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|MLBPA Press Release
These six players will have their names placed on the 2009 Players Choice Awards ballot to determine this seasons Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award winner. Ballots will be distributed to all Major League players on Tuesday, September 15th and Wednesday, September 16th, when the accounting firm of KPMG conducts the league-wide, players-only voting for the 2009 Players Choice Awards. [Note: Cleveland @ Minnesota; Pittsburgh @ LA Dodgers; Florida @ St. Louis and Arizona @ San Diego will vote on Tuesday, September 15, all other teams will vote on Wednesday, September 16.]
The 2009 Players Choice Awards also honor the outstanding player, rookie, pitcher and comeback player in each league, as well as the overall Player of the Year. 2009 Players Choice Award winners in all categories will designate charities to receive grants totaling $260,000 from the Major League Baseball Players Trust. Since 1992, the Players Trust has recognized the outstanding on-field and off-field performances of Players Choice Awards winners by contributing more than $3.5 million to charities around the world.
Michael Young of the Texas Rangers was the recipient of the 2008 Man of the Year Award, and other past winners of the award, named for the legendary baseball union leader, include this years finalists, Torii Hunter and Albert Pujols, as well as Jim Thome, John Smoltz, Mike Sweeney, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Eric Davis and Paul Molitor.
2009 Players Choice Marvin Miller Man of the Year Divisional Winners
American League East
Boston Red Sox Mike Lowell: Mike and his wife, Bertica, are committed to helping low income families living in Miami and Boston, and, together, they created the Mike Lowell Foundation. The Foundation has contributed $25,000 to the Cor Unum Meal Center in Lawrence, MA, one of the poorest cities in the U.S. Cor Unum provides free, nutritious meals 365 days a year to hungry people in Lawrence. Recently, Mike and Bertica hosted the second annual Lowell Family Fun Day at Fenway Park for children battling cancer and other illnesses.
American League Central
Detroit Tigers Curtis Granderson: Curtis is deeply immersed in numerous charity and community-driven organizations. In 2008, Curtis established the Grand Kids Foundation, focusing on the importance of educational initiatives for children as well as helping reintroduce the sport of baseball in inner cities around the U.S. Granderson is an active member in the Major League Baseball Players Trust's Action Team national youth volunteer program, which helps inspire and train the next generation of volunteers.
American League West
Los Angeles Angels Torii Hunter: Torii, the 2007 Marvin Miller Man of the Year award winner, is passionate about baseball, both in playing the game and in sharing it with those less fortunate. To help spread his passion to others, Torii created the Torii Hunter Project, which partners with the Little League Urban Initiative to stop the disappearance of baseball diamonds from Americas inner cities. Additionally, Torii has devoted his time and contributed funds to support organizations like Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and Athletes in Action.
National League East
Philadelphia Phillies Shane Victorino: For Shane, all the accolades that come with being a Major Leaguer would not have been possible without the support from family and friends back home in Maui. With that in mind, in 2008, he hosted the first-ever Shane Victorino A Round to Remember golf tournament in Maui, to benefit the Alzheimer's Association, the same illness that claimed the life of his grandmother. Additionally, Shane is an active participant in the Major League Baseball Players Trusts Action Team national youth volunteer program, helping to train and inspire high school students in the Philadelphia area to become community volunteers.
National League Central
St. Louis Cardinals Albert Pujols: Winner of the 2006 Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award, Albert and his wife Deidre are the founders of the Pujols Family Foundation, which is dedicated to the love, care and development of people with Down Syndrome and their families. Albert hosts an annual charity golf tournament as well as a live auction to raise money for the foundation. The Pujols family dedicates their time not only to those with Down Syndrome, but also to the impoverished children and orphans of the Dominican Republic by donating time and money to better the childrens education.
National League West
San Francisco Giants Barry Zito: Not only is Barry Zito a success on the field, but he accomplishes great feats off the field as well. In April, 2005, Barry Zito introduced the non-profit group Strikeouts for Troops, dedicated to providing the comforts of home to soldiers in military hospitals all over the country. Barry has also gotten other baseball superstars involved with their pledges that with strikeout they throw, home run they hit, or RBI they collect respectively, they will donate to this very worthy cause.
The following players were nominated by their teammates for the 2009 Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award:
Arizona: Dan Haren; Atlanta: Tim Hudson; Baltimore: Nick Markakis; Boston: Mike Lowell; Chicago Cubs: Ted Lilly; Chicago White Sox: Scott Linebrink; Cincinnati: Aaron Harang; Cleveland: Travis Hafner; Colorado: Jeff Francis; Detroit: Curtis Granderson; Florida: Brett Carroll; Houston: LaTroy Hawkins; Kansas City: Mark Teahen; Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Torii Hunter; Los Angeles Dodgers: Orlando Hudson; Milwaukee: Mike Cameron; Minnesota: Michael Cuddyer; New York Mets: Carlos Delgado; New York Yankees: Alex Rodriguez; Oakland: Dallas Braden; Philadelphia: Shane Victorino; Pittsburgh: Paul Maholm; San Diego: Adrian Gonzalez; San Francisco: Barry Zito; Seattle: Mark Lowe; St. Louis: Albert Pujols; Tampa Bay: Dan Wheeler; Texas; Eddie Guardado; Toronto: Roy Halladay; Washington: Ryan Zimmerman.


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Wikipedia says,
A black hole grows by absorbing everything nearby, during its life-cycle. By absorbing other stars, objects, and by merging with other black-holes, they could form supermassive Black-holes
- When two black-holes come to merge, don't they rotate with an increasing angular velocity as they come closer and closer (how does it from a neutron star? I mean, who's powerful?)
And it also says,
Inside of the event horizon, all paths bring the particle closer to the center of the black hole.
- What happens to the objects that are absorbed into a black-hole? Which state are they really are now? They would've already been plasma during their accretion spin. Would they be on the surface (deposited), or would they still be attracted and moved towards the center? If so, then the surface of black-hole couldn't be a solid.


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Two types of plans participate in the FEHB Program: fee-for-service plans and health maintenance organizations (HMOs).
These plans reimburse you or your health care provider for the cost of covered services. You may choose your own physician, hospital, and other health care providers. Most fee-for-service plans have preferred provider (PPO) arrangements. If you receive services from a preferred provider, you usually have lower out-of-pocket expenses (i.e., a smaller copayment and/or a reduced or waived deductible). All fee-for-service plans require precertification of inpatient admissions and preauthorization of certain procedures.
Fee-for-service plans include:
Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) provide or arrange for comprehensive health care services on a prepaid basis through designated plan physicians, hospitals, and other providers in particular locations. Each HMO sets a geographic area for which health care services will be available, called its service area. This area is described in the plan's brochure. You may join a particular HMO if you live within its service area. Some plans also accept enrollments from employees who work in the area even though they live elsewhere. If you have questions about whether you live or work within a HMO's service area, you should contact the plan before you enroll in it.
Generally, you must choose a primary care physician and have all care coordinated through that physician. Your physician is responsible for obtaining any pre-certification required for inpatient admissions or other procedures.
The three types of HMOs are:
Some fee-for-service plans and HMOs offer a point of service product. This gives you the choice of using a designated network of providers or using non-network providers at an additional cost to you. If you don't use network providers, you must pay substantial deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments.
The HDHP features higher annual deductibles and annual out-of-pockets limits than other insurance plans. Depending on the HDHP you choose, you may have the choice of using in-network and out-of-network providers. There may be higher deductibles and out-of-pocket limits when you use out-of-network providers. Using in-network providers will save you money.
Some fee-for-service plans and HMOs offer a high deductible health plan (HDHP). When you enroll, your health plan establishes for you either a Health Savings Account (HSA) or a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA). The plan automatically deposits the monthly "premium pass through" into your HSA. The plan credits an amount into the HRA.
A consumer-driven plan provides you with freedom in spending health care dollars the way you want. The typical plan has common features: member responsibility for certain up-front medical costs, an employer-funded account that you may use to pay these up front costs, and catastrophic coverage with a high deductible. You and your family receive full coverage of in-network preventive care.
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The benefits, cost, exclusions, limitations, and other major provisions of each participating plan are described in the brochure for that particular plan. You can get copies of the brochures for the various plans that you are eligible to join so you can make an informed choice among them. You can access all plan brochures from the FEHB home page. You can also get brochures from your employing office, and by contacting the plans directly at phone numbers listed in the Guide to Federal Benefits. You need to keep your selected plan's current brochure as a continuing source of information on the benefits that your plan provides.
Each HMO and each fee-for-service plan with preferred provider arrangements publishes a participating provider directory that lists its participating physicians, hospitals, and other providers. Before you enroll in a plan, you should review its participating provider directory. Every year during Open Season, you should ask for an updated directory and contact your chosen providers to see if they will continue to participate in the plan. Many plans have their provider directories on their websites. These can be accessed directly or from the FEHB home page.
Providers sometimes cease participation during an FEHB contract year; if you enroll in a fee-for-service plan, you should verify the provider's participation status before you receive services.
The continued participation of any provider with a health plan is not guaranteed. You are not eligible to change plans outside of an Open Season or other qualifying event solely because a particular health care provider stops participating with your plan.
Before each Open Season begins, OPM provides agencies with an updated list of the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all fee-for-service plans and HMOs that currently participate in the FEHB Program.
If you or a covered family member are entitled to benefits from a source other than your FEHB plan, such as a spouse's health insurance coverage, Medicare, Medicaid, or no-fault automobile insurance, coordination of benefits will take place. You must disclose information about the other source of benefits to your plan's Carrier.
These Government agencies are entitled to seek reimbursement from FEHB plans for certain services and supplies furnished to you or a family member. Generally, FEHB benefits are payable for (1) inpatient hospital costs at a Uniformed Services facility, and (2) services and supplies provided by a DVA facility for treatment of a non-service connected disability.
TRICARE provides health care for active-duty military personnel whose orders do not specify a period of 30 days or less, and their dependents; retired and former military personnel currently entitled to retired or retainer pay, or equivalent pay, and their dependents; and dependents of deceased military personnel. If you are covered by both an FEHB plan and TRICARE, the FEHB plan pays benefits first as the primary payer and TRICARE is the secondary payer. (All provisions applicable to CHAMPUS now apply to TRICARE.)
Medicare is generally for persons age 65 or over. It has two parts:
You should contact the Social Security Administration for detailed information on Medicare eligibility and benefits. You may also find information on the Medicare website at www.medicare.gov.
Generally, plans under the FEHB Program provide protection against the same kind of expenses as Medicare, plus all FEHB plans provide prescription drug coverage, routine physicals, and a wider range of preventive services than Medicare.
Whether your FEHB plan or Medicare is the primary payer depends on your current employment or health status, as shown in the following table.
Medicare always makes the final determination as to whether they are the primary payer. The following chart illustrates whether Medicare or the FEHB Plan should be the primary payer for you according to your employment status and other factors determined by Medicare. It is critical that you tell your plan if you or a covered family member has Medicare coverage so they can administer these requirements correctly.
When your FEHB Plan is primary (see the table above), you should submit claims for benefits to your FEHB plan first. If a balance remains after the FEHB plan makes payment on the claim, you can then submit the claim and a copy of the FEHB plan's explanation of benefits (EOB) to Medicare.
When Medicare is primary (see the table above), you should submit claims for benefits to Medicare first. If a balance remains after Medicare pays the claim, you can then submit the claim and a copy of Medicare's Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) or explanation of benefits (EOB) to your FEHB plan. As the secondary payer, the FEHB plan won't process your claim without the Medicare MSN or EOB.
FEHB plan carriers have made arrangements with Medicare that automatically transfer claims information to it once Medicare processes your claim, so you generally don't need to file with both.
You may change your FEHB enrollment to any available plan or option at any time beginning on the 30th day before you become eligible for Medicare. You may use this enrollment change opportunity only once, and is in addition to any other event (such as the annual open season) permitting enrollment changes.
You may discover that your current plan doesn't meet your needs once you start receiving Medicare benefits. You should review your plan's benefits and costs and determine if a different plan would be better for you.
The right plan for you depends on many factors, including your family composition, your family's health, your ability to meet out-of-pocket medical expenses, and your ability to pay the required insurance premiums. What may be a good choice for one person may not be so for another. Only you can decide which plan is best for you.


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Currently India seems to have a number of really promising up and coming batsman ,some of whom are already playing for the national team and some of whom are burning up domestic competitions with really big numbers.
Wanted to know what the general opinion is of these batsman in each of the three formats and how would you rate their chances 5 years down the line ,when the likes of Sachin,Laxman,Dravid,Sehwag have gone?
In no order -
* Subramaniam Badrinath
* Cheteshwar Pujara
* Virat Kohli
* Rohit Sharma
* Suresh Raina
* Saurabh Tiwary
* Murali Vijay
* Ajinkya Rahane
* Abhinav Mukund
* Manish Pandey
* Manoj Tiwary
*Ambati Rayudu
Can include the likes of Shikhar Dhawan , Robin Uthappa ,Yusuf Pathan etc... too if you want too.
Also even younger batsman like Unmukt Chand,Amit Verma,Mandeep Singh,Mayank Aggarwal etc...
How do you see there careers panning out in 5 years time and how would you rate them in each of the formats as future potential ?(Tests,ODI's and T20'S)
And how would the Indian batting order look in each keeping that in mind in 5 years?


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Last time around, we introduced you to our Dart University series with a few topics that get a lot of play on the Dart Heads customer service help lines – block oiling, setting valvetrain geometry, and using stud girdles to stabilize the valvetrain in high-performance applications. In this installment, we're going to take a look at prepping the block itself, the proper way to install head studs, and how to set valve lash, and once again we've got Dart's Jack McInnis as our sherpa as we climb higher. McInnis and the whole Dart customer service team aren't just there to help out big-shot internet superstars like us, though – their years of experience and invaluable advice are just a phone call away for anyone building an engine with their parts.
Block Preparation
Everything in a build starts with the block itself, so doing it right starts from this foundation. Dart offers their blocks with two levels of preparation, depending on whether you'd prefer to have the final touches done locally, or let Dart handle those details. A "standard" block will arrive with cylinders bored to spec, needing only a finish hone, and decks machined flat and parallel. "We leave the decks .005 to .008 tall for final finishing," McInnis explained, " but they don't require any further machining unless a specific 'zero deck' condition is desired." Another area where Dart leaves clearances tight is the lifter bores, allowing for final honing to get a perfect fit. "We do it this way because each manufacturer has their own specs and tolerances, so there is no 'right' one-size-fits-all dimension," McInnis says. One typical block prep task, making room for the rods in a long-throw engine, is already taken care of by Dart. Per McInnis, "all Dart blocks are clearance for stroker cranks. The exact stroke that can be accommodated depends on the specific crank and rods used, and of course extra clearancing can be done."
Though the heavy lifting has already been done by Dart, there's still an opportunity to spend some quality time with a die grinder and sanding roll on your new block, deburring all the non-critical surfaces to break the hard edges and remove any remaining casting flash. The process accomplishes several things – primarily getting rid of any burrs that might subsequently find their way into the oil, but don't discount the value of eliminating sharp edges that might chew your hands up later in the assembly process. Steer well clear of machined areas like the main bores, deck, and cylinder walls, but McInnis does add, "When deburring, one thing people often overlook is the bottoms of the cylinder bores." A gentle hand here is required, but it's not difficult if you simply take your time and work carefully to avoid the cartridge roll getting away from you.
With that accomplished, the final step is inspection and cleaning. "A thorough visual examination of the block is always advisable, checking all the threaded holes, oil passages, and so on," says McInnis. Hot, soapy water and bottle brushes designed for engine builders are your friends here, knocking out any debris left in the oil galleries and removing traces of cutting oil left over from machining. Follow it up with some compressed air and a wipedown of the cylinder bores with lacquer thinner or a similar solvent to get them operating-room clean, then a final treatment with some light oil to displace any remaining moisture and prevent flash rust. One temptation to avoid, especially on used blocks, is cleaning up the threaded holes with a tap. Taps are designed to cut threads, not clean them, and the right tool for the job (if necessary) is a set of thread chasers, which will restore the threads without making them oversize like a tap will.
If all that sounds like a lot of work to do before you get to the fun of actually building your engine, Dart can also supply a fully-prepped block that's bagged and ready to assemble right out of the box. You'll need to supply more information on the front end, just like you'd have to do for your local machine shop with a standard block – "Lifter dimensions, special deck heights, the stroke and type of rods to be used," per McInnis, plus what kind of cylinder finish you need for your chosen ring package. "There are a couple of ways we can deal with this," McInnis explains. "It can either be a generalized spec, like an OE would do, or it can be quite specific if the customer wishes. In the latter case, we would require the specs from the manufacturers of your pistons and rings."
Whether you're getting a standard block or one that's fully prepped, McInnis advises, "when the shipment arrives, look for obvious damage to the packaging which could have occurred during transport – it's best to note this when the driver is still present in case there may be damage to the block."
Tying it All Together
Moving on, we got an education on the fasteners that hold the major components together. In general, Dart recommends studs rather than bolts whenever possible for critical fasteners, for a lot of good reasons. A bolt puts its loads directly into the threads of the block, and any wear that occurs will happen on both the bolt and the block itself. A stud, on the other hand, threaded finger-tight into the block, puts its wear on its own threads and nut instead – a big advantage in block longevity for engines that will be assembled and disassembled on a regular basis. It's a lot cheaper and easier to replace studs and nuts than fix a block with ruined threads.
Because Dart uses blind-drilled holes, rather than ones that extend into the water jacket, you can also take advantage of a cool builder's trick by using studs with a threadless "bullet" nose, or dropping a ball bearing into the bottom of the hole with a fully-threaded stud. When the stud is installed, instead of seating on the unthreaded shoulder of the stud, it will instead bottom out on the nose or ball, ensuring full thread engagement and putting the part of the stud in the block in compression rather than tension.
Whatever type of fastener is used, setting the proper torque is critical – everybody's got their own pet assembly lube, but when it comes to bolts and studs, using the exact thread lubricant and torque method recommended by the manufacturer is mandatory. If parallel-ground washers are provided, use them; they'll prevent friction between the nut and the surface being secured messing up the torque reading. Fastener quality and proper installation aren't exactly 'secrets' of successful engine building, but it's easy to be tempted to cut corners. Don't risk losing a block just because you're lazy or want to save a few bucks.
All Lashed Up
Setting valve lash is one of those tasks that requires a little finesse to do properly, but it's a necessary step, both with a new build and for ongoing maintenance. Some slack is necessary to accommodate expansion as the engine warms up – a valvetrain screwed down tight when the engine is cold can hold the valves open a little when it's up to temperature, so there has to be a provision for adjustment. With hydraulic lifters, oil pressure automatically takes up the slack, but mechanical (or "solid") lifters require a tiny bit of lash, or free space between the nose of the rocker and the tip of the valvestem when the valves are at rest. With either type of lifter, the first step is putting the cam for the cylinder you're working on to its "base circle", the lowest point on the lobe. For milder cams, finding the base circle is as easy as getting the cylinder to top dead center on the compression stroke (both valves closed), then working your way around the firing order doing both intake and exhaust valves at the same time.
Bigger, aggressive solid-roller cams can be a little more complex thanks to the fact that the lifters are on the base circle for such a short part of the camshaft's rotation. To make absolutely sure you're on it, simply turn the engine over by hand until you see the exhaust rocker for the cylinder you're working on just start to come open. At that point, you'll know for sure you're on the base circle for that cylinder's intake valve. Moving around the firing order, follow the same procedure and lash all the intake valves. Once they're done, you can set the exhaust by going back to your first cylinder and bringing the intake valve all the way open, and just to the point where it begins closing again. You'll be on the exhaust lobe's base circle for that cylinder, and once again you can chase around the firing order to finish setting all the exhaust.
Setting the lash for a hydraulic cam is easy – put the lifter on the base circle and with the rocker backed all the way off, spin the pushrod between your fingertips as you tighten the adjuster. Once you feel resistance while you twirl the pushrod, another half to three-quarter turn on the nut will do it. This compresses the hydraulic lifter just enough to make sure it never tops all the way out in operation, while allowing it to work as it should. For solid lifters, get on the base circle and use a set of feeler gauges between the roller tip and the valve stem to adjust your lash to the recommended cold gap. That will get you into the ballpark, but for optimum performance and durability, you'll want to "hot lash" the engine at operating temperature.
"The reason for hot lashing is that the heat causes everything to expand," explains McInnis. "If you know the rate of expansion of your block and heads from experience, it is possible to set the lash tight when cold, based on that dimension subtracted from the recommended spec and be pretty close. Generally, though, it's best to set lash at the recommended temp and specs."
We're just getting started with all the useful information Dart has at their disposal for the home builder, and if you're craving more and can't wait for the next installment in our series, check out their website at www.dartheads.com while we get it all together.


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Craig Newmark points to some interesting analysis that suggests that the recent run-up in U.S. stock prices can be attributed to the newest rounds of quantitative easing:
What is clear is that the recent market rally is once again being driven by the Federal Reserve's QE programs. Money is flowing out of bonds, and the dollar, and into equities. The weekly chart below shows the decline in the market this past September and October as excess reserve balances with the Fed were drawn down. The subsequent rally has been fueled by the Fed as it has pumped reserve balances sharply higher.
But here's the thing. The rally started a month too early for the Fed's QE efforts to be responsible for it. Here, the Fed's latest QE efforts (let's call it QE 4.0) really only began properly on 12 December 2012. The rally, on the other hand, began after stock prices bottomed on 15 November 2012 - a month before the Fed announced it would expand its balance sheet and long after the previous generation QE 3.0 was initiated in August 2012.
So the Fed's quantitative easing isn't behind the stock market rally. Instead, we can demonstrate that investor expectations for future dividends is behind it.
Following the 6 November 2012 national elections in the U.S., influential investors began racing the clock to beat the expiration of low tax rates for dividends after the end of the year, which were now guaranteed thanks to the outcome of the elections.
Beginning on after the market's close of business on 15 November 2012, large numbers of U.S. companies began announcing that they would pay out extra or special dividends before the end of the year.
That activity focused investors on the fourth quarter of 2012 for setting stock prices, which began rising along with investor expectations for the dividends that would be paid out before the end of the year.
That activity continued up through 20 December 2012, which marked the end of the dividend futures contracts for the fourth quarter of 2012.
After that point, investors shifted their attention to a more distant point in the future - to the second quarter of 2013. Stock prices have continued to rise in the rally because they started the month at a level below where the expected change in dividends per share for 2012-Q2 would place them. Today, investors remain focuses on 2013-Q2 in setting stock prices, which we observe as the change in the growth rate of stock prices converging with the expected change in the growth rate of dividends per share for that future quarter.
Our animated chart below shows this transition in the period from 20 December 2012 through the futures for 21 January 2013, along with the shift in focus of investors from 2012-Q4 to 2013-Q2, which you can see as the sudden 5-month leftward shift of the green/red trailing year future dividends per share acceleration data.
And that's why the rally that began back on 15 November 2012 has continued to run. Investors had better hope that the Fed's latest QE efforts start affecting asset prices soon, because the alternative future points in time for where investors might next choose to focus their attention in setting stock prices aren't as pretty.
Read more posts on Political Calculations »


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Intimidation, verbal abuse were focus of Kadri probe
Groton - The Board of Education released the investigator's report into the superintendent of schools but did not take any action on it Monday night.
The law firm of Harlow, Adams & Friedman in Milford was hired to look into Superintendent of Schools Paul Kadri's treatment of district employees. He was accused of sexual and age discrimination, intimidation, verbal abuse and unethical behavior, including requiring one employee to do personal errands, the report said. Kadri was placed on paid administrative leave in May.
Ten current employees, including Kadri, and four former employees were interviewed. The firm also reviewed a complaint filed with the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities and spoke with the superintendent of another district.
Employees reported that during one-on-one meetings Kadri lost his temper, turned red, slammed the table and yelled.
The complaint that led to the investigation was made by an employee to the district's director of human resources. She reported "intense verbal abuse and erratic, frightening physical interactions" with Kadri and said she could not continue working, according to the report.
In his two interviews, Kadri, who was represented by a lawyer, denied he had acted improperly and called the investigation "surreal," the report said. He told the interviewer he is very enthusiastic, his voice is loud and he shakes his hands and arms to make his points, it said.
The firm was not asked to provide the board with any recommendation for action. Kirsten E. Hoyt, the board chairwoman who provided a copy of the report to The Day after the meeting, said "there can be no board comment on this at this time." The report is on the board's agenda to be discussed Thursday.
The board extended the contract on Monday night of interim Superintendent of Schools Randy Collins to Sept. 28. His contract was set to expire Friday. He has held the post since Kadri was placed on leave.
Collins said after the meeting he will be traveling each week in October because of consulting work he previously committed to, and he advised the board to find someone else past September.
The board approved the extension 6 to 1. Shelley Gardner, who voted no, said she did not have a problem with Collins staying, but she took issue with some financial stipulations in the contract.
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Ex-Ill. Gov. Ryan home from prison
Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan was released from prison before dawn Wednesday, stopping only briefly at a halfway house before he was allowed to travel home to serve the rest of his sentence for corruption.
By midday, the 78-year-old was sitting in the living room of his spacious home in a leafy northern Illinois neighborhood in Kankakee beaming and surrounded by his children and grandchildren, said Ryan's attorney and also a former governor, Jim Thompson.
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"If you could see his and his grandkids' smiling faces," said Thompson, speaking by phone from Ryan's house. "He is surrounded by happy faces."
His discharge to home confinement just hours after arriving at the halfway house seemed to surprise even Thompson, who insisted the Republican got no special treatment. He said officials simply determined he didn't need the services halfway homes provide such as assistance in writing checks and interviewing for jobs.
"The bureau of prisons is tough," Thompson said. "They don't play favorites."
His release means Illinois no longer has the dubious distinction of having two former governors behind bars simultaneously. Ryan's successor, Rod Blagojevich, is now Illinois' lone imprisoned governor. The Democrat is serving a 14-year term for corruption at a federal prison in Colorado.
Ryan served five-plus behind bars for multiple corruption convictions, walking out of his federal prison in Terre Haute, Ind. at around 1 a.m. Wednesday - his son driving him the 200 miles north to Chicago.
Looking relaxed and thinner than before prison, he walked past throngs of reporters into a Chicago halfway house just before 7 a.m. on Wednesday. Wearing a gray business suit and tie, he smiled faintly but didn't speak to reporters.
Ryan was mostly quiet during the long drive from Indiana to Chicago, making a detour to Michigan Avenue to take in the Christmas lights still up along the city's iconic shopping street, Thompson said.
"It is such a stark change from penitentiary life," Thompson said outside the halfway house before traveling on to Kankakee. "He has to become accustomed again to being on the outside."
Among the stark changes for Ryan is living at home without his wife of 55 years, Lura Lynn Ryan. Before she died in 2011, officials did allow the ex-governor visit her when she was sick with cancer, though he wasn't allowed to attend her funeral. Ryan has suffered from his own health problems, including kidney disease.
Ryan's status as an ex-governor didn't win him special consideration in the decision to let him skip the halfway house and go home, Bureau of Prisons spokesman Chris Burke said later Wednesday.
"It's not unheard of," he said.
Elderly inmates or those who have families willing to take care of them can win exemptions from mandates to spend at least several days at a halfway house, Burke said. He wasn't permitted to speak specifically about the factors in Ryan's case.
The question of whether Ryan would be able to forego a stint at the halfway house came up earlier, Thompson said. But he said a final decision was made by prison officials only Wednesday morning.
Ryan will be under home confinement until his sentence officially ends July 4, meaning he will only be allowed to leave on rare occasion, including for doctor's appointments or to go to church, and only with prior permission, Burke said.


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Soft, cozy, warm, durable hand crochet pet bed with liner. Large and comfortable enough for a medium sized dog or large cat.
Crochet pet bed is approximately 7" inches high and 16 1/2" wide (approximately 53" around).
Liner and top edging can also be crocheted with a cloth or cotton clothing (tee, scarf, socks - no dirty socks please :o)) that pet loves to cuddle with.
Crocheted with soft cotton and sport-weight yarn combined. Can be created using multiple yarns or a single yarn color.
Customize your pet bed with your own colors and style.
Click Here To View All Crochet Pet Beds
Cat, Miss Tina Turner, shown stretching comfortably with eyes half closed while purring in pet bed pic (right) is a 14lb large 13-year old cat who is bigger than most medium sized dogs. Our self-appointed pet bed tester couldn't even wait until the bed was completed before jumping in and expressing her comfort. Negotiations were made to release the bed.
Colors for bed shown were selected for PryorsPlanet.com and is part of our monthly giveaways to a selected animal rescue worldwide on behalf of PryorsPlanet.com
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Because there are so many color choices available, only basic colors are listed below. However, you may indicate any color of your choice for any area of the crochet pet bed.
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PB Top Edging:White Top EdgingBlack Top EdgingPink Top EdgingBlue Top EdgingPurple Top EdgingYellow Top EdgingTan Top EdgingOther edging color - see checkout notes
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Wordsworth leads U's from front
Colchester halted a run of three successive defeats and put the brakes on Bury's revival with a 2-0 home win.
Last Updated: 17/11/12 6:56pm
Colchester halted a run of three successive defeats and put the brakes on Bury's revival with a 2-0 home win.
Colchester took a 57th-minute lead through skipper Anthony Wordsworth, who headed in from close range from Jabo Ibehre's floated cross.
And the U's doubled their lead less than four minutes later through Freddie Sears, who fired in from 12 yards after fine approach play by Ian Henderson and Ibehre.
Bury went close with 20 minutes to go when defender Ethan Ebanks-Landell's effort came back off the crossbar from a corner, but substitute Clinton Morrison came close to making it 3-0 to Colchester before the end as the home side comfortably saw out a well-deserved victory.
Wordsworth and Henderson both went close for Colchester early on. Henderson's half-volley was palmed away by Bury goalkeeper Trevor Carson after half an hour, while Craig Eastmond also had a shot saved.
But U's goalkeeper John Sullivan turned away Dominic Poleon's fierce shot, while Tom Hopper fired just wide for Bury on the stroke of half-time.


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Liane Vaz is a designer and maker based in downtown Toronto. Born from a mother who works in sales and a father who is a traffic coordinator in a warehouse – it would be a little difficult to derive where Liane got her creativity from. But Liane's mother is draws the most beautiful designs while on the phone. And her dad comes up with the most ridiculous (but witty) "dad jokes" and puns. And they had a child who latched on to the creative part of her personality and pursued it professionally.
A graduate of OCAD University, Liane uses her skills as a goldsmith and her experience with alternative materials to create every day and special-occasion pieces. Liane loves to explore naturally occurring patterns and precise geometry to create contemporary jewellery using both traditional techniques and innovative computer aided design.
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A while back, around November 2007, there was some discussion about performance problems with rt.cpan.org to the point that some found it to be almost unusable. I bring this up here because there were some suggestions that perhaps TPF could buy some new hardware. If you scroll to the bottom, you'll see Jesse Vincent jumped in and said he thought the performance wasn't a hardware problem and he could make some changes, but he needed help locating the trouble spots.
I'm happy to report that Jesse's team, led by Ruslan Zakirov, has implemented some changes and performance seems to be much better now. Even better, many of the changes made for rt.cpan.org have filtered into the regular RT codebase as of RT 3.6.6. Jesse also told me they are working to publish all the bits of rt.cpan.org that are still
locked away so that the perl community can contribute more actively.
I just wanted to say thanks to Jesse (and Ruslan) for following through on the fixes. I also want to thank Adam and others for pointing out the problems so we could address them. A public service isn't really a service if people can't use it.
Note: I applied some updates after I first published this.


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Now that the nights are drawing in and temperatures are most definitely on the downturn, it is lovely to look back to the summer and some of the blistering hot days we had. Was it really 90 degrees for this wedding Clapham and Battersea, south west London back in July? I have been meaning to […]
E: firstname.lastname@example.com
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Text and images © Copyright 2015 Anna McCarthy. Website designed by www.amazinginternet.com
Welcome to Anna McCarthy Photography, based in the London Borough of Richmond, providing wedding, children & family, publicity & PR, editorial, portrait and event photography within Greater London, Middlesex, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, and throughout the UK. Anna McCarthy Photography specialises in unobtrusive, documentary and reportage style wedding photography mixed with classic portraiture to create a timeless photographic record of your wedding day, or your children and family, with a high-quality bespoke service using luxury products and creative skills honed over 10 years working with photographic images.


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In what ways is Northern California unique from other places you've lived or traveled?
There are so many amazing and different things to see in Northern California, and they are all a short car ride away! You can spend all day in the city, exploring the numerous different neighborhoods that all offer something unique. Then drive 20 minutes over the Golden Gate Bridge and be surrounded by rolling hills, cliffs and the most beautiful views I have seen in my life. Living in Norther California allows my husband and I to take our son on amazing day trips and be back home in time for our little guy to still get to bed early! Since I do write about food, I have to mention all of the amazing fresh and local produce that is available year round. The farmer's markets in the Bay Area are the best and most lush I have ever seen!


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Press Release – 10/11/12
Chef Ludo Lefebvre at 2012 Garagiste Festival
Chef Ludo Lefebvre goes 'garagiste' with six course LudoBites Garagiste Winemaker Dinner at Thomas Hill Organics to kick off 2012 Garagiste Festival; featuring wines from Alta Colina Vineyards, Bon Niche Cellars, Cloak & Dagger Wines, Cutruzzola Vineyards, La Filice Winery and Von Holt Wines
Paso Robles, CA – October 11, 2012 – The Garagiste Festival, the first and only festival dedicated to discovering and promoting artisan 'garagiste*' winemakers, today announced that world-renowned master chef Ludovic Lefebvre will guest chef a garagiste winemaker dinner, Thursday, November 8th to kick-off the 2012 Garagiste Festival in Paso Robles. Lefebvre has been named one of the world's top-50 chefs and is famous for his wildly popular LudoBites 'pop-up' restaurants. He will match his six-course menu with wines of garagiste winemakers who are pouring at the festival. The LudoBites Garagiste Dinner will be hosted at Paso Robles' Thomas Hill Organics, one of the rising stars of the Central Coast restaurant scene.
Lefebvre has been widely credited with starting the 'pop-up' restaurant phenomenon with his LudoBites restaurants, which have no permanent address or phone number. They literally pop-up in existing restaurants and spaces, sell out instantly, and routinely crash reservation systems due to the high demand for seats — all of which led Fox News to name LudoBites one of the ten most difficult 'restaurant' reservations in the U.S. Pulitzer prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold calls LudoBites the 'kitchen of a genius;' the New York Times says 'every plate is a piece of art', and Time Magazine named Lefebvre "the Chef of the Future."
"We could not imagine a more perfect philosophical and epicurean match for our amazing garagiste winemakers than Chef Ludo who, like them, has broken a few rules on his way to creating dishes that every year are on food critics' top ten lists," said Garagiste Festival Co-founder Stewart McLennan. "We are honored that he has chosen to create this special dinner as part of the 2012 Garagiste Festival. His presence helps further our goal of bringing attention to the garagiste movement and its remarkable and passionate winemakers."
"As a fan of all things guerilla and grassroots in the world of wine and food, I am thrilled to be a part of The Garagiste Festival and look forward to creating a menu that highlights the unique tastes and stunning wines of the region's artisan producers," said Lefebvre.
For the LudoBites Garagiste dinner menu, Lefebvre will work in conjunction with Chef Julie Simon from Thomas Hill Organics, and each course will be paired with wines that represent the diversity and rebel spirit of the 48 garagistes pouring at the festival: Alta Colina Vineyards, Bon Niche Cellars, Cloak & Dagger Wines, Cutruzzola Vineyards, La Filice Winery and Von Holt Wines. Seats at the dinner are extremely limited and will go on sale Thursday, October 18th. Only members of the Garagiste Festival mailing list will get the invite with exact sale details. To sign up go to http://www.garagistefestival.com/sign-up/.
Before introducing his LudoBites pop-up restaurant events in Los Angeles, Chef Ludovic Lefebvre was the executive chef at L'Orangerie and Bastide, two of LA's most famous and luxurious restaurants. There he established a reputation for his ability to combine Old World simplicity and New World imagination in innovative dishes that tantalized diners' taste buds. Chef Ludo is the only chef in Los Angeles who has received the prestigious Mobil Travel Guide Five Star Award at two different restaurants in 1999, 2000 and 2006. By his mid-30s, he was named one of the World's 50 Greatest Chefs by Relais & Chateaux and was nominated by the James Beard Foundation for a Rising Star Chef Award. Ludo has been on Top Chef Masters, Iron Chef America and The Today Show and had his own show on The Sundance Channel last year called Ludo Bites America, where he did 1-night, pop-up dinners in towns across America featuring a local restaurant and regional cuisine. His new cookbook, "LudoBites: Recipes and Stories from the Pop-Up Restaurants of Ludo Lefebvre" was released on October 9th.
The 2012 Garagiste Festival showcases high-quality, cutting-edge, small production wineries that produce fewer than 1,200 cases a year and comprises four days of tastings, winemaker seminars and events during Garagiste Festival weekend November 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th in Paso Robles. Named one of the 'Top Nine Incredible Epicurean Vacations' in the world by ABC News,** the non-profit festival benefits the Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture Program.
Local artisan suppliers who have donated products to the LudoBites Garagiste Dinner include Ranchers Alliance, whose mission is to bring back and support traditional ranching and farming practices; Pier46 Seafood, which brings sustainable and local seafood's from artisan fishermen to the community; and Dark Nectar Roasting, whose goal is to turn wine connoisseurs into coffee connoisseurs.
The Garagistes
Artisan winemakers slated to showcase their wines at the 2012 Garagiste Festival include Aaron Wines, Alta Colina Vineyards, Ambyth Estate, Anglim Winery, Argot Wines, Barton Family, Bodega de Edgar, Bodegas M, Bon Niche Cellars, Caliza Winery, Cayucos Cellars, Center of Effort, Changala Winery, Cloak and Dagger Wines, Cutruzzola Vineyards, Edmond August Wines, Filipponi Ranch Cellars, Giornata, Ground Effect Wines, Henson Wines, J Dusi, Jacob Toft, JK Wine Company, Kaleidos Winery, La Filice, Les Deux Chats, Liquid Farm, Luminesce, Nicora, Paix Sur Terre, Paso Port Wines, Per Cazo Cellars, Pipestone Vineyards, Ranchero Cellars, Rangeland Wines, Red Zeppelin Winery, Rendarrio Vineyards, Sinor La Vallee, St. Hilaire, Stage Left Cellars, STANGER Vineyards, Thomas Alexander Wines, Two Shepherds, Vin Alegre, Vines on the Marycrest, Von Holt Wines, Westberg Cellars and Zin Alley.
Last year's festival sold out and the 2012 festival is expected to sell out early. To buy tickets go to http://garagistefestival.com. To be alerted for breaking news about additional Garagiste events, details about sales for the LudoBites at Thomas Hill Organics dinner, to learn more about The Garagiste Festival, and to get the latest event info, sign-up for The Dirt at http://garagistefestival.com/sign-up/. Or follow us on Twitter (@PasoGaragiste).
Sponsors for The Garagiste Festival include: Airspeed Wireless, Cass Catering, Clever Concepts, Central Coast Tent and Party, Distinctive Glassware, 15c Wine Shop & Bar, Glenn Burdette, KCBX, KCOY/KION, Kirk Consulting, Krush92.5, La Bellasera, Safe Haven Wine Services, Tasting Panel Magazine, Travel Paso Alliance, Vintners Vault, mWEBB Communications, Windfall Farms, Wine Country Pack & Ship and XpressFill.
For sponsorship opportunities, contact email@example.com or go to www.garagistefestival.com
*Garagistes (gar-uh-zhē-stuh) is a term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to denigrate renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their "garages" (anything considered not a chateau), who refused to follow the "rules," and is now a full-fledged movement responsible for making some of the best wine in the world. Click here for more info and proper 'garagiste' pronunciation: http://www.garagistefestival.com/.
**ABC News Online, May 31, 2012: http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/amazing-foodie-adventures/story?id=16466702#8
About The Garagiste Festival
The Garagiste Festival (http://www.garagistefestival.com) is the first and only wine festival dedicated to the undiscovered and under-recognized artisan 'garagiste' producers who are making some of the best, most exciting, handcrafted small-lot production wines in the world. The Garagiste Festival was named one of the "Top Nine Incredible Epicurean Vacations" by ABC News. Founded by fellow garagistes Stewart McLennan and Douglas Minnick, the Garagiste Festival is committed to fostering the spirit of free exchange of ideas and encouragement that has made Paso Robles one of the friendliest, most successful and innovative wine-making communities in the world. The festival is produced by Garagiste Events, a non-profit dedicated to furthering the education of future winemakers and those training for employment within the wine industry. Proceeds from 2011's sold-out festival were donated to the Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture Program.
Media Contact:
mWEBB Communications for The Garagiste Festival
Melanie Webber, firstname.lastname@example.com
Crystal Hartwell, firstname.lastname@example.com


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The New York hype machine overrated Anthony as a conquering superstar; while that's a step too far, he is one of the game's 25 or so best players. That's about as high as we can heap the praise until he either starts trying on defense or becomes more efficient on offense. That said, Anthony is capable of phenomenal scoring binges, leading all small forwards in points per minute and posting a solid true shooting percentage on the way because he draws so many fouls — Anthony earned 0.40 free throw attempts per field-goal attempt and converted 83.8 percent from the stripe.
Last season Anthony had one of his best seasons shooting the ball from outside, making 42.6 percent of his long 2-pointers and 33.3 percent of his 3-pointers; he took the latter shot more frequently and more accurately as a Knick than at any other point in his career, but in a 27-game sample I'm not sure we can read too much into that. However, he converted only 55.6 percent of his tries in the basket area, a place where he normally excels. I'd expect his numbers from both spots to revert to their historical norms.
Anthony's less-discussed high-value skill is his beastly rebounding for a small forward. He was fifth at the position in rebound rate and is among the league's best at tapping in his own missed shot; for a Knicks squad with a soft underbelly his board work will be quite helpful.
Alas, he needs to put more effort into stopping the other team. On the ball, he has his moments, and Anthony doesn't blatantly cherry-pick the way he did a couple years ago, but he's basically worthless as a help defender and openly loafed in several games — both before and after the trade. He's had brief spasms of effort over the past couple of years, but the big picture numbers speak volumes. Last season was the fourth consecutive one in which Anthony's teams defended better once he left the court, while his Synergy numbers went from bad as a Nugget to among the league's worst as a Knick.
Via Hollinger's Genius Article
Really John Hollinger? A top 25 player? What Carmelo Anthony are you watching? I do not even say this as a Knick fan I say this as somebody who watches basketball. Do you, John Hollinger, even watch the NBA? I can totally understand why people can say 'Melo is not a top 5 player, or even top 10 player. Because of his defense. I get that. A top 25 player? Really. So basically Hollinger is saying that guys like Zach Randolph, Josh Smith, Manu Ginobili and Chris Bosh are better than Carmelo Anthony. Carmelo Anthony, bias aside, is the best clutch player in the league today (see Knick games vs Memphis, Indiana, Philadelphia last season). Carmelo Anthony is universally regarded as the most versatile scorer in the league along with Kobe Bryant. Anthony is dominant in the post, in the mid-range game and off the dribble. He shot 42% from 3 last season as a member of the Knicks. Anthony has a career scoring average of 24.8 points per game. At 6'8 and 230 pounds, Anthony creates matchup problems all around the floor. Even Hollinger has to admit that Anthony is one of the game's top rebounders at the small forward position.
So what justification does Hollinger give for Anthony only being one of the "game's 25 or so best players"? One measly 4 sentence paragraph about his defense. Interesting. I do not disagree with Hollinger's analysis of Anthony but I find it fascinating how little evidence he uses to back up his assertion. Isn't he the king of stats? He can't come up with some defensive efficiency stats or some stat measuring Melo's shoe size relative to the guys he is guarding thus making him an inferior defender? C'mon Hollinger?? I know I am just starting on this whole blogging thing but I'd like to challenge Hollinger to write me back. Give me some justification on why 'Melo is worse than 24 other players. I get his defense is weak, i'll agree with that, but he is not worse than 24 other players in the NBA.
Now am I a little biased? Yes I am a Knick fan. That being said, I call it like I see it. Do I hate Bill Walker? Absolutely. Talk about a bad defender? He's awful and he commits more offensive fouls than any players I've ever seen. I think Billups is a poor fit for this team unless he takes on a distributing mentality. I think Stoudemire is an abysmal on ball defender. I do not shy away from the facts. 'Melo is not a great defender. Fact. Nobody will disagree with that. But do not say, John Hollinger, that there are 24 better players in the NBA than Carmelo Anthony. That is insulting to people reading that you think people will actually believe that. Even if you HATE Carmelo Anthony, even if you think he is a braindead, greedy ball hog, you cannot name 24 better players. I bet John Hollinger will pass over this or probably not even read it but I challenge him to elaborate on this article. Make a list of 24 better players and give some justification for it. I know he won't do it and I won't hold that against him. He works for ESPN. He's big time. Maybe that is why he had the balls, or lack thereof, to say that Carmelo Anthony is one of the "game's top 25 players or so". That statement is wrong, it is insulting and it is moronic. Carmelo Anthony, despite his defense, is a top 10 NBA player. Few are as versatile offensively and no player last season was more clutch. Great job John Hollinger. You sound like an ass and a biased Knick hater once again.Follow @tarmosino


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A new project in Tanzania's Pangani river basin aims to improve water flows for the benefit of all its users.
Extending from the mountainous southern reaches of Kenya down to the lowlands of the Tanzanian coast, the Pangani river basin is reeling from over-use and over-allocation.
The basin is stressed, with many latent and emerging conflicts among its users, and current supplies are unable to meet demand. Realising that the national situation generally was headed for disaster, the Tanzanian government elaborated a new water policy in 2002 which sought to redistribute the waters of the Pangani basin in a more equitable manner. Traditionally users in the northern highlands have had abundant water supplies, while consumers in the drier southern coastal areas have suffered more deprivation.
Several factors have contributed to the current state of the Pangani basin, including increased demand for water, changing climatic conditions, competing uses, over-abstraction and watershed degradation.
The new policy contends that basic human needs will take priority in water allocation, followed by environmental issues after the government acknowledged the importance of healthy ecosystems for sustainable development.
But a crucial question remains: how much water does the environment need to stay healthy?
In a bid to answer this, IUCN has been giving technical support to a project of the Tanzanian water ministry conducted through its Pangani Basin Water Office in Moshi, at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. The Integrated Flow Management (IFM) project seeks to determine how much water is needed for the basin's ecosystems to maintain themselves and their functions. Detailed studies of the hydrology, river health, estuary health and socio-economics of the basin were carried out as initial steps of the IFM, leading to the current phase in which scenarios for six different water allocation options have been devised by a multi-disciplinary team of Tanzanian experts.
Guided by a team of experts from South Africa who have pioneered the field, the Tanzanians – drawn from the government, academia, and NGOs – developed water allocation scenarios taking into account the social, economic and environmental impacts. These include agricultural expansion as a priority; hydropower production as a priority; keeping the status quo; impact on other sectors by boosting the condition of ecosystems; implementing the national water policy with a focus on agriculture; implementing the water policy with a focus on hydropower. Impacts on livelihoods, utilities and the economy were also assessed.
Both the Tanzanian government and the South African consultants are very excited by the prospects of this project, hoping it can be replicated throughout the country. The consultants point out that much of the pioneering work on assessment flows is being carried out in Africa with the focus on sustainable livelihoods.
Notable results have already been produced. For instance, poverty reduction measures traditionally call for increasing agricultural output. But in Pangani, water allocation currently favours the agricultural sector so there is not much more room for growth here and it's an option that could be ruled out. Advocates of boosting hydropower are normally at odds with conservationists. However the downstream site of the Pangani hydropower station, which is a more degraded environment, means that by increasing water for hydropower output, the environment would also benefit, keeping both sides happy.
Long term, water allocation of the Pangani river basin should also look at small scale investment and water storage for the dry season.
These current options provide a starting point for discussion, and it's likely that the optimum scenario will be drawn from a combination of these different strategies, with a view to raising awareness of the benefits of the new system among stakeholders by June 2008.


text: This device is a night vision scope, but it doesn't require any batteries. Instead, it's has a lever-activated power supply, so you can generate your own power ad hoc. You'll can see in the night without fear of an energy failture. It is priced around $200. See Camping Station or other vendors.


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Next: Use Case Scenarios, Previous: Usage Instructions, Up: Top [Contents]
GNU remotecontrol can operate on a laptop, a desktop, even a hand-held computer.....if you can achieve setting up your Web Server and Database Server.
It will probably be much easier on you to setup a GNU remotecontrol system while using your existing Energy Management Control System. This will allow you to learn, test, try, think, try some more, all side-by-side with all of your existing systems. Then, when you are ready, switch over seamlessly to use GNU remotecontrol as your primary system, along with your (then) old Energy Management Control System, to make sure you are absolutely comfortable with your setup of your GNU remotecontrol system. Finally, once your are comfortable with your GNU remotecontrol, decommission your old Energy Management Control System.
Benefits of running GNU remotecontrol on a smaller hardware combination include:
There are many different ways you can use the data you collect:
Next: Use Case Scenarios, Previous: Usage Instructions, Up: Top [Contents]


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Police in Hillsville and Independence report new scams targeting local residents.
The "American Dreams" contest scam already has cost one man $11,000. Other scams involve phone calls from a fake sweepstakes and a bogus "envelope-stuffing" job.
The Independence Police Department has issued a warning to area residents to beware of a scam that cost an Independence man $11,000.
Cpl. Matthew Adams said the unidentified man was contacted by a representative of a company called American Dreams. The man was told that he had won a prize but would have to pay some money up front before he could claim it.
Adams said the man was given an authorization number, but everything turned out to be bogus and the man lost his money.
He said another Independence woman was contacted about stuffing envelopes at home and making a monthly salary of $2,000. The only catch was she had to pay $500 up front.
The woman didn't fall for the scam and notified police.
Adams reminded everyone to beware of such scams. He said anyone who receives a call from someone wanting money to check it out first to make sure it's legitimate.
Anyone can call the department at 773-3661.
Adams reminded residents that if a deal seems too good to be true, in most cases, it's a scam.
Carroll County Sheriff's Office officials warn citizens about being tricked out of their savings by the "Green Dot Scratch Card" scam.
The way the phone scam works is that unknown individuals call and say the citizen has won a large amount of money.
The citizens are instructed to go to Walmart and purchase a $500, "14 digit Green Dot Scratch Card," according to police. "The citizens are then instructed to contact the caller back and give the 14 digit PIN number on the card."
The scammers then have been repeatedly calling the citizens back to check and see if they have obtained the pin number.
These scammers claim to be with Publishers Clearinghouse or another similar sweepstakes company.
Deputies warn that one of the area codes that the calls come from is 876, which is in Jamaica.
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The threat of wintry weather helps and hurts local businesses, depending on their clientele and reputation for remaining open during inclement weather.
The threat of wintry weather helps and hurts local businesses, depending on their clientele and reputation for remaining open during inclement weather.
A couple of winter storms moved through Gaston County in the past couple of months and as forecasters once again predict the chance of snow today, some businesses are ready for the challenge.
It�s a policy at Freeman�s Pub at 173 W. Main Ave., Gastonia, to remain open when it snows. Owner Brad Freeman said the restaurant�s clientele are familiar with the policy and it helps business.
�The majority of people will end up walking here if they want to. We�ll always be packed out when it snows,� he said. �The snow always helps our business. Most people close their doors. We keep ours open. We�re always busy when it comes.�
But retailers may not be as happy about the threat of winter precipitation as some residents hunker down in homes in fear of driving.
Plato�s Closet at 2020 E. Franklin Blvd., Gastonia, buys and sells gently-used clothing. Vanessa Hughes, one of the store�s managers, said some people still want to shop but the day�s sales could be slightly off due to the weather threat.
�The last time when we had a chance of ice, we still had customers,� she said. �During the week we�re not super busy anyway. We�re more busy on weekends. We�re just going to do what we normally do.�
The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook on Friday for numerous counties including Gaston, Cleveland, and Lincoln.
Light precipitation could develop this afternoon, likely beginning as a mix of rain and snow. But light snow would be predominant, according to forecasters.
Light snow accumulations are possible across the North Carolina piedmont.
Gazette reporter Wade Allen can be reached at 704-869-1828; twitter.com/gazettewade.


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Bulldogs Retain Nat & Anne Case Cup
DERBY, Conn. – It doesn't get much better for the Yale varsity eight. The Bulldogs knocked off two of their biggest rivals in a three-day span. After edging Radcliffe on Saturday, Yale cruised to a nearly nine-second victory over Brown in a rare Monday race on the Housatonic River.
Yale's victory in the first and second varsity eights allowed the Bulldogs to win the Nat & Anne Case Cup for the second straight year.
The varsity eight turned in a dominating performance, finishing with a time of 6:49.5. Brown crossed the line in 6:58.1.
The second varsity eight finished in 6:58.9, a little over two seconds faster than the Bears.
The closest race of the day came in the varsity four where Brown edged the Bulldogs by one second, 7:40.3 to 7:41.3.
"We raced well today," said Yale head coach Will Porter. "In the first and second varsity, we are still working on rowing a complete race. Today was our best effort yet but we could still do a few things better. The varsity four is improving every time out. We just need to shave a few more seconds off our time."
Yale won the second varsity four by a wide margin, while the Bears captured the third varsity eight handily.
The Bulldogs have one more race before the Ivy League championship. They host Rhode Island on May 11.
"It was a good weekend for us, but we have more work ahead of us," Porter said.
Yale Boatings
Varsity Eight: 1. Colleen Maher, 2. Maddie Lips, 3. Natalie King, 4. Kim Szokol, 5. Nina Demmerle, 6. Claire Tolson, 7. Abbie Young, 8. Eliza Hastings, coxswain: Kristen Brownlee
Second Varsity Eight: 1. Kristjana Gudmundsson, 2. Abby Loucks, 3. Elizabeth Vincent, 4. Kristina Wagner, 5. Emily Tormey, 6. Amber Anderson, 7. Martha Cosgrove, 8. Madeline Dinse, coxswain: Christine Devlin
Varsity Four: 1. Mieke Scherpbier, 2. Natalie Lapides, 3. Juliet Caragianis, 4. Jen Stockwood, coxswain: Margaret Ayers
Second Varsity Four: 1. Kara Freeman, 2. Brit Sharon, 3. Mimi Reichenbach, 4. Amina Edwards, coxswain: Laura Grimbergen
Third Varsity Eight: 1. Sabrina Malak, 2. Jane Kozey, 3. Emily Diana, 4. Regan Considine, 5. Kendall Chapin, 6. Mary Farner, 7. Emma Hammarlund, 8. Christine Tsai,coxswain: Sarah Weil
Report filed by Tim Bennett, Yale Sports Publicity


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I am way behind in posting on the 52 genealogy blogging prompts provided by Amy of We Tree, but one of the recent prompts (last week's?) that I particularly wanted to respond to had to do with reposting an old article. I am going to combine two articles I posted in October 2008, Finding a New Family and Alice Floyd Ezell Bibb, 26 Jan 1882-17 Oct 1918. Alice's story is a tragic and touching one, and actually would have been ideal for the recent "Disasters" Carnival of Genealogy hosted by Miriam Midkiff Robbins over at Ancestories, because the influenza epidemic of 1918-1920 plays a large role.
Finding a New Family
The "new family" mentioned in the title above does not refer to a set of direct ancestors, i.e., the parents of a "brick wall" ancestor, but is located in a "collateral line," in this case, the family of one of the brothers of my great-grandfather Charles Augustus Floyd. The brother in question is Caswell B. Floyd, who was born in 1845 in Illinois, married Mary Miller, and died in 1890 in Kleberg, Dallas County, Texas. The Floyds were one of the first families on whom I had any information, thanks to some outstanding Floyd family researchers, Eunice Sandling and the Jim and Pat Dodd family. It often seemed that there was very little I could add by way of research to what they had already done. They already had a family group for Caswell and Mary Floyd, which included five sons – George Albert, William Henry, Joseph Ira, Ollie B., and Charles Alford. However, Caswell 's death in 1890 opened up the possibility that there were additional children born between the 1880 census and Caswell's death in 1890.
The 1900 census showed an Alvin C. Long, born ca 1888, living with a Charles and Mary Long in Precinct 4, Dallas County, Texas, and I suspected that Mary Long was Caswell's widow. I eventually got in touch with a descendant of Cletus Caswell Floyd, Alvin Cletus Floyd's son, and the name Caswell and the descendant's claim that the family was from Kleberg, Texas, made me positive that my guess was correct. However, this still is not the family referred to in this article.
When I did the census work for Charles and Mary Long, I found that in the 1910 census, Mary was shown as having given birth to 10 children, of whom 8 were still living. That meant it should be possible to find eight living children at that point in time, but at this point I knew only of Caswell and Mary's six sons plus another son, Emmet, born to Mary and Charles Long. Emmet was born in 1893, at which time Mary was already about 45 years old, and in the 1900 census Mary was mistakenly shown as having had only one child, i.e., Emmet, so I guessed that the child not accounted for must have been Caswell's child. After eliminating Floyd males from the Charles August Floyd and Alfred Byrum Floyd (Charles' and Caswell's youngest brother) families, there did not seem to be any additional male Floyds born in the early 1880s living on their own in the Dallas area. That left one possibility, a phenomenon known to many family researchers dealing with this period in history – 1880 to 1900 – who understand that one of the consequences of the loss of almost the entire 1890 census is the "lost daughter" phenomenon – a daughter born in the early 1880s (so she does not appear on the 1880 census) who by 1900 has already married and no longer lives with her family (so she cannot be found under her maiden name in the 1900 census).
My next step was to look for a young (less than 20 years old) married woman in the Kleberg area. There were several candidates, and for at least two of these it was indicated that one or both parents had been born in Illinois (the only reliable "distinguishing feature" I could use to narrow down the field), but I was actually able to find their maiden names with a little hunting, and none of them was the missing daughter. That was several months ago. About a week ago I was taking care of one of the more mundane genealogy chores, recopying quickly scribbled notes to put in the proper family binders. Probably about a year or so earlier (before I was very familiar with the Caswell Floyd family), I had hastily jotted down some information from Jim Wheat's Dallas County Texas Archives (another plug for one of my favorite websites) – the transcript of the death certificate for a young woman named Alice Bibb who had died in the great influenza epidemic in 1918. Listed as her parents were C. B. Floyd and Mary Mills. At the time it piqued my curiosity, but I was not familiar enough with the family to be certain that this was Caswell and Mary. Seeing my notes a second time, however, gave me that jolt and then the rush familiar to so many genealogy buffs – this was the daughter I had been searching for! This was followed by embarrassment at my "senior moment" – forgetting that I had already "found" the daughter. I then remembered that her death fell within the right time frame to be covered by the Texas death certificates on the Family Search pilot site (another favorite website). A glance at the image of the original death certificate showed that Mary Mills was indeed actually Mary Miller, and Alice Bibb was Alice Floyd, the missing daughter.
Alice Floyd Ezell Bibb, 26 Jan 1882-17 Oct 1918
One of the first things I learned about Alice Floyd Bibb was that she died of influenza and pneumonia on 17 October 1918. The date in itself is eloquent - these were the early days of the Great Influenza Epidemic. Now the task that confronted me was to work backward from her death and find out whom she had married, what children she had, if any, and everything else I could find out about her life. I started with her death certificate. Originally I had a transcription, but now I could get an image at the Family Search pilot site. Alice died in Kleberg, Dallas County, Texas. This was the area where members of the Caswell Floyd family lived. The other two brothers who survived Caswell, Charles Augustus and Alfred Byrum, had lived in the Hutchins/Lancaster area of Dallas County. The informant on her death certificate was Ira Floyd, her brother. The undertaker who signed the certificate was E. O. Prewitt, the husband of Alice's niece Cheba Floyd. Cheba herself would die within four years after complications from an operation. The registrar who signed the document was W. S. Skiles, a distant relative by marriage through Charles Floyd's wife Angeline Matlock Floyd.
My next step was to find out precisely who Mr. Bibb was; at this point I assumed that he was the man that Alice had married by the 1900 census, making her an "invisible" Floyd. A simple search did not reveal the couple on the 1910 census, so I took another piece of information from the death certificate, Lee Cemetery, to see if I could find someone there. Through a bit of googling, I found a site which listed a number of graves in Lee Cemetery and even had pictures of the tombstones. One of the tombstones was for a T. H. Bibb, 1868-1818. This looked promising. I could find no Bibb family with that spelling in the Dallas area on the 1900 or 1910 census, but the 1880 census for nearby Kaufman, Texas showed a widower named Thomas H. Bibb with his children, and the oldest child was also named Thomas, age 12. The younger Thomas must be the T.H. Bibb in Lee Cemetery (and the older Thomas Bibb is also buried in Lee Cemetery), but was he also Alice's husband? With a little creativity I found a Tom Bib on the 1900 census, born November 1868, with his wife Nancy, born February 1877, and daughters Lora and Mabel. It appeared that he was not Alice's husband. However, I went back to the Lee Cemetery records, and the 1918 date of death for Tom was very suggestive. Then I found an important piece of information - one of the other Bibbs In Lee Cemetery was a Nancy Bibb, born 1873 and died in 1904. It struck me that perhaps Alice was Tom's second wife and, given no Alice Floyd on the 1900 census, Tom may very well have been Alice's second husband.
To find this couple (I hoped) on the 1910 census, I decided to work on finding Lora or Mabel, without the last name. That worked - this time the family members were listed as Thomas and Allice Bibbs, Thomas' daughters Lora and Mabel, and, what gave me the final clue I needed to find Alice with her first husband on the 1900 census, listed as Thomas' stepson (therefore Alice's son from her first marriage), James Ezell. Looking for an Ezell family on the 1900 census in Dallas County was fairly straightforward and produced Tom Ezell, wife Allice, and son Oran T. James Ezell was born after 1900, so Oran must have died by 1910. Oran's death, the early deaths of Tom Ezell and Nancy Woody Bibb, and Alice's early death were the first chapters I found in the tragedy-marked life of this family. I returned to Lee Cemetery to find out how the other Bibbs were related, and quickly found two daughters who died quite young, Elizabeth (1912-1913) and Frances (1913-1914). Their death certificates, which were also online, showed that they were Thomas and Alice's children and showed that Elizabeth had died of bronchial pneumonia and Frances of dysentery. Thomas Bibb's death certificate confirmed what his tombstone hinted at, that he had died in the influenza epidemic, and in fact showed that he died on the very same day as Alice.
A search on Ancestry turned up a third daughter of Thomas Bibb and Alice Floyd, but no name was given. Further census work showed that she survived (her name was Billie) and was brought up by Lora Bibb who, at the young age of 22, had been the informant on her father's death certificate. The 1920 census with Lora and Billie shows them with Lora's husband Arthur Glenn and their son Martin. The 1930 census shows Lora as a widow, a younger son Phillip K. Glenn, and Billie. At first I thought this was the continuation of the numerous tragedies suffered by this family, but Ancestry searches for Arthur and Martin to find death dates led me to believe that the tragedy that befell this family may have been one of separation, not death. I found evidence that a Charles Arthur Glenn from the same area of Dallas County as the Caswell Floyd family was the "right" Arthur Glenn, and this Arthur Glenn, his son Martin (both of the right ages), a new wife Anna, and Anna's daughters Lorean and Caroline Ray living in Cameron County, Texas on the 1930 census. Arthur's stepdaughters were of the right age for him to have still been married to Lora when youngest son Phillip was born. The interesting thing was that each parent had taken a son.
Lora Bibb Glenn did not completely escape further tragedy, however. On 30 June 1951, her younger son Phillip Keith Glenn died at age 26 in a prison camp in Korea. The following information is provided for him in the Korean War Casualty listings:
"First Lieutenant Glenn was a member of the 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He was taken Prisoner of War while fighting the enemy near Kunu-ri, North Korea on November 30, 1950 and died while a prisoner on June 30, 1951. First Lieutenant Glenn was awarded the Prisoner of War Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Korean War Service Medal." I believe that he may have married a woman named Millie Etta Reed and had a daughter named Donna; perhaps this was some consolation to his mother. I believe Arthur Glenn died 23 July 1943, but I do not know what happened to Martin Glenn. Lora Bibb died on 22 March 1969; the informant on her death certificate was Billie (Bibb) Kay, her younger half-sister.
The other Bibb sister, Mabel Bibb, died at age 37 on 8 December 1934, about three weeks after the birth of her seventh child, Nancy Mabel Walton, apparently from an infection that set in after the birth.
I have not been able to find out anything further about James Ezell.


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Welcome to the website of Nicole and Renato Bender.
This site is intended to provide a source of information on several topics around evolutionary biology. Beside our works on evolutionary medicine, behavioral ecology and history of science, the main aspect of our research concerns primates' interaction with water, with special focus on early hominin evolution.
Hominiods' interaction with water: an understudied field in primatology
Extant hominoids (gibbons, orangutans, gorillas, common chimpanzees, bonobos and humans) are very interesting organisms in their behavior toward water. Although swimming is a widespread, crucial behavioral feature among mammals, non-human hominoids are believed to be unable to cross a deep water body. As a general rule, humans are the only extant hominoids which interact with water in a way that regularly (but not necessarily) leads to the development of swimming ability. Considering this fact, it is remarkable that hominins' interaction with water is such an understudied topic in paleoanthropology.
There are several reasons for this neglect. Classical scenarios on early hominin evolution usually did not consider the possibility that hominins evolved specific behavioral, anatomical or physiological features related to any form of intensive water use. In paleoanthropology, human swimming and diving are implicitly considered a modern achievement in our evolution and are therefore normally not analyzed from an evolutionary point of view. For this reason, the history of human swimming and diving ability is classically treated by historians who restrict their analysis on data which can be documented by archeological evidence, as in the Stone Age paintings or written references (like the Bible).
The probable most important reason for the lack of scientific paleoanthropological research on hominins interaction with water is related to the aquatic hypotheses, also called the aquatic ape theory. The simple mention of the "role of water in early hominin evolution" inevitably brings out strong feelings related to these controversial ideas. The aquatic hypotheses were independently proposed by the German pathologist Max Westenhöfer (1871-1957) and the British marine biologist Sir Alister Hardy (1896-1985) and since 1972 continuously propagated by the British writer Elaine Morgan (born 1920). They defend the idea that early hominins developed several anatomical, physiological and behavioral characteristics in connection with a semi-aquatic environment. The most common version of the aquatic hypothesis was formulated by Alister Hardy in an article in New Scientist on March 17, 1960. He wrote:
"My thesis is that a branch of this primitive ape-stock was forced by competition from life in the trees to feed on the sea-shores and to hunt for food, shell fish, sea-urchins etc., in the shallow waters off the coast. I suppose that they were forced into the water just as we have seen happen in so many other groups of terrestrial animals. I am imagining this happening in the warmer parts of the world, in the tropical seas where Man could stand being in the water for relatively long periods, that is, several hours at a stretch."
These hypotheses have not been accepted within the paleoanthropological community as valid scenarios for early hominin evolution. The emotional discussion surrounding the aquatic hypotheses had a negative influence for decades on how researchers approached the topic of primates' interaction with water. There is a general unspoken agreement among paleoanthropologists that discussing hominins' interaction with water is analogous to entering a scientific minefield.
A research program without the usual discussion "Aquatic Ape Theory against Savanna Theory"
Scientists interested in primates' interaction with water and it's implication for early hominin evolution probably feel uneasy envisioning themselves submerged in the extensive research necessary to understand in depth the intricate arguments of the proponents of the aquatic hypotheses in the last 88 years. Such a project becomes even less attractive considering that most of the aquatic ideas were not formulated in peer reviewed literature by specialists, but in popular articles and books written by non-specialists. Attempts to overcome these problems by giving the aquatic hypotheses a new name and ignoring the historical roots of these ideas only contributes to increasing rather than reducing the chaos in this field.
However, several paleoanthropologists probably would like to discuss the role of water in early hominin evolution without being regarded as proponents or critics of the aquatic hypotheses. In fact, there are many good reasons to put an end to this discussion as it has been carried out in recent decades (in the sense of "Aquatic Ape Theory against Savanna Theory") and to start a new research program in paleoanthropology. Instead of discussing the sense or nonsense of highly speculative ideas (for instance when comparing humans with penguins or with dolphins), we propose a research program addressing water use in primates, which by definition include hominins.
It is important to point out that the expressions "water use" or "interaction with water" in connection with early hominins does not necessarily imply the evolution of specific adaptive features in these species in the sense of "aquatic" adaptations. (For example, one topic of our research on primates' interaction with water is the avoidance of water bodies by several primate species.) This approach prevents the bias related to the discussion of a few single scenarios and avoids ineffective research that overlooks relevant data.
We propose therefore three strategies to use with the topic "water use in early hominins".
Historical analysis
The first strategy is to make an objective analysis of the historical roots of hypotheses that contextualize early hominin evolution. On this webpage are the summaries of two German theses and papers on this topic. (For German-speaking scientists the PDFs of the original works are included.) and papers. To illustrate a typical pitfall arising from superficial assumptions characterized by a lack of historical understanding, one author believed it was possible to identify exactly the historical influences which led to the formulation of Hardy's aquatic hypothesis first published in 1960. These assumptions cannot hold because Hardy did not envisage his ideas in 1960, but much earlier. Furthermore, the same arguments were proposed by Max Westenhöfer 37 years before Hardy's first aquatic hypothesis publication. It is apparent that the Zeitgeist and specific scientific background that influenced Hardy's ideas were not comparable to the influences which led to Westenhöfer's Aquatile Hypothese.
Similarly, several scientists mentioned Raymond Dart as first author of the classical savanna hypotheses (SHs). According to this scenario, climatic changes thinned forest areas and caused the appearance and extension of open plains, forcing early hominins to adapt to new conditions of life. A review of the topic reveals that the first SHs did not emerge as an interpretation of hominin fossil evidence discovered in Africa in 1924 by Raymond Dart, as commonly assumed. Open plains ideas were already outlined in 1809 by Jean Baptiste de Lamarck and 1871 by Charles Darwin, and several detailed SHs were published in the two first decades of the 20th century. Although still very influential in paleoanthropology, the savanna scenarios have been challenged since the early 1990s by several paleoanthropologists and primatologists (Bender 1999; Bender, Tobias and Bender submitted a paper on this topic).
The rational for considering historical research is simple: it is impossible to make inferences about the validity of hypotheses without a profound understanding of their arguments seen from an historical perspective. It is remarkable that the long and heated debate over "aquatic ape theory versus savanna theory" could be carried out with such a lack of basic knowledge of the historical development of these ideas. (See for instance the several wrong statements on the history of the aquatic hypothesis and savanna hypothesis in the English Wikipedia.)
Analysis of approaches and theoretical concepts
The second strategy concerns an objective evaluation of the approaches and theoretical concepts used in the different hypotheses proposed to contextualize early hominin evolution. (This strategy also demands extensive historical analyses, since several of the approaches and scenarios used in paleoanthropology to date have their roots in ideas already proposed in late 19th and early 20th centuries.)
This analysis is a very complex task. It is, of course, much simpler to develop a new method to corroborate another hypothesis on early hominin evolution than to get involved in an arduous and time-consuming analysis of previous methods used to corroborate a vast number of scenarios proposed in paleoanthropology. Nevertheless, we assume that such an analysis is indispensable in any attempt to test the validity of single paleoanthropological hypotheses. Especially important is the analysis of approaches addressing the use of convergences as a tool in the analysis of adaptive features (see "human evolution / convergence approach"), since this is the most basic aspect implicit in several influential scenarios on early hominin evolution.
Focusing on empirical evidence when it is available
We emphasize the need for empirical evidence related to primates' interaction with water. In times when young scientists feel that progress in evolutionary biology is only possible through detailed work within established research programs, it is refreshing to note that the gathering of empirical data concerning primates' interaction with water allows not only some spectacular discoveries even on species believed to be extremely well studied, but also the beginning of new research programs.
For instance, it is believed that non-human hominoids are unable to swim. We are preparing papers with the first descriptions of the swimming and diving abilities of five different individuals (4 common chimpanzees, 1 orangutan) which revise the allegedly fundamental difference between humans and non-human hominoids concerning their interaction with water. For the first time it is possible to compare swimming movements, behavior under water, breath-control and diving response between different non-human hominoids and humans. See further information on page "Human evolution / primates' interaction with water".
This website among others will be regularly updated in the upcoming months with references to our scientific publications in preparation.