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An often-overlooked aspect of data center transformation (DCT) is what to do with the older assets as newer systems come online. Much of the retiring IT equipment can possess sensitive data, may be sources of significant economic return, or need at least need to be recycled according to various regulations.
Improperly disposing of data and other IT assets can cause embarrassing security breaches, increase costs, and pose the risk of regulatory penalties. Indeed, many IT organizations are largely unaware of the hazards and risks of selling older systems into auction sites, secondary markets or via untested suppliers.
Compliance and recycling issues, as well as data security concerns and proper software disposition, should therefore be top of mind early in the DCT process, not as an after-thought.
In a recent podcast discussion, I tapped two HP executives on how to best manages productive transitions of data center assets -- from security and environmental impact, to recycling and resale, and even to rental of transitional systems during a managed upgrade process. I spoke with Helen Tang, Worldwide Data Center Transformation Lead for HP Enterprise Business, and Jim O'Grady, Director of Global Life Cycle Asset Management Services with HP Financial Services.
Here are some excerpts:
Helen Tang: Today there are the new things coming about that everybody is really excited about, such as virtualization, and private cloud. ... This time around, enterprises don't want to repeat past mistakes, in terms of buying just piles of stuff that are disconnected. Instead, they want a bigger strategy that is able to modernize their assets and tie into a strategic growth enablement asset for the entire business.Listen to the podcast. Find it on iTunes/iPod and Podcast.com. Read a full transcript or download a copy. Sponsor: HP.
Yet throughout the entire DCT process, there's a lot to think about when you look at existing hardware and software assets that are probably aged, and won't really meet today's demands for supporting modern applications.
How to dispose of those assets? Most people don't really think about it nor understand all of the risks involved. ... Even experienced IT professionals, who have been in the business for maybe 10, 20 years, don't quite have the skills and understanding to grasp all of this.
We're starting to see sort of this IT hybrid role called the IT controller, that typically reports to the CIO, but also dot-lines into the CFO, so that the two organizations can work together from the very beginning of a data center project to understand how best to optimize both the technology, as well as the financial aspects.
Jim O'Grady: We see that a lot of companies try to manage this themselves, and they don't have the internal expertise to do it. Often, it's done in a very disconnected way in the company. Because it's disconnected and done in many different ways, it leads to more risks than people think.
You are putting your company's brand at stake, through improper environmental recycling compliance, or exposing your clients, customers, or patients' data to a security breach. This is definitely one of those areas you don't want to read about in a newspaper to figure out what went wrong.
One of the most common areas where our clients are caught unaware of the complexity of the data security, and the e-waste legislation requirements that are out there, and especially the pace of its change.
We suggest that they have a well thought-out plan for destroying or clearing data prior to the asset decommissioning and/or prior to the asset leaving the physical premise of the site. Use your outsource partner, if you have one, as a final validation for data security. So, do it on site, as well as do it off site.
Have a well-established plan and budget up-front, one that's sponsored by a corporate officer, to handle all of the end-of-use assets well before the end-of-use period comes.
Reams of regulations
E-waste legislation resides at the state, local, national, and regional levels, and they all differ. There's some conflict, but some are in line with each other. So it's very difficult to understand what your legislative requirements are and how to comply. Your best bet is to deal with a highest standard and pick someone that knows and has experience in meeting these legislative requirements.Legislation resides at the state, local, national, and regional levels, and they all differ.
There are tremendous amounts of global complexities that customers are trying to overcome, especially when they try to do data center consolidation and transformation, throughout their enterprise across different geographies and country borders.
You're talking about a variety of regulatory practices and directives, especially in the EU, that are emerging and restrict how you move used and non-working product across borders. There are a variety of different data-security practices and environmental waste laws that you need to be aware of.
Partner beware
A lot of our clients choose to outsource this work to a partner. But they need to keep in mind that they are sharing risk with whomever they partner with. So they have to be very cautious and be extremely picky about who they select as a partner.
This may sound a bit self-serving, but I always suggest for enterprises to resist smaller local vendors. ... If you don't kick the tires with your partner and you don't find out that the partner consists of a man, a dog, and a pickup truck, you just may have a hard time defending yourself as to why you selected that partner.
Also, develop a very strong vendor audit qualification and ongoing inspection process. Visit that vendor prior to the selection and know where your waste stream is going to end up. Whatever they do with the waste stream, it's your waste stream. You are a part of the chain of custody, so you are responsible for what happens to that waste stream, no matter what that vendor does with it.
You need to create rigorous documented end-to-end controls and audit processes to provide audit trails for any future legal issues. And finally, select a partner with a brand name and reputation for trust and integrity. Essentially, share the risk.
Total asset management
Enterprises should well consider how they retire and recover value for their entire end-of-use IT equipment, whether it's a PDA or supercomputer, HP or non-HP product. Most data center transformations and consolidations typically end with a lot of excess or end-of-use product.
We can help educate customers on the hidden risk and dispositioning that end-of-use equipment into the secondary market. This is a strength of HP Financial Services (HPFS).
Typically, what we find with companies trying to recover value for product is that they give it to their facilities guys or the local business units. These guys love to put it on eBay and try to advertise for the best price. But, that's not always the best way to recover the best value for your data center equipment.Your best bet is to work with a disposition provider that has a very, very strong re-marketing reach into the global markets, and especially a strong demonstrative recovery process.
We're now seeing it migrate into the procurement arm. These guys typically put it out for bid and select the highest bid from a lot of the open market brokers. A better strategy to recover value, but not the best.
Your best bet is to work with a disposition provider that has a very, very strong re-marketing reach into the global markets, and especially a strong demonstrative recovery process.
From a financial asset ownership model, HPFS has the ability to come in and work with a client, understand their asset management strategy, and help them to personalize the financial asset ownership model that makes sense for them.
For example, if you look at a leasing organization, when you lease a product, it's going to come back. A key strength in terms of managing your residual is to recover the value for the product as it comes back, and we do that on a worldwide basis.
We have the ability to reach emerging markets or find the market of highest recovery to be able to recover the value for that product. As we work with clients and they give us their equipment to remarket on their behalf, we bring it into the same process.
When you think about it, an asset recovery program is really the same thing as a lease return. It's really a lot of reverse logistics -- bring it into a technical center, where it's audited, the data is wiped, the product is tested, there's some level of refurbishment done, especially if we can enhance the market value. Then, we bring it into our global markets to recover value for that product.
We have skilled product traders within our product families who know how to hold product, and wait for the right time to release it into the secondary market. If you take a lot of product and sell it in one day, you increase the supply, and all of the recovery rates for the brokers drop overnight. So, you have to be pretty smart. You have to know when to release product in small lot sizes to maximize that recovery value for the client.
Legacy support as core competency
We're seeing a big uptake in the need to support legacy product, especially in DCT. We're able to provide highly customized pre-owned authentic legacy HP product solutions, sometimes going back 20 years or more. The need for temporary equipment just scaling out legacy data center hardware platform capacity that's legacy locked is an increasing need that we see from our clients.
Clients also need to ensure their product is legally licensed and they do not encounter intellectual property right infringements. Lastly, they want to trust that the vendor has the right technical skills to deal with the legacy configuration and compatibility issues.
Our short-term rental program covers new or legacy products. Again, many customers need access to temporary product to prove out some concepts, or just to test some software application on compatibility issues. Or, if you're in the midst of a transformation, you may need access to temporary swing gear to enable the move.
We also help clients understand strategies to recover the best value for decommissioned assets, as well as how to evaluate and how to put in place a good data-security plan.
We help them understand whether data security should be done on-site versus off-site, or is it worth the cost to do it on-site and off-site. We also help them understand the complexities of data wiping enterprise product, versus just the plain PC.The one thing we help customers understand, and it's the real hidden complexity is how to set up an effective reverse logistic strategy.
Most of the local vendors and providers out there are skilled in wiping data for PCs, but when you get into enterprise products, it can get really complex. You need to make sure that you understand those complexities, so you can secure the data properly.
Lastly, the one thing we help customers understand, and it's the real hidden complexity is how to set up an effective reverse logistic strategy, especially on a global basis. How do you get the timing down for all the products coming back on a return basis?
Tang: We reach out to our customers in various interactions to talk them through the whole process from beginning to end.
One of the great starting points we recommend is something we called the Data Center Transformation Experience Workshop, where we actually bring together your financial side, your operations people, and your CIOs, so all the key stakeholders in the same room, and walk through these common issues that you may or may not have thought about to begin with. You can walk out of that room with consensus, with a shared vision, as well as a roadmap that's customized for your success.


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text: With his back against the wall, Raymond Reddington faces his most formidable enemy yet: Elizabeth Keen. Aligned with her mother, infamous Russian spy Katarina Rostova, Liz must decide how far she is willing to go to find out why Reddington has entered her life and what his endgame really is. The fallout between Reddington and Keen will have devastating consequences for all that lie in their wake, including the Task Force they helped to create.


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Michael A. Obel
New Horizons: June 2002
Also in this issue
by Derek Thomas
by Robert Ream
The Glory of God: The Sense of All That God Is
by Stephen J. Tracey
Is Predestination the Same Thing as Fate?
by Benjamin B. Warfield
by Albert Mohler
Ten Things You Always Wanted to Know about General Assembly
by Larry Wilson
Fish, as the saying goes, are the last to ask what water is. Aside from the fact that fish were not created to ask questions, water is the medium of their existence. We, on the other hand, don't live in that element, so we find water noteworthy.
Yet we can be like fish in failing to marvel at something just as basic as water, but far more wonderful. All of us inhabit an element that is as constant a part of our lives as water is for fish. The element that we all "swim" in is God's holy, wise, and powerful governing and preserving of all of us and all our actions. It's "providence," the medium of our existence. There never has been and never will be as much as a single nanosecond of any person's life that is not submerged in the infinite holiness, wisdom, and power of the Creator who preserves and governs us. Perhaps it's understandable that we humans take providence for granted.
Every now and then, though, God's care and guidance can be stunning. Believers ought to take such opportunities to marvel afresh at our Creator's care and guidance, no less precious for its familiarity. Such an opportunity can be found in the life of Sir Ernest Shackleton. Few men have had as dramatic an experience of providence as he and the twenty-seven men he took to the bottom of the world for the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-1916.
The world has been slow to take note of this breathtaking display of providence. But that's changing. In 1976, the first man to scale Mt. Everest publicly declared Shackleton to be "the greatest leader that ever came on God's earth, bar none." Four years ago, National Geographic devoted much of an issue to this Anglo-Irish explorer's voyage. More recently, Irish actor Liam Neeson narrated a full-length documentary on Shackleton's exploits that has been in theaters since early this year. Indeed, today English-speaking school children can read about this improbable adventure in a variety of young people's books.
Yet despite this emerging and long-overdue interest in the expedition, scant if any attention has been paid to the leader's own spiritual assessment of the voyage. Part of the reason may be Shackleton's brevity. When he wrote, he got straight to the point, including the "religious" point. His religious point, contained in his memoir South: The Endurance Expedition, underscores the personal side of providence. Christians, then, have two reasons to consider Shackleton, both as a trophy of God's providence and as a man who gives poignant testimony to providence.
Before reviewing Shackleton's religious reflections on the expedition, two things should be noted. First, it is not clear that he was a Christian. He had a reputation as a drinker and a womanizer. Nothing that follows is intended to imply that Shackleton was regenerate. Second, it helps to know something about the trip itself. So here's the story of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
Long before 1914, Shackleton was a seasoned Antarctic explorer. In 1901, Capt. Robert Falcon Scott, the British explorer, engaged him as a lieutenant on a failed expedition to the South Pole. Shackleton had to leave that trip because of scurvy, but five years later he was back, this time leading his own expedition to the pole, which he got within ninety-seven miles of. After the Norwegian adventurer Roald Amundsen succeeded in reaching the pole in December 1911, only one distinction remained: to lead the first trek across the continent.
This became Shackleton's goal. After months of fund-raising, he went to Norway's best shipyard and bought a new 300-ton wooden barkentine, the Endurance, as fine a vessel as had ever plied ice-infested waters. Likewise, the men he selected were the best available seamen and officers. On August 1, 1914, they sailed from London. After final provisioning in Argentina, they arrived at South Georgia Island on November 5. For four weeks, they waited for Antarctica's summer to set in. Then on December 5 they set a course for the Weddell Sea.
Two days later, they encountered heavy, but loose pack ice. Using the vessel's engines and sails, they drove into it. Eventually the crew began to walk ahead of the ship and manually break up the ice. Progress was slow. Then on January 18, 1915, when they were close to Antarctica's coast, the pack ice encased Endurance. She could move only slightly, listing to one side, lifting a bit at one end or the other.
For the next ten months, the ice carried the vessel and her crew hundreds of miles north, in the general direction of South America. Without radio contact, they were cut off from the rest of humanity. The emotional wear on the men was a constant challenge to Shackleton. He confronted the beginning of a mutiny, reconciled brawlers, and built unity by exchanging his perks as the top officer for the common chores of the lowest seaman.
On October 26, the Endurance was no longer able to withstand the forces of the ice floes and monstrous pressure ridges. The slow implosion of her hull, audible for months, was now agonizingly visible. Endurance would never take them home. Shackleton gave the order to abandon ship, and the men removed as much of the ship's supplies as they could carry. On November 21, her twisted and splintered remains slipped to the bottom of the Weddell Sea.
The men, taking up the dog teams' harnesses, began dragging their three lifeboats north, hoping to reach the Atlantic. Only the barest essentials could be taken. Cameras, film, bookseven the ship's Biblewere all left behind. Shackleton, however, did tear out and keep a page from the book of Job that stated:
Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it? The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.
Eventually the ice began to thin and became treacherous, especially when the men camped. Referring to hungry killer whales that surfaced to inspect the men, Shackleton wrote, "The killers were blowing all night, and a crack appeared about 20 feet from the camp at 2 a.m. The ice below us was quite thin enough for the killers to break through if they took a fancy to do so." One night Shackleton had to pull a man, still in his sleeping bag, out of the frigid sea because the ice had broken.
On April 9, 1916, Shackleton gave the order to launch the three lifeboats amidst the floes, icebergs, and killer whales. The plan was to sail north. It was -10 F, and the South Atlantic was raging. During that week, the men endured the most abysmal conditions: one sailor collapsed; another one developed frostbite that led to gangrene. In a few days, they landed on Elephant Island, a barren outcropping that offered nothing in the way of food or water or even shelter. Some men wept; others struggled to stay sane.
Something had to give. Shackleton announced that he and five chosen men would sail the largest of the lifeboats, the 22-foot, 6-inch James Caird, 800 miles through the South Atlantic to South Georgia. It is difficult to describe the improbability of such a venture succeeding.
But they did succeed. Through 60-foot waves and gale-force winds that were so frigid that New Zealand navigator Frank Worsley could only manage five sightings with a borrowed sextant, these six men not only stayed afloat, but actually reached South Georgia sixteen horrific days later. Suffering acute dehydration, extreme exhaustion, and frostbite, the men found fresh water, wild game, and shelter. They also found a mountain range between them and the whaling station. It was not possible to sail around the island to the station, so a few of them would have to cross the island on foot.
Early on May 19, with the light of a full moon, Shackleton, Worsley, and a rugged Irish sailor named Tom Crean began climbing the mountains and crossing the glacial crevasses. Without the benefit of one real meal, a tent, or even an hour of sleep, these three pressed on for thirty-six hours until they walked into the same whaling station from which they had set off nearly two years earlier. It was now May 20, 1916.
Once the Norwegians picked up the three men on the other side of the island in a motor launch, the push was on to return to Elephant Island and rescue the majority of the crew. They were living under the two overturned lifeboats and subsisting on a broth of water and penguin carcasses. Death was near. Three times Shackleton tried to reach his men, but pack ice stopped him. Finally, using a borrowed Chilean vessel, Shackleton found an opening in the ice and rescued his men. It was August 30, 1916, more than two years since the Endurance had sailed from London.
Thus far, the achievements of Sir Ernest Shackleton. One suspects that the greatest voyager of ancient Greece, Odysseus, would have stood in the presence of this man, the last great explorer of the Victorian Age.
Note well Shackleton's own spiritual assessment of his struggles:
When I look back at those days, I have no doubt that Providence guided us, not only across those snowfields, but across the storm-strewn sea that separated Elephant Island from our landing place on South Georgia. I know that during that long and racking march of 36 hours over the unnamed mountains and glaciers of South Georgia, it seemed to me often that we were four, not three. I said nothing to my companions on the point, but afterwards Worsley said to me, "Boss, I had a curious feeling on the march that there was another person with us." Crean confessed to the same idea. One feels the dearth of human words, the roughness of mortal speech, in trying to describe things intangible, but a record of our journeys would be incomplete without a reference to a subject very near to our hearts.
So the glory is all God's. And that glory shines more brightly in light of the fact that Shackleton never once in any of his voyages attained his primary objective. Vocationally, he was a failure. Each of us fails, too. Yet the same holiness, wisdom, and power that accompanied Shackleton now conduct each of us on our voyages. Through both success and failure, even repeated failure, the same Creator surrounds us with exactly what he surrounded those men. As Christians, we can say that our expedition is led by the most authentic Hero of all. Indeed, the only Hero. His many humiliations guarantee both our present rescue and our future arrival at our celestial home.
Long before Shackleton, there was a Puritan pastor who knew something about sailing and about providence. John Flavel ministered to sailors in Dartmouth, England. Flavel once said that many sailors who had been spared shipwreck quickly forgot God's good providence and whatever vows they had made in the midst of the storms. Preaching from Psalm 107:25-27, Flavel lamented, "How little of the goodness of God abides kindly and effectually upon the heart." For the Christian, Shackleton's story provides an opportunity to stop taking providence for granted. Let us, therefore, let our God's good providence "abide kindly and effectually" upon our hearts.
The author is the associate pastor of Gwynedd Valley OPC in Gwynedd, Pa., and a teacher at Philadelphia-Montgomery Christian Academy in Erdenheim, Pa. Reprinted from New Horizons, June 2002.
New Horizons: June 2002
Also in this issue
by Derek Thomas
by Robert Ream
The Glory of God: The Sense of All That God Is
by Stephen J. Tracey
Is Predestination the Same Thing as Fate?
by Benjamin B. Warfield
by Albert Mohler
Ten Things You Always Wanted to Know about General Assembly
by Larry Wilson
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text: From DesperateScanners: In a land where no magic is present. A land where the strong makes the rules and weak has to obey. A land filled with alluring treasures and beauty yet also filled with unforeseen danger. Xiao Yan, who has shown talents none had seen in decades, suddenly three years ago lost everything, his powers, his reputation, and his promise to his mother. What sorcery has caused him to lose all of his powers? And why has his fiancee suddenly shown up?


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Morgan & Jesse Keith Whitley set to perform on Grand Ole Opry Tonight!!!
Photo Credit: Webster and Associates PR
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 6, 2014) – In life and in art, the glamorous and gifted Lorrie Morgan is enjoying a renewed resurgence of popularity. Morgan continues to make new music, tour North America, and this weekend will celebrate her 30th Anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry!!! On June 9, 1984, Morgan was inducted as a member into the invitation only institution.
"You can't imagine how it felt the night I became a member of the Opry," says Lorrie Morgan. "The first time I could really call this place home. I couldn't stop shaking or trembling or crying."
That Saturday night, just 30 years ago, might have been Lorrie's first night as an official member, but it certainly wasn't her first night at the Grand Ole Opry. Lorrie grew up backstage at the Opry, the daughter of Country Music Hall of Famer George Morgan, a 26-year member known everywhere for his smash 1949 hit "Candy Kisses."
Born in 1959, Lorrie made her Opry stage debut early, introduced at the Ryman Auditorium by her proud father. "My little 13-year-old knees were absolutely knocking," she recalls. "But Dad was standing there right beside me with big tears in his eyes, and those people gave me a standing ovation. I thought, 'This is what I'm doing the rest of my life.'"
"This was a dream of my dad's long before it was my dream," Lorrie says. "I have all of this because of Dad. We're very blessed to be a musical family here at the Grand Ole Opry. What more could you ask for?"
George Morgan died when Lorrie was 16, but she still carries in her heart two pieces of advice he left her: "Never say, 'I can't,'" and "Always remember your manners."
Morgan's vocal style, combining country sincerity and pop sophistication, really took off in 1989 with the emotion-filled hit "Dear Me." She won a CMA Award in 1990 for her work with her late husband, Keith Whitley, the great country traditionalist who had died the year before. Her three subsequent albums — Leave the Light On, Something in Red, and Watch Me — all sold more than a million copies.
She has released hit after hit in a distinctive style steeped in passion and believability — "I Guess You Had to Be There," "What Part of No," "Except for Monday," "Something in Red," "I Didn't Know My Own Strength," "Half Enough," and others.
Throughout her career, Morgan says, she has thought of the Opry as home.
"The Opry gave me my start in country music," she says. "It's a place we all need to go from time to time to remember why we're here and what gave us the opportunity to be here."


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FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — As an unusual cold spell gripped parts of the West for a fifth day, some California citrus growers reported damage to crops and an agriculture official said national prices on lettuce have started to rise because of lost produce in Arizona.
The extreme chill in the West comes as the eastern U.S., from Atlanta to New York City, is seeing spring-like weather.
In California's San Joaquin Valley, where farmers are fighting to protect about $1.5 billion worth of citrus fruit on their trees, Sunday temperatures dropped to 25 degrees in some areas and stayed low longer than previous nights.
Prolonged temperatures in the mid-20s or below cause damage to citrus crops.
"It was our coldest night to date," said Paul Story of Exeter-based California Citrus Mutual, an association of the state's 3,900 citrus growers. "I think mandarin growers are going to see a range of significant damage, enough that they will have to separate their crops."
Mandarins are more susceptible to cold than other citrus and start to freeze at about 32 degrees, Story said. Because many mandarin trees were planted in recent years as the fruit's popularity soared, they are grown in colder areas outside the traditional citrus belt.
Other citrus crops saw little or minimal damage, Story said. This year's high sugar content in oranges helped protect them, he said, because sugar inhibits freezing.
Growers deployed wind machines to keep the warm air closer to the ground and irrigation to raise the temperature in the groves. Rows farthest away from the protection could be damaged, Story said. And farmers who do not have wind machines could lose crops.
Lindsey-based Robert LoBue — who grows 1,000 acres of citrus, including mandarins — said wind machines were critical in his groves, but saving the crop doesn't come cheap. LoBue runs one wind machine for every 10 acres and has to employ a crew to operate them.
"We're very diligent, we run the wind and water all night," LoBue said, "but we're spending thousands of dollars to protect these crops."
And farmers are on the hook for a fifth cold night: a freeze warning remains in effect until 10 a.m. Tuesday for central California.
In Southern California, where strong winds helped keep some crops out of danger by keeping the cold from settling, farmers said any damage would negatively impact workers and consumers.
"We have between 170 to 200 employees and if we can't pick we have to lay off our picking crews," said John Gless, a third-generation Riverside-based grower. And if there's less fruit to pick, he said prices will go up.
Temperatures in downtown Los Angeles fell to 34 degrees, breaking the previous record of 36 degrees set on Jan. 14, 2007.
In Angeles National Forest, where overnight temperatures have been dropping into the 20s, Arcadia hiker Danny Kim, 28, was found Sunday night after surviving 26 hours in the frigid West Fork wilderness. Kim was airlifted to a hospital for treatment of hypothermia.
In Beverly Hills, fans brought heavy coats and scarves as they waited along the red carpet hoping to catch glimpses of stars arriving for the Golden Globes ceremony Sunday evening. Some of the actors shivered but weren't complaining.
"I'd rather be nippy than boiling hot," said actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who arrived in a strapless dress. "No, I'm not wearing any leggings or long underwear."
In San Diego, zookeepers offered extra heat and shelter for some animals.
To the east, the freezing temperatures already have done enough damage to southwestern Arizona lettuce crops that prices are increasing, said Kurt Nolte, a Yuma, Ariz.-based agricultural agent for the University of Arizona.
The area provides much of the nation's leafy greens during the winter, and farmers are reporting damage to many romaine and iceberg lettuce crops. The cold is freezing the heads of the lettuce and affecting the quality and yield, Nolte said.
The price for a carton of lettuce in Yuma two weeks ago was $7 to $8. As of Monday, it cost around $20 per carton, he said.
"That's a result of cold weather in the Yuma area for the last six weeks," Nolte said.
Overnight temperatures this week have dipped into the 20s around Yuma, and Nolte said lettuce farmers can't protect their crops.
"With lettuce, you don't have the luxury of wind machines to stir up the atmosphere," he noted. "You have to live with what Mother Nature brings. Very little can be done other than maybe running some water to protect what's going to be harvested the next day."
Nolte said Yuma farmers haven't seen much damage so far with other crops such as spinach, cauliflower and broccoli.
Metropolitan Phoenix marked one of its coolest stretches since 1988 and Sunday morning's low of 7 degrees in Douglas, Ariz., broke a record for January in the Mexican border town.
Farther north, a school district on the Navajo Nation cancelled all classes Tuesday because of freezing temperatures.
Temperatures in Window Rock, Ariz., were expected to be well below freezing Tuesday with a high of 21 degrees and a low of minus 5 degrees. The Window Rock School District posted the cancellation notice on its website Monday, saying heating the schools has been a problem.
In Nevada, the temperature in Ely plummeted to 24 below zero early Monday and wind chills were expected to drop to near 40 below into Tuesday.
And in northern New Mexico, parts of Interstate 25 and some other highways were snow packed and icy Monday, and officials warned travelers that additional light snow could lead to hazardous driving conditions when coupled with the freezing temperatures.
Associated Press writers Walter Berry in Phoenix and Jeff Wilson and Raquel Dillon in Los Angeles contributed to this report.


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Barro on Unions
There is evidence that right-to-work laws—or, more broadly, the pro-business policies offered by right-to-work states—matter for economic growth. In research published in 2000, economist Thomas Holmes of the University of Minnesota compared counties close to the border between states with and without right-to-work laws (thereby holding constant an array of factors related to geography and climate). He found that the cumulative growth of employment in manufacturing (the traditional area of union strength prior to the rise of public-employee unions) in the right-to-work states was 26 percentage points greater than that in the non-right-to-work states.


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Grocery Game Plan: Meijer
Here are my favorite stockpilable items this week, 6/20- 6/26, at Meijer.
To check out the full online ad for this week at Meijer, click here.
KEY: MFC = Manufacturer's Coupon, MBC = Mealbox Coupon, IP = Internet Printable Coupon
Ragu, $1.50 (Purchase 6 (mix & match with Skippy) receive $3 Catalina)
Spend the $.75/2
Total: $1.13/each when you purchase 2
Skippy Peanut Butter, $1.50 (Purchase 6 (mix & match with Ragu) receive $3 Catalina)
Jello, 2/$1
Spend the BOGO MFC
Total: $.25/box
Check out the rest of this week's Metro Detroit Meijer Match-ups, visit Bargains to Bounty
To access Meijer Mealbox coupons (MBC): Mealbox Generator to print multiple Mealbox coupons per page. Or visit Meijer online (look for the 'Special's tab in the blue box to the right!) to print a single coupon per page. I offer two printing locations because the Mealbox Generator is not as extensive as the Meijer online site.
Keep in Mind:
*Meijer will only double the first TWO identical MANUFACTURER coupons. This may mean that you will need to break your purchasing into ONE large transaction and SEVERAL smaller transactions to ensure that ALL of your coupons are able to double.
*Meijer will never double a Mealbox coupon.
*Meijer allows the 'Stacking' of one Manufacturer coupon and one Mealbox coupon per item purchased unless either coupon states otherwise. For example, a coupon may say save $1 on two items, then you would need to follow the purchasing rules for that specific coupon.
*Rain checks are available at the customer service desk, at the podium in front of the cash register lines or with your cashier.Remember that Meijer rain checks have an expiration date 30 days from printing along with a limited quantity printed on the rain check. The quantity limited depends on your stores location.
AND AS ALWAYS, please leave me a comment if I have missed a deal... Thank you!


text: igubal® rod ends are deployed in many different branches of industry. They facilitate rotating, oscillating and linear movements of the shaft – in packaging machines, offshore facilities and bicycles, as examples. There is a version suitable for virtually every installation requirement. The rod ends are available in the K and E dimensional series (DIN ISO 12240) for shaft diameters from 2 to 30 mm (the shaft should have a tolerance between h6 and h9). The bearing tolerance and shape of the bearing housing are also variable – it can be long or short and has a male or female thread. In the standard version, the bearings are designed with a large bearing clearance in order to ensure secure operation even at high peripheral speeds. The tolerance can be changed upon request. igubal® rod ends maintain their running and wear properties even in demanding environments. They are corrosion-resistant, temperature-resistant between -40 and +200 °C, resistant to media, UV radiation, nuclear radiation, dirt and dust. And in contrast to their metal counterparts, the rod ends are able to absorb vibrations. This property means they are predestined for applications with high-frequency vibrations.


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Brand: Hasport
Part Type: Hasport Performance Mount - Replacement Mount Kit
Product Code / Interchanges: EF8STK70A / EF8STK-70A
Note :
- EF8 / EF9 Stock Replacement Mount Kit
- ONLY FITS FACTORY B-SERIES CARS (ie EF8 / EF9 SiR) with Cable Transmission
- High Quality Rubber
- Built To O.E. Specifications
- Prevents Damage To Vehicle Components
- Returns are accepted within 30 days of receiving the item.
- Please contact us to receive RMA information prior to return.
- For full refund item must be in the condition it was received in and in original box it was shipped in. Failure to comply may result in a restocking fee.
- Refund will be processed once item is approved after inspection.
- If the buyer has made an error in their purchase the buyer must pay return shipping.
- If a mistake has been made on our end we will pay for return shipping.


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Data copyright © Lorraine Mepham unless otherwise stated
This work is licensed under the ADS Terms of Use and Access.
Wessex Archaeology
Portway House
Old Sarum Park
Tel: 01722 326867
Fax: 01722 337562
Wokingham, Berkshire, 4/8/1963
Several sections of the gravel exposed on a building site in Glebelands Road. Six feet of well-bedded sandy gravel with clay seams seen in one trench but a few feet away in another trench and elsewhere the bedding was much-distorted.
Sarsen and Lower Greensand erratics found.
Waylands Smithy, Ashbury, Oxfordshire, 7/8/1963
7th August - 30th August
Second season with Professors Piggott and Atkinson, assisting with the excavation of the tomb. Primary tomb almost intact with about twelve disarticulated and one crouched skeleton laid on a sarsen pavement.
Mainly occupied in examining mound and old land surface of the primary tomb.


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text: Heart to Heart Stacking Crayons is the amazing stackable crayon set all in one crayon. Each heart has a single colored crayon and is totally interchangeable from the rest. Mix and match the 12 color hearts so you can make your own unique Heart to Heart crayon. And each crayon comes with a fine point so you can make all sorts of detailed coloring projects. And for extra fun, you can mix and match crayons with your friends to make all sorts of fun Heart to Heart stacking creations.


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Hand signed by the artist. Limited Edition - Lithograph Print.
Matted in black - outer dimensions of mat are 11 inches x 14 inches - Image size in window varies. Fits a standard frame size of 11 x 14 inches.
All images are watermarked on the website, but the watermarks are not on the piece you will receive.


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CASSELTON, N.D. – A fiery oil train derailment's near-miss of a small North Dakota town had its mayor angrily calling for federal officials to do more to guarantee the safety of the nation's growing shipment of oil by rail.
Government regulators defended their record on moving hazardous materials by rail, noting that 2012 was the safest year in the industry's history. But oil trains have bucked that trend, thanks in part to the massive amount of oil being moved out of western North Dakota, where the industry's rapid growth is far outpacing pipeline development.
No one was hurt when the mile-long BNSF Railway train derailed Monday afternoon near the eastern North Dakota town of Casselton, but the overturned tankers — exploding and engulfed in plumes of flames and black smoke for more than 24 hours — burned so hot that emergency crews didn't even attempt to put out the blaze. Most of Casselton's roughly 2,400 residents agreed to temporarily evacuate due to concerns about unsafe air.
"This is too close for comfort," Casselton Mayor Ed McConnell said Tuesday.
While the overall rate of oil train accidents remains low — less than 0.1 per cent of crude-carrying tank cars have suffered accidental releases this year — there's been a sharp increase in the number of releases over the past several years. That's driven by a surge in drilling for unconventional shale oil in North Dakota and other western states.
Through early November, the most recent data available, crude releases have been reported from 137 rail cars in 2013, according to an Associated Press analysis of federal accident records. By comparison, only one release was reported in 2009, before the boom got well underway.
The rail tracks in eastern North Dakota run through the middle of Casselton, about 25 miles west of Fargo. McConnell estimated that dozens of people could have been killed if the derailments had happened within the town.
The mayor said it was time to "have a conversation" with federal lawmakers about the dangers of transporting oil by rail.
"There have been numerous derailments in this area," he told the AP. "It's almost gotten to the point that it looks like not if we're going to have an accident, it's when."
Gov. Jack Dalrymple visited Casselton, his hometown, to view the scene. He called it a "major catastrophe" that would prompt concern no matter where it happened.
"People will be asking a lot of questions about the safety of equipment, the safety of railroad operations, and why did the derailment occur in the first place," Dalrymple said.
The National Transportation Safety Board, which is heading the investigation, said it would examine the train recorder, the signal system, the condition of the train operators, train and tracks, as well as the response to the derailment.
NTSB member Robert Sumwalt said the tankers involved were older-model DOT-111s, which have shown a tendency to rupture in other accidents. Tank car makers have been rebuilding the DOT-111, the workhorse of the oil-by-rail industry, to tougher safety standards since a 2009 crash of an ethanol train near Rockford, Ill., but most of the nation's fleet has not yet been retrofitted.
Sumwalt said a westbound BNSF train carrying grain derailed first, and a portion of it fell onto an adjacent track carrying the eastbound BNSF oil train. Sumwalt said both lead locomotives of the 106-car train were destroyed. BNSF spokeswoman Amy McBeth said 18 cars on the oil train derailed and burned.
Officials cancelled the town's voluntary evacuation recommendation Tuesday afternoon after air quality tests, and a Red Cross shelter set up at the high school was shut down.
Government regulators noted their record on moving hazardous materials by rail, saying they've conducted unannounced spot inspections to make sure crude oil is being properly handled, issued rail safety advisories and worked to update regulations including for the DOT-111s.
Federal Railroad Administration Associate Administrator Kevin Thompson added that 2012 was the safest year in the industry's history and that hazardous material releases are down 16 per cent over the last decade, despite the uptick in oil train accidents.
Those accidents include the Nov. 8 derailment of more than two dozen crude oil cars into an Alabama swamp that released almost 750,000 gallons of crude and led to another fiery explosion, but again no injuries.
And the U.S. Department of Transportation data analyzed by AP does not include a July oil train accident in Quebec in which 47 people were killed when a shipment of North Dakota oil derailed in the town of Lac Megantic.
The Casselton derailment comes just days after North Dakota's top oil regulator, Lynn Helms, told state lawmakers that his agency was considering crafting a report "to dispel this myth that it is somehow an explosive, really dangerous thing to have travelling up and down rail lines."
Wayde Schafer, a North Dakota spokesman for the Sierra Club, has predicted such catastrophes since crude began leaving the state by rail in 2008, when North Dakota reached its then-capacity for pipeline shipments.
"As if we needed another wake-up call after Quebec, here's another wake-up call," Schafer said.
Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council, said the state's drillers increasingly are using trains to reach more lucrative markets because of the lack of pipelines and difficulty in securing permits for them.
Sheldon Lustig, a rail expert who consults with local governments on accidents and hazardous materials, said oil train explosions underscore that not enough is being done by either government or industry.
"The evidence speaks for itself," he said. "I've talked to some of the crews and they refer to them as 'bomb trains.' They are worried, especially in view of the volatility of the cargo being moved."
Federal officials have said they stepped up inspections of oil trains even before the Quebec accident. But Lustig said he's seen no evidence that any corrective measures were taken for whatever defects were discovered.
James MacPherson reported from Bismarck. Associated Press writer Matthew Brown contributed from Billings, Mont.


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A number of bloggers have begun posting their summaries, thoughts, and reactions to the first day of sessions at Acton University 2008. Below is a list, which will be updated periodically throughout the day.
- Fr. John Zuhlsdorf at WDTPRS,
- "Acton University: Day 1." As usual there is a very, ah, lively conversation going on in Fr. Z's comment boxes.
- Tex at Mere Orthodoxy,
- "Anthropology, the Economists' Foundation."
- "The Economic Way of Thinking."
- "Difference: The Opportunity for Love."
- "The Danger of Misplaced Pity."
Tex is living up to his promise and giving us a lot to consider in his reflections.
- LABARTON at Thoughts on Theology,
If you have a post that ought to listed, please note it in the comments below and I'll add it to our watch list.


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March 28
Comments: Add
Currently Reading: Madapple by Christina Meldrum (Part 3)
Several days ago I completed Madapple and my mind is still reeling a little bit.
First, the subject matter. I knew it was coming. There was this ominous feeling deep in my belly, churning and bubbling as I read. But when the moment arrived I still reeled. It's one thing to know it's coming and quite another when it actually arrives.
Second, I'm not sure how I feel about the end. It felt too…easy, for lack of a better word. It was like reading a very twisted episode of Jerry Springer that wraps up with an "and they all lived happily ever after†when you know damn well that isn't true.
Would I still recommend reading the book? Was is still very well written? Was it still a page turner? Yes on all counts (the first with the caveat that if you can't handle child abuse/incest stories, skip it). And I do love how the story itself unfolded, switching between the two time periods and points-of-view.
Please allow me to scoop my mind up off the floor before I write a proper review. All I really know at this point is that the next book I read needs to be light and fluffy because this one was (almost) as heavy as it gets…at least where young adult fare is concerned.


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Ochsner Health is a system that delivers health to the people of Louisiana, Mississippi and the Gulf South with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate.
Yoga is an ancient practice that involves physical poses, concentration, and deep breathing. can promote endurance, strength, calmness, flexibility, and well-being. Our Yoga Classes are led by Wendy McKee, our Experienced Registered Yoga Instructor. The overall philosophy of yoga is about connecting the mind, body, and spirit. Participants may start at any time. The free class is open to any individuals with a cancer diagnosis, their caregivers, and the health professionals who care for them. To register or for more information please call 985-249-2383.


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We make no warranties or representations about the accuracy or completeness of any Content or any Communication.
All of the contents, communications, information and functionality contained in and/or provided via the site, including, without limitation, text, graphics, and links, are provided "as is" and without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. To the fullest extent permissible pursuant to applicable law, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, freedom from computer virus, and warranties arising from course of dealing or course of performance. We do not represent or warrant that the functions contained in the site will be uninterrupted or error-free, that defects will be corrected, or that the site or the server that makes the site available are free of viruses or other harmful components. We do not make any warranties or representations regarding the use of the content or communications in the site in terms of their completeness, correctness, accuracy, adequacy, usefulness, timeliness, reliability or otherwise. The above limitations may not apply to you if they are not permitted under the laws of the jurisdiction in which you reside.


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COLUMBIA, Md. - It seemed like the perfect patch, Susan LeClair thought, about her sister and her sister's brand new pit bull.
LeClair's sister Robin Conway, 64, decided to foster the dog only two weeks ago.
"(She) loved animals, all kinds of animals. I was the one that wimped out and said wee. She was the one who said,'oh I'll take the fish of the hook," LeClair said.
Conway took her new pit bull out for a routine walk Monday evening.
But as the sun started to go down and Conway didn't return, her husband looked out back.
"She was in love with that dog. And she is in love with animals -- Conway. The dog, apparently, went after her," LeClair paused. "She was dead."
Howard County Police say the pit bull was standing over Conway's body -- the family, acting quickly, tied it to the backyard fence.
"Even it's behavior at the scene after our first responders got there -- the dog was on a leash, but lunging and barking. They tried to subdue him and ultimately had to euthanize him," Sherry Llewellyn, a spokeswoman with the police department, said.
Animal Control deemed the dog a danger to those around it both animals and, in this case, humans; it had to be put down.
A grim conclusion to a budding relationship between Conway and her new dog.
"They have been lovely, lovely dogs. It was obviously something wrong with this dog, but that's not to be construed as all pit bulls are bad and I know Robin wouldn't want that," LeClair said.
A necropsy will be done to see if the dog had rabies or any other medical issues.
No other incidents were reported involving this dog and police say they do not have any information about the dog's adoption, other than it was out-of-state.
Police are conducting a standard death investigation and awaiting autopsy results to confirm the cause of Conway's death.


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Resume Bank
As a service to our members and the PMI Tallahassee community, the Resume Bank is an opportunity for you to share your resume with employers in our area that are hiring. Resumes are posted free of charge. Resumes will remain posted for a maximum of 6 months.
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Key Ring Laminated Fabric - Hey Saylor - Blush
Key ring, perfect accessory for extra change, gym card, earphones and keys.
- Size L9cm x H12cm
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The Thandana Team are committed to offering innovative designs and are passionate about South Africa and supporting the local industry.


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editIzuna Uchiha [1][2] | |||
うちはイズナ Uchiha Izuna | |||
Debut | |||
Manga | Naruto Chapter #386 | ||
Anime | Naruto Shippūden Episode #136 | ||
Novel | The Last: Naruto the Movie | ||
Movie | The Last: Naruto the Movie | ||
Game | Naruto: Shinobi Collection Shippū Ranbu | ||
Appears in | Anime, Manga, Novel, Game, Movie | ||
Voice Actors | |||
Japanese |
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English | |||
Personal | |||
Birthdate | February 10 | ||
Sex | Male | ||
Age |
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Status | Deceased | ||
Height |
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Weight |
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Blood type | O | ||
Kekkei Genkai | |||
Clan | |||
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Izuna Uchiha (うちはイズナ, Uchiha Izuna) was a shinobi of the Uchiha clan. He, along with his brother Madara, were renowned as the clan's two strongest members in their lifetime.
Before the era of ninja villages, Izuna was one of the five sons born to Tajima Uchiha. However, three of his brothers died at the hands of the Senju, leaving the second eldest Izuna and his oldest brother Madara. Alongside Madara, Izuna was considered one of the most gifted members of the Uchiha. Izuna often competed with his brother as training.[3] As a child growing up during the war-torn era, Izuna once accompanied his father on a mission to kill Hashirama Senju, whom Madara — albeit unknowingly — had been meeting. Once there, Izuna and his father were confronted by Butsuma and Tobirama Senju, the latter of whom he acknowledged by name.[4]
As Izuna clashed with Tobirama, unbeknownst to him, Butsuma had launched an attack at him, hoping to strike him down and gain an advantage at defeating the evenly-matched Tajima. This attack, however, was deflected by his brother Madara who had intervened between the two sides along with Hashirama. Izuna later showed shock when Madara noted that Hashirama was stronger than he was, but was later elated to see that his brother had awakened his Sharingan.[5]
As the battles between the two clans raged on, Izuna awakened his own Sharingan and became one of the first two Uchiha to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, alongside his older brother. With their newly obtained power, the two brothers became the heads of the clan, with Madara becoming its leader. During a battle with Tobirama, Izuna was mortally wounded by Tobirama's technique. With Madara quickly rushing to Izuna's aid, Hashirama pleaded with Madara to come to peaceful terms. Seeing his brother begin to consider this offer, Izuna told his brother not to listen to their lies, ultimately making Madara retreat with Izuna.[5]
When Madara later returned to the battlefield, he revealed that the injury inflicted on Izuna was fatal.[5] At the last moments of his life, the dying Izuna had given Madara his eyes so his brother could obtain the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan to protect their clan from its growing number of enemies and the Senju.[6][2] Because of the blindness caused by overuse of a Mangekyō Sharingan, many people came to believe that Madara took Izuna's eyes by force to regain his sight.[7]
Izuna Uchiha was a harmonic and devoted person,[1] who wished for his clan to have peace and stability.[2] He also appeared to be very competitive with his brother, Madara, in terms of skill as they would often spar with one another in an attempt to hone these skills. Izuna looked up to Madara greatly and was even in disbelief when as children, Madara admitted to being weaker than Hashirama.[8] Likewise, Izuna was elated when Madara awakened his Sharingan shortly after.[9] As he grew older, Izuna's love for his clan grew and he fought fiercely to protect it. He distrusted the Senju clan, even asking Madara, while severely wounded, not to fall for Hashirama's "false" truce proposals.[10] He looked up to his older brother and was so close to Madara that he even gave him his eyes as a dying gift as a means of ensuring that Madara will be able to better protect the clan's future.[11]
In the anime, because of the Sharingan's ability to see past any attempt to blind the user, Izuna felt pity for those who did not possess one, viewing it as a curse. He also willingly went to his grave telling his brother not to trust the Senju as it would mean the demise of their own clan,[12] something that came to pass when the Uchiha planned a coup in the village.
Izuna was a fair-skinned man with spiky, black hair that had a blue tint to it and was tied in a ponytail. His bangs parted down the centre of his face to frame both sides of it. He wore the standard Uchiha outfit which consisted of a high-collared, blue shirt with the Uchiha crest on his upper back and blue pants which were wrapped up in bandages at the ends. On his waist, he had a bandage belt that held a sack which presumably held ninja tools. As a child, his ponytail was absent, and his hair was spiky in the back, and he wore the standard high-collared robes worn by other Uchiha of the Era of the Warring States with the Uchiha crest on the back, with an armoured chest plate. According to Hashirama Senju, Izuna bore a striking resemblance to one of his clansmen, Sasuke Uchiha.
Izuna was noted to be of prodigious talent, even by the battle-adept Uchiha clan's standards, and was one of the most powerful Uchiha in history being his brother Madara's equal before Madara acquired the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.[2] He and his brother competed daily to hone their skills. Both of them had exceptionally strong chakra, even for Uchiha members.[3] His prowess allowed him to fight on equal ground with Tobirama Senju — a shinobi renown as one of the strongest and the fastest of his time.[12]
In the anime, Izuna showed proficient skill in Fire Release, able to perform his clan's signature Great Fireball Technique with enough power to disperse a Water Dragon Bullet Technique.[12] Izuna possessed overflowing talent in kenjutsu wielding a sword when seen in battle.[5][2] He could proficiently wield it backhanded or normal grip, letting him attack in different patterns.
Izuna awakened and mastered his Sharingan at a very young age; around the same time as Madara. His prowess with the dōjutsu was such that his clan soon recognised his high level of abilities even amongst their battle-excelling clan. With it, Izuna gained access to the dōjutsu's various generic abilities, including seeing events with advanced detail and from it easily evade most enemy attacks.
Mangekyō Sharingan[]
Along with his brother, Izuna became the first Uchiha to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan. Its design had three straight bars stretching out from his enlarged pupil. While never seen using this form in battle or any of its acquired techniques, Izuna's new ocular abilities quickly rose him along with Madara to leadership roles within their clan.
While posing as Madara, Obito Uchiha claimed that Izuna's death after giving Madara his eyes played a great role in Madara's antagonism towards the Senju clan when they proposed a truce. Madara would have thought Izuna's sacrifice to keep him strong and protect the clan as being in vain. Izuna's eyes continued to be of great importance, first, by granting Madara the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, second, by sacrificing the right eye would activate Izanagi to save Madara from death, and in his old age, Madara would also awaken the Rinnegan with Izuna's eyes (also restoring the one lost to Izanagi). The same eyes were later transplanted into Nagato, who would later go on to become Pain, and a powerful figure-head of Akatsuki, and then into Obito Uchiha, who came to share Madara's ideals, and while posing as him, plunged the world into the Fourth Shinobi World War. Upon both Madara and Tobirama returning to the world of living, Madara expressed his grudge against the Second Hokage for killing his beloved brother, and relished in making him suffer in revenge despite being focused on proceeding with the Eye of the Moon Plan. Hashirama noted that Sasuke reminded him of Izuna, and believed that Sasuke is the sole person capable of saving Madara from his path of vengeance and hatred. Madara finally retrieved Izuna's eyes from Obito, and upon his third and final death, Izuna's eyes died with him.
In Other Media[]
Video Games[]
Izuna Uchiha is a playable character in the following video games:
Game name | Japanese release | English release |
Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Blazing | 14 July 2016 | 24 August 2016 |
Naruto: Shinobi Collection Shippū Ranbu | 27 July 2015 | |
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Online | 14 April 2013 | 20 July 2016 |
- Izuna (飯綱) is the name of a fox spirit in Japan and also the name of a mountain. The latter is usually called Mount Iizuna, part of a group of five mountains of Northern Shinshu, the others being mount Madarao, mount Kurohime, mount Togakushi, and mount Myoko.
- Iizuna, written with the same kanji, is also the Japanese name for the least weasel. Izuna's name can also be from a mythical god and wind spirit named Izuna Gongen that presents himself in the form of a tengu, which may be a reference to Susanoo's Complete Body form that indeed resembles a tengu.
- Studio Pierrot's Settei sheets of Izuna show that he was 139 cm around the time Madara met Hashirama, and 177.5 cm at the time of his death. However, according to the third and fourth databook, he was 174.8 cm at the time of his death.
- Izuna and Obito share the same birthday, and blood type.
- According to the databook(s):
- Izuna's hobby was training with Madara.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Third Databook, page 33
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Fourth Databook, page 37
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Naruto chapter 386, page 5
- ↑ Naruto chapter 622, pages 16-17
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Naruto chapter 624
- ↑ Naruto chapter 399, pages 3-4
- ↑ Naruto chapter 386, pages 7-8
- ↑ Naruto chapter 624, page 6
- ↑ Naruto chapter 624, page 8
- ↑ Naruto chapter 624, page 11
- ↑ Naruto chapter 624, page 16
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Naruto: Shippūden episode 368


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Regenerative Medicine
Stem cell research has paved the way for the transformative potential of regenerative medicine. By harnessing the power of stem cells to repair or replace tissues that are damaged by trauma or disease, the promise of regenerative therapies is making its way into the clinic. As our understanding of stem cells advances, we are entering an era in which we can imagine treatments for some of the world's most devastating diseases.
The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI), together with the University of Ottawa, is a major centre for the growing area of stem cell research. Our program is unique in Canada and internationally because of its multidisciplinary culture in which developmental, cell and molecular biologists, work together with bioinformaticists, clinical scientists and clinicians in teams and common facilities. We are well supported with genomic and proteomic core facilities, and have Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) clean rooms that are crucial for translating basic discoveries to the clinic, right here in Ottawa.
Our researchers are making crucial scientific discoveries about the fundamental mechanisms that govern stem cell function, while also making exciting progress in developing new therapies for heart disease, lung disease, muscle disease, multiple sclerosis, vision loss, diabetes, stroke, septic shock, and brain and spinal cord injury.
Our research is organized around three central aims. We:
- investigate the fundamental mechanisms regulating the function of pluripotent and tissue-specific stem cells utilizing the tools of epigenetics, genomics and proteomics;
- undertake rigorous preclinical studies to understand how potential therapies work and design the best approach for their use; and,
- design and conduct early phase clinical trials to evaluate innovative biotherapeutics, supported by dedicated infrastructure for the processing of clinical-grade cell therapy products and expertise in trial management and regulatory compliance.
The Regenerative Medicine Program includes 218 basic and clinical scientists, trainees and research staff, all working under the leadership of world-renowned stem cell biologist Dr. Michael Rudnicki. The Regenerative Medicine Program is home to the Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research, the Sinclair Centre for Regenerative Medicine and the Vision Research Centre. In addition, it serves as headquarters for Canada's Stem Cell Network (also led by Dr. Rudnicki).
Our Research Centres


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Prime Therapeutics, our pharmacy benefit manager, conducts all reviews of PA and ST requests from physicians for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana (BCBSMT) members with prescription drug coverage.
Physicians must complete and submit a request form for all PA and ST medications. Benefits will apply if the member meets specified criteria. If criteria are not met, the member may still choose to receive the medication and will be responsible for the full cost. The final decision regarding what medicines should be prescribed, regardless of benefit determination, is a decision between the patient and their physician.
Not all prescription drug benefit plans include the PA/ST program, and the drug categories may vary depending on the member's plan. If there are questions regarding prescription benefit coverage, please call the phone number on the back of the member's BCBSMT ID card.
Physicians can access, complete and submit PA and ST request forms electronically from the CoverMyMeds® website:
Program Criteria Summaries and Request Forms
Physicians can access, complete and submit PA and ST request forms electronically from the CoverMyMeds® website:
Or, download PA and ST program criteria summaries and fax forms from the Prime Therapeutics website using the following links:
- Prior Authorization Program Criteria Summary and Fax Form List
- Step Therapy Program Criteria Summary and Fax Form List
If you have questions or concerns regarding these programs, please call Prime Therapeutics at 1-888-723-7443. Review the prior authorization/step therapy program list to help you determine which prior authorization form is used for the medication being prescribed.
Related Resources
CoverMyMeds is a registered trademark of CoverMyMeds LLC, an independent third party vendor that is solely responsible for its products and services. BCBSMT makes no endorsement, representations or warranties regarding any products or services offered by independent third party vendors. If you have any questions regarding the products or services they offer, you should contact the vendor(s) directly.
Prime Therapeutics LLC is a pharmacy benefit management company. BCBSMT contracts with Prime to provide pharmacy benefit management, prescription home delivery and specialty pharmacy services. BCBSMT, as well as several other independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans, has an ownership interest in Prime. BCBSMT reserves the right to make exceptions to pharmacy program criteria that benefit the member when new medical information becomes available. When using pharmacy criteria to determine whether a medication will be covered, please note that member contract language will take precedence over the criteria when there is a conflict.
The purpose of the pharmacy criteria is to guide coverage decisions and is not intended to influence treatment decisions. Providers are expected to make treatment decisions based on their medical judgment.


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Benefits of Choosing the Best Nurse Training Institution
If you are interested in taking up a nurse course your main aim should always be to enroll in the best school. You will be in a position to locate the best school when you decide to use referrals. There are people who surround you who are familiar with the nurse training institutions. The other thing you need to do is look at some aspects. You are needed to always look into how reputable the training institution is. Get to know if at all they offer the training services and the students manage to assist themselves with the skills they attain. Looking into the location of the institution is also needed. Be wise and look for the institution that is in an area that you will easily access. Looking into the nurse courses they train is also key. You are aware of the nurse area you would want to specialize in. you should therefore aim at choosing an institution that offers the training services that you are specific about.
You are to always opt for the best training institution for you to be at a position to access the best training services. the training institutions have invested in getting the best training experts. before they appoint the training experts, they aim at choosing the best who will meet the expectations of their students. They always look into the training record of the experts before choosing them for the institution. The skilled experts training you is wise for you will also have access to these skills that they have, and you manage to make use of them later.
Choosing the best nurse institution is also key because they are always focused on offering training, but they also consider the safety of the students. The training of the students involves different matters which when not well handled, the students could hurt themselves. one should then focus on getting the institutions that focus on the safety of the students. You will be to give steps to follow to avoid injuring yourself as the student. You will also be told of the gears to put on during the tasks. It is with this you will be fully protected.
You are to choose the best nurse training institution if at all you require to complete the training within a reasonable time. The training experts have been able to tell the best duration for the training. They manage to have you focus on the training, and you later get to attend to other things. What you should understand is that every time you decide to choose the best training institution, you will also have access to all the needed equipment. The school have invested in all the needed tools so that the students can learn with all that they need to use when they go out looking for employment. These are also the schools to choose for you get to be trained well, and you are attended to with patience. You can approach the training experts any time you have an inquiry.


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W2000T-5W - Wilson 3,500 Watt 26-30 Mhz Wide Band Center Load Trucker Antenna With Weather Trap, 5" Shaft & 49" Rod - Coil In White
The Wilson 2000 Trucker CB Antenna is a high quality, well-engineered CB antenna that offers outstanding performance. Wilson antennas have been the preferred name in over the road communications for a generation and are the number one in customer satisfaction antenna available today.
The Wilson 2000 is made with high impact (nearly indestructible) Mobay Thermoplastic. Wilson's exclusive design of the low loss coil that floats to eliminate approximately 95% of dielectric loss over the leading competitor's design. Wilson antennas have demonstrated gain performance proven by power gain tests conducted at the Lockheed Corporation Antenna Test Laboratory. Wilson antennas have been shown to have 58% more power gain over K40 brand antennas. Wilson antennas have the highest quality engineering efficiency rating of any antenna on the market.
Customers who have tried the Wilson 2000 Trucker antenna claim performance that surpasses many fiberglass top loaded antennas!
If you are looking for a new or replacement CB antenna, you should seriously consider the choice of leading professionals in over the road communications, the Wilson 2000 trucker CB antenna.
26-30 MHz (CB Radio)
The Wilson 2000 trucker CB antenna is a fully compatible with 3/8x24 threaded mounts and accessories.
Other Product Options
Also available with 5 or 10 inch shaft & Black, or White colored center load coil.
CB World recommends the installation of an antenna spring anytime that there is a chance of impact occurring between the antenna and any other solid object such as a low garage door opening, tree limb, overpass, etc. A heavy duty spring would be an appropriate choice for use with the Wilson 2000T antenna. Selecting the right antenna spring is made easier with the guide to choosing antenna springs available in the CB World Help Center.
High quality RG58 coax for single antenna installation and high quality RG59 coax for co-phased antennas is recommended for use with the Wilson 2000 Trucker antenna.
Tune your antenna
CB World's help center has a complete step by step guide to setting the SWR on your Wilson antenna.
Power handling
3500 watt rating
Product features
- Center loaded coil constructed by high impact Mobay thermoplastic
- 5 or 10 inch stainless steel shaft
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- Suited for single or co-phase antennas
- Overall length of the antenna installed is about 65 inches
- 3500 Watt power handling capability (ICAS)
- Standard 3/8x24 threaded chromed brass ferrule
- Solid 10 gauge 100% sliver plated wire
- Patented low loss coil
- Frequency Range: 26MHz to 30MHz
- Static Reducing Weather Cap
- One year warranty
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I. A brief description of our public body is as follows:
A. The Gail Borden Public Library District serves the community by providing a wide variety of items to borrow and by offering services for residents of all ages. The library provides information, book recommendations and programs. The library's web site offers 24-hour access to electronic information, services and the catalog. High quality, personalized service is the library's hallmark.
B. An organizational chart is attached. C.
The total amount of our operating budget for FY 2023-2024 is: $19,700,000.00. Funding sources are property and personal property replacement taxes, state and federal grants, fines, charges, and donations. Tax levies are:
1. Corporate purposes (for general operating expenditures)
2. IMRF (provides for employee's retirement and related expenses)
3. Social Security (provides for employee's FICA costs and related expenses)
4. Audit (for annual audit and related expenses)
5. Maintenance (for maintaining the building)
6. Tort Liability (for insurance premiums, risk management, attorney's fees and
related expenses, unemployment and worker's compensation insurance) D. The office is located at this address: Gail Borden Public Library District, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin, IL 60120. There are two branch locations: Rakow Branch, 2751 Bowes Road, Elgin, IL 60124 and South Elgin Branch, 127 S McLean Blvd, South Elgin, IL 60177
We have approximately the following number of persons employed:
1. Full-time 92
2. Part-time 121 F.
The Gail Borden Public Library District Board of Trustees exercises control over the library's policies and procedures. The board meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the main library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin, IL 60120, unless rescheduled and notice given in accordance with the Illinois Open Meetings Act.
G. The library is required to report and be answerable for our operations to: Illinois State Library, Springfield, Illinois. Its members are: State Librarian and Secretary of State, Alexi Giannoulias, Director of the Illinois State Library, Greg McCormick; and various other staff.
II. Freedom of Information Act Policy
A. Use the request form or submit a request via email, by written letter or fax. The request form is not required, but is preferred.
B. Your request should be directed to the following individual: FOIA Officer, Administration Office
Gail Borden Public Library District
270 N. Grove Ave.
Elgin, IL 60120
firstname.lastname@example.com C. You must indicate whether you have a "commercial purpose" in your request.1
D. You must specify the records requested to be disclosed for inspection or to be copied. If you desire that any records be certified, you must specify which ones.2
E. To reimburse us our actual costs for reproducing and certifying (if requested) the records, you will be charged the following fees:
- There is a $1.00 charge for each certification of records.
- There is no charge for the first fifty (50) pages of black and white text either letter or legal size
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F. If the records are kept in electronic format, you may request a specific format and if feasible, they will be so provided, but if not, they will be provided either in the electronic format in which they are kept (and you would be required to pay the actual cost of the medium only, i.e. disc, diskette, tape, etc.) or on paper as you select.
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I. The place and times where the records will be available are as follows: Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Gail Borden Public Library District, Administrative Offices
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A. Monthly Financial Statements B. Annual Receipts and Disbursements Reports C. Budget and Appropriation Ordinances D. Levy Ordinances E. Operating Budgets F. Annual Audits G. Minutes of the Board of Library Trustees H. Library Policies, including Resource Selection I. Adopted Ordinances and Resolutions of the Board J. Annual Reports to the Illinois State Library Please note that certain types of information maintained by the library are exempt from inspection and copying.
If you want more information you can find it on the Illinois Freedom of Information Act webpage.
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President Biden travels to Europe this week for a pair of major summits. Between his struggle to get a climate plan through Congress and the chaos in Afghanistan, allies may be giving him a chillier reception than he got during his last visit. NPR's Scott Detrow reports.
SCOTT DETROW, BYLINE: Rewind to June. Biden and key allies held what amounted to a love fest at G7 and NATO meetings after the turbulent Trump years.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: America is back.
DETROW: The trip's mood was symbolized by a warm, friendly seaside meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON: And for all these issues, what we need is cooperation. And I think it's great to have the U.S. president part of the club and very willing to cooperate.
DETROW: Ever since then, though...
HEATHER CONLEY: Europeans have certainly witnessed a series of very poorly executed policy decisions that required strong, allied consultation and engagement but yet were completely lacking.
DETROW: Heather Conley is a senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Heading into this weekend's G20 summit, she points to three key tension points stemming from Biden administration policies. First...
CONLEY: It was the visa ban, which quite frankly was the first really serious irritant in the U.S.-European relationship.
DETROW: The U.S. was much slower than Europe in fully reopening borders due to COVID concerns. Next and most important was the chaos and violence that stemmed from the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan. NATO allies with a presence in the country had to scramble to get their citizens out. High-ranking officials in Germany, the United Kingdom and other NATO allies blasted the decision, though Biden insisted everything was just fine.
BIDEN: I have seen no question of our credibility from our allies around the world.
DETROW: Then a surprise deal with the U.K. and Australia to share highly secret nuclear submarine technology, a move seen as a way to counter growing Chinese power in the Pacific. The problem - it led to Australia cancelling a massive submarine contract with France and caught America's oldest ally completely by surprise. France's ambassador to the U.S., Philippe Etienne, could have been talking about the Trump administration when he criticized Biden's move on NPR's Morning Edition.
PHILIPPE ETIENNE: There is a lack of transparency. There is a breach of trust. There is unpredictability, but there is also inconsistency.
DETROW: Biden has worked to patch things up with France and will hold a one-on-one meeting with Macron in Rome Friday. But Conley says it's all led European allies to wonder how much they can count on the U.S. anymore.
CONLEY: One problem is recoverable. I say two begins to become a pattern. And then the third strike - then countries begin to make some different decisions about how they are going to cooperate with the United States. And I think that's where we are.
DETROW: And that leads to the second half of the trip - a major climate conference in Scotland aimed at speeding up the emissions goals first set in Paris six years ago. Biden has promised major greenhouse gas cuts by the end of the decade. Scientists agree the world is running out of time fast to head off the worst of global warming. But the legislative package that would have achieved most of Biden's goals has been massively scaled back and is still being negotiated.
Biden's climate envoy, John Kerry, warned that showing up in Scotland with no deal would be devastating for American credibility, especially after decades of broken promises. He later walked that back, as did Biden. And national security adviser Jake Sullivan insists allies aren't doubting Biden's commitment to tackling climate change.
JAKE SULLIVAN: I don't think that world leaders will look at this as a binary issue. Is it done? Is it not done? They'll say, is President Biden on track to deliver on what he's said he's going to deliver? And we believe one way or the other, he will be on track to do that.
DETROW: What that track looks like remains unclear without the clean electricity plan that's now out of the bill. Still, Todd Stern, who negotiated major climate deals for the Obama administration, takes Sullivan's view for the most part.
TODD STERN: I don't think that countries are going to think, oh, my God, the U.S. isn't doing anything. I think they'll be worried for sure.
DETROW: So the most important part of Biden's trip will probably be striking some sort of agreement before he even leaves.
Scott Detrow, NPR News, Washington.
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