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It may be hard to believe, but Matt Ryan, once one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL, is already going into his age 31 season and his 9th year in the league. The 2008 3rd overall pick has made 126 out of 128 possible starts in those 8 seasons in the league and has completed 64.3% of his passes for an average of 7.23 YPA, 202 touchdowns, and 107 interceptions in his career. His numbers weren't bad in 2015 either, as he completed 66.3% of his passes for an average of 7.42 YPA, 21 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions, but he had his worst QB rating since his 2nd year in the league in 2009 and finished just 20th in the NFL in QB rating.
Many people blame his disappointing numbers on a bad marriage between him and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who took over as offensive coordinator last off-season, after Dirk Koetter spent 3 years in the role. However, I think the bigger reason he had a down year statistically was a weak receiving corps. Ryan actually finished the season as Pro Football Focus' 8th ranked quarterback, the 5th time in 8 years in the league in which he's finished in the top-10 quarterbacks on Pro Football Focus. He's also graded out above average in all 8 seasons. He should play well again in 2015, but needs more help from his receivers.
Grade: A-
Receiving Corps
It might sound weird to say the Falcons had issues in the receiving corps last season, given that Julio Jones caught 136 passes for 1871 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2015, finishing 1st in the NFL receiving yards and 2nd overall among wide receivers on Pro Football Focus. However, they really lacked depth behind him. Jones was targeted on 204 of 621 pass attempts, about 32.9% (highest in the NFL by a single player), while running back Devonta Freeman was 2nd on the team with 73 catches on 97 targets. Among wide receivers, Roddy White and Leonard Hankerson were 2nd and 3rd on the team with 43 and 26 catches respectively. The Falcons let both of them go and signed ex-Bengal wide receiver Mohamed Sanu to a 5-year, 32.5 million dollar deal this off-season, in order to improve their receiving corps. He'll be the starter opposite Jones immediately.
That will probably all prove to be wasted money though, as Sanu was arguably the worst free signing of the off-season. Sanu has played all 48 games in the past 3 seasons, but has graded out well below average on Pro Football Focus in all 3 seasons and has just 136 catches over that time period, including just 33 as the Bengals' #3 wide receiver in 2015. In 2014, the one season in which he saw significant action, he still only caught 56 passes and had a league worst 14 drops to go with that, giving him the worst drop rate in the NFL that season. He's a #3 receiver at best and isn't even really an upgrade as a starter opposite Jones, as bad as White and Hankerson were in 2015.
Sanu could still finish 2nd on the team in catches, especially if he commands a lot of targets, but that'll largely be by default; they don't have any other reliable pass catchers on the team. Justin Hardy is expected to be the #3 receiver, despite struggling on 340 snaps as a 4th round rookie in 2015. His only competition is career special teamers Devin Hester and Eric Weems and 7th round rookie Devin Fuller. Hardy should win the job, but is unlikely to take a big step forward in his 2nd year in the league in 2016.
Tight ends Jacob Tamme and Levine Toilolo remain. Tamme finished 3rd on the team in catches behind Jones and Freeman with 59, turning them into 657 yards and a touchdown, and could have decent numbers again in 2016. Tamme has actually graded out above average in 4 of 8 seasons in the league, but has averaged just 366 snaps per season in his career because of his inability to run block. Tamme played 772 snaps in 2015, but was horrible as a run blocker, causing him to grade out below average overall. Going into his age 31 season, he's not getting any better. He's a capable set of hands, but not much else.
Toilolo, by contrast, is more of a blocker at 6-8 265, with just 49 career catches for 337 yards and 4 touchdowns since being drafted in the 4th round in 2013. He's not a good blocker either though, grading out below average as a run blocker in all 3 seasons he's been in the league. Toilolo made 16 starts in 2014, but only out of desperation, as he finished 64th out of 67 eligible tight ends on Pro Football Focus and caught just 31 passes for 238 yards and 2 touchdowns. He's probably under-qualified for even the #2 tight end job and should be pushed for snaps by 3rd round rookie Austin Hooper.
As a result of the Falcons' inability to upgrade the receiving corps this off-season, Julio Jones will have to do all of the work himself again. Jones is one of the top few wide receivers in the entire league, averaging 7.8 catches for 112.3 yards and 0.44 touchdowns per game over the past 3 seasons. Jones was 2nd among wide receivers on Pro Football Focus in 2015, 6th among wide receivers in 2014, and was 4th among wide receivers in 2013, prior to missing the final 11 games of the season with a broken foot. He'll remain a huge asset for the Falcons, still only going into his age 27 season, but he's just one guy.
Grade: C+
Running Backs
Even with less than stellar numbers in the passing game, the Falcons still finished 7th in rate of moving the chains differential. Their running game, led by lead back Devonta Freeman, was a big part of that. Freeman rushed for 1061 yards on 264 carries, an unimpressive 4.02 YPC average, but he also led the league in rushing touchdowns with 11 and came in 2nd behind Adrian Peterson in rushing first downs with 67. Peterson had just 4 more first downs despite 63 more carries.
When you add in receiving stats, Freeman actually led the all running backs with 88 total first downs by a running back, as he caught 73 passes for 578 yards, another 3 touchdowns, and another 21 first downs. The Falcons probably want someone other than Freeman to finish 2nd on the team in catches in 2016, but they didn't add any significant upgrades in the receiving corps and Freeman has great hands, so he should still have a big role in the passing game. Overall, he was Pro Football Focus' 14th ranked running back in his 2nd year in the league 2015, after struggling on 65 snaps as a rookie, and could easily have another strong year in 2016.
Freeman likely benefitted from the arrival of Kyle Shanahan as offensive coordinator, as both Kyle and his father Mike have always done a great job getting good production out of their running game, with their zone blocking scheme. The Shanahans have also always been pretty reliant on one running back, rather than mixing in two or three. It's hard to take Freeman off the field anyway, but he should definitely continue dominating the snaps as long as he is healthy. Backup running back Tevin Coleman averaged 4.51 yards per carry on 87 carries in 12 games as a 3rd round rookie in 2015, but probably needs an injury to Freeman to see any sort of significant action. It's a good running back duo though.
Grade: A-
Offensive Line
Another staple of Shanahan coached offenses is improved offensive line play, which, in turn, helps the running game. The Falcons definitely got that in Shanahan's first season in Atlanta. The biggest beneficiary was left tackle Jake Matthews, which was huge for the Falcons. Not only does Matthews play the most important position upfront, but he was also the 6th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft and played concerningly poor as a rookie, finishing dead last out of 84 eligible offensive tackles on Pro Football Focus. In 2015, he leaped all the way up to 19th. Immensely talented and still only going into his age 24 season, Matthews' best football could still be ahead of him and he could have another strong season in 2016.
Matthews might not even be their best offensive tackle though, as right tackle Ryan Schraeder also was much improved in 2015, finishing 5th among offensive tackles on Pro Football Focus, including 1st among right tackles. Schraeder was not a high pick like Matthews at all, going undrafted in 2013, but has outplayed him in each of the past 2 seasons, grading out 22nd among offensive tackles on 655 snaps in 2014, taking over as the starter mid-season. The one concern with him is he was an old rookie (part of why he went undrafted out of Valdosta State) and is already going into his age 28 season. It's not really an issue for this season, as he should have another strong year, but that'll be a factor in determining what kind of long-term deal they try to reach with him. He'll be a free agent next off-season and is due for a big pay increase.
At guard, the Falcons have another pair of inexpensive starters coming off of strong seasons, but instead of young players on rookie deals, it's veterans on cheap, short-term deals. Both left guard Andy Levitre and right guard Chris Chester are great values. Levitre has made all 112 starts in 7 years in the league, since going in the 2nd round in 2009, and graded out above average in all 4 seasons from 2010-2013, including 3 straight seasons in the top-13 among guards from 2011-2013. However, he graded out below average in 2014 and was sent to the Falcons for a couple of late round picks. That allowed the Falcons to get him on a renegotiated 4-year, 23.25 million dollar deal. Levitre subsequently had a bounce back year with the Falcons in 2015, grading out 22nd among guards, making it 5 times in 7 years that he's graded out above average. Still only going into his age 30 season, he has a good chance to do so again in 2016.
Chester, meanwhile, was Pro Football Focus' 24th ranked guard, though he's a little bit less of a sure thing to repeat, going into his age 33 season. He also easily could have another solid year. He's made 127 starts in 153 career games in 10 years in the league and has graded out above average in 3 of the past 5 seasons. The Falcons brought him back on a 1-year, 2.35 million dollar deal this off-season, so they obviously think he has one more season left as a starter, at least. It's no guarantee, but he could continue to be a serviceable stopgap starter at the position. Both he and Levitre excel as run blockers.
The only hole on the Falcons' offensive line last season was center and the Falcons addressed that in a big way this off-season, by signing top free agent center Alex Mack to a 5-year, 45 million dollar deal, making him the highest paid center in the NFL. Two years ago, Mack would have definitely been worth it, as Mack was a top-11 center in each of the first 5 seasons of his career from 2009-2013, after going in the first round in 2009. However, Mack was limited to 5 games by a broken leg in 2014 and then finished just 13th among centers on Pro Football Focus.
Mack did great a big contract two years ago, as the Browns re-signed him to a 5-year, 42 million dollar deal, but he was able to opt out after 2 years and 18 million and still get another big contract. Going into his age 31 season, coming off of a serious injury and a down year, his 2nd big deal makes a lot less sense than his first one. However, even if he's overpaid, he's an obvious asset for a team that needed a center badly this off-season. With his addition, this is now one of the best offensive lines in football.
Grade: A
Defensive Line
While the Falcons' offense was great in 2015 and has strong potential again for 2016, their defense was what kept them out of the playoffs last year, as they finished 15th in rate of moving the chains differential. They'll need to be better in 2016. They have a crowded front 7, with a lot of capable players, but they don't have anyone who dominates on every snap. The closest thing they might have to that is free agent acquisition Derrick Shelby, who finished 23rd among edge defenders on Pro Football Focus on 836 snaps with the Dolphins in 2015, earning him a 4-year, 18 million dollar deal from the Falcons. He's a one-year wonder, maxing out at 446 snaps prior to 2015 and graded out slightly below average in both 2013 and 2014, but he could have another solid year.
Adrian Clayborn remains as the other starter. He's also coming off of a pretty solid year, grading out just above average. He too is a bit of a one-year wonder, but for different reasons. A 1st round pick by the Buccaneers in 2010, Clayborn had a solid rookie year, grading out just slightly below average and excelling as a pass rusher, but missed 28 games with injury from 2011-2013 and struggled mightily when on the field in 2012. He played in all 16 games in 2015 though and showed he's still a solid player when healthy. If he can stay healthy again, he should be a capable starter again, at the very least.
With Shelby coming in, 2015 8th overall pick Vic Beasley will be moving from defensive end in outside linebacker in base packages, playing the Bruce Irvin role in head coach Dan Quinn's Seattle style defense (Quinn was Seattle's defensive coordinator in 2013 and 2014). As an every down defensive end, Beasley graded out about average as a rookie, rushing the passer well, but struggling against the run. That was basically the book on him coming out of Clemson, highly athletic at 6-3 246, great pass rush upside, but doesn't hold up against the run.
The Falcons are hoping that by transitioning Beasley to more of a hybrid outside linebacker/defensive end role, they can minimize situations where he's playing on the defensive line on run plays. He'll play 4-3 outside linebacker in base packages and 4-3 defensive end in sub packages, rushing the passer off the edge. Both starting defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Derrick Shelby are bigger defensive ends at 6-3 280 and 6-2 280 respectively, so both could see snaps rushing the passer from the interior, with Beasley moving down to defensive end in sub packages.
The Falcons also have veterans Brooks Reed, Courtney Upshaw, and Dwight Freeney in the mix for snaps. Reed and Upshaw are both traditionally 3-4 outside linebackers and are pretty similar players. Reed spent the first 4 years of his career as a 3-4 outside linebacker in Houston, after getting drafted in the 2nd round in 2011, grading out above average in 3 of 4 seasons, but struggled to find a position in Atlanta's 4-3 in his first season in Atlanta in 2015, playing just 351 total snaps and seeing time at both outside linebacker and inside linebacker. He didn't play badly in limited action, but it appears they'll try him at defensive end in 2016, even though he's undersized at 6-3 254 and has graded out below average as a pass rusher in all 5 seasons of his career. He's not a lock for playing time.
Like Reed, Upshaw spent the first 4 seasons of his career as a 3-4 outside linebacker, after getting drafted by the Ravens in the 2nd round in 2012. Like Reed, he's not much of a pass rusher, grading out below average in that aspect in all 4 seasons in Baltimore, but he graded out above average against the run in 3 of the 4 seasons. Like Reed, he has an uncertain role this season, with Beasley playing outside linebacker and Clayborn and Shelby starting at defensive end. He's bigger than Reed at 6-2 272, so he fits as a 4-3 defensive end a little bit better than Reed does, but has been a 3-4 outside linebacker dating back to his collegiate days at the University of Alabama.
Freeney, meanwhile, was signed late in the off-season (early August) and is going into his age 36 season, but he might have a better chance at carving out a sub package role in this defense. He still graded out above average last season on 593 snaps (between the regular season and post-season), excelling as a pass rusher, as he always has. A likely future Hall-of-Famer, Freeney has 119.5 career sacks (3rd among active players) and has finished above average in all 9 seasons of Pro Football Focus' history, but he's not the same player he once was and it's hard to trust him at his age. He could prove to be a nice, inexpensive signing for a team that needed pass rush depth, but that's far from a sure thing.
At defensive tackle, 4 players are competing for snaps, and, as mentioned, both Clayborn and Shelby could see time in sub packages. None of the four figure to see significant action. Tyson Jackson and Jonathan Babineaux are the veterans, going into their age 30 and 35 seasons respectively. Babineaux actually led the position in snaps played with 557 in 2015 and graded out above average, despite his age. He's graded out above average in 8 of the 9 seasons in Pro Football Focus' history, but, at his age, he's really hard to trust. He'll play primarily as a sub package interior pass rusher again.
Jackson, meanwhile, is only a base package player at this point in his career. He only played 462 snaps last season and could easily play fewer in 2016. A bust as the 3rd overall pick in 2009, Jackson has graded out below average overall in 6 of 7 seasons in the league and below average as a pass rusher in all 7 seasons. Now going into his 30s, he won't be getting better any time soon. Both he and Babineaux could cede snaps to 2nd year player Grady Jarrett, a steal of a 5th round pick in 2015, who flashed on 268 snaps as a rookie. A breakout year is a real possibility for him.
The fourth defensive tackle in the mix is Ra'Shede Hageman, another young player, a 2014 2nd round pick. The first two seasons of Hageman's career have been disappointing, as he's been limited to 651 snaps combined and has graded out below average in both seasons. The Falcons will be hoping that he can have a breakout year in his 3rd year in the league in 2016, but Jarrett has a better chance. It's an underwhelming group of defensive tackles in general on an overall underwhelming defensive line, but the addition of Shelby will help.
Grade: B-
As already mentioned, Vic Beasley will play as the 3rd linebacker in base packages, moving to the defensive line in sub packages when a 5th defensive back enters. The other two linebacker spots are up for grabs though. Veterans Paul Worrilow, Philip Wheeler, and Sean Weatherspoon are in the mix, but all 3 struggled in 2015. Worrilow has made 42 starts in 47 games in 3 seasons in the league, since going undrafted in 2013, but has been one of the league's worst linebackers over that stretch, showing why he went undrafted. He's been a bottom-10 middle linebacker on Pro Football Focus in each of the past 3 seasons and a bottom-5 middle linebacker on Pro Football Focus in each of the past 2 seasons.
Wheeler and Weatherspoon have had good seasons, but it's been a while and now they are going into their age 32 season and age 29 season respectively. Wheeler was Pro Football Focus' 6th ranked 4-3 outside linebacker in 2012, but has graded out below average in 5 of 8 seasons in the league, has only twice played more than 550 snaps, and is coming off of a 2015 season in which he played just 146 snaps. Add in his age and he's nothing more than a desperation starter at best.
Weatherspoon is still relatively young, but his issue has been injuries, as the 2010 1st round pick has missed 35 games with injury in 6 seasons in the league. He missed all of 2014 with a torn achilles and played pretty badly on 159 snaps in 13 games last season. He claims to be healthy now and he was Pro Football Focus' 5th ranked 4-3 outside linebacker in 2011, but that's the only season in his career in which he's graded out above average and his injury history makes it hard to trust he'll be healthy.
With obvious issues at the position, the Falcons used a 2nd and a 4th round pick on linebackers in the 2016 NFL Draft, taking LSU's Deion Jones in the 2nd and Minnesota's De'Vondre Campbell in the 4th. Jones is expected to beat out the incumbent Worrilow for the starting middle linebacker job, while Campbell will compete with Weatherspoon and, to a lesser extent, Wheeler for the outside job. No matter how it shakes out, both are positions of weakness. Jones was a reach in the 2nd round, earning a 7th round grade from Pro Football Focus, while Campbell was not a high pick and can't be trusted as a rookie. The fact that both could start this season just shows you how bad the Falcons' linebackers are, other than part-time linebacker Vic Beasley..
Grade: D
The saving grace of this defense is a young secondary led by cornerback Desmond Trufant, a 2013 1st round pick who has quietly been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL since he entered the league. He's made 48 of a possible 48 starts in 3 career seasons and has graded out 7th, 6th, and 13th among cornerbacks on Pro Foootball Focus in 2013, 2014, and 2015 respectively. The Falcons made the no-brainer move to pick up his 5th year option for 2017 and will likely to try sign him to a long-term extension sometime in the next 12 months. One of the Falcons' true top-level talents, the Falcons will need to pay him like a top-5 cornerback at the very least to keep him. Only going into his age 26 season, he has a bright future, in addition to a bright present.
Another 4th year player starts opposite him, as Robert Alford has made 29 starts in 3 seasons in the league, since getting drafted in the 2nd round in that same 2013 draft, including 25 starts over the past 2 seasons and 15 last season. Alford struggled in his first 2 seasons in the league, but graded out above average for the first time in his career in 2015. He's another extension candidate, though they may be wary of overpaying for a one-year wonder. The Falcons drafted Jalen Collins in the 2nd round in last year's draft as a potential future starter. Alford should be able to hold him off for now, coming off of a strong season, but they may view Collins as the internal replacement to Alford.
Another reason why Alford should be able to hold off Collins pretty easily, if there even is any competition both the two, is that Collins failed a drug test for performance enhancing drugs this off-season and will miss the first 4 games of the season. That puts a damper on his long-term development a little bit, as does the fact that he struggled mightily on 306 snaps as a rookie. In his absence, the Falcons will have to turn to Akeem King, a 2015 7th round pick who played just 16 defensive snaps as a rookie. Depth is a serious problem behind starting solid duo at cornerback.
Adding to the youth in the secondary, the Falcons drafted Florida safety Keanu Neal in the 1st round 17th overall in this year's draft, to replace departed veteran William Moore. He will be an immediate starter, but was a reach in the middle of the first and could struggle as a rookie. He was given a 6th round grade and considered one of the draft's biggest busts by Pro Football Focus. Even if that's over-exaggerating it, Neal is much better moving forward then backwards at 6-0 211 and is a major liability in coverage. The Falcons see Kam Chancellor, who head coach Dan Quinn had in Seattle, but it might not work out that way.
With Neal often playing up closer to the line of scrimmage frequently, the other safety spot will be playing a deep center field, a la Earl Thomas if we're continuing the Seattle comparison. The problem is the Falcons don't have anything resembling Thomas on the roster. Ricardo Allen, a 2014 5th round pick, is the incumbent, making 14 starts in his first season of significant action in 2015, but Kemal Ishmael is also in the mix and outplayed Allen on limited snaps in 2015, grading out above average, while Allen came in slightly below.
Ishmael has some experience, making 10 starts in 2014, but has only once graded out above average in 3 seasons in the league since going in the 7th round in 2013. Neither are bad options, but neither are particularly good ones either. Neal injured his knee this pre-season, putting his status in question for the start of the season, so both Allen and Ishmael could see playing time together early in the year. Continuing the Seattle comparison even further, Trufant as the Richard Sherman isn't too far off, but the safeties are miles away from Quinn's old Legion of Boom safeties. The secondary is still their best defensive unit, but that's not saying much on this defense.
Grade: C+
The Falcons have talent on offense, but figure to have a lot of trouble stopping anyone on defense. That was basically the case last season, but they benefitted from the 2nd easiest schedule in the NFL and the 2nd fewest adjusted games lost to injury, two things they likely won't have again in 2016. They made a number of questionable decisions this off-season, including signing Mohamed Sanu and drafting Keanu Neal and Deion Jones in the first two rounds, and, aside from one-year wonder Derrick Shelby, didn't really add much this off-season. It's going to be tough for this team to make the playoffs.
Prediction: 6-10 4th in NFC South


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Letter to the Senators who Voted in Support of the Jobs Package
February 25, 2010
Dear Senator:
On behalf of the National Education Association's (NEA) 3.2 million members, we would like to thank you for your vote in support of H.R. 2847, the Jobs for Main Street Act – an important first step in providing essential resources to create/save jobs and jumpstart the economy. Your vote reflected the importance of quick action on jobs legislation, as so many in our nation continue to struggle.
We were very pleased that the bill included funding for school modernization in the form of an extended and improved Build America Bonds program. This program, originally authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is very efficient and cost effective for state and local governments, and demand for it is high. Passage of these provisions will help put Americans back to work by creating greater opportunities to build, repair, and modernize schools, and generating construction related jobs in local communities in every state.
Passage of this bill reflects just one piece of a broader strategy needed to create/save jobs and boost economic recovery. Ongoing state budget crises and continued high unemployment rates necessitate further congressional action. We look forward to continuing to work with you to address these urgent needs, including by providing state assistance to create public sector jobs and by extending for six months the higher federal Medicaid match.
We thank you again for your vote on this important legislation.
Kim Anderson
Director of Government Relations

subset: commoncrawl


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Betty Boop Double The Delight Reversible Womens Jacket
She's sassy! She's sweet! She's an entertaining treat! One thing is for sure: Betty Boop™ has a lot of personality! Now, celebrate the many sides of Betty Boop™ with this Double the Delight, Betty Boop™ Women's Jacket, a custom-designed women's reversible jacket.
It's easy to slip into true Betty Boop™ style with this Betty Boop™ jacket which is 2 jackets in 1 for the perfect combination of style and versatility!
Price:$149.95 US
Perfect in windy or rainy weather, this reversible jacket features two distinct looks. One side is crafted of water-resistant stretch polyester in Betty Boop™ red with Betty Boop™ and Pudgy art, plus glittery hearts and kisses on the front and back of the jacket.
The words "Ohh La-La" are printed on front and the famous phrase "Boop-Oop-A-Doop!™" is printed on the back.
The reverse side is in soft black fleece and features an appliqued Betty Boop™ accented with embroidered hearts and kisses on the front and a plain back.
The metallic zipper puller features a Betty Boop™ logo in the shape of a heart and is visible on both sides.
The hip-length jacket features flattering princess seams, a u-shaped hem, a fantastic cover-up hood and two zippered front pockets on both sides for even more fashionable detail.
- 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
- Available in women's sizes S to 3X; Small (6-8), Medium (10-12), Large (14 -16), Extra Large (18), 1X (20), 2X (22), 3X (24)


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The 2013 Greensboro Slide Jam is going down on
April 6th May 25th in Greensboro, North Carolina. The jam is scheduled to start at 10:00AM with registration followed by warm-ups at 10:30AM and the actual competition starting at 11:00AM, we'll post the whole schedule below. It's a sanctioned event on a closed road, which means you should be guaranteed to get some good runs in without having to worry about the heat shutting the event down. There's a $10 fee to register, gloves and a helmet are mandatory. As usual, the organizers say no drinking, chiefing cheeba, or littering.
In addition to just the usual podium, there's going to be an award for biggest slide and biggest switch slide as long as a raffle at the end. As of this post there are 90 people RSVP'ed as "Going" on Facebook, with that number likely to grow as the date draws near. If you go send some pictures and a quick write up so we can post about it!
According to the Facebook Event, the schedule is as follows:
10:30 Warm up
11:00 Grom Slide
12:00 Open Slide
12:30 Free Skate/Lunch
1:15 Top 10 Grom Finals
1:45 Top 10 Open Finals
2:15 Biggest Slide
2:45 Biggest Switch
3:15 Prizes/Raffle


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Catamount Ski Area
Catamount Ski Area, located on the Massachusetts / New York state line near South Egremont, Massachusetts, is one of the oldest original operating ski areas in the Northeast.
The careers of its owners, the Gilbert and Edwards families, ski area management is extensive – going back more than 60 years.
Catamount first opened in 1939. The mountain was served by three rope tows - two 1,000' long, the third 800' long. A 500-vertical-foot climb was required to reach the summit.
On the morning of December 7, 1941, an article appeared in the New York Times touting a wonderful new ski area in the Berkshires. Unfortunately, that same day brought tragic news from Pearl Harbor. With the nation on a war footing, Catamount closed until the winter of 1946-47.
The first generation of Gilbert and Edwards, Bill and Don, began their ski industry careers seven years later, when they took over management of the small ski area Fahnestock. The following year, the partners leased land from the State of New York and opened the Silvermine ski area.


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Ubuntu on Dell Inspiron 5547
If there is an issue with the information for this system, please let us know.
The Dell Inspiron 5547 portable with the components described below has been awarded the status of certified for Ubuntu.
Please note that for pre-installed systems:
- The system is available in some regions with a special image of Ubuntu pre-installed by the manufacturer. It takes advantage of the hardware features for this system and may include additional software. You should check when buying the system whether this is an option.
- Standard images of Ubuntu may not work at all on the system or may not work well, though Canonical and computer manufacturers will try to certify the system with future standard releases of Ubuntu.
Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS 64-bit
Available from ubuntu.com
Testing details
This system was tested with 14.04 LTS, running the 3.13.0-63-generic kernel.
Certification notes
- Updates required
This system requires all available updates to be applied in order to work properly.
- Proprietary Drivers Required
Installation of proprietary AMD video driver is required for full functionality.
- Touchpad gestures
From 2-finger touchpad gestures, only scrolling and tapping work on this system.
- Legacy Boot Mode Required
This system was certified using Legacy Boot Mode for certification. The use of EFI or "Auto" boot modes may or may not work properly.
- Slow Resume from Suspend
This system does not not meet our performance criteria for resuming from suspend, but suspend/resume is functional and other functionality is not affected.
- Dell: X18 (UEFI)
Hardware summary
This system was tested with these key components:
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Topaz XT [Radeon R7 M260/M265] Radeon R7 M265
Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8101E/RTL8102E PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller


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Travel & Leisure
Click on thumbnails to see galleries of images.
Active OutdoorLifestyle photography of people enjoying fitness related activities outdoors in the Southwest.
Nature & AnimalsScenic and landscape photography of beautiful places in the world; Portraits of animals in nature and on location.
Travel & Urban LandscapesPhotography of international travel to beautiful places; Photography of citiscapes.


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London Real Estate - homechannel.ca
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November 11, 2017
Cut The Stress When Buying Or Selling
Buying or selling a home is a huge financial task that can trigger a roller coaster of emotions. When you're being tossed around at every turn, it's critical to hang on and keep your feelings on track.
Novemer 6, 2017
Purchasing A Home or Condo
When searching for your perfect home, the obvious place to start is with the selection of a location.
Novemer 5, 2017
Home Evaluations
A comparative market analysis (CMA) is a report that estimates your home's value by comparing it to similar properties that have recently sold.
September 18, 2017
Live Large In A Small House
If you live in a small space, it's important that you don't feel boxed in.
August 15, 2017
Getting Ready for School Daze
Getting back into the school routine can sometimes be a little hectic. Here are a few..
August 1, 2017
Cut the Stress with a Moving Checklist
Moving can be an exciting life change; however, it can also be a very stressful event if you're not properly prepared. ..
June 27, 2017
Finding Your Dream Home
It's easy to get frustrated and overwhelmed when you're looking for a home which is why it's important to properly prepare in advance. Here are a few points to consider before you start your search ..
June 20, 2017
Getting your Home Ready to Show
When you're selling a home, the elbow grease you put into keeping it clean and neat can come with an added bonus: a quicker sale. Even though most homeowners wouldn't dream of leaving dirty dishes in the kitchen ..
June 14, 2017
Neighbourhood - What to Consider
Each neighbourhood fits into a particular school zone. It is important to identify which one you are in before purchasing a property. ..
June 6, 2017
Yard Staging: How to Stage Your Front and Back Yard to Appeal to Home Buyers
Whether you're just listing your home for sale or you've already started entertaining potential buyers, focusing on your..
June 2, 2017
Let There Be Light! 3 Easy Ways to Make over a Room by Adding New Light Fixtures
Light is an important design element that can be used to influence your interior decor in a number of ways. In fact, you can experience a major style and ambiance of a room by making a few..
May 26, 2017
Are You Ready to Make the Leap into Home Ownership?
If you plan on moving soon for a job or think that you won't be in town much longer, it may be better to rent. However, if you are thinking about living..


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Hypnotherapy, although mostly associated with stopping smoking or losing weight and increasingly known to help with fears, phobias and stress related mental conditions. However it being used more often to work with Psycho Physiological conditions such as IBS, Fibromyalgia and other conditions where there is no physical or biological cause can be found. At Hampshire hypnotherapy we have helped people with these issues and seen firsthand the healing benefits of hypnosis
The brain is a powerful organ that controls how our bodies function, heart rate, temperature, sending signals as to when we are hungry or thirsty or when our hunger is satisfied. The Subconscious part of our brain controls our automatic thoughts, behaviours (habits) and feelings. We can of course change some of those thoughts and behaviours as we learn new things or realise how we are behaving. However some changes need outside intervention via Counselling, Psychotherapy or Hypnosis. Counselling and Psychotherapy are great tools for understanding ourselves a little more and helping the client to live or cope with the related emotions. Hypnotherapy cuts away all the negative emotions associated with and event and any behaviour pattern that comes with it.
The healing benefits of hypnosis don't just work with the psychological related issues; it can also help with the physical too. Studies have shown hypnotherapy to help the body repair itself after operations, broken bones, more comfortable giving birth and as anaesthesia in operations.
At Hampshire Hypnotherapy we have used the healing benefits of hypnosis to help clients recover from breast cancer, relieve the symptoms of Stroke damage, improving cognitive skills and limb movement and reduce pain levels in medical procedures.
Our bodies are designed to repair themselves; hypnosis can help you connect with your ability to heal.
Pete Bateman
Further reading


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Deputy roads and rural development minister for international and financial affairs said on Monday that South Korea has allocated a five-billion-dollar finance line for implementing infrastructure projects in Iran.
Asghar Fakhriyeh-Kashan said that the Koreans have among Iran's proposed projects for joint foreign investment chosen making investments in construction of hospitals and tourism centers.
The deputy minister who was elaborating on the South Korean Trade, Industries and Energy Minister Joo Hwang-wan's Sunday meeting with the Iranian roads and rural development minister said that the Korean delegation's visit is mainly aimed at preparing the ground for South Korean president's visit.
'The South Korean delegation is also here to participate in the Iranian and South Korean Economic Activists Joint Meeting,' added the deputy minister.
He said that during the South Korean president's visit to Iran two memoranda of understanding (MOUs) and an agreement are scheduled to be signed.
'One of the MOUs will be signed with Hyundai for development of Iran's railways network, including the Chabhar-Zahedan railway in the framework of a Building-Lending-Transferring (BLT) contract, or a Building-Operating-Transferring (BOT) contract and the other MOU is on cooperation in shipping field,' he said.
Fakhriyeh-Kashan said that the South Korean side prefers long-term, infrastructure cooperation, which is approved by Iran and the issue will be pursued during the South Korean president's visit of Iran.


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Slash 4x4 LCG Final Stage: More testing and finalizing
As we were days away from finalizing the design and production schedule, we were hit with the news that Traxxas was about to release LCG setup themselves for the Slash 4x4. Immediately the first thought that came to my mind was "oh great…the original manufacture have jumped in…." However, it took about the time for me to eat dinner to decide that we were going to go forward with our LCG conversion kit production regardless of what's out there. Not just because we have come too far to quit, but I honestly believe our LCG is at a completely different level in terms of looks, quality, performance and price in comparison to what's available on the market. Upon further research, with the Traxxas components it will cost around $55 to convert a Slash 4x4 to a LCG setup, and that's with a plastic motor mount. With an aluminum motor mount, it will easily go up to $80+. So with our aluminum/graphite conversion kit coming in at $99, I really feel we will be competitive with our product, not just in performance but also in price. I feel very confident to let the customer decide if they want to pay $80 for a mostly plastic LCG conversion kit, or spend a few bucks more and get a CNC machined aluminum/graphite conversion kit.
From the beginning, the root of this project has always been more about show casing our capability to design and produce race competitive products, and not really about making a profit. It was also about me going back in time to finish a project that I had long had a desire to do, but wasn't able to tackle until now. This project also acted as a medium for customer to get a glimpse of what goes on behind the scene here at STRC and how product goes from concept to reality, bringing the customer closer to us and have a better understanding of how the product they put on the vehicle is developed. It just simply wouldn't be right to those that followed along this far to have the project end without having it gone into production. With these reasons in mind….We went forward with the project into production.
(down to the small details: CNC Machined aluminum front sway bar mounts)
(Hand modifying parts throughout testing. Here we add a slot to the design of the motor cam to provide easier access to the pinion gear screw)
We sent off the prototype to a customer/driver, Brian Reigle, who's out in PA to test the LCG kit just to gain more feedback, especially on setups. I always browse around on forums, and I first approach Brian after reading his on-going build/race thread on the Slash 2wd with our 2wd LCG conversion kit on it. What got my attention was how thorough he was on his write-up and his meticulous approach to testing and setup. I sent him a message to see if "Wyd" (which was his screen name) would be interested in doing some testing for us. Little did I know that Brian turned out to be an old customer of mine when I had my hobby shop back in the touring car racing days, and I recognized him right away after he gave me his full name. It was like catching up with an old friend, and I know we had a good guy testing our product. The following is Brian's take on the LCG project:
Now I have the new LCG Prototype ready to go and just waited for Sunday to come around as that is our off-road race day. First time on the track I could easily see the improvement over the stock chassis. Very first lap I noticed less overall body roll and much better steering response. Now I knew the chassis was better on the track so I went ahead and did some nose dives off jumps and made sure I would wreck off some of our jumps to start testing the durability of the chassis setup. With my old body on I made sure after I would run some race type laps I would also make sure I would make a few wrecks happen where I would roll off jumps or land sideways to get it rolling. We have a nice spine jumps where I would get 4' to 5' high and end plant my truck into the hard clay we have to see if the chassis or top plate would bend, twist or break. I never had anything happen while I was running the truck. Now it's been two full weeks of me testing the chassis and it's been nothing but better overall. The new LCG chassis for the Slash 4x4 was a success overall for me on and off the track. Been fantastic testing a product for STRC and would like to thank Steve Wang personally for giving me this opportunity to be a part of this new product.
With testing complete and all parts performed flawlessly, we scheduled the factories to begin production. For those of you that has been following Brian's threads on the internet message boards and also reading these articles, I sincerely hope we provided entertaining and insightful information as to just how a product is created and the amount of time it involves in producing a product like this. To put the icy on the cake sort of speak, we started a pre-order for the LCG kit with the option to custom anodize your kit to the color combination you want. Yup, during the pre-order process you can pick your color to have a unique LCG conversion kit for your Slash 4x4. This has probably never been done in the industry, and it is our way of saying "Thank you" for coming along for the ride in the development of this product. I took to heart all the feedback that I've read on the forums and received in email, and from Brian our test driver, and really try to put the best product out there at the best price possible. Reading all the comments and the interest on the message boards really motivated me and the design team to keep pushing, especially during some of the really long hours of going back and forth with the design in the middle of the night to try and come up with the best design or solving a problem on the design.
Currently the production is set to complete by the 3rd week of November (19th) and we hope to start shipping right after the Thanksgiving Holiday. Custom color anodizing option for pre-order will last until the 12th of November. Again, a big THANK YOU for reading these articles and your continuing support of STRC products. I will see you guys out at the race tracks.
Steve Wang
Click here to go to the pre-order page of the STRC Slash 4x4 LCG conversion kit
Check out the following message forum threads by Brian Reigle:
Updated 7/1/2015: some of the revisions to the chassis on the upcoming production run of the ST6822LCG racing chassis kit
Battery Strap profile reshaped although more simplistic, it allows for easier removal against the profile of the upper deck
More chassis reduction in the rear for more weight loss and also more clearance for the sway bar mounting on the lower A-arms


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I have a cute little Thanks Card to share with you today. I made this for my coworker to thank her.
I just love this card file. It is from Playful Parlour SVG Kit
When Mary designed it she used a vellum in the window areas but I like using a patterned paper in there.
I used the THANKS letters from the Everyday Cards SVG Kit. Here is a look at the card opened up.
BTW....Sandra Oakley won my Easter Blog Hop Giveaway! Congrats Sandra ~ Here is a link to her blog - Eclectic Diversions.
Head on over to SVG Cuts and enter the "Pin It To Win It! Spring Giveaway" - hurry up ends 4/24!


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Press Release
M7 Global Partners Unite with EMC to Deliver Optimized Citrix XenDesktop Virtualized Deployments
M7 Global Partners Align with EMC on VSPEX to Enable Simple, Efficient, and Flexible Citrix Deployments for Customers
M7 Global Partners today announced a comprehensive strategic initiative with EMC® to collaborate on the development and deployment of desktop virtualization infrastructures that integrate world-class technologies from EMC and Citrix.
News Summary:
The initiative comprises the following:
- Development and execution of dedicated customer-focused programs to design, optimize and support deployments of Citrix XenDesktop®
- Joint development of proof-of-concepts to meet customers' desktop virtualization requirements now and into the future
- Development of proven, pre-tested reference architectures, such as VSPEX and others, to ensure quick and easy desktop virtualization deployments
- Customer education to help establish the value and benefits of desktop virtualization as well as an understanding of deployment best practices
- A full-spectrum of professional services supporting a deep understanding of the virtual desktop deployment lifecycle to enable smooth and rapid navigation through every step of the process including assessment, design, deployment and optimization
Full Story:
M7 Global Partners today announced a comprehensive strategic initiative with EMC to collaborate on the development, delivery and deployment of desktop virtualization infrastructures that integrate world-class technologies from EMC and Citrix. An example of this collaboration will focus on EMC's recently announced VSPEX™, a new offering for channel partners based upon pre-configured and tested architectures. EMC VSPEX gives partners easy to deploy solutions that offer customers unprecedented choice while accelerating their journey to the cloud.
M7 Global Partners and EMC plan to develop and execute dedicated programs centered on the development of proof-of-concept deployments for customers, joint customer engagement and education, as well as the development of field-tested and proven reference architectures for optimal desktop virtualization infrastructures. This enhanced relationship underscores a joint commitment to meet customer needs and requirements with robust, streamlined, and timely deployments.
The collaboration between M7 and EMC is grounded upon a set of tested and validated EMC solutions for the Citrix suite of products and includes support for key hypervisors and protocols as well as both methods of desktop creation (PVS and MCS). The partnership will extend these solutions by enabling accelerated deployments of both proof-of-concepts and full-scale customer implementations.
Implementing a complete virtual desktop infrastructure requires expertise in desktop deployment and migrations, application virtualization, security, system management and storage design. M7 Global Partners and EMC are delivering world-class desktop virtualization deployments to a broad range of customers across a wide range of industries. To accomplish this, the partners are enabling customers through education and professional services including detailed assessments, deployment services and proven solutions.
Customer Quote:
Charles Rosse, system administrator II, Baptist Memorial Health Care
"To be able to manage multiple servers and their updates through virtualization represents an enormous time savings which directly translates to reduced costs in our IT organization," said Charles Rosse, system administrator II, Baptist Memorial Health Care. "With the dedicated VNX®, we are able to capture all the IOPS that we need and we can present critical applications to end users in a fast, reliable environment that is easily managed and migrated as needed. By engaging with EMC and LPS integration, a member of the M7 Global Partners, we are able to smoothly assess our needs, design the best configuration, and deploy very quickly. We were insured of fast and effective support in meeting our needs and overcoming any obstacles."
Analyst Quote
Mark Bowker, Senior Analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group
"The alliance between the M7 Global Partners and EMC for desktop virtualization with Citrix addresses many key barriers to entry for a customer. This relationship marks an opportunity for customers seeking to leverage partners that are well versed and experienced in desktop virtualization with a leader in storage. By uniting the partners expertise and validated EMC solutions, the partnership is tackling key desktop virtualization implementation challenges and making a mark in this rapidly growing segment of the market."
Technology Partner Quote
Cynthia Gallant, Vice President, Channel Strategy and Development at Citrix
"Our customers will benefit from the closer alignment between the M7 Global Partners and EMC. Through M7's expertise in consulting and implementation, customers can accelerate their deployments of desktop virtualization. Industry-leading technology from EMC combined with Citrix XenDesktop gives these businesses the ability to enable mobile workstyles for their users with anywhere, anytime access to desktops, applications and data."
Channel Partner Quotes
David Linzy, CTO, M7 Global Partners, President and Managing Partner, LPS
"The M7 partners and EMC are not starting from scratch, but rather we are building on our collective efforts and experience to advance our optimized solutions." said David Linzy, CTO, M7 Global Partners, President and Managing Partner, LPS Integration. "We are leveraging our position as leading partners for both EMC and Citrix by aligning to ultimately help customers realize the benefits associated with deploying a virtual desktop environment."
Adam Bari, CMO, M7 Global Partners, Managing Director, IPM
"M7's ability to perform end-to-end deployments allows us to build out a complete solution without having to obtain expertise from anywhere else, and extensive customer service and support is available to restore systems saving time and money for our customers" said Adam Bari, CMO, M7 Global Partners, Managing Director, IPM.
Kennith Rindt, VP of Strategic Alliances, M7 Global Partners, SVP of Sales and Strategic Alliances, AEC Group, Inc.
"M7 is very excited about strengthening our relationship with EMC in regard to the design and delivery of Citrix based solutions." said Ken Rindt, VP of Strategic Alliances for M7 Global Partners. "We have been leveraging EMC as a key component of our virtual desktop reference architectures from the start, and believe our alignment will be hugely beneficial for customers."
EMC Executive Quote
Parmeet Chaddha, Vice President, Solutions Group, EMC Corporation
"EMC is laser focused on accelerating the journey to cloud computing. Our recent announcement of the VSPEX Proven Infrastructure is a perfect example of how EMC, in conjunction with key resellers like the M7 Global Partners, is taking a concrete base of new solutions that are available today and partnering to assist customers in transforming their IT environment. We feel that through tighter technical, go-to-market and services alignment we can help customers more rapidly respond to key factors driving their decision to migrating to desktop virtualization."
The EMC solution for Citrix XenDesktop will be showcased in booth #402 at Citrix Synergy, May 9-11 in San Francisco. For further information and to view the associated whitepaper, please click here.
About M7
M7 Global Partners is a national network of the country's leading IT consultants dedicated to delivering datacenter and desktop solutions with an emphasis on virtual desktop solutions for mid-tier and enterprise customers and government agencies. The mission of M7 Global Partners is to increase the value, credibility, depth and reach of the regional M7 partner by developing a global organization that focuses on higher quality, more consistent, centralized relationship and experience for our vendors, system integrators and partners, and most importantly – our customers. M7 Global Partners is committed to providing its customers with the best desktop virtualization options available today.
- Learn more about M7 Global Partners
- Connect with M7 via Facebook
- Learn more about partnering with EMC
- Learn more about partnering with Citrix
- Join the #EMCChannel conversations on Twitter
- Connect with EMC via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and ECN
About EMC
EMC Corporation is a global leader in enabling businesses and service providers to transform their operations and deliver IT as a service. Fundamental to this transformation is cloud computing . Through innovative products and services, EMC accelerates the journey to cloud computing, helping IT departments to store, manage, protect and analyze their most valuable asset — information — in a more agile, trusted and cost-efficient way. Additional information about EMC can be found at www.EMC.com.
Press Contacts
Julie Quattro
EMC Corporation
Shannon Hoesing
EMC, VNX, and VSPEX are either registered trademarks or trademarks of EMC Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.
This release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined under the Federal Securities Laws. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of certain risk factors, including but not limited to: (i) adverse changes in general economic or market conditions; (ii) delays or reductions in information technology spending; (iii) the relative and varying rates of product price and component cost declines and the volume and mixture of product and services revenues; (iv) competitive factors, including but not limited to pricing pressures and new product introductions; (v) component and product quality and availability; (vi) fluctuations in VMware, Inc.'s operating results and risks associated with trading of VMware stock; (vii) the transition to new products, the uncertainty of customer acceptance of new product offerings and rapid technological and market change; (viii) risks associated with managing the growth of our business, including risks associated with acquisitions and investments and the challenges and costs of integration, restructuring and achieving anticipated synergies; (ix) the ability to attract and retain highly qualified employees; (x) insufficient, excess or obsolete inventory; (xi) fluctuating currency exchange rates; (xii) threats and other disruptions to our secure data centers or networks; (xiii) our ability to protect our proprietary technology; (xiv) war or acts of terrorism; and (xv) other one-time events and other important factors disclosed previously and from time to time in EMC's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. EMC disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements after the date of this release.


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You know you're in America when there is an installation that allows you to grab as many lollies as you want. This installation was quite funny as the gallery assistant kept having to assure people they were allowed to grab the candy, even though there was a sign telling people to take the candy. "Are you sure", they questioned the guy over and over.
Gets a laugh from me every time, a white canvas and someone intently studying it. This guy took a pic of it. I wonder if he'll print it out at officeworks and frame it. I didn't witness anyone taking a pic of the red emergency fire extinguisher, damn it, because I like that too!
Feminism apparently.
Don't you just love these colour bugs in front of the Jackson Pollock?
I particularly liked this Matisse teamed with this guy.
Girl before a mirror by Picasso, Mrs W has a good story on this one. I'll let her tell it later.
The Frida Kahlo was so busy and hard to get into to see.
Was impressed to see Paris Hilton's ex doing more with his money than spending all his millions on vapid socialites.
I thought this guy was cute standing in front of the Monet. He reminded me of some cute gingers I know back home. Hello Candricks!
A fantastic exhibition is on here at the moment by an American artist called Cindy Sherman, very funny and irreverent.
Just hanging with Claude, Frida, Pablo, Henri, Vasily et al. Loving the weird, wacky and wanky. That is art my friends at it's very best. Jealous? Should be! It was like stepping into my year 9 art history book.


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|Posted by heatherlanefarms on September 14, 2009 at 9:47 PM
When you are having fun! We will soon be wrapping up the tailgate market season in October and I am going to miss all the great folks that we have met this summer at the Black Mountain Market, the Mills River Market and the Weaverville Market. Thanks to all of those wonderful "Lovin me some Goat Milk Fudge people"! Just remember you can still get your Goat Milk Fudge fix at any of the retail stores carrying our fudge.
We will also be at the SouthEast Animal Fiber Festival on the weekend of October 22, 2009. This event is at the WNC AG Center and is the largest spinning, knitting, crochet, felting and weaving event around. I, of course will be adding to my collection of raw fleeces, knowing full well I can't live long enough to spin all the fleeces that I already have! Come by, take a class, get some new knitting needles and of course pick up some Mountain Made Goat Milk Fudge! You can visit the event's website at www.saffsite.org
This time of year finds us planning next years "marryin of the goats". Breeding season is almost as busy as kidding season, with careful documention of our planned marriages. Ken will be traveling this weekend to Cam Faircloths for a AI class and to pick up some Oberhasli semen. It isn't nearly as exciting as real "marriages", at least not for the girls, but I am pretty darn excited about taking our Oberhasli breeding program to the next level.
We will have several Nigerian and Second Generation Mini Nubians kidding in December and I am looking forward to these babies, as the Dad's are new junior herdsires "Marcus" (from Rusty Repp's Little Tot's Estate) and "Bubba" (Listening Eagle on the Nubian side and Rinestone on the Nigerian side). We will have several babies for sale, as well as a couple of first fresherns in both breeds.
Congrads to the Kelli's for the new babies! They are the proud owners of a Cinder's son and a couple of Nigerian girls.
Also Congrads to Alma Seltzer for her new junior herdsire HeatherLane Jazzer. I know that he is going to a wonderful home and I am excited about crossing our bloodlines with Alma's FirePink Hollar/Oakmoon bloodlines.
Many Blessings!!
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This highly carved stool was designed for the Josephine and Louis ranges with the typical "escargot" (Snail Shell) carving on the feet and the feminine curved legs , leading up to the minimal carving on the carouche.
We are giving a choice of fabric from our cotton suede fabrics. When you place your order , choose your colour and mention it at checkout and we will take care of the rest.
Please note , there is No extra cost for this service.
Fabric : Pearl Velvet
Finish : White with slight antiquing
We have been trading since 2006 and over these years have built up an enviable reputation for Quality products and service and a high percentage of our orders are repeat customers or by word of mouth.
Our delivery charges are very competitive , ranging from £20 to £75 per order.
We are well versed in handing orders ranging from one item , though to multiple bedroom sets and of course delivery is always to your room of choice.
We deliver worldwide including Mainland Europe , Russia and all the way to Australia
(Please use the contact form for an export quote)
Lead time
8 - 14 Weeks
About Us
Help & Contact


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International Space Station theme for Star Days Feb. 27, March 1The Space Foundation's Discovery Center will present a live feed of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission launch Thursday, Feb. 27 from Tanegashima Space Center, Japan.
Attendees can bring their own food to the center for the ōlunchtime launch watchö between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., a press release states.
During that time, admission will be free. From 1 to 8 p.m., the normal admission fee of $9 (discounts for some), will apply.
The Discovery Center is a space, science and technology attraction offered by the Space Foundation, a nonprofit advocate agency for space technology. The location is 4425 Arrowswest Drive, just off of Garden of the Gods Road.
GPM is a new international satellite endeavor to provide more comprehensive data about planet-wide rainfall and precipitation. It's summarized in a nine-minute film about GPM (titled ōWater Fallsö), which is presented periodically on the center's Science on a Sphere.
Feb. 27 will also kick off the center's monthly "Star Days" from 5 to 8 p.m., with programs and activities related to a theme, which this time will be the International Space Station (ISS).
Included will be Sphere showings of ōWater Fallsö (6 p.m.) and ōTour of the Solar System (6:30 p.m.),ö the interactive Mars Robot Challenge (6 to 7 p.m.), a ōbuild a space stationö craft activity (6 to 8 p.m.) and outdoor telescopes (7 to 8 p.m., weather permitting).
Most of the same Star Days activities will be offered again Saturday, March 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, call 576-8000 or go to http://spacefoundation.org.
From a press release
Would you like to respond to this article? The Westside Pioneer welcomes letters at firstname.lastname@example.com. (Click here for letter-writing criteria.)


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The dominant worldview among western and 'developed' nations is that of the growth paradigm: unbounded economic growth is the key to continuously raising living standards and prosperity around the globe. However, it is becoming increasingly obvious, even to some in government, that the idea of infinite economic growth in a finite world is an outdated worldview.
Despite collective failure to set globally-binding CO2 emission standards, some countries have individually begun to embrace various conceptions of 'sustainability.' How societies and governments define sustainability has far-reaching implications for the types of decision making tools and policy measures they can implement. As it turns out, not all conceptions of sustainability are created equal.
Conceptions of sustainability
Worldviews, decision making tools, and policy approaches can be loosely categorized as either 'weak' sustainability or 'strong' sustainability. It is a purely academic exercise to categorize them as such, but it does shed light on the larger value systems that inform individual behavior and national policy.
'Weak' sustainability is still a fundamentally anthropocentric orientation, with social equity and environmental protection regarded as subordinate to sustainable economic growth. The focus is often on creating more efficient supply-side economies through integrating 'ecosystem services' into the market. Great hope is placed on technological solutions to issues of energy and resource availability. The concept of ecological limits to growth is still questioned. Many governments and corporations have begun to implement this understanding of sustainability.
'Strong' sustainability, on the other hand, reverses the order of priority and gives precedence to ecological scale over economic efficiency. Social equity, it is believed, is best achieved by restoring ecosystem health, recognizing ecological tipping points and cultivating system resilience. New economic indicators of well-being and quality of life are advocated (over more simplistic standards of living) and market-based solutions that impose monetary values on life and "ecosystem services" are rejected on moral grounds. As changes in supply-side efficiencies only address part of the issue, the role of consumption patterns are also stressed.
'Weak' sustainability in practice
The US and EU have increasingly embraced 'weak' sustainability policy measures to regulate such things as air quality and pollution, carbon emissions, and fisheries management. Carbon markets and air quality regulations, such as those recently delayed by President Obama, are designed by assigning market values to such things as CO2 emissions and health impacts from air pollution – they are fundamentally market-based responses that strive to encourage economic growth while recognizing ecological health concerns.
As is clear from the battles between the EPA and pro-business conservatives in Congress, environmental protection is still seen as a threat to economic growth by many. However, as is increasingly evident in the EU, formulating environmental policies in the language of market-based economics can successfully convince business and government of the fundamental interconnections between healthy economies and healthy ecosystems.
'Strong' sustainability in practice
A small number of countries have taken policy measures into the realm of 'strong' sustainability – and thus embraced a radically different worldview. Bolivia, for example, led by indigenous President Evo Morales, recently passed a Law for Mother Earth, effectively affirming the rights of nature "to exist, persist, maintain and regenerate its vital cycles, structure, functions and its processes in evolution." Implicit in these rights is the idea that the Earth is a living, self-organizing entity that has rights equal to or greater than human beings, who are just one species in the whole community of life.
This law thus affirms the primacy of ecosystem health and resilience over economic growth – a profound paradigmatic shift. This is not a complete rejection of modern economics necessarily – Bolivia is still heavily involved in resource extraction and global trade. However, it entails a significant shift in values and economic priorities where human and non-human flourishing is acknowledged as the true goal of economic activity.
Specific policy approaches are still being developed to fit this new (or old) worldview, but potential examples include adaptive natural resource management systems that understand and account for overall ecosystem health and resilience, and more participatory democratic processes that empower citizens and limit corporate power.
The question arises then as to which of these approaches to sustainability will actually achieve the quickest and most dramatic changes in global consumption and production patterns. Should the language and tools of the status quo be employed to induce change quickly in the business world – a strategy which risks that the needed paradigmatic shift won't take place in the long-run? Or should a completely different ecological worldview be formulated and communicated to encourage the paradigm shift – though refusing to use market tools that might undermine the new paradigm may alienate some political and business leaders?
Share your thoughts.


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Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Faux Fassy Outrage
April 9th marks the one year anniversary of creating the Fassinating Fassbender Facebook page. And I have to admit that it has proven to be a good investment. I still loathe Facebook regarding personal usage because it's ground zero for bragging rights of people I don't really care about who have kids I don't care about. But for a fan community, it has allowed me to reach out to a fan base that doesn't really do the blogging thing. I changed the picture last night and I wanted to keep the TIFF theme going. Why? Well it's because TIFF is the film festival that motivated me to create FF back in 2008, and it's the place where I have been able to see/meet Michael a few times. And I also think the pictures of Michael from TIFF 2013 were particularly gorgeous.
In the past couple of days, I have been reading comments all over the Internet about the pictures of Michael and Alicia in New York over the weekend. Some of the opinions are from people who obviously are not fans of Michael Fassbender. What person sits at their computer and criticize him for the things he does with his personal life? He is a 38 year old grown ass man, and a celebrity, mind. You will never date him, let alone marry him, so why all the hand wringing and demanding of him to stop seeing someone or psychoanalyzing why he's with her and for what reason? What difference does it make?
My only advice: Buckle up, it's going to be a long ride, so get off now if you don't like what you see. Focus on other celebrities whom you can project your fantasies upon, and who will do exactly what you want them to do in order for you to continue to like them, and be happy with your life.
3 comments:
- Takhesis said...
Really, this kind of opnions about who Michael (or any other celebrity) can or can not date is so childish....
I think they're really happy together. If it is not a great passion, there is a real fond relationship . All I want that Fassy be happy, with a person who really cares about him, not his fame. u_ú
p.s.: I am tired of these comments, and I avoid them like the pest!!!
- April 7, 2015 at 11:07 AM
- Stephanie Czekalski said...
One year already!!!
How time flies!
I'm glad the Facebook page has given the result you expected !
And for the comments about Michael's personnal life....no comment ;))))
- April 7, 2015 at 3:40 PM
- Hodgepodge Shop said...
Michael and Alicia look great together. They are very nice to look at and I enjoy seeing their pics especially those in New York. Great chemistry!
- April 8, 2015 at 9:59 PM
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Dinosaurs Are the New Thing at The Office, Is It part of Your Daily Plan?
Have you ever had a Dinosaur meet you at the elevator, or come to your front counter? Do you need a distraction from work, just to keep you piece of mind. Let's all take a break and watch the funny Video.
Keeping a business running takes a little planning and scheduling. Set the hours you want to work, then schedule breaks, errands, lunch, playtime and anything else that you want. I like to work in the morning and have the afternoon to do my stuff. Everyone can be entitled to that luxury when they work for themselves.
Scheduling out how your day should be is a big part of planning. You will get more accomplished and have a better outcome at the end of the day. This is part of setting goals. We teach how to set goals, and then break them down by month and even day, so you have an idea of where you need to be.
Breaks are very important in any business, even at home. You can get caught up in your work that you do not realize you cannot get up from your chair, or you forgot to eat something. Try the dinosaur trick, which will help everyone. If you are at home, take the dog for a walk or just go play catch. Move yourself to a different chair, or even go to the local coffee shop. I have that luxury that I can work from anywhere.
Enjoy your day,
P.S. If you want to learn how to set your goals and break them down to get yourself accomplished. CLICK HERE.
If you want to learn how to have a business of your own and set your own hours, CLICK HERE.


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I posted a little while back about SEO and WordPress experiments (https://daviddefoe.wordpress.com/2009/01/28/wordpress-vs-own-domain/). Even though I've had better SEO results with keeping a blog on WP I've decided to move my restaurant review website to my own server.
I exported the posts from the WP Dashboard and then loged into the WP account on my server and completed the import. The entire process was very smooth and I didn't loose a post. The only weird thing was that the users were not created on the new account so I had all the posts default to being posted by admin. I should have duplicated the reviewers first and then did the import.
I haven't tried to move the domain name yet but I'm hoping that will go just as smooth.


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RandSons is family owned and has been in business since 1990. Our aim is to keep delivering 100% customer satisfaction. We ensure we deliver quality and value for money to our customers. We even give a 10 year guarantee for our craftsmanship as standard.
All of our staff are fully qualified in City & Guilds and fully trained in Health and Safety laws and requirements.
We're fully insured too for your piece of mind and fully registered with the NIC EIC.


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The Hunger Games star also hit the red carpet of People's Choice Awards 2013. She stole the show with her dazzling look. The 22-year-old actress was looking stunning and glamorous while wearing a daring daring Valentino Couture dress. The Hunger Games, musician Taylor Swift and U.K. boy band The Wanted were announced as the biggest winner of the night. Valentino Couture …Read More »
Tag Archives: People Choice Awards 2013
Taylor Swift Dazzles In Plunging White Gown At People's Choice Awards 2013
People's Choice Awards 2013 were held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Wednesday January 9, 2012 in Los Angeles. There were many Hollywood celebrities who rocked the red carpet of this year's lavish ceremony. But new single Taylor Swift stole the show with her dazzling all white look. She was looking stunning and glamorous while wearing a daring plunging white …Read More »
Emma Watson Glams UP People's Choice Awards In Peter Pilotto Dress
Emma Watson, the 22-year old Harry Potter star, arrived at the People's Choice Awards 2013. She carried the trophy of Favorite Dramatic Movie Actress for her work in The Perks of Being a Wallflower. She was looking stunning and glamorous while wearing a Peter Pilotto dress. She was also joined by her cast members Ezra Miller, Mae Whitman, Johnny Simmons, …Read More »


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Manistique, Michigan – Mackinac Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: MFNC), the bank holding company for mBank (the "Bank"), today announced third quarter 2013 income of $.846 million or $.15 per share compared to net income available to common shareholders of $.897 million, or $.21 per share for the third quarter of 2012. Operating results for the first nine months of 2013 totaled $2.719 million or $.49 per share compared to $2.536 million or $.60 per share, excluding the $3.0 million deferred tax valuation adjustment, for the same period in 2012.
Weighted average shares totaled 5,559,108 shares for the nine month period in 2013 compared to 3,857,002 million in 2012 and 5,562,835 shares in the 2013 third quarter compared to 4,722,029 shares in 2012. The increase in outstanding shares for 2013 reflects the issuance of 2.138 million shares of common stock in August of 2012. Quarterly and nine month per share earnings for 2012 have been adjusted for the common stock issuance.
The Corporation's subsidiary, mBank, recorded net income of $3.820 million for the first nine months of this year compared to $3.577 million, excluding the deferred tax valuation adjustment, for the same period in 2012.
Total assets of the Corporation at September 30, 2013 were $567.917 million, up 3.05 % from the $551.117 million reported at September 30, 2012 and up 4.02% from the $545.980 million of total assets at year-end 2012. The Corporation and the Bank are both "well-capitalized" with Tier 1 Capital at the Corporation of 10.90% and 10.20% at the Bank.
Key highlights for the first nine months of 2013 results include:
Continued strong credit quality with a Texas Ratio of 9.56% with nominal nonperforming loans of $4.313 million, a $.977 million reduction from a year earlier.
Loan growth of $23.318 million, or 5.19% in the first nine months of 2013.
Stability and above peer average net interest margin at 4.15%.
Nine month secondary mortgage loan income of $.781 million.
Continued success in SBA/USDA lending with gains on the sale of these loans of $.798 million in the first nine months of 2013. The corporation continues to be a state leader within these various loan programs ranking 9
in terms of the number of SBA 7A loans originated, 30, and 13
based on total dollars equating to $9.553 million for the most recent SBA fiscal year end of September 30
, 2013.
Redemption, at par, of $7.0 million of the Corporation's $11.0 million Series A Preferred stock.
Mackinac Commercial Credit completed initial staffing and is processing asset based loan and factoring opportunities.
Loans and Nonperforming Assets
Total loans at September 30, 2013 were $472.495 million, an 8.88% increase from the $433.958 million at September 30, 2012 and up $23.318 million from year-end 2012 total loans of $449.177 million. In addition to the balance sheet totals, the company services $126 million of sold mortgage loans, up from $78 million at September 30, 2012. We also service another $71 million of sold SBA and USDA loans. Total loans under management now $670 million. The Corporation had total new loan production of $139 million in the first nine months of this year. Comprising the total production were $60 million in commercial loans, and $79 million in retail, $72 million of which were mortgages. The Upper Peninsula continues to drive a large majority of the new originations, totaling $97 million, with Northern Lower production of $34 million and Southeast Michigan with $8 million.
Commenting on new loan production, Kelly W. George, President and Chief Executive Officer of mBank stated, "We are seeing good loan opportunities in all of our markets but Southeast Michigan from a commercial lending growth standpoint has been stymied due to increased competition as more larger and non-traditional lenders turned to offense with rates and terms we were not comfortable entertaining for our balance sheet structure. We also remain cautiously optimistic with our mortgage lending activity as it continues to perform well given the recent volatility of rates we have experienced, with a good mix of home purchases and refinances. We are closely monitoring the mortgage markets as we look toward the future. Our commercial pipeline remains good throughout all our regions heading into the end of the year for both traditional and SBA/USDA guaranteed loans we expect to close."
Nonperforming loans totaled $4.313 million, .91% of total loans at September 30, 2013 compared to $5.290 million, or 1.22% of total loans at September 30, 2012 and down $.374 million from December 31, 2012. Nonperforming assets were reduced by $1.920 million from a year ago and stood at 1.21% of total assets. Total loan delinquencies resided at .36% or $4.313 million, almost solely made up of non-accrual commercial loans. George, commenting on overall credit quality, "We remain pleased with the overall credit performance metrics of our loan portfolio from both a micro perspective as noted above, as well as from a macro perspective with all industry segments performing satisfactory with a good diversification of loan types being originated. Our performance metrics have improved and our current level of nonperforming assets has resulted in lower costs, which we believe will continue. We will remain diligent in our timely monitoring on any problem loans that arise and will stay true to our core underwriting principles and will not stretch credit quality even with more banks lending and competition fierce for new loans to augment balance sheet growth."
Margin Analysis
Net interest income in the first nine months of 2013 increased to $15.773 million, or 4.15%, compared to $14.712 million, or 4.19%, in the same period in 2012. The increase in net interest income is due primarily to increased levels of earning assets. George, commenting on margin items stated, "We have managed our margin prudently in this continued low interest rate environment. We have used some extended term wholesale funding sources given the inability to get market clients to move into these longer terms liabilities to match fund longer term fixed rate loans as best we can to help mitigate longer term interest rate risk should rates move forward more quickly than market indicators foresee. We also continue to offer very competitive variable rate loans with interest rate floors to protect the margin in the near term, and balance the overall interest rate risk in the portfolio."
Total deposits of $461.688 million at September 30, 2013 increased 5.08% from deposits of $439.363 million on September 30, 2012. Total deposits on September 30, 2013 were up $27.131 million from year-end 2012 deposits of $434.557 million. The overall increase in deposits for the nine months of 2013 is comprised of an increase in noncore deposits of $24.461 million and an increase in core deposits of $2.670 million. George, commenting on core deposits, stated, " Though not as robust as previous years with respect to our overall core deposit growth, we remain pleased that our overall net growth has been concentrated in transactional accounts even with reducing rates on these types of accounts and certificates as well, in order to enhance our net interest margin. We experienced some certificate withdrawals from primarily rate driven clients that has stunted overall core deposit growth. We continue to monitor our markets to remain competitive in pricing and to maintain our core deposit relationships with service and products to serve their needs. We also experienced some withdrawals by several of our larger commercial accounts as they have utilized their liquidity for business expansion opportunities and general debt pay downs given their limited investment options. We supplemented our deposit growth with manageable levels of noncore deposits to manage interest rate risk in this prolonged low interest rate cycle, and also aligns our funding costs with rates and maturities on loans as noted previously."
Noninterest Income
Noninterest income, at $2.747 million in the first nine months of 2013, decreased $.313 million from the same period in 2012 of $3.060 million. Levels of income from secondary market mortgage activities and gains from SBA/USDA loan sales were lower in 2013. Income from secondary mortgage activities totaled $.781 million in 2013 compared to $.844 million in 2012. SBA/USDA loan sale gains were behind 2012 with 2013 year to date gains of $.798 million compared to 2012 gains of $1.126 million.
Noninterest Expense
Noninterest expense, at $13.193 million in the first nine months of 2013, increased $.785 million, or 6.33% from the same period in 2012. A significant portion of this increase in expense, approximately $.300 million was due to the initial start-up and operational costs of our newly formed asset based lending subsidiary. We are also experiencing added costs given the growth of the company's operating platform and the need to keep pace both from a personnel, and infrastructure standpoint, with the changing internal risk profile of the company and external banking regulatory environment. Our overall non-interest expense base remains at, or below peer levels and we remain diligent in overseeing that the expense base is well controlled.
Total shareholders' equity at September 30, 2013 was $67.045 million, compared to $72.945 million on September 30, 2012, a decrease of $5.900 million, or 8.09%. Common shareholders' equity was $63.045 million, or $11.30 per share at September 30, 2013 compared to $61.945 million, or $11.14 per share at September 30, 2012 and $61.448 million, or $11.05 per share on December 31, 2012.
Paul D. Tobias, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, concluded, "Our operating results reflect strong loan production and balance sheet growth, improved credit quality and a sustainable above average interest margin. We recognize the challenges to improving our operating results, but are confident that current momentum, the strength of our balance sheet and access to capital will help us improve our returns on equity.
Looking forward, we believe that as the economy continues to improve, opportunities for franchise expansion will present themselves. We retired $7 million of our preferred stock and intend to retire the remaining $4.0 million balance prior to 2013 year-end. After the preferred redemption our capital will still exceed regulatory "well-capitalized" ratios. With our strong capital base and improving core earnings generation, coupled with our stable and experienced management team, we stand ready to create shareholder value through either organic growth or acquisition."
Mackinac Financial Corporation is a registered bank holding company formed under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 with assets in excess of $550 million and whose common stock is traded on the NASDAQ stock market as "MFNC." The principal subsidiary of the Corporation is mBank. Headquartered in Manistique, Michigan, mBank has 11 branch locations; seven in the Upper Peninsula, three in the Northern Lower Peninsula and one in Oakland County, Michigan. The Company's banking services include commercial lending and treasury management products and services geared toward small to mid-sized businesses, as well as a full array of personal and business deposit products and consumer loans.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains certain forward-looking statements. Words such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "should," "will," and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements: as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements reflect management's current beliefs as to expected outcomes of future events and are not guarantees of future performance. These statements involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict with regard to timing, extent, likelihood, and degree of occurrence. Therefore, actual results and outcomes may materially differ from what may be expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause a difference include among others: changes in the national and local economies or market conditions; changes in interest rates and banking regulations; the impact of competition from traditional or new sources; and the possibility that anticipated cost savings and revenue enhancements from mergers and acquisitions, bank consolidations, branch closings and other sources may not be fully realized at all or within specified time frames as well as other risks and uncertainties including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in filings of the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These and other factors may cause decisions and actual results to differ materially from current expectations. Mackinac Financial Corporation undertakes no obligation to revise, update, or clarify forward-looking statements to reflect events or conditions after the date of this release.
Click here to download the full press release.
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Mulvihill, Daniel P. and Petersen, Janni and Ohkura, Hiroyuki and Glover, David M. and Hagan, Iain M. (1999) Plo1 kinase recruitment to the spindle pole body and its role in cell division in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 10 (8). pp. 2771-85. ISSN 1059-1524. (doi:https://doi.org/10.1091/mbc.10.8.2771) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided)
|The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided. (Contact us about this Publication)
|Official URL
Polo kinases execute multiple roles during cell division. The fission yeast polo related kinase Plo1 is required to assemble the mitotic spindle, the prophase actin ring that predicts the site for cytokinesis and for septation after the completion of mitosis (Ohkura et al., 1995; Bahler et al., 1998). We show that Plo1 associates with the mitotic but not interphase spindle pole body (SPB). SPB association of Plo1 is the earliest fission yeast mitotic event recorded to date. SPB association is strong from mitotic commitment to early anaphase B, after which the Plo1 signal becomes very weak and finally disappears upon spindle breakdown. SPB association of Plo1 requires mitosis-promoting factor (MPF) activity, whereas its disassociation requires the activity of the anaphase-promoting complex. The stf1.1 mutation bypasses the usual requirement for the MPF activator Cdc25 (Hudson et al., 1990). Significantly, Plo1 associates inappropriately with the interphase SPB of stf1.1 cells. These data are consistent with the emerging theme from many systems that polo kinases participate in the regulation of MPF to determine the timing of commitment to mitosis and may indicate that pole association is a key aspect of Plo1 function. Plo1 does not associate with the SPB when septation is inappropriately driven by deregulation of the Spg1 pathway and remains SPB associated if septation occurs in the presence of a spindle. Thus, neither Plo1 recruitment to nor its departure from the SPB are required for septation; however, overexpression of plo1+ activates the Spg1 pathway and causes transient Cdc7 recruitment to the SPB and multiple rounds of septation.
|Item Type:
|Additional information:
|1059-1524 (Print) Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
|Uncontrolled keywords:
|Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors CDC2 Protein Kinase/metabolism Cell Cycle Proteins/metabolism Cell Division/physiology DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics/metabolism *Drosophila Proteins GTP Phosphohydrolases/metabolism Interphase/physiology Ligases/metabolism Maturation-Promoting Factor/metabolism Mitosis/physiology Mitotic Spindle Apparatus/*metabolism Phosphoprotein Phosphatases/metabolism Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases/*metabolism Schizosaccharomyces/cytology/*metabolism *Soybean Proteins *Ubiquitin-Protein Ligase Complexes Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases cdc25 Phosphatases
|Q Science
|Faculties > Sciences > School of Biosciences
|Depositing User:
|Dan Mulvihill
|Date Deposited:
|14 Jun 2009 16:10 UTC
|Last Modified:
|30 Apr 2014 13:46 UTC
|Resource URI:
|https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/8907 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)
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