text:
Name: Aizen Sosuke
Basic Information
Nickname: Troll
Gender: Male
Age: 36
Clan: /
Looks: Prior to his departure from konoha, he appeared as a mild-featured man with brown scholarly hair enhanced by square glasses. He wore the standard ninja uniform with a flack jacket. However, during his ascent to sunagakure, he removed his glasses and swept his hand through his hair, revealing menacing eyes and a very different hairstyle; his hair is now swept back, with a strand hanging in his face. As he had previously revealed to jiraiya, the Aizen they all knew never existed and this would seem to be a visual representation of that claim.
Personality:Despite his current villainous status and former position of authority, Aizen is a surprisingly polite, soft-spoken intellectual, often addressing his subordinates by their given names. He rarely shows any sign of alarm or distress and often has entire situations planned out well in advance. Whenever confronted, Aizen is casual and uncaring, attempting to draw out a conversation and make small talk, which often infuriates those he is talking to.
Aizen initially appeared to be a very kind, well-respected captain and was looked up to by many, especially his Lieutenant Momo Hinamori. However, this was just a mask to disguise his manipulative and very dangerous nature. In truth, he cares very little for his underlings (both past and present), and is willing to use almost everyone around him as pawns to achieve his means. In his own words, Aizen claims to be unaffected by any form of morals or ethics, as he views them as mere restrictions on his potential. He is, therefore, willing to stop at nothing to further his selfish ambitions, including manipulating or killing anyone if he deems it to be necessary. He is fond of long, complicated, and somewhat convoluted plots, and frequently appears to toy with his underlings for amusement. Unlike most of the other , Aizen lacks genuine compassion and honor.
To date, the equally manipulative Gin Ichimaru is the only person who seems to be able to see through Aizen's manipulation. Ichimaru has also shown that he has some sense of Aizen's emotions and feelings, correctly identifying that Aizen was enjoying the invasion of Ichigo and his friends and their successes within sunagakure as well as picking-up on the fact that Aizen had registered the arrival of Hinamori in battle of Fake Karakura Town and was surprised by it.
Village of Birth: Konoha
Village Info.
Village of Alliance: Suna
Rank//Chakra Info.Ninja Rank: Kage
Specialty: Genjutsu, taijutsu, kenjutsu
Your ninjutsu:
- Ninjutsu
- Genjutsu
- Taijutsu
- Kenjutsu
Background Info.
History: At an unknown point in the past, Aizen became part of 5th Division under Captain Minato namizake. He invested himself in the research and creation of genjutsu techniques even before Kisuke Urahara. To this end, he sacrificed hundreds of ninja and hundreds of citizens who bore genjutsu talents to his own genjutsu abilities. But it was not satisfied with this.
The very next night, Aizen saw Gin Ichimaru killing the 3rd seat of their division, and informed him that he was impressed by his skill. Aizen then asked him how he found the fight, to which Gin stated he found it pathetic.
9 months later, Minato and Aizen were walking around konoha when they came across team kakashi. While Kakashi once again engaged in a childish fight and argument with obito, Aizen asked gin if he had heard the news to which gin told him he hadn't. Minato proceeded to take up the tale and tell gin about the series of strange deaths that had taken place in land of fire. Shinji also informed him that the 9th Division had been sent to handle the investigation.
At some point during their captaincy, Aizen, Gin and Tōsen, secretly visited The third kazekage, Kage of sunagakure. He met up with sasori engaged in a light conversation and he asked sasori to help with the assassination of the third kazekage. He was ;ater killed.
Aizen became aware of the existence of naruto uzumaki when he was born. Understanding the significance of his birth, he had decided to aid his development for his plans. To this end, he had began to manipulate things stationed.
Aizen and gin then betray konoha by attacking a jounin. Aizen then draws his sword and attacks Shikaku in the kage mansion during the attack of the second nine-tails , but shikaku is able to use shadow possession in time to momentarily stop Aizen's attack leaving only his right arm damaged. Aizen applauds his ability to dodge and expresses happiness with the improvements in his skill since he was one of Aizen's subordinates. Aizen tells shikaku that he doesn't want things to be harder, because he finds it difficult to hold back his strength. He states that as shikaku former superior officer that he finds it unbearable for a subordinate to die.
After defeating shikaku, he tried to kill an uchiha, surprised that he still lived through it. Surprised that the procedure didn't kill the young uchiha, and having no further use for her, he orders Gin to kill him as he prepares to leave. After killing the boy, all of konoha arrived in order to try and fight, noting his skill with genjutsu he could take an entire army. Aizen smirks and merges with the ground while uttering his last words to his former comrades. Gin used body flicker to escape.
While leaving, Aizen removes his glasses and change his hair style by combing a hand through it. His glasses evaporate into dust. He then proceeds to announce his goal to stand atop of the world in the heavens and take the place of the absent gods, something no one has ever done before. Before finally descending into the portal created by the Menos arrival, he bids farewell to all of the ninja present and then tells Ichigo uchiha that he was very interesting for a uchiha.
Aizen calls the sunarians to a meeting and invites them to have some tea. As they are having their tea, Aizen reveals to them the presence of Ichigo uchiha and daemon. When the Espada start to dismiss them off-hand, he warns them not to underestimate the dup, revealing to them their exploits in akatsuki. At this point, zoro begins to leave, stating that he is going to go eradicate the threat in Aizen's name. However, Aizen stops him and resorts to intimidating zoro with his Reiatsu when the latter hesitates to back down, bringing zoro to his knees. He then tells the other suna to return to their palaces and wait patiently. He also tells them not to be overconfident but not to be afraid either because as long as they are with him, no one can defeat them.
But they were defeated and at ichigo's mercy for not heading his words and he joined sunagakure.
Gin laughed at the village and decided to visit land of lightning, he has yet to return some say he died others believe he betrayed. Aizen believes gin is doing as he should...
Picture[s]: See above
Theme Song and Background Music: /
Won: Meh


text:
Toyota's board voted
to halt production at the Nummi plant in Fremont, California, a
facility built in 1984 that Toyota shared with General Motors.
GM ended the partnership several months ago, which immediately
started rumors of a possible plant closure sometime in 2010.
The Nummi plant produces the Toyota Corolla, Matrix, and Tacoma
along with the Pontiac Vibe (which is being killed along with the
Pontiac brand).
United Auto Workers union members have entered
negotiations with New United Motor Manufacturing officials,
attempting to see if there is any way Toyota will keep the factory
open longer. The Nummi facility served as Toyota's first
manufacturing foray in the United States, with Nummi employees saying
it was them who helped shape Toyota's success.
Toyota, which
hasn't had to close a plant outside Japan, was rumored to announce
the plant's closure last spring. Nummi currently employs 4,600
employees, and if Toyota halts production, then the plant's closure
will put all of those employees out of work. Furthermore,
supports indicate the ripple effect from Nummi's closure could impact
up to 50,000 people.
Toyota is expected to reduce worldwide
capacity from 1 million vehicles down to 700,000, with the Nummi
closure expected to help Toyota reach that goal.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
HarborOne Gets NCUA, State Approval for Bank Conversion
The $1.8 billion HarborOne Credit Union said Monday it received the green light from NCUA and the Massachusetts Division of Banks, clearing two of the three regulatory agency hurdles that would allow the 96-year-old Brockton, Mass., credit union to convert into a mutual co-operative bank charter.
What's more, the credit union said it received notification from the FDIC that its application was officially accepted for processing. HarborOne must wait for approval for FDIC insurance before completing its conversion in what would be perhaps the largest credit union-to-bank conversion to date.
"HarborOne Credit Union today announced that the NCUA Office of Consumer Protection has notified HarborOne that it complied with the procedural requirements of the NCUA's conversion regulations," reads a statement released by HarborOne CU.
"HarborOne also received notification from the Massachusetts Division of Banks that it finds no reason to disapprove of the methods by which the membership vote was taken and that the vote is approved," the statement said.
Nearly 62% of HarborOne members voted in favor of the charter change proposal last month. The credit union said 22,433 of its 139,078 members cast ballots.
HarborOne has grown to become the largest state-chartered credit union in New England. The longstanding credit union has said its reasons to convert were the flexibility to expand HarborOne's markets and customer base, increase its lending authority, including small business lending, and gain access to additional capital.
Soon after the conversion plan was announced Feb. 16, 2012, and approved by HarborOne's board a month later, it sparked industry debate and criticism from some credit union leaders.
Longtime credit union attorney Steven R. Bisker of Alexandria, Va., told Credit Union Times last month that members who voted for the conversion were not voting for their own best interest. He argued that NCUA data has consistently shown that when a credit union converts to a bank, the rates charged for loans and the rates paid for savings are not as good as when they were operating as a credit union.
Another credit union attorney, Richard Garabedian in Washington, D.C., who specializes in conversions, said he doesn't think the HarborOne move will trigger a wave of similar efforts.


text:
The United Kingdom has a problem. Although it signed the Kyoto Protocol proposed by the United Nations, it --
like every other nation country which did -- has been wholly unable
to meet treaty commitments, and has actually been
increasing CO2 emissions faster than the non-signatories like the United States.Embarrassing ... but what to do about it? Pass more laws, of
To that end, a new plan is recommending sweeping new changes to
force residents to reduce electricity consumption. Tops on
the list? A ban on new sales of plasma televisions. Surprisingly
enough, the plan comes not from the Labour or Liberal Democratic
parties, but from a group organized by Conservative Party Leader
David Cameron.
While plasma TVs are especially singled out, the plan also targets
all items that use over an arbitrary level of electricity, including
high-performance personal computers and some household appliances.
Additionally, the report recommends banning the "standby"
functionality on consumer electronics, which allows them to be
quickly turned on by remote control. Some 2% of the island nation's
electric usage is thought to be due to standby equipment power draws.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has already
announced his ambition to eliminate the stand-by function on all
appliances sold in the country, claiming it was part of British
responsibility to "protect the environment."
Critics of the plan claim it will simply create a "grey
market", where those with money will continue to be
able to purchase banned items at higher prices. But former
Environment Secretary and plan chairman John Gummer says, "The
imperative of global warming demands that we change [our approach]
utterly - not just governments, but businesses, groups and
individuals."Even with the plan implemented, the United Kingdom is
not expected to meet Kyoto Protocol commitments. No word yet on
what next will hit the ban list.


text:
Franklin & Marshall was founded in 1999 by Guiseppe Albarelli and Andrea Pensiero. Their passion for vintage sports style and iconic sporting clothing led them to create sportswear clothing that is both timeless and on trend. Franklin & Marshall clothing has an unmistakeable quality: most of their designer clothes are made in Italy with the finest materials and craftsmanship.
Recognisable for their vintage colours and styles, Franklin & Marshall streetwear takes influence from sports, music and culture to bring high quality, high fashion t-shirts, polo shirts, sweatshirts, shorts, fleece pants and much more.


text:
It is really strange to read our founding fathers were far too stupid to understand that technology would advance, as they saw it advance in their lives. Of course they knew we wouldn't stand still with muskets. How silly to believe this nonsense.
If you want to go that route then I'm sure they never foresaw the First Amendment would be abused as it has been. Religion was to be protected but instead they've twisted the amendment and its meaning to censure religion. They've falsely continued to say separation of church and state is in the Constitution. Wrong. It was in a letter from Jefferson to reassure the Baptists the government wouldn't interfere with their right to worship as they saw fit but the media, pundits and politicians continue to spread the lie.
When the First Amendment was written, they never believed pornography and other media degradation of human beings would exist but they still wrote it to guarantee freedom of speech. They also never believed an American citizen would ever be so thankless as to burn the American flag. So there you go.
If you want to believe the Second Amendment should be adjusted for the Left to take your guns, then more fool you. We've all believed for too long the courts and government wouldn't do things to hurt and control us. Time to wake up. An unarmed citizenry is a defenseless one. As Thomas Jefferson said "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." The government has taken control of our healthcare, our property, our businesses, our children's education and now want to control our guns. All with the help of your elected representatives. Ask yourself why.
Catherine Spencer
Via email


text:
Union vows to continue fees battle
The UK's largest union has pledged to continue a legal battle over the introduction of what it describes as "unfair and punitive" fees to be paid by workers wanting to bring tribunal proceedings against their employers.
Unison's vow to press on with the action came after it failed to persuade two judges at the High Court in London to quash what it argued was an "unlawful" order imposing fees for employment tribunals for the first time.
Lord Justice Moses and Mr Justice Irwin, announcing their decision today to dismiss Unison's judicial review application, said the "fundamental flaw in these proceedings is that they are premature and that the evidence at this stage lacks that robustness necessary to overturn the regime".
Under changes introduced last July, workers in the UK are now charged a fee to bring a claim, a fee if the claim is heard and a further charge if they want to appeal against a decision.
The court's decision was welcomed by the Government, while Unison announced it now wants its case looked at by the Court of Appeal. Some employment lawyers commented that the ruling helps provide clarity for employers.
Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: "Today's decision is very disappointing but we will fight on and take our very strong arguments into the Appeal Court. We provided clear evidence that since the fees were introduced, the number of employment tribunal cases has collapsed. It is doubly disappointing therefore that it was decided that our case had been taken too early."
He commented: "The sad fact is that workers are being treated unfairly now. They should not be made to wait in the vain hope that the Government will act on the falling number of cases and scrap the fees altogether.
"We are pleased that pressure from our case did win a significant concession from Government so that workers winning their claims are entitled to have the fees reimbursed by their employers.
"The bottom line is that the Government should not put a price on justice. We strongly believe that these fees are unfair and should be dropped, which is what we will argue in the Court of Appeal."
The High Court action was opposed by Lord Chancellor Chris Grayling. The Government says the aim of introducing fees "is to transfer some of the approximate £74 million cost of running the employment tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal from the taxpayer to those who use the system".
After the ruling, Justice Minister Shailesh Vara said: " We are pleased that the court has dismissed this application on all of the grounds raised.
"It is not fair on the taxpayer to foot the entire £74m bill for people to escalate workplace disputes to a tribunal. We want people, where they can afford to do so, to make a contribution.
"It is in everyone's interest to avoid drawn out disputes which emotionally damage workers and financially damage businesses. That's why we are also encouraging quicker, simpler and cheaper alternatives."
Unison's challenge was against the Employment Tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal Fees Order 2013 , which it argued was "indirectly discriminatory and unlawful" and "ought to be quashed".
During the hearing of the case last year, the union's QC said the effect of the order was that any claim in the Employment Tribunal (ET) and the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) "may only be instituted and continued to hearing upon payment of fees, subject only to an individual applying for, and then qualifying for, a remission..."
Karon Monaghan said Mr Grayling "relies on the remission arrangements which he contends 'should negate or substantially reduce the impact on the claimants with limited financial means, by wholly exempting or providing them with discounts on a sliding scale'", but argued: " The remission arrangements are not adequate for this purpose."
Depending on the type of case, it will cost £160 or £250 to lodge a claim, with a further charge of either £230 or £950 if it goes ahead to a hearing. Discrimination and unfair dismissal cases fall into the higher category of fees. In the EAT, the fees are £400 to lodge an appeal and £1,200 for a full hearing.
The High Court judges said in their written ruling that they suspected the imposition of the fee regime "will have a disparate effect on those within the protected classes", but said it was "not possible as yet to gauge the extent of the impact".
Referring to the "fundamental difficulty with the whole of this case", Lord Justice Moses said: "Brought as it was in the belief that the lawfulness of the regime had to be challenged as a matter of urgency, and in any event within three months, the court has been faced with judging the regime without sufficient evidence, and based only on the predictions of the rival parties throughout and after the hearing."
He said: "Quite apart from the continuing obligation to fulfil the duties identified in the Equality Act, the Lord Chancellor has himself undertaken to keep the issue of the impact of this regime under review.
"If it turns out that over the ensuing months the fees regime as introduced is having a disparate effect on those falling within a protected class, the Lord Chancellor would be under a duty to take remedial measures to remove that disparate effect and cannot deny that obligation on the basis that challenges come too late.
"It seems to us more satisfactory to wait and see and hold the Lord Chancellor to account should his optimism as to the fairness of this regime prove unfounded.
"We believe both Unison and the Commission (The Equality and Human Rights Commission) will be, and certainly should be, astute to ensure that accurate figures and evidence are obtained as to the effect of this regime."
Lord Justice Moses added: "No doubt the Lord Chancellor will also be doing the same, if he is successfully to resist a future challenge."
He said: "This court did not find itself in any position accurately to collate the information, still less the evidence, in order to achieve a just resolution. The application is dismissed."
Emma Satyamurti, from Leigh Day, a law firm that acts exclusively for claimants, said: " People bringing claims are often out of work and therefore not in a position to pay upfront fees.
"The criteria for remission are exacting - the majority of people wishing to bring claims are not eligible. This leaves a potentially significant number of people who have been unfairly treated without an effective remedy.
"Groups such as those on maternity leave, part-time workers, predominantly women, and people with disabilities are likely to be disproportionately affected.
"The current regime is clearly not compatible with a fair and accessible justice system. Therefore we welcome Unison's planned appeal, which will allow the issues and evidence to be looked at again in the light of a longer period since the introduction of fees and more data on their impact."


text:
2013 Trailblazer Nominations Still Being Accepted
Nominations are still being taken for the eighth annual Trailblazer Awards from Credit Union Times, but time is running out.
"Tell us why you think your nominee should be recognized as the best of the best," said CU Times Publisher/Editor Sarah Snell Cooke. "The Trailblazer Awards are a yearly highlight for us and we appreciate the opportunity to once again see who you nominate in each of these important categories of credit union management and service."
The deadline for nominations is Friday, Dec. 14.
Here are the 2013 categories:
Individual Awards
- CEO of the Year
- Volunteer of the Year
- CFO of the Year
- IT Executive of the Year
- Lending Officer of the Year
- Marketing Executive of the Year
- HR Executive of the Year
Institution Awards
- Outstanding Political Action
- Outstanding Service to the Underserved
Nominate someone today at www.cutimes.com/TrailblazersNominations2013.
Determinations of winners are made exclusively by Credit Union Times' veteran reporting staff and correspondents.
Our 2013 winners will be honored at a reception on Tuesday, Feb. 26, during CUNA's Government Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C., and each of their stories will be told in print and online in Credit Union Times that week.


text:
Boo Boo as Seth?
Access Hollywood reports:
New Cast MembersAnd I thought these were just internet rumors! Entertainment Tonight cites the same casting update, and Summit has confirmed this.
Xavier Samuel as Riley
Catalina Sandino Moreno as Maria
Jack Huston as Royce King
Julia Jones as Leah Clearwater
BooBoo Stewart as Seth Clearwater
Jodelle Ferland as Bree
We shall see if there is any truth to this very soon, I'm guessing. :-)
P.s. Oooh, I like the look of Boo Boo (random!) - very "young Jacob" like - and think Julia is a great fit for Sam's ex! - Lorabell
P.p.s. My sincere apologies to the reader who told me weeks ago that Julia and Boo Boo were slated for these roles! You were right! We just wanted to wait for confirmation...-- TCA


text:
Alabama Credit Unions Merge
The struggling $19 million Milestone Credit Union in Birmingham, Ala., has merged with the $537 million Alabama Credit Union in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Formerly the Birmingham Post Office Credit Union, Milestone CU was the oldest credit union in the state, according to news site AL.com. The merger, originally proposed and approved by Milestone's members in September, took effect Jan. 31, according to ACU.
"Our loans are down, our membership is decreasing and the credit union's assets are shrinking," Milestone CU's Board Chair Sharon Goodwin wrote in a letter to the credit union's 2,883 members.
"We cannot compete with the large credit unions and banks on loan or saving rates, new services, marketing or technology," Goodwin said. "Your Milestone Credit Union has two branches with six employees, and yet we still must comply with the same regulatory compliance as the larger financial institutions, who have multiple employees to handle only compliance issues."
ACU said it will continue to operate Milestone's two branches, and the credit union's six employees have retained their jobs, Goodwin said.


text:
The most expensive weapons program on the budget
for the U.S. Armed Forces is the F-35 Lightning II program. The fighter jets
are plagued with cost overruns and issues that have lead to delays and many
fights in Washington. Despite all the turmoil, the first production F-35
Lightning II was delivered
to the USAF marking an important milestone in the program.
One of the components of the F-35 program that was
killed to save money was the development of an alternate engine for the
aircraft. The second engine was being developed by General Electric and Rolls
Royce, but he House recently voted
to pull funding.
Despite the pulled funding, the secondary engine
for the F-35 came up again in The House Armed Services Committee with a new
amendment to the 2012 defense authorization bill. The amendment didn't
approve any new funding for the second engine, but left the door open for GE
and Rolls Royce to continue the development of the second engine at their own
expense. GE announced that it would like to continue development of the engine.
The amendment dictates that the Pentagon cannot
destroy any data relating to the second engine and to support the continued
development. Committee Chairman Rep. Buck McKeon said the development of the
second engine at no cost was a "no brainer."
Another amendment was voted down that would have
cut the buy of F-35 jets in 2012 from six aircraft to four. The Amendment was
withdrawn when it didn't have the votes to pass.
While the second engine for the F-35 is cropping
up again in the House, the DoD is also moving forward on its plan to seek a
replacement for the aging bomber fleet in the USAF toady.
The DoD has approved a USAF
Bomber Program Office that will work to get plans in place for the branch's
next generation bomber. Air Force undersecretary Erin Conaton said,
"We've got a general mandate from the Secretary of Defense to go forward
with standing up the program office, so we're just at the beginning of that
Currently the estimate for the number of bombers
needed is 80 to 100. One of the first things that will be done is to set firmer
requirements on the number of bombers needed.
Conaton said, "Eighty to 100 is our current
best estimate of what we think we'll need, but that estimate will be refined
over time as we see the capability and what we think we can afford." She
continued, " We don't have a full life-cycle cost [for the bomber] yet.
That's the work that'll be done now by the program office as they stand up."


text:
Intel's P1268 32nm development process is progressing better than expected. It is doing so well, in fact, that they are cancelling Havendale and Auburndale, the 45nm mainstream value versions of Nehalem. These were supposed to be the first mass produced chips with on die integrated graphics and an integrated memory controller.
Havendale was a dual core version of Lynnfield, itself the Core i5 mainstream version of the Nehalem Core i7. It would've used the same LGA-1156 socket as Lynnfield.
Auburndale was the mobile version of Havendale, but it had more in common with Clarksfield, the mobile variant of Lynnfield.
Having graphics on die saves motherboard manufacturers money because there is no longer a northbridge to buy and integrate. By lowering platform costs, Intel wants to bring Nehalem technology to a new market, at a price point it previously was not able to. This would also drive DDR3 adoption, something that DRAM manufacturers have been anticipating.
The original launch date for Havendale was towards the end of Q4, missing most of the crucial Christmas buying season. Auburndale would've been introduced in Q1 of 2010. This was to allow time for the production ramping of Lynnfield and Clarksfield into the mainstream market.
With 32nm development so advanced, Intel made the decision to pull in Clarkdale and Arrandale from the middle of 2010 to Q4 of 2009. They seem confident that they will be able to ramp in time to meet demand from the critical Christmas season.
Clarkdale is the 32nm successor to Havendale, built using two logic cores and a graphics core using Intel's "Multi-Chip Packaging". The logical cores are built on a 32nm process, but the integrated memory controller and graphics core are built on a 45nm process. It is capable of running four threads at once with a new generation of Hyper-Threading, promising increased efficiency. A server variant of Clarkdale is also to be introduced later in Q1 of 2010.
Arrandale is the mobile version of Clarkdale, also with integrated on die graphics. It will also allow switchable graphics within Windows 7 and Windows Vista, enabling the use of a higher performance GPU when plugged in. Both Clarkdale and Arrandale will use 5 series chipsets, exclusively with DDR3.


text:
Every year come September East Coaster's look for respite from the flat summer in the form of spinning clouds of dust off the coast of West Africa; hoping and praying said storms pick up steam and head westward over the open Atlantic and into the swell window of surf spots from Miami to Maine.
Most of the time these tropical systems track quickly through the ocean, sending a day or two of good surf to a few East Coast and Caribbean locations before being sucked away into the North Atlantic or smashing into land and causing a shit ton more harm than they were ever worth (see: Hurricane Irene in 2011).
Hurricane Leslie was an exception. Forming off the Cape Verde Islands in late August, she's been spinning harmlessly in the open Atlantic for over 10 days now, treating the entire Eastern Seaboard to a never ending buffet of barrels. From the Caribbean to Nova Scotia, "best ever" claims are being slung around everywhere. East Coast Senior Photographer Seth Stafford is covering as much of the swell as one man possibly can, and here's a first look at some of the action on North Carolina's Outer Banks...--Zander Morton


text: Serenity now. Yesterday was a big game. We hung in there with a better team which I normally applaud (and I still do) but we lost the game and that's a two game swing on the team we're chasing for 8th. The only way we make the playoffs is through a series of random events and there's no point in trying to plan for that. Next season starts now and that's not a bad thing. If a miracle has to happen for this crew to get to the playoffs, let that miracle happen with JV and TRoss on the floor. They'll be there next year. Let them make their mistakes now.


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text:
Search Chinese Symbols/Words:
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Chinese text: 餞
The meanings in Chinese:
a farewell dinner or luncheon
to convoy, send off
preserves, jam
to convoy, send off
preserves, jam
pronunciation: jian~4
view the jian section for more information!
calligraphic strokes animation:
multi-style calligraphic fonts for this symbol:
Click Here to view the example page for all seven calligraphic styles, traditional and simplified Chinese symbols (8 clip-art files) in a folder.
Item number for this symbol: 6883
recommended words or phrases:
farewell party
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give a farewell dinner
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text:
What is the education discount policy?
For more than 15 years, Bio-Rad has made science education a major priority. To support this effort, the company has implemented a discount policy that allows high school and college teaching laboratories to purchase kits, instruments, reagents, and other equipment at preferred prices.
How do I apply for the education discount?
If you are an educator at the high school or college level, visit our Education Discount Policy page to establish an education account number.
1 x 96-well, includes coupled magnetic beads and detection antibodies for detecting human MIP-3α / CCL20, requires reagent kit III (171-304090 for vacuum separation or 171-304090M for magnetic separation) and a vial of standards (171-DK0001)
Use the Bio-Plex Pro human chemokine MIP-3α / CCL20 singleplex set for the detection and quantification of MIP-3α / CCL20 from human biological samples.
Singleplex assays require reagent kit III (171-304090 for vacuum separation or 171-304090M for magnetic separation) and a vial of standards (171-DK0001).
Compatible with these readers and wash stations:
To learn more about performance characteristics or how to set up your human chemokine assays for optimal performance and sensitivity, refer to the documents listed below:
Browse cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors from other assay panels — we recommend combining singleplex sets only when they are from the same panel.
Sorry, an error has occurred. Please try again. If the problem persists, please call {0} for assistance.
This product contains electrical or electronic material. Learn more about Bio-Rad's EU Recycle Program


text:
Doulton Water Filters & Filtration Systems
Doulton sets the standard for water filters and filtration products
Doulton water filters use ceramic water filter candles, which serve as a highly effective barrier against particles and pathogens as they remove all particles down to 0.2 microns (for maximum protection and the cleanest water), yet they leave all the beneficial minerals in the water. Whether you're looking for a Doulton Whole House Filter System or a countertop water filtration system, you're guaranteed to find everything you need to keep your Doulton water filter up and running.
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What do wrinkles and muscle spasms have in common? Both are caused by repeated or inappropriate muscle activity and both can be treated using the same drug, Botox.
With such wide-ranging effects, Botox may sound like a wonder drug. Nevertheless, it is actually short for botulinum toxin—one of the deadliest food poisons known to humankind. Although rare, it is not hard to find news stories about groups of people who died from food poisoning caused by the toxin. However, the same quality that can make botulism lethal—its ability to paralyze muscles—makes it therapeutic when used in carefully controlled doses.
All Kinds of Relief
Botox is used to treat a variety of muscular disorders. It is the drug of choice for the neuromuscular condition, dystonia. In dystonia, particular muscles contract inappropriately. A common form of dystonia involves the neck, and is called torticollis. Other forms involve spasms of the eyelids (blepharospasm), half of the face (hemifacial spasm), and vocal cords (spasmodic dysphonia). Dystonia is also common in some neurologic diseases, such as cerebral palsy
Unlike muscle strain or tendinitis, dystonia is a neurologic disorder in which the brain incorrectly signals muscles to contract, which can result in muscle pain and spasm.
When Botox is injected directly into a contracted muscle, it is weakened and cannot contract as strongly, restoring balance to the group of muscles involved in a particular movement and relieving symptoms for a period of months.
Doctors have used Botox to correct a variety of conditions involving inappropriate muscle and gland activity with varying degrees of success. They include:
- Eyelid muscle spasms—People with limited eye closure and spasms that prevented them from driving (blepharospasm) have been successfully treated with Botox.
- Eye crossing—Weakening one of the muscles controlling eye movement with Botox can restore muscle balance and straighten the eyes.
- Spasticity—Botox can be helpful in controlling spasticity due to stroke, head injury, multiple sclerosis, or congenital cerebral palsy.
- Esophageal disorders—When the lower sphincter muscle of the esophagus fails to relax and allow food to pass into the stomach, Botox can be an effective treatment.
- Excess sweating—Botox injected into the skin can control overactive sweat glands, but it can be difficult to treat a widespread area.
- Neurological bladder dysfunction—Botox may be helpful for bladder problems caused by nerve dysfunction.
- Headaches—Botox may be useful for treatment of a variety of headache disorders including migraines, tension-type headaches, and chronic daily headaches.
Wrinkle Treatment
Frown. Smile. Grimace. Grin. Every facial expression forms a crease that will someday be etched into your skin as a wrinkle. You can't stop moving your face, but you can limit movement in key places using Botox. As a result of its successful use with facial tics, plastic surgeons discovered that Botox can smooth out wrinkles in places where muscle activity has a particularly noticeable effect. Botox is used to treat wrinkles in 2 places: frown lines between the eyebrows, where it is most effective, and crow's feet. As Botox restricts muscle movement, it creates a smoother appearance, even if it does not remove all traces of the wrinkle.
How It Works
Tiny quantities of the toxin are injected directly into the muscles of facial expression. The treated muscles weaken over the course of 2 weeks and the person is no longer able to contract the frown muscles. They can still lift their eyebrows normally and blink without problems. The injection is almost painless.
Not surprisingly, younger people—whose lines are not as deep—experience the greatest improvements. Results last up to 4 months. You can receive injections every 3–4 months to maintain the results.
Side Effects Are Uncommon
Side effects have not been a problem in using Botox for treating wrinkles or other conditions, aside from the occasional allergic reaction or temporary excessive muscle weakness. Some people have a slight headache for several hours after treatment. The most common significant complication, which is rare, is ptosis. This is a drooping of the eyelid caused by the Botox tracking into the eyelid muscle. It generally lasts just a few days, but more prolonged weakness is possible. Botox injections cannot be used during pregnancy or when breastfeeding.
If you decide to undergo Botox treatment, be sure that you receive your care from a reputable physician highly experienced in the use of this substance. From quelling muscle spasms to smoothing out skin, Botox can be an effective treatment for many people if used properly.
- Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board Michael Woods, MD, FAAP
- Review Date: 10/2017 -
- Update Date: 12/04/2015 -


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This dataset is maintained and distributed by the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD), the criminal justice archive within ICPSR. NACJD is primarily sponsored by three agencies within the U.S. Department of Justice: the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Changing Patterns of Drug Abuse and Criminality Among Crack Cocaine Users in New York City, 1988-1989 (ICPSR 9670)
Principal Investigator(s): Fagan, Jeffrey; Belenko, Steven; Johnson, Bruce D.
This collection examines the characteristics of users and sellers of crack cocaine and the impact of users and sellers on the criminal justice system and on drug treatment and community programs. Information was also collected concerning users of drugs other than crack cocaine and the attributes of those users. Topics covered include initiation into substance use and sales, expenses for drug use, involvement with crime, sources of income, and primary substance of abuse. Demographic information includes subject's race, educational level, living area, social setting, employment status, occupation, marital status, number of children, place of birth, and date of birth. Information was also collected about the subject's parents: education level, occupation, and place of birth.
Access Notes
The public-use data files in this collection are available for access by the general public. Access does not require affiliation with an ICPSR member institution.
ASCII + SAS Setup SPSS Setup Stata Setup
Study Description
Fagan, Jeffrey, Steven Belenko, and Bruce D. Johnson. CHANGING PATTERNS OF DRUG ABUSE AND CRIMINALITY AMONG CRACK COCAINE USERS IN NEW YORK CITY, 1988-1989. New Brunswick, NJ: Jeffrey Fagan, Rutgers University/New York, NY: Steven Belenko, New York City Criminal Justice Agency/New York, NY: Bruce D. Johnson, Narcotic and Drug Research, Inc. [producers], 1989. 2nd ICPSR version. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2002. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR09670.v2
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR09670.v2
Export Citation:
- RIS (generic format for RefWorks, EndNote, etc.)
- EndNote XML (EndNote X4.0.1 or higher)
This study was funded by:
- United States Department of Justice. Office of Justice Programs. National Institute of Justice (87-IJ-CX-0064)
Scope of Study
Subject Terms: crack cocaine, criminality, criminal justice system, demographic characteristics, drug abuse, drug related crimes, drug traffic, drug treatment, drug use
Geographic Coverage: New York City, New York (state), United States
- 1984-01--1989-12
- 1988-06--1989-08
Universe: Residents of two New York City neighborhoods, some of whom had been arrested for drug offenses, some of whom used drugs but had eluded arrest, and some of whom were participating in drug treatment programs.
The codebook is provided by ICPSR as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file. The PDF file format was developed by Adobe Systems Incorporated and can be accessed using PDF reader software, such as the Adobe Acrobat Reader. Information on how to obtain a copy of the Acrobat Reader is provided on the ICPSR Web site.
Sample: Respondents were selected through police records and snowball sampling methods.
personal interviews
Extent of Processing: ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection:
- Standardized missing values.
- Performed recodes and/or calculated derived variables.
- Checked for undocumented or out-of-range codes.
Original ICPSR Release: 1992-01-10
- 2005-11-04 On 2005-03-14 new files were added to one or more datasets. These files included additional setup files as well as one or more of the following: SAS program, SAS transport, SPSS portable, and Stata system files. The metadata record was revised 2005-11-04 to reflect these additions.
- 2002-04-25 The data file was converted from card image to logical record length data format. SAS and SPSS data definition statements were created, and the codebook was converted to PDF format.
Related Publications
- List all ~21 citations associated with this study
Most Recent Publications
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DailyTech previously covered startup LS9 Inc.'s efforts to genetically engineer microbes to produce synthetic fuels. After initial efforts to genetically modify both yeast and bacteria to produce long-chain hydrocarbons, they have since focused their efforts on a particular common bacterium -- E. Coli.
E. Coli is commonly found in feces, and the LS9 researchers have succeeded in a rather ironic goal -- genetically modifying the bacteria to excrete diesel fuel. After much research and genetic modification, LS9 says it has used a variety of common sugar metabolic pathways to force E. Coli to convert virtually any sugar-containing substance in part to carbon chains virtually indistinguishable with diesel.
The bacteria "poop" out this black gold, while using part of the sugar to fuel their growth and reproduction as well. The net result is that any carbon source can be turned into synthetic fuel by the economic bacteria.
Biochemist Stephen del Cardayre, LS9 vice president of research and development, says his company has come a long way. He states, "We started in my garage two years ago, and we're producing barrels today, so things are moving pretty quickly."
He explains the process of creating the microbes, stating, "So these are bacteria that have been engineered to produce oil. They started off like regular lab bacteria that didn't produce oil, but we took genes from nature, we engineered them a bit [and] put them into this organism so that we can convert sugar to oil."
While the microbes are currently only producing diesel fuel, they could easily be tuned to produce gasoline or jet fuel according to Mr. Cardayre. Best of all, the bacteria don't have to use simple sugars such as corn, a major criticism of the ethanol infrastructure. The increased demand for corn by the ethanol industry is accused of raising food prices. Instead they can use a variety of "foods" including sugar cane, landscaping waste, wheat straw, and wood chips. The microbes used are a "friendly" noninfectious type of E. Coli that lack the proteins needed to invade the human body, which some strains of E. Coli are capable of doing.
Robert McCormick, principal engineer at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab in Colorado remains skeptical of LS9's claims. He adds, "Scalability is really the critical issue. If you've got something that you can make work in a test tube, that's good, but you've got to be able to make it work on a very large scale to have an impact on our petroleum imports."
LS9 is not only confident they can scale the technology, but they also believe that their oil will be significant to the oil found in fossil fuel deposits. Typical oil deposits contain significant amounts of sulfur that get released into the atmosphere, creating acid rain which destroys forests, limestone, marble, and damages lake ecosystems. It also contains benzene, a carcinogen that can cause cancer even in very small quantities.
The E. Coli produced diesel has none of these unwanted extras, it's just pure black gold. Unlike ethanol, it can be pumped along existing infrastructure, LS9 is quick to point out.
While they hope to be entering commercial level production in the next couple years, they acknowledge that even if they continue their path of unlikely and rapid success, their technology is not a magical solution to the global energy crisis. Mr. Cardayre states, "I think that the answer to reducing our petroleum-import problem and reducing the carbon emissions from transportation is really threefold. It involves replacement fuels like biofuels, it involves using much more efficient vehicles than we use today, and it involves driving less."
He says that LS9's success and continued prospects are only thanks to constant collaboration by a diverse team of experts from many different professions. He continues, "The fun of the challenge from the science perspective is that you do have farmers and biologists and entomologists, and biochemists and chemical engineers, and process engineers and business people and investors all working to solve this, and it ranges anywhere from a political issue to a technical issue."


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it comes to the digital music sales market, services like Amazon or
Zune Pass have made a minor splash, but Apple has long dominated the
market. Over the last two decades, antitrust regulators in the
U.S. and Europe have imposed fines and restrictions on Microsoft and
Intel to try to prevent them from abusing their dominant position in
several markets. However, they have cast a largely blind eye on
Apple's iTunes -- until now.Antitrust investigators with the
U.S. Department of Justice are conducting an extensive
inquiry into Apple's online music business, interviewing Apple
employees, internet music company employees, and music label
employees according to the New
York Times.
At the core of the investigation is the allegation that Apple applied
pressure to force music labels not to grant Amazon.com access to
exclusive tracks to help grow the online retailer's fledgling music
market.A previous investigation was conducted several years
back in the European Union, examining Apple's iTunes pricing
practices. The investigation's conclusions were highly
critical of Apple, but did not levy any fines -- unlike recent EU
investigations into Microsoft and Intel.In March, it
was reported in Billboard magazine
that Amazon.com would be getting certain songs a day before they were
widely released. It would put these songs in a special
promotional section dubbed "MP3 Daily Deal."
According to the article, Apple hated the idea and threatened music
labels that participated. Specifically, it vowed not to sell
the songs featured in the promotion on iTunes -- a much bigger
reportedly owns 69 percent of the online music market, according to
the NPD group. The next closest competitor in the online market is
Amazon, which holds an 8 percent share. The remaining 23 percent are
split up among smaller players.
2007 Apple had a mere 12 percent of the total music
market (both online and offline), but it recently became the largest
single seller of music in the world, with 26.7 percent of the overall
market.Daniel L. Brown, an antitrust lawyer at Sheppard
Mullin Richter & Hampton states, "Certainly if the Justice
Department is getting involved, it raises the possibility of
potential serious problems down the road for Apple. Without
knowing what acts or practices they are targeting, it's difficult
to say exactly how big a problem this is, but it's probably
something Apple is already concerned about."Apple now
has dominant positions in several markets -- tablet computing (iPad),
portable music players (iPod), smart phone applications (iTunes App
Store), and online music (iTunes Music Store). Thus it has
leverage to use its position to damage competitors, if it should so
choose.The new investigation is at least the fourth antitrust
inquiry into Apple. The U.S. government is also investigating
Apple, Palm and others to see whether the companies illegally agreed
not poach each others' employees (Apple's CEO Steven P. Jobs secretly
suggested such a truce, which appears to be illegal). The
government is also investigating Apple's
ban on Flash for the iPhone or iPad and its decision to
block out ports of Flash titles to native iPhone code. And
there's also a pending investigation about whether board
members serving
on both Apple's and Google's boards violated antitrust
laws.ITunes first launched in 2001 and has long been on the
forefront of the push for legal online music downloads. Apple
has sold over 10 billion tracks on iTunes to date, and has become one
of the biggest revenue sources for the struggling music industry.
Apple also has supported a number of smaller independent artists by
promoting them and giving them tools to expose their work to a
broader audience. Apple also has recently made some steps to
increase competition, such as allowing streaming music services such
as Pandora and Rhapsody onto Apple devices.Spokespeople for
Apple and Amazon would not comment on the inquiry. Gina
Talamona, a deputy director at the Justice Department, also had no


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8.9-magnitude earthquake hits coast of Japan, island nations face tsunami warning
Editor's note: For the most recent updates, see blog post Japan quake and tsunami updates + video
Two ways to donate to Japan quake and tsunami relief -- Text '4JAPAN' to '20222' to give a $10 donation. Or donate online.
Update, 11:27 pm PST: World Vision team departs from Tokyo tomorrow with hopes to do relief distributions and set up Child-Friendly Spaces. Staff will be sent to the affected areas to conduct an assessment of the situation in each area and determine the needs of survivors.
Update, 6:12 pm PST: Official warnings indicate that tsunami waves are not expected to bring heavy damage to Latin American and Caribbean countries, given the loss of energy of the tidal wave as it travels across the Pacific Ocean and the geographic position of the countries in the region in relation to the wave's path. World Vision continues to monitor the situation closely.
Donate to help World Vision reach families devastated by the quake and tsunami.
Update, 3:19 pm PST: From our most recent reports from World Vision staff in affected areas:
- All the major transportation means (e.g. trains and highways) are stopped in major affected cities, people are unable to access any transportation mean to go back home. People are stuck in their offices and at their train stations.
- Electricity is cut off for about 7,000,000 households.
- All affected population facing difficulty in telecommunication. People are unable to contact their families and friends.
- There are still aftershocks.
World Vision staff are working around the clock to get a holistic picture of the damage, and to form an operational response plan.
World Vision is also working closely with authorities in Tokyo, asking what kind of resources we can provide. Read MSNBC article.
Update, 11:42 am PST: World Vision continues to monitor countries across the Asia and Pacific region for tsunami impact. A response in Japan will also be considered once the full picture of damage and immediate needs on the ground are better established. Local media reports more than 300 deaths and many more missing. Regional disaster management staff are on stand-by to support any efforts.
Update, 9:22 am PST: Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs director for World Vision Asia-Pacific reports that all World Vision staff in Japan are safe, initial danger period for Indonesia and Philippines has passed - though they remain on alert. Warnings remain for Papua New Guinea although little damage has been reported. Evacuated people are returning home. World Vision continues to monitor the situation closely.
An 8.9-magnitude earthquake hit near the northeast coast of Japan today. Pacific Rim countries are bracing for potential tsunamis. World Vision staff members are on high alert, preparing to respond.
Staff on high alert across region, preparing for response
Asian, North American, and South American countries on the Pacific Rim are facing tsunami alerts following a 8.9-magnitude earthquake, reported to have occurred near Japan's east coast today.
"Our offices in Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands are on alert and staff in coastal areas have been advised," said Geoff Shepherd, World Vision's humanitarian and emergency affairs director for the Asia-Pacific region.
"We've also alerted our Global Rapid Response Team and have put team members on standby for possible deployment to affected areas. This could be a very serious disaster in multiple countries and our staff are prepared to respond."
World Vision
World Vision is particularly concerned about those who would be most vulnerable in the island nations facing tsunami warnings.
We currently have operations in the following countries that may be affected: Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Mexico, New Zealand, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru.
World Vision also has responded to disasters in American Samoa in recent years. We responded in the immediate aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, as well as earthquakes last year in Haiti and Chile. Staff are on standby to respond in Japan and in many of the potentially-affected countries. Community development staff in the Philippines are working with local governments to coordinate a possible response in coastal areas.
The quake occurred at 1:46 p.m. local time near the east coast of Honshu, Japan. In Tokyo, reports have already been issued predicting waves as high as 10 meters.
Current reports estimate that tsunamis may strike the Philippines by as early as 5 a.m. EST and may strike Indonesia and other South Pacific islands as early as 6 a.m. EST. At this point, authorities have not released an estimate of the potential size of the waves.
"In the coastal town of Palanan, where World Vision has an ongoing relief operation, World Vision staff were the first to notify the local government of the impending tsunami," says communications staff member Jay Mijares, based in the Philippines. "Local government officials have now identified evacuation sites for community members."
World Vision staff in the Philippines are monitoring and have pre-positioned supplies prepared for a response if necessary.
Papua New Guinea
Staff members in Papua New Guinea have pre-positioned supplies for 1,000 to 2,000 people. Staff are on alert for a potential response.
General Information
Some media reports indicate that this is the most powerful quake on record in Japan and may be the fifth-largest earthquake reported in the world since 1900.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has issued tsunami warnings for more than 50 locations, some as far away as the western coasts of Chile and Peru.
Please keep in prayer the children, families, and communities left devastated by this earthquake. Pray that the tsunamis would cause minimal damage, and that people would have ample warning to be out of harm's way. Pray that those who are most vulnerable would be protected.
or text '4JAPAN' to '20222' to give a $10 donation


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Nespresso Pixie Espresso Maker
Easy, hassle-free returns online and in-store for eligible items.Learn More
- Summary
Meet the Pixie: an eye-catching single-cup machine that combines a super-compact silhouette with superb espresso-making abilities. This stylish little dynamo adds impact to your kitchenscape with its sleek, urban design and bold color. Easy to use, it's the ideal size for small kitchens, apartments and offices.
- Stylish, ultracompact espresso machine brews one perfect cup at a time.
- Brewing is fully automatic – simply pop in a coffee capsule and select your cup size.
- Works exclusively with Nespresso's premium coffee capsules (16 are included) for locked-in freshness and convenience with no mess.
- Heats up in 25 to 30 seconds – faster than most single-cup models on the market.
- Two top buttons allow you to select a shot size, a 1-oz pour or a 2- to 3-oz pour.
- Machine can be programmed to brew a specific duration based on your preference.
- A 19-bar pressure pump ensures maximum extraction of flavor.
- Innovative Thermoblock technology guarantees precise temperature control.
- Spent capsules are neatly ejected into an internal receptacle that holds up to 10 used capsules.
- Removable water tank is easy to fill.
- Drip tray flips up to accommodate larger cup sizes – handy when you're making a latte or cappuccino.
- Easy-to-read backlit buttons.
- Auto shut-off after 9 minutes.
- Nespresso is now partnering with DeLonghi, Breville and KitchenAid to distribute Nespresso's premium coffee and espresso makers. These are the same stylish, innovative machines you know and love, designed and engineered by Nespresso.
- Dimensions & More Info
- ABS plastic construction.
- 12 3/4" x 4 3/4" x 9 3/4" high.
- Removable 24 fl.-oz. cap. water tank.
- 6 lb. 10 oz.
- 1260 watts.
- This product is intended for use in the United States and Canada and is built to United States electrical standards.
- Made in Switzerland.
- Use & Care
- For use with Nespresso coffee capsules only.
- Coffee capsules are easy to order for delivery within two business days; for details, visit www.nespresso.com.
- Hand-wash water tank, capsule container and drip tray.
- Wipe base clean with a damp cloth.
- Avoid harsh detergents and abrasive cleansers.
- Use Nespresso de-scaling cleanser every 6–8 months to remove buildup. Do not use vinegar.
- Shipping
Shipping Information
UPS can deliver most in-stock items within 3-5 business days. UPS is unable to deliver to P.O. boxes.
Shipping Rates
The shipping rate varies depending on your order total and shipping destination. View Shipping Options and Charges.
Next Day Delivery
For an additional charge of $17.50 per address, we can expedite delivery to most destinations. This service is not available for some oversize items, items shipped directly from the supplier (including perishable and custom-manufactured items), out-of-stock items and items to be shipped outside the contiguous 48 states.
Orders received by 9:00 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Thursday will arrive the next business day; orders placed Friday through Sunday will arrive on the following Tuesday.
Return Policy
At Williams Sonoma, we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our products. Attention to design, materials, safety and construction are our priority. Upon receipt, please inspect your purchase and notify us of any damage; we will arrange for a prompt replacement.
If within 30 days, you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase for a refund of the merchandise value. An original receipt or gift receipt is required for all returns and exchanges. Returns with a gift receipt will be refunded in the form of a Merchandise Credit for the amount indicated on the gift receipt. Returns with original receipt will be refunded in the original form of payment, cash and check refunds over $100 will be issued as a company check (may take 14 business days from time of request).
For all cutlery returns (knife sets, single knives, cutting boards, knife sharpeners, and knife storage) please contact us at 888.922.4108 to initiate the return.
We cannot accept returns on monogrammed, personalized, special-order items, custom upholstery, food, items shipped direct from the vendor, or on items damaged through normal wear and tear. Final sale items ending in .97 or .99 cannot be returned.
Made to Order and Final Sale Furniture items are non-returnable, and cannot be cancelled once the order is placed.
For returns of items purchased from your Williams Sonoma Gift Registry, we will gladly provide a refund or exchange for the merchandise within 90 days of your event or within 90 days of purchase, whichever date is later. View Full Returns Policy.


text:
Steve,Could you please explain the necessity of the passive location-tracking tool embedded in my iPhone? It's kind of unnerving knowing that my exact location is being recorded at all times. Maybe you could shed some light on this for me before I switch to a Droid. They don't track me.
Oh yes they do. We don't track anyone. The info circulating around is false. Sent from my iPhone


text:
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text:
I began the very first Mindfulness column with the idea that mental illnesses can be harder to deal with than cancer, because with cancer you either beat the disease and go into remission or else succumb. Unlike mental illnesses, cancer is accepted and understood in our society. Mental illnesses are hard to deal with because there is no one medication that takes away symptoms, no solution that solves the lifelong ramifications that a mental illness has on an individual, a family and a society. Even in the realms of recovery of a mental illness, there are still medicines to take and a support system that still has to be maintained. With a mental illness, the act of "recovering" is a form of remission where the patient is able to handle the symptoms to a point where the goal designated by some books is a mental health patient living a "fulfilling life."
For myself, in the beginning I thought a fulfilling life was not having hallucinations, remembering to take my meds, and being able to cope with my other symptoms. Learning to constantly adjust and tweak my recovery has led me to where I am now. I am able, fortunately, to handle the remaining symptoms that medicine does not take away and have built a very large support system. I have taken the steps to further my education and am working on finishing my bachelor's degree, and want to pursue my dreams of being a freelance writer.
I have had the great privilege of being able to interview other patients with mental illnesses and tell their stories in this Mindfulness column. From some of these others stories, I have learned that no matter the illness, we are all trying to live a fulfilling life. I have also told my stories of recovery from the experience I have been through. It has come time for me as a person to step away from the Mindfulness column and to pursue other writing adventures. I would like to take the time to thank the Cortez Journal for opening this discussion on mental illnesses in our community.
For every person who has come up to me and talked to me about the illness they or someone they know is going through, I would like to thank you for being so open and willing to share your stories and struggles. I will always hold dear the lady in the park that came up to me one day when I was walking and told me how a recent Mindfulness article encouraged her to seek help. I hope these articles have started a change in how we perceive mental illnesses. Although it will be a large battle to face, I believe that we will someday come to medically beat the symptoms and learn to tackle the stigma of mental illnesses. As with cancer, may we come to a point where mental illnesses are accepted for the fact that they are illnesses that need to be addressed?
To borrow an illustration from my favorite hobby of fly fishing, facing a mental illness is much like pursuing that elusive large fish in the river. You can keep on casting and getting your line all knotted up in the pursuit of what you desire. With each cast and try you come a little closer. However, recovery, I have come to learn, is not so much the act of catching that fish, it is the idea that you take the risk to wade through your problems, pursue your goal and. most importantly, that you enjoy the adventure of the day.
Mindfulness is brought to you by NAMI Montelores, your local NAMI affiliate. NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness. NAMI recognizes that the key concepts of recovery, resiliency and support are essential to improving the wellness and quality of life of all persons affected by mental illness. NAMI provides support, education, and advocacy for individuals and families through community classes, in-service trainings, support groups, and more.
Randy Davis is a member of NAMI Montelores. He can be reached at email@example.com.


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President Barack Obama, once a community organizer, swayed the public largely via a heavily funded grass-roots campaign, which saw tremendous presence on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and other online outlets.
Now as he begins to push many ambitious and challenging legislative initiatives, he's turning to these same internet outlets, retooling from election mode into a means of garnering public support. In doing so he's setting an archetype likely to be followed by Presidents and policy makers to come.
The new group, Organizing for America, housed at the Democratic National Committee, (rather than the White House) will help Obama direct his campaigns. It will communicate with an army of volunteers and supporters via text message, email, and internet sites.
The move in some ways echoes President Bush's numerous public addresses and news conferences, which saw him trying to skip by the press and take his message directly to the people. Likewise, President Obama plans to try to skip the media, while delivering his message directly to the public, albeit via a more high tech mode.
Where past Presidents recorded a weekly radio address, President Obama records a weekly YouTube video. The videos are also posted to the White House website. His video last week discussing the bailout package garnered 600,000 hits in a single day.
One major obstacle that President Obama faces in communicating via the internet is restrictions on his list of 13 million supporters' email addresses, which he previously compiled. He is unable to use this list, due to restrictions on such data compiled for political (election-related) purposes. The DNC is starting from scratch a new list, which will be valid as it's created solely to help convey President Obama's message. To help jump start it, the DNC has been allowed by law to email a message to the previous listing inviting them to join the new list.
The organizers, determination, vigor, and a solid plan face big challenges in accomplishing their goals of reaching the masses via technology. Describes David Plouffe, Mr. Obama's campaign manager and one of the organizers of this effort, "This has obviously never been undertaken before. So it's going to be a little trial and error."
That might be an understatement, considering the group has yet to feature a fully developed website, reach funding agreements with the DNC, and start its own fund-raising. One thing the organization does have going for it is a clever reference to the name of his former campaign organization with the organization's initials, O.F.A., conveniently also applying to the prior Obama for America campaign.
As well as organizational challenges, President Obama's organizers face division within his own party. Some in Congress fear that he will use the new organization as a means to lobby the public to pressure members of Congress on legislation. Mr. Plouffe tries to mollify these critics, stating, "This is not a political campaign. This is not a 'call or e-mail your member of Congress' organization."
Rather he and President Obama view the organization as a two-way street, to both offer information on the President's message, and to get feedback from the public on issues.
Some see the new efforts as a result of a public DIY spirit when it comes to journalism. Says Macon Phillips, the "new media" director for Mr. Obama's administration, "Historically the media has been able to draw out a lot of information and characterize it for people. And there's a growing appetite from people to do it themselves."
However, others in the journalistic community, on both sides of the political aisle, are fearful that the new initiative is an attempt to create a government-controlled news outlet to supplant independent news outlets, and further that it could indeed succeed in doing so. Bill Kovach, the chairman of the Committee of Concerned Journalists, "They're beginning to create their own journalism, their own description of events of the day, but it's not an independent voice making that description. It's troublesome until we know how it's going to be used and the degree to which it can be used on behalf of the people, and not on behalf of only one point of view."
Thus the organizational, social, and political challenges have only just begun as President Obama tries to continue to use the internet to further his message.


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IE l María de Molina, 11. 28006 Madrid, España| tel. +34 91 568 96 00 | email@example.com
IE is an institution dedicated to the education of professionals with a global focus, and an entrepreneurial and humanistic spirit; oriented to educating entrepreneurs and managers through its Bachelor, MBA, Master, and Executive Education programs. IE is characterized by its entrepreneurial and innovative character, for its applied research projects, and the development of socially-responsible initiatives.
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This leads
to some interesting commercials at times and one of the latest
is Verizon Wireless taking a swipe at AT&T over its overused
"There's an app for that" tagline. The commercial
shows an AT&T user and a Verizon user walking and using
navigation presumably. The map above the AT&T users head shows
the coverage of the AT&T 3G network and the map over the Verizon
user's head shows the 3G coverage area for Verizon. Verizon then
proceeds to poke at AT&T's inferior 3G coverage saying "There's
a map for that".
It goes without saying that the Verizon 3G
overage area is much larger if the claims are to be believed. I can
believe the AT&T network is smaller, 3G coverage is notoriously
shoddy with AT&T, and any iPhone user can tell you that 3G
signals come and go frequently. This is one of the most humorous
commercials for a mobile provider that I have seen since Alltel was
doing those spots with that fat kid. A response from AT&T has to
be coming soon.


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This is the collar that helps to relieve neck tension using vibrating massage, electric stimulation, and heat therapy. Used by professional therapists, it is ideal for helping to relieve muscle pain and strain from driving, flying, or office work. Slipping around the neck comfortably and controlled from the included infrared remote, the massager's six vibration modes promote relaxation. Twin metal conductors built into the collar send six intensity levels of harmless low-frequency electrical pulses into the neck's tissue that block pain signals passing through nerves to the brain, increasing blood flow to promote healing. Two elements built into the collar provide three levels of far-infrared heat up to 118� F that penetrates neck muscles for optimal relaxation. You can select sessions in 5-minute increments up to 30 minutes. Its rechargeable battery provides up to 2 1/2 hours of operation from a six-hour charge using the included AC adapter. 9 3/4" L x 9" W x 2 1/2" H. (1 1/4 lbs.)
Not for use by those with pacemakers.
Lifetime Guarantee
The Heat Therapy Neck Massager comes with The Hammacher Schlemmer Lifetime Guarantee. If this product ever disappoints you, for any reason, you may return your Hammacher Schlemmer purchase for exchange, credit, or refund.
Should you have any questions, we are available seven days a week (8:00 am – midnight EST). Please call 1-800-321-1484 to speak with a specialist or email us at email@example.com to receive a response within three business hours or less.
Shipping charges noted in parentheses apply in addition to our standard shipping & service.
We're sorry, but gift wrap is not available. Please call 1-800-395-7006 for Premium or Express delivery rates.
Oversized items scheduled for expedited delivery (Premium or Express) may incur additional shipping and services charges because of their unusual size. Please call 1-800-321-1484 for an estimate of S&S charges. International callers, please call 1-513-860-3397.
We're sorry, but gift wrap is not available for oversized items.
Shipped via truck and may require customer assistance upon delivery. You will be contacted to make an appointment for delivery.
We're sorry, but gift wrap and gift cards are not available.
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COPYRIGHT © 2018 HAMMACHER SCHLEMMER & COMPANY, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. W109147 E. 57th ST • NEW YORK, NY • 10022 • 1-800-_321-1484


text:
Pass them this football logo stressball, and your logo on game day!
Score a touchdown with your promos by using this football logo stress ball for your next giveaway!
Score a touchdown with your giveaways using these fun football custom stress balls that feature your company logo!
Use football promotional novelties for your next promotional campaign! No matter what your cause, use football-shaped items to send the right message. With the wide selection of football-related promotional products ePromos provides you, your company logo will look great imprinted on these promotional sports products!


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The always highly likely four team trade:
Phoenix: Lowry, Ed Davis, Alec Burks
Lakers: Bargnani, Dudley, Bell
Utah: Dragic
Toronto: Gasol, from the Suns lower of LAL or PHX 2013 pick - no protections, Utah 2013 pick and right to swap in 2014.
Raps roll with Calderon and have a better shot at resigning him with Gasol in town. 2 first round picks.
Lakers get 3 pieces for 1 part who all fit D'Antoni/Howard better. Bargnani blah blah blah we all know. Dudley and Bell know the PHX system and are upgrades over current wing depth.
Utah gets a PG which they need. Cap space is pretty useless for them as Utah is in the same situation as Toronto when it comes to free agency.
Suns are a mess. Dragic reportedly said everyone has given up on team. Hunter reportedly like Marshall after working with him closely all season. All speculation on my part. Essentially Lowry for Dragic, Ed/Burks/Kleiza for a Dudley and 1st round pick. Maybe PHX training staff can work wonders with Linas.


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|How are we supposed to have "it all" when most of the time we can't even find it? If all our readers submit their top three tips for managing the chaos of modern motherhood, we will have quite a Survival Guide right here on these pages. Sometimes it takes a village just to keep your head above water. Please share your survival secrets.
Login or Register to submit a Tip. And if you think someone else's tip is a helpful one, click "Great Tip."


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Some year-end roundups look like reruns of one a year ago. Not much has changed.
And then there are years like 2012.
Locally, two school districts passed bond issues and the third passed a mill-levy increase. In a county where strong anti-tax sentiment is often expressed, the broad support for schools was inspiring.
On the negative side of the ledger, several local nonprofit agencies have struggled to continue funding services. Most recently, the Cortez Cultural Center reluctantly let its director go.
One situation that hasn't changed much is ongoing contention over the San Juan National Forest's Boggy-Glade travel plan, as USFS personnel try to comply with a national mandate and many locals protest any restrictions on public use of the forest. The Rico-West Dolores plan comes next.
The Republican primary was hard fought, and Incumbent District Attorney Russell Wasley was defeated. In the November election, Larry Don Suckla, an unaffiliated candidate for county commissioner, triumphed over former commissioner Dewayne Findley, the GOP primary winner. Cortez business owner Keenan Ertel also will join the commission.
A new map of state house districts means that all of Montezuma County will now be represented by Don Coram, of Montrose, rather than someone from neighboring La Plata County.
Colorado voters approved the decriminalization of marijuana, putting the state at odds with the federal government and creating concerns about how pot will be taxed and negative consequences will be managed.
Nationwide, four trends dominated, with strong local implications.
Politics, certainly, is one. Voters re-elected a president who seemed to have given the GOP every opportunity to unseat him, and Democrats retained control of the Senate. Among other effects, that means Obamacare will go forward.
Closely related is the current gridlock over the "fiscal cliff" and, by extension, the economy. Washington's inability to move forward on fiscal issues is emblematic of its inability to make progress in any other area.
Violence as a prominent feature of the national news unfortunately continued unabated, with mass shootings of first-graders and teachers in Connecticut, Sikh worshippers in Wisconsin and moviegoers in Colorado, as well as many smaller incidents.
Finally, climate is a strong concern. Drought grips much of the country, and the snowpack so far this winter has not provided cause for optimism. Violent storms have caused billions of dollars' worth of destruction as well as deaths. Wildfires burned more than 9 million acres, including more than 10,000 acres locally in the Weber Fire.


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Nintendo announced today that its 3DS system will be in
stores March 27 of this year, and will cost $249.99.
Nintendo 3DS is a portable game console that is capable of producing 3D effects
through the use of autostereoscopy. Autostereoscopy allows a user to experience
3D effects without glasses or headgear.
Nintendo 3DS was first announced on March 23, 2010, and was first seen on June
15 at the 2010 Electronic Entertainment Expo. The system will feature backward
compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, which includes the Nintendo DSi
to Gamasutra, Nintendo has
confirmed 30 games that will be available for the launch of the 3DS.
Twenty-five of these games have been confirmed for the United States so far,
including Nintendogs &
Cats, Steel Diver, Pilotwings Resort and Super Street Fighter IV 3D.
also noted that 3DS versions of Paper
Mario, Mario Kart, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina
of Time are in
The new
system will
be released February 26 in Japan and March 27 in the United


text:
View a list of county record locations and resources
for Wrangell county records and the state of Alaska.
None of the information offered by this site can be used for assessing or evaluating a person's eligibility for employment, housing, insurance, credit, or for any other purpose covered under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Please visit GoodHire for all your employment screening needs.


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As most of you know, Paul Frampton, the Louis D. Rubin Jr. Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy at UNC, has been in prison in Argentina since January 23, 2012 on drug charges.
As more information about his case becomes available, such as the July 22 article in the Argentine newspaper Clarin, it becomes more and more obvious that Paul was the innocent, although very gullible, victim of a scam.
Paul left the U.S. in January, believing that his one scheduled Spring class, a graduate course with just one enrolled student, would be canceled because of failure to meet the minimum enrollment requirement. He was expecting to return within a few days with a woman he was to meet in Bolivia. Since he expected to be away only a short time, he left his car parked at RDU airport.
On February 17, 2012 the Provost, Bruce Carney, sent Paul a letter informing him that his salary would be stopped until he could reassume his duties as a faculty member. Paul has hired a Chapel Hill lawyer, Barry Nakell, to help him get his salary back. Several days ago Paul told one of us that he expects to run out of money roughly by September. He has been in prison 192 days and
has no idea when his trial will actually occur. He has published six refereed journal articles since the beginning of 2012, and continues to supervise his two PhD students by phone.
We are writing to express our strong objections to UNC's decision to stop Paul's salary, and to alert the faculty to actions taken by the University that we believe should be of great concern to all UNC faculty.
The first and main objection is that, in view of Paul's over thirty years of distinguished service to this University, and considering his present circumstances in Argentina, the decision to stop his salary is inhumane. Without his salary, Paul is unable to hire a private lawyer to defend himself.
His current lawyer is a public defender with a large caseload. Paul also needs money to buy himself decent food at the prison. Given the slowness and complexity of the Argentine legal system and the great difficulty of finding any way to influence the progress of Paul's case, paying Paul is perhaps the only way UNC can effectively help him. By not paying him, and thereby directly interfering
with his ability to properly defend and properly feed himself, the University is taking an action that may ultimately cause him grave harm. He is 68, an asthmatic, and has had pulmonary problems.
We also object to the manner in which Paul's salary was suspended. Our intention here is not to present a legal case, but, to give one example, we call your attention to Chapter VI, section 603, of the Code of the University of North Carolina:
DUE PROCESS BEFORE DISCHARGE OR THE IMPOSITION OF SERIOUS SANCTIONS Paragraph (2) states:
"The chief academic officer of the institution, however titled, shall send the faculty member a written notice of intention to discharge the faculty member or impose a serious sanction together with a written specification of the reasons. The notice and specification of reasons shall be sent by a method of mail or delivery that requires a signature for delivery. The statement shall include
notice of the faculty member's right, upon request, to a hearing by an elected standing faculty committee on hearings."
The February 17, 2012 letter in which the Provost notified Paul of the suspension of his salary failed to inform Paul of his right to a hearing, and there has been no hearing as stipulated in the Code. The Board of Trustees, the Chancellor, and Provost were informed about this omission in a letter dictated on the phone by Paul to one of us and emailed on July 23, 2012. In his February 17
letter to Paul, the Provost did not of course choose a phrasing of the following sort: "We hereby impose upon you the serious sanction of suspending your salary". Instead, he chose the gentler phrasing: "Unfortunately, in consultation with Chancellor Thorp and President Ross, I must inform you that your absence from your duties requires you to take personal leave, which means that
after your salary payment on February 29, your salary will cease until such time as you are able to reassume your duties as a faculty member."
Paul certainly has not taken a voluntary leave of absence. An important protection of our tenure system specifies that even where suspension is necessary, suspension shall be with full pay. By imposing a personal leave on Paul, the University is undermining this protection. No university should be able to stop a tenured faculty member's pay simply by declaring him to be on personal leave, even over his objection.
Finally, we call your attention to the University's more recent decision not to pay Paul his summer salary. This salary comes from a Department of Energy grant, and this decision was made by UNC in discussions with the DOE. Like many faculty Paul has no courses to teach or other duties that require his presence at UNC during the summer, and physicists often spend summers doing research far from their home campuses. It is well-established that Paul has continued to publish papers from prison and to supervise his students. So the argument of "absence from your duties" cited in the Provost's letter clearly does not apply here.
We are all capable of making mistakes that can cause trouble serious enough to prevent us from performing all or part of our University duties for a time. Imagine that this happens to you after you have taught for years at UNC as a tenured faculty member. Given the precedent being set by the Frampton case, heaven help you.
If you share our concern and wish to add your name to this letter, a copy of which will be transmitted to the Chancellor and to the Provost, please let us know at firstname.lastname@example.com
Additional information about Paul's case and documents related to this letter are available on the webpage: helppaulframpton.org
-Mark Williams, Professor of Mathematics, UNC
-Hugon Karwowski, Professor of Physics, UNC
-Jack Griffith, Kenan Professor, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC
-Gabriel Karl, University Professor Emeritus, University of Guelph, Canada, FRSC
-Patrick Eberlein, Professor of Mathematics, UNC
-Marcelo Ubriaco, Professor of Physics, University of Puerto Rico
-Sheldon Glashow, Higgins Professor of Physics Emeritus, Harvard University
-Arthur G.B. Metcalf Professor of Science and Mathematics, Boston University (Nobel Laureate)
-Karl Petersen, Professor of Mathematics, UNC
-C.K.R.T. Jones, Bill Guthridge Distinguished Professor of Mathematics, UNC
-Gregory Forest, Grant Dahlstrom Distinguished Professor of Mathematics, UNC
-Shrawan Kumar, J. R. and L. S. Parker Distinguished Professor of Mathematics, UNC
-Alfred T. Goshaw, James B. Duke Professor of Physics, Duke University
-Eugen Merzbacher, Kenan Professor of Physics Emeritus, UNC
-Christian Iliadis, Professor of Physics, UNC
-James L. Peacock III, Kenan Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, UNC
-Joseph F. Plante, Professor of Mathematics, UNC
-Frederick P. Brooks, Jr., Kenan Professor of Computer Science, UNC
-Roberto Camassa, Kenan Distinguished Professor of Mathematics, UNC
-Frank Avignone, Carolina Endowed Professor of Physics and Astronomy, USC
-Julia T. Wood, Lineberger Professor of Humanities Emerita and Royster Professor Emerita, Communication Studies, UNC
-Don Ellison, Professor of Physics, N.C. State
-J. Ross Macdonald, Kenan Professor of Physics Emeritus, UNC
-Fred Myhrer, Professor of Physics, USC
-Robert Scherrer, Professor of Physics and Department Chair, Vanderbilt
-Frank Tsui, Professor of Physics, UNC
-David Tanner, Distinguished Professor of Physics, University of Florida
-Valerie Lambert, Associate Professor of Anthropology, UNC
-Michael Rubinstein, John P. Barker Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, UNC
-Marshall Edgell, Kenan Professor of Microbiology and Immunology Emeritus, UNC
-Brian Stabler, Professor of Psychiatry, Emeritus, School of Medicine, UNC
-Charles M. van der Horst, Professor of Medicine, UNC
-Lishan Su, Professor of Immunology, UNC
-Amy Shaheen, Clinical Associate Professor, School of Medicine, UNC
-Steven L. Young, Associate Professor, Dept of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, UNC
-Amy K. Motl, Assistant Professor of Medicine, UNC Kidney Center, School of Medicine,UNC
-Randall Hendrick, Professor of Linguistics, UNC
-Jay M. Smith, Professor of History and Associate Chair, UNC
-Robert G. Dennis, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, UNC
-Andrew Myron Johnson, Professor of Pediatrics, Emeritus, UNC
-Lawrence I. Gilbert, Kenan Professor of Biology Emeritus, UNC.
-Klaus M. Hahn, Thurman Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology, UNC
-Edward L. Chaney, Professor Emeritus, Department of Radiation Oncology, UNC
-David Mora Marn, Associate Professor, Linguistics, UNC
-Stephen V. Frye, Ph.D., Fred Eshelman Distinguished Professor, Division of Chemical Biology
and Medicinal Chemistry, and Director, Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, UNC
-Misha Becker, Associate Professor of Linguistics, UNC
-Stanley W. Black, Georges Lurcy Professor of Economics, Emeritus, UNC
-Marianne Gingher, Bowman and Gordon Gray Distinguished Term Professor of English and Creative Writing, UNC
-Rita O'Sullivan, Associate Professor, School of Education, UNC
-Ofri Leitner, Certified Genetic Counselor, Clinical Assistant Professor of Genetics,UNC Cancer and Adult Genetics, UNC
-Tom Reinert, Associate Professor, English Department, UNC
-Edward T. Samulski, Cary C Boshamer Professor of Chemistry, UNC
-Amarjit Budhiraja, Professor, Department of Statistics and Operations Research, UNC
-Gregory W. Brown, Sarah Graham Kenan Distinguished Scholar of Finance, Kenan-Flagler Business School, UNC
-T. Gary Bishop, Professor of Computer Science, UNC
-Marc Lange, Theda Perdue Distinguished Professor, Philosophy Department Chair, UNC
-Gary W. Marks, Chair in Multilevel Governance, VU Amsterdam, Burton Craige Distinguished Professor of Political Science, UNC
-Maria Servedio, Associate Professor, Department of Biology, UNC
-Ana C. G. Felix, Assistant Professor, Neurology Clerkship Director, Department of Neurology, UNC
-Keith Burridge, Kenan Professor Cell and Developmental Biology, and Lineberger Comprehensive
Cancer Center, UNC
(sent August 1, 2012 to members of the UNC faculty)


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Latest ICBA Email Targets CU Tax Exemption; CU Trades Unimpressed
The Independent Community Bankers of America aren't taking a holiday break from attempts to repeal the credit union tax exemption, sending an email to all Capitol Hill offices on Monday pushing the agenda.
The message, sent from ICBA Administrative Assistant Alison Sampson with the subject line, "Credit Union Subsidy Costs Taxpayers Billions," cited H.R. 6474, a bill that mistakenly included credit unions with other tax reforms. The bill helped "reignite the controversy over the credit union tax subsidy," the ICBA said.
The email also sourced a Tax Foundation estimate that valued credit union tax exemption at more than $30 billion over 10 years.
"Lending by tax-exempt credit unions displaces lending by taxpaying banks, thereby reducing tax revenue to the government and increasing the deficit," the ICBA said. "At a time when the federal budget deficit is over $16 trillion, we cannot allow the American taxpayer to subsidize credit unions."
NAFCU Vice President of Legislative Affairs Brad Thaler said he's not surprised by the Thanksgiving week pitch from the ICBA, saying lame duck fiscal cliff negotiations between the White House and Congress could "lock in parameters for tax reform" in 2013.
Thaler said his team responded to the email, contacting members of Congress and sharing with them NAFCU's own tax exemption study that concluded tax revenue would decrease, not increase, if credit unions were taxed.
Thaler said he thinks lawmakers on Capitol Hill have found the NAFCU study credible. He also said credit union lobbyists are also reminding legislators that banks accepted billions of dollars in TARP funds – which many community banks have not been able to repay – and that nearly one-third of banks have tax-exempt Subchapter S charters.
CUNA's Executive Vice President of Government Affairs John Magill said the ICBA is pressing tax exemption because they're losing the battle on member business lending legislation.
"If they really thought they were winning the MBL argument on the Hill, they wouldn't be talking about tax exemption," Magill said, adding, "when they've lost the policy argument they change the subject."
Magill agreed with Thaler's position that fiscal cliff issues are spurring tax reform talk, and said of the ICBA, "Anytime they see an opening they'll try to throw some mud at us."
Magill said CUNA did not respond to the email, because the trade is busy preparing for a Hike the Hill event pushing member business lending the following week.
"We'll be responding when our participants fly in next week. And believe me, they'll hear a very loud and clear response," he said.


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PSECU's Smith Appointed to Philly Fed Council
Greg Smith, president/CEO of the $4 billion Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union, has been appointed to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council, according to a Friday release from the central bank.
Smith, whose 399,000-member credit union is located in Harrisburg, Pa., joins two bankers also appointed to the group; the three will begin their three-year terms on March 22.
More than 20 credit union leaders currently serve on Fed CDIACs across the country.
The 12-member councils are composed of representatives from commercial banks, thrift institutions and credit unions.
The Philadelphia CDIAC convenes twice a year to share insights on economic and business trends facing community depository institutions in their local markets.
Representatives from each council, typically the chairman, represent the bodies at biannual meetings with Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke in Washington. Glenn Barks, president/CEO of the $1.9 billion First Community CU of Chesterfield, Mo., and Michael Castallana, president/CEO of the $2.5 billion SEFCU in Albany, N.Y., currently serve as chair of their respective CDIACs.