text:
Palo Alto's residents and business owners rarely see eye to eye when it comes to downtown parking, but the city's latest attempt to free up spaces for residents in their neighborhoods has achieved the seemingly impossible -- bringing the two camps together in vehement opposition.
In the early weeks of the new year, the city plans to unveil its proposed framework for a new "residential parking permit program" that would set parking restrictions on participating residential blocks. Once the program goes into effect, the only cars allowed to park on these blocks without time limits would be those belonging to residents who chose to buy permits -- or possibly a few non-residents with permits.
While the program has yet to be fleshed out, it is already facing fierce resistance from both neighborhood leaders, who say it is too complex, and from commercial property owners, who call it overly invasive and a "huge waste of money."
Property owners say they are concerned about where employees would park once the program starts. Downtown residents characterize the staff proposal as overly complicated and "doomed to fail," according to a memo.
Years in the making, the residential permit-parking program (RPP) is widely viewed as the most dramatic component of the city's multi-pronged response to parking shortages in downtown and around California Avenue, a problem that was exacerbated over the past few years by accelerating commercial growth in the two business districts.
In 2013, the City Council designated as its first of three priorities the "future of downtown and California Avenue," with parking atop the agenda. Over the past year, the council explored a wide array of initiatives, including new garages, valet parking at existing garages, and a robust "transportation demand management" program that would encourage downtown employees to ditch their cars in favor of bikes, trains, buses and other modes of transportation. The latest staff report on the subject describes community concerns about parking and traffic congestion as having "reached critical levels."
The problem will remain the council's top priority in 2014. The council was scheduled to discuss the proposed framework for the parking-permit program on Dec. 16, but with the meeting running late, members agreed to take it up at a later date, most likely early in 2014.
The framework outlined in the staff's December report wouldn't automatically pertain to any specific neighborhood. Rather, it would allow neighborhoods to enroll if they suffer from parking congestion, provided they can get at least 70 percent of the residents to agree. Only blocks with a parking-occupancy rate of 75 percent or more (as verified by an independent consultant) would be eligible.
Interested neighborhoods would have to submit an initial petition demonstrating support from 50 percent of the residents. The city would then conduct "occupancy surveys" to confirm the reported parking problem. Planners would then send all residents postcard surveys to gauge neighborhood support. At least 70 percent of the returned surveys would have to indicate support before the program is considered further, according to the report.
Public hearings would follow in front of the Planning and Transportation Commission and, ultimately, the council. Only then would the program be adopted on a trial basis. This would be followed by more data collection, further surveys and a decision by the council on whether the permit-parking district should be permanently established.
Staff is still wrestling with several big questions, including the number of permits that should be issued to residents and non-residents; permit costs; and the method of rolling out the program.
As part of the backlash against the proposed program, a coalition of more than two dozen downtown businesses have mounted the website paloaltoparkingsolutions.org, on which they call the proposed parking permit "massive, pervasive, and expensive" and warn visitors that a parking permit program "may be coming to your neighborhood soon even if you don't live near the Downtown." (It doesn't mention the rigid qualification requirements.)
"Do we really want to turn every neighborhood near businesses into an RPP zone?" the businesses ask. "If the Downtown area residents can demand RPP, why can't every neighborhood? Do Palo Alto citizens really want to pay for Parking Officers to patrol streets in every residential neighborhood that's near a business district?"
Instead of instituting a permit program, the businesses propose the city designate certain spaces on problematic residential blocks for residents only. They are also urging the city to mark the parking spaces on residential streets so that fewer cars can park on each street, alleviating the problem of overcrowding. This would allow residents and businesses to continue to park on the blocks without needing to buy permits, while reducing the congestion, the businesses argue.
The downtown businesses that support the marked-spaces proposal include Whole Foods Market, Watercourse Way, Palo Alto Creamery and Gordon Biersch.
A group of neighborhood leaders from Downtown North, Professorville and Crescent Park are voicing their objections as well. Though they argue that the city should pursue a city-wide parking-permit ordinance and adopt it by March 31, the new law should consider "quality standards." The city should come up with "objective metrics for quality of life in a neighborhood" and design a program around these goals, the residents wrote in a statement.
"A permit program for any residential neighborhood must be based on quality standards such as degree of commuter intrusion, traffic, safety, etc.," the statement reads. "A residential is not a commuter parking lot with homes."
The residents argue that the program designed by staff has "too many unreasonably hurdles and thresholds." The program, they say, should be designed on a "block-by-block" basis (rather than by neighborhoods), and the opt-in threshold should be 50 percent plus one.
Though they are coming at the parking issue from the opposite side, the residents are just as clear as the businesses about their stance on the permit program currently on the table. The group includes Crescent Parks' Norman Beamer and John Guislin; Downtown North's Meilson Buchanan, Eric Filseth and Mac Beasely; and Professorville's Michael Hodos and Richard Brand.
"Leaders from three neighborhoods are completely unified in opposition and are prepared to speak out aggressively within the University Avenue neighborhoods and take the issues to four California Avenue residential neighborhoods and beyond," they write in the statement.
The proposed permit-parking framework isn't the city's first stab at such a program for downtown. In June 2012, planners unveiled a similar program limited to a section of Professorville. The council ultimately rejected this proposal, with council members and numerous residents arguing that this solution would only push the problem to other sections of downtown. At that time, the council directed staff to consider more comprehensive solutions.


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Salt Lake
OWASP Salt_Lake
Welcome to the Salt_Lake chapter homepage. The chapter leader is Dmitry Dessiatnikov
<paypal>Salt Lake</paypal>
Click here to join the local chapter mailing list.
OWASP Foundation (Overview Slides) is a professional association of global members and is open to anyone interested in learning more about software security. Local chapters are run independently and guided by the Chapter_Leader_Handbook. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional association your support and sponsorship of any meeting venue and/or refreshments is tax-deductible. Financial contributions should only be made online using the authorized online chapter donation button. To be a SPEAKER at ANY OWASP Chapter in the world simply review the speaker agreement and then contact the local chapter leader with details of what OWASP PROJECT, independent research or related software security topic you would like to present on.
to this chapter or become a local chapter supporter.
Or consider the value of Individual, Corporate, or Academic Supporter membership. Ready to become a member?
Local News
The next OWASP Utah Chapter meeting is scheduled for TThursday October 13, 2011
October 13, 2011
Time (please note the time change from the previous meetings):
6 pm
Meeting location:
The Intermountain Healthcare's Lake Park facility
4646 West Lake Park Blvd.
Salt Lake City, Utah
(Inform security guard at the front desk that you are attending OWASP)
"Assessing and Exploiting Web Applications with Samurai-WTF"
By Justin Searle
To get the most out of the training attendees need to:
1. Download the new version of Samurai-WTF 0.9
2. Be ready to run it for the meeting
There are three ways you can run it:
Run the ISO in a virtual machine, physically boot your laptops off a burnt copy of the ISO, or install the ISO to a virtual machine hard drive by clicking on the "ubiquity-gtkui" desktop icon.
Everyone is welcome to join us at our chapter meetings

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Ross likely won't be active for home opener
By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- For the second straight year, it looks like outfielder Cody Ross will not be active for the D-backs' home opener.
Ross is ahead of schedule in his rehab from a fractured and dislocated right hip suffered last August, but the team is not planning on taking him to Australia next week.
That means he will need to be placed on the disabled list and would need to miss at least the first three games of the Giants series March 31-April 2.
March 31 is the D-backs' home opener, which Ross missed last year when he was on the disabled list.
"Definitely on track for March 31, but with the rules being if they put me on the DL, I'll miss the first three days of the season, the home opener, which is a bummer," Ross said. "This is my second one I'm missing in two years, which stinks."
Ross has yet to play in a Cactus League game. His activity has been confined to Minor League games and he is yet to play defense, something he hopes to do next week.
Bradley has command issues vs. Mariners
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Archie Bradley was hitting his spots while warming up in the bullpen, but when the game started, it was a different story.
Bradley allowed four runs on five hits and walked two while striking out one over two innings of work Thursday against the Mariners.
"In the 'pen, I felt good," Bradley said. "I was throwing strikes. I really felt good with where I was at and then at the start of the game just lost it. It's never good when you're throwing 90 percent of your pitches out of the stretch. Just never could find consistency or really get comfortable. Just could never find a good spot and get where I felt good throwing the ball."
It was the first rough outing of the spring for Bradley, ranked by MLB.com as the top pitching prospect in baseball. In two previous starts, he had not allowed a run in 6 1/3 innings.
"He didn't have it," D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said. "Actually a little bit of humble pie today maybe. Struggled with his command. You're going to have those days, and hopefully he'll learn something from it. He should benefit from it."
It sure sounded like Bradley did.
"Any time you're having to work behind in the count is never good, and I just couldn't ever get that first pitch over and it seemed like every batter I was working from behind," Bradley said. "You're not going to have a lot of success when you do that."
Bradley's next outing will come March 21 against Team Australia in Sydney.
With starter Bronson Arroyo's status for Opening Day in doubt, Bradley remains a candidate to start the year in the rotation.
"I know what I need to work on going into my bullpen and now I've got to get ready for Australia," Bradley said.
Trumbo familiar with Sydney Cricket Ground
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- When the D-backs play at the Sydney Cricket Ground next week, it won't be the first time that left fielder Mark Trumbo has visited the stadium.
Trumbo has friends in Australia, and he attended a cricket game there around five years ago.
"I thought it was cool," Trumbo said. "The Cricket Ground was really nice and the energy was awesome."
The stadium has been renovated since then, but Trumbo is confident that one thing has stayed the same.
"The fans, they're very passionate and loud," he said. "Hopefully, we can win a few of them over."
Steve Gilbert is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Inside the D-backs, and follow him on Twitter @SteveGilbertMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Sangre de Cristo Mountains > Philmont Scout Ranch > Climber's Log
Philmont Scout Ranch Climber's Log
[ Sign the Climber's Log ]
|Great Memories
|Going here as an adult or as a youth, you come away with such valuable life lessons. I've witnessed it time and time again. It's worth the $$ to attend if you have the chance.
|Posted Oct 16, 2014 11:22 am
|three times 71, and 72
|Great memories of my first backpacking treks. Climbed Baldy twice
|Posted Aug 2, 2013 10:16 pm
|Superbowl of Scouting!
|I've been five times now, twice on staff, and have enjoyed every moment from climbing Baldy many times to sleeping on top while on staff. Going to Philmont on a trek in 2000 changed my whole perspective on life, and even though I was already Eagle, that was the pinnacle of my scouting career. Going to Philmont is the equivalent of a superbowl and Eagle the MVP, which is a great accomplishment in itself but it isn't the same unitl you make it to the top....PHILMONT! IWTGBTP!!!
|Posted May 9, 2011 10:59 am
|Still Have My Branded Boots
Date Climbed: Jun 18, 1996
|This was some of the most fun I have ever had, hands down. Went with the explorer troop out of Grey Maine, I was a member of a Troop 35 a few towns over.
|Posted Aug 12, 2010 6:38 pm
|Awesome place
|Philmont scout ranch is an amazingly beautiful place. I've had the opportunity to spend a total of two weeks here, and I loved the place. I wouldn't be an eagle scout if it wasn't for this place. Philmont gave me an appreciation for the outdoors that I'll never take for granted.
|Posted Jan 29, 2010 1:52 am
|Advisor with Crew
Date Climbed: Jul 18, 2009
|Nice time with son and crew.
|Posted Aug 1, 2009 12:08 am
|Two times
Date Climbed: Jun 13, 2009
|How can you not be successful at Philmont - Great Trip - Great youth leadership, fun camps.
|Posted Jul 28, 2009 12:51 pm
|1995 & 1997
|Two of the greatest experiences of my young life. As a kid from the Washington D.C. suburbs, going to Philmost was an eye-opening experience. My first trek was tough, but a great learning experience. The second was longer, but experience made it easier. Both ended with hikes down Tooth Ridge to basecamp. I wouldn't change a thing about either trip.
|Posted Feb 21, 2009 12:38 am
|Summer, 1991
|Troop 444, Sierra Vista, AZ. Summer 1991. Mount Phillips was the high point of the trip. The hike up Urraca Mesa was a death march. I would like to go back sometime.
|Posted Dec 28, 2008 5:57 pm
|God I miss that place
Date Climbed: Jun 11, 2006
|I was with crew 612-L1. we hit baldy, trail peak, the tooth, we did somewhere close to 112 miles. Its 2006, cant wait to go back hear shortly
|Posted Dec 21, 2008 6:52 pm
Date Climbed: Jul 24, 2000
|This was a life changing experience for me! It is what really got me into backpacking and climbing. Scouting has always been very important to me and this helped to solidify it. I was a member of the first contingent sent to Philmont by my council (Trapper Trails).While I was there we got to hike almost the entire length of the ranch from North to South. We climbed Baldy and finished off with the Tooth of Time. I've never had so much fun in my life! My expedition number was 722-K2.
|Posted Dec 21, 2008 4:25 pm
|Went with my dad in July 1995 and hiked over 70 miles.
|Posted Dec 19, 2008 2:55 pm
|Three Times
|I went as a Scout on a regular trek in 1986 (701-M) and came back for 4 weeks of Trail Crew in 1988 (628-TC-R). I returned with my son as an adult adviser (and Scoutmaster) in 2007 (717-F2). Philmont is a magical place that holds many great memories for me.
|Posted Dec 16, 2008 1:48 pm
|Sangre Bliss
|participated in two phenomenal excursions on philmont land in 1996 and 1998. fell in love with the sangres while hiking baldy, shaefers and the tooth of time; haven't looked back since, can't wait to return!
|Posted Dec 14, 2008 6:53 pm
|Bubba Suess
|I made two official treks while a Boy Scout and have returned numerous times, including a recent tour I gave my wife while we passed through on our honeymoon in October 2008. One of the treks I made was with a provisional unit, composed of boys from all over the country whose parents were at the training facility. A week in the backcountry with a bunch of strangers was actually a great memory. I did the usual "thing" on the plane wreck atop Trail Peak!
|Posted Dec 14, 2008 12:12 pm
|Great trip!
Date Climbed: Jul 22, 1980
|I went to Philmont when I was 16. Great trip! I would love to go back sometime. My Expedition # was 7-22-I2, if I remember correctly.
|Posted Dec 14, 2008 4:26 am
|Mark Doiron
|Five Times
Date Climbed: Jun 8, 2005
|Five times on official itineraries, but only one full trek. Participated in four training courses, including District Activities and Civic Service Committee, Roundtable Commissioner, Teaching Advance Outdoor Skills (at Rocky Mountain Boy Scout Camp) and Wood Badge (at Zastrow). In June 2005 hiked 95 miles, including into the Valle Vidal, and summited Baldy and the Tooth (612J-4). --mark d.
|Posted Dec 11, 2008 4:37 pm
|Still a strong memory!
|My whole family was there for a week in July 1966 while my parents took training and I was part of a group of teenagers for daytime and evening activities. Each day they took us out and we hiked on trails to spectacular places such as Cathedral Rock. Oh, I also met my first serious boyfriend out there. He was working at Philmont but was from my home town and we dated for awhile when he returned to Maryland. My dad was thrilled because he was an Eagle Scout. Alas, it didn't work out but my son is an Eagle Scout today! I have very fond memories of Philmont!
|Posted Dec 7, 2008 9:48 am
|Alex Wood
|Amazing Trip
|I was part of a crew from Troop 301 out of Temecula, California. We hiked over 120 miles and had an amazing time. We hiked Baldy Mountain, Mount Phillips, Comanche Peak, Wilson Mesa, Tooth of Time and almost did Black Mountain. Hands down, it was an amazing experience. It definitely helped in many aspects of my life. We did it in August of 2007.
|Posted Dec 5, 2008 11:04 pm


text:
Over the past fiscal year, the Wellspring Adult Learning Center has continued to be a busy and exciting learning community. Our English for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL) program served 77 English language learners throughout this past year. An additional 4 students worked on literacy, math, or GED test preparation skills. We are grateful for the 37 dedicated volunteer tutors who have made it possible to assist a total of 80 adults in making gains in their language and other educational goals.
Our students are a diverse group representing a range of backgrounds and educational experiences. Our ESOL students this year came from a variety of counties including: Egypt, Cambodia, Brazil, South Korea, Peru, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Iraq, Guatemala, Mexico, China, Honduras, and Argentina. Our GED students also present with a range of educational backgrounds, work experiences, and training needs.
The center continues to offer both daytime and evening hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Approximately 35-40 students are active participants in Adult Learning Center activities throughout any week. Students usually meet with teachers 1 to 2 times per week. While some students work with us briefly, most work diligently over many months and even years. Less frequently, students meet with staff on a limited basis for testing and referral to other programs.
Wellspring is grateful to the Sawyer Free Library for providing our classroom space. The space accommodates one-on-one teacher/student pairs and small group classes equally well. We encourage students to get library cards and bring students down into the adult and children's library whenever possible. The library continues to be a perfect setting for the Adult Learning Center. It is our hope that students and their families will take advantage of library resources throughout the week.
It has been a pleasure and honor to collaborate with the adult learners and volunteers at the Wellspring Adult Learning Center. As we move into our sixth year, we continue to celebrate the joy of lifelong learning. We look forward to providing another year of service to Cape Ann adults striving to reach their educational goals.
Respectfully submitted,
Melissa Buchanan
Wellspring Adult Learning Center Lead Teacher


text:
It's hot and humid, and the last thing on most of our minds is decorating a six-foot pine tree in front of a blazing fire.
But the recent heat and lack of rain is taking a toll on Minnesota's Christmas tree farms.
Jan Donelson is the executive director of the Minnesota Christmas Tree Association, and a tree farmer in Clear Lake. She tells Minnesota Public Radio's Greta Cunningham what to expect when this year's crop of trees matures.


text:
Issues in Labor Statistics | Summary 10-01 | February 2010
Recession leads to lackluster employment in the trucking industry
by Emily Richards and Frank Conlon
Truck transportation is the most widely used method of hauling freight within the United States. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the U.S. transportation network hauled more than 13 billion tons of goods worth nearly $12 trillion in 2007. Trucks transported almost 9 billion tons of freight valued at more than $8 trillion for that same period.[1]
Employment in trucking generally follows the larger business cycle. Consequently when the demand for goods is stifled, the call for freight services is likewise sluggish. A dramatic slowdown in consumer demand has been crippling the Nation's trucking firms, making job losses during the current recession worse than at any time since the series began in 1990. (See chart 1.)
In the previous downturn, employment in trucking peaked in April 2000[2], nearly a year before the official start of the recession. In addition to peaking before the economy as a whole, employment in trucking continued to fall for 36 consecutive months, 17 months after the official endpoint of the recession, as designated by the National Bureau of Economic Research.[3] During this time, the trucking industry cut 91,000 jobs from payrolls, or 6.4 percent of employment. The present downturn has witnessed a similar trend within the industry. The most recent employment peak occurred in January 2007, 11 months prior to the official starting point of the current recession. Since then, employment within the industry has declined for 35 months, resulting in the loss of 208,000 jobs, or 14.3 percent of employment. (See chart 2.)
One of the chief factors contributing to the current downward employment trend in the trucking industry is the lethargic state of the broader economy. As orders for goods and shipments recede because of soft production and fading sales, there has been an accompanying dip in the demand for freight services. This limited demand, compounded by tight credit for trucking firms and fluctuating diesel fuel prices, has left many workers in the trucking industry unable to find work.
Because trucks transport nearly all components and finished goods during some point in the supply chain, the health of the trucking industry is tied to that of the manufacturing sector. Industrial production has stalled over the last 7 months, as new durable shipments have dwindled and inventories have risen; fewer manufactured goods ultimately equates to less demand for freight services supplied by trucks. (See chart 3.)
This waning demand for truck transportation is also exemplified by the Purchasing Manager Index (PMI), which is a barometer of production in the manufacturing sector. The PMI is a composite index based on five major indicators: new orders, inventory levels, production, supplier deliveries, and employment. The index remained around 50 throughout most of 2008, but it dipped below 40 in October; it remained at similarly depressed levels through most of 2009, before notching back up above 50 in August 2009.[4]
One can also view trends in trucking employment as consumer driven. (See chart 4.) Consumers are struggling with stretched credit and a distressed housing market and are thus limiting discretionary spending, which for retailers translates into fewer sales. In real terms, retail sales figures were essentially flat throughout 2009.[5] As sales slow, inventories rise; hence, there is less need for the shipping services used to transport finished goods. Trucks then sit idle.
While the slowdown in the trucking industry can be attributed largely to weak production and sales, other factors such as fluctuating diesel fuel prices have also directly contributed to the declines. (See chart 5.) Although fuel prices have decreased since their peak in July 2008[6], the effect of these higher prices lingers with many trucking companies. After labor costs, fuel represents motor carriers' highest operating expense, with smaller carriers typically spending a larger percentage of their total operating cost on diesel fuel.[7] As prices peaked and fuel surcharges were insufficient to cover costs, reports indicated that high diesel fuel prices were putting some small trucking companies out of business and causing others to reduce activity.[8] Since peaking in January 2007, truck transportation has cut 208,000 jobs from its payrolls.
In sum, the general slump in the economy, which led to declining production and reduced consumption, as well as fluctuating diesel fuel prices, has undermined the health of the U.S. trucking industry. Given the sector's dependence on the overall economy, trucking firms have been forced to cut jobs, as production and sales remain sluggish and credit stays tight.
[1] U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Transportation Statistics Annual Report (Washington, DC: 2008), p. 25; on the Internet at http://www.bts.gov/publications/transportation_statistics_annual_report/2008/pdf/entire.pdf.
[2] Employment data used in this article are from the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program, which each month surveys about 150,000 nonfarm businesses and government agencies, representing approximately 390,000 individual establishments. For more information on the program's concepts and methodology, see CES Technical Notes, on the BLS Web site at http://www.bls.gov/ces/#publications. CES data are available at http://www.bls.gov/ces. Data used in this article are seasonally adjusted unless otherwise noted.
[3] Recession dates are determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). NBER has not yet determined an endpoint for the recession that began in December 2007. For more information, see "U.S. Business Cycle Expansions and Contractions," on the NBER Web site at http://www.nber.org/cycles/cyclesmain.html.
[4] A PMI reading of more than 50 in a given month indicates an expansion compared with the prior month, a reading below 50 represents a contraction, and a reading of 50 indicates zero change.
[5] Retail sales in real terms were derived by deflating retail sales by the consumer price index (CPI). Data on monthly retail sales are provided by the Census Bureau and can be found at https://www.census.gov. CPI data are produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics; more information is available at http://www.bls.gov/cpi.
[6] Energy Information Administration, Monthly U.S. No 2 Diesel Retail Sales by All Sellers, on the Internet at http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/ddr001m.htm.
[7] The American Trucking Associations, inc., "The impact of rising gas prices on America's small businesses," Statement before the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, June 14, 2007, on the Internet at http://www.truckline.com/Newsroom/Testimony1/Testimony%20of%20Tim%20Lynch%20before%20the%20Senate%20Committee%20on%20Small%20Business%20on%20Impact%20of%20Rising%20Gas%20Prices.pdf.
[8] Summary of Commentary on Current Economic Conditions by Federal Reserve Districts, April 2008, on the Internet at http://www.federalreserve.gov/FOMC/Beigebook/2008/20080416/fullreport20080416.pdf.
PDF file of this Issue in Labor Statistics | Other Issues in Labor Statistics


text: Hey TW, I was hoping to get some For Sale/Trade guidelines posted, so people (especially new traders) can get their questions answered about shipping, dealing with traders with no feedback, and perhaps getting a standardized format going. If you find this post suitable, please stick the entire thread in the FS/T forum, I'll be updating/editing it as I go along. I've got no mod rights in the FS/T, so I can't post/sticky the thread. Thanks! To make the FS/T section easier to browse, we ask that sellers please include the following: In the thread title: Type of trade: For Sale = FS, For Trade = FT. If you are Selling OR trading FS/T. Item(s) and Quantity if possible. e.g. (2x) Tecnifibre 325 If there is room: Condition Grip size Example Thread title: FS/T: (2x) Tecnifibre 325, 4 3/8, 8/10 In the thread itself: Grip size: Often times I see racquet listings without grip size. This is one of the more important determining factors of a sale. Due to the nature of our FS/T sub-forum, it is hard to ask questions, please include ALL pertinent information UP FRONT! CONTACT INFORMATION!!!: If you are selling something, please include some contact information. Telling interested buyers to leave their e-mail address is inefficient, and can prolong the sale. Leave an e-mail address if you are comfortable, or enable e-mailing through your profile. This protects your e-mail from spam bots, and allows interested parties to contact you quickly and easily. If you DO enable your profile e-mail, please leave a note in your thread with this information. Payment Terms: Although Paypal is a popular, and relatively secure/usable service, not everyone supports it's use. Please leave your terms of payment so there is no confusion or questions. Having all the information up front could mean the difference between a sale and a buyer backing out. Common payment terms include: Cashier's Check, Cash On Delivery (COD), Money Order (Postal, or otherwise), Paypal (include whether or not you accept credit card paypal), Cash. Delivery options: Please list your preferred method of shipment. USPS Priority is a good one, for sellers that are new. Fedex, UPS, DHL, and method are all options. Local Pick up is also an option that users may like. Condition of goods: A rated condition is mandatory. Please include an "out of ten" rating for your items. 8/10, 9/10, etc. (More included in FAQ) Pictures: Obviously, you can only describe so much in words, pictures are a great addition to a thread. (More included in FAQ) For racquets: If the racquet is strung, include the string type and tension if you know it. Date strung is also good if you know it. Any other conditions you might have: Some people allow "dibs" on an item. This is not such a big deal with our system, but if you leave a "dibs" message in the thread, you should be committed to purchase the item. Do NOT call dibs if you are unwilling to follow through. Q: What do I do with my thread after it has outlived it's usefulness? (Items sold) Can I delete my thread? At the moment, users are not allowed to close or remove their own threads, if you'd like your thread removed, or would like it to die, edit the original post as "SOLD." and let it drop. If you prefer to have it deleted, contact an admin of the site (TW Staff), as the moderators have no post editing powers in the for sale/trade sub forums. Other loose guidelines: Please do NOT shout (i.e. write in all CAPS). This is annoying. 'Nuff said. Please do NOT "crap" on another user's thread. If you don't like the price, or find something outrageous, just leave the thread alone. These are trading guidelines. It would be nice if new thread makers follow these guidelines, but it is not required. If you are new to trading, or are unfamiliar with the way things work, I encourage you to use these ideas to make trading on our boards as easy, and as hitch-free as possible. We know that people make mistakes, so here are some helpful hints/tips to make your sale as quick and easy as possible!


text:
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text:
Heika: I would have benched Stars defenseman Alex Goligoski five games ago
Dallas Stars beat writer Mike Heika answered questions in a chat on Friday. Here are some highlights.
Do you think sitting Alex Goligoski was the right move? Why not push him down the lineup or reduce his minutes? Were things that bad to take that public of a shot at a player that will likely be here a long time (given the size and length of the contract)?
I would have done it five games ago, or reduced his minutes, but the coaching staff is developing just like the players. I will say that the timing and the approach were all talked about, and the coaches were convinced that was the right time and it was done the right way. We'll see if it works.
Did Goligoski get benched because of Joe Nieuwendyk or did Gully decide that all on his own?
It was the coaches' decision. I think it took them a little while to work up the courage or frustration to go through with it. I think it was being discussed after five games.
With the way Goligoski is playing compared to James Neal, it sure looks like we got the short end of that deal. Do you see Golly ever getting out of his current slump?
Part of the problem is that Goligoski probably knows that Neal is doing well, and that adds to the pressure. Right now, it looks like a really bad trade, and part of that is because Neal is such a good fit in Pittsburgh. I think Goligoski will be a fine defenseman going forward, but he doesn't seem to be the No. 1 type the Stars were seeking. Still, he could help the Stars become a good team.


text:
Wade Walters, 24, of Russellville died after a generator stator fell from a lifting device in the Unit 1 turbine building at the plant.
According to Donna Gregory, communications specialist at ANO, eight other workers were injured and transported to Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center. Seven of the injured were treated and released as of late Monday afternoon, and one remained hospitalized. Gregory did not know any details about the condition of the hospitalized worker. Sarah Millard, the joint information center manager at the plant, said there was no risk of further fatalities due to injuries sustained from the accident.
"We express our deepest sympathy," Gregory said. "This is a difficult thing for us."
According to Gregory, an accident of this magnitude had never occurred at the plant before, and she said there has never been a fatality at the plant due to a work-related incident before Sunday.
Gregory said ANO has made grief counselors available for employees.
Friends and loved ones took to social media Sunday and Monday to pay their respects to Walters, remembering the Arkansas River Valley native and Pottsville High School graduate.
"He was real quiet and solemn," said Logan Hughes, a family member. "He wasn't an unhappy person, he was always happy, he just wasn't really excitable about anything. He was pretty level-headed. He just kept to himself a lot."
Hughes said Wade worked outages at plants throughout the South.
"I never really knew where he was one job to the next," he said. "We expected Wade to be here as long as this generation of cousins. There's two things in life that he was all about, working out and his family — his girlfriend in particular. I know she's taking it real hard. It's tough on her because she's got a lot of unanswered questions."
Hughes said a funeral is planned for later this week.


text: as you know I'm starting game programming. I've seen the same vector math done over and over, and the same basic matrix operations done over and over (some matrices are way too complicated for me to understand). Do you think I should go ahead and build my own vector and matrix classes anyway? It will take some time (finding out what to do, making sure it works, etc) so I only want to do the things that are most important.


text:
There's a special event happening this weekend, and it brings a younger group to campus to view firsthand the wonders of science and math and the experience of the Beloit College community.
Beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 5, the award- winning Girls and Women in Science conference will convene a group of sixth grade girls, their science teachers, and parents to engage in experiments and activities. The goal is to help to build confidence and encourage interest in the fields of science and math. Labs such as "Playing With Food," "Virtual Friends With Alice," and "What Your Brain Does For You" are planned for Saturday, with the Beloit College scientific community (faculty, students, and alumnae) teaching and encouraging participants who attend the event.
More information is available on the conference website.
The weekend is supported by Beloit College and Kerry Ingredients.


text:
Capecchi, Mario
|Mario Renato Capecchi
|born on
|6 October 1937 at 09:30 (= 09:30 AM )
|Verona, Italy, 45n27, 11e0
|MET h1e (is standard time)
|Data source
|Astrology data
|12°40' 03°52 Asc. 17°25'
Italian-born Nobel Prize winner, distinguished American professor, researcher and recipient of many international awards for his work on gene targeting. Describing himself as a husband, father and then scientist, his work aims to target genes for the understanding, treatment and prevention of disease.
Capecchi is the child of an American mother and an Italian airman. His mother, Lucy Ramberg, was the child of an American artist who opened a school in Florence, Italy and a German archeologist. Caught up in the European political scene of the mid-to-late 1930s, Lucy became involved with the Bohemians, the artists, literati and intellectuals who protested the Fascist and Nazi political movements. In northern Italy she met Capecchi's father, an Italian Air Force officer who would go missing in Libya. She herself was captured by the Nazis in 1941 and imprisoned in Dachau, a Nazi concentration camp, but not before she left her only child with financial provision in the care of friends. Within a year, the money had run out and Mario, age 4, was left to his own devices. He spent the next five years wandering from town to town, foraging for food and shelter with other homeless children, spending time in orphanages or on the streets. Suffering from severe malnutrition, fever and the ill effects of physical and emotional trauma, he was hospitalized in such poor condition that he was not expected to live. Having been liberated from Dachau at the war's end, his mother spent a year looking for him. On his ninth birthday she located him in the hospital. Tormented by her own unspeakable experiences, she took him to Pennsylvania to live with her brother, Edward Ramberg, and his wife, in a commune near Philadelphia.
Capecchi spoke no English when he arrived in the United States but attended a Quaker school where social conscience and creative learning were emphasized. He became active in sports and as an adult credits his athletic participation with learning about "human psychology, things you later transfer to relationships: perseverance, pushing yourself beyond certain limits." Being in the presence of his Uncle Edward, a politically-aware physicist, helped inculcate a respect for science and politics.
In 1961, Capecchi graduated from Antioch College with a major in both physics and chemistry. But after working at MIT, he became interested in the exciting field of molecular biology, pursuing the interest at Harvard on the advice of Dr. James Watson. Earning his doctorate in biophysics in 1967, Capecchi stayed at Harvard for the next six years, first as a junior fellow and then as a biochemistry faculty member at the Harvard School of Medicine. In 1973, he was drawn to the University of Utah, which he felt provided a more creative atmosphere and allowed for the interdisciplinary approach that he valued. By 1977 he had made significant strides in working with DNA. Although the National Institute of Health initially refused funding for his project in genetic targeting, he showed great success by 1984. In 1989 he was able to produce mice with specific genetic mutations.
Capecchi has been honored by many prestigious international awards, including the 1996 Kyoto Prize for Basic Science, the 2001 Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research, the 2001 National Medal of Science, and the 2003 Wolf Prize from Israel. In 2007 he added a Nobel to his list, which he shares with two others, Sir Martin Evans and Oliver Smithies. The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine recognizes their "discoveries of principles for introducing specific gene modifications in mice by the use of embryonic stem cells."
A thoughtful, soft-spoken man, Capecchi has no plans to retire. His mother who never recovered psychologically from her horrific WWII experiences, died in 1987 and his Uncle Edward, who was a significant role model, died in 1996. Capecchi lives with his wife and daughter in Utah where he continues his scientific research.
- Family trauma 1941 (Mother imprisoned by Nazis)
- Work : New Job 1973 (At University of Utah)
- Work : Prize 1996 (Kyoto Prize for his work)
Source Notes
Grazia Bordoni quotes birth certificate via e-mail and in Datanotizie N.78 March 9, 2008
- Family : Childhood : Disadvantaged
- Family : Childhood : Family traumatic event
- Vocation : Science : Biology
- Vocation : Science : Chemistry
- Notable : Awards : Nobel prize


text:
Bloodstock Open Air 2016
@Catton Hall, Derbyshire
11th – 14th August 2016
Review by Demitri Levantis
Photography and Additional Reviews by Graham Hilling
Derbyshire is probably the last place you'd expect to find metal. It's not one of England's most famous counties, nor has it built up a reputation for a place of art and culture. But within the south of this quaint midlands county, some of the country's finest music promoters are at work building the county's reputation as a haven for metalheads.


text: Music LISTEN: The Killabits "OH HAI!" New EP FREE DOWNLOAD! February 22, 2013 Sara Rose Leave a comment Ooooooooh HAI U GUYS The Killabits have just released their new 4-track EP, "OH HAI!", and have been generous enough to let us download all of it for free via … Continue Reading ››


text:
By most accounts, Chuck Vollmer should be in the pleasant twilight of a 40-year career in financial planning and money management.
Instead, Vollmer, 65, has just about started over.
Now, instead of his business consisting of stocks and bonds, it's filled with beverage systems and water filtration. He runs the Sarasota franchise unit of Esio Beverage System, a Mesa, Ariz.,-based company that offers what it calls the first hot-and-cold, ready-to-drink beverage dispenser on the market. The Esio machine, essentially a water cooler with a twist, can make cold strawberry-lemonade one minute and hot coffee the next. It does that through a proprietary system and a series of pouches that can be inserted into the machine.
The franchise is one of two in the country; the other is in Connecticut. "I wanted something with magnitude and something I can embrace like a family business," says Vollmer. "I wasn't looking for a haircut place."
Vollmer, though, also sought to confront what he considers his career's darkest and most painful nightmare: being at the helm of the Longboat Key branch of Stanford Financial Group in early 2009. That's when the Houston-based firm's founder, R. Allen Stanford, was charged with bilking the company and hundreds of clients in a $7 billion Ponzi scheme. Stanford and several other one-time Stanford Group executives were convicted of federal fraud charges in 2012. Stanford was sentenced to 110 years in prison.
Vollmer and his Longboat Key Stanford associates, who managed $600 million in assets, were never criminally charged in the case. Vollmer, however, did withdraw an application to work with another brokerage firm in a 2009 agreement with the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. That agreement, in which Vollmer didn't admit or deny allegations, stems from roughly $80 million in certificates of deposit the local Stanford office sold that authorities say were tied to Stanford's scheme.
Vollmer, a Stanford Group colleague and his stepson, Matt Drews, maintain they not only didn't know about Stanford's fraud, but they were victims, too. They decline to say how much of their own money they lost in the scheme, only to say it was significant.
After a six-month, self-imposed business timeout, Vollmer re-entered the work world in 2010.
"I had to get out and do something," he says, "rather than sit around and wallow in pity."
Vollmer met with franchise consultants and business brokers. He considered several other options before Esio, including an IT firm, a business-consulting gig and even a disaster-recovery business. He chose Esio because he liked its recurring revenue strategy and he clicked with the firm's founder, Frank Leonesio, a 40-year franchise and small-business veteran.
Drews, a former baseball player who was drafted by the New York Yankees in 1993 and worked briefly at Oppenheimer & Co. after Stanford, joined Vollmer at Esio. Their Esio franchise unit had 1,100 clients and 10 employees through December. It's hovered between breaking even, says Drews, and operating at a slight loss.
"This is still us digging our way out," says Vollmer, who started working in money management in the region with an E.F. Hutton office in 1984. "This is a major transition."
Yet, Vollmer tries to remain optimistic, even in the face of future challenges and the past that haunts him. No matter where the business goes, adds Vollmer, he says he's content that he's in control.
"There have been times of difficulty here, and there have been times of joy," says Vollmer. "But with all the headaches, there is a freedom here I enjoy."
By most accounts, Chuck Vollmer should be in the pleasant twilight of a 40-year career in financial planning and money management.


text:
Les avantages de la méconnaissance de la francophonie: le cas de la Suède
The article focuses on a country where the majority of the population can speak several foreign languages. French language is, with Spanish and German, the third language taught at school. If French language has lost its influence since the end of the eighties, the Francophonie as the group of French-speaking countries is not well-known. It is therefore possible to initiate a new cultural promotion. Some Francophone studies departments could emerge if cross-disciplines perspectives are dealt with. The article proposes different strategies to reach this objective: on the one hand, French-speaking diplomas can be encouraged to reinforce the student mobility and the professional mobility towards French-speaking countries and on the other hand we can strengthen the cooperation between French-speaking cultural institutions and the departments of French Language in Sweden. Several events such as the Francophonie competition and the Språkolympiaden can support the general promotion of French Language. The earlier we work with the different pupils interested in French at school, the easier it will be to help them to continue with French at the University. From this point of view, the departments of French Language which are part of Romance and Languages departments could evolve. In other words, the author points out that it is better to enhance new cultural contents (Literature, civilization….) than to restrict the fields to pure linguistic ones.
Texte intégral :article
Tous droits réservés (c)


text:
Read the full story here Web Link posted Wednesday, February 18, 2009, 8:00 AM
Town Square
Council OKs new permit for Chinese language, culture school
Original post made on Feb 18, 2009
Read the full story here Web Link posted Wednesday, February 18, 2009, 8:00 AM
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on Feb 18, 2009 at 8:32 am
I have to wonder what other cities do with these kinds of "schools". And then I wonder about the martial arts school/daycare that guy was trying to set up.
a resident of Birdland
on Feb 18, 2009 at 8:38 am
It seems foolish that Pleasanton would allow any program with children to operate without a license. I guess that Dublin will be where I will be sending my children for after school programs. At least they are all licensed.
a resident of Birdland
on Feb 18, 2009 at 8:43 am
The city is being foolish. Children = License. you cant trust anyone these days, especially with children.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 18, 2009 at 8:46 am
This was not without review by the state which issued an exemption from a license.
In addition, the planning commission set up conditions which included background checks and access to outdoor facilities, as well as CPR training for the teachers. The difference between this and the martial arts academy is that classes are offered that are differentiated from one another and includes language instruction and tutoring in math and English, hence making it a tutoring facility.
Tha appellant was asking the council to second guess the state. The planning commission put into place conditions that a daycare license would require.
The council did the right thing.
a resident of Jensen Tract
on Feb 18, 2009 at 9:47 am
We need a sign ordinance that requires english translation to be predominant on signage so Pleasanton does not start looking like Fremont.
a resident of Vintage Hills Elementary School
on Feb 18, 2009 at 10:27 am
Whenever a child is hurt or abused or has some seizure in a State-licensed childcare facility, the State is always sued for gross negligence in failure to check that the facilities are safe or the employees pass background checks. Thank you city council for ensuring that when a child is hurt or abused in one of these new 'city monitored' childcare facilities, these parents will now sue the city for gross negligence.
The city can't even keep the stoplights running right; consequently, I am certain that the city will do an equally outstanding job at monitoring childcare facilities.
I am sure that after the first lawsuit, that the city will lose, as it always does, the city will be as broke as our current school district. Nice going, thanks to the prudent fiscal oversight of Mrs. Hosterman, Mr. Thorne, and Mrs. Kallio.
We pay taxes for government, no one regulates anything, then our taxpayer money ends up paying huge lump sums to people for lawsuits that result from government agencies failing to not regulate anything.
No wonder the country is in an economic meltdown.
a resident of Val Vista
on Feb 18, 2009 at 10:47 am
I don't mind seeing an after school care, better than kids going home to an empty house since in most families now both parents have to work.
But Its a child care, it needs to be licenced and employees need to have background checks and finger printing just like other childcares. If they call themselves a school its all the more reason to.
a resident of Birdland
on Feb 18, 2009 at 11:01 am
Some of you are barking up the wrong tree. I too share you concerns over these unlicensed facilities that server the children but license enforcement is the responsibility of the state, not that of the city.
If you have any concerns with the operation of that facility, you should report it to the state agency responsible for licensing and its enforcement.
The city council did the right in this case.
a resident of Country Fair
on Feb 18, 2009 at 11:04 am
I am a teacher and well aware of this program. There are a lot of regulations that go with becoming a school or a child-care that are above licensing and fingerprinting.
I never heard this program did tutoring at all. It is a child-care. They pick up children at mid-day and at the end of school at school sites all over Pleasanton. This program uses transportation with vehicles with 'Pleasanton Community Church' written on them, but the church no longer exists. It folded into Harvest Valley church on Hopyard, which *has* a licensed child-care program called Adventures in Learning, but the children are not taken there.
This school is not registered as a private school so if they said they were a private school as the newspaper reports, that is completely false. Use this website to check. Web Link
This so-called school is not accredited by WASC.
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on Feb 18, 2009 at 11:33 am
Additional questions:
How different or similar is this to a place like Kumon?
How different or similar is this to Sunday school?
a resident of Foothill Knolls
on Feb 18, 2009 at 3:54 pm
The state won't license places like these as they are considered exempt. WON'T LICENSE. Therefore it's up to the City to put conditions on these institutions which satisfy the City's concerns, primarily background checks and first aid training. This school has a history of being an exemplary institution. The City Council's and Planning Commission's decisions were responsible and thoughtful.
a resident of Del Prado
on Feb 18, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Are you kidding? I'm licensed as a family childcare home and they will license anyone who fills out an application and meets the requirements. Believe me, they want the license fees.
From experience, I do know that the city government has no clue about childcare or the process. I had to call, believe it or not, Santa Monica to figure out the requirements. If anyone is interested, look at the City of Santa Monica Child Care Center Planning Guide or Small and Large Family Child Care Planning Guide. Web Link
Also, the State will write an exemption letter for anyone, if you repeatedly bug them enough, just so you'll go away. I was told that they will write an exemption letter if you care for kids for up to 23 1/2 hours a day, as long as you say you'll renew the contract every 12 weeks. That is hilarious.
a resident of Birdland
on Feb 18, 2009 at 6:51 pm
It seems every time the Planning Commission votes against Anne Fox, the matter is appealed by Council-member McGovern. This does not happen when any other commissioner votes with the minority, nor are any appeals filed by the other council members on Planning Commission items. It seems to be be happening several times over the past few months.
The City staff was correct in recommending approval in these matters, and the majority of the Planning Commission and a majority of the City Council agreed. The cost to our taxpayers is undoubtedly thousands of dollars of staff time solely because of the this apparent alliance of these two people.
a resident of Downtown
on Feb 19, 2009 at 10:16 am
I'm an accountant and watched this hearing. Of course, this is a day-care facility and it seemed to me that the 3 city council members knew full well it was a day-care and should be licensed, along with the city employees, but were calling it a tutoring program for zoning so it could go into Hacienda Business Park. McGovern mentioned seeing the original application saying it was a child-care and the city saying it was a child-care. Fox mentioned several submissions made by this business.
From a tax perspective, parents can deduct child-care expenses, but Federal law and IRS specifically prevents tutoring programs from being counted as "care" or a child-care expense for working parents. Looking at the city webpage, the business did two, perhaps three submissions to the city and switched the words related to child-care to private tutoring. If parents have claimed their expenses and used deductions claiming that this business is a child-care, I am sure that these 200 parents are likely to face potential audits from the IRS. If the business owner is now calling it a "tutoring program," this is not classified as a dependent care child-care expense that is deductible, but as a non-deductible education expense.
This business can't have it both ways.
a resident of Foothill Knolls
on Feb 19, 2009 at 11:02 am
That might be true for family daycares but not necessary true of these tutoring facilities. If the state issues an exemption letter, it is very reticient to then spend its staff time doing what it considers unnecessary licensing.
The state is currently reviewing exemption standards which will hopefully correct what are perceived as loopholes in the licensing and exemption requirements.
And no, there are still hour limitations with exemptions, regardless of whether you renew every 12 weeks.
It makes much more sense for the City to oversee various, specific aspects they are concerned with rather than try to force Child Care Licensing to license something it considers exempt.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 19, 2009 at 11:07 am
The state gave the school or whatever it is called, an exemption. So each time the state does that, the city is supposed to second guess them?
The city does not issue child care licenses but the council mandated that the school, or whatever, comply with all the edicts of a child care license including background checks, CPR training and providing out door time for the kids. The only issue outstanding was whether there was an onsight playground.
Watching the council meetings, I sometimes think that some people look for reasons to prevent things from happening rather than looking for ways to make something work.
a resident of Del Prado
on Feb 19, 2009 at 11:10 am
It's obviously a Day Care.... why bend the rules. This City has overstepped its authority if it is twisting the rules to suite it's needs. Find a place where they can Legally be a Child Care Facility and Get Licensed!
a resident of Birdland
on Feb 19, 2009 at 11:22 am
I'm glad Dublin is so close that children can go to Seed2Sprout for a licensed Chinese enrichment program. And I see the city of Dublin has on its agenda for next week's meeting another childcare center, with gasp, an actual outdoor play area that will be located near Fallon Elementary. Thank goodness Dublin has stepped up to the plate and provided and continues to provide these licensed facilities to working parents.
Do you really each child is 'tutored' 30 hours a week? Come on. Even the stuff on the web-site for the City talks about watching TV and video games for this program and swimming and park trips and so on. Tutoring, yes, I'm sure. Did anyone see that Will Smith movie a couple of years ago called "The Pursuit of Happyness" (yes with happiness mispelled). There was a scene about the childcare center having the kids watch Love Boat and Bonanza as part of history lessons. So funny.
a resident of Foothill High School
on Feb 19, 2009 at 11:53 am
The school district's own childcare sites aren't even licensed! I agree that all afterschool programs should be licensed. We need to protect our children.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 19, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Is there anyone out there who really things a license equals safety????
Do we think this "school" is unsafe?
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 20, 2009 at 11:18 am
Finally! The Little Ivy School does provide a needed service to parents.
People don't realize that other parents pick up these children at the schools and transport them. Liability? not the Little Ivy's schools!.
The kids "play" with balls, equipment in a little concret area in front of the school blocking pedestrians, in this busy shopping center with a lot of foot and vehicular traffic, the noise to the other businesses is unbelievable and all of the surrounding businesses have complained to the city, police, etc. No adult watches the kids of all ages outside.
While the school does provide some learning and tutoring it is basically a daycare facility with proper playground!


text:
Super Rugby
Suncorp suffers in Queensland floods
ESPNscrum Staff
January 12, 2011
Suncorp Stadium has felt the force of flooding in Queensland © Getty Images
The playing surface at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium has been ravaged by the floods currently wreaking havoc in Queensland.
The 52,500 seat arena was overrun by two metres of flood water on Wednesday, causing the postponement of Brisbane Roar's A-League match against Wellington Phoenix. There was also a fire in one of the ground's transformer rooms.
Suncorp Stadium, formerly Lang Park, hosted two Wallabies Tests in 2010, a victory over touring Ireland and a Tri-Nations triumph against South Africa.
The state's Super Rugby franchise, the Reds, have been active in the community following the devastating events of recent days, filling sandbags to protect their Ballymore home from the swollen Enoggera Creek before pitching in at a council facility in Stafford.
Rob Simmons and Rod Davies manned phones during a Brisbane telethon at the weekend while Wallabies Saia and Anthony Faingaa will donate their first match payments from the Super Rugby season to the relief effort. The Australian Rugby Union has also pledged AU$50,000 to the cause.
"It just wasn't us there, there was a lot of people just wanting to come down and lend a hand so it's great to see the community banding together," Reds lock James Horwill told AAP. "We just wanted to help in any way we could."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Communication error please reload the page.


text:
Civil- Emergency Exercise ''ARMENIA 2010''
The Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) will conduct the consequence management field exercise "Armenia 2010" from 11 to 17 September 2010 in the city of Arzni, in the Kotayk region next to Yerevan in Armenia.
Teams from 15 Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) and Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) nations are planned to take part in the exercise and 11 additional countries are scheduled to participate by sending staff officers.
All together, more than 600 individuals belonging to civilian and military teams from NATO and partner countries with capabilities to deal with different aspects of emergencies will take part in the event. Some 40 observers are also expected. "Armenia 2010" will allow NATO and partner countries to practice disaster response mechanisms and capabilities and to enhance co-operation in emergency situations.
The scenario for the exercise will be a severe earthquake in the vicinity of Yerevan, resulting in high numbers of victims and widespread damage to critical infrastructure, including chemical spills and a radiological incident.
Through this exercise, NATO and partner nations will practice the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) procedures and capabilities, in order to improve nations' ability to respond to a disaster. The exercise will also contribute to strengthen the stricken nation's capability to effectively coordinate consequence management operations.
The exercise will consist of the following phases:
11-13 September 2010: Organisation of on-site Operations, reception of teams, training for participants and a Command Post Exercise.
14-15 September 2010: Field activities at the exercise sites.
15-16 September 2010: Evaluation, VIP day, demonstrations and a closing ceremony.
The exercise "ARMENIA 2010" is an Armenian contribution to the Partnership for Peace (PfP) Work Programme for 2010. Since 2000, this is the twelfth field exercise conducted by the EADRCC.
Media arrangements:
Accreditation is necessary for all media representatives wishing to cover the exercise in Yerevan. The deadline for accreditation is 7 September 2010.
Information on accreditation rules for journalist are to be found on http://www.armeniaforeignministry.com/
Applications for accreditation can be made through the following website:
During the exercise "Armenia 2010", a Media centre will be operational in the exercise Base Camp area. The Centre will be staffed by the Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations.
Media accommodations
Media representatives are requested to make their own accommodation arrangements.
Foreign nationals who need an entry visa are requested to apply for it at the nearest diplomatic representation of Armenia.
Ms. Narine Harutyunyan
Press Department, MFA Armenia
Tel: +37410 544041-202
Mob.: + +37494340331
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com; email@example.com
NATO Point of Contact:
NATO Press and Media Section
NATO Headquarters, Brussels
Tel: +32 2 707 50 35


text: To be honest, not so much. It's basically just "Yeah, we thought it would be neat if this happened." I guess there's some stuff about their inspirations, like how mixed martial arts inspired pro-bending and so on, but nothing that you can't also get from the Avatar Wiki and online articles. So it could be informative if you've read nothing about the show online, I guess.


text:
BURLEIGH HEADS, Queensland/Australia (Tuesday, 24 January, 2012) - The rain poured, the wind howled, but that didn't stop the world's best junior surfers from putting on a show and the Billabong World Junior Championships Gold Coast today. The young men took to the stormy seas to do battle in the 3 foot (1.5 meter) waves at Burleigh Heads for the completion of the Men's Round 2 and the first 2 heats of Round 3.
Dylan Lightfoot (ZAF) from Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, put his pointbreak experience to good use at the Billabong World Junior Championships this morning. In the challenging conditions Lightfoot selected the best waves and attacked the best sections, sending Kalani David (USA) packing.
"We can get conditions like this at J-Bay," Lightfoot said. "There are some really fun waves out there if you get the right ones. I love surfing right-handers, I'd say it's my strength. It's a relief to get out of that second Round, I was pretty disappointed for getting into it in the first place, but the positive is getting to surf at Burleigh more because it's hard to get waves freesurfing out there."
Evan Thompson (USA) looked at home in the tough conditions at Burleigh today, despite hailing other side of the world - Jacksonville, Florida. Thompson posted the highest heat total of the day to easily advance to Round 3 where he'll face Matt-Lewis Hewitt (NZ).
"We only get wind swells where I live, so this is normal for me," Thompson said. "Windy, choppy, sloppy, bumpy, is what I surf all the time, so it kind of feels like I'm at home. I was nervous before that heat because I had a bad first Round heat, but after I got one good score all the pressure went away and I had fun."
Arashi Kato (JPN) survived a close heat against South African Michael February (ZAF). The two surfers were evenly matched, both managed to post a couple of scores in the good range, but it was Kato who found the highest scores and booked a Round 3 berth.
"The conditions are really hard right now, with wrong winds, but I'm very happy to be into Round 3," Kato said. "I like to surf this kind of waves, and I hope to do well at this event."
Andrew Doheny (USA), the 6th seed in the Billabong World Junior Championships Gold Coast used his world renowned laid-back, stylish approach to progress to Round 3 where he'll take on Beyrick De Vries (ZAF).
"It's a lot like onshore day at Lower Trestles out there, so I felt right at home," Doheny said. "My favourite kind of surf is stormy stuff so I'm really stoked, these waves are really fun for me. It's great to make it through that heat."
A call will be made at 7:30am tomorrow for a possible 8am start. The Billabong World Junior Championships Gold Coast will be webcast live via www.billabongpro.com.
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com.
Heat 10: Dylan Lightfoot (ZAF) 13.00 def. Kalani David (USA) 10.60
Heat 11: David Van Zyl (ZAF) 10.54 def. Kaishu Tanaka (JPN) 9.50
Heat 12: Evan Thompson (USA) 16.00 def. Pierre-Valentin Labo (FRA) 4.77
Heat 13: Arashi Kato (JPN) 11.90 def. Michael February (ZAF) 10.50
Heat 14: Chase Wilson (USA) 12.60 def. Keala Naihe (HAW) 8.67
Heat 15: Andrew Doheny (USA) 13.10 def. Dylan Kowalski (USA) 10.03
Heat 16: Hiroto Arai (JPN) 14.34 def. Lucas Silveira (BRA) 8.70
HEAT 1: Mateia Hiquily (PYF) 9.67 def. Peterson Crisanto (BRA) 8.63
HEAT 2: Medi Veminardi (REU) 10.34 def. Chase Wilson (USA) 6.20
HEAT 3: Thomas Woods (AUS) vs. Arashi Kato (JPN)
HEAT 4: Jack Freestone (AUS) vs. Jack Robinson (AUS)
HEAT 5: Conner Coffin (USA) vs. Jake Halstead (USA)
HEAT 6: Ian Gouveia (BRA) vs. Matt Banting (AUS)
HEAT 7: Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) vs. Caue Wood (BRA)
HEAT 8: Caio Ibelli (BRA) vs. Wade Carmichael (AUS)
HEAT 9: Garrett Parkes (AUS) vs. Tim Macdonald (AUS)
HEAT 10: Kaito Ohashi (JPN) vs. David Van Zyl (ZAF)
HEAT 11: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Dylan Lightfoot (ZAF)
HEAT 12: Beyrick De Vries (ZAF) vs. Andrew Doheny (USA)
HEAT 13: Marco Fernandez (BRA) vs. Nathan Carvalho (HAW)
HEAT 14: Matt-Lewis Hewitt (NZ) vs. Evan Thompson (USA)
HEAT 15: Keanu Asing (HAW) vs. Soli Bailey (AUS)
HEAT 16: Dean Bowen (AUS) vs. Hiroto Arai (JPN)
The Billabong World Junior Championship is supported by the Queensland Government, through Events Queensland.
The Billabong World Junior Championships Gold Coast is brought to you by Monster Energy Drink, Sony, Events QLD, Sony Ericsson, VonZipper, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Surfing Queensland, ASL magazine and Burleigh Boardriders.


text: Has anyone else noticed that 97.1 is now the old 1460. Great move. You can finally hear the station after 6 pm, and outside of 270. One interesting side not about the change, the switch from AM to FM and higher quality sound makes all of their voices sound completely different. I didn't even recognize Hooley in the afternoon.


text:
Despite recent declines, Louisiana should have an adequate supply of public school teachers for the next five years, state officials said Tuesday.
The forecast was prepared by Mark Brantley, a consultant for the Education Estimating Conference, which tracks public school trends.
"In the aggregate, there appears to be a surplus of teachers to meet the near term demand for classroom teachers," according to the 36-page report.
Teacher ranks have dropped for two consecutive years and are likely to do so again in the current one.
The total dipped from 50,004 in 2009-10 to 48,066 in 2011-12.
Another reduction to 47,366 teachers is forecast for the current school year.
But Brantley's report predicts that teacher numbers will then rise for the next four school years, to 49,042 by the 2016-17 school year.
About 3,000 new teachers per year will stem from new certifications, 500 through a visa program to attract teachers from other countries and about 50 per year for out-of-state teachers who meet certification standards.
While teacher ranks fluctuate, the report did not spell out why the numbers would grow over the next five years.
Brantley also said the breakdown of new and veteran teachers shows a good mix by looking at those who are vested — eligible for retirement benefits — and non-vested.
However, Brantley said individual school districts may experience shortages, including when it comes to those who teach special education, mathematics and science.
Most teachers who leave the profession either retired — nearly 25 percent — or were forced out by layoffs — 18 percent, according to exit interviews for the 2010-11 school year.
Personal reasons account for another 13 percent, according to the study.
Mary-Patricia Wray, legislative and political director for the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, questioned predictions that the state will have plenty of teachers over the next five years.
Wray said the outlook is based in part on suspect student enrollment projections.
Brantley's review says the state should have an adequate supply of teachers for the next five years despite a predicted growth in the student population.
That total is expected to rise to nearly 658,000 students by 2017, compared with an estimated 638,000 in the current school year.
In another area, Louisiana's dropout rate declined from 18,665 students in 2005-06 to 10,520 in 2009-10 and 9,376 in 2010-11.
The improvement likely stems from a push by the state to improve its high school graduation rate to 80 percent by 2014.


text:
Carissa, I've heard Blood and Chocolate is a good werewolf book, although I've never gone around to reading it myself.
Chloe those cupcakes look yummy!! I can make cupcakes and frosting, but I sure can't make them look pretty. Well, I suppose it is the taste that counts in the end.
I don't mind writing essays as long as I like the subject. Especially persuasive essays, those are fun. Wow, I'm a dork. But DBQ's are not very fun. Basically, you have to analyze a set of historical documents and make it sound fancy and good.
And I also write. I'm not into fanfic because I'm so worried I'd screw up someone else's characters. I'm currently editing my book Turned which I'm self publishing and it should be out sometime in June. If I can get myself to edit. Is it just me is or editing absolutely horrible? Necessary, but horrible. I feel so stupid when I'm editing and always think, "This is crap! No one's gonna like this!" Not good for my self-esteem.


text:
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text:
Dickey feels ready to compete in Classic
By Gregor Chisholm / MLB.com
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- R.A. Dickey feels confident with the way his first couple of outings in Spring Training went and believes he's ready to take the next step at the World Baseball Classic.
Dickey's time in Blue Jays' camp is about to go on hiatus as he's set to join Team USA for the upcoming tournament. He could be away until March 19, but a lot of that will depend on how the United States fares against its competition.
With plenty on the line, the intensity level is about to dramatically increase, but that's just fine for Toronto's No. 1 starter.
"I think for me, because I felt good today, I know I can step on the gas a little bit more and it'll be OK," said Dickey, who allowed three runs in three innings against Philadelphia on Saturday. "It's good timing because I'm going into a very competitive situation.
"Today was a big stepping stone towards that. I went down and threw another inning in the bullpen. I'm going to have nights in Toronto when I give up two or three in the first or second inning and I still have to fight through six or seven innings. It's a good exercise, even mentally for me."
Dickey's outing versus the Phillies got off to a rough start as he surrendered a pair of back-to-back doubles and a two-run shot to Ryan Howard in the first inning.
The three-run frame put Toronto in an early deficit, but he quickly settled down and retired six of the final seven batters he faced. The numbers might appear to be somewhat inconsistent through two starts, but it generally takes Dickey a little while in spring to get a feel for the knuckleball.
The later in camp it gets, the more effective the pitch becomes. He also still has to add approximately three miles per hour to the knuckleball, and that's expected to happen in his first start for Team USA.
Joining Dickey at the Classic will be Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia. United States manager Joe Torre has yet to announce his plans for playing time, but it's expected that the pair will be used together whenever Dickey is on the mound.
"I anticipate him catching me and I'm pretty sure that's what Joe Torre is thinking," Dickey said. "I don't want to speak for him, but he knows we've been working hard together and that first game I'm sure he's going to want me to feel comfortable and throwing [Joe] Mauer or [Jonathan] Lucroy having not had any experience with me doesn't seem like the smartest decision. But that's up to him."
Johnson glad to start camp completely healthy
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Josh Johnson is taking some pleasure in the fact that he can finally settle into a normal Spring Training routine.
Last year, Johnson's early work was focused on rehabbing from a right shoulder injury the previous season. Johnson had recovered by the time camp rolled around, but was still in definite need of improving his arm strength.
This year, there do not appear to be any health concerns. Johnson says everything with his arm and mechanics are flowing smoothly and now it's just a matter of fine tuning his repertoire before the start of the season.
"This feels a little easier," Johnson said. "Last spring it seemed like everything mechanically was just off, and then once I got to the season it was even worse than that. Even when I was down here early everything came natural.
"Finally felt that natural movement where I could do it and not think about it. Not have to sit there and tell myself to stay back, do this. The checklist is going down, just let it happen now."
Johnson made his second -- and final -- relief appearance of the spring on Saturday afternoon against Philadelphia. He allowed a solo homer to Carlos Ruiz, but besides that, he was perfect through his two innings of work.
The 29-year-old will now transition back into the starting role he's expected to have all year. The only reason he began the spring pitching out of the bullpen was to help R.A. Dickey line up his outings prior to the World Baseball Classic.
The early work so far has been mostly related to fastball command, but along the way, he has experimented with a new sinker to left-handed hitters while also tossing the occasional curveball. One of the next steps will be adding his slider into the mix.
"It'll just come naturally. You keep throwing it in bullpens, flat ground," Johnson said. "I think once you get into that four innings, five innings, six innings, once you get later into games, everything gets a lot sharper. I usually get better later in games."
Reyes relishing hot start to spring
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The calendar has only recently been turned to March, but already Jose Reyes appears as though he's in mid-season form.
Reyes has been one of the Blue Jays' most impressive hitters at the plate this spring. He is hitting .643 (9-for-14) with a home run, three RBIs, a stolen base and four runs scored in five games.
The production from Reyes couldn't have come at a better time for the Dominican Republic. Reyes is set to leave Toronto's Spring Training complex on Sunday to join his national team for the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
"Not that quickly," Reyes said when asked if he's usually a fast starter at the plate during camp. "But this year [my swing] has been ready. But I've been working hard to try to put my swing together as soon as possible because I know I have to go to the WBC."
Reyes is expected to start at shortstop and lead off for the Dominicans just like he would in Toronto. His team is set to begin the tournament in Puerto Rico with the first game on March 7 against Venezuela.
The 29-year-old Reyes will be joined by a slew of Blue Jays including Edwin Encarnacion, Moises Sierra and Ricardo Nanita. Right-hander Esmil Rogers and Melky Cabrera originally were expected to participate as well, but recently withdrew while Jose Bautista did not receive permission to play from the Blue Jays because of last year's wrist injury.
It should prove to be an electric atmosphere in Puerto Rico as plenty of Dominicans live in the area or will make the relatively short trip to watch their stars play on the international stage. It's the type of environment that Reyes says he thrives under.
"I like that, I like the energy," Reyes said. "I'm the kind of guy who plays better when I have a lot of people in the ballpark. I like the energy and the atmosphere.
"I'm feeling good at home plate right now. I'm seeing the ball good, good timing for me because we're going to the WBC, we're going to start playing in a couple of days, but I feel ready."
The other Blue Jays set to appear in the Classic include R.A. Dickey, J.P. Arencibia for the United States and Brett Lawrie, Adam Loewen and Trystan Magnuson for Team Canada.
Worth noting
• Colby Rasmus appears to be on track to return to the Blue Jays' lineup early next week. Rasmus has been out since Wednesday with a sore right shoulder, but could be back in the lineup Tuesday versus Baltimore.
• Utilityman Mark DeRosa was held out of Toronto's lineup on Saturday afternoon versus Philadelphia because of a sore back. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said it was possible that the veteran infielder would be able to play on Sunday.
Gregor Chisholm is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, North of the Border, and follow him on Twitter @gregorMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text: There has been at least one case. And due to the lawsuit, they will not triage, but transport. It's not right. Total agreement here, except that its both conservatives and liberals who should be working to address this, so that the money that IS spent, is spent right. "Right" as in "not wasted."


text:
Physicalism, Behaviorism and Incompleteness
The content of this paper contains four parts. (1) First, physicalism gives the enlightenments to behaviorism: mind-body identity, objectivity like physics and completeness of reduction. (2) Secondly, there are difficulties which behaviorist could not overcome—both the reduction of the theory and the terms are unreliable, and the strict distinction between introspective method and inter-subjective method is also untenable. (3) Thirdly, It has inevitable incompleteness in one theory no matter what it claims due to the limitations of human cognition. (4) Finally, the author concludes that we should treat various theories in a "both this and that" but "either this or that" way. Therefore, we should admit the contribution of behaviorism and its model philosophy—physicalism, although they has failed in seeking for completeness.
Full Text:PDF
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ass.v7n5p203
Asian Social Science ISSN 1911-2017 (Print) ISSN 1911-2025 (Online)
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text:
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text:
GRAMMYs On The Road With Dee-1 And Kourtney Heart
The Recording Academy Memphis Chapter played host for GRAMMYs On The Road At The 2012 Essence Music Festival held July 5–8 in New Orleans. The Chapter conducted exclusive backstage interviews with artists performing at the festival, including hip-hop artist Dee-1 and R&B/pop singer/songwriter Kourtney Heart.
Dee-1 discussed the atmosphere of the 2012 Essence Music Festival, how New Orleans has inspired him as an artist and advice for aspiring artists, among other topics.
"I think the essence of [the] Essence [Music] Festival is positive vibes, and the expectation is real high when it comes to the music [attendees] expect to hear," said Dee-1. "All the performers definitely have to bring their A game."
Born David Augustine in New Orleans, Dee-1 attended Louisiana State University and subsequently became a middle school teacher in Baton Rouge, La., as a means to fund his music-related projects. With lyrics that focus on self-empowerment and the development of what he calls "mission vision," Dee-1 released several mixtapes, including Still We Rise (2006) and I Am Who I Am (2008). In 2009 Dee-1 independently released his first full-length album, David & Goliath. A year later he founded his own record label, OMAR Entertainment, which stands for One Man Army Rebel. Dee-1's most recent release is an 18-track mixtape, I Hope They Hear Me Vol. 2, the follow-up to 2010's I Hope They Hear Me Vol. 1.5. Dee-1's next project, The Focus Tape, is set for release in September. Dee-1 has toured with hip-hop artists such as Akon, Drake, Lupe Fiasco, Lil Wayne, the Roots, and Trey Songz, among others.
Heart discussed attending the Essence Music Festival as a fan, her musical beginnings and how she chose to become an artist.
"I don't really think it's a choice," said Heart of her career path. "I think it's just natural. It's just in my being because everything I do always migrates back to music. If I was a veterinarian I'd probably be singing to animals."
A New Orleans native, Heart's sound spans R&B and pop and draws on such influences as Beyoncé, Brandy, Paramore's Hayley Williams, and Rihanna. Heart developed a love for performing at an early age and began singing in church, which led to performances at various events and talent shows. In 2009 Heart was discovered at a local talent show by DJ Raj Smoove and subsequently released her first single "Spell It Out." The single "My Boy" followed and in 2010 she released her debut EP Eye Dee Kay. Heart subsequently signed with Jive Records, but was later released from her contract after the label was merged into Epic Label Group in 2011. Earlier this year she independently released A Gemini's Diary, which features the single "Runaway." Heart has plans to release a new album later this year.


text:
Rayburn graduated from Arkansas Polytechnic College (ATU), served in the U.S. Army and was a terminal manager with CITGO for 40 years in North Carolina. He enjoyed traveling the world.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Dorothy Frances Farish.
Survivors include two brothers, Don Richey of Livermore, Calif. and Robert Richey of Russellville; two sisters, Aliene Martin of Bloomington, Ill., Betty Shingleur of Russellville and many loving nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012 at New Rosemont Cemetery in Benton, with burial to follow by Humphrey Funeral Service.
Internet obituary and online guest book are available at www.humphreyfuneral.com.


text:
I've decided to move from manual postfix configuration (done following the workaround.org turorials) to iRedMail
I've tested the setup on VirtualBox instance first with no issues.
I then tried to repeat the setup on a real server. The main difference probably is the ssh server is pre-installed. But the image is also the minimal server (nothing on it other than the sshd).
when iRedMail came to the postfix setup it gets stuck not finding the main.cf file:
postconf: fatal: open /etc/postfix/main.cf for reading: No such file or directory
I've then messed around but well... not the way. I've reinstalled the server and started over. Unlucky me with the same result (see complete console output attached, i've changed to domain and hostname in the text file)
I've stopped the iRedMail setup, deleted the config file, copied the main.cf:
cp /usr/share/postfix/main.cf.debian /etc/postfix/main.cf
and started iRedMail setup again, this time with no issues.
The tools seem to run. Roundcube hat a quick popup because of some sieve mail filter connection (too quickly gone to read)
I've also added the workaround mentioned in the comments at: http://code.google.com/p/iredmail/wiki/ … _on_Ubuntu
(to remove a race condition in fail2ban)
Now is the result of the setup probably ok or is this also considered as messing around?
Thanks a lot!
kind regards


text:
Life is a bit different in space, even for microbes. Research shows that the pattern of gene activity in some microbes differs in weightlessness, leading to differences in behavior. These differences could be behind a curious observation: the common food-borne pathogen salmonella becomes more virulent when grown in a form of simulated microgravity.
This news is little comfort to astronauts whose immune systems already function below par in weightlessness, making infection more likely. To help keep astronauts healthy and to better understand microbial infection in general, scientists want to know exactly which genes are affected by microgravity and why weightlessness--whether real or simulated--should cause these changes.
Above: A false-color micrograph of the disease-causing microbe salmonella. Image courtesy Avinash Abhyankar.
"Whenever you see the virulence of a microbe change in response to an environmental stimulus, that's a chance to learn something about how that pathogen causes disease," says Cheryl Nickerson, an expert in microbiology and immunology at Tulane University Health Sciences Center.
Nickerson and her colleagues hope that studying these changes could point out new ways to combat "bad" microbes with drugs and vaccines, both for the sake of astronauts exposed to extra-virulent microbes and for people here on the ground. Using modern advances in biotechnology and the weightlessness provided by the International Space Station (ISS), they will explore the changes in gene expression experienced by microbes in the true weightlessness of spaceflight.
Their first experiment, called "Yeast GAP", will send genetically engineered brewer's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) up to the space station aboard a Russian Progress rocket in early 2004.
Brewer's yeast is not itself pathogenic. Nevertheless, "yeast cells make a great 'model organism' for this research because they're easily handled, thoroughly studied, and their genome has been completely mapped," says Nickerson, the principal investigator of Yeast GAP. Furthermore, brewer's yeast shares much of its DNA with infectious species of microscopic fungi and protozoans. "Also, the yeast's genome is relatively simple, which makes the results easier to analyze," she says.
Left: The single-celled fungus Saccharomyces cerevisiae, also known as brewer's yeast. Image courtesy David Byres, Florida Community College at Jacksonville.
Still, the challenge is formidable. The brewer's yeast genome contains 6,312 genes, each of which produces one of the proteins that constitute the molecular machinery of the cell. To get a grip on this immense complexity, the researchers will send up 6,312 variants of the single-celled yeast. Each variant has a different gene "knocked out" and replaced with a unique "barcode" pattern of custom-made DNA. This barcode DNA does not encode a protein; it merely serves as a tag distinguishing that particular variant from all the others.
"We mix all these different strains of yeast in a special growth apparatus (called the Group Activation Pack, hence the acronym GAP) and see which ones grow well in weightlessness," explains Timothy Hammond, co-investigator for Yeast GAP and a kidney specialist (nephrologist) at Tulane University Health Sciences Center and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in New Orleans.
Suppose a yeast variant is missing some particular gene--let's call it "gene X." And suppose that variant fails to grow as well in space as it does on the ground. Such a result would imply that the missing gene "X" is an essential part of the yeast's response to microgravity.
That little nugget of knowledge would then help guide future research: scientists could target their experiments to see how the protein produced by gene X relates to the changes in various microbes' behaviors in space--including microbes that cause disease.
Above: Growing cells remain suspended in microgravity--a difference from ground-based cultures that could be cueing differences in gene expression. Image courtesy NASA.
Why should any kind of cell behave differently in microgravity? No one's sure, but scientists have some ideas. For example: perhaps cells sense deformations in their sack-like membranes and respond to that signal. Cells cultured in 1-g normally settle to the bottom of their container and become flattened, while cells floating in weightlessness remain more round. That difference could be cueing changes in gene expression.
Nickerson and others are exploring this idea on the ground using a "microgravity simulator" developed by NASA's Johnson Space Center. Called the "rotating wall vessel bioreactor", it mimics the conditions of weightlessness for microbes by growing them inside of a slowly rotating liquid-filled chamber. The rotation of the liquid counteracts the slow sedimentation of the cells, thereby creating a constant "free-fall" of the cells through the culture medium. Cells feel a slight sheer as they move through the liquid--a difference from true weightlessness that could affect their behavior--but like cells in orbit, they avoid becoming flattened on the bottom of the container. (It was using this bioreactor that Nickerson first noticed the increased virulence of salmonella.)
Right: A commercially available version of the rotating wall bioreactor developed by NASA's Johnson Space Center. Image courtesy Synthecon, Inc.
Apparently, the bioreactor's approximation of weightlessness works rather well. An earlier experiment by Hammond showed that a strain of brewer's yeast grown on the ground in the bioreactor showed many of the same changes in behavior as yeast grown onboard the space shuttle. Exploring the similarities and differences in how cells react to this bioreactor environment versus true microgravity will be another important outcome of Yeast GAP, Hammond says. If the rotating bioreactor proves sufficiently similar to the orbital environment, it could provide a cheaper and more convenient way to study microbes in microgravity-like conditions.
Whether performed in true or simulated weightlessness, this line of research could help unravel the genetic basis of infection--a bit of knowledge that would help astronauts and land-lovers alike to live a little healthier.
|More Information
Biological and Physical Research on the ISS -- NASA's Office
of Biological and Physical Research supports research on the International Space Station
Yeast GAP fact sheet -- from Marshall Space Flight Center
Antibiotics in Space -- (Science@NASA) Test tubes of bacteria produce more antibiotics in space than they do on Earth. Researchers aren't sure why ... but they aim to find out.
Patches for a broken heart -- (Science@NASA) Using a space-age device called a bioreactor, researchers have grown patches of tissue that beat and respond much like a human heart does.
BioServe Space Technologies -- a non-profit, NASA-sponsored Research Partnership Center (RPC) located at the University of Colorado in Boulder that developed the Group Activation Pack experiment apparatus used in the Yeast GAP experiment
Bioreactor brief for educators -- with instructions on how to build a classroom bioreactor
The genetics of brewer's yeast -- a thorough introduction by Fred Sherman of the University of Rochester Medical School
Background on brewer's yeast -- from the University of British Columbia
Synthecon -- a commercial company marketing the rotating bioreactor technology developed by NASA
Journal references:
Nickerson, C.A., Ott, C.M., Mister, S.J., Morrow, B.J., Burns-Keliher, L., and Piersons, D.L., "Microgravity as a Novel Environmental Signal Affecting Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Virulence," Infection and Immunity, 68(6), 3147-3152 (2000).
Wilson, J.W., Ramamurthy, R., Porwollik, S., McClelland, M., Hammond, T., Allen, P., Ott, C.M., Pierson, D.L., and Nickerson, C.A., "Microarray analysis identifies Salmonella genes belonging to the low-shear modeled microgravity regulon," Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., 99(21), 13807-13812 (2002)
Johanson, K., Allen, P.L., Lewis, F., Cubano, L.A., Hyman, L.E., Hammond, T.G., "Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene expression changes during rotating wall vessel suspension culture," J Appl Physiol, 93, 2171-2180 (2002)
Nickerson, C.A., Ott, M.C., Wilsona, J.W., Ramamurthry, R., LeBlanca, C.L., Bentrupa, K.H., Hammond, T., Piersons, D.L., "Low-shear modeled microgravity: a global environmental regulatory signal affecting bacterial gene expression, physiology, and pathogenesis," J Microbiological Methods, 54, 1-11 (2003)