text:
SOURCE: Prana Biotechnology
September 13, 2013 09:00 ET
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA--(Marketwired - Sep 13, 2013) - Prana Biotechnology (ASX: PBT) (NASDAQ: PRAN), a leading global developer of first-in-class treatments for neurodegenerative disease, has today provided an update on three clinical trials testing its proprietary drug, PBT2, in Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases.
Huntington REACH 2HD Trial
The Reach 2HD trial is a six month double-blind placebo controlled Phase 2 trial on 109 early-to-mid stage Huntington's disease patients. The trial was successfully completed at the end of July 2013 with 95% of participants completing the entire six months of treatment. There has been a delay in finalising the database to achieve 'database lock', required before statistical analysis of the data may begin. The results, originally anticipated in the last quarter of 2013, are now expected to be reported early in 2014.
"Apart from the timing delay, which is disappointing, nothing has changed. The trial was conducted and completed to protocol, and will provide the robust data needed to meet with the FDA in 2014 as we prepare for the next PBT2 trial," said Geoffrey Kempler, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Alzheimer's IMAGINE Trial
The IMAGINE trial is a 12 month double-blind placebo controlled Phase 2 trial in 42 prodromal and mild Alzheimer's disease patients. The last patient was enrolled on 28 November 2012 and now 17 (40%) of patients have completed the entire 12 months of treatment. The Data Safety Monitoring Board has met on four occasions and recommended that the trial continue without changes to the protocol. The last patient will finish dosing at the end of November. Results are anticipated to be available in the first quarter of 2014.
IMAGINE Extension Trial
In July, the IMAGINE Extension open label trial was approved allowing all patients who have completed the IMAGINE trial to participate for a further 12 months.
Enrolment into the Extension trial opened (at the first site) on 23 July 2013, at which time 12 patients had already completed dosing in the initial IMAGINE trial, some up to five months prior. Of these 12 patients, eight (67%) have elected to join the Extension trial. Since the opening of the Extension trial, a further five patients have completed treatment in the initial IMAGINE trial and all five (100%) have elected to continue onto the Extension trial and receive PBT2 for an additional 12 months.
"We are very excited as we approach the release of clinical trial data in the coming months. Building on a body of scientific research developed over many years, our clinical trials are designed to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of PBT2 in two devastating diseases," said Mr Kempler.
About Prana Biotechnology Limited
Prana Biotechnology was established to commercialise research into Alzheimer's disease and other major age-related neurodegenerative disorders. The Company was incorporated in 1997 and listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in March 2000 and listed on NASDAQ in September 2002. Researchers at prominent international institutions including The University of Melbourne, The Mental Health Research Institute (Melbourne) and Massachusetts General Hospital, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, contributed to the discovery of Prana's technology.
For further information please visit the Company's web site at www.pranabio.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Company has tried to identify such forward-looking statements by use of such words as "expects," "intends," "hopes," "anticipates," "believes," "could," "may," "evidences" and "estimates," and other similar expressions, but these words are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to any statements relating to the Company's drug development program, including, but not limited to the initiation, progress and outcomes of clinical trials of the Company's drug development program, including, but not limited to, PBT2, and any other statements that are not historical facts. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those risks and uncertainties relating to the difficulties or delays in financing, development, testing, regulatory approval, production and marketing of the Company's drug components, including, but not limited to, PBT2, the ability of the Company to procure additional future sources of financing, unexpected adverse side effects or inadequate therapeutic efficacy of the Company's drug compounds, including, but not limited to, PBT2, that could slow or prevent products coming to market, the uncertainty of patent protection for the Company's intellectual property or trade secrets, including, but not limited to, the intellectual property relating to PBT2, and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings the Company makes with Securities and Exchange Commission including its annual reports on Form 20-F and its reports on Form 6-K. Such statements are based on management's current expectations, but actual results may differ materially due to various factions including those risks and uncertainties mentioned or referred to in this press release. Accordingly, you should not rely on those forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual future results.
Contacts:USA: Vivian Chen
E: firstname.lastname@example.com:Christopher Chu
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Here is the rarely seen opening to NBC's Daffy Duck Show:
The information above comes from the Looney Tunes on TV website.
i only really remember the bugs bunny and tweety show. I believe it was on abc. "and oh what heights we'll hit. on with the show this is it!"
This clip opens with a bumper featuring a short-lived NBC logo which has a famous story behind it. Apparently, NBC paid an ad agency millions of dollars to design a new logo for the network- only to discover a local TV station in Nebraska had been using it for years! (NBC ended up modifying the logo by placing their famous peacock in front of it.)

subset: commoncrawl


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BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins celebrated the release of the new CrackBerry in a better way than most of us - by becoming a Canadian citizen. In a small ceremony that took place in Kitchener yesterday, Heins was one of many who were granted Canadian citizenship. He is now a dual citizen of both Germany and Canada. In addition to being able to now truly say he's Canadian, he can also take advantage of universal health care and all the Poutine he can handle (ok, anyone can have Poutine but it's more fun when you're Canadian).
If you want to send a quick congrats along you can do so in the forums. And don't forget to check out our new, totally awesome Thorsten Heins topic page for everything you need to know (and more!) about BlackBerry's CEO.


text:
NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) — The United Way said Tuesday in response to concerns by the daughter of a Newtown, Conn., school shooting victim that a new nonprofit group overseeing donations is getting input from victims' families on how to distribute the money.
Cristina Lafferty Hassinger posted on her Facebook page that the families are being asked for proof of hardship before the smallest disbursements are issued. She wrote that her mother, principal Dawn Hochsprung, was shot dead trying to protect students and staff.
"We've been victimized enough," Hassinger's post says. "We shouldn't have to fight for what is rightfully ours, but we won't be taken advantage of in our darkest hour."
Facebook and telephone messages left Tuesday for Hassinger weren't immediately returned.
United Way of Western Connecticut said Tuesday that a one-page form is used for those seeking help with immediate needs. It says the families met last week with the board of the new foundation, which is overseeing distribution from a larger fund established by the United Way that now totals about $9.7 million.
The Newtown-Sandy Hook Community Foundation will determine how to allocate the money. United Way was involved in establishing the original fund and said the money is being turned over to the foundation so that the community can decide what it needs.
"We all want to get this right and will take the time necessary to hear from all those impacted," Kim Morgan, CEO of United Way of Western Connecticut, said in a statement.
A gunman killed 20 first-graders and six faculty members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December before committing suicide.


text:
Woman stabbed, man assaulted in Christmas Eve drama
A MAN was assaulted and a woman was stabbed in her arm during a Christmas eve drama in Mackay.
It will be alleged that a 49-year-old man was punched in the head and body about 8.30pm in the front yard of a Sweeney Court home after an altercation with a man who was walking past the house.
It will be further alleged the pedestrian ran off only to return a short time later with a knife.
The man entered the home and confronted a 46-year-old woman who was in the kitchen.
The woman was stabbed in the arm.
The 49-year-old man came to her aid causing the man to flee.
A police dog squad unit located a man nearby a short time later.
A 21-year-old Mackay man has been charged with unlawful wounding, assault and burglary.
He was remanded in custody and is due to appear in the Mackay Magistrates Court on December 26.
The man and woman both received treatment at Mackay Base Hospital and have since been released.


text:
Shares of Dell (NASDAQ:DELL) leaped on Monday after the computer maker was upgraded to "buy" from "sell" by Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS).
Continue Reading Below
While Goldman noted the risks of a still-depressed PC market, its analysts said they believe sentiment and expectations could tilt positive in 2013. Goldman set a new 12-month price target on Dell of $13 from an earlier $9.
Goldman said it still believes Dell faces "secular challenges" due to its exposure to PCs and estimates that PC demand weakness will "remain severe in the near term."
Shares of Dell are down about 38% from a year ago but soared as high as 7% to $10.49 on the news.
With consensus expectations for Dell's fiscal-year 2014 down about 28% from its peak, Goldman said a positive risk/reward has emerged for the stock. The bank did not alter its quarterly or fiscal-year estimates on Dell.
"Over the past two years we have urged investors to avoid 'deep value' technology stocks, particularly those with outsized exposure to the PC, server and printing end markets," Goldman analysts said in the report. "Nevertheless, we believe many of our secular concerns over these market segments and Dell in particular have now become consensus. With this in mind, we now believe that Dell has become an attractive deep value play and we would be buyers of the stock."


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"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33)
Our founder's life verse continues to define our attitude about fundraising and our passion of being salt and light in every workplace and in every nation. Above all, an eternal kingdom perspective dominates all we do at LETU. Every opportunity for giving that is presented, every need of the University, provides an opportunity for God to transform us into the likeness of Christ.
We believe that in God's time He will supply all of our needs as we strive to honor Him in a God-centered way as He changes hearts through joy-filled giving. (Philippians 4:19)


text:
Style # 215026
Comfy racerback cut, sparkling Swarovski crystal-embellished logo and bright stripes are the perfect way to amp any off-duty bottom. Try yours with white denim and embellished flat sandals to make the colors pop.
- 95% rayon, 5% spandex
- Center back to hem: 23" (58 cm)
- Swarovski crystals
- Hand wash
- Made in USA with imported materials
- Model is 5'9" and is wearing a US size S
Logo Stripe Racerback Tank is rated out of 5 by 1.
Rated 5 out of 5 by jade32 from Amazing materal and fit... love it! Love everything, truly amazing fit, look and material
Date published: 2013-06-18


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ARM SecurCore technology now the most widely adopted 32-bit RISC architecture for smart cards
CAMBRIDGE, UK and SEOUL, KOREA – June 9, 2003 – ARM [(LSE: ARM); (Nasdaq: ARMHY)], the industry's leading provider of 16/32-bit embedded RISC processor solutions, and Hynix Semiconductor, today announced that Hynix has licensed the ARM® SecurCore™ SC100™ microprocessor core. Hynix will utilize the ARM technology for the advancement of its smart card and security solutions.
Hynix is one of the growing producers of smart card ICs with a number of end applications including SIM cards for GSM phones, banking cards and Mass Transit contactless cards. The licensing of the SC100 microprocessor core by Hynix confirms the position of the ARM SecurCore technology as the industry's most widely adopted 32-bit RISC architecture for smart cards.
"As the need for secure applications in the Asia Pacific region expands, we see a growing need for smart card chips in applications such as mobile communication, banking, transportation and government ID. This market will devour increasing numbers of ICs," said Jay Chae, vice president of MCU business, Hynix. "For this reason, we chose to licence the industry's leading secure microprocessor solution, the SecurCore SC100 core from ARM, so that we could provide our customers with ICs that deliver the best security features, including fast cryptographic acceleration and best-in-class Java Card™ support."
"Hynix's licensing of the SecurCore SC100 core demonstrates that ARM's industry-proven microprocessor technology is helping drive the industry forward in the development of secure ICs," said Bruce Beckloff, director, Marketing, ARM. "The combination of our SecurCore technology and Hynix's high volume manufacturing capability will be a powerful proposition for the emerging Asia Pacific market for secure ICs."
About ARM
ARM is the industry's leading provider of 16/32-bit embedded RISC microprocessor solutions. The company licenses its high-performance, low-cost, power-efficient RISC processors, peripherals, and system-on-chip designs to leading international electronics companies. ARM also provides comprehensive support required in developing a complete system. ARM's microprocessor cores are rapidly becoming a volume RISC standard in such markets as portable communications, hand-held computing, multimedia digital consumer and embedded solutions. More information on ARM is available at www.arm.com.
About Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
Hynix Semiconductor Inc., with its principal place of business in Ichon, Korea, is an industry leader in the development, sales, marketing and distribution of high-quality semiconductors including DRAM, SRAM, Flash memory and System IC products. Hynix is one of world's largest DRAM suppliers with twelve semiconductor manufacturing facilities worldwide. In addition, Hynix is aggressively expanding its System IC business in the product areas of MCU, CMOS Image Sensor, and LCD Driver IC. Hynix System IC also provides foundry service to industry leading semiconductor companies. More information is available from the web site at at http://www.hynix.com/ .
ARM is a registered trademark of ARM Limited. SecurCore and SC100 are trademarks of ARM Limited. All other brands or product names are the property of their respective holders. "ARM" is used to represent ARM Holdings plc (LSE:ARM and Nasdaq:ARMHY); its operating company ARM Limited; and the regional subsidiaries ARM, INC.; ARM KK; ARM Korea Ltd.; ARM, Taiwan; ARM France SAS ; and ARM Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.


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I Saw the Devil (UK - BD RB)
Chris checks out Optimum's BD release of this Korean feature in a blind review...
Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik) is a twisted psychopath who has killed numerous young women but has somehow evaded capture. His latest victim, Joo-yeon (Oh San-ha), is the daughter of the retired Chief of Police and fiancé of one Kim Soo-hyeon (Lee Byung-hun), an NIS (National Intelligence Service) agent. Kim takes it upon himself to track down the murderer and in doing so begins a dangerous cat-and-mouse game with Kyung-chul, one that will transform him into a monster every bit as dangerous as his quarry.
To say that I Saw the Devil contains disturbing material is a bit of an understatement. From the opening scenes, which depict the senseless slaughter of an innocent young woman, until its final blood-soaked moments, the film delivers a visceral experience to match all but the most harrowing of features. It depicts the sort of violence that wouldn't be out of place in a film like Hostel or even one of the Saw movies, but it does so in a way that lacks the exploitative feeling of those films. Although the content is very graphic the camera doesn't linger too long during the various torture sequences, leaving much of the violence to the viewer's imagination and you'll definitely think it's worse than it actually is. In fact, this version of the film is actually less violent than the one many International viewers would have seen (more of that later).
Korean cinema has a solid reputation for producing uncompromising revenge thrillers, thanks largely to the success of Park Chan-wook and his 'Vengeance Trilogy' and Kim Ji-woon's own features. Stylistically I Saw the Devil put me in mind of Park's Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, with its stripped down narrative and raw, gritty approach. The character of Soo-hyeon shares much in common with the protagonists of Park's features, in so much as he commits ever-escalating acts of violence in his pursuit of vengeance, each and every one of which edges him closer to becoming the very thing he despises. It's interesting to note the pronounced change in Kim Soo-hyeon over the course of the film, as he shifts from a loving character who engages in playful telephone conversations with his fiancé, to a withdrawn, cold-hearted character who distances himself from others and commits heinous acts of violence.
The Park link continues with the presence of one Choi Min-sik, who is probably my favourite Korean actor thanks to his ability to almost humanise the deranged lunatics he often plays. This performance isn't quite the tour de force that was Oldboy's Oh Dae-su, but Choi is always incredibly watchable. I'm less familiar with Lee Byung-hun, having only seen in in JSA, The Good, the Bad, the Weird and the G.I. Joe movie (no, I still haven't seen A Bittersweet Life, consider me chastised), but he puts in an effective turn as a man torn between retaining his humanity and his need to seek bloody retribution for the loss of a loved one.
A little bit of research revealed that there are two versions of I Saw the Devil: International and Korean. This disc includes the Korean cut of the film, which is marginally less gory than the International cut but runs slightly longer overall thanks to a few additional scenes here and there. Although I haven't seen the International cut I did manage to track down a useful webpage that details the main differences between the two versions, with accompanying images and audio. The page can be found here, but it contains major plot spoilers. It would seem that the International cut clarifies certain plot points that are only hinted at in the Korean version of the film, but while it is more violent overall it actually has less of the graphic sexual content found in the Korean version. It would seem that each has their merits and an ideal release would marry both versions of the film, but that's one for the fan editors out there.
Optimum's release of I Saw the Devil arrives with a 1.85:1 widescreen transfer (1080/24p AVC) that looks nothing short of marvellous. I was initially a little worried that the film had been cropped as IMDb and every other Blu-ray site lists the aspect ratio as 2.40:1, but the IMDb is notorious for getting aspect ratios wrong (especially on foreign films) and it's likely that the other sites just got their information from there. In any event the Korean three-disc DVD release is presented at 1.85:1, as is the German Blu-ray release, so I'm reasonably happy that what we have here is correct.
Anyway, getting back to the quality of the transfer I'm happy to report that the level of detail is absolutely fantastic, with facial and fabric textures displaying superb clarity. During the opening shots there were times when I swear I could have reached out and run my fingers through Oh San-ha's hair, so lifelike did it appear on screen, and the snowflakes almost looked like you could reach out and grab them. The killer's dingy workshop is similarly blessed, with rusty, grimy pipework, grates and floors that are the stuff of nightmares. The palette leans towards the cooler end of the spectrum, but there are some nice bright primaries here and there and colours are extremely well-rendered in general. Blacks aren't what I'd call reference level, but this seems to have more to do with the shooting style than any deficiency in the transfer, and shadow detail is generally very pleasing. No significant visual issues presented themselves during normal viewing and even close inspection of the screen captures on this page didn't reveal any egregious edge enhancement or filtering (there is a fine layer of grain present throughout). This Blu-ray is a beautiful presentation of a visually striking film.
I Saw the Devil features a dark, brooding soundtrack in either DTS-HD Maser Audio 5.1 or LPCM 2.0 (both Korean). I went with the multi-channel offering for this review and was treated to a genuinely atmospheric experience that perfectly captured the tension of the piece. Music plays a big part in crafting said tension, presenting numerous moody cues that evoke real feelings of suspense, although a few pieces are a little too melodramatic and do the film a disservice. There's isn't a huge amount of discrete channel utilisation either, but there are one or two moments where a voice can be hard in one of the surrounds, or a vehicle transitions from one speaker to another. The sub isn't really called upon to do anything particularly strenuous, but it does provide subtle reinforcement during the film's livelier moments. Dialogue is well placed in the mix, never becoming lost amongst the other elements, and the English subtitles appear to offer a respectable, largely error-free translation of the original Korean dialogue. While it's true that the audio isn't as impressive as the visuals this is largely due to the nature of the source material, as the film isn't the sort of action-packed action extravaganza that makes for demo material. Still it would appear that the track faithfully reproduces the theatrical experience, which is all you can reasonably ask for.
Interviews (19:05 SD): A fairly lengthy sequence of interviews with Kim Ji-woon, . Kim talks about his lead actors, specifically their differing styles, along with the more generalised aspects of filmmaking. Choi Min-sik and Lee Byung-hun are also on hand to discuss their roles, although they have far less screen time than Kim. Even so, they have some interesting observations to make, in particular Choi's comments about returning to acting after a four year hiatus.
Making of (18:12 SD): A relatively short making featurette is next on the menu. It offers everything I've come to expect from similar Korean features, which is to say that it takes a 'fly on the wall' approach rather than the more staged affairs usually created for UK and US features. However, this is actually a bit of a mixed blessing, as although the absence of self-congratulatory talking head interviews is welcome, there is a distinct lack of focus as we move from one set-up to the next. One amusing moment did stick in the mind, during which a group of giggling Korean girls are swooning over Lee Byung-hun while Choi Min-sik does his best disgruntled act for the camera.
The film's teaser trailer (00:53 SD) is also included, along with a TV spot (01:44 SD).
Although not actually penned by Kim, I Saw the Devil is another assured entry in the director's body of work, and one that offers more than the usual run-of-the-mill thriller. Optimum's Blu-ray release delivers a beautiful visual experience ably backed by a solid soundtrack and a small but interesting collection of supplemental material. It's unfortunate that more of the extras from the three-disc Korean DVD release couldn't be included, but I'm sure it was a matter of cost. At the end of the day we should probably be grateful that films like this are even seeing the light of day in high-definition the UK.
For me, I Saw the Devil happily sits alongside the underrated The Quiet Family, A Tale of Two Sisters and The Good, the Bad, the Weird as an example of great Korean cinema. The performances from the principals are as strong as anything I've seen recently and in spite of the relatively long running time the film never drags. I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending it to fans of the director's earlier work, Korean cinema enthusiasts, or people simply looking for a good night's entertainment. Anyway, I'm off to finally watch that DVD copy of A Bittersweet Life that's been gathering dust for years… Can we have that on Blu-ray next please?
* Note: The above images are taken from the Blu-ray release and resized for the page. Full-resolution captures are available by clicking individual images, but due to .jpg compression they are not necessarily representative of the quality of the transfer.
Review by Chris Gould
hogaburger Contributor Join Date: April 2007 Location: United States Posts: 1,153
Let me know what you think of A Bittersweet Life. Its a personal favorite of mine and I envy people getting to see it for the first time. There is a Japanese blu-ray, but it doesn't have English subs and it doesn't look all that great (could be the source). I'm holding out for the inevitable CJ Entertainment limited run.
I've seen both cuts of I Saw the Devil, and I prefer the international cut. The sexual scene that was cut out, in my opinion, actually helps with the pacing in that portion of the movie. It had some good dark humor to it, but it wasn't completely necessary to the film.
I'm going to pick up the Magnet region-A blu-ray tomorrow.. along with Alien, Aliens, Blue Valentine, and L'illusionniste. My wallet is crying.
I've seen both cuts of I Saw the Devil, and I prefer the international cut. The sexual scene that was cut out, in my opinion, actually helps with the pacing in that portion of the movie. It had some good dark humor to it, but it wasn't completely necessary to the film.
I'm going to pick up the Magnet region-A blu-ray tomorrow.. along with Alien, Aliens, Blue Valentine, and L'illusionniste. My wallet is crying.
Chris Gould Editor Join Date: May 2001 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 7,171
I was aware of the Japanese BD, but even if it had English subs I wouldn't want to take out a second mortgage to buy it Having listened to both on the site I linked to, I prefer the music at the end of the Korean cut of this film. I've actually seen a version that fuses both cuts together, but it's fan made and German language only.
hogaburger Contributor Join Date: April 2007 Location: United States Posts: 1,153
I like both versions of the outro music a lot. I think the international cut's music is appropriately sadder and its better queued for the cut to credits. But which track do I like more just as music, outside of the film's context? The Korean outro. I'm a bit torn.
You know.. once I get my blu-ray tomorrow, I technically have the tools to make a 1080p fan edit and add that music to the international cut. Hmmm....
You know.. once I get my blu-ray tomorrow, I technically have the tools to make a 1080p fan edit and add that music to the international cut. Hmmm....
Suitable only for persons of 18 years and over
Disc Details
Release Date: 9th May 2011
Discs: 1
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: No
Video: 1080p
Aspect: 1.85:1
Anamorphic: No
Colour: Yes
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Korean, LPCM 2.0 Korean
Subtitles: English
Extras: Interviews, Making of, Teaser Trailer, TV Spot
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Kim Ji-woon
Cast: Choi Min-sik, Lee, Byung-hun,
Length: 144 minutes
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Pygathrix nigripes
|Scope: Global
Language: English
|Scientific Name:
|Pygathrix nigripes (Milne-Edwards, 1871)
Common Name(s):
Pygathrix moi (Kloss, 1926)
|Taxonomic Notes:
|The species hybridizes with the Red-shanked Douc Langur, Pygathrix nemaeus, where their distributions meet in Viet Nam.
|Red List Category & Criteria:
|Endangered A2cd ver 3.1
|Year Published:
|Date Assessed:
|Rawson, B., Lippold, L., Timmins, R., Ngoc Thanh, V. & Manh Ha, N.
|Mittermeier, R.A. & Rylands, A.B. (Primate Red List Authority)
Listed as Endangered as this species is believed to have undergone a decline of more than 50% in the last three generations (30-36 years, based on a generation length of 10-12 years), due to forest loss and hunting.
|Previously published Red List assessments:
|Range Description:
|The species is found in north-eastern Cambodia and southern Viet Nam. Although once thought to be rare with a limited distribution, recent fieldwork has demonstrated that populations of this species are quite widespread (Lippold 1995). In Cambodia, they are found only east of the Mekong with an unknown northerly extent, although it provisionally occurs sympatrically with Pygathrix nemaeus in Voensei district, Ratanakiri (B. Rawson pers. comm.). The diversity and species identities of populations found in northernmost Cambodia, specifically Virachey National Park, is unknown. The presence of this species in Lao PDR has never been confirmed (Nadleret al. 2003). In southern Viet Nam, this species has a fragmented distribution extending from Sa Tay district (Kon Tum Province) in the north to just south of Cat Tien National Park in the south.
|Countries occurrence:
Native:Cambodia; Viet Nam
|Additional data:
|Range Map:
|Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.
|The largest known population exists in Seima Biodiversity Conservation Area, Mondulkiri province, Cambodia, where distance estimates provide a population estimate of approximately 42,000 individuals (95% confidence interval of 27,309 – 66,460) (Pollard et al. 2007). The densities found in Seima are probably close to carrying capacity for the species in such habitat. The largest population in Viet Nam may be in Nui Chua National Park (Ninh Thuan Province), which is estimated at 500-700 individuals (Hoang Minh Duc and Ly Ngoc Sam 2005). The only other known population estimate comes from the Nam Cat Tien sector of Cat Tien NP (Dong Nai, Binh Phuoc and Lam Dong Provinces) and is estimated at 109 individuals (Phan Duy Thuc et al. 2005). In southern Viet Nam, this species survives in a large number of small, isolated forest fragments, in comparison with the situation with the red-shanked doucs in the north, where the species is not able to persist in small forest fragments.
|Current Population Trend:
|Additional data:
|Habitat and Ecology:
|These animals are predominantly arboreal but may occasionally come to the ground. They are found in evergreen, semi-evergreen and semi-evergreen-mixed deciduous forest mosaics, as well as in coastal dry forest. It seems that species of this genus can adapt to relatively heavily disturbed forest (Nadler et al. 2003). Diet is apparently variable by site, being mainly composed of leaves with differing levels of supplementation with seeds, fruits and flowers (Hoang Minh Duc and Baxter 2006; Rawson 2006). Behavioral characteristics of this species make it easy to hunt (Nadler et al. 2003).
|Major Threat(s):
Hunting is currently the major threat to this species (Nadler et al. 2003). It is most often hunted for traditional "medicine", mainly from people coming from the north of Viet Nam where hunting of doucs for this purpose is more common; in the southern part of Viet Nam, hunting is primarily for the pet trade.
Destruction of its natural habitat is also a threat to this species; a large portion in the centre and south of Viet Nam suffered from massive wartime damage, and the post-war human demographic explosion and extensive logging for coffee, rubber, and cashew plantations have reduced its natural habitat. Most forest at lowland elevations has been cleared and little forest remains undisturbed (Nadler et al. 2003). The translocation of some 3 million people from the north of Viet Nam to the central highlands is likely to exacerbate rates of habitat loss through the Viet Namese range of the species.
|Conservation Actions:
This species is listed under CITES Appendix I, as well as under Appendix 1B of Decree 32 (2006) in Viet Nam and is protected under The Law on Forestry NS/RKM/0802/016, article 49, identified as Pygathrix nemaeus in Prakas 020 PR.MAFF in Cambodia.
It is known to occur in several protected areas: Mondulkiri Protection Forest, Seima Biodiversity Conservation Area, Snuol Wildlife Sanctuary, Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary (Cambodia); Bu Gia Map National Park, Cat Tien National Park, Kon Kai Kinh National Park, Kong Cha Rang Nature Reserve, Mom Ray Nature Reserve, Nui Chua National Park (Viet Nam) (Pollard et al. 2007; BirdLife unpubl. data; Timmins and Ou Rattanak 2001; Walston et al. 2001; Nadler et al. 2003). A recommended action for the conservation of this species in Viet Nam is the expansion Bu Gia Map National Park to include all unprotected contiguous forests, particularly since this is adjacent to a protected area network containing the largest population of black-shanked doucs in neighboring Cambodia. Additional survey work is also required to identify key populations.
|Rawson, B., Lippold, L., Timmins, R., Ngoc Thanh, V. & Manh Ha, N. 2008. Pygathrix nigripes. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008: e.T39828A10273574. . Downloaded on 26 September 2018.
|To make use of this information, please check the <Terms of Use>.
|If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please provide us with feedback so that we can correct or extend the information provided


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Accident causes lumber spill, injures one
Accident causes lumber spill, injures one
OMAHA, Neb. —
Omaha police are investigating whether fog played a role in a morning accident in west Omaha that injured one person.
An ambulance responded to a three-vehicle accident near 192nd and Pacific streets. Officers said a gold SUV was traveling northbound on 192nd Street when the driver violated a traffic signal and collided with a silver pickup truck heading eastbound on Pacific Street. The SUV was then hit by a semitrailer hauling a load of lumber.
The impact of the crash caused the lumber to spill onto the road.
Medics transported the 19-year-old driver of the SUV to Alegent Creighton Health Creighton University Medical Center with a broken Clavicle and fractures on his feet. Kyle Nissen was cited for violating a traffic control signal.


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What to CookCommunity
Editors' Picks — Butternut Squash
Any food52 member is welcome to help us test our Editors' Pick candidates, so go call dibs on the recipe you'd like to test in the comments section below! We'd love to see some new testers in the mix. Don't forget to email us your notes (about 100 words) to [email protected] by next Tuesday at 5pm.
We'll collect your comments, decide the official list of Editors' Picks and publish your evaluation in the headnote if the recipe is selected as an Editors' Pick (with credit, of course!). And even if the recipe you test isn't chosen as an Editors' Pick, please feel free to leave your testing notes in the recipe's comments section. Constructive criticism is always encouraged!
- Editors' Picks (these are the ones we've tested — congratulations!)
- Butternut Butter
- Butternut Squash and Celery Root Gratin
- Butternut Bricks with Ginger Maple Bourbon Glaze and Prosciutto Chips
- Savory Butternut and Yukon Gold Gratin
- Brown Butter and Butternut Loaf
- Editors' Pick Candidates (these are the ones we want you to test)
- Butternut Buttermilk Biscuits
- Butternut Squash Pasta
- Butternut and Amaretto Tortelli with Brown Sage Butter
- Spicy Melting Butternut Squash
- Warm Butternut Squash and Wheatberry Salad
- Sweet and Sour Butternut Squash
- Harvest Squash Chocolate Chip Cakey Cookies
- Chipotle Butternut Squash Bisque
- Butternut-Apple Soup with Maple Cream
- Quinoa with Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Seeds
- Butternut Squash-Potato Mash
- Scalloped Butternut Squash Gratin
- Roasted Butternut Squash with Fried Sage and Spiced Seeds
- Israeli Couscous with Squash, Dried Cherries & Pistachios
- Butternut Squash and Pancetta Arancini Riso
- Roasted Butternut Squash Gratin with Chipotles
- Quick Fall Pasta with Butternut Squash, Roasted Garlic, Pancetta and Pine Nuts


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Jason Natural Products Hand & Body Lotion Rosewater softenes and moisturizes your skin daily. Jason Natural Products Hand & Body Lotion Rosewater fortifies with Vitamin B and Herbal Extracts, this ultra rich and oil-free lotion instantly hydrates skin.
About JASÖN Natural Products
They believe that it is equally important to pay attention to what you put on your body as well as what you put in your body. The JASÖN brand has been a leader in the natural personal care category since 1959 by offering a wide range of natural products appropriate for the whole family including skin care, hair care, body care, oral care and deodorants.
Today, we have too little time and too many short cuts. But some things should never be compromised – especially caring for yourself and your family. They believe the choice to purchase natural products reaches further than the health benefits they provide with the additional benefits of sustainability of agriculture and respect for the environment for future generations to come. Combining their legacy in the art and science of natural personal care with the highest quality ingredients and formulations, JASÖN products are key to taking great care of your body head to toe everyday.
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(visited by Fred Bremmer, Satsuki, Mitsue and Junichi)
04-Jan-2002 -- Satsuki and I set out from Vancouver, Canada at the end of December to visit her family and our friends in the town of Johen, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. We took along our new GPS and hoped to do some geocaching and confluence hunting while we were there. Soon after I got my GPS and learned about the Degree Confluence Project I noticed that the confluence of N33 and E133 is very close to Tomarotto, a campground we like to stay at in Kochi Prefecture, so I decided to try to find the spot while we were in the area.
Our friends Mitsue and Junichi liked the idea of looking for the confluence, so the four of us drove about an hour east from Johen in Ehime past the city of Nakamura in Kochi to find it. It was close to 4pm and the sun was getting low in the sky when we left route 56 to follow the GPS navigation pointer which led us onto smaller local roads. We wanted to take pictures of the confluence before it got much darker, but we didn't know how long it would take to zero in on it. After winding through some hills we reached our closest approach by car at a curve in the two-lane local road. We were still a few hundred meters away from the confluence, but there were only a dirt path and a one-lane road leading toward the point, so we decided to park the car and search on foot.
First we tried the dirt path. It headed straight toward the confluence, but only as far as the top of a hill overlooking a field filled with greenhouses and some other buildings. We were still 130 meters from the correct point and couldn't get any closer from that direction, so we took pictures of the view toward the confluence (Picture #2, showing me, with the confluence hidden behind the small yellowish building) and toward the Pacific Ocean (Picture #3, showing Satsuki, Mitsue and Junichi), and turned back to look for another route to the confluence.
Back at our parking spot we started walking downhill to the narrow paved road that runs between the greenhouses. I got a few curious stares from the people working in the area (they probably don't see many 197cm foreigners walking down that road) but nobody stopped us and the GPS told us we were getting close. We cheered when we got within 100 meters of the point, and again when we reached the quiet curve in the road where the GPS zeroed (Picture #1, showing the view looking west).
The actual confluence point (given the GPS error) is either on the road or inside the structure made out of poles beside the road. The poles appear to be intended either for growing climbing plants or for drying something, maybe persimmons, but nothing was growing or drying on the poles when we saw them. Picture #4 shows the view of the hill to the north of the confluence and the ends of a lot of greenhouses off into the distance. Picture #5 looks to the east and shows the path we took to the confluence, beside the greenhouse, with just a bit of the Pacific Ocean visible in the distance. Picture #6 is the view to the south, showing the other side of the building seen in the lower right corner of Picture #2.
We thought we were only the second team of confluence hunters in Japan, but it turns out we were the third, by just a few days. Still, we were proud that we found the first confluence on the island of Shikoku. Some of my friends who heard the story of our hunt and saw my GPS are now thinking of buying their own, so there may be more confluence hunters in Japan soon.


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Motel 6 Stevensville properties are provided below. Search for cheap and discount Motel 6 hotel rates in Stevensville, MD for your business gathering or personal travels. We list the best Motel 6 Stevensville properties so you can review the Stevensville Motel 6 hotel list below to find the perfect place.
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WILMINGTON, Mass. — Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli, who's scheduled to meet with concussed center Marc Savard and the player's agent this weekend, sounds like a man that expects he won't have Savard for the long haul and will gain flexibility by placing the player on LTIR.
Today when asked about what he'd like to add to his team between now and the Feb. 28 trade deadline, Chiarelli included a center on his shopping list that has defenseman written on it in permanent ink.
"I'd like to try and get a defenseman that could help our group. I think our defense has played very well. But to try to ease some of the minutes off of our players," said the GM after his team practiced at Ristuccia Arena. "And, of course, without Marc – again I'm not going to replace him exactly; that player is not available – but you can replace bits and pieces of it and hope that some of that stuff falls into place and some of that stuff falls on the shoulders of the other players."
As always, the asking prices are high in early February.
"Right now, everything is very, very tight," said Chiarelli. "You hear that from me every year a month before the deadline and it's even more true now. The standings are tight. Usually your trading partners are in the West. It's very, very tight."


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Pvt. John Sheahan on war losses, 1863Contributed by Maine Historical Society
MMN Item 63357 Item Details
MMN Item 63357 Zoom
Pvt. John Sheahan of the 1st Maine Cavalry wrote to his father, John, in Dennysville about the "glorious" work of the army over the summer. "Many a brave boy has fallen but this must be," he wrote. "some must be victims. but I have been preserved in a wonderful manner."
He also wrote that he pitied someone who had been drafted because conscripts were "treated like dogs more than like men."
View additional information about this item on the Maine Memory Network.


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Dist. 158 reaches tentative contract agreement
The Huntley Education Association and the board of education have reached a tentative agreement, but details are being withheld until teachers vote on the contract. That vote will take place on Monday.
Initially, the school board sent a release late Tuesday evening stating the teachers union had declared an impasse. Several hours later, the union said a tentative agreement had been reached.
"The District 158 Board of Education has received notice that the Huntley Education Association has declared impasse," the first news release said. "The board believes that both sides want to reach a compromise that is beneficial for the staff, students, and taxpayers of District 158."
Board spokesman Don Drzal said the impasse was declared at the same time board and union members were scrambling to organize a meeting on Tuesday.
"It was all done in parallel," Drzal said.
But Julie McLaughlin, co-president of the union, said the two sides had agreed on Tuesday to meet Wednesday evening. In essence, the meeting was prearranged and not called as a result of the impasse.
The last time the two sides met was Oct. 10.
"We weren't sure of the outcome of the meeting," McLaughlin said, explaining why an impasse was called before Tuesday's meeting.
"We are just very pleased that the two sides were able to come together to put together a contract," McLaughlin said.
The latest tentative agreement is the third agreement the two sides have presented to union members in three months. The first was voted down in September and the second in mid-October. At that time, teachers gave the union leadership permission to call a strike, if needed. The results of the strike vote were "overwhelming," union leaders said.
Reasons for the union members' rejection of the previous two agreements were not disclosed, but union leaders said they were "looking for a fair contract."
A news release from the board on Tuesday said language issues had been resolved and that the remaining issues were primarily compensation. Still, Drzal declined to disclose details of the latest agreement.
"We listened to what teachers wanted and their latest bargaining team they brought to the table was very clear on what could be ratified," Drzal said. "It was a very collaborative experience and very positive."
- This article filed under:
- News
- Algonquin
- Huntley
- Lake in the Hills
- West Dundee
- Woodstock
- Education
- Huntley Unit District 158


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Higher Education
Overreach at the University of Miami?
UM had to restructure its huge investment in health care and life sciences but makes no apologies for its ambitions.
Goldschmidt and Shalala faced the faculty in January and promised change. Goldschmidt told faculty the enterprise was $8 million in the black and said 3% merit raises were coming. A special faculty committee on the med school reported that finances indeed had improved but that faculty feared the cuts would negatively affect the future.
Shalala, in an interview, says the cuts were necessary. "A rough patch," she says of the time. "We didn't touch anything on the clinical side or the faculty or student body. It was removing an administrative layer that frankly we couldn't afford anymore if we were going to compete in the market. We went through a year in which we had to restructure, but so did every other health care company in the country."
Nor does she regret UM's ambitious buildup. Without it, she says, UM wouldn't be tops in Florida in NIH funding and have a top 50 ranking for its med school and overall university. "We were ambitious, and we make no apologies for it. We have recovered smartly," she says. "Financially, we're in very good shape."
All academic health centers face a difficult future, however. For decades, the model for such centers was to underwrite education and research with a web of cross-subsidies. Losses on Medicaid and Medicare patients were made up on profits from commercially insured patients. That overall profit from care by UM doctors and from UM hospital patients in turn underwrote teaching and research.
Now, all the payers — insurers and the government — are getting tighter with the dollars. Add in federal budget cuts in research, more changes in Medicare and issues with the Affordable Care Act. "We're in an era of uncertainty," says Steven Wartman, CEO and president of the Association of Academic Health Centers.
What's more, the academic centers compete with doctors, practices and hospitals that don't have research demands and can be more nimble. Academic centers have the challenge of getting academic-minded doctors to act as profit-motivated businesspeople. In short, the centers have to answer the question of how to deliver what they see as world-class health care at neighborhood clinic reimbursement levels.
Shalala, a former secretary of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, knows this well. "I think in the long run everyone should be fine as long as they streamline. We can't have more administration than we need. We can't do things the old way. We have to organize ourselves in different ways. That's not easy for people who have been here through generations. It's painful but it has to be done. The competition is fierce out there. Cost containment is going to be the next great debate in health care."
The university has fallen behind its promise on the state human genomics institute grant. The state so far has paid out $59 million of the $80 million it has committed, while the university has created 175 jobs out of the 194 it was to have created by now on the way to 296.
UM remains a school in demand. Tuition revenue was up 8% last year. Undergraduate applications were up 5% for the upcoming fall freshman class, to 28,800 for 2,000 seats. UM, like plenty of schools nationally, has seen surging interest from China with as many applicants from there as it has entire spots in its freshman class. Rising high school seniors likely will apply in droves this fall. "We've just been inundated" with visiting students during high school spring and Easter breaks, dean of enrollment management Edward Gillis said in April.
The average SAT for the incoming class for the most recent reported year was 1325, up from 1190 when Shalala came. Freshman retention is 91%, up from 80% some 15 years ago, and the graduation rate is 81%, up from 58%. "Almost everything we're measuring is getting better," says provost and Executive Vice President Thomas LeBlanc.
UM full, associate and assistant professors are the state's best paid, with full professors — excluding medical faculty — making an average of $144,800, according to an American Association of University Professors survey. (UF is second at $122,500.)
UM in 2007 completed a $1.4-billion fundraising campaign, branded Momentum. It's now $1.1 billion into the $1.6-billion Momentum2 goal. "That's a sure sign people want to invest in the University of Miami," Shalala says.
Shalala, who is 72, says she hasn't decided when she will retire. But she is decisive on this question: "We're the next great American research university."


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UCC Filings FAQ
What is the Uniform Commercial Code or UCC?
What is a debtor?
A debtor is a borrower who owes a debt. More specifically, a debtor means the person who owes payment against a secured obligation.
What is a secured party?
A secured party means a lender, seller or other person in whose favor there is a security interest.
How does the search work?
What rules are applied to searches?
No distinction is made between upper and lower case letters.
Punctuation marks and accents are disregarded.
All spaces are disregarded.
Searches for individuals should be entered as Last Name First Name Middle Name or Initial (i.e., Doe John)
If, first name is provided, a match will be found on that name and also return results with any middle name
If only an initial is provided, a match will be found on any first name starting with the
same letter.
If a middle name is provided, a match will be found on the middle name.
If only an initial is given, a match will be found on any middle name starting with the
same letter.
Examples are as follows:
A search for Bank of America will retrieve:
Bank of America Home Loans
Bank of America Corporate Center
Bank of America N.A.
John A. Smith
John Alexander Smith
John Adam Smith
John Smith
John A. Smith
Johnnie Smith
John Robert Smith
A search request for Smith, J M will retrieve:
John M. Smith
John Michael Smith
Johnnie Smith
John Matthew Smith
How long does a financing statement last?
Where should I file?
The Uniform Commercial Code designates where to file based on the location of the debtor. The collateral location no longer determines where to file. Filings for organizations are made in the state where the organization is registered. Filings for individuals are made in the state of residence. Filing in the wrong office is not a rejection reason listed in the statute.
Within the state of organization or residence, mortgages, fixtures, minerals and timber are filed with the County Clerks of Court or Register of Deeds. All other types of collateral, including transmitting utilities and manufactured homes, are filed in the central filing office.
How will I receive my filed copy?
When you file electronically, you receive your filed copy immediately upon filing. If you choose not to file electronically, the central filing office may process your request within two business days after receipt.
How will I receive my copies of searched documents?
If you use the online search option, your search results are immediately available for you to print. The online search option also offers the online option of receiving certified search results. If you choose not to file electronically, the central filing office may process your request within two business days after receipt.
My filing relates to real estate. Should I file with the county or in the central filing office?
Title liens on automobiles or other title property are filed with the County Clerks of Court or Register of Deeds.
What is an in lieu of filing?
When a continuation statement needs to be filed for financing statements formerly filed in the county or in another state, an "in lieu of" filing must be made by the secured party. It will be in the form of an initial financing statement and it will cross reference the original statement filed in the county or other state.
Where are tax liens filed?
What if I conduct a search and do not receive the results I expect?
The same database is used by both the external, web user and the internal filing officer. The responsibility for accurately searching names rests with the user. Search results are determined by the search criteria you choose. Therefore, if you do not see the results you expect, check the spelling of the information entered and/or choose different search criteria.
Are paper filings still accepted?
Can the Secretary of States Office provide me with legal assistance in completing UCC filings?


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Flexible and feature-rich realtime chat APIs for web, IOS, Android and connected devices.
Securely monitor, control, provision and stream data between internet-connected devices.
From geotracking, to alerts, to up-to-the-millisecond updates, keep everyone, and everything realtime.
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A global network infrastructure powering API for realtime updates and IoT.
Learn how to use ChatEngine, Pub/Sub, Presence, Access Manager, Storage & Playback, and Push Notifications with your clients.
Develop and deploy. Tutorials, code walkthroughs, and PubNub news on the PubNub Blog.
JavaScript chat
Python SDK
Live dashboards
Device control
Raspberry Pi
iOS Push Notification
Cognitive Services
Message history is supported in all SDKs starting from version 3.2.
Did you find it helpful?


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NEW YORK (AP) — The colorful palette of Spike Jonze's wistful, slightly futuristic digital romance "Her" had an unlikely inspiration: Jamba Juice.
Jonze premiered his highly anticipated film Saturday at the New York Film Festival, where he and his cast, including star Joaquin Phoenix, exemplified none of the interpersonal disconnect of the movie's sleek but melancholy future. They entertainingly debuted the film for critics and film industry members ahead of an evening red-carpet premiere that was to draw the 51st New York Film Festival to a close.
Phoenix stars in the film as a recent divorce who purchases and gradually falls in love with an artificial operating system named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). The system, dubbed OS1, is something like a far more advanced version of the iPhone's Siri, advertised as an "intuitive entity" and "a consciousness."
Jonze said in a post-screening news conference that he wanted to set "Her" in a somewhat utopic Los Angeles that "felt nice to be in." It shares some of the color of the smoothie franchise Jamba Juice and is forested by skyscrapers. Jonze, who wrote and directed the film, borrowed the skyline from Shanghai, where much of the movie was shot.
It was an interesting acting challenge for Phoenix, given that his primary co-star was a disembodied voice. The character was initially voiced by Samantha Morton before Johansson took over the role.
"I'd like to say that I trained, but as an actor, I'm accustomed to walking around my house and talking to myself," Phoenix said. "We rehearse all the time so I don't think it was that dissimilar."
Phoenix is known for his distaste for public appearances and media interaction, but he was in good spirits Saturday, playfully answering questions or cheerfully ignoring them. On capturing the loneliness of his character, Phoenix replied that "Spike just broke me."
"Going into the movie, all I was concerned about was trying to feel natural in something that wasn't there," he said. As to how he managed to "break" Phoenix, Jonze fumbled for an answer before guessing, "I think he's joking?" while Phoenix nodded.
The actor even ironically admonished co-star Rooney Mara, who plays his ex-wife, for not eagerly answering questions.
"Rooney, don't do that," Phoenix said. "I'm so sorry everyone."
Warner Bros. will release "Her" on Dec. 18.
Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle


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The Midwest Region includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. Find a location near you
Endangered Species Program
Conserving and restoring threatened and endangered species and their ecosystems
Private Stewardship Grants
2005 Funded Projects
Hennepin and Hopper Lakes Restoration (application by The Wetlands Initiative) Putnam County ($40,500) The hydrology of Hopper Lake was recently restored to historic conditions. The Wetlands Initiative will control invasive plant species to protect habitat for at-risk plant species such as fen panicled sedge, queen of the prairie and savanna blazing star. Approximately 35 acres of wetland will be treated to control cattail and reed-canary grass.
Managing Habitat for the Threatened Eastern Prairie Fringed Orchid in Northeastern Illinois (application by Fox Valley Land Foundation) Lake, Kane, Grundy, Cook, Ogle and Kankakee counties ($79,500) Working with nine private landowners, the Fox Valley Land Foundation, in cooperation with Abbott Laboratories, Kane County Forest Preserve District, Hybernia Homeowners Association and The Nature Conservancy, will manage habitat to support stable or increasing populations of the eastern prairie fringed orchid on private lands in northern Illinois. Stewards will monitor the status of orchid populations, and increase the size and number of populations of other state listed native species and rare community types through management of these private sites.
Black Oak Savanna and Prairie Pocket Marsh Restoration (application by Big Eastern, Inc.) Starke County ($18,260) The grantee will use chemical applications to control exotic and invasive species in this wetland area. Approximately 90 acres of oak savanna will be burned to control brushy understory to benefit daisy-leaf grape fern, Blandings turtle and eastern massasauga rattlesnake.
Habitat Restoration in the Hills - Phase II (application by Golden Hills Resource Conservation and Development Area) Plymouth, Woodbury, Monona, Harrison, Paottawattamie, Mills and Freemont counties ($64,904) The grantee will use awarded funds to complement the Loess Hills Stewardship Work Plan in southwest Iowa. The Golden Hills Resource Conservation and Development Area, in coordination with The Nature Conservancy, The Loess Hills Alliance, Pheasants Forever and private landowners, will restore and improve native prairie habitats, improve grazing lands, restore oak savannas, and provide best management practice services and skills to landowners. The stewardship projects will benefit grassland species such as Great Plains skink, prairie rattlesnake, Arogos skipper, Ottoe skipper and regal fritillary butterfly.
Cotton Lake Fen and Prairie Restoration (application by a private individual) Calhoun County, Michigan ($25,601) The private landowner will restore 3.4 acres of prairie fen and 18 acres of upland prairie to historic vegetative conditions, restoring habitat for the Mitchell's satyr butterfly.
Imperiled Species Conservation on Private Land in Western Minnesota (application by Friends of the Morris Wetland Management District) Wilkin, Ottertail, Grant, Pope, Kandiyohi, Big Stone, Yellow Medicine and Lac Qui Parle counties ($58,297) Friends of the Morris Wetland Management District will work with more than ten private landowners to remove woody cover in order to enhance and restore native prairie habitats to benefit greater prairie chicken, marbled godwit, short-eared owl, Henslow's sparrow, Dakota skipper and western prairie fringed orchid. Approximately 2,500 acres have been identified for clearing.
Sand Coulee Prairie Restoration (application by Friends of the Mississippi River) Dakota County ($59,185) Friends of the Mississippi, cooperating with eight private landowners, will improve and maintain approximately 80 acres of native dry prairie, barrens subtype through stewardship activities including reduction and control of exotic and invasive plant species to benefit James' polansia, sea-beach needle grass, clustered broomrap, Ottoe skipper and regal fritillary.
Rare species and rich fen habitat restoration (application by a private individual) Anoka County ($44,755) Approximately 23 acres of high quality wetland habitat will be restored and enhanced with Private Stewardship funding. Glossy buckthorn, reed canary grass and giant reed will be removed; soil surfaces scraped to remove reed canary genotypes and invasive seed bank; collect native species seeds on-site and disperse throughout the fen; and prescribed burning. Species that will benefit from the restoration include twisted yellow-eyed grass, cross-leaved milkwort, turbercled rein orchid and lance-leaved violet.
Missouri Grassland Habitat Management (application by Missouri Prairie Foundation) Vernon, St. Clair and Dade counties, Missouri ($100,000) The Missouri Prairie Foundation will use a combination of prescribed fire, grazing, woody species removal, exotic species eradication, and native species establishment to enhance habitat for Mead's milkweed, geocarpon, ground plum, prairie grass pink orchid, and greater prairie chicken on approximately 1,400 acres of prairie.
Southern Wisconsin Prairie Recovery Project (application by The Prairie Enthusiasts) Iowa , Rock, Crawford, Sauk and Dane counties ($124,311) The Prairie Enthusiasts will work with twenty private landowners, including The Nature Conservancy and Madison Audubon Society, to accomplish prairie recovery and enhancement activities to benefit prairie bush clover, eastern prairie-fringed orchid, and 16 other imperiled species. The project entails controlling and/or eliminating invasive native and non-native tree and shrub cover.
Last updated: March 12, 2018


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BRISTOL, Tenn. – The season may have ended on Tuesday, but two King University men's soccer players were honored by Conference Carolinas on Thursday. Ryan Murphy and Zachary Clark both earned second team all-conference honors for their performances this season.
Murphy hails from Stirling, Scotland and turned in a stellar rookie campaign in Scarlet and Navy to earn second team all-conference honors. The freshman tied for the team lead with two assists while netting a pair of goals. He accounted for his first career assist in a 3-3 tie with Shorter University in the season opening tournament. Later in the year he netted his first career goal, and added an assist in a 2-2 draw with Union College. His second goal came in a 2-1 win over Trevecca Nazarene University in the final week of the regular season.
Clark, a junior from Huntsville, Ala., has been a mainstay in the middle of the Tornado defense all season long en route to second team all-conference honors. He appeared in all 17 games for the Tornado, making starts in 16 of them while leading the team in minutes.
"I am delighted for both of them," head coach John Miglarese commented. "Zach and Ryan have been our two most consistent and steady performers all season. I am happy the other coaches in the conference recognized their value to our program. It is a well-deserved award. I expect even better performances next season."


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Explore aBodyBeautiful Plastic Surgery Forum!
Three men are accused of recruiting women in New York and conducting surgery in New York and Stamford.
"Performing surgery without a license is a very serious crime in New York, and we will ensure that the perpetrators of these horrific actions are brought to justice. To prey on and profit off of unsuspecting patients is unconscionable. We will prosecute these criminals and hold them accountable for their heinous crimes," said Attorney General Schneiderman.


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3 Bedroom House in Albertsdal
Anthony Brown
Century 21-Glenvista
3 Bedroom House in Albertsdal
Extras included as standard finishes: Burglar Bars on all windows. Security Gates, Oven and Hob and Stove, 3 door BIC in Main bedroom, 2 Door BIC in second bedroom. Floor tiles and tile skirtings, half moon lights in lounge and kitchen. Pre Fab wall around erf and motor gate. Solar Geyser, TV point conduit. Bathroom tiles(1.5m wall and listello), Glass shower. Semi Face brick plinth. Grass (Kikuyu) on Pavement.
Albertsdal is close to Major shopping centres and schools as well as other amenities like public transport. Only 7km from new Mall of the South.Only 15km from Alberton CBD. Only 25km from Germiston CBD.Only 25km from Jhb CBD.Only 25km from Bedfordview and Only 26km from Southgate.
There will be easy access to major freeways - Klipriver road and R59, and there is a private school (For pre primary, primary and secondary pupils) located within our development! Contact us now, to be updated on this exciting Development!! (Prices to be given on Launch date)
Now, is the time to be a home owner! CONTACT US NOW TO ENSURE YOUR PLACE IN THE New South
Affordability: Earnings from R 24 700 (Combined or Single)
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As the typical "bedroom community", this neighbourhood has a peaceful, residential character. The larger cities and suburbs surrounding Alberton are easily accessible via the highways, either for commuting or entertainment purposes. Houses and building in this area are very well built and spacious. This is a blissful place to retire, with a close-knit community that look out for each other.
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Dan Szymborski has your ZIPS projections for the Astros. And hey, Jim Crane, I hope you got a prenup with Luhnow.
The long reckoning expected by observers for an organization that had a GM in Ed Wade that simultaneously ignored the major leagues, the minors leagues, and any kind of thrift, finally came to pass, with no late season mirage of adequacy to convinced the team to double-down on failure.
Browse for yourself, but here are some highlights:
Some interesting projections:
Carlos Lee: .273/.323/.441
J.D. Martinez: .281/.335/.414
Jed Lowrie: .249/.316/.414
Jordan Schafer: .224/.291/.320
Oh, it's not pretty
Monday, December 19, 2011
These ZIPS projections are rated NC-17
3 comments:
It's a little irritating reading what amounts to baseball writing these days. Within the same article, he uses the time-worn "Ed Wade is an idiot who neglected the majors and the minors." Then, he goes on to say how the minors are no longer the worst, and there are some good prospects in the lower levels. Do they even read what they write?
- December 19, 2011 at 1:24 PM
'to convinced the team' eh? What a moron.
- December 19, 2011 at 2:46 PM
The author also seems to think the Astros are moving to the NL West.
"And the scene of the crime, the NL Central, will be gone as well in another year (at least, as far as the NL West-bound Astros are concerned)."
- December 19, 2011 at 3:31 PM
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American Girl, a division of Mattel, Inc., will expand into Canada. The new American Girl retail stores will open this spring in Indigo's Yorkdale Shopping Centre, Toronto, and Robson Street, Vancouver.
Visitors to Indigo's new American Girl store-in-store boutiques will find an assortment of the company's doll brands, including:
- Girl of the Year: a modern-day 18-inch doll, launched annually, accessories, outfits, and books that reflect the interests and issues of today's girls.
- My American Girl—a line of contemporary 18-inch dolls that allows a girl to select from several different combinations of skin tone, eye color, and hair-color to create a doll that's just right for her. A variety of books, outfits, and accessories round-out the play experience for girls.
- Bitty Baby—a line of baby dolls available in 11 different combinations of skin tone, eye color, and hair-color, accompanied by premium picture books, outfits, and accessories that encourage nurturing play in girls 3 and up.
In addition to the doll lines, the Indigo American Girl store-in-store boutiques will carry Dress Like Your Doll girl-sized clothing and a variety of American Girl books. Fans can also treat their dolls to a new hairstyle or ear piercing in the Doll Hair Salon and enjoy free girl-and-mom-friendly events and programs offered throughout the year. Future announcements about grand-opening dates will be made as schedules are finalized.


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About Maarten de Ceulaer
In the imaginative mind of Maarten de Ceulaer, design can be a vehicle for telling stories. His breakthrough came with his graduation project for the master's program at Design Academy Eindhoven, "A Pile of Suitcases," a series of functional and adaptable furniture designs made from repurposed traveling trunks and suitcases. The project earned him the 2007 Dynamo Young Belgian Designer Award. Other projects continue to showcase the designer's sense of humor and inventive approach, including the Mutation series of furniture, made of interlocking foam spheres that call to mind mutating cells, and the Balloon bowls, made of plaster molded between two inflated balloons.
Belgian, b. 1983
Solo Shows


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Eastern Bank offices evacuated after explosion
Hundreds of workers were evacuated from the multi-story Eastern Bank office building in Lynn Monday morning after an explosion and transformer fire in the basement of the building.
Approximately 470 people were evacuated into the parking lot just before 10 a.m., Eastern Bank Chairman Richard Holbrook told the Lynn Daily Item.
Lynn Fire Chief James MacDonald says problem developed as National Grid was working in an electrical vault in the basement.
Holbrook told the paper that people inside of the building heard a crackling noise coming from the basement. A large plume of smoke followed a short time later.
Two workers from an outside food service contractor said "it was scary initially" because no one was sure what was going on.
"It sounded like the Fourth of July," another worker said.
One worker sprained their knee during the evacuation. The workers were moved to a nearby North Shore Community College building during the incident.
On its website, the ban said its Call Center was unable to take incoming calls and there was a delay in emails being delivered during the outage. The Call Center will reopen Tuesday at 7 a.m.
The branches, ATMs and online banking services were not interrupted, thanks to emergency planning procedures, according to the bank.
Power was restored to the building at about noon.


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Reunión de Alto Nivel fija en 2025 el plazo para erradicar el hambre en África
1 de julio de 2013, Addis Abeba, Etiopía - FAO Director-General Jose Graziano da Silva called on African leaders to commit to the eradication of hunger by 2025, building on the successes of 11 African countries that have already reached the Millennium Development Goal One hunger-target.
"These countries are an inspiration for all of us. Now that they have charted the course, we must ride this wave of progress. This high-level meeting is considering an even bolder goal: to eradicate hunger in Africa by 2025. The political commitment of governments, the full backing of society, and the support, as needed, of the development community are central elements to make this happen," said Graziano das Silva at the opening of the high level meeting on food security in Africa, co-organized by the African Union, FAO and the Lula Institute.
With the participation of African leaders, non-state actors and international development partners, the meeting is contributing to strengthening political will, stimulate the coordination of actions to fight hunger, promoting in the framework of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Plan (CAADP).
"The political commitment of governments, the full backing of society, and the support, as needed, of the development community are central elements to make this happen. And FAO is ready to rally behind African leadership to meet this goal," added Graziano da Silva.
Investing in people
Opening the meeting, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, highlighted the importance of an integral approach to fight hunger and of investing in people.
"Ending hunger and malnutrition is about investing in Africa's most import asset, its people – through health, education, science, technology, research and innovation, and meeting basic needs such as food security, clean water and sanitation, shelter and affordable energy," said Zuma.
The African Union Commission Chairperson also highlighted the role of women and youth for food security in the region.
A common effort
Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stressed the importance of widespread participation in the fight against hunger and linking different actions. "To end hunger we need to articulate the different policies, we need the strong participation of society as a whole, and we need the leaders with the courage to make decisions and to act," said Lula da Silva.
He added that the need to put the poor at the center of government policy. "Programs to fight hunger and poverty need to be a state Policy to have lasting results."


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Trane Worldwide Sites
The vertical stack design (model GET) is ideal for various building applications.
This design provides a no-nonsense approach to installing the
mechanical system, while also allowing for individual tenant
The stacked, space-saving design of the Trane Axiom water-source heat pumps
GET model can reduce time and money during installation, especially if the equipment includes factory supplied riser piping. The option of ducted or non-ducted design fits a variety of room applications. Trane Axiom water-source heat pumps are easy to operate and maintain, resulting in optimal comfort and long-lasting durability.
Additional Features
For Technical Specifications, please refer to the Catalog or Installation documents on the Literature tab.
Paint Color Chips
A color chart for paint selections for the unit ventilator, console, and vertical stack heat pump products are shown below. All cabinet parts are cleaned, phosphatized, and painted with a baked powder finish in one of the following decorator colors. Colors options vary for each product. Please see catalog selections for specific color options. Note: Colors are a representation only.
|Cameo White
|Soft Dove
|Deluxe Beige
|Driftwood Grey
|Stone Grey
|Polar White
(GETA Only)
Trane, in offering the Trane Product Templates, accepts no responsibility or liability: for any use made of the Product Templates including any modification thereto made by the user, for the design of buildings and related systems made using the Product Templates, or for the accuracy of the Product Templates or any data resulting from the use thereof. While Trane strives to ensure that its Product Templates are accurate, this accuracy is not guaranteed. The user is responsible to review the Product Template and to determine if use of the Product Template is appropriate to and meets the requirements of the user's application. In accordance with its policy of continuous improvement, Trane reserves the right to modify its Product Templates at any time without notice. Trane makes no warranty whatsoever, express or implied and including, but not limited to, any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to the Trane Product Templates or their use and in no event shall Trane be liable for any incidental or consequential damages relating to such Product Templates or their use.


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BRISTOL, Tenn. – King Women's Volleyball is adding a little flare to its annual matchup with rival Virginia Intermont. The Lady Tornado invites everybody to 'get down' inside Kline Gym for 'Retro Night', Tuesday, Sept. 18. Fans will enjoy music from all eras while both sides of Bristol engage in a nonconference women's volleyball match.
Fans are encouraged to wear your retro gear while in attendance for Tuesday night's game. Represent your favorite era of time while we play music from any year that does not begin with the number "2".
King (6-5, 2-0) is currently riding a three-match win streak in which each match has taken the team five games. To begin that streak, the Lady Tornado earned a five-set win against Lees-McRae, snapping a 58-match win streak in conference play. Over the weekend, they defeated USC Aiken in Banner Elk, N.C. and then came from two games down to overcome the Limestone Saints.


text: WIZM News is Western Wisconsin's largest radio news department. With more than 50 years of combined experience, WIZM News is a trusted voice you can count on to bring you the latest information about what is happening in and around the La Crosse area. Start your day with "All News All Morning" where you will hear in-depth local news, always commercial free, twice per hour from 6-9am. WIZM keeps you informed throughout the day with regularly scheduled newscasts and with breaking news.


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As the Santa Clara men's rowing team wraps up their 2012 racing
season, SantaClaraBroncos.com (SCB) sat down with Mark Bluth (MB) to talk
about his season, training and future plans. Bluth, a
sophomore from Seal Beach, Calif., competed with the Long Beach
Junior Crew in high school and is currently on the Bronco varsity
By: Kaitlin Fuelling '13
SCB: How long have you
MB: I have just completed my third rowing season. I started the summer before my senior year of high school and rowed with the Long Beach Junior Crew.
SCB: How did you get into the sport of rowing?
MB: My twin brother started it after he quit playing football. I was able to see how much he enjoyed the sport and I decided to follow him to the dock every afternoon.
SCB: How difficult has it been adjusting to the rowing schedule and practice schedule? Has it impacted how you study or hang out with people?
MB: It would be much more difficult if I did not love rowing as much as I do. It is obviously difficult to follow such a strict daily regimen, but I adjusted pretty quickly, especially after our first race in the fall. Rowing has definitely impacted my studies and the people I hang out with. I have another group of friends besides my rowing team, and during the season I would hang out with them much less, just due to the conflicting schedules. Now that the season is over for me, I am able to find equal time to hang out with my team and my other friends.
SCB: Is there a race, invitational or location you enjoy rowing at?
MB: My favorite course is at Lake Natoma in Sacramento, Calif. It has beautiful surrounding scenery that makes it a enjoyable place to row.
SCB: How would you describe the
team dynamic?
MB: Our Santa Clara men's rowing team has a variety of individuals who all complement each other. At the beginning, rowing was the one thing we had in common. But, as our team continued to spend a majority of our time together, we have been able to learn so much more about each other. Together, we balance each other out, bringing out some of the best and worst parts of each other. The team has fun, which makes the rowing even more fun.
SCB: What are your plans for after college?
MB: After college, I have a potential plan to go to law school. If not, I'd like to find a job in the Bay Area and keep rowing in the mornings.
SCB: How do you prepare during the
summer and in pre-season?
MB: Since the summer schedule is on our own, I find it best to build a foundation all summer that I can work with once we reunite in the fall. I try to run several miles on the beach back home and erg and weight-lift.
SCB: What has been the best part
about being a student athlete at Santa Clara
MB: The best part would be the character development that forces me to test myself nearly every waking hour. Then, there is the fact that I get the opportunity to represent Santa Clara.
SCB: Is there anything you feel
you have missed out on by being a student-athlete? I'm sure the
tough schedule of practice and games can get to be a little
MB: If I've missed out on anything, I catch up on it after our season is over. During the season, the only thing that matters is rowing. Afterwards I can enjoy the other aspects of college. I don't miss out on that much since I prioritize rowing over most things. The only difficult part is that I go to bed at the same time my roommate goes out to hang out with our friends.
SCB: Any pre-game superstitions or routines?
MB: The night before each race I watch and re-watch past Olympic races and try to emulate how those phenomenal rowers performed. Then, I isolate myself by listening to my iPod to visualize the race.
SCB: What is something that people or your
teammates may not know about you?
MB: Something they may not know is that I really enjoy fly-fishing.
SCB: Favorite food?
MB: Hamburgers.


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Rooster: The Life and Times of the Real Rooster Cogburn
The gruff U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn, the central male character in Charles Portis' True Grit, has been immortalized on film by both John Wayne and Jeff Bridges. But what if the one-eyed, overweight, blustery, larger-than-life lawman was inspired by a real person? Brett Cogburn introduces us to his great-grandfather, John Franklin "Rooster" Cogburn, who may (or may not) have inspired the fictional character.
Brett Cogburn is the author of Panhandle and The Texans.


text: Sijun Forums :: View topic - Fog country Log in to check your private messages Sijun Forums Forum Index >> Work in Progress View previous topic :: View next topic Author Topic : "Fog country" mskoglyjunior memberMember #Joined: 08 Jan 2001Posts: 4Location: Oslo, Norway Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2001 9:21 am Hi this is my first posting here, so be gentle. :) This picture is part of a series I'm working on. Its called Tåkelandet in Norwegian and I hope it will become a cd-rom game or just a webtoy, with weirds sounds and characters, as well as some fantasy instruments placed throughout the landscape. The grass is rendered in 3d studio max by my friend Rune Spaans, and the rest is drawn and composited by me in Photoshop. The fog is just two layers of noise over a dark grey and "burned" background. Hope you like it, I really dig the mood of it. There is more at http://www.katode.org/poetikon/taakelandet/index.html Hei då. ------------------ http://pappmaskin.com http;//poetikon.org Back to top SporQmemberMember #Joined: 22 Sep 2000Posts: 639Location: Columbus, Ohio Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2001 11:00 am awesome. the only thing that tipped me off that it wasnt a photo is the grass. it seems to sparse. maybe if you blurred it a little too... that raven is excellent SporQ Back to top mskoglyjunior memberMember #Joined: 08 Jan 2001Posts: 4Location: Oslo, Norway Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2001 11:44 am Thanks! Well, i have made quite few of these, and some of them has a little more grass. It's really easy this pictures, becase everything is mostly hidden in the fog, I only want to give a hint that something is sitting there, or moving around. I don't know if you have been outside in weather like this, but its very quiet and nice in the fog, but cold and wet to, and owls are hooting and you hear the flapping of birds flying but you can't see them. ------------------ http://pappmaskin.com http://poetikon.org Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Sijun Forums Forum Index -> Work in Progress All times are GMT - 8 Hours Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Digital Art----------------Digital Art DiscussionWork in ProgressGallery/Finished Work Miscellaneous----------------Random MusingsArchive : Sep99 - Dec00 You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum Powered by phpBB © 2005 phpBB Group


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Lady Antebellum
Why is the world's dullest band also one of its most popular?
Lady Gaga had a chokehold on the zeitgeist. Justin Bieber owned the Internet. Dr. Luke dominated hit radio; the critics loved Arcade Fire. Eminem was resurgent; Taylor Swift was a juggernaut; Kanye West was everywhere. Yet the pop music story of 2010 might just be Lady Antebellum.
You may not have heard of Lady Antebellum, but you've heard them. They're a group from Nashville who sing slight, pretty songs about falling in love and breaking up. Their 2008 debut album sold 1.6 million copies and generated three big country hits, including the No. 1 single "I Run To You," a lover's desperate plaint delivered skillfully, and with no discernable trace of desperation, by the group's co-lead singers, Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott. (Dave Haywood, a rhythm guitarist/vocalist with the hangdog look of a third-wheel, rounds out the trio.) Lady A used the same formula—lustrous vocal harmonies, minor chords, a vaguely-sketched romantic melodrama—for "Need You Now," the title track of their second album. The song first hit the radio airwaves in August 2009 and hasn't stopped playing since.
"Need You Now" is a rarity: a country hit that has leapt across genres, borders, oceans, and, nudged along by the foursquare beats of remix DJs, penetrated the normally country-free sanctum of the discothèque. It spent five weeks at the top of Billboard's country-singles chart and reached No. 2 on the Hot 100, one spot behind Rihanna's "Rude Boy." The song topped the Billboard Adult Contemporary for 10 weeks and shattered the record for the most weekly plays in the 14-year history of Adult Top 40/Adult Pop Songs countdown. It was a No. 1 hit in Mexico, New Zealand, Switzerland, and Brazil and cracked the Top 5 in more than 20 countries, including France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Israel.
Meanwhile, the Need You Now album is—in anemic current record-industry terms, at least—a blockbuster. It occupied the top spot on the Country Albums chart for more than half the year, 27 weeks. It has sold 3.6 million copies; only Gaga, Bieber, and Eminem's albums sold more. Two other singles, "American Honey" and "Our Kind of Love" have gone No. 1 country; the current Lady Antebellum hit, a string-swaddled ballad called "Hello World," is at No. 14 and climbing.
It's an impressive feat for a group that strives to be as anonymous as possible. Scott and Kelley are attractive in a blank way that fails to impress itself on your memory: pretty gal with blond mop, tall dude with close-cropped beard. Their voices are likewise blandly serviceable. Kelley's slightly huffy tenor and Scott's fluttering soprano serve entirely as a means to an end—to navigate efficiently from verse to chorus to bridge and back again—the principle evidently being that any hint of character or charisma would fatally sabotage a song. The only thing about Lady Antebellum that raises eyebrows is its name, which turns out to be a bait-and-switch. When I first popped their 2006 debut in my CD player, I assumed were like Montgomery Gentry—country good-ol' boys, belting out burly regional pride anthems with a Confederate flag or two draped over the drum riser. But Lady Antebellum aren't redneck in the slightest and only nominally country.
In fact, it's hard to pin them down at all: The group's defining quality is a kind of nebulous in-betweeness. They're not quite country, pop, or rock. They're neither soft nor hard. Their tempos are stubbornly mid-; whether exulting in a "perfect day" or lamenting a doomed romance, the emotional temperature in their songs remains mild to lukewarm. In "Need You Now" they sing, "It's a quarter after 1/ I'm a little drunk/ And I need you now"—a little drunk, not too. Aesthetically, spiritually, sonically—Lady Antebellum stand for moderation. Medium is the message.
Take "Our Kind of Love," the No. 1 single released last Memorial Day. It's a chugging roots-rock anthem about young lovers, "lazy Sunday afternoons," skipping rocks on riverbanks, "driving on an open highway/ Never knowing what we're gonna find," etc. In other words, "Our Kind of Love" is a classic summer single, with catchy verses that crest into a catchier chorus, and a lyric that strings together sub-"Born to Run" clichés. "Always holding hands, never making plans/ Just livin' in the moment, babe," sing Kelley and Scott. "Just two kids, baby, always tryin' to live it up."
Those devil-may-care sentiments sound funny coming from Lady Antebellum. Tonally, texturally, "Our Kind of Love" is off: It's hard to imagine a more mild-mannered song about reckless romance. Of course, Kelley, Scott, and Haywood don't want to sound reckless. Lady Antebellum never strain; they're not trying to be flashy or rugged and coming up short. They have an aesthetic comfort zone—a comfy zone, you might say, as snug as a goose-down duvet—and they stay happily nestled within it. Their kind of music, like their kind of love, is dull by design.
This sets Lady Antebellum apart. Pop is going through one its periodic extravagant phases, an era of heightened spectacle and raised volume and outsized personalities—flamboyant divas, loudmouthed rappers, teenpop idols who scatter their stardust across multiple media platforms. Even adult contemporary stars are getting more emphatic; this year, Sade and Norah Jones stepped away from the brunch table, serving up songs full of bolstered guitars and hefty beats.
In this environment, Lady Antebellum's charisma deficit has become an asset—just the thing for listeners who want simple, tuneful songs delivered with a minimum of fuss and no information age distractions. Is it any accident that the group's megahit, "Need You Now," was lifted almost note-for-note from "Eye in the Sky," the 1982 soft-rock smash by one of history's most anonymous hitmakers, the Alan Parsons Project? Lady A are up for six Grammys, and they're by far the strangest of the big nominees, the weird wallflowers who've party-crashed the prom. Consider their competition for the best-album Grammy: Arcade Fire, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry. In 2010, Lady Antebellum are a novelty act: superstars with zero star power.


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IRVING, Texas -- The buzz surrounding whether Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo knew how many downs he had left at the end of Sunday's game was explained by team public relations director Rich Dalrymple on Tuesday.
After Romo threw an incomplete pass to Sam Hurd on fourth down with one second remaining, video footage showed Romo motioning to the sidelines that he had one more down available. He held up three fingers as if to indicate it was third down.
Cowboys officials said that wasn't the case. In fact, Romo told his teammates in the huddle before the final play that it was fourth down.
"As Tony was walking off the field after the fourth down play, he saw that the down marker on the Dallas sideline read '3,'" Dalrymple said after speaking to Romo on Tuesday afternoon. "As it turned out, the marker was in the process of being changed, sequentially, from the number '4' to the number '1' for the Broncos ensuing possession. The marker on the Cowboys side read '3' temporarily. When he saw the '3,' he thought there might have been the possibility of an error on the down count."
The Cowboys had burned their second down by spiking the ball to stop the clock. On third and fourth downs, Romo threw to Hurd in the end zone, but Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey broke up both tries, denying the Cowboys of a potential tying touchdown.
On Monday, Cowboys coach Wade Phillips dismissed any notion that Romo didn't know how many downs there were. Phillips told a reporter to ask Romo about it.
Calvin Watkins covers the NFL for ESPNDallas.com.


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The Challenge: America's schools are not producing the science excellence required for global economic leadership and homeland security in the 21st century. The Solution: Ensure schools use research-based methods to teach science and measure results. Establish partnerships with universities to ensure that knowledgeable teachers deliver the best instruction in their field. HOW NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND BOOSTS SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENT President Bush and Congress recognize there is a problem. Percentage of Twelfth Graders Eighty-two percent of our nation's twelfth Proficient in Science graders performed below the proficient level on the 2000 National Assessment of Educational 100 Progress (NAEP) science test. The longer students stay in the current system 80 the worse they do. According to the 1995 Third 60 International Mathematics and Science Study, U.S. fourth graders ranked second. By twelfth 40 grade, they fell to 16th, behind nearly every 20 industrialized rival and ahead of only Cyprus 0 and South Africa. 1996 2000 As the U.S. Commission on National Security in the Twenty-First Century reports, "More Americans will have to understand and work competently with science and math on a daily basis . . . the inadequacies of our systems of research and education pose a greater threat to U.S. national security over the next quarter century than any potential conventional war that we might imagine." No Child Left Behind creates Math and Science Partnerships to rally every sector of society to work with schools to increase math and science excellence. The National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education will provide an estimated $1 billion over five years for results-oriented partnerships between local districts and universities and colleges. Partnerships will also invite businesses, science centers, museums, and community organizations to unite with schools to improve achievement. The program also rewards states for increasing participation of students in advanced math and science course and for increasing the passing rates on Advanced Placement exams. To ensure accountability, the Partnerships must report annually to the U.S. Secretary of Education on progress in meeting their set objectives, aligned to state standards. The president has called for increasing the ranks and pay of teachers of math and science. No Child Left Behind requires states to fill the nation's classrooms with teachers who are knowledgeable and experienced in math and science by 2005. The president supports paying math and science teachers more to help attract experience and excellence.
Our nation must research the best way to teach science and regularly measure student progress. No Child Left Behind requires that federal funding go only to programs that are backed by evidence. The new law also requires that beginning in 2007 states measure students' progress in science at least once in each of three grade spans (3-5, 6-9, 10-12) each year. Over the last decade, researchers have scientifically proven the best ways to teach reading. We must do the same in science. America's teachers must use only research-based teaching methods and the schools must reject unproven fads.
www.NoChildLeftBehind.gov 1-888-814-NCLB