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Happy Holidays!
Our very best holiday wishes as we enter the month of December! Over the past year, I hope that Windows to the Universe has been able to provide you resources and information that you have found valuable, in support of your classroom instruction and learning. Thanks so much to everyone that's been available to assist in our professional development workshops offered at NSTA and other conferences! As the year comes to a close, we are getting ready to help with the AGU-NESTA GIFT Workshop in San Francisco December 9 and 10, followed by our workshops and events at the upcoming NSTA area conference in Denver on December 13th (see the schedule below) and the NSTA national conference in Boston this coming April.
If this newsletter is useful to you, please consider a charitable contribution to the Windows to the Universe project at the National Earth Science Teachers Association. Producing this free newsletter alone costs about $1500 each month! If everyone that subscribes to this newsletter donated just $5, our newsletter production costs would be covered for the entire year! Better yet, become an Educator Member, and get access to all the resources and services available through Windows to the Universe. You could also do some of your holiday gift shopping in the Windows to the Universe online store!
My very best wishes for an enjoyable and relaxing holiday season!
New Windows to the Universe Educator Membership Options with Course Support!
We're excited to offer new membership options for Windows to the Universe educators that include course webpage support, as well as options for homework and online quizzes. We will continue to offer Basic Educator Membership (which provides advertising-free access to the website plus additional member benefits), but we are expanding now to offer Silver Educator Membership (Basic Educator Membership supplemented by course webpage support and course login for students) or Gold Educator Membership (with course support including online quizzes and homework upload/download and individual student subscriptions). We also offer support for classrooms, with or without course support. For more details, see our Educator Membership Benefits and Services page.
In early November, an extremely powerful hurricane hit southeast Asia, causing widespread devastation. The storm, named Haiyan, began as a low pressure system over Micronesia and moved westward, building in strength and size. By the time it made landfall in the Philippine provinces of Samar and Leyte, it had sustained winds of more than 150 mph and gusts of nearly 200 mph, making it one of the most powerful storms ever observed.
Haiyan had a catastrophic impact on the Philippines, where storm surges, heavy rainfall and high winds combined to completely destroy many cities and villages. The exact number of people affected is still unknown, but international aid organizations are estimating that at least 20,000 are dead or missing and millions are displaced from their homes. The storm also caused major damage in China, Vietnam and several other southeast Asian countries.
Relief and recovery efforts are underway, with aid coming from a wide range of countries and organizations. The Red Cross, the UN World Food Programme, Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF and the Salvation Army are just some of the organizations working to rebuild the communities affected by this storm, and you can visit their websites to read about or contribute to their efforts. Our hearts go out to all those affected!
Tornadic Outbreaks in November in the Midwest
In mid-November, a rare late-year storm system swept through the Midwestern U.S., causing widespread destruction and several deaths. A fast-moving cold front passing through Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Missouri on November 17 brought with it more than 60 separate tornadoes, several of which produced winds in excess of 170 mph.
At least eight people were killed by the storms and hundreds of injuries were reported. Thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed and the total cost of the storms damage is estimated at more than $1 billion. Many of the hardest-hit zones have been declared disaster areas by their respective state governments, allowing state and federal emergency funds to be used in the recovery efforts that are already underway.
An outbreak of storms like this is very rare this late in the year, because November weather in the U.S. doesnt usually produce conditions where bodies of warm and cold air can mix and create the atmospheric instability that leads to large storms. Even so, tornadoes are not unheard of this late in the year, and the combination of storm damage and the cold weather that follows soon after makes recovery all the more difficult. Our thoughts are with those affected by these storms, and anyone wishing to contribute to the recovery can do so by visiting the Red Cross, United Way, Salvation Army, or other organizations that are assisting in relief efforts.
The Olympic Torch Logs Spacewalk Time
Two Russian cosmonauts, Flight Engineers Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazanskiy, carried the Olympic torch on a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Saturday, November 9. The cosmonauts opened the hatch to the Pirs docking compartment airlock, then floated outside for a brief photo opportunity with the unlit torch. They stowed the torch back inside the airlock before they began their six-hour spacewalk to perform maintenance work on the orbiting laboratory, 260 miles above Earth.
The torch, an icon of international cooperation through sports competition, returned to the Earth on November 10, aboard a Soyuz spacecraft vehicle. This spacewalk is a high-flying extension of a relay that began in Olympia, Greece, in October. The relay will culminate with the torch being used to light the Olympic flame on February 7 during the opening ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.
The space station has had continuous human occupation since November 2000. In that time, more than 200 people and a variety of international and commercial spacecraft have visited the ISS. The space station remains the springboard to NASA's next great leap in exploration, including future missions to an asteroid and Mars. For more information about the International Space Station, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station
Exciting Discoveries from the Kepler Space Telescope
Almost 400 scientists from 30 different countries gathered on November 4-8, 2013, at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, CA, for the second Kepler Science Conference, where they discussed the latest findings resulting from the analysis of Kepler Space Telescope data.
Kepler's mission is to determine what percentage of stars like the sun harbor small planets the approximate size and temperature of Earth. For four years, the space telescope simultaneously and continuously monitored the brightness of more than 150,000 stars, recording a measurement every 30 minutes. More than a year of the collected data remains to be fully reviewed and analyzed.
Discoveries include 833 new candidate planets, bringing the total to 3,538. Ten of these candidates are less than twice the size of Earth and orbit in their star's habitable zone, which is defined as the range of distance from a star where the surface temperature of an orbiting planet may be suitable for liquid water. New Kepler data analysis and research also show that most stars in our galaxy have at least one planet. An independent statistical analysis of Kepler data suggests that one in five stars like the sun is home to a planet up to twice the size of Earth, orbiting in a temperate environment.
Kepler data also fuels another field of astronomy dubbed asteroseismology - the study of the interior of stars. Scientists examine sound waves generated by the boiling motion beneath the surface of the star. They probe the interior structure of a star just as geologists use seismic waves generated by earthquakes to probe the interior structure of Earth.
With the loss of a second reaction wheel (Kepler was launched with four), people thought the Kepler mission was done, but there is a new plan referred to as K2 that may breathe new life into the disabled Kepler, by using sunlight to stabilize Kepler. Read about these new plans for Kepler.
For more information about the Kepler mission and the second Kepler Science Conference, visit www.nasa.gov/kepler and nexsci.caltech.edu/conferences/KeplerII/index.shtml
NASA Brings Earth Science 'Big Data' to the Cloud with Amazon Web Services
NASA and Amazon Web Services Inc. (AWS) of Seattle, WA, are making a large collection of NASA climate and Earth science satellite data available to research and educational users through the AWS cloud. The system enhances research and educational opportunities for the U.S. geoscience community by promoting community-driven research, innovation, and collaboration.
The AWS service includes NASA data sets and data processing tools from the NASA Earth Exchange (NEX), a research platform of the NASA Advanced Supercomputer Facility at the agency's Ames Research Center. Through NEX, users can explore and analyze large Earth science data sets, run and share modeling algorithms, collaborate on new or existing projects, and exchange workflows and results within other science communities.
NASA has already uploaded terabytes of data from several satellite and computer modeling datasets to the AWS platform and will upload more in the future. The NASA datasets will be available through the Amazon Public Data Sets program at: http://aws.amazon.com/datasets
To learn more about the NASA NEX Public Data Sets on AWS, visit: http://aws.amazon.com/nasa/nex
The Day the Earth Smiled for a Photograph
On July 19, 2013, in an event celebrated the world over, NASA's Cassini spacecraft slipped into Saturn's shadow and turned to image the planet, seven of its moons, its inner rings -- and, in the background, our home planet, Earth.
With the sun's powerful and potentially damaging rays eclipsed by Saturn itself, Cassini's onboard cameras were able to take advantage of this unique viewing geometry. They acquired a panoramic mosaic of the Saturn system that allows scientists to see details in the rings and throughout the system as they are backlit by the sun. This mosaic is special as it marks the third time our home planet was imaged from the outer solar system; the second time it was imaged by Cassini from Saturn's orbit; and the first time ever that inhabitants of Earth were made aware in advance that their photo would be taken from such a great distance.
This image spans about 404,880 miles (651,591 kilometers) across. Find out more details about this image and be sure to share this inspiring image with your students!
For centuries, people have tried to predict the weather, and weve come to expect that meteorologists can usually give us a pretty good sense of what conditions will be like in a given location over the next few days. But what about long-range forecasts that extend out much further, and predict general trends in weather over a whole season?
Various almanacs, such as Benjamin Franklins Poor Richards Almanack, or the Farmers Almanac (which is still being published in 2013-14), have attempted to provide long-range weather forecasts through the years, often with the idea of helping farmers plan their planting and harvesting activities throughout the year. These publications often rely on secret methods for predicting weather trends, and have generally not proven to be more accurate than random chance.
More recently, computer modeling of global weather patterns has led to scientists being able to make general predictions about months of weather. In the United States, these predictions take into account things like the El Nino-Southern Oscillation, the position of the jet stream, temperatures of the oceans surrounding the U.S., and other factors, and they can accurately forecast overall levels of rain and snow, the frequency of major storms, and gross trends in temperature by anticipating how different weather systems (high and low pressure systems, storms, or air currents) will move and interact throughout the upcoming season.
Better data from scientific studies and better computer models will help make this process more and more accurate as time goes on, but weather forecasting beyond a few days from now remains a very difficult and complex thing to do. You can read more about how weather and climate are modeled by scientists on the Windows to the Universe site and see predictions for U.S. 2013-14 winter weather from both the Farmers almanac and the National Weather Service (a modern, computational model). You can also view NOAA's Winter Outlook 2013-2014 Video that features Mike Halpert at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (link to video is towards bottom of the page).
Winter storms have already hit various places in the U.S. this fall and more are surely on the way! Winter Storm Boreas (named for the Greek god of the north wind) was responsible for bringing snow or ice to states from New Mexico to New England right around the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving. Here's a recap of Winter Storm Boreas.
Since many students get excited about winter weather, share information with them on snow, blizzards, and other types of dramatic weather.
Snowflakes are intricate and fascinating. Some are perfectly symmetrical and others are lopsided, depending on the conditions occurring in the atmosphere when the snowflake falls to the ground. Blizzards are very powerful storms, with winds greater than 35 mph (56 kph), large amounts of snow, and visibility of less than ¼ mile (0.4 km).
If you live in an area with cold and snowy winters, be on the alert for severe weather advisories. Check out our information on blizzard safety - cold temperatures can cause frostbite or hypothermia and winter storms can create dangerous driving conditions. Be safe out there!
Also, we encourage you to check out our Postcards from the Field - Antarctica. That will put cold weather into perspective!
In the traditional Christian story of Christmas, a star is described that glowed so bright in the sky that three kings, also known as wise men, followed it from the far east and it led them to Bethlehem shortly after the baby Jesus was born. Known as the Star of Bethlehem, this bright star has been intriguing to astronomers for centuries.
Astronomers have developed several possible explanations of what that astronomical sighting may have been. Some think it was a nova (an exploding star that would stay bright in the sky for a few days). Others hypothesize that it was not a star, but a comet. The most probable astronomical hypothesis to explain the bright star is a planetary conjunction. A conjunction is when two or more objects appear very close together in the sky.
Of course, there are other theories as well. This Wikipedia article provides an interesting summary covering a range of theories about the Star of Bethlehem.
Dining with Biodiversity This Holiday Season
While our minds wander towards warm comfort foods this time of year, let us not forget the diversity of living things that makes those foods possible. When you look at your holiday table, you may instantly recognize the presence of representatives from the Kingdoms Animalia and Plantae, but did you realize that the two other kingdoms of the Eukaryota domain of life might be contributing to your holiday meal as well? Here are a couple of examples of how some unsung, single-celled heroes of the Kingdoms Fungi and Protista wind up at the table.
To get dough to rise, bakers rely on single-celled helpers called yeast. Yeasts are living things, classified as part of the Kingdom Fungi. They are eukaryotic microorganisms. Not only found in your bread dough, wild yeasts are also found worldwide in ocean and terrestrial ecosystems. In the kitchen, yeast eats sugars in the dough and respires making carbon dioxide bubbles, causing the dough to rise. When the dough is baked, the yeast die.
Algae, usually included within the Kingdom Protista, are a staple in Asian cuisine. Even if you do not eat them, algae can contribute to your dinner because they are used as fertilizer in organic farming. Most industrial fertilizers are made chemically and are problematic for ecosystems when they get into waterways, forming dead zones where rivers empty into the ocean. Organic farms do not use these fertilizers, but instead use natural soil amendments such as species of algae called kelp. Kelp is brown algae that grow in cold-water areas of the shallow ocean, forming large forests that are home to a diversity of marine life.
Many holidays are celebrated in the month of December. We wish that your holidays might be happy and peaceful. Here are some ideas for keeping those holidays "Green". Please share them with your students and hopefully, they will share them with family and friends!
Our "Green" Holiday Ideas:
2. Put small electric candles in your windows as a house decoration versus the long strings of lights and light bulbs. Use compact fluorescent bulbs in the candles. Turn them off when you turn in for the night or use timers so that you don't forget!
3. When shopping for holiday meals, don't worry about the question of paper versus plastic - bring your own reusable bags to the store! Many stores give monetary credit for your effort and you keep paper or plastic out of landfills.
4. Instead of sending paper holiday cards in the mail, send an e-card to family and friends. This saves materials and the energy needed for production and delivery of paper cards. With the money saved, consider making a charitable donation in the name of your family and friends.
5. Of course, you can give new life to the holiday cards you do receive in the mail - by cutting out your favorite images and reusing them as gift tags. Kids love helping with this holiday "chore"!
6. When you're on the road for a quick meal, remember to take a minimum of napkins. Many people take a large handful, only to throw away many unused napkins. If everyone takes just the napkins they need, we can save thousands of pounds of waste from needlessly filling landfills. At home, use cloth napkins.
7. Use gift bags instead of wrap, they can be reused for several years. Or make your own gift wrap out of old newspapers! Also, you can always visit the remnants bin at the local fabric store for present wrapping "paper". There are many, many pieces large enough to wrap just about anything. Plus the cloth is re-usable year after year!
8. Choose your gifts wisely. For example, gifts of food add less to our collective "domestic mass accumulation", and significantly reduce our CO2 emissions. Vegan, locally-produced, organic food, with its own natural packaging (e.g., a pie one bakes from locally grown pumpkins or bushel of avocados) is perfect!
Happy and "Green" Holidays from the Windows to the Universe Team!
In the Mood for a Little Holiday Shopping?
Tshirts, bumper stickers and games, oh my! Are you looking for something different to buy the people on your holiday list this year? Shop at the Windows to the Universe Store!
We have books, CD's, DVD's and even classroom materials for the geoscience enthusiasts on your list!
Remember, Windows to the Universe members get an additional 10% off the price of all products in the Windows to the Universe store. If you are a member of Windows to the Universe, log in to "Your Account" at the right with your Windows to the Universe username and password. If you are not already a member of Windows to the Universe, join today! Finally, you can feel good about your purchases, as funding generated through the Store helps us fund development of the web site and outreach activities for teachers.
December in the northern hemisphere often brings with it chilly temperatures and snow and ice to go with those dropping temperatures. Did you know that we have a suite of activities that have to do with the poles of the Earth? Get in the mood for some "chilly" classroom activities!
We have some powerful visual interactives that can only be used online. Middle school to high school students can access this page to look at animations of annual variation of sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic, to compare images of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice side-by-side, and to utilize an interactive about the Earth's north magnetic pole.
We have several activities that cover the topic of glaciers. Model a Moving Glacier has students make a model of glacier motion and then experiment with it. There's also Glaciers: Then and Now where students compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last century.
Want to teach about polar life? Try out our Arctic Life Mobile which you can print and use in your elementary classroom.
Simply want to have some chilly fun? Try our polar jigsaw puzzles, polar word search or send a polar postcard to someone you love!
Climate Change 2013 - The Physical Science Basis + Educational Resources
In September, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a new report entitled "Climate Change 2013 - The Physical Science Basis." This report contains contributions from more than 800 authors from around the world, and includes chapters on sea level change, the carbon cycle, El Niño, the science of clouds, an evaluation of climate models, radiative forcing, and extensive coverage of both near- and long-term climate change projections. If youre interested, the IPCC has set up a website at which you can read the IPCCs report, or you can read more about how this group of scientists worked together to assemble it.
With the release of the new IPCC Report, the prominence of climate change in the news continues to grow. Windows to the Universe is continuing to expand our resources in support of climate change education. Visit our climate education in the classroom page for links to resources you can use in your classroom, and our climate change course page for resources you can easily use in support of your courses.
Last Chance to Register for AGU Fall Meeting GIFT Workshop for K-12 Educators
Register now for the Geophysical Information For Teachers (GIFT) Workshop run by NESTA and AGU, to be held at the AGU Fall Meeting on December 9-10. K-12 educators may register free-of-charge for both the Fall AGU Meeting (so you can view exhibits and attend technical presentations) and the GIFT workshop.
An excellent set of presenters has been chosen for this year's workshop and they will cover topics such as polar science and engineering, sea level rise and ocean acidification, mass extinctions, seafloor sediments, water cycle research, and The Next General Science Standards. View materials from past workshops and register for GIFT 2013.
Workshops at the NSTA Regional Conference in Denver
Will you be at the NSTA Regional Conference in Denver? If so, we invite you to participate in one or more of the sessions listed below.
Denver NSTA Regional Conference
December brings a fine meteor shower for your viewing pleasure. Each year, the Geminid meteor shower lights up the skies around December 13-14th.
This year, the Moon will make viewing a bit difficult since it will be in a waxing gibbous phase and this will make the faint meteors harder to see. Still, the Geminids are often the most active showers during fall and winter. Meteors may be visible for a few nights before and after the 13th, though the best viewing is expected on the 13th into the 14th when more than 50-100 meteors per hour could appear (the intensities of meteor showers are notoriously difficult to predict!). Your best bet might be to watch for the Geminids the mornings of December 13 and 14th, after the moon sets and before dawn (find out when moon set is at your location).
The source of the Geminids is a strange object called 3200 Phaeton, which may be an unusual asteroid or an "extinct" comet (astronomers aren't quite sure!).
This year, the solstice falls on December 21st, which is the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere and the summer solstice in the southern hemisphere. The solstices (winter and summer) and equinoxes (spring and fall) are astronomical events that mark our seasons. Because of the tilt of Earth's axis, the Sun appears to climb higher (in the summer) and sink lower (in the winter) in the sky as viewed from our planet. The solstice is when the Sun shifts the direction of this apparent migration. The word "solstice" comes from two Latin roots: "sol", which means "Sun", and "sistere", which translates as "stand still".
Many cultures around the world celebrate the winter solstice. These celebrations include festivals of light or acknowledgement of rebirth. Historically, in many places in the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice included a large feast because it occurred just before the coldest part of winter, and this was a good time to slaughter livestock so they wouldn't have to be fed during the winter months. This can provide some "food for thought" for your students as we head into our own season of holiday celebrations!
Award to Attend the 2014 EGU GIFT Workshop in Vienna, Austria
The 2014 GIFT (Geosciences Information for Teachers) workshop will take place on April 28 - 30, 2014, during the General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union in Vienna, Austria. The general theme of the workshop is Our Changing Planet. The workshop will explore some of the recent complex changes of our environment, particularly in the framework of the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Again this year, the generous William Goree Award will support the participation of a teacher from the United States in the GIFT Symposium at the 2014 EGU General Assembly. The selected teacher will receive a travel/hotel stipend and free registration to the meeting.
The participating teacher will be selected based on their teaching experience and the supporting statement from their school administration. The selected teacher will be expected to attend the entire workshop and submit a report within 1 year after the workshop on their impression of the workshop and how they plan to use this experience in their future teaching activities.
Application Deadline: December 6th. The selected teacher will be notified by December 15th. Click here for the application. Direct any questions to Missy Holzer, NESTA President, at firstname.lastname@example.com
Table of Contents
Typhoon Haiyan
NOV Tornadoes
Torch on Spacewalk
Kepler Discoveries
ES Data on Amazon
Saturn & Earth Photo
Weather Forecasting
Winter Weather 2013
Star of Wonder
Biodiversity Dining
Green Holidays
Holiday Shopping
"Chilly" Activities
IPCC Climate+Ed Res
Last Chance - GIFT
Denver NSTA
Geminids MS 2013
DEC Solstice
GIFT Vienna
Minerals E-book
Einstein Application
CS Ed Week
Fulbright Awards
Endangered Species
Last Chance Photos
Last Chance - Water
Robot Prize Compete
2014 Roy Award
EE Week 2014
New ES Ed Report
New NSSME Reports
Spot Space Station
EPA Students Environ
CSI La Brea
1906 Earthquake
Teacher Submissions
Click here to submit your ideas to the newsletter
Announcements from Partners
Click here to submit information about your program to the newsletter
Information about Opportunities with Stipends, Honorariums, or Awards for Teachers/students
AGI Publishes "The Consumer's Guide to Minerals" E-book
The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) has released its latest digital-only publication, "The Consumer's Guide to Minerals."
Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program
The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program is now accepting applications for the 2014-15 fellowship year. The Einstein Fellowship seeks experienced and distinguished K-12 educators in fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to serve an 11-month fellowship appointment in a Federal agency or U.S. Congressional office. Applications are due December 4, 2013, and must be submitted through the online application system.
Computer Science Education Week
Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek), December 9-15, 2013, is a call to action to share information and offer activities that will promote computing and elevate computer science education for students at all levels. Everyone can participate (even if you don't own a computer!)!
One of the big events this year will be to have as MANY people as possible participate in an Hour of Code - a one hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify "code" and show that anyone can learn the basics to be a maker, a creator, an innovator. But the Hour of Code is just one of the many events planned for CSEdWeek. If you are a CS teacher, see our Participation Kit for CS Teachers, and if you plan a special event, tell us about it so we can celebrate your hard work.
Computer science education prepares students for engaging and high-paying computing careers. Hundreds of thousands of new computing jobs will be created in the next decade. Get ready for the future!
Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program
Are you a U.S. primary and/or secondary classroom teacher, guidance counselor, curriculum specialist, talented and gifted coordinator, special education coordinator, or media specialist/librarian? You may be eligible to participate in a unique international professional development opportunity for 3-4 months through the Fulbright Program!
By conducting educational research abroad, U.S. teachers gain new skills, learn new instructional methods and assessment methodologies, and share best practices with international colleagues and students. Teachers also have the opportunity to expand their understanding of other cultures and international education systems that will enrich their U.S. schools and local communities with global perspectives. Teachers may travel to: Chile, Finland, India, Israel, Mexico, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
Start your application today at https://dafulbrightteachers.org/. The deadline is December 15, 2013.
This program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is administered by the Institute of International Education.
Endangered Species Act Turns 40 - Endangered Species Day + Student Contest
President Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act into law on December 28, 1973. Our legislators understood that, without protection from human actions, many of our nation's living resources would become extinct.
NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) share responsibility for implementing the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Currently, there are about 2,100 species of animals and plants listed under the ESA. Of these species, approximately 1,480 are found in part or entirely in the U.S. and its waters; the remainder are foreign species. The ESA requires NMFS to designate critical habitat and to develop and implement recovery plans for threatened and endangered species.
The ESA has been successful in preventing species extinctionless than 1% of the species listed have gone extinct. Recently, the Eastern population of Steller sea lion was delisted. Read about that environmental success story here.
What are some ways that you can get involved? Celebrate Endangered Species Day on May 16, 2014, gain the public's attention by tweeting what the ESA has meant to you (#myESA), or celebrate endangered species by entering the Endangered Species Youth Art Contest (deadline of March 15, 2014). Of course, preserving wildlife habitats and cleaning up the outdoors where you live goes a long way too!
State of the Environment Project Coming to an End!
You still have time to submit your photos to the State of the Environment Photo project. SotE photo submittals, first begun in 2011 in hopes of creating a photo time capsule about the environment, will end next month on December 31. For more information about the photo project or how to submit your photos, go to: http://blog.epa.gov/epplocations
2013 President's Environmental Youth Awards
The PEYA program promotes awareness of our nations natural resources and encourages positive community involvement. Since 1971, the President of the United States has joined with the EPA to recognize young people across the U.S. who are protecting our nations air, water, land, and ecology. It is one of the most important ways the EPA and the Administration demonstrate commitment to environmental stewardship efforts created and conducted by our nations young people. One outstanding project from each region is selected for national recognition. Projects are developed by young individuals, school classes (K-12), summer camps, and youth organizations to promote environmental stewardship. Thousands of young people from all 50 states and the U.S. territories have submitted projects to the EPA for consideration. Winning projects in the past have covered a wide range of subject areas, including:
Evaluation results consistently demonstrate that the experience is a life-changing event for many of the young people and sponsors who participate.
Find out how to apply. The annual deadline for the regional award program is December 31.
Last Chance to Submit Your 2013 Water Monitoring Results!
The World Water Monitoring Challenge is an international education and outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world by encouraging citizens to conduct basic monitoring of their local water bodies. In 2012, approximately 250,000 visits were made by participants to monitoring sites in 66 countries.
We challenge you to test the quality of your waterways any time through December, share your findings (results may be entered anytime prior to December 31 for inclusion in this year's annual World Water Monitoring Challenge Year in Review report), and protect our most precious resource!
The Challenge is On: NASA-WPI 2014 Robot Prize Competition
In pursuit of new technological solutions for America's space program and our nation's future, NASA and the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) are overseeing the $1.5 million 2014 Sample Return Robot prize competition.
Planned for June 2014 at WPI, industry and academic teams from across the nation will compete to demonstrate a robot can locate and retrieve geologic samples from wide and varied terrains without human controls. Teams that meet all competition requirements will be eligible to compete for the NASA-funded $1.5 million prize.
"The objective of the competition is to encourage innovations in automatic navigation and robotic manipulator technologies that NASA could incorporate into future missions," said Michael Gazarik, NASA's associate administrator for space technology in Washington. "Innovations stemming from this challenge may improve NASA's capability to explore an asteroid or Mars, and advance robotic technology for use in industries and applications here on Earth."
Register a team for the 2014 Sample Return Robot Challenge. Regular registration is open until January 7, 2014.
2014 Edward C. Roy, Jr. Award for Excellence in K-8 Earth Science Teaching
AGI has announced details for the 2014 Edward C. Roy, Jr. Award for Excellence in K-8 Earth Science Teaching. Each year, this award recognizes one full-time, U.S., K-8 teacher for leadership and innovation in Earth science education.
This award is named in honor of Dr. Edward C. Roy, Jr., a past president of AGI, who was a strong and dedicated supporter of Earth science education. To learn more, visit http://www.agiweb.org/education/awards/ed-roy.
Coming Up - Environmental Education Week 2014
EE Week, sponsored by Samsung, is April 13-19, 2014. EE Week 2014 will focus on Engineering a Sustainable World.
New Report and Web Resource Shed Light on Earth Science Education
The Center for Geoscience Education and Public Understandings new report and new web site on Earth science education provide powerful resources for the advancement of the discipline. The landmark report describes significant gaps between identified priorities and lagging practice in Earth science education.
The report, Earth and Space Sciences Education in U.S. Secondary Schools: Key Indicators and Trends, offers baseline data on indicators of the subjects status since the release of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in April 2013. Establishing clear aims for the subject, the NGSS state that the Earth and Space Sciences should have equal status with the Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Technology, and Engineering. However, the report shows that school districts and other organizations fail to assign the Earth Sciences this status.
This new report is available on the Center for Geoscience Education and Public Understandings searchable web site (http://www.geocntr.org). The site is a comprehensive and up-to-date online clearinghouse for Earth and space science information and educational resources, ranging from high school curricula and classroom activities to video collections, career resources, and national research reports. Both this report and new web site are services of AGI.
National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education
The National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education has released several new reports from the 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education, including a series of reports describing the status of science/mathematics teaching at the different grade levels (e.g., elementary science, middle school mathematics, high school chemistry). You can find the reports here: http://www.horizon-research.com/2012nssme/research-products/reports
Spot the Space Station Over Your Backyard with NASA Service
For over 13 years, crews have continuously lived and worked aboard the International Space Station. You can see the orbiting laboratory when it passes over your home! NASA's "Spot the Station" service will send an email or text message to those who sign up for the service a few hours before they will be able to see the space station.
EPA Students for the Environment
Have you visited the Environmental Protection Agency's Students for the Environment web page? It has great homework resources for your students and ideas for school environmental projects. You'll find relevant awards and contests posted on the site. There are also opportunities for fun and games! Check it out!
La Brea Tiny Traces Reveal Big Secrets of the Tar Pits
Saber tooth tigers, dire wolves and woolly mammoths conjure up images of a past when large beasts struggled against the elements, each other, and even against humans for survival. Thousands of these creatures met their demise in the muck of the La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles, where they slowly sank into the tar and were fossilized. Now, scientists are using tiny traces (chew marks on the bones) from hungry, bone-eating insects on these fossils to investigate how long it took for the giant beasts to be swallowed up by the sticky, oozy substance.
Old Photos Help Scientists Relocate 1906 San Francisco Quake Rupture Point
Geoscientists using every resource available to them from bare-earth LIDAR technology to knowledge of turn-of-the-century fashion have helped correct a 100-year-old mistake about where the San Andreas Fault rupture point was for the historic 1906 earthquake.
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The source of this material is Windows to the Universe, at http://windows2universe.org/ from the National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA). The Website was developed in part with the support of UCAR and NCAR, where it resided from 2000 - 2010. © 2010 National Earth Science Teachers Association. Windows to the Universe® is a registered trademark of NESTA. All Rights Reserved. Site policies and disclaimer.


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Fact Checker: How much is a Montana vote worth?
MISSOULA, Mont. - A post-primary election fact check on the cost of running a political campaign in Montana shows why politicians spend a lot of time chasing campaign donors.
We compared finance reports with election results and found spending that equaled up to $31 a vote for winning candidates. For losers, the price can be shocking.
Democrat John Walsh spent more for every vote he gathered than the rest of the federal candidates. His campaign dropped more than $1.5 million to get 48,348 primary votes -- that's $31.35 for every vote.
His general election challenger, Steve Daines, spent more money but also received more than twice as many votes. A little over $1.8 million in campaign spending raked in 110,236 votes at a cost of $19.83 each.
Republican Ryan Zinke had four primary challengers. Two of them were well-financed, causing Zinke to spend most of his campaign war chest. In fact, Zinke had to lend his campaign just over $47,000 to finish the primary race with just over $1 million of spending. He won, but ended up paying $23.98 for every vote in his column.
Democrat John Lewis is a frugal campaigner, largely because his opponent didn't accept any donations, leaving Lewis with most of the money. Lewis spent less than half of what his campaign raised, kept the rest for a general election bid, and brought in a primary per-vote cost of $5.52.
If winning is expensive, consider the alternative. Republican Matt Rosendale turned in a third place finish for his effort to be Montana's next congressman. His campaign reports show debts and loans owed of $1,066,665.

subset: commoncrawl


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Topic: Iredmail-0.6.1 on Ubuntu 10.04. problem with logrotate
I have installed on 10.04 an I saw a problem with logrotate.
When the mail log files have been rotated and new files are created the don't start to log in them.
Not until I started the server.
I will investigate this further, Anyone has a idea please share with me..


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In his new role, Squires will be responsible for the corporation's administration, finance, law and corporate relations, and planning and information technology divisions. Squires joined Norfolk Southern in 1992 and served in several law positions before being named Vice President Law in 2003, Senior Vice President Law in 2004, Senior Vice President Financial Planning in 2006, Executive Vice President Finance in 2007, and Executive Vice President Administration in 2012. He holds degrees from Amherst College and the University of Chicago.
"Jim is a forward-thinking railroader and a well-tested leader," Moorman said. "As President, he will ensure that Norfolk Southern stays at the forefront of strategic planning, innovation, and financial performance."
Under Moorman's leadership, NS withstood a drastic drop in utility coal in 2012, yet still recorded its second-best year for revenue, operating income, net income, and earnings per share—topped only by 2011. As of late Friday, May 10, NS shares were trading at $78.71, very close to their 52-week high of $79.34. In contrast, NS's 52-week low was $56.05, during the coal slump.
Cindy C. Earhart (pictured), currently Vice President Human Resources, will take over for Squires as Executive Vice President Administration on June 1. Earhart joined NS in 1985 as Supervisor Subsidiary Accounting. She served in key accounting and information technology positions before being named Vice President Human Resources in 2007. Earhart earned her degree from the University of Missouri.
"Norfolk Southern's work force is well trained, customer focused, and above all safe. With Cindy in the lead administration role, our customers and owners will continue to enjoy the benefits of that competitive advantage," Moorman said.
Juan K. Cunningham, currently Assistant Vice President Executive, will become Vice President Human Resources. Cunningham joined NS in 1973 as a management trainee in engineering. He served in positions of increasing responsibility in human resources before being named Assistant Vice President Human Resources in 2010 and to his most recent position in 2012. He earned his degree from Grambling State.
Several other top management changes will take effect on July 1.
David T. Lawson, currently Vice President Industrial Products, will become Vice President Coal Marketing. Lawson joined NS in 1988 as a sales representative and served in various capacities in the Automotive Supply Chain group and as President of Modalgistics before becoming Vice President Industrial Products. He holds degrees from Louisiana State University and Wayne State University.
Michael R. McClellan, currently Vice President Intermodal and Automotive Marketing, will become Vice President industrial products. McClellan joined Conrail's general marketing and sales organization in 1985. In 1998, he was named Assistant Vice President Performance Planning for NS and became Vice President Intermodal and Automotive Marketing in 2000. He holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati and the University of Virginia.
Jeffrey S. Heller, currently Group Vice President International Intermodal, will become Vice President Intermodal and Automotive Marketing. Heller joined NS's intermodal department in 1994 as a Marketing Manager after serving in various sales and marketing positions with container shipping and intermodal firms in the U.S. and abroad. He has served as Group Vice President International Intermodal since 2004. He earned his degree from Syracuse University.
Daniel D. Smith, Senior Vice President Energy and Properties, has elected to retire after 37 years with NS. Smith was named to his current position in 2003, where he was responsible for coal marketing, real estate, and Norfolk Southern's Pocahontas Land Corporation subsidiary. He started his railroad career in 1976 as a mine inspector and is a registered professional engineer with degrees from Virginia Tech and Bluefield College. "As an acknowledged expert in the energy sector, and a strong proponent of coal as an energy source, Danny is going to be keenly missed," Moorman said. "We are losing a true champion."
All six senior management appointees are headquartered in Norfolk.


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Bourn activated, returning to lineup Friday
By Zack Meisel and Jordan Bastian / MLB.com
CLEVELAND -- Indians manager Terry Francona finally said the five words that Cleveland fans have been waiting to hear.
"Bourny is ready to go," Francona said on Thursday.
Following the Tribe's 9-2 victory over the A's, the Indians announced that center fielder and leadoff man Michael Bourn has been activated from the 15-day disabled list. Bourn will be back in the starting lineup on Friday for Cleveland's road contest against the American League Central-rival Tigers.
To clear a spot on the active roster, the Indians optioned lefty reliever Scott Barnes to Triple-A Columbus.
"I've been itching to get back out there," Bourn said. "I get a chance to go out there [Friday] to play against a team that's really good."
Bourn -- signed to a four-year contract worth $48 million over the offseason -- suffered a laceration of his right index finger while sliding headfirst into first base in the eighth inning of a game against the White Sox on April 14. On the play, Chicago left-hander Matt Thornton stepped on Bourn's hand, which required five stitches and a little more than three weeks of recovery time.
Given Bourn's extended layoff and abbreviated rehab stint -- he played just two games with Triple-A Columbus -- Francona indicated that the center fielder might be eased back into the regular mix.
"We'll kind of monitor it," Francona said. "He only had two [rehab] games, and we have a doubleheader coming up [on Monday]. We have the ability to move guys around, fortunately. But, yeah, he'll play [Friday] unless something happens on the plane."
Through 10 games, Bourn has hit .333 (15-for-45) with two homers, four doubles, two RBIs and seven runs scored for the Indians.
While he was sidelined, right fielder Drew Stubbs shifted to center field and utility man Ryan Raburn moved to right field on a consistent basis. Overall, the Indians went 12-8 and scored an average of 5.6 runs per game while Bourn was on the DL.
"I know we have depth," Bourn said. "Drew moved over, and Raburn stepped in and did a heck of a job. We've got depth throughout our lineup and even throughout the infield and with the pitching. When something like that happens, we were fortunate to have guys who could [fill in]."
Perez, Indians reflect on Wednesday controversy
CLEVELAND -- Mike Aviles passed his phone around to a gathering of teammates in the clubhouse on Thursday morning.
One by one, Indians players read the latest article discussing Wednesday night's controversial call. It may take some time before talk about the play dies down.
With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Oakland's Adam Rosales hit a Chris Perez pitch toward the top of the 19-foot wall in left-center field. The ball appeared to strike the railing above the padded fence. Initially, umpires ruled it a double, but they reviewed the call as Rosales waited at second base.
After the review, they upheld the original ruling, and A's manager Bob Melvin argued his way to an ejection before the Indians eventually hung on for a 4-3 victory.
"That's definitely one of the weirdest saves I've had," Perez said. "The most memorable, for sure. To end the game like that -- I had two outs and nobody on and then the home run, err, double, and then a hit-by-pitch and a walk. It shouldn't have been as intense as it was."
On Thursday, Melvin detailed his thinking during the umpires' review.
"It actually worried me when it took so long," he said. "Even the group in the suite next to us, you could see them look at the replay one time, and they all turned around and said, 'It's a home run.' And when I went to look at it in the video room, their announcers were saying, 'It's a home run, let's go. What's taking so long?' So that was my experience with it."
As Indians players sat around a table on Thursday morning, playing cards and completing crossword puzzles, they discussed how they would approach the situation if they were forced to replay Wednesday's contest from the point of the disputed call.
Melvin doubted that would take place.
"I don't know if there's a precedent for that," Melvin said. "I do know the rule stands that when I ask them to go in and look at replay and they do, and when they come out with a decision, that's supposed to be the end of it. And that's why I was thrown out, for continuing it. Other than that, I don't know."
Major League Baseball executive vice president for baseball operations Joe Torre issued the following statement Thursday regarding the instant replay review: "By rule, the decision to reverse a call by use of instant replay is at the sole discretion of the crew chief. In the opinion of Angel Hernandez, who was last night's crew chief, there was not clear and convincing evidence to overturn the decision on the field. It was a judgment call, and as such, it stands as final.
"Home and away broadcast feeds are available for all uses of instant replay, and they were available to the crew last night. Given what we saw, we recognize that an improper call was made. Perfection is an impossible standard in any endeavor, but our goal is always to get the calls right. Earlier this morning, we began the process of speaking with the crew to thoroughly review all the circumstances surrounding last night's decision."
Swish feels he's regaining swing after injury
CLEVELAND -- The statistics don't necessarily support his claim, but Nick Swisher contends that he's gradually coming out of his slump.
Through his first 16 games of the season, Swisher batted .310 with a .946 OPS. In the 12 contests since, the 32-year-old is hitting .182 with a .593 OPS.
"That's the one guy I don't worry about," said Indians manager Terry Francona. "I really don't. He's been through it. He knows his swing."
Swisher was sidelined for three games last week with a sore throwing shoulder, an injury that resulted from frequently shifting between first base and right field. He's yet to play the outfield since he returned to the lineup.
On Wednesday, Swisher belted a game-tying home run in the sixth inning. The Indians eventually topped the A's, 4-3.
"I'm starting to feel a little better," Swisher said. "I feel like I've been getting a hit a game. I haven't had that breakout game in the past week, but for me, I'm just getting that confidence back and making sure the shoulder is 100 percent. It's starting to feel like I've got a little whip in my stick."
Quote to note
"It's been a little bit of everything. You've seen great defense out there. The bullpen has been great. The starting pitching has been doing a good job, and the guys have been scoring runs. Whether it be one run or six runs, they've been helping out."
-- Indians starter Justin Masterson, on the Tribe's nine wins over its last 10 games
Smoke signals
• Indians setup man Vinnie Pestano, who is on the 15-day disabled list with right elbow tendinitis, is scheduled to resume a throwing program on Sunday in Cleveland. If Pestano does not face any setbacks, the right-hander is targeting May 17 for his return. As things stand right now, the tentative plan calls for him to make one Minor League rehab appearance on Wednesday.
• Catcher Lou Marson, on the disabled list with a shoulder injury, was given clearance to initiate a throwing program.
• The Indians have committed only one error over their last 10 games, in which they are 9-1.
• The Indians entered Thursday's matinee with a team batting average of .269, the third-best mark in the Majors.
Zack Meisel is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @zackmeisel. Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Major League Bastian, and follow him on Twitter @MLBastian. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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- United States Grand Prix
McLaren aiming for US victory
- News:
Hamilton motivated by tough Mercedes challenge
- News:
Hamilton expects 'close racing' in the USA
- Drivers:
- Jenson Button
- |
- Lewis Hamilton
- Teams:
- McLaren
McLaren hopes to put the disappointment of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix behind it as the Formula One calendar moves on to the new environment of Austin.
Lewis Hamilton was forced to retire from the lead with a fuel pressure issue but Jenson Button did manage fourth place in Abu Dhabi. And after a successful test session in Abu Dhabi last week evaluating young drivers, McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale is hoping for a more positive result in the USA.
"The failure that we had in Abu Dhabi was very painful," Neale said during a McLaren phone-in. "Having said that we've just done 1,500 trouble-free kilometres with the same car in the test last week.
"Obviously we're very mindful of the constructors' championship and we are still taking performance upgrades to this circuit. We are not taking an overtly cautious approach but I'd say we are going to be very diligent. We hope and our desire is to do really well here and win the race."
Because nobody has driven on the new Circuit of the Americas so far, Pirelli has given an extra set of hard compound tyres for teams to use on the Friday to help teams to acclimatise.
"I think it's going to be an interesting one for the drivers to have to learn on Friday and for the teams to have to balance their engineering programmes as well as allowing the drivers to get to grips with it. We have the extra set of tyres, I believe, on Friday, as well which should help. It's always good to go to a new circuit but this one in particular seems to have been really well thought-out.
"I expect to see usual the suspects at the front, a really close-fought championship and pretty tantalising battles up and down the grid."


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Hi ZA,
I installed Windows 8 (64 bit version with Media Centre) a couple of weeks ago, and upon installation is would boot to the Metro screen as it is designed to do.
Soon afterwards it started booting to the Metro screen for around 5 seconds, and then switching to the Desktop.
Details of the ZA Free Firewall are -
ZA Free Firewall Version = 11.0.000.020
Vsmon Version = 11.0.000.020
Driver Version = 11.0.000.009
Web Identity Protections version = 1.5.393.18
By selectively disabling items in the Windows 8 Task Manager / Startup, I have found that it is the "Zone Alarm Browser Security" that is causing the problem. When it is disabled W8 always stays in Metro on bootup, but when it is enabled W8 always finished bootup at the Desktop. It is 100% repeatable.
Just wondering if anyone else has reported this peculiarity.
Details of the PC are -
Motherboard = MSI model H67MA-E35 (using onboard graphics)
Processor = Intel i7-2600CPU running at 3.4Ghz
Bios = V13.1 dated 21/09/2012


text: Rambus Pursues Disposable PicoCam 10/25/2013 Image 1 of 4 Next > The image (top center) is the best Rambus delivered to date from an 80 micron device, but the company expects to double resolution with advanced math. Click here to enlarge. Image 1 of 4 Next > Return to Article


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The following commentary does not necessarily reflect the views of AgWeb or Farm Journal Media. The opinions expressed below are the author's own.
Paul is now part of the fourth generation in America that is involved in farming and hopes the next generation will be involved also. Through his blog he provides analysis and insight to farmer tax questions.
The Kansas City Federal Reserve issued their latest Agricultural Credit Conditions report for the 4th quarter of 2012. Due to the widespread drought in their area, irrigated cropland values saw a 13 percent jump in the 4th quarter alone and up 30% for the year. Cash rental rates for irrigated cropland also surged more than 20% from the prior year.
Although fourth-quarter incomes were better than expected, but there is concern about the drought affecting certain areas in the months ahead. Capital spending rebounded in the 4th quarter although loan demand remained low.
More non-farmers appear to be buying farmland for recreation and residential development than the prior year, although levels are still much lower than previous years, primarily due to farmers snapping up most of the available land.
Crop land surged by more than 25% compared to the previous year in Kansas and Nebraska with Missouri not too far behind.
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James Weldon King, 50, of Helena-West Helena is accused of keeping more than 30 firearms inside his home, including a loaded pistol just inside the door, two loaded AK-47 assault rifles, handguns and long guns, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
Outside the house in a locked storage room, inside packing tubes, FBI agents found 10 more AK-47-style rifles, at least some of which were fully automatic.
King was obviously ready for the next revolution, and he supposedly told the FBI that people had been shooting at him from helicopters.
The problem is that, according to court records in Arkansas and Mississippi, King is a convicted felon who doesn't have the right to own or operate a firearm.
There is one more thing that makes this story fascinating. In November the good people of St. Francis Township, Phillips County, elected him as their constable. Actually, he defeated James Jones in the Democratic Primary and then didn't have opposition in the general election.
Although he didn't take office until January, federal authorities said King began openly carrying a gun and wearing a constable's uniform, badge and utility belt long before that. He also began driving a car marked with a constable decal and was seen taking his child to school while in uniform.
All that apparently caught the attention of federal authorities, who have been busy in Phillips County with some big drug cases for the past couple of years. That's not to say King was involved in those cases; in fact, he may have been planning to go after the druggies with his new badge and uniform.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that a federal magistrate decided Friday to detain King while he awaits trial on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing an unregistered firearm (automatic weapons must be registered). Judge J. Thomas Ray decided that the evidence shows King would pose a danger to himself and to others if released on bond.
Friday's decision came after a bail hearing earlier this month in which Judge Ray determined that an FBI agent's testimony wasn't enough to show that King posed a danger. He was then placed on house arrest and electronic monitoring.
Presumably, that would have kept him from carrying out his duties as constable.
The newspaper reported that at a second hearing the government presented more compelling evidence.
"Certainly there is information in these documents that he was suicidal and wanting to harm other people," Ray said, referring to psychiatric records from January 2010. "Mr. King was, quote, seen walking with a gun, thinking of killing people."
The judge pointed out that the government also had correspondence between King and his ex-wife that included a letter in which King "lists numerous people that he wants to kill."
King has a history of bad behavior. In 1985 he was convicted of theft by receiving in Phillips County and sentenced to five years ' probation. Two years later, the government complaint said, he pleaded guilty to two counts of grand larceny in Jackson County, Miss. There he was sentenced to five years in prison but was ordered first to be transported to Arkansas for revocation of his earlier probation.
That apparently never happened, and yet he was never returned to Mississippi, which was probably glad for us to keep him. A judge signed an order in 1997 expunging and sealing his Phillips County record. Records show King has been arrested in misdemeanor cases 11 times, with four cases still pending, the Democrat-Gazette reported.
I repeat: This guy was elected to keep the peace in St. Francis Township.
In fairness, the voters didn't have sufficient information. We don't pay much attention to the election of constables. King lied about not having been convicted of a felony to get on the ballot, and Arkansas has no mechanism to determine if someone is really qualified as a candidate. Someone else must contest that in court.
Even now, as prescribed in the state constitution, the county must take action to remove him from office for cause.
By law, each of the 1,400 townships in Arkansas may elect a constable, but only about half of them do, according to the Arkansas Constables Association. What that means is that almost anybody can run for this office, which has its roots in the Roman Empire, and most often there is no opposition. Once elected to the 2-year term, the constable is charged with seeing that the various laws of the county, state and nation are carried out.
Wearing a badge and carrying a gun, or in King's case, an AK-47, is part of the burden of the office. Constables get little or no pay, or even expense money, but they also are not required to get training unless they want access to the state's criminal database.
In 2011 a resolution that would have referred a constitutional amendment to abolish the office failed to get legislative approval.
All the investigation so far has been focused on King. At some point we should investigate why our system can't prevent a guy like this from getting guns, let alone automatic weapons.
Roy Ockert is editor emeritus of The Jonesboro Sun. He may be reached by email at email@example.com.


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Ppuzzle draw pictures and you memorize them. Eidetic memory puzzle can develop your memory and imaginary ability.


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The Dyson Helpline is available during the following times (CST):
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Sunday: Closed
Watch the simple video below for an easy guide to getting started with your new Dyson.
The model shown may vary from the product selected but the process remains the same.
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With the aid of modern facility and quality packaging material, we guarantee that the offered lot will reach the destination within a given time frame. We also make sure that the material is sourced from the certified vendors. We can be trusted for delivering the orders in an efficient manner and that too within the given time frame.
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More money, more production
Was worth the money last season, so repeat that
This just might be the dumbest debate on this whole website
I said it helps. OJ get not that much left on his shot and his undersized at his position.
RaptorsRueben is right. CP4 is deadly, the minute you back off to stop his penetration then he just pulls up and drains the midrange jumper. easy. And he's almost always the shortest player on the court.
It's the hardest shot in the game. It's what defence usually want you to take. I'm just saying it would be harder for a undersized player to make that consistently
Mayo's shotchart
Can we get some numbers that says Mayo has an effective midrange game? We all know DD is the only guard in midrange FG made in the top five. Where are the rest of these guard y'all mention.
Personally I prefer DD over Mayo. I feel DD is the better player and still has an upside. I feel that Mayo has peaked. I would prefers FTs(DD is #8 in FTs made) than 3s.
DeRozan's shotchart
The numbers don't lie. Mayo is basically a better shooter anywhere on the court.
But aside from that, the mere fact that he can create his own shot makes him an upgrade over DeRozan, as such an ability benefits everyone else on the court.
Last edited by Nilanka; Thu Mar 14th, 2013 at 02:51 PM.
Mayo is what he is though, and Derozan's development is similar to the development of a big man (you can argue that his development that way is because he came in very athletic, but very - and I emphasize on VERY - raw.
Twitter: @ReubenJRD NBA, Raptors writer for Daily Hive Vancouver, Toronto.
I don't know, there are different arguments to be made for which kind of game and body you'd rather your SG have....
I'd decide between these two on a few different things.
-First, Demar has improved every aspect of his game at least slightly since coming into the league. You can argue that it's too slight in some areas, but at least it's there. Mayo has been pretty much the same exact player since coming into the league. I like a guy who actually grows his game. It shows better work ethic and character.
-Second, and this is small, but given the first thing, Demar is also younger...so, younger player who improves a bit every year, or older player who has plateaued (given their production is not that different)?
-Third, Mayo is a volume scorer playing a contract year. Really, does anyone think he believes he isn't underpaid? I'm highly dubious of someone who has struggled for 2 years as a complimentary scorer given the role that suits him (shooter) and then performs better than he has in years in a contract year. Demar, on the other hand, had every reason to mail it in after signing an extension, and has even shown improvement during the season. Again, I think this shows better work ethic and character, and that gym-rat mentality that Demar ALWAYS wants to get better to try and become great, whereas Mayo strikes me as someone who already thinks he's great and underperforms when people don't treat him that way.
-Finally, when I think of a guy who would fit better than Demar, and if I had to sacrifice some of Demar's game, the guy would have to be more than a bit better shooter than him. I don't think Mayo is that much better a ballhandler. He has a tighter handle, but doesn't pass much better than Demar has started to, and turns it over more. THe reason Ross makes sense as a possible successor is because not only does he have a shooting touch, but he's also got high DEFENSIVE potential. Mayo is not a very strong defender. Certainly not better than Demar. Mayo might be a more useful player on a team that only needed shooting, would let him chuck it, and would cover up for his failings on D. But wait, Memphis was that team and they got sick of him...It's no wonder he lost the starter job, and that there was never any debate whatsoever between who to keep on Memphis between he and Gay, even though a shooting guard like Mayo has a much more complimentary scoring game to two post threats like Gasol and Randolph.
This isn't a contract year for Mayo. Player option next year.
I'm almost as confident that he'll opt out as I am that Kleiza will pick up his.
If Mayo thinks like you do, that he's better than Demar, he'll hit the market expecting something like 8-10 million, and probably wouldn't settle for less than the MLE in the worst case.
LOL at the shot charts. Green on one side, red on another.
I'm not sure if there is an argument between DeRozan and Mayo but I think, fit wise, Mayo is a better fit.
Secondary ball handler & stretches the floor.
But DeMar has the post game going for him.
I dont create controversies. Theyre there long before I open my mouth. I just bring them to your attention.
-- Charles Barkley
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Aussies dominate Auckland half ironman
Australians have won both the men's and women's contests in the inaugural Auckland Ironman 70.3 race.
Christian Kemp sprinted away from New Zealand's Bevan Docherty 5km out from the finish to win the men's race in 3hr 56min 02sec, while Annabel Luxford was an easy winner of the women's race.
Kemp and Docherty were together for much of the run before Kemp poured the pace on with 20 minutes to go.
He eventually crossed the line in a time of 3 hours 56 minutes and 3 seconds, 34 seconds in front of Docherty. Clark Ellice of New Zealand finished third.
Kemp, 32, says he surprised himself with the win.
"When I was running with Clark and Bevan, I was just pinching myself. I don't know how I was there and the legs were feeling good," he said.
"I've gone under the radar in most races I go into at the moment, and you have a good day here and there and obviously I had one of them today.
"I'm not sure that I'll be right up with the top guys yet, but I certainly won't be flying under the radar any more.
Brisbane-based Luxford, the former world No.1 Olympic distance athlete, led almost start to finish to win in a time of 4hr 19min 18sec, six minutes clear of double world champion Caroline Steffen (Switzerland) and Ironman New Zealand champion Meredith Kessler (USA).
"I didn't come into the race with too many expectations so I really just concentrated on doing all the things that I could do right and it paid off today," said 30-year-old Luxford.
Luxford took the lead from Kessler shortly after the swim and continued to increase her lead throughout the race to run up the home straight well clear of her competitors.
The new Auckland race is the official Asia Pacific Championship for the 70.3 half-ironman distance of a 1.9km swim, 90km bike ride and 21.1km run.
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Link Analytics and AdSense
To start receiving data from AdSense within your Google Analytics account, you must first choose an Analytics property to link AdSense to. If you don't already have an Analytics account, visit the Google Analytics website to sign up for a new account.
Before you start the linking process, make sure you're using a Google Account AdSense login that has both Administrator access to your AdSense account and Edit permission on the Google Analytics property.
If you're trying to link a new account and either your Google Analytics account or your Google AdSense account is now closed, then you'll need to re-open the closed account and remove the link before you can link to another account.
To link your Analytics and AdSense accounts:
- Sign in to your Google Analytics account.
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Resident Life
"The warm and supportive environment of the I-house provides an ideal way for students to increase both confidence and language skills."
Ann Campsey
International Gateways teacher
I-House is definitely a wonderful place to live! It's so much like home and not some typical residence hall! Key features of I-House life include safety, friendly and fun atmosphere, helpful residents, co-operative I-House staff, and international exposure. The Fall 2014 Resident Statistics can be found here.
Different activities, facilities and staff support and especially interaction with peers from around the world, will help you make the cultural, personal, and academic adjustments more easily. Resident life at I-House teaches how can you deal with cultural differences.
I-House Residents represent approximately 25 countries worldwide who are enrolled in undergraduate, graduate and English language programs at SJSU and hold a variety of academic interests, ranging from computer science and engineering, political science and humanities, to visual and performance arts!


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interchromosomal is a valid word in this word list. For a definition, see the external dictionary links below.
The word "interchromosomal" uses 16 letters: A C E H I L M M N O O O R R S T.
No direct anagrams for interchromosomal found in this word list.
Adding one letter to interchromosomal does not form any other word in this word list.Words within interchromosomal not shown as it has more than seven letters.
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So we've had...well, quite a number of weeks discussing dragons, and now it's time to transform those thoughts into drabbles!
Need some ideas to get you all started? You could write about the discovery of dragons, or a piece from the point of view of a dragon-keeper. Maybe you're feeling really adventurous and want to try the dragon's POV? A drabble about a Muggle finding a dragons? Dumbledore's thoughts on dragon's blood? A case of an escapee dragon? Maybe even the planning of the Triwizard Tournament concerning the First Task? It could be anything you like, so long as it connects somehow to dragons!
For this activity, there will be no participation points. Winners will get 15 points for first place, 10 points for second and 5 points for third. You may submit as many drabbles as you want, just edit your post if you feel the need to post another!
The competition opens immediately and closes on EXTENDED: Tuesday 8th April at midnight in your respective time zone.
Here are a few standards to keep in mind when writing your drabble:
A drabble is a short piece of writing, between 100-499 words in length.
This forum requires all drabbles to maintain the same standards as the main fanfiction site. Any drabbles posted with bad grammar, formatting, spelling, capitalisation or unsuitable content will be deleted. Points may also be deducted for badly presented drabbles.
Use this form when posting your drabble...
Good luck and have fun!Author Name:
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text:
5 Things You Missed On Instagram Last Night: Drake Celebrates His Birthday
You can only scroll through Instagram with one eye open like CBS for so long. Eventually you've gotta stop thumbing. Here's what you missed while you were catching Zzzs last night
Drake getting suit and tie fresh for his 27th
Photo Credit: Instagram/champagnepapi


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|2012-10-18, 17:16
|Link #3603
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: 幻想郷
Age: 29
Since Shizuka said she already made some arrangements I bet she is going to enter with Toujou. I can't wait to see because it's going to be so much fun to see what Toujou going to do in the event lol.
|2012-10-18, 22:01
|Link #3604
Awe of She
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Orlando
SAO Santa....? OOOHH yeah, now I remember.
This chapter had so much win in it. 'Kunie Aoi' s back and in full moe. Damn she was so cute! And her reaction to dereHilda was great. I could see the sparks from a mile away - even Kouta was scared. Shizuka: I almost feel sorry for her but I feel worse for Tora since he doesn't realize that he has such a great woman waiting for him.
So this will be a couples' battle, eh? I hope Kanzaki and Pakko enter - they would be the most awesome underdogs besides for Futaba and Beel. Oh man, what if that other 'little sister' comes in and interferes. XD
Aoi vs dereHilda for Oga in the couples battle. This will be one for the record books. XD
|2012-10-19, 04:45
|Link #3605
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: you have to find out
when i read again this mang i find a lot of dragon ball reference like baby Beel sent to destroy the earth like Goku or the training with Kunieda's gramp or when Oga assault Behemoth's base to save Hilda was like Goku against Red Ruban base
|2012-10-24, 07:18
|Link #3613
Emperor of the Expected
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Florida
Hahaha, wow looks like we got a big fight in our hands. Really interesting, each of the couples are not really a couple so that makes it even more interesting. I was expecting Oga's sister to tell them she was the founder face to face instead of Furuichi telling them over the phone because that would have been more impact.
|2012-10-24, 11:45
|Link #3620
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Montreal
i think it'll be Lamia that will pair up with Furuichi. Allaindemon may try but never gets the part. it wont stop the joke from happening. Misaki would be an equally funny option for Furuichito pair up, i can just imagine the same shock to the red tails as when he call Misaki.
this chapter is great though Aoi would've had better luck if the amnesia didnt return for Hilda but its just funny to see her again. i cant say atm who Oga will chose in the end but the current pairing as of ch178 would probably do well if Hilda wins.
|gag, shounen, slice of life, violence
|Thread Tools


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What Do You See?
UC Davis Health System innovation, expertise front-and-center in advertising campaign
UC Davis Health System's 2011-2013 multimedia advertising campaign showcased some of the many remarkable achievements of our faculty, staff and students, highlighting key advantages about health care through UC Davis.
Several advertisements included intriguing artwork taken from actual microscopy, radiology and patient care, and featured health system researchers and providers explaining medical breakthroughs and other benefits of care through the region's only academic health center.
In March 2012, the health system announced the cancer center's prestigious designation as comprehensive by the National Cancer Institute and the center's new name: the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The award-winning "What Do You See?" advertising campaign concluded in Spring 2013.
No unauthorized use or reproduction of health system advertising materials is permitted. For information, please contact Public Affairs & Marketing at 916-734-9040.
Print (click images to view full ad)
Television (click for video)
- Innovative Surgery (:30)
- Cancer Microdosing (:30)
- Stereotaxis Heart (:30)
- Doing It All (:30)
- Doing It All (Spanish)
- Primary Care (:30)
- Cancer GYN Interstitial Brachytherapy (:30)
- Pediatric Emergency Department (:30)
- Pediatric Critical Care (:30)
Web video (click for video)
- Innovative Surgery
- Cancer Microdosing
- Stereotaxis Heart
- Doing It All
- Cancer GYN Interstitial Brachytherapy
- Pediatric Emergency Care
- Pediatric Critical Care
Radio (click to listen)
- Endovascular Aortic Repair (:30)
- Heart Norwood Procedure (:30)
- Doing It All (:30)
- Doing It All (:60)
- Doing It All - Spanish (:60)
- Selecting A Personal Physician (:30)
- WeCARE! Peer Navigator Program (:30)
- Pediatric Emergency Department (:30)
- Pediatric Critical Care (:30)
- NCI Comprehensive Designation (:30)


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TACOMA, Wash. – Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mirta Ojito, known for her memoir of the daring exodus of 125,000 Cubans when Fidel Castro threw the doors open in 1980, will give a free, public talk at University of Puget Sound.
The author of Finding Mañana: A Memoir of a Cuban Exodus (2005) will present a talk titled "Cuba in My Mind: Memory, Exile, and Revolution" at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 19 in Schneebeck Concert Hall. The lecture is part of Puget Sound's 8th Annual Hispanic Film Festival (Sept. 12–Nov. 15) and of the Telling Stories/Recovering the Past series (Sept. 26–Nov. 15). More details on the film festival are below.
Ojito, a journalist, author, and assistant professor of journalism at Columbia University in New York, left Cuba 32 years ago—one of the thousands of Cubans who escaped the island on boats from the port of Mariel in 1980 headed for the United States in hopes of a better life.
The exodus began after social tensions caused by a dire Cuban economy and a bid by thousands of Cubans to gain asylum in the Peruvian embassy led the Cuban government to declare that anyone who wanted to leave could do so. The ensuing, massive boatlift from Mariel Harbor to Miami became a political hot potato for U.S. President Jimmy Carter when it was discovered that Castro was emptying the Cuban jails and mental health facilities, allowing the inmates to head for the boats.
In Finding Mañana, Ojito tells a story of loss and survival that transforms the 125,000 Cuban refugees from harsh newspaper headlines into a single family facing a wrenching departure from home and a journey into the unfamiliar. Publishers Weekly commented:
"Her book is both a history of the exodus and a restoration of the reputations of the thousands who 'quietly slipped into the fabric of the city that had reluctantly welcomed them.'" In telling her own tale, Ojito details major figures from the exodus: the powerful Miami banker who negotiated the 1979 liberation of Cuban political prisoners; the used-car salesman and Bay of Pigs veteran who helped organize the flotilla; and the captain of the boat the Ojito family sailed on.
The lecture at Puget Sound will cover the events that changed Ojito's life and that of other Cubans, and reveal what they found in their new English-speaking country where they had to start over again.
A newspaper reporter since 1987, Ojito has worked for The Miami Herald, El Nuevo Herald, and The New York Times. She has received awards including the American Society of Newspaper Editors' writing award for best foreign reporting in 1999 for a series of articles about life in Cuba, and a shared Pulitzer Prize for national reporting in 2001 for a New York Times series about race in America. Her work has been included in anthologies including To Mend the World: Women Reflect on 9/11 and How Race is Lived in America. Ojito is a graduate of the mid-career master's degree program at Columbia University. Ojito received the 2006 Distinguished Alumna Award from the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.
The lecture by Mirta Ojito is sponsored by the Hispanic Studies Program, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Seattle Latino Film Festival.
Wednesday, Sept. 12, 6:30 p.m.: Lemon, a film about one man's struggle to escape the past, in Rausch Auditorium, McIntyre Hall, Room 003.
Wednesday, Oct. 10, 6:30 p.m.: Voices from Mariel, a film following the Mariel boat lift from Cuba, in Rausch Auditorium, McIntyre Hall, Room 003.
Friday, Oct. 19, 6 p.m.: Mirta Ojito speaks on "Cuba in my Mind: Memory, Exile and Revolution," in Schneebeck Concert Hall.
Wednesday, Nov. 14, 6:30 p.m.: The Mexican Suitcase, a film about the journey of a suitcase of lost photographic negatives taken during the Spanish Civil War, in Rausch Auditorium, McIntyre Hall, Room 003.
Thursday, Nov. 15, 5 p.m.: Trisha Ziff, director, curator, filmmaker, and Guggenheim scholar speaks on "The Maleta Mexicana: Image, Memory, and Exile," in Wyatt Hall, Room 101. Sponsored by the Hispanic Studies Program, Catharine Gould Chism Fund, and the Seattle Latino Film Festival.
For directions and a map of the campus: www.pugetsound.edu/directions.xml
For accessibility information please contact firstname.lastname@example.com or 253.879.3236.
Press photos of Mirta Ojito (pictured) can be downloaded from: www.pugetsound.edu/pressphotos
Tweet this: Mirta Ojito, author of Finding Mañana, and prof. @Columbia speaks @univpugetsound, free, Friday, Oct. 19, 6 p.m. http://bit.ly/OXQcyr
Follow us on Twitter! www.twitter.com/univpugetsound


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An area where members can post about the cars and vehicles they own, as well as those they have been (un)lucky enough to have had in the past.
Page 1 of 9
Use this control to limit the display of threads to those newer than the specified time frame.
Allows you to choose the data by which the thread list will be sorted.
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SALISBURY — Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC) this week agreed to pay $1.8 million to settle allegations it was aware of, but failed to take action against, a cardiologist convicted late last month on health care fraud charges after performing over 100 unnecessary cardiac stent procedures on patients.
In July, a federal jury convicted John R. McLean, 59, of Salisbury, on six counts of healthcare fraud over a four-year period from 2003 to 2007 during which he submitted insurance claims for inserting unnecessary cardiac stents, ordered unnecessary tests and made false entries in patient medical records in order to defraud Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers.
According to evidence presented at trial, McLean had a private medical practice in Salisbury and hospital privileges at PRMC. From at least 2003 to 2007, McLean performed cardiac catheterizations and implanted unnecessary cardiac stents in more than 100 patients at PRMC. He then falsely recorded in the patients' medical records the existence or extent or coronary artery blockage, known as lesions, observed during the procedures in order to justify the submission of claims to health care benefit programs.
The other shoe fell this week when PRMC agreed to pay a $1.8 million settlement allegedly failing to prevent the unnecessary cardiac stent procedures carried out by McLean at the hospital. The allegations resolved by the settlement agreement include the failure of senior medical staff at PRMC to follow up on evidence presented through the complaints of staff in the cardiac catheterization laboratory about the medically unnecessary nature of the procedures McLean was performing as part of his health care program fraud scheme.
Under the settlement agreement, the hospital agreed to repay monies it received from federal health benefit programs between April 24, 2003 and Dec. 4, 2006 for medically unnecessary procedures performed by McLean.
As a result of the settlement, PRMC also entered into a Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Inspector General, which requires the hospital to take steps to ensure accurate billing for patients. The agreement also requires the hospital to appoint physician executives to oversee medical staff on quality of care matters, among other things.
Meanwhile, McLean faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for health care fraud and five years for each of the five counts of making false statements related to health care matters. The government is also seeking a forfeiture of over $700,000, representing scheme proceeds.


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Angels beat Yanks, claim West
Rangers' loss clinches Halos' seventh division title
By Lyle Spencer / MLB.com
On Wednesday at Angel Stadium, the soft-spoken duo emerged in starring roles in a 4-2 victory over the Yankees that became the American League West title-clincher an hour later when the Mariners held off the Rangers in Seattle. This touched off a boisterous clubhouse celebration complete with the customary champagne and beer baths.
The Angels' fourth division in five seasons was the earliest AL West clinching in history. The Majors' first postseason entrant, manager Mike Scioscia's troupe now will play out the schedule with the mission of finishing with the AL's best record to guarantee home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
"It's a great day," said first-year Angels general manager Tony Reagins, who pulled the trigger on three major moves -- acquiring Jon Garland and Torii Hunter in November and Mark Teixeira in July -- that helped transform the club into a force. "You work hard to accomplish something, and to take great people around you makes it special.
"When we got started, I mentioned that we had one goal and that was to win a world championship. We accomplished step one. Everything we did all season showed up today."
Something of a forgotten man after offseason arm surgery and struggles at Triple-A Salt Lake this season, Moseley came out of the shadows to put it together against the Yankees. Enduring a rocky first inning, he shut down the Bronx Bombers into the sixth inning, claiming the win when Quinlan cracked a two-out, two-run single in the home half against Andy Pettitte, driving home the tying and go-ahead runs.
Fittingly, Francisco Rodriguez registered the save, his 56th, leaving him one shy of Bobby Thigpen's all-time single-season record.
The ninth-inning master was anchoring another superb performance from the bullpen in support of Moseley: four innings, one hit, two walks, seven strikeouts from Kevin Jepsen, Jose Arredondo, Scot Shields and K-Rod.
"It hasn't been easy, by any means," a relieved Scioscia said. "This team has pulled together and done the job all year long."
Moseley was thrilled to have a prominent role when it counted after enduring so much frustration this season.
"It's a beautiful thing," Moseley, a part-time starter the past two seasons, said. "The team camaraderie at times I've been here, what a great group of guys. Hopefully, great things can happen this season. Clinching the division so early shows the talent and commitment here."
Before moving into the clubhouse to cut loose in celebration, the Angels gathered on the field and expressed their appreciation to close to 10,000 fans who remained behind to watch the final innings of the Mariners-Rangers game on the scoreboard.
To chants of "Arte!" from the stands, owner Arte Moreno came out to greet fans with his wife, Carole.
Soon the players, led by Jered Weaver, were emerging from the dugout. Taking a hose from the pitching mound, shortstop Erick Aybar began spraying teammates before handing it over to Arredondo. The rookie reliever took it up a notch, carrying the hose over to the stands and spraying fans.
This was mild compared to the scene that followed in the clubhouse.
"On a scale of one to 10," said Hunter, in the center of all the action with goggles and drenched clothes, "this celebration has to be No. 1."
By claiming the season series 7-3 from the Yankees for the fifth straight year, the Angels moved to 88-57 -- the Majors' best record. They did it with only three everyday players in the lineup: Garret Anderson, Vladimir Guerrero and Mike Napoli, who shares the catching job with Jeff Mathis. Semi-regulars Gary Matthews Jr. and Juan Rivera also started for Scioscia.
With first baseman Mark Teixeira running a temperature, third baseman Chone Figgins nursing a tender right elbow and Aybar and second baseman Howie Kendrick recovering from hamstring strains, the Angels had an all-backup infield: Quinlan at third, rookies Brandon Wood (double, single) and Sean Rodriguez (a double) at shortstop and second, respectively, and Kendry Morales (double) behind Moseley and the relief staff.
Also out was Hunter, the great center fielder who was starting a two-game suspension on Wednesday for his role in a fracas with Yankees catcher Ivan Rodriguez on Monday night.
"We got hit with a lot of stuff the last couple weeks," Scioscia said. "Aybar, Howard. Tex is out today, Torii, Figgy. It's the depth every organization needs. We're fortunate it's carried us there. It's important."
Settling down after a pep talk from pitching coach Mike Butcher, Moseley (2-4) held the Yankees in check after yielding two first-inning runs.
Quinlan's big blow against Pettitte delivered two runs in the fifth, a third scoring on Xavier Nady's throwing error.
Down 1-2 in the count, Quinlan worked it full before lashing a line drive to left field that brought an October roar from the crowd of 39,783 as it fell in front of Nady.
Matthews and Anderson scored, and when Nady's throw sailed past third base, Guerrero sprinted home to make it 4-2. Matthews, Anderson and Guerrero had opened the inning with consecutive singles, but Pettitte struck out Rivera and Morales before Quinlan delivered in the clutch.
"I've had at-bats in the playoffs that might have been bigger," Quinlan said, "but for a regular-season game, that's pretty special.
"I got down 1-2 and fought off some pitches to get to 3-2. If it was close, I was taking a hack. He got it in on me a little bit, but I put it in a good spot."
Getting his second start with Weaver nursing two cuts in his pitching hand, Moseley wobbled in the first inning. The Yankees seized the lead on Jason Giambi's RBI single and a balk after Derek Jeter and Bobby Abreu had walked on four pitches apiece.
Finding his rhythm and locating his two-seam fastball along with a quality curveball and changeup, Moseley allowed only two singles after striking out Nady to close the first, striking out six.
"I prepare the same way I always have," said Moseley, who practices visualization before starts. "Sometimes you can forget the smaller things you need to do as far as relaxing, breathing. When your heart gets to racing, you kind of lose control."
That's where Butcher's soothing words came into play, assuring Moseley that he'd be fine if he just calmed down.
"He told me, 'Relax, man, do what you're capable of doing,'" Moseley said. "'Believe in yourself.' It's been a real long year mentally for me. The opportunity to go out and get a win in a situation like this is a beautiful thing."
Anderson never has had difficulty believing in his sweet stroke, no matter what the circumstances might be. A major force in the 2002 run to the World Series title, the veteran showed the way on Wednesday.
A .390 career hitter against Pettitte coming in, he finished the game at a cool .400 against one of the game's premier lefties in 80 at-bats. Anderson doubled on the first pitch he saw in the first inning, scoring on Rivera's fielder's choice grounder.
Anderson's sixth-inning single to center followed Matthews' hit to the same location, and Matthews had to hold at third on Guerrero's one-hop single off the wall in right with Abreu getting the ball quickly back into the infield.
It was left to Quinlan, hitting .400 over his past six games, to deliver the big blow.
"Q's swinging the bat very well his last 50 at-bats," Scioscia said. "That's a huge at-bat there. After strikeout, strikeout, a pitcher can see his way out of it. For Q to square one up, getting us a lead, that's important."
Fresh off a strong showing for bronze-medalist Team USA in the Beijing Games, Jepsen unleashed mid-90s heat in a perfect sixth inning. Arredondo worked a scoreless seventh and Shields a perfect eighth.
It was left, finally, to K-Rod to catch Hideki Matsui looking at a third strike after a walk and a single had the Yankees threatening.
"This year it's almost magical the way everything's fallen in place," Scioscia said of his closer. "He's as consistent as any pitcher I've seen."
With two more saves, surpassing Thigpen, K-Rod will take his magic to a new level.
Lyle Spencer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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"I've really got a female starting at center back. Can you imagine that in England or Spain?"
-- Thomas Rongen, coach of American Samoa's national team whose backline for its historic 2-1 win over Tonga in World Cup 2014 qualifying included Johnny Saelua, who is believed to be the first transgender athlete to compete in a World Cup qualifying match. Saelua is part of the fa'afafine, biological males who have a strong feminine gender orientation and are widely accepted in Polynesian culture. American Samoa had lost all 30 of its previous international matches by a combined score of 229-12, including a world record 31-0 loss to Australia. (New York Times)