text:
Hoyer Op-Ed: Health care status quo would be disaster for middle class
Yahoo News
Washington, DC — How's this for a health care plan? It will make your premiums go up—in fact, it will double health costs over the next ten years. It will strip millions of Americans of their coverage. It will send our deficit through the roof.
That, as President Obama recently pointed out, is the health care plan we choose by doing nothing. That is the status quo, and it will be the health care plan we end up with if health insurance reform fails.
And although no one will come out and argue for a plan that doubles costs and cuts coverage, we are being pushed in just that direction by transparent attempts to kill reform for partisan gain. As one Republican Senator put it, "If we're able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him." Another said this about efforts to cover millions more Americans: "We can stall it. And that's going to be a huge gain for those of us who want to turn this thing over in the 2010 election."
Failure to reform health care might be a boon for some members of Congress, but it would be a disaster for middle-class families, for the 47 million uninsured Americans, and for small businesses across America.
That's why Democrats are working hard to get a health care bill to President Obama's desk this fall. The details of that bill are still under strong debate—which is healthy considering the historic challenge we face. But Democrats are unshakably committed to four driving principles: health insurance stability, affordability, quality, and patient choice.
First, we are working to bring stable coverage and peace of mind to every American. No longer will insurance companies be allowed to deny you coverage because they consider you to have a pre-existing condition like pregnancy, heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. No longer will medical bills be a source of personal bankruptcy. No longer will you be forced to make job and life choices based on fear of losing health coverage. And no longer will tens of millions without insurance be forced to put off the preventive care they need, while the rest of us pay to subsidize their care—at about $1,100 per average family premium, each year.
Second, the Democratic plan has the power to reverse the cost inflation that has more than doubled premiums since 2000, while wages have stood still. Cost-saving measures will include the bargaining power of a public insurance option, an end to Medicare co-pays or deductibles for preventive care that keeps patients healthier for the long-term, research to help doctors and patients make informed choices, and electronic medical records that will make it easier for doctors to collaborate. Seniors will see an end to the notorious Medicare Part D "donut hole," which leaves those with between $2,700 and $6,100 per year in prescription drug expenses without Medicare support. And small businesses will find it easier to afford coverage for their employees, putting them on fairer footing against competitors overseas.
Third, the Democratic plan will mean higher-quality health care. Right now, America pays nearly twice as much for health care per capita as any other industrialized country, without getting better health outcomes in return. In other words, higher quality health care isn't a matter of spending more money—it's a matter of spending smarter. That's why many of the same measures that will bring down costs can also mean better health care for all of us. For instance, electronic records will mean fewer deadly errors, and research on health outcomes will help patients and doctors decide on the most effective courses of treatment.
Fourth and finally, Democrats want to preserve and strengthen patients' choice of plans and doctors. An option to enroll in a public insurance plan won't simply give Americans another choice of coverage—its competition will push private insurers toward lower costs and higher quality. And contrary to Republican claims, the Democratic plan won't force employers to drop millions of employers from coverage; the Congressional Budget Office actually found that employer-provided coverage will increase. As a result, Americans who like the coverage they have will be able to keep it.
Even as you're reading this, we're working with President Obama to finish a bill that will hold to the principles of stability, affordability, quality, and patient choice, without raising the deficit. The status quo is getting costlier every day, and that makes our work more urgent.
But anyone who seriously claims that we are rushing through reform needs a reality check. The House held 79 health care hearings in the last two years; just this year, members of Congress have heard from their constituents at more than 550 health care town halls and public events.
And not just that—for decades, health reform has been one of the most-discussed domestic issues in America. In the 2008 election, repairing the economy and expanding access to health care were central issues for all candidates, in both parties. In fact, we, as a nation, have been debating about how to bring affordable health care to every American for most of the 20th century, and into the 21st. This, at last, is our moment. We must not miss it.
Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) is the House Majority Leader and a leading voice in the Democratic party. He is currently serving his 15th term representing the 5th Congressional District of Maryland.


text:
With core intact, Tigers' offseason could be quiet
Re-signing Anibal, minor moves likely to keep club among American League favorites
By Anthony Odoardi / MLB.com
They didn't become the first team to battle back from an 0-3 deficit to win the World Series. They didn't become the fourth team to force a Game 5 or the first to force a Game 6. Instead, the Giants concluded the sweep with a 4-3 victory in 10 innings in Game 4 on Sunday night.
It will be difficult to turn the page. But while it was a disappointing end, the team did reach its goal of making it to the Fall Classic. And with its core still intact for 2013, a few offseason moves will likely make the Tigers the early favorites to repeat as American League champions.
"This team's going to just get better," free-agent catcher Gerald Laird said. "That's the bottom line."
It's hard to argue given the return of designated hitter Victor Martinez. The four-time All-Star will bat fifth to protect Prince Fielder, a spot in the lineup manager Jim Leyland often had trouble filling in 2012. Martinez's full recovery will be vital.
It's also hard to argue given the Tigers aren't losing many players to free agency.
Four are free agents as of now: Laird, Jose Valverde, Delmon Young and Anibal Sanchez. Only two -- Sanchez and Laird -- are likely targets for Detroit to re-sign in the offseason.
Laird overachieved in his role as the backup catcher, taking over for Alex Avila against left-handers. He also was great with the pitching staff.
"I would love to have the opportunity to come back and enjoy it," Laird said. "But you know, it's not up to me. It's up to them. Hopefully, we get things done."
And president/general manager Dave Dombrowski has gone on record expressing his desire to bring back Sanchez. With the Tigers giving up top prospects Jacob Turner and Rob Brantly to get him at the non-waiver Trade Deadline, luring him back will be key.
"I don't have much to comment on about my free agency," said Sanchez, who will get a healthy raise after the 28-year-old posted a 2.05 ERA in his final 11 starts. "That's my agent's job. I don't know. I just like this team for bringing me here and for this opportunity [to pitch in the World Series]."
For Young and Valverde, it's a good bet the two have seen their last days in the Motor City. Valverde ran out of gas in the playoffs and is 35 years old come next Opening Day. Martinez's return leaves no room for Young, as the Tigers aren't likely to bring him back to play the outfield.
Jhonny Peralta and Octavio Dotel could also hit free agency, but the two have club options for next year.
CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman reported earlier this week that the Tigers would indeed pick up Peralta's $6 million option after an impressive postseason in which he showed his old form.
For Dotel, who has a $3.5 million option, it's a bit trickier. But he hopes to stay.
"How are things going to go? I don't know," Dotel said. "I would love to come back here, because this is the team I want to be on in 2013."
His option is affordable, but the Tigers have nine arbitration-eligible players, including Avila, Austin Jackson, Doug Fister and Max Scherzer. Those four will most certainly see a boost in their paychecks, so a 38-year-old seventh-inning guy in Dotel might not be a luxury they can afford.
In turn, paying their younger guys could limit the Tigers' ability to make a splash in free agency. That's why some players are skeptical to already embrace being called the AL favorites in 2013.
"I mean, when favorites come out, a lot of that's just writers and reporters and they say who's the favorite, but until you get on the field and play, anything can happen," outfielder Andy Dirks said. "We don't know what's going to happen. ... Obviously, it's great to have Victor back. He's a great presence in the clubhouse, but that stuff we look for next year. Right now, we'll just soak this in."
Anthony Odoardi is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
There's amazingly active Transformers community out there on the net. They have conventions and everything. And fights over whether the new shows/toys are any good. And you can read the entire 80-issue comic book series online. (I personally own issues 1-6 and 80.) Some of the TF fanfiction is great reading.
Don't forget Voltron. Every episode had the same plot, but somehow we enjoyed it anyway.
Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, Ravage, Rumble, and Frenzy.
I am pitiful.
I never owned a Soundwave, but I had two tapes.
I remember making paper versions of the Transformers in second grade. It wasn't just me; lots of kids did this, and had a real blast. I remember in particular making Soundwave once or twice.


text:
Prices, promotions, styles, and availability may vary. Our local stores do not honor online pricing. Prices and availability of products and services are subject to change without notice. Errors will be corrected where discovered, and Lowe's reserves the right to revoke any stated offer and to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions including after an order has been submitted.
allen + roth 16 oz Frasier Fir Green Jar Candle
Item # 406806 Model # 703413
This item is no longer available on Lowes.com.


text:
Scrotal Itching Overview
Another name for Scrotal Itching is Genital Itching in Males.
What is genital itching in males?
A male with genital itching has irritation of the penis or scrotum, which results in the urge to scratch the area. Genital itching may be triggered by allergies, chemicals, or infections.
What are the symptoms of genital itching in males?
Symptoms of genital itching in males depend on the underlying cause. Common associated symptoms include a rash, skin redness, skin peeling, blisters, and sores.
How does the doctor treat genital itching in males?
Treatment for genital itching in males depends on the underlying cause. Treatment may include special shampoo, topical antibiotics, oral antibiotics, hydrocortisone cream, antifungal cream, and oral antifungal medicines.
Continue to Scrotal Itching Underlying Cause
Last Updated: Sep 16, 2010 References
Authors: Stephen J. Schueler, MD; John H. Beckett, MD; D. Scott Gettings, MD
Copyright DSHI Systems, Inc. Powered by: FreeMD - Your Virtual Doctor


text:
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Jacksonville Jaguars and city officials announced Wednesday an agreement to fund giant new scoreboards and other improvements to EverBank Field to be ready before the 2014 football season.
Based on information released when the scoreboards were first proposed, the new video displays in each end zone would measure 55 feet high and 301 feet wide.
"That's right, the biggest and best scoreboards in the world will be at EverBank Field here in Jacksonville, Fla.," Jaguars President Mark Lamping said at a late afternoon news conference.
The improvements will also include a fan area in the north end zone that will require removal of 7,000 seats. There will also be two new sideline boards, displays over each tunnel and a new scoreboard control room.
Exact details of the funding were not released Wednesday, but the Jaguars said it would kick in $20 million, adding that 100 percent of any cost overruns would be paid by the team.
"Today we're making a statement to the NFL, to the nation and to the world that Jacksonville is world class," Khan said, adding it will help the city attract major college football, international soccer and other major sports and entertainment events.
"When you see these plans come to life next fall, it will be impossible to stay home to watch the Jaguars," Khan said.
Rick Catlett, president of the Gator Bowl Association, said the stadium improvements will also help the city keep the Florida-George game contract and potentially attract a college football national championship game to Jacksonville.
"This is an investment in Jacksonville's future as a leading destination for major events, not just regionally, but globally," Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown said.
The city of Jacksonville spent millions in 2005 to upgrade the current video scoreboards to a high-definition display. The city's portion of the funding is subject to City Council approval.
Catlett said the focus should not be on what this project will cost, but on the tens of millions of dollars the city would lose if it lost some of the national, high-profile events currently held in Jacksonville.
Copyright 2013 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text: PP, Nice post up. Very interesting. Too interesting. Here I am cooling a bit to the idea of the Exo Tour and now I'm reading about what a phenomenal 2hbh frame it is, how the string holes crisp the feel etc etc etc! Q. Just how solid and stable does the frame seem to you? How does it compare to a Pres Pro? Or... hmmm... an APD? TIA R


text:
A DRUG-TRAFFICKING paramilitary group has killed 10 peasants on a farm in northern Colombia in the country's worst massacre in more than three years.
Three gunmen from a group known as Los Rastrojos, The Scraps, stormed the farm in Antioquia state on Wednesday and apparently demanded an extortion payment.
General Humberto Guatibonza, commander of the police anti-kidnapping unit, said on Thursday authorities believed the Rastrojos killed the nine men and one woman when they didn't pay the money.
He said a dozen detectives were investigating the crime.
The owner of the farm in the municipality of Santa Rosa de Osos, about 275 kilometres northeast of the capital of Bogota, was apparently being extorted by the paramilitary group, local officials said.
Antioquia police General David Guzman said the gunmen arrived when the workers were finishing up their day of picking fruit.
When workers said they didn't know anything about an extortion payment, the gunmen opened fire and tossed a grenade at them.
"This case has shocked us for the barbaric, brutal way that they murdered these completely innocent people," Guzman said.
An Associated Press photographer who saw the 10 bodies being removed from the farm said the white walls of the main house were pock-marked by bullets and the floor was splattered with blood.
At least 150 farm labourers gathered at the main square in Santa Rosa de Osos fearing new attacks, he said.
It was the first major massacre in Colombia since August 2009, when 12 members of the Awa indigenous tribe were killed in southwestern Narino state.
At the time, a prosecutor investigating the case said the killings had been committed by Los Rastrojos.
The group is a violent offshoot of the Norte del Valle cartel involved in drug trafficking, extortion and murder as it competes with other criminal bands that grew out of the far-right militias known as paramilitaries.
Originally published as 10 peasants killed in Colombia massacre


text:
NY Senate GOP: We won't bring abortion bill to vote
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- The Republican leader of New York state's Senate said Tuesday that he will block any abortion proposal from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whether it's to allow later-term abortions or protect current standards.
"Expansion of late-term abortion is extreme, in my opinion. It's not progressive, it's extreme," Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos said Tuesday.
Cuomo had said in his January State of the State speech that he supported a Democratic proposal to legalize later-term abortions. But as Republican opposition to the proposal built in the days after Cuomo's speech, his aides began to insist he only sought to protect current abortion rights granted under Roe v. Wade.
In a radio interview Tuesday, Cuomo said he wants to ensure those rights continue in New York if Roe v. Wade were reversed. He accused legislators of trying to avoid a vote on the politically difficult topic.
Skelos dismissed Cuomo's view.
"Those laws are not going to be changed in New York state," Skelos said. "What people are interested in right now? Jobs, taxes, affordability."
Skelos said he wouldn't bring a bill to the floor even if it only maintains current standards. "There's no need, absolutely no need."
But most Senate Democrats, powerful Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and women's rights advocates have made the issue a priority.
"It's about protecting lives," said Sonia Ossorio, president of the National Organization for Women in New York City, who added that Skelos characterizing the bill as "extreme" was misleading.
While Skelos can stop the measure, some uncertainties remain. Senate Republicans share majority rule with the four-member Independent Democratic Conference, which wants to see the measure passed. Under Senate rules, Skelos would have to agree to allow a bill to the floor with the Democratic group.
IDC spokesman Eric Soufer said the group will now reach out to other Democrats to find enough votes to pass an abortion bill, hoping that could force Republicans to give the measure a floor vote. But there are deep rifts between the independent Democrats and the rest of the party's lawmakers, and agreement isn't certain.
"Leaders don't bring important bills to the floor to fail," Soufer said. "When you do and they fail, it's a major setback. We don't want to see that happen to this issue."
Just offstage but playing an important role is the state Conservative Party, which successfully punished a handful of Republican senators who voted to legalize gay marriage in 2011 by running candidates against them in elections.
As for Skelos' announcement, state Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long said, "I'm very happy that's the position he's taking. I'm glad the senator is digging in and sticking to that position."
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


text:
New Urban Youth Academy a point of pride in Cincy
Commissioner Selig, Hall of Famers Robinson and Morgan on hand for opening
By Meggie Zahneis / MLB.com
Four practice fields, immaculately groomed and replete with floodlights and grandstands. A 33,000-foot indoor practice facility with another field, batting cages and pitching mounds, plus a weight room.
And that all-too-familiar architecture.
No, I'm not talking about the Reds' player development complex in Goodyear, Ariz. But the facility in Roselawn Park in the Cincinnati area is about as close as it gets, with one major exception.
You'll find a classroom -- not a clubhouse -- nestled in the corner of the complex.
See, this one's for the kids.
The Reds and MLB on Friday unveiled the newly built Reds Urban Youth Academy, designed to play host to the greater Cincinnati area's RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) program. RBI offers area kids ages 7-18 the opportunity to participate in baseball and softball clinics, character development programming, and even academic tutoring and vocational training -- all free of charge.
The Reds are known around the Major Leagues as one of the forerunners when it comes to these youth initiatives, which is no easy task.
"We started operating programs back in 2003, and as they began to grow, we realized that we needed to offer something that was year-round," explained Reds Community Fund executive director Charley Frank. "For baseball to succeed in the urban core, they really need a handful of key ingredients, and one of those ingredients is indoor training space."
Ergo, the RBI program moved into an old Cincinnati Public Schools building for indoor training in the fall and winter, which it would outgrow as it expanded.
That's when Frank and the Reds turned their eyes toward building a new facility, something Major League Baseball had success with previously.
"It wasn't long after we took RBI and tried to make it year-round in the Fall of '09 that we started talking to Major League Baseball," Frank explained. "We were aware of the Compton [Calif., Urban Youth Academy] facility, and they were in the process of completing the Houston complex, which was their second one. And they had also announced [new facilities] in Miami and Philadelphia. It's been about that time, and in those three or four years we have been working with the city and working with the league to identify different sites."
By 2010, the deal was sealed.
"When Major League Baseball and when the Reds brass was brought here by the city," Frank said, sitting in the Bud Selig Conference Room at the Roselawn Park facility, "it was one of those 'a ha!' moments where everyone seemed to have the same epiphany at the same time, and the city was very interested in being a part of it."
And so it was that Friday, the Reds and title sponsor Proctor & Gamble opened the doors of the P&G Cincinnati MLB Urban Youth Academy with a full slate of events, including a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Commissioner Selig and Reds stars past (Hall of Famers Frank Robinson and Joe Morgan) and present (Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce).
Suffice it to say that all were impressed.
"For those of you who cover me regularly, I say baseball is a social institution," Selig said a press conference for Cincinnati media. "And to be at the academy this morning, see what they've done, is a remarkable experience and proves to me again what a social institution this is, and I congratulate the Castellinis [Reds president and CEO Bob Castellini and COO Phil Castellini] and the Reds. It not only made my day, but it makes one very proud to see the kind of contributions that a baseball team can make, and this was really remarkable.
"I'm just blown away by it. I knew it would be good, but I didn't think it would be that good. But again, here they are living up to what I believe as a social institution and responsibilities. I saw those kids today and I don't know how else to say it: It makes me proud to be the Commissioner of Baseball when you see something like this."
For Frank, that was the ultimate compliment.
"We're very pleased that the Commissioner was as excited as he was earlier today. For Frank Robinson and Joe Morgan and Bud Selig to be here today and to see the emotion in their faces and to hear it in their voices, it's just impossible to describe what this day means to us. I'm sure emotionally it's going to take us a long time to sort through it all and figure out what it all means to us, but it really was a wonderful, wonderful day," Frank said.
The new facility's effect on services offered by the academy is immeasurable, according to longtime volunteer and coach Mark Fowler, who also serves as a police sergeant for the City of Cincinnati.
"For one, as you look around, the facility is beautiful. If you think about it in this context, this indoor facility is 120 [feet]-by-120 [feet]. What we had at our old site, down at Old Cape High School, that was only 60-by-60," Fowler noted. "And that's one of the advantages right here. We'll effectively be able to handle more kids, we have more space to give the instruction, along with we're incorporating a vocational program where we're going to start teaching umpire skills, and we want to [teach] field management to start.
"So we have those programs, plus along with what we have is a [University of Cincinnati] program. They get involved and they do a clubhouse for us when we do our fundamental skills camp. That involves [taking a] limited-skill person -- and that could be at age 8 all the way up to age 13 -- and we run them through an eight-week program, and involve in that the UC program, and they teach character-building skills through a baseball theme. So that's what we do here, and that's the advantages here. And with this new facility, we can house more kids, and we can touch more families up here and help out."
Frank and Fowler know that their work is far from done.
"Today is a celebration of the end of part of the journey," Frank said. "It was an opportunity to just stop for a moment and celebrate this incredible accomplishment that required P&G and the league and the city and so many others and just to stop for a moment and soak it all in. it was very restorative for people that have been working hard on it.
"Our challenge going forward now is, how do we make this exceptional? How do we take what's been a good curriculum the last five years and really start to do some dynamic things with it?"
Friday was also an opportunity for the city of Cincinnati to celebrate with a public celebration held all evening and featuring free food, music and a fireworks show.
"Tonight is an important opportunity for us to just welcome the city back in," Frank said. "This has been a work site for over a year. The community has very graciously allowed us to take over the park, which the end result is very exciting, but that's not very convenient for people. Even in the spring, when the fields were heavily in use, a lot of the park was still blocked off and parking wasn't really convenient. So we really wanted to have a night where we could just tell the community that we appreciated their support and patience and we wanted to do something nice for the people here that make the park their home.
But the academy is sure to pay dividends for the city.
"It's [going to help with] more of the social ills our kids get involved with," Fowler, a 20-year police force veteran, explained. "Because that's what they're seeing every day, day-to-day, and we kind of want to change that and give them a new outlook, give them somewhere else to go, somewhere nice to come and play so they can feel welcome and wanted. So we're just trying to instill in them that somebody out there cares, and that's what we want to get across to the community."
After all, that's what it's all about.
"I meet smiling faces all the time," Fowler said. "Just think how many more smiling faces are going to come in and out of the door."
Meggie Zahneis, winner of the 2011 Breaking Barriers essay contest, earned the job of youth correspondent for MLB.com in the fall of '11. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Dallas Mayor Taps Assistant City Attorney To Lead GrowSouth Initiative
Adam McGough (www.SMU.edu)
SCOTT GOLDSTEIN Staff Writer
Published: 14 June 2013 02:34 PM
Updated: 14 June 2013 03:22 PM
A veteran member of the Dallas City Attorney's office is joining Mayor Mike Rawlings' staff to oversee his GrowSouth initiative, Rawlings said today.
Adam McGough will replace Shawn Williams, who recently joined the Dallas Police Department as the civilian supervisor of the Community Affairs and Media Relations departments.
McGough graduated from Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law in 2003 and has been with the city since 2005. He most recently served as the chief of community prosecution and community court.
"I wanted to find somebody that knew this city well and had proven him or herself in dealing with complex issues," Rawlings said of his hiring of McGough. "His leadership, his experience as a community prosecutor and then his leadership in building that team got a unanimous thumbs up from everyone I've talked to … He is a serious worker and I'm very excited about him taking this to the next level."
Williams was with Rawlings for about a year. He is a former southern Dallas entrepreneur and journalist who founded Dallas South News. He wrote extensively about the mayor's introduction to that area of the city before Rawlings hired him.
The mayor praised Williams and said he was sad to see him go, but that he has a great opportunity at DPD.
"There's not a lot of people that have a new vision for city relations, how we relate to each other in this city, north and south, Hispanic and white and African-American," Rawlings said. "Shawn is post-modern in that sense."


text:
lol at fields trying to show his former team and not getting the call, should of passed it dufus
Great rebounding by fields tonight.
come on fields not again, dont make it personal
Raptors looking fatigued. Looks like JV is the only one to show up this game.
terrible movement on the offense.. running with no purpose..CMON.. !
Ugh, bad shooting by Gay/Demar, combined 1/9.
No ones running, no ones passing, no ones driving. It's like watching 10 Melos on the floor at once. Gross.
Looking really bad tonight so far, we need more less ball hogging from Landry.
New York will start hitting shots soon. The guys look gassed on D. Jv is all energy though.
This is one pathetic game....
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)


text:
Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free Homemade Granola with Cranberries, Almonds, and Dark Chocolate
Makes 6 servings
- In a large bowl combine oats, flour, cinnamon, crushed almonds and cranberries – set aside.
- In a medium sauce pan, on medium heat, combine coconut oil, honey, and sugar. Stir until melted and completely blended.
- Pour over dry mixture and stir gently.
- Let the wet mixture cover the dry mix until it forms little clusters.
- Grease two large baking sheets with coconut oil. Spread granola mixture evenly.
- Bake in the oven at 175 F for 1 hour.
- After the baking time is done, turn off the heat, let the granola sit for another 30 minutes in the oven.
- Pull out of the oven, it may still be warm, let cool completely before adding the dark chocolate chips (you can sprinkle them on top of spread out granola for even distribution or add into the storage container afterwards.)
- Transfer to air tight container for storing.
- Enjoy with your favorite milk (we had ours with unsweetened almond milk), over yogourt, or by itself! Yum 🙂


text:
We're one banquette away from being truly in the room," jokes Matt Tyrnauer, as he and I are seated at La Grenouille, New York's grand French restaurant. Impeccably, scruffily groomed, the 39-year-old Vanity Fair special correspondent arrives for lunch on a rainy afternoon wearing a blue blazer, polka-dot tie, white shirt, khakis, and brown loafers (no socks), orders sole and a Grand Marnier soufflé, and scans the jewel-box dining room, which is separated by towers of lilies and orchids from the tiny seating area in front, where billionaires' wives' gossip traipses languidly among the Romance languages. He spies John Fairchild, the former publisher of Women's Wear Daily who created cults of personality around the top mid-century designers such as Valentino Garavani, who is the subject of Tyrnauer's first documentary film, Valentino: The Last Emperor. The synchronicity delights him. "It's perfect!" he declares.
In this room in the 1960s, Valentino lunched with the ladies he aspired to dress, such as Jacqueline Kennedy, Babe Paley, and Nan Kempner. Today, "it's one of the last places in Manhattan where Valentino feels truly comfortable," Tyrnauer explains, "because it is preserved in aspic, from the genteel New York where people dressed for lunch."
The Last Emperor is an intimate chronicle of this rarefied world, swathed in jaw-dropping extravagance at Valentino's headquarters in Rome and his homes in Gstaad, Paris, London, Tuscany, and New York. While preparing for a party at Valentino's French château, for example, a gardener spray-paints the lawn a brighter shade of green. Tyrnauer finds honor in such absurdity by revealing the grueling labor that sustains the dying art of couture and the Old World lifestyle that surrounds it. (When, at a gala retrospective of his work, Valentino gazes up at his most famous dresses, pinned like butterflies to the walls of Rome's Ara Pacis Museum, he shares a satisfied moment with Karl Lagerfeld -- and you realize that, for all their glamour, the detail-obsessed work ethic these men share is really, at heart, a form of geekiness.)
The core of the film, and the aspect of Valentino's life that most fascinates Tyrnauer, is a love story: Valentino's 50-year relationship with Giancarlo Giammetti, his partner in business and in life. Tyrnauer first met the couple when he profiled the designer for Vanity Fair in 2004. On publication, the story caused a bit of a stir, because it was the first time the designer's sexual orientation had been explicitly acknowledged in print. "Each of them lived with his mother until the mother died, and they never told their mothers that they were boyfriends, but this is not unusual in Italy," Tyrnauer explains. Public disclosure "wasn't an easy experience for them," he says, "but we had a level of trust, and I asked them to go ahead with a film immediately."
Though Valentino's is the name above the title, Tyrnauer sees his movie as "a story about two people. I'm very interested in friendship and how people survive together, which is becoming more relevant with each passing month in this country, as we've been struggling with gay marriage and Proposition 8. People are in the streets shouting for something. They're asking for the right to conform, and that's perfectly legitimate, but there are other ways of making the journey, and I think this film shows one way of doing it, even though it might never be copied or reproduced." Smiling, he adds, "Maybe the film should come with a 'don't try this at home' warning."
Tyrnauer, a Los Angeles native (his father produced Murder, She Wrote, among other TV shows), studied film at Wesleyan University and worked in politics on the presidential campaigns of Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis before becoming a writer, first for Spy magazine, then The New York Observer and Vanity Fair, all under Graydon Carter's leadership. He had no distinct coming-out experience ("Declarations of homosexuality to friends and loved ones always seemed slightly neurotic to me. If you want to bring a boy or a girl around and introduce them, do it," he says), and he identifies with Gore Vidal's evasive aphorism, "I never said I was anything. I'm ecumenical" -- although "it's very time-consuming to take that stance now. It's much easier to say, 'Yes, I'm gay.'" (Vidal, Tyrnauer's "dear friend and mentor," will be the subject of his next documentary; he edits Vidal's articles for Vanity Fair, and he is also the literary executor of Vidal's estate.)
As a reporter, Tyrnauer is something of a polymath: He's written memorable, illuminating articles on subjects including green technology, Martha Stewart, monastery design, and Robert Evans. Though he doesn't consciously seek to write stories about sexuality, he's drawn to writing about relationships, and, he adds coyly, "sometimes you have to tease things out." Occasionally, he meets a subject whose secrets can't be touched: His 1998 profile of Merv Griffin took the closeted titan's "romance" with Eva Gabor at face value, but Tyrnauer didn't sweat the compromise. Of the "permanent bachelor" type, Tyrnauer says, "These people grew up in a different generation. This is how they conducted their lives. It's a lot to ask of people who lived in that space and did not move out of it to completely conform to the current standards. Whether it's psychologically healthy or not, that's a different question."
"Ironically," he says, one eyebrow raised, "Merv Griffin is the one who told me that Siegfried and Roy had been married" -- a rumor they denied in the classic profile Tyrnauer wrote of them in 1999. "That was the first story where I was able to get a grip on people who were reluctant, to get in there and break some ground. In terms of homosexuality, their relationship, they were in this bizarre space, living in their own myth. According to them, a lot of their appeal was that people thought of them as mystical buddies, best friends. You know: Siegfried and Roy! They thought it needed no further explanation."
By and large, though, Tyrnauer meets his subjects with no agenda. Both as a filmmaker and as a writer, he seeks to emulate the technique of the Maysles brothers, who directed Grey Gardens, among many other documentaries. "You let the subjects talk and tell their stories, and if they reach out to you, that's OK," he says, "but you don't try to make things happen." (Fellini is another of Tyrnauer's influences: Elements of The Last Emperor resemble scenes in Roma and 8½, and portions of Nino Rota's score for Amarcord are repurposed here, to poignant and amusing effect.)
Tyrnauer's refreshingly old-fashioned reporting technique is nourished by what seems to be a carefully guarded sense of himself as, if not an outsider, then always one banquette away from being truly in the room. "You're entering people's lives, and their lives are not yours," he says. "Unless you're some sort of society journalist or a titled person who wants to work, you're in the position of being an interloper -- I'm talking about the Vanity Fair world -- and you see a lot and experience a lot, and you have to be comfortable with leaving. I love that. I love coming and going."
This helps account for his extraordinary talent for depicting influential people in the twilight of their careers, which reaches its fullest expression so far in Valentino: The Last Emperor. Among the film's riches is its astringent portrayal of the rapidly changing business of fashion. During the two years Tyrnauer spent making the documentary, Valentino's company was taken over by investors who, as the film depicts, have no interest in anything but the bottom line. The seamstresses in Valentino's studio, who stitch every garment entirely by hand, are practicing an art that "will not happen much longer," Tyrnauer says. "It will go away. It's certainly the last link to la dolce vita. It can be there for 50 years, but it's ephemeral, and when it goes, it goes in a minute."
On our way out of the restaurant, at the coat-check booth, Tyrnauer approaches John Fairchild and says, "Matt Tyrnauer. Good to see you." Shaking hands, Fairchild's expression is affable and inscrutable, a practiced but awkward social grace that could be read as anything from recognition to indulgence. Neither man seems much invested in the gesture, but both seem satisfied by having gone through the motion, and the gilt and mirrored dining room is almost empty as Tyrnauer walks, umbrella-less, into a light afternoon rain.


text:
Information For
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Upcoming Events
WKU Safe Communities America Report
Reduced Course Load
All students on an F-1 visa must enroll in and complete a full course of study throughout the academic year (a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester for undergraduates and 9 credit hours per semester for graduates) and maintain satisfactory academic progress.
ALWAYS consult ISO BEFORE you drop your course load to part-time or withdraw from all your courses; otherwise, you jeopardize your LEGAL status.
If you are in your first or last semester of study and your academic advisor recommends that you drop below full-time, please complete the request for a Reduced Course Load through iStart.
Note: documents in Portable Document Format (PDF) require Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or higher to view,
download Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Note: documents in Excel format (XLS) require Microsoft Viewer,
download excel.
Note: documents in Word format (DOC) require Microsoft Viewer,
download word.
Note: documents in Powerpoint format (PPT) require Microsoft Viewer,
download powerpoint.
Note: documents in Quicktime Movie format [MOV] require Apple Quicktime,
download quicktime.


text:
- Mercedes news
Hamilton move not money-driven - Brawn
- News:
Hamilton will not get No. 1 status over Rosberg - Brawn
- News:
Hamilton right to move, say former stars
- News:
McLaren 'went a long way' for Hamilton - Whitmarsh
- News:
Hamilton's move to Mercedes confirmed
- News:
'Mercedes offer him much greater freedom on the commercial side'
- Drivers:
- Ross Brawn
- |
- Lewis Hamilton
- Teams:
- Mercedes
Ross Brawn says Lewis Hamilton's move from McLaren to Mercedes is not due to money, insisting Mercedes did not offer him an increased salary.
Hamilton was believed to have been offered a reduced yearly salary by McLaren, with Mercedes able to pay more money and allow him greater freedom when negotiating his own personal endorsements. Brawn, however, dismissed those claims, saying that it was the lure of being part of building a competitive team that had led to Hamilton making the move.
"There is a competitive market for drivers and Lewis is as competitive as anyone else in that respect," Brawn told Sky Sports News. "But Lewis didn't come here because we offered more money, because we didn't. Lewis came here because he met the people that were involved in the project, he became excited about the project, and Lewis will be part of creating that competitive car.
"It won't be turning up at the race, getting in the car and trying to win races in it, it'll be a lot of work here as well; working with the engineers to understand what he wants from a racing car, how he wants to use it, giving his opinions and views to help us create that racing car. So I think we can create a winning racing car and I think Lewis will be a vital part of creating that racing car here."
Brawn admitted that aligning himself with the Mercedes brand could also have been attractive to Hamilton, but says any off-track success will only be a result of his on-track results.
"Perhaps, but first and foremost Lewis is a racing driver and that has to be the key to everything. If he's not successful as a racing driver none of the other stuff can happen. So everyone involved - here and involved with Lewis - recognise that first of all he has to be a successful racing driver because if he's not a successful racing driver nothing else can happen, so that's the key thing."
While speculation over the move has been ongoing since before the Italian Grand Prix, Brawn said negotiations were relatively straightforward once Hamilton had heard of Mercedes' ambitions.
"In some ways [it was hard], but I think once Lewis became excited about the challenge we have here and realised that that was the next part of his career then things were able to progress fairly well.
"We haven't achieved our objectives yet, we're not where we want to be. We're putting together a really strong, exciting team and I think for Lewis the attraction was being part of that building structure, the creation of the team, not walking in to a ready formed, successful package. It was being part of the process of building that package and I think he felt that was the next stage of his career."


text:
Wargaming.net has one of the most in-depth multiplayer games I've ever played on their hands. World of Tanks is an intense and realistic deathmatch-type game; players play on one of two teams that start on separate sides of an expansive map, and try to eliminate the tanks on the other team.
World of Tanks is a free-to-play game; of course, you have the option to spend real money to get the game's currency. The in-game currency will allow you to get better tanks faster by buying upgrades for your tanks, unlocking more tanks, buying different types of rounds to counter stronger tanks, crew members, and repairs. There is an insane amount of depth and tank upgrades galore. It can get a little overwhelming with the amount of options you have of tanks to use, but after enough time, you'll find the tank that matches your play style.
The combat tries to be very realistic. Many factors go into damage, including the type of armor you're going against, the type of shell you're using, and the angle and location at which you hit. Unfortunately, a fair amount of luck/chance goes into damage as well, meaning it isn't all skill-based. Sometimes you'll empty eight shells into an enemy tank, only to become disabled with one shot from them, and destroyed on the next. Things like this will be very frustrating, and more than one time I've wanted to walk away from the game. However, given enough time, you will get a better tank, become more accustomed to the maps and controls, and find out the best strategies for defeating your armored opponents.
Speaking of the maps, they are pretty massive considering the slow pace at which the tanks move. Maps have farms, hills, war-torn cities, small towns, and grassy open fields. Using cover will definitely be to your advantage; it allows you to pop off a shot and duck back behind cover.
Some problems I've had with the game is that it doesn't hold your hand—at all. If you want to figure out strategies, how damage is calculated, or become accustomed to anything in the game, you need to use the wiki. Being knowledgeable will definitely prove advantageous in this game. Also, once you die in the match, you're done. You need to wait until the match ends, which could be another 10 minutes. Sure, you can leave the match, but if you're playing with friends, that really isn't an option.
The matchmaking is hit or miss, as well. It tries to keep players with more advanced tanks in the same bracket, but you just can't always have it perfect. Sometimes there will be an insanely powerful tank on the other team that is just killing left and right. The math that goes into damage can also prove quite frustrating when you aren't getting the kills that you're accustomed to getting in multiplayer deathmatch games. Again, this is more realistic and simulation-style gameplay.
For a free-to-play game, World of Tanks is insanely detailed and has combat that takes a while to get used to. The more you learn about the game and the more you play, the better you'll become at it. It's like an investment—spend time playing and you'll be able to upgrade more and compete better. In that sense, the game really drives you towards becoming better. Since it's free, it doesn't hurt to try this game out if you haven't already. Just make sure you get past the growing pains and give it a chance, because it really does have a lot to offer. Quick tip: don't attack a heavy tank head on with a smaller, faster tank. Try to maneuver yourself around it and flank it. Took me a couple of games and some restraint to stop playing it like a shooter.


text:
I'll take the cheap covers, thanks. The expensive ones don't do anything special except cost you more money.
I'll take the cheap covers, thanks. The expensive ones don't do anything special except cost you more money.
Salty Fog Rally 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014 And DRAT! Missed the last one in 2015!
-Tom (KA1TOX)
Look into GEZA motorcycle covers. Ride Safe
Cave Contents: 1980 R100RT/Ural Sidecar, 2004 R1200CLC, 2006 HD FSXTI
Ride Safe
Rob R
1994 K75 My first bike.
Was just given a Bilt cover from Cycle gear and its probably the best built cover I ever owned. BUT, its bulky, football size at best when packed. It stays outside the saddlebags. 45$ on sale(normal double that) and they sell a cheaper one too. My 100+$ covers are in my past, not worthy, most of'em I've tried. WalMart even sold a 19$ cover that was better than the pricey 100$ ones, still using it on another bike for years now. The above BILT one I just recently was given(BDay), had me wondering about its size and bulk, BUT I got over that quickly and it covers my complete GSA1200, loaded with all my gear for camping really FINE. Its built exteremely well, no pun as the name suggests. BILT! Not everything comes in a tiny package. I like. Randy
Getting one as a BDay gift sure beats the alternative. Mine(new BILT) is big, bulky, heavy and is likely a last ever cover for a very long time. Its very robust and hurricane proof, naaa but you get the point. It carries very easy on top of my trunk or thereabouts, on extended journeys. I do camp right alongside my bike at most of the campsights anyways and the cover could stay home too! Randy
My local BMW shop had the Guardian Ultralite cover at a reasonable price. It packs down pretty small and is good for " light rain" and it keeps the dew off the bike. For traveling in iffy weather, it is a good value. Not the ultimate but then again, the bike is an outdoor toy... I also carry a towel to wipe the seat if needed and I hit the cover with Scotch Guard after a few uses in the rain.
Bill M
Fort Myers Florida
1989 K100rs, 2004 K1200GT


text:
By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to the new Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
In the six years since China opened its first high-speed rail line, the country's network has grown to 6,800 miles of dedicated track -- making it by far the world's largest system.
The scale of the project is simply massive, but it has also produced hundreds of billions of dollars in debt, a deadly accident and allegations of corruption.


text:
1A Auto Wants Your Suggestions!
Over the last few months, 1A Auto has recorded several hundred high definition how-to videos on our 1A Auto YouTube Channel and we are adding dozens more each week. We want to give our customers all the guidance that they may need when replacing the typical do-it-yourself auto parts like the ones that we provide. Our YouTube videos are all 10 minutes or less and they cover everything from the tools that you will need, to the time that it should take, and all the tips and tricks that we have learned along the way. They show you how auto parts are replaced in a real world environment, not in the fantasy TV land of rust-free metal and easy to turn bolts.
Most recently, we acquired a 1998 Ford Explorer that we will be breathing some much deserved life back into. It has typical mileage, normal wear and tear, and makes a fantastic winter vehicle in New England! Over the next month or so, we are going through it and making dozens of helpful how-to videos about the entire process. This is where you come in! We are looking for "how-to video" suggestions for this Explorer project. What repair would you like to learn how to do? Which parts are a frequently replaced?


text:
Google CEO Larry Page announced today 750 million Android devices have been activated.
Android made its last update 189 days ago on Sept. 5 and reported an average of 1.4 million devices activated per day with 480 million Android devices globally. That's still impressive, however, it appears the operating system's popularity has leveled. After seeing rocket growth since 2010, the most recent numbers are not much of an improvement over the average daily activation rate from September, which was 1.3 million per day.
In Feb. 2012 only 850,000 Android devices where activated per day.
Google is averaging 1.4 million devices activated per day and has grown significantly over the years.
Although Android is still rather popular with consumers, sequentially speaking, Android's growth is slowing down.


text:
Geminids Meteor Shower Caused by Rock Comet
The Geminids are a fast, bright, and reliable meteor shower that can be observed every December (with the morning of the 14th usually marking the peak of highest intensity.) During this time, the sky fills with flashes of light shooting out of the constellation Gemini. But where exactly do the meteors come from?
Meteor showers are supposed to come from comets, yet there is no comet that matches the orbit of the Geminid debris stream. Instead, the orbit of the Geminids is occupied by a thing called "3200 Phaethon" - a five-kilometer diameter asteroid. Resembling a rocky asteroid, Phaethon swoops by the sun every 1.4 years, much like a comet would, but it never sprouts a dusty tail to replenish the Geminids.
That is, until now.
A group of astronomers led by Dave Jewitt of UCLA have been using NASA's STEREO probes to take a closer look at 3200 Phaethon when it passes by the sun. The twin spacecraft were designed to monitor solar activity, so they get a good view of sungrazing comets and asteroids. In 2010 one of the STEREO probes recorded a doubling of Phaethon's brightness as it approached the sun, as if sunlight were shining through a cloud of dust around the asteroid. The observers began to suspect 3200 Phaethon was something new: a rock comet.
A rock comet is, essentially, an asteroid that comes very close to the sun--so close that solar heating scorches dusty debris right off its rocky surface. This could form a sort of gravelly tail.
In further STEREO observations from 2009 and 2012, Jewitt along with colleagues Jing Li of UCLA and Jessica Agarwal of the Max Planck Institute have spotted a small tail sticking out behind the "rock."
"The tail gives incontrovertible evidence that Phaethon ejects dust," says Jewitt.
Jewitt's team believes that the dust is launched by thermal fracturing of the asteroid's crust. A related process called "desiccation fracturing" may play a role too.
Seeing 3200 Phaethon sprout a tail, even a small one, gives researchers confidence that Phaethon is indeed the source of the Geminids--but a mystery remains: How can such a stubby protuberance produce such a grand meteor shower?
Adding up all of the light STEREO saw in Phaethon's tail, Jewitt and colleagues estimate a combined mass of some 30 thousand kilograms. That might sound like a lot of meteoroids but, in fact, it is orders of magnitude too small to sustain the massive Geminid debris stream.
Read more at NASA.
Meteor shower image via Shutterstock.


text:
We take this opportunity to remind you about the risk that increases this time of year.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released data from its Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) showing alcohol-related fatalities increase between the middle of April and the middle of June.
What's significant about these time periods? It happens to be when teenagers tend to do a lot of partying, namely prom and graduation.
The FARS data showed in 2004, during weekends around prom (April and May), 46 percent of traffic fatalities among 15-20-year-olds were alcohol-related. Of these fatalities, 72 percent involved a 15-20-year-old driver with alcohol in their system.
This data shows more work needs to be done on the education and prevention front, including combating alcohol-industry ads. These advertisements from alcoholic beverage companies specifically market to our nation's youth, depicting a fun atmosphere, good-looking people and sometimes a picture of total irresponsibility, making it appealing for rebellious or thrill-seeking teenagers.
High school graduation parties often get out of hand. Many of these parties involve heavy amounts of alcohol, and some are even sponsored by parents. After a night of heavy drinking, it is typical for a number of these teenagers to then drive home, despite precautions taken to avoid such a disaster. Activities such as this are why several states have adopted beer keg registration laws, which hold the purchaser of the alcohol accountable for any accidents or wrongdoing.
The vast majority of people seeking to end their addiction started off with alcohol as a teenager themselves. No one starts using drugs or alcohol thinking they will become addicted or lose someone they love because of it.
While thousands of graduates, young and old, are throwing up their caps and gowns in the air and looking toward the future, we remind you of what current actions can bring. We believe it is our job, our responsibility, in providing this information so it may help you to make an educated decision.
Don't drink and drive, or don't use drugs and drive. And, be patient and wary of others when the roads get crowded with travelers attending our local graduation ceremonies.
As always, e-mail email@example.com with tips or suggestions. Have a great week.


text: I have a printer set up as a LAN printer for my wireless laptop. The printer is wired to the router. When I print, the document is placed in the print que but will not print. When I restart the pc it takes some time for ZA to boot up and during that time the document prints. I have uninstalled ZA and printing now works fine. What in ZA Free could be keeping documents from getting to the printer and what setting change is needed to allow documents print?


text:
George Lucas + Mellody Hobson Marry in a Star-Studded Event at Skywalker Ranch
George Lucas married his long time girlfriend Mellody Hobson on June 22 — and as far as we know, there were no wookies, ewoks or wookoks in attendance. But more than a few celebrities did show up.
The locale for the star-studded event was initially rumored to be Chicago, but it instead happened just outside San Francisco at Lucas' Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, Calif.
The couple, together since 2006, were engaged in January and tied the knot this weekend, with journalist Bill Moyers (who was once a Baptist minister) serving as officiant in what many said was an incredibly moving ceremony. Former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley, who's known Mellody since she was a teenager, gave the bride away, while director Francis Ford Coppola read a poem by Maya Angelou.
George's longtime pal and collaborator, Steven Spielberg, later gave a toast, joking that The Force had at last been given a name: Mellody.
If that's not enough star power for you, the evening's musical performers included Van Morrison (who flew in from Ireland) and Janelle Monae. Guests and well-wishers included director Ron Howard and actor Samuel L. Jackson, who both tweeted their joy at the nuptials.
George Lucas Melody Hobson wedding was joy to behold Bill Moyers service was beautiful, nothing short of profound. Congrats Mr&Mrs Lucas
— Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) June 24, 2013
Let's give a Galactic shout out to Master George Lucas & his Bride Melodie on This their WEDDING DAY!! Congrats!!!!!!
— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) June 22, 2013


text:
Second-quarter revenue increased 12% to $156.1 million from $139.2 million in the second quarter of 2011. Freight revenue rose 8% to $113.6 million. Non-freight revenue increased 26% to $42.5 million.
The company said "noteworthy items" impacting the second quarters of 2012 and 2011 include early retirement of debt. Second-quarter 2012 included $5.7 million of charges related to redemption of the remaining $74 million of 9.25% senior notes.
RailAmerica President and Chief Executive Officer John Giles said: "Exceptional execution by our team drove another strong quarter with operating income on a comparable basis up 28%. We remain well positioned for continued progress in the months ahead. During the second quarter we began integrating our two recent acquisitions. Additionally, our commercial and industrial development teams are pursuing a robust pipeline of opportunities."
Genesee & Wyoming Inc. announced Monday that it had entered into an agreement to acquire RailAmerica in a transaction valued at around $1.4 billion.


text: It would not seem to be a part of the Federation's core philosophy to have a computer make the judgment about ending intelligent life. The computer would figure angles, speed, power requirements, but a sapient being would be required to make the ethical decision to destroy and kill. So there is always going to be a living being's finger on the button. It might not be a actual firing button, but something labeled 'enable' or 'weapons release'. In Errand of Mercy, the Enterprise was in a war zone, it's deflectors in that particular case may have been set to automatic, which wouldn't have alway been the case.


text:
BBC Implies 9/11
Truth Movement a Cult of Mythology
The BBC's promotional material for its upcoming documentary on the 9/11 truth movement, widely expected to be a sophisticated hit piece, attempts to dismiss serious questions about 9/11 by implying that anyone who distrusts the official version has a borderline psychological illness and is a member of a mythological cult.
An article and an accompanying multiple choice test by a University of London psychologist tries to diminish any wavering from the official version of events behind world history and imply that such beliefs are a method of psychological escapism. The test clearly implies that anyone who holds skepticism towards the benevolence of government institutions is some kind of disenfranchised social pariah with unhealthy personal relationships.
It is important to keep in mind that the definition of a "conspiracy theory" being used is any substantive skepticism of the "official version of events" as proclaimed by the state. The fact that people lie on a day to day basis is accepted and yet the concept that government, which itself consists of people, would lie about major events is somehow presented as an inconceivable concept. This is achieved merely by setting it against the buzz term "conspiracy theory," which has negative connotations attached to it due to decades of media stereotyping.
Skepticism and "conspiracy theories" are not the same thing yet simply by throwing them all in the same basket, a healthy distrust of authority is castigated as some form of mental illness.
The BBC interviewed X Files producer Frank Spotnitz and is carrying the video which you can watch below on their website as part of the promotion drive for the Conspiracy Files series.
In the interview, Spotnitz characterizes conspiracy theories as a "secular mythology" that require emotional religious "faith" to uphold and that they act as a "security blanket to comfort yourself."
Fox News guest and syndicated columnist Betsy Hart was one of the original progenitors of this nonsense, claiming that fear of a worldwide Muslim extremist terrorist plot (itself a conspiracy theory) led many to believe the "more manageable" explanation that the government was complicit in 9/11. Quite how a group of rag-tag fundamentalists was a scarier prospect that the leviathan menace of an all powerful genocidal state in control of a standing army was never explained. Hart's screed was subject to change after she falsely accused Alex Jones of sending her threatening e mails, a claim that led to a retraction being added to the article.
Spotnitz also fails to clarify exactly how the belief that a warmongering elite that is prepared to launch mass casualty terror attacks in the pursuit of a haunting agenda to brutalize the world into accepting their domination acts as a "security blanket" to "comfort" us.
Another blatant contradiction in terms is revealed when Spotnitz tries to explain the allure of "conspiracy theories" as a means to membership of an "elite club" that is smarter than the rest of the general population. An elite club by its very definition is a kind of secret society that is hostile to outside scrutiny and an easy means to gain membership. We as truthseekers spend every ounce of our time and energy trying to wake up the general public to a wider view of reality than their trusted establishment kingpins would have them believe, thus our very raison d'etre is the exact opposite of what an "elite club" would try to do which is to keep their knowledge secret.
Our goal is to spread information not to constrain it within some inner circle.
Because the architects of these attack pieces can't meet us on a level playing field and are unable to provide any logical answers to the questions we are raising, they have to shift the frame of the debate to nebulous ruminations on the psychology behind our "beliefs," claiming that "conspiracy theorists" dream up vast plots to make themselves feel more comfortable about tragedies and to give the world some sense of order, or as the University of London's Patrick Leman describes it, "We want "closure" in our thinking and to believe that we live in a stable and predictable world."
The fact is that inventing some catch-all indistinct theory in an attempt to neutralize legitimate unanswered questions and a healthy skepticism of anything the state or their media organs proclaim is a crass attempt to debunk the 9/11 truth movement, being that it appeals to the general public's laziness and convenience of not having to stop and think for themselves about world events.
This process of illogical mental gymnastics has been cited before on countless occasions and is turning into somewhat of a prepared script for the debunkers.
Though the BBC tries to portray truthseekers as closeted loners with mental instabilities, the fact is that "conspiracy theories" and guarded skepticism are far healthier than a blind obedience and acceptance of what government tells us is truth and this is historically proven. Four words alone, "weapons of mass destruction" illustrate that perfectly.
The ground zero rescue workers who bravely dug through the rubble of the twin towers paid a heavy price for believing what their government told them about 9/11, that the toxic air was safe to breathe, and 20% are now dying as a result of it. The population in general would be loathe to repeat such a mistake.
GET ACTIVE: Populate the BBC's Conspiracy Files blog and set the record straight on the outlook and goals of the 9/11 truth movement in the face of this bias attack. Click here and leave your comments.
Prison Planet.tv: The Premier Multimedia Subscription Package: Download and Share the Truth!
Please help our fight against the New World Order by giving a donation. As bandwidth costs increase, the only way we can stay online and expand is with your support. Please consider giving a monthly or one-off donation for whatever you can afford. You can pay securely by either credit card or Paypal. Click here to donate.


text:
Adirondacks > Nippletop > Climber's Log
Nippletop Climber's Log
[ Sign the Climber's Log ]
|Jerry L
|Leach Trail
Date Climbed: Oct 6, 2007
|Completed after Dial.
|Posted Oct 19, 2007 8:32 am
|Elk Pass
Date Climbed: Apr 15, 1998
|Horrendous blowdowns between Elk Pass and the summit, thanks to the famous ice storm of '98.
|Posted Oct 15, 2007 12:29 am
|Long time ago!
Date Climbed: Jul 17, 1994
|Hiked this one with my dad when I was about 10 and loved it quickly became one of my favorite high peaks!
|Posted Sep 12, 2007 11:08 pm
|This one was fun
|Gorgeous Day. 2 feet fresh powder. No joke
|Posted Aug 28, 2007 9:45 pm
|Bark Eater
|Peak bagging
Date Climbed: Jul 13, 1979
|One of my last 46ers before moving west.
|Posted Aug 18, 2007 5:41 pm
|After Colvin and Blake from Gill Brook
Date Climbed: Aug 9, 2007
|Best Day I've seen in the Daks in years. My new favorite viewpoint in the High Peaks Region.
|Posted Aug 9, 2007 9:35 pm
|The Hard Way
Date Climbed: Aug 22, 1994
|Hiked the whole Lake Road and ascended up the Gill Brook Trail. Awesome view of the slides on Dix. Came down via Bear Den.
|Posted Jul 25, 2007 12:12 am
|Awesome views
Date Climbed: Sep 18, 1994
|Climbed with my brother Mike and my co-worker Brent. The views are incredible!!! If it wasnt such a long hike it might rank higher on my list of favorites.
|Posted Jun 22, 2007 9:36 am
|H.G. Leach trail up, Elk Pass down
Date Climbed: May 29, 2007
|Some great views from the top of this Peak. The Elk Pass trail sucks big time going down. Should have went back the way I came, but didn't want to do all those cols again. Sort of a no win situation going back down, unless you want to jump off, which does look possible.
|Posted May 31, 2007 10:20 am
|fogged in
Date Climbed: Mar 26, 2007
|Via Bear Den / Dial and returning via Gill Brook. No views because of the fog. Still plenty of snow up top.
|Posted Mar 27, 2007 4:38 pm
|The edge
Date Climbed: Oct 2, 2005
|2nd out of loop
|Posted Mar 14, 2007 6:22 pm
Date Climbed: May 29, 2006
|Best views in ADK so far. Black flies, brown flies, purple flies... all out in full force.
|Posted May 31, 2006 12:50 am
|Longg day
|Climbed from just under Dix out and around and up the Dial/Nippletop Ridge.
|Posted Apr 20, 2006 9:53 pm
|Route Climbed: Bear Den - Dial - Nippletop loop Date Climbed: June 2002
|Approached from Dial. Great views of Dix and Great Range. Hot and Hazy with many black flies. Nice lake in saddle with Indian head.
|Posted Jan 26, 2006 12:21 pm
|Route Climbed: Ridge Tr. Date Climbed: 9/22/96 and 2/20/99
|Summer Solo. Winter as leader for a small group. I love these less visited High Peaks.
|Posted Aug 9, 2005 4:15 pm
|Route Climbed: rock slide bushwhack on west side Date Climbed: July 29, 2001
|I definitely climbed this peak the hard way! I climbed the Nippletop slide. First, it was a brutal bushwhack once I left the trail just to find the slide! I crossed a muddy bog by walking only on rocks and sticks. Then I scrambled DOWNHILL along a small brook for about 45 minutes, wondering if I was still going the right way! I was so relieved when I arrived at the bottom of the rock slide! However, the challenges were just beginning. A portion of the rock slide was impassable without Class 5 climbing, so I worked around it in the woods as a miserable bushwhack. Once around this, the slide climb became enjoyable until I got halfway up, where sore legs began to afflict me. Then, to top it off, the clouds increased and it began raining just as I reached the top of the slide. No nice exit existed, so I had to bushwhack by crawling through and under wet cripplebush for several hundred feet until I reached the summit where the trail was. It was a miserable wet hike down. Due to poor planning in regards to time, I ended up hiking the last hour of the hike in the dark with one flashlight between me and my hiking partner, who was upset with me for taking him on such an exhausting climb.
|Posted Jul 19, 2005 9:35 pm
|Re: Route Climbed: rock slide bushwhack on west side Date Climbed: July 29, 2001
|This is the type of "adventure" that enduring stories are made of to tell the grandkids about! If it was just another hike/climb to a summit, it's less memorable. Hope you had fun though, still want to get up there myself.
|Posted May 27, 2012 1:13 am
|Route Climbed: Lake road and elk pass Date Climbed: september 25 2004
|Beautiful dayhike, came down on the east side to get to Mount Dial. Colors have started at this time of the year.
|Posted Jun 15, 2005 9:53 am
|Route Climbed: trail from Elk Pass Date Climbed: 9/22/96 and 2/20/99
|remote feeling area
|Posted May 4, 2005 4:23 pm
|Bill Jirousek
|Route Climbed: Bear Den to Dial to Nippletop, back to road via Elk Pass Date Climbed: 10/10/04
|Did this hike on a very cloudy day. It was a nice hike over Bear Den and Dial to get to Nippletop. The summit cone was as steep and pointy as I've been on in the ADKs. The clouds cleared somewhat for a few minutes and we got great views of Dix and down into Elk Pass.
|Posted Oct 12, 2004 9:24 am


text:
Sen. McCain drops by D-backs Spring Training
By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Arizona Senator John McCain visited D-backs Spring Training on Thursday.
McCain, who attends numerous regular-season games, watched some of the club's simulated game with manager Kirk Gibson atop a tower that sits in the middle of the practice fields.
"He's a baseball fan," Gibson said. "It was an interesting conversation with him. He's very decorated, and I respect what he does in service of our country. It was interesting to get the time to share a few words with him. He's very passionate about what he does."
When practice was over, McCain walked through the D-backs' clubhouse and was greeted by several players, including Josh Collmenter, who came over to shake his hand and have a picture taken with him.
"I voted for him in Texas in 2008," Minor League pitcher Chase Anderson said, referring to the Senator's presidential run. "I'm a big John McCain fan. I mean, just what he's about. I really like his views on things. He's been a hero of mine, and my dad has liked him for a really long time. He's just a really good person all around. It brought chills to me, a little bit. It was a cool moment."
D-backs catcher Miguel Montero spoke privately with McCain about the unrest in his home country of Venezuela.
Great visit out to @dbacks spring training today - with @dbacks great Luis Gonzalez and team President @DHallDbacks: pic.twitter.com/dTOxqnmx5R
- John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) February 20, 2014
Video helps D-backs increase camp efficiency
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- On Wednesday and Thursday, the D-backs had their pitchers throwing simulated games on four different fields at the same time.
So which ones did pitching coach Mike Harkey and bullpen coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. watch?
All of them.
The fields are each equipped with three fixed cameras. One from behind home plate, the other from center field and the third in one of the dugouts to give a side view of the pitcher.
After practice, the D-backs coaches are able to cue up any pitcher and watch those they may have missed live or want to look at further. The video is also available for pitchers if they want to review their performance.
"We always try to tape as much as we can," D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said. "We store and put it in our system so you can go back and watch the whole session if you want to. We'll watch the tape more and see where they were trying to locate and how much they located."
Worth noting
• Thursday was the one-year anniversary of the snowstorm that blanketed Salt River Fields and forced the D-backs to travel to the A's Spring Training facility in Phoenix.
"We lost three days and had to go to Papago Park," Gibson said. "This year, the weather has been outstanding and a lot of people have come out and we've gotten a lot of good, quality work in."
What a difference a year makes. #TBT #DbacksST pic.twitter.com/fUsMLG6Ydw
- Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) February 20, 2014
• Gibson gave his team a rare day off Friday with the facility scheduled to be closed to players.
Because they began Spring Training a week earlier than most teams, the D-backs have had ample time to prepare for Cactus League action, which begins Wednesday against the Dodgers. In an effort to not burn his players out, Gibson has tried mixing in short workout days and Friday's off-day.
"We'll be ready for Wednesday, that's for sure," Gibson said.
• Early camp for the Arizona Minor Leaguers is in full swing. The team invited 50 players, mostly pitchers and catchers to help them get their arms in shape. Another 30 players showed up on their own.
"It gives guys a chance to kind of ease into it and build them up slowly," farm director Mike Bell said. "I think it's been a great program for us."
Steve Gilbert is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Inside the D-backs, and follow him on Twitter @SteveGilbertMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Regional brewer for Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant.
Member Profiles
Brewers Association member profiles. See who contributes to the creation of American craft beer, from bottling line technicians to brewers and CEOs.
Robert Brushaber
The Root Cellar's Robert Brushaber with his dad, Phil, who taught him how to brew.
Ken Jones
Brewery manager and partner at Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co. in Colorado.
Aaren Simoncini
Owner/brewer of The Beer'd Brewing Co. in Stonington, Conn.
Joey Villarreal
Owner/brewer at Blue Star Brewing Co. in San Antonio, Texas.
Ron Chips
Owner of Kelsey Creek Brewing Co. in Kelseyville, Calif.
Matt Johnson
General manager of Helm's Brewing Company in San Diego.
Jeff and Lynn Jacobs
Co-owners of Great Storm Brewing in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Nathan Friedman
Owner and brewer at Wanderlust Brewing Company in Flagstaff, Ariz.
Jon Lane
Owner and brewer at O.H.S.O. Eatery + Nanobrewery in Phoenix.
Submit Your Member Profile
The Brewers Association would like to recognize all who contribute to the creation of American craft beer, from bottling line technicians to brewers and CEOs. Submit your profile today!


text:
Post: A message from the owner..
Posted by deber on 7/02/11
Hi, my name is Dawn, the sole owner of "For The Birds" in
Turnersville NJ, I would like to announce a change in
regard to the breeders that are affiliated with my store.
Please understand that since opening on March 19, 2011,
this has been a learning experience both as a business
owner and as a bird lover. In order to maintain the
highest level of customer satisfaction possible, as well
as build a respectable reputation in this industry,
dealing with reputable breeders is a necessity. I pride
myself in selling quality products. My store is small, so
even when a customer is looking for a product I do not
have in stock, I always take the extra step in effort to
supplying the customer's needs. Anyone who has actually
been in my store knows this. Unfortunately, with the
computer age that we live in, people from different states
all over the country can talk privately or publicly
which can lead to rumors, gossip and slander. I have no
need to post anything on bird breeder type websites. I am
a retail store. I do not sell wholesale baby birds,
however, I do sell tame, pet ready birds (that I spoil as
if they were my own), quality seed, cages, treats, with a
gift shop look and feel when you walk in, and all the fun
stuff that brings a bird enthusiast out to check out
what's new. I form relationships with my customers, and
their birds. The best time in my day is when I have
multiple "soon to be parents" visiting there new baby and
we all sit and chat about birds. If that sounds like your
kind of store, then that would be mine. Well, that is all
I have to say, you will probably never see a post from me
again, as I have already mentioned, my customers are in
the retail end of this business.
Posts on this thread, including this one
A message from the owner.., 7/02/11, by deber.


text:
Stephen Fry has given his support to the Pride House for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Pride House will be the first LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered) house at a summer Games, and one of the largest hospitality houses in London next summer.
More than 250,000 visitors are expected to enjoy a programme of live music, art exhibitions, sports, special appearances by athletes, and big screens showing the Olympic action.
"All eyes will be on London for the 2012 Games," said Fry, "and Pride House is an idea that brings together so many of the elements that make London one of the very greatest cities in the world and a beacon of tolerance, diversity and pride."
More details about Pride House – including the venue – will be announced soon. Visit www.pridehouselondon.co.uk for more information.


text:
JOHANNESBURG – The United States' hope of winning its first international title were dashed Sunday when Brazil won its second straight Confederations Cup title.
Lucio scored a late goal to give Brazil a 3-2 win over the United States.
The Brazil captain headed in a corner from Elano in the 84th minute to help the five-time world champions hold off a spirited American team that had taken a 2-0 lead at halftime.
Luis Fabiano scored two goals in the second half to put Brazil back in the match after Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan had given the Americans the lead.


text:
She was born June 15, 1932, in Appleton, the daughter of Newton and Ivy Reynolds Cook. She was of the Baptist faith. She was preceded in death by her parents and one son, Harry Keith Buchanan.
She is survived by six children, Donald Wayne and wife Janice Cook, David Lee and wife Joyce Cook, Ruby and husband David Kersten, Mary Katherine Buchanan, Ivelea Christine Raber and Kennith Lee Buchanan; three brothers, Charles Cook, Raymond Coral Cook and William Monroe Cook; one sister, Mary Lou Eubanks; 17 grandchildren; and 37 great-grandchildren.
Memorial service will be 10 a.m. Thursday, July 12, 2012, at Lemley Chapel with the Rev. Darwin Barnhouse officiating. Burial will be private under the direction of Lemley Funeral Service of Atkins. Visitation will be 9:30 a.m. Thursday prior to services.
Online obituary and condolences are available at www.lemleyfuneral.com.
Paid obituary


text:
The question was innocuous enough.
But it struck a nerve with Marc Trestman during his lengthy introductory news conference in January.
"Based on the pieces you have in place, do you anticipate any major changes by bringing in a new defensive coordinator?"
Trestman's reply: "With all due respect, they're not pieces. … They are men who love football. And I get that. During my transformation, they will never be pieces again. They are valued people. And thank you for asking the question so I could give that type of answer."


text:
Behind the Scenes Auto Tour
1:30pm- 2:30pm Sat, Jun 14, 2014
Venue: Heritage Museums & Gardens
67 Grove Street, Sandwich, MA 02563Contact:
Julie Raynor
1 people saved this
Go behind the scenes with curator Jennifer Madden for a tour of our antique auto collection storage. Jennifer will share little-known facts and stories about the twenty cars in this area, while participants have the opportunity to closely examine the vehicles. Participants will also learn how the collection was formed, the original purchase price of each vehicle, the work that goes into maintaining this world-class collection, and the ins and outs of moving the cars and preparing them for exhibit. Advance registration is recommended as space is limited. Fee (includes museum admission): $10 Members, $25 Non-Member adults, $17 Non-Member youth
MA Spotlight on Carole Copeland Thomas
Enriching Multicultural Tourism in Massachusetts Carole Copeland Thomas is a thought leader and public speaker...
Search All Listings Here.


text: Reliable and adequate power generation is a corner-stone of every industrialized country: an essential ingredient for successful economies and comfortable lifestyles. While other technologies continue to be developed, solid fuels are still extremely important. Coal provides around 30 % of global energy needs, 41 % of the world's electricity and is used in the production of 70 % of the world's steel.


text:
|Price Detail
|2.0 e-VGT 2WD MT Base Model
|2.0 e-VGT 2WD AT GL 2 of 3
|Ex-Showroom Price
|Rs 19,95,900
|Rs 22,49,000
|Price Detail
|2.0 e-VGT 4WD AT GLS Top Model
|Ex-Showroom Price
|Rs 25,19,000
|Price Detail
|2.0 Dual VTVT 2WD MT Base Model
|2.0 Dual VTVT 2WD ... 2 of 3
|Ex-Showroom Price
|Rs 17,99,900
|Rs 20,99,000
|Price Detail
|2.0 Dual VTVT 2WD ... Top Model
|Ex-Showroom Price
|Rs 22,24,000
Hyundai Tucson price in Kadapa start at Rs. 18.0 Lakh. The lowest price model is Hyundai Tucson 2.0 Dual VTVT 2WD MT and the most priced model of Hyundai Tucson 2.0 e-VGT 4WD AT GLS priced at Rs. 25.19 Lakh. Visit your nearest Hyundai Tucson showroom in Kadapa for best offers. Compared primarily with Jeep Compass price in Kadapa starting Rs.15.17 Lakh and Hyundai Creta price in Kadapa starting Rs.9.29 Lakh.
* includes only fuel cost
Survey # 588/A, Nh-18, Patha Kadapa, Ukkayapalli, Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh 516002
7/231-1, Rtc Road, Bhagyanagar Colony, Chinna Chowk Village, Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh 516002
Rs14.43 Lakh *
Rs20.0 Lakh *
Rs20.77 Lakh *
Rs6.0 Lakh *
It will help us serve you better content and best deals
One of our representatives will soon contact you.
It will help us serve you better content and best deals


text:
Please enter a valid mileage
Curious about the newer model? Check out the 2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
By KBB.com Editors
The flagship sets the standard for a carmaker's lineup, as it's a showcase for the best the company has to offer. Though there are a couple of higher rungs on Mercedes' sedan ladder (the rare, V12-powered S600 and the even more-rare AMG performance models), the 2008 Mercedes-Benz S550 is the mainstream top of the list. With the premium V8 and newly redesigned 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system, the vehicle is equipped with arguably the most popular combination of features to be found on a big Mercedes in the U.S. market.
The 2008 Mercedes-Benz S-Class offers its owners a masterful vehicle. Drivers will enjoy the smooth powertrain and taut handling. Passengers will appreciate the first-class legroom and sumptuous creature comforts. The question becomes: Is it better to drive, or to be driven?
This is a big car in all respects---particularly the rear seat and trunk areas. If you don't regularly carry passengers in back (or don't plan on spending much time there yourself), you're carrying around a lot of surplus sheet metal in an S-Class sedan.
A new AMG model, the S63 AMG, joins the lineup. The redesigned 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system has been made lighter and more fuel-efficient.
With premium luxury cars, owners might likely be in the rear seat, being driven, instead of up front, being drivers. It's a rare car that is equally...
... satisfying in either role, but the 2008 Mercedes-Benz S-Class certainly qualifies. The 5.5-liter V8 makes effortless power and the seven-speed automatic transmission shuttles from gear to gear seamlessly. The combination of the Airmatic Semi-Active air suspension and other details effectively insulates the occupants from outside noise, while not isolating the driver from road conditions, and the 4MATIC, in concert with the Electronic Stability Program and the vehicle's relentless mass, makes the S550 a reassuringly stable winter driver.
Cabin comfort/Ride quality
Whether in the front seats or the rear, the S550 is an enormously comfortable car. The interior is quiet, spacious and accommodating, and the long wheelbase and Airmatic suspension system smooth the edges off the roughest pavement.
The responsiveness of the 2008 Mercedes-Benz S-Class belies its size. The silky drivetrain and supple chassis conspire to make this full-size car drive as if it's something smaller and sportier than its dimensions indicate.
Understated elegance is the theme on the inside of the 2008 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Amber ambient lighting rings the front cabin and, in the rear, passengers stretch out with 42.3 inches of legroom. One of the challenges that a luxury automaker faces is how to provide access to all the features of a high-end vehicle without undue frustration or driver distraction. The S-Class interior houses a busy but logical array of switchgear. Many functions (navigation, sound system, phone, vehicle) are displayed on an eight-inch color screen in the center of the dash. They're accessed by Mercedes-Benz's COMAND system, through a turn-and-push, aluminum knob on the center console. With a modest amount of study time, drivers soon learn to use the mouse-style controller to change navigation, audio, telephone and vehicle settings. Inside storage spots are numerous, if small, and the big trunk is a trip-friendly luggage swallower.
Longer, taller and wider than the previous generation, the 2008 S-Class has a polished, sleek shape. In profile it has a slight nose-down rake, capped by a curvy, coupe-like roofline and with flaring fenders that stretch over wheels positioned near the corners. The sloping front end features a set of asymmetrical headlamps framing the traditional Mercedes shield-shaped grille. C-pillar, fenders and deck lid all converge gracefully at the tri-section, vertical tail lamps. The short deck in back hides the big trunk beneath. In all, it's a refined, modern look that's somewhat deceptive. The S-Class doesn't appear to be all that large---until you park it next to something that isn't.
Notable among the standard appointments on the Mercedes flagship is a fine-sounding 14-speaker, 600-watt harmon/kardon(r) surround-sound system that plays CDs, DVDs and MP3s and has a compact flash memory card slot. The hands-free communication system has voice controls for telephone, audio and navigation features. The GPS navigation system includes a 20-GB onboard hard disc and an eight-inch screen that tilts for easier viewing. The power glass sunroof adds a splash of sunshine or starlight, while the power rear-window sunshade affords more privacy. Bi-xenon headlamps include Active Curve Illumination with cornering lights and heated washers.
The list of available features on the S550 includes the Night View Assist system, which extends the driver's nighttime forward vision by projecting infra-red light onto the road ahead and displaying the reflected image on the eight-inch screen on the instrument cluster. The standard 14-way adjustable heated seats can be supplemented by optional cooling ventilation. Adaptive seats offer four levels of massage and active controls that monitor driving conditions, adding lateral support to seat bolsters to hold passengers in place while cornering. Radar-based Distronic PLUS Adaptive Cruise Control and Parking Guidance systems help the driver maintain a safe distance from other vehicles and objects.
As befits a top-line
luxury car, the S550 has a wonderful powertrain. The 5.5-liter V8 is rated at 382 horsepower and 391 lb.-ft. of torque, and its silken power flow meshes well with the smooth, silent shifting of the seven-speed automatic transmission. The combination is capable of accelerating from zero to 60 mph in well under six seconds, which is quite impressive for a car that weighs nearly 4,700 pounds. The S550's fuel economy is slightly less than its contemporaries, but that's probably not a major purchase issue.
5.5-liter V8
382 horsepower at 6000 rpm
391 lb.-ft. of torque at 2800-4800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 14/21 (RWD), 14/20 (AWD)
5.5-liter V12 Twin Turbocharged
510 horsepower @ 5000 rpm
612 lb.-ft. of torque @ 1800-3500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 11/17
6.3-liter V8
518 horsepower @ 6800 rpm
465 lb.-ft. of torque @ 5200 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 11/17
6.0-liter V12 Twin Turbocharged
604 horsepower @ 4800-5100 rpm
738 lb.-ft of torque @ 2000-4000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 11/17
To compare current market prices, check out KBB.com's car classifieds to view the new and used Mercedes-Benz S-Class vehicles for sale near you.


text:
This publication scheme lists the core information which the Office for National Statistics (ONS) commits to make publicly available in the interests of Freedom of Information.
Who we are and what we do
|Location of all ONS offices
|Contact details
|Details of the legislation relevant to the governance of ONS
What we spend and how we spend it
|Annual report and accounts
|Details of how ONS is funded
|Open and recent consultations (2011-12)
Our policies and procedures
News agencies accredited to attend ONS lock-in media briefings
Agreement for attendance at Office for National Statistics lock-in media briefings (28.4 Kb Pdf)
The services we offer
|Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) commissioned ad hoc data (28.5 Kb Pdf)
|In addition to the tables prepared for the standard outputs from ASHE, bespoke analyses may be commissioned independently, for a fee.
For further information, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com
|R&D Surveys commissioned ad hoc data (17.1 Kb Pdf)
In addition to the tables prepared for the standard outputs from the R&D Surveys, bespoke analyses may be commissioned independently, for a fee.
For further information, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com
|ICT Surveys commissioned ad hoc data (28.4 Kb Pdf)
In addition to the tables prepared for the standard outputs from the ICT Surveys, bespoke analyses may be commissioned independently, for a fee. Further information may be obtained as follows:
For Internet Access analyses: firstname.lastname@example.com
For ICT Activity of UK Businesses (E-commerce) analyses: email@example.com
Search ONS's publications and published data by theme and sub-group theme.
Non-disclosive datasets can be commissioned and created for a fee.
For further information, please contact the statistician at the Commissioned services link or the ONS Customer Contact Centre.
Census commissioned tables (25.4 Kb Pdf)
In addition to the tables prepared for the standard outputs from the 2011 Census. tables may be independently commissioned when customer requirements are not met by data available in the published tables, for a fee.
|Ad hoc data
Links to ONS additional statistical data and analyses, by theme, that have not been included in our standard publications.
If the information is not available from any of the routes listed above then you are entitled to make an FOI request.
ONS has a number of datasets that underpin its work; these are not published as a matter of course but are available directly from the business area.
Data available to approved researchers
ONS provides a range of services through which customers can apply to gain access to these data.
Access to microdata and disclosive data (data which has the potential to identify an individual) requires the approval of the ONS Microdata Release Procedure (MRP) before the data can be provided
|Approved Researcher accreditation
Access to sensitive ONS data is possible once an individual has been accredited as an approved researcher. Each project undertaken requires a separate accreditation.
Commissioned Services
|National Statistics Postcode Products
The ONS Postcode Directory (ONSPD) is a key ONS Geography product and is used by a variety of customers, including central and local government, private industry and academia. It links all current and terminated UK postcodes to the administrative, health and other geographic areas in which each postcode falls.
The National Statistics Postcode Look-up (NSPL) should be used by producers of National Statistics to allocate their source statistics at postcode level to a wide range of higher geographies. The NSPL does this by allocating UK postcodes to Output Areas (OA). These OAs are then referenced to a wide range of higher geographies, for example local authorities, by a best-fit methodology that uses 2001 Census population data.
The data is supplied free of charge under Open Government Licence terms (plus Land & Property Services end user licensing covering NI data). Where Data is currently supplied via CD / DVD the ONS corporate charge to supply this media type applies.
Charges which may be made for information published under this scheme
The purpose of this scheme is to make the maximum amount of information readily available at minimum inconvenience and cost to the public.
Charges made by the authority for routinely published material will be justified and transparent and kept to a minimum.
Material which is published and accessed on a website will be provided free of charge.
Charges may be made for information subject to a charging regime specified by Parliament.
Charges may be made for actual disbursements incurred such as:
postage and packaging
the costs directly incurred as a result of viewing information
Charges may also be made for information provided under this scheme where they are legally authorised, they are in all the circumstances, including the general principles of the right of access to information held by public authorities, justified and are in accordance with a published schedule or schedules of fees which is readily available to the public.
Charges may be made for commissioned services. If a charge is to be made, confirmation of the payment due will be given before the information is provided. Payment may be requested prior to provision of the information.
Written requests
Information held by a public authority that is not published under this scheme can be requested in writing, when its provision will be considered in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.
Freedom of Information requests and contact details
FOI Team
Room 1400
Office for National Statistics
Segensworth Road
Hampshire PO15 5RR


text:
Perhaps one of the best kept little known facts about the rally site is that there is a full blown MX track on the grounds. Up till now that has been by design.
Our intrepid rally chairs have made arrangements with the Powder Basin Motorcycle Club's MX course.
I am delghted to assist them in the use of the track and I would like to come up with ideas how to utilize the facility.
A few quick thoughts, comments are solicited.
There will be absolutely no racing or timing used, we can't insure this activity.
There may be professional rider training but that may would take place off the track. This training might include some exercises on the track but there would be plenty of open time for people not taking a course.
For open time there should be a very small fee of which 100% would be donated to the official rally charity. Perhaps we could do "laps for kids".
We could also do a 1/2 "track day" with some instruction and then practice time on the track. It would be peer instruction vs professional training.
So take a moment to give some feedback in the poll.