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We all know that people, in general, treat ethics as being subjective. Does that, however, make that right, just, and ethical? To put it simply, the answer is: no. This is obvious given the common example, "if all the other kids were jumping off a cliff, would you do it too." The masses are not always right. So now the thought in all your minds is "come on - go ahead! Prove us wrong." I'm not trying to prove anything, however I will hopefully give you enough information to make you question what is right, and if I do, then I've accomplished my goals.
Lets begin with the basics. "What are absolute ethics?" Ethical Absolutism, is undeviating moral discipline. Nothing is relative; a crime is a crime, regardless of circumstances. For a quick demonstration of ethical relativism let us use the example of murder. Is it ok to kill someone without reason? Obviously both ethical standpoints would say no. Now lets assume that the murderer is a doctor who could kill one patient to save another. In this case both ethical groups still say no. Once we keep with this situation and move to the more extreme case of killing one to save a million people, or perhaps all of humanity. This is when the ethical relativist will feel its ok to kill, however, for the ethical absolutist this is still wrong.
Immanuel Kant best expressed this specific instance in his ethical absolute that "a person must never be only a means and must be an end in himself." Kant tried to set ethical laws that would make it easy to be absolutist, and his ethical theory is called the Categorical Imperative. According to the categorical imperative a person must imagine a proposed action becoming a universal ethical law. If this would be a good thing, then the action is ethical. Although this may be quite effective for each individual person, the problem is that it does not actually cause ethical universality.
For instance, if I plan to steal bread to feed my starving family I might see this as being ethical. However, would not an absolutist ethical theory brand all stealing as being wrong? You might argue that this is a different form of stealing, and that there is an absolute for situations like this, however this makes way for an infinite number of situations, and really you're looking at relativistic ethics once more. The other problem with the categorical imperative is that there can be contradictions if one person believes something would make a good universal and someone else does not. An absolute ethical theory cannot have contradictions.
Before we move on to the reasons for ethical absolutism lets take a look at some of the problems with ethical relativism. Some are quite obvious, others less so. According to relativist ethics anything that a group or a culture decides is morally right is right for them. Therefore, slavery, or torture, or any other wrongs are ok so long as one group believes it to be right. Because the Germans believed that the persecution of the Jews was right, Hitler was a moral man. Relativist ethics give us no grounds from which to compare moralities and to set standards.
Similarly, if we make moral relativism depend on a group, how is a group defined? Are these groups a nation, a race, a city, a family, a gang, or what? Considering that a group must have the same set of ethics, most likely we'd have to define a group as an individual, and this creates moral anarchy. Everyone is free to do whatever they want, and under the standards of moral relativism, no one can object on moral grounds to anyone else's actions.
If you insist on the group being more than just one individual then how is the moral code of the group determined? Is there a vote taken? However if a vote is needed then the group is no longer a group with the same standards is it? How does everyone know the ethical code for the group? There are way too many inconsistencies in this.
Now lets take a look at the effects of moral relativism in a few subject areas. The topic has a few interesting effects on science. The aforementioned doctor problem brings another issue to light. According to absolutist ethics a doctor can never kill a patient regardless of how many others he may save, however with relativistic ethics there is a point where the doctor can kill the patient to save others. But how is this point determined? Could you say right now a specific number of lives that would have to be saved before you would kill a patient? Would it make a different who the patient that would be killed is and the identity of the patients to be solved? This issue then becomes incredibly confusing, and even one person may decide differently on the exact same problem but on different days.
Another science issue that pertains to ethical relativity is the one that some of us may encounter. We have all heard about professors who steal their students' work and publish it as their own. According to absolutist ethics this is obviously wrong: it is the act of stealing. However, by taking a subjectivist view, they can try to justify their action. Professors use excuses such as "well, my professor did it to me" and bend their ethics to fit their desires.
In history, ethics may not seem to play a big role, but actually can be quite important. As ethics play a big role in our life today, so too did it in the past. A historian must analyze the past under the correct ethical context to get a proper understanding. We must also consider that some subjective historians may say that the holocaust was a good thing, as some have, whereas others may disagree. Moral absolutism on the other hand gives historians a firm basis from which to compare conclusions.
One commonly used defense of moral relativism talks of not hurting a friend's feelings. For example, if a friend of mine was to say "how do I look in this dress" or "what do you think of my story," the ethical relativists argue that its ok to do a little 'white lie' to make them feel good. While it may accomplish this may work, the side effects are much worse than what it was mean to accomplish. Consider the results of this on that person's mind. If that person takes your comments at face value and thinks they look beautiful in their dress, then their concept of beauty has just been distorted. If they believe that the story is quality writing then their appreciation of literature has been destroyed. These so called white lies are actually an assault on a person's mind.
Let's take this a step further. On a larger scale, consider that instead this is a critic who wants to be kind about a friend's play. He writes up a review saying what an incredible play it is. Perhaps to cover the fact that some people may realize how terrible it really is he says, "it takes a special sort of person to appreciate this play." Alarm bells should be sounding in your head now. People read the review and after seeing the play they want to believe that they are special so they convince themselves that they thought it was a good play. The art of the theatre has been destroyed, and the mind badly damaged in the process. I don't think any of us would dare to call this ethical.
Now that I've hopefully gotten you to at least question ethical relativism, let's take a look at a few reasons why ethical absolutism makes sense. Why should we use ethical absolutism? One reason is the fact that some things are considered ethically wrong in almost all cultures. Two strong examples, which are taboo virtually everywhere, are incest and cannibalism.
There are isolated incidents and extreme situations where they occurred or even were accepted for periods of time, but still the fact is that these are incredibly close to being universally taboo. You may say that because there are some aberrations that these are not actually absolute ethical rules, however you must remember that people can act unethical. And besides, even if they aren't universal and no universal foundation for morality has been found does not mean one does not exist.
Another benefit of absolute ethics is that they allow actions be compared on an even ethical basis. It allows us to judge the actions of others, and to actually say to someone like Hitler, "you were wrong." Absolute ethics allow courts of law to exist, and order to be maintained. Absolutist ethics come to doctors in the form of the Hippocratic Oath, where they were pledge to "do no harm." Would you select a doctor who did not abide by this?
One key question with ethical absolutism is: where did these absolute ethics come from? Where are they located? For a theist this is an easy question, and the answer is of course God. For the rest of us however this is a tricky question, and one that I don't have time to deal with in depth in this presentation. Let us just say that they are a priori in nature. Really they fit into Plato's realm of forms where the essence of ethics is found. "Could we not have just learned ethics?" some might ask, however there are some things that we seem to just know are wrong without being taught. Do you remember your parents ever telling you not to sleep with your sister?
So now it comes down to the key issue. You're all thinking "so, if absolutist ethics are so good - why are we in a society that accepts relativist ethics?" There are a couple reasons for that, and I think one of the most important pertains to the question of where absolute ethics come from. People don't know absolute ethics, so they figure, "why should I be absolute?" How can you respond to that? Very easily - you can tell someone to be absolute to themselves at least.
This leads to another reason why people don't use absolutist ethics. Relativistic ethics can be used to let us bend ourselves to accomplish our goals. People don't want to be absolute in their ethics, even in and of themselves, when they see that their ethics are causing them to lose opportunities. For instance, to go back to the professor, he is unable to steal his student's work and take credit for it under absolutist ethics. Right goes out the window, because this work will help further the professor's career.
One last, but important reason why we're not using absolutist ethics is because of the way we're raised. It's not important that we haven't been raised to use absolutist ethics, but it is key that we've been raised to see relativist ethics as being right. I'm sure almost all of us have heard from a parent "you know I'll love you no matter what you do." Think about what that entails. That statement is in and of itself the death of absolutist ethics, especially for a young child who believes everything his parents say. This is saying "nothing is absolute", "we'll forgive everything", and "you make up your mind about what is right." Relativistic ethics are now permanently embedded in the child's mind.
My plan wasn't to change your mind, but was rather to enlighten and to allow you to change your own mind if you deem that appropriate. You should now see some of the flaws in the ethical relativism that is uses from day to day, as well as seeing some benefits of absolutist ethics. Finally my hope is that I've caused you to look at yourself, to consider your own personal ethical stand, and to consider why you believe what you believe.
I think that the problem of arguing for absolute ethics is just that: that unless you have some deity enforcing this absolute, it doesn't really exist. Or at least, if it exists, it is neither permanent nor persistent with everybody.
Consider this: you may be of the opinion that revenge is an ethical action, and likewise might expect others to act vengefully, and it would seem alright with you, and if someone acts vegefully against you, it would be because of something yuo've done to them. However, others wouldn't share the opinion, and believe that a world where there is no retribution of this kind would be better.
In their own way, they are both right. This is defined by the kind of person you are. Absolutist ethics forget the pragmatic approach that ethics needs and doesn't consider that, while we might be equal as far as rights go (or should be), we have our own set of internal ethics system. Some people's systems just might hold up satisfactorily with themselves, other's not. But the point is that you cannot expect different people to act uniformly, even if there was an imposed, external ethical system, and everyone was aware of it.
Take the example of an extreme situation: the Apocalypse is coming tomorrow and you can only take three people to progress with humanity. Suddenly an ethical system which placed an equal value on the lives of everyone has just created criteria for valuing people's lives; if you intend to preserve humanity, not only would you take 3 brilliant, young adults, but 2 would be women and one would be a man (it is more likely for the species to survive if you can impregnate 2 females at a time. also, should one person die, it is more likely that you could go on with 2 females rather than 2 males).
So, have we suddenly assigned a value to human life. Are women twice as valuable than men? Well, of course not, at least outside of such limit situations. The problem with any absolutist ethical view is that it breaks when you test it against these worst-case scenarios. And if an ethical system cannot be applied uniformly, then it's not really useful, is it? Nor can you define limit situations, as they are limitless (no pun intended) and subjective.
And what happens when you need a person acting irrationally to act on reason? Take for example the maternal instinct. You cannot expect a mother to place higher priority on anyone that's not her own child. I wouldn't say we should go to the extreme of having her pick between her child and the whole world, but certainly we see a bias that no amount of reason could change. Same thing with the self-preservation instinct.
Such is the reason I belive no only that an absolutist view on ethics is equivocal, but that we could even question the value of subjective ethics and the very existence of an ethical system which could be applied uniformly to even one person. Sure, in some philosophical made-up world it could work. But let's not forget that we live in our beloved Earth, where resources are limited and human irrationality can be limitless. Ethics is an abstraction of that reality too, so I'm sure that a system made by irrational beings will probably break down at some point.
The problem with moral absolutism is that established societal moral systems are always flawed. For instance, yes it's a good thing that incest is moraly taboo and therefore illegal in all societies, but then is it a good thing that Homosexuality is also condemed by the majority of societies based on the prevailing ethical codes, and thus illegal in the majority of societies? Not the vast majority mind you, but the majority no less. In other societies rape is not always looked down on as being unethical nore are child brides (who are basicaly sex slaves, and subject to repeated rapes...as are none child brides in some arranged marriages). Slavery was not seen as immoral by the south, who often used the bible to justify it!
I mean honestly, take a look at everything that is considered moral or immoral by the majority in any society including your own and tell me your blood doesn't curdle.
Our law system is NOT based on moral absolutism. Jurors can recomend leniency, though the judge does not have to grant it, and he can grant leniency without them asking or even over the juries objections (hey its his court). The circumstances under which a crime was commited way in on the sentencing phase, and in many can change the very verdict as well. One notable example is justifiable homicide.
Legal systems which require moral absolutism can be found in countries under extremist versions of Shari law, such as Iran http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/3179465/Hanged-for-being-a-Christian-in-Iran.html look how that works out, and you should see the rape and murder statistics in these societies.
One cannot demonstrate moral relativism causing an incline in crime (be it violent or petty). The data doesn't back up the constant assertions that it does. Moral absolutism realy has nothing going for it, exept that warm feeling not having to think about things gives people...like religion, and fascism. All nice and warm...
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text: Students kept at 3 Kanawha schools after Mt. Alpha Road closed By Staff reports May 15, 2013 CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Students living in the Mt. Alpha Road area of Kanawha County will stay at Kanawha City Elementary, Horace Mann Middle School and Capital High School until transportation is safe after an accident led to downed power lines, according to a Kanawha County Schools emergency message. Because of the accident, Mt. Alpha Road is closed, according to the emergency message.

subset: commoncrawl


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Don Jones returns to Dolphins after brief suspension for 'omg' and 'horrible' Michael Sam tweets
Don Jones' brief suspension from the Dolphins is over and he has been officially educated.
Jones, a reserve safety and special teams ace, was fined an undisclosed amount and suspended a week ago after he tweeted "omg" and "horrible" in response to Michael Sam kissing his boyfriend's cake-filled face on national television.
A team source said the suspension is over and Jones has completed educational training.
Jones deleted the tweets minutes after he …


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Subject: | Independent No Budget Movie Ideas? |
Author: | Rachael (Authenticated as stingraybunnyturtle7) |
Date: | June 2, 2012 at 11:09:56 AM |
I want to make an independent no-budget movie between 30-90 minutes.I'd like it to have a kind of a meaning or message to it.
The characters will be in about high school.
So, any ideas you have would be awesome.
Because this message is archived you cannot respond to it. |
Messages in this thread: |


text:
Carboxypeptidase E
Carboxypeptidase E (CPE), also known as carboxypeptidase H (CPH) and convertase, is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the CPE gene[3] This enzyme catalyzes the release of C-terminal arginine or lysine residues from polypeptides.
CPE is involved in the biosynthesis of most neuropeptides and peptide hormones.[4] The production of neuropeptides and peptide hormones typically requires two sets of enzymes that cleave the peptide precursors, which are small proteins. First, proprotein convertases cut the precursor at specific sites to generate intermediates containing C-terminal basic residues (lysine and/or arginine). These intermediates are then cleaved by CPE to remove the basic residues. For some peptides, additional processing steps, such as C-terminal amidation, are subsequently required to generate the bioactive peptide, although for many peptides the action of the proprotein convertases and CPE is sufficient to produce the bioactive peptide.[5]
Tissue distribution[edit]
Carboxypeptidase E is found in brain and throughout the neuroendocrine system, including the endocrine pancreas, pituitary, and adrenal gland chromaffin cells. Within cells, carboxypeptidase E is present in the secretory granules along with its peptide substrates and products. Carboxypeptidase E is a glycoprotein that exists in both membrane-associated and soluble forms. The membrane-binding is due to an amphiphilic α-helix within the C-terminal region of the protein.
Species distribution[edit]
Carboxypeptidase E is found in all species of vertebrates that have been examined, and is also present in many other organisms that have been studied (nematode, sea slug). Carboxypeptidase E is not found in the fruit fly (Drosophila), and another enzyme (presumably carboxypeptidase D) fills in for carboxypeptidase E in this organism. In humans, CPE is encoded by the CPE gene.[3][6]
Carboxypeptidase E | |||||||||
Identifiers | |||||||||
EC number | 22.214.171.124 | ||||||||
CAS number | 81876-95-1 | ||||||||
Databases | |||||||||
IntEnz | IntEnz view | ||||||||
BRENDA | BRENDA entry | ||||||||
ExPASy | NiceZyme view | ||||||||
KEGG | KEGG entry | ||||||||
MetaCyc | metabolic pathway | ||||||||
PRIAM | profile | ||||||||
PDB structures | RCSB PDB PDBe PDBsum | ||||||||
Gene Ontology | AmiGO / EGO | ||||||||
Carboxypeptidase E functions in the production of nearly all neuropeptides and peptide hormones. The enzyme acts as an exopeptidase to activate neuropeptides. It does that by cleaving off basic C-terminal amino acids, producing the active form of the peptide. Products of carboxypeptidase E include insulin, the enkephalins, vasopressin, oxytocin, and most other neuroendocrine peptide hormones and neuropeptides.
It has been proposed that membrane-associated carboxypeptidase E acts as a sorting signal for regulated secretory proteins in the trans-Golgi network of the pituitary and in secretory granules; regulated secretory proteins are mostly hormones and neuropeptides.[7] However, this role for carboxypeptidase E remains controversial, and evidence shows that this enzyme is not necessary for the sorting of regulated secretory proteins.
Clinical significance[edit]
Mice with mutant carboxypeptidase E, Cpefat, display endocrine disorders like obesity and infertility.[8] In some strains of mice, the fat mutation also causes hyperproinsulinemia in adult male mice, but this is not found in all strains of mice. The obesity and infertility in the Cpefat mice develop with age; young mice (<8 weeks of age) are fertile and have normal body weight. Peptide processing in Cpefat mice is impaired, with a large accumulation of peptides with C-terminal lysine and/or arginine extensions. Levels of the mature forms of peptides are generally reduced in these mice, but not completely eliminated. It is thought that a related enzyme (carboxypeptidase D) also contributes to neuropeptide processing and gives rise to the mature peptides in the Cpefat mice.
In obesity, high levels of circulating free fatty acids have been reported to cause a decrease in the amount of carboxypeptidase E protein in pancreatic beta-cells, leading to beta-cell dysfunction (hyperproinsulinemia) and increased beta-cell apoptosis (via an increase in ER-stress).[9] However, because CPE is not a rate-limiting enzyme for the production of most neuropeptides and peptide hormones, it is not clear how relatively modest decreases in CPE activity can cause physiological effects.
See also[edit]
- ^ "Human PubMed Reference:".
- ^ "Mouse PubMed Reference:".
- ^ a b "Entrez Gene: CPE carboxypeptidase E".
- ^ Fricker LD (1988). "Carboxypeptidase E". Annu. Rev. Physiol. 50: 309–21. doi:10.1146/annurev.ph.50.030188.001521. PMID 2897826.
- ^ Fricker LD (2012). "Chapter 3.5 Carboxypeptidase E". Neuropeptides and Other Bioactive Peptides: From Discovery to Function (Color Version). Morgan & Claypool Life Sciences. doi:10.4199/C00056ED1V01Y201204NPE002. ISBN 1-61504-521-X.
- ^ Manser E, Fernandez D, Loo L, Goh PY, Monfries C, Hall C, Lim L (Jun 1990). "Human carboxypeptidase E. Isolation and characterization of the cDNA, sequence conservation, expression and processing in vitro". Biochem J. 267 (2): 517–25. PMC 1131319. PMID 2334405.
- ^ Cool DR, Normant E, Shen F, et al. (1997). "Carboxypeptidase E is a regulated secretory pathway sorting receptor: genetic obliteration leads to endocrine disorders in Cpe(fat) mice". Cell. 88 (1): 73–83. doi:10.1016/S0092-8674(00)81860-7. PMID 9019408.
- ^ Naggert JK, Fricker LD, Varlamov O, et al. (1995). "Hyperproinsulinaemia in obese fat/fat mice associated with a carboxypeptidase E mutation which reduces enzyme activity". Nat. Genet. 10 (2): 135–42. doi:10.1038/ng0695-135. PMID 7663508.
- ^ Jeffrey KD, Alejandro EU, Luciani DS, Kalynyak TB, Hu X, Li H, Lin Y, Townsend RR, Polonsky KS, Johnson JD (June 2008). "Carboxypeptidase E mediates palmitate-induced beta-cell ER stress and apoptosis". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 105 (24): 8452–7. doi:10.1073/pnas.0711232105. PMC 2448857. PMID 18550819.
Further reading[edit]
- Goodge KA, Hutton JC (2000). "Translational regulation of proinsulin biosynthesis and proinsulin conversion in the pancreatic beta-cell". Semin. Cell Dev. Biol. 11 (4): 235–42. doi:10.1006/scdb.2000.0172. PMID 10966857.
- Beinfeld MC (2003). "Biosynthesis and processing of pro CCK: recent progress and future challenges". Life Sci. 72 (7): 747–57. doi:10.1016/S0024-3205(02)02330-5. PMID 12479974.
- Fricker LD, Snyder SH (1982). "Enkephalin convertase: purification and characterization of a specific enkephalin-synthesizing carboxypeptidase localized to adrenal chromaffin granules". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 79 (12): 3886–90. doi:10.1073/pnas.79.12.3886. PMC 346533. PMID 6808517.
- O'Rahilly S, Gray H, Humphreys PJ, et al. (1995). "Brief report: impaired processing of prohormones associated with abnormalities of glucose homeostasis and adrenal function". N. Engl. J. Med. 333 (21): 1386–90. doi:10.1056/NEJM199511233332104. PMID 7477119.
- Naggert JK, Fricker LD, Varlamov O, et al. (1995). "Hyperproinsulinaemia in obese fat/fat mice associated with a carboxypeptidase E mutation which reduces enzyme activity". Nat. Genet. 10 (2): 135–42. doi:10.1038/ng0695-135. PMID 7663508.
- Song L, Fricker L (1995). "Processing of procarboxypeptidase E into carboxypeptidase E occurs in secretory vesicles". J. Neurochem. 65 (1): 444–53. doi:10.1046/j.1471-4159.1995.65010444.x. PMID 7790890.
- Hall C, Manser E, Spurr NK, Lim L (1993). "Assignment of the human carboxypeptidase E (CPE) gene to chromosome 4". Genomics. 15 (2): 461–3. doi:10.1006/geno.1993.1093. PMID 8449522.
- Guest PC, Arden SD, Rutherford NG, Hutton JC (1996). "The post-translational processing and intracellular sorting of carboxypeptidase H in the islets of Langerhans". Mol. Cell. Endocrinol. 113 (1): 99–108. doi:10.1016/0303-7207(95)03619-I. PMID 8674818.
- Rovere C, Viale A, Nahon J, Kitabgi P (1996). "Impaired processing of brain proneurotensin and promelanin-concentrating hormone in obese fat/fat mice". Endocrinology. 137 (7): 2954–8. doi:10.1210/en.137.7.2954. PMID 8770919.
- Alcalde L, Tonacchera M, Costagliola S, et al. (1996). "Cloning of candidate autoantigen carboxypeptidase H from a human islet library: sequence identity with human brain CPH". J. Autoimmun. 9 (4): 525–8. doi:10.1006/jaut.1996.0070. PMID 8864828.
- Cool DR, Normant E, Shen F, et al. (1997). "Carboxypeptidase E is a regulated secretory pathway sorting receptor: genetic obliteration leads to endocrine disorders in Cpe(fat) mice". Cell. 88 (1): 73–83. doi:10.1016/S0092-8674(00)81860-7. PMID 9019408.
- Maeda K, Okubo K, Shimomura I, et al. (1997). "Analysis of an expression profile of genes in the human adipose tissue". Gene. 190 (2): 227–35. doi:10.1016/S0378-1119(96)00730-5. PMID 9197538.
- Cain BM, Wang W, Beinfeld MC (1997). "Cholecystokinin (CCK) levels are greatly reduced in the brains but not the duodenums of Cpe(fat)/Cpe(fat) mice: a regional difference in the involvement of carboxypeptidase E (Cpe) in pro-CCK processing". Endocrinology. 138 (9): 4034–7. doi:10.1210/en.138.9.4034. PMID 9275097.
- Lacourse KA, Friis-Hansen L, Rehfeld JF, Samuelson LC (1997). "Disturbed progastrin processing in carboxypeptidase E-deficient fat mice". FEBS Lett. 416 (1): 45–50. doi:10.1016/S0014-5793(97)01164-2. PMID 9369230.
- Utsunomiya N, Ohagi S, Sanke T, et al. (1998). "Organization of the human carboxypeptidase E gene and molecular scanning for mutations in Japanese subjects with NIDDM or obesity". Diabetologia. 41 (6): 701–5. doi:10.1007/s001250050971. PMID 9662053.
- Reznik SE, Salafia CM, Lage JM, Fricker LD (1999). "Immunohistochemical localization of carboxypeptidases E and D in the human placenta and umbilical cord". J. Histochem. Cytochem. 46 (12): 1359–68. doi:10.1177/002215549804601204. PMID 9815277.
- Fan X, Olson SJ, Johnson MD (2001). "Immunohistochemical localization and comparison of carboxypeptidases D, E, and Z, alpha-MSH, ACTH, and MIB-1 between human anterior and corticotroph cell "basophil invasion" of the posterior pituitary". J. Histochem. Cytochem. 49 (6): 783–90. doi:10.1177/002215540104900612. PMID 11373325.
- Friis-Hansen L, Lacourse KA, Samuelson LC, Holst JJ (2001). "Attenuated processing of proglucagon and glucagon-like peptide-1 in carboxypeptidase E-deficient mice". J. Endocrinol. 169 (3): 595–602. doi:10.1677/joe.0.1690595. PMID 11375130.
External links[edit]
- The MEROPS online database for peptidases and their inhibitors: M14.005
- Carboxypeptidase E at the US National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)


text:
Tropical Fish Keeping - Aquarium fish care and resources
- Freshwater Aquarium Equipment
- - cover for 60 gal acrylic?
cover for 60 gal acrylic? I am starting up a planted 60 gallon acrylic tank. As most acrylic tanks do, it has 3 large holes in the top (visual aid: this isn't my tank, but the top is kinda similar: http://www.myfishtank.com/ProductImage.aspx?ID=15). My previous tank was glass and had a full hood assembly on top. I'm kind of uncomfortable having the top on the new top open like that. Won't I lose water to evaporation? Won't my apartment start to smell like the LFS? And won't I have to worry about my fish jumping? :shock: So I'd like to have to have a lid for it. I've read that acrylic isn't suitable, as it will warp under it's own weight. I'm worried that a piece of glass that size might be really heavy to lay on top. Do other people put lids on their acrylic tanks? If so, what kind? |
Well, first off unless you have an air tight lid and air tight filters and never open either you're going to lose water to evaporation, there's not getting around it. In that situation you'd eventually suffocate the fish as well. A well fit lid will help cut down on evaporation though which is just one benefit. As for the smell, a well maintained tank isn't likely to smell that bad. Remember, the tanks at the LFS are horrifically overcrowded and there are usually more than a few dead fish present as well. I had an uncovered tank in my office for several months and never smelled a thing. There are benefits to a cover, less evaporation, no suicidal jumps for freedom from your fish, and no real draw backs. I'd recommend getting one but its no the end of the world if you don't. |
Thanks for your reply, Tyyrlym. Good point about the smell. I don't expect to completely halt evaporation in my tank, but I do think that when 50% of the top is open, the rate of evaporation is significantly higher than when you have a lid. For example - since I filled this tank, when I arrive home in the evenings the windows are fogged in the inside of my living room. Must be pretty humid in here. Do people recommend glass for a cover? Seems to me like if acrylic warps under it's own weight, putting a heavy sheet of glass on top would not be good for the material of the tank. |
A glass top doesn't weigh that much. It's not terribly thick. I honestly don't think the material matters myself, I just know that I've only seen glass ones sold. |
what are the dimensions of your tank? |
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text:
Private Equity Has More Than It Can Spend
Money pours in from investors, but investment plums are few
How does it feel to have a trillion dollars burning a hole in your pocket?
Ask the private-equity industry. It has been so successful in raising money from investors recently that it can't spend it fast enough.
Journal Report
- Insights from The Experts
- Read more at WSJ.com/WealthReport
More in Wealth Management
The amount of money raised by private-equity firms but not yet invested—known as dry powder—hit a record high of $1.073 trillion globally at the end of 2013, according to data provider Preqin, an increase of $130 billion from 2012. The total has continued to grow this year, reaching $1.141 trillion globally as of the start of June.
"Private equity has been the best-performing asset class for many institutional investors over the long term," says Hugh MacArthur, head of global private equity at consulting firm Bain & Co. "In a world where many other investments, like credit-based investments, offer a very low yield, they're saying they need to continue to pursue those returns, so they're putting more money into private equity."
The influx of capital is good news for the private-equity industry, but it may not be such good news for investors. Some analysts fear that private-equity firms will struggle to invest such a large amount, resulting either in money remaining uninvested for years or in fund managers overpaying for deals, both of which could affect investor returns.
Reinvesting Profits
For now, that's not deterring investors. They committed $431 billion to private-equity funds in 2013, the highest amount since the financial crisis that started in 2007, according to Preqin. And that is set to continue, as 90% of investors surveyed by Preqin in December said they intend to invest either the same amount or more in private equity this year compared with last year, and 92% said they would maintain or increase their private-equity allocation over the longer term.
One factor in those plans, says Bain's Mr. MacArthur, is that investors are reaping substantial profits from older private-equity funds.
Frustrated Shoppers
The problem for private-equity firms is that the same strong stock market that has allowed them to collect big profits in the past couple of years on their earlier investments is making it harder to find good investments now.
"A lot of the private-equity sponsors I speak with are really frustrated at finding opportunities at a price they're interested in," says Lee Duran, partner and private-equity practice leader at consulting firm BDO USA LLP.
Sectors like software as a service and health care are particularly popular among investors right now, says BDO's Mr. Duran, meaning valuations for companies with strong profits and good growth prospects can be very high.
In December, BDO asked more than 100 U.S. private-equity executives what their most significant challenge would be in the coming year, and the most common response was pricing, cited by 39% of respondents, up from 15% in a similar survey a year earlier. Second on the list was identification of quality targets, cited by 34% of respondents, up from 28% in the previous survey.
Despite these challenges, deal activity has remained strong, with $171 billion in private-equity-backed buyout deals in North America in 2013, up 10% from 2012, according to Preqin.
Money Is Still Welcome
The bottom line for investors: Private-equity firms may struggle to find compelling investment opportunities in such a strong market, and this could make it harder for them to achieve the level of returns that investors have come to expect.
It appears unlikely, though, that the private-equity industry will start turning away investors.
It would be very unusual for funds not to be able to find any suitable opportunities and to return money to investors, Mr. MacArthur says. It's more likely that they'll simply take longer than usual to invest.
"I don't think we're massively out of balance right now, but it's something that bears watching over time," says Mr. MacArthur.
Mr. Blackman is a writer in Crete. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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Pearly beads trim the edges of a gauzy, attached coverlet above a sleek dress of luminous silk charmeuse, fitting attire for a graceful gathering in a place of great refinement. Though not pictured here, a thin, self-tie string of silk at the nape of the neck ensures sleeves won't slip off of shoulders. A Catherine Deane original, designed exclusively for BHLDN. Back zip and button closure. Professionally clean. Imported.
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text: Flip Ultra HD: Our Favorite Cheap Camcorder Goes HDmatt buchanan4/27/09 9:20amFiled to: flip ultra hdFlipFlip UltraCamcorderCamcorders36EditPromoteShare to KinjaToggle Conversation toolsGo to permalink The most majorest problems with the Flip Mino HD are its squinty small screen and narrow lens, so seeing an HD rendition of our favorite cheap camcorder—the Flip Ultra HD—makes us happy. Besides going HD—bringing it up to par with our other fave, Kodak's ZI6—the Flip Ultra HD gets HDMI, a rare rainbow unicorn for these cheap pocket cams. It's got two hours of record time, and removable rechargeable batteries. Gary walked out of Best Buy with the so-far-unannounced Flip Ultra HD for $200, which is high compared to Kodak's upcoming $150 Z1x. Still, we can't wait to get our hands on it. [Gaxonline via Engadget] Reply36 repliesLeave a reply


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Our mission is to design and build fashionable lighting with integrity, delivered in the shortest lead-time possible while setting the industry standard for superior customer service.
Collaborating with Michi Designs enabled me to further extend the boundaries of kiln formed glass. From the start, wherein Brian determined the lighting structure for perfect illumination, to the end, wherein we realized a completely new, modern fixture, the process embodied challenge. Michi Designs met the challenges along the way with continued expertise, which culminated in the Light of Lanai. Thank you Michi!
I believe this is my first time order with Michi. I appreciate everything you have done to get this order approved and produced. And how good you have been to update and respond – I wish I could keep up with email as well. And you did all of this on a small order.
Michi Designs was amazing to work with on our project at the Tetherow Resort in Bend, Oregon. They partnered with us to bring our vision to life on budget and on time for everything from lighting to tables. We needed highly custom work and they didn't hesitate to accommodate. The owner, Brian, provided impeccable customer service making sure that everything on site was just right.
Michi will be first on our list for future projects and we look forward to working with them again soon!


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sure. everyone on this topic has heard of rainbow-monkey's topic. but this is ightly different.
so you have heard of the Pokemon mystery dungeon games right? you know how in every game (exept the 3ds one) you become a pokemon based on your personality?
based on your personality, what kind of pokemon are you? and who is your partner you would like to be best friends with (or mabye even love!)
you dont need to follow the game. just judge ur own personality and think what pokemon fits that personality! then, pick a partner and choose your team name!
I have an innocent,happy-go-lucky,weird( no joke) and easily angered personality. if i was playing explorers of sky, i would be skitty and my partner is a male shinx. we are team comet
if i was playing gates to infinity, i think my personality would fit oshawott. my partner would be a male axew and we will be called team DragonSplash!
What kind of MYSTERY DUNGEON pokemon are you?
Started by
, Mar 11 2013 08:47 AM


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Kim Holdren Kowalski lists her self as currently employed by this business on her LinkedIn page, claims she's been their webmaster since 2011, yet in her glowing review, she does not disclose this.
At best it's highly questionable.
Anyone in Colorado who rates this place high, knows nothing about Italian food. Pronounced by Coloradans as "Eye Talian food". If you think this place represents Italian food in any way, you are sadly mistaken. My family and I will never be back. Sign me the only Italian in all of Colorado Springs.
Everyone leaving reviews on here is spot on...its a joke....send the health inspector...and i don't care if the review is a year old...I was there today and its all still spot on!!!! smells like pot and cigs and the staff is the rudest I have ever encountered.
This is a story of how a local business losses a good, profitable customer.
I have been going here for almost a decade now. We are OK with the random service misses but today (Father's Day) just took the cake. This is the second time that this similar issue has happened to us.
My Wife asked me where I wanted to go to have a nice, just the two of us, Father's Day Dinner. I said WINGS! In short order we fired up the Harley and hit the road from the Peyton area on our way to O'Malley's in Palmer Lake. I wanted their wings that much so we rode the 30 plus miles to get there. The place if you have ever been there is a local, biker'ish bar that does do wings good with the other food being pretty standard pub quality. When in doubt we do like to patronize mom-n-pop local businesses in the area.
However, it took us a long time to hit O'Malley's after the first service zinger last year. Well they just did it again and frankly that is it! We work hard for our money and it is very difficult to pass that money along to a place that seems to think having poorly trained, bad attitude waitresses are OK with providing terrible service to very loyal customers. A waitress named Hannah (not even our primary waitress) felt is necessary to make a scene when she had thought we had too much Blue Cheese dressing for our wings (and unlimited salad bar). The fact is we asked for Blue Cheese but were delivered Ranch instead which I had to explain to her while our food was getting cold.
The back story: when our burger, salad bar and wings were delivered (by the owner) there was no waitress in sight right afterwards. They were busy, they were slow so with a nice hot steaming pile of wings sitting right in front of us we thought it appropriate to snag a scoop of Blue Cheese from the already "paid for" salad bar and start digging in. However, Hannah walked up behind me looking over my shoulder and rudely interrupted us right in the middle of eating to start berating us publically on the dressing issue. We were forced to listen to her recite, in a very condescending manner, some nonsense about it was too much for my order of 10 wings so she was going to add an upcharge to my bill. I want to make a note here too that I actually ended up not having enough for my 10 wings and ate the last 3 dry. We literary sat there dumbfounded listening to her, along with the other surrounding tables hearing her as well, give a lesson on Blue Cheese dressing ordering practices for O'Malleys Pub. I honestly wished I had recorded this so you all can actually hear for yourself this ridiculous situation! I told my waitress about the encounter (who was nice) and she explained that Hanna already had come to work with a bad attitude. FYI- If you look at Timothy D review you can see this is a common theme at O'Malley's BTW.
The owner was there, therefore I guess my waitress told him about the experience and they took the charge off the bill! Like that was going to make a difference. It was not a money thing, it was an issue with very poor service....... She completely embarrassed us and certainly didn't help the Father's Day mood. Although my waitress was fine she was fairly apathetic to the situation and if the owner was aware of the issue and did not take the time to at least apologize he must have been equally apathetic too or thought I was stealing dressing. My Wife and I talked about it on the way home and decided that unless there is some group thing we need to go to O'Malley's for we will not go out of our way to patronize them again until they find their way back to treating people with respect. this was not just a bad experience, it was an awful one that ultimately for O'Malley's took a good customer and chased them off. In this case you have to hold the owner accountable since this is a common theme with our experiences and judging by other reviews is how they run their business.
Look, I have to say the wings are very good and I can't take that away from them. BUT they have lost their magic, local draw and most importantly the reason they are in business- THE CUSTOMER. I would think the owner might clue into the fact that if multiple people are calling them out on their oh so important "dressing" policy maybe it just might make sense to give enough in the first place.
After walking by several times, I decided
to give Bingo Burger a chance. I live downtown. I chose to "build my own" and asked for a cheeseburger with fried/grilled onions. I was told by Sarah that they had "glazed onions" which are pre made. I'm not familiar with "glazed onions" and I don't think it sounds very appetizing, since it is pre made. I decided to wait until they weren't busy, as a courtesy, and went in to talk to the manager the following day. He also told me that they would not grill my onions. I happen to believe that the customer is always right. I'm from the East Coast and there is no hesitation to accommodate a customer who wants grilled onions on their cheeseburger. If I'm not permitted to have a burger the way I ordered it, I'm not going back. It's a shame too, because it seemed like a nice place. I'll sooner go to Jack Quinn's for the fish and chips. Bingo, feel free to contact me and make this right. If you make it right, I will remove this post, if possible. 719-480-1250 Christian Romansky
send the health inspector over there.That usually gets them to sit up and pay attention.
However their pizza may be good their business accounting is not!They don't have the money to pay their employees. They keep BOUNCING paycheck with more than one employee!! Bad business ethics.
This place is not the best, & the owner wow what a baby. The way he runs this business is just sad. I stated I had some negative experiences & he "bashed" me on his personal FB.
"We were recommended to do a catering job but there is somebody by the name of Carlos Diego Martinez hateing non-Sonchos of course he pulled out the bitch card I can't even tell who he is dude dude looks like a chick never even seen the guy before come to Sonchos straight hater sinse you wanna speak your mind!!!!!funny stuff he gave casa Bonita in Denver 5 stars.. LoL!!!!"
really this is the kind of people I'm suppossed to support?
Disgusting kitchen! I really liked the pizza the first few times we ate there. The last time my family ate there will be the last and here's why.... We went in and got a table for six of us in the small dining area so it's hard to miss us. We ordered pizza and got our drinks and then we waited, and waited and waited. 45 minutes later after 8-10 customers had come in and got their take out orders we went to the counter and asked what was taking so long to find out they had lost our order even though we were the only customers sitting in the dining area. They re-did our order and promised to give us free dessert to make up for it. In the meantime my Granddaughter had to use the bathroom so they let my wife escort her through the kitchen. The kitchen was filthy and the back door was open letting in a lot of flies. The flies were everywhere. When she came back from the bathroom our pizza was there and we were already eating over an hour after we ordered or I would have left and demanded our money back after hearing about the kitchen filth. We never got our free dessert though we wouldn't have eaten it. No apology from management; they blamed everything on having been busy earlier and having several new employees.
I will never eat there again. The margaritas are weak, taste like virgin margaritas.
The service was good and I am a fan of beef Fajitas, I like steak fajitas where you have strips of steak, the steak in their fajitas are all shriveled up and dry. Worst beef fajitas I have ever had! Do not ever eat at Pueblo Viejo on Stetson Hills, save your money and save your self from a big
So ridiculously filthy, I couldn't believe it. They did appear to be understaffed, but the people working were in no hurry at all and seemed to be moving in slow motion. I will never go there again and would never ever recommend it. Even the counter where they give you your food looked like it hadn't been cleaned in weeks. Disgusting.
So this is not my first trip to Heart of J or my first time to this particular Heart of J. In the past I've ranted and raved about the food and the service but no more. The hummus and baba ghanoush didn't taste as good as what you can get from the grocery store. I'm a creature of habit, once I find something I like at a place it's hard to get me to change. I always get the lamb shawarma and it's always great but not this time. I'm not even sure what was on it was lamb the cucumber sauce seemed to have been replaced with mayo, the flat bread for dipping was hard as a rock. Lastly I always make it a point to get Turkish Coffee and even this was a major disappointment, watery, little taste and all grounds. Over the past 6 months or so I've been here at least 8 or 9 times and I live in Parker, never again. Very disappointed!
Very BAD service. Pre paid for the food deal (one slice,knots and drink). Waited about 30 minutes, then checked up with what was taking so long and they said just a few more minutes. 20 minutes later they said my order didn't exist. Asked for refund and they gave me a hard time. I left and counted my change the lady short changed me, so I went back in and she said that I had to pay for the drink cup! I asked to speak with the manager and he was very rude yelling at me in front of the customers! NEVER coming here again.
Side Note: Other people orders were also "Non existent". Very Disappointing.
Been here once before and had luke warm re heated pizza, not good.
This place is a joke.. The cooks do not know whar there doing.. the chef is a discusting.. i order two different times there.. first i ordered a club sandwich.. witch was very discusting the Turkey that was in the sandwich had a weird distinct color and a smell. And the veggies are discusting had to trow it away.. and second is there California Burger. The chicken was raw.. i will never again eat there or even suggest that place to any one..
I ate at the Famous last week...and finally have my strength back enough from being sick to say it was the absolute worst meal I have ever eaten out. What in the meal made me sick...I don't know, but it was all tough, tasteless, cold, and just bad.
The meat was the worst part...try the Texas Road House if you want a juicy, hot, nicely charred steak. The Famous sucks.
P.F. Chang's restaurant in Colorado Springs used to be great in service, atmosphere, and food but it's going downhill fast. It's has always been a bit pricey compared to other Chinese restaurants. The food is now WAY over salted/seasoned with smaller portions at a higher price too! The service is now sub-par at best and if need anything more than one drink refill or your check good-luck in getting service. And lastly, the atmosphere is now a trendy stuck-up upper-middle class snobs hang-out...too bad! And yes, if you're looking for an authentic Chinese meal then P.F. Chang's is NOT the place to go!
I agree, even with the new ownership and remodeling, it all looked and tasted worse. No wonder why they closed it down.
We arrived just before 6 am on Friday; there appeared to be just a single employee, who not only opened the door ten minutes late, she proceeded to seat just the first group of diners before disappearing into the back. No eye contact, no "I'll be right with you," nothing but silent contempt. Since she made it clear, on behalf of her business, that iHop cares nothing for our business, we left and won't ever go back.
We tried Jun several times. The food was OK, not great, and the service was horrific. Go to Ai, just down the road. Better food, nice people.
You need to go there when you are not hungry just to watch how awful the wait staff is...carry out has its own set of waits involved.
Jun needs to take care of this because it is hurting his business...we often think about going there, and then decide we don't want to be frustrated and have our evening upset by incompetence and insolence.


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Governor Brown Signs Law Aimed At Preventing Concussions
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Aired 7/30/14 on KPBS News.
Governor Jerry Brown has signed a law putting restrictions on football practices at middle and high schools.
Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed a law that regulates football team practices at middle and high schools. Included in the law are bans against full-contact practices that last longer than 90 minutes on a single day and contact practices during the offseason.
The law goes into effect on Jan. 1, and is designed to reduce concussions and other serious brain injuries.
Alan Shahtaji, a doctor specializing in sports medicine at UC San Diego's Concussion Clinic thinks the new law is a step in the right direction.
"The old school thought, 'You got to get your bell rung in there, you're not tough if you don't play through it,' doesn't apply to concussions," Shahtaji said.
An untreated concussion can result in prolonged symptoms, and a second concussion sustained while a prior concussion is still healing can result in permanent brain damage.
"So you look at the Super Bowl study from last year, 85 percent of NFL players would play the game with a concussion. (A Pediatric Journal study found) a third of high school players would not seek attention for a concussion," Shahtaji said.
Shahtaji says treating a concussion is crucial and can have a beneficial long-term impact.
"It's not your ankle, it's not your knee, it's not something you can come back from if you make the wrong decision," Shahtaji said.
On Tuesday, the NCAA reached a $75 million settlement with former college athletes that provides funding for concussion testing and research. As part of the settlement, the NCAA will also be changing how head injuries are handled at games.
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In an effort to change perceptions and build trust, 6,000 real estate developers across the country, who are members of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Association (Credai), will sign on a self-imposed code of conduct that embraces best practices in the business, the core team of Credai said at a press meet in Delhi.
By signing this code of conduct, developers will commit to the sale agreement they sign with buyers, specify the carpet area of dwelling and also provide detailed break-up of the room sizes, specify when they will deliver the project, spell out the penalty for the developer for delays as well as for the customer if he defaults on payments.
"We want each developer to sign on the code of conduct within
six months," said Credai national president Lalit Kumar Jain and asked consumers to buy a flat from a builder who is not a Credai member. This has already become a norm in cities in the South and the West. Jain urged consumers to take up their grievances with a builder at Credai's consumer redressal levels at the local or state level before going to courts.Credai wants to set up consumer redressal cells in every state to address consumer disputes. Such cells have already come up in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Credai is also working on model agreement that could be adopted by its members, though this would be different across different micro-markets.


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The Horse Forum
- Barn Maintenance
- - Fun Topic
Fun Topic So imagine that you could build any kind of stable you wanted and money is no object. What kind of fun/unusual stuff would you add? Get creative! What would really make your life and horses' lives easier? |
I wouldn't have anything overly odd. I would have a 10 stall barn, a wash bay, a huge tack room, a feed room, attached riding arena and above would be where I lived that way I could just walk down the stairs and see my babes. |
i'd like a starbucks please... :D |
hrm... if I could have anything... I would have real grass that never needed any management! |
Automatic feeders, waterers and poop picker upers so I could go on a non-horse vacation once in awhile. I like the grass idea so pastures that never wore out or needed maintanance. Fence that never needed painting or mending. And if it was fantasy land beautiful weather that was a constant 75 degrees and only rained when I wanted it to. |
LOL someone posted awhile back if they could train the horse to poop in a bucket then carry the bucket to the gate it would be heaven |
That would be dandy. I know I hate when my horse poops right after I clean his stall. As soon as I see him starting to poop I run over with the shovel and catch it before it hits the ground. |
Mirrors all around the indoor arena. Poop convey-er so i don't have to haul poop to a pile myself. |
I'll just steal your idea and improve on it. Say theres a long conveyor belt that runs down the length of your barn in the backs off all the stalls. You open a little door in the back of the stall and theres your conveyor belt. Just flip it on and shovel all the waste onto the belt. It gets hauled away to your waste bin and then later, when the bin is full, someone comes and takes it away for fertilizer. No more muck buckets. |
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The Toledo Opera Chorus performs in the November production of Sweeney Todd.
Chris Barbeau / Toledo Opera Theater Sweeney Tod Enlarge
Joe Scalzo, Jr. is a Toledo attorney. When not in court, he travels the world as an internationally certified wrestling referee. Both are high-pressure jobs. To relax, he sings.
Scalzo has been a member of the Toledo Opera Chorus for the past 20 years. "It's my escape from reality. On stage the problems of the world seem to go away," he says.
Toledo Opera is looking for more singers like Scalzo. The company holds chorus auditions for the upcoming season from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday in its studio at 425 Jefferson Ave.
"All of our singers are volunteers. It's already a fine chorus, but we are always looking to raise the standard even higher," says chorus master Kevin Bylsma.
Members tend to commit for the long term.
Glendale-Feilbach Elementary School assistant principal Janna Ravel has been a chorus member for five seasons.
"I love the magic of the whole thing. I have sung a lot around town, but this is real professional theater. It's great to be a part of it."
It is also plenty exciting, she adds.
"There is no substitute for the feeling of watching the curtain go up, or making your first entrance. That's the greatest high there is," she says.
The opera chorus longevity award goes to Jim Burns, a Maumee City Schools music teacher who joined in 1969 as a 17-year-old. "It's just plain fun," says Burns.
"Some of us are trained in music; others are not. We are all here because we love it. Waiting to go on stage we are like a bunch of race horses waiting to run. It's hard to hold us back."
Depending on availability, chorus members may participate in just one, or all four of next season's productions, which include: Mozart's Don Giovanni, Puccini's La Boheme, Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors, and Ward's The Crucible. Rehearsals are on Sunday evenings and begin five to six weeks before a production.
Toledo Opera holds chorus auditions for the upcoming season from 3-5 p.m. Sunday in its 4th floor studio at 425 Jefferson. Singers should prepare one song in any language. Information: 419-255-7464.


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ADDISON, Mich. - Two people were killed and five hurt yesterday in a head-on crash along U.S. 127, two miles north of Addison, Lenawee County sheriff's deputies said.
The identities of the victims were unavailable last night pending notification of relatives.
Deputies said one of those killed was a female driver who was southbound on U.S. 127 about 1:50 p.m. in icy weather when her pickup crossed the center line and struck a northbound station wagon near the Pine Road intersection. The driver of the station wagon, a 77-year-old Virginia man, also died.
Two passengers in the pickup were hurt, as were three in the station wagon, deputies said. The injured were taken to area hospitals for treatment. Their identities, ages, and conditions were unavailable last night.


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Do you ever wish you could check your child's Immunization Record or Health Record like you do your bank account?
Well now you can!
Sansum Clinic now offers MyChart Proxy access for parents of children 11 years old and under*. This is an excellent way to keep track of your child(ren)s Immunization History as well as their Well Child Visits. MyChart Proxy for children can save time and effort when gathering immunization data for sports teams and camps.
MyChart allows you to perform the following:
• Check upcoming appointments
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• Look at labs in a graph or flow chart format
• Order medication refills
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• Keep track of valuable medical information securely
MyChart offers a free Mobile App that is useful at anytime you have your phone handy.
Click Here to Register for MyChart
Contact your Sansum Clinic Pediatrics or Family Medicine office to sign up for Proxy Access to your child's record.
Hitchcock Pediatrics: (805) 563-6140
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Family Medicine: See various locations and phone numbers
*Please note that due to State of California Regulations proxy access is not allowed for children 12-17 years of age.
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Medications and DrugsBrand Names: MexitilGeneric Name: mexiletine (Pronunciation: mex IL e teen)
What is mexiletine (Mexitil)?Mexiletine affects the way that your heart beats. Mexiletine is used to treat seriously irregular heartbeats. Mexiletine may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide. What are the possible side effects of mexiletine (Mexitil)?If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop taking mexiletine and seek emergency medical attention:
Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take mexiletine and talk to your doctor if you experience
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. What is the most important information I should know about mexiletine (Mexitil)?Do not skip doses, change your dosing schedule, or stop taking mexiletine without talking to your doctor. Changing your schedule could make your condition much worse. Use caution when driving, operating machinery, or performing other hazardous activities. Mexiletine may cause dizziness, drowsiness, or blurred vision. If you experience dizziness, drowsiness, or blurred vision, avoid these activities. (Page 1 of 3) Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Need help identifying pills and medications? |


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White Balance
The H7 has seven white balance presets (daylight, cloudy, fluorescent 1, 2 and 3, incandescent and flash) in addition to the default auto white balance and a custom (manual) option. In our tests the auto WB system worked pretty well in all outdoor situations (though we did notice a slight warm tone to daylight shots), coped very well with mixed light sources, but struggled to correct the color cast caused by shooting under artificial (indoor) lighting. In fact as the results below show, when pushed, the system is pretty poor. If you want neutral tones in such situations you need to use manual white balance. Interestingly the H7 produced slightly different results to the H9, though there is no pattern to the difference and we put it down to sample variation.
Flash Performance
The built-in pop-up flash has a range (using auto ISO) of up to around 9.8 m (32 feet) at the wide end of the zoom, dropping to 6.0 m (19.7 feet) at the long end - pretty impressive for a camera in this class (though be aware that at great distances the ISO may get pushed too high for really great quality). We found exposure and color to be very reliable, with the flash quenching well at distances down to about 10cm. There is a slight warm tone to flash photos, but in most cases this is better than being too cool, and produces nice skin tones. One minor complaint is the flash shot-to-shot time (partly due to the pre-flash metering used), which stretches to just over three seconds when red-eye reduction is turned on. If the batteries are low or your subject is a few feet away flash recycle times can rise to as much as 6 or 8 seconds.
Skin tone - Warm tone,
good exposure (H9 example shown) |
Color chart -Slight warm tone, good exposure |
Macro Focus
The H7's macro mode is even better than its predecessor, and lets you get as close as 1cm at the wide end of the zoom, capturing an area 35mm (1.37 inches) across. Obviously there are some limitations on the usefulness of a macro mode than requires you to get so close to the subject for really impressive magnifications. The biggest is the issue of the camera casting such a large shadow over the subject that you can't see it. If you prefer to shoot your close ups from a more respectable distance the long end of the zoom does allow you to get down to around 120cm (about 47 inches) to capture an area just under 10cm across, which isn't bad at all for a zoom this big (though there is some corner softness and mild distortion).
Barrel and Pincushion Distortion
Although the measurements aren't terrible for a camera with such a huge focal length range, the H7 produces images with visibly more distortion than most of its competitors. There is fairly strong barrel distortion at the wide end and noticeable pincushion distortion at all longer focal lengths (not just the longest setting). Of course it always looks worse when shooting test charts, but if you need straight edges (such as copying documents or artwork) then this ain't the camera for you.
Barrel distortion - 1.7% at Wide angle Equiv. focal length: 36 mm |
Pincushion distortion - 0.8% at Telephoto Equiv. focal length: 465 mm |
Specific image quality issues
Everything we said about the H9 holds true here too, so we'll repeat it:
Away from the studio in the 'real world', overall impressions of the H7's output are mixed, to say the least. On a positive note the focus, exposure and color are generally excellent (though the default settings may produce output that is a little 'overcooked' for purists). Highlight clipping is fairly well controlled (unless you push the dynamic range too hard), and the sheer versatility of such a wide zoom range - combined with fast focus and an effective stabilizer - means there are few photographic challenges it can't handle.
But look a little closer - particularly at a pixel level - and you start to see the compromises involved in squeezing a 31-465mm equiv. lens and 8 million pixels into such a compact form. We're not sure if it's noise reduction, poor demosaicing or over-compression, but viewed on-screen the images just don't look very pleasant, with visible artefacts and more than a fair share of optical issues.
The main issues are chromatic aberration, purple fringing, particularly at the wide end of the zoom, and excessive noise reduction. The latter causes smearing of low contrast detail (hair, foliage etc) even at low ISO settings and can add a watercolor-like dappling to out of focus areas and other soft details.
In fact at the very widest zoom setting it's kind of hard to find anything really positive to say about the H7's photos; at wider apertures there is a noticeable fall off in sharpness at the edges, strong fringing and an overall lack of crisp detail. If you stop the lens down you get less fringing but diffraction starts to soften the images.
I should stress that unless you're in the habit of printing your images at large sizes or peeping at pixels the H7's output is unlikely to disappoint, and it has a remarkably high 'hit rate', with few focus or exposure failures (obviously the focus 'hit rate' drops as you move towards the long end of the zoom range). But for us the output was uninspiring.
A couple of side notes; firstly the lens hood is definitely useful for reducing flare and should be left on whenever possible when shooting outdoors. Secondly we were surprised to find that even in sunny weather the H7's program mode tended to default to rather small apertures and slow shutter speeds (we're guessing this is to reduce the fringing and edge softness).
This is doubly problematic; over about F5.6 diffraction effects start to soften the H7's output - the lens' sweet spot is around two stops in from the maximum aperture (resolution drops fairly rapidly at higher F numbers), and you can easily end up with shutter speeds too slow to guarantee a blur-free result.
This problem reaches its zenith in the new Advanced Sports Shooting mode, which on a bright day was giving me 1/60th second at F7.1!! This means that all that predictive focus cleverness is totally wasted. This can only be described as a bug in the firmware, and needs to be fixed (there's no way round this either - unlike normal program mode the sports mode doesn't have program shift or ISO control).
Chromatic Aberration & Purple Fringing
All super zoom cameras suffer from some fringing (though Panasonic's processing removes it before you ever see it), and this camera's predecessor (the H5) was the worst offender. The H7 seems to be just as bad, and it is fairly prevalent at the edge of the frame when shooting at the wide end of the zoom and around high contrast edges. Unusually we found evidence of purple fringing even where the edge wasn't particularly high contrast (see example below). There's also fairly strong chromatic aberration at all focal lengths (though most obviously at longer zoom settings), although to be fair it's harder to spot this in normal prints as the fringes are only a few pixels wide in most shots. Either way this whole fringing issue - be it lens related or CCD related - is something Sony really needs to sort out in future models.
100% crop | 92mm equiv., F5.6 |
100% crop | 31mm equiv., F4 |


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What's up
New developments
The LOGIN development team continues to enhance ACUMEN so that it is more complete, covers more of the continuously expanding financial market, and keeps up with technology.
The new Acumen release 7.70 is out! It is available as usual under Sybase, Oracle and Microsoft SQL environments. It includes as main features the first phase of the development of islamic deals, a complete management of portfolio limits making it easy to follow daylight limits, stop/loss limits, position limits, etc, and also a nice feature to check the changes of a single field of the database, allowing for example to view only rating information changes on the "Counterparty" table.
Click on the "New Features" menu above to know more about this 7.70 release, as well as previous releases.
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After the success of the past training sessions, LOGIN opens the registration to training sessions. The dates of the 2 day sessions will be defined soon, so call us quickly at the Help Desk number, or use the "request" link.
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Look under engineers right armpit. What is that? Same with heavys hand.
Edit: This is a Troll thread turned conspiracy discussion thread.
Look under engineers right armpit. What is that? Same with heavys hand.
Edit: This is a Troll thread turned conspiracy discussion thread.
No insta-respawn Arena like the TF2 Beta thread suggested.Day 1 posted:
The heavy's hand
Isn't that just the heavys other hand.
rated myself clock
Yeah, it is his hand -_-
I only just noticed that the hat images have their names underneath. I remember it just being a plain grey bar there. Do I have a bad memory, or did that get changed?
Got changed
Welp that means that hat list that got shown around is real - the dude who first posted it had it up before that change got added :/
Hey look theres a car behind scot.
They're on Offblast.
It's a private forum, which is the reason why he posted them there in the first place. I'm surprised they even got leaked to other places, really.
unless you meant the hat list in which case you can find that yourself
Nevermind, I went through the thread here and noticed you were the one posting them. You even edited it to say "Backbiter's Billycock" once they posted the names on the update page.
Confirmed fake, sigh...
The heavy has the scout's thumb?
I never edited anything though?
I remember it said something else when I first read it.
It also wouldn't make any sense that somebody has an updated tf_english.txt and that Valve completely abandoned their original naming conventions from the first hat pack; each hat is named "tf_[class]_hat_1", not "tf_[class]_[type of hat]". If it was the way the "leaked" list has it, then the existing Spy hat would be tf_spy_fedora, not tf_spy_hat_1.
Guys, it was sarcasm.
Actually thats the Engineers left armpit.
That wasn't trolling, this is a perfectly good thread (properly titled and all) to discuss the conspiracies, instead of making new threads.
We weren't even talking about it anymore, hurr. Moved on to the fake hat list.
Which by the way I traced (abused Google) back to SA, your "private forum". This is actually the second fake hat list to go around; the first one was made by somebody on the Steampowered forums a while back and it sounded just as believable.
Wait ycs isnt set to private? That explains a lot.
I also want to say that I've been wrong before (Spy update). I really do like the ideas in this hat list and I DO hope that it's real, but until we get some some extra evidence straight from Valve's blog, I'm declaring it fake.
And for the record, in case some of you missed it:
Code:"TF_Engineer_Cowboy_Hat" "Texas Ten Gallon" "TF_Engineer_Train_Hat" "Engineer's Cap" "TF_Heavy_Ushanka_Hat" "Officer's Ushanka" "TF_Heavy_Stocking_cap" "Tough Guy's Tuque" "TF_Soldier_Pot_Hat" "Stainless Pot" "TF_Soldier_Viking_Hat" "Tyrant's Helm" "TF_Demo_Scott_Hat" "Glengarry Bonnet" "TF_Medic_Tyrolean_Hat" "Vintage Tyrolean" "TF_Pyro_Chicken_Hat" "Respectless Rubber Glove" "TF_Spy_Camera_Beard" "Camera Beard" "TF_Medic_Mirror_Hat" "Otolaryngologist's Mirror" "TF_Pyro_Fireman_Helmet" "Brigade Helm" "TF_Scout_Bonk_Helmet" "Bonk Helm" "TF_Scout_Newsboy_Cap" "Ye Olde Baker Boy" "TF_Spy_Derby_Hat" "Backbiter's Billycock" "TF_Sniper_Straw_Hat" "Professional's Panama" "TF_Sniper_Jarate_Headband" "Master's Yellow Belt" "TF_Hatless_Scout" "Baseball Bill's Sports Shine" "TF_Hatless_Sniper" "Ritzy Rick's Hair Fixative" "TF_Hatless_Engineer" "Texas Slim's Dome Shine" "TF_Demo_Top_Hat" "Scottsman's Stove Pipe"
Look at the hidden pages! The first letters of each sentence spell T.H.R.E.E.C.L.A.S.S. It's a Demo/Engie/Soldier update!
Actually, if you poke through the CSS files for the hidden pages, there are hidden pieces of each of them singled out into their own images, all pointing to the Engineer.
Not to mention the blatant snippet at the bottom of one of them mentioning the Soldier.
Honestly, guys, I think they're just fucking with us for now. It's clearly the Classless Update with this one and they're probably going to drop hints to the next updates throughout the duration of the update days. Just settle down; it's only day 1.
I'm a little curious as to what else this classless update could include. More hats and a trading system for one, maybe a couple more maps (hoping for some more ctf maps personally).
Yet we've got 3 days left. How will they fill all three of them with just those? I can't wait.
No that's called lighting.
Who said we only have three days left? But I do agree; I was wondering myself how they're going to drag this out over even a whole week when there's probably not nearly as much content as a class update. Hopefully this means it'll come out faster. :D
No one has said that, but through the general pattern of Valve Major Updates, the week it starts is the week it's released. If I remember right anyway.
Scot The Scout
The whole Heavy's glove thing is just the phong.
Fucking 09'ers,you have to hate them.
VALVe Does not fuck around.
Joke Items are real, and anything you thought was true, is not.
Jarate is the PERFECT example of this.
I bet they'll surprise us like they did in the Spy/Sniper update.
Only that this time it's gonna be a triple combo.
Do I have to show myself in ANOTHER speculation thread? I'm not even speculating anything special. But if by some far chance that it does turn out to be a class update, it will either be a soldier, soldier and a demo, or soldier/demo/engi.
zzzdude, get the fuck off your horse.
Leave him alone. He was right about the spy update, remember?
EVERYONE was right about the Spy update.
I mean, Goddamn, there was a Spy that showed up every 6 minutes behind the Sniper in Day 3 obviously ready to Backstab him. Gets pretty obvious from then on.
Also, I'll send an invite on my alt STEAM so you'd have someone to play L4D with.
Wow, you really do like to inflate your ego, huh? You're acting like you're some kind of divine being who deserves royalty and respect because you guessed it right on one update. Your words are nothing more than what you just said yourself: speculation. You are guessing just like the rest of us. Unless you are actually a Valve employee risking your job to tell us these details early, then you are no more credible than I am.
As for your actual predictions, you sound very wrong. Valve isn't playing us this time like they were last time; the whole novelty before was "LOL THE UPDATE IS A SPY!". There's no novelty in "LOL THE UPDATE IS A SOLDIER!". (Not to mention they possibly only did it just to have fun with the community...the damn kids at the Steampowered forums "predicted" a Spy update every single update) They said "Classless Update" and I think they're going to stick to it. Lots of hats, lots of maps, and a new game mode.
He is doing his hold minigun taunt, just no minigun.
no shugo remembre u haev 2 be nice too zzzdued its not his falut hes just ecxited about teh update is all
I seriously don't understand why so many people defend him. He acts like big shit for ideas that aren't even that original.
It even took him 2 months before crediting me about something I found. And when offblast was announced he was like "OMFG LOOK HER I DREW A PPAYLOD MAP JUST LIKE IT! UFFBLOST IS ARNEA AND COMOUNITY MAED BUT THAT DOESNT MATTAER BCUS IMA ALWYAS RIHT!"
I told him in the comments on his blog, and on facepunch. But no, he added it yesterday becase I was "butthurt". When you use 2 months to add something small like "Campin Carl found that detail" but can spew out A4 long stories of speculations you're at the most halfway right about, something is clearly wrong.


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New York struggles back 2 days after killer storm
NEW YORK (AP) – Flights resumed, but slowly. The New York Stock Exchange got back to business, but on generator power. And with the subways still down, great numbers of people walked across the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan in a reverse of the exodus of 9/11.
Two days after Superstorm Sandy rampaged across the Northeast, killing at least 62 people, New York struggled Wednesday to find its way. Swaths of the city were still without power, and all of it was torn from its daily rhythms.
At luxury hotels and drugstores and Starbucks shops that bubbled back to life, people clustered around outlets and electrical strips, desperate to recharge their phones. In the Meatpacking District of Manhattan, a line of people filled pails with water from a fire hydrant. Two children used jack-o'-lantern trick-or-treat buckets.
Big Apple improvises to reopen for business
NEW YORK (AP) – Two days after Superstorm Sandy brought business in New York City to a standstill, stores that lost power are again serving customers albeit by flashlight. Companies with closed offices are setting up shop in coffeehouses. And the owner of the Starlight Diner is borrowing bacon from his neighbors because the restaurant's cupboard is bare.
The world's financial center is struggling to get back to work as it deals with a subway system that's still crippled by the worst damage in its 108-year-history and power outages in major sections of the city. That's kept both employees and customers at bay. As a result, big multinational banks are in the same proverbial boat as corner bodegas: looking for creative ways to get their businesses back up and running.
New York City is home to roughly a million companies both big and small. While the impact of Sandy varies, the city's businesses face billions of dollars in damages and lost sales. So while reopening quickly is a priority, it can require resourcefulness and a smidge of creativity.
US stocks mixed after historic 2-day close
NEW YORK (AP) – Stocks closed mixed on Wednesday in their first session since Hurricane Sandy forced a historic two-day shutdown of trading.
The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 10.75 points to 13,096.46. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose, but barely – up 0.22 of a point to 1,412.16.
Investors were nervous that a flood of orders after two days of pent-up demand from customers might lead to volatile trading. But stock prices barely budged at the opening, and stayed within a tight range throughout the day.
Disney unlikely to change `Star Wars' brand
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Naysayers would have you believe Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm can only mean one thing: Bambi and Mickey Mouse are sure to appear in future "Star Wars" movies taking up lightsabers against the dark side of the Force.
Not so, say experts who've watched Disney's recent acquisition strategy closely. If anything, The Walt Disney Co. has earned credibility with diehard fans by keeping its fingerprints off important film franchises like those produced by its Marvel Entertainment and Pixar divisions.
Though the Walt Disney Co. built its reputation on squeaky clean family entertainment, its brand today is multifaceted. Disney, of course, started as an animation studio in 1923 with characters such as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Steamboat Willie and Mickey Mouse. Over the years, the company ventured into live action movies, opened theme parks, launched a fleet of cruise ships and debuted shows on TV.
Treasury says debt limit will be hit by late 2012
WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. Treasury officials said Wednesday that they still expect the government will hit the current debt borrowing limit at the end of this year. But they said they can employ "extraordinary" measures that have been used in the past to keep the government functioning until sometime early next year.
Treasury Assistant Secretary Matthew Rutherford said that Treasury would employ the same types of procedures it has used previously to keep borrowing under the current debt limit of $16.39 trillion until Congress votes to increase the debt ceiling. The nation's debt currently stands $16.16 trillion.
The United States has never failed to meet its debt obligations although the last battle over raising the debt limit in August 2011 went right to the last minute before a compromise was reached between the Obama administration and Congress.
Billionaires, shadowy groups fuel pricey election
WASHINGTON (AP) – Billionaires, anonymous donors and shadowy outside groups funneled enormous amounts of money into this year's federal elections, as the cost of the presidential campaign surged past $2 billion and is expected to set a record. Despite grumbling among watchdog groups and even candidates themselves, don't expect serious changes any time soon.
After a series of high-profile federal court rulings, the U.S. government's newly relaxed campaign-finance system allowed for unlimited contributions from corporations, labor groups and others; television advertisements from nonprofit groups that concealed who paid for them and the proliferation of at least 773 super political action committees.
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney experienced both extremes from super PACs: Some attacked him mercilessly during the primary elections and others have supported Romney's campaign by purchasing ads assailing President Barack Obama.
General Motors cuts Europe jobs as 3Q profit falls
DETROIT (AP) – Shares of General Motors surged Wednesday after the company announced big job cuts in Europe and reported third-quarter earnings that were far better than Wall Street expected.
The Detroit company said it has cut 2,300 jobs in Europe this year and wants to trim 300 more, part of a larger plan to reduce costs and raise revenue in the struggling region with new vehicles that are more appealing to buyers.
Despite the moves, General Motors Co.'s net profit fell 14 percent as European losses widened and North American earnings dropped due to falling pension income and higher warranty costs.
MasterCard's income rises on international growth
MasterCard's net income rose strongly in the third quarter as its overseas business thrived, the company said Wednesday.
The payments company's business grew by virtually every measure. It processed 8.7 billion transactions, an increase of 24 percent over last year. Excluding the U.S., people spent 15 percent more money using MasterCard-branded cards on a local-currency basis. Americans spent about 7 percent more using MasterCard plastic.
The overall volume of purchases rose 12 percent on a local currency basis to $676 billion.
PVH to buy Warnaco for $2.9 billion, gain Calvin control
PVH Corp., whose brands include Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, has agreed to buy rival clothier The Warnaco Group Inc. in a cash-and-stock deal worth about $2.9 billion. The deal would create one of the world's largest clothing companies and cement PVH's control of the Calvin Klein clothing brand.
Warnaco already sells Calvin Klein jeans and underwear, the brand's two largest categories, under a license and also sells brands such as Speedo, Warner's and Olga.
The deal is the second big acquisition in three years for PVH, formerly known as Phillips Van Heusen. PVH acquired Tommy Hilfiger in 2010 for $3 billion.
UBS chief: Other banks may need to downsize too
GENEVA (AP) – A day after UBS AG announced it was cutting up to 10,000 jobs by 2015, UBS chairman Axel Weber is warning that many of the Swiss banking giant's rivals may have to follow suit.
The Zurich-based bank is seeking to put scandals and losses behind it with a plan to downsize its investment banking unit and drop risky trading activities.
Its third-quarter net loss of 2.17 billion Swiss francs ($2.31 billion) was largely due to its investment banking unit, where new rules for increasing capital reserves reduce the amount of money for investing.
By The Associated Press(equals)
The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 10.75 points to 13,096.46. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose, but barely – up 0.22 of a point to 1,412.16. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite lost 10.72 points to 2,977.23.
Benchmark crude rose 39 cents to $86.07 per barrel in New York. Brent crude, which is used to price international varieties of oil, fell 22 cents to $108.86 per barrel in London.
Heating oil fell 2 cents to $3.05 per gallon. Wholesale gasoline rose 2 cents to $2.64 per gallon. Natural gas rose 3 cents to $3.86 per 1,000 cubic feet.