text:
a place for zinesters - writers and readers
July 29, 2011 from 1pm to 9pm – Olympia Timberland Library Your 24HZT challenge: to make a 24-page zine from conception to completion in 24 hours straight. Drop in to the library's meeting room between 1 and 7 p.m. to use the library's resources and work wit… Organized by Kelsey Smith | Type: workshop, party
May 7, 2011 from 2pm to 4pm – New York Public Library Schwartzman I'll be leading a crafternoon at the New York Public Library (the one from Ghostbusters! With the lions!) Participants will be making digest or mini-sized zines (which I know you know how to make, bu… Organized by The New York Public Library | Type: zine, making, party
November 11, 2010 from 7pm to 8:30pm – Housing Works Bookstore Cafe ZG2NYC RELEASE PARTY & READING!!!!! Please join us from 7pm-8:30pm on November 11 (Kurt Vonnegut's birthday, the Date which Most Closely Resembles Corduroy) at Housing Works Bookstore Café for t… Organized by The East Village Inky | Type: reading, concert, game show, "release, party
December 3, 2009 from 7pm to 9pm – Independent Publishing Resource Center A launch party for Brainscan #24 and #25! At the IPRC on December 3 at 7PM in Portland, Oregon. You should come and read too! For more information about the new Brainscan Zine go here! Organized by Alex Wrekk | Type: zine, launch, party
August 15, 2009 from 11am to 6pm – Bird in the Hand Zine Shop Bird in the Hand zine shop is among plenty of other Renew Newcastle projects launching this weekend. We've been in our shop for 8 weeks now and it's high time we celebrated. Things are truly coming t… Organized by Bird in the Hand Zine Shop | Type: launch, party
May 29, 2009 at 8pm to May 30, 2009 at 12am – Brooklyn Lyceum NYC Zine Fest '09 Fundraiser and Party! Friday, May 29th at the Brooklyn Lyceum $5-15 sliding scale 8:00pm. SPONSORED BY SIXPOINT CRAFT ALES http://www.nyczinefest.org/fundraising-bash.html Come out… Organized by | Type: fundraiser, dance, party


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
I´ve bought some months ago a set of Ruffkin-ESB-gauntlets and now I want to install an Aluminium missile and Alu flamethrower which are much more heavier than the resin-parts.
Is it possible to strengthen the material with fiberglass or will it be deformed (because of the Epoxy) ?
Pics of the inner side of your gauntlets would be helpfull
Thanks in advance...


text:
Great free e-book baking cookbook
Pros: Free, easy to read, great directions, lots of explanation
Cons: Only available in digital format, not a ton of pictures
I originally downloaded this book because it was free and I was having some issues getting my muffins and cakes to rise since I moved to the high desert region of the Western US. I kept the book because of the great amount of information I found and some of the tips and tricks of the trade. This is not a beautiful book you can put on display in your house but it is one that you'll find yourself sharing with friends and family and using time and time again. And, like I said, it's free.


text:
by Mitel
Apr 29, 2013
In today's hyper-connected world, businesses need to excel at communications and collaboration - or risk missing out on potential growth opportunities and falling behind their competition. Unified communications (UC) solutions allow organizations to improve collaboration while enhancing worker productivity and customer service. These solutions provide effective ways for people to keep in touch, regardless of their location or communications device. Cloud computing is one of the most efficient delivery models for UC. For many companies, though, migration to the cloud will take an evolutionary path.
This Tech Primer will help business and IT decision makers who are considering a deployment of cloud-based UC understand the technology and make the right choices for their organizations. Download the Tech Primer to learn more.


text:
Standing up for Gold Coast beaches
28 January 2014 , 7:36 PM by Scott Lamond
If you surf, swim or just go for walk down a Gold Coast beach you might be pleased to hear that there's a new group fighting to protect the coastline.
Infact, the new Recreational Surfing Association wants to make the entire coastal strip from South Straddie to Coolangatta a World Surfing Reserve.
The new association was formerly called the Save Our Southern Beaches Alliance and they were behind that big North Kirra Beach Rally the other day.
But the group's Secretary Andy McKinnon says they needed to create something big and bold to make a difference and take a stance against major development.
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|Road Racing & Rally The place to discuss information about road/rally racing stats, tips and events. Track sanctioned events only.
|Topic Review (Newest First)
That quote is non-attribution.
However, it speaks volumes about Summit Point's attitude towards their customers....
All that's just so you can be sure to ignore all the flashy promo video hype the place puts out. The 4 mile TRACK, as long as you stay on the pavement and don't kiss any of the miles and miles of Armco (much of which is not protected by tires!) is a wonderful challenge. I loved every lap...so many types of corners, many tough combinations that really test your "forward thinking". My vote: A must drive.
In contrast, if you disturb anything at summit point they would probably just thank you for rerranging the scenery provided the timing and scoring system is still functional.
They are soooo laid back in WV, I really like Summit Point
|Let me know about the car wise :) lol. And i know, its a costly hobby, that is why I have a good job and im keeping my feet clean. :) dont discourage me.. lol
So, picture this. You are flying down into the boot when the left rear tire blows. You snap sideways, leave the track and introduce yourself to the ARMCO. From there, you come across the track, skip across the grass and come to a rest. Without question, it is a BIG hit. Front end squished, front clip torn off and the sheet metal is creased on the driver's side from fender to bumper. The car is a total loss.
But there's more...you take out a total of 15 feet of barrier.
Let's review the butcher's bill:
Cost of the car - $5000
Tow bill home - $600
Cost of track dry - $300
Cost of ARMCO Replacement - $1500 ($100 per foot the last time I asked)
Total - $7400 give or take
That's an expensive weekend. I use this example for myself and with students whenever I hear or say "It'll never happen to me".
I replied to the PM Cooper...
Sincerely, One "WiseAsp"
|Well guys, I am in no way to want to jump right into racing what so ever, i do know its a hobby and I dont want to go broke doing it, but I want a second cheap car that can be driven in the winter and drove at the track. My SVT Has new wheels, and has just been completely painted, it kills me driving it down a back road lol :)! That being said, I feel so horrid and out of place driving this CRX around town and to work. I should of went with my gut and got another cheap SVT. But i was stupid and jumped on a deal, I want something that resembles my personal car and is very controllable on the track like my SVT was, this stupid CRX has a mind of its own, and if i take it to the track i think it will just hurt my chances of ever getting better. WeeASP I messaged you about your focus. Please get back with me or call me man.
WeeAsp should change his handle to "WiseAsp" (er, uh, that does not sound as good as I was hoping... LOL)
Anyway, he is correct about easing into racing. While I made the "mistake" about carving up a perfectly good car to become a dedicated racer, I did ease in over a 2 1/2 year period. I think I put about 1600 miles on track in my first 2 years just doing HPDE and Time Trials with my daily driver. For the second year, I did install a bolt in autopower 4 pt roll bar for the safety of having a 5 pt harness, and proper roll over protection.
In year 1 had one "close call" spinning off the infield on the pocono east course, I busted up some cosmetic stuff, and fog lamp. I had to pull out the lower radiator support, but I did not drop any fluids, and I drove her home. (I repaired a small crack in the bumper cover, ans replaced about $200 of fog lamp and trim pieces etc.
In year 2 I was not so lucky on the day I launched #4 rod out the bottom of the block. That required a tow home (free from a fellow competitor) and a used motor and some replacement parts etc. Doing all the work on my driveway with a borrowed cherry picker cost me about $1250 total.
Just last weekend when I was at the glen, I saw someone loose it a few feet behind me going down into the boot. I just saw a blur of color bouncing off the armco in my mirrors. When we got back to the paddock, his car was toast. The front was hit pretty hard. It needed typical sheetmetal work and a new radiator, but the hit to the rear suspension tore out part of his unibody where the lateral arm attaches. He was on track for exactly 3 laps that day. (the day before I got a little out of shape on that same turn myself but reeled her in before it got ugly.)
IT does get expensive, and it is hard to unload a race cars and used parts if/when it comes time to call it quits for whatever reason. But it seems I'm hooked, and my retirement plans now include aquiring a taste for dog food.
My little SVT has almost as many track miles as street miles on it.
Hands down, BEST track car I've ever owned.
Is it the fastest? No. Is it respectable? Yes. Will it keep up with a lot of much more expensive cars? You betcha.
Is the car modified? Nope....
The only thing I do to the car is change fluids, put gas in it and change the brakes. Oh, and some REALLY sticky tires.
I agree with Shelby and Tbb on this one. Invest in seat time before you buy a dedicated track car. It is singularly the best investment you can make.
- Driving a street car to the absolute limit on track is a challenge. The measure of this is not the number of cars you pass, but lap times. Lower your lap times and you improve - getting closer to that limit. When your lap times for the session get to tenths or hundreths of seconds (optimum conditions) within each other, you have either found your limit or the car's. Find that and you will see a lot more cars in your mirror.
- Expense. A wise man once asked me "Would you like to have a small fortune?" I said "Of course!" He responded "Start with a large fortune and go racing". You have no idea how incredibly expensive this hobby is/can be. Parts, entrance fees, fuel, fluid, safety gear, food, hotels and time. All of those things are paid before you even put rubber on the track. Take what you paid for your HPDE event and triple it (at a minimum) for one race weekend. Because now with a dedicated race/track car you will have to tow it - which means buying another vehicle. You change fluid and brakes after every event, sometimes after track session, licensing fees, and the list goes on.
- Race/track cars fall into two categories:
a) REALLY easy to drive fast because they are purpose built. You will wonder why you EVER drove your street car on the track
b) REALLY GHASTLY to drive on the track. Twitchy at all times that has none of the forgiveness that a street car has - that means you get in trouble a LOT faster. Tempermental thoroughbred that is prone to mechanical failure for the simpliest of things - all of which are ridiculously expensive to fix an NO ONE ever has the part you need. Oh, and remember all that money you spent getting ready? The entrance fees, the prep work and time? *poof* all gone and non-refundable.
- Your car. If you are REALLY serious about going racing, USE YOUR street car at HPDE events for at least one year. That will give you a taste of what your pockets will have to endure.
I am not trying to discourage you. Rather, the opposite, but with a strong dose of reality. EASE into this hobby. There may come a time in your life where you have to walk away from it for a while (family, work, tired of working on cars at 3:00 a.m. before a race). When that happens, and it will, you are now stuck with a huge investment that has no monetary value. You will invest 10X more than you will ever recover if you sell off all your gear. Walking away is much easier if all you have to worry about are a few extra spares and some track wheels.
Finally, and here we agree, to really commit yourself to this hobby, you MUST emotionally disconect yourself from the car you drive - street car or race/track car. At the end of the day, it is a tool that might break or get broken. You HAVE to be willing to accept that it is not IF you go off track, but WHEN you go off track. If you are lucky, you are spending the rest of the day pulling grass out of the calipers. If you are not so lucky, you throw the car away. that is much easier to do if you have another vehicle to get you home and to work on Monday.
You have to be comfortable with that...
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The blank spaces on the banner that hangs in Harvard's Lavietes Pavillion tell the tale of Harvard's basketball past.
An NCAA Tournament appearance in 1946 was followed by a 66-year drought before the Crimson broke through last year. A year later, Harvard once again is in the tournament this time led by a freshman point guard who brings a basketball history of his own.
"If you know anything about Siyani [Chambers], he's been a winner all of his life," Harvard coach Tommy Amaker said this week. "He's only played that one position on the basketball floor, as a point guard. I think he relishes these opportunities. He was a three-time high school state champion. He was Mr. Basketball in the state of Minnesota. I think he expects those things to go well for himself, and he wants to be in the position to have that kind of impact for his team."
Chambers, a smooth 6-footer from Golden Valley, Minn., has started all 29 games for Harvard this season. He averaged 12.9 points and a team-high 5.7 assists a night en route to becoming the first freshman to ever earn first-team All-Ivy League honors.
"For as long as the Ivy League has been around and for him to be the first freshman, that says it all there," senior Christian Webster said.
Teammates marveled at how quickly Chambers stepped into his role.
"He has led the team the whole year," said Wesley Saunders, Harvard's leading scorer. "He's gotten our team into the sets we need to. He's been our floor general. He's done everything and more that we have asked him to do, and it's crazy he can do this as a freshman coming into the program. Everything he picked up so quickly is great."
"I don't know where we would be without him," forward Laurent Rivard added.
Arizona, Harvard's third-round opponent, also has taken notice of Chambers.
"Their point guard is like their engine," the Wildcats' Solomon Hill said Friday. "He gets guys involved and makes things a lot easier for the rest of the team."
Chambers played 40 minutes Thursday night, scoring five points and tallying a game-high seven assists in a 68-62 win over New Mexico. The underdog's upset of the No. 3 seed Lobos was Harvard's first tournament victory ever.
And at the end, it was Chambers with the ball in hands, celebrating history.


text:
by Megan Morketter, GoHeels.com
North Carolina has an all-time high of 17 former Tar Heels playing in the NBA this season, many of whom are playing key roles with a variety of teams. GoHeels.com will update Carolina fans on a weekly basis on how UNC alums have played in the last week.
Harrison Barnes, Golden State Warriors: Barnes logged 10 points and three rebounds in the win over the New Orleans Hornets. The following game, the rookie notched 11 points and again brought down three rebounds as the Warriors defeated the Phoenix Suns, 111-107.
Vince Carter, Dallas Mavericks: Facing the Portland Trailblazers, the veteran recorded 14 points and grabbed six rebounds. The Mavericks won the contest, 96-91.
Ed Davis, Memphis Grizzlies: Davis earned his eighth double-double of the year (second with the Grizzlies) as his team took on the Trailblazers. The third-year forward went 5-of-6 from the field for 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Wayne Ellington, Cleveland Cavaliers: Ellington's best performance last week came against the Boston Celtics when the guard posted 12 points and brought down six rebounds.
Raymond Felton, New York Knicks: Against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Felton helped carry his team to victory with an 8-1 assist-to-turnover ratio along with 16 points.
Danny Green, San Antonio Spurs: Green posted 20 points, shooting 70 percent from the field, in the Spurs' matchup with the Orlando Magic. The Spurs overpowered the Magic, 98-84.
Tyler Hansbrough, Indiana Pacers: Hansbrough struggled to produce last week, managing just 10 points and 10 rebounds across three games.
Brendan Haywood, Charlotte Bobcats: Haywood will watch the rest of the season from the bench as the veteran recovers from a stress reaction in his left foot. The Bobcats expect two months before the center can return to action.
John Henson, Milwaukee Bucks: Back on the court after being held out of four games, the rookie saw limited minutes, but was able to combine for six points and four rebounds over three games.
Antawn Jamison, L.A. Lakers: Jamison averaged 8.3 points and 2 rebounds across the Lakers' last three games. His team trumped the Mavericks and the Grizzlies, but dropped to the rival L.A. Clippers.
Ty Lawson, Denver Nuggets: Still recovering from a heel injury, the point guard returned to the bench for the Nuggets' last four games.
Kendall Marshall, Phoenix Suns: The rookie point guard shot 75 percent from the field (2-3 from beyond the arc) to contribute nine points along with five assists in the three-point loss to the Hornets.
Jerry Stackhouse, Brooklyn Nets: Stackhouse played 20 minutes as the Nets took on the Cavaliers and recorded nine points and two assists. The Nets won, 113-95.
Rasheed Wallace, New York Knicks: Wallace is still nursing a stress reaction and chronic condition in his left foot. The forward/center has not played since Dec. 13.
Marvin Williams, Utah Jazz: Williams logged 10 points with two rebounds and three assists versus the Nuggets, but the Jazz could not manage a win, falling, 113-96.
Brandan Wright, Dallas Mavericks: Wright averaged 16 points and seven rebounds across his last three games. His team dropped the contest against the Nuggets, but prevailed over the Sacramento Kings and Trailblazers.
Tyler Zeller, Cleveland Cavaliers: Zeller notched 14 points and four rebounds against the Nets. His next two games, he combined for 14 points and 12 rebounds as the Cavaliers triumphed over the Celtics and the Magic.


text:
Metro Overall Customer Rating:
Metro is the professional foodservice professional's choice for high quality shelving, transport carts, heated cabinets, and more. With a commitment to high quality products designed to stand up to the demands of day-to-day use, Intermetro is an industry leader for storage and transportation needs. Read more
Boasting an impressive catalog of proofing cabinets, keg racks, garment racks, and more, Intermetro provides essential products that keep a restaurant up and running. Sheet pan racks, refrigerated transport cabinets, and substitute parts round out Intermetro's stock, making them a popular space-saving solution.
Metro's most popular shelving product, Super Erecta chrome wire shelving is the affordable solution to saving space while ensuring durability and easy assembly.
The practical solution to keeping pre-cooked food hot, moist, and ready to serve, Metro holding cabinets come in a variety of sizes and with a number of features to best fit any foodservice operation's needs.
The practical solution to organizing food storage, walk-in refrigeration, and more, Metro super adjustable chrome wire shelving is durable and convenient.
Metro's heavy duty dunnage shelves are designed to hold large quantities of heavy items over long periods of time. They come in a variety of finishes and sizes to best suit the needs of any business.
Metro Add-On Wire Security Cages
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text: Zebra Strides Mia Tank Style: 570059810 Out of Stock Love it? Everyone else did too. This item sold out! Use our search tool, chat online or call 1.888.855.4986 to find something equally desirable. The satiny tank mixes pretty pleats at the neckline with the exotic edge of zebra stripes. Crafted with stretch for a perfect fit. Split hem. Length: 24" to 27". 95% polyester, 5% spandex. Machine wash. Imported. Read More… Share on Facebook Tweet Pin


text:
15 signs that it's more than just the blues
Small changes make a big impact with these easy ways to cut hundreds of calories a day.
Banish belly rolls for good with these easy moves to sculpt strong, sexy abs
Dim the lights and break out the…eggs? These 10 foods will kick your sex drive into high gear.
We take a look at 20 common human body quirks.
Avoid these 8 hard-on-your heart foods.


text:
this is the 5th time i have been hacked on MU and everytime i do get hacked. i lose over 25bless worth of items!!! it has happened 5 full times!!! if sombody wants to help me out, plz do.
this is the 5th time i have been hacked on MU and everytime i do get hacked. i lose over 25bless worth of items!!! it has happened 5 full times!!! if sombody wants to help me out, plz do.
i know this gets annoying after a while, but take the time to (if you've not allready done this) put a code on your vault and store your things in there evertime you decide to log out.....works for me and ive never gotten hacked
dude you can do that? o snap, im going to do that later lolOriginally Posted by sageofmalice
i got a learning dissability so dont be so hard on me and my spelling if i spell something wrong..
Which FF Character Are You?
thats why i quit mu, i got hacked a crap load too... an unremovable item in my inventory taking up 8 squares
a pair of boots put on me that constantly drain my life and i cant remove WTF had to delete char
people say use something like fraps to catch people but that has 2 drawbacks
1: you still get hacked, fraps dont save you, its just evidence
2: gms dont give a hoot
yea i h8 being hacked i had a full set of exelent wind +11+16+DD+hp a elemental mace +11 and lvl 2 wings and to amke it worse my DK which is awhole dif account all together got hacked and lost my set of dragon +11 and crystal sword +9 i wa so gutted i like played mu all the time then
Servidor - LostMuOnline!!!.
Nome : LostMuOnline
Versão : 1.2d
Exp : 50 e xp em dobro fds
Drop : 45 %
TimeZone Do server: +0 GMT
Life dos Monstros: 80%
Bless Bug : On!
Jewel OFf Life: Não vendido
Jewel OFf Bless: Não vendido
Jewel OFf Soul: Não vendido
Jewel OFf Chaos: Não vendido
Rate da Life 80%
Rate da Soul 65%
Rate da Bles 95%
Itens +10 80%
Itens +11 70%
Pontos Por Level: BK, SM, ME Ganha 5 Pontos
Pontos Por Level: MG Ganha 7 Pontos
Net do Server : 100mb's
Dropa Todos Sets
LvL Max : 350
LvL Reset : 350 - 200 pontos / Tirar Set - Max/100 resets
LvL Reset Vip : 330 - 300 pontos / - Max/no
Horarios: 24 horas por dia
site : http://1020.no-ip.info:8090/
site : http://1020.no-ip.info:8090/
site : http://1020.no-ip.info:8090/
Server Novinho :P
Download cliente completo no site, é so instala e joga .....


text:
Interval Training on Elegant and Touch Treadmill Consoles
Looking to improve your race times, increase your running speeds, burn more calories in less time or simply break up the monotony of your regular or steady pace treadmill workouts? Try the Interval program on a Vision Fitness treadmill equipped with the Elegant or Touch console. The treadmill Interval program included on these consoles is a speed-based program.
Don't Get Too Comfortable
When training for your next 5K, 10K or 1-mile race against yourself, it is important that you break through your comfort zone in a way that challenges your body's desire to achieve homeostasis. Homeostasis is your body's natural need to achieve balance, to stay the same and to only expend as much energy as is needed to accomplish what it is asked to accomplish. Quite simply, if you don't force or trick your body into trying something it isn't used to doing, you will never know if you are even capable.
We humans are programmed to seek out comfort, which is why so many people hop on the treadmill, press go, select their favorite speed and incline and do the same workout they have done any number of times before. This bad habit will not make you more fit – It will not make you faster, decrease your run time or burn any more calories than it did last time. In order to accomplish any of these things, you need to get past your comfort zone. Enter – the Interval program.
What is the Interval Program
This program will give you segments of alternating speeds (adjusted in length according to the total workout time you have selected). The speeds will vary from a "challenge" speed to an "active recovery" speed. As you progress through the program and get warmed up, the "challenge" speeds will increase until the final two segments, which are where the program has already pushed you past your comfort zone and gets you ready to cool down.
A few common questions come up, which left unanswered seem to become excuses for individuals to not try a new program. So, to help you gather up the courage to try something a little more challenging, here are some answers to a few of those questions:
Q: How long should I go for?
A: One option is to base your exercise time on how much time you have available, some exercise is better than none. If you don't have a lot of time, this is a perfect program because it is higher in intensity than your regular steady workout. Plus, there are a multitude of studies that show a short higher intensity workout is as effective, and sometimes more effective, than a longer workout at a lower intensity. Or base your workout time on how quickly you would like to be able to complete your next race.
Q: What level should I use/how fast should I go?
A: Look up the program chart in the owner's manual and choose a level where the "challenge" speeds are 1 mph faster than you would choose to go if you were just doing a steady or "comfortable" time-based workout. Or, figure out how fast you need to go to achieve your next race time and pick a level that "challenges" you at a speed just higher than that. Remember, the "challenge" speed is always followed by an "active recovery" speed.
Q: How far should I go?
A: You don't really need to go any further than the distance you are training for and will even benefit with shorter training sessions. One of the reasons to participate in speed intervals is to get your body used to moving faster and taking longer strides. These adaptations will carry over to your race distances.
There you go! Don't you feel better already? Next time you're looking to throw yourself a fitness curveball and take your workout to a new level of intensity, start an Interval program.


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|Car Audio, SYNC, MyFord Touch & Electronics The Forum for the Ford Focus audiophiles. The place to chat about automobile sound systems, security systems, or show off your I.C.E.!
Sponsored By: GT Sound Control
|Topic Review (Newest First)
|I agree. Quirks and all, I still love the car. Good power and awesome handling in the country and in traffic. It's the perfect fun car/sleeper.
I have nothing against Apple personally but their 'Walled garden' offends me. Everyone talks dirt about MS and their tactics but Apple always gets a pass with their entire lineup being DRM'ed to the exclusion of all others. I refuse to play with a single source supplier no matter how good they think they are even though I like many of their products, I refuse to buy them since they would have defacto control over them by dictating what I can and can't do with something that I paid for.
I have both Nav and the DCT
I have MFT issues. I can't get a playlist to work from WMP no matter what I try. I use a 64GB USB drive and when I reformat the thing MFT treats it like some kind of untrusted leper, it will re-index and build the voice commands several times over about two days and then it trusts it enough to just work. I am using mostly WMA loosless with a mix of some MP3's downloaded from Amazon, most of the cover art is fine but some don't work, why you ask, well there doesn't seem to be any way to tell since I can't find any Ford approved specs for anything. The USB ports, we know they are ver. 2 but does it actually say that anywhere, I don't know but I haven't found it yet. Supported formats, what are they actually, we only find out after we try to use it to see if it works.
Are there any specs on file formats, directory structure, supported album art info (Please extend as far as you please) - NO. There is not a single player for home or car that does not publish this info on the box or website advertising it proudly. I suspect they don't publish it because they don't want to actually support it or be liable for it not working.
Bluetooth?, Please, spare me... Almost all discussions revolve around the Bluetooth "Implementation" on someones phone, if the protocol sucks (Not Standard) then why did they choose it to begin with, never mind, I'll tell you, it's cheap and on every phone. It just doesn't work with MFT because Fords implementation of bluetooth (Called the stack I believe) isn't worth the time it took me to write this rant. Not that I care, I'm bored anyway and my phone is ancient but I can see incoming texts - ONCE - then they disappear into some kind of bit bucket in the ether.
Why not Wi-Fi ??? It's secure, it works and it's fast, not only that but IT IS ALREADY IMPLEMENTED, it just doesn't work like any $99.00 router from Walmart since you cant use a secure password that contains certain characters meaning, they don't care about it, it's a talking point without use in the real world.
About the DCT, I have about 2200 on the car now (Picked up Feb 28th).
First, I can live with it. I just don't understand why Ford chose this particular behavior.
There is no consistency because it is always leaning. Since my driving style changes like my wife's mood swings it never seems to understand what I want from it like a purely mechanical auto would or even a system that SLOWLY adapted. It tries to be all things at all times and fails miserably to do any one thing good (at first, see below). I drive the wife around and it is cranky. Shifting 1st through 3rd with no idea of what gear it should be in or how it should shift, sometimes it gets undecided and decides to wait until it knows what to do, hard shift. Sometimes it goes the exact opposite and decides that the actual pedal position couldn't possibly be what I really want and it lugs, forcing me to press at least 3/4 just to get it to go.
It doesn't take long (best guess so far, about 10 Mins.) for it to figure out the style but while it's doing so, it sucks, after it learns, I really like it.
It seems to hate part throttle turns going up a hill from level ground, you can lug or go fast but sedate normal driving cause it to freak and mindlessly lug or hard shift, sometimes both which makes for an interesting jerking sensation that leaves the driver wondering what is wrong with their car.
There is a current thread about step on pedal, lift off and then reapply to make it jerk, in my normal driving, I don't experience it but in certain situations (the initial hill climb), I can make it do that with a wild abandon that would make anyone question whether 'that' is normal. Yes, it is, for this car. How you drive it dictates how it acts and that, I suspect has a great deal to do with what others are concerned (Raving) about.
Not all but most complaints that I see about the DCT I can replicate by doing something or other, some I see all the time and some I have to purposefully try to cause. It seems to me that driving style has a great deal to do with many of the 'issues' that seem to be prevalent on the board.
I am still learning the DCT and I really like it after the first 10 minutes of the TCM learning curve, once it settles in, it rocks, it's just the initial wait that irritates me but I can live with it now that I think I understand what it's trying to do. I just think that Ford made several mistakes in it's programming that are causing people to hate it.
I absolutely love my car, quirks, re-indexes not withstanding, it is a joy to drive, the wife LOVES the voice recognition and I agree, there is no comparison to anything else out there as far as I know, just learn to speak up and use a clear voice without pauses in the command structure that it was designed for and it is the best system I have ever used.
I believe that Ford is and has been mistaken for not publishing specs (of any sort) on the system, the dearth of information to users is appalling and detracts from what could be a fantastic system instead of being 'not the worst'.
Did I mention that I love my car and they will pry the seat from my cold dead butt long after Obama destroys my ability to buy another new car?
Long live Amsoil - My oil is better than your oil.
My Bypass filter is bigger than your filter.
Platinum White rocks in the sunlight
K&N drop in and snorkel delete is as loud as I want to get
Summer tires suck in a dusting of snow
Rear seat fold down doesn't work if you are over 5 foot 2 and need leg room
The auto lock with 5 key FOB sucks, you have to manually lock it to be sure
I Absolutely love my car
To each their own.
Most of these people now just stay silent or have changed their tone since having issues themselves... funny how things work huh?
But yes I think MFT was an epic failure on Ford's part... not necessary the worst but far from the best. And yes that is my personal opinion, but I am sure someone is going to take offense to that.
You guys are right on the money. Just as you stated before, because it is a major purchase a lot of folks accept the issues (like me) because your stuck with it for several years and the dealer doesn't have a way to fix it after holding it hostage all day pretending to take a look at it. If it doesn't act up in front of them then its as if the device is ok. I'm going to live with my issues and be grateful it isn't as bad as some folks.
I do tell folks who think about buying one the pros and cons but I don't try to sway their decision one way or the other. I do admit that I've learned to live with the quirks for now, but I am not attached to the car and would trade it for something else in a heartbeat. Honestly I thought about upgrading to the ST but since I would most likely get the tech package I'm keeping what I've got and saving my money.
When the software upgrade was done last year I hoped it would fix the quirks. It didn't but it did improve the Bluetooth while driving on the highway. After reading the reviews I was hard pressed to consider the extended warranty because of the MFT. My wife's Elantra with its MFT equivalent and the manufacturer refused to cover I because she had 30k miles on the car and made her e the extended warranty, a new unit cost $800 (from what I recall) but her warranty deductible was only $100. I do worry my MFT will die and I'll be stuck buying a new one. If so, hopefully it'll perform better that the original one.
Gary does have many valid points. Of course not everyone has problems like some of us do or did in my case but just think of this for a moment. You buy a tv for a grand lets say and it acts up out of the box , most would return it . You pay minimum 20000 dollars ( 30000 for mine in Canada) and because of the way car purchases work , you are stuck with it. No logic in that . Yes there is warranty coverage but I bet if they were held more accountable there would be better quality control. Now back to MFT , my 2013 works by far much better than my 2012, features that were supposed to work in my 2012 didn't or were non existent.My climate controls were out of sync, radio didn't display song info etc. And the list goes on.
I find there are car owners and car drivers. The latter enjoy their cars, as it is an extension of their personality and the features they paid for are to enhance the enjoyment of the driving experience and should function fully . I don't think that is too far fetched or too much to ask for.
All in all finally enjoying my car now :-)
The MFT has its quirks, but overall I'm still satisfied with it and the functionality that it provides. When searching through my USB stick it's super simple to get specific albums, artist, etc. Not to mention the preset icon views for sat-radio.
Since I got the software upgrade I have only had two reboots while driving, both while it was giving me directions in town and if you aren't rolling the directions will not download properly for the turn-by-turn. So there's an issue about once a month or less frequent than that.
I do have an issue with the weekly incidents where I stop at the store or to get gas and its resets the music on the USB back to song 1 of 500, when I was playing a specific album and wanted to resume the same song. I didn't want to listen to all the songs in alphabetical order.
It amazes me the number of people who are willing to accept the issues that MFT has. I paid 26k USD for a car, I expect it to work properly, or for Ford to fix the flaws. In fact, Ford promised me that it would fix the issues in the form of a warranty that they are NOT fulfilling.
I see a small but significant minority of people in the MFT threads saying "everything works fine" - and when I point out flaws that are easily repeatable in the 3.5.1 software, they blow it off as unimportant. If the bother to try, they can repeat the issues, however.
If this was a $200 phone with buggy software, or a 99 cent "app", I'd be more forgiving of the issues. However, car companies charge thousands of dollars for these "infotainment" systems. When questioned on why their technology is costing 10 and 20 times what similar technology costs in the consumer space, they claim its because they have to be more reliable, etc.
Guess what? Its NOT more reliable. It's actually LESS reliable. The Kenwood head unit in my previous vehicle had nav, bluetooth, pandora, touch screen, played DVD's, a functional ipod interface, sirius, and at times I think it washed dishes, and said "bless you" when I sneezed... and it worked all the time. Cost? $750. (DNX6900HD)
Ford claims that "MFT" enhances safety. By making that claim, Ford takes on a responsibility to fulfill it. However, due to the flaws, it can actually REDUCE safety as the user is encouraged to pay less attention to the road in front of them and more attention to the touch screen trying to get things working. I'm not suggesting that this user SHOULD be doing that - only that they will.
Those saying that Ford shouldn't be responsible for that probably also think that Ford shouldn't be responsible for the seatbelt warning light, the passenger airbag, or other numerous safety issues... (However, various government agencies have decided that car manufacturers are responsible for protecting us from ourselves. Ford is also responsible for making sure we can't use certain functions when the car is moving...)
If MFT decides to flip out, the "manual" controls (power, volume, and A/C controls) can become non-responsive. As well, the speakers can start making a VERY LOUD squealing noise. I've had this happen twice. That's not a safety issue? Actually, it IS. As well as startling the driver, the noise is a MAJOR distraction, the user trying to turn knobs and press buttons to get it to stop making the noise is a major distraction, and forcing the user to pull over on the side of a busy highway to turn off the engine and open a door is also a safety issue.
I once considered giving this focus titanium to my daughter for her to learn to drive. I originally figured that "MFT" would help to keep her safer, as I know I can't forcibly prevent her from doing stupid things (like chatting on the phone and text messaging in the car), but perhaps that the features in MFT would encourage her to do it in a safer manner. After having the car for 2 weeks, however, I consider that MFT actually will make things LESS safe.
(Oh, and anyone who thinks they can really prevent a teenager from doing stupid things is living in a fantasy world - don't bother replying.)
Just because YOU aren't having issues with the MFT flaws (and are willing to live with them), please don't berate others if they aren't happy with the flaws, or find that the flaws endanger their safety.
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Favorite Beets RecipeRead Reviews Be the first to add a review
I make this recipe often. It dresses up beets with tangy flavor but lets their goodness come through. I prefer to eat mine warm, but my husband likes his cold.—Fred Castellini & Sin Farms, Greg Castellini, Vineland, New Jersey
Recommended: 22 Pickled Recipes
- 5 medium fresh beets, peeled and sliced
- 1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- Place beets in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until tender. Drain and place in a bowl; add onion. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Drizzle over beets and toss to coat. Serve immediately or refrigerate and served chilled. Yield: 6 servings.
Originally published as Favorite Beets in Taste of Home August/September 2002, p48
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text: Because Willis-Knighton Health System delivers more babies than any other local hospital, the health system has a strong commitment to healthcare services for pediatric patients. From the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Willis-Knighton South & the Center for Women's Health, the hospital-based services provide a high level of technology combined with competent, caring staff. Pediatricians on or near Willis-Knighton campuses provide the first line of care for youngsters. It is supplemented by specialty care from some of the region's leading physicians at The Children's Hospital at LSU Health Sciences Center. In addition to physician care, specially-trained pediatric therapists at Willis-Knighton provide outpatient services for youngsters who need assistance with developmental issues. These include physical, occupational and speech therapists as well as feeding specialists.


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Senator John Edwards will announce today his decision to exit the presidential nomination process and, most probably for the moment, end his political career. He endeavored to inject concern during the nomination process in issues related to the needs of poor people, but apparently his message was not strong enough to be heard by the American people. His announcement will be made in New Orleans where his original intention was to make a speech about poverty.
It is quite clear to John Edwards after failing to make a strong showing in South Carolina and now doing poorly in Florida that his chance to obtain the Democratic Party nomination for president is not merely a long shot, it is an impossible dream. He bows out with his head held high and in knowledge he, among all candidates, attempted to focus on the needs and aspirations of poor people. In this day and age, the underclass of America is not in the minds and hearts of people. The only remaining question is whether or not Edwards will endore Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton.


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Have you ever purchased from PartSelect.com before?
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PartSelect Number PS11757501
This single oven door side seal is fourteen inches long. It is made of black rubber and it has a metal hook in each end.
This part works with the following brands: Whirlpool, Amana, Caloric, Roper, Kenmore.
This part works with the following products: Range, Cooktop, Wall Oven.
The top seal was too long (my fault, ordered wrong length seal) so I had to cut it and high-temp epoxy the metal hook into the end. Overall pretty easy fix.
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So Slimming
Petite So Slimming By Chico's Getaway Zip Pocket Ankle Pants
Out of Stock
- The So Slimming collection: look instantly slimmer with our Hidden Fit technology, a secret interior stitching that creates a super-slim effect.
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- Missy inseam: 28".
- Petite inseam: 26".
- 54% cotton, 43% rayon, 3% spandex. Unlined.
- Machine wash. Imported.


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Sale Price
You Save $519.60 (40%)
Refurbished. No Sales Tax!
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Certified refurbished by Aabree Coffee, the Refurbished Gaggia Platinum Vision Super-Automatic Espresso Machine is an affordable and reliable alternative to purchasing a new machine.
Visualize the future of espresso. Sleek, simple lines housing meticulously crafted technology – this is the Gaggia Platinum Vision. Fully automatic, the Vision brews traditionally rich espresso, with the flair of today's digital age. Easily programmable with a touch screen control panel, the Vision will grind, dose, tamp and brew coffee to your unique preferences, giving you the perfect taste and rich golden crema that Gaggia machines are known for world wide. With a ceramic burr grinder, the Rapid Steam Boiler System, and a Pannarello Frothing wand, the Gaggia Platinum Vision is made for durability and convenience – all this in an attractive, easy to maintain design. Offering a seemingly endless range of delicious beverage options, the Vision is an ideal addition to any modern kitchen.
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Topic: i can't send to another mail server
==== Required information ====
- iRedMail version: 0.8.4
- Store mail accounts in which backend (LDAP/MySQL/PGSQL): mysql
- Linux/BSD distribution name and version: ubuntu 12.4 LTS
- Related log if you're reporting an issue:
Hi...after i sent a message to firstname.lastname@example.com from a iredmail server all what i got is : Domain not found
any an idea ?
thank you .
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Emirates Stadium: Our latest picture special
Emirates Stadium was captured in all its glory by our Club photographers at the weekend.
Arsenal hosted Chelsea in a vital London derby and these fantastic aerial shots were taken before the game.
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a place for zinesters - writers and readers
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My first wife used to glue-stik all her stamps when we did a zine, but that was back in the '80s. Another trick she used to do I always thought was classic: She would address review copies with our address and put the place she was sending it to in the return address place. Then she'd put a postcard stamp on it and drop it in the mail. It was amazing how many zines got shipped all over the country because the post office would "return" them for insufficient postage!
In the UK the recipient gets charged for any shortfall in postage


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After all this time... First time I wore my Jango was CIV, and I started it a year and a half before then. These pics were taken yesterday 10/24/09
I just want to run and hide when I see my pics. Thigh is popping forward, knees are out of alignment... *sigh* I just put another layer of antique gel on my leather vest, to darken it. I did have a darker vest, but it got too large as I lost weight.
You can see the excess leather with the old vest in this picture.
I think my chest armor is too large, as well as my shin armor. I need a lot of adjustments, and fixes, and it depresses me. Maybe that will help with my character. :lol:cry:jango


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The ArtFacts.Net™ Gallery and Institutional membership provides you full, interactive access to information about artists, exhibitions, galleries, institutions and art events. This information is unbiased, verified and up-to-date. As with all memberships you will gain unrestricted entry to the ArtFacts.Net analytical section which includes the artist ranking tool and dynamic career and auction analysis.
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The Tennessee Titans are optimistic about a Week 5 return for injured wide receiver Kenny Britt . After a solid game against the Detroit Lions where he had six catches for 55 yards, Britt hasn't practiced. The injury issues seem to linger and he's been dealing with a bad ankle. The team felt his sprained ankle wasn't bad yet preferred him to take Week 4 off and get some extra rest. Head coach Mike Munchak said, "We thought we'd have a better chance waiting until next Sunday."
Fantasy Analysis:
WRs Nate Washington and rookie Kendall Wright have held their own but even with their contributions, Britt is still this team's best receiver when he's on the field. QB Jake Locker will not play and if Britt does, he'll be catching passes from QB Matt Hasselbeck . Britt can be an explosive threat all over the field at times, and has played with Hasselbeck in previous seasons. For fantasy owners who've stuck by Britt, there should be no rush to start him. Both the risk/reward, but given how many quality receivers are at your disposal, it may be best to only use him in emergency situations.


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Building a proactive intelligence management capability from scratch
By John Gillon, Industry Consultant, SAS
Police forces in emerging countries are moving away from paper-based investigative methods and embracing fully-automated intelligence management systems. These systems will help them coordinate departmental efforts and rapidly access relevant information. This push to automated solutions is important – agencies that appear incompetent in high-profile international cases, such as uncovering drugs rings or identifying terrorists, may prevent their country from being seen as a reliable place for business.
The most effective intelligence management systems provide a single, secure source of information and consistency of processes.
A catalyst for change
Conscious that crime rates and stability can negatively affect outside investment, politicians in these countries are pushing for intelligence management systems – and for digital technology in general.
Rwanda's President Paul Kagame has been an outspoken proponent of information and communications technology (ICT). In a speech to the International Association of Chief of Police, Kagame commended the police forces' strides and encouraged them to continue in their efforts to create a modern technology infrastructure to help them meet global security challenges.
"We are all aware of the immense opportunities digital technology offers for development in general and policing in particular … it critical that police forces are connected internally and across the region, and set up the requisite infrastructure for gathering and sharing information," said Kagame.
In Singapore, the committee recently appointed by the Deputy Prime Minister to look into the December 2013 Little India riot recommended that the Singapore Police Force (SPF) invest in technology to improve its communications, control and command capabilities. According to the report, the police on the ground were severely hampered by their inability to gather and share up-to-date information.
The committee called for technology that would allow officers to access real-time information from sources such as social media and video feeds from "closed-circuit cameras on the streets, SPF in-vehicle cameras or body-worn cameras on officers.
What is holding agencies back? Change
Every agency is at a different stage in their efforts to modernize. To reduce some of the anxiety about change and circumvent possible challenges, agencies should implement and introduce new functionality in a stage-by-stage process – modernizing as their requirements change. Examples of some of the issues that may be encountered along the way:
- Process change. Current working practices are often aligned to existing systems rather than vice versa. And so there is a fear that new systems will require a radical change in processes.
- System change. Many documents are still paper-based or the information is stored in proprietary databases. The challenge may seem easier to address for agencies that are entirely paper-based or reliant on simplistic computer systems. However, these forces often lack IT skills and, therefore, face a steep learning curve.
- Operations change. Even when the information is already digital, it is likely to be in silos with little transparency of who is accessing the system and when. The balance of access and security is pivotal.
Choosing the right system
The most effective intelligence management systems provide a single, secure source of information and consistency of processes. There are many things to consider too. For instance: Sources, methodologies and the technology must be protected. Officers may be working with out-of-date computers. Or there may be regional infrastructure issues to cope with, such as non-existent or unreliable electricity.
Ultimately, automated solutions should:
- Streamline data collection, and manage and process data so that it can be easily analysed.
- Explore patterns in the data and push the results to the officers and agents.
- Provide security and access controls ensuring the right people have the right data at the right time.
- Enable agencies to develop intelligence and hold it against the totality of information available to them.
- Allow the agency to grade intelligence materials and adopt best practices for protecting sources.
The final consideration when choosing an intelligence management system is choosing the right solution provider. Evaluate and choose the vender based on the answers to these three questions:
- Have they worked in complex environments before?
- Are they specialists in their field (for example, police work and IT)?
- Can they adapt their solution to your agency's requirements?
Reap the rewards of a good choice
Implementing the right system can provide far-reaching benefits. Chief among them is the ability to reduce risk at a political and public security level. The right system will help you pinpoint the sources of crime, catch more perpetrators and possibly even prevent major international terrorist incidents. This will certainly enhance your agency's credibility and help you become part of an international network of agencies that collaborates to solve global crimes.
There can be benefits within the agency too. It should be possible, for example, for information to be shared securely by multiple disciplines using the same set of core records – and also to measure performance levels.
However, it is ultimately in the ability to strengthen the overall resistance to global crime and terrorism that is the greatest benefit of these systems. As agencies start to reap the rewards of better management and enhanced sharing of their own intelligence, the latest automated intelligence management systems could become their most effective ally.
Read More
The scale, complexity and changing nature of intelligence data can make it impossible to stay in front without the aid of technology to collect, process and analyze big data.
Read Managing the Intelligence Life Cycle to learn how this information can be quickly and safely shared with access based on a user's organizational responsibilities and need to know.
Three Answers You Need
The key to choosing the right intelligence management system is choosing the right solution provider. Evaluate and choose the vender based on the answers to these three questions:
- Have they worked in complex environments before?
- Are they specialists in their field (for example, police work and IT)?
- Can they adapt their solution to your agency's requirements?


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I am thinking about taking the TEFL course at the International Teacher Training Organization (ITTO) in Guadalajara. Has anyone out there taken the course or know anything about it? Will taking this course really guarantee you employment upon completion?
Has anyone taken the TEFL course at UET in Peurto Vallerta?
Also, I would like to find out more about what it is like teaching in Mexico from anyone out there who has done it. I would like to know about the availability of teaching jobs in Mexico, the salaries and the cost of living. Can I survive in Mexico on a teaching english salary?
Any feedback, good or bad would be appreciated.
Thank you


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U.S. home repossessions rose to a nine-month high in November, even as the number of homes starting on the path to foreclosure declined to the lowest level in six years.
Utah's November rate of foreclosure filings was 16th-highest in the nation after being in the top five earlier this year.
Data released Thursday by RealtyTrac Inc. shows that one in every 886 Utah housing units saw a foreclosure filing in November. That's up 23 percent from October, but down 66 percent from last November.
The number of foreclosure starts in the state was up 44 percent from October, and 10 percent from a year earlier. There had been a slowdown in recent months as lenders worked through a backlogs of failed mortgages.
RealtyTrac reports that foreclosure filings nationwide were down 19 percent year-over-year.
Banks completed foreclosure on 59,134 homes nationally last month, an increase of 11 percent from October and up 5 percent from November last year, RealtyTrac said.
Last month marked the first annual increase in bank repossessions since October 2010, when allegations of abuses by the mortgage industry compelled many lenders to temporarily halt foreclosures.
But the number of homes entering the foreclosure process or scheduled for auction for the first time, so-called foreclosure starts, sank to 77,494. That's a decline of 13 percent from October and a drop of 28 percent from November last year, the firm said.
It's also the lowest number of foreclosure starts since they hit 72,163 in December 2006.
The combination of declining foreclosure starts nationally and a sharp increase in the number of homes taken back by lenders signals that banks are moving to complete foreclosures on homes with mortgages that have gone unpaid for a year or two, if not longer.
And it's likely that the borrowers who owned these homes already tried to refinance, get a loan modification or sell the home as a short sale when the bank agrees to accept less than what is owned on the mortgage but did not succeed, said Daren Blomquist, a vice president at RealtyTrac.
"Now foreclosure is the final recourse the banks have to go forward on these properties," Blomquist said.
There are close to 1 million U.S. homes that are in some stage of the foreclosure process, and any of those could potentially end up repossessed by a lender but not all.
Several factors are now working to ease, or in some cases merely delay, foreclosures. That's a stark change from two or three years ago, when the foreclosure crisis was more severe.
Mortgage servicers and banks are increasingly favoring short sales as an alternative to foreclosure. Efforts by federal and state lawmakers to slow down the foreclosure process or make loan modifications a more likely option for homeowners also are having an impact. And borrowers are getting better about keeping up with mortgage payments.
The percentage of mortgage-holding homeowners who were at least two months behind on their payments dropped in the third quarter to the lowest level in more than three years, according to credit reporting firm TransUnion.
In addition, an improving housing market, rising home prices and stronger hiring probably has helped some homeowners avoid foreclosure.
Even so, bank repossessions remain elevated and on pace to exceed 650,000 this year, according to RealtyTrac. That would be down from 800,000 last year.
"We're seeing more signs of the light at the end of the tunnel, with foreclosure starts being down," Blomquist said. "But the market still has to deal with the properties that already started foreclosure, and that could keep the (bank repossession) numbers stubbornly high the next year."
Also, lenders are still adjusting to new foreclosure ground rules set forth in a $25 billion settlement reached in February between five major banks and federal and state government officials over claims that many lenders had processed foreclosures without verifying documents.
As banks get a handle on those rules, they may move more quickly against late-paying mortgage-holders, Blomquist said.
All told, banks filed foreclosure-related notices on 180,817 properties last month, down 3 percent from October and down 19 percent from a year earlier.
Foreclosure activity, which RealtyTrac measures as the number of homes receiving a notice of default, scheduled auction or bank repossession, increased on an annual basis in 23 states and Washington D.C.
At the state level, Florida had the highest foreclosure rate of any other state, with one in every 304 households in some stage of foreclosure, or twice the national average.
Rounding out the top 10 states by foreclosure rate were Nevada, Illinois, California, South Carolina, Ohio, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Indiana.


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OK, Friday I decide, "what the heck" I'm gonna make a Zam helmet this weekend. Saturday morning, at 10:30 a.m., I start by marking and cutting an old fiberglass army helmet liner.
I taped the "openings" closed, and glassed the inside, using the liner as a mold. Well, with the help of bondo, black tooling gel-coat, fiberglass, and good old-fasion elbow grease, this is what I have as of 2:00 p.m. Sunday. http://www.forums.thedentedhelmet.co...ie_biggrin.gif
I'm not gonna try to compete with DCB and his ultimate Zam helmet, but it's not a bad start for a day-and-a-half.
I used Wookie's method, and added the brim in fiberglass. It can have the leather glued over it after the helmet is painted. This way, it won't deform if it's packed in a trunk. Besides, I'm no expert at forming leather. http://www.forums.thedentedhelmet.co...smilie_lol.gif


text: An anonymous reader writes "The Google Samsung Chromebook was already interesting for its competitive $250 price-tag and that it can be loaded with Linux distributions beyond Chrome OS, but it turns out that its performance is particularly good, too. When loaded with Ubuntu Linux, the Samsung Exynos 5 Dual ARM SoC on the Chrome notebook had outperformed a 1.8GHz Intel Atom, a quad-core Calxeda ARM server, and a TI OMAP4 PandaBoard." Read more of this story at Slashdot.


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In olden days, the sun never set on the British flag, but these days, the problem is not the sun never setting, but the ability of British leaders to get the flag in the right position. The government of Gordon Brown has endured many issues such as a declining economy, loss of jobs, and trying to explain away the war in Iraq, but now add to the list the ability of Socialist leaders to getting the British flag flying in the right position. During a recent visit by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, the flags of both nations were displayed, but, for some reason the British flag was displayed in an upside down position.
Observers wonder if the Brown government was sending a signal to the world by displaying an upside down flag. Historically, an upside down flag conveyed that a ship was in distress. Given the collapse of banks and business in England, perhaps, this was not a mistake but a signal to the world the Brown government was upside-down and in deep distress.
Who knows, maybe the American flag should now be displayed in an upside-down position.


text: When I traveled to Latvia with students, one delight was discovering that country's rich musical heritage. Here is a piece I listened to today by one of my favorite Latvian composers, Jānis Ivanovs. Just ignore the image of a scary, three-headed panda breathing rainbows and enjoy the music! [Read more…]


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|New Dean Mary Ellen Zuckerman Builds on a Community of Collaboration
|The new dean of the School of Business shares her vision and builds on a community of collaboration.
New Dean Mary Ellen Zuckerman describes the School of Business at Ithaca College as a community of collaboration. The enthusiasm of everyone in the community, she says, drew her to Ithaca.
"What made me believe that Ithaca College was the place I wanted to be was the people I met throughout the interviewing process," said Zuckerman, whose tenure began July 1. "At each step of the way, I'd come home and tell my family, 'I really like the people.' "
Students, faculty, and alumni all displayed what she calls "a strength of community feeling and loyalty to the school."
In the spring, after she had been appointed, she met with graduating seniors who wanted to provide feedback about improving the school for the students who follow them. The faculty has developed a strong curriculum, and "the questions faculty asked me, focusing on what I had accomplished for students in my previous job (dean at SUNY Geneseo's School of Business for nine years), highlighted this strong commitment to the students."
And the Business Advisory Council – composed of alumni and friends of the school – saw a need for a greater presence in the New York City area and is establishing an alumni and corporate relations coordinator's position there.
Last year, in the reaffirmation of accreditation, the review team of AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, noted four key strengths for the school:
- The mission-driven curriculum design
- The depth of student involvement in the life of the school
- A culture of faculty involvement in continuous improvement of the school
- Class sizes that allow for significant engagement between students and faculty
To this list, Zuckerman adds the cocurricular components "that help students practice and integrate what they've learned in the classroom." Examples include the required internship component and leadership certificate, active student clubs, and the newly established Professions Program – all of which display the collaborative community in action.
"The Professions Program, which grew out of feedback from students to the Business Advisory Council, is an example of the good communication between various groups involved with the school and the strength of their commitment to continuous improvement and change,'' says Zuckerman.
All these strengths are housed in the building that symbolizes the School of Business's future, the two-year-old Dorothy D. and Roy H. Park Center for Business and Sustainable Enterprise, the first business school in the world to earn platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. "It provides a daily example and reminder about living and working in a sustainable environment,'' said Zuckerman.
And sustainability leads the list of five initiatives she says will feed the school's growth. She summarizes them:
- Use the Park Center as a focus for sustainability efforts on and beyond campus.
"Sustainability-related initiatives are on the cutting edge for business schools. We will move forward with using our building to the fullest extent with respect to sustainability, enhancing our current activities in this realm and developing new initiatives. We'll do this by building on ideas and strengths of the faculty and students, developing partnerships with other units in the College and in the larger community, and drawing on the information resources of AACSB's Sustainability Initiative."
- Expand extracurricular opportunities.
"I want to provide additional opportunities for students to put into practice skills learned in the classroom, in an integrative, creative, and independent fashion. Such experiences provide measurable ways that students can demonstrate what they have learned. These integrative activities include study overseas, internships and other experiential activities, research with faculty, participation in student organization leadership, and meetings.''
- Create more partnerships.
"I want to develop more external partnerships so our students and faculty have access to a variety of organizations in which to work, learn, and develop connections. These can be in the local Ithaca community as well as in other locales where our alumni and other friends are established. One specific thing I'd like to do is to create an advisory group of recent alumni to get their feedback and thoughts and keep them connected to the school."
- Strengthen the master's programs.
"We need to assess, focus, and develop our master's programs to meet the needs of our current students and potential students."
- Pursue collaboration across campus.
"Finally, I'd like to identify and develop potential partnerships internally with other programs here at Ithaca College. As an individual with a liberal arts background, I have a keen awareness of the exciting opportunities that exist for cross-fertilization between diverse arenas as well as the skills and willingness to build partnerships between these areas."
Alumni, said Zuckerman, are crucial to keeping the school "current in business education. They can tell us what skills and knowledge are necessary for outstanding business education. Alumni and other professionals also provide pathways for our students to gain entry in the workplace, through job shadowing, internships, and job placement."
The faculty "is the key component to excellence in business education. We need to continue to provide them with support for development, opportunities for classroom innovation, and recognition for excellent teaching."
Business education faces challenges in recruiting and retaining highly qualified faculty and in meeting the pace of change in the world.
"We have to keep current both with what students will need to know when they first enter the workplace and in preparing them for the changes that will inevitably transpire throughout their working careers,'' said Zuckerman. "We need to encourage students to be lifelong learners as well as flexible thinkers."
Ideas from students are always welcome, often implemented. Last spring, a class offered suggestions for a redesign of the school's cafe. Those recommendations played a key part in the renovations being completed for this school year, said Zuckerman. It's another example of the community of collaboration.


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The SGL-10 is just a Saiga with a different front end treatment at Arsenal USA. The buttstock is still the same hunting rifle type. Did yours have the pistol grip and stock conversion? If so then it would have been done where you got it. If its got the pistol grip and regular buttstock then your guy probably bought a SGL-10 which is actually a Saiga with a AK front end put together at Arseneal. Thats the hard part. Then he added a pistol grip and trigger guard with a normal FCG . Theres different ways to do that. You can weld up the old trigger group holes and refinish the gun or you can use those little rubber plugs which look cheap but are functional.
Nothing wrong with the Arsenal stuff. The way you got it is sort of roundabout but $1000 for a AK-103 isn't outrageous. Theres better ways to do it but parts are strating to dry up and all.


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Posted by Corinne Munchbach on November 26, 2013
After one of the biggest announcements in the marketing technology space of 2013 — Salesforce.com's purchase of ExactTarget — few were surprised to see the ExactTarget Marketing Cloud feature prominently at Dreamforce last week in San Francisco. But the real headline grabber was the introduction of Salesforce1, a cloud-based platform for what the company calls the "Internet of customers." We've got a deeper look into the implications of this for marketers for Forrester clients, but some of our key takeaways were that Salesforce:


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StandUP Polk and local law enforcement agencies are proud to join The Drug Enforcement Administration and its national and community partners for the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, October 26, 2013 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, for citizens who want to dispose of unwanted and unused prescription drugs.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. More than seven million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs, according to the 2009 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Each day, approximately, 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet.
Our community's Spring Purge Your Pills Rx Drop Off will include 6 locations in Polk County for citizens to turn in unused, expired, or unwanted Human and Pet Medications for safe and proper disposal. Medications should be placed in a clear, air-tight plastic bag.
Drop-off locations on October 26th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm are:
Auburndale Police Department – 2 Bobby Green Plaza, Auburndale, FL
Haines City Police Department – 35400 Highway 27, Haines City, FL
Lake Alfred Police Department – 190 North Seminole Avenue, Lake Alfred, FL
Lake Wales Police Department - 133 East Tillman Avenue, Lake Wales, FL
Lakeland Police Department – 219 N. Massachusetts Avenue, Lakeland, FL
Winter Haven Police Department – 125 North Lake Silver Drive NW, Winter Haven, FL
Previous prescription medication collections held in Polk County have resulted in over 1,700 pounds of recovered pharmaceuticals. All medications were safely disposed of via incineration.
For folks unable to attend on October 26th, unwanted medications may also be brought to the Lakeland Police Department's and placed in the drop box located in the lobby. Medications may also be safely disposed of at home in the following manner: Dissolve medications in water, and mix with coffee grounds or cat litter. Then, pour into a zip lock bag and put in your trash. Do not dump any medications into the toilet or your trash, to avoid harming our lakes and ground water.
For more information on the local Pill Drop event or locations, please contact StandUP Polk at (863) 802-0777.


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Gretna, LA, USA < change city >
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See All Vendors >
Jamell and Timothy's Wedding
Ceremony at Audubon Tea Room
Reception at Audubon Tea Room
"Our wedding was simply amazing. We weathered a death in the family, and..."
Bryce and Dwan's Wedding Guide
"Our wedding was the most romantic and beautiful wedding that I have ever..."
Patricia and Kevin's Wedding
Ceremony at Jesuit Church
Reception at The Roosevelt Hotel
"Getting married in new orleans was wonderful. It is my home town and alt..."
Dee and Lynwood's Wedding
Ceremony at St. Joseph the Worker Church
"We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary with a vow renewal and reception. It was wonderful. "
NeoShea and Jonathan's Wedding
Ceremony at Franklin Ave church
Reception at Chateau golf & Country Club
Josie and Sean's Wedding
Ceremony at Saint Louis Hotel
Reception at Saint Louis Hotel
New Orleans Wedding In September
Ceremony at Saint Louis Cathedral
Reception at Riverview Room
New Orleans Wedding In September
Ceremony at Our Lady of Good Counsel
Reception at Riverwalk - Creole Queen Paddleboat
New Orleans Wedding In September
Ceremony at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church
Reception at Van Benthuysen Elms Mansion
New Orleans Wedding In September
Ceremony at St Louis Cathedral
Reception at Riverview Room


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When developing user stories for new projects, I seem to run into the same problem. My team and I always start off strong. We put a lot of rigor into collaboratively arriving at a good set of user stories. Everyone feels pretty good about choosing the right stuff to build and the order in which to build it. But when we start building the story, it's hard to figure out how everything hangs together.
The Villain
As we start to build the functionality, the individual pieces look and work OK, but the software feels like "Frankenware"--lots of pieces stitched together into something that neither looks nor feels good. End users acknowledge that the software has all the features they prioritized as high, but there aren't enough features to do something useful with the software. This seems hard to believe, considering how long we've been adding features to the software, but sadly it's true. What we need is one big story that makes sense of all the little user stories.
The Hero
A user scenario was the big story we were looking for. It's a fairly simple; a narrative description of a person utilizing our software to successfully reach a goal. In the course of telling this story, the fictitious user (the hero) needs to leverage many of the features our software has in scope.
Let's look at an example. Say we're writing software for use in a retail environment. We're working on new order management software that allows customers to purchase items over the phone and pick them up later with the aid of a sales associate in the store. Some of our features in scope look like this:
- Create open order
- Identify customer and add to order
- Add products to order
- Add delivery information to order
- Add applicable sales tax to order
- Accept credit card payment over the phone
A user scenario of these features might go a bit like this:
John (our hero) works on the sales floor at Mega Electronics. Between helping customers in the store, he takes phone calls from customers asking for prices on specific items. John is paid on commission, so he wants to close every possible sale. If he can help the customers buy over the phone, that helps him, Mega Electronics, and maybe even the customers, since they may not need to visit the store to pick up their purchases. One of these business transactions might go as follows:
- During a short break handling walk-in traffic, John answers a holding phone call. A woman asks him if he's got a particular brand of sound-deadening earphones.
- John quickly looks up the earphones in the order entry system using the brand name and parts of the description. He tells her, "I've got two on hand."
- "How much are they?" she asks. John reads the price from the screen, "We have them at $169.95." "Ouch," she says, "that's more than I thought they'd be."
- John notices that on the screen near the description is a reference to recent good reviews and some prices from his competitors. He tells his customer about the reviews and lets her know his price is competitive. She says, "I'm rushing to get out of town and don't have time to shop around."
- "I can set them aside for you, or if it would help, ship them to where you're going," John offers.
- "Wow, that might be helpful. Could you ship them to my hotel?" asks the customer. John says, "No problem, let me get your details."
- John clicks a button to turn the headphones item into a new sales order.


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Bypass the box office line at many theaters with guaranteed advance tickets. If something comes up, you can return or exchange them up until the posted showtime.
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A devoted high-school teacher risks life and limb as a mixed-martial-arts fighter in order to rescue his school's music program from the cutting block in this action comedy from director Frank Coraci (The Wedding Singer, Click). Back in his prime, Scott Voss (Kevin James) was a collegiate wrestler with some fairly impressive moves. Now, at 42, he teaches biology at troubled Wilkinson High School. Mr. Voss has begun to grow deeply indifferent in his role as an educator when a troubling announcement stirs him to action. Effective immediately, Wilkinson High will be eliminating all extracurricular activities. Suddenly, the most apathetic teacher on the staff has a reason to get involved. But how is a typical high-school teacher like Mr. Voss supposed to raise the $48,000 needed to save the music program from going belly up? Upon learning that some MMA fighters earn $10,000 just for stepping into the ring, Mr. Voss vows to get back in shape, and subject himself to a series of brutal beatings so his students won't have to go without. Salma Hayek and Henry Winkler co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi


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Clip Art: Christmas Portraits: Toy Maker Girl Elf B&W
Girl elf portrait in frame clip art in color. This illustration shows girl elf with tools has made a teddy bear. One in our series of December holiday characters.
= Member Site Document
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|Faculty Member Spends Sabbatical in Italy
|William Tastle studies systems science on four projects
Management professor William Tastle went to Italy for his fall sabbatical to work on two scholarly projects. Then, he was invited to be a keynote speaker at a global security forum and to join the scientific committee guiding construction of the first Italian supercomputer.
The thread of Tastle's interest in analysis of complex systems ties together these sabbatical experiences. He's concentrated in this field since his PhD studies in systems science.
Since 2009, Tastle has served as a Fellow of the Semeion Research Center in Rome. He divided his sabbatical between Rome and Milan, where he was named the first International Scholar at IULM University (University Institute for Modern Languages).
His academic career blends teaching undergraduates at Ithaca – where he is the Business School's only technology instructor – with teaching IULM post-doctoral students seeking to publish in international journals.
"The post-docs have their education and lack only the English language skills," said Tastle. "Undergrads are still trying to learn their discipline, and the responsibility to be creative lies with me in finding entertaining ways to motivate them and maintain their attention."
He had no connection with IULM until its dean emailed an invitation to become the first International Scholar.
"Apparently my research is known to them and they thought I would make a good fit with the university and their particular needs," he said.
Tastle worked with six post-doctoral students researching and writing articles to be submitted to international journals, the language of which is English. To this he brought his experience of publishing more than 60 referred papers and serving as managing editor of the International Journal of General Systems and editor of the Journal of Information Systems Education.
The students' topics range from the economic role of poets in a society to an analysis of the diffusion process of modern and contemporary art museums in Europe, to learn about placement of a museum by analyzing its territorial dimension. He helped the students increase the sophistication of their data analysis, and he will edit their papers.
"I take their written prose and 'translate' it from Italian-English to English-English, and it is sometimes a serious challenge. The goal is to move these young scholars from their limited publication in Italian-language journals to international journals."
He does this without being able to speak Italian. "As an American," he noted, "I am, unfortunately, monolingual."
Through the winter, he will maintain contact by email and Skype, then visit Milan for a week in April and three weeks in summer as the students conclude writing and revising their papers.
As a Semeion Research Fellow, Tastle is completing two books on data mining.
"There are so many variations on how to extract information from data beyond the traditional, rather simplistic approach of structured query language," he said. "The term 'data mining' has been applied to this kind of effort, and it does seem to capture the intent. However, there are many ways of engaging in data mining, and few extract the same information from a given dataset."
For the books, he is a both a contributor and editor, along with Semeion's director.
The first book features 19 chapters, each a journal-quality paper, on using adaptive neural networks in analysis of law enforcement databases. The result of several years of work between Semeion and London's Metropolitan Police, the book focuses on drug trafficking problems in London.
Tastle wrote the first chapter, an introduction to the different software programs and mathematical algorithms.
"It is clearly not a book for general reading," he said.
For the second book – on innovative algorithms used to solve some complex problems in bioengineering and bio imaging – he has written two chapters.
While in Milan, he was invited to a global security forum on the Adriatic coast. He spoke about future demands on security providers, who, he said, "will have to glean much more information from their available data, and the technology already exists in large part by using the methods presented in the two books."
His research included talking with U.S. officials.
"They were quick to suggest that their greatest needs are for affordable body armor that permits them to run down a suspect and engage in a fight if necessary. Current armor is very bulky or very expensive," he said.
They also want "glasses that identify individuals merely by looking at their faces. The technology already exists, but no company has brought it to the market."
The conference sponsor – Selex Elsag, a Finmeccanica Company – is also responsible for construction of the Italian supercomputer. Tastle accepted an invitation to serve on the Scientific Committee, which he says will guide the project, provide validation and determine best uses for the technology. The committee will meet at least five times in the next several years.
This research in information systems rarely includes Ithaca students.
"The level of my involvement is such that it is very difficult, at best, to bring undergraduates into my world," he said.Some IC students have presented their research at national conferences and had papers published in conference proceedings. But "working with motivated students requires meetings almost on the level of a class, and our workload does not permit that kind of continuing involvement," he said.
In spring semester, Tastle – who received his MBA and PhD from SUNY Binghamton – will teach the basic technology course, Business Systems and Technology. His other courses have included Advanced Spreadsheets for Managers and Database for Managers.
And look for him in the Muller Center, where he might sit in on some Italian classes. While research demands prevented him from completing a basic Italian course in Italy, he still wants to learn:
"I want to be able to talk with fellow researchers in their language, especially now with the supercomputer project."