text:
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned Congress Tuesday that the budget stalemate and lawmakers' spending choices are among the greatest threats to the U.S. military today, increasing the stress on the force and making it difficult to fund programs that best keep troops ready to fight.
Speaking as lawmakers try to wrap up negotiations on a defense bill, Panetta said defense officials have built a budget that tries to protect military readiness while also providing needed services to troops who have been involved in wars for more than 11 years.
"Nevertheless, there is pressure on the department to retain excess force structure and infrastructure instead of investing in the training and equipment that makes our force agile and flexible and ready," said Panetta, during a wide-ranging speech at the National Press Club. "Aircraft, ships, tanks, bases, even those that have outlived their usefulness have a natural political constituency. Readiness does not. What's more, readiness is too often sacrificed in favor of a larger and less effective force. I am determined to avoid that outcome."
He complained that lawmakers have taken about $74 billion in proposed budget savings and diverted them to programs the Pentagon doesn't need.
And Panetta said the current impasse over how to avoid the "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and more than $1 trillion in automatic spending cuts could inflict lasting damage on America's national defense.
If the automatic cuts are not avoided, the Pentagon could face about $500 billion in across-the-board budget reductions, he said. Failure to find a solution "will weaken this nation in the minds of our allies, our partners, and our potential adversaries, and undermine the work and the sacrifices that our troops are making every single day."
While Panetta also offered an optimistic view of the Afghanistan war, he said that other threats to the U.S. — from al-Qaida-linked terrorists and cyberattacks to hostile powers such as Iran — are growing.
"The threats to our security and our global interests are not receding, as they appeared to do in past wars, coming out of World War II, coming out of Korea, coming out of Vietnam, coming out of the end of the Cold War, where the threats receded," Panetta said. "The fact is today we still confront these threats in the world, threats that are more complex, more dispersed, and in many ways, more dangerous."
Just days after he returned from his most recent trip to Afghanistan, Panetta spoke optimistically about the war effort there. He said the international military coalition has managed to reverse a five-year trend of growing violence and that Afghan forces are on track to take the lead for securing the entire country next year.
And, he said, military commanders "believe that we have fundamentally turned the tide in that effort, after years in which we lacked the right strategy and the necessary resources to try to achieve the mission we are embarked on."
Panetta spent two days in Afghanistan last week, consulting with top American commanders and with Afghan government officials. He announced during his visit that President Hamid Karzai will come to Washington next month to meet with President Barack Obama to discuss the way ahead.
By all accounts, Panetta is in the final weeks of his tenure as Pentagon chief. He has long said he intends to return to California where his wife Sylvia continues to work at the Panetta Institute for Public Policy, which they founded in 1977.
Chuck Hagel, a former Republican U.S. senator from Nebraska, is considered the leading contender for the job as Panetta's successor.


text:
President Obama Outsources Death Ray Research to the Mythbusters
On last night's Mythbusters, our beleaguered commander in chief visited to lay down a gauntlet for Jamie and Adam. Their task? Build a working version of Archimedes' solar ray to defeat terrorism... or teach kids about science or something.
His brief appearance had some puzzling moments. It's really hard to love a guy who has the geeky audacity to say that the most important thing for America is to get kids interested in math and science. And here I thought it was traditional heartland values.
Here, the Prez sets up the challenge. He found something fishy about the last time they tested this myth.
[There was a video here]
Obama then explains his problem with their last test. It's hard to trust a President who has such liberal San Francisco mythbusting values.
[There was a video here]
Then we come to the test. Poor kids; they come out to shine a bunch of mirrors and see a boat catch on fire, and all they get is waved at by a man in a metal suit. This, obviously, is a perfect metaphor for the Presidency of Obama. The mirrors are the mirrors that we shine on the terrorists, and the non-flammable boat is the terrorists winning because our President just wants to use mirrors on them, instead of nuking the entire middle east. Are you guys following this?
[There was a video here]
And finally, the guys report back to Mr. Obama about their failure. Typical of Obama's softness, he lets it slide and congratulates them. We'll have to go back to using boring old bombs like everyone else.
[There was a video here]

subset: commoncrawl


text:
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (Wednesday, May 23, 2012) – The Colorado Rapids Reserves tied the Houston Dynamo Reserves 2-2 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park today. Rapids forward Edu and trialist Kevin Garcia each notched a goal, while midfielder Jamie Smith got his first competitive action since returning from a torn ACL suffered last October.
After several chances from each team to open the half, the Rapids were the first to score when Edu finished a corner kick taken by Smith in the 23rd minute. Houston responded in the 49th minute to tie the game when Je-Vaughn Watson finished to the near post after a run down the left flank. Colin Rolfe's goal in the last five minutes of the match put the Dynamo ahead, but Colorado rallied in stoppage time with a goal by Garcia, assisted by Kohei Yamada.
The draw brings the Rapids to a 3-2-1 record and third in the Central/Mountain Division, while Houston sits one spot ahead in the standings with a 3-1-1 record. The Colorado Rapids Reserves next face Sporting KC at home on June 9, and the Dynamo face Texas rivals FC Dallas on June 16.
Colorado Rapids 2, Houston Dynamo 2
MLS Reserve League
May 23, 2012 – Dick's Sporting Goods Park
Scoring Summary:
COL – Edu (Jamie Smith) 23'
HOU – Je-Vaughn Watson (unassisted) 49'
HOU – Colin Rolfe (unassisted) 87
COL – Kevin Garcia (Kohei Yamada) 90'+
Disciplinary Summary:
COL – Luis Zapata (Unsporting behavior) 32'
COL – Bobby Burling (Unsporting behavior) 56'
COL – Joseph Nane (Unsporting behavior) 71'
HOU – Oscar Recio (Unsporting behavior) 90'+
Colorado Rapids Reserves – Steward Ceus, Davy Armstrong (**Kevin Garcia 46), Scott Palguta, **Bobby Burling, Luis Zapata, Jamie Smith (Kohei Yamada 63'), Harrison Henao (*Shane O'Neill 74'), Joseph Nane, Edu, Kamani Hill, Andre Akpan (*Idrissa Camara 79').
Substitutes Not Used: Ian Joyce, *Ricardo Perez
Houston Dynamo Reserves – Tyler Deric, Warren Creavalle (*Christian Gonzalez 88'), Andre Hainault (*Bradley Bourgeois 66'), Nathan Sturgis, Oscar Recio, Colin Clark, Alex Dixon, Luiz Camargo (Je-Vaughn Watson 46'), Josue Soto (Brian Ownby 70'), Macoumba Kandji (Colin Rolfe 81'), Cam Weaver.
Substitutes Not Used: Tally Hall
* = Denotes Academy players
**= Denotes trial players


text:
Rays Ride Shields to Victory
Sundays I always have worn a nostalgic or retro uniform to the games. In the past it has been a Japanese series Dany Baez jersey, or an old Jared Sandberg 2003 jersey. Yesterday, I decided to wear a post 9/11 Jose Guillen jersey to the game.
Little did I know what kind of garbage that would start. I was called a bandwagon fan by a guy I have never seen at a Rays game before, and was laughed at by a few people for not supporting my Rays 24/7. Now, if you know me, I have been around even before we had a team in Tampa Bay. I had one of the original Season Ticket receipts in my collection from when they asked for only $ 20.00 to reserve a Season Ticket.
I have worked for the Rays as a vendor, been selected to their Fan Wall of Fame, and have been a Season ticket holder since 1998. Guess that would be a "Fair Weather", or "Bandwagon" fan to a franchise like the Red Sox or the Yankees becuase they have been around for over 100 years, but to call me a badwagon, or even a opportunist is just wrong.
By the way, I wore the Guillen shirt for two reasons. First he is a baseball buddy of mine, so I wanted to show support for him in that way, but it was a Rays jersey, not a Royals jersey. Second, this weekend has been about supporting the troops and patriotic gestures by all of us to show our spirit. My show of spirit was to wear a flag adorned post 9-11 2001 Game Issued jersey.
Carl Crawford still needs that 1 base to hit 300 for his career. Crawford did go 2-3 with 2 run scored and has raised his average to .288 for the year. Carl also got an RBI on a Sacrifice Fly to left in the 6th inning to score Akinora Iwamura.
Crawford leads the club with 61 runs scored, and is currently 2nd in the Al, he is also on pace to defend hsi stolen base crown. Crawford currently has 22 stolen bases and is 6th in the AL.
Akinora Iwamura went 2-4 with 2 runs scored today, and hit a monster triple to deep right center in the 6th inning. It was Iwamura's 3rd triple of the season for the Rays.
Aki has hit safely in 45 of his last 54 games, going .313 during that span. Iwamura has not hit into a double play this season in 343 at-bats, and is currently the hardest batter to get to hit into a double play. Aki was also the hardest to double up last season only hitting into 2 during 491 at bats for the Rays last year.
Gabe Gross hit a solo homer in the 6th inning to rightfield. It was Gross's 7th homer of the season. Gross, who has seen most of his duty this season as a late inning defensive replacement, got the start for the Rays on Sunday.
Evan Longoria kept up his assault on the Rookie homer ecord before the break with a 2-run homer to left in the 3rd inning. Evan hit a long drive into section 143 that scored Carlos Pena. It was Longoria's 16th homer of the year,and currently tied with KC's Bob Hamelin, set in 1994. Tim Salmon of the Angels holds the all-time record with 17 before the All-Star break.
Evan has been hitting .418 in his last 13 games, and is currently leading all rookies iwth 17 homers, and is tied for 1st in extra-base hits with 39. His club leading 52 RBI's is second among MLB rookies.
Evan is also invloved in the last chance voting for the last spot on the 2008 All-Star squad. Evan needs our voted becuase of a New York presence on the ballot. Jason Giambi is also being considered for the last slot, and the NY fans will do all they can to stuff the ballot box to get another guy in the last game at Yankee Stadium.
Log onto www.mlb.com today to cast as many votes as you can for Longoria. Voting ends soon, so a vote today will be another vote to get this amazing rookie to NY.
James Shields got his 7th vicotry of the year last night in a 9-2 victory over the Royals. Shields pitched 7 innings of 4-hit, 2-run ball before leaving the game as the pitcher of record. Shields got 8 strikeouts on the day, and retired the first the first 5 batters he faced in the game.
For the second time in Rays history, they have 2 represenatives for the All-Star game . The last time the Rays had two reps was in 1999, when Jose Canseco and Roberto Hernandez were voted to the All-Star game.
Evan Longoria is also one of five finalist for the last slot on the All Star roster. Voting will end at 5 PM oh Thursday, July 10, 2008.
Fans can text the word , "Vote" to 36197. Monster will then send you an offical text ballot to select your winner. Evan's number is "A4".
The Rays are currently 6-0 on this homestand, and are going for only the 2nd undefeated homestand in franchise history. The only other undeafeated homestand was a 3-game series against Detroit to start the 2002 season.


text:
- Item No.
- 766913
- Mfg Part No.
- Availability
- Not Available
Product Information for Nuance Dragon NaturallySpeaking v.11.0 Professional - Version Upgrade Package - 1 User
Highlights for Nuance Dragon NaturallySpeaking v.11.0 Professional - Version Upgrade Package - 1 User
- Platform Supported:PC
- License Type:Version Upgrade Package
- License Pricing:Local Government
Marketing Information
Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 Professional is enterprise-ready speech recognition software that lets users interact with PCs by voice - three times faster than typing - to drive productivity and cost savings. Use Windows applications to create documents, send email, search the Web, and more - just by talking. Customize the vocabulary and commands to reflect your terminology and workflow. Create macros to automate business processes. Even use Dragon with a digital voice recorder, anywhere, anytime, and automatically transcribe the text when you connect to your PC. Dragon Professional provides security features, configuration options and administrative tools for managing large user networks.
General Information
License Information
System Requirements
Operating System:
Hard Disk:
Optical Drive:
Physical Characteristics
Product Information
Fast, Accurate Dictation:
Works With Most Windows-Based Applications:
Control Your Computer By Voice:
Custom Vocabularies:
Time-Saving Macros:
More Productivity On The Go:
Ideal For Enterprise Deployments:
Section 508 Certified:
Dragon NaturallySpeaking v. 9.0 Professional Edition or later
Service Information
Safety Warning


text:
Supplier Homepage Product Lace Fabric Lace Fabric with Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Certification (FY1841)
Lace Fabric with Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Certification (FY1841)
|FOB Price:
|Get Latest Price
|Min. Order:
|800 Yards
|Fuzhou, China
|Production Capacity:
|Payment Terms:
|L/C, T/T, Western Union, Paypal
Request a custom order and have something just for you!Send Customized Request
Basic Info
- Model NO.: FY1841
- Material: Nylon / Spandex
- Technics: Raschel
- Width: 58/60"
- Weight: ≤100g/m²
- Colorful Lace Fabric: High Quality Factory Price Nylon Spandex Fabric
- Transport Package: by Roll and PP Bag
- Origin: Fujian, China
- Usage: Garment, Home Textile, Decoration
- Style: Plain Dyed
- Pattern: Jacquard
- Species: Machine Knitting
- Warp Knit Fabrics: Raschel
- Webbing Lady Lace Fabric: Lace Fabric for Lady Clothes
- Specification: top quality
- HS Code: 58042100
Product Description
Detail information :
1. Composition: 100%nylon
2. Width: 150cm
3. Color: Available with all colors. Eco friendly dyeing, with Oeko-Tex certification.
4. Min color qty: 800yards
5. Lead time of sample: 3days
6. Lead time Of porudction: 7-15days, we always do greige of our designs in stock, to make
sure promptly deliver for our clients.
7. Packing by roll, outside wrapped by poly bag then into carton. Strong package, avoiding dump, damage during transportion.
8. Paymemt Term: TT, western union, LC
Used for women's dresses, Bridal veil, underwears, bra, bags, home textile and so on
Descriptons of our lace fabrics:
We are offering our customers a wide range of lace fabrics with following features :
Lace Width : 150cm
Material : 90% Nylon + 10% Spandex / 100% nylon /100%cotton/ nylon+polyester/100%polyester
We have exported our products to many famous brands, such as M&S, Wal-Mart, K-mart and triumph
We can follow buyer's requirement to design laces and fabrics. We can create a customer sample in 7 days .
Quality Control:
All of our laces and fabrics carry Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification.Our in-house QC team checks every order for colour fastness, stains, holes and more to meet your standards.
Our advantages :
We produce material by ourselves, which makes more competitive price and faster delivery
we produce various specification /finishing lace fabric and trims for our clients
We provide ODM service and submit Various styles, latest designs every month to our clients.
We work with big customers in all around the world
We can serve you anytime
We have great experience on provide high quality service to wholesalers
Welcome any design from clients , we can develop 100% the same as clients'
Hundreds of different lace fabric designs for clients' choice, super quality with very competitive price , welcome to further enquiry for more information!


text:
The Friends with Numbers Podcast: Conference Finals Predictions
Dimitri Filipovic
May 31 2013 12:20PM
The Friends with Numbers are back, and there's lots to talk about. We recap the 2nd round of the NHL playoffs, before discussing the upcoming Conference Finals. Who do we have winning, and ultimately making it to the Stanley Cup Finals?
We would love to hear from you, the listener, for suggestions on future topics of discussion. Rather than us just being in our own little world, we'd like to make this as interactive a show as possible. Feel free to tweet at either Dimitri or Cam .
Click Past the Jump to Listen to the Podcast!
Thanks for Listening.
Cam -
Penguins in 7 over the Bruins
Kings in 6 over the Blackhawks
Dimitri -
Penguins in 6 over the Bruins
Blackhawks in 7 over the Kings


text:
WICHITA, Kan.
Kansas cattleman Ken Grecian sold 20 pairs of cows and calves a few weeks after drought had sucked his pastures dry and no rain was in the forecast. He sold 20 more pairs earlier this month.
Grecian spent years meticulously breeding his cows to improve the genetics in each generation, but with Kansas in one of the worst droughts seen in decades, hes struggling to find enough grazing to feed 300 cows, plus their calves. He hopes to get by with selling only a quarter of his herd, but there are no guarantees with the drought expected to linger through October.
Other cattlemen throughout the middle and western part of the country also are selling animals they cant graze or afford to buy feed for. Beef from the animals now flooding livestock auctions will start showing up in grocery stores in November and December, temporarily driving down meat prices. But then prices are expected to rise sharply by January in the wake of dwindling supplies and smaller livestock herds.
The number of cattle in the U.S. has been dropping for years, but the pace picked up last year when ranchers in Texas, the nations top beef producer, sold a massive number of animals amid a severe drought in the Southwest. Farmers in Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas bought some of those cows, however, so nationwide, the loss wasnt as great as it could have been. This year, virtually no one is expanding herds.
The drought was really bad in the Southern Plains last year, but the cattle industry was able nationally to absorb it because it wasnt bad everywhere. This one is much more along the lines of bad everywhere, so the market implications are a lot larger and a lot more players in the industry are impacted by this, said Glynn Tonsor, an agriculture economics professor at Kansas State University.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Friday that the nations cattle inventory was the smallest since the agency began a July count in 1973. It estimates the size of the nations herd each January and July. The U.S. had 97.8 million head as of July 1, 2 percent less than a year ago.
It is likely to take the beef industry years to recover. Cows have a nine-month gestation period, and it can take up to two years after calves are born for them to grow big enough for slaughter. The time needed to repair drought-damaged pastures will extend that timetable because ranchers must have grass for grazing before they can add animals.
Grecian, 62, who farms northwest of Hays, said a local drought forced him to sell nearly 30 percent of his cattle in 2003. It took six years for him to rebuild once the drought ended. He did it by holding onto female calves and not selling them.
Its possible, he said, to rebuild faster by buying animals, but that can be costly when few young, female cows are available, and farmers might not get the animals they want.
It is our life, and we invest a lot of emotion and energy and money into developing a cow herd that is genetically what we want, Grecian said. When we are forced to liquidate, it is not an easy thing to do. It is pretty heart-wrenching sometimes, but is part of the business.


text:
Net income in last year's second quarter was C$103 million, or 60 Canadian cents per share, meaning current income "represents a 138% year-over-year improvement in earnings per share," Calgary, Alberta-based CP said.
CP's second-quarter revenue was C$1.5 billion up 9.6% from the comparable quarter in 2012 and also an "all-time quarterly record," the railroad said.
Despite the surge in earnings, CP's second-quarter net failed to meet Wall Street consensus analyst estimates of C$1.50 average estimate, attributed in part to floods and derailments interrupted service. Shares of CP were down 1.7% late Wednesday morning in trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
But Wall Street's first reaction appears misplaced, according to Jason Seidl, analyst at Cowen & Co. and a Railway Age contributing editor. "Despite the light top line, the company reported a solid operating income and per-share profit," Seidl wrote Wednesday in a note to clients.
Said CP CEO E. Hunter Harrison, "The second quarter was a significant test for our employees who worked tirelessly during extensive network outages, including more than 40 washouts over a four-day period of historic flooding in Calgary and southern Alberta." Harrison also noted that network interruptions during the quarter impacted revenue growth by approximately C$25 million or 2%.
"The disciplined execution of our model allowed us to quickly recover from these challenges and restore service for our customers in a timely manner," said Harrison. "Moving forward, CP is well positioned to continue to build upon its strong first half and deliver record financial and operating results for 2013."


text:
Palm Oil Now Biggest Cause of Deforestation in Indonesia
Conversion of forests for palm oil production now appears to be the single largest driver of deforestation in Indonesia, accounting for roughly a quarter of forest loss between 2009 and 2011, asserts a new Greenpeace report that accuses the sector's main certification standard of failing to stop forest destruction.
The report, titled Certifying Destruction, uses satellite imagery, government concession data, field investigations, and third party analysis to conclude that several recent and current members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) — the industry's chief eco-certification body — are continuing to buy or trade palm oil produced via the conversion of rainforests and carbon-dense peatlands in the Southeast Asian nation.
"The RSPO wants its members to be industry leaders in sustainability, but its current standards leave them free to destroy forests and drain peatland," said Bustar Maitar, head of Greenpeace International's Indonesia forest campaign, in a statement. "Year after year, Indonesia's forest fires and haze wreak havoc on the region, and the palm oil sector is a main culprit."
300,000 hectares
Analyzing satellite data, Greenpeace finds that some 300,000 hectares of forest were cleared for oil palm plantations between 2009 and 2011, accounting for nearly 25 percent of the 1.24 million hectares of forest the Indonesian government says were cleared during the two-year period. Deforestation for oil palm plantations was disproportionately high in three provinces in Indonesia Borneo: West Kalimantan (75 percent of total deforestation was attributed to palm oil), East Kalimantan (55 percent), and Central Kalimantan (38 percent).
Greenpeace: RSPO falling short
Worryingly for environmentalists, Greenpeace's report suggests that RSPO member companies are falling short of the initiative's goals. Notably, RSPO-certified companies continue to clear forest and peatlands for new plantations. And during the ongoing haze crisis, a large number of hotspots have been detected within their concessions.
Continue Reading at Mongabay.com
Palm Oil via Shutterstock


text: I was furious tonight, after walking the dogs. It was late, around 10, and we decided to walk. I haven't been home a lot lately because I've been up at the hospital, and I feel like I've been neglecting the dogs, even though someones been home with them... just not... well, me So we decided to do a short walk, down the road and back. We get halfway down the road, and I took Tucker from Kayla for a second so she could pick up some dog "presents". We both started walking again, she was just about to take Tucker back when suddenly I see a dog run down a driveway at us, the porch light on. I didn't even have a second to react. The dog ran straight out, and jumping Maddie - attacking her. Maddie was immediately trying to defend herself, I was yelling and trying to "push" the dog off with my feet, and Tucker reacted right away and attacked his back end as well, which caught the dog off guard and he got off of Maddie and directed himself at Tucker, Maddie bit his tail - and then listened to my words and came to me. The owner came and grabbed the dog and dragged him back in the yard a little ways. Kayla kept Tucker on a short leash (he was very worked up and was barking at this point, as was Maddie) and was YELLING at the guy stuff like "There Are Leash Laws For a Reason!!!" and "Get Your Dog On a Leash!!!!" My main concern was whether or not Maddie was hurt. So in a peppy "Lets Go" I walked her away from the house quickly, and then checked her over (I thought there was blood on her back but it was slobber) and then kept walking, Kayla and Tucker followed suit. I turn around, and the guy let the dog loose again !!!! We picked up the pace, had to go around the block to get back home which made the walk longer than we wanted. I called the dog warden - but it was 'after hours' and the voicemail box said to call non-emergency police, but of course I didn't have that number, so was going to look it up as soon as we got home. When we got home, I looked the dogs over extremely thoroughly and it took me forever to find the number in the phone book. We figured we should know the address or at least close when we called, so I got the spray and we walked back down there without the dogs. Of course not one porch light was on, and I had no idea which house it was I narrowed it down to like 4-5 house span Frustrated, we walked over to the security guard of the neighborhood who was parked across the street from out house by the mailboxes, and told him what happened. He took all of our information, description of the dog, and told us he would patrol and keep an eye in that area, to hopefully see the dog so he could talk to the owner. I was irritated. We might talk to the girls in the office tomorrow, but I think it'll be a waste of time. It usually takes A LOT to get me this mad... I mean, accidents happen. But they let this dog back offleash not even two minutes after it attacked two dogs?? Seriously??? People are so stupid!!


text:
D&E Jerseys Donate High Genomic Heifer for Jersey Scholarship Funds
A daughter of the sixth-high cow in the United States for genomic Jersey Performance Index will sell in the 55th National Heifer Sale for the benefit of the national Jersey scholarship funds.
D&E Merchant Virtue 22230-ET has been donated by AJCA Master Breeders Don and Elsa Sherman, Hilmar, Calif., to sell on June 30 at the fairgrounds in Fryeburg, Maine. Proceeds are designated for the AJCA Educational Fund, established in 2003 to provide additional educational funding for Jersey youth in conjunction with existing scholarship funds.
This is the second major contribution to the national Jersey scholarships by the Shermans. Sale proceeds and A.I. royalties from D&E Rebel Scholar-ET, sold in the 2005 All American Jersey Sale, previously benefited the scholarship funds.
D&E Merchant Virtue 22230-ET has a GJPI of 197 and carries a bull contract from Jerseyland Sires. She is sired by Sunset Canyon Merchant-ET (GJPI 176).
Her dam is All Lynns Impuls Virtue-ET, Very Good-88% with 18,030 lbs. milk, 861 lbs. fat and 637 lbs. protein on her first lactation beginning at 1 year, 10 months of age. Ranked #6 with a GJPI of 238, "Virtue" is out of D&E Paramount Violet, the cow that stood at the top of the GJPI list a year ago. Scored Excellent with records to 27,600 lbs. milk, "Violet" has 29 sons in A.I. programs, including the highest bull on the NAAB G-code list, All Lynns Legal Visionary-ET. She also has 22 daughters and granddaughters among the top 500 females ranked by genomic Jersey Performance Index for May.
The third dam is D&E Abe Violet, Excellent-90% with five lactations averaging 21,714-981-776 m.e. She has 76 progeny recorded with the American Jersey Cattle Association.
"Elsa and I hope that because of her interesting pedigree, this heifer creates lots of interest for a cause we believe in deeply," Sherman said.
The National Heifer Sale has provided annual financial support for AJCA youth development programs since 1958. Call 614/322-4473 to request catalogs by mail from the sale manager, Jersey Marketing Service. The catalog will be posted online after June 1.
About the National Jersey Youth Programs
Organized in 1868, the American Jersey Cattle Association has sponsored educational programs and activities for young people interested in the Jersey breed since 1917. Junior members have the same registration privileges as Lifetime Members, and also the incentives of a comprehensive program leading to national recognition for their achievements with Jersey cattle. These programs include:
- Free membership in the association until the youth's 21st birthday;
- The National Jersey Youth Production Contest and Pot O'Gold sales, which create incentives for keeping production and management records;
- The National Jersey Youth Achievement Contest, the ultimate recognition for Jersey youth between the ages of 16 and 20;
- National scholarships that help pay for hands-on work experiences and college educations;
- The All American Junior Jersey Show, to be held for the sixtieth time in 2012, in Louisville, Ky., providing the thrill of competition in the largest show of Registered Jerseys in the world and introductions to lifelong friends from across the United States; and
- Jersey Youth Academy, an intensive educational program to be held in July of 2013 in Columbus, Ohio.
For more information, visit www.USJersey.com.


text:
Arizona gets three pitchers for Haren
Saunders, Rodriguez, Corbin headed to D-backs from Angels
By Andrew Pentis / MLB.com
In addition to acquiring left-handed starter Joe Saunders for Haren, Arizona also received Minor League reliever Rafael Rodriguez and starter Patrick Corbin along with a player to be named later plucked from a pool of options the two clubs have discussed.
"[Saunders] brings an element to our club that I think we need," said interim general manager Jerry Dipoto of his first trade at the helm. "The prospects involved in the deal bring us talent that we need to build with and therefore I felt like this deal checked a lot of boxes for the Arizona Diamondbacks."
Haren's immediate fill-in is Saunders, an All-Star in 2008, who was 54-32 in six Major League seasons with the Angels. Over the previous two years, he went 33-14, a mark only superceded by Roy Halladay.
Dipoto said his scouting staff believed there was no drop-off in Saunders' stuff -- baseball-speak for a hurler's repertoire or quality of pitches -- despite his numbers being down this season: He is 6-10 with a 4.52 ERA in 20 starts.
Saunders, a resident of Chandler, Ariz., will join the D-backs on Tuesday and pitch Thursday in Philadelphia. Rodrigo Lopez is likely to take Haren's spot on Tuesday, with Edwin Jackson throwing on Wednesday. Rest won't be an issue with the D-backs idle Monday. Interim manager Kirk Gibson, who would normally confirm the rotation order, declined to speak about Haren's exit and Saunders' arrival, citing the trade's incompletion at the level of the Commissioner's Office.
Pecuniary issues obviously played a part in the exchange: Haren will be compensated $12.75 million over each of the next two seasons and has a $15.5 million club option in 2013, while Saunders is due to make $3.7 million in 2010, though his salary will jump, too, in arbitration going forward.
"We were able to create a better balance and flexibility in the way our dollars have been allocated on our Major League payroll in order to better tend to the different holes that might exist on the club as it stands today," said Dipoto, who wouldn't rule out making more moves prior to the July 31st non-waiver Trade Deadline. "There's no getting around that Dan Haren made more money that Joe Saunders this year."
The Minor Leaguers sent to Arizona earn much less money but could be as significant on the field, if not this season then in the future.
"What we wanted to address with any move that we have made," Dipoto said, "was to take our club today and connect with our prospects for tomorrow, and it's something we grossly needed." So beyond Saunders, what could that future look like?
Rodriguez, 25, is a right-handed reliever who pitched in 18 games in his first Major League stint with the Angels in 2009. He also made a June 14 appearance this season, though he spent much of it at Triple-A Salt Lake, where he was 5-3 with a 3.04 ERA with 10 saves in 50 1/3 innings.
Dipoto said Rodriguez, who throws an above-average fastball, will begin his Arizona tenure at Triple-A Reno, though a callup may not be far along, as the D-backs have the Majors' worst 'pen, statistically speaking.
"We feel like he can step in at any moment and help our bullpen," Dipoto said. "Whether that's the seventh, eighth or ninth member right now remains to be seen."
The 21-year-old Corbin is a left-handed Class A starter who is a year or two further away from joining the big league club. The Angels selected him in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft's second round.
Dipoto said the organization's interest in him during last year's Draft has only heightened since: Corbin was 13-3 with a 3.87 ERA in 20 starts between two Minor League stops. He will report to Class A Visalia in the D-backs' ranks.
"He's a development prospect right now," Dipoto said, adding that Corbin's fastball is above average and that his changeup and breaking pitches are advanced for his age. "We feel excited about his upside."
How did the trade grade out in Haren's mind?
"I've been traded for a group of prospects that have worked out, too," said Haren, who netted six D-backs prospects for the A's in December 2007. "Carlos Gonzalez, he is pretty good. A bunch of those guys are good. I hope it works out for both sides, really."
Andrew Pentis is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text: I'm a 3.0 all court player (hard courts) wanting to increase the power/speed on my swings while keeping around the same level of control as a 6.1 95 16x18 (old black and red one). I did some research and it looks like I will have to drop the stick weight but I don't want to end up with something that is unstable against big hitters. I'm looking to demo the following but please suggest any that you think would be a good fit. Juice 100 BLX Pro Open Pure Drive GT Pure Drive Pure Drive Roddick Aero Pro Drive GT Extreme MP


text:
All quotes tagged Discouraging
(178 quotes found)
"Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success."
"If I had permitted my failures, or what seemed to me at the time a lack of success, to discourage me I cannot see any way in which I would ever have made progress."
"Today's patience can transform yesterday's discouragements into tomorrow's discoveries. Today's purposes can turn yesterday's defeats into tomorrow's determination."
"The most discouraging feature of the mania for book-collecting is, that it grows by what it feeds on, and becomes the more insatiable the more it is gratified."
"At first he was very discouraging, to my astonishment then, but now I fancy he did it as a forlorn hope to check me; he said the whole idea was so disgusting that he could not entertain it for a moment."
"You should not be discouraged; one doe not die of a cold," the priest said to the bishop. The old man smiled. "I shall not die of a cold, my son. I shall die of having lived."
"People who lack the clarity, courage, or determination to follow their own dreams will often find ways to discourage yours."
"If one hater can discourage you to the point that you have to alter your dreams,,, then you weren't meant to go down that path... An army of haters can't stop me from accomplishing my purpose.. Be strong"


text:
Kyndall Jack, 18, and Nicolas Cendoya, 19, were recuperating at separate Orange County hospitals from dehydration and minor injuries on Friday evening after being rescued from the Cleveland National Forest, where they had been missing since Sunday.
Jack was discovered Thursday, after four days of grueling searching, when rescuers suddenly heard a faint female voice calling for help. She was found clinging to a rocky outcropping no bigger than a yoga mat on a near-vertical slope.
Cendoya was rescued late Wednesday after being spotted by hikers. The two had gone missing on Easter, when they called 911 to report they were lost and out of water after wandering off Holy Jim Trail during what they expected would be an easy day hike.
The popular trail is in the Cleveland National Forest, where the dangers of 720 square miles of rugged mountain wilderness run smack up against the planned communities and shopping malls of suburban southeast Orange County.
"I have no doubt that they came out here with the best of intentions ... but this is a complicated environment and before you know it, you're lost," said Lt. Jason Park, an Orange County sheriff's spokesman.
Park added that having civilization so close can lull some hikers into a false sense of security. "It's just as dangerous today out here as it was on Sunday afternoon."
A reserve deputy who suffered a head injury when he fell 60 feet down the canyon remains in serious condition, but is expected to recover from his head injury and other injuries, said Park.
The teens are expected to remain in the hospital for several days.
Jack and Cendoya had parked their car off a dirt road just a few miles from an upscale neighborhood where on Thursday children bounced on trampolines and customers sipped lattes at a Starbucks in an outdoor strip mall.
The two got separated sometime Sunday night and were both found less than a mile from their car and "very, very close" to one another, although they did not know it, said Park.
They haven't been interviewed again since the initial conversations when they were found, and there's less urgency to do it quickly since no one is still missing, Park said.
It's unclear, for example, why Jack and Cendoya went off the well-marked trail and how much water they had with them. It's also unclear how they got separated.
Cendoya said on his Facebook page late Thursday that he was doing OK and not "in as much pain." He said he was grateful that Jack was found, and had been upset thinking about her still being in the forest after his rescue.
Jack had no memory of going hiking or of being with Cendoya, but she suffered no major internal injuries and was listed in good condition at the University of California, Irvine, Medical Center, said hospital spokesman John Murray.
The area where the two got lost is in a section of forest in the Santa Ana Mountains that lies along the border of Orange and Riverside counties southeast of Los Angeles. The trail ranges in elevation from about 2,000 feet to about 4,000 feet.


text:
2011-2012 Undergraduate Catalog
WIU Home > Catalog > 2011 - 2012 > Admission
Credit by External Examination
Western Illinois University grants college level credit to students successfully completing any of the programs listed below prior to enrollment at Western. Students can receive up to 30 semester hours of credit for graduation from military, external testing, or a combination of both.
- College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
- College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB)
- Defense Activity for Nontraditional Education Support (DANTES)
- International Baccalaureate (IB)
- Proficiency Examination Program (PEP)
For specific information related to score requirements and academic areas covered by these programs, contact the Office of Admissions, Sherman Hall 109, telephone (309) 298-3110.


text:
|1081: Zion Chapel, Tonbridge, Kent, England
|Other reports | Comment on this report
|Mystery Worshipper: Roundhead.
The church: Zion Chapel, Tonbridge, Kent, England.
Denomination: Strict Baptist (the noticeboard said "restricted communion").
The building: The facade is classical in a plain, non-conformist style and a stone on the front dates it to 1867. Inside, the worship area was almost square, with pews on three sides around a large central platform/pulpit where the pastor remained throughout.
The church: From conversations after the service, I gathered that many of the congregants were related.
The neighbourhood: The building stands in a wide residential road. A market town since 1259, Tonbridge is well-known for its culture and heritage. The magnificent 13th century Motte and Bailey Castle is still the dominant feature of the town today.
The cast: The pastor, Mr Tim Field, did everything.
|What was the
name of the service?
Morning Worship.
How full was the building?
There were about twenty people, mostly in the back two pews, in a building that might hold 150.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
A man at the door greeted us and shook hands when we came in, and someone in the pew in front explained which books were which.
Was your pew comfortable?
It was a standard pew with a rather soggy pew-length cushion.
How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere?
Quiet and reverential. Clearly worship was a serious business.
What were the exact opening words of the service?
"Let us worship God and seek him in prayer."
What books did the congregation use during the service?
The Psalms of David (metrical version); Gadsby's Hymns; The Bible (Authorized Version). There was also a tune book, and the tune numbers were announced. All the books were bound in black.
What musical instruments were played?
There was an organ, which was a bit underpowered for the size of the chapel.
Did anything distract you?
Of course, this was meant to be the opposite of distracting, but all the adults, especially the women, were very conservatively dressed. As one of us was hatless and in fishnet tights and dangly earrings, we felt rather self-conscious.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or what?
The atmosphere bordered on the dour. The psalm and hymns were played too slowly, and group participation was not encouraged at other times. No one, for example, joined in the amen at the end of the prayers.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
41 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
6 A more rapid delivery might have trimmed a few minutes off the total. We noticed that everyone was taking notes.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon about?
The sermon was on the story of Balaam and Balak, which is found scattered throughout several Old Testament books, notably Numbers and Deuteronomy. The preacher compared Balaam to "another prophet who rode on a donkey" and opined that Balaam should not have gone to work for Balak -- a rather simplistically negative attitude, I felt, toward a man who would not have ended up repeatedly blessing Israel had he acted as the preacher would have preferred. The humorous undertones of the story, with Balak increasingly frustrated by Balaam's antics, went completely unappreciated.
Which part of the service was like being in heaven?
The psalm was Psalm15, which could easily be applied to all mystery worshippers: "Who doth not slander with his tongue, nor to his friend doth hurt, nor yet against his neighbour doth take up an ill report."
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
The first hymn included an unforgiveable rhyme:
Thus through this world of trouble
His saints in safety go.
They count the world a bubble
All vanity below.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
Several people were very friendly, our godless earrings notwithstanding, and the pastor said hello. He looked like he wanted to speak for longer but we made our excuses and left.
How would you describe the after-service coffee?
There was none.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
5 It was too downbeat for me and there was very little engagement with contemporary culture (apart from a sideswipe at the government's social policy, which, like Balaam, encourages sin, apparently).
Did the service make you feel glad to be a Christian?
Yes, despite the above. These were clearly sincere and godly people. We were genuinely moved by their faithfulness to a style to which they presumably feel God calls them, despite its appearing to others to be so out of sync with the world.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days" time?
That there are still congregations in this country where a preacher can argue that "If we can believe that Satan made a serpent speak for him in the Garden of Eden, then we can believe that God made an ass speak for him."


text:
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson: EPA to propose utility carbon rules next year
The top U.S. environmental regulator will propose early next year twice-delayed rules on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, she told the energyNOW television show.
"I can't tell you what the regulations say right now, but what we are planning to do is release them early next calendar year," Lisa Jackson, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, told the program in a segment seen by Reuters that is to be broadcast over the weekend.
The EPA in June delayed the proposed rules on power plants, which are the largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, saying it needed more time after talking with businesses, states and green groups. It delayed them again in September.
Republicans in the House of Representatives have waged a war on EPA clean-air regulations, saying such rules will kill jobs and add costs to businesses suffering in a battered economy.
In September, President Barack Obama directed the EPA to delay a major rule on smog-forming pollutants until 2013, forcing Jackson to embrace a George W. Bush-era smog rule she previously described as legally indefensible.
The move led some environmentalists and health groups to worry the administration would subject other clean-air rules to long delays.
But earlier this month, the EPA sent the planned rules on carbon emissions from new power plants to the White House's Office of Management and Budget for review, a process that can take about 90 days.
The rules could force big coal-burning utilities, including Southern Co and American Electric Power, to use more natural gas, which is lower in carbon emissions, or to invest more in wind and solar power.
Jackson has said the agency's coming slate of clean-air rules can add jobs in technology to deal with smokestack emissions.
Lobbyists for utilities, however, say there is no affordable technology yet that can be bolted on to power plants to cut greenhouse gases.
A process to bury carbon dioxide emissions underground, known as carbon capture and sequestration or CCS, has been suggested as a way to help utilities cut emissions in coming years.
Photo credit: Votingfemale.
Article continues at Reuters.


text:
U.S. weighs retaliation over Europe carbon tax
The Obama administration is laying the groundwork for possible retaliation in response to a European law requiring airlines to pay for carbon emissions.
Discussions between key agencies have ramped up recently, although there is no consensus yet on what, if anything, the U.S. government should do unilaterally or in concert with other nations also upset with the law.
The EU law went into effect on January 1 and requires global airlines to pay for carbon emissions on flights to and from Europe.
Several experts said one option the United States could pursue would involve charging European airlines to maintain U.S. access to pressure EU policymakers. This strategy was used by the United States in a recently concluded dispute with Argentina over landing fees.
"We are contemplating a wide range of possible steps that we could take, or actions that we might take," a senior administration official told Reuters.
"All these are on the table, we haven't decided how to move forward on any specific one," the official said, while declining to give specifics on the possible steps.
U.S. airlines, some of which have already raised fares to offset the EU carbon trading scheme, expect a formal response from the Obama administration.
"We take the White House at their word that they are prepared to take action, which could include a country-to-country legal action, retaliatory measures or any number of steps to urge the withdrawal of the EU's unilateral scheme in favor of a global approach," said Steve Lott, a spokesman for the U.S. industry's leading trade group, Airlines for America.
The State and Transportation departments warned the European Union in December that the administration was prepared to "respond appropriately" if the EU did not reconsider the measure or seek a negotiated settlement through the United Nations.
Neither occurred before the law took effect, prompting outcry from airlines globally. Carriers said the change amounted to a new tax at a time when they are wrestling with historically high fuel costs and softening demand in domestic flights, especially in the United States.
Photo shows a Brussels Airlines aircraft preparing for landing in Cointrin airport during sunrise over the Mont Blanc in Geneva December 1, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Denis Balibouse
Article continues: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/06/us-usa-eu-airlines-idUSTRE8051YU20120106


text: No matter what your feelings about her, I think this is a pretty good read. Especially if you don't care for Mulkey. A sample: "Ray Griner is more blunt. He says his daughter hasn't heard from Mulkey since Baylor's shocking loss to Louisville in this year's NCAA tournament. 'It's about dollar signs,' Ray says. 'There's nothing in it for Kim anymore, so she's done with Brittney'" Contrast that with a tweet sent a couple of hours ago by BF: Bill Fennelly @ISUCoachFen Just had a visit from Pop-so proud of her in so many ways! She WILL find a team to continue her career and they will be lucky to have her! Like I said, it's a pretty good read. Owning The Middle


text:
Thanksgiving 1972 began with Gramps, forever attracted to gadgets with directions written in foreign languages, arriving with his fancy new camera. He insisted that we pose for a family photo. Out of the trunk he hauled a tripod. After searching for the perfect outdoor backdrop, he painstakingly arranged us: "A smidge forward. Chin up. Back a hair-step. Shuffle one toe jog to the left. Now, a rabbit hop to the right. One more. One more. One more. Stop!"
White pines and arborvitaes will drop their needles in the fall after two years. Some species of juniper can keep their needles for 10 years or more. Broadleaf evergreens, such as hollies and magnolias, shed older leaves in spring as new growth begins.
Cooler temperatures mean more people will be using fire pits to keep warm at outdoor events. But fire pits come with their own inherent dangers, and professionals offer a number of safety tips for operating fire pits this winter.
According to the State Farm Insurance Web site, a gas fire pit is a great way to "enjoy the ambience of an outdoor fire without the dangers of burning wood. But just because you're using gas doesn't mean you're in the clear concerning safety."
Canterbury Farms LLC to Winchester Homes of GA Inc., 749 Southwick Ave., $41,000.
Canterbury Farms LLC to Winchester Homes of GA Inc., 743 Southwick Ave., $41,000.
Canterbury Farms LLC to Winchester Homes of GA Inc., 739 Southwick Ave., $41,000.
Canterbury Farms LLC to Winchester Homes of GA Inc., 737 Southwick Ave., $41,000.
Euchee Forest LLC to Ivey Residential LLC, a portion of parcel ID 0622385, $30,500.
Darnelle Antoine Card and Brittney Renee Dempsey applied for a marriage license on Nov. 14, 2014, and were married Nov. 14, 2014, in Evans.
Jonathan Daniel Combs and Megan Elizabeth Weeks applied for a marriage license on Oct. 17, 2014, and were married Nov. 8, 2014, in Harlem.
Jacob Travis Dyer and Amanda Sheila Rickles applied for a marriage license on Oct. 17, 2014, and were married Nov. 8, 2014, in Augusta.
Carmen Gaile Allen and Christopher Jameson Armstrong, Nov. 6, 2014.
Eric Hawthorne and Tiffany Nicole Hawthorne, Oct. 22, 2014.
Jodi Krueger and Scott Krueger, Nov. 13, 2014.
Jeremy Dingman and Melissa Dingman, Nov. 14, 2014.
Jenny G. Tuckett and Jason Tuckett, Nov. 14, 2014.
Elena Maria Hughes and Michael Sean Hughes, Nov. 12, 2014.
Ashlee June Rawls and Rahcory Keon Rawls, Nov. 17, 2014.
Beth Andrea Day and Michael Stephen Day, Nov. 13, 2014.
Lesley Ann Purper and John William Purper IV, Nov. 14, 2014.
The winner of the The Columbia County News-Times Pigskin Picks contest and a $100 Zaxby's gift card will be announced in the Nov. 30 edition. Qualifiers for the gift card are:
Columbia County News-Times ©2018. All Rights Reserved.


text:
" Brand: ELC / Type: Action & Aventure Toys "
* Prices may differ from that shown
A Wild Adventure
The Early Learning Centre have recently revamped their Happyland range, redesigning some of the sets and releasing new additions. Among the new sets is the Happyland Safari Adventures which has a standard retail price of £15. Although I generally never pay full price for Happyland sets, I have to admit that I did for this set, as it was purchased after seeing how much my son loved the Happyland Wild Animals set.
==A Parent's View==
The set of five animals, two vehicles and two characters is supplied in an open-faced box, with the pieces being held in place via elastic bands and a peg system. While I am infinitely grateful that I didn't have to struggle with those stupid plastic ties, the use of the elastic bands does concern me a little, as they are transparent and could pose a distinct choking hazard should they not be correctly disposed of. I also found it quite difficult to release the vehicles as the elastic band were slightly too tightly wound around the wheels.
The animals within the set are all made of a rubber-like material that is tough, tooth resistant and provides a fantastic tactile experience with the detail painted on. The giraffe is, perhaps, the cutest of the five and instantly recognisable, with it's long neck, brown spots and horns. I love the level of detail that goes into all the Happyland characters, and the way these animals look friendly and a little cartoon-like, but are still recognisable as animals. Even the crocodile isn't exactly scary like the real thing, but is still very recognisably a crocodile with it's snout and the ridges along it's back. There is a little bird in the set, we've not quite sure which breed, but with it's bright pink and orange plumage and distinct tropical look, we've christened it a parrot. One animal that looks rather out of place is a horse, at least we think it is a horse, it looks like a horse with it's mane and tail, but it could well be something completely different. The final animal is a monkey, which is the only animal that is completely out of scale, far larger than I feel it should be and took me a while to work out that it was actually a monkey. In fact it is the only animal that my son finds hard to recognise, and he still will not accept that it is a monkey.
There are two vehicles within the set, a quad bike and a Jeep The quad bike is, however, identical to the one supplied in both the quad racing set and add-on farm set that we already own. The quad bike is a good size for little hands to hold, is free-wheeling and has space to carry one character. What I really dislike about this vehicle is that rather than having a hole to hold the character, it utilises a peg system, which matches up with a hole in the base of the character. The trouble with this system is that it is far too difficult for the target age range to push a character into place, in fact I find it awkward, and the characters are prone to popping out at the most importune moments. The Jeep is far better designed, being about the same size as the quad bike and again free-wheeling, with a hole to hold a character in place, which makes it far easier for a child to put characters in. I do feel the amount of thought and detail that has gone into the Jeep is fantastic, from the line green body with black "zebra" stripes, to the roll bars to the spot lights and I especially appreciate that the detail is printed on rather than being formed from stickers as my son has an obsession with peeling and eating stickers.
The two characters within the set are made from the same rubber-like material as the animals and once more have the detailed painted on, and there is a marvellous level of detail. One of the characters is dressed in green to match the Jeep and I just love his moustache, binoculars and pith helmet. The other character is dressed in red (to match the quad bike) and she (we have decided it's female, but there's nothing about her to confirm it) is wearing a shorts set with bulging pockets. What I like about these characters is that there is neither gender nor ethnic stereotyping so any child will be able to relate to them.
From a parent's point of view, this is a well-made set that offers plenty of scope for imaginative play, although I am a little disappointed that we now have three identical quad bikes and feel that it wouldn't have been too much to ask for the ELC to have at least made it a different colour. But as with any toy, it's not just my opinion that counts....
==A Toddler's View==
Although two year old Freddy absolutely loves his Happyland toys, he has a significant developmental delay and is on the autistic spectrum, has very limited imagination and role playing skills and doesn't exactly play with them as intended. One of Freddy's favourite day trips is to the zoo, where he loves to watch the animals, in fact he seems to relate far better to animals than people (no matter how big or small).
With his love of visiting the zoo and fascination of animals, it was absolutely a no brainer that Freddy was going to love this set. The vehicles are the perfect size for Freddy to hold and he loves to push them around the room, often deliberately making them crash into each other. As I suspected, he finds it easy to put characters into the Jeep, but quickly gets frustrated with the peg system used in the quad bike. This means that while the Jeep will regularly have a driver, the Quad bike is generally driver-less. There is also room on the back of the Jeep for one of the smaller animals (or another character) to perch and Freddy will regularly take them for drives around the room.
As for the animals, Freddy absolutely adores them and can recognise and bring four out of the five when asked. This is an absolutely fantastic achievement, as before receiving this set (and the Wild Animals), Freddy had never brought over anything when asked, let alone shown any shared interest. Of all the animals, I would say that the giraffe is his absolute favourite and the one he will pick out first, even if it is hidden at the bottom of his toy box. But he will also bring the other animals over when asked, especially if given lots of praise and if he is rewarded by animal sounds or songs involving the animal. The crocodile has become an essential prop when singing "Row, Row The Boat" especially when we come to the second verse. When combined with the Wild Animals set, the Safari Adventure set is perfect for when we talk about the zoo as between them they contain most of the animals we look at most often. Freddy is non-verbal, so these animals are excellent tools for Freddy to tell me what animals he wants to seen, or tell his Daddy what he has seen.
Freddy is not a child that takes particular care with his toys, in fact we often joke that if his toys survive an hour with Freddy, then they would survive a lifetime with any other child. To say that he is overly enthusiastic is a bit of an understatement, he still mouths everything, so they have to survive being chewed, he obsessionally peels off any stickers (and eats them) and regularly uses anything he can as steps to reach higher. This set has managed to survive everything that Freddy has thrown at it, each character and animal has been chomped on, without any sign of teeth marks or paint flaking. The vehicles have been thrown across the room, regularly crashed into each other (and everything else including the walls) and stood on to reach to see out of the window, again without any sign of damage. What I especially like about this set is that there are no stickers for Freddy to peel off and although he has attempted to peel off the printed decoration, so far he has not succeeded.
I'm pretty certain that Freddy's opinion is much the same as mine, in that this is nice set that is fun to play with and unlike me he is not bothered that the quad bike is identical to two he already owns, but he does find the peg system in the quad bike frustrating. So I think, if he could tell me, he would give the Happyland Safari Adventure four and a half stars out of five.
==An Developmental View==
The Early Learning Centre bill this set as being suitable for children over the age of eighteen months and personally I feel this is on the over-cautious side. Freddy has been playing with Happyland toys since he was about ten months and even now he is only at about a year developmentally. There is nothing about this set that would cause a danger to younger children and while they may not use the pieces to their full potential, these younger children will enjoy exploring the pieces and even chewing on the animals. There was a time when the ELC put an upper age suggestion of four years on all Happyland sets, they no longer do this, but I would say that for the developmentally appropriate child four years would be about the age that they begin to lose interest and want something more realistic. Of course, with his developmental delay, I expect that Freddy will be playing with this set far beyond the age of four.
While a child will learn no matter what toys they have, certain toys will enhance their learning potential and the ELC claims that this set will aid development in three main areas, Social Skills, Discovering The World and Imagination, which I would agree with completely. Social Skills are encouraged as this set is perfect for sharing, whether with another child or an adult and we have very personal proof of how this has helped Freddy's social skills with his shared interest in the animals. As with many of the Happyland sets, this will help your child make sense of an everyday situation (in this case a visit to the zoo) and then allow them to develop their imagination as they recreate days out or simply make up stories about the animals and characters. What the ELC don't state is that this set will also encourage gross motor skills as the child pushes the vehicles around, fine motor skills as they put the characters in and out of the vehicles and even helps the child learn a little about nature as they learn to name the animals.
==Final Words==
This is yet another lovely add-on set from the Happyland range and one that deserves a place in any child's collection. Freddy absolutely adores the animals and quite appreciates the characters and vehicles too. As with all Happyland sets, the Safari Adventure is incredibly durable and designed with the preschooler in mind. Although the £12 price tag is a little on the high side, you do get value for money with the number of different pieces in the set, and unlike many add-on sets this can be played with on it's own (but is far better in combination with the Wild Animals). Freddy and I can't recommend this set enough and are giving it four and a half stars out of five (rounded up to five), as we've loved it so much that we've bought the zoo to put away for Christmas.


text:
Test Instrument Emulator
Extend the lifetime of your legacy test systems with test instrument emulation
With the WinTE-7000 instrument emulator from WinSoft you can now incorporate the price/performance advantages of Keysight's latest instrumentation in your legacy systems without the cost and time penalties of software modification, redesign and validation.
- Test instrument emulator extends life of legacy test equipment
- Emulates multiple and different instruments simultaneously
- Works with wide range of Keysight instruments
- Supports legacy languages including ATLAS, HP-BASIC and FORTRAN
- Available as 1U-high 19 inch rack and PXI slot 0 controller
- Use latest Keysight instruments without software modification or redesign
- Extends lifetime of legacy test systems
- Request more information and Keysight's partner, WinSoft, will contact you to discuss your requirements in more detail.
Documents & Downloads
Test Instrument Emulator
Co-branded Solutions Partner brochure with WinSoft Inc.
Brochure 2012-05-11


text:
Showing {{searchResults.length}} results. Please try again with other keywords.
Showing {{searchResults.length}} results. More results may be available, please refine your search.
(59) Customer Reviews
Price Range: USD $109.99 to $313.99
Enter zip/postal code to calculate shipping amount
You'll receive an alert as soon as this item is available for order.
Scorpion Zero - Pirelli New 4X4 Technology
A unique, ultra high performance tire for the latest generation sport utility vehicles and light trucks.Predominantly for on-road use, Scorpion Zero offers high speed comfort, low noise levels, precision handling and quick steering response. Its technical characteristics ensure maximum performance, safety and excellent traction. The exclusive "Z" tread pattern, low profile and characteristic yellow scorpion on the sidewall, make this eye-catching design the ideal choice for the ultimate 4x4 change-overs, including those with wider alloy wheels. A class leader, Scorpion Zero gives expression to the most powerful 4WD with all the Pirelli style and safety.
DO NOT PURCHASE THESE TIRES! They were stock tires on recently purchased LR4. Were bald by 18,000 miles. Failed inspection at 20,000 miles. Completely unreliable. Pirelli does not warranty these tires. Complete waste of money. Avoid at all cost. Land Rover has contract with them, so ask for ANY OTHER tire before taking the car off their lot. You will almost certainly need new tires by 1 year. Horrible in the snow.
Size: 255/50R20
made this review on 2/13/2017 and is a
Cautious, Reserved Driver
I purchased these tires for my wife's suv. In 4000 miles these tires have worn down to 2/32nd in the rear and 6/32 in the front. My wife is the safest driver I have ever met, I assure you she isn't drag racing her suv on the weekends. I have been forced to buy a new pair of tires, and have only had them for 10 months, which means another grand out the door. This is pathetic, and when I called Pirelli I was told that I have the Asimmetrico tires (which I don't) then I was told all scorpion zero tires are high performance and offer no warranty at all, and the best they could do is offer me 10% off my next set of tires. What a Joke. I have 4 cars, three of which have Pirelli tires on them and once the tread ware on each of them warrants replacement I will not be going back to Pirelli.
Size: 275/55R19
made this review on 9/7/2016 and is a
Cautious, Reserved Driver
Australian driver - very experienced off-road here. I use my diesel FL2/Freelander 2 for long trips, gravel, exploring, and some suburban running. These are simply the best tires for this vehicle, for everything but wear. (Can't comment on snow, but...) Most notable feature; for a high-speed tire, their grip in clay/mud is astonishing. Would probably work equally well with the 'Discovery Sport'. Suit someone who actually does go off-road (but the best off-road tyres are on r17). Not cheap, but one can get bargains on-line. Recommended with caveats. Got about 30,000km.
Size: 235/60R18
Vehicle: 2011 Land Rover LR2 4 Dr Sport Utility Base with 30000 KM of Tire Wear
made this review on 3/31/2016 and is a
Confident, Experienced Driver
In Australia so snow isn't an issue. Long distances and hot weather are though. Car handles well enough but was disappointed with the durability. OEM tyres lasted 40,000 km while the Pirellis were pretty much gone at 30,000 km. To be fair this might have been partially due to a not so flash wheel alignment. Am going to try another brand this time.
Vehicle: 2011 Kia Sorento 4 Dr Sport Utility SX 18" option with 30000 KM of Tire Wear
made this review on 1/1/2015 and is a
Confident, Experienced Driver
To see all 59 reviews on tire reviews page
Treadlife Warranty
None OR See Qualified Warranty Tires
Uniformity Warranty
1 Year / First 2/32" of wear
Workmanship Materials Warranty
Unlimited Time / Free replacement first year or 2/32" wear, then prorated until 2/32" remaining depth
Manufacturers Road Hazard Warranty
Only for Run-Flat Tires Only (1 Year / First 2/32" wear then prorated)
Manufacturer Warranty Brochure
Download Brochure (PDF)
Manufacturer Special Warranty
Special Notes:
Warranty information provided may be innacurate, or may be out of date. Please see official manufacturer's warranty brochure for specific details.
New vehicle Original Equipment tire warranties often differ from those covering replacement tires. Consult your vehicle documents to confirm Original Equipment tire warranty coverage.
All orders are verified for fitment guarantee
Verified by tire & wheel expert
We honor the fitment.
If your vehicle information is present on your order, we will verify fitment to qualify you for the 100% Fitment Guarantee. If your order arrives and the tires or wheels do not fit your vehicle, we will honor an exchange and pay for freight for the return and new set.If there are concerns about your order we will contact you about potential fitment issues.
Our Fitment Guarantee applies to orders that come with full vehicle information (Year, Make Model, Sub-Model). If you are confident that the vehicle information is not necessary for your order, we will proceed without checking fitment. However, in the event there is a fitment issue with your order, we will honor a return/exchange, as per our
return / refund policy.
You will be responsible for freight charges (both ways).


text:
[photogallerylink id=120802]
TV's biggest night came and went faster than a blink of an eye.
There were big wins on stage for Modern Family, Mad Men, and more.
But you know what will last forever? The good, the bad, and OMG fashion choices!
Who was a hit and who was a miss? Check out our list!
Julie Bowen
We thought the Modern Family mom looked fab in this Oscar de la Renta gown, but Carson brought up a good point: is she looking a little too skinny?
Controversy aside, Julie brought something unique to the red carpet and also took home the ultimate prize…a brand new, shiny Emmy!
Kate Winslet
Can we just say…WOW!
Kate brought Hollywood glamour to the Emmys without going overboard.
The cap-sleeved Elie Saab design fit her like a glove…what do you think?
Nina Dobrev
Nina went from small-time CW star to full-on fashionista last night with one amazing Donna Karan dress.
She had to step up her game to compete with the girls from Glee and her hard work certainly paid off.
Not pictured: her sexiest red carpet accessory, boyfriend and co-star Ian Somerhalder!
[lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Lea Michele[/lastfm]
Clearly, red was the trend of the evening and the star of Glee went with a high-fashion Marchesa frock for the big show.
We love the embellished shoulders, but it was the beautifully-draped back that really sold us!
Sofia Vergara
Seriously, how hot is this Colombian beauty?
We still can't believe that Sofia's 39 years old!
The Vera Wang gown hugged her curves in all the right places and we can only hope she that she keeps flaunting all her best assets for years to come!
Heidi Klum
We applaud the Project Runway host for collaborating with Christian Siriano, a former winner, but this beige gown looked a little bit like a head of lettuce!
It's hard for the stunning supermodel to look bad in anything, but this was just a little too out there for our taste!
Minka Kelly
Is it just us, or is this dress a tad too drab for the Emmys?
All that black and blue and lace felt like we were at a funeral.
The newly-single Charlie's Angel should be more festive for a night like this!
Heather Morris
Our favorite Glee cheerleader usually always makes our best-dressed list, but we did not love this ruffled number that she brought to the red carpet last night.
Plus, the hair is a little too Bride of Frankenstein, if you ask us!
Jayma Mays
We're all for the ultra-girly look, but this Zuhair Murad creation is too, too, too much!
There's the pink hue, the tiered tulle, the lace, and the high illusion neckline, so it comes off a like a little girl at a fancy tea party.
Gwyneth Paltrow
This gown left us feeling, well, confused.
Exposed midriff? Isn't that so [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Britney Spears[/lastfm], circa 2000?
Our buddy Perez Hilton even went as far to say that it made her look like she had a muffin top! Ouch!
- Who was your favorite hot mess or fierce fashionista strutting down the red carpet last night? Tell us all about it in the comments!
If you liked this story, you may also enjoy:


text:
adam@red:~/.cpan/build$ perlver Catalyst-5.33/
Funny you should mention Perl::MinimumVersion, as I would liked to have used it. Its another that is on my list with dependency failures. Unfortunately Test::SubCalls is failing the same tests as imacat's report [perl.org], except mine fails on Windows, Perl 5.6.1.
I have been doing the checking by hand previously and noting to the authors that it really does work for 5.6.1, however I had planned to write something that can do that (using Perl::MinimumVersion) to check a distribution as soon as it produces a NA repor
That should perhaps feature a bit more prominently in their docs I think.
However, I was only cpan-testing Catalyst and related modules, so manual intervention wasn't the plan. It just means I don't test anything Catalyst dependent anymore.
Reading the fix, I'm more inclined to get frustrated that there isn't an independent release for some core modules, so that those of us who can't upgrade past 5.6.1 can still get the benefit of fixes. If these fixes to Class::Struct work fine on 5.6.1, why is there a dependency now on 5.8.7?


text:
During trading today, both the Transportation sector (IYT) and the S&P500 showed little movement.
Continue Reading Below
While being down today, the ETF, as a proxy for sector performance, tracked closer to the overall market today than over the past month. Entering today's trading, IYT was up 2.3% over the last thirty trading days while the S&P 500 was down 4.2%.
Increasing 5.7% (+$1.05) to close at $19.45, United Continental Holdings (UAL) was a major gainer in the sector. Today, 7.7 million shares traded hands. The stock traded in a range of $18.29 to $19.60. The stock is down over the last two months, having fallen $4.73 (-19.6%) from a price of $24.18 on June 21, 2012.
Quality Distribution (QLTY) fell 3.3% to close at $10.07, crossing its 50-day moving average of $10.05. Meanwhile, US Airways Group (LCC) climbed 5.1% to close at $10.59, moving past its 200-day moving average of $10.22.
Delta Air Lines (DAL) rose 3.6% to close at $9.46, approaching its 50-day moving average of $9.83. It has also moved closer to its 200-day moving average of $10.16. J.B. Hunt Transport Services (JBHT) fell 1.5% to close at $54.57, moving down to 0.1% above its 200-day moving average of $54.54.
Swift Transportation Company (SWFT) was a major loser in the sector, falling 4% (-35 cents) to close at $8.41 with 1.2 million shares moving. The stock traded between $8.38 and $8.74. The stock has lost momentum over the last three months, losing $1.98 (-19.1%) from $10.39 on May 23, 2012.


text:
BREA With the defeat of a multi-million-dollar bond still fresh, Brea Olinda Unified officials might soon again ask voters to pass a new measure to generate revenue for the district's high-performing schools.
Planning for a potential bond election is in the early stages. It is not yet clear how much the school district would seek from property owners, school district officials said, likely for upgrading school facilities and classroom technology.
If approved by the school board, the measure could be put before voters in June or November next year, said board member Alicia Maciel.
"With state funding as it is, we find ourselves in a place where we need to continue to bring revenue into our district to keep our schools moving forward and keep up with 21st-century demands," Maciel said. "We're looking at the best approach and learning from our experience with Measure E."
In June 2012, officials put Measure E, a $54 million bond aimed at upgrading facilities, in front of voters. The measure failed, with 51.6 percent of voters striking it down. School district bond measures in California need 55 percent to pass.
Brea Olinda, which has nine campuses and serves students in kindergarten through high school, will embark on a communication campaign with residents before placing any bond on a ballot, Maciel said.
"It's very important to align with what you're proposing to do with the interest of the community," Maciel said. "Communication is going to be very critical."
Board President Rod Todd did not respond to requests for comment.
The school board discussed election planning at a Feb 25 meeting and interviewed election consultants at a special meeting on March 26. Once a consultant has been selected, random polling to gauge support of a potential bond could start within several months.
"It's still early and we're at a very, very preliminary stage," said Brea Olinda Superintendent A.J. "Skip" Rowland.
Community surveys would likely determine what projects the district will earmark for funding, Rowland added.
In 2000, California voters lowered the voting percentage required for approval of school bonds from 67 percent to 55 percent. Last year, voters passed 113 of 140 California school bonds.
Although it is not yet clear what a bond measure would fund if approved by voters, a 20-year master plan published by the district last year detailed potential projects. They included replacing modular classrooms with permanent buildings, upgrading school-security systems, remodeling aging classrooms and improving internet access.
The 5,900-student district's last school bond, for $27 million, was passed in 1999. Under that measure, due to expire in 2029, property owners pay up to $28 per $100,000 assessed valuation. By the start of the 2011-2012 school year, all proceeds generated from the bond had been used or earmarked for projects.
"The board is taking this opportunity very seriously," Maciel said. "We want to get it right, and we're doing our due diligence."
Contact the writer: 714-704-3719 or firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Donald Trump's presidential election stirred anti-union sentiments in California, NBC News reported.
YesCalifornia, which is pushing for California to secede and become a separate country, staged a daylong "informational session" Wednesday outside the State Capitol in Sacramento.
The organization, a political action committee formed in August 2015, is working for a referendum on the 2019 state ballot that would start the long path to legal secession.


text:
Garden Talk: November 6, 2008
From NGA Editors
New Colored Bergenia
Bergenia is a beautiful, low-growing perennial with dark green or burgundy evergreen leaves and vibrant pink flowers in spring. Now, there is a new selection that adds even more color to this popular perennial.
?Lunar Glow? starts off spring with bright, creamy yellow leaves; the foliage keeps its golden color until fall, when it turns an attractive burgundy red. The leaves contrast nicely with the pink flowers. ?Lunar Glow? bergenia is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9, grows well in part shade on well-drained soil, and looks best as a massed planting along a border or on a bank.
For more information on ?Lunar Glow? bergenia, go to: Terranova Nursery.
Instant Weather Reporting
Looking for the perfect holiday gift for the weather geek in the family? The Weather Direct Wireless Weather Station will delight any weather guru and will be of interest to all gardeners who are looking for the best local weather information.
The Weather Direct Wireless Weather Station features the time, date, indoor and outdoor temperatures, daily high and low temperatures, sunrise and sunset times, and the current forecast for more than 40,000 locations in the United States and Canada. The 5-inch-wide by 5-inch-tall device runs on 2 ?C? batteries and doesn?t require a computer or wireless setup. The range is 330 feet, allowing you to place the monitor anywhere it?s convenient in your house.
For more information on this nifty gift idea, go to: Ambient Weather .
Grapes May Help Lower Blood Pressure
Eating grapes has been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Now, it seems that grapes are useful for lowering blood pressure as well. Researchers at the University of Michigan fed rats a combination of dried table grape powder, hydrazine (a hypertension medication), and salty foods. The dried grape powder made up 3 percent of the rat?s diet.
After 18 weeks it was found that, in general, rats on a dried grape powder-enriched diet had lower blood pressure, better heart function, and less inflammation than rats on the other diets. Even though rats on the high salt/grape powder and high salt/hydrazine diet still developed high blood pressure, their systolic pressure was lower in the grape powder group than on the control group on only a high salt diet.
Researchers believe it?s the flavonoids and anti-oxidants in grapes that have the beneficial effect on high blood pressure and heart health.
For more information on this research, go to: WebMD.
Does Buying Local Foods Really Save Energy?
Buying locally produced foods is the trend for those of us interested in reducing our carbon footprint and our impact on the environment. The theory is that buying local foods reduces energy use compared to buying food shipped across the country. Most produce is shipped, on average, 1500 miles from farm to market. Most people assume that the fewer miles produce travels to market, the less fuel used. However, researchers at Ohio State University?s rural sociology program believe the impact on the environment may be less clear cut.
There may be some variables that make buying local less efficient when it comes to energy consumption. One of the factors involves economies of scale. A fully loaded tractor trailer can haul 38,000 pieces of produce. The energy savings of a loaded freight car on rail is even more. Compare the energy consumption per unit with that of dozens of pickup trucks hauling small loads of produce to farmer?s markets and individual stores. Although the energy savings advantage is still in the local farmer?s favor, is may be less than you?d think.
Another factor is the amount of energy used by the consumers of the produce. While going to a farmer?s market offers many social and community building benefits, one stop shopping at a grocery store probably uses less gas than making multiple stops at various markets or going to a farmer?s market or local farm to purchase just a few items.
The researchers still were in favor of supporting locally grown produce, but cautioned against assuming huge energy savings.
For more information on this paper, go to: Ohio State Extension.


text:
Elk Mountains > Castle Peak > Climber's Log
Castle Peak Climber's Log
[ Sign the Climber's Log ]
|Matt Lemke
|via NE ridge
Date Climbed: Sep 18, 2011
|A great day of clear fall weather after a week of not so great weather. Snow and ice on the ridge made the ascent interesting. We coupled in Corundrum as well.
|Posted Sep 18, 2011 9:37 pm
|NE Ridge from main TH, w/Conundrum
Date Climbed: Sep 11, 2011
|Did this from the very start of the road on a cold and mostly overcast morning with some light snow falling. Winter is coming fast!
|Posted Sep 12, 2011 12:25 am
Date Climbed: Jul 18, 2005
|You can drive fairly high on this one. Reached the summit in less than two hours with Alex. A good intro 14er. One of the best summit views, and near perfect conditions.
|Posted Aug 4, 2011 11:01 am
|Northeast Ridge
Date Climbed: Jul 31, 2011
|I climbed Castle with my fellow CMC BMS student, Marco. This was my first time in the Elks. We camped below site 3 along the road and hiked all the way from there. We started around 4:45AM and arrived at the summit at 9:30. We had planned to do Conundrum, but the clouds were already rolling in, and the glissade back into the basin looked pretty dodgy, so we had to be content with Castle only. We we able to hitch a ride from the uppermost parking lot back to our campsite. I'll be back sometime to do Conundrum, when snow conditions are better.
|Posted Aug 1, 2011 2:19 pm
|Castle Moat
Date Climbed: Jun 16, 2011
|Did the ol' Castle Moat to conundrum traverse in ideal conditions. It was very sloppy snow in the lower parts of the hike.
|Posted Jun 22, 2011 2:57 pm
|Nice day
Date Climbed: Jun 11, 2011
|An easy hike over from Conundrum.
|Posted Jun 12, 2011 12:49 am
|From Montezuma Basin
Date Climbed: Aug 30, 1981
|Climbed with my Father
|Posted Jun 6, 2011 4:27 pm
|Conundrum Couloir to Castle Peak
Date Climbed: Aug 1, 2010
|fun, with tyler, our first couloir
|Posted Mar 19, 2011 1:48 pm
|Route Climbed: Conundrum Traverse
Date Climbed: Aug 14, 2010
|After a nasty fall on Conundrum I reached this summit on a bloody, swollen knee cap!
|Posted Jan 14, 2011 11:57 pm
|with castle the other big C
Date Climbed: Sep 12, 2010
|amazing september day
|Posted Jan 13, 2011 12:43 am
|Castle and Conundrum
Date Climbed: Jul 18, 2010
|Traversed from Conundrum. Climbed Conundrum over 5th class slabs from a notch in the North Ridge.
|Posted Dec 18, 2010 9:58 pm
|2nd try
Date Climbed: Oct 2, 2010
|Got blown off about 300' from the top only a month earlier. Glad to make it on the 2nd attempt.
|Posted Oct 11, 2010 12:25 am
|Castle/Conundrum combo
Date Climbed: Sep 26, 2010
|Summited Castle via Northeast Ridge. Continued on to Conundrum, then returned back the same way. Nice hiking/scrambling with a little bit of snow, great weather, gorgeous views!
|Posted Sep 27, 2010 11:58 am
|Up East and to Conundrum
Date Climbed: Sep 1, 2010
|A bit of new snow, went up the Northeast ridge, traversed to Conundrum and down the saddle, I was surprised by the depth and size of the crevases in the snow field going all the way into the tarn.
|Posted Sep 1, 2010 6:47 pm
Date Climbed: Jul 29, 2010
|Climbed with Katie in moderate clouds. Nice summit and my first time in the Elks
|Posted Aug 25, 2010 3:24 pm
|Along with Conundrum
Date Climbed: Aug 15, 2010
|Climbed along with Conundrum Peak. In my opinion, these two peaks were the easiest 14ers I've climbed so far. I wasn't even sore after wards, it was great and the weather was fantastic. The hardest part about this climb was descending the ice field below the Castle-Conundrum saddle. It was very slippery with lots of falling rock.
|Posted Aug 17, 2010 5:21 am
|Awesome day at the Castle! :0)
Date Climbed: Jul 5, 2010
|Couldn't have asked for a better day.
Nice to get up in the altitudes again, where the air is crisp, cool, clean, and thin!
The slide down was great fun too.
|Posted Jul 30, 2010 12:23 pm
Date Climbed: Jul 24, 2010
|Good summer day, enjoyed the scramble and the view.
|Posted Jul 26, 2010 1:07 am
|NE ridge
Date Climbed: Jun 21, 2010
|Snow made this much more pleasant, with 2 glissades on the way down. Trip report
|Posted Jun 21, 2010 3:50 pm
|via Conundrum
Date Climbed: Jun 5, 2010
|This was a very easy 400' scramble from the north ridge.
|Posted Jun 7, 2010 10:33 am


text:
Danks pleased with sharpness of cutter
By Scott Merkin / MLB.com
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Thursday's three-inning scoreless effort for John Danks against the Mariners simply marked the southpaw's first 2014 Cactus League appearance, with his scheduled debut rained out last Saturday.
But Danks already noticed a significant difference in comparison to his 22 starts from 2013, when he was making a comeback from arthroscopic shoulder surgery in August 2012. That difference centers on his cutter.
"We actually worked on throwing it to both sides of the plate, and that was effective," Danks said. "It was around the zone, had a sharp break on it. That's where I expected to be at this point. Keep on improving, but I'm really pleased with how it was so far."
As far as specific refinement with the cutter, Danks said it was about strengthening and "being able to get my arm where it needs to be, and have enough behind it to spin it right and make it move."
"Last year, I had trouble spinning it, and it was backing up on me and getting hit," Danks said. "This year, I'm able to drive the ball where I want, and that was proved being able to throw it to both sides of the plate with the sharp break on it."
Harrelson pays tribute to Fregosi
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- When White Sox television play-by-play announcer Ken "Hawk" Harrelson first heard about Jim Fregosi's untimely passing, he admitted that, "I cried."
"Jimmy and I were really close, obviously," said Harrelson of Fregosi, who passed away on Feb. 14 after experiencing a stroke on a cruise. "But on one side of the page, I'm just glad he didn't have to suffer loss of quality of life. That's the good thing about it.
"Baseball is going to miss him. Everybody loves Jimmy. He always had, he had more b.s. than I did. That was one of the reasons we got along so well."
Harrelson was general manager of the White Sox in 1986 when he hired Fregosi in-season to replace Tony La Russa as manager. One of the reasons for the hire was that Fregosi understood pitching about as well as any manager Harrelson has ever witnessed. Fregosi managed through the 1988 season with the White Sox, compiling a 193-226 record.
"He was a terrific asset to the game, and that's the way you judge people. Was he a negative or a positive?" Harrelson said. "He was a positive. He was very instrumental in the success of the Braves. I don't think they made a move without him. I know [Braves president John] Schuerholz adored him. So I'm just going to remember him for all the good things."
There was a lot of good living put into Fregosi's 71 years by his friend's estimation.
"Let me tell you what, he did," said Harrelson with a smile. "He put about 120 [years] into 71."
Closer uncertainty to remain until options healthy
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Ask White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper about the team's closer situation and he quickly features an incredulous look, as if such a question makes no sense with three weeks left in Spring Training.
"It's a real long way to go," Cooper said. "And we haven't had our guys out there."
Nate Jones, who has been sidelined since the start of camp with a moderate left glute strain, officially made the list of Cactus League pitchers for Saturday's home game against the D-backs. Daniel Webb, who returned home because of a death in the family, is expected back in the coming days, while Mitchell Boggs allowed two runs in his one inning of work against the Mariners on Thursday.
Matt Lindstrom was shut down after aggravating a left oblique strain while playing long toss Tuesday. But Cooper pointed out what manager Robin Ventura has already mentioned in that there's still plenty of time for Lindstrom to get healthy.
"We are taking precautionary stuff with Lindstrom," Cooper said. "Prior to him having trouble, he was throwing the ball extremely well, but we want him out there when he's right."
"I just want to get them all back and get them going on a regular basis. That's what they need, first and foremost. The naming of jobs, that's going to come last."
Ventura understands that there won't be a large closing sample size to choose from because of their lack of work.
"At that point, you try to figure that out when they get healthy and they start throwing," Ventura said. "Right now, I would say I don't have a large sample size for everybody."
Third to first
• Courtney Hawkins, the team's first-round pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, made his Cactus League debut Thursday at Camelback Ranch. Hawkins played left field and struck out looking in the eighth against Tom Wilhelmsen during the Mariners' 7-4 victory.
• Danks threw to catcher Adrian Nieto for the first time in a game situation Thursday at Camelback Ranch and gave the Rule 5 pickup high marks.
"There were a couple of times we kind of got off-kilter together, but he's willing to move around, willing to call anything," said Danks. "He talked to me before the game about what we wanted to work on and made sure to keep going back to that if there was any doubt. He helped me out a lot today, and he's a good ballplayer."
Ventura said that Nieto looks good catching, while the switch-hitter looks a little stronger hitting from the left side at this point.
• Ventura joked about Jose Abreu hitting his first home run, against the Royals on Thursday, without him in attendance.
"Apparently I need to go away and he'll hit homers," Ventura said. "But I do plan on being at every game, so hopefully he can hit them when I'm around."
Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Merk's Works, and follow him on Twitter @scottmerkin. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Hi Guys
I'm a newbie in databases and SQL worl. I have a problem. I've spent 12 hours but couldn't find the solution.
Can anyone give me a sample code, or show me the right direction please?
Here is the scenario:
I will need to find out the number of goals a player has scored in year 2009, and display various information about him such as name, shirt no etc.
The only part I couldn't figure out is the bit where I have to add all the goals scored by a certain player, and display his name, position, total number of goals scored in 2009, and shirt no.
I will be grateful if anyone can help me on this, otherwise I'm going to go mad.
sorry, we won't do your homework for you
show us what you've tried and what kind of problems you're having
Hi "r37"
Sorry for not including the code in the first place.
This is what i've done so far:
SELECT players.name, teams.teamName, performance.shirtNo, players.position, performance.goals FROM players, performance, teams WHERE goals = (SELECT MAX(goals) FROM performance) AND players.teamID = teams.teamID AND players.teamID = performance.teamID;
E.g:Which results in:
name - teamName - shirtNo - position - goalsHenry - Barcelona - 9 - FW - 9
This information is based on the maximum goal in the performance table. But I need to add all the goals scored by each player individualy and display the above information based on the highest goal (E.g. total goals scored by the player with the teamID=2).
I've used "COUNT()," "SUM() GROUP BY teamID" statement, I can count the number of goals scored by each player, but I can't combine the two code. (E.g Count the goals for each player, display the above infromation based on the highest goal) I've looked into JOIN, subqueries and I just couldn't figure it out.
Hope this helps.
sorry, i don't understand what this means
Lets say we've got a "playedMatches" table. This table stores each player's performance based on number of goals scored, minutes played etc with a unique teamID and playedMatchesID. If a player has played in 3 matches, the table will store player's performance for each of those 3 matches. What I want to do is, add the goals for each player, and display information from 3 different tables based on that player (or who ever has scored the highest goals).
Is this even possible in mysql?
To be more precise, I want to sum all the goals in the performance table, then group by to see who has scored the highest goals, and display that players name shirt number, position etc. ( which is held in 3 different tables )
In the above example, I can display a players information who has scored the highest goals in a single game, but i need to display the player who has scored the most goals in all games.
Does that make sense? If not I'll try explaining it again
and how is that explanation not satisfied by your query in which you have
WHERE goals = (SELECT MAX(goals) FROM performance)
[quote="r937,post:6,topic:53380"]and how is that explanation not satisfied by your query in which you have
But I need to add the goals before finding the MAX goals, and thats what I can't seem to figure out. I need to add the goals for each player, then find the highest. I've uploaded a screenshot, the player with the teamID = 2 has played two games, in the first game he has scored 4 goals, in the second game he has scored 5 goals, now I need to add these two games (for each player) then find the highest.
Sorry to be a hadache
show me the query which computes the total goals for each player
select name,shirtno,position,SUM(goals) from players p LEFT JOIN playerPerformance pp on pp.shirtNo = p.shirtNo LEFT JOIN playedMatches pm on pm.matchID=pp.matchID group by shirtNo
try this one this will give you what u want
,SUM(IF(YEAR(pm.date) = 2009,pp.goals,0)) goals_09
,SUM(pp.goals) lifetime_goals
players p
playerPerformance pp
p.shirtNo = pp.shirtNo
playerMatches pm
pp.matchID = pm.matchID
i think sircez's assignment was due today...
no it's next week, I've actually done it, but it was pure guess work and help from you guys, and trying out different statements for the last 7 days.
I'm trying to understand the code now, but I still don't get LEFT JOIN, subqueries, nested queries etc. So I'm looking those up, but the assignment is done never the less, will hand it in next week, thank you guys
Can you suggest me some tutorials or books on this stuff? I want to be comfortable with SQL, also there's an exam soon :shifty:
Many thanks again to all of you.
hmm... a book about SQL... lemme think for a sec...
Found this http://www.sitepoint.com/books/sql1/ , don't know if it's any good but i might try. I want one exclusively for MYSQL, still looking...
Maybe r937 knows if it's any good?
oh yeah, it's awesome
You can't trust his opinion because its bias. :rofl:
I'm a disciple of the book author