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For the team's on-field innovation, the New England Patriots have long been considered the National Football League's pacesetter. The same might now be
said of the franchise's public relations department.
Former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is facing charges of murder and weapons violations. Hernandez pleaded not guilty on June 27. In response, the
Patriots have announced a jersey exchange program July 6 and 7 that pledges to exchange No. 81 or No. 85 Hernandez jerseys for another Patriots jersey of
comparable value.
In a
press release, the organization announced the program to keep parents and their children happy with their Patriots merchandise.
"We know that children love wearing their Patriots jerseys, but may not understand why parents don't want them wearing their Hernandez jerseys anymore,"
said spokesman Stacey James. "We hope this opportunity to exchange those jerseys at the Patriots ProShop for another player's jersey will be well received
by parents."
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told ABC he couldn't
remember a similar regalia-swapping program in the league's history. The proactive move has yielded praise from many, including Darren Rovell, an ESPN
sports business analyst.
The jersey exchange is "brilliant," Rovell said in a June 28 tweet. Others have
admired the franchise's willingness to take a financial hit in order to maintain a clean public image.
Albeit sparse, criticism of the Patriot's program claims that the jersey exchange presupposes Hernandez's guilt and attracts unnecessary attention. The
exchange also has made Hernandez jerseys something of a collector's item. Jerseys on eBay have received bids upward of $200.
In any case, the way the Patriots swiftly disassociated themselves from any ties to Hernandez is a shift from the traditional policies of most other NFL
franchises, which typically hold on to troubled players while hoping for their rehabilitation.
The Patriots actions have some, including Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports, wondering whether the New England franchise will set a precedent for the
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"Maybe the way the Patriots dealt with Hernandez will provide a template for other NFL teams and how they deal with players who get in trouble," Schwab
said in a June 29 article.
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I rode my 1988 K-75 to my first day on the job with Ford Motor Company nearly 19 years ago. It is my intension to ride it out my last day (hopefully 11 years from now and not sooner but,....).
The K is yonger then it's stable mate, a 1967 R-50/2, and sees much more road time then it's Grandpa. Still healthy and my first choice.

subset: commoncrawl


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Activity note: Please note that participants on this program travel throughout New Zealand alongside the participants of program 16434 – An Odyssey Down Under: Australia & New Zealand. You will join with these participants upon your arrival in Auckland. There will be a maximum of 30 participants travelling together on this program throughout New Zealand.
Evening: Depart the USA on overnight flight to New Zealand.
Afternoon: Kia ora! Welcome to Auckland. Auckland, the "City of Sails," is New Zealand's largest city and over one-third of all New Zealanders live in the greater Auckland area. It has a cosmopolitan population and the high proportion of indigenous Maori and other Polynesian peoples from the Pacific Islands have contributed distinctive elements to its cultural mix. This mix has been heightened by increased immigration from a number of Asian nations throughout the last decade or two. A third of the city's population was born outside New Zealand. The city has a unique setting between two harbours on a narrow isthmus studded with numerous volcanic cones. To the east, the Waitemata Harbour provides New Zealand's busiest Pacific port and a picturesque setting for the central business district and suburbs. Beyond this harbour lie the superb boating waters of the island-studded Hauraki Gulf. To the west, the broad shallows of the Manukau Harbour provide ideal habitat for large flocks of seabirds in the shadow of the rugged rainforest-covered Waitakere Ranges. Beyond these ranges the wild black-sand surf beaches of the west coast are a dramatic contrast to the gentle golden sand of the tree-fringed beaches of the east coast. Upon your arrival in Auckland your Group Leader and local Site Coordinator will meet you and transfer you to your hotel. We have some time to check in and relax before dinner.
Dinner: At accommodation.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Walking up to 2 miles, paved surfaces, undulating terrain.
Breakfast: The breakfast buffet in the hotel's top-floor dining room has stunning views of Auckland Harbour and the central business district.
Morning: Orientation. The Group Leader and Site Coordinator will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have. This program will be staffed with both a Group Leader and a local Site Coordinator at most study sites providing information and leading field trips. Some meals will be buffets, others will be plated and served; and some we will order in advance. Beverages typically included coffee, tea, water, with other beverages available for purchase depending on location. Free time is reserved for your personal independent exploration. Evenings at leisure offer opportunities to make the program more meaningful and memorable through personal independent exploration, attending performances or other events on your own, or simply relaxing and making new friends among fellow participants. The Group Leader and local Site Coordinator will always be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local conditions/circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. To conclude our Orientation session, we will have an introduction to Auckland.
Lunch: At the hotel.
Afternoon: This afternoon our Group Leader and local Site Coordinator will lead us on a walking field trip in central Auckland, introducing us to New Zealand's largest city. We will learn something of how Auckland interacts with its harbour for both business and pleasure and take a stroll through the grounds of the university. Those who wish to may choose to linger at the Auckland Art Gallery Toi O Tamaki, a recent winner of the World Building of the Year award at the World Architecture Festival, and return independently. We will return to our hotel in time to freshen up and relax before dinner.
Dinner: At the hotel. We will have "Welcome to New Zealand" wine with dinner tonight.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Walking up to 1.2 miles; flat, paved surfaces.
Breakfast: Hotel buffet.
Morning: We begin today with a well-known local author and journalist who will provide an introduction to New Zealand history. We will then walk down to Viaduct Basin for a yacht cruise on Auckland's magnificent Waitemata Harbour giving us stunning views of the Auckland Harbour Bridge, the city and the surrounding volcanic cones. Our Group Leader, Site Coordinator, and skipper(s) will point out the sights of particular significance and interest. As we sail through the channel, those who wish can have a turn at the wheel, helming the yacht, weather conditions permitting. At the conclusion of the cruise, we will board a motorcoach and transfer to Eden Garden, a 5.5 acre, award-winning garden, created in an abandoned quarry at the base of Mt Eden.
Lunch: At Eden Garden, we will have we have pre-ordered plated lunches. We will have time to explore the delightful gardens briefly on our own prior to or after lunch.
Afternoon: Next, we will ride on our motorcoach to Auckland's War Memorial Museum, with an orientation to the layout of the city en route. At the museum, a docent will introduce the permanent exhibitions showing patterns of Polynesian and European settlement. Following our time at the museum, we board our motorcoach and return to our hotel. The remainder of the afternoon is free.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Walking up to 3 miles; undulating terrain, varied surfaces. The order of today's activities may vary depending on tides.
Breakfast: Hotel buffet.
Morning: A local geologist and marine biologist will join us at the hotel for a lecture on the geology of Auckland and its varied coastlines. He will then lead us on a field trip to explore Auckland's northern coastline and give us an understanding of the variety of the city's coastal environment. At North Head, a walk will give us a greater perspective of the Hauraki Gulf and the volcanic islands that litter it.
Lunch: At a local restaurant, we will have a buffet lunch looking out over picturesque Cheltenham Beach and across to the cone of Rangitoto, Auckland's most recognisable volcano and an iconic natural landmark.
Afternoon: Our field trip continues as we visit Lake Pupuke to understand how the volcanic lake and the stunning coast coexist so closely. We will return to our hotel in the late afternoon and have the remainder of the afternoon and evening to ourselves.
Dinner: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader and local Site Coordinator will be happy to offer suggestions. The Viaduct Basin, formerly the home of the America's Cup, has a variety of cafés and restaurants a short walk from the hotel. The relatively new development of the Wynyard Quarter is a delightful stroll across the bridge beyond the Viaduct, while the Britomart precinct is located in the streets behind the hotel.
Evening: At leisure. Prepare for hotel check out and transfer tomorrow.
Activity note: The drive from Auckland to the Waitomo Caves is about 120 miles (190 kilometres), approximately 2.5 hours. The drive from Waitomo Caves to Rotorua is about 90 miles (140 kilometres), approximately 2 hours. At Waitomo Caves, uneven terrain; getting into/out of boats. Photography is not permitted within the caves.
Breakfast: Hotel buffet.
Morning: We will check out of the hotel and depart for Waitomo, travelling through Waikato's rolling green countryside. On our picturesque journey, we will pass pristine farmland and dense forest.
Lunch: At a farm cafe close to Waitomo, we will have a pre-ordered barbecue lunch with buffet salad bar.
Afternoon: We will continue our ride to Waitomo for an expert led field walking trip in the internationally-recognised Waitomo glowworm caves. The glowworm (arachnocampa luminosa) is unique to New Zealand and thousands of these tiny creatures radiate their unmistakable luminescent light as expert guides provide informative commentary on the Caves' historical and geological significance. After our walk through the caves, where we will be amazed at the clear natural acoustics of the "cathedral cave," we will enjoy a boat ride out of the cave, under thousands of magical glowworms, emerging into a stunning natural stream setting. Reboarding our motorcoach, we will transfer through to Rotorua where we will stay for the next two nights. Located on the shores of Lake Rotorua and nicknamed "Sulphur City," Rotorua has been sustained by tourism since 1870. It is a thermal wonderland with the most energetic thermal activity in the country including hot springs, geysers and bubbling mud pools. It is also an important centre of Maori culture. In the early 19th century the colonial government attempted to develop it as a European-style spa town. The impressive Tudor-styled Bath House dating from that time is now the Rotorua Museum. The area also has fine trout fishing and scenic wildlife parks. Nearby Mount Tarawera erupted in 1886 resulting in major changes to the landscape and considerable loss of life. The beautiful lakes in the region are part of the legacy of this cataclysm. En route, we will have an introduction to Rotorua before checking in to our hotel.
Dinner: In the hotel restaurant, enjoy a dinner buffet.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: In the morning, walking up to 3 miles; gravel pathways, uneven, steep in parts. In the afternoon, walking up to 1.5 miles; paved surfaces, some steep sections.
Breakfast: Hotel buffet.
Morning: Today we will learn about Rotorua's geothermal background and Maori history and culture. We will travel first to Waimangu Volcanic Valley to learn more about volcanic and geothermal New Zealand. Waimangu Volcanic Valley is the only geothermal system in the world wholly created as the direct result of a volcanic eruption, the Tarawera Eruption of June 10, 1886. We will walk through this amazing volcanic landscape serenaded by the songs of the local native birdlife. At the end of our walk, we will have a cruise on Lake Rotomohana, surrounded by pristine bush and also formed as a result of the 1886 eruption. We will then return to Rotorua.
Lunch: At an historic and lovingly-restored hotel beside Rotorua's Government Gardens, we will have a pre-ordered, plated lunch.
Afternoon: Next, we will take our motorcoach to Te Puia, the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute. Here we will view the Whakarewarewa thermal area, renowned for its boiling mudpools and the spectacular Pohutu geyser. We will also learn from local experts at the Institute about the role it plays in encouraging young Maori to train in the traditional Maori arts and crafts: carving wood and stone, weaving, traditional building techniques, and the like. After returning to the hotel, the remainder of the afternoon is free.
Dinner: We will visit a Maori village where we experience a hangi, the traditional Maori method of cooking food in the ground.
Evening: Performance. Before, during and after dinner we experience a Maori cultural performance giving us an introduction to Maori culture and tradition. We will be spellbound by songs and dances demonstrated in a rich cultural performance, culminating with a powerful "Haka" or Maori war dance.
Activity note: The flight from Rotorua to Christchurch is a little less than 2 hours (depending on weather). Typically Air New Zealand uses ATR 72 aircraft on this route. Walking up to 1 mile at Riccarton Bush.
Breakfast: Hotel buffet.
Morning: This morning we check out of our hotel and transfer to the National Kiwi Trust at Rainbow Springs. Here we have a lecture introducing us to New Zealand's endangered national bird. We will learn of the vital role the National Kiwi Trust is playing in rearing young kiwi chicks until they are large enough to be released into the wild. After a tour of this wonderful facility we then board our motorcoach taking us to Rotorua airport.
Lunch: We will pick up a packed lunch at Rotorua airport.
Afternoon: We leave the North Island as we fly to Christchurch situated on the east coast of the South Island. Christchurch is set close to the sea on a broad plain between the towering Southern Alps and the large extinct volcanic crater that forms Banks Peninsula. It is the largest city in the South Island and the centre of farming, industrial and cultural activities for the province of Canterbury. Because of its excellent transportation facilities, bountiful water supply and abundant hydro-electric power, Christchurch is one of the most important industrial centres in New Zealand and was, until 2011, New Zealand's second-largest city. After a series of significant earthquakes between September 2010 and May 2012, the population of Christchurch is now slightly less than Wellington. We will be met at the airport by our local Site Coordinator. We will then board our motorcoach with a local engineering geologist who will lead us on a field trip orienting us to the city and explaining the effects of earthquakes on a vibrant, modern, first-world city. As well as seeing the effects of the earthquakes we will learn of the innovative, often community-led projects helping to rejuvenate this city the locals are so passionate about. We will see evidence of the city's determination to rebuild and move on. We will then transfer to Riccarton House, Christchurch's most significant early homestead. Here we have a guided walk through Riccarton Bush - a unique native lowland podocarp forest close to the centre of New Zealand's "Garden City". We will also have a lecture on the early-settler family responsible for the existence of both Riccarton House and Riccarton Bush. Through this we will gain an insight into the early settlement of the province of Canterbury.
Dinner: At Riccarton House, we will have a pre-ordered, plated, 2-course dinner.
Evening: After dinner our Te Puna Ora story-teller — playing two characters — will introduce the experience of early immigrants to Canterbury. We will then transfer back to our hotel on our motorcoach.
Activity note: Getting on/off a boat. The drive from the centre of Christchurch over Hilltop to Akaroa is about 50 miles (80 kilometres), approximately 1.5 hours each way.
Breakfast: Hotel buffet.
Morning: We will head to the delightful Banks Peninsula township of Akaroa, an historic French and British settlement nestled in the heart of an ancient volcano. Some of the town's French character is shown by its French street names. En route, we will learn from our Site Coordinator about historical patterns of settlement of the local Maori, French, and other European settler populations. Upon arriving in Akaroa, we will board a boat for a harbour cruise on which we will see sea caves, volcanic formations, high cliffs and myriad nesting sites. Keep an eye out for the delightful Hector's Dolphin, the world's rarest and smallest dolphin, as well as blue penguins, fur seals, and abundant bird life.
Lunch: We return to land and are given free time to explore Akaroa on foot, just as the Christchurch visitors do on their day trips. We will get our own lunch at leisure as we explore.
Afternoon: We will regroup at the Akaroa Museum and view a video to learn about life in this small community. We will then board our motorcoach and drive back over Hilltop to Christchurch. Before dinner our local Site Coordinator will lead a walking tour of the centre of Christchurch for those participants interested in learning more about what makes this city tick as it continues its regrowth.
Dinner: At the hotel, we will have pre-ordered, plated meals.
Evening: At leisure. Prepare for hotel check out and transfer in the morning.
Activity note: The flight from Christchurch to Invercargill is about 1.5 hours. Typically Air New Zealand uses ATR 72 aircraft on this route. The drive from Invercargill to Te Anau is about 125 miles (200 kilometres), approximately 3 hours.
Breakfast: Hotel buffet.
Morning: After checking of the hotel, we will transfer to the International Antarctic Centre. Here, we will get as close as possible to experiencing Antarctica without actually going there. We will have a lecture on Antarctica and Christchurch's involvement with Antarctica as the nearest mainland base for US, NZ, and Italian Antarctic research. We will explore the Centre and have an opportunity to get up close to little blue penguins. We will then transfer to the airport for our flight to Invercargill.
Lunch: We will have a packed lunch from the Antarctic Centre at Christchurch Airport.
Afternoon: Upon our arrival in Invercargill we will transfer to the Southern Institute of Technology. A local expert and broadcaster will introduce us to New Zealand's southernmost province, Southland. We will learn about its importance to New Zealand's agricultural backbone. We will then drive to the serenely beautiful hamlet of Te Anau, located on Lake Te Anau, the second largest lake in New Zealand and the largest in the South Island. En route, we will have an introduction to the Southern portion of our program. Te Anau is a small country centre providing community support to the widely-dispersed fishing and farming communities of sparsely-populated Fiordland. It is situated at the edge of the World Heritage-Listed Fiordland National Park and renowned for its alpine scenery and outdoor lifestyle. Checking in to our hotel, we will have some time to freshen up and relax before dinner.
Dinner: At the hotel, we will have a buffet dinner.
Evening: At leisure. Prepare for hotel check out and transfer in the morning.
Activity note: The drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound is about 75 miles (120 kilometres) a little over 2 hours. The drive from Milford Sound to Queenstown is about 180 miles (290 kilometres), and will take about 4 hours. Stops en route. Walking up to 2 miles.
Breakfast: Hotel buffet.
Morning: We will check out of the hotel, and drive around the side of Lake Te Anau, across some of the scenic splendour of Te Wahipounamu — South West New Zealand, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed landscape. We will drive through the Homer Tunnel, New Zealand's highest, where we may well encounter a cheeky kea (New Zealand mountain parrot) or two as we wait for our turn to proceed. At Milford Sound, we will board a cruise vessel and glide through the Sound, one of Fiordland's most picturesque fiords, where mountains stand tall right out of the sea and rainforest clings to sheer rock faces. Our skipper will interpret the stunning scenery we are cruising through. Keep an eye out for the resident pods of dolphins as we sail out towards the Tasman Sea.
Lunch: Aboard the vessel, we will have packed lunches.
Afternoon: Disembarking the cruise vessel, we will board our motorcoach and continue to Queenstown. We will travel back through the Homer Tunnel, down the Hollyford Valley past Lake Te Anau, across verdant farmland, and between mountain ranges along Lake Wakatipu. Queenstown is situated on the shores, nestled among the majestic Southern Alps. Its setting is stunning with the surrounding mountain ranges, the Remarkables and the Eyre Mountains, forming a breathtaking backdrop. It has more to offer than just magnificent landscape, however; the town strives to be the "adventure capital of the world". We will check in to our hotel upon arrival, then transfer to board the gondola that will take us to the top of Bob's Peak. We will have time to take in the spectacular views before dinner.
Dinner: Buffet dinner at the restaurant atop Bob's Peak overlooking Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables.
Evening: After taking in the stunning views over dinner, we will hop a gondola back down the hill and board our motorcoach back to our hotel.
Activity note: Getting on/off a boat
Breakfast: Hotel buffet.
Morning: Today we will cruise across Lake Wakatipu on board the historic steamer TSS "Earnslaw." This iconic 1912 twin-screw steamship recently celebrated its 100th birthday. It is much beloved by locals and visitors alike as "the lady of the lake." We will then visit Walter Peak High Country Farm for an expert-led exploration and insights into the training and usage of farmers' working dogs, the backbone of New Zealand sheep farming. It is hard not to be amazed watching farmer and dog working together in complete unison. Unless the pesky sheep have other ideas…
Lunch: At Walter Peak homestead, we will have a buffet barbecue lunch.
Afternoon: Our field trip at the farm continues. Then, reboarding the "Earnslaw" we will cruise back across the lake and return to the hotel. The remainder of the afternoon is free to explore Queenstown independently.
Dinner: In the hotel restaurant looking out over the lake, we'll have pre-ordered plated meals.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: The drive from Queenstown to Arrowtown takes less than 1/2 hour. The flight from Queenstown to Wellington is a little less than 2 hours. Typically Air New Zealand uses ATR 72 aircraft on this route. Occasionally Airbus A320 aircraft are used. Walking up to 2 miles in Wellington; paved surfaces, predominantly downhill.
Breakfast: Hotel buffet.
Morning: Checking out of the hotel, we will board our motorcoach and head to the historic little former gold-mining settlement of Arrowtown at the head of the Arrow Valley just outside Queenstown. We will have time for personal independent exploration. You might like to check out the museum or the Chinese village. Depending on how you wish to spend your time there, you are likely to walk at least a mile in Arrowtown.
Lunch: Depending on to the timing of our flight to Wellington, you may get lunch in Arrowtown or at the Queenstown airport before your flight to Wellington for program 21740.
Afternoon: We will fly directly to Wellington, located at the southern extremity of the North Island, and the capital of New Zealand since 1865. Its magnificent amphitheatre-like harbour, hemmed in by rugged hills, was formed by the flooding of the crater of a very large and long-extinct volcano. It provides a picturesque setting for the city's distinctive wooden houses (many visitors have been known to draw parallels with San Francisco) set precariously on the steep hills. In addition to its role as the seat of government Wellington is a major seaport, rail and ferry centre and a commercial and manufacturing hub. Its compact city centre is immensely walkable and is full of life and interest. It has a vigorous cultural and artistic scene and is the home of many national cultural institutions. Thanks partly to the fact that it is the home town of Sir Peter Jackson ("Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy), Wellington is the focal point of New Zealand's thriving film industry. Upon our arrival in Wellington we have an orientation via motorcoach and walking with our local Site Coordinator. We will take in sights such as the cable car, botanic gardens, Boulton Street Memorials, and Premier House. From the top of the cable car, we gain excellent view of Wellington Harbour and its hilly backdrop. As the locals like to say, "You can't beat Wellington on a good day!" We will then head to our hotel and check in, dropping our bags and coming down for a lecture by a local expert on New Zealand's political system and politics.
Dinner: At the hotel, we will have a buffet dinner. Our lecturer will join us, affording an opportunity to ask any further questions you may have.
Evening: At leisure.


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UPDATED: Dallas Stars playoff scenarios -- Red Wings' win puts Stars' hopes on life support
The Stars' playoff hopes aren't dead after losing to the Sharks on Tuesday, but they're getting slimmer by the second. Detroit's win over the LA Kings on Wednesday night has essentially means that everything must go absolutely right for the Stars over the next three days in order to earn the 8th and final seed in the Western conference.
We'll try to run down exactly what the Stars need to happen over the next five days in order to sneak their way into the postseason for the first time since 2008. Warning: It's about to get confusing.
We'll start with the most basic need:
The Stars MUST beat Columbus and Detroit in its final two games of the season.
If the Stars don't win their final two games of the season, nothing else matters.
If they manage to do that, things get complicated. Here's what the Stars need from Columbus in order to have a shot at the postseason:
Columbus MUST also lose its final game to the Predators. If Columbus loses to the Predators in overtime or a shootout, the Stars MUST beat Columbus in regulation. If Columbus loses to the Predators in regulation, the Stars can beat Columbus in overtime or a shootout.
Basically, if Columbus gains more than one point in its final two games, the Stars are cooked. So one win or two OT/SO losses by Columbus knocks the Stars out.
On to Detroit… The Red Wings' win over the LA Kings on Wednesday put an even bigger damper on the Stars' fading hopes.
Detroit MUST lose both of their final two games to the Predators and Stars in regulation.
Because Detroit now has a four-point lead on the Stars with two to play, they will knock the Stars out of the playoffs by earning just one more point.
If all that happens, the Stars will get in (they've already clinched the ROW tiebreaker with Columbus, and would own the ROW tiebreaker over Detroit if one of the following scenarios play out). It's a long shot to be sure, but at least it's still a shot.


text: "The brief text gives fascinating and sometimes humorous glimpses into the birds' way of life. Imaginative book design puts the text (and readers) right into the pictures, the deep-colored illustrations reflecting both the liveliness of the birds and the stark beauty of the urban setting. City children reading Urban Roosts will begin to look at their surroundings from a new perspective."School Library Journal


text:
RR0206, on May 28 2009, 10:52 AM, said:
I am traveling to my first SWW with a good friend who LOVES Ahsoka. Is there any way to get Ashley Eckstein's autograph, does anyone know? I know she is hosting the Clone Wars show and is not scheduled for autographs, thats why I'm wondering if there is any opportunity for close enough interaction to get a picture or autograph with her?
(Thanks to this site for being such a great resource!)
umanac, on May 28 2009, 11:35 AM, said:


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Why GlobalFoundries Should Appeal to Apple
10 comments post a comment
Speculation that Samsung, TSMC, and GlobalFoundries could all supply Apple with its next-generation processors suggests that a wafer fab in the US and a willingness to guarantee preferential access may be key factors in negotiations.
LONDON — There is speculation that negotiations around the supply of processors to Apple now include GlobalFoundries Inc.
Apple does not enter into discussion about its suppliers, and Apple's suppliers do not discuss their relationships with Apple for fear of becoming ex-suppliers. However, EE Times has long held the view that Apple could go multisource for its processor silicon. (See Samsung, TSMC and the A6: not OR but AND?)
Over the last couple of years the conventional wisdom has been that Apple -- wary of depending on a handset rival for its silicon -- has been trying to move away from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. as its sole source of application processors and towards the world's leading foundry, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. based in Hsinchu, Taiwan.
While TSMC is reported to have picked up a three-year contract covering 20-nm planar CMOS and 16- and 10-nm FinFET production for Apple, the latest rumors reckon Samsung will continue to manufacture for Apple for some time and that GlobalFoundries has either won Apple business or is at least in discussions.
An ability to manufacture at the leading-edge in the United States, together with a willingness to provide preferential access to capacity during times of shortage could provide a compelling argument in favor of GlobalFoundries. And there are several pieces of evidence that back up this idea.
The first is that Apple has been trying to transition its manufacturing to TSMC for several years. It is hard to see what was holding up the move to a foundry that had proved adept at producing leading-edge silicon, although there were ideas that the transfer of peripheral IP from Samsung to TSMC was a problem. However, if it was a problem I suspect it was more of a business than a technical nature.
A bigger sticking point that may now be emerging is that Apple could be looking for guarantees of preferential access in times of high demand and short supply, such as occurred at TSMC during 2012.
The second piece of evidence is the existence of a TSMC plan to build a leading-edge wafer fab in the US, possibly in New York State and next-door to GlobalFoundries. TSMC admitted that it was considering locating a wafer fab in the US, but CEO Morris Chang poured cold water on the idea in April, saying that there had been no decision and reiterating the argument that concentrating manufacturing in Taiwan held advantages for TSMC.


text:
SoccerTimesfront page
U.S. nears World Cup qualification after Altidore strike beats Honduras.
Altidore, E. Johnson lead U.S. past Panama, to first in qualifying group.
Evans' first international goal saves U.S. in road victory over Jamaica.
Altidore, Dempsey spark U.S. to rousing victory over Germany.
Americans look for improvement against Germany after rout at hands of Belgium.
FIFA rejects Costa Rica protest of U.S. victory; Orozco Fiscal replaces injured Jones.
In driving snow, Dempsey sends Americans past Costa Rica for much needed qualifying win.
Schedule for American's five home World Cup final-round qualifiers is completed.
Injuries leave American defense shorthanded for next two Cup qualifiers.
Howard has fractured bones in back, appears out for next two U.S. World Cup qualifiers.
U.S. looks bad, losing lead and qualifying opener to Honduras.
U.S., Canada post listless performances for scoreless draw in friendly.
Gomez free kick is enough to send improved U.S. past Jamaica for crucial World Cup qualifying win.
With key players out, U.S. is dominated, loses qualifier to Jamaica on set peices.
U.S. visits Azteca in Mexico and comes away with historic win.
U.S. shortcomings are exposed in 1-1 qualifying draw with Guatemala.
U.S. is not impressive, but dispatches Antigua & Barbuda 3-1 to open qualifying.
U.S. sputters in 0-0 draw with Canada in prelude to qualifying.
Donovan's three goals spark U.S. past Scotland 5-1 in friendly.
By Robert Wagman
(Wednesday, July 10, 2013) -- Striker Chris Wondolowski scored three first-half goals for the United States men who opened Group C play of the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 6-1 victory over Belize at JELD-WEN Field last night in front of a less-than-capacity 18,724 in Portland, Ore.
This exercise was more a training scrimmage that a real match against an opponent, which had only two professional players in its lineup. One was goalkeeper Shane Orio who plies his trade for C.D. Marathón in Honduras. He was terrific, although for some odd reason he was credited with only a single save. Yet, he often corralled high balls sent into his penalty area and controlled his box quite well.
Belize at times looked as if it was playing something akin to an 8-3 they had so many players in the defensive third. On countless occasions, shots taken by U.S. players hit an opposing body in the box and bounced harmlessly away.
The U.S. defense was seldom pressured, but conceded a goal and two near misses. After a foul by U.S. midfielder Landon Donovan, Elroy Smith sent a long free kick into the box to completely unmarked fellow defender Ian Gaynair, who easily headed the ball past late-reacting goalkeeper Nick Rimando to narrow Belizes deficit to 2-1 in the 40th minute.
It took only one more minute for Wondolowski to complete his hat trick and put the U.S. back in control.
Were really starting to click, Wondolowski said. Theres tremendous talent all over the offensive area. Were just making smart runs and finishing our chances.
On his first goal, Wondolowski calmly put away a rebound from point-blank range in the 12th minute. The two other strikers came on headers in which he laid out to redirect balls lofted into the area.
Wondolowski became the third U.S. player to tally a hat trick in a Gold Cup match, joining Brian McBride and Donovan. It also marked the 15th time a American notched three or more goals in a game.
A goal scorer always comes on in the moments where he realizes the extra work will pay off and it pays off for Wondo that he is so dedicated and has such a great attitude, U.S. coach Jürgen Klinsmann said. He scored his first one the other day (against Guatemala) in San Diego and followed up with his next ones. Thats what a goal scorer is about, always hungry and doesnt change his way. It makes us coaches happy, obviously, and he builds his own case.
Wondolowski notched his three goals despite playing in a jersey that had his name misspelled: "Wondowlowski." He said he would continue to wear that jersey throughout the Gold Cup so as to not adversely affect his good fortune.
Although the striker from Major League Soccers San Jose Earthquakes grabbed the headlines, the best American player was Donovan. He directed much of the attack on the night and contributed two assists along with a penalty-kick goal. He had a hand in almost every U.S. score.
Whats most interesting is how he paired with Stuart Holden in the second half. It would not be surprising to see both starting for the U.S. in next years World Cup in Brazil.
For me now. its not a matter of being back, its a matter of getting better than that, said Holden, who is coming off a long injury absence. I want to be better than I was before. I want to reach new heights that I didnt before my injury. In terms of being back, that word is overplayed. Im there. Its just a matter of fine tuning and taking it to the next level.
Holden scored last night on Donovans 50th career assist.
In Fridays 6-0 rout of Guatemala in a friendly, Donovans two goals allowed him to become the first U.S. player to exceed 50. With tonights goal, he now has 52. Wondolowski had his first international goal in that outing.
With two assists last night, Donovan now has 51.
The next Group C match will be Saturday against Cuba, a 3-0 loser to Costa Rica last night. The game at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, kicks off at 3:30 p.m. (ET) and will be broadcast on Fox and Spanish-language Univision.
Goalkeeper Nick Rimando - 5.5: Had very little to do. He could have done better on Belizes goa,l but atoned in stoppage time when he laid out to palm away the only hard shot he faced all night.
Defender DaMarcus Beasley - 6: He was so far forward, he really was playing as a midfielder. He was strong on the attack, often going deep into Belizes penalty area. On defense, he was not called on to do much, but, on one occasion, he was beaten one-on-one though the result did no damage.
Defender Michael Orozco Fiscal - 6: Defensively, he was under almost no pressure. He had a few problems in picking up men on free kicks but his biggest contribution was on the U.S.s fifth goal, when he converted Donovans perfect pass.
Defender Clarence Goodson - 6: With so little to do defensively, he has to be judged on his offense which, for a central defender, was very robust. For most of the night, he and Orozco Fiscal set up almost at the midfield line and controlled balls hit out of danger by Belize. His passing was good.
Defender Michael Parkhurst - 5: He looked to be at fault in failing to pick up a man on Belizes only goal. At times, he had some trouble in completing passes when he went forward, which was often, but he did do well on perfectly lifting a ball into the penalty area for Wondolowskis third goal.
Midfielder Kyle Beckerman - 6: He handled a more defensive role well, although might be faulted on Belizes goal. He also moved forward well with his passes often finding the mark. He did well getting the ball in front of Wondolowski to head in.
Midfielder Joe Corona - 5.5: Playing on the right side, he was very involved in the U.S. attack. His header resulted in a rebound and Wondolowskis first goal. As active as he was, he didnt seem to accomplish much.
Midfielder Mikkel Diskerud - 5: On the plus side, he was very active with a high work rate, but to no great effect. Against as weak opponent, he should have been able to do more. In appearing in his first official match for the U.S., the Norwegian-born Diskerud is now officially tied to the Americans for his international career. He has been courted by Norway.
Midfielder José Torres - 5: What he did, he generally did well enough, but he did not do things often enough. He should have had a first-half goal, but finished poorly. He did little wrong, but not enough right.
Forward Landon Donovan - 7.5: Quite simply, he is the best technical player the U.S. has, period. Although he was playing on the wing, sometimes left and sometimes right, much of the American attack moved through him. Even though his goal came on a gift penalty kick, he was the most valuable player last night as he works his way out of Klinsmanns doghouse..
Forward Chris Wondolowski - 7: A terrific first half scoring three times, twice with difficult headers. He actually could have had at least two more goals in just the first 45 minutes. Then, he took the final 45 minutes off, rarely touching the ball and never dangerous.
Midfielder Stuart Holden (46th minute for Beckerman) - 6.5: A fine second-half appearance for a player slowly rounding into match condition after his year-plus layoff for injury. He paired very well with Donovan and ran freely. This was an important milestone in his recovery.
Midfielder Brek Shea (61st minute for Torres) - 5.5: He saw little of the ball on the left flank with Donovan and Holden controlling play on the right side. He gave things a good effort, but was not much in the match.
Midfielder Alejandro Bedoya (66th minute for Corona) - 5: He came close to scoring moments after entering, but then seemed to disappear for the rest of the half. He pushed forward with verve, but without much of a result.
SoccerTimes U.S. Player of the Match: Landon Donovan.
Do you have a comment on this story or something to say about soccer in general? Send us a letter.


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A former teammate of Lance Armstrong says the seven-time Tour de France winner used performance-enhancing drugs.
Tyler Hamilton told CBS' "60 Minutes" Armstrong took a blood-booster called EPO in the 1999 Tour and before the race in 2000 and 2001. Doping allegations have dogged Armstrong for years, but the legendary cyclist has always denied the charges. Hamilton gave back his 2004 Olympic gold medal after making the revelation.
"I saw (EPO) in his refrigerator. ... I saw him inject it more than one time," Hamilton said, "like we all did. Like I did, many, many times.
"(Armstrong) took what we all took ... the majority of the peloton," referring to riders in the race. "There was EPO ... testosterone ... a blood transfusion."
EPO is a drug that boosts endurance by increasing the number of red blood cells in the body.
Earlier this year, a report alleged Armstrong has maintained ties to Michele Ferrari, an Italian doctor who has long been linked to helping elite cyclists cheat, despite publicly severing ties with her in 2004.
Another of Armstrong's former teammates, Floyd Landis, who was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France win after testing positive for a banned supplement, said that in 2003 Swiss customs officials found drugs and syringes in Armstrong's luggage, but failed to stop him.
Mark Fabiani, a spokesman for Armstrong, said the article was "old news from the same old discredited sources."


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Santa Monica is the place to be in Southern California. Minutes from L.A. and major SoCal attractions, it still retains the charm of a quaint seaside town. And with an average of 340 days of sun each year, you can step from our Santa Monica hotels and enjoy the ocean breezes and outdoor entertainment.
First stop from your hotel is the Santa Monica beach, with over three miles of pristine oceanfront and over eight miles of scenic bike trails. Be sure to check out the Santa Monica Pier, which bustles with arcades, an amusement park, a carousel for the kids, restaurants, outdoor concerts and a trapeze school.
Next it's time to head to the Third Street Promenade. This street is for pedestrians only—perfect for strolling along and window shopping for inspiring art, fine jewelry, toys, and games. Restaurants such as Locanda del Lago abound, while fortune tellers, dancers and other street performers entertain the crowds. Check out the Farmers' Market for a treat for the sense.
Still can't decide where to start your adventures in Santa Monica? Hotel guests should grab an Art Trek map for a scavenger hunt-esque walking journey around the city in search of the 37 public works.


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Michael Moore on Defending Julian Assange: "WikiLeaks Is More Than Just This One Man"
On tonight's Rachel Maddow Show, Michael Moore explained why he posted bail for—and controversially defended—WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, drawing the ire of many victims' rights advocates. "WikiLeaks is more than just this one man," said Moore. Videos inside.
Moore made two separate statements to Maddow about the controversy, one during each of the interview's two segments. Both times, Moore attempted to reiterate that he believes Assange should have to answer to the charges—and also tried to quell any sort of belief that his defense of Assange makes him a rape apologist—but believed that there was a larger issue (the importance of WikiLeaks) at hand.
Here's what Maddow said to Moore to begin the discussion:
The timing could not be more suspicious. The man accused says he's being pursued for political reasons. But even if you're suspicious about the timing, there are two women who went to the police with what are essentially date-rape charges against this guy.
This doesn't fit on a bumper sticker.
Can your suspicion about the forces arrayed against Julian Assange and Wikileaks — your suspicion about the timing and pursuit of these charges — coexist with respect for the women making these accusations against him and with a commitment to take rape allegations seriously, even when the person accused is someone that for other reasons you like?
Here's Moore's first statement on the issue:
[There was a video here]
And here's his second one:
[There was a video here]
Update: Maddow's blog has posted full video of both segments. Here's the first:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
And the second:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy


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CARSON, Calif. -- LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena's thoughts from LA's 1-0 victory over the Montreal Impact.
(On his overall thoughts of the game...)
ARENA: "All I told our team was a great win, maybe not a great game, but a great win."
(On the play of Brian Rowe...)
ARENA: "He needs to be active and get off his line. I think with [Marco] Di Vaio on the field, he's always going to be a player pursuing opportunities in the penalty area. If you don't come off your line, he's going to knick one. I thought Brian Rowe's aggressiveness was a big part of our success today."
On the goal scored by Kofi Opare...)
ARENA: "Not surprising that the goal came off a bit of a scramble, which was likely expected given the circumstances of the game and all. Give Kofi [Opare] a lot of credit, Robbie [Keane] kept the ball alive. We had a couple of other chances during the game. I think their keeper did well. I think in the first half we were very poor technically, too slow on ball. When we got into the second half, we got a little bit better. But we know we could be better than we were tonight."
(On the play of Robbie Keane...)
ARENA: "I don't know if you were surprised he didn't start the game, he played 90 minutes last night in Dublin, I wouldn't think we could get 90 minutes out of him tonight. I would have liked to have not played him, but we needed to get Robbie on the field and his presence was spectacular. He gave the team confidence, energy, and the technical ability we needed to try and break this team down. He told me he was playing, I have been in touch with him via text messages and he indicated to me from yesterday on that he was going to be ready and I said let's wait and see. He arrived at 3'oclock today and he walked in and said he was ready to go to give us as many minutes as we need."
(On the status of Omar Gonzalez and Landon Donovan for Sunday's match against the San Jose Earthquakes...)
ARENA: "We expect them to be ready to play this weekend."


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Two teams at opposite ends of the spectrum in the Western Athletic Conference get together to close out the regular season on Saturday, as 25th-ranked Utah State entertains the dismal Idaho Vandals.
Tied for the eighth-longest win streak in the country at five games, the Aggies are in uncharted territory as a football team at the moment. Should they win this outing they will not only establish a new, single-season school record with 10 victories, surpassing both 1960 and 1961 when they had nine victories, but the program will also win its first outright league championship since turning the trick back in 1936 as a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
Last weekend the Aggies, who are nationally ranked for the first time since 1978 when that squad started off the season 5-0, appeared to have their game against 19th-ranked Louisiana Tech well in hand, but the contest ended up going to overtime and it is then that USU pulled out the 48-41 victory. With the win the Aggies assured themselves of at least a share of the title in the WAC, which was still hard for head coach Gary Andersen to fathom.
"I don't know where to start. It has been an unbelievable journey for four years up to this point. Having it end like that is unbelievable. We have a tough-minded group of kids. We knew it was going to be a game where at any point they could come back. They have done that all year long."
As for the Vandals, the wheels fell off a long time ago now, considering they have just one win in 11 opportunities. The squad has split a pair of five-game losing streaks with a 26-18 win over New Mexico State at home back on Oct. 6 for their lone league victory as well. Along the way, head coach Robb Akey was relieved of his duties and Jason Gesser, the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, was installed as the head coach on an interim basis.
Unfortunately, the change at the top has don't little to influence the outcomes on the field, with the latest loss for Idaho coming at home last week against Texas-San Antonio (34-27), a school that has had a football program for just two seasons now.
Unfortunately for the Vandals, the defeat also happened to be on senior day, and Gesser wasn't too pleased with sending those players out on such a sour note.
"It's not rocket science...We gave them every opportunity and they took advantage of it. We had 12 penalties. We had three fumbles...two of them lost. Another pick. Missed assignments on defense; missed tackles."
Utah State leads the all-time series, which dates back to 1916, by a count of 19-17-2 after winning four of the last five matchups. Surprisingly enough, USU had to go to double-overtime to claim the 49-42 win in Moscow last season.
Gesser's disgust with the Vandals was most likely linked to the team's first half when they managed just three points, while giving up 20 to the visitors. Idaho made a run in the second half, closing the gap considerably, but just ran out of gas.
Slated to get the start this weekend, Taylor Davis converted 18-of-29 passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns, but was also intercepted once. Mike Scott was a favorite receiver who caught 10 balls for 116 yards and two TDs in the losing effort. On the ground, the Vandals generated just 127 yards on 27 attempts.
Over on the other side, the front line for the Vandals had trouble tracking UTSA signal-caller Eric Soza who, while throwing for 232 yards, also ran for a game-high 89 yards and reached the end zone three times. The run defense this season for the Vandals has given up 204.6 ypg.
Everywhere you look there are major issues with the Vandals, from the team giving up 42.2 ppg (118th in the nation), to the offense producing a mere 16.5 ppg (119th). Even on punt returns this is a team that is ranked last among 120 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision with an average of just one yard per return.
For Utah State, the numbers are so much more favorable across the board, particularly on defense where the program is tops in the WAC and eighth nationally with just 16.0 ppg allowed. Because of a record-setting performance against San Jose State when the team logged a staggering 13 sacks, Utah State is also seventh in the country in that department with 3.3 per game.
Last week the defense was tested for sure by Louisiana Tech, giving up more than 600 total yards, but quarterback Chuckie Keeton and running back Kerwynn Williams responded in a huge way, the latter landing in the end zone on a four-yard run in overtime to give the visitors the win.
Williams, who generated 303 all-purpose yards and scored three times, may not get the press he deserves outside of the WAC, but you can be sure people in the know are well aware of his talents. Williams leads the team with 11 TDs and 1,167 rushing yards and is also first with 39 catches for 624 yards, leading to an additional four scores.
Similarly, Keeton is also playing in the shadows of the top-flight QBs in the nation, but he's got nothing to be ashamed of with his 159.1 efficiency rating, stemming from 3,011 yards and 25 TDs, against just seven interceptions.


text: The last 40 miles of my trip from Seward to Anchorage was with my 2012 K1600GTL on the back of a flatbed truck. The bike has about 8,600 total miles with about 5,600 on the current trip from Ohio. At a stop yesterday the bike would not shut off properly. The engine would quit running but there was a loud rapid clicking from the engine. When I turned the key on the engine started with no further action on my part. After several attempts to shut off the bike with the same results I decided to keep riding toward Anchorage. I stopped for fuel about 40 miles south of Anchorage. The bike shut off properly. After gassing up the bike would not start, the battery was drained. Roadside assistance picked up the bike and took it to the BMW dealer in Anchorage. Since the dealer was closed yesterday they started woking on it today, So far they've found that the starter relay was burnt out but can't tell anything further till they receive a relay about noon tomorrow. This is my first time owning a BMW after riding Gold Wings for years. The ride up until yesterday has been great. I've read some horror stories about dealing with BMW on the forum today and hope I don't have one to add.


text: Fellow Airheads! I am really proud of my recent efforts in removing the OEM side stand from my '76 R90/6 and replacing it with a Brown side stand. All's good so far....the rub is that in removing the stock stand, I had to, of course, push the front through bolt in enough to remove the stand. The problem is that I cannot for the life of me figure out how to put the linkage bracket and spring back on the left side of the frame. Before taking off, now I have to physically bend down while sitting on the bike and lift the center stand up by hand because there is only one spring on the right side. Not good for the long run. Anyone have any experience on this one? Thanks in advance brothers and sisters.


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LONDON, April 23 (UPI) -- Floating wind turbines in deep waters are the subject of planned agreements between the U.S. and British governments, British officials said Monday.
"Offshore wind is critical for the U.K.'s energy future and there is big interest around the world in what we're doing," British Energy Secretary Edward Davey said in a statement. "Floating wind turbines will allow us to exploit more of our wind resource, potentially more cheaply."
The U.S. and British governments are expected to work together on floating wind energy platforms in deep waters, which handicap the construction of conventional wind-turbine platforms.
The British Department of Energy and Climate Change said the wind potential in areas of water depths of 200 feet or more is greater than in shallow waters.
The U.S. Department of Energy has said it would offer $180 million in funding for advanced demonstration projects for floating wind platforms in U.S. waters. London is in the process of commissioning a $40.3 million demonstrator project of its own.
"Turbines will be able to locate in ever deeper waters where the wind is stronger but without the expense of foundations down to the seabed or having to undertake major repairs out at sea," added Davey.
London this week is the site of a clean-energy summit. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu is the co-host for the meeting along with Davey.


text:
My Keys to the Game
-Our second unit "Mobb Deep" has to outplay the bench of Dallas. The Mavs bench is regarded as one of the better benches in the league and put up good numbers.
-Look for Jeffries to get extended minutes tonight with the Dirk matchup.
-If Marion is guarding Lin again tonight look for Melo to go off.
-We need to attack the basket in this game because Dallas only shoots (a dream for Dantoni)
- If Hayward is out and Dirk has to play the 5, Stat could possibly have a breakout game


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Results 21 to 27 of 27
Thread: Wet Sounds WS-420 Question?
Mike , How much do one of those throttle boxes cost and does it turn down the volume.A Day at the Lake...Priceless
A Day in Powder...Endless
Joe V
2012 Möbius XLV~ Loaded & Exiled
2007 Outback V ~ sold
Cant buy just the Throttle box. Its a Feature on the Exile Harpoon amp im running for my towers.
No it wont change the volume its strickly for changing how fare the speaker throw sound. At 80 feet up close to the speaker it will be painfull due to the highs and such thats its projecting.
Turn it to wake surf and the the sound then changes and doesnt project as fare, its like taking it from an HLCD and making it a regular cabin speaker again.Malo <--- Means--Evil or Mean One. This explains a lot.
2013 Mojo 2.5 Skylon Tower. Bestia < Beast >
I want a MAGIC KNOB!!!!!!! WHOA!
Sorry guys, as I have not had much time lately to chime in on here.
Here's some input for everyone in very plain terms. It sometimes surprises me how people can get confused by all this. The very first thing I'll say is there is no MAGIC KNOB that fixes every audio problem. Keep this in mind while going over this.
The PAK-LC1 is a very simple and effective tool. In short its a knob that is continuously variable style potentiometer that the captain uses to very the entire audio signal passing thru it. In the real world you'll see this on boats tied into the bass amplifier - to blend the sub overall level or the tower amplifier to reduce volume when a rider is down, etc... as mike mentioned it goes in line with your amplifier and its an easy setup. Only downside is you often times have to run a long rca cable to the helm mounting location. It's not a great thing to be running the low voltage signal around the boat.
Remote bass knobs - are an entirely different thing. Several mfgs offer an addon knob that looks quite like one of those LC1's but work entirely different. Some boost the bass region of an amplifiers output. On the Exile gear, we use a "twinT" filter circuit that allows the captain to adjust amplifier output across a narrow range of the bass audio spectrum. We do this because we want the amplifier to focus the output energy. This saves power and doesnt make the amplifier work to reproduce un-needed audio frequency. As a side note, amplifier's with built in subsonic filtering do this much the same way. It's really great because all the energy below the port frequency is wasted. Why make the amp work so hard if you dont have to, right?
Line Drivers - Dont really have remote knobs but play a role here because they sometimes are included in other devices I'll mention in a moment. The bottom line here is they are going to boost up the output of a headunit. Unfortunately, many mfg's are liars when they spec their gear. You really have two choices, buy a headunit that is known to be worthy---kenwood,clarion, alpine marine source units, or keep the unit you have and stick on a line driver. often times i see guys asking me about the biggest meanest amplifier we make and I have to tell them, "hey, start with your headunit bro, or your wasting your money". Liine drivers are pretty cost effect and can be found in 2/3/6 channel versions pretty easily.
WS420 - My take is its a great device that offers features that sometimes people try to piece together. It's got the line drivers I mentioned, built in EQ's controls and the ability to talk on a remote mic. It will operate like those LC's in every sense but offers a lot more! I think they want 300 or so for it.
Exile Harpoon - The amp has to very specific knobs built into the amp itself. First a full range level control. Works like those LC's but you dont have to fly RCA's around your boat. It controls the amplifiers input stage sensitivity, allowing you to reduce, blend or shut off all the way the output. I think JL might also offer a full range feature like this as well. The second feature is a unique "marine audio" first. It's called throttle box and it lets the user shape the sound of HLCD's. It doesn't do this with equalization. It uses the inherent HLCD characteristics to map specific audio output goals - CLOSE / NEAR / FAR. It's done with a remote that is continuously variable. Meaning you can make slight adjustments or dramatic ones. Only point that Mike got wrong is that other companies wont be following suit.... We've applied for a patent on this design. It's special and only available in the Harpoon amplifier.
The bottom line here is that all the items mentioned above are tools for your audio system. When your system grows into a multi amplifier setup, its time to look at these items to help your system reach its full potential.
Hope this helps.
Exile Audio
03-12-2010, 04:32 PM #2406 Outback V
Clarion EQS-746. Also run my Ipod through it.06 Outback V
Not having to use a HU is another advantage of an EQ. I do miss being able to throw on a CD and just use the transom remote so I'm going back to a HU this year.06 Outback V


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Ansel Adams Wilderness > Koip Peak > Climber's Log
Koip Peak Climber's Log
[ Sign the Climber's Log ]
|From Kuna West Ridge
Date Climbed: Sep 10, 2017
|Dayhike Loop
|Posted Oct 6, 2017 1:25 am
|Bloody Canyon
Date Climbed: Sep 16, 2017
|Koip Peak via Bloody Canyon and Parker Pass. Overnight trip at Lower Sardine Lake. 5,000 ft elevation gain. Party of 4.
|Posted Sep 17, 2017 9:36 pm
|...and Kuna
Date Climbed: Aug 17, 2017
|Hefty dayhike from Dana Mdws. Enjoyed Kuna much more.
|Posted Aug 18, 2017 1:48 am
|Standard route
Date Climbed: Oct 1, 2016
|Koip, Kuna and Parker, via standard approach from Tioga road. A good trail covers most of this distance, the off trail stuff is class 2.
|Posted Oct 30, 2016 11:18 pm
|On the way to Kuna
Date Climbed: Sep 7, 2016
|Dayhike from Tioga Road. On the way to Kuna.
|Posted Sep 9, 2016 10:27 pm
|North Ridge
Date Climbed: Aug 2, 1981
|Overnight trip from Parker Lake Canyon that included Parker Peak and Mount Wood. Trip Report
|Posted Dec 16, 2015 11:10 pm
|From Parker Lake
Date Climbed: Sep 12, 2015
|Surmounted the falls on the south side. After the first 15 feet the loose/brittle rock gave way to polished hard rock with pockets and cracks that made for no more than class 3. The aspen thicket above Parker Lake and cross country doesn't necessarily make for faster day even though the approach is 6 or so miles shorter than the standard route from Dana Meadows.
|Posted Sep 13, 2015 11:16 am
|Day hike from Mono Pass
Date Climbed: Jun 18, 2015
|Nice views. Easy scramble. Kuna was a bit more exciting.
|Posted Jun 30, 2015 3:16 am
|Mono Pass trail
Date Climbed: Jun 21, 2015
|standard route that included Kuna.
|Posted Jun 29, 2015 9:11 pm
|From June Lake Loop/Parker Lake
Date Climbed: Oct 5, 2014
| From the map, it looks like starting from June Lake Loop/Parker Lake, you can shave maybe 8 miles round trip off the standard route from Dana Meadows, at the cost of 1,000' or so added net elevation gain, plus some bushwacking and scree-sloping.
There's a good dirt road to the Parker Lake trailhead at 7,800', with a 4WD side road to 8,400'.
Hike the north shore of Parker. There is moderate brush for a mile or so above the lake -- we did not find a good route thru this, but aiming for the pine woods seemed best -- that part was fairly open.
The crux is a cliff band with waterfall at 10,000'. I attempted the south side but turned back due to Class 3 climbing with some loose rock and moderate exposure. My companions continued on and had no further difficulties reaching the main trail. They descended the north side of the waterfall and reported it easier than the south side -- look for a deer trail passing through a patch of pine trees.
|Posted Oct 6, 2014 12:54 pm
|From Dana Meadows
Date Climbed: Aug 3, 2014
|With MD from Dana Meadows. Tagged Kuna Peak. Then explored the wreckage. Then traversed to Koip. The trail to Koip Peak pass has nicely built switchbacks - I counted 21. A bit under 12hrs c2c.
|Posted Aug 13, 2014 10:39 am
|Part of 12 day backpacking trip
Date Climbed: Aug 15, 2013
|Was nearing the end of my backpacking trip--a tiny bit over 100 miles. The day before we camped at alger's lake, there was a fairly impacted area and it was a beautiful view. We basecamped there for a day and experienced nature, then on our way out of the wilderness decided to climb koip. We found a very old signature in the log book of one of our participant's aunt--was really exciting and the view was magnificint. I wish I knew about the crashed WWII plane as we would have looked for it--maybe next time!
|Posted Jan 10, 2014 5:42 pm
|day hike
Date Climbed: Oct 19, 2013
|day hiked from dana meadows. i did not expect so many snow patches on the way, especially after the parker pass. sunny and windy, but the view is execllent!
|Posted Oct 20, 2013 7:16 am
|Parker/Koip/Kuna traverse from Mono Pass Trailhead
Date Climbed: Sep 30, 2011
|Traversed to Koip from Parker on my way to Kuna.
Found a reasonably nice use trail on the south side of the Koip Pass facing slope which lasted until the base of the snowfield
Pics/commentary here.
|Posted Oct 1, 2011 4:20 pm
|East Ridge
Date Climbed: Apr 30, 2011
|Hiked to Parker Lake from the trailhead with spotty snow cover. Alternated skinning and booting the rest of the way to the summit. Great view from the top, horrible skiing on the way down, apart from a couple of shortish pitches. Loads of ice and windboard. 8hrs round trip.
|Posted May 1, 2011 11:34 pm
|Bob Burd
|From Kuna
Date Climbed: Aug 8, 2010
|Day 3 of the Sierra Challenge, part of a large loop around Alger Lake area, coming from Blacktop Peak to the south and then Kuna. Trip Report
|Posted Sep 18, 2010 6:30 pm
|from Kuna and Blacktop
Date Climbed: Aug 8, 2010
|mehish slog
|Posted Aug 15, 2010 8:15 pm
|From Kuna
Date Climbed: Aug 8, 2010
|Sierra Challenge day 3. Chasing Bob.
|Posted Aug 8, 2010 9:27 pm
|With Kuna, Gibbs, Dana
Date Climbed: Jun 28, 2008
|A two day trip, pitched camp just over Parker Pass and summitted Koip and Kuna on day one, not much snow to contend with- no axe, or crampons involved.
|Posted Jun 13, 2010 6:51 pm
|Princess Buttercup
|Dayhike from Mono Pass TH
Date Climbed: Aug 16, 2008
|Great hike over Parker Pass and up some grand switcher to Koip Peak Pass. Looped w/ Kuna, Parker, and Wood Peaks
|Posted Nov 30, 2009 11:51 pm


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TASER International Receives Order for 2748 TASER X26 ECDs for Texas Department of Public Safety
Fourth Largest Law Enforcement Order in Company History
SCOTTSDALE, AZ-- TASER International, Inc. a market leader in digital evidence solutions and electronic control devices (ECDs), today announced an order from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) for 2748 TASER® X26™ ECDs and related accessories.
After an extensive review of our technology, the Texas DPS will issue the TASER X26 to all of its troopers making this order the fourth largest deployment of TASER ECDs in the U.S.
"We're confident that deploying our TASER technology will provide a safe and effective use of force option which will enable the Texas DPS to uphold its motto of 'Courtesy, Service, Protection,'" said Tom Smith, Chairman and founder of TASER International, Inc. "As the fourth largest deployment of TASER ECDs nationwide, this order provides the people of Texas and other law enforcement agencies they assist with enhanced accountability measures, product effectiveness, as well as a return on its investment by reducing injuries to officers and suspects, reducing excessive use of force claims and saving lives."
Currently, more than 475 law enforcement agencies in Texas deploy TASER brand ECDs.
The order is expected to ship in the third quarter of 2010.
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Cell Desk
Norix introduces the Econo-Max Cell Desk for facility officials and inmates. The desk is designed for sturdiness, durability, cleanliness and ease of installation. The curved 10-inch radius support leg is welded with four stainless steel studs to a 14-gauge vertical steel tube, which secures the top to the base. The studs consist of a maximum shear load of 5,350 pounds, ultimate tensile load of 3,750 pounds, and maximum fastening torque of 126 inch pounds. The 38-pound desk and seating unit can be mounted on the wall or fastened to the floor.


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Joseph Horn
Position: WR
6-1, 206lb (185cm, 93kg)
Born: January 16, 1972 in New Haven, CT
College: Itawamba JC
Weighted Career AV (100-95-...): 69 (635th overall since 1960)
High School: Douglas Byrd (NC)
Draft: Kansas City Chiefs in the 5th round (135th overall) of the 1996 NFL Draft.
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Employee communication is both simple and complex. We communicate with employees each day. Sometimes directly â when we respond to questions or requests, for example. Sometimes indirectly â when we issue new policies or send out a memo. Sometimes inadvertently â when employees observe our actions. Perhaps because communication takes place so naturally, we often fail to consider the process of communication as seriously as we should. Consequently, we often fail to communicate with employees effectively.
Below are some helpful tips for effective employee communication:
- Never start at the beginning. The key to communication is to start with the end result in mind. Many times people jump into a conversation or communication situation without considering what it is that they're trying to accomplish. Always remember you need to have a clear idea of what your communication objectives are.
- Understand the business drivers. Communicators need to understand how their communications fit into the overall business strategy. Communication shouldn't focus just on the nice to know, it should focus on what employees' need to know to help the business move forward. This is key when communicating any changes within your firm or changes in policies.
- Integrate. Use every opportunity to put messages in a consistent framework. For example, if you make a change in a company policy, explain how this change fits into the overall context of the policy procedures.
- Don't waste people's time! Be very carefully about the number of communication pieces distributed within your firm. Some people prefer print, some verbal, some electronic. A mix of messages, strategically planned, can help to ensure that all employees receive the information they need. Try to communicate more than one message whenever possible to avoid over delivering.
- Get real. While it's okay to be positive as you frame your messages, it's critical that you be straightforward and clear. Sometimes you have bad news to convey. Be accurate, honest and direct â don't sugarcoat. Don't over analyze your words. Shoot straight and your message will be received accurately.
- Listen as much, or more, than you speak. Sit down and say to yourself, "How much do I really understand my audience?" Stephen Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People says, "Seek first to understand." This is good advice for communicators. By understanding the needs of your audience you can better design messages that will be meaningful and impactful.
- Prioritize your messages. Focus on a few key points or you'll risk losing the attention of your audience, whether you're providing the information verbally or in writing. Be selective. Don't run on and on. Be clean, concise and to the point. Use bullet points to get your key message across to your audience.
- Consider an internal review board. A group of influencers within your organization can provide a great opportunity to test your messages before rolling them out to the entire company.
- Don't be wedded to your communication product or process. It is quite common for communicators to create a newsletter that they think is wonderful, or a headline that they feel is clever, only to discover that the tools they created didn't achieve the goals they had intended. Be creative, but don't be wedded to your communication style. Instead, focus on the end result.
Communication isn't easy. It's a constant challenge because both the external and internal environments within which we operate are changing constantly. The people we communicate with are changing too. View the entire story for more helpful ideas.


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Steve Horn | December 2, 2011
By Steve Horn • Friday, December 2, 2011 - 13:34
Cornell University Professors Robert Howarth and Anthony Ingraffea made waves in April 2011 when they unveiled what is now known simply as the "Cornell Study."
Published in a peer-reviewed letter in the academic journal Climatic Change Letters, the study revealed that, contrary to the never-ending mythology promulgated by the gas industry, unconventional ("natural") gas, procured via the infamous hydraulic fracturing (fracking) process, likely emits more greenhouse gas pollution into the atmosphere during its life cycle than does coal. DeSmogBlog documented the in-depth details of the Cornell Study in our report, "Fracking the Future: How Unconventional Gas Threatens our Water, Health, and Climate."
Since the report was published, the Cornell Study has receieved serioius backlash from the gas industry, in particular from Energy in Depth, the industry's go-to front defensive linebackers on all things fracking related. DeSmogBlog revealed earlier this year that Energy in Depth is an industry front group created by many of the largest oil and gas companies, contrary to its preferred "mom and pop" image.
Dr. Anthony Ingraffea wrote a must-read piece this week for CBC News, "Does the natural gas industry need a new messenger?"
In his article, Dr. Ingraffea discusses and debunks many key gas industry myths, which he explained "always have at least a kernel of truth, but you have to listen to the whole story, carefully, not just the kernel."
"With decades of geopolitical influence and billions of dollars on the table, it is not surprising that the gas industry has perpetuated…myths to keep the public in the dark, regulators at bay, and the wells flowing," Ingraffea writes.
Let's review four of the myths exploded by Dr. Ingraffea:
Myth One: "Fracking is a 60-year-old, safe, well proven technology"
Dr. Ingraffea writes:
Yes, fracking is 60 years old. But using this shorthand obscures the truth that what's at issue here isn't really just fracking. It's the entire process of coaxing gas from shale using high-volume, slickwater fracking with long laterals from clustered, multi-well pads.
Myth Two: "Fluid migration from faulty wells is rare"
Ingraffea dismantles this one:
Fluid migration is not rare. For example, industry researchers Watson and Bachu, in a Society of Petroleum Engineers paper in 2009, examined 352,000 Canadian wells and found sustained casing pressure and gas migration…Most recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found benzene, methane and chemicals in water-monitoring wells in Pavilion, Wyoming…
Myth Three: "The use of clustered, multi-well drilling pads reduces surface impacts"
Such pad sites are large and growing, up to 10 acres or more. Newer sites, in Canada, are bigger than 50 acres, and each will leave behind clusters of wellheads and holding tanks for decades.
Cluster drilling facilitates and prolongs intense industrialization and leaves a larger, more concentrated, and very long-term footprint, not a smaller and shorter one.
Myth Four: "Natural gas is a 'clean' fossil fuel"
This one would be laughable if so many people did not believe it. As the old adage goes, "A lie can travel halfway 'round the world while the truth is putting on its shoes."
Ingraffea on this whopper:
NASA climate scientist Drew Shindell's work, published in the prestigious journal, Science, shows that methane – natural gas – is 105 times more powerful than carbon dioxide as a global warming contributor over a 20-year time horizon, and 33 times more powerful over a century.
He proceeds to explain that methane gas is prone to leakage, which is not taken into account when proponents tout gas as a "clean" source of energy:
Leaks happen routinely during regular drilling, fracking and flowback operations, liquid unloading, processing, and along pipelines and at storage facilities.
The rate of leakage is anywhere from 3.6 per cent to 7.9 per cent of the lifetime of production of a shale gas well, which means from three to 200 per cent greater leakage rate than from conventional gas wells.
Exposing Other Mythology, Making a Plea For Truth
Dr. Ingraffea also discusses other myths the gas industry relies upon on a daily basis, including "jobs created," "gas for energy independence," gas as a "bridge fuel" toward renewable energy, among others. All of these lies and misdirections have been debunked on multiple occasions, by numerous sources.
Concluding where he began his article, Ingraffea makes a plea to his readers: "keep asking questions, dig for the truth, and you'll get the whole story."
Here's another shattered myth
Published in a peer-reviewed letter in the academic journal Climatic Change Letters, the study revealed that, contrary to the never-ending mythology promulgated by the gas industry, unconventional ("natural") gas, procured via the infamous hydraulic fracturing (fracking) process, likely emits more greenhouse gas pollution into the atmosphere during its life cycle than does coal.
And another myth bites the dust
During a Nov. 29 roundtable discussion with industry experts hosted by the American Clean Skies Foundation, Cornell's Lawrence Cathles III outlined the findings of a soon-to-be published study asserting that shale gas has a greenhouse gas footprint half or perhaps a third that of coal.
The Cathles study identified three errors in the widely cited study by Cornell's Robert Howarth, Renee Santoro and Anthony Ingraffea. Cathles and other researchers said Howarth's findings were "seriously flawed" because of erroneous methane leakage data, a too-short methane global warming potential and because it compared coal and gas in terms of heat rather than electricity generation.
Carnegie Mellon University's Paulina Jaramillo with similar research that debunked the earlier study, echoed much of Cathles' assertions and elaborated on others. Jaramillo joined Cathles earlier in the day to brief lawmakers in the Natural Gas Caucus about their findings.
Anyone with even the most rudimentary undertanding of the issue could have identified the gaping holes in Ingraffea and Howarth's work. Your continued attempt to cling to it when all evidence discredits it is nothing more than an example of confirmation bias.
Evidently you have zero understanding.
And are moving ahead with some sort of quasi agenda.
Ingraffea does not tout his 20 year global warming cycle. The gist of his work is the 100 year cycle, and he uses numbers your scientists state are reasonable. Its obvious you can't follow what you're talking about, and you seem to be grasping for answers from such authorities as the Star Gazette.
Seriously, you claim to know this science. You didn't even read the papers did you?
Are you part of the smeer campaign against Ingraffea?
Seriously, what kind of idiot does that? (At this point its a fair question directed at you.)
Here's the stuff you waffled around on;
Here's Ingraffea's paper;
Here's the paper you offered with shows significantly higher life time losses to shale gas wells than your 'industry expert' rebuttal;
Here's your rebuttal wherin the authors state that Ingraffea's numbers are reasonable;
You got nothing and you know it. You can't prove anything and you know it. Is this why you use a reporter from the Star Gazette to push your point?
Not so
Had Ingraffea and Horwath not grossly overestimated the leakage rates from natural gas production/transmission/distribution, based on a most specious interpretation of the available data, they would have not been able to support their claim that it has a larger GHG footprint than other fossil fules. The only "reasonable" numbers Ingraffea and Horwath used were the increased potential of CH4 to act as a GHG, not in the loss rates from gas drilling.
This is really simple stuff and Ingraffea and Horwath have now been debunked by yet another peer reviewed study.
End of story.
Bull Hockey.
Here's the exact words from your 'debunk'.
"While their low-end estimate of total leakages from well drilling through delivery(3.6%) is consistent with the EPA (2011) methane leakage rate of ~2.2% of production, and consistent with previous estimates in peer reviewed studies…"
They are saying Ingraffea has it right.
You just can't admit that you don't understand what you are talking about. The fact that you claim to have peer reviewed papers and yet you can't comment on the papers in question (ie read them) suggests to me that you lied about the extent of your knowledge on, well, any of this. Why can't you read the papers? Don't you understand what you are reading? Are you scientifically illiterate?
So far you cannot find a single shred of evidence to support your claims.
But I'm sure you can go find another blogger or newspaper reporter to agree with your beliefs.
Thats an interesting way to read the material
That's an interesting way to read the material .. dishonest, evasive and disingenuous, but interesting none the less. Lets see what you left out, shall we?
While their low-end estimate of total leakages from well drilling through delivery(3.6%) is consistent with the EPA (2011) methane leakage rate of ~2.2% of production, and consistent with previous estimates in peer reviewed studies… their high end estimate of 7.9% is unreasonably large and misleading.
Without Ingraffea/Howarth's "unreasonably large and misleading" high end estimate, their entire argument that shale gas production has a higher GHG footprint than coal falls apart … plain and simple. There is no honest reading of the comments that lets one get away with saying that the commenters were in agreement with either the methodology or the assumptions made in the Ingraffea/Howarth paper.
High leakage rates, a short methane GWP, and comparison in terms of heat content are the inappropriate bases upon which Howarth et al. ground their claim that gas could be twice as bad as coal in its greenhouse impact. Using more reasonable leakagerates and bases of comparison, shale gas has a GHG footprint that is half and perhaps a third that of coal.
The largest leakage rate they cite (for the Haynesville Shale) assumes, in addition, that flow tests and initial production rates provide a measure of the rate of gas release during well completion, drill out and flow back. In other words they assume that initial production statistics can be extrapolated back to the gas venting rates during the earlier periods of well completion and drill out. This is incompatible with the physics of shale gas production, the safety of drilling operations, and the fate of the gas that is actually indicated in their references.
The references they cite document that the methane loss rate during completion of unconventional gas wells by modern techniques is, or could be, at least 10 times lower than the 1.9% they use for both their high end and low end estimates.
So what we have now are two peer reviewed studies (and another soon to be released) that state that shale gas has a much lower GHG footprint than coal and one highly flawed study that states the opposite … doesn't look to good for the Ingraffea/Howarth fanboys.
Bull. You lie like a cheap suit.
Ingriffea talks about outlying numbers. Any scientist worth his salt would.
But his paper does not use those for its conclusions. It uses the lower conservative number 3.6% not the larger one 7.9% that you are lieing about and falsely claiming Ingriffea did.
"Compared tocoal, the footprint of shale gas is at least 20% greater and perhaps more than twice as great on the 20-year horizon and is comparable when compared over 100 years."
He figures that if you use the lower range of methane output CO2 emissions are 20% higher than coal.
He's arguing that the larger number is based on uncertainties in the data, but he does not rest his case on those numbers. He uses his more conservative 3.6% that your own sources agree with. He also talks about the 20 year horizon but it's not the thrust of his paper.
Furthermore, the papers you posted agree with him. Read them;
"The life cycle emissions are dominated by combustion that accounts for 74% of the total emissions."
In terms you need to understand. The industry paper you pulled states that the life cycle emissions for a natural gas well is 26%.
Who's butt did you pull 1.9 % out of? What paper on earth are you talking about? Where are you getting your garbage facts? Junk Science? The National Enquirer?
In short you are debunking your own invented hype. It should be easy since you are wrong.
Brendan DeMelle replied on Permalink
Mike H, please provide links and citations.
Mike H, you are distorting the Howarth/Ingraffea paper much the same way as others have attempted to smear it - the subject of Steve's post. An Oil Man has clearly demonsrated how you are wrong, with links and supporting quotes. Where are your links and quotes? And don't keep harping the industry-funded studies, ok? Talk about confirmation bias?
By the way, where do you work? I'm curious how you have advanced knowledge of unpublished studies on this subject. Please tell us more, and explain how you know about this.
On a related note, in our previous conversation, you made the statement "I dont know why the industry wont release its data, its most likely proprietary … you would have to ask them directly."
First of all, I don't quite follow your logic that data on methane pollution is in any way a proprietary interest. How is pollution data proprietary, exactly?
And since I suspect that you are involved in this industry in some way, I am asking you directly.


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The University of Washington Bothell Master of Nursing (MN) Program serves place-bound professional nurses in the northern Puget Sound region who are interested in advanced nursing roles in a variety of settings. The program utilizes a "cohort model" with students admitted each fall. Coursework is designed with block scheduling of classes on Fridays only, over seven quarters or 11 quarters of part-time study.
The UW Bothell campus houses the largest wetlands restoration project in the state of Washington.
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Mercer staying loose, having fun with Bucs
PITTSBURGH -- Jordy Mercer feels like a little kid again.
He's playing baseball, contributing to his team, and having fun doing it.Full Game Coverage
PITTSBURGH -- Jordy Mercer feels like a little kid again.
He's playing baseball, contributing to his team, and having fun doing it.Full Game Coverage
The Pirates dealt veteran shortstop John McDonald to the Indians for a player to be named or cash earlier this week, so it looks like Mercer is here to stay after bouncing between Triple-A Indianapolis and Pittsburgh earlier this year.
Mercer had three hits and two runs Wednesday night in the Pirates' 12-8 win, and he entered Thursday batting .278 with three homers, six RBIs and nine runs in 79 at-bats. The key to his success, he says, is just staying loose.
"You just go out and play your game, you have fun like a little kid," Mercer said. "You get all the worries and everything out."
Mercer started Thursday night against the Giants --- playing behind sinkerballer Charlie Morton, who is known for keeping middle infielders busy with ground balls. Pirates manager Clint Hurdle is confident in Mercer's defense and bat and started him against righty Matt Cain and over veteran Clint Barmes, somewhat of a defensive specialist.
"He's brought more to the table. His confidence level has never been higher," Hurdle said of Mercer. "His game has been fresh, his game is solid. So we have a lot of confidence. He's finishing games. How much more confidence can we have in a guy that's finishing games at shortstop?"
Mercer is hitting just .214 against righties this season, but Hurdle said he wants to get the Oklahoma State product in the lineup if he's going to be with the big league club. He is 10-for-23 with three homers and four RBIs against lefties this year.
Mercer is just relishing this opportunity, always with a smile on his face. And that's what playing baseball is all about to him.
"It's still a dream come true for me," he said. "It's something that you dream about as a little kid playing in the backyard. You hope to excel one day, and now that I'm getting the chance to do it, it's pretty special."
Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog Change for a Nickel. He can also be found on Twitter @Tom_Singer. Steven Petrella is an associate reporter for MLB.com.


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Tips for connecting with your kids
Family Features –Warm weather is characteristically associated with relaxing days by the pool and beach vacations to soak up the sun with family and friends.
Waning work days, slews of sporting activities, camp carpools and a plethora of planned play dates demand daily, detailed to-do lists to successfully coordinate the madness. With this hectic lifestyle now defined as "the new normal," it is essential to pause and enjoy the simple, joyful everyday moments with our children.
Though week-long family vacations may not be part of the plan, Liz Pryor, life advice expert, offers simple tips for connecting with your kids.
• Turn Off All Electronic Devices – For just fifteen minutes a day when you're shuffling your children to and from events, make a conscious effort to turn electronic devices off. Being fully engaged with your kids for a few moments each day will connect you in a way that only seemed possible during a fun day at the beach.
• Hit the Pause Button and Get the Conversation Started – After a long day of work and warm weather activities, catch up with the kids over a refreshing cup of iced Green Mountain Naturals Lemonade. This Brew Over Ice K-cup pack is quickly made at home with your Keurig brewer and will be loved by all members of the family. The process is quick and easy and kids will love being part of it.
• Plan a "Staycation" – Even though a week-long getaway may not be possible, have each child plan a one-day family "staycation" to enjoy a local park, museum or adventure in the backyard. By allowing the kids to plan the day, they'll be extra excited and involved in family time.
• Pack a Picnic – Have the kids help pack a picnic of turkey sandwiches, baby carrots and an insulated bottle of ice cold Green Mountain Naturals Lemonade. For a sweet treat, dip a graham cracker in melted chocolate chips, lay on waxed paper and quickly sprinkle with chopped nuts, candy-coated chocolate or more chocolate chips. Allow to harden on the waxed paper before adding into the picnic basket and heading out for your next family adventure.
• Assign Superhero Homework- Include the kids in family chores while incorporating a fun spin. Over the course of the summer, give each child a daily "mission" with an exciting title, such as Inspector of Doggy Dish or Kitchen Table King. Rotate missions regularly to mix it up.
Pryor stresses each family should mold these tips and make them their own to work in a unique way that is special just to them. Every family has its own way of communicating. It doesn't matter how you do it, as long you take time to find those moments to connect. For more warm weather drink ideas and information, visit www.brewoverice. com. Celebrate science with at-home chemistry experiments
NewsUSA – Chemistry plays a critical role in most of life's daily activities, but we tend to take it for granted, which means our children probably do, too. A passion for chemistry can lead to efficient transportation, improvements in medicine, safer environmental practices and more powerful computers. But, passion must start with an understanding of the basics.
Urge your kids and teenagers to get involved in science with at-home chemistry experiments to celebrate the 25th anniversary of National ChemistryWeek.
Parents can receive help from the world's largest scientific society to spur family interest in chemistry. The American Chemical Society publishes a newspaper called Celebrating Chemistry for grade school students and offers free resources for back-to-school activities (www.acs.org/chemistryambassadors). These resources are full of hands-on activities that convey important lessons about chemical interactions. After all, everything is made of chemicals.
Check out the kinds of fun experiments you can do at home with your kids — this one shows how physical forces (like gravity!) behave differently when objects are very, very small:
* A canning jar (pint or quart)
* Ring part of the lid for the jar
* Styrofoam plate
* Ruler
* Sharp pencil
* Scissors
1. Trace the opening of the jar with your pencil on the Styrofoam plate, and cut it out.
2. Fill your jar with water.
3. Place your Styrofoam circle into the ring lid, and screw it onto your jar.
4. Poke a small hole into the center of your Styrofoam circle with your pencil point. Measure, and record the diameter of the hole in your data table.
5. Working over a sink or pail, place your finger over the hole, and turn the jar upside down. Ask your adult lab partner for help if you need it. Keep the upsidedown jar straight up and down, and hold it steady. Slide your finger off of the hole.Water should not come out of the hole.
6. Turn your jar upright. Make the hole bigger by pushing your pencil a little farther into the hole, and repeat the procedure. Record your observation. Record the diameter of the hole and your observations.
7. Keep increasing the size of the hole with your pencil. Repeat the procedure until the water comes spilling out. Record all diameter measurements in your data table.
This experiment can be found on page 15 of "Celebrating Chemistry" (http://bit.ly/RfgPAT). Find more ideas at www.acs.org/ncw, including details about National ChemistryWeek and its theme, nanotechnology.


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Mount Sinai Named One of New York State's Safest Hospitals By the Niagara Health Quality Coalition
The Mount Sinai Medical Center has been named one of New York State's safest hospitals for 2011, as reported in the annual hospital study conducted by the nonprofit Niagara Health Quality Coalition (NHQC).
Mount Sinai was also the only hospital in New York State to receive the NHQC's highest safety rating for the performance of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, and was the only hospital named to the NHQC "Honor Roll" for that critical cardiac procedure.
The NHQC is an independent organization based in Williamsville, NY, that uses federally endorsed hospital quality indicators to measure hospital performance. It makes its finding available to the public in several ways, including an annual "Hospital Report Card." More detailed information is available at the NHQC website at www.myhealthfinder.com.
Its "Safest Hospitals" list is based on several patient safety indicators, including mortality rates for 14 different procedures; patient safety rates for 11 separate conditions including post-operative sepsis and post-operative blood clots; any instances of foreign bodies retained during surgery and transfusions of the wrong blood type; whether hospitals performed a minimum number of cases to claim competency on six complex surgeries; and hospital participation in two national safety programs.
The NHQC also issues a similar annual "Watch List" of hospitals that performed poorly overall in key patient safety indicators.
About The Mount Sinai Medical Center
The Mount Sinai Medical Center encompasses both The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Established in 1968, Mount Sinai School of Medicine is one of the leading medical schools in the United States. The Medical School is noted for innovation in education, biomedical research, clinical care delivery, and local and global community service. It has more than 3,400 faculty in 32 departments and 14 research institutes, and ranks among the top 20 medical schools both in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding and by U.S. News & World Report.
The Mount Sinai Hospital, founded in 1852, is a 1,171-bed tertiary- and quaternary-care teaching facility and one of the nation's oldest, largest and most-respected voluntary hospitals. In 2011, U.S. News & World Report ranked The Mount Sinai Hospital 16th on its elite Honor Roll of the nation's top hospitals based on reputation, safety, and other patient-care factors. Of the top 20 hospitals in the United States, Mount Sinai is one of 12 integrated academic medical centers whose medical school ranks among the top 20 in NIH funding and U.S. News & World Report and whose hospital is on the U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll. Nearly 60,000 people were treated at Mount Sinai as inpatients last year, and approximately 560,000 outpatient visits took place.
For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org/.
Find Mount Sinai on:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mountsinainyc
Twitter @mountsinainyc
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/mountsinainy