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To the editor: I read your coverage on the Walk to End Alzheimer's in Portsmouth and I am so grateful that the community came out in droves to support this cause for local families. I wanted to express my gratitude to the Alzheimer's Association for hosting such an incredible event and to Home Instead Senior Care who has been providing care for my mom for the past several years.
My mom, Maxine was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's several years ago — she was only fifty years old. Today, she is 59 and the devastating effects of Alzheimer's are taking their toll. She no longer speaks and can't remember how to do even simple things, but she is well taken care of, thanks to my Dad, Richard and the caregivers from Home Instead Senior Care.
My Dad first noticed changes in my Mom's behavior 9 years ago. She was formerly diagnosed with Alzheimer's a few years ago and the decline has been quite rapid. My Mom has to have someone with her at all times now so caregivers from Home Instead come in every weekday to help care for my Mom while my Dad and I are at work.
Before Alzheimer's, my Mom did everything she could to care for her family. I am an only child and she really was a wonderful, attentive Mom who instilled the importance of family in me. That is why every weekend I make the trek from Watertown, Massachusetts to Stratham to help take care of my Mom and give my Dad a bit of respite.
The hardest thing is watching how the disease has progressed so rapidly. At first, when my Mom was more aware of what was happening, she would weep. She was confused as to why she could no longer do things she used to and I could feel her frustration. My Mom still knows who I am, but her memory is deteriorating quickly so I don't know how much longer this will last.
It was exciting to be part of the Walk to End Alzheimer's because it pulls the community together to work toward a positive goal so that other families may not have to go through what we've been through. I just wanted to thank the Alzheimer's Association, our caregivers from Home Instead and all of my friends, family and co-workers who supported me for the walk. You have all made our life a little easier and my Dad and I are truly grateful for your support.
Natalie and Richard Guillemette
Echoes of Korea
To the editor: Thoughts and memories long suppressed sometimes leak out and stain my face. I don't know why, after so long, these thoughts, these searing pictures come unbidden from some dark place to intrude upon me now.
I have not been able to honestly deal with them. They briefly overwhelm me, I suck it up, get strong, deny them their hold on me and move on. I leave them undiminished, unchallenged, to come back later with all their power and fury. I guess I don't deal with them, indeed haven't for all these years, because I know I probably can't win against them.
But perhaps equally important, if in "dealing" with them, I make them disappear, or diminish their meaning, I will dishonor the sacrifice of those who died with me holding their torn and broken bodies. So many took so long to die, with me holding onto a stump of an arm or leg, thrashing about, a glistening clump of instruments staunching arterial blood. I guess it may be because it took them so long to die and perhaps because they were often awake, we became friends.
And I stayed with them while they died. And I just cannot seem to either forget them, or deal with it. Truth to tell, I don't think I am worthy of forgetting what they did, or how they died.
Or how long it took, how goddamned long it took.
Robert Miles
Veterans Day
To the editor: We are six months past the remembrance of Memorial Day. Flags set out in May have new snow for a new winter. We have new elections and a new Veterans Day comes Sunday. I found myself wondering what "percentage" we are as a people now that all the ballots are counted and the holidays begin. I suddenly remembered an article I read In high school when World War II had been won for just ten years.
It was a train trip through Appalachia — all the narrow hollows of West Virginia switchbacks and slow going. The train came around a bend to a small garden and a tarpaper shack hard against the tracks. Nothing special there. And a man sat out on the porch scratching at the dirt with a long-handled hoe- too lazy to get off the porch and work.
That view changed when the train turned the corner to show the double amputee and the American flag hung across the tarpaper wall. What stoic hope and trust for our country lies down among the "47 percent". Theodore Roosevelt said do all you can, with what you have, where you are, while you are here. Veterans Day will be observed in Milton on Sunday, Nov. 11, at 1 p.m. at Veteran's Park. Come, while you are here and democracy works.
Larry Brown
Some random observations
To the editor: Why do so few motorists use required turn signals? Though you may know where you are and where you're going the rest of the motoring public does not.
Why do parents of elementary school age children allow them to ride in the front seat of a dual front air bag equipped vehicle? One, it's unlawful and two, possibly life threatening to the passenger in the event of an accident.
To the people who leave their dogs messes on sidewalks or in peoples yards, really, you couldn't take a couple seconds to clean it up?
Has this election cycle been the worst for negativity?
The next verifiable true fact to come out of a politician's mouth will be the first.
There is no wrong vote. The only wrong is not voting. If you so decide not to vote, you lose any/all right to complain!!
Perform a random act of kindness, it costs nothing and is in and of itself rewarding.
Five Guys burgers & fries rock!!
Appreciate family and friends, even if they are just Facebook friends.
Gangnam Style, fun or funny?
Favorite pig out holiday, Thanksgiving!!
Candlepin Bowling versus Ten Pin?
Movie that still cracks me up with all it's sight gags, "Top Secret".
Live long & prosper and be excellent to each other!!
Fred Ruonala
Piling up
To the editor: Foster's bemoans coverups of US crimes and atrocities ("Benghazi: A warning to be heeded," editorial, Oct. 31). A number of serious examples were listed, including the My Lai Massacre, Watergate, and questions about WMD in Iraq. However, the editorial neglected to include the greatest atrocity of them all, the terror events of 9-11-01, used by elements within our government to justify a number of wars in oil-rich countries of the Middle East.
While stacks of books mount up showing that the events of 9-11 could not possibly have occurred as described in official government reports, that conclusion is generally ignored.
See, for example, the ten scholarly books on this subject written by David Ray Griffin, Ph.D. Griffin has ample prestige as an intellectual and is the founder of process theology.
Also consider the work of Richard Gage, AIA. Gage is the founder of Architects and Engineers for 9-11 Truth, which currently has 1741 degreed and licensed members and 15,729 other supporters.
By contrast, the main arguments for the government's view have been name-calling and unsubstantiated allegations. Thus, it is vital that we think for ourselves and prosecute the real criminals.
David Diamond
Thank you
To the editor: As judges of the Barrington Women's Club annual agility training and dog parade, we would like to thank all who participated.
Thank you to all the dogs and owners who entered the parade. Your efforts made all of you winners. Thank you to the vendors with your dog and family friendly wares.
And thanks to all the members of the Barrington Women's Club for all their time, energy and money put into this fundraiser event.
The Barrington Women's Club raises money for Barrington seniors. All proceeds from our fundraisers go toward scholarships.
Look for us on Facebook soon!!
Irene Dickson
Kay Houle
Holly Zilafro
Barrington Women's Club
Head in sand?
To the editor: Sandy is a pleasant name. Instead of Sandy, maybe we could call the tragic hurricane "Head-in-the-Sand."
It's not possible to know if Hurricane Head-in-the-Sand was simply a natural tragedy or included some added wallop from human-caused global warming.
We do know, however, that heat-trapping gases in have elevated the temperature in the lower atmosphere. We know the sea level has been rising at an ever-faster rate over the past half-century and that warm water and air powers hurricanes.
Could Hurricane Head-in-the-Sand be a precursor of tragic events to come?
Let's protect America and the earth by taking leadership in reducing the emission of heat trapping gases and creating an environment more resilient to the both natural and human-caused impacts.
James Barrett
Research first
To the editor: I am past being sick of the accusations made against the government surrounding the Benghzi attack. Especially since they are being made by people who know nothing about what happened.
I ask — how many of you have ever been in the military, and stationed overseas? It is easier said than done to just call up an airstrike, and / or supporting ground troops in a matter of minutes/hours — and depending on the situation, location, and alert status of the military forces involved, who can be sent, and in what period of time.
I refer you all to: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/11/new-detailed-account-of-benghazi-attack-notes-cias-quick-response/
A source of information directly from the CIA, and it's operatives who were involved in the operation.
And from the Pentagon: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/11/pentagon-on-benghazi-troop-movements-swift-action-on-night-of-attack/#comment-29221862. Panetta did order the military to respond.
How many of our compounds overseas have been attacked in the last 20 years? Too many, and hundreds of our men and women lost. Maybe you would prefer that we abandon all contact with foreign countries. Probably not a good idea.
Please, before you go off the handle with no knowledge of something, do what you can to research the facts.
Arthur Bradbury
To the editor: I am deeply concerned to learn that Atlantic menhaden, the most important fish in the marine food web, has declined by 90 percent over the past 25 years. Atlantic menhaden play an important role in the Atlantic Coast ecosystem as a critical food source for marine wildlife, such as marine mammals and birds that we enjoy observing, and for fish that we like to eat, such as striped bass and bluefish. Atlantic menhaden are filter feeders and help keep our water clean. I urge the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to adopt the most stringent regulations to help restore the menhaden fishery. The continued high rate of menhaden fishing is likely to have disastrous consequences on our short and cherished New Hampshire coastal environment.
Ashley Rozumek
About fish
To the editor: I never heard of a fish called Atlantic menhaden until a few weeks ago. Have you? Probably not, although perhaps you're familiar with the fish's other names: bunker, pogy, and mossbunker. I was surprised to learn they're the most important fish in our Atlantic Ocean and we need to work fast to bring back the population and here is why.
Did you know that the Atlantic menhaden act as vacuum cleaners of our coastal waters, filtering up to four gallons of water a minute to extract phytoplankton (algae and other tiny plants). They are also a critical food source for many of our fish like striped bass, and blue fish. The loss of the Atlantic menhaden is already taking a toll on many of our fish and marine mammals. These little fish have a big impact on our state's economy. Thousands of businesses rely on the predatory fish and marine animals that depend on menhaden as a staple food. Saltwater fishing, whale watching and bird watching generate hundreds of millions of dollars per year on the East Coast.
I am asking for readers and our Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to support the following:
— Implementation of a coastwide annual catch limit
— A menhaden harvest reduction of 50% from recent catch
— Immediate action to rebuild the menhaden resource.
— Adoption of new spawning biomass reference points.
Finally, I have to give kudos to The Pew Environment group who has made me and others aware of what is happening to our Atlantic Ocean ecosystem and for actively pursuing a science-based rebuilding plan that would work with your support.
Leslie F. Trudeau
Tip of the hat
To the editor: This past Saturday night my son Cody Morissette and his Exeter 7th grade football team played Dover at Dover High School. Cody was injured and ended up getting surgery the next day down in Boston. The sportsmanship and class that was displayed by the Dover parents, players, fan's and especially coaches is exactly what youth sports should be all about. It didn't stop there. I received two separate phone calls from different Dover coaches over the following days. My family appreciates the compassion and support. It was very touching. Dover should be proud of their program and coaches that work with these athletes. We tip our hat to you.
David Morissette
Storm report
To the editor: I would like to thank the rescue members who have been out for the past 3 days responding to these emergency calls and checking on our neighbors who have medical conditions. These men and women have left their families to go check on others and helped us make sure that no one got hurt during the storm. It is hard to leave your family at home during these large storms not knowing if they are safe at home. Dozens of families throughout every corner of the town was checked on. The responders helped bring water to people who were out of drinking water and helped check on people running generators to make sure they were safe. Other rescue members sat at the Emergency Operations Center and ran the communications center during the storm and following days of cleanup.
Once again, we used our Facebook site and email to keep residents aware of the dangerous situations going on during the storm, and with hourly updates following the storm. During the past three days, we have averaged over 2,000 hits to our sites. Residents seemed to really appreciate the updates and knew that they could keep up to date while watching our site.
These storms show us how well we have become accustomed to working together to make sure the residents are safe. Lebanon Emergency Management Director Tom Cravens and his staff did a wonderful job leading the operation. Lebanon Road Commissioner Larry Torno and the road crews spent all day Monday preparing drains and ditches for the rain and then all night and overnight responding to down trees. They have spent the past few days picking up debris and clearing the roads of fallen trees. All three Selectmen kept making sure the responders had what they needed and were there to support the responders. Lebanon Fire crews responded to live wires down and secured the area until CMP crews could get there to mitigate the situations. Lebanon Rescue crews also assisted with this, responded to medical emergencies and did the well-being checks on dozens of families. The utility workers from CMP, Metrocast, tree companies and more have been amazing. We watched the number of power outages in town go from about 75% of homes without power to nearly 50 at this time. It was great to have them stop at the station and rest a little in between large shifts of restoring utilities. Trooper Fenderson of the State Police stopped by during the height of the storm to check on the responders at the EOC and offered to assist in anyway. It was a great effort by all. These storms have become more and more common where we are having large scale deployments, but due to planning and training, we have come through these storms very well.
On behalf of all the volunteers with Lebanon Rescue, we want to thank the residents for their support, stopping in to check on responders or dropping off warm food for the responders. Job well done to everyone.
Chief Samantha J. Cole
Lebanon, Maine
Letters to the Editor - Nov. 10, 2012


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For the second year in a row, November has gotten a little hairier at St. Bonaventure University.
Some 178 students, faculty staff and alumni have grown or supported the growing of moustaches in partnership with Movember, a global men's health charity. The goal during the 30-day campaign during November is for men to change their appearance — by growing a moustache — and attitudes men have toward their health.
The St. Bonaventure team, MoBonas, is raising funds this year in memory of Dr. Jeffrey Peterson, longtime chair of the Department of Finance who died of cancer in February.
"Jeff was a friend and mentor to so many students and faculty on campus. He had a great mustache in his earlier teaching days and we thought it would be a fun and joyful way to honor Jeff," said team captain Dave Hilmey, an assistant professor of chemistry and director of the University Honors Program.
"He has been a big part of our Movember team and we are grateful to all those connected to Jeff who have supported this movement," added Hilmey.
To date, the team has raised more than $3,800 of its $5,000 goal. The team includes men who are growing moustaches for the month, as well as women (referred to as Mo Sistas) who see this as an opportunity to support the men in their lives.
Learn more about MoBonas and check out their 'staches at http://us.movember.com/team/1026573.
The deadline for contributions is 2 p.m. Dec. 9.
About the University: The nation's first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University cultivates graduates who are confident and creative communicators, collaborative leaders and team members, and innovative problem solvers who are respectful of themselves, others, and the diverse world around them. We are establishing pathways to internships, graduate schools and careers in the context of our renowned liberal arts tradition. Our students are becoming extraordinary.
Application forms, procedures and additional information
There are many ways to experience
St. Bonaventure for yourself
Learn more about the programs that interest you

subset: commoncrawl


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Several recent landmark corporate and infrastructure sukuk by companies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) issuing in Malaysian ringgit may signal the start of a trend that could help develop and globalize the market, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said in a report published today, "Beyond Borders: The GCC And Asia Could Rev Up Their Economies--And The Islamic Finance Market."
In an era when the world's conventional banks are producing fewer and shorter loans and companies are considering other options for finance, Standard & Poor's believes that Islamic financial instruments could become a key funding source, especially in the GCC countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates) and Asia.
These regions, with established Islamic financial regulatory bodies, are centers of the growing estimated $1 trillion market. At the same time, Asia and the GCC are seeking huge amounts of capital to pay for their soaring needs for new infrastructure.
We consider the market for Islamic infrastructure in both regions to have reached an inflection point in terms of new issuance after a relative lull from 2009 to 2011. What's more, we've seen the emergence of the first project finance sukuk within the infrastructure asset class.
"The GCC market reached over $19 billion of issuance as at July 2012, about the same as for all of 2011. Of that, infrastructure represented 30%, compared with just 7% the previous year, said Standard & Poor's credit analyst Karim Nassif. "The reasons for the surge are low yields, relatively high liquidity, large capital expenditure needs, and strong investor appetite."
"Total sukuk issued out of Asia reached $57.9 billion in July 2012, compared with $64.9 billion for all of last year," said Standard & Poor's credit analyst Allan Redimerio.
"Malaysia is now the world leader in sukuk issuance. Political will, recognition of beneficial ownership, tax incentives, and a rising investor base have all supported the country's continued growth trajectory," said Mr. Redimerio.
Tapping the sukuk market could help improve the capital structure and liquidity profiles of GCC and Asian companies, particularly those operating in capital-intensive industries such as infrastructure. It could provide such companies the longer-term funding they need via a different funding source. This source is becoming more liquid as it reaches across border and becomes more global and grows in scale.
Over the past year or so, GCC companies have been crossing the figurative border into Asia for infrastructure finance. Abu Dhabi National Energy Co. PJSC (TAQA; A/Stable/--) and Bahrain-based Gulf Investment Corp. GSC; not rated) are the first to issue sukuk in Malaysian ringgit. The ringgit is attractive because of Malaysia's established regulatory framework for Islamic finance and the wide pool of investors active in that market.
These types of cross-border deals are more than a smart funding solution, in our view. They could also develop the trade relationship between the countries of the GCC and Asia to their mutual benefit. But what is also compelling is that such transactions could be a bellwether for the further standardization and globalization of the Islamic finance market.
source: Reuters
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You might not think that you need to teach a dog to climb stairs. But sometimes you do.
Spud was crate trained and house-trained until she was a year old, but she never went upstairs. I've started bringing Spud into the house during the day, when I'm at home, to get her used to everyday domestic life. She follows me, or lays down and watches me, or brings me a sock from the laundry basket. But she was vexed by the stairs.
Training a food-oriented dog means you're already half way there. I sacrificed Mike's corned beef (he was saving it for lunch) and placed cut up pieces on stairs, each time encouraging Spud to climb another step.
It took a little time to master turning the corner -
Then it was just the final climb to the top -
I can totally do this..don't think about it...just run at it...eyes on the prize
Where I was waiting with more corned beef, and a huge pat for being so clever and brave.
Of course coming down the stairs was an entirely different concept. I worried if I put treats on the stairs, she would stop to eat them, trip over her own feet and end up in a heap at the bottom.
Mike's trousers were hanging on the bannister, so I borrowed the belt and looped it over her head - partly to encourage her forward and partly to stop her doing a superhero leap to clear all the stairs in a single bound.. After some hesitant straddling, a foot in each corner, she lunged for the bottom. Not the definition of a controlled descent, but she did it.
We did two more trips up and down the stairs, with copious praise and tidbits. The last trip down the stairs she did all by herself without breaking any bones or speed records -
Other things that I have learned from experience to teach a dog early on: having its toe nails clipped, riding in a car, a command to stop barking, no chasing cats or chickens (even if you don't have them yourself), and the vacuum cleaner is nothing to be afraid of. I've added climbing stairs to my list.
Spud was such a quick learner that I still had time to whip up a bowl of soup, and some cheese on toast, before Mike got home for lunch. He agreed that his corned beef went to a good cause.
There are just as many dog stories I could tell you, where we didn't get it quite right. Hazel has been our biggest failure. Smart and well-bred, but reeling from some hard and inconsistent training before we adopted her at four years old. As a pet, she great - obedient, fun-loving, kid-friendly, and very affectionate. As a working dog, she had some very bad habits. And a full day's work invariably ended with Hazel limping on a sore shoulder.
Friends of ours just happen to be looking for an older spaniel, to keep as a pet and take on walks. Their children are growing up and want a dog the kids can cuddle and play fetch with. And they live on a big estate too. They may take her home with them this weekend.
Hazel - always ready for a game of fetch
I will miss Hazel. I've never given up a dog before. She deserves a pet home.


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For a five-game night there was certainly plenty of action, with monster lines and overtime finishes to spare – all right in the middle of the first week of fantasy playoff action in many formats. We're going to touch them all and then get into some Big Wednesday talk so let's get right to it.
For all of your NBA and fantasy news in real-time, you can click here to follow me on Twitter.
Editor's Note: Rotoworld's partner FanDuel is hosting a one-day $110,000 Fantasy Basketball league for Wednesday night's games. It's $25 to join and first prize is $12,000. Starts at 7pm ET on Wednesday. Here's the FanDuel link.
LeBron James returned to Cleveland and that's always a recipe for a big line, particularly when Dwyane Wade is on the sidelines resting. He put up a candidate for fantasy line of the year with 43 points on 14-of-19 shooting, six rebounds, six threes, four assists, two steals, three blocks and zero turnovers in a close win. While it feels like he has been constantly surging high turnovers and lower than average free throw shooting have drained his value over the last two weeks, but he's the No. 1 and 3 fantasy play in 8-cat and 9-cat leagues over the last month, respectively. With four games per week to finish out the fantasy playoffs there is plenty of wiggle room for him to be the top fantasy play when it matters most, but games off are certainly a small threat.
While Ray Allen is also a candidate for rest I've been moving to add him for the favorable schedule and the chance the Heat keep his minutes relatively steady while resting Wade. He scored 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting (including two threes) with three rebounds and two assists. The low-end play in 12-14 team leagues has some mid-round upside if he can miss just 1-2 games for rest throughout the next 3-4 weeks. Chris Bosh (21 points, six rebounds, two threes, one block, 39 minutes) should also be on the radar for rest, while a guy like Mario Chalmers (three points, 1-of-7 FGs, one three, nine assists, two steals) might see a bump in production if he's allowed to play out the slate.
Greg Oden was moved into the starting lineup indefinitely but beat writer Ira Winderman called the development overstated and correctly pointed out that his minutes are simply coming at the beginning of each half now. Oden logged 14 minutes but was impressive with six points, three boards, two steals and two blocks, but he's still showing timing issues and whether we're talking fantasy or reality there are plenty of reasons to be skeptical about both durability and performance.
It's always interesting to see a high profile player like Kyrie Irving go out and see a team play better because of newfound ball movement, but in the end last night's game went down as a controversial loss as Dion Waiters couldn't get a call on the game's deciding play. Irving's status for the rest of the season is in doubt and by now both Jarrett Jack and Dion Waiters have been added, or at least they should have been.
Waiters sat out the game's final few seconds after injuring his hip on the aforementioned play but none of the beat writers mentioned any time off so owners can feel pretty good about that. He's still banged up with a sore knee among other maladies, but you can bet he's loving every second of his new role and he showed why with 17 points, four rebounds, 11 assists, one three and one steal. That was the good news, and the bad news was that he hit just 6-of-19 shots and had six turnovers. He's almost certain to have just a late-round ceiling in standard leagues because of his various fantasy deficiencies, but the volume should be there and playing next to Jarrett Jack and Matthew Dellavedova (five points, six assists) the quality of his looks should increase compared to the ones he gets next to Irving.
Jack's knee issues magically disappear when he gets to play on the ball and last night he scored 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting (including four treys) with four rebounds, four assists and one block in 42 minutes. He's a must-own guy most likely for the rest of the way and especially as the Cavs creep closer to playoff elimination. Irving will be less likely to return in that scenario, though it could also be lightly argued that Jack is a shutdown risk if things get really bad. They're six games out with 14 to play.
Elsewhere in the box, Anderson Varejao got back on the board with 16 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and one block in 26 minutes against Miami's notoriously weak interior. Tristan Thompson has been a mess for most of the year and scored just 10 points with four boards and one steal in 21 minutes, and at least while the Cavs are in playoff contention we could see a lot of Varejao with Spencer Hawes (11 points, nine boards, three assists, one block), who as we've talked about a lot are complementary players.
Luol Deng (ankle) did not play last night and that's a kick to the groin to his value without a doubt, but with no Irving around his future might not be as bad as the pain would suggest. He comes with no guarantees but he's worth a look as a stash.
The Raptors and Hawks got together and played in one of the three of five overtime games last night, with the Hawks managing to hold on for the win. The Raptors got massive performances out of their key guys with DeMar DeRozan leading the way with 29 points on 8-of-18 shooting, 13-of-14 free throws, 10 rebounds, six assists and a steal. Kyle Lowry wasn't much further behind with 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting, seven rebounds, nine assists and one steal, and Amir Johnson rolled his bad ankle for the hundredth time but stayed in the game and finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds and three assists.
Be on the lookout for further issues on Johnson's front, but with Jonas Valanciunas (16 points, five rebounds, zero steals or blocks, 20 minutes) leaving with a back injury and Patrick Patterson still out there's no reason to panic with a drop. It's just the most recent setback for JV, who had finally started to put some numbers up but barring an extremely positive report it's hard to call him a must-hold player if you're staring at a hot free agent. That said, after a solid two weeks of mid-round value I'm going to try to see what he can do if any time off is in the 1-2 game range.
The big question in fantasy circles for the Hawks has been whether or not Jeff Teague would carry over the aggression he showed with Paul Millsap out once the Sapper returned. Lately the answer has been a resounding yes and last night he fired off 34 points on 11-of-18 shooting with one three, three boards, five assists, four steals and an 11-of-11 mark from the line. Better late than never for the top 8-24 play (8/9 cat) over the last four games.
Millsap triple-doubled with 19 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, one steal, one three and a 6-of-7 mark from the foul line, and the fact that this isn't all that surprising is a testament to his top-15 play when he's on the court and top-25 season on the whole. DeMarre Carroll (eight points, four rebounds) was quiet with all that going on along with a shot to the face that caused four stitches, and Kyle Korver was able to bring back a customary 16 points and three triples in the overtime win against Toronto.
As the Bucks' season comes to a merciful close they will have more important things to worry about in Milwaukee as Seattle's prospective ownership group has proven that they will do anything to rip away a team facing unstable ownership and arena issues. To that end, there are rumors that a sale of the team could happen sooner or later and for Bucks fans they can only hope that it comes with a guarantee that the team will stay.
The team actually competed in Portland last night and pushed the Blazers to overtime before giving way, with Zaza Pachulia making some real noise at the center position with 17 points, 13 boards, three assists and four steals. I chickened out on his three-game week after gambling on his five-gamer last week, and that sort of sums up his risky value proposition. He's worth a look if you need a big man but a season of inconsistency can't be ignored playing for Larry Drew and his random rotations. Pachulia, like some of his fellow big men, does get a small boost with news that Ersan Ilyasova (12 points, 6-of-10 FGs, nine boards, two steals, 23 minutes) is probably going to miss three games out of the remaining 12 contests in the fantasy playoffs (14 including the final week). The exact game plan is for Ilyasova (ankle) to sit out a game on back-to-backs and that makes his remaining schedule after this week 2-3-2 or 3-3-2 at best. That's drop territory for a guy with question marks from night to night.
Khris Middleton has a streaky quality to him, but he's rolling right along and had 18 points on 7-of-17 shooting with four treys, six boards and five assists in 40 minutes. Nate Wolters got big minutes but was mediocre in the box with four points on 1-of-5 shooting, four boards, six assists and five turnovers, and Brandon Knight plugged away with 24 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three treys, two steals and a block.
Jeff Adrien got the 20 minutes that proved to be elusive at times last week and put up a low-end line of seven points, five boards, one steal and one block. He's worth a look in 12-14 team leagues if you're desperate for a big in 9-cat formats. Drop that to 14-16 teams in 8-cat formats where he's not benefiting from just 0.6 turnovers per game in his last nine contests.
John Henson has actually used all of his rope with me whether it's due to injuries, lack of confidence, being messed up by Drew's rotations or being deployed at center where he has struggled. He logged just 16 minutes last night in another light outing with six points, one rebound and one block. The same slight bump due to Ilyasova's rest is real and could very well make him worth owning, but he is well short of must-hold territory after falling off the cliff. Giannis Antetokounmpo (four points, two boards, 20 minutes) is in the same boat after generating more articles than stats over the last few weeks, as writers everywhere crane their necks to get into the picture with the Alphabet (and for good reason).
Ramon Sessions could have led this column off with his 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting, five rebounds, five assists, one trey and one steal over 35 minutes off the bench. I can't rule out that O.J. Mayo is actually a crash test dummy being rolled onto the court in full disguise, but I've all but ruled out seeing him on the floor again this season. Sessions on the other hand has stepped into a leadership role with the club and is one of their better players. The problem, however, is the same as normal with Sessions in terms of fantasy value. With deficiencies in peripheral stat categories he's still just a deep league value over the last week despite averaging 15.5 points with 4.8 assists over the last four games. I do think we'll continue to see Sessions produce and play well, but I can't get behind anything but a late-round ceiling for 12-team formats and he'll need to get 30 minutes per game to get there.
The injury to LaMarcus Aldridge (back, hip, groin) couldn't have come at a worse time for the Blazers, as his absence has wrecked their rhythm and offensive chemistry has slowly eroded over the last few weeks. Aldridge is doubtful for Thursday's game against the Wizards and then the Blazers are staring down matchups against fellow Bruski 150 fade Al Jefferson and the Bobcats on Saturday, followed by back-to-backs against the Heat and Magic on Monday and Tuesday.
The Blazers then turn around and play another back-to-back with just one night off in-between on Wednesday. Once a team with home court seeding for the first round of the playoffs, they've fallen to the No. 5 seed with 1.5 games in-between them and both the Rockets (No. 4) and Warriors (No. 6). Aldridge hasn't worked out yet and the Blazers face an interesting question of whether or not to protect against a further fall by getting the big man back as soon as possible. Conversely, they could look at the teams above them and decide the situation is too fluid to get concerned with risking further injury, knowing that they still have a 5.5 game cushion over the Suns (No. 9).
Aldridge got out of the wheelchair and it's unclear how precautionary that situation was. He's reportedly off crutches too but until he's doing something basketball-related it's fair to be concerned. Durability has always been the issue with him as his effectiveness can dip quickly when he's not at 100 percent and in the seven games since returning from his groin injury he struggled to stay in the top-100, which was mostly the result of an extremely high-volume 39.7 percent mark from the field. Of course owners have to be holding here, but field goal percentage could be a continued issue whenever he returns and contingency plans should be on the radar.
As they did in last night's overtime win against the lowly Bucks, the team will continue to play small-ball with Dorell Wright (one point, 0-for-8 FGs, 0-for-7 3PTs, five boards, one steal, one block, 19 minutes) starting and he won't be this bad on most nights. And when he's hitting the shots he missed last night, he'll get at least 25 minutes when that is the case. With a five-game week on the slate I can't imagine dropping him now.
Mo Williams has leapfrogged Wright as the guy to own between the two, however, and last night he put up 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting with three treys, two boards, three assists and a perfect six foul shots in 34 minutes off the bench. He's going to give up points on the defensive end and his style of offense is actually contributing to the lack of ball movement so it's possible that Terry Stotts pulls back on these minutes, but he doesn't have much option when Thomas Robinson (nine points, nine boards, one steal, one block, 16 minutes) has both residual knee issues and is a total crapshoot from night to night. Williams has been on fire for the last two games and in the six games that he has played without Aldridge he has averaged 15.5 points per game and put up late-round numbers. With five games next week he should at least be 'useful' and could easily put up difference-making numbers at the end of your roster.
Nicolas Batum continues to carry more load than ever and he just missed a triple-double last night with 21 points, three triples, nine boards, nine assists and a perfect four foul shots. He has been a top-5 play over the last week and a top-20 play over the last two weeks, which won't make up for a down season but it's coming at precisely right time. Damian Lillard scored 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting (1-of-11 3PTs) with four assists and five turnovers, and Wesley Matthews got hot with 26 points, five threes, a pair of steals and like Lillard he hit all five of his freebies in the unnecessarily close loss to the Bucks.
I don't feel like I've done a good enough job of talking about Drew Gooden lately, or at least I can't remember as weeks start to blur together at this time of year. When he was signed there were stories about how he had trained at the Verizon Center and it sure seemed like he was on call for the right scenario and the Wizards were at the top of that list. When Nene went down Gooden seemed like a poor man's facsimile of the facilitating big man and I jokingly thought to myself in his first game he'd be capable of a patented out-of-nowhere triple-double. I added him virtually everywhere I needed a big man with confidence and after a string of promising low-minute outings he is finally getting his legs underneath him.
Gooden followed up his 21-point, nine-rebound effort from Saturday with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, two threes, six boards and two steals in 28 minutes off the bench in last night's overtime loss to the Kings. He's going to get all the run that his body can handle and after this week the Wiz have a middle-of-the-road 3-4-3 schedule. Even if you factor in his first few uneventful games, he has been a late-round value since joining the Wizards and when you look at the last two weeks he has been a top 50-80 value (9/8 cat) in just 18.8 minutes per game. His 63.2 percent shooting over that span is way too high but on the other end of that lever is the chance he can get his workload up to 21-25 mpg and maintain mid-to-late round value. He's a must-add guy if you need a big man, and owners hunting upside in general may want to take a flier.
The rest of the Wizards' box was mostly standard fare with John Wall putting up 14 points, two threes, three boards, eight assists, three steals, one block and two nasty missed free throws that let the Kings back into the game late. Trevor Ariza scored 12 points with two threes, three boards, four assists and three steals as his monster season continues, Bradley Beal couldn't find the range with just 7-of-23 makes to finish with 19 points, two threes, six assists and a steal in 42 minutes, and Marcin Gortat went for 19 points, 14 boards and zeroes in the defensive categories. Trevor Booker made an appearance with 10 points, eight boards, two steals and one block, but one good game against the Kings isn't moving the needle.
Rudy Gay had a great night last night in the Kings' stirring overtime win against the Wizards, and even had the crowd chanting 'Rudy! Rudy!', but I couldn't help but laugh to see the local headlines ignoring Isaiah Thomas' dominant triple-double. Nationally, the AP and everybody else heaped praise on Thomas for sparking the Kings' comeback and outplaying John Wall, but you're more likely to get a five-page spread in the local papers on Ray McCallum's upcoming spot-starts if or whenever the team decides to rest Thomas. Indeed, both Thomas and Gay could see some rest down the stretch and both guys could certainly use it after carrying so much load, with the nice side benefit of adding ping pong balls in the process.
Gay finished with 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting with six rebounds and three steals and Thomas racked up 24 points on 6-of-16 shooting with two threes, a career-high 11 boards, 10 assists, one block and hit all 10 of his free throws. The Pizza Guy is putting the finishing touches on a top 10-15 fantasy season, and all the while I continue to hear rumblings that the Kings aren't going to match an expected $6-8 million offer. I'm going to pretend I'm not hearing that sort of thing because that's a bargain to get a solid NBA level starter that's only going to get better after one full season of scraping off the Keith Smart. He leads the Kings in win shares and has nearly double the offensive win shares of his next closest teammate DeMarcus Cousins.
Cousins returned from his night off to put up 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting with 14 rebounds, three assists and one steal in 30 minutes. He could also see some rest or a one-game suspension for technical fouls down the stretch but as long as he's on the floor he's going to be a beast, obviously. Ben McLemore hit just 5-of-17 shots for 11 points, five boards and one three in a whopping 50 minutes. The Kings are going to let him gather up enough bricks to build the brand new arena, and he has to get his dribbling under control next season so he can get better balance on his jumper. There's more than that, but I don't want to pile on the rookie since he has the physical tools and work ethic to bounce back next year.
Derrick Williams' one-game explosion was an easy mark to forget and he scored just eight points with one rebound and two steals in 32 minutes. He basically needs at least one of the Big Three to be out and a bad defense to play against for his flailing dribble-drives and wayward turnaround jumpers to produce any value. If he could just focus on one area of his game to get really good at there is some hope for him, but right now he's average at best at any one facet of the game and the intangibles are nowhere near starter quality.
McCallum hasn't exactly been a stat accumulator when on the floor and as mentioned a bunch he's a nice player with a chance to be a good backup down the road. If Thomas sits then he'll be worth a spot-start and if he does anything even remotely worthwhile get ready for big talk out of Sacramento, and I wouldn't be surprised if you start to read reports that go something like 'Can Ray McCallum be a better fit at point guard than Isaiah Thomas?' or some other drivel as the season ends or during the summer.
The Magic have been an open book in fantasy leagues for the most part and it came as no surprise that they lost to the Warriors, but like many of you I'm on the lookout for a Jameer Nelson (four points, four boards, seven assists, 2-of-7 FGs, 23 minutes) shutdown and Arron Afflalo (four points, 22 minutes, 2-of-7 FGs) hasn't been right since returning from an ankle injury. With just a trio of three-game weeks left beyond the one we're in, owners are correct to watch both players' situations closely and in Afflalo's case he has hit just 40.4 percent of his shots for 15.5 points, 1.2 treys and little else over his last six games. Until he shows a sign of life, he should be on benches wherever possible.
Nikola Vucevic returned from an ankle injury of his own and scored 15 points with five rebounds in his 23 minutes but did not have any steals or blocks. The good news is that he got on the floor and barring a report of aggravation to the injury he should stay in lineups. Moe Harkless kept being useful with 12 points on 3-of-5 shooting (2-of-3 3PTs, 4-of-4 FTs) with four rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes. Playing at a top 40-60 level over the last two weeks he should be owned in all standard formats.
Kyle O'Quinn stayed on his game with 10 points, five boards, three assists and two blocks in his standard 21 minutes. It has taken forever for folks to get on this train. You can pretty much ink his numbers in every night. Tobias Harris scored 14 points with six rebounds and a three and based on the measure of whether he can get at least a total of 'two' in the peripheral steals/blocks/threes categories last night was a loss. It's doubtful that owners care after he has racked up second-to-third round value over the last month.
Victor Oladipo ran into foul trouble but he still logged 27 minutes with 10 points, five boards, five assists, one steal and one block. He's going to finish the season with mid-round value at a minimum, and a big finish could move him into an early-round finish in his rookie season.
Stuck in the thick of the highly competitive Western Conference playoff picture, it was a pretty big development that Andre Iguodala will miss at least three games due to a sore knee. Make no mistake, if I were calling the shots I'd probably rest him independently of any injury at some point. But the fact that Iguodala has lacked explosion all season and the rest is coming at a critical time make this a big red flag for the Dubs heading into the postseason. Regular readers know that I have written off my team for a chip because they don't have an answer for getting Stephen Curry (23 points, five assists, three treys, 9-of-13 FGs) off the ball, and needless to say I won't be betting on Mark Jackson to pull a rabbit out of the proverbial caboose. As the cliché goes, it is what it is.
The Warriors' upcoming schedule will play a pretty big role on the injury front in both fantasy and reality, as the two-game slate next week will limit the upside of the entire team while giving the Warriors a chance to give the group of Iguodala, Andrew Bogut and Jermaine O'Neal five full days off following Saturday's game against the Grizzlies. For Iguodala that time off is guaranteed. He has felt pain in his knee for the last week and it's anybody's guess if he'll need more time off. While one could say that the two-game week couldn't come at a better time for an injured player needing rest, owners in tight playoff matchups will have to measure whether or not the risky late-round value is worth holding. After the two-game week the Dubs have four games and then three games to wrap the season up.
Similarly, Bogut tweaked his surgically-repaired left ankle in Sunday's game and in any event he would be riding your bench through the two-gamer. Trusty beat writer Rusty Simmons wrote that it "seems like folly" to expect Bogut to return for Thursday's game against the Bucks and that's just common sense, but unlike Iguodala the mid-round value is worth hanging onto, though he does profile as a rest-risk in general.
With O'Neal getting prescribed rest not just last night but also on Thursday against the Bucks, the door opens up nicely over the next two games for Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green, though the former is a total mess and Green missed an opportunity last night by hitting just 2-of-11 shots from the field. Green still put up six points, nine boards, three assists and two steals, and he's the clear player to own between the two. Barnes hit just 1-of-6 shots for four points, five boards, three assists and that's it in his 31 minutes, with lack of confidence continuing to be the defining characteristic of his season.
That falls on the player, but it's also the most recent sign that the stubborn insistence on featuring David Lee (20 points, 10 boards) has kept this team from reaching its potential. That's because Barnes profiles best as a stretch forward where he can use his athleticism to penetrate and also get better looks from deep. Barnes needed to jump out to a fast start in order to steal minutes from guys like Iguodala, Klay Thompson (20 points, four treys) and Lee, which didn't happen, but in the case of Lee his well-chronicled defensive problems make him the elephant in the room when it has come to minutes for both Barnes and Green.
If there's any sliver of hope or silver lining for the Dubs right now, it's that Lee could use a rest due to his gimpy shoulder and that could help Barnes get a late shot at revitalizing his confidence. Looking at the aforementioned four-game week, if the Warriors sense their playoff fate is better served by rest than seeding there could be a nice window for both Green and Barnes to be worthy adds.
Marreese Speights (13 points, eight boards, one steal, one block) is another place for owners to look in that same scenario, though he's more of a 'break glass in case of emergency' guy for Jackson than somebody that the coach wants on the court. Steve Blake (12 points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals, one block, three treys) profiles just as well as Green and Barnes but his minutes are reliant upon the Warriors going small, so his path to value isn't nearly as direct and his numbers last night are discounted against a bad Magic team.
CHI @ PHI: The Bulls have disappeared against bad teams at times but Thibs might pass out if his guys lose to the D-League Sixers, who are the worst team in NBA history. D.J. Augustin and Mike Dunleavy could both use a bigger night as a pick-me-up. We're still waiting on an update for James Anderson (thigh) but I wouldn't pass on using Tony Wroten if Anderson goes, even if that scenario inherently means that Wroten's production is likely to lessen. He's a late-round value going forward that will probably mix mid-round lines with stinkers.
MIA @ BOS: Everybody is a risk for rest so stay glued to the player news page for the rest of the year if you own Heat players. Rajon Rondo returns to action after a night off, Avery Bradley will become a solid player to own in 12-team leagues with another good night, and Kris Humphries will try to keep his useful stretch going. Kelly Olynyk has been a solid late round value while Jared Sullinger has been on the outside looking in but is within striking distance of standard leagues. The Heat's weak interior playing on a back-to-back could be good for all of them.
CHA @ BKY: Both teams come in relatively healthy in that there are no surprises on the injury report. The Nets have turned the corner on their disastrous start and have won 8-of-10 games. Deron Williams is playing at a top-25 level lately and dunked too so that's how you know it's real. Shaun Livingston is running at a top-100 level but may be ready to cool off, and Mason Plumlee has been outproducing Andray Blatche but that could reverse itself at any time. Joe Johnson is worth using in lineups until he cools off, and Paul Pierce is good to go until the Nets decide he needs some rest, too. They just want to make sure they don't fall into the No. 7 or 8 seed for now. The Cats are in the same boat except for that they're in the No. 7 seed, and the question I have for them is whether or not they ride Big Al Jefferson hard or give the big fella some rest before the big rodeo. It could be interesting to see Jefferson go up against current No. 2 seed Miami given their struggles with big men.
UTA @ MEM: Utah comes into the game at full strength more or less and all eyes will be on Derrick Favors to see if he can continue his hot streak. The Grizzlies are also getting back to full health and nobody wants to face them in the No. 8 seed. They need Marc Gasol to stay healthy and unfortunately the James Johnson taking over for Tayshaun Prince thing never got figured out, and one can only wonder what stupid thing Johnson has done to talk or play his way out of that situation.
TOR @ NO: We'll be on the lookout for injury updates on Jonas Valanciunas and Patrick Patterson, and for the New Orleans side the only question is when people will stop acting surprised that Anthony Davis has a ceiling higher than both LeBron James and Kevin Durant. And I'm not talking fantasy ceiling, either.
IND @ NYK: Roy Hibbert didn't just look bad the other night – he looked like a guy that didn't belong on the court. It hasn't been that bad every night but he hasn't looked right for at least a month if not more, and it's taken a growing chorus of people noticing this to get him off of defensive player of the year list. That's sort of par for the course on awards voting. The Pacers desperately need a big, convincing win or three, and unfortunately they'll get the geeked up Knicks on their home floor in the first game post-Phil signing. Who knows, maybe the Pacers need a big game to wake up and I'd take it a step forward and suggest that they need to hash out whatever differences they have in the locker room because they clearly don't trust one another on offense and the defense isn't attacking the other team. If Hibbert doesn't get his athleticism back I might be forced to change my title prediction before the playoffs start. For now I'm staying with Indy. Tyson Chandler is expected to return from his personal absence and it wouldn't be surprising to see Carmelo Anthony go for 40-plus points even against Indy's normally stout defense as he tries to send a message to the skeptics.
MIN @ DAL: Nikola Pekovic will not play tonight due to his ankle injury and one gets the sense that the Wolves are ready to throw in the towel. Gorgui Dieng will probably start and Dante Cunningham needs a good game to get in owners' good graces, but otherwise it's standard fare for the Wolves. The Mavs don't have many question marks from a fantasy perspective, but Vince Carter is either close to the end of a shooting slump or ready to bounce back. Shawn Marion is teetering on the edge of the wire for many 12-team owners and he needs a good night pretty badly.
DET @ DEN: Andre Drummond (neck) won't play and that means big minutes in a more natural arrangement for both Josh Smith and Greg Monroe against one of the league's softest frontcourts. Feel free to expect big things. Likewise, don't be surprised if the Nuggets return the favor as Kenneth Faried is on fire and J.J. Hickson could easily turn Monroe around a few times. One more solid game will do a lot to help Randy Foye owners feel better about his recent slump, which turned around after a solid outing the last time out.
ORL @ PHO: The Suns really need a win as they lose ground on the No. 8 spot and they'll get a Magic team heading into the SEGABABA that is struggling. Look for Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe and Gerald Green to pick up their game.
SA @ LAL: Danny Green's shooting wrist injury actually appeared to help him throughout the last week though he is questionable for tonight. This game has Pop special written all over it against a Lakers team that has gone full D'Antoni. Kendall Marshall will pay owners off that made the add tonight, as he should for the rest of the season, at least at a late-round level. Ryan Kelly was stashed by many owners and probably reserved for the three-game week, but with two four-gamers after that a solid showing this week could make him an easier guy to pull the trigger on. He needs that in that rotation. The same goes for just about everybody, including Wes Johnson and Kent Bazemore, and like Marshall they will both be helped by the injury to Jordan Farmar. Nick Young (knee) is trying to get onto the court, most likely to prove to agents that the injury isn't a big deal, and that's just a recipe for disaster for Young. Steve Nash is trying to get back on the court, too. I'm not planning around either player for fantasy purposes until they push the issue.


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Student Loan Survey Template by QuestionPro is designed to get a feedback from students regarding their experience with student loan. This sample survey template has questions that respondents need to complete, for example, name of the education institute respondent is currently studying, status of student loan, probable plans to pay off loan etc. This questionnaire consists of 19 questions, these questions can be customized to best suit the needs of a researcher.
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18 survey questions to ask college students for feedback collection. This sample questionnaire consists of questions that ask students on their overall experience at the university / college, whether they are willing to recommend your college to others (Net Promoter Score question) and a series of questions to check their level of satisfaction with various aspects of their education and classroom activities. Use this survey template and start collecting information on student satisfaction, increase retention and grow student admissions.
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|Our last family photo in front of our apartment. On our way to the airport. 3 July 2011
When we first considered moving to the UK I wondered if having a second expat experience would in some way diminish my memories of Australia. I can now answer definitively-no, it will not. No matter how many places I live or how much I travel, I will always look back on our time in Australia as sort of magical.
It really is a "Lucky Country" and I feel lucky to have called it home for over two years.


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Sun Lakes Auto Glass – What Should I know?
Simply put, this is glass that you would find in an automobile. Not too many know that in Sun Lakes there are two major forms of auto glass. Each one is used on certain windows in the automobile. Both types of auto glass are more impact resistant and stronger than regular glass.
What Are the Different Kinds Of Windshield Replacement Sun Lakes Services that are Available?
Laminated safety glass-this glass is generally used on a car's windshield. It is comprised of a couple of pieces of glass that has a slim layer of vinyl. The glass is then heated and pressed together in an autoclave, which is a type of oven. When this glass receives a tough impact it will shatter also but usually the shattered pieces will stick to the vinyl and not fall on the ground.
If the windshield just has a tiny vein or nick, the auto glass professional may be able to repair the tiny vein or nick to keep it from spreading further. The repair will generally take fewer than thirty minutes in Sun Lakes. The vein or nick is cleaned thoroughly and dried. Resin is injected and a material like Mylar is used to hold it in place. The professional cures the resin by using an ultraviolet light.
Should You be Fixing Windshield Cracks?
There is a general consensus that windshield replacement can actually be performed by almost anyone. The glass pieces that replace it in your car are specifically shaped, and sized, to fit the make, and model of car that you drive. Almost anyone can remove the old piece and install a new one. It would be nice if auto glass replacement was that easy to do, but the truth is that you need a professional to replace any broken panels in your vehicle.
If the glass that is replaced in your car is not replaced correctly, using the proper glass pieces designed for your car, then you are in danger of them breaking at any time. When the weather heats the panels and cools the panels if they are not properly installed they can break, or fall out of the vehicle. If this happens while you are driving the car, you, or your passengers could be injured.
When you are looking for someone to do this glass replacement, or windshield replacement, you need to ask the following questions.
• How much experience do they have?
• Do they accept my insurance?
• What types of glass can they replace?
• Where is their shop located?
• Will they come to my location to replace my glass?
• How soon can they do the work?
How to Find the Right Windshield Replacement Contractor?
With 5.1% of windshields being damaged and requiring replacement each year in the United States, it is important to know what to look for in an auto glass service technician. The first thing that must be stated about choosing a qualified technician may be somewhat cliché. However, it is important to remember that you do get what you pay for, and windshield replacement is highly germane to this point.
Ask Questions
When selecting an auto glass service provider, start by simply asking questions. Find out if the technician is NGA (National Glass Association) certified to be professionally competent in his line of work. Ask if the technician uses the auto manufacturer' recommended products. Also find out if the technician has agreed to meet the Auto Glass Replacement Safety Standard (AGRSS). Above all, be sure the technician intends to provide you with sufficient information regarding all things pertinent. The technician should provide you with some dos and don'ts, such as how much time should be allowed for the bond to cure before the vehicle is safe to drive.
Although it may sound a bit excessive, make sure the windshield is perfectly centered on the vehicle. A misplaced windshield will not provide a structurally sound passenger compartment in the event of a collision or rollover. Also inspect the weather stripping to ensure it fits tightly against the vehicle's body with no bumps, waves, or gaps. If the replacement windshield on your vehicle is not completely bonded to the vehicle, the windshield may become detached in the event of an accident, leading to even greater chance of serious injury or death.


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I recently attended the Persistent Memory Summit (PMS), a Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) event. Why was a storage industry organization focusing on memory? Well, the theme was "Delivering on the Convergence of Storage and Memory." A bold statement like that prompts the engineer in me to say "Hold up! I still see memory and storage as very different. Are they converging or colliding?"
High speed, high density flash chips have been transforming the storage industry for the last few years. With the rise of flash, the NVMExpress.org community has formed to define the low-latency, super-parallel NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) protocol, a common software interface to PCIe-based solid state memory modules. NVMExpress.org then created a related spec, NVMe over Fabrics, to extend the reach of the NVMe protocol to datacenter scale. And bingo, NVMe became a relevant storage networking topic. So, yeah, convergence, right?
Well, it turns out that just because NVMe has the word "memory" doesn't make it memory-centric. Some PMS speakers highlighted that, even though NVMe was driven by flash memory, its "semantics" are not ideal for memory. Flash is a rather block-ish technology, and so is NVMe; the smallest access defined for NVMe is a 512-byte block, which works great for storage and flash. On the other hand, some new technologies, like 3D XPoint, offer more granular accesses. On the third hand (I sound like an economist), byte-sized memory accesses don't make efficient use of the PCI bus. Hmmm.
I mused some more on a, um, handful of memory / storage questions, like "How much time and effort do we usually invest to avoid errors?" Short answers: For memory, not much. For storage (especially enterprise storage), a fair bit. We see this in our infrastructure and purchasing decisions. If you're using flash for memory-oriented use cases, maybe a best-effort, commodity infrastructure is what you want. But for enterprise storage, chances are you want a premium, robust datacenter infrastructure. And, no surprise, NVMe over Fibre Channel has what you need. It runs like greased lightning on Brocade's Gen 5 and Gen 6 solutions, including our brand-new NVMe-ready entry-level switch.
As thrilling as flash and NVMe are, I, for one, am comforted to know that my path to a rocket-fast future remains in good hands. But one challenge of our fast-paced present is that, with so much information flying around, the details can be difficult to keep track of. Several of my field-based colleagues mentioned that customers were facing just this kind of challenge around NVMe over Fibre Channel. We needed a "handy" overview to cover the main points of the technology, so… yep, I put my hand up. "NVMe over Fibre Channel for Dummies" is now available for your reading pleasure. I will be on hand at Dell EMC World in Las Vegas to present "Brocade: The Future of Flash: NVMe Over Fibre Channel" on Monday, May 8, 4:30 p.m. in Lando 4201A, followed by a book signing at the Brocade booth #909.
(image credits: http://www.tbo.com/news/education/crossing-guards-hit-the-streets-for-start-of-school-20150823/ https://mycameramyeyes.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/the-hands-that-hold-my-heart/ )
The book can be found here: NVMe over Fibre Channel for dummies
Where can you get the book?


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Is there a server-side email solution that will allow users to subscribe to updates via email and, specifically, also be able to do this by category?
I'm aware of Aweber and Feedburner being able to provide this kind of functionality, but my client has requested this as a server-side solution, with a database on-site.
Any suggestions?


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LEPC Committee
The Local Emergency Management Committee
LEPC Chairman:
Tonya Hunter, Regional Emergency Management Coordinator
Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Duncanville, Lancaster
Bernardo Salazar, Hazardous Materials Planner
Dallas County Homeland Security & Information Management
Information Coordinator:
Bernardo Salazar
2121 Panoramic Circle
Suite 240
Dallas, TX 75212
214-653-7980 | Fax 214-653-7988
Mailing Address:
Local Emergency Planning Committee
ATTN: Bernardo Salazar
2121 Panoramic Circle
Suite 240
Dallas, TX 75212
Membership Categories:
The committee shall consist of members nominated by the Dallas County Judge and appointed by the SERC. Members shall be residents of or conduct business in Dallas County.
Membership in LEPC should consist of representatives of the following groups and organizations:
- Elected State and Local Officials
- Law Enforcement
- Emergency Management
- Fire and Rescue
- Health Units
- Hospitals/Medical Centers
- Environmental
- Transportation
- Broadcast and Print Media
- Community Representatives
- Representatives of facilities subject to EPCRA
Membership shall include at least one representative from each of the groups or organizations mentioned above.
The Dallas County Security & Emergency Management Office, acting as the repository and headquarters for the LEPC, shall make necessary efforts to invite individuals from the various departments, agencies, units and facilities identified above to the LEPC meetings. LEPC members may also recommend potential new members to OSEM for invitation to the meetings.
Any individual interested in serving on the LEPC may place a request to be added to the LEPC roster to the LEPC Coordinator either written or oral. The LEPC Coordinator will annually submit a complete membership roster to the SERC for approval. The LEPC membership does not become official until approved by the SERC. New members to the LEPC will be confirmed by the LEPC upon their request to become voting members of the LEPC.
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Growing Marijuana is A Labor of Love in Humboldt County
Well Spring is almost here, which means that all over Humboldt County, marijuana farmers are incredibly busy preparing to grow even more marijuana than they did last year. Even as you read this piece, most of them are hard at work building new greenhouses, clearing more forest land, putting in new water tanks and digging gigantic holes all over the countryside.
This process involves hundreds of thousands of man-hours of backbreaking labor and requires millions of dollars in capital investment.
This capital comes almost entirely from the sale of last year's record setting marijuana harvest. Since most of last year's marijuana harvest has not sold yet, this investment cuts deeply into the grower's disposable income. Few feel the pinch however, as they will have little time or energy to do anything else for a few months, but prepare for this year's grow.
Why do they do it? So they don't have to get a job, of course. Who wants to work for a living when you can grow marijuana, right? You'd think, but you'd be wrong. In Humboldt County, growing marijuana is a labor of love, crazy love.
Soon thousands of tractor trailers full of potting soil will clog our roads as they make their way into the hills to fill the millions of holes these growers have so diligently dug.
Every year, Humboldt County's garden supply stores comb the nation for another sparsely populated and poorly guarded county that they can steal. They then dig up the entire county in the dead of night, pack it into bags labeled "Potting Soil" and smuggle it back to Humboldt County where they quickly sell it off on a strictly cash basis to Humboldt County marijuana farmers.
Somewhere in Wyoming, or perhaps North Dakota, one morning soon, the citizens of this unfortunate county will step off their front porch on their way to work, only to fall several feet, smack into the bedrock below. They will look up to see their home delicately balanced on jacks and cinder blocks, and realize that their entire lawn, and the soil which once supported the foundation of their homes, has been stolen overnight while they slept.
For them, it will already be too late. Their county has already been sold, distributed, and secreted away behind locked gates, where it will remain, protected by a constitutionally guaranteed right of privacy. Besides, few of them could positively identify the soil from under their own homes, especially now that it has been thoroughly sifted and blended with a myriad of exotic amendments.
If you visit any of Humboldt County's garden supply stores, you will find an amazing array of colorfully packaged, and even more colorfully named, fertilizers and soil amendments ranging from liquified fish guts from Alaska's salmon canneries to ancient fossilized bat guano from caves deep within the jungles of Peru. Most Humboldt County garden shops also offer their own brands of fertilizers that they make on site, mostly from composted US currency.
Many of these fertilizers and soil amendments feature cheeky pin-up girls on the labels. This feature, along with the fact that these products sell for more per pound than fresh organic strawberries in January, indicate that these products are intended for use on marijuana plants. Only female marijuana plants produce marijuana, and marijuana growers often refer to their plants as "their ladies".
You'll often hear marijuana farmers say things like: "My ladies are lookin' fine." or "I take care of my ladies, and my ladies take care of me." or "I need to to get home and hoe my ladies." This makes them sound more like pimps than farmers, and greatly contributes to the general classiness of Humboldt County.
Can you imagine other kinds of farmers talking this way about their crops? Picture a dairy farmer saying "My ladies give me the sweetest cream." or a broccoli farmer saying "This heat is gonna make my ladies bolt." or a cabbage farmer saying "My ladies are full of horn-worms." Creepy, huh?
All of this talk about their "ladies" belies the fact that most marijuana farmers are single and live alone. Growing marijuana in a remote, sparsely populated rural area like Humboldt County is a very lonely and isolating profession that tends to attract social misfits and people with self-alienating personalities.
The more lonely and isolated the marijuana farmer becomes, the more they tend to talk to, get naked around, and masturbate in front of, their "ladies", often while looking at the pictures on boxes of fertilizer. This kind of "intimacy" with "their ladies", coupled with an otherwise isolated existence builds a special kind of relationship between the cultivator and the cultivated that most other farmers, or sane people would not understand.
Soon, the marijuana farmer no longer grows marijuana to make money, and instead, makes money to grow marijuana. For these people, nothing is too good for "their ladies", and they cannot have enough of them. They work harder, and spend more money to pamper "their ladies" than any sane farmer. This is the real reason why Humboldt County marijuana growers produce the best marijuana in the world, and more of it than any place else on Earth.
Over the years, because of their extreme devotion and isolation, many Humboldt County marijuana growers have gone totally bat-shit crazy, and fallen in love with "their ladies" in this way. This is why they work so hard, and spend so much money on, "their ladies". Every year, more of them go "over the edge", and every year this "crazy love" impacts our forest habitat more intensely.
Personally, I enjoy smoking marijuana, and strongly believe it should be legalized, so that sane farmers, with tractors, and flat land to till, can grow it economically.
I also know that marijuana provides relief for millions of sick people who should have unfettered access to it, at the lowest price possible, but I also care about this community.
That's why I feel that something must be done to stop Humboldt County's marijuana farmers before it's too late. It has become clear to me, that nothing short of intervention, can save these poor souls, and our natural environment from this serious mental disorder.


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Small can indeed be beautiful. Perfect for the more 'bijou' of living spaces, these lovely sofas can offer a surprisingly big seating space.
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Poppy Midi Sofa
Was £589 Sale £439
Wentworth Midi Sofa
Was £709 Sale £529
Woburn Midi Sofa
Was £709 Sale £529
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