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The comments section on any site can be engaging, annoying, puzzling, insulting — likely many more adjectives could apply.
But the best comments can help continue the conversation of any story or blog for our readers — and for us — beyond the article's own words. So ThinkAdvisor will be regularly highlighting some of the better comments that are posted to keep the conversation alive. The comments weren't highlighted because they were long or short, just, hopefully, thought-provoking.
ThinkAdvisor will adhere to basic Web commenting ground rules about identity, where only screen names of the commenters will be used — no one will be "outed." When you do see a commenter's name added next to "By Anonymous," it is only when the commenter has put their name in their posted comment or linked to their not-anonymous blog or website. The main reason for this is, whenever possible, we want to help readers, and us, differentiate between multiple anonymous postings. We have also done very minor cleanup editing of comments and links for clarity.
BrightScope Defends a Business Model Modeled After Morningstar
This story on July 30 by Joyce Hanson of ThinkAdvisor was about the frustrations of one rep, David Sterling, of being unable to correct his information on BrightScope's site, particularly the posting of FINRA-related red marks, without having paid the $1,000 membership fee. BrightScope CEO Mike Alfred and some other members, including Michael Kitces, rigorously defended BrightScope's business model. One of four comments here was posted by Sterling.
Submitted by Robert Cochran — July 31
While all advisors should be aware of and work to have incorrect information from FINRA, SEC, etc. corrected, the truth is that BrightScope's information is not always what FINRA and the SEC actually show. We have had more than a few instances of these kinds of problems, and it seems to take an act of God to have them corrected by BrightScope. While I would like to believe that corrections would be made much faster if we were paying $1,000 per month, which we are not, my hunch is that our requests are put at the bottom of the pile, behind the folks who ARE paying. And just who ARE paying? A quick look tells me that, for the most part, they are wirehouse and large broker/dealer firms. Since there are many folks from each office, perhaps their firm is paying the fee to get them registered with BrightScope, perhaps not. But there were hardly any fee-only advisors who are paying members in our geographic area the last time we checked. Perhaps the big BDs are using this as a somewhat-free advertising opportunity, so that their commission reps can post articles and answer questions? Add to this the fact that none of these people is likely to have their own web site.
We have chosen to not participate because of the above demographics, because of still incorrect information related to our office and advisors, and because we have chosen to target our marketing dollars in a more effective manner.
Yes, there may be instances where someone in our target market might check out BrightScope, and we may lose because our information there is outdated or simply incorrect, despite having done everything we could to clear up the errors. Is it worth $12,000 per year to participate? The jury is clearly still out.
Submitted by David Sterling—July 31
Re: Authenticity
Let's get right to it. I am always humored by comments that can only be based on speculation and/or motivated by the "pitch." For example, Mr. Kitces comments; "Nobody had ever noticed that David Sterling had a regulatory infraction, not even David Sterling, until he saw it on BrightScope." Mr. Kitces is incorrect about my prior knowledge, which I find troubling.
The nature of the falsehood is at the least a careless assumption. If one has knowledge about the securities industry, this individual would know that it is very difficult for registered representative to avoid notice or awareness of such a "mark." However, there is more to it.
I consider the statement to be somewhat arrogant and a misrepresentation of BrightScope's value proposition. Of course, I understand that "all bets are off" when the "bottom line and promotion" are in play. Moving along.
Referring to my "regulatory red mark" earned for a contractor's dispute that was settled for nominal value, Mr. Kitces offers this sage advice. If his complaint is that FINRA's Broker Check shows an infraction that he doesn't like, he should take up with the regulator."
I dare say that many would agree that this is "much easier" said than done. Words do come easy. However, I cannot help but be intrigued by another possible lurking consideration. This may or may not fall under the category of creative "lawyering."
BrightScope is a private company that is using a public access channel to report on information that has been filtered through a securities industry sanctioned process. What I find intriguing in this "age of fast and furious" digitized posting of research information is the accountability that should attach to those firms which demonstrate an inclination to reconfigure otherwise regulatory sanctioned information to create an impression or representation, which could have ramifications for someone's livelihood. If I am not mistaken, Mr. Cochran (below) had something to say about accuracy.
Finally, I suppose I should be grateful for BrightScope's presence because its disclosure of my "record" will force me to have a discussion with my client regarding those matters of concern to me. It just keeps getting better when there those who can look out for everyone's well-being from saddles much too high for them to reach without an "ego" boost. More to likely follow as I currently fear looking back on earlier pages without losing perspective and these comments. David F. Sterling, Esq., Consultant
Submitted by Robert Cochran—Aug. 1
While I am aware that some investors search for RIAs based on historical performance, there are many fee-only RIAs who are not a fit for that client. Number one, those RIAs usually do not advertise historical performance. Number two, higher-end RIAs tend to use more customized portfolios, thus eliminating historical performance numbers. And number three (and perhaps most important), RIAs who are truly wealth managers often do not want clients who are focused only on comparing investment returns. These clients inevitably chase performance without regard to the risk and returns they actually need to take to achieve their lifetime goals.
So how will BrightScope handle this issue? I would hope they realize the disclosures required to publish historical performance data will make it extremely arduous at best, most likely impossible.
I am all for transparency and full disclosure. Let's all agree that is a goal. But accuracy in reporting information should also be high priority. My experience is that getting data errors and wrong items fixed at BrightScope is not easily done, even when the error is not from their information sources. But, again for us, at this point it is heavily dominated by wirehouse and other broker-dealer companies. We target people who are searching for a truly independent RIA firm, so our marketing dollars need to be focused somewhere else.
Submitted by Simon Napper—Aug. 1
I was talking to somebody who remarked that his problem with finding an RIA is that there is no information about their historical performance. His selection of funds was based on historical data and he was frustrated by the lack of information available to compare advisory firms.
Brightscope is a partial solution to this and I think we should assume that there will be some mistakes and some people who are treated unfairly and, hopefully, Brightscope will rectify this situation.
Just like Yelp has helped with supposedly unbiased opinions but has had to deal with people gaming the system and some abuse from within, I think that this is the start of increased transparency which is a good thing.
In the long run, I think that potential investors want even more transparency and I think it is reasonable to assume that this will lead to more people actually engaging advisors rather than the current winner which is leaving things alone and doing nothing
CFP's Goldfarb Case Illustrates Need for Clear Compliance Lines
In this second part of his blog for ThinkAdvisor on July 31, Michael Kitces (left) wrote about Alan Goldfarb, the former chairman of the board of directors of the CFP Board, who had resigned last fall and then was found to have violated the CFP Board's Rules of Conduct. The first part of Kitces' blog post explained the details of the case, for this part he turned the discussion to what needed to happen, particularly in the area of compensation disclosure. This blog post seemed to have poked a nerve because it provoked six commenters—all, unfortunately, signed in as Anonymous—to weigh in on the same day the article was published.
Submitted by Anonymous—July 31
A very thorough article although you do gloss over the fact that Mr. Goldfarb had a direct ownership interest in a firm from which received commissions. Furthermore, with your reference to Ron Rhoades, you indicate some clients when I think that the facts are that nearly all his clients were in Florida. The fact that he may have refunded the clients money inappropriately charged is not the issue. II actually think that in terms of the financial world, his offense is more serious than Mr Goldfarb's and wonder why the CFPBOS did not see fit to address that infraction, despite receiving complaints.
You cannot be fee only when you receive even a dollar in commissions, you can be fee based. The word only implies that fees are your only source of compensation. The meaning of the word salary can be argued but is usually reported on a W2, not on a partnership form. If there are other CFP certificants who are misstating their source of income then they should receive the same sanctions as befell Mr Goldfarb.
Submitted by Anonymous—July 31
Let me start off by saying I am a CFP. I also don't believe it is rocket science to know if you should call yourself fee only, commission only, or fees and commissions. From what Goldfarb and the CFP Board said, Goldfarb indicated he was fee only in advertising on an FPA website. The CFP Board did not think that was appropriate for someone who has securities licenses and is an owner and President of a broker dealer. That seems straight forward to me. Whether Goldfarb was paid commissions directly or even earned a commission is irrelevant in my mind. If he wanted to call himself fee ony why did he hold licenses to earn commissions. Nobody forces me to hold securities or insurance licenses.
Was Goldfarb trying to project himself as better or more pure advisor as compared to me? Perhaps there are other advisors out there misleading the public on how they charge clients and that should be dealt with. I applaud the CFP Board for its honesty and straight forwardness in disciplining its Chairman. If we cannot hold those at the top accountable for doing the right thing then there will be unethical advisors who do the same thing Goldfarb did. Again this isn't rocket science. If you are an advisor doing what Goldfarb did just fix it today and lets all be move down the road and not be ashamed of charging clients fees and/or commissions.
Submitted by Anonymous—July 31
There are a couple of issues here that need to be separated. As I understand the FPA website has a section "How Planners Charge". Planners don't charge clients salaries and bonus. Salaries and bonus apparently was an option under the "How Planners Charge" section but that doesn't make sense. From what I understand Goldfarb and the CFP board said Goldfarb chose fee only and only changed it after the board caught him. I agree with a previous writer that this isn't rocket science. If there are many other Goldfarb's out there misrepresenting the public then the CFP Board and regulators should crack down. My suspicion is it isn't as big an issue as some writers are leading readers to believe. There are other Goldfarb's out there no doubt but hopefully no current or former CFP Board members let alone chairpersons are misleading the public like Goldfarb. Hopefully those who have read this and have issues will fix their own situations. And we can thank the CFP Board for taking the high road here in doing the right thing rather than sweeping another issue under the rug for someone in a high position.
Submitted by Anonymous—July 31
What was Goldfarb's motive in claiming he was fee only when he held securities licenses to earn commissions? For all we know he may have also held licenses to sell insurance for commissions. The financial services business needs good characters as their leaders. Perhaps he made a mistake in checking fee only. It sounds like he had a chance to make it right by checking fees and commissions or even just taking down his advertising on the FPA website. Don't know if that would have made a difference to the CFP Board but Goldfarb's insistence he did nothing wrong seems misplaced to me.
Submitted by Anonymous—July 31
The FPA website should just modify their member profile section to not include salaries and bonus as an option under How Planners Charge. It doesn't make sense to me either. Goldfarb didn't get into trouble choosing salary and bonus. He got into trouble saying fee only.
Submitted by Anonymous—July 31
This whole notion that the Goldfarb matter is about salary and bonus is a ruse. It is about how planners charge. They charge fees and/or commissions. Clients deserve to know how an advisor/planner charges. Disclosing that as salary and bonus doesn't make any sense with respect to how a planner charges. Come on. If I work for a wirehouse firm and am a CFP and I hold no securities or insurance licenses to sell commission product then I would think I could say I am fee only with respect to how I charge my clients. And I could say I receive a salary and bonus but again that isn't how I charge clients.
Check out Best Comments: Goldfarb, Fiduciary, Referrals on June 18 at ThinkAdvisor.


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A label to reward the efforts made to promote the local heritage.
Initiated by the National Monuments Authority (Caisse Nationale des Monuments Historiques et des sites patrimoniaux) and managed since 1995 by the Ministry of Culture and Communication, the label "Ville et Pays d'Art et d'Histoire" (City and Region of Art and History) is granted to local authorities that implement a policy to promote, showcase and communicate information about their heritage.
It was granted to the city in 1985 and to its wider urban area in 2004. Grand Poitiers, in collaboration with the Tourist Office, organises throughout the year a programme of actions (lectures, guided tours, workshops, exhibitions, etc.) whose purpose is to present the heritage in all its diversity.
During the school year and the holidays, young people can also be introduced to the city's heritage, architecture and urban features through guided tours, workshops, games and courses.
Popular events in and around monuments, concerts, street shows, awareness-raising events, guided tours: a wide range of activities is organised to communicate the rich cultural heritage of the city and its monuments to all kinds of audiences.
The permanent exhibition presented in the Heritage Room (in the 1st floor of the Tourist Office) uses different media to help visitors to understand the city, regularly backed up by temporary exhibitions.
22 panels combining text and illustrations give an overview of the urban development of Poitiers, presented through 3 principal themes that highlight its key religious, political and cultural aspects :
- Temples and churches
- A region's capital city
- Knowledge and University
The consultation of these chronological and thematic guidelines offers a useful introduction and framework that enables visitors to grasp the key facts about the city. Its natural prolongation is to join in a guided tour with a qualified guide.

subset: commoncrawl


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Q AN0N: Latest New Posts – "/GA/ is terminated."
By JustInformed Talk
Conversations and discussions are being held on the C-VINE News – Facebook Group Page. (Must be a member): C-VINE News Talk
Providing Q – Tips so you can clearly hear (and see) what the heck is really going on in the United States!
Mother of five wonderful children, entrepreneur of four different businesses, and too many other interests to mention here!
"Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can" ~ Danny Kaye
None of this information provided is created by me….. I am just the humble messenger. I will provide the appropriate credit whenever I am able and whenever it is known. If anyone knows who is the creator of the information above, and provides it to me, I will be more than happy to edit my information. (:
Email me: firstname.lastname@example.com


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NRA criticized for ad about Obama's daughters
- NRA ad says Obama girls have armed protection in their school
- Group calls Obama an %27elitist hypocrite%27 for opposing armed guards in all schools
- White House issued angry response to mention of president%27s daughters
Before the policy fight could begin over the Obama administration's new proposals on gun regulation, the NRA had drawn intense criticism Wednesday for an ad critical of Obama that mentions his two children.
The ad calls Obama an "elitist hypocrite" because his daughters have Secret Service protection at their school, but the president has not embraced the NRA's proposal for armed security at all schools.
"Most Americans agree that a president's children should not be used as pawns in a political fight," White House spokesman Jay Carney said Wednesday. "But to go so far as to make the safety of the president's children the subject of an attack ad is repugnant and cowardly."
The White House has discouraged coverage of Obama's daughters, Malia and Sasha, though they are regularly photographed accompanying their parents.
Donna Brazile, a former Democratic strategist, called the ad "tasteless, mean-spirited and totally out of bounds.''
"It's wrong to target in advertising the family of the president of the United States, regardless of the issue,'' says John Weaver, a Republican consultant who worked for presidential candidates John McCain and Jon Huntsman. He called the ad "tone-deaf'' and said the NRA is not in tune with public opinion after the Sandy Hook shootings. "If they're trying to appeal to the broad cross section of America, or they're trying to appeal to swing votes in the Congress, this was not their best first step they could have taken. It comes across as unhinged.''
Political talk show host and former congressman Joe Scarborough, a Republican, said the ad, coupled with a new NRA shooting game mobile app, indicates the NRA is "now a fringe organization. … What the NRA once was, it no longer is. This extremism is so frightening and so over the line.''
Like many issue ads, the video is barely appearing on television but was widely reported by news media after being posted online late Tuesday. It appears on the Sportsman Channel during an NRA-produced talk show.
In the ad, which doesn't show pictures of the Obama girls, a narrator says, "Are the president's kids more important than yours? Then why is he skeptical about putting armed security in our schools, when his kids are protected by armed guards at their school? Mr. Obama demands the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes, but he's just another elitist hypocrite when it comes to a fair share of security. Protection for their kids and gun-free zones for ours.''
In 1999, eight months after the Columbine shootings, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre told members at the group's annual convention that armed guards or police in schools should be a "rare exception.'' After the Sandy Hook shootings, LaPierre announced an NRA proposal to put an armed guard in every school.
NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said the ad is not about the Obama girls. "If anyone thinks we're talking specifically about someone's children, they're missing the point completely,'' he said Wednesday. "This isn't an issue about comparing the president's kids. This is an issue about school safety and protecting all our children, regardless of tax bracket and how important their parents are. The intent of our ad is to make sure that we point out that there is a double standard that exists.''
The ad includes images of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Vice President Joe Biden – all advocates of an assault weapons ban and other gun-control legislation – and NBC correspondent David Gregory. Obama said in an interview with Gregory that aired Dec. 30 that said he is "skeptical that the only answer is putting more guns in schools."
A second video on the NRA.org website accuses Gregory of a double standard, citing a report from a conservative website that Gregory's children attend the same school as the Obama girls.
"NBC News firmly objects to the use of our journalists in any political ad,'' spokeswoman Erika Masonhall said in a statement.
Obama announced a plan for combating gun violence Wednesday, appearing with four children who had written to him asking him to stop gun violence. Kathleen McKinley, a conservative blogger, said neither side should be using children to stir emotions. "You can't be outraged about using Obama's kids, if you're not outraged about Obama using other people's children. Both sides: Stop it,'' she said.


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"Adding and Subtracting a Value" is Horizontally aligning the controls less effective than Aligning Vertically?
I am working on a project, where we are trying to squeeze a user interface equivalent to the complexity of a NASA command centre into a 14" touch screen, and we are running out of horizontal spaces trying to squeeze vertical "+" and "-" control while trying to keep the whole category in one horizontal plane.
so we are experimenting with horizontal placements of "+" and "-" has anyone had experience with this layout? is vertical placement better affordance than horizontal?


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9:30 am- 12:30 pm
The body plays a paradoxical role in contemporary conceptions of the self. On the one hand, we conceive of the body as simply the physical home of an inner self and therefore not essential to identity. On the other hand, the body marks the self in crucial social ways—identifying the self with a particular gender, race, age, and class. This seminar examines this tension by looking at representations of the body in American popular culture and exploring the philosophical roots of contemporary notions of embodiment, to reveal the ways bodies matter to our beliefs about morality, power, and the self–even as we disavow its importance. In this seminar, we will also discuss strategies for teaching students to decode images and ideologies of the body.
For registration information please contact Charlotte Wolfe at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Although it is still early in the 2014–15 flu season, the flu has reached an epidemic level in the United States according report released by CDC. As of December 20, the flu has caused more death than it was at this time last year including 15 children.
Since October 2014, CDC has antigenically or genetically characterized influenza viruses from 236 influenza-positive respiratory specimens collected by U.S. laboratories. The antigenicity of these viruses have been compared to strains included in the 2014–15 Northern Hemisphere trivalent and quadrivalent influenza vaccines (A/H1N1: A/California/7/2009; A/H3N2: A/Texas/50/2012; B/Massachusetts/2/2012; B/Brisbane/60/2008). All pH1N1 viruses were antigenically like the strain included in the vaccine, while only 32.5% H3N2 viruses were characterized as similar to A/Texas/50/2012 (the vaccine strain). The rest of the H3N2 were characterized as A/Switzerland/9715293/2013, a strain antigenically and genetically distinguishable from A/Texas/50/2012. For influenza B viruses tested, 69% were characterized as similar to B/Massachusetts/2/2012, the vaccine strain. The majority of the remaining influenza B viruses tested were characterized as B/Brisbane/60/2008-like, which is included as an influenza B component in the 2014–15 Northern Hemisphere quadrivalent influenza vaccine.
As a leading research reagent provider in infectious disease field, Immune Tech has developed the most comprehensive product line of influenza antigens. We have generated and manufactured antigens for each of all above-mentioned influenza virus strains to support your research needs. Please refer to the catalog number below and contact us for further information.
Influenzavirus A/H1N1:
Influenzavirus A/H3N2:
Influenzavirus B:
US CDC Update: Influenza Activity — United States, September 28–December 6, 2014


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JNN 03 June 2014 MADRID — Spain's King Juan Carlos, who led Spain's transition from dictatorship to democracy but faced royal scandals amid the nation's near financial meltdown, will abdicate so his son can become the country's next monarch, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy told the country Monday in an announcement broadcast nationwide.
Rajoy did not say when the handover would happen because the government must now craft a law creating a legal mechanism for the abdication and for 46-year-old Crown Prince Felipe's assumption of power.
Juan Carlos was expected to address the nation later Monday, the royal palace said in a tweet. The palace also tweeted a photo of the king shaking Rajoy's hand and presenting him with a letter announcing the abdication.
Juan Carlos, 76, has been on the throne for 39 years and was a hero to many for shepherding Spain's democratic and economic transformation, but has had repeated health problems in recent years.
His longstanding popularity took a big blow following royal scandals, including an elephant-shooting trip he took in the middle of Spain's financial crisis during which he broke his right hip and had to be flown from Botswana back to Spain for medical treatment aboard a private jet.
The king's image was also tarnished by the investigation of his son-in-law, who is suspected of embezzling large amounts in public contracts.
His daughter Princess Cristina in January was forced to testify in the fraud and money-laundering case targeting her husband Inaki Urdangarin, an Olympic handball medalist turned businessman. She became the first Spanish royal to be questioned in court since Juan Carlos took the throne.
Felipe would presumably take the title King Felipe IV. He has a law degree from Madrid's Autonomous University and obtained a masters in international relations from Georgetown University in the United States.
Felipe is married to Princess Letizia, a former television journalist, and they have two daughters.
Like his father, Felipe has traveled the globe trying to maintain Spain's influence especially in former Latin American colonies, while seeking to promote the nation's international business interests.
King Juan Carlos came to power in 1975, two days after the death of longtime dictator Francisco Franco. He endeared himself to many Spaniards, in large part by putting down an attempted military coup in 1981 when he was a young and largely untested head of state.
As Spain's new democracy matured over the years and Spain transformed itself from a European economic laggard into the continent's fourth largest economy, the king played a largely figurehead role, traveling the globe as an ambassador for the country. He was also a stabilizing force in a country with restive, independence-minded regions such as the Basque region and Catalonia.
"He has been a tireless defender of our interests," Rajoy said.
Juan Carlos has melded the trappings of royalty with down-to-earth, regular-guy charm. The king is an avid sports fan and after the Madrid terror bombings of March 11, 2004, showed he could grieve like anyone else.
At an emotional state funeral for the 191 people killed in the train bombings by Wahabi Terrorists, Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia slowly went row-by-row through Madrid's Almudena Cathedral, clasping the hands of sobbing mourners or kissing them on the cheek.
But his patient work nearly came undone during the financial crisis, with people questioning after the elephant-hunting trip whether a hereditary monarchy was needed.
The World Wildlife Fund's branch in Spain ousted Juan Carlos as its honorary president — a title he'd held since 1968 — after deciding the hunt was incompatible with its goal of conserving endangered species. Juan Carlos took the unprecedented step of apologizing to Spaniards for his actions.
He recently said that he wanted to be remembered as "the king who has united all Spaniards."
King Juan Carlos goes down a path increasingly traveled by European royalty.
Last year Belgium's King Albert handed over the throne of his fractious kingdom to his son, Crown Prince Philippe. Two months earlier, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands stepped down after a 33-year reign in favor of her eldest son, who was appointed King Willem-Alexander.
It was a break with tradition, but not as big as the decision early last year by Pope Benedict XVI to resign, a move that stunned Catholics around the world.
The two royal successions in Belgium and the Netherlands have been smooth and successful.


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|Keep Somerset frack free
|Friday, 17 January 2014 12:18
WITH councils being offered greater incentives by the Government this week (January 17, 2014) to back fracking a Somerset we are concerned about the impact it may have in the county.
Exploratory licences are in place in parts of North Somerset with the rest of the county highlighted as having fracking potential. We hope councils will act with caution before approving plans.
Phil Grabham, our Managing Director, said: "We aren't convinced that fracking will prove to be a long-term solution to our energy problems.
"We are very concerned by David Cameron's recent announcement that local authorities would receive 100 percent of the business rates collected from shale gas schemes as opposed to the usual 50 percent.
"We believe that not enough has been done to look into the impact fracking will have on local communities in the county as well as the environment.
"We hope councils in Somerset will take an extremely cautious approach before approving any future plans for fracking."
Fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth and injecting a mixture of water, sand and chemicals into the rock at high pressure allowing the gas to flow out.
Phil added: "There is a great potential for the UK to produce more energy through cleaner, renewable sources such as solar or wind power.
"We feel that it would be of far greater benefit if time was spent developing this and exploring how it can be achieved."
For further information, please call us on 01823 481 329 or follow us on Twitter by visiting www.twitter.com/solarsystems1.


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This event has passed.
Intermediate Players Course
September 7, 2019 @ 8:30 am - September 8, 2019 @ 3:00 pm| R1500
Who Should Attend?
The Intermediate Players Course is designed specifically for young hockey players aged from 12 to 15 years, looking to sharpen their skills.
Duration of Course
2 days
Course Overview
An intensive 2-day course that concentrates on skills development. It is designed to give players opportunity to receive the latest information and technique training from National and International specialists. The aim of this course is to help develop each player's skill-set and progress their game to the next level.
Course Outline
- Daily skills (individual / unit / team skills)
- Mental toughness
- Match specific training
- Nutrition
- Warm up and cool down methods
- Recovery and supplementation


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• Roll into fresh territory as Skate 3 heads to the brand new city of Port Carverton.
• Build your own customised skate team and engage in unique team challenges.
• Compete against rival crews online via PlayStation Network and shred the streets.
In Skate and Skate 2, you were an unknown with a board and a dream, trying to get noticed in a town where skaters weren't welcome. In Skate 3, you're an established name and everyone wants to be seen riding with you. Best of all, you're in a brand new city where even the security guards skate to work.
Your next step? World domination. You've got to put together a team, choose your name and logo, and then turn that team into a brand.
Everything you do, from shooting films to winning contests to building skate parks, sells skateboards, so get out there and take control of Port Carverton, one spot at a time.
Port Carverton is a skater's paradise - at every turn there are ramps, rails, pipes and gaps to master and, best of all, there's nobody stopping you. In fact, you're more likely to bump into pros such as Andrew Reynolds, Danny Way and Benny Fairfax, than surly security guards. They're on hand to guide you through the game and issue challenges, but before that, you need to decide what you're going to look like.
The flexible character creation tool from the previous Skate games is back with even more clothing options, so you can create a truly distinctive character to take to the online asphalt. You can unlock even more clothing items and decks by selling boards and beating challenges.
There's a wide range of events out there in Port Carverton, ranging from full-blown contests based on real world events to photo opportunities, where you have to nail a single trick and choose the best shot - you can even edit your pictures in-game and upload them to your skate.Profile for other players to view and rate.
You can also build your own skate parks using the accessible skate.Park editor, upload them to the community and download the creations of other players from around the world via PlayStation Network. Remember: everything you do in Skate 3 sells boards and takes you one step closer to world domination.
Mastering the Skate games is similar to real skateboarding - it takes patience and practice, and you have to be prepared to spend a lot of time sprawled on the pavement. However, when you get the knack of things, it's very satisfying. In Skate 3, an easier difficulty setting has been added for those who find the learning curve too steep and a hardcore setting has been added for series veterans.
A staggering array of tricks and tweaks has been mapped onto the Wireless Controller but the basics are pushing off for speed using the X button, steering with the left stick and pulling off tricks with accurate flicks of the right stick. Once you're ready to move on to grabs, manuals, darkslides and more, you can visit Coach Frank's skate.School and enlist in a class.
Many of the challenges, such as Contests and 1Up duels against pros, are all about earning points and you can do this by chaining together tricks. The points earned for each trick depend on the speed at which you nail it, the difficulty of the trick, the cleanliness of the landing and the variety of your routine. You can pick up bonuses for jumping over objects and gaps or soaring at death-defying heights, so it's worth scouting out a prime spot before starting your run.
When things don't go right you might find yourself in some eye watering accidents and there's an event type dedicated to the size of your medical bill. Hall Of Meat challenges you to throw yourself off tall buildings, strike a comedy pose as you plummet, and complete objectives such as landing in a series of dumpsters or breaking eight bones in a single crash.
Skating is a social pastime in Port Carverton and you can hook up with your friends via PlayStation Network. You can even set up an online team and compete against other teams in three-on-three challenges and create videos, photos and parks to share with the community. There's a role for each member in any good team, whether you're a big air daredevil or a photographer.
There are also team-based online multiplayer modes such as 1-Up, Domination and Own The Lot, and if you haven't found the right team for you yet, you can jump into a Quick Match and team up with whoever happens to be skating around. If you're not feeling competitive, then you can select Freeskate and simply goof around with your friends or a bunch of random people.
If you're less team spirited, then all of the online multiplayer modes from Skate and Skate 2 return, such as Spot Battle and S.K.A.T.E.
Dolby 5.1
1 Players
Network Features
2-6 Network Players
Network Play


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DETROIT -- Chrysler Group took a star turn in the mainstay of broadcast news Sunday with a lengthy appearance on CBS's "60 Minutes." The piece told a good story and had some intriguing images of Chrysler-Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne as he goes about his multicontinental nonstop work life, even if it broke no new ground.
But the largely puff piece's only bit of real news may have been discovered by the members of Chrysler-centric forum Allpar.com.
About 10 minutes into the broadcast, "60 Minutes" correspondent Steve Kroft is interviewing SRT brand head Ralph Gilles, who also is Chrysler's head of design. Observers on Allpar.com noticed that visible behind Gilles is the roofline and tail of an as-yet-unidentified red coupe.
The mystery car could be the hinted-at Barracuda, given what appears to be a performance-oriented spoiler visible on the tail. Rumors have a new Barracuda taking its place in the SRT lineup based on the current Dodge Challenger.
In January, Chrysler resurrected the 'Cuda nameplate in trademark filings with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, but Gilles has given a respectful "no comment" when asked if a new version of the '70s Plymouth muscle car was in the works.
Shown a screen capture of the coupe in question from the "60 Minutes" piece, a Chrysler spokesman said the car "is just one of the many concepts and projects in our studios. That one is a student model."
It certainly could be, as they say, a full-sized student design model sitting there perched in Chrysler's design dome in Auburn Hills, Mich., alongside all those other Chrysler Group production vehicles.
Or it could be an aggressive fish about to strike. We'll just have to wait to find out. Either way, hats off to the folks at Allpar.com for spotting the only piece of auto-centric news in the "60 Minutes" report on Chrysler.


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Call AUS: 1800753143
or email us here:Enquire
NCH Asia is an established organization, with almost 100 years of history, a presence in 11 countries across Asia Pacific, and a large network of sales leaders and representatives. Our diverse product range, knowledge, and technical skills allow us to continue to advance our products and services.
The performance culture that exists within NCH Asia provides the winning environment for our staff to achieve their personal goals, celebrate success, and help the company to continue our journey of sustainable quality growth. We are committed to attracting, retaining, and developing high caliber individuals through competitive opportunities, training and development, and career progression.
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Interested in being part of our team? Take a look around our careers pages to find out where your career could begin with NCH Asia.Contact us


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Anyone can tell you if a trailer "looks good" or not. But Drew Magary, who spent over a decade working in advertising, is here to tell you whether or not a trailer WORKS. This week's trailer? "Chronicle".
Ah, another found footage movie. I think we all enjoy a good found footage thriller, if the box office results for "Paranormal Activity 3" were any indication (for the purposes of this exercise, I'll go ahead and pretend "Apollo 18" never happened). Thanks to the PA franchise, "The Blair Witch Project," "District 9," and "Cloverfield," we may never again see a thriller that doesn't consist of found footage of people hanging out just before something really crazy happens. Your latest foray into the genre/gimmick? "Chronicle," which follows around a group of teenage boys who are able to do all the stuff Chris Evans could do in "Push," but hopefully within the framework of a way better movie.
Does the trailer let us know what the movie's about? Yes. A bunch of hip teenagers (you can tell they're hip because one of them has an iPhone) have apparently acquired telekinetic powers, which empowers them to go out and pull BROTASTIC pranks on unsuspecting victims. OMG! That girl thinks that teddy bear has a ghost inside it! SO FUNNY BRO! And look at this poor woman searching for her car we just moved. DUDE IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE SHE'S A RICH PERSON WHO DRIVES A BEEMER! But then one of the gang (the nefarious "Andrew") has to go and use his mindstrength to run a tailgater off the road and kill him and all the other bros are like BRO! NOT COOL BRO! IT WAS TOTALLY COOL WHEN WE PHANTOM PUNCHED THAT ONE GUY, BUT YOU WENT TOO FAR! Then all kinds of mayhem ensues.
Is there a quick shot of a topless girl? Hell yeah. I bet one of the hip teens used his alien mind powers to get her shirt off. SWEET TRICK, BRO!
How's they'd get such nifty powers? Ah, see, that's the mystery. At first, they just seem to have these powers, but then the trailer suddenly goes all Coldplay on you and reverses the footage all the way back to the gang happening upon a giant hole in the ground hosting something mysterious and presumably evil. And dude, when there's a big hole in the ground, you GOTTA go down and look, bro.
Does one of the guys have a Bieber haircut? I think so. I think the evil bro does. NOT A COINCIDENCE.
Is there a possibility this will devolve into a rather standard thriller by the end? Oh yes. Between the flying cop and the stuff going through ceilings and one of the bros pulling a Magneto and shoving all the cop cars back, you could be looking at a movie that ends up being rather formulaic. Then again, FLYING COP SO KEWL BRO!
Does this trailer work? Yes. Found footage movies always make for great trailers. It's like a two-minute PowerAde commercial. Plus this one has a nice tagline ("What are you capable of?"), and they use a Facebook address instead of a traditional title reveal. SO HIP. They also include a hashtag for Twitter and that has elicited a favorable response. I expect "Chronicle" to do just fine. And I hope no cool bros ever get telekinesis.
Trailer Park: "Chronicle"!
Anyone can tell you if a trailer "looks good" or not. But Drew Magary, who spent over a decade working in advertising, is here to tell you whether or not a trailer WORKS. This week's trailer? "Chronicle".


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What is a correct way to choose a sow vaccination program? When vaccination of piglets is needed?
What is a correct way to choose a sow vaccination program? When vaccination of piglets is needed?
Answered by: Enric Marco I Published on: August 25, 2016
Piglet vaccination is usually done when we would like to reduce virus circulation on the growing phase. Vaccine will reduce the amount of virus shed by viremic animals and also will reduce duration of shedding. Those reductions are not spectacular but can help to control the virus circulation.
Sow vaccination is used in two ways. The first one is to bring back to normality the farm after an outbreak; the second one is to help the farm to maintain stability by avoiding virus recirculation among sows which will produce viremic piglets.
By vaccinating sows, immunity will be higher and more stable helping to reduce subpopulations of sows which we know are the responsible for on farm virus recirculation.
You can ask your own question! Visit Pig333.com and submit your question to our experts.
本网站内容专用于兽医处方。点击 "接受" 您表明了自己是一位专业兽医人员。否则,请单击 "拒绝" 并联系兽医专业人士。


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Friday 25 January
|Anas (1)
Endemic to the Auckland Islands group, as its common name suggests, this flightless duck is one of the smallest of the Australasian teals, with greatly reduced wings (4) (5). Indeed, as one of the few remaining flightless birds in the world, the Auckland Islands teal is a product of an island environment isolated from the rest of the world for more than 80 million years, and free from mammalian predators (4). The body and face are dark brown, with light and dark brown barring on the flanks and mottled chestnut tones on the breast (2) (6) (7). This cryptic colouration provides useful camouflage amongst the kelp fronds of their habitat (5). A fine white ring surrounds the eye, the bill is bluish-black, and the legs and feet slate grey. Breeding males possess an iridescent green sheen on the nape of their necks (2). Females are uniformly dark brown with a paler abdomen, and prominent white eye ring (2). Male calls are soft, high-pitched wheezy whistles, while females produce low quacks and growls (7).
The Auckland Islands teal is mainly crepuscular to nocturnal (2), feeding on marine invertebrates, terrestrial amphipods, insect larvae and small molluscs in coastal pools or washed-up seaweed, and also on algae (6). Mated pairs travel and feed together (6) and maintain a territory (2), but may flock at traditional roosting sites when not feeding (7). During the breeding season, these flocks consist mainly of juveniles and non-paired adults (7). The breeding rate and annual productivity is low (6), with clutches of three to four eggs laid from late October, with the first broods appearing in December (2). The gestation period exceeds 30 days in the wild and is 30 to 35 days in captivity, with incubation performed by the female alone, while the male remains close and guards the female whilst feeding during nest relief. Both parents attend to and defend their young throughout the fledging period of 60 to 70 days and both sexes first breed at one year in captivity (2).
The Auckland Islands teal is found in the Auckland Islands group of New Zealand, with permanent populations on Ewing, Enderby, Rose, Ocean, Adams, Disappointment and Dundas Islands. Formerly bred on Auckland Island itself, where records exist up until the 1940s (6).
Primarily found along sheltered coastlines, using dense coastal vegetation as nesting cover (6). May retreat 100 to 200 m up small streams or to kelp beds and coastal pools for daytime cover, but forage on the shorelines after dark (5) (6).
Introduced cats and pigs caused the extinction of this bird from its former stronghold on Auckland Island, thereby dramatically reducing its numbers. Total remaining population estimates vary between 600 and 2,000 individuals, with this population currently considered relatively stable (6), as the bird occupies multiple offshore islands and islets that lack predators (4). However, the accidental introduction of mammals to the remaining island populations could easily cause further local extinctions and is an ongoing concern. The spread of avian disease to these island populations is also considered a significant potential threat (6).
The Auckland Islands teal's listing on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) prohibits its commercial trade across borders (6). The Auckland Islands are national nature reserves without human settlement (2). Cattle, rabbits and mice have been eradicated from Enderby Island, and rabbits from Rose Island, leaving all teal-inhabited islands free from introduced mammals. The eradication of pigs on Auckland Island is planned, paving the way for the bird's possible reintroduction to the mainland. Although known to breed successfully in captivity, no dedicated captive breeding programme has been proposed. Thus, future conservation efforts need to concentrate on captive-breeding programmes, combined with further removal or control of predators on Auckland Island, to allow for viable future reintroductions (6). Re-establishment across its full former range would certainly help ensure the future survival and prosperity of this remarkable flightless bird.
For further information on the Auckland Islands teal see:
BirdLife International:
Williams, M. (2005) Auckland Island Teal Anas aucklandica Species Account. In: Kear, J. (Ed.) Ducks, Geese and Swans: Anseriformes (Bird Families of the World S.). Oxford University Press, Australia and New Zealand.
This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact:
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Chelsea's John Obi Mikel Suspended After Threatening Mark Clattenburg
John Obi Mikel has been handed a three-match suspension and fined £60,000 for his actions following Chelsea's defeat to Manchester United.
The midfielder entered the referee's dressing room after the 28 October clash at Stamford Bridge to confront match official Mark Clattenburg.
Mikel had been informed by team-mates that Clattenburg had used inappropriate language of a racist nature towards him during the match, allegations which later proved to be false.
The Football Association acknowledged the circumstances that led to his actions and said the levels of the ban and fine had been imposed accordingly.
A statement on the FA website read: "The Regulatory Commission's independent chairman Christopher Quinlan QC emphasised that the Independent Regulatory Commission accepted, as did The FA, that at the time he threatened the referee the player genuinely believed that the referee had racially abused him.
"But for that factor the suspension would have been significantly longer."
Mikel accepted the FA's charge of "using threatening and/or abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour in the official's changing room" and will now miss the Premier League games against Sunderland and Southampton as well as the Capital One cup quarter-final against Leeds.


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House to vote to continue federal pay freeze
WASHINGTON — The House next week will take up legislation to overturn an order from President Barack Obama giving federal workers a 0.5 percent pay raise, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said Wednesday.
The legislation, sponsored by GOP freshman Ron DeSantis of Florida, would continue a pay freeze for the federal government's 2 million employees that has been in effect for more than two years.
Republicans said that stopping the pay increase from going into effect when the current stopgap measure to fund the government ends on March 27 would save taxpayers $11 billion over 10 years.
"As President Obama continues to say one thing and do another on deficit spending, it is appropriate for Congress to challenge his unilateral decision to spend $11 billion on nonmerit pay raises for federal workers," said House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif.
Obama on Dec. 27 issued an executive order extending the raise to all federal employees, including members of Congress.
As part of the deal to prevent the government from going over the so-called fiscal cliff, Congress reversed the section of that order which would have given its own members a $900 annual raise. Senators and representatives currently make $174,000 a year.
While the DeSantis bill has enough Republican votes to pass the House, it faces a tougher road in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
Colleen M. Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, said her group strongly opposed the GOP bill and would work aggressively to defeat it.
She said federal employees have contributed more than any other group to addressing the fiscal deficit — $103 billion over 10 years from the pay freeze and higher pension contributions from new hires.
Kelley said the bill was "a continuation of the
anti-federal worker line of attack that became an all-too-familiar staple" of the last session of Congress.


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Michael Pilone is a senior software engineer for Vangent where he is currently working on Java-based web service technologies and large scale geographical data indexing and searching.
It wasn't too long ago when it would be common to see a notice on your favorite website that it is "Currently Down for Scheduled Maintenance". However, with the push toward all data in the cloud and more web "applications" over the past few years, users are demanding constant availability and access to data and resources. Just look at the Internet outcries when Twitter or Google gmail goes down for more than a few minutes and you can understand the importance of building highly available systems. In this article, I present examples of how to configure and test Java web service and enterprise applications to leverage Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC), Oracle Universal Connection Pool (UCP), and Fast Connection Failover (FCF) to provide high availability.
Oracle RAC is a clustering solution that allows you to present multiple interconnected Oracle databases as one server to the end user or applications. Oracle RAC uses Oracle Clusterware to link together multiple servers to create one large single database. Normally there is a one-to-one relationship of an Oracle database to an instance when running on a single server; however in a RAC environment, there is a one-to-many relationship where a single database is simultaneously hosted on multiple instances. The obvious advantage is that any one of the instances could fail while the database remains available on the other instances in the cluster. There are other advantages to RAC, including performance scaling and workload distribution, however a full discussion of RAC is beyond the scope of this article. For more information, refer to the Oracle Real Application Clusters Administration and Deployment Guide.
With Oracle RAC in place, database client applications can leverage a number of high availability features including:
- Fast Connection Failover (FCF): Allows a client application to be immediately notified of a planned or unplanned database service outage by subscribing to Fast Application Notification (FAN) events.
- Run-time Connection Load-Balancing: Uses the Oracle RAC Load Balancing Advisory events to distribute work appropriately across the cluster nodes and to quickly react to changes in cluster configuration, overworked nodes, or hangs.
- Connection Affinity (11g recommended/required): Routes connections to the same database instance based on previous connections to an instance to limit performance impacts of switching between instances. RAC supports web session and transaction-based affinity for different client scenarios.
These features are enabled in a Java application through the use of the Oracle Universal Connection Pool (UCP) and, other than configuration, require no special support code.
Oracle Server Environment
Before any high availability (HA) work can be done on the client side, a few key Oracle server components must be in place. This article is not meant to be a guide to installing and configuring Oracle RAC (there are many books on the subject) but there are a few key features that must be enabled by your database administrator (DBA).
Obviously the RAC environment must have at least two nodes available for testing. Your DBA will give you the hostnames for these nodes but you can assume that they will be something like "sales1node1" and "sales1node2". These are the two hosts that your Java client will connect to and therefore need to be running the standard Oracle listener process. Your DBA should be able to tell you the port number that the listeners are bound to (usually 1521).
Oracle databases are represented to clients as a service. A single database can have multiple services associated with it which are defined by service names, such as sales.foo.com or finance.foo.com. The service names should not be confused with the listener host names even though a service name may look like a host or domain name. In a RAC environment, different instances in the cluster can offer the same service to clients which allows for failover if one instance goes down, distribution of load based on the capabilities of the hardware, and service migration for planned downtime. Therefore it is important that the service name and not the instance name (i.e., Oracle System Identifier (SID)) is used when configuring the client. Figure 1 shows how two different instances (sales 1 and sales 2) can both offer the same service (sales.foo.com) while only one instance (sales 2) is offers a second service (finance.foo.com).
The Oracle RAC Load Balancing Advisory must be configured with service-level goals for each service for which load balancing is enabled. Enabling the advisory allows the RAC nodes to advise clients on how to distribute work across the cluster to ensure optimal use of resources and to avoid slow, hung, or down nodes. The Oracle Real Application Clusters Administration and Deployment Guide contains the details for configuring the advisory but the basic process is to execute a SQL statement that associates a load balancing goal with a service such as:
EXECUTE DBMS_SERVICE.MODIFY_SERVICE (service_name => 'sales' -, goal => DBMS_SERVICE.GOAL_THROUGHPUT -, clb_goal => DBMS_SERVICE.CLB_GOAL_SHORT);
The final server side piece is the setup of the Oracle Notification Service (ONS) which propagates Fast Application Notification (FAN) events between the Oracle RAC database and the JDBC connection pool. On the client side, ONS can be configured in a local or remote configuration with remote being preferred because it eliminates the need for a local ONS server process on the client machine. To support remote connections to the ONS server, the DBA must modify the ons.config file on the database servers to set the remoteport and the list of ONS nodes. Your DBA should be able to tell you the remote port to use when configuring remote ONS support on the client side.
Now that the Oracle server side setup is complete and you obtained all the needed information from a DBA, you can test the FCF and ONS setups and configure the JDBC clients.


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Any suggestions on decent ESE pods? The handpresso "dome" model (loks just like the original model, only it has a filter basket for real ground coffee) has yet to enter the nordic market, so while waiting and hoping for a mod kit to arrive I thought I'd try them pods
I must say it looks like a rather well-built thing. The hand likes it.


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Polzeath Surf Spot Art Print
Single Fin Collective
Regular price £12.00
This print depicts the well-loved beach of Polzeath where many of us have spent happy summer days. The recognisable Pentire Point and Newland, the small rock island off the point can be spotted in this print. The print would make a beautiful souvenir of times spent in Polzeath, Cornwall.
Digitally designed, this is a high quality giclée art print, which means it is produced using pigment based inks and archival, cotton rag paper. Prints of this type will typically last for at least 25 years. The paper is thick, matte and slightly textured with a 300gsm weight and a small, white border around the image meaning it can be framed without a mount if you wish. Each print will be hand signed and dated on the back by Sam, the creator.
Please note that the colour of the print may vary slightly depending on your monitor settings and neither the frame nor mount are included in the sale. The print size shown in the photos is for illustration purposes only, please refer to the sizing options given for the actual size of the prints currently available.
For more information on the sizing, paper quality and other details please see our FAQs section.
Paper Sizes
What are 'A' paper sizes?
The A series of paper sizes is an international standard, used widely in the UK, Europe and many other countries internationally.
The dimensions for each size can be found in the table below.
For other queries relating to print dimensions (for example prints in non-A sizes), please see our FAQ page.
841 x 1189 mm
33.1 x 46.8 in
594 x 841 mm
23.4 x 33.1 in
420 x 594 mm
16.5 x 23.4 in
297 x 420 mm
11.7 x 16.5 in
210 x 297 mm
8.3 x 11.7 in
148 x 210 mm
5.8 x 8.3 in
105 x 148 mm
4.1 x 5.8 in
Framing tips
Whilst we don't offer a framing service we can give some good tips when it comes to framing your new prints:
Buying from the high street
In the UK "A" paper sizes are a standard size, see our dropdown on paper sizes for the exact dimensions. You should be able to find standard frames on the high street for A paper sizes, although you may be restricted to simple white or black frames and they may not be the best quality / designed to last long-term.
Supporting local framers
We would always recommend talking to a local framer and supporting a local small business. The framers we know are professionals who can advise on how thick you might want your frame, whether you need a mount (or matt in the US) and how thick this should be to complement the print and frame. The mount and frame can be customised in terms of colours too and of course you could go with a natural wood colour of which there are lots of options. If you've seen something you like, for example a frame on one of our web pages, why not screenshot the image and send to your framer to replicate.
We recommend The Banana Shed Framing Company in Penryn, Cornwall and The Frame Shop in Braunton, North Devon if you're lucky enough to live local to either of these two areas.
Think about the size of the space you wish to fill. If it's a large space and you've bought a smaller print you can fill more space with a wide mount and a chunky frame. If it's a small space, no mount and a thin frame may suit you better.
It's also worth noting all our prints include a small white border with the design inset inside this, so you can choose not to include a mount as the print will look good in a frame without a mount. We personally think a mount adds a bit more style though.
If you have bought a frame and the print needs trimming down slightly to fit in, make sure you measure very carefully, draw on guides of where to cut with a pencil and take it slow. You can't add paper back on if you cut too much off!


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Economic Comment Dutch version
Highest Dutch GDP growth in ten years: Netherlands leads Eurozone recovery
The Dutch economy grew by 1.5 percent in Q2 and outpaced the solid growth in other Eurozone economies. Labour market figures in Q2 were also strong. Domestic and foreign demand can continue to drive a cyclical recovery.


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Cube 2: Sauerbraten is a free multiplayer/singleplayer first person shooter, built as a major redesign of the Cube FPS. Much like the original Cube, the aim of this game is not necessarily to produce the most features & eyecandy possible, but rather to allow map/geometry editing to be done dynamically in-game, to create fun gameplay and an elegant engine. The engine supporting the game is entirely original in code & design, and its code is Open Source (ZLIB license, read the docs for more on how you can use the engine). In addition to the FPS game which is in a very playable state, the engine is being used for an RPG which is in the preproduction phase. Additionally, Proper Games ltd are the first to use the engine commercially. dot3 labs is a company started by the creators of sauerbraten that offers commercial support.
Only registered members can share their thoughts. So come on! Join the community today (totally free - or sign in with your social account on the right) and join in the conversation.


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De Tomaso releases new renderings of a future car set to compete with the Mercedes CLS – its called the Ghepardo. The four-door sports cars, Ghepardo, suggests the new concept cars for the future De Tomaso. Ghepardo is designed with great respect for the De Tomaso history and design language, and several elements are inspired by the surface treatments of the Pantera and Mangusta. It is designed to match the future trends within the automotive industry both in design and functionality.
This entire auto is inspired not only by the De Tomaso past line of cars, but by a fine taylor-made Italian suit as well. De Tomaso was considered the entry level to the holy grail of Italian super cars in the 1960s and 1970s. De Tomaso sport cars Pantera and Mangusta are used as inspiration for surface treatments and more. Auto designer Frederik Tjellesen has created a concept sports car for an Italian car manufacturer, De Tomaso, which runs on a low-emission hybrid engine. Christened the Ghepardo, the concept is a four-door sports car that boasts Ecoboost technology and methanol fuel cells.
De Tomaso Ghepardo Sports Cars Concept Designed For The Future
The De Tomaso Ghepardo Sports Cars Concept Designed For The Future uses technology based on both the latest production sports cars as well as the concepts cars currently being tested. Ghepardo may be powered either by a Ford twin-turbo ecoboost 3.5 V6 producing 465 bhp or by four electric in-hub fuel cells each producing 85 Kw (combined an equivalent of 440 bhp). Electricity is produced by a methanol fuel cell stack located beneath the 500 litre boot. Active aerofoils are incorporated in the 'c-pillar/rear wing' giving the car optimal down force at any speed. The Ghepardo measures a length of 4820 mm, a width of 1970 mm, height of 1300 mm and a wheel base of 2990 mm.
The sports cars were as fast and as beautiful, however, more inexpensive than the ones of Ferrari and Lamborghini. In 1971, De Tomaso introduced the Deauville which was the fastest saloon car at the time. It was referred to as a super saloon by founder Alejandro De Tomaso. Inspired by the spirit of the Deauville, the De Tomaso Ghepardo is a modern four door fuel cell super car with a surface treatment inspired by the legendary De Tomasos of the 60s and 70s and designed for the future.
As an inspirational effect from the Mangusta, in Ghepardo De Tomaso the rear wing function as the boot cover and the rear door. With elegant surface, volume, stand, lines with a smooth eye catching finish, the bottom windows are so designed that the rider can have an idea of the speed. Run by a power of approximately 450HP, this car surely binds style with future trend of the car.
De Tomaso Ghepardo Sports Cars Concept Designed For The Future


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At the City of Greater Dandenong, our customers are our number one priority. We are committed to providing excellent customer service and continually improving the services we provide to our diverse community. Through our customer service charter, we have put a range of measures in place to achieve this.
Download Customer Service Charter (PDF - 14.4KB)
If you are unable to resolve a problem, feel we have not met a service quality guarantee, or are unhappy about any other council decision or action, you can follow our complaints resolution process to have it resolved.
We welcome your feedback on Council's services at anytime. If you have a concern about the way we have provided a service, let us know so we can review the matter. While we aim to get it right the first time, we understand that things can sometimes go wrong. Your feedback helps us improve our services to the community.
A dispute or complaint is defined as Council failing to respond to a request for service. We have a simple four step Dispute Resolution Process in place to ensure you have an opportunity to have your issue investigated.
Download complaints resolution guidelines and four step dispute resolution process (PDF - 4.37MB)
Please note: this process relates to services provided by Council and does not cover decisions made by Council at formal Council meetings. If you have a complaint in respect of a Councillor, please direct your concern to the Mayor. The Mayor will handle your complaint in accordance with the Code of Conduct – Councillors (PDF 1.60MB).
Local residents who have a complaint about a council service, are encouraged to download this complaints flow chart as a guide through the process.
Download Local Council Complaints flow chart
The Victorian Ombudsman is available to investigate complaints made about decisions, actions or inaction by the following bodies:
For further information and to watch short videos in English, Chinese (Simplified), Vietnamese, Somali, Burmese, Karen or Auslan visit the Victorian Ombudsman website.
For more information phone 9613 6222 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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These two have quite the love story, and it must be true love to last 71 years.
Their love story is wrapped around WW11 as they met when Dad was on a 5 day leave. Their eyes locked across the street - isn't that romantic??!! They corresponded while Dad served 2 years in the Navy. He saw many things I'm sure he wishes he could forget and as his children we are just learning things that he never shared before. PTSD has no year limit, but thankfully he has been able to work through some things and be able to share with us now.
Mom is living with Vascular Dementia and Dad is doing a great job of caring for her. See - I told you it was a great love story!!
This is the card that I gave them last night when they joined us for dinner.
All this to say - you never want to miss out on buying the products now, while they are available and then regret it later when they are no longer available.
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Electric cars not the long-term answer
* EVs 'won't replace conventional engines' * Hydrogen seen as more realistic option * Most green buyers cite financial motivation...
Electric cars arent the long-term answer to petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles, according to 75% of British drivers.
Just 25% of UK motorists believe pure electric motors will replace the traditional combustion engine, according to a recent YouGov SixthSense survey.
However, half of those surveyed believe hydrogen-powered electric cars are a better long-term solution. A further 41% regard efficient petrol and diesel engines as the most feasible option.
Of those sampled in the survey who own an alternative-fuel vehicle, 63% have a petrol/electric hybrid, 10% a compressed-gas car, and 8% a fully electric car, such as the Nissan Leaf. However, 75% of these people also own a petrol or diesel car.
The research also revealed that nearly two-thirds of owners cited financial incentives as the main reason for buying a green car, rather than concern for the environment.
James McCoy, YouGov SixthSense research director, said: Weve seen time and again, that most consumers will only go green when it saves them money.


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|View of Margat castle, photo by Éva Galambos
King Andrew II of Hungary, leader of the Fifth Crusade (1217-1218) spent some time in the castle, and made a sizable donation to the Hospitallers. It is interesting to note that the mother of Andrew II, Anne (Ágnes) of Chatillon stems from the Principality of Antioch, as she was the daughter of Raynald of Chatillon - the same Raynald executed by Saladin in 1187, a year before his army reached Margat.
The castle was built into a huge edifice by the Hospitallers, organized around a large circular keep (donjon). The main buildings of the castle - including the great hall, the chapel, the chapter house, the dormitories and the kitchen - survived largely intact to this day. Since 2006, the Syro-Hungarian Archaeological Mission, led by Balázs Major has been conducting research and excavations at the site.
The big breakthrough came in 2008, when frescoes were discovered inside the castle chapel. The frescoes are the remains of a large Last Judgment, likely painted at the end of the 12th century by western painters. So far large areas of the depiction of Hell have been cleaned on the wall to the left of the apse, and traces of Heaven have been uncovered on the opposite wall. Jaroslav Folda, in his book Crusader Art in the Holy Land from the Third Crusade to the Fall of Acre, 1187-1291 (Cambridge-New York, 2005) dates the construction of the chapel to 1186-87, so immediately after the Hospitallers took over the castle. He also describes the frescoes known before the current excavation campaign, located in the sacristy. The newly discovered frescoes are not only on a much larger surface than those known before, but their rare iconography makes them the most important discovery in the field of Crusader art. Their style is also different from those described by Folda as the work of a Byzantinizing locally trained painter (p. 33).
Thanks to the kindness of one of the restorers working on these frescoes, I am able to include a few illustrations here. These photos were all taken by Éva Galambos, and have never appeared before.


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Thai army chief urges rivals to talk following martial law
Thailand's army declared martial law nationwide on Tuesday to restore order after six months of street protests that have left the country without a proper functioning government, but insisted the surprise intervention was not a military coup.
Bangkok: Thailand's army declared martial law nationwide on Tuesday to restore order after six months of street protests that have left the country without a proper functioning government, but insisted the surprise intervention was not a military coup.
"We ask all sides to come and talk to find a way out for the country," army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha told reporters after meeting directors of government agencies and other high-ranking officials.
While troops patrolled parts of Bangkok and army spokesmen took to the airwaves, the caretaker government led by supporters of self-exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra said it was still running the country.
Prayuth said the military had stepped in to restore order and build investor confidence, and warned that troops would take action against anyone who used weapons and harmed civilians.
Military officials said they were not interfering with the caretaker government, but ministers were not informed of the army's plan before an announcement on television at 3 a.m. (2000 GMT on Monday) and Prayuth said martial law would be maintained until peace and order had been restored.
Twenty-eight people have been killed and 700 injured since the anti-government protests began in November last year.
The crisis is the latest chapter in a near-decade-long power struggle between former telecoms tycoon Thaksin and the royalist establishment that has brought the country to the brink of recession and even raised fears of civil war.
Troops, some in jeeps mounted with machineguns, stopped some traffic from entering Bangkok after the martial law order. They also took up position at intersections and secured television stations, but life went on as normal in most of the city.
Both pro-government and anti-government protesters are camped out at different places in the capital and, to prevent clashes, the army told them they had to stay put.
The army also ordered 10 satellite TV channels, both pro-government and anti-government, to stop broadcasting.
The caretaker government, wary of the army given its past interventions on the side of the establishment, said it welcomed the move to restore order and that it remained in office.
Thailand has been stuck in political limbo since Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin's younger sister, and nine of her ministers were dismissed on 7 May after a court found them guilty of abuse of power.
The military, which put down a pro-Thaksin protest movement in 2010, has staged numerous coups since Thailand became a constitutional monarchy in 1932. The last one was in 2006 to oust Thaksin, who has lived abroad since 2008 but wields political influence and commands huge support among the poor.
Anti-government protesters want a "neutral" prime minister to oversee electoral reforms aimed at ending Thaksin's influence. They disrupted an election on 2 February that Thaksin's loyalists looked set to win. It was later declared void.
The government, on the other hand, views an early general election it would likely win as the best way forward.
Both sides said they were sticking to their demands. "Martial law does not affect our civil uprising," Suthep Thaugsuban, the leader of the anti-government protesters, told his cheering supporters. "We still retain our right to demonstrate against this tyrannical government."
Earlier, caretaker Prime Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongphaisan said he had asked the Election Commission to set the ballot for 3 August and he was in talks with the army. "We are talking to the army chief's side and there are many pressing issues we need to discuss … including elections and reform," Niwatthamrong told reporters.
The army tried to mediate in the crisis late last year, bringing together then-premier Yingluck and anti-government protest leader Suthep. It had played down fears of a coup, stressing that politicians must resolve the dispute.
But Human Rights Watch called martial law a "de facto coup" while a political analyst said it was a "phantom coup".
"For this to be a success the army needs to act like a neutral force and not be seen to side with the anti-government protesters. It needs to offer an election date and start a political reform process," said Kan Yuenyong at the Siam Intelligence Unit think-tank.
Martial law gives the military broad powers over civilian authorities, but a full coup would likely incur costs in terms of greater damage to investor confidence and U.S. sanctions.
The United States, which cut aid to its military ally after the 2006 coup, said it was monitoring the situation closely.
Prayuth had warned last week, after three people were killed in an attack on anti-government protesters, that troops might have to be used if violence continued.
"He now feels that the police cannot handle security and is alarmed by grenade attacks and other incidents and the fact neither side looks like it will back down," said a senior army official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The baht fell against the dollar in early trade but steadied later and dealers suspected that was due to intervention by the central bank. At 0900 GMT the baht was quoted at 32.53 per dollar after earlier trading at a low of around 32.64.
The stock market ended 1.13 percent down.
Six months of turmoil have dragged down Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy, which shrank 2.1 percent in the first quarter of the year.
Andrew Colquhoun, Head of Asia-Pacific Sovereigns at ratings agency Fitch, said martial law was not necessarily negative for Thailand's government debt, and might help break the deadlock.
"The key factors for the ratings are whether Thailand can avert more serious and bloody political disorder, and whether we see a return to a fully functioning government that is able to make policy and pass a budget for the next fiscal year."
The leader of Thaksin's pro-government "red shirt" loyalists, who are rallying in Bangkok's outskirts, appealed for calm but warned of trouble if the government was ousted.
"If soldiers appoint a prime minister then we will escalate our rally," Jatuporn Prompan told a news conference. "Stay calm. There has been no coup yet."
Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.
also read
Ousted Thai PM Yingluck's impeachment process begins
Yingluck was removed from office in May, after a court found her guilty of abuse of power.
Thailand: Citizens to protest army's no elections diktat
Protesters will test Thai coup leader General Prayuth Chan-ocha this weekend after he said there would be no elections in Thailand for more than a year to give the military time to engineer reforms.
Day after coup, Thai army chief summons ousted PM for talks
Later, the military summoned ousted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and 22 associates including powerful relatives and ministers in her government, to a meeting at an army facility at 10 a.m. on Friday.


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Open BIM Aims to Overcome Collaboration Challenges of Modern AEC Workflows4 Apr, 2012 By: Nancy Spurling Johnson
New buildlingSMART initiative provides common definitions, requirements, and branding for building projects.
Open BIM: A universal approach to the collaborative design, realization, and operation of buildings based on open standards and workflows.
Announced in March, Open BIM is an initiative of the neutral, not-for-profit buildingSMART alliance and several developers of BIM (building information modeling) software. The new program aims to accelerate the adoption of BIM in the AEC industry by providing common definitions, requirements, and branding for building projects, helping to overcome the challenges that can impede the collaboration among architects, engineers, contractors, and project owners that is so vital to an effective BIM workflow.
The BIM workflow has brought tremendous change to building design and construction. Beyond the transition to 3D modeling, it requires a level of cooperation and communication among project participants that is not characteristic of the conventional 2D, paper-based, sequential workflow. "Today, processes are parallel, and stakeholders must collaborate more closely," said Akos Pfemeter, director of global marketing at Graphisoft, one of the founding members of the Open BIM program. "They need more effective communication."
Open BIM specifies that users adopt open standards such as the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) data model standard, which was developed by buildingSMART and has been accepted by ISO. But Open BIM is more than just IFC, said Pfemeter. "Open BIM is a process — and open workflow — on top of IFC common data," he explained. It is designed to facilitate better exchange of IFC data, among a variety of other benefits, including:
- Workflow integration results in greatly reduced coordination errors compared to sheer file exchange-based coordination of the different disciplines.
- Project members can work with their modeling software of choice without risking incompatibility that could otherwise exclude them from certain BIM projects.
- Project members can maintain full control over software upgrades independently from their peers as they participate in various AEC projects.
- Accessibility of BIM data is provided for the entire lifecycle of buildings including design, construction, and operation.
Flexible Options
Open BIM facilitates three different approaches to AEC project collaboration, which users can adopt according to their needs.
Option 1:Reference Model Concept. In this approach, project stakeholders don't attempt to achieve 100% binary (file) compatibility between various BIM models for full conversion; instead, BIM models of different trades are displayed together for reference.
Option 2:Model Filtering and Classification. BIM models are created to fulfill the specific needs of particular disciplines. Workflow compatibility is achieved through filtering out irrelevant parts of models and reclassifying parts created with diverging concepts.
Option 3:Change Management. Coordination is not a one-time act, but rather an ongoing process. Support for change management helps provide a dynamic and streamlined workflow where only changed parts of the BIM model need to be subsequently coordinated.
Leading the Charge
Any AEC project participant can adopt Open BIM and use the Open BIM logo for branding. The logo is a guarantee that a software solution, a design or engineering firm, or a building project fully meets the requirements of open collaboration. All participants must agree to fully comply with program requirements, as outlined on the Open BIM FAQ page.
"Whoever joins can use Open BIM branding free of charge," Pfemeter explained. "We hope it will become similar to the use of LEED status," which specifies a project's compliance with green building standards.
Any BIM software developer can join the program and use the Open BIM branding as well, regardless of competitive standing. Program participation "requires the willingness of vendors to be open," Pfemeter said. Founding members of the program include Graphisoft, Nemetschek Allplan, Nemetschek Vectorworks, Nemetschek Scia, Tekla, and Data Design System.
Who will drive the adoption of Open BIM? "It's too early to tell," Pfemeter said. Initially, it won't be project owners, he acknowledged. Promotion is currently coming from the software developers who are Open BIM participants.
About the Author: Nancy Spurling Johnson
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A collection of scholarly works about individual liberty and free markets. A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.
The Best of the OLL No. 15: Anthony de Jasay, "Liberalism and Democracy" (1985) (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2013). https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/2489,
|Available in the following formats:
|EBook PDF
|This text-based PDF or EBook was created from the HTML version of this book and is part of the Portable Library of Liberty.
|ePub standard file for your iPad or any e-reader compatible with that format
|This is an E-book formatted for Amazon Kindle devices.
This is part of "The Best of the Online Library of Liberty" which is a collection of some of the most important material in the OLL. This essay is by the Anglo-Hungarian economist Anthony de Jasay on the political economy of modern democracy in which he discusses the in-built tendency for democracies to expand the power and scope of the state into satisfy the needs of the dominant constituencies which get politicians reelected to office.
The copyright to this edition, in both print and electronic forms, is held by Liberty Fund, Inc.
This material is put online to further the educational goals of Liberty Fund, Inc. Unless otherwise stated in the Copyright Information section above, this material may be used freely for educational and academic purposes. It may not be used in any way for profit.


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I love this kitchen, are those stainless steal counter tops? The glossy wood floors look so clean, does anyone have white wood floors? I've always wondered if they chip easily or look dirty quickly?
Found here via Kerry's pin.
Other Stories
15 comments:
I have white wooden floors. Well, not even white, but bright, bright, bright grey. And with a 15month old in house....you do the math ;) It's kinda hopeless. But very pretty. But you have to wash the floors....ALOT! Upstairs their not gonna be painted white, but black ;)ReplyDelete
- MarieMay 06, 2011
We have white tile with dark grout and it always looks dirty. Especially with a corgi that sheds dark fur everywhere! I agree that the white wood looks nice but I don't think it's very practical.ReplyDelete
oh that aqua glass globe... We had white-painted wood floors a few homes ago, and while they made the space very bright and cheery, it was impossible to keep them clean. The only scenario I can picture them staying clean (and white) in is, I think, in the home of a lonesome middle-aged woman (with no grandchildren) living on her own... :) But they are beautiful in thought... +ChelseaReplyDelete
Loving that stretch of sea foam-colored wall in the kitchen!ReplyDelete
love the lighting!ReplyDelete
Love these. :)ReplyDelete
We had black painted wooden floors years ago and I actually think they showed more dirt than if they had been white... but I could be wrong!
i was just reading the comments & i have to agree with kathy about black floors. i had black & white checkered tile & the black tiles drove me more crazy than the white. plus, dust shows so bad on black, under furniture that you can see below. oof.ReplyDelete
but yeah, these spaces are amazing to look at. i'm dying over the chairs!
- The BelvedereMay 06, 2011
I have white floors in my bathroom (tile not wood) and agree with Marie, they show every little speck of dirt and never seem to be clean. Lovely yet frustrating!ReplyDelete
Love that sea foam green, who knew that was such a pretty pop of color!
I love EVERYTHING about this!ReplyDelete
In all that white and colour...ReplyDelete
all I want is that black chair
Love everything, the floor seems nice but the dirt is going to show more, also,have a great Mother's Day with your family.ReplyDelete
very lovely indeed! The white floor lights up the room :)!ReplyDelete
Beautiful! And, ps, your blog looks amazing lately.ReplyDelete
love that blue/green round light!ReplyDelete
Thank you for your comments, I love hearing from you!
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Moran, Burnett injuries have Halos short on lefties
SEATTLE -- The Angels have found out they'll be without one of their situational-lefty relievers and now have no idea when they'll get back the other.
Brian Moran, acquired in the Rule 5 Draft, is set to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery, the Angels announced early Tuesday afternoon. A few hours after that, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Sean Burnett, who is in the last season of a two-year, $8 million contract, has been temporarily "backed off" from his throwing program.
Burnett, who opened the season on the disabled list, was limited to 13 appearances last year and underwent left elbow surgery in August. He threw in a simulated game at Angel Stadium on Wednesday, then pitched in another sim game in Arizona on Saturday, and he hasn't thrown since.
"It's really going to be just day to day to see when he can pick it up," Scioscia said. "He's trying to get over the hump of some residual soreness that pops up here and there."
With Moran undergoing a procedure that usually requires 12 months of recovery for pitchers, and Burnett's status up in the air, the Angels are left with Nick Maronde (in the Majors), Buddy Boshers (Triple-A), Robert Carson (Triple-A) and Brandon Sisk (Double-A) as situational-lefty options for a bullpen set to face plenty of tough left-handed hitters in the American League West. Left-hander Jose Alvarez, acquired in exchange for infielder Andrew Romine during Spring Training, is in the starting rotation at Triple-A but has worked out of the bullpen before.
Often times last year, Burnett would successfully play catch and then have to take a step back -- until a late-July MRI exam revealed a small tear of a flexor tendon in his left elbow. Dr. James Andrews then reopened the scar from Burnett's 2004 Tommy John surgery to clean up some scar tissue that was pinning his ulnar nerve, then he had Burnett undergo stem-cell therapy a month later.
Scioscia noted that the pain Burnett is currently experiencing is in a different area from last year, which is somewhat relieving.
"I don't think you're at a point of writing anybody off," Scioscia said, "but there's certainly a question right now of when he's going to be back. You can't count on him until he gets to be 100 percent, and he's not there yet."
The Angels acquired Moran with reasonable hope that he could be an important situational lefty in their bullpen, and thus be the first Rule 5 Draft pick to stick on their roster since Derrick Turnbow in 2000.
But the 25-year-old made only four appearances in Spring Training before feeling discomfort in his left elbow around mid-March. He began playing catch shortly thereafter, but was never able to take the next step and throw off a mound.
A seventh-round Draft pick by the Mariners in 2009, Moran has posted a 3.06 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP and a 4.35 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his Minor League career, while holding opposing lefties to a .594 OPS last season.
Rule 5 picks must be offered back to their original teams if not on the active roster, unless they're on the disabled list. The Angels can open up a spot on the 40-man roster by transferring Moran to the 60-day DL. But he'll be with the organization all year, while merely rehabbing.
"It's obviously a tough break for Moran and for us," Scioscia said. "There's no doubt you could see that he had the kind of stuff that can match up well against lefties. I'm sure when he resumes his career after he gets by this next year, we'll get a better look at him and see how it goes."


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Tesla tops Google in March Stock ManiaMarch 24, 2014: 12:00 PM ET
Elon Musk made his mother proud Monday.
The tech mogul's electric car company, Tesla Motors (TSLA), narrowly beat out Google (GOOG) in CNNMoney's fourth annual March Stock Mania contest. In the final round, Tesla took home 52% of the vote in this year's competition, compared with 48% for last year's champ.
The victory did not go unnoticed. After CNNMoney's Paul R. La Monica posted the news on Twitter early Monday, Musk's mother, Maye, did what any loving parent would do...
Whoa. @ElonMusk's mom just favorited my tweet on $TSLA beating $GOOG to win #MarchStockMania. Thanks, @MayeMusk!
— Paul R. La Monica (@LaMonicaBuzz) March 24, 2014
All told, more than 8,000 votes were tallied in the tournament of 32 companies, our version of the NCAA's March Madness extravaganza. We picked our contestants from a list of the most searched stock tickers on CNNMoney.
A relative new-comer, Tesla beat out established tech companies and another former March Stock Mania winner on its path to victory.
Tesla trounced the mighty IBM (IBM) in the first round before handing Facebook (FB) a resounding defeat in the second. Apple (AAPL) put up more of a fight, but the 2012 champ from Cupertino was no match for the team from Palo Alto.
Related: How risky is your portfolio?
Amazon (AMZN) fell in the fourth round, setting up the final showdown between Tesla and the house that Larry and Sergey built.
Still, Google made it past several strong contenders in its attempt to be the first two-time winner of March Stock Mania. The search giant easily blew past 3D Systems (DDD), Boeing (BA), Coca-Cola (KO) and Exon Mobil (XOM). (Google topped Exxon in the final last year.)
The title adds to a growing list of plaudits for Tesla and Musk. Consumer Reports called the Model S, the only vehicle Tesla currently sells, the best car it ever tested. And Musk was named Fortune's Business Person of the Year in 2013.
Tesla shares have handsomely rewarded investors. They more than tripled in 2013, making them one of the best performers in a very good year for the market. The stock has been more volatile in 2014, but it's still up nearly 45%. It was down Monday along with several other momentum tech stocks.
Related: Tough day for CNNMoney's Tech 30
Google is no stock market slouch either. Shares gained 58% last year and are up another 4% so far in 2014. But Google was down more than 1% Monday along with the broader tech sector.
So will Google make it back to the finals again next year? Will Tesla become the first two-time champ? Or will another stock emerge with the crown in 2015? We'll find out in about 12 months. Now back to agonizing about how Stanford just busted that other bracket you're probably following.