text:
I actually think you know what direction the class is moving towards, because you know your class. But I'll try and pontificate here for a moment if that's helpful.
Protection -- We want more tanks in the game. Main tanks. We think it's fun to have a diversity of players and see how different spells, abilities and class mechanics get used to solve problems. A Protadin with the right skill and gear should be able to tank any fight in the game. Previously, we tried to push Prot into the offtank and AE tank roles. While your abilities are still really well suited for AE in particular, overall our philosophy has changed and we want you to be able to do anything the other tanks do. Note that this means other tanks will get better at AE tanking though. Prot represents a special challenge when not tanking because you can both heal and do dps and some players want to do either. Or both. One final comment, that you have already seen, is we want you to gear like a warrior: collect Strengh and Stam and use tanking weapons instead of caster weapons.
Retribution -- You're a melee dps class, and one of only a handful of classes that can fill the "mana battery" role. With the changes to the way raid buffs work, we are blurring the lines a lot more between "pure" dps classes and hybrids that have the potential to respec if their dps doesn't work out. But we don't penalize classes for having awesome buffs the way we used to. Also remember that one of Ret's big limitations before was just getting in the group with the good melee buffs. That problem is solved. If you're good and know your stuff cold, you should be able to be up there with the rogues and hunters. Maybe not every fight, but not 500 dps below them either.
Holy -- You're still the best high-throughput, single target healer in the game. I suspect you're still going to get called on to heal the tank a lot. Holy was in a really good place in BC, so much so that other healers (probably priests more than anyone else) began to get overshadowed. To shift things back a little, as well to just challenge the player base, we introduced a lot more fights with AE damage and movement. Unfortunately, those mechanics hit Holy. Hard. At the same time, CoH and CH seemed to be able to handle any encounter. Beacon of Light isn't a panacea to solve all of those problems, but it is designed to help. It still needs a little work, but I think the basic spell design is sound.
One thing that has been mentioned is that the three paladin trees feel pretty separated from each other. We've gotten better in some other classes of making it a valid choice to go deeper into a second tree, and not just to get a single, incredible talent, but because there is some legitimate synergy there. It's going to be harder to get that feeling for the paladin than it is for the mage, but it is something we want to mess with some more after Lich King.
Obviously beyond the individual trees, we completely redid the whole seal and judgment system. We think it works pretty well, but we're just going to have to play with it some more to find the rough spots.
Well, that's the plan. Now we'll see how well Blizzard executes it.


text:
Netflix Partners With Hollywood on New Original Show
Sony Television Pictures will become the first big Hollywood studio to produce a new TV show for Netflix, underscoring how the TV industry's elite are starting to view the streaming video service as a launchpad for original series. Amol Sharma reports on the News Hub.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the the ... so so so so ... you still ... do ... this ... is this ... so I don't see that ... if you're a Hollywood studio to produce a TV show I ... am planning a new psychological thriller ... acting and production early next week ... Amol Sharma at your counselor ... I ... hope this is a big deal for Netflix a mean is this finally beef up their credibility as a launch pad for new and original series ... yes it's a big milestone for the company this is the first of the major Hollywood studios to produce a show ... for Netflix of iPad ... on in the ten independent studios and in some well-known studios landscape which makes ... produces madman ... aam also produces the show for Netflix this is the first of the really big ... traditional Hollywood studios to jump in ... so that's very significant yes the crazy just wrapped up breaking bad as the big expense for them they just kind of looking for it and then I think ... Sony has a history of the experimentation when basic cable first became a home ... to some of the euro edgy dramas that we now see all over TV ... Sony ... was one of the the the production studios the really popular is that so they made ... about the shield and then ... of course damages which is down ... but the creators of damages are also ... the creators of this new show that the sun not a name that we say to disclose the name and ... so they've always been and they're kind of mixing it up to now this is a new this new territory streaming TV aam people are still figuring out the economics of its AlterNet ... I mean yell unit that has obviously had the success its House of Cards and ... Orange is the new black I did make it so why Annie's major media companies sell antiques and fine and the like ... well that's when the things we think it's that hippo exit don't know there's no ratings data that Netflix and no one really knows how many viewers a half but they're a lot of these big media companies ... the studios are uncertain vertically integrated with a lot of other things that the broadcast network me this and cable channels they all have different priorities and interests ... and they'll be on the can figure out sometimes whether Netflix's their friends ... for their foe ... studios like Sony which don't they don't have cable channels that are not an apartment is big entertainment conglomerates independent ... they have a bit more flexibility in so maybe ... that's one reason why maybe they're moving faster ... I will be keeping an eye at the menu and a national Thanksgiving thank you

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The great Democratic hope
They'd never say it publicly. But catch many Democrats in an honest moment and they would admit that a Republican-led government shut down this fall might be the best thing — perhaps the only thing — that could revive their fading hopes of capturing the House next year.
As it stands now, the midterm is shaping up as a stale, status-quo election — with Democrats calling their counterparts right-wing extremists, Republicans attacking their rivals over Obamacare and neither side making much headway. That's good for Republicans, since the party out of power in the White House almost inevitably picks up House seats in the sixth year of the presidency. Heavily-gerrymandered districts provide the GOP an extra layer of protection.
Story Continued Below
Nothing short of a powerful jolt — a moment that grabs casual voters by the lapels and makes them take notice — is likely to alter the landscape in a dramatic way. A shutdown could be it, Democrats argue, putting in play GOP-leaning districts now thought to be all but out of reach.
"There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. It would be a boon to us," said Andrew Myers, a national Democratic pollster. "How could it not be?"
( Also on POLITICO: Obama: No government shutdown over ACA)
Many Republicans understand that — former National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) warned in late July that a shutdown would be " suicidal" — and there's a persuasive school of thought that they won't be foolish enough to risk their one base of power in Washington. But the GOP has shown to be nothing if not unpredictable of late, so the shutdown scenario lives on.
Some Democrats argue that it would provide huge motivation for their party's voters, who historically have been less likely to turn out for midterm elections than presidential ones. A shutdown, they say, would fire up liberals across the country who might check out without President Barack Obama on the ballot.
They note that there's reason to believe that a shutdown would have a real impact on people's lives. When Republicans forced consecutive government closures in late 1995 and early 1996, some museums and national parks closed, services for veterans took a hit, the National Institutes of Health stopped taking new patients and the Centers for Disease Control halted disease surveillance.
( VIDEO: Obamacare & threat of government shutdown)
But more than that, it was a genuine media earthquake, with nightly newscasts and headlines dominated by damaging stories about then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich and his GOP foot soldiers.
A repeat of that, say Democrats, would give their candidates potent ammunition to attack Republicans as uncompromising and dysfunctional. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has sent out a batch of press releases labeling a possible fiscal crisis "Tom Cotton's government shutdown," in reference to the freshman Republican House member who just announced he is running for Senate next year.
"I think a government shutdown would change things dramatically," said Ali Lapp, who heads up a House Democratic super PAC. "It would be a pretty big movement going in favor of Democrats."
( Also on POLITICO: Romney warns against shutdown)
Whether a shutdown will happen has become Washington's summer guessing game. With a Sept. 30 deadline for passing a continuing resolution to keep the government funded, congressional leaders have little time to hash out a deal. By the time members return from their August recess, they'll have just nine working days until the deadline hits.
The big sticking point in the negotiations is Obamacare. Some conservatives, such as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, have been pushing for any bill to fund the government to be stripped of funding for the soon-to-be implemented health care bill.
The establishment wing of the GOP, however, has warned conservatives that shutting down the government over Obamacare funding would have drastic political consequences and possibly cost the party its House majority. Some Republicans remember all too well the last shutdown, from which Clinton emerged the clear victor and the Gingrich-led House GOP took a hit.
( Also on POLITICO: Coburn: Shutdown will lead to pain)
While Republicans appeared intransigent and petty, Clinton used the episode to cast himself as a level-headed pol who was willing to compromise. And when the government reopened, he took all the credit. The next year, Clinton won reelection convincingly and Republicans lost nine House seats but kept the majority (a result that Gingrich has argued shows the fallout from the shutdown wan't as bad for the GOP as some now claim).


text:
Eggs decorated by (from top left; click on each link to see an individual image):
1. Our friend Peter, 31 years; 2. Gretel, 5 years, using a Russian egg wrapping paper; 3. Gretel, 5 years, using egg colours; 4. Pille, using onion skins (wrapped around the egg); 5. A chick and daffodils; 6. Pille, using onion skins (wrapped around the egg); 7. Pille's grandma, 86 years, using onion skins (thrown into the boiling water); 8. K, using saffron; 9. K, using hibiscus tea (also known as karkade/flor de jamaica).
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Easter Egg Art, April 2007
Eggs decorated by (from top left; click on each link to see an individual image):
10 comments:
tore pildiseeria oli. ma tegin sel aastal su eelmise aasta retsepti järgi pashat ja pere kiitis ning ühe vopsuga oli taldrik tühi.
- 8:42 pm, April 08, 2007
- Kalyn said...
Most interesting that all these various things can be used to dye eggs. It sounds like you had fun!
- 8:49 pm, April 08, 2007
- K & S said...
these are beautiful and looks like you had a lot of fun too!
- 2:45 am, April 09, 2007
- sciencemel said...
Looks like you had loads of fun. I never knew you could use such natural sources for dying eggs. What else might one use? (Americans tend to use dissolvable bright dyes.)
- 2:34 pm, April 09, 2007
- veron said...
They are beautiful Pille! I love the one in the very center!
- 10:50 pm, April 09, 2007
- Monika Korngut said...
I love your eggs especially all the effort that was put into making them with home made dye.
- 12:17 am, April 10, 2007
- joey said...
Your easter eggs look wonderful Pille! I love how they are all decorated using different ingredients and materials :) Very creative and I'm sure a lot of fun too!
- 4:57 am, April 10, 2007
Pille, the eggs are beautiful!!
- 10:28 am, April 11, 2007
- Gracianne said...
Lovely egg collection Pille, Easter always seems to bring out the children in all of us.
- 1:55 pm, April 11, 2007
- Pille said...
Maarja - tore, et pasha meeldis! Ma ise ei saanudki teha, küll aga maitsvat pashat süüa.
Kalyn - we did indeed. As neither one of us had used saffron and karkade to dye eggs, we didn't know what to expect. For example, we expected to get something much more vibrant and red with karkade, but instead got beautiful dainty grey. And with onion skins, you never know anyway what you'll get!
K&S - thank you!
Sciencemel - you could use various plants and leaves from trees to get yellowish/greenish colours, for instance. And you could boil your eggs in a beetroot juice, maybe? The experiment will continue next year..
Veron - thank you! The one in the middle reminded me of Gustav Klimt for some reason:-)
Monika - welcome to Nami-nami, and thank you for your kind words.
Joey - we were positively surprised at the results ourselves, too.
Dagmar - I think so, too:-)
Gracianne - just like Christmas in a way, isn't it:-) But with all the promise of spring in the air, that's expected, no?
- 4:36 pm, April 11, 2007


text:
csakon needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 228 designs submitted by 52 freelance designers.
RestlessNapkin / RestlessNapkin.com
RestlessNapkin is a facebook application as well as a standalone website. The goal is to answer the timeless question 'where should we go eat/drink?' This application allows you to see places and events within your city and differs from sites like CitySearch and Yelp with a few key features:
- Ability to store locations such as home and work to filter places and events that are very close to your location
- See what places your friends enjoy the most vs the community
- Have running dynamic polls created by the community for things like 'best hamburger place' or 'best mexican food' or 'best place to watch a sporting event.' Each user will get one vote per poll and can always change their vote if they find something better.
We're targeting facebook users who like to go out on the town and discover new places to hang out and share their experiences with others.
There are two parts to this logo, the actual graphical logo and the text 'RestlessNapkin' I want each to be able to carry the brand on its own without its counterpart, but be even stronger when they are together.
I want a red paper napkin to be the logo/mascot for the service. It should have enough personality to make people feel connected enough to it so when they see a red napkin at a restaurant or bar, they associate it with our service. I'm not sure whether I'd like the napkin to be a character (folded and with some sort of face) or simply an iconic representation. I leave that to your creativity.
The second part is the text RestlessNapkin(uppercase or lowercase or mix I don't care as long as it looks great). I don't necessarily want to put .com at the end as it bothers me, but I want people to know if they visit RestlessNapkin.com that they will find us. The typography should be unique so people see it and immediately identify with the brand (i.e. vimeo.com) but not so over the top that it is hard to read.
The napkin shall always be red, but the text should be able to look great on a dark background as well as a white or colored background. My plan is to also have red paper napkins printed with your created typography so I may pass them out at bars or restauraunts. This is the reason the two parts must work alone but also together.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
- Home
- News
- Sports
- Opinion
- Obituaries
- Features
- Special Sections
- Classifieds
- Public Notices
In praise of Puckett
It was with great pleasure that I read Bonnie Gray's excellent article on Duanne Puckett in The Sentinel-News ("Saying thanks to a legend," MY WORD, May 29). I would like to add my own accolades to hers.
It was my privilege to get to know and admire Duanne during the 10 very happy years I spent in Shelbyville as the pastor of Annunciation Catholic Church, from 1983 to 1993. She is a sterling example for all of us of courage, perseverance, cheerfulness and accomplishment under very difficult circumstances. She was the editor of The Sentinel-News when I was in Shelbyville. Her great love of Shelbyville and Shelby County was evident to all who knew her. In these later years, I know she must have been a great influence on all the Shelby County students.
It is my hope and prayers that God will continue to bless her abundantly now and in the future.
John Lesousky
Preview of obituary
The attention I have received due to my retirement has been overwhelming. I have consistently told people, "I feel as if I have died and no one told me." If this is an indication what my obituary will be like, I am thrilled.
It all started with Bonnie Burks Gray's glowing column ("Saying thanks to a legend," MY WORD, May 29), followed by Todd Martin's terrific story ("A community treasure," May 31), even though the archive photos showed my former poor taste in oversized glasses and funky hairstyles.
The accolades and antidotes shared at the community reception made me smile and laugh. I was honored that Dr. Leon Mooneyhan and Tina Tipton hosted such as fabulous reunion of family and friends to enjoy delicious food as well as the exquisite floral arrangement designed by Judge John David Myles.
The most recent humbling factor was your editorial ("We congratulate: A retirement well-earned," June 12). It is hard for me to comprehend having made such an impression on people, let alone this community. I simply did what my dear parents inspired me to do after marrying my wheelchair: Try hard, do your best and live life to the fullest.
I will follow those instructions until I end up at Grove Hill Cemetery and my actual obituary is written!
Duanne B. Puckett
Beautiful music
Thank you to the Memorial "Big Band" and audience members who were so gracious in their time and giving at the concert on May 11. Susie Saunders, Ernie Threlkeld and Mel Owens would have been proud of the music making that night. Many gave very generously that night to the SCHS/Collins orchestra and to SCHS band. Words cannot express what it means to us and especially the students. Erie's sax and Susie's viola were used in the concert that night. They are still making music.
Mary McGillen SCHS/Collins High School orchestra
David Roslon SCHS band
Add new comment
Read and share your thoughts on this story


text:
Traffic Geek 1.0
Free program to submit your website to the top search engines. You can define profiles and receive reports after submission.
(0.46MB, Extension: )
Download alternate to Traffic Geek solution
Look at the free or trial alternatives and similar apps to Traffic Geek software by the tags. It's possible also to find substitutes for the most popular titles in the Internet & Network category.
Useful independent reviews and opinions of the users
Predicted future versions and notices:
The doDownload.com constantly monitors the update of all programs, including information from the Traffic Geek 1.0 changelog file, however sometimes it can happen that data are not complete or are outdated.We assume that author continue's to develop 1.1 version with further advanced features, and soon you will be informed. Equally important 2.0 upgrades of the program we will continue to monitor. Full Traffic Geek description has been compared with the overall software database and our algorithm has found the following applications (are showed below).


text:
You are hereHome ›
Narrow Search
Now showing results 1-7 of 7
This is a lesson/briefing about the Dawn mission and the significance of its ion propulsion system. Learners will consider cases of science fact versus science fictions, study the challenges of the Dawn mission, and apply the "History Frame"... (View More) strategy to investigate the who, what, when and how in the history and development of ion propulsion. This is activity 1 of 5 in Structure and Properties of Matter: Ion Propulsion. (View Less)
This is a lesson about the path of one xenon ion through an ion propulsion engine. Learners will focus on what a single xenon ion sees and does as it goes through the reactions and processes that provide the ion jet propulsion engine's thrust. They... (View More) will learn to adopt an informed, experimental method for use in a later lesson. A tightly-scripted slide-by-slide presentation is provided. Preconceptions are discussed. This is activity 4 of 5 in Structure and Properties of Matter: Ion Propulsion. (View Less)
This is an activity about the properties and characteristics of Earth's magnetic field as shown through magnetometer data and its 3D vector nature. This resource builds understanding of conceptual tools such as the addition of vectors and... (View More) interpreting contour maps displaying magnetic signature data. Learners will make several paper 3D vector addition models, watch podcasts on how to analyze magnetometer data, and employ 3D vector plots to create a model of the 3D magnetic field in the location of the magnetometer closest to their town. This is a multi-step activity with corresponding worksheets for each step. The activity uses data from the THEMIS (Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms) GEONS magnetometer, and requires the use of a computer with internet access and speakers, 2-inch polystyrene balls and bamboo skewers. This is activity 16 from Exploring Magnetism: Earth's Magnetic Personality. (View Less)
Materials Cost: $1 - $5 per group of students
This is an activity about vectors and velocity. It outlines the addition and subtraction of vectors, and introduces the application of trigonometry to describing vectors. The resource is designed to support student analysis of THEMIS (Time History... (View More) of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms) Magnetometer line-plot data. Learners will complete worksheets consisting of problem sets that allow them to work with vector data in magnetic fields. This is activity 15 from Exploring Magnetism: Earth's Magnetic Personality. (View Less)
This is an activity about electromagnetism. Learners will set up a simple circuit using a battery, wire, and knife switch, and then use a compass to map the magnetic field lines surrounding the wire. Next, they will add a coil of wire to the simple... (View More) circuit and map the magnetic fields again. This is the second lesson in the second session of the Exploring Magnetism teachers guide. (View Less)
This is a lesson about magnetism in solar flares. Learners will map magnetic fields around bar magnets and investigate how this configuration relates to magnetic fields of sunspots. This activity requires compasses, bar magnets, and a equipment for... (View More) the instructor to project a PowerPoint or pdf lecture presentation. This is Activity 1 in the Exploring Magnetism in Solar Flares teachers guide. (View Less)
Materials Cost: $5 - $10 per group of students
This is a presentation to be used by educators to teach about the Sun and its effects on Earth's magnetosphere, including characteristics of coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, the aurora, and solar wind. A web link to a PDF or PowerPoint presentation... (View More) is supplied, along with background information for the instructor. After the presentation, learners will read about various aspects of the Sun-Earth connection and write about one aspect that they found interesting from the presentation and the printed information. Internet access is required to obtain the presentation resources. This resource is Activity 14 of the Magnetic Mysteries of the Aurora teachers guide. (View Less)


text:
If you are a vendor, demonstrator or exhibitor interested in participating in our annual Heritage Days Fall Event, please fill out the attached form and submit prior to September 15, 2017.
There is a $25.00 fee for any vendor that is selling product or food on the Museum grounds. This fee is for both days and includes access to electrical and water should there be a need.
The Event will be held October 14th & 15th of 2017.


text:
The information provided at this website is provided as general information, not as legal advice. The information is not intended to be unsolicited legal advice. The information is not provided in the course of an attorney-client relationship nor does it create any relationships between any law offices and the viewers of the site. E-mail through this site may not be considered a privileged communication since it could be read by third parties. Do not rely solely on the information contained in this site when making decisions regarding legal matters.
© 2002 Social Security
Benefits Legal
help., Michigan Social Security Disability SSI Disability Claim attorney
All Rights Reserved., Disclaimer
"We will help you decide the best course of action!"
Michigan Disability claims FREE claim evaluation


text:
Charlie F. Kane
Charlie F. Kane (14/1/1989 / Solihull, Birmingham)
» Click to list general statistics » OR, select a date :
You are a thief, because there is an empty spot
On the shelf where I used to keep my heart.
You must have got pass the CCTV,
Charmed the security guard on duty,
read more >>
- Hits: Number of visitors who read the poem on the given date.
- Posts: Number of visitors who posted the poem to a friend (via e-mail) on the given date.
- Dates that have "0" hits may not be shown on the list.
- Dates, poems and poets that have "0" hits may not be shown on the list. Statistics are generated daily.


text:
Hampton Inn Burbank properties are provided below. Search for cheap and discount Hampton Inn hotel prices in Burbank, CA for your personal or business trip. We list the best Hampton Inn Burbank hotels/properties so you can review the Burbank Hampton Inn hotel list below to find the perfect place.
Our booking engine will also list Burbank, CA properties that are comparable to the quality of Hampton Inn.Need a group/meeting discount? Request a group rate for Burbank CA
How should we direct your call?


text:
The USDA Crop Report released on Sept. 12 made a slight decrease in the expected U.S. corn and soybean production for 2012, as compared to the August USDA estimates, reflecting the severity of the 2012 drought in many areas of the U.S. USDA is now estimating the total 2012 corn production at 10.7 billion bushels, which slightly below the 10.8 billion bushel estimate in August. Total U.S. corn production was 12.3 billion bushels in 2011, 12.5 billion bushels in 2010, and 13.1 billion bushels in 2009. If the 2012 projections hold up, this would be the lowest total U.S. corn production since 2006.
USDA is now estimating the 2012 average U.S. corn yield at 122.8 bu./acre, which is down slightly from the August estimate of 123.4 bu., and would be the lowest average U.S. corn yield since 1995. The 2012 projected national average corn yield would be well below the 2011 U.S. corn yield of 147.2 bu./acre, or the 2010 U.S. corn yield of 152.8 bu. The record U.S. average corn yield was 164.7 bu. in 2009. The decreased U.S. corn yield expectations by USDA are due to extended drought conditions that have persisted in large areas of the Corn Belt and the Great Plains states during much of the 2012 growing season.
The USDA report is estimating total soybean production in 2012 at 2.63 billion bushels, which is also a slight decrease compared to the 2.69-billion-bushel estimate in August. Total U.S. soybean production was 3.06 billion bushels in 2011, 3.33 billion bushels in 2010, and 3.36 billion bushels in 2009. The average U.S. soybean yield for 2012 is now estimated at 35.3 bu./acre, down from the August USDA estimate of 36.1 bu. The 2012 soybean yield estimate is well below the 2011 U.S. soybean yield of 41.5 bu., and the 2010 national soybean yield of 43.5 bu. The record U.S. soybean yield was 44.0 bu./acre in 2009.
Based on the Sept. 12 report, USDA is estimating the 2012 corn yield in Minnesota at 156 bu./acre, which is 1 bu. above the August estimate, and is the same as the 2011 statewide corn yield, but is well below the 2010 record corn yield of 177 bu./acre. USDA is estimating the 2012 average corn yield in Iowa to be 140 bu., which is well below the 2011 corn yield of 172 bu./acre, or the record average state corn yield of 182 bu. in 2008. Illinois is projected to have a 2012 average corn yield of 110 bu./acre, compared to 157 bu. in 2011. Other 2012 estimated corn yields are 100 bu./acre for Indiana, compared to 146 bu. in 2011; 145 bu. in Nebraska, compared to 160 bu. in 2011; and 96 bu./acre in South Dakota, compared to 132 bu. in 2011.
The Sept. 12 report estimated the 2012 Minnesota soybean yield 38 bu./acre, slightly below the 2011 statewide soybean yield of 38.5 bu., and much lower than the 2010 record state average soybean yield of 45 bu./acre. The projected 2011 Iowa soybean yield is estimated at 39 bu./acre, which compares to an average yield of 50.5 bu. in 2011. The estimated 2012 average soybean yield in Illinois is 37 bu./acre, compared to 47 bu. in 2011. Other 2012 state average soybean yields are Indiana at 37 bu./acre, compared to 45 bu. in 2011; Nebraska at 40 bu./acre, compared to 53.5 bu. in 2011; and South Dakota at 28 bu./acre, compared to 37 bu. in 2011.
Projected 2012-2013 Carryover
USDA also released the latest estimates for 2012-2013 carryover stocks of corn, soybeans, and other grains on Sept. 12. USDA is now estimating 2012-2013 U.S. corn ending stocks at 733 million bushels, which is an increase of 83 million bushels from to the Aug. 1 carryover estimate, but would still leave U.S. corn stocks very tight. The expected 2011-2012 final corn ending stocks are estimated at 1.18 billion bushels, which is slightly above the final 2010-2011 corn carryover stocks of 1.12 billion bushels. The level of projected 2011-2012 ending stocks was increased by 160 million bushels from the August estimate, due to decreased feed usage, lower export levels and more new-crop corn available for use prior to Sept. 1, as a result of the early harvest in 2012.
USDA is expecting 2012-2013 soybean carryover stocks to be 115 million bushels, which is the same as the Aug. 1 estimate. The final 2011-2012 soybean ending stocks are projected at 130 million bushels, which compares to the final ending stocks of 215 million bushels in 2010-2011. The projected 2012-2013 soybean ending stocks would be at the lowest level in nine years, since the 2003-2004 USDA marketing year. The estimated 2012-2013 ending stocks for corn and soybeans represent about 24 days of usage for corn and 16 days of usage for soybeans, based on current corn and soybean use estimates in the U.S. for 2012-2013.
USDA is currently estimating the U.S average cash corn price for the 2012-2013 marketing year at $7.20-8.60/bu., or an average of $7.90, which was a decrease of 30¢ from August estimates. The final U.S. average corn price is currently estimated at $6.25 for 2011-2012, compared to $5.18 for 2010-2011, $3.55 in 2009-2010, and $4.06 in 2008-2009.
USDA is projecting the U.S. average cash soybean price for 2012-2013 to be $15-17/bu., resulting in an average soybean price of $16, which is the same as the August estimates. The final U.S. average soybean price for 2011-2012 is currently estimated at $12.45, compared to $11.30 for 2010-2011, $9.59 for 2009-2010, and $9.97 for 2008-2009.
Editor's note: Kent Thiesse is a former University of Minnesota Extension educator and now is Vice President of MinnStar Bank, Lake Crystal, MN. You can contact him at 507-726-2137 or via e-mail at email@example.com.


text:
LAKE FOREST – Thirteen-year veteran Brian Urlacher searched his memory Thursday for a player who compared physically with Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.
Josh Freeman of the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers was tall and fast, Urlacher said.
Who else?
"Umm, let me see," Urlacher said. "Ryan Leaf."
Then Urlacher laughed at the memory of Leaf, one of the biggest busts in NFL history. This season has been rocky for the Panthers' signal-caller, but Newton on his worst day was far superior to Leaf on his best.
"No," Urlacher said, turning his attention back to Newton. "There's not a lot of guys like him."
The first-place Bears (5-1) have taken down almost every challenge this season en route to the best six-game start since 2006.
Their next challenge happens to have the size of a linebacker (6-foot-5, 245 pounds), the speed of a running back and the arm of a quarterback.
Yet this season has been riddled with
disappointments for Newton and the
Panthers (1-5). Newton has thrown for more interceptions (6) than touchdowns (5) and ranks in the bottom third of starting quarterbacks with a 79.3 passer rating as he enters Week 8.
That marks a stark contrast from last season, when Newton set an NFL rookie record with 4,051 passing yards to go along with 706 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns (21 passing, 14 rushing).
Why the struggles this season?
Newton, 23, said he wished that he knew.
"That's the question that I don't know," Newton said on a conference call this week.
"Me, personally, I'm just going to continue to keep trying to get better each and every practice. Come game time, hopefully I would have done enough to make my team or make my job excel."
The Bears know well that Newton can be dangerous.
In Week 4 last season at Soldier Field, Newton completed 27 of 46 passes for 374 yards and a touchdown while rushing eight times for 35 yards and two touchdowns. The Bears won, 34-29, but allowed 543 total yards for their highest total of the season.
Urlacher said Newton was capable of inflicting the same type of damage this week.
"[He's] still a good football player even though they haven't gotten going on offense yet," Urlacher said. "We watched last year's game against us quite a bit, and they gashed us. They had 500-something yards of offense.
"We're going off of that. We're not going off of what they're doing this year."
In both seasons, Newton has relied on a zone read-option play that is wildly popular in college but rare in the NFL. He often lines up in shotgun formation and reads the defensive ends to determine whether he will keep the ball or hand it off to the running back.
Bears defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli said the key to stopping the play was simple.
"I'd say discipline," Marinelli said. "It's something you're not seeing a lot, so you've got to get caught up during the week in reads and all those things. But everybody's got kind of an assignment, and you've got to follow through with your assignment, which kind of fits into our system a little bit. We're a gap-control defense, so we've just got to be on top of those things."
Discipline has been a problem for Newton both on and off of the field this season.
Newton has drawn criticism for giving up instead of rallying his teammates when things go bad. He recently addressed a female reporter as "sweetheart" after a loss to Dallas. He has been caught up in a media sideshow regarding Hall of Fame mentor Warren Moon, who said this week that racism could be a factor in why so many critics have targeted Newton.
Newton also has been harassed by good defenses, and the Bears want to join that list.
"I just keep living life," Newton said. "I understand I'm not perfect. I'm striving to be great. What other people may think or what other people may criticize me on, I take it for what it's worth but continue to try to make myself better each and every opportunity that I get."


text:
In praise of sweatshops: Oldie but goodie
When the movement gets what it wants, the effects are often startlingly malign. For example, could anything be worse than having children work in sweatshops? Alas, yes. In 1993, child workers in Bangladesh were found to be producing clothing for Wal-Mart, and Senator Tom Harkin proposed legislation banning imports from countries employing underage workers. The direct result was that Bangladeshi textile factories stopped employing children. But did the children go back to school? Did they return to happy homes? Not according to Oxfam, which found that the displaced child workers ended up in even worse jobs, or on the streets — and that a significant number were forced into prostitution.
The point is that third-world countries aren't poor because their export workers earn low wages; it's the other way around. Because the countries are poor, even what look to us like bad jobs at bad wages are almost always much better than the alternatives.
- Paul Krugman, New York Times
Labels: globalization, labor market


text:
...And as bedroom decor...
...And maybe I couldn't resist making just a few little blossoms...
Want to make some? It's so easy!
Tissue paper
Heavy-duty scissors
Floral wire
*There will be enough paper leftover from a medium pompom to make flowers or mini pompoms
The flowers are easiest, so lets start there.
For each flower, you'll need to cut about 6" of wire.
Spread the tissue paper out horizontally on the floor or a large table.
Cut a strip up the short side about 6" wide. It doesn't have to be exact.
Now cut the removed strip in half through the width, so you have two 10" x 6" pieces.
Then separate four layers from each side.
Now you have four stacks, which will each make a flower.
Using one of the stacks, begin at one of the long ends and make a horizontal fold, about an inch wide.
Flip the stack over and fold again, like an accordion.
When you're finished folding, it should look like this. Don't worry if the folds don't match up perfectly, or if your last fold was not an even width with the rest of them. No big deal.
Next, cut two little triangle wedges from the center of each side in the middle, like this:


text:
|Rakuten international shipping (international shipping)
Click here for more information.
Rakuten International Shipping Item
Details click here
|JP Post EMS
|Your order will be shipped to you via Japan Post EMS. Japan Post is a speedy delivery service that delivers to more than 120 countries. With an effective tracking system and insurance program, EMS is able to offer a secure delivery worldwide. You can track your package with the tracking code provided and it will be delivered within a week. See estimated shipping fee
|Credit Card
|We accept credit and debit cards.
The following credit and debit cards can be used:
•American Express
This product cannot be shipped to United States from the store.
Please contact the store for further information.
Save on shipping by combining your shipments.
Ship products from shops that don't provide international shipping.


text:
"You just have to care about what's around you and have a concern with humanity and the human comedy," Elliott Erwitt once said. Renowned for his humanistic photographs, Erwitt was born in Paris in 1928, spent his childhood in Milan, and then moved to the United States. His early interest in photography began while he was in Hollywood and matured in the 1950s while photographing various subjects for the Army Signal Corps in Germany and France. Friends with Edward Steichen, Robert Capa, and Roy Stryker, he shot everything from powerful images of Pittsburgh and the U.S.S.R. to iconic portraits of John F. Kennedy, Simone de Beauvoir, and Che Guevara. Erwitt served as Magnum's president for three years, after which he produced documentary films and comedy films for HBO.
Courtesy of ARTSY - Elliott Erwitt


text:
Epic Games showed off its gorgeous Unreal Engine 4 during GDC. VG247′s technologically inept Stephany Nunneley witnessed and felt the hotness in the standing-room only mini-theater.
" I am probably not the best person to send to engine tech demos, as you probably gleaned from my FOX Engine and Battlefield 4/Frostbite 3 reports. It's hard enough for me to program my DVR, let alone understand what's going on with shaders, Javascript, HTML, or WebGL. The only thing I know about C++ is that it's used to run some of my games – and I only know this because I see listed in the program files on my PC's control panel."
Im more excited to see naughty dog or santa monica's engine for the ps4. They just seem to know how to push the system further with their own engine.
Edit: Its good to see Unreal Engine 4 will be used by alot of 3rd party devs.


text:
Profari.net needed a new twitter background design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 4 designs submitted by 3 freelance designers.
This project is for the winner of the web design contest only. We won't consider any other submissions.
Develop a twitter skin similar to that developed for the web site. This skin should also include an icon that can be used for the profile picture on twitter and facebook.
We anticipate getting some photographs of the members of the profari.net team we would like to add to the skin at some point. we don't have them, yet.
This skin can probably omit the social media images links to other sites.
Be sure to include a TM trademark symbol on the logo.
"Your Guides to Marketing in Today's Online Jungle" is our tagline and should include the trademark symbol too.


text:
Videographers in Augusta -
Wedding and Event Video in Augusta GA
Wedding and event videography and DVD production. Artistic, affordable packages for every budget - call or write for a free, full-length demo DVD. ... more videographer info
1486 recent listing referrals for Palmetto Digital
25 years experience using the latest digital cameras and editing equipment. We specialize in weddings but also do event videography such as graduations, dance recitals, funerals, photo montages and V... more videographer info
1310 recent listing referrals for Video Taping Services
Be the star of your own movie! Capture your beautiful wedding on video and relive that day vividly with the sight, sounds, and detail of each emotion.......more videographer info
We provide education/training video service, free video email promotions and video web conferencing........more videographer info
We have been in the filming and editing business since 1993. We use digital, 3-CCD, cameras, and our editing is done on a professional non-linear (dig.......more videographer info
Your special moments... we help you creatively cherish them forever with professional video production at a reasonable price. Serving the metro Augus.......more videographer info
Our #1 priority is YOU! At Ken Moore Productions, we take a personal approach to our work, getting to know YOU first and your specific video needs. .......more videographer info
I'm Nick Laws, a wedding videographer in Augusta, GA. I would love to tell the story of your beautiful wedding day!.......more videographer info
Producing beautiful wedding films with just the right blend of fun and affection, perfectly tailored to reflect you and your future spouse! Visit our .......more videographer info
We help make your dream reality. Artistic Photos as well videos. We think outside the box, why be average?.......more videographer info
Cinematography and Photography company, available for travel worldwide! Let us capture the magic in your life!.......more videographer info


text:
The USDA will conduct a four-week Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general signup, beginning on March 12 and ending on April 6. CRP has a 25-year legacy of successfully protecting the nation's natural resources through voluntary participation, while providing significant economic and environmental benefits to rural communities across the United States.
"It is USDA's goal to ensure that we use CRP to address our most critical resource issues," said Acting Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services (FFAS) Michael Scuse. "CRP is an important program for protecting our most environmentally sensitive lands from erosion and sedimentation, and for ensuring the sustainability of our groundwater, lakes, rivers, ponds and streams. As always, we expect strong competition to enroll acres into CRP, and we urge interested producers to maximize their environmental benefits and to make cost-effective offers."
CRP is a voluntary program available to agricultural producers to help them use environmentally sensitive land for conservation benefits. Producers enrolled in CRP plant long-term, resource-conserving covers to improve the quality of water, control soil erosion and develop wildlife habitat. In return, USDA provides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. Contract duration is between 10 and 15 years. Producers with expiring contracts and producers with environmentally sensitive land are encouraged to evaluate their options under CRP. Producers also are encouraged to look into CRP's other enrollment opportunities offered on a continuous, non-competitive, signup basis.
Currently, about 30 million acres are enrolled in CRP; and contracts on an estimated 6.5 million acres will expire on Sept. 30, 2012.
Offers for CRP contracts are ranked according to the Environmental Benefits Index (EBI). USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) collects data for each of the EBI factors based on the relative environmental benefits for the land offered. Each eligible offer is ranked in comparison to all other offers and selections made from that ranking. FSA uses the following EBI factors to assess the environmental benefits for the land offered:
- Wildlife habitat benefits resulting from covers on contract acreage.
- Water quality benefits from reduced erosion, runoff and leaching.
- On-farm benefits from reduced erosion.
- Benefits that will likely endure beyond the contract period.
- Air quality benefits from reduced wind erosion.
- Cost.
Over the past 25 years, farmers, ranchers, conservationists, hunters, fishermen and other outdoor enthusiasts have made CRP the largest and one of the most important in USDA's conservation portfolio. CRP continues to make major contributions to national efforts to improve water and air quality, prevent soil erosion by protecting the most sensitive areas including those prone to flash flooding and runoff. At the same time, CRP has helped increase populations of pheasants, quail, ducks, and other rare species, like the sage grouse, the lesser prairie chicken, and others. Highlights of CRP include:
- CRP has restored more than two million acres of wetlands and two million acres of riparian buffers.
- Each year, CRP keeps more than 600 million pounds of nitrogen and more than 100 million pounds of phosphorous from flowing into our nation's streams, rivers, and lakes.
- CRP provides $1.8 billion annually to landowners—dollars that make their way into local economies, supporting small businesses and creating jobs.
- CRP is the largest private lands carbon sequestration program in the country. By placing vulnerable cropland into conservation, CRP sequesters carbon in plants and soil, and reduces both fuel and fertilizer usage. In 2010, CRP resulted in carbon sequestration equal to taking almost 10 million cars off the road.
In 2011, USDA enrolled a record number of acres of private working lands in conservation programs, working with more than 500,000 farmers and ranchers to implement conservation practices that clean the air we breathe, filter the water we drink, and prevent soil erosion.


text:
Send Results to This Email:
Street Address:
Street Address:
Hillwood Investment Properties has bought an industrial portfolio in Southeast Memphis for $37.25 million from TIAA Realty Inc., augmenting the Dallas-based commercial real estate firm's budding local footprint.
The purchase, recorded under the entity Southpark Distribution Center Inc. on the Shelby County Register of Deeds, includes Lots 4 through 10 in Southpark Distribution Center. It totals seven parcels at Quality and Shelby drives.
The seller, related to insurance company TIAA-CREF, is listed in care of Colliers Management Services LLC Memphis on the Shelby County Assessor of Property.
Hillwood owns several assets in Mississippi – including 4.1 million square feet of an ultimately planned 11 million-square-foot DeSoto Trade Center – and has increased its acquisition momentum in the Memphis area this year.
In February, Hillwood bought the former Mazda North America Inc. distribution center in Olive Branch for $13.5 million. The Class A, 605,427-square-foot property at 9105 Hacks Cross Road is being marketed as "Hacks Cross Logistics Center" by Dan Wilkinson, chairman of the Memphis region of Colliers International, along with an adjacent 435,000 square feet of future development.
And Hillwood earlier this month acquired the 605,000-square-foot Pilot Distribution Center warehouse at 4221 Pilot Drive for $7.5 million. The sale represented Hillwood's entrance into the Memphis market.
Copyright 1995 -
by The Daily News Publishing Co. Inc. - All Rights Reserved


text:
Whether you're a first-time freshman, a transfer student or someone who's working and going back to school to get their bachelor's or master's degree, you'll find a values-based environment at Fontbonne where you can achieve your personal potential.
Our motto — Learn more. Be more.® — is our challenge to you. We believe the education and structure you gain at Fontbonne can serve you well in a career … and in life.
First-time Freshmen
Traditional students coming to Fontbonne directly from high school. Learn more.
Transfer Students
Any student that completed high school or the GED and has since taken college-level courses. Learn more.
International Students
All non-U.S. citizens applying for admission to Fontbonne. Learn more.
Graduate Students
Students coming to Fontbonne with a bachelor's degree. Learn more.
Evening/Online Students
Those looking specifically for programs offered evenings, online or as a combination of both. Learn more.
Contact Us
Questions? Contact our Office of Admission: 314-889-1400 or 1-800-205-5862 | firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Courtyard By Marriott Chino Hills properties are listed below. Search for cheap and discount Courtyard By Marriott hotel rates in Chino Hills, CA for your business gathering or personal travels. We list the best Courtyard By Marriott Chino Hills properties so you can review the Chino Hills Courtyard By Marriott hotel list below to find the perfect place.
Our site will list below Chino Hills, CA lodging that are comparable to the quality of Courtyard By Marriott.Booking a group or meeting? Get bids from hotels in Chino Hills CA
How should we direct your call?


text:
Note: This simple and healthy snack is designed especially for kids to make on their own.
This one's good to make right after breakfast so it will be ready for eating by mid-day.
What mom or dad can do in advance:
Makes: 12
Serving size: 3"x3" square (will vary if cookie cutters are used)
Nutritional analysis (per serving):
20 calories
2 g protein
0 g fat
3 g carbohydrates
0 mg cholesterol
45 mg sodium
Reviewed by: Jessica Donze Black, RD, CDE, MPH;Steven Dowshen, MD
Date Reviewed: 04-11-2015


text:
If you live or plan to live in the country, your plans probably include raising livestock for food or fiber. Now some homesteaders are content with a few egg-laying chickens and a dairy goat, while others hope to start a full-fledged livestock operation. But whether your goal is a few gallons of buttermilk or a whole herd of beefalo, you'll have to be absolutely dedicated to keeping your critters healthy.
There is, of course, a practical monetary reason for such a conscientious disease-prevention effort: Animals that are in less than peak condition simply don't produce their maximum in meat, wool, eggs, or milk. And unless you're a lot richer than I am, you plain can't afford to be constantly funneling feed into such "uneconomical" critters.
In addition, there's an ethical reason for doing your best to keep your animals perfectly hale and hearty. Every livestock or pet owner is a guardian of his or her beasts and fowl, and therefore is morally responsible for giving the animals the very best of care during their lifetimes.
Fortunately, maintaining healthy livestock is by no means an impossible or even an overly time-consuming task. On the contrary, if you take the time to learn and consistently follow a few basic guidelines for animal husbandry, your critters will thrive like shoots in springtime. These "rules of the animal health road" (which are guaranteed to help keep any cow, cur, goat, or guinea absolutely fit) are called: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR HEALTHY LIVESTOCK.
Keeping the Right Animals
I. Recognize your market. Before you begin to "stock up" on farm animals, take a good hard look at who will be eating or using their meat or produce. A realistic appraisal will show that—at least in the beginning—the main market for such products will be your own family. It's often difficult to try to turn your critters into moneymakers because the minute you put up a FOR SALE sign, you're competing with all the food conglomerates and "plastic" food producers. And although you know that homegrown "vittles" are tastier and more wholesome than the mass-raised, chemical-injected variety, quality eats are also more expensive in most cases than are store-bought foods. Unfortunately, as we all know, the average food buyer is shortsightedly more cost- than health-conscious.
So don't raise a critter unless you want its products! If your family treats goat milk like some foul-tasting medicine, don't own half a dozen nannies that each give a gallon of milk a day but devour your grain supplies in the process. If you can't see yourself ever butchering any cute-looking rabbits, don't keep a hutch full of the rapidly multiplying mammals.
What does all this advice have to do with animal health? Simply this: Most any critter needs a little love and affection in order to thrive and produce well. If you don't really want the foodstuff you're working—and paying—to raise, you may well become tremendously unhappy with (and therefore less careful of) your livestock. I've seen folks who almost hate to wake up in the morning because they know they'll find that their attention-demanding homestead animals are still around. So do yourself and the beasts and birds a favor. Don't raise what you won't use.
II. Know what a normal animal looks and feels like. Once you've decided what kind of livestock you'd like to raise, you'll need to be sure you're able to readily recognize healthy specimens of those breeds. Of course, no one can spot an able-bodied critter just by looking over a fence at it. No sir, your hands will have to know how a normal animal feels just as your eyes will need to recognize how a healthy one looks.
Let's take an example: Suppose you're shopping for a nanny goat, and the particular creature you're examining has rump bones that poke out against her fur, a very wide chest with a "barrel" belly, and a strikingly large, broad udder that's equipped with hand-sized teats. If you don't know goats, this beast may sound a bit like a malformed monster. But such features exemplify "dairy character."
The knowledgeable "shopper," on the other hand, will look even further and perhaps notice—for example—that the critter's coat is awfully rough for the middle of summer (a sign that it may be undernourished or sick with parasites). He or she will also be sure to bend down beside the goat and rub its skin firmly but gently all over: If there aren't any unusual lumps, ol' Nan probably doesn't have abscesses. But if the animal fidgets during such a "checkup," the goat-wise buyer will suspect she's hard to milk. Of course, an "in the know" farmer would never buy a goat that he or she hasn't personally milked—and would likely discover that our "sample" nanny reacts to the procedure by kicking and jerking unmanageably.
Naturally, you should know all such "clues" by heart, and be able to reject the described goat on the spot—without even investigating such further points as her stool, teeth, or suspicious cough—and look somewhere else for your homestead milk animal. And goats aren't the only critters that need a complete "physical." Every type of animal should be examined just as thoroughly ... and each species has its own peculiarities. Pigs, for example, have such an unusual gait that—unless you understand their normal way of walking—you might not recognize when one is lame. While rabbits and sheep that look loaded with muscle may turn out—upon prodding—merely to be heavily furred or wooled. So don't go livestock shopping until you've seen (and felt) enough critters to know what's normal and what's not. (This knowledge will also come in handy while you're raising the animals; if you don't recognize a healthy bird or beast, you sure as heck won't spot a sick one! )
III. Buy the best animals. If you expect top production from your livestock (and you shouldn't aim for any less), you must buy the best animals available. Please note that I'm not saying "the best you can afford" because the worst livestock decision you can make is to purchase a poor quality critter. Such a financial "deal" will end up costing you a lot of money in the long run. If you can't afford superior animals, don't purchase any beasts at all.
Because you should only "buy the best," the ability to distinguish between high-quality and "average" critters is as important a skill as is recognizing normal as opposed to inferior specimens. And the quickest way to learn "advanced animal appreciation" is to spend a few days studying the prize entries at the county fair. Be sure to watch the livestock judging and listen closely when the officials give their reasons for selecting one beast over another. Before long, you'll understand the standards of excellence for each species and pick the same top ribbon winners that the experienced judges choose.
Once you do know what to look for in your herd and flock "starters" and begin shopping around, promise yourself that you won't buy any animals until you've seen at least a half dozen of the finest specimens in your area. Then purchase the very best of the bunch for your homestead. Don't be like the goat shoppers who pull up to my place with a pickup truck full of children so eager to get themselves a nanny (or maybe even two or three if the young'uns whine enough) that they'll buy an animal regardless of the critter's quality. Do your looking, and then do your buying.
IV. Cull the worst animals. If one side of the livestock-choosing coin is to purchase the best specimens, the other side—inevitably—is to remove the worst from your pens and pastures. The chicken that won't lay eggs, the rabbit that bears four or five bunnies per litter instead of six to eight, the goat that dries up after four months of lactation (and doesn't get bred every year)—in fact, any animals that aren't superior examples of their breed should be culled. In most cases, the easiest way to get rid of unwanted critters is simply to add them to your dinner menus.
Culling improves the quality of your present and future stock, helps weed out inherited tendencies toward disease, and makes it possible for you to keep your feed bill at a reasonable level. Some folks consider this "survival of the fittest" idea harsh, but it's the ultimate test of whether you are in the livestock or the pet-raising business. Of course, there's nothing wrong with keeping animals as companions, but that sort of operation isn't always compatible with maintaining productive farm stock.
Knowing Your Animals
V. Be aware of your animals' cycles. Every beast or bird is controlled by its own natural life patterns. As a livestock producer,you need to understand these predictable cycles.
For instance, you'll have to know when your female critter will come into heat, how long that breeding period will last, and when during the heat cycle the animal should be bred.
Some other "facts of life" that a successful stockowner will learn are these: How long after breeding will the young'uns be born? (You need to be prepared for those babies!) And at what age should the little ones be weaned? When will the maturing critters begin to produce milk, eggs, wool, or meat? How much "harvest" can be expected? How long will the animal in question continue to produce?
You see, all of these considerations can be related to natural cycles. You need to be familiar with the life patterns for every type of animal you raise in order to know what to expect and when to expect it.
VI. Keep meaningful records. Livestock cycles will tell you how your animals are supposed to grow and produce. But you still won't know which critters really are meeting those expectations (and consequently which uneconomical beasts to cull) unless you keep accurate records.
For meat-producing stock, you'll have to tally dates and weights at birth, weaning, and butchering. Breeding records should include sires, expected and actual birth dates, and litter size and weights. And, of course, you'll need to keep tabs on all of your animals' milk, wool, or egg yields. (Remember that some critters' productivity can only be assessed by group output—it's often pretty difficult to tell just which chicken laid what egg!) You can then compare these totals against your feed bills and other expenses, and know whether or not your livestock enterprise is profitable.
Not only should you keep records on your own animals, you should also only buy critters with accurate production sheets. When a farmer comes out with that old nanny seller's saw, "Oh, this goat gives about a gallon of milk a day," he may in fact mean, "The least she gives is a gallon a day throughout a 10-to 11-month lactation period." On the other hand, the animal dealer might just as easily be saying, "On her best milking day last year ol' Nan gave nearly three quarts, and she dried up after about three months."
Folks here in Kansas emphasize the importance of records in their own way: "Without good tab sheets, you got no idea where you've been to get where you are ... which means you are lost ... which means moving in any direction will more than likely get you further lost." Don't get "lost" in your livestock-raising enterprise. Always keep accurate, complete, and meaningful records.
Caretaking Your Animals
VII. Build your animal housing well. Once you have the best possible livestock and record system, your main responsibility will be providing for your animals' care. Shelter is one of any creature's most basic needs. Many people tend to think of animal housing as more of a cold- than a hot-weather necessity, but the reverse is actually true. Beasts and fowl can maintain their normal body temperatures even in a snowy winter if they're kept dry and out of the wind. After all, that's what the critters' wool, fur, or feathers are for. (You can help stoke the animals' heat-making digestive furnaces, too—during those extra crisp cold snaps—by giving them some additional food.)
On the other hand, hot weather can really sap a critter's vitality and health. So all of your livestock will need some place—like a big shade tree or a homemade shelter—get away from searing summer sun.
And whether your "critter cottages" are designed for protection from heat or cold (or both), the homes must be adequately ventilated because too much shelter is worse than too little. The humidity that can build up in a confined area from a farm animal's breathing, urine, manure, and body heat will make an otherwise healthy inhabitant more susceptible to pneumonia than if that same beast had endured the weather outdoors. On my farm, we dealt with that problem by making all our solid, leakproof animal shelters completely open on the south side (away from the prevailing winds). If your barnyard structures don't have such exposed ends, be sure to provide the enclosures with adequate ventilation holes.
Your farmstead fauna will also need a protective fence around their yard or pasture, both to keep harmful varmints like our local coyotes out and to keep your own livestock in. And believe me, constructing a barricade strong enough to contain those furred and feathered farmhands can be quite a hassle. Sheep and goats will poke their heads into a small fence gap often enough to force open a full-sized exit hole, horses and cows walk through walls you'd think would stop a bulldozer, while birds cart fly over, hogs root under, and rabbits gnaw through just about every imaginable man-made barrier. All in all, animals seem to act as if folks build fences solely to provide "escape practice." So always make your enclosures as sturdy as possible.
VIII. Feed the critters correctly. Although animals need the same kinds of food that we humans do—protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water—each critter must have a specific diet balanced to its own requirements. And since scientists have figured out the exact proportions of feed mixture necessary to help each animal do exactly what it's intended to do (for instance, young-chick chow contains 20-25% protein, while laying-hen food has only 16-18%n protein but higher vitamin and mineral quantities), the easiest solution to your feeding problems is prepackaged commercial food made specifically for your livestock's needs.
Most of us, however, want to use up some of the produce and leftovers we have around and save a little food-bill money besides by feeding farm animals on farm food. Well, you darn near have to have a graduate degree in nutrition to figure out your own homegrown, full-time livestock feed, but you can effectively "stretch" those commercial products with your own growing.
However, any supplemental feeding must be based upon a knowledge of your barnyard denizens' eating habits. Of course, such understanding will include knowing the types of things the beasts like to ingest (goats enjoy the occasional fresh tree limb, for example). But you must also know how your critters eat. You can't—for instance—safely give the same small bones to dogs (aggressive gulpers) that you can feed to hogs (fastidious chewers).
With the best intentions, beginning homesteaders often make one of the worst feeding mistakes of all: They overstuff their livestock. Fat animals won't breed, often give little milk, and supply poor-tasting (and feed-wasting) meat. All in all, such "tubbies" are just about useless. So if you've got an animal that's overweight, cut back on its grub and keep the "obeastie" on a diet until it returns to normal weight or butcher the animal before it gets any fatter.
Finally, don't neglect the most important requirement of all animals: fresh water. Your livestock must have a continuous supply of the life-giving liquid. So unless the critters have access to a clean, flowing stream, you should replenish their water at least twice a day.
IX. Coddle the "youngsters". Raising healthy animal babies will keep you in the livestock business longer than any other single thing you can do. So go ahead and SPOIL your "litter critters." You'll be rewarded for any amount of extra effort you put into keeping those small fry healthy with more vital and productive adults.
To take care of the offspring, you have to prepare for their birth well in advance. Circle the anticipated day on your calendar, gather up everything you'll need (from heat lamps to iodine), and check your expectant mother several times each day.
When the "little strangers" do arrive, the care you give them will of course depend on what type of young'uns they are. Be sure that you know the babies' specific needs. All newborns must be dried off (momma may do this with her tongue) and be provided with a clean, draft-free bed, but some of them have a few special requirements like 80-90°F temperatures for the first few days. And by the way, be sure all your mammal babies get that first drink of colostrum (antibody-laden milk) straight from their mothers.
Take care of your young critters, and they'll grow up to take care of you.
X. Help your animals prevent their own disease. If you follow the first nine animal-care commandments, you'll already be doing a great deal to keep your livestock healthy. These last few tips will help birds and beasts avoid catching their own species-specific "bug and worm" diseases.
[1] Make sure that every part of your animals' environment is scrupulously clean. I emphasized the importance of keeping livestock away from their own manure in "How to Deal With Internal Parasites in Livestock, Part II," so I'll simply say here that if cleanliness is next to godliness, dirtiness is next to disease.
[2] Don't bring illness onto your homestead. Buy animals that are not sick and quarantine them for a few weeks to be certain the newcomers aren't carrying some unnoticed disease. Also, be sure to wear boots when you visit other folks' livestock areas and disinfect that footwear afterward.
[3] Remember that parasites and "regional" bugs are your animal's biggest problems, so set up good worm control and vaccination programs with your local veterinarian.
In Conclusion
If you look over these ten commandments for healthy livestock, you'll realize they don't involve a lot of grueling extra work. Nope, you can keep all your critters fit with a minimum of fuss or muss. What preventive animal health does involve, though, is using your head. You've heard the old saying: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Well, I'm going to add to that all-too-true proverb by rewriting it this way: When it comes to keeping livestock well and productive, an ounce of prevention comes from using that pound of gray matter between your ears!


text:
Marie Jo - Avero
The Avero has a deep plunge with wide set straps and a seamless cup with light foam to give extra shape to the cups. It gives a hint of cleavage with a smooth line in contemporary checked fabric with a cute daisy strap.
Caffé Latte is a great color to wear under white tops.
Why we Love Avero
We love Avero as it's practical yet pretty and comes in cup sizes A to F Cup. It has just enough foam padding to give the cup stiffness without adding extra bulk.
Styling Tips
Avero makes the perfect t-shirt bra due to its seamless cups and lower front which helps make it nearly invisible underneath most shirts.
Did You Know?
Avero celebrates it's 20 year anniversary in 2016. To celebrate its birthday there was a competition for the public to decide on the newest seasonal color - Rainbow - which went into production in Spring 2016
Avero comes in 4 classic colors available all year round.
Café latte or natural are the best colors to wear under white blouses, choose pure white for a crisp clean look or black to feel sensual every day.
Avero in Night Grey
Grey is trendier than ever. The pretty straps with silvery heart are the eye-catchers in this series.
Marie Jo
padded bra |
Avero in Ice Blue
Icy Blue is right on trend! Who could resist this fresh grey blue with sparkling gloss effect?


text:
Hand Made Pottery Candleholder
Hand made pottery candleholder.
Generously donated by Teri Gergen- Program Director, OT Assistant, Roane State Community College.
The Free Medical Clinic is funded in part by grants from the Tennessee Dept. of Health and United Way of Roane County. Member of the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFCC), The Volunteers in Medicine Alliance (VIM) and the Tennessee Charitable Care Network (TCCN), and Rural Health Association of Tennessee (RHAT).
NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT- The Free Medical Clinic does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability or age. This policy of non-discrimination applies to hiring of personnel, election of board members, provision of services to the public, contracting for purchasing of services and all other activities of FMC.


text:
It was an action packed weekend, including what was likely my last sanctioned race of the road racing season at the Brentwood Grand Prix. To pass the time as I physically and mentally recover, here is a gratuitously sexy photograph of my racing machine at the bike and pedestrian crossing over Ballona Creek in Marina Del Rey, also known as the Mustache Bridge.
Coming Soon To A Foreseeable Future Near You: An RSS feed just for sexy bike photography, cherry picked from talent on flickr and my own collection.
Monday, August 18, 2008
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)