text:
"In spite of a lackluster economy, second-quarter 2014 railcar orders of 33,912 units far outpaced deliveries of 16,056, raising mid-year backlogs to a formidable 99,782 cars and platforms," EPA said in its most recent forecast. "Based on first half strength in orders, assemblies, and end-of-June backlogs, we have raised our short-term railcar deliveries estimate to 66,300 cars this year and 72,000 cars in 2015. Beginning in 2016, annual railcar assemblies will ease very moderately, at historically high levels, from 63,300 to 62,500 cars and platforms in 2019.
Tank cars remain dominant in terms of total railcar backlog share, but demand for other types of equipment "has increased significantly thus far in 2014," EPA noted. "We are especially enthused by the strength in demand for all types of covered hoppers, mill gondolas, intermodal equipment, and Class F flat cars. However, the star of the railcar industry remains tank car equipment, primarily oil service cars. Demand for tank cars has escalated once again. After three relatively modest quarters, orders for tank cars surged to 10,629 units in the second quarter, taking backlogs to the mid-year level of 52,589 cars."
Longer term, EPA is hopeful that "stronger economic activities will provide support for certain railcar assemblies while an improvement in the financial environment, high gasoline prices, and strong government backing stimulate greater demand for ethanol and DDG cars. Replacement pressures and technological advances as well as legislative measures will also play a role in promoting the demand for a variety of railcars. Construction activities are expected to continue to advance, which should support movements of aggregates and structural steel products. Continued expansion in demand for crude oil, petroleum products, chemicals, and food and beverages will prop up haulings of a variety of liquid products and the demand for tank cars. Growing worldwide nutritional needs and expanding exports will pressure the current grain service cars as we proceed through the longer term while long-neglected segments such as equipment to haul waste, aggregates, and limestone show signs of revival and should add to the railcar delivery mix in the years to come. However, the most dynamic element in the long term railcar environment will be tank cars to transport ever increasing volumes of oil and petroleum products."
Based on its most recent information on the continued expansion in U.S. oil production and the need to upgrade tank car equipment, EPA anticipates further growth in demand for rolling stock. "Spurred by the use of hydraulic fracturing in shale rock deposits, U.S. oil production has jumped from 5.0 million barrels per day in 2008 to 7.4 million last year and is expected to average 8.5 million this year and 9.3 million next year, according to the Energy Information Administration, the analytical arm of the U.S. Department of Energy," EPA said. "This boom, along with a rise in natural gas liquids production, has dramatically lowered petroleum imports. The share of U.S. liquid fuel consumption met by net imports, down from 60% in 2005 to 33% in 2013, is expected to fall to 22% in 2015, which would be the lowest since 1970. The U.S. and Canada are expected to account for most of the world's projected growth in production of oil and other liquid fuel through 2015, while China and less developed countries will drive most of the growth in consumption, according to the EIA's July forecast.
"Recently, after a 2.5% oil production increase in April, preliminary figures released by North Dakota put state oil production past the one million barrels of oil per day milestone. The milestone boosts North Dakota to an enviable position in the eyes of the industry. According to North Dakota's Director of Mineral Resources, the state is now in the top 17% of crude oil producers around the world. Elevated production numbers from the Bakken fields are attributed to innovation and drilling advances. While rig count in the state has remained relatively stable at approximately 190 rigs, operators have increased efficiency, enabling more production."
EPA believes that the U.S. Department of Transportation's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on so-called HHFTs (high-hazard flammable trains) that carry crude oil, ethanol, and other commodities "should also positively impact demand for oil carrying tank cars. Among other assertions, the proposed rule calls for older DOT 111 tank cars (pre CPC-1232 cars, the rail industry's voluntary standard in effect since October 2011) used for the shipment of Packing Group I flammable liquids, including most Bakken crude oil, are to be retired within two years unless retrofitted to comply with updated standards. Due to the rapid expansion in oil production and the lack of any significant pipeline additions, the railroads will continue to benefit and we anticipate strong annual deliveries of oil-service tank cars throughout the forecast horizon."
EPA is also seeing "significant strength in each of the covered hopper segments. High-cube covered hoppers recorded orders for 2,950 cars as plastic pellet and chemical demand expanded. With a rebound in grain hauling under way and reports of equipment shortages, first-half orders for mid-sized covered hoppers were strong. Due to the escalation in drilling activities, demand for small-cube equipment jumped in the first half and is poised to record strong delivery levels both this year and next."
Looking at other car types, "mill gondolas exhibited strength in second-quarter orders, responding to a rebound in domestic steel shipments and strong growth in steel imports. Demand for three- and five-unit platform cars have picked up, and given the rising trend in intermodal traffic, we have raised our short-term forecast for intermodal equipment assemblies. We continue to be concerned about the underwhelming growth of the economy as manufacturers, oil and gas producers, and coal companies struggle with the increasing number of government regulations that are dampening our economic potential. Hopefully, our economy can eventually embark on a stronger path of growth that will improve railroad traffic, revenue, and investments, leading to continued healthy growth in railcar demand.
"Even with an anticipated rebound in coal hauling this year, we remain cautious on the outlook for coal cars, primarily because we have heard that customers prefer to rebuild rather than purchase new equipment in the currently dismal coal environment. With a rebound in agricultural products and coal, the Class I railroads reported good revenues and profits in the first half. The roads also continue to make investments in track, facilities, and equipment. The solid income base of the railroads should serve to support railcar demand in the years to come.
"Auto sales were obviously impacted by the severe winter weather. After averaging 15.59 million annualized sales in the fourth quarter of last year, light vehicle sales dropped to 15.16 million in January and a 15.28 million in February. March sales rebounded to 16.33 million, April came in at 15.96 million, and May rebounded to 16.70 million units. The sales momentum continued into June as sales expanded to 16.92 million. We are factoring in some moderation in sales in the months ahead, and we continue to remain leery on the future course of auto sales through the next two years. Until the economy is on more solid footing, employment advances at a more significant pace, and consumer income growth increases, we expect quarterly auto sales to remain relatively flat at high levels during 2014 and 2015. After a 7.3% advance in auto sales to 15.49 million units last year, we expect far more modest growth to 16.06 million vehicles in 2014 and 16.45 million units in 2015. According to Ward's Automotive Group, North American light vehicle production through May amounted to 7.29 million vehicles, 3.8% above the comparable period of 2013. U.S. production was up 3.9%, and Mexican output expanded 7.4% while Canadian production was off 1.6%. Based on our outlook for the U.S. economy and consumer demand for light vehicles, we expect modest North American production increases this year and next.
As anticipated, exports of corn, wheat, and soybeans picked up in the fourth quarter of last year and have continued to expand in the first half of this year. More important, the USDA anticipates further gains in our crop exports this year, which should boost grain movements. Based on increased production, consumption, and exports, we expect a rebound in grain haulings this year and next. After an 8.0% drop last year, we expect grain haulings to increase 10.6% this year and 2.4% in 2015."


text:
VizuaLogic 90A-79009-6002-L501 Cadillac Escalade / EXT / ESV 2003 Shale Leather with Logo
Get FAST answers from customers ASK a Question See questions answers
Looking for a solution to those stressful road trips, but you don't want to sacrifice the stock look of your car? Then it's time to start thanking VizuaLogic for making your dreams come true. Their Advantage PerfectMatch headrest monitors add video entertainment to your vehicle in specially designed headrests. These headrests look exactly like your factory ones, with one beautiful exception, 7" TFT LCD monitors in the back for your passengers to enjoy.
VizuaLogic's Perfect Match headrests look and feel exactly like your OEM ones for a reason. VizuaLogic is a subsidiary of an OEM headrest manufacturer, they use the exact same parts and materials!
- Shale Leather Covering with Cadillac logo
- Designed for 03 Cadillac Escalade / EXT / ESV
- ONLY FOR 1ST OR 2ND ROW BUCKET SEATS (Escalade 1st row only)
- 1 VizuaLogic Advantage Series Headrest Monitor
- Single Kit Version: One headrest monitor and required accessories
- Perfect Match Factory Replacement Headrests
- Headrests Come Pre-Assembled, No Cutting Required
- Flush-Mounted LCD Monitor
- Tilting Headrest
- Built-In IR Transmitter
- Full Function Wireless Remote Included
- Dual Inputs
- 5 Buttons on Panel: Menu, Up, Down, Power, Source
- OSD Control
- Zoom Control: Full, Cinema, Wide
- LCD Display Specifications:
- 7" TFT LCD Display
- 16:9 Aspect Ratio
- Resolution: 1440 x 234 Pixels
- 336,960 Pixels
- Viewing Angle: +60°/-30° (Vertical), +/-60° (Horizontal)
- Brightness: 400 NIT Max
- Control Box Specifications:
- 2 Sets of RCA A/V Input
- 2 Sets of Slave RCA A/V Outputs
- 2 DIN Monitor Outputs
- 1-year Authorized Manufacturer's warranty
Priced Per Headrest
Warranty and Return Policy
Summary of Customer Ratings & Reviews
Product Summary
Model Number
Internal SKU
Internal Product ID
Wiring Diagram Legend
Warning: The image depicted shows the resistance change when wiring multiple subwoofer terminals. Please refer to your subwoofer's owner's manual for the proper wiring of its terminals. Sonic Electronix, Inc. is not responsible for damage caused to your audio system or vehicle due to improper installation. Please call tech support at 1-877-289-7664 if you require additional assistance.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Blatantly stolen from the F-150 forum, but thought it would be fun to share and see what others we can come up with!!
1. When your stopped at a 4 way stop sign, if you see another vehicle approaching and about to make their own stop,
always wait until they get stopped at their own stop sign before you procede. This is especially helpful to other drivers.
2. Do anything and everything you can to make the guy behind you slow down (brake for no reason, last minute lane changes,
fake lane changes, etc.)
3. Always merge onto the freeway going 35 mph (max) and immediately swerve into the fast lane thereby making everyone slow down for you.
Then proceed into the fast lane at no more than 55 mph.
4. Always leave a gap the size of a football field in front of you when in bumper to bumper freeway rush hour traffic.
5. Always try to cram yourself into a busy intersection so that when the opposite light turns green no one can go.
6. Pay no heed to the sign warning you that your lane ends in a mile, wait until the very last second and squeeze into the 5 inches of space between
me and the car in front of me.
7. If you see another vehicle using a turn signal to indicate an imminent lane change, make sure you do everything in your power to prevent
that lane change from happening.
8. If there is a nanometer of space between vehicles, that is more than enough room for a soccer mom in an Excursion who will slam on the
brakes immediately upon squeezing herself into that spot.
9. On a 2 lane interstate, If there is an 18 wheeler in front of you going 69 MPH and you're going 70 MPH in your 18 wheeler, testosterone says
you definitely have to pass them. (Especially if approaching a hill.)
10. When merging onto a freeway, any vehicle in the right lane may be legally rammed into the left lane.


text: Using ZAES 9.1.008 with Win XP. If I do an on-demand antivirus scan of a folder with a small number of files, say 4-10 files, ZA acts like it scanning and then says "Scan complete. No infections were found." However it also shows "Files scanned--0." This doesn't provide much comfort since it's not possible to tell if ZA really did its job. This also happens if I scan a single file--it will say "no infection" and also "Files scanned--0" unless it is a large file say about 15-20 MB, in which case it is counted. But if I scan a file or folder with only about 3-10 MB in it, or less, I get the 0 files report. The large files take longer to scan and perhaps that is why they are counted; the shorter files take less than a second or two, and are not counted. Is this a phenomenon that others have noticed?


text:
I, for one, hope that the ON doesn't go away. I like reading stuff printed on paper rather than using my forefinger on a screen to flip pages....
That being said, I have to agree, it is getting harder and harder to "love" the ON.
The portion of stuff geared towards GS riders in general and GS riders riding around the world or in exotic locales, seems to grow with every issue. And this is not me.
Another trend that I observe with concern is that of an increasing level of self-centeredness (is this a word???) which moves the BMW OA and the staff that writes ON awefully close to those who are responsible for HOG and its "Enthusiast". Point in case: ON October 2012, Interview with Hans Blesse. Page 114:
"Who can answer this? Who sells the most motorcycles larger than 500cc in the United States?"
Surprisingly, the answer was BMW, a tidbit most of us did not know.
(There was probably a lot of applause in the audience)
Duuh... I guess the vast majority of motorcycle people in the U.S. did not know that either.
BMW sold 10,203 units in the U.S. in 2011. Harley Davidson sold 151,683 units in 2011. Last time I checked, they don't make a bike under 500cc....


text:
iPhone Game Review: Bring Me Sandwiches!
Reviewed by SpaZtrigger
Jimmy Nugget, the hero of the story, is just an average employee to a fast food restaurant until an alien pops up demanding food in the form of sandwiches. The president then meets Jimmy and ask that he save the world from the gluttonous alien invader Gourmo.
Bring me Sandwiches has an interesting concept where you get a slice of bread and put anything you want on it. As you get bigger bread slices you'll able to pick up larger objects. For example when the monster demands 2 sandwiches when you get your second slice of bread your able to pick up people, satellite dishes, and boxes. Making sandwiches isn't all you do for you have to evade snotty brats and hippies who've taken a liking to beating you up. If they manage to hit you then some of your ingredients fall off which will make you not be able to get a perfect score. Also if you beat the level in a certain time limit you can also get a perfect score, but in order to get a perfect score you must make your sandwich so that the alien is content, you must make the sandwich in a certain time limit, and you must not drop your ingredients.
As the levels go on you'll find it harder to finish within the time limit since you might get too caught up on getting your sandwich bigger. The president is serious about saving the world since he sends his bodyguards to give you helpful tips that will help you beat the level. Your quest for making sandwiches takes you to many places such as USA, Mexico, Italy, and Japan.
The game offers a lot of replayability if you want to get a perfect score. There are a lot of power ups in the game that will help you in the level such as a magnet and a jet pack. With a concept this fun it's no wonder that a lot of people like the game. The game would be perfect if not for a semi minor bug. After some levels the game will crash when you finish the level and will repeatedly do so, but sometimes the game won't crash and you can see the stats that you go on the level. Aside from that the game was very fun making it onto my top 10 list of apps for the year.
Like its unique concept Bring me Sandwiches also has unique graphics making it look like a 2D and 3D cartoon blended into one. The graphics fit the game well and makes it feel like it should be played since most of the characters look pretty wacky. The graphics don't really alter the gameplay but just alters how you look at it and it made the game look more fun.
The button controls were kind of a disappointment. The game was advertised as having easy and simple controls. While it is simple and easy it's pretty unresponsive at times and usually the Jimmy won't move even though I'm tapping the walking buttons. So I switched to the touch controls which worked fine and I was able to play the game at ease again.
The music is also a strong point in the game since it fits the game perfectly as well. Although you might not pay attention to it because you'll be too busy making a sandwich for an alien. The music doesn't get repetitive but for those who do find it repetitive then you can go play your own music since the game aid able to handle it. The music is good but since it is a game featuring aliens you'd think the music would be more techno. This way the game would feel more futuristic like. Or the developers could keep the music and make a remix of it that makes it sound more techno.
Bring me Sandwiches is one of the best games featuring a unique concept and making that concept into a totally fun and hilarious game. Adult Swim Games has been known to deliver some of the best games and now they can add Bring me Sandwiches to that list.
Ratings (scale of 1 to 5):
Graphics: - 5 -Cartoony graphics that fit the game well
Sound: - 4.5 - Good music by needs to be more techno
Controls: - 4.5 - Great controls need to make the button controls better
Gameplay: - 5 - Unique concept with unique gameplay
Playing Hints and Tips:
-Search the level first for power ups and look for where a robot is since you need to know where they are so that you can reach them quickly
-When you get your second slice of bread don't jump on the people or you'll kill them, instead just walk by them.
App Facts:
Developer: Adult Swim Games
Release Date: Oct 20, 2011
Price: $0.99
Buy App: Bring Me Sandwiches
Check out our full list of iPhone/iPod touch game and app reviews:
Check out our other iPad game, app and book reviews:
Powered by UBB.threads™ 6.5.5


text:
ORLANDO, Fla. - A motorcyclist was killed Tuesday afternoon in a crash with a dump truck on State Road 408 in Orange County.
The fatal crash happened around 1:30 p.m. in the westbound lanes of S.R. 408 near Rouse Road in Orlando.
Troopers said the motorcycle and dump truck were traveling westbound on SR 408 in the center lane when the motorcyclist struck the back of the dump truck. The rider was thrown off the motorcycle and died at the hospital.
No other information, including the name of the crash victim, was immediately available.
Troopers said they are still investigating.
Westbound lanes of the East-West Expressway were closed in the area for hours.
Watch Local 6 News and stay with ClickOrlando.com for more on this story.
Copyright 2013 by ClickOrlando.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Ive been reading RFC 959 for a while now, and i just can't figure it out. im trying to connect to an ftp and upload a file, the following is the code that im using. however, it never actually uploads the file please help, thanks
string LocalFile = "stats.txt";
ftpMsg("USER " + UserName);
ftpMsg("PASS " + ftpPass);
ftpMsg("CWD public_html");
ftpMsg("STOR " + LocalFile);
it connects to the ftp fine, its just the uploading, thanks


text:
Canberra think Jackson out for WNBL season
Life without Lauren Jackson has been woeful for the Canberra Capitals and the seven-time WNBL champions aren't counting on the superstar to return and jump start their season.
After the Capitals slumped to their eighth straight loss - just two shy of their club record - Canberra skipper Jessica Bibby claimed the players were resigned to being without the injured Jackson for the entire WNBL season.
Jackson was sitting court-side as Canberra (second-last, 5-11 record) were thrashed 101-62 at home by WNBL defending champions Dandenong on Friday night.
And Bibby believed that would be the closest Jackson (hamstring) would get to the action this season with just six regular rounds remaining.
It would be a huge blow for Canberra who have not endured such a horror run since losing 10 straight in 1996 and 1997.
"We can't expect Loz (Jackson) back any time soon and the club's probably stupid to try and get her back, even if she was (fit) in the next few weeks," Bibby told reporters.
"We're all there to support Loz but we're not expecting her back."
Jackson has battled chronic back and hamstring trouble since before the Olympics and aggravated it playing for WNBA club Seattle, all but ruling her out of the first season of a three-year, $1 million deal with Canberra.
In the first WNBL round back after the Christmas-New Year break, second-placed Dandenong (13-3) sounded their intentions by backing up their win in Canberra with an 89-67 away romp over the Sydney University Flames (7th; 5-11) on Saturday night.
After dumping 20 points on Canberra, WNBA import Monica Wright backed up in Sydney with a 31-point, 11-rebound effort.
Canberra aren't the only team struggling without their star forward.
In the absence of their league MVP Suzy Batkovic, pre-season favourites Adelaide Lightning (3rd; 11-6) suffered a horror Queensland away trip.
Adelaide had their four-game winning run snapped in a nail-biting 73-70 loss in Townsville (4th; 9-7) - their first defeat at the hands of the Fire in 22 months.
The Lightning's then slumped to a 86-59 thumping at the hands of the Thunder at Logan in Brisbane's south on Saturday night.
But it was business as usual for ladder leaders Bendigo (14-2) who sealed an 84-67 home win over fifth-placed Bulleen (7-10) on Saturday night.
For Bendigo, WNBA import Kelsey Griffin had 26 points and 13 rebounds in the absence of prized centre Gabrielle Richards (illness).
"Gabe left a big hole in our team. We only found out on game night she wasn't going to be able to play so to come away with a performance like this without such a key player was great," Bendigo coach Bernie Harrower said.
Get the Morning Edition
Sign up for our daily wrap of the news you need to start your day.


text:
Across the state of Illinois there was enough hoops action to keep every high school basketball fan happy. At tournaments in Pontiac, Kankakee, Pekin, Proviso, and Pontiac, among others, teams and players showcased their skills. Here's a quick look at some things we learned on the road last week.
Austin gets things done - 2014 guard Larry Austin keeps hearing that he can't shoot very well or that he isn't a point guard. Regardless, the kid just keeps making plays. As he earned the MVP at the Pekin tournament and led Lanphier to the title, he scored, rebounded, defended and showed off his ability to make his teammates better. In 4 games he probably did not hit a shot outside of 12 feet, so there are still questions in that area. However, his vision and ball handling continue to improve and his jumper looks better in warm ups. Once the game starts, he rarely takes jump shots.
Finke has room to grow - He's not perfect. Although it's been an amazing start to the season for Michael Finke, the Illini commitment had a couple or rough outings in Bloomington. He now measures just over 6-foot-9, and he showed off his outstanding ability to knock down shots, but still needs strength as he prepares for college. Although he posted double digit rebounds in 3 of his 4 games, he still needs to be more aggressive in attacking the glass. What was good to see was a baseline drive and dunk that showed off some underrated athleticism, and a 29 point game in the 4th and final game of the State Farm Classic. He fits as a stretch 4 in the John Groce system, and if he gains 25 pounds will eventually be a player that can see some time at the 5 position.
Defense ruled the day - At Pontiac and Pekin we got to see three of the top defenders in the state in Cliff Alexander, Kendrick Nunn, and Larry Austin. A shot blocking machine, Alexander has great timing, gets up high off of two feet, and plays bigger than his 6-foot-8 frame. Nunn is probably the best on-the-ball defender in the state. He makes it tough to get the ball up the floor with long arms and good lateral quickness, and if you expose the ball he is going to pluck it away from you. With Austin, it's all about tenacity. He never lets up defensively, constantly harasses ball handlers, and gets into passing lanes.
-Tyler Ulis led Marian Catholic to the title at the Dipper at Rich South. Ulis continues to show a complete game, and although there are questions about how he fits at the high major level, there is no doubt that he is a dominant force at the high school level.
-Xavier Bishop is just a freshman for Lanphier, but he made big plays in helping the Lions to the Pekin title. Although he is just 5'7, he's a playmaker and has a ton of confidence at a young age. His growth has made Lanphier an improved team after a 4-4 start.
-Illinois commitment Malcolm Hill almost led his team to the title at the Schnucks Holiday Classic, hitting a 3 late to give them the lead. A game winner on the other end gave them the loss, but Hill was outstanding during the week, scoring and showing an improved motor. He may be the steal of the 2013 class in Illinois. He scores at all 3 levels and will be a great fit as a 3 for John Groce.
-Illini commitments Jaylon Tate and Kendrick Nunn continue to play well. Tate is emerging as a much better player this year and has raised the hopes of Illini fans. Nunn, although battling a hip injury, is as explosive as any player in the state. Still a bit inconsistent with his jumper, Nunn brings numerous intangibles into play that the Illinois coaching staff loves.
-Cliff Alexander had a great week in Pontiac, dominating the interior with his scoring and shot blocking. He's an immediate impact player that John Groce made a point to watch play following the Illinois win at the United Center.
-Jabari Parker is getting better, but he's still not in shape yet. His inconsistency is in large part due to conditioning and being out of action for months.
-2015 point guard Jalen Brunson continues to play well, and many now believe he is the top point guard in the class of 2015. It's hard to argue with that assessment. Brunson has an unbelievable feel for the game.
- Chicago Curie freshman guard Devin Gage is a player to watch in the class of 2016. Gage (6-foot) is already college-ready physically. Strong and possessing a quick cross-over dribble, Gage gets to the rack and finishes.


text:
Justin Bieber + Selena Gomez Split as He Wades Into a Sea of Lingerie Models [PHOTO]
Beliebers, start your engines. Your boy is single again.
Seems the tween star finally figured out he's Justin Bieber and 18 and able to get lingerie model tail, so there was no point in continuing a relationship with Selena Gomez.
Rumors of the split started to swirl earlier this week when Justin and his scrawny self performed at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and was seen openly flirting with a few of the scantily-clad ladies.
Sources told New York Post that during the show's taping and its afterparties, Bieber was "hitting on the girls all day" and "asking for their phone numbers."
Apparently he got one of them, because on Thursday night, the Biebs stepped out with 19-year-old Victoria's Secret model Barbara Palvin to see a production of 'The Lion King' on Broadway.
Selena reportedly broke up with Justin about a week ago, with some insiders mentioning "trust issues." Another told E News on Friday, "Because of their crazy schedules, it was getting harder and harder to maintain a relationship."
Ah, schedules. The scapegoat of all relationships that fall apart for completely different reasons.
Anyway, he's clearly not wasting any time jumping right back into the game. A photo of Justin and Barbara (below) popped up on Twitter, and as ridiculous as he looks, he better be damned glad he's rich and famous or a girl like that would just giggle at his silly advances before making fun of him with her friends later on.
That said, sources tell TMZ he hasn't given up on his relationship with Selena. He supposedly told them there's "nothing" going on with Barbara, and he's confident he can win Gomez back since they've split before and always make up.
As for Selena, she's lovely and seems pretty sane, so she'll probably be just fine. But if she ever wants to blow off a little steam, she can always get one of those Bieber sex dolls — and then use it as a piñata.


text:
Finally he admits it! Something we've all known for quite some time.
Maybe somebody needs to shove a giant sized Italian sausage up his arse or slap him in the face with it to get him going. (Sorry guys) Bargs just really gets me crazy cheesed 'cuz he's oozing with potential and to hear him admit he's lazy and unfocused grinds my gears BIG TIME!
http://www.nba.com/2010/news/feature...3/22/bargnani/The fifth month of the fourth season, and still no conclusion. Except that Andrea Bargnani is lazy.
That comes from someone extremely close to him. The part about being inconsistent and passive, about one moment lending encouragement to the Raptors' postseason hopes and the next becoming a face of the fade -- and, yes, the part about wearing the status as No. 1 pick like an anvil necklace -- that's from everyone else.
This was to have been the season of finally grasping his potential. It isn't. He is shooting better than ever, scoring more than ever, rebounding in a way that gives coaches more encouragement than ever that he can be a presence on the boards. And yet Bargnani is going backward when the Raptors need him most. Maddening -- that's the other thing he is more than ever. Coach Jay Triano just told Toronto reporters that the Raps need Bargnani to focus more. Uh-oh.
Uh-oh is right.
His scoring numbers (16.9 ppg, 47.4 field-goal percentage) are easily on pace for new career bests and his mark of six rebounds a game is a decent bump from the 5.3 rpg of 2008-09. But if the numbers continue to retreat, if he can't play off Bosh better the final 3 1/2 weeks, if the Raptors make an early postseason exit or don't even make the playoffs, it could become a very ugly summer in Canada.
The rebounding is what jumps out (or doesn't). Bargnani is a jump shooter, but he's also a 7-footer who gets a lot of inside time on defense. The numbers are a bad display.
Bargnani is asked how he gets beat on the boards.
"Being lazy maybe," he says. "That's the only reason it can be. I've got the body, I've got everything to take 10 rebounds a game. It's just sometimes I get lazy."
He needs to fix that, obviously. He needs to play with more focus.
"Yeah," Bargnani agrees. "More focus. You said it. More focus and don't get lazy."
The rest of the Raptors season, and maybe longer, depends on it.


text:
Hunt continues for river fall boy
The search for an eight-year-old boy believed to have fallen into a rain-swollen river has entered its fourth day.
Ian Bell is thought to have fallen into the River Wear at Sunnybrow, near Willington, County Durham, while playing with friends at around 7pm on Friday.
Durham Police said they were yet to find Ian, from Sunnybrow, despite a multi-agency search and help from members of the community.
A spokesman said the force had been "inundated" with calls from members of the public offering their assistance, with many actively searching for the boy over the weekend.
But Chief Superintendent Andy Reddick, leading the search, urged people to think of their own safety. "We have been overwhelmed by the support and offers of assistance by the local and wider community. However, it is important that the public are aware of the dangers when searching the river banks."
He added: "So far, we have been co-ordinating trained officers with specialist equipment along the River Wear and it is imperative we manage the search to ensure the safety of everyone involved. We continue to search for Ian using the resources we have available."
Police said the community centre at Sunnybrow was being used as a support centre for anyone affected by the events of the weekend, with people on hand to offer advice and assistance.
Officers have searched the River Wear up to Sunderland Bridge, with County Durham Fire Brigade checking the water and the embankments by boat up to Durham Rowing Club.
Janice Larnach, the owner of the Brown Trout pub near to where Ian is believed to have fallen in, said the boy's brother had told search teams he saw his sibling fall and grab on to a tree branch, which then snapped. She said the area had experienced heavy rainfall during the last week and the River Wear was flooded on Friday.
Mrs Larnach said she believed the boy's bicycle had been discovered on the river bank.


text:
The St. Augustine City Commission's two-hour workshop at City Hall on Wednesday afternoon assured the board — and perhaps the city's critics — that events have been solidified for this year, next year and 2015 and now are being fine-tuned.
Dana Ste. Claire, director of the St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission, said 2013 alone will be packed.
"A lot of events and programs are still layering out, but they're on the calendar," Ste. Claire said.
He also reviewed detailed plans for 2014, the 50th anniversary of passage of the Civil Rights Act, and 2015, the 450th anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine on Sept. 8, 1565.
Ste. Claire went over the details of the events that are generally known to the public, such as the ongoing "Picasso Art & Arena" exhibit, which ends May 11.
However, previously unknown by most city residents is that the commission has an opportunity to extend the Picasso show for up to three months "at a relatively nominal price," he said.
Since Feb. 1, the Visitor Information Center exhibit has drawn 3,000 visitors and collected $35,000 from paid admissions and retail sales.
Ste. Claire couldn't recommend extending it without, as he called it, "crunching the numbers" to calculate whether the extension would be profitable, but he seemed enthusiastic about the idea.
"We're not just reaching a local audience," he said. "We have regional, national and international audiences, and a new one every day."
Selling the Oldest City
Communications and Resource Manager Jennifer Zuberer described proposed marketing efforts that would spread St. Augustine's "brand" and increase the public's "destination awareness" of the city.
Those efforts would include expanding and improving the city's social media, purchasing national and international advertising, and increasing merchandising options, such as the new 450th stamp that will be issued soon.
City Manager John Regan described how local merchants like the idea of a "green" sustainability effort that would attract younger audiences and "make sure we're a community 450 years in the future." Mentioned were recycling, sustainable packaging of products and selling recyclable tote bags printed with the city's logo.
"That logo will be seen around the world when people go home," Regan said.
Ste. Claire said the city's objectives are to increase commercial development, widen destination awareness and improve the city's tourist economy.
He added that the St. Johns County Visitor & Convention Bureau has marketed these events outside St. Augustine.
"We're not celebrating a static date in time or cutting a street cake in front of City Hall," he said. "People are coming here looking for a historic and cultural experience."
The Mumford & Sons concert, which is sold out, was secured when band members did an online search and learned of the coming 450th celebration.
"It's a sort of validation of the pride St. Augustine residents have for their city," Regan said. "In the first few minutes after the announcement (that the concert would be held in St. Augustine), there were 4 million hits on our websites."
Roll over, Picasso
The commission worries that extending Picasso may force "Ancient City Mosaic," an exhibition of 450 works of art created by local residents, to be delayed or to be moved to another location.
The juried show and exhibit begins in September, and any media can be used to depict an artistic interpretation of St. Augustine. For information, go to www.ancientcitymosaic.com.
Michael's, an arts and craft store in Cobblestone, has committed to donating 4,000 canvases to local artists interested in entering the juried "Mosaic" show, which will have adult, children's and celebrity exhibitions.
The Sertoma Club came up with the idea for the show to raise money for education.
Commissioner Roxanne Horvath, an artist herself, told the board there may be enough room in the VIC to hang the "Mosaic art" near the Picasso exhibit.
"(But) even if the Picasso is extended, it would be over by August (at) the latest," Horvath said.
Vice Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline said she doesn't want those artworks moved.
"We made a promise to children that we'd exhibit their work in the VIC," she said. "We should be careful to balance between drawing tourists here and giving our residents a spotlight."


text:
Simple.... All women want are money and To be control ...
giovane, ma molto troia.
muito locu
omg She is so fucking hot
the first 3 minutes is her babling
hes inlove with a pokpok A pimp in philippines
Mmmmm...very elegant little lady
Veronica has been making the rounds lately. Gorgeous slim girl. Beautiful lady who is not the least bit shy about about her love of sex and fucking. We should all be so lucky. The world needs more Veronicas!
Latina girls are often the most gorgeous, sensual, and sexual girls.
WOW what a cute fucking chica My cock is throbbing
Fantastic!! A pretty girl who swallows. Why don't they all do such?
Schade das sowas nicht in deutschland rum rennt...diese latinas
This dude with the tiny penis sounds like Brian, the dog from Family Guy. LOL
Geile Drecksau!!
omfg this girl is so hot i love the way she sucks dick i would love to fuck her so bad I'm glad i found this vid =]
omg her lips are fucking amazing, so hot and sweet!
lol that was the smaller load :D
I just love the way Veronica squat fucks a man in some of her videos. Veronica is a world class, Grand Master mistress of the squat fuck and she has one of the most gorgeous pussies and clits in the entire universe of sex and porn! I could go down on her proud clit 24/7. I dream of having a threesome with Veronica Rodriguez and that amazing Asian ladyboy, Sapphire Young.
she is amazing
She has a hell of a dentist
the prettiest girls do the nastiest things...smh
i'm actually in love.... :Q_
"Spanky" Veronica has the most beautiful eyes, neon smile and magnetic personality. There is nothing sexier than a very smart girl who loves to fuck and suck cock. I envy her boyfriend who gets to reciprocate and suck and tug on that gorgeous clittie Veronica loves to spank! Viva Veronica!!!
http://www.youporn.com/watch/598528/horny-latina-pounces-on-stripper/ She's in this one too!
More cocks for her,she is hot and all of her holes must be stuffed !
She looks like a friends mom I know O_o
veronica rodriguez
Some errors occurred, please try again later
Sign up for a free account and make YouPorn yours!
Subscribe to your favorite pornstars, channels, and collections


text:
Separate names with a comma.
Discussion in 'Moto Bellissima: All Other Dualsports' started by Paulvt1, Sep 10, 2008.
Who not; nobody's adding any content.
Well this isnt orange crush where everybody talks about all the problems with there bikes.
Well... it certainly has been quiet so I'll chime in.
I am currently in the market for a new bike and the Multi is on the top of my list. A dealer that I know should have a few in stock this week... but he needs to uncrate them and get them going before I can test drive it. I'm like a kid waiting for Christmas.
My only concern is the seat height (I'm 5 11... but a 29" inseam)... and the price.
If the multistrada doesn't work out... for some reason I have fallen for the Husqy Nuda 900 R... (probably because they sound so freakin cool)... but you can't get 'em in the US so...
S10 as a second choice? That would be like dating the "normal" looking sister of a super model (compared to the MTS I mean).
How about the new KTM 1190? 150HP, great on or off road, and should arrive here in the US this fall.
That was my feeling as well. Saw it for the first time yesterday and it looks like a V-Strom.
Near identical stated outputs, two versions roadie / offroad, all achieved without desmodromics and belt driven cams, yeah what's to like...
A worthy competitor and alternative to the MTS1200
and what looks to be a major game changer, for KTM in general.
What's not to like? The lack of carbon accessories, maybe. This is a Duc thread, after all
Other than that, KTM hasn't exactly been rock solid dependable. They don't call them katooms for nothing
Great quip on the carbon fibre bling , however this motor bears basically no heritage at all, to the 950 / 990 series and instead is derived from the 1190 RC8 Superbike motor, totally different cam drives etc., but you knew that already...
The similarities between this bike's introduction into the marketplace by KTM and the MTS1200 by Ducati, are strikingly conjoined in the fact that both makers, have and will have to step up to the plate, in regards to mainstream consumer expectations.
Let's hope for both parties, this is another home run, in the motorcycle marketplace...
Exactly why I threw it in here. Both are derived from their superbikes and "retuned" for more low/mid-range performance. Add in the other goodies to make a comfy "all roads" bike, and here we are. IMO this is the only competitor to the MTS12 on the performance end of the adventure touring genre, so if the OP can't swing the $20k+ (US) cost of the MTS12, the KTM may be a good "second choice" if he's after sportbike-like performance. I'll leave the comments on aesthetics alone.....
And let's hope this is indeed a home run for KTM. Given their financial situation, they can't afford to have this bike be anything less, and I for one like having them in the marketplace. To say they are a "disruptive force" is a bit of an understatement.....
The bike really does nothing for me, I did have high hopes for it but then when I saw its so ho hum
Someone has never owned a 950/990 KTM....one of the most dependable and most enjoyable bikes I have ever owned and that has been quite a few....
I also do not care for the looks of the new KTM, bland ...Multi beats it in the looks department handsdown...
I just asked at a big store in Denver. Next spring as a 2014.
With big ankles.
And narcolepsy.
True. Family gatherings would be awkward too. Who am I kidding, I want the Duc.
You got a point their.
Hey Doug - say Hi to Dinsdale for me! ;-)
You'll be fine at 5'11". That's all I've got and I can flatfoot the bike easily. The 29' inseam should not impede you either once you swing your leg over the bike. Though I may have a bit more inseam than you do, I'm not long legged for my height. It's quite narrow at the waist as you'll find out once you straddle it. I don't think you are all that different dimensionally from me, and I find this bike easy to noodle around on.
The money is another story though. They are proud of them, no doubt. You will need to work harder on reasons not to get one!
Agreed. Though I have no KTM experience whatsoever I hope it works for them. I feel the same about the Caponord. Aprilia could stand to get on base with that bike as well, though it doesn't sound like it will disrupt the Multi's momentum based on the specs.
But for somebody looking to get a European bike with a lot of technojiz for not too much money, it could be a solid choice too.
I'm eager to see it, but then I like Aprilias and have since they arrived on these shores. I bought my first Aprilia in 2000 and have been rooting for them ever since.


text:
17 august 2017—27 november 2017
The exhibition will present the propaganda art of the first years after the 1917 Revolution. The agitation art of this time was truly mass and embracing different aspects o...
17 august 2017—27 november 2017
The exhibition will present the propaganda art of the first years after the 1917 Revolution. The agitation art of this time was truly mass and embracing different aspects o...
Moscow during the Reigns of Catherine II and Paul I in the Paintings of Gérard de la Barthe
23 november 2017—26 march 2018
Gérard de la Barthe, French painter and watercolorist, worked in Russia between 1787 and 1810. In the late ...
29 november 2017—28 january 2018
The first exhibition of works by contemporary American artist Susan Swartz in Russia amasses around 100 paintings of various years from the collections of foreign museum...
30 november 2017—12 february 2018
American artist Edward Bekkerman focuses on the unseen universe all around us, inhabited by angels and overrun with fantastic flowers. He renders symbolistic subjects in th...
A solo exhibition of 80 painting and 20 graphic works by Andrey N. Bliok, bearer of the honorary title People's Artist of the Russian Federation. Bliok's oeuvre takes its origin from t...
Artemy Ober. 1843–1917. To the 100th Anniversary of His Death
7 december 2017—12 february 2018
The first monographic exhibition of one of the major Russian sculptors of animals of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Artemy Ober,...
Henryk Siemiradzki and Russian Artists' Colony in Rome
Henryk Siemiradzki (1843–1902), graduate of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, is one of the most prominent masters of the late 19th ce...
|10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
|Mikhailovsky Palace, Benois Wing are open until 8:p.m.
|The Museum is closed
|10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
|1:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
|10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
|10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
|10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Ticket offices close 30 minutes earlier
5/1 Millionnaya Str., St. Petersburg
Metro - Nevsky Prospekt
8 april 2016—8 april 2016This is the first exhibition in Russia of Robert Indiana - one of the key protagonist of the Pop Art movement.
The collection of masterpieces, chosen by the Russian Museum will allow you to make a first impression of the collection of the Russian Museum.
Russian Museum - one of the world's largest museums and is perhaps the only country where such a full treasure of national culture are presented.
Virtual tour of the museum complex. 2009 (Rus., Eng., Ger., Fin.)
In the online shop of the Russian Museum presented a huge range of souvenirs, illustrated editions and multimedia disks.
Be informed about news, events and exhibitions of the Russian Museum
© 2015
The State Russian Museum
Site development: Projector.media
The Russian Museum is the exclusive owner of all the interior images and pieces of art of the Russian Museum collection, as well as all the images and text information given on its official site. The usage of the texts and images provided on the site is only allowed with the permission of the Russian Museum.


text:
There's just something about polka dots that do it for me, whether they're in the form of a dress, blouse or even this fabulous pair of tap shorts from Fancy French Cologne. I feel like the navy and tan in these flouncy little devils is the perfect pairing for just about everything in my closet, giving me a break from typical black and white spots. What do you think?
Is it just me or does FFC have the most unique pieces, I have this, this, this, and this...What's your favorite?
shorts fancy french cologne, shoes shoemint chloe, shirt agar, sunglasses ray ban, bag vintage, bangle jewelmint


text:
Separate names with a comma.
Discussion in 'Thumpers' started by Bikeaddict, Oct 18, 2011.
Now have a look at this thumper guys. A real toy from KTM I think ...
Holy crap. 220lbs. That weighs less than the moto version
Looks like a Trials bike with a seat! Fun!
Hmmm, looks interesting. Just about the right timing I think. There are several people that I know would love to own a bike like this, including myself. But, you probably cold just buy a trials bike, and plate it for alot less. Wish it would not have such a high price tag.
Considering that I just bought a street legal MXC 200 specifically to have a 220 pound play bike, I totally get the point of that bike.
Street legal, 24 hp and 80 pounds lighter than a WR250R? Sounds like a winner to me, they're gonna sell a bunch.
That thing must be a freight train, or 747 tugger... B/c my 250 has more horsepower than that...
If I can get one plated in California I would buy it. Geting a sub 260lb. bike with a plate and able to do single track is a problem in CA.
I think your missing the point a bit there...
But I wouldn't get to excited anyway.
Visor down have a reputation for making up stories about up coming models, and there are a few claims in the story that are a bit hard to swallow.
Edit, KTM.com has a article on it so I guess I'm wrong about it being a bit hard to swallow.
So what happened to the electric freeride? End of story? Too heavy? Too expensive? Too limited range?
Looks for real. The engine should be fairly bulletproof with that output. Street legal is nice too.
That may be the only thing that could get me to ride an orange motorcycle!
Very nice! Now if it comes with a wide ratio six speed transmission
I might be heading down to Moore and Sons with my checkbook.
5 Liter Fuel Tank?:huh
Carbon Fiber Frame another.:huh
Modern epoxy resins are great and strong but I'm not sure I want to really trust it for my BIKE.....
24HP doesn't a China scooter make more than that now?
its got the same power to weight as the WR250R so i doubt it will feel too sluggish, the torque will be much better.
sounds like they've tuned it for economy, 5 liters will get you far enough.
24 HP and 220 pounds doesn't equal 26 HP and 300 pounds where I come from. 24 HP at 220 pounds is a quick little machine with the grunt of 350cc.
depends if that power is at the crank or not. guess we'll wait and see.
We will have to wait, but if it weighs 220 lbs, has 350 CC's and platable in CA I will figure out how to make it go at a proper rate if need be.
Exactly. My LC4E has a light weight aftermarket exhaust system, titanium bits and has been stripped of buddy pegs, brackets and everything else I could do without. It is down to right at 300 pounds. Which is not bad considering that makes it comparable to Japanese 250 dual sports.
But then I get on my MXC 200 and it makes me hate the 640 offroad. I can literally carry the 200 over to my work stand and set it on top. The LC4E is everything I can do to yank it up and on top. I was riding with a guy a few weeks back with a WR250R and a plated EXC 200 and he felt the same way about those two bikes.
Riding a 220 pound bike offroad is magical. Something we have forgotten since dual sports first packed on that extra tonnage back in the 1980's and never lost it.
$hit the thing weighs 15lbs more than me.


text:
Tompkins Cortland Community College special programs
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Information about Tompkins Cortland Community College special programs, and registering for elective seminars and discussion sections. Which college degrees give you the best chances of entering a successful career path after graduation? Concentrating on Tompkins Cortland Community College special programs, for example, may give you additional focus in the admissions selection process. Check with the admissions office for assistance with prerequisites, course registration deadlines, and college degree program requirements. Please use the form above to request admissions info for Tompkins Cortland Community College.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is responsible for administering educational benefit programs for veterans, their families, and their survivors. Some veterans might find they're eligible for both student aid as well as vocational training programs. The Montgomery GI Bill provides assistance for active duty personnel and reservists in order to pursue college degrees and training certificates.
By refering to the database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions contains information reported to the US Department of Education, veterans can obtain a list of all accredited college and university programs. Use the NCES College Navigator to search for college degree programs, using a number of variables such as school size, programs offered, and location to narrow your search. Further, Educational Opportunity Centers provide counseling information on college admissions to qualified adults who want to enter a program of postsecondary education. Beyond major requirements within the admissions department, you may consider Zane State College SAT requirements for complementary electives to your primary course of study.
Director of Admissions
University of Maryland University College
Director of Admissions. University of Maryland University College (UMUC) seeks a Director of Admissions within the Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM).
1 day ago Admissions Counselor
North Carolina Central University
The person should be an energetic and enthusiastic individual who will articulate admissions policies and procedures to students, parents, and counselors.
5 days ago Sr Academic Advisor
University of New Mexico
Graduate program admissions procedures. Experience with academic advising in a college or university setting..
6 hours ago Academic Program Manager
Towson University
Prior experience in college or university Admissions and/or Academic Program Advising preferred. Participate in high school college fairs.
6 days ago Admissions Officer
Centura College
Prefer prior admissions experience at a private for profit college or technical school.
8 hours ago


text:
AAA and Detroit Tigers team up for "Teen Driving Safety Night" at Comerica Park May 24
One lucky teen will win the honor of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch
DEARBORN, MI--May 3, 2013: Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens. That's why AAA Michigan and the Detroit Tigers are partnering to offer a special "AAA and Detroit Tigers Teen Driving Safety Night" at Comerica Park on Friday, May 24 -- at the start of the summer driving season. The Tigers will host the Minnesota Twins at 7:08 p.m.
The two organizations are encouraging safe driving by giving teens the opportunity to win four Tigers game tickets, head down on the field to watch batting practice before the game and throw out the first pitch. The grand prize winner will also receive an autographed Tigers baseball. Two first-place winners will win four tickets to the game and an autographed ball.
To enter the contest, teens can visit AAA Baseball . Entry deadline is midnight, May 15.
To help new teen drivers and their families learn more about driving safety, AAA will have two driving simulators at the ball park during the May 24 game.
In addition, the first 5,000 teens to enter the ballpark prior to the
game will receive a free AAA-Detroit Tigers keepsake key ring. Gates open
at 5:30 p.m.
AAA Michigan has been involved in teen driving safety for a century, with efforts including encouraging legislators to pass laws which help make teens safer drivers. Successful laws include a new law this year which prohibits novice teen drivers from talking on cell phones while driving.
AAA encourages parents to play a leading role in developing their teen driver through regular dialogue, selecting a quality driving school, using a parent-teen driving contract, extensive practice driving and choosing a safe vehicle.


text:
I think we all saw this one coming, but a few people may have been holding out hope that the Cubs two top prospects would make the club with outstanding spring efforts. Today that hope came to an end as the Cubs sent Brett Jackson, and Anthony Rizzo to Triple-A Iowa.
I absolutely love what Jackson had to say after hearing the news, "I'll keep trying to force their hand at Iowa and knock the crap out of the ball" awesome, just awesome. I love the kids attitude, he gets it. Jackson understands that he is ready to play this game at the highest level, but sometimes it's a numbers game, "They think if I'm not really close to ready, they think I'm ready, and I think I'm ready," Jackson said. "It's all about numbers from now on and how I perform in Iowa and what's going on with the team here. Rizzo, myself, we're going to go to Des Moines and knock the ball around a little bit and hopefully we'll be back sooner than later and able to help the team." Is there a waiting list to buy a Brett Jackson jersey? If so, put my name on it. Even with the understanding that it was going to be tough to crack the roster, Jackson was hoping for the best, "You always work for something like that and plan for the worst and expect the best and that's what I did," Jackson said. "Obviously, it would've been great to start with the team but I know that I'm close and I believe I'm going to play in Chicago for a long time. This is another step I have to take and keep working and keep playing hard and hopefully I'll be back sooner than later." Dale Sveum added this caveat, "He's the best young player I've seen in Major League camp. I've seen some good young ones." Wow, that's some big words from the Cubs skipper, should tell the fans all they need to know.
The Cubs know they have a couple of keepers with Rizzo and Jackson, there really is no need to rush them at this point. However, this is a pivotal time in each of their career's. Both guys have worn on Triple-A pitching, and really pitching throughout the minor leagues. They are both ready to prove that they can play at the highest level, and we as fans are going to get that opportunity sooner than later, just not opening day 2012. Regardless, fans are going to love watching these kids play when they get here, and they will love their attitude as well. Jackson went deep yesterday in the Cubs victory, "I'm going out with a bang," Jackson said, laughing. I can't wait for these guys to be playing at Wrigley.
Thanks for reading
– George Cotugno


text:
5 Dividend ETFs for the Second Half
It was a tumultuous second quarter for equities as the SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY) fell almost 3.2 percent, but dividend ETFs flexed their muscles and provided investors some shelter from macroeconomic headwinds and broader market carnage.
During the quarter, the iShares High Dividend Equity Fund (NYSE: HDV) and the SPDR S&P Dividend ETF (NYSE: SDY), two of the most popular dividend ETFs, were able to scratch out positive returns. The Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (NYSE: VIG), the largest dividend ETF by assets, performed in line with the S&P 500.
VIG's unimpressive second-quarter performance aside, these are good days for dividend investors. Dividend increases have far outpaced reductions and suspensions this year to the point where about 80 percent of S&P 500 constituents currently pay dividends.
That's good news considering the income one can depend on from Treasuries and CDs. In other words, barely enough to get fund a trip to Starbuck's (NASDAQ: SBUX) on the city bus. With that in mind, these dividends merit consideration in the second half.
WisdomTree MidCap Dividend Fund (NYSE: DON) Maybe it is because DON tracks mid-caps that it flies under the radar. It certainly is not because of size as the six-year-old DON has over $341 million in assets under management. DON, which charges 0.38 percent per year, currently yields almost 3.1 percent, according to WisdomTree data.
Home to over 350 stocks, DON has a lot to like in that its yield and expenses are reasonable. Plus, the fund has jumped almost five percent year-to-date. The biggest knock on DON is an almost 39 percent allocation to financials. Obviously, this is a mid-cap fund so that does not mean the most controversial bank stocks are featured here, but recent history has taught investors that when one big bank sneezes, it seems like the rest of the sector catches a cold.
EGShares Low Volatility Emerging Markets Dividend ETF (NYSE: HILO) The EGShares Low Volatility Emerging Markets Dividend ETF usually enters the emerging markets dividend ETF conversation, but the fund is showing it might be one of the better international dividend funds, including those that track developed markets.
In the second quarter, HILO outperformed the SPDR S&P International Dividend ETF (NYSE: DWX), which focuses more on developed markets, by more than 200 basis points. DWX may have the higher yield, but HILO's price/earnings and price/book ratios are slightly better.
HILO's heavy allocations to conservative sectors such as telecommunications and utilities along with an almost 17 percent weight to Thailand could be positive catalysts for the fund in the second half.
Global X SuperDividend ETF (NYSE: SDIV) The Global X SuperDividend ETF, which just celebrated its first birthday, give investors some reasons to celebrate. Home to 100 stocks, the ETF is well-balanced as no stock receives a weight in excess of 1.47 percent. SDIV has a jaw-dropping yield of 9.41 percent.
That high yield is driven by the fact that SDIV allocates less than a third of its country weight to the U.S., giving investors an opportunity to exploit the higher yields often offered by global stocks. SDIV's U.S./global mix has worked in investors' favor this year as the Global X offering has outperformed DWX and the iShares Dow Jones International Select Dividend Index Fund (NYSE: IDV) year-to-date.
Another point in SDIV's favor: It pays a monthly dividend.
WisdomTree Emerging Markets Corporate Bond Fund (NASDAQ: EMCB) There should be at least one bond fund on this list and EMCB makes the list for several reasons. First, with almost $60.2 million in AUM, the almost four-month-old ETF, has been one of the better new ETFs of 2012 in terms of attracting assets. Second, EMCB yields five percent. Third, it pays a monthly dividend.
Finally, PIMCO's Bill Gross recently said he likes Brazilian and Mexicand debt. Brazil and Mexico combine for more than 38 percent of EMCB's weight.
Guggenheim Multi-Asset Income ETF (NYSE: CVY) Last week, the Guggenheim Multi-Asset Income ETF cleared resistance at $21 and now looks poised to challenge its 52-week high in the $21.75 area. Do not be deterred by the fact that almost a third of this ETF's weight is devoted to financials. In this case, that means real estate investment trusts (REITs).
Along those lines, CVY is true the multi-asset roots it purports to have. The fund holds common and preferred stocks, ADRs, REITs, MLPs and royalty trusts.
CVY has a trailing 12-month yield of 5.31 percent and the fund has jumped 4.5 percent in the past month. In this environment, the knock on CVY is an almost 18 percent weight to energy stocks. If oil prices continue to struggle, that could suppress CVY's second-half upside.
For more on dividend ETFs, click here.
Posted-In: Dividends Specialty ETFs Emerging Market ETFs Markets Trading Ideas ETFs Best of Benzinga
© 2018 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


text:
Enemy Starfighter Summary
Latest news
Enemy Starfighter looking pretty sexy, coming to PAX Prime this month
19 August 2014 | By Nick Horth
Oh what a time to be alive, fellow space-sim fans! Not only do we have No Man's Sky on the horizon and Elite Dangerous and Star Citizen inching closer to release, but Enemy Starfighter is looking like the real deal, too.
The promising title is coming to PAX Prime this month, and developer Marauder Interactive has released a new gameplay trailer to tease its appearance.
Enemy Starfighter appearing at PAX Prime 2013
17 August 2013 | By JAFalcon
Seattle-based indie developer Marauder Interactive will be showing off its space combat sim Enemy Starfighter at PAX Prime 2013 in a minibooth for two of the show's days.


text:
The 102 credit union shareholders of lending services CUSO CU Direct will receive their share of a 3% cash dividend.
The Ontario, Calif.-based CUSO said this is the ninth consecutive year that it has paid a dividend to its shareholders.
During 2013, CU Direct said it signed new agreements with more than 100 credit unions and at year's end, 1,072 credit unions, serving 38 million members, were utilizing the CUSO's lending services.
CU Direct credit unions processed 723,000 loans through the company's CUDL lending platform, generating $16.3 billion in credit union auto loans in 2013, said the CUSO.
The CUSO also helped its credit unions increase loan growth 19% in 2013 to become the sixth largest auto lender in the nation when aggregated, according to CU Direct.


text:
This study is provided by ICPSR. ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for a diverse and expanding social science research community.
Youth Attitude Tracking Study (YATS) [United States], Fall 1994 (ICPSR 6659)
Principal Investigator(s): United States Department of Defense. Defense Manpower Data Center
This round of the Youth Attitude Tracking Survey, a series of surveys begun in 1975, investigated youth attitudes towards military enlistment and their perceptions of the military and recruitment marketing activities. The survey also elicited opinions on government and public affairs issues: whether the United States ought to have much more military power than any other nation in the world, whether women should be required to register for the draft, and whether the United States should go to war to defend its own economic interests, protect the rights of United States citizens, or protect the rights of other countries. The survey explored the respondents' plans for the future, including plans for college and interest in participating in either the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) or military training after college. In addition, the survey explored the respondents' media habits. Other information collected by the survey includes age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, current school enrollment status, highest grade completed, type of school and diploma, grades usually received in high school, participation in the junior ROTC in high school, whether the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test (ASVAB) was taken, current employment status, and parents' education.
Access Notes
Data in this collection are available only to users at ICPSR member institutions. Please log in so we can determine if you are with a member institution and have access to these data files.
One or more files in this collection have special restrictions ; consult the restrictions note to learn more.
To protect respondent privacy, variables Q725 (ZIP code), STFIPS (State FIPS Code), and CNTYFIPS (State and County FIPS Code) are restricted from general dissemination. Users interested in obtaining these data must complete an Agreement for the Use of Confidential Data, specify the reasons for the request, and obtain IRB approval or notice of exemption for their research. Apply for access to these data through the ICPSR Restricted Data Contract Portal, which can be accessed via the study home page.
ASCII + SAS Setup SPSS Setup Stata Setup
Study Description
United States Department of Defense. Defense Manpower Data Center. Youth Attitude Tracking Study (YATS) [United States], Fall 1994. ICPSR06659-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2007-04-30. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR06659.v1
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR06659.v1
Export Citation:
- RIS (generic format for RefWorks, EndNote, etc.)
- EndNote XML (EndNote X4.0.1 or higher)
Scope of Study
Subject Terms: attitudes, career planning, employment, military, military recruitment, military strength, women, youths
Geographic Coverage: United States
- 1994-09-12--1994-11-16
- 1994-09-12--1994-11-16
Universe: Persons aged 16 to 24 living in the United States in households or noninstitutionalized group homes with telephones. Individuals in the military, with prior military service, or currently accepted for service in the military (active or reserve component) were excluded.
(1) The principal investigator supplied the data in a SAS XPORT engine transport file. ICPSR generated the SAS, SPSS, and Stata setups and converted the data to three additional formats: ASCII text, SPSS portable, and Stata. (2) ICPSR did not receive the Social Security Number File or the SAS statements used to create the formats library.
Original ICPSR Release: 2007-04-30
Metadata Exports
- Citations exports are provided above.
Export Study-level metadata (does not include variable-level metadata)
If you're looking for collection-level metadata rather than an individual metadata record, please visit our Metadata Records page.


text:
My family became hooked on Harry Potter in 2001, when my son was going through a stage of reluctance to read fiction. Now it is a family hobby.
I am English and my home is in Birmingham. I am a psychology teacher; my husband, who is Australian, is a computer programmer and network engineer. We have three children and we are Evangelical Christians.


text:
FrostWire Version b5
This folder contains five subfolders that contain the actual .torrent files and the actual media that has been downloaded. The subfolders contained within the abovementioned folder are:
•Incomplete: Within this folder, the temporary tracker of the media is saved while in the process of being downloaded, this is the metaphorical bookmark that enables the software to stop and start as the user wishes.
•Saved: This folder contains the artifacts of .torrent files that the user wishes to save- to be able to download at another time.
•Shared: This folder contains all the .torrent trackers that the user has uploaded or created. FrostWirev.5 enables the creation of .torrent trackers.
•Torrent Data: Possibly one of the most important folders, this is where the software saves the actual downloaded media.This is a system automated process, which remains standard.
•Torrent: This folder contains the actual .torrent tracker file, which is the tracker and that is created to download the requested item. For each item downloaded, two entries are created -A .torrent file is created that contain the creation time, the SHA 1 value of the downloaded item, and from where it was downloaded. The second entry created is in unallocated space, which contains the exact same information.
This folder essentially contains a few very important artifacts, which contain important evidentiary information on what was downloaded.
•Createtimes.cache: This cache file contains the SHA-1 value that is assigned to all uploaded media when a .torrent file is created and uploaded to the distribution websites. The SHA-1 value is that of the whole file when it was originally uploaded.This is verified once the item has been downloaded to ensure that the right and complete item has been downloaded.
•Download.dat: This database file contains all the names, identification SHA-1 values of all the files and media downloaded by the user using FrostWire v.5. This can be used to identify what was downloaded when the actual physical items are no longer on the machine.
•Fileurns.cache & Fileurns.bak: These two files essentially contain the same information. When a download is started the software logs the SHA-1 value of the file to ensure that the completed file is downloaded. The SHA-1 value can be used to identify whether a certain item matched the online version of the said file.
•FrostWire.props: This property file contains the selection made by the user upon installation. Here you can determine what changes have been made to the default settings of FrostWire v.5.
•Hostiles.txt: This contains a log of all subnet Masks currently running on the FrostWire v.5 network.
•Library.dat: This database is of all media that is saved by the user to the FrostWire v.5 library, even if it was not physically downloaded onto the machine.
Identifying Searches Done Using FrostWire v.5:
When a user searches for a specific item to download, that search is stored in various places on the local machine:
1.[root]/$Logfile: Contains the search term searched for, where it was found along with the SHA-1 identification hash value.
2.[root]/ProgramData/Microsoft/Search/Data/Applications/Windows/GatherLogs/SystemIndex/SystemIndex.gthr: The header information contained within this gather log, is the search term and how the system and the software communicated.This information is gathered by the two tracing protocols mentioned early Rasapi 32 and RASMANCS.
3.[root]users/xxx/.FrostWire/search_db.h2.db :This is the database that FrostWire v.5 uses to record all searches done by the users.The information recorded is the following:
i. URL Details, where the .torrent file is residing.
ii. The search term searched.
iii. The magnet link and corresponding SHA-1 hash value.
iv. The creation date in Unix that .torrent tracker was created.
4.[root]users/xxx/.FrostWire/search_db/search_db/_28.tii: This is the actual entry in the database for each search term done by the user.This contained what the search term was and the corresponding file ID.
5.[root]users/xxx/.FrostWire/search_db_searchdb__28.tis:This is a record of the search results for the particular search term, meaning that for every .tii file a corresponding .tis file can be found.
Examining a .torrent File and the Artifacts Found:
The file header for .torrent files in hex is:
0x64 38 3A 61 6E 6E 6F 6F 63 65 35 39 (As viewed in hex)
d8:announce59 (As viewed in text)
Contained in this .torrent file is the following information:
File Meaning
http://tracker.torrentbox.com The website that the .torrent file was uploaded to and stored on
2710 The initial port used to communicate to the website initially.
220.127.116.11:80 The IP address communicated with along with the port used for downloading.
1238229350 Unix creation date of the torrent.
Linux Books The name of the item downloaded.
31C8D8C7748C9CC8090C4C2A Identification SHA-1 hash value.
The registry keys SOFTWARE, SECURITY,SYSTEM and the Ntuser.dat were examined and the following artifacts or changes were identified:
1.HKEY/LOCAL MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Current Version: (These changes can be seen in the NTUSER.DAT as well)
This contained the following relevant information of the software FrostWire v.5:
i. Display Name
ii. Publisher
iii. Help Link
iv. URL
v. URL Info
vi. Display Version
vii. Uninstall Command
2.HKEY/LOCAL MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Classes:
This contained the following relevant information of the software FrostWire v.5:
i. FrostWire Toolbar
ii. FrostWire.exe files location.
3. HKEY/LOCAL MACHINE/SOFTWARE/FrostWire:
This contained the following relevant information of the software FrostWire v.5:
i.The executable command used to access and run FrostWire v.5.
4.HKEY/LOCAL MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Tracing:
This contained the following relevant information of the software FrostWire v.5:
i.This contains two tracing mechanisms that Microsoft uses to manage and monitor software, which is the Rasapi 32 command and the RASMANCS command. The information saved is saved in [root]/ProgramData/Microsoft/Search/Data/Applications/Windows/GatherLogs/SystemIndex/SystemIndex.gthr:
For FrostWire v.5 to be able to function, a change has to be made within how the system operates:
i.When installing FrostWire v.5, the software automatically change the FireWall policy to create an exception to allow communication from FrostWire v.5 and the downloading servers, thus bypassing the firewall completely.
No changes could be identified within this registry key.
FTK Imager


text:
Results tagged ' 2009 NLCS '
Celebrity Sighting down in Playoffs
Maybe it is just me, but it seems like the celebrity baseball fans are not straying into the ALCS/NLCS ballparks yet. Oh, there have been a few A and B-list sightings of the famous both from the entertainment field,and some current or former sports stars sitting in the seats near the field. But it might seems to be a bit, well empty compared to some recent seasons.
But since I am not sitting in either Yankee Stadium, or Dodger Stadium during these games, maybe I am out of the sight lines to glancing upon or just visually missing the boat on the celebrity onslaught that seems to follow a "winning" team as they head towards a possible World Series berth. Maybe it is just too nice weather-wise in Los Angeles right now. And we know that the Arctic winds have dampened only the seats in Yankee Stadium in the first two games of the ALCS.
But then again, maybe the weather is a bit……..well, chilly for the celebrity style folks to flock outside the confines of the Hard Rock Cafe or even a Club Level Suite right now at Yankee Stadium. But it can be such great public relations coupes and established city cred to see or be seen in the masses wearing the blue pinstripes. But then again, I am not hoping for a huge explosion of celebrity sightings to increase when the Phillies open their home set of the series tomorrow, but then again, it is home to a lot of very unique people.
I am not really trying to complain about the lack of the celebrity mobs not flocking to the ballparks, it just seemed like there were more visual sighting in 2008 when Boston and Tampa Bay played at Tropicana Field. But then again, they were in a controlled environment where the temps never reached far above 78 degrees either even with a full house screaming at the top of their lungs. I remember bumping into comedian/minor league baseball team owner Bill Murray near the Food Courts on the First Base side while he was buying some cinnamon encrusted almonds for the game ( great taste in edibles Bill).
Or even catching a photo op with WWE superstar John Cena at a Rays after party following Game 2 of the ALCS up in the Cigar Bar at the Trop. It was a invitation only event mostly for the Rays employees, but I snagged a pass and shook many a hand of friends within the Rays organization that wondered how I could have wrangled such an invite. But they forget, where there is a will, there is a way with me.
And there have been some nice sightings so far in this round of the playoffs. It was great to see that Miley's dad could make it out to Chavez Ravine for Game 1 of the NLCS. With strands of his well coiffed mini mullet swaying the breeze, his southern twang ringing through the PA system, he offered a fantastic rendition of the National Anthem.
It must an ever increasing problem for Billy Ray Cyrus to always been seen as "Miley's Dad" by people under 18, but as "Doc" or the "Achy Breaky Man" to the rest of us. But it is awesome to see he still loves the game, and I hoped he stayed and watched it that day because even with the Dodger loss, it was a great game to watch in person.
Then on Friday, there was a glance of Los Angeles Laker guard Kobi Bryant sitting with Dodger Team owner Frank McCourt and Tommy Lasorda down near the field level for Game 2 of the NLCS game. We know Bryant has a huge love of all sports, even if his second choice of sports teams tend to range to a certain soccer team in Spain. But by the pictures, it seemed like he got into the flow of the game and had a great time. Hopefully he can again be coaxed to attend another game soon and become a lifetime Dodger faithful.
Also during that Friday game fans in attendance got to see members of the boy band, The Backstreet Boys as they performed "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the 7th inning stretch. You can bet that there was a bevy of fabulous harmonies and a few great vocal scale moves that kept the crowd either looking towards the big screen or towards the field during their performance.
Now we move eastbound into the big stadium in the Bronx for a Friday night game to begin the 2009 ALCS in some chilly weather that had more than a few people bundled up looking more like a cocoon. I think we might have had sightings of even more celebrity or famous ballplayers in the stands if not for the sweeping chill produced by the wind swirling in the stadium. For some reason, extreme conditions and celebrities only go along in their movie roles.
But we did get a picture of the spinal cord and backside of former Yankee great Tino Martinez sitting up in one of the enclose suites chatting and talking with a table full of people. Fox made sure to focus in on the table and sit there for about a minute, with Tino finally looking towards the field a few times, so we know it was Tino and not some fake sighting. And that might also be a problem. Sometimes in conditions like that everyone can look like someone else when wearing a woolly ski cap and a big jacket.
But the person who seemed to have gained the most photo ops during the last months of the season is the "alleged" girlfriend/BFF Kate Hudson who again had those primo seats just beyond the top of the Yankees dugout on the Third Base line. I am not going to rouse the rumor mill again if she is or is not even dating a certain Yankee player.
In neither of the pictures posted the last few nights do we see anything hot in her hand, or even a head covering, but we hope that the thin blond one did not catch a head cold or even a glimpse of the sniffles. But it is rewarding to see she is facing the elements like the rest of the Yankee faithful and enjoying the game among the regular fans. Let's hope that our own MLBlogs "Confessions of a She-Fan" can make it out to a game or two in Anaheim to throw her mug up there to compete with the "Kate Hudson's" of the world. I would be blown away to see Lady Jane on the television screen, but not surprised in the least.
But also during the Friday night game in the Bronx, they invited one of their own back to throw out the First Pitch before the game. David Cone, who pitched for the Pinstripes from 1996-2000 and produced 55 victories in his time with the Yankees threw a perfect strike across the plate before Game 1 of the ALCS. And Cone, who owns a great eating establishment in Oldsmar, in the Tampa Bay area looks like he could still pull spot duty in the Bullpen.
And even if a bunch of the ex-players and celebrities were not in plain sight, you have to guess that there were more than a dozen hidden up behind the frosted glass enjoying the game either by television or sitting near the windows enjoying CC Sabathia's dominance in that first game. And we all know of a few out in L A who enjoy seats up in the Club Level and are usual visitors to the games, and might not be considered "event-based" celebrities by the loyal Dodger fans
So hopefully tonight when the NLCS proceeds in Citizens Bank Park the Philly celebrity faithful will come on down and represent their town and cheer for their boys. Let's just hope that Darryl Hall and John Oates are not the only ones we see in the seats tonight during the game.
This city has a bevy of talented celebrities. We all know that Kevin Bacon is a proud member of the "City of Brotherly Love". But did you know comedians David Brennan, Tina Fey and Bob Saget call this city their own. And something I never knew before, 2/3rds of the "Three Stooges", Larry Fine and Curly Joe DeRita came from this Pennsylvania town.
I am personally going to be searching for someone dressed up in a powdered wig and bi-focals and trying to present a "Where is Ben Franklin" moment in CBP. Seriously, I know the economy is tight, and even Nicholas Cage is said to be broke as an old clock right now, but this is the time that these cities need to see their famous brethren basking in the glow of another successful season.
So as the venues swap this week, it is going to be interesting to see if any celebrities will be in attendance
in Los Angles/Anaheim this week when the Yankees come to town. There might be a few wearing Yankees gear, like Hudson, but let's hope some of the Anaheim faithful also come out and support the teams resurgence into the ALCS.
Maybe we will see Bobby Hatfield who was a part of the "Righteous Brothers", or maybe even Gwen Stefani of the group "No Doubt" singing the National Anthems or during the 7th Inning stretch. For this region of California also has its special and famous people who will hopefully come out and support the Angels. But I guess we will see.
But just seeing some of these special people enjoying the sport we love so well, and cheering along with us seems to boost the energy and the vibe in a stadium. And you know the camera people are forever seeking out these elusive personalities either in the suites or stuck among the thousands in the stands. Hopefully someday a few of us writing on MLBlogs.com could be featured on the big screen as a sports journalist, or even a novelist by our own "Confessions of a She-Fan" Jan Heller.


text: Took my bike into dealer last week for annual and 6k service. Was told that bike wouldn't need brake fluid change since it was done last year. I was under the impression that fluid needs changing yearly. Is it ok to let it go 2 years? Has the linked ABS system. Bob


text: ^^Well, judging from the scale marks on the planar view, the separations between the major stars are typically on the order of 40-50 AU, which is the distance from the Sun to Neptune or the Oort Cloud. From that distance, a Sunlike star would be just a bright point source, not enough to brighten a night sky significantly or be visible in the daytime sky of a planet lit by a nearer star. The minor suns are apparently red or brown dwarfs, which would only cast daytime illumination if you were much, much closer than 1 AU. So the system layout shown here is compatible with only seeing one sun in the sky of any given world.


text:
Frostbite Spider
Edit Page Last Edit:
Frostbite SpiderThe Frostbite Spider of Skyrim is a giant, fearless spider that spits Frostbite Venom and can poison you. It can be found in a variety of locations, caves, ruins, crypts, etc. Once you kill one, you can loot their bodies for Frostbite Venom, a wonderful poison that does 8 points of damage for 10 seconds.
The Frostbite Spider is a very slow creature. They can usually be bested by climbing on rocks and shooting them with arrows. For melee characters it's best to hit them with a few power attacks and follow up with shield bash. Mages would have best luck to use fire spells and slow them down with a familiar.
Top Wiki Contributors
Edits: 2,940
Hardcore Hector
Edits: 2,369
Ragga Fragga
Edits: 1,041
Edits: 796
Wiki Help
Need assistance with editing this wiki? Check out these resources:
What Links Here
Expand Navigation
Exit Theatre Mode


text:
You can't get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me. - C. S. Lewis
I am an avid C.S. Lewis fan, in love with Isobelle Carmody's works and absolutely adore Jaclyn Moriarty, Nick Earls, Susan Price and of course J.K. Rowling.
I love poetry, am seventeen, describe myself as eccentrically insane AND have a penchant for journalling, though not obsessively. Visit my personal livejournal The End of Dystopia, or my writing livejournal if you wish.
My current WIP is: Tracey Davis' Guide to Surviving Slytherin


text:
Optimising Business Communications
On-Demand UC goodness
Get an Alertwhen The Register has something new about ...
Check the boxes & select Email or Atom/RSS Feed.
There isn't much more important in business than good old fashioned communications. But there's the rub. The level of comms in many businesses is just that – old fashioned and fragmented as hell. The ICT industry hasn't helped much either – not because they lack the next generation of products and services to get us communicating and sharing information in a more joined up manner, but because they've been so rubbish at explaining it all to us mere mortals.
So we decided to take matters into our own hands and teamed up with our chums at Freeform Dynamics and some surprisingly un-pushy bods at NEC to get to the bottom of this topic once and for all. And we're mighty glad we did. We tested you to the limit on this one but the Reg readers came through in style and the experience and advice you shared with us has provided some superb insights into the state of, and best practice around, business communications today.
Now come and see all the best bits in hi-res glory.
We got stuck into, amongst other things:
- Just why 'unified comms' remains an unfufilled promise
- Enhancing collaboration and decision-making in your business
- How and where advanced communications can be harnessed to optimise business processes
- Why it is really is all worth bothering with and how to make comms really work in your business
This event is available to view on-demand! Click below to watch


text:
State Report
Contra Costa County Report
Mt. Diablo Unified District Report
Mt. Diablo Unified
Adelante High (Cont.)
Ayers Elementary
Bancroft Elementary
Bel Air Elementary
Cambridge Elementary
Clayton Valley High
College Park High
Concord High
Crossroads High (Cont.)
Delta Center (Special Ed.)
Diablo Community Day
Diablo View Middle
El Dorado Middle
El Monte Elementary
Fair Oaks Elementary
Foothill Middle
Gateway High (Cont.)
Glenbrook Middle
Gregory Gardens Elementary
Hidden Valley Elementary
Highlands Elementary
Holbrook Elementary
Home and Hospital
Horizons Alternative
Meadow Homes Elementary
Monte Gardens Elementary
Mountain View Elementary
Mt. Diablo Elementary
Mt. Diablo High
Northgate High
Nueva Vista High (Cont.)
Oak Grove Middle
Olympic Continuation High
Pine Hollow Middle
Pleasant Hill Elementary
Pleasant Hill Middle
Prospect High (Cont.)
Rio Vista Elementary
Riverview Middle
Sequoia Elementary
Sequoia Middle
Shore Acres Elementary
Silverwood Elementary
Strandwood Elementary
Summit High (Cont.)
Sun Terrace Elementary
Sunrise (Special Education)
Valhalla Elementary
Valle Verde Elementary
Valley View Middle
Walnut Acres Elementary
Westwood Elementary
Woodside Elementary
Wren Avenue Elementary
Ygnacio Valley Elementary
Ygnacio Valley High


text:
Rays continue to come up big late in games
By Bill Chastain / MLB.com
The Rays and the Reds had seven such wins last season, tied for the Major League lead. Over the last two years, the Rays' 11 wins when trailing after eight are the most in the Major Leagues and five more than any other AL team (Royals, six).
Entering Friday night's action, the Rays had scored a Major-League-high 23 runs in the ninth inning, ahead of the Phillies (20). They have outscored their opponents 23-8 in the ninth. The ninth is the Rays second-highest scoring inning after the first (27). They have hit four home runs in the ninth.
Maddon stresses need to execute small ball
BALTIMORE -- Even though the Rays managed to push a run across the plate in the second inning of Thursday night's 5-3 loss to the Yankees, one of their bigger snafus came that inning. Elliot Johnson had a leadoff single and Chris Gimenez reached on an error by Eduardo Nunez. Will Rhymes then popped out on a sacrifice bunt attempt.
While that failed bunt attempt can't be blamed for the loss, it was another in a series of failed attempts by the Rays to play small ball this season.
"We have not played that part of our game well yet," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "We have to get better at that. That's a big part of what we do. Opportunities, I don't even know if they would have caused or helped us to win the game or add on runs. ... Yesterday, for instance, would have put us in a good position based on the part of the batting order that was coming up."
Maddon noted that the Rays spend a lot of time working on that aspect of their offense.
"It's not like it's not worked on," Maddon said. "It's been discussed heavily. It's been worked on heavily. We just have not to this point executed well."
Maddon allowed that it's easy to get frustrated about the lack of execution given the fact they began working on bunting and other plays relating to small ball during Spring Training.
"We talk about the situational component and the areas that we really want you to be efficient at, if there are any particular plays we want to incorporate during the season," Maddon said. "We always identify those guys who will be part of that potential play as a hitter. Anybody can be a part of it as a base runner, so they all have to be aware of that. But as a hitter, everybody's aware of who we're going to ask to do different things."
Rays' pitchers get ready for NL in batting cages
BALTIMORE -- Interleague Play is less than a month away, which means the Rays' pitchers have begun to prepare for using their long-dormant offensive skills to hit in National League parks, where the DH is not used.
Rays manager Joe Maddon leaves the prepping of the pitchers up to pitching coach Jim Hickey.
"Hick does a great job," Maddon said. "[Hitting coach Derek Shelton] has nothing to do with it. None of the coaches do. Having been a National League pitching coach, [Hickey] does a great job of getting the pitchers ready to play offensively. Not only that, also running the bases.
"We haven't run the bases yet with the pitchers. That will start happening soon also. I'm telling you, man, he does a great job. I've always been impressed with his program. We've talked about it. So he looks at the schedule and knows when he has to start it up."
The Rays' first Interleague game at a National League park is June 8 against the Marlins in Miami.
Extra bases
• The Rays and the Orioles went into Friday night's contest tied for the lead in the American League East. It's been almost 20 years since the last time two teams were tied for first in the AL East this deep in the season that did not involve the Red Sox or Yankees. The last time was June 9, 1992 when the Blue Jays and Orioles were tied for first.
• Desmond Jennings (left-knee sprain) still has some soreness in the knee, but he is available for pinch-hitting duties and manager Joe Maddon said Jennings continues to be "day to day" for his next start. Jennings said that the lateral movements irritate the soreness more than anything.
• Entering Friday night's game, the Rays were Major League-best 13-3 at home (.813 winning percentage) and 7-9 (.438) on the road. According to Stats Inc., their .375 disparity between home and road winning percentage is the largest in the Major Leagues, ahead of the Dodgers (.800 at home, .500 on the road).
Bill Chastain is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
ORLANDO, Fla. - The fate of the Central Florida homeowner's association president behind the removal of 80 trash cans and recycling carts in the Turnberry Reserve subdivision, has become the talk of HOAs across the country.
Residents in the Bent Creek neighborhood in Nolensville, Tennessee are facing a legal action from their HOA if trash cans are not "out of sight."
In an email to Local 6 on Tuesday, Andrea Barnes says residents there "have objected to new changes in the rules that are meant to add drive-up appeal"…but she adds the "original covenants contained no express wording that indicated we would have to store them in the garage or on the side of the home (or back)."
The neighborhood is just south of Nashville in what Barnes calls "a hot-selling area."
Barnes says Bent Creek residents are anxiously awaiting the decision by the Orange-Osceola State attorney's office.
"It's absurd to think that we could have added this cost to our original purchase price had we known about this rule and now homeowners are maddened over these issues," Barnes says.
The cases are different because Turnberry Reserve's HOA president, Sherry Raposo, could end up in jail for 90 days, fined $1500 or both for the theft of the trash cans, while the Tennessee HOA is playing it by the book and taking their neighbors to court for not removing them from sight.
A spokesperson for the State Attorney's office says the charges against Raposo are being reviewed. Detectives are seeking three counts of misdemeanor charges for the theft of the trash containers. Of the 80 cans removed only seven residents filed charges and only three agreed to go forward.
According to Barnes, residents in her Tennessee neighborhood have two options:
1. Move them into the garage.
2. Build a trellis/hideaway/choices on the side of the home or move them to the back.
Barnes argues that the first solution "is unreasonable" because storage is an issue in the homes and the garages are narrow.
"I quite literally cannot move my car into the garage if my trash container is on the side near the wall as the car runs into it," Barnes says.
A more controversial HOA rule bans children's playhouses. According to Barnes, the Federal Government has indicated strong interest in that rule because it may violate the Fair Housing Act based on familial status.
If you have an HOA issue contact Mike Holfeld on Facebook or email email@example.com
Copyright 2013 by ClickOrlando.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
South Floridians may be looking to burn off extra holiday calories in the new year but a new study from the American Medical Association is already making them feel better.
The AMA study, released Tuesday, shows that being overweight lowers the risk of death. CDC researchers analyzed nearly 100 studies from the US and around the world dealing with body mass index and death rates.
"There were almost three million people in all these studies and over 270,000 deaths," CDC researcher Dr. Katherine Flegal said.
Those with a BMI in the overweight category fared better than those in the normal weight category.
"Sometimes that surprises people but they really should not be too surprised because in our categories of 97 studies, 80 percent of them showed that there was lower mortality in overweight than in normal weight people," Flegal said.
That doesn't apply if your BMI is in the obese category.
FDA Approves First New Tuberculosis Drug in 40 Years
At Kennedy Park in Coconut Creek Tuesday, South Floridians said they'll keep trying to slim down and stick to their New Year's resolutions.
"Obviously it's to get fit, same one I had last year," Valerie Weaver said of her resolution. " But I'm determined to do it this year."
"To age with grace, that's my New Year's resolution," Gwen Miller said.
"Well, just keep the weight I'm at, try not to pack on the pounds," Lili Neale said.