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The Rotary Ride: One of Taupo's best mountain bike tracks
Hitting the Rotary Ride from town is easy!
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I've just been out the back door, leapt on my bike and rode up the street onto one of Taupo's best mountain bike tracks – The Rotary Ride. As I pedalled my merry way through suburban Taupo, I marvelled at how close the start of the track is to town and how lucky we are to have such easy access to some really top-notch riding. Not only is the scenery beautiful, but this ride that follows the course of the Waikato River up to Huka Falls is also well thought out and well built. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, credit has to go once again to the marvellous chaps of Bike Taupo who really are very handy at getting all those berms, corners and the camber just right.
The track starts in Spa Park, off County Ave. It's literally only a 5-10 minute ride up the road from the middle of town. From the carpark at the bottom of County Ave, ride down the grassy gully to your right (tempting as it might be, don't follow the tourists in their swim gear on the main path down to the river. This is a walkers-only track). The hot pools could be a good stop off on the way back though! At the bottom of the grassy gully you'll see a short track that zig-zags down to a dirt road. You should be able to see the blue Rotary Ride sign from here.
As I headed over the wooden bridge I felt like I was entering the ethereal world of a goblin forest. The combination of lush pongas, dark old pines and pumicy volcanic valleys lends itself to a scene from a fantasy fiction movie. With this in mind, I embraced my inner elf and darted my way between trees, up easy climbs and down swooping, flowing downhills.
While it's a cruisy track, I had to remind myself that parts of Rotary are two-way so I pinned it back a bit on the downhills to avoid ending up impaled on someone else's handlebars! There are signs telling you where the track becomes two-way though, so it's easy to work out when you're safe to gun it and when you need to be wary.
Once you're up above the Waikato River there are magnificent views to be had of the clear green water. I always stop at one particular vantage point that has glimpses of the exclusive Huka Lodge, favoured amongst the celebrity set as a peaceful getaway retreat. I'm sure one day, as I stop for a breather in my usual spot, I'll glance across and see the Queen or Brad and Angelina soaking up the atmosphere on the famed lawns.
The other view worth stopping to admire is of 'the drop' into Huka Falls. You'll get a good view of the rapid leading into the Falls, and if you're lucky there might even be some daredevil kayakers about to risk all and take the plunge.
Once you reach Huka Falls you can either head back on the return track to Spa Park (but make sure you ride the short downhill to the bridge first and check out the incredible Falls close up), or you can go down over the Falls bridge, squeeze carefully through the throngs of tourists and take Kev's Track or the Café Track up to Craters MTB park. I opted for Kev's Track, a short, sharp uphill that will pop you out of the pines on the side of the main highway. There are a few turn-offs on the way up but they're all brilliantly signposted so it's easy to find your way.
Once I got to Craters via Kev's Track and recovered from the climbing (OK you fast and fit people, you'll probably hardly raise your heart rate going up there!) I did a quick loop of SH Fun before heading back home on the Rotary Ride.
I really have to rate Rotary Ride as one of the best grade 2's about. The changing scenery is fabulous and there's a good variety of riding. It's pretty much all single track and is challenging enough to keep the seasoned rider entertained, but equally it's an achievable ride for a novice rider with a reasonable level of fitness. I love that it's so easy to get to and that someone back in 2003 had the foresight to create an off-road route out to Craters MTB park.
So get out there and enjoy this glorious, goblin-infused ride and make some revolutions on Rotary!


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MEXICO CITY -- Handpicked for the job by the Mexican president, praised by the U.S. government for his honesty, army Gen. Jose de Jesus Gutierrez Rebollo seemed the perfect man to serve as drug czar. But barely 11 weeks on the job, Gutierrez Rebollo was fired in February 1997 and later convicted of working for a cartel he was tasked to fight.
To this day, the Gutierrez Rebollo case remains a prime example of the extent to which drug corruption can permeate Mexico's most important institutions.
Gutierrez Rebollo died Thursday of complications following cancer surgery at a military hospital in Mexico City, his lawyer said. He was 79 and had been serving a 40-year sentence, most recently in a hospital because of illness.
In the late 1990s, Gutierrez Rebollo was accused of aiding the then-dominant Juarez cartel headed at the time by Amado Carrillo Fuentes, the "Lord of the Skies" -- so known for his practice of flying planes packed with cocaine -- and one of the early grand masters of Mexican drug trafficking.
The embarrassing allegations came shortly after Gutierrez was appointed the head of the equivalent of the Drug Enforcement Administration. He had come highly recommended by top government officials, and enthusiastically endorsed by Washington, based on his 42-year career in the military, duty that had included heading drug interdiction operations.
Instead, officials said after his arrest in 1997, he was easing cocaine shipments and accepting millions of dollars in bribes from Carrillo Fuentes.
He was sentenced to 40 years in jail, but his family and lawyer maintained his innocence and were pursuing an appeal at the time of his death.
The Gutierrez case represented the most egregious involving military corruption until last year, when six senior military officials were arrested on similar charges. However, those prosecutions, among the last in the government of former President Felipe Calderon, fell apart, and the officers were released soon after current President Enrique Peña Nieto took office last December.
It has been reported that Gutierrez served as a model for a corrupt general in Steven Soderbergh's 2000 film, "Traffic."

subset: commoncrawl


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JOLIET – An Indiana semitrailer driver pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges related to last month's fatal chain-reaction crash on Interstate 55 near Arsenal Road.
Francisco Espinal-Quiroz, 51, of Leesburg, Indiana, faces several charges after he was arrested on charges that he caused a multi-vehicle collision July 21 that led to the deaths of five people, including one child. Another person died in a second collision.
On Tuesday, Espinal-Quiroz formally entered his not guilty plea during an appearance at the Will County Courthouse. He is being held in lieu of a $1 million bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Sept. 9. Espinal-Quiroz's attorneys said they expect all evidence to be turned over by Aug. 26.
"Our position is that this was a tragic accident," said Sarah Toney, one of his attorneys.
Charges against Espinal-Quiroz include falsifying a log book and failing to maintain a log book.
Police also cited him for failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident. Espinal-Quiroz has a history of traffic violations that date back to 1991 and include three speeding tickets since 2012.
His attorneys said they hope his charges are not upgraded. Assistant Will County State's Attorney Jim Long has previously said other charges, including reckless homicide, are possible as state police continue their investigation.
During Tuesday's hearing, a judge granted a motion to preserve evidence that was filed Aug. 7 by Espinal-Quiroz's attorneys. His attorneys said they were concerned about evidence being destroyed during tests.
According to the motion, evidence included interviews, recordings, pictures, vehicles involved in the accident and blood and urine samples taken from Espinal-Quiroz.
His attorneys said they were not aware of any results from blood tests conducted or if reconstruction of the accident was completed. Assistant Will County State's Attorney Mike Fitzgerald said crash reconstruction is ongoing, as is the state police's investigation of the accident.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration suspended the operating authority registration of Espinal-Quiroz, who does business as Espinal Trucking, according to an Aug. 8 news release.
The suspension was the result of his failure to cooperate in an investigation of the carrier's compliance with federal safety regulations. FMCSA officials said investigators were denied access to company records by an Espinal Trucking representative.
Authorities said Espinal-Quiroz was traveling 15 mph over the speed limit at the I-55 construction site July 21 when he slammed into vehicles at 2:17 p.m.
Those who died on the day of the first collision were Kimberly K. Britton, 43, and Piper Britton, 11, of Urbana; Vicky L. Palaciocs, 54, of Coal City; and Ulrike P. Blopleh, 48, of Channahon. Timothy Osburn, 64, of Urbana, also was involved in the first collision and was pronounced dead Aug. 6.
A second collision occurred at 2:33 p.m. July 21 in the southbound lanes near Route 6, when one semitrailer rear-ended another. Deividas Mockus, 41, of Darien was killed as a result of that collision.


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Purchase Orders
All purchases of goods or services over $2,500 are processed by the Purchasing Department and require a Purchase Requisition (PR). Requisitions can be completed online at http://www.byui.edu/financial-services/purchasing-and-disbursements. For detailed instructions on how to fill out a requisition see "How to Fill Out a Requisition" included in this packet. The following are some important points to remember about requisitions:
- A requisition authorizes the use of funds on an account and can only be filled out by someone authorized on the account.
- Once you submit your requisition you should receive an email copy of it. If you do not get this email your requisition has not been submitted.
- After your requisition has been submitted it may go to the budget steward for final authorization. This common with capitol equipment purchases.
- After the requisition has been approved it is sent to Purchasing to be processed. You may suggest a supplier on the requisition but only purchasing is authorized to commit funds over $2,500.
- Once your requisition has been processed you will receive an email with a copy of the Purchase Order.
Blanket Orders
A few contract vendors have Blanket Order Agreements, where Release Numbers (PRAs) can be used to place of Purchase Orders. this Release Numbers ties back to your account number and Accounts Payable will pay the invoice using that number instead of a Purchase Order. Release Numbers, sometimes called PRA numbers, can be obtained by calling extension 2312 or emailing the Purchasing Office.
Only if we have established a Blanket Order with a vendor can you use Release Numbers to purchase items. You cannot use a Release Number with a vendor if their name does not appear on the list at http://www.byui.edu/financial-services/purchasing-and-disbursements/pra-vendor-information/pra-vendor-list.
Blanket Order vendors are usually local businesses or vendors that we do a large volume of low dollar business with on a regular basis. This is not as preferable as using as Purchasing Card.
There is an updated list of vendors authorized to accept these Release Numbers included in your packet and on the Purchasing web page under Vendor Information-PRA Vendors.
PRA (Release) NUMBERS ARE NOT TO BE USED AS PURCHASE ORDER NUMBERS.


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Sunday Sessions
The Art of Stand-Up presented by Miriam Katz, and a Public Art Fund Panel Discussion on Configurations
Sunday, November 11, 2012
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
2–3 PM · Public Art Fund panel discussion
4–6 PM · Miriam Katz presents The Art of Stand-Up
4–5 PM · An afternoon celebrating the launch of HEJ
Miriam Katz presents The Art of Stand-Up
in conjunction with The New York Comedy Festival
TICKETS ($10) can be purchased online, HERE
Curator and writer Miriam Katz presents a showcase of comedians, hosted by Eugene Mirman and featuring Chelsea Peretti, Jerrod Carmichael, and Morgan Murphy, each performing their own distinct style of stand-up. The event launches Katz's podcast, "Breakdown," which features in-depth interviews with both visual artists and comedians, as part of her ongoing endeavor to connect the worlds of comedy and art. The Art of Stand-Up is a New York Comedy Festival program.
Public Art Fund curator Andria Hickey hosts a panel discussion with artists Valérie Blass, Katinka Bock, Esther Kläs, and Allyson Vieira
In conjunction with the opening of Public Art Fund's new group exhibition, Configurations, Valérie Blass, Katinka Bock, Esther Kläs, and Allyson Vieira will discuss the relationship between material, form, and subject in their work. Moderated by Public Art Fund Associate Curator, Andria Hickey, the conversation will focus on translating each artist's sculptural practice into the public realm. Configurations: Valérie Blass, Katinka Bock, Esther Kläs, Allyson Vieira is on view at Metrotech Center Commons, Downtown Brooklyn, November 11, 2012—September 16, 2013.
An afternoon celebrating the launch of HEJ,
a print-curatorial project
ARTBOOK @ MoMA PS1 | Magazine Store invites you to an afternoon celebrating the launch of HEJ: a print-curatorial project. HEJ is proud to release its first issue, a publication featuring interdisciplinary work by an international group of 25 artists, writers, and curators. Rigorously curated yet accessible in form and content, HEJ is a tangible space for creative and critical production—in a variety of genres—to overlap, interact, and create meaningful discourse. HEJ balances theoretical and aesthetic concerns, while considering, in print format, the rapid changes in artistic dialogue within the context of the Internet. In celebration of its first issue, contributors to and friends of HEJ will present visual, written, and performative works, continuing conversations started within the issue.
HEJ no. 1 is curated by Charlie Tatum and Dana Kopel and designed by Alex Tatusian for BF Bifocals. Copies will be available for purchase at the event.
Sunday Sessions is made possible by MoMA's Wallis Annenberg Fund for Innovation in Contemporary Art through the Annenberg Foundation.
Images: (The Art of Stand-Up, from top left:) Chelsea Peretti, photo by Evan Sung. Jerrod Carmichael, photo by Mandee Johnson. Morgan Murphy, photo by Bradley Meinz. Eugene Mirman, photo by Brian Tamborello.


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Chevrolet Spark and Sonic Drive with Siri
12 Dec, 2012, 15:52 GMT
LONDON, December 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
Early next year, the U.S. version of the Chevrolet Spark and Sonic (known as Aveo in Europe) will integrate Siri, the intelligent assistant that helps get things done just by asking. Chevrolet made the announcement at the Los Angeles International Auto Show.
Through the cars' standard Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system, customers with a compatible iPhone (4S and newer) running iOS 6 can direct Siri to perform a number of tasks while they safely keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel. To further minimize distraction, Siri takes hands-free functionality even further with an Eyes Free mode that enables users to interact with their iPhone using nothing more than their voice while keeping the device's screen from lighting up.
Owners simply connect their iPhone with the MyLink radio via Bluetooth, pair with the system, and use the steering wheel voice activation button to begin and end sessions with Siri in Eyes Free mode.
In the U.S., Spark and Sonic RS, owners can use Siri in Eyes Free mode to:
- Make voice-activated, hands-free calls to Contacts on their iPhone
- Play songs in the iTunes library, and even switch music sources automatically from AM/FM/XM radio to iPod mode
- Listen to, and compose and send an iMessage or text message to a phone number or anyone in saved Contacts
- Access Calendar and add appointments
- Minimize distraction even more by keeping the screen of the iPhone from lighting up, even when Siri answers simple questions such as game scores or the dates of national holidays
- While in Eyes Free mode, Siri will not provide answers to complex questions that require displaying a web page.
"It says a lot about our commitment to small-car customers that Chevrolet has announced that Siri Eyes Free capability will be available in the Spark and Sonic well before the luxury brands," said Cristi Landy, Chevrolet marketing director for small cars. "Safe, easy, reliable and portable connectivity is a top priority for our customers, and Siri complements MyLink's existing capabilities to help deliver an incredible driving experience."
Both the Spark and the Sonic also come with six months of OnStar's premium Directions and Connections service. OnStar brings added safety, security and connectivity to these vehicles, including services such as Automatic Crash Response, Stolen Vehicle Assistance, Vehicle Diagnostics and Roadside Assistance.
Most smartphone owners can also download the RemoteLink Mobile App, which allows OnStar subscribers to control and manage certain vehicle functions from their phone. For more information on OnStar's services, visit onstar.com.
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. It is represented with a total of 2,500 sales and service outlets in Western and Central Europe. The European Chevrolet line-up includes the Spark city car, the small Aveo sedan and hatchback, the compact Cruze sedan and hatchback, the Orlando family van, the Captiva SUV, the legendary Camaro and Corvette sports cars and the extended-range Volt electric car. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at http://www.chevrolet.co.uk.
Emily Higgins
PR Executive / Chevrolet UK and Ireland
Phone: +44(0)1582-426723 / +44(0)7432-101690
SOURCE Chevrolet


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Genius and Species
IC biologists make big breakthroughs by studying small animals. By Doug McInnis
Slugs and slime are synonymous. While most people find the slime repulsive, Ithaca College biologist Andy Smith and his students think it is worthy of research.
Their focus is the slime produced by a slug local to the northeastern United States, a creature known scientifically as Arion subfuscus, or more commonly as the dusky slug. "If you touch their backs, they just start oozing slime," says Smith, an associate professor of biology. "They're really easy to study. You just irritate one of these slugs, and you get all the goo you want."
While the slug's productivity is helpful, what really interests Smith's research team is the slime's unusual properties. "As soon as you get it on your finger, it turns sticky and elastic," explains Smith.
Smith thinks that products based on this slime could lead to much stronger, more flexible glues. He says that adhesives such as these that work on the wet, soft surfaces of the body could provide rapid and more thorough wound closure while minimizing scarring. The medical adhesives currently being used are limited in strength and compatibility with internal uses.
"Doctors are really interested in glues that can hold tissue together," he says. "I've been focusing on the medical applications, but that doesn't mean that's the end of it. There's no way to predict all the potential uses."
The slug didn't evolve its slime-producing properties to serve mankind. Smith thinks it functions as a defensive mechanism. "If you're a small animal and you try to bite a slug and get a mouthful of this goo, there's no way you are going to eat the whole thing," he says. "Even a bird would have trouble with it. I've heard that licking the goo makes your tongue go numb. It's probably secreting a neurotoxin."
Smith and his students are isolating the chemical constituents of the goo to figure out which ones are important for commercial applications. They have found, for example, that the glue contains metal ions such as calcium, iron, and zinc. These metals are capable of binding strongly to different glue components, possibly linking them together into a solid network.
"When I took the metals out, I found that the glue wouldn't set," says Smith. That sent his team back to the drawing board to figure out which metals are necessary for the goo glue to work.
Smith's research is an example of biomimetics, the science of looking for potentially useful substances in nature. Many researchers regard the natural world as fertile ground for the next generation of products, materials, and pharmaceuticals, because nature has had a long time to perfect itself.
"There are a lot of plants and organisms that produce materials that have useful properties," Smith says. "So we look at them and try to figure out if we can copy them. Once that's done, it's up to the commercial scientists to turn basic research such as ours into products we can use."
Understanding the Heart's Machinery
Ithaca College pushes interdisciplinary research. One area in which that may pay off is the study of heart disease, where mysteries remain despite billions of dollars spent on research.
"What's happened in science is that we know the easy stuff and now we're working on the hard stuff," says Jean Hardwick, associate professor of biology. She compares it to the job of an auto mechanic. "It used to be that if you knew how to rebuild the carburetor and fix the shocks, you were good. Now, cars are run by computers. You have to understand computers, electronics, and the complex integra-tion of the different systems of the car to repair the problem." The same holds true for her research into how the nervous system regulates the heart.
"In science, everything interconnects," she says. " You have to be able to understand biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics in order to approach the questions we're trying to answer. If you're going to understand the nervous system, you have to know something about all of these areas."
Hardwick and her students use guinea pigs as test subjects to study how the nervous system adapts to chronic heart disease. Researchers know that in cases of chronic heart disease the sympathetic nervous system can go into overdrive, which can produce a potentially fatal erratic heartbeat.
"We're studying the other side — the parasympathetic nervous system — which acts as a brake on the heart's activity," Hardwick says. "If you're overdoing the body's accelerator, and you can make the brake work better, then maybe you won't crash. The hope is that what we find will be of use to clinical researchers so that they can take the next step. The more we understand about how the nervous system changes in response to chronic heart disease, the more easily they can develop therapies to specifically target the negative aspects of the disease while leaving the positive changes in place."
Protecting Habitats
On average, muskrats settle only about 200 meters from their birth spots and live their lives in a small area. But some muskrats travel up to 36 kilometers to find an adult home, says biologist Leann Kanda, who studies movement ecology — how animals move around the landscape.
"The question is why," says Kanda, an assistant professor of biology, whose specialization is examining individual variation in movement within species. "What is it about that individual that makes it go 36 kilometers? Is that individual fundamentally different than the one that goes 200 meters?"
These questions are important when animal habitats are broken up by human development or natural disasters. The remaining area may be so small that some populations can't survive. Knowing the space individuals of a species need helps land planners and ecologists create habitat corridors that can aid the movement of species between the disconnected areas of their natural habitat.
"Animals moving long versus short distances are probably moving through the landscape in different ways," Kanda explains, "and they may have different ways in which they behave in the commun-ity and react to landscape changes and to people. For instance, it may be that only the most risk-taking individuals are willing to cross a road, but they are also the ones most likely to be observed at roads. We could be misled into thinking that this species is just fine with crossing roads because we only saw the risk-takers doing so. If you don't know how animals actually move about in the wild, you don't know what on the landscape needs to be preserved. If different individuals move in different ways, we need to know who moves which way and what other traits those individuals might have."
In addition to her field work, Kanda is also trying to determine if there is a genetic component to behavior that can be passed on from generation to generation. She is running a parallel study with dwarf hamsters confined in a laboratory setting. Hamsters are a good model to study because they have short life cycles, and females can get pregnant two to three months after they are born. Although Kanda can'tobserve how the hamsters move around in the wild, she can see how they move around the lab and breed them to learn if the tendency to roam or stay at home is heritable.
"Particular personalities may be favored in a given population," Kanda hypothesizes. "If suites of behavior are heritable, then they can be shaped by evolution."


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Good background on the geography and hydrology of New Orleans from Ari Kelman in Slate.
The WaPo has a story on some short-term rebuilding challenges in New Orleans; the NY Times talks to some urban planners for a longer view (and provides a cheery Berlin comparison).
And House Speaker Dennis Hastert made grumbling noises (from which he backpedaled) about the cost and sanity (my word) of rebuilding parts of New Orleans.
Well. As grim reality sets in, I predict that the rebuilding of New Orleans will turn into one of the great political spectacles of the 21st century.
Where are we headed? The first steps will include a multi-billion dollar toxic waste clean-up and a multi-billion dollar flood management program (which is itself a environmental disaster for Louisiana's shrinking coastline and marshes.)
To what purpose? As we have all learned recently, big slices of New Orlean's housing stock are badly deteriorated, and the inhabitants are poor. Having spent billions to prepare the site, shall we spend billions more on affordable low-cost housing? Is that really a sensible use of the Federal income-assistance dollar? Certainly we could build low cost housing more economically elsewhere.
Or should the rebuilding of New Orleans focus on the industrial port and a restored historic/entertainment district? That makes it sound like Las Vegas with ships - some jazz, some restaurants and bars, some history, a convention center, and a port on the side. But if New Orleans is going to be a playground for Exxon and tourists, how much of the bill should the rest of us foot?
Obviously, we must deal with the short term crisis affecting the people in the region. In the longer term, people like Dennis Hastert will need to think twice before saying the unsayable. And I suspect that anyone opposed to putting up affordable housing in a toxic-waste flood plain will be denounced as racist (go figure).
However, my guess is that a significant fraction of "We the People" will be reluctant to pour billions into New Orleans in order to provide housing for a lot of poor people there, rather than elsewhere for much less. Which is why I see a brutal political season ahead of us. (And although there can be no doubt that the looting and violence is not representative of the vast majority of the people of New Orleans, I also suspect that the televised images are not exactly winning America's hearts and minds).
Well, George and Bill are re-united, so the politics of this get odd for the Dems - can Hillary bash the relief effort of which her hubby was a part? (Of course she can!)
I will be speaking with my New Orleans correspondent (safely relocated with a family member in northern Lousiana) soon, so I should may glean something useful about which relief efforts to endorse.
Glenn's list here.
UPDATE: Reaction to Hastert at here and here at Memeorandum. His timing is questioned across the political spectrum (count me in), but here is righty John Cole:
Perhaps the most tin-eared statement to come out of a politician's mouth in a long time, but absolutely right. Look at New Orleans and ask yourself if it makes sense if it is there.
But it is there, and we will rebuild. But we should discuss how we rebuild.
More on the challenge of rebuilding New Orleans from Donald Sensing.
And the 17th Street failed levee described in the Times is interesting - the Times pretends that underfunding of the New Orleans levees began with Bush, and glides past the news that the levee that failed was recently upgraded.
The Captain has more, and Ezra Klein makes sense with his point that partisan blame can be cast in all directions.
Let me throw in my own guess - eventually, the contractor who upgraded the 17th St. levee will be investigated, and the contract will be found to have been influnced by poltical intrigue. In Louisiana!


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Lost in Vegas?
I know it's been a LONG time since I last visited with you, and as many of you know, my husband and I went on holiday to Las Vegas...over Christmas. And no, despite my long absence, we didn't get lost, but we were almost swallowed by a monster - the amorphous blob of zombie shoppers and gamblers filling every hotel, show, restaurant and bus (The Deuce...no kidding, that's what they call it). Silly us, thinking it a novel idea to go to Vegas for Christmas. Seems everyone from Asia and the Middle East had the same idea.
Now with the whining complete, I can honestly say we had a great time. We didn't gamble, not even once! Never got around to it, but we had a FABULOUS room at The Venetian - the hotel with the gondolas. We slept a lot (much needed), ate excellent food and saw a ton of brilliant shows. If you love the Beatles like I do, going to see the Cirque Du Soleil's, LOVE, is worth the trip to Vegas. The music, the visual feast, the ingenious staging makes for a stunning event. Here's a little intro from YouTube: http://youtube.com/watch?v=bEsN9TRe7LU&feature=related
The other very cool thing we did while we were in Vegas is take a bus trip to the Grand Canyon Skywalk. The Skywalk is a suspended glass-floored bridge that hangs 4000 feet above the west rim of the canyon on the Hualapai Tribal land (or air, in this case). It's an amazing experience (scary, too!). Glass bottom boats have nothin' on this baby!
Now, what, you may ask, does all this have to do with writing? Well, nothing, but I'm FINALLY getting to that...
Writin' Good
You may remember that last year I subjected myself to a good thrashing at Borderlands Press Novel Boot Camp. It was fabulous, and being the masochist that I am, I went back for another whoopin' last month for the Short Story Boot Camp. Since I'm working on my short story collection, MAMA'S BOY AND OTHER DARK TALES (Apex - Summer 08), I thought it would be a great help to tidy up my writing brain and sharpen my skills with the help of writing masters, F. Paul Wilson, Tom Monteleone, Doug Winter and Ginjer Buchanan. Well, besides the literary lashings and the grueling all night writing sessions (plus, I got the freakin' flu on my drive down to the workshop...oops, more whining...sorry), it was the best thing I could have done! Let's hope my short story collection actually reflects the tireless efforts of the instructors and my very generous fellow writers (or Grunts, as we're fondly referred to). *fingers crossed*
The point of all this, other than shameless self-promotion? If you're a writer and you want to improve your writing, consider taking some classes. The submission/rejection process will help make you a better writers, but a couple of good classes can make an enormous difference in acceleratingly your skills in the craft of writing. Learning the fundamentals of plot, character development, grammar, voice, point of view, etc. can save you years of stumbling toward real publication success. Of course, some folks succeed without a single class, but it can take years...decades.
Starting with something as simple as a community college class in creative writing can be helpful. I started with local adult classes offered in my state as an education extension program. The classes were only a couple of hours a week for 6 or 8 weeks, but it gave me a starting point and some basics to work with. There are also some good online classes available, if you don't mind technology as opposed to face-to-face teaching. When I was starting out, I took a good class from the Ed2Go folks, Writing Fiction Like a Pro. It gave me an excellent start on understanding story structure via the Three Act Play concept. Also, Gotham Writers' Workshop offers online courses (and live classes in NYC). I took their Fiction Writing class with Terri Brown-Davidson. Of course, not all teachers are created equal, but Terri's class was excellent.
Gotham also has a couple of very good books available. They're literary fiction oriented, but good foundational writing is not genre-specific, so have a look at Writing Fiction: The Practical Guide, and The Fiction Gallery (great classic short stories - very good companion to The Practical Guide for reference to understanding difference in Point of View, dialog, etc). Also, Tom Monteleone's, Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing a Novel, is packed with excellent writing information, from basics to more advanced craft information.
A lot of literary fiction classes tend to be tough on genre writers, so be prepared to build a thick skin and maintain your focus on what's important; learning how to write well. And once you have the basics down, consider an investment in Borderlands Press Boot Camp, Odyssey-The Fantasy Writing Workshop or Clarion. If you're ready for an academic commitment to your writing career, Seton Hill College has an superb program with a Masters of Art in Writing Popular Fiction degree available. Their faculty list is definitely worth a look.
I know cash and time are often a big issue for folks when you talk about taking classes, but you can start small with a couple of good books, and classes can be as little as $50. Like any endeavor, whether for fun or for a career, an investment in yourself and your passion will come back to you in many ways. Besides, you're worth it! And no matter how you pursue your love of writing, be sure to spend plenty of time building those priceless friendships with other good writers. I've learned that fellow writers are an invaluable support. And you never know who might just be the next Stephen King or JK Rowling.
Okay, I'm done my yammering for today. It's great to see you all again. I'll be back soon. That's a promise...and a threat. *wink*
Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel
Note: Thank you to Wally Cwik for the use of his Borderland Press photo of F. Paul Wilson, Doug Winter, Ginjer Buchanan and Tom Monteleone!


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Look of the day on Fabsugar
Look of the day on Fabsugar
Brunette Blogging is an online collection of my personal style and all things wanderlust.
Contact me at email@example.com
How many pair of shoes do I really own? Count for yourself in my OUTFIT posts. TRAVEL is for those who wander, but are not lost (divided in hotspots, visual impressions and travel guides).
Since I have a thing for interior, food, beauty, shopping and writing too, these are all found in the category LIFESTYLE.
© 2010-2019 Brunette Blogging. All rights reserved.


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Catalan's Constant and quite a few other mathematical constants are known to have an infinite continued fraction (see the bottom of that webpage). On wikipedia (I'm sorry, I can't post anymore hyperlinks because of my low rep.), a condition for irrationality of that continued fraction is given (see 'generalized continued fractions'). It is said that a given continued fraction converges to an irrational limit if $ b_n > a_n $ in the continued fraction $b_0 + a_0/(b_1 + a_1/(b_2 + a_2/(...b_n+a_n)))$ for some sufficiently large $n$. In the webpage I provided you with, however, the degree of the polynomial $a_n$ of the continued fractions is bigger than the one of $b_n$. Therefore, all values of $b_n$ will never exceed all values of $a_n$, even after some large $n$.
My question is: Why does the degree of $a_n$ need to be smaller than the degree of $b_n$ in order for a continued fraction representation of a constant to be irrational? I think I read somewhere it had to do with something like 'Tietschzes criterion' (but I'm not sure). (bonus question: Does anyone know where a proof of this 'criterion for irrationality' can be found?)
Max Muller


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Kov was a Vulcan V'tosh ka'tur who served as an engineer aboard the Vahklas, a Vahklas-type.
He and his father had a falling out, and did not communicate for about nine or ten years, eight of which he spent on the Vahklas. During this time, his father was diagnosed with a terminal illness.
In 2151, he was sent to Enterprise NX-01 to work with their engineers. During his time there, he and Commander Charles Tucker III, the chief engineer, became friends. Kov had many misconceptions about Humans, such as their sleeping and mating practices. When the Vulcan High Command learned that Enterprise was in contact with the Vahklas crewmember, they informed Enterprise's captain, Jonathan Archer, of Kov's father's illness. Archer was unable to convince Kov to call home, and so the captain gave the task to Tucker. Kov stated that he and his father had ended their relationship years before, when his father told him that he was a disgrace to their family.
Recalling a dance when he was younger during which he never worked up the courage to dance with the girl he had a crush on, Commander Tucker persuaded Kov to contact his father one last time, telling Kov that regret was a difficult emotion to cope with. As a result, Kov learned that his father was going to undergo surgery that would prolong his life. (ENT: "Fusion")
External link Edit
- Kov at StarTrek.com, the official Star Trek website


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Istanbul is a very attractive city to visit, receiving 8 million foreign tourists each year. It is the only city in the world t..
Turkish baths are a part of the Turkish culture. While residents in Sivas visit the Turkish baths at 5:00 am; bride bath tradit..
Bodrum always been an attractive destination since the early centuries. Homeros once called Bodrum, 'the land with endless b..
Izmir – The Third Largest City of Turkey
Izmir is located on the west of Turkey, on the Aegean coastline. It is the..
Kusadasi meaning "Bird Island" and being dubbed the Turkish "Las Vegas by the Sea", 90km south of Izmir , th..
Another of Turkey's major Mediterranean resorts, being third after Kusadasi and Bodrum and tourism being its main source ..
Cappadocia is one of the world's most unique environments with hills, valleys and canyons, and great expanses of volcanic..
Ankara is Turkey's capital city and the second largest with a population of around 4.5 million, it lies in the heart of both..
Bedrooms : 3
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Bedrooms : 1
Bedrooms : 1
Bedrooms : 1
Bedrooms : 1
Bedrooms : 5


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48 members5 Likes
160 members7 Likes
360 members9 Likes
Hi Dina, how are you doing? Still playing tennis these days?
Hi Dina! I'm new to the group and interested in playing weekdays after 5pm in CV. Let me know! Brenda
Hi Dina, How are you doing? Would you up to hitting some tennis balls? I usually play at several locations....Balboa, Clairemont high, Mission Bay high, and North Park to name a few. I'm a 4.0 player.
Cool, see you then. What a day, eh?
Hi Dina- see you tonight, right?
No worries Dina; I'm just looking for a friendly hit! I've been playing once a week for the last few years with a regular partner, but he hasn't been as available lately which is why I started looking for new partners nearby. I guess I'm about a 3.75 on a good day. Anyway thanks for accepting my invite, it sounds like fun. See you next Tuesday. Don't forget to vote before you come. You can reach me at this number if anything comes up: 619-292-2054.
I'm not too familiar with the public courts in the area but Rolling Hills is close as I'm in Bonita. How's next Tuesday @ 5:45pm work for you? You name the court in Rolling Hills and I'll find it. Just tell me the name of the court or the street where it's located. Thanks-
Weekend mornings are best unless you know of a lighted public court where we can play after 5:30pm during the week...
Cool, what's your schedule like?
Hi Dina, I live in Chula Vista as well off of Orange and Brandywine. I can play after 5 anytime of the day or weekends. If you want to play let me know.
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CoreLogic Home Price Index Rises by 10.5 Percent Year Over Year in March
May 07, 2013, Irvine, Calif. –
––Pending HPI Projects 9.6 Percent Growth Year Over Year in April––
CoreLogic® (NYSE: CLGX), a leading residential property information, analytics and services provider, today released its March CoreLogic HPI® report. Home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, increased 10.5 percent on a year-over-year basis in March 2013 compared to March 2012. This change represents the biggest year-over-year increase since March 2006 and the 13th consecutive monthly increase in home prices nationally. On a month-over-month basis, including distressed sales, home prices increased by 1.9 percent in March 2013 compared to February 2013*.
Excluding distressed sales, home prices increased on a year-over-year basis by 10.7 percent in March 2013 compared to March 2012. On a month-over-month basis, excluding distressed sales, home prices increased 2.4 percent in March 2013 compared to February 2013. Distressed sales include short sales and real estate owned (REO) transactions.
The CoreLogic Pending HPI indicates that April 2013 home prices, including distressed sales, are expected to rise by 9.6 percent on a year-over-year basis from April 2012 and rise by 1.3 percent on a month-over-month basis from March 2013. Excluding distressed sales, April 2013 home prices are poised to rise 12 percent year over year from April 2012 and by 2.7 percent month over month from March 2013. The CoreLogic Pending HPI is a proprietary and exclusive metric that provides the most current indication of trends in home prices. It is based on Multiple Listing Service (MLS) data that measure price changes for the most recent month.
"For the first time since March 2006, both the overall index and the index that excludes distressed sales are above 10 percent year over year," said Dr. Mark Fleming, chief economist for CoreLogic. "The pace of appreciation has been accelerating throughout 2012 and so far in 2013 leading into the home buying season."
"Home prices continue to rise at a double-digit rate in March led by strong gains in the western region of the U.S. Looking ahead, the CoreLogic pending index for April indicates that upward price appreciation will continue," said Anand Nallathambi, president and CEO of CoreLogic. "Much of the price increases we are seeing are the result of rising demand among investors and homebuyers for a still-limited supply of homes for sale."
Highlights as of March 2013:
- Including distressed sales, the five states with the highest home price appreciation were: Nevada (+22.2 percent), California (+17.2 percent), Arizona (+16.8 percent), Idaho (+14.5 percent) and Oregon (+14.3 percent).
- Including distressed sales, this month only four states posted home price depreciation: Delaware (-3.7 percent), Alabama (-3.1 percent), Illinois (-1.8 percent) and West Virginia (-0.3 percent).
- Excluding distressed sales, the five states with the highest home price appreciation were: Nevada (+20.8 percent), California (+16.8 percent), Idaho (+16.3), Arizona (+15.1 percent) and Hawaii (+14.3 percent).
- Excluding distressed sales, no states posted home price depreciation in March.
- Including distressed transactions, the peak-to-current change in the national HPI (from April 2006 to March 2013) was -25.1 percent. Excluding distressed transactions, the peak-to-current change in the HPI for the same period was -18.3 percent.
- The five states with the largest peak-to-current declines, including distressed transactions, were Nevada (-49.2 percent), Florida (-42.8 percent), Michigan (-38.9 percent), Arizona (-37.8 percent) and Rhode Island (-36.2 percent).
- Of the top 100 Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) measured by population, 88 were showing year-over-year increases in March, down from 92 in February.
*February data was revised. Revisions with public records data are standard, and to ensure accuracy, CoreLogic incorporates the newly released public data to provide updated results.
Full-month March 2013 national data can be found at http://www.corelogic.com/HPIMarch2013.
The CoreLogic HPI incorporates more than 30 years' worth of repeat sales transactions, representing more than 65 million observations sourced from CoreLogic industry-leading property information and its securities and servicing databases. The CoreLogic HPI provides a multi-tier market evaluation based on price, time between sales, property type, loan type (conforming vs. nonconforming) and distressed sales. The CoreLogic HPI is a repeat-sales index that tracks increases and decreases in sales prices for the same homes over time, including single-family attached and single-family detached homes, which provides a more accurate "constant-quality" view of pricing trends than basing analysis on all home sales. The CoreLogic HPI provides the most comprehensive set of monthly home price indices available covering 6,860 ZIP codes (58 percent of total U.S. population), 637 Core Based Statistical Areas (86 percent of total U.S. population) and 1,210 counties (84 percent of total U.S. population) located in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The data provided are for use only by the primary recipient or the primary recipient's publication or broadcast. This data may not be re-sold, republished or licensed to any other source, including publications and sources owned by the primary recipient's parent company without prior written permission from CoreLogic. Any CoreLogic data used for publication or broadcast, in whole or in part, must be sourced as coming from CoreLogic, a data and analytics company. For use with broadcast or web content, the citation must directly accompany first reference of the data. If the data are illustrated with maps, charts, graphs or other visual elements, the CoreLogic logo must be included on screen or website. For questions, analysis or interpretation of the data, contact Lori Guyton at firstname.lastname@example.com or Bill Campbell at email@example.com. Data provided may not be modified without the prior written permission of CoreLogic. Do not use the data in any unlawful manner. The data are compiled from public records, contributory databases and proprietary analytics, and its accuracy is dependent upon these sources.
About CoreLogic
CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX) is a leading property information, analytics and services provider in the United States and Australia. The Company's combined data from public, contributory, and proprietary sources includes over 3.3 billion records spanning more than 40 years, providing detailed coverage of property, mortgages and other encumbrances, consumer credit, tenancy, location, hazard risk and related performance information. The markets CoreLogic serves include real estate and mortgage finance, insurance, capital markets, transportation and government. CoreLogic delivers value to clients through unique data, analytics, workflow technology, advisory and managed services. Clients rely on CoreLogic to help identify and manage growth opportunities, improve performance and mitigate risk. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., CoreLogic operates in seven countries. For more information, please visit www.corelogic.com.
CORELOGIC, the CoreLogic logo and HPI are trademarks of CoreLogic, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.


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What does this mean for you? Well, I'm planning to share all my crafty Christmas stuff ("crap" would've alliterated better, but I shan't give you crap!) with you here—photos, tutorials, patterns, and other bits of fun. So to start with, a free pattern for appliqué (or embroidery, if you like)!
I made these tea towels for Middle Brother and his wife a couple years ago, fusing wool felt to the background to give the snowmen some dimension. A really narrow zigzag around the edge of the felt with matching or invisible thread rounds the edges rather splendidly.
Something was missing, though: how did snowman A, standing happily, become snowman B, melting into a sloppy pile of sludge? Snowman C, armed with a hairdryer, is the culprit:
Why is Snowman C so ill-spirited? You'll have to supply your own motivation; I'm just supplying the pattern.
If you're not feeling the appliqué, try a melting redwork snowman instead:
Two formats are available:
- Get the PDF to print out and transfer for your favorite appliqué or embroidery technique.
- Get the EQ7 project file to use the snowmen blocks (on the Motifs tab) in your own quilts or other EQ designs.


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Captain Alan Sherman's Fishing Report: Florida Bay fishing heating up
Captain Jim Hobales of Caught Lookin Charters reported fishing in Florida Bay has been excellent. Working the mullet muds along the flats, his clients are catching large sea trout, redfish, snook and mangrove snappers. There also have been some lure shy tailing tarpon on the flats. Plenty of sharks are available for rod-bending action. Snook have been plentiful along the beaches north of East Cape for catch and release. These snook are eating swim baits and Gulps hooked to a jig head.
During the Guy Harvey Resorts Bimini Sands Burning Marlin Tournament, 6-year-old Victor Benitez of Coral Gables caught and released 60 fish of 12 species to take the top reef boat, top offshore boat, top overall boat and top captain awards. Benitez's largest fish was a 25-pound amberjack caught on 20-pound line. Captain Jay Cohen of Spellbound Charters out of Haulover Marina reported during offshore trips this week the bonito fishing was off the charts. Mixed in with the bonitos were kingfish to 20 pounds. Yellowtail snapper fishing has been red hot in 40 feet of water. Fishing out of a canoe in South Biscayne Bay, local angler Matthew Mattia released a 9-pound bonefish on fly then followed that with a 36-inch permit and a small tarpon to complete a Biscayne Bay Grand Slam. Local angler Wayne Russel was his guide for the day.
Captain Scott Yetter of Sight Fish Charters out of Little Torch Key reported many of the large tarpon have moved on but there are still enough to target. Bonefish, permits and large barracudas are also available on the shallow flats of the lower Keys. Captain Nick Stanczyk out of Bud n' Mary's Marina in Islamorada reported the dolphin fishing continues to be good offshore of Islamorada. Most of the fish are finicky schoolies but a few have been nice-size slammers. Blackfin tuna are available around the Humps. On the reef, the yellowtail, mangrove and mutton snapper bite has been good. Swordfishing has been slow.
Captain Tom Van Horn of Mosquito Coast Fishing Charters reported once the storm passes by, the seas should subside quickly and offshore anglers can take advantage of the king mackerel action that will be happening in 70 to 90 feet of water. Anglers also should expect action from wahoo and dolphins in the same depths. Good areas to fish are Pelican and 8A reefs. Live pogies have been the top bait this week. Along the buoy line and along the beach, expect to find smoker kingfish, big tarpon, large jack crevalles and sharks feeding around the pogy schools. Inshore, expect big schools of redfish to be feeding on the flats, and snook and snappers to be holding along the mangrove shorelines and along the rocky sea walls.
Local angler Jerome Chaves fished out of Flamingo in Florida Bay with captain Alan Sherman of Get Em Sportfishing Charters and caught and released three redfish to 26 inches, eight snook to 27 inches, mangrove snappers, jacks, bluefish and ladyfish. All of the fish ate finger mullet and pinfish fished under a Cajun Thunder float or hooked to a 1/4-ounce red Hookup Lure jig head.
Jeremy Cook, 15, of Weston fished off the beach in Naples near Wiggins Pass for snook. Cook saw a fish swimming along the trough near the shoreline and cast a jig at the fish and got an instant hookup. After a short fight and a few jumps, Cook's fish turned out to be a lost dolphin also known as a Mahi Mahi. An FWC officer came by and verified the catch.
Captain Pat Stevens from Slim's Fishing Camp in Belle Glade reported the Lake's water levels have risen to 13-plus feet, making it possible to run almost the whole Lake without any problems. Out in the open waters of the Lake and along the grassy weed lines, schooling largemouth bass are eating almost anything that resembles a shad. Bluegills seem to be almost everywhere and have been eating live crickets. Large speckled perch are in the deeper holes. Catfish are biting on the bottom, and recently a 20-pound snook and jack crevalles to 8 pounds have been caught in the Lake on surface lures.
Captain Alan Sherman


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Pew Leads Ad Push for Lame-Duck Passage of Oil Spill Bill
By ANNE C. MULKERN of Greenwire
Published: November 9, 2010
More News From Greenwire
- DOE's Chu Faces Grueling Year of Budget Battles, Oversight Hearings
- Election Likely to Affect EPA Litigation, Judicial Nominations
- Obama's Enthusiasm for Gas Drilling Raises Eyebrows
- Republican Victories Boost Effort to Block EPA's Climate Rules
- More Compromise -- or More Confrontation -- on Energy Policy Just Around the Corner for Congress
With the Senate returning next week for a lame-duck session, the Pew Environment Group and other green organizations will push for passage of the oil spill bill that died before the August recess.
Fearful that the next Congress won't act, green groups plan to visit senators and ask supporters to call and write lawmakers. Pew tomorrow will also launch an ad campaign in states with senators who could help advocate legislative movement.
"Loss to tourism from the oil spill: $22,700,000,000," says the newspaper ad (pdf), which shows a picture of an oil-tainted shoreline. "And the laws that let it happen remain unchanged."
"It's time for our offshore drilling laws to strengthen safety standards to protect oil workers and the environment," the newspaper spot adds, "require greatly improved plans and equipment for oil spill response, hold polluters, not taxpayers responsible for oil spill damages, launch a major restoration and monitoring effort for Gulf Coast communities and ecosystems."
The ad will run in The Miami Herald, The Times-Picayune of New Orleans, the Jackson, Miss., Clarion-Ledger, Nashville's Tennessean and the Portland [Maine] Press Herald. In addition to Pew Environment Group, it is co-sponsored by Defenders of Wildlife, the National Wildlife Federation, the Gulf Restoration Network, the Ocean Conservancy and the National Audubon Society.
It is unclear whether the measure will make the cut of items being placed on the lame-duck agenda, however.
"We have a long list of things to do and not a lot of time to do them," said Regan Lachapelle, spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). "We need to talk to [Senate Minority Leader Mitch] McConnell, the rest of our caucus, the White House and the House to see what is doable."
The lame-duck session might actually help bring about a vote, said Marilyn Heiman, director of the offshore energy reform project for the Pew Environment Group. Senators who lost their job in the election "have nothing to lose," she said, "and it's the right thing to do."
"We're hoping to highlight the issue and remind members of the Senate that they need to act on this legislation before this Congress is over," Heiman said. "They can't afford not to act. As the spill fades in people's minds there's less and less chance of their taking action."
The push on oil spill legislation also comes as Pew expresses concerns about Royal Dutch Shell PLC's plans to drill off the Alaska coast next year. Pew on Wednesday will release an analysis on challenges to preventing and containing oil spills in the Arctic Ocean.
"It details the complications of cleaning up a spill in the harshest environment on earth," Pew said.
Heiman said Pew believes there are enough votes for Senate passage of the spill bill -- if the legislation gets to the floor. A bill passed the House last summer.
The oil industry last summer voiced concerns about an oil spill bill, particularly the idea of eliminating a cap on liability, fearing that doing so could push the smaller players out of business. Heiman with Pew said environmental groups, realizing that no liability cap is politically untenable, instead are asking for a higher cap that would adjust upward with inflation.
The American Petroleum Institute, trade group for the oil industry, declined to say how it would respond to new lobbying for an oil spill bill.
"We're not speculating on the lame-duck session," API spokesman Eric Wohlschlegel said. "API and its members remain focused on the industry's commitment to safely and reliably providing the energy this country needs to power its economy and create jobs."
Click here (pdf) to see the environmental group's ad.
Copyright 2010 E&E Publishing. All Rights Reserved.


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I switched to regular numbers because I suck at Roman numerals and who knows how long this saga will continue. (If you're new to this story, read Parts I through III first.)
By the way, I learned something new today. I was curious if "regular numbers" had a more formal name – they do. They're called "Hindu numerals" or "Arabic numerals."
Pero, you're not here for a history or mathematics lesson, verdad? You're here for the chisme. Well, this will be a long one, so get comfortable. Listos? Okay…
So, last week, the whole familia, (including Suegra, of course), piled in the car to run errands. As we passed through downtown close to Clementina's Market, Carlos asked where else I needed to stop.
"We're almost out of tortillas," I said.
Carlos narrowed his eyes at me.
"Why do you want to go in there? They sell tortillas at the other Latino market," he said as we sat at a red light.
"Yes, but they don't give away free piropos at the other Latino market," I said. Carlos didn't laugh. The light turned green and he pulled up a few car lengths from the large glass windows of Clementina's Market.
We had been speaking English but Suegra is a metiche and had understood the gist of the conversation. She offered to go in and buy the tortillas herself. Maybe Carlos was embarrassed that his mother knew he was celoso because he said, "No, está bien."
Before I knew it, I was walking through the familiar door of Clementina's – the bells clanging against the glass door. My heart pounded in my chest remembering the last time I had been here – how awkward it had been for him to tell me he had fallen in love with me – to have touched my hand. Clementino looked up, and seeing me, broke into the happiest smile you can imagine.
I tried to appear nonchalant and greeted him with a "Buenas tardes," on my way to the back of the store to get a package of tortillas from the fridge. I grabbed two bottles of Jarritos so I could use my debit card, ($5 minimum.) As I made my way back to the front of the store, I became increasingly anxious about how Clementino would act towards me after what had happened. I put the tortillas and Jarritos on the countertop.
Clementino's face had changed since I came into the store – he looked serious, when only moments before he had looked so happy.
"No Bubu Lubus?" he mumbled when I didn't reach for the box on the counter.
"No, hoy no," I said.
"¿Porqué no?" he asked, running my debit card through the machine.
"Es que una amiga me mandó una caja de Bubu Lubus y tengo suficiente ahorita," I said, trying to sound cheerful.
He looked at me as he put the receipt on the counter.
"Mentirosa," he said without malice. "No quieres comprarlos de mí…" he said raising an eyebrow.
I signed the receipt, "No, de veras, una amiga me mandó—" I said feeling defensive.
"Mentirosa," he said again with a small smile.
I told him "Hasta luego" and went out to the car, which was now parked right in front of the big glass windows. I got in and buckled my seatbelt.
"Everything fine?" Carlos asked.
"Yeah," I said.
"Did he behave?" Carlos asked.
"Yeah," I said.
"Man! Don't look so disappointed about it!"
"I'm not!"
"Yes you are!"
"Well, I just feel… am I not cute today or something?"
Carlos started laughing.
"What?" I said.
"You know why he behaved?"
"What? Why?"
"Because as soon as you went in, I pulled in front of the store. He looked out the window after you went to the back and I waved to him. He knew I was watching."
This made me feel a little better and it explained why he'd had such a sudden change in mood. Still, I wondered if things between Clementino and I could return to normal. I would have to wait another week and eat a lot of tortillas before I could try my luck again.
Suegra and I went to Clementina's Market – Me to buy tortillas and Suegra for phone cards. Before buying her phone cards as usual, Suegra went to the back of the store. I put the tortillas on the counter and looked for the box of Bubu Lubus, but it was no where to be seen.
"Y los Bubu Lubus?" I said, looking at the blank space where they used to be. "¿Dónde están?"
"Bubu Lubus no vendo ahora," Clementino said.
I grabbed a package of De La Rosa Dulce de Cacahuate, (my other favorite.)
"¿Porqué?" I asked, handing over my debit card.
"Porque no vienes a comprarlos de mí," he said.
I smiled and raised an eyebrow, unsure of whether he was just out of stock and joking with me, or if he had found a way to take revenge for not accepting his piropo weeks ago.
"Síííí," he reassured me, "Los Bubu Lubus – no más." He rubbed his hands together as if cleaning them off and showed them to me empty, with a small smile playing on his lips.
Suegra appeared behind me, "Clementino," she demanded, interrupting us. "¿A cuántos son?" she asked, holding up an avocado. Clementino quoted her the price and Suegra sighed disgustedly, muttering about how expensive they were as she went to return it to the produce section.
Clementino leaned down and whispered in English, "Do you get along with your mother-in-law?"
"…More or less," I said translating the Spanish words "más o menos" that I had almost said aloud.
Clementino shook his head. "I don't know how you do it."
"She can be… difficult," I admitted.
"Yes," Clementino said, "She is a VERY difficult woman."
We shared a smile as Suegra came back to the counter to buy her phone cards. I left feeling hopeful that our friendship was now back on track.
That same day, later in the evening, Carlos and I ran an errand. Suegra asked Carlos to buy her phone cards. We stopped at Clementina's Market and since it was late and cold and I was tired, I stayed in the car while Carlos ran in by himself. This was Carlos's first time facing Clementino since the whole situation began. I watched the store anxiously. I saw Carlos go to the counter, Clementino handed him phone cards, and Carlos came back to the car within 2 minutes – the whole transaction happened without incident. I felt happy. Things were finally getting back to normal.
We brought the phone cards home and Carlos handed them over to Suegra.
"Pero estas tarjetas no sirven, vos!" Suegra said immediately. Despite the late hour and the fact that Clementina's Market would be closing in 20 minutes, she insisted Carlos bring her back to exchange the phone cards. Carlos put his jacket back on and with car keys jangling in defeat, headed back out with Suegra behind him.
Since all had gone so well earlier, I didn't worry for a minute about Carlos going back to the market – so I was shocked when he and Suegra returned full of anger.
"What happened?" I asked.
Carlos and Suegra told me the same story – they had gone into the market and Carlos asked to exchange the phone cards because they were the wrong kind. Clementino refused to exchange the cards saying, "You were never here today."
Carlos told Clementino, "But I was just here, less than an hour ago!" and Clementino continued to insist that Carlos was lying. They both raised their voices to the point that Clementino's wife, Clementina, came up to the front counter to see what was going on. Carlos explained to Clementina what had happened while Clementino shouted over him that he was a liar, and that "only the muchacha [referring to me] came here earlier today with her," (indicating Suegra.)
Having had enough and not wanting things to escalate further, Carlos stormed out. Suegra stayed and Clementina exchanged the phone cards while chastising her husband and asking him what in the world had gotten into him.
Carlos and Suegra are now boycotting Clementina's Market.
Part 7: Clementino, ya no me quiere


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Positive Impact and Game Evangelism
I am interested in helping promote a long term, large-scale evolution of game design with a focus on content that encourages critical thinking, diversity, creativity, and much more. Drawing initially from great games of the past and present, I believe that we can influence present and future game designers, as well as future game consumers, to recognize that great content can create positive individual and social change. ...more »


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Larger rewinds in less time
Many plant operators have reportedly experienced difficulties in repairing large motors. In most cases, these critical links in the system have forced entire plants to shut down for several days as they are removed, transported, rewound and reinstalled. The losses in productivity to a company can be significant.
For the last 30 years, GE has offered its onsite GEGARD 400 motor rewind system for motors up to 6,000 volts. Now it is more than doubling the system's capability – covering motors up to 14,000 volts, regardless of horsepower or motor speed, according to Richard Meng, program manager at GE Energy.
The advantages, says Meng, are the ability to conduct the rewind on-site, at the owner's plant, to avoid delays in bringing the motor to a repair shop. In addition, he notes, time is also saved by no longer requiring an alternative vacuum pressure impregnation (VPI) process at the repair shop.
"Its flexibility makes it easier to insert coils into stator slots, which helps to further reduce an operator's downtime," Meng says. "The GEGARD 400 HV system gives you everything you get with VPI, just faster," he continues. "It's built on a proven technology, and it's been thoroughly tested to rigorous GE standards, passing relevant IEEE and IEC standards with top marks."
The new system is reportedly designed for facilities with large ac motors that cannot afford extended downtime. These include utilities, manufacturing, mining, metals, oil and gas, cement, and pulp and paper. It can also be used for synchronous condensers, smaller size generators with higher speeds that are usually difficult to rewind using conventional hard coils.
General Electric
– Edited by Chris Vavra, Control Engineering, www.controleng.com


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Confederations Cup preview: Brazil vs Uruguay
Two South American powerhouses come head-to-head in the first semi-final of the Confederations Cup in a match highly anticipated to be a thriller.
The match is set to take place this Wednesday and expect nothing short of brilliance.
Both teams have already set the tournament alight with plenty of goals and silky skills from the likes of Barcelona new boy Neymar and wantaway Liverpool forward Luis Suarez.
Twenty goals have already been netted in the group stages alone and the two players mentioned have already grabbed themselves three a piece and will hardly be looking to stop there.
The hosts of this year's FIFA Confederations Cup - Brazil - are looking for a fourth consecutive title and despite them being favourites to win this match they are behind world champions Spain with the bookies to grab this year's trophy.
Uruguay will not shy away from the fact they haven't beaten there opponent's in question since 1950 but they have won four of their last five international matches - and with talisman Suarez and Edinson Cavani anything is possible.
If Uruguay are to pull off a shock defeat against the hosts they will be relying heavily on the likes of Diego Forlan, Cavani and Suarez - who will all prove a stern test for Brazil's back four.
However, Brazil kept two cleansheets in the group stages and conceded just two goals in the process; they will also be increasingly confident of continuing this impressive record after Chelsea's David Luiz has been cleared to play following a leg injury.
Prediction: Although I do believe Uruguay's attractive style will trouble the Brazil back-line I can still vision another cleansheet on the cards. And I also can't see Neymar's impressive goalscoring in this tournament coming to a haul in this fixture.
Therefore, I'm going with 2-0 to the Samba Boys in yellow with Neymar and Fred on the scoresheet.
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The Houston Dynamo knew that to be successful in Montreal they would have to match the Impact's energy out of the gate. After 32 minutes, it was clear that the Dynamo had failed to accomplish that goal.
In their first MLS game in 18 days, the Dynamo were put on the back foot as Felipe and Marco Di Vaio turned respective sharp passing and pressure into a 2-0 lead that the Impact ultimately made stand at Stade Saputo.
After the game, the reason for the slow start was tough to come by for Houston. However, the understanding was there that it's something that has to stop as the Dynamo have suffered from several slow starts this season.
OPTA Chalkboard: Houston improve in second half but slow start proves too costly
"It's tough to put your finger on why they were able to come out and outplay us in the first 20 minutes," goalkeeper Tally Hall, who made five of his eight saves inside the first 32 minutes, told MLSsoccer.com. "We want to win and that has to be the attitude for 90 minutes. For the majority of the game I thought we had the right attitude but the start of the game killed us and we weren't able to come out from that deficit."
What put the Dynamo behind the eight ball was a vigorous Impact attack that was clicking from the first kick. Knocking the ball around and stretching the Dynamo defense, the Impact were able to parlay that work into space and ultimately success when Felipe finshed off a pinpoint Patrice Bernier pass in the 14th minute to make it 1-0.
READ: Postgame quotes from Montreal
Houston looked to be gaining traction but a missed penalty kick in the 21st-minute by Giles Barnes, which would've pulled the Dynamo level at 1-1, took the wind out of their sails. If that wasn't enough, Di Vaio's 32nd-minute goal was a killer, as he pounced on an errant Corey Ashe back pass with a chipped shot to provide the winning 2-0 score line.
"It's a bit of a blow," Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear said of that sequence of events. "Obviously that comes off a corner kick and they take advantage of an opportunity. I thought we had some good chances the first half and second half but we just couldn't score a goal tonight."
Houston responded to the deficit well. After the poor start, the Dynamo started to possess the ball, ending with 57%, and generated chances.
Unfortunately for the visitors, their best chances were off the mark as Montreal stayed compact and defended well for the balance of the last hour. The slow start proved too much to overcome.
"The goal's to make it to the playoffs and win a championship," Hall said. "We're not going to go win an MLS Cup if we continue to start games like that."
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com.


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Hermès Virevolte In Swift CalfskinCategories:Other Brands
Introducing the Virevolte, a new bag offering from the house of Hermès which I can't yet quite pronounce. Measuring 29 cm across by 42.5 cm (from top to bottom), it's a casual enough of a sling-messenger that's great for the weekend, in a soft slouchy leather that should hug the side of your body with ease. Finished with a leather shoulder sling that allows you to adjust the length, the bag's most interesting feature is perhaps its counterweight fastening mechanism in natural Hunter cowhide, which besides weighing the bag, also keeps it secure from prying hands.
Priced at GBP3430 (or around SGD7000 after conversion), it's a welcome addition to the French house's bag inventory where most of its other bags are either handheld or too boxy. This one, on the other hand, could be just right for those looking for something casual and relaxed.
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HERMES VIREVOLTE POUCHETTECategories:Other Brands
Hello, girls! Today, we're going to do an exciting feature on the Hermes Virevolte Pouchette, another coveted accessory from the leading producer of designer goods. It's really worth talking about!
Some weeks ago, we featured the Handbag version of the Virevolte. If you want, you can check it out for yourself and be mesmerized.
READ: Hermes Virevolte Bag
The pochette comes in Swift calfskin, Hunter cowhide and Clemence bull calfskin – very luxe materials, don't you think? Measuring 35cm x 23cm x 3cm (L x H x D), we know very well that this piece will come in handy and will fit your hands snuggly as you walk around in style. You can also use it as an inside bag to store your personal effects wonderfully. With a color so bright and lovely (in poppy orange, nonetheless), we know you'll love it, girl.
Priced at €2,650 EUR or £2,430 GBP, you can get your very own Virevolte Pouchette via Hermes e-store.
Tags: Hermes VIREVOLTE POUCHETTE
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HERMES SMALL VIREVOLTE BAGSCategories:Other Brands
Allow us to take you for another spin as we bring to you Hermes Small Virevolte Bags! These adorable pieces are highly functional as well, and are set to give you a different bag experience.
The collection typically features two sizes: small, and medium. This time, we're going to feature the Small size – another great bag that's sure to keep up with your busy schedule.
Size: 16.7′ x 18.5′ x 5.7′ inches
Price: $5,850 USD, £3,200 GBP
Size: 16.7′ x 18.5′ x 5.7′ inches
Price: €3,900 EUR, £3,570 GBP
Size: 16.7′ x 18.5′ x 5.7′ inches
Price: €3,500 EUR
All the bags come with an adjustable shoulder strap and counterweight fastening mechanism in natural Hunter cowhide, silver and palladium plated hardware. Inside, it even has a large inside pocket, which is really great for organization!
Tags: bags Hermes Small VIREVOLTE
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HERMES VIREVOLTE BAGCategories:Other Brands
Just like great opportunities in life, it only comes once in a while. Hermes rarely introduces new handbags and when they do, we're excited.
The brand needs no introduction about its impeccable quality and sophisticated craftsmanship. And they're famous for holding a waiting list of a waiting list. But here it is, from the Spring Summer 2015 Collection, please meet the Hermes Virevolte Bag.
What is that?
It's a bag with complex shape, never-seen-before. It's a bit slouchy but do not get confused as it's made from leather. This bag holds shape!
The handles are made to sling and it can be adjusted with the buckle anytime you want. It also comes with a shoulder strap to wear on the shoulder.
What's interesting, is the fastening mechanism on the front, which has been luxuriously designed with natural hunter cowhide. When opened, you can find one large inside pocket and that's it. But given the dimensions of the bag, it can hold plenty of your essentials.
Made from Swift Calfskin and Clemence Bull Calfskin, this is another piece of art. The back of the bag is embellished with white stitches, is this for decoration purpose?
The size is 29 x 42,5 x 14,5 (L x H x D) in cm, priced at $5850 USD, €3750 euro, £3430 GBP and via Hermes boutique.


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Enduring Questions: Alternative Cosmologies
History professor J.B. Shank of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, used an Enduring Questions grant to develop a course on comparative cosmology that features ancient, modern, Western and non-Western models. Shank devoted his preparation time primarily to studying non-Western cosmologies with faculty from the Asian Languages and Literatures and the American Indian departments at the university.
The course Shank developed includes Hindu Vedic, Native American, and Islamic cosmologies, along with Greco-Roman and modern scientific perspectives. As an Enduring Questions course, it introduces students to core texts from a range of historical periods and encourages them to think beyond disciplinary boundaries.
Enduring Questions
AQ-50223-10, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (Minneapolis, MN)
Click here to view other funded projects in this grant category.


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