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The FTSE 100 closed down 3.48 points, or 0.1 percent at 5,866.82, dropping back late on after hitting a 6-week high above the 5,900 level earlier in the session.
Profit-taking in heavyweight mining stocks after recent strong gains was the main factor dragging the UK blue chips lower late on.
"This is the season to be jolly (almost) and markets are likely to continue to climb this 'wall of worry' for a while yet. But I have to wonder if they will enjoy the view once they reach the top - or decide it really wasn't worth the effort and climb straight back down again," said Mike Ingram, market analyst at BGC Brokers.
The UK blue-chip index still ended 1.5 percent higher for November, notching up a sixth consecutive monthly gain, albeit having swung through a near 200-point range during the month.
Index provider FTSE said the last time the index rose consecutively for 6 months or more, was over the 6 months to November 2005.
The index hit a low of 5,605 on Nov.16 after U.S. election results raised concerns about an impending "fiscal cliff".
This is a combination of U.S. government spending cuts and tax rises due to be implemented under existing law in early 2013 that may tip the economy back into recession.
The FTSE 100 tracked falls on Wall Street on Friday, with U.S. blue chips down 0.2 percent by London's close, awaiting more news on talks to close the budget gap.
On Thursday, the leading Republican politician, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, said there had been no substantive progress in talks with the White House, dampening hopes for an early deal less than 24 hours after he had said he was "optimistic" about reaching a pact.
"November has been a funny old month. It had volatility, that sharp move to the downside after the U.S. election. But there are clearly signs for investors that politicians are working hard on the U.S. cliff, and hopefully they will try and prevent any hard landings in the U.S. economy," Angus Campbell, market strategist at Capital Spreads said.
Banks led the advance by UK blue chips after recovering from early falls, with Barclays rallying 0.6 percent higher, supported by a target price hike from UBS.
The broker stayed "neutral" on the sector, however, saying that while tail risk is reducing around the UK banks, with capital positions robust, the recent performance by their stocks leaves upside modest.
Royal Bank of Scotland missed out on the sector gains, with the part-state-owned lender shedding 1.3 percent as the Daily Telegraph reported that it could be forced to explore the sale of core businesses after the Bank of England increased the pressure on lenders to raise new capital.
Separately, the bank said the sale of its Indian retail and commercial banking operations would not proceed.
Among other blue-chip fallers, Kingfisher extended its declines after disappointing Q3 results on Thursday, down 0.4 percent as UBS cut its rating to "neutral" from "buy".
But positive broker comment fuelled gains in testing firm
Intertek, up 1.0 percent after Berenberg raised its rating to "buy" from "hold" in a UK support services review.
Outsourcing firms Babcock and Capita were also in demand, ahead 1.2 percent and 0.3 percent respectively, as Berenberg started coverage on both with "buy" ratings.
"Things are still looking quite optimistic and we are expecting a continuation of the trend seen in the past few weeks, leading to a festive rally," Capital Spreads' Campbell said.


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Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by Agent Richard07, Jun 11, 2013.
He's referring to the size of the pictures.
and the complete lack of fair use?
There shouldn't be thread stretching pictures, especially that many.
I think that one two-page spread where Supes opens the kryptonite canister sums up the whole thing without needing all those other images.
I posted the pics with the size that I did so everyone could read the text.
I posted as many as i could so you the reader could get the full context of the situation. Then you could decide fairly if Superman was justified in killing those 3 K's. Zack Snyder has referred to Superman killing Zod in the comics in interviews and on the special features of MOS dvd. Posting only the last 2 pages where Zod exposits his plan to restore his powers and continue killing and where Superman executes them. Does not encompass everything that led Superman to the decision he made. Only posting those two images would be like "Superman killed in the comics, now get over it". I wanted to be as transparent as i could on the discussion of Superman killing.
Normally I would just state the comic issue and leave the individual to go read it themselves. However Superman #22 is not in print. It was only released as a single issue back in 1988. It has never been compiled into a rerelease volume. Many suspect because DC is ashamed of this issue. The 1986 comic "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow" has Superman kill and is in print. Also the recent "Injustice" prequel comic that shows Superman killing the Joker by plunging his hand through his chest, is also in print. Both are available for sale at bookstores and amazon.
Injustice: Gods Among Us is a very different thing and should never ever be used as an example of how things are and should be in anything else.
Damn that was a long comic. Only glanced at it a bit.
I did just finish watching the movie again on iTunes.
Second viewing I found it a lot better than the first time. I think I was excepting a "Batman Begins" style movie with the involvement of Chris Nolan in it, and felt disappointed that the movie skimped on the dramatic content in favour of CGI heavy, camera dizzying effects.
I had given it a C my first viewing. Second viewing I'm going to upgrade to a B.
It desperately needed more time watching Clark as a nomad, and the Krypton stuff could have been cut short a bit.
The one thing I really hated was how Superman had to go destroy the other world engine while the first one is happily destroying Metropolis without anyone to stop it.
Again, like I said the last time, I think there's a great A movie in there with some better editing. I'm saddened to see there won't be a director's cut, as that is probably where the better dramatic "meat" of the story was left on the cutting room table.
He REALLY wanted to prove Superman is a killer!
Without the World Engine stopped in the southern hemisphere, Northern Command wasn't going to be able to do a blessed or damned thing about the Black Zero in Metropolis.
As for the pages from the Byrne/Ordway stories of the latter 1980's...more respect for the principles of fair use - or, in Canada, fair dealing - could have been shown here than there was whilst still getting the main points across.
I didn't read the comic pages. I said you could find comics with him killing, but they were the exception and I'd be surprised if they stayed in continuity (even though it was probably post COIE) for too long, or at the very least was probably not mentioned after that writer left. Even if it was still in continuity or mentioned, I can bet you he had a much better reason to kill whoever he killed in that comic than having the villain(s) slowly trying to laser blast people to death while superman held the villain in a position where he could easily move them but decides to kill them instead.
Stuff like Injustice doesn't count. Thats purposefully trying to be a different kind of Superman, when you're trying to portray the normal superman, he doesn't kill. He also doesn't mope, become a nomad, blindly follow his fathers and angst, but thats a different conversation.
You're right, you didn't read the comic pages.
I didn't post the comic scans to insult or mock people's opinions. Only to inform. Zack Snyder and certain Superman fans have been saying Superman has killed Zod in the comics, therefore it's ok for him to have killed Zod in MOS. However the only comic Superman killed Zod in was Superman #22 in 1988. A comic that was released only once and has never been reprinted or added to a compilation volume. There is a sense of impropriety in stating something is ok because it was in a book, and yet the book is not for sale so people can read and judge for themselves.
The whole Superman killing thing is rumored to be the author John Byrne's middle finger to DC for firing him. Byrne wrote and penciled a most if not all of the Superman comic Post-Crisis on Infinite Earths. They are collected in the reprinted volumes title "Man Of Steel" if you would like to read them. DC was alledgedly dissatisfied with Byrne's work. Coming off the Silver Age/ nearly infinitely powered Superman comics. Byrne strove to make his Superman as grounded as possible. What this resulted in is a Superman who fans claim, was BAD at being Superman. So DC fired him after 2 years on the comic. Superman #22 was his last Superman comic. Byrne's Man of Steel volumes 1-7 are available for sale, with volume 8 coming in January. No word if the controversial issue will be included.
The act of killing those 3 K's was referenced and used as the premise for the 1989 comic Superman Exile. It reintroduces Mongul and War World Post-COIE. Superman experiences nightmares from his actions in the parallel earth after Brainiac uses a mental attack on him. Superman Exile is in print and you can buy it. Also Man of Steel Vol 4 includes the first time Superman went to that parallel dimension. As well as what happened to that dimensions Superboy. Also the 2001 comic seires "Our World At War" sees the return of parallel universe Zod who was executed. His spirit possess a human and it gives him Superman-eske powers.
With the New 52, these stories are not apart of continuity anymore.
I only brought up Injustice as a way to mock DC for it's decisions. Superman has killed a total of 4x to my recollection. "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow" by Alan Moore in 1986, Superman #22 by John Byrne in 1988, "The Death of Superman" by Dan Judgens and Brett Breeding in 1992, and most recently Injustice prequel comic. Only one of them is not in print and or for sale.
Byrne's Superman was awesome. Not sure where you get that "bad at being Superman" stuff.
Superman (1987-2006) #22 was added to Comixology and Nook Comics on May #15 of this year.
Rumor mill and from friends who have also read Byrne's series. As you can guess, I am a huge Superman fan. Byrne's series is what I grew up with.
I'm pressing the buy now button as we speak. Thanks JD
Same here, all my friends loved Byrne's version. He was way more relate-able than the ole "planet mover".
Do you really think Superman's only motive for killing Zod was to stop him from killing that family?
I don't think so. The killing of Zod needs to be seen in the context of all the destruction and death Zod had done up to that point.
The family was just the last straw. Zod's behavior made it clear (and he even told Superman that this was a fight to the death) that the only way he would be stopped in his plans for the destruction of earth and the reestablishing of Krypton was to kill him.
Thats even worse. If it was a split second decision made in desperation, it would still be stupid but more understandable. If he thought it through on his own and decided to kill him, he's as bad as Zod. If he can justify one murder, then he can justify being The Punisher with super powers if he wants. If he's not trying to be better than the people he fights, then there is no reason not to kill everyone he stops. He's also no longer a hero, he's a murderous vigilante. Its not like he can be arrested, the MoS universe doesn't have a way to stop him, especially now that there is no one to recreate the kryptonian atmosphere. So, he's free to kill whoever he wants.
I really like John Byrne, but I've only read one issue of his superman run (it was from his Superman intro mini-series after COIE, the first appearance I think of his corporate Lex Luthor, the issue is in the Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told TPB from the 80s). If he wrote Superman killing someone just because he was fired, thats kind of a jerk thing to do. Regardless of the reasons he wrote that, its pretty lame. Byrne wrote a lot of great stuff (like Sensational She-Hulk and Alpha Flight), but like every writer he didn't always write great stuff.
Kinda the point about Superman. He is the purest, most powerful superhero of them all. He is the bright shining example everyone looks up to. Superman does not kill.
I've never heard any indication that Byrne was fired. He quit because DC wasn't putting forth his version of Superman as the definitive version outside the comics. But his reinvention of Superman remained in-continuity for over a decade afterwards, so DC certainly wasn't disowning his take on the character.
Nor did I ever get the impression that Byrne left on a controversial note to stick it to DC. I was under the impression that this was a story he'd planned to do anyway, and he would have seen it through its consequences had he decided to stay. As it was, the primary writer responsible for the ensuing storyline was Byrne's friend Roger Stern.
For those not familiar with the comics in question, the gist of it is that this was an attempt to address Superman's traditional code against killing by giving it an origin in the post-Crisis continuity, rather than taking it for granted as something that came with the character out of the box. Superman reluctantly executed three Kryptonian criminals as the only remaining authority on an alternate Earth where those criminals had destroyed all life. It weighed heavily upon him, and ultimately caused him to develop a split personality. While he became less effective as Superman, he was using more extreme methods in his alternate persona as a costumed vigilante named Gangbuster. When he came to his senses and realized what he was doing, he exiled himself from Earth. During the exile storyline he came to terms with what he'd done and firmly resolved that he would never kill again.
Some people here who obviously never read the storyline in question are making a lot of generalizations about it, when they simply don't know what they're talking about.
Separate names with a comma.

subset: commoncrawl


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Through his Twitter account late Monday evening, center prospect Nerlens Noel, considered the No. 1 basketball recruit in the Class of 2012, declared he would "shock the world."
That probably won't happen when he appears on national television Wednesday night, unless he announces his decision to join the Peace Corps rather than selecting a college where he'll play ball next season.
A 6-11 center originally from Everett, Mass., Noel is planning to choose among Kentucky, Georgetown and Syracuse on an ESPNU program beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET.
During that same 90-minute program, 6-6 wing Shabazz Muhammad is planning to announce his choice of UCLA, Kentucky or Duke. They are the No. 1 and No. 2 prospects in high school basketball, and each could have a transformative effect on the 2012-13 NCAA season.
Noel attended the Tilton School in New Hampshire, where he decided this year to graduate in the spring and enter college this fall. Previously, he had been classified as a junior. Analysts at Scout.com immediately elevated Noel to the No. 1 position in the '12 class, ahead of Muhammad.
"On the defensive end, Noel is a game-changer," Scout analyst Evan Daniels told Sporting News. "His ability to block shots and change others should have an impact on the college basketball game right away. From a shot blocking standpoint, he's comparable to Anthony Davis. Offensively he's growing and getting better, but his defense is why he's such a highly regarded prospect.
"Going forward, Noel needs to continue to develop ways to score in the post. He's certainly more confident in his offense, but he could certainly improve it."
In Saturday night's Nike Hoop Summit, Noel played 25 minutes for the United States at center and was a fearsome presence in the second half against the World team's frontcourt, blocking four shots and picking up four steals that helped fuel a U.S. comeback.
"I think it's a real good natural instinct," Noel told Sporting News last summer, discussing his development as a defender. "I've always tried on defense to be a focal point for my team, just to anchor the defense on any team I play on. I think that could be the most valuable thing in winning a basketball game: Playing hard defense."
Muhammad is widely admired by recruiting analysts for his energy and tenacity, which rarely abate. He played last summer in the adidas Super 64 tournament despite a strained ligament in his foot and, despite his standing with scouts and college coaches, still performed with more passion than most any participant in the event. He told Sporting News last summer he modeled his approach to the game on the way Kobe Bryant comports himself on the floor.
That's true in terms of his love for the game and his willingness to play hard. It's also true when it comes to his high-volume shooting.
Muhammad scored a record 35 points in the United States' loss to the World team in the Nike Hoop Summit last weekend in Portland, but he attempted 27 shots in the game. It's not necessarily a bad thing when the best player takes the most shots, but it can take some adjustment for the other players.
"What separates Muhammad from most freshmen is his approach and desire to be the best in everything he does," Scout.com analyst Brian Snow said. "From the time he was a freshman, he has had one clear focus, and that is to be the best -- and his game has grown because of it.
"Offensively, he is especially gifted in the mid-range. He has a dynamic mid-post game and complements that with an incredible ability to create off the dribble using his strength and athleticism. He is a good, not great, jump shooter, and that has been a constant growth area for him over the course of his career.
"Will Shabazz Muhammad be Anthony Davis? Probably not, but he can no question put a team on his back and help them win a lot of games. He is a game-changer from day one, and should contend for all-league and All-American honors no matter which school he selects."


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"It's so easy for a kid to join a gang, to do drugs, ... We should make it that easy to be involved in football and academics."
Related quotes
"Why is there so much controversy about drug testing? I know plenty of guys who would be willing to test any drug they could come up with"
"See I think drugs have done some good things for us, I really do, and if you don't believe drugs have done good things for us, do me a favor: go home tonight and take all your albums, all your tapes, and all your cds and burn 'em. 'cause you know the musicians who made all that great music that's enhanced your lives throughout the years.... rrrrrrrrreal f**kin high on drugs."
"Here is my final point. About drugs, about alcohol, about pornography and smoking and everything else. What business is it of yours what I do, read, buy, see, say, think, who I fuck, what I take into my body - as long as I do not harm another human being on this planet?"


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What is Pilates?
Pilates is a thoughtful and precise exercise system which was developed by Joseph Pilates. It is designed to build strength and flexibility, reduce pains and aches and increases awareness, all in aid of improving posture and developing a balanced being. Pilates is suitable for a wide range of people and thus enjoys great popularity.
I am offering group mat classes, private sessions and pre and postnatal classes for all ages and levels in the Ealing area. For more information on Pilates and on how to contact me, just click on the "More Info" link below. Thank you for visiting!
What is Yoga?
The word yoga means "union" in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India where yoga originated. It is thought to be the union occurring between the mind, body and spirit. Yoga is a thoroughly practical system which comprises a wide range of exercises and techniques.
Practicing Yoga increases strength, flexibility, coordination and balance as well as helps to relax and manage stress. Its benefits can not only be felt physically, but improve one's overall health and well being. To find out more about Yoga and my classes, click on the "More Info" link below. Thank you for visiting!
Copyright 2018 Katja Heger - Terms & Conditions


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I think this could be quite useful as a CPAN module.
That'd be great. Can you also try This [typepad.com]? It turns your ThinkPad into a lightsaber. If you run from ActivePerl, you need Win32API::File, Win32::GUI and Win32::Sound. The svn repository has
Yeah, I'll definitely make it a CPAN module. I'm not sure if we can get more information than the X Y coordinate. Needs more reverse engineering.


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Paper ballots go high tech
In the new system, they'll be printed on demand, reflecting your precinct and party.
By BILL VARIAN, Times Staff Writer
Published December 26, 2007
By requiring all counties to use optical scanners, Florida is banking on a vote-counting method that has been around for decades in order to satisfy demands for a paper trail.
But many Florida counties will be relying on comparatively new technology to carry them through early voting. And with that comes the potential for snags.
As many as 27 counties, including Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough, plan on using ballot-on-demand machines to print ballots during early voting. Pinellas is using the system now to print absentee ballots.
Like it sounds, the machines allow poll workers to print ballots for early voters that are customized to their precinct and party affiliation. Which all sounds fine until the machine jams with a line of would-be voters snaking out the door.
"Anything new, you worry about it," said Kathy Harris, general counsel and chief of staff to Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Buddy Johnson. "Because it is new, we're making sure it's a system that functions like we would need it to function."
The equipment comes in handy, thanks to two relatively recent changes in the way Florida conducts elections: the return to paper ballots and early voting.
Early voting with paper ballots presents a challenge, particularly in large counties and during primaries. In the two weeks leading up to an election, voters can show up to any early voting location, regardless of where they live, to cast a ballot.
But voters' choices vary depending on where they live and during primaries, on party affiliation. Plus, the state now requires that all early and absentee votes be tracked by the precinct of the person casting a ballot. Without ballot on demand, poll workers at 13 early Hillsborough voting sites would need to stockpile stacks of every possible ballot type. With ballot on demand, poll workers can print out a person's distinct ballot type when he or she arrives to vote.
"You only print the ballots you need," said Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections Deborah Clark. "It's either this or you back a semi up with ballots for all the voters who might go to every early voting site and replenish as needed and hope the staff predict the right number of ballots."
Consider: For some elections, Pinellas has as many as 1,500 ballot variations. Hillsborough County will have more than 1,000 for the Aug. 26 primary.
Paper trail adds costs
The heavy-stock paper ballots themselves represent a major cost addition that comes with optical scanning. Johnson, in Hillsborough, estimates it will cost his office an extra $1-million annually in paper in order to conduct elections.
So minimizing the need to overstock ballots so that early voting sites don't run out becomes a priority. Clark said she already is realizing a savings by deploying her machines for printing absentee ballots. The system allows her to print a precise number of ballots rather than advance ordering from a print shop using an estimate. It allows her to mail them sooner as well.
If the system had been in place for the November 2006 elections, she said she would have saved $45,000 in printing costs and 600 staff hours.
Secretary of State Kurt Browning encouraged counties switching from touch screen to optical scan voting systems to purchase the equipment. The state is reimbursing part of the cost, including for those counties that used touch screen for early voting.
So far, only one vendor, Runbeck Election Services Inc., has been certified by the state to provide the machines in Florida. It has been supplying the equipment in its home state of Arizona.
Printers could jam
The machines look much like an office copying machine. And that is where some anxiety creeps in for elections officials. For as anyone who works in an office knows, printers break down or jam, or don't always produce clean copies. And that could easily become a fiasco at a slammed early voting site.
With that in mind, some supervisors aren't rushing to deploy ballot on demand. Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles plans on testing the new equipment, but he's not sure whether he will use it. There are several practical considerations, he said. For instance, if someone makes a mistake on his ballot and needs a new one, does he have to return to the back of the line? His county also is required to provide multilingual ballots, increasing print time.
"It works okay if it's just one person coming in at a time," Cowles said. "But when you start looking at early voting sites in a presidential year, you have to consider what's going to be the best way and most accurate way and fastest way to process a large number of voters."
Pasco Elections Supervisor Brian Corley says he's not rushing either, though he does plan to use the machines in August. He said his staff will undergo intensive and repetitive training to make sure everyone knows how the machines work and what to do if they break down. "We're going to play with this system and work all the bugs out well in advance," Corley said. "The key is our staff has to totally understand this and test it and test it and then triple test it."
Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties' supervisors are planning to purchase at least two machines for each early voting location, using one as a backup in the worst case scenario.
That's not an option in Leon County. The state is reimbursing only counties that have previously used touch screen machines, which chafes Supervisor of Elections Ion Sancho, who has long used optical scanners.
Ballot-on-demand machines cost at least $5,000 each, a price Sancho can't absorb alone. So he'll rely on poll workers to "pick and pull" from as many as 500 different ballot types at his four early voting sites. "Elections have changed so dramatically in the last half-dozen years that we're not concerned about new technology," Sancho said. "We simply can't afford it."
Bill Varian can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or (813) 226-3387.


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What did Demar do wrong?
Bargs was shooting terribly so they ran a few plays for DD at the end.
The first one it got swung to him in the corner and he took it to the rim like no one else on the team could. Got fouled and sunk both free throws.
Next time up the court he drove again but got stripped from behind on a good play. On the out of bounds play, I think the first option was to lob it up to Demar, but he was covered. AJ was the next option, he got it, but could not convert in the paint (probably got fouled).


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Bancolombia Chooses Finacle Core Solution
Bancolombia (Bogata) has selected the Finacle Universal Banking solution from Infosys Technologies (Bangalore) to power its operations.
After concluding the merger with Conavi and Corfinsura, Bancolombia embarked upon a major transformation project to modernize its technology platform for future growth, business agility and operational efficiency. With Finacle, the bank hopes to consolidate its technology platforms across functions and geographies leveraging cost while gaining flexibility and scalability to adapt to a fast changing environment. According to a release, Finacle core banking solution will enable the bank to meet the challenges of managing change, competition, compliance and customer demands effectively. Finacle e-banking solution will enable the bank to transition a significant part of its branch services using the Internet to reduce costs and increase customer access to "any time" banking.
"The long term strategy of Bancolombia is to maintain our leadership position by satisfying and building upon our large customer base while at the same time leverage cost optimization opportunities," said Olga Botero Pelaez, VP of information technology at Bancolombia, in a statement. "Technology-led transformation is a key initiative to redefine the way we do business and serve our customers. Finacle will help increase our efficiency and strengthen our leadership position in the competitive Latin American banking industry."


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"Railroads have finally begun to be recognized as one of the most, if not the most, efficient transportation modes for freight in North America, says Jim Gauntt, executive director of the Railway Tie Association. "Moving one ton of freight 457 miles on a single gallon of diesel fuel is certainly an astounding and very 'green' feat that railroads do all day long, seven days a week, 365 days a year."
"The 'green' infrastructure behind all of this also plays a significant role in just how green railroading is," Gauntt points out. "Take for example the treated wood crosstie. Grown using an alternative energy source, solar power, sustainably renewable with modern-day forest management and harvesting practices, and lasting, on average, more than 30 years under tremendous stress and difficult operating conditions, the wood tie continues to be one of the most 'green' products in use by North American railroads.
"Wood is remarkable in that as it grows in the form of fast, moderately fast, or slow growing trees, it sequesters carbon by breathing in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The wood in every single wood crosstie contains 71 pounds of carbon, which equates to the removal of 260 pounds of carbon dioxide during tree growth. And, not one ounce of electricity, gas or other fuel or energy source makes a tree grow—just the sun."
Before a tie is placed in service, it is treated with creosote, what Gauntt calls "another modern day miracle product." Creosote is a triple by-product of the coal coking process used in the steel and aluminum industries.
"It is a marvel in that it is a naturally biodegradable wood preservative," he notes. "In fact, modern wastewater treating plants use specialized bacteria that 'eat' creosote and allow that wastewater to be returned to drinking water standards. And as a useful byproduct, rather than become a waste product itself, creosote further adds to the sequestration of carbon by extending a tie's life in track."
"Wood that has not been treated will last only four to seven years in track before decay or termites take their toll on the product," Gauntt says. "By utilizing wood preservative technology, that life is extended eight to 10 times. So, even though it is true that trees are cut to make ties, the use of wood preservatives, in fact, conserves the forest by extending the resource in a sustainable manner."
At the end of its life, a used tie can be turned into energy. "A superb source of biomass and containing enough residual creosote to increase BTU content to near that of some coal ore (12,500 BTUs per pound), a used tie can be burned in EPA-approved facilities to generate electricity or be gasified to produce another useable fuel," says Gauntt. "Environmental life-cycle analyses under way in the industry have shown that if all the ties replaced annually in the U.S. and Canada were recycled for energy, the result would be to offset the greenhouse gas and fossil fuel use equivalent to a city of nearly 100,000 people. So, from one alternative energy source to another, wood offers the railroads superb service life over a period averaging 30-plus years, and does so in a remarkably 'green' way."
L.B. Foster, through its wholly owned subsidiary, CXT, Inc., manufactures and supplies a wide range of concrete ties for main line, industrial, port, and transit rail applications. In addition to their cost effectiveness, these ties provide superior energy and environmental benefits over other types of ties in their production, assembly and use, the company points out.
According to National Sales Manager Mark Hammons, "Stiffer track corresponds to a higher track modulus. Higher track modulus, in turn, results in a reduction in rolling resistance. By reducing rolling resistance, freight trains can reduce fuel consumption. Several field tests have been conducted that show that tracks using concrete railroad ties provide a stiffer track structure. This results in an up-to 7% reduction in rolling resistance, providing fuel savings in the range of 1.2-4.5% for the railroads. Concrete ties are also viewed as being environmentally friendly because they're not treated with any chemicals that have the possibility of leaching into the ground water. In addition, when installed in similar track conditions that use other types of ties, concrete ties tend to have a longer life cycle, minimizing the depletion of natural resources."
Studies done by the University of Melbourne, whose results were published recently by Precast Solutions and Environmental Science & Technology, indicate that concrete ties produce as little as one-sixth of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with wood ties. However, more than just the overall tie manufacturing process needs to be considered when comparing the environmental impact of the two types of ties. A number of other factors, including the mining of raw materials used to make concrete ties vs. timber harvesting, the actual production of ties, the installation and use of ties, and the final disposal of a tie at the end of its useful life all play key roles. Based on a life-cycle analysis, it was concluded that total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from concrete ties could be as little as one-half to one-sixth the amount produced from wood ties.
During the production and assembly of a concrete tie, L.B. Foster uses a number of raw materials and other components that are environmentally sensitive. The wire rod used to reinforce each tie is made from steel that relies on predominately recycled scrap steel during its manufacturing process. Steel components, such as casting, clips, and inserts used in the fastening system, also use recycled steel during the melt process. Upwards of 90% of the steel used by the company is derived from recycled metal.
L.B. Foster has also been looking at ways to reduce energy use during the manufacture of concrete ties. For example, the company's tie plant has reduced its power consumption for lighting by 50% and its heating power consumption in the manufacturing process by 30%. In addition, concrete ties are a recyclable product and the company is actively investigating opportunities in this area.
Plastic composite
"Plastic composite railroad ties have several environmental benefits compared with conventional, preservative-treated wood ties," says Henry Sullivan of TieTek LLC. "The primary component of the tie, regardless of the specific manufacturer or formula, is recycled thermoplastic. This raw material is recovered from post-consumer or post-industrial waste after the plastic was first produced and manufactured into products like bottles, bags, automobile parts, toys, packaging, etc. This second use of the material to make a railroad tie does not require petroleum as a feedstock or high energy consumption to create the plastic; it has already been made into a product, discarded, and is headed to a waste site."
"Conventional ties, on the other hand, require harvesting mature trees," Sullivan said. "As many as four million trees are cut down per year to make railroad ties with an obvious loss of the trees' ability to reduce greenhouse gases by sequestering carbon dioxide. Millions of pounds of wood preservative chemicals are also avoided by the use of composite ties."
"Sustainability Benefits of Plastic Composite Railroad Ties," a paper coauthored by HDR, Inc., and TieTek, was presented at the APTA 2009 Sustainability Workshop. The paper estimated that just one railroad, Chicago Transit Authority, by installing composite ties, has recycled 17 million pounds of plastic, saved 25,000 mature trees, avoided using one million pounds of creosote, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 14,000 tons of CO2 equivalent. This environmental benefit offset the impact of driving a passenger car 100 million miles.
"Environmental issues are becoming an increasing concern in our society today," says John Fox, vice president-sales at NARSTCO. "From industrial applications to Class I railways, steel ties are the proven environmentally correct substitute for the traditional wood tie. The steel tie, a recyclable tie, lowers life-cycle costs and, unlike creosote treatment, is environmentally friendly. Steel ties eliminate any of the potential health risks associated with the handling of wood ties."
The company claims that NARSTCO Steel Ties incorporate recycled materials in their manufacturing process, and eliminate the need for handling the heavy tie plates used with wood ties, thus increasing worker safety. NARSTCO Steel Ties and Turnout Sets "are harmless to the environment; eliminate the need for creosote as well as spikes, gauging, anchors, and tie plates; outlast wooden ties; and are 100% recyclable and thus have scrap value," Fox says. "They're an environmentally responsible, economically smart choice for the railroads."


text:
Read the full story here Web Link posted Thursday, October 18, 2012, 10:59 AM
Town Square
Assembly race: Software engineer challenges veteran legislator for District 24 seat
Original post made on Oct 18, 2012
Read the full story here Web Link posted Thursday, October 18, 2012, 10:59 AM
Comments (2)
a resident of Menlo Park: Park Forest
on Oct 18, 2012 at 10:58 pm
Quoting from the article above:
"Mr. Yang criticizes Mr. Gordon for a July vote with the Assembly majority on a high-speed rail funding bill. He said the bill includes only a small amount of money for the electrification of Caltrains -- a carrot for the Peninsula -- with "no guarantee that it won't be built with four tracks."
Mr. Gordon dismissed the criticism, and said there was a lot of misinformation reported in the media about the vote. The bill he voted for, he said, funded only ancillary components of the rail plan, but no actual high-speed rail construction.
Those components are: electrification of Caltrain, modernization of the rail service between Los Angeles and Anaheim, new tracks in the Central Valley that will be used solely by Amtrak if high-speed rail isn't built, and funding for rapid transit systems across the state.
"There's actually no high-speed rail activity in any of those projects," he said."
If this quote from Gordon is correct than Gordon is simply lying.
He voted for the expenditure of $6 billion to construct HSR in the Central Valley (so did Jerry Hill and almost all the Democrats in the Assembly).
Mr Yang is correct in that Gordon's vote also approved spending $600 million of State funds to be directed to CalTrain. Although illegal under Prop 1A requirements, and will be challenged in court, These funds are supposed to also assist the HSR project, although in what way, it is certainly not easy to see.
As the article points out, Mr. Yang, hardly has a chance against Gordon, but Gordon certainly is not listening to the voters (neither is Jerry Hill for that matter), but like all the other sheep in the Democratic caucus, he is following Gov. Brown's obsession with this boondoggle HSR project. We deserve better, but we won't get it.
a resident of Menlo Park: other
on Oct 25, 2012 at 11:01 pm
Gordon has been a big booster of HSR from the start. He's made no bones about his preference to support big labor to get HSR moving. He's minding his donors. He's never going to care about how people on the peninsula feel about HRS, it's negative impacts, nor that it's the single largest fiscal fraud perpetrated on CA citizens ever. So long as the dollars keep flowing from our pockets into the black hole of HSR, and regurgitated as campaign donations, Gordon will support, shill, and vote for HSR. Citizens, and tax payers deserve better.
As far as I'm concerned, the Caltrain funding was little more than a bribe to ensure peninsula democratic votes for the HSR bond funds. One billion dollars for Caltrain is cheap insurance to keep peninsula politicians supporting HSR, compared to the potential of hundreds of billions of dollars that will pass through Sacramento to build HSR. Once it's started, the bleats from Sacramento will be "we can't stop now!".
It's a myth that Caltrain will magically transform from a bloated horribly mismanaged commuter train into an efficient well run business when it's switched from diesel to electric power. Any savings will likely disappear as executive bonuses. More faster trains on the tracks will lead to more train-car collisions, and probably more train-people collisions. There is not one dollar allocated for grade separations along the Caltrain corridor, why? Safety costs. The 4 track HSR alignment is still THE preferred plan for the peninsula. Gordon doesn't care about that. His assertion that "There's actually no high-speed rail activity in any of those projects," is simply a lie. He knows better.
Vote for Mr. Yang. We deserve better than a self serving political **** representing this area in Sacramento.
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One-on-one time
By Cheryl Bac | 0 comments | 565 views


text:
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR ST. JOHNS COUNTY, FLORIDA CIVIL ACTION CASE NO: CA2008-493 DIVISION: 55 INDYMAC BANK F.S.B., Plaintiff, vs. OBIE LEE , et al, Defendant(s). NOTICE OF ACTION TO: OBIE LEE LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: 42 ARJONA WAY, HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE, AR 71909 CURRENT ADDRESS: UNKNOWN ANY AND ALL UNKNOWN PARTIES CLAIMING BY, THROUGH, UNDER, AND AGAINST THE HEREIN NAMED INDIVIDUAL DEFENDANT(S) WHO ARE NOT KNOWN TO BE DEAD OR ALIVE, WHETHER SAID UNKNOWN PARTIES MAY CLAIM AN INTEREST AS SPOUSE, HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, OR OTHER CLAIMANTS LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: UNKNOWN CURRENT ADDRESS: UNKNOWN YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action to foreclose a mortgage on the following property in ST. JOHNS County, Florida: UNIT 72, THE FOUNTAINS AT PONTE VEDRA, A CONDOMINIUM, ACCORDING TO DECLARATION OF CONDOMINIUM AS RECORDED IN OFFICIAL RECORDS VOLUME 238, PAGE 590, AS AMENDED BY FIRST AMENDMENT TO DECLARATION OF CONDOMINIUM IN OFFICIAL RECORDS 302, PAGE 374, OFFICIAL RECORDS VOLUME 302, PAGE 398, OFFICIAL RECORDS VOLUME 302, PAGE 420 AND OFFICIAL RECORDS VOLUME 804, PAGE 1324, ALL OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF ST JOHNS COUNTY, FLORIDA, TOGETHER WITH AN UNDIVIDED INTEREST IN THE COMMON ELEMENTS APPURTENANT THERETO has been filed against you and you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses within 30 days after the first publication, if any, on Florida Default Law Group, P.L., Plaintiff's attorney, whose address is 9119 Corporate Lake Drive, Suite 300, Tampa, Florida 33634, and file the original with this Court either before service on Plaintiff's attorney or immediately thereafter; otherwise, a default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint or petition. WITNESS my hand and the seal of this Court on this 1ST day of MAY, 2008. Cheryl Strickland Clerk of the Court By: Linda G. Barton As Deputy Clerk L1256-8 May 6, 13, 2008
Posted from 6-May-08 to 13-May-08
© 2018. All Rights Reserved. Contact Us


text:
and hardware manufactures know that consumers willing to spend vast
sums of cash can most often be found in the enthusiast and gamer
markets. These people will spend hundreds of dollars on the latest
video cards and processors in pursuit of every last ounce of
performance.Jon Peddie Research (JPR) has announced new
data on the PC gaming hardware market and the worldwide DIY
market segments of the computer industry. According to JPR, 46% of
the dollars spent in 2009 on gaming-motivated PC hardware was from
the enthusiast class. The money was spent on gear like boutique PCs,
high-end processors, and SSDs.JPR is predicting that a shift
in the product mix is coming to the PC gaming market. By 2013, the
enthusiast class will lose market share to the performance and
mainstream classes. However, the money spent in the enthusiast
hardware segment will grow significantly from $9.5 billion to almost
$12.5 billion in 2013 making the enthusiast class one of the most
important for manufacturers.JPR video game analyst Ted Pollak
said, "PC hardware has caught up to most of the software and
people are able to play computationally intensive games on
Performance level systems. Performance systems now even support high
resolution for all but the most demanding simulations and FPS's. The
frequency of Direct X updates is also driving some people toward
mid-range GPU's. Some gamers are buying Performance GPUs at a higher
refresh rate to engage the latest Direct X version, instead of a
longer term investment for Enthusiast GPU's."JPR
president Jon Peddie said, "Gamers are ordering, building, and
modding their rigs with components that just a few years ago were
simply not available with any economy of scale. SSD's, water cooling,
gaming mice and keyboards and other components have come to the
Performance class and gamers are starting to snap them up. "The
firm also announced that the global market analysis for DIY PC builds
covering gamer segments and business segments has predicted robust
growth as well. The market will be worth about $10.4 billion in sales
annually and much of the sales will be driven by businesses looking
to get better performance from their enterprise applications.


text:
Me, my natty 3 piece suit and a distinct lack of supermodels, in da lounge.
May 4, 2009
Michael Sheen on his way to Vancity
Michael Sheen just tweeted and posted this pic of himself sitting in the BA lounge awaiting his flight to Vancity:
5 comments:
Forgive me for saying this (because he seems cool) but he looks haggard.ReplyDelete
He's funny.ReplyDelete
I can't wait to see how they change him (with a little makeup and a lot of grooming) for the part of Aro.ReplyDelete
I am so hyped to see him play the part.
- AnonymousMay 5, 2009 at 2:26 AM
So hot as Lucien...prob just as mesmerizing as Aro.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 5, 2009 at 8:25 AM
Try to imagine him, well groomed and with makeup and effect, a lot older... I don't know about you but I can totally see why he was picked for Aro. I think he'll be good! *hoping*ReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Ameristat (ICPSR 123)
Principal Investigator(s): Population Reference Bureau. Social Science Data Analysis Network
AmeriStat is a search engine developed by the Population Reference Bureau in partnership with the Social Science Data Analysis Network (SSDAN). AmeriStat searches large data files from a range of sources, including the 2000 Census and the Census Bureau's monthly Current Population Surveys, to give the user instant summaries, in text and graphics, of the demographic characteristics of the U.S. population. AmeriStat covers 13 topics: (1) 2000 Census, (2) children, (3) education, (4) labor and employment, (5) fertility, (6) foreign-born, (7) income and poverty, (8) marriage and family, (9) migration, (10) mortality, (11) older population, (12) estimates and projections, and (13) race and ethnicity. For each of the topics, data are shown, whenever possible, for five-year data points going back to 1970. Single-year data are shown for more recent years, with special coverage of the 2000 Census. Search results also yield links to other Web sites for additional, more detailed information.
Access Notes
These data are not available from ICPSR. Users should consult the data owners directly (via Ameristat) for details on obtaining these resources.
Study Description
Scope of Study
Subject Terms: census data, children, databases, education, employment, fertility, income, information systems, marriage, migration, mortality, older adults, population characteristics, population trends, race
Geographic Coverage: United States
These data are not available for distribution by ICPSR. Users should consult the data owners directly for details on obtaining the data and documentation.


text: Starts tonight! This was definitely my favorite new show from last year and I've been looking forward to this new episode since the last minutes of the season 1 finale. I'm eager to see the interactions of the fully formed team and how Fusco and Carter react to the knowledge of The Machine. Will The Machine have an expanded roll? or will it just keep doling out numbers to the team? Tonights episode: "The Contingency"


text:
Honda Odyssey: The living room on wheels
BENNINGTON -- With last year's world record of 23 gymnasts crammed into a classic Mini Cooper, it's downright scary to think how many people could fit into the 2014 Honda Odyssey.
For the newest model year, Honda worked off of the fourth-generation platform of its minivan, first released in 1994 and most recently completely overhauled in 2010. For the mid-generation refresh, Honda tweaked the exterior and added new paint colors, interior trims and fabrics, connectivity options, and one additional jaw-dropper we'll get to shortly.
With gargantuan space and seating for eight, the Odyssey has room to haul most of your son's or daughter's sports team -- all of them if we're talking basketball. And at the age when they're still dropping Cheerios, there's a vacuum to clean up after the little gremlins. Yes, the Odyssey has a built-in vacuum cleaner. It's a stroke of genius in a minivan, but a dual-edged sword being the world's first.
Everyone is talking about the HondaVAC (a Shop-Vac) housed in the rear, driver's side of the vehicle, with an elastic hose that easily reaches every interior nook. The vacuum has a removable canister and replaceable filter, and operates anytime the vehicle is on and for eight minutes after the ignition is turned off.
The downside? "Potentially the world's most expensive vacuum cleaner," proclaimed Car & Driver when pricing was announced. And besides all the potential poor puns, the bulk of buyers won't get the vacuum as it only comes standard on the top-of-the-line Touring Elite trim, with a weighty manufacturer's suggested retail price of $44,450. Starting at $28,825, the base Odyssey LX offers plenty of standard convenience. There's so much comfort here, in fact, that the minivan comes off as a lot of fun in a way that has nothing to do with driving. It's a living room on wheels.
Exhibit A in the tester: the rear DVD entertainment system with a super-wide, 16.2-inch LCD that can do split-screen and display two feeds -- one from the in-dash DVD player and a second (video game console?) via a HDMI input.
Exhibit B, although not necessarily billed as fun: the Odyssey's Lane Departure Warning system that beeps when cameras detect the vehicle leaving its lane of travel. Given the novelty, I found myself crossing the centerline just for fun. (Oops!)
Voice commands are intuitive and the recognition system does a good job of understanding the driver. It's interactive and personable, to the point where you might start wondering when it's going to chide you for following too close.
But wait, the Odyssey basically does that, too. Using the same front-facing camera as the LDW, standard on the EX-L and above, the Odyssey also offers a Forward Collision Warning system that alerts drivers in risk of a collision. The Touring Elite also warns drivers about vehicles in their blind spots.
Back to interior dimensions, room in the Odyssey can be adjusted between maximum passengers (the aforementioned eight) and maximum cargo volume (with the second seats removed and the third folded flat with the floor: 148.5 cubic feet).
While some competitors have power folding seats, the Odyssey's middle row comes out easily and the third row disappears with one-handed ease. Pretty much everything else is powered in the upper trims, including front seats, sliding doors, and the tailgate.
Standard across the line is a rearview camera -- very useful for a vessel of this size.
All trims come with a 248-horsepower, 3.5-liter six-cylinder mated with a six-speed automatic transmission; the latter is a step up over last year's entry five-speed, while the former is a carryover. With the extra gear, all Odysseys are now rated at 19 mpg city, 28 mpg highway by the Environmental Protection Agency. This puts the Odyssey solidly in the middle of the pack economy-wise, but what did you expect? It weights between 4,581 and 4,613 pounds depending on trim.
The powertrain combination moves the Odyssey with a predictable amount of thrust while the suspension and chassis do a commendable job of soaking bumps.
If you're in the market, what's not to like? Fully loaded, the Odyssey has everything and then a vacuum cleaner.
At lower trims, you'll have to cross-shop feature-for-feature with the competition.
When all vehicles are electric and drive themselves, there'll be no reason not to opt for the minivan.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


text:
This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 9th, 2013 at 10:28 am and is filed under . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
2013 Acura ILX Premium
Wednesday January 9th, 2013 at 10:11 AM
Posted by: aquadog


text:
|Related Sections:
|Montgomery County
Kingwood Country Club - Lake Course1700 Lake Kingwood Trl
Kingwood, TX 77339
Phone: (281)358-2171Fax: (281)358-3968
This club has four fairly difficult eighteen hole courses. The Island Course is this club's signature course because of its length and small, fast greens. The Marsh and Lake courses have narrow, tree-lined fairways, and water hazards coming into play on several holes. The Forest Course, the new and most demanding course, will delight all levels of player. The greens are small, and the fairways are narrow. There is heavy undulation throughout the course. "Golf Digest" selected the Forest Course 8th in the category of "Best New Private Courses" for 1996, and also rated it the 16th "Best in State" course for 1997-98. The Forest Course has its own Pro Shot System Carts for rent. Scenic Lake Houston borders some of these courses' holes.
|Holes: 18
|Greens: Tidwarf Grass
|Fairways: Bermuda Grass
|Greens Fees:
|Course Type:
|Dress Code:
|No denim, collared shirt and bermuda shorts required
|Open all year
|Guest Policy:
* Update this Course: Update/modify the details for this golf course's listing.
*All Greens Fees provided are subject to change. Please call the golf course to confirm the current fees.


text:
Get ready to rock your daytime look: this tote's cool details make it an instant fave with the style set.
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Please view our Return & Exchange policy here.


text:
Verlander will not pitch on short rest in Game 4
By Jason Beck, Paul Hagen and Anthony Odoardi / MLB.com
"No," manager Jim Leyland answered.
To those who haven't followed the Tigers extensively, it's a real debate, especially with someone known for staying strong deep into games like Verlander. Those who know the Tigers under Leyland know that he has never pitched Verlander on short rest, and he probably never will.
Leyland didn't do it down the stretch in 2009, when the Tigers unsuccessfully tried to hold off the Twins in the American League Central. He didn't do it during Detroit's postseason run last year. He kept up a high degree of caution after he had two postseason starts shortened by rain.
Simply put, Leyland has never wanted to put Verlander's arm at risk. Leyland made that clear as recently as last year's AL Division Series, when he ruled out pitching Verlander in a decisive Game 5 on what would be his side session day after starting Game 4.
"I'm not going to pitch Justin Verlander," Leyland said then. "You can argue 'till the cows come home, I'm not going to do it. I don't think it's a wise decision. Those innings he pitched the other night, all the innings he's piled up this year, all the strikeouts, all the adrenaline, and the fact that he's throwing 100 mph in the eighth inning the other night, if he comes in this game tonight, there's no telling what he would be throwing with the way this crowd is going to be and everything. I just don't think it makes sense. I really don't."
Day later, Fister showing no ill effects from plunking
DETROIT -- Doug Fister made it through the Tigers' flight back home from San Francisco overnight and seemed fine, manager Jim Leyland said. Still, the right-hander spent Friday going through precautionary tests to make sure the team medical staff isn't missing anything after examining him immediately after Game 2 of the World Series.
"I did talk to him on the plane last night," Leyland told reporters before the Tigers' workout at Comerica Park, "and he seemed fine. He's a little sore, but there didn't appear to be anything that looked alarming like loss of memory.
"He looked fine, his eyes looked fine, and the trainers have checked him out, so I think he's fine."
That lines up with what Fister told reporters after the Tigers' 2-0 loss. The concern with such injuries is some symptoms aren't immediately apparent. When Alex Avila collided with Prince Fielder chasing a foul ball last month in Cleveland, for instance, he felt ill moving around for several days afterwards before feeling comfortable enough to play.
Avila's collision was more on the side of his head. Fister took the brunt of Gregor Blanco's liner off the back of his head.
Fister is currently lined up to pitch Game 6 if the Tigers win at least two out of the next three games to send the series back to San Francisco.
After sitting first two games, Dirks to play Saturday
DETROIT -- For the first two World Series games played in San Francisco, there was no designated hitter and two too many opposing left-handed starters for Andy Dirks to get into the Tigers' starting lineup.
That will change in Game 3 Saturday night. With Delmon Young back at DH and right-hander Ryan Vogelsong starting for the Giants, the left-handed-hitting Dirks will be in right field and Quintin Berry will be in left. In a potential Game 5, with left-hander Barry Zito in line to pitch for San Francisco, Dirks would be expected to move to right with Avisail Garcia in left.
Manager Jim Leyland is hoping that will spark an offense that scored three runs at AT&T Park.
"Berry gives us a different element with a little speed," said Leyland. "Dirks I actually moved behind Delmon. I think it's a pretty nice fit there. He's a pretty good contact hitter, got a pretty short stroke. So it's a little bit different lineup, but the thing that dictates it normally is the right-handed pitcher."
Tigers excited to be back home at Comerica Park
DETROIT -- The World Series logo is spray-painted on the field. The top of each dugout shows "World Series 2012." Even outside of Comerica Park, each individual light post is decorated with a World Series banner.
The Tigers are back home, and the ballpark is set for Saturday night's Game 3 of the Fall Classic. Despite being in an 0-2 hole, the players can still feel the buzz.
But what is the team most looking forward to after a pair of tough games in San Francisco?
"It definitely helps when people are not yelling, 'You [stink],'" catcher Alex Avila said.
The Tigers hope being at home brings them some good fortune. They've been a far superior team at home versus on the road, posting a 50-31 record in Detroit during the regular season and a 38-43 record elsewhere. They are also 4-0 at home in the postseason.
So the buzz has been felt all season long, but given the circumstances, the players know it'll reach its peak when the lights come on Saturday night -- and they hope to use it to their advantage to get back in the Series.
"Just feeling that excitement when you go out there. You're looking all over the field and you're seeing '2012 World Series,' and the fans are going crazy," center fielder Austin Jackson said. "It's just an unbelievable atmosphere. You feed off that."
Leyland not concerned about cold weather
DETROIT -- It's late October in Michigan, so it's not surprising that cold could be a factor when Game 3 of the World Series gets under way Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET air time on FOX, 8:07 p.m. first pitch) at Comerica Park. According to forecasts, the temperature at first pitch should be 43 degrees with a wind chill of 38.
"We have heaters in the dugouts for both teams. Ours is going to be a little warmer than theirs, but that's all right. We're not going to tell them that," manager Jim Leyland joked. "You know what? It's cold, but, I mean, this is the World Series. It's cold for everybody. It's cold for the fans, the beer is cold, everything is cold. It's great. Enjoy it."
For what it's worth, Leyland was wearing shorts during Friday's workout.
Catcher Alex Avila doesn't think low temperatures should be an issue.
"Playing in cold weather, I don't think any baseball player is a stranger to it," he said. "More than half the teams have to play in cold weather at the beginning of the season, and, obviously, in the postseason. Unless you're in a dome, it's going to be somewhat cold. That's just the way it is. You can't control the weather.
"Sometimes it can be difficult for a pitcher to have a grip on the ball on certain pitches, but again, it's just something that I've got to deal with."
Said Game 3 starter Anibal Sanchez: "When the nine players are on the field, I'm pretty sure nobody feels anything, especially the pitcher. [Pitchers] think too much, think about what pitch you have to make, what you have to do. The weather doesn't bother us too much. On the field, nobody's going to think too much about the weather."
Miggy named Player of the Year by Sporting News
DETROIT -- At this point, facing a 2-0 deficit heading into Game 3 of the World Series at Comerica Park on Saturday night, the Tigers aren't too concerned about individual awards. But they are starting to come in anyway.
The Sporting News announced third baseman Miguel Cabrera as its Player of the Year on Friday, making him the second straight Tiger to win the honor after Justin Verlander won it for his MVP season in 2011. They are the first to be named back-to-back winners since then-Mariners Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr. won in 1996 and 1997.
The award is voted on by a panel of 203 players. Cabrera received 108 votes while 71 went to Angels rookie Mike Trout -- recently named Baseball America's Player of the Year -- and five went to Adrian Beltre. Ten others received four votes or less.
Cabrera led the American League in batting average (.330), home runs (44), and RBIs (139) on his way to becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.
"He's the best hitter I've ever seen other than [Ted] Williams," Hall of Famer Al Kaline said in a statement released by the Tigers. "He's just amazing."
It's worth noting that The Sporting News' Player of the Year has also gone on to win their league's Most Valuable Player Award in every season since 2004.
Cabrera was also named the unanimous winner of the Luis Aparicio Award for the second straight year, which goes to the league's top Venezuelan player and is voted on by Spanish-speaking writers. He's the first person to win it three times.
Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. Paul Hagen is a reporter for MLB.com. Anthony Odoardi is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
So yeah... anyone actually done this? I'm having a hell of a time... see my post on Debian forums for the madness of it all: http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php? … 06#p256406. The question I figured I'd ask here in Xfce Forum is this...well... has anyone actually install Xfce 4.6.1 from lenny-backports successfully?
According to all the documentation I have found, it should be as simple as adding backports to sources.list and running "apt-get -t lenny-backports install xfce4". Though, none of the people that claim it should work this way sound like they have actually done it themselves. Hence my question. So yeah... if you've actually done this, feel free to drop me a line and share any tips you might have.
Well, 6 weeks later, but nothing changed in lenny-backports concerning Xfce 4.6.1 on i386, means the missing packages are still not available, making it impossible to install Xfce 4.6.1 on Lenny i386. Is lenny-backports dead?
I guess it really is better to go for Squeeze nowadays, if in need for Xfce 4.6.1.
You set the target of the installation as being from the Lenny-backport repos, so I assume you've pinned it at a lower priority in your sources.list file.
I'd recommend deleting the priority of the lenny-backports, update + full-upgrade, then try installing xfce without the -target switch.
Last time I checked the backports for Xfce 4.6.1 was broken.
You might find this link useful / interesting.


text:
>Running 101>Race plans - 10k, 5k then HM
I did it!! 22:39!!
It was a very small race, less than 100 total runners with most of those in the 1 mile Run/Walk. The 5K had about 30 and the 10K had about 15. Got in a good warmup, but the race started almost 10 minutes late so was getting a little anxious by the time it finally started. Race time temp was 38 degrees with a 7mph breeze, pretty good conditions for me anyway.
We finally got lined up and I was right on the front line. They gave us some last minute instructions and blew a whistle and we were off. Had a nice litte group of about 5 of us that settled in right at the start with a couple 10K runners pulling out in front of everyone. My friend was running with me and I had my phone set to give me audio cues every minute so I was NOT going to go out too fast and blow up this time.
One minute in and my phone tells me I'm running a 7:03 pace, I didn't feel that at all so I just kept the same pace and tried to run smooth. Two minutes in and my phone again tells me I'm running a 7:03 pace and this time I believe it and slow down just a little. Next minute clicks off and I'm down to a 7:15 pace, another minute and I'm down to a 7:20 pace and that's where I wanted to keep it for the rest of the race.
Kept it real steady and my buddy just hung with me and the pack just kind of stuck around. At one point we were actually leading the 5K! At about 2 miles in a couple of high school cross country girls went ahead of us and another guy a little younger than me pulled ahead. I was staying really consistent and was afraid to blow up like last time so I just let them go. At 2.25 miles I could tell my buddy wanted to go win the 5K and if we waited much longer the 3 ahead of us might pull away so I told him to go. It was getting harder, but I still felt WAY better than I did two weeks ago when I blew up. What little breeze there was was behind us so I felt like I had 24:00 in the bag for sure. He took off and left everyone so it was the two girls and the 35ish guy in front of me. They ended up about 50 yards ahead of me and then either they slowed down or I picked it up slightly or probably a little of both because it stayed that way to about 2.75 miles. The way the course was laid out you couldn't actually see the finish line until you made one last turn, and I was still worried about blowing up like last time so I didn't start picking up the pace until about 200 yards to go. In retrospect I should have picked it up at least 400 yards out and I really think I might could have caught up with the 2 girls and the guy in front of me as I felt great going across the finish line. Still, I was VERY happy with my time as I smoked my original 24:00 goal and beat my 23:00 fairly well.
Here's my splits with HR info.
I don't know how to really analyze these numbers, I didn't even get close to my Max HR of 194 at the end of the run so I think that means that I should have kicked much earlier. I thinik my avg HR being at 177 (91%) for the 2nd mile and 180 (93%) for the 3rd mile means I was not going to be able to keep that pace much longer though. Also not sure if the low temperature helped keep my HR low also.
I feel MUCH better than I did at the end of my 5K two weeks ago that I ran a 24:06 on. A little sore in my quads, but not just beat down like I did after the last one.
Pacing was just about perfect when it is all said and done I think. Should have kicked a little earlier, but I was so worried about blowing up after the last race I was too conservative at the end.
Overall a great race for me though!
Age: 49 Weight: 202 Height: 6'3" (Goal weight 195)
Current PR's: Mara 3:14:36* (2017); HM 1:36:13 (2017); 10K 43:59 (2014); 5K 21:12 (2016)
I did it!! 22:39!!
I don't know how to really analyze these numbers,
I don't know how to really analyze these numbers,
Nice work, my man.
Sometimes, the numbers don't need to be analyzed. Enjoy the result. Remember how it felt. Remember that feeling, and the feeling that you can start to kick a little sooner. And build from there.
Good stuff.
Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and roguesWe're on the road to nowhere, let's find out where it goes
Feeling the growl again
Nice work, my man.
Sometimes, the numbers don't need to be analyzed. Enjoy the result. Remember how it felt. Remember that feeling, and the feeling that you can start to kick a little sooner. And build from there.
This. Nice work!
That said, it is hard to find any fault with those splits. Textbook negative split but not too severe.
Now that you know how that feels, you can work on challenging yourself a little more the next time.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
Sometimes, the numbers don't need to be analyzed. Enjoy the result. Remember how it felt. Remember that feeling, and the feeling that you can start to kick a little sooner. And build from there.
Nice job!
Runners run.
I didn't even (consciously anyway) see spaniel's post. Too funny.
Great job, Great race! With 1/2 mile left, it is all guts. You can't really say you will blow up because at this point it should really really start hurting as you push to finish strong and probably not feel too great as you cross the finish line. It is a race-a max effort! The more you race, the more you will get a sense on "how to race". Not holding that 7 min pace early was wise and allowed you to finish strong which is much better that slowing that last mile for you! AWESOME!
Those who try, fail! Those who do what it takes to succeed, succeed!!
Thanks for the input guys. I'm still on cloud 9 with my time. Really felt good the entire way, such a drastic difference from the 5K two weeks before it is amazing.
Last big race of the season for me coming up in two weeks. My 2nd half marathon ever.
If I plug my newest 5K time into the calculators they say I should be able to run a 1:44:52 half marathon which is a 8:00 pace on the dot, but I'm not sure if I want to work that hard to find out if I can make that time or not. Especially with a pretty tough course and who knows what the weather will be like. To go sub 1:50 I will need to avg a 8:24 pace and I'm thinking I might try for that. Go out at 8:25 for the first 6 or 7 miles and if I'm still feeling goood and the conditions are right, then try to slowly pick it up as I go the last 5 or 6 miles.
I've been pretty focused on my 5K training the last month and a half or so, but I've still been getting some decent mileage in. I'm already at my record monthly mileage ever for October and I think I'll still get in another 15 or so miles before the end of the month. If I put in 15.8 miles I'll end up with 150 for the month which would beat my previous mileage record by 18 miles.
I'm going to be hunting this weekend, so I'm going to try to get in a long run before work (or more accurately I will get to work a couple hours late) sometime this week. Right now my plan is to get in 6 easy miles today, maybe throw in some strides or attack a hill or something in there but overall keep it easy but not one of my 70% easy runs. 6 easy miles on Tuesday, a 6 mile Tempo run on Wednesday with the middle 4 miles at 8:30, 8:15, 8:00 and 7:45. Thursday 5 or 6 easy miles and then Friday a long run of 12 miles.
Saturday and Sunday for sure I will be hunting and I don't think I will be able to get a run in on either day. This will be Texas hunting of sitting in a blind all day, not Western mountain hunting where I would be getting in some good hiking. If I get lucky and connect on my #1 target buck I might be able to sneak a run in but I'm not counting on it. I'm not sure how the rest of the week before the half will go, but I think it will mostly be lower volume easy running with maybe some strides worked in or maybe a slower Tempo run early in the week.
After this half marathon I may or may not run the Turkey Trot race and I then there is a 4 mile cross country race in December that I might run, but won't be stressing over any particular time.
The next big goal race will be my Marathon coming up in May of 2013 and I'm still not sure if I'm going to set a time goal for it or just try to enjoy it and run it with my wife.
Pretty excited with the progress I've made over the last year, pretty amazing that just 1 year ago my goal was to run 6 miles in under an hour and now I can do that in under an 8:00 pace. Thankfully I've been pretty much injury free and that has helped a lot.
Oh well, if anyone has any thoughts on my next couple weeks of training planned for my half marathon I'd welcome any input.
Thanks, Nathan
Had a pretty ugly tempo run today.
Forgot my HR strap and my arm pocket for my phone so I had to hold it in my hand and then forgot to set it to tell me the pace of the current split that I was running so I was pretty much running blind. All it told me was my avg pace and distance for the entire run so I couldn't tell what my pace on the splits were at all. I also wasn't prepared for the warm sunny day after the nice cool weather that we've been having.
Supposed to do a 1 mile warmup, then 4 miles at 8:15, 8:05, 7:55 and 7:45 then a 1 mile cool down.
Ended up running the first mile just a little fast for me at 9:21, then blew the first mile of the tempo at a 7:53 pace, then picked up the next mile to a 7:49, and then picked it up again (I was struggling with math on the intervals and thought I was running 8:00+ miles) and about half way through that mile decided that I was struggling to much to continue to pick them up and just wasn't feeling it so I slowed back down to an easy pace. Ran easy for the rest of that mile (that mile ended up with a split of 8:58) and by then was feeling good again so I decided to pick it back up and run as fast as I felt that I could hold for that last mile and then ran an easy mile cool down. Turned out that 4th mile was a 7:26.
Was 78 degrees when I finished, really not that warm, but after the cool weather it felt like it. Overall pace for the 6 miles ended up being 8:33.
Oh well. Not the workout I had planned, but I feel like I got something out of it anyway. I'm way too dependent on my phone to give me my pace information, maybe at some point I'll get better at being able to run at a pace without it but right now there is no way.
Found this article on hills. http://runningtimes.com/Print.aspx?articleID=10507It says the average person slows 3.3% for every 1% increase in the slope. So my hills with 12% incline would slow me 40% from an 8:30 pace to almost a 12:00 pace.It also says you don't get the same recovery on a downhill but only 55% of that. That would give me a 22% increase in speed going down the hills from an 8:30 pace to a 6:40 pace. That's pretty smoking on the downhill though.My course going down at 6:40 then up at 12:00 then down at 6:40 again I would come out of that section pretty even on my pace. Going up that middle hill at mile 6.5 it is an 8% incline so that would say I should take that hill at about a 10:45 pace.Trouble is the "instant" pace on my GPS is about worthless and I am not really going to have a good guage for if I'm running the hill at a 12:00 pace or a 10:00 pace. I guess I will just have to try to go on even effort based on what my body is telling me! That will be interesting since I rely so much on my HRM and my GPS to tell me what to do!
I'm way too dependent on my phone to give me my pace information, maybe at some point I'll get better at being able to run at a pace without it but right now there is no way.
I'm way too dependent on my phone to give me my pace information, maybe at some point I'll get better at being able to run at a pace without it but right now there is no way.
How will you accomplish this without ditching it? It feels like you're asking for permission to get rid of the crutches. If I were your running partner I would have ripped it off your arm and smashed it to bits already.
How will you accomplish this without ditching it? It feels like you're asking for permission to get rid of the crutches. If I were your running partner I would have ripped it off your arm and smashed it to bits already.
+1. If you want to learn how to run without your phone...run without your phone. Learn to be honest with yourself about the effort you're running at. Practice. Run slow. Run fast. Ask yourself "Was that easy?" Then ask yourself if you could have done the whole run again, same speed.
Run with the phone, no alerts, screen off, just recording. Before you check it, ask yourself how fast and what effort you used. Use it as a feedback tool, a record keeper--not a slave-driver. Try to run a progression with no feedback until it's all over.
I, myself, used to get REALLY hung up on HR-based training, among other things. It took a lot of "naked runs" to break that, then eventually I set my watch to show nothing but time elapsed and percent grade on all the screens.
Heart rate is useful, but running by feel puts you in touch with the ultimate biofeedback tool: your own body.
"When a person trains once, nothing happens. When a person forces himself to do a thing a hundred or a thousand times, then he certainly has developed in more ways than physical. Is it raining? That doesn't matter. Am I tired? That doesn't matter, either. Then willpower will be no problem." Emil Zatopek
Got in a 12 miler this morning capping off a 21 day running streak for me that ended up at 118.6 miles. I won't be running tomorrow for sure and probably not Sunday as tomorrow is opening day of deer season here in Texas and I'll be sitting in a hunting blind pretty much the entire day. Kind of fits in with my taper for my HM coming up next Saturday anyway.Got 3 big hills in the run this morning and ran them steady and am thinking that's the angle I'll be taking during my race next week.Here's my workout on runkeeper if anyone wants to check it out - http://runkeeper.com/user/npaden/activity/128748132It shows only 846' of elevation gain, but that was pretty much on 3 hills. The first one was 140' gain in 1/2 mile, the next one is long and not as steep, but gains about 220' in just over a mile and the last one is 177' in just over 1/2 mile.I had to restart after the first mile to get my HRM working, but on the last 11 miles I averaged a 9:40 pace at a 151 avg HR which is 78% of my Max. I was running based on perceived effort and wanting to stay steady on the hills so that's why my HR is a little higher than normal for me on my long runs.It was a beautiful morning and I saw some deer along the way. 52 degrees and 5mph winds, just about perfect.
I'm still thinking about my phone and whether to ditch it or not. It sure is helpful when it's working, I just rely on it so much that when it isn't working I struggle. As I get more experienced I'm hoping to not need to rely on it so much though.
Finishing my taper the next couple days and my half marathon is Saturday at 9:00 am. Ran 2 easy miles this morning and planning on 2 easy miles with strides tomorrow morning.
I'm probably overly optimistic here, but I'm really thinking 1:50 should be in the bag even on a tough course (1,000' of elevation gain with 3 real tough hills) and weather is looking iffy (60 degrees at the start warming to 67 by the finish with winds starting at 18mph and increasing to 22mph by the finish).
Ran 2 easy miles this morning at a 9:09 pace which is what my goal pace for my last half marathon was and my avg HR was under 75%. It was an easy run! Of course even at that pace if I ran 11 more miles it would be beyond an easy run at the finish, but it would still be more like a moderate effort than hard.
Ran a very short Tempo last night to try to get a feel for my HM pace and ran one mile at 8:19 and one at 8:14 and although my HR was climbing it was at 85% and 87% and climbing very slowly on the graph. At that pace it was staying under what I think my Lactic Threshold number is.
Only negative is that I went and did something very stupid running with no socks on the tempo run yesterday. Ended up with blisters on my arches from rubbing with no socks and now I'm not sure if I need to switch shoes for the race or just tape myself up or what I need to do. Did some quick reading on it and sounds like poping the blisters and letting them dry out tonight and tomorrow and then duct taping them before the race might be the way to go. I just need to decide if I should wear the same shoes (which are very comfortable when I actually wear socks) or if I need to switch them out since they are still rubbing the same area even with socks.
I normally run my races in my pair of Inov8 F-lites, but I've never run in them more than 6 or 7 miles before even though I have 160 miles logged on them in total. Not sure that would be a good idea. My other option is a pair of Asics Cumulus 13s that I've worn on some long runs before, but worried they might rub the same spot as the pair that I got the blisters in are Asics as well although they are Blur33s. I would probably be okay with duct tape and just wearing the shoes I planned on, that's where I'm leaning anyway.
Have some big hills on this course and the wind will be straight into us on the worst one so I really need to try to go based on effort instead of pace there at the start. The hills start after mile 2 so hopefully I'll be able to get a rhythm and pace going early and try to maintain that effort level with the turn into the wind and through the hills. Shooting for an 8:20ish pace starting out, that should be a pace I can maintain pretty easily based on my training. Hopefully I'll end up with a nice negative split because I'm feeling really good at the end!
Wear two super thin pair of running socks in your race. You will get more friction between the two pair of socks rather than your skin and sock. Either way, you may deal with some discomfort. If you put duck tape on, put a little gauze underneath or you will rip your skin apart.


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As sure as you're reading this column, cancer has probably touched your life. It has either claimed a loved one away from you, knocked on your door or altered life as your family and friends know it. Cancer is the defining disease of many generations; however, it's not the presence of cancer cells that define those affected. The way cancer patients and survivors fight truly defines them as people. For some, that fight is done. But today's fighters carry on their own battle, always remembering and honoring those who have passed.
The Pope and Yell County annual American Cancer Society's Relay for Life kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Friday night with entertainment at Old Post Park.
Opening ceremonies will begin at 7 p.m. and closing ceremonies will conclude at 7 a.m. Saturday. Look for a special section in today's edition for a complete schedule and a feature story on this year's honorary chairman, Suzanne Srader.
Srader's story is one of survival. At one point during her battle, she told The Courier, she actually had to take a break from brushing her teeth in the morning because she was too weak. Chemotherapy is brutal. We're just happy to share her success story in today's special section.
What's known as Relay for Life today began in the 1980s in the Pacific Northwest. Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon from Tacoma, Wash., decided to find a way to raise more funds for his local American Cancer Society by running his own 24-hour race.
More than 20 years later, Relay for Life has raised millions of dollars to fund cancer research in almost every community in hopes of a cure and has honored thousands of cancer patients.
Gather your loved ones and head out to Old Post Park on Friday night. There will be plenty of opportunities to help fund cancer research and to celebrate those who have been victorious. Who knows? The next dollar raised might be the one that allows modern medicine to discover a cure.
Relay for Life isn't a race against one another. It's a race with each other, and we're running and walking to beat cancer. Whose your favorite?


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Data technology crucial to digital marketing
Marketo marketing strategy roundtable
Participants in the marketing strategy roundtable at the Marketo offices in San Mateo, California
Marketers are tasked with defining the best strategies and programs to drive marketing success and identifying the role of media channels in order to do so. Then they must track those efforts to divine what works best and which tactics to abandon.
Direct Marketing News convened a select group of senior marketing leaders in a closed-door roundtable discussion, sponsored by Marketo, in San Mateo in February, to get at the heart of some of these challenges. Participants discussed topics including the structure of their own marketing programs; the role of content; challenges in integrating messaging across channels; and how marketers are using digital efforts — particularly mobile, social and video — separately and collectively to nurture engagement and further loyalty with customers.
Direct Marketing News: What is your marketing strategy and how are your marketing programs structured?
Elizabeth Rector (Cisco Systems): Part of what we are doing is looking at how we can be more strategic in and of the channels, so we've integrated. We had a lot of segmented groups [in the past], but now we have an integrated marketing team whose sole focus is to understand the marketing mix.
One of the things that we have been doing … is really aligning around key campaigns instead of one-off, siloed product announcements. We've been working with Forrester and a tool called Tech Marketing Navigator. It's a starting roadmap and then we can fine tune from there, but it surveys about 20,000 tech suppliers, and it asks across about 35 marketing vehicles which are most influential in awareness, consideration and purchase.
We can get a sense of, 'okay, tech print is big, search is big, your website is big' and develop our budgets around that. Then we're going to retroactively optimize and understand our ROI for that. We're trying to get a little more integrated and thoughtful about the mix and very detailed on the ROI.
Dave Smith (Mediasmith): We start, with all of our clients, with a target audience. Every client that we work with knows who their target audience is, they're absolutely sure who their target audience is, and for half the clients we take on, we change who their target audience is.
For Napster, when they became a paid service, they came to us and said it is 16-to-22 year old males. And we [initially] said yep. That's the target audience for people who are downloading music. We came back ten days later and said 25-to-44 year old adults.
There's this whole thing about who's the target and getting agreement on the target, and then mapping that to their media patterns, paid, owned and earned.
A lot of clients don't think about their owned media. They say, 'I'm not in the media business.' But they have a website. They have LinkedIn discussions going on that they're not even controlling. They have Twitter feeds that they're not controlling. They have Facebook pages and if they are controlling [them], it's probably outside of marketing. They have all these owned assets. When they think about communication, they think about paid media. It starts with a target audience and then it goes to 'where are they?' Then talk about message deployment, rather than buying media.
Paul Albright (Marketo): There's a lot of discussion on growth and marketing seeing themselves as a growth engine. It's also thinking about this persona, the audiences that Dave talked about, then putting that in perspective. I work backwards from that and think 'what are the campaigns' or 'what are the investments that I need to make in order to maximize growth?'
Then we categorize them into four buckets: inbound interests, outbound marketing, sales contributions (how much reps are contributing to the pipeline), and referral.
You start with those four buckets of pipeline contribution … then figure out per segment. Is it an enterprise segment? Is it a vertical segment? What's the right mix across those four buckets, and then how do you start to spend your dollars in order to maximize growth?
Marketing is seen as more of an engine for growth, not just a cost center, and must play a deeper role going forward. The buyer no longer buys from a sales rep. The buyer's buying through search and social. It's marketing's job to throw the net over those people at the time they're starting to do their research.
Vivek Palan (Acxiom Corp.): One of the things that we've been seeing is there's an interesting dichotomy between the time that is scheduled, socially designated, the use of social media, and the way that marketers have been budgeting against that. A recent study by Nielsen [indicated] that people are spending over 22% of their time online on social media versus, around 7% to 8% of their time on email. When you look at how marketing budgets are allocated, it's not proportional or anywhere near what those numbers represent.
Laura Ramos (Xerox Corp.): A lot of our spending mix and our attention gets spent towards the brand. Interbrands looked at our brand and told us it's a $6.5 billion asset. You take that and you unite it with the fact that we purchased a services company called ACS, which now counts with the traditional Xerox services for about half the revenue. We're no longer the copier company. How do you convey that Xerox is now ... something else? That's where a huge amount of our attention is being spent.
Greg Johnson (HP): You face some very similar challenges to what we face. If you go around to all ... customer segments and go around to different countries, everybody thinks of us as a printing company.
We haven't been a printing company as a dominant aspect of our business in years. Social media tends to extend people's existing knowledge. Your job right now is actually to establish new knowledge. In doing so, you have very little choice but to begin with places where the narrative is one that you tell the world … [and] bring to light through examples. Then you can activate social media. [Social] is not terribly successful. There's not really a good case study out there to date as a means of establishing a new story.
Brett Billick (Virgin America): When it comes to media or marketing strategy, and then media as a part of that, it has evolved. It depends on our resources internally, our budget, and where the fish are. When we talk about who the target customer is, that's a big part for us. Sixty percent of our base is California. We definitely have very high tech, design and fashion. Those are the industries that a lot of our guests are involved in. But we're the challenger brand and our issue is … brand awareness.
We use PR quite a bit. We then try to, with a very small budget, amplify the message with social media. We use digital much more than we use out-of-home. We hardly ever use print, and certainly focusing on our email channel as well and really building that core base.