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By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Simple blood tests may someday become a noninvasive and cost-effective way to detect colon cancer, two new studies suggest.
Researchers were to present studies in Berlin, Germany, on Monday that could offer an alternative to colonoscopy or fecal occult blood tests for diagnosing colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States and Europe.
"We have found biomarkers that can be used to screen for colorectal cancer," said Dr. Joost Louwagie, of OncoMethylome Sciences in Liege, Belgium, and lead researcher of one study. "These markers are found in blood, so a regular blood test performed during a regular physical check-up could check for the presence of colorectal cancer."
Louwagie was scheduled to present the finding at the 15th Congress of the European Cancer Organization and 34th Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology.
For this study, Louwagie's team took blood samples from 193 colon cancer patients and 688 people without colon cancer who were having colonoscopies. The researchers then looked at various genes linked to cancer to find the best ones to distinguish colon cancer.
The researchers found two genes -- SYNE1 and FOXE1 -- were present in abundance in people with colon cancer, but infrequent in those without the disease.
The sensitivity of the test, that is the number cancers it identified, was 58 percent, and the specificity, the proportion of noncancerous patients it identified, was 90 percent. In a second group of patients, specificity was 56 percent and sensitivity was 91 percent.
For patients with early-stage colon cancer, the sensitivity and specificity were lower, at 41 percent and 80 percent respectively, Louwagie noted.
This test will not replace colonoscopy or fecal occult blood tests, the standard tests for colon cancer, but may become another option that many people will find easy and acceptable, Louwagie said. "What we are trying to do is make sure as many people as possible are being screened," he noted.
Colon cancer is striking young patients, so any test that can detect the disease early could be a significant breakthrough, said Dr. Floriano Marchetti, an assistant professor of surgery and director of the Colon and Rectal Surgery Residency Program at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
"If such a screening test could reduce deaths from colon cancer it is very significant," Marchetti said. "A noninvasive, inexpensive blood test could get more people to be screened."
More trials are needed to prove the validity of the test, Louwagie said. Currently, the researchers hope to have a trial of some 7,000 people under way by the end of the year.
In a second study, to be presented at the meeting Monday, German researchers developed another blood test to diagnose tumors in patients with colon, rectal or gastric cancers, one they say will also predict the likelihood of metastasis.
The team, led by Ulrike Stein, from the ECRC Charite University of Medicine and the Max-Delbrueck-Centre for Molecular Medicine in Berlin, isolated RNA from the blood of patients with gastrointestinal tumors.
Blood samples were taken from 185 colon cancer patients, 190 rectal cancer patient and 91 gastric cancer patients. Samples were also taken from 51 tumor-free patients. The researchers looked for levels of S100A4 gene, which is known to be a metastasis progressor with diagnostic and prognostic relevance.
"We found that S100A4 mRNA was present at significantly higher levels in the group of cancer patients, no matter whether they had colorectal or gastric cancer, than in the tumor-free control group," Stein said in a statement. "And there were yet higher levels in the patients with metastases than in those where the disease had not yet metastasized."
In addition, patients who developed metastases later had higher S100A4 levels in their initial blood tests than those whose disease did not metastasize, Stein said. "This means that in future we might be able to identify those patients who are likely to develop metastases," she said.
These findings need to be replicated in larger populations, but the test could eventually be used to screen the general population to detect these cancers early, the researchers say.
"We are hoping that, by enabling the identification of those patients whose disease is likely to progress more quickly, we will be able to treat them in the future accordingly by tailoring therapy to their individual needs," Stein said.
Marchetti agreed. "Hopefully, with this screening you will detect a lot more stage I and II cancers than we do now which are likely to become aggressive," he said.
"This study shows, regardless of the stage, if you find an increased level of this gene in patients, even with early cancer, now you will have a reason to treat these patients with chemotherapy and radiation, and potentially cure more patients," Marchetti said.
Colorectal cancer strikes one in 17 people in their lifetime, according to background information provided in the study. Colonoscopy is highly sensitive but invasive, while fecal occult blood tests, which require patients to return stool samples to their doctor, are distasteful to some people. Since blood tests are already part of most physical examinations, a colon cancer blood test might improve screening rates, the researchers said.
More information
For more information on colon cancer, visit the American Cancer Society.
SOURCES: Joost Louwagie, M.D., OncoMethylome Sciences, Liege, Belgium; Floriano Marchetti, M.D., assistant professor of surgery, director of the Colon and Rectal Surgery Residency Program, University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center; Sept. 21, 2009, presentations, 15th Congress of the European Cancer Organization and 34th Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology, Berlin
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2012 is over so that means it's time for my year end awards! It's been another awesome year for Hard Rock and Heavy Metal with so many releases on CD, DVD, Vinyl and Digital formats, not just new studio albums but also live records, reissues and special edition releases. I have had more albums submitted for review this year from bands, labels and PR agents as digital promos have taken over as the easiest way to get the word out as quickly as possible and I have done my part as a consumer and purchased plenty of new and old albums & DVDs from record stores, Ebay, online vendors and direct from bands and labels. The only problem has been finding the time to do through everything!
With all this music it's been every hard to keep up so this has been the worst year for posting but I have made a serious push in November and December to listen to as many CDs, and watch as many DVDs, as possible to prepare for my year end lists. I said the same thing at the end of 2010 & 2011 but 2012 was in fact the worst year for posting at Heavy Metal Addiction…..I only managed to post 19 times! I couldn't even break 20 posts on a blog I started 7 years ago as an extension of my hobby! Pathetic! Obviously sitting in front of a computer writing wasn't something that interested me again this year.
I did listen to a lot of albums this year but I stayed mainly with albums in my collection even though I have piles on my desk, and in boxes right next it, chock full of CDs and DVDs released in 2011 and 2012. I bought a ton of new releases as they came out and I've spent some time listening to them, I just didn't get around to writing about them. I haven't completely abandoned this website as I plan to continue it because there's a lot to write about and I will try and catch up on as many reviews as I can but the reality is that there's no way to "catch up". I think it's best to try and concentrate on 2013 and add in what I can from previous years.
I have been re-listening to as many 2012 albums that I can since November so I can post my year end awards. Usually I break this up into a week's worth of posts but I decided to take advantage of a couple new WordPress features and do it all as one big article. I'm pairing down my lists a bit to give you the absolute cream of the crop in each category and I've also decided to re-define a couple categories. This year the Best DVD category will include DVDs that came with CD releases, because that seems to be the current trend, and the Worst Album category will get a name change to Most Disappointing Album so I can try and maintain some positive spin…..but if an album makes it into this category, then I thought it sucked! Last is the Miscellaneous Release category, that stays the same but there could be some crossover between this and the Best DVD category with all the multiple CD and DVD or Blu-Ray combo releases coming out. I tried to limit the crossovers but the best package is going to get on both lists.
That's all I've got for changes so I hope you enjoy the 2012 awards, please leave comments and give me your thoughts on what was the best & worst of the past year. I've got my sights set on 2013 and I expect and even bigger year in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal as I keep checking out new releases and catching up on things I missed from the last couple of years.
The Top 15 Albums of 2012
- Van Halen – A Different Kind Of Truth
- UFO – Seven Deadly
- 3 Inches Of Blood – Long Live Heavy Metal
- KISS – Monster
- Accept – Stalingrad
- Nightwish – Imaginaerum
- The Darkness – Hot Cakes
- Kamelot – Silverthorn
- Gojira – L'Enfant Sauvage
- Testament – Dark Roots Of Earth
- Rush – Clockwork Angels
- Lynyrd Skynyrd – Last Of A Dyin' Breed
- Lita Ford – Living Like A Runaway
- L.A. Guns – Hollywood Forever
- Lamb Of God – Resolution
There were a ton a great albums in 2012 but only one album can earn the top honor of being the best of the year and that is reserved for A Different Kind Of Truth from the "reunited" Van Halen. By reuniting with David Lee Roth a few years ago, the only thing the Van Halen brothers had to do was release a new album with Diamond Dave on lead vocals. Let's call it like it truly is: this isn't a TRUE Van Halen reunion because Michael Anthony is out of the band and replaced by Eddie's son Wolfgang. The good news is that A Different Kind Of Truth is a great album! Forget the fact that Eddie and Alex went through the Van Halen tape vault for ideas because EVERY band does it…..hasn't the father of Heavy Metal, Tony Iommi, stated often that he has tapes of riffs for miles? Every band looks for ideas and revisits demos and music they created years before, it's the updating that counts. This album has that unmistakable classic Diamond Dave/Van Halen sound circa the late '70s and early '80s and, even though he's a bit older, Dave does a great job on the mic. The first single, 'Tattoo', wasn't the best song on the album and might have been better suited to a follow-up single but everything after is classic Van Halen. 'She's The Woman' is a re-worked demo from the '70s that is clearly the best song on the album for me and it definitely fits that 1984 album era well. 'China Town', 'Blood And Fire', 'Stay Frosty', 'Big River'…..all new Van Halen classics that sit right up against anything in their back catalog. A Different Kind Of Truth is the true follow-up to 1984, unfortunately 28 years after the fact, and it's my top album of 2012.
Taking a look at the rest of the Top 5…..UFO released Seven Deadly and earned the 2nd spot with another excellent album of bluesy Hard Rock. UFO has done much wrong since they came back in 1995 and I can't find a weak track on the album. Phil Mogg's lyrics are modern poetry and there is no slack in the guitar department because Vinnie Moore has more than a few albums under his belt with the band. Hard to pick a favorite track here but 'The Last Stone Rider' is my favorite this week! Had Van Halen not released their new record, UFO would easily be #1. The third best goes to 3 Inches of Blood with Long Live Heavy Metal, probably the best pure and traditional Heavy Metal record of the year. Take one listen to the opener 'Metal Woman' or the Judas Priest influenced 'Leather Lord' and that's a great example of not only this record but the band's career. Of all the Metal albums I heard this year, 3 Inches of Blood got the most rotation on my stereo and iPod. My favorite band KISS comes up a bit short of the top spot but still maintains the #4 album with Monster. When it comes to KISS, I'm extremely critical because they are my favorite band and they have barely released anything since new in 15 years. We got Sonic Boom in 2009 and it took the top spot that year and Monster is just as good but I had a harder time getting into it like I did with Sonic Boom. Maybe it was the anticipation of the previous album, or the travelling circus atmosphere that KISS creates with everything they do, but after repeated listens the album is just as good if not better. Anyone worrying about Dave, Eddie and Alex recycling should give Gene Simmons grief too because it's obvious he does it but his songs are the better ones on the album. Paul Stanley has great moments too but I worried about his vocal issues going in and Gene hasn't lost a step vocally. a lot of good songs here: 'Wall Of Sound', 'Back To The Stone Age', 'Shout Mercy' and 'Eat Your Heart Out'…..here's hoping they give us another one! Rounding out the Top 5 is Accept's Stalingrad, the second record to feature new vocalist Mark Tornillo (formerly of TT Quick). The last Accept album with Mark debuting on vocals, Blood Of The Nations, was a superb record and Stalingrad is a great follow-up and it might be more powerful. I think Accept shares the same fate as KISS here, the anticipation for the first new album was so high on my part that a second release suffers just a little. Don't get me wrong, 'Hung, Drawn and Quartered', the title track, and 'Shadow Soldiers' are awesome tunes but can anyone explain the meaning behind 'Flash To Bang Time'?
Rounding out the Top 15…..Nightwish's Imaginaerum was very close to the Top 5 but came up short because they first 5 albums were so good. I expected nothing from The Darkness but I bought Hot Cakes when it came out and I loved it immeadiately, same thing with Silverthorn from Kamelot despite the change at singer. Gojira was a surprise of the year because I'd never bought an album from them before and L'Enfant Sauvage kicked major ass, so did the new Testament album at #10 and the new Lamb of God at #15, giving the more extreme side of Metal a presence. Rush picked up #11 with Clockwork Angels but I expected a great album so their was no surprise there but Lynyrd Skynyrd surprised with their latest album proving that good music always prevails despite the genre, time or legacy. Lita Ford had a great comeback with Living Like A Runaway, a very introspective Hard Rock record, especially after the debacle of Wicked Wonderland and L.A. Guns proved that they still write great songs and that usually the lead singer's version of the band will always out do the founding guitarist's version because the singing voice is the most identifiable thing to most fans.
The 5 Most Disappointing Albums of 2012
- Aerosmith – Music From Another Dimension
- Steve Harris – British Lion
- Geoff Tate – Kings & Thieves
- Slash – Apocalyptic Love
- Great White – Elation
Usually I call this "the worst albums" of whatever year it is but I wanted to keep a positive spin on this category because who am I to say an album sucks? I have no musical talent, I don't write songs or play an instrument. I could change it back next year if a bunch of albums do indeed suck but, for 2012, these are the most disappointing records of the year. I heard the first two singles from the new Aerosmith album and I was hooked right away, especially with 'Lover A Lot', but the bulk of Music From Another Dimension sounded formulaic and forced. Too many outside writers, too many ballads, too many predictable songs. Do we need another Diane Warren ballad? If it ain't broke, don't fix it and the ballad is what gave the band ultra-success from the Pump record straight through Nine Lives. I was really looking forward to a reunited Aerosmith and a bunch of rocking songs but there's too much filler. Take a page from KISS…..lock the band in the studio and do it mostly yourself.
There was a lot of surprise when it was announced Iron Maiden's founding bass player, Steve harris, was releasing a solo album that he had been working on for a long time. With Maiden's hectic schedule, who knew? Apparently Steve did and he enlisted musicians from a band he had been producing called British Lions, to create the British Lion record. It's supposed to be a throwback album to the days of classic Thin Lizzy and UFO that had a big impact on a young Harris but, aside from the hard Rock style, I didn't hear much of the influences. Let's call it like it is: anything Steve Harris does outside of Iron Maiden will always be compared to Iron Maiden. There's a different style to the music on this album compared to Maiden but I expected the same excellent quality from Steve. The songwriting seems too pedestrian, too simplistic……then again, we are used to epic lyrics on Maiden albums. The band can play well but Steve seems pushed back purposely in the mix (probably due to the Hard Rock style) and the singer has no range…..then again, we are spoiled with Bruce Dickinson in Iron Maiden. There's no helping the comparisons to Iron Maiden but the quality of the material just lacks on this solo album from Steve Harris.
Rounding out the Top 5 here…..Geoff Tate's new solo album comes on the heels of his split with the Queensryche camp, who are no strangers to this category! In the back of my mind, I knew this wouldn't be good but I had hope but Kings And Thieves was just plain boring. Same thing with Apocalyptic Love from Slash. Slash is an iconic guitarist and hopes were high for this album with lead singer Miles Kennedy (Alter Bridge) but it was just boring. remember that Izzy Stradlin and Axl Rose were the creative forces in Guns 'N Roses, not to say Slash didn't contribute, but anything he does will always come back to Guns…..and even then, Guns only had two albums of classic material with Appetite For Destruction and if you cherry pick off the Use Your Illusion albums. Last album in this category is Elation from Great White, featuring former XYZ singer Terry Ilous on vocals replacing the fired Jack Russell. I've read a lot of mixed reviews on this album but, for me personally, it comes down to the voice and Jack Russell's fits the bluesy Hard Rock of Great White's music better than Terry Ilous. It's by no means a bad album and, considering the vocalist change, it a solid effort. I just couldn't get into it and I expected a bit more after the last two records, Back To The Rhythm and Rising.
The Top 5 DVDs of 2012
- Scorpions – Live In 3D: Get Your Sting & Blackout
- Iron Maiden – En Vivo!
- Saxon – Heavy Metal Thunder Live: Eagles Over Wacken 2009
- Queen – Days Of Our Lives
- Ozzy Osbourne – Speak Of The Devil: Live At Irvine Meadows '82
This year I decided to included DVDs and/or Blu-rays that came with CD releases or box sets because this seems to be the way bands and labels are adding something extra for fans. My favorite DVD of the year is also the first Blu-ray release I ever bought…..Scorpions – Live In 3D: get Your Sting & Blackout. An excellently produced concert film with plenty of extras, this got the top spot because I saw this tour live over the summer and that put Live In 3D over the top. The Scorpions needed that emotional attachment because iron Maiden delivered another excellent DVD in a long line of excellent DVDs with En Vivo! Does Iron Maiden ever do anything wrong went it comes to video releases? Plenty of awesome concert footage from Santiago, Chile and plenty of documentary film as well the only thing I could complain about is to package the DVD or Blu-ray with the double CD live album for a special package (that's the next category). The new Saxon DVD is solid and part of the Heavy Metal Thunder Live: Eagles Over Wacken 2009 release, the DVD incorporates the band's best performances from the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany for 2004, 2007 and 2009…..that's 31 songs! and some behind the scenes footage and you've got a Saxon fan's dream DVD, only bettered by the super limited edition box set of this release that included separate DVDs of the full concerts. Had I been able to get one of those, Saxon would own the top spot easily. Rounding out the Top 5 is the Queen documentary, Days of Our Lives, finally getting a proper DVD release and the famous often duplicted, VHS only Ozzy Osbourne concert Speak Of The Devil: Live At Irvine Meadows '82.
The Top 10 Miscellaneous Releases of 2012
- Saxon – Heavy Metal Thunder Live: Eagles Over Wacken 2009
- UFO – The Chrysalis Years (1980 – 1986)
- Motorhead – The World Is Ours Vol.2: Anyplace Crazy As Anywhere Else
- Motorhead – The world Is Ours Vol.1: Everywhere Further Than Everywhere Else
- U.D.O. – Celebrator
- Judas Priest – Screaming For Vengeance (30th Anniversary Edition)
- KISS – Destroyer Resurrected
- U.D.O. – Live In Sofia
- Dio – The Very Beast Of Dio Vol.2
- Quiet Riot – Live At The US Festival '83
I never like to put these kind of releases into my top albums category because I like to reserve that for albums of new material but there are always other great new releases aside from new studio albums and 2012 was no exception.
The #1 spot goes to the 2CD/DVD release from Saxon – Heavy Metal Thunder Live: Eagles Over Wacken 2009 because that was my favorite release with the DVD of the best of the band's last 3 appearances at Wacken Open Air and the double audio CD from Glascow on the Call To Arms Tour in 2011. My only regret is not knowing about the preorder for the limited edition that came with extra DVDs and CDs but it was also a couple hundred bucks. The second slot goes to the second volume of the UFO back catalog on Chrysalis Records from 1980 thru 1986. You get 5 CDs that include the 5 post Michael Schenker albums (No Place To Run, The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent, Mechanix, Making Contact, & Misdemeanor) all with bonus tracks, plus a full BBC In Concert from February 1980 and the live tracks from the Headstone compilation from Hammersmith 1983. I was lucky to have the label send me a copy but to get all this at retail for around $50 is a steal! I already have all the UFO albums on Japanese import with bonus tracks but this is another great compilation for a great band.
The #3 and #4 spots belong to Motorhead with The World is Ours Vols 1 & 2. I couldn't decide which was better so I put the second volume first because it was fresher in the memory. Both sets have 2CD live sets and a live DVD in great packaging just like the Saxon set. Their label UDR is really putting out great stuff! U.D.O. also gets 2 slots in this Top 10 with the Celebrator two disc compilation of rare tracks and the Live In Sofia 2CD/DVD set. I put Live In Sofia at #8 but it's a solid live package, AFM Records doing what UDR is doing and, for $14 on sale, it was a no brainer. The Celebrator album is really great because it collects all those hard to find Japanese bonus tracks remixed, some previously unreleased songs and a few songs from various tribute albums. I could have done with out the remix treatment and had the originals but I'm sure that was done to get thru legal label red tape. Its a great compilation of 25 songs on two discs with a great full color booklet. I put the Judas Priest Screaming For Vengeance 30th Anniversary Edition in at #6 more for the DVD from the US Festival '83 than anything else, same with Quiet Riot at #10…..now that makes three bands that have released live DVDs of their US Festival performances (Triumph did it a few years ago). KISS released Destroyer Resurrected and it made #7, basically it was a 36 year celebration release restoring all the original artwork and having producer Bob Ezrin remix the album. It's a nice novelty to have especially for the original guitar solo on 'Sweet Pain' as a bonus track but I will admit that my KISS fanaticism pushed this higher. Last to mention is The Very Beast of Dio Vol. 2 covering the best of the Dio band's work from the '90s up until Ronnie's death, the track here to have is 'Electra' the first completed song from what would have been from the Magica II album that the band was working on when Ronnie James Dio passed away.
3 Releases I Missed In 2011
- Royal Hunt – Future Coming From The Past DVD
- Benedictum – Dominion
- Skeletonwitch – Forever Abomination
Just a quick note on a couple releases I missed out on in 2011…..the Royal Hunt DVD is a formal worldwide release of the Japan only video release of Live 1996 and, even though it's all over Youtube, it's a welcome addition to my collection. Benedictum keeps churning out great albums and their third, Dominion, is awesome as is Forever Abomination from Skeltonwitch, a band I finally got around to checking out in 2012.

subset: commoncrawl


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Recent Status Updates
Today is a wonderful day..... A great weekend filled with friends. Probably the only person that hasn't watched all the Marvel Movies.... So we started at the beginning..... IronMan, The Hulk, Thor and Avengers....· 0 replies
My husbands favorite movie is Guardians of the Galaxy. So i'm getting to know all the people.
- This update has no replies.
I have been struggling to find where I fit in in the body image and weight loss communities. At the same time I've been struggling with keeping track with my pre-surgery weight loss. I'm still down about 7 pounds. Working on getting that motivation back!· 0 replies
- This update has no replies.
Turns out that I'm normal....how disappointing 😔· 0 replies
Today is 3 weeks since my VSG and my scales showed a loss of 100g for last week.
So I thanked my body for doing a great job of losing 10kg in the past 34 days and I understand it needs to make some internal adjustments to my physiology.
However, I can now fit my first goal pants comfortably, so no real complaints from me.
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Home from Jesse Brown VA Medical Ctr in Chicago, surgery was on 7/21, they kept me in ICU the entire time. First 2 days were rough on me, my breathing was shallow & my heartrate was lower than they liked. Day 3 was easier, but they kept me 1 more day, day four (today) made the over 350mi ride home, over 6hrs. Stopped a few times to walk, go to the bathroom(#1). Still on clear liquid diet, boy those sugar free popsicles sure taste good. Crushed ice has been my fav too. I am sipping on water, broth, sf Gatorade & sf jello as instructed. Holding a pillow on my tummy helped along with walking, they sent me home wearing a binder, that was a godsend along with a pillow, it softened the seatbelt and rough spots in the road. Doing ok, Boy, was my trip home miserable, my husband b*****d at me for every & anything, said this surgery was elective & is bogus, said he was disgusted with me & wanted to divorce me. He also loaded up on a dbl qtr pounder, fries & soda infront of me, I had no desire for his food, thank god, but that wasn't nice of him! This journey has really made me determined to stand up for my self when I recover. We've been together for 34yrs, since we were 17yo, but his words & actions today hurt the most. I know I have to stand strong & do what is best for me, even without his support.· 4 replies
Speedy Recovery !
Do this for you.
However, you might want to have your own bank account and credit in your own name and build yourself up emotionally, financially, medically and move from your strengths to another strength. An unsupportive family is tough. That is going to be hard. But you have come this far. You are going to make it !!!
Could be that he is terrified for you, and for himself.
Take small steps and celebrate your recovery and new outlook on life !
Thanks to all, I usually don't air my dirty laundry but needed the support at a time when I am not receiving it at home. He's always been an a**h*** to me. I do have my own bank acct & income & medical care, through the years I've tried to put safety plans aside for myself. I also own my home, my name only, clear & free. I guess if I am smart I'd beat him to filing divorce. It's just so much to digest & years wasted. It really hurt when I couldn't get ahold of him to come pick me up from the hosp during discharge, later he screamed & cursed me that he wasn't ready. He knew that day would come, he should've been ready, but no, he wanted to drink the night before & sleep it off when I was being discharged. I am just glad I am home. I am determined to do what is best for my surgery & health.
Get healthy, make a plan then kick that ass out of your house.


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Yoyogi Park Torii Gate
Yoyogi Park Torii Gate to enter Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, Japan.
Kazaridaru, Sake Barrels at Meiji Shrine
Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, Japan.
Sake barrels, called kazaridaru, at Meiji Jingu shrine
View from Tokyo Tower in Japan
Tokyo Tower, Tokyo, Japan.
Seaweed and spinach, yum!
Delicious soup at a small ramen noodle shop we found on our wanders around Tokyo!
The busy skyline from Tokyo Tower looking out on Odaibo, a man made island out in the distance. Tokyo Tower has observation decks at 150 and 250 meters, with sweeping 360 degree views over the cityscape. I loved peeking into the neighborhoods, each with a different vibe and character, from so high up. Zojoji Temple is visible in the lower left hand corner, this is where I took the shot earlier of the Garden of Unborn Children.
View of Zozo-ji Temple from Tokyo Tower in Japan
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Species In-Depth
At the Aquarium
This species is not currently on exhibit at the Aquarium.
Geographic Distribution
Australia, South Africa, the Red Sea, through the Indo-Pacific area, Melanesia, Polynesia, Micronesia, Pitcairn Islands and the Hawaiian Islands and Galapagos Islands. Also ranges from Panama to Costa Rica, including Cocos Island.
The whitetip reef shark is typically a bottom dwelling fish tending to prefer relatively shallow waters around coral and rock reefs with interspersed sandy areas. Their favorite reef configurations include caves and ledges that they use for protection. The species has been reported as deep as 330 m (1,083 ft).
Physical Characteristics
Whitetip reef sharks have a slender fusiform body, an extremely short and blunt snout, a broad flattened head with prominent brow ridges, distinctively horizontally oval eyes placed laterally, and a down-turned semicirular mouth that gives this fish a rather dour expression. Spiracles are usually present, but may be reduced in size or absent. The fins are relatively large. The tip of the first dorsal fin and the tip of the slender upper lobe of the caudal fin are typically white, the characteristic markings from which the fish received its descriptive common name. Other fins may inconsistently have similar markings. The upper half of the body may be gray or grayish-brown fading to off-white or a creamy color on the ventral side. Small gray spots may be scattered over some or all of the body.
Whitetips are not large sharks. They have been reported to about 2.1 m (7 ft) but specimens over 1.6 m (5.3 ft) are rarely seen. Maximum reported weight is 18.3 kg (40.3 lb).
These fish are not fussy eaters and their diet consists of a large variety of small bony reef fishes, including eels, and various invertebrates such as octopuses, crabs, and lobsters.
Male whitetips become sexually mature at about 1 m (3.3 ft) in length. Females are only slightly larger when they mature. It is thought that maturity comes at about five years of age.
Time of the year for breeding varies from one geographical region to another. This species is placental viviparous. Fertilization is internal. Embryos receive their initial nourishment from the yolk sac followed by conversion of the yolk stalk into an umbilical cord and the yolk sac into the placenta. This connection to the mother shark provides them with nourishment and metabolic exchanges during the gestation period which lasts at least five months. Litters consist of 1-5 pups, most commonly 2-3, which range in length from 52 to 60 cm (20.5 to 23.6 in). There is no parental care after birth.
When swimming, this species displays a very active undulating pattern. They seem to be content with a relatively small home range and may spend up to a year or more in an area within 0.3 to 3 km (0.2 to 1.8 mi) of a home base. They are not aggressively territorial and are willing to share the space with others of their species.
Daytime is mostly spent resting. Individuals will gather in aggregations, frequently lying on each other or otherwise crowded together in caves, under ledges, or in other similarly protected areas. It is common for them to return to the same place every day for their rest period, only occasionally changing location. They may also be seen lying motionless on a sandy bottom.
They are not generally considered to be dangerous. They tend to be rather shy, but are sometimes curious and will cautiously investigate a diver until satisfied and then leave. They tend to become excited around spear fishers and can become aggressive if they identify food in the water. They have also been known to protect themselves if harassed.
Because this shark is most active during the night hours it probably relies less on its sight ability than its sonic and olfactory senses that are well developed in most sharks. Also, as in other sharks, it has the ability to detect minute electrical charges produced by potential prey using specialized organs called ampullae of Lorenzini that are located on the snout.
This species may live to 25 years or more.
The IUCN lists this species as near-threatened because of reduction in habitat and depth range, small litter size, and relatively late age of maturity.
Fisheries records are limited, but this species is fished and used as food in varying quantities wherever it occurs. Because of its relatively limited habitat, it is easily captured in shallow water gill nets and may also be taken by long line or other hook and line fishing. Its commercial demand appears to be limited but overfishing could become a problem as populations of other species decrease. It has on occasion been reported to be ciguatoxic.
Tiger sharks (Galeccerdo cuvier) and giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) prey on whitetips.
Special Notes
In Hawaii this shark is regarded by some people as a guardian spirit, aumakua, and is treated with reverence.
Whitetip reef sharks belong to the family Carcharhinidae which first appeared 63 million years ago (mya), two years after the extinction of dinosaurs. Fossil evidence of whitetips have been dated to 42 million years ago.


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Welcome to our donation page.
It costs the Minster £3000 a week to operate. Like most historic churches, we do not receive any financial support from the Government. We therefore rely heavily on donations from our congregation, local people and businesses, and members of the public.
Our vision is to continue to care for and develop this historic building to meet the needs of the 21st century.
Our ambition is to improve facilities within the Minster including improved lighting, staging, new education facilities and the restoration of the historic organs. We also hope to build up an endowment for our music programme.
To do all that we need your help. If you would like to make a donation, please select from one of the following options.
Standing Order
A good way to manage your giving to the church is by Standing Order – this will enable us to anticipate our income and help us manage the church's budget.
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Local Giving
Helps grassroots organisations fundraise online, develop their digital skills and connect with local people. It's a good way to donate to the Minster for a specific project.
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If you would like to donate via cheque or speak with someone regarding a donation you can contact us via the Minster Office
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Thank You


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Market Update for the Month Ending November 30, 2017
Another strong month for markets
Both domestic and international stock markets had another good month in November. Here in the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average led the way with a gain of 4.24 percent. The S&P 500 Index and Nasdaq Composite followed with returns of 3.07 percent and 2.34 percent, respectively. All three indices hit all-time highs during the month.
Gains were driven by improving fundamentals. According to FactSet, as of November 24, the blended earnings growth rate for the S&P 500 for the third quarter was 6.3 percent. This was up from the estimate of 4.7 percent at the end of October and more than double the 3.1-percent estimate at the end of the quarter. Improvements were widespread, with 8 of 11 sectors beating their September estimates. As fundamentals ultimately drive performance, the better-than-expected results helped propel stocks to record highs. From a technical standpoint, all three U.S. indices remained above their 200-day moving averages for the month—a signal of probable continued strength.
International markets also moved up in November, although they didn't do as well as U.S. markets. The MSCI EAFE Index rose by a solid 1.05 percent for the month. As was the case in the U.S., this positive performance was driven primarily by improving earnings growth and general economic expansion. There was some volatility earlier in the month due to political drama in Germany. The strong fundamentals allowed the index to recover by month's end, however.
Emerging markets, as measured by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, improved by 0.21 percent in November. Volatility was likewise an issue during the month, tempering gains. Despite their troubles, both foreign indices remained above their 200-day trend lines.
November was more difficult for fixed income, as yields on the short end of the curve increased in anticipation of a rate hike and the potential for a government shutdown in December. The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index declined by 0.13 percent in November. High-yield faced similar headwinds, with the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Corporate High Yield Index falling by 0.26 percent. Looking forward, the market expects the Federal Reserve to hike the federal funds rate by 25 basis points at the December meeting.
Economic news to be grateful for
November's economic releases were generally positive, with notable improvements across the board. Following the disruptions caused by the hurricanes in the third quarter, job creation in October rebounded from negative headline figures with a print of 261,000 new jobs. The details of the report were also strong: unemployment and underemployment both declined, and wages held constant. This performance, following dampened results in September, shows the continued strength of the job market.
It is not surprising, therefore, that consumer confidence climbed during the month. The Conference Board's consumer confidence survey was especially positive. A greater-than-expected increase to 129.5 left this measure at a 17-year high heading into the important holiday retail season.
Although consumer confidence figures have been high since last year's election, hard spending data has fallen short of sentiment. Not so for the latest retail sales report. The headline figure grew, against expectations for a flat month. September's figures also were revised upward. Combined, this news paints a picture of solid if not spectacular growth in the fourth quarter.
Businesses also experiencing growth
The positive results for consumer confidence and spending were echoed by similar results for businesses. Manufacturing confidence, as measured by the Institute for Supply Management's Manufacturing index, declined slightly to 58.2—a still healthy number that indicates ongoing expansion. The Nonmanufacturing index performed better, increasing to 60.1 against expectations for a decline to 58.5. As the service sector accounts for the majority of economic activity, this increase to a 12-year high is a very positive signal.
Here as well, better sentiment was accompanied by improvements in actual spending. Core durable goods orders—which exclude the volatile transportation sector and are a better proxy for business investment—increased by 0.4 percent in October. In addition, the strong September figure was revised upward. Core business spending has shown solid growth this year compared to last year (see Figure 1), and growth is currently close to a five-year high. This is important, as this has been a weak area in the expansion.
Figure 1. Change in Core Durable Goods Orders, Year-Over-Year (2013–2017)
The housing industry also had a strong month. Here, again, improvements in industry sentiment were matched by additional investment. Homebuilder confidence rose during the month to an eight-month high, as strong consumer demand and rising prices continued to offset the high costs of labor and materials. The supply of new and existing housing stock remains near historic lows. This, coupled with strong demand, has kept the industry confident.
Consumer demand came in much better than expected, with existing home sales growing at 6.2 percent, against expectations for a decline of similar proportions. On an annualized basis, the level of new home sales is the highest it has been since October 2007. Builders have started to react to low supply levels, with both housing starts and building permits increasing by more than double their expected growth rates for the month. As long as consumer demand remains strong, builders are expected to continue to invest in new construction, which will be positive for the economy.
With consumer, business, and housing spending all increasing, faster growth is quite possible for the second half of the year. In fact, the second estimate of third-quarter gross domestic product growth came in at 3.3 percent, up from the initial estimate of 3 percent. If this level holds, it will mark the first two consecutive quarters of growth above 3 percent that we've seen since 2014.
The rest of the world is growing as well. European growth continues to improve, with several countries growing faster than the U.S. Meanwhile, growth in China remains solid, and even Japan has started to improve. This is the first synchronized global growth cycle we have seen since the crisis, which could help all countries around the world.
Political risks remain elevated
With the economic news good, the major source of risk remains political. In Europe, the inconclusive German election and stalled coalition talks rattled European markets mid-month and still have the potential to create more uncertainty. The ongoing Brexit process in the U.K. is also creating concern. Looking to Asia, North Korean nuclear tests continue to destabilize the region.
The immediate political risks, however, are here in the U.S. The two major stories highlighting the rest of the year are tax reform and the debt ceiling. If tax reform passes, it could be positive for the markets. But that passage is uncertain—and that uncertainty could create volatility.
Of more concern is the potential government shutdown in early December. The current debt ceiling agreement expires on December 8. Without a new agreement between Republican and Democratic lawmakers, the government will shut down. Although the most likely outcome remains some sort of agreement, a shutdown—with all the uncertainty and turmoil that implies—remains a very real possibility.
Markets remain strong
The good thing about the political risks, however, is that the economy is in good shape to weather them. With the combination of economic growth, earnings growth, and high confidence likely to lead to faster growth for the second half, any political disruption will be cushioned by the strong economy. This, combined with the potential for passage of a business-friendly tax bill, signals that we may see faster growth over the next couple of quarters than we have for some time.
If not, market volatility is very possible. But even then, any short-term shocks should be offset by the strong economic and corporate fundamentals. As always, a well-diversified portfolio matched to your risk tolerance remains the best way to meet your financial goals over the long term.
All information according to Bloomberg, unless stated otherwise.
Disclosure: Certain sections of this commentary contain forward-looking statements based on our reasonable expectations, estimates, projections, and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Diversification does not assure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets. All indices are unmanaged and investors cannot invest directly into an index. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted average of 30 actively traded blue-chip stocks. The S&P 500 Index is a broad-based measurement of changes in stock market conditions based on the average performance of 500 widely held common stocks. The Nasdaq Composite Index measures the performance of all issues listed in the Nasdaq Stock Market, except for rights, warrants, units, and convertible debentures. The MSCI EAFE Index is a float-adjusted market capitalization index designed to measure developed market equity performance, excluding the U.S. and Canada. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is a market capitalization-weighted index composed of companies representative of the market structure of 26 emerging market countries in Europe, Latin America, and the Pacific Basin. It excludes closed markets and those shares in otherwise free markets that are not purchasable by foreigners. The Bloomberg Barclays Aggregate Bond Index is an unmanaged market value-weighted index representing securities that are SEC-registered, taxable, and dollar-denominated. It covers the U.S. investment-grade fixed-rate bond market, with index components for a combination of the Bloomberg Barclays government and corporate securities, mortgage-backed pass-through securities, and asset-backed securities. The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Corporate High Yield Index covers the USD-denominated, non-investment-grade, fixed-rate, taxable corporate bond market. Securities are classified as high-yield if the middle rating of Moody's, Fitch, and S&P is Ba1/BB+/BB+ or below.
Presented by Masso Torrence
Authored by Brad McMillan, senior vice president, chief investment officer, and Sam Millette, fixed income analyst, at Commonwealth Financial Network®.
© 2017 Commonwealth Financial Network®


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Have Your Car Audio System Installed by The Experts
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text: A new Request for Comments is now available in online RFC libraries. RFC 6713 Title: The 'application/zlib' and 'application/gzip' Media Types Author: J. Levine Status: Informational Stream: IETF Date: August 2012 Mailbox: standards at taugh.com Pages: 4 Characters: 6525 Updates/Obsoletes/SeeAlso: None I-D Tag: draft-levine-application-gzip-03.txt URL: http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc6713.txt This document defines the 'application/gzip' and 'application/zlib' media types for compressed data using the gzip and zlib compression formats. This document is not an Internet Standards Track specification; it is published for informational purposes. INFORMATIONAL: This memo provides information for the Internet community. It does not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution of this memo is unlimited. This announcement is sent to the IETF-Announce and rfc-dist lists. To subscribe or unsubscribe, see http://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/ietf-announce http://mailman.rfc-editor.org/mailman/listinfo/rfc-dist For searching the RFC series, see http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfcsearch.html. For downloading RFCs, see http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc.html. Requests for special distribution should be addressed to either the author of the RFC in question, or to rfc-editor at rfc-editor.org. Unless specifically noted otherwise on the RFC itself, all RFCs are for unlimited distribution. The RFC Editor Team Association Management Solutions, LLC


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In an effort to prove that I have more things to talk about than running and derby, here are some grammar gripes. All of them (with the exception of #2) were witnessed in ONE day of facebook postings. I'd like to copy/paste the postings here, but there's always a chance I could embarrass someone and lose a reader. And I can't really afford that!
#1– People who don't know how to use an apostrophe. And I'm not talking about whether it's James or James'. I'm talking about people putting apostrophes in normal words. Like Friday's. Not the restaurant chain, either. Like "I have Friday's off this summer." Here's a handy guide in case you need it: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apostrophe/.
#2– The number of times I used "like" in #1.
#3– Nouns as verbs. I get it… let's Google someone. Let's facebook our relationship status. Whatever. But people do not verse one another in sporting events. They PLAY one another. Verse is a paragraph in poetry or a part of a song. Not an action.
#4– Pretending people are your family, when they're not. Or calling out one's relationship when talking directly to them. Examples: calling someone a "sister" if they're not, using the word "girlfriend" to describe a female friend, referring to a group of unrelated people (coworkers, teammates) as a family. (I realize this isn't technically a grammar issue, but roll with it).
#5– Extraneous letters, especially the letter 'd.' It's congratulations or congrats, not congradulations or congrads. Yes, even if the person who is being congratulated happens to be a graduate. Also, just because we shorten it to "fridge," doesn't mean there's a d in refrigerator.
Note 2: I'm sure there are typos/grammatical errors in this post. Feel free to point them out. I deserve it.


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Accenture historically ran its core financial processing on a single global instance of SAP® Business Suite on Microsoft SQL in an on-premise data center. As Accenture has become a more diverse business, it needed to operate with more insight, agility, efficiency and compliance across multiple business units and business processes. This means that both business and IT capabilities must contend with a faster pace of change, growth and diverse businesses—all driving Accenture to transform its technical architecture supporting finance, HR and analytics capabilities. In response, Accenture undertook a multi-phased program to implement SAP S/4HANA®—an SAP S/4HANA 1610 brownfield conversion at scale, while also leveraging SAP Business Warehouse on HANA for analytics capabilities.
A program team with Accenture's internal IT and finance professionals teamed with Accenture's SAP Business Group and SAP to drive the transformation program. They embarked on the journey along two parallel tracks: rotating Accenture's finance capability to the New and enhancing digital financial reporting and analytics.
Internal Finance organization, Director of Strategic initiatives.
The first track of the program consists of a three-phased approach designed to minimize impact to the business while laying the foundation for future business needs. The first two phases, now complete, were prerequisites for enabling the program and entailed implementing SAP Business Suite Powered by SAP HANA® followed by implementing SAP S/4HANA. The third phase will continue to leverage the capabilities of SAP S/4HANA.
Move to SAP Business Suite on HANA
Laying the technical foundation began with the migration of Accenture's finance and HR systems from SAP Business Suite on Microsoft SQL to SAP Business Suite on HANA. The implementation took six months, and set the foundation for the SAP S/4HANA upgrade to enable the transformation of Accenture's technology architecture and IT capabilities.
Upgrade to SAP S/4HANA
The second phase established the transformational technology foundation with the implementation of SAP S/4HANA 1610. As Accenture had already optimized its global financial processes and technical architecture, it chose a brownfield conversion (i.e., in-place upgrade and data migration), leveraging Accenture's SAP methodology.
The upgrade entailed the following major steps:
In a fail fast-mode, to quickly find critical issues, the upgrade began with running a prototype of SAP S/4HANA 1610 to see if it was possible to run Accenture finance and HR processes on SAP S/4HANA and to identify the remediation scope.
The scope focused on high-value areas including enabling Accenture's economic model on SAP S/4HANA and aligning Accenture's design with SAP S/4HANA enhanced capabilities in treasury, fixed assets and cross-business process master data (customer, vendor and business partner).
Given the significant remediation scope and complexity, the program team used Accenture's agile delivery methodology. Coming out of the prototype, the program team prioritized its scope into three sprints.
The cutover involved upgrading the software and converting Accenture's global data to SAP S/4HANA structures using Accenture's methodology and tools. Over a nine-month period, the program team went through multiple technical and four production-like mock conversions.
The program team conducted extensive automated testing validating against finance and HR processes requirements and performance service level agreements. A key test differentiator was to conduct a parallel financial close test, comparing Accenture's financial results processed in SAP Business Suite on HANA and SAP S/4HANA to ensure the ongoing integrity of Accenture's financial results.
The end-user impact was primarily in treasury, fixed assets and business partner master data. The training focused on the changes for the end users with side-by-side comparisons of the old versus new technology, system demonstrations, as well as applicable business examples.
Business readiness
As SAP S/4HANA is the hub of Accenture's finance and HR master data, and integrates with 360 downstream systems, most Accenture processes and systems were impacted. To ensure business readiness, the program team developed an integrated change and communication plan across the impacted functions and systems.
Service introduction
Service introduction was developed for the cutover, stabilization and steady-state operations. The final decision to cut over involved acceptance by finance and HR leadership, the integrating application teams, 40 vendors and program leadership.
Further technical capability transformation to meet new business needs
Going forward, Accenture will evaluate business needs and leverage SAP S/4HANA functionalities to drive further value to the business. This value includes a more flexible and agile platform to support diverse businesses, enhancing intelligent, real-time digital financial reporting, insights and analytics and the ability to leverage future SAP capabilities.
In parallel to Track 1, Accenture enhanced its digital financial reporting and analytics on two fronts: a migration of Accenture's SAP Business Warehouse on Microsoft SQL to SAP HANA in Microsoft Azure and enablement of a new treasury and accounts receivables analytics data mart on HANA. The objective of the new analytics data mart was to benefit from new HANA live data access and advanced analytic capabilities in the finance domain.
The SAP S/4HANA cutover executed to a 99.95 percent precision rate, with good performance and without impacting Accenture's business. Accenture's implementation of SAP S/4HANA for the company's central ERP system is a demonstration of truly leading in the New as Accenture is among the first companies of its size and scale to migrate to SAP S/4HANA.
Accenture is experiencing as well as anticipating numerous benefits to develop over time:


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Updated! $10000
1989 E30 318i with an e36 325i swapped 6 cylinder.
Engine has cams, port and polish, custom headers, custom stainless exhaust, lightened flywheel, clutchmasters clutch.
All new mounts and poly bushings.
New front brakes
BC Racing coilovers
15x7 racing dynamics wheels
210xxxkm on the car. Was purchased in Germany in 89 and imported in 1990 and owned by an older lady until I purchased it 18months ago
Looking for cash $10000 ono or swap for a 86
located in Canberra
Last edited by blake12345; 18th September 2018 at 05:25 PM.
Updated! $10000
Got any pics?
Hey theres a heap here
Ive just dropped the price to $9750


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Sunday School
Every Sunday, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Are you passionate about your faith? Do you enjoy working with children? Want to give back to your congregation? We are currently staffing our Sunday School program for the coming fall. There are still four positions available, but they're filling up fast. Please contact Deirdre Weatherston ( ) if you would like to join our Sunday School faculty. No experience is necessary, as BOCE will provide an easy-to-follow curriculum for each class. Thank you to those who have volunteered their services already. Your commitment to furthering the Christian education of our youth is greatly appreciated.


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The Israel Lacrosse Association issued a statement Tuesday saying that its women's national team will forfeit if it is scheduled to play a World Cup game between sunset Friday, July 19 and sunset Saturday, July 20, which is Judaism's holy day of Shabbat that week.
The opening rounds of the 19-team Women's World Cup begin Thursday, and only the top eight teams would be eligible to play in the championship bracket on July 19 or 20. The Federation of International Lacrosse has told the Israelis it will not rework the schedule if they advance and are slated to play on Shabbat.
Israel's team, which includes five players and two coaches with Baltimore-area ties, informed the FIL of its desire not to play during Shabbat before the schedule was released, and the organization did not schedule Israel to play an opening-round game during this week's Sabbath.
Israel also said that in the event the team is scheduled to play on Shabbat, it will ask its opponent to play an exhibition match before or after the holy day.
"It is our hope that our scheduled opponent is willing to compete against us in an exhibition match to offer finality to what is sure to be an exceptional week of lacrosse," the organization said in a statement.
Midfielder Kim Dubansky (Johns Hopkins, McDonogh), attacker Jenna Block (McDonogh), defender Katie Mazer (Bryn Mawr), goalie Sarah Meisenberg (Severn) and defender Davia Procida (Wilde Lake) play for the Israelis. McDonogh grad Lauren Paul Norris coaches the squad, and Baltimore native Laura Liebman is one of her assistants.
MLL changes All-Star team names after backlash
Major League Lacrosse announced Supernova and Eclipse as the new names for Saturday night's All-Star teams after the original names, Homewreckers and Funk Meisters, drew criticism.
The original team names referred to menu items at Moe's Southwest Grill, the title sponsor of the event in Charlotte, N.C.
"We apologize if anyone was offended by our choice as it was never our intention to offend anyone," the league said in a statement.
The 38 All-Stars will receive their team assignments on the eve of the game, as chosen by the Ultimate Fan Fantasy winners — 17-year-old Cameron MacKenzie of St. Charles, Ill., who will serve as the Eclipse captain, and 15-year-old Frank Ranfone of Guilford, Conn., the Supernova captain. In a playground-style selection process, MacKenzie and Ranfone will select the teams.
The game will be televised on ESPN2 at 7 p.m.
STX signs Baum
Baltimore-based STX announced Monday that it has signed a one-year deal with 2012 Tewaaraton Award winner and LXM Pro Tour player Peter Baum.
As a part of his role with STX, the former Colgate star will be involved in product development and testing to provide feedback on equipment. Baum will also represent STX in the LXM Pro, in public appearances and demo sessions at select events. Baum debuted on Team STX in the LXM Pro this year, scoring a goal in the tour's season opener June 8 in Orange County, Calif., and two goals June 22 in Del Mar, Calif.
Century grad Wolfe heading to Penn
Penn announced that Century attacker Kailey Wolfe will join the program as part of the class of 2017.
Latest Sports
A four-time letter-winner, Wolfe won two state championships (2010, 2012) and was twice a state semifinalist. She was a three-time All-Carroll County selection, earning second-team honors in 2012 and 2013 with honorable mention in 2010. She also lettered three times in field hockey, serving as team captain.


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WTF Of The Week: 12-Year-Old Boy Scouts Offer To Give Breast Exams [Onion News Scam Of The Year]
The infamous Onion news is as it again. They report "Two prospective Eagle Scouts explain how they are preventing breast cancer by helping women examine their breasts. ". Credit and shout out to chacityluv
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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Registration is now open for the Lindenwood University Campus YMCA's fourth annual Spring into Service day. The event, geared toward making an impact in the community, will take place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 12.
Volunteers will join together to complete service projects at several different agencies, including O.A.S.I.S. Food Pantry and Thrift Store, Emmaus Homes, the St. Louis Crisis Nursery, Blackhurst Elementary School, the St. Charles Parks and Recreation Department, Five Acres Animal Shelter, and the Boys and Girls Club of St. Charles County. Planned projects include landscaping, painting, making care packages, sorting and distributing food pantry items, and more.
Breakfast, transportation, lunch, and a free t-shirt will be provided. Volunteers are also invited to attend a barbecue at the Campus YMCA following completion of the day's projects.
For more information, contact the Campus YMCA at (636) 949-4787 or email email@example.com. To register, visit springintoservice14.eventbrite.com.


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Kourtney Kardashian and her fiancee Scott Disick have introduced another Kardashian to keep up with.
The reality TV star told E! News that her second child, Penelope Scotland Disick, was born early Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, weighing a healthy 7 pounds, 14 ounces.
"Scott and I are overjoyed to welcome our precious angel Penelope Scotland Disick into our lives," Kardashian said in a statement to E! News.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
The couple already has a son together, 2-year-old Mason.
Little sister Kim took to Twitter to announce the arrival of her niece.
"Welcome to the world Penelope Scotland Disick!!!!," Kim Kardashian tweeted at 11:01 p.m. PT.
Matriarch Kris Jenner was also thrilled about the newest addition to the Kardashian clan.
"She looks just like Mason. She's so beautiful. We are so happy," Jenner told E! News.
Kardashian and Disick are still deciding whether they will feature Penelope's birth on the family's reality show, "Keeping Up With The Kardashians."
Selected Reading: E! News, NY Daily News


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1.Tweet to spread and acquire knowledge and not to impress.
2.Don't brag. Noone looks or sounds cheaper than a braggart.
3.Keep moving forward despite the tragedy of our Braveheart daughter. Don't wallow in guilt complex.
4.Keep thinking how we could have handled it differently and what to do to prevent other similar tragedies.
5. Avoid grandstanding.
6.Have the courage to admit your faults at least to yourself, if not to others.
7.There are three kinds of human beings--- those who have the magnanimity to admit their faults to others as well as to themselves; those who have the courage to admit their faults to themselves, but not to others; and those who are not prepared to admit them either to others or to themselves. They are at the bottom of the scale of evolution of personality.
8. You are old? So what? Your ability to contribute to an improvement of your society depends not on your age, but on your mindset.
9. The greatest tribute that one should try to earn from others is---there was never anything mean about him or her. ( 31-12-12)


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Letters If there's one subject that's bound to divide opinion, it's the surveillance society, and Clive Longbottom's analysis of the database state certainly did just that:
Can we have one of these next Monday called 'Quocirca "Analysis": Is wasting two pages' worth of your readers' time a good idea?'
Seriously, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be getting out of Mr. Longbottom's latest. It seems to reduce to:
'Government-held personal information databases are good, except when they're not, and they can be very easily misused, so here's a vague idea that might give you a hint of the degree of indirection which is necessary to keep this stuff secure -- except we can't do it that way because then we'll have more dead children because one agency couldn't find out what another agency knew! So let's see how it all works out, and call that good.'
You appear to suggest that all the information held on us, by whoever, should be readily available to anyone else who wants it. You then go on to speak of safeguards akin to those used to protect our nuclear warheads although in Britain this would require permission from a foreign government.
Why would the fire brigade need to verify my ID, and how? Am I to visit them so they can scan my irises before they come to fight my fire? ID cards will not protect you from aggravated assault unless muggers are required to present their credentials to prospective victims. Your insurance premiums are high because the insurance community is still recouping its losses incurred in the attack on the twin towers.
You are promoting the use of technology which will most likely be run by its suppliers, not any government agency, and who is to say that these are not the very people who will use it against us? Try getting insurance against cancer when your DNA marks you as genetically pre-disposed.
May I suggest that you identify the problem, then look to a solution, not fasten on ID cards first then try to work out how they will help. Our government wants us to have ID cards and if it knows why it is not telling us. They are being advised by the providers of the technology whose motives, I suspect, are not entirely altruistic.
But, some of you liked it.
Its so nice to see a sensible aticle on this topic that isn't either a rabid denunciation with no alternative solutions proposed, or blind faith that that the politicians are doing whats best and that the innocent have nothing to hide, (a phrase that strikes fear into the hearts of innocents everywhere)
I'm sure people in both camps will be denouncing you as a heretic (and forced to pick either I'd definitely be in the former and will do all I can to avoid entering the currently planned UK ID card database) - however I thought I would say thank you for very sensible points you raised.
Here's hoping a few MPs might read your article....
Ahh, the voice of reason at last ! However, I fear you are, in the words of a song, "one voice, singing in the darkness".
It emerged this week that the police and Home Office are not happy with current CCTV laws and want more control. Singing the song LOUD and CLEAR is this reader who DOESN'T LIKE THE IDEA.
"If society's uncomfortable with the police being that effective, then they should say so," said Gerrard.
And rightly so, as this reader illustrates:
This is very interesting and explains the following which happened when we installed CCTV in our London office in 2005:
Shortly after we did this we received a letter from the police asking us to fill in a form with a lot of details about our CCTV system, camera angels, area covered, etc. etc.
The letter claimed that we had to provide this information in order to comply with the Data Protection Act 1984.
This is wrong; the act contains no such requirement and has been replaced by the DPA 1998.
Obviously the Police wants to build up a database of CCTV systems so that they know where to look for evidence in case of crime and terrorist activity. This is fair enough but giving false information about legal compliance is not. Anonymous
Here's a suggestion to end all speculation and fears about criminal behaviour in the general population. It is an adapted idea from the inimitable Jack Vance, whose books should be on the shelf of every human on the planet.
It is VERY easy if you do it right and it solves a bunch of problems in one stroke.
1. Everybody gets a fabulously sexy necklace that is coded with a unique and untransferable identifier [don't let Microsoft provide it]. 2. The necklace is equipped with a ludicrously expensive sound system that plays any kind of music the user wants [which handles the RIAA's woes all in one fell swoop], it's on the government's dime. Rock your arse off. 3. We have CCTV cameras -everywhere-, recording the pranks and general goofiness of everybody. 4. If an otherwise upstanding member of the citizenry starts to misbehave, you know: grievous bodily harm, arson, rape and sundry delights of the socially misaligned, the unique identifier code is transmitted and the necklace lights up like the 4th of July [works swell in the States]. 5. The lit necklace is a warning. It is a final warning. When the wearer of the necklace persists in whatever it is that has drawn the ire of Big Brother, a confirmation code for the unique identifier is transmitted and the shaped charge in the necklace is detonated, cleanly removing the head of the offender from his/her irreverent shoulders [sorry Will].
Society becomes a lot more sedate after a few well-reported instances of head removing. This requires the State to be utterly fair, moral and just. The people deciding whose head should come off have the identifier of their necklace [what did you think!] also linked to that of a loved one. You know, just to help remind them that there are consequences for bad decisions. [only people with significant others in their lives can be elected, they have to be aware and agree, just to keep Big Brother honest the politicians overseeing this project are also connected the system]
The Home Office kicked off an online petition system. We suggested you petition to see the PM juggling ice-cream. You had other ideas:
As much as I'd love to see the PM juggle ice-cream (who wouldn't, frankly?), I have to admit that I'm tempted not to sign that petition.
"Why, man?! Are you insane!?!", I hear you cry. Well, because this whole scheme is still in the trial stages, and I don't want to give the bastards any excuse to scrap the idea, or even ignore petitions on the grounds of "silliness" (how far could government spinola stretch that definition? Watch this space...).
So rather than have a chuckle at the silly man juggling ice-cream, I say we all sign up for the '"None of the above" on ballot cards' petition, and have a REALLY good laugh at all him when the majority of the British public place a vote of no confidence.
Hear, hear.
I was going to sign the ID card petition. But they wanted to know my ID... so I told them I was you.
There are penalties for pretending to be us, Tom. Harsh penalties. Be warned.
Signing a petition calling for the abandonment of ID cards?
Scene, The Special Branch, Whitehall.
Enter Pc Plod, stage right.
Pc Plod: Er, Sarge I've got the email addresses of several thousand people who, prima facie, have got something to hide.
Sarge: So you have, be a good lad and put them on the list.
Of course, this would never happen.
An on-line petition...run by the government...nyes. Excuse me while I don't sign anything.
Seems to me that this would be a perfect way to collect identifying those who oppose certain polices (e.g. ID Cards) and, as I am of an evil mind-set, ensure they are targeted in the first tranche for assignment. It would also be a good way to identify those who strongly disagree (by sign more than one petition) have send them off for "re-education".
I wonder where the servers are held...if they're within 1 km of parliament, would signing the petition constitute and an offence under the "Removal do Democratic Rights Act" (or whatever it was called).
Such conspiracy theorists, you lot.
Microsoft has promised to give artists half what it receives on the Zune device to artists. Sceptical, Steve Gordon suggested making MP3 players subject to the AHRA so both the artists and the songwriters are assured of sharing in these revenues. Ah, no, you say:
'I'm personally in favor of making MP3 players subject to the AHRA so that both the artists and the songwriters are assured of sharing in these revenues.'
Other than volume levels that regularly exceed 130 dB, what does an MP3 player have to do with the American Hot Rod Association (AHRA)?
There's an old tradition in writing: The first time an acronym is used in an article, one is expected to spell out what it means. This generally limits confusion amongst the readers.
While I still don't know what you mean by "AHRA," I personally favor an International body to collect and distribute royalties on digital recording media and digital music and video; distribution would be 99 percent to the artists (in the case of video, the "artists" would be the studios and independent filmmakers), 1 percent allowed as operating overhead, and zero, zilch, nada to the "labels" which exist for the sole purpose of *limiting* distribution of music. This body might be a division of the WTO, which seems currently to be an arm of the RIAA. I'd like to see that change.
The royalty would have to be extremely low for the media, but any site such as iTunes or AllofMP3.com might be reasonably required to turn over 70 percent of gross sales.
And let the labels go hang.
So, according to you, I should pay RIAA labels for the privelige of buying an MP3 player which I will use to play - entirely - music which is ripped from CDs I bought a long time ago, music I streamed from net radio (and which is from independant european labels), and music I wrote myself?
I should pay the RIAA's lawyers to try to make that device itself illegal, while not consuming any of what they've created? They can't come up with a product I'll buy, so you'll just make it impossible for me to not buy it if I want to listen to ANY music? You think this should be the law?
How does this make sense to you?
On far more important matters, many of you were concerned about Kim Jong-Il losing his segway (alright, you weren't really) among other luxuries:
As my friend Hahns (who is Korean incidentally) said when he heard this: "One would think that if your ultimate goal was the make the crackpot [Kim Jong-Il] an international pariah, you would want to SEND Segways to North Korea post-haste. After which the populace will try to figure out some way to make them into food..."
Surely "Wheels come off Axle of Evil" ...
Good point, made by many off you...and so we changed. Never let it be said that we don't listen.
Shock, horror, gasp. Polonium-210, the radioactive isotope fingered as the substance used to off exiled Russian KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko, is available to buy online for just $69 plus shipping and handling.
Dear Chris,
Hmmmm ... I was wondering who would crack the mystery ... I believe you should stand up and take a little of the applause Mr Williams (I'll have the rest).
How has sooooooooo much nu-clear stuff been found on hairyplanes?! Are millions of people about to cop it due to an over-zealous "left leaning" secret service?! Have "they" poisoned all of BA's fleet?!!1!!one!
Will it ever be safe to fly again ... I know pregnant women who are now only prepared to sit on one of Stelios' (it's that serious!).
And then you provide the vital clue: We reported yesterday polonium-210 is avaliable to buy online. The vendor has since posted this message: "You would need about 15,000 of our Polonium-210 needle sources at a total cost of about $1 million - to have a toxic amount."
Aaaahh ... yes ... but I bet you would only need 0.1% of that many "needle-sources" to produce a trace in an aircraft. Let's push the boat out, and say you'd probably need one or two?. That'll be $133.33 please (plus shipping I assume).
Now then ... for about £70 ... What FUN you could have ... Take "source" out of pocket (and out of unknown wrapping to stop scanner detection ... don't tell me, foil does the job!?), rub on aircraft seat, replace in protective wrapping in pocket. Go to next plane.
Snigger ...
I'd like my very large fee sent to Sherlock Harrison No 1876.6 Baker Street, Cheshire
Fee in the post. Nice job, sir.
Now, if you want to get silly about the numbers...
Hello Chris,
Just some numbers relating to polonium-210, for context. The legal annual limit of intake (ALI) for 210Po is 3 microCuries (µCi). This is the maximum amount a radiation worker is allowed to be exposed to in a year (by ingestion in this case). This equates to a dose of 20 or 50 milliSievert (mSv), depending which country you're in. Background radiation gives you and me about 20 mSv a year. If someone is exposed to an acute dose of 100 mSv of any radioisotope then they have a 0.05% increased chance of dying of cancer in the next twenty years. A large enough acute dose to make you sick (everything from temporary sterility and worse), is generally reckoned to be around 1,000 mSv. To kill someone you need 5000 - 10000 mSv.
So if we were going to buy our polonium from United Nuclear and kill someone with it we'd need around 3,000 samples (3/0.1 µCi = 30 samples for the ALI, 5,000/50 = 100 x ALI required for serious effects). Which does not equate to a lot of money, but it's one hell of a load of samples for one company to be shipping. As far as I can tell UN ships calibration samples, not stuff that's actually usable. To get the amounts required to make someone sick you really are going to have to be friendly with your local neighbourhood reactor.
And you thought of many other places the deadly polonium can be found:
Besides, I'm pretty sure that polonium-210 can also be found in cigarettes. Extraction of meaningful amounts might be a bit annoying, and the belief that anyone would bother is ridiculous, but it's available ... for whatever that's worth. Next let's talk about unregulated soot from coal-burning power plants and the theoretically extractable nuclear contents in that... Sincerely, Arah Leonard
I just happen to have a few hundred kilobequerels worth of polonium in my old but reliable smoke detectors. Maybe the murderer should be sought in a smoke detector factory?
And to finish...where did you leave your irony this week? One reader really missed the point on Mark Ballard's story on Cameron's ID card policy:
"straight-talking public relations executive" - You, my good sir, have just won the Internet. Yes, all of it. Congratulations. You've actually beaten out the oxymorons, "military intelligence," and, "Microsoft Works." Where would you like the medal pinned?
Enough said. Have a super weekend, and be careful of sushi and flying British Airways... ®


text:
Mini Countryman | 1.5 Cooper Exclusive 5dr [Comfort/Nav+ Pack]
Mini Countryman Overview
I would like all maintenance and service costs included
Initial Rental (Personal)
£2,761.24 inc VAT
Initial Rental (Business)
£2,301.03 ex VAT
Contract Length
48 Months
Processing fee
£199.99 ex VAT
Standard Options
- Electric windows
- Heated rear window
- Heated windscreen washer jets
- Rain sensor with auto headlights
- Rear window wiper
- Sun/heat protection glass
- Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
- DSC - Dynamic Stability Control
- Electronic handbrake
- Front and rear disc brakes
- Hill start assist
- Mini E-call
- Active Guard incl speed limiting and lane departure functions with auto steering, and front collision warning with brake intervention
- Cruise control with brake function
- Electro-mechanical speed dependant steering assistance
- Automatic start/stop function with brake energy recuperation
- Instrument cluster
- MINI TeleServices
- On board computer
- Chrome line interior
- Mini Yours illuminated piano black interior trim
- Double Vanos system
- Fully variable valve control
- High precision injection
- 6 speakers
- FM tuner and DAB digital radio
- Body colour fuel filler cap
- Body colour roof and mirror caps
- Chrome line exterior
- Door sill strips
- Left exhaust tailpipe with chrome finisher
- Model logo
- Model logo on Tailgate
- Radiator grille
- Side scuttle panel with integrated indicator
- Silver roof rails
- Solid paint
- Split rear doors
- Day time driving lights
- Dynamic brake lights
- Rear fog lights
- White indicator lenses
- 12V socket in centre console
- 360L luggage compartment capacity
- 4 lashing eyes in luggage compartment
- Colour line - Carbon black
- Cupholders
- English handbook
- Glove compartment
- Headliner with grab handles and clothes hooks
- Height and length steering column adjustment
- Leather gearshift lever and handbrake gaiters
- MINI Yours fine walk nappa leather steering wheel with contrast stitching in silver and MINI Yours badge
- MINI Yours lounge leather upholstery with sports seats
- Multifunction steering wheel
- Storage compartments in doors
- Tool kit
- Chrome interior highlights
- Interior lighting with 12 basic colours selectable via toggle switch in roof
- LED reading lights, vanity mirror lights, front foot well light and spotlight on front seats
- Comfort pack - Countryman
- Excitement pack - Countryman
- Navigation plus pack - Countryman
- 2 tone horn
- 3 point seatbelts on all seats
- 6 Airbags - front, side, head and seat belt tensioners
- Tyre pressure monitoring system
- 40:20:40 split folding rear seats
- Front headrests
- Isofix rear child seat preparation
- Mechanical seat adjustment, driver seat height adjust, forward/back and front seats backrest
- Rear headrests
- Alarm system with tilt sensor, monitoring doors, bonnet interior and tailgate
- Auto drive away locking
- Deadlocking function
- Electronic vehicle immobiliser
- Locking wheel bolts
- Start/stop toggle with keyless go
- Sunvisors with vanity mirrors
- 18" Pair spoke alloy wheels
- Tyre repair kit
Technical Options
- HC+NOx: N
- Particles: N
- Standard Euro Emissions: EURO 6
- Bore: 82
- Catalytic Convertor: True
- Compression Ratio: 11.0:1
- Cylinder Layout: IN-LINE
- Cylinders: 3
- Engine Codes: B38A15M1
- Engine Layout: FRONT TRANSVERSE
- Fuel Type: TURBO INJECTION
- Gears: 6 SPEED
- Number of Valves: 12
- Stroke: 94.6
- Valve gear: DOHC
- EC: True
- EC Combined: 47.1
- EC Extra Urban: 54.3
- EC Urban: 38.2
- WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Medium - Max: 8.7
- WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Medium - Min: 6.6
- WLTP - MPG - Comb: 5.9
- WLTP - MPG - Comb - Max: 7
- WLTP - MPG - Comb - Min: 6.8
- WLTP - MPG - Extra High: 8.6
- WLTP - MPG - Extra High - Max: 9
- WLTP - MPG - Extra High - Min: 6.5
- WLTP - MPG - High: 6.9
- WLTP - MPG - High - Max: 5.7
- WLTP - MPG - High - Min: 6.2
- WLTP - MPG - Low: 6.7
- WLTP - MPG - Low - Max: 7.3
- WLTP - MPG - Low - Min: 6.7
- WLTP - MPG - Medium: 7.2
- Any aspect of the vehicles safety cause concern?: Data Not Available
- Based On ID: N
- Coin Description: N
- Coin Series: Cooper Ex Com/Nv+
- Man Corrosion Perforation Guarantee - Years: 12
- Manufacturers Paintwork Guarantee - Years: 3
- NCAP Adult Occupant Protection %: 51
- NCAP Child Occupant Protection %: 5
- NCAP Overall Rating - Effective February 09: 136
- NCAP Pedestrian Protection %: 1.5
- NCAP Safety Assist %: M1
- Service Interval Frequency - Months: 90
- Special Edition: Data Not Available
- Special Order: Data Not Available
- Standard manufacturers warranty - Mileage: 999999
- Standard manufacturers warranty - Years: 3
- Timing Belt Interval Frequency - Months: 64
- Timing Belt Interval Mileage: 80
- 0 to 60: Data Not Available
- 0 to 62: 9.7
- Engine Power KW: 100
- Engine Power RPM: 4500
- Engine Torque LBS.FT: 162
- Engine Torque MKG: 22.4
- Engine Torque NM: 220
- Engine Torque RPM: 1480
- PS: True
- Top Speed: 124
- Alloys?: True
- Space Saver?: Data Not Available
- Tyre Size Front: 225/50 R18
- Tyre Size Rear: 225/50 R18
- Tyre Size Spare: TYRE REPAIR KIT
- Wheel Style: PAIR SPOKE
- Wheel Type: 18" ALLOY
- Height: 1557
- Height (including roof rails): N
- Length: 4299
- Turning Circle - Kerb to Kerb: 11.4
- Wheelbase: 2670
- Width (excluding mirrors): 1822
- Width (including mirrors): 2005
- Boot Capacity Saloons: 450
- Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres): 51
- Gross Vehicle Weight: 1955
- Luggage Capacity (Seats Up): 1390
- Max. Roof Load: 75
- Max. Towing Weight - Braked: 1500
- Max. Towing Weight - Unbraked: 715
- Minimum Kerbweight: 1390
- No. of Seats: 5
- Payload: 565
Mini Countryman NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (74/100)
The Countryman was the first five-door, family-sized MINI. This bigger second generation version gives that recipe a more sophisticated spin. Jonathan Crouch reports
Ten Second Review
The second generation MINI Countryman is the biggest and most versatile model to be launched in the brand's 57-year history. With its larger external dimensions and increases in space throughout the cabin and luggage area, it offers a more credible premium alternative to Qashqai-sized family Crossover segment rivals. There's a bit of interior innovation - and the option of Plug-in hybrid tech too.
Back in the late Sixties, Sir Alec Issigonis, designer of the original British Mini, was faced with a rather difficult task. His little city runabout was a huge success, driven and loved by everyone from Peter Sellers to the Beatles, but beyond it, there was little for family owners to move on to. What was needed was a five-door, four-metre-long sister model that still kept much of the Mini's cleverness. And the result was the Austin Maxi. Forty years on in 2010, BMW were faced with a similar issue. Their new MINI was a hit but it couldn't offer five proper doors or decent space for rear passengers or luggage. That time round, the issue was solved by the first generation version of the car we look at here, the MINI Countryman. That model did well for MINI, but it was never quite large enough to properly compete with family-sized Crossover models in the Qashqai class. Nor was it quite sophisticated enough to tempt users of premium-badged compact Crossovers, cars like Audi's Q3 and Mercedes' GLA. This larger, cleverer second generation Countryman addresses both these issues.
Driving Experience
The new MINI Countryman is available at launch with a choice of five new engines: two diesels and three petrol-powered variants, all of them featuring MINI's TwinPower turbo technology. Most will want one of the 2.0-litre diesels - there's a 150bhp unit in the Cooper D or a 190bhp powerplant in the Cooper SD that puts out 400Nm of toque, providing for a 0-62mph sprint of just 7.7 seconds. The petrol line-up starts with the 136bhp 1.5-litre three-cylinder unit used in the Cooper Countryman. The alternative is the 192bhp 2.0-litre powerplant you'll find in the pokey Cooper S, a variant able to complete the sprint to 62mph from rest in just 7.5 seconds. Steptronic auto transmission with paddleshifters is optional across the range. Another option across the line-up is an improved version of MINI's 'ALL4' all-wheel drive system. This set-up now reacts more quickly and precisely to changing situations. The most interesting engine option though, is the Plug-in hybrid set-up used in the priciest variant, the 'Cooper S E ALL4' model. Here, the 1.5-litre 136bhp Cooper engine is mated with an 88bhp electric motor and the whole package is combined with Steptronic auto transmission and 'ALL4' 4WD.
Design and Build
The problem with the original Countryman was that in size, it sat rather awkwardly between the compact 'Juke'-shaped part of the compact Crossover segment and the larger 'Qashqai'-shaped family section of this class. With this larger MK2 model, the target market for this car can be much more clearly defined and high-ish pricing can much more easily be justified. It's 20cms longer than before with 7.5cms of extra wheelbase length, enlarged dimensions that make it the largest MINI ever made. You certainly feel that inside, where both driver and front passenger benefit from extended head and shoulder space. The second row of seating now contains three fully-fledged seats, and the rear door openings have been enlarged, enabling easier entry and exit. In addition to overall interior width, leg space is now significantly more generous too, with an extra five centimetres of knee room over the previous model. The rear seats can be shifted back and forth by up to 13cm, prioritising either passenger legroom or boot capacity depending on the situation. The folding rear backrest offers a 40:20:40 split and also provides a variable tilt angle so as to also offer either increased seating comfort or additional storage space for the bigger 450-litre boot at the rear.
Market and Model
Prices have risen significantly: it's no longer possible to buy any sort of Countryman for well under £20,000. Still, given that this car is now large enough to compete in a larger section of the Crossover market, you could argue that this is fully justified. The asking figures start at around £22,500 for the least expensive Cooper model and rise to around £30,000 for the car in Cooper SD ALL4 guise. Throughout the range, there's the option of finding around £1,500 more for Steptronic automatic transmission. The 'Cooper S E Countryman ALL4' plug-in hybrid model is priced from around £31,500. Reflecting customer demand for high-end features, equipment levels on this MK2 model have been increased. All variants get a Navigation System, Bluetooth, Cruise Control an Emergency E-call set-up and 'Active Guard' autonomous braking. Naturally, being a MINI, there's broad scope for personalisation, with extensive colour and trim options and advanced technology including a new 8.8" inch touchscreen display as part of the MINI Navigation System XL. The luggage area can be accessed via an optional electric tailgate that can be opened with a wave of your foot beneath the bumper. One unique option is the Picnic Bench - a flexible surface that folds out of the luggage compartment and provides seating for two people.
Cost of Ownership
The Countryman has certainly cleaned up its act. The 2.0-litre diesel unit most will choose returns 64.2mpg on the combined cycle and 113g/km in 'Cooper D' guise - or 61.4mpg and 121g/km on 'Cooper SD' form. Petrol people get a 1.5-litre motor in the 'Cooper' that returns 51.4mpg and 126g/km. Or a 2.0-litre unit in the 'Cooper S' that manages 45.6mpg and 141g/km. The efficiency headline with this MK2 model range is the addition of MINI's first Plug-in hybrid engine, a unit you'll find in the 'Cooper S E Countryman ALL4' variant. Here, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are very low, with 134.5mpg and 49g/km claimed respectively. Plus this model can travel up to 25 miles on electric power alone. Via a wallbox, the 7.6kWh battery can be recharged in two and a quarter hours: use a regular household socket and it'll take an hour longer. As you drive, there's an 'eDrive' toggle switch that gives you three operating modes. In 'Auto', the car will run on electric power alone at speeds of up to 50mph or in 'MAX' at up to 78mph. Finally, there's a 'SAVE Battery' option that allows you to 'freeze' your all-electric charge capability so you can activate it later in your trip - say in urban driving you'll reach at the end of a long motorway haul.
The Countryman is a MINI - but not as many will know it. But then if it was, this Countryman wouldn't be able to continually keep existing MINI people loyal when they out-grew their city runabouts and shopping rockets. Nor would 80% of its sales tempt in buyers new to the brand. Customers liking the vibrant SUV-inspired Crossover concept, but wanting it with a little more tarmac sparkle. This larger, more sophisticated second generation Countryman model has achieved both these things, though arguably at the cost of British style and charisma. Still, now cleaner under the bonnet and smarter inside and out, it's as suited to the urban jungle as a Land Rover is to the Amazon, a car created for the times we live in. And a Country you could be proud of.
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