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You could call him the storm after the storm. First there was Hurricane Sandy, and then, in the far reaches of the Republican Party, there was Hurricane Christie. The former was a devastating act of nature, the latter a desperate act of conservative frustration that came when the New Jersey governor embraced Barack Obama in the final days of the 2012 campaign. To hear the right wing tell it, the PDA between the Republican Chris Christie and the Democratic President should have been as lethal as a Michael Corleone kiss. Romney's campaign sulked. Talk-radio Republicans demanded blood. Tea Party leaders branded Christie a traitor.
Christie, however, didn't give a damn. Throughout the intraparty fight, the Jersey boy tore a page out of his hero Bruce Springsteen's songbook and defiantly struck a "No retreat, baby, no surrender" pose against withering right-wing rage. And now the Nov. 5 election results suggest that brazen, Christie-style bipartisanship might actually work.
Christie is the first New Jersey Republican in a quarter-century to win a majority of votes statewide. And on the same night a Virginia Republican in the governor's race was routed among women, African Americans and Hispanics, Christie improved on his 2009 showing among minorities while walking away with the women's vote. For a pro-life conservative running in a deep blue state, it was a performance every bit as dominant as the Boss ripping through a live version of "Rosalita." And like Springsteen himself, Christie made it all look easy.
The question now is whether his brassy act will play as well in Nashua and Sioux City as it does in Nutley and Asbury Park. The answer rests on what direction a divided Republican Party takes over the next few years.
It's the latest battle in a long war between GOP purists and pragmatists. Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the nomination of Barry Goldwater and the shouting down of Nelson Rockefeller at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. For many conservatives, the Goldwater moment--itself a reaction to the perceived moderation of the Eisenhower years--is a kind of nativity narrative for what's best about the modern GOP. The story goes like this: conservatives disenchanted with Ike nominated Goldwater, whose defeat made Reagan's ultimate victory possible.
The problem with that tale, though, is that it fails to credit the great historical fact of the matter: Eisenhower and Reagan had more in common with Christie than with Ted Cruz. Ike and Reagan knew how to win and how to govern, and they bent history to their will by appealing not just to a narrow slice of America but to the nation--even the world--as a whole.
This is a sadly underappreciated fact within the current GOP. Yes, the fervor of Tea Party activists in 2009 fueled the rise of candidates who rocked the Washington establishment and led the GOP to its greatest legislative victories in half a century. It also led to the elevation of extreme candidates who cost Republicans control of the U.S. Senate and damaged the party's brand nationwide.


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About This Document
This document describes how to install, configure, and maintain the BH622 V2 server blade (BH622 V2 for short).
This document details the appearance, components, functions, panel, indicators, ports, and technical specifications of the BH622 V2, and how to install, remove, power on, power off, maintain, and install the operating system (OS) and drivers for the BH622 V2.
Intended Audience
This document is intended for:
- Technical support personnel
- Maintenance engineers
Symbol Conventions
The symbols that may be found in this document are defined as follows.
DANGER indicates a hazard with a high level or medium level of risk which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury.
DWARNING indicates a hazard with a low level of risk which, if not avoided, could result in minor or moderate injury.
CAUTION indicates a potentially hazardous situation that, if not avoided, could result in equipment damage, data loss, performance deterioration, or unanticipated results.
TIP indicates a tip that may help you solve a problem or save time.
NODE provides additional information to emphasize or supplement important points in the main text.
Change History
Changes between document issues are cumulative. Therefore, the latest document issue contains all changes made in previous issues.
Issue 08 (2018-06-25)
Delete invalid links.
Issue 07 (2017-06-30)
Change Features and Specifications.
Issue 06 (2015-04-20)
Change Panel.
Issue 05 (2014-09-15)
Change the product name.
Issue 04 (2014-03-03)
Change the description about the indicators.
Issue 03 (2013-09-25)
Add information about the Mezz card.
Issue 02 (2013-06-14)
Add information about the BIOS password.
Issue 01 (2012-06-15)
The issue is the first official release.

subset: commoncrawl


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Thursday, May 9, 2013
Knott's Halloween
8 comments:
- Willow Cove said...
I want that throne. Now.
- May 9, 2013 at 6:14 PM
- Jay's Shadow said...
O.k. These are some great pics and looks like lots of fun, but "Piggy Girl" freaks me out.
- May 9, 2013 at 7:11 PM
- Marrow said...
That fourth pic is something straight out of a Mike Powell work... nightmarish.
- May 9, 2013 at 11:58 PM
- Rot said...
Yep. I mentioned that to Bean when I showed her that pic.
I wonder what Mark Powell is up to these days.
Haven't seen anything new by him in a long time.
- May 10, 2013 at 5:29 AM
- Rot said...
And I've love to sit in that chair at work.
- May 10, 2013 at 8:12 AM
- PumpkinFire said...
I'm pretty sure the magic circle on the floor is from card captors. gave me one heck of a giggle.
- May 10, 2013 at 6:26 PM
- Sara said...
Dudes! I am so freaking excited for this year's haunt!! I get discounts on tickets, it's my birthday month, it's my husband's first time going, AND we get to enjoy it without the kiddos! Woot!
Bring. It. On. October can't come soon enough..,..the mazes seem to be getting better and better!
- May 13, 2013 at 12:16 AM
- Jason-v said...
Really digging the jack staircase, and the lighting!
- May 14, 2013 at 9:26 PM


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Hi All.
Please help me resolve this issue.
Value of \u00E6 is æ ( Multibyte Character ).
But from the value is comming from client browser like String reportFileName = "/Users/admin/Reports/Japanese\\u00E6";
If I take sys out of the reportFileName the value will be printed. /Users/admin/Reports/Japanese\u00E6. But Actual file name is /Users/admin/Reports/Japaneseæ
Can some help me you resolve this issue.
Vivek S.


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lay(redirected from laying low)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Legal.
Related to laying low: lying low
a portion of the catch or the profits from a whaling or fishing expedition
of, involving, or belonging to people who are not clergy
1. a ballad or short narrative poem, esp one intended to be sung
2. a song or melody
(design engineering)
The direction, length, or angle of twist of the strands in a rope or cable.
The direction of the prevailing surface pattern on a piece of metal after grinding, cutting, lapping, or other processing.
(mining engineering)
A share of profit.


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Good morning to you all.
Not being a Win10 user (I didn't have Win8 either) I was not aware that Windows Movie Maker (Live) is no longer available.
A decision has been made to try and encourage referees to take their match videos and cut clips of moments/incidents in their game and pass around their colleague to seek opinion. All part of the self-learning approach to development.
My recommendation for the software was iMovie or WMM. Oh dear!!!
Does anyone have an alternative suggestion for free software for WMM (yes, it must be free) that will take in video (.mov .wmv .mp4) files and output .mp4 coded files as a minimum?
If they (referees) want to upgrade then I will be recommending Adobe Premier Elements, it has been good and stable over the years! It comes with an associated recommendation to that well known book.... The Muvipix.com Guide to.......
Many thanks in advance,


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MSDN says that one can create a custom command in 2 ways: either by declaring a class that implements ICommand or by "using" RoutedCommand or RouterUICommand classes (that derive from Command).
Question 1: what is the difference between those 2 approaches? MSDN says that first one gives you more flexibility, but what exactly?
Let`s use the second approach. To define a custom command I should use the following code:
public static RoutedUICommand DownloadCommand = new RoutedUICommand("Download data", "DownloadCommand", typeof(DownloadCommandWrapper), new InputGestureCollection(new InputGesture[] { new KeyGesture(Key.F2, ModifierKeys.None, "Download data") }));
That`s ok. I could call this command eg. from a button by assigning this command under 'Command' property of a button. But how could I call it from a control that does not expose such property? For example, I would like to call this command after user clicks the Image.
Thank you in advance for help


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Hey good people, here, I have been having a discussion with an anon gentleman going by the moniker j.w who I think lives on this side of the blue ball.
The discussion, so far has covered several issues among them how the universe came to be, historicity of Jesus, a bit on god and a major part has been on evolution and it is here that I need some help. I have in my responses tried to explain evolution as I understand which may not be very accurate or satisfactory but looking at his responses, I feel that even though he appears to have read a bit on evolution he doesn't understand it or he is so immersed in creationism that it doesn't make sense to him.
A case in point, in the latest responses I asked him to explain among others pseudo-genes and similarities in DNA sequence in life then in his response he says 2) SEMBLANCE IN DNA BETWEEN DIFFERENT SPECIES.
My friend When you look at that similarities between the different models of the Mercedes Benz do you conclude that they all evolved by random unguided processes from the same ancestor over a long period of time or do you conclude that they have the same manufacturer? I haven't responded yet to this, but I know it is a false comparison. If we were to take his creation story, man would be unique and would not share DNA sequence with any other animal since all animals came into existence on the word of god while man he created in his image[that is the christian god].
There are parts of his responses that are hard to read, he has a whole paragraph in caps.
I think he also doesn't understand random chance in gene mutation and evolution in general.
The matter of historicity of Jesus I feel has been dealt with sufficiently so it is really not a big concern for me.
I would have asked him to go to the national museum in the human skull section since entry fee for adult citizens is just over a dollar but you'll realize from his comments that even if he were to see the fossil evidence it wouldn't help my case much.
Please, find time to make comments here or on the link I have given. Where my answers were inadequate you can point them for me here.
Views: 284
Hi onyango,
I've quickly read through the discussion and I ran into some problems. It seems that he is using the same old tired arguments that have been refuted a million times before. You have come at the point where you know that he's not really listening to you anyway.
It's time to throw in the towel, and respectfully tell the guy that since he did not read any of the sources provided you will be happy to continue when he does know what he's talking about.
Then again, I tend to be an arrogant prick that prefers honesty over (supposed) civility.
I have had a similar debate with a Theist recently. While on the topic of evolution he pointed to a magazine on my coffee table that had a picture of a new model BMW on the cover. He said that it was obvious to anyone that it was "designed" and that therefore must have a designer who was intelligent.
To the theist this line of "thinking" is used to introduce and prove the concept of Intelligent Design. While on the surface this may seem a reasonable claim, once it is given consideration it is very flawed. However this is the whole point that Evolution makes – gradual change over time. The BMW (or Mercedes or the human eye) did not suddenly appear overnight full developed in their current form.
I explained that first man discovered the wheel. T hen we joined two together with a log. Then the chariot, the horse drawn carriage, the stagecoach, the first prototype cars and so on until one day BMW came up with the M3. Even the model in the picture, while it bears a resemblance to earlier model M3's from the 1980's, it is clear that this one is a distinct species whose ancestry can be traced back to the chariots. If you looked at a modern car it might not be obvious because chariots have become extinct. When we find them buried in volcanic ash in Italy they don't look like modern cars but we can see the progression as there are NO missing links. Therefore the modern car is a product of Evolution.
This rendered him speechless. I could see that he was trying to come up with a counter argument but could not. So I continued to explain to him that Evolution is NOT and never was a matter of faith. It is only a matter of understanding. If you spend the time to study it "everything" will become clear. We are an evolved species, evolved from a common ancestor that primates are also evolved from. All humans are related very closely to each other and almost as closely to every other species on the planet.
Sometimes they will reply "ok but god started it all and allowed evolution" but the best way to deal with that can be to look at them as if they are half mad.
Then I took the theist for a 10 minute high speed 4.4 litre V8 rush on the back road and said to him "Man I think there is a god after all and he is German!!!". He remained speechless.
Am liking this already
For me, I found that the best way to get out of theism was to study nature. If we could just their heads out of the 'good book' long enough maybe they might wake up?
First point I have to make is evolution is non-random. You clearly don't know the basics in evolutionary theory.
I had meant to address the "random" bit of his argument. However this is very well explained here as to why he is wrong in saying that it is so.
@juan, if in my response i said that evolution is random, then i that must have been a misrepresentation. The gene changes/ mutations are random. that said, I think it would only be fair on your part once you say I don't know the basics in evolutionary theory to point me to the right direction instead of a response that can only be compared to a hit and run car driver. I was very clear and stated that it is on evolution that I needed help and that I had answered to what I know or understand!
Reg I'll look at the link provided.
Let me elaborate on your question on gene changes/mutations. If the mutation benefits the population to produce more offspring the mutation will become more common in that population of species down the generations.
The initial mutation is random but the following mutations if it is beneficial to the individual will become more common. Is this the case?
Yes it will become more common in that population of species because the ones with the beneficial gene will have more offspring than the ones that don't.


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Blogger claims creature with tail seen in NASA photo from Mars
The website UFO Sightings Daily has posted photos of what it says could be a rat or lizard on Mars.
Maintained by blogger Scott C. Waring, UFO Sightings Daily says someone in Japan who was scrutinizing photos released by NASA discovered the strange creature's image in March.
Waring raises the question of whether the space agency could be placing animals onto the Mars surface from inside the rover to conduct tests. The blog post invites readers to offer their opinions of the photos.
Although the images posted on UFO Sightings Daily depict something that appears to have legs and a tail, in the original NASA photo, the rat/lizard looks more like a rock.


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2,3,3',4,4',5,6-Heptabromodiphenyl Ether
ALS Environmental may or may not test for 2,3,3',4,4',5,6-Heptabromodiphenyl Ether (CAS # CASID30338). Information is subject to change; please contact us for the latest available analytes for which we test.
ALS Environmental does not sell chemicals, but offers analytical lab testing to determine the presence of various elements and chemical compounds.
Analyte: 2,3,3',4,4',5,6-Heptabromodiphenyl Ether
Alternate Name: PBDE 190
Abbreviation: 2,3,3',4,4',5,6-HeptaBDE
CAS Number or ID: CASID30338
Department: Organics
<-- Search for more analytes
*CAS Registry Number is a Registered Trademark of the American Chemical Society.
Suggestions? If you have ideas for improvement, we would enjoy hearing from you. Please contact the webmaster here.


text:
Degree Programs
Newly Approved African Studies Program Requirements
The Africana Studies Department is multidisciplinary, with some of its faculty holding joint appointments in other departments. The department's offerings thus range across the traditional disciplines of art history, history, literature, musicology, philosophy, religion, and sociology. These disciplines are integrated by certain themes that underscore the uniqueness of the department. First, subject matter focuses on African people and cultures and peoples of African descent in the New World. Second, the department's courses offer a non-Eurocentric and non-racial approach to the investigations, interpretations and understanding of the experiences of African peoples and of the wider world. Third, departmental courses broaden the scope and range of traditional disciplines and offer a corrective to those disciplines in which the knowledge of the presence, roles, cultural contributions and experiences of African people and their descendants have been omitted or neglected.
The department attracts students of all ethnic backgrounds. Both minority and non-minority students benefit from exposure to academic materials and perspectives not otherwise available to them.
All the department's courses satisfy Harpur College writing requirements. A single, double or cross-disciplinary
major (BA program) and minor in Africana Studies are available.
Important Forms (Download here)
- Declaring an Africana Studies major/minor (for student to submit in person to the department office, LT 1311)
* Click here for major/minor requirements
- Petition into a seminar or course on which there is a "restriction"
- Independent Study Form
- Application for Honors Thesis work (also see "Honors Program")
- Click HERE for Harpur College forms: late add petition, late withdrawal petition, request for incomplete, change to pass/fail, and overload request.


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A018-1R A018-1 Clutch Assy. O/H
+$1,100.00 R7058 Core Deposit
+$1,100.00 R7058 Core Deposit
Our Privacy Policy Has Been Updated! more information
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information. You can also see the current Cookies in use Here.


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Awards include 'A' from state, outstanding distinction & perfect score in finance
McAllen ISD has hit it out of the park with a bevy of major awards from the state and beyond.
The district earned an 'A' Accountability Rating from the state of Texas, another Post-Secondary Readiness Distinction and three awards in school finance!
The Texas Education Agency released results August 15 to the public showing the accountability ratings and the Post-secondary Readiness Distinctions that have been earned for the 2017-18 school year.
"These results are the culmination of years of hard work," Superintendent J.A. Gonzalez, Ed.D., said. "All our teachers, students, staff and parents have contributed to these outstanding achievements. We also appreciate the leadership of our School Board of Trustees. They should all be proud."
The following chart illustrates these achievements. It shows the percentage of Texas school districts earning an 'A' at 12.75%. The percentage that earned the Post-secondary Readiness Distinction was even fewer at 5.08% and the percentage that earned both is a mere 3.58%.
District Accountability Rating
McAllen ISD's overall scaled score is 92. A score of 90-100 is considered an 'A' in the new Accountability Rating System. The 85th Texas Legislature passed House Bill (HB) 22, establishing three domains for measuring the academic performance of districts and campuses.
These are:
- Student Achievement
- School Progress (broken down into Academic Growth and Relative Performance)
- Closing the Gaps
Districts receive a rating of A, B, C, D, or F for overall performance, as well as for performance in each domain. Based on performance in 2017-18, McAllen ISD's grades in the domains were as follows:
- Student Achievement B (scaled score 86)
- School Progress
- Academic Growth B (84)
- Relative Performance A (92)
- Closing the Gaps A (93)
The Student Achievement category measures how well students performed on the STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) for elementary and middle schools and End of Course (EOC) exams in high school along with how well high school students performed on college and career readiness measures plus their graduation rates.
School Progress is broken down into two sub-categories (Academic Growth and Relative Performance). Student Progress-Academic Growth scaled score of 84% looks at how many students improved on the STAAR performance in Reading and Math compared with the previous year. Student Progress-Relative Performance measures how well campuses and districts perform in relation to their percentages of low-income students. The highest score from Domain 1 and the two sub-categories in Domain 2 (in McAllen ISD's case, a 92) is used for the calculation of the overall school progress score as per the Texas Education Agency 2018 Accountability Manual.
Closing the Gap measures how well sub-populations of students perform based on their race, income level, disability and other factors that might impact learning and is used for the remaining part in the calculation of the overall progress score.
The state legislature approved the new A-F rating system in 2015. Campuses will receive A–F ratings beginning in 2019.
Post-secondary Readiness Distinction
The Postsecondary Readiness Distinction takes into account factors such as performance on state exams, high graduation rates, high ACT/SAT participation, Career and Technical Education (CTE) graduates, and Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate performance. For elementary and middle school, the criteria include performance on state accountability tests.
"This is a tremendous honor," Dr. Gonzalez said. "We've earned this distinction two years in a row because of hard work and a focus on students that, not only teaches them academic material, but also life skills and emotional intelligence. We train our students to think."
Finance awards
In McAllen ISD's continuing pursuit to be good stewards of the public's dollar, the district recently earned three major awards in the international and state arenas.
These include the Meritorious Budget Award (MBA) – an international standard – for the submission of the 2018-19 Annual Budget Book. This is the fourth straight year McAllen ISD has earned this award from the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) – the highest recognition in government budgeting.
In previous years, the District was awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for fiscal years 2016 and 2017. Preparing the budget involved teamwork from the district's Business Services, Human Resources and the Department of Technology.
In addition, McAllen ISD is one of just 26 school districts in the nation to earn the prestigious 23rd Annual Achievement of Excellence in Procurement® (AEP) for 2018 from the National Procurement Institute, Inc. (NPI). The AEP is awarded annually to public and non-profit organizations in the US and Canada for innovation, professionalism, e-procurement, productivity and leadership in the procurement function.
For the 15th time in 16 years, McAllen ISD has received the state's highest mark by the Texas Education Agency's School FIRST (Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas). The district did it with a perfect score – the eighth straight year it has earned perfect marks.
The 2018 rating is based on the annual financial report provided to the Texas Education Agency by the district from the 2016-17 school year.
The Superior Achievement rating serves as an indicator of the quality of the district's financial management and reporting system.
"Congratulations to our Business Operations Division for their diligence and ensuring that our district continues to operate at a world-class level in terms of how it responsibly handles taxpayer dollars," Dr. Gonzalez said. "A close watch of the district's finances ensures that more funding is allocated to support instruction and district goals that benefit our students, staff and schools."
McAllen ISD prides itself on being a district of choice for children in elementary, middle and high school. That includes:
- McAllen ISD offers STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math) in Pre-K-12, International Baccalaureate in grades 1-12, Advanced Placement courses, Career Technical Education in 15 career clusters where students earn professional licenses or certifications, four dual enrollment academies and an Early College High School where students can earn an Associate's Degree before they graduate high school
- Offering International Baccalaureate Teaching and Learning Framework - elementary through high school
- Offering full day Pre-Kindergarten for qualifying families and by tuition for all families
- Offering a Dual Language program in elementary and middle school
- Offering the Minitropolis concept in several elementary schools
- High schools geared with the capacity for students to graduate with any or up to all of the five endorsements offered in Texas (Business & Industry, STEM, Public Services, Arts & Humanities or Multi-Disciplinary)
- Offering academic UIL competition like Ready Writing, Math, etc. – elementary through high school
- Offering chess in elementary through high school (5 state titles since program's inception in 2016. 22 teams qualifying for national competition in 2018).
- Offering robotics – elementary through high school (HS state champion in 2018)
- Offering coding – elementary through high school (2 elementary coding teams earned best in state in 2016 and 2017. In 2016, 2nd in nation. In 2017, 3rd worldwide)
- A Parent University Program in which more than 100 parents attend periodic meetings to learn about important programs or initiatives in the district
- Elementary music classes taught by teachers degreed in music
- A Career Technical Education program which offers 38 college certifications, 94 elective courses, 12 four-year graduation plans, 15 career clusters and 27 statewide articulated courses for college credit.
- McAllen ISD also places strong emphasis on teacher training and development providing the support they need to ensure student learning. As the district continues to promote lifelong learning in students, it continues developing the skill sets and emotional intelligence of its educators. This builds a strong instructional core and sense of belonging since the development of high-quality educators is key to successful student achievement.


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by David Crane [email protected] A 16-round Metal Storm prototype 40mm grenade launcher system attached to/mounted on a Foster-Miller Talon Robot/UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicle) apparently successfully completed a series of live-fire tests in front of approx. 100 senior scientific and technical personnel from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and selected military defense industry representatives at a U.S. Army's firing range …Read More »
Tag Archives: 40mm grenade
Sources Sought Notice Issued for 5.56mm Modular Weapon System Family
by David Crane [email protected] The following Sources Sought Notice looks like it's essentially the same solicitation as that covered in the previous article, just in alternate form (a previous version, if you will): "General Information Document Type: Sources Sought Notice Solicitation Number: W15QKN-05-X-0427 Posted Date: Nov 05, 2004 Original Response Date: Dec 07, 2004 Current Response Date: Dec 07, 2004 …Read More »
New Corner Shot 40™ 40mm Grenade Launcher: 'Around-the-Corner' Force Multiplier
by David Crane [email protected] The following article contains a digital photo of the new Corner Shot 40™ 40mm "Around-the-Corner" Personal Grenade Launcher (PGL). As far as DefenseReview is aware, this is the first information-with-picture to be published on the new weapon system. Back in December, 2003, we published an article on CornerShot, which impressed us at SWAT Round-Up 2003. The …Read More »
Armed/Weaponized Infantry Robots for Urban Warfare and Counterinsurgency Ops
by David Crane [email protected] DefenseReview recently attended the 24th Army Science Conference, in sunny Orlando, FL. The conference was held at the truly spectacular JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes (where we stayed, thanks to the U.S. Army). The conference itself was pretty terrific, as well. O.k., I'm going to discuss a number of very interesting military/military-applicable technologies I observed inside …Read More »
DefRev Scoop! FN Herstal SCAR/SOFCAR Competition Winner and Modified XM8
by David Crane [email protected] This just in: DefenseReview has been told by one of its sources that FN Herstal's/FNH USA, Inc.'s SCAR/SOFCAR (Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle) program competition winner utilizes an updated/upgraded FN FNC upper receiver w/M1913 Picatinny rail system, mated to a modified M4/M4A1 Carbine-config/type lower receiver. Supposedly, the M4/M4A1 Carbine-config/type lower features an HK M4 (a.k.a. …Read More »
Penn Arms PGL65-40 'Fourkiller Tactical Model' 40mm Multiple Grenade Launcher
by David Crane [email protected] DefenseReview just had a very interesting conversation with Larkin Fourkiller, of Fourkiller Consulting. Fourkiller is a retired LEO/SWAT Operator and LE Special Operations/SWAT commander. He's also a less-lethal weapons specialist. He currently trains law enforcement agencies in (lethal) dynamic CQB (Close Quarters Battle), and in the tactical use (employment/deployment) of less-lethal weapons and munitions. Based on …Read More »
Armed and Armored Stealth Vehicles for Urban Security Ops, from Ibis Tek
by David Crane [email protected] Ibis Tek is making some very interesting "High-Performance Stealth Vehicles" with Remote Control Weapons and Sensor Control Systems, right now. These vehicles come primarily in the form of tactically-armed and armored SUV's/4×4's (GMC/Chevolet Sierras and Chevy Suburbans) and HMMWV's (Humvees), outfitted with mobile, retractable gun mounts. When not in use, the gun and mount sit discreetly …Read More »
AFJ Shoot-Out at Blackwater, the Milkor MGL Mk-1S, and the HK XM8 Rifle/Carbine
by David Crane [email protected] Armed Forces Journal (AFJ) recently held their annual Shoot-Out at Blackwater USA. The AFJ Shoot-Out at Blackwater has become a real big deal annual event among small arms experts and military defense/tactical industry people. At this year's Shoot-Out (2004), Armed Forces Journal editor John Roos and his merry band of shooters/evaluators put a plethora of tactical …Read More »
GDATP Receives $16 Million Contract for MK47 Striker 40mm Grenade Machine Gun
by David Crane [email protected] DefenseReview should also mention that the $16 million M2HB 12.7mm/.50 BMG machine gun contract follows a previously-awarded $16 million for the GDATP MK47 MOD 0 'Striker40' Weapon System/Advanced Lightweight Grenade Launcher (ALGL), a.k.a. MK47 MOD 0 Striker 40mm Grenade Machine Gun (GMG). You may, or may not, remember DefRev's short piece on the MK47 Striker 40mm …Read More »
New and Improved Milkor MGL Mk-1S Multiple 40mm Grenade Launcher for SPECOPS
by David Crane [email protected] Milkor Marketing (PTY) LTD has just improved their MGL Mk-1 Multiple Grenade Launcher, creating a new low-velocity 40mm (40x46mm) multiple grenade launcher (MGL) called the Milkor MGL Mk-1S Multiple Grenade Launcher. The MGL Mk-1S sports a stronger stainless steel frame than the original MGL Mk-1, as well as a NATO standard sight rail. Milkor Marketing has …Read More »


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and she wants the cake on the cover.!.!
Now Margaret's cakes are often small, because the detail takes sooo much time. This bride wants this cake to serve 300!! (No sheet cakes.) I didn't even know what to say. She will definitely be the only cake I do that week. But as far as pricing goes, I dont even know where to begin!
$10 per serving my a$$!!!! For cake for 300, (*IF* I would even CONSIDER trying to duplicate it) I would put a price tag of $10,000 MINIMUM on the cake. I. AM. NOT. KIDDING.
Look at the work on that cake. This is a masterpiece.
You want me to duplicate Michaelangelo's Chapel in Rome? You're gonna pay for my time!!
Run as fast as you can, and if she does catch you, I agree with Debi....$10,000! That's a TON of work!!!
edit repeat post
Yep ...price sounds fair to me....or...she can try to see if Walmart will do it....
I would bet that if you told her 10 grand that she would come up with another style cake really really fast. Unless she is like Ivanka Trump getting married I doubt she is going to spend that kind of moola on a cake. Remember above all things....BRIDES ARE STUPID WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR WEDDING WANTS!!....there will be a reality check for her....
Oh and insist on a 1000 dollar non refundable deposit to hold the date and full payment 2 weeks before the wedding....gives you time to cash the check and make sure it doesn't go....BOING!!
Oh ... I didn't throw out that number because of the name of the original artist. I threw it out because of the complexity of the work and the very high expectation on the part of the bride.
Ok, here's the part I left out..... $10,000 because I want to scare her away because for someone to ask me to duplicate the work of an artist of that stature with a cake of that level of artistry is probably unattainable .... so please let me scare you away with a ridiculously high price.
And if it doesn't scare her away, then I am properly compensated for the stress I'm about to undertake (and the bar bill I'm about to run up!).
ROFL indydebi At what point would one be able to pick their jaw up off the floor after a request like that??!!
Wow.. that is one heck of a cake.. I think she said that that cake would cost 25K.. Now I couldn't get 25K for that cake.. but you better bet *IF* I were to even think about it.. you'd have a price tag that would make it worth my time. 300 servings.. she'd be paying 100$ per serving.. at LEAST.. damn.. That would take forever!
Refer her to me... I'd LOVE to replicate that cake!
And I'd only charge her $8/serving. LOL!
Wow!!!! I think this bride to be is going to be in sticker shock after getting a quote on this cake. Definitely not a cake the average person can afford! Can't wait to hear more (and see the cake)!!
OMG!! She obviously has NO IDEA! Hey, but if she's willing to pay... go for it!!
I agree with everyone else. I would charge a minium of 5,000.00 thats crazy then pray she does not have that kind of extra money laying around. Your cakes are beautiful so please don't take this the wrong way. But something you really need to consider is can you duplicate the cake? I know I could not even come close so thats why I am saying this. Please let us know what happens. Good luck
I hope you charge one hundred million dollars. Sorry...my kids are watching Austin Powers right now.
I can't wait to hear what happens with this cake!! I agree with the $1000 deposit and full payment (of AT LEAST $4000) two weeks before the date!
I definitely think you are talented enough, your cakes are gorgeous. Just throw out the highest number you are comfortable with, and at worst see if she counter offers you with something else. Good Luck, and PLEASE let us know!!
I can't wait to hear more about this... Please keep us updated on your talk with her about the price and your decision on making it. I would definately love to see this cake done here. Good luck with all!!
As an aside, I read an interview with her where she said she doesn't bake her cakes. She has them baked and delivered to her studio. That's how much of an artist she is!
To be fair, someone who doesn't do cakes really doesn't realize the level of work that goes into something like that. They just see the book on the shelf along with all the other cake books and they think it's pretty, and they decide they want it. Let us know what her reaction is when you show her the numbers, though!!!
How about telling her to contact Margaret Braun to price it then she might get the picture. LOL
Hey, if she is willing to pay, then why not???
I only wish I could be in on it....I would think a second and/or third decorater/baker would be needed
I hope she's rich and you actually get to do it
As an aside, I read an interview with her where she said she doesn't bake her cakes. She has them baked and delivered to her studio. That's how much of an artist she is!
Wow! Can you imagine getting to that point? INcredible!
You mean you guys don't have fresh cakes delivered on demand to decorate when necessary. And I thought I was dealing with professionals here...
SOrry for the laugh..
it's just my
OMG, I can't freaking believe this bride laugh. But, if you do it, please, please , please post!
oh my!! that cake is awesome.. but can you imagine the amount of time/work that went into it... bet "Margie" doesnt have 2 little kids running around her whilst decorating something like that!! good luck if you're going to tackle it... braver than me!
On a serious note... There's no question in my mind that you can in fact make this cake!!! That's why there's the book available to go through step by step for it. I was watching their Food Network Southbeach festival and she did the centerpiece cake for it. I believe it was on Warren Brown's show that they showed how she did it. It was the cover cake, but scaled up to feed about 400+. She also didn't hold back with what she charges for cakes (I think $10K was an order minimum).
Also, the book says it takes about 2 weeks worth of time to do one of these cakes (there's a lot of prep work) so just plan for it and charge accordingly. And, even though it is for 300, charge at least $4500 for this one. That's $15/pp, but still, for not being able to take any other orders in the two weeks surrounding the wedding, you've got to make it worth your time. And, like others said, she may not flinch when she hears the price or she is going to compromise in a hurry.
In the grand scheme of things when you really look at the techniques used to make a Margaret Braun cake, they aren't complicated (I think making a gumpaste flower arrangement is more complex), just time consuming.
Have fun making the cake!!!
I agree with CoutureCake! I think your cakes speak for themselves. And you know from experience that a great cake is all about the little steps, and attention to the details, and prep work, that leads up to a great execution. What a great feather in your portfolio, it could be your finest moment. I say go for it, and share your success with us when your done. Oh yeah! charge up the wazoo for it I think anything under 5k is a waste of you time and talent.
You mean you guys don't have fresh cakes delivered on demand to decorate when necessary. And I thought I was dealing with professionals here...
lol, well gosh, we are just behind the times.
Wow what a cake. I would not even begin to know here to start. I do like the idea that was mentioned charge the sky and let her start haggling.
can you imagine having your cake delivered to your studio. lol, how different life would be.
[quote="LauraS I would not even begin to know here to start. [/quote]
her book cakewalk gives instructions.
i agree with cakescoutour that the steps arent necessarily complicated if you know the basics, its just seriously time consuming.


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Listening to Now: Barney Kessel`s Swingin' Easy
Not that I ever thought I'd play like Barney Kessel, but I do own an Epiphone ES-175 guitar and thought maybe some day I could make a few noises that sounded a bit like jazz. The clock is ticking and I'm not so sure anymore, but I still love Barney Kessel.
I've got Swingin' Easy on the turntable (yes, the turntable). It's a 1971 release on Black Lion Records.
It's one of those jazz albums that tries to take advantage of the popularity of '60s rock and roll and ends up sounding a little wierd in places, maybe like it should be part of the soundtrack for an Austin Powers' movie or a Love American Style episode (ask your parents if you need to). Still, there are some nice cuts including "Autumn Leaves," "The Look of Love," and "I Will Wait for You."
Credits are:
Bass – Kenny Napper
Drums – John Marshall
Engineer – Carlos Olms
Guitar – Barney Kessel
Producer – Alan Bates
(Cross-posted at Hogtown Hipster.)
Labels: Jazz, Listening to Now


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Sheila was my hero bride.
Most of the wedding invitations my parents received when I was a child clearly stated "No Children." But hers was different. She loved children and exclusion wasn't in her vocabulary. So, at 10 years old, I was invited to see the beautiful Sheila marry my cousin, Herbert.
My father packed everyone into our light blue Nash Rambler — the car with the reclining front passenger seat — for the drive from Virginia back to our family roots in New York. The only thing I was more excited about than going to my very first wedding was my first fancy party dress — a pale pink and white eyelet floor-length dream that Mom had made for me. A matching pouf purse dangled coyly from a pink satin drawstring on my wrist, and I was careful to keep moving my hand so everyone could see that I was old enough to have a matching accessory.
But all thoughts I had about myself faded away when the door to the bridal room opened and Sheila floated over the threshold draped in fold after flowing fold of snow-white satin. "May I touch your dress?" I gasped, certain it would be forbidden.
"Of course," she replied, flashing that warm hug of a smile that would bond her to me from that moment on.
When the magical wedding ended and I returned home to school and my Brownie troop, I felt like Cinderella just after the ball.
My hero bride is coming to visit this week. She is a widow now. Sheila and Herb raised four children and put them all through college. While doing so, she attended night classes, earned a master's degree in special education, and went on to have a successful career as a teacher. Although she will turn 80 this summer, Sheila exudes the same beauty and warmth I saw on her wedding day. Only now she is much more than a bride; she's a model woman.
When she steps off the plane, she will be wrapped in folds of white satin, tailored perfectly from my memory.
Email Patricia Bunin at email@example.com.


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If you were having problems with the installation, I apologize. I found and fixed a couple of problems with the setup package and I've uploaded a new version to the release folder, so if you click on the download button in the product page, you should get the right file now.
In case you have a caching issue and you end up downloading the same file again, here's a temporary direct download link to version 2010.10.06.
For anyone interested, the problem was that SoapBox Snap was using an older version of NLog, an error logging library that had a dependency on the "Extended" .NET 4 framework. Most computers have .NET 4 installed already, but they have the "Client Profile", not the "Extended" one. Unfortunately, the installer was sending you to the page to download the Client Profile, which didn't help. I upgraded the NLog library to one that no longer has a dependency on the Extended framework, so it should go smoother. I also recompiled everything explicitly for x86 architectures (instead of x64) since the Phidgets library may be dependent on x86 and might be causing some issues on those of you with fancy new 64 bit computers. By making x86 explicit, it forces a 64 bit operating system to load it into a compatibility mode, which is generally what you want.


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Language Arts
Performing Arts
Social Studies
U.S. Government
World Civilizations
World Cultures
World Religion
Lesson Plans pertaining to U.S. Government
Transatlantic Slave Trade
The Great Debate Lesson Plan: Slavery in the U.S. Constitution
Grade levels:
Middle school, grades 6-8
Concentration area:
History, U.S. Government
This lesson should be used in conjunction with
The Transatlantic Slave Trade
, in particular, the segment on "Suppression of the Slave Trade." Students will examine five sections of the U.S. Constitution to see what the Federal Government has said about slavery, past and present. Then, class members will research individuals and interest groups whose participation in the political process led to the slavery compromises during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Later in the school year, they will revisit the issue, looking at different individuals and interest groups who pressured Congress as the 'Civil War Amendments' were drafted and adopted in the final phase of the Civil War and the beginning of Reconstruction.
The Great Migration
Priorities and Power Lesson Plan: Migrants and Voting
Grade levels:
Middle school, grades 6-8
Concentration area:
History, U.S. Government
The "Quest for Political Power" segment of the narrative,
The Great Migration
recounts African-American migrants' eager entry into the political process. Priorities and Power is a lesson plan that may be used with this narrative in history or political science/government classes. Students first will be polled on their plans to get a driver's license and drive, as well as their plans to register to vote and actually to vote. Once students have examined their own attitudes about voting, they will investigate the relationship between the increase in African-American voters and the increase in a) civil rights legislation and b) programs designed to help the African-American community.
The Second Great Migration
Unintended Consequences Lesson Plan: Policies that Impact Migration
Grade levels:
High school, grades 9-12
Concentration area:
History : U.S., , U.S. Government
In the narrative
The Second Great Migration,
the sections, "Causes of the Migrations—Pushes" and "Reverse Migration" recount the impact of federal government policies that were intended for one purpose but also had unintended consequences on migration. Unintended Consequences is a lesson plan that may be used with this narrative in history or political science/government classes. Students will examine the cause-and-effect relationship between the Agricultural Adjustment Acts of the New Deal or the 1965 Voting Rights Act and African-American migration.
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Rules & Regulations
Using the Internet
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© The New York Public Library, 2005.


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Your daily entertainment news with items on Serena Williams eliminated at Wimbledon, "The Bachelorette" on ABC and a recipe for Vodka Sauce.
Trending topic: Serena Williams is out of Wimbledon
Defending champion Serena Williams and her sister, five-time champion Venus Williams, were both eliminated in the fourth round at Wimbledon today. Serena Williams lost to Marion Bartoli, 6-3, 7-6 (6), and Venus Williams lost to Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria, 6-2, 6-3. According to ESPN, "this is the first year that, when both sisters were in the draw, both lost before the quarterfinals."
On TV: 'The Bachelorette' on ABC at 8 p.m. EDT/ 7 p.m. CDT
Ashley goes to Hong Kong with her eight remaining suitors where dragon-boat racing and Victoria's Peak Park are among the activities. Meanwhile, Bentley comes back on the show to talk with Ashley in hopes of getting closure.
Dinner idea: Vodka Sauce1 quart tomato sauce or store-bought marinara sauce, blended until smooth 1 cup vodka 1⁄2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature 1⁄2 cup grated Parmesan
Simmer the tomato sauce and vodka in a heavy large skillet over low heat until the mixture thickens, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Stir the cream into the tomato and vodka sauce. Simmer over low heat until the sauce is heated through. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted and well blended. Remove from heat and toss with al dente penne pasta.
-- Giada De Laurentiis from Food Network
GateHouse News Service


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This is a new documentary about the Oregon State Hospital (made famous by One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest). It documents the struggles of 5 people in the hospital. It also touches on the history of mental hospitals and the legal struggles these patients face.
It was shown in Portland at the end of June and there is no word on when the full version will be available for the public, but there is contact information for the people involved in the documentary.
Here is little excerpt from the website:
"Guilty Except for Insanity follows the journeys of five people who enlist the insanity defense after being charged with serious crimes. The documentary portrays the circumstances surrounding their crimes and the dilemmas they confront as they enter the Oregon State Hospital under the "guilty except for insanity" plea."
-posted by Trevor Tusow


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Losing Faith in Faith
Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist is a book by Dan Barker.
- 1 Summary
- 1.1 Part 1: Losing Faith
- 1.2 Part 2: Finding Freethought
Part 1: Losing Faith[edit]
Spreading the Good News[edit]
In this chapter, Barker gives a brief autobiography, from the age of 15 when he felt called to preach. He describes his career as a musician and preacher, and finally a thirst for knowledge that eventually eroded his faith and turned him from a fundamentalist to a liberal Christian and finally into an atheist.
Ripples: From Faith to Reason[edit]
Wanting to make a clean break with the past, Barker sent a letter to his family, friends, and business associates announcing his deconversion, and got a wide variety of reactions. Some friendships survived, others were destroyed. He sees this as a crucible that showed him which friendships were solid and which ones were not.
As a result of the discussions resulting from this letter, both of Barker's parents became atheists. His story was featured in a newspaper, which led to correspondence with his current wife, Annie Laurie Gaylor.
I Just Lost Faith in Faith[edit]
This chapter is a reprint of an article that Barker wrote for the June 1984 edition of Freethought Today, his first article in that publication.
He describes his deconversion and the effect that it had on people around him. In particular, he says he was quite happy as a Christian; it was not unhappiness but rational inquiry that led to his deconversion. There are big problems with religion, but the answers proffered — especially "faith" — are unsatisfying and shallow.
Standing on the Premises[edit]
This chapter is the text of a talk Barker gave at the Freedom From Religion Foundation convention in 1984.
He begins by recounting how he won his first soul for Christ. He then explains that evangelization works by capitalizing on certain assumptions, such as:
- Life needs meaning
- Man has a soul and/or a spirit
- Man is basically evil
and others. But many of these beliefs are accepted for no good reason, and by questioning them or pointing out their flaws, it is possible to undercut the evangelist's message.
From Martian to Earthling[edit]
The difference between a theist and an atheist is not simply a matter of drawing different conclusions from the same data; it is a difference in worldview. Switching to a new worldview is similar to learning a new language, except that one leaves the old worldview behind.
Deconversion proceeds through a stage of growing awareness of other points of view; a stage of consideration of these other points of view, and confronting the problems with one's existing worldview (which can be painful); and finally, a stage of incorporation: one has made the transition to the new worldview, but has yet to fully work through all the consequences and integrate them into one's new worldview.
The transition from theist to atheist is a frightening leap into the unknown, and during this time it is helpful to have a community of people with whom one can discuss religious issues.
When All Things Worked Together for Good[edit]
(Originally published in Freethought Today, 1985.)
Barker recounts his experiences working with a preacher who performed "miraculous" healings, as well as his own experiences performing them. One time in particular, he prayed over a woman with arthritis; then, when nothing seemed to happen, told her, "Woman, according to thy faith be it unto thee", as a way of shifting the blame for the lack of recovery from God to the woman.
He ends by explaining how believers are more than happy to count the hits and ignore the misses, praising each successful healing as a miracle, and forgetting or explaining away the many that fail.
Ministers I Have Known[edit]
(Originally published in Freethought Today, 1987.)
Barker presents a patchwork collage of ministers and preachers he encountered during his time as an itinerant minister. While some are con men, others are simply inept, and all have their quirks.
He tells of the sense of rivalry between ministers, and how they feel the need to brag to each other about how much their congregation has grown, or how much money they've raised. But as a result of this, and of their position of authority within their own churches, they have few opportunities to open up to another person.
Some Mistakes[edit]
(Originally published in Freethought Today, 1985.)
Shortly before his deconversion, Barker heard a preacher mention the name of Bob Ingersoll. Wanting to know more about this critic of the Bible, to see where and how he was wrong, Barker read a collection of his essays and found a kindred spirit and an honest critic.
Part 2: Finding Freethought[edit]
Why I Am an Atheist[edit]
Barker is an atheist because there is no evidence for God. Facile accusations by believers are untrue, and many of the arguments presented for God apply equally well to Santa Claus. Evidences such as revelation, accounts of miracles, ontological arguments, etc. are found wanting. The Bible and people's faith can be explained naturally.
Defenders of the faith want atheists to study the Bible before committing themselves; yet millions are accepted as Christians despite having only a passing familiarity with the Bible; and it is acceptable to reject other faiths without having read their holy scriptures. The important thing is not what we believe, but how we go about determining what is true. Pastors are not necessarily wise or good at thinking critically. Theists tend to consider wise that which reinforces their existing conclusions, not that which uncovers uncomfortable truth.
Inaccurate Conception[edit]
(Originally published in Freethought Today, 1986.)
Words like morality, love, humanist have different meanings inside and outside religion. Agnosticism is "the refusal to take as a fact any statement for which there is insufficient evidence." Atheism is merely a lack of belief in any gods; it does not imply morality, motives, political views, or anything else. For those, something else must be added, such as "humanist" or "feminist".
The Great Escape[edit]
(Originally published in Freethought Today, 1991.)
Faith is not a way of knowing, it is a cop-out. It is not necessary to proclaim faith in that which exists; the evidence should suffice. The Bible admits that God cannot be known, but must simply be believed in. Unlike conclusions drawn from evidence, faith remains strong even in the absence of evidence.
"What If You're Wrong?"[edit]
(Originally published in Freethought Today, 1991.)
Barker explains some of the problems with Pascal's wager.


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Brief Summary
It's always a pleasure to step on a boat that really maximizes the space restrictions ever present in any motor yacht, even a 72-footer. The Marquis Yachts 720 has a true sky lounge/ bridge which we think is one of the best uses of space in this class of motoryacht and preferable to a raised pilothouse design. The 720 comes in two versions, the sky lounge version seen here, as well as an open flying bridge version.


text:
With this course, you will be able to understand active and assertive communication and its advantages when implemented in virtual work teams. It will allow you to:
- Improve interpersonal relations
- Increase the synergy on your work team
- Build up the process and project results
- Provide feedback on work to improve it
- Add ideas and proposals to improve on projects
- Prevent errors from being made and repeated
- Exchange knowledge and skills
- Build effective strategies and tools for teamwork.
- Keep the same meaning and speak the same language with the work team
- Set the information and content to a context
This course invites you to reflect on the communication in your virtual work team, allowing you to:
- Identify and stimulate the channels of communication in your work team
- Be aware of how it runs and which elements should be improved
- Know effective tools for improving communication
- Bring on active listening and participation in a two-way manner
- Restore the voice of all members of the work team
- Avoid and prevent barriers that hold back communication and obstruct its channels.


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|Quick! Introduce yourself to this guy before
his baby-high wears off! Photo by David
Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
Prairie voles are one of the only 3-5% of mammals that are monogamous and in which both parents help take care of young. In females, maternal care is regulated in part by the hormones associated with pregnancy, birth and lactation. The fact that males don't do those things and they still provide paternal care is curious. The fact that male prairie voles will often provide care to offspring that aren't even their own is even more curious.
Will Kenkel, Jim Paredes, Jason Yee, Hossein Pournajafi-Nazarloo, Karen Bales, and Sue Carter at the University of Illinois at Chicago recently explored what happens to male prairie voles when they are exposed to unfamiliar vole pups. Male voles without any experience with females or pups were placed in a new clean cage. Then the researchers put either a pup (that was not related to the male), a dowel rod (an unfamiliar object), or nothing into the cage with them for 10 minutes. Afterwards, they measured oxytocin (a hormone associated with bonding between mothers and their offspring) and corticosterone (a stress hormone) in the males' blood at different time points. In another study, they also looked at the activity of brain neurons associated with the production of these hormones.
A male prairie vole is startled to find a baby in his cage...
But then he takes care of it. Video by Will Kenkel.
Both adult and juvenile males exposed to a pup for 10 minutes had higher oxytocin and lower corticosterone compared to the males not exposed to a pup. But this effect was short-lived, as male hormone levels quickly evened out again. Most of these males that were exposed to a pup showed alloparental care (care of a baby that is not their own), like approaching the pup, cuddling with it and grooming it. Males with higher oxytocin and lower corticosterone levels were more attentive towards the pups. Additionally, alloparental males exposed to pups had more activity of oxytocin-producing neurons and less activity of neurons associated with corticosterone-production in a specific brain region called the paraventricular nucleus (or PVN for short).
Oxytocin is strongly associated with pair bonding in prairie voles, particularly in females, and corticosterone affects pair bonding too (generally increasing pair bonding in males and preventing it in females). If exposure to a pup affects these hormones, maybe it affects how the male would interact with adult females. To test this, the researchers put male voles in a new clean cage and put a pup, a dowel rod, or nothing into the cage with them for 20 minutes. Then they put the males with an unfamiliar adult female for 30 minutes. After getting acquainted with the female, the males were put in a "partner preference apparatus", which has three connected chambers: a neutral center chamber, a connected chamber with the familiar female tethered into it, and a connected chamber with an unfamiliar female tethered into it. The researchers measured how much time the males spent in each of the three chambers and with each of the two females over the next 3 hours.
|A prairie vole pair snuggles. Photo from Young,
Gobrogge, Liu and Wang paper in
Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology (2011)
Hmm… Got your eye on a special someone? Try volunteering him to babysit before your next date.
Want to know more? Check this out:
Kenkel, W., Paredes, J., Yee, J., Pournajafi-Nazarloo, H., Bales, K., & Carter, C. (2012). Neuroendocrine and Behavioural Responses to Exposure to an Infant in Male Prairie Voles Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 24 (6), 874-886 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2012.02301.x


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It makes DrownedinSound feel positively ancient. It seems like only yesterday that Dot-To-Dot, Nottingham's finest (read only real) festival was born, and on the weekend of the May 24 it celebrated its third birthday. This year the festival spread to both Bristol and London, but like the most metaphorical of paedophiles DiS was at the weekend's spiritual home to relish every moment of it. Here are the highlights and lowlights, presented in a simple A-Z format that even you can understand.
Words: Jordan Dowling, Dom Gourlay, Joshua Cole
Born Ruffians
On the eve of their debut album release (review), Canadian indie-rockers Born Ruffians are one of the festival's brightest lights. 'Hummingbird' jumps out as the Ace in The Pack, but there are numerous other high points sprinkled throughout the set. Considering their yelpy immediacy and appearance on that bastion of teenage cool, Skins, the band remains surprisingly un-hyped at the moment. But if this tight, enjoyable set is anything to go by, that status will soon change during the long course of festival season. *JC*
The worst act I saw this weekend was Bumblebeez, an Australian hip-hop/rock/electro mess who were on at Stealth before Dan Deacon (what a contrast). Frontwoman Queen ViLa' is a lot like the girl from The Ting Tings only more lyrically dreadful (I tried drowning her out by shouting the lyrics to 'That's Not My Name', but to no avail). And people were singing and dancing along! Shocking. This wasn't some sort of fun throwback shtick_ a la _Chromeo. This just sucked. Also, try visiting their flashing MySpace without being sick. Actually, don't. *JC*
According to many one of the strongest bands on the line-up, Caribou are disappointingly dull. At best, this was a well-constructed, well-intentioned and vaguely distorted yet harmonious set of indie-pop. But vocally, tracks such as 'Melody Day' rip off Elliott Smith to an unbelievable extent, while lyrics are lost in the thickness as each song drags to a tired, familiar conclusion. Of course this is a subjective opinion, and several people told me how much they had enjoyed the set. Each to their own! *JC*
Cheeky Cheeky & The Nosebleeds // Mirror! Mirror!
At a time when we are encouraged to recycle and get the most out of our resources it feels criminal to give Mirror! Mirror! and Cheeky Cheeky and The Nosebleeds separate reviews. They both shamelessly rip off the dance rock of Foals, they both have less than a thimbleful of genuine talent or ingenuity and they both deserve to meet bloody deaths, at least as groups. Simply another case of bandwagon jumping and the flogging of a (youthful) dead horse. *JD*
Cutting Pink With Knives
Spluttering disco-noise combatants Cutting Pink With Knives divide opinions with the sharpest of blades; it is impossible to categorize them as average or mediocre. Their show seems to find more people on the side of negativity, but their energy and ambition has to be admired. That their stop in Nottingham is to be one of their last shows is a great shame. *JD*
Dan Deacon
A midnight jog through town back to Stealth is in order to catch the unique talents of Dan Deacon. However, what we get isn't quite what we were expecting. Having never been one to quite conform to audience expectations, Deacon plays a barrage of minimal techno rather than a structured song-based set that, while being largely unrecognisable from his recorded output, at least keeps the late night club vibe going into the early hours. *DG*
As with last year, the queues to get back into the Rescue Rooms are proving to be a bit of a ball ache. Thankfully, the contrast between the last band onstage (Santogold) and the next one means we get a changeover that's akin to rush hour at King's Cross. Adorned in their now customary black, Glasvegas seem to grow in stature, not to mention confidence, with every live show they notch on their belts, and even the fact a few beer-throwing, slam-dancing morons have found their way to the front much to the annoyance of everyone around them doesn't deflect from yet another astounding performance. 'Geraldine', 'Polmont On My Mind' and 'Daddy's Gone' are simply breathtaking, while new song 'Ice Cream Van' (featuring just James Allan on vocals and cousin Rab on keyboards) is truly spine tingling. A fitting finale to an entertaining weekend. *DG*
Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit
Despite the frequent embarrassingly flirtatious catcalls aimed towards Johnny Flynn by two girls standing next to me, the singer is more than just a pretty face. A talented singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (he later crops up playing trumpet during Noah and the Whale's set), Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit's set was a lovely collection of folky indie-pop. 'Tickle Me Pink' was the highlight, and the song that should set the band on the way to bigger and better things. Not that that will stop the catcalling, though. *JC*
Jeremy Warmsley
For someone who's been around for what seems like forever, Jeremy Warmsley still hasn't quite found either the most appropriate kind of genre and sometimes, if his dour demeanour is anything to go by, the correct vocation in life. It probably doesn't help matters that he finds himself sandwiched uncomfortably between some of Saturday's brightest performances, and it's no surprise that his slot has the impact of a toothbrush hitting a nail. *DG*
Midnight Juggernauts
We're not quite sure what to make of these. Someone compares them to Hot Chip; another (older) voice assures me they're more like Erasure. Being someone who has little to no time for either means that neither comes as much of a recommendation, so we head upstairs for a much-needed drink and a sit down. The fact they're still playing when I return downstairs makes me watch them for a full ten minutes. And then I leave safe in the knowledge that me and camp, '80s-tinged electro music will never really see eye-to-eye. *DG*
The Most Serene Republic
The Most Serene Republic open up Trent University roughly half an hour late on the closing day of the festival, and for the incessant complaints coming from the stage regarding the quality of the sound and the incompetence of the soundman they put on a very impressive show, with a set of unhinged, percussion-heavy indie-pop composed mostly from recent full-length Population. *JD*
No Kids
Some tosser said writing about music is like dancing about architecture. He was wrong. Sometimes, when a band kick-starts the pulse or steals the heart, it is like eating ice cream about beautiful girls and guys; at others, such as is with the case of No Kids, its like drowning about global warming, so infuriating and pointless is the process of witnessing and recollecting such mediocrity. No Kids sounds like Get Cape but, somehow, with less soul and verve, and in a close and well contested battle take home my personal 'worst band of the weekend' award. *JD*
Noah and the Whale
Noah and the Whale were Sunday night's headliners at a crammed Bodega Social, and they capped off an excellent weekend's entertainment. While seeing the band meant missing Spiritualized, this was a more than adequate alternative, full of wholesome indie-pop and a cover of The Temptations' 'My Girl'. The crowd's participation was something to behold, turning the occasion into a real party, and it was uplifting to see a band so clearly enjoying the occasion, beaming huge grins throughout the set. *JC*
So far, so good. The wet weather's subsided, Leeds have been beaten, Nancy from Hollyoaks is in the audience and Belfast's answer to M83 are about to enthral us. Sadly, even though forthcoming single 'The Never Never' raises spirits and decibel levels accordingly, Oppenheimer seem to be struggling with a nervousness that reduces their stage presence to a dissonant nil points and we leave before the end amid a chorus of_ meh_s. Disappointingly average, then… *JD*
The Ruby Suns
So here is the deal: for a set limited to five songs due to time constraints The Ruby Suns get paid £50. Take away accommodation costs of £100 and a parking ticket at £75 and the band are playing to make a £125 loss, and still they manage to put on one of the most joyous performances of the weekend, if not the year. Not dampened by a lacklustre, albeit responsive, crowd due to a clash with the equally fantastic The Mae Shi, the band plough through the sun-kissed dream pop of 'Kenya Dig It' and 'Gibble' with infinite jest, dancing and shouting across the stage as though their lives depend on it. For financial reasons I sincerely hope they don't. *JD*
Sarabeth Tuzcek
One-time associate of Anton Newcombe and the Brian Jonestown Massacre she may be, but this evening's set is purely about taking a similar alt-country route to the likes of Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons. 'Something For You' is extraordinary by anyone's standards, so much so that the rest of the set pales in comparison. However, that shouldn't be seen as a total negative, as her repertoire and unabashed sense of humour when requesting a drink and being less than subtly propositioned by her suitor make her an unexpected highlight of the day.
Saul Williams
If you will excuse what is perhaps the worst descriptive ever written down then Saul Williams is the ultimate gumbo of personalities. He is a lover, a fighter, a warrior and a cheerleader. He spits against prejudice on 'Black Stacey' and leads a call-and-response sing-along on 'Niggy Tardust'. At all points he is as entertaining as he is intimidating, both a wordsmith and a showman. *JD*
The return of Jason Pierce is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the weekend, although the fact this current incarnation of Spiritualized consists of three members of Nottingham's least salubrious musical exports of recent years (The Rolling Clones, Performance and Geezer Safari, we're looking at you) is even more of an eye opener to say the least. Thankfully, it only takes a divine rendition of 'Lord Let It Rain On Me' early in the set to wash any lingering doubts away, and by the time 'Walkin' With Jesus' and 'She Kissed Me (It Felt Like A Hit)' literally tear the roof off Nottingham Trent University's hallowed architecture, the umpteenth coming of Spiritualized is about as triumphant as it gets. *DG*
Taking a break from the hubbub of the big venues (and the swarms of Dalai Lama supporters in town for the day - sadly he wasn't on the bill at Dot to Dot), I stumbled into Lee Rosy's Tea Room just in time for a strikingly original late-afternoon set from local act, Swimming. While the band crammed into the tiny downstairs area, the audience sat upstairs, each provided with a set of headphones. The band's performance was then projected onto a large video projection upstairs and filtered through the headphones. What resulted was a largely experimental, highly innovative and beautiful visual and aural experience. Not The Holloways, then. *JC*
Twisted Wheel
They say there's a time and a place for everything, and although most people will say that for lad-rock that place is at the bottom of the Manchester Ship Canal with a brick tied around its ankles, Twisted Wheel at least give the impression they're quite humble to be playing so high up the bill at a festival such as this. Or maybe they don't know what exactly they're meant to be doing here; on second thoughts, neither do we, and timetables are scanned accordingly for the next aural delight. *DG*
Two Gallants
The alt-rock duo may not have quite fulfilled their early promise, but the enthusiastic audience over at the school-disco/gymnasium like Trent University could not care less. Despite looking skinnier and more raggedy than ever (what Adam Stevens and Tyson Vogel really need is a good Chicken Ramen over the road at Wagamama), the boys are still a terrific live prospect. The controversial 'Long Summer Day' was as affecting as ever, and the twosome remain startlingly angry and impressively righteous. *JC*


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) -- We've covered the back-to-school shopping season in detail (see
), and for good reason: We're going to spend more than $26 billion on it this year,
according to the National Retail Federation
, or $634 per average American family.
If that sounds like a lot, a few additional money saving tips just under the wire can help you keep your bank account solvent while your kid goes back to school happy (if that's even possible.)
It's all about reining in any splurge impulses and shopping smart. Do that and you'll get what you need for the kids and avoid excessive debt.
"Just as it's easy to let spending get out of control during the holidays, back-to-school shopping carries similar risks," says Kevin Gallegos, vice president of Phoenix operations for the
Also see: ID Thieves Are Targeting Your Kids at Back-to-School Time>>
It's all too easy to overbuy and end up going into debt when you see some of the great back-to-school sales and deals, he says. "Overdoing bargain shopping can be just as hazardous as overspending at regular retail prices, so parents should be cautious not to become overzealous and buy unneeded items or items that will be obsolete by the time they are needed."
Where can you
get what you need
without going over budget? Start here, with these often overlooked
back-to-school shopping
Check for an in-home inventory.
Money may be tight in the family budget, so start by seeing what supplies you have around the house. Freedom Financial Network advises combing through desks, cabinets, drawers and closets to get the school supplies you need. Aim for easy-to-find items such as pencils, calculators, crayons, notebooks and binders that can be easily re-used.
Set a cash limit, and include your children in the process.
Establish a back-to-school shopping budget and split the proceeds between you and your kids. Gallegos advises putting equal amounts of cash in separate envelopes. "With adult supervision, kids can pay for some needed items from their envelope," he says. "When the cash is gone, their shopping is finished."
Also see: Parents Are Desperate to Be Thrifty This Back-to-School Season>>
Space it out.
Don't rush out and buy back-to-school items all at once. Take clothing, for example: It can be "stretched out" for a few weeks, or longer. "In most geographic locations, students can start the school year wearing the same clothes they've worn during the summer months, with perhaps a few additions to account for a child's growth or adhere to dress codes," Gallegos says. That way, parents can space out school spending and save their money for real deals and discounts.
Buy heath care services in bulk.
You'll want to take the kids to the doctor for a good check-up before the busy school year starts; it's needed for (among other reasons) proof of immunizations and clearance for athletics. Gallegos says to combine as many check-up services as possible in a visit to minimize heath care plan co-payments.
Prepare for next year.
Plan ahead for 2014-15 by establishing a back-to-school budget (try
this calculator from PracticalMoneySkills.com
.) Then go ahead and set aside 1/12th of your school budget every month, taking the "guesswork" out of school shopping.


text:
A nice paper from NYT.
[with thanks to muriel]
Posted in Uncategorized
The simpleness of these ancient problems always stuns me. It shows hor far humans have come mathematically in the time since. It also shows just how hard mathematics is — eg, until about 1840, good mathematicians such as Augustus De Morgan were still disagreeing on whether negative numbers could be solutions to equations. The subject is hard, and so no wonder young students struggle with it.
By: peter on December 11, 2010
at 7:34 am


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The world always makes the assumption that the exposure of an error is identical with the discovery of truth - that error and truth are simply opposite. They are nothing of the sort. What the world turns to, when it has been cured of one error, is usually simply another error, and maybe one worse than the first one.
Cite this Page: Citation


text:
You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'Colin Firth' tag.
By Gina Carbone
This is what I wanted to happen:
- "Hurt Locker" wins best pic and best director for my hero Kathryn Bigelow. (Which would make her the second woman to win this award, after Barbra Streisand for "Yentl." It's time for Babs to be dethroned, no?)
- Jeff Bridges ("Crazy Heart") or Jeremy Renner ("Hurt Locker") for Best Actor in a motion picture drama.
- "Mad Men" gets anything and everything it's nominated for, including Jon Hamm for Best Actor TV drama and January Jones for Best Actress TV drama.
- Christoph Waltz for best supporting actor for "Inglourious Basterds"
- "The Weary Kind" from "Crazy Heart" for best original song.
- And I want host Ricky Gervais to do something shocking to make everyone in the audience uncomfortable.
But as the sun now stands, Julianna Margulies won over January Jones (and Anna Paquin of "True Blood"), which upsets me, although Julianna looked GORGEOUS.
Michael C. Hall won over Jon Hamm and Hugh Laurie and I have to say, that head wrap is a good look for him. Not happy about why he has to wear it, but at least his cancer is in remission. He is quite the cutie and we need him (and "Dexter") around for a long time.
"The Weary Kind" did win best song, but T Bone Burnett couldn't find my new crush, Ryan Bingham. Was he in the "loo," like Toni Collette was, way back when?
And everyone who won said they worked with the best people in the world and they have the best jobs in the world and it made me want to take their awards away. If you have the best job in the world, that should be reward enough.
In this lousy economy with countries falling apart, you don't deserve major gift bags and free liquor at the table and fancy dresses and jewelry AND the best jobs in the world. Pick one.
Click here for all of the nominees, and more about Ricky Gervais' plan for the show.
Now let's get to the arrival pics. These are all AP photos. Sorry, in advance, for any weird formatting issues.


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Takin It Back Clip Of The Week: Gucci Mane With A Mo Hawk + Chicken Talk [In Studio Performance]
Free Gucci! Shout out to Villmane Films
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
Here is a follow up to: The Report Worked the FIRST time
I selected my ancestor, Husband of 2nd great aunt, and went to the Web Search Workspace, as the hint's haven't caught up yet, here is the search screen. The FIRST hint, is the same one that I saw on the manual search.
MY information is on the Left, with the results from Ancestry on the Right. I did the Web Merge from here. I am not sharing those screens, as I have done so in the past.
The Image is in the Media Workspace, I will have to convert the Ancestry Citation to the Template format.
I will do a clean up follow up, because of some "errors" that I saw. For example, the screen above shows the Birth location as "Dubland Ireland". We know how that Dublin is spelled. The normal response would be an indexing problem. Nope.
Here is the transcribed view:
Here is the record
Just reminds me to LOOK AT THE RECORD.
Copyright © 2014 by H R Worthington


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"Jackie is alive and well" is a Facebook post now "liked" by 46,000 fans of actor and director Jackie Chan.
For the better part of the last 48 hours, social media sites have been sharing the apparent death of the martial arts master.
Twitter has been buzzing with micro-reports of Chan's heart attack and subsequent passing, but the martial arts star is not dead.
It appears to be just another Twitter hoax that has crept into the trending topics.
Twitter users are now retweeting, "Jackie Chan did not die. RIP means: Really Inspiring #Person," to clear up any confusion.
An update to his Facebook page assured fans, "Jackie is fine and is busy preparing for the filming of his next movie."
Chan joins a long line of others who have had to shoot down Internet rumors that they were dead, such as Johnny Depp, Miley Cyrus, and Harrison Ford. All of which are alive.


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Any thoughts as to who will make their name this season?
As is my habit I'll start things rolling with a Sussex name or two:
1. Matt Machan - very highly thought of but may lack 1st team opportunities
2. Ben Brown - talented keeper/batsman but must wait in line behind Prior and Hodd
3. Rory Hamilton-Brown - likely to cement his place in the team this year. A talented batsman and useful offspinner
I've no idea about anyone from other counties but on the strength of some unreliable reports of his extreme pace I'll plump for
4. Stuart Meaker - Slurrey's young South-African-born quick


text:
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CFAES Community Saddened by Sudden Passing of Graduate Sarah Grossman
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Autumn 2020
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On this page you will be able to find resources and information for international students and ... postdoc researchers. If you have any items that you would like to have added to this page, please email ... Questions Pt. 2 (PDF with answers to the questions in the above PowerPoint) ...
The Rationality of USDA Forecasts under Multivariate Asymmetric Loss
Katchova Working paper Thursday, June 25, 2020 RationalityUSDAForecasts.pdf Farm Income Enhancement Program ... Asymmetric Loss." American Journal of Agricultural Economics, revised and resubmitted. Siddhartha Bora Ani ...
Agricultural exports doing relatively well
Environmental, and Development Economics. Sheldon's trade analysis used forecasts from the World Trade ... holding up well, according to a new analysis by an agricultural economist with The Ohio State University. ... very little, Sheldon said. People in the developed world might be dining out less frequently, but ...
Joint Evaluation of the System of USDA's Farm Income Forecasts
https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp.13064 Ani Katchova Journal article Monday, May 11, 2020 FarmIncomeForecastPaper.pdf Farm Income ... USDA's Farm Income Forecasts." Applied Economics Perspectives and Policy (2020). ... Enhancement Program ...
CHAIRE Inaugural Research Symposium
holding events in the future, Co-Directors Dr. Kelly George and Dr. Tony Parker and Program Coordinator ... species and presentation style. Each also fall into at least one of CHAIRE's focus areas which are Welfare ... Channel. Beginning on Wednesday 5/27-6/12 CHAIRE is also featuring one presentation per day on their ...
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Calculator. how do i contact my department advisor? If you are in the Agribusiness and Applied Economics ... economics major? If you enrolled at OSU before 2019, see this Curriculum Sheet and this Flow Chart for ... grade forgiveness work? Undergraduate students may complete a Grade Forgiveness Petition with the ...
Animal Sciences Students Successful in 2020 American Dairy Science Association Virtual Annual Meeting
program consisted of over 800 abstract presentations (poster and oral), panel and roundtable discussions, ... an exhibit hall, and student competitions featuring more than 100 hours of programming. Award ... M.S. Division. Nicole is studying the development of the mammary vasculature in calves. Erin ...


text:
Sod cutters do more than name implies
The sod cutter has long been a mainstay in the equipment arsenal of the grounds-maintenance industry. Users of this tool have found a multitude of applications for it in their daily operations. In fact, not only have grounds managers in our industry benefited from sod-cutter use, but other sectors of today's workforce also use this valuable tool. For example, Mike Bruce, assistant manager for Yardville Supply Co. (Yardville, N.J.), rents sod cutters to a range of users. "We have a diverse group of people coming in to rent these machines," he says. "Everyone from lawn-care operators to construction contractors and homeowners." In fact, the number of non-traditional groups using sod cutters has outgrown the traditional operators who maintain cemeteries, athletic fields, school districts and golf courses.
Various functions As the number of users has increased, so has the number of tasks that sod cutters perform. Early uses included the removal of turf for expanding and establishing shrub and flower beds, in addition to lifting sod for relocation to other areas. Bruce adds, "Today, we have construction contractors using these machines to remove grass for patio and walkway installations. Contractors want a precise cut, so they can avoid replacing damaged lawns."
Assistant Golf-Course Superintendent John Pearl (Brooklake Country Club, Florham Park, N.J.) agrees with Bruce. "Having a clean cut on our turf is very important in how we do our work. With a sod cutter, we can create a clean line where new sod and existing turf meet. This allows for quicker establishment and less impediments to play."
Golf courses use sod cutters regularly in day-to-day tasks. Some of the uses at Brooklake Country Club include stripping turf from tee boxes to level the playing surface. The crew there also uses sod cutters to lift turf from fairways to allow for drain trenching and irrigation-line repairs.
You can find additional uses on athletic fields. Ron Coniglio, head groundsman for the Sweet Home school district (Amherst, N.Y.), says, "I like to use my sod cutter along the skinned areas of our infields. We will go out in the spring and make an initial cut. Throughout the season, we will follow up with any spot trimming as needed."
Although a sod cutter can enhance the quality of a job, it is not the primary reason for some users to own one. Kim Moyer, of Moyer's Landscape Service (Ringoes, N.J.), says, "I'm a small company, and I need to watch my costs. Labor is expensive, so I like to use sod cutters to reduce my labor costs." Moyer points out that she can strip far more turf with a sod cutter than she can with hand tools. "With a sod cutter, the pieces are cut and rolled for disposal in even bundles. This saves time from having to pick up thousands of little pieces." Moyer makes a valid point in regard to total square footage that these machines cut. Most manufacturers list the total number of square feet their respective machines can cut in 1 hour. This is a useful reference when calculating job costs.
Moyer goes further in discussing the additional savings she generates by maintaining an even depth of cut. "When hand-stripping turf," she explains, "you always have some areas that are dug a little deeper than other areas. This adds an additional expense of having to bring in topsoil to fill in the low spots."
Features to consider Before choosing a sod cutter, assess your needs. One of the considerations to review is the number of hours you'll use a sod cutter on a monthly, weekly or daily basis. Sod cutters must perform under many conditions. Some of the obstacles they must overcome in their day-to-day operations include compacted soils, stones, roots and various construction debris. Understanding these obstacles will help in choosing the appropriate machine for you.
Consider these four features before purchasing or renting a sod cutter: * Operating controls * Durability * Transportation * Accessories.
By considering these aspects, you can develop a better understanding of what a sod cutter can do for you in a safe and efficient manner. Let's look at each.
Operating controls Be sure you are comfortable with the location of all control levers. You should have easy access to the levers that control the height adjustment for depth of cut, as well as the throttle and drive clutch. Moyer says, "I look for a unit that will provide free access to all control levers without reaching or having to walk around to the side of the machine while in operation." This is an important point in regard to handling and operator safety.
When shopping for a unit, then, look for levers positioned away from the engine and any moving parts. In addition, look for automatic cut-offs similar to those safety features on mowers.
Durability With the constant vibration and difficult soil conditions in which they work, sod cutters need to be durable. Bruce says, "We rent to all different types of people. We always review the operating procedures with each and every one, but the handling of the machine still varies from one customer to the next. [Therefore,] we need durable and user-friendly machines." To meet those requirements, Bruce looks for sod cutters with strong, welded-frame construction. An additional consideration is the accessibility of replacement parts.
Another consideration is maintenance requirements. Coniglio says, "We follow the manufacturer's recommendations on hourly maintenance schedules. Because we are not using our sod cutter every day, we keep records of the dates our machine was used. This way we can reference the hours of operation and perform the corresponding service." Always review any maintenance procedures before operating your machine and follow up by recording what maintenance you performed for future reference. This will maintain the life and durability of your equipment.
Transportation Most people don't give transportation much thought but, with a sod cutter, it's an issue you must address. Sod cutters are heavy, compact machines. Take a moment to consider how you will get the machine to a job site. Pearl says, "On the golf course, we want our sod cutter light enough to be lifted by two people into the back of a [utility vehicle]." Still others use ramps to drive their machines onto the backs of pickup trucks or trailers.
Some manufacturers even offer small utility trailers specially designed to transport their specific machines. These trailers also can save you a lot of time and frustration in loading, unloading and transporting your sod cutter.
Accessories You will find that most sod cutters offer accessories. As previously mentioned, tote trailers are one feature to consider when choosing a sod cutter. Additional accessories include sod rollers and blade attachments in the form of dethatchers and edgers, as well as varying cutting widths. Use caution when choosing a larger cutting blade, however. Pearl explains, "The use of a 24-inch blade will increase your square foot of cut but, at the same time, it will add additional weight and time in handling to each roll of sod." Sod rollers are useful when you need to cut large quantities of turf for replacement at other locations. Rollers will roll/bundle the sod for easy lifting and stacking on a truck, trailer or pallet.
Whether you are a traditional or non-traditional user of a sod cutter, the benefits of this tool can provide a quality element to your work. By understanding your needs and how best to utilize the various available options, you can more easily decide which is the right machine for your tasks.
Lawrence H. Norton writes on grounds-maintenance topics in his spare time from his home in Lawrenceville, N.J. He has formerly worked at a lawn-care company and on a golf course before finding his present position with a major chemical manufacturer.
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At 03:13 PM 8/8/2005, Joe Clark wrote: >National treasure Gez Lemon wrote a test page with known validation and >WCAG errors and ran it through various automated checking tools, none of >which caught more than a few of the errors, if that. > ><http://juicystudio.com/article/invalid-content-accessibility-validators.php> Excellent. This is an important point for people to understand. I evaluated a Web site last week that had 8 major accessibility issues but the evaluation tools only found 1 or 2 (depending on the tool). >It's quite a devastating analysis and calls into question the WCAG Working >Group's interest in making as many guidelines as possible machine-checkable. When the WCAG WG talks about testability, our primary goal is to provide enough information so that people who evaluate or create Web content can make a good decision. In WCAG 1.0, some of the checkpoints are ambiguous, so we're trying to fix that in WCAG 2.0 by providing as much testable information as possible. By specifying that success criteria must be "testable" we are not saying that success criteria are machine automatable. We are saying that a person should be able to determine if they have satisfied a given criteria. Most of the "tests" (in the test suite) are procedures for humans to follow, not algorithms for tools. If tests are automatable, that's great, however I don't think anyone expects that all tests (or even a majority) will be fully automated. Shawn Henry wrote a great piece about this a while ago "Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools Need People" [1]. The 30 June 2005 Working Draft of WCAG 2.0 says, "The Working Group believes that all success criteria should be testable. Tests can be done by computer programs or by people who understand this document. When multiple people who understand WCAG 2.0 test the same content using the same success criteria, the same results should be obtained." This could probably use some work, but I hope that it's clear that we understand humans are part of the evaluation process and that our primary goal is to provide unambiguous success criteria. Best, --wendy [1] <http://uiaccess.com/evaltools.html>Received on Monday, 8 August 2005 19:34:42 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Friday, 17 January 2020 20:36:26 UTC


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EXIN EPI Data Centre Management
The EXIN EPI® Data Centre Management program has been created as a collaboration between EPI and EXIN. EPI is a leading provider of data center training and offers a range of certifications for professionals working in or responsible for data centers. These qualifications help professionals to increase availability of mission-critical infrastructure, improve efficiency and minimize risk of business interruption.