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2000 Events
All Events at MEETINGBROOK are free, open & informal.
At Dogen&Francis Hermitage:
SUNDAY EVENING PRACTICE AT THE HERMITAGE Each Sunday evening, 6:00pm-8:00pm. Practice consists of Sitting, Walking, Reading, Soup & Bread, Chanting. Schedule: Silent Sitting, Walking Meditation, Silent Sitting (20min each); A 5 min reading, or, Practice Reflection (by a participant), Soup & Bread (taken mindfully partially in silence, partially with conversation), then final chanting either Compline (Christian Night Prayer) or Heart Sutra (Buddhist Prajna Paramita) alternating every other Sunday. All are welcome.
MORNINGS AT THE HERMITAGE. Silent Sittings 30 minutes, 5 mornings Tue-Sat. 7:05am-7:35am. at MEETINGBROOK Dogen & Francis HERMITAGE, 64 Barnestown Rd. (past snow bowl, on left, white gate). All are invited.
At Bookshop/Bakery:
TUESDAY EVENING BUDDHIST ZEN STUDIES 5:30pm-6:30pm Currently reading book Interbeing by Thich Nhat Hanh, (Led by Susan Smith-Hudson.)
WEDNESDAY EVENING CONVERSATIONS: 5:30pm. -6:30pm. These conversations are open, informal, and free. A facilitator begins, and then it goes to the circle.
THURSDAY EVENING CHRISTIAN CONTEMPLATIVE STUDIES 5:30pm-6:30pm. Study of contemplative writings in Western tradition. Now, Mystical Sense of the Gospels, by James Somerville
FRIDAY EVENING OPEN POETRY READING, 5:30p.m. - 6:30p.m. Open reading gathering invites anyone to bring poetry to read, whether your own or others. Invited under poetry are Poems, Letters & Pieces of Journals. Each reads for 5-10 minutes, followed by a brief silence, then discussion.
MUSIC REHEARSAL, An opportunity to rehearse in ease in a public place. Sunday afternoons 1-3:30
Daily by 10:30AM
Meetingbrook Hermitage
64 Barnstown Rd.,
Camden, Maine USA 04843
Meetingbrook Bookshop & Bakery
50 Bayview St. (Cape on the harbor)
Camden, Maine USA 04843
e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
© Meetingbrook Dogen & Francis Hermitage
Web design by Karl Gottshalk


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Although when I first started blogging it had more to do with SEO than it had to do with making money. Over time I have searched for ways to make money online, partly because I found it to be an interesting endeavour but mainly because I knew it would attract a lot of readers. I've always made a point of posting my findings on WassupBlog. One of the posts, How To Turn Your Blog Into A Cash Machine, introduced the reader to a couple of WordPress plugins that would allow bloggers to charge for certain content but I would only reveal that information at a cost.
I've since written new posts as well as selected some old posts that I'm planning to include in the Membership category. These postes include
1: How Not To Lose Money On The Stock Market
2: How To Turn The Internet Off On The iPhone
3: How I Stopped My Desktop Icons From Flashing
I plan to do many other posts that I will only reveal to those willing to pay for the content. Is it working? I'll let you know as soon as that post goes live.
Making Money On My Blog
This is where we get to sit back, relax and talk about anything other than blogging.
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- Services and Products
- Academic Resources
- Administrative Systems & Services
- mySLU Portal
- Banner Self-Service
- Banner Cloning Schedule
- Banner for Faculty
- Banner for Staff
- Banner for Students
- Personal Information
- Special Announcements
- Emergency Notification System
- Internet Native Banner
- Microsoft Office 2010
- Microsoft Security Updates
- Symantec Endpoint Protection
- Guest Account Requests
- Database and Business Intelligence Services
- Advanced Technology
- Classroom Technology
- Clinical Information Systems
- Departmental Hardware Purchases
- Departmental Software Purchases
- Gartner IT Library
- Google Apps & Listserv Technology
- Internet & Network Services
- ITS Projects and Plans
- Multimedia Services & Computer Labs
- Office 365
- Research Technology
- SpectrumU
- Telephones
Banner Self-Service
Banner Self-Service (or Banner) is an individual's window into the data kept in the central campus information system. The system is available for faculty, staff and students to log in and securely view and update data and information that pertains to them.
Banner Self-Service can be accessed through the mySLU portal by using the Tools tab and selecting Banner Self-Service (shown in the image below).
Banner Self-Service can also be accessed by going to banner.slu.edu and logging in with your SLU Net ID and password.
Banner Self-Service provides Faculty access to:
- Teaching schedules
- Course lists
- Grading
- E-mailing classes/advisees
Banner Self-Service provides Staff access to:
- Benefits and deductions
- Leave balances and leave reports
- Parking and Card Services vehicle registration
- Pay information and tax forms
- Timesheets
Banner Self-Services provides Students access to:
- Billing information
- Course registration (add/drop)
- Financial aid information
- Online course evaluations
- Parking and Card Services vehicle registration
- Student records and transcript requests
For a schedule of Non-Production Banner refreshes, click here.


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The Scot has yet to taste victory at Old Trafford, while Ian Holloway is hoping for a repeat of the Eagles' shock League Cup triumph in 2011 as he serves a touchline ban
David Moyes will be out to secure his first win at Old Trafford when Manchester United face newly promoted Crystal Palace.The defending Premier League champions head into the game against Ian Holloway's men after suffering a 1-0 defeat to fierce rivals Liverpool before the international break.
United are just one point ahead of Palace - who earned their first win of the season with a 3-1 triumph over Sunderland at Selhurst Park - after the first three games, with their only success coming on the opening day against Swansea.The defeat at Anfield - which followed a dour 0-0 home draw with Chelsea - marked the first time that United have failed to score in consecutive league matches since 2007.
However, Moyes, who never won at Old Trafford while in charge of Everton, should be confident of earning his first victory on home soil against a Palace team that has collected just 25 points from their last 24 league games on their travels.
United will be boosted by the presence of Marouane Fellaini, a deadline-day signing from Everton in midfield, but Wayne Rooney misses out with a head injury.
Phil Jones (ankle) and Rafael (hamstring) are also doubts, and Palace will travel north with some hope having beaten United in the League Cup in 2011.
If they are to repeat that feat on Saturday, then they will have to do it without Holloway on the sidelines after he was handed a two-game ban for comments made about referee Mark Clattenburg in the aftermath of their 1-0 defeat to Tottenham.
Although he will not be able to send out instructions directly from the touchline, the former Blackpool boss is excited at the prospect of facing United, and insists that his team will produce a positive showing.
"Let's enjoy it. I'm excited by all these games, but it's just another game," Holloway told reporters. "I believe the lads are getting together and believe they can get to grips with this division.
"I certainly won't be parking the bus. We have to go there and make a good account of ourselves.
"Palace beat Man United in the cup two years ago, I watched it on television. Can we go there and do it again?
"All I want is a performance. Let's see what we can do."
Holloway has injury worries of his own, with Paddy McCarthy (groin), Yannick Bolasie (hamstring), Jerome Thomas (ankle) and Glenn Murray (knee) all still unavailable, while new signing Jack Hunt has a broken ankle.
Florian Marange, Stephen Dobbie and Owen Garvan have all been omitted from the 25-man squad.


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If you haven't bought or sold a home since May 1, 2009, you may not be aware that there have been drastic changes to a part of the process previously considered perfunctory: the appraisal.
Last year, a new regulation called the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) went into effect. It was designed to protect consumers, and help prevent another mortgage crisis. However, some claim it has brought unintended consequences that can complicate a real estate deal.
One thing is for sure: The HVCC has made the appraisal process something that homebuyers and sellers need to be more involved in. Here are the highlights of what has changed, and what you can do to ensure a smooth, fair real estate transaction.
Where does the appraisal fit into the mortgage process-and the mortgage crisis?
An appraisal is an independent valuation of your home. A licensed appraiser calculates the value of your home based on many criteria: location, condition, size, amenities, etc. Lenders use this number to help decide how much money they will loan you to buy the house. (For example, they won't loan you $400,000 to buy a home appraised at $385,000 because if you default, the bank is left holding the house and cannot recoup its losses.) Appraisals also are used in refinancing.
Some believe inflated appraisal values gave lenders a green light to lend more money than a house was worth. Others (including those in the appraisal industry) say appraisers were pressured to give high values so deals would go through, which allowed everyone involved to make money.
Is the HVCC a law?
No. It is optional. However, it is widely followed because any lender that sells its single-family home mortgages to Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae must abide by the code. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are shareholder owned, government sponsored companies that buy mortgages from primary lenders, i.e. banks. Approximately 55 percent of all single-family mortgages are currently held by Fannie and Freddie.
What was the HVCC designed to do?
Its primary purpose was to act as a "firewall" between those involved in loan production (such as loan officers or mortgage brokers) and appraisers. It prevents communication between them about the appraisal, purportedly so the appraisers can give a fair value of a property without being pressured to hit a certain number. It also aims to prevent consumers from buying an overpriced home.
How has the appraisal process changed?
Like most things in banking and real estate, it used to be relationship based. When a loan officer, mortgage broker or Realtor needed an appraisal, they simply called one they knew who was familiar with the area or type of property. Appraisers worked as independent contractors or for an appraisal company, which they still do. But since the HVCC prohibits direct contact between loan production staff and appraisers regarding the appraisal, a third party has come into the picture as a go-between. These third parties are called appraisal management companies, or AMCs.
What is an AMC, and what does it do?
Appraisal management companies are hired by lenders to schedule appraisals, hire the appraiser to do the work, review the appraisals, then submit them back to the lender that ordered them. It is the AMC alone that decides which appraiser it will send to appraise your property. If there is a problem with the appraisal, the AMC handles it.
Have there been consumer issues with the new process?
The biggest complaint is that of non-local appraisers being sent to areas with which they are unfamiliar. This is an issue in a city of diverse neighborhoods like Chicago, where similar houses can be worth substantially more or less if their location varies by just a few blocks.
This unfamiliarity can lead to low appraisals, which can cause problems with financing. For example, if you've agreed to buy a $400,000 house and it appraises at $385,000, you have three options: make up the difference in cash (i.e. borrow less); try to get the seller to drop their price; or cancel the deal.
The second complaint is that appraisals cost the homebuyer more now because two entities are doing work instead of one: the AMC and the appraiser. Appraisals used to cost $300-$350 for an average home in the Chicago area. Now it varies widely, up to double the cost. To avoid surprises, ask your lender. They are the one ordering the appraisal from the AMC. Your lender decides how much of the cost they pass on to you.
A third complaint is that appraisals can take longer to schedule, lengthening the loan process. The longer you lock in an interest rate, the more it costs.
Are new home builders and buyers affected by the changes?
Yes. For example, one builder said it no longer offers finished basements as an option because subterranean space is not appraised at the same rate as above-ground space. (A finished basement raises the cost of a home, but the full retail cost of constructing it might not be reflected in the appraised value, causing a borrower to come up short.) Buyers who want finished basements must finish them with a contractor on their own. Also, buyers have to be careful about loading their new home with expensive finishes, which increase the size of their loan but might not reflect fully in the appraisal.
Will I receive a copy of the appraisal of a home I'm buying?
Yes, at least three days before closing. Some lenders do the appraisal the beginning of the lending process, and some at the end. This could mean weeks of difference. Ask when you will receive it, and request to get it early if possible.
How can I make sure I get a qualified local appraiser to appraise the property I'm buying?
Nothing prohibits you from contacting the AMC or your lender regarding your appraisal. Call your lender and/or AMC and tell them what you expect. Ask about appraiser credentials (there are different designations), locality, years of experience, etc. Ask whom to contact if there is a problem later.
Is there anything I can do to help the appraiser accurately determine the value of a home I'm selling?
Yes. It is OK to communicate with the appraiser about the facts of the home. You can even prepare a packet to hand the appraiser that includes recent (last three to six months within one mile) comparable sales, upgrades and renovations, etc.
What if I think my appraisal was done wrong?
Call your lender and/or AMC immediately. Factual or procedural errors in appraisals can be corrected.
Sources who provided information for this story:
Pamela Ball, Baird & Warner, Gold Coast Office Chris Cosentino, Title/Appraisal Vendor Management Association (TAVMA), New York Steven Albert, Allstate Appraisal LLP, Chicago Heights Leslie Sellers The Appraisal Institute, Chicago Dave Smith, Cambridge Homes Dennis Gerwing, Gerwing Appraisals, Chicago FreddieMac.com


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How To Upgrade the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro's Wireless Card
The Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro is a terrific 2-in-1 Windows 8 Ultrabook. It has a gorgeous display that you can interact with in fun and unique ways. It was even voted the best Ultrabook in a recent Lifehacker reader poll. Unfortunately, Lenovo chose to include a wireless card that doesn't match the rest of the Yoga 2 Pro's performance and modern appeal.


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Get DVD Talk Feeds
Seasons 1
and 2 of Seinfeld show how this fantastic comedy hit the
ground running, but it's in Season 3 that the show underwent a
creative explosion. In this season, what had been a very funny show
that relied to a certain extent on comic set-pieces jump-started its
evolution into the wildly inventive series that would develop some of
the most hilarious ongoing storylines ever to grace the television
screen. How did they manage to get it so right, so quickly?
While the episodes in Seasons 1 and 2 each focused on a single
storyline, which might involve Jerry Seinfeld's friends to a greater
or lesser degree, Season 3's episodes hit upon the strategy of giving
each character his or her own storyline (sometimes larger, sometimes
smaller) and cleverly interweaving them so that they intersected in
some unexpected way. It's a clear case of the whole being greater
than the sum of its parts, as the comic potential of the series
skyrocketed. This kind of interwoven story isn't brand-new any more,
as we've seen many other shows that were heavily influenced by
Seinfeld, like Friends or the British show Coupling.
But Seinfeld is still the reigning King of Comedy... nobody
has managed to top the wacky brilliance that Seinfeld's
writers and cast brought to this comedy series.
Picking out classic Seinfeld moments to mention is enough to
put anybody into "choice paralysis," particularly now that
the episodes start to pack more cleverness into the same length of
episode. Season 3 is the first really full season, with 22 episodes,
and viewers are sure to spot many favorites among the lineup. Once
again, we're privy to the hilarious results of Jerry, George, Elaine,
and Kramer just trying to negotiate the hazards of modern life.
Whether it's Jerry letting his tax records fall into the hands of
George's ex-girlfriend ("The Truth"), Elaine helping George
cheat on an IQ test ("The Café"), or Kramer
experiencing a moment of glory in a Woody Allen film ("The
Alternate Side"), the results are sure to be hilarious. Let's
not forget brilliant episodes like "The Red Dot," one of
the best of the whole series, in which George's choice of a gift for
Elaine turns out to be a flop, at the same time that the saga of his
struggles to find (and keep) a job continues.
The really funny thing is that it's remarkably hard to explain what's
so hilarious about these episodes... Plot synopses are almost
useless, as material that might have been inane or oddly pointless in
different hands turns out to be absolutely brilliant when the
Seinfeld crew get their hands on it.
It's clear that in Season 3 Seinfeld was starting from some
solid comic territory... but instead of settling down and getting
into a routine within that material, the series took the brilliant
move of striking out even further. For one thing, the main characters
get fleshed out more, but we also get to see a lot more of the
recurring secondary characters. Jerry's parents get a spot in the
limelight in "The Pen," when Jerry and Elaine pay a
(disastrous) visit to their home in Florida; Kramer's buddy Newman
makes an appearance in "The Suicide" and "The
Boyfriend"; and the unfortunate Babu makes his first of several
appearances in "The Café."
We also get some absolutely brilliant surreal moments, like when
Jerry's penis and brain square off in a game of chess to decide
whether he should continue to date a sexy but dumb woman ("The
Nose Job"). In addition to a brilliant rendition of a library
policeman, "The Library" even plays around with time, using
some flashbacks to George and Jerry in high school as part of the
storyline. The use of voiceovers to share the characters' thoughts is
another great way in which Seinfeld breaks down the
conventions of a television comedy to great effect, as in episodes
like "The Café" or "The Subway." Season 3
also rewards viewers with a double-length episode, "The
Boyfriend," which played in two parts on television but is
reassembled into one 46-minute episode for the DVD. "The Parking
Garage," another classic Seinfeld episode, takes the same
functional premise as Season 2's "The Chinese Restaurant" –
the characters spend the whole episode in the same place – but
handles it much better, resulting in an episode that's both memorable
and funny.
What's more, re-watching Seinfeld (for the second or the
umpteenth time) makes it abundantly clear that these episodes just
get better with time. Probably the closest parallel in film is The
Big Lebowski, a bizarre, inventive, and hilarious film that even
stands up to being re-watched immediately after the first viewing.
Even if you know the stories inside-out, Seinfeld is so well
done that it's impossible not to laugh at the brilliant comedic
performances of the cast and the improbably tangled plots. I can't
think of any other television show, comedy or drama, that has the
replay value of Seinfeld.
All the episodes in Season 3 are the full-length, original network
versions (not the shorter syndicated versions). The episodes appear
in production order, not air date order; "The Stranded,"
which was originally broadcast as part of the third season, has been
returned to its original production order and appears in Season 2.
Here's a list of all the episodes; those with commentary tracks are
listed in bold.
Season 3 (1991-1992)
Seinfeld: Season 3 is packaged in the same attractive and
user-friendly style as Seasons 1 & 2. The four DVDs each have an
ultra-slim keepcase that fits inside a glossy paperboard case, with a
slipcover fitting over the whole thing.
The image quality for Season 3 is a shade better than for Seasons 1
and 2. Colors are just as bright and vibrant, but they're also a
shade more natural-looking; contrast continues to be handled well.
The prints look to be in excellent condition as well. The image looks
its best in the close-up shots, which are very nicely sharp and
detailed. In the middle-distance shots, a moderate amount of grain
and some edge enhancement does show up, making the transfer less than
perfect but, overall, very respectable. All the episodes appear in
their original, correct aspect ratio of 1.33:1.
The soundtrack, a Dolby 2.0 track, provides a very pleasant listening
experience. The sound is crisp and clean, with all the dialogue
sounding natural and distinct. The theme music and laugh track are
also handled well. French and Spanish dubbed tracks are also
provided, along with subtitles in French, Portuguese, and Spanish,
and English closed captions.
Once again there's a lot to like in the special features on this set.
Let's take a look at what's on each disc.
First off, we get the "Inside Looks" for three episodes
("The Note," "The Library," and "The Pen"),
totaling about 13 minutes. These are interesting and informative
looks at the making of each episode, and the fact that you can play
them all at once from the Extras menu or choose to watch them
separately from the Episodes menu makes them quite user-friendly as
Two commentary tracks appear on this disc. "The Library"
has a nice commentary from writer Larry Charles, who jumps right in
with comments that are both interesting and informative. The
commentary from Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David on "The Pen"
is surprisingly lame, however, as it mostly consists of the two of
them laughing at the on-screen action and making inane comments about
what's going on.
Two deleted scenes (3 minutes in total) are provided for "The
Note" and "The Dog," and we also get the option to
have text "Notes about Nothing" for all the episodes. These
notes, which take the form of subtitles on-screen, are sometimes a
bit odd but more often supply interesting behind-the-scenes
information, such as insights about alternate versions of the script
for that episode.
Three episodes get "Inside Looks" on this disc: "The
Parking Garage," "The Café," and "The Nose
Job," for a total of 14 minutes of interesting material on the
making of these episodes. Just one commentary track is supplied here:
director/producer Tom Cherones and production designer Tom Azzari
share the honors here, and it's easily the best commentary track in
the set so far, as the two men supply a constant stream of
informative and insightful material about the production and design
challenges of the episode.
Three minutes of deleted scenes are presented here, for "The
Parking Garage," "The Nose Job," and "The
Alternate Side," and "Notes about Nothing" are an
option for all the episodes.
Every episode on this disc gets an "Inside Look," for a fat
total of 22 minutes of neat insights into the making of the show.
Three episodes also get commentary tracks. "The Subway" and
"The Boyfriend" feature Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason
Alexander, and Michael Richards. The trio are still not particularly
exciting commentators, but they at least seem to have warmed up a
little bit from the last set. "The Pez Dispenser" has a
reasonable track from Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David.
Two minutes of deleted scenes appear here (for "The Red Dot"
and "The Boyfriend") along with "Notes about Nothing."
This disc has some nice goodies for fans of the show. First off is a
22-minute featurette on the character of Kramer... but "Kramer
vs. Kramer: Kenny to Cosmo" is more than your routine set of
interviews with the actor, as we get to hear about the genesis and
evolution of the character not only from Michael Richards and various
other people involved with the show, but also from Kenny Kramer, the
real-life inspiration for the character of Cosmo Kramer.
The "Inside Looks" section isn't neglected: all the
episodes on this disc are featured, for a total of 17 minutes of
material. Eight minutes of deleted scenes also appear, for "The
Fix-Up," "The Good Samaritan," and "The Letter."
A 15-minute set of bloopers for the third season has some laughs in
store, and on top of that we get 10 minutes of exclusive stand-up
material from Jerry Seinfeld in "Master of His Domain."
Notes about Nothing are available for all the episodes as well.
The two commentaries presented here are both very solid. Writer Larry
Charles delivers his usual interesting commentary on "The Limo,"
while director/producer Tom Cherones and production designer Tom
Azzari return for "The Parking Space." As with their
earlier commentary, this is a very insightful and worthwhile track.
For miscellaneous features, we get a set of NBC promotional spots for
the show, a Spider-Man 2 trailer (again!), and a photo
If you
read my review of Seasons
1 & 2, you know that I think Seinfeld is the single
greatest comedy television show, ever. You want to see what I mean?
Watch Season 3. Rather than resting on its already excellent laurels,
in its first really full season Seinfeld takes another giant
step forward (you might call it a Superman-sized step) in terms of
the creativity and humor to be found in these episodes. Not only
that, these episodes have triumphed in the rewatchability department,
remaining every bit as funny (or funnier!) on the umpteenth viewing,
years after their original air date. Package that up with an
excellent transfer and a very solid set of special features, and you
get a well deserved DVDTalk Collector Series rating.


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Did you know that over the last 30 years or so, college tuition and related fees have increased 1,120%?
A couple of columns ago, I wrote about graduation gifts that makes financial sense, and since then I've been pondering more the cost of a college education and how to pay for it.
Did you know that over the last 30 years or so, college tuition and related fees have increased 1,120%? That's an annual rate that is four times faster than inflation in general as commonly measured by the consumer price index. And there appears to be no end in sight. In fact, for a child born today tuition, room and board at a 4-year private university could cost over $520,000 if you assume 6% inflation, or $240,000 at an in-state public university. (Sources: iShares Blog, "Jessie's Excellent Financial Adventure: 5 College Saving Tips," 4/18/2013; Bloomberg, "Cost of College Degree in US Soars 12 Fold," 8/15/2012)
With two children of my own left to educate, all I could say when I saw those stats was "can someone please bring me some aspirin?" I mean, wow, that hurts!
If like me you find yourself (or a family member) in that situation, what can you do?
Well, like anything else, first don't ignore the issue, and certainly don't just assume it will all take care of itself.
Naturally, every parent wants to believe that little Jonny or Susie is special enough, smart enough and/or athletic enough to earn a full ride somewhere, but that doesn't always happen even for the most gifted of students.
For example, a few years back, there were three Heber Springs students who tied as Valedictorian of their class. One made a nearly perfect score on the ACT test and was awarded a prestigious scholarship at the U of A. Another scored well enough on the ACT to get a full-ride to Hendrix. However, the third, even though having the same high school GPA as the others, didn't score as well on the ACT so only received a partial scholarship offer and the parents had to pay the difference.
This student was no doubt just as intelligent and deserving of a full scholarship as the others, but due to some unforeseen reason just didn't quite get it done on the test that determined all this. So the unexpected can happen even to the best of plans.
The second thing is…start doing something about it. Start saving as soon as possible!
One easy way to start is by setting up a College 529 plan, the funds from which can in the future be used to pay for education expenses at eligible U.S. 2- or 4-year colleges, graduate schools or vocational schools and even some schools abroad.
Some 529 plans can be opened for as little as $25 and can be paired with an automatic investment program that helps you save consistently. Even better, once established, anyone, including grandparents, relatives, even friends, can contribute on behalf of your beneficiary.
There are tax advantages too. The investments grow tax-free and the income is never taxed so long as the distributions are used for eligible education expenses of the beneficiary.
If you use the Arkansas College Savings Plan, a state tax deduction is allowed for the contributions up to $5,000 ($10,000 for a married couple).
Plus, contributions can be made without gift tax consequences up to the annual gift exclusion amount, currently $14,000 for 2013 ($28,000 for a married couple).
As John Barnes, Sr. VP of Raymond James in Little Rock told me, "I advise my clients to set up a College 529 Plan as soon as possible. Grandparents like to do this. My wife and I set up a College Savings 529 plan for each of our grandchildren. Every month we contribute $50 to each account. Parents and other grandparents have contributed to these accounts. It is not the amount that is important; it is the discipline of contributing a dollar amount every month. Over time that discipline and the power of compounding will grow."
Depending on when you start, you may not be able to contribute enough so that the plan will cover the full cost of college for your child. However, the value of the account certainly lowers the amount needed from other sources, such as scholarships or student loans.
Reducing the need to borrow money for college is alone worth every effort you can make.
So the question now is; what are you waiting for?
Lane Keeter, CPA is Office Managing Partner of the Heber Springs Office of EGP, PLLC, CPAs & Consultants


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Val's Sunny Backyard Retreat
Name: Val
Location: Arlington Heights — Arlington, Virginia
While a lot of people would not look once at a 900 sq. ft. house with one bathroom, I think I fell in love as soon as I saw the photos of the empty, sunny backyard. What began in 2009 as a weedy lawn with an apple tree, a lilac, and barely four other perennials is now a weedy lawn surrounded by eight vegetable beds, herb beds, a row of strawberries with blackberry and raspberry on the fence, a native plant garden, and perennial beds featuring blueberries.
I've spent more than I'd like to count on compost to amend the clay soil (I could never make enough on my own) as well as plants, but many are "pass-along" plants — namely the bearded irises and a peony. The Magnolia was the only major purchase — necessary to replace the privacy lost when the apple tree was felled by "snowmageddon." The perennials were purchased at garden centers, the Arlington Farmers' Market, and the biannual Parkfairfax native plant sale. (Note that seeds are cheap, and county mulch is a great deal.)
This is a working space, where I grow as much food as I can — no reason to ever buy herbs or greens (year-round!), plus tomato sauce, okra, peppers, beans, and berries are put up. Most important, it is a respite from the world for my husband and me, even though we are minutes from DC. The old neighborhood trees help a lot in that regard. It is, like any garden, a work in progress — the concrete patio needs to be replaced, and we plan to convert the aluminum-siding shed that is attached to the house into a sun room. (The backdoor awning desperately needs painting, but a house finch built a nest inside before I could get to it.)
In addition to the relaxation and bird-watching and entertaining space it provides, my favorite thing about the garden is how it changes throughout the year. In a month, it will look completely different. I chose current photos to show that aspect as well as the idea that a place does not have to be "finished" to be enjoyed.
Thanks, Val!
(Images: Val)


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Wheelsandmore Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
As one of the first manufactures worldwide, German noble tuner Wheelsandmore doesn´t even stop at the strongest model from Ferrari and increases the driving pleasure, performance and performance of the F12 Berlinetta with selected components.
Quite recently the proud owner of a Ferrari F12 is excited of the factory provided 740 hp and 690 Nm of torque. Enormously, but no reason for Wheelsandmore not to start work to elicit further potential of the Supersports-Coupe. Thanks to a review of the software and the flow-optimized exhaust system the V12 engine develops massive 785 hp after installing the performance parts from the noble tuner. The volume of the handmade exhaust system can be regulated by the pilot at any time by pressing a button of the remote-controlled exhaust valves. Converted like that the bolide mutates any time from the good sports car to a sensational extreme athletes.
Specifically for the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta and the FF the on-site wheel model 6Sporz ² was developed also available in 22" to allow the perfect conversion of the wheel / tire combination. At the front, the timeless forged wheels rotate in 9.5 x21 inches with 255/30er tires and on the rear axle at maximum 12,5 x22 inches with 335/25/22 tires from Pirelli. Thanks to the consistent lightweight construction of the multi-piece wheels Wheelsandmore keeps the wheel weights of the larger wheels on the series level. All items can be designed in color and surface individually on demand. In this case the tuner opted for classic black matte with a subtle outline in body color.
The vehicle was lowered around 30mm by using Wheelsandmore sports springs.
Various attachments and body parts for the Ferrari F12, made of 100% real carbon fiber, are currently under development and will complete the F12 portfolio of Wheelsandmore in the near future.
Source: Wheelsandmore press


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An indie-rock take on the "corporate" genre. Lots of electric guitars with that "ambient-style" delay, and those big epic drums you love. If you're going to go corporate, why not make it epic? Hence the title of the song.
Just need a small section? Each section is "loop-able" for a seamless repeat if you cut the track up, making the audio as long or as short as you need!
Files included in the main .zip file:
Epicorp.wav – 2:49
If you use this song in your project, please leave a comment with the link. I would love to promote you!
THANK YOU for taking an interest in donrobertsmusic portfolio!


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How to find a Lawn mowing service in Belconnen?
When you fill in our online form to request a Lawn mowing service we send your request to the best local Lawn mowing services in Belconnen, depending on your requirements you should receive responses within hours.
Initially, you'll receive three quotes from different Lawn mowing services – we'll then email you to ask if you'd like any more quotes.


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|STOP THE VIOLENCE—Children join their families in a march for peace to West Park.
At the 3rd Annual Community Unity Gathering on Aug. 15, the North Side Old Timers continued their mission of uniting young people from the North Side's 19 different neighborhoods. During the daylong event there were no reported incidents of violence on the entire North Side.
"If you step back and take a look at it, this year there was no violence on the North Side at all. That had to promote the power of nonviolence," said Allen Turner, NSOT president. "People are reluctant about gathering like that and at first they didn't know what to expect, but they saw we were able to gather that many people together at a time without one incident."
The event, which drew between 8,000 and 9,000 people throughout the day, began with the Children's Walk. Joined by adults, children walked to West Park carrying signs displaying anti-violence statements.
"Our mission is basically what part can we play to curb some of the violence happening in our neighborhood," Turner said. "Our program is actually prevention more than stopping."
To accomplish their mission of violence prevention, the NSOT hosts a variety of youth-oriented activities throughout the year such as ice-skating and a Halloween candy giveaway. Their hope is to reach children before they develop violent behaviors.
"Our objective is to see if we can introduce children from the 19 neighborhoods so when they grow up they won't be fighting," Turner said. "We've been doing this for three years now and the kids are actually starting to know each other and get used to each other and actually looking for each other."
Frequently people from opposing neighborhoods are the perpetrators of Black-on-Black crime, but smaller segments on the North Side have been warring for years. Allen said the size of the North Side has created this territorial attitude where people feel they have ownership over individual streets and blocks.
"I think it's just something that developed over a period of years and I don't think they even know why," Allen said. "It's just a territorial thing and they feel like they have to protect it too. It's a bunch of nonsense that's been perpetuated."


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FAIRHAVEN — Taking a ferry to New Bedford, receiving airmail from afar and catching a ride to Mattapoisett by train were all options open to residents in the days before the arrival of I-195.
FAIRHAVEN — Taking a ferry to New Bedford, receiving airmail from afar and catching a ride to Mattapoisett by train were all options open to residents in the days before the arrival of I-195.
Newspaper archives from 1934 show that even before electricity and locomotion, Fairhaveners got around. A horse-drawn "bus" service from Fairhaven to New Bedford operated sometime in the 1800s and allowed commuters access back and forth from city to suburb.
"... and on sub-zero days, the big hearted operators of the bus line supplied a few handfuls of straw, that were scattered on the floor of the vehicle and in which the customers were privileged to bury their feet to keep from freezing," according to a 1934 article in the Fairhaven Star.
And if freezing in a horse-drawn bus sounds horrible, there was always the opportunity, during rush hour at least, to warm up by sitting "in each other's laps and stand on each other's corns for additional warmth."
The horse-drawn buggy buses eventually fell out of style however for electric street cars, water ferries and, eventually, diesel buses.
The ferry Accushnet — with two C's — first shoved off from the Fairhaven shore on July 4, 1833, according to an advertisement in the Morning Mercury newspaper.
The first round trip was the start of 100 years of ferry service between the Whaling City and Fairhaven that would carry an estimated 8 million people back and forth, Standard-Times articles from 1983 show.
The ferry had a bit of a tumultuous history with ships being replaced for "inadequacy" throughout the service's lifespan.
In the 1850s, the Fairhaven Branch Railroad bought up the service and with it the aging Accushnet, which was then replaced by the Crab. Named for the awkward way it moved through the water — seemingly sideways — the Crab was in service for a short time and moored "permanently" in 1854. A sudden fire aboard the Union ferry, however, in 1858 brought the Crab back into action — much to the disappointment of ferry managers and customers, according to The Standard-Times.
"...the old Crab was put back to work again, (and she) demonstrated her inadequacy as never before in the face of increased business," a Standard-Times article said.
The Union was removed from service "for unknown reasons" in 1873 but ferries continued plying the waters of the Acushnet River until 1929.
A free bridge for passenger cars built in the boom of the Roaring Twenties, however, made the paid ferry service less and less appealing to consumers, newspaper accounts show.
Although later newspaper accounts from the 1950s claim there was strong opposition to shutting down the ferry service from New Bedford residents and politicians, a Standard-Times article from 1929 said the service ended without fanfare.
"In general, however, the announcement that the ferry is doomed has stirred little emotion on either side of the river," the article said.
On March 30, 1929, two couples rode the ferry for the last time, wrote the late John Ackerman, a reporter for The Standard-Times in 1983, adding that it was "a sentimental farewell."
While ferries were criss-crossing the river, railroad tracks were being laid throughout Fairhaven.
The early 1900s saw almost-weekly newspaper reports of new rails, streetcar services and extensions all over town. Trolley service to and from parts of town was available to residents and trains to out of town destinations such as Wareham and elsewhere provided longer-range options.
It wasn't all smooth-sailing, a train collided with a horse-drawn carriage in 1909, injuring the driver in just one of the accidents between modern convenience and old-world transportation, town records show.
The Fairhaven Branch Railroad connected Fairhaven to Mattapoisett, Marion and eventually led to the Tremont stop in Wareham. Until the late-1930s anyway, when they were replaced by buses.
"Apparently the buses are a success, at least as far as the revenues of the company are concerned," wrote The Standard-Times in 1938.
Tearing up the Dartmouth Street rails in 1938 marked the end of streetcars from "Greater New Bedford," and the 1940 removal of the rails in north Fairhaven slammed the last nail in the trolley's coffin.
"For the first time in 50 years, the rumble of electric cars is no longer heard here," The Standard-Times reported in 1940.
In 1953, the Fairhaven Branch Railroad — at that point owned by a conglomerate of out of state corporations and railroad lines — officially ceased to exist, taking rail aficionados for one last ride.
But while travel by land was well-developed by the 1920s, the new aviation industry was just taking off.
On a plot of land on the west side of Mill Road near Route 6, the Baylies Field airport was "90 acres of high, dry level turf that put Fairhaven on the map," The Advocate reported in 1988.
The first airmail delivered in southeastern Massachusetts took off from Baylies. Pilot Philip J. Desmarais in May 1938, delivered some 6,000 pieces of mail from New Bedford to Taunton, just one of the aviation adventures had by the sky-pioneers of the '20s and '30s.
The airport is gone now, however. Same as the rails, trolleys and ferries. In their place is an interstate, cars and more cars and the memories of the few people old enough to remember taking the trolley to Fort Phoenix or the train to Wareham.
The Standard-Times declared in 1988, "The carnival of the Roaring 20s and the early adventures into the world of aviation are faded memories now."


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Harman Systems Advisor for Houses of Worship
Your house of worship may be looking to improve your praise band sound system. Your choir sound system may need upgraded. Or perhaps you are building a new addition and need a Fellowship Hall, family activity center, or multi-purpose room sound system. Whatever your need, the companies that make up the Harman Pro Group represent decades of experience in the design and manufacture of high-quality church sound systems.
Harman Pro Group products are designed to function seamlessly together, with easy setup and flawless operation. Our exclusive HiQnet™ audio network communications protocol and HiQnet System Architect™-a single software application capable of addressing each link in the signal chain-make your system easy to set up and operate since HiQnet-enabled systems can be maintained, controlled and reconfigured with preset settings for all the activities that occur in your facility.
From one-room chapels to mega-churches spanning acres, Harman Pro delivers exceptional voice and music quality to locations around the world. And with the assurance of decades of quality service and support, you can be confident in the people and products of the Harman Pro Group to provide an enhanced experience for your worship community.


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30 Snacks & Starters, Appetizers & Nibbles from 2009
The beginning of a meal is often our favorite part. We have so many recipes and good ideas for starters, snacks, and little nibbles in our 2009 archives. There are bacon-wrapped potato bites and chicken nuggets, cheese-stuffed dates and peppers, a creative and beautiful Mediterranean platter, homemade beef jerky, cheese straws, tomato jam, gluten-free chickpea pancake, and much, much more.
Photos above have captions with links to the pictured recipe.
Pickles & Vegetables
• Ortine's Mediterranean Platter, with Spiced Roasted Nuts, Five Bean Salad, Hummus, Oven Toasted Flatbread and Curry Pickled Eggplant
• Lorrie Mae's Amazing Marinated Vegetables
• Veggies Stored In Dip
• Kale Chips
• The Modern Relish Tray
Spreads and Dips
• Pink Pepper Goat Cheese Spread & Olives
• Fava Bean Dip with Roasted Garlic and Yogurt
• Red Pepper Relish
• Oven-Roasted Tomato Jam
• Quick Feta and Olive Spread
Cheese Nibbles
• Peppadews and Goat Cheese
• Tomato and Mozzarella Skewers with Basil Oil
• Bacon Pops! Goat Cheese Pops with Herbs, Pecans, & Bacon
• Vicky Bhogal's Foil-Baked Feta
• Radish, Boursin, and Chive Tartines
Snacks and Bites
• Pretzel Bites
• Homemade Potato Chips with Rosemary
• Crispy, Chewy, Gluten-Free: Socca (Chickpea Pancake)
• Edna Lewis' Old-Fashioned Cheese Straws
• Homemade Beef (or Turkey or Fish) Jerky
Sweet Starters
• Stuffed Figs with Honey-Balsamic Syrup
• How To Make Candied Salted Bacon
• Fig Salami
• Milk and Honey Peanut Butter Balls
• Crunchy Granola Bars
Party Snacks That Double As Dinner
• Bacon-Wrapped Potato Bites with Spicy Sour Cream Dipping Sauce
• S.T.'s Tex-Mex Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Nuggets
• Dolmas (Stuffed Grape Leaves)
• Spicy Meat-Filled Phyllo Cigars
• Anchovies with Breadcrumbs & Scallions
(Images: See linked posts for full image credits.)


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Check out our lowest prices of the season. It is time to stock up! Click on the link for the flyer in your area.
ASK ALICE: Savings Meets Value & Service
Our flyer brings you the very best selection and value BUT also amazing deals to keep your health going strong. We hope you are as excited as we are! This flyer is packed full of NEW exciting products such as NAKA Nutri Collagen Pg. 8, Precision Mettle (Wt-Loss) Pg 12, Rosehip Seed Oil Pg. 9 and much more!
On Pg. 3 we have additional coupons for you to save BIG on your favourite brands such as: Renew Life, Natural Factors, Precision, Progressive, Platinum, Biofen and many more!!! To save even MORE please visit our BLOG to take advantage of additional coupons: www.alivehealthblog.com
Don't forget we also offer VOLUME discounts which will help you save: time, $$ and even gas! If you already know you love Alive Hyaluronic Acid (H.A) Pg. 1 then you might as well stock up! Buy 6 H.A. and you get 1 bottle FREE!
GO GREEN & SAVE – EARTH DAY APRIL 22nd
For years Alive Health Centre has been encouraging recycling. In case you did not know, you can save your $$ and the environment with your empty supplement bottles! All you have to do is bring in any empty supplement bottle and receive $0.5/1.00 off when you purchase the same category of product! *some restrictions apply, see stores for details* In honour of earth day (April 22nd) we will be launching our "Save A Bag" program. Bring in your own shopping bag and we will take 10¢ off for every bag you fill of your purchased goods!
Lastly, I will leave you with this. "Two things define you, your patience when you have nothing and your attitude when you have everything." Life is a funny thing, you never know where it will take you. No matter what situation you are in, whether you are experiencing your highest high or lowest of lows, your patience and attitude will be what makes the difference.
Alice Chung, who is 67 years young has been in the health industry since 1978. She owns Alive Health Centres (BC), Morning Sun (Alberta) and Supplements Plus in both (BC) and (Toronto). You can find Alice at the OAKRIDGE Store location in Vancouver BC Thursday – Saturday: 604-263-3235 or toll free: 1-866-499-9546.


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Phillies' Young to begin season on DL
Philadelphia, PA – In an expected move, the Philadelphia Phillies placed outfielder Delmon Young on the 15-day disabled list prior to the team's season opener at Atlanta on Monday.
Young, signed to a one-year contract by the Phillies over the winter after helping the Detroit Tigers to a World Series appearance last season, is still recovering from ankle surgery performed in November. The former No. 1 overall pick has been serving as a designated hitter in minor league spring-training games and is tentatively expected to be ready around May 1.
John Mayberry Jr. and Laynce Nix will likely see the bulk of the time in right field during Young's absence, with the Phillies keeping Rule 5 draft choice Ender Inciarte on the Opening Day roster as well.
Philadelphia also purchased the contract of veteran catcher Humberto Quintero, who will help fill in while regular backstop Carlos Ruiz begins the season on a 25-game suspension for testing positive for amphetamines.
To get the roster down to the 25-man limit, the Phillies also optioned pitcher Michael Stutes to the minors and reassigned infielder Pete Orr, catcher Steven Lerud and pitcher Zach Miner to minor league camp.
Stutes is still making his way back from shoulder surgery performed last June.


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Starting today, for One weekend only, customers who purchase a new HTC One and trade in a qualified smartphone can get at least $100 and as much as $375 for their old device. Thanks to HTC's transfer tools, it's easy to switch from another Android device or pretty much any other smartphone including iPhone, Blackberry, and Windows Phone.
The HTC One is currently available for AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile, as well as an unlocked version. The HTC One is my current daily driver (and one of my favorite Android phones of all time), so this is a sweet opportunity to dump your aging device and save a cool Benjamin.


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Photos: Scenes from the season opener
Photos: Scenes from the season opener
The Patriots enjoyed a relatively easy win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Tom Brady completed 23 of 31 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions.
Tom Brady, right, congratulated members of the defense after a stop in the fourth quarter.
Brady was sacked for a loss on this play.
New England fans showed their support at LP Field in Nashville.
Brandon Lloyd jumped over a defender during the Patriots' victory.
Tom Brady surveyed the Titans' defense in the first half.
Aaron Hernandez ran into the end zone for the first Patriots touchdown in the first quarter.
Hernandez took a bow after his score.
Patriots running back Stevan Ridley gained more than 100 yards on the ground.
Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones forced a fumble by Titans quarterback Jake Locker, recovered by the Patriots for a touchdown.
Rob Gronkowski ran downfield after a catch.


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Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 19th Jun 2007 18:33 UTC, submitted by Michael
"Last week the first open-source ATI R500 driver had entered the world. This new driver (named the xf86-video-avivo) is very early into development, but a small set of developers have been working on reverse engineering this GPU class for the past couple of months. This driver does not yet contain any 3D functionality or support for features that most end-users expect. At this point, the driver just contains very basic initialization and set video mode support for a portion of the Radeon X1000 family. Even with this very basic R500 driver, we couldn't help but to explore the Avivo driver for the past few days."
Thread beginning with comment 249079
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
ATI Laptop
by braddock on Tue 19th Jun 2007 23:00 UTC


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2013 Annual Meeting
Montréal, Québec, Canada | November 1-5, 2013
Charles-Antoine Julien, McGill University
Pierre Tirilly, Université de Lille
Monday, 10:30am
Many large digital collections are currently organized by subject; these useful information organization structures are large and complex, thus difficult to browse. Current online tools and visualization prototypes show small localized subsets and do not provide the ability to explore the predominant patterns of the overall subject structure. This study builds on existing work concerning automatic subject hierarchy modification techniques that aim to facilitate browsing for documents by capitalizing on the highly uneven distribution of real-world collections. Specifically, previous work used an estimation of the number of accessible documents offered by each subject term, while the current study uses the exact number of accessible documents. The impact is demonstrated on a large collection organized using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). Results show that, although computationally more demanding, pruning the MeSH hierarchy based on the exact access produces a different subject hierarchy under some conditions. The visual impact is demonstrated using examples shown using traditional outline views. This study has implications for the development of information organization theory and human-information interaction techniques for subject hierarchies.


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WASHINGTON — The manager's door was closed for a good 15 minutes before Thursday's game. Inside Charlie Manuel's office, there was no chance Ryan Howard would talk his way into the lineup.
"He didn't get to say too much after last night," Manuel said.
That was another hitless, three-strikeout performance, and the latest in failures that led Manuel to bench his slugger. Through 19 games, Howard is hitting .206 and has struck out in 36 percent of his plate appearances. That would lead all major-league hitters if Howard qualified for the batting title.
Judging by the way Howard spoke Thursday, there was no need to challenge the manager's decision.
"Right now, it's just, I'm in a funk," Howard said. "And there ain't no point in trying to hide it. Right now I'm not seeing the ball. I'm not comfortable. I'm not going to lie, I'm a little frustrated, a little flustered. So I guess it would be a good day for a day off."
He did not even take batting practice before Thursday's game.
Entering the day, Howard was 3 for his last 22 with 14 strikeouts. The Nationals started lefty Ross Detwiler, so Manuel saw a natural chance to rest Howard.
Howard refused to blame his slump on a shortened spring training to compensate for missing the season's first 84 games. Manuel disagreed.
"When you go to spring training and you get some at-bats — I don't know, 40, 50, 60 — sometimes all of a sudden you start getting tired. You start losing your swing but you'll come back around. That's kind of what it's all about."
Manuel sensed Howard's frustration during their meeting.
"He's kind of upset because he's striking out," Manuel said. "Probably has a reason to be, you know."
Have a question? Send it to Matt Gelb's Mailbag.


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During the March 14 business meeting, the Commission adopted a resolution in support of Senate Bill 224, which would remove a prohibition against Sunday hunting on private lands with shotgun, rifle or pistol set out in N.C.G.S. 103-2.
The mission of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission includes conserving and managing wildlife resources and enhancing the state's rich hunting heritage by providing opportunities for hunters to enjoy wildlife-associated recreation.
"Allowing Sunday hunting on private lands will provide additional hunting days and additional options for youth and adults whose school and employment responsibilities limit their hunting opportunities to weekends," said Gordon Myers, executive director of the Wildlife Commission.
The prohibition against Sunday hunting serves no purpose with regard to conservation of wildlife resources and habitats. North Carolina residents who currently seek hunting opportunities in neighboring states that do allow Sunday hunting take substantial revenues elsewhere instead of keeping these dollars within North Carolina borders where they would generate tremendous economic benefits, particularly to rural areas and businesses.
In 2009, the Commission adopted regulations allowing hunting on Sundays on private lands with archery equipment. Since September 2010 North Carolinians have been hunting on Sundays on private lands with archery equipment without incident or conflict.
The Commission also adopted a motion Thursday directing Myers to work with the legislature and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to find a solution for the potential loss of compensatory hunting days for those who hunt migratory waterfowl on public waters, should Senate Bill 224 become law.


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|Oracle® Real User Experience Insight Accelerator for Oracle E-Business Suite Guide
Release 6.5.0 for Linux x86-64
Part Number E17193-02
|View PDF
Oracle Real User Experience Insight (RUEI) provides you with powerful analysis of your network and business infrastructure. You can monitor the real-user experience, define Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and trigger alert notifications for incidents that violate them.
This document is intended primarily for Administrators responsible for maintaining the RUEI installation. It describes how your RUEI installation can be extended to provide specific support for the monitoring of Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) applications.
If your monitored Web environment contains EBS applications, is it strongly recommended that you make use of this support. It not only saves time in the configuration of your EBS applications within RUEI, considers the specific characteristics of the different frameworks upon which EBS applications are built, and makes these applications more compatible, but also ensures that EBS applications are monitored correctly.
The information provided in this guide is specific to RUEI release 6.5 (or any higher maintenance release). If you upgrade your RUEI installation to a higher version, you will also need to upgrade to the latest version of this package.
The monitoring support provided by this package has been verified against EBS R12. However, it is designed to work equally well with other versions of EBS.
The Administrator should have firm operational knowledge of their organization's network and application environment. In addition, they should have a good understanding of the EBS architecture. Note that assistance from the EBS administrator or application specialist may also be required.
Before proceeding with the configuration procedure described in this guide, RUEI should already have been successfully placed within your organization's network, and the Initial Setup Wizard run to provide information about the network infrastructure. The procedure to do this is described in the Oracle Real User Experience Insight Installation Guide.
The RUEI application is a non-intrusive solution to the monitor of the production environment. By default, the Forms protocol does not send all information relevant for monitoring over the line. Therefore, the Forms server requires some different configuration settings. To apply these settings, a restart of the Forms server is required.
Oracle Forms Support
Oracle Forms can be configured in two modes: servlet and socket. In servlet mode, a Java servlet (called the Forms Listener servlet) manages the communication between the Forms Java client and the OracleAS Forms services. In socket mode, the desktop clients access the Forms server directly. The RUEI accelerator for E-Business Suites supports both servlet and socket mode. A detailed description of the operation and configuration of Oracle Forms in servlet and socket mode is available at
See Appendix A for information about verifying the mode in which Oracle Forms is configured.
Forms Only Customers
The information provided in this guide is relevant to all EBS customers. However, where information is specific to EBS or Forms-only customers, this is highlighted.
Using This Guide
This guide is organized as follows:
Chapter 1, "Installation and Configuration" describes how to install and configure the RUEI EBS accelerator package for the monitoring of EBS-based applications.
Chapter 2, "Monitoring and Reporting Considerations" provides additional information about the EBS frameworks relevant to the monitoring of EBS applications in RUEI.
Appendix A, "Checking Socket and Servlet Mode" presents a description of how to check whether the Oracle Forms server is running in servlet or socket mode.
Appendix B, "Troubleshooting" highlights the most common problems encountered when installing the RUEI accelerator for Oracle E-Business Suite.
Appendix C, "Third-Party Licenses" contains licensing information about certain third-party products included with RUEI.
Our goal is to make Oracle products, services, and supporting documentation accessible to all users, including users that are disabled. To that end, our documentation includes features that make information available to users of assistive technology. This documentation is available in HTML format, and contains markup to facilitate access by the disabled community. Accessibility standards will continue to evolve over time, and Oracle is actively engaged with other market-leading technology vendors to address technical obstacles so that our documentation can be accessible to all of our customers. For more information, visit the Oracle Accessibility Program Web site at
Accessibility of Code Examples in Documentation
Screen readers may not always correctly read the code examples in this document. The conventions for writing code require that closing braces should appear on an otherwise empty line; however, some screen readers may not always read a line of text that consists solely of a bracket or brace.
Accessibility of Links to External Web Sites in Documentation
This documentation may contain links to Web sites of other companies or organizations that Oracle does not own or control. Oracle neither evaluates nor makes any representations regarding the accessibility of these Web sites.
Deaf/Hard of Hearing Access to Oracle Support Services
To reach Oracle Support Services, use a telecommunications relay service (TRS) to call Oracle Support at 1.800.223.1711. An Oracle Support Services engineer will handle technical issues and provide customer support according to the Oracle service request process. Information about TRS is available at
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/trs.html, and a list of phone numbers is available at
For more information, see the following documents in the Oracle Real User Experience Insight library:
Oracle Real User Experience Insight Installation Guide.
Oracle Real User Experience Insight User's Guide.
Oracle Real User Experience Insight Accelerator for Siebel Guide.
Oracle Real User Experience Insight Accelerator for PeopleSoft Guide.
Oracle Real User Experience Insight Accelerator for JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Guide.
The following text conventions are used in this document:
|Boldface type indicates graphical user interface elements associated with an action, or terms defined in text or the glossary.
|Italic type indicates book titles, emphasis, or placeholder variables for which you supply particular values.
|Monospace type indicates commands within a paragraph, URLs, code in examples, text that appears on the screen, or text that you enter.


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QUESTION: How do teenage mothers extend and develop family caregiving traditions?
Qualitative longitudinal study with data collected at baseline, 4, and 8 years.
A large metropolitan area on the west coast of the USA.
The original sample comprised 16 teenage mothers whose firstborn infants were 8–10 months of age and who had ≥1 parent who also agreed to participate. 8 years later, 11 of 16 families (23 participants) were interviewed (mean age of mothers 25 y; 7 white and 4 African-American).
Multiple individual and family interviews occurred at all 3 time periods. At 8 years, young parents were interviewed twice and grandparents were interviewed once. Participants were asked to describe what was meaningful and difficult in being a parent or grandparent and what had occurred in their lives during the previous 4 years. Interviews were tape recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using the interpretive method. Original interviews from all 3 time periods were examined to capture transitions and continuities in the development of caregiving traditions.
Main findings
3 vivid cases were used to describe the struggles of creating a more positive maternal legacy and the role of positive and negative paradigms in hindering or fostering the aspirations of young mothers.
Raised by an alcoholic and sometimes abusive mother, Tammy began using drugs when she was 7, and fighting and running away from home by age 11. Tammy claimed that motherhood was a transforming experience, which provided the impetus for her to become responsible. Because she lacked concrete examples of how a mother should act, she had to "create parenting all on [her] own." Her efforts to develop a new caregiving tradition were informed by the negative example of her own mother (ie, what not to do). She invented new habits and responses by contrast, imagination, and perseverance.
Cary, who also had an abusive mother, was able to learn from the coherent caregiving ethic of her husband's family. She described being socialised into the family's culture and supportive bonds. In particular, her father-in-law provided a strong model of a good parent. Although the negative paradigm of her own mother continued to shape her reactions to certain situations, Cary now had positive role models to emulate and an involved husband, which provided corrective experiences and helped her to realise new relational possibilities in parenting.
LaKeisha was often left alone at the age of 3, after her father's death and her mother's subsequent drug addiction. After giving birth to her first son, LaKeisha moved several times to avoid her mother's criticism and overindulgence of her son. 8 years later, she was proud to have established a safe and stable home for her 4 children. However, with the absence of positive examples, the lack of a socially supportive environment, and the lack of respite, LaKeisha often "stumble[d] into rituals of connection with her children," but these connections remained underdeveloped.
The family caregiving legacies of teenage mothers, even when rejected, provided the framework for the creation of new traditions of caregiving.
A common emphasis in research on teenage mothers is the identification of deficits and negative maternal-child outcomes. In this study, SmithBattle challenges preconceived notions that early pregnancy generally has a negative impact on a teen's life course. Her seminal work in this field is enhanced by other qualitative studies of teenage motherhood, which conclude that for some teens, mothering can be a corrective experience that promotes the development of maturity and responsible behaviour.1, 2
Compared with other studies that may only examine a limited, stressful time period, such as pregnancy or the postpartum period, this longitudinal study provides insight into the process of becoming a mother. The original sample of 16 mothers varied on the following dimensions: age, level of education, ethnicity, family income, and social class.3 Therefore, the study was not limited to an examination of only impoverished, high risk, minority teen mothers. Data obtained from a subset of 3 mothers who rejected their own parents as models for caregiving were presented in an evocative and powerful way. One limitation of the study is that there was minimal description of the methodology.
The findings are relevant to all professionals who work with pregnant or parenting teenage mothers, and particularly public health nurses who provide home visiting support or parenting education. The findings should encourage nurses to thoroughly assess teenage mothers' experiences of being parented to identify which traditions they would like to maintain or change as they begin to parent their own children. In the study, the mothers who were successful in developing new parenting skills acknowledged the influence of role models. In clinical practice, nurses can assist teenage mothers in identifying and linking with mentors who can provide social support and demonstrate positive parenting skills.
Source of funding: Graduate School and School of Nursing, St Louis University.
For correspondence: Dr L SmithBattle, St Louis University, 3525 Caroline Street, St Louis, Missouri 63104-1099, USA.
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Genelec unveils smallest ever loudspeaker system
Genelec has announced its new 6010A active monitor and 5040A active subwoofer. Aimed at desktop music production, project studios, edit suites, discerning home computer users and home mp3 playback, these small-footprint offerings bring the renowned playback quality of the Genelec brand to an entirely new audience.
Here's a Flash site with all the info you need...the 6010A active monitor and 5040A active subwoofer will be out this Summer, but you can order them now here at Dolphin Music.


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BENEFITING: Haywood Waterways Association Inc
ORGANIZER: Haywood Waterways Association Inc
EVENT DATE: Feb 06, 2015
Haywood Waterways Association Inc wrote -
Haywood Waterways and Lake Junaluska Assembly are hosting the "4th Annual Polar Plunge Benefit-t-t-ting Kids in the Creek and Youth Education" on "Super Bowl" Saturday, February 6, 2016. The event will be at the Lake Junaluska Assembly beach (by the pool); registration begins at 11:00 am and festivities start at 11:30. There will be great prizes for:
- Top 3 Individual Fundraisers
- Top School Team Fundraiser
- Top Community Team Fundraiser
- Best Costume (Top 3)
All Plungers receive a FREE t-shirt to commemorate their courage. All Plungers and spectators get a FREE lunch and a chance to win one of many great door prizes.
We are seeking as many valiant souls as possible to brave the frigid waters of Lake Junaluska and help raise money for our premier education event, one that the teachers call "extremely valuable for teaching about water quality" and the students call "cool". We'll save you the long details but we do have data that demonstrate Kids in the Creek is a very effective tool for bringing out environmentally-responsible behaviors in the kids.
Come join us just so you can say you plunged into Lake Junaluska in the middle of winter. The depth of plunge is a personal choice - from a wade up to the ankles to a full immersion jump off the dock.
All ages welcome, though kids should definitely get parent's permission (parents are going to have to sign the liability waiver anyway). Shorts and shoes are mandatory, costumes are encouraged.
The cost is $25 or FREE by raising sponsorships. Register by "Joining the Team" here on Crowdrise, then "Donate" your $25 (all donations are tax deductible), or better yet, send the link to all your family, friends, coworkers, and anyone else you can think of to sponsor you ($1, $5, $25, everything counts) and have a chance for one of the top fundraiser prizes. The Assembly will have a bonfire going to help folks warm up as well as indoor changing and eating facilities. Since it is a "Polar" Plunge, the event will happen rain or shine! Want a paper copy of all this or more info? Contact Haywood Waterways at 828-476-4667 or email@example.com.
The Team: $23,453 TOTAL RAISED SO FARJOIN THE TEAM
Donor Comments
Alton Connor
In Honor of Jason Boyer! 3 years ago
Scott Foehner
3 years ago


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HIV-1 causes a chronic, incurable disease due to its persistence in CD4+ T cells that contain replication-competent provirus, but exhibit little or no active viral gene expression and effectively resist combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). These latently infected T cells represent an extremely small proportion of all circulating CD4+ T cells but possess a remarkable long-term stability and typically persist throughout life, for reasons that are not fully understood. Here we performed massive single-genome, near-full-length next-generation sequencing of HIV-1 DNA derived from unfractionated peripheral blood mononuclear cells, ex vivo-isolated CD4+ T cells, and subsets of functionally polarized memory CD4+ T cells. This approach identified multiple sets of independent, near-full-length proviral sequences from cART-treated individuals that were completely identical, consistent with clonal expansion of CD4+ T cells harboring intact HIV-1. Intact, near-full-genome HIV-1 DNA sequences that were derived from such clonally expanded CD4+ T cells constituted 62% of all analyzed genome-intact sequences in memory CD4 T cells, were preferentially observed in Th1-polarized cells, were longitudinally detected over a duration of up to 5 years, and were fully replication- and infection-competent. Together, these data suggest that clonal proliferation of Th1-polarized CD4+ T cells encoding for intact HIV-1 represents a driving force for stabilizing the pool of latently infected CD4+ T cells.
Guinevere Q. Lee, Nina Orlova-Fink, Kevin Einkauf, Fatema Z. Chowdhury, Xiaoming Sun, Sean Harrington, Hsiao-Hsuan Kuo, Stephane Hua, Hsiao-Rong Chen, Zhengyu Ouyang, Kavidha Reddy, Krista Dong, Thumbi Ndung'u, Bruce D. Walker, Eric S. Rosenberg, Xu G. Yu, Mathias Lichterfeld
Long-acting anti-HIV products can substantively change the standard of care for patients with HIV/AIDS. To this end, hydrophobic antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) were recently developed for parenteral administration at monthly or longer intervals. While shorter-acting hydrophilic drugs can be made into nanocarrier-encased prodrugs, the nanocarrier encasement must be boosted to establish long-acting ARV depots. The mixed-lineage kinase 3 (MLK-3) inhibitor URMC-099 provides this function by affecting autophagy. Here, we have shown that URMC-099 facilitates ARV sequestration and its antiretroviral responses by promoting the nuclear translocation of the transcription factor EB (TFEB). In monocyte-derived macrophages, URMC-099 induction of autophagy led to retention of nanoparticles containing the antiretroviral protease inhibitor atazanavir. These nanoparticles were localized within macrophage autophagosomes, leading to a 4-fold enhancement of mitochondrial and cell vitality. In rodents, URMC-099 activation of autophagy led to 50-fold increases in the plasma drug concentration of the viral integrase inhibitor dolutegravir. These data paralleled URMC-099–mediated induction of autophagy and the previously reported antiretroviral responses in HIV-1–infected humanized mice. We conclude that pharmacologic induction of autophagy provides a means to extend the action of a long-acting, slow, effective release of antiretroviral therapy.
Divya Prakash Gnanadhas, Prasanta K. Dash, Brady Sillman, Aditya N. Bade, Zhiyi Lin, Diana L. Palandri, Nagsen Gautam, Yazen Alnouti, Harris A. Gelbard, JoEllyn McMillan, R. Lee Mosley, Benson Edagwa, Howard E. Gendelman, Santhi Gorantla
Current strategies for HIV-1 eradication require the reactivation of latent HIV-1 in resting CD4+ T cells (rCD4s). Global T cell activation is a well-characterized means of inducing HIV-1 transcription, but is considered too toxic for clinical applications. Here, we have explored a strategy that involves a combination of immune activation and the immunosuppressive mTOR inhibitor rapamycin. In purified rCD4s from HIV-1–infected individuals on antiretroviral therapy, rapamycin treatment downregulated markers of toxicity, including proinflammatory cytokine release and cellular proliferation that were induced after potent T cell activation using αCD3/αCD28 antibodies. Using an ex vivo assay for HIV-1 mRNA, we demonstrated that despite this immunomodulatory effect, rapamycin did not affect HIV-1 gene expression induced by T cell activation in these rCD4s. In contrast, treating activated rCD4s with the immunosuppressant cyclosporin, a calcineurin inhibitor, robustly inhibited HIV-1 reactivation. Importantly, rapamycin treatment did not impair cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) recognition and killing of infected cells. These findings raise the possibility of using rapamycin in conjunction with T cell–activating agents in HIV-1 cure strategies.
Alyssa R. Martin, Ross A. Pollack, Adam Capoferri, Richard F. Ambinder, Christine M. Durand, Robert F. Siliciano
Chronic immune activation, immunosuppression, and T cell exhaustion are hallmarks of HIV infection, yet the mechanisms driving these processes are unclear. Chronic activation can be a driving force in immune exhaustion, and type I interferons (IFN-I) are emerging as critical components underlying ongoing activation in HIV infection. Here, we have tested the effect of blocking IFN-I signaling on T cell responses and virus replication in a murine model of chronic HIV infection. Using HIV-infected humanized mice, we demonstrated that in vivo blockade of IFN-I signaling during chronic HIV infection diminished HIV-driven immune activation, decreased T cell exhaustion marker expression, restored HIV-specific CD8 T cell function, and led to decreased viral replication. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) in combination with IFN-I blockade accelerated viral suppression, further decreased viral loads, and reduced the persistently infected HIV reservoir compared with ART treatment alone. Our data suggest that blocking IFN-I signaling in conjunction with ART treatment can restore immune function and may reduce viral reservoirs during chronic HIV infection, providing validation for IFN-I blockade as a potential therapy for HIV infection.
Anjie Zhen, Valerie Rezek, Cindy Youn, Brianna Lam, Nelson Chang, Jonathan Rick, Mayra Carrillo, Heather Martin, Saro Kasparian, Philip Syed, Nicholas Rice, David G. Brooks, Scott G. Kitchen
Despite the efficient suppression of HIV-1 replication that can be achieved with combined antiretroviral therapy (cART), low levels of type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling persist in some individuals. This sustained signaling may impede immune recovery and foster viral persistence. Here we report studies using a monoclonal antibody to block IFN-α/β receptor (IFNAR) signaling in humanized mice (hu-mice) that were persistently infected with HIV-1. We discovered that effective cART restored the number of human immune cells in HIV-1–infected hu-mice but did not rescue their immune hyperactivation and dysfunction. IFNAR blockade fully reversed HIV-1–induced immune hyperactivation and rescued anti–HIV-1 immune responses in T cells from HIV-1–infected hu-mice. Finally, we found that IFNAR blockade in the presence of cART reduced the size of HIV-1 reservoirs in lymphoid tissues and delayed HIV-1 rebound after cART cessation in the HIV-1–infected hu-mice. We conclude that low levels of IFN-I signaling contribute to HIV-1–associated immune dysfunction and foster HIV-1 persistence in cART-treated hosts. Our results suggest that blocking IFNAR may provide a potential strategy to enhance immune recovery and reduce HIV-1 reservoirs in individuals with sustained elevations in IFN-I signaling during suppressive cART.
Liang Cheng, Jianping Ma, Jingyun Li, Dan Li, Guangming Li, Feng Li, Qing Zhang, Haisheng Yu, Fumihiko Yasui, Chaobaihui Ye, Li-Chung Tsao, Zhiyuan Hu, Lishan Su, Liguo Zhang
A rare subset of HIV-1–infected individuals is able to maintain plasma viral load (VL) at low levels without antiretroviral treatment. Identifying the mechanisms underlying this atypical response to infection may lead to therapeutic advances for treating HIV-1. Here, we developed a proteomic analysis to compare peripheral blood cell proteomes in 20 HIV-1–infected individuals who maintained either high or low VL with the aim of identifying host factors that impact HIV-1 replication. We determined that the levels of multiple histone proteins were markedly decreased in cohorts of individuals with high VL. This reduction was correlated with lower levels of stem-loop binding protein (SLBP), which is known to control histone metabolism. Depletion of cellular SLBP increased promoter engagement with the chromatin structures of the host gene high mobility group protein A1 (
Ming Li, Lynne D. Tucker, John M. Asara, Collins K. Cheruiyot, Huafei Lu, Zhijin J. Wu, Michael C. Newstein, Mark S. Dooner, Jennifer Friedman, Michelle A. Lally, Bharat Ramratnam
In HIV-1–infected patients, increased numbers of circulating CD8+ T cells are linked to increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Here, we identified a bystander mechanism that promotes CD8 T cell activation and expansion in untreated HIV-1–infected patients. Compared with healthy controls, untreated HIV-1–infected patients have an increased population of proliferating, granzyme B+, CD8+ T cells in circulation. Vβ expression and deep sequencing of CDR3 revealed that in untreated HIV-1 infection, cycling memory CD8 T cells possess a broad T cell repertoire that reflects the repertoire of the resting population. This suggests that cycling is driven by bystander activation, rather than specific antigen exposure. Treatment of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with IL-15 induced a cycling, granzyme B+ phenotype in CD8+ T cells. Moreover, elevated IL-15 expression in the lymph nodes of untreated HIV-1–infected patients correlated with circulating CD8+ T cell counts and was normalized in these patients following antiretroviral therapy. Together, these results suggest that IL-15 drives bystander activation of CD8+ T cells, which predicts disease progression in untreated HIV-1–infected patients and suggests that elevated IL-15 may also drive CD8+ T cell expansion that is linked to increased morbidity and mortality in treated patients.
Souheil-Antoine Younes, Michael L. Freeman, Joseph C. Mudd, Carey L. Shive, Arnold Reynaldi, Soumya Panigrahi, Jacob D. Estes, Claire Deleage, Carissa Lucero, Jodi Anderson, Timothy W. Schacker, Miles P. Davenport, Joseph M. McCune, Peter W. Hunt, Sulggi A. Lee, Sergio Serrano-Villar, Robert L. Debernardo, Jeffrey M. Jacobson, David H. Canaday, Rafick-Pierre Sekaly, Benigno Rodriguez, Scott F. Sieg, Michael M. Lederman
Current antiretroviral therapy (ART) is not sufficient to completely suppress disease progression in the CNS, as indicated by the rising incidence of HIV-1–associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) among infected individuals on ART. It is not clear why some HIV-1–infected patients develop HAND, despite effective repression of viral replication in the circulation. SIV-infected nonhuman primate models are widely used to dissect the mechanisms of viral pathogenesis in the CNS. Here, we identified 4 amino acid substitutions in the cytoplasmic tail of viral envelope glycoprotein gp41 of the neurovirulent virus SIVsm804E that enhance replication in macrophages and associate with enhanced antagonism of the host restriction factor BM stromal cell antigen 2 (BST-2). Rhesus macaques were inoculated with a variant of the parental virus SIVsmE543-3 that had been engineered to contain the 4 amino acid substitutions present in gp41 of SIVsm804E. Compared with WT virus–infected controls, animals infected with mutant virus exhibited higher viral load in cerebrospinal fluid. Together, these results are consistent with a potential role for BST-2 in the CNS microenvironment and suggest that BST-2 antagonists may serve as a possible target for countermeasures against HAND.
Kenta Matsuda, Chia-Yen Chen, Sonya Whitted, Elena Chertova, David J. Roser, Fan Wu, Ronald J. Plishka, Ilnour Ourmanov, Alicia Buckler-White, Jeffrey D. Lifson, Klaus Strebel, Vanessa M. Hirsch
The rare patients who are able to spontaneously control HIV replication in the absence of therapy show signs of a particularly efficient cellular immune response. To identify the molecular determinants that underlie this response, we characterized the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire directed at Gag293, the most immunoprevalent CD4 epitope in the HIV-1 capsid. HIV controllers from the ANRS CODEX cohort showed a highly skewed TCR repertoire that was characterized by a predominance of
Daniela Benati, Moran Galperin, Olivier Lambotte, Stéphanie Gras, Annick Lim, Madhura Mukhopadhyay, Alexandre Nouël, Kristy-Anne Campbell, Brigitte Lemercier, Mathieu Claireaux, Samia Hendou, Pierre Lechat, Pierre de Truchis, Faroudy Boufassa, Jamie Rossjohn, Jean-François Delfraissy, Fernando Arenzana-Seisdedos, Lisa A. Chakrabarti
Macrophages have long been considered to contribute to HIV infection of the CNS; however, a recent study has contradicted this early work and suggests that myeloid cells are not an in vivo source of virus production. Here, we addressed the role of macrophages in HIV infection by first analyzing monocytes isolated from viremic patients and patients undergoing antiretroviral treatment. We were unable to find viral DNA or viral outgrowth in monocytes isolated from peripheral blood. To determine whether tissue macrophages are productively infected, we used 3 different but complementary humanized mouse models. Two of these models (bone marrow/liver/thymus [BLT] mice and T cell–only mice [ToM]) have been previously described, and the third model was generated by reconstituting immunodeficient mice with human CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells that were devoid of human T cells (myeloid-only mice [MoM]) to specifically evaluate HIV replication in this population. Using MoM, we demonstrated that macrophages can sustain HIV replication in the absence of T cells; HIV-infected macrophages are distributed in various tissues including the brain; replication-competent virus can be rescued ex vivo from infected macrophages; and infected macrophages can establish de novo infection. Together, these results demonstrate that macrophages represent a genuine target for HIV infection in vivo that can sustain and transmit infection.
Jenna B. Honeycutt, Angela Wahl, Caroline Baker, Rae Ann Spagnuolo, John Foster, Oksana Zakharova, Stephen Wietgrefe, Carolina Caro-Vegas, Victoria Madden, Garrett Sharpe, Ashley T. Haase, Joseph J. Eron, J. Victor Garcia


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October 23, 2012
Uncovering Leadership Opportunities for Women Lawyers: How to Get Smart About Nonbillable Activities
Uncovering Leadership Opportunities for Women Lawyers: How to Get Smart About Nonbillable Activities
Women lawyers on average contribute several hundred nonbillable hours each year to their firms. Unfortunately, not all of those hours are wisely spent—especially if the lawyer's goal is to advance to firm management. Learning how to identify and pursue true leadership opportunities—and avoid dead-end roles—is critical for women lawyers who want to attain management positions. When you are asked to serve on a firm committee, for example, you need to consider whether your responsibilities on that particular committee could convert into a leadership role. If there's no strategic benefit in terms of gaining leadership experience, look elsewhere. Consider these factors before agreeing to join a committee to help ensure you spend your time strategically.
► Role Do you concur with the committee's mission? How will your role on the committee align with your personal mandate? Can you change the job to better reflect your interests or maximize your knowledge and skills? Also, before you agree to assume the responsibilities inherent in the role, be certain that you can really commit the time required to fulfill those responsibilities.
► Goals What do you hope to achieve for yourself or your organization in doing this work? Will you tackle a new challenge, or positively impact the firm's bottom line? Will you help to raise your firm's profile or your personal profile? Establish some goals for yourself at the outset so you know what you can expect to achieve and so you can determine when you have accomplished those objectives. Also set intermediate goals to allow you to evaluate (and promote) your successes along the way.
► Likelihood of Success Can you actually succeed in achieving your goals and the committee's mission? Or will you become the dumping ground for irresolvable issues? If the committee has been in place for years with little success, you may conclude that its mission isn't likely to be accomplished, at least without a major push. Are you positioned to make independent decisions and implement change unilaterally? Determine what impediments might lay in the path to your success and whether you can possibly line up the support necessary to overcome them.
► Budget and Resources What administrative staff and other resources will be available to you? Will you do the heavy lifting by yourself? What contributions can you expect from your colleagues? It's also important to find out what budget has been allocated to the initiative and what your spending authority is. Follow the money: A significant budget and dedicated resources imply commitment from firm management. A limited budget and lack of resources can limit your ability to get things done.
► Access With whom will you interact while serving on this committee? What doors will be opened? The chance to interact with the firm's CFO or your department chair should make an opportunity more attractive. If instead you will be working primarily with junior associates, it may be an occasion to build a reputation as a good mentor—or you may have to find other means to promote yourself to management.
► Credit and Accolades What recognition will you receive for this work? If you expect to receive hours or other credit for your efforts, can you negotiate those terms before you accept the role? Assess how your successes will be communicated internally and externally and whether you will be raising your profile with the influential people within your firm. Also consider whether you can add the position to your resume or whether it can help in your business development and marketing efforts.
► Next Steps Where will you jump to from this platform? What will your exit strategy be once you have achieved your goals on this committee? When the role no longer challenges you, you should step aside so that you can focus your nonbillable efforts on different endeavors to develop deeper or new skills. Recognize when it's time to move on and find your next opportunity.
Do not be reluctant to exercise self-interest in your efforts to assume a leadership role. While it is not realistic to expect that every task will translate into a chance to lead, you should seize the opportunity when it arises. Time is a valuable commodity in a law firm—and women lawyers in particular should strive to use it better to attain leadership positions.
About the Author
Kathleen B. Patton is Director of Professional Development at Brown Rudnick LLP in Boston.


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Poster: nikalaitzian
HOLY SHIT!!!!Two super sessions with unhooked performance like a cable park for me!!!!
wind was 7-9 knots south with very very little density of air..All of my friends were yelling to me saying :where are you going with the this "flat","appartment","tent","sunblocker" and even if you manage to go it will never relaunch!!after a while the ironic smile has been replaced with envy eyes and begging for a ride!! well i m a nice guy and i gave em a try!!
I even nailed my first KGB!!!
No more no windy days..
Is this the same guy that did not want to try the INFINITY v2 kite!!!!!
Told you this light wind machine has made a lot of kiters very happy especially people that want to kite after work with no wind in the forecast.
P.S. Yes please I want to see a video because I don't beleive you could kite and have a good time in 7 to 9 knots with the INFINITY v2.


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BEIJING (AP) In Rohullah Nikpai's war-torn country, fighting is a part of life. Living in tough conditions is a given. Training for the Olympics is a luxury few can afford, or even imagine.
But Nikpai has proven it can be done: On Wednesday he won Afghanistan's first Olympic medal ever.
"I hope this will send a message of peace to my country after 30 years of war," Nikpai said after winning the bronze in the men's under 58-kilogram taekwondo event.
The victory brought immediate congratulations from President Hamid Karzai.
"The president personally called Rohullah Nikpai and congratulated him for this achievement," presidential spokesman Humayun Hamidzada said.
For his accomplishment, Nikpai will be given a house at the government's expense, Hamidzada said.
Nikpai, he said, serves as a "role model for many other Afghans."
The victory comes at an especially difficult time.
Afghanistan was under high alert Monday for fear of attacks coinciding with Independence Day, and the capital, Kabul, has had limited electricity. So following the Olympics has been a challenge even for those Afghans who care.
But given the war, lack of power and economic woes, many Afghans perceive the Olympics as a distant spectacle for other nations to enjoy.
Only four Afghan athletes came to Beijing, representing a country that had never won an Olympic medal and is sinking ever deeper into war as the Taliban insurgency escalates.
Sprinter Robina Muqimyar who in 2004 broke the gender barrier on the Afghan Olympic team was last in a field of 85 women in the 100 meters, with a time of 14.80. She ran with a scarf covering her head.
Teammate Massoud Azizi finished 76th in the men's 100. He trains in Kabul's National Stadium, where the Taliban once staged regular public executions, wearing jogging shoes because his spikes won't dig into the track's cracked, concrete surface.
But Nikpai, who is 21, has claimed a spot among his sport's elite.
To claim the medal, he won a stunning victory over taekwondo world champion Juan Antonio Ramos of Spain.
Nikpai said he started the Korean martial art when he was 10 because his brother had found a club in Kabul to train.
Not only was it an escape from the daily rigors of life in a country that not been at peace since the 1970s, he turned out to be good at it.
Exceptionally good.
With the help of his family and other supporters, he got to travel to international competitions, and last year won silver at one of the sport's premiere events the world qualifiers in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City.
With success came better training conditions. After being selected for the national team six months ago, he has been able to use a special gymnasium.
But in a country where sports take a distant place behind the realities of war, few resources are dedicated to training athletes. Afghanistan has also had trouble gaining recognition for its national federations due to political divisions and concerns over the former Taliban regime.
"My training situation is a lot like the situation in my country," he said. "It's not good."
The news from the Olympics, however, is a rare ray of light.
The country has another chance at a medal in taekwondo. Nesar Ahmad Bahave, the silver medalist at the 2007 world taekwondo championships in Beijing, is competing in a heavier weight class.
And for Nikpai, there is an added bonus.
Along with the president's offer of a house, Nikpai's bronze medal also brings him a US$50,000 prize from a mobile phone company in Afghanistan.


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To achieve a return in excess of US money markets by investing primarily in USD denominated short-term debt securities.
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