text:
The U.S. Comex gold futures surged 4.76 % to $1,462.0 on Thursday, about 6.6 % below the closing level of 11 April before the rout occurred. During Asian Friday morning, gold futures reached as high as $1,484.80. Gold prices have recovered roughly half of what they lost. The Dollar Index barely budged this week and ended at 82.744 on Thursday. The S&P 500 index, the Euro Stoxx 50 index and the CRB Commodity Index rebounded 1.92%, 5.02% and 1.39% respectively this week.
Lining up to Buy Gold After gold has fallen into a bear market on April 12, physical demand has soared. According to Bloomberg, the U.S. Mint sold 196,500 ounces of gold coins this month through April 24, more than three times the volume in March. Demand for gold is unabated at both the U.S. Mint and the U.K.'s Royal Mint.
The physical gold sold to India exceeded its highest record by 20%, reported by Standard Chartered. The gold premiums in Hong Kong and Singapore reached $3 an ounce, an 18-month high. The World Gold Council in the Far East remarked that the Asian's hunger for the cheaper gold has exceeded the expectation of global investors. In the past 10 days in the Shanghai Gold Exchange, the daily volume of the benchmark contract was more than four times of the 2012's daily average. Before the latest rout in gold, Russia's central bank boosted gold by 4.7 metric tons in March while Kazakhstan bought 1.2 tons. The emerging countries' central banks will likely take advantage of the gold price plunge to continue to add to gold, which is seen as an alternative currency and an inflation hedge.
Bloomberg reported that hedge fund managers turned into buyers and net added gold for two consecutive weeks. As the global economic data have turned softer recently, central banks such as the ECB are likely to continue to ease rather than terminate the ease prematurely.
What to Monitor Next Week Lots of events to watch next week including the April Germany unemployment change on April 29, the U.S. April consumer confidence index on April 30, the U.S. FOMC meeting decision and the April U.S. ISM manufacturing index on May 1, the ECB interest rate decision on May 2 and the U.S. April non-farm payrolls on May 2.


text:
Predictability of Decadal Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation Variations
This is an advance summary of a forthcoming article in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Climate Science. Please check back later for the full article.
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a large, basin scale circulation located in the Atlantic Ocean and transporting climatically important quantities of heat northward. It can be described schematically as a northward flow in the warm upper ocean and a southward return flow at depth, in much colder water. Because of the dominance of oceanic heat content in Earth's energy storage (the heat capacity of a layer of 2 m of seawater is equivalent to that of the entire atmosphere) and its typical slow decadal variations, the AMOC regulates North Atlantic climate and contributes to the relatively mild climate of Europe. Because of the AMOC's influence on climate, predicting its variations is crucial for predicting climate variations in regions bordering the North Atlantic. Similar to weather predictions, climate predictions are based on numerical simulations of the climate system. However providing accurate predictions on such long timescales is far from straightforward. Even in a perfect model approach, where biases between numerical models and reality are ignored, the chaotic nature of AMOC variability (i.e., high sensitivity to initial conditions) is a significant source of uncertainty, limiting its accuracy of prediction.
Predictability studies focus on factors determining our ability to predict the AMOC rather than on the actual predictions. To this end, processes affecting AMOC predictability can be separated into two categories: processes acting as a source of predictability (periodic harmonic oscillations, for instance) and processes acting as a source of uncertainty (small errors that grow and significantly modify the outcome of numerical simulations). To understand the former category, harmonic modes of variability or precursors of AMOC variations are identified. However, in a perfect model approach, the sources of uncertainty are characterized by the spread of numerical simulations differentiated by the application of small differences to their initial conditions. Two alternative and complementary frameworks have arisen to investigate this spread. The pragmatic framework corresponds to performing an ensemble of simulations, by imposing a randomly chosen small error on the initial conditions of individual simulations. This allows a probabilistic approach and the means to statistically characterize the importance of the initial condition by evaluating the spread of the ensemble. The theoretical framework uses stability analysis to identify small perturbations to the initial conditions that are conducive to significant disruption of the AMOC.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
1999 - April 2013
Dakota never met a stick she didn't want to carry and a tennis ball she didn't want to chew. She was the best dog and will be missed by her family, Mike, Stacy, Megan, Mallory and Robb. You will be missed Dakota. - The Evans Family


text:
Shopping Cart
Your shopping cart is empty!
The 7700 furnace is made with a firebrick lined steel firebox surrounded by a gray painted insulated steel cabinet. The unit features a full glass door to view the fire while in operation and can heat up to 3,000 square feet. The 1,800 CFM blower helps move the air to keep your heating costs down during the coldest temperatures.
Up to 180,000 BTUs
Heats up to 3,000 sq. ft.
25" Log Length
1800 CFM Blower
Firebrick Lined
GE7B Blower Sold Seperately,
Depth: 43.5"
Width: 29.5"
Height: 48.5"
Weight: 635lbs
6" Flue Collar
EPA Certified, Canada Approved


text:
Jeff Vespa/WireImage
It's time for Tori Spelling to stock up on onesies again!
The actress and husband Dean McDermott are expecting their third child together this fall, Spelling confirms via Twitter.
"I know there's been a lot of speculation, so I wanted everyone to hear from me … It's official …Dean & I are PREGNANT!!!!," Spelling, 37, Tweeted Monday.
The actress, who told PEOPLE in February that she's ready for another baby, showed off a tiny baby bump at the GLAAD Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles.
Spelling and husband Dean McDermott, 44, are already parents to son Liam, 4, and daughter Stella, 2½. McDermott is also dad to son Jack, 12, from a previous marriage.
The couple are currently starring in Oxygen's Tori & Dean: sTORIbook Weddings.
— Ulrica Wihlborg


text:
Meet thousands of Freedom singles through one of the best Freedom online dating sites. Matchmaker.com has great instant messenger and live video Freedom chat service for our members. Freedom dating has never been easier with our show interest feature that will allow you to break the ice with attractive local singles.
Matchmaker.com has some great services for Freedom singles looking for a longer term relationship. Besides our great Freedom chat product with live video matchmaker users can send email messages to people in the area. The Freedom dating scene can be hard to find the right person at times; however, we are here to help and our Freedom online dating service is free to register.
FreedomJoin Now Free!
Freedom Girls | Freedom Men | Freedom Gay | Freedom Lesbians
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
More Freedom Links:
Freedom Personals | Freedom Speed Dating | Freedom Chat | Freedom Singles | Freedom Love
Senior Dating | Catholic Dating | Christian Dating | Muslim Dating
Black Singles | Asian Singles | Latin Dating
Try our Freedom dating service today. Matchmaker.com is one of the oldest Freedom online dating services on the Internet and has brought thousands of couples together from the area. Test drive our Freedom Chat room with one of the best online communities for the Freedom single person. Also, keep in mind that we have a huge member base of Freedom singles and that we also cater to members of the many backgrounds.
Still not convinced that matchmaker is the free Freedom dating service for you? Once you've filled out the quick registration process you will be to see full size photos and profiles of thousands of Freedom singles. Did you know that free Freedom dating is a few clicks away? Find love and romance in Freedom at matchmaker today!


text:
Deep, Packers-led NFC North plenty entertaining
Aug. 28, 2013
The NFC North was once the core of an old-fashioned, grind-it-out group dubbed the Black and Blue Division.
Now, this four-team puzzle features a lot more flair.
Green Bay continues to boast one of the NFL's most potent offenses behind Aaron Rodgers. Matthew Stafford guided Detroit to the second-most yards passing in the league last year, and Calvin Johnson's fingerprints on the all-time single-season yards receiving record are still fresh. Chicago's Jay Cutler has one of the strongest arms around, new coach Marc Trestman has a reputation as an offensive innovator, and only Johnson caught more balls last year than Cutler's companion, Brandon Marshall.
Even Minnesota, the run-oriented outlier, has one of the flashiest players of all in MVP Adrian Peterson, who galloped his way to the second-highest rushing total in NFL history.
So as the Packers prepare to defend their division title, the Vikings try to ride Peterson to another playoff appearance, the Bears get going under Trestman and the Lions strive to prove last year's finish an aberration, here are five things to know about the NFC North:
SIMPLY THE BEST, AT LEAST LATELY: Over the first 10 years of the league's eight-division format, the NFC North posted a cumulative record worse than every other quartet except one. Only the NFC West was weaker from 2002 through 2011.
During the last two seasons, though, no division has been more victorious. The four teams went 71-57 (a .555 winning percentage), despite a 3-13 finish by the Vikings in 2011 and a 4-12 mark by the Lions in 2012. Only the Bears missed the playoffs both years.
LEADERS OF THE PACK: These aren't the same Packers who were Super Bowl champions less than three years ago and 15-1 the following regular season. Stalwarts Charles Woodson and Greg Jennings are gone, and holes in the defense were exposed last year by Peterson and San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick.
The division is still theirs to lose, though, despite a now-familiar rash of significant injuries to valuable players. To win their third straight NFC North title, the Packers must again find the depth to withstand the losses. Left tackle Bryan Bulaga is done for 2013, and rookie David Bakhtiari now has the role of blind side protector. But Rodgers hasn't seemed concerned.
"I'm having a blast. I really am. I love this group of guys," he said.
PONDERING THE FUTURE: Peterson proved his mastery of superhuman tricks by coming back from ACL reconstruction and rushing for 2,097 yards last year. But there are still questions for the Vikings about their status as a contender after their surprising 10-6 finish. The biggest one revolves around Christian Ponder.
The Vikings don't need a Pro Bowl selection or even a 4,000-yard season from their third-year quarterback. They're set up differently than that. But he has to reduce his turnover rate, take fewer sacks and come up with more clutch fourth-quarter completions to convince the Vikings he should be part of their future.
RESTORING THE ROAR?: The Lions followed their first playoff appearance in 12 years with a big flop, finishing with eight straight losses, including three in a row when they led by at least 10 points. There's plenty of talent, and motivation, for a rebound.
With Reggie Bush in the backfield and Ryan Broyles and Nate Burleson back from injuries to complement Johnson, Stafford — who got a hefty contract extension this summer — has more support. But he'll have three new starters on the offensive line.
The defensive line, with rookie Ziggy Ansah on the end and one of the league's best tackle tandems in the middle, is still a major asset. The pressure is on general manager Martin Mayhew and head coach Jim Schwartz, so improvement on this side of the ball will be necessary, too, for them to keep their jobs.
"There's an expectation that we have success here, and that's across the board everywhere in the National Football League. I'm certainty going to work as hard as I can to keep my seat cool," Mayhew said.
ON THE MARC: The Bears have had trouble sustaining offensive production for several years despite a workhorse running back in Matt Forte and the talent Cutler can trump his flaws with. The inconsistency of the blockers has been part of the problem, but the play calling, inability to establish a consistent identity, and instability of the coaching staff have also been to blame.
So the time was right to make a bold move, and that's why Trestman was hired from the Canadian Football League. An unorthodox thinker with past success as an NFL assistant, Trestman has begun to change the culture with faster-paced practices and terms like "self-actualization" and "interconnectivity" to achieve harmony and chemistry.
"We've got a chance to have a real strong backbone. It won't be the same team as it was last year, but we think it can be better," he said.
AP NFL website: http://www.pro32.ap.org
Dave Campbell on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DaveCampbellAP


text:
Vote Now! Best Classic Pie from the Best Pie Bakeoff 2008
Today we're voting on the Classic pies. Apple, pumpkin, pecan. Which is your favorite incarnation of a classic recipe? There are 13 entries in this category and we need your help to judge them (all in good fun, of course - every one of these looks amazing.) Click through to see a gallery of all the pies and to make your vote count!
Voting has closed! Click through to see the winner!
Vote Now!Voting will be open until 12:00 noon EST tomorrow, November 21. Links to the pie recipes are below, if you want to review.
The Classic Pies
- Entry #1: Caramel Apple Crumb Pie
- Entry #3: Martha's Apple Pie
- Entry #4: Pumpkin Pie Tarts with Dark Chocolate Frosting
- Entry #6: Classic Apple Pie with Pâte Brisée Crust
- Entry #11: Sugar and Spice Pumpkin Pie
- Entry #13: Pumpkin Pie Cups
- Entry #16: Banana Cream Pie
- Entry #17: Apple Ginger Pie Bars
- Entry #19: Candy Apple Pie
- Entry #25: Jack-O-Lantern Tartlets
- Entry #27: Edith's Sweet Potato Pie
- Entry #28: Pecan and Date Pie
- Entry #29: Pumpkin Pie


text:
"American Darkness" Falls on Danziger Gallery
Artsy Editorial
Trained as a civil engineer, photographer O. Winston Link was captivated by the American steam locomotive and its imminent demise, spending the late 1950s documenting its final years before the advent of diesel engine trains. His best-known work, the resulting portfolio of black-and-white photographs captures the last steam trains of the Norfolk & Western Railway line and the small Virginia towns through which they ran—an elegiac portrait of the end of an era. By photographing the trains as seen through a living room window, from the edge of a public pool, or over the tops of cars parked at a drive-in, Link effectively showed how closely interwoven these technological relics were with the landscapes and lives through which they passed. Winston helped establish the ubiquity of rail photography and pioneered the use of night photography significantly.
American, 1914-2001, Brooklyn, New York


text:
A report released earlier this month took into account the entire life cycle of hybrid, electric and gas powered cars — analyzing everything from gathering resources to disposing of used vehicles — and revealed definitively that hybrid and electric vehicles are greener from a whole systems approach. The report discovered that although the emissions created during the manufacturing and disposal of hybrid and electric vehicle battery parts is higher than that of gas powered vehicles, their lower operating emissions more than make up for that difference. From start to finish the hybrid and electric vehicles come out on top — or rather on the bottom of the emissions scale — and they are much more friendly to the earth when all is said and done.
The report was compiled by Ricardo in partnership with the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) and it sought to highlight the importance of measuring not just gas mileage and emissions, but also the rest of what goes into making and disposing of a car. The report discovered that a typical mid-size family car would create about 24 tons of CO2 during its entire life cycle, while an electric vehicle creates just 18 tons of CO2 over its life — of that 18 tons, 46% of the emissions are created before the car even leaves the factory.
The report discovered that most of the manufacturing carbon emissions for traditional internal combustion engine vehicles come from manufacturing the steel used in the vehicles frame — which then contributes to emissions later in the cycle because heavier vehicles require more gas to operate. The report discussed the idea that creating lighter vehicles with less steel would bring down not only the emissions in the manufacturing process but the emissions from operation as well. The report also noted that much of the emissions from car production are caused by carbon-based electricity that powers automotive plants, and as Greg Archer, LowCVP Managing Director, said, "the automotive industry is already taking positive steps to address this issue – the recent announcement by Toyota of a solar array to provide electricity to power the hybrid Auris production facility and wind power at the Nissan Leaf plant are excellent examples of this."
Via Triple Pundit


text:
Martini Crystal Ball Mark
★ Add sparkle to your golf game with Bonjoc Ball Markers ★
Specially created with 100% genuine Swarovski crystals. Each ball marker is designed by Bonjoc artisans who handcraft these whimsical accessories for the stylish golfer.
The Original Crystal Ball Marker
The Bonjoc collection features over 100 unique hand made pieces in various shapes and jewel-toned colors.


text:
NuCoal Plastic Model Sprues Preview Shown To Scale!
The NuCoal model sprues have finally been finished up for the Chasseur, Cuirassier, Jerboa, Chevalier plastic miniatures. Checkout the preview image shown below (click the image to see a larger version) with all four model sprues shown to scale and with rulers in millimeters (mm). We fit all of the models stock and variant weapon parts on the sprues, along with extra pose lower arms and legs in most cases. Plus extra parts like hand grenades, ammo clip, and boxes to add around the hips like our original pewter models have. And like all our newer models they have ball sockets to connect the torso to the shoulders and hips for a wide variety of poses. Plus the lower arms are separate parts that can be rotated in or away from the torso and glued in the position you like.
Checkout the full update on our Kickstarter page which includes a link to downloadable 3d PDF of the Jerboa model parts sprue which you can zoom in on, rotate, and see all the details up close. Here is a link to the Kickstarter update page.
Our modeler is now working on the Utopia model sprues and once finished we'll do a preview in the Utopia Kickstarter and be able to get production started on all the plastic injection molds.
More News…
Final Week Heavy Gear Blitz Peace River and NuCoal Plastic Miniatures Kickstarter Pledge Calculator
Heavy Gear Blitz Peace River and NuCoal Kickstarter for Core Plastic Miniatures. This download is the Pledge Calculator excel sheet updated for the final week, for backers to use to easily calculate their pledge amount to enter in the Kickstarter. It includes all the Reward Levels and Add-Ons available.
Featured Blog
Heavy Gear Blitz New Edition News and Downloads
Click here for news on the new edition of Heavy Gear Blitz which is currently under development. With Alpha/Beta playtest downloads of the new rules and armylists. Get involved in the playtesting and help us make the new edition the best miniature game out there!
Follow us on Facebook
Visit our Facebook page for
more news and updates!
Main menu
- Home
- Online Store
- Games
- Galleries
- Downloads
- Support
- Pod Squad
- Places
- HGB Oct 2017 LRB update Mk2 (Beta)


text:
Honda's little radiation-proof robot does nuke duty
Boldly goes where no man can, in crippled Fukushima plant
TOKYO -- In the highly radioactive crucible of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, there are simply some areas too hot and hazardous for humans to venture for cleanup.
Now, Honda Motor Co. is parlaying its expertise in robotics into a helping hand -- quite literally a telescoping, cancer-impervious surveying arm that will see what's going on inside the dark, dangerous hulk of the ruined reactor building.
Honda today unveiled the remote-controlled robot, which it created with Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. It starts work this week.
Honda engineered the robotic arm. The institute developed the crawler tread and platform that it rides on.
The arm incorporates many sensing technologies Honda developed for its pint-sized humanoid Asimo robot: 3D imaging of the surrounding areas and control systems that allow the arm to absorb impact when it collides against obstacles in the dark.
"The robot uses a zoom camera, laser range finder and dosimeter located at the tip of the arm to confirm detailed images, collect 3D data and identify the source of radiation," Honda said. It's designed to probe high, narrow, hard-to-reach areas.
The gizmo evokes the star minibot in the animated Disney movie "Wall-E." It's a compact box on petite tank treads, brandishing an extendable arm tipped with a camera lens that mimics an eye.
The project was originally reported two years ago by Japan's Asahi newspaper. But at that time, Honda denied such plans.
The idea is to spare human workers dangerous exposure to radiation at Fukushima. The plant was slammed by a tsunami spawned by Japan's March 11, 2011, earthquake, and has been leaking radiation ever since. Some estimates say it will take at least 30 years to fully decommission the polluted plant.
In the early days of the crisis, Japanese officials were criticized for using foreign-made robots, instead of domestically developed ones, to venture into the plant.
It's two years late, but Honda is finally heeding the call.
ATTENTION COMMENTERS: Automotive News has monitored a significant increase in the number of personal attacks and abusive comments on our site. We encourage our readers to voice their opinions and argue their points. We expect disagreement. We do not expect our readers to turn on each other. We will be aggressively deleting all comments that personally attack another poster, or an article author, even if the comment is otherwise a well-argued observation. If we see repeated behavior, we will ban the commenter. Please help us maintain a civil level of discourse.


text:
SULPHUR, Ind. (AP) — Shaken and dazed, the large gathering joined hands to brace for the horrific news they had dreaded — a fire that swept through a relative's mobile home early Thursday had killed two children and three adults in southern Indiana.
It took firefighters about two hours to extinguish the blaze that gutted the home near Sulphur, about 30 miles west of Louisville, Ky. Authorities suspected the fire was sparked by a wood stove that served as the source of heat.
A teary-eyed Crawford County Sheriff Tim Wilkerson gathered the family to inform them the death toll was five. He brought along local fire and rescue chaplain Hank Ruff, still in his muddy, sooty firefighting gear he wore to help extinguish the overnight blaze.
"There were cries and breakdowns," Wilkerson said. "It's like a wall falls on you. It felt like that to me."
At the sheriff's request, Ruff led the group in a middle-of-the-night prayer. It was a simple prayer that "asked the Lord to strengthen us in our time of need," he said.
Although they had an electric furnace, the occupants had been using a wood stove to heat the home, Wilkerson said.
The homeowner's father, who lives nearby, spotted the flames about 12:30 a.m. He rushed to the burning home but got a gash on his hand as a rescue attempt was driven back by intense flames, Wilkerson said.
"There was just no way he could get in there. It was fully engulfed by that time," the sheriff said.
The mobile home's owner, John Denton, 32, died in the fire along with his 8-year-old daughter Kara Denton, and Denton's half-brother, Bill Turben, 35, relatives said. John Denton's girlfriend and her 3-year-old son also died in the blaze.
The family was told of the deaths in the father's mobile home, a short walk from the burned-out trailer.
"The sheriff asked them to gather around the kitchen table, which is kind of customary for that type of news," Ruff said.
"I advised them not to take any blame for any of it, because there was nothing that any one of them could have done to change the situation," he added. "It was already done before anyone even knew that the trailer was on fire."
Autopsies were being performed in Louisville, authorities said.
Kara mostly lived with her mother, but she spent Wednesdays and every other weekend with her father, Denton's relatives said.
It was the first Wednesday in some time that she had stayed with her father, said Ricky Young, the fiance of Kara's mother. Young and Kara's mother, Rebecca Richardson, learned of Kara's death shortly before 5:30 a.m., when a sheriff's deputy knocked on their door in Marengo, about 15 miles from the fire scene.
Wilkerson said the victims were found throughout the home, but he couldn't determine yet if any of them had tried to get out. The State Fire Marshal's office joined in the investigation and they were trying to determine if the home had a smoke detector, he said.
Hours after the fire, Bill Turben's sister and other relatives stood near the charred home, which is a few miles from Sulphur, a village of about a dozen homes surrounded by rolling hills, tracts of fields and dense woods. A child's scooter and a small basketball goal were near the gutted home.
Rose Turben said Denton, her half-brother, rarely used his electric furnace because it was expensive to run.
"It's all a matter of saving money," she said sadly.
Turben's voice cracked as she described her niece Kara, a second-grader at Marengo Elementary School who loved to draw and color.
"If you were ever sad, all you had to do was look at that child's face. She would turn your world completely around," she said.
Young called the young honor student "an angel."
"She loved her mommy," he said. "She loved me. She loved Jesus."
Denton, who worked unloading trucks at a warehouse, had put up wall paneling the day before the blaze, Turben said.
Denton and his girlfriend met through work, but she was on medical leave after breaking an ankle, she said.
She said the couple been talking about moving in together and "seemed to be a match made in heaven.
"They finally met their other half and they haven't been together very long and now they'll be together forever."
Associated Press Writers Rick Callahan and Ken Kusmer in Indianapolis contributed to this report.


text:
Every day Poets & Writers Magazine scans the headlines—from publishing reports to academic announcements to literary dispatches—for all the news that creative writers need to know. Here are today's stories:
Poet Jack Gilbert has passed away at age eighty-seven. The Los Angeles Times touches on Gilbert's singular life and career.
In memory of Jack Gilbert, Tin House posted Gilbert's poem "Tear it Down" yesterday on its Tumblr.
"Amazon wriggles out of paying corporation tax in the UK and other European countries by channeling its European business through a Luxembourg-based parent company." Melville House looks at the recent scrutiny politicians in the United Kingdom have focused on Amazon.
"I keep copies of the novel in a knapsack under the waiter's station just for moments like these." Balls author Julian Tepper recounts giving a copy of his first novel to one his regular restaurant customers—novelist Philip Roth. (Paris Review Daily)
Brain Pickings offers a few food recipes from famous authors, including Allen Ginsberg's borsch, and John Keats's porridge.
If you haven't seen the new James Bond film, Skyfall, it features a few lines from Tennyson's "Ulysses." (Harriet)
In New York City, a massive Moby-Dick marathon-style reading begins in two days.


text:
The U.S. House on Wednesday weighed whether to end the National Security Agency's authority to collect hundreds of millions of Americans' phone records as the fight pitting privacy rights against the government's efforts to thwart terrorism got a new airing.
A showdown vote, expected late in the day, marked the first chance for lawmakers to take a stand on the secret surveillance program since former NSA systems analyst Edward Snowden leaked classified documents last month that spelled out the monumental scope of the government's activities.
The issue created unusual political coalitions in Washington, with the Obama administration, national security leaders in Congress and the Republican establishment facing off against libertarian-leaning conservatives and some liberal Democrats.
With a flurry of letters, statements and tweets, both sides lobbied furiously in the hours prior to the vote in the Republican-controlled House. The director of national intelligence, James Clapper, warned against dismantling a critical intelligence tool.
Republican Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, chief sponsor of the effort, said it was designed to end the indiscriminate collection of Americans' phone records.
His measure, offered as an addition to a $598.3 billion defense spending bill for 2014, would cancel the statutory authority for the NSA program, ending the agency's ability to collect phone records and metadata under the USA Patriot Act unless it identified an individual under investigation.
Amash stepped up the pressure on rank-and-file colleagues, looking ahead to meetings with constituents during next month's congressional break.
"As you go home for August recess, you will be asked: Did you oppose the suspicionless collection of every American's phone records? When you had the chance to stand up for Americans' privacy, did you?" the Michigan Republican asked in a statement pleading for support for his measure.
Whatever the outcome in the House, the measure faces strong opposition in the Senate and from the White House and is unlikely to survive in a final spending bill.
Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Congress has authorized - and a Republican and a Democratic president have signed - an extension of the powers to search records and conduct roving wiretaps in pursuit of terrorists.
Two years ago, in a strong bipartisan statement, the Senate voted 72-23 to renew the Patriot Act and the House backed the extension 250-153.
Since the disclosures this year, however, lawmakers have said they were shocked by the scope of the two programs - one to collect records of hundreds of millions of calls and the other allowing the NSA to sweep up Internet usage data from around the world that goes through nine major U.S.-based providers.
"We've really gone overboard on the security side," said Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., who argued that the "vast surveillance grab" has come at the expense of Americans' constitutional rights to privacy.
Welch said it was time for a full debate on behalf of American taxpayers about programs long cloaked in secrecy and part of an annual classified intelligence budget of about $30 billion.
Although Republican leaders agreed to a vote on the Amash amendment, one of 100 to the defense spending bill, time for debate was limited to 15 minutes out of the two days the House dedicated to the overall legislation.
The White House and the director of the NSA, Army Gen. Keith Alexander, made last-minute appeals to lawmakers, urging them to oppose the amendment. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., and Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md., leaders of the House Intelligence Committee, implored their colleagues to back the NSA program.
Eight former attorneys general, CIA directors and national security experts wrote in a letter to lawmakers that the two programs are fully authorized by law and "conducted in a manner that appropriately respects the privacy and civil liberties interests of Americans."
White House press secretary Jay Carney issued an unusual, nighttime statement on the eve of Wednesday's vote, arguing that the change would "hastily dismantle one of our intelligence community's counterterrorism tools."
Proponents of the NSA programs argue that the surveillance operations have been successful in thwarting at least 50 terror plots across 20 countries, including 10 to 12 directed at the United States. Among them was a 2009 plot to strike at the New York Stock Exchange.
Rogers joined six GOP committee chairmen in a letter urging lawmakers to reject the Amash amendment.
"While many members have legitimate questions about the NSA metadata program, including whether there are sufficient protections for Americans' civil liberties," the chairman wrote, "eliminating this program altogether without careful deliberation would not reflect our duty, under Article I of the Constitution, to provide for the common defense."
The debate over privacy and national security has prompted calls and emails to lawmakers, said Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., a member of the Intelligence panel who said members of Congress are facing competing pressures.
The overall defense spending bill would provide the Pentagon with $512.5 billion for weapons, personnel, aircraft and ships plus $85.8 billion for the war in Afghanistan for the next budget year.
The total, which is $5.1 billion below current spending, has drawn a veto threat from the White House, which argues that it would force the administration to cut education, health research and other domestic programs in order to boost spending for the Pentagon.
In a leap of faith, the bill assumes that Congress and the administration will resolve the automatic, across-the-board spending cuts that have led the Pentagon to furlough workers and cut back on training. The bill projects spending in the next fiscal year at $28.1 billion above the so-called sequester level.
In addition to the vote on the Amash amendment, the House also will consider an amendment prohibiting any U.S. funds for military or paramilitary operations in Egypt and barring the administration from military action in Syria if that would violate the War Powers Resolution.
The overall bill must be reconciled with whatever measure the Democratic-controlled Senate produces.


text:
The court says Congress has the power to require individuals to purchase health insurance. Will the government help me if I can't afford it?
Since the penalty for not purchasing minimally adequate health coverage is essentially a tax, the court ruled it constitutional. The Urban Institute concluded 18.2 million Americans – 6 percent of the population – will be required to purchase coverage. Of that number, 10.9 million low-income people will be eligible for federal subsidies to help pay for coverage. Just 2 percent of Americans – 7.3 million people – will have to buy new coverage, and won't receive federal subsidies to do so.
Will I have to pay more for healthcare? Will my premiums go up?
The White House has said that the portion of the law that covers insurance reforms caps out-of-pocket expenses and requires preventative care to be fully covered without out-of-pocket expense. The Obama Administration has said this will "reduce" what families will have to pay.
The Wall Street Journal says most consumers can expect to see their premiums rise because healthcare costs are expanding, and the law expands coverage. Some people will see their premiums go down because of new age ratings in place. However, comparing plans will be made easier, and money could be saved by buying into insurance pools.
Changes to the healthcare industry were passed with the law. Do those changes still stand?
Yes. The White House says these changes imposed upon insurance companies include:
• You cannot be denied coverage for pre-existing conditions.
• Small business owners will be eligible for billions of dollars in tax credits to help employees pay for coverage.
• Immunization and preventive care must be offered at no cost.
• Enrollee's dependent children up to age 26 will receive coverage.
• An appeals process will be set up for consumers can appeal insurance company decisions.
• Insurance companies will be blocked from imposing "excessive" premium increases.
• Arbitrary lifetime limits on coverage in all plans will be removed.
• Insurance companies will be blocked from dropping coverage while a patient is sick.
My sister is supporting three children on very little income. Does the law affect her?
As of Jan. 1, 2014, ALL low-income individuals who are not disabled or elderly will be eligible for Medicaid. You must earn less than $29,000 for a family of four. However, the federal government will not be allowed to deny states' existing Medicaid funding if the state declines to opt in to new Medicaid expansion. The Medicaid expansion will cover 17 million more people. Currently, 62 million Americans receive coverage under Medicaid.
Some states have already opted in to expanded Medicaid programs, including California, Connecticut, Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey and Washington. The government will support states that expand their Medicaid coverage by offering 100 percent of coverage for the new enrollees through 2016.
Won't all these newly insured people crowd doctor's offices and make it harder for me to get care?
Republicans argue that the medical community will not be able to keep up with the increased demand for healthcare. The Wall Street Journal has reported that at current graduation rates, the nation could face a shortage of as many as 150,000 doctors in the next 15 years. However, there has been a push nationwide to attract students to mid-level programs, such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, who could treat patients and prescribe medication.
No one knows if the increase in covered Americans will create a logjam for care.
I own a small business, and employ 28 people. What will happen to my business?
Businesses will fewer than 50 employees would be exempt from the mandate. However, they could earn tax credits for paying employee premiums if they choose to. Businesses with 50 or more could opt out and pay a penalty, which might be cheaper than the premiums.
Businesses with more than 50 employees will be blocked from forcing employees to pay more than 9.5 percent of their household income in premiums. However, the New York Times has pointed out that employers have no way of knowing an employee's household income, and cannot determine whether an employee's required premiums would be deemed "unaffordable" and subject the employer to penalties.
Does this mean there is nothing that can be done to repeal the law?
No. It depends on which party controls the White House and Congress after the November elections. Congress could vote to repeal the law. The president would have to sign the repeal.
*Sources: Poynter Institute, Wall Street Journal
Copyright 2012 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.


text:
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Double down? This was more like triple down.
The Donald was at it again, offering a full-throated defense of birtherism and birthers this morning on MSNBC's The Daily Rundown with Chuck Todd and Savannah Guthrie.
Asked if he wants to be taken seriously, why he continues to defend the false conspiracy theory that President Obama was not born in the United States, Donald Trump said, "Well, I do think it's a serious issue. ... I am embracing the issue. I'm proud of the issue." He claimed it is "not that much of a conspiracy… it's really not."
Trump, who says he's considering a run as a Republican for president in 2012, went further, chastising the media for using the term "birthers," calling it "derogatory" to lots of "intelligent" people.
He said if it were true that the president weren't born in the United States it would be the "greatest scam in the history of this country" and that there's "certainly a chance" he's not born in the U.S. He claimed Obama "could have come in after birth and could have been registered for purposes of hospitalization" or even "welfare." "Excuse me," he said, "I've grown up watching some of the great thieves of the world… this is peanuts compared to what these people do."
He deadpanned later: "We all agree he was born."
NBC's Pete Williams reported on the birth announcement that appeared in the Honolulu Advertiser in 1961. Trump dismissed that, claiming the notice was "three days later. … Lots of things could happen."
He added that "no nurses, no doctors, nobody came forward." And he said that about 50 percent of Republicans "think he wasn't born in the country" – and they're "intelligent" people.
He even went so far as to almost question if Chuck Todd's children were born in the United States after Todd said that he has "certificates of live birth" from DC. He contended that Todd could go down to the hospital where they were born and get authorization to get a more official "birth certificate" from the Department of Health -- provided they were born in the U.S., "which I assume they were," Trump said.
Trump was also asked if he's prepared for the financial scrutiny that would come with running for president. Official candidates for president are required to file financial disclosure forms. Asked, in particular, about his companies that have filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Trump became defensive.
"I never went bankrupt," Trump said, trying to draw a distinction between personal bankruptcy and putting a company into Chapter 11. "Many of the biggest people in this country, many times have filed Chapter 11s on various companies in order to reduce debts." He added, "I've done an unbelievable job" and used the laws of the country to help his companies.
Asked then if the United States should file for bankruptcy, Trump said no. "I wouldn't recommend that," he said, because the United States has more leverage.
On Libya, Trump said he didn't "know enough" about the rebels to arm them.
On his decision to run for president, he said, "I will make a decision sometime prior to June.
"We'll all have a lot of fun together."


text:
General purpose glue for use in high, low, and dual temperature regular-sized glue guns. On high or dual temp setting, bond metal, wood, fabric, magnets and plastic. On low or dual temp setting, bond delicate materials including, balloon, ribbon, lace, and children's crafts. Each round stick measures approximately 4 in. x 0.44 in.
Ask a question about All Temperature Glue Sticks Ask a question about this product
Average User Rating: Based on (2 Reviews)
5 2
Keeley D. from Puyallup, WA says:
This glue really well for my craft projects!
Please wait...
You May Also Like...
How to get VIP Club Prices
Anyone can be a VIP Member with:
Only $25/year
Your email will not be shared. We will only use your email address to respond to your question. When asking your question, please be as descriptive as possible, it will allow us to give you the most accurate answer possible.
Please wait...
Please wait...


text:
- NMNH Home ›
- Research & Collections ›
- Dept. of Botany ›
- Events ›
- Symposium Archives
The Smithsonian Botanical Symposium brings together the national and international plant systematics community to address a botanical topic of current significance. The symposium is held each spring at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.
The presentation of the José Cuatrecasas Medal for Excellence in Tropical Botany, an honor bestowed annually on a botanist and scholar of international stature who has contributed significantly to advancing the field of tropical botany, takes place during the symposium.
Visit the archive pages to view the programs, abstracts, and images from earlier symposia. [Archive sites will open in a new window. Close the window when you finish.]
- 2018 "Plants in the Past: Fossils and the Future"
- 2017 "Exploring the Natural World: Plants, People and Places"
- 2016 "Bats, Bees, Birds, Butterflies and Bouquets: New Research in Pollination Biology"
- 2015 "Next Generation Pteridology - An International Conference on Lycophyte & Fern Research"
- 2014 "Location, Location, Location...New Advances in the Science of Biogeography"
- 2013 "Avoiding Extinction: Contemporary Approaches to Conservation Science"
- 2012 "Transforming 21st Century Comparative Biology using Evolutionary Trees"
- 2010 "Food For Thought: 21st Century Perspectives on Plants and People"
- 2009 "Genes, Genomics, and Genome Evolution in Plants"
- 2008 "Partners in Evolution: Interactions, Adaptations, and Speciation"
- 2006 "Island Archipelagos: Cauldrons of Evolution"
- 2005 "The Future of Floras: New Frameworks, New Technologies, New Uses"
- 2004 "Botanical Progress, Horticultural Innovations, and Cultural Changes"
- 2003 "Botanical Frontiers in Southeast Asia"
- 2002 "The Convention on Biological Diversity"
- 2001 "Linnaean Taxonomy in the 21st Century"


text:
Dear Mongolia,
I'm scared. Terrified. Apprehensive. But also excited. Pumped. And Intrigued.
I've been back-tracking this last month, thinking about why I signed up to this outrageous journey in the first place.
Who in their right-mind wants to continuously walk for not only one but two whole months, through a desert which happens to be one of the largest in this big wide world? Who would consciously agree to face thrashing sandstorms and daily 30 degree temperature changes?
Who chooses to acquire a plethora of foot injuries and be scared stiff by potential attacks of wild dogs? And all with a bunch of twelve other clearly deranged, thrill-seeking strangers?
We did.
But this adventure is going to be very different from others (apart from the obvious remote, desert, unknown, who-do-you-think-you-are crazy factors). Because it will no longer be with my dearly beloved, Todd (or Toddrick as I like to tease for having a short name that's not actually short for his name).
I'll be on my own. All alone. Ok, I'm exaggerating, there will be other people around. But when we initially thought it would be good to do our own solo trips, two long, lonely months certainly didn't come to mind. And now there will be no one who knows me, no one who will hold my hand, and no one who can snap me out of my sugar-induced mood swings.
But that's half the reason why I've decided to continue on my own. I don't want to be hand-held, pampered, told what to do, or given all the answers. I'm empowered by the thought of independence, sole reliance, my own determination and expanding my comfort zone pants. And just imagine how fit I'm going to be afterwards! Muay Thai would be easy peasy.
And then comes the shock… I've been gobbling down alfajores (melting moment-type biscuits) and sampling the many, many varieties of decadent helado (ice-cream) just because there are so many in Argentina. Cookies and cream, Ferrero Rocher, Creme Marscapone, Menta Granizado, Chocolate Suise, Coconut, and that's just three days worth. How in helado hell do you think I'm going to stand up to these abs??
Considering one of my best party tricks is the ability to look like I have a pregnant belly, I've decided not to show a comparison of my mediocre 1-pack. As punishment for the daily disneyland-for-my-taste-buds degustation when living in Buenos Aires for a month, I planned a beat-down at Push BodyStudio last week with my bad-girl Gobi team mate, Carrie (see abs above) and our Gobi 2011 Nutrition & Fitness Advisor, Tina (see abs below).
As the coming workout video will show, I was able to pull off most of the exercises with a smile. Because as most people know who have pushed themselves physically to the limit before (and what I stupidly forgot at the time), is that the real pain comes after… Not only is it a struggle to get out of bed the morning after, but I nearly steam-rolled Carrie's dog when I attempted to bum-slide down the stairs. Walking down them like a normal person seemed like an activity beyond my comprehension without being morphine-induced. And then, after breakfast when I was trying to block out thoughts of my impending doom, we headed back to the gym for Round 2.
A few good sleeps later and I am recovered, at least physically. But there's a hard, painful, treat-less road ahead. Not only in terms of getting freakishly fit so I'm not the Gobi tortoise, but doing so in a foreign country without the ease and comforts of home. And also not losing everything I've done thus far on a crazy, 2-week Indian train journey (I am preparing myself for more warranted stares than usual when I start doing girl-push-ups in the aisle).
I know I'll get there eventually. All I need is a constant reminder of all the positives that will come out of this challenge at the end:
- taking those last few steps of the 60-day trek;
- creating some 'through thick and thin' friendships;
- experiencing the raw lives and kindness of nomadic families;
- developing my writing skills (epiphany: should I try to write a blog post every day?);
- raising money and awareness for Mongolian children and their education;
- building up more independence;
- and having hardcore adventurer/desert-crosser gloating rights; just to name a few.
Looking forward to meeting and exploring you, as well as being taught a few lessons (more physical than spiritual I think).
Featured image by Emmanuel Berthier


text:
When doing apps that deals with date there almost always comes a question on
how to store an incomplete date.
For example:
Person A is born on 1980-02-17.
Person B is born on 1980-02 <- The person doesn't know the exact day (This is acctually a real life scenario)
How to store this wisely in db? You can't really put a datetime DateOfBirth Column.
I usually take 3 int columns (year, month, day) with constraints but i'm wondering...
Does anyone know of a better method?
Print | posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 2:05 AM |
Filed Under [
SQL Server
Powered by:
Copyright © Mladen Prajdić


text:
STOCKTON - An inconsistent nonconference performance has left the Pacific men's basketball team a bit of a mystery heading into Big West Conference play.
STOCKTON - An inconsistent nonconference performance has left the Pacific men's basketball team a bit of a mystery heading into Big West Conference play.
The Tigers (6-6) visit Long Beach State at 4 p.m. today after impressive wins over Xavier, Saint Mary's, USF and Nevada, and blowout losses at Gonzaga and Saint Mary's in the first two months of the season. Coach Bob Thomason is confident his team can compete for the conference crown in his 25th and final season at his alma mater, but only if it develops more consistency.
"I've seen us play really well and also play really bad, but our bottom line hasn't been that bad," Thomason said. "But now we have to be ready for the intensity of every game and how meaningful they are and how it comes down to every play. I don't know if we'll be favored in any of our conference road games, so we need to play well to win."
The Tigers are 0-3 on the road but did win two of three at the DirecTV Classic on a neutral court in Anaheim. Improvement will have to be immediate for Pacific, as it will visit UC Davis on Jan. 5 before its home opener against UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 10.
Coach Dan Monson's 49ers (4-7) are the defending Big West champions, but he lost four key seniors, including conference player of the year Casper Ware, to graduation. Long Beach State will add three transfers during conference play, but Monson said his team has not performed up to expectations so far, despite nice play from senior wing James Ennis (16.9 points per game, 7.7 rebounds), senior point guard Mike Caffey (10.5 points, 4.5 assists) and junior transfer forward Dan Jennings (11 points, 6.9 rebounds).
"I'm very concerned because we're not a very good basketball team," Monson said. "It's been a tougher transition than we, the coaches, even imagined. Hopefully, the added depth will give us some accountability."
Pacific's balanced attack has been led by senior point guard Lorenzo McCloud, who's averaging 12.3 points and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 47 percent from the field, including 41.7 from beyond the 3-point arc.
"In the Big West, any team can beat any other team; we know that," McCloud said. "Every game is going to be tough, so you have to really focus and grind it out."
Thomason's rotation will feature only two newcomers to conference play in starting shooting guard Sama Taku (7.8 points, 3.9 rebounds) and backup center Tony Gill (4.8 points). Both have been playing better the past two weeks and will be asked to make important contributions along with returners Colin Beatty (3.8 points, 3.5 rebounds), Ross Rivera (9.9 points), Travis Fulton (7.8 points) and Khalil Kelley (5.8 points) on the front line and Rodrigo De Souza as the third guard (4.4 points).
Contact reporter Jagdip Dhillon at (209) 546-8292 or email@example.com.


text:
Henrik's all jacked up. So too will be the crowd at the Garage tonight.
With the series tied at 2 wins each, the Vancouver Canucks and the Los Angeles Kings now play a best of 3. The series shifts from California to BC, as the Canucks return home to host the Kings tonight at GM Place.
This series has arguably been the most exciting, erratic and difficult to predict from game-to-game, and boasted some of the playoffs best saves, goals, and storylines. I guess this is to be expected from one team based near Hollywood, and the other based in Hollywood North.
As the Canucks head into the rest of this series, which is now a best-of-3, history is certainly NOT on their side. From Jeff Paterson via Twitter, The Canucks have lost their last 4 series when tied 2-2. Also, they are 1-7 lifetime & 0-3 when they have the home-ice advantage. Furthermore, when tied 2-2, the Canucks are 1-8 in Games 5 thru 7 in last 4 series, 4-15 lifetime.
But, as Jeff asked, is it time for a change?
At home, the Canucks were flat out better than the Kings. Despite the identical score lines in Games 1 and 2, and despite the fact that the teams split those games, the Canucks were the dominant team. In game 2, if not for a bad spell of less than a minute and one dubious penalty call in overtime, the Canucks would have gone into California with a early hold on the series. So the Canucks need to channel that energy, that domination, the pulse from the home crowd, the familiarity of their home where they have been so good all season, and continue that tonight.
There really isn't any reason to spew stats for tonight's game. The seres has been so crazy and unpredictable and erratic that no stat line is going to make sense or matter tonight. However a few things do have to improve.
Alex Burrows needs to get himself going. He was GREAT to start each home game so far, so I look to Burrows to have a similar start tonight. I would like to see him back with the Sedins at home to get him firing on all cylinders again.
Andrew Alberts needs to shake off his dubious penalty-taking distinction and play a smart yet tough game. His ice-time will be limited, I'm sure, so he needs to make smart, efficient decisions with the puck, play physical, and watch the hits from behind.
The Sedins need to dominate from the start of the game, not just the third period. If Daniel and Henrik can get their game going early, get Burrows involved and hit the scoresheet early, it will lift the entire team. The passion from Henrik when he scored the GWG in Game 4 was purely awesome. He feels it now. If they can tap into that passion and energy early, they will an unstoppable force tonight.
I want to see it. I want to see that unbridled passion. I want to see it early. I want to see it often. I want to see it from every Canucks player. I know we will see and hear it from every fan around GM Place and around the Lower Mainland and BC and abroad. Let's harness it.


text:
A modern/cyberpunk FPS, The Wall places players in a futuristic world dominated by three powerful factions. A catastrophe occurred almost 300 years ago and the Earth as we know it today no longer exists. The player can take part in the revolts and even provoke them, lead the furious crowds and perform a lot of other similar actions. You can control huge crowds indirectly, which keeps the gameplay as simple and dynamic as possible. Fighting in the game is an unique system of hand-to-hand combat, based on authentic martial arts moves. With more than 20 levels and 15 geographic locations, players begin the game as a member of a small resistance cell and must fight against the battling factions to ensure a needed peace.
Also available on: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360


text:
It was bright and warm on June 5 in Chicago, the kind of day when people find ways to spend time outdoors.
But more than a dozen Chicago-area funeral directors, as well as Catholic Cemeteries workers, were not outside to enjoy the weather that day. They were at Mount Olivet Cemetery on Chicago's South Side, seeing to the burial of the remains of 17 adults and 60 unborn babies whose bodies had not been claimed from the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.
The burial included a long procession of hearses — driven by the funeral directors, who volunteered their services — and an interfaith prayer service before the plain plywood caskets were lowered into their graves. The graves and the interment were provided to the county free of charge, part of an offer of 300 graves made by Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Chicago in early 2012.
Catholic Cemeteries made the offer after media reports showed bodies wrapped in plastics, literally stacked on top of one another at the morgue. Facing a financial crisis, the state of Illinois had stopped providing money to help pay for the burial of the indigent, and the county was unable to keep up.
A shrinking safety net
It's a situation that has become all too common around the United States, as a struggling economy has left poor people with fewer resources and strapped the state and local governments who make up a large part of the safety net.
In 2012, Kimberly Boudreaux, executive director of the Catholic Service Centers in the Diocese of Lafayette, La., found that the body of a former resident in one of the agency's shelters remained unclaimed in the coroner's office two and a half years after his death.
In Wayne County, Mich., a journalist found the body of a homeless man he had befriended in Detroit still in the morgue seven months after he died. Around the country, medical examiners and coroners have reported that more bodies are going unclaimed for burial because their families cannot afford the cost.
For Catholics, burying the dead is one of the seven corporal works of mercy — a basic duty of those who would follow Christ and treat the least of their brothers and sisters as they would treat their Lord.
That conviction was behind Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Chicago's offer of 300 graves and burials in February 2012, said Roman Szabelski, executive director of the agency.
"We really are caring for the corporeal remains of human beings," Szabelski said. "Nobody should be sitting, waiting to grieve, for financial reasons."
But the county did not jump at the offer, waiting weeks to respond as to whether it was interested in taking the graves.
Part of their reluctance, Szabelski said, was a fear that some people might not want to be buried — or have their loved ones buried — in a Catholic cemetery, especially if they were not Catholic. Indeed, burial in Catholic cemeteries generally is limited to Catholics and members of their families, because Catholic cemeteries are consecrated ground.
In media reports at the time, county officials also questioned whether some families who could not afford to bury their loved ones would feel left out if they did not get one of the graves at Catholic Cemeteries.
A different process
The process for burials at Catholic Cemeteries is different from that for those whom Cook County buries at a nonsectarian cemetery. The plain, plywood caskets are the same, but Cook County sends them to Homewood Gardens in a cargo truck, not individual hearses, and they are lined up side by side in long trenches, not laid to rest in individual graves like at Mount Olivet.
Indeed, if a family's circumstances change, and they later wish to place a marker on their loved one's grave at Mount Olivet, they are free to do so, Szabelski said.
In Lafayette, Boudreaux said, a collaboration of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Catholic Service Centers and the (civil) parish led to the April 2012 interment of the cremated remains of 95 adults in a columbarium at the cathedral cemetery. The names of those interred are inscribed on plaques on the columbarium.
"I work a lot with the homeless and the poor, with people who have become disconnected from their families," Boudreaux said. "There is still value in their lives, and they are still made in the image and likeness of God. For me, it was just about the respect for life and honoring the dignity that we all have."
The plan going forward is to have a burial service for unclaimed bodies every November, she said. In addition, the cemetery recently moved the remains of several unborn babies from a temporary mausoleum to a tomb that will be set aside just for them. The remains of children who die before birth, or very shortly afterward, can be entombed there for the cost of opening and closing the tomb, or free of charge if paying would be a financial hardship.
In the 2012 interment, Lafayette Bishop Michael Jarrell presided at a prayer service. In Chicago, Cardinal George has made a point of attending the interfaith prayer services and burials at Mount Olivet whenever possible.
Clearing the backlog
So far, Mount Olivet has become the final resting place of 380 people — including 123 adults and the remains of 257 unborn children, in a total of 135 graves. The unborn babies are buried in separate compartments in plain caskets, several to each grave. Catholic Cemeteries will continue the burials until the 300 graves are used up.
"The offer was really made to help them clear up the backlog," Szabelski said.
In the burial services that have taken place so far, family members of a handful of the deceased — both adults and unborn babies — have attended the services.
For others, no family can be found. Sometimes the county cannot even provide a real name, instead recording the nicknames the deceased were known by on the street. "Sometimes it just says, 'known as Lefty,'" Szabelski said.
An outreach program
While Mount Olivet could have accommodated the county had it asked for all 300 graves at once, splitting them up has made the logistics easier, Szabelski said.
But the graves that Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Chicago provides to Cook County free of charge are not the only outreach the organization provides for those unable to afford burial; it also provides about 300 graves each year to Catholic families working through Catholic Charities, Szabelski told OSV.
"That's the more usual way it happens," he said. "Almost every diocese has some sort of outreach program."
For example, Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services of the Archdiocese of Detroit has its Mother Teresa Fund, which uses donations to pay for funeral and burial services for people who are indigent, or to help those who need financial assistance, said Robert Wilinski, a family services counselor. The help is available to people of any faith.
The Archdiocese of Detroit's cemetery services also will provide, at no charge, the "dignified committal" of cremated remains that people might have in their homes, and be considering scattering or disposing of in some other way, Wilinski said.
Michelle Martin writes from Illinois.
Copyright © 1996-2018 Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.


text:
Hey Guest, why not associate your steam account with your forum account? It makes life a lot easier, just click here!
Hey Guest, HG's TTT server changed IP! Make sure to check out the new server at ttt.harpoon.tf or check it out here!Dismiss Notice
Application Declined Recon John's All-Trade Administrator (18+) Application
Discussion in 'Archived Staff Applications' started by Recon John, May 20, 2018.
- Thread Status:
- Not open for further replies.
- Thread Status:
- Not open for further replies.


text:
Tommy Haas back in Wimbledon 3rd round at age 35
Jun. 28, 2013
LONDON (AP) — With all the men playing under the U.S. flag out before the third round, there's still one legitimate American man left in the draw at Wimbledon.
Playing some of the best tennis of his career at age 35, Tommy Haas — who has dual German-American citizenship — reached the third round for the first time since 2009, beating 151st-ranked qualifier Jimmy Wang of Taiwan 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 on Friday.
Asked whether he'd be comfortable being identified as the last American standing, Haas smiled and said: "You can write that, sure. That's fine with me."
The 13th-seeded Haas had considered playing as an American — and briefly even had the ATP website list him as an American when he first became a U.S. citizen in January 2010 — but then decided to remain loyal to Germany.
"If you had a German-American flag, I would represent that flag but it doesn't exist," Haas said. "In the long run I played for Germany for too long."
The 13th-seeded Haas never faced a break point Friday and will face Feliciano Lopez on Saturday.
"He is obviously feeling pretty good, no question about it, winning in Eastbourne," Haas said about Lopez. "He's been in the quarters here three times in his career. I'm going to have to play extremely well to have a chance to win that match."
Haas reached the Wimbledon semifinals four years ago but missed the grass-court tournament in 2010 because of a hip injury, one of a long series of health problems that sidelined him at various points.
"I'm so tired of talking about my injuries, to be honest," Haas said. "It's like I'm healthy right now. I'm playing good tennis right now."
He lost in the first round at the All England Club in 2011 and 2012. This month, Haas became the oldest French Open quarterfinalist since 1971.
"Yes, I'm 35," he said. "There's nothing I can do about it. I'm later in my career. These are all things that don't matter when you get out there."


text:
By Keith Coffman
DENVER (Reuters) - A judge overseeing the Colorado movie theater massacre case appointed an evaluator on Tuesday to conduct a second sanity examination of accused gunman James Holmes after earlier ruling a first evaluation to be "incomplete and inadequate."
Arapahoe County District Court Judge Carlos Samour, in a written ruling, approved the selection by the state mental hospital of the new examiner, whose name was redacted in the order.
Holmes has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murder and attempted murder charges linked to the 2012 shooting during a viewing of a Batman film in a suburban Denver cinema that killed 12 moviegoers and injured 70 others. Prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty if Holmes is convicted.
Defense lawyers concede that the 26-year-old former neuroscience doctoral student was the sole gunman, but said he suffers from a chronic mental illness and was psychotic at the time of the rampage.
After invoking the insanity defense, Holmes underwent a first sanity examination last summer. It was disclosed in court in December that the exam concluded Holmes was mentally fit, or competent, to stand trial, meaning he was capable of understanding the proceedings and assisting in his defense.
The original exam's finding as to his sanity at the time of the massacre has not been publicly revealed, but prosecutors sought the second evaluation after what they said were "numerous deficiencies" in the report by forensic psychiatrist Jeffrey Metzner.
Samour agreed with prosecutors and ordered the second evaluation following a series of closed-door hearings in January. The second evaluation must be submitted to the court by July 11, Samour ruled.
The second court-ordered exam will focus on Holmes' state of mind at the time of the killings, not on his competency to stand trial. The trial date has been postponed twice as legal issues have been litigated, and is now set to begin on October 14.
(Editing by Cynthia Johnston and G Crosse)


text:
Performance / Music
FREE HOLIDAY CONCERT The Washington Square Music Festival moves inside for a special holiday performance entitled "Keyboards and Strings." The evening will feature harpsichordist Kenneth Cooper and pianist David Oei with the Festive String Ensemble. Victoria Bond, pictured above, is a Village resident and will recite the texts for her "Peculiar Plants." Special guest singers, Ulla Westlund and Laila Maria Salins, will also perform. Fri., Dec. 1 at 8pm. St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, 371 6th Ave. Free. 212-252-3621.
Amato Opera, 319 Bowery, corner of 2nd St., 212-228-8200, www.amato.org: RIGOLETTO, In Italian by Verdi. Fridays, Saturday & Sundays, thru Nov. 26. Tickets are $35, $28 students, children & seniors.
Cornelia Street Cafe, 29 Cornelia St., bet W. 4th St. & Bleecker, 212-989-9319, www.corneliastreetcafe.com: LIVE PERFORMANCES Nightly. Call or check the website for more information.
Greenwich House Music School, Renee Weiler Concert Hall, 46 Barrow St., 1 block west of Bleecker, 212-242-4770: KEYS TO THE FUTURE, Features 27 recent works, including 10 premieres, by contemporary classical masters and emerging composers along with jazz, world and pop talents. Thru Nov. 9 at 8pm. RANDALL WOOLF & KATHY SUPOVE, Hear this piano and turntable duo perform live. Thurs., Nov. 30 at 8pm. Both shows are $15, $10 students & seniors.
Greenwich Village Bistro, 13 Carmine St.; 212-206-9777: WHIRLED MUSIC, Series presents artists performing Jazz, Blues, New Soul, Bluegrass and more. Takes place nightly. No cover.
Greenwich Village Orchestra, Hear a Concerto Fantasy for two timpanists and orchestra and a Festive Overture. Sun., Nov. 19 at 7:30pm. NYU SKIRBALL CENTER, 566 LaGuardia Pl. $15. 212-279-4200. www.skirballcenter.nyu.edu.
Hansel and Gretel, The Lower East Side Tenement Museum and the New York City Opera are teaming up to offer memberships at the museum and tickets to the operatic performance of Hansel and Gretel. The story relocates the children's cottage to a Lower East Side tenement. For more information, visit www.tenement.org or www.nycopera.com.
Helen's Hideaway Room, 169 8th Ave., bet 18th & 19th Sts., 212-206-0609: CYNTHIA CRANE, Village resident Cynthia Crane will perform live. Sat., Nov. 11 at 7pm; Thurs., Nov. 16 at 7pm. $12 plus $15 minimum purchase.
St. Mark's Church, 131 E. 10th St. at 2nd Ave., 212-477-1594: A TOAST TO THE STEINS, Mimi Stern-Wolfe's Downtown Music Production returns for its fourth annual "East Village Concert Series." Sun., Nov. 12 at 3pm. $15, $10 students & seniors.
Third Street Music School Settlement, 235 E. 11th St.; 212-777-3240: FACULTY ARTIST SERIES, Fridays at 7:30pm. Free admission
Email our editor
View our previous issues
Report Distribution Problems
The Villager is published by
Community Media LLC.
145 Sixth Avenue, New York, NY 10013
Phone: (212) 229-1890 Fax: (212) 229-2790
Advertising: (646) 452-2465 © 2006 Community Media, LLC
Email: email@example.com
Written permission of the publisher must be obtainedbefore any of the contents of this newspaper, in whole or in part, can be reproduced or redistributed.


text:
Rep. George Nethercutt, R-Wash., was one of three congressmen who were part of a delegation of farmers and rice industry leaders that toured Cuba and sat down with President Fidel Castro to discuss trade issues. The trip was sponsored by the USA Rice Federation.
While no sales agreements were concluded, Nethercutt and USA Rice Federation Chairman David Van Oss called the tour and meetings productive.
"It hasn't happened yet, but I am more optimistic than I was two days ago," said Nethercutt, referring to sales of U.S. rice. "Last year we took steps to lift the sanctions on sales of food and medicine. We are looking to Cuba now to make a bold step."
Nethercutt co-authored the legislation with Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo., who also was part of the delegation. The third congressman making the trip was Rep. William Delahunt, D-Mass.
"Our objective in Havana was to reopen the Cuban market for American rice farmers," said Van Oss. "We made a strong case and they were receptive. Now we need to push ahead to secure sales for U.S. rice growers, a critical step for permitting further trade sanctions reform on Capitol Hill.
"It has been 40 years since we had access to the Cuban market. It takes time to rebuild relationships and reopen the market. "
Until 1962, Cuba was the top export market for U.S. rice. Trade sanctions imposed that year have cost American rice farmers an estimated $3 billion. A recent U.S. International Trade Commission report estimates that U.S. rice exports to Cuba could total nearly $60 million annually.
Last year Congress made an historic change in its policy regarding trade with Cuba by passing trade sanction reforms that allow food and medical exports under certain conditions. Since then U.S. commodity groups have worked to re-establish trade with the Caribbean nation.
John King III, an Arkansas rice producer and member of the delegation, said the Cuban market is vital to the American farmer.
"We need as many customers as we can get," said King. "American agriculture is in a crisis. Re-establishing exports to Cuba would certainly help our situation."
According to Van Oss, the delegation that traveled to Cuba delivered a strong message that American producers will work hard to overcome existing trade barriers.
"The fact that we had growers, industry leaders, and congressional representatives working together showed the Cubans that we are serious about trade," said Van Oss. "I appreciate the efforts of the delegation, especially the members of Congress who joined us, and of all those who are working to open Cuba to American rice."
USA Rice is a federation of U.S. rice producers, millers and allied businesses working together to address common challenges, advocate collective interests, and create opportunities to strengthen the long-term economic viability of the industry. USA Rice members are active in all major rice-producing states: Arkansas, California, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas. The U.S. Rice Producers' Group, Rice Millers' Association, and the USA Rice Council are charter members of the USA Rice Federation.


text:
Ok, I got some new Scuba gear... and I'm heading to the Keys. As you have noticed, I've been doing some underwater shooting here lately, but now its time for some open water. I cant wait to get there. Of course, I just had to model in my nice little lycra suit and gear for you first. I hope you like it. When I'm in the keys we will be doing some underwater sex video about 25 feet down with all of the fish and coral. Stay tuned...
Click Here To See More Of My Hot Water Adventures!
Check out the Babes of Aziani.com
Webmasters post this Amber At Home Photo Gallery on your site


text:
With all the Thanksgiving hubbub that went on over the past few days, I figured I'd wait to post my very important weekly update on Nintendo's downloadable games. Also, I was lazy. (Also, I forgot to do it on Thursday.) In any case, we've got four new 3DS and DSi titles, so check 'em out here.
First up is Crashmo on the 3DS eShop. The game is priced at $8.99 and features block-pushing gameplay akin to its successful predecessor Pushmo. There's also Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link for $4.99, and really, that's just a lovely and criminally underrated game.
DSiWare's got two games of its own, though they seem very similar. You can get Spirit Hunters Inc: Light and Spirit Hunters Inc: Shadow for 800 DSi Points ($7.99 on the eShop) each and capture critters through the wonders of augmented reality. These games almost seem like the capture sequences in Denpa Men.
Want to talk about indie games, Kirby, or cheap pizza? Follow me on Twitter @dr_davidsanchez.
Via: What was downloadable last week, Nintendo? 11/22/2012


text:
: : :
home FARMAGAS: : :
About FarmagasThe FARMAGAS-project, which is co-funded by the European Commission within the IEE-programme (Intelligent Energy Europe) and started in June 2009, aims to promote the widespreading of anaerobic digestion and biogas production in specific high-potential countries, Poland, Romania, Hungary, by know-how dissemination and knowledge transfer. The project will run for 12 months and it´s major goal is to enhance the use of anaerobic digestion of agricultural wastes in European farms.
FARMAGAS is mainly based on the results of the successfully finished collective research project AGROBIOGAS, funded by the 6th European Framework Programme. This AGROBIOGAS-project provided information, tools, guidelines and databases to farmers about the potential of their agricultural wastes and different crops to produce biogas. As the dissemination and exploitation activities carried out in AGROBIOGAS were not covering some of the high-potential regions for biogas in Europe (Romania, Hungary and Poland), a group of key partners of AGROBIOGAS and interested farmers associations from this key countries form the consortium of FARMAGAS. These key countries are all characterized by a strong or even dominating agricultural sector whereas biogas-production is among the lowest in Europe. Using the existing infrastructure and training facilities of the farmers association, training and dissemination activities will be performed in order to promote anaerobic digestion as a way of treating agricultural waste, and to eliminate barriers that obstruct biogas development. Agricultural wastes can be methanised either in small agricultural units or in centralized co-digestion plants, therefore dissemination activities will also promote the formation of biogas energy clusters among farmers. The results obtained will be strongly disseminated in regions of these countries and even in EU countries with similar characteristics. Via encouraging the widespreading of anaerobic digestion FARMAGAS will help to convert a disposal problem of agricultural residues into a source of income.


text:
|2007-11-14, 13:15
|Link #42
Ten oorlog!
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: 70° to your left.
Age: 26
Now for my shizz, I know many more by the way.
"Since love and fear can hardly coexist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved." - Niccolò Machiavelli
"Drink is the curse of the land. It makes you fight with your neighbour. It makes you shoot at your landlord and it makes you miss him." - Irish proverb
|2007-11-15, 01:52
|Link #45
Join Date: Nov 2007
"Warning: If you are reading this then this warning is for you. Every word you read of this useless fine print is another second off your life. Don't you have other things to do? Is your life so empty that you honestly can't think of a better way to spend these moments? Or are you so impressed with authority that you give respect and credence to all that claim it? Do you read everything you're supposed to read? Do you think every thing you're supposed to think? Buy what you're told to want? Get out of your apartment. Meet a member of the opposite sex. Stop the excessive shopping and masturbation. Quit your job. Start a fight. Prove you're alive. If you don't claim your humanity you will become a statistic. You have been warned."
...Yeah, I just rewatched Fight Club. So good.
|2007-11-15, 05:13
|Link #47
Join Date: Mar 2006
All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring; renewed shall be blade that was broken, the crownless again shall be king.
|2007-11-15, 22:59
|Link #50
We want chicken tonight
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Melbourne - Australia
Age: 27
"Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead. Its from the Nickelback video If Everyone Cared
|2007-11-16, 00:54
|Link #51
Romance addict
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Calgary, AB
"He who fights too long against dragons becomes a dragon himself; and if you gaze too long into the abyss, the abyss will gaze into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche
This one's a favorite:
"I would rather live and love where death is king than have eternal life where love is not." - Robert G. Ingersoll
|2007-11-16, 14:18
|Link #53
Gundam Boobs and Boom FTW
Join Date: Dec 2005
|2007-11-16, 14:21
|Link #54
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Edinburgh
Age: 36
"You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? Then who the hell else are you talkin' to? You talkin' to me? Well I'm the only one here. Who the fuck do you think you're talking to?" - Travis/Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver
"You have the right to free Speech as long as you're not dumb enough to actually try it." - Joe Strummer/The Clash lyrics to Know your rights
|2007-11-16, 20:04
|Link #57
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: middle of nowhere, Virginia
Age: 31
He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.
(Wer mit Ungeheuern kämpft, mag zusehn, dass er nicht dabei zum Ungeheuer wird. Und wenn du lange in einen Abgrund blickst, blickt der Abgrund auch in dich hinein.)
--Nietzsche aphorism, taken from Jenseits von Gut und Böse (Beyond Good and Evil)
|2007-11-16, 20:15
|Link #58
Witch of Betrayal
Join Date: Jan 2006
Reminds me of Baldur's Gate..
"Magic is impressive, but Minsc leads now! Swords for everyone!"
"I won't cry for the dead! I won't! Well, maybe a little... but I will staunch the tears with righteous fury!"
"Give a man a fish and he feeds himself for a day, give a man a sword and he can chow down on the meaty marrow of evil!"
Lovely man.
|2007-11-16, 20:42
|Link #59
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Wherever life takes me.
"Every passing hour brings the Solar System forty-three thousand miles closer to Globular Cluster M13 in Hercules — and still there are some misfits who insist that there is no such thing as progress. "
"There is no reason why good cannot triumph as often as evil. The triumph of anything is a matter of organization. If there are such things as angels, I hope that they are organized along the lines of the Mafia."
"Sometimes I think it is a great mistake to have matter that can think and feel. It complains so. By the same token, though, I suppose that boulders and mountains and moons could be accused of being a little too phlegmatic"
"Take Care of the People, and God Almighty Will Take Care of Himself"
"Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you've got about a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies — "God damn it, you've got to be kind." "
"Pretend to be good always, and even God will be fooled"
"I was on par with the Creator of the Universe there in the dark in the cocktail lounge. I shrunk the Universe to a ball exactly one light-year in diameter. I had it explode. I had it disperse itself again.
Ask me a question, any question. How old is the Universe? It is one half-second old, but the half-second has lasted one quintillion years so far. Who created it? Nobody created it. It has always been here.
What is time? It is a serpent which eats its tail, like this:
This is the snake which uncoiled itself long enough to offer Eve the apple, which looked like this:
What was the apple which Eve and Adam ate? It was the Creator of the Universe.
And so on.
Symbols can be so beautiful, sometimes. "
"I still believe that peace and plenty and happiness can be worked out some way. I am a fool. "
"Who is more to be pitied, a writer bound and gagged by policemen or one living in perfect freedom who has nothing more to say? "
Dammit, I could go on and on and on and on and on and on and on. Those are all quotes from Kurt Vonneguts books.
|2007-11-16, 23:43
|Link #60
Join Date: Mar 2006
Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for a night, set a man on fire and he'll be warm the rest of his life.
|Thread Tools


text:
The Gridley High Lady Bulldogs were welcomed with style by the Bulldogs Friday night at Farmers Hall before their game against Winters. The Lady Bulldogs lost this particular game but they have had a great season. (Photo by Lisa Van De Hey)
A sluggish first half and foul trouble led to another defeat for the Lady Bulldogs on Gridley's Senior Night. Coach Becca McCray started five seniors on Friday—four of which were in foul trouble in the first half.
McCray said her defense wasn't quite aggressive enough to stop the Warriors on Senior Night. The Lady Bulldogs picked up their intensity after the break, but it was too little too late. McCray noted that the end of game result would have been much different if the girls played the first half like they did in the second.
The Lady Bulldogs allowed Winters' Bailey Overman to score 31 points—more than half of the Warriors' total points.
Ashtyn MacFarlane picked up a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Elizabeth Osbourn also had 13 points along with four rebounds, two steals and one blocked shot. Alexa Garcia finished with nine points, six rebounds, two assists, and three steals.
Earlier in the week, it was again foul trouble and a slow first half resulted in a loss for the Lady Bulldogs. Catherine Roman led Gridley (8-15, 3-3) with 11 points. Madison Mardesich scored seven and Alexa Garcia and Vanessa Ramirez each scored six.


text:
Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK) sells Computer Aided Design (CAD) software, which is used by engineers and architects to mock up designs for products and buildings. While Autodesk's competitors sell advanced software with a $10,000 price tag to niche audiences, Autodesks's "AutoCAD" sells for a relatively modest $4,000, making it the de facto standard with 85% market share. The software's price means AutoCAD is the only option for smaller firms - a market the company's competitors have only recently begun to target.
Autodesk's large customer base (at 85% market share more than 8 million AutoCAD users) is itself a competitive advantage. CAD software is technical and tricky to learn, and therefore switching costs are high. As the defacto standard, most new professionals who need to use CAD software learn AutoCAD. This represents an enormous advantage for ADSK, as competitors will find it difficult to break through this standard.
The company has grown revenues by convincing customers to switch to a subcription model for AutoCAD software. In this model, customers get automatic updates and new features in exchange for a recurring fee. The model is much more profitable for Autodesk - only 22% of Autodesk's customers buy software in this way, but they account for nearly half of the revenues.
Since 2003, Autodesk has shown constant growth in their revenues and kept the same hold on the market. AutoCad happens to be the standard in the market, primarily because it takes time to unlearn the design software and learn a new standard. Moreover, Autodesk has traditionally focused on the mid market segment,the largest segment in the market, whereas their nearest competitors have been focusing on the higher end segment. The company has focused on converting their customers to a subscription plan as well, so that they can make more revenue per client.
Autodesk is trying to increase the adoption of "next generation" 3D software products as compared to the 2D market. It recognizes that the 3-D segment would be a key driver for growth for the company in the future. This would definitely provide Autodesk with the opportunity to up-sell its massive 2-D installed base into higher average sales price (ASP) 3-D software and to boost growth.
Competitors in 2-D CAD are quite small, with none exerting significant independent threats to Autodesk's position. AutoCad and AutoCad LT continuously drive up the sales for the company. They are touted to be the "crown jewels" of Autodesk, accounting for approximately 44% of revenue and 36% of licensing revenue last fiscal year. Until now, the products have doing well in the market. However, an increasing focus on this segment by their competitors, namely UGS who is commoditizing its 2-D software and allowing users to download it online, highlights a trend that might catch on in the future, and prove harmful to Autodesk.
One of the major problems faced by many IP holding companies is the issue of their products being copied and being sold for a cheaper price in the markets, more so in the developing world(see concept: China's Piracy & Counterfeiting Problems). Since the country is unable to safeguard the Intellectual Property rights of many companies, Autodesk happens to be one of those to be hit by such infractions as imitators come up with cheaper versions of their products.
Autodesk has become increasingly subject to the risks arising from adverse changes in domestic and global economic and political conditions. As economic growth in the United States and other countries slows down, many customers may delay or reduce technology purchases. Since Autodesk controls a lions share of the market, they would be more prone to the market changes in US.
Autodesk controls over 85% of the market, primarily because of the fact their competitors have been focusing on a more premium market segment. Recently, Dassault and UGS have made forays into the mainstream or mid-market with product level CAD software selling in the $4,000-$5,000 per seat range, which is Autodesk's core market.
A comparison of the sales of CAD units for the main competitors portrays Autodesk's position in the market. Competitors in 2-D CAD are quite small, with none exerting significant independent threats to Autodesk's position.
However, one of the main development in this market has been, UGS (Siemens) has indicated that there have been over 33,000 downloads of the Solid Edge 2- D drafting tool in the four months since its introduction. While the number of downloads does not pose any major threat, UGS's decision reflects a belief by some that basic 2-D tools will become commoditized and could be given away for free in an effort to help drive 3-D adoption.


text:
SOURCE: Wyndham Hotel Group
February 20, 2013 09:00 ET
Deal Brings First Wyndham-Branded Hotels to Germany; Majority of Properties Located in Key German Cities; Branding of First 33 Locations to Start by 1 March 2013
Deal Brings First Wyndham-Branded Hotels to Germany; Majority of Properties Located in Key German Cities; Branding of First 33 Locations to Start by 1 March 2013
BERLIN--(Marketwire - Feb 20, 2013) - Grand City Hotels, Germany's second largest hotel management company, has entered into a strategic partnership with Wyndham Hotel Group, the world's largest hotel company with over 7,340 hotels and part of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN), to brand 43 hotels and over 5,400 rooms under globally recognized Wyndham Hotel Group brand names.
Under this agreement, a third of the extensive Grand City Hotel portfolio of 120 hotels will be affiliated with Wyndham Hotel Group under the Wyndham Grand® (5 properties), Wyndham® (3 properties), Wyndham Garden® (10 properties), TRYP by Wyndham(SM) (17 properties) and Days Inn® (8 properties) flags. By 1 March 2013, the first 33 of the 43 selected locations will be rebranded. The remaining hotels will follow over the next two years.
With this deal, Wyndham Hotel Group is not only introducing the Wyndham brand in Germany but is also launching the Wyndham Garden tier in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region (EMEA) and the TRYP by Wyndham brand in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Christian Windfuhr, chief executive officer, Grand City Hotels, described this new alliance as "the greatest restructuring in our corporate history to date."
"We are more than convinced by Wyndham Hotel Group's competence, capability and brand image and also believe, looking at the extent of the agreement, we can facilitate a strong and successful entry to the German hotel market for our new partner," said Windfuhr.
All of the hotels are located in Germany with the exception of two, which will become TRYP by Wyndham properties in Antwerp, Belgium, and in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Wyndham Hotel Group, which currently has 54 properties in Germany, will have 95 in the country once all hotels rebrand. Wyndham Hotel Group will have 43 Ramada®, 26 TRYP by Wyndham, 18 Wyndham and 8 Days Inn hotels in its portfolio in Germany. It will also have a total of five hotels in Belgium and three properties in the Netherlands.
"This is, without a doubt, one of the most significant moves we have made to bring our family of lodging brands to Germany, currently one of the strongest markets in Europe," said Eric Danziger, Wyndham Hotel Group president and CEO. "We are very excited to partner with Grand City Hotels and honored to fly our brand flags on the quality hotels that will now be part of our Wyndham family. We will build on this momentum and expect to experience continued development in the country and throughout the rest of the EMEA region."
About Grand City Hotels
Grand City Hotels is one of the leading hotel management companies in Europe. With over 120 hotels in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, Hungary and Cyprus, Grand City Hotels ranks as one of the leading hotel management companies in Europe. Grand City has more than 13,000 hotel rooms at its disposal and welcomes more than three million guests annually. All the hotels are operated by Grand City and marketed under both its own "Grand City Hotel" brand or such renowned brands as Radisson Blu, Best Western, Mercure, and Holiday Inn. The scope of Grand City's management activities covers general management, sales and marketing, e-commerce, revenue management, purchasing, controlling and business development including hotel finance and acquisitions. The latest TREUGAST Investment Ranking lists Grand City Hotels at "AA." Further information on the hotel portfolio is available from www.grandcityhotels.com.
Grand City Hotels at the ITB in Berlin: 6-10 March 2013, Hall 10.1, Stand 116A/B
Pictorial Material: This press release along with pictorial material on Grand City Hotels can be ordered from email@example.com.
Address: Grand City Hotels GmbH, Kurfürstendamm 207 208, D-10719 Berlin, Germany. Telephone: (+49/30) 88 70 88-0, Fax: (+49/30) 88 70 88-111, Email: firstname.lastname@example.com, www.grandcityhotels.com
About Wyndham Hotel Group
Wyndham Hotel Group, part of the Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) family of companies, is the world's largest hotel company with over 7,340 hotels and approximately 627,440 rooms in 66 countries under the hotel brands: Wyndham® Hotels and Resorts, Ramada®, Days Inn®, Super 8®, Wingate by Wyndham®, Baymont Inn & Suites®, Microtel Inn & Suites® by Wyndham, Hawthorn Suites® by Wyndham, TRYP by Wyndham(SM), Howard Johnson®, Travelodge® and Knights Inn®. In addition, the company has license agreements to franchise the Planet Hollywood Hotels, Dream® and Night® brands and provide management services globally.
All hotels are independently owned and operated excluding certain Wyndham, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham and TRYP by Wyndham hotels, as well as certain international Ramada, Days Inn and Super 8 hotels, which may be managed by one of the affiliates of Wyndham Hotel Group.
Wyndham Rewards®, the guest loyalty program of Wyndham Hotel Group, is the world's largest lodging loyalty program as measured by number of participating hotels and offers more than seven million active members the chance to earn and redeem points for stays at nearly 7,000 hotels throughout more than 50 countries worldwide. In addition to free stays, members may redeem their points for hundreds of reward options. For more information, visit www.wyndhamrewards.com.
Wyndham Hotel Group is based in Parsippany, N.J. Additional information is available at www.wyndhamworldwide.com. For more information about hotel franchising opportunities visit www.whgdevelopment.com.
CONTACT:Christine Da Silva
Vice President, Marketing Communications
Wyndham Hotel Group
22 Sylvan Way
Parsippany, NJ 07054+1 (973) email@example.com
Sabine Dachert
max PR
Berliner Strasse 17
D-61348 Bad Homburg, Germany
Telephone: (+49/6172) 12 33 52
Fax: (+49/6172) 12 33 firstname.lastname@example.com
CONTACT:Christine Da Silva
Vice President, Marketing Communications
Wyndham Hotel Group
22 Sylvan Way
Parsippany, NJ 07054+1 (973) email@example.com
Sabine Dachert
max PR
Berliner Strasse 17
D-61348 Bad Homburg, Germany
Telephone: (+49/6172) 12 33 52
Fax: (+49/6172) 12 33 firstname.lastname@example.com
See all RSS Newsfeeds


text:
Meet thousands of Livonia singles through one of the best Livonia online dating sites. Matchmaker.com has great instant messenger and live video Livonia chat service for our members. Livonia dating has never been easier with our show interest feature that will allow you to break the ice with attractive local singles.
Matchmaker.com has some great services for Livonia singles looking for a longer term relationship. Besides our great Livonia chat product with live video matchmaker users can send email messages to people in the area. The Livonia dating scene can be hard to find the right person at times; however, we are here to help and our Livonia online dating service is free to register.
LivoniaJoin Now Free!
Livonia Girls | Livonia Men | Livonia Gay | Livonia Lesbians
More Livonia Links:
Livonia Personals | Livonia Speed Dating | Livonia Chat | Livonia Singles | Livonia Love
Senior Dating | Catholic Dating | Christian Dating | Muslim Dating
Black Singles | Asian Singles | Latin Dating
Try our Livonia dating service today. Matchmaker.com is one of the oldest Livonia online dating services on the Internet and has brought thousands of couples together from the area. Test drive our Livonia Chat room with one of the best online communities for the Livonia single person. Also, keep in mind that we have a huge member base of Livonia singles and that we also cater to members of the many backgrounds.
Still not convinced that matchmaker is the free Livonia dating service for you? Once you've filled out the quick registration process you will be to see full size photos and profiles of thousands of Livonia singles. Did you know that free Livonia dating is a few clicks away? Find love and romance in Livonia at matchmaker today!