text:
Abdominal wall surgery is surgery that improves the appearance of flabby, stretched-out abdominal (belly) muscles and skin. It is often called a "tummy tuck." It can range from a simple "mini-tummy tuck" to more complicated, extended surgery.
Tummy tuck is not the same as liposuction, another way to remove fat. But abdominal wall surgery is sometimes combined with liposuction.
Cosmetic surgery of the abdomen; Tummy tuck; Abdominoplasty
Your surgery will be done in an operating room in a hospital. You will receive general anesthesia. This will make you asleep and pain-free during the procedure. The surgery takes 2 to 6 hours. You can expect to stay in the hospital for 1 to 3 days after surgery.
After you receive anesthesia, your surgeon will make a cut across your abdomen to open up the area. This cut will be just above your pubic area.
Your surgeon will remove fatty tissue and loose skin from the middle and lower sections of your abdomen to make it firmer and flatter. In extended surgeries, the surgeon also removes excess fat and skin ("love handlesâ€) from the sides of the abdomen. Your abdominal muscles may be tightened also.
Mini abdominoplasty is performed when there are areas of fat pockets (love handles). It can be done with much smaller cuts.
Your surgeon will close your cut with sutures (stitches). Your surgeon may insert small flat tubes called drains to allow fluid to drain out of your cut. These will be removed later.
A firm elastic dressing (bandage) will be placed over your abdomen.
For a less complicated surgery, your surgeon may use a medical device called an endoscope. Endoscopes are tiny cameras that are inserted into the skin through very small cuts.
They are connected to a video monitor in the operating room that allows the surgeon to see the area being worked on. Your surgeon will remove excess fat with other small tools that are inserted through other small cuts. This surgery is called endoscopic surgery.
Most of the time, the surgery is called "elective" or "cosmetic" surgery because it is something you choose to have. It is not usually needed for health reasons. Cosmetic abdomen repair can help improve appearance, especially after a lot of weight gain or loss. It helps flatten the lower abdomen and tighten stretched skin.
It may also help relieve skin rashes or infections that happen under large flaps of skin. It can improve your image and self-esteem.
Abdominoplasty can be helpful when:
Tummy tuck is major surgery. It is important to read about the procedure before having it.
Abdominoplasty is not used as an alternative to weight loss.
The risks for any anesthesia are:
The risks for any surgery are:
Risks of abdominoplasty are:
Always tell your doctor or nurse:
Before your surgery:
On the day of your surgery:
You will have some pain and discomfort for several days after surgery. Your doctor will prescribe pain medicine to help you manage your pain. It may help to rest with your legs and hips bent during recovery to reduce pressure on your abdomen.
Wearing an elastic support similar to a girdle for 2 to 3 weeks will provide extra support while you heal. You should avoid strenuous activity and anything that makes you strain for 4 to 6 weeks. You will probably be able to return to work in 2 to 4 weeks.
You will need to schedule a visit with your doctor to have your stitches removed.
Your scars will become flatter and lighter in color over the next 3 to 6 months. Do not expose the area to sun, because it can worsen the scar and darken the color. Keep it covered when you are out in the sun. You may have to apply a special cream until the cut is completely healed.
Most people are happy with the results of abdominoplasty. Many feel a new sense of self-confidence.
Burns JL, Blackwell SJ. Plastic surgery. In: Townsend CM, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, eds. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2008:chap 73.
1000 Johnson Ferry Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30342
(404) 851-8000
450 Northside Cherokee Blvd.
Canton, GA 30115
(770) 224-1000
1200 Northside Forsyth Drive
Cumming, GA 30041
(770) 844-3200


text:
A safe harbor
World Vision writer Kari Costanza reflects on taking sanctuary in her church's parking lot while being stuck in a snow storm last weekend, and how World Vision and our supporters are able to provide a safe harbor for millions of children around the world.
Last Saturday, I celebrated a milestone birthday with my dear friend Laura Reinhardt, also celebrating a milestone birthday. I won't tell you which. We did our favorite things – walking and talking for five miles around Green Lake, following by a dinner at a spectacular restaurant to which we also walked called Tilth. At Tilth, I discovered Porcini Brulee – my new favorite of the Brulee family.
Coming out of the restaurant, it started to snow. Forecasters had predicted it, but so often forecasters in the Pacific Northwest are wrong. If they forecast rain a week before a wedding day, you can pretty much be assured of sunshine. I thought the same might be true of snow. We dashed back to Laura's house, I jumped into my car, and began the slow crawl from Seattle to Federal Way.
Pacific Northwest drivers are afraid of any kind of weather, but we especially fear snow. None of us can drive in it. My car, a 2004 Toyota Scion, is not built for snow. I began slipping on the freeway and made my way to a side street to try to get home.
Cars began twisting and turning on the slippery surface – ome would do a complete 180 and end up facing in my direction. I was scared. I decided I could drive no further and looked for a safe place into which to pull. There, on my left, was my church, St. Luke's Lutheran.
I pulled gingerly into the parking lot and found a place to park next to the church bus. Then I called my husband Tom, an East Coast native and former news photographer who has four-wheel drive and a heart of steel when it comes to snow driving.
Sitting in my car, waiting for Tom, watching the snowflakes alight on my windshield, I thought, (being a writer) of what a beautiful comparison I could make between this experience, and how World Vision is working to create a safe harbor for millions of people around the world.
Every snowflake became another child – a child protected from sex trafficking, like Fatima. A child who will soon have clean water – like Teddy. A child kept safe from malaria by a mosquito net, like Delfina. Children rejoicing, hoisting Bibles high, thanks to spiritual nurture. Even twins, like Yve and Yvette, whose mother's restaurant business is providing economic security.
My car, in the church parking lot, was safe, warm and dry. I posted a status on Facebook – "stuck at St. Luke's in the snow." Soon a message from Jan Grothe, our church's director of spiritual growth appeared: "Kari, Robert and I can come and get you. We live near the church."
It made me think how being safe in a parking lot is one thing. But a church is only a church when there are people, and people are what make World Vision so special. The children and families we serve are undergirded by an army of people who care for them – who reach out, who pray, and who support World Vision's work around the world. Because of our magnificent donors, for so many children caught in the snowstorm of life, there is a safe harbor.
Saturday night's snowstorm turned from an obstacle turned into an observance, a chance to say thank you in my heart to my church and to the donors who support World Vision's work as the night's falling snowflakes turned back skyward as whispered prayers.
For about one dollar each day, you can provide a safe harbor for a child – whether that's protection from trafficking or malaria, clean water, economic security, or other necessities. Consider sponsoring a child today!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
That said ...
Raptors president Bryan Colangelo, in the wake of the Gay trade, is now openly acknowledging that he's shopping former No. 1 overall pick Andrea Bargnani. The Lakers' interest in Bargnani remains a matter of debate in the midst of the Italian's worst-ever season by far, but the not-for-public-consumption message that continues to emanate from Canada is that Toronto remains intent on pursuing Gasol even after trading for Gay.
At a news conference Friday, Colangelo acknowledged that the Raptors are prepared to stray into luxury-tax territory in the "right transaction." One source close to the situation says Gasol is a guy who fits those parameters, depending on the rest of potential trade principals besides Bargnani./
So we'll see, over the next 20 days, if the Lakers change their stance on Gasol's availability ... and if Toronto can even assemble a package to tempt them without Jose Calderon's expiring contract to attach to Bargnani.
Very interesting.
What do you think, should the Raptors trade for Gasol if the opportunity arises?


text:
Monday, October 30, 2017
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Angel Espionage is a collection of Angel images curated from many cultures. It includes paintings, photos, drawings, sculpture, lyrics and poems. Many are contributions from followers of the blog as well as in-depth research by the author to bring the uncommon, and even the common, to the forefront to inspire. The source of every post is always included allowing for further individual exploration.


text:
The context
About half of all Indonesians live on less than two dollars a day. Employment growth has been slower than population growth. Public services remain inadequate by middle-income standards, and health indicators are poor. The island is also one of the most disaster-prone nations in the world.
Our work
- Economic opportunity: Providing technical assistance, training and financial services to microfinance institutions throughout the country and helping spice farmers earn more income
- Health: Raising awareness and supporting mothers to practice and promote exclusive breastfeeding
- Water: Improving sanitation and hygiene in crowded urban areas with a mobile sludge removal service
- Disaster preparedness: Identifying and mapping areas at risk and helping those communities plan, train and practice how to respond when disasters occur
- Emergency response: Maintaining a response team ready to quickly deploy and provide immediate relief to survivors during the critical first months after a disaster strikes
All stories about Indonesia
Indonesia: Helping To Rebuild in Bantul
"It was only about 8 to 10 seconds, but it felt like forever."
Indonesia: Tsunami Hits Indonesia
Indonesia: Recovery Toolkits
Indonesia: This Too Shall Pass
Indonesia: Relief Effort
Indonesia: Clean Hands, Healthier Kids
Indonesia: Mapping the Future
Indonesia: Mercy Corps Indonesia Launches Two Websites
Mercy Corps Indonesia has launched two new websites that explore the country's ongoing long-term development and tsunami recovery programming.
Indonesia: Plotting a Better Future
As she surveys the red dots, blue lines and multicolored polygons projected on a screen, Daphne Karypis sees much more than a map of Indonesia's Aceh Province. She sees the future of humanitarian work.
Indonesia: New Hope for Tibang


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if naruto could use BM and SM simultaneously he would be unstoppable ,
sage mode:
- give the user an almost limitless amount of chakra for a set time period , it almost completely upgrades your body , you are almost obliveous to pain and your speed , stamina , strength , power increases massively , on top of this naruto is capable of bending and wielding chakra in more complex advanced ways e.g. throwing a rasenshuriken , however it does limit how many clones naruto can have at one time and unless naruto uses a huge sum of clones as a decoy he cannot go into sage mode while in battle(now that kurama is narutos friend he might be able to merge with ma and pa).
- this increases narutos chakra amout 1 trilliuon ceptillion bazillion fold , his speed is now unreadable for a sharingan and is almost as fast as using space time jutsu , his stamina has also improved ten fold , his physical form is extended by using kuramas size he can use his chakra to replicate the shape and size of kurama or his paws(you probably dont understand , basically chakra arms and stuff) when he uses this "mode" he can heal almost instantaneously, however this also has a limit on his sum of clones and how long he uses it for , and it is extremely draining for naruto.
naruto is immune to genjutsu now
but if he were to find a way to merge the two:
-untrackable speed possibly even for MS or EMS
-unhurtable(constant healing and upgraded body(i sound like a *** -.-)lol)
-but to top things off sage mode chakra was equal in abundance to half of the users original chakra pool (add the sage chakra and the users chakra is in 3 types of equal amounts).
kakashi has 1 quarter of base narutos chakra and therefore a 6th of SM narutos chakra , and kakashi said that naruto using kuramas chakra has 100x as much chakra , so kakashi has 150th of BSM naruto(if he can do it).
-narutos speed and power and strength would be increased further and has more chakra to go around meaning more clones.
-extended physical form
and lets be honest here, BSM naruto can use more clones , so he could use multiple bijuudama at one time (could be the only way to destroy madaras susanoo).
so do you think if it is even possible that naruto could be unstoppable just by merging the two


text:
Ford seemed reticent to jump onto the electric car scene. Instead, over the last year it focused on key fuel saving and performance technologies like dual-clutch shifting, direct injection, and hybrids. Its hybrids include the new Ford Fusion Hybrid which boasts great gas mileage thanks to its revamped hybrid powertrain.
Meanwhile, Ford's domestic competitors prepared to jump onto the electric car scene. GM has high hopes riding on its Chevy Volt plug-in, while Chrysler has two converted models and an electric roadster in the works.
After months of talks with Magna International Inc. over a partnership to produce an electric vehicle, Ford finally privately decided to jump on the electric boat. What really convinced Ford, its executives revealed, was a surprise from its partner Magna. In September, Magna pulled up to Ford in Dearborn, Michigan in a fully retrofitted plug-in Focus, something Ford had no idea they had finished.
"It was a phenomenal car. We were highly, highly impressed," said Ford's Lisa Drake.
Today, Ford made its plans public with Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. announcing that his company is getting into the electric vehicle business according to Detroit News. Ms. Drake will be leading Ford's half of the new efforts. She says that the soaring gas costs, which went up to $4/gallon over the summer, were a key reason Ford decided to go electric. And she expects gas to go back up in the future, "We were modeling $10 a gallon. We were modeling $12 a gallon. We decided we need to be ready the next time this comes around."
However, while Magna might have convinced Ford that it was time to bring the technology to production, Ford has been quietly working on electric cars for a long time under the codename "Project M". The project saw a partnership with Southern California Edison and the Department of Energy to retrofit test fleet of Ford Escape Hybrids to plug-ins in 2007. However, Magna's aggressive development of its plug-in technology and the soaring gas prices convinced Ford to take the tech from the test track to the streets.
Last spring, Greg Frenette, the head of Ford's zero emissions vehicle programs, announced to his team that they would be delivering a new production hybrid by 2012. The new hybrid will be a plug-in iteration of the Escape Hybrid which Ford has been selling since 2004. The new model can plug directly into the wall and can go up to 40 MPH before having to burn gasoline. The fuel economy figures for the vehicle under optimal conditions are 120 MPG in city driving tests and 70 MPG on the highway. Mr. Frenette states, "[The announcement] gave [my engineers] a sense that this was more than just an academic exercise. But this is what we're supposed to be doing. Moving this into production is what this is all about."
However, Ford isn't stopping there. In addition to its plug-in hybrid, its partnership with Magna will deliver a new battery-only vehicle based on Ford's global Focus platform, due out in 2010. It will not have a gas motor and will feature a range of 100 miles on a charge which is plenty for most Americans, says Ford.
Not all are convinced that Ford's electric foray will see success, though. Analyst Jim Hall of Analytics LLP in Birmingham, MI states, "There still is not a viable market for a pure electric vehicle because of the range limitations. It's psychological. They're going to have to re-educate consumers."
However, he does see some benefits for Ford. He states, "Building electric vehicles gets the emissions monster off their backs, and it also helps their fleet fuel economy average in a big way."
The new electric vehicles will help Ford meet the stricter "California emissions" that multiple states are expected to soon adopt, courtesy of President Obama's push to allow states the right to regulate their own emissions standards. And whatever critics may say, Ted Robertson is convinced that Ford and Magna are a match made in electric heaven. He says Magna could have built the whole vehicle if they wanted. He adds, "Magna wants to be a leader and in the forefront of any new technology being developed. There are very few suppliers who can do a whole vehicle and Magna is one of those. It was a great marriage."


text:
has opened a new Euro 22 million research facility that will be
responsible for manufacturing new carbon nanotubes, according to a
news report published on the Bayer News Channel.Specifically,
Bayer MaterialScience (BMS) will develop "Baytubes," a new
multi-wall carbon nanotube technology."Current forecasts
predict an annual
growth rate of 25 percent for carbon nanotubes" said
Dr. Joachim Wolff, BMS Executive Committee member, said in a
statement. "We are also expecting nanotechnology to create
a total of 100,000 new jobs in the German industry in the medium
term."The new facility is expected to produce 200 metric
tons of nanotubes each year. There aren't many CNT
production facilities in the world, able to meet industrial-scale
CNTs -- and this plant will specialize in Baytubes.Baytubes
are different because the modified carbon is able to be added
as a filler to help improve the mechanical strength to metal
systems. BMS offered an example of Baytubes being used in
coatings for ships, offering higher abrasion resistance to help
reduce wear over time.The new Baytubes could also be used in
skis, surfboards, hockey sticks, bicycle components and similar
products. Baytubes could be used in numerous ways in a
wide variety of industries, with BSN using "thermoplastic and
thermoset systems and coatings."Nanocyl, a Belgian
biotech company specializing in nanotubes, is installing a reactor
that will be used in nanotube production -- overall product capacity
would be up to 400 tons per year.Traditional multi-wall
nanotubes are comprised of rolled layers of graphite, with a small
number of carbon nanotube suppliers available. For the expected
growth nanotubes should receive in the coming years, there still
aren't a lot of manufacturers available.


text:
Weeks before Apple wowed the world with its touch screen iPhone;
LG was already showing off its KE850
PRADA. The PRADA, like the iPhone, eschews traditional hard keys for a
touch screen display which gives the device a more minimalistic look.
"We at LG are exceptionally proud of the PRADA Phone by
LG," said Dr. Scott Ahn, President & CEO of LG Electronics Mobile
Communications Company. "The two companies have worked together seamlessly
towards a truly shared vision, to develop one of the most beautifully stylish
handsets the market has ever seen."
The PRADA is actually
smaller than Apple's iPhone, measuring 98.8mm × 54mm × 12mm while
the iPhone comes in at 115mm x 61mm x 11.6mm. The difference in dimensions stem
mostly from the iPhone's inclusion of a 3.5" 320x480 resolution display,
while the PRADA uses a 3" 200x400 display.
The PRADA supports tri-band EDGE (900/1800/1900), features a
2MP camera with LED flash, a microSD slot for memory expansion, 800mAh battery,
Bluetooth 2.0 and USB Mass Storage Support. Sadly, WiFi isn't a part of the
When it comes to software, the PRADA's user interface is
based on Macromedia Flash. The PRADA has a built-in music player (MP3, ACC,
ACC+, WMA, RA) and video player (MPEG4, H.263, H.264). Also included is a
document viewer (ppt, doc, xls, pdf, txt).
The PRADA will launch in Europe at the end of February while
Taiwan and Singapore will receive the phone in late March. Korean customers
will have to wait until Q2 to get their hands on the PRADA.
Pricing in the European market will start at 600 Euros or
$776 USD if you do a straight conversion. Apple has priced its iPhone at $499 for a 4GB model and $599 for a 8GB model -- both requiring two year contracts with Cingular Wireless.


text:
Episode 288 introduced a character named Ran. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out that connection.
Not only does she look just like Rin(sans the cheek markings) but in a transition from a flashback about Kakashi,Guy and Rin she took Rins place.
Another thing that caught my attention was when Ran said" so you got your revenge".
This could mean that either she was related to Rin and knew that the Mist was the reason for her death or the animators made a mistake trying to foreshadow events.
Too many coincidences or naa.


text:
I thought they'd bring him back as a sacrificial lamb for next year's crapfest. I'm surprised by this. Now, the new guy is going to have wear the stink of next season.
Well, good luck to Jay. I don't think he was a bad coach or a bad guy but he was certainly out of his depth that first year and the rosters handed to him the last 2 did him no favours. It's hard to blame Triano for what has happened the last 3 years but someone needed to take the fall for this 22-win team. Next up: Andrea Bargnani meets the Sword of Damacles.


text:
A class action lawsuit against Microsoft Corp. has been filed
for the company's Windows
Vista Capable logo on new computers. According to Seattle
P-I, the suit alleges that it was deceptive to include the logo on
machines not capable of running all the features Microsoft was touting as new
features of Windows Vista.
To run Windows Vista, PCs require a minimum of 512MB of RAM,
an 800MHz or faster processor and a DirectX 9-capable graphics card—but those requirements
do not guarantee a computer of running the new operating system will run with
all new features. One such feature is "Aero," an updated graphical user
interface that requires both a relatively powerful graphics card and one of the
most expensive versions of Windows Vista.
"In sum, Microsoft engaged in bait and switch -- assuring
consumers they were purchasing 'Vista Capable' machines when, in fact, they
could obtain only a stripped-down operating system lacking the functionality
and features that Microsoft advertised as 'Vista,'" read the complaint.
The suit also alleges that Bill Gates played a part in
misleading consumers after making a comment that users would be able to upgrade
to Windows Vista for less than $100.
"In fact, one can only 'upgrade' to Home Basic for that
price, which Mr. Gates and Microsoft know is a product that lacks the features
marketed by Microsoft as being Vista," the suit said, alleging that Gates'
statement "furthered Microsoft's unfair and deceptive conduct."
"Anybody who purchased a PC that had the Windows Vista
Capable logo got the core experience of Windows Vista," said Linda Norman, a
Microsoft associate general counsel. "We have different versions, and they do
offer different features. ... The Windows (Vista) core experience is a huge
advance over Windows XP, we believe, and provides some great features,
particularly in the area of security and reliability, and just general ease of


text:
Submit News
EPA's Corn Ethanol Quotas Could Spell Death for Cattle Farms
Jason Mick
August 3, 2012 6:44 PM
Recipient E-mail
Sender E-mail
President Obama's administration fears losing key swing states if it drops corn farmer-friendly quotas
It's a painful memory etched into many chapters of American history -- selling the farm. But amid a
record-setting drought
many farmers fear that may be precisely what will happen. But unlike past farm failures, this one may come not solely from nature, but from the government's
decision to artificially inflate
corn prices by
mandating corn ethanol production
I. Corn Ethanol - Pork 101
It's hard to understand why corn ethanol fuel in the U.S. has stuck around for as long as it has.
Unlike a handful of nations (i.e. Brazil), the U.S. lacks the resources to supply all its fuel needs with sugary food-crop ethanol. Thus, unlike those nations U.S. automakers have been largely unable to sell pure-ethanol vehicles to consumers. That's a game killer for corn ethanol, as it means that consumers pay more at the pump using ethanol than they would using gas as mixed-fuel engines
lack the fuel efficiency
advantages of pure ethanol engines.
The federal government has funneled billions in handouts to the corn lobby. [Image Source: AP]
Then there's the economics -- corn is a food crop, so using it as a fuel source
drives up prices
on everything from snack foods (corn syrup) to beef (cows eat corn feed). Finally, there's the environmental issue. One of the big goals of the alternative fuels movement is to
emissions of carbon and noxious (nitrogen or sulfur containing) gases. But studies have shown corn ethanol actually
leads to higher emissions
than gas.
Corn ethanol's strange status in the U.S. perhaps began when corn producers seized on the experimental fuel as a means of bumping the billions they already received in government subsidies even higher. During the Bush and Obama administrations, the corn lobby opened its checkbooks to many members of Congress, and in exchange reaped a multiplier in the form of billions of grants and subsidies for corn ethanol -- all on taxpayers' dime.
Perhaps most significantly, the federal corn supporters authorized the EPA to mandate all fuel sold to contain a certain percentage of ethanol -- in essence forcing all Americans to pay for corn ethanol, even if it was
bad for their cars
and not something they wanted.
II. Quota Remains Last Major Handout to King Corn
As part of the government's embrace of corn ethanol, the
Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
(EISA) -- passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush -- mandated a series of ever-increasing production targets to be
regulated by
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) (a slightly ironic duty consider there was strong evidence corn ethanol
the environment). The idea among corn producers who backed the bill leaning on the candidates they "funded" was ostensibly that this would force future Congresses to commit to ever-increasing subsidies.
But after the recession, public backlash against wanton government spending led to Congress
cutting corn ethanol's subsidies
. But Congress did not bother to overturn the EPA's emissions targets.
Cattle farmers fear they could go under if corn prices stay artificially high. [Image Source: Texas Vox]
While cutting the subsidy, but leaving the quota might seem like adding insult to injury, corn producers were actually happy (mostly) that the quota remained. The quota created higher artificial demand, driving up prices. That artificially elevated demand has helped the corn industry weather the recent droughts, as corn prices have risen 60 percent.
But while that may have saved big corn's profits in a year which otherwise would have been disastrous, the damage has essentially been passed along to livestock producers.
Mike Deering, a spokesman for the
National Cattlemen's Beef Association
, says his organization has pleaded with the EPA to temporarily cut targets to alleviate already drought elevated corn prices made even higher by artificial ethanol demand. He
ABC News
, "Our ears are open and the line of communications is open, [but] we do not have any definitive news at this point and time."
III. Trading Higher Food Prices for Votes
Perhaps this is a case of reaping what you sow, but amid pleas from livestock farmers there's not a drop of relief in sight. The issue lies with how the EISA is structured.
While the EPA has the power to temporarily reduce production quotas, it must receive that request from states or ethanol refiners. An ethanol trade group -- the
Renewable Fuels Association
-- said it "wouldn't be surprised" to see such a request, but none has come yet. The issue is that corn demand actually helps corn farmers, refiners, and corn-producing states.
Currently about a third of corn is used to make ethanol, another third goes to livestock feed, and the remaining third is sent for human consumption either as a vegetable or in various food additives (corn syrup, corn starch, etc.).
The cattle industry warns, "The drought-induced reductions in the corn supply means that the mandated utilization of corn for renewable fuels will so reduce the supply of corn and increase its price that livestock and poultry producers will be forced to reduce the size of their herds and flocks, causing some to go out of business and jobs to be lost."
One problem is that supporting corn ethanol has held the key to Presidents Bush and Obama wining crucial swing-state battlegrounds.
In 2008 President Obama won three of the four largest corn producing state -- Iowa, Minnesota, and Illinois. He also won other swing states with large corn growing regions, including Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Support of ethanol earned President Obama and other regional politicians key support -- both financial and in votes. Unsurprisingly politicians in these regions and the President are key supporters of corn ethanol.
Corn ethanol supporters were key to President Obama winning battleground states in 2008.
[Image Source: Wikimedia Commons]
Meanwhile the states who are hurt the most by the quotas -- livestock states like Texas -- are regions where President Obama holds little hope of winning electoral votes.
Of course, there is a risk that supporting government inflation of corn prices could backfire. Outside of corn producing states who directly benefit from higher corn prices, voters in other swing states might look to punish President Obama and the backers of big corn if failing livestock and higher food corn prices could drive up costs of meat and many dry foods.
For now, though, the quota stands.
"We are going to continue to work with them to make sure they understand the reality of the Internet. A lot of these people don't have Ph.Ds, and they don't have a degree in computer science." -- RIM co-CEO Michael Lazaridis
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text:
09.03.12Sold out #amWash0903
Verizon Center w/Black Keys - Washington, DC
Attendance (0)
1 All
12.03.12 6:45 am
You boys never disappoint! Really fantastic show...can't believe you actually opened up with Brianstorm -- insane levels of energy! So insane that I was literally too tired to watch the rest of the Black Keys set! DC loves AM! Loads and loads of love from the girls in the front row xx
11.03.12 5:35 pm
Your show was absolutely fantastic. I was really upset when your set was over, I could've been content watching you guys perform for the rest of the show. I can't wait until you come back to the DC area~
10.03.12 8:56 pm
Thank you for playing R U mine
I don't know if you guys heard us in the front left asking for it or not, but thank you.
last night was the 4th time I've seen you guys live.
all I can think is I can't wait for the four of you to come back to the DC area.


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Motor Company (TYO:7203) is moving
aggressively to stay on top of the hybrid market even as fellow veterans like
Ford Motor Company (F) and plucky new players like
Hyundai Motor Company (SEO:005380) look to
give chase.
I. The New Camry
i. Built in America with Non-Union Labor
Tuesday was a big day for the Japanese automaker as it unveiled its latest and
greatest Toyota Camry, a vehicle which has been on top of American sales for
mid-size vehicles for thirteen of the last fourteen years. Alongside the
traditional gas engine models, the Camry family has grown, with the addition of
a second hybrid model.
To date Toyota has sold 15 million Camry vehicles since the platform's 1983 launch, with 9.7 million of those sales coming in North America. Most of the Camry vehicles will be built at Toyota's Georgetown Kentucky plant, one of Toyota's 13 North American plants. Thus far the Georgetown plant has built 6.7 million Camry vehicles. The plant employs 7,000 non-union employees and has won more JD Power Quality awards than any other North American assembly plant, beating out all of the UAW plants.
The first production 2012 Camry rolled off the line at Georgetown today, driven
by Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota and great grandson of company founder
Sakichi Toyoda. Mr. Toyoda bragged, "This car has become a symbol of
Toyota's success all over the Earth, so you might say this is an opportunity to
show the world yet again, what Toyoda is all about.
Mr. Toyoda says he is all about "product, product, product" and
reports taking a very hands on approach with the new Camry, which would make
even infamous corporate perfectionists like Steven P. Jobs proud. He
comments, "I personally tested the new Camry until I was satisfied it
outperformed its competitors. And I can tell there's no comparison."
Perhaps alluding to Toyota's uncharacteristic
wave of recent recalls, he comments that he looks forward to "continue
earning the trust and respect of the American community."
ii. Tech Specs on New Camry
However, you feel about the looks of the new Camry, it's easy to respect the
price. While the entry level Camry L is getting bumped $750 to $21,950
USD MSRP, otherwise prices have dropped on the general lineup -- in some cases
by a lot. The LE model has dropped $200 (for the base inline-4) to $22,500
MSRP, the SE has dropped $1,000 to $23,000 MSRP and the XLE has dropped a
whopping $2,000 to $24,725 MSRP.
The new vehicles stick with the 2.5L inline-4 engine (dual VVT-i) that was
rolled out in the previous 2009 refresh as a replacement to the older 2.4 L
inline-4. The 178hp engine is now standard for all models, a perk which
was before only granted to the pricier LE model. City/highway gas mileage has been bumped from
22/32 mpg in the previous generation to 25/35 mpg, this time around -- a modest
Speaking of looks, while the Camry maintains the same 2006 platform (XV40), the
exterior has been subject to a drastic makeover, with 100 percent of the sheet
metal remodeled. The internals have also been worked on -- Toyota says 90
percent of the parts have been re-engineered. In total 80 percent of the
parts are sourced from American suppliers, with Toyota claiming the Camry to be
the "most American" mid-size car.
iii. Sales and Marketing
The new models (sans the hybrid launch October 3). Toyota says its
average Camry buyer is 60 years old, but that it wants to attract a more
youthful crowd this time around.
Toyota has cause for concern. Rocked by parts
shortages due the Fukushima tsunami and earthquake, the company briefly
lost its top spot in monthly sales to General Motors Comp.'s (GM)
2011 Chevy Cruze, which caused some to speculate that Toyota could lose its
sales crown to an American car company for the first time since the
1996 Ford Taurus' one year reign atop sales charts.
But Toyota is now back ahead of the Cruze, and insists it will be at full
production capacity, by the time the Oct. 3 launch rolls around.
Toyota is looking to cap its comeback by having the Camry serve as the pace car
at the Daytona 500 NASCAR event. It also plans to market the vehicle with
pricey Super Bowl ad placements.
II. Twins Are Born
i. The Hybrid Specs
The hybrid Camry launch will be delayed "approximately 30 days" from
the other models, but when it launches, Toyota will have twin hybrids in the
brand for the first time.
The new entry level LE hybrid drastically improves fuel economy, bumping it
from 31/35 mpg city/highway to 43/39 mpg -- an increase of approximately
30 percent in city gas mileage. The XLE hybrid offers a respectable 41/38
mpg. Horsepower has jumped to 200hp from 187hp combined horsepower in the
previous generation.
Much of improved gas mileage comes thanks to weight reductions. Toyota
has shaved over 200 lb off the weight of the vehicle. The 2011 hybrid
weighed 3,680 lb. The new SE hybrid weighs 3,417 lb, while the XLE weighs
3,441 lb.
Still Toyota manages to squeeze an industry-leading 10 airbags into the
ii. Sizing Up The Competition
Toyota looks to double its hybrid take rate from approximately 5 to 6 percent
of sales to be between 11 and 12 percent, according to Toyota officials we
spoke with.
And with its new low price and drastically improved mileage Toyota just may be
able to meet those goals.
The LE hybrid shaves $1,150 off the MSRP of the previous model, placing the
cost of ownership at a modest $25,900. An XLE costs $27,400 -- just
slightly more than the previous Camry Hybrid -- but contains many luxury perks
that the former model didn't, most significantly the Entune infotainment system
(more on this in a separate, upcoming piece).
The hybrid squares off against the Ford Fusion hybrid, which starts at $29,935,
and worse yet features a slightly inferior 41/36 mpg. Another significant
challenger is the 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, which is roughly comparable in
price at $26,545 but only gets 35/40
mpg highway/city. Likewise, the 2012
Optima Hybrid from Kia Motors Corp. (SEO:000270)
starts at $27,250 but only gets 36/40 mpg city and highway.
Thus the market logic goes something like this -- Toyota and Hyundai/Kia are
close in terms of the cheapest hybrid entry price, but Toyota is a ways ahead
of Hyundai, Kia, and Ford in mpg.
Toyota is still sticking it out
with nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, when competitors Hyundai
and Honda have switched to lithium-ion batteries. But for now, near the head of the pack in
price and the top in mpg in this hybrid segment, it's hard not to argue that
the new Camry Hybrid is an appealing proposition.


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Capital Health Regional Medical Center
Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell
Capital Health - Hamilton
Central Scheduling - To make an appointment for your medical test, click here or call:
"I'm continuing to work hard to get to the point where I can keep up with my kids."
"I told my wife I wanted to go to Capital Health."
"There really wasn't just one person that impacted me specifically. It was everyone."
"I couldn't think of a better place to be."
"Through the excellent care I received, I have become a 'raving fan' of Capital Health and especially the care of Dr. Steven Johnson."
"Miracles do happen and this one happened at Capital Health."
"I thought I would have to travel to Philadelphia many more times. But then I found Capital Health and it's practically right in the neighborhood. It all worked out perfectly."
"Now that I've discovered this level of technology that's this effective for prostate cancer, I want to help spread the word...."
Linda says her experience as a breast cancer survivor at the Capital Health Center for Oncology allowed her the opportunity to witness firsthand what she calls an example of "great camaraderie and a great culture of communication."
When it was determined that Robert had prostate cancer, he researched all of his options. Then he found Capital Health's CyberKnife Center.
"For the four months that we were in the hospital, we developed a close relationship with our doctors and nurses. I called them my guardian angels as well as my daughter's."
This 2 1/2 hour class to be taken before the birth of the baby. Fee is per couple.
Sean Murray is the market president and senior managing director of Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation and Peapack-Gladstone Bank's Princeton-based private banking office. He is responsible for growing the Bank's private banking business and introducing the Peapack-Gladstone Bank brand to the Princeton community.
Prior to Peapack-Gladstone, Sean served as market executive of the New Jersey market for wealth advisory services at Wilmington Trust in Princeton, and prior to that as managing director and senior vice president of the wealth management group at First Union/Wachovia Bank in West Trenton. He holds a BA in Economics from Guilford College, Greensboro, NC, and an MBA from Villanova University.
In addition to serving on the Capital Health Board of Directors, Sean sits on the executive advisory council for Rutgers University School of Business in Camden, and serves on the executive board of the Central New Jersey Council, Boy Scouts of America.
Capital Health is a 501(c)(3) organization.


text:
Source: The StarThe Raptors are in the market for a new executive.
The only catch, and its a doozy, is that experience is required serious experience. While Bryan Colangelo, the Toronto president and general manager, said the title and role of his new hire is yet to be determined, he acknowledged the ongoing reorganization of his front office could even involve bestowing his GM title on someone else.
Im thinking about bringing in a high-level basketball person to strengthen our management team, Colangelo said. If I brought someone in and a GM title was part of it, it would be a fairly high-calibre person, probably someone with GM credentials already to their name. Its all in development right now ... I could bring in one, I could bring in several new people.
Colangelo was speaking on Thursday after CBSSports.com reported that the Raptors were seeking a replacement for Maurizio Gherardini, the vice president of basketball operations whose contract expires June 30. Colangelo disputed the report, saying that while he has yet to address Gherardinis future Id like to have (Gherardini) back, he said the search for new blood isnt a push to fill a soon-to-be-empty office.
The idea is to bolster an executive team that remains a man short since the August departure of assistant general manager Masai Ujiri, who left to become GM of the Denver Nuggets. Ujiri, who has since impressed with his deft unloading of Carmelo Anthony, was seen by club insiders as a skilled talent evaluator whose contributions are missed.


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A month among refugees: Coming home from Lebanon
World Vision Australia's social media manager, Joy Toose, spent a month reporting from Lebanon about the Syrian refugees who have sought shelter there from the violence at home. She wrote several amazing blogs for us from Lebanon, but I was curious to get her thoughts on the experience as a whole now that she's back home.
I wasn't disappointed. Check this out.
* * *
1. You've wanted to visit and report from a World Vision disaster response site for a while. Why is that?
I've worked with World Vision for just over four years now, starting in customer service and then moving into communications, and I've always wanted to support our emergency response. It's a time when our staff on location need help from overseas. In some cases, like when the earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, staff and their families may be directly affected by the crisis. Even without personal tragedy, the work involved in an emergency response is enormous, and local staff often work crazy hours over long periods of time. So I've always felt that emergency response communications would be a good way for me to lend a hand at a time when it's most needed.
2. Earlier this summer, you got your chance: to report from Lebanon about the Syrian refugee crisis. What did you think when you received that opportunity?
The first thing I thought about was how I was going to tell my mum! Beirut pops up on the news every now and then, for all the wrong reasons. I knew she would worry while I was away.
Mostly, I was really grateful for the opportunity. The Syria crisis had been on my heart for a long time. On the few occasions I had seen the Syria crisis on the news, there hadn't been any mention of the people displaced by the crisis, it was all about the politics. Whereas at work we were hearing about an unprecedented refugee crisis, which governments and charities were struggling to cope with. I was eager to help World Vision continue to tell the stories of these families.
Of course I was also nervous! I hadn't tried my skills in an emergency situation before and I felt a huge responsibility to bring back stories that would help people connect with Syrian refugees and their situation.
3. What did you expect to see and write about while in Lebanon?
I wasn't sure what to expect. I naively thought that the most heartbreaking stories –refugees reflecting on why they left Syria – were the exceptions, the worst of the worst. On arriving in Lebanon I quickly learned that this wasn't the case. I was shocked by the stories I heard from families and children who had seen friends and relatives killed, or had been injured themselves. Every family I met had a painful story of loss, and it really deepened my understanding of what it takes for someone to leave their country.
4. What most closely met your expectations?
The World Vision staff in Lebanon. I'd been told that I would meet passionate, hard-working staff, and I did! The conflict in Syria has been going on for two years now, and World Vision Lebanon has been working to help Syrian refugees access essentials like food and water. The staff were flat out when I was there, and have been working in emergency mode for months. Patricia and Sandy, the communications team, receive requests from around the world and often work long hours and weekends to keep up with demands. Despite this, they were all so passionate about our work and showed so much compassion for the Syrians who are seeking refuge in their country.
5. What surprised you the most?
Two things surprised me. One broke my heart, the other gave me hope. The first shock came when I asked children about their lives. I could see the conditions they were living in – often crowded tents with few belongings. They missed their schools, their friends, and their homes. But when I asked about life now compared to Syria, they told me how they used to hear bullets and shells falling close to their homes, how they were scared. Now they felt safe.
Time after time, I was blown away by the responses. I guess I had been thinking of life before the fighting – but the fighting has been going on for two years, and even for children who can remember peaceful times, the memories of fear and violence loom large. It was hard to hear these answers coming from children and it really hit me how much this conflict has affected them.
The second thing that surprised me was the general attitude toward refugees. In my home country of Australia, the topic of refugees is highly controversial. Many Australians want to see fewer arriving on our shores. In Lebanon, the influx of refugees has already had a huge impact (Syrians make up more than 10% of Lebanon's population!). Temporary shelters have sprung up on roadsides, farms, and any free land, and increased pressure on electricity causes regular outages. Considering this, I was impressed with the compassion of the Lebanese people. When I asked how they felt about the refugees, a common response was, "What else can they do?"
I'm so thankful for this attitude. It gives me hope for children and families who have lost so much. I just hope that other countries come to Lebanon's aid. As a country of under 4.5 million people, this crisis places Lebanon under extraordinary pressure.
6. Now that you're back home, what parts of your trip have stayed with you most strongly?
I think often about the children I met. As an adult, I find that years seem to fly by, and to be honest not much in my life changes. I have the same husband, same job, same apartment. But I remember how much each year counts when you're a kid. Every year you grow older, you learn new things, you finish another grade of school.
I really worry about the impact that these years of limbo will have on children. Beyond the day-to-day frustration and boredom, I worry about their future, how they will catch-up on these lost years.
Make a one-time donation to help World Vision provide emergency assistance for Syrian refugees who have fled the escalating violence in their country. Your gift will help us bring interventions like food vouchers, cooking supplies, water and sanitation initiatives, education programs, and more. Many families have lost everything as conflict has taken their homes and livelihoods.
Please join us in prayer for all World Vision staff members working around the world, particularly in this region of conflict.


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the focus has been on cars, the quick acceleration and efficiency
afforded by electric motors has been noticed by motorcycle
enthusiasts. The KillaCycle, built by Bill Dube, has been setting
records since 1999. It uses batteries made by A123
Systems, which is working with Chrysler on their EV
Lightning Motors is a new player in the niche
market. They are claiming a new world record for production
electric motorcycles at a top speed of 166.388 MPH (267.78 KM/h).
They've been testing their preproduction bike at the Bonneville Salt
Flats of the Great Salt Lake Desert in northwestern
Unfortunately for them, the KillaCycle set a new world
record for electric motorcycles late last month. The official speed
as recorded by the National Electric Drag Racing Association (NEDRA)
was 169MPH (271.98 KM/h).
The KillaCycle has undergone a
program of continuous improvement, and there are plans for more. The
racing team is already using the latest nano-phosphate based lithium
ion cells from A123 Systems, and is planning a 150 pound weight
reduction to take the bike down to around 500 pounds. A 60HP increase
to 560HP should help lead to more records.
motorcycles still have a large gap with motorcycles using the
internal combustion engine. The MV Agusta F4-1000R tops out at
187.726 MPH (302.116 KPH), while the BUB Streamliner Seven set a new
overall motorcycle land speed record last month at 367.382 MPH
(591.24 KM/h). It is powered by a turbocharged 3 liter V4 engine
producing 500 HP and 400 lb-ft of torque @ 8500 RPM.


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Dark matter makes
up five times more of the universe's mass than visible matter (~25% vs ~5%),
yet scientists have yet to directly observe this ultra-abundant substance.
Scientists also have yet to observe dark energy, which may well beat out
normal energy in universal abundance. This lack of direct observations
means that scientists know precious little about two of the most important
physical components of our universe.
That could soon change. CERN's Large Hadron Collider, a 17-mile long
circular underground track that is chilled to almost zero degrees Kelvin, is recording incredibly violent collisions, the
likes of which haven't been seen since billions of years ago. Those
collisions will likely produce exotic substances like dark matter, which will
be analyzed by the LHC's instruments, unlocking long debated mysteries of
Scientists think they are making progress in the hunt for the SUSY – also
known as supersymmetric particle, or 'sparticle'. Scientists believe the
sparticle may be the mysterious dark matter, given its theoretical stability.
In order to detect sparticles, scientists must probe the matter resulting
from the collision for the absence of energy and momenta signals -- the sign
that a sparticle was produced, rather than a standard particle. This lack
of energetic emissivity is the reason why dark matter is dark -- it does not
transfer energy to photons, like standard particles.
More specifically, the researchers are trying to detect a "jet" of
particles traveling in the same direction, post proton-beam collision, that
lack a significant amount of detected energy and momentum.
Professor Oliver Buchmueller [profile], a
faculty member at the Department of Physics at Imperial College London who is
doing research at CERN, describes the LHC team's findings, stating [press release], "We need a good understanding
of the ordinary collisions so that we can recognise the unusual ones when they
happen. Such collisions are rare but can be produced by known physics. We
examined some 3-trillion proton-proton collisions and found 13 'SUSY-like'
ones, around the number that we expected. Although no evidence for sparticles
was found, this measurement narrows down the area for the search for dark
matter significantly."
The CMS (compact muon solenoid) detector was co-designed by faculty at the
Imperial College, one of Europe's best physics schools.
Professor Geoff Hall [profile],
another Imperial College physics faculty member working at CERN, describes the
recent detection of "SUSY-like" streams of particles, stating,
"We have made an important step forward in the hunt for dark matter,
although no discovery has yet been made. These results have come faster than we
expected because the LHC and CMS ran better last year than we dared hope and we
are now very optimistic about the prospects of pinning down Supersymmetry in
the next few years."
Later this year, physicists will run more trials, which they hope will verify
the existence of dark matter in the stream. They also hope that the
theory of supersymmetry will be verified as an accurate description of dark
matter, allowing the Standard Model of particle physics to be officially
Looking ahead there's also much hope that the higher-energy collisions might
yield a legendary Higgs boson, which would offer much more insight into the
behavior of the universe. The LHC's other major detector -- ATLAS (A
Toroidal LHC ApparatuS) -- was designed to search for the Higgs boson.


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We voted on the gun control bills on Monday and the bills now go back to the House, if they were amended in the Senate or, if unamended, they now go to the governor for his consideration. For those who still want to make their views known before the bills are signed into law, you should contact your state representative and the governor.
I voted against all of them except the bill requiring some portion of training for a concealed carry weapon permit be taken in person, rather than solely online. I have eight sheriffs in my district and, after talking with all but one, I felt that this bill has some merit. The Democratic bill sponsor of that particular bill repeatedly stated that she didn't view her bill as being part of any package as she, too, didn't support the House gun control bills.
The gun control bill package put forth in the past week will, in the words of the sheriffs, do nothing to improve public safety and, practically speaking, will be unenforceable. That didn't prevent the bills from passing.
Any proposed bill that affects a constitutional right such as the right to keep and bear arms must be taken very seriously. We vote on over 600 bills a year and only a few are particularly memorable. These bills will impact citizens' basic constitutional rights and I was grateful to have heard from so many of you as it's very important that you have followed what has gone on at the Capitol.
Especially since I urged people at the Durango and Cortez townhall meetings to come to the Capitol to testify on the gun control bills, I must apologize to those of you who traveled to Denver a week ago to do just that, but were denied that opportunity due to arbitrary limitations imposed by the Senate Democratic leadership. Quite frankly, that was shameful.
In seven years at the Capitol, I've never seen citizens denied the right to testify and made to choose between competing hearings on the same topic. That competing scheduling was not an accidental oversight, it was deliberate. I'm sorry and discouraged at the unjust treatment citizens received, which understandably contributes to the cynicism and distrust that people have in their elected officials..
In arriving at my votes cast on your behalf, I strongly considered the input from my district. The constituent input was striking both in quantity and content. Over 92 percent of those in touch with me opposed the bills and we heard from well over 500 constituents. I did my best to relate your reasons and personal stories to the rest of the senators, especially those who are unfamiliar with the rural and remote areas of the state.
However, I didn't stop with sticking my finger in the air to see which way the wind blows in my district. I studied data (often conflicting), read relevant court decisions, attended debates, sat in on committee hearings to hear testimony and talked with those most knowledgeable as to the practical impacts of implementing the bills if passed. All of this led me to the votes I made on your behalf. There's no pleasing everyone, but I stand by my votes and, again, I thank all of you who took the time to be in touch.
Ellen Roberts represents Senate District 6 in Colorado's General Assembly. The district encompasses Montezuma, Dolores, La Plata, Archuleta, Montrose, San Miguel, San Juan and Ouray counties. Contact Sen. Roberts by phone at (303) 866-4884, or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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As the Raptors are currently constructed with players, coaches, and management could you please tell me why you are down on the Raptors if you feel that way. This is my biased perspective but I find many people argue against the optimistic view without providing any insightful or concrete reasons why the Raptors are not improving or making progress.
The standard reasons for pessimism that I am aware of include:
- Colangelo is incompetent.
- Historically the Raptors suck, why should things change now.
- Toronto should not have an NBA team because no one wants to play in Toronto.
- Toronto has no franchise talent or All-Star and that is the only way to win in the NBA.
- Championships are the only thing that matter.
So, if you are of this persuasion, please tell me why the Raptors are not improving or making progress?


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Threat of the Week: DDoS Becoming an Expensive Fact of Life
The ceasefire is over. Last week, on Feb. 25, the Cyber Fighters of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam renewed their Distributed Denial of Service attacks against U.S. financial institutions. That included again taking down the websites of two credit unions: the $1.5 billion University FCU in Austin, Texas, and Patelco, the $3.8 billion Pleasanton, Calif., institution.
They issued the same demand – removal of an anti-Islam video from YouTube – and said their campaign against financial institutions would continue.
What is new is that the conversation about how to respond to the industrial-grade DDoS unleashed by the Cyber Fighters is beginning to shift. Another change: there's new talk of an affordable credit union specific solution.
As for the appropriate response, at least some experts suggest that perhaps not responding at all is suitable. Said a senior IT executive at a billion-dollar institution who asked to be anonymous because he is not authorized to speak for his credit union: "It's all about risk assessment.
"If your services are hosted on-premise and the service needs to be available then DDoS mitigation will be a new cost of doing business. For smaller orgs who outsource, they need to contractually compel their vendor to have mitigation in place and ensure the mitigation is adequate to address attacks. The occasional outage from DDoS is something, I believe, hard to get around."
Read that last sentence again: he is saying that living with outages may be a necessity as the Cyber Fighters – presumed to be nation state sponsored – unleash ever more sophisticated and powerful attacks.
An analogous question might be: Could you secure your credit union against penetration by a Navy Seal team? Possibly, but at what expense? At what inconvenience? And why: what's the probability the Seals would target your institution?
Similar thoughts percolate when guarding against the Cyber Fighters who, thus far, are not themselves linked with attempted fraud or with attempts to infiltrate member account data. All they seem to want to do is shut down financial institutions for several hours and, suggested that IT executive, maybe that's an acceptable inconvenience.
They also are not known to have dipped below a $1 billion threshold, which would leave 90+ percent of credit unions safe for now.
The NCUA has of course issued its risk alert regarding DDoS and it mandates certain actions by credit unions – but on most readings it would permit credit unions to not have the ability to stand up to heavy-duty DDoS.
Pretty much everybody believes there needs to be internal resources – at just about every credit union – for defending against garden variety DDoS, the kinds unleashed by angry ex-employees, criminals looking to create a distraction, and the maladapted. The difference: These attacks generally revolve around low-power botnets of zombie PCs and they do not pack that big a punch.
But the punch they do pack nonetheless is plenty to knock out many credit unions. Here is the issue: the typical credit union has around 100 megabytes of available bandwidth and garden-variety DDoS now routinely generates one to two gigabytes of traffic. Industrial-grade DDoS has been said to hit 50 gigabytes of traffic.
Do the math: it's easy to see how credit unions get knocked offline by DDoS because the traffic volume is overwhelming.
The ability to defend against routine DDoS may well have become a business necessity, suggested Kirk Drake, CEO of technology CUSO Ongoing Operations in Hagerstown, Md., in an interview.
The problem: many credit unions can't come up with the minimum $10,000 per month needed to mount a credible mitigation effort, said Drake.
A two-pronged response usually is required. The first piece is bringing on board, at least temporarily, huge amounts of bandwidth to handle the high volume of traffic. The other prong is having the tools to sort traffic into good and bad and to route the bad traffic into a harmless detour.
Assembling both the tools is not cheap and that has been a hurdle for many credit unions. So Drake's CUSO is knee deep in exploring the how-to of offering a CUSO-generated mitigation tool set that, believes Drake, he can price at $2,000 per month or lower.
"There is huge demand for a DDoS solution that doesn't cost so much it puts the credit union out of business," said Drake.
Drake is so ambitious that he believes, just maybe, this Ongoing Operations mitigation tool set might even have the muscle to ward off nation-state level DDoS attacks.
He said Ongoing Solutions is not talking about vaporware, that in fact this week will see implementation of the tools at several Ongoing Solutions board members – Drake did not name names – and, he added, "We want to make sure we have this right before we roll it out more broadly but we expect to go live with an offering in a month or two."
The good news: Downward pressure on DDoS mitigation pricing will likely accelerate as vendors hunt for clever ways to assemble spare bandwidth pipe for temporary use and they also seek to aggregate users who might share various mitigation tools rather than in effect own them outright.
This just might allow credit unions to buy the protections they do need.


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Umpires reverse third-strike call in first inning
Originally ruled a foul ball, play is overruled to record strikeout
By Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com
CLEVELAND -- It only took until the fifth batter of the game for a disputed call in Wednesday's American League Wild Card Game between the Indians and Rays.
Rays right-hander Alex Cobb threw a 2-2 fastball to Indians first baseman Nick Swisher that was fouled back to catcher Jose Molina, who caught the ball just before it hit the dirt.
Home-plate umpire Gerry Davis asked third-base umpire Greg Gibson for help and Gibson ruled the ball hit the ground for a foul ball, but Rays manager Joe Maddon came out to argue that Molina caught the foul tip, which should've been a strikeout for the second out of the inning.
The umpires then met to discuss the play and ruled that Molina did catch the foul tip, handing Swisher the strikeout. Indians manager Terry Francona came out to discuss the play, but it was upheld as a strikeout for Cobb, who was able to get Jason Kipnis to ground out softly back to the mound to end the first inning.
Rhett Bollinger is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Bollinger Beat, and follow him on Twitter @RhettBollinger. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
This study is provided by ICPSR. ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for a diverse and expanding social science research community.
Building Strong Families (BSF) Project Data Collection, 2005-2008, United States (ICPSR 29781)
Principal Investigator(s): Hershey, Alan, Mathematica Policy Research; Devaney, Barbara, Mathematica Policy Research; Wood, Robert G., Mathematica Policy Research; McConnell, Sheena, Mathematica Policy Research
The Building Strong Families (BSF) project examined the effectiveness of programs designed to improve child well-being and strengthen the relationships of low-income couples through relationship skills education. It surveyed couples 15 months and 36 months after having applied to and been accepted into a Building Stronger Families (BSF) program at one of eight locations offering services to unwed couples expecting, or having recently had a baby. Major topics included family structure, parental involvement with children, relationships, personal and parental well-being, utilization of services such as workshops to help their relationship and parenting skills, paternity and child support, and family self-sufficiency. Respondents were asked for information on recently born children and relationship status, how much time they spent with their children, their level of satisfaction with their current relationship, substance use, if they had attended relationship and parental counseling, whether they were legally required to provide child support, employment, and family background. Additional information was asked about domestic violence and child abuse, legal trouble, past sexual history, and child development. The 36-month data collection effort also included direct assessments of parenting and child development. The quality of the parenting relationship was assessed for both mothers and fathers and was based on a semi-structured play activity, "the two-bag task." This interaction was videotaped and later coded by trained assessors on multiple dimensions of parenting. During assessments with mothers, the focal child's language development was also assessed using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. Demographic data includes race, education level, age, income, and marital status. The data collection is comprised of seven parts. Part 1: the BSF Eligibility and Baseline Survey Data file; Part 2: the BSF 15-Month Follow-up Survey Data file; Part 3: the program participation data file; Part 4: the BSF 15-month follow-up analysis file; Part 5: the BSF 36-Month Follow-up Survey Data file; Part 6: the mother-child in-home assessment; and Part 7: the BSF 36-Month Follow-up analysis file.
Access Notes
Data in this collection are available only to users at ICPSR member institutions. Please log in so we can determine if you are with a member institution and have access to these data files.
One or more files in this collection have special restrictions ; consult the restrictions note to learn more.
To protect respondent privacy, these data are restricted from general dissemination. Users interested in obtaining these data must complete an Agreement for the Use of Confidential Data, specify the reasons for the request, and obtain IRB approval or notice of exemption for their research. Apply for access to these data through the ICPSR restricted data contract portal.
Study Description
Hershey, Alan, Barbara Devaney, Robert G. Wood, and Sheena McConnell. Building Strong Families (BSF) Project Data Collection, 2005-2008, United States. ICPSR29781-v3. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2014-06-03. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR29781.v3
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR29781.v3
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This study was funded by:
- United States Department of Health and Human Services. Administration for Children and Families (233-02-0056)
Scope of Study
Subject Terms: attitudes, bills, child abuse, child development, child support, conflict, counseling services, criminal histories, domestic violence, education, emotional states, employment, families, family structure, happiness, health insurance, household expenditures, income, marital relations, marital satisfaction, marriage, parent child relationship, parenting skills, parents, personal finances, pregnancy, sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual behavior, social services, substance abuse
Smallest Geographic Unit: city
Geographic Coverage: Atlanta, Baltimore, Baton Rouge, Florida, Georgia, Houston, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, San Angelo, Texas, United States
- 2005-07--2008-03
- 2005-07--2008-03
Unit of Observation: individual
Universe: Couples enrolled in eight local BSF programs who met the following criteria: (1) agreed to participate in the program, (2) were romantically involved during the initial data collection, (3) were expecting a child or had a child under three months old, (4) were unmarried at time of their child's conception and (5) were 18 years or older.
Alpha Missing Values: Please note that the original data sets provided by the data producer were supplied in SAS format and made use of alpha missing data codes for numeric variables. ICPSR is providing these original files in addition to the ICPSR-produced files. These files have been packaged together in one zipped archive (pkg29781-all.zip). Additionally, recoded values are provided in the "Processing Notes" section of the ICPSR codebook.
Sample: The BSF sample intake collected information from study couples during the period of July 2005 to March 2008. A follow-up survey was conducted at approximately 15 months after study enrollment and a follow-up survey and a direct assessment of parenting and child development were conducted 36 months after study enrollment.
Weight: The data are not weighted. Weight variables in the data collection include: Parts 2 and 4: CPL_FINALWT, MOM_FINALWT, and DAD_FINALWT. Parts 5 and 7: ANY_FINALWT36, DAD_FINALWT36, and MOM_FINALWT36.
Mode of Data Collection: coded video observation, cognitive assessment test, telephone interview
Response Rates: The 15-month follow-up survey: 83 percent of mothers, 72 percent of fathers, and 87 percent of all couples (at least one parent); The 36-month follow-up survey: 80 percent of mothers, 69 percent of fathers, and 85 percent of all couples (at least one parent).
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:
- Checked for undocumented or out-of-range codes.
Original ICPSR Release: 2011-06-30
- 2014-06-03 Adding updated datasets and documentation for restricted files.
- 2014-04-25 Parts 5 through 7 (36 Month Follow-up data) have been added to the collection.
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text: It's been awhile since I blogged on DailyTech. My new role as CTO of HP Gaming has left me almost breathless, thus I have found it difficult to keep up with the blog as of late. I wanted to start this article off to update you on what's happening lately and I also wanted to speak a bit on the much anticipated HP 20" HDX. As you may know, at HP we have three master brands, because no brand has endless elasticity and we want to serve multiple markets. We have Compaq, HP, and Voodoo. Compaq has been refreshed and is as lively a brand as ever – check out the new CQ logo, it's pretty cool. We are witnessing great success in many markets with the Compaq brand. A typical Compaq is an aggressively priced no-nonsense series with straight forward configurations and top quality parts. HP is positioned slightly higher than Compaq, with more configurability, more personalization, and certainly a broader range of quality devices. You have all probably seen the "Computer is Personal Again" campaign, and you'll certainly see more of this as time goes on. Voodoo is at the top of the pyramid offering high touch configurations, a high level of personalization, fanatical customer service, and incredible performance. The Voodoo brand allows us to take real innovations out of HP Labs and elsewhere within HP and integrate them into our devices quicker than normal. This brand positioning will start to make more sense in the coming months. Eight months after the acquisition of Voodoo things are rolling along intensely. Internally we have created a ton of excitement around our yet to be released product lines, and as we continue we are tweaking the business to allow us to move quicker. These things take time, let's not forget the official close date of the acquisition was October 1st, and we promise to start launching products in 2007. The best way I can describe this process is when Lamborghini and Audi got together they made some significant changes at both companies. As they leverage each others' strengths they are creating some of the most fantastic cars in the world. You guys have probably read the stories on the internet about the upcoming much anticipated HP 20" HDX notebook. I have personally seen this monster mature from when it was a wooden model to after it was born. First let's start by saying that this notebook is absolutely kick ass, and whether they like it or not it's going to rip the competitions odd looking 20" a new hole. There is no doubt in my mind that they will be oversold. The design is lean and very compelling – it was designed for the higher end mainstream space, the unique hinge allows for a more natural feeling when using such a large display. The mechanicals are complex, yet so well designed that it's somewhat amazing that the team pulled it off! The HP notebook team has done some amazing things in the last few years. Lately they have stepped out of the norm and started to create some extremely compelling designs that meet high form and function together. The HP 20" HDX was originally conceived by the notebook design team before the gaming business units was even setup! So to be clear, the gaming business did not design this notebook, which is pretty wild considering this notebook is perfect for gaming (I should mention that the HP 20" HDX plays games better than 98% of the gaming notebooks on the planet (with MAX MAX MAX settings) and it seems to be priced to compete). Yes, the media speculated, but the bottom line is notebooks take much longer than 8 months to complete. This should give you a good indication of where we're going, since the gaming group is fortunate enough to be able to knowledge share with the notebook team.Since the acquisition we have been provided with resources to allow us to design compelling devices that we feel our customers will fall in love with. As such we are working to create some pretty masterful machines which you will see released in the future. Our systems are somewhat complex – and they are anything but conventional. We are placing some big bets in this space, and believe me you will know when we launch a product. There will be absolutely no mistaking our creations for anything else. Of course I cannot explain why yet, but dreams will become reality very soon. Yeah I know, "talk talk talk", but we think it's better that we remind you that we're still here – and that's not going to change. Rahul Sood CTO HP Global Gaming www.rahulsood.com


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text:
CAP COM FCU Hires Comedian to Teach Young Adults Financial Skills
The $972 million, Albany, N.Y.-based CAP COM Federal Credit Union wants to get young adults laughing as they learn how to manage their money.
Comedian and financial blogger Colin Ryan will be the star of the credit union's upcoming money management workshop, "Dollars and Sense," scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 8 at the Albany Marriott, the credit union said.
At the free workshop, which is intended for young adults ages 15 to 25, Ryan will discuss personal finance in a fun, interactive manner and teach four key skills needed to build a successful career, CAP COM FCU said.
The credit union will also hold a companion workshop for parents at the Albany Marriott on Tuesday, which will focus on how to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid form.
"Young people need to learn the basics of money management," said Kim Donah, a certified college planning specialist for CAP COM FCU's College Bound Program. "And, most parents need help building a smart plan to pay for college. This special night of workshops, prizes and entertainment will meet everyone's needs."
The workshops will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in separate ballrooms at the hotel, located at 189 Wolf Road in Albany, N.Y. Young adults and parents can register for the workshops online.


text:
Microsoft is the largest software company in the
world and there is little to indicate that it will cease being the biggest
gorilla in the cage anytime soon. Although profits at Microsoft were up
and were greater than Wall Street expected, the company has seen its stock
plummet and sales of its Windows operating systems are sagging.
Microsoft offered up the financial
details for its latest quarter yesterday. According to the numbers,
Microsoft's Windows division saw sales of Windows 7 OS slide. This is
attributed in part to the sagging PC sales that were down 1% in the same three
month time period compared to a year ago. When PC sales sag, so do sales of
Windows since the vast majority of PCs shipped run Windows in some flavor.
At the same time, some of the blame for sagging
Windows sales and slowing PC sales is attributed the popularity of other
gadgets and devices like the iPad. The iPad and other tablets are encroaching
on the PC market in a noticeable way and many feel that trend will only
As a result of Windows losing momentum in the
marketplace and uncertainty of PC sales Microsoft has seen its stock
price fall 1.2% to $26.37 in trading reports Reuters.
Capital Advisors Growth fund Channing Smith said,
"Microsoft to me is no longer a growth stock, but it is a very attractive
value stock. They continue to generate tremendous free cash flow. Their balance
sheet is really unmatched." He continued, "What you will begin to see
is a shift away from growth investors. You are seeing that transition where
Microsoft is in no man's land, but I think they will become increasingly more
attractive to value investors."
Over the last year, Microsoft's stock has lost 14%
compared with an overall growth of 16% for the Nasdaq. While Windows slipped,
other segments of Microsoft's business did well and took up the slack. Overall,
net profit at Microsoft was up 31% in fiscal Q3 to $5.2 billion amounting to 61
cents per share. After excluding the tax benefit Microsoft profits still met
analyst expectations.
Standouts for the quarter included the Office Division
which saw a 21% increase in sales to $5.2 billion, and the Entertainment and
Devices Division relied on the Xbox 360 and Kinect to rack up $1.9 billion in
The much talked about deal for Bing to provide
search results on Yahoo is still not performing as Microsoft had hoped with the
division posting a loss of $726 million.


text:
Wealthy French, Average Americans, Continue to Flee High Taxes
While France's most famous actor, Gerard Depardieu, is now the latest in a wave of tax refugees to flee the country before a new wealth tax kicks in in 2013, new data from the U.S. Census Bureau suggests that ordinary Americans with average incomes continue to flee high-tax states like California for low-tax states like Texas.
Reports say that Depardieu was likely motivated by tax avoidance considerations in moving to a small town in Belgium adjacent the French border city of Lille. The move comes after French luxury magnate Bernard Arnault made a similar cross-border move.
Depardieu was famous for representing the French "everyman" so it is no surprise his moving has set off both introspection and fury among your average Jacques.
Meanwhile, your average American Joe, with far less in earnings than French millionaires and billionaires, continues his migration from places like New York and California.
The Census Bureau reports that the most common state to state moves in 2011 were New York to Florida (59,288), California to Texas (58,992) and California to Arizona (49,635).
Notably, the Census Bureau data shows that job-related factors such as a new job or transfer were most commonly cited reason for moving among the top two income categories ($85,000 to $99,999 and $100,000 and above).
Mark Perry's U-Haul Index, tracking the number of one-way truck rentals, has also confirmed a pattern of ordinary people moving in the direction of lower taxes, the American Enterprise Institute economist maintains.
Perry's U-Haul Index may become increasingly important to economists, demographers and other researchers if the IRS and Census Bureau go forward with a reported plan to discontinue monitoring tax migration data. National Review reported Tuesday that the Obama administration is "quietly killing" continued studies of this metric, for which the government has compiled data since 1991.
The politically conservative publication opines that "blue states with high state and local tax burdens have come out looking bad in recent years. California and New York have been embarrassed publicly, as a steady exodus is underway from both."
The IRS has not officially explained the move, but "unofficially it is suggesting that the problem lies in coordinating with the Census Bureau," National Review continues. "It is asking for comments on how people use the data and how important it is, presumably so that higher-ups at the agencies can reverse their decision if necessary."
This article was originally posted at AdvisorOne.com, a sister site of Credit Union Times.


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The oldmaps site can be very useful in determining the position of old churches, especially on the large scale maps.
Google maps can be panned to view an area off the map, by clicking and dragging the map. You can also select a church from the links in the list further down this page to centre the map on a particular one.
If this county section of the database is being actively developed you can also drag and drop a church marker if it is in the wrong place, and then enter a dialogue to report it to us. Also if a church is missing you can drag and drop any existing marker to an appropriate location and use the option to report it to us.
- + ,
Key to map icons
ColourChurches are grouped according to denomination, e.g. all the types of Methodism are grouped together. Each group has its own colour.
ShapeThe icons used for churches for which we have an exact location have a teardrop shape.
If we only have an approximate location (usually within a street), a square icon is used.
If we only know it is in a town or place, but for which we haven't yet found even an approximate location, an icon with jagged edges is used. The marker for these is placed at a random location within a 1 Km square on the map.
If you would like to notify us of a more accurate church location, just drag the appropriate marker to the new location and then click the notify link which will then appear. Zooming and using the satellite image may help with this. In the list of churches below the map, those with an approximate location are marked with a +, and those where we don't even have an approximate location are marked with a *. Click the + or * to show a map containing just that icon.


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http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=cev29oyInteresting comments recently from Indy's Paul George about how past Pacers teams all "had an ego to them" but how this one is "putting the team first." Hard to imagine that the Pacers could find a trade taker for Danny Granger in the next 24 days before the deadline, given that Granger (knee) has missed the entire season so far, but it seems safe to suggest the end of the Granger era in Indy is drawing closer and closer.
Bargiani goes against everything that Indiana is: defensive minded, grind-it-out type of play. I see them being more interested in Calderon though
Any thoughts on Andrea shooting in practice?
According to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan has instructed his front office to be aggressive at the trade deadline.
"Were very active our owner wants us to be active, team president Bob Higgins told the Observer in regard to the Feb. 21 trade deadline.
Specifically, Bonnell wrote that trades "could range from pursuing a star player, to adding a complementary big man, to facilitating some deal between other teams to acquire a future draft pick."
The Bobs are desperate for a big man, so they may take aim at some potential targets who may well be available like DeMarcus Cousins, Al Jefferson or Andrea Bargnani. The trouble is they don't have much in the way of assets beyond what is sure to be another high draft pick in this year's draft. Perhaps that would be enough to pry Bargnani away from the Toronto Raptors, though:
I've always thought about the possibility of Barg to Charlotte. Seems possible
I'm not seeing why Charlotte would want Bargnani. They have their own Bargnani in Mullens, who actually rebounds, and he is certainly going to come cheaper than $10-11M per year.
I found the source of the ESPN Insider article above. This is a part of it which is along the lines of why I don't see Charlotte interested in Bargnani:
Bargnani does nothing to help their rebounding woes.Higgins said that by the end of this week he and/or Cho will have spoken with every other NBA front office to gauge interest in making a deal. The Bobcats clearly need frontcourt help, as demonstrated by the 29-rebound deficit – a franchise-worst – they suffered last week in a home loss to the Indiana Pacers.
The Bobcats' top rebounder this season, power forward Byron Mullens, is out with an ankle sprain. The team used the seventh pick in 2011 on center Bismack Biyombo, who has started 21 of the team's first 38 games this season.
The Bobcats knew they were drafting a project in Biyombo, whose offensive skills are still quite limited. Still, they expect to see progress from a player drafted so high.
"Biz has to get better. But he's only 20 years old,'' said Cho, who was key to scouting and drafting Biyombo.
"We need more help rebounding. For now that has to be by committee. That's something we're going to address, whether through the trade deadline or through the draft.''
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/201...#storylink=cpy
Maybe if the Raptors took on Tyrus Thomas but I'd be looking for multiple draft picks in doing that.
http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/46844Danny (Seattle)
Will Andrea Bargnani be traded by the Raptors before the deadline. When he comes back from his injury, will it give both parties enough time to showcase his potential talents?
Chad Ford**(1:15 PM)
If there is a decent offer for Bargnani, I expect the Raptors will take it. They won't give him away, but with how well Ed Davis is playing, he's finally expendable. The issue right now is that I haven't spoken to a GM who is excited about trading anyone on their roster for Bargnani. That's a problem.
no no no no no no
Remember all the Bargnani "offers" Colangelo talked about last year? I wonder if any of them involved....you know....NBA players.
Reminds me of the time Kramer offered to trade screen legend, Anthony Quinn's undershirt for Jerry's van.
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15.10.11Sold out #amBalt1510
Rams Head Live - Baltimore, MD
Attendance (15)
26.09.11 3:35 am
i'm @#$*!ing excited man...i got put on the guest list and now i get to go for free, with my best friends, and possibly meet alex and them.
only 19 days! :)
23.09.11 2:38 am
Same...does anyone have two tickets they're willing to sell? I'll pay way more than they were going for, just not something ridiculous like the only ones that are left -_-
18.09.11 2:54 pm
Does anyone have tickets they're willing to sell for a reasonable price? I'd been meaning to buy mine for the longest and was extremely gutted when I saw they're sold out. firstname.lastname@example.com
02.09.11 9:05 am
My 3rd time seeing them...I'm so freaking excited =)
22.07.11 1:53 pm
Anybody else from boston or any baltimore AM fans looking to get together for a drink or somethin? Me and one buddy are flying down that saturday afternoon and leaving sunday. We've seen em twice in boston and drove to philly for the humbug tour in 09. firstname.lastname@example.com