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That metallic sound you hear is President Barack Obama again kicking the politically tough decision on the Keystone XL pipeline down the road.
This is embarrassing. The White House has all the information it needs to approve the pipeline yet once more has put politics ahead of policy, just as it has done on tax reform and immigration.
Keystone, under the microscope for about six years, is arguably the most studied oil pipeline project in American history. But each time a national election cycle approaches, the administration conjures a delay to avoid alienating key political allies on opposing sides of the issue. Environmentalists oppose the pipeline; Big Labor favors it. Members of his party don't want to be pinned down with the midterm elections on the horizon.
The latest delay came on Good Friday, ahead of a May deadline for federal agencies to complete additional reviews on the pipeline. This time the administration's excuse is that the pipeline's path in Nebraska is in limbo because a state judge invalidated legislation that let Nebraska's governor approve the route. That's a side issue, and the White House knows it's not a legitimate reason to delay a decision.
Now neither side expects a decision until after the November midterm elections — and maybe not even then. After all, fast approaching is the 2016 election cycle. Obama sat on his hands in 2010 and 2011, then avoided a decision during his own re-election campaign in 2012. Even though he can't seek another term, there is no reason to believe his political strategy will change.
The irony in all these delaying tactics is that Canadian companies already move oil-sands crude through the U.S. in other pipelines.
The economic and national security benefits of the Keystone pipeline outweigh any environmental risks. The $7 billion project could produce thousands of jobs, provide millions in new investment and enhance U.S. energy independence. TransCanada Corp., the company behind the pipeline, has rerouted the pipeline around Nebraska's environmentally sensitive region to answer environmental concerns. Also, a recent State Department study found that the pipeline would not produce a significant net increase in carbon emissions, a major cause of global climate change.
Really, how much more research is needed?
Eventually, Canada will tire of presidential obfuscation and build a pipeline to a Canadian port. From there, they'll ship oil to China and India, cutting out U.S. refineries — and the jobs they provide.
The nation deserves better than these short-sighted political games.


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This is the first game of four replaying the Battle of Hydaspes with different rulesets. Go to this post for background, troop descriptions, deployment and comparison to the other 3 rules.
The battle report is a bit more detailed than I would do normally do just for a report, but I needed the detail as to who did what as it helped to write the rules comparison. I did take out about two-thirds of the detail I originally had! It may be easier just to read the picture captions :-)
The Game
I have given Alexander a war rating of 3, Indians only 2. Alexander is with the Companions, Porus is in a lead elephant (could be dangerous as elephants are fragile).
Bit of fire, retiring and charging between the horse archers and the Indian mounted left flank. Very little achieved.
|Indian left flank
On the Indian right flank, the Indian chariot and Elephant advance on the peltasts but nothing happens.
Porus and his elephant causes two enemy skirmishers to fire and rout, but takes a hit; continues to advance (which is converted into a charge) into phalanx line. Note elephants are treated as foot units,not mounted, so do not automatically retire from charging a phalanx (which is what mounted have to do). In melee the phalanx causes 2 hits; Porus causes 2 hits as well. Involved in melee test has the phalanx giving ground and Porus passing (unlucky roll for phalanx, lucky roll for Porus!).
Another elephant advances on the skirmishers whom fire and retire (which is a rout as they bounce into the phalanx line - skirmishers do not interpenetrate friends if retiring - they rout instead), inflicting three hits on the elephant that retires.
|A few hits are taken by both sides on the Indian left flank
The pike line advances. The Hypaspists are charging an elephant (another pike stays with it in support) but the Hypaspists decide not to (pass one dice).
Another two pikes manage to charge the middle elephant that routs and goes on the rampage. The Elephants melees the friendly unit behind it, caused some damage but they both carry on.
|Rampaging elephant attacks their own sides archers
Hoplites charge the opposing elephant, no damage on either side and melee carries on into next turn.
|Elephant locked in melee with hoplites
The right flank Indian chariot charges the peltasts who inflict a hit with missile fire. Melee sees one hit taken for each side; the subsequent involved in melee test has the Peltast with the hit rout, the other stays and the chariot retires. The remaining peltast does not pursue.
|The remaining peltast facing an heavy chariot and elephant
The Porus melee - one hit each. Phalanx routs but so does Porus who rampages directly back.
The other rampaging elephant in melee with own side inflicts another hit and then the elephant routs permanently.
Hypaspists finally charge the Elephant, who stands. In melee the Hypaspists inflict two hits; Elephants inflict 1 hit, melee is carried on to next turn.
|Elephant ad Hypaspists locked in melee
A few Pikes charge some archers (including the one with all the hits inflicted from the rampaging elephant). The archers manage to stand and fire back to inflict 4 hits! Pikes retire.
|Pikes retiring from the archer missile fire
Hoplites Vs elephant (from last turn); elephants routs and rampages directly back into an archer, who stands and fires, inflicts a hit on the elephants that then routs again and so is removed.
Porus and the rampaging elephant is fired at by is own side and routs again and is removed.
A pike unit routs when being fired at.
Hypaspists cause an elephant to routs and rampage back towards an archer who fires and causes the elephant to rout again. Hypaspists pursue.
Indian cavalry charge the horse archers that fire and retire.
|Near game end looking from the Indian side. Indians still have an intact archer battleline.
The archers clean up another pike unit and a Hoplite. They are slowly succumbing to missile fire.
The end game setup
Indian archers and the chariot charges the horse archers, one horse archer routs; the Indian cavalry routs itself while attempting to charge.
Excellent - now for the Heavy Cavalry to charge in and save the day (or that is the plan). Horse archer moves out the way. Thessalian cavalry and Companions (with Alex) charge the Heavy Chariot, which retires into the Heavy Cavalry coming up behind (oops). Companions charge again, Chariot again retires but cannot and then Companion pursues into the chariot that then automatically rout (pursuing units recontacting retiring units rout them).
|The Companions looking down the archer battleline from one flank. They then roll the line.
Rolling up the line:
Next turn the Companions charge the flank of the rightmost archer unit, who rout. Companions pursue, which is converted into a charge against the next archer unit in the line. The archers fail the charged test, and rout. Companions pursue and charge into the next archer unit that pass the test but cannot fire back. Straight to melee: both inflict a hit on each other, archers fail melee test and rout. Companions pursue into the next archer unit...anyway, you can see where this is going - 3 archers down already. 7 to go. Even if they do not rout others, there is the Thessalian cavalry, and the Indians are down to war rating 1 so movement is not great, and the 2 heavy cavalry units will run rings around the archers.
Play time (excluding note taking) was about 2 hours. There is only around 300 points each but the archers/Hoplites interaction really slowed it down (lots of pass 1 die for the Hoplites which resulted in them not getting into melee), and also the wings did quite a bit before I decided to involve the battlelines.

subset: commoncrawl


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We, the authors of Zombie Economics, have been unemployed. We've been in debt. We know what it's like to subsist on a diet of Ramen noodles and fear.
Out of necessity, we learned to survive; to confront and defeat our monetary demons.
We also discovered a strange financial truth:
Every skill required to survive a financial downturn mirrors a skill required to survive the zombie apocalypse.
Zombie Economics is based on that one simple premise.
Zombie Economics isn't kitsch, isn't camp. It is entertaining. It is compelling.
And it can save your financial life.
Zombie Economics illustrates -via a powerful narrative and real-world examples- the serious and insidious threats posed by unstable finances.
You must face these dangers...and you must take them down. We show you how in a very direct manner: every chapter frames a specific financial challenge in the stark, no-nonsense context of war against the undead. From the creeping spread of unpaid bills to the lumbering advance of creditors, the convoluted language found in most financial guides is stripped away, and what remains is a clear, step-by-step guide to financial survival.
And because we know that every situation is unique, we include customized worksheets so you can determine your own precise strengths and vulnerabilities...as well as the strategy which matches your situation.
Zombie Economics guides you out of the trenches, acting as both weapon and shield as you fight your way to financial stability.
We designed Zombie Economics to be engaging, to be unapologetic...and to transform potential victims into survivors.
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Lisa Desjardins is a correspondent for CNN Radio who also reports for CNN.com and CNN television. She works -and spends a good deal of time employing survival strategies in- the US Capitol, where she has covered extensive financial issues, including the collapse of 2008 and the Wall Street reform bill passed in 2010. Lisa has also worked for the Associated Press in Washington, and WIS-TV and WBTW-TV in South Carolina.
Lisa received her master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. She is also a proud graduate of the College of William & Mary in Virginia, where she earned a bachelors degree in economics.
She has been honored by the New York Association for Black Journalists and has received a prestigious Peabody Award as part of CNN's team covering the 2008 election.
Lisa and her husband, Jason, live in Alexandria, Virginia.
She is an ardent Redskins, Red Sox and Gamecocks fan.
Rick Emerson is a radio and television broadcaster based in Portland, Oregon. He is the host of The Rick Emerson Show, which has enraptured/annoyed listeners since 1998, and of KRCW-TV's Outlook Portland.
He is the author and star of the one-man show Bigger than Jesus: The Diary of a Rock and Roll Fan, as well as the feature-film of the same name, and has displayed his limited acting ability on such television programs as Leverage.
Rick and his wife, Lara, moved to Portland in 1998, and consider it their adopted hometown. They live on the city's glorious east side, and are embarrassingly precious about their two dogs, Max and Philo.
You can have Rick's Oxford Comma when you pry it from his
cold, dead hands.
Email: rick [at] zombieeconomics.com
Todd Werkhoven is an award-winning copywriter who has worked
for clients including FAO Schwartz, Intel, Adidas, and Kroger
Foods. He is a published author, whose work has appeared in
various print and magazine outlets, including Newsweek. He is
also a Sunday School teacher, an after-school science instructor, and
Email: todd [at] zombieeconomics.com
We're glad you've made it this far. Welcome to the Zombie
Economics weapons archive–a place to reload your
financial-tracking arsenal. Below, you'll find additional copies of all
the Zombie Economics worksheets, including Key Survival
Numbers (that handy reference guide located at the end of the book).
Throughout Zombie Economics, we've made every
attempt to keep our information "timeless"; to make it a resource you
can use for months and years to come. To that end, certain
footnotes/sections refer you to ZombieEconomics.com for
details, usually in reference to data which is subject to frequent
update and change. You'll find the additional information and external
links for these references posted at the Zombie Economics Forum, here.
Download the following excerpts from Zombie Economics in PDF format, here.
Strength in Numbers: Ask Zombie Economics
Dollars and Change: Decrease Your Financial Stress in 2012
Holiday Headshots: Three Simple Ways to Control Your December Spending
The Cadaver in the Coalmine: Why Zombies are Now the Only Monsters That Matter


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Your search for Motor Drive
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"Drive You Mad" is a revolutionary car game! "Drive You Mad" has two opposite directions simultaneously! As t...


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Cove Palisades Resort is a full service resort located on Lake Billy Chinook in the heart of Central Oregon. The resort features a marina with 141 slips, boat gas and a boathouse with great friendly fishing advice. Rentals include Luxury Houseboats, Adventurer Houseboats, ski boats, pontoon boats, party barges, wave-runners, fishing boats and all your other water toys.
The Café on the bluff was completely remodeled and updated in 2010 and offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and your favorite beverages. Relaxing on the deck in the shade of an old juniper tree while overlooking the lake and canyon walls is a real treat in the summer.
The store offers souvenirs, tackle, and all the makings for S'mores, beverages, toys, camping supplies and sundries.
Lake Billy Chinook is a water sports Mecca offering houseboating, water skiing, wakeboarding, outstanding fishing, sight seeing and hiking. With abundant sunshine, over 72 miles of shoreline and water always at full capacity in the summer, Lake Billy Chinook is a can't miss for your water sports vacation. Three rivers feed the lake and each river creates its own unique arm. The Crooked River arm where Cove Palisades Resort is located is the warmest arm. It features a ski course, vertical canyon walls, two seasonal waterfalls, a state day use park, a boat launch and a nearby state run campground. The fishing for Kokanee and small mouth bass is excellent with rainbow trout and bull trout available.
The Deschutes arm is fed by the Deschutes River and has a beautiful state run day use with beach, picnicking and more. The fishing is good for Kokanee, rainbows, small mouth bass and bull trout. There is a state run campground available with full hook ups. Sheer walls and lave flows surround the Deschutes arm.
The Metolius arm is the biggest arm and the least accessible arm of the lake to access by car. The cool and clear waters of the Metolius River feed this arm. For those who enjoy photography and sight seeing there are balancing rocks and many unique rock formations. Wild horses and bald eagles can be seen along the canyon walls. The Metolius arm is home to many record bull trout up to 20 plus pounds and a big population of Kokanee. There are two public campgrounds on this arm.
Spending three days or even a week on a houseboat is an incredible experience at Lake Billy Chinook. The sights are amazing, the night sky is so clear that the stars feel with in reach, the water is refreshing and there are many coves for privacy. Fishing is good all spring, summer and fall and the staff at the boat house will share friendly tips to help your success.
Call us today at 877-546-7171 and experience a get away vacation like no other.
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CRL's Purchase Proposal Program is a key annual activity for building CRL collections. Member libraries nominate and vote on microform and hard copy collections, which are often too costly or esoteric for individual institutions to acquire, for CRL purchase.
A total of 18 microform and print sets nominated by members are on this year's ballot. Titles include: Records of the U.S. Indian Claims Commission from NARA; Records of the U.S. Nuremberg War Crimes Trials; and numerous newspapers and journals such as Argentinisches Tageblatt, Deutsche La Plata Zeitung, and Yi Shi Bao.
This year's Purchase Proposal ballot offers richer features for member input on the newly implemented eDesiderata platform. The designated contacts from each CRL voting member institution can cast votes online, and then revise their votes at any time until the extended ballot closing date: Tuesday, November 26. Additionally, this year other collection development librarians (as identified through CRL's Contact Information System) may review and comment on the ballot using their CRL Login.
For questions or assistance, please contact Mary Wilke, Member Liaison & Outreach Services Director (email@example.com, 773-955-4545 x351).


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Dave Stolte had a nasty surprise in store for him, upon returning from a trip to Eurorpe (with his iPhone) - a $3,000 bill from AT&T. It seems David learned the hard way that AT&T does not offer international roaming with its iPhone data plans.
Two weeks of travel with sporadic AT&T EDGE network usage off and on mixed with wifi when available... $3000. Doing some research, I learned this morning that AT&T offers unlimited international data usage at $70 per month to its Blackberry customers. Here's my bottom line: I want this same usage plan to be made available to iPhone customers and to be applied retroactively to my account.


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Jamie Morrison needed a new button or icon design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 43 designs submitted by 14 freelance designers.
My Session Plan
The icon is for an iPhone app that will hold workout sessions. It is to cover a number of disciplines and sporting activities.
Possibly something stylised. The dual background colour of NBA/Full Contact Fighter could be an option:
Needs to cover workout sessions in general... Probably not limited to a particular field e.g. weight lifting, circuit training or running.
1) Standard iPhone App icon in the following resolutions:
2) A UITabBarItem is required:
"The size of an tab bar image is typically 30 x 30 points. The alpha values in the source image are used to create the unselected and selected images—opaque values are ignored."
The above items will have the following specification:
72ppi, RGB, flattened, no transparency
24 bit PNG image file format
3) A favicon.ico is required.
All of the above are the single image scaled or converted to the appropriate format.
The image doesn't necessarily have to contain Brand text above.


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Well before the Cleveland Cavaliers suspended Andrew Bynum for conduct detrimental to the team, the Lakers also worried about Bynum's behavior.
Former Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar saw that first hand when he worked with him from 2005-2009 as a special assistant coach.
"When I worked with Andrew, I found him to be bright & hardworking. But I think he got bored with the repetitive nature of working on basketball fundamentals," Abdul-Jabbar wrote Sunday on his Facebook page "But they are the keys to long term success."
Abdul-Jabbar's coaching duties were significantly scaled back in the 2008-09 season after Bynum expressed a lack of interest to the Lakers' staff in working with Abdul-Jabbar.
"Andrew has always had the potential to help a team when he puts his heart into it," Abdul-Jabbar wrote. "He just doesn't seem to be consistent with his commitment to the game. That can lead to a lot of frustration for any team that has signed him."
Former Lakers coach Phil Jackson seemed more forgiving, perhaps mindful Bynum helped the Lakers to two NBA championships in 2009 and 2010 and earned his lone All-Star appearance in the 2011-12 season. That marked the first time in seven seasons he played without a major injury. The Lakers then dealt Bynum to Philadelphia in a four-team, 12-player deal that resulted in Dwight Howard going to the Lakers.
"I'm reluctant to judge ABynum's bball intent," Jackson wrote Sunday on Twitter. "He is a man of many interests and has a life outside of bb, but he does like to compete."
But Bynum soured his All-Star season with various antics. Bynum was benched during a game in the 2011-12 season for launching an ill-advised 3-pointer. He drew ejections from two games in a two-week span. Bynum also skipped a meeting with Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak and was fined for his conduct.
Last season in Philadelphia, Bynum made a name for himself for his outgrown hair and injuring his left knee while bowling. He didn't play the entire season before signing with Cleveland via free agency. Bynum averaged only 8.4 points on 41.9 percent shooting and 5.3 rebounds in 20 minutes through 24 games with Cleveland, his lowest marks since the 2006-07 season with the Lakers.
"Andrew is the type of person who walks to the beat of 'a different drummer,' Abdul-Jabbar wrote. "We won't know the facts until Andrew decides to tell us what actually is the issue."
Injury update
Two significant pieces to the Lakers' roster participated in Sunday's morning shootaround, but the team will have to wait before Steve Nash and Steve Blake play in a game.
Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni estimated Nash remains two weeks away after completing some shooting drills Sunday with video coordinator Tom Bialaszewski. Blake is considered four weeks away from returning after continued shooting left handed while nursing a brace to support his hyperextended right elbow.
Nash has stayed sidelined for the past 22 games because of nerve issues in his back, while Blake has missed the last nine contests because of his elbow issue.


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Beginning January 12, 2016, outdated versions of Internet Explorer will no longer be supported and your browsing security may be compromised. For more information click here
Investment Basics
We may think bonds are pedestrian or dull. Their glamorous cousins, stocks, receive most of the press even though the annual North American bond market is much bigger than the stock markets.
A bond is a contractual obligation to pay a debt. The bond issuer promises to pay a specific amount of interest on specific dates for a specific length of time, and to repay the debt upon maturity. Sometimes the term "bond" is used to include debentures but, strictly speaking, bonds are secured by a specific asset, while debentures are "IOU's" secured by the issuer's general credit.
Bondholders receive interest if they hold their bonds, and may make a capital gain or suffer a capital loss if they sell them.
Bonds and debentures are issued in Canada by all levels of government, agencies, crown corporations, religious and educational organisations, and corporations.
Choosing between bonds and stocks depends on your principal investment objectives - safety, income, growth, and liquidity.
Safety is usually obtained at the expense of return and growth. Government of Canada T-bills; most federal, provincial, and municipal bonds; investment-grade corporate bonds; and short-term bonds close to their maturity dates are generally considered safe investments.
Bonds are rated by independent bond-rating agencies that assess the level of risk. Rating scales run from A to D, with A and B ratings considered investment-grade. One safety feature of bonds is that, in the case of an issuer default, bondholders are ahead of stockholders in the queue to reclaim their investment.
Income is where bonds are strong, with their promise of specific interest payments at specific times. Generally, an investor has to give up some safety in order to maximise income. This is the basis for the "junk bond" or "speculative bond" market where bonds rated "C" or below promise higher returns with more risk.
Growth of capital is very limited with bonds, unless you invest in a bond mutual fund or actively trade bonds yourself. Because the interest paid on a bond is fixed, investors move elsewhere in times of increasing inflation, and the value of a fixed-interest bond decreases. However, when interest rates are going down, bonds increase in value.
Liquidity is a measure of the ability to buy or sell an investment without price fluctuation. Canada Savings Bonds, T-bills, and investment-grade bonds are generally considered to be liquid investments. If you need cash, you can find a buyer without sacrificing price.
The following table compares bonds, preferred stocks, and common stocks on the first three investment objectives:
While you can buy and sell bonds directly, the usual method of bond investing is with a bond mutual fund. The fund manager buys and sells, depending on an assessment of the direction of interest rates, and pays dividends based on a combination of interest received and capital gains.
Your decision to invest in bonds should be based on your principal investment objectives. Ask your investment advisor about bonds to decide if they are right for you.
back »


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Welcome to our website!
At The Truck Junction Inc., you are important to us whether sitting in front of your computer at home, or in front of one of our friendly sales staff. Customer satisfaction has been our goal since 1989 when we opened our original location in Venice, FL. The Adams family decided to try something new in southwest Florida by opening a pre-owned automotive outlet specializing in one market, trucks, vans and SUVs. Many doubted anyone could survive selling just trucks, but we're still here!
Our formula has stayed the same since day one-- Buy nice clean trucks, have them safety inspected, reconditioned and detailed. Then sell them at a great price. It worked so well, we opened a second store in Sarasota, FL in 1995. It has been an amazing journey watching a small company grow yet be able to maintain our small family-owned atmosphere. Our familiar, friendly staff and commitment to customer satisfaction is what keeps people like you coming back time and time again.


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Jeeves and Wooster Classic TV Show
Classic comedy. Hugh Laurie stars as the immensly eligible Bertie Wooster and Stephen Fry as his trusted valet Jeeves, whose mighty intellect is entirely devoted to keeping his master out of trouble and out of the clutches of prospective brides.
Jeeves and Wooster Fan Tributes19 J P Martin from Las Vegas,Nv: Of course " Aunt's Aren't Gentlemen " is my fave book of the whole lot. Berties' scatterbrained logic is offset by his trusty manservant Jeeves. Would that world leaders, and people in power had someone like Jeeves. The world would be a safer, happier, place to dwell.
18 Reginald from U.K: I just LOVE Jeeves and Wooster series! I love Wooster (Hugh Laurie) because he's always in any sort of problem and he thinks that he can work things out but it's ALWAYS Jeeves who solve all things. Someday, if possible, I'd like to have a similar butler like Jeeves, he's irreplaceable! Long live U.K and long live the Queen and LONG LIVE JEEVES AND WOOSTER!
17 Michael Luscombe from St.Ives, Cambridgeshire: The old Ian Carmichael/Dennis Price Team. Bertie was inflicted by a visit from his cousin who thought she could sing. She inflicted her voice on Bertie, hit a high note and a plate glass mirror shattered. Pure slapstick!
16 CHRISTOPHER RENYARD from NEW ZEALAND: Jeeves and wooster will always remain one of the finest stories to come from the pen of p g wodehouse.But for me the original 1960's bbc series with dennis price and ian carmichael are the best of the best , they are the creme de le creme.
15 Sue Telford from Scarborough: I loved the TV series of Jeeves and Wooster with Ian Carmichael and Dennis Price and watching them prompted me to buy the books and become a great fan of the stories. A few years ago I wrote to Ian Carmichael (via his agent) to ask whether the series was ever recorded on video since I would have loved to have copies. He replied to me saying that regrettably, no copies of the recordings were kept, so we who remember the original series only have our personal memories.
It is fun to hear from other people who have gained such a lot of pleasure from Bertie and Jeeves.
14 Dennis Martin from China: Jeeves' first name is reggie for the person who asked....
Does anyone know of the much earlier series starring Ian Carmichael as Wooster and Dennis Price as Jeeves I would love to track that down
13 Kim from Ohio, USA: I love Jeeves and Wooster!
12 Zoe Luscombe from Plymouth: Excellent,Stephen Fry is brilliant as Jeeves and Hugh Laurie is excellent as Wooster, they really capture there parts from the books.
11 The Worm from Cambridge UK: Definately the best thing Fry and Laurie ever did. The books could have been written for these guys. Laurie was particularly good as the hapless Bertie.
10 Matthew from Somerset: Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry are brilliant comedy duo
9 Alan Bishop from London: This series is well crafted, very funny and the acting is impeccable!
8 JIM KELSALL from LEICESTER, ENGLAND: I think that one of the best episodes is when Gussie has to give the prizes at some school; after being liberally plied with spiked orange juice! His eventual tirade on Bertie is really good. 'Old Boggy' is another good one. I shall have to replace my 4 series soon as I must be wearing my tapes out!! Sad or what?
7 lee ross from BALTO. MD: WHAT WAS JEEVES'S FIRST NAME?
6 Steve Godrich from Stevenage, UK: For Sue in British Columbia, Jeeves' first name is Reginald. Hope this helps. I love the show and the books. I have them all on DVD too.
5 Louise from Sweden: I just love this show and think it's a shame that it's getting such bad time slots and that they are forever changing, making it impossible to catch them sometimes. If they were at least on the same weekday, from week to week, then they could easily be taped when on at 1am. More regularity please.
4 Sue from B.C. Canada: Hello, Can anybody tell me what Jeeves' first name is? Thanks!
3 L G Haggar from England: Wonderful. Fry and Laurie are the definitive Jeeves and Wooster! My personal favourite is the episode featuring "Old Boggy".
2 Keiron Jones from Australia: I have read nearly all of Wodehouse's books. My favourite moment in the television series (which we don't get in Australia, more's the pity!) is Bertie playing the piano before the arrival of the nerve specialist and his wife, both of whom are allergic to cats. Laurie's gormless playing the piano and Fry's reluctant duet-ing is wonderful.
1 Christopher OReilly from Newcastle: Bertie is coaxed by his Aunt Dahlia into stealing Sir Roderick Glossop's prized 'cow-creamer'. Chaos inevitably ensues, as Hugh Laurie's character (attempting to escape from the house via the window) is caught in the act when the sliding window falls on him, leaving him trapped. But meanwhile, where is that inimitable valet, Jeeves? The episode is of particular significance because the Rothschild mansion of Halton House, near Wendover (Bucks) was used for the Glossop's stately home. Halton House is just 1/2 a mile from where I used to live.
Jeeves and Wooster
Genre: Comedy
Year: 1990-93
Stephen Fry as Jeeves
Hugh Laurie as Bertie Wooster
Robert Daws as Hildebrand 'Tuppy' Glossop
Richard Dixon as Alexander 'Oofy' Prosser
Adam Blackwood (series 1) as Cyril 'Barmy' Fotheringay-Phipps
Martin Clunes (series 2) as Cyril 'Barmy' Fotheringay-Phipps
Mary Wimbish (series 1-3) as Aunt Agatha
Elizabeth Spriggs (series 4) as Aunt Agatha
Brenda Bruce (series 1) as Aunt Dahlia
Vivian Pickles (series 2) as Aunt Dahlia
Patricia Lawrence (series 3) as Aunt Dahlia
Jean Heywood (series 4) as Aunt Dahlia
Richard Garnett (series 1 and 2) as Augustus 'Gussie' Fink-Nottle
Richard Braine (series 3 and 4) as Augustus 'Gussie' Fink-Nottle
John Turner as Roderick Spode
John Woodnutt as Sir Watkyn Bassett
Francesa Folan (series 1) as Madeline Bassett
Diana Blackburn (series 2) as Madeline Bassett
Elizabeth Morton (series 3 and 4) as Madeline Bassett
Niamh Cusack and Chloë Annett.
Jeeves and Wooster won the 1992 BAFTA for best design.
1881-10-15: P.G. Wodehouse, author was born in Guildford, Surrey.
1957-08-24: Stephen Fry (Jeeves) was born in Hampstead, London.
1959-06-11: Hugh Laurie (Wooster) was born in Oxford.
1975-02-14: P.G. Wodehouse (author) sadly passed away.
If you know of a web site for Jeeves and Wooster, or run a fan site, tell us about it here.
Click here for more Jeeves and Wooster Memorabilia at Amazon.
NEWSLETTER Sign up to receive our monthly newsletter filled with the latest classic television news. Sign up here.


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Fact Sheet: Whistleblowers Bill
Here is the fifth of our fact sheet on key bills that lawmakers are likely to consider for approval.
Name: The Whistleblowers Protection Bill, 2011
Aim: The main objective of the bill is to safeguard those exposing corruption or malpractice by public servants.
The broader goal is to initiate public participation to help keep corruption in check.
Why it's important: The bill, if approved, would serve as the country's first law to protect whistleblower. In recent years, incidents of harassment, intimidation and violence have been reported by whistleblowers across the country. This has discouraged citizens from speaking out against wrongdoing in the public sector.
In 2003, a public servant was shot and killed after denouncing allegedly unlawful dealings in a national highways' project. Earlier this year, a state official in Karnataka was murdered after he exposed irregularities in land allotment.
If implemented, the bill would create a legal framework to investigate and prosecute cases of corruption involving government officials. On top of that, the bill would empower the Central Vigilance Commission, an autonomous body appointed to check corruption, to guarantee police protection to whistleblowers if deemed necessary
Who it affects: Anyone who fears retaliation can seek protection under the bill. All government employees, except those serving in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, in the armed forces and in the Prime Minister's Office, can be investigated on allegations of corruption under the bill.
What does it change? If approved, the bill would replace a 2004 resolution which empowers the CVC to receive, investigate and act on complaints filed by whistleblowers. The absence of a protection cause, however, discouraged several from acting against the government. Between 2005 to 2008, the CVC received only a few hundred complaints each year, government data indicates.
Lawmakers believe that a protection clause, as introduced under the Whistleblowers Bill, would encourage citizens to speak out against the bureaucracy.
Criticism: While the bill vows to act against those "victimizing" complainants, it doesn't outline penalties or punishments for federal officials found guilty of doing so. Moreover, unlike in the U.S. or the U.K., India's whistleblower bill fails to define key terms like victimization, allowing plenty of room for interpretation and subsequent misuse of the proposed law.
Another major loophole, say experts, is the inability to file complaints anonymously. Though the bill strongly recommends that the identity of the complainant be concealed, it permits the CVC, under certain circumstances, to disclose the complainants' identity to the head of the government department under scrutiny. This, argue activists, would discourage citizens from filing complaints.
Some critics have also raised concerns over fines and punishments imposed on whistleblowers if their allegations are proven false. They argue such complaints could have been made in good faith but with poor information.
Several legal experts have also noted that the proposed law doesn't hold the CVC accountable for delayed response to a complaint or for failing to act altogether.
What next? The bill, formerly called "The Public Interest Disclosure and Protection to Persons Making the Disclosures Bill," was approved by the Lok Sabha or lower house of Parliament in December last year, and is expected to be discussed in Rajya Sabha, the upper house, in the session that started Thursday.
Click here to read the full bill on the Lok Sabha's website.
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More details have emerged from the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) after it marked up the FY 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) when it comes to the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement Nuclear Facility.
Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) submitted two amendments. The first of them would appropriate $160 million to the CMRR-NF for FY2013. That's $60 million more than HASC Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) recommended in his mark-up on Monday.
A couple of weeks ago, the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee provided zero funding for CMRR-NR in its FY 2013 bill.
The amendment would also ensure that no funds could be appropriated for "any activities associated with a plutonium strategy for the [NNSA] that does not include achieving full operational capacity of (CMRR-NF) by fiscal year 2024."
Turner's second amendment would treat the construction of NNSA nuclear facilities as Department of Defense "military construction projects." It specifically includes CMRR-NF, and the Uranium Processing Facility (UPF).
Under the amendment, the NNSA would retain some authority, but Congressional authority would likely transfer in both chambers from the Subcommittees on Energy and Water Appropriations (which oversee nuclear weapons funding) to the Subcommittees on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations.
"It's really too early to comment right now," said lab spokesman Fred DeSousa. "We have not seen the amendments and they still have not passed the full House, let alone Congress."
Many in the nuclear watchdog community believe the amendments will not get through Congress.
"It will pass the House but I don't think it will pass Congress as a whole," said Nuclear Watch New Mexico's Jay Coghlan. "The other element I question is whether the Pentagon will like it.
"Everybody can piss and moan about the CMRR. But what Turner amendment #1 does in effect is to earmark all of that money for construction of the CMRR-Nuclear Facility at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and the Uranium Processing Facility at the Y12 Plant near Oak Ridge, TN.
"This might be a big wedge issue between DoD and NNSA because that money was to be also used for Life Extension Programs (LEPs) of existing nuclear weapons. DoD will likely be far more interested in the end product of refurbished nuclear weapons than it is in the facilities that will produce them.
"Further, the CMRR-NF and UPF aren't scheduled to be completed until 2022 at the earliest, after currently proposed LEPs are either finished or already substantially underway."
The Project on Government Oversight wrote the following in one of its releases.
"Some members, such as Representative Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.), put up a good argument against Turner during the mark-up, as has Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) on the floor in the past. The NDAA is on the floor before the full House next week, and we hope the majority of the House will stand up in opposition to funding CMRR-NF and to Turner's attempt to facilitate a Pentagon power-grab. Congress needs to restore the zero on this money pit."
Greg Mello of the Los Alamos Study Group also weighed in on the Turner amendments.
"Reviving CMRR-NF anytime soon appears to be a long shot, but there is surely more going on than meets the eye," Mello said. Defense budgets and programs are beginning to tighten, as the reality of the country's fiscal limitations under current policies begins to sink in and the date creeps closer to sequestration under the Budget Control Act. Competing defense interests want to get as many marbles as possible before the game shuts down.
"The House Armed Services Committee can try to throw all the money they want at CMRR-NF, but that won't create a genuine need for the project, change the geology of Los Alamos, lower the cost of the building, or put more money in the Treasury.
The lab, meanwhile, continues to take its cue from the NNSA.
Back in February, NNSA deputy administrator Donald Cook issued a memo to LASO Site Office manager Kevin Smith and LANL director Charlie McMillan, regarding the CMRR project..
Cook wanted Smith and McMillan to substantially complete the design of the CMRR nuclear facility by the end of FY2012 and they are planning to have zero funding for the next five years as the project was deferred by the Obama Admininistration..
NNSA spokesperson Toni Chiri said last week the lab is making progress regarding Cook's directive.
"Los Alamos is working through a number of complex variables to meet Dr. Cook's direction," Chiri said. "This is obviously a challenging task for the lab to plan a revised enterprise-wide facility strategy, and still meet mission requirements. While we are in the early stages of transition, we believe the team is making good progress."
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text: From February 1864 until the end of the American Civil War (1861-65) in April 1865, Andersonville, Georgia, served as the site of a notorious Confederate military prison. The prison at Andersonville, officially called Camp Sumter, was the South's largest prison for captured Union soldiers and known for its unhealthy conditions and high death rate. In all, approximately 13,000 Union prisoners perished at Andersonville, and following the war its commander, Captain Henry Wirz (1823-65), was tried, convicted and executed for war crimes.


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I am back from a whirlwind week in New York accompanying little sister on a business trip. I absolutely loved it. Heaps of sightseeing, shopping, eating and walking.
Transport consisted of walking, the subway (yes, I braved it), the odd crazy New York taxi (tooting is their first language) and a horse and carriage ride in Central Park.
One morning K and I found ourselves walking in the Garment District. Lots of 'wholesale only' stores selling copious amounts of clothes (I assume to retail stores) and some amazing huge retail/wholesale outlets selling nothing but trims or ribbons or buttons. It was jaw-dropping and made me wish I could sew!
On my first morning I went with my penfriend from Chicago (who is going to be Miss 16's host family when she moves there in January) to a traditional New York diner. We each ordered an omelette that I could swear would feed 4 people. It must have contained 6 eggs and was stuffed with mushrooms, cheese and spinach and would have been at least 6 inches high. It was accompanied with a mound of refried potatoes. I almost felt sick upon seeing the huge portion but it was delicious and after eating about 1/4 of it I admitted defeat. Including coffee or juice
it came to the princely sum of $5.95.
From that day on we ate breakfast on 7th Avenue (just by Madison Square Garden) at a very cool and busy New York bagel deli called "Bagel Maven Cafe". To die for bagels and a standard size!
I was really impressed with the food - did not have huge expectations before I left. We ate in either funky neon-lit cocktail bars/restaurants or small candle-lit family owned restaurants (no more than 30 seaters). Prices were fantastic - no more than $15-17 for a main course which might be a huge bowl of linguini with huge scallops, prawns and mussels and a fresh salad on
the side. The thin crusted New York pizza was lovely - very simple - often just prosciutto and basil and again, $15 for enough to feed 2. I was surprised to see a lot of seafood - grilled calamari featured everywhere. I gave in one night only and had New York cheesecake (had to really!)
Shopping was amazing - Saks 5th Avenue was lovely and Macy's was hit hard. Christmas decorations outside buildings were fantastic -especially on 5th Avenue. Took lots of photos. Credit card saw a bit of damage (I blame Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein for making clothes in my size!). Huge floors containing warm winter coats - everything from furs to fleece. Sales
everywhere - possible to get a full length down coat with fur trim on sale for $200. Not that I need one in Wellington. (And I wouldn't buy fur!) Makeup and cosmetics were ridiculously cheap - the Bobbi Brown foundation I splurge on at $90 a bottle at home was US$45 - even with the exchange rate it was cheap. Suffice it to say I had to buy an extra suitcase to lug home all my purchases.
I did lots of touristy things including going to the top of the Empire State Building for the amazing views; Times Square was buzzy and neon (even the police station had a neon sign); the Ground Zero memorial was worth queuing for - a very sad place - and very calm and quiet amidst the bustle of the city; the Rockefeller Centre with its famous Christmas tree and
avenue of angels and iceskating; St Patrick's Cathedral to light a candle for dad. I had a day and a
half by myself (my penfriend had left and K was working) so I walked to Greenwich
and Soho which was a great afternoon. We went to a Broadway show one night - The
Book of Mormon - which I confess I had never heard of but which had just won 9 Tony Awards and consequently was practically booked out until 2013. We had to pay $299 for tickets (oops that's over $400 once converted!) but worth every cent - the funniest thing I've ever
seen. It got a standing ovation. Next time I will go to way more shows - there
was so much on it was amazing.
We spent a morning at MOMA (the Museum of Modern Art) - a bit of a quick visit but enough to get a sense of the vast range of work they cover - the collection area (painting and sculpture) held lots of works by people like Picasso, Monet, Warhol (the Campbell soup cans!), Kahlo, Matisse,
Cezanne etc ; there was a great architecture section featuring an exhibition on the architects who were invited to design a replacement for the Twin Towers; the photography section had a new exhibition of 6 American photographers with works from the 50s to 70s. My favourite, interestingly, was a display on typography which I found fascinating. Felloow scrpapers would have apreciated it, I think. I felt like we really just ran around it all to get a quick glimpse of what was there. Could have spent a day or two there. And I didn't get to the Guggenheim or the Met but there's always next time.
I had expected the people to be hard and brash but found the opposite. Occasionally they were indifferent but never rude but mostly they were very friendly and chatty. The streets were packed and frequently you'd get bumped just crossing the street but without fail people took a second to say "Oh, I'm sorry. Excuse me, Pardon me" And "Ma'am" was heard hundreds of times a day. Most people knew where New Zealand was and I only had one person ask if it was "near New England?".
Anyway just a wee snip of my 6 days in NYC -hadn't expected to love it so much. Would I go back? In a heart beat.
(Blogger is doing silly things and I can't seem to load more photos)


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Opinion: New information raises questions about potential FBI leaks
EDITOR'S NOTE: Boris Epshteyn formerly served as a Senior Advisor to the Trump Campaign and served in the White House as Special Assistant to The President and Assistant Communications Director for Surrogate Operations.
WASHINGTON (Sinclair Broadcast Group) - I have spoken to you before about text messages between FBI agent Peter Strzok and FBI attorney Lisa Page. Strzok was a senior counterintelligence official and a leader of both the Clinton email probe and Russia investigations.
The initial batch of messages released late last year show that Strzok and Page systematically expressed great disdain for then-candidate Donald Trump.
According to reports from The Hill based on review of further text messages between the two, Strzok and Page also may have been leaking information to the media.
One series of texts centers on pretending to stumble onto an article that they both knew would come out.
This does not by itself prove that a leak occurred, but it does point to FBI employees having advance knowledge of an unpublished media report.
In another text, Page complains that an article in the Washington Post was too specific for her taste because to quote, ".I didn't have specific information to give."
The House Intel Committee, chaired by Congressman Devin Nunes of California, is going to interview Peter Strzok and Lisa Page and others at the FBI and Department of Justice.
Here is the bottom line: we obviously do not know the whole story here. It is vital that our elected officials in Congress, as well as the Department of Justice's Inspector General, determine and make public whether civil servants at the FBI were leaking information to the media. President Trump has repeatedly spoken about damaging leaks from within our law enforcement, national security apparatus as well as the Obama and Trump administrations. These latest revelations, if true, underscore those concerns.


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Travis Robinson has been a member of the fan community since 2001 and a member of the Allspark staff since 2002. Originally a fan of Generation 1 he's been a fan of the franchise all the way to Prime. You might notice Travis posting as Wheelimus on the Allspark forums!
Latest posts by Travis (see all)
- M-DECK ION BLASTER COMMANDER – Feel the Power of the Prime in Your Hands! - September 14, 2018
- Community Spotlight – Rival Showdown Pro Wrestling - August 15, 2018
- Pathfinder Second Edition Playtest Launches Today Courtesy of Tabletop RPG Giants Paizo Inc. - August 3, 2018


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If consumers have noticed their utility bills falling, it may not be a figment of their imagination. Although surging natural gas production in the U.S. has yet to result in lower gasoline prices, it has had one benefit already: curbing or even cutting power costs.
Generating electricity has been made more efficient because of inexpensive and abundant natural gas. The shale gas boom in the U.S. has left the world's largest economy awash in the power source, which is used by utilities to generate nearly 25 percent of U.S. electricity, according to data from the Edison Electric Institute.
Utilities have traditionally used coal to generate electricity, but the abundance of relatively inexpensive natural gas has given power operators an incentive to shift away from using the black rock, a key contributor to carbon dioxide emissions.
That has created an added benefit in both the residential and commercial use of electricity, observers say. The bounty of shale gas has helped contain electricity prices, which allows power companies to avoid having to pass along higher input costs to the average consumer.
According to a 2012 study by Resources for the Future, an independent research firm, the supply of natural gas "will substantially reduce retail electricity prices over the next 20 years."
Under various scenarios, the think tank expects the natural gas boom could help spur electricity savings of anywhere between 1.4 and 5.7 percent, depending on the year.
While the RRF says commercial customers will derive the most savings from lower costs – simply because of the sheer amount of electricity they use – all U.S. electricity users can expect to save at least $70 billion through 2020. Over the same time frame, residential consumers may save about $25.8 billion.
"As the price of natural gas falls, the cost of purchasing that natgas, or purchasing the power also falls," explained Jim Hempstead, senior vice president of global project and infrastructure finance at Moody's Investors Service.
"Utility companies, all else being equal, will pass on the savings to consumers in lower rates," he said, adding that electricity bills will be "slightly lower or more flattish."
The situation is a win-win for all, Hempstead added, because consumers get lower or stable electricity rates, companies can produce more electricity at lower costs, and regulators aren't forced to crack down on suspected price-gouging.
According to Donald Henschel, a senior market analyst at IHS, utilities that once used natural gas only for "peaking power plants" – operated at times during the day when energy usage was highest – have now switched to broader use of natgas.
Because natural gas is inexpensive, and easier to turn on and off than coal because of its composition, it helps to contain the costs passed along to consumers.
"With natural gas prices coming down so much it's a viable solution," Henschel said in an interview. "For base generation [times of the day when power is at an ebb, coal was historically a more affordable solution. Now with natgas so affordable, you can run combined cycle base load generation plants burning natural gas."
That transition is helped by the rising costs of burning coal, which is being made more expensive by regulations governing clean energy, he added.
There is a risk to that scenario, however. Henschel points out that natural gases could easily spike – which could easily put upward pressure on electricity costs and reverse the virtuous circle. This is not outside the realm of possibility, as natural gas prices have been trending upward since late last year.


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SPYONvegas' Hot 100 Selection Round 8 @ Wet Republic Ultra Pool, 29 June 2018
SPYONvegas' HOT 100 is back for another season at a sold out Wet Republic Ultra Pool! The Vegas heat was intensified by all the gorgeous HOT 100 hopefuls! The 100 top women selected over a 7-week period will be the official "SPYONvegas.com Hot 100". The contest will be anchored around six voting events, culminating the heated voting and stiff competition with a major Grand Finale at WET REPUBLIC. Sounds provided by none other than Wet Republic resident, DJ Shift.


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Insider Trading is a weekly report of stock transactions involving officers, directors and owners of 10 percent or more of a publicly held company.
Corporate insiders historically make more economically sound decisions in trading their own company's stock than do other investors. Insider trading activity also is often a bellwether of corporate health. Most insiders buy stock or exercise options to make a profit.


text: Ulysses Grant (1822-1885) commanded the victorious Union army during the American Civil War (1861-1865) and served as the 18th U.S. president from 1869 to 1877. An Ohio native, Grant graduated from West Point and fought in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). During the Civil War, Grant, an aggressive and determined leader, was given command of all the U.S. armies. After the war he became a national hero, and the Republicans nominated him for president in 1868. A primary focus of Grant's administration was Reconstruction, and he worked to reconcile the North and South while also attempting to protect the civil rights of newly freed black slaves. While Grant was personally honest, some of his associates were corrupt and his administration was tarnished by various scandals. After retiring, Grant invested in a brokerage firm that went bankrupt, costing him his life savings. He spent his final days penning his memoirs, which were published the year he died and proved a critical and financial success.


text: Health and Science has moved! You can find new stories here. The Green Lantern You Charged Me All Night Long Is it a sin to leave your cell phone plugged in overnight? Nina Rastogi March 15 2012 2:00 PMKeep On PluggingShould you run your laptop off battery power or use a charger?Jacob LeibenluftFeb. 28 2012 6:35 AMWar on the WorldHow does warfare affect the environment?Brian PalmerOct. 18 2011 7:23 AMGreen ScreenIs it better for the environment to watch TV via satellite, cable, or the Internet?Brian PalmerAug. 9 2011 10:13 AMTwo Wheels vs. FourHow far do I have to ride my bike to pay back its carbon footprint?Brian PalmerJune 14 2011 7:08 AMThe Green Lantern on Green LanternIs it more eco-friendly to see movies in a theater or on DVD?Brian PalmerMay 3 2011 10:13 AMGlobal CoolingApril 19 2011 7:05 AMHow Green Is My Wintergreen?Assessing the environmental impact of chewing gum.Brian PalmerApril 5 2011 6:59 AMThe Elephant in the RoomHow can you tell if a zoo takes good care of its animals?Brian PalmerMarch 16 2011 12:19 PMWear Green, Drink GreenlyThe eco-guide to responsible drinking.Brendan KoernerMarch 8 2011 6:59 AMEthanol, Nitrogen, MTBE, LeadAre gasoline additives getting any better for the environment?Brian PalmerMarch 1 2011 7:03 AMDisoriented in the Dairy AisleShould I buy milk in glass, plastic, or cardboard containers?Brian PalmerFeb. 8 2011 6:51 AMHe Loves Earth, He Loves Earth NotAre fake flowers better for the planet than fresh ones?Brian PalmerJan. 18 2011 11:04 AMReproduce, Recycle, ReuseAre secondhand car seats safe? And other eco-riddles for expecting parents.Brian PalmerJan. 4 2011 6:57 AMWill The Gulf Ever Be Oil-Free?No. But bacteria ate most of BP's spilled oil months ago.Brian PalmerDec. 21 2010 10:44 AMPass on GrassIs grass-fed beef better for the environment?Brian Palmer March 13 2012 6:30 AMVote GreenWhat's the most environmental friendly way to cast your ballot?Brian PalmerNov. 15 2011 11:12 AMGood for You, Good for the Planet?Is healthy food always better for the environment?Brian PalmerSept. 6 2011 6:55 AMGreen Your Notes!Is taking notes on a notepad or an iPad more environmentally responsible?Brian PalmerJuly 12 2011 11:04 AMObama's Environmental Report CardIs America greener than it was four years ago?Brian PalmerMay 23 2011 12:32 PMAre Tornadoes Environmental Disasters?Not compared to hurricanes.Brian PalmerMay 3 2011 10:03 AMGlobal CoolingIs central air conditioning more efficient than window units?Brian PalmerApril 12 2011 5:11 AMHigh on EnvironmentalismCan hemp clothing save the planet?Brian PalmerMarch 22 2011 7:11 AMVinho VerdeIs organic wine really better for the environment?Brian PalmerMarch 15 2011 6:55 AMSo Many Species, So Little MoneyWhich endangered species should I save?Brian PalmerMarch 7 2011 1:50 PMStyrofoam-ing at the MouthWhy Republicans' polystyrene cups trump reusable mugs. Jacob LeibenluftFeb. 15 2011 7:06 AMGo West, Garbage Can!Are we running out of room for our garbage?Brian PalmerFeb. 1 2011 7:01 AMThe Best Investment Under the Sun?Should I get a solar water heater? Or solar electric panels?Brian PalmerJan. 11 2011 6:58 AMA Glass of Seawater. Hold the Salt. How eco-friendly is desalination?Brian PalmerDec. 28 2010 12:09 PMTrimming Your Carbon FootprintWhat's the greenest way to shave?Brian PalmerDec. 14 2010 7:12 AMChina vs. IndiaWho's the Greener Emerging Power?Brian Palmer READ MORE STORIES


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|The Trace
Detects magical activity around underage witches and wizards
- Alastor Moody: "Potter, you're underage, which means you've still got the Trace on you."
- Harry Potter: "What's the Trace?"
- Alastor Moody: "If you sneeze, the Ministry will know who wipes your nose."
- — Alastor Moody explaining the Trace to Harry Potter[src]
Implementation and useEdit
It is unknown how a witch or wizard is imbued with the Trace, but it appears to be universal with magical children. It does not need to be removed but breaks automatically upon reaching adulthood.[1]
The Ministry trusts magical parents to properly discipline their children if they perform magic due to the fact that the parents' own magic will constantly interfere with the Trace. Children who grow up in the Muggle world, such as Harry Potter, are more closely monitored — any magic that was performed at or near 4 Privet Drive was assumed to have been caused by him because he was the only known magical person living in his neighbourhood. Thus, when the house-elf Dobby used magic at that location, the Ministry blamed Harry.[2]
Either the Trace is lifted or the Ministry does not monitor it when underage witches and wizards are attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, holidays not included, allowing students to perform magic freely. It appears that students can also use magic freely on the Hogwarts Express.
The Trace's effectiveness appears to be somewhat inconsistent. Alastor Moody mentioned that any magic around an underage witch or wizard will activate the Trace[1], and, as above-mentioned, the Ministry can erroneously attribute that magic to the underage individual. However, Arthur Weasley used magic around Harry that was not blamed on him. It is probable, however, that, because Arthur arranged a Floo connection to the fireplace of Number 4, the Ministry knew that an older wizard was present at the time. It is also possible, though less likely, that the Ministry was alerted to this but recognised some aspect of the magic as belonging to an adult wizard.
Similarly, when the Order of the Phoenix escorted Harry from Number 4, several spells and charms were cast; however, no Ministry warnings were sent. Although it is probable, given Harry was already up on a charge of Misuse of Magic at the time, that the Order informed the Ministry they would be collecting Harry and that they might use magic around him.
Hermione Granger also admitted to successfully trying out "a few simple spells" just prior to her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry[3], but, apparently, she never received any notification that this was banned even though, as a Muggle-born witch, it is unlikely that there were any other wizards or witches in her vicinity whom the Ministry could have believed cast the magic instead. However, this is probably because the Ministry does not monitor pre-Hogwarts students because their magic is normally uncontrollable. This may, however, indicate that the Trace is actually put in place after students begin formal learning.
Curiously, when Harry was transported to the graveyard and duelled Voldemort there was no indication the Ministry was aware of it. It is possible that the Trace on Hogwarts students is lifted or not checked during the school year, or that the graveyard may have had powerful enchantments cast on it to suppress scrying and location magics, or the Trace in particular.
Another inconsistency is that when Tom Riddle was sixteen, he murdered his father and grandparents with the Killing Curse and then modified his uncle Morfin Gaunt's memory so that he would confess to the crime. While Dumbledore explained how Riddle's magic in the Gaunt shack would go unnoticed, no explanation is given as to how three uses of the Killing Curse by a sixteen-year old in a Muggle home were overlooked. It is also possible that due to his uncle being in residence there, the Ministry may have felt the magic was not used by Riddle. Although it seems more likely, given Riddle's powerful nature, he devised a way to block or even dispel the Trace since the Ministry is not recorded as having been aware of his presence in the area or his later secret creation of at least one Horcrux while he was of school age. It should be noted, however, that with the Ministry's patchy history on this front, it is possible his presence in the area was never cross-referenced with the murders or was deemed irrelevant and that it is unknown precisely when or where Riddle created his early Horcruxes.
Also, the fact that the Ministry generally ignores when the Trace is broken by underage wizards and witches of wizarding families, expecting their parents to discipline them, essentially makes it useless at monitoring their use of magic. It could be argued, as a result of this, that children born into wizarding households have more legal "wiggle-room," when breaking the restriction for underage wizardry, than half-bloods living with all Muggle relations (like Harry) and Muggle-borns.
Examples of the Trace being activatedEdit
- Harry Potter received a warning from the Improper Use of Magic Office in 1992 because the Ministry detected the use of a Hover Charm in his vicinity via the Trace and attributed it to him, though it was in fact used by Dobby.[2]
- Harry used a Patronus in 1995 to defend himself and his cousin from Dementors, activating the Trace because he was only fifteen years old at the time. He was at first expelled from Hogwarts but was reinstated because the Ministry had no right to expel students. Harry was later cleared in a full Wizengamot trial since Clause 7 of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery permits the use of magic in front of Muggles to defend oneself in a life-threatening situation.[4]
Trace, as the English word meaning a path, refers to how a person's magic is "traced" to his or her location.
Behind the scenesEdit
- In the film versions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Hermione casts the Oculus Reparo spell on Harry's glasses in the former while aboard the Hogwarts Express and in the latter in public in Diagon Alley (the second use does not occur in the novel, with an older character casting the spell). In neither case is it indicated that Hermione is warned or punished. It is possible the Trace (in the film continuity) does not apply to magic use on the train - which could be seen as an extension of the school - or in the "Muggle-free" environment of Diagon Alley. Alternately, it is possible the use of some mundane, harmless spells such as Oculus Reparo may be overlooked (as opposed to more major violations such as the Hover Charm or the Patronus charm). However, when used on the train, there were some adult wizards and many Hogwarts students (some of whom are seventh years and possibly already turned 17), and in the case of Diagon Alley, it was an all-wizard location, and almost everybody was of age.
- At the beginning of the third film, we see Harry in his room at Privet Drive, utilising Lumos Maxima without any warnings from the Ministry. In the book, however, we find him writing an essay.
- In the fourth Harry Potter book, the Weasleys broke out of the Dursleys' fireplace by using magic, and Mr. Weasley used magic to return Dudley's tongue to its original size. In the case of the fireplace they cannot be said to be inside the house, yet, and in the case of the tongue-spell Harry was not in the house at that point.
- In the fifth novel, Tonks used some household spells in Harry's room while helping him to pack his things. This, however, did not seem to have had any legal consequences. However, Harry was already in so much trouble that they probably did not notice that.
Appearances Edit
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (activated)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film) (activated (likely))
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (activated)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film) (activated)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Template:1st Mention
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (Mentioned only)
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 (activated)


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SOURCE: Acer America
October 18, 2012 08:00 ET
SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwire - Oct 18, 2012) -
Editor's Summary:
Acer America today expanded its Iconia™ Tab lineup with the A110, a lightweight, pocket-sized 7-inch multi-touch tablet. Available Oct. 30 in the United States and Canada, the compact and stylish Iconia Tab A110 is perfect to tote around at all times to read, browse, play games and enjoy media.
"Today's consumers are increasingly mobile and want easy and instant access to entertainment at all times," said Paul Tayar, senior director of product marketing for connected devices, Acer America. "The Iconia Tab A110 is another example of how Acer is meeting the needs of consumers, by providing tablet form factors that combine portability and performance for fun and gaming, at affordable prices."
More comfortable to browse on than a smartphone, the trim A110 tablet is just 0.86 pound and less than a half-inch slim. Easy to hold in one hand for hours of comfortable enjoyment and slender enough to fit in a pocket or handbag, the tablet delivers bright and crisp images for movies, photos, books and games. Featuring a vibrant capacitive multi-touch display with 1024x600 resolution, the A110 ensures optimal screen viewing from every angle -- up and down and left to right.
Powered by the latest Android™ 4.1 "Jelly Bean" operating system, the A110 tablet provides faster and smoother performance for applications and widgets. Users can customize and expand their tablet experience with ease using the Android™ Market to choose from hundreds of thousands of apps to enjoy the A110 any way they want. Also preloaded on the A110, Google Play provides users with an entertainment hub and allows one place to find, enjoy and share apps, music, movies and books from across the web. Google Currents provides free online magazines from hundreds of publishers and online.
The A110 comes equipped with the NVIDIA® Tegra™ 3 quad-core processor, delivering industry-leading performance and responsiveness for running multiple apps, smooth HD video, fast web browsing and console-like gaming. The tablet's NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor features a unique Super 4-PLUS-1™ Quad Core CPU design with a fifth Battery Saver Core, which handles less demanding activities, ultimately using less power and improving battery life. The A110 supports long battery life with smart power management providing up to 7.5 hours of battery life1.
Offering superior expansion and connectivity, the Iconia Tab A110 has a micro-USB 2.0 port for hooking up other devices, and a MicroSD slot providing additional storage up to 32GB and easy file transfers. For showcasing entertainment in a larger format, users can easily connect to an external LCD or HDTV via the A110's MicroHDMI output, with dual display support.
For added enjoyment, a two megapixel front-facing web camera enables face-to-face chats or quick snaps for still photos. Bluetooth® 3.0 technology allows users to wirelessly connect to other devices such as Bluetooth printers, keyboards, headsets or speakers. The A110 also includes 1GB of memory and 8GB internal storage2.
Pricing and Availability
The Acer Iconia Tab A110 will be for sale on October 30 at leading U.S. and Canadian retailers with pricing beginning at $229.99 USD and CAD.
About Acer
Since its founding in 1976, Acer has broken barriers between people and technology, enabling users to explore, create and grow. Acer ranks No. 2 for notebook PCs globally3. The Acer Group employs 8,000 people across the globe, and revenues for 2011 reached US$15.7 billion.
Acer's channel business model is instrumental to the company's success, while its multi-brand approach integrates Acer, Gateway, and Packard Bell brands in worldwide markets. Acer designs environmentally friendly products and, with its vendors, has established a green supply chain.
Acer is proud to be a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Movement. That includes supporting the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and London 2012 Olympic Games.
More information is at www.acer-group.com.
© 2012 Acer America Corp. All rights reserved. Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks of Acer Inc. Other trademarks, registered trademarks, and/or service marks, indicated or otherwise, are the property of their respective owners. All offers subject to change without notice or obligation and may not be available through all sales channels. Prices listed are manufacturer suggested retail prices and may vary by location. Applicable sales tax extra.
1 Actual battery life varies depending on product specifications, computer settings and applications or features launched. All batteries' maximum capacity diminishes with time and use.
2 Accessible capacity varies: (MB = 1 million bytes; GB = 1 billion bytes).
3 Source: Gartner data, FY 2011
Acer IncorporatedAlison Williams
Tel: 408-533-7746
E-mail: email@example.com
Acer IncorporatedAlison Williams
Tel: 408-533-7746
E-mail: email@example.com
See all RSS Newsfeeds
Acer today expanded its Iconia(TM) Tab lineup with the A110, a lightweight, pocket-sized 7-inch multi-touch tablet. Available Oct. 30 in the United States and Canada, the compact and stylish Iconia Tab A110 is perfect to tote around at all times to read, browse, play games and enjoy media.
View Image: S M L


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Updated momclean Reskit tool for OM2007R2
I noticed on the forums someone was having trouble using this with the R2 release. Here is an updated version of the momclean tool to use for uninstalling OM2007R2 when traditional methods have failed. Note: None of the command line parameters have changed. All that has been updated it the product GUIDs the tool… Read more
- Tags: Administration, command line, Deployment, r2, scom, Setup, Tips, Troubleshooting


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July 17, 2018
Events happening today
22 January 2019 06:00 PM 23 January 2019 04:00 AM
This event repeats every week forever
Every Tuesday night come join us at Cullison's Cards and Games in Jonesboro, AR for Tactical Tuesday, where we play Guild Ball, as well as other table top miniature and board games.
All are welcome, from seasoned veterans to rookies just looking to learn about the game and wanting a demo.
Come on out, play some games, and have some fun! No entry cost.
Pundit Contact: Will Henson, Forums: dire_kobold, Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
United States 0 Comments
29 January 2019 10:00 PM 01:00 AM
This event repeats every week on Tuesday forever
If you are on the south side of Indianapolis and looking to play some Guild Ball, come on in.
This is our open play day that is set aside for us to scrum about.
We welcome all levels of players, even those that are just looking to learn what the game is.
There is no cost, outside of your time and a fun attitude. We can supply the rest.
United States 0 Comments


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Le donazioni alla Comunità di Sant'Egidio sono fiscalmente deducibili
secondo la normativa vigente
Anche quest'anno è possibile destinare il 5x1000 alla Comunità di Sant'Egidio
Scrivi il numero 80191770587 nella dichiarazione dei redditi
Human Rights Watch (Washington, DC)
Sudan: Heed Global Call to End Death Penalty - Follow Up 'Yes' Vote At UN By Halting Executions
20 December 2012
press release
New York — South Sudan should carry out its commitment for a moratorium on the death penalty. On December 20, 2012, South Sudan, along with 110 other nations, voted in favor of a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling on countries that use capital punishment to place a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty.
"South Sudan deserves congratulations for voting the right way," said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "Now, to ensure that the global trend toward ending the death penalty becomes the norm, South Sudan should start at home, and immediately halt all executions."
South Sudan has executed at least eight people since it gained independence in July 2011. Two men were hanged at Juba Central Prison on August 28. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) raised concerns that the men had not received proper legal assistance.
In addition to calling for a moratorium and abolition of the death penalty, the UN General Assembly resolution calls on countries to respect international standards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty. Minimum international standards require respect for fair trial rights, including the presumption of innocence, the right to adequate legal assistance at all stages of the proceedings, and the right of anyone convicted to appeal to a higher tribunal.
Human Rights Watch has documented weaknesses across South Sudan's criminal justice system and the resulting violations of the basic legal rights of people accused of crimes.
The UN General Assembly resolution also calls on countries to make available relevant information about their use of the death penalty to contribute to informed and transparent national and international debates. The information should include the number of people sentenced to death and the number of executions the country has carried out. South Sudan has not been keeping public records of its executions.
Human Rights Watch has repeatedly called on South Sudan to stop using the death penalty. In a November 5 joint letter to the South Sudan foreign affairs minister, Nhial Deng Nhial, Human Rights Watch raised concerns about South Sudan's continued use of the death penalty and urged officials to vote in favor of the General Assembly resolution. The letter was also signed by The Agency for Independent Media (AIM), Amnesty International, Comboni Missionaries, Comboni Sisters, Foundation for Youth Initiative, South Sudan Human Rights Society for Advocacy, South Sudan Law Society, South Sudan Women Lawyers Association, and Soweto Community Based Organization.
There are 137 nations around the world that have abolished the death penalty in law or in practice, including 37 of the 54 member countries of the African Union. In its 2008 resolution on the death penalty, the African Commission called for a moratorium on the death penalty and ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibits the death penalty.
Comunità di Sant'Egidio
piazza Sant'Egidio, 3
00153 - Roma (Italy)
tel. +39.06.899.22.34
fax +39.06.580.01.97
[email protected]
Seguici su
Altri siti:
www.andreariccardi.it | dream.santegidio.org | nodeathpenalty.santegidio.org | www.sanbartolomeo.org | www.comunitadisantegidio.info | www.vivaglianziani.it | www.wineforlife.com | www.trattoriadegliamici.org
La Comunità di Sant'Egidio è un movimento internazionale di laici presente in più di 70 paesi nel mondo. Fondata nel 1968 da Andrea Riccardi. Preghiera, poveri, pace sono al centro dell'impegno gratuito e volontario di tutti coloro che ne fanno parte.
Copyright© 1998-2012 Comunità di Sant'Egidio


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Busy week for Colville
Soccer team gets DP, West ValleyA young Colville High School girl's soccer team faces a busy week with Great Northern League match-ups against Deer Park on Tuesday and West Valley at home on Thursday. Both matches are scheduled for 4 p.m. starts.The Indians (2-2) are coming off a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of GNL powerhouse Cheney last Thursday on the Colville pitch. In that match, Colville simply got very few scoring opportunities against the Blackhawks. "We were pretty timid taking shots," conceded CHS head coach Dave Rarrick. "We were inconsistent…Cheney got their first two goals within the first three-minutes. All their scores were in spurts.Solid in final 32"We played them tough in the last 32-minutes and were able to finish strong."In an entertaining 2-1 win back on Sept. 11 at home against former GNL rival and new Northeast A League member Medical Lake, Colville struck early and was able to maintain a cushion throughout.Dakota Blain and Danni Rogne scored goals for CHS.Keeper Kayla Howes had 13 saves for the Indians.Colville got 21 shots on goal to Medical Lake's 14."That was a good game," Rarrick figured. "We had pretty good possession and got a lot of good chances (to score)."Rarrick said he was impressed with his girls and how well they handled ML's pressure in the match's final five-minutes."They put a press on us the last five-minutes," Rarrick said. "I thought we responded well to that."Colville opened the season with a 7-1 rout of Priest River. In that match-up, Colville's Dakota Blain scored three second half goals. Blain gets threeMalia Luu got the scoring started off an assist from Tora Luu. Tora scored the Indians' second goal on an assist from McKenna Cabbage, who scored Colville's third goal. Rogne scored before Blain turned in her second half trifecta.Colville took advantage of a season-high (to date) 26 shots. Priest River managed only five shots on goal.Colville got goals from Blain and Tora Luu in a 7-2 loss to Lakeland of the Idaho Border League.


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Welcome to the CRG Discussion Forum!Forum registration problems: Make sure you enter your email correctly and you check your spam box first. *Then* email KurtS2@gmail for help.Classified ads are not allowed on the forum.
Not sure if I have this right, but I have four bolts lableled batt tray.Two are 5/16 by about 1/2 inch long with large 1.125 inch captured washers. I THINK those are for the bottom.Two are 5/16 by about 3/4 inch long, pointed, with smaller 3/4 inch captured washers. looks to be the same as the headlight bucket bolts.Not sure about the clamp bolt. I know it is 5/16 and know it has a captured washer, but not sure of the length.
As a suggestion, if you have the Factory Assembly Manual and if you get a copy of the AMK products catalog, you can see what the fastener sizes should be right down to the bolt size, head marking (most of the time it's correct), thread pitch and finish.Mike


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Andy Milne, Pianist, Composer, and Professor at the School of Jazz, explores what happens when boredom sets in— and you let it.
We have designed a uniquely challenging and flexible
curriculum that includes intensive courses in technical, conceptual, aesthetic and historical aspects of jazz and contemporary music. The curriculum emphasizes collaboration, gaining instrumental fluency, performance, and developing innovative skills to pursue a wide variety of careers in music.
Artistic innovation will never be learned from the back row of a seminar. Some things have to be experienced firsthand. The mentorship of students by musicians like bassist Reggie Workman, who transformed music with icons like John Coltrane, follows the tradition of personal, direct training of creative musicians. That's the way the greats learned it. And that's the way we teach it.
In our case, those who do, teach. Our
faculty consists of top-ranked professional musicians and industry leaders. When they're not teaching, they are making the world a much cooler place by performing, recording new music, leading socially conscious lives, and successfully navigating career opportunities. Their expertise and life experience are both fascinating and invaluable.
Going to school here in New York gives you the benefit of the best live music venues in the world within walking distance of your classes. Our students perform at more than 150 events every year. They play jazz clubs like Joe's Pub, The Jazz Standard, and Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center, and at cultural hotspots like The Morgan Library, the Neue Galerie, New York Live Arts, and the Highline. They're in Union Square Park, Madison Square Park, and Hudson River Park. They perform on live radio at WBGO 88.3 FM and WBAI 99.5 FM.
Also, every spring seven selected quartets go to the Bern International Jazz festival in Switzerland. No wonder our Gig Office is more popular than a 2-5-1 progression. It handles and manages the huge demand for paying gigs for our students.
Tuition and Fees
Financial Aid
Check Application Status
View Courses
Download Catalog
Admission ContactKevin Smith55 West 13th Street, 6th floorNew York, NY 10011212.229.5150 or email@example.com
Follow saxophonist Ben Flocks (BFA, '11) on his musical journey from Seventh Avenue to Switzerland.


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About five years ago, I had a brief stint as an education reformer. I was asked to critique a marketing brochure my school district in Cleveland Heights was using to explain to parents the new "Small Schools" initiative.
Our large, inner-ring high school was about to be broken into five small schools of about 400 kids each. Every school had its own name and educational philosophy. The "Renaissance School" promised collaborative discovery-based learning. The "Mosaic School" pitched a problem-solving based approach. And so on.
I asked teachers and administrators what parents and students needed to know in order to choose a school. Was personality and learning style the key? Were interests the most important: future engineers in this school, future novelists in that one? Turns out any kid could "thrive" in any school. All the schools taught basically the same curriculum. I was told these were philosophies, not tangible pedagogies. And besides, not every kid could choose her own school.
I proposed that they scrap the brochure and start over. They should talk instead about the real reform at hand, which was that your kid was going to be in a small school, where he would have strong personal relationships with teachers but still have exposure to all the extra-curricular and social experiences of a large, dynamic high school. Talk about the value of "small" rather than opaque educational philosophies.
They listened intently. Most of the committee agreed whole-heartedly. The final brochure was almost identical to the one I reviewed. I wasn't thrilled but neither was I surprised. Inertia is a powerful force. And committees are experts at protecting the status quo, not just in education but in business, as well. Most importantly, I wasn't discouraged.
Daughter seeks a single-sex high school
A few months later the board asked for proposals from the public for the last two small schools. (This was a phased approach and the original brochure only discussed the educational outlines for the first three). My daughter Zoey was struggling in her last year of middle school. She desperately wanted to go to an all-girl high school, which meant we either had to spend a fortune on private school or send her, a Jewish girl, to a local Catholic school. Interesting times.
I proposed that the last two schools be single-sex. Make one for boys, the other for girls. After all, the district was losing a lot of kids – not just my daughter – to private and parochial schools. I referenced the attrition rate and hit some of the current research on same-sex education.
Their response? Something close to this: "We can't do that. It may not even be legal, but it's certainly not in tune with the spirit of public education. It will never fly."
I assured the committee that it was in fact legal and that there were over 200 same-sex public schools in the United States. They looked at me as if I had just suggested they reinstate corporal punishment. The discussion ended abruptly. Two more ill-defined small schools were created. Zoey went to Catholic school. And I turned my full attention to paying for college – again (Zoey has four older brothers and sisters).
Fast forward several years and tens of thousands of dollars. The cost of tuition has continued to climb, rising three times more than the median income over the past 20 years. Everyone agrees we need to do something to lower the cost of a four-year degree. It turns out there's already a solution to lower the cost by 25 percent. And almost no one's interested. Including my kids.
On to college. A three-year degree?
According to a recent article in the Washington Post, more universities are offering three-year bachelor degree programs, but almost no students are enrolling. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro enrolled five students last year – out of an enrollment of 17,500. Bates College in Maine has offered three-year degrees since the 1960s and has graduated 36 students in the past 12 years.
It's tough to compete against summer vacation, that completely unnecessary 10-week break we've institutionalized as if it were written into the Constitution. We have summer vacation because we've always had summer vacation. Or at least since the mid 1800s when school reformers created a national compromise between urban schools that went year round and rural schools that were off in spring for planting and in fall for harvest. Colleges adopted the same compromise schedule. Not very helpful for farmers, but it caught on. And it won't let go.
The truth is, there's enough inertia in education to go around. Most parents blame the schools when things don't change. But if I'm honest, I don't really want my kids to go to school year round. I like the status quo even though in many ways it's not defensible.
To reform schools, we first have to reform ourselves. We have to break our habits and re-examine the things we do reflexively. And we have to encourage others to do the same.
That was my big mistake with the same-sex schools proposal. I resorted to the Lone Ranger approach I almost always employ. I didn't engage others in the community. I didn't encourage discussion. And standing alone, my proposal died. If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a community to change a school.
Jim Sollisch is creative director at Marcus Thomas Advertising.
Editor's note: An earlier version misidentified the school district. It was Cleveland Heights.


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Fatal shooting in Orange County
A shooting in Orange County on Saturday, June 7, started with a disagreement and ended in the death of one Vidor resident, deputies report.
At approximately 10:15 a.m. Saturday morning, the Orange County Sheriff's Office received a 9-1-1 call in reference to a shooting at a residence in the 400 block of Florence Street near Vidor. When deputies arrived at the location, they discovered 60-year-old Ronald Thomas Barnes deceased from several apparent gunshot wounds. The actual homeowner, identified by police as 47-year-old Steven James Coutee, was at the residence when deputies arrived. Coutee reportedly told police that the two men were at the residence when they got into a disagreement that escalated to the point that they each produced a firearm. According to the news release from OCSO, Coutee shot Barnes and then called 9-1-1.
Justice of the Peace Janice Menard arrived on scene with investigators and ordered an autopsy of the deceased.
Coutee is cooperating with investigators, and no arrest has been made at this time. Deputies are still trying to determine all the circumstances that led up to the death of Ronald Barnes. Chief Deputy Clint Hodgkinson said investigators on the case split up to "go down different rabbit holes" in order to find all the facts of the complicated incident. Because Barnes was killed, he cannot corroborate Coutee's account of the events that led up to the fateful shooting. All investigators have to go on are Coutee's story and the story told by the physical evidence.
"At this point, we haven't arrested the guy because there is obviously more to it," Hodgkinson explained. "At this time, we don't have enough to say either way (whether an arrest will be made). We are still trying to get to the bottom of what happened."
The investigation is ongoing and more information will be released as it becomes available.


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Recently I've heard from many people that they're switching to Twitter for their source of news. Why? Because it does all the work for them. Many of the tweets that I follow normally supply a link to a blog or article worth reading. The only downside is the information overload and the excessive amount of "noise" that you need to get through to find the relevant information. Often, Google news (and web) search doesn't cut it either. So, how do we effectively get through this noise? Here is where a service called Topsy comes in. It is a social search search engine and I think it helps a ton for finding relevant SAP news. For example:
Find news and information on HANA:
Find news and information on SAP BWA:
And my favorite, all news and information on SAP BWA, HANA, and In-Memory technology.
No more need to constantly check your twitter updates, or your RSS, or your feed burner. Just search here. I'm trying to think of ways how I can use the API to provide an even more meaningful way to bring these topics to the people who care. I think there should be a one-stop shop for finding all news regarding in memory computing from SAP. More on that to come…


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Log in
The Friends of the Kalamazoo Public Library is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the library as an essential institution in our community.
The Friends is governed by an elected board with two part-time employees and more than 300 dues-paying members.
Friends encourages literacy while providing ongoing support to many Kalamazoo Public Library programs and services.
Support your library and your community. Join Friends.
Posted by Carol, Jan 7/, 2019 11:08:20 AM
Donate your gently used books and media.
Paula Poundstone forFriends of Libraries U.S.A.


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Seahawks blogger Brett Bivens weekly NFL Love Em Hate Em football blog. He recaps and rewinds the Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals Week 17 Sunday football matchup. The Seahawks lost their last game of the season. Brett loved the Support the Cardinal fans gave their team, Larry Fitzgerald, Marshawn Lynch, and Red Bryant. He hated Darrell Bevell's play calling, the defense, and Ben Obomanu.
Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals Blog: Love' Em & Hate' Em
January 2, 2012 By


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Stretches of German autobahns have no speed limit, although they have an advised limit of about 81 mph.
In Texas, drivers on one road will be able to top that legally. Last month, the Texas Transportation Commission voted to bump up the limit for a 41-mile portion of a 91-mile toll road between Austin and San Antonio to 85 mph. That stretch of highway will have the highest speed limit in the United States.
The commission's action begs the question: What impact might such a speed limit have on dealerships' vehicle sales, repairs, service and even collision work? The answer depends on whom you ask.
Many rural roads in the Lone Star State post an 80 mph speed limit. So some Texas car dealers say the stretch of highway at 85 mph won't have a big impact their operations.
"It's such a short distance of road, I don't think it's enough to change anybody's driving habits or car-buying habits," said Mitchell Dale, owner of McRee Ford in Dickinson, Texas.
Many reports show a correlation between increased speed limits and a rise in fatal accidents, but Dale said the high speeds likely will not lead to more collisions.
"The toll ways lend themselves to higher speeds and can still be safe," Dale said. "It's more of a controlled freeway with controlled access."
But another Texas dealer sees a possible benefit to business.
Billy Vaughn, vice president of Kahlig Auto Group in San Antonio, says that if more motorists travel the toll way at high speed, vehicles would be in better condition and used-car prices could rise.
"You know the old saying: A used vehicle being driven highway miles is better because there's less wear and tear on it," Vaughn says. "I think that's still true even if it's being driven at 85 mph."