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Which One Of These Guys Is America's Most Disliked Athlete For 2011???
Egos, dog-killing, prison time, and man-sloring are all reasons why some of these guys made Forbes list of America's Disliked Athletes of 2011.
Check who made the list and who tops as "America's Most Disliked Athlete"….
Kurt Busch
Pct. Dislike: 42%
Busch's temper tantrums – he's chewed out teammates and his crew chief – led to a divorce from Penske Racing.
Alex Rodriguez
New York Yankees – MLB
Pct. Dislike: 44%
Drama queen, not producing in the clutch…unfair as it is (the not hitting in the clutch rep is pure myth), that's the fans' view of A-Rod. And his huge contract doesn't help.
Terrell Owens
NFL – inactive
Pct. Dislike: 45%
Like Kobe Bryant, there's little middle ground with T.O. Fans love him or hate him.Fighting money problems at 38, Owens tried but failed to extend his NFL career in 2011.He wound up signing with the Allen (Texas) Wranglers of the Indoor Football League.
Kobe Bryant
Los Angeles Lakers – NBA
Pct. Dislike: 45%
Kobe is polarizing – very little middle ground. Some love him, others find him phony and self-centered.
LeBron James
Miami Heat – NBA
Pct. Dislike: 48%
Fans just don't take to super teams. When LeBron took his talents to South Beach, he put on the villain's hat.
Kris Humphries
New Jersey Nets – NBA
Pct. Dislike: 50%
Kim Kardashian, reality television…no need to go on, right?
Continue Slideshow
Ndamukong Suh
Detroit Lions -NFL
Pct. Dislike: 51%
Suh has plunged from the NFL's most liked player to one of its least liked within a few months. Who'd have thought stomping an opponent on national TV would be such a quick and harsh reputation killer?
Plaxico Burress
New York Jets – NFL
Pct. Dislike: 56%
Fresh off a prison term for gun possession, he made need another low key season or two to put the damage to rest.
Tiger Woods
Pct. Dislike: 60%
It's taking Tiger awhile to live down the personal laundry he aired a couple of years ago, especially since he's not winning. His 60% score ties Vick for first, though it's a bit softer thanks to fewer "dislike a lot" responses.


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Proposed Canon
Turnamancy is one of the three disciplines of the Magic class Spookism; it is aligned with the axis of Erf.Erf-b1-p038a
Turnamancers can reduce the build time for units produced in the city they are located. summer-updates-–-046
- Increased Production Efficiency:
With the help of a Turnamancer, Charlescomm can pop archons 3 per 2 turns, instead of the normal 1/turn, and Faq pops a Royal Heir in 40 turns instead of 60. This effect may be a sort of time warp (a slowing/speeding effect). Note that, in all known cases, having a Turnamancer reduces production times to two-thirds of what they are without a Turnamancer; this may be a constant ratio.
A Turnamancer can work on a prisoner over time, decreasing Loyalty and Duty to their Ruler and making a conversion to the Capturing side more likely.
- End another sides turn.
Known Turnamancers
- Vanna, formerly in service to Unaroyal, now working for Faq on contract, paid by Charlescomm.
There are two known examples of the turnamancy speedup; the first is increasing 1 Archon / Turn to 3 Archons / 2 Turns. The second is increasing 1 Royal Heir / 60 Turns to 1 Royal Heir / 40 Turns. Both of these are consistent with the idea of the Turnamancer "storing" their turn on the first turn, then granting the stored turn to the city on the next turn. This may be how Turnamancers do it. Turnamancers may also be able to "steal" another unit's turn in battle, effectively paralysing both units.
Turnamancy might alter the flow of time (turns) in some way, perhaps gaining more time for one's own side or units, or removing move or actions from the other side or units.
If Turnamancy can slow time, this could be useful not only for popping units, but allow Regents to complete rounds and still have time for actions, or have direct military application.
Alternatively, it may be an effect not on how long a turn lasts but what can happen in that turn; possibly increasing production values and income. It may also be possible for a stack led by a Turnamancer to move farther and/or perform more actions/attacks per turn.
A master class turnamancer (or two, linked) may be able to skip an opposing side's turn.
Natural Turnamancy may be how turn order is decided.
It would appear that a strong enough turnamancer could end another sides turn prematurely. LIAB 21

subset: commoncrawl


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West Sac softball: Nor Cal champs!
The Girls of Summer!
"Congratulations" doesn't say enough to the West Sacramento Girls Softball Little League team from West Sac, all 100% of them, and they are the 2013, state of California, Northern California champions!
The team was brilliantly coached by Adam Medina, Javier Cano and Troy Hensley.
The players are Vanessa Hensley, Claudia Medina, Laura Garcia, Jessica Baum, Chloe Kitchens,Reyna Sandoval,Mari Cano, Lilly Adversalo, Julie Chand, Viviana Dazo, Amaya Pantega,Isabella Mendez, Hailey Luna.
Their journey started in North Natomas in the Disrtict 6 Tournament. Rio Linda and North Natomas both know the championship road goes through West Sac, and the West Sacramento girls demonstrated that once again by winning the District 6 Championship.
Then it was on to the sectionals in Marysville. The good news was that the games were at 8 p.m., and not in the heat of the night. The bad was that by the time everyone got home, and coaches were no doubt replaying every pitch of the game in their minds, sleep came between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. You can't be a zombie at work because you coached a softball game, so the stress on coaches is pretty high – but winning cures all!
West Sac had to defeat Olivehurst Linda twice once in the semifinals and once in the finals to win the section banner. In hindsight O.L. did West Sac a favor with great pitching, defense and hitting, providing the competition we needed to prepare our budding hampions for the state tournament in Martinez.
West Sac teams have been in Martinez before. The home team there has won four state titles in the last few years, and when Martinez is not winning, it seems like Gilroy is. Both were in this year's tournament.
West Sac brought a perfect blend of speed, hitting, defense and pitching, defeating Gilroy 12-0 in pool play and then facing Martinez in the semi finals.
Three West Sac pitchers struck out 10 Martinez hitters. Pitchers Vanessa Hensley, Hailey Luna and Claudia Medina mixed in a fastball with a great changeup to help lead in a 7-2 win.
Hayley Luna had three triples and Vanessa Hensley also had a triple.
Martinez was baffled:
"Do we play in for the bunt and risk them hitting over our heads, or do we play back and let Claudia Medina and Laura Garci?"
Then came the championship game versus our old friends from Gilroy.
Claudia Medina singled in the first inning. then Vanessa Hensley singled, Reyna Sandoval singled and Hayley Luna continued her hitting rampage with a double. Chloe Kitchens singled and West Sac was ahead 3-0.
Hayley Luna added a two-run homer and struck out nine Gilroy hitters. Mari Cano added a booming triple! Gilroy managed only 2 hits. It was great fun watching them play and represent our community with such style, excellence and sportsmanship.
West Sac won 15-1 after five innings. The victory was called early, due to the "mercy rule" invoked by the huge lead. West Sacramento's All Stars and were crowned as state champions.
Southern California has a champion team too, but at this age level the two champs don't play each other.
The "Girls of Summer": what a great accomplishment.
Do you like what you see here?
You can support local journalism, support this website, and see all the News-Ledger's articles every week! Subscribe to the News-Ledge newspaper. It's only $20 per year within West Sacramento – once a week, delivered to your mailbox.
You can even try it for free for two months if you live in West Sacramento. Just send your name and mailing address to email@example.com (offer open to new subscribers in West Sacramento ZIP codes 95691 & 95605).
Copyright News-Ledger 2013
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America!Lon Beery - Shawnee Press
America!Lon Beery - Shawnee Press
America and America the Beautiful are presented in this soulful, 12/8 gospel-styled setting, somewhat reminiscent of the style of Ray Charles. It's easy, with a full, powerful sound, and it's everything you need for an inspiring patriotic performance! Highly recommended!
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Maddon gets a look at Longoria from two-hole
By Bill Chastain / MLB.com
BOSTON -- Evan Longoria has hit safely in six straight contests and has three homers in his last five games after hitting only one home run in his previous 18, hitting .136 during that span.
Nevertheless, manager Joe Maddon said Longoria is "still not clicking on all cylinders."
"He's hit the long ball, but the consistency with the hard contact has not been present," Maddon said. "I don't really see anything awkward from the side regarding his mechanics or anything like that. It's just got to be what he's seeing or feeling or looking for. I didn't necessarily see any expansion recently. He's just kind of missing his pitch a little bit."
Hoping to give Longoria a little jump-start, Maddon moved Longoria from his usual third spot in the batting order to the second slot for Wednesday night's game against the Red Sox.
"Just trying to un-lodge him a bit by putting him in the two-hole," Maddon said. "Hopefully, he's going to see a different group of pitching. It's kind of like rearranging the chairs on the deck; see if it presents differently. I know he's hit a couple of homers, but I really want to get him unearthed and rolling in the right direction. … He's going to be behind Desmond [Jennings], in front of [Ben Zobrist], and you've got [Wil] Myers coming after that. So we'll just see what happens."
Maddon added that if Jennings had not been hitting the way he has been lately -- since returning to the leadoff spot on July 1, he has hit .333 -- he would have put Longoria in the leadoff spot.
"But listen, he's been doing better," Maddon added. "It's not like he's been doing badly. He's hitting his home runs. The last seven days, the numbers have gotten a lot better. But [to get] that overall consistency we're accustomed to, [we'll] just give him a different look."
Archer gets praise, advice from Schilling
BOSTON -- Chris Archer had a nice surprise on Wednesday afternoon, when he got to talk to former Major Leaguer Curt Schilling.
"The conversation I just had with him was priceless," Archer said, "because he said some pretty nice things about me on 'Baseball Tonight' and ESPN and stuff. I've never seen it, but my friends and family have told me. And that's an honor. I don't know all of his accolades. I remember watching him at the end of his career, and he was super-impressive.
"And we have guys on our team who have pitched as long as he did. So I look up to [Kyle] Farnsworth and Jamey Wright for staying healthy, keeping up with their routine. And to get praise from an outside source, who played so long and did so well, it's honoring."
Schilling also offered Archer a word of caution.
"He reminded me that I'm doing well now, but I still have so much room for improvement," he said. "And I think we need that. We need somebody. I have somebody at home to keep me in check for sure, and on the team. But coming from him ... Making sure I remain humble, to realize that I'm pitching well but I haven't tapped my potential yet.
"He said he always felt like he could do better. His career was incredible, but he said, 'I was always striving to get better.' So for me, my rookie year in the big leagues, having a small taste of success, hearing that from him is encouraging. Like, 'Hey, I can do better. Don't break the routine. Stay on the path. Stay on course.' It was a good conversation."
Torres thriving in new role as reliever
BOSTON -- Alex Torres has been enjoying a superlative season, having allowed just eight hits in 99 at-bats by opponents.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Torres is on target to become only the second Major League pitcher in the last 50 seasons to allow fewer than 10 hits in the first 100 at-bats against him.
In 2013, Cincinnati's Aroldis Chapman allowed nine hits in the first 100 at-bats against him.
"The biggest concern [for Torres] has been command," manager Joe Maddon said. "He [used to throw] more curveballs. He was more of a breaking-ball pitcher -- everybody talked about how good his curve was. The changeup was there, but I think he's found his lot, pretty much, primarily fastball-changeup, with a curveball. So I think he's learned to identify what he does best, and he's doing it more consistently."
Maddon noted that Torres' switch from starter to reliever could also have made a difference.
"It's been fun to watch, man," he said. "This is what he was doing in the Minor Leagues. And now, all of a sudden, he's taken it out there. You can see the confidence that's going on. It's going to be hard to maintain this level, but I think he's going to be good for a long time."
Extra bases
• James Loney collected his 1,000th career hit with a double in the second inning on Tuesday night, making him the third player to attain the milestone in a Rays uniform, joining Carlos Pena (2012) and Carl Crawford (2008), and the fifth to reach the thousand-hit plateau as a member of the Rays (Fred McGriff, 2,000; Wade Boggs, 3,000).
• Wil Myers recorded his fifth straight multihit game on Tuesday night, tying Delmon Young (2007) for the Rays' rookie record. Myers is the only rookie to homer at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park this season.
• The Rays play the most road games in the Major Leagues after the All-Star break (38), beginning with their current 10-game road trip to Toronto, Boston and New York.
• Taylor Guerrieri, the Rays' No. 2 prospect as ranked by MLB.com, underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on Wednesday, a procedure the club says went well. Guerrieri, the Rays' top pick (24th overall) in the 2011 Draft, was 6-2 with a 2.01 ERA in 14 starts with Class A Bowling Green before going on the disabled list on July 21.
Bill Chastain is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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This study is provided by ICPSR. ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for a diverse and expanding social science research community.
CBS News/60 Minutes/Vanity Fair National Survey, November #2, 2012 (ICPSR 34689)
Principal Investigator(s): CBS News; 60 Minutes; Vanity Fair
This poll, fielded November, 2012, and the second of two, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicits public opinion on a range of political and social issues. Respondents were asked their opinions about topics such as their retrospective thoughts on the country's governance, the legality of marijuana and its proper use, holiday shopping, voting behavior and voter registration, (including that during the 2012 presidential election), and personal relationships. Demographic information includes sex, age, race, marital status, education level, political party affiliation, political philosophy, religious preference, employment status, household income, type of residential area (e.g. urban or rural), and whether respondents thought of themselves as born again Christians.
Access Notes
Data in this collection are available only to users at ICPSR member institutions. Please log in so we can determine if you are with a member institution and have access to these data files.
ASCII + SAS Setup SPSS Setup Stata Setup
Study Description
CBS News, 60 Minutes, and Vanity Fair. CBS News/60 Minutes/Vanity Fair National Survey, November #2, 2012. ICPSR34689-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2013-07-12. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR34689.v1
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR34689.v1
Export Citation:
- RIS (generic format for RefWorks, EndNote, etc.)
- EndNote XML (EndNote X4.0.1 or higher)
Scope of Study
Subject Terms: age, consumer behavior, Democratic Party (USA), family size, global warming, holidays, household composition, income, income distribution, marijuana, marriage, opinion polls, political affiliation, politics, presidents, public opinion, religion, religious affiliation, Republican Party (USA), same-sex marriage, sexual preference, voter attitudes
Smallest Geographic Unit: congressional district
Geographic Coverage: United States
- 2012-11
- 2012-11
Unit of Observation: individual
Universe: Persons aged 18 years or older living in households with telephones in the Unites States.
Sample: A variation of random-digit dialing (RDD) using primary sampling units (PSUs) was employed, consisting of blocks of 100 telephone numbers identical through the eighth digit and stratified by geographic region, area code, and size of place. Phone numbers were dialed from RDD samples of both standard land-lines and cell phones. Within households, respondents were selected using a method developed by Leslie Kish and modified by Charles Backstrom and Gerald Hursh (see Backstrom and Hursh, SURVEY RESEARCH. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press, 1963).
Weight: The data contain a weight variable that should be used in analyzing the data. The data were weighted to match United States Census Bureau breakdowns on age, sex, race, education, and region of the country. The data were also adjusted for the fact that people who share a telephone with others have less chance to be contacted than people who live alone and have their own telephones, and that households with more than one telephone number have more chances to be called than households with only one telephone number.
Mode of Data Collection: telephone interview
Extent of Processing: ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection:
- Checked for undocumented or out-of-range codes.
Original ICPSR Release: 2013-07-12
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- Citations exports are provided above.
Export Study-level metadata (does not include variable-level metadata)
If you're looking for collection-level metadata rather than an individual metadata record, please visit our Metadata Records page.


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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.
Difference between revisions of "Pokémon Trading Card Game Online"
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===Booster Credits===
===Booster Credits===
Booster Credits
Booster Credits used to purchase booster packs in game. They be obtained from redeeming codes on code cards, available in {{TCG|Black & White}} booster packs and onward. from {{TCG| }} Plasma Storm packs packs from {{TCG|Plasma }} with from packs.
===Tournament Keys===
===Tournament Keys===
Revision as of 08:03, 17 June 2013
| This article contains old or outdated information, or has not been updated in a while. Please check the content of this article and update it as required.
Specifically, it needs the new features recently added to the game.
Pokémon Trading Card Game Online is a downloadable game and the first Pokémon game of the MMOTCG (massively multiplayer online trading card game) genre as well. The game released March 24, 2011, currently in its beta stage, is based on the TCG aspect of the Pokémon franchise.
- 1 Plot
- 2 Features
- 2.1 Play Modes
- 2.2 Profile
- 2.3 Tutorials
- 2.4 Coins
- 2.5 Unavailable features
- 3 Currency
- 4 Pokémon decks
- 5 Trivia
The player begins his or her adventure at Game Store where Zach and Ella welcome him or her. The player is given three starter decks, as well as three coins to choose from, featuring the Energy symbols, Shaymin, and Arceus. The game revolves around four main Pokémon Leagues found in the Trainer Challenge option.
Play Modes
There are 3 different play modes available. These are Versus Mode, Trainer Challenge, and Tournament Mode. Tournament Mode is currently unavailable.
Versus Mode
Players can play against other users in three different game modes. "Practice Battle" mode allows a player to practice against a random computer-controlled trainer from trainer challenge and does not count toward a player's ranking. In "Practice Battle" mode the player has four choices of difficulty: Beginner, Intermediate, Hard, and Expert. The second mode, "Player vs Player," allows a player to compete against another random player from around the world. This mode has two levels of difficulty: Novice and Expert. The final mode, "Friend Battle," is to play against other players added to the friends list.
Trainer Challenge
In the Trainer Challenge, players must face various opponents with only theme decks, which include Basic Blue, Basic Green, and Basic Red but may also include any theme decks unlocked by code cards. These code cards are attained through purchase of a physical Black & White Theme deck. Players may battle in three leagues: Gold League, Platinum League, and City Championship. Each of the leagues has the option of changing difficulty: Beginner, Intermediate, Hard, and Expert. A player must defeat a league before unlocking the next starting with Gold League ending with City Championship. If one defeats 8 different trainers with the same Basic deck, that deck will be unlocked to use in a player's collection and decks. One can unlock all three basic decks (Basic Blue, Green, Red) only through Trainer Challenge but cards unlocked from these decks cannot be traded and are marked by red numbers underneath each unlocked card.
Tournament Mode
Tournament Mode is currently unavailable. It will be used for tournament games in a future update.
In the forums, players may learn about the maintenance updates, create role plays, and chat with friends about pokemon. The forums are partly visible when not logged in. When logged in, all the forums show.
Upon completing matches in Expert Mode, or selected matches in the 1P Mode, players obtain tokens, for use in the Pokémon Trainer Club. The player can earn achievements for completing various tasks.
- All Dressed Up. Customize your avatar
- Evolver. Play a Stage 2 Evolution card
- Studious. View all Tutorials
- Technician. Play 3 Trainer - Item cards in one turn
- Trader. Trade a card
Trainer Challenge
- Blade of Grass. Win 8 games with the Basic Green deck in the Trainer Challenge
- Firestarter. Win 8 games with the Basic Red deck in the Trainer Challenge
- Breaking Wave. Win 8 games with the Basic Blue deck in the Trainer Challenge
- Daybreak. Win 12 games with the 'Daybreak' deck in the Trainer Challenge
- Nightfall. Win 12 games with the 'Nightfall' deck in the Trainer Challenge
- Green Tornado. Win 12 games with the Green Tornado deck in the Trainer Challenge
- Red Frenzy. Win 12 games with the Red Frenzy deck in the Trainer Challenge
- Blue Assault. Win 12 games with the Blue Assault deck in the Trainer Challenge
- Gold League Champ. Win all the games in the Gold League
- Platinum League Champ. Win all the games in the Platinum League
- Diamond League Champ. Win all the games in the Diamond League
- City Champion. Win all the games in the City Championship
- Triple Crown Champ. Win the Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Leagues
- All-Around Conditioning. Inflict all 5 special conditions on opposing Pokémon while playing the Daybreak PCD in the Trainer Challenge.
- Baffling. Confuse 5 opposing Pokémon in the same game.
- Incendiary. Burn 5 opposing Pokémon in the same game.
- Stunning. Paralyze 5 opposing Pokémon in the same game.
- Soporific. Put 5 opposing Pokémon to sleep in the same game.
- Venomous. Poison 5 opposing Pokémon in the same game.
Knock Outs based on history
- 50th Knockout. Knock Out 50 of your opponents' Pokémon
- 500th Knockout. Knock Out 500 of your opponents' Pokémon
- 1000th Knockout. Knock Out 1000 of your opponents' Pokémon
- 5000th Knockout. Knock Out 5000 of your opponents' Pokémon
- The Win of the Century. Win 100 games
- Triple Threat. Complete wins with all 3 victory conditions
Knock Outs based on a single match
- KO!. Knock Out a Pokémon
- Too Easy. Knock out a previously uninjured Pokémon in a single attack
- Two for One. Knock Out 2 Pokémon with one attack
- Hat Trick. Knock Out 3 Pokémon with one attack
- Quad Damage. Knock Out 4 Pokémon with one attack
- Full House. Knock Out 5 Pokémon with one attack
- Clean Sweep. Knock Out 6 Pokémon with one attack
- Eyes on the Prize. Win by drawing the last prize card
- Patient. Win by opponent running out of cards.
- Merciless. Win a game by knocking out your Opponent's last Pokémon
- Perfectionist. Win a game without your opponent getting a single Prize card
Damage dealt or healed in a single match
- First Blood. Deal 50 damage
- Super Effective. Deal 100 or more damage in a single attack
- Overwhelming. Deal 200 or more damage in a single attack
- Devastation. Deal 300 or more damage in a single attack
- Healer. Heal 100 or more damage in a single game
There are currently 8 different pre-made avatars to choose from, 4 male and 4 female. The feature is still under development and more additions to avatar selection will be made available in future updates.
Game Stats
The Game Stats page allows game statistics to be viewed. The following statistics are currently shown:
- Total cards drawn
- Total damage dealt
- Total damage taken
- Total games played
- Game points
- Total hours played
Visitors or members of the site may choose to play through tutorials. Completing a tutorial rewards players with one or two token(s) each, depending on the tutorial chosen.
Coins are items that can be used in-game when a move, status effect or ability requires a coin flip. The different coins have no special effects; their only difference is their appearance. The three starting coins are a yellow Shaymin coin, a blue coin with the different Energy symbols, and a red Arceus coin. The opponent uses the red Arceus coin. Additional coins are made available when a player registers a purchased deck.
The following are features still unavailable, with the game in its open-beta stage:
- Tournaments & Tournament Keys
- Gems
- Leaderboards
- Gameplay & Avatar Items
- Account History
There are four main currencies in PTCGO. These are Tokens, Gems, Booster Credits, and Tournament Keys. Only Tokens and Booster Credits are currently obtainable.
Trainer Tokens are obtained in various parts of the game, such as Trainer Challenges and Tutorials. They are tied to the accounts, so they may be used on Pokémon.com. Trainer Tokens may also be used for trading cards.
Gems are currently unobtainable. They will be used to provide an alternative way to acquire booster packs in game in a future update. In April 2013, the testing of gems began only in Canada. Gems were available directly for purchase from players. During the test, players could buy booster packs from the Pokemon Black & White era including Black & White, Emerging Powers, Noble Victories, Next Destinies, Dark Explorers, Dragons Exalted, Boundaries Crossed and Plasma Storm.
Booster Credits
Booster Credits were used to purchase booster packs in game. They could be obtained from redeeming codes on code cards, available in Black & White booster packs and onward. Originally, code cards found in packs from this era, were redeemed for Booster Credits. Booster Credits could be redeemed for packs from HeartGold & SoulSilver through Boundaries Crossed sets. This method ended with the release of Plasma Storm when codes from Plasma Storm packs were only redeemable for packs from that set. This method continued with Plasma Freeze until the Booster Credit system was ended in July 2013. From July 2013 to December 2013, players with Booster Credits redeemed before July 2013 could redeem these credits for any pack from HeartGold & SoulSilver to Boundaries Crossed sets. The players who still had Booster Credits at the end of 2013 had any remaining credits automatically redeemed for Boundaries Crossed packs. The current system redeems codes directly for packs from the respective set and the Booster Credit system has been rendered obsolete.
Tournament Keys
Tournament Keys are currently unobtainable. They will be used to gain access to certain tournaments by redeeming the amount of keys needed to enter. It is unknown how these keys will be acquired.
Pokémon decks
- Main article: List of Pokémon Trading Card Game Online decks
Nine decks have so far been made available to players, with two decks each under the types Grass, Fire, and Water. Three, Basic Red, Basic Blue, and Basic Green, are available to use anytime. The other six, Red Frenzy, Green Tornado, Blue Assault, Night Hunter, Toxic Tricks, and Power Play are only available if players redeem codes from actual decks they have bought from stores. The first three decks have twelve cards that can be unlocked as players play through Trainer Challenge. These cards automatically replace certain cards in the deck the player used whilst in the Trainer Challenge, though they are still available in the Deck Builder. As actual decks are released, their online counterpart are also made available.
In all, over 3000 cards, including card variants, are listed on the website. The expansions currently supported cover HeartGold & SoulSilver through Plasma Freeze.
- When using the redemption code 'dragonsexalted', the player receives a male and female version of a Pokémon EX Hat, despite avatar items not yet being available.
- The same goes for the codes 'nextdestinies' and 'darkexplorers'.
- Redeeming 'plasmastorm' gives the player a Power Relay deck.
External links
|This article is part of both Project Sidegames and Project TCG, Bulbapedia projects that, together, aim to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon Sidegames and TCG, respectively.


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Hard work, raw talent fuel Gordon's turnaround
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- An enduring symbol of Alex Gordon is an empty chair in front of his locker. He's seldom there.
The Royals' left fielder arrives at the Spring Training clubhouse early in the morning. Then it's off to the weight room. Or the batting cages. Gordon is working long before the team's workout begins.
Manager Ned Yost gets to the clubhouse before the roadrunners and the rattlers are stirring in the desert, so he's well aware of Gordon's work habits.
"It's increased, it's crazy," Yost said. "He's always the first one here, always the first one in the weight room. Always consistent with his routine, never takes a day off. Tremendous discipline."
That's a big reason why, after years of injury and disappointment, Gordon in the last two seasons has become the rock of the Royals. He's proved that his breakout season at bat in 2011 was no fluke. And, while he was at it, he's won back-to-back Gold Gloves as the American League's best left fielder.
"I think I work out smarter," Gordon said. "I still work hard, but I stretch and I go in the weight room not to just get strong, but [to get ready] for baseball activities, stuff that's going to help me on the field. It's just experience and getting older and maybe a little bit wiser."
Gordon, who turned 29 a week ago, made a stunningly successful switch from third base to left field in 2010. His return from injuries wasn't going very well, so he was dispatched to Triple-A Omaha to fix his hitting. Everybody knew that Mike Moustakas would end up at third base so, what the heck, why not try Gordon in the outfield while he was at Omaha.
A year later, he won a Gold Glove.
There are still the daily forays around left field during batting practice for Gordon. He charges after batting practice hits as he would in a game. Pitchers shagging in the outfield clear the area.
"They stand over in right or center or stand by the fence and leave me alone," Gordon said. "They try to stay clear so we don't have any collisions."
The ritual has done wonders for Gordon.
"It makes me feel a lot more comfortable on game hits, knowing that I took all those batting practice hits like games, so it just comes naturally, or at least I hope it does," he said. "That's kind of the whole plan -- practice makes perfect and that's what I try to do."
The number of diving catches and bullet throws that Gordon has executed over the last two years would make an endless highlight reel. In his first full year in left field, he was with center fielder Melky Cabrera and right fielder Jeff Francoeur, and he credits them with setting a great defensive example.
"They had spent some years in the big leagues and me being brand new, I picked their brains about what they would do," Gordon said.
In 2011, Gordon led the Majors with 20 outfield assists and Francoeur was second with 16. Last year, Francoeur led the Majors with 19 assists and Gordon was second with 17.
"I really think that Frenchy's [Francoeur] throwing ability and his aggressiveness in the outfield helped me out," Gordon said. "Not only the players, but Rusty [Kuntz] and a lot of the other outfield coaches, too. It's a lot of hard work and I'm just trying to get better every day."
A left-handed batter who was the Royals' first-round Draft choice and second overall selection in 2005, Gordon leaped from a superb Double-A season in 2006 right into the Majors. Two mediocre years were followed by 2009's hip surgery and 2010's thumb fracture and the subsequent demotion to Omaha.
But 2011 changed everything. Gordon hit .303, banged 23 homers, scored 101 runs and knocked in 87 -- all career highs.
Last year wasn't quite as good, but at least Gordon proved he was no one-year wonder. He had an AL-leading 51 doubles, but his average slipped to .294 with 93 runs, 14 homers and 72 RBIs.
"It's just part of the game. I started out slow." Gordon said. "Everybody wants to start off well and when it didn't happen, it probably got to me a little bit."
It's probably no coincidence that during the Royals' numbing 12-game skid last April, Gordon's average sank to .167.
"We weren't winning games and if you're not hitting well, it kind of feels like you're not doing your job," Gordon said. "So I think it was kind of good for us to go through it, just with a young team to experience that and know we've been through it and know how to handle it. It stunk at the time, but it's probably a good thing that it happened."
Gordon wound up being the Royals' leadoff batter in 81 games, exactly half of their schedule, and that's where he's likely to start the season this year. Yost is thinking Gordon followed by Alcides Escobar, Eric Hosmer and Billy Butler.
Gordon prospered in the No. 1 slot last year with a .307 average and .375 on-base percentage.
Gordon has moved from Kansas City back to his hometown of Lincoln, Neb., with wife Jamie and 2-year-old son Max. His ties to his alma mater, the University of Nebraska, are strong.
"I try to go to every football game," he said. "I try to go into the games, but it's so much fun with my friends that tailgate outside and watch it on TV, but we go to pretty much every game."
Gordon prepared for this season with workouts at the university. Some of his old Huskers teammates are now coaches and they often pitch to him. So he arrived in camp ready to go.
His chair is empty.
"He's a very, very solid Major League player, in all aspects of his game," Yost said. "He could play on anybody's team. He's a championship-caliber player. I don't know what else to say."
Dick Kaegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Woohoo indeed.
Hmm, sounds like a typically-Virgin response to genuine concerns. They're all about their trendy informal branding nowadays.
The TiVo thing looked interesting until I realised it was inexplicably tied to Virgin Media. Could I buy the TiVo box seperately and hook it up to Freeview or Sky if I no longer wanted my Virgin subscription? Er... no. OK, so having bought the box surely I wouldn't need to pay more of a subscription charge to Virgin? Er... no again.
As I'm already stuck with them for 12 months after getting a HD box upgrade without realising that tied me into another 12 month contract with them (I double-checked afterwards, and there was no mention of a new contract from the pages I signed up from) I can't see myself ever signing up for this sort of thing from them.


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Man agrees to molestation charge, 11 years later
Updated 6:59 pm, Monday, February 25, 2013
A Las Vegas man accused of raping a 3-year-old during a Christmas vacation in San Antonio 11 years ago pleaded no contest Monday.
He received deferred adjudication probation and is required to register as a sex offender for the next 15 years.
Anthony Damschen, 31, was indicted in 2005 on a charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child that is alleged to have occurred in January 2002. A trial in 2010 ended with the jury deadlocked after more than eight hours of deliberations.
Damschen and the family of his accuser, now 15, agreed to Monday's plea to move on after more than a decade of having the case in limbo, attorneys said.
"I don't think any family should have to endure 10 years of non-closure," the girl's father said through tears during a victim impact statement.
Damschen, who is deaf, watched a sign language interpreter as a statement from his accuser was also read aloud in court. "I feel broken," she wrote, adding that she forgives him.
The defendant's grandfather told police investigators that Damschen has the mental capacity of a 15-year-old.
Twitter: @HearsaySA


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Challenge other teams on the field in a softball league or tournament in Las Vegas, NV. Improve your batting and fielding technique, and learn tips and drills at a softball camp.
Softball Activities Near
Las Vegas, NV
Save up to $10 on your next event!
Join Advantage today and look for the logo to save on eligible events.


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I just received the following announcement from Atlantic Records (the record label that produced the Twilight Soundtrack):
The first single has officially been confirmed for the New Moon Soundtrack! Death Cab for Cutie has written an exclusive song for the movie entitled 'Meet Me On the Equinox.' Below is a statement from the band about the song:
"We are very excited to be a part of this amazing series of novels set in our own backyard. It just seemed a perfect synergy that a band from the Northwest would create a song for a series of novels set in the Northwest. We wrote 'Meet Me On the Equinox' to reflect the celestial themes and motifs that run throughout the Twilight series and we wanted to capture that desperate feeling of endings and beginnings that so strongly affect the main characters. This song marks the first attempt that Death Cab for Cutie has ever made at contributing new, unreleased material for a film and we are proud to be a part of the Twilight legacy." — Nick Harmer / Death Cab for Cutie
Additionally, we have the exclusive premiere of the soundtrack album cover below! The soundtrack will be in stores on October 20th, 2009, stay tuned for more information!
You can pre-order the New Moon Soundtrack now, and we will be posting more artist information as it becomes available. And, if you need some ideas for things to purchase to qualify for free shipping (over $25), I would suggest the Breaking Dawn Special Edition and the Eclipse paperback, which both went on-sale this month.
Have a great day!
August 27, 2009
New Moon Soundtrack Cover + First New Moon Song Confirmed
8 comments:
Oh, I *LOVE* DCFC! This day just keep sgetting better and better!!!ReplyDelete
there's not doubt in my mind that this will be the best song on the album. i love death cab.ReplyDelete
- twicrackhogAugust 27, 2009 at 7:13 PM
I love DCFC...but I found this NM video and song that would incredible! Check this out! They've got to put this song in the movie!ReplyDelete
Death Cab is a great choice for the New Moon soundtrack, so depresso Bella, love it! When I go through a break-up they are on my moping-around-zombie-like-state soundtrackReplyDelete
Love Love Love me some Death Cab. I can't wait to hear this song!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 27, 2009 at 10:43 PM
Ohhh i hope they put this on vinyl too!ReplyDelete
Awesome! Kudos to Death Cab!ReplyDelete
I just read that this song will be previewed at the MTV Video awards next weekend:ReplyDelete


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Training Young Horses
- Sep 18, 2001
- Topics:
Dr. E.E. Watson was a veterinarian of some repute for many years in the Midwest during the middle decades of the 20th Century. He not only treated racehorses, but he bred them, owned them, and trained them. One year in the late 1950s, he had a barn full of coughing, snotting, bucking 2-year-olds. He decided that he wouldn't even break that year's yearling crop; he'd wait and train them as 3-year-olds. Two years passed and you guessed it -- he had a barn full of coughing, snotting, bucking 3-year-olds from the crop of yearlings he had decided to wait on. So much for patience and Mother Nature.
Jim Keefer was a favorite client for many years. He was given the job of training an 8-year-old mare which had been tied up in legal squabbles her entire life. When the litigation was completed, the happy owner fulfilled his dream of seeing his horse compete at the races. She did indeed, and the first time she raced, she bucked her shins.
This reminiscence is proffered now to present my reasoning in favor of 2-year-old training, racing, and sales. Equine research, little by little (and it has to be so because funding for our favorite quadruped is grossly neglected compared to food and companion animals), is giving us much-needed scientific information about training and developing the equine athlete. It's telling us that exercising sooner is probably better than later; that a regular, steady regimen of exercise starting at about 16-18 months of age, following a life of at least some "roughing it," will benefit that individual and possibly help it attain its potential as an athlete.
Easier said than done.
Obviously, we have all sorts of yearlings awaiting their preparation for racing -- yearlings of all sizes, conformations, and attitudes. That's where horsemanship comes in. The successful, life-long horseman does in fact have a sense about most horses he has in his care after a "breaking in" period. That big, country, long drink of water horse is not going to be ready for Keeneland's Headley chute in April (for those four-furlong baby races), but that short-coupled, precocious little filly might have that race and the WHAS Stakes on Derby Day written all over her.
Science tells us that regular training and brief "bursts" of speed will produce a racehorse with bone molded to accommodate his abilities. The other vital component is "intelligence." The horse is a creature of habit, almost to a fault in some cases. But a successful horse must learn to adapt to a changing environment. Differences in track surfaces, barns, riders, grooms, hot walkers, feed, travel -- all must be confronted and handled before you can consider that individual a professional.
The emergence of 2-year-olds in training sales began with the explosive growth of the Florida Thoroughbred market in the 1960s and 1970s. For some horses, the lack of an acceptable pedigree to stand out at the yearling sales resulted in developing ready-to-race or almost-ready-to-race animals. What a success it was! Of course, it was done on a risk/ reward basis. But isn't that all part of the racing industry? The candidates for sales must be screened just as racing prospects are screened. In recent years, the exaggerated emphasis on time trials has lessened the enthusiasm of some prospective buyers. That could be a mistake. A slower-developing individual should not be severely pushed in a 2-year-old sale. What should be emphasized and scrutinized is the action of the individual, and its demeanor before, during, and after exercise.
Pedigree should always be a major influence. It can tell you what has been accomplished and should certainly help in forecasting future promise. Which would you prefer? A speed-dizzy 2-year-old all out to do an eighth of a mile in 00:10:2, or a nice-sized, somewhat immature colt with flawless action well under control doing an eighth of a mile in 11 seconds flat? Either can be found, you just have to know where to look, and what to look for, then know how to train that individual to give him the bone and tendon strength to match his abilities.
About the Author
Gary Lavin, DVM
Gary Lavin, DVM, is a private Throughbred practitioner and breeder based in Kentucky who now is retired from a racetrack practice. He is a former president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association.
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Treating Equine Orthopedic Injuries with Stem Cells
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text:
There really is a question at the end of this, mostly informational, post...
This discussion was begun in the middle of an apparently unrelated thread title at http://forums.zonealarm.org/showthre...496#post292496, but this new information seems important enough to deserve its own thread. I hope our moderators will agree.
After a prolonged dialog with Tech Support through Live Chat about one of the "anomalies" that I have encountered with ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 10.x (but never with earlier versions!) on a Windows XP SP3 system, I have finally received the following, apparently definitive, guidance, quoted verbatim:
"Below is the information I received from development regarding the limited account.
There are issues with limited accounts. In fact there are issues during install where all the components wont install.
So for now, no Limited user support. Only Admin access during install and while running ZoneAlarm."
Here's my conundrum: Although I doubt anyone would expect to install such a product from a 'Limited User' account, day-to-day running from such an account is another matter entirely. To quote from p.10 of Microsoft's Windows XP Professional "For distribution only with a new PC/start here" guide (version 2002), "Important: Running Windows XP as an administrator makes the system vulnerable to unnecessary security risks. Instead use your user account to perform routine tasks such as running programs, working on documents, and visitng Internet sites." Similar advice is even more stridently expressed in various third-party books about installing and using XP. Nevertheless, ZA Tech Support tells us that its "security" software is not compatible with the 'Limited User' accounts that Microsoft recommends.
Question: Is it the consensus of this forum to use ZA products and ignore Microsoft's security advice to run routinely as a 'Limited User?'
Thanks in advance for any clarification. -- jclarkw


text: Republicans finally got their show trial with Hillary Clinton on Wednesday. It's more than a day late and a dollar short, most of us have forgotten how the crazy spiel even went. If memory serves, democrats, led by evil mastermind Barack Hussein Obama, covered up the possibility of Al Qaeda linked terrorists behind the attack in Benghazi that left two diplomats and two bodyguards dead. The purported motivation driving the cover up? I'm actually chuckling as I write this part: anything hyping Al Qaeda as a deadly terrorist organization hell bent on killing innocent Americans would have been so bad for a President's public approval rating that Obama had to have it suppressed (WE all remember how Bush's numbers nose dived after 9-11 right?). Things didn't go quite like conservatives fantasized: [Read more…]


text: Just a little conversation starter for a quiet Sunday evening: ...the incredible happens, and you're PM inbox flashes red with a message from an editor at Pocket Books who tells you that they've been monitoring your fan fiction writing and invites you to pitch a standalone Star Trek novel set within the confines of series continuity - that is TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY and ENT using existing characters who need to end the novel the same way they started it. I'm sure most of us have read the old submission guidelines at one point or another but I've included them below. ENT isn't mentioned since these come from before 2001 but you get the basic idea - the novels need to be set within the series and you can't kill people off or make massive changes to the characters or universe. So assuming my original unlikely/impossible scenario was to occur and you were invited to pitch a novel, which series would you chose and what do you think your story would be about?


text: (1-4 cr.) Individualized laboratory or field-based research in any field of environmental science, under the direction of an advising professor. Students are expected to write a report on their research at the end of each semester. May be used to fulfill laboratory course requirement with the permission of the appropriate science department.


text:
The Doctor of Audiology program at ISU is committed to delivering a thorough and diverse clinical program with a strong emphasis in Audiologic Rehabilitation including hearing aids, cochlear implants, communication training, information counseling, and the psychosocial aspects of hearing impairment and deafness. The program also provides strong clinical training in the areas of educational audiology, balance function assessment, auditory evoked potentials, auditory processing, and rehabilitation. The course sequence takes the student from introductory level concepts in the first semester through intermediate and advanced concepts and clinical applications in the following semesters.
Speech-Language Pathology
The Master of Science degree in Speech Language Pathology at Idaho State University is the only accredited program in the state of Idaho. Dedicated to enriching the lives of those with communication needs, the program has a strong clinical focus which provides graduating students with the tools to work in educational, medical, or other clinical settings with children and/or adults with communicative needs.
Sign Language Interpreting
The Associate of Science in Sign Language Studies and Bachelor of Science in Sign Language Interpreting Degrees offered at ISU were developed to advance awareness and meet the needs of deaf and hard of hearing people in a variety of settings. Our program focuses on interpreting in educational settings due to an increase in educational and certification requirements in this area. Upon successful completion of the Sign Language Studies (SLS) program graduates are awarded an Associate of Science Degree and are eligible to apply for the Bachelor of Science Degree in Sign Language Interpreting (SLI). Sign Language Studies is offered at the Pocatello and Meridian campuses. The Bachelors of Science Degree in Sign Language Interpreting is only offered on the Meridian campus.


text:
Cataloging Alchemy: Making Your Data Work Harder
Recorded at the ALA Annual 2010 conference
Dit evenement is afgelopen.
Recorded at the ALA Annual 2010 conference
OCLC staff provide a cataloging update and discuss tools that help WorldCat data work harder for you and lay a foundation for more effective use of bibliographic data on the web.
- WorldCat Today [Streaming video, 9 minutes]
Glenn Patton, Director, WorldCat Quality Management, OCLC
- Mapping Bibliographic Metadata [Streaming video, 20 minutes]
Carol Jean Godby, Research Scientist, OCLC Research
- GLIMIR [Streaming video, 25 minutes]
Rich Greene, Senior Consulting Database Specialist, OCLC
- VIAF, RDA and more [Streaming video, 24 minutes]
Glenn Patton
Discussion [Streaming video, 10 minutes]
28 juni 2010
28 juni 2010


text: My name is Joy. I'm eighteen. I play the violin. My passion is writing. My love is laughter - family, friends, the feeling that everything is right in the world, and all you can do is sit there and smile. I'm a freshman in college. I was born in Illinois, spent my childhood in Kansas, and now I live in California. I am a pastors kid, a big sister, and a nerd. I love shopping, driving with friends with the music blasting, and sitting on the beach. Nothing makes me happier than when people review my stories. (Please oblige.) I want to be the next Jane Austen. She's my hero: her story, her books, her humor. I want a Mr. Darcy;) Read my stuff.


text:
The Portland Timbers announced Tuesday that the club has signed striker Danny Mwanga to a new contract.
Mwanga, a standout forward at Oregon State University, joined Portland last season after a trade with the Philadelphia Union. He went on to score three goals in 18 appearances with the Timbers.
"It is very exciting to come back and continue to play in my hometown with the Timbers, and I am grateful to be able to play in front of such a great group of fans that have supported me through high school, college, and now, my professional career," said Mwanga. "After joining the Timbers midseason last year, I am very much looking forward to coming back and really stepping up with a full season ahead of me under Caleb Porter."
The first overall pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft, Mwanga has recorded 15 goals and nine assists in 79 regular-season matches over four MLS seasons. Per league and club policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed.


text:
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A 16-year-old Ed White High School student arrested Wednesday morning on a felony charge of bringing a loaded gun to school made his first appearance in court Thursday.
A judge ordered Roderick Richards Jr. be kept in secure detention, a provision of the law. Richards father stood beside him in court.
"It requires to allow to keep the juveniles in secure detention," Judge Henry Davis said. "So in addition to the fact that your son had a loaded gun at school, I'm going to order that he remain in secure detention and not be released."
The school's assistant principal on Wednesday asked two officers to help with a random search of Richards' classroom.
Richards (pictured in Jacksonville Sheriff's Office booking photo) told police he has problems outside school and brought the gun because he was going to walk to his friend's house after school, according to a police report.
"I didn't want to get caught with one of the people I have problems with," he said, according to the report.
Richards' next court date is set for March 17.
His father did not want to comment after the hearing.
The school district issued the following statement Thursday:
"The safety of our students continues to be a top priority for Duval County Public Schools. As part of our district's routine emergency operations and procedures plan, we conduct random searches of students and their materials on our campuses. During a random search conducted at Ed White High School, we discovered a student in possession of a weapon. Immediately upon discovery, we alerted school police and JSO who removed the weapon and student from school grounds, while assessing the safety of our campus. Our Student Code of Conduct identifies this behavior as a major violation with disciplinary action that could include a recommendation for expulsion.
"We recognize that this outcome is a direct result of our safety efforts along with the responsiveness and cooperation of our students, administrators and security teams. We will continue to enact emergency operations procedures such as this to contribute to the safety of our students and campuses."
Copyright 2014 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
I recently had to uninstall ZAP in order to install the new 211 update because the silly installer didn't provide a "Custom" install option and instead said "INSTALL using default settings", but who's "Default" zonealarm's (that installs the toolbar and tries to set itself as my default homepage and search), or my "Existing" settings that I already setup?
So, to be safe, I did an export of my settings, uninstalled ZAP, rebooted, then install ZAP 211 and did an import.
Everything seems to be working fine, except that when I click "Update", it gives the error "Product update: Error".
I see nothing in the log file of any blocked packets.
Any ideas?
ZoneAlarm Pro version: 13.1.211.000
Vsmon version: 184.108.40.206
Driver version: 22.214.171.124
Win7/64 SP1
Dell XPS


text:
You are logged in as:
Your tax invoice can be downloaded on flysaa.com under Manage & Fly 72 hours after the e-ticket has been issued.
If a Tax Invoice has been successfully generated from the South African Airways Tax Invoice System, the onus rests on the recipient to ensure that his/her mailbox has enough space to receive an e-mail - with a PDF attachment; and that his//her service provider or exchange server allows for delivery of such e-mails. South African Airways, can not take responsibility for undelivered e-mails due to any other reasons beyond our control including the above.
Prescribed details required from the South African Revenue Service on a tax invoices
Tax invoices must ordinarily reflect the following details as prescribed by the South African Revenue Service Act, 1997 (Act No. 34 of 1997):
Johannesburg, 28 November 2011. South African Airways (SAA), Africa's most awarded airline, is proud to be the official airline for the COP17 conference.


text:
High-speed presses for 4-color, vaiable-date output.
If it's one-to-one marketing jobs you're seeking, then you'll be dealing with variable data. And for that component, there's no better tool than a high-speed digital color press. These super-fast "on-demand" presses are capable of producing 4-color fliers, posters, and brochures containing variable data. While lesser machines can product basic transactional printing (inserting a name into a letter or billing information onto an invoice), these presses are capable of producing completely highly individualized pieces—each page may contain personalized graphics, text, charts, and headlines.
It's important to note, however, that these presses typically are limited when it comes to output size—most feature a 12- or 20-in. maximum width. And they can carry relatively hefty price tags—up to half a million dollars. In addition, a shop must develop expertise in optimizing the sales and use of the variable-data components.
If you're considering adding an on-demand press to your operation, check to see which types of high-speed variable jobs your current customers (as well as top prospects) are in need of: complex variable-data fliers, brochures, mailings, etc. Examine the frequency and length of the runs, the type of media/substrates they need, and the variety of finishing services they'll require after printing. All of these factors will help steer you to the type of high-speed press that can accommodate their printing needs.
In addition, consider these specific features when evaluating an on-demand press and in comparing and contrasting specific machines:
• Reporting speeds will often vary from company to company and machine to machine; some companies report in pages per minute (ppm) or pages per hour (pph), while others report in feet/meters per minute (fpm/mpm), or impressions per minute, etc.
• Some presses require an additional controller or RIP to handle the VDP processing.
• Consider the variable-data software recommended for use with the hardware, as well as the available training for prepress and graphic artists.
• Note the types of coated/uncoated rollfed or sheetfed media that the press will accommodate; some only print on typical papers, while others print on a variety of substrates and heavier media.
• The additional in-line or near-line specialty-finishing equipment—such as a specialty varnish, cutting, booklet making, or binding—will vary.
We've assembled a sampling of the high-speed on-demand presses currently on the market, and present them here. Each offers at least 4-color output, can handle complex variable-data printing, and is no smaller than 12-in. wide.


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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Undefeated in its last four games, the New England Revolution (5-7-4, 19 pts.) will play the second game in a three-game home stand this Sunday, July 8, when the team hosts the New York Red Bulls (9-4-4, 31 pts.) at Gillette Stadium at 7 p.m.
Comcast SportsNet will televise the game regionally, while Galavision will also broadcast a Spanish-language show nationally. 98.5 The Sports Hub will carry the game on the radio.
Saturday's match is the second of three regular-season games between the two teams this season. New York defeated the Revs, 1-0, on April 28, at Red Bull Arena. The teams will meet a final time on Sept. 22, at Gillette Stadium.
SERIES INFORMATION VS New York Red Bulls
Team Notes vs. New York
- The Revs lead the all-time, regular-season series with the New York Red Bulls (formerly the New York/New Jersey MetroStars), 25-19-12 … the Revs had success at home against New York, holding a 17-4-5 mark in Foxborough – including a 10-1-4 record at Gillette Stadium
- New England enters Sunday's match riding a 14-game, regular-season undefeated streak (10-0-4) at Gillette Stadium against New York, dating back 2002
- Sunday's game will mark the 65th all-time meeting between the Revolution and Red Bulls in MLS regular-season, postseason and tournament action combined, which is tied for the most meetings against any opponent in Revs history … the Revs have also played D.C. United 65 total times
- Sunday's match is the second of three matches between the two clubs this season … the teams will meet again on Sept. 22 at Gillette Stadium … earlier this season, New York defeated the Revs, 1-0, on Thierry Henry seventh-minute goal at Red Bull Arena in the first meeting of the season on April 28
- In 2011, New York won the season series for the first time since the team re-branded in 2006 … the Red Bulls defeated the Revolution, 2-1, on June 10 at Red Bull Arena before playing to a 2-2 draw on Aug. 20 at Gillette Stadium
- New York's 1-0 win at Red Bull Arena on June 10, 2011 marked the Red Bulls' second win in a row against New England … previously, the Revs posted a 14-game, regular-season unbeaten streak (8-0-6) against the New York club, dating back to the end of the 2005 season
- The Revs have won just one game in the teams' five meetings – a 3-2 win on May 29, 2010 … in that span, the Revs are 1-3-1
- Four of the last five games have been one-goal games or draws, dating back to May 29, 2010 … the largest margin of victory in that span was a 2-0 Red Bulls victory on Oct. 21, 2010 … in those four games, the Revs are 1-2-1
- New England and New York have met in the postseason three times – all since 2003 – and the Revs have eliminated New York on each occasion … the clubs most recent playoff encounter was in the 2007 Eastern Conference Semifinal Series, which the Revs won, 1-0, on aggregate
Player Notes vs. New York
- Shalrie Joseph, a New York product, is the team's active leader in scoring against New York with two goals and eight assists in 27 games
- Three other current players – Zak Boggs, Sainey Nyassi and Clyde Simms – have also scored single goals against New York
- Matt Reis (1) and Chris Tierney (1) have ach recorded assists against New York
- Zak Boggs recorded the Revs' first-ever goal at Red Bull Arena in the 2-1 loss on June 10, 2011
- After Shalrie Joseph's 27 appearances, Matt Reis' 23 appearances and Clyde Simms 19 appearances, no other player has made more than nine appearances against New York
- Matt Reis is 11-4-7 in his Revolution career against the Red Bulls, posting a 1.20 goals against average and seven shutouts
- Bobby Shuttleworth is 1-1-1 in his Revolution career against New York, with a 1.95 goals against average … Shuttleworth – a native of Tonawanda, New York (a Buffalo suburb) – made the start in the 2-2 draw against the Red Bulls on Aug 20, 2011, at Gillette Stadium, while Matt Reis served a red-card suspension
Get "Scooped" By Feilhaber Friday
Fans have a chance to kick off the holiday weekend right on Friday, July 6, with a scoop of ice cream served by Benny Feilhaber … Feilhaber will step behind the counter at the Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop on Newbury St., in Boston (174 Newbury St., between Dartmouth and Exeter Streets) and scoop customers' orders between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m … as if ice cream wasn't incentive enough, all of Feilhaber's tips, and 25 percent of all sales during that two-hour window, will be donated to Boston Children's Hospital … for more info, click HERE.
Diego Bobblehead Night Sunday
He may stand at just 5-foot-8, but fans can take home an even smaller version of Diego Fagundez on Sunday night at the New England-New York match … fans can pick up their commemorative Fagundez bobblehead, while supplies last, when the gates open ... for more info, click HERE.
MLS Futbolito Returns Sunday
Hundreds of soccer players from all over the region will be in action on Sunday, July 8, when MLS Futbolito, the official 4-v-4 tournament of Major League Soccer, returns to the New England area ... MLS Futbolito is being presented locally by MetroPCS. ... the highlight of the tournament comes that evening, when championship match will be played on the game field during halftime of the Revolution's match against the New York Red Bulls.
Tough Home Twosome Coming Up
The Revs will play two games in seven days this week, with matches scheduled on Sunday and Saturday … on Sunday, July 8, New England hosts New York, before wrapping up its three-game home stand against the rejuvenated Toronto FC squad on Saturday, July 14 … the two matches are the team's last two home matches in July, and their last until August 4 when the team hosts Kansas City … the Revs will wrap July on the road with three matches: at Montreal on July 18, at Kansas City on July 21 and at Philadelphia on July 29.
NY-NE Rivalry Resumes Sunday
Sunday's match will mark the second of three matches this season against New York – the Revs' most-played opponent all time, tied with D.C. … the Revs have played the Red Bulls (formerly the MetroStars) on 64 previous occasions, including 56 times in MLS regular-season action … the Revs lead the all-time, regular-season series, 25-19-12, and have a 17-4-5 record at Gillette Stadium against New York.
Not-So Lazy Sundays
When the Revs host the Red Bulls on Sunday, the match will mark New England's first Sunday match of the year … since the beginning of the 2010 season, the Revs have struggled in Sunday games, posting a 1-5-1 mark on Sundays, including a 0-4-1 record in 2011 … the Revs lone-win on a Sunday in the past three seasons was a 2-1 victory at Houston on Oct. 10, 2010.
Eastern Conference Battles Return
The Revolution returns to a full slate of Eastern Conference opponents this week after hosting Seattle last Saturday … in a 15-game stretch that began on May 15 and extends until August 25, the Revs play 14 matches against Eastern Conference teams … the Revs' next match against a Western Conference team is on August 29 when New England hosts Chivas USA at Gillette Stadium.
Unbeaten June
With the 2-2 draw against Seattle on Saturday, the Revs have extended their unbeaten streak to a season-high four games (1-0-3) … the Revs were one of two MLS teams to go unbeaten in June, joining San Jose (3-0-0) … the unbeaten June was the team's second in club history and first since the Revs went 1-0-3 in June 2001.
Tough To Beat at Home
Sunday's match will test the Revs' five-game, home unbeaten streak (2-0-3) which dates back to May 2 against Colorado … the five-game unbeaten streak is the club's longest of the season and first five-game home unbeaten streak since 2008 … that season, the team recorded a seven-game unbeaten streak (5-0-2) from May 11 to June 18 … the team's longest unbeaten streak at home is 11 games as the Revs went 7-0-4 at Gillette Stadium from April 2 to June 11, 2005.
Stoppage-Time Sorcerers
The Revolution recorded another game-tying goal in the 94th minute on Saturday, as Diego Fagundez headed home Fernando Cardenas' cross … Saturday's come-from-behind result marked the first time in club history that the team scored stoppage-time equalizers in back-to-back games … on Saturday, June 23, Chris Tierney secured a come-from-behind draw with a goal in the 94th minute at Toronto.
No "Shortage" of Scorers
On Saturday night, two of the shortest players on the Revs' roster – Fernando Cardenas (five-foot-four) and Diego Fagundez (five-foot-eight) – combined for the Revs' equalizing goal in stoppage time … Cardenas sent a cross in from the left wing, and found Fagundez behind the six-foot-three Saer Sène at the top of the six-yard box … Fagundez headed the ball past Seattle goalkeeper Bryan Meredith to knot the score at 2-2 and extend the Revs' unbeaten streak to four games.
Spreading the Wealth
With his goal on Saturday against Seattle, Diego Fagundez became the team's 11th different goal scorer this season … in 2011, 16 different Revolution players – including Fagundez – scored goals in the 34-game season.
Freaky Fagundez Scoring Note
Diego Fagundez has scored three goals in his career, with two coming against Seattle … in addition to the stoppage-time equalizer on Saturday night at Gillette Stadium, Fagundez also scored a goal against the Sounders on Oct. 1, 2011 … coincidently, both of Fagundez's goals against Seattle were headed goals, coming from the five-foot-eight player … Fagundez scored his other career goal – his first career strike – on Aug. 6, 2011, against Chivas USA.
Cardenas with Clutch Assists
Fernando Cardenas recorded his second assist of the season on Diego Fagundez's stoppage-time equalizer on Saturday … Cardenas has now recorded the game-tying assist in back-to-back games after he earned a secondary assist on Chris Tierney's 94th-minute goal at Toronto on June 23 … with two assists, Cardenas ranks third on the team in assists, tied with Saer Sène and Lee Nguyen.
Saer Returns to Scoring Ways
After a three-game scoring drought, Saer Sène returned to the scoring column on Saturday against Seattle … his 12th minute goal was his first goal since striking at D.C. United on May 26 … Sène's goal was his eighth of the season … he enters the week tied with Toronto's Danny Koevermans for sixth in MLS in goals.
Sène Matches Recent Scoring Marks
With eight goals already this season, Saer Sène has matched the team's single-season scoring highs from the last four years … in 2008 (Steve Ralston, Taylor Twellman), 2009 (Kheli Dube, Shalrie Joseph) and 2011 (Shalrie Joseph), the team's leading scorer for the season also scored eight goals ... Sène had already passed the 2010 season-high (Marko Perovic, 6).
Brettschneider Basks in Box Score
Blake Brettschneider has featured in a Revolution goal in each of the last two games … after scoring the team's first goal at Toronto on June 23, Brettschneider assisted Saer Sene's goal – also the team's first - on Saturday … Brettschneider now has two goals and one assist on the season … in the three games in which he's factored in scoring, Brettschneider has been involved in the Revs' first goal of the game … his first goal of the year came on May 5 at Real Salt Lake, the team's only goal in that game … Brettschneider's assist on Sène's goal on Saturday was his first as a member of the Revolution.
A Tale of Two Teams
Any observer can see the Revs are a different team from the one that took the field a year ago, and it stems from new head coach Jay Heaps' attacking mantra ... a look at the team comparisons from the 2011 squad and the 2012 squad - through 16 games - tells the story a team this year that attacks, pushes the game and goes all out:
Category: 2012 // 2011
Record: 5-7-4 // 3-7-6
Goals: 22 // 12
Assists: 20 // 10
Goal Differential: 0 // -7
Shots on Goal: 97 // 60
Passes Attempted: 6,950 // 5,268
Passes Attempted per Game: 434 // 329
Passes Completed: 5,226 // 3,775
Passes Completed per Game: 327 // 236
Passing Percentage: 75.2 // 71.7
Duels Won Percentage: 51.0 // 49.9
Fouls Committed: 169 // 223
Fouls Suffered: 237 // 204
Getting Knocked Down and Around
The Revs suffered a season-high 20 fouls in Saturday's match against Seattle, bringing the team's total fouls suffered to 238 in 16 games (14.88 per game) to rank second in MLS … FC Dallas leads MLS in fouls suffered with 245 in 17 games (14.41) … in the team's last eight games - since May 5 at Real Salt Lake - the Revs have suffered at least 14 fouls in each game.
Revs Behaving Well
While the Revolution have become adept at drawing fouls this season, the team has become just as conscientious about not doling out fouls … the Revs have committed an MLS-low 168 fouls this season (10.5 per game) and have only been cautioned 17 times, also an MLS low … the Revs have played five caution-free games this season – second in MLS behind Houston (6) … additionally, the team has committed fewer than 10 fouls in a game six times this season, tied with Chicago for second in MLS behind D.C. (7).
Reserves Return to Action
The Revolution reserves (2-2-2, 8 pts.) return to action on Sunday against the New York Red Bulls reserves (1-1-1, 4 pts.), immediately following the first-team match … the Revolution reserves last played to a 1-1 draw at Toronto on June 23 and sit second in the Eastern Division of the Reserve League behind Columbus (4-2-0, 12 pts.) … Sunday's match will not be open to the public.
U18 Playoffs Summary
At last week's U.S. Soccer Development Academy Playoffs, the Revs' Under-18 team finished fourth in their group with an overall record of 0-2-1, and did not advance to Finals Week … during the tournament, the U18s drew the New York Red Bulls, 1-1 (June 25) and suffered a 4-3 loss to Chivas USA (June 26), before falling to Charlotte Soccer Academy, 3-1 (June 28) … the U18s qualified for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Playoffs for the second time in three years (2010, 2012) this season.
U16 Playoffs Summary
The Revolution's Under-16s also finished fourth in their group at the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Playoffs, with an overall record of 0-2-1 … they did not advance to Finals Week … during the tournament, the U16s drew Albertson SC, 2-2 (June 26), and suffered a 3-0 loss to Pateadores (June 27), before losing, 3-1 loss to the Dallas Texans (June 29) … the U16s made their third consecutive trip to the Playoffs (2010, 2011 and 2012) this season.
U18 Season Summary
The Under-18 team closed out the season with a 12-10-4 (40 pts.) overall record … with a 6-3-1 (19 pts.) division record, the U18s finished second in the Northeast Division of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy's East Conference … the U18s started the season especially strong, winning seven of its first nine games.
U16 Season Summary
The Under-16s finished the season with a 17-6-3 (54 pts.) overall record … with their 7-1-2 (23 pts.) divisional mark, the U16s finished second in the Northeast Division of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy's East Conference … the U16s made a convincing push for the Playoffs, going undefeated in their last 10 matches before the playoffs, going 8-0-2 in that span.
2012-13 Tryouts Announced
The Revolution will hold tryouts for its newly-created Revolution Academy Under-14 team, as well as its existing Under-16 and Under-18 teams, at Gillette Stadium on Monday, July 2 … players born in the following years are eligible to try out: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999 … there is no fee to try out, but all prospective players must register for the tryout no later than Sunday, July 1 … players who have not already registered will not be allowed to tryout on July 2.


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As announced on page New version 11.0.000.054 (1/25/2013) and as described on ZoneAlarm® Extreme Security Release History and in the the FAQ Download latest version of ZoneAlarm the latest version seems to be 11.0.00.054 yet I have seen several references in the forum to version 11.0.00.057 and indeed downloaded it from the Free and Trial Downloads page.
Does anybody know what the differences/changes are or when it will be added to the ZoneAlarm® Extreme Security Release History?
I was unable to search this forum for either 11.0.00.054 or 11.0.000.057. Instead I had to use my search engine's site feature and restrict its searching to zonealarm.com/forums to find the desired results.
Sometimes, when trying to edit this post, I am greeted by a completely blank edit window. None of the existing text appears. To add this addendum, I had to first copy (before starting the edit) and then paste in all the text above it. At other times, I am able to edit the text properly. Very strange. [Firefox 15, Win XP Pro SP3]
Editing with Internet Explorer 8 doesn't work properly either.
I suppose I'll have to update both browsers to get this site working properly??


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I dedicate my plots of the stories to my wonderful friends (even if my besties are in Slytherin). Go gryffindor!
This is an unofficial site and is not supported or recognized by any of the publishers of the Harry Potter books. The author J.K. Rowling created this world and owns all the names and characters in it; this is a humble fan site run by teenagers who are scared of lawyers and don't wish to break any laws. E-mail us at mnffstaff3 at gmail dot com if you have any questions or concerns.


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Centel Credit Union Merges With LAFCU
The $23 million Centel Credit Union in Owosso, Mich., has merged into the $549 million LAFCU in Lansing, Mich.
NCUA financial performance reports show Centel CU has been struggling financially over the last few years. With a net worth of 6.80% in 2012, the credit union that serves 5,236 members recorded a total net loss $530,686 from 2009 to 2011. At the end of 2012, it posted a net income of $42,791.
Centel's members voted in March to join LAFCU. The agreement was finalized in April.
Centel, founded in 1955, has two branch locations. LAFCU, serving 49,420 members, operates six locations throughout the Greater Lansing area. Once the technology systems are combined in fall 2013, members will have access to eight branch locations in addition to a network of 28,000 ATMs.
"We welcome Centel members to the LAFCU family," said Robin Frucci, president/CEO of LAFCU. "Together, we will provide improved services to all members, including the convenience of additional branch offices when the unification has been completed later this year."


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IN THE CIRCUIT COURT, SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR ST. JOHNS COUNTY, FLORIDA Case No. DR08-2027 Division: 57 LAUREN NICOLE TRANTHAM, PETITIONER, VS. FREDDY RAFAEL MILLAN TERAN, RESPONDENT. NOTICE OF ACTION TO: FREDDY R.M. TERAN (RESIDENCE UNKNOWN) YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for PETITION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE has been filed against you, and you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to the petitioner, whose name and address, LAUREN TRANTHAM, 14 CONTERA DRIVE, ST. AUGUSTINE, FL 32080 on or before JANUARY 20, 2009, and file the original with the clerk of this court either before service on plaintiff or immediately thereafter; otherwise a default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint or petition. WITNESS my hand and the seal of this Court on DECEMBER 18, 2008. (OFFICIAL SEAL) CHERYL STRICKLAND As the Clerk of the Court By: CARLA P. CHASE Deputy Clerk L-3723-8 Dec 19, 26, 2008; Jan 2, 9, 2009
Posted from 19-Dec-08 to 9-Jan-09
© 2018. All Rights Reserved. Contact Us


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Project Runway Winner Mondo Guerra
Mondo Guerra Takes Home the Project Runway All Stars Win — See All of His Runway Looks!
Last night's finale of Project Runway All Stars crowned talented and quirky designer Mondo Guerra as the winner of the show. The designer showed a six-piece collection, wowing the judges with his workmanship, knack for color, and mixing fabrics. So just what does Mondo have in store next? "I plan to stay in Denver as long as I can and do my own collection," Mondo told WWD. "I want it to be all about me just like [John] Galliano is all about Galliano. I was compared to him in season eight. Don't you remember? Michael Kors said so. I know it's a reality show, but I feel I have the chops to do it." As the winner, Mondo's prize includes a spread in Marie Claire magazine, a cash prize of $100,000 from L'Oréal Paris, and space to sell his fashion at Neiman Marcus stores across the US. Congratulations to Mondo for a well-deserved win! Click through the slideshow to see all of Mondo's amazing looks throughout the whole season, and tell us what you think in the comments section.
Photos courtesy of myLifetime.com


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Thats a Flagrant....he grab his arm in the air
Thats a Flagrant....he grab his arm in the air
But this is Lin's team...we do don't do anything with Melo..It's all on Lin.
Horrible shot by fields even though it went in.
We need more team ball, it can't be all on Melo, we know how it usually ends...
JR been ****in with 2K a little tooooooo much lately
is Air Fields trying to be like mike?
How the **** it was a foul? THERE WAS NO ONE NEAR ROSE!
8pt game. I hope we don't collapse like we did against the pacers.
Novak move your ass open. He was too deep on that corner.


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DNA: A Stew-pendous Creation
by Frank Sherwin, M.A. *
Often those who prefer non-Darwinian explanations for the origin of the species are accused of being unscientific. One may believe in creation (or intelligent design), evolutionists maintain, but there certainly isn't any evidence for it. Ironically, it is research by the scientific community that begs to differ, revealing stunning and sophisticated features of the living world:
DNA's simple and elegant structure -- the "twisted ladder," with sugar-phosphate chains making up the "rails" and oxygen- and nitrogen-containing chemical "rungs" tenuously uniting the two halves -- seems to be the work of an accomplished sculptor.
Yet the graceful, sinuous profile of the DNA double helix is the result of random chemical reactions in a simmering, primordial stew. Just how nature arrived at this molecule and its sister molecule, RNA, remains one of the greatest -- and potentially unsolvable -- scientific mysteries.1
There are a number of points of note in this remarkable quote. The most obvious is that judging simply by what the secular scientist can see (Romans 1:20), DNA has all the earmarks of a Sculptor who is gifted, skilled, and clever. But then notice they deny what is "clearly seen" choosing to attribute the "graceful, sinuous profile" of DNA to "a simmering, primordial stew." In 1952 a graduate student in Chicago attempted to emulate prebiotic conditions on a young Earth "billions of years ago." But organic life and DNA were never "created."2 What biochemists cannot do given almost unlimited funding, time, and contact with the brightest and best scientific minds in the world -- a "simmering, primordial stew" can do! There have been other simulation experiments, but no one has been able to make "the sugar molecules dioxy-ribose |sic| and ribose necessary to build DNA and RNA molecules."3
"Random chemical reactions" are not what any biochemist would bet on when making something as detailed as DNA, even in the fullness of time. Recent discoveries have added even more woes to the primordial stew hypothesis.4
If the origin of DNA/RNA continues to remain "one of the greatest -- and potentially unsolvable -- scientific mysteries" then the door is wide open to a supernatural explanation. Questing, unbiased scientists should be free to go down that path. Darwinists are hoping that some day a purely chemical explanation for the origin of the complex DNA molecule will miraculously appear, but that day will never come.
- Physorg.com. 2006. Uncovering DNA's "sweet" secret. October 3, 2006. http://www.physorg.com/news79110174.html
- Meyer, S. Spring 1996. The origin of life, The Intercollegiate Review 31:26.
- Ibid.
- Kerr, R. A. October 6, 2006. Has lazy mixing spoiled the primordial stew? Science 6 314:36-37.
*Frank Sherwin is a zoologist and seminar speaker for ICR.
Cite this article: Sherwin, F. 2007. DNA: A Stew-pendous Creation. Acts & Facts. 36 (1).
Evidence for Creation › Evidence from Science › Evidence from the Life Sciences › All Life Systems Were Created by God › DNA Was Created as a Reservoir for the Information of Life
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Board Director Stacey Walker Strives to Keep XCEL FCU True to Its Mission
As someone who firmly resides in a no regrets zone, Stacey Walker, board director at XCEL Federal Credit Union, has never had a problem pushing past her comfort levels.
"I hope that when all is said and done I can look back and say I made it happen. Whatever it may be from making the most of opportunities to expanding my knowledge base," said Walker. "It's important to push boundaries, and know that I've done what I can to make things happen not only for myself but the people around me and the community at large."
It's fitting that she'd be a board director at the first financial institution that essentially gave her financial freedom as a high school junior.
"Everyone has a story right? I was your typical unbanked youth in high school who'd get her allowance and spend it," said Walker. "The summer after junior year I worked at the Social Security Administration and went from just my $20 a week allowance to hundreds of dollars, which I just gave to my dad to hold for me. I needed to find somewhere for my money, but I didn't want my parents to have to co-sign. If I couldn't open the account on my own, I didn't want it."
Six to seven banks later without any success, Walker got a tip from a co-worker to check out the credit union on site.
"I didn't know anything about a credit union difference but XCEL, which was then known as the Port Authority of NY and NJ Federal Credit Union, gave me the opportunity to have financial independence and that was huge to me," said Walker.
Her loyalty to the organization was sealed. She remained a member through college and law school and the experience pushed her to apply to become a director.
"I wanted to volunteer somewhere I knew I could do more, so I looked into joining the board of a nonprofit organization," said Walker. "Even though I was a member, I didn't know anyone at XCEL but sent in my résumé and heard back from someone on the nominating committee, went through the process and then didn't hear anything. I thought O.K., well, I guess I didn't get it."
Still determined to be part of a nonprofit board, she participated in a United Way nonprofit training program, which not only provided a basic board education but also connected those interested in being directors within other organizations. A little over year later, Walker heard from XCEL and was welcomed on the board.
Over the past seven years as a director, she has expanded her role as a volunteer at the credit union. She recommended the development of new financial products for underserved markets, including unbanked youth, underbanked Americans and future banking generations. She proposed an online data storage database to archive board reports, policies and minutes for ease of access by volunteers and senior management and to increase transparency. She also encouraged greater interaction with members using social media sites like Facebook to create new products and scholarships just for younger members.
"It has been the most positive experience in my life and has been life changing for me," said Walker of being a board director. "We have an opportunity to help people move from point A to point B and get on the right path of being better off than they were a month or year ago. Credit unions offer a lot to the community that people just don't realize it. To be able to share how we can help beyond products has gone above and beyond my expectations."
It wasn't an easy path as Walker said the learning curve was steep but well worth the effort. Looking ahead she said some of the top challenges facing credit union boards today range from the director population and education and training to the viability of the industry as a whole in terms of relevance.
"There is so much regulation, every board member has to be well-versed on changes and new regulations/legislation coming down the pipeline. Conferences and training sessions are costly, so how can smaller credit unions ensure their volunteers get the education needed and how can larger credit unions help? We need to support those smaller credit unions providing niche services more through mentorship, support and shared resources. Otherwise, how are we different than the giant banks?" said Walker.
The greater question all credit unions need to ask themselves Walker said was if they are staying true to their mission and model.
"When you ask that question will you get the overwhelming 'yes' response from your staffers, the board and members alike?" asked Walker. "Every credit union is in existence for different reasons ,so you have to stay true to who you are. As similar as we may be each credit union is very different. We can't stand on the status quo. That group association credit unions have always had since their inception isn't as prevalent, so we have to raise the level of education among consumers so they understand the credit union difference."
She added the same holds true for credit union boards.
"The diverse population of the board is important not only in terms of succession but also in whether they can continue to relate to the population they are serving today and in the future. I like the idea of associate director programs, where younger people can benefit from the experienced board members while slowly being exposed and introduced to the process."
She added that the industry as a whole could also benefit from continuous board recruiting efforts.
"It needs to be a year round focus and go beyond having just a warm body," said Walker. "There should be some discussion on what is the process, how can it be improved, how can we go about better vetting people who are interested in being board members and what can be done to encourage and reinforce their enthusiasm. I've been very fortunate with our board because I've always felt my voice was heard and I was making valuable contributions. It can be disconcerting and intimidating for new board members to have their ideas shot down because 'we tried that before and it didn't work.' Maybe that person has a different angle or maybe the consumers' behavior now is different so the response would be different."
A big believer in education, Walker has made it point to reach out to younger members, speaking to students and educators in classrooms and conferences about the benefits of joining credit unions. She also regularly speaks to graduating seniors at Cardinal Spellman High School in New York about financial preparedness for college.
As for her own pursuit to learn more, through the American Bar Association, she completed a two-year fellowship in the Section of Business Law Credit Union Committee as a way to make the most of committee meetings while furthering discussions affecting credit unions. She presented at the 2008 WOCCU World Credit Union Conference in Hong Kong about student-run credit unions and presented at the Working In Support of Education Money Power Conference before national educators in economics, finance, and business in New York.
"Someone shared with me the best advice that it's important to gain as much information and knowledge and build on it," said Walker. "It's something I've always kept in the back of my mind. What I found is that as I try to seek out greater understanding, it's opened the door to great opportunities to do more."