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Interpretation of Hepatitis C Lab Reports
Indiana Epidemiology Newsletter
May 2007
Michael Wilkinson, BS
Hepatitis C Epidemiologist
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first licensed tests to detect antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) in 1990. Since that time, new versions of these and other FDA-approved anti-HCV tests have been used widely for clinical diagnosis and screening of asymptomatic persons. This article will describe some of these commonly used tests and methods of interpreting results.
Serologic testing for the presence of HCV antibody (anti-HCV) is recommended for initially identifying or screening persons with hepatitis C since serologic screening is less expensive than other tests. However, serologic testing cannot determine acute, chronic, or resolved infection, only that the patient has been exposed to HCV. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA or EIA) is one of the more commonly used initial screening tests. Positive EIA tests are then confirmed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or recombinant immune assay (RIBA) testing. RIBA is most often used to ensure the initial antibody test was not a false positive. PCR testing is the most sensitive detection test for determining active infection (see Table 1).
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a person is considered to have serologic evidence of HCV infection if a RIBA or PCR test is positive for HCV. However, many laboratories report a positive result based on a positive screening test result only and do not verify these results with more specific serologic or nucleic acid testing unless ordered by the requesting physician. Reasons include the lack of an established laboratory standard for confirmatory testing, lack of understanding regarding the performance and interpretation of the screening and supplemental HCV tests, and the high cost of the supplemental HCV tests.
Unfortunately, understanding the interpretation of anti-HCV screening test results, knowing when more specific testing should be performed, and understanding which tests should be used for confirmation can be confusing. Recently, the CDC issued recommendations for using signal-to-cutoff ratios (s/co) in lieu of supplemental testing. The use of s/co ratios minimizes the amount of supplemental testing needed, while improving the reliability of reported test results and reducing costs of supplemental testing (MMWR, February 7, 2003, Vol. 52, http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5203a1.htm). A specific s/co ratio can be identified for each test that would predict a true antibody-positive result (as defined by the results of supplemental testing) ≥95% of the time, regardless of the anti-HCV prevalence or characteristics of the population being tested. Most laboratory tests use 3.8 as the reference value most often used with the signal to cut-off ratio test.
For more information on serologic testing, please visit the CDC Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/serology/index.htm
Viral Load Testing
Viral loads are confirmatory blood tests that measure the amount of HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the blood and confirm whether an individual is actively infected with HCV. There are two categories of viral load tests—qualitative and quantitative. The presence of viral RNA indicates that the virus is actively replicating (reproducing and infecting new cells). Usually, a viral load test is done after a person has tested positive for exposure to HCV based on an initial antibody test.
Qualitative viral load tests – These tests determine the overall presence of HCV RNA in the blood. This type of test is usually used to confirm chronic HCV infection. If viral RNA is detected, a positive result is reported; if viral RNA is not detected, the test result is negative.
Quantitative viral load tests – These tests measure the amount of virus in one milliliter of blood. They are often used to assess whether or not treatment with interferon or interferon plus ribavirin is likely to be successful and, later, if treatment is working.
Viral load test results were previously measured in number of copies but are now typically reported in terms of international units per milliliter (IU/mL). However, more than one PCR test may need to be performed, since low-level viremia may be present and not detected by the test. Viremia can fluctuate for no apparent reason; therefore, it is possible to have a negative PCR test (when viral load is below the threshold value) and the person can actually be positive for HCV (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5203a1.htm).
Interpreting viral load test results – HCV viral load is often reported as low or high with the value expressed as the number of RNA copies per milliliter of blood or as international units (IU) per milliliter (ml) of blood. The reference range depends on the exact test being used, but in general, the reference ranges are:
• Low – less than 2 million copies/ml or less than 800,000 IU/ml
• High – more than 2 million copies/ml or more than 800,000 IU/ml
Changes in viral load are sometimes expressed in terms of logs. A log change is a 10-fold increase or decrease. An easy way to determine a log drop in viral load is to decrease the value by one zero. For instance, a one-log drop in a viral load of 1,000,000 international units is 100,000 international units; a two-log drop in a viral load of 1,000,000 international units is 10,000 international units. (Hepatitis C Support Project, VERSION 2.1, November 2006; Alan Franciscus, November 2006)
Liver Function Tests (LFT)
LFTs are the most common tests to determine liver problems. These tests measure the level of chemicals detected in the blood that are produced when the liver is not functioning properly. Other LFTs may indicate when the liver is inflamed and not functioning properly. Bilirubin (responsible for jaundice color) increases and albumin decreases.
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT or SGPT) – ALT/SGPT levels vary by age and laboratory testing, but normal range is generally between 7-56 units/liter (u/l). This is a protein, specifically an enzyme, that leaks out of liver cells when liver cells are damaged. An increase in ALT above normal range can mean ongoing liver damage, although the damage may not be the result of HCV. Patients with chronic hepatitis C may have ALT levels that fluctuate between 20-40 points between blood tests. In some patients with HCV, ALT levels can remain normal. It is important that ALT tests be repeated over time to get best indications of the level of liver damage. ALT is probably the best test to indicate liver damage.
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST or SGOT) – AST/SGOT levels vary by age and laboratory testing, but normal range is generally between 5-35 u/L. This is an enzyme produced by liver cells and is similar to ALT. AST is also produced in muscle, heart, kidney, and brain tissue. Often, ALT and AST will be elevated at the same time.
Case Definitions
No HCV test can distinguish acute and chronic hepatitis C infection. This is why it is critical to know the case definitions of acute and chronic hepatitis C. The case definition includes laboratory and ALT markers, so understanding these is important. To be classified as acute, a case must meet three distinct criteria: 1.) Discrete onset of hepatitis symptoms; 2.) ALT levels that are at least 7 times the upper limit of the reference range; 3.) Test positive for HCV antibody and negative for hepatitis A and hepatitis B. If a case meets all three of these characteristics, the case is classified as acute. If a case tests positive for HCV antibody and does not meet the other criteria, the case is considered chronic.
Acute Hepatitis C Case Definition
Discrete onset of symptoms: dark urine, pale stool, fatigue, jaundice
ALT must be 7 times upper limit of reference range
HCV antibody positive
HCV antibody positive by EIA with signal to cut-off ratio >= to 3.8 OR
Anti-HCV by RIBA alone is confirmatory OR
HCV RNA positive
Patient must also be hepatitis A and hepatitis B negative
>80% of acute hepatitis C cases will become chronic and not clear the virus within 6 months.
Chronic Hepatitis C Case Definition
HCV positive 6 months or longer:
HCV antibody positive by EIA with signal to cut-off ratio >= to 3.8 OR
Anti-HCV by RIBA alone is confirmatory OR
HCV RNA positive
>most are asymptomatic
>liver enzymes may be normal
>antibody and perhaps RNA will be positive


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Alstonefield YHA, Gypsy Lane, Alstonefield, Derbyshire
Overlooking Dovedale, this is a comfortable base from which to explore the Manifold Valley and Beresford and Wolfscote Dales on foot or by bike, with Chatsworth House and Alton Towers both nearby. The property is ideal for families and consists of two barns, each with its own lounge, dining area and self-catering kitchen. All five bedrooms are en-suite and there is a large patio and garden area.
You can use the interactive controls to zoom in and out and to move around the map, or click on a path for more info. (interactive map help)
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Rights of way data from selected Local Authorities.
Large scale digital mapping is provided by John Thorn.

subset: commoncrawl


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One Hour Staff needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 49 designs submitted by 14 freelance designers.
Coyote Wholesale
We are looking for a logo for our real estate business. Its called Coyote Wholesaling where we buy and sell properties in Arizona.
The audience for this logo are individuals who want to sell their house quickly, and investors looking to buy and sell properties. This logo will appear on our website and business cards. The design should look professional and give off a sense of quality.
The Logo should include a professional, clean graphic of a coyote howling and include some kind of desert scene possibly on a mountain overlooking a cityscape, or a background of the night sky on a mountain. Try to incorporate a house in the logo. Colors should include anything found in the desert like tan, black, etc.
The logo should also include the company name "Coyote Wholesale" in it as well. It can be located anywhere..
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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The Research
The most comprehensive work done in this field is the research conducted byWayne Thomas & Virginia Collier . Thomas & Collier studied the language acquisition of English language learners in a longitudinal study from 1982 to 1996. They wanted to find out how long it took students with no background in English to reach native-speaker performance (50th percentile) on norm-referenced tests. In addition, they looked at variables such as socioeconomic status, first language, programs used to learn English, and number of years of primary language schooling. In their study, Thomas & Collier found that the most significant variable in how long it takes to learn English is the amount of formal schooling students have received in their first language.
Here are some other conclusions from their study:
- Those students who were between 8-11 years old and had 2-3 years of native language education took 5-7 years to test at grade level in English.
- Students with little or no formal schooling who arrived before the age of eight, took 7-10 years to reach grade level norms in English language literacy.
- Students who were below grade level in native language literacy also took 7-10 years to reach the 50th percentile. Many of these students never reached grade level norms.
How do ELLs in ESL Programs Compare?English language learners receiving ESL services do not make more rapid progress in English than students in other types of programs.
It is a common belief that students in ESL programs outperform second language learners in any other type of progam. Research does not support this belief. Across different types of bilingual and ESL programs, Thomas & Collier found that:
- English language learners who received all of their schooling in English did extremely well in kindergarten through third grade. The gains these students made in English were dramatic.
- From fourth grade on through middle and high school, when the academic demands of the curriculum become more rigorous, the performance of these students fell substantially below the 50th percentile.Why did this happen? Native English speakers make an average gain of ten months each school year. However, English language learners only made a 6-8 month gain per school year. The gap between native-English and second language speakers widened from the 4th grade through high school.
- Students in Two-Way Bilingual Immersion and Developmental Bilingual programs reach the 50th percentile in both their native language and English by 4th or 5th grade in all subject areas. These students were able to sustain the gains made in English, and in some cases, to achieve even higher than typical Native-English-speaker performance as they move through the secondary years of school.
What Does this Research Mean for Schools?Bilingual programs are not always feasible, especially in school districts where students come from multiple language backgrounds. Here are the key considerations for school districts:
- Give students more time to develop English language academic skills. Don't rush K-3 students through your language support programs.
- Provide more support services to under-schooled upper elementary and middle school students. Remember that it will take them 7-10 years to reach grade level norms.
- Maintenance of native language in the home should be encouraged. Development of native language literacy should be fostered. Persuade parents to send their children to after-school and Saturday instruction in first language. If your school district has the requisite number of students, push for a developmental bilingual or two-way immersion program.


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JerryHalf needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 108 designs submitted by 55 freelance designers.
Developing an online coupon distribution company for merchants to connect mostly locally with local consumers.
General consumer, seeking value or new places to eat and shop.
With fetch in the company name, a dog would seem most appropriate, carrying something to represent a coupon or discount in his mouth.
I think it's fairly obvious what the concept would be, it's the design execution that would be great to see some variety. But i am open to any unique concept beyond the dog idea.
Vector art preferred, but would also consider high res raster.
PC based ai, eps, cdr files all good.
thanks Kelly
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Is SGLI enough? VGLI too much? Don't take a chance on your family's future — get $100,000 coverage from as little as $7 a month. Don't wait another day to start protecting your family.
SGLI/VGLI Alternative: $100k from $7 a Month
Current issue of the Military Report
- New High-Tech GI Bill Program Coming Soon
- VA Touts Health Record Access for iPhone Users
- Task Force Backs Merger of Exchange, Commissary Systems
- Veterans Wanted: Sitel Is Hiring Now
- $100k SGLI Supplement from Just $7 a Month
- Survey Finds Toxic Conditions in Military Housing
- VA's 2019 Golden Age Games Applications to Open Soon
- Army Command to Realign
- Reduce Your Rx Costs with a TRICARE Supplement
- New App Helps Soldiers Access Personnel Records
- Don't Waste Your $0 Down VA Loan Benefit
- Air Force Fixes Active-Duty Maintainer Shortage, SecAF Says
- Marine Base Issues Drone Order
- Air Force Misconduct Probe Database Now Tracks Junior Officers
- Understand Tricare's Dental Options
- Wreck of WWII Aircraft Carrier Hornet Discovered
- Are You the VA's Next Deputy Policy Officer?
- Military Mulls Medical Personnel Cuts Even as Suicide Rates Rise
- Combat Aviation Brigade Gets New Electronic Flight Bags
- Marines Announce Aviation Award Recipients
- Air Force Promotes Health Behaviors Survey
- Marines Debut New Recruiting Tool
- New Public Safety Network Coming to Navy Bases


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Welcome back to VIOSO
We are your perfect choice for dealing with multi-projector setups and mediaserver technology.
Our patented and unique camera based auto-alignment technology is available in various software & hardware products.
Do you require softedge blending, geometry warping (spheres, curves, screen, domes) or are you are looking for powerful multi-display mediaservers? Do you want a surface color correction or project onto any surface ? VIOSO is the vendor of your choice. Explore our sites and let us know your project!
It has been never easier to display high resolution content on multiple projectors.
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You have an interesting multi-display or multi-projection project?We can gladly assist you in your planning andTipp provide you with tips and solutions.


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Our Fitness Blog
Sprinter vs. Runner
The Olympics are coming to a close and I am always inspired by the athletic displays from everyone across the world.
One thing I particularly note is the bodies of the sprinters or short distance runners versus the longer distance runners' bodies. The short distance runners' bodies are some of the most sculpted in the entire Olympic line up if you ask me. Their abs are popping and their shoulders are enviable to say the least. Yet they are running…not doing crunches and shoulder exercises.
Why is this?
It is no mistake that short, intense exercise is the key to their ripped bodies. Similar to HIIT training that many are familiar with, this kind of exercise is better at burning fat while maintaining sexy muscle than other types of exercise like long distance running or an hour on an elliptical machine or bike.
Put simply, long distance running (or any type of steady state cardio) is done continually at a consistent rate throughout the session, while sprints or bursts of running are done in short, anaerobic (without oxygen) sessions and then slow sessions for several moments then going right back up to the high intensity again. Like a roller coaster this continues to repeat over and over but for a shorter length of overall time, rather than being hours long.
That is actually the inspiration behind our 9Round workout. To obtain the body you want, you need to do the exercise that will get you that shape. I really admire runners because I personally find running extremely challenging and I am far from good at it. Long distance running is no doubt healthy and a great exercise, however, simply doing running alone will not give you a sculpted look. Incorporating sprint sessions into a running routine can be a great way to solve this dilemma.
If you watched any of the boxing in this year's Olympics you may have noticed similar body types in these athletes. Boxers are some of the most conditioned, and ripped athletes in the world but if you were to add up the actual length of fight time in the ring for a world title it is a whopping 36 minutes only. (Twelve rounds at three minutes each.) You can see how the 30-minute workout was born!
You don't need an hour or more in the gym when doing the right types of exercise. If you want a certain body type, create it by understanding which type of exercise you need to be doing and you'll get that body faster!
You may not get to Olympic level conditioning with our 30 minute kickboxing circuit, but you will tighten up and tone your muscles in less than half the time of traditional workouts and this gives you more free time to show off your new muscles while feeling great in your skin!


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Ubisoft is working on 3D feature films based on Assassin's Creed, Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon, according to a report on Variety. The projects are being handled by the publisher's film and TV production team, Ubisoft Motion Pictures.
Ubisoft Motion Pictures is headed by Jean-Julien Baronnet, along with Didier Lupfer, senior VP of production and development, and Jean de Rivieres, senior VP of international marketing and distribution.
"Our strategy is not to diversify but to bolster the appeal of our franchises - that's why we want to make sure our films will reflect the brands accurately and consolidate our fan base while expanding beyond the games' primary target audience," said Jean de Rivieres, senior VP of international marketing and distribution.
"We want to keep ownership, retain control over the film content, and we're open to work with studios on the development of our projects, and eventually collaborate on the pre-casting, pre-budget and script," added Ubisoft Motion Pictures head Jean-Julien Baronnet.
With the three films based on some of the biggest franchises in gaming, it's no surprise that they have gained interest from US studios.
We'd like to see a film based on Assassin's Creed, while Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon would easily translate to the big screen - hopefully none of them will suffer from an action overload, although Ghost Recon could easily turn into a macho war film.


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U.S. Army Ret. Msgt. Roy E. Carter, 76, of Leavenworth, joined his heavenly father, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013, it was a glorious sunny day and he was surrounded by his family who loved him dearly. Roy was born April 2, 1937, in Columbia, Mo the son of Arthur R. and Helen (Davis) Carter. He was the 6 th of 10 children.
Mr. Carter graduated from Frederick Douglass High School in 1955. He was President of his Senior Class. In 1959, he joined the United States Army. He began his military career in Ft. Lee Va. He was stationed Ft. Campbell Ky., Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., 2 tours in Germany and 2 tours in Vietnam. After retiring from the military Roy went to work at Troop Issue Ft. Leavenworth, KS.
He enjoyed cooking, hunting, bowling, fishing and spending time with his grandchildren He was loved by all.
Roy is survived by his wife, Sherrylin(Robinson) Carter of 25 years; a daughter, Carol Carter of Lawrence Kan.; two stepchildren, Dianna Robinson and Michael Frison of Leavenworth, Kan.; four grandchildren, Princeton Carter of Kansas City, Kan., Dominique Tutt of Columbia S.C., Lauren Epperson of Lawrence, Kan., Adin Robinson of Leavenworth, Kan.; a sister, Mrs.Bonnie Leater of Murfreesboro, Tenn.; six brothers, Gene A. Carter and William L. Carter of Columbia, Mo., George (Betty) Carter of Kansas city, Kan., Robert (Beverly) Carter of Hudson, Fla., Hubert H. (Virginia) Carter of Ontario Calif. and James A. (Deborah) Carter of La Palma, Calif.; his mother-in-law, Sadie Robinson; three brother-in-laws, Bill (Ava ), Teddy and Sylvester Robinson all of Leavenworth, Kan.; a sister-in-law, Mrs. Marion Brownlee Carter of Carson Calif.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Marcelle Dubois; a sister, Joanna Carter Herndon; and a brother, Aaron M. Carter.
Visitation will be from 11:30 to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2013, at the Independent Baptist Church. A funeral service will begin at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. Burial will be at the Leavenworth National Cemetery at 2:30.


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A beautiful collection of new homes at Rosena Ranch.
Residence Five Home
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New homes for sale in San Bernardino at Aster at Rosena Ranch offers everything you want and didn't even know you need-from an amazing amenities package to three distinct single family homes. Plus, all new homes in Aster will receive the recognized Wi-Fi CERTIFIED designation and will include superior Smart Home Automation features.
Welcome Home Center3573 Sugarberry CourtSan Bernardino, CA 924073573 Sugarberry CourtSan Bernardino, CA 92407(888)213-1794(877)205-3158
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The Rosena Ranch Recreation Center offers your family a state of the art facility with a Jr. Olympic swimming pool, kid's splash park, clubhouse and fitness center. Newly expanded, the recreation center now includes a beach entry pool, spa, picnic area with barbecues and more! The fitness center has also been expanded to include a weight room, yoga room and kid's room.
This incredible recreation center is the perfect place for your family to spend time relaxing and soaking up the sun. Stay in shape by swimming laps in the pool or utilizing the state-of-the-art fitness center. Hold book club meetings, birthday parties and any other type of get together at this beautiful recreation center complete with a meeting room.
Both kids and adults will enjoy the newly opened community park which includes baseball and soccer fields, basketball courts, a playground and a tot lot.
So many possibilities for your family, all within the comfort of the Rosena Ranch community!
Cable TVSpectrum(844) 821-3135
Fire AdminSan Bernardino Fire Department(909) 918-2200
HospitalKaiser Hospital Fontana
HospitalLoma Linda University Hospital(909)558-8000
HospitalSan Antonio Hospital(909)985-2811
LibrarySan Bernardino Library(909) 387-2220
Police AdminSan Bernardino Police Department(909) 383-5311
Post OfficeUnited States Postal Service(909) 887-5518
ShoppingOntario Mills Mall
ShoppingVictoria Gardens Mall
Electric CompanySouthern California Edison(800) 655-4555
Garbage CollectionBurrtec(909) 804-4222
Gas CompanySouthern California Gas Company(800) 427-2200
Telephone CompanyAT&T(800) 288-2020
Water CompanyWest Valley Water(909) 875-1804
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Aster at Rosena Ranch is located north of Fontana and is less than a thirty-minute drive to Victoria Gardens, an open air shopping center offering a variety of shops, restaurants and theatre. Your free time just became a little more exciting!
If you're looking for a little entertainment, Aster is less than 10 minutes away from the San Manuel Amphitheater, the largest outdoor music venue in the United States.
The Aster collection provides an appealing neighborhood atmosphere with five-star resort style amenities. Perfect for every want and need,
The Rosena Ranch Recreation Center offers your family a state of the art facility with a jr Olympic swimming pool, kid's splash park, clubhouse and fitness center. Enjoy the newly opened community park which includes baseball and soccer fields, basketball courts, a playground and a tot lot.
Rosena Ranch is part of the San Bernardino Unified School district.
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Datz Waz Up: A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez) Plays Stickball With Kids In The Bronx!
JrSportsBrief reports "Alex Rodriguez and Jerry Hairston Jr. dropped by a lot near Yankee Stadium to play stickball with some local Little League Kids. "
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Criminal Justice Reform in Georgia
In 21 years, between 1990 and 2011, Georgia prisons doubled in occupancy. And state spending increased — by over $500 million annually.
Something needed to change. Something wasn't working.
So starting in 2011, our legislators and government officials started thinking of solutions. They created the Special Council on Criminal Justice Reforms for Georgians to help form and implement a plan. They realized that we were focusing too much on the punishment. Not every offender commits the same crime, so should they all face similar punishments?
Instead, they decided we needed to focus on keeping dangerous offenders (such as violent or sex offenders) in prison while using community-based solutions such as treatment centers or group homes for the less dangerous offenders. Also, by getting rid of the root of the problem, we can help break offenders from the same illegal life cycle.
In 2012 and 2013, they created 2 bills — one pertaining to adults and one for juveniles. After these 2 major bills passed, more bills have been passed as follow-ups, expanding these ideas. This past session, a bill passed focusing more on the re-entry aspect. How can we help offenders to ensure they don't get back in prison after they're released?
Here's brief overview of some of the major bills passed since 2012:
This bill passed unanimously through the General Assembly and was signed into law by Governor Deal on May 2, 2012 and went into effect on July 1, 2012. Projected to save taxpayers $264 million in 5 years, HB 1176 started the process of allowing offenders to get training and help while they're in prison. That way when they're out on parole, they have the skills needed to get a job and hold onto it.
This bill also changed the details of certain crimes such as:
- Drug Possession
- Theft
- Burglary
- Forgery
- Child Molestation
- Child Abuse Suspicion
This bill, known as the Juvenile Justice Reform Act, also passed unanimously by the General Assembly and signed by Governor Deal. It went into effect on Jan. 1, 2014. It is projected to save us about $85 million in the next 5 years. This law helps mend what got the accused in trouble in the first place — using preventive measures to fix the root of the problem (dysfunctional families, anger issues, alcohol abuse, etc.). By using community-based programs, this law aims to break the cycle early.
The General Assembly passed this bill in March 2013 to follow up HB 1176 as the second round of criminal justice reform using recommendations from the Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform. One part of the bill allows offenders who qualify for the HOPE scholarship to still use it 24 months after they're released. Another goal of the legislation is to keep more prison space open for the leaders in crimes rather than clogging cells with the followers.
This is phase 3 on crime reform. The bill, signed by the Governor on April 13, 2014, helps prepare offenders for the workforce. Inmates will complete treatment plans and vocational training while in prison. They will then be awarded a certificate that they can present to potential employers after their release. The aim of this bill is to remove the barriers blocking employment, housing and education for ex-offenders. It will go into effect on July 1, 2014.
Starting with HB 1176 from 2012 all the way to SB 635 from this year, these changes are projected to not only save us money, but help rehabilitate and increase the quality of life for thousands of Georgians.
About the Author
Bethany McDaniel is the Editorial Director for GeorgiaGov. She graduated from Berry College in Rome, Ga., with degrees in Visual Communication and History.
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Georgians have enjoyed fireworks legally for three years now, but do you know the latest tweaks to the law? Find out what's legal and how to be safe!
The legislative session is over and done, and all that's left to do is obey the new laws, most of which take effect July 1.
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Human trafficking is considered a form of modern-day slavery. Women, children, and men are coerced and manipulated every day to perform acts and services that are against their will. The United States government and Georgia government are working hard to combat this epidemic. Here's how you can also get involved to help.


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Dear Colleagues, Students, Alumni, and Friends,
Planning for the future of Lehman College has been a major and continuing part of our activities for several years. New programs, enhanced academic and support services for students, advances in technology, and a new graphic identity for marketing and branding are some of the accomplishments achieved in the 2005-2008 Strategic Plan. A new Mission Statement and Lehman's first Vision and Values Statements, approved by the Lehman College Senate on May 16, 2007, emerged from recommendations contained in the same Plan. In Fall 2008, when that planning process was brought to a conclusion, a seamless transition to a new one was set in motion with the establishment of the Strategic Planning Council (SPC), chaired by Professor Ira Bloom (Political Science).
The Strategic Planning Council examined a significant amount of data and reports, engaged in discussions with senior administrators and held town hall meetings as they sought to identify the issues, challenges, and opportunities the College will face in the next decade. The ideas and recommendations that emerged from this process are contained in the Strategic Planning Council Report (January 2010).This Report provides the substance and context for the goals, objectives, and strategies presented in Achieving the Vision by Building on a Strong Foundation: Strategic Directions for Lehman College 2010-2020. During the latter part of the Spring 2010 semester, Achieving the Vision was widely shared with the campus community.
Guided by the Strategic Planning Council Report and Achieving the Vision, Lehman College is poised to move forward with direction and purpose, prepared to meet our four principal goals: excellence in teaching, research, and learning; enhanced student success; greater institutional and financial effectiveness; and a commitment to engagement and community service.
Ricardo R. Fernández
President, Lehman College
The City University of New York
August 2010


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Collecting the Debt
Maybe you're a gambler who likes to bet high but you don't relish the thought of traveling to Las Vegas with $50,000 in your pocket. Or else you're the kind of person who likes to live his life on credit. Or maybe you've figured out a loophole that makes gambling with borrowed money an advantageous play. For these reasons and others, you may be a good candidate for signing a so-called marker, the slip of paper you approve when you get casino credit, which translates to borrowed chips for blackjack or craps or any other table game. It's the gambler's equivalent of a cash advance, minus the interest, and it sounds alluring—until you have to pay.
Denny Mason remembers his first time. It came via a telephone call from a casino host at the Las Vegas Hilton. The come-on was simple: I have a $50,000 loan, interest-free for a month, waiting here for you. Come and get it! Mason, at the time, had a retail business in town and was doing quite well with it. In the casinos, however, he experienced less success. So the opportunity to score that kind of a float for 30 days, with no juice, well, it was the sort of deal that made Mason drop what he was doing and head right to the Hilton. In fact, it sounded like such a good deal that he called a friend to come along for his share as well.
As promised, the money awaited both of them. No strings were attached, and the host couldn't help but offer what came across as a bit of friendly, inside information. "Look over there," he said, gesturing toward a bank of high-stakes slot machines. "That one seems like it's just about ready to go off."
Of course, Mason and his pal couldn't resist the prospect of turning their interest-free loans into a major score. "We were led like a couple of rats to the machine and immediately lost $2,500 each," Mason recalls, now munching a veggie burger from the Burger Blast food truck behind the Crazy Horse III strip club. "The funny thing is that we still left the Hilton thinking that we had a $50,000 line of credit each month. Of course, practically speaking, that is not true. You go into the casino, sit down to play, usually you've had a few drinks, and the last thing you want to do is quit a loser. So you just keep on signing those markers."
Mason has since toned down his marker habit—at his peak he was signing for up to $100,000 at a time and had credit-lines from one end of the Vegas Strip to the other—and he now considers them to be a necessary evil. "The good thing about playing on casino credit is that the casino knows exactly how much you've lost, so you get all your comps," says Mason, not needing to mention that the bad thing is the ease with which you can keep playing and keep losing. "Usually you wind up with an entourage of 20 people and you want everybody to be taken care of. I've had some good times at the casinos—like when the Hilton gave me a top suite and threw a 25th birthday party for my girlfriend—but I can tell you that it really wasn't worth the money I lost."
To the untrained or careless or bleary-eyed, it might look as if you are signing a credit slip when you sign the marker that gets you casino chips. But if you are focused enough to read the disclaimer, you will see that you are actually signing a check. While the casino does indeed float you for 30 days without interest, after that period of time elapses, if the marker remains unpaid, you have just passed the equivalent of a bad check. Conveniently, in Las Vegas, the district attorney's office has a Bad Check Unit that devotes much of its attention to the collection of outstanding casino debt. And for good reason: each collection reaps up to a 10 percent reward for the office. So if you owe $20,000 on an unpaid marker and the bad check unit comes after you for it, you suddenly owe $22,000 ($2,000 of which will go toward supporting this division of the DA's office).
Lawyers from the office cannot put a lien on a gambler's paycheck, but they can prosecute it as a felony. That means you may end up in jail for failing to make good on a casino chit.
If you wonder how out of control a gambler can get with markers, start by looking at the most extreme example: an Omaha-based high-roller by the name of Terrance Watanabe. He got in deep at Caesars Palace and the Rio. Over the course of 2007, Watanabe lost close to $127 million. He paid $112 million and had $14.7 million outstanding in markers, which he refused to make good on. Unlike most marker fiascos, the Watanabe case went public, amid accusations that a casino host had given him painkillers and encouraged him to play while intoxicated (the latter claim gained veracity in light of Watanabe's insistence that the management at Wynn Las Vegas barred him for compulsive drunkenness and gambling). Whatever the case, Watanabe wound up settling for an undisclosed sum in the end, and the DA's office received $500,000, directly from Watanabe, for its trouble.
Handling these cases is an amiable, young attorney by the name of Sam Bateman. Over coffee at a Starbucks near the courthouse, where he operates out of a basement office, Bateman insists that people who get stuck with markers are hardly gambling world naïfs. "Very rare is it that a person has not been a gambler for a long period of time before he takes out a marker," says Bateman, emphasizing that it's just as rare for a person to reneg on his first marker. "They often have done it across a multitude of casinos, using borrowed money from one casino to win back the money to pay the first casino. The fact of the matter, though, is that these people often can't afford to pay any of it."
He's been at the job for about two years and has already seen his share of strange doings, like the time recently when an Asian gambler played off the rim—a courtesy extended to big-money casino customers in which their credit is tallied and signed for at the end of each gaming session—and bolted from a strip casino without signing for the $10 million in losses that he had accrued. "Then there are the people who take markers and declare bankruptcy right before it's time to pay," says Bateman. "They may say that they never intended to defraud the casino, but that sudden bankruptcy tells me that they had no intention of ever paying it off. Nobody who files for bankruptcy doesn't know he's in financial trouble 60 days earlier. Criminal restitution is not discharged through bankruptcy. Suddenly file for it, and I'm coming after you!"
Like a lot of things that eventually make their way to the legal casinos of Nevada, markers are rooted in the murkier, illicit world. From the earliest days of gambling, folks liked to wager with credit, whether it was hotel room poker games, back-alley craps or 8-ball at the local VFW. Initially, in Las Vegas, it was the junket operators—trip organizers bringing people out to Sin City for gambling—who issued credit. "Mob guys and bookies ran the junkets," says David Schwartz, author of Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling (Casino Edition). "So if you got in deep with a junket operator, it would be like getting in deep with the mob."
According to Schwartz, casinos in Nevada began issuing their own credit to gamblers in the 1940s. It may have taken the most overt mobsters out of the picture, but it didn't mean that you were accepting loans from particularly savory characters. "Before 1982, the casinos [in Nevada] had no legal recourse for collecting money," says Schwartz. "They could damage your kneecaps if not your credit rating. But when New Jersey legalized casinos, it was mandated that debts could be collected legally"—just like bad checks. "Nevada decided to do the same thing. It made sense. It seemed like a cleaner way of doing business."
Nevertheless, gamblers in need of quick cash cannot always get it from casinos. Maybe a person's credit rating is shot. Or else he wants to bet at the racetrack or with a bookie on sports. Or perhaps he doesn't want his family to know that he is borrowing money with which to gamble. That is when he might take a loan from a bookie or loan shark and come into contact with a man who likes to be known as Salvatore "Sally" Soldi.
Born in the Bronx, relocated to Pompano, Florida, where he currently lives in semiretirement, Soldi has the physical proportions of a refrigerator, carefully groomed facial hair and a cane with a sword hidden inside it. Now 55, he has been collecting money since the age of 16. Quick to insist that he is not a thug, Soldi immediately points out that he has never gotten involved in retrieving debts for drug dealers. His clientele has always consisted mainly of degenerate gamblers.
You may arrange to borrow money from a shylock, but the person who delivers it to you will be Sally Soldi or someone very much like him. He brings the cash in an envelope. If casino gambling is your thing, he'll go away from the prying eyes of surveillance to hand you the currency. Soldi likes to convene with clients in retail establishments where he can do quick handoffs. You'll meet him to pay back the loan—which accumulates interest at a rate of 20 percent per week—at the same location. "When I bring money to a guy, I'm God," Soldi says. "But when I need to collect, I'm the Devil."
He relates this inside the Humo Cigar Company in Fort Lauderdale. It's a shop owned by a friend of his named Paulie S. In deference to the delicate nature of our conversation, Paulie locks the door of his shop. Puffing on a prelunch Romeo y Julieta cigar, Soldi recalls the first time he had to get aggressive with a client. He was 16 when a gas station owner in the Bronx refused to pay. So Soldi and his partner began staking out the place at 5:30 in the morning.
"We jumped the owner and his mechanic as they walked in and made them turn on the pumps," he remembers. "Then we tied them up, gagged them and put each one into a car trunk. That's when my partner and I began pumping gas. We kept pumping it until we had the $6,000 he owed. Then we let him and his mechanic out of the trunk. They were still tied up, hopping around, as we drove away."
In case I have any doubts about the impact his presence can have on slow or elusive payers, Soldi pulls a long-barreled Colt 45 gun out from inside the waistband of his pants. Then he shows me a hat that has human teeth adorning the band above the brim. Gnarly and browning and definitely real, the teeth once belonged to people who failed to settle their debts quickly enough. "We didn't want to break the arms and legs of guys because then they couldn't work and couldn't earn the money to pay back what they owed," says Soldi, pointing out that such outlandish forms of retribution add drama to movies but do not work in the real world. "Instead, my friend Masio would have a wrench that he'd stick into the back of your mouth. He'd pull out a tooth. I'm assuming it was painful. I know that the guys didn't want to have it happen again. It sent a message but at the same time allowed them to go to work the next day."
Things did not always go exactly as Soldi wanted. He admits that he served time behind bars, convicted of extortion, but most of the time, he adds, "Plaintiffs figured it was a good idea to call it a day. Most of them never made it to court."
While the bottom line for Soldi was always to get the job done and retrieve the money by whatever means necessary, he does pride himself on his ability to get creative. Like the time he walked into a deadbeat's meat shop, perfectly dressed for the occasion in pristine butcher's whites, and left with a side of beef as a partial payment. Or when he and a partner donned Con Ed uniforms in order to gain access to the Co-Op City apartment of a losing gambler who was poised to skip town with his wife. "His packed valise was on the bed," remembers Soldi. "We hung him by his ankles, off of the edge of an 18-story balcony, and then he decided to give us our money. In the end he walked us downstairs before splitting—just like a banana."
Sally Soldi's glory days as a collection man are behind him. But he still does the occasional job of delivering envelopes and picking up cash from gamblers. His last foray into this world took place just a few weeks before we spoke. Clearly, he loves recounting day-to-day life as a collector, trailing debtors to Yonkers Raceway and leaning on them as soon as they cashed in winning tickets, or waiting for guys on the docks of Miami gambling boats and getting heavy when the situation warranted it. "I miss the action," he acknowledges. "What's cool, though, is the adrenaline rush after the fact. That's when we would go to somebody's house for dinner or go out for stone crabs."
To judge by the home of Las Vegas casino host Steve Cyr, the marker business is a good one to be in. He lives in a ritzy, gated development. Behind his house is a small, private swimming pool. Hanging on the wall of his home office is a Xerox copy of a $640,000 check from Larry Flynt (Cyr, as Flynt's host, kept a percentage of that money). Sitting at a poker table in the dining room, he says, "If all my players had to play with green cash, they would stop. But when you just need to sign for markers they seem like they're not real." He explains that he makes sure his players have lines of credit available because, "If it's 2:00 in the morning and you're drunk and you have credit somewhere, that is where you'll play."
There are other reasons why Cyr pushes players to sign up for so-called free credit. For starters, he uses it to learn about his customers and to manipulate them later on. "It exposes the gambler," he says, explaining that it reveals the amount of money he is willing to lose. "Then I know what kind of suite to put him in and how much to spend on him. If he wants to play in a [free tournament, put on specifically for big players], he needs a line of credit. And I love when guys owe me. I call and collect and stay in contact. It's play and pay, play and pay. If guys owe me money, I say, 'Steve Cyr is your boy now.' We work out a payment plan but he doesn't go to Caesars or the Mirage. He stays and plays with me [Cyr freelances to casinos such as the Cosmopolitan, Hard Rock and Golden Nugget]. I had a guy owing me $60,000 at the Hilton once. The deal was that he'd pay $6,000 a year for 10 years, but he still came in to play with cash. Whenever he won, the profits would be split—half for him and half toward the debt. And if he ever went to another casino, he knew I would go to the DA's office and turn the marker over as a bad check."
A Vegas-based gambler who's asked to be referred to as Joe Davis explains that for all that the casinos do to use markers as leveraging devices, there are gamblers who come up with their own work-arounds. Some guys use borrowed cash from one casino to pay another. Others take out large markers specifically to get into high-value tournaments put on for big players—if there are 100 players and the prize pool is $200,000, then each seat is worth $2,000. Davis points out that the payoff can be even higher than the value of a seat. He recalls a tournament at the Hard Rock in which those with the largest lines of credit got to skip to the semi finals, giving them an increased chance of winning. "Just because you have a $100,000 marker, it doesn't mean that you have to gamble the whole 100K," he says. "There's one guy who figured out a way to play roulette, with very little downside, and he uses casino credit to get into loads of tournaments."
Then there was the player who meticulously established credit all over Las Vegas, using a multimillion-dollar brokerage statement that tied back to his grandmother. Though the player may have looked degenerate to the casinos, he was anything but. He would play blackjack for $5,000 per hand and quit as soon as he had logged $10,000 in profits. As everybody who has bought into a blackjack game is aware, it's easy to get ahead by two units over the course of a session at the table. The hard part, of course, is quitting at that point. But this player had no problem doing it. "The casinos didn't like his hit-and-run ways," says Davis. "Finally they cut him off."
Unless you have a foolproof strategy for using markers to your benefit, are they really wise to get involved with? I pose this question to Cyr and ask him to give the answer that he'd give to a nephew visiting Vegas for the first time. "My advice would be to not go home owing the casino," he says, acknowledging that it's one thing to lose money while having a good time in Las Vegas but another to pay off your gambling debt 30 days later. "That," he agrees, "is the real Vegas hangover."
Michael Kaplan is a Cigar Aficionado contributing editor.


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(Reuters) - Canada and the United States will join rugby's Pacific Nations Cup this year, the International Rugby Board said, providing a boost for tier two nations with more competitive matches.
The North American duo will be permanent additions to the IRB-funded annual tournament which features Japan, Tonga, Fiji and Samoa, the IRB said in a statement on Monday.
"This exciting enhancement to the IRB Pacific Nations Cup is good news for Japan, Canada, USA and the Pacific Islands," IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset said.
"We now have in place an annual high-caliber competition that will deliver compelling matches, while also fulfilling the high performance needs of our Unions."
Japan, World Cup hosts in 2019, will stage the final round in June, though holders Samoa will be absent as they take a sabbatical to compete in a four-team series in South Africa against the Springboks, Scotland and Italy having qualified as the best tier two side.
The initiative is the latest move by the IRB to try to improve standards in world rugby, which is dominated by New Zealand and a handful of other nations.
"The IRB has a long-term commitment through our strategic plan to create greater levels of quality test competition for tier two nations in order to boost the competitiveness of the world game and rugby World Cup," IRB Head of Development and Performance Mark Egan said.
"To that end we are investing more than 10 million pounds ($15.87 million) per annum in tournaments and high performance programs for our targeted group of Strategic Initiative Unions."
While undoubtedly talented, the Pacific Islanders have suffered from a player drain to bigger nations, with Samoan-born Manu Tuilagi currently playing center for England and Fijian-born Radike Samo representing Australia in the backrow.
Despite the player losses, Samoa have moved up to seventh in the world rankings after wins away to Wales and Australia in the last 18 months, while Tonga won 21-15 in Scotland in November, their first victory over the Six Nations side.
With the expanded Pacific Nations Cup (PNC), coaches of the tier two teams are hopeful the upsets will continue.
"The new look PNC will provide the Eagles with consistent fixtures against some very competitive teams, this can only be good news for the Eagles as we plan our path to Rugby World Cup 2015 in England," USA Rugby Chief Executive Nigel Melville said.
Japan head coach Eddie Jones, who took Australia to the 2003 World Cup final, agreed with the Englishman.
"The IRB Pacific Nations Cup is a wonderful opportunity for Japan and all participating unions to elevate their performances to a higher level in order that we can be more competitive at future rugby World Cups," Jones said.
($1 = 0.6302 British pounds)
Reporting by Patrick Johnston in Singapore; Editing by Peter Rutherford


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Samoa News Editorial: Thank you Senator Tulifua Tini Lam Yuen
The recent brouhaha about Sen. Tulifua Tini Lam Yuen voicing on the Senate floor what 'everyone' has alleged goes on in the Fono, as well as the government — the behind door deals, the pointed investigations into pet peeves, votes on behalf of friends and family, etc. is an interesting turn of events in this local campaign 2012 season.
In fact, I would like to thank Senator Tulifua for his remarks, because it has allowed a very public glimpse of what is going on behind the scenes with the 2012 gubernatorial campaign.
Not that it's anything new — it's just great to see the machinations out front, where they belong, so we can all vote for the team that will bring us…
BTW: Has anyone heard or read what the platform is for any of the declared teams?
It is after all, all about dialogue, and what a great 'faafaletui' Sen. Tulifua has brought to the kava bowl!
In review, the senators didn't admonish Tulifua for his remarks, they attacked him for 'voicing' their dirty linen in public, and seemingly denigrating one of their 'own', in this case, Senator Galeai M. Tu'ufuli, by mentioning his name in connection with such going ons — that is political campaigning in the Fono. In other words, Tulifua's lack of respect for our hallowed matais and halls of leadership got him a demerit.
The Senate President Gaoteote Tofau Palaie told Tulifua at the time of his statements that he was talking about campaigning and named a candidate inside the chamber, which is not appropriate.
Sen. Velega Savali Jr. said he was saddened with the chairman of the Senate Rules Committee (which is Tulifua) for always bringing up issues that have no connection to matters being discussed by the Senate.
And, Galeai, when he addressed the issue during Monday's Senate session, said he believes the Senate was shocked to hear this 'new' language used in the chamber regarding campaigning.
With the formal apology to Sen. Galeai done, the incident seems to have died down, and business as usual proceeds.
Sad, because Tulifua, no matter what his history, is a sitting member of the Senate, and has the right to launch the questions he did, and make the comments he made, even if his actions were not without bias, too.
He pointed out that there is campaigning going on during Fono business hours, and pointed to Muagututia Leapei Fa'aola and Sen. Galeai Tu'ufuli as the the people doing this — campaigning for Lolo L. Moliga. It was noted, in the Samoa News report that Tulifua looked up to the Senate galley, saw Muagututia sitting there — and then proceeded with his remarks on the Senate floor.
Interestingly, an apology was not made to Muagututia but to Sen. Galeai. Does that verify that Muagututia and the Senator are campaigning on behalf of Lolo, during working hours? Or does that merely mean, in the faaSamoa, Muagututia, who is not a senator, but a Fono employee, is not a part of the apology needed to smooth things over?
It's made more interesting, when you remember that Sen. Lemanu Peleti Mauga was present in the Senate chamber when Tulifua made his statements. He is Lolo's declared running mate. Lemanu is also a current Development Bank of American Samoa board member, while Lolo is the CEO of the bank.
This DBAS CEO position, is what makes Tulifua's next set of remarks, which called for a Senate investigation into the DBAS housing program, something that can't be avoided, because Lolo has chosen not to resign from his post at DBAS, although he has declared himself a 2012 gubernatorial candidate; and neither has Lemanu, who is a sitting senator.
They are not required to resign by law — I'm sure someone from the other two teams would have brought that point of law up, if that was the case — or maybe not? Too impolite? But it does open the door to questions of impropriety about Lolo and DBAS, and about Lemanu as a sitting senator and his influence in the Senate to 'rock the vote'.
And then there's the thought: Why did Sen. Tulifua bring up something that is 'nothing new'? And he was persistent in his remarks, continuing to make them, despite the Senate President interjecting and interrupting him.
Is the Lolo & Lemanu team taking support from the traditional political enclave that elected Gov. Tauese Pita Fiti Sunia, and then Gov. Togiola Tulafono, and is now mentioned as backing the Faoa & Taufete'e team? Is there a division in the ranks? Will this allow a third team to slip in for a run-off?
What does this all mean?
I don't know. It's just some thoughts for us, the voters, who believe one person- one vote, in the voting booth, on Tuesday, November 6, 2012.


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March 2016
Rome wasn't built in a day – so it's no surprise that even a few days in the Eternal City isn't enough to take in all of its ancient sights, creative cuisine and classic architecture. But you can still enjoy a city break without eating into your holiday time. Here's how to make the most of your weekend when you only have 48 hours to spare.
Evening - Make your escape
It's worth taking a half day off work (or getting an early Friday finish) to catch British Airways' 15:10 flight from London Gatwick – you'll touch down at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino airport at 18:30, just in time for dinner in the Eternal City.
Stop by the Pantheon, Rome's best-preserved ancient monument, and admire the ornate fountains of the Piazza Navona
20:00 - First taste of Rome
After checking into your hotel (see below for recommendations), duck into Metamorfosi on Via Giovanni Antonelli before it closes at 22:30. The informal, Michelin-starred restaurant has a variety of tasting menus. If you'd prefer to grab and go, try classic Roman street food pizza bianca ('white' pizza with olive oil, rosemary and salt) from Forni di Campo de' Fiori.


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BrentCsutoras needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 38 designs submitted by 14 freelance designers.
Need a site for an anonymous poet and writer to publish their works on. The works are often about struggles, death, and occasionally love, all with a twist of insanity and darkness to them.
Really looking for something out of the normal and exciting... so wow me.
The audience will be anyone who likes dark and interesting written works.
Website should consist of a Homepage and an internal page design. It will be made into a wordpress theme, so please keep that in mind.
Would like to have the theme of insanity that reflects the name of the site being whitejackets.org. The design should be dark, intriguing, pained, but should not be Goth or too over the top.
Would like the site design to remain clean and simple and use a lot of white colors.
Navigational items are not decided yet but plan on having a few footer items and around 4 to 6 navigational items on the site. Possibly for short story, poetry, images, about the writer, etc


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Any changes or improvments to the game will be listed in here. You cannot start new threads in this forum, but you are welcome to reply to any that are in here.
Use this control to limit the display of threads to those newer than the specified time frame.
Allows you to choose the data by which the thread list will be sorted.
Order threads in...
Note: when sorting by date, 'descending order' will show the newest results first.
Forum Rules


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Model# ADL003G1A-005-1750
Adams Speedline LP Fairway Wood (LH) #5 - A Flex$62.99The low-profile design of the Speedline LP Fairway Wood produces a higher launch and easy-to-hit performance. The Velocity Slot Technology that's visible across the crown and sole delivers a spring-like effect for more ball speed and increased distance. Velocity Slot Technology also expands the area of forgiveness across the entire face for off-center shots Learn More


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(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
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James Gillespie Birney (1792-1857), corresponding secretary of the American Anti-Slavery Society, ran for president on the Liberty Party ticket in 1840. The party was founded by abolitionists who wanted to place slavery on the national political agenda. This article advises "the Irish" to vote for Birney because the abolitionists were the only Americans who spoke well of Daniel O'Connell (1775-1847) who was called The Liberator of Ireland after The Catholic Emancipation Act was passed in 1829. The Irish are advised to vote for liberty and for the man that O'Connell felt it was an honor to meet. The Emancipator was a New York, New York newspaper published for the Anti-Salvery Society from Aug. 1835 to Dec 1841.
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"Irish Immigration" article from the Greenfield Gazette and Franklin Herald newspaper
Voting Circular from the Whig State Central Committee
Delegates from abolitionist sector nominate Hubbard for Congressman article in Greenfield Gazette and Mercury newspaper
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Help WNY's At-Risk Mothers — Donate To The United Way Community Baby Shower!
Only a few more weeks to help.
The United Way wants to make a difference in Erie County by organizing a community-wide effort to collect essential baby items that will help at-risk mothers to give their newborns a stronger start.
If you want to help, you can host a "baby shower" between now and April 8, or donate money towards the purchase of supplies. Drop off donated baby items anytime between now and April 8 at United Way of Buffalo & Erie County (742 Delaware Ave., Buffalo).
More info and a list of items needed can be found at at uwbec.org, or just check out the flier below for all the info!


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2009-09-09 / Events & Calendar
Seaford Community Band seeks new musicians
The Seaford Community Band is seeking new musicians to join the band established in 1988 by Maestro Joe Manso. All band instrumentalists are sought: woodwinds, brass and percussion. Musicians should be comfortable with level 4 music. The band meets on Wednesday evenings, 8 to 10 p.m. at Seaford High School, Seaman's Neck Road in Seaford.
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Sept. 8, 2010
BOSTON, MA - Sophomore middle hitter Shannon Thompson (Moorpark, CA) spiked for 16 kills to lead the University of Massachusetts Boston women's volleyball team over visiting Emerson College, 25-18, 25-18, 18-25, 25-11, tonight at the Clark Athletic Center on the campus of UMass Boston in Boston, MA. The victory marks the 100th for Head Coach Terry Condon at UMass Boston for a record of 100-55 (.645). She is the all-time victory leader for the Beacons and owns a career record of 292-168 (.635), including stints at Texas A&M University and California State University Bakersfield.
UMass Boston wins its fifth straight match to open the season with a 5-0 mark for its best start in school history. The Beacons received 29 votes in the most recent Division III American Volleyball Coaches Association national poll. The Lions suffer their first loss of the season and fall to 3-1.
Thompson hit .250 for the match for UMass Boston and added a match-high four aces to go with five digs and a pair of total blocks.
The Beacons owned a 20-12 advantage in the first set, before Emerson reeled off six straight points to pull to within 20-18, but the home team scored the final five points of the match to take the opening set. The Lions stayed close in the second set as well, trailing 21-18, before UMass Boston tallied the last four points of the set to take a 2-0 lead in the match. Emerson's 25-18 win in the third set snapped the Beacons' streak of 13 straight sets without a loss, before they rallied to close out the match with a 25-11 set four win.
Junior middle hitter Molly Rattigan (Dorchester, MA) put down four of her nine kills in the fourth set for UMass Boston and hit a blistering .571 for the evening, while adding two block solos and a dig. Sophomore libero Bethany Rossoll (Colorado Springs, CO) led the defense with a match-high 18 digs, while freshman outside hitter Corrine Porter (Ladera Ranch, CA) came up with 16 digs in addition to five kills and a service ace. Junior setter Cassy Hanneman (Denver, CO) directed the action with 25 assists and added nine digs and two aces.
Senior middle hitter Lauren Zaniboni (San Diego, CA) led the Lions on both sides of the net with seven kills, eight total blocks and 12 digs, while sophomore right side hitter Alexa Krakowiak (Westport, CT) contributed with seven kills, three digs and four total blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Kelsey Scanlon (Sonoma, CA) scooped up 15 digs to go with five kills, an ace and a block assist and junior setter Katie Bailey (Calabasas, CA) tallied 15 assists, three digs and a kill.
The Beacons will be in action again when they travel to Waltham, MA to compete in the Brandeis Invitational, taking on Rhode Island College at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 10.


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Sermons (1)
|Spiritual Survival: Looking Forward
|2 Peter 3:10-16 (Part of the Spiritual Survival series).
|Preached by Kevin O'Connor on August 18, 2013 (Sunday Morning).
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Md. homicide may be linked to gang related murder | News
FORT WASHINGTON, Md. (WUSA9) -- Police say a homicide at a townhome in Prince George's County on Wednesday morning may be related to another murder.
Police say the victim, identified as 19-year-old Kquante Markis Fisher, was a witness in the murder of Marcus Antonio Jones, a Friendly High School student who was shot outside a house party in Fort Washington in January.
Fisher had originally been charged in the January murder but charges were dropped and he became a witness for the prosecution.
Fisher was offered witness relocation in March of this year and met with prosecutors as recently as Tuesday, officials say.
Police say the Jones murder was gang related and that they believe Fisher was involved in a gang.
At around 9:25 a.m. on Wednesday, police responded to the 6100 block of Kidare Court.
According to police, they got a 9-1-1 call to "check the welfare" of an individual in this home. They found a young man dead from an apparent gunshot wound. Police say they believe this was a "targeted killing."
Police say there was no sign of forced entry and the event was apparently "not random." They are not calling this a home invasion.
#PGPD homicide detectives on scene of death investigation in 6100 blk Kildare Ct in #TempleHills. PIO on scene.


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The Timing of Providence
In the midst of trouble and suffering, it can be difficult to believe that the Lord knows exactly what He is doing. So often it is easier to despair, believing that God has abandoned us and that He will not ...Read More
Joseph Bears Witness
Especially in the United States, many people aspire to be the "self-made man." Yet we who serve Christ know that there is no such thing. God, in his sovereignty, is the one who dictates what makes a man. And a ...Read More
Joseph's Ascendancy
The Spirit who gave wisdom to Jacob and empowered Christ to rule over all is the same Holy Spirit whom the Father freely grants to His people today (John 14:15–17). Even now He is writing God's law ...Read More
Divine Prophecy
Some Reformed Christians easily fall prey to fatalistic thinking. We might think that since Jesus said the poor will always be with us (Mark 14:7), it is useless to try to help them. Or, maybe we think that we ...Read More
Joseph's Humility
Each one of us must join with Paul and confess that "by the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Cor. 15:10). The cross of Jesus Christ and the presence of the Spirit crush any thought of ...Read More


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Midair explosion or collision? Terrorism? Theft of the aircraft for whatever reason? Pilot suicide (like Egyptair)? Why is this investigation going nowhere?
At first, I thought it can't be terrorism or someone would be making a claim. but terrorism can have many goals and motivations, and creating a general malease could certainly be one of them.
As for suicide, it seems to be difficult to admit a Muslim might commit siuicide.
Unless he's going to fly a plane into a building or detonate a bomb vest in a crowd, of course.
Views: 378
We don't know enough to know. I saw a lot of interesting rumors yesterday, but I don't think any of them solidified.
But I had the uneasy realization that if someone like Reid the Shoe Bomber had actually succeeded, we'd probably never have known what happened, or even where. (And that's the situation we seem to be in right now, so such a scenario isn't completely out of the question. Yet.) We wouldn't know about Reid's hypothetical success because there is no radar coverage over most of the Atlantic. Worse: Aviation radars are not as powerful as military ones; the targets of aviation radars want to be seen and thus have transponders on board. When they detect a radar beam, they send out a signal--with identifying code (the "squawk")--that is far more powerful than the radar return is. A military radar has to be more powerful so that the return signal by itself is enough to be noticed and distinguished from "clutter" (spurious return signals). (Reducing this return signal through use of design and materials is a large part of what stealth is about.) If this plane was indeed diverted somehow with the transponder turned off (as rumored yesterday), it would very likely have looked like "clutter" to the radar as it went out of range.
This particular bit of ocean is almost ringed by islands and Asia. I haven't looked but I suspect a large part of the middle of the South China Sea has no radar coverage.
And as a last note, Yes, Unseen, that is a huge blind spot that many on the irreligious left seem to have: they have trouble believing a Muslim might want to die because he actually believes his religion. Sam Harris has been trying to get through to them on that score since 9/11--many were trying to blame poor economic conditions for people wanting to commit suicide, and he famously asked how many engineers and architects (i.e., people who could make a good living, even in the Middle East) have to hit the wall at four hundred miles an hour before they will realize it's the religion doing it.
On the other hand the religious right doesn't seem to understand that Christianity is the same in principle, albeit (today) not quite in degree. I wonder when the first Xian terrorists will try to violently suppress "evilution" when the government refuses, for the nth time, to do their bidding.
Most Islamic terrorists are NOT from desperate poverty. Many are rather well-educated.
I wonder if the Christians are offering up The Rapture as an explanation(?). Maybe God's dry run on before the real deal.
Maybe the one real Xian on earth was on that flight--and was the only person to get raptured. The other two billion "Xians" all have it wrong and get to go to hell forever.
That was my facetious theory about that whacko who predicted the end of the world almost two years ago, and I am going to stick to it. That he was right, but there are so few Xians the way Jebus wanted them to be, that no one noticed the rapture.
I just remembered a mildly humorous story about getting raptured off of aircraft.
I once boarded a plane--one of the first people on in fact--to find that the guy who had the aisle seat on my row was already on. But all there was to see of him was a folded sweater and a bible. I actually did think "raptured?" to myself, rather sarcastically.
It turned out he was a pilot, deadheading, and had gone to the back of the plane to talk to the flight attendants while us groundhogs boarded the plane. I was actually carrying some sort of atheist literature to read (I don't recall what), so when he saw me, he said something like "I guess we don't agree on much."
How strange...
Alien abduction, obviously.
The latest (credible) theory is that the plane is intact somewhere, readying for use as another 9/11-style flying missile. A remote possibility, perhaps, but a possibility.
Damn, that doesn't sound too far-fetched to me. I wonder how hard it'd be to find an adequately serviceable but hidden runway.
Some sort of hangar would seem to be called for as well. Otherwise, the plane is sitting out there for anyone to see.
Sounds like a James Bond plot.
I've heard too much speculation now to know what's accurate and germane, any more. What's stuck in my mind so far are:
The stolen passports were used by two people who were not only friends, but were living with a guy who had some kind of sophisticated flight simulator. If true, I don't know why this hasn't been bigger news. Terrorism seems likely to me. Then there's the added possibility that the plane was first flown off course just to be harder to find. (Dropping altitude and flying "under the radar" is also possible, if you know where the radar centers are.)


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Aligning is the process of finding the correct places relative to each other for all images that should contribute to a panorama.
It has to be always performed together with remapping, since any positional change of an image requires a different remapping. Aligning is an inherent part of the stitching process.


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By Beverly Gutenberg, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
I was interested in the submission of David Kirschenmann because the experience was the same as mine. As a Catholic we were forbidden from eating meat on Friday so out came the noodles. I loved them - we had the egg noodles that Michael described and what I called "fat noodles". The latter were made from flour, milk, a bit of oil but no salt - similar to dumplings for stew. They were then treated similar to the preparation of dough as in bread. They were kneaded and then rolled by hand into strips and cut into pieces. My job as a child was to roll these pieces of dough which had been sprinkled with flour and made my hands itch with the friction of rolling them. They were put in a frying pan with butter and a little water and cooked for 20 minutes. My mother would make two frying pans of these fat noodles - one with onions for my father and sister, and one with sauerkraut for my mother and I. One had to add the correct amount of water to have them steamed. All the water had to be evaporated in order to have the right consistency of the noodles. We loved the crusts that developed in the process. We also ate these with prunes or more frequently with canned Saskatoon berries.
I remember going to church several times during the Easter weekend - on Good Friday was a somber ceremony because it was the day Christ was crucified, Saturday midnight was the time we met in the basement of the church and witnessed the blessing of the Holy Water and the new fire then were all proceeded up the stairs to the church proper. Sunday was, of course, the joyous celebration of Christ arising from the tomb.
We got new outfits to wear at Easter.
We would always have dyed Easter eggs for which to search. These eggs would traditionally be dyed on Good Friday at our house. I can't remember getting the basket but I remember making the basket out of shoe boxes and crepe paper.
My family came from Kandel and Strassburg in the
Ukraine, lived in the area of Orrin for a few years
and then in 1906 emigrated to the Saskatchewan prairies
near Tramping Lake in St. Joseph's colony.


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Cam'ron Interview Back In 1998 With Freekey Zekey! [Vintage Footage] "Freekey Zekey. Thats My Hype Man Right Their"
Cam'ron Interview in 98
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Harlem Globetrotter speaks to kids about bullying
Cheese Chisholm of the Harlem Globetrotters paid a visit to the Salvation Army's Boys and Girls Club in Beaumont on Monday, Jan. 21, to talk to the children about bullying.
"I'm from the Bronx, N.Y., and I never had a chance for anyone to come to my neighborhood and talk to me," Chisholm said. "So anytime I have a chance to talk to kids, I try to do the best I can."
The visit was part of a new nationwide community outreach program by the Globetrotters in an effort to impact schools and communities.
"We do this in every state," he said. "This is my pride and joy. I love talking to kids. Being goodwill ambassadors are what Harlem Globetrotters pride ourselves behind."
The outreach program is called "The ABCs of Bullying Prevention." The A is for the Action that children should take when they see a classmate being bullied, the B is for the Bravery it takes to stand up to a bully, and the C is for the Compassion that children should share with other children who might be a victim of bullying.
Chisholm told the children that bullying didn't have to necessarily be physical and could occur throughout different media such as Facebook and other social media. He also talked to the children about what it means to be part of a team and how they could offer support to one another to help stop bullying. The Globetrotters program, which targets 6- to 12-year-olds, doesn't encourage children to get physically involved when they see another child being bullied, but instead encourages them to notify an adult or authority figure.
After the serious discussion was out of the way, Cheese, named for having the best smile on his team, showed the children his smile and a few of his famous tricks — including behind the back, between the legs and off the elbow passes. He also played a game with a few of the children who showed the initiative to answer his questions during the discussion. Chisholm would pass the ball to each child, sometimes unexpectedly, and if the boy or girl dropped the pass, they would be eliminated from the game, with the last child remaining named the winner. The other children were not left out, however, as they cheered on the participants.
"The fact that I can create memories and that a few of these kids will never forget this for the rest of their lives is what I enjoy most about doing this," Chisholm said. "My goal is to reach at least one kid, and if I can do that, I think I've done my job."
"The ABCs of Bullying Prevention" was designed by the Globetrotters in coordination with the National Campaign to Stop Violence (NCSV). According to the Globetrotter's website, "NSCV is a nonprofit organization that works with middle school students, firmly believes that young people, who think about their actions in the non-confrontational ways that this program extols, can create a culture where aggressive behavior is frowned upon and violence is thereby reduced. Students frequently cite bullying as a cause of violence that they experience, and the rate at which kids are reporting this cause is increasing. We hope that by reaching these kids early in their lives, they might be taught valuable lessons in character and empathy from the positive role models of the Harlem Globetrotters."
Chisholm will be playing with the Globetrotters on Tuesday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. at Ford Park Arena in Beaumont as part of the team's "You Write the Rules" World Tour.
For tickets or more information about the Globetrotters, visit www.harlemglobetrotters.com.


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Check out our Fendt Trisix Vario photo gallery
with HQ pics.
Last update in Trisix Vario gallery: 2008-07-18
Audi started the road tests of a 'hot' Q4 coupe-crossover variation. The first batch of spy photos of the test prototype appeared on Autocar.
On a new teaser, Mitsubishi showed the alleged appearance of Engelberg Tourer concept - it's a SUV on electricity.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk told the Western media that by the end of 2019, work on the function of driving in their electric vehicles would end.
Peugeot director Jean-Philippe Imparato tweeted a hybrid sports car teaser on Twitter.
Toyota will soon finish serial production of the Prius C hybrid hatch.
The global production Honda process is so hard for a company - Honda will close the only enterprise in Europe.
We select only big size fendt trisix vario photos
for our photogallery.


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With the increasing popularity of on-site power, it's important for those interested in distributed generation to know how to connect their system to the utility grid.
You may think that utility companies have a universal standard for allowing interconnection of on-site power with the utility, but this isn't the case. Each utility is independent and has its own set of interconnection standards, and in some cases no interconnection standard exists at all.
Most utility companies will have different interconnect requirements based on the size of the connected generation in the kW or kVA rating and/or the voltage at which the connection is being made.
Although there are no hard and fast rules for interconnecting a non-utility generator (NUG) with the utility, you need to adhere to certain technical requirements. This will help you ensure the safety of your personnel and equipment and provide for the reliability of both systems.
The issues that you need to consider when paralleling with the utility include costs, contracts, environmental impact, and mode of operation. Along with reviewing the main transformer and generation characteristics like voltage, you also need to consider four main issues: the utility metering section, utility disconnect device, protective relaying, and interlocking and control.
Utility metering section. The utility metering section pertains to revenue metering. The service entrance sections house the utility instrument transformers and metering devices, which are sometimes owned by the utility companies. In other cases, they're furnished as part of the paralleling switchgear for the project.
The standards by which many utilities will adequately define encompass mechanical construction requirements like bus bar sizes, clearances, and the location of components. The overall dimensions of the metering section are also taken into consideration.
Utility metering section standards also deal with the type of CTs and PTs that are required. In most cases the utility will be responsible for furnishing the CTs, PTs, and revenue meters. When the metering section is built into the owner's furnished switchgear line-up, it's essential to determine whether the utility has a requirement for "hot" or "cold" metering, or where the metering section is located with relation to the utility disconnect device.
Utility disconnect. A disconnect device is required to disconnect the on-site generation device from the utility source. In some cases this may be the breaker used to parallel with the utility. However, in many cases, the utility will want full access to the disconnect device and the capability to lock out the on-site generation. This device could be a pole-mounted utility disconnect or an owner-furnished disconnect switch. The main requirement is that the utility has a means of disconnecting and locking out the onsite generation device to ensure the safety of the workers during maintenance calls.
Protective Relaying. Although utility-grade relaying schemes aren't typically required for use with closed transition transfer switches, a full relaying package will be necessary in all cases of extended utility parallel operation. These relaying packages consist of a protective relay scheme that uses utility-grade protective relays to accomplish a number of functions. The utility's primary concern is that the on-site generation system doesn't cause any adverse effects on the system. Therefore a relay scheme is required to disconnect the generation system from the utility in the event of abnormal conditions during parallel operation.
The primary protective functions that should be provided for all systems that parallel with the utility, for the utility point of connection are:
Synchronizing—Insure in phase closing of both sources together
Over/undervoltage—Protect against system overvoltage and undervoltage conditions that cause damage to equipment on either side of the interconnection point.
Over/under frequency—Protect against over and under frequency conditions
Phase balance—Protect against phase voltage imbalance and phase rotation.
Phase-to-phase and ground fault—Protect against phase-to-phase faults and phase-to- ground faults both on the utility grid and within the NUG facility.
Current balance—Protect against for current imbalance.
Some of the additional relaying that may be necessary is reverse power, under power, and directional current.
Interlocking and Control. Some utilities will require a review of the control and interlocking scheme used to control the parallel operation. This will help ensure that out-of-phase paralleling isn't possible. The interlocking logic will prevent out-of-phase closing and may allow open- and closed-transition operation. With the use of PLCs, it isn't uncommon to control these breakers with interlocking for both manual and automatic operation.
All utility companies are independent, and their requirements differ from one another. A complete interconnect package that includes protective relay drawings and detailed metering section arrangements should be submitted to the utility for approval prior to construction. This will hopefully avoid unnecessary and costly field changes.


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First: is there such a thing as Ghanaian coconuts? Anecdotal evidence suggests there is. Those who have tasted Nigerian coconuts say it pales into comparison to that of Ghana's on account of the juice alone.
Second: Coconuts are sold all over the capital -- nay, all over the country -- but you are sure to get some almost every corner of Accra and even its suburbs.
They go for less than a dollar. These days, that's a VERY loaded term, but rest assured they are affordable for everyone.
Today's not the day to tell you about health benefits of coconut, which are immense!
Just to say that: although West Africa is home to coconuts (at least Ghana; Nigeria; & Cote d'Ivoire feature), no West African country is in the top 10 of coconut production. That prestige goes to the East African country of Tanzania, which produced (according to 2009 figures) 577,099 thousand tonnes.
That said, UNCTAD reports that as far as coconut oil is concerned, Cote d'Ivoire is in there, with 28000 tonnes*, while it exports 19,849 tonnes* at a value of USD3,725,000 -- as per UNCTAD's data!
Again: no other West African country features, prompting my immediate question: what is my government doing strategically to ensure we enhance the value chain of our coconuts, and get to the stage where we can compete with our West African neighbour to the West of Ghana?
*Source: http://www.unctad.info/en/Infocomm/AACP-Products/COMMODITY-PROFILE---Coconut2/
sent from mobile phone 》www.ekbensahdotnet.org


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I have gone through the well-known intermittent starting problem over the last few years on an otherwise trouble free car, each time a brand new battery solved the issue. Recently, however, I have gone through 3 new batteries in just a few months, and the problem has resurfaced in a different form. Car is used infrequently, maybe once every month or so, but in the latest recurrence brand new, fully charged batteries were used and the problem persists.
1) Key does not light up the dash when you try to turn the engine on.
2) Key can be physically moved partially, but not fully, in the key slot.
3) Same symptoms with both of the OEM keys.
Here?s my interesting finding today ? if I fully disconnect the battery, the key works fine, the dash lights up, and the car starts ONCE. I can restart the car problem-free only if I keep the key in the ?ON? position. Once I physically remove the key from the key slot, car will not start. I then need to disconnect the battery to get the car to reset and start again.
Any ideas? Could it be something with the key/ecu interface? Is it possible that if the battery is disconnected and the system is reset, the ecu recognizes the key, but once the key is removed it is no longer recognized by the ecu?
My dealer experience has been spotty and unpredictable, I would like to bring the car in with some direction to give to the mechanics. Any help/ideas much appreciated.
Thank you in advance, Carlos


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