text:
Outflows in Gold ETFs Surge as Traders Bolt
Investors in gold exchange-traded funds have been rushing to the exits as gold prices plunge.
More than $1 billion flowed out of the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) Friday, according to IndexUniverse, marking the third-largest outflow on record since the fund's inception in 2004.
Trading volume in the SPDR Gold Trust on Monday was running more than seven times average and was the heaviest on record, topping the previous high set in December 2009, as gold prices continued their free fall. More than 79 million shares had traded hands with about an hour left in Monday's trading session, according to FactSet. Shares of the Gold Trust fell 8.8% to $131.40 in recent trading, following a 4.7% decline Friday.
"We're watching volumes, and these moves are pretty unparalleled as far as the ETF itself is concerned," said Paul Weisbruch, vice president of ETF and options sales and trading at Street One Financial. "On Friday, we saw over a billion in redemptions, and today's gap down is even bigger, so this is getting uglier and uglier by the moment."
The SPDR Gold Trust shed nearly 4%, or $2.3 billion of its total assets last week, ending Friday with roughly $57 billion.
"These precious-metal ETFs have been extremely active. For tried-and-true names, it's rare to see these things outside a band that's more than double the daily average," Chris Hempstead, director of ETF execution at WallachBeth Capital LLC, said Friday.
The $10 billion iShares Gold Trust (IAU), meanwhile, saw its overall assets decline by $161 million last week. The iShares Gold Trust fell 8.4% to $13.25 Monday afternoon.
For more MarketBeat and other streaming markets coverage from The Wall Street Journal, point your mobile browser to wsj.com/marketspulse.


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Often called "canned-air" or "computer cleaner", a compressedgas duster is a little bit more involved than most people care to imagine or understand. Because the pressurized blast that is delivered is invisible and odorless most people incorrectly assume it is "air-in-a-can". Compressed-gas dusters are not air in a can! The cleaners actually contain a liquefied gas. When you spray, this liquid is turns into gas and released through the nozzle. Many manufacturers have added bittering agents to their dusters to deter inhalant abuse.
Since its introduction in the 1970's the compressed-gas duster has been safely and effectively used for a multitude of applications ranging from computer cleaning to craft cleaning to model preparation and cleaning to automotive detailing and so on. Dusters are members of the aerosol products family, but unlike other aerosol products which propel a liquid or powder (i.e. hair spray, cooking spray, insecticide, etc) through the nozzle, in a duster, the propellant is used to propel itself through the nozzle.
It is important to note, when used properly and in accordance with the directions on the can this product is completely safe and has proven to be of great value to its users. However, when used incorrectly, which in many cases is the result of not understanding the product it can have harmful affects.
So what's really inside?
Simply putting air in a can would not sustain or maintain the needed pressure to do the job that millions of people need for their cleaning tasks. Most dusters contain one of two chemicals: tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a) or difluoroethane (HFC -152a).
What happens when chemicals are intentionally inhaled?
Inhalant abuse refers to the deliberate inhalation or sniffing of fumes, vapors or gases from common household products for the purpose of "getting high". Unfortunately, dusters are just one example of products that are commonly misused. When used as intended, dusters are beneficial, however when abused they may prove harmful.
Different inhalants yield different effects, yet generally speaking, because inhaled chemicals are absorbed through the lungs into the bloodstream and distributed to the brain and other organs, the effects of inhaling can be severe. Within minutes, the user experiences feelings of intoxication and may become dizzy, have headaches, abdominal pain, limb spasms, lack of coordination, loss of control, hallucinations, and impaired judgment. Worse, he or she may even die from a condition known as Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome, which can even occur with first time users.
Long-term inhalant users generally suffer from muscle weakness, inattentiveness, lack of coordination, irritability, depression liver or kidney damage and central nervous system (including brain) damage. The dangers are real, the side effects are severe and the high is not worth risking your life.
Proper usage:
Below you will find a few tips to remember when using any compressed-gas duster:
Before Use
- Read the label carefully before using a duster.
- Point nozzle away from self and others.
- Hold can upright and pull trigger to clear valve of any liquid.
- Do not tilt excessively, shake, or turn can upside down before or during use.
To Use
- Hold can upright approximately 2 inches away from item to be cleaned.
- Pull trigger in a series of short blasts.
- Use in a well ventilated area.
- Do not leave in direct sunlight, enclosed vehicles, or expose to temperatures above 120 F.
For more information on usage of a duster, please consult the label on the back of the product.
Now that you know what can you do?
Now that you know dusters are not air in a can, spread the word! The next time someone makes a reference to "canned air" politely correct them by letting them know which chemicals can be found in the can. The next time you observe someone using a duster incorrectly share some usage tips with them, and remind them to always read the label.
As you amaze your peers with your new found knowledge of computer gas dusters, don't forget to spread awareness of inhalant abuse prevention. If more dialogue is taking place around the serious issue more people will be aware of what it is and what to look for. Below is a HELPful way to remember the warning signs of inhalant abuse:
H Hidden chemical-soaked rags or clothes
E Eyes and nose red or runny
L Loss of appetite or nausea
P Paint or chemical stains on face or fingers
To learn more about inhalant abuse please visit www.Inhalant.org.
Reprinted with permission of Alliance for Consumer Education © 2009. All Rights Reserved.

subset: commoncrawl


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UPDATED: This giveaway is now closed.
Winner is #86 – Samantha R. Congrats!!!
If you are looking for a fabulous gift to give a friend or loved one who is graduating this year, might I suggest this one: Enjoy Your Money! How to Make It, Save It, Invest It and Give It by Steve Miller.
Indeed, a great gift for grads!
Since my Steve is the personal finance expert in our family, he asked if he could read this book and let you know his thoughts.
Enjoy Your Money! is a fantastic financial instructional book. The book captured my attention from cover to cover. I really enjoyed Miller's clever imagination to draw a parallel from the movie The Breakfast Club. The book takes you on a teaching journey with this group of students who call themselves the Counterculture Club. The one thing they have in common is that their parents were lousy with money. The students learn how to not make the same mistakes their parents made with money. They walk through the steps of making money, saving it, learning the basic principles of investing, and the importance of giving. The book offers many different financial lessons, that come from the heart of a teacher. This is a book I will use with my boys as they grow up!
If you'd like to enter to win a copy of this great personal finance book geared towards today's teens and young adults, then follow the rules below. I've got 1 book to giveaway!
Giveaway Details
1. Contest ends Thursday, May 13th at 10 pm EST. Winners will be announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions.
2. Entry #1: Leave a comment sharing one "financial truth or principle" you want to teach your children (or those close to you, if you don't have kids.)
3. Entry #2: Follow me on Twitter and leave a SEPARATE comment. If you don't tweet, it's TONZ of fun and you should join in!
4. Entry #3: Become a Facebook Fan, or subscribe by email or in an RSS reader! Be sure to leave another comment for your third entry. 🙂
5. Winner will be selected by Random.org.
**NOTE: If you receive the email newsletter and wish to enter this giveaway, click on the title of this giveaway to get to the site and leave a comment on the site with your name and email address to be entered!


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'Frame the Story' with Informational Text
Lesson 8 of 13
Objective: SWBAT use text features and the structure of text to summarize key details, analyzing what the author's purpose was for the text.
- Second grade reading level informational texts of any topic with short chapters, clear illustrations, and examples of repeated words and first or last sentences as a main idea (I used copies of Looking at Solids, Liquids, and Gases by Jackie Gaff because we were studying the properties of matter)
- Informational text feature headers (cut apart)
- Lesson vocabulary words from the Reading/Writing word wall: summarize, key details, illustration, text features, main idea, informational text, heading, table of contents
- Ipads for students to use with internet connection
- Pictures of solids, liquids, and gases or pictures of concepts of your topic
- 'Frame Story' app (it's free) -play around with the app to be comfortable-it's very easy to use, but you will need a SAMPLE to show the kids
- Summarizing Informational Text worksheet - copy front/back
- Topical vocabulary (optional): solid, liquid, gas, matter, state of matter, property
- Whiteboard set up like the worksheet
This lesson is part of a series that I taught about using repeated words/first or last sentences/illustrations to summarize. Take a look at A Feast of Summaries and Make a Newspaper with Summaries to see how I used this organizer with other stories.
Resources (4)
Let's Get Excited!
Underlined words below are lesson vocabulary words that are emphasized and written on sentence strips for my Reading & Writing word wall. I pull off the words off the wall for each lesson, helping students understand this key 'reading and writing' vocabulary can be generalized across texts and topics. The focus on acquiring and using these words is part of a shift in the Common Core Standards towards building students' academic vocabulary. My words are color coded 'pink' for literature/'blue' for reading strategies/'orange' for informational text/'yellow' for writing/'green' for all other words)
Introducing the topic-setting lesson goals
- "I brought some books today and we're going to read and take some pictures. When we read, we can summarize to tell others about what the main idea was."
- "Today we will organize our pictures into a 'story frame' to show the main idea and summarize."
Engaging students
- Show the framestory sample
- "Here's one example of a frame story about 'solids' – that's what we talked about before." If you're doing another topic (not solids, liquids, gases), then make a story frame sample about that.
Knowing and using text features to locate facts and analyzing how those facts are organized (RI.2.5) helps students identify the main topic of multi-paragraphs text and focus of specific paragraphs. (RI.2.2) The reader can use this information to determine what the author wants to answer, explain or describe and assess how purpose shapes content of a text. (RI.2.6)
Resources (2)
Resources (2)
Teachers' Turn
Discuss text organization and informational text features
- "The author of the book helps us to understand by organizing the information."
- "This book is organized into chapters. Refer to the informational text feature headers and word wall words on the board. What is that part of the book that lists the chapters called? (table of contents) It lists the chapters of the book. Each chapter has a heading. In the chapters, there are paragraphs about the main idea."
Explain how to summarize
- "Look for key details to understand what's really important. Put these key details together and you have a summary."
- "Authors show the key details in different ways."
- Authors repeat words – those are important words for me to know
- The author uses a first or last sentence to tell me what's important
- He also uses illustrations to show what is important or verify the main idea. It helps us to check if what we think is important really is." See the discussion of how the illustration is or is not matching the text.
Demonstrate strategy
- "Let me read this first chapter of this book. Pp. 4-5 Look at this example – how does the author show me what the key ideas are?"
- "The word ..... is repeated many times. The last sentence has that word and it seems like the main idea."
- This author uses illustrations so I can check for the main idea. It does have solid people, liquid water, and air as a gas. The illustration verifies my idea about the main idea."
- See my whiteboard examples for chapter 1 and chapter. 2.
- Demonstrate this with at least 2 chapters so students can see that some chapters have a first sentence that you can use for a summary and others require you to infer the summary from repeated words.
Demonstrate how to create the project
- "Now I have 2 examples of how you can write a summary with help from the author. I used repeating words, first or last sentence, and illustration to figure out the main idea."
- "Now I'm going to take 4 pictures from the text that show those key ideas. I'll take a photo of 4 pictures with the ipad and then put them in a frame story app.
- Frame Story app directions: Choose 'guest' 'add board' 'create new board', type name, 'choose format', add pictures and adjust as necessary.
- "I'll write my main idea on the page be ready to share a summary of the chapter."
Resources (3)
Students Take a Turn
Students use the strategy
- "It's your turn to summarize 2 more chapters with a group."
- Review the group rules poster.
- "Read each chapter first. and look for repeating words, first and last sentence and the illustrations." Here's a video of a student looking for words that repeat.
- "Think about what the author wants you to know - the main idea."
- "Check the illustration. Does it match these ideas? Write a good summary using all of these ideas."
Students write a summary
- Pass out the summarizing worksheet
- "Write your summaries for 2 chapters on both sides of the worksheet." If you have other books and multiple copies, the kids could work together to do one chapter each.
- "Raise you hand when you're done and I'll check your work.'
Demonstrate what they know
- Pass out the iPads and discuss rules for using iPads. Here the iPad Rules that my kids came up with at the beginning of the year.
- "Choose one chapter and take 4 pictures to make a frame story showing the main ideas. Here's a video my students manipulating the pictures for the app. Show the extra pictures cards if there are not enough pictures in the book.
- Pick the main ideas only to represent your summary.
- Here's a picture of my kids working on the app. Students may have to help each other take pictures.
Resources (6)
Apply What You've Learned!
Wrap up and students sharing
- "Let's share our summaries. Do you think they will all be the same?" Invoke discussion
- "Our summaries should be mostly the same because we looked at the same chapters and they really have one main idea."
- 'Who wants to share their pictures that show the main idea?" Here are examples of student project and student project 2
Scaffolding and Special Education: This lesson could be scaffolded up or down, depending on student ability.
If students work in groups, a better reader could read the chapter. Otherwise, you could sit with the challenged readers and read with them. They may need help with the words and summary. I used a slate at their desk to prompt them with ideas.
For students with more ability, challenge them to use some inference and go beyond the text a bit. If the text says that 'matter can be solids, liquids or gas' see if they can add a detail to that. 'Matter could be a solid, such as a desk, or liquid, such as water, or a gas, such as air.' See if they can bolster up the vocabulary as well – use words such as property, change, or states.


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My niece Amy came to visit with her two sons, Sasha and Misha. My digital camera was in for repair and Amy was taking lots of photos with hers, but I took these few with my film camera.
Misha, Amy, Sasha
Amy, Misha, Sasha
Muir Woods
Sasha, Amy, Misha
Sasha, Misha, Amy
Brother trees
With Sasha and Misha
Fallen giant
With Misha
Muir Beach
Sasha in the distance


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Football academies were introduced by leading clubs in a bid to identify and nurture talented players from as young as eight years old. The 9,000 or so boys up and down the country, who currently fill the ranks from the Premier League to League Two, are desperate to succeed, but the reality is that only a handful will make it to the top.
However, tucked away in its Hertfordshire home, is a rare success story at Championship side Watford – who are celebrating a memorable landmark, after the club's 50th academy graduate made his first-team debut in last Saturday's 0-0 draw with Coventry City at Vicarage Road.
Britt Assombalonga, a 19-year-old striker and former non-league loanee with both Ryman Premier outfit Wealdstone and Blue Square Bet Premier side Braintree, is the latest in a long list of promising footballers fresh off the Hornets' production line, now looking to make strides in the English game.
"It's always a fantastic day when one of your boys makes his debut but for him to be the 50th makes it that little bit more special," enthused Watford academy boss Nick Cox in a recent interview with BBC Three Counties Radio. "Everybody who has been involved over the years is delighted, definitely."
Cox, who has worked at the academy in various roles for the past decade before taking over as head last summer, has hailed the club's youth development system as a major success in light of Assombalonga's breakthrough.
"His story is in keeping with the traditions and the DNA of this club," he continued. "He came through the community scheme very late as a 17-year-old, then progressed into the academy before going on to make his debut.
"So that really encompasses everything this club is about with regards to youth development and being a family club. It's a good story to hit 50 with."
Watford's current academy set-up has been in place since 1998, soon after the release of a landmark report by former Football Association technical director Howard Wilkinson, with Manchester United and England international winger Ashley Young the club's most high profile success to date.
Young joined Watford as a schoolboy, and made his Hornets debut in 2003 before signing for Aston Villa four years later. After four successful seasons at Villa Park, the 26-year-old moved on again, heading to Old Trafford to link up with the reigning Premier League champions in a reported £17million deal last summer.
The January transfer window also provided a Premier League move for England U21 international striker Marvin Sordell, who left Vicarage Road for an undisclosed fee to join Bolton Wanderers on deadline day, while fellow academy graduate Adrian Mariappa continues to be linked to a host of clubs, with Arsenal and Newcastle believed to be weighing up potential bids this June – further highlighting the quality of players being produced at Watford's academy.
Before academies, most clubs had 'centres of excellence' for talented young players, but the pinnacle of football education came at Lilleshall Hall in Shropshire, a boarding school for England's elite 18 players, selected in trials at the age of 14. Graduates include Michael Owen, Joe Cole, Scott Parker, Wes Brown and Jermain Defoe to name but a few.
"The Lilleshall model was very efficient," Wilkinson recalled in an interview with the Daily Telegraph. "Apart from the huge difficulty and inequity of selecting 18 players at such a young age from the whole of England."
The aim of academies, he says: "To establish a similar model to Lilleshall, but to do it locally and therefore the process of selecting would be fairer because you would have a large pool."
The current FA rule is that players aged 8-11 must live within 60 minutes travelling time of the training ground, while 12-16-year-olds have a maximum commute of 90 minutes. Watford have certainly utilised their catchment area on the outskirts of the country's capital as they continue to flourish in their youth development.
Another important aspect of helping young players make the transition from youth and reserve team football into the senior side, is the way in which the Hornets have made good use of the loan system - a tactic that other clubs looking for similar results from their academies could do well to emulate.
"We make it clear to the boys that there is a stigma attached sometimes to going out on loan, in that you're sent out because you're not needed any more," Cox added. "Here, it works very much the other way.
"We see it very much as part of the boys' development - a stepping stone from playing development games to professional games, where three points are vital and crowds are going to scream and holler at them, so it's something we'll continue to do.
"I don't know where we would rank with regard to the number of debuts, but I'd be very surprised if there was another club to hit 50 in the last 12 years."
Watford certainly seem to have found their winning formula, as they look to protect the long-term future of football. Long may it continue.
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Tape backup could be binned soon
Imation gets into bed with BDT
Backing up to tape in an autoloader or small library could be heading for the graveyard if an Imation deal with BDT comes good.
BDT is a white-box manufacturer of tape autoloaders and libraries, devices with up to four tape drives and 96 slots for cartridges. They are used in small and medium businesses (SMBs) to back up data for several days at a time and then store the cartridges offsite in the autoloader case, or keep them in a library for faster restore from the bank of up to 96 tapes.
One of its most popular lines is an 8-slot autoloader for DLT and LTO tapes. BDT's past and present OEM customers include Dell, HP, IBM, Iomega, Quantum Corporation, Sun Microsystems, Tandberg Data, and Xerox.
Imation makes tape media but knows that the tape business is in a long-term decline because reading and writing is slow, compared to disk, and the costs of long-term storage on disk are going down due to increased hard drive capacity and deduplication. Tape is still the long term low-cost storage king for bulk data, petabytes of the stuff, but increasingly disk is the preferred choice for smaller amounts of data.
Imation has a manufacturing deal with ProStor, inventor of the RDX removable disk drive technology, to make the 2.5-inch drive cartridges, maxing out at 1TB, and docks into which the drive cartridges are loaded. Recently both Quantum and Toshiba agreed to supply such systems, sourced either from Imation or the other drive and dock manufacturer, Tandberg Data.
Imation has an agreement with ProStor that runs until 2020 and invested $5m in the company in March, an earnest of its intent to become more deeply involved.
BDT AG is the third licensed manufacture of RDX products, signing with ProStor in April, and Imation has just signed a deal with BDT to "market and commercialise new multi-cartridge RDX devices that combine the ease of automation with the benefits of RDX removable hard disk drive backup systems."
The big difference between a tape automation device and an RDX one is that you don't need a robot mechanism to move cartridges to drives, as each RDX cartridge contains a drive, and each slot will be, we expect, a dock. This means that the device controller switches I/O to and from loaded docks (slots) instead of moving cartridges to drives, making its response faster.
Although BDT has had an RDX licence since April, no product has emerged. The Imation deal suggests things are moving, with Imation possibly supplying the drives and docks, which BDT will assemble into the devices.
How will BDT's device software present the drives?
They could be presented as virtual tape cartridges with a one-for-one relationship. The whole device could be presented as a virtual tape library (VTL), with the twist that you could remove cartridges for off-site storage - something not possible with existing VTLs using fixed disk drives. The device could have a NAS interface, as many VTLS do, and be a pure disk-based data protection product. The device software is the key to this. One way to increase its cost-effectiveness would be to include deduplication, as Tandberg Data does with its Accugard products.
Imation SVP and chief technology officer Subodh Kulkarni talked of an RDX library, saying: "Our partnership with BDT will extend the highly popular RDX platform into affordable, high-quality automated solutions … by bringing the benefits of library automation to RDX, we can offer users even more efficiency and capacity in a very cost-effective solution."
We might envisage something like a range of devices with, say, 12, 24, 48, and 96-dock capacities, a VTL interface so that existing backup software products can be used, and a deduplication option. There might even be replication to a remote device. The LTO tape format could be supported and, if BDT and Imation are adventurous, the DAT format as well at the low end. That format has a good penetration in the SMB market and HP supplies a 10-slot, 1-drive DAT autoloader that could be ripe for plucking.
The earliest arrival date for BDT RDX library product is probably the first half of next year. We would expect existing BDT and RDX OEMs to take the product and so put another brick into the wall confining the tape business into a steadily shrinking sector of the market. ®


text:
Alan Fabel in Fairfield IATOPNPI
Alan Fabel, CSWAF
Primary specialty: Clinical Social Worker15 views - No reviews yet - be the first to write a review
Alan Fabel has a medical practice at 51 West Washington Avenue, Fairfield IA. Alan Fabel specializes in clinical social worker and has over 43 years of experience in the field of medicine. New patients are welcome to contact Alan's office. Please call (641) 472 5771 or go to the doctoc's office to know doctor's practice, includes clinics, staff, opening hours and medical advice or to make an appointment with this doctor.
Office Location & Contact Information
Alan practice address, contact phone number and fax are as below. Check locations where Alan practices near Burlington IA for appointment.
- Office Address Optimae Lifeservices Inc 51 West Washington Avenue, Life Solutions Behavior Health
Fairfield, IA 52556, United States
- Phone number (641) 472 5771
- Primary Practice Location
Quick Stats
- NPI Number: #1235148636
- Entity Type Code: Individual
- Years in Practice: +43 years
- Gender: Male
- Credential: CSW
- Medical License: 00082, Iowa
- Provider Taxonomy: 1041C0700X, Clinical
- Enumeration Date: Aug 05, 2006
- Languages: English
- Is Sole Proprietor: No
- Organization Legal Name: Optimae Lifeservices Inc
Hours of Operation
These hours represent this office's business hours. Alan Fabel's opening hours may vary from the office hours displayed here.
- Monday - Friday:08 am - 05:00 pm.
Saturday and Sunday: Closed.
Specialty: Clinical Social Worker
- Alan Fabel has been identified as specializing in clinical social worker and has been in practice for more than 43 years.
He can have one or more medical licenses for different specialities in Iowa or the different states. Related medical licenses for Alan Fabel are as mentioned below.
- Medical school
Not available - Graduated year 1975.
- Medicare Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) Incentive Program: N/A
- Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program: N/A
- Medicare Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program: N/A
- Participated in the Medicare Maintenance of Certification Program: N/A
- Heart health through the Million Hearts® initiative: N/A.
Appointments may be made for routine visits or new problems that you may be experiencing. Knowing what questions to ask before, during and after appointments is vital to better understand, and therefore manage, an illness.
- Accepting new patients? - Yes
- Please call to Alan to schedule your appointment today: (641) 472 5771.
- English
Alan Fabel does not have any insurances listed. Please contact to the doctor office to get information about insurances provided by this doctor.
He has multiple office locations in Iowa and the different states.
- 1 Primary Practice Location:
Alan Fabel
407 North 4th Street, Burlington, IA 52601, United States
Phone: (319) 754 4618
If you are Alan Fabel and let us know if this information is out of date or incorrect, please report a correction to update this doctor profile!
Patient Reviews
There are currently no reviews for Alan. Tell us about your experience by posting a comment or review about Alan to help others decide which doctor is right for them.
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As The Fairmont Banff Springs celebrates 125 years in the center of one of the world's most stunning national parks, it's worth remembering the words of 19th Century railway pioneer and hotel magnate Sir William Cornelius Van Horne: "If we can't export the scenery, we'll import the tourists." Along with sister properties Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, there is no better gateway into Banff National Park and Jasper National Park, the crown jewels of the Canadian Rockies. Guests can canoe glacial lakes, scramble over icefields, and hike to The Burgess Shale – one of the world's most important fossil sites.
Top City Parks: A Greener Shade of Urban
Visits to skyscraper-studded metropolises don't have to rely on walks through concrete jungles – some of the world's most magnificent green spaces have been urban refuges for over a hundred years. One of the world's most famous parks sprawls north of The Plaza in New York City. Central Park dates to the 1850s and is a National Historic Landmark containing woods, rambles, lakes and miles of walking paths. Visitors have been known to go bouldering, boating, bird watching and more. On the West Coast, Stanley Park has its own illustrious history as the green heart of Vancouver. With soaring ancient trees, flocks of birds and numerous bodies of water, this massive urban park is a hop, skip and jump away from Fairmont Waterfront and Fairmont Pacific Rim along the famed 14-mile seawall – popular with runners, bikers and amblers of every variety. Montreal can boast that it's the only city with a mountain downtown: Mount Royal. Designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, who also designed New York's Central Park, the park is a favorite destination of the run club at Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, which brings guests and colleagues together for weekly runs on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
Most Blissful Lakeside Retreat
A serene body of water can do wonders for the soul, whether it's far from civilization or surrounded by idyllic scenery. On the shores of Lake Geneva, Fairmont Le Montreux Palace offers a setting surrounded by mountains, vineyards, fields and forests. Having inspired artists from Lord Byron to Vladimir Nabokov to Freddie Mercury, the Swiss Riviera is a lakeside Eden of historic hamlets, inspiring castles and unadulterated beauty.
Best Animal Attractions
Travelers come from all over the world to spot wildlife in Africa's famed parks and preserves. Fairmont Mara Safari Club in Kenya's legendary Masai Mara has direct access to an astonishing array of wild animals (including the coveted Big 5: lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo and rhino), especially during the unparalleled Great Migration. To ensure the area is full of wild animals for many years to come, the resort has also teamed up with Working Wildlife Land Management Company to manage the Ol Choro Oiroura, a wildlife conservancy, which has begun a successful rhino breeding project. North of the lodge is Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club. In nearby Aberdare National Park, guests have caught glimpses of elephant, buffalo, zebra, colobus monkey and waterbuck. Also, next door is a non-profit animal orphanage guests can visit, which focuses on the reintroduction of the endangered Mount Kenya antelope - the bongo.
Top Pastoral Mind & Body Remedy
While many hotels & resorts boast quaint gardens, few come close to the sprawling Yue Feng Island Organic Farm onsite at Fairmont Yangcheng Lake in Kunshan, China. In order to offer local, organic produce for the resort's sustainable menu items, this 200-acres private, organic herb and vegetable farm sits along the resort's namesake lake. Guests are able to pick their own herbs, seasonal vegetables and fruits, all of which can be prepared by the hotel's chefs in its restaurant or in the garden underneath an outdoor lakeside tent – making it a bucolic outdoor escape for any traveler. To truly experience all the farm has to offer, guests can also join resort chefs for organic cooking demonstrations in one of two Glass Houses, one that sits on the edge of the lily pond and the other among the rice fields.
Best Pink Sand Rail Trail
Within Bermuda's 21-square-mile footprint lays extraordinary pink sand beaches, spectacular walking trails and breathtaking seascapes with exotic plants. The Bermuda Railway was originally built in the 1920s alongside the island's stunning coast, and has the reputation of being the most expensive, per mile, ever constructed. Running the width of the island, the converted rail trail is managed by the Bermuda Parks Department and is easily accessible from The Fairmont Southampton and The Fairmont Hamilton Princess, and is where some of the loveliest sightseeing in Bermuda can be enjoyed.
Park with History: Seigniorial Wilderness
While red, cinnamon and blonde bears may have disappeared from most of Quebec due to overhunting, at Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello and Fairmont Kenauk, the properties' historic legacy as a protected Seigniorial Estate has preserved many acres of wilderness for travelers looking to reconnect with nature and try to spot these elusive beasts. One of the continent's largest and most carefully protected wilderness habitats, guests can fish, hunt, shoot sporting clays, canoe and hike, all from the splendid isolation of a preserve that has been in existence since the 17th Century. Maintaining continued balance and preservation of this spectacular wilderness, which boasts more than 70 lakes within its borders, is the responsibility of staff biologists, ensuring nature lovers will enjoy this special area for many years to come.
Greenest Butler
The Savoy, A Fairmont Managed Hotel, offers the world's first Green Butler to connect guests to all things green around London. In addition to providing all the traditional 'butler' services such as unpacking and packing (using recycled tissue paper, of course), The Savoy's Green Butler also has an in-depth knowledge of the area's cutting-edge eco-restaurants, eco-bars, environmental architecture and eco-retail. Making sure that a stay at The Savoy opens guests' minds to a different side of London, the Green Butler can also direct guests to the stunning Royal Parks around town, lead them to London's wild side with a trip to ZSL London Zoo - which has been thrilling visitors of all ages since 1847, or help them discover the city's many World Heritage sites, local parks, nature walks, bicycle paths, jogging routes and more.
Highest Number of Habitats
From Mauna Kea's winter snow-capped mountaintop to the flowing lava of Kilauea Volcano to tropical rainforests and a teeming undersea world, the Big Island of Hawaii has much to offer the nature-deprived traveler. The Fairmont Orchid can help guests explore 7 of Earth's 8 biomes that are represented on the island of Hawai'i, including the amazing Volcanoes National Park. Home of the Hawaiian demi-goddess Pele, travelers can take a walk thru a crater, a lava tube, and the devastation trails, or see the current lava flow from a bird's eye view.
Top for Flora Finding
There's much more wildlife in Africa than the famed Big 5, and the stunning flora that populate Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa are worth a visit of their own. Under an abundant forest canopy, Zimbali - Zulu for "valley of flowers" - is an unspoiled sanctuary. Within this subtropical paradise, Fairmont Zimbali Lodge & Resort helps guests get the most out of this unique 50-hectare reserve. Providing a refuge to the rich variety of local flora & fauna, the conservation area features pathways and wooden viewing decks throughout. Zimbali has several natural spring water lakes which create a beautiful habitat for 85 species of bird, hosts of butterflies and a wide variety of indigenous plant life. But there is also plenty of animal life within the reserve, which includes the bush buck, blue duiker, bushbaby, vervet monkey, banded mongoose and more.
Best Biospheres where Nature & Culture Meet
Around the world UNESCO designates Biosphere Reserves as places where biological and cultural diversity come together. In Quebec, Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu offers paddling through Domaine Le Pic Bois, a part of Charlevoix's designated biosphere. Housing black bears and countless birds and mammals, it is also a place for guests to explore cultural attractions such as historical gardens, a pottery center, papermaking center, historic mills, art galleries, working studios and much more. In Mexico, Fairmont Mayakoba is closely tied to nearby Sian Ka'an, the third-largest protected area in Mexico and also a UNESCO Biosphere. Offering one-of-a-kind sightseeing, it is home to nearly every species of the region's wildlife, and gives guests the chance to explore 27 Mayan sites.
The Park at the End of the Road
Steps from The Fairmont Empress along the south shore in Victoria, British Columbia, the 62-acre Beacon Hill Park is Mile "0" of the 8,000-kilometer Trans-Canada Highway. A natural refuge since 1882, the park is best known for its natural features, with remnants of the fragile, native Garry Oak, spring shows of blue flowering camas, native wildflowers, grassland and Douglas-fir woods perfect for serene solace after a long drive. More than a hundred bird species live here, along with river otters, raccoons and squirrels while sunfish, painted turtles and crayfish make their homes in the waterways.
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is a celebrated collection of more than 65 luxury properties around the globe, including Shanghai's Fairmont Peace Hotel, The Plaza in New York, and Makkah Clock Royal Tower in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The luxury brand's distinctive hotels offer a sense of heritage and sophistication, warm, engaging service and culturally rich experiences. A community and environmental leader, Fairmont is also recognized internationally for its responsible tourism practices and award-winning Green Partnership program. Fairmont is owned by FRHI Holdings Limited, a leading global hotel company with over 100 hotels under the Fairmont, Raffles, and Swissôtel brands. The company also manages Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel branded luxury private residences club, whole-ownership residences and serviced residences properties. For more information or reservations, please call 1-800-441-1414 or visit fairmont.com.
Become a fan of Fairmont. Join our online communities at everyonesanoriginal.com, facebook.com/fairmonthotels, twitter.com/fairmonthotels, and pinterest.com/fairmonthotels. For career opportunities, visit facebook.com/fairmontcareers.


text: Jon says flexible learning options helped him pursue a future in IT management Name: Jon Williams Graduation Year: December 2013 Degree sought: Master of Science in Information Technology Management (online program) Hometown: Grand Junction, Colo. Why did you choose Regis? My supervisor actually started her undergraduate degree at Regis and always spoke very highly of it. The program itself really fit what I was looking for. It wasn't overly focused on technology or business, but a good mix of both that worked with my background in the field. How does this program complement your life and work schedule? I didn't have the time to take traditional classes to complete my master's degree and the program's flexibility really appealed to me. What is the best aspect of the online program? The online program really teaches you to be self-motivated. Especially at Regis, there were a lot of tools and resources for students that are helpful. I liked the chat function, though I didn't need to use it very much. What has been the highlight of your time at Regis? The other students have worked in so many other different places that I haven't and it was cool to see where they're coming from. You could see why they were posting (in the online forums) different points of view that I hadn't experienced. What is something about Regis that people outside the community may not know? People would be surprised at how engaged and responsive the online professors are. How would you describe the program to someone who is learning about it for the first time? It's not overwhelming. When people start thinking about a master's degree, especially an online degree, they're a little scared of the work it takes. The professors really understand that you have a job and a life and the workload is manageable. I would tell people it's not scary.


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KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan filed an official protest with Pakistan after its forces allegedly came under fire early Monday along a contested stretch of their border.
Kabul's Foreign Ministry said no one was wounded in the incident, which occurred in the same place where a firefight erupted between Afghan and Pakistani forces, killing an Afghan border policeman and wounding two Pakistani soldiers last week.
During that incident, a border gate built by Pakistan was damaged in the fighting, and Afghanistan had warned Pakistan not to repair it.
A spokesman for the Pakistan Foreign Ministry, Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, said a Pakistani military post near the border came under fire from Afghanistan Monday morning and one of the Pakistani troops was injured.
He said it was not clear who fired on the post. He did not comment on the Afghan protest.
"That post has been under attack for some time now," he said. "We believe that the posts are needed for border management."
More than 1,000 people staged an anti-Pakistan demonstration Monday morning on the outskirts of Kabul to protest last week's incident.
Relations between the two neighbors have been severely strained in recent months, and the mountainous region where the latest shooting took place has seen acrimonious exchanges between the two sides over the demarcation of their border.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai charged last month that Pakistan was setting up a border gate in the Goshta district without asking Kabul's permission. He ordered his ministries of foreign affairs, defense and interior to remove the gate and all installations around it.
It remains unclear how they would do that as Pakistan claims the facility is on its territory. But Afghanistan does not recognize the disputed Durand Line, the 19th century demarcation between present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan as its border. Pakistan accepts the line as the boundary between the two sides.
"Since the Durand Line has been imposed on Afghanistan, it was not acceptable to the Afghans and we cannot accept the Durand Line," Karzai said last week. "No government in Afghanistan will accept the Durand Line."
The Afghan Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the ranking Pakistani diplomat in Kabul was called in and a "strong protest" was lodged "about the unprovoked attack by Pakistani forces that used both heavy and light weapons against Afghan forces near the Durand Line in Goshta district, Nangarhar province this morning."
The two neighbors often trade accusations that each side is firing across the border, and Pakistan has said in the past that it is targeting insurgents who are seeking to enter its territory.
Accusations made by Afghan officials that Pakistan is allegedly trying to torpedo efforts to start peace talks with the Taliban have also contributed to deteriorating relations.
Both countries have also accused each other of providing shelter for insurgents fighting on the other side of the border.
Afghanistan has been deeply suspicious of the motives of Islamabad, which long backed the Taliban regime and has since seemed unable or unwilling to go after militant leaders taking refuge inside its borders.


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Sketching Antiderivative Graphs (Part 2 of 2)
Unit 3: Formalizing Derivatives and Techniques for Differentiation
Lesson 5 of 21
Lesson 5 of 21
Objective: SWBAT use the graphical behavior of the 1st and 2nd derivative functions to sketch the original function.
Big Idea: What do f ' and f " say about f ? By reversing the process for sketching derivatives graphically, students will be able to sketch f.
Math, graphical analysis, Precalculus and Calculus, antiderivatives (graphs), calculus ab, multiple derivatives, geogebra, calculus, AP Calculus, AP Calculus AB
60 minutes
Warm-up and Homework Review
30 min
Resources (2)
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Setting the Stage
3 min
Resources (1)
expand content
26 min
Resources (5)
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Call it youthful optimism, but there are still those who believe in art for arts sake.
That said, the members of the Society of Creative Enthusiasts who will put on Saturdays Oscillating Dream Cannon at the Lost Dog Bar & Lounge will not turn away material reward for their work from the art community.
This is a chance to show the community what these artists are about and for them to hopefully support the artists, said Dakotah Andreatta, who is one of the artists of which he speaks.
The Society has existed locally for several years, having once occupied the ARTiculation space on East Second Avenue, which spawned the Dawdle art shows and the Ground Up Arts Collective.
Its mostly a group of 20-somethings the organizers are graduates of Durangos Excel Charter School who have drawn together since their adolescent days.
Noah Leggett has done much of the legwork to wrangle 13 artists for the show, which also will include live music by as many as five local acts.
Much of the artwork will be on display, but just as much will likely be made on the spot through live art demonstrations.
Leggett said he hopes that kind of exposed creativity will build a connection between the artists and patrons.
My friends are amazing artists who work ... jobs, Leggett said. This is like a local level Kickstarter where people can see what projects these artists are working on and create some cross-pollination.
Kickstarter is a worldwide online platform for funding of creative projects.
The philosophy behind this show is to curate a situation in which artists and community members engage in a cross-cultural discussion of the true value of art in our lives, Leggett said.We also just want to have fun.


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What is the ruling on using a surgical truss during tawaaf? Some people cannot move or walk without it, and this truss or belt is stitched. Is it permissible to use this truss during Hajj?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, it is permissible to use a truss during Hajj and also during 'Umrah, even if it is stitched. It should be noted that when the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) said it is haraam for a man to wear "stitched" garments (in ihram), what they meant was shirts or chemises, pants and the like. Hence we have to understand the words of the scholars as they meant them. Moreover, this phrase, "stitched garments" is not narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It was said that the first one to use this phrase was one of the fuqaha' of the Taabi'een, Ibraaheem an-Nakha 'i (may Allah be pleased with him). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not tell the ummah not to wear stitched garments; rather he was asked: What should the muhrim wear? And he said: "He should not wear a chemise, pants, a head covering, a burnoose or khufoof (any footwear that reach above the ankle)." He did not use the word "stitched" at all. So we have to understand the texts as the speaker intended. End quote.


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Volkswagen introduces green hot hatchback
Volkswagen has released details of its new Polo BlueGT – a sporty hatchback with a green conscience.
Buyers are treated to 136bhp, 250Nm of torque, a top speed of 130mph and a 0-60mph time of 7.9 seconds – just one second off the hot Polo GTI's 0-60 time.
Despite this, the Polo BlueGT also gives tax-free motoring thanks to CO2 emissions of just 107g/km and a claimed 61.4mpg (combined).
The BlueGT is powered by a new 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine which features cylinder deactivation. Under light loads, two of the four-cylinders are shut down cutting fuel consumption.
Volkswagen told Autoblog the engine will find its way into other models with the Golf being the next model to receive it.
The BlueGT gets a 15mm lower ride height than standard Polos, 17-inch alloys and GT badges. It also gets front and rear bumpers from the Polo GTI along with its rear spoiler, and side skirts borrowed from the wind-cheating BlueMotion model.
A black front grille and door mirrors finish the look, and a new unique 'Blue Silk' colour has been introduced specifically for the new model.
All BlueGTs get LED daytime running lights, GTI instruments, bespoke front seats, leather steering wheel, DAB radio with iPod connectivity and Bluetooth, cruise control and a electronically locking differential.
It's available to order now with prices starting at £17,400 for the three-door six-speed manual version, rising to £19,365 for the five-door seven-speed DSG auto.
Volkswagen Polo BlueGT
Volkswagen introduces green hot hatchback
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By FRANK SANDAGE
Guest Columnist
I want to add a bit of lore to Editor Vince Luecke's Oct. 29 column on mountain lions and panthers.
My dad, Frank Sandage Sr., (1907-1994) drove a school bus for the Anderson Township Schools from 1951 to 1966 until the new Perry Central School Corp. was organized.
In early 1960 or 1961 Dad was returning from his early-morning run. This was before the new Indiana 37 was built.
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Fun with gadgets
Fun with gadgets
"From Russia With Love," 1963: Bond uses an exploding tin of tear gas and a knife hidden in a black Swaine Adeney Brigg attaché case to overcome Red Grant (Robert Shaw).
"Goldfinger," 1964: Bond's pushes all the right levers in his Aston Martin DB5 — "with modifications" — to dispatch the bad guys. There's a smoke screen, an oil slick, a rear bulletproof screen, left and right front-wing machine guns, and that little red button that engages the passenger ejector seat.
"Thunderball," 1965: Bond dons a Bell Textron Jet Pack on a castle's outdoor walkway and flies to the safety of a waiting car while gunmen shoot at him.
"Live and Let Die," 1973: Bond manages to cut the ropes that bind him using his Rolex "Submariner" watch with a face that turns into a circular saw. Note: The watch sold at a Christie's auction last year for $198,000.
"The Spy Who Loved Me," 1977: Bond's Seiko 0674 5009 digital watch delivers a tickertape message to him to report to headquarters.
"GoldenEye," 1995: Bond hopes fidgety villain Boris Grishenko (Alan Cumming) will click Q's Parker grenade pen enough times to trigger its explosive device. He does.
"Die Another Day," 2002: Bond wears a gold wedding ring that's actually an ultra high frequency single-digit sonic agitator unit. He uses it, while being held at gunpoint by Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike), to shatter the glass floor he's standing on, and escape.


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Daryl Bridenbaugh, one of Farm Industry News' product testers, sent in this report on June 13, 2011, from his hometown of Pandora, OH.
The corn and soybean planting is nearing the end after the wettest spring in Ohio recorded history. My family finished up June 8. Tomatoes are still being transplanted. We are worried about the quality of our wheat.
It rained almost every day during April and May. We sprayed our fields with fungicide and insecticide, but we are not sure if it did any good as it rained only a few hours after we sprayed it on. Our fields were too wet to haul manure, so I rented a Knight Side Slinger and drove in the grass along the roadsides and spit the manure out into the fields.
I ordered a new grain dryer in anticipation of wet corn at harvest. I am trying to get the energy-saving grant that was available to help pay for it. We feel fortunate that the spring wind storms didn't blow any of our buildings down. We just had a little bit of roof damage from some of the nastiest winds I have ever heard.
- Daryl Bridenbaugh


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UA students visit Ghana and develop business model for water filters07/03/2013
Pictured here, from left, are Sarah Collins of Pro World Ghana, along with Kevin Smith and his student team of Annie Nelson, Liz Gates, Lawrencia Agede, Andria Kaplan, Cassy Gouge, Brittany Tucker and, in front, Anna Davies with their driver, Fred.
Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink.
It is a country rich with rivers, lakes and ponds. There is water in the wells and water streaming from the taps. But much of this abundant water supply teems with parasites and guinea worms.
Students in Ghana learn proper hand-washing skills.
For two weeks in May, six students from The University of Akron's Leadership Experience Project explored the feasibility of manufacturing and distributing affordable ceramic water filters in the Volta Region of Ghana, Africa, — where more than 80 percent of all diseases are caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation, according to WaterAid, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to securing clean water and sanitation for Africa, Asia and Central America.
The Leadership Experience Project, offered by the College of Business Administration's Institute for Leadership Advancement, is part of the new Leadership Advancement Certificate Program, an academic and co-curricular program designed to help students develop cross-cultural leadership and team process skills, self-awareness and an appreciation for social innovation.
Making a difference
The program is meant to create strong leaders who are able to adapt themselves to different cultures, tolerate ambiguity, and apply their knowledge and skills to complex, adaptive problems, says Kevin Smith, director of the Institute for Leadership Advancement.
Education major Cassy Gouge sits in on a class in Ghana.
Smith adds that the establishment of the institute was made possible through a gift from The J.M. Smucker Company. The institute is designed to answer the call by employers – and by Smucker's – to graduate students with more well-rounded, holistic leadership skills.
"We want to be a university that prepares its students for the 21st century," Smith says. "We want to help prepare students to hit the ground running, to be able to tell employers a different story — not just about their grades — but about how they learned to apply their majors and solve real-world problems.
"Applying what you've learned in the classroom with people from different backgrounds, in a country much different from your own, is a unique opportunity to grow both personally and professionally, and it certainly sets you apart," Smith adds.
Ready for the challenge
The students who participated in the "Ghana Project" — Annie Nelson, Andria Kaplan, Anna Davies, Brittany Tucker, Liz Gates and Cassy Gouge — combined their diverse knowledge bases (business, engineering, nursing and education) and worked with Ghanaian businesses and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to investigate the feasibility of developing a sustainable distribution model for ceramic water filters, which have proven effective in the reduction of waterborne illness.
Nursing major Brittany Tucker plays with students during recess.
In just two weeks, the students visited models of sustainable social business practices, identified potential ceramic water filter production sites, toured clay deposits and consulted the Vume Vatakpoe Pottery and Ceramic Association, and presented their business model to the Ghana Ministry of Health and officials of the NGOs. Smith plans to advance the institute's work into issue-specific projects that address the many issues identified through the students' research and recommendations.
One of the barriers to the mass adoption of ceramic filters in Ghana, in addition to the lack of resources and manufacturing processes, "is the lack of education on health, hygiene and water safety," Smith says. Therefore, an important facet of the project was "to create demand through education, to link ceramic water filters with the idea of cleanliness."
Thus, the students observed teachers and visited a local school system, developed and implemented a hand-washing and personal sanitation seminar, held a focus group with 150 members of a rural village and its chief, and participated in an open discussion with members of the Global Citizens Initiative and the Ghana Ministry of Health.
UA students, from left, Andria Kaplan, Annie Nelson, Liz Gates, Anna Davies, Cassy Gouge and Brittany Tucker learn about clay properties as they work to identify potential ceramic water filter production sites in Ghana.
In a country in which only 14 percent of the population has access to adequate sanitation facilities, according to Wateraid.org, the students' work is much more than a drop — albeit a large, filtered one — in the bucket.
Embracing differences
But, Smith points out, "it's not just about what the students did, it's about what they learned." For example, they learned the customs of the Ghanaian culture, how to cook its cuisine, make clay pots, speak the Ewe language and even how to shake hands the Ghanaian way.
Most important, Smith adds, the students learned to work together in a foreign culture, to develop cross-cultural communication skills, adaptability and an appreciation for cultural diversity.
"The students were rock stars," he says. "Talk about great representation abroad for UA."
Smith is planning future projects at home and abroad. He is particularly interested in developing projects which enhance the local nonprofit and business community, and in sending enterprising students to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the site of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics. And next spring, the College of Business Administration is offering a 1-credit course in Italy, open to 30 students from any major.
Story by Nicholas Nussen
Media contact: Laura Massie, 330-972-6476 or email@example.com.


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While football fans in New Orleans are undoubtedly excited about hosting the Super Bowl for the 10th time, snagging a ticket to the big game is an immaculate reception in its own right.
Fortunately, the NFL Fan Experience might help ease the pain of not being able to be in the Dome itself come kickoff.
The Fan Experience is a temporary theme park that brings interactive activities, football history, memorabilia, star players and special events to the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
"What really sparked the creation of the NFL fan experience in 1992 has really not changed today. We know there's a finite amount of seats inside the stadium, and this very large grandstand event allows everyone to come, whether you have a ticket to the game or not," said Mary Augenthaler, the director of special events at the NFL.
For the Fan Experience, the NFL will turn 850,000 square feet into a veritable NFL museum, complete with a replica locker room, Astroturf fields for football clinics and other activities.
"Laying that temporary field is a major installation…but that's what keeps us authentic. The field goal posts that we bring in are regulation field goal posts, unless you're in the Kid Zone, where we have pint-sized versions of things. Authenticity is what we're all about there," Augenthaler said.
The replica locker room is one of the most popular attractions at the NFL Experience.
Augenthaler said that, rather than being based on any particular locker room, it's more of a compilation of all the teams in the NFL.
"There is one locker for every team, and we have one player's locker represented there and we try to make that look as authentic as we can, so if a player chews a specific brand of gum or uses a specific product, we put those all in so you can really get an idea of what an NFL locker room looks like," she said.
Fans who have been to the NFL Experience before will be pleased to know that there are a few new plays in the playbook this time around.
The merchandise store is available to all comers, even if they don't have a ticket to the NFL Experience, and there are new events as well.
"We've got over 15 different exhibits that we did not have the last time we were in New Orleans. We're always trying to be more innovative and come up with new things — the Command Center is a new addition. It was not around the last time that we were in New Orleans with the Super Bowl. NFL officials will come in and host referee clinics in the Command Center. I think the most interesting part is that fans walk out of there and they realize how difficult it is to be an NFL official," she said.
For kids who would rather toss and tackle than officiate, the event offers many football clinics for children aged 6-12. There the youngsters will learn basic football skills from NFL players.
"We bring in youth coaches from all over the country to help us do this," Augenthaler said. "So it's very fun. … One group is footwork, another is throwing and catching the ball correctly, and it's exciting for kids to have an NFL player show them how to tuck a ball and run. The kids love it and the parents love it, too, because they can sit in the bleachers and get some great pictures."
Another event popular with both kids and adults is the Autograph Stage. Augenthaler couldn't reveal who would be making an appearance at this year's show, but she did mention some big names from previous events.
"We had Joe Montana last year. We'll have a lot of Saints players, and we've had the Mannings there before. It's very recognizable names and exciting players up there for sure, and if you were standing on the other side of that autograph stage and watched some of those kids come down after they've gotten an autograph, it's that wide-eyed wonder that makes you say, 'This is why we do this.' "
The NFL Experience continues through Sunday.
Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster, and more information about the event can be found at their website, http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/47/events/nfl-experience.


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Mark Miller
Mark Miller is a journalist and author who writes about trends in retirement and aging. He is a columnist for Reuters and also contributes to Morningstar and the AARP magazine. Mark is the author of The Hard Times Guide to Retirement Security: Practical Strategies for Money, Work and Living. He edits RetirementRevised.com.


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Religious Studies
REL 115 (EV) Introduction to the Study of Religion (1)
The course seeks to illuminate three central components shaping the human condition: (1) the human paradox of the perceptive and the imperceptible enabling a distinction between matter and spirit; (2) the necessary role of models for establishing a communal reality; and (3) the necessary dependence of the human upon tradition. These components will then serve for investigating at least one unfamiliar religious community to provide a sympathetic understanding of the variety of religious phenomena.
- General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Examining Values
- Offering: Fall
- Instructor: Staff


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|MLB Career Stats
|Chi Cubs
|Chi Cubs
|West Tenn
|West Tenn
|West Tenn
|23rd in NL
|17th in NL
|4th in NL
|10th in NL
|14th in NL
|3rd in NL
|4th in NL
|9th in NL
|10th in NL
|18th in NL
|1st in NL
|3rd in NL
|21st in NL
|March 28, 2016
|Boston Red Sox released RHP Carlos Marmol.
|February 16, 2016
|Boston Red Sox signed free agent RHP Carlos Marmol to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
|February 16, 2016
|RHP Carlos Marmol assigned to Pawtucket Red Sox.
|November 7, 2015
|RHP Carlos Marmol elected free agency.
|May 8, 2015
|Cleveland Indians signed free agent RHP Carlos Marmol to a minor league contract.
|November 7, 2014
|Louisville Bats released RHP Carlos Marmol.
|June 11, 2014
|Louisville Bats placed RHP Carlos Marmol on the restricted list.
|June 4, 2014
|RHP Carlos Marmol assigned to Louisville Bats from Billings Mustangs.
|May 28, 2014
|Cincinnati Reds signed free agent RHP Carlos Marmol to a minor league contract.
|May 28, 2014
|RHP Carlos Marmol assigned to Billings Mustangs.
|May 19, 2014
|Miami Marlins released RHP Carlos Marmol.
|May 11, 2014
|Miami Marlins designated RHP Carlos Marmol for assignment.
|February 11, 2014
|Miami Marlins signed free agent RHP Carlos Marmol.
|October 11, 2013
|Los Angeles Dodgers activated RHP Carlos Marmol.
|October 3, 2013
|Los Angeles Dodgers reassigned RHP Carlos Marmol to the minor leagues.
|July 23, 2013
|Los Angeles Dodgers selected the contract of RHP Carlos Marmol from Chattanooga Lookouts.
|July 19, 2013
|Carlos Marmol assigned to Chattanooga Lookouts from Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.
|July 10, 2013
|Carlos Marmol assigned to Rancho Cucamonga Quakes from Albuquerque Isotopes.
|July 4, 2013
|Los Angeles Dodgers sent Carlos Marmol outright to Albuquerque Isotopes.
|July 2, 2013
|Chicago Cubs traded RHP Carlos Marmol to Los Angeles Dodgers for RHP Matt Guerrier.
|June 25, 2013
|Chicago Cubs designated Carlos Marmol for assignment.
|May 28, 2012
|Chicago Cubs activated RHP Carlos Marmol from the 15-day disabled list.
|May 21, 2012
|sent RHP Carlos Marmol on a rehab assignment to Iowa Cubs.
|May 12, 2012
|Chicago Cubs placed RHP Carlos Marmol on the 15-day disabled list. Strained right hamstring.
|September 4, 2006
|Chicago Cubs activated RHP Carlos Marmol from the 15-day disabled list.
|August 19, 2006
|Chicago Cubs placed RHP Carlos Marmol on the 15-day disabled list.
|June 4, 2006
|Chicago Cubs activated RHP Carlos Marmol.
|March 14, 2006
|Chicago Cubs reassigned RHP Carlos Marmol to the minor leagues.
|November 18, 2005
|Chicago Cubs activated RHP Carlos Marmol.
Carlos Agustin Marmol.2013
Went 2-4 with a 4.41 ERA (49.0 IP/24 ER) in 52 appearances between the Cubs and Dodgers last season. Opened campaign with Cubs and allowed a run in first three outings, but bounced back with 10.0 scoreless innings over next 10 appearances, allowing just five hits over that span. Lowered ERA to 3.86 after 23rd outing of season, but gave up nine runs over 6.2 innings in his next nine games (12.15 ERA), through June 20 at St. Louis. Did not appear for Cubs after June 20. Was designated for assignment on June 25 and traded to the Dodgers on July 2. Allowed four earned runs over 2.2 innings in first two outings for Dodgers, on July 23 & 25. Rebounded by allowing just two earned runs over final 19 appearances of regular season, posting a 0.96 ERA (18.2/2) and holding opponents to a .131 average against. Struck out 26 and walked 17 (two intentional) in that time. Appeared in Games 4 & 6 of National League Championship Series against St. Louis, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings overall. Tossed 1.2 innings in Game 4, issuing one walk and striking out three; in Game 6, threw 2.0 innings and allowed one hit, with two strikeouts.2012 Carlos recorded 20 saves in 23 opportunities in his seventh season with Chicago ... all told, appeared in 61 games and went 3-3 with 20 saves and a 3.42 ERA (21 ER/55.1 IP) ... his 115 career saves for the Cubs rank third on the all-time list...Converted a career-best 19-straight save opportunities from May 2-September 14 ... posted a 0.49 ERA (1 ER/18.1 IP) in those 19 outings. ...Had a 1.52 ERA (5 ER/29.2 IP) in 30 games following the All-Star break, over four runs less than his 5.61 ERA (16 ER/25.2 IP) in 31 games prior to the break. ...Struck out 72 hitters in 55.1 innings of work, good for an average of 11.7 strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched ... walked 45 and limited the opponent to a .200 batting average (40-for-200). ...Surrendered four home runs on the season, but just one following the All-Star break (29.2 IP). ...His three victories were his most in a season since recording five wins in 2007. ...Posted a 2.25 ERA (5 ER/20.0 IP) in his 23 save opportunities ... had a 4.08 ERA (16 ER/35.1 IP) in 38 games without a save situation. ...Recorded the save, May 2 in Cincinnati, but allowed three runs (one earned) in a non-save situation the following day against the Reds - that raised his season ERA to 6.23, and he was removed from the closer's role. ...On the 15-day disabled list, May 12-28, with a right hamstring strain. ...Tossed 2.0 innings in two rehab appearances for Triple-A Iowa. ...Held the opponent scoreless in nine appearances from May 7-June 13 before he was inserted back into the closer's role for good, June 15 vs. Boston. ...Was 1-0 with four saves and a 0.90 ERA (1 ER/10.0 IP) in 10 August outings. ...Limited the opposition to a .139 batting average (5-for-36) in 11 September games. 2011 Carlos recorded 34 saves in 44 opportunities for Chicago, posting a 2-6 mark with a 4.01 ERA (33 ER/74.0 IP) in 75 relief appearances...his 10 blown saves led the majors...Had a 2.57 ERA (12 ER/42.0 IP) in the first half compared to a 5.91 ERA (21 ER/32.0 IP) in the second half...Posted a 6.07 ERA (29 ER/43.0 IP) in 44 save situations...had a 1.16 ERA (4 ER/31.0 IP) in 31 non-save situations...Allowed five home runs, including two three-run blasts and two grand slams...had allowed three home runs in the previous two seasons combined...His blown save, April 3 vs. the Pirates, snapped a streak of 18 successful save chances converted dating to August 21, 2010...also ended his scoreless-innings streak at 19.2 frames dating to August 25, 2010...Boasted a 0.43 ERA (1 ER/21.0 IP) in 20 appearances, April 4-May 29...Surrendered a career-high six runs as a reliever, May 31 vs. Houston (0.1 IP, 5 H, 1 BB)...he allowed a homer to his first right-handed batter since September 6, 2008 in Cincinnati...Entered June 4's game vs. St. Louis with the bases loaded and one out in the 10th inning and got out of the jam, stranding all three runners...tossed 1.2 shutout innings...June 5 in St. Louis, allowed a Ryan Theriot RBI-double with two outs in the ninth to snap a franchise record 25.1-scoreless innings streak on the road dating to August 25, 2010...Removed from the closer's role after his blown save, July 14 vs. Florida...Returned to closer role, July 31, and converted his next nine save opportunities while posting a 0.93 ERA (1 ER/9.2 IP) in 10 games through August 14...Tossed a season-high 2.0 shutout innings for the second time, September 16 vs. Houston...also did so, June 30 vs. the Giants...Signed a three-year deal, February 14. 2010 In his first full season as Chicago's closer, Carlos recorded 38 saves in 43 chances, going 2-3 with a 2.55 ERA (22 ER/77.2 IP) ... he struck out 138 hitters, a franchise single-season mark for a reliever and tops among all relievers in MLB. ... His 138 strikeouts came in just 77.2 innings of work, translating to 15.99 strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched - that's the highest single-season mark for a reliever in MLB history. w His 15.99 mark surpassed Eric Gagne, who struck out 14.98 hitters per 9.0 innings pitched in 2003 with the Dodgers. ... The 138 punchouts rank 10th-most among major league relievers in a single season. ... His 38 saves ranked fourth-best in the N.L., while his 88.4 percent success rate was sixth. w Led the majors with 14 saves from September 1 through the end of the season. ... Saved 38 of Chicago's 75 victories, becoming the first Cubs pitcher to save over half the team's wins since 1998 when Rod Beck logged saves in 51 of the club's 98 victories. ... Tied with Randy Myers in 1995 for third-most saves in a single season by a Cubs closer ... just twice has a Chicago closer surpassed 38 saves: Myers had 53 in 1993 and Rod Beck had 51 in 1998. ... Finished the campaign converting his final 17 save opportunities dating to August 21 while riding an 18.2-scoreless innings streak since August 25. ... Limited foes to a .147 batting average (40-for-272), tied for secondlowest in the majors among relievers with the Rays' Joaquin Benoit ... he trailed only the Dodgers' Hong-Chih Kuo (.139). w Held opponents to a .199 slugging percentage, second-lowest among all relievers (Kuo, .192). ... Allowed just one home run in 77.2 innings pitched - the 0.12 home runs per 9.0 innings ranks sixth-lowest by a Cubs reliever in a single season. ... Also led major league relievers with 52 walks and was tied for first with eight hit batsmen. ... Was the first pitcher to lead relievers in both strikeouts and walks since San Francisco's Dave Burba in 1994. ... Had a 1.52 ERA (4 ER/23.2 IP) and was 16 for 18 in save opportunities when pitching on no days rest. ... Converted 15-straight save opportunities from August 3, 2009 to April 14, 2010 ... he pitched 15.2 innings (1 ER), walking eight while fanning 28 during the streak. ... Allowed a career-high five walks as a reliever in 0.2 innings, July 17 vs. the Phillies ... was the first Cubs hurler to walk at least five in a relief stint of 1.0 inning or less since Johnny Vander Meer walked five in 1.0 inning at Philadelphia, July 27, 1950. 2009 Carlos made 79 relief appearances and led the club with 27 holds, despite moving into the closer's role August 18 - was 11-for-11 in save situations following the move. ... Closed out the campaign with a team-best 12 consecutive-successful save situations dating to August 3. ... Limited foes to a .170 batting average (43-for-253), ranking third among major league relievers behind Jonathan Broxton (.165) and Andrew Bailey (.167). ... Allowed two homers in 74.0 innings of work ... his 0.24 home runs surrendered per 9.0 innings pitched ranked third in baseball (min. 55.0 IP) behind Peter Moylan (0 HR in 73.0 IP) and Kiko Calero (1 HR in 60.0 IP). ... Recorded 11.31 strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched, third-most among National League relievers. ... Limited opponents to a .131 (18-for-137) batting average with runners on base. ... Was 2-1 with seven saves and a 3.03 ERA (12 ER/35.2 IP) at Wrigley Field compared to a 0-3 mark with eight saves and a 3.76 ERA (16 ER/38.1 IP) on the road. ... Went 1-3 with 10 saves and a 2.39 ERA (10 ER/37.2 IP) in 40 games against N.L. Central foes. ... Posted a 1.29 ERA (2 ER/14.0 IP) in 14 May outings. ... With a shutout eighth inning (BB, SO) July 6 vs. Atlanta, picked up his 63rd career hold, which gave him sole possession of second place on the Cubs all-time holds list (since 1957). ... Earned his 73rd career hold August 17 at San Diego, tying Kyle Farnsworth for most by a Cub (since 1957). ... Fanned one in a 1-2-3 11th frame September 20 at St. Louis, converting his 14th save of the year and 11th in a row, passing Kevin Gregg's previous team high for 2009. ... Converted his 12th-consecutive save opportunity September 24 at San Francisco - marked his final save situation of the season. ... Surrendered his first homer since May 3 in September 30's Game Two (Pittsburgh's Ryan Doumit), snapping a 61.0 homerless-innings streak. 2008 Carlos was named to the 2008 N.L. All-Star Team in his first full major league season ... his 30 holds set a franchise record, eclipsing the old mark of 25 holds by Bob Scanlan (1993) and Jeff Fassero (2001). © Led major league relievers with 114 strikeouts, the most for a Chicago reliever since Paul Assenmacher had 117 in 1991. © Replaced teammate Kerry Wood on the N.L. All-Star squad and tossed a scoreless 13th inning at Yankee Stadium, striking out two. © Led the club with 82 relief appearances, tied for third in the majors. © Allowed just 4.12 hits per 9.0 innings pitched, tops among major league relievers (min. 50 IP). © His 16.0-inning scoreless streak from July 20-August 19 led Cubs relievers ... also had a 13.2-inning shutout run from April 21-May 14. © Recorded a 1.61 ERA (9 ER/50.1 IP) in 45 games at Wrigley Field ... had a 4.14 ERA (17 ER/37.0 IP) in 37 road appearances. © Logged a 1.29 ERA (5 ER/35.0 IP) after the All-Star break ... had a 3.61 ERA (21 ER/52.1 IP) in the first half of the season. © Recorded ERAs under 2.00 in three different months: 1.56 in March/April, 1.93 in May and 0.55 in August. © Limited the opponent to a .135 batting average, tops among major league relievers. © Produced a 1.29 ERA (4 ER/28.0 IP) in 27 appearances pitching with no days rest. © Had a 1.85 ERA (10 ER/48.2 IP) against N.L. Central opponents. © Stranded a season-high 11-straight inherited runners, July 8-August 29. © Registered an 8.53 ERA (6 ER/6.1 IP) in an eight-game stretch, June 28- July 12 ... had a 2.22 ERA (20 ER/81.0 IP) in his 74 other relief outings. © Recorded holds in four-consecutive outings, April 15-22. © Struck out a season-high five (nine batters faced) April 18 vs. Pittsburgh. © Earned his first win of the season, May 11 vs. Arizona, tossing a perfect eighth inning in Chicago's 6-4 victory. © Had allowed just two homers in his first 28 relief appearances (35.0 IP) before allowing long balls in consecutive outings, May 31 vs. Colorado and June 2 at San Diego. © Stranded three inherited runners June 12 vs. Atlanta after stranding two apiece June 8 in Los Angeles and June 10 vs. the Braves. © Allowed a season-high four hits and five runs (just one earned) July 12 vs. San Francisco. © Struck out 21 and walked just five in August to compliment a 0.55 ERA for the month (1 ER/16.1 IP) ... the opposition hit just .038 (2-for-52) against him. 2007 Carlos joined the big league club in May and was a dominant fixture in the bullpen for the remainder of the season ... his 96 strikeouts were the most by a Cubs reliever since Joe Borowski fanned 97 batters in 2002. © Stranded 36 of 41 inherited runners on the season ... his 87.8- percent success rate led the N.L. and was third in the majors. © Held the opponent scoreless in 52 of his 59 outings. © Limited opposing batters to a .169 average (41-for-243). © Stranded 26 consecutive inherited runners from June 3-August 10. © Began the year with Triple-A Iowa, going 4-1 with a 3.95 ERA (18 ER/41.0 IP) in eight games (seven starts), walking 12 and striking out 48 in 41.0 innings of work. © Recalled to the Cubs May 18 and proceeded to turn in 10-consecutive scoreless relief outings (11.0 IP). © Tossed 3.0 perfect innings of relief June 19 in Texas ... picked up his second victory of the season in Chicago's 5-4 win. Became the first Cubs reliever to toss 3.0 perfect innings since Mike Campbell (3.1 IP) September 4, 1996, in Florida. © Appeared in two post-season contests for the Cubs in the NLDS, allowing runs to score in both games. Tagged with the loss in Game One at Arizona, allowing two runs to score in 1.0 inning of work. Worked 2.0 innings in Game Three in Chicago and gave up a solo homer while striking out four batters. 2006 Marmol was 5-6 with a 5.99 ERA in 13 starts, and 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in six relief appearances. The rookie's longest outing was 6 1/3 innings on June 28 against Milwaukee, in which he struck out eight. He was limited at the end of the season because of fatigue in his right shoulder. 2005 Carlos split the season between Daytona (A) and West Tenn (AA) - where he combined to go 9-6 with a 3.34 ERA (57 ER/153.2 IP) ... started the season at Daytona and was named to the Florida State League All-Star team ... did not allow a hit over 6.0 innings of work in his season debut April 9 against Brevard County ... walked 2 and struck out 4 in the 2-0 Cub victory ... worked 6.0 innings in 10 of his 14 starts at West Tenn. 2004 Carlos led the Midwest League with 14 wins ... was named to the league's All-Star squad ... struck out a season-high 10 batters in back-to-back games August 15 and 21. 2003 Went 3-5 in his first full season as a pitcher ... gave up 2 or fewer earned runs in 6 of his 9 starts ... led the league with 74 strikeouts - struck out a season-high 10 batters in 5.0 innings August 11 against the Mariners. 2002 Started the season at Lansing (A) before returning to Mesa (R) - recorded a career-high 10 stolen bases at Mesa. 2001 Batted .295 with 11 doubles and 12 RBI at Mesa (R). 2000 Began his professional career with the Cubs' Dominican (Rookie) club, where he batted .314 in 41 games.


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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Energy Secretary nominee Ernest Moniz easily cleared his first hurdle in the Senate on Thursday, securing nearly unanimous support from the chamber's energy committee.
With a vote of 21 to 1 in favor of the pick, Moniz's nomination will move on for consideration by the full Senate. It is unclear when that will take place, but Moniz is widely expected to be confirmed.
Moniz, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, would replace Energy Secretary Steven Chu who announced earlier this year that he was stepping down.
Democrats and Republicans on the committee praised Moniz as an independent scientist with extensive knowledge of the Energy Department and its responsibilities.
"With his background as a well-respected scientist, I am confident that Dr. Moniz is going to use the best science and most current data in considering key policy questions," said Senate energy committee chairman Ron Wyden ahead of the panel's vote.
Moniz served as an undersecretary of energy during the Clinton administration.
Some environmentalists have criticized Moniz' nomination, saying he was too supportive of shale gas and nuclear power.
Moniz is director of MIT's Energy Initiative, which received funding from companies such as BP, Chevron and Saudi Aramco for academic work on projects aimed at reducing climate-changing greenhouse gases.
(Reporting by Ayesha Rascoe; Editing by Ros Krasny, Gerald E. McCormick and Marguerita Choy)


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We are very much aware of the increasing processing times retirees and potential retirees have been experiencing. Individuals applying for retirement are dedicated Federal employees who have devoted their careers to serving the citizens of this country, and as such, they deserve treatment commensurate with their service.
The present situation is the result of the confluence of a number of factors. This includes the attempt to utilize an "off-the-shelf" private sector processing system, which ultimately was not successful. We tried to redesign all aspects of retirement processing simultaneously and anticipated that increased automation was the long-term solution. Accordingly, we assumed lower staffing levels would be required. As staff levels were reduced, the volume and complexity of retirement casework increased.
Our paramount goal is to improve the overall claims adjudication process. There is no simple or easy solution that is capable of instantly remedying the problem, but we are doing everything in our power to improve service to our annuitants as rapidly as possible within the constraint of available resources. We have begun several initiatives to not only speed up claims review but to streamline other attendant retirement procedures.
We hired 40 legal administrative specialists to assist with the current backlog and future workload.
We have also authorized additional overtime across the claims processing groups and will continue to approve overtime thru fiscal year 2011. Overtime is also being offered to former claims examiners to help tackle the backlog.
To assist the retiree's immediate financial needs, OPM established an interim pay process to provide new retirees with income while their retirement benefits are adjudicated. Retirees receive their first interim payment in 5-7 business days from the date the agency's electronic file or paper records are received by OPM.
OPM uses the information provided by the agencies (at the time the retirement application is submitted) to determine the amount of interim pay. In calculating the amount of the interim payment from the data provided by the agency, OPM:
Our goal is to provide the annuitant with as much of their expected NET monthly payment, less Federal income tax withholding. The NET payment amount is the amount of the annuity payment after deducting premiums for health benefits and life insurance from the gross rate. Some retirees receive less than our goal due to a variety of factors. Some of the conditions that could cause the annuitant to receive less than the agency's NET estimate are: a FERS annuity supplement, unpaid service credit deposits, redeposits or military deposits, a court order on file at OPM, or the retiree is entitled to a special computation as a Law Enforcement Officer, Fire Fighter, Air Traffic Controller or other special retirement group.
In December, we increased all Department of Defense civilian retiree interim payments by 5%. This will affect 29% of the cases. These cases had been receiving a lower than average amount of interim pay based upon the data received at the time of retirement. Additional system changes are in process to provide a 5% increase for certain retirees of the United States Postal Service.
OPM is currently working with agencies to improve timeliness and quality of personnel/payroll information submissions. Indeed, OPM's Strategic Plan speaks to the shared responsibility for retirement processing among employees, agencies and OPM so resolving these issues is at the very center of the radar screen. Incomplete or inaccurate information from agencies can significantly delay processing and ultimately, a retiree's check. Unfortunately, 23 percent of all claims received are missing one or more records and 11 percent are not received during the first 30 days.
We are confident that through additional staff, over-time, improvements in interim payments, and collaboration with agencies we will reduce our back-log to more normal levels and fulfill our commitments to the Federal retiree, which has always been one of our highest priorities.
To qualify for payments from the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or
the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), you must submit a retirement
application. They are available on our website, as follows:
You should submit an application for immediate retirement as shown below.
As of February 2012, our average processing time is 5 months from the date we receive your final paperwork from your human resources and payroll offices. Of the current pending claims workload, 47 percent are less than 2 months old and 25 percent are older than 6 months.
If we need additional information from you or your former employing agency, your claim will take longer to process. Additional time will also be needed if we need to contact you to make a benefit election, such as a decision to make a service credit deposit, or if we need to contact an external agency, such as SSA for an offset calculation.
Complete information pertaining to military service can be found in the CSRS/FERS handbook at www.opm.gov/retire/pubs/handbook/C022.pdf. If you are a current employee, contact your personnel office for information.
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The rating is 'Medium' -- an average player should be able to win.
I won in 1:05:45 hours. You can watch the game on YouTube or read about it below:
The advantage of 3 players over 1 increases with time. Controlling less than half of the oil derricks leads to defeat. At least one path to the center with its 6 oil fields must stay free of enemies. To that end, distract them so that they do not attack you together until at least one of them is taken out.
Once the game starts, aim to build as many oil derricks as possible -- 16-20 out of 34 in total. Trucks sent to the corners should collect the oil barrels there (6 each) before building derricks. Send Combat Engineers to the centre where they will arrive before enemy trucks. A small army can join, e.g. Grenadiers with Light Cannon Viper Half-tracks. They can kill enemy trucks and fight other units.
In front of your base amass an army. Guard the entries to your base with cannons and place Grenadiers between them. When attacked, ensure all those units join the fight early and face his direction.
Once Hovers are available, send 2 small groups composed of 2 commanders and a truck in opposite directions and on the waterway, where no enemies are expected yet.
Commanders can act as scouts and destroy oil derricks from a safe distance to be seized by the truck. Collect oil barrels in your path. They help to pay an invasion army of ~ 20 Hover tanks. The timer should display around 10 minutes when it is ready.
While an enemy is out of his base, invade it. Prioritise oil derricks, factories and trucks as your foe may soon return. At this crucial moment you must prevent any chance he could rebuild later.
After destroying another base in similar fashion, winning the game shoud be trivial.
The videos show how I won largely due to AI errors and made several mistakes, e.g. not repairing my units or poor scouting.
Surely there are better ways to win -- I am average only.
Thanks to Warzone Atlassian's documentation I could create a challenge file (attached).
Move it under 'challenges' in your profile folder. Due to a bug, version 3.2.1 does not accept it unless you exchange AI descriptions between player 0 and 1.
In "What makes a good challenge" NoQ wrote:
In most of the challenges i tried (or made), the enemy gets weaker over time. Once you are able to survive the early rush and hold your ground for a while, and then manage to control just one more oil derrick, you already won. Simply because you were already equal, and now you have one more derrick, which both makes you stronger and makes your enemy weaker.
This is a simple monotonic curve: you get stronger with every tick, sit there and do nothing but defense (with tanks or towers) most of the time, and then destroy everything in the last 5 minutes.
Most of the challenges around boil down to: survive the early rush, hold your ground for as long as necessary to come up with the winning design (its components may be different), destroy everything with the winning weapon.
This is only partly the case in this challenge which requires good timing and risk-taking. I suggest that it be included in the game by default.