The whole bottom 20% of this map is waste – there are no bike paths marked anywhere in it. It was probably added so that the map fit a standard 8.5 x 11 inch piece of paper. Blank space on the page can be scary, I guess.
There are three kinds of bike loops drawn on this map. Two of them exist right now, and one is listed as "Nearly Existing Off-Road Multi-Use Path," which suggests to me that it's not quite complete and ready yet for usage (as of 2006). Of the three line types (cyan, green, dashed green), which do you think is the one that marks a path that doesn't yet exist?
No, it's not the dashed one.
Dashed lines frequently mean things that aren't finished, or are tentative, or uncertain on maps. But, on this map, a complete and functional path is indicated by a dashed line here, while one that doesn't entirely exist yet is indicated by a solid line. Confusing at best.
A further confusion – the green line comes in dashed and solid varieties, as I say. But the solid green line is for an incompelete off-road path, while the dashed green is for a complete on-road path. So looking at the color won't even tell you if it's a road path or not. Using green for each implies a connection of some sort that does not exist.
There are a couple of other small problems here and there. The Sugar River, to the west of the map, disappears for a little while near the road. And, of course, I couldn't let this go: "Epic System's Campus," with the incorrect apostrophe – the name of the company being Epic Systems.
One Nice Thing: Some of the items on the map besides the trails are indeed useful. Knowing where parks are is a good landmark for reference, and a possible destination for cyclists. Likewise with schools (if it were clearer where they were) – are also a good landmark, since this is going to be used by people familiar with the area who are likely to do at least some navigation based on the locations of things they know.
I leave off with a plug for a friend: Michigan Railroading. It is, as the name suggests, all the news that's fit to blog about concerning the rails in my native land of Michigan.


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Bordeaux 2006 — Variable Weather and a Vintage That Just Slipped Away
2006 Bordeaux, coming on the heels of the superb 2005s, was going to be a tough sell from the get-go. Follow-up vintages always seem to live in the shadow of the great ones that precede them, even if they prove spectacular. In 2006 the question is moot, as 2005 clearly outshines it. 2006 is a year that might be best described as mixed. There will be some very good efforts, but disappointments as well. Perhaps a bit better in Pomerol and the northern Médoc, where grapes ripened on either side of the mid-September rains. It is a vintage to buy with caution, and where price is commensurate with quality; otherwise, it's best to pony up for the superb 2005s.
The season started with drought conditions left unresolved after a dry 2005, despite the cold, wet winter. Bud break was a bit later than normal, with just a few outbreaks of frost that had a minor effect on yield.
The weather was drier than normal through early summer, with good overall conditions.
Temperatures were increasingly warm through May, June, and July, with a major hot spell in late July that pushed ripening ahead. This set the stage for a hot, dry vintage, with the potential for excellent wines. Other than the effect of the dry heat, which had started to stress and shut down some vines, conditions looked promising.
On August 1st, the weather pattern dramatically changed. Cool, damp, and overcast conditions settled in for the rest of the month, slowing down the advances gained in the early part of the year. Some regions were less affected, with the northern Médoc getting less rainfall. Optimism was replaced with worry, and work in the vineyards commenced. The concerns shifted from keeping canopies protected from the July heat to opening them up for better air circulation to prevent mildew and rot. Veraison was long and protracted in the variable weather, with uneven ripeness that would either result in careful sorting and selection or greenness in the wines. Some Merlot began veraison in late July, well ahead of the norm, but other grapes would linger, moving harvest dates back and creating an even greater need for careful selection.
September got off to a good start, with about 10 days of fine, dry conditions. Hopes were raised for a very good outcome. One bright spot were the dry white wines, mostly harvested early, with beautiful, crisp freshness from the cool August spell resulting in pure, beautiful, balanced wines.
On September 11th, the rains came, lasting straight through the 18th, and again on the 21st and 24th. Preventing mildew and rot became a priority, and harvest was slowed or stopped to wait out the weather. Fortunately the weather improved in late September, and was generally fine through October and the end of harvest. The result was a somewhat split vintage, with dry whites faring best, followed by earlier ripening reds that were in before the rains, and then late-ripening Cabernets of the northern Médoc, where there was less rain and the grapes had enough time after the rains to rebound to some extent.
As usual, those who worked hard in the vineyard made the best of the variable conditions, a point almost so obvious it need not be said. Many growers thought that they could have rivaled the wines of 2005 if not for the deteriorating weather in September.
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San Juan Health Services District has been selected to receive $200,000 to construct an expansion to their health clinic in Monticello. The expansion will include 12 patient exam rooms and eight offices for medial personnel.
The structure will be used for visiting heart, surgical, dental, orthopedics, podiatry, and urology physicians. Upon completion, the clinic will be able to provide exceptional health care services.
At the current time, the health clinic in Monticello is housed in crowded space in the San Juan Hospital.
Two additional projects at the hospital received funding, including $198,000 for a Day Care Facility, and $155,000 for an expansion of the hospital lab. Upon completion, the child care facility will provide much needed 24 hour child care for the community, and health care employees who work around the clock.
The current hospital lab is small and does not meet the needs of the community. The expansion will include a private area for patient blood draws, additional space for critical equipment, and office space for staff. The expansion will ensure quality lab services in the community for many years.
The hospital projects will total $3.2 million.
Further information on this and other programs offered by USDA Rural Development is available by calling (801) 524-4324, by visiting our website @ www.rurdev.usda.gov/ut, or at any local area office.


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Changing Roles in Bees life due to Brain Chemistry
Scientists have been linking an increasing range of behaviors and inclinations from monogamy to addiction to animals', including humans', underlying biology. To that growing list, they're adding division of labor — at least in Africanized bees. A report published in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research presents new data that link the amounts of certain neuropeptides in these notorious bees' brains with their jobs inside and outside the hive.
Mario Sergio Palma and colleagues explain that dividing tasks among individuals in a group is a key development in social behavior among Hymenoptera insects, which include bees, ants, sawflies and wasps. One of the starkest examples of this division of labor is the development of "castes," which, through nutrition and hormones, results in long-lived queens that lay all the thousands of eggs in a colony and barren workers that forage for food and protect the hive. Bee researchers had already observed that honeybees, including Africanized Apis mellifera, better known as "killer" bees, divide tasks by age. As workers get older, their roles change from nursing and cleaning the hive to guarding and foraging. Palma's team wanted to see whether peptides in the brain were associated with the bees' shifting duties.
They found that the amounts of two substances varied by time and location in the brains of the honeybees in a way that mirrored the timing of their changing roles. "Thus, these neuropeptides appear to have some functions in the honeybee brain that are specifically related to the age-related division of labor," the scientists conclude.
Source: www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/presspacs/2014/acs-presspac-may-7-2014/scientists-link-honeybees-changing-roles-throughout-their-lives-to-brain-chemistry.html


text: Rooms of Blooms, held at the Paine Art Center and Gardens, is such a beautiful event. Being able to enjoy the Paine Art Center as well as the flowers which seemed to be matched to the paintings that hung near them to a T. The Florist's adaptation of the canvas, as it were. The competition in the Great Hall, that the public could vote on were 7 tables set with each designer's beautiful and all very different ideas and looks to them. Florists from around the Fox Valley did an amazing job. One of our Waupaca County Florists were featured, Cathy Spiegelberg owner/designer of Premier Petals in Weyauwega. Cathy designed the flower arrangements in the Master Bedroom at the Paine for Rooms of Blooms, and they were amazing. Kudo's to all of the designers whose work made Rooms of Blooms amazing! Thank you one and all.


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Here is the video guide for Pet Rescue Saga (level 1 to 447). I hope you'll find it as useful and I will continue to update. And if you have any level guide you want me to add for, please comment below.
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