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Source: CBS SportsMultiple NBA team executives told CBSSports.com this week they believe a significant number of college underclassmen will stay in school rather than risk losing a year of development (and pay) in a lockout. College coaches making the pitch to underclassman to stay in school will have more leverage than ever before. Theyll have the hammer, one exec said. To lose a year of development at that stage of your career, thats huge. This could have a dramatic impact on a team like No. 4 Kansas, which in an ordinary year would have as many as three first-round picks: freshman Josh Selby (serving a nine-game NCAA suspension for accepting improper benefits); and juniors Marcus Morris and Tyshawn Taylor. Sophomore Thomas Robinson also impressed NBA execs scouting the Jimmy V Classic Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
I realize this is really early but let's cover it anyway. 2006, they win the lotto in a draft with no consensus number one. No only that, it was a total crap shoot of a draft. Some called it weak back then due increased uncertainty in the players... Moving along to this year, the Raptors stockpiled some picks and are probably going to be in the lotto. Only problem is now a lot of kids may stay an extra year leaving the class weak and a bigger crap shoot than usual. I could see this being an International player heavy draft because the kids outside the U.S. have nothing to lose by entering this year, in fact it might be the best strategic time to enter the draft for them. All that said do you think this sets up the Raptors for success for failure?


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DENVER - Democrats moved to ban concealed weapons from most areas of college campuses Wednesday as they marched ahead with their gun control bills.
House Bill 1226 passed the House Education Committee on a 7-6 vote, with all Democrats in favor and all Republicans opposed.
Wednesday's hearing continued with the over-arching theme of this year's debate: do armed citizens make a place safer, or more dangerous?
Rep. Claire Levy, D-Boulder, sponsored the bill and said college is no place for guns. She said her bill would not prevent mass shootings, but it would guard against everyday acts of violence and suicide.
"No law can prevent someone bent on destruction from accomplishing what they intend to accomplish," Levy said. "We can try at least to prevent or minimize risks that arise on a daily basis from the mere presence of guns."
The bill prohibits people who holder concealed weapon permits from bringing their guns into any college building, stadium or outdoor event at a college where the administration has decided to ban guns.
It addresses a 2012 state Supreme Court decision that said the University of Colorado overstepped its authority under state law by banning concealed guns from campus.
Testimony from several University of Colorado students and professors supported Levy.
Julie Carr, a CU-Boulder creative writing teacher, said every semester she has students with mental health problems.
"They change their medication or they stop taking it, and they fall into various levels of anxiety or depression," Carr said. "I want to help and teach my students and not fear them."
But opponents contended that one person's fear of guns should not trump another's right to self-defense.
Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith spoke for the County Sheriffs of Colorado, which opposes most of the gun-control bills.
"People admitted that fear wasn't backed up with statistics. It just was a fear of a gun," Smith said.
The hearing also featured a debate on whether college students are mature enough to handle guns.
"We know statistically that kids in this age group engage in risky behavior. They binge drink. They experiment with drugs. That's what you do when you go to college - not everybody, but statistically that does happen," Levy said.
Scott Hendrick, a recent Colorado State University graduate, said he is on his way to the military, and his friends have risked their lives for their country.
"Frankly, I find it extremely insulting," Hendrick said, "to be belittled as children and say we don't have the experience to know discretion, when the whole point of college is discretion."
It's been a busy week for gun bills in the House.
On Wednesday, another House panel voted to apply a fee of around $10 to anyone buying a gun to pay for a background check.
And on Tuesday, a different committee advanced bills to ban high-capacity ammunition magazines and to require background checks for private-party gun sales.

subset: commoncrawl


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I am willing to admit that we screwed up with the Lowry trade. I haven't seen anything in him that makes me feel this is a starting caliber point guard. Don't even think he is the best player on the team. Think he has a lot of talent, but so many players with talent out there.
Maybe I should say he is a poor point guard. He is not that good at his position. It looks disjointed, I don't know what to expect, when I want him to shoot he passes, when I want him to pass he shoots. Don't even understand how he got the reputation for being a good defender. I thought I would see a serious contrast between him and Jose, due to Jose's deficiencies at D, but Lowry has done little to impress me. It was his job to win, Jose is old and so far Lowry has been meh...
Kind of reminds me of Marcus Banks situation and Miami. He played well when he first got into the league, was known for his defense, got his contract, and then poof... was never the same player.
How much better can Lowry be? I think he is what he is. Also if he is the best player on our team, where is the lineup of GM's willing to take him off our hands?
Last edited by BasketballCrush; Sat Jan 26th, 2013 at 02:06 PM.
Don't get me wrong, think he is a good player, and obviously in our top 5, but considering all the Hype from you guys about this guy, I am still scratching my head and trying to match the fascination with the results.
I also don't think its a good time to trade him, unless someone is willing to pay at least what we gave up. He is a very good rotation player. I just don't always feel comfortable giving him the keys to the Ferrrari.
EDIT: hope the chemistry stuff is unfounded rumour
Last edited by BasketballCrush; Sat Jan 26th, 2013 at 02:26 PM.
MLSE to do list:
1) Trade Lowry for picks and rookie scale contracts
2) Trade Calderon for picks and rookie scale contracts.
If Calderon can't return anything of substance, allow his contract to expire and see if he will resign for something reasonable.
3) Trade Bargnani for picks and rookie scale contracts.
If Bargnani can't return anything of substance, amnesty him in the offseason.
If Bargnani can be traded without bringing back trash, amnesty Kleiza.
4) Fire Colangelo and bring in a GM willing to do a proper rebuild.
5) Pray for the top pick in 2014.
Lowry's D has been brutal - especially in the pick and roll and staying with his man off ball movement.
Disagree with any comparison to Banks. Lowry is over half way through his contract and had played at near All-Star levels in Houston.
Lowry has been asked to change his game and who he is. I disagree 100% with he is what he is. As for Lowry's trade value and the lineup of GMs willing to take him off Raps hands, who says there is not? Internet rumours are nothing more than conversation pieces. Raps have become one of the best (or worst) at not leaking stories.
When he was himself, Lowry played well, and the rest of the team sucked balls. We were all saying how we wish we had 5 Lowry's on court. Then Jose comes in, and suddenly our other 4 guys do not look so bad and you see that in order for Lowry to have his game, every player takes a minus. That is not good basketball IMO.
Personally I think a facilitating point guard is more important to this team, than a PG that dominates the ball. I cringe what our assets would be worth had Lowry started the whole year. It wasn't Lowry that found Ross, it was Jose , part of me feels that the Drummond debate would still be raging if Lowry was the starting PG. ...and the nice passes to Amir and Ross, were a result of Lowry playing out of his comfort zone (to an extent of course. I know he always had the ability to pass, but if he was as ball dominant as he was before, not sure he would be greasing the rookie, think he would save his few passes to keep Amir and DD happy. Ross looked completely out of place early on in the season.)
The fact the other players need someone else to spoon fed them is not a slight against Lowry but management and the roster. When Lowry was in Houston they had 2 other guys who could get their own shot starting: Martin and Scola. The Raps have NO ONE who can consistently create their own shot starting. Again that is an issue with the roster and management.
A few things we aren't considering about Calderon:
1) He's on a contract year and playing like he is. He's always been a professional but there is definitely a marked improvement in his effort and the stats show this. (He's tied for 3rd most triple doubles this season -- his value will never be higher) We've know his weaknesses and we haven't won with him.
2) He's not re-signing with us. As much as I would love to have Calderon back at on a lesser contract he won't be. I think like every other player he wants to be on a winner and probably in a warmer climate. Not to mention we have been trying to trade him for the past 3 seasons -- he doesn't show it but that has to weigh on a player.
3) Calderon is on the wrong side of 30 and even if he does resign I don't think he will give us a hometown discount. He isn't our future at the PG spot.
The other factor, that weighs on me.
Jose is supposedly a really really nice guy. Doing his utmost to make rookies and new players feel better and wanted. That is what leadership is about.
I never got that from Lowry. Remember seeing an interaction between Fields and Kyle early on in training camp, and Lowry came off (to me) as pretentious dick that did not seem to realize he was dealing with a new teammate, who too was trying to carve out a home. Now hearing this, I kind of am connecting the dots, and thinking that maybe Kyle is still very immature. Maybe he will grow up, maybe he wont. AI never did.
I often wonder, how much longer AI could of played if someone taught him how to make his teammates better. He was one of the most dominant players in the league, but once his skills faded, it was like the switch went to the OFF position. Not a single team would touch him as a PG. He just never learned how to be one, yet here was this player with experience and ability that was unrivaled. He just never learnt to play the game right, and as a result his career did not last as long as many less dominant point guards like, Kidd, Stockton, Nash.
I don't think Kyle's style is good basketball. I think his talent bails him out more often then not. I don't think taking 3pt'ers 5 feet from the 3pt line is wise. Who cares if they go in, just not very smart and not something the best point guards in history have ever done. It's great when they go in, but horribly deflating for your teammates when you have not set up yet and the ball is already coming back down the court. It's a self serving attempt any way you look at it.
Last edited by BasketballCrush; Sat Jan 26th, 2013 at 03:10 PM.
Frankly I don't think the problem with Lowry has been his level of passing and getting others involved in general. It comes down to his poor shot selection and his constant gambling on D. Those are things that really piss off your teammates. It's not even necessarily because they don't get the ball, but if you bust your ass on D and the PG wastes a FG attempt without running a very good possession, that'll piss you off if it happens repeatedly. On top of that if the PG gambles not only in the halfcourt, but even trying to steal rebounds or outlet passes, you're always left hanging with your D scrambling. Basically a PG who can ruin a possession on either side of the floor suddenly and unexpectedly. Wouldn't that piss you off if you played with him? Lowry needs to smarten up.
Keep Lowry. Jose is likely walking at the end of the season, where as we can keep Lowry just until next year (if he decides to walk), where we likely have our pick back to draft a point guard. I'm tired of trying to trade or sign one. Let's just draft one from scratch and finally close the conversation of need to find 'our point guard.' Develop a point guard properly with our core group, and stop trying to fit different peg shapes into the holes
Twitter: @ReubenJRD NBA, Raptors writer for Daily Hive Vancouver, Toronto.
If Lowry is on the trade block it's actually not so bad. He is most likely the best trade asset the Raptors have (other than JV). He is on a very good contract that has another year and has a current PER of 21.5 which is not so shabby for a backup.
Detroit was looking for a PG.. perhaps they would be willing to trade Knight for Lowry? Knight is still developing but needs a lot more time. Could be good to have him in a team with a pass first guard that could potentially teach him a thing or two. I was high on Knight prior to the '11 draft. Lowry>Knight but if we include Kleiza or Bargnani and take back an expiring like Maggette it might be worth it.
Would the #8 pick in the 2011 draft be more valuable then the pick that OKC gets this year? It will be close but I could see Toronto having a better record than 8th worse (although they are tied for 8th worse right now).
We're best using our cap and trade assets trying to find better players to strengthen our 3 spot, surrounding role/future pieces, and a back-up for Jonas down the road. The point guard position is the bread and butter of the NBA nowadays, it's not going to be extremely hard finding one from the draft, looking at the past drafts, if you scouted right, Sacramento, Portland have done a really nice job.
The wing position is now almost the hardest to find 'that guy', and we have to start building our team with role players who will stay and build, not to sign for trying to get sudden success, where in the next couple years we would have to sign/draft/trade for 9 new faces again, and again.
Core: Lowry (if extends, if not, draft a point guard), Derozan, Ross, Fields, Davis, Valanciunas, Acy, Johnson. From this point, drafting and trading for prospects/picks/bad-expiring contracts are the goal.
Twitter: @ReubenJRD NBA, Raptors writer for Daily Hive Vancouver, Toronto.
Funny how all of Colangelo's move this past offseason was a dud.
- Trading for Lowry for a lottery 1st round pick
- Signing Fields to a ridiculous contract
- DeMar's 5 year contract extension
I mean, i think we all agree that the Fields signing was nothing more than blocking the Knicks from getting Nash.
Lowry on the other hand hasn't shown me that he's a legit starting PG in this league. He lost his starting job in Houston to Dragic now he lost his starting job to Jose.
As for DeMar's contract, 40mill for 5 years. Wow. If he can play like the way he did against Orlando the other night on a consistent basis then yeah i guess he's worth it. Not keeping my hopes up though.
I wouldnt give up on Lowry near yet.
I think he is capable of being a strong leader, with lots of energy and hustle! I think he can wake up Demar when needs be. I think he is very good at drawing charges, very good at stripping steals, very good at rebounding. I think his penetration is good as well, though we have seen him go away from that. His 3pt shot is solid, he has good court vision, and he excels in the fast break. Recently we simply haven't seen the energy or the decisiveness and penetration we would hope.
My belief is that Lowry has been given a new 'role' from Casey. I think Lowry is relearning his position in order to better jell with the team. I think that he is younger than Bargnani, and I think that Lowry is going to round out as a very good player very soon. I fully believe that Lowry is our answer at PG for this core.
The Baltic Beast is unstoppable!
Been thinking about the Lowry 'situation' today.
A big part of this falls on Casey. Last year and this year he has been all about shooters and "I need shooters" and "Get me shooters." His offense is based around a PG who delivers the ball to stationary or curling shooters. Think about all the games this year when the jump shots fail to fall. The first 30 games of the year all featured a significant stretch of time within games where the Raptors couldn't score because the jump shot wouldn't fall.... and that was all they had - sets for jump shots.
It is great Casey has his system and what he thinks best. But the job of a coach is to maximize his talent. I think he has failed at integrating Lowry in to his game plan. The desire was for more talent last season, well, Lowry is definitely a talent upgrade.
And then yet again this all comes back to Colangelo and his inability to set course on a plan. Sure he went out and got talent in Lowry but it seems clear he didn't consider what Casey is trying to do on the offensive side of the ball. I think the defensive side factored in to the thinking but unfortunately Lowry has left his D-bag in Houston. *yes, I realize the can of jokes I have just opened up*
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CCS (Center for Creative Studies) Art for Middle School students
For Middle school students with a serious interest in art and strong family support. This workshop helps students prepare their personal art portfolio and encourages them to apply to Detroit's quality high school art programs.
Age:Middle school students
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Uh-oh .... looks like we're about to have TSN2 all over again.
Ah well, I'm a Rogers Subscriber so I'm not too worried.
Source - Toronto StarMaybe this should carry a parental warning: Words appearing in this column may be upsetting to passionate Toronto Blue Jays fans who dont subscribe to Rogers Cable.
Two words in particular might set them to gnashing their teeth and rending their garments. Those words are Raptors and TSN2.
This may be alarmist, but with Rogers Sportsnet One set to launch Saturday the new channel that will carry 25 Blue Jays games this season including four in the upcoming week is available only to Rogers subscribers. Its possible that may change by the end of Friday or within the next week, but theres no assurance of that.
At this point, we know that it will be on Rogers, said Rogers Communications spokesperson Jan Innes. We are still in discussions with other carriers.
Its also possible that Sportsnet could get itself into the same battle with the likes of Bell TV and Cogeco that TSN2 did with Rogers two years ago. It was a fight that resulted in thousands of disgruntled Raptors fans not being able to watch their favourite team.
The fact that Sportsnet Ones first distribution deal is with Rogers, Im told, has nothing to do with the fact theyre owned by the same company. Negotiations, Im also told, were tough.


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Epiphysitis & Physitis
Ask the Vet LIVE: Feeding Foals and Young Horses Recording Now Available
December 27, 2010
TheHorse.com's Ask the Vet LIVE on Feeding Foals and Young Horses, held on Dec. 15, is now available for listening on demand. Questions about developmental orthopedic disease in horses, grains, forages, supplements, breed differences, and more... Read More
Growing Pains--Physitis
January 01, 2005
Learn about this disease in young horses that leads to enlarged, painful areas just above the knees or hocks.... Read More
Diseases of Dietary Origin
March 01, 2004
The axiom, "You are what you eat" does have relevance to horses with regard to health and well-being. Although horses have evolved to eat plant material, not all plants are safe to eat. Some food substances directly exert toxic effects, while... Read More
May 01, 1999
A discussion of epiphysitis is anything but simple, straightforward, or lacking in complexity. To begin with, there is confusion and... Read More
Focus: Physitis
April 01, 1997
Developmental orthopedic disease (DOD) remains one of the top concerns of breeders worldwide. Not one condition, but rather a series of related syndromes, DOD encompasses anything that contributes to poor skeletal development in foals: angular... Read More
DOD: Developmental Orthopedic Disorders
September 01, 1996
Ask six veterinarians what causes developmental orthopedic disorders in foals and you might get six different answers. According to Tina Kemper, DVM, there could very well be six causes, and possibly more. Kemper specializes in equine internal... Read More


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Alzheimer disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, is a progressive, degenerative disorder of the brain that slowly impairs the ability to carry out daily activities.
Since there are only a few medications available to slow the progress of Alzheimer disease, many companies are promoting the use of certain supplements to prevent and treat memory problems. Scientists are investigating the effects of these supplements, but for the most part, there is little to no evidence to support their claims. There is no supplement that has survived rigorous scientific evaluation to prove that it is consistently helpful in fighting Alzheimer's disease.
Supplements Studied to Stop or Slow the Progression of Alzheimer Disease
There are several different types of supplements that have been studied to see if they improve function in adults with Alzheimer disease or prevent the risk of Alzheimer disease in adults who do not yet have impaired function.
Antioxidant Vitamins
An excess of free radicals (also known as oxidants) may contribute to the development of Alzheimer disease. Antioxidants theoretically may protect against Alzheimer's disease by limiting the buildup of toxic amyloid protein. Diets rich in foods containing antioxidant vitamins, such as E and C, have been associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer disease. However, the supplement forms of these vitamins have not shown the same association. Also one randomized trial failed to show that vitamin E supplementation prevented Alzeimer's disease. A meta-analysis noted an increase risk of death (due to all causes) in patients taking high doses of vitamin E. But, based on the evidence so far, it does not appear that supplements are useful for the prevention of Alzeimer disease.
Gingko biloba, thought to help deliver oxygen to the brain by improving blood flow to capillaries, is the most widely used herb to improve cognitive function. However, the overall data thus far is inconclusive. Some studies have found some benefit as a treatment in improving cognitive function in patients with dementia while others have not.
Huperzine A, an extract from a club moss, may hold promise for people with Alzheimer's disease by inhibiting the enzyme that breaks down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (which carries information in the brain). There is some evidence in animal studies that it may have benefit. It also may have some benefit as a treatment for patients who already have Alzeimer's disease. However, there is no indication that it can stave off memory loss in healthy people.
Evidence is also mixed for vinpocetine, a chemical derived from vincamine (found in the leaves of the periwinkle plant). Vinpocetine is thought to enhance memory and mental function by improving circulation in the brain and helping the brain to use oxygen more efficiently. More research is needed in this area.
Other Essential Nutrients
There are a number of other essential nutrients that are also purported to improve cognitive function. These include:
- Carnitine
- Phosphatidyl serine
- Choline
- Omega-3 and omega-6 (essential) fatty acids
Carnitine, a derivative of the amino acid lysine, plays an important role in energy production. Several small trials have suggested that it can modestly slow cognitive decline in patients with AD. Overall, literature reviews suggested that it may only be mildly helpful at best for Alzheimer disease.
Phosphatidyl serine and choline are both involved in the structure and maintenance of cell membranes. Phosphatidyl serine has been shown to be mildly effective in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Clinical trials of choline alfoscerate have also shown some promise.
It has been suggested that a dietary deficiency of omega-3 and omega-6 (essential) fatty acids could be a risk factor for Alzheimer disease. Evidence appears to be mixed. One review of 3 studies found that omega-3 fish oil supplements did not improve cognitive function in healthy adults over 60 years old. In contrast, 3 observational studies found that eating fish 2 or more times a week reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease compared to those who did not eat fish. From these studies, it appears that evidence supports eating fish, but not taking pills with these fatty acids in them.
Are Supplements Safe?
Buyers should beware that products that are natural are not necessarily safe or good for you. Remember that a healthy diet will likely provide you with adequate vitamins and minerals. Talk to your doctor before taking vitamins and supplements. The more medications you take, the greater the risk of an adverse reaction from a drug interaction.
Are Supplements Worth it?
Clearly, the market for memory enhancers is huge. As the population ages, interest in ways to slow or stop the progression of Alzheimer's disease will only continue to grow. Unfortunately, since further research is needed, it may be years before the benefits and risks of supplements are fully established. Moreover, supplements are expensive.
In the meantime, consider that by exercising, eating right, and using your mind—reading books, playing games, learning a new language—you will improve your chances of preserving mental acuity. It may not be as simple as popping a pill, but the gains are worth it.
- Reviewer: Michael Woods, MD, FAAP
- Review Date: 12/2016 -
- Update Date: 12/13/2016 -


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Northwest Credit Union Foundation Accepting Nominations for Summit Awards
The Northwest Credit Union Foundation is accepting online nominations for the 2013 Summit Awards, which recognizes credit union professionals' outstanding achievements, leadership and positive impact on the credit union movement and their communities.
This regional honor, as well as others around the nation, is part of the CUNA's national awards program. The regional winners will be entered in the national awards program.
The Summit Awards recognize outstanding achievement in three categories:
- Young Credit Union Professional: Recognizing outstanding achievements of credit union professionals 35 and younger.
- Innovation and Impact: A new category showcasing an individual's positive impact on the credit union movement over the past three years
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Honors a credit union professional whose sustained leadership documents social impact, embracement of credit union philosophy, effective advocacy and community improvement. Candidates for this honor are selected by Northwest Credit Union Association executive leadership and board.
The entry deadline for the Summit and CUNA awards is July 19.
The awards will be presented during the NWCUA's annual convention in Portland, Ore. on Oct. 8-10.


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General/Most Popular Questions
- What is FunOrb?
- Is FunOrb free?
- Do I need to register?
- Can I play the multiplayer games?
- I have a RuneScape account; will I be able to use it on FunOrb?
- I am a RuneScape member, does this mean Im a member of FunOrb?
- How much does membership cost?
- What are Achievements?
- What are Orb Points for?
- What are Orb Coins for?
- Do the games have minimum specifications?
- I am a concerned parent. What should I do?
1. What is FunOrb?
FunOrb is a collection of java-based browser games that you can access and play on your PC. The games are designed to be enjoyed over short periods or long sessions, and cover every genre of gaming.
2. Is FunOrb free?
There are three ways of playing FunOrb games: as an unregistered free player, as a registered free player, and as a member. Free players can access most game content, highscores tables and many Achievements, and those with the sufficient number of Achievements will be able to access the FunOrb forums. Members have access to the forums no matter how many Achievements they have, and they can also enjoy extra expansions for many of our games.
3. Do I need to register?
No, but registered free players are able to store their highscores, their Achievements, and their progress in some of the games. Registered users also gain access to Orb Points and Coins as well as some of the multiplayer games.
4. Can I play the multiplayer games?
To play most of the multiplayer games you must be a registered free player or a member. Some of the multiplayer games are for members only, so you will have to be a member to play them.
5. I have a RuneScape account; will I be able to use it on FunOrb?
Your RuneScape and FunOrb accounts are connected. Both of these products are made by Jagex, so you will be able to use your RuneScape account and password on FunOrb. A subscription to FunOrb is required, however, if you wish to play members' content. Subscribing to both RuneScape and FunOrb will give you a discount, when compared to the separate subscription prices.
6. I am a RuneScape member, does this mean Im a member of FunOrb?
No. As a RuneScape member, you can sign into FunOrb as a registered free player, as it uses the same username and password as RuneScape. If you wish to become a FunOrb member, you will have to subscribe to FunOrb in addition to your RuneScape membership.
7. How much does membership cost?
This depends on where you live and what payment method you use. For more information about membership prices and payment methods, click here. To subscribe to FunOrb, first ensure you have a registered free account , then click here.
8. What are Achievements?
Each game has a variety of Achievements that can be unlocked. These are awarded to you when you perform an exceptional action or reach a specific milestone in the game. The Achievement will be displayed in the game, giving you Orb Points and Orb Coins as a reward.
9. What are Orb Points for?
Orb Points are another way of showing off just how amazing your gaming skills really are. You earn them by obtaining Achievements in FunOrb games. As well as having highscores tables for all of our games, you can also view your prowess on the Orb Points table. The Orb Points table will show you where you stand in the worldwide rankings for Orb Points and Achievements.
10. What are Orb Coins for?
You earn Orb Coins by obtaining Achievements in FunOrb games. You can then spend your hard-earned Orb Coins on wallpaper images for your computer, mp3s of your favourite FunOrb music, or even in-game items such as special costumes for your Arcanists avatar. To find out more, visit the Orb Downloads page.
11. Do the games have minimum specifications?
Each game requires a minimum specification for you to play them. To find out this minimum specification, visit the game's information page.
12. I am a concerned parent. What should I do?
To find out information about FunOrb, Jagex, account security, player protection and more, please visit our Parents' Guide.


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U.S. Federal Communications Commission will today hold
a public meeting to discuss its draft of new internet rules
and regulations. The proposal, drafted by FCC Chairman Julius
Genachowski, represents a relatively moderate approach and thus may
draw fire from both strong net neutrality advocates and industry
officials alike.I.
What's in the DraftThe
draft is all about protecting an "open" internet. It
forbids internet service providers, such as Comcast or Time Warner,
from throttling
(slowing) legal traffic. It also would likely outlaw plans,
such as the pay-per-site
scheme unveiled by wireless providers this week.The
rules have a number of exceptions, though. Wireless carriers
are allowed to throttle certain kinds of traffic (e.g. video),
assuming they are not using that as a tool to promote their services
in an anticompetitive fashion (i.e. the proposal permits them to
"reasonably" manage traffic). And while they may have
to prove it's illegal, wired and wireless operators are allowed to
throttle illicit traffic, such as P2P or bittorrent traffic of
pirated materials.Those limitations may bother some net
neutrality advocates. The mobile provision is particularly
worrisome to companies like Google who are becoming increasingly
reliant on mobile advertising and peddle a variety of high-bandwidth
products (like YouTube).While the outlook is good for video
and voice services (e.g. Skype, YouTube, and Hulu) in the wired
domain, trouble could show its face their as well. The proposal
permits wired carriers to adopt
usage-based pricing, as many are eager to do.Usage-based
pricing is a mixed bag for the public. For "low tech"
internet users, who only check their email and read text-heavy pages
like Wikipedia or The
New York Times,
their bills will likely be reduced. But for "high-tech"
users who video chat on Skype, stream movies from Netflix, or play
online games they may soon see their bills skyrocket.The FCC
promises to monitor the markets for what it sees as abuses.
But the question is whether the Commission will act in time to
prevent such abuses before they
happen and whether its rulings will even hold up in court, given the
fact that they're loosely defined in existing and pending regulation
Rise of the Collective Monopolyi.
The PastBetween
1934 and 1996 the internet popped up, cell phones became fashionable,
and the telephone marketplace radically changed. However, there
was precious little new regulation to guide this new market.And
the root of the problem began long before that, even.In the
1880s and 1890s, the Bell Telephone Company enjoyed a monopoly on
telephone services in the U.S., thanks in part to the the United
States defending its patent on the phone. Those hoping to
construct their own systems of phone lines first had to pay to
license the Bell patent , and then had to navigate through a myriad
of government restrictions designed to help Bell.Under the
system few legitimate competitors to Bell arose, and those that did
were quickly acquired by Bell before they came a nuisance.In
1899 the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T)
acquired, Bell. The net effect was to assign a new name and
owners to the national monopoly.A similar monopoly was
developing in the wireless industry, with wireless giant RCA stomping
out the competition. Together RCA and AT&T held the
critical patents on vacuum tubes. And in the 1920s they agreed
to a cross-licensing agreement that would essentially make them
America's exclusive source of transmitted information over the next
three decades.In the 1960s and 1970s court rulings slowly
chipped away at AT&T's domination of the market, by allowing
third party devices and their ilk to connect. And then a
landmark decision in 1974 -- the United
States v. AT&T --
force the AT&T monopoly to split into smaller companies.Slowly
many of these telephone companies began to merge back together,
reducing the total number of options.At the same time as all
this was occurring, a handful of cable television companies (Cox,
Time Warner, and Comcast) emerged and cornered the small, but
increasingly lucrative paid television market. Eventually some
of these firms would be acquired by the telecoms and vice versa.In
1996 U.S. President Bill Clinton passed the Telecommunications Act,
the first major telecommunications legislation since the
Communications Act of 1934, which established the FCC. Among
other things, the new law required telecoms to interconnect their
wired networks (wireless networks could still operate
a handful of companies largely control the wired and wireless
internet in the U.S. There are only four major wireless
carriers, and only eight cable networks with a million subscribers or
more.Cable services tend to be what economists refer to as an
inelastic good. While providers make their decisions
"independently" they tend to adopt common pricing in a
particular region, and have in effect an unlimited supply. The
cost of market entry is prohibitively high for small competitors to
emerge. Even with the ability to connect to their competitors
wired lines, the infrastructure costs associated with launching a
cable network to cover over a million people make it virtually
infeasible for all but the biggest financial powers.The
question becomes how to regulate a competition-devoid industry that's
essentially behaving as a collective monopoly and ever looking for
ways to milk more money from customers. That FCC has largely
been saddled with that responsibility.Many today, however,
are unhappy with this state of affairs. After all, they say,
the government put us in this mess by promoting early cable,
telephone, and wireless monopolies -- so what makes us think that
they will get us out of it with more regulation?Adding to the
difficulty faced by the FCC and pro-regulation members of Congress,
is a wealth of campaign donations from the industry's biggest
players. These donations have helped convinced some states to
propose laws to effectively ban
cheaper municipal Wi-Fi offerings -- an emerging alternative
to big cable. They also have lead politicians on the national
scale to fight against new regulation on net neutrality and other
topics.The question, however, becomes -- if Congress and the
FCC can't (or are unwilling to) extract the nation from the service
providers ever tightening web of rising prices, who can?III.
The Outlook for the New RulesThe
FCC faced contention in its own ranks, when debating Chairman
Genachowski's proposal. Commission members Michael Copps and
Mignon Clyburn only reluctantly gave their approval to the draft,
while expressing misgivings about its exemptions for the wireless
industry and various loopholes. Mr. Copps commented, "While
I cannot vote wholeheartedly to approve the item, I will not block it
by voting against it."The two votes from Mr. Copps and
Ms. Clyburn gave the Commission a 3-2 vote, clearly split along party
lines. The two Republicans have both opposed
the bill. Commissioner Robert McDowell, one of the two
Republican members of the Commission commented in a WSJ
"Nothing is broken and needs fixing. Ample laws to protect
consumers already exist."Some industry analysts have
praised the draft. States Daniel Ernst, an analyst at Hudson
Square Research, in an interview with Reuters,
"Without regulation, rates could go up and up and up and
emerging providers like Netflix and Hulu could have problems
attracting users."However, the proposal, as mentioned,
is drawing the ire of some net neutrality groups as being too weak.
Craig Aaron, managing director of Free Press, criticized the bill's
many loopholes and lax restrictions on the wireless industry,
stating, "These rules appear to be flush with giant
loopholes."These advocates argue the FCC is abandoning
its responsibility to protect the public and bowing to corporate
influence.While the bill clearly won't fully satisfy
everyone, it does provide some barriers towards the
anticompetitive/anti-consumer behavior that the telecommunications
market has increasingly been experimenting with. Thus some see
it as a modest step towards preventing telecoms from abusing their
artificially dominant position.


text:
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text:
Having high fuel efficiency in a vehicle is a
great thing for the driver because they can spend less on fuel. Having higher
fuel economy on vehicles across the automotive market will reduce the need to
import foreign oil and will help to reduce overall pollution as well. The big
downside is that the cost of the tech to improve fuel economy is not cheap and
that cost will be passed onto the car buyer.
The Obama administration today outlined its Heavy-Duty
National Program [PDF] fuel economy standards for heavy-duty vehicles like semis,
concrete trucks, dump trucks, and other heavy work trucks. Rather than
targeting a specific mile per gallon rating for the heavy-duty vehicles – like what has been proposed for passenger vehicles -- Obama is going to target a percentage
of fuel savings.
The reason for this significant difference in fuel
savings is according to the administration imposing a MPG standard on this sort
of vehicle would be very confusing considering that the range of categories is
wide and the payload and duties in the segment vary widely.
The administration wants a 9% saving in fuel
consumption and greenhouse gas emissions for work trucks (fire trucks, garbage
trucks, and busses, etc.). Gasoline swilling heavy-duty trucks and vans will
need to see a reduction of 10% with diesel versions needing to see a 15%
savings. Big rigs have the most stringent cuts at up to 23%.
regulatory announcement also makes the following claims with regards to
recouping the added cost associated with adopting more fuel efficient
Using technologies commercially available today, the majority of
vehicles will see a payback period of less than one year, while others,
especially those with lower annual miles, will experience payback periods of up
to two years. For example, an operator of a semi truck can pay for the
technology upgrades in under a year, and have net savings up to $73,000 over
the truck's useful life.
The new standards will apply to covered vehicles
in the 2014 to 2018 range. The hope is to cut 530 million barrels of oil
consumption and $50 billion in fuel costs over the life of the vehicles with
the new standards in place.
The cost to meet the new standards on the
varying vehicle types are expected to be in the range of hundreds of dollars to
thousands of dollars per vehicle.


text:
When a taxpayer is audited, the IRS expects to see receipts and other documentation to substantiate all of the deductions taken. The audit will go far more smoothly if the taxpayer's records are organized and thorough. Showing up at the audit with a shopping bag filled with receipts will be counter-productive. Similarly, RIAs will fare much better during a regulatory exam if their records are well-organized and meticulous.
Rule 204-2 under the Investment Advisers Act identifies the books and records an RIA is required to create and retain. Paragraph (e) of this rule states that specified books and records must be "maintained and preserved in an easily accessible place for a period of not less than five years from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made on such record." The most recent two years of records must be held "in an appropriate office" of the investment advisor, which typically means the principal office of the RIA.
Partnership articles, as well as any amendments to them, must be maintained in the principal office of the RIA and be preserved until at least three years after the termination of the enterprise. This longer retention period also applies to articles of incorporation, charters, minute books, and stock certificate books of the RIA and any predecessor.
As rules change, an RIA's books and records obligations are revised as well. As we will see in Pay-to-Play Rule, an RIA providing service to a government entity must keep additional records satisfying the pay-to-play rule. Those record-keeping obligations became effective on March 14, 2011.
A Books and Records Example not to Follow
While taxpayers sometimes try to make their income look smaller, one RIA attempted to make its assets under management appear larger. On March 9, 2009, an enforcement complaint was filed against Leila Jenkins and her firm, Locke Capital Management Inc. The RIA fabricated a Swiss client whose accounts supposedly contained over $1 billion. The RIA then used this fictitious client to enhance the firm's credibility in order to attract real investors. After a routine examination, the SEC discovered that the Swiss client did not exist. In fact, the RIA had no real clients in 2003, 2004 and 2005. In 2006 through 2008, the RIA did have actual clients but the firm's assets under management were materially overstated. The RIA also lied to the SEC and clients about the firm's performance.
The complaint alleged that the firm violated Rule 204-2 under the Investment Advisers Act and committed the following books and records violations:
- Failed to make and keep accurate trial balances and financial statements
- Failed to keep a list or other account records documenting the RIAs discretionary authority with respect to any funds or transactions
- Failed to retain originals or copies of all written agreements between clients and the RIA
- Failed to maintain copies of client acknowledgments and solicitor disclosure documents as required by Rule 206(4)-3 and Rule 204-2
- Failed to retain all accounts, books, internal working papers, and other records needed to calculate performance or rate of return
Jenkins produced documents, in conjunction with an examination that she claimed were copies of custodial statements for the Swiss client's accounts. In actuality, the custodial statements were not genuine.
In the complaint mentioned in Proxy Voting, which was filed against an employee of Bernard Madoff's advisory firm, Eric Lipkin allegedly helped to prepare fake books and records in the event that a regulator or investor requested them. Because Madoff never engaged in any trading and never held any real securities positions for his firm's advisory clients, Lipkin created fake reports and false statements.
Situations such as these are very unusual. Typically, RIAs neglect to create or retain the appropriate books and records, and rarely falsify records in an effort to perpetuate a fraudulent scheme.
Without books and records, examiners cannot do their jobs effectively. This chapter serves as a review of key documentation that examiners expect to find at an RIA's office. Many of these books and records must be sent to examiners prior to the examination. Others will be provided at the time of the examination or after the fact to resolve a particular question that has arisen. When examiners review an RIA's books and records, they will be looking for prohibited practices, breaches of fiduciary duty, conflicts of interest, and other types of misconduct.
Overview of the Books and Records Rule
The SEC's statutory authority to conduct examinations is derived from Section 204 of the Investment Advisers Act. The language in that section of the statute authorizes the SEC to conduct examinations of an RIA's records as necessary to protect the public. Most states have also authorized their securities regulators to examine the books and records of RIAs within their jurisdiction. As a prelude to a state or SEC compliance exam, an RIA will be asked to produce extensive books and records. An RIA's inability to produce requested books and records is likely to cause examiners to form an unfavorable impression of the firm's business practices.
Every RIA must make and keep true, accurate, and current books and records relating to its investment advisory business. These records are described in Rule 204-2 under the Investment Advisers Act, commonly known as the Books and Records Rule.
Books and records are not just printed materials. For example, an RIA that used radio advertisements was cited for violating Rule 204(a)(11), because he did not retain a script of each commercial. He also paid several radio show hosts and stations for live airtime, but could not supply examiners with transcripts of those interviews.
Firms must keep all versions of their websites for the period required by the books and records rule. As we saw in Use and Misuse of Social Media, the ability to create and preserve books and records is one of the major obstacles RIAs must overcome if they hope to use social media.
State Books and Records Rules
States will often incorporate Rule 204-2 into their statute regulating RIAs. For example, Title 61 of the Utah Uniform Securities Act requires RIAs in that state to comply with Rule 204-2 of the Investment Advisers Act.
Pursuant to Title 61 of the Utah Uniform Securities Act, the Division of Securities issued R164-5-1, detailing the recordkeeping requirements of broker-dealers and RIAs. The rule states:
"(1) Except as provided in subparagraph (D)(3), unless otherwise provided by order of the SEC, each investment adviser licensed or required to be licensed under the Act shall make, maintain, and preserve books and records in compliance with SEC Rule 204-2 (17 CFR 275.204-2(1996)), which is adopted and incorporated by reference, notwithstanding the fact that such investment adviser is not registered or required to be registered under section 203 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
(2) To the extent that the SEC promulgates changes to the above-referenced rules, investment advisers in compliance with such rules as amended shall not be subject to enforcement action by the Division for violation of this rule to the extent that the violation results solely from the investment adviser's compliance with the amended rule.
(3) Every investment adviser that has its principal place of business in a state other than this state shall be exempt from the requirements of subparagraph (D), provided the investment adviser is licensed or registered in such state, and complies with such state's record keeping requirements."
States may have slightly different rules. For example, Virginia's statute requires RIAs to keep a file containing a copy of each notice, circular, advertisement, newspaper article, investment letter, bulletin, or other communication device including electronic media that is circulated or distributed, either directly or indirectly, to two or more persons. Rule 204-2 under the Investment Advisers Act requires RIAs to retain advertising materials sent to ten or more persons. In New York, RIAs must retain advertising materials sent to five or more persons.
An investment advisor registered in more than one state will not face different books and records requirements. Section 222 of the Investment Advisers Act states:
"Dual compliance purpose: No State may enforce any law or regulation that would require an investment adviser to maintain any books or records in addition to those required under the laws of the State in which it maintains its principal place of business, if the investment adviser:
is registered or licensed as such in the State in which it maintains its principal place of business; and is in compliance with the applicable books and records requirements of the State in which it maintains its principal place of business."
Otherwise, an RIA's books and records obligations would be even more difficult.
NASAA's Overview of Books and Records Requirements
It is helpful to look at the books and records requirements recommended by the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA). According to NASAA's Investment Adviser Guide, an RIA will generally be required to keep the following records:
- Receipts and disbursements journals
- General ledger
- Order memoranda
- Bank records
- Bills and statements
- Financial statements
- Written communications and agreements (including electronic transmissions)
- List of discretionary accounts
- Advertising
- Personal transactions of representatives and principals
- Client records:
- Powers granted by clients
- Disclosure statements
- Solicitors' disclosure statements
- Performance claims
- Customer information forms and suitability information
- Written supervisory procedures
RIAs that have custody of clients' assets must retain:
- Journals of securities transactions and movements
- Separate client ledgers
- Copies of confirmations
- Record by security showing each client's interest and location thereof
RIAs that manage assets must retain client purchases and sales history, as well as client securities position.
The previous list is by no means all-encompassing. More information can be found at:
According to NASAA, records are required to be maintained in an easily accessible place for a period of five years from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made. For the first two years, the records must be maintained in the RIA's principal office.
Electronic Communications
Although Rule 204-2 does not address email specifically, the requirements of the Books and Records Rule still apply. To comply with Rule 204-2, certain emails should be retained for at least five years following the fiscal year during which they were sent. The SEC treats instant messages in the same manner. Typically, document request lists from regulators will ask for emails between certain dates.
States are likely to ask for specific documents in preparation for an onsite exam or desk audit. For example, the South Carolina Securities Division Investment Adviser Examination Program Overview warns RIAs that it reviews all incoming and outgoing correspondence, including written and electronic mail messages. Depending upon a state's regulatory priorities, examiners will request different records.
Generally, RIAs must retain email communications received or sent by the firm relating to the following:
- Recommendations made or proposed to be made
- Advice given or proposed to be given
- Receipt, disbursement, or delivery of funds or securities
- Placing or execution of any order to purchase or sell any security
Attorney Michele L. Gibbons and Angela M. Mitchell of Capital Research and Management Company listed common types of emails, that must be retained, in their presentation to the National Society of Compliance Professionals in October 2006.
- Emails between employees and members of the public relating to the RIA's business
- Internal email from an RIA's portfolio manager to a trader dealing with execution of an order
- Emails relating to the placement or execution of a client's securities
- Emails to clients regarding proposed trades
- Email from an RIA's CCO to a portfolio manager regarding a complaint about a specific holding or trade
- Client complaints
- Emails from an RIA to a client's custodian regarding an advisor's management fee
- Updates from an IAR to a client
- Research report sent from an analyst to a trading colleague
- Advertisements and promotional materials sent via email
Even though an advertisement is sent using email or text, an RIA must still comply with the firm's advertising policies and procedures discussed in Advertising Advisor Services and Credentials. Most RIAs implement policies and procedures requiring that all advertisements must be pre-approved by the firm's CCO. Furthermore, in certain jurisdictions, a state-registered investment advisor may be required to send a copy of an advertisement sent via email or text message to securities regulators at the same time it is transmitted to prospective clients.
Examiners will certainly look at advertisements transmitted electronically during a compliance exam. A recent Michigan desk audit asked for printed copies of email solicitations, electronic bulletin board solicitations, and chat room solicitations.
Because of books and records retention requirements, some advisory firms do not permit their IARs to use smart phones when communicating with clients, while others put restrictions on their usage. Some RIAs do not permit IARs to text clients unless the messages are captured on the firm's server, since this is the only way the RIA can supervise this communication.
For compliance purposes, text messages should be handled in the same manner as emails, and must be retained for the five-year period required by the Books and Records Rule. Examiners will be very critical of a firm if the CCO is unable to locate and produce emails or text messages requested. The SEC or state securities regulator may have received a copy of the email or text message from a current, former, or prospective client who filed a complaint. They might even suspect that the RIA was trying to hide the fact that a complaint was filed.
The Big Picture
Thorough and complete books and records enable RIAs to demonstrate that they have fulfilled their fiduciary obligations to clients and complied with applicable rules and regulations. Though compliance with the Books and Records Rule is burdensome, it shows that the RIA is committed to compliance. Without books and records, it is impossible for advisors to prove they satisfied their fiduciary duties.
Records retention is also very important for disaster recovery plans, which securities regulators require RIAs to implement. At a minimum, an RIA should establish disaster recovery plans for storing, maintaining, and restoring the firm's books and records. RIAs should also implement a policy for disposing of sensitive information.
According to Gibbons and Mitchell's presentation to the National Society of Compliance Professionals, the SEC takes the position that any retained records may be examined, even if they are not required to be preserved by the Books and Records Rule. Records that are not required to be preserved may be destroyed unless they are incidental to a legal proceeding, complaint, or a regulatory action.
The SEC and state securities examiners often review books and records in a vacuum. IARs may not have the opportunity to explain what a particular document means or its intended meaning. As an example, desk audits rely on information sent from an RIA to the examination team. Although examiners may contact the RIA for more information, the team will be reviewing these materials in their offices, not the advisors offices.
Documentation should be self-explanatory. This is not always the case if an examiner is reviewing a cryptic email or text message. Because electronic communications tend to be brief and informal, there is a higher probability that they will be viewed as misleading. Examiners will not know the story behind a message, and will not know if the advisor discussed the topic in much greater detail during a previous discussion with the client.
Securities regulators have shown an increasing willingness to fine RIAs for books and records violations. One RIA was recently fined $20,000 for numerous books and records deficiencies, although the firm's attorney was able to negotiate a lower penalty.
Books and records violations are often intertwined with other compliance deficiencies. For example, the Code of Ethics Rule requires RIAs to provide copies of their codes to supervised persons and keep documentation acknowledging that they were provided. Failure to produce those acknowledgements for inspection by examiners is a Books and Records Rule violation.


text:
The following is our unabridged
interview with Mr. Johnson.
UPDATE: Monday, Nov. 16, 2009, 1:00 p.m.:
Many readers asked for Mr. Johnson to reply to the question about the legality of backup copies of DVDs/CDs. Rather than let these requests fall on deaf ears, we recontacted Mr. Johnson, and his response is now included below.
UPDATE: Monday, Nov. 16, 2009, 1:00 p.m.:
Many readers asked for Mr. Johnson to reply to the question about the legality of backup copies of DVDs/CDs. Rather than let these requests fall on deaf ears, we recontacted Mr. Johnson, and his response is now included below.
What do you
make of the current state of copyright law, and what parallels do you
see to the stir that happened when Xerox hit the scene, offering easy
copying of print media and potential infringement?
speaking, and for many understandable policy reasons, law can be slow
to change: usually, its a trailing indicator of changes in society at
large, and when it does change, those changes ordinarily come about
as new legislation or new ways of doing business, rather than judges
imposing social change through case law. By way of example, when
copyright law was first developed, there was no such thing as a
copier. Copying a book was a laborious process, and few people would
undertake that process for a non-commercial purpose like sharing the
contents with a friend; instead, they would actually share the book
itself. When Xerox and other manufacturers made it so easy to copy
books, it suddenly became very easy to copy a few pages from a book
(or the entire thing for that matter, so long as you had enough
nickels) and share them with a friend, or take them home from the
library to work on your paper. It took the law several years to
figure out how best to deal with the new technology, and even then
most of the issues were worked out privately between rights holders
(e.g., book publishers) and the owners of widely-accessible copy
machines, such as libraries.
While 21st century technology is
much different, the underlying process of grappling with
technological change, and deciding how the law will change to cope
with that new technology, is very similar. When judges try to apply
old case law, and old legislation, to new technology, they frequently
find that the law simply doesn't address the new circumstances in a
manner that allows for sensible results, so they look to the
legislators to make changes in the law that will allow for realistic
solutions. The legislators, however, are beholden to competing
interests that ensure that such change will be slow in
Do you see the
music/movies/television industries' legal crusade against citizens
who pirate as productive? With rulings like the recent $1.92M
USD verdict against Jammie Thomas-Rassert drawing public ire, how
can the industry fight piracy, while not coming across as a bunch of
It's not easy. Until the law catches up
with technological change, rights holders can, and I think should,
seek to protect and enforce their rights under the law. Those suits,
and the public response to those suits, may prove to be one of the
best ways to spur legislators to make the hard legislative choices
necessary to allow for more practical outcomes than forcing large
industries to sue their customers.
recently kicked
1 million users off of Xbox Live for modifying their consoles.
Likewise, Apple tried to brick
iPhones that were unlocked or jailbroken, back in 2007. In your
opinion should the law allow users who legally purchased products to
modify them freely, or should the opposite -- a ban on modifications
-- be enforced?
As a practical matter, I can't
imagine a public consensus developing around a change in the law that
would allow end-users to freely modify products that are used to
access third party content. Vigorously enforcing a ban on
modifications, however, may prove to be impractical. I can imagine a
compromise where modifications are allowed subject to some process of
review and approval (similar to how Apple handles iPhone apps), or
perhaps where machines that can be modified are sold along-side
versions that can't, with the machines that can be modified having
reduced or altered functionality, or perhaps a much higher price. The
key complication is the fact that there are two parties to the
transaction -- the manufacturer of the machine and the end-user --
but hundreds of other affected parties (i.e., the owners of all the
content that is run on the machine). Getting a consensus from all
those parties won't be easy.
One of the
key drivers for modification of Xbox consoles is to make backup
copies of discs. The RIAA/MPAA have long stated that backups
of legally-owned materials are illegal and that "making one
copy is another way of saying stole one copy". Should such
backups, in your view, be legal? Why or why not?
I think this is a good example of where the law and technology are no longer synchronized. It is generally correct that, as a legal matter, unless a written contract (e.g., license agreement) otherwise allows, it is a violation of copyright law to copy a copyrighted work for purposes of making a "back-up" copy. This is no different than making copies of a hard cover novel or a vinyl album just in case you lose or damage it. Nobody ever seriously grappled with the issue of whether you should have a right to make a copy of a book or an album and keep it on your shelf for that eventuality, arguably because the risk of loss/damage was relatively low, and the cost of copying was relatively high. It seems to me there is little difference with a machine-readable disc, except that the likelihood of damage or loss of the disc is probably higher, while the cost of making a copy is much lower. Accordingly, the real challenge is not construing existing law; rather, it is deciding how, if at all, to change the law in light of a new technological reality.
These types of disputes are not
new, but the vast majority of newly composed music does not get held
hostage to a dispute over copyright ownership. When it does, it's a
pretty straight-forward legal question, and the courts, however
imperfect, are probably still the best place to resolve the issue.
While I'm sure there are some unscrupulous label execs. who try to
steal music their label's don't rightfully own, there are also
musicians who, in all sincerity, hear their own music in tunes
actually composed by others.
What's your
view on the "three
strikes" laws proposed in France, UK, Australia, and
elsewhere, that propose cutting off internet filesharers after two
warnings, forcing ISPs to cut their service?
all have to start experimenting with new options to deal with new
technology. Whether this approach will work I can't say, but I'm
DailyTech thanks Jeffrey Johnson for his
time and for providing us with some insightful responses into how
some in the law community view various copyright-related issues.


text:
2) yes. At this point in time it would have to be a pretty good trade package to trade Bargnani in my opinion.
3) Bargnani trade package would have to revolve around lotto pick, solid rotational player on good contract, and financial relief (an expiring contract or two).
BONUS: If adding Dirk would make them a contender, I would say Dirk. However he wouldn't therefore Bargnani based on contract, age, and the tapping of potential we are all witnessing.


text:
Mamas, Do Let Your Babies Be Held by Giant Seals
I spent the
weekend in San Francisco
and went to see the Cards vs. Giants game on Sunday. I was accompanied by
some friends who brought their 5-week-old son Gus to his first baseball
game. Of course, I had to buy Gus a "My First Cardinals T-Shirt" for this
occasion. You have to indoctrinate them
while they're young.
At one point, the
Giants mascot, Lou Seal, came to
our section, and I asked him if he would pose
for a photo with Gus. He looked me up and down – Cardinals hat, Cardinals
shirt, red Converse shoes, and made a hex sign as if to say "Back off,
Satan." He then relented
and motioned
for the baby. Fortunately, he had hands
not just flippers and was able to hold Gus securely for this cuter-than-cute
photo. Gus began screaming upon looking
into the face of the enemy mascot, thus demonstrating he is already developing Cardinal
pride (or maybe Lou smelled fishy?).
I really
like AT&T Park. It's a great place to watch a
game, and you can't beat the garlic fries.
After jumping out to a 2-1 lead, Joel Piniero went off the rails in the
4th inning, giving up 5 runs before Tony yanked him in favor of Brad
Thompson. It's a bummer that Joel's
return from the DL didn't go smoother.
Linceum was tough for the Giants, striking out 11 (note the Ks on the wall behind me). The Cards did fight back, with a homer from Ludwick to bring
the score to 7 – 4. We threatened in the
8th inning. Tony let Pujols
pinch hit with men on 1st and 2nd but a passed ball
caused the runners to advance, leaving first base open so Pujols was
intentionally walked. We also threatened
in the 9th , but with two men on, Ludwick and Duncan looked at called 3rd strikes. They disputed the calls but I couldn't pass judgment from where I was sitting. Of course, I believe our boys. It was a giant conspiracy.
Anyway, it was an exciting game and a fun day
at the ballpark, so I'm not complainin' – and neither was Gus, the newest member of Cardinal Nation!


text:
While many car companies, including GM, Chrysler, and Ford are cooking up plans for electric vehicles, Tesla Motors is actually making them and selling them. Despite a rocky 2008 which saw many layoffs and close calls financially for the company, it succeeded in bring its Roadster to the U.S. market.
Now at a special press conference in Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, a surprising and intriguing announcement was made -- Daimler, former owner of Chrysler and owner of the Mercedes-Benz brand, is buying a 10 percent stake in the company. More importantly, Daimler will help Tesla with engineering and parts development. Dr. Thomas Weber, the head of research and development for Mercedes-Benz, was on hand to make the announcement.
He stated, "Our strategic partnership is an important step to accelerate the commercialization of electric drives globally. As a young and dynamic company,Tesla stands for visionary power and pioneering spirit. Together with Daimler's 120 years of experience in the automotive sector this collaboration is a unique combination of two companies' strengths. This marks another important milestone in Daimler's strategy for sustainable mobility."
Tesla CEO Elon Musk also was on hand and cheered the news. He would not reveal how much his company had received from Daimler, other than to comment that it was in the double-digit millions. This indicates that Daimler's valuation of Tesla to be worth at least $100M USD, a promising sign for the recovering company.
The match seems made in heaven, with both companies focusing heavily on performance vehicles and fuel economy, two sometimes divergent fields. Daimler will help engineer Tesla's new Model S sedan, while Tesla will help Daimler make a second generation Smart ED electric compact. Tesla will engineer the battery packs, which use Li-Tec lithium ion cells developed by a Daimler and Evonik joint venture. Tesla will also have access to the cells for its own vehicles. The cells are currently scaling to mass production, which should help Tesla be able to produce vehicles quicker.
Looking forward, Daimler plans on having Tesla help it with battery pack integration and battery management systems for its electric vehicles. The first Tesla-tweaked Smart car will arrive in 2012, with five-digit production planned. Daimler's Prof. Herbert Kohler (who is in charge of e-drive systems at the German automaker) will take a board position at Tesla and oversee their progress.
With the investment Daimler looks to gain the edge it needs to beat its American EV competitors. And with the stake, Tesla can finally lay to rest questions of its short-term survival.


text:
The results are engaging. A charming trio arrangement of 'Be My Valentine' is a prime example. [On] 'The Great Pumpkin Waltz,' another Guaraldi-penned treat
the addition of guitar to the cozy Benoit ensemble sound makes for a nice touch. Then again, the same could be said for the presence of trumpeter Christian Scott on the album's opening cut, Guaraldi's 'You're in Love, Charlie Brown'."Washington Post


text:
The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation hosts the Meet the Scientist Webinar Series on the second Tuesday of each month at 2:00 – 3:00 PM EST
Hear leading mental health researchers present the latest in new technologies, early intervention strategies and next-generation therapies for mental illness.
The live webinar is open and free to all. You can join us by phone or on the web and will feature video (slide presentation) and audio (through your computer speakers or a domestic toll telephone call).


text:
Guest Services Representative - Front Desk
Click the Facebook, Google+ or LinkedIn icons to share this job with your friends or contacts. Click the Twitter icon to tweet this job to your followers. Click the link button to view the URL of the job, which then can be copied and pasted into an e-mail or other document.
Job Details
Job Description
Business Unit:
Guest Services Representative – Front Desk
Metro Area:
Postal Code:
Functional Area:
Hotel Hourly
The Guest Services Representative is responsible for creating a hospitable guest experience and for performing tasks associated with the front desk. The Guest Services Representative position is a member of the Welcome Team.
This document in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the individual occupying this position. This is a representative list of the general duties, and is not intended to be all-inclusive. The following requirements may change depending on the individual property and may change over time.
• People Excellence: Exhibit a Heart for Service for Guests and Team Members with a dedication to great customer service and teamwork.
• Product Excellence: Deliver a great guest experience by connecting with friendly and smiling service and a fast and accurate check in as outlined in the Customer Service Manual including:
• Guest registration, computing and collecting payment, and verification of credit card transactions
• Transmit and receive messages via telephone and fax machine
• Read and run various reports
• Make and confirm guest reservations
• Maintain records of assigned and available rooms
• Sort and rack incoming messages and mail
• Maintain cleanliness and appearance of front lobby
• Proactively recognize and address guest concerns
• Identify sales opportunities to increase revenue
• Report any safety and security issues that require attention
• Complete the Shift Checklist
• Guest Excellence: Cheerfully interact and assist guests with information regarding property and local amenities
• Partner Excellence: May perform duties from other property positions as needed or assigned in order to maintain proper operations of the property
• Other duties: Miscellaneous other tasks as required and assigned by Supervisor or any other member of Management which may include cross functional job duties
• Participate in all training and safety meetings.
• All Team Members are expected to act in a safe manner at all times and report any unsafe conditions to your supervisor immediately
• Computer proficiency, including Windows, Outlook, Word and Excel
• Good communication skills
• Ability to work with minimal supervision and follow written and verbal work instructions
• Working safely is a condition of employment. Safety is everyone's responsibility.
• New hires must meet all Motel 6 / Studio 6's employment qualifications in place at the time of hiring
The individual occupying this position must be able to perform essential job functions and the general duties and responsibilities with or without reasonable accommodation. The physical demand level for this position is Light.
The typical work area for the GSR is relatively small, with temperature and humidity controlled and moderate. The following requirements may change depending on the individual property and according to the confines of the workspace available for any required task:
Constant Activity (2 / 3rds or more of work time)
• Stand to assist and communicate with guests
• Walk to assist and communicate with guests
Frequent Activity (1 / 3rd to 2 / 3rd of work time)
• Sit to complete reports, reconcile cash drawer, answer and return phone calls
• Reach below shoulder
• Twist at the waist/torso
• Bend and stoop
• Lift pens, paper, trash cans, and office supplies up to 10 pounds
Occasional Activity (Up to 1 / 3rd of work time)
• Reach overhead
• Lift reams of paper, coffee canisters, supplies and other items between 11 and 20 pounds
• Kneel or Crouch
Additional Critical Functions
• Use of Senses: Ability to communicate , smell, near and far acuity, depth perception, color vision, and field of vision
• Cognitive Factors: Reading and writing comprehension, basic math / calculations, complex problem solving, computer work, (i.e., electronic email, typing notes, data entry, accessing company systems)
• Environmental Factors: Exposure to cleaning products and chemicals
Apply Now
To view full details and how to apply, please login or create a Job Seeker account.


text:
In the
face of concerns about legal attacks from Apple, Inc. (AAPL)
and Microsoft Corp. (MSFT),
and earnings concerns, Google Inc. (GOOG)
continues to show it isn't leaving its starring role in the tech industry
anytime soon. The smartphone and internet search leader on Thursday reported a record revenue of $9.03B USD.
GAAP net income (profit) was at an impressive $2.51B USD.
The strong showing should go a ways to dispelling the cloud of pessimism that
has surrounded Google in recent weeks. Indeed Google stock has soared up
13 percent in pre-market trading.
The pickup of Google+ has been particularly
impressive. New chief executive Larry Page regaled the
audience of the earnings call with figures. Namely, he revealed that
Google+ had reached 10 million users, despite being invite only and only in existence for a few weeks. He also
indicated that Google+ users are very active on their new social network,
sharing over 1 billion links a day with their friends.
Mr. Page even took the opportunity to deliver a bit of a shot at rival Facebook's loose privacy controls. He states [transcript], "Our goal with
Google Plus is to make sharing on the Web like sharing in real life, as well as
to improve the overall Google experience. Circles lets you choose with
precision who you're sharing with. Not surprisingly, this has been very well
received, because in real life we share different things with different
Facebook users will recognize the hidden meaning here; the world's largest
social network has clumsy privacy controls that in most cases result in sharing
things with all your friends -- or in some peoples' cases -- all the world.
Google clearly is a bit more privacy-conscious.
Google's Chrome web browser is also doing quite well. The company reports
it has 160 million users. Mr. Page remarks, "Chrome is the fastest
growing browser."
Turning to Android, Google's smart phone juggernaut, Google says that it now
has 135 million active devices. This total is significantly lower than
Apple's, which has 200 million iOS devices active as of June. Of course,
much of the differential is likely due to the iPod Touch -- which has no major
Android competition -- and the iPad tablet -- which has vastly outsold Android
In phones the numbers are likely much closer, but unfortunately neither company
broke down the active device numbers into categories. The closest clue
with regards to the health of iOS versus Android is the number of phone
activations a day.
Apple in June said it was at 275,000 a day. In June, Google said it was
at 500,000 a day, with Android Manager Andy Rubin declaring on Twitter that
activations were increasing at a 4.4 percent weekly growth. During the
earnings call Google seemingly confirmed this growth rate, by announcing
activations of 550,000 handsets a day, a figure Mr. Page calls "a huge
number, even by Google's standards."
Looking back, in April Google was at 350k activations, so the growth has indeed
been impressive. Apple chief executive Steven P. Jobs has claimed that Google is lying about its
activation totals, believing his company is still ahead, despite the large gap
in the reported totals.
Google still trails Apple in apps and app downloads. At the earnings call
Mr. Page announced total app downloads had reached 6 billion, well behind the
15 billion downloads Apple users have logged.
Mr. Page brushed off monetization concerns about the company's core products,
such as Android, Google+, and the Chrome browser. He comments, "Now
people rightly ask, how will we monetize these businesses? Of course, I
understand the need to balance the short-term with the longer-term needs,
because our revenues and growth serve as the engine that funds our innovation.
But our emerging high usage products can generate huge new businesses for
Google in the long run, just like search."
"And we have tons of experience monetizing successful products over time.
Well-run technology businesses with tremendous consumer usage make a lot of
money over the long term."
Overall, the earnings serve as reassurance that all Google's key properties are
firing on all cylinders, competitively. However, outside concerns, such
as lawsuits and antitrust investigations remain serious
obstacles for Google.


text:
International cooperation with ASEANAPOL bolsters security landscape, INTERPOL Chief tells police meeting
Myanmar becomes 59th country to recognize INTERPOL Travel Document
PATTAYA, Thailand – INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble has told Chiefs of Police of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that their collaboration with global law enforcement initiatives underpins regional and global security.
Speaking on Wednesday at the 33rd ASEAN Chiefs of Police conference (ASEANAPOL, 18-22 February) in Pattaya, before an audience which included Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister, Chalerm Yubamrung, and the heads of police from ASEAN countries and dialogue partners, the INTERPOL Chief underlined the role of international police collaboration between Southeast Asia and INTERPOL in fighting transnational crime.
Officials from the ten ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam), as well as from five dialogue partners (Australia, China, Japan, Korea and New Zealand), heard that INTERPOL worked at building global collaborative initiatives that help countries better combat transnational crimes.
Mr Noble cited as 'the essence of international law enforcement cooperation' the arrest in October 2007 in Thailand of alleged child sexual predator Christopher Paul Neil, as part of INTERPOL's Operation VICO.
Neil was arrested by the Royal Thai Police after INTERPOL launched its global public appeal, initiated after German police computer experts at the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) successfully produced clear images of Neil's face, which had been digitally swirled to disguise his image in more than 200 web images of child sex abuse committed in Vietnam and Cambodia.
The audience also heard how INTERPOL member countries have shown their capacity to take actions which have made a difference, such as INTERPOL STORM operations. Undertaken by Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam via INTERPOL, they have made possible since 2008 the seizure of nearly 40 million fake and illegal pills, led to over 60 arrests and closed hundreds of illicit pharmacies and drug outlets.
Similarly, INTERPOL's SOGA operations have seen the biggest multi-country police effort targeting illegal gambling, carried out by China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. To date they have led to more than 7,000 arrests, the seizure of nearly USD 27 million in cash and the closure of hundreds of illegal gambling dens across Southeast Asia.
Because every minute counts when it comes to INTERPOL providing essential support to its member countries in cases of terrorism or natural disasters, Mr Noble told the conference how the world police body developed the INTERPOL Travel Document (ITD) 'to deploy the right staff, to the right place, at the right time'.
In this respect, following its recent commitment to recognize the ITD, Myanmar is set to become the 59th country to have recognized the efficiency of the ITD, paving the way for other countries in the region and beyond to follow.
"In 2014, INTERPOL and Southeast Asia, along with the rest of the world, will be presented with a chance to change the global law enforcement landscape forever. The INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation in Singapore will provide a core, permanent INTERPOL presence in the region. This next step provides us with many opportunities which can optimize the benefits of the IGCI and ensure INTERPOL provides the most relevant, cutting-edge tools and services to our member countries in the Southeast Asian region, and to partners like ASEANAPOL," concluded Mr Noble.
The IGCI will provide a cutting-edge research and development facility for the identification of crimes and criminals, innovative training, operational support and partnerships.


text:
When you
look at mankind, for better or worse, we're pretty special. Arguably no
single species has been able to reshape the planet in its image as fully as
humans. So what happened during the course of evolution to make humans so
dramatically different in intelligence and abilities from even our closest
relatives, say chimpanzees?
That's what a multi-school team set out to answer [press
release], with advanced genetic analysis. The team was led by
David Kingsley [profile],
a top geneticist at the non-profit Howard Hughes
Medical Institute, and included a number of researchers from Stanford University, which is located in Palo
Alto, California.
I. The Hunt for Missing Genes
While some find it hard to fathom how a set of small genetic changes could
result in dramatically different anatomies -- say
growing fins versus arms -- Professor Kingsley has shown in stickleback fish
changes to regulatory DNA could have dramatic impact on anatomy and appearance.
Similarly some of the crucial differences between humans and chimps were found
to be not actual gene additions or deletions, but rather changes to regulatory
In total 510 gene sequences can be found in chimps and a variety of other
mammal species, but are "surprisingly missing" from humans.
Computer analysis showed that many of these sequence deletions were
clustered around steroid hormone genes (which influence sex and anatomy) and
neural development genes.
These regulatory changes were thought to grant humans unique traits like bigger
brains and erect spines, and cause them to lose other traits such as whiskers
and bony penises (more on that later).
But locating potentially important deletions only took the team so far.
They then needed to analyze the deletions. Describes Professor
Kingsley, "We had a team of interested graduate students, postdocs, and
developmental biologists poring through this list. It was a fun detective hunt
that led to lots of interesting discussions."
II. Penis "Bones" and More -- Intriguing Findings
One inactivation that produced a critical impact in humans was the removal of
regulators of the gene GADD45g around neural-specific sequences. GADD45g
triggers cell growth. So by disabling this regulatory sequence human
brains were able to grow larger and more dense, allowing the rich cortex and
connecting layers that give rise to intelligence, complex personality, and
advanced motor learning.
Other changes revolved around a special sex-specific receptor.
Did you ever stop to wonder why cats and dogs have whiskers and we don't?
Critics of evolutionary theory have long posed such examples. Well
it turns out humans have the genes to potentially grow whisker-like features,
but one of the deletions inactivates the growth.
Specifically the deletion is the removal of a regulatory sequence for the
androgen receptor, which causes the protein androgen to be produced in that
vicinity. Androgen is responsible for "turning on"
male-specific traits. In this case, knocking out the regulatory sequences
knocked out the "on" switch, leaving the genes for whiskers
permanently inactivated (barring a rare insertion of an androgen regulatory
sequence via future evolution).
A similar male-specific inactivation occurs with the androgen receptor and
genes coding for penis bones.
While whiskers may be familiar material, most don't know that chimps and some
other mammals actually have "bony" barbs in their penises.
These barbs aren't true bones. Rather they are made of keratin, the
hard material found in human fingernails.
The penis "bones" act as a form of natural male enhancement -- though
humans seem to be getting along fine without them. Gill Bejerano [profile], a developmental biologist at Stanford
University in California was responsible for tracking down exactly how humans
lost their penile "bones".
Professor Bejerano says we lost our spiny penises approximately 700,000 years
ago, around the time humans split from Neanderthals. A deletion
of an androgen receptor regulatory sequence was, once again, to blame.
Increased neural development may have given rise, in part to monogamy, which in
turn may have allowed the gene to become non-critical.
Why do chimps and other mammals need bony penises? In nature, competition
is always fierce. Frequently multiple males try to fertilize the same
female over the course of a couple days. The dried secretions from the
first males block entrance to latecomers, in an attempt to increase their
chances of being the one to achieve fertilization.
But with a bony penis in hand, such secretory barriers pose little obstacle.
The bony penis is able to break through such obstructions with virtually
no damage to the precious male member.
In humans such situations are rare, so sex organs have become simpler. In
other words, because of monogamy we don't need our penises to be spiny any
The paper on the changes, including the loss of the penis bones is published [abstract] in the journal Nature,
arguably science's most prestigious peer-reviewed journal.
III. The Tip of the Iceberg
Even with a wealth of clues in hand, delving into these mysteries is daunting
says Professor Bejerano. At time the human genome "can be a huge,
impenetrable mystery" he says, but, "[Researchers are] beginning
to tease out some of the molecular differences that make us human."
A lot more "teasing"/working the data will be necessary if we hope to
fully crack that puzzle, though. The investigation into whiskers, brain
development, and penis bones was only the tip of the iceberg.
Armed with the knowledge of where deleted sequences lie in the human genome,
investigators can now perform additional research (one potential target of
interest: removed female evolutionary mechanisms dealing with spiny penises) to
discover more regulatory differences and how they changed humans and make us
look and act far different from our distant monkey relatives.
Outside of scientific interest, learning about how are brains got big and our
penises less bony doesn't seem to have a lot of practical applications,
but Professor Kingsley explains the methods developed will play a critical role
in "solving" the puzzles of genetic-related diseases such
as arthritis, cancer, malaria, HIV, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's (some of
which are caused by viruses, but in which genetic dispositions play a major
He states, "It's now possible to begin identifying some of the particular
molecular changes that contribute to the evolution of human traits. We think
that the same sorts of lists and approaches will eventually help illuminate
human disease susceptibilities as well. It's a great time to be studying not
only where we came from, but also how our genetic history shapes many aspects
of current human biology."


text:
Hi Raptors fans,
It looks like the Owners and Players are going to have a season after all. We won't have too much time to prep for a fantasy season. I am making December 18th @ noon, EST the official draft day. I do not know when free agency for the NBA will happen or when games will start being played. This draft date could be pushed back further. Some basic info about the league:
- This will be a keeper league, meaning at the end of the season you keep some of your players to carry forward to next season.
- Those returning members will have up to a week prior to the draft to name their keepers. So, if keepers are not sent to me by Sunday, December 11th all your players will go back into the pot and you will draft the same as a new member.
- This is a 14 team league. I have sent out 12 invitations so far. Two people have been removed from the league because they were inactive for a long time here at RaptorsRepublic.com. The two open spots as of now will go to the people I have here on my waiting list. If you are not interested in returning please let me know soon so that I can give that opening to someone who is interested.
- It's free to play in this league. You just need a Yahoo account.
Official list of members so far...
* Green = Founding member
*(F) = Franchise keeper, assume everything else is regular keepers
- Skywalker CHAMPION [Gay]
- GM Melo
- Mack North [Wade, D.Williams and Griffin]
- RaptorsFan4Life
- drizz [Pierce]
- Apollo [D.Howard, Rondo and Aldridge]
- Raptor4Ever
- Matt52
- Soft Euro
- joey_hesketh
- MangoKid
Waiting list
- Dao
- SweetRiverBaines
I've been putting some thought into how to structure the keepers. Here is what we'll do:
- Each returning team can use a keeper tag on as many players as they want as long as they fit within the cap.
- Each player can be tagged as a keeper twice (ie: you draft the player, you play the season and then you use your keeper tag on the player so that he returns to your team the following season. You can do this two times and as such this will result in you being able to hold a player on your roster for up to three seasons. The keeper tag merely allows you to bypass the draft on a particular player twice.
- Each team can franchise keeper tag one player. The franchise keeper tag allows you to keep a player for an unlimited amount of time. The catch here is to use the franchise tag again in the future on a different player you must either trade your current franchise player, drop the player or relinquish your rights to the player during the off-season.
- You can choose to not use a keeper tag or a franchise keeper tag. A player who has been keeper tagged can be franchise tagged later provided you don't have a franchise keeper on roster.
I'd love to get feedback on this franchise keeper tag as I've never heard of it used elsewhere in a keeper league.
The 2011 Fantasy Draft
- December 18th @ noon, EST
- Live Auction
- $200(fantasy dollars) draft salary cap
- $30 deduction in draft salary cap for each keeper tagged player
- $50 deduction in draft salary cap for franchise keeper tagged player
- Inverted standings used for auction nominations. (ie: last placed team makes first nomination, first place team makes third last nomination, with the two new teams making the last two player nominations. When I say "nomination" I mean the selection of the next player to be bid on in the live auction draft.)
So technically you can keep up to four players but it's going to cost you 70% of you total draft salary cap. Then you have only $60 left to fill 11 roster spots; that's around $5/player from there on out. I suspect only a few at most will use all four keepers. I don't suspect a lot will use three if they take a look at how much players cost them last draft.
If you have an questions please feel free to contact me. If you wish to be placed on the waiting list then please post here.
RR Fantasy Hoops Commish
Season 1 Archive


text:
New Products
This generates a PostScript
This generates a PostScript file that will be a bit more manageable. You also can convert this PostScript file to other formats with relative ease. So, to get a PDF of your map, you can print to a PostScript file and then convert it to PDF with the ps2pdf utility. Now you have a map that you can share with friends and family.
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Reply to comment | Linux Journal
Terrific piece of writing cheers
Geek Guides
Pick up any e-commerce web or mobile app today, and you'll be holding a mashup of interconnected applications and services from a variety of different providers. For instance, when you connect to Amazon's e-commerce app, cookies, tags and pixels that are monitored by solutions like Exact Target, BazaarVoice, Bing, Shopzilla, Liveramp and Google Tag Manager track every action you take. You're presented with special offers and coupons based on your viewing and buying patterns. If you find something you want for your birthday, a third party manages your wish list, which you can share through multiple social- media outlets or email to a friend. When you select something to buy, you find yourself presented with similar items as kind suggestions. And when you finally check out, you're offered the ability to pay with promo codes, gifts cards, PayPal or a variety of credit cards.Get the Guide
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