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i am sorry if this isn't the right location to post this topic.
I have installed the new title pack update and i was messing around with those lights but when i was doing that i saw (what i think) the light from the sun trough the normal staduim blocks. here is a pictue:
i hope that you can understand it because english isn't my main language


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If you saw the movie "Food, Inc.," you're likely to remember the family of four who discovered eating at fast-food restaurants was more affordable than buying groceries. They were able to buy four hamburgers for less than it would cost them to buy four pieces of fruit.
The message was clear: Because beef and grains are highly subsidized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the price of the beef patty and bun can be kept low. Since fruit receives little of the USDA's money, the price of fruit can be cost-prohibitive.
Last week, with the introduction of the USDA's MyPlate brought this problem into focus. Half of the foods we should be eating should be fruit and vegetables, according the the the USDA. Yet, fruits and vegetables make up less than 1 percent of the foods that the USDA subsidizes. MyPlate puts dairy off to the side, diminishing its importance, and protein (which includes meat) is less than a quarter of the plate. Yet, 63 percent of the USDA subsidy budget goes to meat and dairy.
Nutritionist Andy Belatti, on his Small Bites blog, makes this spot-on observation.
I don't believe Americans are lacking knowledge or awareness that fruits and vegetables are healthy; the problem is that fruits and vegetables compete with artificially priced junk food in the marketplace. Lucky Charms and Trix are so cheap because they are made with crop subsidies; meat is cheap because cows are fed government-subsidized crops, and so on and so forth. Is My Plate suddenly going to make a pound of vegetables cost less, and a box of Lucky Charms cost more? Will My Plate turn food deserts into areas where residents can have access to healthy foods? No.
I have to wonder if the USDA was expecting this discussion to pop up about the MyPlate recommendations vs. where the money goes. If it didn't, there's a lot of panicking going on at the USDA right now. If it did, perhaps Secretary Tom Vilsack and his staff hoped that this discussion would happen. Maybe they're hoping that people get vocal — very vocal — about this disparity. It might make fixing the subsidies problem a lot easier for them if this discussion went viral and didn't end.
Head over to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine website and take a look at the MyPlate icon placed side by side with a graph of farm subsidies to get a true picture of the disparity. Discuss this disparity with people you know. Let's keep this discussion going so that when it's time for the farm bill to be voted on, Congress knows that we want subsidies for the right foods so that everyone can afford to eat nutritiously.
Also on MNN:

subset: commoncrawl


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Do you have an outdoor area you could turn into a "room" that would act as a sort of getaway right in your own yard? We inherited a structure in the corner of our huge, rotting deck when we moved to this house that I've dreamed of turning into a place in it's own right.
OK, the deck wasn't rotting when we bought the house – but it was old and close to rotting. And then, since we didn't like it we, well…ignored it. And wood does rot over time – especially in Oregon. And especially when ignored. Duh.
Anyway, when we tore out the deck, we replaced it with a variety of outdoor "rooms" – an eating patio, an herb garden, a house entry, and a gazebo we created from the inherited structure.
Finishing the gazebo has been a long process and has prevented me from showing the final backyard reveal. However, I think we'll be ready to do the reveal by next week and in the meantime, I wanted to share some ideas and inspiration I've been using as we finish this space (of course, I've been pinning them to my Garden board at Pinterest as well).
At first I wasn't sure I could call the square structure a gazebo, but I did find lots of examples of square gazebos like this one. I also like that it's brown instead of white, because I had pretty much decided to get rid of the white wood on our structure (white in Oregon = green moss and black mold).
We have an issue with the sun in our eyes as it sets in the west around dinner time, so I want to add curtains to one side. White seems simple enough – plus I already have white fabric I can use. I really like how curtains instantly make the space room-like.
I pinned this image mainly for the chandelier – since our gazebo is really high, I think a chandelier would help link the ceiling to the sitting area.
Plus, they're just cool. Doesn't it really make this portable gazebo special?
I've been dreaming of seeing our space lit up at night, like this fun gazebo space (this was all done with Goodwill finds, too!). I don't want to see a lot of cords, though, so I'm hoping to find some solar lights that aren't too expensive.
I love this chandelier idea – it looks like it was made from found objects. It inspired me to look around our house and find something I could make into a candle chandelier.
So far I've found a rusty old canning rack, a dozen vintage jelly jars, and some rusty wire and chain. Hmm…?
Stay tuned, 'cause you know I'll share!
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View from the Boathouse
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This pattern was inspired by a beautiful handwoven grasscloth that was discovered on a recent trip to Asia. We skillfully recreated the design to capture the intricate details of the natural fibers. To enhance the look, we added a pearlescent undertone to simulate the subtle sheen of a real grasscloth. The Lennon Grass palette features 12 natural-toned colorways and 5 contemporary accent colors, warm and inviting, and the perfect backdrop for sleek, modern furnishings as well as traditional décor.


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Hello and question
Hi, Elbarto90se. I have been editing here for a short while, and admire your edits on the vehicles, and am coming to you as something of an expert, especially on the GTA IV stuff. I have a question about the FBI Buffalo: is it "FBI", or "FIB"? The article was "FIB Buffalo", but I moved it to "FBI BUffalo", assuming it was a typo. Am I mistaken? Please advise. Thanks, and happy editing! EganioTalk 20:16, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
I had to do the cheat to get the car to find out. Turns out it is FIB. Maybe Rock Star is afraid Government lawyers would come after them if they actually called anything in the game FBI. Elbarto90se 00:16, 13 May 2008 (UTC)
- LOL, apparently it was switched for exactly the reason you surmised! Anyway, thanks for the info. Keep up the great work, and happy editing! EganioTalk 23:02, 29 May 2008 (UTC)
Hello from GuildKnight!
Hi, and a very belated welcome to GTA Wiki! Eganio brought to my attention your hard work on our wiki, and I've reviewed some of your edits. You definitely seem to be editing in good faith, and I thought I'd let you know that we have been considering whether adding a new Admin or two to the site will benefit the wiki. If that's something that would interest you, you may want to take a look at the Task List. These are some things that are taken care of on an ongoing basis to keep the wiki maintained and tidy. The quality of your edits, so far as I've seen, leaves nothing to be desired, so if these additional tasks are something you'd be willing to tackle every now and then, you may be considered for admin-ship. If not, please continue the great work you've been doing, and feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. Most importantly, have fun! --GuildKnightTalk2me 04:48, 5 July 2008 (UTC)


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StopBreatheBump Reviews Kevin Doherty and Amba Shepherd's Single Lifeline
StopBreatheBump is dedicated to bringing you the newest and hottest bangers in the world. If you wanna be that cool cat who always has the freshest tracks on your iPod or the one who controls the music at parties because you know the illest tunes! The blog recently featured a review of the new release from Amba Shepherd and Kevin Doherty, Lifeline,
"Our friends over at Radikal Records just sent us an email that made our day. They sent through the remix set of U.K DJ producer Kevin Doherty's "Lifeline", written and performed by Australian rising star Amba Shepherd. Oh, and may we add Amba was the vocalist on Porter Robinson's "Vandalisim".
The whole set was comprised of 8 killer remixes so it was really hard to pick out our favorites. With that being said, we finally picked out our top 3 which comprised of remixes from, Pauls Paris, Dyro and Dave Winnel. If we HAD to pick one remix overall though, Winnel would take the cake — massive tune."


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I sure am glad I carry a good tool kit with me on my F800GS.
I had a couple opportunities to use them, once to help out another rider, none other than Paul Glaves who needed my GS-911 tool to diagnose a problem on Voni's F800S while at the Bee Cee Beemers rally in Nakusp BC last weekend. She was concerned that her odometer was not logging her miles and Paul wanted to confirm what he suspected the problem to be so he could order the part to get that fixed. After all, when you're closing in on a million, you don't want to miss any.
The next opprtunity to break open the tool kit was for my own bike and was a bit more dramatic and serious in nature.
I left the rally on Sunday with the intent of spending several more days touring back roads and finding fishing spots to camp and catch supper. My route for Sunday took me well up a mountain road, one in pretty decent condition, where there were a few small lakes. Not far from the lake I had chosen as the best spot to end the day, I rode over a flat stone on the road and it kicked up hard under the bike off the front tire. The stone clanked off the skid plate as have many before, that's what its there for after all. I thought little of it and continued the last couple kilometers to the lake.
I was just in the process of getting my tent set up shortly after arriving, when i noticed something dripping under the bike. A quick inspection revealed it was oil, the stone had dented the skid plate in quote badly, and I figured had also damaged the sump. A few minutes of panic ensued as I abandoned the tent and began to figure out what to do. Give up on the lake and fishing and make a run for civilization? Try to patch the damage out in the mountains? No cell coverage, little chance of anyone coming along to help, oh crap!
After the panic subsided and clearer thinking returned, i dug out the tool kit and set to work getting the skid palte off to assess the true nature of the damage. Sure enough, the sump had been cracked and a slow but steady drip of hot 10w 40 was issuing from the wound. With no way to get anything to stick to the damaged area while the oil continued to flow, I realised i would need to drain the remaining oil and remove the sump to effect any sort of repair that might have a chnace of getting me out of this predicament. I got out my Ortlieb folding dish pan and used it to catch the oil, then used my map case from the tank bag to cover it and try to keep the forest debris from getting in, or at least most of it.
Now that I had the oil drained, I got to work removing the sump which is fortunately a very easy task on the F800GS. With the sump removed, I was able to clean the oil from the damaged area, scrape it somewhat clean, and then apply a coat of JB Weld to cover the damage. Once that cured, I repeated the process on the inside just to be sure it was going to hold oil in.
With the damage patched, the sump went back on and I used one of my disposable paper funnels to return the oil to the engine. So far so good, no sign of a leak and only down to add mark on the dipstick. I left the skid palte off so I could keep an eye on the repair for the rest of the evening. By morning it was still dry, so on went the skid plate, which I had beat somewhat flat again (ironically using a large rock to do so).
This bad situation turned out not so bad after all, certainly not as bad as it may have been with a bit less luck or less preparedness. That bulky tool kit was worth every square inch of space it took to carry it.
Oh, and the fishing was fantastic. Even after doing the repairs, I still was able to pull in a nice pair of trout in time for supper.
The sump off
It's cracked
scraped clean
Skid plate dent
From the underside
The "workshop"
View from the "workshop"
I did end up changing my travel plans and headed for Kelowna and the new dealer there Bentley Motorad. They inspected the repair, cleaned up the oily mess and gave me the OK to proceed with confidence with fresh oil and filter and a cleaned and lubed chain to boot. The emergency repair was showing no sign of leakage, and held up just fine for the remainder of my wandering trip home. I will be replacing the sump though just to be sure.


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Get ready to taste, do not add sugar and concentrated on the senses.
PELLINI TOP 100% Arabica includes all the experience behind Pellini. A blend designed for professional coffee bars and consumers looking for a superior espresso coffee with aroma and finesse.
PELLINI TOP 100% Arabica is an exclusive recipe: a blend of high-quality Arabica beans directly selected from the source. A slow roasting process and a controlled ripening system enhances the taste and aroma of PELLINI TOP. Awarded the Gold Medal for its elegance and distinctiveness at the International Coffee Tasting, it has become an icon and a point of reference for the best coffee experts over the years.
It only takes a glance to understand an espresso coffee. The colour, consistency and persistence of the cream reveal more than you might imagine. A hazel-coloured coffee with light reddish streaks is indicative of the 100% Arabica superior quality blend. The blend uses a careful and precise rotating technique, a process that respects the extraction time and the use of the perfect amount of ground coffee.
PELLINI TOP 100% Arabica is an espresso coffee with a light hazel-coloured cream with light reddish streaks. The texture of the cream is compact, velvety and persistent.
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PELLINI TOP 100% Arabica is an espresso coffee with a pleasant texture enveloping the palate with its sweet but strong taste. This is a specific characteristic of the finest coffee which enriches its softness and body. The low caffeine content makes it naturally less bitter. It gives a slight sensation of freshness and a perfectly-balanced and soft taste.


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Rational Religion argues for the existence of God from an Islamic perspective. It is a platform of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, featuring articles and videos on a variety of issues relating to atheism, religion, science and society. Apart from its website, it has an active YouTube channel featuring talk-shows, interviews and lectures.
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limdis wrote:I was rereading this and I feel like the question really hasn't been answered. I know OP is probably gone but for those that also might have this very same question:
When it comes to tools you have to be careful about where you get them from. This is the same when it comes to any program you wish to download. If possible, you only want to download something from the ORIGINAL/HOST location. For example; the other day I went to get an updated version of VLC. Simple google search gave me several locations to get it from. Now, because I wasn't thinking I just up and clicked on the first one assuming that it was the main site and go go go. Half way into the install setup I realized my mistake when I was asked to install tools bars and shit. Attempting to close the installer gave me errors and my computer crashed. I spent the next hour purging all the malware off....
Hack tools are the same way. Except if you aren't careful you are likely to get yourself infected with something very dangerous. Do your research on the tool before you try it out. Find out who made it and get it from the source to ensure that it's clean.
To the members here, don't hesitate to ask us about a tool you are researching and/or if you have found the right spot to get it. We all have a start point and it's better to ask questions and learn than run in blind.
wan26 wrote:No I'm using Linux, there is a port of tcpdump for Windows called windump. There are many packet analysis tools out there, so knowing what OS i am using is not really an issue. And I am well aware of the differences between them both windows and linux, don't worry. The general idea in my reply was to take the program to another machine, regardless of OS... and use tools to look at its network traffic...
wan26 wrote:My bad, I miss read - I do that too often, and I agree he probably is using windows
wan26 wrote:Ahh s'all good, also it's been over two weeks since the thread was made, I wonder if he downloaded a prog from a bad place and is now screwed haha
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Most of us tend to wear a lot of black and brown during the winter months, so it's always stylish (and mood-enhancing) to add a pop of color to your wardrobe - one of the simplest ways to do that is with accessories. As knee-high boots are a go-to for many women, a colorful tall sock can be a easy (and cozy) way to bring some fun to drab winter colors.
This graphic orange and blue pair of handcrafted over-the-knee socks are made on an antique knitting machine.
This cute Swiss-style sock works with shorter boots (as shown here) or with knee-highs. These are made from cotton, so if you want a lighter sock, these are the ticket.
If you want the look of a boot sock, but not the bulk or the warmth for your feet (or if your boots are too small for thick socks), boot cuffs are a great way to get the look and keep your legs warm.
These cute Norwegian-style socks look as cute with your boots on as off. Handknit from stretchy grey and cream wool yarns, these are perfect for holidays and beyond.
These hand-dyed burgundy socks are the perfect color to dress up an all-black outfit, or add some cheer to a pair of boots slushing through the snow or mud.


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6-15-12 jeep trip with Leo
First Jeep trip of the year, headed up hwy 410 and turned off on 1701 road. tried to get to funnyrocks on off road 530 but we were blocked by snow on bald mt. we went back to 1701 and continued on till trail 695. We went a few miles and had a great time till about 5.30pm when we got stuck in a snow bank. we sat there and tried everything but bad luck would prevent us from freeing ourselves. our winch broke and one hub broke. finally at 4:00am some jeepers came and pulled us out. good times and great memories.Read More
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Each Daemon Dice™ Booster provides a new breed
of fiendish gladiators to send into the Infernal
Arena. New Purebreed abilities can change the tide
of battle. Any breeds can be combined to create new
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standing (or at least squirming).
Death Daemon (Black plastic/yellow ink):Death claims all things in the end, one just needs eternal patience to be victorious! During each turn, a death daemon generates an automatic targeted minus. During your foe's next turn, apply this minus to your choice of the foe's dice prior to the non-targeted minuses!
Each Daemon Dice™ Booster pack contains a random
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combine different booster packs to create hellish new
varieties to send into the arena to fight for you.
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Milano 3 Metre Outdoor Umbrella
Complete Your Outdoor Furniture Set with this Three Metre Umbrella! Perfect for Offering Shade on Those Hot Summer Days, This Durable Umbrella is the Ideal Accessory for Your Backyard. Only $109, Instead of $399
Keep your backyard safely shaded this summer with this three metre Milano Outdoor umbrella!
This oversized umbrella is large enough to cover most entertaining areas, making it perfect for providing shade in your backyard for those hot and sticky summer days.
Features a durable cross style steel frame and made with high quality water and mould-resistant 160gsm polyester fabric. The simple to wind handle makes it easy to extend and retract when you want to move it around your outdoor living space
Plus, enjoy a bonus umbrella cover to protect your umbrella when not in use
Choose between four great colours- beige, charcoal, green or crimson
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SET 1: Possum, Lawn Boy > Reba, Dinner and a Movie > Bouncing Around the Room > Tweezer, Uncle Pen > Mike's Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove
SET 2: Whole Lotta Love Jam > Harry Hood, The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu > La Grange, Fee -> Foam, The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > Suzy Greenberg > Run Like an Antelope, Hold Your Head Up > Terrapin > Hold Your Head Up, Harpua, Good Times Bad Times
ENCORE: Take the 'A' Train > Contact
Add a Review
March 27, 1993
25 years ago
Warfield Theatre
Set 1: Llama, Guelah Papyrus, Rift, Stash, Reba, My Friend, My Friend[1], Uncle Pen, Sample in a Jar, I Didn't Know[2], David Bowie[3]
Set 2: Buried Alive > Halley's Comet > It's Ice > Bouncing Around the Room, Chalk Dust Torture, The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Mike's Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Hold Your Head Up > Cracklin' Rosie > Hold Your Head Up, Poor Heart > Golgi Apparatus
Encore: The Squirming Coil, Carolina
[1] Beginning featured Trey on acoustic guitar.
[2] Fish on trombone.
[3] All Fall Down signal in intro.
Phish.net is a non-commercial project run by Phish fans and for Phish fans under the auspices of the all-volunteer, non-profit Mockingbird Foundation.
This project serves to compile, preserve, and protect encyclopedic information about Phish and their music.
Credits | Terms Of Use | Legal | DMCA
The Mockingbird Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by Phish fans in 1996 to generate charitable proceeds from the Phish community.
And since we're entirely volunteer – with no office, salaries, or paid staff – administrative costs are less than 2% of revenues! So far, we've distributed just about $1,500,000 to support music education for children – hundreds of grants in all 50 states, with more on the way.


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Watching, listening and learning
A keen sense of curiosity for the world around her has always come naturally to Lisa Fredén. In her free time, this expresses itself through a love of travel and a passion for outdoor activities. At SKF, her role as a Business Development Analyst also involves looking outwards – in this case to monitor and report on what is happening on the global Seals market.
"Ultimately, my job is about empowering my colleagues through delivering the quality insights that ensure SKF reaches the right markets with the right solutions at the right time."
See how SKF engineers have developed other industry or application-specific solutions.


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Home to a who's who of high-tech powerhouses—including Apple, Cisco Systems, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Intuit, Oracle and Yahoo—Silicon Valley in California boasts achievements and influence that extend well beyond the San Francisco Bay Area.
But it's the people that make the Silicon Valley IT companies tick. And they're a pretty impressive bunch. Approximately 45 percent of the general Valley population has at least an undergraduate university degree, compared with 28 percent for the United States as a whole. Nearly 20 percent hold a graduate or professional degree. The area's high-tech companies attract talent from around the world: More than 60 percent of the college graduates working in science and engineering fields in Silicon Valley were born outside of the United States. This diversity has led to a remarkable cross-pollination of ideas.
This story of extraordinary innovation and entrepreneurship has not been lost on other industries and the rest of the world. Almost every region across the globe wants to be "the next Silicon Valley." And IT executives from every industry want to kindle the same kind of excitement and creativity they see emanating from the Valley.
But can they?
Author Jeanne Harris discusses the significant differences between the values and attitudes of people in Silicon Valley versus other parts of the US with Russell Hancock, host of the "Inside Silicon Valley" podcast and president and CEO of Joint Venture Silicon Valley.
An Accenture study (see Sidebar 1) found that one of the secrets to Silicon Valley's success has to do with the unique culture created and nurtured by high-tech companies—something that Steven John, strategic chief information officer of software-as-a-service provider Workday, compares to islands with their own species of flora and fauna. "Silicon Valley is like Tasmania or Madagascar," says John. "It's developed different life-forms than anywhere else."
Based on conversations with more than 30 technology executives in the Valley region—including from organizations outside the high-tech industry such as The Clorox Co., Gap and CAMICO Mutual Insurance Co.—we can see companies beginning to emulate the culture that attracts top talent to technology and engineering firms. These perspectives provide insights into how IT departments from other industries and regions could evolve to attract and retain the talent they will need in the future to grow and succeed.
Our research found that Silicon Valley high-tech businesses and their executives are especially adept at managing five apparent contradictions about their people and culture.
One thing a visitor to Silicon Valley notices is the stereotypically laid-back California way of life, from the casual attire to the coffee-shop hangouts. Yet that laid-back attitude is just part of the story. Indeed, the behavioral flip side includes a frenetic pace and aggressive deadlines. Product development cycles for many companies typically span just weeks, not months.
But what really drives Silicon Valley companies is an emphasis on getting things done quickly rather than agonizing over every potential flaw. A sign painted on a wall at Facebook summarizes that attitude: "Done is better than perfect." According to our survey, technology professionals in Silicon Valley are twice as likely as those elsewhere to agree with this approach.
They are also intolerant of corporate bureaucracy or anything else that might slow them down. Almost 60 percent said they believe their company makes decisions faster (and with less restrictive rigor) than other firms. Only a little more than a third of non-Silicon Valley professionals felt that way.
High value is assigned to experimentation and to incremental, iterative progress rather than trying to figure out everything at the outset of a project. A common mantra is "Do it. Try it. Fix it."
How might other types of companies in other industries develop such a culture? Of course, one can't create beta automobile airbags or jet engines for release to the general market. But IT executives elsewhere can model a beta attitude when it comes to decision making and product or software development.
In Silicon Valley, quick and agile decision making is prized over slow and methodical consensus building. That's especially important in an environment where products can become obsolete almost overnight. But it's also relevant for any industry that finds the revenue-generating window for new products narrowing. It's important to have a rapid-response, risk-taking culture, supported by methods to speed product development.
For example, take Clorox, based on the east side of San Francisco Bay, in Oakland.
Clorox has been making cleaning products and supplies for 100 years. The company's IT department is now using a so-called scrum-style model of software development—a form of agile management in which developers sit regularly with business-side colleagues to show how an application is progressing, which can, in turn, increase the likelihood that the finished product will serve business needs. According to Ralph Loura, the CIO of Clorox, "You put up something quick and dirty, learn from it and in the next iteration improve on it."
Silicon Valley is filled with dedicated professionals. They regularly put in long hours in and outside of the office. Seventy-one percent of survey respondents profess allegiance to their employers, a higher percentage than professionals who work in other regions. Yet their stronger loyalties are more to the work and to their coworkers. Their commitment is really to the larger overall cause of creating the technological future. The name of the company they work for is, in some ways, an ancillary detail.
That's one reason why people are willing to switch readily from one company to another, especially for an opportunity to work on a fulfilling project with top-notch colleagues. People in Silicon Valley behave more like independent contractors, moving from job to job. The result is a highly mobile talent base in the region, where professionals are significantly more likely than their non-Valley counterparts to receive employment offers from other companies on a regular basis. More than half surveyed said that it would be easy for them to find a new job within two months.
The demand for IT talent
More than half of the Silicon Valley IT professionals surveyed say they regularly receive opportunities to work elsewhere.
Although not every industry would wish that kind of talent turnover upon itself (see Sidebar 2), our research suggests that many companies could see the value in this transfer of people and ideas, even if the model is enacted only internally. In our interviews, for example, we talked to CIOs who structure their organizations to encourage transfers of talent between IT and engineering, freely sharing people and ideas around the company.
In some cases, we've found CIOs who also bring a deliberate outside customers' perspective to their work. Bask Iyer, a technology executive who was formerly at Honeywell International and joined Sunnyvale, California-based Juniper Networks as CIO in 2011, sometimes specifies for engineers which company he might buy from if he became the CIO of a different company the next day. "That's a real equalizer," he says.
Iyer sees it as a way to get engineering leadership at his company to escape an internal-only focus and look more objectively at how to make Juniper's products better.
Although Silicon Valley high-tech firms and their people can be ruthless competitors, there's also a pervasive attitude of cooperation. Valley employees have a healthy appreciation for the importance of good teamwork. We found that Silicon Valley professionals were more likely than their non-Valley colleagues to choose their jobs based on the people they'd be working with.
Encouraging internal collaboration is good for any company, in any industry. At Gap, for example, CIO Tom Keiser has scrapped fixed offices and high-walled cubicles for his IT department in favor of open space for brainstorming and closer seating for teams. This office design, intended to encourage collaboration and face-to-face communications, is becoming more common in many industries.
Looking to team with people outside one's own company is also vital. More than twice as many IT professionals in Silicon Valley, compared with their non-Silicon Valley counterparts, report that they actively take part in open-source projects.
Nurturing and participating in peer networks also contributes to the Valley's cooperative atmosphere. A majority of survey respondents believe that in Silicon Valley more than anywhere else, networking with colleagues inside and outside the organization is essential to their success. Tim Campos, CIO of Facebook, is unequivocal about the importance of having such a network: "It's the No. 1 requirement," he says. "I get things done within the company because I know who to go to outside the company." Not surprisingly, many also rely on their networks rather than headhunters when looking for a new job.
Extracurricular activities
IT professionals in Silicon Valley are more than twice as likely to actively participate in crowdsourcing or open-source projects than their counterparts elsewhere.
These networks constitute such a strong subculture for Valley talent that acceptance and approval of others in a peer network can often matter more than that of a person's boss or coworkers. For example, more than one-third of the Silicon Valley professionals surveyed stated that they would be willing to help somebody in their peer network even if doing so went against their own company's interest.
This peer network model is also being pursued by executives outside the high-tech realm. Clorox's Loura notes that "people in the Valley take a different approach to things," and cites his opportunities to "tap into that rich source of innovation and startups and find creative solutions. Being right here at the doorstep of most venture capital firms and people trying to solve today's technology problems is a real advantage."
For example, Loura used his connections to collaborate with several early-stage startups in the Valley, an approach that he says has helped to address issues that would have been difficult to solve otherwise.
A breakfast with a CIO working for a Silicon Valley tech company helped Loura find an answer to a common problem: coping with frustrated managers whose projects get pushed down the priority list. His Valley peer convinced him to see the situation in a new light—in part, as an issue of open and honest communication. Loura began to use visualization tools to show managers why some projects rose further up the queue. "This way," he says, "even if they're not happy about it, they can understand why and be supportive of the decision from a company perspective."
Professionals in Silicon Valley are pragmatic in that they understand that successes are typically built on many failures. They view such failures as part of the process, and as opportunities to learn, grow and improve. Coupled with that pragmatism, however, is an inherent optimism: Most problems can eventually be solved with enough effort and the right approaches and people.
That pragmatic-yet-optimistic characteristic has benefited the region in two important ways. First, it has instilled a strong sense of resilience and reinvention. In Silicon Valley, people fail but pick themselves up, dust themselves off and continue. Second, it has encouraged prudent risk taking. More than half of Silicon Valley high-tech professionals who took the Accenture survey consider their company to be a high risk taker, compared with just a quarter of non-Silicon Valley respondents.
Given the volatility and uncertainty of Silicon Valley's tech industry, risk taking is a matter of hard-nosed pragmatism. As Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, has observed: "The biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that's changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks."
In Silicon Valley, people are powerfully motivated by the extrinsic reward of financial remuneration, but they're also deeply fulfilled by intrinsic rewards. That characteristic was reflected in one of the most interesting results from the Accenture survey. Most of the IT professionals in Silicon Valley said that making a lot of money was very important to them—yet many of them stated that they would work for less, just for the opportunity to work on something that energizes them and helps them grow professionally and, potentially, create more value for their organization.
Does money really talk?
Most of the Silicon Valley IT professionals surveyed say that money is very important to them, yet nearly half would work for less money.
To understand that apparent contradiction, consider that people in Silicon Valley greatly value intellectual stimulation and the challenge of developing innovative ways to solve difficult problems. Nearly half of the Valley professionals in our survey said that for "fun," they work on tech projects in their free time.
Thus one of the most effective ways that companies, in virtually any industry, can fulfill the intrinsic needs of their employees is by providing challenging and rewarding work. As one tech industry executive sums it up: "The No. 1 task is to be able to say to your people, 'Folks, I've got good work for you to do, something that is purpose-worthy of who you are.' "
This sense of valuing the ideas of employees more explicitly is being pursued by CAMICO Mutual Insurance, a liability insurer for CPAs, located in San Mateo, California. Inspired by his Silicon Valley neighbors, the company's CIO launched a bottom-up innovation program to encourage employees, beginning with his 13-person IT department, to try out new ideas. Several ideas for digitizing paperwork got quickly implemented, saving CAMICO Mutual $300,000 a year, says vice president of IT and eCommerce Jag Randhawa.
So the question remains: Is the distinctive workplace culture in high-tech Silicon Valley replicable by IT executives elsewhere?
Some elements of that culture can't be replicated, nor should they be. There's not much of a business case for encouraging employees to dilute their company loyalty or put aside company interests in favor of their buddies. And entire regions can't easily duplicate the laid-back, optimistic vibe that seems to be uniquely Californian.
But the lessons of non-high-tech firms in and around the Valley show that companies across multiple industries can develop the kind of culture capable of attracting top talent and increasing competitiveness and creativity.
Employees from the more traditional companies described here are seeing changes—open collaboration, faster product development, support for consumer devices (such as tablets) and a more sophisticated use of videoconferencing for collaboration—as signs that their decades-old companies are becoming "cooler" places to work.
CIOs can encourage participation in open-source projects and crowdsourcing to open the windows to new ideas, technologies and talent.
"I think our embrace of this new working environment will appeal more directly to a coming generation of employees, Millennials and beyond," Clorox's Loura says. "They're looking for a different environment."
And it should appeal to their employers too. In a digital business, the IT function can't just be a backroom function—it is your business. Companies need to be more like Silicon Valley technology companies, or else they will be unprepared when Valley tech companies enter their industry and compete with them.
Sidebar 1
To develop a data-based view of Silicon Valley's cultural characteristics, Accenture conducted a survey of more than 600 full-time IT professionals. Roughly half were based in Silicon Valley; the other half were scattered throughout the United States. The two populations were similar with respect to breakdowns in age group, gender, industry, size of company and job roles, which included corporate IT, product or program managers, and data scientists.
We then conducted additional interviews with CIOs from Silicon Valley companies inside and outside the high-tech field, as well as with entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and others.
Sidebar 2 | Reshaping HR for talent fluidity
In Silicon Valley, high-tech companies readily poach talented individuals from competitors, and there's little stigma attached to workers who leave for greener pastures but then return to their former companies.
So for the most part, HR professionals have accepted—if not enthusiastically embraced—the fluid movement of labor.
Indeed, firms expect that employees will continually come and go, and that the churn rate will be higher than in other regions. As such, they rightly recognize the competitive importance of their HR activities. Some 70 percent of Silicon Valley IT professionals said that their company pays strong attention to recruiting, attracting and retaining the best talent, compared with less than half of professionals outside Silicon Valley.
As a showcase for the most innovative thinking on high-performance business, focuses on six core themes: Redefining Competitiveness, Digital Disruption, Global Operating Model, Open Innovation, Sustainability and Workforce of the Future. We feature original content devoted to these topics as well as a selection of unique insights offered by professionals throughout Accenture.
Jeanne G. Harris
is the managing director of IT research at the Accenture Institute for High Performance. She is based in Chicago.
Allan E. Alter
is a research fellow at the Accenture Institute for High Performance, specializing in IT strategy and management. He is based in Boston.


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2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek
Consider the 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek a new addition to the Impreza line, in essence the replacement for the Outback Sport. Known as simply XV in world markets, the basic bones and major mechanical components have been in service for more than a year, including the new-for-2012 Impreza.
However, all those basics have been addressed and adjusted to go with the added stature of the Subaru XV. Among the upgraded parts are wheels, tires, brakes and suspension components and geometry. An extra half-liter of engine capacity or another gear for the manual transmission would have been useful, but a bigger engine would have cut into the XV's higher fuel economy ratings and another gear into the price.
Subaru Crosstrek is created by lifting an Impreza by four inches for what amounts to a taller Impreza with more ground clearance. That's enough for the government to label it a truck in the fuel economy standards game, and one reason the name changes. Add some image-enhancing bodywork, wider tires that better fill the wheel wells and roof rails and instant cute-ute crossover.
Apparent changes inside are even smaller, with the standard cloth for the upholstery most obvious. There's good room in front, a decent rear seat with plenty of headroom, and employing the ubiquitous small bikes and golf clubs, room for two mountain bikes behind the front seat and three golf club bags behind the second seat.
The base price includes air conditioning, Bluetooth hands-free and audio streaming, cruise control, power accessories and heated outside mirrors and front seats. You can get navigation and a moonroof. It's not fancy inside nor does it feel like you settled for something. For less than $24,000 MSRP with an automatic the value argument appears sound.
Subaru XV drives like a car, mostly because it is a car. The logic and layout are good, with switches and responses that you expect. It soaks up bumps big and small with only moderate road noise, while freeway treks bring background engine hum. Crosstrek XV is suited to those looking to go further once the highway ends, not to reach the end of the highway first.
Crosstrek gets 5-star ratings in the current NHTSA federal government tests, and the insurance industry's IIHS classifies it a Top Safety Pick. Subaru's reliability is becoming enviable, whether measured or apocryphal, and more owners swear by them than at them.
Subaru XV Crosstrek competes in a crowded, ever-expanding market. Good alternatives include the Mazda CX-5, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, and Toyota RAV4. More sporting performance and road manners can be found in the Volkswagen Tiguan, Nissan Juke and Mini Countryman All4, at added cost, lower fuel economy or less room.
Model Lineup
Subaru XV Crosstrek five-door hatch comes with a 148-hp 2-liter boxer engine in two trim levels. The XV Crosstrek Premium model comes with a 5-speed manual transmission and optional continuously variable transmission; the CVT is standard on the XV Crosstrek Limited version.
XV Crosstrek Premium ($21,995) comes with cloth upholstery, air conditioning, power windows/locks/heated mirrors, tilt/telescoping steering wheel, 17-inch alloy wheels, 6-way driver/4-way passenger manual seat adjustment, privacy glass all rear windows, rear spoiler, 60/40 split folding rear seat, AM/FM/CD stereo with hands-free and audio-streaming Bluetooth, cruise control, multifunction display, heated front seats and wiper de-icers, removable cargo tray, and floor mats.
XV Crosstrek Limited upgrades with leather upholstery, automatic climate control, CVT, a 4.3-inch display with rearview camera and audio functions, auto on/off headlamps, and rear-seat armrest with cupholders.
Options include moonroof, navigation with 6.1-inch screen, rearview camera, XM Satellite Radio, HD Radio, iPod, USB, SMS messaging, iTunes tagging.
If you think the Subaru XV Crosstrek looks like a lifted Impreza you're right. The approach has been used by Subaru, Audi (allroad), Volvo (XC70 CrossCountry) and others: Take an existing car, slap on some sinister-dark body cladding and trim, roof rails, bigger wheels and lift it a few inches. To paraphrase Emeril, take it up a notch and Bam! a crossover utility contender.
Crosstrek shares its basics with Subaru's compact-sedan Impreza so a lot of parts are interchangeable while others are reinforced for the more severe use the XV is likely to encounter. The Crosstrek gets unique bumpers and grille, dark tint windows behind the front doors, the aforementioned shopping-cart repellant plastics and specific wheels that add machismo parked and give the look of really big brake discs in motion. Except for the center of the rear bumper, the cladding protects the entire lower perimeter from rocks, errant twigs and those curbs you get an eighth-inch too close to.
Hawkeye headlights and fog lights frame a grille mildly pinched in the middle rather than Lexus's squeezed pieces. A gaping lower grille will keep major objects out but when you stuff it in a snow-bank thinking all-wheel drive repealed the laws of physics remember to knock some snow out to keep air flowing through it.
The curious aspect is the front corner where the wide-section cladding drops off just ahead of the front wheel opening. When we quizzed Subaru if that was an aerodynamic tweak it was denied, attributed instead to styling. It draws your attention, so maybe that was the point.
Substantial corners on the rear bumpers look like the buttresses on a sportfishing boat, adding a visual degree of strength and, along with the wheels, a good improvement. The small closeout panel at bottom center covers the aperture used for rear fog lights in other markets and not a receiver hitch (a receiver hitch would go beneath the bumper). Exhausts are hidden to keep them from being dinged while adventuring.
Little nibs on the aft ends of the roof rails aid aerodynamics, which Subaru said is good for a one mile-per-gallon highway increase. We suspect this means it went from something like 29.48 to 29.51, which rounds to the higher number; otherwise all cars would have them. Roof cross bars are not standard because they kill highway mileage (on any car) so expect a noticeable decrease in highway mileage with any kayak, carrier or canoe up there.
The XV Crosstrek is four inches higher than an Impreza, which eases entry/exit for not-so-flexible bodies. Underneath, the Subaru has 8.7 inches of ground clearance at the exhaust pipe, a number superior to many competitors and some full-size pickups. Most parts are well protected and we'd expect the XV to be quite reliable.
Interior Features
The Subaru XV Crosstrek cabin is functional without being Spartan. Contrast-stitched fabric upholstery appears durable, breathes well to minimize temperature extremes and would be our choice if we're using the car to get dirty. Trim is matte-finish to avoid reflections, upper surfaces are soft-touch for comfort, and lower panels are plastic for easy cleaning and scuff resistance when you forget to take the cramp-ons off in a rush to warm up.
Manual seats and a tilt/telescoping wheel offer generous adjustment so almost anyone can get comfortable, and support is quite adequate for a tank of fuel or the next photo opportunity. We're pleased to find headrests that adjust for height and angle, and seat cushions long enough for Western-size inseams. Heated front seats are standard on every XV.
Rear seats echo those in the Impreza with plenty of headroom: Your 6-foot, 3-inch correspondent sat in the middle position without touching the roof, and the headroom in the back seats does not diminish if you add a moonroof. Only the Limited has a center armrest (with cupholders) but all XV models have seatbacks that fold nearly flat an inch or two above cargo deck height without removing the headrest, unless the front seat's well back and reclined. The split puts the narrow section behind the driver, so you have driver legroom and space for two passengers in back if needed. The center shoulder belt stows in the right side of the cargo area, out of the way of folded seats, not rattling about in a roof pocket or bisecting the mirror view rearward. Back doors open wide for easy entry and exit or securing awkward cargo.
Instrumentation is simply adorned, illuminated deep amber for night driving vision recovery and gradations around the pointers are highlighted. A rev counter and optimistic 150-mph speedometer frame a digital display for fuel level and gear data, with an analog economy gauge that merely follows your right foot. The top center display provides trip, time and ambient temperature, but the control knob is around the steering wheel.
Basic three-ring climate controls get desired heating and cooling with minimum fuss; automatic control comes on the Limited. Each dashboard vent closes individually and the darker window tint keeps the rear seat cooler than on the Impreza.
Side mirrors that look large on the Impreza look right at home here, the extra viewing handy off the pavement or on it. Outward visibility is superb forward and very good everywhere else, a benefit of slender windshield pillars, low hoodline, high windshield, articulated inside mirror, and outside mirrors set well back. Standard electric de-icers will thaw wipers frozen to the windshield soon after startup, eliminating scraper damage to them. Shading around the mirror helps driving into the sun, but the visors do not have extensions on them.
Cabin storage is varied in size and shape in the console, door pockets and glovebox. They are usable spaces rather than just the largest or biggest quantity.
The cargo area offers 22 cubic feet of volume behind the back seat and 52 with it folded down. One advantage of the increased ride and body height is that much more head clearance for taller people beneath the open hatch. The cargo cover will fit on the floor so you never need leave it home, and there's a temporary-use spare tire under the floor with room for the dead tire lifting the cargo deck up an inch or two.
Driving Impressions
The Subaru XV Crosstrek drives like a car. Though taller and heavier than an Impreza, it still weighs in at a svelte-for-its-class 3100 pounds. If you've driven an Impreza you will find this slightly slower and with minimal added body lean, but otherwise be right at home.
Subaru introduced the XV to the press in a lazy place where 60 mph is the highest posted limit, most traffic moves considerably slower and passing lanes are rare. The 148-hp 2-liter flat-four engine worked just fine puttering around in those conditions, but it will be working when acceleration is called for. We figure the 0-60 time between 9 and 10 seconds, sluggish performance, but the XV's forte is mileage over power.
Fuel economy for the CVT (continuously variable transmission) version that will account for most purchases is an EPA-rated 25/33 mpg City/Highway and 23/30 mpg with the manual transmission. That's good for a cute-ute, though the driver will have far more effect on mileage than loading, roof accessories or which transmission you get. On a 30-mile leg, split amongst 60-mph freeway, 35-mph two-lane through towns, and 15-45 mph off pavement, the 5-speed's trip computer said 26.2 mpg.
Clutch effort is moderate and releases near the floor, and the shifter is adequate; you'll need some revs on to get going, especially with a load, AC, or little break in traffic. The gear ratios have been changed for the added mass, so getting going doesn't change much but 60 mph is already 2700 rpm so trips at West Texas speeds will have engine hum in the background. Despite some steeper inclines than most will attempt and engine speeds less than 1500 rpm, we never stalled it or had to feather the clutch, so it's very tractable. A 6-speed manual would be a big benefit but probably erase some of the XV's low price.
Rather than an old-style CVT that puts engine revs high while vehicle speed catches up, like an outboard struggling to get on plane, this one lifts engine- and road speed similarly. It has six settings to imitate a 6-speed automatic's gears, and paddle shifters on the wheel that are always active. As with the 5-speed manual, mountain passes or overtaking will need lots of revs and all of the 148 horsepower available.
Every XV is all-wheel drive. Manuals use a lockable viscous coupling which splits power evenly front and rear, while CVT uses an electronically controlled clutch pack and can vary the split 100 percent to either end. Both are transparent to the driver, and only if their limits have been reached does the traction control come into play by applying a brake to a spinning tire. Switching VDC off deactivates traction control and we did that off-highway where the last thing needed was braking the four-cylinder's efforts.
Brakes and tires are both larger than Impreza and neither gave us any qualms. For the most part we didn't need brakes as the low speeds could be scrubbed off turning or downshifting.
Although the suspension is raised and has stouter parts, it feels very much like an Impreza that responds to changes in direction perhaps a few percentage points slower. The front antiroll bar is bigger to combat lean, wheels are set wider apart, the rear springs are softer to let the wheels move up and down more for off-highway traction, and the shock absorbers are stiffer, especially in front. The XV has the lowest center of gravity in its class, including the nimble VW Tiguan, so it handles better than almost anything else with nearly nine inches of clearance underneath. Perhaps because of this, the electronic stability control is aggressive, intervening before an XV gets out of shape rather than attempting to correct it once that point is reached.
Electric-assist steering is quite heavy on center, as if to improve directional stability, and lightens up with cornering. It needs 35 feet for a U-turn, which is better than average.
Road noise is moderate, not overly fatiguing but there, primarily from the rear tires on the marginal road surfaces we were on. Wind noise came from the mirrors on Impreza, but as our only venture to speed was during a rainstorm we can only surmise the XV will be the same.
Tow rating is quoted at 1500 pounds, but we've been unable to determine if that is with one person, two, or a maximum load on board. In any case, that's a light trailer, and we wouldn't shop for a Crosstrek if we were expecting to tow. Payload (passengers, cargo, roof load) is about 1200 pounds, equal or more than some full-size 4x4s.
The new Subaru XV Crosstrek will suit buyers who prioritize fuel economy over performance, doing their small part to save the planet while exploring it. Everything about the Crosstrek seems logical and done for a reason. The price is very competitive, and it should be popular in snow belts where the added ride height and Tangerine orange paint will look like a snowplow without warning lights.
G.R. Whale filed this report to NewCarTestDrive.com after his test drives of XV Crosstrek models in Hawaii (and Imprezas in California).
|Model Line Overview
|Model lineup:
|Subaru XV Crosstrek 2.0i Premium ($21,995); XV Crosstrek 2.0i Limited
|148-hp 2.0-liter H4
|5-speed manual, Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
|Safety equipment (standard):
|dual frontal, front side, and side curtain airbags (with rollover sensor), driver knee airbag; electronic stability control, antilock brakes with EBD and brake assist, tire-pressure monitors, daytime running lights, all-wheel drive
|Safety equipment (optional):
|Basic warranty:
|3 years/36,000 miles
|Assembled in:
|Gumma, Japan
|Specifications As Tested
|Model tested (MSPR):
|Subaru XV Crosstrek 2.0i Premium ($21,995)
|Standard equipment:
|cloth upholstery, air conditioning, power windows/locks/heated mirrors, tilt/telescoping steering wheel, 17-inch alloy wheels, 6-way driver/4-way passenger manual seat adjustment, privacy glass all rear windows, rear spoiler, 60/40 split folding rear seat, AM/FM/CD stereo with hands-free and audio-streaming Bluetooth, cruise control, multifunction display, heated front seats and wiper de-icers, removable cargo tray, floor mats
|Options as tested (MSPR):
|Destination charge:
|Gas guzzler tax:
|Price as tested (MSPR):
|all-wheel drive
|2.0-liter DOHC 16-valve H4
|Horsepower (lb.-ft @ rpm):
|148 @ 6200
|Torque (lb.-ft @ rpm):
|145 @ 4200
|5-speed manual
|EPA fuel economy, city/hwy:
|23/30 mpg
|103.7 in.
|175.2/70.1/63.6 in.
|Track, f/r:
|60.0/60.0 in.
|Turning circle:
|34.8 ft.
|Seating Capacity:
|Head/hip/leg room, f:
|39.8/52.2/43.5 in.
|Head/hip/leg room, m:
|Head/hip/leg room, r:
|37.7/53.1/35.4 in.
|Cargo volume:
|51.9 cu. ft.
|Towing capacity:
|1500 Lbs.
|Suspension, f:
|independent, MacPherson strut, antiroll bar
|Suspension, r:
|independent, multilink, coil springs, antiroll bar
|Ground clearance:
|8.7 in.
|Curb weigth:
|3087 lbs.
|225/45HR17 Yokohama Geolander
|Brakes, f/r:
|vented disc/disc, ABS, EBD, brake assist
|Fuel capacity:
|15.9 gal.
|Unless otherwise indicated, specifications refer to test vehicle. All prices are manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSPR) effective as of July 27, 2012.Prices do not include manufacturer's destination and delivery charges. N/A: Information not available or not applicable. Manufacturer Info Sources: 800-782-2783 - www.subaru.com
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The World Baseball Classic has been the talk of the early days of spring training, partly because it's the reason for the elongated training schedule this year and partly because of the mixed feelings that a lot of teams have about it.
It's supposed to be the World Cup of baseball – the answer to the decision by the IOC to remove baseball from the Olympics because Major League Baseball refused to interrupt its regular season once every four years to send the best American players to the dance. It's a big deal, but there are a lot of people in high places who think the risks to their playoff chances aren't worth the global reach that comes with a high-profile international tournament.
No one wants to say that publicly, because MLB loves the WBC and doesn't want to hear any discouraging words from its managers and executives, but it's obvious that teams are wary of sending their key players and disrupting their spring schedules.
Orioles manager Buck Showalter would only say that "baseball players have an (internal) clock" that might be disrupted by the change in spring routine, but there's also the possibility of injury and extra fatigue.
"I could stand accused,'' Showalter said, "but that's a real no-no if they (MLB) hear that that's happening. We present the facts, tell them what's important, and away they go.
Matt Wieters decided not to participate for obvious reasons. He caught a ton of games last year – more than any other catcher in the American League – and he hopes to catch that many again this year. Ramping up his schedule a few weeks early would be a mistake. Closer Jim Johnson also was reluctant to alter his preseason schedule.
"Jim Johnson and Matt (Wieters) and some of the other guys they were talking about, they were very cut and dried and adamant,'' Showalter said. "It wasn't that they weren't patriotic. It was a great honor, but physically where they are, they didn't think it was in their best interest from a physical standpoint."
Pitcher Miguel Gonzalez would have liked to participate, but he was another guy who pitched a ton of innings between the Mexican League, the minor leagues and the majors last year, so preserving innings is Job One.
In both cases, however, the player made the decision. Teams cannot prohibit players from participating.
Adam Jones will represent the Orioles on the U.S. team and Pedro Strop will play for the Domincan Republic. Jones is less a worry because he's a position player who would be playing a lot of games in the exhibition season anyway. Showlater said he's not too worried about Strop, because Orioles coach Bill Castro will be on the Domincan staff and can keep an eye on him.
Veteran reliever Luis Ayala is expected to decide later today or tomorrow whether he will play for Mexico.
World Baseball Classic forces difficult decisions for players as long season looms
The World Baseball Classic has been the talk of the early days of spring training, partly because it's the reason for the elongated training schedule this year and partly because of the mixed feelings that a lot of teams have about it.


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Our organization was awarded 11 slots for the Google Summer Of Code (GSOC) 2011. It looks like this summer will be a busy one!
We would like to thank all the GSOC students for their applications. It came as a surprise to us how many talented individuals out there want to work with us! We hope to be able to collaborate with all of you, within but also outside GSOC. This is just the beginning.
The list of approved projects for GSOC 2011 is (from PCL's GSOC page), in no order:
- Alexandru-Eugen Ichim on Geometric Object Recognition;
- Andreas Mützel on Fast Approximate Nearest Neighbors (KDTree) on GPU;
- Gabe O'Leary on Tutorials;
- Gheorghe Lisca on Point Cloud Registration;
- Gregory Long on Surface Reconstruction with Textures;
- Ioan Dumitru Dragan on Real-time Segmentation and Tracking;
- Khai Tran on Surface Reconstruction with Textures;
- Nick Vanbaelen on Fast Approximate Nearest Neighbours (KDTree) on GPU/multi-core;
- Pararth Shah on Point Cloud Registration;
- Roman Shapovalov on Geometric Object Recognition;
- Siddharth Choudhary on Fast Search Methods (Octrees) on GPU/multi-core;


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70% cotton 30% spandex
When you are Positive, Persistent and Patient you will naturally attract success.
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1. When was last detected for DubMood?
2. How many times have you've been detected since release?
3. How often are updates/new features pushed?
4. How is the support system?
5. How often does coder stay on top of updating cheat etc.
6. Is there an ETA for CSGO update? / How long has it been down?


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to better provide the proper use of essential oils to the animal kingdom.
When will I get my animalEO?
Once your order is placed, you will receive an email from PayPal confirming your order receipt. Please note, this is the only email confirmation you will get about your order. After you order, please allow 3-5 business days for us to process your order. Our products are always fresh, and created in small batches, so occasionally we will need to pour some additional bottles to fill your order!
Once your package arrives at the Post Office, it should arrive to you within 1-3 business days via USPS Priority Mail.
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As one of the nation's leading pediatric health care systems, Nemours is committed to providing all children with their best chance to grow up healthy. We offer integrated, family-centered care to more than 300,000 children each year in our pediatric hospitals, specialty clinics and primary care practices in Delaware, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Nemours strives to ensure a healthier tomorrow for all children – even those who may never enter our doors – through our world-changing research, education and advocacy efforts. At Nemours, our Associates help us deliver on the promise we make to every family we have the privilege of serving: to treat their child as if they were our own.
Located in Orlando, Fla., Nemours Children's Hospital is the newest addition to the Nemours integrated healthcare system. Our 100-bed pediatric hospital also features the area's only 24-hour Emergency Department designed just for kids as well as outpatient pediatric clinics including several specialties previously unavailable in the region. A hospital designed by families for families, Nemours Children's Hospital blends the healing power of nature with the latest in healthcare innovation to deliver world-class care to the children of Central Florida and beyond. In keeping with our goal of bringing Nemours care into the communities we serve, we also provide specialty outpatient care in several clinics located throughout the region.
Provides physical therapy evaluation, treatment, and consultation independently to typical patients within a program under the prescription of a physician and within the guidelines designated by departmental and hospital policies and procedures. Expands knowledge of less common populations seen within the program through mentorship and educational opportunities.
Direct Patient Care Responsibilities
Indirect Patient Care Responsibilities
Job Requirements
Our dedication to professionals who are dedicated to children frequently earns Nemours a spot on the list of top workplaces in the communities we serve. Our Associates enjoy comprehensive benefits, including our unique "Bridge to a Healthy Future" pediatric health plan, an integrated wellness program, opportunities for professional growth, and much more. As an equal opportunity employer, Nemours focuses on the best-qualified applicants for our openings.


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The continuous political circus that is Formula One hit a new milestone today, as the once and former Formula One Teams Association is no more. Fraught by bickering, infighting, and a lack of money (of course), the group decided to disband itself today.
Oliver Weingarten, FOTA's secretary general, said that it was basically because F1 is different than when it came about, via Autosport:
"I can confirm that FOTA has been disbanded, as a result of its members having re-evaluated their requirements in the face of a changing political and commercial landscape in Formula 1."
Beyond that, he seems pretty beaten up about it on Twitter:
FOTA, as it's known, was originally created in 2008 as a way for teams like McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull to collectively organize and use their unity to negotiate commercial terms from a position of strength with flop-haired muppet Bernie Ecclestone.
They did pretty well, as these things go, at one point even promising to start their own breakway series. Even if they didn't actually go through with it.
Having (sort of) achieved its goals with a new Concorde Agreement, and faced with disagreements over a lot of things, but mainly new regulations, Ferrari, Sauber, and Red Bull all dropped out of the group in 2011.
With the most successful team in history not playing ball, and the most successful team of the past five years quitting, too, FOTA was kind of screwed. Throw in the fact that FOTA's chief, Martin Whitmarsh, was pushed aside at McLaren, and its days were numbered.
This can be all a bit inside-baseball for F1 fans, so for the casual reader, have no worry. F1 will still start in 12 days in Australia.
Photo credit: Getty Images


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Amid one shooting after another, the only way to guarantee a gun-control debate is if the president starts one.
This morning, children – young children – were killed in their elementary school by a gunman in quiet, suburban Connecticut. Three days ago, holiday shoppers were killed in a mall in suburban Portland. Two weeks ago, an NFL linebacker murdered his girlfriend and then killed himself at his team's stadium.
Each of these tragedies has spurred calls for a national conversation on America's culture of guns and violence. It's a conversation that inevitably never takes place, and it's one that only President Obama can make happen.
The White House on Friday said it was too soon to talk about gun policy. "There is, I'm sure, will be, rather, discussion of the usual Washington policy debates," said White House spokesman Jay Carney. "But I don't think that day is today."
Yet Washington, and Obama, have had other days. After Jovan Belcher, a linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs, killed a woman and then himself on Dec. 1, calls for a renewed gun control discussion came from Jason Whitlock, who writes for Fox Sports, and sportscaster Bob Costas, who cited Whitlock's column on NBC's Sunday Night Football telecast the next day. They did not, notably, come from Obama.
Obama has been given several sad opportunities to address gun violence. In Tucson, he spoke of "a national conversation" commencing, "not only about the motivations behind these killings, but about everything from the merits of gun safety laws to the adequacy of our mental health system." After an attack on a Sikh temple outside Milwaukee, Obama said similar events "are happening with too much regularity for us not to do some soul-searching to examine additional ways that we can reduce violence."
But that soul-searching did not happen in Obama's first term. And before Friday's shooting in Newtown, few thought Obama would devote political capital to any sort of serious push for new gun-control legislation. Though the National Rifle Association's power has waned from its peak, Republicans remain firmly on the NRA's side while Democrats remain deeply scarred by the gun-rights group's success in ousting pro-gun-control legislators. It will be days before we know whether a massacre at an elementary school will be enough to force Obama and Congress to act.
"We're optimistic about what we have the potential to accomplish," Dan Gross, who heads the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said before Friday's shooting. "We do think, in order for change to occur, there needs to be stronger leadership on this issue out of the White House."
With the stark exception of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who funded a super PAC this year that took on some pro-gun members of Congress, few make the case for gun control on the national stage.
"President Obama has called for commonsense measures that protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens and improve public safety by keeping guns out of the hands of those who shouldn't have them under existing law," White House spokesman Matt Lehrich said, also before Friday's shooting. "But the president has also been clear about the need to address the problem of violence not just in the wake of high-profile tragedies and not just in terms of gun laws or the role of government, but by working in a comprehensive way with local officials, schools, parents and communities."
There's a reality gap in the president's rhetoric. Better enforcing existing laws — say, against a felon purchasing a handgun — requires closing loopholes and establishing a better background check system. In other words, it will take new laws to get the old laws working.
Obama avoided gun control at virtually every turn during the 2008 campaign. On those rare occasions when he has had to confront the issue, Obama has said he supports an assault weapons ban and stricter enforcement of laws already on the books — but not before he takes pains to begin with a dependent clause reiterating his own fidelity to a broad reading of the Second Amendment.
"We're a nation that believes in the Second Amendment, and I believe in the Second Amendment. We've got a long tradition of hunting and sportsmen and people who want to make sure they can protect themselves," Obama said this year during a town-hall-style debate on Long Island, when asked what he had done to limit the availability of assault weapons. "[M]y belief is that, A, we have to enforce the laws we've already got, make sure that we're keeping guns out of the hands of criminals, those who are mentally ill. We've done a much better job in terms of background checks, but we've got more to do when it comes to enforcement."
When he talks about enforcing existing laws, Obama can point to his administration's record of forcing "more thorough and complete" background checks on anyone hoping to buy a gun, Lehrich said. And the administration can claim some success — violent crime has fallen every year Obama has been in the White House, according to FBI statistics.
Gun sales have spiked during Obama's first four years in office, prompted by fears that the president will take steps to restrict future purchases or, in the minds of conspiracy theorists, orchestrate some plot to rob Americans who still cling to their guns and religion. The ironic truth is that the administration hasn't done anything to justify those fears.


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Mark Hunt
TRAINING: Conditioning in the morning, padwork or wrestling in the afternoon.
When and why did you start training for fighting? I started fighting in MMA in 2004. I achieved my dream of winning the K-1 World Grand Prix championship and was looking for a new challenge. PRIDE made me an offer and I jumped to MMA.
What ranks and titles have you held? 2001 K-1 World Grand Prix Champion, 2001 K-1 World Grand Prix in Fukuoka Repechage B Champion, 2001 K-1 World Grand Prix Preliminary Melbourne Champion, 2000 K-1 Oceania Grand Prix Champion, 1999 WKBF Australian Super Heavyweight Champion.
Do you have any heroes? Bruce Lee, Mike Tyson
What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC? It's an opportunity to fight on the big stage again. I'm going to try to make something happen and become world champion.
What was your job before you started fighting? Laborer / Construction worker
Ranks in any martial arts styles: Purple belt in BJJ
Favorite grappling technique: Americana
Favorite Striking technique: Punching combinations
Getty Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image or clip. If you violate our intellectual property you may be liable for: actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image or clip, and, where appropriate, the costs of collection and/or statutory damages up to $150,000 (USD).


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Podiatrist - Baltimore
Baltimore Podiatry Group
Since we started our podiatric medical practice in 1971 we've been saying:
If you are looking for a podiatrist you have come to the right place! Our practice sees patients not just from the greater Baltimore area, but from all over Maryland and, in fact, from many states along the East Coast from New York to Florida. Why do people bypass closer podiatrists to come to us? Why do our patients send us their family and friends? Why do so many physicians refer their patients to us? We believe it is because we care about our patients, we always treat them with respect and we provide what we believe are the best foot care services possible.
Our website is here to give you information about us and about your feet. You will find facts about podiatry, available treatments, foot and ankle ailments, shoes, diabetes and much more. You will also find an overview of our practice, our doctors, maps, directions and contact information.
We believe our patients want, and deserve, as much information as possible to make good choices about their foot and ankle care. Our goal is to educate each patient and to work together to implement a treatment program that will address their concerns. Whatever your foot or ankle problems may be, we will work together to find the answers that will comfort you and bring you relief.
Our office staff will do what they can to make your visit a pleasant one. You may visit us at any one of our 3 office locations in and around Baltimore. We invite you to use the contact us portion of this site or call with any questions that you may have.
Find Us
Our Doctors
Dr. Benjamin J. Kleinman
Dr. Neil M. Scheffler, Emeritus
Have a Question?
Have a question? Find answers and other helpful topics in our digital library.
Contact Us 410-247-5333
Questions or Comments?
We encourage you to contact us whenever you have an interest or concern about our services.


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Mick Foley/ Mankind book
Paperback Edition: 74 Pages
Author: Terry West
Mick is the MAN...With the MANdible claw...With the MANiac mind...With the MANifest destiny to rule the ring! Mick is MANkind, and this is his GIANT story!
Find out how he went from "zero" to "Hero," from stublming bumbler to roya rumbler, from prince goofball to king of the ring! Relive all the matches, stack up on the stats..oh and HAVE A NICE DAY too!!
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hey gang, I have (literally) 10 mins until the last tram leaves so i'll be brief.
The 3D printer is WORKING LIKE A DREAM. I've been able to print out various trinkets, test objects, bits of junk… and now finally some real objects.
Below are some images that I've been taking as I print various things out. I haven't been documenting this stuff as thoroughly as the shoemaking as 50% of the things I print are shit, or I stop them half way etc. These are some of the more successful attempts.
First prints of 1:1 heels
I have modelled up a last in 3D studio MAX (and also another better version in Rhino) and this is one of the many heel shapes that I have been working on. This shows my plans for an interlocking cantilever / wedge component that allows me to have more severe angles on the front edge of the heel and retain strength.
As I have the shoe last modelled, it's easy to print out mini 1:2 scale shoes!
the rough textured 'cage' on this model is the support structure that the printer creates to hold up thin or overhanging components. It snaps off easily as it's not actually attached to the object, just sitting 1mm away from it all over.
This is one of my ideas for a heel / wedge with a cavity. Much easier to test this way than making one from cork.
I've also printed out some even smaller 1:4 scale shoes. These will probably evolve into keyrings to come free with the shoes when they're for sale.
A collection of bits and pieces on my shelf…
This pic shows a little of how the software saves materials. It prints a 'shell' of the object, then fills it with a set percentage of volume, in this case 10%, so the final object is more like a honeycomb filled easter egg than a solid plastic chunk. You can set it to do 100% infill, but in most cases other than a structural part that's just a waste of time and resources.
Today I printed out a 1:1 insole shape from my 3D model to test for fit.
It looks like I need to adjust some curves across the bottom plane of the last so the insole isnt touching on the high spot at the ball of the foot, but the scale is correct. woooo. Next up is a snug fitting insole, then from there it's pretty easy to make up a snug fitting platform… and that's where the crazy stuff starts happening.
another shot of the 10% infill idea + this one has a 'raft' at the bottom that makes the model stick to the base more evenly.
…and lastly, some actual prototypes for a local design firm, printed out for client presentations.
I'll be selling print time soon, at something like $50 an object, unless its massive, then that'll be $100. The price DOESN'T include me doing any 3D modelling, it just involves me receiving your print-ready STL file, setting it up to print at the most efficient settings, and then tidying it up at the end + plastic used.
If' you're interested, let me know.
Next non-shoe project up is making / printing some accessories for Christina Exie's fashion show in Sydney! We'll be up there for fashion week, swanning around, being scenesters.


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126 Slide Scanning Denver
Scan 126 Format Slides
At our Denver location, we are able to scan and convert all of your 126 format slides to digital images using our top of the line Nikon equipment. Our slide scanning technician takes great pride in their work and produces the best scans possible from your slides.
126 Slide Scanning Denver - Pricing
Mounted 35mm & 126 Slides
|Pricing (per slide)
|Prices include Digital ICE4 dust and scratch removal, exposure correction, cropping and proper image rotation.
NOTE: For quantities over 500 slides, additional bulk discounts apply; please inquire at the time of your order.
- All Orders: The first DVD Master of your scanned slides is NO CHARGE. DVD copies thereafter will be $10.00 each and Blu-ray copies are $20.00 each.
- 3D Stereo or other irregular formats, including slides that are glass, metal, or plastic mounted, please add 50¢ per image.
- There is a $10 minimum for all orders. Also, if you are organizing your slides into groups of less than 20 images, then there will be a $1 per custom folder/filename only for the groups that have less than 20 images.
Extra Copies
Sharing your memories with others? We provide extra copies packaged and ready for only $10 each.$10 per CD / DVD
Upgraded Resolution - 4000 DPI
Our professional-grade slide scanners can create JPEG or TIFF format images up to 4000 DPI. This is the highest resolution available and is recommended for the true archivist. Imagine being able to print out your images as large as 11"x17"!
TIFF Format
Files are in JPEG format. If you would like TIFF files please add 50¢ per image.
Add $0.50 per image
Contact Proof Sheets
These are also known as proof sheets. Contact sheets allow you to view all your pictures in seconds on a few pieces of paper.$10 for every 100 slides
Upgrade to Blu-ray
Upgrade your slide scanning order to our Blu-Ray discs for only $20! We'll place your slides as digital images on a Blu-ray disc, which holds much more data than a CD or DVD. For more information about our Blu-ray services, please visit our Blu-ray transfer page.$20 per disc
Basic Restoration
For most manual color corrections (color balance, levels, brightness, contrasting, etc.) the cost is $1 per image. A technician will inspect and manually adjust each image; we don't rely on an automated computer program to judge what looks good to the human eye.$1.00 per image restored
Advanced Restoration
DVD Your Memories charges $40 per half-hour for image restoration (fixing deep/wide scratches, scuffs, damage from tape/glue).$40 per half hour
Slideshow Movies
Once we've scanned your slides, why not make a slideshow movie out of it? Pick out your favorite music and let us do the rest. What better way to watch your memories than in your own personalized DVD slideshow movie!?Click here for more info
Slide Scanning
126 Format Slide Scanning
The 126 film format is a cartridge-based format used in still photography. It was released by Kodak in 1963 and was primarily associated with low-end instant shoot cameras. Although no longer manufactured, the 126 format was very popular for amateur photography. In 1963, Kodak released the 126 cartridge format. The number "126" was originally used for the unrelated 126 roll film format produced from 1906-1949. The term "126" was intended to show that images were 26mm square, using Kodak's common 1xx film numbering system. However the image size is actually 28 x 28 mm, but usually reduced to approximately 26.5 x 26.5 mm by masking during printing or mounting.
The Process
Slides are first cleaned with compressed air. This removes any extra dust and other particles without damaging the slide. For this we use a special air compressor to allow just the right amount of air pressure.
We use the professional grade Nikon SuperCoolSCAN 5000 ED and 9000 ED slide scanners to digitize your slides. These are dedicated units that produce amazing results when used properly. There are companies out there that will scan slides using flat-bed scanners. Those companies will not be able to attain the depth of color or clarity of a more high-end dedicated slide scanner such as the Nikon SuperCoolSCAN 5000/9000 ED.
Slides are previewed in the scanning software program where the cropping and other adjustments are set. All slides are labeled numerically by box marking (ie: FarmHouse_001.jpg). Folders are also named according to the original organizational structure of the slides.
After all the slide scanning is finished we go through each image one-by-one and make sure that it is oriented properly (people are standing upright) and not flipped (words appearing mirrored). Once the image scanning technician has looked over all the images, a second technician will look over each image again and sign off on the "customer notes sheet" showing that each image has truly been double-checked.
Once all the slides have been scanned and inspected, they will be burned to our special 100 year archival DVDs (unless otherwise specified by the customer). These disks are regarded as the best medium for long-term storage.
Deteriorating slides
Almost every 35mm slide we encounter has deteriorated in some form. Let's face it, slides are usually pretty old and nothing stays looking new forever. There are many defects that arise through the aging process. The most common ailment for slides is simple fading. Fading usually manifests as colors losing their vibrancy and a general yellowing of the entire image. If you are interested in seeing how we can restore your old slides please ask your image scanning technician to give you an example.
Manual Color Correction Service vs. Image Restoration Service
Manual color correction is described in the Pricing and Basic Info section and mainly is used to fix problems with color. For example if the slide has a yellow cast to it, in many cases we can neutralize that color and bring back the original colors. We will check for the whitest pixel in the important viewable area of the image and reset that to the 100% white value, and do the same for black. No software program can do this because we are evaluating the image based on the important data and disregarding things like backlighting from windows and such. If your images has a color cast to them or are too dark, just ask our image scanning technician to employ the manual color correction service. We can even enhance one or two images so that you can see how beautiful your slides can be.
The Image Restoration Service will digitally repair your slides. If your slides have folds, scratches, color blots, fungus or any number of imperfections, ask our image scanning technician for a quote for your slide(s). Even if the image has a piece missing it may be possible to reproduce this missing section based on another slide or other data inside the same slide. It is amazing what can be done with Adobe Photoshop, some extra plug-ins, knowhow and experience. And don't worry, all the original data will be saved.
From the Blog
How Many Slides and Negatives Fit on a DVD?
When working on a large project, including huge quantities of slide scanning and negative scanning projects, it's a good idea to know roughly how many images you can fit on … Continue reading
Photobin Closing Down – Scanning in San Diego
If you are a past or current customer of PhotoBin, and visited their website recently, you may have noticed that they are closing down… If you have been thinking about … Continue reading
SnapJet: Print Photos Directly From Your Smartphone
Have you ever wanted to print a picture right from your smartphone? Well, that is now completely possible with the new gadget, SnapJet. Using Poloroid technology, SnapJet uses open source … Continue reading
Benefits of Transferring Your Media Locally!
DVD Your Memories is one of the few companies primarily built for our local customers who wish to transfer their old memories and convert them to a more modern format, … Continue reading
A Snapshot History of Digital Camera Technology
The word revolutionary is over-used in the technology field, but there's no other way to describe the impact of digital photography. It has never been easier to capture high quality … Continue reading
Areas Served
DVD Your Memories provides local 126 format slide scanning services for these and other nearby Denver areas:
Denver Cities
Denver, Aurora, Highlands Ranch, Centennial, Greenwood Village, Glendale, Littleton, Thornton,Lakewood,Sheridan, Cherry hills Village, Englewood, Lone Tree, Wheatridge, Arvada, Westminster, Parker, Golden, Northglenn, Castle Rock


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Michael Patrick / AP file
People crowd a gun show in Knoxville, Tenn., on Dec. 28.
Attempted illegal gun purchases occur 30,000 to 40,000 times each year among U.S. firearms retailers, according to a first-of-its-kind survey of gun sellers published Monday.
Would-be patrons seek to sway sellers to keep transactions off the books or, more commonly, use stand-ins — often girlfriends or wives — to fill out required legal forms and undergo federal criminal background checks necessary to purchase firearms, according to the survey by the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California-Davis.
Perhaps the most alarming finding in the study — the first to attempt to quantify the frequency of unlawful attempts to buy guns and retailer corruption — is that some firearms dealers are "bad guy magnets," who even though they deny the most attempted "straw-man" and undocumented purchases tend to suffer the most gun thefts and appear to receive the most visits from federal agents tracing guns used in crimes.
"They have a high-risk clientele (which may in part be) because the retailers themselves are known to look the other way," said Dr. Garen J. Wintemute, author of the study published in "Injury Prevention," a peer-reviewed health journal, and director of the Violence Prevention Research Program. "But it all goes together: The retailers who had the most denied sales were also the ones most likely to sell guns that were used in crimes."
"The (responsible) retailers consider this a very serious problem that deserves stiff punishment," he added.
Cutting down so-called "straw" purchases of guns is among the measures being pushed by gun-control advocates in the wake of the elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 14, which left 20 children, six school employees and gunman Adam Lanza and his mother dead.
On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill that seeks to make it a federal crime to purchase a firearm for someone who is not legally allowed to own a weapon, such as a convicted felon. President Barack Obama has urged the full Senate to approve the measure.
Wintemute's team mailed surveys to 1,600 gun dealers, pawnbrokers and gunsmiths who sell 50 or more firearms each year and received back 591 completed questionnaires. Participating retailers reported that would-be clients tried to make 2,051 straw purchases and 2,254 undocumented buys during the previous year.
The researchers extrapolated those rates across the nearly 10,000 U.S. gun dealers and estimated that about 34,000 straw purchases and about 37,000 attempted undocumented purchases were attempted nationally during that span. (Those figures only reflect the instances where the retailers realized they were dealing with straw buyers, so the actual number of bogus buyers is likely higher.)
'Flashpoint': NBC News special report on guns in America
"The key word there is 'attempt' " said Andy Molchan, director of the National Association of Federally Licensed Firearms Dealers, which has about 1,000 members. "You know, 10 16-year-olds probably go into one liquor store during each year and attempt to buy a bottle of whiskey. But if they only attempted (and were denied), they didn't buy it."
Still, Molchan acknowledged that "straw-man buying for people is a problem. There are two big sources for criminal guns — No. 1 is theft from private homes and the other is straw-man purchases: they buy a gun for somebody who is a felon and they sell it to the other person for a mark up. It's been a problem for a long time."
For that reason, he said, members of the firearm dealers association all receive forms that they fill out during each sale — and ask the buyers to sign — attesting that the weapon is solely for that buyer and will not be re-sold in a secondary market to a felon or any other person who is restricted by state law from owning a gun. The forms have been in use for about 30 years.
"Our association is not against increased laws and increased penalties for people who are buying guns for people who are felons or shouldn't have guns," Molchan said. "We don't have any objections to that."
Many illicit, stand-in gun buyers are women, Wintemute said, citing firearms-trafficking statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Partly for that reason, he argues that reports indicating that women make up a rising share of the gun market "are a myth."
According to ATF, in nearly 20 percent of straw purchases, the buyer "is an intimate partner — the girlfriend or the spouse — of the real purchaser," Wintemute said. "In (ATF) training materials, and just in common knowledge around the industry, one of the markers of a straw purchase is a woman who is purchasing when a guy is just standing around nearby in the store."
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