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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — With election politics in play, Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday announced systemic reforms to save billions of dollars in California's underfunded pension systems but dropped key changes he had sought to avoid a showdown with labor allies.
As a result, pension reform advocates said the Democratic proposal fails to address the long-term costs of the state's pension liabilities, largely by leaving benefits for the state's more than 200,000 employees unchanged without contract changes negotiated with unions.
The reform deal does not include putting new government workers in a hybrid system that includes a 401(k)-style plan, greater independence for the board that oversees the state's main pension fund, or a reduction in retiree health care costs, which are skyrocketing.
Still, Brown hailed the deal as a landmark achievement and said it will make pension benefits for public employees lower than they were during his first term in office, in 1975. A legislative committee passed the bill on a 4-2 party-line vote late Tuesday, setting up a full vote by lawmakers Friday.
"These reforms make fundamental changes that rein in costs and help to ensure that our public retirement system is sustainable for the long term," the governor said in a statement. "These reforms require sacrifice from public employees and represent a significant step forward."
Labor leaders also were not pleased by what they saw as a violation of collecting bargaining rights. The reforms for new employees include an annual pension cap, contributions of at least half of their pension costs and a higher retirement age for full benefits.
"We are fighting back and we're struggling, and in this case it appears like we're losing," said Dave Low, chairman of Californians for Retirement Security, a labor coalition representing more than 1.5 million public employees and retirees.
The changes that will save the most money apply primarily to new workers, rather than existing ones, so the greatest financial benefit to the state will be decades in the future.
"We've lived beyond our means. The chickens are coming home to roost," Brown said during a news conference in Los Angeles, referring to the difficulty of negotiating pension reforms with the Legislature's Democratic majority and the public employee labor unions that fund their campaigns.
Pension reform has been an undercurrent throughout the entire legislative session this year, in part because the state's two main pension funds, the largest in the nation, are so badly underfunded — by at least $150 billion.
California also faces an estimated $60 billion tab to pay health and dental benefits for current and retired state employees. That estimate doesn't include obligations owed to city, county and public school employees.
But the governor also had a lot at stake: He has promised reforms since rolling out a 12-point plan last October and is trying to persuade voters that he is fiscally responsible at a time when he is asking them to increase the sales and income taxes in November.
Although pension payments account for a fraction of state spending, the cost has been growing in recent years.
Republicans note that the state's main pension system cost $370 million in 2001, but the cost went up to $1.7 billion in 2011, nearly the amount the state spends to fund the 23-campus California State University system.
Brown's original plan was projected to save $4 billion to $11 billion over 30 years. On Tuesday, the governor said the changes, if enacted by the Legislature, would save $30 billion, although the time period for that savings was not clear.
Republican Sen. Mimi Walters said the savings in the Democratic plan are just a fraction of the state's overall unfunded public pension liability.
"The voters need to see that this is not true pension reform, and the reason that I believe the governor is putting forward this pension reform act, if you will, is because he knows that he cannot ask voters in the state of California to increase taxes if he doesn't take on this critical issue," Walters, of Lake Forest, said in an interview.
The reforms include a cap on annual pension payments for new employees at $110,100 for most workers and $132,120 for employees not covered by Social Security, such as teachers and some public safety workers. They also require new employees to contribute at least half of their pension costs.
Reflecting longer life spans, the reform plan also raises minimum retirement ages for new employees. A civil service worker will now have to work until age 67, rather than 55, to receive full benefits. For public safety workers, that goes from age 50 to 57, and the maximum benefit formula is reduced.
The plan also ends some of the most egregious abuses of the pension system, including a practice known as "spiking" in which employees are given big raises during their last year of employment as a way to inflate their pensions.
"Those items may be worth addressing for other reasons, but they have little to do with rising retirement costs," said David Crane, who served as economic adviser to former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and is now president of Govern for California, which advocates for government changes.
Crane said the proposal doesn't address the current long-term unfunded liability of the state's pension systems because it leaves benefits for current employees unchanged. Courts have ruled consistently that governments cannot make unilateral changes to existing pension benefits.
Jim Wunderman, president and CEO of the business-backed Bay Area Council, applauded the deal as a "big first step." However, some public employee unions were upset by the reforms, which must be acted upon by the Legislature by Friday.
"This is a one-size-fits-all approach that really does not work for all the different bargaining units and situations," said David Miller, president of the California Association of Professional Scientists, which represents scientists throughout state government.
He said guaranteed defined benefits are the best way to deliver a secure retirement for public employees.
Associated Press writers Michael R. Blood in Los Angeles and Juliet Williams in Sacramento contributed to this report.


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China overtook the United States last year as the global leader in clean energy investment while American spending on renewables dropped nearly 40 percent, according to a report to be released Wednesday by the Pew Charitable Trusts.
"The center of gravity in the clean energy world has shifted from the United States and Europe to China," the report concluded.
China's leaders are intensely focused on clean energy. The Chinese have aggressive targets for renewable energy and helped bankroll the rapid growth of the country's solar and wind industries. That resulted in China attracting $65 billion in clean energy investment last year, according to the Pew report, a whopping 30 percent of all renewable investment in the world's top 20 economies.
China is installing solar because the western European market for its solar products is drying up, said Ethan Zindler, head of policy analysis at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. China is also a major manufacturer of wind turbines and wants to tap its wind resources in Inner Mongolia and elsewhere. China needs energy to fuel its growth and is paying a price for its reliance on coal.
"There is an interest on the part of policy leaders there to address the terrible quality of the air," Zindler said.
The United States led in global clean energy investment until 2009. America then traded the top spot with China before reclaiming it during the surge in investment that came along with the stimulus legislation and a record boom in U.S. wind energy construction. American investment in wind skyrocketed as developers scrambled to finance projects before a tax break was to expire at the end of last year.
Congress is keeping the subsidy alive for another year, but scant new U.S. wind energy production is being planned at this point, Zindler said. Now China is in firm control of the global clean energy investment lead while America "continues to underperform," according to the Pew report.
Pew argues that lack of a national clean energy policy caused the United States to stumble in the clean energy race.
"In the U.S. there is an uncertain policy so investment has declined," Pew clean energy program director Phyllis Cuttino said in an interview.
Some 29 states have standards requiring utilities to get some of their power from sources like wind and solar. But several states already are surpassing targets, Zindler said, so won't demand more.
State legislatures also are challenging the renewable energy requirements all over the country, with conservative lawmakers arguing that they should be weakened or repealed.
Pew found investment in U.S. clean energy dropped 37 percent last year. That came even as spending on home solar surged and solar power generation increased in the United States.
The cost of solar and wind energy technology has dropped, so a dollar of investment goes further than in the past.

subset: commoncrawl


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Geometric Figures Review
Lesson 13 of 14
Objective: Students will be able to apply what they know about triangles, angles, and equations to solve problems.
Opener: As students enter the room, they will immediately pick up and begin working on the opener – Instructional Strategy - Process for openers. This method of working and going over the opener lends itself to allow students to construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others, which is mathematical practice 3.
Learning Target: After completion of the opener, I will address the day's learning targets to the students. For today's lesson, the intended target is "I can apply my knowledge triangles, angles, and equations to solve problems." Students will jot the learning target down in their agendas (our version of a student planner, there is a place to write the learning target for every day).
Resources (2)
Resources (2)
Resources (2)
Open Discussion: To summarize this lesson, I want to give students an opportunity to ask any questions that they still have regarding geometric relationships, as tomorrow they will have a test. Thus, I will open the floor for discussion, normally once one student asks a question, a good discussion begins!


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1948 Ford F1 Pickup - Tennessee Thunder
Paul and Carol Gerritsen from Dandridge, Tennessee, have been street rod and truck enthusiasts for the past 25 years. Some of their previous rides have been a '37 Chevy coupe, '37 Ford coupe Pro Street, '47 Ford convertible, and a '39 Nash with a 392ci Hemi shoehorned into the engine compartment. After taking an early retirement from the Delmarva power and electric company nearly a decade ago, Paul and Carol have been able to spend more time pursuing their passion of owning and showing their cool rides. Three years ago, Paul got the itch to have another custom ride built. After searching the Internet, he discovered his latest project on eBay. Paul called the owner in Florida, made the deal and Paul received the pink slip when the owner delivered the truck a couple days later. For something different Paul decided to build this beautiful '48 Ford F-1 Pro Street pickup.
The 1948's foundation is a boxed, stepped, and reinforced Ford frame that was constructed by Chris Nash at Precision Rod & Customs in Sevierville, Tennessee. A Scott's Super Slam Mustang II independent front clip was grafted to the framerails, then upper and lower control arms, two-inch dropped spindles, a front sway bar, and Ford rack & pinion steering was added. A Zoops GM-style power steering remote reservoir and a pair of Air Ride Shockwave pneumatic 'bags completed the front suspension. A narrowed Ford 9-inch rearend was stuffed with a Moser 3.50 ring & pinion and Moser Tru Trac 28-splined billet axles. The Ford housing was suspended by a heavy-duty four-link system with a Panhard bar and Air Ride Shockwave airbags. The braking was handled by a set of Wilwood disc brakes with polished four-piston calipers and 13-inch drilled and ball-milled rotors with an emergency brake. The rolling stock consists of Schott Performance Camber 18x8-inch front polished aluminum wheels and 20x15-inch wheels in the rear. The Schott wheels were encased with Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/R 26x8 tires up front, and massive Mickey Thompson S/R 33x18x20 meats in the rear.
A healthy 406ci Ford V-8 produced 618 lb-ft of torque at 3,700 rpm and 542 hp at 5,000 rpm. The block was bored 4.390-inches, stroked to 3.980 inches, and given 9.0:1 compression by Bob Meyers at Performance Automotive Machine & Engines in Greenville, Tennessee. A B.D.S. intake was capped with a B.D.S. 8-71 blower for the ultimate in go-fast power. A pair of Quick Fuel Technologies SS Series 650 cfm carburetors deliver the precise air/fuel mixture into the blower. The B.D.S. aluminum bug catcher mounted atop the carbs draws in fresh air. The burnt exhaust exits the cylinder head exhaust ports into a set of Sandersen ceramic-coated headers then flow into a pair of Flowmaster 40-series mufflers. A Steve Long aluminum radiator was installed with a 17-inch Cooling Components electric fan to assist in cooling. The built Ford C6 transmission was equipped with a 2,400-rpm stall torque converter.
This '48 underwent some 46 body modifications to achieve its aggressive identity. Paul hooked up with Eric Brockmeyer of Brockmeyer Designs in Viera, Florida, to discuss a professional rendering that would reveal many of the subtle body mods.
J. R. Carnes at JR's rods and Customs from Maryville, Tennessee, performed the 4-inch chop of the roof, suicided the doors, and fabricated the front and rear grilles. Converting the factory doors to exercise a suicide opening and closing action with hidden hinges presents a real hot-rod look with the chopped top. Chris Nash, at Precision Rod & Customs located in Sevierville, Tennessee, installed a '41-'48 Ford car dash from Bitchin' Products. To achieve a cleaner appearance of the engine compartment, the cab's firewall was filled and smoothed. To achieve cleaner doors, the vent windows, door handles and side moldings were removed. A pair of Aeroduct vents were grafted into the hood sides, and a blower scoop opening was cut into the top of the hood to allow the B.D.S. bug catcher to periscope out into the fresh air. The redesigned one-piece frontend received an extended lower valance that was blended into the grille and fenders, with a reshaped grille opening. A custom grille and headlight rings were fabricated and chromed to house the '03 Jeep Liberty headlight assemblies with LED turn indicators. A pair of smooth running boards were shaped to fit the fenders and cab. A '66 Chevy bed was narrowed, reboxed, and skinned. The one-piece rear bed section/roll pan was fitted with a custom chrome grille and LED taillights. Chris capped and smoothed the bed stake pockets and bedrail caps. The bed floor was fully tubbed and carpeted to house the narrowed and 'bagged Ford 9-inch rearend housing and four-link suspension. Battery access and hidden storage was also incorporated into the bed floor. A Pro's Pick tonneau cover can be activated with electric remote actuators allowing the tonneau cover to be raised and lowered by the key fob or switch inside the center console.
The crew at Precision Rod & Customs did the final bodywork and paint. After the entire sheetmetal was massaged, it was primered with four coats of PPG primer. It was then block-sanded to remove any ripples or defects in the surface. The body was then given its blessing by Chris, who sprayed it with PPG DBC-Kiwi Pearl Green (custom mix), and PPG Kiwi Peal Gray (custom mix). The basecoat was then covered with three coats of PPG clear. After ample cure time, it was then wet-sanded. A serious cut, buff, and polish treatment brought out the flawless, glistening pearl green and gray two-tone hues. Brian Papa at Papa Studios, in Atlanta, Georgia, laid down some steady pinstripes to divide the two pearl colors.
Todd Kirk, at Kirk's Kustom Upholstery in Corryton, Tennessee, showcased his interior stitchwork. Todd covered the reworked '97 Acura bucket seats to fit the F-1 interior with Finesse Hunter leather. The Finesse Hunter leather was applied to the custom door and kick panels. A one-piece olive green Passion suede headliner consumed the entire roof and cab corners. Chris, at Precision Rod & Customs insulated the cab interior floor, walls, kick panels, and door panels with Dynamat before Todd installed the Emphatic II brocade pile carpet. The boys at Precision Rod & Customs fabricated the center console to house the Air Ride switches/gauge panel, along with the windows, and tonneau cover switches. The instrument pods were filled with Auto Meter Sport Comp black-faced gauges. A Wire Works Express System wiring harness was installed connecting all of the truck's electrical components.
Paul and Carol would like to thank Precision Rod & Customs, JR's Rods & Customs, Performance Automotive Machine and Engines, Papa Studios, Kirk's Kustom Upholstery, and Eric Brockmeyer Designs for collaborating their gifted talents and skills to produce this wonderful masterpiece. They say that there is nothing louder than Tennessee thunder and that holds true to Paul and Carol's '48 Ford F-1. You'll hear it before you see it.


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Aug 25th stratus01.superwebhost.com Degraded Performance
On Thursday, August 24th we noticed problems with degraded performance on Stratus01.superwebhost.com. We found this was due to a problem with the primary storage array which that cloud server runs off of. We had to restart the storage array which required a restart of the stratus01.superwebhost.com server. It took longer to boot then we ... Ler Mais »
May 3rd Scheduled Maintenance For Las Vegas, NV Based Servers
Our Las Vegas based infrastructure will be undergoing power systems maintenance the weekend of May 20th. All servers located in this facility will be affected by this scheduled maintenance. Due to the nature of the required power maintenance, servers will need to be powered down, as the moving of circuits will not allow machines to receive ... Ler Mais »


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Wrote a three-part series evaluating parts of Target Field that was called "ridiculously thorough" by 2010 Major League Baseball Yearbook and Fantasy Guide. Currently available in the articles section.
Somewhat more recently, part 1 of my three-part series appeared in the Wall Street Journal. Many thanks to Michael Salfino for the article.


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Sizzling Science Crafts
Get those mad scientist goggles ready! This group of crazy concoctions will cover all the science basics, with style. Explore candy science, soap science and more... Suddenly science never looked so cool!Download All (9)
Download All is only available to Education.com Pro members. Learn More
Click on an activity in the set below to see more info.
Craft Fizzing Bath SoapsView Full Activity
Help your child experiment with the combination of acid and baking soda by making these homemade bath bombs!
Rock Candy ScienceView Full Activity
The next time you've got a restless second grade earth scientist on your hands, use this experiment to demonstrate crystals and make a tasty treat, too!
Build a Balloon Powered CarView Full Activity
This balloon-powered car project is a great way for your kid to learn about energy and how it can be used efficiently.
Build a TerrariumView Full Activity
Create a mini plant habitat with your kid to help teach him what it takes to make an ecosystem work.
Experiment with Sudsy Lemon ScienceView Full Activity
Magic, science, or household cleanser? Let your second grader decide with this practical, nontoxic chemistry experiment with acids and bases.
Make Edible Amber FossilsView Full Activity
Make edible amber fossils with your second grader to explore the fascinating world of science!
The set is continued below.
Marbled PaperView Full Activity
This fun marbled paper craft uses things you're likely to have around your house, and it teaches kids some simple chemistry too!
Do a Magic Soap ExperimentView Full Activity
Your child will do a fun science experiment using soap and pepper flakes to help understand the concepts of water molecules and the surface tension of water.
Separate Salt and Pepper with Static ElectricityView Full Activity
What's the quickest way to separate salt and pepper? Let static electricity do the work! Your child will be fascinated by this simple experiment.
Want to download this whole set as a single PDF?Download All (9)
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It's been another year of amazing photos, headlines and stories on Celebrity Baby Scoop!
'Tis the season to choose the best – and worst! – of 2012 in our 5th Annual Readers' Choice Awards. Watch our 'Daily Poll' and cast your vote. Check out the categories so far:
Most Transformed by Motherhood in 2012
Favorite Celebrity Mom of 2012
Favorite Celebrity Dad of 2012
Most shocking headline of 2012
Favorite Celebrity Family of 2012
Celebrity Most Recommended to Stop Reproducing
Least Favorite Celebrity Kid Trend In Hollywood
Favorite Family with Multiples
Baby we're most excited to see in 2013
Cast your vote. And may the best – and worst – win!


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Saku Koivu scored the tying goal early in the third period, defenseman Sheldon Souray netted the winner with 6:39 left, and rookie Viktor Fasth made 25 saves as the Anaheim Ducks handed the San Jose Sharks their first regulation loss of the season, 2-1 on Monday night.
The Sharks, who won their first seven games before a 2-1 shootout loss to Nashville on Saturday, lead the Pacific Division by two points over the Ducks. Fasth is the first Anaheim goalie to win his first three NHL starts.
San Jose's Thomas Greiss, returning to the site of his NHL debut back in January 2008, stopped Anaheim's first 24 shots and allowed only a second-period goal to Logan Couture.


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Christina Hendricks - Golden Globes 2010 Red Carpet
Mad Men hottie Christina Hendricks shows off her own golden globes on the red carpet at the 2010 Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday (January 17) in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Christina, 34, wore a peachy champagne dress by Christian Siriano and jewels by Loree Rodkin — triple double open leaf earrings on omega posts and prong set bangles.
Mad Men is up for Best Television Series – Drama. Big Love, Dexter, House and True Blood are also nominated.


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The big, bold statements are back — and so is Rex Ryan.
The New York Jets coach, kept on board despite owner Woody Johnson firing general manager Mike Tannenbaum, says Tuesday it is a new "beginning" for him. He adds that his team will not be "bullied," and promises that his bunch will be one that no opponents will want to face next season.
No Super Bowl guarantees, but this certainly was Rex: Reloaded.
During a nearly 40-minute "season-ending" news conference that came nine days after the Jets finished 6-10, both Johnson and Ryan spoke about being excited for the team's future. Ryan acknowledged he was concerned he could be fired because of his "failings," but Johnson insisted that "Rex Ryan is perfect for the New York Jets."
Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL


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It's been pilloried for decades as the party of doves, weak-kneed peaceniks who prefer to cut and run rather than stand and fight a foreign enemy or terrorist.
But the perception of the Democratic Party is shifting under President Barack Obama, whose national security and military policies are significantly chipping away at the image of the Republican Party as a better steward of military and national security issues.
Obama flexed his military muscle in his first term, launching a successful operation that killed Osama bin Laden, hunting down and killing al Qaida operatives and suspected terrorists with drone strikes, winding down an unpopular war in Iraq and drawing down troops in Afghanistan.
"It's kind of a record that more than anything else says that Democrats are no different than Republicans in caring about national security," said Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
In four years, the image of Obama has morphed from then-Democratic presidential challenger Hillary Clinton's portrayal of a shaky neophyte who couldn't handle an international crisis call at 3 a.m. to a commander in chief who's "out-Bushed" former President George W. Bush – in the words of Lawrence Wilkerson, former Secretary of State Colin Powell's chief of staff – in employing the anti-terrorism USA PATRIOT Act, using drones and going after intelligence whistle blowers.
Obama's approach appears to be paying off.
A decade ago, voters trusted Republicans over Democrats by 50-31 percent on the question of who'd do a better job of protecting the United States from international terrorism and military threats. By mid-2008, after Americans soured on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, they gave Republicans the edge by 49-42 percent.
Last month, they split 45-45 between the major parties, according to Gallup.
"It's the first time in modern memory that you had a Democrat who had the field of national security tilted in their favor instead of tilted to the Republicans," said Peter Feaver, who was a National Security Council staffer under Bush and President Bill Clinton. "The absence of a major foreign-policy disaster on Obama's watch has helped. The Afghanistan and Iraq wars . . . the president's handling of those wars was popular."
Presidential candidate Mitt Romney and other Republicans aren't surrendering what's long been the party's brand without a fight. He's routinely panned Obama's overall handling of intentional affairs and he's attacking the administration on its handling of events last month in Benghazi, Libya, that led to the deaths of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stephens and three others at U.S. diplomatic facilities there.
"You look at the record of the last four years and say, is Iran closer to a bomb? Yes. Is the Middle East in tumult? Yes. Is al Qaida on the run, on its heels? No," Romney said Monday in a foreign policy debate with the president. "We have not seen the progress we need to have, and I'm convinced that with strong leadership and an effort to build a strategy based on helping nations reject extremism, we can see the kind of peace and prosperity the work demands."
Obama counters by repeatedly checking off his national security accomplishments.
"Four years ago, I promised to end the war in Iraq. We did," the president told the Democratic National Convention last month. "I promised to refocus on the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11. We have. . . . Al Qaida is on the path to defeat, and Osama bin Laden is dead."
Democrats devoted a good deal of prime-time television attention to military and veterans issues in speeches during their convention. They taunted Republicans for not mentioning Afghanistan during the GOP convention, and they teased Romney for not mentioning U.S. armed forces in his acceptance speech.
Obama and congressional Democrats also have been mining the support of veterans and other voters for whom military and national security issues matter.
Last May, the president began a yearlong commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War by saying it was a "national shame" that those veterans came home to scorn rather than parades.
"A disgrace. It should have never happened," he said, standing at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Washington's National Mall. "That's why here today, we resolve it will never happen again."
Obama tapped first lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, earlier in his presidency to lead administration efforts to support military families.
Democrats and Obama have vigorously embraced national security and military issues largely because they've had to, Feaver said.
"In a wartime environment, they had to compete on the national security front," he said. "After 9/11, Democrats worked very, very hard to narrow the gap. In the last four years they narrowed that gap to the point that this summer Obama had the generic advantage over Romney."
That wasn't always the case. Some experts date public distrust of Democrats on national security and military issues to the Vietnam War.
Even though that war escalated under Democratic presidents – John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson – the party developed a dovish reputation largely because of anti-war presidential candidates such as Sens. Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota, Robert Kennedy of New York and George McGovern of South Dakota, who appealed to younger, war-weary voters. McGovern, whom incumbent President Richard Nixon soundly defeated in 1972, died Sunday at the age of 90.
"The choice of McGovern in 1972 as the nominee signified not only did they (Democrats) regret Vietnam, they regret America's deep involvement in the world," said Lawrence Korb, a senior fellow at the liberal Center for American Progress who was an assistant defense secretary under President Ronald Reagan. "The McGovern narrative stuck with the Democratic Party for a while."
The public's faith in Democrats' national security abilities suffered further under President Jimmy Carter when he authorized a military mission to rescue 52 American hostages held in Iran in April 1980. The mission ended miserably in the swirling sands of the Iranian desert with a heap of wrecked U.S. helicopters, the deaths of eight service members and a mortal blow to Carter's re-election dreams.
Republicans never let Democrats forget that many of them vocally opposed sending troops to fight the first Persian Gulf War – preferring to give economic sanctions against Iraq and Saddam Hussein more time to work – even though the then-Democratic-controlled Congress authorized the deployment of troops to Iraq in 1991.
As the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, then-Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas fired off a fundraising letter that branded congressional Democrats "appeasement-before-country-liberals."
After that, Korb said, Democrats vowed never to seen as wobbly on national security again.
Bill Clinton "certainly didn't sound like a McGovern Democrat" when he ran for president in 1992, Korb said, and he launched Republican-criticized NATO airstrikes against Yugoslavia in 1999, which halted a crackdown by Serbian forces on Albanians who were seeking independence.
Sens. Biden, D-Del., Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and John Kerry, D-Mass., all White House aspirants, voted to authorize the use of force against Iraq after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Hillary Clinton, at times, struck a more hawkish tone on the campaign trail in 2008 than did the man who defeated her, Obama.


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Every car has beauty in its own way, even the not-so-subtle, awkwardly designed ones. If nothing else, they're unique, different and certainly showing of individual personality. But regardless of the intricate beauty you can find in any vehicle, there are just some builds we can't help but shake our heads at. The four-door Corvette in the video above is one such case.
Owner of McJacks Corvettes, Jack Grubisich has always been into American cars, from the classics to the muscular, but the model that holds a special place in his heart is the Corvette. Just like Grubisich's opera singing, it takes a special person to work on Corvettes, but it takes a one-of-a-kind person to find the appeal of creating a family sedan out of the American sports car. But, that's exactly what Grubisich did.
Taking two Corvettes and piecing them together, Grubisich created a Corvette limo of sorts, although he prefers to call it the "four-door Corvette for the family man." The car has also been dubbed the Silver Bullet.
No matter what you want to call it, the stretch Corvette acts as one of Grubisich's daily drivers. To help smooth out bumps in the road, it's equipped with air suspension and Cooper Zeon RS3-A tires wrapped around American Racing wheels, while it's powered by a fuel-injected Chevy 350 strapped to an automatic 700R4 gearbox.
Other features you'll find on the car include extra long side pipes, four removable T-tops, four TVs, digital gauges, a Pioneer N1 stereo system with navigation and DVD players, and even a back-up camera.
While not everyone's idea of the perfect Corvette, we have to admit this one-of-a-kind car certainly is appealing in its own right. Whether it's for a prom date or a special outing, what open-minded car guy would say no to a stretch Corvette?


text: More Machinery Auctions Ahead October 29, 2013 09:56 PM Tweet TAGS: Marketing, Overseas December 18, 2014 By Greg Peterson Machinery Pete Machinery Pete Email Twitter Used equipment values weaken I have always shied away from too much prognostication. Carnac the Magnificent I'm not, but I do try to read tea leaves for the used farm equipment market. In late 2007, I wrote, "Folks, if you are at all thinking of buying that good used (fill in the blank), do it now, because used equipment values are about to shoot higher." They did, and values have remained elevated. Since late 2007 when commodity prices shot higher, we've been around all-time highs. Note the end movement on my "Used Value Index," which displays slightly falling used equipment values during second and third quarter 2013. Values are still strong, just getting a bit weaker. This trend is driven by a softening of values on big ticket late-model used equipment, particularly four-wheel drive and 200+ horsepower tractors. For the first time since 2007, we're looking at altering the supply and demand chemistry. Let's say $4 corn hangs around. Let's also say Section 179 of the tax code write-off limit for new and used business asset purchases falls to $25,000, as it's scheduled to do from its high of $500,000. Do you think the "fun" of farming might get lost in 2014 sans the record-profit environment? Retirement Auctions. Consider the average age of farmers—just over 57. How many farmers have (more like haven't) retired in the past five years? Why quit when times are good? I've been writing the last three years about a 50% plus drop in the number of machinery auctions. It's hard to find good used equipment, so when it does show up, values are high. I tread carefully down Carnac trail, but I'm wondering if we could see more machinery auctions come 2015? If so, better buys might be ahead. However, if you're looking to trade or sell, we'll see. Since 1989, Greg Peterson has compiled more than 500,000 auction prices, which he updates at www.machinerypete.com. To read his blog and watch auctions, visit www.agweb.com/machinerypete. E-mail him at email@example.com. Back to news


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Tragedy on Mt. Rainier
In the summer of 2012 a group of five Texans climbed to the summit of Mount Rainier, but it was a horrific and deadly trip back down the mountain that would challenge them to their core, and change them, perhaps forever.
June 19, 2013 5:01 PM
Photo: Ted S. Warren


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Hi All,
Just off the phone with Chris Schey (shymac on BAK) from Slingshot. He asked that I forward this information on to 2011 Rally owners.
If you own a 2011 Rally (the first year they were introduced), check the material near the area where the lines attach at the wingtips. On some kites, they're seeing wear at the point where the rear lines touch the wingtips. Here's a totally extreme case from a kite (probably a school kite) which has Zillions of hours on it:
I just looked at my 4 kites (flown quite a bit this season) and I only see one even showing the slightest bit of wear.
Slingshot fixed this completely with a beefed up rubber scuff guard at the wingtip area on the 2012 Rallys, and has developed a stick-on patch kit for the 2011's.
Chris is sending me a package with a bunch of the "Dacron Scuff Guard" kits. If you need one for your Rally(s), let me know and we'll figure out a way to get them to you.
You can also call Slingshot directly at 1-509-427-4950 or fill out their warranty form here http://tinyurl.com/slingshotwarranty
Oh yeah, here's a .jpg with install instructions:
Kirk out
P.S. I have no affiliation with Slingshot - just spreading the word as a (really happy) Rally owner.


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Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan rallied the metro Detroit business community today to help him with two things: volunteer their executives and help fight scrap-metal theft.
As its Newsmaker of the Year, Duggan spoke at Crain's 28th annual luncheon this afternoon, using the opportunity to ask for support for his plans to rebuild the city.
First, he joked with the crowd that he'd been a five-time "finalist" for Crain's Newsmaker of the Year before earning top billing. Turning around the Detroit Medical Center wasn't enough, he guffawed; earning the Newsmaker of the Year title required him to fail to file his residency papers correctly, forcing him to run for mayor as a write-in candidate — and then take office in the middle of a municipal bankruptcy.
"I hope you're still clapping for me like this a year from now," he told the sold-out crowd of 800 at the MotorCity Casino Hotel. "The city of Detroit is not as far away from being turned around as it looks."
Duggan had two specific asks of the attendees, though: Help him train city employees to operate more efficiently and support legislation currently in Lansing that would address scrap-metal facilities that buy illegally obtained materials.
Better systems
City employees are eager to rebuild the city and its systems, Duggan said, but they haven't had the opportunity to share their ideas.
He told the audience a story of riding along with a snowplow driver who explained that the routes were inefficient and that snow-removal could be better managed. But, Duggan said, when he asked the employee if he'd shared those ideas with his supervisor, the man responded: "You haven't been here very long."
In fact, Duggan said employees have told him their biggest challenge in the city are the supervisors and how they are promoted.
"They say it in front of the supervisors," Duggan said. "It's the darndest thing."
Duggan wants employees to learn lean-processing techniques so that they can assist him in breaking apart the city, piece by piece, assessing what's wrong and then fixing it, much the way he did for the DMC.
"The employees are dying to do this," he said. "When I ask them, 'Have you ever been on a lean processing team?' They don't know what I'm talking about. But they are dying to learn. They know this city's future depends on people moving in, not out, so that means better city services."
To make that happen, he asked crowd members to commit their own resources, to spend a month or two working with city employees on a particular issue.
"If your company has as one of its core skills the ability to tear apart a core process and measure the outcome, we need your help," he pleaded. "If you would, take one project — that could be part of something big like police response time or how we respond to water main beaks, which makes no sense at all — sign up and come in for a month or two and work with our employees so we can train our own employees."
Scrapping the city
Pending scrap-metal legislation
Read the full text of House Bill 4593 here.
Duggan called on attendees to support House Bill 4593, which has been winding its way through the Michigan Legislature; voting is expected in coming weeks. Duggan urged them to call any senators or representatives they know and explain why the legislation is important to the future of Detroit.
"We have to deal with the issue of the unsavory scrap metal dealers in the city of Detroit," he said.
"The businesses in this town are having to fence in their rooftop air handling units because they are being brazenly stolen," he added. "It costs twice as much to open here than the suburbs because of the insurance."
The legislation would expand the regulations for recycling metals and create a better paper trail to help law enforcement track thieves, identify stolen goods and track sellers who are operating outside the law.
In particular, it would change the way scrappers get paid and stop immediate transactions for cash. If they try to turn in a catalytic convertor, air-handling units or copper wire, Duggan said, the yard operator would have to mail them a check or require that the seller return in three days to receive payment.
The legislation would also require the scrap facilities to take a clear photograph of the sellers.
The bill has been hotly contested in Lansing, as scrap yards fight against regulations they say would be onerous. But Duggan didn't see that as a problem: "We have a number of very fine and reputable scrap yards, but you have some that are not."
DTE Energy Co. had to take matters into its own hands last year because scrap-metal thieves were costing it millions of dollars annually.
During a six-week period last fall, thieves broke into 22 of its local power sub-stations to steal copper cable, 20 of them in Detroit. In one instance, the thieves were so determined to gain access to a substation that they went into a manhole and broke through a wall, said DTE Chief Security Officer Michael Lynch.
A DTE investigator later found 2,000 pounds of cable clearly marked "DTE" from two of the substations at a local scrap yard, Lynch said.
DTE pressed charges, and the scrap yard owner and a scale operator were found guilty of a misdemeanor charge, Lynch said.
"That's an example of how the law could be changed to make it a 'real crime,'" he said.
Lynch said besides sub-station thefts, 32 of DTE's line and gas trucks were also robbed over a two-month period last year, Lynch said.
Thieves held DTE employees at gunpoint or threatened them in some other way while they took the scrap materials they wanted. Or, they waited until DTE servicemen went into a home's back yard before stripping a truck of the replacement parts on board.
DTE has since outfitted a couple of its trucks with surveillance cameras and parked them in neighborhoods, working in concert with Detroit Police Department officers.
Lynch said stronger prosecution of metal thieves is needed. Holding scrap yard operators accountable is also key, he said.
"If there wasn't a market for it, people wouldn't be stealing it," he said.
Other companies have changed their business practices as a result of metal theft.
Detroit-based American Axle Manufacturing Holdings Inc. began demolition of 1.9 million square feet of its shuttered Detroit Manufacturing Complex south of Holbrook Street.
To thwart scrappers from looting the complex while it's being demolished, American Axle hired 24-hour security for the site and is lighting up the site throughout nighttime hours, Chris Son, American Axle's director of investor relations, corporate communications and marketing, said in an email to Crain's.
The demolition company, Detroit-based Adamo Group Inc., also has its own security team on the site, Son said, declining to discuss the cost of those measures.
Local scrap yards say it's tough to know when scrap material is stolen.
"All of the regulations they impose on me in purchasing scrap metal are attempts to make me drive away stolen metals," said John Dingell, owner of Dix Scrap Iron and Metal in Detroit.
"It's virtually impossible to ensure that metal isn't stolen," he said, because you can change the nature of metal by melting it down and cutting it up.
Copper wiring, for example, usually has insulation. But it's worth only $1 per pound with the insulation, Dingell said. Some will burn the wire to get rid of the insulation before selling it for $2.50 per pound. That makes it tough to identify the wiring, which can also be used in machinery, automobiles and appliances, he said.
Dingell believes a scrap-metal-theft registry, something some lawmakers have already proposed, would help scrap yards identify thieves.
Under current law, Dix Scrap Iron and Metal and other scrap yards make a copy of a seller's identification, ask them to affirm they are the legitimate owner of the material and that they've never been convicted of non-ferrous metal theft before. They also take down a seller's license plate number, note the type of material brought in and the weight of material before getting a thumbprint from the seller.
"I have no way of checking the thumbprint right now," Dingell said.
"With the registry, I'd be able to check their ID against that, at least."
Under House Bill 4593, the industry could avoid the mandate for delayed payments, provided the industry maintain a searchable database in consultation with the Michigan State Police. The real-time database would track sellers and buyers of scrap metal and feature capabilities for law enforcement officials to "flag" violators.
Sherri Welch and Dustin Walsh contributed to this report.


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WELCOME to Wednesday's blog on the new-look Angler's Mail website.
Every Wednesday will see a new blog by Angler's Mail magazine's HQ, focussing on happenings in the wonderful world of fishing, including latest tackle and events.
This second Angler's Mail HQ blog is by Richard Howard, features editor, the longest-serving staff man and keen all-round angler with an impressive list of PBs. He probably sees more tackle and bait than anyone in angling media.
As weeks go by various staff will contribute to what is sure to be another must-read blog for all anglers – whether you are into pleasure fishing, carp fishing, match fishing, specialist fishing or anything else.
We hope you enjoy the blog, and share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter by clicking the icons above, or by the "old skool" method of telling fellow anglers! Feel free also to comment by using the special space at the bottom on this page.
WHOLE frozen Krill is on its way to tackle shop freezers as we speak (see this week's Angler's Mail magazine news pages). And it is going to help empty waters countrywide – take it from me.
Now available from Bait Box – you might have used their pike baits last winter – these small crustaceans and prawn look a likes – available up to 2 cm in length are set to clean up – whether you're match fishing or triggering a feeding response from something bigger.
The biggest problem I can see will be trying to be selective. Use them on a big fish water with few nuisance species and you will catch big fish – a bit like specie carpers using maggots for 30-plussers. There's a time and a place to use them. If your water's a fish packed commercial expect everything to jump on them – big or small.
Hands up I've not used the actual blast frozen Krill yet, but you've only got to look at the effectiveness of Krill as an additive in powder and liquid formats over the last couple of years to realise that if there's fish in you're swim, my experience is they're very quick to jump on Krill laced baits.
Giving off a strong shellfish aroma, and coming with the bonus of having a high nutritional profile whether you're packing them into a feeder and hook mounting them for big winter chub, using them as an additive or hookbait for barbel, even cupping chopped Krill in, and fishing them whole or in pieces on the hook on a commercial – here is a bait I'd have 100 percent confidence in – pretty much all-year-round for bites.
After seeing how effective the leak off of additives in tank tests is, of 'truffle or bon bon' type baits – a bait dipped and rolled in liquid and powder additives – at shows like the European Fishing Tackle Trade Exhibition in Paris this year and Amsterdam last year – I'm totally sold on this concept to bring quick bites.
On the back of that I've fished several sessions over the last few months with meat based baits glugged in Marukyu's Krill and then dipped in Krill powder but the problem was they've brought too much attention – from 8 oz carp up to over 20 lb. And I was after one particular whacker.
I've also 'baiting spooned' neat Krill into margin spots to bring fish in, and enjoyed very quick action – sometimes from the wrong species though!
The texture of these baits has also got to be a winner, I'm convinced texture plays apart in how attractive fish can find certain baits, and there has to be days when fish would rather have a mouthful of juicy, whole Krill than a pellet or boilie. But there will always be anglers that take the easy, less messy option who may just lose out.
As I said, the problem with them is going to be that so many species are going be on the sniff for them that the indicators aren't going to stop moving. A banker, you bet – as much as Usain Bolt was at winning the Olympic Games 100 metres.….
AM Medal Winner
WE'VE got to give an Angler's Mail GB Medal to our pike columnist Steve Rowley this week for getting out and amongst them with his kayak. He sent a cracking photo of a summer 4 lb perch taken on a lure worked from a kayak.
A gravel pit fish in perfect colours and in perfect nick, and one of several he's had recently, there's a lot more untapped water and unmolested fish out there for anglers that are willing to go afloat.
Fish are caught completely off guard when you creep up on them with a kayak and that's part of the reason for their success.
Living 20 miles from the Sussex Coast I bumped into a kayaker last week – on my way in with a mask and snorkel to recee some bass spots, whilst he was loading his kayak.
He told me he had about 80 bass last year on lures, a lot of them were from the same shoal which he kept in touch with over a couple of months.
If I had the storage I'd have one, but with five surfboards and a 10 ft dinghy – that's not really sea worthy – I need to sell something first.
It's a very popular growing part of the sport Kayak fishing and there's new models launched specially for anglers, coming out every year.
Check out this latest all singing all dancing 12-footer from Hobie that I inspected out in June.
Clever Kavanagh Carp Rig
WHILST I really don't like complicated rigs, and find the package of rings and swivels on some carpers end tackles a complete turn off Micky Kavanagh's Multi-Rig in this week's Carp World in our magazine is pretty clever. It's well worth checking out, with stunning photos as always from top lensman, Roy Westwood.
Allowing you to switch from pop-ups to bottom baits without any snipping or retying, and even allowing you to swap a blunt hook to a needle sharp one in seconds without retying any new knots or trimming, as our Colin Davidson says 'it's laughably simple!'
Mechanically it works and because the body of the trace is robust, the same link can stay in place for fish after fish even session after session with the hook and bait replaced when needed. How's that for convenience? I imagine you can apply a similar idea to predator traces from catfish to pike especially with some of the knotable wires…
AM HQ's LIKES OF THE WEEK
Free Tackle Box: there's a free tackle box on the cover of this weeks mag. That's a proper gift. Just the job for popping in your pocket loaded with swivels, beads and hooks for a spot of roving.
Charity fund raiser Allan Stone: he's on the verge of breaking the £400,000 barrier in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support. What a star. Visit www.stoneyandfriends.co.uk You can read all about him in The Inside Line in our current magazine.
Dave Palmer's 20 lb 2 oz zed: that's a big zander from the mighty River Severn in the news pages. I don't care if it was caught by accident fishing for eels. Well done Dave. What would that go in March when it's full?
AM HQ's UNLIKES OF THE WEEK
Stroppy bailiffs: I'm joining AM columnist Dave Coster (see My Say in the mag) on this one. I got chucked off a fishery a few years back after a one way slanging match in the dark over what was clearly a misunderstanding. I thought I could stay on into dark and couldn't. But was I allowed to put my point across? No chance!
OTT bait recipes: recently I watched an angling DVD, and what got my goat was when the said carper started running through his spod mix sitting amongst a whole pile of pellets, groundbait, particles, tuna and the like. Come on lads, the majority of us can't afford to put that much in. We want cheaper options.
Below are three quality promo videos emailed into AM's inbox already this week. All are worthy of a click to view. We also have lots more videos in our new TV player (top right on this page).
Let us know with a comment at the bottom of the page which one out of the three videos here is your favourite and why!
Hard-hitting interview with Roger Surgay, man behind Used Tackle, Dragon Carp and more
Latest video from Nash
Latest video from Wychwood
Here's the list of all the new blogs and when they go live:
MONDAY: Carp crews on rotation – Korda, Fox, Nash and ACE.
TUESDAY: Steve Collett, Mail contributor and ultimate all-rounder.
WEDNESDAY: Angler's Mail HQ – yes, us!
THURSDAY: Specialists from Pike Anglers Club, Korum and Pallatrax, on rotation
FRIDAY: Carl & Alex, Angler's Mail juniors and video diary makers.
SATURDAY: The Angling Trust – guys at the governing body.
SUNDAY: Colin Mitchell, veteran coarse angler and top journalist
Click HERE to catch up on all bloggers' introductions


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This guide is suggested for students of COM1200 or those interested in media research.
Communication Subject Guide - For more communication resources.
E-Reference Resources are a good place to explore potential research topics right from your dorm room! If you have a topic in mind, specialized encyclopedias and dictionaries can give you invaluable background information, as well as important keywords for researching the topic.
Encyclopedia of Children, Adolescents and the Media
Check out even more Communication E-Reference Resources.
There are also a couple of e-reference resources that can help answer your questions about research methodology.
The SAGE Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods
The SAGE Encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methods
Communication and Mass Media Complete This database includes full text for nearly 200 journals. Many major journals have indexing, abstracts, PDFs and searchable citations from their first issues to the present.
Communication Abstracts Abstracts articles from journals, conference proceedings and hard-to-find documents. Includes scientific research and government policies.
ComAbstracts From the Communication Institute for Online Scholarship, this is a database of the abstracts of primary literature for communication studies. Strong tools for browsing such as concept explorer, idea monkey, and index searches.
Once you have identified a useful article, check to see whether it is available in full text from that database. You will see a link or an icon for an HTML or PDF version of the article (sometimes the full article is displayed below the abstract). If the article is not available in full text through that database, it may still be available through another vendor. Click the find it button to see if it is available. This will take you to the 360Link screen:
Publication manual for the American Psychological Association
OWL (Purdue University Online Writing Lab) - APA
RefWorks is a Web-based software package designed to help you easily gather, manage, store and share all types of information, as well as generate citations and bibliographies.
See the Library Guide to Refworks for more information.
Citing and Evaluating Resources
Intro to Comm Research Presentation


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Kerry is attending a lunch alongside the Syrian opposition's interim prime minister and other senior figures. He later meets one-on-one with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Kerry is in London for a G8 foreign ministers' meeting Wednesday and Thursday. He arrived from the Middle East, where he held three days of talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Before leaving Israel, he said the Obama administration was holding intense talks on how to boost aid to Syria's rebels. He said it was important to increase pressure on Assad's regime to get it to the negotiating table.
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Sustiva Seems to Cause Prisoners to Wrongly Test Positive for Marijuana Use
November/December 2001
A note from TheBody.com: The field of medicine is constantly evolving. As a result, parts of this article may be outdated. Please keep this in mind, and be sure to visit other parts of our site for more recent information!
Inmate Efrain Campbell was eagerly looking forward to finishing his six months in solitary confinement following a fight at Illinois' Pontiac Correction Center (PCC). But then his drug tests kept coming back positive. He was accused of smoking marijuana and it was determined that he should be held another six months in solitary. At the same time, prisoner advocates learned that more than a dozen other prisoners at three different Illinois prisons were found to have "dirty drops" for marijuana, and were being punished by being put in solitary confinement or losing months of good time (which would have reduced their prison sentence). One inmate lost six months of good time and six months of contact visits. Like Campbell, each prisoner was HIV-positive, and each was taking the anti-HIV drug Sustiva (efavirenz).
Sustiva is known to make people wrongly test positive for marijuana use (called "false positive" results). But here the story gets tricky, and the crisis for the prisoners builds. (Remember when you see the word "assay" that it means a test.)
The Sustiva package insert is ambiguous: "False positive test results have only been observed with the CEDIA DAU Multi-Level THC assay, which is used for screening, and have not been observed with other cannabinoid assays tested, including tests used for confirmation of results." That makes it sound like Sustiva manufacturer DuPont Pharmaceuticals tested the med against all marijuana tests. In fact, the company did not do so, and it did not look at the test used in Illinois prisons, DrugCheck 5. DuPont only looked at three marijuana assays. The other two tests measured were Cannabinoid Enzyme Immunoassay from Diagnostic Reagents and AxSYM Cannabinoid assay from Abbott Laboratories.
This helps get the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) off the hook for civil rights violations. In a letter to a prisoner advocate group, IDOC Deputy Chief of Institution Operations Larry Sims wrote that, "The Department is currently unaware of any scientific evidence to suggest that the DrugCheck 5 reacts to Sustiva by rendering a false positive. Research conducted by DuPont reflects that only the [CEDIA DAU] assay has been identified as creating false positives. Other assays do not cause false positives. The Department will continue to monitor this situation in an attempt to determine if a further investigation is warranted." But advocates say IDOC has done nothing.
In the midst of the Illinois crisis, the purchase of DuPont by Bristol-Myers Squibb was finalized on September 26. That left DuPont staff scrabbling, and allegedly unable to run lab tests to see how the Illinois marijuana test functions with Sustiva. But David Rosen, associate director of public affairs for DuPont Pharmaceuticals, said that the DrugCheck 5 package insert clearly states that a confirmatory test must be used and that it is up to IDOC to run those tests. He notes that even the CEDIA DAU test states that a confirmatory test must be given following positive results. The package insert for both tests states that, "The test provides only preliminary data which should be confirmed by other methods such as gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Clinical consideration and professional judgment should be applied to any drug abuse test result particularly when preliminary positive results are used." Rosen also said it is up to the DrugCheck 5 manufacturer to test Sustiva for interactions. He said DuPont will look into changing the wording of its package insert, which requires approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and that such a change might be able to go into effect immediately.
In memos, prison healthcare providers reported simply that, "We have been directed from Office of Health Services that positive drug screens are a security issue, and we are not to get involved" and "Per the Office of Health Services, we can confirm for security you are on the medication but whether it causes false positive is not a medical issue." [Emphasis in the original.]
In a letter to IDOC director Donald N. Snyder, Jr., Charles A. Fasano, staff associate at the John Howard Association (a prison reform organization located in Chicago), explained that, "If use of a prescribed medication such as Sustiva, which is essential in AIDS treatment [as they are all], caused any false positive test results, inmates will be placed in a position of having to choose between punishment in segregation and prolonging their lives with a medication that leads to their placement in segregation." He adds that prisoners refuse to continue taking their Sustiva, "for fear that they will fail further random urine tests."
Prisoner advocate Dick Helms, also at the John Howard Association, says, "How can all of these people be flunking the test? That's too much of a coincidence." Prisoners taking Sustiva can contact Helms at the association, 300 W. Adams, Chicago, IL 60606; or Jackie Walker, National Prison Project, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), 733 15th St. NW, Suite 620, Washington, DC 20005. In the meantime, it is obvious that prisoners and others, such as people on methadone, need to reconsider going on Sustiva.
Got a comment on this article? Write to us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
A note from TheBody.com: The field of medicine is constantly evolving. As a result, parts of this article may be outdated. Please keep this in mind, and be sure to visit other parts of our site for more recent information!
This article was provided by Positively Aware. It is a part of the publication Positively Aware. Visit Positively Aware's website to find out more about the publication.


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surreal78 wrote:Pretty sure I saw a quote in the last week from his agent saying that a 1-year deal with PHX is off the table.. has to be multi-year no matter what.Hockey Widow wrote:I think he just needs to get his head around the reality of the situation. Take a chance on a one year deal in the desert and then see, or break ties altogether.
You are correct. Doan and his agent have said all along a one year deal is not going to happen, he wants resolution for what may in all likelihood be his last contract. My point is if he really wants to stay then do the one year deal and see what unfolds. Or get his head around the idea that that isn't viable and sign somewhere.
As for the horses, he can keep the ranch and make it work until his contract is up no matter where he stays. Although front money is on staying in the West for that reason. Since he also wants to go to a contender I think LA and the Canucks are the best bets, in the West. I still don't see SJS being there and Calgary and Edmonton are not going to cut it either. I think LA is the front runner for a lot of reasons so as long as their dollars and term are in the ball park I think that is where he goes.


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Ready To Step Up
Bandys' David Barrow will step into an important role this season. The Trojans junior quarterback is taking over in 2010 for graduated QB Kyle Houser, who set the school's passing record last year and was named the Catawba Valley 2A's best offensive player as a senior.
"Kyle left some big shoes to fill, but I will do my best and do what I can to help the team," Barrow said. "I guess I'm a little bit nervous, but I'm prepared. I'm ready because I have a good solid team around me and good coaching staff."
The junior starting quarterback started the last two seasons on the JV team, and he dressed out Friday nights last season with the varsity team. He saw limited action in late-game situations during blow out victories. Barrow said he used the game experience to adjust to the faster pace of the varsity game and the larger size of its players. He also practiced last season with the varsity and JV squads.
"David is coming into a tough situation this year in that we are young everywhere," Bandys coach Randy Lowman said. "He's doing a good job and picking up everything we expect of him. He's coming along fine, and I expect him to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league. I really do."
The Trojans are inexperienced almost across the board. They only return three starters on offense and four overall. Senior Dylan King started in 2009 for the Trojans as a wide receiver and defensive back. Lowman said an ideal situation for an incoming quarterback is a roster loaded with experience so he can just "direct traffic."
To make the transition easier, Barrow worked this summer in the weight room and got stronger, and he worked with the receivers on the timing of the Trojans' offense. Lowman said Barrow also skipped a season of baseball to put his time and effort solely toward football. It also kept him from different throwing motions in the two sports.
"I think all the little things he's done will help him," Lowman said. "It's hard to sit here and predict what will happen. I know David's mindset and maturity level, but I expect him to be fine."


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Actress Amanda Bynes continues to shock fans - she has had her cheek pierced.
The Hairspray star, who made a name for herself as a Nickelodeon teen star, has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons in the past year (12) thanks to a series of traffic blunders and erratic behavior caught on camera.
Her infamous run-ins with the law resulted in Bynes losing her driving license and facing counts of driving under the influence.
And it seems her odd antics have continued into the New Year - Bynes has had a colourful gem bar pierced through her cheek.
She uploaded a snap of her bizarre new look on photo-sharing site Tumblr.com on Monday (14Jan13).


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PRINCETON, N.J. – The ECHL on Thursday announced that the Stanley Cup will make an appearance in Anchorage, Alaska on Feb. 7 and 8. This addition will add to the excitement of the 2014 ECHL Hockey Heritage Weekend presented by CCM in Anchorage, Alaska which is being hosted by the Alaska Aces.
The 2014 ECHL Hockey Heritage Weekend presented by CCM, begins on Friday, Feb. 7 with the Seventh Annual ECHL Hall of Fame Luncheon presented by BFL Canada to be held at the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel & Spa at 12 Noon. The event continues with two specialty games sponsored by Sutton Special Risk on the nights of Feb. 7 and 8, as the Stockton Thunder take on the Alaska Aces. Both events begin at 7:15 p.m. AKST at Sullivan Arena and will feature historical displays straight from the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, including the Stanley Cup, several other of hockey's most prized trophies, artifacts celebrating the heritage of the game and interactive games for kids to enjoy.
Both the Stanley Cup and Kelly Cup will be available for a special viewing and a unique photo opportunity at the ECHL Hall of Fame Luncheon. Tickets for the Hall of Fame Luncheon are available by contacting George Sandoval at (907) 375-6815 or at firstname.lastname@example.com. The seventh class of the ECHL Hall of Fame includes James Edwards, Wes Goldie, Al MacIsaac and John Spoltore.
Premier 'AA' Hockey League Fast Facts
• Watch games live on America ONE Sports, the "Official Broadband & Mobile Broadcaster" of the ECHL.
• The ECHL celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2012-13 and is the third-longest tenured professional hockey league behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League.
• ECHL began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states and has grown to be a coast-to-coast league with 22 teams in 15 states in 2013-14.
• The league officially changed its name from East Coast Hockey League to ECHL on May 19, 2003.
• 527 players have played in the NHL after playing in the ECHL including 22 in 2012-13.
• 15 ECHL players have made their NHL debuts in 2013-14: former Reading Royals Will Acton (Edmonton on Oct. 1), former Kalamazoo Wings left wing Darren Archibald (Vancouver on Oct. 25), former Colorado Eagles defensemen Ben Chiarot (Winnipeg on Nov. 2) former San Francisco Bulls left wing Jamie Devane (Toronto on Oct. 5), former Idaho Steelheads left wing Luke Gazdic (Edmonton on Oct. 1), former Toledo Walleye center Luke Glendening (Detroit on Oct. 12), former Wheeling Nailers defenseman Alex Grant (Anaheim on Nov. 30), former Cincinnati Cyclones goaltender Magnus Hellberg (Nashville on Oct. 26), former Ontario Reign goaltender Martin Jones (Los Angeles on Dec. 3), former Wheeling Nailers defenseman Philip Samuelsson (Pittsburgh on Dec. 16), former Wheeling Nailers center Zach Sill (Pittsburgh on Nov. 16), former Toledo Walleye goaltender Kent Simpson (Chicago on Dec. 14), former Greenville Road Warriors goaltender Cam Talbot (New York Rangers on Oct. 24), former Reading Royals defenseman Patrick Wey (Washington on Dec. 7) and former Ontario Reign goaltender Jeff Zatkoff (Pittsburgh on Oct. 11).
• The ECHL has had 335 players reach the NHL since 2002-03 when it changed its focus to become the primary developmental league for the NHL and the AHL. The ECHL had 97 players reach the NHL in its first 10 seasons and 215 in the first 15 years.
• 271 ECHL players have played their first game in the last nine seasons for an average of more than 30 per year.
• ECHL had a record 93 players on NHL opening-day rosters in 2013-14, surpassing the 87 from 2012-13 and marking the 11th year in a row that there have been over 50 former ECHL players on opening-day rosters.
• ECHL has affiliations with 27 of the 30 NHL teams in 2013-14, marking the 17th consecutive season that the league has affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL.
• 30 coaches with an ECHL background are working behind the benches of teams in the NHL including Anaheim Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau, Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma, New York Islanders head coach Jack Capuano, Florida Panthers interim head coach Peter Horachek and Winnipeg Jets head coach Claude Noel. It is the ninth consecutive season that there have been 11 or more coaches with an ECHL background working in the NHL.
• 27 former ECHL officials are scheduled to work as part of the NHL officiating team in 2013-14 with referees Darcy Burchell, Francis Charron, Tom Chmielewski, Ghislain Hebert, Jean Hebert, Marc Joannette, Trent Knorr, Mike Leggo, Dave Lewis, T.J. Luxmore, Wes McCauley, Jon McIsaac, Dean Morton, Dan O'Rourke, Brian Pochmara, Kevin Pollock, Kyle Rehman, Chris Rooney, Graham Skilliter, Justin St. Pierre and Ian Walsh, and linesmen Steve Barton, Matt MacPherson, Brian Mach, Tim Nowak, Bryan Pancich and Jay Sharrers.
• ECHL was represented for the 13th year in a row on the Stanley Cup champion in 2013 with Chicago Blackhaws assistant coach Jamie Kompon, players Sheldon Brookbank and Daniel Carcillo, vice president/assistant to the president Al MacIsaac, director of pro scouting Ryan Stewart and general manager of minor league affiliations Mark Bernard. The ECHL was represented by 53 former players and 18 coaches on the 16 teams competing in the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup Playoffs, marking the eighth year in a row that there have been at least 30 former ECHL players and the 10th consecutive season that over 25 players with ECHL experience have competed in the NHL postseason.
• Former ECHL broadcasters working in the NHL include John Ahlers and Steve Carroll of the Anaheim Ducks, Dave Goucher of the Boston Bruins, Chris Kerber of the St. Louis Blues, Jack Michaels of the Edmonton Oilers, Dave Mishkin of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Bob McElligott of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
• Ryan Stanzel and Jeremy Zager, who were both recipients of the ECHL Media Relations Director of the Year award, are working in the communications department for the Minnesota Wild and the Los Angeles Kings, respectively. Former ECHL assistant director of communications Joe Siville works in the communications department for the Philadelphia Flyers.
• ECHL has affiliations with 27 of the 30 teams in the American Hockey League in 2013-14 and for the past 24 years there has been an ECHL player on the Calder Cup champion.
• In the last nine seasons the ECHL has had more call-ups to the AHL than all other professional leagues combined 4,000 with over call-ups involving more than 2,100 players and in 2012-13 there were 10 times as many call-ups from the ECHL to the AHL than all other professional leagues.
• The ECHL averaged 4,695 fans per game in 2012-13, the highest single-season average since 1999-2000, and marking the ninth consecutive season and the 21st time in the last 23 years that the ECHL has averaged over 4,000 fans.
• Further information on the ECHL is available from its website at ECHL.com, as well as on Facebook and Twitter.


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Academic Rigor
Dorm Life
Food and Dining
Bang for the buck
Clubs and Activities
Campus Safety
It's a great Bible school with an awesome family environment where everyone cares about who you are and why you are you, and on top of that their heartfelt desire is to see, and help, you grow, grow, grow!
To find more tips for prospective students, what to do for fun and whether this school is great for a particular type of student read the 4 reviews for Appalachian Bible College
Curious about something that isn't answered here? Feel free to ask Appalachian Bible College a question
ABC is doctrinally sound (Biblically and Christ-centered). The staff are genuinely, sincerely, and cordially concerned and caring for each, indivigual student's progress and well being. And the area in which is the campus (it settings) is absolutely, stunningly, awe-inspiringly gorgeou, beautiful, and breathtaking: it is truely an excellent matrix for worship.Read More
The school is heavily focused on putting out ministry minded individuals. This school has a very set way of doing things and a very specifically set way their students are to behave and function. At times this school can be extremely difficult to deal with and get along with.Read More
Appalachian Bible College is everything i dreamed a college could be. The professors are kind-hearted, want to help in every way they can, and are big on making sure life isn't always so serious. Everyone is friendly and it is just an awesome place to be!Read More


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Every week the numerous blogs covering the machinations of the Apple empire float unconfirmed rumors, blatant speculation and questionably-sourced reports on what the company might be unveiling in the near or distant future. Let's take a look back at what the Apple blogs were excited about during the week of May 6 - 12. Check out our last edition of Apple rumors here, and for all the latest follow me on Twitter right here.
This Week In Apple Rumors: iTV Hysteria Edition


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Beans and Greens Soup (With a Little Italian Sausage)
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Click the heart, it's called favoriting. Favorite the stuff you like.Got it!
Author Notes: When I think of inexpensive meals I almost always turn to hearty soups - a little meat and a lot of veggies go a long way. When the kids were living at home a pot of soup was usually always on the stove to accommodate their crazy schedules ( and ours!). This was one of their favorites. - inpatskitchen —inpatskitchen
Food52 Review: This soup is genius. Simmering Italian sausage in chicken broth produced an unbelievable depth of flavor in the final dish, one that I would associate with far more expensive dishes. The potatoes and beans are great textural additions to the soup and with minimal preparation, they cook up fast! I loved the addition of greens (I used kale) to the soup -- it made the soup into a complete meal, especially when we served it with a crusty bread. - foresterlady
Makes: 3 to 4 quarts
pound dried northern white beans, soaked overnight in water to cover
pound Sweet Italian sausage baked at 350F for 30 minutes
cup sliced leeks
cloves minced garlic
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
tablespoons olive oil
cups chicken broth
cups chopped greens ( kale, spinach,collards -your choice)
medium potatoes,peeled and diced in 3/4 inch cubes
salt and black pepper to taste
- Cook the soaked beans in water for 40 to 50 minutes until tender, reserving one cup of the cooking liquid. Set aside.
- In a large soup pot saute the leeks, crushed red pepper and garlic in the olive oil until soft.
- Slice the baked Italian sausage in 1/2 inch rounds and add to the pot. Saute for about 3 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth, the reserved bean broth and the potatoes. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add the greens and the cooked beans, bring back to the boil and simmer until the greens have wilted.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Recipe with Beans
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Recipe for Autumn Soup
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Cheap Feast
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Greens
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Dirt Cheap Dinner
More Great Recipes:
Bean|Pork|Vegetable|Soup|Make Ahead|Spring|Fall|Winter


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The BobCAD-CAM software for CNC lathe will have you programming and cutting your parts faster than ever…See for yourself, try it for FREE today!
The software supports the use of canned cycles, which are used to reduce the size of your NC programs. You're given the option of posting each feature as separate moves or as canned cycles.
Easily define tool profiles with standard tool shape options or draw your custom tool profile to match your exact tool. Toolpath calculations take into consideration custom defined tool holder and insert geometry to avoid costly gouging and eliminate potential air cutting.
Facing, threading, and grooving cycles are supported on the OD and ID and can be posted as separate moves or as canned cycles.
BobCAM for SOLIDWORKS is a Gold Partner CAM Add-On to provide faster access to strategic machining operations for simple or complex parts. Built-in to the latest SOLIDWORKS design software, BobCAM is the perfect solution for turning innovation into perfectly finished parts fast! LEARN MORE
The NEW Machine Simulation PRO Add-on offers state of the art toolpath simulation technology for BobCAD-CAM CNC programming software. LEARN MORE
Predator CNC Editor is intelligent and knows G code. You can even verify your CNC programs with 3D solid based verification. LEARN MORE


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Car magnets
Get the best mileage for your marketing with a custom magnet for your vehicle.
1 Starting at $15.00
Postcard magnets
Spread word about your business or event on a postcard that will stick around.
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Keep your business front of mind with an easily visible magnetic business card.
25 Starting at $10.00
Magnetic calendars
Create a practical gift that customers will consult and appreciate year-round.
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Meetings Made Easy at Sheraton Terms & Conditions
If a customer (the "Customer") books a meeting at a Participating Property between October 1, 2015 and December 2016 for an arrival date on or before December 31, 2016, and the meeting or event has between 10 and 100 eligible guest rooms booked on the peak night (the "Eligible Event"), Customer will receive the following:
- a dedicated small meetings and events manager;
- complimentary basic meeting room WiFi for attendee usage; and
- Use of Starwood's Fast Track Contract;
Terms & Conditions
- "Peak Night" is defined as the contracted block date with the highest number of guest rooms.
- Promotion must be referenced at start of the negotiation process with the Participating Property for the Eligible Event, and is not valid with any room blocks or Eligible Events booked, under negotiation, or that occurred prior to October 1, 2015.
- Offer is for basic WiFi, faster WiFi connections, hard wired connections, and dedicated bandwidth are available on an ala carte basis for an additional fee. This benefit is applicable to those groups using the preferred in-house Event Technology company for their audio visual/event technology needs.
- Promotion may not be combined with any other offers, incentives, discounts or promotions.
- Promotion not valid on catering only business.
- Promotion is subject to availability of guest rooms and meeting facilities at time of booking.
- The Customer must be a legal corporate entity with a valid tax ID number, business number, or other equivalent documentation.
- Promotion is valid only at Participating Properties, a list of participating properties can be found at Sheraton.com/meetingsmadeeasy.
- To the extent that terms are capitalized in these terms and conditions, the terms have the meanings specified in the SPG Program Terms.
- Starwood is not responsible for omissions or typographical errors.
- This promotion is void where prohibited by law.
- Starwood reserves the right to discontinue this promotion at any time.
- SPG, Starwood Preferred Guest, Sheraton, Four Points, W, Aloft, Le Méridien, The Luxury Collection, Element, Westin, St. Regis, Tribute and their respective logos are the trademarks of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., or its affiliates.
© 2015 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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NCF gearing up for golf classic
Members of the Nolan County Foundation are announcing their annual NCF Golf Classic scheduled for April 21, 2012 at the Sweetwater Country Club.According to Jerry Riggs, President of the NCF, this event started in 2006 as a source of additional funding for spring graduates from Blackwell, Highland, Roscoe and Sweetwater high schools who desire to continue their education at any Texas college or university. Since its inception, the NCF has awarded $1,000 each to 133 graduating seniors.This spring each Nolan County high school counselor's office will have uniform applications for any 2012 spring graduates who wish to apply. Forms will also be available at the NCF office located at First Financial Bank at 201 Elm, or by contacting Homer Taylor at 236-6680.The 2012 Golf Classic will be played in a scramble format that will begin with an 8 a.m. registration followed by a 9 a.m. shot gun tee time. Last year approximately 100 players participated. Coffee and pastries will be available at registration and a brown bag lunch with refreshments will be provided.NCF board members will be contacting businesses and individuals for sponsorships and registration for teams. With the already excellent Nolan County support demonstrated, members are looking for another record year.Members of the NCF include Jerry Riggs, Glenn Bennett, Rod Wetsel, Ronnie Cox, J.V. Martin, Ronald G. Williams, Bill Johnson, Tom Rees, Jr., John Jay, Carolyn Lawrence, Jan Smith and Homer Taylor, Executive Director. Jacque McCoy, Chamber of Commerce Executive, serves in an advisory position.For additional information regarding this event, contact Don Timm at Sweetwater Country Club at 235-8093 or Homer Taylor at 236-6680.


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GPSolo January/February 2007
Solo and Small Firm Conferences Lend Lawyers a Hand
When it came to organized bar activity, solos and small firm lawyers used to liken themselves to Rodney "I get no respect" Dangerfield. They thought that they didn't get much in return for their bar dues, that big firm lawyers dominated bar associations and bar activities, and that no one really cared about them. Those times, like the comedy legend, have now passed. Almost two decades ago, the American Bar Association analyzed the lot of the solo and small firm lawyer, and it's now been more than ten years since the General Practice Section changed its name and focus to recognize and embrace solos and small firm practitioners. Bar associations across the country began to recognize the solo and small firm lawyer as the backbone of legal practice.
In 1996 the Missouri Bar Association held its first Solo and Small Firm Conference, drawing 250 lawyers together for continuing education as well as practical advice about keeping a balance between professional and private lives. In the ten years since its debut, this conference has grown to nearly 900 attendees—the largest solo and small firm conference in the country—under the capable direction of Linda Oligschlaeger, Missouri Bar Membership Services Director, who has come to be known as the mother of the movement.
Other states have picked up the cue, addressing the needs of solo and small firm lawyers. And so, too, has the ABA General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division, which last fall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, held the First National Solo and Small Firm Conference, chaired by Oklahoma Bar Association Management Assistance Director Jim Calloway and Ross L. Kodner of MicroLaw. Keep your eyes peeled for the Second National Solo and Small Firm Conference during the Division's meeting this fall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In this issue of GPSOLO, we gathered program materials from solo and small firm conferences across the country to bring you the best of the best. Picking and choosing from this trove of resources wasn't an easy job; believe me when I tell you that there was enough material to fill pages and shelves for years to come.
In the coming months, the GP|Solo Division will create a directory of solo and small firm conferences across the country on its website. Let us know about your bar association's solo and small firm conference. The Division's Resources » page, and particularly its page about starting and running a law firm », are invaluable aids to your practice.
I've written this column with one hand, its companion wrapped up in a cast after a recent injury. But there's no reason for you to practice single-handedly. The ABA GP|Solo Division and your state and local bars are here to lend you a hand. And give you a leg up.
jennifer j. rose, editor-in-chief of GPSOLO, is a lawyer and writer living in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. She can be reached at email@example.com.


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Download here: Episode 20 - Robot Ethics (Part 2)
This episode closes a two-part special looking at ethical issues in robotics. Given the broad and controversial nature of this topic, we speak with two world-renowned experts in ethics with often-opposing views. Our first guest featured on our last episode, Noel Sharkey, is Professor of Public Engagement, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics at the University of Sheffield in the UK. In today's episode we interview Ronald Arkin, the director of the Mobile Robot Lab and Associate Dean of Research at Georgia Tech in the US. Both researchers discuss issues such as military robots, robots in the society, medical robots and legal responsibilities. Their opinions on these subjects have been widely covered by the media, international organizations and academia. The interviews were recorded individually and both researchers were asked the same questions.
Ronald Arkin
Ronald Arkin is Regents' Professor and Director of the Mobile Robot Laboratory at the Georgia Institute of Technology where he also serves as the Associate Dean for Research in the College of Computing.
By looking at a wide variety of autonomous mobile robots in his lab, either aerial, ground-based or swarming, he's become a world renowned expert in robotics and control, authoring corner-stone textbooks such as Behavior-Based Robotics (MIT Press 1998).
In the past years, Arkin has become one of the pioneers in robot ethics, tuning in at the start of discussions on Roboethics in 2004. Since then he's written several publications on the ethics of military robots, arguing that robots in the future could be more ethical than humans on the battlefield. Embedded with a sense of ethics, or even guilt, such robots could perhaps be able to make decisions in life-death situations. His views are presented in his new book to appear in spring 2009 entitled Governing Lethal Behavior in Autonomous Robots.
Other than military robots, Arkin discusses issues such as the attachment of people to robots, and more generally, the role of robots as care-givers or workers in the society. He also touches on the subject of medical robots, or prosthetic, capable of enhancing the human being.
Finally, with so many questions raised on the ethics of robotics, we look into the entities which will be setting limits on the use of tomorrows robots as well as defining who takes the responsibly of their actions. Could the robots themselves be held responsible in the end?


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Blog posts : "green down comforter twin"
deciding On The Best comforter Set for Your House
If you should be trying to have a relaxing mood inside room, you can make use of soft materials like cotton. Your bed comforter set can come in soothing colors like blue and green to give your room that calm and serene feeling. The feeling of an area can easily be founded through colors and textures…
1 blog post


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In an interview with WJJG's Ray Hanania on Monday, the senior senator from Illinois stated outright that the banks "own" Capitol Hill.
So far this session, Sen. Dick Durbin has stood behind consumers like no other public official in Washington. He has served as the Senate Democrats' de facto point man on student aid reform, mortgage bankruptcy reform, usury reform, financial product safety, and consumer credit abuse. And around every corner, he's been met with resistance by banking industry lobbyists. In an interview with WJJG's Ray Hanania on Monday, the senior senator from Illinois stated outright that the banks "own" Capitol Hill. Listen (full audio here):
DURBIN: And the banks -- hard to believe in a time when we're facing a banking crisis that many of the banks created -- are still the most powerful lobby on Capitol Hill. And they frankly own the place.
The ongoing negotiations about credit card reform legislation nicely illustrate Durbin's point. According to Hill sources, the U.S. House of Representatives is likely to vote on H.R. 627, otherwise known as the Credit Card Holders' Bill of Rights Act, as early as Thursday. But it doesn't seem likely that the federal bill will be implemented quickly enough to help strapped consumers this year. For that, we can thank the banks.
Last year, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) proposed the bill of rights as a way to clean up this unregulated industry. The bill would stop credit card companies from raising interest rates on balances incurred under an old rate, would let consumers pay off loans with higher interest rates first, and would stop unfair late fees and "universal default" (the odious practice of raising interest rates on accounts in good standing when a borrower falls behind on other bills). While the bill eventually died in the Senate, Maloney reintroduced a similar version again this year and it has since passed the House Financial Services Committee.
But there's a catch. Originally, Maloney's bill required the banks to change their practices 90 days after passage. But a bipartisan group of lawmakers (including Rep. Luis Gutierrez, a recent thorn in the side of consumer groups) amended the bill earlier this month, pushing the effective date to either 12 months after passage or July 1, 2010. This had been a demand put forth by the financial services industry, which claimed that the changes would neccessitate countless hours to implement.
Why is that important? The Federal Reserve passed new credit card rules in December that are scheduled to take hold in ... July 2010, rendering the Congressional legislation rather meaningless. When the Fed announced its changes, Democrats decried the extended timeline. But all it took was pressure from the banks to change their tune. And that will have a painful effect on consumers in the interim, as the Washington Independent's Mike Lillis writes:
That spells bad news for credit card users, as banks in recent weeks have installed a series of fee and rate hikes to churn profits in a struggling economy. In many cases the increases come without any warning to consumers, and they often apply to balances accrued even before the hikes arrive.
"Unfortunately the way the market place is working, [card users] could use more protection, not less," said Graham Steele, an attorney at Public Citizen's Congress Watch. "Consumers need relief now, and yet these bills are being weakened."
Meanwhile, Durbin's bankruptcy reform bill is on course to be gutted by the Senate today, according to the Huffington Post's Ryan Grim. Just another example of Wall Street's outsized influence.
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text: surface owners Seismic testing rattles surface owners in Carbon County By Stephanie Joyce • Nov 15, 2013 Ladder Ranch For most of Wyoming's history, mineral rights have clearly taken precedence over surface rights. But in 2005, the Legislature passed a split estate law which, for the first time, gave surface owners some say over how their land could be used to access the minerals below it. It was a big change, but many have argued since that it didn't go far enough. As Wyoming Public Radio's Stephanie Joyce reports, a case heard by the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission this week tested the limits of the law, and the rights of surface owners.


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To get the most out of Google Home, choose your Help Center: U.S. Help Center, U.K Help Center, Canada Help Center, Australia Help Center. Need help? Speak to a Google Home support specialist: U.S.: 1-855-971-9121, U.K.: 0800 026 1217, Canada: 844-701-7229.
Chat with a member of the Google Home team.


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Mark your calendars! On April 22nd, Tex Murphy, last of the hard-boiled gumshoe detectives living in dystopian post-World War III San Francisco, will wake up with a throbbing head. Disoriented. On the fire escape outside his office atop the Ritz Hotel. In the game Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure.
What starts out as the worst hangover in history becomes a baffling nightmare. Something or someone has erased Tex's memory of the past seven years.
Motivated by lost love, revenge and the world's strongest coffee blend, Tex must retrace his own steps into a maze of unsolved murders, hidden agendas and lost technologies of Nikola Tesla.
Only by solving the mysteries of his past can Tex hope to regain his memory in time to restore what's been lost and stop a terrifying future.


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The cast recording for the new hit musical based on the life of Carole King. The album features a 28-page color booklet with full lyrics, rare and never-before-seen archival and show photos, and liner notes by Beautiful book writer Douglas McGrath.
Track listing: Overture * So Far Away * 1650 Broadway Medley * It Might as Well Rain Until September * Some Kind of Wonderful * Happy Days Are Here Again * Take Good Care of My * Will You Love Me Tomorrow * He's Sure the Boy I Love * Will You Love Me Tomorrow * Up on the Roof * On Broadway * The Locomotion * You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling * One Fine Day * Chains * Walking in the Rain * Pleasant Valley Sunday * We Gotta Get Out of This Place * Uptown * It's Too Late * You've Got a Friend * (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman * Beautiful * I Feel The Earth Move
Whether you are buying Broadway merchandise as a gift, have missed the opportunity to purchase souvenirs when a Touring Musical Production came to town, or just want to purchase Broadway collectibles to expand your own collection, The Broadway Store is your one stop shop for all things Broadway. The Broadway Store provides you with a wide range of Broadway Souvenirs including Posters, Books, CDs, DVDs, Hats, KeyChains, Magnets, Mugs, Bags, Apparel, Novels and a whole lot more!
The Broadway Store is Broadway's most comprehensive online store, offering all the latest and greatest Broadway musicals and plays and their memorabilia with fast, secure, and reliable shipping. So if you are looking for Broadway souvenir merchandise from your favorite musical or play, now you can shop and pay online quickly and securely, without having to fly all the way to New York City. Shopping for Broadway fans has never been so fun and easy!