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December 15, 2004 MAR-05 RR:CR:SM 563127 NL
CATEGORY: Marking
Judith A. Lee, Esq.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP 1050 Connecticut Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036-5306
Re: Country of Origin; Substantial Transformation; Rough Rubies Mined in Burma; Heat Treatment, Cutting and Polishing
Dear Ms. Lee:
This is in reply to your letter dated September 28, 2004, on behalf of Tiffany & Company (Tiffany) concerning the rules of origin applicable to rubies mined in Burma that subsequently are processed in other countries. You seek a prospective ruling that the rough stones undergo substantial transformation and thus would be no longer be considered products of Burma for purposes of the Burma Sanctions Regulations (19 CFR Part 537) and Executive Order (EO) 13310 (July 28, 2003).
Effective August 30, 2003, the importation into the United States of any article that is a product of Burma is prohibited, subject to certain Presidential waiver powers. Executive Order 13310, Sec. 3. Interpretive guidance concerning the identification of a good as a product of Burma, issued on November 5, 2003 by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury, stated:
If under the Customs Rules of Origin, the Burmese [goods were] "substantially transformed," then the goods would not be considered products of Burma and are not prohibited from importation by Executive Order 13310. The U.S. Customs Service [now U.S. Customs and Border Protection] is the primary authority that could ultimately determine whether or not a good is of Burmese originģ
http://www.treas.gov/offices/eotffc/ofac/rulings/bu120103.pdf. On the basis of this guidance you are requesting a determination by CBP as to whether rough rubies mined in Burma are products of Burma or other countries. The request concerns only rubies with faceted cuts, to the exclusion of other rubies, including cabochon cut or smooth rubies with no facets. As set forth in the submission, the rough rubies mined in Burma would be processed in another country to produce cut and polished rubies of gemstone quality. The production steps are as follows:
Sorting and removal of extraneous materials.
Rough sawing to give general shape and to remove remaining extraneous materials.
Heat treatment. The rough stones are packed in a clay crucible which is fired after drying. The choice of temperature, duration and other firing process techniques are stated to be matters of skill, judgment and experience that can greatly affect the result, particularly the color of the stone.
Pre-forming. This grinding process produces an outline of the shape and proportions of the finished gem. The stone is ground so as to maximize value and minimize the danger of breakage along cleavage planes. This step also is stated to require skill, judgment and experience.
Faceting. Secured in a special tool that allows precise alignment against the cutting wheel, the artisan first cuts numerous facets in the crown, or top of the stone, before reversing and re-securing the stone to facet the pavillion, or lower portion of the stone.
Polishing. A separate polishing wheel is used to produce the smoothest possible surface on each facet.
By these operations a rough ruby becomes a gemstone ruby.
Does the cutting and polishing of a rough ruby result in substantial transformation of the rough ruby?
Ā Section 134.1(b), Customs Regulations (19 CFR 134.1(b)), defines "country of origin" as:
The country of manufacture, production, or growth of any article of foreign origin entering the United States. Further work or material added to an article in another country must effect a substantial transformation in order to render such other country the "country of origin" within the meaning of this part; however for a good of a NAFTA country, the NAFTA Marking Rules will determine the country of origin.
Accordingly, the country of origin of an article is the country in which it was wholly manufactured or, if processed in several countries, the country in which the article last underwent a substantial transformation. The well-established test for determining whether a substantial transformation has occurred is derived from language enunciated by the court in Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association v. United States, 207 U.S. 556, 562 (1908), which defined the term "manufacture" as follows:
Manufacture implies a change, but every change is not manufacture and yet every change in an article is the result of treatment, labor and manipulation. But something more is necessary, as set forth and illustrated in Hartranft v. Wiegmann, 121 U.S. 609. There must be transformation; a new and different article must emerge, having a distinctive name, character or use.
Simply stated, a substantial transformation occurs "when an article emerges from a process with a new name, character, or use different from that possessed by the article prior to processing." See Texas Instruments, Inc. v. United States, 69 CCPA 152, 681 F.2d 778 (1982) (cited with approval in Torrington Co. v. United States, 764 F. 2d 1563, 1568 (1985)). The issue of whether a substantial transformation occurs is determined on a case-by-case basis.
CBP has considered the very similar question of whether cutting and polishing a raw diamond results in substantial transformation in a number of determinations. The consistent outcome has been an answer in the affirmative. In Treasury Decision (T.D.) 44370 (November 17, 1930), it was held that diamonds mined in South Africa and cut and finished in Holland are products of Holland for country of origin marking purposes. This rule has been followed in, for example, Headquarters Ruling (HQ) 556457 (March 5, 1992) (cutting a gem quality rough diamond by cleaving or sawing, and putting 52 facets on each diamond transforms an article with numerous potential uses to one dedicated to a single use as a gem); and New York Ruling (NY) J80098 (January 15, 2003) (rough diamonds that are cut, faceted and polished in Thailand undergo substantial transformation for purposes of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP)).
With regard to the production of finished gemstone rubies, the rulings cited above are appropriately viewed as supporting the position asserted by Tiffany. More specifically, CBP recently has ruled on the processing of raw rubies from Burma. In NY K85866 (May 14, 2004), the National Commodity Specialist Division, CBP, ruled that the cutting and polishing in Austria of raw ruby material originating in Burma resulted in substantial transformation for country of origin marking purposes.
With regard to TiffanyÆs request, CBP believes that the CBP rule as set out in the determinations above applies to the heat treatment, cutting and polishing of Burmese-origin raw rubies. The processing will result in substantial transformation such that the finished gemstones are considered products of the country in which such operations are carried out. The fact that the processing of the raw rubies also includes heat treatment as set out above adds further weight to this conclusion.
The processing of Burmese-origin raw rubies in other countries by heat treatment, cutting and polishing to make finished gemstones results in substantial transformation. The finished stones are no longer considered products of Burma.
A copy of this ruling letter should be attached to the entry documents filed at the time the goods are entered. If the documents have been filed without a copy, this ruling should be brought to the attention of the Customs officer handling the transaction.
Sincerely, Myles B. Harmon, Director, Commercial Rulings Division


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AVmail: February 4, 2013
Letter of the Week: Who Should Pay?
Regarding the story about iPad apps for aviation: Compare the cost of an iPad app to that of FAA paper publications needed.
Why shouldn't the FAA be compensated for gathering the data that goes to the app-makers? Why, and how, do people think they are entitled to something for nothing? Or, in Mr. Goldstein's case, pay nothing at wholesale so they can add some value and sell at retail. Come on.
John Sullivan
How to Find Me
Regarding the "Question of the Week": I use a handheld 406/121.5 MHz/GPS PLB, and I fly often. The RV-8A I built has a 121 MHz ELT in the tail.
Brad Snodgrass
Since I rent, I don't have much choice in installed equipment. I carry a 406 PLB, since my days in CAP taught me the 121.5 ELT in the tail is only useful as ballast.
John Clear
We have a 406 MHz ELT and carry a survival kit but haven't adopted ADS-B yet. It's still not fully implemented in the area we fly.
Jim McNeill
Pilots as Targets
Regarding the story about shots hitting an aircraft, there needs to be more public notice of this problem. It happens too often.
It usually gets into court and the charges are dropped or reduced to nothing. I was shot at 12 times, and the aircraft was hit three times with a .270 deer rifle. The guy only got six months. I guess pilots are not that important to the general public.
Wayne Slaughter
Lock Issues
I read your article about key locks, and all the problems seem to have to do with the key; don't lose your key, don't give it to someone, don't get it duplicated, or that someone may be able to "bump" your lock with a similar key. So, what about combination locks? Doesn't this solve all those problems? What's your view?
Crista Worthy
The article about how to defeat locks by Dave Hook was interesting and woefully useless.
So, what does he suggest? Tripwires? Booby traps? 24-hour video surveillance with alarms on doors? Armed guards in the hangar?
Come on, AVweb, if you run an article about how easy it is to neutralize the security of hangars and aircraft locks, please wrap it up with some useful suggestions. ... Discuss some economical and effective security measures, including effective locks!
John Townsley
Read AVmail from other weeks here, and submit your own Letter to the Editor with this form.

subset: commoncrawl


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Ansel Adams Wilderness > Koip Peak > Climber's Log
Koip Peak Climber's Log
[ Sign the Climber's Log ]
|Koip and Kuna
Date Climbed: Aug 16, 2009
|Pretty terrain and a mellow trail. A worthwhile dayhike.
|Posted Aug 17, 2009 2:26 pm
|Koip & Kuna Peaks
Date Climbed: Jun 28, 2008
|Star from Mono Pass TH
|Posted Jul 23, 2008 12:36 am
|Ridge Traverse from Mono Pass TH
Date Climbed: Jul 8, 2008
|Nice dayhike. Lots of flowers. There were clouds, but they never really turned into anything. Climbed with Parker, Wood, and Kuna.
|Posted Jul 13, 2008 7:15 pm
|Koip from Parker Lake
Date Climbed: Oct 13, 2007
|Amazing views, will post pics later. Routefinding during ascent was challenging, as was descending the 'use' trail we discovered later.
|Posted Oct 14, 2007 10:03 pm
|Peak Baguette
|Route: Mono TH to East slope, Date: 07.22.07
Date Climbed: Jul 22, 2007
|I loved dancing around Dana Meadows on the hike in, but be warned: there's not a lot of shade on the approach so wear sunscreen (otherwise you'll be sporting the lobster/beet look like I am today). Someone placed a register earlier in July and I added a second one as well, so now there are two little memo books in the ammo box. mpbro's waypoints & TR were very helpful in navigating the occasionally ambiguous trail.
|Posted Jul 24, 2007 12:10 am
Date Climbed: Jul 9, 2007
|The middle summit of a long dayhike out of Mono Pass TH. Kuna was my favorite, but this one was all right too. Still no log book.
|Posted Jul 10, 2007 3:53 pm
|Missing log book...
Date Climbed: Jun 16, 2007
|An entertaining dayhike with nice views from the top. I also recommend checking out the remnants of the crashed (WWII?) plane on the ridge between Kuna and Koip!
It seems that while the ammunition container which previously contained the log book is still on the top of Koip, the log book itself is missing. If you're thinking about doing this hike, perhaps you would consider carrying an exercise book and pen up there to replace the ones that have gone missing?
|Posted Jun 17, 2007 7:51 pm
|Bob Suzuki's List Finish
Date Climbed: Sep 16, 2006
|Bob Suzuki finished the SPS list, with 29 friends, 1 bottle of Champange, beer, brownies, and Swiss chocolates. After-party at Oh-Ridge with pizzas from Whoa Nellie. (Full trip report at climber.org.)
|Posted Sep 26, 2006 1:40 am
Date Climbed: Sep 17, 2006
|Camped at Parker Pass, bypassed switchbacks by climbing the snowfield on the NW face of Koip. Came down via the switchbacks.
|Posted Sep 19, 2006 3:29 am
|Quick hike
Date Climbed: Jul 21, 2002
|Quick hike up shattered rock from the pass during a backpack trip.
|Posted Sep 11, 2006 6:05 am
|Route Climbed: East slope from Koip Peak Pass Date Climbed: July 30, 2005
|Beautiful views of Ritter/Banner, Lyell and many Yosemite peaks. Camped at Parker Pass. Climbed Gibbs next day. Wish we had bagged Kuna, too. This was an SPS trip. See pictures at http://community.webshots.com/user/langenbacher .
|Posted Oct 1, 2005 8:58 pm
|Eric L
|Route Climbed: East Slope from Dana Meadows Date Climbed: 17 Aug 2005
|I climbed this peak with a SPS group. We hiked in and set up camp around Parker pass then hiked up the peak. We hiked out the next day. A fun trip and easy climb. I would like to go back and climb the glaciers around the peak.
|Posted Aug 28, 2005 10:36 pm
|Matthew Holliman
|Route Climbed: East Slopes Date Climbed: Oct 1, 2004
|An easy but pleasant morning stroll from the Mono Pass TH, warm-up for a slog up Taboose Pass the next day. Clouds were building up pretty early so I skipped the usual add-on of Kuna Peak. Maybe if it were on the SPS List...!
|Posted Nov 22, 2004 12:24 am
|Bob Burd
|Route Climbed: East Slopes Date Climbed: Aug 13, 2004
|I went back mostly to tag Parker Peak and Mt. Wood. Then climbed Koip, traversed over to Kuna, then got stormed off as I was traversing north to Mammoth Peak. Trip Report
|Posted Oct 19, 2004 2:20 pm
|Route Climbed: East slope from Koip Pass Date Climbed: July 27, 2003
|I did this and Kuna Peak as a dayhike from Dana Meadows. A very nice hike except for the altitude (I drove up from sea level that morning).
|Posted Aug 4, 2003 7:26 pm
|Joe Hanssen
|Route Climbed: East Slope Date Climbed: July 14 '02
|I enjoyed the approach more then the climb, although views from the top were great from Ritter and Lyell to Dana. I started early to beat forcasted thunderstorms, reached the top at 9:30 am. After traversing to and from Kuna, I hiked up to Parker, 20 minutes from Koip Pass. Solo
|Posted Jul 29, 2002 6:37 pm
|Route Climbed: via Koip Peak pass, east Date Climbed: July 20, 2001
|Fun with a rewarding view. There was a 6 foot swatch of snow that had me sweatin' a bit.
|Posted Mar 22, 2002 7:15 pm
|Bob Burd
|Route Climbed: From Koip Peak Pass Date Climbed: Oct 9, 1998
|Ah, the fun of going from sea level to 13,000 feet in less than 12 hours. Nice half-day hike, and you can include Kuna Peak if you have a little more energy and time. Kuna is higher than Koip, and has the distinction of being the third highest peak in Yosemite (there are only three peaks over 13,000 ft in YNP). Trip report.
|Posted Aug 26, 2001 5:39 pm
|Route Climbed: East slopes via Koip Peak Pass Date Climbed: July 1, 2000
|trip report is here.
|Posted Jul 10, 2001 11:43 am


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What do you get when you add 80 tons of snow, a few thousand riders, 90 degrees of summer heat, and Southern California's Closest Winter Resort? The answer: One Hell of a good time at Mountain High's second annual Buck Off party.
The event began at 5am with a fleet of trucks departing the North Hollywood Ice Company and heading to Wrightwood. After a short detour (IE getting lost) they arrived at Mountain High's East Resort and the Faultline terrain crew began unloading the frozen goodness. More than 80 tons of blocked ice was run through giant chippers and sprayed into the jib arena. Enthusiasm grew by the minute, and by the time the snow was ready to ride, the crowd was ready to explode.
The course consisted of seven features and riders such as Scott Vine, Cory Whetstone, Kyle Lopiccolo, Zak Hale, Laurie Currier, and the infamous "LeNard tore them to shreds. If taking in the sun and snow wasn't enough, there were plenty of other activities to keep participants busy that afternoon. A massive vendor village sat on the deck with some of the industries most recognized brands, Venison burgers char broiled on the grill, and, off in the distance, a live rail painting exhibition produced by frustr8.com took place. Steven Lopez and his crew put their artistic touches on six of Mountain High's most popular rails and the finished products ended up being nothing short of incredible. The event wound up with a skateboard contest on the deck and live performances by Pensativa & Ferona Vei.
Says John McColly, Director of Marketing, "It's great to see so much hard work come together. This has become an annual event for us and each year it gets bigger and bigger.
The Freedom Pass sale is still underway but if guests are looking to save they need to act soon! Passes are selling fast at $299, and after the next 5,000 are sold, prices will jump to $599. Season Passes can be ordered at mthigh.com, toll-free at 888-754-7878, or at the Mountain High Season Pass office. Operating hours are Monday through Saturday from 10:00am to 6:00pm and Sundays from 10:00am to 4:00pm.


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In this series, Creative Strategies for Coping with Rising Costs, I will discuss the ways I am saving money and cutting costs in order to maintain our lifestyle as prices increase. You can read Part One: Back to Basics here and Part Two: The Drugstore Game here.
The first two part of this series discusses fairly time-consuming measures if you've never kept a price book or played The Drugstore Game. So in Part Three, I want to discuss ways to find the time to do these things. Unfortunately, there's no totally painless way – if you weren't doing these things already, you'll have to make some changes. My goal in this article is to suggest the easiest ways to make time.
Here are some ideas for finding blocks of time to implement your cost-cutting measures:
- If you work, use your lunch hour. You can take the weekly circulars and cell-phone pictures you've collected and enter them into your price book to get started. Or, if there's a drugstore nearby, you could head there at lunchtime. This is also a good time to plan a menu, if you are using meal-planning as a way to save money (bring the grocery store circulars to work so you can plan your menu around what's on sale).
- Trade baby-sitting time with a friend. You can watch her kids while she goes to the drugstore and vice versa.
- Create your price book with a friend who lives in your area. You can divide responsibilities by store or by category. Better yet, do both – trade the raw figures that you've collected, fill out the price book page for the items assigned to you, and then make copies of the pages so that you each have a complete book. Your price book will be done in half the time (even less if you get more than one friend involved).
- Go shopping after the kids are asleep. Personally, I hate shopping late at night, but I have friends who love it.
- Get your spouse on board. My husband is very accommodating about stopping at a drugstore on the way somewhere. If we're all together, I'll just run in and grab the deal I need, but he will also go by himself if I am clear about what the deal is.
These are the ideas I came up with. If you have suggestions to add, please leave a comment!
And remember, once you've created your price book and played The Drugstore Game a few times, the time commitment is greatly reduced.
Come back next Monday for the fourth part of the series on Unusual Ideas For Saving Money Without Reducing Your Standard Of Living. And don't miss the update on the first two posts in this series.


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RFF's Terry Davies urges immediate action on revised EPA regulation of nanotechnology
Dozens of new products are created each month through the use of nanotechnology, but there are still many unanswered questions relating to this technology and its effects. Is the nanotechnology industry regulated adequately? How should government be responding? Do we know enough about the potential health risks or environmental damage this technology could cause? During today's OnPoint, Terry Davies, senior adviser at the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies and a senior fellow at Resources for the Future, discusses his new report which seeks to provide an outline of how U.S. EPA and other federal agencies should revise their regulatory policies relating to nanotechnology. In the report, "EPA and Nanotechnology: Oversight for the 21st Century," Davies says it is imperative that EPA change regulations and laws relating to nanotechnology because of its widespread exposure. Davies, a former EPA assistant administrator for policy, planning and evaluation, also explains why he believes the promise of nanotechnology outweighs the potential risks.


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has any one ever seen the plastic looking counters or tables that people make/pour with coins under it? it looks to be like a real hard durable finish. does anyone know what it is called?
my daughter teaches 5th grade, and their science tables tops have all been really gouged up. and i was wondering what i/she could refinish the tops with.
what with school budget cuts etc. a refinish donation by mom or someone, would fit their budget.
any other recommendations for putting anything on top of the tables? what about a new formica roll. is that possible?
thanks ahead of time for any suggestions given.


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Piano 101: Short CoursesE. L. Lancaster & Kenon D. Renfrow - Alfred Music Publishing
Piano 101: Short CoursesE. L. Lancaster & Kenon D. Renfrow - Alfred Music Publishing
Ideal for continuing education classes or summer classes lasting 6-8 weeks, Piano 101: The Short Course, is designed especially for college non-music majors who want to study piano for fun. The book is divided into 6 units and serves as a basic introduction for adult students. Each lesson balances new information with materials that reinforce concepts presented in previous lessons. The Course is carefully paced. Unit One has students playing on the black key groups. Unit Two has students playing white keys but reading from pre-staff notation (letter names in note heads). It is not until Unit 4 that students begin reading from the grand staff in middle C position. Both the CD (included) and optional General MIDI Disk (sold separately) offer musically interesting and highly motivating accompaniments that range from simple drum patterns to full orchestrations.
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By Associated Press
The final buzzer sounded, and Metra Walthour flipped the ball into the air while some Georgia Tech teammates exchanged a few hugs at midcourt.
For the Yellow Jackets, the feeling was twofold: Relief to finally getting a win at this stage of the women's NCAA tournament, and determination not to let it be the last one.
Georgia Tech earned a spot in the second weekend after beating Georgetown 76-64 on March 20 in the second round of the Des Moines Regional behind 23 points from freshman Sydney Wallace.
"Way overdue, Georgia Tech being in the Sweet 16," coach MaChelle Joseph said.
Sasha Goodlett added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the fourth-seeded Yellow Jackets (26-8), who shot 50 percent and never let Georgetown get closer than eight in the second half to win for the 15th time in 18 games and prolong the best season in school history.
The Yellow Jackets ran past Sacred Heart 76-50 on March 18 in first round action on March 18.
Up next is their biggest challenge: A trip to Iowa to face Baylor – the tournament's top overall seed – on March 24 in the regional semifinals.
"We know we've never been to the Sweet 16 before, so we want to celebrate," Walthour said. "But this is not as far as we want to go. We're here to play, and we're confident and we know we're not done yet."
Sugar Rodgers had 14 points on 4-of-19 shooting and Tia Magee added 10 points for the fifth-seeded Hoyas (23-9), who were denied a second straight spot in the round of 16.
Georgetown didn't get closer than 10 in the final 12 minutes, with Alexa Roche's jumper pulling the Hoyas to 64-54 with 6 minutes left. Chelsea Regins followed that with a layup and Walthour added a 3-pointer with about 4 minutes to play to make it 69-54 – the Yellow Jackets' largest lead to that point.
"We had the right pace going – just at the wrong times we took a play off," Magee said. "And No. 23 (Wallace), she did a great job hitting shots. They just hit shots at the most crucial times, and every time we tried to fight back, throw a punch back, we couldn't get it rolling."
Walthour finished with 15 points and Regins added 14 for Georgia Tech, which had never won multiple games in any of its previous seven NCAA tournament appearances.
Wallace scored a season-high 28 points off the bench in her NCAA tournament debut against Sacred Heart, then followed that up with a performance nearly as impressive.
"I just came here with confidence, and I knew I had to step up for my senior leaders and just play my role," Wallace said.
Showing no hesitation whatsoever to pull the trigger, she hit nine of her 20 shots and buried five 3-pointers. She needed just 15 minutes to hit double figures, scoring 14 points in the first half on 6-of-12 shooting while helping give Georgia Tech a comfortable lead it would enjoy virtually the entire second half.
Neither team led by more than five points until late in the first half, when Wallace and Goodlett helped the Yellow Jackets begin to pull away. Wallace"s jumper in transition with 1 minute before the break capped an 18-6 run that gave the Yellow Jackets their first double-digit lead at 37-27. Georgia Tech then methodically increased its lead the rest of the way.


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Tabatha Coffey Shares Her Top Shampoo and Conditioner Tips
Tabatha Coffey: How to Get the Most Out of Your Shampoo and Conditioner
Editor's note: The following post is written by celebrity stylist, reality TV star, and author Tabatha Coffey. Do you know how to shampoo and condition? You may think you do, but the fact is that most people don't really know how and are using the wrong products for their hair type. As trivial as it they may seem, properly shampooing and conditioning your hair are actually the most important steps in your hair maintenance routine. When correctly selected and applied, shampoo and conditioner set the foundation for everything that comes after.
So what do they do? Put in the simplest terms, shampooing slightly opens up the cuticle, removing dirt, oil, and product buildup to create a clean, optimal environment for conditioning. Conditioning, meanwhile, delivers essential, nutrients and moisture, then seals the cuticle to keep hair healthy, balanced, and protected. Now that we have that down, let's get on to the details!


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Handy Eating Utensils and Gizmos For Toddlers
Handy Toddler-Friendly Gizmos For Snack Time
Handy Toddler-Friendly Gizmos For Snack Time
Snack time is often a blessing for moms because it keeps tots quiet, content, and occupied for at least a few minutes of the day — just enough time to make yourself a snack or put your feet up! But similar to breakfast, lunch, or dinner, snack time often means sticky hands, crushed crackers in the carpet, and spills you wish would just magically disappear. No more! Your cleanup count will drastically drop with the following inventions that keep food where it belongs — in the bowl, plate, or cup it was served in, and in your toddler's mouth. Ta-da!
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how long have I been a fan? SINCE I WAS IN DA FUCKING WOMB! SINCE DA KID WAS A FUCKING SPERM IN My POPPAs balls son GET ON MY LEVEL RAPS BEFORE LIFE BITCH! When the Doctor cut my cord he had to take off my JERSEY FIRST DIE HARD My first words were Raptors.
So many ups and downs, I gave up hope after Bosh left. It wasn't until they drafted Jonas that I said I would be interested once again, whenever he would join the team. Started watching again this past season because of him and haven't looked back. Now with Bargnani gone its a whole new vibe. Heres to the best of moments being ahead of us. Cheers
Ive been a fan of the Raptors since 2005, I used to be a Warrior fan but though I should follow a Canadian team due to the whole Commonwealth thingo.
During the early days I was a NBA.com box score fan as streaming over the internet was all but impossible on dialup.
These days due to the time difference i'm usually at work when a game is on but try to catch any games that fall on my weekend via first row.
My favorite memories were getting the number one pick in the 2006 NBA draft and again when said pick was cut loose.
And then on top of that it was the same night Valanciunas returned from his injury. What a fun game to be at, even thought the Clips were without Chris Paul I didn't think it would be a blowout the way it was lol I was a happy camper that night in Toronto
Got soooo excited when the wrangling about who would win the battle to get the expansion bid was going on. Lot's of great moments the first year. Alvin Robertson's opening game basket. Beating the Bulls. Jordan's quote about Zan Tabak (paraphrasing) "I never heard of this guy and now we're double teaming him?"
Suffered through with them pretty much all the way. Listened to games on the radio when they weren't being broadcast, or I was on the road. One season (four years ago?) only watched about 40 games, out of disgust, but pretty much watch every one, each season.
I became Raptors fan during the "Mike James era" . I just liked the team we had back then. In spite how atrocious it was - I just liked it. Been a fan ever since. And years ago it wasn't very easy to be informed about Raptors and especially to watch games since I live in Bulgaria. It is easier now.
I became a fan during the "Fred Jones" era
If Your Uncle Jack Helped You Off An Elephant, Would You Help Your Uncle Jack Off An Elephant?
Sometimes, I like to buy a book on CD and listen to it, while reading music.
Great thread idea, by the way.
Has been fun to read through some of these.
I'd say one of the Greatest moments for me as a Raps fan was when Vince dropped 50+ on Phoenix in one of the Raptors first Nationally Televised games in the States. Was sort of his welcome party to BIG time.
And then the series against the Sixers. Vince and AI were my two favourite players, and I got to attend TWO games in that series with a buddy and his dad. Changed my life.
I watch this video every once in a while.. makes me feel good inside.. He couldn't miss! Vince was like a Super Hero in my eyes growing up.
If Vince had hit that last second shot to win the series, we would have gone to the Finals that year.
Last edited by Joey; Fri Jul 5th, 2013 at 12:40 PM.
and i don't let him forget it... ever
If Your Uncle Jack Helped You Off An Elephant, Would You Help Your Uncle Jack Off An Elephant?
Sometimes, I like to buy a book on CD and listen to it, while reading music.
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February 3, 2013 from 6pm to 11:45pm – SKYLARK LOUNGE & CAFE Organized by 50s Most Wanted | Type: superbowl, party
July 3, 2009 at 4am to August 18, 2013 at 9am – Aftermath Nightclub AFTER ULTRA LOUNGE, CLUB PHANTOM, CLUB HEAT, RJ'S, RUMBAS, DR. FEELGOOD'S, AFTER DELRAY CAFE, CLUB BLISS, HOTEL NIGHTCLUB IBIZA, BONDS NIGHTCLUB, PULSE ULTRA LOUNGE BOCA RATON, AZURE'S IN ST. LUCIE W… Organized by AFTERMATH NIGHTCLUB & DJ JOHN G/JHN PROMOTIONS FLORIDA | Type: the, ultimate, hip, hop, dj, djjohng, afterparty, 4am, until
September 16, 2009 to September 27, 2013 – sent By Thisis50.com Hunned Proof "My Shorty/So Dope Video Hunned Proof Performing Gangsta Party Live At The Remote Lounge Organized by Respect Da Grind Entertainment | Type: live, performance
September 30, 2009 at 7pm to September 1, 2013 at 4am – GreenPoint Brooklyn Ny Calling All Artist for the Showcase of the year!!!!!!!!! Setting the standard with a new League..... THE I V LEAGUE ARTIST SHOWCASE in all its prestige and wonder is providing opportunity and ind… Organized by ARTISTS WANTED | Type: artist, showcase, /, model, search, after, party
November 3, 2009 to February 5, 2015 – ALL OVER THE WORLD THIS IS A EVENT TO SHOW ALL THE SUPPORT FOR 50 CENT. LET US KNOW IF YOUR GOING TO BUY IT BY JOINING OR EVEN LEAVING COMMENTS. I CAN UNDERSTAND IF EVERYONE CANT AFFORD A 60 DOLLAR GAME BUT A CD FOR TE… Organized by ALEX FRYLING | Type: 50, cents, fourth, album, before, i, self, disturct, march, 24
March 21, 2010 at 6pm to March 25, 2030 at 7pm – NY, NY Organized by Eve Lora | Type: interview
December 16, 2010 at 6pm to December 4, 2326 at 7pm – National & International What's up! Check out rawspittas.com.,Home of Raw Spittas Battle League and Stomp U Out! Radio and also sign up for Raw Ground at http://www.rawground.ning.com. All Rap, underground & battle music… Organized by Raw Spittas | Type: rap
December 16, 2010 at 6pm to December 5, 2014 at 7pm – National & International What's up! Check out rawspittas.com..Home of Raw Spittas Battle League and Stomp U Out! Radio and also sign up for Raw Ground at http://www.rawground.ning.com. Submit your rap, underground, battle mu… Organized by Raw Spittas | Type: rappers, free, airplay
January 11, 2011 to February 11, 2111 – MY SPOT!!! MUST SEE FREESTYLE VIDEO!!! LIL B- I DONT LIKE THE LOOK OF IT!!!! Organized by Brandon Williams | Type: music, celbration!!!!!
January 11, 2011 to February 11, 2111 – MY SPOT!!! MUST SEE FREESTYLE VIDEO!!! LIL B- I DONT LIKE THE LOOK OF IT!!!! Organized by Brandon Williams | Type: music, celbration!!!!!
January 11, 2011 at 6pm to January 11, 2111 at 7pm – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAmJRuKoqh8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAmJRuKoqh8 Organized by Brandon Williams | Type: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iamjrukoqh8
March 12, 2011 at 6pm to March 13, 2014 at 7pm – here no Organized by Cody Lee Wood | Type: ya
May 27, 2011 at 6pm to May 28, 2016 at 7pm – oakland, los angeles, sacramento Organized by momo dirty | Type: lanch, of, the, biggest, web, site
April 6, 2012 at 6pm to April 6, 2013 at 7pm – WORLDWIDE What started off as a small dream became an incredible journey for this One Lady Crew named Lyrical Candy. Walk along side as she takes you through the road less traveled called "Road for the Few".… Organized by Lyrical Candy | Type: album, release
May 1, 2012 at 1pm to May 1, 2013 at 7pm – CHICAGO KANYE WEST - MERCY (NA$IM WILLIAMS REMIX) Download Nightmare On Erie Street via http://www.mediafire.com/?mbr2b94n64m2k Now!!! Organized by Nasim Williams | Type: mixtape, release
May 29, 2012 at 6pm to May 29, 2013 at 7pm – Worldwide You can now get afree HALO4 PRE-ORDER KEY from http://www.halo4keygiveaway.info/ Organized by Halo 4 Official | Type: giveaway
August 18, 2012 at 6pm to April 30, 2013 at 7pm – Released on DatPiff Organized by Amber Smoke | Type: mixtape, released, on, datpiff, download, free
October 13, 2012 to October 13, 2013 – Everywhere " target="_blank">http://<img src="http://www.datpiff.c… Organized by Misalanyus | Type: mixtape, free, download
November 22, 2012 at 6pm to May 9, 2013 at 7pm – San Diego, CA and BEYOND Keep watch me for on Slip N Slide Records promo deal SNS ON DA GRIND. Need them votes. TUSHAY IS THE CHANGE YOU SEEK. PEEK OUT TUSHAY SINGLE- TU FLY http://soundcloud.com/tu-shay-1/tu-fly Organized by Tristan | Type: promotional, deal
November 26, 2012 at 6pm to November 26, 2013 at 7pm – WORLDWIDE Here it is BOMBS Features Some Big Producers and Artist "Uk Rap on US beats freestyles catchy songs and a lot of lyrical content FlyDan provides something for everybody with some cool features" CLICK… Organized by Danny Ryder | Type: music
December 11, 2012 at 6pm to February 24, 2013 at 7pm – iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, This Event is to Announce the Official Release of the New Single "Stack Paper" by Richie Rolex Single Release. Organized by All About Beats.com | Type: single, release
January 8, 2013 to February 18, 2013 – ITUNES worldwide , AMAZON NEW SINGLE M.I. NYCE FT THISis HURLEY - I'mThe Greatest Organized by Mi Nyce | Type: single, release, 1/8/13
January 8, 2013 to March 19, 2013 – ITUNES worldwide , AMAZON http://https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/im-greatest-feat.-thisishurley/id584854423 Organized by Mi Nyce | Type: single, available, right, now
January 15, 2013 to December 25, 2013 – worldwide http://itunes.com/billybecks Organized by kobie | Type: release, date
January 25, 2013 at 6pm to February 28, 2013 at 7pm – NEWCOMERS GEORGIA PYNE RELEASE THEIR NEW MIXTAPE "THE TIME IS NOW" DOWNLOAD HERE!! http://hnhh.co/mefup NEWCOMERS GEORGIA PYNE RELEASE THEIR NEW MIXTAPE "THE TIME IS NOW" DOWNLOAD HERE!! http://hnhh.co/mefup Organized by TIA CULVER (PUBLICIST-ATLANTA) | Type: mixtape, release
January 28, 2013 at 11pm to February 25, 2013 at 7pm – BARLEY'S (338 PEACHTREE ST ATLANTA, GA) PLAY POOL & PARTY W/SOUNDS PROVIDED BY DJ KAMILLION!! MONDAY NIGHT ALL-STAR CELEBRITY POOL TOURNAMENT SPONSORED BY DTLR, 94.5 THE STREETZ & ATL EVENTS!! Organized by TIA CULVER (PUBLICIST-ATLANTA) / ATL EVENTS / @JUNE_DALINKENT / 94.5 THE STREETZ | Type: all-star, celebrity, pool, tournament, each, &, every, monday, @barley's


text: I've been lurking here for quite some time and its about time I came out. I put my first post up in the Beemer "parallel univers":huh. Heres the Coles notes of my dilemma. Rode sport bikes for years. Got out of that due to a few bad crash's, speeding tickets etc etc. Broke into Adventure Touring in 09 on a new KLR650. Its been great, taught me a lot but frankly its boring. Need I say more? Nothing wrong with it, great bike, but for me, I need something more. I've read and read and read and narrowed it down to the 990 Adventure and the F800GS. I see pro's and cons for each. The con's for the KTM seem rather small however, limited to fuel mileage and maintenance. I do enjoy turning wrenches in my garage so its not that much of a deal. The 800GS is a fair bit cheaper. However.... I have been reading about guys complaining about soft forks and shocks etc. Even for 2013 there is some whining. I do not want to pull the trigger on an expensive bike, then hit the internoggin to spend cash I don't have on springs etc. Upgrades to me are, protection, crash bars skid plates etc, wind screens, panniers etc. Not major components. Are the suspension concerns valid for the 2013 GS? who knows. It is the internet after all. Does the 990 live up to its reputation as build tough? take a beating and keep on going? My KLR went through some pretty harsh terrain and never failed me. I know there is the 'search' option for all those about to flame me for opening this up. I have read it all. Any former KLR guys who have gone to the 990? I would love to hear from you. Regards, Paul.


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major macro economic indicators
|2016 (e)
|2017 (f)
|GDP growth (%)
|Inflation (yearly average) (%)
|Budget balance (% GDP)
|Current account balance (% GDP)
|Public debt (% GDP)
(f) Forecast
- World's fifth largest ship operator
- Energy self-sufficiency (North Sea and Greenland oil and gas), net energy exporter
- Niche industries (renewable energies/biotechnologies)
- Large current account balance surplus
- Open economy sensitive to external demand
- Declining competitiveness of manufacturing companies
- Very high household debt levels (290% of disposable income)
- Scale of public sector employment (30% of employees)
Risk assessment
Domestic demand boosting activity
The slow rate of growth of exports and consumption in 2016 thwarted the expected acceleration in growth. In 2017, there is likely to be a moderate upturn in activity, driven by domestic factors. Household consumption will underpin growth thanks to improvements in the labour market. Households are expected to spend more as wages and job opportunities increase, despite the very high debt levels (290% of disposable income, the highest ratio in the OECD). At the same time, increased household incomes will push up property prices as well as residential investment, in a context of very low interest rates. The danger of the property bubble bursting would increase if interest rates were to be raised.
In addition, investment will make a positive contribution to growth, sustained by increased consumption and a relaxed monetary policy on the part of the Central Bank. The sectors in question are the pharmaceutical, capital goods (transport in particular) and construction sectors. These sectors, with large workforces, will sustain economic activity thanks to an improved utilisation of production capacities, part of the reason for lower unemployment. The position of the energy (oil and gas) sector in the economy will however gradually decline and will remain subject to low raw material prices.
Inflation is expected to increase in 2017 as a result of the slow rise in oil prices alongside higher wages. The Danish Central Bank's relaxed monetary policy (policy interest rates: 0%; deposit rates: -0.65% since February 2015) is likely to continue in the short term bearing in mind the low level of inflation, and the pegging of the Danish krone to the euro. This policy has in particular enabled the maintenance of the competitiveness of its exports whilst helping sustain the domestic demand.
Large current account surplus and healthy public finances
Given the low level of unemployment, government policy is not expected to focus on boosting activity through employment. The government will thus continue its prudent budget policy aimed at avoiding potential labour shortages in certain sectors. Nevertheless, any increase in the public deficit in 2017 will be due to a falling off of tax receipts arising from the Pension Yield Tax on pension providers' added-values, which were at a particularly high level in 2016. Public expenditure will fall slightly but still remain at a high level. The 2017 budget however includes measures aimed at improving the healthcare system and the collection of taxes, as well as boosting aid for refugees and displaced persons from conflict zones (particularly the Middle East). The deficit as well as the public debt will therefore remain well below the threshold defined by the European Stability and Growth Pact (respectively 3% and 60% of GDP).
The current account surplus will hold steady in 2017. This will be due mainly to the vitality of exports, boosted by the past depreciation of the krone pegged to the euro, which will offset the consumption driven rise in imports. Exports of agricultural products (pork, milk) will be the most dynamic, mainly towards Asian countries and Germany. Machines and transport equipment will also feature among the leading exports, alongside chemical (biotechnology) products.
Brexit however could have a negative impact on exports as a result of declining demand in the United Kingdom (3rd biggest export market) and thus reduce the country's current account surplus.
Serious disagreements within the governing coalition
Lars Løkke Rasmussen was elected Prime Minister in the parliamentary elections in June 2015, with a four year term of office. The right-wing grouping (including all the right-wing parties such as Venstre, the Prime Minister's party, and the extreme right of the Danish People's Party (DPP)), won a majority in parliament against the left grouping including in particular the Social Democrats (SD). The liberal party (Venstre), which heads the government, holds only 34 of the 179 seats in Parliament. The significant disagreements between the various right-wing coalition parties does not leave the Prime Minister much room for manoeuvre in carrying out reforms. The far-right party (DPP) does not support the government's strategic growth plan (2017-2025) which includes a reduction in taxes on companies and high incomes. The continuation of these disagreements could result in early elections as of 2017.
The business climate in the country will be very positive and ranks third in the Doing Business 2017 survey behind New Zealand and Singapore.
Last update : January 2017
Like the cheque, the bill of exchange is not frequently used in Denmark. Both are an embodiment and, therefore, an acknowledgement of debt.
Accepted but remaining unpaid bills and cheques are legally enforceable instruments that exempt creditors from obtaining a court judgement. In such cases, the "judge-bailiff" (Fogedret) is appointed to oversee enforcing attachment. First, however, the debtor is summonsed to declare his financial situation for the purposes of determining his ability to repay the debt. It is a criminal offence to make a false statement of insolvency.
Bank transfers are the most commonly used means of payment. All major Danish banks use the SWIFT network – a rapid and efficient payment of domestic and international transactions.
Debt collection
Out-of-court collection begins with the creditor or his legal counsel sending debtor a final demand for payment by recorded delivery or ordinary mail in which the latter is given ten days to settle the principal amount, plus any interest penalties provided for in the agreement.
Where there is no such clause agreed by the parties, the rate of interest applicable to commercial agreements contracted after 1st August 2002 is the Danish National Bank's benchmark or lending rate (udlånsrente) in force on 1st January or 1st July of the year in question, plus seven percentage points.
It should also be noted that, where the due date for payment is not complied with, any settlement or acknowledgement of debt negotiated at this stage of the recovery process is directly enforceable, on condition that an enforcement clause is duly included in the new settlement or agreement.
Since 1st January 2005, past due debts not exceeding 50,000 Danish kroner (DKK), reputed to be uncontested, are handled via a simplified collection procedure (forenklet inkassoprocedure): The creditor submits an injunction form directly to the judge-bailiff for service on the debtor. If there is no reaction within 14 days, an enforcement order is issued.
For claims that are not settled out of court, creditors usually engage a lawyer to defend their interests, even though Danish law allows plaintiffs and defendants direct representation in court. Unlike other countries, Denmark has only one type of legal professional: lawyers (i.e. there are no notaries, barristers, bailiffs-at-law, etc.).
Where debtor fails to respond to a demand for payment or where the dispute is not serious, creditor may obtain, usually after three months time, a judgement following an adversarial hearing or a judgement by default ordering the debtor to pay ; in the present case, the debtor may be requested, within 14 days, to pay the principal amount plus interest and expenses, which include court fees and, where applicable, a contribution to the creditor's legal costs.
The legal system reform effective since 1st January 2007 is intended to speed up procedures and provide citizens with a more homogeneous and better quality service.
All cases, whatever the size of the claim involved, whether they are complex or disputed, are heard by the court of first instance (Byret) – presided by a three-judge panel or one judge assisted by experts – and entail both written and oral procedures.
Appeals on claims exceeding 10,000 Danish kroner (DKK) are heard by one of two regional courts: the Vestre Landsret in Viborg (competent for the Jutland area) or the Østre Landsret in Copenhagen (competent for the rest of the country).
Exceptional cases involving questions of principle can, however, be submitted directly to one these two regional courts.
The proceedings here involve a series of preliminary hearings, in which the parties present written submissions and proofs, and a plenary hearing, in which the court hears witness testimonies and the parties' arguments.
Court costs depend on the value of the claim and, in general, the party who loses the case bears the legal costs.
Denmark does not have a system of commercial courts outside the Copenhagen area, which has a maritime and commercial court (Sø-og Handelsretten) presided by a panel of professional and non-professional judges competent to hear cases involving commercial and maritime disputes, competition law, insolvency proceedings and finally international trade cases.


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attends Katy Perry launches MEOW! by Katy Perry available exclusively at Nordstrom held at The Grove on December 14, 2011 in Los Angeles, California.Photo by John Shearer // Getty Images
A few days ago, we reported that Russell Brand was allegedly "uninvited" to Katy Perry's first public appearance at the People's Choice Awards. Perry is nominated for seven awards and the people running the event didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable.
But yesterday, #Katycats tweeted that she would not be feeding into the gossip by showing her face.
Which is exactly how we would feel, to be honest.
- What do you think of Katy Perry's move not to appear at the People's Choice Awards? Let us know in the comments!


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Want To Watch
The Game? Show Your ID
In another example of how Big Brother is enveloping all aspects of British society, Sheffield Wednesday football club are to become the first team in the country to demand their season ticket holders show a photo ID every time they enter the stadium to watch a game.
Allied with a new smoking ban that is set to be enforced next season and a scheme that encourages fans to report suspicious behavior and hate speech via text message during games, the club announced yesterday that fans will be forced to have their identity checked by the turnstile operator at each game in order to prevent supporters from sharing their season tickets by loaning them to friends or family when they are unable to attend a match. Bizarrely, the club added the proviso that season ticket holders can get a substitute ticket for their stub if they are unable to attend a game by "proving" their legitimate absence to employees at the club's ticket office.
The justification cited by the club in launching this new scheme is to prevent children from sharing their concessionary tickets with adults, allowing the adults to get in at cheaper prices than they would usually have to pay. But the upshot of introducing this highly unpopular measure will only lead to more supporters feeling alienated, treated like criminals, and being forced to go through unnecessary hassle simply to loan their season ticket to a friend or relative.
The club will lose supporters and lose money as a result of this scheme. Attendance figures will drop as a result of the outright ban on sharing season tickets, and supporters will be forced to "show their papers" as if the turnstile is a Nazi checkpoint.
What's next? Iris and fingerprint scans to prove we're not criminals before we enter the ground? Microchip tracking tags on our tickets to make sure we're sitting in the right seat? RFID chips were inserted into World Cup 2006 tickets and buyers were forced to provide their name, address, nationality, which team they support, bank details, birth date and passport number. Several Premiership clubs are already making their supporters scan RFID-tagged tickets before they enter the ground.
This is all social conditioning for a not so distant future in which people who refuse to take a national ID card will simply be refused access to the vast majority of social conveniences and entertainment, because scanning the card upon entry will be mandated.
It is important to explain to American readers that up until now Britain in comparison is far more lenient in terms of demanding identification for every single activity undertaken by the individual. When I visited America, the "land of the free," ID was demanded for everything, from buying a pack of cigarettes to renting a canoe. This is not the case in Britain, but the tide has rapidly turned over the last couple of years because Britons are being groomed for acceptance of the imminent national ID card.
Problems of teenage alcoholism, social exclusion and identity fraud have been hyped by the government and media to pave the way for the re-introduction of the standardized ID document for the first time since the end of World War Two.
Why has Sheffield Wednesday FC chosen to undertake a scheme that was tried in the past, when supporters who traveled to away games were forced to use photo ID cards, but later had to be scrapped due to its overwhelming unpopularity?
A reader poll in the city newspaper, the Sheffield Star, which also today printed my letter of complaint that I sent to Sheffield Wednesday, revealed that 82% of supporters oppose the photo ID scheme.
As one Star respondent points out,
In the process of introducing a scheme that has proved overwhelmingly unpopular in the past and remains so today, and is a measure that will only drive more people away from attending games, Sheffield Wednesday FC are doing nothing than contributing to the expansion of a surveillance society that experts are now saying is putting our lives at risk.
Sheffield Wednesday FC need to heed the wishes of the people who pay their wages and scrap this big brother farce immediately!
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Both these teams are playing down to each other's level. It's a vicious downward spiral.
Lucas really sucks at distributing the ball. Like his shooting, but it's a hefty price to play.
"It was as good as a medal: a fifth place finish."
Ladies and gentlemen, Rod Black.
Gay needs to stop passing. Jesus.
Why is it that the Raptors come unprepared to start almost EVERY game? Looks like a coaching failure to me.
Gay's passes are so fucking awful tonight, come on.
Raps need to get their heads in the freaken game. This is brutal.
Odds Telfair plays? I say pretty good now
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After five months of extensive travel, covering AAU tournaments from Orlando to Houston to Los Angeles, Rivals.com is prepared to release the post-summer rankings for the class of 2005.
Unlike any year in recent memory, the race for the top spot in 2005 was wide open, with as many as 10 prospects competing for the No. 1 ranking heading into July, which proved to be the pivotal month for the summer basketball season.
It should be noted that certain areas of a player's game are more easily developed than others, and the developmental curve is of utmost importance. Rankings are more about what a player will become than where he is right now. However, where a player is now says a lot about where he could be.
Click here for the Rivals.com 150Hoops rankings.
Texas shooting guard snags top honors
After his MVP performance at the ABCD camp in Teaneck, N.J., 6-foot-8 small forward Gerald Green earned the reputation as one of the elite players in the 2005 class. Previously ranked No. 9 by Rivals.com, the Houston Gulf Shores Academy product led the ABCD in scoring at nearly 20 points per game. His offensive arsenal includes using his impressive size and solid handle to get off a nice long-range jump shot in addition to impressive athleticism.
Green, who committed to Oklahoma State in June, traveled the AAU circuit this summer with Houston Elite. Coach Rick Nelson said Green is only tapping into his potential.
"He's only just now realizing how good he can become," Nelson said. "He has improved so much this past year, and I think he will continue to become better as his career continues. In two or three years he is going to be on top of his game and then people will see what he can do. He's just scratching the surface."
Green said he is honored to be considered among the top players in the 2005 class.
"I've played against some of the big name guys, and there are so many great ones out there that it's overwhelming to think I might be the best," he said. "I've worked so hard and had so many blessings this year. I entered this summer with the goal of playing hard and trying to earn a scholarship and just hoping that I would be able to attend college.
"I'm already working hard, trying to get bigger and stronger. I want to finish my high school career strong and keep my grades up. I owe a lot to the people around me like my parents and Coach Nelson, who keep me focused on the big picture and make sure I understand there is more to life than just basketball."
In action: Gerald Green video clips
Sweet Lou not far behind
The most prolific scorer among his peers, Georgia combo guard Louis Williams was a consistent summer performer, leading the Georgia Stars to championships in Kingwood Classic in April and the AAU Nationals this past weekend.
Williams, 6-foot-2, 165 pounds, entered the AAU season with the reputation for being a big-time scorer with unlimited shooting range and the athleticism to produce highlight dunks that never fail to excite the crowd.
However, the Georgia commitment took his game to a new level in July when he showed an aggressive approach to attacking the basket, which had previously been scarce, and also a patience with the ball that shows promise for him making the transition to point guard in college. No other player finished the summer stronger than Williams, and he was strongly considered for top honors.
In action: Louis Williams video clips
Duke commitment adjusts to new position
Flash back one year ago. Carmel (Ind.) High School standout Josh McRoberts was a 6-foot-9, 200-pound small forward who could shoot the mid-range jump shot and excelled at passing out of the high post.
One year and 40 pounds later, he has grown into a 6-foot-11, 240-pound rebounding machine and has developed a versatile offensive repertoire in the low-post while also maintaining his previous small forward skills. In addition, the Duke commitment used his new girth and muscle to become a dominant force for the Spiece Indy Heat.
McRoberts got off to a slow start this summer while still recovering from a major back injury that occurred during his junior season at Carmel. However, his play at the USA Youth Festival, where he was perhaps the top big man in attendance, showed that not only has he recovered, he is better than ever.
In late July, playing alongside 2006 top player Greg Oden, McRoberts was forced to sit out the final two days at the Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas due to a twisted ankle and watched Spiece win the championship. But his strong play and impressive physical change puts him in at No. 3 on the Rivals150.
In action: Josh McRoberts video clips
Summer brings out new stars
It is always interesting to note which prospects develop over the course of a year. Bodies change, games improve and players who were previously a blip on the radar screen emerge and earn their spots among the elite players.
Big men come at a premium in the class of 2005, and none rose to the occasion faster or better than Vernon Goodridge. The Brooklyn native headed into the AAU season with little national exposure but quickly displayed the knack for defending in the post and snatching rebounds off the glass.
The bouncy center is still defining his low-post offense, but he has a nice 15-foot face-up jumper. Georgetown, Mississippi State, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, Connecticut and Virginia Tech are the finalists for his services. He rose in the charts from No. 150 to No. 24.
A 6-foot-11, 270-pound center is a rarity in college basketball. Add the fact that he is 16-years-old, and it's easy to see why college coaches are hot after New Jersey native Lee Bynum. The St. Joseph High School star has seen his stock rise steadily throughout the AAU season due to his soft hands and pure low-post game.
Potential is the key word and the young big man has a ton of it. Connecticut, Georgetown, Georgia, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Rutgers are eager to have his signature. He cracks the Rivals.com 150 at No. 28.
With Louis Williams getting most of the spotlight in Georgia as the nation's top shooting guard, Lewis Clinch,from Cordele, Ga., burst onto the AAU scene this summer with the Smyrna Stars.
The 6-foot-3, 180-pounder put on a shooting exhibition in the June and July that caught the attention of almost every major program in the country and sent coaches scurrying to get some face time with one of the nation's hottest prospects.
The Crisp County High School star can fill it up with a beautiful long-range jumper that he shoots equally well off the bounce or coming off a screen. Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Miami, N.C. State, Tennessee and Wake Forest make up his list of favorites. Clinch makes his debut in the Rivals150 at No. 36.
When opposing guards first glance at South Carolina Raven point guard Devan Downey and his diminutive 5-foot-9, 165-pound frame, they might get the wrong impression. An impressive first step, lighting-quick hands and a strong handle quickly rectify that misconception and turn what might have been smiles into a furrowed brow and a look of frustration.
The Chester (S.C.) High School standout has a three-point shot that he can shoot from numerous sets and likes to penetrate for easy finishes or pretty assists. Arkansas, Auburn, Boston College, Cincinnati, Maryland, South Carolina and Tennessee are in the race for his services. He makes the jump to No. 42 in the Rivals150.
In action: Devan Downey video clips


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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Three people believed to be onboard a twin-engine plane were killed when the plane crashed shortly after departing Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport on Friday afternoon, according to city of Fort Lauderdale officials.
The plane crashed at 964 NE 53rd Court, an area east of the airport, about 4:23 p.m. Roadways were shut down near the area.
Fort Lauderdale officials reported the plane as a Cheyenne 2 twin engine turbo prop plane; the Federal Aviation Administration said it was a Piper PA-31 Navajo.
According to the FAA, the plane departed Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport at 4:20 p.m. and crashed.
Fort Lauderdale spokesman Matt Little said the plane took off, banked right, and crashed into several parked vehicles. He believes the plane is Fort Lauderdale based.
A woman said her husband, who works at the airport, saw the plane depart, then saw smoke minutes later. Several witnesses described the plane falling out of the sky like a stone.
Dozens of firefighters were there dousing the area in foam used to extinguish fires sparked by jet fuel. Several vehicles were on fire.
A man who works for UK Stone, a business inside the warehouse, said he heard a loud bang and saw 50-foot flames.
A propeller was seen in the parking lot.
Little said no one on the ground was injured.
A large plume of black smoke could be seen in the area.
Copyright 2013 by Local10.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Allow me, then. The differences between Hindu~Vedanta and Buddhist concepts are not nearly so great as the differences between them and (for instance) the Semitic religions. They both developed against the background and acceptance of the 'eternal round of birth-and-death' from which release can only be won by vidya or spiritual insight. Of course there are differences as to what constitutes vidya and the nature of the path (margha) but the similarities are still profound. The relationship is further complicated by the fact that through millenia of debating, Vedanta and Buddhism have profoundly influenced each other. (Sankara was accused by more orthodox Hindus of being 'Buddhist in disguise'. I tend to think Buddhism influenced Vedanta more than vice versa, but it's a contested point. Richard Gombrich's What the Buddha Thought and How Buddhism Began are good on the similarities and differences between the Hindu and Buddhist views and the degree to which the latter diverges from the former.)PadmaVonSambha wrote: a person doesn't die and that same person takes rebirth somewhere else.
although this is the usual way it is expressed, for the sake of convenience.
That is a Hindu concept based on the notion of an eternal soul.
Buddhist rebirth is a different concept,
A whole different process, involving uncountable mental components that are experienced as a single "me".
But I don't have time to go into more detail than that.
It is also true that the Buddha doesn't accept the idea of a 'permanent unchanging entity'. But in his view, it is not only persons who are impermanent - but everything! There is no permanent unchanging thing anywhere to be found. However interpreting the meaning of this is quite difficult in my view. According to another Buddhist studies scholar (Stephen Collins in Selfless Persons) the 'polemics of anatta' are indicative of a certain style of teaching within which the notion of 'self' became 'a linguistic taboo in technical discourse' - mainly because of the constant necessity of differentiating the Buddhist approach from its competitors, particularly the Vedanta. But this lead, in his view, to a lot of sophistry and sometimes even double-talk, insofar as it requires the explanation of karma with no agent to whom it accrues.
If you look at Tibetan Buddhism with its ideas of 'voluntary rebirth' and the traditional means of identifying incarnate lamas by recognizing objects from their past lives, and so on, I think it is hard to maintain the artifice of there being no personal continuity. What has happened, in practice, is that it is simply re-conceptualized as 'a mind-stream' instead of 'an entity' - but in practice, it adds up to the same thing.
My view is that the realization of 'no-self' (which is really another facet of the realization of emptiness) is not a proposition of whether or not people 'have' or 'are' souls or whether anything is eternal or not. It is, I think, more a matter of the being realizing its non-affinity with anything in the 'realm of sense' whatever and so waking up to its 'true nature', however that is conceived.


text: It's not known if there exists a 3x3 magic square of squares, i.e., a 3x3 arrangement of nine distinct integer squares such that the sum of each row, column, and main diagonal is the same. A recent note discussed one approach to this problem, namely, to determine the form of all 3x3 arrangements of squares that satisfy the four sums involving the central number, and then see if any of those arrangements can be made to also satisfy the four outer sums. In this way it was shown that no solution is possible if the central square is expressible as a sum of two squares in only four ways (which is the simplest non-trivial case). It may be possible to extend that method to the general case, but I wonder if another approach might be more effective. Instead of looking at the 3x3 arrangements that satisfy the four sums involving the central number, suppose we consider the arrangements that satisfy the six orthogonal sums, i.e.,the sums of the rows and columns. If these "orthomagic squares" of squares could be completely characterized, it might be possible to show that they can never satisfy the sums on the two main diagonals, thereby proving the impossibility of a 3x3 magic square of squares. (Of course, if this can't be shown, this approach may help to construct an example.) Remarkably, it turns out that most orthomagic squares of squares also possess another property: the common sum of the rows and columns is a square! For example, the smallest orthomagic arrangement of distinct squares is 4^2 23^2 52^2 32^2 44^2 17^2 47^2 28^2 16^2 and each rows and column of this arrangement sums to 3249 = 57^2. The same is true for the next several OMSOS's. In any case, this is nice because we know the common sum of a completely magic arrangement of squares must be of the form 3E^2 where E^2 is the central square. Therefore, since a square can't be 3 times a square, we can immediately rule out all orthomagic arrangements whose common sum is a square. Of the twelve smallest OMSOS's, nine of them have a square common sum, so this just leaves three possibilities, and those can also be ruled out individually. Interestingly, the smallest OMSOS that does NOT have a square common sum happens to be unique in another sense, namely, all the entries are squared primes: 11^2 23^2 71^2 61^2 41^2 17^2 43^2 59^2 19^2 The common sum of the rows and columns is 5691 = 3*7*271. Obviously we can permute the rows and columns of an OMSOS without affecting the sums, but since 3*7*271 is not 3 times a square, we know this can't be permuted into a fully magic square. Still, this is an interesting square in its own right. The next two "all-prime" OMSOS's (after the one noted above) are based on the matricies 13 67 149 17 71 149 89 127 53 89 137 29 137 79 43 139 61 67 It's also interesting that the next two "exceptional" OMSOS's (meaning those whose common sum is NOT a square) also have common sums of the form 3*7*p where p is a prime congruent to 1 (mod 6). Even though the OMSOS's with square common sums are immediately excluded from being completely magic, they are interesting in their own right, and it's worthwhile to consider why the condition of equal sums for the row and columns predisposes the common sum to be a square (when the elements themselves are squares). First, notice that they seem to occur in infinite families, and it's not too hard to figure out parametric representations for some of them. For example, there's an infinite family containing "(1)^2": (1)^2 (8+10k)^2 (4+16k+10k^2)^2 (4+8k+6k^2)^2 (4+14k+8k^2)^2 (7+8k)^2 (8+14k+8k^2)^2 (1+8k+6k^2)^2 (4+6k)^2 with the common sum (9+16k+10k^2)^2. (Of course there are a few values of k for which the elements of this array are not distinct, so I exclude those from the set of orthomagic squares. Note also that k can be positive or negative, because all the results are squared anyway.) Similarly an infinite family containing (2)^2 is given by (2)^2 (14+10k)^2 (5+14k+5k^2)^2 (11+10k+3k^2)^2 (2+10k+4k^2)^2 (10+8k)^2 (10+10k+4k^2)^2 (5+10k+3k^2)^2 (10+6k)^2 with the common sum (15+14k+5k^2)^2. We can give a similar infinite 1-parameter family containing (n)^2 for any given n, so there ought to be a 2-parameter representation covering all of these. Ideally we'd like to find a complete characterization of all OMSOS's, or at least the possible common sums, to see if complete magicality can be ruled out. The class of orthomagic squares whose "common sum" is a square is closely related to quaternions, spatial rotation matricies, and representations of numbers as sums of FOUR squares. This is an observation that essentially goes back to Euler (see Dickson's History). Specifically, for any numbers a,b,c,d we can construct a 3x3 matrix a^2 + b^2 - c^2 - d^2 2(bc - ad) 2(ac + bd) 2(ad + bc) a^2 - b^2 + c^2 - d^2 2(cd - ab) 2(bd - ac) 2(ab + cd) a^2 - b^2 - c^2 + d^2 Each row and column, regarded as a 3D vector, has the magnitude L = a^2 + b^2 + c^2 + d^2 so obviously if we construct a 3x3 square whose components are the squares of the components of the above matrix, it will be an "orthomagic square of squares" with the common sum L^2. This accounts for the frequent occurrance of OMSOS's with a square common sum. For example, with a=1, b=2, c=4, d=6 we have the basic matrix -47 4 32 28 -23 44 16 52 17 and if we square each number this is the smallest orthomagic square of squares, with the common sum 3249 = 57^2. The Determinant is 57^3. Note that the three row vectors constitute an orthogonal triad, as do the three column vectors, and if we normalize each term by dividing it by the magnitude L=57 the above matrix is the rotation operator representing the space rotation relating the row triad to the column triad. Obviously the product of two such base squares gives another base square. For example, we have the product _ _ _ _ _ _ | -47 4 32 | | -51 18 46 | | 3397 1190 -1850 | | 28 -23 44 | | 42 -19 54 | = | -1250 3845 178 | |_ 16 52 17 _| |_ 26 66 3 _| |_ 1810 422 3595 _| The second factor on the left side is given by setting a=1, b=3, c=5, and d=6, it's determinant is 71^3, and the common sum of squares of its rows and columns is 71^2. The matrix product is also a base square, i.e., the squares of its elements form an orthogonal orthomagic square of squares, with the common sum (57*71)^2 and the base square has determinant (57*71)^3. It is produced by setting a=-61, b=-1, c=15, d=10, which can be inferred from the four-square multiplication formula (A^2 + B^2 + C^2 + D^2)(a^2 + b^2 + c^2 + d^2) = w^2 + x^2 + y^2 + z^2 where w = Aa + Bb + Cc + Dd x = Ab - Ba + Cd - Dc y = Ac - Bd - Ca + Db z = Ad + Bc - Cb - Da The above is an interesting example of how, when trying to work in three parameters (or dimensions), it often seems that we're led to a much more natural formulation by going to four. I had been looking at sums of THREE squares, noting that the the most general solution (according to Dickson) of the equation X^2 + Y^2 + Z^2 = N^2 is of the form X = 2( a^2 + b^2 - c^2 ) Y = 2( a^2 - b^2 + c^2 ) + 2a( b-3c) Z = (-a^2 + b^2 + c^2 ) + 2b(2a-3c) N = 3( a^2 + b^2 + c^2 ) - 2c(2a+ b) and in retrospect it's clear that there's a 4-parameter family hidden behind this, trying to get out. Indeed, it was derived from Euler's four-square product formula, supressing one of the parameters. Incidentally, the quaternionic formulas noted above are very similar to the generalized Heron's formula, relating the volume of a "perfect tetrahedron" in terms of the areas of its faces, as discussed in Heron's Formula For Tetrahedrons. Anyway, the OMSOS's with square common sum seem to be well covered by the above parameterization, although I'm not quite sure it necessarily includes ALL OMSOS's with square sum. Another interesting question is whether the OMSOS's that *don't* have a square sum are also given by the 4-parameter matrix above, with non-integer values of a,b,c,d. In other words, are there any sets of numbers a,b,c,d such that the nine elements of the basic matrix are integers but the magnitude of the row and column vectors is not an integer? There are 91 primitive orthomagic squares of squares with common sums less than 30000. Of those, 56 have a square common sum, whereas the remaining 35 do not. Of the 35 non-square cases, none of them is of the form 3k^2, so they clearly can't give a complete magic square of squares. For more on the search for a magic square of squares, see the note Automedian Triangles and Magic Squares


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© 2007 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
MLB supports local Bay Area charities
All-Star Week provides opportunities for outreach to community
By Christie Cowles / MLB.com
SAN FRANCISCO -- Behind the scenes of the All-Star Week events, Major League Baseball is contributing to the local community in a number of ways. Throughout All-Star Week, MLB is recognizing local teachers, donating tickets to local youth organizations, donating food items to local food banks and making contributions to local charities in an effort to leave a lasting impact on the community. MLB is teaming with Fox Sports Net (FSN) Bay Area for the Stay in School Challenge, a community outreach program that addresses student absenteeism among middle and high school-aged kids. As part of the program, FSN Bay Area recognized five All-Star teachers in the Bay Area, with one teacher -- San Francisco native Michael Meneses of Presidio Middle School -- being named the 2007 Bay Area All-Star Teacher. Meneses received $10,000 for his school and will be recognized at a San Francisco Giants game. Sharon Robinson, Jackie Robinson's daughter and an MLB Educational Programming Consultant, presented a check to Meneses on Saturday at FanFest. Robinson said she liked how the teachers were nominated for the honor. "[FSN] got them from recommendations from students and from parents and from other teachers," said Robinson. "In fact, the young man that won -- Michael Meneses -- he was nominated by his 10-year-old student." She said the teachers' backgrounds were promoted in the local area and then, along with FSN, the community helped choose the winning teacher. "It was actually won by a combination of committee and community, so it was really very special," she said. Robinson said she enjoyed being a part of the presentation to honor a local teacher. "It was very exciting ... to have teachers recognized by baseball and by FOX Sports News, it was quite wonderful," Robinson said. "I was very proud of baseball for being a part of that, and FOX hopes to do it again, so we totally support that." In 2006, more than 18,000 students from 143 Bay Area schools took part in the Stay in School Challenge. Over the last 11 years, the Stay in School Challenge has provided more than 215,000 Oakland Athletics and Giants tickets to participating students. MLB is also working with Tickets for Kids Charities to distribute 2,250 FanFest tickets this week to local youth organizations. Tickets for Kids Charities is a non-profit organization that obtains tickets to a wide variety of local events and distributes them to children and families.
Five non-profit organizations, including MLB's official charity, The Boys & Girls Clubs of America, March of Dimes, Turn 2 Foundation and Good Sports will be allocated tickets for purchase to enhance their fundraising efforts.After the All-Star Game Gala and All-Star Pre-Game Celebration, MLB is donating perishable food to three local food banks in the community. Food Runners, a local food collection volunteer service, will be one of the recipients of the donations. Food Runners delivers more than 10 tons of leftover food each week from catered events to local soup kitchens. Volunteers pick up concessions-generated food that was prepared but not served and deliver it to the hungry. Food Runners San Francisco delivers 2,000 meals a day that would otherwise be thrown out. The St. Anthony's Foundation Dining Room will be another recipient of donations. The Dining Room offers meals to the hungry and serves over 2,600 meals per day. It's open 365 days a year and has been operating since 1950. Glide also will be a recipient of the food donations. Glide provides three meals a day, 365 days a year to San Francisco's poor, homeless and hungry. Meals are monitored by a licensed nutritionist who advises program management on menu planning and content. Glide serves more than 1,000,000 meals per year. MLB and the Giants will donate almost $4 million of the net proceeds from the Gatorade All-Star Workout Day on Monday to local and national charities. Some of the organizations that will receive contributions from MLB include: The Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Boys Hope Girls Hope, National Recreation and Park Association, the Jackie Robinson Foundation, Roberto Clemente Sports City and the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The Giants will use proceeds from Gatorade All-Star Workout Day to support projects such as the Boys & Girls Club at Hunters Point renovation, a field renovation in the Mission District and a Jackie Robinson Foundation scholar.
Christie Cowles is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text: I hunt in Central and South Texas, we use centerfire calibers cause some distances may be hundreds of yards, we can hunt close with bows and pistols some too. I got a real nice spot with some really good bucks, but there is a house about 400 yards away and dont want to use a rifle. What is the max effective range with 00 12 gauge that will drop a good buck in its tracks. also looking at other buckshot or maybe even slugs. I aint ever killed a deer with a shotgun, kinda alien thought to me, just see some real nice bucks that need to be taken out.


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Konerko delays rehab assignment
Slugger felt sore after taking batting practice Saturday
By Scott Merkin / MLB.com
On one side of the decision-making process, Konerko is eager to return to the lineup for the first-place White Sox and contribute to their postseason push. On the other end of the ledger is the desire for Konerko to stay with the team, 100 percent healthy, once he returns and not go back to the disabled list one week or 10 days later if he comes back too quickly.
With those two concepts firmly playing each other in Konerko's mind, Konerko did not leave for a Minor League rehab assignment on Sunday as originally planned in a call made by the White Sox captain and athletic trainer Herm Schneider. Konerko felt some soreness in the injured area when he took live batting practice Saturday, and then felt a little more after the fact, so the brief trip to Triple-A Charlotte was put on hold.
Konerko still could leave for Charlotte on Tuesday, or it could be later in the week.
"The bottom line is there was a little too much soreness to get on a plane [Sunday] and get ready to go [Monday]," said Konerko, who was placed on the disabled list retroactive to June 15. "That's it. As far as a timeline, I don't know now. I think the worst thing to do is to make a timeline like I had [Saturday]. Now, just wait and see and that's it.
"I wouldn't say it's thrown me for a loop, but it is disappointing. These things, just from everyone I've talked to, they heal when they heal. My ultimate goal is once I get back in there to not come back out, that way I don't want to jump in too early.
"I've already missed 12 [games], probably going to miss 15 games," Konerko added. "So if I wind up missing 16, 17 or 18, really what's the difference at that point?"
Despite the change in plans, Konerko still put in "a bunch of work" in the batting cages on Sunday. His plan is to keep working on a daily basis, breaking up scar tissue, which appears to be causing the bulk of the residual discomfort.
"One day, I'll take swings and say, 'There it is,'" Konerko said. "I hope that day is sooner than later. I'd rather err on the cautious side after the pain I felt [Saturday]. The work the three days before that, I didn't think I would have any problem [Saturday]. But there was definitely some discomfort there when I was taking live BP."
"He's the one who is going to make the call," said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen of Konerko. "I want him to be 100 percent healthy and not come back too quickly, and all of a sudden have a setback. We have to be very careful about it. Hey, when he's ready, we're going to use him."
Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Onslow County Board of Education unanimously decided to fund more than $400,000 in safety and security upgrades through its capital outlay fund.
Onslow County Board of Education unanimously decided to fund more than $400,000 in safety and security upgrades through its capital outlay fund.
The $402,200 will pay for upgraded classroom door locks and visitor management systems, according to information presented at the Board of Education meeting Tuesday.
According to information from Onslow County Schools, the door locks will cost $238,800 and the visitor management system will cost $163,400. The school system also hopes to install panic buttons, at a cost of $58,500, but they have not requested that money from the fund balance.
The upgrades were identified as part of safety and improvement efforts, according to Assistant Superintendent Steve Myers.
They also were among the items to be funded in the 2013 Bond Referendum, which voters shot down Nov. 5.
Currently, if there is an intruder, teachers would have to leave their classroom to lock the door.
�The new system actually allows us to lock doors from inside, which is a great improvement,� Myers said after displaying four different types of knobs to the board.
The new knobs will lock with a key, which can be copied only at central office, and will also be able to be unlocked with a master key that will be held by school administration, he told the board.
Myers said that schools staff looked into a button system but worried that students may have fun with the system�s ability to lock the teachers out. Instead, they will immediately begin to change the locks on the school system�s 1,600 doors.
�The goal, and it�s a challenging goal, will be to have it done by next school year; but we�ll have it done by the end of next school year at the latest,� Myers said after the approval.
He said they also hope to have the panic buttons and visitor management systems installed by Labor Day.
Myers said that the visitor management systems would interface with the sex offender database and the school system�s student information system, issue time sensitive passes and connect all schools and the central office.
�While we have several discrete visitor management systems and processes at all of our campuses, this system would allow us to standardize on a uniform system to be used throughout the district and will also allow us to screen visitors against the N.C. Sexual Offender Registry as well as our Student Information System to ensure that the visitors are legal guardians or parents of the students they wish to visit,� he said via email.
The panic buttons, Myers said, would alert local law and safety officials of an incident.
Myers told the board that the school system has submitted a grant application to the state for a dollar-for-dollar match for the panic buttons; however, they have not yet heard back. The school system learned of the grant about three months ago, he said, and the deadline to apply was Dec. 1.
Board of Education member Earl Taylor stated that while Onslow County is a great community, the move was necessary.
�This is not 1963, we don�t live in Mayberry �. We have a wonderful community, but still we have to focus on the safety and security,� he said.
Onslow County Schools Chief Financial Officer Jeff Holloman said that the school system�s capital fund balance would be at $1.48 million after the purchases.
Amanda Hickey is the government reporter at The Daily News. She can be reached at email@example.com.


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INDIA'S economy logged around 5.5 per cent growth in the last financial quarter, a rate that could boost calls for lower interest rates to spur activity.
India's once-booming economy has been hit by high interest rates, Europe's debt crisis that has slowed exports, and sluggish investment caused by domestic and overseas concerns about policy and corruption.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday said he expected official data to be released next Friday to show that the economy grew by "around 5.5 per cent" in the three months to September 30.
That would be down from 6.9 per cent in the same second-quarter period a year earlier.
"It goes without saying that we face a difficult situation," Chidambaram said at a bankers' conference, adding the "global economy is still in crisis".
India's economy was growing by more than eight per cent before 2011/12.
But it has been performing increasingly worse with the Congress-led government of Prime Minister Manmohan widely criticised for its handling of the situation.
Even though 5.5-per cent growth would be the envy of much of the world, it is not enough for India, which has been aiming for close to double-digit expansion to substantially reduce crushing poverty.
"For us eight per cent growth is not an aspiration but a necessity. India cannot afford to grow below eight per cent," Chidambaram said.
The slow growth comes at a time when it is more difficult for the Indian government to pep up the economy than in the 2008/09 financial crisis.
Then, the government had more fiscal room to stimulate the economy but now it is struggling to cut a widening budget deficit and avert a downgrade of its sovereign debt to "junk" status by global credit ratings agencies.
In addition, the central bank has been keeping interest rates high to combat stubbornly high inflation.
Inflation eased marginally in October to 7.45 per cent year-on-year, but economists said the level is still too high to permit the bank to lower rates.
Indian businesses have been calling for lower rates, saying the slowdown is in large part due to high borrowing costs that have curbed consumer spending.
Chidambaram said India must boost growth "through innovation, through finding ways of increasing the production of goods and services".
Originally published as India to log 5.5% quarter growth: minister


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I'm using Mint wish to iBus for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. I am trying to add input methods from this menu:
Unfortunately the screenshot doesn't show it, but when I click the drop down menu ("Select an input method") all the choices are greyed out, and I cannot select them.
I installed many fonts for all the languages that I will be using. If there is any other information that anyone needs for them to help me out, please ask. I am also open to the idea of using other input methods (although I am most familiar with, and prefer, iBus).
Code: Select all
~ $ uname -a
Linux x 3.2.0-32-generic #51-Ubuntu SMP Wed Sep 26 21:33:09 UTC 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux


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It all seemed so simple before Week 1 of last year. Six quarterback competitions, six resolutions before the first game of the year.
Taylor Kelly had won the gig at ASU. Jordan Webb set foot on campus and was almost instantly Colorado's starter. Marcus Mariota outdistanced Bryan Bennett. Josh Nunes was Andrew Luck's successor. Brett Hundley was an exciting unknown, and Jeff Tuel was the guy to lead WSU's Air Raid.
Of course, simplicity doesn't always last. Be it injury or performance, Webb and Nunes weren't the starters at the end of the season and Tuel went back-and-forth with Connor Halliday. Mariota, Kelly and Hundley, however, went on to be three of the four most efficient quarterbacks in the league.
The moral of the story: Don't fear the unknown. But don't be too comfortable with it, either.
Which leads us to this year's crop of quarterback competitions. It's not as cut-and-dried as it was a year ago. At least two of them are ongoing and will probably stretch into the first weeks of the season.
The No. 24 Trojans open against Hawaii with Cody Kessler and Max Wittek still in the hunt for the right to replace Matt Barkley. Coach Lane Kiffin, however, said he has zero concerns that the competition hasn't been resolved.
"I see it as completely opposite," Kiffin said during Tuesday's Pac-12 conference call. "I think they have both performed so well. We feel great about both of them running our offense. I see it as a positive. I think they've really worked on their weaknesses … that way we don't have to call the game any different based on who is in. We can do all of our stuff."
Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez hasn't picked his guy yet, either. Though he did say he has seen some recent progress from B.J. Denker, Javelle Allen and Jesse Scroggins. A week ago, it was thought that as many as four or five guys could still be in the mix.
"I'd be more concerned if none of them made progress," Rodriguez said. "In the last week and a half, they have all made some pretty good progress. B.J. Denker and Javelle Allen, the guys that have been in the program, have made pretty good progress. And Jesse Scroggins has gotten better as well. I feel good about that. There's no question there is always more concern when you don't have experience there. B.J. has been in the system for a year and Javelle has been in the system for a year. We feel pretty confident they can run the whole entire offense and with Jesse it's just a matter of time."
And time is on Arizona's side. The Wildcats don't exactly have a pressing first month of the season. They host Northern Arizona this weekend, followed by a trip to UNLV before hosting UTSA on Sept. 14. Then it's a bye week before opening league play at Washington.
One report last week had Oregon State playing the quarterback shuffle heading into Week 1. But Mike Riley put that to rest yesterday when he named Sean Mannion his starter.
"I had told some stories in the past of experience with two quarterbacks playing, but never intended to start a rotation situation here at all," Riley said. "We intended to name a starter and then have kind of left it up in the air … Sean is the starter and we'll go into the game like that."
Connor Wood won the job at Colorado -- ending a QB competition that started with six but dwindled after injuries and transfers.
"He's big, he's athletic, he's got a strong arm, and he's a talented athlete," said coach Mike MacIntyre, who noted he was also very pleased with the progress of freshman Sefo Liufau. "He really started capturing the essence of our offense and understanding where to go with the ball and where to go with our run game. He kept improving."
Cal coach Sonny Dykes took a different approach, naming Jared Goff his starter as soon as he could.
"Anytime you have a starting quarterback, I think everyone is more comfortable," Dykes said. "The quarterback is more comfortable. The skill-position players can start to get on the same page. You develop a relationship with the center and quarterback and their ability to communicate with each other and the sense of timing that needs to exist there. I think what it does is settle everybody down."


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Would anyone like to partake in some shenanigans like the old days? Such as "visiting" another forum?
Search "4134226" in youtube. Pron in youtube!
I'm down for some trolling on Seventring.org
that's awesome
more people should do that.
Tyler durden status
nazi mods and no one can take a joke. bunch asses with sticks in them.
or maybe cuz they know you're a gœber
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