text:
- City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
- Dubai 04:54 06:07 12:12 15:34 18:10 19:24
Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer were the maids of honor at Sunday's Screen Actors Guild Awards, where their Deep South drama "The Help" won them acting prizes and earned the trophy for overall cast performance.
Davis won as best actress and Spencer as supporting actress for "The Help," while Jean Dujardin was named best actor for the silent film "The Artist" and Christopher Plummer took the supporting-actor award for the father-son tale "Beginners."
The wins boost the actors' prospects for the same honors at the Feb. 26 Academy Awards.
In "The Help," Davis and Spencer play black maids going public with uneasy truths about their white employers in 1960s Mississippi.
"I just have to say that the stain of racism and sexism is not just for people of color or women. It's all of our burden, all of us," Davis said, accepting the ensemble prize on behalf of her "The Help" co-stars.
Accepting her best-actress award, Davis singled out two performers in the audience who inspired her early in her career: "The Help" co-star Cicely Tyson and Meryl Streep, Davis' co-star in the 2008 drama "Doubt" and one of the nominees she beat out for the SAG prize. Streep had been nominated as Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady," a role that won her the dramatic actress award at the Golden Globes over Davis.
A French film star who is a newcomer to Hollywood's awards scene with "The Artist," Dujardin played a silent-era screen idol fallen on hard times as talking pictures take over in the late 1920s.
"I was a very bad student. I didn't listen in class. I was always dreaming," Dujardin said. "My teachers called me 'Jean of the Moon,' and I realize now that I never stopped dreaming. Thank you very much. Thank you for this dream."
Plummer would become the oldest actor ever to win an Oscar at age 82, two years older than Jessica Tandy when she won best actress for "Driving Miss Daisy."
Backstage, Plummer joked when asked if he would like to win an Oscar, an honor so elusive during his esteemed 60-year career that he did not even receive his first Academy Award nomination until two years ago, for "The Last Station."
"No, I think it's frightfully boring," Plummer said. "That's an awful question. Listen, we don't go into this business preoccupied by awards. If we did, we wouldn't last five minutes."
Spencer, a veteran actress who had toiled in small TV and movie parts previously, had a breakout role in "The Help" as a brassy maid whose mouth continually gets her in trouble.
"I'm going to dedicate this to the downtrodden, the under-served, the underprivileged, overtaxed — whether emotionally, physically or financially," Spencer said.
On the television side, comedy series awards went to "Modern Family" for best ensemble; Alec Baldwin as best actor for "30 Rock"; and Betty White as best actress for "Hot in Cleveland."
"You can't name me, without naming those other wonderful women on 'Hot in Cleveland,'" the 90-year-old White said. "This nomination belongs to four of us. Please, please know that I'm dealing them right in with this. I'm not going to let them keep this, but I'll let them see it."
The TV drama show winners were: Jessica Lange as best actress for "American Horror Story"; and Steve Buscemi as best actor for "Boardwalk Empire," which also won the ensemble prize.
For TV movie or miniseries, Kate Winslet won as best actress for "Mildred Pierce," while Paul Giamatti was named best actor for "Too Big to Fail."
Before the official ceremony, the Screen Actors Guild presented its honor for best film stunt ensemble to "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2." The TV stunt award went to "Game of Thrones."
The winners at the SAG ceremony often go on to earn Oscars. All four acting recipients at SAG last year later took home Oscars — Colin Firth for "The King's Speech," Natalie Portman for "Black Swan" and Christian Bale and Melissa Leo for "The Fighter."
The same generally holds true for the weekend's other big Hollywood honors, the Directors Guild of America Awards, where Michel Hazanavicius won the feature-film prize Saturday for "The Artist." The Directors Guild winner has gone on to earn the best-director Oscar 57 times in the 63-year history of the union's awards show.
The guild's ensemble prize, considered the ceremony's equivalent of a best-picture honor, has a spotty record at predicting what will win the top award at the Oscars.
While "The King's Speech" won both honors a year ago, the SAG ensemble recipient has gone on to claim the top Oscar only eight times in the 16 years since the guild added the category.
Though "The Help" won the ensemble prize this time, "The Artist" and George Clooney's family drama "The Descendants" are considered stronger contenders for the best-picture Oscar.
Both "The Artist" and "The Descendants" also were nominated for writing and directing Oscars, categories where serious best-picture candidates generally need to be in the running. "The Help" missed out on nominations in both of those Oscar categories.
Mary Tyler Moore received the guild's lifetime-achievement award, an honor presented to her by Dick Van Dyke, her co-star on the 1960s sit-com "The Dick Van Dyke Show."
Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.


text:
Houston, TX – The Texas Rangers rallied for four runs in the eighth to down the Houston Astros, 9-5, in the opener of a four-game set.
The Rangers went into the eighth trailing 4-3. Ian Kinsler opened the inning with a walk and then stole second base before scoring on Adrian Beltre's base hit to center. After relievers Kevin Chapman and Josh Fields recorded the next two outs of the inning, the latter issued two walks to load the bases before he was replaced by lefty Wesley Wright.
Wright, though, walked Jurickson Profar to plate the go-ahead run before giving up a two-run double to Leonys Martin.
"Since we're playing so aggressively, that lead that they had didn't mean a lot to us," Martin said. "I think we're playing good baseball right now."
The Astros loaded the bases in the home half, but Neal Cotts fanned Marc Krauss to end the threat.
Profar finished with a pair of RBI, while A.J. Pierzynski, Jeff Baker and David Murphy each drove in a run for the Rangers, who have won five straight games and 10 of their last 11 overall.
Matt Garza (2-1) earned the win despite giving up four runs over seven innings. The right-hander, who was acquired from the Chicago Cubs prior to last month's trade deadline, struck out eight and walked just one to earn his first win since making his debut with the club on July 24.
Earlier on Friday, Texas acquired outfielder Alex Rios and cash considerations from the Chicago White Sox for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
Jason Castro and Brett Barnes each homered for the Astros, who fell to an MLB- worst 37-77.
Josh Zeid (0-1) was pegged with the loss after putting the go-ahead run on base in the eighth.
"I personally feel sorry for our starters, but they are not going to show it because they are good teammates," manager Bo Porter said.
Castro opened the second inning with a homer, but the Rangers plated a pair in the fourth to take the lead.
With the bases loaded an no outs, Baker lifted a sacrifice fly to center to score Kinsler. Craig Gentry followed with a suicide squeeze up the first base line to score Beltre.
The Astros pushed two runs across in the fourth to go up 3-2. L.J. Hoes doubled then scored on Jose Altuve's double to left field. Castro followed with a double to left to score Altuve.
Barnes led off the fifth with a solo shot to give the hosts a 4-2 edge, but Profar singled home Joey Butler in the seventh to make it a one-run game.
The Rangers went on to added two more runs in the ninth and the Astros managed to push one across in the bottom of the frame to account for the final margin.
Game Notes
Texas was 6-for-17 with runners in scoring position ... Since 2009, the Rangers are 16-3 at Minute Maid Park ... Texas owns a 27-16 advantage in the all-time series ... The Astros went 3-for-10 with RISP and stranded eight runners on base ... Houston starter Eric Bedard gave up three runs on seven hits over 6 2/3 innings.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
"The numbers really do speak for themselves about the effectiveness of the program. We've been able to move from having mechanical complications to having none, and we've been able to sustain that over time. We haven't had a line insertion infection in I can't remember how long. I've learned through this project that you can achieve zero."
Mara Bryant, Sr. Vice President, Organizational Excellence, White Memorial Medical Center
Striving for Excellence
White Memorial Medical Center, a member of the Adventist Health System and a 353-bed hospital in downtown Los Angeles, was concerned about its rates of iatrogenic pneumothoraces (IP) and central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSI) and set out to improve the situation. According to Mara Bryant, White Memorial's Senior Vice President for Organizational Excellence, "We strove to reach that extra level of being able to deliver on really perfect care." The inner-city medical institution organized a taskforce to study the problem and find a solution that was "reliable and could be done safely 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
With this goal in mind, White Memorial Medical Center implemented the Sonosite Central Line Management Training Program, which ran from January 2010 through August 2011. Among the onsite program's many instructional elements were: the teaching of a six-point bundle to address both mechanical and bloodstream complications; hospital-wide training related to best practices for central line placements; "train the trainer" sessions; and a quality assurance feedback process.
"It was clear that if you got the right tools and the teaching and you were able to change the culture, it would become part of your practice. And that's what we were shooting for. Change is hard, but if you never start, you'll never finish. Sonosite was integral to this process."
Angela Hughes, RN, BSN, MSN, Director, Continuum of Care, White Memorial Medical Center.
Program Results: Zero and Zero!
Through the implementation of the central line program, White Memorial achieved zero iatrogenic pneumothorax hospital wide and zero CLABSI in the ICU.
"Now when we do go over our infection rate and review our central lines, everyone is just thrilled and so proud of our institution. Anybody or any hospital thinking they can't also achieve zero infections in their ICU is wrong. It is possible."
Rebecca Berberian, Director of Risk Management and Infection Control, White Memorial Medical Center
The Six-Point Bundle
Central-line bundles, such as the five-point bundle endorsed by the IHI, have been shown to decrease the rate of CLABSI. The Sonosite Central Line Management Training Program teaches this bundle plus an additional, important sixth step for CLABSI prevention:
- Hand hygiene
- Maximal barrier precautions
- Chlorhexidine skin antisepsis
- Optimal catheter site selection
- Daily review of line necessity, with prompt removal of unnecessary lines
- Ultrasound guidance for line placement
The addition of this sixth point, which the AHRQ and NICE recommends to reduce mechanical complications, is Sonosite's unique and significant contribution to onsite institutional training. Research has shown that, by using ultrasound guidance for central line placements, the risk for cannulation failure, arterial puncture, and other insertion complications is decreased.
"I think that it's in every physician's interest to do the best for their patient. By adhering to these six simple guidelines, I think you can achieve marvelous results."
Faisal Khan, MD, Chair, Dept. of Surgery, White Memorial Medical Center


text:
Reflections on the Oil Spill from Rev. Melanie Morel-Ensminger
Written by Rev. Melanie Morel-Ensminger, minister of First Unitarian Universalist Church of New Orleans, on May 5, 2010. Cross-posted at http://nolarev.blogspot.com.
The explosion on the high-tech oil rig leased by BP nearly 50 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico happened April 20th. Immediate word was that there had been casualties, but some workers had been able to evacuate in time and were saved. Local news showed footage of the fire in the Gulf, and anxious relatives being ferried to a hotel near the airport to await their loved ones — or word that their beloveds were among the lost. More reports later focused on the funerals of the men (they were all men — for whatever reason, oil rigs are not known to be havens of gender-inclusivity).
Announcements were made on April 21st or 22nd (hard to remember now) that the oil well was being capped as it blew, so (the announcement, presumably from BP, said) there would be minimal leakage of oil into the waters of the Gulf. As I packed for my New York trip on April 23rd, the news seemed to be changing. There WAS a spill, but it wasn't too bad. When I arrived in New York on the night of April 24th, the media was in full retreat from earlier stories. There WAS a spill, and it WAS bad, it was very bad indeed. It might even be the worst ever.
Storms in the Gulf not only dropped rain on Jazz Fest revelers, it sent the oil slick moving rapidly toward the ravaged Louisiana coast. By the second Jazz Fest weekend, April 29-May 2, some folks in Irish Bayou and even Slidell, claimed they could smell it on the wind. (It may or may not have been the reason that the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin gave to Jazz Fest officials about canceling her set, even though her tour bus was already in New Orleans, and nobody was claiming to be able to smell it from there.)
Folks at Jazz Fest lined up in record numbers to get raw oysters, joking sardonically that it could our last raw oysters for 5-10 years. (If the seedbeds of Louisiana oysters are disturbed, new seed oysters will have to be obtained after the beds are cleaned and then carefully nurtured. it would take between 5 and 10 years to be able to harvest from such new beds.) While they made remarks steeped in disaster-humor, their eyes were alternately angry and sad. Hearing that Halliburton contractors had been involved on the rig, one man said, "Let Cheney pay for the clean-up." The lead singer for Pearl Jam, on stage at the Fest, suggested that the children of BP executives spend their summer breaks working on the clean-up. He was wildly cheered.
Whether you live here in poor belle NOLA or anywhere else around the country, I know that all of us have been deeply affected emotionally and spiritually from this disaster, and the slow pace and inadequate scope of clean up. I know that all of us, young and old, well-off and struggling, want to do something, but we don't know what. We know something of what this disaster means in terms of our lives and livelihoods and delicious food and our beautiful marshlands and fragile coastal areas, and the strange and wonderful wild things that live in those places, but there is still a mystery in terms of what happens next, what might happen next.
Here are some concrete ideas for things that can be done, right now, right away, to have a positive effect on the spill clean-up. And if there are those of you who read this who know of other things we can do, please do let me know so I can help spread the word.
#1 It is well-known that the containment booms for oil spills are filled with waste materials like hair, fur, and old nylons. (Check-out the YouTube video clip entitled "Hair Soaks Up Oil Spills".) Collections of hair clippings from barbers and salons and fur clippings from pet groomers would be of tremendous assistance. A local hotel is working with a local environmental organization, Matter of Trust, to coordinate donations of old hosiery, pantyhose, stockings, clipped hair, and fur from pet groomers; that is the Ritz Carlton Hotel, 921 Canal St., NOLA 70130, 504-670-2817. Packages must be clearly labeled, such as "PANTYHOSE" or "HAIR CLIPPINGS". If you live in New Orleans, you can drop off labeled packages of your old stockings right at the valet entrance of the hotel. You can also call your hair salon and dog groomer and request that they save all hair and fur for this important cause.
#2 If you are financially able, you can contribute to help the people who are hurt most. A fund has been set up by the Greater New Orleans Foundation, the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund, to collect money to benefit local communities (in Plaquemines, St. Bernard, and lower Jefferson parishes) most adversely affected by the disaster, who are mostly poor/economically marginal, Islenos, Vietnamese, or African American). Donations can be made online, and more information gathered, at www.gnof.org.
#3 If you are able and willing to, you can volunteer to help. In-person volunteers can register with the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, or through the Sierra Club. Recovery from this, as from Katrina, will be a marathon, not a sprint. We will need a lot of help for quite some time to come.
#4 If you live or visit near the Louisiana-Mississippi coast, and need to report damaged wild life or shoreline, these are the numbers to call: for oiled wildlife 866-557-1401; for damaged coastal areas 800-440-0858.
#5 Write and call your elected officials at the federal level. Demand clear procedures for emergencies in the Gulf. Demand accountability for when inevitable accidents happen. Demand immediate federal aid for the coast line, the wild life, and the human communities affected by such disasters.
Finally, we can all pray/meditate/send good thoughts when gathered in our faith communities. We can support and comfort each other in our rage and grief over this new disaster. We can use the work of our hands and the power of our minds to make this better and prevent its recurrence.
To all of you out there standing in solidarity with us in South Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.


text:
North Carolina Condos For Sale, South Carolina Condos For Sale
Georgia Condos, Florida Condos
Renaissance On Charleston Harbor: Mt Pleasant, SC
Renaissance on Charleston Harbor has offered spectacular views since its two eight-story buildings rose into the South Carolina sky on the Mount Pleasant side of the Cooper River in 2002. Its residents can watch the sun rise and fall over resplendent Charleston Harbor as... read more
The Preserve At Clam Farm: Folly Beach, SC
In the 1960s, Folly Beach was quite a tourist destination and a new Oceanfront Plaza was built to replace the Oceanfront Hotel and Pavilion, which burned down in 1957. The Preserve at the Clam Farm's 62 luxury three- and four-bedroom townhouse condominiums, an ERA Tides Realty… read more
Reverie on the Ashley, North Charleston, SC
Reverie's condos are located on the protected tidal marsh banks of the historic Ashley River conveniently located to downtown Charleston, inspired by South Carolina's rich architectural history. Sheltered by the luscious shade of magnificent oaks, Reverie on the Ashley offers the serene quality of life so many people crave...read more
Ocean Place, Amelia Island, FL
AMELIA ISLAND HAS SURVIVED and thrived through the twists and turns of history to become one of the world's premier vacation destinations. One of the best spots on... read more
Harbor Del Rio, FL
WHETHER YOU DREAM OF spending your leisure hours gazing at calm, clear water or at a blue sky ablaze with fire, you'll appreciate the views from the penthouses at... read more
Passage Point at Echo Farms Golf & Country Club
In North Carolina, there is a point where elegance meets affordable living. It is called Passage Point at Echo Farms Golf and Country Club and it just might be the ideal home for those wishing to settle in Wilmington. "Passage Point is condominium living at its best, embracing a 'lock it and leave it' attitude that gives one the freedom to"... read more
Kingston Plantation: Myrtle Beach, SC
Pat Walkey of The Walkey Team, Senior Broker with Prudential Burroughs & Chapin, recalls being there back at the beginning of Kingston Plantation in 1986 selling on-site... read more
Financing a Condotel Purchase, Myrtle Beach, SC
MORE PEOPLE THAN EVER before can now afford to purchase a vacation home in a resort destination. Thanks to companies such as Oceanfront Guru Real Estate Sales & Development... read more
Ellington Woods, Mount Pleasant, SC
MATURE OAKS, PALMS AND palmettos line the streets of fashionable Dunes West, just off Highway 41 in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and home to Ellington Woods, a residential community designed specifically for the best... read more
Condotel: Myrtle Beach, SC
MELDING PRIVATELY-OWNED condominiums with a tourist market hungry for accommodations that offer top-of-the-line amenities, condotels are as much a part of the resort-destination... read more
The Historic Fowle: Washington, NC
WASHINGTON'S ROOTS ARE rich in history. Located at the intersection of the Tar and Pamlico rivers, in the heart of North Carolina's Inner Banks, the town has earned its spot... read more
Charter Landing: Carolina Beach, NC
THE LATEST OFFERING BY Wilmington-based Rockford Partners, Charter Landing, promises fantastic views and ocean breezes from a custom-built condominium property... read more
Savannah Quarters, Savannah, GA
Savannah. Even simply saying the name compels you to take your time by rolling over her syllables as if to savor the city like a cherished slice of her famous pecan pie... read more
North Carolina Condos | South Carolina Condos | Florida Condos | Georgia Condos
Mortgage Calculator | Foreclosure Articles | Condo Resources
North Carolina Retirement Info
Search All Information provided
by the Condo Living Network


text:
— Complex signed 8-bit IQ sample
This format contains sequence of complex number samples. Each complex number consist two parts, called In-phase and Quadrature (IQ). Both I and Q are represented as a 8 bit signed number. I value comes first and Q value after that.
Example 2.41.
V4L2_SDR_FMT_CS8 1 sample
Byte Order. Each cell is one byte.
|start + 0:
|start + 1:


text:
If you live in the northern hemisphere, go out any nightthis week an hour or so after sunset and look at the western sky to catch aplanetary triple play starring Venus, Saturn and Mars.
The first thing skywatchers will see — weather permitting —is the brilliantplanet Venus, slightly north of west, in the constellation Gemini. Look forGemini's twin first magnitude stars, Pollux and Castor, just above Venus.
As the sky gets darker, the planet Mars can be spotted toVenus' left as it appears in the constellation Leo very close to the bright,first magnitude star Regulus. Further still to the left will be Saturn shiningin the western part of the constellation Virgo.
This sky map shows how to spot all three planets as they appear across a 71-degree angle inthe night sky. For comparison, your closed fist held at arm's length coversabout 5 degrees of arc in the sky.
Venus, Mars and Saturn are all currently appearing slightlynorth of the ecliptic, the path the sun appears to follow over the year, shownin green in the sky map. [MoreMars photos.]
Note the positions of these three planets in relation tothe bright background stars, because they are beginning an interesting journeywhich you will be able to follow over the next two months.
In early July, Venus will have moved rapidly to the left,crossing Cancer into Leo so that now it is next to the star Regulus. Mars,meanwhile, will have moved somewhat to the left. Saturn appears to have hardlymoved at all.
By then, the three planets will now cover only 37 degreesin the sky, only half the spread they showed in early June.
A month after this, in the first week of August, theplanets will be crowded into a 7-degree angle, and Mars will now be to the leftof Saturnin Virgo. Venus, too, will have moved into Virgo.
All three will fit comfortably in the viewing field of asmall pair of binoculars.
By August, Venus will still be brilliant, but both Saturnand Mars will have faded so that they just barely reach first magnitude. That'sbecause Saturn and Mars are getting farther away from Earth, while Venus isgetting closer.
From the southern hemisphere, the planets will appear inthe same positions relative to each other, but the ecliptic will be almostvertical, and the planets arrayed one above the other, rather than forming anoblique angle with the horizon.
This will be a fine opportunity to observe the relativemotion of three bright planets against a well marked background of stars,and to see the very different speeds at which they move: Venus traversing fourconstellations and Mars two, with Saturn hardly moving at all.
- Gallery- Venus Seen From Around the World
- BeginnerAstrophotography Telescopes
- More NightSky Features from Starry Night Education
This article was provided to SPACE.com by Starry Night Education, theleader in space science curriculum solutions.


text:
Disney•Pixar Announce Kerry Washington, Nathan Fillion, Lea DeLaria and Lewis Hamilton for Key Roles in Brian Fee's CARS 3
Kerry Washington, Nathan Fillion, Lea DeLaria and Lewis Hamilton Join Franchise Favourites on the Big Screen
Disney•Pixar's "Cars 3" reveals key voice cast and characters, featuring award-winning stars. According to director Brian Fee, the roster includes both new and returning characters. "We're introducing some fun and really appealing characters in 'Cars 3,'" said Fee, "so we really wanted to find the right voices to help us breathe life into them. We hit a homerun with this group; I couldn't be happier."
Following are the newcomers and "Cars" franchise veterans who join the previously announced voice talent and characters: Owen Wilson as world champion racer Lightning McQueen, Cristela Alonzo as unconventional trainer Cruz Ramirez, and Armie Hammer as sleek next-gen racer Jackson Storm.
• Kerry Washington (ABC's "Scandal," HBO's "Confirmation") lends her voice to Natalie Certain, a highly respected statistical analyst who knows her numbers. Book-smart and mathematically gifted, Certain may earn top marks in her ability to evaluate a racer's stats, but she could be underestimating the importance of determination.
• Nathan Fillion (ABC's "Castle," ABC's "Modern Family") voices Sterling, a brilliant businesscar who runs Rust-eze Racing Center—one of the most successful elite training facilities in the country. The always dapper Sterling comes across as unassuming and laid back, but business is business, and Sterling is driven to ensure all of his investments pay off.
• Lea DeLaria (Netflix's "Orange is the New Black") provides the voice of Miss Fritter, a local legend at the Thunder Hollow Speedway demolition derby. Fritter's formidable school-bus size is intimidating, but it's her smoke stacks of doom, razor-sharp stop sign and crazy collection of her victims' license plates that usually steers her opponents in the other direction.
Three-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton was called on to voice Hamilton, a fully loaded, built-in voice command assistant to high-tech trainer Cruz Ramirez. When Lightning McQueen takes his training off road, Cruz enlists Hamilton's help to keep the struggling racer on track.
"Cars 3" also welcomes the gang from Radiator Springs back to the big screen, including Lightning McQueen's best buddy Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy), and #95's No. 1 fan Sally (voice of Bonnie Hunt). Friends supporting their hometown hero include Fillmore (voice of Lloyd Sherr), Sarge (voice of Paul Dooley), Lizzie (voice of Katherine Helmond), Ramon (voice of Cheech Marin), Sheriff (voice of Michael Wallis) and Flo (voice of Jenifer Lewis).
Loyal transporter Mack (voice of John Ratzenberger), big-hearted Italian Fiat 500 Luigi (voice of Tony Shalhoub) and charming little Italian forklift Guido (voice of Guido Quaroni) continue to support Lightning McQueen's racing endeavors. World-renowned sports announcer Bob Cutlass (voice of Bob Costas) is still calling the races, and Chick Hicks (voice of Bob Peterson) is back—this time as a commentator on the Racing Sports Network. The lovable duo Dusty (voice of Ray Magliozzi) and Rusty (voice of Tom Magliozzi) return as Rust-eze's chief proprietors—though they have big things in store for Lightning McQueen.
Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician, Cruz Ramirez (voice of Cristela Alonzo), with her own plan to win, plus inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet and a few unexpected turns. Proving that #95 isn't through yet will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing's biggest stage! Directed by Brian Fee (storyboard artist "Cars," "Cars 2"), produced by Kevin Reher ("A Bug's Life," "La Luna" short) and co-produced by Andrea Warren ("LAVA" short), "Cars 3" cruises into cinemas on July 14, 2017.


text:
Advanced Search
TechAmerica, a nonprofit advocacy group, released an employment report (PDF) today showing an increase in tech-related job hiring for the first half of 2010.
Based on numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the report found that three of four tech-related industries experienced a spike in new hires. The study focused on the time period between January and June of 2010, finding that the overall tech industry added 30,200 jobs -- an increase of 0.5 percent for the entire market.
Compared with last year's data, the increase is good news. In the same period in 2009, there were 143,000 tech jobs lost, or 2.4 percent of overall tech jobs. However, the jury is still out on whether the new number represents an upward trend.
"Though the tech industry was among the last to feel the effects of the economic downturn of 2008-2009, it was not immune to job loss and is only slowly showing signs of climbing out of it," said Josh James, vice president for research and industry analysis at TechAmerica Foundation, in a press release. "Tech employment as of June 2010 stood at 5.78 million, compared to 5.99 million in January 2009. So there is still a way to go before we've made up for lost jobs, and continued recovery is by no means certain."
The software service sector accounted for 14,200 new jobs. High-tech manufacturing contributed 9,100 new jobs. The engineering and tech services sector increased the count with 29,700 new jobs. The only tech sector with numbers that took a dive was the communications services industry, which had a net loss of 22,800 jobs from the first half of 2010.
After January, 44,800 jobs ended because they were part-time or holiday-based jobs. The June increase in jobs was attributed to youth leaving school and able to work part time.
While the job market growth in the first half of 2010 was a positive finding, the employment situation looks differently from a year-over-year comparison. The report found that 72,800 tech-related jobs, or 1.2 percent of the overall workforce, were lost between June 2009 and June 2010.
TechAmerica's report advocated ways to make the short-term jobs growth found in the first half of 2010 become a more permanent trend. The advocacy group said that there needs to be a "continued revitalization of federally funded research." This, coupled with a permanent tax credit for research and development, would aid every sector in the tech industry, according to the group's announcement.
About the Author
Chris Paoli (@ChrisPaoli5) is the associate editor for Converge360.
More TechLibrary
More Webcasts


text:
Senator Bernie Sanders recently announced that he's considering entering the 2016 presidential race if a strong progressive doesn't. He also mention (in passing) that he likes Elizabeth Warren.
He's not alone. Seems like the rest of us Democratic voters like her a lot as well.
Josh Eidelson at Salon has a wide-ranging interview with Sen. Sanders about the state of the nation, the state of the issues he cares about, the peace initiative with Iran — and naturally, his candidacy and the potential candidacies of Sen. Warren and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
I found the 2016 part of the conversation fascinating. Here are a few segments of it. Be sure to read it all, though, if you're interested in this stuff. There's a lot of there there.
On the 2016 Race
First, Sanders talks about why he might run:
The Burlington Free Press reported that you're open to running for president if there isn't a good enough alternative in the race. What do you think you could accomplish by running?
Well, let me just tell you, Josh, I don't wake up every morning with a huge desire to be president of the United States. I gather there are people who do. I don't.
But what I do wake up believing is that this country is facing more serious crises than we have faced since the Great Depression. And if you include the planetary crisis of global warming, the situation today may even be worse. And given that reality, what distresses me enormously is that there is very little discussion about these major crises, and even less discussion about ideas that can resolve these issues.
After detailing the issues that Sanders feels needs discussing — income inequality, global warming, unemployment, Citizens United, the danger to democracy from oligarchic rule, media silence on everything important to the country — he says this:
And if you ran for president, what do you think it would do for those issues?
The nature of media is that presidential campaigns and candidates are a means, to some degree at least, of getting these issues out there. And I think that you can give all the speeches you want on the floor of the Senate, that's great, but I think being involved in debates and being out there around the country allows — gives you the opportunity to talk about these issues in a way that you otherwise could not.
Forcing the progressive discussion, in other words. And that discussion is being had (thank you, Noam Scheiber). Even by the right (thank you, Wall Street Journal).
On Elizabeth Warren in 2016
Elizabeth Warren's name always comes up in these discussions, doesn't it. Sanders:
The Free Press also reported that you'd be comfortable with an Elizabeth Warren presidential bid. What would make Elizabeth Warren a good president?
Oh, Elizabeth Warren is, you know, clearly one of the smartest people in the Senate. She is a true progressive. I've known Elizabeth for many, many years. She is doing a great job, and understands fully the issues facing the middle class and working class in this country. She is a very strong proponent in defending the working families in this country.
So should she be running for president?
Why don't you give her a ring?
You could give her a ring too. Her number is 202-224-4543 (DC) or 617-565-3170 (Boston). Don't ask her to run (she already knows you want her to), but you could thank her for her support for expanding Social Security and ask her what she thinks about Medicare for all.
On the Clintons
I use the phrase "the Clintons" because Eidelson does. Also because they really are a formidable team. Sanders again (my paragraphing):
You told Playboy that while you like the Clintons, they "live in a world surrounded by a lot of money," and a Hillary Clinton candidacy would not offer an alternative for the country. Why not?
Well, actually that was a – a) You don't know and I don't know whether Hillary Clinton is running for president. And b) if she decides to run for president, we don't know the issues that she will be focusing on.
I have known Hillary Clinton for a number of years, not terribly well, but I knew her when she was first lady and I knew her when she was in the Senate. I like her. She is extremely smart. But it's — we will have to see what she has to say, so — but based on the kind of centrist positions that we have seen her take in the past, it remains to be seen — although I may be wrong — it remains to be seen whether she will be a forceful advocate for working families.
By the way, check here for an update on that Clinton money situation. And I see the going rate for speeches has not gotten worse since I stopped giving talks at the kitchen table. The going rate for the special few at Goldman Sachs, is mentioned here. It's nice to see the economy recovering, at least in some sectors.
Other Issues
My thought? What better way to serve the warmongering crazies than to stimulate the nation's testosterone gene and claim the manly-man high ground while doing it. Any Democrat in Congress trying to sabotage the Iran deal, look carefully at their lobbying money. You'll find the usual suspect, I'm almost certain.
On Walmart, he's not a fan, and thinks no Democrat — no progressive Democrat at least — should be a fan either:
And when the president or members of his administration hold these public appearances with Wal-Mart, at things like a manufacturing summit, for example, does that give Wal-Mart more cover to keep its practices the same?
Well, I would hope that the president would be speaking out on the need to address a very serious crisis in this country, which is that most of the new jobs being created are low-wage, part-time, and that Wal-Mart is very much a part of that model. So I would hope that the president would join us in demanding that Wal-Mart start paying its workers a living wage.
This really is an interesting interview, and the 2016 discussion is interesting as well. We're not talking about 2016, you know; we're talking about whether the people who control the Democratic party will represent their voters or their … I have to say it, after a $2 billion dollar presidential campaign … their paymasters.
The nation waits. Thank you, Sen. Sanders, for beating the progressive bushes for a real progressive candidate.
We need to update you on where Truthout stands this month.
To be brutally honest, Truthout is behind on our fundraising goals for the year. There are a lot of reasons why. We're dealing with broad trends in our industry, trends that have led publications like Vice, BuzzFeed, and National Geographic to make painful cuts. Everyone is feeling the squeeze of inflation. And despite its lasting importance, news readership is declining.
To ensure we stay out of the red by the end of the year, we have a long way to go. Our future is threatened.
We've stayed online over two decades thanks to the support of our readers. Because you believe in the power of our work, share our transformative stories, and give to keep us going strong, we know we can make it through this tough moment.
Our fundraising campaign ends in a few hours, and we still must raise $11,000. Please consider making a donation before time runs out.


text:
Indian outsourcer Infosys Tuesday unveiled a package of services and technologies that aim to help companies deploying hybrid clouds.
Fragmentation of enterprise workloads across technologies and services running on both private clouds and multiple public cloud services is a key issue for customers, so Infosys is offering customers self-service catalogs of well-integrated business applications, platforms, and other point technologies from its partners, said Vishnu Bhat, Infosys' vice president and global head for cloud.
The Infosys Cloud Ecosystem Hub has what it calls a "smart brokerage" feature, which is an enterprise-wide decision support mechanism to select, compare and deploy cloud services from across providers, Bhat said. Decisions can be based on an evaluation of over 20 parameters such as quality of service, technology compatibility, regulatory compliance needs and total cost of ownership of application workloads, he added.
The hub also provides customers with a single-window view of the enterprise cloud system, across private and public cloud and on-premise IT.
Infosys like other Indian outsourcers who are mainly into custom software development and maintenance, are looking at building businesses around customers' adoption of the cloud. It said in July it has 3,000 staff in its cloud practice, and executed over 150 cloud-related projects, including multiple application migrations and re-hosting of mainframe applications to private clouds.
Indian outsourcers can play only a limited role in the cloud market, primarily in systems integration, because they own neither the applications nor the hosting infrastructure, said Sudin Apte, principal analyst and CEO of Offshore Insights, a research and advisory firm. The new offering from Infosys will help it draw attention to its systems integration and other services, he added.
Positioned as a "cloud ecosystem integrator" Infosys is working with over 30 providers of cloud infrastructure, applications and platforms including Amazon Web Services, CA Technologies, Dell, Hitachi Data Systems, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Microsoft and VMware to build connectors between these various technologies, and also offer to customize the applications and services to meet specific customer needs, Bhat said.
Customers will be given a variety of options in their engagements with vendors, and will for example have the option to tie up with a cloud infrastructure provider or leave it to Infosys to manage the relationship with the provider, Bhat said. Infosys will also host for customers in certain situations.
Besides making money from its own intellectual property like the smart brokerage features and the connectors that go into the integration of technologies from various vendors, Infosys also plans to earn revenue from services such as customization of software for customers, a business that the company has been into, and which it can deliver at a low cost from offshore locations like India.
John Ribeiro covers outsourcing and general technology breaking news from India for The IDG News Service. Follow John on Twitter at @Johnribeiro. John's e-mail address is email@example.com


text:
Save 50% when you shop our 'Bargain Books & Toys' Collection!
By (author) Romesh Gunesekera
1964. Ceylon is on the brink of change. But Kairo is at a loose end. School is closed, the government is in disarray, the press is under threat and the religious right are flexing their muscles. Kairo's hard-working mother blows off steam at her cha-cha-cha classes; his Trotskyite father grumbles over the state of the nation between his secret flutters on horseraces in faraway England. All Kairo wants to do is hide in his room and flick over second-hand westerns and superhero comics, or escape on his bicycle and daydream.Then he meets the magnetic teenage Jay, and his whole world is turned inside out.A budding naturalist and a born rebel, Jay keeps fish and traps birds for an aviary he is building in the garden of his grand home. The adults in Jay's life have no say in what he does or where he goes: he holds his beautiful, fragile mother in contempt, and his wealthy father seems fuelled by anger. But his Uncle Elvin, suave and worldly, is his encourager. As Jay guides him from the realm of make believe into one of hunting-guns and fast cars and introduces him to a girl - Niromi - Kairo begins to understand the price of privilege and embarks on a journey of devastating consequence.Taut and luminous, graceful and wild, Suncatcher is a poignant coming-of-age novel about difficult friendships and sudden awakenings. Mesmerizingly it charts the loss of innocence and our recurring search for love - or consolation - bringing these extraordinary lives into our own.


text:
VATICAN CITY (RNS) In his traditional Easter message, Pope Francis made sweeping calls for world peace, especially in troubled lands, such as Syria, Ukraine and the Middle East.
The Urbi et Orbi (Latin for "to the city and the world") message, delivered from the central balcony of the basilica where he first appeared after his election a year ago, included a call to end "deadly force" on "defenseless" civilians in Syria and urgent humanitarian aid for victims of the conflict.
He also called for a halt to the "brutal terrorist attacks" in Nigeria and violence in the Central African Republic, South Sudan and Iraq.
An estimated 150,000 pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square for the pope's Easter Mass message.
"We pray in a particular way for Syria, that all those suffering the effects of the conflict can receive needed humanitarian aid and that neither side will again use deadly force, especially against the defenseless civil population, but instead boldly negotiate the peace long awaited and long overdue!" the pope said.
Recognizing the Catholic Church's fraternity with those of the Orthodox faith, Francis singled out Ukraine for particular attention.
"We ask you to enlighten and inspire the initiatives that promote peace in Ukraine so that all those involved, with the support of the international community, will make every effort to prevent violence and, in a spirit of unity and dialogue, chart a path for the country's future," he said.
It's not the first time the pope has called for peace in Syria and Ukraine but he used one of the most important occasions on the Catholic calendar to underline his concern for those suffering from hunger and poverty arising from conflict.
The Argentine pontiff also called the tens of thousands of pilgrims who gathered in St Peter's Square to overcome the "scourge of hunger" and the "immense wastefulness for which we are often responsible".
In his message he expressed concern for those struck by the Ebola virus in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, and urged greater care for those suffering from other diseases spread through neglect and dire poverty.
The pope urged pilgrims to promote "reconciliation and fraternal accord" in Venezuela, where anti- and pro-government protestors have clashed since February.
Francis ended his traditional speech with his characteristic informality, wishing the crowds a "Happy Easter!" and "Have a good lunch!"


text:
Sean Bean Discusses "The Hitcher"
Sean Bean Discusses "The Hitcher"
From Rebecca Murray,
Your Guide to Hollywood Movies.
If youre one of those people who stops for hitchhikers on the side of
the road, you might want to rethink that behavior after seeing The
Hitcher. This remake of the 1986 film with Rutger Hauer, C Thomas
Howell and Jennifer Jason Leigh features Sean Bean in the part of the
serial-killing hitchhiker. Sophia Bush and Zachary Knighton co-star as
the young couple he terrorizes and frames for murder.
The Original Rutger Hauer Movie:
Bean watched that version when it
first came out about 20 years ago. I was very impressed by it, said
Bean. Its quite spooky and scary. I thought it was a really good
film. I suppose this is just a re-imagining of it. Its not a remake of
sorts. I think weve added a lot of edge to it and a lot of tension.
The characters are very well drawn. Theyre not cardboard cutouts and
cartoon characters. Theres a great depth to them. David [Meyers] is
doing a great job directing. Jim Hawkins and the lighting cameraman
added a very dark, sort of ghostly quality to it. Theres a lot of
thought and precision of detail going into this.
Bean didnt go back and watch the film again before starting work on
The Hitcher. He also didnt try and base his character on Hauers
performance. He had a certain charm, which I thought was quite
fascinating to the character. I didnt really want to see the original
because I just didnt want it to color what I did. I wanted to bring my
own views, my own ideas to the part. But Im glad I did see it when I
saw it, when I was a kid. It certainly made an impression on me. But as
I say, I think we all wanted to approach it in a different way and
bring out ideas to it, fresh ideas.
Developing the Characters Backstory:
I think because there wasnt so
much backstory, there wasnt a great deal to go on. I think for me it
was just creating some kind of sensation rattling around his head. Im
not quite sure what that is but a lot of it is the way it was shot and
the way it was explored, in terms of expression, things that werent
said really. Just looks and expression. Thats what I found interesting
about playing the part. Not so much what I said, but the way I looked
at these guys, the way I looked at life, the way I looked at people. I
just tried to bring something to that, to try and convey something,
what was going on inside his head.
Its difficult to explain. Im notoriously bad at trying to explain
characters I play. I think its something that just happens on the day,
usually. You think of something and figure something out, maybe
something in the past, something somebody said to you, somebody did or
someone you knew. I just try and think of things like that when they
say action. It must work.
Working with Guns:
Its okay. Ive done quite a few films now that had
guns and rifles, s**t like that. I feel okay. I dont have any
particular affinity to it. Its just I guess the parts I play tend to
carry real weaponry, a bit of hardware. Ive become quite familiar with
them. Particularly in this film, it doesnt really matter. This guy
kills by any means. He doesnt have a particular choice of execution.
He uses knives, guns, ropes, anything he can get his hands on. Anything
that happens to be around. Hes just a killer. Ive never really done
that. Ive never really worked on a part like this before. Hes so
unapologetic in terms of the characters psychology that he has no
remorse, no regrets. There are not any redeeming features to this guy.
I just think he does it because he can, and he believes hes
liberating. Hes a liberator. He believes that everyone is guilty of
something, maybe these young guys are guilty of something. He just
wants to clear them out.
Bean continued, Every question Hes asked where hes from, he says,
All over. Hes like a phantom, a ghost thats kind of your worst
nightmare. He terrorizes these young kids because theyre so stupid.
Theyre going to Lake Havasu to get her tits and drink beer. This guy
just wants to get rid of them. I think he sees something in Grace that
maybe thinks she can identify in some kind of strange way with his
mentality, his psyche. He maybe wants to pass something onto her, the
instinct that he has.
Ive enjoyed playing the part and I know what Im thinking when Im
doing it and I know what Im doing, but its difficult to kind of
explain the psyche. He f**ks about with peoples consciousness, just
plays games. He finds things humorous that a normal person wouldnt. He
finds humor and comedy in that people might get their head blown off.
Its sort of a peaceful time for him. It brings him peace, satisfaction.
Comparing Middle America to Other Shooting Locations:
Its pretty
lonely. Its a kind of lonely sort of feeling. Its got a lot of
things. I can imagine its very beautiful in the daytime and the sort
of landscape, but it can also be very desolate. Its a very lonely kind
of place to be, where you could quite easily lose your mind if you were
here for any length of time.
Filming at Night:
We did about five weeks of night shoots. That was
good because it is a film about the road, to be on the road in a car,
in cars. Like I said, the loneliness and the desolation, how people
come together in those situations, bizarre situations. They could have
bumped into anybody. He seems quite a nice guy in the beginning, the
crew of the service station, he just wants a lift. His cars broken
down; he wants to get back to his wife. Its raining. They reluctantly
give him a ride and he proceeds to terrorize them. But its good how
thats revealed because you dont see it I just thought at the
beginning you should see another side to John Ryder, the amiable side,
the friendly guy, because you dont see it very often after that point.
Once he starts f**king about in the car and breaking mobile phones,
sticking knives in peoples eyes, youve got an idea of what this guys
all about.
The Popularity of Horror Films:
Asked if theres something culturally
feeding the popularity of the genre, Sean Bean responded, I don't
know. I feel theres a sense of isolation in society today. People
dont seem to be able to come together as they once did. I think
everyone feels a little lonely in some way. They cant quite connect.
This guy, obviously somethings gone wrong somewhere. He connects in
very strange ways. But I do think theres something to be said for
that, the isolation that we feel, I suppose, today in certain ways.
Theres a sort of fear of getting to know anyone, to trust anyone and
to become loners.
Its Good to be Bad:
Sean Bean said he really enjoys playing the
villain. He was a good guy in Silent Hill and found that to be nice,
but boring. Id obviously like to explore different areas and I want
to do something a little bit lighter, but Im quite happy playing the
parts that I play. Every supposedly bad guy has a different story and a
different intellect and a different approach to how they see life.
Thats what makes it interesting, so I dont look at it in terms of bad
guys and villains. I just think of people who are psychologically
different and nonconformist.
The joy is that you can do almost anything you want and youve got the
freedom to sort of push the boundaries, which is extremely challenging
and exciting. I mean, with actors like Nicolas Cage, you cant quite
put your finger on what he does but he pushes the boundaries. Hes very
dense, very profound. Hes very interesting to watch. I dont exactly
know what he does, but what hes doing works. I always hope that
whatever part I play, that theres a dark side to every character.
Youre playing a good guy, theres a dark side, so I always look at it
like that. I think if you try to play a bad guy as mean and vicious and
villainous, then you just look at the dark side and theres always
going to be blackness. Likewise, if I ever play the good guy, Im sure
theres a little edge of darkness to him too. Thats what makes us who
we are.
Return to the Main Features Page
Return to The Compleat Sean Bean


text:
This is a piece written by a friend of mine, a young woman who is currently studying for a graduate degree at a Bible school in Singapore. It is quite relevant to some of the threads of thought that I've been writing about the last couple weeks. Kristina posted it as a note on her Facebook site and graciously granted permission for me to reprint it here. Her blog is well worth checking out.
Christianity: Hope of Civilization or Failed Medicine?
The church of the western world is largely in decline. While the statistics vary, any casual observer can see that, regardless of church attendance numbers, the church is going out of style fast. Her influence in the political and cultural sphere have dwindled to almost nonexistence, her presence in education has been severely cut short, and her visibility in the public square has decreased significantly. The overwhelming attitude of the western nations towards Christianity seems to be twofold.
"Oh my gosh, that is SO last century."
"Civilization tried Christianity and it didn't work."
The first attitude is just the natural reaction of our rabidly progress oriented culture. We want bigger, we want better, we want new and improved. Progress is on the march, and Christianity is last week's news, so get out of the way. The same things happens to other philosophical, cultural and political ideologies all the time.
The second attitude, however, is a direct challenge to the efficacy of the church. Christianity ruled the western world, directly or indirectly, for hundreds of years, but in many people's eyes, failed to live up to its promises of peace on earth, goodwill toward men and all that jazz. Been there, tried that, no thanks. However, I would like to contest that the Christianity that civilization mostly experienced has been a watered down or false version of the faith it claims to be. For much of western history the majority Christian church has not been the true Christian church. This is not to say that true Christianity was completely absent, nor that the majority church was completely devoid of true Christianity, but that often the version of Christianity we see in history was not true Christianity.
So, here are some guidelines for figuring out if the Christianity you're rejecting is true Christianity, or just a diluted/deluded (hee hee) fake.
I like to call the book of 1 John a field guide to recognizing a true Christian. John writes it to a church that is plagued by a false form of Christianity called Gnosticism that was trying to undermine orthodox Christian teachings and practices. He has multiple stated purposes in writing the book, but their culmination is basically to affirm those who are truly in Christ and to denounce those that are not. The whole book is a series of contrasts between truth and falsehood, light and darkness, love and lovelessness, Christ and the antichrist. John is prolific in his use of creative imagery, illustrations and words pictures to make his points, but the high point of His writing is in 3:23-24, where all of His field notes are condensed into two verses.
So, according to the apostle John, here's how to identify a true Christian
"By this we shall know that we are of the truth…"
1. Belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God (verse 23)
This one is pretty straightforward, but it is the hardest to determine definitely as an outside observer since a belief is primarily internal. However, when push comes to shove, this belief should be verbally professed and really, if you do believe that God loves you enough to personally come to earth in the person of His Son and die for Your sins, and that He is powerful enough to raise Himself from the dead, that kind of changes how you look at and live your life in a noticeable way.
2. Love for one another (verse 23)
John really hammers this one throughout the entire book of 1 John. Basically, if a person is not loving, they are not a Christian. That may be kind of an extreme statement, but John doesn't leave a whole lot of wiggle room on this. Does this mean that all Christians love perfectly all the time? No. But it does mean that their main characteristic in interacting with people is love. As John says, "Anyone who does not love, does not know God." If someone is not loving, they are not a Christian. Period.
3. Obedience to Christ's teaching and commandments (verse 24)
Again, this is a big theme in John and also one he doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room for. "Whoever says, 'I know him' but does not keep His commandments is a liar…" John asserts in 2:4. Because if you claim the name of Christ, if you claim to belong to Him, doesn't it make sense that you would do what He says? If someone is not obeying Christ's commands, that person is not a Christian. Again, all of us make mistakes, all of us mess up, but there is still a big difference between someone who is living their life according to their own rules, and someone who lives their life in recognition of a higher authority to whom they are submitted and accountable.
4. Assurance and presence of the Spirit of God in their life (verse 24)
This one can also be kind of hard to measure from the outside, but the other writings of the apostles do help give us some helpful pointers. One of the main passages for this is Galatians 5:16-24 where Paul also draws some pretty stark contrasts between those who walk according to "the flesh" (their natural being) and who walk according to the Spirit. He lists several "fruits" of the spirit including love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. I appreciate his imagery of "fruit" here, because these virtues are not instantaneous, but are things that grow and develop over time. If you know someone who claims to be a Christian and yet exhibits few if any of these and doesn't show any signs of developing them, that might raise a red flag.
5. Christ Centered Life
This final attribute of a true Christian is more implicit than explicit in 1 John 3:23-24. It is based on the observation that all of the four characteristics listed above are centered on Christ. We believe IN CHRIST. We love just as CHRIST commanded us. We keep CHRIST'S commandments. We have the presence of the Spirit that CHRIST gave us. Basically, all of the four things listed above begin and end with Christ. A person can work hard to do all the right things, but do it only for their only glory and benefit. That is not true Christianity. The practice of true Christianity is centered on a love for, obedience to and fellowship with Jesus Christ.
So, to sum up, usually when people hate the Christianity of the past, the Christianity of the present, or even specific Christians in their lives, they are often hating a watered down mutation of Christianity, and not the true thing itself.
"Civilization tried Christianity and it didn't work."
Civilization tried a version of Christianity that, as it rose in power and influence, was often watered down or entirely false. Just like a watered down medication, the label on the bottle may claim it has power to cure, but the substance inside is not real enough to fulfill the promises it makes.
So, if you want to hate Christianity and Christians, use the guidelines above to make sure you hate the right ones. You may just find that the thing you hate, is not Christianity at all, but a false version of it.


text:
Well the reprieve for Fallen Earth has expired. My current subscription is up tomorrow and I've set it not to renew. I've played maybe an hour in the last month. It is a good game and pretty fun, but the setting just hasn't drawn me in. I don't mean the game isn't immersive, because it definitely is. Maybe it would be more correct to say that the setting didn't engage my imagination.
When I play LoTRO or Champions, I'm not just grinding quests or mobs. I have an inner dialog going on where I think about why my character is doing what he's doing and what he thinks of the events he's experiencing. I get very attached to my MMO characters and most of them have a background story. Often the story develops while I'm playing and I don't always write them down, but any character that I play for a while develops some kind of background.
Even with my general lack of interest, I might have kept the subscription active for another month or two in the hopes that something would click for me. Unfortunately, my MMO schedule is going to get more crowded over the next six months, not less. Star Trek Online is in closed beta now, open beta is planned for late January, and release is February. My interest in LoTRO has resurged lately, partly because of the coming Mirkwood expansion and partly because of a good kinship I joined. I'm also continuing to enjoy Champions and EVE Online. If anything, I may have to take a break from EVE when STO comes out, depending on what the available subscription options are and how well the beta goes.
So unfortunately, Fallen Earth, its not you, its me. I hope we can stay friends.


text:
Intrepid Museum Programs and Exhibitions
Advanced Search
Plan Your Visit
The Intrepid Experience
Host an Event
Kids & Families
Give and Join
Museum Executives
About The Museum
Community Support
Information for Donors
Presidents Message
Intrepid Family of Foundations
Press Room
Intrepid Awards
Purchase Tickets
Veterans and Military Families
Birthday Parties
Gift Intrepid
Space Shuttle Pavilion
Shop Now
About Us
About Us
Intrepid Awards
Intrepid Awards
The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum presents a series of special awards to recognize outstanding individuals. These include national and international heads of state, military and corporate leaders, elected representatives and outstanding citizens. The awards we present include:
The Intrepid Freedom Award
The Intrepid Freedom Award is presented to a national or international leader who has distinguished himself in promoting and defending the values of freedom and democracy, the core beliefs of our nation.
The Intrepid Salute Award
The Intrepid Salute Award is presented to an individual in recognition of his business achievements and support of important philanthropic activities.
The Intrepid Salute Award for the Performing Arts
The Intrepid Salute Award for the Performing Arts is presented to an organization in recognition of talent and achievement in public performance.
The Zachary & Elizabeth Fisher Award for Patriotism
Named for the
of the Intrepid Museum, the Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher Award for Patriotism recognizes individuals who have dedicated themselves to the service of our nation and whose patriotic accomplishments have been exemplary.
The Intrepid Leadership Award
The Intrepid Leadership Award is presented to individuals and organizations whose determination, dedication and outstanding moral character have contributed to the greater development of our nation.
Unique Awards
The Museum has recognized several individuals with unique awards, recognizing their particular contributions to the mission of the Museum.
Hometown Heroes Award
Recognized for their outstanding contributions on Hometown Heroes Day, the Museum honors members of the tri-state area whose selfless efforts in the field of community service has earned them the distinction of being called "Hometown Heroes."
Intrepid Lifetime Achievement Award
The Intrepid Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to an individual for lifelong and pioneering achievements in his or her career or field of endeavor, and who has displayed a long-term commitment to supporting others.
© Copyright 2023 Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Code of Conduct
Contact Us
Press Room
Privacy Policy


text:
Before they perfected the electronica-meets-tango sound of the Gotan Project, Paris musicians Philippe Cohen Solal and Christoph H. Mueller worked together in the Boys from Brazil and Stereo Action Unlimited as early as 1996. Releasing their music on Solal's Ya Basta label, the two quickly caught the ears of Jazzanova, Gilles Peterson, Mr. Scruff, and other electronica tastemakers, while Coca-Cola picked a Boys from Brazil track for a European television commercial. Despite all the success, the duo wanted a project that had a more consistent mood. Feeling that both tango and dub had a subdued and melancholic sound, they decided to combine the genres. With the addition of Eduardo Makaroff in 1999, they formed the Gotan Project and released their first of four 10"s on Ya Basta in February 2000.
The band had drummed up quite a buzz in the U.K. and European press, and soon XL Recordings snagged the group. XL issued their full-length debut, La Revancha del Tango, in 2001, and the self-proclaimed "top Argentinian musicians exiled in Paris" toured to support the album, with guest musicians and a video backdrop by multimedia artist Prisca Lobjoy. Lunatico, from 2006, was named after tango legend Carlos Gardel's champion racehorse. Tango 3.0 appeared in 2010. In April of 2011, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of La Revancha del Tango, the Gotan Project enlisted the stars of the nueva cumbia scene to remix the album and retitled it La Revancha en Cumbia. It was expanded and released as a full-length on CD in October of that year.


text:
- Home
- English Language Learning
- Catalogue
- Cambridge English Exams & IELTS
- Cambridge English Young Learners 2 for Revised Exam from 2018
Cambridge English Young Learners 2 for Revised Exam from 2018
Authentic examination papers for learners preparing for the revised Cambridge English: Young Learners from 2018.
These examination papers for Cambridge English: Young Learners provides ideal exam practice. Each set contains three full-colour test papers which contain engaging activities and attractive illustrations to motivate young learners. These papers also provide an excellent opportunity for children, parents and teachers alike to familiarise themselves with the format of the revised test. There are three sets of tests for each of the three levels: Cambridge English: Starters, Cambridge English: Movers and Cambridge English: Flyers. Each set consists of a Student's Book with three full-colour tests, a Class CD, and an Answer Booklet.
Key features
- Contains three official tests for each level of Cambridge English: Young Learners so that students and teachers know exactly what to expect on test day.
- The full-colour test papers contain engaging activities and attractive illustrations to practise in a way which motivates young learners.
- The Answer Booklet familiarises teachers with the test and marking scheme, and contains an overview of the relevant test, a comprehensive key, examples of the type of interchange to expect in the Speaking test and a vocabulary list.
See it now
Get an eSample of Cambridge English Young Learners 2 for Revised Exam from 2018 that will allow you to view a product preview on your desktop.Free sample
From the World of Better Learning
We are currently experiencing some technical difficulties. We expect to be up and running again soon; we are sorry for any inconvenience caused.
Thank you for your feedback which will help us improve our service.
If you requested a response, we will make sure to get back to you shortly.×


text:
A sophisticated Headboard
This lovely bedroom furniture will help create a soothing atmosphere after a long day. With its many easy to access open storage compartments and top shelf, this bookcase headboard is perfect for fulfilling bedside storage needs, keeping your reading materials and personal items organized and close at hand when you need them.
Versatile Storage
This elegant bookcase headboard features practical open storage spaces separated by sturdy and reliable fixed shelves. There is a hole in the back panel allows cables to pass through for better wire management. The bookcase is easy to keep clean with a soft dry cloth.
This item is shipped in 1 box, make sure to have a friend with you. Assembly is required by 2 adults and tools are not included. If you have questions regarding this product or need assistance do not hesitate to contact South Shore Furniture 7 days support. You can reach customer support by phone at 1.800.290.0465 or you may chat with an agent live at: www.southshorefurniture.com
This product is made in North America with Laminated Particleboard
Accessories not included.
• ELEGANT STYLE: This elaborate bookcase headboard blends minimalist style and functionality in a simple and elegant piece of bedroom furniture.
• STYLISH STORAGE: Providing open storage spaces and a top shelf, this bookcase headboard has fixed shelves for extra sturdiness.
• A CLEAN APPROACH: Consolidate all your wires and cords to feed through one hole in the back panel.
- WARNING California's Proposition 65
- WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Formaldehyde, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer or birth defects or other reprodutive harm. For more information, go to www.p65warnings.ca.gov/furniture .
Product dimensions:
41" (W) x 9.25" (D) x 48" (H), 49 Pounds
Box #1 dimensions:
47.5" (L) x 13.5" (W) x 6.5" (H) 52 Pounds
1. South Shore Furniture provides the original buyer with a warranty covering defects on furniture parts and workmanship for a period of 5 years from the date of purchase for products manufactured by South Shore.
2. The word defect as used in this warranty is defined as any imperfection that may impair the use of the product for which it was intended.
3. This warranty is strictly limited to the repair or replacement of defective components and parts. This warranty excludes all other direct or indirect charges and expenses according to the limit permitted by law in your state/province.
4. In the event South Shore Furniture can not replace a part its responsibility can not exceed the value or cost of production of that part or the replacement retail value of the defective item, the choice is up to South Shore.
5. This warranty only applies under conditions of normal domestic use. It does not cover defects resulting from intentional damage, negligence, abuse, commercial use, product modification, accidents, exposure to the elements, or maintenance that does not comply with the guidelines in the assembly guide.
6. When applying this warranty South Shore Furniture reserves the right to ask for the proof of purchase of the original buyer.
7. This warranty is only valid on purchases made at authorized South Shore Furniture retailers in Canada, the U.S.A. and Mexico.
From the same collection
Here are few articles we have selected for you
Customer reviews
Bazaarvoice SAP Hybris Integration Version 2.8.0


text:
Magnetic Car Flag Pole Diplomat-1.30-Gold
- Buy 10 for €380.80 €320.00 each and save 24%
- Magnetic car flag pole
- for representative purposes
- Gilded surface
- maximum 130 km/h speed limit
- plastic-covered super-magnet: Mild on the paint
- Height of flagpole: 37 cm
- for flags 25×25 cm or 20×30 cm in horizontal format
- Premium quality
Car Flag Diplomat-1.30-Gold
As we all know how important the first impression is, hence we have developed the best vehicle flag systems in all areas for your representative appearance. The Diplomat-1.30-Gold is a result of this development.
For your utmost flexibility, we have provided the car flagpoles with the strongest available magnets, to let you set up these flagpoles on all engine hoods made out of steel sheets.
This product is manufactured in Germany.
Details about this car flag pole
This car flag pole is made from stainless steel. For the best appearance, we have polished and gilded the surface. To protect your vehicle paint, we have coated the super-magnet with rubber. It will stick reliably to your car, even at a speed of 130 km/h. With its magnetic placement, this flag pole can be changed quickly from one vehicle to another one. The upper ball can be screwed off which lets you change the flags easily.
Security note about our flags
Using our products is very simple. Still, for safe driving, please take heed of the attached instructions, which are graphically illustrated and multilingual.
The DIPLOMAT-FLAGS Story
It was once the wish of a young boy to ride in a car with presidential flags, just as he had seen on televised state visits. However, instead of becoming a world leader his schooling and experiences led him to a career in engineering.
But then the inevitable happened, as a young university graduate he developed the best, and most flexible, car flags and named these DIPLOMAT-FLAGS.
His development of the Diplomat-1, a magnetically adhesive car flag which can be used on the motorway, was revolutionary. To ensure that the magnet performed at high speeds, he used pure neodymium, one of the most coveted raw materials, alloyed with boron and iron and covered in a rubber coating. The flag pole is affixed to the car with a force of 500N.
Like the "Diplomat-1", both the magnetic and all other car flag holders made by DIPLOMAT-FLAGS are designed, developed, produced, hand assembled and refined in the home of car manufacturing, Germany.
Even today that once small boy personally tests all new car flag holders until he is sure that they are of a high enough quality to be sold by his brand DIPLOMAT-FLAGS. The name of that boy is Matthias Jaekle and today he is the expert in the field of diplomatic car flags, and the managing director of magFlags ltd.
For a long time, it has not only been Matthias who has used his flags on the road. There is hardly a leading politician who has not driven with his flags and gone on to change the world.
About magFlags
magFlags is an owner-managed family business, specialized on supporting state institutions with flags.
Our largest clients include diverse foreign ministries, governments and international aid agencies all over the world. Apart from clients such as the Foreign Office, the United Nations and the International Red Cross, magFlags also supplies flags to diverse companies and private citizens. High-quality and representative flags for your flagpoles are part of our product assortment, as well as specialized flag systems for diplomatic vehicles.
|Flag Size
|Made in Germany
|Fixing Device
|Magnetic adhesion
Magnetic Car Flag Pole Diplomat-1.30-Chrome€232.05 €195.00
Magnetic Car Flag Pole Diplomat-1.30-Black€295.12 €248.00
Car Flag Pole Diplomat-Z-Black€295.12 €248.00
Pennant Holder Diplomat-Bayonet-Chrome€470.05 €395.00
Pennant Holder Diplomat-Bayonet€295.00 €247.90
Car Flag Pole Diplomat-Z-Gold€499.80 €420.00
Car Flag Pole Diplomat-Z-Chrome€232.05 €195.00
Car Flag Pole Diplomat-Air with Suction Mount€195.01 €163.87


text:
It includes six different activities similar to the ones in the January packet but with a Valentine's theme!
Roll a phrase game using heart dice from the target dollar spot (of course you can always use plain dice too!) My kids have really liked this one, I've added a couple new rules like "pass your cards" I think they will like!
If your looking for February fluency fun click on any of the pictures to come to my store and check it out! Don't forget to stop by my blog for the freebie from this unit!


text:
Analysts are expecting yet another mediocre jobs report this month, which could be just the thing to soothe volatile stock prices and interest rate swings of the last few weeks.
Friday's jobs report is expected to show the economy added 155,000 positions in June, according to economists polled by CNNMoney. The unemployment rate is expected to tick down to 7.5% from 7.6%.
Those are not stellar numbers -- the unemployment rate is still above historic norms and job growth is slightly below even the lackluster 176,000 average of the 12 months.
Analysts said any jobs number too much higher than predicted could lead the Federal Reserve to end its stimulus program even sooner, causing the stock market to sell off and interest rates to spike further.
Conversely, any number below 100,000 or so will signal the economy is on the skids, also causing stocks to sell off.
"I'd love to get to the point in the market where good news is good news," said Art Hogan, a managing director at Lazard Capital Markets. "But I just don't think we're there yet."
This month's jobs report is being particularly scrutinized in light of the big swings in stock prices and interest rates following comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. Bernanke said the Fed could soon slow purchases of bonds and mortgages -- a strategy it has used for the last several years to keep interest rates low and prop up the economy.
Related: Fed officials in damage control mode
The S&P 500 is down nearly 3% since May 22, when Bernanke said the Fed may curtail its stimulus program later this year, and about half a percent since June 22, when he said the stimulus program could end altogether if unemployment hits 7% -- which the Fed expects by the middle of next year.
Bond yields have spiked on the news, resulting in a corresponding rise in interest rates. Mortgage rates have jumped a whole percentage point since May.
Economists base their lukewarm job growth predictions on the mixed bag of economic news over the last month.
Consumer confidence is up, as is at least one measure of manufacturing activity. But gross domestic product estimates for the first quarter of 2013 were revised sharply lower in June.
"Companies were likely cautious in hiring during June, with uncertainty about future strength in orders and sales and concerns about the prospect of rising health care premiums," said Lynn Reaser, chief economist at the Fermanian Business and Economy Institute at Point Loma Nazarene University.
Government jobs are expected to decline, as effects from the mandatory spending cuts -- a.k.a. the sequester -- continue to be felt.
Economists also warned that Friday's jobs number may be particularly weak due to difficulty in counting teachers leaving the workplace for the summer and recent graduates entering it.


text:
It's hard to get your swoll on at the gym when all you hear is seventeen different remixes of a Justin Bieber song. In order to save your ears from the horrors of modern day music you should consider getting some sort of sports headphones. However, there are lots that suck to put it frankly. If you're looking for ones that wont give you buyer's remorse, then consider any in-ear headphones by Jaybird. They have recently released several models of Bluetooth headphones that are sure to put you in the zone while you work out those things you call muscles.
Freedom Sprint
The Freedom Sprint is an upgraded and more compact version of the original Freedom Bluetooth headphones. I've tried these out personally at the gym and was very satisfied when I phased out all of the juice heads and dude-bros. I'm just like, "Do they even lift?" All of the controls are easily configured on the right earpiece for functions such as play, pause, answer/end phone calls, and skip tracks which means you never have to touch your phone during your work out. They are extremely comfortable in your ear and won't come out of your ear even if you decide to do twelve backflips in a row. They come with a plethora of different ear tips so even if you have elf ears you'll be able to find a pair that works for you. Did I mention that they sound really good too?
The Jaybird BlueBuds are the newest addition to the Bluetooth family. These little guys are even more compact than the Freedom Sprints. Unlike the Sprints, the BlueBuds have an in-line controller for all music and phone call functionality and have management clips for the cord to contour to the shape of your head. If you're lazy about charging, then you'll be happy to know that they have 8 hours of play time for extended workout use. Both the Sprints and the BlueBuds are sweat-proof which means you can excrete as much sweat as you want on these headphones and they will be unscathed. The Bluebuds are definitely at the fore-front of Blueooth in-ear headphones.
Whether you're running a marathon or punching slabs of meat, you and your ears will be happy.


text:
The thought of eating macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, tuna salad and chicken pot pies was comforting long before they were called comfort foods. Comfort foods don't have to be fancy. They're simple, delicious and usually inexpensive to make.
Tuna, Ramen noodles and hotdogs were a big part of my diet when I was in college. I bought the chunky light tuna back then, not the more expensive and tastier all-white tuna, which, by the way, is not as healthy as the cheaper stuff.
I ate my tuna with saltine crackers, which also were cheap, especially the Brand X kind. I mixed my tuna with pickle relish, shredded cheese, mayo, mustard and at least one hard-boiled egg. Eggs also were cheap back in the Stone Age.
I added lots of black pepper but no salt. It's not that salt was expensive; it just didn't need salt. A single can of tuna could make two meals, but I usually ate the whole thing. Tuna is a fish; fish is brain food, and I was a student.
Chicken pot pies were a special treat for a college kid. Again, when I could afford one, I got the cheaper brands, not the good stuff like Marie Callender's or Stouffer's. After I got married, it took my wife a while to adjust to my love for tuna and chicken pot pies.
She now makes a homemade pot-pie recipe that's even better than the premium commercial brands. She still doesn't share my love for tuna, though.
When my wife serves mashed potatoes, her recipe is really simple. After boiling and straining her potatoes, she mashes them with lots of butter, a little milk and sometimes sour cream or cream cheese. Her gravy depends on the meat she's serving. If it's fried chicken, it's a white gravy made with some of the chicken drippings, all-purpose flour, salt and pepper. If it's beef roast, it's a brown gravy made with roast drippings. Sometimes she also adds chopped onions to her gravy.
Her recipe for homemade macaroni and cheese is so close to perfect, she admits she's afraid to experiment with variations. Because our kids now ask for it whenever they come home with their kids, she's afraid to change it one iota.
I don't know everything she puts in her mac and cheese recipe, but there's got to be something addictive in there. From what I can tell, though, I see only elbow macaroni, an 8-10 ounce block of mild cheddar cheese and an unspecified amount of milk and flour.
She first makes a roux with the milk and some all-purpose flour then adds the cheese and allows it to melt in the slurry. I assume the macaroni is salted while boiling. She pours the strained macaroni in a casserole dish then pours the cheese/milk mixture over it.
I think she lets it cook for a short while at 350 to 375 degrees. Then she takes in out of the oven, tops it with more shredded cheddar and puts it back into the oven until she thinks it is done.
I don't know any more details than that because she won't tell me. The secret clearance issued to me by the Army is not valid in her kitchen.
I've suggested adding additional cheeses like Monterey Jack, feta or parmesan, and maybe some bacon bits. But a husband has to be careful about suggesting changes to his wife's cooking. He may end up cooking for himself, so I don't push the issue.
A few weeks ago, m y wife saw a mac-and-cheese recipe on the Food Network that incorporated the same ingredients I've suggested for years. It was easier seeing it on TV than hearing it from me. At least now she'll think about altering her recipe — but not when the kids are visiting.
Her mac and cheese has got to taste just like it did in their youth, when she served it to them along with her fried chicken, cream-style corn and stir-fry cabbage. I'm comfortable with that.
Email Murray at email@example.com.
The thought of eating macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, tuna salad and chicken pot pies was comforting long before they were called comfort foods. Comfort foods don't have to be fancy. They're simple, delicious and usually inexpensive to make.


text:
HDD Pictures of Prefab Homes as the New Era of Building a Dream Homes
1Prefab homes are a new era of future home. The home is not a moving home, it is simply made outside the location, which is in the factory. This technology managed to steal the attention of many people. The advantage is obviously this house can be made faster than the traditional house. In a matter of weeks, we have been able to enjoy the house because it is not bothered by the weather and stuffs. Besides, the prefab homes design is also diverse that focuses on various concepts, especially contemporary look. Why Prefab Homes? Because it is made out of a location where it will be placed, will the price be more expensive? Although it will have a charge to move the house to the desired location, in fact it also saves costs on the other sides, in terms of its building process. The longer the process of making the house the bigger costs will be involved. However, the rule is not valid in the prefab homes. In addition, this house is also more efficient in energy and environmental friendly. Again, homeowners can create a home design as they wish. Not only contemporary but traditional and other styles can be designed. Just keep in mind that the more complex the desired design, the construction costs will also be more expensive. It naturally occurs when building a dream home including prefab homes.
Pictures of Prefab home also affordable modern prefab homes also factory built homes also cheap prefab homes is created to be the inspiration of for you. This image was published on January 3, 2018 and published by Stephanie Ruth this is fall into the category Home Design, the size of image is 400 x 248 and this post has 24 related images. If you have any questions please Contact Us. Hope it could inspire you, our beloved reader in shaadi-invite.com, back to article please click Prefab Homes as the New Era of Building a Dream Homes.Here we have 24 great photos about Prefab Homes as the New Era of Building a Dream Homes. We hope you enjoyed it and if you want to download the pictures in high quality, simply just click the image and you will be redirected to the download page of Prefab Homes as the New Era of Building a Dream Homes.


text:
Linking up with Lauren, Amanda, and Karli!
Favorite Birthday Boy
|If only we could be back in Siena!
Favorite Closet Inspiration
Favorite Kate Spade Surprise Sale Find
|Kate Spade Stevie Bag (similar)
Closet Sale
|See all of these here!
This week I decided to start cleaning out the future nursery closet. Up until now I haven't been able to rid myself of my office/work attire because everything is still in great condition (not to mention its pricey to replace a 9-to-5 wardrobe!) but I'm finally ready.
So... I'm having a closet sale! I started a separate blog called Cait's Closet Sale (really catchy, I know) if you're interested in checking it out. Everything is $15 or under and sizes medium, 8 or 10. There are a ton of dresses (including a maxi from VS), pencil skirts, a few blazers and a cute nautical West Elm rug so if you're interested please check it out!
Favorite Season: Football!
Y'all its still 95 degrees here so I'm not going to pretend Fall is almost to Charleston, we just haven't gotten the memo yet. But Football is almost back and I'm excited to start on some Fall DIY projects! If you're a college football fan, I'm thinking of doing a link-up during kick-off week. If anyone is interested let me know and I'll get you more details soon!
I hope you all have an amazing weekend!


text:
MONTREAL – Canadians face a better than 50-50 chance that the cost of air travel will go up this summer due to higher oil prices, which have risen amid political turmoil in Iraq, an airline industry analyst said Friday.
"It will depend on how long this situation in Iraq is going to last," said Robert Kokonis, president of airline consultancy firm AirTrav Inc.
It will also depend on whether the crisis escalates and causes further impact on Iraq's oil refining, storage and transmission infrastructure, Kokonis said.
He said airlines could raise fares and fuel surcharges for international flights, but he doubts Air Canada (TSX:AC.B) or WestJet (TSX:WJA) will introduce surcharges on domestic or routes to the United States unless oil prices rise a further seven or eight per cent.
The U.S. benchmark price for oil on Friday was about US$107.26 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, up 35 cents for the week.
Roger McKnight, an analyst with En-Pro International, said he expects prices could still rise four per cent in the next three weeks to a month.
"That bubble could burst right away if that thing gets settled down, or it could go higher," McKnight said in an interview.
McKnight said crude prices seem reflect whether militants seem to be stopped or moving further south to Iraq's oil fields.
He said Wall Street traders worry that the situation could get out of hand, threatening about 10 per cent of the supply by members of OPEC, which represents 12 oil producing countries including several of Iraq's neighbors.
"It has nothing to do with supply and demand in North America," McKnight said. "This is a problem 6,000 miles away that's affecting gasoline prices and it will affect distillate prices, which are jet fuel prices."
Fuel is one of the largest costs for airlines, accounting for about 30 per cent of their operating expenses.
Air Canada estimates that each dollar change in jet fuel affects operating earnings by $34 million a year and 12 cents per share in net earnings. For WestJet, the impact is $9 million a year or five cents per share. The impact on Transat AT (TSX:TRZ.B) is estimated at $3.7 million or about seven cents per share.
Kokonis estimates a four per cent increase in the fuel price would increase Air Canada's costs by $136 million and WestJet's by $36 million.
However, Kokonis said, a three-cent increase in the value of the Canadian dollar would largely offset the higher fuel bill. He said each each cent increase in the loonie provides a $48 million improvement in Air Canada's pre-tax profits, while WestJet's sensitivity is $10.7 million.
Kokonis said currency movements are "critical", with a robust rise in the dollar perhaps enough for airlines to lay off any kind of cost increases.
"These carriers hope the Canadian dollar will strengthen because that will help to mitigate the collateral damage from rising oil prices."
David Tyerman of Canaccord Genuity said that although fuel prices have been rising, they are not out of line with where they've been since the start of 2011.
Jet fuel was about US$3.02 per gallon on Friday, up the US$2.80 range in early June, down from the first-quarter average of US$3.055, Tyerman wrote in an email
"Fuel does not look like a significant problem so far, but if fuel prices spike, I would expect airline profits to be hit short-term, and prices to be raised to offset the higher costs," Tyerman wrote.
On the Toronto Stock Exchange, Air Canada's fell six cents Friday to close at $9.43, WestJet gained 20 cents at $25.35 while Transat gained five cents at $9.85.


text:
This page has been archived and is being provided for reference purposes only. The page is no longer being updated, and therefore, links on the page may be invalid.
Read the magazine story to find out more.
New Pima Cottons Fight Fusarium FungusBy Marcia Wood
February 25, 2008
Some of your favorite clothes, towels and sheets might be made with cotton, America's best-selling fabric. But cotton plants won't produce top yields of the fluffy white bolls if they're clobbered by a microbe known as FOV race 4, short for Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. vasinfectum.
Now, studies by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist Mauricio Ulloa and cooperators may lead to new ways to combat the disease.
The Fusarium fungus can clog a plant's vascular system, or "plumbing," according to Ulloa. He's a geneticist at the ARS Western Integrated Cropping Systems Research Unit in Shafter, Calif.
Already, Ulloa, ARS colleague Richard Percy at College Station, Texas, and Michael Davis and Robert Hutmacher of the University of California have developed four new kinds of Fusarium-resistant pima cotton plants. Pima cotton makes premium fabrics for clothing and home.
The scientists will offer these parent pimas, known as SJ-07P-FR01 through -FR04, to cotton breeders and researchers this year. The plants rank as the first publicly owned pimas that have good resistance to race 4; good-to-superior fiber length, which is important to fabric quality; and moderate yields, according to Ulloa.
Now the scientists are testing hundreds of upland cotton plants. Upland cotton offers excellent, less expensive fibers. And, in related studies, Ulloa and co-investigators are delving more deeply into cotton's genetic makeup.
The intent? To find markersgenetic material that indicates the presence of genes of potential interest. The scientists have already identified a significant number of markers that may prove to be indicators of Fusarium resistance.
Read more about this research in the February 2008 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.
ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency.


text:
Davis Cup: India Complete Clean Sweep
Bangalore: Somdev Devvarman and Yuki Bhambri used their heavy artillery to complete the formalities in the reverse singles and author a 5-0 win for India against Indonesia in the Asia-Oceania Davis Cup Group 1 relegation playoff here Sunday.
Devvarman, 28, who is ranked 208, blasted David Agung Susanto 6-3, 6-1, while 20-year-old Bhambri followed it up with an even more comfortable 6-0, 6-1 win over Wisnu Adi Nugroho to allow Shiv Prakash Misra to sign off as team captain in a happy frame of mind.
The two reverse singles, that were only of academic interest after India took an unbeatable 3-0 lead Saturday following the doubles victory, dished out mediocre tennis with the Indonesian players offering very weak resistance.
There was a whiff of contest in the first reverse singles with Susanto staying with Devvarman early on before dropping serve in the sixth. The rallies were long and well-fought, but the Indian's superiority was much in evidence as he found some good angles to come through.
In the second set, an early break in the third put Devvarman up 3-1, but Susanto fought hard and even had two break points in the fifth. However, the Indian came up with two well-directed serves to catch up and went on to hold for 3-1.
Thereafter, Devvarman who took to the court for the reverse singles instead of Sanam Singh who was earlier scheduled to play, broke again in the fifth and seventh to wrap up the tie in quick time while providing India a 4-0 lead.
"I began to get comfortable after the first few games and it feels good that I got a point for India," said Devvarman who had also won the opening singles Friday to give India a solid start.
Later, Bhambri, ranked 279, had it easy against Nugroho (1774) who was broken thrice in each of the two sets as the Indian put in a solid performance to record his second win in the tie following his success in the second singles.
"I was more relaxed and just wanted to finish off the match," said Bhambri who then asked the crowd to give an ovation to 71-year old Misra for "his services to the country".
Misra praised Bhambri for his two singles victories and opined that the Delhi youngster would "go places" if he continues to improve. "I am proud of this team," said the former Davis Cupper as he acknowledged the crowd's ovation.