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With respect to the Sage of the Six Paths, he might have been known as a God among Humans, who taught them everything there is to know about Ninjutsu and saved the world from utter destruction with his Senjutsu.
A Prophet, if you will. By sealing the Juubi inside himself, he did what no other human could ever do, he transcended humanity, truly becoming a God. But was he really on the level of a Real God?
Will Naruto and Sasuke, truly become Gods of Humanity?
It has been hinted various times by Kishi, by comparing Naruto and Sasuke to them:
Are these the end result of this comparison:
Or is there more to come?


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Quote:not trying to be critical but could you link us to some examples of the kind of movement you are refering to?Im interested what in what your eluding to.
Quote:good luck with your study - sounds interesting, what Ryu are you training in?
Quote:Sounds like he is talking about how we generate power in White Crane. Generally we call it shaking power, but there's more to it than shaking (and I can't think of any of the other names right now). I don't deal in clips, so I don't have any to share, but I can look around. -h
Quote:please look around and post links, a picture supports words well in the format of forum life.granted not alot can be learned outside of the dojo, but it can help.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
$3b in shares set to hit the market
Almost $3 billion in shares could hit the market over the next week as the first selling window opens up for the class of 2013-14 initial public offerings, including $1.1 billion in equity from credit score company Veda Group alone.
Big investors usually have to wait a specific, but variable, period of time before they can trade their stake following a float. The rush of IPOs in late 2013 and early 2014 coincides with the significant number of shares that could be released in the week ahead.
Packaging company Pact Group, of which around $465 million of shares are set to come out of escrow on Wednesday, has already gone on the front foot and released a statement asserting Geminder Holdings, its biggest investor, will not be selling. Geminder is the investment vehicle of Raphael Geminder, Pact's chairman. Pact raised $1.7 billion in a float in December.
"The interesting thing about this reporting season is that it triggers the escrow to be removed from a lot of the recent IPOs and hence we expect to see a raft of sell-downs post this reporting season," said Perpetual's deputy head of equities, Paul Skamvougeras.
Not all organisations have been forthcoming around how much skin in the game their investors plan to retain.
The biggest potential source of equity out of escrow will be that of Veda Group which emerged as one of the strongest IPOs from last year. Private equity firm Pacific Equity Partners held 63.5 per cent of the company following the successful float which resulted in a 40 per cent price surge on debut.
Veda has disclosed that more than 500 million shares, valued at $1.1 billion, will be released from voluntary escrow on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the company declined to comment on PEP's intentions in light of the imminent release of its annual results and a self-imposed "blackout" period.
So far this year
The first test was electronics retailer Dick Smith Holdings, which on August 19 had almost 63 million shares due for release on the same day as its full-year numbers were revealed. Dick Smith beat market expectations with sales, earnings and net profit ahead of its prospectus forecasts.
Anchorage Capital Partners, which backed Dick Smith by taking the company private after its sale by Woolworths, told Dick Smith managing director Nick Abboud "in light of the recent trading results and our positive view of the company's future prospects, we currently have no intention of selling at the prevailing market price". That correspondence was released to the market.
However, Anchorage did appoint a broker to handle some or all of its Dick Smith stake down the track. Perpetual reduced its stake in Dick Smith to 10.66 per cent from 11.7 per cent on August 19.
Nine Entertainment Co directors and its private equity owners, Apollo and Oaktree, will be closely watched on Thursday when more than $720 million of equity in the media company can be traded for the first time.
OzForex Group faces the prospect of 20,310,000 shares coming out of escrow later this year when its accounts for the period to September 30 are released. The stake is valued at almost $50 million on current prices.
After a strong IPO, OzForex has given up some of its gains when it revealed in early August that it experienced soft trading in the first quarter of 2014-15.
Learning from Myer
A feature of a number of IPOs over the past 12 months has been in the structure of each one that allows private equity investors involved to continue to own a significant portion of the business post listing.
This has given buyers comfort regarding alignment of interests following the disastrous float of Myer in 2009 when it listed at $4.10 but failed to hold on to that value.
There were 58 floats with a total value of nearly $14 billion in the 2014 financial year, making it the busiest year for floats since the global financial crisis.
According to numbers crunched by Fairfax Media, excluding the float for the government owned Medibank Private, the pipeline for initial public offerings in the remaining five months of 2014 stands at more than $2.5 billion. Medibank could fetch as much as $4 billion.Healthscope's IPO was an outright success and is tipped to help stoke interest in Medibank in the fourth quarter. Healthscope listed in July 2014 and at least 25 per cent of its shares will be subject to escrow until results to July 30, 2015 are released according to the prospectus. Management have disposal restrictions for two years.
Among companies that may have plans to list on the ASX include Estia Health, retirement village company RetireAustralia and cinema group Hoyts . Outdoor advertising companies oOh! Media and APN Outdoor, thought to be worth about $500 million each, are other float candidates.
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Im trying out using headers, and it seems that my program cant find anything in it.
Every time I try to use a function in my header, my compiler just says that its undeclared and wont compile. Accually, it says nothing in my header is undeclared. Am I supposed to use something special in my file other then ' #include"check.h" ' or what?Code://in filecheck.cpp if (check("test.txt")) { [does this] } //in check.h int check(const char *filename) { FILE* fp; if ((fp = fopen( filename, "r")) != NULL) { fclose(fp); return 1; } return 0; }


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Win tickets to see The Dreamboys in Exmouth
PUBLISHED: 09:18 24 December 2012
After a massive sold out 2012 Tour, The Dreamboys are back with a brand new show The Dreamboys Fit And Famous 2013 Tour.
The Dreamboys are without a shadow of a doubt the UK's top male glamour show, perfect for a girls night out with your friends. Their showcase is unquestionably the most famous male stripper act the UK has ever produced. With special guest appearances on massive TV shows such as The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent.
An action packed two hour show from start to finish, these boys will literally have you begging for more!!!
Tickets for Friday, January 25, are priced at £19.50 and are available at the Exmouth Pavilion Box office on 01395 222477 or visit the website on
www.exmouthpavilion.co.uk to book your tickets online.
The Journal has a pair of tickets for this magical evening to give away. All you have to do is answer the following question:
Which TV shows have the boys performed on?
Please send your answers on a postcard with your address and a daytime phone number to:
Dreamboys Competition, Features sub-editor, Archant South West, Fair Oak Close, Exeter Airport Business Park, Clyst Honiton, Nr Exeter EX5 2UL.
Answers must be in by Friday, January 11. Editor's decision is final.


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Check BNN and Bulbanews for up-to-date Pokémon news and discuss it on the forums or in the Bulbagarden Discord server.
Pokémon Red and Green Versions
Pocket Monsters: Red (Japanese: ポケットモンスター 赤) and Pocket Monsters: Green (Japanese: ポケットモンスター 緑) were the first Pokémon games ever released to the public, in Japan on February 27, 1996. Introducing the gameplay concepts that went on to provide the standard for games in the main series games, these games were eventually localized and released worldwide as Pokémon Red and Blue Versions, using a combination of the engine from Pocket Monsters: Blue (Japanese: ポケットモンスター 青) and the obtainable Pokémon from Red & Green. Much as would become standard, Red & Green were later joined by a third version, Blue, which slightly improved upon their features and provided the code for the international releases of Red and Blue, and eventually Pocket Monsters: Pikachu (Japanese: ポケットモンスター ピカチュウ), a fourth version based on the anime.
In 1999, the sequels to these games, Pocket Monsters: Gold & Silver (Japanese: ポケットモンスター 金・銀) were released with the Game Boy Color in mind but remaining playable on the original Game Boy like Red & Green. In 2004, the remakes of these games were released for the Game Boy Advance as Pocket Monsters: Firered & Leafgreen (Japanese: ポケットモンスター ファイアレッド・リーフグリーン).
|Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.
Red and Green begins the Pokémon series in the region of Kanto, where players play the role of a ten-year-old Pokémon Trainer just starting off a journey from their home of Pallet Town, on the same day as their rival. After obtaining a starter Pokémon (a choice of the Grass-type Bulbasaur, Fire-type Charmander, or Water-type Squirtle) from Professor Oak, the local authority on Pokémon (and with their rival choosing the Pokémon whose type weakens that of the player), players would journey across the region, defeating the eight Gym Leaders: Brock, Misty, Lt. Surge, Erika, Koga, Sabrina, Blaine, and Giovanni. After all eight have been defeated, the player goes on to challenge the Elite Four, Lorelei, Bruno, Agatha, and Lance, and finally, in their last battle, the current Champion, the rival.
Along the way, Trainers will encounter the evil Team Rocket, a group of criminals that seek to exploit Pokémon, rather than train them as friends and partners, and must defeat them to put a stop to their actions. The rival will also continuously harass the player, challenging him to battle over and over, with an increasingly powerful team. As the player's own Pokémon become more powerful, they draw ever closer to Indigo Plateau.
The two games introduced the ability to allow players to trade Pokémon between two cartridges using a Game Boy link cable. To take fullest advantage of this feature, several Pokémon are exclusive to each game of the pair, making it required that a player trade with others in order to complete their Pokédex. The link cable also makes possible battles with another player, allowing one to pit their Pokémon against equals when their Pokémon are as powerful as they can be, at level 100. Trades done between Pokémon games in different languages are impossible in this generation, and will always result in corruption if it is attempted. This is due to the fact that the games can't automatically translate the Pokémon as there isn't enough room on either cartridge for all of the text in so many languages (a feature that would later become possible). If a battle between two different region games is to be attempted, the battle would simply not work, with the save file left intact.
As would become the case for each Pokémon game in the main series to come, there are eight Gyms in Kanto, each with their own type affiliation. The Gym Leaders are: Brock (Rock) at Pewter City, Misty (Water) at Cerulean City, Lt. Surge (Electric) at Vermilion City, Erika (Grass) at Celadon City, Koga (Poison) at Fuchsia City, Sabrina (Psychic) at Saffron City, Blaine (Fire) at Cinnabar Island, and Giovanni (Ground) at Viridian City.
Elite Four
Another standard established by Red and Green, the goal for players, the Elite Four, is located at Indigo Plateau. The Elite Trainers are Lorelei (Ice), Bruno (Fighting), Agatha (Ghost), and Lance (Dragon). The Pokémon Champion is the rival, Blue, who does not specialize in any one type.
Each game contains pre-recorded data on 151 different species of Pokémon, including Mew, a Pokémon even Nintendo was not aware of initially.[citation needed] However, not all Pokémon are available to the player, regardless of version; trades must occur between players in order to complete their Pokédex without the use of cheats or glitches. In addition, Mew is not normally obtainable in either game; the only legitimate way to obtain Mew is through a Nintendo sponsored event.
Version-exclusive Pokémon
The following Pokémon are only obtainable in one game of this pair. In order to obtain Pokémon exclusive to the other game of this pair, they must be traded either from that game or from another compatible game of Generation I or Generation II which has that Pokémon available.
Pocket Monsters Red and Green set the precedent for what has become a blockbuster, multi-billion dollar franchise. In Japan, Red, Green, and the third version Blue combined have sold 10.23 million copies.[2] In the United States, Pokémon Red has sold 4.83 million copies, while Pokémon Blue has sold 5.02 million copies.[3] These numbers combine to make a total of 9.85 million copies sold in the US.
Pocket Monsters Red and Green were the namesake of the Generation III remakes of FireRed and LeafGreen released in 2004, even in regions where Blue was paired with Red.
- Main article: Staff of Pokémon Red and Green
- Main article: Game Boy: Entire Pokémon Sounds Collection CD
The soundtrack contains all of the background music and sound effects used in the games, all of which were composed solely by Junichi Masuda. This includes Pokémon cries and Pokédex entries read by "Dexter", Ash's Pokédex.
Beta elements
- Main article: Pokémon Red and Green beta
Pokémon Red and Green had many beta elements prior to their release, although Pokémon Red and Blue would later have several altered aspects of their own during the two-and-a-half years between the release of Red and Green, their bug-fixing release, Japanese Blue, and the release of the merger between the Japanese games into Red and Blue for overseas markets.
- Development of Red and Green started during 1990, making their development the longest of all Pokémon games by far.
- The game's main characters Red and Green have several default names, among them サトシ Satoshi and シゲル Shigeru, respectively. These names come from Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri and his friend and fellow Nintendo developer, Shigeru Miyamoto. When the games were translated into the English Red and Blue, the defaults became Red and Blue. Alternative names that could be chosen were Ash and Gary, after the anime characters that share the names Satoshi and Shigeru, respectively.
- While Red and Green are the first Pokémon games released, they were not necessarily the first Pokémon trademark ever registered. Mew was the first Pokémon trademark ever applied for; the application for the Pokémon was submitted on May 9, 1990, while the application for Pocket Monsters Red and Green was submitted on September 11, 1995. Before Red and Green were granted registered trademarks on December 26, 1997, Mew (then spelled ミュー, not ミュウ) had already become the first Pokémon trademark registered, granted on March 31, 1994; ミュウ was later granted on August 6, 1999.
- The storyline of Kanto introduced in these games has the honor of being the most available storyline of all games, being featured in six separate games: Blue, Yellow, FireRed and LeafGreen, in addition to Red and Green and not counting the post-Elite Four storyline in Kanto during Generation II and IV.
- In The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon, Professor Oak references the games with his password, "REDGREEN".
- The Pokémon depicted during Professor Oak's introductory lecture is a Nidorino. However, the cry that plays belongs to Nidorina. This is a mistake on part of the developers and was carried over to Blue and the localizations.
- Although Pokémon Crystal was the only version whose name included the term "Version" in Japanese, the term was used in English on the back covers and the title screen of Red and Green as well as in the Japanese Blue.
- The same situation occurs with the Japanese versions of Yellow, Gold and Silver, except it does not appear on the title screen.
- Red and Green are the only Generation I games that inform the player that in order to save the game, the current save file has to be overwritten. Curiously, this only happens in the first attempt to save.
- Mew was added to the programming after the debug features were removed. The programmers took a great risk in doing so, because they couldn't test the game for glitches that would have been caused by adding Mew. Programmers usually never do this, because they can't know if the added code is going to cause major glitches or not.
|This game-related article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.


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Melvin impressed by Leon's strong spring
By Chris Gabel / Special to MLB.com
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Arnold Leon entered Spring Training with no shot of making the A's Opening Day roster.
But the 25-year-old Leon has made an impression and if he continues to pitch as he has, a chance to make to the 25-man roster could come sooner rather than later.
Leon, a native of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, has not given up a run in seven innings this spring. He has four strikeouts to one walk and opponents are hitting .118 against the right-hander.
"Leon has impressed. He'll be a guy that knocks on the door," A's manager Bob Melvin said this week.
Leon, in the wake of Jarrod Parker being scratched, will start Saturday's split-squad game against the Rangers at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
In his fourth big league camp, it will be Leon's first Cactus League start.
Leon made just 12 professional starts before last season, when the A's converted him from a reliever and he made 24 starts between Double-A Midland and Triple-A Sacramento.
"I can do both. I know how to do both," said Leon, who likes the routine of a starter. "But that helped a lot. As a starter I can throw all my pitches."
Leon has four pitches and can use up to five, he said. Those have helped this spring, but moreso have been the lessons learned in past springs with the big league club.
"I'm more experienced. I know how things go in Spring Training," Leon said. "I know not to do too much with pressure, just have fun. I'm just trying to pitch like in the season."
Melvin took notice.
"We were looking at shorter stints with him last year," Melvin said. "We're lengthening him out a little bit now and he looks way more comfortable now. Just his demeanor on the mound, and you're seeing the results, too. This is a guy, as far as our pitching prospects go, is way up there."
O'Flaherty's Tommy John recovery on track
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Eric O'Flaherty felt good after Tuesday's bullpen session, his first since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May, and is expected to throw another on Saturday.
"There are good days and bad days, but it's progressing as it should," O'Flaherty said. "We're right on track. On the bad days it hurts and on the good days I think I can pitch tomorrow. But the whole point is to stay steady and right on track."
O'Flaherty compiled a 1.98 ERA the last five seasons with the Braves. He signed a two-year deal with the A's in the offseason, with the team aware he would not be healthy until sometime in the middle of the season.
"There are days when the ball feels like a wiffle ball and days it feels like you're trying to throw a brick," O'Flaherty said. "You just take it day by day. The whole time we haven't had a deadline or a target date, just because that takes a lot of pressure off. It makes it a lot easier."
O'Flaherty said he doesn't have his own target date either.
"I just want to do it right. You hear 12 months and that's what you have in your head," he said. "But talking to the trainers here, that may not be best. They're not ruling it out, but let's shoot for 13 months or 14 months, something a little safer and see where I'm at."
Worth noting
• Outfielder Michael Taylor, who is out of options, hit his third home run of the spring and stole a base Friday against the Royals.
• Speedster Billy Burns had three hits but also committed a costly error in left field.
• Left-hander Sean Doolittle gave up three runs in two-thirds of an inning. He has allowed six combined in his last two appearances, both against the Royals.
• Minor Leaguer Daniel Robertson got the start at shortstop in Surprise, while Hiroyuki Nakajima remained in Minor League camp in Phoenix.
• Craig Gentry (lower back strain) hit soft toss in the batting cage and Melvin said the utility outfielder should be close to taking batting practice on the field. As to whether he could be ready for Opening Day, it is still unclear.
• First baseman Daric Barton (hamstring) is expected to return to the field Saturday as part of the A's split-squad game at the Giants. Barton last played March 8.
Chris Gabel is a correspondent for MLB.com This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Discussion in 'Trek Literature' started by DWMarch, May 26, 2013.
It didn't get printed. The competition was too stiff.
IIRC, Abrams PROMISED us there would be no Khan in this movie. What good are you if you have to lie to people to get them to see your movie?
It was just marketing to pique the interest of movie-goers. Seems like it might have backfired on him though.
IIRC, the only emphatic denial was a Tweet by Simon Pegg, "It's not Khan" - at about the same time as Karl Urban mentioned Cumberbatch's "Gary Mitchell", which he used as a euphemism for villain-who-may-not-be-a-villain.
When did JJ promise?
They denied it alot, but I don't remember any promises that it wasn't Kahn.
You recall incorrectly.
It did backfire on him with me. I have said loud and often that I refuse to give Abrams a dime if he reboots an episode, especially if he brought back Khan.
I get that he rebooted the series. I applaud him for that. But why retell an old story?
And JD, I assume you have a copy of Star Trek II lying around. Could you go look at it before you spell it "Kahn" again, please?
Using Khan doesn't mean he's rehashing an episode (or movie). The overall plot, and most of the details, were unique.
"Most", he says. Is it too much to ask for "all"?
Khan's story has already been told. I never wanted anybody to tell(yes, rehash) it again. Didn't we already have a Wrath of Khan tribute in Nemesis?
Kirk's story has already been told too. But we've been given a fresh contemporary take on a classic, iconic character who now has an alternate history to take us in directions that are different, but strangely similar.
You know not of which you speak.
Khan's character arc in STID is completely different from his TOS/TWOK arc.
Yeah, of all the complaints you can levy against into Darkness, retreading "Space Seed" and The Wrath of Khan is not one of them.
Abrams didn't. Simon Pegg and Alice Eve both denied Cumberbatch's character was Khan, and Cumberbatch himself made a comment which was open to interpretation ("I'm tired of having to deny I'm playing Khan"). But Abrams and his minions never promised Khan wouldn't be involved. Indeed, it was one of his minions who first spilled that John Harrison was an alias. But also, when Karl Urban said Cumberbatch was Gary Mitchell, Orci wasted no time debunking that.
All I care about is if the movie is good. Star Trek Into Darkness is a good movie.
Many people misspell it. Does it really matter?
Thank you. I don't understand why a simple misspelling got such a strong reaction.
We're Star Trek fans. Strong overreations to trivial things is what we do.
Separate names with a comma.


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December 8, 2012 7:03:23 PM
JACKSON -- A death row inmate convicted of killing two university students in 1992 is continuing his quest to convince a court he deserves a new trial.
Willie Jerome Manning is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to give him a new trial, saying that his defense was ineffective and that black residents were inappropriately excluded from his Oktibbeha County jury. Manning is black.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals turned Manning down in July. The court said Manning filed his post-conviction claim too late to be heard in state courts.
The office of Attorney General Jim Hood will ask to have an execution date set if the U.S. Supreme Court denies the request, said Hood spokeswoman Jan Schaefer.
The 5th Circuit said the judgment against Manning became final on April 5, 1999, when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal.
In a post-conviction petition, an inmate argues he has found new evidence -- or a possible constitutional issue -- that could persuade a court to order a new trial.
The 5th Circuit said that under state law, Manning had until April 5, 2000, to file such a claim. Court records show Manning did not file anything with the Mississippi Supreme Court until Oct. 8, 2001.
Manning, now 44, received two death sentences for the 1992 slayings of two Mississippi State University students, Jon Steckler and Tiffany Miller.
On Dec. 11, 1992, the bodies of Miller and Steckler were discovered in rural Oktibbeha County. Both students had been shot to death, and Miller's car was missing. The vehicle was found the next morning.
Prosecutors said Manning was arrested after he attempted to sell certain items belonging to the victims.
His conviction was upheld by the Mississippi Supreme Court, which also denied Manning's post-conviction petition.
In 2005, Manning filed a petition in U.S. District Court asking that the state court be ordered to hear his post-conviction claims. The judge found Manning did not file the post-conviction petition by the deadline set by law, but said the inmate could appeal the issues of ineffective counsel and the jury to the 5th Circuit.
However, the 5th Circuit panel declined to address those issues.


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Jonathan Saunders Spring 2012 Runway
Jonathan Saunders Spring 2012
Jonathan Saunders Spring 2012
For Spring 2012, Jonathan Saunders took an extremely juicy trip to '50s ladylike dressing, giving us a collection of ultra-feminine dresses and separates in an array of colors that wasn't unlike the contents of a Starburst tropical fruit package. Add to that Indian-inspired prints and a curlicue print that reminded us of a Palm Beach grandmother's white wrought iron fence, and you have a bold collection that channels the ladylike dressing of the 1950s without any real primness, but a real sense of fun. There were more boyish options too, via slouchy bermuda shorts and silky pajama tops — intended for a platform shoe and boyfriend blazers.
- Trends: Bright color, bold print, '50s ladylike dressing, pajama dressing, bermuda shorts.
- Colors: Aqua, citrus — lemon, lime, orange, bright pink.
- Key Piece: The printed full-skirted dresses, slouchy bermuda shorts, but really anything in the curlicue print.
- Accessories: Bright, tropical-looking platform espadrilles.
- Who Would Wear It: It's a versatile collection that could be worn by England's current fashion leading ladies like Kate Middleton or Samantha Cameron, or style cuties like Olivia Palermo and Alexa Chung.
0previous images
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Set of limited edition illustrative fine art prints.
Produced on 300gsm textured fine art paper.
Hand numbered and limited to just 995 in the world and measures 16.5" x 11.7"
Includes a limited edition Enterprise print.
Certificate of authenticity with each piece.
Available from : March 22nd 2013
Kerry Darlington and other art produced in the UK, we aim to ship next day or with in a few days of order.
Artwork which need to be ordered from the Studios may take 14-21 business days to arrive, this may also include instock items as these may be on hold at the Studio. All our items are bespoke pieces, many of which are also hand-signed and are not "off the shelf" items. However we do aim to deliver your artwork as quickly as possible to you.
We do not accept returns of original production / limited edition artwork, this includes animation cels and drawings. If artwork arrives damaged, please contact us within 5 days of receipt and we will work with you to get a suitable replacement.
Payment can be made online by any credit or debit card.
Our site uses the latest 128 bit SSL security, complying with and exceeding all necessary security requirements to protect your details. We do not store any sensitive information (card number, etc).


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In a general election with a predetermined Republican candidate up against an incumbent, one could easily argue that the time and money spent on national party conventions is a waste. But for both 2012 hopefuls the upcoming conventions are a chance to remind loyal voters of their platforms and persuade swing voters to join their side. Despite the partisan splendor, will the RNC and DNC be of any use this time around?
Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, will join The Daily Circuit Thursday to talk about the influence of political conventions. Robert Weiner, national public affairs and issues strategist, and Michael V. Miller, chief operating officer of the 2012 Republican National Convention, will also join the discussion.


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Kenwood DDX370
2001 Acura MDX
Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
Good stereo with great sound quality and easy to use features. Only two bad things worth mentioning. 1) the iPod sync connects but no sound comes out. I know the stereo is connected correctly to the speakers because there is no problem with sound from cd/DVD, radio, or Aux input.
Cons: The touch screen is a little slow to respond


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I've broken the side elements in my profile and bought the replacement parts in person at Coleman Powersports in Falls Church VA. They showed me how to fix, as they also indicated the pieces crack frequently. If you're still looking, I would give them a call to ask them about it, don't rely on their website. I know from recent boot shopping that they show inventory on the web based on their suppliers for the online shopper.
I've got a Signet-Q I'm not gentle with, and I've had no problems with it. Best fitting helmet I've ever worn.
Snell rating is a Snell rating, no matter what the helmet costs, but an Arai is the ONLY helmet that will fit my potato/watermelon shaped head, and the Signet fits it perfectly. I have wore my helmet for 10 hours non stop before, and not a bit of discomfort. I will continue to pay their prices because it fits.
And here's food for thought. Some riders think nothing of spending over 20,000 for a bike, thousands of dollars for the latest greatest clothes that says "'Stich" somewhere on it, but get cheap when they are buying protection for the only bone and organ that can't mend itself! Spend $1,000 to prevent road rash, but shy away from $600 to protect your skull and brain? (thread hijack over)
Mike Davis
"Old n Slow" It's a way of life!
I have a 2001 Randy Mamola replica that I still wear everyday. I know I should retire it, but it still looks and fits perfect.
I have an rx7 I wear for roadracing and I just bought an Arai Open Face that I found on Craigslist brand new for $50. Guy bought a bike and gear and a week later his wife made him sell it all.
Not a big open face fan but for $50 how could I pass it up? Still had the tag on.
I highsided at Putnam Park back in 1998 in turn 4 at about 110. According to the guy behind me I landed directly on my head. I don't know because I was knocked unconscious immediately and didn't come to until the ambulance arrived. To this day I say it was the Arai QuantumII that kept me in one piece. Other than the knock-out I was fine...not even a scratch.
And to echo the previous post, my brothers favorite comment, "how much is your head worth?"
2001 Ducati Monster; 1996 R1100GS; 1985 RZ350; 1977 RD400
[QUOTE=rockbottom;774697]I own five different brands of helmets right now including three Arais. Consider the Arais worth the price and won't buy anything else.[/QU
Another Kool Aid drinker that makes the economy better. Try some other less expensive brands. You might be pleasantluy surprised! Scorpian, HJC etc.
"All my life I wanted to be somebody. Now I realize I should have been more specific."
Opinions are rather like Noses, every one has one. Thats why we are not all riding the same M/C and wearing the same Helmut!
"All my life I wanted to be somebody. Now I realize I should have been more specific."
But my opinion about what goes on my head is what matters. LOL... That being said, I believe the main reason that Arai got my business several years ago was "fit" dependant, with cost a secondary concern. I have an oversized melon, with, I guess, and odd shape. (I broke a football helmet in high school, it took a week on special order to replace.) As far as other brands, I like to shop around and continue to try on competitive brand helmets when they're available. But I'm lucky that I've never had a helmet piece get broken or go missing like the OP...
Bill Johnston
Motorcyclist's that achieve oneness will soon achieve twoness.
After nearly 50 years of riding I bought my first Arai last year because it fit.
They seem to make a special effort to fit more "heads" by having at least 3 helmet shell sizes and a family of shells for long oval and another for "round" heads. The individual size of XS,S, M, L XL etc are distributed across the shell sizes. Most other manufacture only have 2 shell sizes for all their head sizes..
I have a round head and the RX-Q fits the top of my head (crown like) perfectly (this is where the helmet must fit correctly. Because I have also have fat face I had to remove material form the cheek pads.
I learned that I had previously bought helmet to fit my cheeks firmly but were in fact too large for the top of my head. Dumb huh!...still learning.
Buy a helmet that fits first. Then get the safety rating that you think serves your needs.
Price should be a lower priority.


text:
By Scott T. Sterling
Sold out shows, chart-topping singles, and a diehard fan base rapidly expanding around the world. Swedish House Mafia's answer to unimaginable success in the exploding world of EDM was the last thing anyone ever anticipated: to simply walk away.
With 2012-13's One Last Tour, the trio of Axwell, Sebastian Ingrosso and Steve Angello elevated to an arena-level status rarely experienced by any band, let alone a trio of Swedish DJs spinning euphoric dance music.
Engaging new film documentary Leave the World Behind beautifully captures the dazzling spectacle that followed the group as they circled the globe on One Last Tour, hitting 26 countries and playing to more than one million fans on the unexpected farewell jaunt marking the decision to break up when Swedish House Mafia was at the peak of its powers and arguably the biggest band in the world.


text:
[Verse: BittahProphet]
[God]: Young man in the corner who in God's name are you?
Man I've seen you before but I'm wondering that too
Have you lost your way son do you know what you are doing?
Man I have no way and I'm not sure where I am going
You wanna tell me what is wrong maybe I can help you find your way
Don't get to know me, you'll regret it anyway
I speak to many like you in fact it happens every day
Ok I could use some help but what will I have to pay?
Why nothing at all, how 'bout a penny for your thoughts?
I don't know where in life I'm going I hope that God guy fuckin' rots!
Son, I may not know you well but don't hate God you should embrace him
He's supposed to bring me sunlight but my whole life has fuckin' been dim
He doesn't bring anything straight to you, but he won't let you quit
I don't want his fuckin' help all alone is how I'll make it
No one can do it alone everyone needs some support
Well fuck all that love shit, it only gets you in court
Maybe nowadays but this is not my North America
Your North America? There's only one and that's not fair of ya
Not fair of me to what? Claim the land that I have made
Man you didn't build America you're probably on financial aid
What about it I built this land for free men like you
The men who aren't on their feet and the kneeling ones? Them too?
Only ones like I can make caviar from rotten cod
I can't believe this nigga really thinks he's fuckin' God
Well you said yourself only I can help you to your feet
So know you fuckin' show up? Just like that man this is heat
Well say what you want but now I'm here you'll be rebuilt
You can't just sew me back together I'm not a motherfuckin' quilt
If you have no way, why don't you do what you are told?
Cause I tried to fix myself before and it just led to somewhere cold
Did you learn what is right, wrong and even in between?
No but I learnt how hard I try, it won't lead me to have a queen
You're starting to bum me out, So let's turn your life around
But can you lead me to a place where "King of Rap" I will be crowned
You need to work for such a goal but I can map out the way
Well with your help I guess I'll try, can't get much worse anyway
Well it seems I've reached my stop, I hope to see you very soon
One day I'll be at the top spiritual meetings with him at 'noon
Written on a very fucked up night in my life if you can't tell, and it might have paid off or not, but whatever this is what happened and ummmm, yeah check it out.


text:
Residents living in and around the Cortez community can be screened to reduce their risk of having a stroke or bone fracture. Cortez Veterans will host Life Line Screening on Saturday, Feb. 16, at 320 North Harrison in Cortez. Louise Richards of Grand Junction attended a Life Line Screening and said, "If I had not taken advantage of your screenings I would never have known I had a problem."
Four key points every person needs to know about strokes:
Stroke is the third leading cause of death and a leading cause of permanent disability
80 percent of stroke victims had no apparent warning signs prior to their stroke
Preventive ultrasound screenings can help us to avoid a stroke
Screenings are fast, noninvasive, painless, affordable and convenient
Screenings identify potential cardiovascular conditions such as blocked arteries and irregular heart rhythm, abdominal aortic aneurysms, and hardening of the arteries in the legs, which is a strong predictor of heart disease. A bone density screening to assess osteoporosis risk is also offered and is appropriate for both men and women.
Packages start at $159. All five screenings take 60-90 minutes to complete. For more information regarding the screenings or to schedule an appointment, call 877-237-1287 or visit www.lifelinescreening.com. Pre-registration is required.


text:
Suffolk: Thousands of knives binned following campaign
PUBLISHED: 15:04 24 January 2013 | UPDATED: 12:25 25 January 2013
MORE than 8,300 knives have been deposited in Suffolk's knife bins since a countywide "Bin a Blade" amnesty began.
An initial year-long campaign in 2011 saw 6,125 knives left anonymously in six amnesty bins.
Following this success the static bins, outside Ipswich, Lowestoft, Bury St Edmunds and Mildenhall Police Stations, were made permanent.
In 2012 a further 2,205 blades were deposited, with a total of 8,330 knives handed in and subsequently shredded at Sackers Recycling in Great Blakenham.
In November the bins were relaunched with a fresh new look by teenage anti-knife campaigner Holly Watson, Chief Constable Simon Ash and BBC Suffolk presenter Mark Murphy.
Holly said: "I am overwhelmed with the recent figure of over 8300 knives collected in the 'Bin a Blade' knife bins. I really hope people continue to use the bins and think twice about carrying a knife. Thank you to everyone who has used the knife bins, every knife will be disposed of and will not be able to go back into circulation."
Mr Ash added: "A totoal of 8,330 knives handed in is an amazing number and the bins remain in place for anyone who wants to bin a blade.
"While there is not a significant problem with knife crime in Suffolk, our amnesty is continuing to make people think about the consequences of carrying a knife and offering a way to dispose of them without prejudice."
A year ago a hard-hitting film was launched on Suffolk Constabulary's YouTube channel and Bin a Blade currently features in an exhibition at the V&A Museum of Childhood. In 2013 Suffolk Police are continuing to educate young people about the dangers of carrying a knife through partnerships with Holly Watson, Crimestoppers, Ipswich Academy and the Wolsey Theatre.


text:
Investigators say an Irving, Tex., police officer was shot twice by his estranged wife before she committed suicide Tuesday evening.
Irving police said officer Brandon Spencer was shot at least twice while at his home on Retta-Mansfield Road, in Mansfield, at about 9:06 p.m. Tuesday.
Spencer's wife, Tiffany, allegedly shot the off-duty officer and left the scene in a vehicle that was discovered a short time later by Johnson County Sheriff's Deputies in a rural driveway.
Tiffany Spencer was found dead in the vehicle when deputies arrived.
Investigators said she had the supplies she needed to end her own life. Deputies said she rigged a hose from the car's exhaust and took some pills.
According to her website, Tiffany Spencer worked as a lawyer that specialized in family law, including what the site described as "collaborative divorce."
In a 2010 blog post attributed to Tiffany Spencer, she describes herself as a divorce lawyer that is "pro-marriage."
"If you want to save your marriage, I can help get you the resources to make that happen. If you want to end your marriage, I can help make that happen to [sic]," Spencer wrote.
Detectives told NBC 5 that it appears she planned out the attempted murder-suicide.
Deputies said the wounded officer ran to a neighbors for help. He was conscious and talking as paramedics rushed him to the hospital.
Irving police said Brandon Spencer is an 18-year veteran of the force and is currently assigned to the Investigative Services Bureau.
The Tarrant County Sheriff's Department is the lead investigative agency on the case, according to a press release sent by the Irving Police Department.


text:
Russellville (6-3 7A/6A-Central) got on the board first with 22 minutes left in the first half. Jaime Duarte found an open Mason Freeman who put the ball in the net. But North Little Rock answered about two minutes later to tie the game at 1-1.
It took the Cyclones just nine minutes to regain the lead, though. Freeman took a shot on goal, but the Charging Wildcats goalkeeper made a nice save, deflecting the ball back into play. Duarte was in the right place at the right time and scored on the rebound to make it 2-1.
Thirteen minutes into the second half, Freeman scored again off a goal kick. The NLR keeper kicked it right to Freeman, who raced uncontested into the box and scored easily for a 3-1 margin.
Russellville travels to Little Rock on Thursday to face the Central Tigers. The game will start at 7 p.m.
Russellville 2, Cabot 0
The Cyclones won easily Thursday as they breezed past the Cabot Panthers 2-0 at Cyclone Stadium in 7A/6A-Central play.
Duarte put Russellville on top with 28:36 showing on the first-half clock when he took a Freeman assist and put it in the net for a 1-0 lead.
That score held until the second half when, with 8:30 to play, Jose Crisistomo found Miguel Nava for the games second goal.
Senior girls
Russellville 2, North Little Rock 0
NORTH LITTLE ROCK — The Lady Cyclones got back to their winning ways Friday with a 2-0 shutout over the Lady Charging Wildcats on the road.
Junior Shannon Hocker found the net in the first half to give Russellville a 1-0 lead. In the second half, Alyson Frost found Sarah Prochazka for a goal and a 2-0 lead.
Cabot 3, Russellville 2
Cabot scored a go-ahead goal with 13 minutes to play Thursday and the Lady Panthers held on for a 3-2 win over the Lady Cyclones at Cyclone Stadium in conference play.
Russellville took a quick 1-0 lead when Prochazka put one in the net. Cabot scored shortly after on a penalty kick from 25 yards out.
The Lady Panthers added another goal early in the second half on another penalty kick, this one after a hand ball about 18 yards from the goal.
Mary Carol Davis tied the game with a penalty kick of her own inside the box, but Cabot found net with 13 minutes to go and the Lady Cyclones couldn't score another goal.
Russellville will visit Little Rock Central at 5:15 p.m. Thursday.


text:
3rd October 2013
Costa del Sol
Cinema in Your Area, Málaga 2013
Cinema in the districts of Málaga 2013 From October 2013 to March 2014 Málaga celebrates the third edition of "Cinema in your area", the program of film projections in the districts of Málaga. This initiative organized by the city of Málaga and the Málaga Spanish Film Festival related to the seventh art in the city of Málaga. "Cinema in your area" is a series of projections of 10 films in film forum format, with prior presentation of the movies and a subsequent debate with the audience. As usual, the projections are free and take place at various sites chosen by […]


text:
Doherty takes 3-69 against India A
Spinner Xavier Doherty's three-wicket haul was one of few positives to come out of the opening day of Australia's three-day practice match against India A who reached 4-338 at stumps.
Doherty claimed 3-69 from 16 overs in Chennai on Saturday as dumped Test opener Gautam Gambhir (112) and uncapped right-hander Rohit Sharma (77) dominated with a second-wicket partnership of 128.
Two-Test left-armer Doherty claimed 3-69 from 16 overs and fared better than fellow spinners Nathan Lyon (0-97 off 20) and 19-year-old Ashton Agar (0-78 off 13) in the race to win places in the side for the first Test against India starting on February 22.
Pacemen Peter Siddle and Mitchell Starc, with a combined tally of 0-66 off 30 overs, bowled tightly while seamer Moises Henriques continued his surge towards a possible Test debut next Friday with 1-20 off 11 overs.
Manoj Tiwary was 77 not out at stumps with CM Gautham on 34.
Gambhir sent a powerful message to India's selectors with a mature display, hitting 13 fours and three sixes from 162 deliveries.
The 54-Test veteran fell at 2-195 to Henriques after edging a ball to Shane Watson at slip.
Gambhir added 67 for the first wicket with Jiwanjot Singh who was caught at slip for 24 off Doherty's bowling.
Sharma was caught behind at 3-266 as Doherty found some turn and bounce away from the right-hander.
Doherty struck in successive overs when left-hander Abishek Nayar (four) was caught at short leg at 4-272.
Australia's captain Michael Clarke (hamstring) and opener David Warner (thumb) have been rested ahead of the first Test, although both have resumed batting in the nets.
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text:
Warmest Decade on Record Brings Record Temperatures and Weather Extremes
In recent years weather events have whiplashed between the extremes of heat and cold, flooding and drought. High-temperature records in many places are already being broken with startling frequency, and hotter temperatures are in store. Without a dramatic reduction in fossil fuel use, we will veer even further away from the "normal" temperatures and weather patterns that civilization is adapted to.


text:
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text:
In 2010 the spring classics season belonged to one rider, Saxo Bank's Fabian Cancellara. Over the course of three weekends — E3 Prijs, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix — Cancellara won three of the hardest one-day races in pro cycling, each time crossing the finish line alone against the best classics riders in the sport, and each time by a wider margin than the last. VeloNews managing editor Neal Rogers was on the ground in Belgium and Northern France to witness the Swiss rider's domination and put it into perspective. VN tech editor Zack Vestal was also rattling along the cobblestones, and scored a shotgun seat in one of Mavic's SSC Neutral Support cars at Roubaix. He came back with a memory card full of photos and war stories.
Just as with every other walk of life, modern technology has infiltrated the world of bike racing. Today's pros study race videos to fill in the gaps, and they compete wearing two-way radios that provide information on everything from breakaway composition to time gaps to road hazards. After almost 20 years of their use in the peloton, the UCI has begun eliminating two-way race radios because, among other reasons, their affect on peloton versus breakaway makes for poor television. In a special section, VeloNews editors Ben Delaney and John Wilcockson take a look at how audio and visual technology is affecting the sport.
Also inside the June issue is in-depth look at RadioShack's Andreas Klöden, perhaps the most enigmatic rider to have stood next to Armstrong on the Tour podium. And tech geeks will geek out on Brian Vernor's step-by-step photo journal documenting the birth of a Black Cat Bicycle, as well as Lennard Zinn's article on Calfee Design's carbon-fiber repair program and Zack Vestal's look at six new road pedals.


text:
La Plata Electric is part of a coalition that filed a complaint Monday with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission about the new rates being charged for electricity by Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association. It was the right thing to do.
At issue is Tri-States recently revised rate structure. The electricity producer switched to a system that charges according to average usage. Before that, its arrangement had allowed LPEA and the other co-ops to charge consumers different rates at different times of day to encourage them to shift their usage to periods when demand was lower.
Called a time-of-use program, that did two things. It gave savvy consumers a way to save on their electric bills and it worked to even out demand. Rather than trying to build a system to accommodate huge spikes in demand and then sit underused at other times all concerned could operate more efficiently and without paying for unneeded production and distribution capacity.
Over time, such more balanced usage can save ratepayers money by reducing the need for more infrastructure. It could even forestall the need for another power plant or two.
Consumers responded well to that. LPEA has 5,000 customers signed up for its time-of-use program. And some who welcomed it the most are the biggest users.
With LPEA in, this is an impressive and diverse collection of entities not always seen as obvious allies. Among them are two other electric co-ops, White River Electric in Meeker and Empire Electric in Cortez. But also included are some big players in the gas patch BP, Encana Oil & Gas, Kinder Morgan and ExxonMobile. And all of those are essentially lining up in support of a program popular with environmentalists.
That seemingly unusual alignment makes perfect sense. LPEA and the other co-ops serve members who care about the environment and the effects their personal decisions can have on it. The gas companies may have similar concerns, but they are also large consumers of electricity and the most capable of taking advantage of the off-peak pricing.
From both perspectives, Tri-State is acting as an impediment to progress. Since Tri-States new rates went into effect Jan. 1, LPEAs time-of-use customers have seen roughly a 30 percent increase in their electric bills. And for what?
LPEA was correct to join this challenge. Let us hope the PUC agrees.


text:
Read the full story here Web Link posted Friday, December 7, 2012, 9:14 AM
Town Square
Audit finds errors in Palo Alto's health care expenditures
Original post made on Dec 7, 2012
Read the full story here Web Link posted Friday, December 7, 2012, 9:14 AM
a resident of Fairmeadow
on Dec 7, 2012 at 10:35 am
Here's a link to the most recent Audit on Healthcare costs:
Web Link
What's really bothersome about these findings is that many of the items identified by the Auditor's Office could well have been dealt with by the HR Director. What's also difficult to gather from this Audit is how many other problems of this sort exist in the HR Department's handling of Healthcare administration?
The complexity of Healthcare administration is identified by the Audit. Clearly, the cost of Administration seems to have been ignored by previous Councils when they agreed to these contracts. It may not necessarily be in the charter of the Auditor to review the contracts of the various labor bargaining units with the goal of finding ways to reduce complexity/administrative costs/oversight/compliance—but it would be worthwhile if the Auditor were to make such a study.
Much of the management of "complexity" is supposed to be solved with the SAP software. Previous Auditors have shown no understanding of how to analyze the use of software by the various City departments in the Audits of the past. Without looking at how SAP is helping/hurting/not being used, these Audits are not as complete as they could be.
Hopefully a follow-up Audit will be scheduled within a year, so that there can be some sense of closure to these problems demonstrated by the HR people.
Lastly, the quality of Audits from this new Auditor seems to be heads-and-shoulders above those of previous Auditors. Let's hope that this quality of work continues.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Dec 7, 2012 at 11:03 am
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Barron Park
on Dec 7, 2012 at 1:00 pm
Let's present these numbers in a different way.
The City of Palo Alto pays $13.2 in mecical cost per year. In 2011 the City overpaid $8151 in medical premiums. The City has over-paid a minute .07% in medical premiums.
The City Auditor has a himself and 5 employees. It probably cost $150k in staff time to find the $8k. Great work!
a resident of Community Center
on Dec 7, 2012 at 2:44 pm
Hey, City of Palo Alto no worries!!! Just tax your way out of this mess, time to increase gas, electric, garbage, and water rates again. And, maybe throw another bond measure into the mix too. Your subjects - I mean citizens - won't mind one bit.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Dec 7, 2012 at 2:49 pm
Kudos, if I understand the report those overpayments are being made monthly not just one time. Seems like its been happening for a while and would have continued without the auditors finding it. Looks like the report found a lot of other problems too.
a resident of Southgate
on Dec 7, 2012 at 4:21 pm
Read it: "The audit focused on health payments made by the city between September 2011 and October 2012..."
Kudos is right. $8k is irrelevant. It's like when a class action lawsuit awards you $0.26 because you lost $20k on a stock due to misrepresentation. CongratulFingAtions
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Dec 7, 2012 at 5:40 pm
Dan, you're reading a 2 page article trying to summarize a 30 page detailed report. I finally finished reading the whole thing. It's dry, and pretty boring, but focusing on the $8k is totally missing the point.
a resident of Midtown
on Dec 7, 2012 at 9:10 pm
Agree with Wayne, the only bright spot is that the new auditor is uncovering the mess of inefficiency and incompetence in City government.
a resident of Barron Park
on Dec 7, 2012 at 11:27 pm
The City staff does not seem to know how to use computer programs - or at least the SAP one we paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for.
Private companies seem to be able to hire competent people to use software. What is the problem with Palo Alto's training and oversight? High salaries and inefficiency. Ugh!!
a resident of Midtown
on Dec 8, 2012 at 8:23 pm
bill g: I agree! Remember the Children's Theatre scandal when the director was fired because of some checks, but was later exonerated? See Audit 'exonerates' Children's Theatre staff Web Link
The report cited "a long-standing pattern of loose accounting procedures." Here we go again.
"The sheer complexity of tallying the reimbursement amounts" for health care should make it obvious that the process should be computerized – if only someone can be trusted to write the program.
BTW, the city has paid SAP millions, not hundreds of thousands. In May, 2009, the Utilities Department tested an $8.8 million online system, which allows customers to access their billing information and keep track of electricity use. It had so many bugs that the UD got another $224K to fix "post-implementation issues." Probably not the right consultant to hire for the health care application.
a resident of another community
on Dec 10, 2012 at 12:14 pm
"Lastly, the quality of Audits from this new Auditor seems to be heads-and-shoulders above those of previous Auditors. Let's hope that this quality of work continues."
AGREED! These budget problems began back when Jay Rounds was at the end of his HRD career. Then along came Russ "Biggest Joke of Them All" Carlsen. Then you have to factor in the City Manager's current and past (Benest to Keene), as well as the Finance Directors, current and past. There has been a connected 'good ole boy' network between the three positions over the past 20 years AND it has trickled down to management level where the attitude and practices run rampant - "I'm tight with so-and-so. We golf, bbq, share holidays, our wives are friends with him/them so I can do what I want. I'm in! I can hire my unqualified friends, their kids, etc, and promote them too because I can", hence, the current most dysfunctional city organization EVER.
For example, how the current PWD got his job I'll never figure out. He got the job, fixed something (reorganized the department) that was not broken to hide the fact that his engineering staff (even under his assistant director position) is/was incompetent and insufficient to perform duties. He reorganized the public works department and hired back his retired Palo Alto buddy's as contract managers 'because we are so overworked' and ouila! Also, in doing so, it created MORE FTE management positions (along with the contracted ones), that this department alone is now dysfunctional with a capital D. Simply disgusting!
SERIOUSLY, the Auditor needs to do performance audits on ALL management staff and get CONFIDENTIAL input from workers they supervise. I'm not sure how 'tight' the Auditor is with Keene (another BIG JOKE) or FD or the new HRD (is she really a lawyer and NOT HR experienced?), and I just hope this audit is not being done maliciously to cover how inadequate leaders really are. Let's not blame employees or retirees for mismanaged budgets! Run City of Palo Alto the way it should as a government entity and not based on politics and lining your $100K+ a year pocketbooks!
Keeping my fingers crossed that "this quality of (Auditor) work continues."
a resident of Downtown North
on Dec 10, 2012 at 12:22 pm
Wasn't it city staff who didn't change the SAP access password when the consultant services ended? Remember that allowed ALL city finances and personnel information to be stolen?
How does the Finance Department continue to receive awards for being so great with all these "loose accounting practices"?
There was an employee who worked in HR that went to another department. She should have LOST all of her HR access yet she continued (and probably still does) to 'look' at the infomation. What she does/did with it, who knows. She was hurting financially then and I am sure she still is.
SAP sucks - unless you know how to use what you pay for.
a resident of College Terrace
on Dec 10, 2012 at 12:48 pm
"What is the problem with Palo Alto's training and oversight?"
There is no budget for training unless you are a manager.
There is no oversight.
a resident of Palo Verde
on Dec 10, 2012 at 3:48 pm
Let's be honest- $8k is a pretty small error when dealing with a large organization (and healthcare bills, no less!). There has been a mass exodus of line staff and management in the past few years, leaving big knowledge gaps. Expect this trend to continue. I hope and expect that Palo Alro residents will apply for these positions, given their excessive pay/benefit package.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Dec 10, 2012 at 6:11 pm
Three cheers for the current auditor. He seems to be doing his job. Previous auditors seemed to be in the PR business, always telling us how wonderful we are.
I hope honesty isn't a problem for the City Manager he may not be accustomed to it.
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on Dec 10, 2012 at 8:52 pm
No doubt Keene and Klein's answer will be to appoint a "blue ribbon" committee to perform a lengthy review of the situation and then hire another $150,000 a year manager who will then strategically monitor the process and report back on the recovery of the .0001% overpayment to retirees. No word yet on when the city will repay those retirees whose compensation was underpaid. One should really ask how many hours, how many city employees, and at what cost did it take the auditor's office to file this report so that we can clearly understand the inefficiency and incompetence of city government.
a resident of Greendell/Walnut Grove
on Jun 5, 2017 at 9:15 pm
Due to repeated violations of our Terms of Use, comments from this poster are automatically removed. Why?


text:
wine, lxde, conky, etc it asks for aptget -f install
but then it doesnt work
sudo apt-get -f install
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Correcting dependencies... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
libc-bin libc6
Suggested packages:
The following packages will be upgraded:
libc-bin libc6
2 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 1103 not upgraded.
2 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0 B/5,066 kB of archives.
After this operation, 872 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
WARNING: The following packages cannot be authenticated!
libc-bin libc6
Install these packages without verification [y/N]? y
Reading changelogs... Done
Preconfiguring packages ...
(Reading database ... 151679 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace libc-bin 2.13-27 (using .../libc-bin_2.15-0ubuntu10.2_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement libc-bin ...
dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libc-bin_2.15-0ubuntu10.2_i386.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite '/usr/sbin/validlocale', which is also in package locales 2.13-27
configured to not write apport reports
dpkg-deb: error: subprocess paste was killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Errors were encountered while processing:
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)


text:
29, 2011
of The Attorney General
Paula T. Dow, Attorney General
of Consumer Affairs
- Thomas R. Calcagni, Director
Jeff Lamm or
Neal Buccino
Citizen Inquiries-
of Previously-Cited Gas Stations Fined
and to be Issued Conditional License Renewals,
under Coordinated Enforcement Action by
Divisions of Consumer Affairs and Taxation
– The owner of five gas stations with
a history of Motor Fuels law violations
has been assessed $5,000 in civil penalties
for operating without Motor Fuels Retail
Dealer Licenses and upon payment will be
issued conditional license renewals that
can be revoked, and his stations closed,
if further violations occur.
actions against Irfan Hassan are a coordinated
enforcement effort involving the State Division
of Consumer Affairs' Office of Weights
and Measures (OWM) and the Division of Taxation
within the New Jersey Department of Treasury.
OWM officers check gas stations for compliance
with state laws and regulations while the
Division of Taxation issues the Motor Fuels
Retailer Dealer License that each station
owner is required to obtain.
stations owned by Hassan have been cited
and prosecuted by OWM officers for violations
including co-mingling regular with premium
grade fuel, which results in lower octane
ratings; selling regular grade gasoline
from a premium grade fuel dispenser at the
premium grade price; and pump prices not
matching the prices displayed on signs.
who see fines as just a cost of doing business
had better reconsider. If violations continue,
the increased mandatory penalties for subsequent
violations may result in the closing of
the stations for a significant period,"
Attorney General Paula T. Dow said.
2009, Hassan was cited by OWM officers for
co-mingling regular grade gasoline with
premium grade at his Delta Gas Station (451
Irvington Avenue) in South Orange. He paid
a $6,000 civil penalty and was barred from
selling fuel for 10 days, under a ruling
by a municipal court judge. Last year, Hassan
again was found guilty of selling regular
grade gasoline as premium grade at this
same station. He paid a $9,800 penalty and
was barred from selling fuel for 15 days.
is enough. Mr. Hassan, by his history of
violations, has demonstrated his utter contempt
for consumers and our laws regulating how
to properly conduct business," said
Thomas R. Calcagni, Director of the State
Division of Consumer Affairs. "We
are closely watching how consumers are treated
at his stations moving forward, and Mr.
Hassan risks his licenses to operate the
stations if he again violates our Motor
Fuels law."
Division of Taxation assessed $1,000 penalties,
and upon payment, plans to issue a one-year
conditional license renewal to the following
companies owned by Hassan:
the stations at these locations are Delta
gas stations.
is a good example," said Acting Superintendent
of Weights and Measures, Robert Campanelli,
"of how two agencies of government
working together can produce positive results
for the protection of the public."
can report suspected violations to the State
Office of Weights and Measures by filling
out a complaint form located at www.nj.gov/oag/ca/complaint/ocp.pdf
or by calling the Office at 732-815-4840.
who believe they have been cheated or scammed
by a business, or suspect any other form
of consumer abuse, can file a complaint
with the State Division of Consumer Affairs
by visiting its website, www.NJConsumerAffairs.gov,
or by calling 1-800-242-5846
(toll free within New Jersey) or 973-504-6200.
the Division of Consumer Affairs on Facebook
at www.facebook.com/pages/NJ-Division-of-Consumer-Affairs/112957465445651;
and check our online calendar of upcoming
Consumer Outreach events, at www.NJConsumerAffairs.gov/outreach/.
PDF plugin


text:
World in Brief
UN officials believe evidence proves use of Syrian chemical weapons on rebels
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Britain and France have told the secretary-general they have reliable evidence that the Syrian government used chemical weapons near Aleppo, in Homs and possibly in Damascus, U.N. diplomats and officials say.
The British and French ambassadors told Ban Ki-moon in a letter on March 25 that soil samples and interviews with witnesses and opposition figures backed their belief that the government used chemical shells that had caused injuries and deaths, the diplomats and officials said.
They spoke on condition of anonymity because the letter has not been made public.
Syria asked Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on March 21 to investigate an alleged chemical weapons attack by rebels two days earlier on Khan al-Assal village in northern Aleppo province. The rebels blamed regime forces for the attack.
The following day, Britain and France asked the U.N. chief to investigate allegations of chemical weapons use in two locations in Khan al-Assal and the village of Ataybah in the vicinity of Damascus, all on March 19, as well as in Homs on Dec. 23.
Syrian soldiers were reportedly killed and injured in the Khan al-Assal incident but the British and French believe this was the result of a misfired Syrian government shell, the diplomats and officials said.
After examining the letters from Syria and the Europeans, the secretary-general appointed a team of chemical weapons experts to investigate the allegations in Khan al-Assal and in Homs, where there was the most evidence. But the Syrian government has so far refused to allow the experts to go anywhere but Khan al-Assal.
The secretary-general said Wednesday that the team of experts, nonetheless, would proceed with "its fact-finding activities." He said additional information has been requested from the three governments.
U.N. diplomats say the chemical weapons experts are expected to visit camps for Syrian refugees, neighboring countries where Syrians have fled and possibly London and Paris to try to obtain information outside Syria. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because details have not been announced.
Attorney: Man charged with mailing ricin surprised by arrest, says he is innocent
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) -- A Mississippi man charged with mailing ricin-tainted letters to national leaders wrote in online postings that he had uncovered a conspiracy to sell human body parts on the black market, and on Thursday his attorney said he was surprised by his arrest and maintains he is innocent.
Paul Kevin Curtis, 45, wore shackles and a Johnny Cash T-shirt Thursday in a federal courtroom. His handcuffs were taken off for the brief hearing, and he said little. He faces two charges on accusations of threatening President Barack Obama and others. If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison.
He did not enter a plea on the two charges. The judge said a preliminary hearing and a detention hearing are scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday.
Attorney Christi R. McCoy said Curtis "maintains 100 percent that he did not do this."
"I know Kevin, I know his family," she said. "This is a huge shock."
Gun control backers say Senate defeat won't stop them, but unsure about how to succeed
WASHINGTON (AP) -- One day after the demise of gun control legislation, Senate supporters of the measure vowed to try again, while a leading opponent accused President Barack Obama of taking the "low road" when he harshly criticized lawmakers who voted against key provisions.
"When good and honest people have honest differences of opinion about what policies the country should pursue about gun rights...the president of the United States should not accuse them of having no coherent arguments or of caving to the pressure," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.
The fate of the bill was sealed in a string of votes on Wednesday, when Republicans backed by a small group of rural-state Democrats rejected more extensive background checks for gun purchasers and also torpedoed proposed bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.
The Senate delivered its verdict four months after a shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., left 20 first graders and six educators dead. The tragedy prompted Obama to champion an issue that Democrats had largely avoided for two decades, and that he himself ignored during his first term in the White House.
Though the gun control bill was moribund for the foreseeable future, the Senate approved two minor amendments on Thursday. One by Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., cutting aid to state and local governments that release information on gun owners, was approved 67-30. Another by Sens. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., bolstering federal mental health programs passed 95-2.
Officials: Suicide attack kills 26 in Iraq; Violence on rise as elections approach
BAGHDAD (AP) -- A suicide bomber detonated explosives at a Baghdad cafe crowded with young people late Thursday, killing at least 26 and wounding dozens ahead of provincial elections scheduled for the weekend.
The rare evening attack, which came at the start of the local weekend, brought to 30 the number of people killed across the country Thursday.
The cafe bomber struck about 9:30 p.m. Police said that two children and a woman who were passing by at the time of the blast were among the dead. More than 50 people were wounded.
The packed cafe is on the third floor of a building in the predominantly Sunni neighborhood of Amiriyah. Police said the cafe was packed with young people enjoying water pipes and playing pool.
Earlier in the day, a car bomb struck an army convoy in Mosul, 225 miles northwest of Baghdad, killing three soldiers and wounding five others. Hours later, one policeman was killed and three others were wounded when gunmen attacked a security checkpoint in western Baghdad, police said.
Hospital officials confirmed the casualties. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters.
Violence has been on the rise ahead of provincial elections to be held on Saturday. The vote is for local officials in several provinces across the country, including the capital, Baghdad. Authorities have been vowing to bolster security ahead of the elections.
Senators unveil immigration bill with broad support as conservatives attack
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Four Democratic and four Republican senators formally unveiled a sweeping immigration bill Thursday at a news conference attended by traditional opponents from big business and labor, conservative groups and liberal ones. The lawmakers argued that this time, thanks to that broad-based support, immigration overhaul legislation can succeed in Congress.
"Powerful outside forces have helped defeat certain other initiatives in Washington, but on immigration, the opposite is proving true," Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said a day after senators under intense lobbying pressure blocked a major gun control package. "I am confident this issue will not fall victim to the usual partisan deadlock."
Support for the bill is already being put to the test as conservatives grow more vocal in opposition. Two Republican senators held a dueling news conference with law enforcement officials to bash the bill's security provisions, and several conservative bloggers seized on one provision of the legislation to falsely claim that it would allow people here illegally to get free cellphones.
The 844-page bill is designed to secure the border, allow tens of thousands of new high- and low-skilled workers into the country while requiring employers to verify their legal status, and put 11 million people here illegally on a path to citizenship, as long as certain border security goals are met first.
"Yes, we offer a path to citizenship to people who didn't come here legally," said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., anticipating opposition to that provision. "They're here, and realistically there is nothing we can do to induce them all to return to their countries of origin."
Michigan woman, 75, gets at least 22 years in prison for killing teen grandson
PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) -- A 75-year-old Detroit-area woman who killed her grandson expressed remorse Thursday but repeatedly accused his parents of dumping a troubled boy at her doorstep during a desperate, emotional plea to avoid a prison sentence that likely means death behind bars.
The judge wasn't swayed, sending Sandra Layne away for at least 22 years and capping a wrenching case that revealed family strife, adolescent rebellion and fatal consequences.
Joanthan Hoffman was shot six times, including twice in the back, last spring in Oakland County's West Bloomfield Township. Layne, a former teacher and real estate agent, said she shot him out of fear during a physical altercation, but a jury in March rejected her claim of self-defense.
Prosecutors said there were no signs of Layne being injured by Hoffman. A recording of a 911 call shows him being shot again while pleading for help -- a critical piece of evidence that jurors played over and over during deliberations. Judge Denise Langford Morris zeroed in on it, too, wondering why Layne simply didn't call police if she felt helpless.
"Grandmothers are supposed to protect. ... Why did you keep shooting and how could you keep shooting?" Morris asked. "You didn't have to keep shooting. Those were hollow-pointed bullets designed for a devastating impact."
Telescope sees distant worlds not too hot, not too cold, not too big
WASHINGTON (AP) -- NASA's planet-hunting telescope has discovered two planets that seem like ideal places for some sort of life to flourish. And they are just the right size and in just the right place.
One is toasty, the other nippy.
The distant duo are the best candidates for habitable planets that astronomers have found so far, said William Borucki, the chief scientist for NASA's Kepler telescope. And it's got astronomers thinking that similar planets that are just about right for life -- "Goldilocks planets" -- might be common in the universe.
The discoveries, published online Thursday in the journal Science, mark a milestone in the search for planets where life could exist. In the four years that Kepler has been trailing Earth's orbit, the telescope has found 122 exoplanets -- planets outside our solar system.
In the past, those planets haven't fit all the criteria that would make them right for life of any kind from microbes to man.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


text:
All quotes tagged Spill
(77 quotes found)
"They say leather's mainly for perverts. Don't know why. Think it's very practical, actually. I mean, you spill anything on it and it just comes off. I suppose that could be why the perverts like it."
"A child is a quicksilver fountain / spilling over with tomorrows and tomorrows / and that is why / she is richer than you and I."
"It's when we start working together that the real healing takes place, ... It's when we start spilling our sweat, and not our blood."
"The move in the yen has spilled over on the perception the dollar will continue to gain as the Fed keeps raising rates."


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The Memphis Horns' Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love
Andrew Love, 1941–2012
(This year Andrew Love and the Memphis Horns were honored with The Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award. The following tribute ran in the GRAMMY Awards program book. Love died April 12 at the age of 70.)
If you've ever heard the brilliant unison horns that play the starting phrases on records such as "Knock On Wood," "Hold On, I'm Comin'" or "In The Midnight Hour," then you've experienced the excitement that the Memphis Horns can stir when opening a song.
The enthusiasm exhibited by these extraordinary session players appears on every recording take, every rehearsal and every live show that they have been involved with. If you call the Memphis Horns, you know what you're going to get: solid horn lines and warm, flowing harmonies to accentuate the vocals or highlight the melody.
I had the pleasure of working with founding members Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love during my days at Stax Records as a fellow session player. Nicer guys, or more hardworking and reliable people, you just couldn't find. They were true team players.
I remember working with them on the introduction to Otis Redding's version of "Try A Little Tenderness." Otis said he wanted to begin with a horn part that was reminiscent of a traditional southern ballad for this slow romantic song. What at first seemed a simple request morphed into a maze of musical possibilities. This note or that? Start in unison and develop into harmony. Build here, a decrescendo there.
As the Horns patiently entertained and played through Otis' ruminations, which he hummed to them, as well as the ideas of other musicians, including myself, I witnessed their endurance and professionalism. The process of inclusion and elimination, which in times past might have taken only a few minutes, stretched out for more than an hour, but the simple, beautiful gem that resulted was well worth it, and we started the song with this longing, emotive phrase.
Only the horns are heard during this introduction. Plainly presented and arguably one of history's most moving showpieces, they pave the way for Otis' aching vocal performance.
An essential element of the Stax family, and a unit unto themselves, they put their distinctive mark on the Memphis sound before they expanded to the wider musical community.
Aside from Otis, the Memphis Horns played on Stax recordings by Eddie Floyd, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, and Rufus and Carla Thomas. You can also hear them on recordings by the Doobie Brothers, Al Green, Neil Diamond, Elvis Presley, the Robert Cray Band, U2, and Neil Young. They are members of the Musicians Hall of Fame.
And now the time has finally come for the recording industry to play a unison note in tribute to the men who defined what a horn section should be.
(Booker T. Jones played on countless hits as a member of Stax Records' house band, Booker T. & The MG's. The band also recorded their own gold records, won a Best Pop Instrumental Performance GRAMMY in 1994 for "Cruisin'" and received their own Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.)


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Long Term
2012 Volvo S60: Road Tripping for Fuel Economy
With an invitation to test Volvo R-Design models 390 miles away from Los Angeles in Scottsdale, Arizona, I had to choose between a 75-minute flight and a 6 ½-hour drive. Since I'm a sucker for road trips, I dodged the Boeing 737 and made the trek in our long term S60 instead-another stretch of open road, another chance to test the long distance capabilities of our resident Swedish sedan.
The 880-mile roundtrip was also the perfect opportunity to experiment with fuel economy. But first, a confession: I'm not much of a hypermiler. Try as I might to hover in that sweet, lower-speed zone where highway mileage is optimized, I'm likelier to adopt a less-modest cruising velocity and arrive at my destination slightly sooner than the slower, fuel-sipping alternative affords. The route from Los Angeles to Scottsdale didn't help my cause: with 65-mph speed limits throughout California and seemingly endless stretches of 75-mph speed limits in Arizona, this would be a true test of right foot discipline.
First, a little background on our S60's fuel economy so far. With the odometer currently at 7,200+ miles, studying our stats reveals that we've filled up the S60 a total of 22 times, spending $1,191.84 (mostly on regular, 87 octane gas) along the way. The difference between the trip computer's indicated fuel efficiency and the actual figure has varied by around one mpg over the course of ownership so far. Our overall fuel economy average has worked out to 21.98 mpg, which is consistent with our primarily city driving and the car's EPA rating of 20 mpg city, 30 mpg highway.
Before hitting the road for Arizona, I did two things to help maximize the Volvo's chances for decent fuel economy numbers: 1.) Though the minimum recommended octane rating is 87, I filled up with premium fuel to aid engine efficiency, and 2.) I boosted the tire's inflation pressures to 5 PSI above normal for lower rolling resistance, a common hypermiler technique.
Within Los Angeles city limits, traffic limited my speed to an average of 55 mph, allowing me to feather the throttle and occasionally coast, which displays a rather satisfying instant fuel economy number: 99.9 mpg. In total, cruising at that speed led to an indicated running average of around 34 mpg-a solid 4 mpg above the official EPA rating. But as the congestion lightened up, the average dropped; by the time I was hovering around the 65-mph speed limit, my indicated average dropped to just below 30 mpg.
Entering Arizona's 75-mph speed limit-enforced sections and disinterested in clogging traffic along this high-speed corridor of seemingly endless highway, my mileage dropped further. After testing the R-Designs in Scottsdale (which you'll read about here soon) and turning around to head home, a refuel in Parker, Arizona revealed an indicated fuel economy of 30.2 mpg and an actual figure of 28.6 mpg. I had extracted 482.6 miles from a tank of gas; based on those figures, I could have eked out a total of about 500 miles from the 18.5-gallon fuel tank before I'd be stranded on the side of the road. Not bad.
At the end of the day, my measurements revealed that cruising at a reasonable average of 67 mph results in roughly 29 mpg fuel economy-and by dropping those constant speeds by a few miles per hour, it's possible to get the S60 into the 30+ mpg range.
Overall, our experience had less to do with the Volvo's fuel economy performance and more to do with driver behavior; by further limiting my speed during my 6 ½-hour drive, I could have done a little-but not a whole lot-better than my 28.6 mpg average, which is to say that the S60 performed more or less on target with its highway fuel economy figures. However, the adage that "Your mileage may vary" also cuts the other way with the S60, as our hardcore performance driving experience proved, not surprisingly, that pedal-to-the-metal driving can yield numbers in the low teens.
If your patience exceeds the temptation to rush from point A to B, you can expect the S60 to deliver a mild bump above its EPA estimation. But as our trafficked stretch of driving in Los Angeles revealed, you shouldn't expect much beyond those few extra miles per gallon even when you're cruising along at mellow speeds-making the S60 capable of exceeding its official mpg numbers, but perhaps not enough to qualify it as a hypermiler's dream.
Want to learn more? Follow our long-term test of the Volvo S60.


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NENI names Kevin Moran VP of news
The Eagle's managing editor since October 2005 and a top editor at other newsrooms in the Berkshires and Southern Vermont, Moran assumed his new duties on Thursday.
In this newly created position, Moran will serve as the strategic leader of all digital and print news content throughout New England Newspapers. Those news organizations include The Eagle, North Adams Transcript, Bennington Banner, Brattleboro Reformer, Advocate Weekly and Manchester Journal.
"He has the passion, commitment and digital creativity needed to move forward in today's changing media landscape," Corrado said of Moran. "He is a strong leader who has been the managing editor of The Eagle for eight years and with New England Newspapers for 20 years in a variety of editor roles."
Moran, 42, also has served as managing editor of both the North Adams Transcript and Brattleboro Reformer and as news editor for The York (Pa.) Dispatch. He began his career in 1993 as a news reporter for the Transcript, has won a variety of journalism awards, and is a past president of the New England Associated Press News Executives Association.
"Our mission in the Berkshires and Southern Vermont -- to deliver our readers the news they crave when they want it, where they want it and how they want it -- has been our franchise at each and every newsroom in New England Newspapers for decades," Moran said. "I believe these latest years -- this digital age of news -- are the most exciting ones not only for journalists but also for our readers and advertisers. And I look forward to expanding, refining and diversifying our news presence throughout our region as we continue our commitment to serving the best interests of our communities."
The search for a new managing editor of The Eagle is underway.
A native of Adams, Moran graduated from Hoosac Valley High School in Cheshire, Mass., in 1989 and from the University of New Hampshire in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in English. Moran and his wife, Melanie, and their 23-month-old daughter, Reese, reside in Pittsfield.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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Erasmo sharp in first spring performance
By Greg Johns / MLB.com
PEORIA, Ariz. -- Right-hander Erasmo Ramirez, competing for a spot in the Mariners' rotation, got off to a nice start with a quick inning of work in Seattle's 8-3 victory over the Padres on Sunday.
The 22-year-old gave up a single to standout third baseman Chase Headley, but otherwise zipped through a 15-pitch first frame in which he threw 11 strikes while mixing his curve and changeup in with a fastball in the 91-93 mph range.
"I was working to mix pitches and not just throw fastballs," said the youngster from Nicaragua. "Today was different. I was getting ahead with the fastball, but I had to practice my breaking balls. For me, it was a good inning and good start for Spring Training, and hopefully it'll continue. Just pounding the strike zone, that's my goal."
Ramirez is one of several pitchers competing for Seattle's fourth and fifth starting spots. He went 1-3 with a 3.36 ERA in 16 appearances last year as a rookie, including eight starts in which he looked very good until suffering from elbow soreness.
That experience puts him in good stead this spring to compete for a rotation berth.
"His arsenal of pitches is why we feel strong about him as a starter," said manager Eric Wedge. "We know he can pitch out of the bullpen, too, if we need him to. But we look at him as a starter just because of the way he can compete against big league hitters over the course of six, seven, eight innings. It's just about the experience he gained last year, particularly at the end of the year when he was starting, and the way he threw the baseball."
Ibanez credits Hansen for good spring start
PEORIA, Ariz. -- A day after Jason Bay said his swing feels better than it has for several years, Raul Ibanez echoed a similar sentiment as he kick-started his return to the Mariners with a three-run blast off former teammate Freddy Garcia to highlight Seattle's 8-3 win over the Padres on Sunday.
Ibanez has had better success in recent years than Bay, so it's significant to hear the 40-year-old say he's feeling locked in early after going 2-for-3 with three RBIs in his second Cactus League game since rejoining the Mariners.
Ibanez said reuniting with new Seattle hitting coach Dave Hansen -- another former Mariners teammate -- has been a boon.
"Spring Training is a strange time, because there could be one day you feel pretty good and the next day you don't. It kind of goes back and forth like that," said Ibanez. "The idea is to build consistency. I definitely feel better this spring than I have the last couple springs at the plate, and part of that has been some of the stuff Dave Hansen has been working on with me.
"He was obviously here with me in '04 and '05, and I used to go to him quite a bit in the dugout about hitting stuff. So we have a really nice relationship over the years and he's mentioned some stuff and we're working on some things."
Ibanez was less kind to Garcia, whom he played with in 1999-2000 when Garcia first came up with the Mariners, again in '04 when he returned to Seattle and last year when the two were together with the Yankees. The veteran outfielder spoke well of "The Chief," but didn't treat him as well on the field when he smoked an 0-1 fastball deep over the right-field wall for a three-run blast that was one of five straight hits off Garcia.
"He's a good buddy of mine," Ibanez said. "We had first and second with no out and I was just looking for a pitch that I could hit hard somewhere. I thought he might throw something else. With him, he throws so many different pitches and he's got a great forkball/split thing. I thought he might throw it there, but he didn't, and I was able to get the fat part of the bat on it.
"I haven't faced him for a while, but he's a great competitor and I have the utmost respect for him because I've seen him where he's successful throwing 97 or 98 [mph], and he's learned how to be successful throwing 87."
Smoak gets off to strong spring start
PEORIA, Ariz. -- Looking to carry his strong 2012 finish over into the new season, Justin Smoak got off to a nice start when he homered in his first Cactus League game Saturday with a powerful shot to right-center field against the Padres.
Smoak knows it's just Spring Training and the real tests will come later, but it never hurts to start well and build confidence in the sunshine of Arizona.
Smoak, who didn't play in Sunday's game, went 1-for-3 in Saturday's contest. He struck out in his first at-bat, reached on an error and then ripped a 3-1 fastball from Brad Boxberger onto the berm in right field.
"It's always good to square balls up early on," Smoak said. "I knew after my first couple at-bats I was a little quick and I just needed to let the ball travel a little farther. That's what I went up there my third at-bat trying to do."
The ball traveled much farther once Smoak unloaded.
"That was loud," said manager Eric Wedge. "That was probably the loudest hit of the day and good to see. He's a lot stronger. You look at what he's doing up there from a mechanical standpoint, he's really looking to lock that in. He picked it up at the end of last year and was able to be consistent with it and he's been able to be consistent with it here early on, as well."
Smoak's shot came when he was hitting left-handed, which is the side he's gotten most of his work on early in the spring, given the number of right-handers in camp.
As for his swing?
"It's feeling better," he said. "It's still a work in progress, but this is as close as I've felt to being where I want to be for quite a while. So, it's getting better."
Worth noting
• Jeremy Bonderman is scheduled to start Monday's game against the Angels in Peoria, his first game as he attempts to come back from arm problems that have sidelined him since 2010. Hisashi Iwakuma will start Tuesday when the Mariners play their first road game of the spring against the Brewers in Maryvale, with Joe Saunders pitching in that game as well, as he makes his Mariners debut.
• Monday's game is not on the radio, one of the few Cactus League games not available. This week's games on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be broadcast on a delayed basis on 710 ESPN Seattle at 7 p.m. PT, but will be streamed live for free on Mariners.com. The three weekend games, Friday-Sunday, are back live on 710 ESPN.
• ROOT Sports will televise six Cactus League games this spring, the first coming Monday, March 4, against the Rockies at 12:05 p.m. PT (12:05 p.m. PT).
• Dustin Ackley and Brendan Ryan will see their first Cactus League action Monday when the Mariners host the Angels. The two are being brought back slowly from offseason surgeries, with Ackley having bone spurs removed from his left ankle and Ryan having a similar procedure on his right elbow.
• The Mariners will throw their top two young pitching prospects back-to-back in Wednesday's game against the Indians in Goodyear. Left-hander Danny Hultzen will start that 12:05 p.m. PT game, followed by right-hander Taijuan Walker. It will be the second appearance of the spring for both.
Greg Johns is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregJohnsMLB as well as his Mariners Musings blog. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Panelists from Campus Wide Forum
Dr. Kelly Chezum, Vice President for External Relations and the chief crisis communications officer for Clarkson, facilitated a panel discussion among four experts and questions from the campus about our rights, responsibilities and values driven decision making as well as assurances to the systems and processes in place to those who act when they see something that is not right.
Paul Avery, J.D., a member of the Higher Education Practice at Bond, Schoeneck and King, reviewed specific aspects of New York and federal law ranging from NY obligations by profession and the Clery Act for reporting crimes.
Prof. Kathy Wears, J.D. and Associate Dean of the School of Business, addressed moral obligation and business decisions that go beyond simply upholding the law.
Philosophy Prof. Bill Vitek, Chair of Humanities and Social Sciences, led the 1995 affirmation and articulation of Clarkson Values and brought context to teaching and scholarship in ethics.
Dr. Marilyn Ardito, Executive Director of Human Resources and co-Chair of the University's Enterprise Risk Management Committee talked about policies and systems in place now to proactively address respond to issues that are a crisis or could lead to one.


text: Do you want to express yourself? View our slideshow to discover a scent for every side of you with Downy Simple Pleasures, now with Renewing Scent Pearls across the entire collection. The scents are not only alluring, but some of our Simple Pleasures scents share perfume houses with world famous designer fragrances.