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General University Experts
Earthquake and Tsunami Experts
Impact of "Wildlife Trafficking Prevention Act"
Aging and Seniors Issues Experts
Eastern Oregon Land Use
BLM mares and burros research grant FAQs
Meningococcal disease in Corvallis
Resources for media covering the eclipse
For Faculty & Staff
Photos & Multimedia
Oregon State Productions
Online Services
Make a Gift
News Releases
RSS Feeds
For Journalists
Wildfire Experts
General University Experts
Earthquake and Tsunami Experts
Impact of "Wildlife Trafficking Prevention Act"
Aging and Seniors Issues Experts
Eastern Oregon Land Use
BLM mares and burros research grant FAQs
Meningococcal disease in Corvallis
Resources for media covering the eclipse
For Faculty & Staff
Photos & Multimedia
Oregon State Productions
All News Releases
$1 million pledge to boost University Honors College at OSU
Six Oregon students receive state and county fair 4-H scholarships
Starker Lectures field trip to explore ecosystem services
Portland multidisciplinary artist MK Guth speaks at OSU
Mom's Weekend, Spring Game, Pet Day and Fernhopper keep OSU hopping this weekend
Corvallis woman wins football T-shirt design contest
'Epigenetic' concepts offer new approach to degenerative disease
Bioethics pioneer examines the two sides of the medical profession
Self-regulation key to academic success for at-risk children
Orange Spotlight: Orchard View Farms embrace innovation, sustainability
Memorial lecture focuses on 'Community College: The Hopeful Enterprise'
Lower wages, lack of jobs means more Americans delaying "adulthood"
Historian explores 'communication revolution' of Civil War era, and what it means today
Award honors years of work by OSU Extension
Return of top predators is key to ecological future, author suggests
Oregon State student named Goldwater Scholar
OSU College of Engineering displays Baja, Formula and Mars cars in Portland
New international organization needed for global environmental monitoring
Oregon State Joint Service Review takes place April 30
New Kaiser Permanente director speaks on health care reform
OSU's Students in Free Enterprise group champion for region; off to nationals
Topography of mountains could complicate rates of global warming
OSU vet med students hosting food drive (and more) for needy pets
OSU College of Veterinary Medicine to host Pet Day on May 1
OSU students to host popular luau this Saturday
Advance made in "thin film" solar cell technology
OSU names budget and administrative services leaders to two critical positions
Lionfish invasion continuing to expand
NCAA certifies Oregon State University intercollegiate athletics program
Just the facts: Realities of Lane County Extension Service funding
OSU alum receives prestigious graduate fellowship
SharePoint training available for one day
OSU organic farmers to serve up food, music April 22
Israeli poster artist to speak at OSU
OSU scientist seeking underwater archaeology sites
National award to enhance undergraduate research experiences
Engineering alumni honored
2010 Alumni and Business Partner Awards set in Portland May 6
DNA suggests whale meat from sushi restaurants originated from Japan
Friend to OSU Al Reser passes away after lifetime of service, leadership
Symposium at OSU to examine "cultural memory"
Northwest college students invited to attend Family Business Student Conference
First CEO summit to be held May 6 in Portland
OSU student wins first place in national debate tournament
Oregon State Library will stay open weeknights during spring term
OSU Surimi School looks at new sources; healthy products
Editor of Ms. Magazine to speak on feminists and academia
Nobel Prize-winner Jody Williams to work with students, give talk at OSU for PeaceJam
OSU scientists to buzz undersea volcano with glider to collect samples
Historian to examine the scientific revolution as part of three-lecture series
OSU's JumpstART helps teens pursue love of art
Oregon State to be awarded "Tree Campus USA" status
Candidates named for Oregon Wine Research Institute directorship
Auditions set for student-directed plays
Forest epidemic is unprecedented phenomenon, still getting worse
Nat'l. Geo. editor to give climate change talk for McCall Memorial Lecture
Freeing Willy: OSU-led team uses novel cage to disentangle sea lion
Sexual Assault Awareness Month highlights prevention, education efforts at OSU
Students and aspiring entrepreneurs invited to 'pitch' business ideas for competition
OSU professor elected to head international transportation organization
Corvallis-based, award-winning poet presents new book at OSU
Tony Kushner's historical drama, 'A Bright Room Called Day" opens at OSU Theatre
Despite much-higher poverty rates, rural Oregonians use less public assistance
OSU Holocaust Memorial Week: learning from the past to change the future
Animal welfare and autism advocate Temple Grandin to speak at OSU
Tech innovator brings ideas on entrepreneurship to OSU
Author of best-selling book, 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,' comes to OSU
Columbia River jetties changed the face of the Pacific Northwest
OSU librarians can now respond to questions by text message
Internet rumor concerning OSU's Craig Robinson false, baseless
OSU to host gerontology conference April 8-9
New research on environmental health in homes offered in workshops
OSU to launch car-sharing initiative on campus
Iraqi video installation artist presents his work, gives lecture at OSU
OSU team performs historic rescue of entangled animal at Sea Lion Caves
FFA convention brings 2,400 to OSU for agricultural competition events, fun
OSU student wins State of Oregon Student Employee of the Year award
Speaker from Yale presents artistic depictions of physicians, health care
Air traffic control improvements offer enormous potential savings
OSU faculty ranked one of nation's best on RateMyProfessors.com
Fungi can change quickly, pass along infectious ability
Acclaimed American poet Jane Hirshfield to speak at OSU
Supply managers have more difficult job than ever: how to make everyone happy
Know a great business educator? Nominate them for Business Educator Award
OSU to begin construction on residence hall/education center
Pooch pacemakers? Canine cardiology gets a boost at OSU…
Limagrain recruits OSU wheat breeder
International speakers to present at Oregon Forage and Grassland Council meeting
OSU taking applications for middle school summer science camp
Researchers prepare for a new emerging pest
OSU forensics team to send two students to national tournament
Tale of two earthquakes offers lesson for other major cities
Noted environmental philosopher releases collection of essays, meditations
OSU Press launches new nature series
Despite lack of listing, sage grouse remains in decline
Coastal groups partner to address growing sea lion entanglement issue
Intense war news reduces ability to remember ads
Former Oregon State administrator speaks about history of women on campus
Free shipping, sales and product suggestions – these Web site details encourage spending
OSU's forensics team scores big wins in Gresham
Oregon teens to compete in annual Salmon Bowl competition
"Biological clock" could be a key to better health, longer life
Chilean quake, tsunami provide grim reminder: We're not ready
Lessons from Chile: Tsunami science, sociology have a ways to go
OSU earthquake/tsunami experts monitoring events in Chile, here
Beyond computerized chess – teaching computers more complex strategies
Invitational art exhibit has gardening theme
OSU appoints Spatafora as faculty athletics representative
OSU Multicultural scholars get a boost from USDA
HMSC volunteers to blog on NOAA research cruise
Oregon State's Valley Library offers e-book readers to patrons
OSU holds symposium on women leaders
OSU's Russian Troupe performs social commentary play March 6, 7
More frequent fires could aid ecosystems
"GREEN House" to link environmental monitoring, research with residential needs
2010 Starker Lectures to explore ecosystem services
National survey of colleges reveals importance of branding, creating community
Absolute humidity, temperature anomalies tied to seasonal outbreaks of influenza
Scientists find evidence suggesting herding behavior in sperm whales
Absolute humidity, dry conditions tied to seasonal outbreaks of influenza
Alaskan spelunker speaks about exploring and conserving caves
OSU groups offer music and food at "Soul Food Cafe" celebration
Oregon State trains graduate students to be better TAs
OSU Women's Center director has award named in her honor
Oregon Tilth partners with OSU to help organic farmers
New Spring Creek Café kicks off with discussion of climate change ethics
OSU's forensics team takes individual awards at tournament in Tacoma
OSU researchers and Corvallis physician publish new book on childhood wellness
Free trade, loss of support systems crippling food production in Africa
Important 2009 tax tips for Oregonians from OSU experts
Educator recognized for math education
OSU researcher receives prestigious "early career research" award
Speaker asks, 'Did Obama deserve the Nobel Prize?'
Paintings of Dutch painter Vermeer linked to globalization in lecture
Producer, an OSU grad, to show acclaimed documentary at OSU on Feb. 19
OSU veterinary medicine researchers to be inducted into Greyhound Hall of Fame
Delaney to present inaugural lecture commemorating hydrothermal vents discovery
New study finds surprisingly high rate of steelhead mortality in estuary
Robotics competition held at OSU
New genome sequence will aid study of important food, fuel crops
Business students raise funds for Haiti, learn value of 'blitz project'
OSU receives $1 million gift for hops breeding and chemistry research
OSU report: Oregon's 2009 ag sales post biggest fall in at least 33 years
Study challenges bird-from-dinosaur theory of evolution – was it the other way around?
Films putting OSU's Marine Mammal Institute on the map
OSU's forensics team continues winning streak at Pacific University event
OSU students begin competition to reduce energy in campus buildings
Compound created at OSU could become important new antidepressant
Medford sets all-time high for January temperatures
Social Justice Conference to be held at Oregon State University
OSU 'Ecampus' continues rapid growth, thanks to new programs
Historian explores results of 'The War on Welfare' in new book
Oregon Sea Grant delivers federal dollars for ocean research, outreach efforts
Study: School-based prevention program improves academics; reduces problem behavior
Novelist Debra Spark to visit OSU
Oscar Wilde's romantic comedy, "An Ideal Husband," to open Feb. 11
Warm temperatures, low snowpack may spell trouble during El Niño year
Effects of forest fire on carbon, climate overestimated
Carrington, Frei named distinguished professors at OSU
Third speaker in the Horning Lecture Series scheduled for Feb. 11
Farmer and author to speak at OSU on Feb. 26
Registration opens for OSU's Feb. 27 farm conference
Parents' perceptions of their child's competence linked to physical activity
Campaign promotes healthy Latino beverages
Maximum height of extreme waves up dramatically in Pacific Northwest
Water hits and sticks: Findings challenge a century of assumptions about soil hydrology
Oregon State student, faculty honored for social justice work
OSU recognized at Portland silver-anniversary MLK celebration with 'Best Equity Award'
High-speed treadmill gives OSU improved ability to treat horses
High-speed treadmill gives OSU improved ability to treat horses
OSU president to deliver 'State of the University' address at Business Roundtable, Jan. 20
Images from disasters can traumatize children – or educate them
Parks and recreation programs declining as obesity, health concerns rise
OSU hunts for dioxin substitutes to fight autoimmune diseases
Experts to discuss what programs improve school performance and reduce risky behavior
Guide gives information on saving trees during construction
Entrepreneurship, innovation honored at awards ceremony
Department of Design and Human Environment hosts career event for students
OSU conservation geneticist has key role in documentary on whales
New study disputes conclusion about increase in Antarctic minke whales
Acclaimed nature writer Burroughs to speak at OSU
Forum to discuss religious-based medical neglect, faith healing
OSU geologist forecast enormous destruction of Haiti quake
Young entrepreneur and OSU grad offers tips to success
Speakers to debate marriage and same-sex unions
Auditions to be held for historical drama at OSU
Monitoring of high-risk medications unchanged despite FDA warnings
Public invited to observe lambing at OSU Sheep Center
'My Name is Rachel Corrie' to be presented at Majestic Theatre
Scientists advocate for more synthesis to provide "big picture" analysis
Solar research center may spur innovation, industry development in Oregon
Five new, short online videos discuss climate change at the Oregon coast
Lecture explores how the physical body shaped 1960s social movements
Cold War offered odd benefit – it limited species invasions
OSU names federal science leader as vice president for research
Oregon State to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with series of events
Exploring empathy, stress and first impressions at Science Pub
New test may help address costly parasite in sheep industry
OSU Power Up health challenge kickoff takes place Thursday
Pain management failing as fears of prescription drug abuse rise
Collage art exhibit opens Jan. 11 at Oregon State University
Safe ways to smoke fish at home
Researchers use novel "Phase 0" approach to show chlorophyll's effect
$1 million gift to OSU pushes campaign past $550 million
Cockroaches offer inspiration for running robots
Oregon Sea Grant, ODFW team up to offer two new resource fellowships
New strain of MRSA poses antibiotic resistance concerns
Housing growth near national parks may limit conservation value
Iraq offers opportunities and challenges for U.S. colleges of agricultural sciences
OSU historian named fellow of AAAS
Forty year pioneer of news services at OSU dies
Study: Home-based child care meeting nutritional standards; widespread use of TV a concern
Nature study: Hypoxia tends to increase as climate warms
Economic study shows Oregon's taxes below national average
OSU forensics team ends 2009 with impressive showing
Oregon State to sign dual-enrollment agreement with Kapi`olani Community College
OSU professor's book listed on NY Times Notable Books of 2009
Lower income women report more insurance-based discrimination during pregnancy, delivery
UO Law's Competition not Conflict teams up with university presidents and the UO Athletic Director
UO Law's Competition not Conflict teams up with university presidents and the UO Athletic Director
OSU researcher releases book on environmental struggles in China
Lead may provide new therapy for Lou Gehrig's disease
Civil War events kick off early Dec. 3 with rally at Pioneer Square
OSU fraternity to run benefit relay from Reser to Autzen
Talk on 'Where Does Our Food Come From?" held Tuesday, Dec. 1
OSU and UO students engage in energy-producing contest
Leading Darwin scholar to give free lecture at OSU on Monday
Analysis outlines impacts of climate change on western Oregon
OSU Extension evaluator Molly Engle receives service award
Photo exhibit celebrates Oregon food and agriculture
Multiple health concerns surface as winter, vitamin D deficiencies arrive
Competitive, trade-friendly nations weather volatile crop yields best, says OSU study
Updated 'Food for Oregon' Web site provides database of food resources
OSU Faculty Senate supports furlough program with overwhelming vote
In advance of Civil War, Portland's Morrison Bridge to be 'Powered by Orange,' Nov. 23-Dec. 3
OSU Library earns grants to support digitization of key pieces of Oregon history
Oregon Spatial Data Library launches in conjunction with national GIS Day
Report: Public wants slow, careful approach to wave energy
Films about food, food issues featured in OSU series
OSU hunger/food insecurity expert available to speak with media
Study links genetic variation to individual empathy, stress levels
Oregon 150's 'Activate Oregon' continues under OSU 4-H Youth Development Program
Accidental discovery produces durable new blue pigment
OSU study: Flooded farm fields help native fish species
Sea Grant shares in presidential award for coastal partnership
Oregon State University celebrates International Education Week
OSU forensics team takes first place in debate tournament
OSU groups offer music, dance and food at "Taste of the Mediterranean" celebration
OSU to rededicate Memorial Union, honor vets on Friday
Students, faculty and staff sought for Power Up Challenge
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Potterton Myson British Gas 40F2 Gas - Boiler Efficiency Ratings
Boiler Efficiency Rating
You can find out the energy efficiency of your boiler by checking its energy rating; you can do this now by selecting the make and model below.
A boiler's energy rating is an indicator of its efficiency when used within an average domestic household. It's a great benchmark for comparing new boilers and can help you work out how much money you could save on energy bills if you replaced your current boiler with a more efficient model.
For new boiler installations call British Gas Boilers on 0333 230 5216 for a no-obligation quote. Alternatively visit Boiler Guide to request quotes from independent local and regional heating engineers.
Potterton Myson British Gas 40F2 Efficiency
|SAP seasonal efficiency
|Rating band
|Potterton Myson Boilers
|British Gas 40F2
|Fuel Type
|Flue Type
|Fan Assisted
|Output (kW)
|8.79 - 11.72
|Boiler ID
|Manufactured From/To
|1999 - 2001
The Potterton Myson British Gas 40F2 is an 'E' rated boiler with an efficiency of 76.3%.
The British Gas 40F2 is a Non-Condensing Conventional boiler with a maximum power output of 11.72kw that uses Gas as its fuel source.
Being a 'E' rated boiler it would be worthwhile replacing it with a higher efficiency 'A' rated boiler.
Similar Potterton Myson Boilers to the British Gas 40F2
(Non-Condensing Gas Conventional)
Results ordered by efficiency. Some models may be obsolete.
- Potterton Myson Housewarmer 55 - 78.4% Efficient
- Potterton Myson Suprima 70 - 78.4% Efficient
- Potterton Myson Suprima 100 - 78.3% Efficient
- Potterton Myson Suprima 60 - 77.9% Efficient
- Potterton Myson Suprima 120 - 77.8% Efficient
Most Efficient Conventional Gas Boilers
- Baxi Solo 15 HE A - 91.3% Efficient
- Main 15 HE A - 91.3% Efficient
- Potterton Promax SL 15 - 91.3% Efficient
- Potterton Gold H 15 - 91.3% Efficient
- Baxi Megaflo System 15 HE A - 91.2% Efficient

subset: commoncrawl


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- No Fly Zone - is an Omega Motorsport Event operated by Tony Lopez (e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com). All inquiries regarding participation are to be sent to his e-mail. GermanBoost of course will assist with any questions. Tony lives in Bakersfield, California and this is an event with many participants knowing one another and just a group of automotive enthusiasts. No pretentious nonsense, this is an event for car guys. Spectators are not allowed. Participants, sponsors, and pit crews only.
Total run distance of the runway to be used for acceleration is 1/2 mile. Plenty of run off room for deceleration.
Pictures of some of the hardware attending as well as the quality of the airstrip tarmac are below. You will be happy to know the quality of this tarmac is MUCH higher than that which was seen at a recent airstrip event in California which was in poor condition with an incredible amount of dust making for potentially dangerous conditions for high powered cars as seen here: http://www.germanboost.com/content.p...-on-the-runway
As previously mentioned, the cost is $200 per vehicle and there are 100 spots. Spots are filling up fast and here is some of the hardware already registered to attend:
BimmerBoost.com will also be providing T-Shirts for the staff and shirts will be available to purchase for those in attendance. One of these two designs will be chosen:
Here are the further details on the event. Do not hesitate to post, e-mail, or PM with any questions:
Saturday March 2nd 2013Thank you for considering joining us for NO FLY ZONE, our very first airport roll race event!
Minter Field
201 Aviation Street Shafter, California
$200 per vehicle
Minter Field
201 Aviation Street Shafter, California
$200 per vehicle
- Sign ups will handled exclusively through this email address. Payment will be handled either in person via cash, check or money order, or, as in most instances, via PayPal.
PayPal payments will submitted to this same email address. Please be aware that there are TWO (2) different ways that PayPal lets you submit a payment. Either a PURCHASE, or as a GIFT. If submitting payment as a PURCHASE, please include $10 to cover the PayPal fees. A GIFT submission does not require any fees.
- When submitting payment, please list YEAR, MAKE, MODEL and estimated CRANK HORSEPOWER, and a 3-digit CAR I.D number in the free text box of the PayPal submission.
-The CAR I.D. number will be used as the identifying tag for your vehicle during registration and the event. .
- A spot is not reserved or issued until payment is submitted. Once payment is submitted and cleared, the event forms will be emailed to you. Please print and fill these forms out and bring them with you to the event. Included are a Self-Tech form, and a participant Waiver of Liability form.
- Each registered participant is allowed THREE (3) "pit crew members" to accompany them. The fee for these "pit crew members" will be $10 each. Each one will also have to print and fill out these forms, and bring them with them. Crew is asked to arrive along with the registered participant, even if in a seperate car or tow vehicle. This will help expedite the check in process, and ensure that only those that are expected to attend are there. This event is not open to the public, and we can not accommodate everyone that will want to come to watch. These not directly involved or accounted for in the above mentioned criteria, will NOT be allowed access to the event.
- A couple days before the event, a final reminder email will be sent out that will include final instructions, general rules and a running count of the cars attending.
As always, feel free to ask any and all questions you may have.
Tony Lopez
Omega Motorsport Events


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Practice writing the letter P in cursive
Trace the lowercase and uppercase versions of the letter P.
Circle all the words that begin the with consonant P.
All Kids Network is dedicated to providing fun and educational activities for parents and teachers to do with their kids. We have hundreds of kids craft ideas, kids worksheets, printable activities for kids and more.
© 2006-2018 All Kids Network, LLC All Rights Reserved. | Last Built Sun, 21 Jan 2018 17:53:07 GMT


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Varicella is the virus that causes chickenpox. Most cases of chickenpox are resolved in a week's time. However some cases can cause serious complications. Other infection may develop and the varicella virus can cause shingles later in life. Pregnant women and developing fetuses are also at higher risks for serious complications. The varicella vaccine given before exposure can decrease the chance of infection and decrease the severity of the illness if an infection does occur.
While vaccines are designed to be given before exposure, the Cochrane Library reviewed the benefit of getting the vaccine after a recent exposure. The review found that the vaccine may help reduce the risk of contracting chickenpox or decrease the severity of the disease in people that were exposed and previously unvaccinated.
About the Study
The systematic review assessed three trials with a total of 110 children. The children were healthy and had household contact with someone infected with varicella. Most of the children received the vaccine within three days of exposure but the trials did vary. On comparing exposed children that received the vaccine versus those that did not:
- Varicella developed in 23% of vaccinated vs. 78% of unvaccinated
- Moderate to severe varicella developed in 2% of vaccinated vs. 76% of unvaccinated
- Most vaccinated participants that developed varicella had mild disease, less than 50 lesions
Some of the studies had design flaws. One of the studies was of higher quality and found that the rate of the development of varicella was not significantly different between the two groups. However, it did find that the incidence of moderate to severe cases were reduced in the vaccinated group (4.5%) compared to the unvaccinated group (40%).
How Does This Affect You?
While there was a difference between the studies in the ability of the vaccine to prevent the infection after exposure, the review did suggest that the vaccine was effective in reducing the severity of the illness. The vaccination is best used before exposure but may be used as a preventative tool for unvaccinated household members that are exposed to varicella.
Talk to you doctor about a vaccine schedule for your child. If you have never been exposed to chickenpox nor received a vaccination, talk to your doctor about your options.
- Reviewer: Larissa J. Lucas, MD
- Review Date: 11/2008 -


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Hey all I'm literally brand new to posting on these forums. I've been following RR for awhile now and the Raps for years. I live in Florida and I work for my university basketball team.
I'd say be nice but I don't really expect that, nor will I probably give that! So give me your best arguing points and we'll see if I can bring some sense to these forums!


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Howard has been assured that he won't be traded.I still don't like the idea of taking on another bloated contract. Still like the idea of getting some youngs and build with what we have. LA needs to make a move to shore up their PF position and looks like maybe Howard won't be healthy the rest of the year and may not be a fit in LA , Houston would jump at the chance to lock him up or at the very least have the upper hand in resigning him next year.
We get 2 promising PF to add to the stable , and a servicable C for the rest of the year. See our salaries reduced by about 8 mil next year instead of going up 5m.
LA gets a PF in BArgs that should fit into the D'Antoni system as well as a rebounding big in Asik that doesn't demand the ball , throw in Morris and they are able to still play out the season and then move Gasol in the offseason for more pieces to fix the trainwreck that they are.
Houston gets their man Howard.....nuff said there.
Toronto looks like this after swaping Anderson to Utah for Tinsley and waiving Pietrus and Haddadi
Lowry / Tinsley / Lucas
DeRozan / Ross
Gay / Fields / Kleiza
Johnson / Jones / Montiejunas / Acy
JV / Gray / Aldrich
Come summer we can amnesty Kleiza , let Lucas and Aldrich go , try moving Montiejunas to C , Resign Tinsley and then will in the blanks with min contracts and keeping our salary under 65m.


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Macklemore and Ryan Lewis deliver The Heist Tour on Oct. 13 at the Vogue Theatre.
The duo are one of hip hop's hottest acts and they hail from just across the border in Seattle.
Expect some fresh new tunes as the pair are set to release their first full-length album this fall.
Tickets are $20 and go on sale at livenation.com, rogers.com/WBO, Zulu, Highlife and The Vogue box office or by phone at 604-569-1144 on July 20.


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CFPB Issues Final Mortgage Rules That Limit Originator Compensation
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released final mortgage rules Friday that restrict compensation for loan originators, prohibiting pay that is based on loan terms. However, the CFPB said in a release the final rule does not include a proposed clause that would have required lenders to offer a no points and/or fees mortgage if they were offering a mortgage with points.
"Before the financial crisis, many mortgage borrowers were steered towards risky and high-cost loans because it meant more money for the loan originator," said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. "These rules will hold loan originators more accountable by banning the incentives that led so many of them to direct consumers toward disaster."
The new rules prohibit compensation based on loan terms, meaning that loan originators can't be paid more if the consumer takes a loan with a higher interest rate, prepayment penalty, or higher fees.
Bonuses or higher pay for selling title insurance for a lender's affiliate is also banned. Originators also are prohibited from "dual compensation" in which they are paid by both the consumer and the creditor.
The new rule also requires that all loan originators, regardless of employer, meet the same character and fitness requirements, be screened for criminal backgrounds and undertake ongoing training about mortgage regulations.
The final rule also prohibits mandatory arbitration of disputes related to mortgage loans and the practice of increasing loan amounts to cover credit insurance premiums. While most of the final rule takes effect in January 2014, these two parts will take effect June 2013.
One item in the proposed rule that was scrapped for the final rule was a requirement that originators make available a loan option with no upfront discount points or origination fees, if they were making available one with upfront discount points or origination fees.
Once the rules take effect in January 2014, the CFPB said it will evaluate how they affect consumers' understanding of upfront charges and the decisions consumers make.
To help with compliance, the CFPB said it will, among other things, be publishing implementation guides, and, in coordination with other agencies, be releasing materials that help creditors and originators understand supervisory expectations.


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You have
to give Cupertino, California-based Apple Inc. (AAPL) points when it comes to
style. Not only does the company make some of slickest
packaged electronic devices in the industry, it also has diverse, but
consistently eye-catching
retail designs.
I. A New Home For Apple
CEO Steven P. Jobs, currently recuperating
on medical leave, took some time to present a new plan to the Cupertino
city council, which they posted video of on YouTube.
Currently, Apple has between 2,600 and 2,800 employees working at its Cupertino
headquarters (Mr. Jobs seemed a bit hazy as to the precise current number --
Apple is known for a high
burnout rate). But most of Apple's employees work at other office
buildings in the area.
"We're renting buildings... not very good buildings either... at an ever
greater radius from campus," Mr. Jobs describes, "And we're putting
people at those."
The CEO says that with 12,000 employees Apple was reaching a breaking point --
revamp its Cupertino work situation, or relocate to a town like Mountain View,
Hoping to stick in Cupertino, Mr. Jobs instead bought 150 acres of land on the
east side of town, which were long ago home to Apple orchards. The area
was currently home to a major office of rival computer maker Hewlett-Packard
Company (HPQ).
Despite being business rivals, Mr. Jobs is quite fond of Hewlett-Packard, due
to his own history with the company. He states, "When I was 13 I
think -- Hewlett and Packard were my idols -- I called up Bill Hewlett because
he lived in Palo Alto and there were no unlisted numbers in the phonebook --
which gives you a clue to my age. And he picked up the phone and I talked to
him and I asked him if he'd give me some spare parts for something I was
building called a frequency counter."
"And he did, but in addition to that he gave me something way more
important. He gave me a job that summer -- a summer job -- at Hewlett Packard
right here in Santa Clara off 280, in a division that built frequency counters.
And I was in heaven."
Around the same time he was given this job, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard,
walked through those apricot orchards in Cupertino and decided to buy the
property. Over time it became a major headquarters, but recently the
company has been consolidating, so it sold the land to Apple.
Mr. Jobs sounded a bit bitter about being unable to acquire a certain apartment
complex, stating, "We tried to buy the apartments in the corner, but
they're not for sale, so we couldn't buy those, but we bought everything
Apparently even in Cupertino, some can resist Apple's sorcery.
II. "Spaceship" Prepares to Land
Apple's Cupertino offices are located on Infinite Loop Drive -- nicknamed for a
program loop with no termination conditions; a common cause for operating
system crashes back in the "old days".
Ironically Apple's new building with be the physical manifestation of that term
-- nature's perfect infinite loop -- the circle. The company has hired
architects with the reputation for being the "best in the world" to
design the exotic campus which Mr. Jobs says he hopes will be "best office
building in the world", and which city council member Barry Chang remarked
would be "most elegant headquarters in the U.S."
Mr. Jobs describes it, quipping, "It's a little like a spaceship
Located on the north end of the campus, the planned building is a four-story,
3.1 million square foot office building, with a 1 million square foot improvement.
This is a major improvement over HP's building which covered 1.4 million
square feet of footprint, but only had 2.6 million square feet of office space.
Apple hopes to use the building to house 12,000 employees (up to a maximum of
13,000) -- much more than the 9,500 HP housed (Mr. Jobs referred to this as an
increase of "20 percent", but he was apparently having a bad math
Mr. Jobs describes, "It's a circle. So it's curved all the way around. As
you know if you build things, this is not the cheapest way to build things.
There's not a straight piece of glass in the building. It's all curved."
"And we've used our experience in making retail buildings all over the
world now. We know how to make the biggest pieces of glass in the world for architectural
The building forms a closed arc, with a large inner courtyard. It houses
offices and a cafeteria that feed 3,000 employees at once.
Parking is largely underneath the building, but there's a supplementary 1,200-car
garage to the south of campus. Next to that garage will be a generator.
Due to local brownout issues, Apple says it hopes to make that generator
its primary power source. It says it will look to produce power from
"natural gas and other ways that can be cleaner and cheaper."
III. Enriching the Area
When asked how the plans would enrich Cupertino, Mr. Jobs argued that it would
improve the local environment.
Currently the plot of land is mostly asphalt, as Mr. Jobs puts it -- parking
lots. Only 20 percent is landscaped. Apple plans to expand the
percent of landscaped grounds to 80 percent. They plan to increase the
trees on the land from 3,700 to 6,000, including some of the "apricot
orchards" Mr. Jobs fondly remembers.
He says that Apple has hired a senior arborist from Stanford
University to help plan the tree planting and landscaping.
Many employees will be able to bike to campus. And the CEO brags that his
company provides 20 biodiesel-powered buses,
which pick employees up from San Francisco to Santa Cruz.
He says that smoking will be prohibited inside the new building, which appears,
in part, to be a personal stand by Mr. Jobs. He relates that smoking is a
sensitive subject as both of his parents died of lung cancer.
When asked about the heavily polluting nearby Kaiser Concrete Plant, Mr. Jobs
commented that the plant bought the land "fair and square" so there
was nothing he could do about it for now. He commented, though, "If
you kicked Kaiser out, I wouldn't cry."
Several city council members fished for whether Apple might provide the city
free Wi-Fi, as some corporations like Google Inc. (GOOG) do for their hometowns.
Mr. Jobs scoffed at this notion stating, "We pay taxes, the city
should do those things."
If Apple's plan is approved it will break ground next year and employees will
move in by 2015.


text:
Hey guys!
So this is my first thread and I hope there is nothing too similar like this already existing. (if so, I'm sorry!)
I guess the title says it all.
I really want to know what people are thinking about our creepy Yamato. (I loved his creepy face, really :D)
As we all know he was kidnapped, is unconcious and got kinda.. implanted in that Gedo-Flower thing to make the Zetsus stronger or something.
What do you think will happen?
Is he dead? Will he come back like more powerful because he got some more of the Hashirama DNA (I know that he has it already, but he was miles away from Hashiramas power, being exhausted after building 3 houses)? Or will Kishi simply forget him being in implanted in that plant and we will never ever hear again for him?
So I really hope he will get a special role in the war being like some 2nd Hashirama, even surpassing him a little, who can defeat Edo-Madara (like some 2nd Madara vs. Hashirama fight), maybe being able to control the Gedo with some Moukton. (even if I didn't like him at the beginning because he replaced my beloved Kakashi :P)
But yeah, tell me your thoughts. :)


text:
Dodgers still waiting on key pieces as season nears
High-priced talent yet to take field together due to health issues, Classic duties
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Zack Greinke is as iffy for the Dodgers' Opening Day roster as Carl Crawford, which is to say he is quite iffy, indeed. Hanley Ramirez has been absent for weeks, playing for a Dominican Republic club that keeps chugging along in the World Baseball Classic and, therefore, doing little to answer the questions about whether he can settle in at shortstop. Matt Kemp is still building up his at-bats after shoulder surgery. And nobody is really sure if a trade will be made from the stash of starters in the back end of the rotation.
All of which leads us to the obvious conclusion that, for a team with a $200 million-plus payroll, the Dodgers sure do have a lot of unsettled business at this late stage of the spring.
And while nobody doubts this team has the talent level to be the best in the National League West this season, it would certainly help matters if all that talent could, you know, be on the field at the same time.
Greinke's shaky status is the most pressing issue at hand here. That no structural damage was found in his $147 million arm was cause for hallelujahs at Camelback Ranch, but there's no telling how his inflamed elbow will respond to a platelet-rich plasma injection or if this setback is a precursor to more daunting damage later.
For now, Greinke has been playing catch the last couple of days and will throw a bullpen session Sunday. He could be able to get into a Cactus League game this coming week, but there might not be enough time to get him stretched out for the first week of the regular season.
"We'll see where it goes, see how he feels," manager Don Mattingly said. "We're not going to force anything."
Good thing, then, that the Dodgers have a stable of roster-worthy starters waiting in the wings. But let's not mistake the surplus of bodies for an overwhelming array of upside.
Beyond Clayton Kershaw, the questions outweigh the answers, especially given that Chad Billingsley is pitching on borrowed time with a UCL tear in his elbow, Josh Beckett has a lengthy injury history and has had a decrease in velocity over the years, Hyun-Jin Ryu is an unknown, Ted Lilly is coming off shoulder surgery, and Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano are both in their mid-30s.
"Right now," said Mattingly, "we're just trying to find out how to use them all."
Maybe they'll use Harang or Capuano as trade bait before all is said and done, but the returns aren't likely to be overwhelming. No, for the Dodgers to be the elite team they've doled out the dollars to be this season, they'll need a stable lineup and top-end rotation, and that's why the Greinke, Crawford, Ramirez and Kemp situations are monitored so closely.
Crawford, seven months removed from Tommy John elbow surgery, is now facing live pitching and could DH in a game as soon as Sunday, and Kemp is to the point where he's focused on finding his timing and not anxious about the state of his shoulder. These are positive developments for what could be an elite outfield, even if Crawford has to miss the first week or so of the season.
Ramirez, though, is a wild card at this point. He played in just 92 games in 2011 because of back and shoulder injuries and never got back into peak form in '12. Over the winter, he suffered a minor shoulder injury that prevented him from playing shortstop as much as the Dodgers would have liked. And though he committed himself to putting in the work on the back fields early in spring camp, he's been out of sight -- but not out of mind -- ever since he left for the Classic, where he's once again accommodating Jose Reyes and playing third base.
"We were really confident in the work he put in up to that point," Mattingly said. "We talked with Hanley as he left to tell him that he still has responsibilities to us as far as continuing to work, continuing to get his ground balls. From there, he's a man."
If the Dodgers eventually decide that Luis Cruz is not an everyday player and need to shift Ramirez back to the hot corner, there's no telling how such a move would go over. What we know, for now, is that Ramirez is missing valuable innings and valuable on-field interaction.
Such interactions are the soul of Spring Training, and they are especially vital for this Dodgers team that has been totally reinvented over the last year.
"You look at Adrian [Gonzalez] at first," Harang said. "He's got to come in and learn Kershaw's timing on pickoffs and the pitchers' ranges defensively. That's the little stuff that people don't think about. But when you come to Spring Training, all you do is work on that stuff, just to get a feel for one another."
People harped on clubhouse camaraderie when the Dodgers fizzled down the stretch after the mountain of midseason acquisitions ("We got so tired of hearing about that last year," second baseman Mark Ellis said), but the chemistry component is much more of a factor on the field.
"We had a better feel for each other that last week and a half or two weeks, but it was a week too late," Harang said. "If that trade had happened two weeks before, the postseason could have been totally different. That's why we find that Spring Training is so important in helping the team jell."
The guys taking the field right now are making the most of this opportunity to jell. Still, with a little more than two weeks remaining until Opening Day, there are several prominent situations unsettled.
It's not ideal. But hey, $200 million can't buy you everything.
Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his columns and follow him on Twitter at @Castrovince. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
At any
rate, the art or science of capturing an image from brainwave
activity took an important step forward thanks to new research from
the University of California, Berkeley. Researchers at U of C
used functional magnetic
resonance imaging (fMRI) to peek at a subject's brain activity
and attempt to read their thoughts.
A previous study had
looked at using fMRI scans of parts of the brain linked to shape
identification to correctly guess the a viewed image from a series of
stock images. Jack Gallant, a University of California,
Berkeley neuroscientist who led the current effort, describes
this previous work as similar to "the magician's card trick
where you pick a card from a deck, and he guesses which card you
picked. The magician knows all the cards you could have seen."
new study expands this approach greatly by also scanning parts of the
brain used for general classifications like "person",
"car", or "building". Utilizing Bayesian
probabilistic math, researchers armed with a database of over 6
million possible results and the new scans were able to go beyond
identification into the realm of reconstruction, coming up with an
image corresponding to what the person was thinking of, after an
initial calibration to adjust for mental differences.
Professor Gallant, "[In the new study] the card could be a
photograph of anything in the universe. The magician has to figure it
out without ever seeing it."
The new study is
reported in the journal Neuron and was coauthored by
Berkeley postdoctoral researcher Thomas Naselaris.
With the
current study researchers can get a general idea of what the person
is thinking about, but lack the ability to literally draw a
picture-perfect scene of the what the subject is visualizing.
This is because imaging techniques such as fMRI lump millions of
neurons into single output blocks. Frank Tong, a Vanderbilt
University neuroscientist who evaluated the study describes, "At
the finer level, there is a ton of information. We just don't have a
way to tap into that without opening the skull and accessing it
Supplementary scanning techniques, though,
like optical laser scans or EEG readings could help improve the
fidelity of the current information. Professor Gallant states,
"[In a few decades] you could use algorithms like this to decode
other things than vision. In theory, you could analyze internal
speech. You could have someone talk to themselves, and have it come
out in a machine." (Such devices currently exist, but not by
tapping brainwaves... they tap neurons going to the voicebox)
thoughts certainly are not without alarming privacy and safety
implications. Still, such issues have seldom been able to hold
back the progress of science and it looks like for better or worse,
we're heading towards being able to read each others' minds, given
the proper (expensive) tools.


text:
United Federal Credit Union Expands
The $1.5 billion United Federal Credit Union in St. Joseph, Mich., said it is launching a multi-phase building project to support its planned growth over the next five years.
The first phase includes construction of a new, 20,000-square-foot operations center in Niles, Mich.
"While our corporate headquarters will remain in St. Joseph, our new operations center and the follow-on building projects that we are planning throughout Berrien County will help us expand our capabilities," said UFCU President/CEO Gary Easterling. "Having several sizable work locations throughout the county will also help us attract talented employees that live throughout the Michiana area."
Easterling said that after reviewing more than 40 development proposals, it became apparent that having several modular campuses – rather than a single, large headquarters building – was the best approach because it would enable the cooperative to remain flexible and adapt to changing market conditions.
Construction of the operations center will begin in December with an anticipated completion date of December 2014.
"In addition to our new operations center, we'll continue to invest in southwest Michigan, even as we grow throughout the communities we serve across the U.S.," said Easterling. "For example, United just opened a new, state-of-the-art employee training center here in St. Joseph. We repurposed an unused, former branch location and invested $750,000 to create the newly renovated educational facility, which held its first training class on Sept. 9."
Easterling also noted that UFCU's existing corporate headquarters and branch facility will benefit from renovation investments of more than $3 million planned for 2014.
The existing branch will be replaced by a new building on the same property and the corporate headquarters will be expanded and improved to house UFCU's growing workforce.
UFCU said it now serves more than 121,000 members through 23 branches in Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio.


text:
In an attempt to reduce its fuel bill and limit its carbon footprint, Air New Zealand successfully tested a new vegetable oil biofuel during a two-hour trial flight earlier in the week.
The flight "milestone" involved using a 50-50 mixture of jatropha oil -- made from a plum-sized fruit -- with regular jet A1 fuel in one engine of a Boeing 747-400 aircraft. The biofuel industry has also shown a strong interest in using grass, algae and halophytes as possible biofuels.
"There's still a lot of analysis to be done but we achieved a lot with the test flight and the maneuvers we've done," Air New Zealand pilot Captain Dave Morgan told the New Zealand Herald. "The aircraft performed flawlessly."
Despite a stronger movement to use biofuels to power cars, airline companies have been working with jet manufacturers to try and integrate biofuels for commercial flights. Last February, Virgin Atlantic tested a flight with a mixture of Brazilian nuts and coconuts with regular jet fuel. Continental Airlines plans to test a flight using a 50-50 mix of traditional jet fuel along with algae and jatropha.
Aviation industry insiders indicate it'll be easier to convert planes to biofuels when compared to cars, trucks and other land vehicles -- the infrastructure would involve only a few hundred fueling station, rather than the millions that would be required. Critics say airliners relying on biofuels could help increase deforestation in the Amazon rain jungles, and could lead to food prices increasing further in the future.
Airline companies were hit hard in 2008 by skyrocketing oil prices and must now prepare for less air travelers due to the struggling economy. Expect both jet manufacturers and airline companies to work together to in the future to hasten the adoption of biofuels.
This is first stage in ANZ's attempt to utilize sustainable fuel development, and it's unknown when the company plans to launch further tests.


text:
|Msgr. Johnson gives a blessing to a special needs child during Holy Communion.
Love and faith, Blessed Mother Teresa once said, walk side by side, perfecting one another stride by stride.
In harmony, these two essentials of the spiritual life also provide a foundation of strength and confidence. And peace for the entire family, especially families who face special challenges.
It's easy to find all those among the families of the Holy Family Church community who file into the chapel for the special needs Mass at 7 p.m. on the second Saturday of every month.
"This Mass has been such a blessing to us," said Robyn Flores, who along with her husband, John, is raising Ethan, a special needs child with autism.
"We cannot express the feeling of peace that we experience on these wonderfully special Saturdays. The Holy Spirit is present at every Mass and fills us with a feeling that cannot be duplicated."
Before the new Mass, a typical weekend almost always included splitting up the family to go to church. One or the other spouse would take their daughter, Mia, to church while the other would stay home with Ethan. Or the couple would have someone come to the house to stay with their son, so the three other family members could attend Mass together. "Either way, he was not able to celebrate with us. Now, once a month, we are all able to go together. We have peace while we are there, knowing we are not disrupting the Mass for anyone else."
Rose and Darius Unkefer were encountering the same challenges. Rose Unkefer, who like John Flores, is a graduate of Nolan Catholic High School, had attended a parish meeting to discuss ministries within the church community during the early days of Father Jeff Poirot's pastorate.
Rose Unkefer said she was talking to Fr. Jeff privately about the meeting and asked him to consider one more: a special needs Mass, which Unkefer and Robyn Flores had been talking about for some time.
Done, he said. He immediately embraced the idea and said he would do it even if it was only for the two families.
"Fr. Jeff's initial reaction to our request to have a Special Needs Mass was absolutely-without-hesitation yes," Unkefer said.
The families made sure to get the word out. There were more families with a similar need.
And steadily, attendance at the Mass has increased.
On most Saturdays, the chapel is filled with families with special needs children and their extended families and friends. It has become an event of solidarity.
"The Mass strengthens me to try to live God's word in everyday life," Rose Unkefer said. "Having a special needs child, for us means sharing in the brightest moments, with every step forward, as well as moments of worry and despair.
"The Mass is a time to look up to God, ever thankful for the beauty He has created in each and every child."
The special needs Mass at Holy Family has led to making provisions to meet the sacramental needs of these children and teens. A program to catechize special needs children is under way at Holy Family.
One of the children who attends the Mass was also the first child Fr. Jeff baptised at the church, who knew families who had struggled to have their special needs children receive the sacraments, Rose Unkefer said.
There are many stories of children with special needs demonstrating an understanding of the essential truths of the Church. Many children started by making the Sign of the Cross and then by praying. Special needs children at Holy Family will soon be able to deepen their knowledge of the faith.
"We can even see it in Ethan," Robyn Flores said. "He is becoming more comfortable and slowly learning the progression of the service."
Ethan, who is 7, has started the sacramental program, taught by Nancy Wainscott, a certified behavior analyst.
The program is based on the work conducted by the Rizzo family of Marlton, New Jersey. David and Mercedes Rizzo wanted a sacramental program for their daughter, who is autistic.
"It was very important to us that she made her sacraments," Mercedes Rizzo told the National Catholic Register. "At the same time, it was important that she was really ready."
The only available materials for children preparing for First Communion were very verbal and included complex concepts that are difficult to understand for many children with autism, according to the Register article,
"Catechesis for the Autistic." Many children who are autistic, like their daughter Danielle, are not verbal. Learning for children with autism and similar disabilities is not language-based, but rather visual.
The Rizzo parents developed their own methods for teaching, the article went on, and like Danielle, the special-needs children of Holy Family are doing much of their catechesis through flash cards.
The Rizzos' son, Brendan, turned his parents' work into an Eagle Scout project and created a collection of autism teaching resources for the family's parish in New Jersey, the Register article said. His final work, "Adaptive First Eucharist Kit," was published by Loyola Press.
Robyn Flores said they are grateful to have "a specialized way to teach [Ethan] about our faith."
The program at Holy Family was shaped through the work of Mary Ellen McBee, the director of formation at Holy Family.
In addition to the "Adaptive First Eucharist Kit," McBee has employed the input of people trained in applied behavior analysis therapy and specialists, such as Wainscott, who work with children with autism.
"These children have been chosen by God in order to share in the Passion of Christ," Unkefer said. "We are called to help and serve others. The purest love is given without hesitation and without expecting anything in return."One day, the Floreses and Unkefers and others hope to have a Catholic school for special-needs children in the diocese.
But that's for another day.
"Jesus' love was pure love," Rose Unkefer said, "Children with special needs are pure love also. They give pure love and they give us the opportunity to demonstrate pure love."
Love and faith, Blessed Mother Teresa once said, walk side by side, perfecting one another stride by stride.


text:
So much action went down at the return of the Nixon JibFest at Northstar At Tahoe but we could only fit so many photos into the mag. But man did we have a ton of awesome ones. Take a look at all the photos that we couldn't quite squeeze in.
All of these photos were taken by Andy Wright
Check out the trailer to the video series that's coming real soon right HERE. And be on the look out for a new Nixon JibFest webisode coming soon.


text:
is a new day for the American people. There's a new wireless 4G
contender in town, whether you believe it or not. Yesterday,
T-Mobile began
running television ads that lambaste the iPhone 4 on AT&T's
network and while boasting about its own MyTouch 4G on "America's
largest 4G network."
30-second spot mocks the famous Apple ads featuring Justin Long ("Hi,
I'm a Mac.") and John Hodgeman ("Hi, I'm a PC.")
standing in white space, arguing about what they can and can't do. In
the T-Mobile spot, a fair-skinned woman, much younger than Catherine
Zeta-Jones, wearing a magenta- and white-striped dress introduces
herself as a MyTouch 4G and boasts about her ability to video-chat
anywhere with T-Mobile's 4G network. Next to her is a a blonde man in
a suit who introduces himself as an iPhone 4, except he's struggling
to carry an older bald guy on his back.
your friend?" MyTouch asks.
that's the old AT&T network," iPhone 4 replies.
slow you down," MyTouch says.
the price I pay for 3G speed," iPhone 4 replies.
says MyTouch.
has long been touting "the nation's fastest 3G network" tag
in its own ads. Thus, the war of words has commenced.
ad began running last night during NCIS:LA,
Dancing with the Stars, The Daily Show, andThe
Colbert Report -- AndroidAndMe reports -- in
advance of today's MyTouch 4G launch. The new MyTouch is T-Mobile's
first "4G"-branded device.
has never
been a fan of T-Mobile claiming 4G speeds. And there has
been much debate about what 4G really is, anyway. According to
the International
Telecommunication Union Radiocommunications (ITU-R),
4G "must have target peak data rates of up to approximately
100 Mbps for high mobility such as mobile access." But only
WiMax 2 and LTE-Advanced will be capable of those kinds of speeds,
neither of which we can expect to see before 2013. If following that
standard, Sprint/Clearwire's burgeoning WiMax network,
currently marketed
as "4G," truly isn't. The same can be said about
both Verizon and AT&T's
upcoming LTE networks. The bottom line is that "4G,"
to the average consumer, is merely a branding mechanism. The "MyTouch
HSPA+" just doesn't have the same ring.
howNeville Ray, T-Mobile's chief technology officer, justifies it in
a press release:
is about performance and today T-Mobile's HSPA+ network is
delivering 4G speeds that match and often beat WiMAX and are readily
comparable to what early LTE will deliver. Our 4G network is capable
of theoretical speeds up to 21Mbps and we have seen average download
speeds approaching five Mbps on our myTouch 4G phone in some cities
with peak speeds of nearly 12 Mbps. Further, independent
reviewers have seen average download speeds on our
webConnect Rocket between 5 and 8 Mbps with peak speeds up to
8-10Mbps. The footprint of our 4G service is not something that
competitors are going to match anytime soon, and starting today, we
will begin marketing our network advantage with TV commercials
advertising 'America's Largest 4G Network' from T-Mobile.
do not understand the technical alphabet soup of technologies
involved in 4G, but for our purposes we define WiMAX, LTE and HSPA+
as 4G technologies," added Chris Nicoll, distinguished research
fellow, Yankee Group. "HSPA+ is evolving a far more ambitious and
long-term road map than was originally envisioned."
the addition of six new cities (Chicago, Ill.; Colorado Springs,
Colo.; Ft. Wayne, Ind.; Louisville, Ky.; and Raleigh-Durham and
Wilmington, N.C.), T-Mobile's HSPA+ services are now available in
more than 75 metropolitan areas.
the past, AT&T unsuccessfully
tried to sue Verizon for Big Red's television ads that
mockingly boasted,"There's a map for that," and pitted the
two coverage maps against each other (Verizon visually being the
clear winner). It will be interesting to see how the iPhone's carrier
-- or is it vice versa? -- responds.


text:
According to a report from Dow Jones' MarketWatch,
Microsoft submitted a filing to the FCC on Monday seeking approval for a
prototype wireless device that could be used to talk over the Internet. Microsoft's
filing labeled the device has having the purpose of "consumer broadband access
and networking," through the use of OFDM for wireless communication.
Although the FCC filing does not specifically name the
wireless device as a member of the Zune family, analysts and rumormongers
suspect that Microsoft's music player has a part to play in this filing. Analyst
Rob Enderle said the filing seems to indicate "an internet device or a mobile
VoIP phone," that "certainly could be a Zune derivative product."
Earlier in the month, CrunchGear
kicked off the rumors of a Zune phone that will work with Zune Marketplace and
be able to connect with the Xbox 360 to access Xbox Live Marketplace content
for downloaded movies on the go. The device will not make use of Windows
Mobile, but rather the more consumer-friendly Zune interface and could see
store shelves as early as this December. Gizmodo
claimed to have confirmed the story with its own sources, adding that the
device may not have a touch-screen like the one on Apple's iPod.
Unlike Apple's phone offering, Microsoft does not appear to
be making a device that uses traditional cellular carrier networks, which would
put the software giant in a position of disadvantage when dealing with major
carriers. Instead, its choice to go with OFDM could be a hint towards WiMAX.
Sprint Nextel have already announced plans to create a WiMAX network that will
offer speeds between 2Mbps and 4Mbps -- speeds perfectly able to handle streaming
of large files. The addition of WiMAX would help solve one Zune's current
shortcomings: the range of Wi-Fi doesn't allow for a significant range to make
sharing worthwhile. WiMAX could extend the sharing capabilities from
close-range to international.
Following news of the FCC filing, CrunchGear goes
out on a limb to say that Microsoft could be announcing this product before
March 17, with a possible launch sometime in May, supposedly before Apple's iPhone.
The unnamed source of the story also says that such a device has been in the works
at Microsoft for a while, but the idea of branding it as a Zune came as a
recent decision as a response to the iPhone.
While the details are still belong in the rumor mill,
Microsoft's work on a Zune phone certainly isn't fiction. Last September, Zune
marketing manager Chris Stephenson responded
to a reporter's question about such a product by saying, "There is a possibility
for a Zune phone," and "the entire Zune platform and brand is about a family of
devices. So to the degree that phones and other products exist in the family
going forward, absolutely, that's definitely where this is all going."
Upon a later question from another reporter, Stephenson
reiterated, "We don't have any specifics to announce on that. I think what I
was saying is that a Zune phone is definitely part of the future of this brand."


text:
The final piece to Apple's notebook
puzzle is now in place. The company today officially unveiled a
slightly revamped entry-level MacBook (the update was actually leaked
over the weekend).
The latest polycarbonate white MacBook
now features a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor, NVIDIA GeForce 320M
integrated graphics solution, and a new 10-hour battery. The previous
model came with a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo processor, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M
integrated graphics, an a 7-hour battery.
Other features like 2GB of DDR3 memory,
250GB hard drive, and 8x dual-layer SuperDrive remain unchanged.
This latest innards upgrade brings the
MacBook in line with the entry-level
13" MacBook Pro. It still, however, lacks the Pro model's
aluminum shell, backlit keyboard, Secure Digital slot, and Firewire
800 port.
Despite the slight feature bump, the
latest MacBook is still priced at $999.


text:
Two Supervisory Committee Members Graduate from NACUSAC University
Two credit union supervisory committee members were honored recently for completing three years of coursework on their specialized roles.
They are Tyson Jones at the $365 million City County Credit Union in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Tammy Gamble at the $162 million Palisades Federal Credit Union in Pearl River, N.Y.
The NACUSAC University curriculum consists of satisfactory completion of two levels of study, including 12 courses in the areas of auditing and accounting.
Jones and Gamble were honored as new NACUSAC University graduates at a special luncheon held during the National Association of Credit Union Supervisory and Auditing Committees annual conference last month in Savannah, Ga.


text:
When it comes to General Motors vehicles with advanced
powertrains, the
Chevrolet Volt led the charge. The attractive four-door sedan
uses a lithium-ion battery pack to travel 40 miles on a charge. It
can also be plugged into a household outlet to charge over night.
Yesterday, GM announced its Cadillac Provoq concept vehicle,
another plug-in, which couples the E-Flex propulsion system with the
company's fifth generation fuel cell stack. GM CEO Rick Wagoner today
rolled the vehicle out on stage at CES alongside the Volt during his
keynote address.
Wagoner stated that the Provoq and its successors are the second
big card in GM's hand in terms of protecting the environment, and
saving consumers thousands in fuel expenses. Wagoner stated, "The
auto industry can no longer depend entirely on oil... It is critical
as both a business necessity and as an obligation to society to
develop alternative energy."
Developing alternative energy, performing desirably, and looking
good at the same time are among the Provoq's abilities.
The Provoq features two 10,000 psi composite storage tanks under
the rear cargo floor which store the hydrogen. The dual tanks feed
the fuel cell stack which in turn provides up to 88 kW of power. The
9 kWh lithium-ion battery pack powers a 70 kW co-axial motor which
powers the front wheels while a single 40 kW motor is mounted in the
hub of each rear wheel.
Thanks to its advanced powertrain, the Provoq can travel 300 miles
with a full load of hydrogen -- it can travel a total of 20 miles on
battery power alone. Likewise, the Provoq can reach 60 MPH in just
8.5 seconds and race to a top speed of 100 MPH.
GM also added additional touches which may find their way into
future fuel cell and hybrid vehicles. The Provoq contains solar
panels on the roof which are used to power electrical accessories
within the vehicle. The front grill features louvers which remain
open under low speeds to provide maximum cooling for the fuel cell
stack, yet close to create a more streamlined shape for optimum
aerodynamic performance. Finally, the Provoq features charging ports
on either side of the vehicle ahead of the front doors -- this makes
it more convenient to charge the vehicle at home.
While the fuel cell technology is definitely an incredible
achievement for GM's Advanced Systems Integration team, the Provoq
also foreshadows the styling of the next generation Cadillac SRX
crossover utility vehicle (CUV).
The current generation SRX is built on the previous generation
Cadillac CTS chassis. The second generation CTS was recently launched
which means that the SRX is due for its own makeover. The fact that
the Provoq looks very close to production-ready and that the interior
looks like a heavily stylized version of the second generation CTS'
interior leads to the pretty obvious observation.
DailyTech asked two members of the Chevrolet Volt team
about the relationship between the Provoq and the second generation
SRX -- they looked at each other with a smile and laughed knowingly,
although their official stance was a textbook "no comment."
In addition to the Provoq, Wagner also talked up GM's OnStar
system which will have the ability to slow down a vehicle at the
request of pursuant law enforcement in the event of a vehicle theft.
Offiers can call OnStar which can then beam a signal to the car's
engine control unit (ECU) – the vehicle then safely slows to a stop
while a pleasant voice tells the driver to steer the vehicle to the
shoulder and remain in the vehicle. That segment of the keynote got
quite a rise from the crowd.
Theft deterrence was not the only
new OnStar feature, however. GM is developing a mobile phone
OnStar application which will allow you with a simple click to unlock
your car, start your engine, check your car's status, or even help
you locate it in a parking lot by turning on your lights and beeping
the horn. In the case that you lost your phone, GM engineers
personally assured DailyTech that would-be thieves would not
get out of the parking lot -- the car won't shift into gear, even if
pre-started unless the key is inserted.
Wagner also talked about the self-driving Chevrolet
Tahoe which recently won the DARPA
Urban Challenge and the Chevrolet
Equinox fuel cell vehicle which will soon be available to
southern California and fortunate east coast residents.
DailyTech will have one-on-one sessions with both the DARPA
Tahoe and the Equinox fuel cell vehicle along with the Chevrolet Volt
tomorrow. Stay tuned for more coverage.


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The SEC has defined a cross trade as a transaction between two accounts managed by the same RIA. Principal and agency transactions are of particular concern. In passing Section 206(3) of the Investment Advisers Act, Congress recognized that principal and agency transactions are potentially harmful to clients. Such transactions create the opportunity for RIAs to engage in self-dealing. An RIA can execute a cross trade on an agency or principal basis.
A principal transaction is a situation where an RIA acts as a principal for its own account and knowingly sells securities to, or buys securities from, a client. A principal transaction also includes situations where an affiliate or controlling person of an RIA engages in a trade with an advisory client. These transactions may lead to abuses, such as price manipulation, and the placement of unwanted securities in clients' accounts—a practice known as "dumping." Principal trading with clients represents a clear conflict of interest that must be disclosed to customers.
An agency transaction occurs when an RIA arranges a trade between different advisory clients. In other types of agency transactions, an RIA arranges a trade between a brokerage customer and an advisory client. One danger with agency transactions is an unethical investment advisor arranging an agency trade benefiting one client to the detriment of another. For example, if an advisor has a client with twenty million in assets under management, the firm might arrange an agency transaction potentially hurting a client who only has one million dollars in assets under management. Additionally, if one client pays performance fees and another does not, agency transactions might give an RIA the opportunity to earn additional compensation.
Principal and Agency Transactions
Although there is no prohibition from engaging in principal and agency transactions, RIAs must satisfy a disclosure and client consent requirement. Certain types of cross trades require full compliance with Rule 206(3)-2 under the Investment Advisers Act. With principal transactions, an RIA, acting for its own account, buys a security from or sells a security to, the account of a client.
Section 206(3) of the Investment Advisers Act applies to both state and SEC registered advisors. This section makes it unlawful for any RIA acting as a principal for its own account to knowingly sell any security to, or purchase any security from, clients without written disclosure of the capacity in which the firm is acting before the completion of the transaction. The RIA must also obtain the client's consent. The Rule 206(3)-2 exemption from the prohibitions of Section 206(3) is available to all state and SEC-registered investment advisors.
Compliance with Rule 206(3)-2
Compliance with Rule 206(3)-2 is required in any transaction in which an RIA, or any person controlling, controlled by, or under common control with this RIA, acts as broker for both the advisory client and the other party to the transaction. The SEC has taken the position that Rule 206(3)-2 applies to both agency cross trades and principal transactions.
Compliance with Rule 206(3)-2 requires an RIA to satisfy all of the following:
- The advisory client must execute written consent in advance of the trade authorizing agency cross transactions. This written consent must come after full written disclosure that the RIA, or some other person, acts as a broker for, receives commissions from, and has potentially conflicting division of loyalties and responsibilities to both parties to the transaction.
- The RIA must send each client a written confirmation at or before the completion of each transaction that includes (i) a statement of the nature of this transaction, (ii) the date this transaction took place, (iii) an offer to furnish, upon request, the time when this transaction took place, and (iv) the source and amount of any other remuneration received or to be received by the RIA. This confirmation would take place prior to settlement, but after execution, and a transaction is not complete until the settlement takes place.
- The RIA must send each client an annual statement identifying the total number of these transactions since the last summary and the total amount of all remuneration received or expected by the RIA. Each written statement must conspicuously disclose that the client's consent may be revoked.
Prior disclosure and consent requirements for principal transactions are slightly different from agency cross transactions. These requirements must be met prior to completion of every principal transaction. It is not enough to have a blanket written consent that is given in advance by the client at the beginning of the advisory relationship. Furthermore, disclosure in the RIA's Form ADV is not sufficient.
Even if an advisory firm fully complies with Rule 206(3)-2, the RIA is not relieved from acting in the best interests of the client. The RIA's fiduciary duty encompasses its obligations regarding best price and execution for the particular transaction. The RIA must also comply with its disclosure obligation under subparagraphs (1) or (2) of section 206 of the Investment Advisers Act and other applicable provisions of the federal securities laws.
Noncompliance Is a Bad Idea
As we discussed in The Need for Thorough and Effective Policies and Procedures, the SEC charged three advisory firms on November 28, 2011, with failing to implement policies and procedures designed to prevent securities law violations and harm to investors. One of the firms, a Minneapolis RIA/broker-dealer, engaged in hundreds of principal transactions with its advisory clients' accounts without making the required disclosures and obtaining the consent required by Section 206(3) of the Investment Advisers Act. The firm also committed other violations, such as failing to adopt a code of ethics.
Pursuant to a settlement, the Minneapolis firm agreed to pay a $50,000 penalty and refund more than $142,000 to advisory clients, and agreed to hire an independent consultant to review its compliance operations annually for two years. Subsequently, the firm was required to provide a copy of the SEC's order to past, present and future clients and to post a summary of the order on its website in a prominent spot.
On May 27, 2011, the SEC issued an order instituting administrative and cease-and-desist proceedings against Wunderlich Securities Inc. (WSI) and others for numerous violations of the Investment Advisers Act. According to the order, WSI knowingly effected thousands of securities transactions for advisory clients while acting as a principal for its own account. WSI was required to disclose to these clients in writing before the completion of each transaction that the firm was acting as a principal. WSI and its CCO failed to satisfy the disclosure and consent requirements required by Section 206(3) of the Investment Advisers Act.
WSI profited from these principal trades, because it received commissions in connection with the trades, along with mark-ups or mark-downs. Among other violations, the firm's CCO failed to take reasonable steps to ascertain whether WSI had written policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with Rule 206(3) when engaging in principal trades.
Impact of IA-1732 on Agency and Principal Transactions
In an Interpretative Release (Release No. IA-1732), the SEC made it clear that Rule 206(3)-2 does not apply if an RIA receives no compensation other than its advisory fee for effecting a particular agency transaction between clients. The rationale is that since no compensation over and above the advisory fee is earned, the RIA does not have the type of conflict of interest that sparked Congress to pass Section 206(3) of the Investment Advisers Act, and the SEC to implement Rule 206(3)-2.
In IA-1732, the SEC took the position that an RIA may satisfy Rule 206(3)-2 by obtaining client consent to a principal or agency transaction after execution, but prior to settlement of the transaction. According to this interpretation, post-execution and pre-settlement consent is generally effective, as long as the RIA has not structured the procedures for obtaining consent in a manner that forces the client to agree to the transaction. The SEC reasoned that a securities transaction is completed upon settlement, not upon execution.
In IA-1732, the SEC suggested two different ways for RIAs to obtain consent and comply with Rule 206(3)-2:
- Prior to obtaining pre-execution consent, an RIA can transmit to the client the current quoted price for a proposed transaction and, if applicable, current best price information. Under these circumstances, assuming clients have been informed about the potential conflicts of interest and have consented to a proposed transaction before it is executed, the RIA has satisfied its disclosure obligation under Rule 206(3)-2.
- The alternative is obtaining post-execution and pre-settlement consent. Prior to settlement, the client receives the appropriate information to make an informed decision and agrees to the transaction.
Complying with Rule 206(3)-2 is not enough. An RIA's Form ADV must clearly disclose to clients that cross trades may occur. RIAs must ensure that there is full compliance with their policies and procedures related to cross trades.
Alternative Rule for RIAs Registered as Broker-Dealers to Comply with Rule 206(3)-3T
In late December 2010, the SEC amended Rule 206(3)-3T under the Investment Advisers Act, a temporary rule that established an alternative means for RIAs registered as broker-dealers to satisfy their cross trading obligations. The rule permits dually-registered RIAs/broker-dealers to conduct principal trades in certain securities for clients with non-discretionary advisory accounts, as long as an annual blanket consent form has been signed. Otherwise RIAs/broker-dealers would need to obtain trade-by-trade consent.
Thanks to the amendment, Rule 206(3)-3T is now scheduled to expire on December 31, 2012 instead of December 30, 2010. The extension was adopted, so the SEC could continue to study whether it provides sufficient protection to advisory clients.
The Big Picture
The SEC's interpretation only applies to an RIA's disclosure obligations under Section 206(3) of the Investment Advisers Act. Other provisions of the federal securities laws, such as the antifraud provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act), require that material information about certain transactions be communicated to investors prior to executing the transaction.
Section 913(g) of the Dodd-Frank Act required that the standard of conduct applicable to broker-dealers should be no less stringent than Sections 206(1) and 206(2) of the Investment Advisers Act. As required by the Dodd-Frank Act, the SEC published a study in January 2011 addressing how broker-dealers should fulfill the uniform fiduciary standard when engaging in principal trading. Although the uniform fiduciary standard is likely to impact certain aspects of principal trading, several experts believe it will not impose Section 206(3) of the Investment Advisers Act on broker-dealers. In its study, the SEC said, the "omission of a reference to Section 206(3) appears to reflect a Congressional intent not to mandate the application of that provision to broker-dealers when providing personalized investment advice about securities to retail investors (though granting the Commission the authority to impose such restrictions)."
The study made the following recommendation: "The Commission should address through guidance and/or rulemaking how broker-dealers should fulfill the uniform fiduciary standard when engaging in principal trading." Assuming the uniform fiduciary standard is adopted, the SEC seems to recognize that it must be tailored to the broker-dealer business model, which is much different from RIAs'.


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A risk factor is something that increases your chances of developing cancer.
It is possible to develop uterine cancer with or without the risk factors listed below. In fact, the majority of women who are diagnosed with uterine cancer have no known risk factors for the disease. However, the more risk factors you have, the greater your likelihood of developing uterine or endometrial cancer. If you have a number of risk factors, ask your doctor what you can do to reduce your risk.
Many risk factors associated with uterine cancer are associated with increased levels of the hormone estrogen. The body normally produces estrogen and progesterone, and keeps these hormones in balance. If something causes estrogen levels to rise, the woman may be at increased risk of uterine cancer.
Risk factors for uterine or endometrial cancer include the following:
Excess weight may increase your risk of uterine cancer, especially if you go through menopause early, prior to age 45. Obese may alter hormone levels, increasing exposure of the uterine lining to estrogen.
Medical Conditions and Treatments
Several medical conditions and treatments are associated with increased risk of uterine cancer. These include:
- Diabetes—The relationship between diabetes and increased uterine cancer risk is not clearly understood, but may also be related to obesity.
- Lynch syndrome—This is a rare, hereditary condition in which many family members develop colorectal and others. The lifetime risk of developing uterine cancer is close to 50% in women in these families.
- Tamoxifen use—A drug used in the treatment and prevention of breast cancer.
- Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and granulose theca cell tumors of the ovary—the increased risk of uterine cancer is likely a result of increased estrogen levels.
- Menopausal use of estrogen without progesterone—Studies show an increased risk when estrogen is taken alone, without progesterone, for relief of menopause symptoms.
- Radiation therapy to the pelvic area—previous cancer treatment with radiation may increase your risk of uterine cancer.
Uterine cancer occurs more frequently in older women. Eighty percent of women have gone through menopause. Only 5% of cases are diagnosed in women younger than 40, and these women usually have polycystic ovary syndrome.
Reproductive History
Women who have never been pregnant are a greater risk for uterine cancer. Progesterone levels increase during pregnancy, which may offer a protective benefit. Menstruating at an early age or a late menopause is also associated with increased risk. Both of these events increase a woman's lifetime exposure to estrogen.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: Mohei Abouzied, MD
- Review Date: 12/2015 -
- Update Date: 12/20/2014 -


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As the leading convenience store operator in the southeastern United States, The Pantry understands that providing a fast, friendly & clean shopping environment in convenient locations is what brings customers into the stores and keeps them coming back. The company's commitment is to deliver this experience for customers at more than 1,650 locations in 13 states.
Kangaroo Express, The Pantry's primary operating banner, has undergone a transformation with new and improved Bean Street coffee, new fresh foods for breakfast, lunch and snacks, and store renovations in many locations.
We're sorry, there are no jobs available for this employer at this time.
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the injury is nothign big - old small injury no worries, but for this game he might be done - it's a shame
the injury is nothign big - old small injury no worries, but for this game he might be done - it's a shame
He is one of the main reasons why they are back in this game
And a 7-0 run for Russia after Valanciunas left the game.
now this could be out of reach for Lithuania. Man Kleiza is having a bad game. I cant stand JASIKEVICIUS, I'd rather start KALNIETIS.
They really did well with that big lineup. Russia's too big for them to not have a C on the floor I think
im not sure why Coach is putting Jonas back in the game. He is risking re injuring his ankle
clutch effort on the board
In this game their D is immensely better with JV on the floor because he's playing well
Wow, Big Val is playing like a beast right now. Love the action on the glass, and his hard rolls to the net are opening up tons of options.
wow.....epically bad turnover
They should keep Val in and keep using the pick and roll.. he rolls hard and has super long arms to catch anything. Would be more effective than jacking up 3's like they're doing now
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Crying Lightning Release Announcement
Arctic Monkeys release new single 'Crying Lightning' on Monday 17th August 2009. The single shall be available in 3 different formats, 7", 10" and MP3 Digital Download.
'Crying Lightning' will be the first single released through Oxfam's network of charity shops in 25 years. Proceeds will go to help the charity's lifesaving work around the world.
The limited-edition 7", which features a cover of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds 'Red Right Hand', will be available in every one of Oxfam's 700 high street shops. Each single will include a download code allowing fans to get an MP3 version of the songs for free. There will also be a 10" release featuring B-sides 'Red Right Hand' and a new track 'I Haven't Got My Strange'. The 7" and 10" will be available to pre-order in the online store here.
Tracklistings for each format is shown below:
A: Crying Lightning
B: Red Right Hand
A: Crying Lightning
B: Red Right Hand
B: I Haven't Got My Strange
MP3 Digital Download
1. Crying Lightning
2. Red Right Hand
3. I Haven't Got My Strange
To find your nearest Oxfam store, use the online store locator here.


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Ultra Seal | MRC , BAHA KING
RC Car & Truck Ultra Seal Bearing kits are specially designed for on-road or relatively clean driving environments. These ABEC #1 bearings are maintenance free and lubed for life. The Ultra Seal is a non-contact, frictionless seal that is placed beneath the metal shields so they are still considered maintenance free and lubed for life. The non-contact seal eliminates any drag typically associated with a rubber sealed bearings and still provides extra protection against external elements. All Ultra Seal bearings are packed in grease and will require a short break in period to loosen up.


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Roberto Luongo's evolution is on display in a 6:42 clip on YouTube.
In it, Luongo does a real interview about a fake season. He is cheeky, using innuendo to describe how he knows Eddie Lack is adept with both hands. He's sharp, mildly chiding Kevin Bieksa with a quick one-liner. He's approachable, game, witty and uncommon.
How only 7,500 people have seen it, is beyond us. But so is this: How did Luongo become one of the most unusual, interesting, and flat-out funniest athletes we've ever seen slide through Vancouver?
Take one of the more loosely guarded secrets in hockey, his twitter account.
When blogger Dave Wells, who evinces an impressively flippant attitude on twitter (@browntobure), ignited an online meme about "David Booth pickup lines," it was the infamous @strombone1 who set it ablaze.
On Booth, @strombone1 brought the sauce, playing on the forward's love of hunting with this tweet: "'Can I hide in your bush?' #DavidBoothPickupLines."
He didn't close there, instead turning the joke on himself, with this self-deprecating neck snapper: "'Are you into choking?' #strombonepickuplines'"
Now, I've written maybe 1,000 stories with Luongo. I've been around him for seven years. For six of them, with some notable exceptions, he was carefully guarded. It's not like he was humourless. More like, often he went out of his way in public to be humour-free.
"I think I tried a little bit early on," said Luongo from River Rock casino, where he's participating in couple of World Series of Poker events. "But some things didn't go over well. Sometimes you just have to be coy and politically correct like everyone says, so you don't ruffle any feathers."
Luongo has been accused of being sensitive and aloof, but there is nothing coy or defensive about @strombone1. Instead, Luongo connects with hockey fans in a way few stars have ever contemplated; in a way most people can't grasp. He's in a fantasy football league with some. He charms critics. He chirps those who toss around forged rumours. He makes fun of himself. And he engages in off-colour, locker room-like, bar stool shenanigans that can make twitter so damn fun.
"You have to love a guy who can laugh at himself and teammates, even if most of the media still can't figure out his humour," Wells said. "I thought it was awesome."
And it was awesome.
"It's funny," Luongo explained. "I feel more comfortable doing it that way than in person. I guess in that way, it's because I still have my distance but I can be myself.
"I don't even know how it makes any sense in reality."
It does and the fact Luongo will never publicly cop to being @strombone1 gets to the root of it. It's being semi-anonymous, and keeping a finger on the plausible deniability button, which free him to be himself.
Hopefully, that dynamic never changes.
Sponsored by PlayNow, Luongo is back in the Lower Mainland to scratch an itch which has been left unattended since he moved back to Florida, where he can't play online poker.
"Since that main event in Vegas, I haven't been playing. Instead, I've been at home, working out and being a dad," Luongo said.
What he hasn't been doing is overreacting when he hears reports, like the one which claims a trade that would send him to Toronto is a done deal.
"I don't want to assume anything until I hear from (GM Mike Gillis) or my agent," Luongo said. "Every week, it seems there is a new rumour. I'll wait to hear it from one of the people involved, and go from there."
Gillis has denied the deal is done, but one to Toronto has been close.
Luongo didn't answer a question on whether he'd waive his no-trade clause for Toronto. He did say it's a "great place to play hockey."
He is well-informed on the trade market. The chance he'll be traded to Florida is remote while Edmonton is a possibility. The Oilers joined the Luongo sweepstakes late.
Some don't believe he'd ever waive the NTC for Edmonton, but there aren't many situations he has ruled out. This is what he said in an interview with TEAM 1040, when asked about where he wants to go:
"You want to go somewhere where there is a chance to win. You don't want to go somewhere where there is absolutely no light at the end of the tunnel. There's not a lot of teams like that in the league, to begin with anyways.
"I think there are a lot of good young teams, up and coming teams, that have a bright future. Or teams that are established now.
"It's a tough decision to make, but I haven't been approached yet."
Luongo appreciates the reality the Canucks didn't wait this long to give him away — say, by trading him to Toronto straight up for Tyler Bozak. The Canucks considered dealing the goalie quickly after the season, but took the long, patient route instead.
To make it work, they needed Luongo on board. He needed to be open to the possibility he could come back. He's come around on that one.
"At the end of the season, when I had my exit meetings, and in June during the draft, I didn't really see the possibility of me maybe coming back," Luongo said. "The more the summer went on and things developed, I could see there might be a chance I'd be back
"That's why I was different at the (Jake Milford Charity golf tournament).
"All the things I said there, came from me. I got into August and I saw nothing had happened, and I'd maybe have to come back. You start to embrace certain things and wrap your head around certain things."
And it's from that head space which came this tweet Friday from @strombone1:
"'If you like him……you'll love us!' (me and Schneids) #strombonepickuplines."


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Punctuate a birthday with a concert, make an anniversary extra special with a trip to the theater, or take the kids to watch a ball game. Whatever the occasion, TicketNetwork can help you find Prince Edward Theatre tickets!


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Enhanced law enforcement cooperation focus of visit by Lebanese security Chief to INTERPOL
World police body to help Lebanon boost its border security
LYON, France – A series of security measures aimed at enhancing Lebanon's border controls has been agreed during a meeting between the Director General of General Security Directorate of Lebanon, Maj Gen Abbas Ibrahim, and INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble.
During Director General Ibrahim's visit to INTERPOL's General Secretariat headquarters on Thursday, agreement was reached on INTERPOL deploying its MIND/FIND state-of-the-art passport screening system at key border control points in Lebanon, including airports, providing real-time access to INTERPOL's Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database.
Direct access to the database by front line law enforcement officers in Lebanon will enable the instant identification of persons seeking to conceal their true identity, including internationally wanted persons, suspected terrorists and transnational criminals.
INTERPOL's SLTD database contains some 36 million documents accessible by INTERPOL's 190 member countries. It has been accessed more than 50 million times each month on average in 2013 by law enforcement authorities around the world.
Director General Ibrahim said that enhancing international law enforcement cooperation via INTERPOL was a priority for Lebanon in order to boost public safety: "Combating organized crime and terrorism are priority security issues for Lebanon. We expect our international collaboration with INTERPOL to expand in the interest of national, regional and international security."
Other measures agreed during the visit will see Lebanon's national police system integrate INTERPOL's database of Red Notices identifying internationally wanted persons, and link up with INTERPOL's stolen motor vehicle database. Stolen motor vehicles represent a key security issue in Lebanon, as testified by the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Harirri in February 2005 by a bomb placed in a vehicle stolen in Japan.
"INTERPOL's enhanced cooperation with Lebanon will enhance its ability to identify and investigate criminal and terrorist activity for the benefit of Lebanon and the entire region as well," said Secretary General Noble.
"The security measures agreed today with Director General Ibrahim therefore represent a significant step forward and highlight the commitment by Lebanon's authorities to an international collaborative approach to security," concluded the INTERPOL Chief.
INTERPOL also agreed to co-host with Lebanese authorities the first-ever global meeting of immigration and border security heads to share successful approaches on border protection and the screening of persons crossing borders.
With Director General Ibrahim's delegation including former INTERPOL Executive Committee Member Gen Georges Boustani, Secretary General Noble accepted an invitation to travel to Lebanon to meet with law enforcement, border security and immigration officials to identify additional ways in which Lebanon and INTERPOL can enhance their mutual cooperation.