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Nephila are large, conspicuous weavers of orb webs composed of golden silk, in tropical and subtropical regions. Nephilids have a sparse fossil record, the oldest described hitherto being Cretaraneus vilaltae from the Cretaceous of Spain. Five species from Neogene Dominican amber and one from the Eocene of Florissant, CO, USA, have been referred to the extant genus Nephila. Here, we report the largest known fossil spider, Nephila jurassica sp. nov., from Middle Jurassic (approx. 165 Ma) strata of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China. The new species extends the fossil record of the family by approximately 35 Ma and of the genus Nephila by approximately 130 Ma, making it the longest ranging spider genus known. Nephilidae originated somewhere on Pangaea, possibly the North China block, followed by dispersal almost worldwide before the break-up of the supercontinent later in the Mesozoic. The find suggests that the palaeoclimate was warm and humid at this time. This giant fossil orb-weaver provides evidence of predation on medium to large insects, well known from the Daohugou beds, and would have played an important role in the evolution of these insects.
1. Introduction
Nephilids are the largest web-weaving spiders alive today (body length up to 5 cm, leg span 15 cm) and are common and spectacular inhabitants of tropical and subtropical regions [1]. Nephila females weave among the largest orb webs known (up to 1.5 m in diameter), with distinctive golden silk. Nephila males are relatively diminutive compared with their conspecific females, providing an example of extreme sexual dimorphism [2–4]. Here, we describe the largest known fossil spider: a female Nephila from the Middle Jurassic of China.
Nephilidae contains 58 extant species in four genera in two subfamilies: Nephilinae (Nephila, Herennia, Nephilengys) and Clitaetrinae (Clitaetra) [5]. The Cenozoic record consists of three extinct genera in Paleogene (approx. 40 Ma) Baltic and Bitterfeld amber, five Nephila species from Neogene (approx. 16 Ma) Dominican amber [6] and Nephila pennatipes from the Eocene (approx. 34 Ma) of Florissant, CO, USA [7]. The Mesozoic record consists of Cretaraneus vilaltae from the Cretaceous (approx. 130 Ma) of El Montsec, Spain [8]. Supposed Cretaraneus from the Cretaceous of Brazil [9] and China [10] do not show the characters of the genus, and Archaeometa nephilina from the Carboniferous of England, described as resembling a Nephila [11], is probably not a spider [12]. The new species described here extends the fossil record of the family back by approximately 35 Ma, and the genus Nephila by approximately 130 Ma. All fossil nephilids apart from N. pennatipes are adult males and, in spite of their large size and hence better preservation potential in compression fossils, Nephila jurassica is only the second female fossil nephilid to be described.
2. Material and methods
The specimen comes from finely laminated, pale grey tuff in the Jiulongshan Formation near Daohugou Village, Wuhua Township, Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia, China (41°19.532′ N, 119°14.589′ E). The Daohugou deposits yield a rich terrestrial biota, and their age is Middle Jurassic [13,14]. The specimen was studied, drawn and photographed dry under low-angle light, and under 70 per cent ethanol to enhance contrast. All measurements are in millimetres and were made from the photographs. The following species were studied for comparative purposes: Nephila pennatipes Scudder, 1885, holotype (Museum of Comparative Zoology no. 22596), Paleogene, CO, USA; N. pilipes (Fabricius, 1793), Recent, Taiwan; N. clavipes (Linnaeus, 1767), Recent, FL, USA.
3. Systematic palaeontology
Class: Araneae Clerck, 1757.
Family: Nephilidae Simon, 1894.
Genus: Nephila Leach, 1815.
Species: Nephila jurassica sp. nov.
Derivation of name: From Jurassic, the age of the fossil.
Diagnosis: Nephila with setal tufts (gaiters) in distal half of tibia 3 (in addition to tibiae 1, 2 and 4); opisthosoma ovoid, widest in anterior half, tapering posteriorly; epigyne nose shaped.
Holotype: CNU-ARA-NN2010008, College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing. No other specimens known.
Description: Adult female. Specimen preserved dorsal-down in matrix so that left legs (in life) on right side of specimen (figure 1a,b). Ventral structures displaced to left relative to carapace, only edge of which is visible, but outline can be determined; longer than wide: length 9.31, width 6.83 (ratio 1.36); subrectangular, slightly bowed laterally, with anterior median projection, smooth lateral margins (no denticles); fovea shallow, recurved, with pair of recurved triangular grooves immediately posterior (forming an inverted W), 5.10 from anterior margin (i.e. slightly posterior to midpoint); carapace cuticle smooth with fine setae; eyes not visible. Sternum subtriangular, widest at anterior margin, not projecting between leg 4 coxae. Labium about as long as wide. Chelicerae revealed in low-angle light, superimposed on anterior part of carapace; short, stout, paturon directed ventrally in life (not correct), with curved fang and cluster of triangular teeth on cheliceral furrow; length 3.27. Parts of pedipalps visible in front of carapace: patella length 1.55.
Walking leg formula (longest to shortest) 1243; femora, tibiae and metatarsi of leg 1, and to a lesser extent 2, greatly elongated. Podomere lengths: leg 1 trochanter 1.25, femur 14.57, patella 3.75, tibia 15.39, metatarsus 16.92, tarsus 4.62; leg 2 femur 11.42, patella 3.25, tibia 9.56, metatarsus 11.49, tarsus 3.21; leg 3 femur 6.89, patella 2.10, tibia 4.95, metatarsus 5.24, tarsus 2.29; leg 4 femur 9.83, patella 2.56, tibia greater than or equal to 5.39. Macrosetae and fine covering of setae on all podomeres; setae smooth, not plumose (figure 2d). Trichobothria visible as fine, relatively short hairs crossing setation at high angle, emerging from distinct bothria. Femora with short, stout macrosetae ventrally, becoming longer distally, arranged in three rows proximally, two distally (fewer on shorter femur 3); no trichobothria; setal brush distally. Patellae with single lateral macroseta; setal brush on most of podomere. Tibiae with cluster of relatively short trichobothria (not feathery) proximally (figure 2b,c); prominent setal brush in distal half; scattered macrosetae. Metatarsi with setal brush in distal half; scattered macrosetae, cluster of at least three macrosetae at distal joint. Tarsi without setal brush; few, small macrosetae.
Opisthosoma left and posterior margins broken, but true margins probably lay close to preserved edges; longer than wide (length 15.36, width 9.50; length/width ratio 1.62), subovate, greatest width in anterior half and tapering gently posteriorly (not parallel-sided), densely clothed in fine setae. Low-angle light reveals compact, human nose-shaped epigyne (figure 2a) in median position on epigastric furrow; width 1.50. Posterior to epigyne, ventral opisthosomal cuticle fragmentary to absent, revealing coarser setation of dorsal surface (figure 2d), but patches of finer setae of ventral surface crossing coarser setae of dorsal surface represent spinnerets in subterminal position on opisthosoma (figure 2e).
4. Discussion
The large size of the female spider and the brushes of long setae on the ends of the tibiae are characteristics of the genus Nephila. These features also occur in some uloborids and tetragnathids, but these families show femoral trichobothria, and most tetragnathids have porrect chelicerae, which nephilids lack. The short trichobothria on the tibiae of the fossil are similar to those of modern Nephila. Nephila jurassica belongs to the subfamily Nephilinae, rather than Clitaetrinae which have a more circular opisthosoma, a narrow cephalic region, and longer femoral macrosetae [15,16]. Within Nephilinae, the fossil differs from Herennia, which has a lobed opisthosoma and warts on the carapace, and from Nephilengys which has conspicuous macrosetae on the carapace, only weakly tufted tibiae, longer trichobothria on the tibiae [17], and are mostly smaller than the fossil [1]. The opisthosoma of the fossil is long but not as elongate as in those extant Nephila in which it is more than twice as long as wide (e.g. N. pilipes) [18]. The body length of the fossil is comparable to that in Nephila plumipes, N. clavipes and N. edulis, species which also retain tibial setal tufts into adulthood. In general, smaller Nephila species and those with setal tufts in adults resolve more basally in most analyses [18]. It is likely that the fossil species lies within this basal group. While the large size of the fossil is suggestive of sexual dimorphism, this cannot be confirmed until a male is discovered; note, however, that all fossil male nephilids are of normal, small size.
Vicariance biogeographic analysis of extant nephilids suggested an age for the family of greater than 160 Ma [15], and molecular divergence estimates placed the origin of the genus as greater than 20 Ma, probably in tropical Asia or Africa [19], i.e. southern Pangaea. The new fossil evidence indicates an origin of the genus greater than or equal to 165 Ma, when Daohugou lay on the North China block in northern Pangaea [20]. In Jurassic times and earlier, animals could disperse across Pangaea, so an origin of Nephila anywhere on Pangaea was possible, probably followed by dispersal across the supercontinent before its break-up.
The palaeoclimate of Daohugou was considered to have been warm temperate based on the entomofauna [13]. Most modern Nephila live in tropical climates, and the few in subtropical/temperate conditions were considered to be derived [19]. So, the presence of Nephila at Daohugou could point to a warmer palaeoclimate than that suggested by the entomofauna, or that N. jurassica did, indeed, inhabit a warm temperate climate. If the latter, it is possible that N. jurassica is a derived lineage within the genus or, conversely, that the genus originated in a warm temperate climate and later radiated into the tropics. We note that the palaeoenvironment of Eocene Florissant, the provenance of N. pennatipes, has also been considered as warm temperate [21].
The sedimentology and palaeontology of the Daohugou beds suggest a fluviolacustrine palaeoenvironment with strong volcanic influence [13]. More than half of the insect families in the Daohugou biota are forest dwellers [13], as are Recent Nephila, which weave large, permanent orb webs of strong silk (figure 2f) to catch a wide variety of medium- to large-sized insects, mainly moths and beetles [22], but occasionally bats and birds [23] as by-catch. There are 18 orders of winged insects with high population counts among the Daohugou fossils [13]. It is likely that N. jurassica wove large, golden orb webs to catch medium- to large-sized insects in the Daohugou forests. Predation by these spiders would have played an important role in the natural selection of contemporaneous insects.
We thank Gonzalo Giribet and Laura Leibensperger for the loan of N. pennatipes, Yong-Chao Su for supplying extant specimens, and Matjaž Kuntner, Mark Harvey, Jason Dunlop and Gustavo Hormiga for helpful comments. This research is supported by grants from the National Nature Science Foundation of China (nos 40872022, 31071964), the Nature Science Foundation of Beijing (no. 5082002), Scientific Research Key Programme (KZ200910028005), the PHR Project of Beijing Municipal Commission of Education, and the China, India and Korea Fund of the University of Kansas.
- Received February 28, 2011.
- Accepted March 30, 2011.
- This Journal is © 2011 The Royal Society
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


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TSU Did You Know?
Ida Swanson Corbett, a native of Nashville, received her degree from Tennessee State University in the early 1940's.
After graduating from TSU, she received her M.A. from Atlanta University and went onto coaching in southeast Alabama.
Corbett's career started in 1949 at Rebecca Comer High in Barbour County where she posted a 204-58 mark in basketball before transferring to Clio High in 1967. She then led Clio to a 105-21 mark and eventually finished her career with a basketball record of 471-107.
Corbett had even more success in volleyball. Between 1968 and 1981, Clio's volleyball team made seven trips to the state tournament, winning the state title twice. Coach Corbett took over the volleyball program at Clayton High in 1981 and during that time, she took 10 Clayton squads to the volleyball state tournament. Her overall volleyball mark stands at 394-86.
Also, her archery team appeared in the state tournament three times, and the number one archer won the singles state title two times.
Coach Corbett retired after the 1991-1992 school year, bringing a close to a 44 year teaching career and a 41 year coaching career. She was named Barbour County Teacher of the Year in 1965 and 1991 and was named the SCAC Volleyball Coach of the Year in 1980 and 1981.
Since her retirement, Corbett has worked at Sparks College as volleyball coach for the Upward Bound Program. The team won the state championship in 1997 and 1998.

subset: commoncrawl


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LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Raunchy adult comedy "Neighbors", starring Seth Rogen as a family man who moves next to a frat house, kicked superhero movie "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" off the top spot on U.S. and Canadian box office charts over the weekend.
"Neighbors" earned $51.1 million in ticket sales to lead all movies from Friday through Sunday, according to estimates from tracking firm Rentrak.
"Spider-Man 2", last weekend's box office winner, took in $37.2 million to finish second, ahead of comedy "The Other Woman" with $9.3 million.
Rogen stars in "Neighbors" as a married former party guy transitioning into suburban parenthood with his wife, played by Rose Byrne.
Rogen's character wages war with the neighboring frat house and its obnoxious president, played by "High School Musical" star Zac Efron.
"Neighbors" far exceeded pre-weekend forecasts for a debut of $35 million to $40 million. The movie cost $18 million to make, according to the Box Office Mojo website.
Its success follows other adult comedy hits such as "Bridesmaids", "Ted" and last summer's "This is the End", also starring Rogen.
"This was the little engine that could," said Nikki Rocco, president for domestic distribution at Universal Pictures, the unit of Comcast Corp that distributed "Neighbors".
The film got a boost by playing especially well with female and older audiences, she said.
The opening was among the best-ever for an R-rated comedy, according to Rentrak.
The take for "Spider-Man 2", one of a string of big-budget superhero and monster movies Hollywood is releasing in the coming weeks, dropped nearly 60 percent from its opening weekend, bringing its domestic haul to $148 million.
The franchise's previous film in 2012 reached $262 million, according to Boxofficemojo.
The global total for the sequel stands at just over $550 million through Sunday, distributor Sony Corp said.
The film stars Andrew Garfield as the web-slinging superhero and Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, the girlfriend of Spider-Man's alter-ego Peter Parker, in a follow-up to a 2012 blockbuster.
"The drop we had is right in the realm of what we would expect it to be" for films of that scale, said Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution for Sony Pictures Entertainment.
He added: "We're well on our way toward meeting and exceeding our goals."
The faith-based drama "Heaven Is for Real", also released by Sony, took fourth place with $7 million for a total just over $75 million in its fourth week in release.
Disney's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" rounded out the top five, taking in $5.9 million.
Another Sony release, new comedy "Mom's Night Out", earned $4.2 million at North American (U.S. and Canadian) theaters, only managing the No. 7 spot.
The film follows female friends who head out for a grown-up evening while their husbands watch the kids.
It was followed by new release "Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return", an animated sequel to "The Wizard of Oz" story, which grossed $3.7 million at domestic theaters. The film features the voices of Lea Michele, Dan Aykroyd and Kelsey Grammer.
"The Other Woman" was released by 20th Century Fox, a unit of Twenty-First Century Fox. Clarius Entertainment distributed "Legends of Oz."


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Public Works Director Josh Wilson presented his department's proposed budget for the coming year, including his hope that the city buy a $55,000 piece of equipment, at a budget workshop Monday night.
Local water and sewer customers could face a FOG surcharge in the future if ongoing grease problems do not stop. FOG stands for Fats, Oils and Grease, and the Cedar Key Water and Sewer District is tired of footing the bill for the problem.
Near the end of a meeting in which the School Board of Levy County approved, among other things, a tentative millage and budget for 2011-12, board member Cameron Asbell of Bronson offered up a cost-savings idea.
"All political power is inherent in the people."
Article I, Section 1, Florida State Constitution
"All meetings of any collegial public body of the executive branch of state government or of any collegial public body of a county, municipality, school district, or special district, at which official acts are to be taken or at which public business of such body is to be transacted or discussed, shall be open and noticed to the public..."
While most of Cedar Key slept Sunday night, lightening cracked and most likely began a fire that nearly consumed one building and came perilously close to burning several others on SR 24.
Mermaid's Landing owner, Kathy Carver, was nearly rolled out of bed by the tremendous thunder boom. She said she was afraid to go outside to look around because of the continuous lightening. Forty-five minutes later, the police were banging on her front door, letting her know there was a fire. A man walking by had seen the flames and called 911.
Cedar Key commissioners voted 4-0 last week during a city budget workshop to set a tentative city tax rate at 4 mills, which, if approved during later budget hearings, would be an increase from last year's rate of 3.65 mills.
A mill represents $1 of tax assessment per $1,000 of assessed property value. For example, at 4 mills, someone owning a house in Cedar Key worth $100,000, would pay $400 in property taxes. Commissioners could still come down on the tax rate in future meetings.
The Levy County Commission expressed shock that it drew only one taxpayer to a public hearing on special assessments on Tuesday evening in the commission meeting room.
It was a sharp change from two years ago when the hearing was held in the larger Courtroom A at the County Courthouse to accommodate the people objecting to increases in special assessments and any increase in property taxes.
It used to be easy to answer that question but the more we learn about food's impact on our health and environment, this decision has become more and more complicated. The pesticides, herbicides and industrial systems that produce our foods are polluting our world and threatening our health, particularly those we count on to grow our food.
The cover of the July/August issue of Airboating Magazine may feature their "Swamp Sweetie" - wearing a camo bikini, cowboy boots and hat - but it gets even better on page 44.
The OFCA Planning Committee is looking for artists interested in developing artwork for our 2012 event. The competition allows artists to use any reproducible medium (painting, drawing, photography, collage, etc.). All entries will be exhibited at the Cedar Key Arts Center from Oct. 1 until Nov. 2, 2011.
Artists will have the opportunity to put their pieces up for sale while on display. A panel of judges will decide and announce the Design Award Winner on Friday, Oct. 14.
Copyright © 2018
The Cedar Key Beacon is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Levy County and Cedar Key Florida, and the surrounding area.


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Martial Arts Mats – Identifying the best options for use at home
Traditionally, martial artists at home will perform their training drills in their basement, garage, or any other room large enough to handle a wide range of movements. In many of these rooms, a hardwood or concrete floor is present which is not the friendliest of flooring surfaces to practice on. To fix this problem, a soft and sometimes portable martial art mat or flooring surface can be used to create an at home martial arts environment. Professional schools that train in any of the mixed martial arts use a variety of flooring surfaces in their dojos and training facilities. In this article, we will take a look at the different types of mats used by the professionals for each kind of martial art and identify what the best options are for the homeowner who would like to do some training at home.
The most traditional type of mat, found in most Japanese homes as well as Japanese martial arts studios, is the tatami mat. While these mats aren't very soft, due to the fact that they are only an inch thick and made of woven straw, it proves to be a good choice when training a more standing oriented martial art style. These mats also tend to be rather abrasive. Many dojos in Japan use this style of mat due to its distinctive look and feel however the traditional tatami mat is rarely used in the U.S. What is now used in its place is a foam tile that has the surface appearance of a tatami mat. These tiles absorb shocks from falls, insulate well, are easy to install, and completely water proof.
Wrestling or Folding Mats are more common in use of a grappling style of martial arts. This soft, easy to clean and easy to customize mat is made a layer of high-impact foam and is coated with a protective, non-stick vinyl. Generally, these types of mats are only good for styles such as wrestling, aikido, jiu jitsu, and judo. When practicing Judo on these mats, it is best to avoid too many slams to the ground. Due to the softness of the mats, you tend to feel the impact all the way to the floor. Also, the softness of the mat will give way to your feet and they will easily sink into the mats and make it harder to maneuver around, outside of basic movement. Minor injuries can occur easier if training in a kicking art on these mats. The most popular grappling mat solution that can be laid down when needed at home is the folding mat. These mats are expandable and can easily be velcroed or taped together to form larger training surfaces.
The most cost-efficient choice in a martial arts training surfaces are foam Puzzle Tiles, which are substantially less expensive than any other type of mat. They consist of individual square pieces with the edges cut to resemble puzzle pieces. These pieces fit together with one another to cover an entire training area. While these types of mats are cost-efficient, they are not very thick or shock absorbing and people should not be slammed down on them. However, they are ideal when practicing a stand up arts where you occasionally may fall down. At home users training in Karate and/or Taekwondo will often find these tiles to be the best option to fit their needs.
The most recent type of mat that has been developed is a Judo mat or roll out mat. Roll out mats consist of firm top surface, but a softer foam surface underneath. This allows the judo practitioner (a.k.a. the judoka) to be able to maneuver around on the mat, without their feet sinking in, as well as being able to get slammed to the ground. These mats are also the most popular choice for mixed martial arts (MMA) training. Home users also like these mats since they are portable and can be rolled up and stored after use.
While a Tatami mat may be the most commonly used mat in traditional martials arts training, there are many mat and floor options available today that are safer and more comfortable to train on. Some mats can take more punishment while others can help you keep your footing or absorb more shock from throws and falls. Each type of mat has its own style and also serves its own purpose. For more information please visit our martial arts page here and click on each available product for their descriptions and recommended uses. If you still have any questions about what martial arts mat would be best for you, please feel free to call our in house customer service staff to find the best solution for you. The phone number is 800-613-0996.
October 13, 2012 at 3:52 pm
Thanks for the great high level overview on the types of mats. Surprisingly man mat sellers don't have something like this.


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Despite the fact that there is no evidence that dietary supplements are inherently safer, more effective or produce fewer side effects than conventional therapies, the use of dietary supplements is widespread and growing.
The increasing popularity of dietary supplements among Americans is not simply the result of societal trends favoring products that call themselves "natural." It is also the result of very calculated campaigning (and campaign contributions) by the dietary supplement industry. The resultant 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) clarified that supplements were to be regulated essentially as foods, not drugs, and thus were exempt from the tougher regulation accorded to drugs.
We are critical of any decision that may potentially lead to adverse events in the public, and thus we use the law, petitions and letters to monitor the FDA and support the application of more rigorous safety and efficacy standards to dietary supplements.
Nic Lite
St. John's Wort
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Thermaltake Frio Review
Once you decide to start down the long road of overclocking, one of the first things to get under control is the cooling for the CPU. Its one of the easiest improvements and usually pays big dividends over the stock cooling solution from AMD or Intel. Much in the same way installing a free flowing exhaust on your high-performance car helps increase performance, the installation of a high-end cooling solution can help you reach higher clock speeds. This in turn equates to higher performance, whether it is increased benchmark scores or reducing the time it takes to render video, or cleaning up the photos from the last family vacation. Add in the greater comfort factor and it's a win/win situation. But which one do you choose? There are a million to choose from it seems, and the difficult bit is getting the right one to fit both your wallet and performance expectations. Thermaltake has a cooler that may just fit your needs in the FRIO. It is a cooling solution "Designed for Overclocking", so the expectation is that it will be up to the task. Priced at $59.99, it sits at the lower end of the high-performance spectrum for fully equipped heatsinks. On paper, the FRIO looks full of potential, so let's see if it can deliver.
Closer Look:
The packaging for the Thermaltake FRIO shows a profile shot of the heatsink and lists several of its features along the bottom of the front panel that show the inclusion of two 12cm VR fans, the use of 8mm heatpipe technology and the 4-in-1 mounting assembly. Thermaltake also states that the FRIO supports up to a 220 watt thermal load hence the "Designed for Overclocking" underneath the name. The rear panel lists the features of the FRIO as well as pictures of the heatsink, fans and mounting hardware. The left panel lists the specifications and the right side tells you how to get to Thermaltake for more information in a variety of languages.
Opening up the package shows that the company takes great care to make sure that the FRIO arrives with no damage. The base assembly accessory box and second VR fan are all separated by the foam inserts. Pull them all out and you get a look at what is included for the use and installation of the FRIO.
The accessory bundle includes mounting hardware for all the latest Intel and AMD sockets, from LGA 775 to LGA 1366 on the Intel side and AM2 to AM3 on the AMD side of the fence. The FRIO bolts on to the motherboard, so the hardware is different based on what CPU socket you have. The AMD and Intel hardware is packaged separately with the common components included in a separate bag, so there is no confusion as to what belongs with which mounting assembly. The common parts kit includes a tube of thermal grease, nylon washers, screws and rubber vibration isolators used to mount the VR series fans to the FRIO. The instructions are well laid out, but are a bit small and difficult to read.
Just the initial look shows that Thermaltake may be onto something with the design and implementation of this heatsink. Not to mention that it looks pretty good to boot.


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One-year labor agreements with Lenawee County sheriff's deputies and with nurses won support in committee Tuesday from county commissioners.
The labor contracts and $300 bonuses for non-union county employees were opposed only by commissioner Ralph Tillotson, R-Adrian Twp. He warned about the costs during time of budget deficits. Commissioners were told Tuesday to expect $1 million in reserve funds will be spent to balance this year's $25.4 million budget.
Votes on the labor actions were taken after commissioners met in executive session Tuesday to go over details of the proposals.
The bonus payments to non-union employees is a repeat of action taken last year. Non-union workers have gone without pay raises for several years. The $300 payments are to be made to full time employees. Non-union workers are also to have health insurance deductibles paid by the county again next year.
Sheriff's deputies will also go without a pay raise another year under a new one-year contract with the Police Officers Association of Michigan. Changes were made to other economic features of the contract, including higher employee contributions to health insurance and pensions, said county administrator Martin Marshall. Deputies are to pay 15 percent of insurance costs. Deputies covered under a defined benefit pension plan will see their contributions go up to 8.5 percent on Jan. 1 and to 10 percent on Dec. 31.
Marshall reported earlier to the ways and means committee that it appears $1 million of general fund reserves will be needed to cover expenses through the end of the year. The commission had budgeted to spend up to $1.5 million in reserves this year.
Finance reports showed the county government ended November in the black by $172,000. Overall spending is slightly below budget for this point in the year, he said.
"However, we will probably incur about $2.2 million in expenditures before the end of the year against revenues of about $1 million," Marshall said. He estimated when accounts are settled it will take about $1 million of reserve funds to balance the books.
County labor contracts approved
One-year labor agreements with Lenawee County sheriff's deputies and with nurses won support in committee Tuesday from county commissioners.


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Great for pots. The cold-sensitivity of Caladiums is why they've become big favorites for pots, baskets, and patio planters. If you start them indoors, you can simply put the pots outside once your weather is warm. And in fall, the pots make everything simple. Once your first cold snap wilts the leaves in fall, simply bring you pots inside, let the tops die down, and keep them as they are (in a non-freezing area) until spring, and put them out again. This is how many northern gardeners grow these beauties.
Spectacular Ground Cover: Many gardeners use these colorful plants as a ground cover for shady areas. (Who says you can't have great color in the shade!) Caladiums around trees or in other shady areas have long been beautiful features of southern gardens, but this technique can work anywhere, as long as you don't put out your plants until your soil is good and warm.
Starting your tubers: Plant your tubers with the 'eyes' upward--one tuber to a 4" pot, and 3 tubers in a gallon-size. Use about 1 1/2" of soil over the tubers. Keep them evenly moist and very warm after planting. (Like amaryllis in fall, bottom heat helps sprout these tropical tubers...if you have a warm radiator, try putting your pots there until they're well-sprouted.) Once they're up, liquid fertilizer helps; they respond much like African violets and tuberous begonias to regular feedings.
|Common Name
|Carolyn Whorton Fancy Leaf Caladium
|Botanical Name
|Caladium Carolyn Whorton
|3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
|Ships As
|Bulb, Rhizome, Tuber
|Light Requirements
|Half Sun / Half Shade, Full Shade
|Foliage Color
|Pink heart-shaped leaves with red veins and green borders.
|Mature Height
|18-24" tall
|Bulb Spacing
|5 bulbs per sq. ft
|Planting Depth
|Plant so the top of the root is 1-2" below the soil line.
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As soon as your order is placed you will receive an order confirmation email that will include your shipping information. We ship perennials and spring-planted bulbs at the proper planting time for your hardiness zone. Perennials and spring-planted bulb orders will arrive separately from seeds. If your order requires more than one shipment, there is no additional shipping charge. See our shipping information page for approximate ship dates and more detailed information. If you need express shipping or have any questions, please call Customer Service toll-free at (877) 309-7333 or contact us by email.
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JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- When Nelson Mandela's sculpture was unveiled at the seat of government in Pretoria after his burial last month, no one noticed one small detail: a bronze rabbit nestled in his right ear.
The Department of Arts and Culture has ordered the removal of the rabbit in order to restore the dignity of the 30-foot bronze-plated sculpture of South Africa's first black president.
The rabbit, reminiscent of a Disney character, was secretly added by the artists, Ruhan Janse Van Vuuren and Andre Prinsloo, in lieu of a signature. It was also a comment on the tight deadline to complete the job, according to comments from Prinsloo to the Beeld newspaper; the Afrikaans word haas means both rabbit and haste.
They cheekily added the "small trademark" after the department denied them permission to add their signatures to the sculpture on the trouser leg of the figure, according to Beeld.
"The time factor was big and at times we had to work hard," Prinsloo told Beeld, adding that it was too small to be visible to viewers.
"You need a long lens or binoculars to see it. During the molding process, a lot of people saw the statue up close and nobody noticed it," he said.
Prinsloo told the Mail and Guardian that he was "sorry that such a small thing could cause such a palaver."
The artists, both experienced bronze sculptors who have worked on sculptures of famous South Africans, did not respond to calls and emails Wednesday.
Paul Mashatile, South Africa's minister for arts and culture, said in a statement that the artists had apologized and the apology had been accepted.
"At no stage was the department made aware of the sculptors' intention to place the object of a rabbit in the ear of the statue. Nor did the department receive any request from the artists to add such a signature to the work," the statement said.
The statue, depicting Mandela with his trademark smile and arms open wide, was unveiled the day after his burial in his home village of Qunu. It was erected in front of the Union Buildings in Pretoria, a short distance from the amphitheater where Mandela lay in state for three days after his death.
"It is unfortunate that the sculptors ... chose to place an object in the statue without the knowledge of those who commissioned them," Mashatile said. "They have since apologized for this and for any offense that may have been given to those who felt their actions disrespected the memory and legacy of Tata Mandela," he added, using the affectionate name most South Africans use for Mandela.
"However, considering the stature Madiba enjoyed here and abroad, a more appropriate artist signature would have been preferred," he said, referring to Mandela by his clan name.
Dali Tambo, spokeswoman for Koketso Growth, a culture and tourism development body that was deployed by the department to commission the sculpture, described the rabbit as a "regrettable" and "senseless prank." Tambo is the daughter of Oliver Tambo, the late veteran of the struggle against apartheid.
A few South Africans urged the government not to remove the rabbit, under the Twitter hashtag #savetherabbit.
Despite their pleas, Mashatile said a decision on how to remove the rabbit without damaging the sculpture was being made.
Twitter: @latimesdixon


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Tammy Espino 3/25/2012 6:56:53 PMCongrats on your beautiful finalist! #1451977
Nancyj E. Hovey 3/25/2012 8:08:07 PMC O N G R A T U L A T I O N S
Deborah C. Lewinson 3/25/2012 9:49:02 PMCongratulations, Melissa, on your wonderful finalist!
Debby #10055596
Stefania Barbier 3/25/2012 10:45:02 PMbeautiful floral finalist Melissa, congratulations!!! #10055691
Patrick Rouzes 3/26/2012 8:20:57 AMCongratulations & good luck, Melissa! Beautiful! #10057232
Marijana Fajgl 3/26/2012 11:12:06 AMWhat a beautiful capture, Melissa! Big congratulations! #10057902
Linda L. Ruiz 3/26/2012 11:48:04 AM#10058013
Eivor Kuchta 3/26/2012 11:49:06 AMCongratulations on your finalist! #10058019
Nancy L. Green 3/26/2012 4:22:02 PMCONGRATULATIONS Melissa, BEAUTIFULLY done!! <>< #10058973
Mary Beth Aiello 3/27/2012 7:08:46 AMHuge congrats on this beautiful finalist. Melissa. #10060935
ALLEN O. HOWARD 3/28/2012 10:17:04 AMA beauty Melissa! Congratulations! #10063262
Merna L. Nobile 4/1/2012 8:01:58 AM
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
Congratulations! Merna
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Imagine Dragons
Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre – Charlotte – May 7
Red Hat Amphitheater – Raleigh – May 8
Imagine Dragons, one of the biggest break-out rock bands of 2012, has announced 13 additional summer tour dates due to overwhelming demand. The summer tour announcement comes on the heels of the band's first ever headlining club & theater tour, which sold out quickly with many dates selling out the same day tickets went on sale.
IMAGINE DRAGONS will play Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre in Charlotte on May 7 and Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh on May 8.
Tickets go on sale Saturday, March 2 at 10am at Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or charge by phone 800-745-3000.
Tickets for the May 7th concert in Charlotte will also go on sale at The Fillmore Charlotte box office.
Tickets for the May 8th concert in Raleigh will also go on sale at the Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion and the Progress Energy Center box offices.
Beginning today fans can click here or visit http://on.fb.me/XDgEng to RSVP for early access to presale tickets available on Thursday, February 28th. Citi® cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Tuesday, February 26th at 10 a.m. local time through Citi's Private Pass® Program. For complete presale details visit www.citiprivatepass.com. Live Nation mobile app users will have access to presale tickets beginning Thursday, February 28th. Mobile users can text "LNAPP" to 404040 to download the Live Nation mobile app. (Available for iOS and Android.)
The summer leg of the Imagine Dragons tour will begin on Tuesday, May 7th at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina with dates through June 3rd at the Comerica Theater in Phoenix, Arizona. The current spring tour kicked-off on February 8th at The Marquee in Tempe, Arizona and will visit 29 Cities, wrapping March 23rd at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, Colorado.
Imagine Dragons are touring in support of their full-length debut gold album Night Visions (KIDinaKORNER/Interscope Records) which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Album chart selling more than 83,000 copies — the best first-week sales for a full-length album by a new rock band since May 2006. Night Visions also climbed to No. 1 on Billboard's Rock and Alternative Albums chart. The first single "It's Time" (which spent 41 weeks on the Alternative chart, 44 weeks on the triple A chart ) continues to grow at Top 40 and Hot AC charts, selling more than 1.8 million copies. Their other single "Radioactive" is also nearing platinum and currently No. 1 on the Alternative chart.
IMAGINE DRAGONS are: Dan Reynolds (vocals), Wayne Sermon (guitar), Ben McKee (bass), Daniel Platzman (drums).
For more information go to www.ticketmaster.com or www.imaginedragonsmusic.com
05/07 Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Arena
05/08 Raleigh, NC Red Hat Amphitheater
05/10 Boca Raton, FL Sunset Cove Amphitheater
05/11 St. Augustine, FL St. Augustine Amphitheater
05/16 Denver, CO Red Rocks Amphitheater
05/20 Orem, UT UCCU (Utah Community Credit Union) Events Center
05/21 Boise, ID Idaho Botanical Garden
05/23 Edmonton, AB Shaw Conference Centre
05/24 Calgary, AB BMO Centre
05/29 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Palladium
05/31 San Francisco, CA America's Cup Amphitheater
06/01 San Diego, CA Open Air Theatre – San Diego State University
06/03 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre
02/22 Silver Spring, MD The Fillmore
02/23 New York, NY Roseland Ballroom
02/25 Boston, MA House of Blues
02/27 Toronto, ON Sound Academy
02/28 Indianapolis, IN Egyptian Room
03/01 Detroit, MI The Fillmore Detroit
03/02 Milwaukee, WI The Rave
03/04 Chicago, IL House of Blues
03/06 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
03/08 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater
03/09 Winnipeg, MB Garrick Centre
03/11 Edmonton, AB The Starlite Room
03/12 Calgary, AB MacEwan Ballroom
03/14 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom*
03/15 Portland, OR Roseland
03/16 San Francisco, CA Warfield Theatre
03/18 San Diego, CA House of Blues
03/19 Anaheim, CA House of Blues
03/20 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
03/22 Salt Lake City, UT The Complex
03/23 Denver, CO The Fillmore Auditorium
*w/o Atlas Genius
All dates are subject to change.
# # #
About Live Nation Entertainment:
Live Nation Entertainment is the world's leading live entertainment and ecommerce company, comprised of four market leaders: Ticketmaster.com, Live Nation Concerts, Artist Nation and Live Nation Network. Ticketmaster.com is the global event ticketing leader and one of the world's top five ecommerce sites, with almost 27 million monthly unique visitors. Live Nation Concerts produces over 22,000 shows annually for more than 2,300 artists globally. Artist Nation is the world's top artist management company, representing over 250 artists. These businesses power Live Nation Network, the leading provider of entertainment marketing solutions, enabling nearly 800 advertisers to tap into the 200 million consumers Live Nation delivers annually through its live event and digital platforms. For additional information, visit www.livenation.com/investors.


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Votre sélection est vide
Although the memory can be installed one module at a time, the best performance comes from using matched pairs of modules.
Slots 1, 2, and 3 are on channel A
Slots 4, 5, and 6 are on channel B
Slots 1 and 4 can be single or double banked.
Slots 2, 3, 5, and 6 must be single banked.


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jewelry > flora + fauna in gold
designer: daphne olive
20k gold plated stainless steel with gold-filled ear wires3" x 1.8"
there is so much moresee daphne's website for more styles
firstname.lastname@example.com circle 202.387.7117takoma park 240.467.3982
you are almost in. you will receive an email soon to confirm you really really want to be on our list. thank you!


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A big headline yesterday was that Tim Geithner, Barack Obama's pick for Treasury Secretary didn't pay his taxes from 2001 to 2004. Whoops! There are plenty of people in Congress however, standing up in Geithner's defense, saying things like:
"I believe that these errors, although serious, do not rise to the level of disqualification. He is an extremely competent man. The errors were, in my judgment, honest mistakes. He did not in any way intentionally make those mistakes." -Finance Committee Chairman Max "Voted-for-the-Bailout" Baucus, D-Montana
Senator Baucus, I certainly hope that this was an honest error and that our new Treasury Secretary is not a crooked, dishonest man who would do something so petty as cheating on his taxes while serving a powerful international banking organization. But if that is in fact the case, then it necessarily calls into question his competence. This guy is supposed to be like a big deal when it comes to handling money. He's about to get appointed to the office of Treasury Secretary, for heaven's sake. And he didn't even know how to properly file his taxes? You're telling me that for four years this supposed finance guru didn't know that he was even supposed to pay his Medicare and Social Security taxes? That's a glaring record of incompetence if you ask me, Senator Baucus. You cannot in the same sentence call him honest and competent. You get to pick one. Either way, he's not qualified.
It makes me wonder if Geithner's vocal supporters in the Senate like Baucus, Hatch, and Schumer (all three of whom voted for the bailout) would have the same flippant attitude towards a conservative Republican nominee with the same record of breaking the law, especially if it were a Supreme Court nominee who didn't care much for abortion.
But folks, it's not just the fact that I have the fifth striking example in like a week that our politicians don't really bother about keeping the law anymore. It's the fact that this man, Tim Geithner is part of the problem, not the solution. He was a chief architect of the wildly unpopular, immoral, and unconsitutional Wall Street Bailout last Fall. He even butted heads with current Treasury Secretary Paulson over how the financial crisis was handled because he thought the Federal government should have taken even more drastic action than it did.
Before his nomination, Geithner was president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. You know? That giant private bank that pumped all the paper money and credit into the economy which is what caused this mess to begin with? Why on earth would you appoint a man who helped cause the problem, to solve it? Why would you appoint to an even higher office, one of the guys who was in charge when it all came crashing down and whose policies led to the crash? Why would you do that, Mr. Obama? Why would you appoint a core member of the Bush administration's crisis team to your cabinet when you promised change and new blood in Washington politics? I'm afraid that problems can only be solved at a higher level of consciousness than that which caused them.
I'm even more afraid that our politicians aren't very conscious at all about how economies actually function.


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All phobias can be overcome with some effort. The same is true for conquering a fear of sex. Here, I walk a young gay man through his trepidation with anal sex. We take simple, easy to accomplish steps to build confidence and dispel his apprehensions.
I'm gay, I'm a virgin, and I think I may be afraid of sex. In all the porn I've seen, the bottom guy looks uncomfortable and in pain— why would I want that? I've only done anything sexual with one guy, and I was so anxious that I couldn't even get it up. I liked the guy, he was hot, and I enjoyed all the foreplay type stuff, but I just couldn't do anything else. Any advice on how to get over this?
First thing—don't ever look to porn for your sex education; you'll surely be misled. Second, that grimace you report seeing on the bottom's face as he is being penetrated may be a grimace of pleasure, not pain. I think you may be projecting your own discomfort on the guys in the movies.
Let me tell you a little story. Recently I was strolling in the park with my dog. We were each, in our own way, enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of nature in its glory. As we walked along, we encountered a father and son who were deeply involved in what appeared to be the boy's first lesson in riding a bicycle—sans training wheels. Despite the father's patient encouragement, the kid couldn't seem to get the hang of it. He'd start out okay, but just as soon as his dad let go of the bike, it would begin to wobble and the boy would eventually crash. There were plenty of tears, a skinned knee, and the boy's fear and anxiety were thick enough to cut with a knife.
The boy was convinced that he couldn't ride on his own. His defeatism became a self-fulfilling prophecy. He finally gave up, sat down on a bench, his bike in a tangle at his feet, and refused his father's pleading to give it another try. In his mind, the bike was the enemy; another attempt would only hurt and humiliate, and so the lesson ended.
What the kid lacked was self-confidence, a sense of adventure and probably more importantly—balance. I wish I'd had the opportunity to suggest to the boy and his dad that they try another ploy. I wanted to say, "Set the bike aside and work on that balance thing first." This would surely increase the boy's confidence, and it wouldn't cost a blow to his ego or his knee—and it would be fun.
I'd have suggested the dad start by helping the kid walk on curb, balancing himself as he went. Then the dad could increase the challenge to include balancing on one foot, then the other. Once the kid discovered the power within him to accomplish these tasks, the bike could be reintroduced. The father would assist the boy in drawing upon his skill in balancing on the curb to master balancing on his bike.
The same will be true for you, Drew. Sex is nothing to be afraid of. Rather, it is a skill that one learns. Some, obviously, take to it quicker than others, but everyone can learn a happy, healthy sexual repertoire that will build self-esteem and bring great pleasure.
I want you to start exploring and enjoying your bottom on your own. Like the kid in the park, you need to acquaint yourself with the powers that lie within you. He needed to find a sense of balance; you need to find the Big Old Butt Pirate within.
Most all of the discomfort in anal sex is associated with your sphincter muscle trying to resist whatever it is being inserted. When this muscle resists to the point of spasming, things can become very painful. So here's what I want you to do.
- Before you start playing with your hole—relax. Take a relaxing shower, a warm bath, and/or try some deep breathing exercises to center yourself.
- Have a ready supply of a water-based lube handy. Silicone-based lubes are swell for these exercises too. However, this type of lube isn't recommended for use with a condom.
- Start with a little self-pleasuring. Stroke your dick with your lubed hand and get into your happy place.
- Gradually slather some of that lube on to your balls and taint. With legs open, find your hole and play with your rosebud. Gently massage the area around your asshole, but don't slide your fingers in just yet. Simply get used to the sensations at the opening of your ass.
- Let your play include the tip of your finger entering your ass.
If you do this while you're stroking your cock, you will find that your hole will actually open and invite your finger. That's the great thing about pleasuring one part of your body while learning to pleasure another.
- Once you are comfortable with your fingertip inside, try pushing it in further and move it around a little. Try pushing it and pulling it out of your ass. You know, like finger-fucking yourself.
- Locate your prostate. (It shouldn't be hard to find if you're all horned up.) It will feel smooth and hard, like a flat stone. Give it a nice gentle massage. If you're still stroking your wood, don't be surprised if this prostate massage gets you to ejaculate. In fact, you will find that your prostate actually enlarges a bit and becomes more firm just as you are about to shoot. As you jizz, you'll notice that your sphincter muscle will tighten around your finger and pulsate with each squirt.
Continue these self-pleasuring exercises until you're comfortable inserting a couple fingers in your ass. Then try a small vibrating dildo. In no time at all, you will be ready to jump on your bike and ride…so to speak.
With these exercises behind you—no pun intended—the first time you actually fuck with a partner will be the incredible experience it is meant to be. If you encounter any discomfort, you'll know what to do: deep breathing to relax and priming your hole with a lubed finger or two.
- First, attend to your personal hygiene. Make sure you're clean inside. This will help you avoid an unsightly and embarrassing mishap that might mess up the big event.
- Remember to take it slow. There's no rushing pleasure. Remember, you'll be the one in charge of what goes in your ass, when, and for how long.
- Warm up with some foreplay, kissing, sucking, licking, rimming, touching and massaging.
- Have condoms and plenty of lube near at hand.
- While you're warming up, start loosening up your ass with your lubed fingers, just as you did in your self-pleasuring exercises.
- Once you're comfortable, offer your ass to your partner. Have him replace your fingers with his own. Try some finger-fucking first.
- After you're relaxed and loose, lie on your side with your partner behind you. Have him slowly push his cock against your rosebud.
- Try pushing out like you are trying to take a dump. This will help open up your sphincter for his entry.
- As he enters you, have him stop so that you can breathe deeply. Give your ass the time it needs to adjust to the new sensations. If there's pain or discomfort have your partner reverse course and go back to finger fucking before you proceed.
- Make sure that your partner knows that if you ask him to stop, he will stop. Trust is essential.
- As he fills you with his dick he will hit your prostate. This will send waves of pleasure through your body and signal your sphincter to open for even more.
- You may find that you'll even want to push your ass back to meet and engulf his cock.
By the time this happens you will happily discover that you are riding your bike all by yourself.
Good luck!


text:
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Forget about defenseman Seth Jones being a member of the Flyers.
The Flyers did not win the draft lottery _ a.k.a. the Jones Sweepstakes_ Monday night and will still select 11th on June 30.
The last time the Flyers had the 11th overall pick was in 2003, when they chose Jeff Carter.
Colorado won the lottery and will undoubtedly select Jones, who, coincidentally, learned how to skate while growing up in Denver. His father, Popeye, played in the NBA with the Nuggets (among others) and later was an assistant coach with the team.
Florida will pick second. The Panthers had the worst record, but Colorado _ which had the second-worst record _ had the luck on its side.
By scoring a season-ending 2-1 win in Ottawa on Saturday, the Flyers fell from eighth to 11th in the draft.
Chris Pryor, the team's director of hockey operations, said this is a "very deep draft" and that the Flyers will get a high-quality player.
If the Flyers landed a player like the high-scoring Carter, "we'd be ecstatic," Pryor said.
The Flyers have a need on defense, but Pryor said they will select the best player available because "what can be a strength on your team today can be a weakness tomorrow."
Defensemen Darnell Nurse (Donovan McNabb's nephew), Ryan Pulock, Rasmus Ristolainen , Mirco Mueller and Robert Hagg are among the highly rated players who may be available at No. 11.Ditto forwards Sean Monahan, Frederik Gauthier, Hunter Shinkaruk, Valentin Zykov and Elias Lindholm.
"We're excited about who could be there," Pryor said.
Contact Sam Carchidi at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow on Twitter @BroadStBull


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We have a winner, check the end of the post for updates
We've been meaning to give this guy away for a while now, but pesky things like work and travel kept getting in the way during our Wednesdays. We've finally found an average-to-slow Wednesday and that of course means one thing: MIDWEEK MADESS!
Today we're giving out our last Android Limited G2x, courtesy of @NVIDIAtegra and designed by @angiedoes, and we're keeping it simple. Just leave a comment on this post to be entered to win.
All the usual jazz applies: you can only enter once and make sure to use a real email address! If you leave a fake address, we won't be able to contact you! We'll draw a random winner on Friday at 12PM CST. If you feel like it, use the tweetbox below to share this contest with your friends!
Congratulations to Dan S. for just scoring himself a new G2x. The contest is now closed, but stay tuned for more awesome giveaways!


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A terrible Iron Lord has descended upon the prosperous nation of Namerial. With the help of a powerful and menacing legion of mechanical soldiers, he has conquered this once thriving state, and it is up to you to escape from prison, reach the base of his fortress and solve the mystery of his dark power! Be the one to face the dark ruler and destroy the source of the Iron Lord's power. Exciting adventures, true courage and a mysterious world await!
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Just wondering what u all think about people smoking?
I've tried it and dont really see what all the fuss is about, I wouldnt say I didnt like it but then I couldnt imagine doing it everyday either! My mums smokes and has done for years and to be honest I have tried so many guilt trips to make her stop but as yet it hasnt worked!! Since someone closed to me died (not from smoking) I am so scared that I am going to lose my mum or she's going to become seriously ill from smoking! I now cant stand watching the adverts on the tv about smoking! I want my mum to live to see her grandchildren, I'm only 17 so she might have to live a few more years before that happens, I dont want to lose her! Write bk with your thoughts on smoking etc?


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If you've heard the expression "to Stan's a tire," it's referring to Stan's Tire Sealant. Put the recommended amount in your road, mountain and cyclocross tires and it will stop slow leaks and seal small punctures.
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Does what it is supposed to do like most sealants. It does need to be replaced periodiacally. They recommend 6 months but I have found it lasts about one year
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Have notice a coagulated mass in two tubes after a couple of years in use.
Best Uses
We use Stan's Sealant in both road bike tires (with tubes) and mountain bike tires (tubeless). Here is the [...] area, punctures are just a part of life, but flats while riding do not have to be. In the last decade, we have had hundreds of punctures, usually thorns from the many [...] flora here who have them and they all seem to.But, we have had to change a tube on the road only two or three times and never in the dirt. Yeah, getting sprayed as the sealant begins to seal the puncture is not something we look forward to. Cleaning the resulting mess off the frame after we ride home is also a leat favorite chore, but it beats changing a flat.Be sure to take along your CO2 inflater. Sometimes enough pressure escapes before a seal is acheived that you will need to re-inflate to get home. And keep moving, if you can to distribute the seaalant or stop with the puncture at the bottom of the wheel to ensure sealant reaches the hole.
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You are dealing with a highly agile and mobile consumer base. The advent of digital technology has made people highly extrovert and has given them the opportunity to voice their concerns openly. Yeah, forget about voicing concerns; in fact, they can simply blow your brand out into the nothingness if you fail to address their concerns and keep them happy. So, how are you going to keep them calm and cool? Well, you cannot expect things to go always perfect. You might have a superlative product or matchless service, but at times things will go wrong and that is the nature of things.
Therefore, it is imperative that you find experienced BPO services that can take care of your customer support department. While some profess that it is wise to develop an in-house customer care team, some believe that outsourcing is preferably the best solution. Well, both the viewpoints are valid on their own rights. Let's have a comparative look.
The in-house team vs. outsource?
Developing an internal customer support team will need you to allocate resources that include technological deployment processes like the CRM software, computers and other related gadgets and devices. You cannot deny the fact that buying these devices, machines, and software will cost you a fortune.
On the other hand, the outsourcing will free you from this investment; in fact, you can use these resources to empower your core competencies. For instance, if you produce AC stabilizer, you might invest the money in product development rather than building a customer support team that will act as a liability in the long run.
When you have the luxury of hiring BPO service provider, it does not make sense to invest money in establishing a customer support department. In addition, the outsourcing company will have trained professionals who will be able to serve your clients intelligently.
The outsourcing organization will also be able to assist you with social media integration in your customer support endeavor. Of course, social media has become an integral part of life. Although it is a virtual platform, the importance of this platform in people's lives can beat the authenticity of the physical reality.
So, find a service provider that has enough technological capability to serve your clients optimally. The company should be able to offer you measurement tools like the SLAs and KPIs so that you can monitor the service quality. Apparently, a customer support team is not only designed to make your customers happy but also they are formed to improve sales and help in product development process.
The consumer data play a vital role in developing and product and service quality. Make sure that the company offers you analytics and data so that you can strategize your business accordingly.
By choosing a technically proficient service provider, you will empower your business with robust customer management system that will bring better results in long run. So, find the competent service provider and discuss your needs with them. It is time to create a happy and satisfied consumer base.


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Akshay Rao Elected President of JCR Policy Board
Will craft the direction of the Journal of Consumer Research during one-year term
Professor Akshay Rao has been elected president of the Policy Board of the Journal of Consumer Research. Rao, the General Mills Chair in Marketing, will serve a one-year term effective January 1, 2013.
Founded in 1974, the Journal of Consumer Research publishes scholarly research that describes and explains consumer behavior. Empirical, theoretical, and methodological articles spanning fields such as psychology, marketing, sociology, economics, communications, and anthropology are featured in this interdisciplinary journal. It is the premier consumer behavior oriented journal in the field. Original scholarship that appears in JCR is routinely featured in major media outlets all over the world.
The policy board crafts the direction of the journal and engages in governance including selecting its next editor.


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STEWART AIRPORT — The airline industry is shrinking.
STEWART AIRPORT — The airline industry is shrinking.
And that, Stewart Airport Commission members were told Tuesday, continues to be an obstacle to bringing more service to Stewart International Airport.
Ralph Tragale, assistant director of public affairs for aviation at Port Authority, and Eric Billowitz, airport manager for Avports — the company that handles much of the day-to-day activity at Stewart — told the commission they continue to talk up Stewart at various meetings with airlines.
But carriers continue to merge — the latest announced merger being American, which was the first to fly passengers out of Stewart in 1990, and U.S. Airways, which currently offers four flights a day to Philadelphia from Stewart.
Airlines also continue to reduce the number of seats available.
Billowitz said reliever airports like Stewart — so-called because they can handle overflow from larger airports — rely heavily on airline industry growth. But, Billowitz said, "Shrinking airline capacity is coalescing around busy airports, not away from them."
Still, Billowitz was not without at least some hopeful news for Stewart.
For example, he said some startup airlines that are not flying yet have shown some interest in Stewart. One airline, which he did not name, is continuing to review the possibility of reviving service from Stewart to Chicago.
Stewart has not offered Chicago service since American Eagle, a regional affiliate of American Airlines, dropped that route and left the airport in 2007.
Commission Chairman James Wright, noting the Port Authority also operates three large airports in addition to Stewart, asked, "Isn't there any arm-twisting we can do (to bring more service here)?"
Tragale said the Port Authority convinced Delta to add a second daily flight to Atlanta several years ago, but both were dropped last September because they were not performing well.
Tragale said they promote Stewart every chance they get.
"We're trying to work with all the carriers to bring sustainable service here," Tragale said.


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ZEISS guarantees the ultimate in lens precision in every finished lens with an engraved "Z". And, of course, the discrete engraving does not impair your customer's field of vision in any way.


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The Spencer, Wernli & Wilson Storm the Dam Trail run is a chip timed trail run which winds through scenic El Dorado Lake State Park and adjacent private property. The double loop marathon, half marathon and 10K connect to the Teter Nature Trail; with some challenging single track trail. Depending
on rainfall expect some wet and muddy crossings. Storm up the dam and enjoy lake views as you run along the lakeshore. Grassy moderate rolling hills of the Boulder Bluff horse trail await you next, work your way through the Walnut Ridge Trail before crossing the finish line near the amphitheater.
The 5K starts with a storm up the dam, enjoy lake views as you run along the shore, find adventure on a short portion of trail course, cross the Walnut River bridge for a final push on paved surface to the finish line.


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Wednesday, November 1st, 2006
Cav boys looking for team success; Durkee dives to state
By Gary R. Rasberry
Coldwater's David Wilker will look for his fourth straight All-Ohio finish at th
. . .
The last several years, David Wilker has been the standard-bearer for the Coldwater boys, finishing no lower than 15th in the first three appearances at the state meet.
Now, Wilker will have some running partners at Scioto Downs as the Cavalier boys make their first team appearance at state in quite a while.
Coldwater placed third at the Tiffin Regional on Saturday in a weather pattern that coach Dan Pohlman said had about everything, especially mud.
Wilker, the lone senior of the seven runners, will lead junior Ben Heyne, sophomores Dusty Kuess and Brock Timmerman and freshmen Alex Gray, Justin Muhlenkamp and Brandon Stammen to Scioto Downs.
After earning All-Ohio all three of his years, highlighted by a fourth-place finish last year, Wilker is glad the whole team is coming down this time around.
"The past couple of years, we've fallen short of getting there," said Wilker, the first male four-time Midwest Athletic Conference champion. "It took a little bit to get used to running as an individual, but now it's nice to be lining up with six of my teammates. ... It's a little more incentive."
Getting the third of four team spots was cause for a big celebration, says Kuess.
"I'm pretty pumped about making it," said Kuess, whose brother Jamie ran at Scioto Downs in 2005, finishing 47th. "We wanted to go last year and got real close. This year we finally made it."
With a fairly young group, Wilker is looked on as the leader of the group.
"They've already asked me if it's a fast course," said Wilker. "I said that it's going to be because the competition is going to be there. I'll just talk to them and keep them calm. Main thing is keeping calm. With three freshmen on varsity, it's real easy to get worked up."
For some of the returnees from last year, when Coldwater missed out on a team berth by five points, this season looks to be a year of redemption.
"Last year, I had a bad race myself," said Heyne, who finished out of the top 100 at Tiffin. "It kind of kept us away from going to state. Going this year is a real big accomplishment. We're all just excited to run the race."
Durkee goes all out - literally - to make state
Talk about going all out to reach a goal.
That's exactly how Jason Durkee got his chance to go to the state cross country meet.
The St. Marys senior was outside the top 16 that earned an advancement to the Division II state cross country meet on Saturday as he ran at the Tiffin Regional.
As he approached the finish line, Durkee took a page from football and dove for the goal-line.
"I just saw him (Chase Sweeney of Napoleon) ahead of me," said Durkee, describing the final short distance of the race. "You have that feeling of wanting it so bad that you need to get it. With five yards left in the race, he started to come up on me. I stepped in front of him a little and he hit me in the back. By this time we were so tired because of all the mud on the course. We just both went down and dove for it. It was pretty amazing because we were just laying there. The (line judge) yelled 'Blue!' We both look up and we're both wearing blue. We both just passed out there."
It would take a while before Durkee found out he finished 16th, and earned the final qualifying spot for state.
"I didn't find out for 45-50 minutes," said Durkee. "When I did find out, I was shocked."
Durkee makes his second trip to Scioto Downs after two years ago finishing 47th in the Division II race.
Archive of November 1st, 2006
Additional online story on this date
Plans for a jail
Mercer County officials got their first glimpse of what the proposed new county jail would look like - if county voters eventually approve a tax issue to pay for the project. [
Subscriber only stories on this date
Candidates call jail, water, agriculture critical issues
Rising deer population = more crashes
Knapke stepping down after 35 years
Meeting set for possible Fort high school construction project
St. Marys school construction forum set
73-year-old woman's car strikes 4 vehicles, building
Celina man sentenced to 18 months in prison after his eighth drunk driving offense
Galleria 'walker' sentenced to community control sanctions
Giesige is the pick between two good auditor candidates
Knobbies expands, moves to larger facility
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Scorching summer heat that has seared Illinois with triple-digit temperatures is expected to continue.
The National Weather Service has forecasted highs of more than 100 degrees in parts of central and southeastern Illinois through the end of the week. Highs in Chicago on Thursday are forecasted between 100 and 104 with heat indexes at between 110 and 115. The National Weather Service describes conditions as "intensely hot and humid."
The Fourth of July holiday saw record-breaking weather in at least one Illinois city. The National Weather Service says Rockford reached 102 degrees on Wednesday, breaking the city's previous record of 101 in 1911. Chicago's reading of 102 degrees at O'Hare International Airport matched its record temperature of 102 also set in 1911.


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This ultra slim twin-coil in line humcancelling soapstick bass-transducers are precision engineered to bridge the gap between two different schools of basspickup design. The tightfocus and pristine harmonics of a classic single coil, but fully humbucking.
More Information
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hoc nghiep vu ke toan
kế toán hà nội có tốt không
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Me too! I was really hoping they'd be on it!! But yes, such a great show!!
I saw Macklemore at the troubador this november too, they were great. (i just read your post and saw all that hate) they definitely killed it, amazing show!
I request your friendship :)
I don't know why, but I thought you were a guy. Sorry about that. Still best acquaintances forever? [Y/N]
Yeah I figured after conversing with you a few times that you were serious. Thanks :)
I am having trouble figuring out whether or not your comment left for me on my profile was serious or sarcastic.
Yeaaahhhhhh! I don't even care. I had over 8,000 on the old message board and those are all gone. Just a number. Funny tho. Took me 2 years to get 8k on the old board, and 5 years on this one.
Happy Birthday!
Coachella Junkie
bitter about obama
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