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Weather Blog: April showers and a warm-up
Thank you for stopping by the Weather Watch 12 blog! April showers will eventually bring May flowers...or so the saying goes. For now, April showers will lead into a warm-up. In today's blog we discuss the timing of more showers and look ahead to when highs may reach the 60s.
Let's start with a quick look at rain totals from Monday night into Tuesday morning. Milwaukee has a precipitation deficit of 2.52" so far this year, so any moisture is welcome! Overnight rain totals included 0.28" in Nashotah in northwestern Waukesha county. Milwaukee officially picked up 0.21".
More widely scattered showers are possible Tuesday afternoon and evening. As sunshine warms temperatures into the 50s in southeast Wisconsin, an upper level disturbance will pass through. The combination of daytime heating and cold air aloft should help to trigger showers.
Futurecast below shows the forecast at 5pm. The commute home from work may include running the wipers. Keep an umbrella on standby. If you have outdoor sports practice or events this evening you may be dodging raindrops from time to time. There's also an outside chance of a rumble or two of thunder and tiny pea size hail if thunderstorms do develop.
The showers should quickly fade as the sun sets this evening. Futurecast at 8pm shows a few leftover isolated showers.
By Wednesday sunshine returns along with warm temperatures. A gusty south to southwest wind in the afternoon should push highs to around 60. The NAM temperature forecast map below is valid at 4pm Wednesday. Notice the 60 degree line in southern Wisconsin and also the 70s and 80s over the Plains!
Another surge of warmer weather arrives this weekend. The WPC surface forecast map below is valid at 7am Saturday. A developing warm front over Iowa will push toward Wisconsin delivering more 60s and also a chance of showers and thunderstorms. If you have weekend plans, temperatures looks mild to warm, but have a plan B ready in case the late day rain finds your area.
For the latest weather information watch WISN 12 News, and for updates throughout the day follow me on Twitter @jnelsonweather
Have a great day!
Jeremy Nelson


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A 40-ish woman playing Diner Dash on Facebook? Game developer Kabam says you are not its target audience, and created a survey to make its brand of role-playing game more attractive to younger men.
The study by social game developer Kabam, polled 1,412 people on their social gaming habits and found that 82 percent of "hardcore social gamers," defined as playing more than one kind of social game, also play games on video game consoles, according to the survey.While the survey did give some new information, such as people who play social games on Facebook or MySpace spend less time and money on video game consoles such as XBox and PlayStation, it seems to focus a lot on dividing men and women through social gaming.
VentureBeat said the takeaway from the story was that it dispelled the myth that most social gamers were women in their 40s, but in reality the survey absurdly cuts the gamers up into "hardcore social gamers" and "casual social gamers" which has nothing to do with playing frequency. Instead the labels HSG and CSG are based on the type of games played, a cloudy concept that means each HSG also has to play a role-playing or "strategy" game such as "Glory of Rome." The HSGs have an average age of 36.8 and are 55 percent male.
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The CSGs have an average age of 46.4 and are 61 percent female, and this category is relegated to such girly games as Diner Dash, CityVille and Bejwelled Blitz. To us, it just seems kind of an arbitrary distinction -- almost as if Kabam wanted to court more young men and diss soccer moms, likely because it makes games for HSGs.
We would like to see less distinctions made between men and women on the Internet, and a study like this causes more division than enlightenment.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tagged: Consultant to General Manager
Moves the Phils have made during the past off-season…
As the Phils' 2013 season wounded down, with the club wounding up in fourth place in the five-team NL East with a 73-89, .451 record, 23 games behind the first-place Atlanta Braves, the Phils first post-season move was to make interim manager, Hall of Famer Ryan Sandberg, the team's 52nd manager, by signing him to a three-year contract on September 22, 2013. The Phils' next move was to announce on September 30 that Rich Dubee was not returning as the team's pitching coach, ending a nine season relationship with the Phils, as the team started to look for a new pitching coach. On that same day, they announced that they were promoting from the team's Minor League system, Paul Fournier, as the team's new strength and conditioning coach, replacing Doug Lien, who had held that position for the previous six seasons, as the club hopes to improve the team's overall health.
The Phils next move was to make a shake-up in their 40 men roster as they outrighted infielders Michael Martinez and Pete Orr, right-handed pitcher Zach Miner and lefthander Mauricio Robles on October 3, while, on that same day, the Indians picked up right-hander Tyler Cloyd off of the waiver-wire, while the Astros picked up leftie Raul Valdes, opening up six spots on the roster.
Two days later, on October 5, the Phils announced that they would not be renewing the contract of bullpen catcher, Mick Billmeyer, who had been with the club since 2004, first as the catching instructor, then as the bullpen coach in 2009, before becoming the bullpen catcher in 2012. The next Phils move came from out of the blue as, on October 8, former Phils' player and one time Phils' manager, and fan favorite, Larry Bowa, rejoined the team as the new bench coach, while another ex-Phil, Pete Mackanin, would join the team as the new third base coach. The Phils also announced that Steve Henderson would remain as the team's hitting coach while Wally Joyner would leave as the team's assistant hitting coach, later being hired by the Detroit Tigers as their new hitting coach, while John Mizerock would later become the new assistant hitting coach and Jesus Tiamo would become the new catcher coach, as Juan Samuel would stay on as the team's first base coach, while Rod Nichols would remain the bullpen coach.
The next move occurred on October 17 as John Lannan decided to become a free agent after he had been outrighted by the club, after refusing assignment.
Then on November 5, the Phils announced that they were hiring Scott Freedman to help the ballclub better understand the use of analytics in the evaluation of players. Seven days later, on November 12, the Phils announced their first free agent signing, as they signed right fielder Marlon Byrd to a two-year contract worth $16 million dollars. Byrd, who is a right-handed batter, and an ex-Phil, has played in the majors from 2002, having played for the Phils (2002-05), the Nats (2005-06), the Rangers (2007-09), the Cubs (2010-12), the Red Sox (2012), the Mets (2013) and the Pirates (2013), appearing in 1250 games, hitting .280 (1222 for 4367), knocking in 533 RBIs as he scored 600 times. Among his 1222 hits were 252 doubles, 32 triples and 106 HRs, while he has also walked 307 times. The Phils plan to use him in the line-up behind Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, the later of whom the team hopes will bounce back from several injuries plagued seasons and regain his form as the team's RBI and home runs leader. The Phils next announced on November 15 that they have given four players minor league contracts with invites to spring training: right-hander Shawn Camp, left-hander Cesar Jimenez and outfielders Clete Thomas and Leandro Castro.
The Phils then announced on November 18 that they have resigned present catcher Carlos Ruiz to a three-year deal worth $26 million dollars with a team option of $4.5 million or a $500,000 buyout for 2017. The next day, the team announced that they have signed a minor league contract, with a spring training invitation, to infielder Reid Brignac, who would be competing for a utility infielder position with Kevin Frandsen and Freddy Galvis. On November 20, the Phils announced that they were adding four minor league prospects to their 40-man roster to keep them from being picked up by other teams in December's 5-Rule draft: outfielders Aaron Altherr and Kelly Dugan, catcher Tommy Joseph and left-hander Rob Rasmussen.
The following day, November 22, the Phils signed Bob McClure as their new pitching coach, replacing Dubee. On that same day, they announced that they have signed infielder Andres Blanco to a minor league contract, with an invite to spring training.
On December 4, the Phils made a trade with the Blue Jays, receiving right-handed pitcher Brad Lincoln in exchange for catcher Erik Kratz and minor league pitcher Rasmussen. Lincoln, who has pitched for the Pirates and the Blue Jays (2010-13) has appeared in 97 games, 22 of which was as a starter, for a record of 9-11 with a 4.66 ERA. With one career save in two attempts, he has pitched in 220 games, giving up 228 hits, 123 runs, 114 of which were earned, as he struck out 167 batters while walking only 77. The Phils will likely use him in the bullpen. After the trade, the ballclub would sign catcher Wil Nieves to a one-year deal on December 5, as the team's back-up catcher. Nieves, who has played for the Padres (2002), the Yankees (2005-2007), the Nats (2008-10), the Brewers (2011), the Diamondbacks (2012), the Rockies (2012-13) and the Diamondbacks again (2013), has appeared in 385 games, hitting .242 (249 for 1029), with 46 doubles, 2 triples and 8 home runs, as he knocked in 103 RBIs while scoring 78 times. He has also walked 59 times. On that same day, the Phils signed right-handed pitcher Jeff Manship to a minor league contract with a spring training invitation.
Then, on December 9, Roy Halladay announced his retirement from baseball, ending a 16-year career with the Blue Jays and the Phils, as he didn't think he would be able to pitch after his most recent arm injury. Halladay, who said that he had signed a one-day contract with the Blue Jays to end his career as a Jay, and had paid a full page ad in the Philly newspaper thanking the Phils fans for their support during his time as a Phils (2010-13), had appeared in 416 career games, 390 as a starter, with a career record of 203-105, with a 3.38 ERA and a career save, had completed 67 games, 20 for shutouts, as he pitched in 2749.1 total innings, striking out 2117 batters as he walked only 592, as he gave up 2646 hits and 1135 runs, only 1034 of which were earned. He also threw a perfect game and a no-hitter in the post-season, both of which occurred during his first season as a Phil (2010). Thanks for being a member of the Phils, Roy, and being a class act, and wish you luck getting into the Hall.
On December 12, through the Rule 5-draft, the Phils would acquire right-hander Kevin Munson from the Diamondbacks' Reno club, while they would lose right-hander Seth Rosin to the Mets, who would then trade him to the Dodgers for cash in the major league portion of the draft, and shortstop Jonathan Roof to the Red Sox in the Triple-A part of it, both from their Reading affiliate.
Next, on December 18, the Phils signed a one-year deal with right-hander Roberto Hernandez for $4.5 million dollars, plus performance and award bonuses. Hernandez, who has previous pitched for the Indians (2006-12) and the Blue Jays (2013), has appeared in 216 games, 177 as a starter, with a 59-82 record, with a 4.67 ERA. He will be part of the Phils' starting rotation, along with Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Kyle Kendrick and Jonathan Pettibone.
In January, the Phils made a new TV-deal with Comcast for 25-year, which included broadcasters Chris Wheeler and Gary Matthews not returning to the broadcast booth. On the 14, the Phils had four players file for salary arbitration: outfielders Ben Revere and John Mayberry, Jr. and pitchers Antonio Bastardo and Kendrick. The next day, January 15, the Phils announce that former manger Charlie Manuel would be returning to the team as a consultant to general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. On the 17, the Phils announced that two of the four arbitration eligible players have signed one-year deals: Mayberry, who had agreed to a 1.587 million dollar deal, while Kendrick had agreed to one worth 7.675 million. The Phils then signed two minor league deals on the 21, one to veteran right-hander Chad Gaudin, and one to former Phil and veteran outfielder Bobby Abreu, with both being given spring training invites. On that same day, the Phils and Bastardo agreed to a one-year contract worth $2 million dollars. Three days later, on the 24, Ben Revere signed a one-year deal with the Phils for $ 1.95 million dollar.
With that, the last bit of news is that the Phils might be replacing Wheeler and Matthews with former Phils Matt Stairs and Jamie Moyer, both of whom have impressed the Phils in their separate interviews to join the broadcast team, and that finally, yesterday, the equipment truck has started heading south for the spring training facilities in Clearwater, Florida from Citizens Bank Park in Philly. It is now six more days before catchers and pitchers are suppose to appear in Clearwater.
Can't wait for Spring Training to officially start. 🙂


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Washington (CNN) – Speaking at the historically black Bowie State University commencement Friday, first lady Michelle Obama called out African American youth for not challenging themselves to excel in school while instead fantasizing about being a "baller or a rapper."
"Today, more than 150 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, more than 50 years after the end of Separate But Equal, when it comes to getting an education too many of our young people just can't be bothered," Obama said. "Today instead of walking miles every day to school they're sitting on couches for hours playing video games, watching TV instead of dreaming of being a teacher or lawyer or business leader they're fantasizing about being a baller or a rapper."
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Citing her husband, the first lady urged students to "reject the slander that says a black child with a book is trying to act white."
The first lady's address also focused heavily on praising the fortitude of leaders in history, such as Frederick Douglas, Martin Luther King Jr., and The Little Rock Nine, who fought to improve educational opportunities for African Americans, despite many challenges they faced.
"It is that kind of unwavering determination - that relentless focus on getting an education in the face of obstacles –that's what we need to reclaim, as a community and as a nation. That was the idea at the very heart of the founding of this school," Obama said.
According to a White House press release, the first lady spoke at Bowie State University "because of its legacy as Maryland's oldest historically black university." It was founded in 1865.
Obama's speech is one of many on her tour of graduation speeches this spring. Last Saturday she spoke at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond. She will also be addressing high school graduating seniors at the Martin Luther King Jr. Academic Magnet School in Nashville Tennessee on Saturday.
The speech took place in front of roughly 600 students on Friday at the Comcast Stadium in College Park, Maryland.
I agree with her. At this moment she is also sounding like another person I like, Bill Cosby.
Her call for making education a priority in the minds of students over being entertained applies to all students these days. Kids need to know it takes a lot of money to buy all of those games and computer equipment and big screen TVs. Lots of money requires a good job which usually comes from being educated.
Michelle's words walk a dangerous path, as she can get hit with the backlash. However I definitely applaud her beliefs in pushing for the positive future of Black America Youth.
Good for her. Of course, someone is bound to come on here to complain about her: just sayin, or some other equally small-minded individual.
It sure doesn't sound like she is very proud of the black youth.
The Real Tom Paine
Good for her. Of course, someone is bound to come on here to complain about her: just sayin, or some other equally small-minded individual.
May 17, 2013 04:42 pm at 4:42 pm |
You are so right, and you didn't have to wait long.
It sure doesn't sound like she is very proud of the black youth.
Exhibit A: small-minded individual, seeing things that are not there. Its called giving people a wakeup call: did you object when Laura Bush wanted kids to read? Was she calling them lazy, in your opinion?
A white congresswoman would be tagged as a racist if she said the same things about race and motivation and "acting white". Besides, she's addressing college graduates, I don't think motivation and work ethic is much of a problem.
Bill Cosby has long been an outspoken advocate of black youth "getting their collective act together". Instead of rallying behind this standup American, many in the Black leadership circle label him "Jim Crow". Brings to mind the oft quoted "we have seen the enemy and they is us".
Thank you Mrs. Obama. Unfortunately I was one of those students that the others called white. Or at least trying to be white. I tried to explain to them that learning is fun and I enjoy it.
I instilled the same values in my children. I tell kids all the time they are throwing their future away and spitting in the faces of our ancestors, some of whom were killed simply for learning to read.
Again, thank you Mrs. Obama!


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Moor Park, Richard's Castle, Ludlow, SY8 4DZ
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An app developer has noticed that someone has been running its Android app ShopSavvy on several BlackBerry handsets.
That someone could well be RIM, as rumours that the company is looking to the Android App Store to bolster its PlayBook app offerings surfaced earlier this year.
Analytics data showed that the Android shopping app was accessed on a BlackBerry 8300, 8600 and 8520 during January and February of this year.
It could, feasibly, have been anyone trying to get Android apps working on BlackBerry hardware and not necessarily RIM itself.
ShopSavvy delved a little further into the analytics data which apparently shows that these server requests came from Waterloo, Ontario in Canada.
Coincidentally, that's where RIM is based.
The three handsets are pretty aged BlackBerrys, which suggests that if it is RIM, the company could be hoping to get an Android Market tie-in up and running on all BlackBerry phones and not just the QNX-running BlackBerry PlayBook as was previously imagined.
Via BGR


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TORONTO – Don Cherry took a veiled shot at Vancouver that earned him an ovation from Toronto Maple Leafs fans.
Speaking during the Coach's Corner segment on "Hockey Night in Canada," the hockey commentator noted Sunday there were thousands of people watching Game 6 between the Leafs and Boston Bruins outside Toronto's Air Canada Centre but no signs of violence or discord.
"There's 20,000 people outside this building there," said Cherry. "They don't wreck things, they're good Canadian hockey fans and they don't wreck things, they love hockey and that's the way it should be."
CBC cut to a shot of the crowd outside the arena, which cheered as Cherry praised them.
A riot broke out in Vancouver after the Canucks lost Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup final to the Boston Bruins. An estimated $4.2 million of damage was done to the city, with almost 200 people charged with various offences and 56 convictions.
Despite Cherry's assertions on Saturday, the crowds gathering outside the ACC for the Maple Leafs first playoff series in nine years have not always been peaceful.
After Toronto's 2-1 victory in Boston on Friday, a group of hockey fans damaged a taxi cab north of Maple Leaf Square by standing on top of the car and ripping its sign off the roof.
Police dispersed the rowdy group, moving them further north toward the city's subway system.


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This event is history, please check out the NEXT SESSION
Check out our related open workshops:
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What will you learn here ?
During this workshop, you will learn how to:
Why we organize this workshop: Increasing importance of business analysis and business analysts
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In short, the task of the business analysis is to uncover the real business, and communicate it in such a way that all stakeholders come to a consensus on the best way(s) to improve the business. The business analyst is both a modeller and a communicator: Models are used to understand the processes, information and behaviours that make up the business.The analyst must also communicate this understanding clearly so that all stakeholders arrive at the same view of their business.
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Bebeto Matthews / AP
"Sandy Claus" Michael Sciaraffo makes a toy delivery to a home in the Bell Harbor neighborhood of New York on Dec. 18, 2012. Using Facebook, Sciaraffo started a charitable enterprise to collect and personally deliver toys to children affected by Superstorm Sandy.
Bebeto Matthews / AP
Sciaraffo, a political consultant who has worked for Hillary Clinton and City Hall, sits at his workstation in Brooklyn as he takes a phone request for a toy on Dec. 18, 2012.
The Associated Press reports — From his toy-cluttered Brooklyn apartment, the man in the red suit was making his list and checking it twice. But he made no distinction between naughty or nice: Every child on it would receive a gift from this Santa Claus.
Related: 'Stars of hope' brighten Breezy Point
For the children whose toys floated away during Superstorm Sandy, Michael Sciaraffo is playing the role of a real-life Saint Nick. Every afternoon and night, he stuffs his red sack to the brim with presents and heads out to storm-ravaged homes, personally delivering new toys to awestruck little kids whose play rooms were destroyed by floodwaters.
Bebeto Matthews / AP
Elizabeth Sampol holds her daughter, Ella, 14 months, as she receives a toy from Michael Sciaraffo in the Belle Harbor section of Queens on Dec. 18, 2012.
The charitable enterprise grew out of a Sandy donation outreach effort that Sciaraffo had been spearheading for weeks in the wake of the storm, drumming up donations of clothing and food through Facebook. As the holidays approached, he realized that lots of children would be without their toys this year. Read the full story.
See more images of superstorm Sandy and its aftermath on PhotoBlog
Bebeto Matthews / AP
Ella Sampol looks at her present as her mother Elizabeth and Michael Sciaraffo look on, on Dec. 18, 2012.
Bebeto Matthews / AP
A rainbow appears as Michael Sciaraffo leaves the home of Ella Sampol in Belle Harbor, Queens on Dec. 18, 2012. "You don't see that every day," Sciaraffo said, grinning as his beard slipped down his face a little. "Amazing."
Santa Claus brought early gifts to some of the children in New York affected Hurricane Sandy. TODAY.com's Dara Brown reports.


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In this title, Scott demonstrates the basic drawing techniques he uses when drawing hovercraft and spacecraft. The lecture begins with a quick look at several of his past hovercraft vehicle drawings and the strategies employed while drawing them. Next, Scott demonstrates his techniques of drawing eleven different flying vehicles of his own design. He demonstrates his approach to ballpoint pen sketching, chisel-tip pen sketching and pencil sketching. This title is a solid introduction to drawing hovercraft and spacecraft of various shapes and sizes, with a focus on basic perspective drawing skills.
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Scott attended Art Center College of Design where he graduated with honors with a B.S. degree in Transportation Design in April 1990. The day after graduation, Scott opened a product design consulting firm in San Francisco with friend Neville Page. While there clients included Kestrel, Giro Sport Design, Nissan, Volvo, and Yamaha. In 1995 Scott relocated to Vevey, Switzerland to teach drawing and industrial design at Art Center, Europe until the middle of 1996. Since returning from Europe, Scott's clients have included BMW subsidiary Design-works/USA, Raleigh Bicycles, Mattel Toys, Patagonia, Minority Report feature film, Nike, Rock Shox, Universal Studios, Angel Studios and Fiat, to name a few. Today he continues to teach drawing at Art Center College of Design. Recently, Scott launched Design Studio Press, a publishing company dedicated to inspiring and educational art books and DVDs.
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Gnomon specializes in computer graphics education for careers in the entertainment industry.


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26 June 2013 | News | By BioSpectrum Bureau
The JV will commercialize and distribute APAS - A novel automated culture plate reading and reporting system developed by LBT Innovations with researchers from the University of Adelaide
Singapore: Medical technology company, LBT Innovations, signed a landmark agreement with Switzerland-based laboratory instrumentation company Hettich, to establish a joint venture to drive the commercial development and global distribution of LBT's groundbreaking Automated Plate Assessment System (APAS).
According to the terms of the agreement, the two companies will hold 50:50 ownership. Hettich will make an upfront payment of $1.85 million (A$2 million) to LBT and will provide funding of $3.6 million (A$4.0 million) into the joint venture to develop APAS products for commercial launch.
LBT will license to the JV its APAS intellectual property and will, on behalf of the JV, complete its development. LBT will be retained by the JV for continued support and upgrade of APAS software in the market. The APAS intellectual property remains owned by LBT. Hettich will make working capital and technology available to the JV.
APAS is a novel automated culture plate reading and reporting system developed by LBT Innovations with researchers from the University of Adelaide. Automated identification of the large percentage of culture plates that typically return negative findings will mean significant time savings for microbiology labs, as well as faster and more consistent results for physicians and their patients.
APAS is the first application of LBT's innovative intelligent image interpretation platform and has the potential for practical use in a number of fields beyond conventional culture plate microbiology, which LBT is also pursuing.


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2 Waddenhall Cottages, Petham, , Canterbury, Kent, CT4 5PX
Richdore House, 11 Richdore Road, Waltham, Canterbury, Kent, CT4 5SJ
2 Dering Road, Bridge, Bridge, Canterbury, Kent, CT4 5NA


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CLIF SHOT Electrolyte Hydration Drink Mix is made with 90 percent organic ingredients and is crafted with sodium and other electrolytes, and a multiple source carbohydrate solution to aid in fluid transport, absorption and retention. The 4 percent multiple source carbohydrate solution helps optimize gastric emptying while maintaining carbohydrates' positive effects on rehydration. The low percentage carbohydrate solution makes CLIF SHOT Electrolyte Hydration Drink Mix less sweet and lighter tasting than other sports drinks. Team CLIF Bar athletes have remarked that fewer carbohydrates and less sugar allow them to drink continuously during long athletic outings.
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The most recently eliminated lady from The Bachelor is now speaking out about her time on the show. In a new interview, Corrie Adamson reveals she was not surprised about her elimination and was actually expecting it.
"I knew going into that Rose Ceremony that — when we all lined up and stuff — I knew I was going home," she said.
Corrie continued, "Because [of] some of my and Jake's conversation on our [one-on-one] date. We talked about the [overnight] fantasy suite [that would have been coming up] and I wasn't willing to do that and I know [it] was important for Jake to get that alone time. And because our relationship was underdeveloped compared to the other girls that would put me even farther behind and so I just knew that he knew that I wasn't going to be where he needed me to be."
The 23-year-old wardrobe consultant from Kissimmee, FL who shared she was a virgin and is saving herself for marriage on the show, revealed Jake Pavelka said her unwillingness to accept the overnight date with him was a possible "deal breaker."
"When I told him I wasn't going to — because that conversation came up after the conversation about me being a virgin — and he said 'You know, fantasy suites are coming up, is that something you're going to do?' and I said, 'No, it's not' and I said, 'Is that a deal breaker for you?' and he said, 'It might be,'" she said.
Corrie however makes it clear Jake wanted the overnight date not to have sex with her. "And he said, 'Not because I want to have sex with you but because I need that off-camera time to get to know you."
She also admits not enough strong feelings had developed between she and Jake. "When I left I felt very much like me and Jake had just had one date. Our one-on-one date to me was very much a first date. So my feelings for him were not extremely developed and I was behind the other girls in that," she said.
When asked if she would possibly consider being the next Bachelorette, Corrie had the following to say – "That would be a really big decision," she said. "If I didn't have time to think about it I'd have to say no, there's just something really special about just normal dating. But you know, it's always a possibility I guess."


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Cambridge Police Department
Tamerlan Tsarnaev is seen in a booking photo from a 2009 arrest in Cambridge, Mass.
A Homeland Security officer assigned to the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force in Boston was alerted by email that Tamerlan Tsarnaev was traveling to Russia in January 2012, according to a U.S. counterterrorism official and a congressional investigator briefed on the investigation.
But the email — sent because Tsarnaev's name was on a Homeland Security watch-listing database — generated no further scrutiny of Tsarnaev. The officer has told officials he receives hundreds of such emails and doesn't remember getting the alert about Tsarnaev's travel to Russia, said the U.S. counterterrorism official who has been briefed on details on the probe.
Federal officials who have been reviewing the government's handling of Tsarnaev say that it is still not clear that any further steps could have been taken to monitor Tsarnaev's activities. But congressional investigators are now questioning whether there were breakdowns in communications among the agencies — in part because of different spellings used for his name — that prevented officials from piecing together clues and sharing information.
A government-wide review has found that information about Tsarnaev had been entered into three classified counterterrorism databases: a Guardian file maintained by the FBI on all potential terror suspects, a TECS watch-listing database maintained by Homeland Security and a master TIDE list of potential or suspected terrorists maintained by the National Counterterrorism Center, according to the sources and public statements by U.S. government officials.
But not all the entries were identical, using different spellings and dates of birth that government computer programs failed to match up, said the U.S. official briefed on the probe.
Sen. Lindsey Graham gives his viewpoint on whether the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security did enough to follow up on leads relating to Boston bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev.
The first entry in the FBI's Guardian file was generated because of the original Russian request in early 2011 reporting that Tamerlan Tsarnaev was a follower of radical Islam with possible connections to "underground" groups. That triggered his entry into the TECS watch listing database and an investigation by the FBI"s Joint Terrorism Task Force — including interviews with Tsarnaev and members of his family. But agents found no negative information and closed the case. The FBI asked the Russians for more details and never got a response.
U.S. officials say that the CIA received its own report from the Russian FSB about Tsarnaev in September 2011 — and entered him into the TIDE terrorism database. Officials say the CIA, using the information it got from the Russians, entered two different spellings of his name and two different dates of birth into the TIDE system.
A U.S. intelligence official said: "The CIA shared all the information provided by the foreign government. including two possible dates of birth, his name and a possible name variant as well. No information was incorrectly entered in the watch listing system, all the information was shared precisely as the foreign government provided it."
But the counterterrorism official briefed on the probe say this may have created confusion because the primary entry was made under a spelling that was different than that used by Tsarnaev — one letter was off — and which had been entered into the FBI's Guardian database.
When Tsarnaev showed up at the airport for his January 2012 trip to Russia, Customs and Border Patrol officers noticed his entry in the TECS system, triggering the email to the CBP agent assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Boston. But while Tsarnaev was subjected to some extra questioning, agents had no grounds to prevent him from traveling. "It's not like he was going to Yemen or Somalia," said the official briefed on the probe.
By the time Tsaernaev returned, his name had been purged from the TECS watch-listing database because of time limits on how long "U.S. persons" can stay in the database when there is no additional derogatory information, the official said. The FBI also took no further steps to question Tsarnaev about the reasons for his trip or who he met with overseas, officials say.
More from Open Channel:
- Ties that blind? Family connections can be key in journey down terrorism path
- Return to normalcy on the street where Boston suspects fought police
- What did FBI and CIA know about bombing suspect, and when?
- Warm weather helps drive surge in motorcycle deaths
Follow Open Channel from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
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Read and vote on readers' story tips and suggested topics for investigation or submit your own.


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IE8 videos on Channel 9
Myself as well as some other people from the team recently sat down with Charles Torre from Channel 9 to talk about IE8. We thought you might enjoy these:
Developer Tools with John Hrvatin
You can check out all the IE8 related videos on Channel 9 here. There are also some interesting IE8 "How Do I" videos on MSDN.
Sharon Cohen
Program Manager


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One of Europe's oldest theatre festivals, Jiráskův Hronov (Jirásek's Hronov), got underway in the Northeast Bohemian town on Saturday. The event, which began in 1931 and has taken place every year since, is named after the locally born Alois Jirásek, who is regarded as among the greatest of Czech novelists. The programme of the week-long festival includes a broad range of theatrical productions, including experimental, student and puppet shows.
Temperatures in the Czech Republic will be above average in August, according to a regular four-week forecast issued by the Czech Hydro-Meteorological Institute on Saturday. The coming week will be the warmest of the month, with temperatures reaching up to 30 degrees Celsius, the forecasters said. There will also be relatively little rain in the next seven days, which will further exacerbate the worst drought felt in the country in over a decade.
Several rhesus macaque monkeys that escaped from their new enclosure at the zoo in the Moravian town of Olomouc have returned. Seven of the monkeys came back to the enclosure in the night but two more were reported to still be outside its fence on Saturday; a zoo official said, however, that they were sticking close to the enclosure. Evidently disturbed by the commotion, the monkeys surprised zookeepers by managing a six-metre jump into a group of trees during its official opening on Friday.
A Czech mountain climber died in the Austrian Alps on Friday after falling on an ascent near the village of Leoben in the Styria region, the APA news agency reported on Saturday. The man, who has not been named, was one of a group of three attempting an 860 metre climb; in the final part he fell around 300 metres and was already dead when a rescue helicopter arrived at the scene. The Austrian police are investigating the accident.
Around 30 migrants from an asylum facility in Bělá pod Bezdězem, East Bohemia have been transferred to another facility at Zastávka near Brno for safety reasons, the Czech News Agency reported. More than 50 migrants at the facility attempted to break out on Thursday and about 100 rioted in protest at being held there on Friday following a visit by the Czech interior minister, Milan Chovanec, and police president, Tomáš Tuhý. A bus carrying families with children and a pregnant woman left Bělá pod Bezdězem for Zastávka on Friday evening. A spokesperson for the police's foreign department said the Bělá facility had been calm on Friday night.
Eighty people died on Czech roads in July, making it by far the worst month of the year in that respect. The highest number of deaths on one day in 2015, 10, occurred on July 23. The overall figure is five higher than for the same month last year. June has seen the second highest number of road casualties this year, with 52.
Close to two dozen ice hockey players from the NHL are due to attend informal meetings in Prague and Brno with the new Czech national team coach Vladimír Vůjtek and his assistants in the next two weeks. Vůjtek, who is 68, was appointed in June following the resignation of Vladimír Růžička, who has been accused of bribe taking. Among the NHL players set to meet his replacement in Prague on Monday is New Jersey's Patrik Eliáš.
The Czech Transport Ministry is discussing measures which would make rail crossings in the Czech Republic safer. In the wake of last week's tragic Pendolino crash into a lorry which left three dead and a dozen injured, Transport Minister Dan Ťok said the ministry would commission an expert analysis on improved safety measures, including how many level crossings can be turned into grade-separated junctions and the possible installation of electronic chips which would alert a train to a large obstacle on the track. The minister is also in favour of introducing steep fines for those who break the rules on rail crossings.
The Archbishop of Prague, Cardinal Dominik Duka has forbidden the parish of St. Salvatore to host two events within August's Prague Pride LGBT festival. The parish, headed by priest and professor Tomáš Halík, had planned to host a discussion with a nun about harassment within the Church and screen a film about a gay priest. The involvement of the Czech Catholic Church in Prague Pride events caused controversy and Cardinal Duka used his right to ban them. The cardinal said that while he was not against an open debate on these matters he did not consider it appropriate for this to take place within the LGBT festival. Tomáš Halík said he fully respected the Cardinal's decision. The events will be held elsewhere.
Half of Czech firms would not employ a Romany, according to the outcome of a poll conducted by the bank CSOB among several hundred companies. According to the outcome of the survey 48 percent of small and medium-sized businesses would not employ a Romany person. Fifteen percent of these companies said they would not employ a Romany under any circumstances, even if they were qualified for the job, while 33percent said they would "most likely" turn a Roma candidate away. Nine out of ten firms would turn away a former convict on principle. 68 percent of companies said they would be prepared to employ a foreigner from a former Eastern bloc state. The survey commissioned by Pravo was to test the measure of discrimination on the Czech labour market.


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Menu: Father's Day Brunch Recipe
Why should moms get sole dominion over brunch? Brunch is the perfect Sunday holiday meal. It commences after late rising and a leisurely morning and entails the best of both breakfast and lunch. Drinking a few mimosas or Bloody Marys with your latte and OJ is an integral part of the ritual. Most of all, kicking off Father's Day with a tasty, leisurely meal is a good way to say thank you to, and celebrate with, dad.
My father doesn't eat steak, but if he did, I would whip up classic steak and eggs. He wouldn't say no to Bourbon Vanilla French Toast, though. Michelada, a Mexican beer cocktail, has a Worcestershire and Tabasco fueled kick reminiscent of a Bloody Mary. And what dad doesn't love beer?
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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(visited by Paul Morency)
24-Apr-2001 -- I live in Winchester, MA and I am working in Winchester, KY. On
one of my weekly flights from Boston to Kentucky I brought the GPS that is
usually on my boat in order to see if I could measure the flight speed of
the Boeing 757, (you can). I didn't know of CONFLUENCE.ORG at the time.
Surfing the web in my hotel one night I discovered CONFLUENCE.ORG and was
Much to my surprise, the next morning when I tried my GPS at my hotel in
Lexington, KY I discovered that 38N 84W was only about 27 miles to the east.
This was to be only about 8 miles from where I was working.
I verified that the site has not been recorded and I decided to scout the
area in order to determine the scope of the task at hand. I only came to
Kentucky with business clothes and wasn't outfitted to cross the wilds to
get to the "Holy Grail".
I fully expected to have to come back better
equipped and with some locals to witness and protect me from the natives.
With the advise of co-workers on which roads to take and traveling alone I
headed east out of Winchester, KY and was able to come within .57 miles of
38N 84W on paved roads.
I noticed nearby a long well kept drive leading in
the general direction of my goal so I ventured up it until I came to the
home and kennel of Sue and Andy Morrison. I explained my mission to Mrs.
Morrison and told her that I thought I could see the area on the next hill
of their property. She told me to go right ahead.
At this point the GPS, a Garmin 12XL with position averaging showed .37
miles to the destination.
Well this was the longest .37 miles I ever walked. The target was not the
next hill but 2 hills away, across two more different owners properties and
a small creek. The other properties were quite large with no homes or
buildings apparent, so I crossed over two fences without asking permission.
I was now within .02 mile and in the middle of the creek. I now had only to
climb the hill and monitor the GPS for direction. Three quarters of the way
up the hill I hit ground zero. I had no witnesses; after all I only came to
scout out the job at hand.
I had my camera in the rental car because I have been photographing old
Kentucky barns. I took the requisite pictures in both black and white and in
color. I was quite pleased with myself at my accomplishment.
From someone who lived for the better part of three years on a boat and made
countless waypoints in the course of all that travel, a fix was just a fix.
Having located this confluence provides an unexpected pleasure and
satisfaction that is hard to explain.


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613-759-4327 3-1867 Carling Ave,
Ottawa, Ont.
Hearing Explained
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Our state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment and near-perfect success rate in hearing aid fittings attract patients and referring physicians throughout eastern Ontario and western Quebec. We carry a full line of hearing aids and specialty products that represent both excellent value and state-of-the-art hearing aid performance. Our over 50 years of staff experience in hearing aids and hearing tests, combined with our small size, result in unmatched personal care and a clinic facility that you can have confidence in.
A large number of our clients are from the Ottawa region including:
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Contents of this website subject to change without advanced notice.
Copyright © 2013-present by Murray Hearing Centre Ltd.
Let us help you hear all the music
" is a trademark of Murray Hearing Centre Ltd.
Legal: This website is provided "as is" without any representations or warranties, express or implied.


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The Evanton Community Trust is a charitable body which was set up in 2005 to undertake major local projects designed to develop new and improve or preserve existing community assets for the benefit of the community in and around Evanton in Ross-shire in the Highlands of Scotland.
The Trust is registered in Scotland as a charitable company and its vision is "to see a robust, inclusive and thriving community in Evanton where people are proud to work and live"
The Trust's first project was to acquire and convert a brown-field site in the centre of the village into a Village Green with landscaping and planting. This is now a focal point for the centre of the village as well as an amenity for the local community.
More recently, the Trust has upgraded the footpaths from Lower Balconie and Kiltearn along the shore. The paths are now suitable for most abilities and the addition of seating and a picnic table along the way give you time to stop and admire the views and wildlife. There are interpretive panels along the route too to tell you a bit about the area. We have also produced a fold up map / guide to the network of paths - this will shortly be available to download here.
The Trust is currently in discussion with Kiltearn Community Council about taking over ownership of the Diamond Jubilee Hall. We will keep you updated as this progresses.
An underlying principle that informs all the Trust's work is that of openness and transparency, presenting regular and clear information to its members and the community at large on all aspects of its work and activities, through local media, posters and leaflets as well as via web sites and social media outlets.
The Evanton Community Trust are in the process of taking on ownership of the Diamond Jubilee Hall from the Kiltearn Community Council. In the immediate future the Trust hopes to source funding to carry out essential upgrades and improvements to the hall. We will also be looking for volunteers to form a Hall Management Committee who, along with a paid caretaker and an administrator/development officer (subject to funding), will be responsible for the day to day running and future activities of the hall.
Evanton Community Trust are a community organisation and will hold the ownership of the hall for the community. The Trust and the KCC are holding an open meeting to discuss plans for the hall – we want to hear from you about your ideas for the future of the Hall. Please come along on Thursday 27th June, 7:30pm, Kiltearn Church Hall, Balconie Street, Evanton. If you are unable to come along but have views you would like to put forward you can email firstname.lastname@example.com or drop any written views into the Post Office.
As part of the community project last year, investigating the history of the Old Kirk, volunteers catalogued all the gravestones in the graveyard. This is now available for you to search online. Click here to go to database.
Minutes of Evanton Community Trust meetings are available here
The work of Fèis Rois takes place year-round and extends well beyond Ross-Shire. In addition to an extensive programme of music tuition in Local Authorities across Scotland, their local young musicians have toured across Scotland, the UK and internationally. Some of these musicians making up Kiltearn Fiddlers are part of Feis Rois and are based in Evanton and you can listen to a sample of their music by clicking below.
The Devil in the Kitchen - MP3
Visit the Feis Rois web site- http://feisrois.org.uk
© 2020 FavThemes
Copyright © 2019 Evanton Community Trust All Rights Reserved- Registered Office: 3 Ardullie Farm Cottages, Dingwall, Ross-Shire, Scotland, IV15 9TT Company registration number SC279421 - Scottish Charity registration number SC037837


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- Professional and friendly staff
- Professionally Trained Team
- Licensed and fully insured
- Top-notch Services!
Learn just what can be expected
You should be knowledgeable concerning Basement Framing in Ault, CO. You shouldn't go into it without consideration, and it is best to learn what to expect. You're not going to encounter any sort of unexpected surprises whenever you hire Basement Framing Guys. The first step is to give us a call by dialing 888-666-1248 to begin your job. We'll reply to your questions and schedule the initial appointment. We are going to work closely with you throughout the whole process, and our team can appear promptly and organized.
Basement Framing Guys will be there for all of your needs regarding Basement Framing in Ault, Wyoming
You have got many great reasons to turn to Basement Framing Guys to suit your needs when it comes to Basement Framing in Ault, CO. Our equipment are of the highest quality, our money saving solutions are helpful and efficient, and our customer service ratings are unsurpassed. We'll be there to help you with the most competence and practical experience available. Call 888-666-1248 to communicate with Basement Framing Guys and consider your needs concerning Basement Framing in Ault.


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The Western Buddhist Review (WBR) is a free to access e-journal concerned primarily with exploring the encounter between Buddhism and the modern world.
It publishes articles, translations and reviews by both scholars and Buddhist practitioners.
The Western Buddhist Review has a new on-line home at www.thebuddhistcentre.com/westernbuddhistreview, where articles and reviews from Volume 6 onwards can be found. This webpage is maintained as an archive of past issues of the Review.


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Breitling Premier B01 AB0118
This Breitling has undergone a thorough inspection of water resistance, accuracy, functionality and condition to determine the level of reconditioning required to meet our strict standards. It has also been referenced against technical documents and manufacturer records where available to ensure authenticity and a clean history.
Product Description
|1 year (2019)
Manufacturer warranty
|3 years 6 Months remaining
|Case size
|Case material
|Bracelet material
|Steel (Navitimer)
|Dial type
|Green Baton
|Water resistance
|100 metres
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Their movie may be on-again, off-again, but that doesn't mean that He-Man and the rest of the Masters of The Universe aren't getting a modern-day makeover, thanks to illustrator Adrian Reimann. Masters of The Runway, anybody?
Reimann explained the idea behind his reimagining of the childhood icons:
I imagined them somewhere in the indie/hipster/fashion-scene, as if they were doing a photoshooting for some magazine. I'm a fashion-nerd myself, so I dressed them up in things that really exist and that I like.
We're unconvinced that Teela would really go for stockings, but apart from that, we're sure Tim Gunn would approve.
Masters of The Universe [Behance Network] (Via)
G/O Media may get a commission


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What Constitutes a Breach of "Fiduciary Duty"? (Jones v. Harris Associates Argument Preview)
Below, Connor Williams, a 3L at Stanford Law School, previews Jones v. Harris Associates, one of three cases to be heard by the Supreme Court on Monday, November 2. Check the Jones v. Harris Associates (08-586) SCOTUSwiki page for additional updates.
Argument Preview
On November 2, in Jones v. Harris Associates (No. 08-586), the Court will consider the standard that should be used to determine whether fees charged by investment advisers breach the "fiduciary duty" that the advisers owe to the shareholders.
Open-end investment companies "" more commonly known as mutual funds "" are often created and managed by investment advisers. Although the funds and advisers are separate entities, the overlapping nature of their relationship can create conflicts of interest. In an attempt to shield mutual fund shareholders from the dangers that can arise from these conflicts, Congress enacted the Investment Company Act of 1940 (ICA), which imposed structural safeguards on the industry. Congress amended the ICA in 1970 to provide shareholders with additional protection "" including a provision, codified as 15 U.S.C. § 80a-36(b), that created a "fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services" for investment advisers and provided shareholders with a private right of action for a violation of that duty.
The petitioners in this case are shareholders in several mutual funds formed and advised by the respondent Harris Associates. In 2004, they filed a lawsuit against Harris Associates alleging that the company had breached its fiduciary duty to the shareholders under Section 36(b) by charging them "excessive" fees and failing to provide full and accurate disclosure to the funds' board members and shareholders of material facts relating to compensation. Additionally, petitioners alleged violations of other structural provisions of the ICA relating to public disclosure and board independence.
Harris filed a motion for summary judgment, which the district court granted. The court relied on the Second Circuit's 1982 decision in Gartenberg v. Merrill Lynch Asset Management, Inc., holding that a breach of fiduciary duty occurs only when an adviser "charge[s] a fee that is so disproportionately large that it bears no reasonable relationship to the services rendered and could not have been the product of arm's-length bargaining." Reasoning that the fees paid by petitioners were comparable to those paid by other mutual funds, the district court concluded that no breach of fiduciary duty for purposes of Section 36(b) had occurred.
On appeal, the Seventh Circuit "" in an opinion by Chief Judge Frank Easterbrook "" affirmed the district court's decision granting summary judgment but specifically "disapprove[d] the Gartenberg approach," which it characterized as relying " too little on markets." Because there was no evidence that Harris "pull[ed] the wool over the eyes" of its shareholders, the court concluded, the fees were a product of market forces, and there was no reason to engage in "[j]udicial price-setting." By a vote of a five to five, the Seventh Circuit denied rehearing en banc. Judge Richard Posner dissented. In his view, the rejection of Gartenberg was based on "an economic analysis that is ripe for reexamination."
Petition for Certiorari
The shareholders filed a petition for certiorari in which they made three main arguments: (1) the Seventh Circuit's opinion conflicted with the decisions of three other circuits; (2) the decision was wrong on the merits; and (3) the proliferation and popularity of mutual funds make this an important issue for consideration. In its brief in opposition, Harris Associates countered that even if the Seventh Circuit disapproved of Gartenberg, it adopted a substantially identical standard that will lead to identical results. Further, the issue is largely academic and has been infrequently litigated, with uniform results. The Court granted certiorari on March 9, 2009.
Merits Arguments
Both petitioners and respondent grasp for the Gartenberg mantle, with each side emphasizing different phrases from the holding. Petitioners focus on the Second Circuit's use of "arm's-length bargaining," while respondent argues that the court's use of "so disproportionate" essentially created a threshold for Section 36(b) violations that shareholders here did not meet.
In their brief on the merits, petitioners argue that by adopting a "fiduciary duty" standard in 1970, Congress infused the provision with the common law significance of the term "fiduciary duty." Drawing an analogy to the law of trusts, petitioners argue that this duty requires the investment adviser to: (1) provide full and accurate disclosure of all material facts related to the transaction; and (2) ensure that the transaction is fair to the shareholders. In petitioners' view, Gartenberg captured this fundamental concern for fairness, but subsequent applications of the decision have improperly untethered the holding from its original meaning. In particular, courts have erroneously discounted evidence that advisers charge much higher fees to their "captive" clients (that is, shareholders "" like petitioners "" in mutual funds created and managed by the same advisers) than they charge to their independent investors. Moreover, when properly interpreted, the "fiduciary duty" in Section 36(b) should include not only the amount of the fees in question, but also the disclosure requirements. Thus, the Seventh Circuit decision is far afield from the common-law underpinnings of Section 36(b) because it considers the board's approval of the fees as dispositive and ignores Congressional intent.
Harris Associates argues that under Gartenberg, a breach of "fiduciary duty" can only be triggered by a disproportionately large fee structure; moreover, in enacting Section 36(b)'s "fiduciary duty" standard, Congress in fact rejected precisely the type of "reasonableness" standard now embraced by petitioners. Other features of the ICA "" such as its requirement that the plaintiff prove the breach of duty and the important role played by independent boards "" reflect this balance. Harris attacks petitioners' emphasis on the fact that lower fees are often charged to independent clients, explaining that such fee structures reflect disparate services, not market inefficiencies. Further, because the duty in Section 36(b) is explicitly tied to "the receipt of compensation," it cannot be triggered (as petitioners contend) in cases in which the negotiation process may have been imperfect, but the resulting adviser fees were not disproportionately large. By contrast, petitioners' interpretation of the text would result in increased litigation.
In essence, this case boils down to a fundamental disagreement over the efficacy of the mutual fund market protecting "captive" investors from exorbitant fees. The conservative members of the Court could graft Chief Judge Easterbrook's markets-based approach onto Gartenberg, although it is worth noting that the Seventh Circuit decision was argued on September 10, 2007 "" before the financial meltdown that left many investors scrambling. Additionally, the United States has filed an amicus brief supporting petitioners that specifically casts doubt on the ability of the market to regulate fees.


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WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- The healthcare reform law was like the bastard stepchild in President Obama's State of the Union address last week -- or maybe it could be better compared to the crazy aunt locked in the attic.
Despite some expectation the president would indicate softness on healthcare reform and the Affordable Care Act during the speech, the issue barely came up and zipped by. If you popped into the kitchen for a cup of tea or a Coke and a Twinkie, you missed it.
Forbes magazine, for one, expressed astonishment that the healthcare law was not a central theme in Obama's address. After the White House delivered a "talking points" memo for the speech last Tuesday, the magazine said, "Remarkably, the memo makes no mention of healthcare: neither the president's signature legislative achievement, nor his thoughts on entitlement reform."
MedPage Today, the online news service for medical professionals, pointed out after the address, "President Obama scarcely mentioned healthcare in his third State of the Union address Tuesday night, even as the healthcare reform law he championed is hanging in the balance at the Supreme Court."
In fact, "Obama devoted a mere one sentence of his more than one-hour address to healthcare reform, saying, 'I will not go back to the days when health insurance companies had unchecked power to cancel your policy, deny you coverage or charge women differently from men.'"
This was in contrast to past State of the Union addresses. Obama focused on the new law in 2010, and last year "said he was open to making changes to the law, but not to repealing it," MedPage Today noted.
Also last year, the president said he would look at proposals to bring down healthcare costs.
No such softness this year.
"President Obama made only glancing references to healthcare reform during his State of the Union address Tuesday night," The Hill newspaper observed. "Although Democrats insist that Obama will be able to campaign on the healthcare law, it was almost entirely absent from a speech that helped establish the themes and frames of his re-election campaign."
The newspaper, like MedPage Today, said, "It's by far the smallest amount of attention healthcare has gotten in Obama's three State of the Union addresses, nevermind the joint-session address he devoted entirely to trying to push healthcare across the finish line in 2009."
A new poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation suggests healthcare reform, and the federal law that implements it are deeply unpopular -- a strange condition for a reform designed to help the average American working family. Just as strangely, given healthcare reform's unpopularity, the poll suggests only a minority want to repeal it.
The January tracking poll indicates more than half of Americans say the U.S. Supreme Court should strike down the law's individual mandate: the requirement that everyone who can afford it should at least carry some insurance, or pay a fine, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
The poll said 54 percent believe the high court should rule the mandate unconstitutional, 17 percent said the court should rule it constitutional and 29 percent didn't have an opinion or didn't answer.
Republicans opposed the mandate by a wide margin -- 73 percent. Democrats were more likely to support it -- 62 percent.
About 30 percent of Republicans said Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's views on healthcare were similar to Obama's, but almost half said they were different and 22 percent didn't answer, the Journal said.
Aside from how people view the Supreme Court case, the foundation reported the public seems divided. Not all the news is bad for the law: "As the anniversary of the Affordable Care Act approaches on March 23, Americans remain as divided on the law as ever, with 37 percent in January saying they have a favorable view of it, and 44 percent having an unfavorable view. At the same time, the share of the public that favors expanding the law (31 percent) or keeping it in its current form (19 percent) remains larger than the share who would like to see the law repealed outright (22 percent) or repealed and replaced with a Republican-backed alternative (18 percent)."
The foundation did not give the size of the poll sampling, but said the margin of error was 3 percentage points.
Meanwhile, the Obama administration and 26 states challenging the healthcare law are poised to butt heads in the Supreme Court, which set aside 5 1/2 hours for argument in late March.
The 26 states challenging the Affordable Care Act -- Florida, South Carolina, Nebraska, Texas, Utah, Louisiana, Alabama, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Washington, Idaho, South Dakota, Indiana, North Dakota, Mississippi, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, Alaska, Ohio, Kansas, Wyoming, Wisconsin and Maine, and the Michigan attorney general and the Iowa governor -- are controlled by Republicans.
The "merit brief" -- the brief outlining the states' arguments -- has arrived at the Supreme Court.
The healthcare reforms "impose new and substantial obligations on every corner of society, from individuals to insurers to employers to states. Those obligations are designed to work in tandem to expand both the demand for and the supply of health insurance, so as to achieve Congress' ultimate goal of 'near-universal coverage,'" the brief says.
"At the center of the ACA is a new mandate that commands nearly every individual to obtain and maintain a minimum level of health insurance coverage, thereby artificially increasing the demand for health insurance. ... A covered individual who fails to comply with the mandate is subject to a financial 'penalty.'"
The brief contends if the individual mandate is struck down, the whole law must go -- including among other things bans on refusing insurance to people with "pre-existing conditions" and on caps for individual benefits, meaning families can't be stuck with catastrophic hospital bills once the benefits run out.
"In keeping with the constitutional concerns about a mandate to maintain insurance, the version of the act that the House passed before the Senate passed the ACA included, along with a tax upon individuals who fail to obtain and maintain insurance, a severability clause instructing that, in the event any provision were held unconstitutional, the remainder of the act should not be affected," the brief says.
"The ACA that emerged from the Senate and was subsequently forced through the House, however, contained the individual mandate but no severability clause. Although numerous amendments were proposed during the ACA's drafting process to alleviate constitutional concerns by eliminating or limiting the reach of the mandate, each was defeated on the ground that doing so would make the act's objective of near-universal insurance coverage unattainable. As one of the act's principal architects put it, eliminating or limiting the mandate would 'gut and kill health reform,' as '[t]he effect [would be] to say no more … universal coverage.'"
The "severablity" of the individual mandate from the rest of the Affordable Care Act -- whether it can be struck down without invalidating the entire law -- is one of the main issues before the U.S. Supreme Court.
"Employer responsibility" provisions of the act "impose significant monetary penalties on any employer (including a state) with an average of at least 50 full-time equivalent employees that fails to provide all of those employees with a federally approved level of insurance coverage," the brief says. "The act also offers tax incentives for small businesses that purchase health insurance plans for their employees."
The act also forces an expansion of Medicaid, a state and federally funded health program which serves low-income families and the disabled.
The act's provisions effect "a massive expansion of Medicaid by requiring all participating states (which is to say, all states) to offer Medicaid to all individuals under the age of 65 with incomes up to 133 percent of the poverty level, with a 5 percent 'income disregard' provision that effectively raises that number to 138 percent. ... In addition to providing coverage for these newly eligible individuals, states must also provide coverage for millions of individuals who are uninsured despite being currently eligible for Medicaid, as those individuals will be forced onto the Medicaid rolls by the individual mandate," the brief says.
The brief says the Congressional Budget Office "predicts that at least 16 million individuals will enroll in Medicaid as a result of the combined effect of the expansion and the mandate, and that the federal component of Medicaid spending will increase by $434 billion by 2020 to cover the costs generated by that massive increase in enrollment."
In their separate petition to the Supreme Court, the states asked the justices to decide whether Congress exceeds "its enumerated powers [in the Constitution] and violate[s] basic principles of federalism when it coerces states into accepting onerous conditions that it could not impose directly by threatening to withhold all federal funding under the single largest grant-in-aid program [Medicaid]?"
Any Medicaid cutoff is a very serious issue for the states. Currently, Medicaid accounts for more than 40 percent of all federal funds dispersed to states -- $251 billion in 2009 alone -- and approximately 7 percent of all federal spending.
The administration's merit briefs are on the way and, of course, will shed any entirely different light on the dispute. And friends-of-the-court briefs are pouring in to support one side or the other.


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Game approach to improve outbreak modelling skills
A game aimed at teaching mathematicians and epidemiologists to understand and handle complex data generated by disease outbreaks has been developed by US researchers, according to a story in Science NOW.
Muizenberg Mathematical Fever (MMF) was designed by Steve Bellan, an ecologist at the University of California, Berkeley, and Juliet Pulliam, from the University of Florida, and tested at a workshop on epidemiology modelling in South Africa that the pair runs each year.
Their game aims to encourage students to consider such questions as how to include data on patients who hide their infections during an outbreak, as well as those who report to clinics, and also to look critically at how patients are chosen for inclusion in outbreak studies.
The game simulates a disease outbreak. In it, participants are given a piece of paper telling them that they are "infected", with instructions on how to 'propagate' the disease. All are told to inform their instructors of their infection status – but only some are told to 'visit a clinic' to report their infection.
This results in two data sets. One, which would never exist in real life, according to the developers, provides an overview of all infections, while the other – which is more realistic – is the number of cases that are reported to authorities.
"When you have a real outbreak, you need to rely on whatever data you can get," Bellan told Science NOW. "And our exercise helps show the difference between that data and the reality of the outbreak."
Once the simulation has run its course, the developers work with epidemiologists to make predictions, based on the number of cases reported to authorities about the possible spread, severity and longevity of the outbreak. These predictions are then compared against the "real" total disease burden.
Feedback from workshops "has been very positive," Bellan said, adding that instructors who took part in the most recent workshop are taking the game back to their home institutions to test it out in classroom settings.
Gavin Hitchcock, a specialist at the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis in Stellenbosch, South Africa, who was not involved in developing the MMF program, praised the game simulation approach, saying it "brilliantly exemplifies how this integration may be achieved in a practical, hands-on, memorable way" for students from high school to graduate level.
MMF's developers now plan to create different versions of the game to study other aspects of epidemiology, such as diseases spread by a range of vectors, and outbreaks caused by different diseases which present with similar symptoms.


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This page will be updated as soon as the committee assignments have been made.
Welcome to the Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Committee Webpage. The committee's regularly scheduled meeting time is Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. in room 1200 of the Binsfeld Building in Lansing. I welcome citizens to contact me or other committee members regarding bills or proposals our committee is addressing. Individuals needing special accommodations to participate in a committee meeting may contact my office to request the necessary assistance.


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Democratic politician John Edwards and the mistress who bore his child have ended their relationship, it was announced on Good Morning America this morning.
Rielle Hunter, the mother of former vice-presidential nominee John Edwards' four-year-old daughter, announced during an appearance on the ABC morning show that she and Edwards are no longer a couple.
"We are a family, but as of the end of last week, John Edwards and I are no longer a couple," Hunter said on the show, according to the Associated Press. She said that the relationship ended for private reasons, but added that "media scrutiny" had worn couple down.
(MORE: Did the Obama Campaign Know about John Edwards' Affair?)
Hunter's memoir What Really Happened: John Edwards, Our Daughter, and Me, will be released Tuedsay through BenBella Books. The book was excerpted in the current issue of People Magazine and featured on the cover with the headline "We're Still a Couple."
(MORE: Wife of Edwards Ex-Aide: 'I Agreed to Go Along With the Lie')
Hunter suggested in the interview that, while she does not regret having loved Edwards, she would not choose to pursue the relationship again knowing what she knows now, ABCNews.com reports. She explained that Edwards will continue to be his involved in the life of their daughter.
Hunter suggested in her interview with People that she hopes to find work in television in way of a "hip documentary series that helps people grow in relationships."
(MORE: Young Reveals Video)
Hunter and Edwards began a relationship in 2006, and Hunter worked as a videographer for Edwards' 2008 presidential campaign. She gave birth to their daughter Quinn in February 2008.
Hunter's relationship with Edwards created a scandal when it was publicized that they had concealed their affair and Edwards's paternity. Andrew Young, a staff member for the Edwards campaign, claimed paternity of the baby. He later denounced this claim in his memoir. Edwards' wife Elizabeth died of breast cancer in 2010.
Edwards was later indicted and tried for using campaign funds to hide his affair with Hunter. All charges against him were finally dropped earlier this month.


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Seems like P-Middy really is moving to New York. The younger sister of Kate Middleton, whose butt was made famous when it featured prominently in a McQueen gown during the royal wedding of her sister to William, was photographed today looking for a place to live.
Photo agency Splash news, which is hawking pics of Pip in the city today, said that Pippa was 'apartment hunting' and was in the company of a realtor when they papped her on Madison Avenue.
(I know - Madison and what?)
Pippa was wearing sunnies, red jeans, wedges and a blue t-shirt top for her New York outing.
Pippa was reported to be contemplating a move to New York earlier this year after the furore created when the man driving a car she was in pointed a toy gun at chasing photographers.
Her book, "Celebrate!", a guide to party planning, is to be published in the US in October, and the fact that she is going to be in the US clearly indicates that she is intending to actively promote it.
Pippa arrived in America last week, and spent the holiday weekend with Andre Balazs, staying at Sunset Beach in the Hamptons.
Page Six reported that Balazs – who previously dated Uma Thurman - and Pippa, who is single, were flirting heavily.
The Royalist says: go for it Pippa. New York will love you almost as much as you'll love it.


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SXSW: Software, Apps Still Rule But A Hardware Resurgence Is On
The task of building your very own toy, or robot, or radio can seem daunting for someone without much background in engineering. But a set of color-coded electronic bits that can be magnetically snapped together called littleBits is aiming to make creating your own electronics easy for everyone. It's like Legos, if only Legos could be connected into circuits that light up, move or make music.
"Circuits in seconds," promises the outside of the box.
LittleBits is the brainchild of founder Ayah Bdeir, an engineer trained at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "We see a lot of kids who are using these to make their own toys, to learn electronics, to play in groups," she says. "But the thing we are excited about is that it's about really democratizing hardware. And democratizing electronics for everyone — designers, inventors, prototypers of any age."
Amid so much talk about apps and software company launches at the South by Southwest festival in Austin is the "maker movement" and the resurgence of hardware — the physical tools and machines of technology — and how to make "making" more accessible. With littleBits, Bdeir and I made a synth kit together in seconds. They're also used to make art installations or prototype projects.
"This has been brewing for a while," Bdeir says. "We need to remember that we are all makers, and touching things with our hands is powerful and inspiring, and some of our best memories growing up are always around things ... . We want everyone to be comfortable making something without being an engineer, quitting my job, taking a six-month learning process."
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Melissa Block.
I'm Robert Siegel. And it's time for a South by Southwest edition of All Tech Considered.
SIEGEL: The Austin, Texas, festival includes a huge technology conference called Interactive. Every year, tech industry leaders float big ideas about technology's intersection with culture. We're going to hear about some of this year's themes: the future of play, and the future of storytelling.
BLOCK: The conference also had a very serious side today. NSA leaker and fugitive Edward Snowden addressed an audience of thousands, in a live video appearance from Russia. He defended his release of thousands of documents that reveal sweeping government surveillance programs.
EDWARD SNOWDEN: When it comes to would I do this again, the answer is absolutely yes. I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution, and I saw that the Constitution was violated on a massive scale.
BLOCK: That's Edward Snowden, answering questions at South by Southwest today. And we have a full report on that appearance elsewhere in the program.
SIEGEL: And now back to the subject of play at South by Southwest. We're joined by NPR's Elise Hu, who's at the Austin Convention Center. Hi, Elise.
ELISE HU, BYLINE: Hi there, Robert.
SIEGEL: And I should say that high-tech and play have been a natural combination, at least ever since our desktops came with Solitaire software loaded in them. What's new and different at South by Southwest in the world of games and toys?
HU: Well, what's interesting is we're kind of going back in time, in a way, to electricity hits that maybe even our grandparents played with. And that's this notion of hardware, actually making machines, and previously that was very complicated. But there's one new product that I'm pretty excited about called littleBits. And if the system of little modular circuits that are color-coded and they snap together with magnets. The magnets are always right, so you would put one color against another color in order for them to snap together. If they resist each other then you know that you're kind of going the wrong direction.
So it's basically like Legos, if only each Lego could be put together to create your own tiny Ferris Wheel or fan or even a robot. So it makes building electronics, which previously had a steep learning curve, a lot simpler.
I was with the founder, Ayah Bdeir this weekend to check it out.
So just to show off littleBits, Ayah is going to make us a really quick speaker with maybe - within seconds, 'cause they promised circuits within seconds. So let's start a speaker from scratch.
HU: And then you can adjust the volume?
AYAH BDEIR: So I can adjust the volume. In this case, I'm adjusting the pitch. I'm deciding whether I want to have the waveform to saw tooth or square wave.
HU: And all from attaching how many littleBits together?
BDEIR: So now, we have four bits. We have a power bit, a sequencer, an oscillator and a speaker.
HU: And after I stopped taping, she added a little light just for kicks. But you can tell there, Robert, just how quickly we made something that lights up or made a sound. And that makes this daunting thought of making your own electronics a lot more accessible and less daunting.
SIEGEL: Well, apart from helping kids fill your home with those wonderful sounds they'll be able to make...
SIEGEL: ...what is the ostensible educational purpose of this kind of toy?
HU: The idea behind this and making hardware a lot simpler for young people and grown-ups alike to do this, is to show them that they can change their environment. They can light something up or they can make a noise simply. And by doing that, they not only learn about the connection but also get motivated to learn more and make more things. So this is just kind of a stepping stone, if you will.
SIEGEL: It sounds noteworthy here that these are high-tech toys that don't engage a kid with an iPad or a videogame. We're not talking about lots of screen time being invested here.
HU: Yeah, and you hit on a really important trend here, Robert, because it's happening here at South by Southwest but also in the larger tech industry, there's a big return to hardware. You know, we talk a lot about apps that you can see on iPads or software that runs on computers. And that's very different than hardware, the physical machines that you can build.
I bring this up because there's a real maker movement going on in technology that's combining the best elements of coding software with physical objects, like these littleBits. And so, this product is just one part of it. It's intuitive enough for kids to use it but a lot of adults are also using it to prototype their ideas. Or in our case, try out making music.
SIEGEL: Or if not music, at least that sound. That's NPR's Elise Hu in Austin, Texas. Thank you, Elise.
HU: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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