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Friday, 04 25, 2014
Ron Brooks 1-800-852-0942, ext. 4466
FRANKFORT, Ky. –
worst of a fish kill that has claimed upward of a half million Asian carp in
the Cumberland River below Lake Barkley dam is believed to be over.
On Friday, April 25, fisheries biologists with the
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources returned to the area as the
focus shifted to learning what might have caused the considerable die-off of
invasive silver carp.
"Anglers were seeing dead fish a week ago, some two weeks
ago, which is very typical of a fish kill caused by some type of viral
pathogen," said Paul Rister, western fisheries district biologist with Kentucky
Fish and Wildlife. "It's kind of a bell-shaped curve. You start seeing a few
die, and a few more die, and then you reach the peak of the massive die-off. I
think we're on that downhill side now."
After conferring with Asian carp researchers from around
the country, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Fisheries Director Ron Brooks said the
belief among experts is that the fish kill found below Barkley Dam to the
Cumberland River's confluence with the Ohio River is the largest ever involving
Asian carp in the United States.
Silver carp, which are not native to the United States,
appear to be the only fish affected. To help move the mass of fish downriver,
the U.S. Corps of Engineers on Thursday opened three gates at Barkley Dam to
flush dead fish downstream.
"I don't think people have to worry about those pathogens
affecting native species," Brooks said. "That's probably the best news of all."
While the cause has not been confirmed, possibilities
include overstress from spawning or the presence of a pathogen that disrupts
brain function in the fish, Brooks said.
"Any time you have an event where there are a lot of fish
congregating, it's just like any other animal, the chance for a pathogen to
spread increases," he said. "Whether it's that pathogen or some other stressor,
no one will know until we get word from the researchers."
Dying silver carp collected from the area by Kentucky
Fish and Wildlife will undergo disease testing at Kentucky State University.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife also is working the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
as well as agencies from bordering states and Purdue University.
Fisheries biologists visited nearby Kentucky Lake dam
Friday after receiving reports of dead Asian carp on the Tennessee River. After
investigating the area, the cause of death of those fish is believed to be due
to bow anglers and snaggers.
Asian carp find the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers
hospitable because the water discharged from Lake Barkley and neighboring
Kentucky Lake is so fertile, Brooks said.
He is hopeful researchers find something from this fish
kill that leads to the eventual eradication of Asian carp. Silver carp are
plankton feeders and threaten the well-being of native fish and mussels by
over-harvesting that vital source of nutrition.
"It's comforting to know there's something out there that
might take these things out before they just devastate everything," Brooks
said. "Right now we just don't have it."


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Fail of the Day: Victoria'S Secret's Photoshoppers Need to Take More Online Tutorials. Or Learn What a Woman Looks Like
Take a seat, Victoria's Secret. We need to talk.
Wait, it looks like you already took a seat.
The underwear seller thought there was nothing wrong when they posted this picture to their Facebook page. Obviously, their overeager graphic designers took more than their fair share away from this model.
Her left leg just keeps on going.
What makes the post even funnier is that Victoria's Secret shared it with the sub heading, "Truly. Madly. Cheeky."
The commenters weren't having it.
This is definitely not the first time that Victoria's Secret has let one of these beauties out into the wild.
Photoshop Disasters has quite the collection.
Come on, people. There are plenty of tutorials.
- Reposted by

subset: commoncrawl


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Quit Whining, Apple Investors
No one blinked when Apple shares headed towards $700 but now that the stock has dropped below $450-with some analysts saying it could be headed well below $400-people are complaining. Chuck Jaffe joins digits. Photo: Getty Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... and talk ... to bite the apple Masters which is ... just a hop whining shock ... what what's going on here why eat eligible Say's Law slime I I'd I'd would like to point out it's not necessarily Apple investors so much as it used ... the folks who ... were complaining winner neutral fund was having a great year last year ... fueled by Apple ... and now they're finding out that the initial fund has a lot of Apple ... and suddenly it's a problem in and nobody complains when it's going up ... the only complaint was going down and the answer is that for fund investors who did make a conscious decision all by my Apple Now etc ... the euro ... has benefited and undermining your fund manager there are ways you can avoid the problem photo by the way you shouldn't be complaining ... on the downside of the volatility unless you have also complained while Micron was up way too much last night we should not try Apple Apple that actually over two percent today after falling most of last week ... the thirty odd noticeable decrease in whining today ... I know is that there's a ... noticeable decrease in wanting what I would say is that I think a lot of people are starting to wake up to the fact that they owned more Apple than they think they are ... I mean what you've got going on here is ... there are over a thousand mutual funds that own Apple and although it's ... more than ten percent ... to ten percent of their assets tied up in Apple ... so that's good to make unusual one room a heckuva lot more whether Apple does well or badly just as long as the stock is moving ... if you don't like that volatility in your neutral fund ... and get a better idea what's causing it and not have a better idea what's causing it you can decipher something you want to do that ... yet very good point so that the budget neutral fund to basically overloaded on Apple may be too late in the cycle which to be horrible for those investors ... can you name some names or some of these money managers that ... maybe went to David Appel too late ... I'd you can never tell when they went in so it's not like I can point the finger at somebody set out this bond ... wound up with too much I think the bigger question for investors ... these ... how would you feel you had missed out on the run up ... but you also missed out on the decline ... so you can avoid this run up in the blog address remember ... Apple now the second-largest aka the SNP five hundred ... what ... Apple and acts on make up about eighty percent of the SNP five hundred ... goal of getting equal weighted index where instead of based on market capitalization is ... equal weighting ... and it's going to be much smaller percentage or you can look at a volatility waiting at the popular new ... type of investment tool ... and Apple and Exxon will make up less than one percent of them were full ... now if you want to avoid Apple on the downside that's great ... but they got what he would be in line with a gaunt ... man why ... why am I not doing as well as everybody else ... during those times when Apple's doing well and I think for most fund investors ... there on the whining or complaining when they see things happening at the job and this is bad for me ... but they didn't see that the same things were actually good for them were positive that when when ...


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John XVI, original name Giovanni Filagato, Latin Johannes Philagathus, (born, Rossano, Calabria—died August 26, 1001), antipope from 997 to 998.
A monk of Greek descent whom the Holy Roman emperor Otto II named abbot of the monastery of Nonantola, Italy, he attained an influential position at the court of Otto's widow, the empress Theophano. In 988 Theophano made John bishop of Piacenza, Italy, later raising his see to an archbishopric. He was godfather of Theophano's son, the imperial prince Otto (III) and later king of Germany, who in 995 sent John to Constantinople as legate for his prospective marriage to a Byzantine princess. When Pope John XV died (March 996), Otto named his cousin Bruno (Gregory V) as the successor. The Crescentii, a powerful Roman family, opposed Otto's choice, and, while he was in Germany, Crescentius II led a revolt that usurped Gregory's office. John returned from Constantinople, and Crescentius, planning to ally Rome with Byzantium against Otto, offered John the papacy. Over the protests of his friend Abbot St. Nilus of Rossano, John accepted. In 997 the exiled Gregory excommunicated Crescentius. Otto brought an army to Italy the following year, and a reign of terror ensued. Otto captured both Crescentius and John. Crescentius was beheaded on April 29, and John, after being blinded and mutilated, was either imprisoned or confined to a monastery. His life was spared through the intercession of Nilus.


text:
Votre titre Audible gratuit
A Revelation in Autumn
Meredith needs a new beginning... Despite the disapproval of her late husband's parents, Meredith Stoltzfus has become closer to Jonah Miller. Meredith knows he can never replace her first love, but Jonah is head over heels for Meredith and cares deeply for her baby. Besides, Jonah promises to be a good provider - what Meredith needs for her son's future.
Just as Meredith and Jonah begin to talk of marriage, the husband Meredith believes to be dead is about to remember something from his past... But can the young man called "Eddie" put the pieces of his life back together - before he loses Meredith again?
Autres livres audio du même :
Ce que les membres d'Audible en pensent
- Barbara Rice
- 07/07/2016
not worth the credit I spent.
To short. Once you get really interested its over. i was very disappointed i know a story is suppose to leave you wanting more ,but this was like the beginning of the story and its over
0 sur 1 personne(s) ont trouvé cet avis utile.


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Blog Hui 2006 - Be there!!!
Well, what with Blogtalk Reloaded being announced for Vienna in October 2006 it's a pretty exciting time (again!) in the world of Blogging Conferences because Blog Hui: New Zealand's First International Blogging Conference has also just been launched by the ever resourceful and ridiculously energetic Lynsey Gedye.
It looks like it's going to be absolutely excellent with international speakers including Torill Mortensen, Trevor Romain and the one and only Mark Bernstein!
I'll definitely be trying to get to this as well… now there's a drawcard ;)
Here's the call for papers (or posters!), in summary:
• Case studies of local experiences in implementing blogging technologies
• Blogitics - blogging as a political tool – activism online
• Blogging the arts: Web 2.0 independent music publishing, photographers, and artists
• Personal blogs and portals
• Blogging with a conscience - blogging to make a difference
• Portfolio blogging – promoting, presenting, and protecting your creativity
• Developing blog-based teaching materials, resources and techniques
• Fear and loathing in the long tail - managing your public life online
• Blog writing style
• Collaborative blogging
• Making money with your blog
• Desk top blogging – fine publishing from home
• Building your community and traffic, connecting with your tribe in the blogosphere
• Blogging on the intranet – blogging in the office
• Traditional PR, marketing and the "blogosphere"
• Theoretical and conceptual reviews, technical reviews
• Social networking tools, blogging tools, aggregation and technology: RSS, XML, podcasting and video blogging
Please, if you can, spread the word on this one… it's kinda the natural successor to Blogtalk Downunder and is as good an excuse as any I reckon for a trip to beautiful NZ and Wellington!


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Here's how
The History Channel describes their new miniseries: "SONS OF LIBERTY is a dramatic interpretation of events that sparked a revolution. It is historical fiction, not a documentary." That's quite an understatement. It's like calling Godzilla a reptile of above-average stature.
I knew I was in for a doozy from the very start of last night's first installment, when Samuel Adams escaped from a party of redcoats by bounding parkour-style across Boston's rooftops. No wonder they made him twenty years younger and thirty pounds lighter than his historical counterpart. Can't have the main character keeling over from cardiac arrest during a big chase sequence. Hey, if video games have taught us anything, it's that the eighteenth century was all about aerial stunts.
The History Channel claims that one of the show's aims is to "convey the personalities of the main characters." If that's true, they might want to head back to the drawing board. The two main protagonists, Sam Adams and John Hancock, share little in common with the historical figures other than their names.
J.L. Bell has weighed in on the problems with Adams' depiction at his blog. As for Hancock, the miniseries portrays him as a dandy who's quite uncomfortable walking into a tavern full of toughs. The real Hancock was indeed a stupendously wealthy man, certainly no stranger to fine clothes, lavish parties, and good wine. But he was also a man who, when informed that British regulars were en route to Lexington, brandished his gun and sword and swore up and down that he "would never turn my back on these troops." It took the entreaties of Sam Adams and Paul Revere to convince him to escape.
It was instructive—and a little depressing—to follow the Twitter hashtag #SonsOfLiberty during the premiere. Most of the tweets I saw were pretty positive about the show. There were plenty of remarks about how modern politicians could learn a thing or two by watching real 'Murican patriots on TV. I found these sentiments highly ironic, since the larger political issues surrounding the onset of the Revolution were actually absent from the first episode.
Instead, the miniseries emphasizes the personal aspects of the Whigs' involvement. Adams and Hancock aren't motivated by abstract notions of rights and liberties. They've got a beef with Hutchinson (promoted to governor in the first episode) over his meddling in their financial activities. When the mob attacks Hutchinson's house, they do so because he's persecuting Adams, not because of the Stamp Act. The premiere basically has the whole Revolution boiling down to a bunch of personal grudges. Personal conflicts certainly played a role in the Revolution, but the show de-emphasizes principles to such an extent that I can't fathom why so many back-to-the-founding folks tweeted enthusiastically about it.
Many tweets ran something like this: "Psyched about #SonsOfLiberty bc I'm such a total history nerd LOL!!!1!11!" I hate to break it to you, kiddo, but if you were a "total history nerd," you wouldn't be so psyched about two hours of pure fiction. You'd be reading Pauline Maier.
You could fill pages on the show's historical discrepancies, both major and minor. The chronology is hopelessly mangled. John Adams' house looks nothing like the real thing, nor does it bear any resemblance to any intact eighteenth-century home I've ever seen. There's far too much facial hair for the late 1700s. Gen. Gage was already in America during the events depicted in the series. You get the idea. For a detailed breakdown, check out Thomas Verenna's episode-by-episode critique.
I think the only thing the first installment really got right was the sense of tension and volatility in Revolutionary-era Boston, a place where the streets roiled with passion and violence, where officials were sitting on top of a volcano that could erupt in revolt at any minute.
If I disliked the first episode so much, I'll be skipping the other two, right? Yeah, I would…except I've always wanted to see Lexington and Concord on film. It's the prospect of a few well-executed battle sequences that will bring me back to the TV, in spite of my better judgment. No doubt I'll be disappointed, but not as disappointed as all those gals who watched the premiere will be when they do a Google Image search for Samuel Adams.


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Eco CornerBy Jake Reiner
Choices for Sustainable Lifestyles
Jacob Reiner is an Eco Architect and director of Earth Embassy and the Solar Café. For more information on sustainable life-styles and eco living, visit www.earthembassy.org.
Eco Foods
JAS Organics
Growing organic food means there are no toxic chemicals applied to the plants or soil. This is, of course, healthy for you and the environment, but how can you be sure the food you buy is organic? Various certification programs exist around the world. In the U.S., for example, a farm must be chemical-free for three years, allowing toxins to leave the soil, before being labeled organic.
The mark to look for in Japan is the "three circles and leaf" of the Japan Agricultural Standard (JAS). It's increasingly available in supermarkets and convenience stores, so keep an eye out for the symbol and tell your friends.
Eco Responsibility
Go Carbon Neutral
Your carbon footprint is how much carbon your daily activities put it into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. For those of us who fly often, this can be 50 times the global average due to the burning of jet fuel. A number of organizations now offer ways to offset your carbon production through tree planting, investment in wind and solar power and energy efficiency projects.
For a small donation (typically ¥1,000-¥3,000), you can take out of the atmosphere whatever carbon you put in. So, next time you book a ticket somewhere, go online and pay a bit extra to make your trip carbon neutral. You can also make your home, school or business carbon neutral. It doesn't cost much, it may ease your guilt, and it separates you from the polluters.
Eco Illumination
Solar Lanterns
You are probably aware batteries are not very eco. In fact, they are full of toxic heavy metals and are difficult to recycle. So what do you do if you need that camping light? Solar lanterns are the simple answer. They charge during the day and give you a warm glow to read and cook by after the sun goes down. Reliable and durable, they are easy to find online for about US$85. Check out the SL9000SW with a built-in, fold-out solar panel.
Another highly recommended model is the Glowstar. Developed by Practical Action Consulting to make solar power more accessible to rural African homes, the Glowstar is now on the market in the U.S. and U.K., and they are looking for global distributors as well. Whether you just need something to keep the bears away from your tent or are looking for the next big eco-business opportunity, check them out.
Eco Travel
Green Resorts and Tours
Tourists around the world have a major impact on the cultures, economies and environments we encounter. This interaction can be both positive and negative. While pollution and easy money from camera toting backpackers can disrupt traditional communities, conscientious eco tourists can actually help protect and preserve local ways and wildlife.
Go online for tips on how to make yourself an eco and social justice warrior on your next trip. For a good listing of eco tour operators and destinations, including eco villages in Costa Rica, farm stays in Thailand, low impact eco tours in Vietnam and camel rides in Mongolia, check out Green Travel Market.
If you are interested in setting up your own eco tourism-related business, Sustainable Travel International offers comprehensive training, support and networking. And one of the most innovative is Tourism Gender which finds ways to empower women in underdeveloped countries through tourism. Improving the world through tourism – the only way to travel.


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Grazed from The Register. Author: Danny Bradbury.
So, you are ready for a journey to the cloud. You have evaluated the benefits and you think you are ready to migrate your applications to a castle in the sky.
But the road to cloudy happiness is a long and winding one. Getting your applications into the cloud takes preparation.
Why move?
The first step is to nail down the motivation for the move. Cost reduction is usually a key motivator, as companies pool resources by virtualising their hardware.
Agility is another. Putting applications in the cloud makes it possible to provision computing power and storage faster and more flexibly than running them on dedicated tin. Cloud computing also helps regulate volatile demand...
After you port everything to the cloud, you will want to benchmark it against a set of assumptions made at the start.
Your success metric may be to reduce capital expenditure on hardware, for example, or to increase the reliability of your application infrastructure. Perhaps you are shooting for a more flexible infrastructure that lets you implement new enterprise applications more quickly.
Unfortunately, these kinds of applications are the ones subject to most resistance. Symantec's Virtualization and Evolution to the Cloud survey (registration required) last year polled 3,700 companies around the world.
It found that mission-critical enterprise apps were less likely to be virtualised within the next 12 months, let alone managed as part of a private cloud environment. Instead, companies were choosing web apps, Office applications, email and calendaring for virtualisation.
A general perception of lack of control is holding companies back. They are worried about what virtualisation will do to disaster recovery. They fret about security issues such as authentication vulnerabilities, account hijacking and how to control an environment that is also running other applications.
Clearly then, if companies are serious about shifting applications to the private cloud, they had better make sure that the orchestration layer above the virtualisation part is pretty solid.
What does this involve?
The layered look
Virtualising your hardware so that your software can run without being dependent on a particular piece of tin is just one leg of the journey. There are pieces on top of this virtualisation layer that differentiate the cloud.
For one thing, the cloud's attraction lies in its ability to absorb your computing headaches, but this can only happen if you do everything in the same way. The processes that form the basis of your computing service should be templated.
Provisioning, application patching, user account setup, storage allocation and recovery, application data backup and backup testing – all of these should be operated from a single playbook. Standardisation is what allows private cloud applications to scale.
Standardisation makes it possible to automate these processes. Their steps are well understood and replicable, so they can be codified using management tools.
This orchestration layer manages the location and operation of the virtual machines and applications in the cloud. It decides that your business analytics application can have some more MIPs during the overnight number crunching process, shortly after the nightly network backup and virtual desktop anti-virus patching processes have finished.
On top of all this sits a self-service layer, which provides the interface between the cloud and the users and lets them provision their own application services. It helps to automate the provisioning and customer service burden, just as the automation layer automates back-end processes.
A chargeback mechanism is the icing on the cake for organisations truly committed to private cloud computing.
The notion that you can charge customers based on the number of MIPS they use for business analytics apps, or the number of Gigabytes they are using for their document and mail storage, is a truly great idea, but of course they have to agree to it first.
The chargeback layer, perhaps more than any other, will require some frank conversations with business managers.
Preparing an application for the private cloud operation means preparing it for operation at all of these layers. It should be able to take advantage of the resource elasticity that cloud offers, along with its self-service and chargeback capabilities.
It must be easily deployed, automated in its management and dynamically scalable.
Different companies may be starting at different points on the road towards cloud-based applications.
Some haven't virtualised their applications or servers at all. Some have virtualised their hardware but don't have the necessary building blocks in place to call their environment a private cloud.
Which applications make most sense for private cloud migration?
Some more equal than othes
Applications with resources that are under-used are good candidates, as are those that have limited capacity and are threatening business processes because they cannot cope with demand.
There are also other considerations that will affect an application's suitability.
Consider, for example, its reliance on specialised hardware. If your application is mainframe-based, or uses specialised encryption hardware, the transformation process might be more difficult than if it is a generic x86 application that can be easily ported and automated.
Also, consider whether the vendor has an appropriate licensing mechanism for its application. If fully cloud-compliant, an application might be able to scale across thousands of processors.
This could be great for your business, but only if the vendor has a realistic way of charging you for it.
Finally, make sure you understand the business value of the applications you are considering for the private cloud.
It is important to separate out which are mission critical, which are adding significant value to the business and which can be given a lower priority.
Slow cooking
Armed with all this information, you can create a transformation strategy for the applications in question.
This strategy depends largely on the architecture of the application that you are moving. How you move your apps and how much refactoring they require depends on how they are built.
Remember that moving your applications to the cloud needn't happen all at once. A proof of concept phase is important to ensure that you can navigate your way through the practicalities of cloud migration.
Deploying a greenfield application to test the water is useful because it can reduce the number of application dependencies you might encounter.
Private cloud migration can be a daunting task, especially when moving a larger application portfolio, and you will meet both technical and organisational challenges along the way.
But with these basic rules you will at least be forewarned as you begin the journey.


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A review of installation methods
a work in progress
Installation to HD, USB Hardisk, and USB/SD
Real file systems
1 zyx-liveinstaller <from terminal>[1]
-creates real file structure on USB or HD (without rebooting)
-name and color selection (and ssh keys remain the same)
This can be a problem for using it for distribution
2 liveinst (Anaconda)<from Terminal> [2]
-installs to HD or USB stick
-If you make an .img file from the USB before running "firstboot" It becomes a good way to duplicate the sticks.
3 Net install CD [3]
-need a fast Internet connection
-very slow install(6+ hrs for USB)
-allows custom install of sugar-desktop only or Gnome/KDE + Sugar
-If you make an .img file from the USB before running "firstboot" It becomes a good way to duplicate the sticks.
compressed file systems on USB/SD
1 script with .iso file [4]
2.live-usbcreator application
* Download the latest version of the Fedora LiveUSB Creator from http://fedorahosted.org/liveusb-creator and extract it. * Plug a blank target USB flash drive (or SD Card) into your computer (minimum 1-gigabyte). * Launch LiveUSB Creator. * Select Sugar on a Stick v2 Blueberry in the drop-down menu on the upper-right side to download the liveUSB disk image. Alternatively, download Blueberry here, then hit the Browse button and select the downloaded file. * Adjust the Persistent Storage slider. This enables you to save the child's work in Sugar onto the device. * Select your flash drive as the target and click the Create Live USB button. * Wait for the process to finish, then close the LiveUSB Creator program. * Stop your flash drive using the Safely Remove Hardware dialog and eject it.
3. other Linux distributions[5]
Duplication of USB/SD .img files
1.dd copy of USB/SD <from terminal>[6] Autologon [7]


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Jay Rock - 112 Bars (Goes In On 2 Pac Beat)
Video for Jay Rock - 112 Bars. Shout out to Dejay Dave
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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What a shocker - another indie polish! =D I got really lucky the last time Amy opened her Etsy shop, and I was able to snag Robin Laid an Egg, as well as Hidden Potential. Robin Laid an Egg was a HUGE lemming of mine, now happily fulfilled.
Blue glitter, pink glitter and yellow glitter of various sizes suspended in a milky white base. I just cannot get enough of these glitters in milky bases these days. I've never been one to really wear white polish, but these just call to me for some reason.
The formula on Robin Laid an Egg is pretty darn good for a white polish - I think I'd have wanted it to be the slightest bit more jelly than it is, but the glitters all show through really well and I didn't have to dig to get a good mix of glitter on the brush. I found it to be slightly thick, but it was nearly opaque in two coats. I was happier with at three coats, but it dried super fast even at three coats.
Amy's Etsy shop is closed for a while as she's taking a break from making polish for now. According to her Facebook page, she expects to be back in 4-8 weeks. Her shop is here, and you can sign up to be notified when she returns.
Yes, I have indie fever! Such a great time to love polish! =D
Wear update: I don't comment much on wear generally speaking because I usually change my polish too often to really be able to tell. But I ended up wearing Robin Laid an Egg for five days, and it looked perfect when I took it off last night. I had some growth, of course, but I didn't even have tipwear. I'm very impressed!


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Guided Walks at Sculthorpe Moor Reserve
Guided walks can be arranged for groups of at least 10 people. The cost is £5 per person. They must be booked in advance.
Guided Walks
- can be booked during the day, evening and weekend, subject to availability of staff and volunteers
- last about two hours
- can visit parts of the reserve not open to the public (but these routes are not accessible for buggies or wheelchairs)
- an be tailored for different age groups from toddlers to adults
- can be tailored for specific interests such as birds, flowers, butterflies, bats, moths or owls
Tea and coffee can be provided at extra cost.
Groups may visit without booking to walk round the public areas of the reserve on their own during normal opening hours for a donation of £3 per person. However to arrange a guided group visit contact the reserve in advance.
List of Group Programmes


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Steve324258 needed a new print or packaging design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 60 designs submitted by 17 freelance designers.
Strategic Wealth Solutions
We do income and tax planning fro retirees or soon to be retirees.
I am look for a book cover for a book I am working on. The name of the book is "Navigating the Fog of Retirement". You are really free to come up with the front cover as you wish. I have a book review and thinking of a picture of me I want to put on the back cover but I am open to ideas on the fron cover. I want it to stand out as people do judge a book by its cover in my opinion.
i would like to use the compass logo I attached if possible as it is the back bone of what I do. It is a program that I use with clients. You are free to come up with ideas as to the cover andhow to illustrate the title of the book.


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Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering
Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Research Initiation Initiative (CRII)
CRII Solicitation Update - May 30, 2014
The Additional Eligibility Requirement that the PI be a US Citizen, Permanent Resident or National has been removed and is no longer a requirement for this solicitation.
|Almadena Y. Chtchelkanova
|(703) 292-8910
|Mimi McClure
|(703) 292-8950
|Ephraim P. Glinert
|(703) 292-8930
|Sushil Prasad
|(703) 292-8970
PROGRAM GUIDELINESSolicitation 18-554
Important Information for Proposers
A revised version of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 19-1), is effective for proposals submitted, or due, on or after February 25, 2019. Please be advised that, depending on the specified due date, the guidelines contained in NSF 19-1 may apply to proposals submitted in response to this funding opportunity.
Full Proposal Deadline Date
August 14, 2019
Second Wednesday in August, Annually Thereafter
With the goal of encouraging research independence immediately upon obtaining one's first academic position after receipt of the PhD, the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) will award grants to initiate the course of one's independent research. Understanding the critical role of establishing that independence early in one's career, it is expected that funds will be used to support untenured faculty or research scientists (or equivalent) in their first three years in a primary academic position after the PhD, but not more than a total of five years after completion of their PhD. One may not yet have received any other grants or contracts in the Principal Investigator (PI) role from any department, agency, or institution of the federal government, including from the CAREER program or any other program, post-PhD, regardless of the size of the grant or contract, with certain exceptions noted below. Serving as co-PI, Senior Personnel, Postdoctoral Fellow, or other Fellow does not count against this eligibility rule. Grants, contracts, or gifts from private companies or foundations; state, local, or tribal governments; or universities do not count against this eligibility rule.
It is expected that these funds will allow the new CISE Research Initiation Initiative PI to support one or more graduate students for up to two years. Faculty at undergraduate and two-year institutions may use funds to support undergraduate students, and may use the additional RUI designation (which requires inclusion of a RUI Impact Statement) -- see http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5518 for additional information. In addition, submissions from all institutions may use funds for postdoctoral scholars, travel, and/or research equipment.
What Has Been Funded (Recent Awards Made Through This Program, with Abstracts)
Map of Recent Awards Made Through This Program


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Saturday, July 17, 2010
Cute card....
16 comments:
- Laurel said...
Love this card! the giraffe is so cute!
- July 17, 2010 at 12:26 PM
- Judith Veldhuizen said...
The giraffe is really cute!! love the rose on his neck!
- July 17, 2010 at 12:43 PM
- Shraddha said...
The card indeed is very very cute!Love the pink giraffe!
- July 17, 2010 at 12:48 PM
- Eiglas said...
Cute card!
Thank you so much for coming over to play at C.R.A.F.T this week!
- July 18, 2010 at 5:58 AM
- Nana said...
Wow, this is incredibly cute! :)
hugs Nana
- July 19, 2010 at 12:49 AM
- Elise said...
This is SUCH a cute card! Your color work is luscious and it makes me want to grab something - BABY! hee hee What an adorable celebration of that image, darling sentiment and Dawn's delightful color palette! Thanks for gracing us with your wonderful talent! Tooooooo cute!
- July 19, 2010 at 1:44 AM
- Papertrails by a paper lover said...
how fun your card is! The little rose accent on the giraffe is too cute!
- July 19, 2010 at 5:06 PM
- Sprytebyrd said...
Beautiful card, Piali! I just love this little giraffe in pink, and her little rose is adorable!
Thanks so much for joining us in our Tall/Long challenge at Meljen's Designs this week! Good luck!
Dee (Spryte)♥
Sprytebyrds Spot
- July 20, 2010 at 12:22 PM
What a wonderful card!! Thanks for joining the Stamp Something challenge this week.
- July 20, 2010 at 1:13 PM
- Joanne (jojot) said...
we will certainly forgive your 'oops' when the card is so dang cute.....thanks for playing with the CCEE
- July 20, 2010 at 1:49 PM
- Sandy said...
Lol! I love your pink girlie giraffe with a tie - adorable!
- July 21, 2010 at 2:21 AM
- Annika said...
Wonderful card! Fabulous colouring and layout and I love the white sentiment on choccie brown. Thanks for playing at Stamp Something, hope to see you back next week!
- July 21, 2010 at 3:42 AM
- Nicole said...
WOW, just gorgeous! Thanks for playing along at Meljen's!! Nicole xox
- July 24, 2010 at 9:23 AM
- Robin's Creative Cottage said...
Super sweet, I love your take on the sketch and coloring :)
- July 26, 2010 at 4:42 PM
- Cath said...
Hey Piali! Thanks for entering the Let's Do Fun & Cute Card Style Week challenge in the Moxie Fab World! I'm so glad you joined in on the fun!
- July 30, 2010 at 11:41 AM
- Wendy said...
The giraffe is totally a girl now... lookin pretty. Great use of the sketch & colors together.
- August 5, 2010 at 9:23 PM


text:
Caledonia Gas And Storage
Original Volume No. 1
Contents / Previous / Next / Main Tariff Index
Effective Date: 12/05/2007, Docket: RP08- 57-000, Status: Effective
First Revised Sheet No. 75 First Revised Sheet No. 75 : Effective
Superseding: Superseding Original Sheet No. 75
Service Agreement No. ______________
Control No. _________________
THIS AGREEMENT, made and entered into on this _______ day of ___________ by
and between Caledonia Energy Partners, L.L.C. ("Caledonia") and
____________________________________________ ("Customer").
WITNESSETH: That in consideration of the mutual covenants herein
contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
Section 1. Service to be Rendered. Caledonia shall perform and Customer
shall receive service in accordance with the provisions of the effective ISS
Rate Schedule and applicable General Terms and Conditions of Caledonia's FERC
Gas Tariff, Original Volume No. 1 (Tariff), on file with the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (Commission), as the same may be amended or superseded
in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission. Caledonia
shall store quantities of Gas for Customer up to, but not exceeding,
Customer's Maximum Interruptible Storage Capacity (MISC) as specified in
Appendix A, as the same may be amended from time to time by agreement between
Customer and Caledonia, or in accordance with the rules and regulations of the
Commission. Service hereunder shall be provided subject to the provisions of
Part 284 of the Commission's Regulations.
Section 2. Term. Service under this Agreement shall commence as of
____________ and shall continue in full force and effect until
________________ unless otherwise agreed to by mutual agreement of Caledonia
and Customer. Pre-granted abandonment shall apply upon termination of this
Section 3. Rates. Customer shall pay Caledonia the charges as
described in the ISS Rate Schedule, and specified in Appendix A to this
Service Agreement.
Section 4. Notices. Notices to Caledonia under this Agreement shall be
addressed to the following:
Caledonia Energy Partners, LLC
2001 Timber Creek Road
Flower Mound, TX 75028
Attention: Jim Goetz
Phone: (972) 691-3332
Fax: (972) 874-8743


text:
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AC1900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Ceiling Mount Access Point EAP330
- Speeds of up to 1.9Gbps over concurrent dual band 802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO and TurboQAM technologies
- Airtime Fairness, Beamforming, and Band Steering Technologies guarantee optimal RF performance for business-level applications
- Link aggregation joins two gigabit Ethernet ports to break the bottleneck in network backhaul capacity
- Free EAP Controller Software lets administrators easily manage hundreds of EAPs
- Captive portal provides a convenient method for guest authentication
- Power over Ethernet (802.3at) support and simple mounting design allow for flexible deployment and convenient installation
AC1900 Speed
Offer the Genuine Business-Class
Wi–Fi Experience
Breakthrough Wi-Fi
Speeds Ensure a True
Business-Class Experience
The combination of next generation 802.11ac Wi-Fi and advanced MIMO and TurboQAM technology allows EAP Series devices to offer an unbeatable Wi-Fi experience.
The EAP330/EAP320 reaches speeds of up to 1.9/1.2Gbps, including 600/300 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 1300/867 Mbps on the 5GHz band.
The combination of next generation 802.11ac Wi-Fi and advanced MIMO and TurboQAM technology. The EAP330/EAP320 reaches speeds of up to 1.9/1.2Gbps, including 600/300 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 1300/867 Mbps on the 5GHz band.
The EAP330 provides the ultimate Wi-Fi experience, reaching speeds of up to 1.9Gbps, including 600 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 1300 Mbps on the 5GHz band.
The EAP320 provides speeds of 300Mbps and 867Mbps on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands respectively.
- 1300Mbps5GHz
- 600Mbps2.4GHz
Powerful Hardware Ensures Excellent Performance
Excellent Wi-Fi Performance
for Business Environments
Broadcom enterprise-class chipsets offers outstanding enterprise-grade performance, resulting in longer spans of stable operation and larger client capacities.
The dedicated high-power amplifier, professional antenna, and well-designed RF shield ensure excellent wireless performance. Link aggregation combines two wired connections to double throughput and provide a redundant link for Internet access.*
*Link aggregation is only supported with the EAP330
Dedicated high-power amplifier, professional antenna, and well-designed RF shield
Link aggregation between two gigabit ports*
Broadcom enterprise-class chipsets Dedicated high-power amplifier,
professional antenna, and well-designed RF shield
Link aggregation between two gigabit ports*
With Link
RF shield
Advanced RF Technologies Guarantee Optimal Performance
Airtime Fairness improves total Wi-Fi throughput by limiting access time for low speed devices.
Band Steering pushes dual-band devices to the wider and faster 5GHz band, improving overall network performance, especially in high client density environments.
Beamforming Technology achieves superior Wi-Fi bandwidth utilization and increases Wi-Fi range by creating efficient, highly targeted Wi-Fi connections
EAP Controller Software
Easy for Centralized Management
TP-LINK's free and easy-to-use EAP Controller Software allows users to manage and monitor hundreds of TP-LINK EAPs in multiple sites with the controller in a single location. The ability to control, adjust, and visualize the entire network from any connected PC makes centralized business Wi-Fi management more efficient and cost-effective than ever before.
Allows users to easily manage hundreds of TP-LINK EAPs in multiple sites in a single location. The ability to control, adjust, and visualize the entire network from any connected PC makes Wi-Fi management more efficient and cost-effective.Learn more >
Captive Portal
Efficient Guest Authentication
Captive portal provides one convenient method of authentication for Wi-Fi guests. A captive portal requires users to perform certain actions before network access is allowed. The required action must be verified by an external portal server or customized database by the administrator, which can be simply viewing and agreeing to an acceptable use policy, or entering a user ID and password.
Easy Mount Design and PoE
Flexible Deployment
The EAP's low profile design and easy mount chassis make it easy to install the device on any wall or ceiling surface and allow it to blend in with most interior decorating styles. EAP series APs support Power over Ethernet (PoE), making deployment effortless and flexible.
Low profile design and easy mount chassis make EAP easy to install and allow it to blend in with most interior decorating styles. PoE support makes deployment effortless and flexible.
Designed for Business Performance
Applicable to Multi-user Environment
With breakthrough 11AC speed, business-grade Wi-Fi performance, easy-to-use Centralized management software, efficient captive portal function, low profile design and PoE support feature, the new EAP 320/330 series are more capable of serving the high-density, most demanding business environments, including schools, hotels, and enterprises.
With easy mounting design, PoE power supply, Cluster feature, Centralized management software, Captive portal, Auto RF management, and business hardware, EAP series are specially designed for the high-density.
- Hotel
- Company
- Campus
- Mall
- 1900Mbps wireless data rate for uninterrupted wireless connection
- Airtime Fairness, Beamforming and Band Steering technology provide optimal RF performance for best Wi-Fi experience in High-Density environment
- Link aggregation between two Gigabit Ethernet ports breaks the bottleneck in network backhaul capacity
- Free Controller Software for easy centralized management of hundreds of EAPs
- Power over Ethernet(802.3at)Support for convenient and affordable installation
- Captive portal provides one convenient method of authentication for WiFi guests
- Simple mounting design makes easy to install on any wall or ceiling surface
- Rate limit on per SSID to restrict the bandwidth of each client
- Load balance ensures large numbers of users have smooth network experiences in high density business networks
- Access Control restricts or only allows the client to access the specified network segment
- Reboot Schedule enables all the APs to reboot automatically at a specified time
- WPA/WPA2-enterprise, 802.1X with RADIUS secure authentication and rogue access point detection ensure the security of WLAN
- Multi-SSID divides multiple wireless network for different users
- Compatible with 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac products
- Adopts Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSOH) materials for UL2043 compliance
- Multiple operating modes satisfy different application conditions including managed AP and standalone AP modes
- Qos function gives video and voice streams higher priority to promote smoother performance for video and voice services
Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) Port *2
(ETH1 Support IEEE802.3at PoE)
|Power Supply
|PoE or External 12VDC / 2.5A Power Supply
|Power Consumption
|Dimensions ( W x D x H )
|8.7 x 7.6 x 1.4 in. (220.5*193.5*36.5mm)
|Antenna Type
Internal Omni
2.4GHz: 3* 6dBi
5GHz: 3*7dBi
|Ceiling /Wall Mounting (Kits included)
|Physical Security Lock
|Kensington Lock Slot
|Watch Dog
|Hardware Watch Dog
|Wireless Standards
|IEEE 802.11ac/n/g/b/a
|2.4GHz and 5GHz
|Signal Rate
5GHz:Up to 1300Mbps
2.4GHz:Up to 600Mbps
|Transmit Power
|Wireless Functions
Multiple SSIDs (Up to 16 SSIDs, 8 for each band)
Enable/Disable Wireless Radio
Automatic Channel Assignment
Transmit Power Control (Adjust Transmit Power on dBm)
Airtime Fairness
Band Steering
Load Balance
Rate Limit
Link Aggregation
Reboot Schedule
Wireless Schedule
Wireless Statistics based on SSID/AP/Client
|Wireless Security
Captive Portal Authentication
Access Control
Wireless Mac Address Filtering
Wireless Isolation Between Clients
SSID to VLAN Mapping
Rogue AP Detection
802.1X Support
64/128/152-bit WEP / WPA / WPA2-Enterprise,
|EAP Controller Software
|Email Alerts
|LED ON/OFF Control
|Management MAC Access Control
|System Logging Local/Remote Syslog
|Local/Remote Syslog
|Web-based Management
|L3 Management
|Multi-site Management
|Management VLAN
|CE, FCC, RoHS
|Package Contents
AC1900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Access Point EAP330
Power Adapter
Mounting Kits
Installation Guide
|System Requirements
|Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows10
Operating Temperature: 0℃~40℃ (32℉~104℉)
Storage Temperature: -40℃~70℃ (-40℉~158℉)
Operating Humidity: 10%~90% non-condensing
Storage Humidity: 5%~90% non-condensing


text:
For sale is a Cobra 40 Channel handheld CB Model HH35. It is in good working condition and has been tested.
Included in this auction is the CB, a whip antenna, and a car adapter power cord.
This item is being sold as is with no returns accepted. I will be shipping via FedEx and will request a signature to assure delivery.
I prefer Paypal, but will also accept bank cashier's checks. The item will not ship until payment is received and checks clear the bank.
Thank you for looking at my add and if you have any questions, please contact me.


text:
The Little League manager and coach must be leaders. All must recognize that they hold a position of trust and responsibility in a program that deals with a sensitive and formative period of a child's development.
It is required that the manager and coach have understanding, patience and the capacity to work with children. The manager and coach should be able to inspire respect. Above all else, managers and coaches must realize that they are helping to shape the physical, mental and emotional development of young people.
The Little League manager must be something more than just a teacher. Knowledge of the game is essential but it is not the only badge of a Little League coach or manager.
The heart of Little League is what happens between the adult manager/coach and player. It is the manager more than any other individual who controls the situation in which the players may be benefited. Improving the level of leadership in this vital area must be a continuing effort.
Children of Little League age are strongly influenced by adults whose ideals and aspirations are similar to their own. The manager/coach and player share a common interest in the game, a desire to excel, and determination to win. Children often idolize their managers and coaches, not because the adult is the most successful coach or mentor, but because the manager and coach are sources of inspiration.
2016 Local Rules
Source: www.LittleLeague.org
New Privacy Policy


text:
2. Jacoby Jones was a huge signing by the Ravens and he deserves to go to the Pro Bowl.
Ravens wide receiver and return specialist Jacoby Jones, who has a thing for dancing in the end zone after touchdowns, has joked that he wants to one day be on "Dancing with the Stars." He has been putting together quite the audition tape over the past four weeks. Last week, in the blowout win over the Oakland Raiders, Jones became the first player in NFL history to record two career kickoff return touchdowns of 105 or more yards -- and he did it in a span of four games. And in the first quarter of Sunday night's 13-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jones scored the only touchdown of the game for the Ravens, whose offense once again couldn't sustain drives away from M&T Bank Stadium. Jones fielded a punt at the Baltimore 37-yard line, ran down the left sideline before cutting across the field to the right sideline, beating overmatched Steelers punter Drew Butler to the pylon for a 63-yard return touchdown, his third of the season. After the game, when asked about Butler trying to catch him, he quipped, "People in hell have snow cones." Yeah, but they aren't around for long, just like Jones whenever he gets the ball. That's why Jones deserves to hula dance in Honolulu at season's end, although I'm sure he wouldn't mind if he had to miss the Pro Bowl to dance in the French Quarter instead. He entered Sunday night leading the NFL with three return touchdowns and also in average yards per kickoff return. Plus, Jones deserves credit for doing double duty, as he averages 37.4 yards per kickoff return and 12.1 yards per punt return after his long touchdown, putting him in the top 10 in that category, too. It's crazy to think where the Ravens would be without him -- and that another team would give up on that kind of talent, but he readily admits he had some growing up to do after being cut by the Houston Texans. His 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys was one of the pivotal plays in the game, and the Ravens might not have made it out of Heinz Field with a win if they hadn't signed him this offseason. Jones was one of a few veteran special teams players the Ravens either brought in or brought back -- I'm talking about Corey Graham, Sean Considine and Brendon Ayanbadejo -- and while they have all made an impact on what is now one of the NFL's best special teams units, Jones deserves all the attention he is getting, even if "Dancing with the Stars" hasn't come calling yet.
Lloyd Fox / Baltimore Sun
Copyright © 2019, The Morning Call


text:
La Liga Wrap: Atletico grind win, Real beaten
There was mixed fortunes for the three La Liga title rivals on Wednesday on a day when Victor Valdes' Barcelona career looked to be ended.
Atletico Madrid solidified their place at the top of the table with 1-0 over Granada, while Real Madrid lost 2-1 at Sevilla.
Real's controversial 4-3 Clasico loss to arch rivals Barcelona at the Bernabeu on Sunday saw them replaced by Atletico at the table's summit and they were unable to bounce back from that defeat.
Cristiano Ronaldo gave them a 14th-minute lead at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, but the deficit was overturned just a few moments later as Carlos Bacca poked the ball past Diego Lopez.
The visitors enjoyed more of the ball than their hosts in the second half, but Bacca's contribution was vital - as he netted his second with 18 minutes left to give Sevilla all three points.
The victory was Sevilla's sixth consecutive triumph in the league, moving them to within six points of fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao, while Real slip three points behind leaders Atletico, who won without playing particularly well.
Atleti struggled to break through Granada in a frustrating first half, but top scorer Diego Costa salvaged all three points after 63 minutes with his 24th Liga goal of the campaign.
Real's defeat means Atleti are a point clear of Barcelona as the title race swings between three teams.
Barcelona moved up to second, above Real, thanks to their 3-0 home win over Celta Vigo, but the victory was marred by a season-ending knee injury to goalkeeper Valdes.
The goalkeeper has already announced his intention to leave at the end of the campaign, meaning that he has played his final game in a Barcelona shirt.
He suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament after landing awkwardly while collecting a routine ball into the box, and he is now set for surgery that also puts his FIFA World Cup participation with Spain in doubt.
Away from that incident, two goals from Neymar and one from Lionel Messi was more than enough to see off a Celta side coached by Barca legend Luis Enrique.
The day's other game saw Rayo Vallecano take a big leap towards survival as they beat another of the league's relegation contenders, Osasuna, 1-0 at home.
Rayo went into the match a point above their visitors and it looked set to end all-square at Estadio de Vallecas as proceedings entered second-half stoppage time with the scores level.
However, Jose Carlos won a late penalty after a tug from full-back Damia and forward Joaquin Larrivey converted the resulting spot-kick to win it.


text:
Google makes its search more mobile - but misses a trick
Google has made searching the web from your mobile easier and more personal. Try it here.
Or text this in your mobile browser: http://www.google.com/m?uipref=3
You can customise to feature pre-selected weather, news, stocks and movies information, tailored to a specific geographic area. However - it ain't that bright. You have to tell it where you are. Not the sharpest tool on a mobile, then...
By factoring in a user's location, the new mobile search engine is claimed to deliver a more relevant list of web results than its previous version.
Yeah, provided you can be bothered to keep telling it where you are.


text:
I've gone to the Ohio State Fair for years. The food, the animals, the concerts, the food, the.. um.. interesting characters. (Although I was a bit disappointed in the shortage of mullets this year. Especially the family mullet.) Oh, did I mention the food? Anything you'd ever dream of frying, or have never even thought about frying are all on display. And don't forget the vast array of things on a stick--like chocolate covered bacon. And make sure you grab an ice cream cone from the dairy building while you check out the butter cow. (It's exactly what it sounds like: a cow sculpted from butter.)
This year I went with my best friend and her family, wandering through the animal barns, the petting zoo, hitting the rides in Kiddie Land, and snapping tons of pictures along the way.
Not sure he's really enjoying the shearing process.
The baby animals are always a big hit. I just want to take this baby cow home with me! And the piglets! Oh. My. Gosh.
Pigs! I just love pigs. I don't know why.
But I think my favorite is the horse barn. Such beautiful animals.
And of course, my absolute favorite part of the fair, and my favorite part of the whole summer--the baking competitions. Once I realized I could combine my [over]competitiveness with my love of baking, that was it. The quest for ribbons has been insatiable. You'd think I was competing on Top Chef with how serious I take this competition. This was my 5th year entering, and once again, it didn't disappoint.
Another 2 blue ribbons for scones and chocolate cake to add to my collection! That takes me up to a grand total of 15 ribbons over 5 years. Not too shabby!
It was also a good year for my baking friends too. Timmura (who I've done several Cupcake Camps and previous fairs with) not only placed 2nd with her Root Beer Float cupcakes,
It was another great time this year! (Even though they were out of the Maple Bacon ice cream in the dairy building the day I went--the ONE thing I wanted to try this year! Oh well. I'll just have to make my own.) I'm already on the quest for next year's recipe (I'm thinking pie this time!) and I can't wait until it's summer all over again!
Stay tuned-- I'll be posting a complete list of all my ribbon winning recipes soon!


text:
New With Pantone
For more than 50 years Pantone has provided standard color systems for designers, printers, manufacturers, and any one else working with colors. Over the years, Pantone color product lines have expanded to include color measurement devices, textiles, plastics and software. Hyatt's has a huge inventory of these products with most being available for same business day shipping. As Pantone introduces new or enhanced products, you will find here all the information you need to keep you up-to-date on solutions for communicating and achieving accurate color standards. Additionally, you can count on Hyatt's as your best source for special promotions and pricing on Pantone products.


text:
Although bulky historical novels are not my favorite genre, my interest in Wells exceeds my distaste. I became a Wells groupie a few years ago, when, curious about his popularity (i.e., affairs) with some of my favorite writers, Dorothy Richardson, Elizabeth von Arnim, and Rebecca West, I read some of his charming comedies, The History of Mr. Polly, Ann Veronica, and Kipps.
|H. G. Wells
Wells seems to have been a bit of a sex maniac. Married twice to women he couldn't satisfy, or who were frigid (Wells's conclusion), he had multiple affairs. His second wife, Jane, agreed to an open marriage because she didn't care for sex. She insisted that he tell her about his affairs.
As a socialist, Wells attempted to influence the Fabian Society (a group of socialists who meant well but never acted, in his view).
Lodge enlivens his straightforward narrative with experimental bits and pieces. The dying Wells looks back over his life, and answers questions of an imaginary interviewer-interlocutor only he can hear. His answers contain biographical information and link the longer sections of chronological narrative. This technique is oddly reminiscent of Wells's own combination of radical ideas and stodgy style,. You can't hope for much with Wells's style--he's all about story and ideas--but Lodge doesn't have to use pyrotechnics to create a believable Wells.
A Man of Parts begins in 1944 at Hanover Terrace in London, where Wells has bravely remained throughout the war. Other houses in the area are boarded up.
"Only one house, number 13, has been permanently occupied throughout the war by its owner, Mr. H. G. Wells. During the London Blitz of 1940-41 he was frequently teased with the suggestion that this might prove an unlucky number, to which he responded, consistent with a lifetime's contempt for superstition by having a bigger "13" painted on the wall beside his front door. He stubbornly refused to move to the country, saying 'Hitler (or in male company, 'that shit Hitler') is not going to get me on the run,' and stayed put in Hanover Terrace as, one by one, his neighbors slunk off to safe rural havens and their houses were occupied by sub-tenants or left empty."
He knew all the fascinating people of his time: Bernard Shaw, Frank Harris, Henry James, the Webbs of the Fabian Society...so many people. Lodge's characterization of E. Nesbit, the author of children's classics, is brilliant. A founder and fellow member of the Fabian Society, she lived an unconventional life with her husband Hubert Bland, also a writer, and Alice Hoatson, their housekeeper who gave birth to two of Hubert's children (raised by E. Nesbit with her own two children). When Wells, a shit to his wife, went to stay at Nesbit's house two weeks before Jane gave birth because he couldn't face the pregnancy scenes, he wrote in the morning in a separate part of the garden where Nesbit wrote, discussed their intimate lives, and played charades with the family.
Of Nesbit Lodge writes:
"She reminded you of Rossetti's languorously pensive maidens....On occasion she would smoke a cigar. But she was also energetic and athletic... He felt that in many ways they were kindred spirits. Edith was as prolific and work-driven as himself, and she too liked to writer her quota of words in the early part of the day in intense solitary concentration, and then be free to exercise and amuse herself for the rest of it in company, the more the merrier. Like him she was impulsive, restless, easily bored, and subject to sudden changes of mood."I'm very much enjoying this.
Michael Dirda's Reviews 2 of H. G. Wells's Novels. Michael Dirda, a reviewer for The Washington Post and a columnist for the Barnes and Noble Review, has recently reviewed The History of Mr. Polly in The Washington Post and Tono-Bungay in The Barnes and Noble Review. New editions of Wells's books have been published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson.


text:
Swimming with the Pod
by Catherine Ripley, art by Diane Blasius
PFFFFF! Splash! A six-year-old male orca whale surfaces, shooting a big spray of stale air from the blowhole on top of his head. For several minutes he and his family slice slowly through the ocean waves, breathing deeply, filling their large lungs with air. Then, side by side, the orcas dive.
The male is the youngest and swims close to his mom. To their left is his uncle and in front, leading them all, is his grandmother. A second uncle swims nearby. And just beyond him are two more families in the pod, which is the name for a group of whales. The 16 whales in this pod live together in Johnstone Strait, on the northwest coast of Canada.
Most orcas stay with the pod they are born into for their whole lives. As an infant, the young male swam beneath his mother's belly, where he was safe and could nurse easily. When he was born, his mother probably helped him to the surface to take his first breath. Whales need air, just like people, or they will drown. Sometimes the pod might even help an injured whale come up to the surface for air.
When orcas are not searching for food, they like to "talk" and socialize—even play! They roll and splash in the salty water, and they call to each other. Scr-eee-CH! Whistle! Whistle!
The young male spyhops. He punches his head and upper body above the water and looks around. He sees a female cousin breach the waves. She throws her body almost completely out of the water and crashes down again. KERSPLASH! Another cousin swims sideways and smacks her flipper playfully against the water. SLAP!
Now Grandmother is speeding toward shore and the family follows. She rubs her massive body through the smooth rounded rocks on the bottom of the bay. Mom goes next and the young male follows. The family spends the next hour "beach rubbing." Scientists think this feels good to orcas and may help keep their skin clean.
But most of the pod's day is spent finding food. The whales spread out and send out a series of fast clicks as they swim down the bay together. Click, click, click! The orcas can tell from the way their clicks echo through the water if a school of salmon is nearby!
Some orcas hunt seals, sea lions, and porpoises, instead of fish. They live in small groups and are silent when they hunt. No chatting allowed! Their prey might be listening!
But the young male's pod eats mainly salmon. The whales use many calls to stay in touch as they hunt. "Wee-oo-uuo," cries a cousin from across the bay. "Wee-oo-uuo," answers Grandmother. "Squ-eee-AL, CRe-e-e-eak," calls Mom. Each pod "speaks" slightly differently from the next, and scientists can recognize a particular pod by the sounds its whales make.
Soon the orcas' bellies are tight with salmon. It is time for a rest. Orcas cannot sleep under the water. They must come to the surface every few minutes to breathe. So they cruise slowly forward, diving, then surfacing for air, in a regular resting pattern that can last for hours. Swimming together, the young whale and his family surface, breathe, and dive…surface, breathe, and dive…ZZZZZZ!
- breach: To break through.
- hunt: To look for something.
- prey: An animal that is hunted by another animal for food.
- stale: Not fresh.


text:
KD Nyegaard needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 41 designs submitted by 10 freelance designers.
The Career Index
The Career Index was started as The Learning Index in January of 2010. Created for professional career counselors, it has quickly become THE site of choice for counselors across the US in their support of job seekers.
With more than 5 million current job openings, 200,000 related training programs, current salary and job trend information, skills transference, employer links, industry information and detailed job qualifications, it is the most comprehensive career site on the net today.
The application is free to all users, paid for by schools who want their programs in front of our counselors (who spend more than 500 million a year paying for tuition for their clients.)
We are changing the name from The Learning Index to The Career Index to reflect our true nature. We need a logo to go with it (as well as design help for the landing pages.)
To review our current site, please see http://www.thelearningindex.com (it is free) and http://www.thelearningindex.com/corp for our corporate site (which is also being re-designed along with the application.)
The treatment needs to appeal to three audiences (in order of importance:)
1. Schools who pay for listings in our application. These are professional institutions like ITT, DeVry, Kaplan, etc. Corporate, not hip.
2. Professional career counselors (mainly state employees.) These are professional people who deal with an average of 200 clients at a time. They need something that is simple, clear and concise.
3, Job seekers who are typically clients of the counselors as well as high school students.These people are mainly at the site looking for jobs.
Please look at the application at http://184.108.40.206/training. The is the newly designed site we plan to go live with soon. The existing logo is confusing and the text of the logo is boring. The new logo needs to integrate into the existing design but should convey professionalism and credibility possibly along with some excitement and high-tech.
We tend to like simple, clean but compelling. To us, compelling means stylish and memorable, not overdone. Something that portrays our ethos well. Simple means not flashy, easy to comprehend and not too dramatic in color choices. It can be straight text, but it would be nice with some identifying mark as well (like the Yellow Page mark.)
If you look at Kaplan, DeVry, SimplyHired, Indeed, Career Builder, even Monster - they are all examples of clean logos. Our slant however, is not just a job site, but all the support information needed to make an informed choice as well.
We plan to us the logo for the following:
Website top banner - jpg
Brochures - 300 dpi psd
Business Cards
Incidentally, the new site in design uses Trebuchet MS font.
You can contact us directly at 800-590-8090 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 800-590-8090 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 800-590-8090 end_of_the_skype_highlighting ext 101. Speak to KD or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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WND gets good news in suit against Esquire
Magazine facing $250 million action for false report
A federal court's recent ruling that the District of Columbia's anti-defamation statute does not apply in federal cases could help move forward a federal lawsuit brought by WND against Esquire magazine for its false report that the WND Books expose "Where's the Birth Certificate? The Case That Barack Obama Is Not Eligible To Be President" had been recalled and repudiated by the publisher.
The WND case is being held up because Esquire has filed a motion to dismiss based on D.C.'s anti-SLAPP law, which is designed to protect media and public figures from frivolous lawsuits.
But the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. ruled Feb. 2 in a case brought by the multinational corporation 3M against former Bill Clinton adviser Lanny Davis that D.C.'s anti-SLAPP law does not apply in federal cases.
WND's attorney, Larry Klayman, said he has notified Judge Rosemary Collier of the ruling in the Davis-3M case and urged her to apply it to WND's case and deny Esquire's special motion to dismiss.
Denial of the Esquire motion would allow the case to proceed to discovery.
Support WND's "Esquire Justice Fund" to support lawsuits against Mark Warren, Esquire and for its malicious attack on Jerome Corsi's book, "Where's the Birth Certificate?"
Defendants along with Esquire Magazine Inc., are its parent company, the Hearst Corporation, and Mark Warren, the author of the false report.
Klayman explained that D.C.'s anti-SLAPP law makes advancing cases like WND's difficult, because it essentially requires the plaintiff to prove his case even before discovery.
"This will now allow discovery, and we will be able to look into the internal workings of Esquire and Mark Warren and their campaign to harm the plaintiffs," Klayman told WND.
"Their only defense with regard to defamation is that this was parody," Klayman said. "Well, that's not an issue for a judge to decide, that's an issue for a jury to decide. So she should summarily deny that motion to dismiss."
In the Davis case, 3M alleges the former Clinton adviser engaged in a "defamatory media blitz" against 3M after a business dispute between the company and the manufacturer of a medical product.
WND's suit seeks $250 million in damages for the report, which included completely fabricated "statements" from Farah.
The controversy began the morning of May 18 when Warren, Esquire's executive editor who supervises political coverage for the magazine, published what appeared to be a news story quoting Farah as saying he was destroying hundreds of thousands of copies of Corsi's explosive new book challenging Barack Obamas eligibility for office and issuing refunds.
Immediately, news organizations throughout the U.S. began contacting Farah for confirmation of the story and comment. In addition, buyers of the book began requesting refunds and its supporters began attacking Farah.
Faked report by Esquire
When the suit was filed June 29, Farah, founder and CEO of WND, also a plaintiff along with WND Books and Corsi, said, "We are reacting to one of the most egregious abuses of freedom of the press that I have ever witnessed in my 30-plus year career in journalism."
The legal action was being taken, Farah added, "not because we desire to restrict First Amendment-guaranteed protections, but because we want to police them and guard them."
The Esquire article stated that Farah announced plans to "recall and pulp the entire 200,000 first printing of the book, as well as announcing an offer to refund the purchase price to anyone who has already bought either a hard copy or electronic download of the book."
Esquire issued a disclaimer, insisting it had "committed satire," only after Farah issued a statement saying that he was "exploring legal options" against Esquire and Warren.
The complaint charges that Esquire's disclaimer was as false, misleading and legally actionable as the initial story.
The suit points out that Warren later told The Daily Caller he had "no regrets" about posting the item, and that Corsi was an "execrable piece of sh–."
Watch Part 1 of news conference held to provide details of the lawsuit here:
See Part 2 of the news conference here.
See Part 3 of the news conference here.
See Part 4 of the news conference here.
See Part 5 of the news conference here.


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The Confidence Building Needle Book
I made this for a friend who started cross-stitching about a year ago and has been asking for a book to store her needles in ever since.
It didn't end up in the garbage but I had to use my seam ripper WAY more than I should have for such a simple project. Nevertheless, it's finished and it's a step in the right direction for me!
I hope everyone had a lovely weekend!
15 comments
- Troublet said...
It turned out lovely!
Those letter stamps still have me drooling. I must resist...I must resist!
- January 29, 2012 at 5:38 PM
- Skwishee said...
It's really cute! Is it just craft felt in the middle? My mum's been bugging me to make her a needle book lately...
- January 29, 2012 at 6:28 PM
- Leslie Andersen said...
I was going to ask the same thing about the pages! I used wool felt for one, but it seemed too thick, and I plan to use flannel next time. Your needle book came out cute, your friend is lucky!
- January 29, 2012 at 6:44 PM
- LimeRiot said...
Thanks for all the nice comments!
I use something called "fancy felt" for all my felt projects. The colors are really vibrant and it's much more durable than craft felt but without the bulk of wool felt.
This is the shop I buy it from...
I'm sure normal craft felt would work just fine for a project like this though.
- January 29, 2012 at 7:35 PM
- spidermom said...
it turned out great:) i love how you use stamps in your work!
- January 29, 2012 at 7:45 PM
- rubyslipperz said...
What a cute needle book. I agree, there are times when we just need something simple to get our creative juices flowing again. =)
- January 29, 2012 at 8:40 PM
- Girlie Blogger said...
This is really cute. I don't know how to sew, but would love to have something like this if I ever start.
- January 29, 2012 at 8:41 PM
- kittykill said...
I just love your stamping technique! You are so talented
- January 30, 2012 at 9:29 AM
It turned out very pretty! I know what you mean...as you've read on my blog I'm struggling with the very same thing. It's hard to push forward, but you know, it's so worth it!
- January 30, 2012 at 11:03 AM
- Zakka Life said...
I love the stamped letters on your needle book. Cute.
- January 31, 2012 at 10:15 AM
- Dearest Jackdaw said...
I must lack the patience gene in the sewing department.. I don't think I could cope with long projects! This ihowever, is awesome! I need a needle book and I think you've inspired me to get off my backside and make myself one!
- February 4, 2012 at 5:57 AM
Depression in women Minimize your risks and treat depression more effectively by learning about the many unique factors affecting women., Get the facts: http://owiccarp.comlu.com#98052 - ©Helpguide.org. All rights reserved. This reprint is for information only and NOT a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment. Helpguide.org is an ad-free non-profit resource for supporting better mental health and lifestyle choices for adults and children., website here: http://idocbarn.netai.net#59318 - ^ Uebelacker LA, Epstein-Lubow G, Gaudiano BA, Tremont G, Battle CL, Miller IW (January 2010). "Hatha yoga for depression: critical review of the evidence for efficacy, plausible mechanisms of action, and directions for future research". J Psychiatr Pract 16 (1): 22–33. doi: 10.1097/01.pra.0000367775.88388.96. PMID 20098228.
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Burley Hitch Alt Adapter (3/8 x 26)
Burley's Hitch Alt Adapters enable use of the standard Burley hitch on bicycles that have rear dropouts that don't allow normal installation of the hitch (the dropouts are the parts of the frame where the rear wheel is attached). This type of adapter is installed in place of the non-drive (left) side axle nut and once it's in place, the Burley hitch is installed to the adapter.
Burley Hitch Guide
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I have a 'cross bike with uniquely shaped dropouts so the hitch doesn't fit without this adapter. This adapter does just what it's supposed to do, pushing the hitch slightly out from the frame/dropout allowing me to attach the hitch and trailer without any interference. The only negative is purely aesthetic, forcing me to switch my quick release lever to the drive-side of the frame. I prefer it on the non-drive side, but this makes no difference in function or performance. In my opinion, it's a small price to pay for being able to use the Burley trailer without needing a second, dedicated bike for trailer duty.


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Pure horse-race stuff, via Nate at 538.com:
Yikes. There's a lot to like there. Early voting has started in a few states, and absent some historic event in tonight's debate, Obama can drop into the prevent defense for the next three weeks and sit on this lead. Of course, that's not what he's going to do; he'll push hard right to the end. The margin keeps growing, and McCain is running out of time to make it up.
But I continually remind myself that the Chicago Cubs were the best team in the National League this year. That didn't work out too well, did it?
Three more weeks.
Update: another cool thing about 538.com is that on the right side bar, down a bit, EVERY state poll from EVERY state is listed. (There are 45 from Ohio alone!) Nate weights them, pulls out party bias, trends and does a regression model to try to predict the current state of the state:
Here's his summary for Ohio:
I like the numbers, but as a politics nerd, I love the data!
15 October 2008
More Polling Porn
Pure horse-race stuff, via Nate at 538.com:
Posted by shadowfax at 5:15 AM
11 comments:
I don't understand because the liberal medial outlet CNN indicates that Colorado is a toss up. Same with Ohio. Weird.ReplyDelete
Oh, BTW, I saw an Obama ad. In Arizona! That's just showing off.
- Anonymous10/15/2008 8:05 AM
The Ohio poll shown on CNN or MSNBC (not sure which was on) has different results. It shows a slight lean toward McCain, 48-46.ReplyDelete
Call me stupid (I've been called worse), but I don't understand why there are such broad differences between the national polls, anywhere from +5 to +13 Obama. Even the larger polls, where my naive mind thinks there might be a greater confidence interval, shows a difference of +5 vs. +10.
To my mind, all this says is that Obama appears to be leading by some margin that McCain may or may not be able to close, and that neither the young cell-phone-only voters nor the won't-admit-I'm-a-racist voters can be counted. IOW, it still seems to me the race could go either way.
If I'm wrong, what am I missing, or what is my critical thinking error?
- Anonymous10/15/2008 8:38 AM
8:05 anon:ReplyDelete
The poll spread is two factors. One, each poll has a margin of error between 3% and 5%. Thus, some results are just outliers.
More importantly, the end numbers can be "gamed" by the pollster. If you look at the polls' internal "cross tabs," you can see the sampling of D's v. R's v. I's. If you want a different end result, you just change how many D's v. R's or I's you input into the poll.
That is the pollsters' real job, after all...to read the tea leaves and predict which side is going to win the GOTV.
That said, it's pretty clear that Obama has a lead...how big of a lead is anyone's guess right now. But even a 2% national lead will equate to an impressive electoral win...a 5-6% national lead is akin to a landslide.
anon 805 - um, Anon 838 is mostly right.ReplyDelete
Anon 838,
The only quibble I would say is that most pollsters (at least the public ones) have a vested interest in accuracy, so I would not say most "game" their numbers. There is indisputably a house effect as they try to figure out how to weight party IDs in this time of shifting party affiliation, and how they account for the cell phone effect, and also the "likely voter" screen. So Zogby has an indisputable pro-GOP bias and Research 2000 pro-dem. But they're not gaming them to mislead -- they honestly believe their model is better, and they stake their credibility on it. (Zogby has very little credibility any more, sadly.)
Note: 538.com is awesome because you can pull up *all* the polls from a state, and also because in their larger modeling, 538 pulls out the "house effect" of all the polls to try to get a consensus result.
I know I'm not supposed to interrupt your premature celebration with mere reality, but you may want to check out the TIPP poll. TIPP was the most accurate presidential poll in 2004, and it shows the Obama lead at three measly points. That means he's actually behind, my man.ReplyDelete
You're damn right it's too early to celebrate. Polls don't give you EVs.ReplyDelete
Having said that, the TIPP poll doesn't exactly inspire terror in my heart either. One data point among many.
I remember in 2004 at this time when I was desperately grasping at straws that this or that poll showed that Kerry was actually ahead. I think you're doing the same thing, my friend.
I was desperately grasping at straws ... I think you're doing the same thing, my friend.ReplyDelete
You may be right. My record for political prognostication is not good. In fact, when my wife & kids heard me predict Obama's defeat recently, the concensus was that there was no better guarantee of his victory.
- Anonymous10/16/2008 6:36 AM
TIPP was the most accurate presidential poll in 2004, and it shows the Obama lead at three measly points. That means he's actually behind, my man.ReplyDelete
Ahh...I love intellectual dishonesty....
Note to Catron: it is hard to make an effective point when the second part of your sentence directly contradicts the first part of your sentence, which you state forcefully to lend support to your position.
Er ... you didn't quite get the point, Anon. I was referring to the Bradley Effect.ReplyDelete
It is assumed (by most credible analysts) that the B.E. is causing Obama to overpoll by at least 5 points.
In fact, Prof. Charles Henry (the man who coined the term) thinks Obama is overpolling by double digits.
Thus a 3 point lead would put him behind by 2 points (7 points in Henry's judgement).
It'll be interesting to see if there is a Bradley Effect this year (and I did get what you meant, though you were a bit oblique). Nate Silver at 538 posits that there won't be one. His analysis of the primaries showed that, across the board, Obama outperformed the pollster composite by 3 points on average. Of course, these were democratic voters, so it's not clear whether that will apply to the general election. The other argument against there being a BE this year is that, ostensibly, the BE voters tend to show in polls as "undecided," which is to say they claim to be undecided but there's no way they would really vote for a black guy. But there really are very few undecided voters out there. In many polls, you could give *all* the undecideds to McCain and Obama would still win. That may be tightening, I think. Still, there's just no precedent for a black candidate in a national election.
I hope there isn't. I would hate to see this election decided in such a fashion. It would be depressing, not just for the outcome, but for the evidence of persistent endemic racism in America.
On that note, did you see the SNL the other day? They address this very question, hysterically.
Yep. Saw the SNL thing, and it was indeed funny.ReplyDelete
As to Nate, I think he's whistling past the graveyard. Here are 4 (recent) examples of African American candidates who have experienced the BE in general elections:
Kirk (TX Senate race, 2002) overpoll avg = 13.
McCall (NY Gov race, 2002) overpoll avg = 5.
Steele (MD Gov race, 2006) overpoll avg = 6
Patrick (MA Gov race, 2006) overpoll avg = 5
Note that these were all statewide races. Thus, they are valid precedents for this race because the presidential election is just a series of statewide races.
Also, the Bradley effect isn't necessarily a measure of racism. It's a measure of social desirability bias. A respondent may dislike Obama simply because of policies, but still be reluctant to admit he's going to vote against him for fear of appearing racist.
I think it's pretty hard to escape the reality of the BE. The only real question is how significant it will be. In my not-so-humble opinion, Obama won't win unless the polls in the battleground states show him ahead by at least 5 points the day before the election.


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There are 2.2 million commercial farms in the U.S., each producing crops or livestock valued at a minimum of $250,000.
However, farms with incomes of more than $1 million account for more than 60 percent of the total farm gate share today. Farms in that category total only about 57,000, the seating capacity of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, according to George Russell, executive partner of Currie Management Consultants, which specializes in working with machinery manufacturers and dealers.
Just three decades ago $1 million farms represented 23 percent of total farm sales. Russell told the Italian Farm Machinery Convention in Laguna Niguel, Calif., that this consolidation is being driven by growing global demand and competition for agricultural products.
This demand is reflected in the $300 billion growth in world agricultural exports from 2001 to 2006 — the latest statistics available.
This huge, growing global market is offering opportunities for U.S. farmers, but they must compete by increasing productivity or scale or both.
"Farmers who have been through past (economic) cycles are very good business people. For the most part they run family farms and understand how to invest in a business to make money," he explained.
They are looking for new technology to remain in business and that is where small equipment manufacturers play an important role.
"You are the innovators. Forty percent of all innovation in the industry comes from small manufacturers and 40 percent from farmers. Only 20 percent comes from the large manufacturers," he said.
Even though U.S. farm income is expected to drop 33 percent this year from last season, Russell says farmers have capital to invest. The debt-to-equity ratio for U.S. farmers is the narrowest it has been in decades, according to Russell.
"There is a lot of buying power in the hands of U.S. farmers right now. Whether they will buy is another question — due to the uncertainty in the economy. The capacity to capitalize is there," he remarked.
When farmers spend money, Russell says, they will be looking at technology such as:
• Electronics to provide more information and control.
• Precision farming/GPS to provide more information and efficiency.
• CVT and electro-hydraulics for precision power transmission.
• Specialized equipment for higher speeds and productivity.
• More integration of machines, seeds, chemicals and environmental safety.
Farm consolidation is being duplicated in the farm machinery business, as evidenced by equipment dealer consolidation with 156 owner groups owning five or more North American equipment stores.
The number of farm equipment stores in North America has declined by 14 percent since 1997 and now totals 6,200. AGCO has the largest number of authorized brands totaling 1,700; followed by Deere with 1,567; New Holland, 1,100; Kubota, 1,000 and Case IH, 950. Others total 525.
North America is one of the most attractive farm machinery markets in the world and that draws international tractor manufacturers. Russell identified 16 new lines entering the U.S. recently from six different countries.
The consolidation and competition is making it more challenging for short-line manufacturers, such as the Italian farm machinery manufacturers, to distribute products in the U.S.
Fewer dealers means it is more difficult to land a dealer to handle short-line equipment. Changes in technology, like the Internet, are creating more competition for machines and information.
Dealers are more demanding, operating with lower inventories. Dealers are depending more on manufacturers and wholesalers to inventory products because of interest rates and economic uncertainty.
One of the biggest issues facing the farm equipment industry is "purity." This is where major manufacturers are demanding that their licensed dealers practice brand "purity" by not carrying brands manufactured by other companies.
This is causing considerable tension, according to Russell, between dealers and manufacturers and prompting dealers to seek legislation to prevent manufacturers from punishing dealers for carrying non-dealership brands.
The purity issue was the key element in the talk given by Herman Wilson, who owns 14 equipment dealerships in three states (California, Idaho and Texas). His Pioneer Equipment stores carry all the major brands, except Deere.
"It (purity) does not make any sense," the controversial Wilson stated, who also called for a major overall of the farm equipment business in the U.S.
Two years ago 80 percent to 90 percent of his dealerships' business was in high horsepower tractors. Smaller tractors dominate the business today, due to the shift from large acreage row crops such as cotton to permanent crops like orchards and vineyards. The growth in the hobby/rural lifestyle also is spurring small tractor sales.
In the 1990s, Case IH, a key brand in his dealerships, said it was discontinuing the manufacture of small tractors.
He claims two-thirds of the Case IH dealers he is acquainted with now carry Kubota tractors to meet customer demand.
Major manufacturers "claim value of dealership is the name on the post out front. We know that is not the case." Major manufacturers have "tried to run" dealerships, and they have not been successful.
It is forcing dealers to seek legal protection or purity will "absolutely destroy dealerships." Manufacturers' margins are economically challenging dealerships. Wilson claims companies want 15 percent to 20 percent margins for equipment delivered to dealerships. Wilson says he needs another 18 percent to 20 percent to be profitable.
"Those numbers need to be slashed. Dealers cannot afford to let huge inventories pile up. You cannot run the equipment business like they did in 1934."
Wilson's frank assessment of the farm equipment business admittedly drew disagreement from his audience.
Several years ago, he purchased Western Farm Service's 72 retail agchem/fertilizer retail outlets, mostly in the West. Sales grew 50 percent in five years with no acquisitions. It grew, he said, because the business model changed.
"This (farm equipment) industry has too much structural cost in it for what we are doing for our customers," he says.
For example, Wilson said very few tractor parts are manufactured by the branded company, yet companies continue to charge as if they were manufactured by the company. This is prompting dealers to get parts directly from manufacturers and circumventing the majors.
In addition dealers are required to carry too many parts, he said. "You don't need five different alternators for five different tractors."
e-mail: email@example.com


text:
Flood and drought in the heartland
I crossed the Ohio River at Cairo, Illinois. It was obvious that the fields along the approaches to the bridge were planted very late due to the spring floods. On the Missouri side of the Mississippi River, I saw more evidence of flooded fields and late crops. Farms in the area were flooded last spring when the Corps of Engineers broke a levee on the Mississippi to ease the flooding in Cairo.
Most of the fields had young, broad-leafed plants growing in them. First, I thought that the little plants were probably soybeans. Then I wondered if they might be cotton, because southeast Missouri grows quite a bit of cotton. There are short-season cottons that will mature before frost, even when planted late. Whatever the crop, I'm glad some farmers in the river bottoms may get a harvest this year, despite all.
It was very dry north of Springfield, Missouri, where Charlotte (my sister) lives. My brother Dwight, who has a ranch southwest of Wichita, Kansas, says it is terribly dry there, too. He usually rents a couple of pastures to another fellow every summer, but when last winter and spring were so dry, he decided to sacrifice the extra income and keep all his summer pasture for his own cattle. He hasn't had to buy any hay yet.
Near Charlotte's house on the night that I arrived, a farmer was mowing the dried-up, stunted, mostly-dead corn plants in his field. A couple days later, he baled the stalks for cattle feed. The drought-stressed cornstalks may be high in nitrates, so the farmer will need to have the cornstalks tested so he doesn't accidentally poison his cattle. The cows won't think that cornstalk "hay" is very good, but they'll eat it if they're hungry enough.
This longhorn cow still has grass in her pasture near Charlotte's house. It has become hay on the stem, but that's much better than no grass at all!
Droughts and floods are problems for all of us, not just for farmers. These disruptions impact grocery store prices, affecting everyone who buys food. Please, pray for rain for those farmers and ranchers who need it -- and sunshine for those who don't need rain!


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This Month in Telecom is a monthly news round-up on VoipReview.org that aims to give our readers a fast and easy way to catch up on the latest news and top stories that are trending in the voice and...
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