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Back in 1967, when most of the world was still scoffing at
the notion that the sun could be a viable source of home
heat, a retired carpenter and construction millwright named
Henry Matthew built a six-room solar house on Oregon's cool
and very foggy coast. Over the course of the last 15
years, Henry's self-designed system — which consists of
725 square feet of water-type collectors and an
8,000-gallon storage tank — has furnished 75 percent of his
Coos Bay home's heat in bad years and as much as 90 percent to
95 percent most of the time!
In fact, the monthly utility bill for his otherwise all-electric, 1,444-square-foot dwelling rises from approximately $18 in the summer to all of $22 in the winter. Henry's solar success story so impressed the University of Oregon that its scientists have spent the past few years monitoring the system with a battery of instruments.
A Solar Engineer Ahead of His Time
As you might suspect, Henry — a modest, soft-spoken do-it-yourselfer — has had a long-time interest in solar energy.
"When I was a boy," he recalls, "my father would tell me, 'Someday people are going to store up heat in the ground ... solar heat.' Then, when I was 40 or 45 years old, after my father — who was a lawyer — retired in San Diego, he wrote to me, 'If we could buy some of this inexpensive desert land down here and put in a solar pump to irrigate it with, we could make some money.'
"Dad's idea sounded good, so we located a book called Direct Use of the Sun's Energy by Farrington Daniels. After he read that book, though, Dad decided that the project would require too much work, and he backed out. But, I was still sure it was feasible. Then I learned that Harry Thomason had designed a successful solar house, and I knew right there that I could build one, too — and maybe even improve upon his design.
"The people who've found solar energy unsatisfactory," he contends, "usually don't pay enough attention to heat storage. Now we have rainy periods here, with no direct sunshine at all, that last three weeks at a time. So we have to be able to pack away the heat when it is available. I also believe that most collectors are far too small. Many that I've seen are about a third as large as they should be. Of course, you can't blame people for wanting to economize when they're buying expensive commercial collectors at $20 to $30 a square foot ... but when I built mine, the materials cost only about $1.00 to $1.50 per square foot, so I made sure the panels were big enough to satisfy my needs."
How Solar Powered Electricity Works
The Mathew's home's rooftop collector consists of a south-facing, 5-foot-high, 80-foot-long array, installed 7 degrees from vertical. The frame is made of wood backed with plywood and a 1-1/2-inch thickness of fiber-glass (for fireproofing). The heart of the unit is a corrugated sheet of aluminum coated with flat-black paint. A horizontal, galvanized iron, parallel-fed 1/2-inch pipe runs along each corrugation, and these are tied snugly to the aluminum sheet with wire. Three slightly overlapping glass panels (they're 1/16-by-20-by-30 inches), placed 1-1/2 inches away from the aluminum, are used to make up each individual panel. Near-vertical headers are positioned at the ends of the collector — one to bring water in and the other to let it out — and arranged so that no liquid can leave until the collector is entirely full.
Another collector of the same general design (it has 325 square feet of surface area) sits on the ground in back of the house, and there's a small unit on the east side that flows into Matthew's electric water heater.
"A pump forces water to the little collector," Mathew explains. "From there it runs to the east leg of the backyard unit, flows through it, then goes to an overhead pipe, where it connects with the collector on the roof of the house. When the sun's shining and the collectors are stagnated, the water temperature can rise to as high as 175 degrees Fahrenheit."
Efficient Alternative Energy
Normally, according to the University of Oregon's studies, the water temperature would be raised only 5 degrees if it were to flow straight from one end of the rooftop collector system to the other (of course, over a series of passes, the temperature gain would be much higher). But, this ingenious gentleman has doubled that per-pass figure by simply gluing a single layer of aluminum foil to the roof with black plastic cement — and anyone who's ever gotten a sunburn while ocean fishing on an overcast day knows how efficient a reflecting surface can be.
"I used plastic cement, because it sets up quicker than does the asphalt type. Then I rolled out the foil and smoothed it down with a household mop. I imagine that in regions with acid rain problems, the aluminum foil might have to be replaced every 10 years or so, but mine's been up a lot longer than that."
After the water is warmed by the collectors, it flows into a 7-by-10-foot, 8,000-gallon tank, which Mathew welded together him-self right on the premises. This container is buried beneath the house and is surrounded by a 6- to 18-inch insulated airspace that accommodates a cold-air intake and a hot-air outlet.
"The tank," Matthew says proudly, "cost me $175 for all-new steel. Since I've been careful to keep as much air out of it as possible, it's developed only a few specks of rust. It should last for another 60 years!
"I thought that the water held in the tank would get very hot in the summertime, but it doesn't. In fact, it stays at about 100 degrees. Then along in September and October — just when the heat begins to be needed — the temperature reaches its peak. Following that, we usually have rain for weeks, and the water will start to cool down. However, the tank's large storage capacity still allows it to keep the house warm through that period until — by the middle of December — we start to get some sunshine again."
Whenever the thermostat shows unfavorable solar collection conditions, the pump automatically stops and all the water returns to the tank. Then, when the rooms need heat, hot air from the space around the tank flows — by convection — out of a grill high in the living room while cold air returns to the tank through an intake positioned below the fireplace.
"The system provides a nice, even, quiet heat," Mathew points out. "During the coldest months it keeps the living room at 75 degrees Fahrenheit, while even the bedrooms and baths, which have no heat vents, often reach 65 degrees."
There's also a large garage/workshop on the west end of the house, but it's passively heated by an attached greenhouse. The home displays a passive solar component, too: a 7-foot overhang along the south side of the dwelling, which lets the sun stream across the front living area in the winter but shades the same rooms in the summer.
This innovative house, with Mathew doing all the work himself, cost about $10,000 to build. Of that, the materials for the roof collector ran to $1,000 and those for the backyard unit totaled about $325. But as Matthew points out, material prices have more than doubled since 1967, so you can figure that it would probably cost at least $20,000 (and likely a good bit more) to duplicate the structure today.
If Successful, Be Prepared to Share the Wisdom
Naturally, when the news that someone was successfully using solar energy in the fogbelt began to filter out to a wider world, Matthew was flooded with requests for information. In order to keep up with the deluge of mail and phone calls, he drew up some rough plans of his solar home. Matthew has updated the material from time to time, but he warns that some of the information could probably profit from more "modernization."
"After all," he says, "we've learned a lot about using solar power in the last 15 years."
In order to put some of that more recent knowledge to use, Matthew is now in the process of putting the finishing touches on a second solar house, a scant mile east of his present home.
"Since the new location is a bit farther from the ocean, it gets colder in the winter and hotter in the summer. Also, the site is partially shaded on winter afternoons, and that forced me to face my collectors 18 degrees toward the east. I've overbuilt the solar heating system by 25 percent to 30 percent, using three rows of roof collectors. However, they're so compact that, if you were to just drive by, you'd never know the house is solar heated.
"My new collectors are built to tolerate temperatures of around 350 degrees Fahrenheit. They're backed with metal instead of plywood and I used preformed aluminum flashing that enabled me to snap the pipes in place, rather than tying them on with wire. In addition, I installed corrugated fiberglass, which costs only half as much as glass. These panels are glued in place with transparent silicone and are holding up well against our winter rain, hail, and 100-MPH winds. The roof also has a tremendous 60-foot-wide reflecting area, which — again — is simply a single layer of aluminum foil over bare plywood. I figure that the barrel and a half of roofing cement cost about $90, and the aluminum foil was about $60, which amounts to a pretty inexpensive way to double a collector s efficiency."
The storage tank for the new house is also larger (9,200 gallons) and is insulated with 3-1/2 inches of fiberglass all around, so the stored heat isn't carried through to the ground.
The nearly completed three-bedroom, two-bath, dwelling cost Matthew $26,000 ($6,000 for the land and $20,000 for materials), $3,850 of which went into the solar system. But, again, he did all the labor himself, even bulldozing his own road in and preparing the construction site.
MOTHER EARTH NEWS asked Henry whether, after all his years of experience, he'd encountered any problems while constructing the second building.
"With the single rooftop collector on my first house," he replied, "all the water drains back into the storage tank whenever the pump stops. But the new home's three collectors don't all drain instantly or at the same time, and this fact occasionally caused air to get into the line. Then, if the pump happened to start up just as an air pocket hit it, it would lose power. I solved the problem by putting in about 3 feet of 6-inch pipe, to allow the bubbles to rise out of the system."
Matthew also found that his new storage tank, which was built in four parts, was subjected to great changes in pressure when the pump started up and eventually one whole section caved in: "I had to weld a lot of heavy steel over the top to reinforce it.
"I can't really say that I had any other problems," he grinned. "I did make a lot of changes in the piping system as I went along because I just seemed to keep getting new ideas."
Well, that doesn't surprise us a bit. After all, how can a person be a pioneer without new ideas?


text:
Hi all,
Can anyone recommend any works on the material culture of the of British Army 1914-18? I have a friend who makes American civil war era uniforms to a very high standard and is looking to branch out into British FWW uniforms and is looking for some reference material. Being a medieval re-enactor I don't have a clue, so recommended he try out the Osprey books, but these are not detailed enough for his needs.
If anyone has read/seen the following, than that is the kind of thing he is after:
http://www.timewalkertoys.com/The-Frenc ... 526090.htm
So seriously nerdy, detailed and comprehensive works, if this doesn't exists in a single work, are people about to recommend a number of works.
Thank you kindly for you help
British Army uniforms FWW
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text: Gizmos.es has a hot tip on the name for Motorola's upcoming multimedia phones: the Moto ZiNE. They've confirmed two Motorola ZiNE phones for 2008, one of which is an upgrade of the Motorola Z10 with touchscreen, keyboard, Wi-Fi and GPS. The other phone will have an 8-megapixel camera and optical zoom, and will be a slider and have something to do with a Moto/Kodak integration deal. It would be easy to make fun of them for yet another lame four-letter name, but we'll let their 21% to 13% drop in marketshare do our job for us. [Gizmos.es]


text:
Taber of PRRC Granted New Patent, Sept. 19, 2005
by Liz Bustamante
SOCORRO, N.M., September 2005 -- The appearance of US Patent Number 6,905,504 on June 14, 2005, "Method of Converting Feed Water to Fresh Water," marked a special occasion at the PRRC, representing the culmination of several years of research and study by Dr. Joseph J. Taber, PRRC Director Emeritus.
The process claimed by this patent uses existing water pressures and high flow rates of waterfloods to produce fresh water by reverse osmosis, for minimal operating costs and with no disposal problems. With this process, operators could adapt off-the-shelf reverse osmosis units for immediate application in their waterfloods.
The device hasn't been built yet, but Dr. Taber and the New Mexico Tech Foundation, who own rights to the patent, hope that a manufacturer can be found to correctly fabricate the flanges needed. There are several different embodiments but the envisioned best application would be to install the reverse osmosis unit in the line, right in the water injection pipe going to the injection well. Dr. Taber and PRRC hope that this process will be useful in New Mexico oilfields.
Instead of simply publishing his findings, the patent was sought, says Dr. Taber, because "a patent seems to lend a certain credibility that publishing a paper in a journal doesn't." He has been interested in reverse osmosis for many years — while lecturing on CO-2 flooding (he is an expert in this field) he thought of water under pressure in oilfield waterfloods: why not use the existing pressures in the brackish/salty waters for reverse osmosis processes?
"Once I started looking at this," he says, "I realized there were two other significant benefits. First, you could employ the high flow rates often found in waterfloods to sweep the membranes clear of the salts that normally accumulate there. Second, this new method would get rid of all the usual waste disposal problems that are almost always a part of reverse osmosis systems." All reject water is injected to recover oil.
From concept to patent took about 10 years, although Dr. Taber was not engaged in patent research during all that time. This is his ninth patent — and the first to bear his name alone as the inventor. Dr. Taber calls it, "the most difficult of my patents." (The rest were filed while he was working for Gulf Oil).
"The first ones were easier, not just that I was much younger, but because many people at Gulf provided advice and assistance — especially Gulf's patent lawyers, who did all the application work. Perhaps," he adds, "patent examiners have made life more difficult in the last 40 years, because in this case, we had to answer many more objections raised by the patent examiner."
Although this patent could have ramifications for waste disposal, Dr. Taber's future plans do not include any new patents that are in the works right now. He wants to get back to writing his book, whose working title, he says, is Injecting the Right Stuff for Maximum Oil Recovery.
The patent may be obtained by anyone from the U.S. Patent Office website at http://www.uspto.gov/. Dr. Taber welcomes questions or comments on this useful research that he has pursued into the sixth decade of his scientific career. He may be contacted through the PRRC's Publications Office, 505-835-5406, or email@example.com.


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I know that what I am about to talk about may not be pleasant to hear about, and I sincerely hope I don't make any of you angry (although I don't know why I should). But recent events have brought about an upsetting problem that I can't shake, and for reasons that will soon become obvious - but I will outline them below anyway - I can't confide in my theist family about this problem... they would not understand and would most likely gain false hope of me "returning to the fold" - I most certainly will not!
Let me begin this way:
I would have thought that after 7 years after I lost my faith, and after 3 years of being an admitted atheist, that I would have settled all the "adjusting period" emotional and social problems that I had... you know... dealing with the confusion of having the thing that you based your life on (devotion to God) disappear, dealing with confusion and uncertainty about what being an atheist would mean for me and my life (besides lacking belief in God - although that may be the most basic definition - we all know that being an atheist in the United States of America has far more practical issues and implications and hard choices about how you will go forward with your life), dealing with anxiety about who to "come out" to and when (if at all), dealing with confusion and new difficulties over how to live in a society that makes no room for non-believers and - even worse - rejects them and sometimes demonizes them, dealing with the friends and family that don't understand, may try to "win you back", may ask you (with that inevitable look of concern and worry) "What happened? Do you hate god? Did you stop coming to church/ stop believing in God because something bad happened? Are you depressed/ angry? Was it something I did? I REALLY want to know if I did something to hurt you so much that you took out your anger at me on God! Do you need someone to talk to, because I know a pastor/ priest/ rabbi/ etc. that I think you should talk to! He/she can REALLY help you in your time of darkness." (What I was thinking at the time: Ummm... my "time of darkness" is for an entirely different reason than you think! It's not something that anyone did! My faith just collapsed and my world is falling apart around me!), also... you have to deal with the friends and family that reject you because they can't deal with your atheism.
I thought I was through all that... now I'm not so sure.
You see... I have been going through a hard time... and sometimes I desperately wish that God was real and prayer worked so that I could have some relief from my pain... even though I am fully aware that all that is a fantasy.
But something happened last night that really got me to wondering whether I am REALLY over my period of darkness and confusion and made me desperate for some advice from fellow non-theists who wouldn't try to do what my theist friends and family would inevitably do - interpret it as a sign that I wanted/ needed God back.
You see, I had a rather disturbing nightmare that I can't shake. When my Christian mother asked what the dream was about, I couldn't tell her... so I lied and said that I didn't remember. In reality... how could I forget?
The nightmare took place at my old church that I grew up in. I haven't been there in a very long time although, the other day, I passed one of my old friends, a youth pastor, as I was driving down the road. She and her husband both smiled and waved at me.
In the dream, I remember that the old church that I had loved so much was decrepit. It was falling apart at the seams bricks missing, the steeple was gone, and the floors inside were dusty and bare. The main pastor and the rest of the staff was leaving the building through the back entrance with grim, pale, sad faces. Some were crying. The reverend told me that the church had gone bankrupt and that it had been sold to a local atheist group. - I didn't know what to make of that - As soon as they were gone, a group of atheists I had never met before - but that seemed to know me - entered the building and started partying, putting up anti-theistic signs and banners all over the church and leaving popped balloons and confetti on the floor. The place was a mess. Everyone was smiling and laughing and inviting me to join in. But I didn't want to. I remember that I sat on the floor of the sanctuary and cried. I was not crying about God, I was remembering all the friends I had made there, all the various fun activities I had participated in over the years, and all the broken, forlorn faces of my friends that had left in silence after emptying their offices. I felt like a piece of my childhood that I kept close to my heart had been destroyed. I wasn't angry at the atheists, I felt confused and sad. I had no desire to join in on the anti-theist party... I just wanted to cry.
I woke up from the dream feeling disturbed and not knowing what it meant. Can any of you help me figure out what is going on? Have you had similar experiences? How have you dealt with them?
This was just a dream, but it also made me wonder why I would have a dream like that.
Views: 1894
Or, Sky, it might be simpler to just go with what I said --
James - you're right, it's just a matter of learning the general symbolic approach that dreams use. The "flying dream" traditionally means that you want to escape from present circumstances, and a bike without wheels might indicate that you're not getting anywhere, you can't make progress. Although most dream dictionaries can be safely ignored, as they seem to be made up by charlatans. Losing your teeth is said to mean losing power, and this makes sense, as our teeth are our powerful cutting edge. Think about how something looks to the subconscious, which appears to express itself using symbolic images or puns.
No, they ARE nonsense because whatever they mean, if they mean anything at all, is something that can't be verified or in any way demonstrated to someone outside the dreamer's mind. Therefor, they are not facts in any sense of the word.
I quess I am not a perfect believer in 'verifiability'. I do hope for it.
I'm not just denying ACTUAL verifiability, but verifiability IN PRINCIPLE. Goings on in one's mind aren't even in principle verifiable. If one says "I'm seeing the color orange," not only can he not double-check his perception, neither can anyone else. Supposing we were able to meld with his mind such that we could see what he sees, we might find that the color orange is what we would call green.
This is the sense in which dreams are nonsense.
We can work as if reports of mental events and states are true, but we can't make them true. For example, you're a psychiatrist and your patient believes he is Napoleon Bonaparte. You can go along with that in terms of treating him (there's the "as if"), but all the while the real world of facts tells you that that can't possibly be true.
You're talking about the difference between science and art. Science deals with verifiable physical facts, art deals with (among other things) poetic imagery.
There's more to life than meters and dials. It is narrow-minded to dismiss creativity and art on the grounds that you can't see it or measure it with numbers.
"There are more things on heaven and earth, than are drempt of in your philosophy, Horatio."
You know how I hate to be picky, but it's "There are more things in (not "on") heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt (not drempt) of in your philosophy."
I've had dreams that seemed too abstract to be meaningful at first, but soon made perfect sense in light of what was happening in my life. I'm not claiming anything supernatural. I don't see how anyone can claim to know that it was ultimately nonsense just because I can't project my dream as a movie for you.
Just because it's nonsense in your head isn't a good enough reason to claim it's nonsense in others'.
You can call it a fact that a dream matches up in significant ways with your personal reality, but it's a different kind of fact to a scientific fact. Scientific facts are independently verifiable by everybody; dream correspondences are only verifiable by you, and other people just have to take your word for it. What may be verifiable by others is the process by which you arrive at your decision. I may say "this dream dictionary is junk" or "the way you read your dream makes sense to me".
Science is objective, while dreams are, by their very nature, entirely subjective.


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Must See Art: Damien Hirst Retrospective at Tate Modern
Photos by G. Art by Damien Hirst.
2012 is the year of Damien Hirst! I was fortunate enough to meet one of the most successful and controversial artists in the world earlier in 2012 and as my great luck would have it, I happened to be on holiday in London on the day that the retrospective of his art opened at the Tate Modern! If you are unfamiliar with his works, if you are already a fan or if you just shrug your shoulders when you hear his name, you should check out this exhibit. So many works you only read about in books are all on display in the same place at the same time.
While perusing the exhibit, many of the following thoughts will enter your head – "do people dislike Hirst because he is so rich and blame it on his art?" "It's well known a staff of assistants helps him carry out his projects. How many people are employed and what types of schedules do they keep?" "How on earth do they transport these works of art across the world?"
At the retrospective, you'll see the infamous spot paintings (and before you dismiss them, you should research the reasoning behind the color schemes as well as the fact that though these paintings look like they are done by machines, they are actually done by Hirst's assistants); Medicine Cabinets, the glass cases filled with diamonds, cigarette butts and pills; spin paintings, skulls, butterflies; the animals in formaldehyde; the flies attacking a rotting carcass and more!
Whether or not Damien Hirst's art is "your thing," it will certainly give you lots of food for thought. I think that's one of the greatest things about his work – it will certainly force you into making a decision about your opinion of his art. Like it or not, I can't imagine a single person that sees this exhibit will walk away and have no opinion of it. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing museum patrons expressing extreme views of his art as I walked around the galleries.
If you will not be able to make it to London to see this exhibit, you should definitely check out The Happy Famous Artists' Flickr page that is chock full of great snaps from the press preview of the Hirst retrospective.
If you go see the exhibit in person, make sure you exit through the gift shop!
"Damien Hirst" runs at the Tate Modern in London, England through September 9, 2012. Don't miss it!


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Browsing by Subject "danske investeringer i udlandet"
Now showing items 1-3 of 3
a survey of the international operations of Danish companiesWendelboe Hansen, Michael (København, 1996)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: One of the most significant characteristics of recent years economic development is the profound growth in international production by transnational corporations (TNCs). This paper presents the results of a major survey of the involvement of Danish industry in this internationalization process. In particular, the paper focuses on Danish investments in the emerging economies of Eastern Europe and less developed countries (LDCs), an aspect of Danish foreign investment which is highly under-researched. The main findings of the paper is that around 1100 Danish companies are involved in international production, having almost 2900 subsidiaries abroad. 350 of those subsidiaries are located in the emerging economies of LDCs and Eastern Europe. The paper observes that the Danish involvement in emerging economies is significantly below that of other OECD countries, a finding which is linked to the relative dominance of small and medium sized companies in Danish industry. The paper notes that whereas the most important emerging economy destination in the seventies and eighties was Latin America and here in particular Brazil, Danish companies now prefer to invest in Asia and Eastern Europe, Poland being the by far most important emerging economy country. In general, the paper argues that small and medium sized companies play a pivotal role in the internationalization of Danish industry, less so in LDCs, more so in Eastern Europe. The survey also confirms that the Danish investment promotion agency IFU, participating in 40% of all investment projects in LDCs, plays a pivotal role in the expansion of Danish industry into LDCs. Finally, an inquiry among 167 companies with manufacturing activities in LDCs or Eastern Europe reveals that more than 50% of all investment projects in emerging economies are undertaken mainly in order to get access to the emerging economy market. Only 18% of the investment projects are motivated with the more favorable cost conditions - mainly lower salaries - offered by many emerging economies. This finding challenges the widespread belief that Danish investments in LDCs and Eastern Europe will cause a general loss of Danish jobs and productive capacity. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7022
Files in this item: 1wpnr.09 1996.pdf (287.4Kb)
Jensen, Camilla (København, 2003)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Purpose of the study This working paper aims to explain the main results of a survey as send out in the summer of 2003 by the Royal Danish Embassy in Warsaw (the Danish Embassy) and Copenhagen Business School (CBS) in cooperation. The Confederation of Danish Industries and the Dept. for International Economics and Management kindly allowed us to adopt and adapt their questionnaire that has been tested among Danish companies many times before (DI, 2003a). The immediate target group for our paper is the group of firms that responded to the survey. We extend our gratitude to the firms that so kindly and generously have shared with us valuable information making us capable to better understand the internationalisation of Danish companies in Eastern Europe. We hope you will find the report of interest and relevance to your company. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7098
Files in this item: 1udkast2.pdf (785.5Kb)
Danish experiences in Eastern GermanyMeyer, Klaus E.; Bjerg Møller, Inger (København, 1998)[More information][Less information]
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7082
Files in this item: 1wp10.pdf (223.1Kb)
Now showing items 1-3 of 3


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Family Orientation & ResourcesPage address: http://www.mnsu.edu/newstudent/orientation/family/
– Family Program Participant
College students are more successful when their families are interested in and support their efforts. Family Orientation is designed specifically for parents and family members of new students. The program allows family members to become familiar with Minnesota State University, Mankato and meet with faculty, administrators, and Minnesota State University, Mankato students. Presentations are geared toward helping family members assist their students with the transition to college and to understand the transitions the family will face.
During your time on campus family and guests will have the opportunity to…
- Interact with current students, other family members, faculty and staff
- Receive information from various offices such as Financial Aid, Residence Life, University Dining, and much more
- Learn more about your transition as a family member of a college student
Family attendance is not required; however family is strongly encouraged to participate. Family members/guests register for Orientation by including their information on the student's Orientation registration.


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Shares of Caterpillar, the world's largest construction equipment manufacturer, are falling in pre-market trading today following the company's announcement of a big writedown, made Friday after the closing bell.
The $580 million charge relates to an acquisition Caterpillar made in China last year. It paid $800 million for the company, Siwei, but the target company's management team had apparently been fudging the books for quite some time before that, leading Caterpillar to wildly overpay for the acquisition.
BofA Merrill Lynch analyst Ross Gjilardi has a good summary of the writedown:
Big impairment charge tied to Siwei acquisition
After the Friday close, Caterpillar announced that it will take a $580mn, or $0.87 per share non-cash goodwill accounting charge in Q412. The impairment comes in connection with the acquisition of ERA Mining Machinery and its Siwei subsidiary. The impairment arises from a determination by Caterpillar that Siwei senior managers engaged in accounting misconduct for several years prior to Caterpillar's $800mn acquisition of Siwei in mid-2012. The size of the charge equates to less than 1% of CAT's market cap (but nearly 10% of adjusted 2012E EPS), but does not help perception of CAT's China growth strategy, which is important to the long-term investment case, in our view.
Accounting related issue - ongoing investigation
Caterpillar has determined that several Siwei senior managers engaged in deliberate misconduct beginning several years prior to the acquisition. According to CAT's 8-K, the managers have been dismissed and replaced with a new leadership team, with the manufacturing operations rolled into Caterpillar's China operations division. CAT's extensive review identified improper revenue recognition practices and cost allocation that resulted in overstated profit. Caterpillar is reviewing litigation closely and other options to recoup losses and is conducting an ongoing investigation.
As Gjilardi noted, the charge will come out of Q4 2012 earnings, to be reported Monday, January 28.
James Parker notes at the Diplomat that Siwei was part of one of the infamous "reverse mergers" that have plagued Chinese listings in recent years:
Caterpillar last June acquired ERA Mining Machinery Ltd, a HK-listed company that was in fact the result of a "backdoor listing" of Siwei, a Zhengzhou-based company which provides equipment for the mining industry. Siwei had undertaken a "reverse merger" with ERA Holdings Global Ltd (a "secretarial services" company listed on HK that had no relation to mining or construction) in 2010, and had thus been effectively trading on HK's Growth Enterprise Market.
Reverse mergers, which rose to infamy during recent short-seller provoked attacks on such firms trading in the United States and Canada, are a common way for companies to be listed without going through the more expensive (and revealing) regulatory and media scrutiny of an Initial Public Offering (IPO).
Below is the full press release issued by Caterpillar, complete with a Q&A:
PEORIA, Ill., Jan. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) today announced that an internal investigation of its recently acquired company, ERA Mining Machinery Limited (ERA), including its wholly owned subsidiary Zhengzhou Siwei Mechanical & Electrical Manufacturing Co., Ltd., commonly known as "Siwei," has uncovered deliberate, multi-year, coordinated accounting misconduct concealed at Siwei, located in Zhengzhou, China.
Caterpillar's investigation determined several Siwei senior managers engaged in deliberate misconduct beginning several years prior to Caterpillar's acquisition of Siwei. This deliberate misconduct at Siwei will result in a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of approximately $580 million, or $0.87 per share, in the fourth quarter of 2012.
Caterpillar removed several senior managers at Siwei who were responsible for the misconduct and a new leadership team has been put in place. The responsibilities for Siwei manufacturing operations have been moved to Caterpillar's China Operations Division, led by Vice President Qihua Chen, a long time Caterpillar employee. The sales and support organization at Siwei will report to Kebao Yang, Caterpillar Global Mining General Manager for China and Korea.
"The actions carried out by these individuals are offensive and completely unacceptable. This conduct does not represent, in any way, shape or form, the way Caterpillar does business or how we expect our employees to work, which is spelled out in Caterpillar's Worldwide Code of Conduct," said Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman. "Once our investigation confirmed that misconduct had taken place at Siwei, we moved quickly and decisively to hold the responsible leaders directly accountable for the wrongdoing. Accountability is a critical way that we measure leaders at Caterpillar, and it is my expectation that leaders set an example and are accountable for their actions and results."
Caterpillar has advised the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission of these issues and has filed a Form 8-K with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission disclosing the impairment charge. Caterpillar's investigation is ongoing.
"Despite these actions we continue to believe that the Siwei acquisition is well aligned with our strategy to expand our role as a leading equipment and solutions provider for the Chinese coal mining industry," said Steve Wunning, Caterpillar group president with responsibility for Resource Industries. "We intend to utilize Siwei roof support products and manufacturing capabilities, combined with Caterpillar's strong commitment to technical innovation and safety, to help our mining customers in China become more efficient and safer within their mines," Wunning added.
Additional background on Siwei acquisition:
In November of 2011, Caterpillar and ERA jointly announced a pre-conditional voluntary offer by Caterpillar, through a wholly owned subsidiary, for all of the issued shares of ERA, which at that time was a publicly traded company on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. ERA primarily designed, manufactured, sold and supported underground coal mining equipment in China through its wholly owned subsidiary, Siwei.
In June of 2012, Caterpillar announced the completion of its tender offer for ERA, including its wholly owned subsidiary Siwei. The tender offer was completed after approval from the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China (MOFCOM).
Siwei has a manufacturing base of 600,000 square meters and employs about 4,000 people in Zhengzhou, Henan province, where Caterpillar intends to continue manufacturing roof support equipment to serve underground mining customers in China.
Questions and Answers:
Q1: Does the discovery of this misconduct at Siwei change Caterpillar's strategy for China or its view of the mining industry?
A: No. Caterpillar has 23 existing manufacturing facilities in China, four new facilities under construction, four Research & Development (R&D) centers and three logistics and parts centers, employing more than 15,000 people across the country. In addition, China produces and consumes more coal than any other country in the world. Our strategy to expand our coal mining business in China is unchanged, and we are optimistic about the underground coal mining equipment opportunities.
The accounting misconduct that occurred at Siwei does not reflect the way Caterpillar does business and is not in keeping with our Worldwide Code of Conduct.
The actions of the individuals involved were clearly wrong and purposely designed to overstate the profitability of the company prior to our acquisition. This does not change our plans to develop, grow, and improve the business.
The acquisition is aligned with Caterpillar's strategy to expand in the rapidly growing Chinese coal mining equipment industry utilizing the Siwei roof support products and manufacturing capabilities, combined with Caterpillar's strong commitment to product innovation and safety, to help our mining customers in China become more efficient and safer within their mines.
Q2: What is Caterpillar's due diligence process for mergers and acquisitions?
A: We believe our process is rigorous and robust and includes Caterpillar personnel and outside accounting, legal and financial advisors. It is important to understand that Siwei was a publicly traded company with audited financial statements. What we discovered at Siwei following the acquisition was deliberate, multi-year, coordinated accounting misconduct that was concealed by the persons responsible.
Q3: Can you provide more details about the nature of the accounting misconduct?
A: Caterpillar first became concerned about an issue when discrepancies were identified in November 2012 between the inventory recorded in Siwei's accounting records and the company's actual physical inventory. This was determined by a physical inventory count conducted at Siwei as part of Caterpillar's integration process. Caterpillar promptly launched a comprehensive review and investigation into the nature and source of this discrepancy. This extensive review has identified inappropriate accounting practices involving improper cost allocation that resulted in overstated profit. The review further identified improper revenue recognition practices involving early and, at times unsupported, revenue recognition. This review is ongoing.
Q4: Several individuals on Siwei's board of directors were part of the ownership structure of ERA. Did the investigation determine if ERA or its principals had any knowledge of this misconduct?
A: Caterpillar's investigation of these matters is ongoing and any other comment at this time is not appropriate.
Q5: How does the announcement about Siwei change Caterpillar's previously-stated outlook for 2012 and its preliminary outlook for 2013?
A: The accounting misconduct described in today's announcement was discovered after Caterpillar released its most recent outlook for 2012. The expected charge of approximately $580 million, or $0.87 per share will be included in fourth-quarter 2012 financial results, but was not anticipated in the 2012 outlook. We do not expect these matters related to Siwei to have a significant impact on Caterpillar's 2013 sales and revenues or profit. We will provide our 2013 outlook with our Earnings Release on January 28 but are not updating the outlook today.
Q6: Will there be litigation as a result of the investigation?
A: Caterpillar is reviewing these matters very closely and is considering all of its options to recover its losses from those responsible.
Q7: Was the conduct you have described criminal? Has anyone been arrested or is this being investigated by the U.S. or Chinese governments?
A: Caterpillar is not aware of any arrests or criminal investigations. If contacted by governmental authorities, Caterpillar will cooperate.
Q8: In light of the circumstances, do you intend to keep the Siwei name or will the business be rebranded as Caterpillar?
A: At this point, there are no plans to remove the Siwei name. The company maintains a strong reputation in the marketplace. Caterpillar intends to build on Siwei's strengths. The Siwei roof support business is a good complement to our existing product line for our mining customers, and we remain committed to our continued investment in China to support our growing base of customers.
Q9: Did the investigation determine whether any Caterpillar employees, beyond those who came over to Caterpillar as part of the Siwei acquisition, had any knowledge of, or participated in, this misconduct?
A: The misconduct at issue commenced at Siwei well in advance of Caterpillar's acquisition. We believe it was perpetrated without the knowledge of any Caterpillar employee who did not come over to Caterpillar as part of the Siwei acquisition.
Click here for the full release >
ALSO: Johnson & Johnson Issues Weak Earnings Guidance For 2013 >
Get the latest Caterpillar stock price here.


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The Bears will live to fight another week in the NFC playoff race, but they have to be concerned about the status of running back Matt Forte.
Forte left Sunday's game against the Cardinals with an ankle injury, and the Bears announced during the third quarter that Forte will not return. The Bears were already thin at running back with Michael Bush hurt, and they've now turned to Armando Allen.
Forte was off to an excellent start before getting hurt, carrying 12 times for 88 yards and making up for a lousy game from Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. The good news for the Bears is that the Cardinals' offense has been its usual pathetic self, with Ryan Lindley getting benched in favor of Brian Hoyer after throwing a pick-six, and Chicago is winning easily even without getting much from its offense.
The other piece of good news for the Bears is that Forte was seen walking to the end zone without any assistance. The Bears will have to hope that's a sign that he'll be good to go next week in the season finale against the Lions.


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The Mavericks are on the verge of adding All-Star swingman help after losing Caron Butler to a season-ending knee injury. Peja Stojakovic, bought out by Toronto on Thursday, has given Dallas a verbal agreement to sign once he clears waivers Monday, a league source confirmed to NBA.com.
Marc Stein of ESPN.com first reported the agreement.
The Mavericks would open up a roster spot for Stojakovic by trading fourth-team center Alexis Ajinca in a separate deal with the Raptors, according to ESPN.com.
Stojakovic, a 13-year vet seven years removed from his third and last All-Star appearance, is one of the league's all-time best 3-point shooters at 40.1 percent. He just wasn't a fit in Toronto, which acquired Stojakovic in a Nov. 20 trade with New Orleans along with Jarrett Jack and Marcus Banks.
"We were clear from the beginning that our trade with New Orleans was made with the future in mind, so a buyout or trade of Peja's contract was a likely option," Raptors president Bryan Colangelo said. "Although he did not fit into our plan of developing our young core talent, I'm sure that Peja will add significantly to any veteran team that signs him."
Health has been an issue in recent years, with the 33-year-old native of Serbia playing more than 62 games once in the last five seasons. Stojakovic has played just eight games this season, and only two since the trade because of a sore knee.
He's averaging a career-low 8.4 points in a limited sample this season, but didn't score less than 12.6 per game in the previous 11 years. He won't be asked to fill the void left by Butler, but it's a low-risk move that potentially helps fill it.
The Mavs also signed Sasha Pavlovic to a second 10-day contract on Thursday after the veteran small forward scored 11 in Wednesday's win over the Lakers.


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You can view the full Albertsons Weekly Ad on their website. You can also view the Albertsons Corporate Coupon Policy.
Things to remember when shopping at Albertsons:
- Albertsons stores ads are regional. These deals are part of the SuperValu chain which includes CA, OR, ID, WA, MT, NV & WY.
- Make sure and scan your Albertsons Preferred Card at the register to get sale prices and earn gas rewards.
- You can stack a store coupon and a manufacturer's coupon to maximize your savings
- Albertsons in certain regions periodically come out with Twice the Value Coupons (keep your eyes open in your Sunday paper) – These can add great savings to your shopping. New to Twice the Value coupons? Read my Twice the Value 101.
My favorite deals are marked with a star


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U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
EEOC Said Apprenticeship Test Discriminated Against Hundreds of Black Workers
CINCINNATI – Ford Motor Co., along with two related companies and a national union, will pay $1.6 million and provide other remedial relief to a class of nearly 700 African Americans to settle a major race discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.
The EEOC had charged in the litigation that a written test used by Ford, Visteon and Automotive Components Holdings (ACH) to determine the eligibility of hourly employees for a skilled trades apprenticeship program had a disproportionately negative impact on African Americans. The National United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) was also a defendant in the case because the test was used to select apprentices in the Ford-UAW Joint Apprenticeship Program and the lawsuit settlement affects people covered by the union agreement.
The comprehensive relief obtained by the EEOC includes about $1.6 million for the class of nearly 700 African Americans nationwide who have taken the test since January 1, 1997, and were not placed on the Ford apprentice list at the former Visteon facilities. Non-monetary relief includes placing 55 African American test takers on the apprentice lists and the development, by a jointly selected expert, of a new selection method for the apprenticeship program together with detailed reporting and monitoring provisions.
"We are pleased this settlement will address the serious problem of selection criteria that result in racial minorities receiving fewer job opportunities," said EEOC Chair Naomi C. Earp. "Apprenticeship programs are a ladder to skilled, high-paying jobs and every group should be able to climb that ladder based on genuine abilities."
The settlement, which was preliminarily approved by the court on September 9, 2007, is pending final approval by U.S. District Court Senior Judge Spiegel of the Southern District of Ohio. Upon approval by the court, the settlement will resolve the EEOC's suit against Ford, Visteon and ACH and will also resolve the class members' suit against Ford, Visteon, ACH and the UAW.
This suit is a successor case to the EEOC's earlier suit against Ford and UAW which was settled for $8.5 million in 2005 and covers additional people disadvantaged by the test in question who were not covered in that settlement. On December 3, 2007, the EEOC issued a new Employment Testing Fact Sheet which cites the Ford case. The fact sheet is available on the EEOC's web site at www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/factemployment_procedures.html.
"The EEOC is pleased to have been able to work cooperatively with Ford and the UAW in reaching a mutually satisfactory resolution to this matter," said EEOC Regional Attorney Jacqueline McNair. "Employers must consider how all aspects of selection processes including written tests may adversely impact members of a particular demographic group."
On Feb. 28, 2007, Chair Earp launched the Commission's E-RACE Initiative (Eradicating Racism And Colorism from Employment), a national outreach, education, and enforcement campaign to raise public awareness about new and emerging race and color issues in the 21st century workplace. Further information about the E-RACE Initiative is available on the EEOC's web site at http://www.eeoc.gov/initiatives/e-race/index.html.
In Fiscal Year 2006, the EEOC received 27,238 charges alleging race-based discrimination, accounting for 36 percent of the agency's private sector caseload. Historically, race-based charges have been the most frequent type of filing with EEOC offices nationwide.
The EEOC enforces the federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.


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A Westchester native has worked her way up to the top and has earned a prestigious position inside the National Hockey League's front office.
Kim Davis, who calls New Rochelle home, has been named the NHL's Executive Vice President of Social Impact, Growth Initiatives of Legislative Affairs, where she will report directly to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and the league's owners.
Davis joins the NHL after serving as CEO at Teneo Holdings in Manhattan, a "global advisory firm that works exclusively with the CEOs and leaders of the world's largest and most complex companies." Her appointment begins on Dec. 4, and she will be based in the league's New York office.
Before her appointment and time at Teneo, Davis spent more than two decades at JPMorgan Chase, where she served as president of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation and was a member of the firm's Executive Committee. According to the league, her responsibilities included leading and managing approximately $300 million in annual giving, employee and civic engagement and strategic corporate marketing sponsorship programs.
"Kim's professional experience uniquely qualifies her to ensure that our League is continuing to improve lives and strengthen and build vibrant communities through hockey as well as provide a safe, positive and inclusive environment for anyone associated with our league," Bettman said in a statement.
Davis has been named to the Business Journal's 100 Most Influential Women and Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in Business. In 2012, she was profiled with former First Lady Michelle Obama in Essence Magazine's "28 Most Influential Black Women in America."
"The impact of sports on community development can be powerful," Davis stated. "Sport can, and does, make a profound and positive impact on individuals, communities and has the opportunity to drive positive social change. Having had the privilege of advising the NHL on its CSR practices, I've experienced an organization that is truly committed to contributing positively to society and fostering inclusiveness."
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I kitesurf in the southern carribean sea. Winds are 12-18 knots in the off season and 20-35 knots during the windy season. I am looking for a board that will work for the 70% of the time that we have waist high mushy surf (probably very similar to florida). My current board seems to outrun these slow waves. I don't think there is anything wrong with my current board, I just don't think it is the right board for my weight in these conditions.
I am wondering if the Firewire Baked Potato or North Nugget (Firewire Sweet Potato) would be a better candidate. My concerns are as follows:
My weight for such a small board.
Pearling in wave chop.
How well this board tracks upwind.
6'3'' 200 lbs
Intermediate kiter
Naish Park 10 / 14
Naish Skater 5'9'' X 19 x 2 3/8 thruster


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So far it's been less than ideal. I'm on my way to South Station now and dreading it.Rockingham Racer wrote:So, besides the drunks yanked off 813 at Mansfield, how did things go on Parade Day?
At least on the Providence line, there was no extra service during the PM rush but there was plenty of excess demand. It was an absolute nightmare that caused ripple effects throughout the evening, long after the parade ended.Disney Guy wrote:Would it be acceptable to have some trips leave early to be able to squeeze in an extra round trip during the morning or during the afternoon? For example a not too long time span with two scheduled trains might have three but the departure times would not be planned around the printed schedule.
At least the parade was not late in the evening resulting in a huge demand for service near closing time.
Rockingham Racer wrote:So reading the above, I take it things were less than optimal. Looking at the crowd, one has to wonder if school was called off in Massachusetts today...
Return to Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
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Four Hope College students earned honors in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Michigan State Chapter Auditions, held at Grand Valley State University on Saturday, Nov. 6.
Hope students earned two first-place awards, one second-place award and one third-place award. More than 240 students from colleges and universities from throughout the state participated.
° Sarah Ashcroft, a senior from Holland, earned first place in the College Senior Women category.
° Heather Benson, a junior from Muskegon, earned first place in the Advanced category.
° Katie McDougall, a junior from Flint, earned second place in the College Junior Women category.
° Skye Edwards, a sophomore from Morrison, Colo., earned third place in the Musical Theatre category.
All are students of Linda LeFever Dykstra, who is an associate professor of music and chair of the voice division at Hope.
A total of 13 students from Hope competed in the auditions, which provided cash prizes and a chance for the first-place winners to sing in an honors recital at the end of the day. In addition, all of the first-, second- and third-place honorees will have the opportunity to compete in the Great Lakes Regional Auditions in March, competing with other student winners from Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Ontario, Canada.


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|Steven M. Ouellette's new book, Business Performance Excellence, is now available!
Is your business as profitable as it could be? How can you rise above your competition, and stay there once you have? Most management tools only look at one part of the picture, but Business Performance Excellence (BPE) is the complete model, integrating revolutionary new techniques with tried and tested approaches, covering the strategic, financial, systems, and human factors.
The editors are experts in business performance improvement, and this approachable book presents the latest thinking and developments in the BPE model that has been enhanced and refined over the course of 30 years. The comprehensive case studies and worked examples presented can be applied to your business whatever your industry, benefiting your bottom line.
|Detailed coverage includes:
About the Editors: Jeffrey T. Luftig is the Lockheed-Martin professor of management and director of the Lockheed-Martin Engineering Management Program, University of Colorado, and the director of the university's Center fro Business Performance Improvement.
Steven M. Ouellette is an instructor in the Lockheed-Martin Engineering Management Program at the University of Colorado. He is also the lead consultant for the Center for Business Performance Excellence and president and owner of The ROI Alliance.
Other contributors include: R. Brayton Bowen, Terry Carroll, Peter Casson, Subir Chowdhury, Paul Davies, John Elkington, Edward E. Gordon, Ray Halagera, Rita Herron Brown, Zahirul Hoque, Masaaki Imai, Daniel T. Jones, Vinod Lall, David Magee, David Maister, Robin Mann, Andrew Mayo, John Milton-Smith, Sue Newell, Neuman F. Pollack, John Surdyk, Pricilla Wisner.
The book can be purchased online at amazon.com: Business Performance Excellence
If you prefer an electronic version, it is available from Google Books: Business Performance Excellence
These articles were originally published in Quality Digest, an online magazine. Subscribe to Quality Digest if you would like to receive these articles when they are published, or subscribe to our RSS feed.
|Steven M. Ouellette's new book, Business Performance Excellence, is now available!
Read the Press Release


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Frankfort Man Wins Herkimer County Fair Demolition Derby
Frankfort, NY (WIBX) - The Demolition Derby was held on Wednesday evening, August 16, 2012. There were 66 car entries across six heats. There was also a winner's heat. The sponsor of this event is Vince's U-Pull It of Marcy, NY.
The crowd's choice for best decorated car went to Rachel Jouben of Mohawk. The judge's choice for best decorated car went to Todd Hight of Herkimer.
John Paul Cupelo of Utica won Heat One. Rachel Jouben of Mohawk won Heat Two. Joe Tripple, Jr, of Frankfort won Heat Three. Eric Croniser of Boonville won Heat Four. Joseph Reesh of Frankfort won Heat Five. Justin Petkorsek of Middleville won Heat Six.
The Winner's Heat was won by John Paul Cupelo of Frankfort, NY.
Joe Tripple, Jr, from Frankfort won the drawing to go to the New York State Fair.
The Tripple Family Sportsman Award was presented to the Frankfort Fire Department.
Gerry Elthorp is Superintendent of the Demolition Derby and expresses her gratitude to participants, audience, sponsors and volunteers who make this fun event happen.


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This test requires two pages. The next paragraph appears on the same page as this one.
The 'a', 'b', 'c' and 'd' that follow are displayed either near the bottom of this page or at the top of the next. The subsequent 'e' and 'f' appear on the next page.
a b c d e f


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Nov. 7, 2009
MILTON, Mass. -- Host Curry scored twice within three minutes and 20 seconds in the third quarter to break the game open and went on to defeat the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's football team, 28-12, in a New England Football Conference Boyd Division game at Walter M. Katz Field Saturday afternoon.
The Colonels, who led, 14-6 at halftime, took a 21-6 lead on a seven-yard pass from Zach Cavanaugh to Jaime Santiago with 5:49 remaining in the third quarter. On the ensuing drive, the Corsairs drove to the Curry 42, but Scott Doherty intercepted a pass by freshman quarterback Brendan McNeish (Springfield, Mass. /Bridgton Academy) and returned it 58 yards to the UMD 12. Cavanaugh scored on the next play, and it was 28-6 with 2:29 to play.
Curry took the lead on their second possession of the game, driving 46 yards on six plays to score on seven-yard run by Jamaal Woods, Matt Alksninis' extra point made it 7-0.
Freshman wide receiver Joe Luiz (New Bedford, Mass.) return the kickoff to the UMD 35-yard line, but fumbled and the Colonels' Sean Spencer recovered. Two plays later, Woods faced to the Corsair 16, but fumbled and UMD freshman defensive back Michael Dean (Saugus, Mass.) recovered. Curry drove 50 yards on nine plays on their next drive, with Cavanaugh connecting with Jeff Hibbard for five yards and a touchdown with three seconds remaining in the first quarter.
An interception by UMD sophomore defensive lineman Ben Mitsmenn (West Greenwich, R.I.) in the second quarter set up the Corsairs' first score. UMass Dartmouth drove 69 yards on six plays. McNeish connected with Luiz for 25 yards and the score with 4:17 remaining in the first half. The conversion attempt by freshman kicker Edgar Osols (Summit, N.J.) was blocked.
The Corsairs scored their final touchdown in the fourth quarter, taking over at their own 32 after Dean recovered a fumble by Curtis Ushry. UMD drove 68 yards in eight plays, scoring on a 24-yard pass from McNeish to senior wide receiver Marc Fiore (Wakefield, Mass.) with 11:15 remaining.
"It was a very good game," said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach Mark Robichaud. "Our team played well, and our defense played well. We went in at halftime feeling that we were right in it, but a few turnovers and bug plays really hurt us. On their interception in the third quarter, their kid ran all over the field and made a great return. We came right back and made a drive and scored. Marc Fiore made a nice catch for the touchdown, and Joe Luiz had a nice catch for the first touchdown."
Curry out gained the Corsairs, 540 yards to 122, but UMD forced five turnovers and held the Colonels twice on fourth down. Sophomore running back Josh Marsh (Brockton, Mass./Iona) led UMD with 37 yards on nine carries, McNeish completed 15 of 29 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns, and Fiore caught six passes for 57 yards and a score. Woods rushed 21 times for 106 yards for Curry, Cavanaugh was 18 of 30 for 234 yards and two touchdowns, and Jon Rodriguez caught six passes for 99 yards.
Defensively, senior linebacker John Kelly (Shrewsbury, Mass.) had 12 tackles, including 10 solo stops, while Dean made eight stops, including seven solos, and recovered three fumbles. For the Colonels, Scott Driscoll made nine tackles, including six solo stops, and added a forced fumble, broke up a pass, and had one and a half sacks and two and a half tackles for lost yardage.
"It was a great game to build on," said Robichaud. "Curry is a
very physical team and is the premier team in the conference, and
our kids did a great job. I'm proud of them, and I'm proud of our
11 seniors."
The Corsairs fell to 0-10 and 0-7 in the NEFC Boyd Division with the defeat, while the Colonels improved to 8-2 and 7-0 with the victory. Curry will host Maine Maritime in the NEFC Championship game next Saturday, while the game marked the final action of the season for UMass Dartmouth.


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Yesterday Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Communications Workers of America (CWA) President Larry Cohen spoke to a very-well-attended "Bring Jobs Home" rally in San Francisco. The event was organized by the California Labor Federation and the CWA. There was a very large crowd at Union Square, with a brass band warming up the crowd ("Solidarity forever, our union makes us strong!), and several enthusiastic speakers.
Here are my photos and videos from the event (I guess you have to click through for videos):
The rally was one of many around the country, part of the AFL-CIO's Bring Jobs Home campaign.
In the past decade, more than 50,000 manufacturing sites closed and 6 million American manufacturing jobs were lost to offshoring. More than 500,000 call-center jobs have also been shipped out of the country! Our government actually gives tax breaks to companies that close factories here, lay off the workers, move the machines to other countries, then ship the same goods back here to sell in the same stores! That's called "trade." As a result there is pressure on wages, and people are afraid to speak up for themselves or organize unions for fear of losing their own jobs.
Last week Senate Republicans FILIBUSTERED a bill to end the tax breaks for shipping jobs out of the country.


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Story highlights
- Instead of pretending not to see someone 6 inches away from you, say "hello"
- Resist texting or playing with apps and try to value time with your friends
- A study shows 75% of respondents have used their phone in the bathroom
During one's bustling life there are a collection of moments -- fragments out of time -- that afford one a sense of slow-down reflection. A kind of reprieve from the mania that is living.
The 15 seconds it takes for the light to turn green. The 30 seconds waiting in line for one's morning coffee. The minute-and-a-half of unsupervised freedom you get before your boss climbs out from under his/her desk, wipes the tears from his/her scarlet face and resumes steering the good ship Your Job.
And how do many of us pass those few free seconds when time slows down, the breeze buffets our staid faces and we're reminded that we are all pinpricks on some great, spinning orb lost in infinite space? Contemplating one's very storied existence? Or fiddling with Instagram in an effort to look busy?
Likely, it's the latter.
Which brings us to this week's challenge: Make like our forefathers (or, you know, us, five years ago) when they were faced with a spare moment and take a look at the whole damn world around you, instead of where your ex just checked in on Foursquare (the strip club down by the river?! WTF?!).
Lest you waver in your attempts to stay vigilant, remember, we'll be taking this challenge right along with you -- and we're some twitchy people.
Now, without further ado, here are five instances in which we task you with holstering your cell and, like the big brave boy/girl that you are, staring into the rheumy eyes of the world around you and saying: "My birds are mad as hell, and I'm not going to play them anymore."
1) In the elevator.
We know, we know, the elevator is probably one of the top five most awkward places in the world -- what with the cattle-like proximity to strangers and co-workers alike creating a moist, coffee- and morning breath-scented jungle stew of humanity each morning.
"If I don't check my e-mail" you may cry, "What in the hell am I even to look at? The numbers slowly illuminating until we reach my floor? That little TV screen displaying daily grooming tips and vocabulary words? But, but, but... I already KNOW what a 'widget' is!"
How about, might we suggest, saying "Hello" to your fellow metal box occupants? Especially people you actually know -- it's awkward and borderline weird-as-balls to pretend not to see someone 6 inches away from you.
Besides, don't people in romantic comedies (and Aerosmith songs) always meet in elevators? Do you really want to trade in a madcap romantic adventure culminating in a frantic race to the airport for a quick fiddle with Facebook mobile? We didn't think so.
2) In transit lines.
Speaking of airports... (See what we did there?) Waiting in line for any kind of transit -- airport security, the subway, the bus, (insert other ring of hell here) -- can be a maddening state of affairs.
"I just want to get SOMEWHERE!" you might rant, gnashing your teeth, "I am very important and very busy and I just want to get on this people-moving device so that I can sit around and finally get SOMEWHERE!"
Such mania will often impel one to take out one's phone and swipe madly through a variety of screens with much eye-rolling and sighing -- in an effort to display just how busy and harried one is -- even if, in reality, one is merely scrolling through one's Spotify playlist of Disney music.
In such cases, cease and desist with the heart attack-inducing displays on impatience and, I dunno, meditate or something?
Seriously, you'll get there eventually, and, in the meantime, you'll probably start slowing everyone else down when you inevitably get so distracted looking for the Glee kids' cover of fun.'s "We Are Young" that you listlessly come to a complete halt in the middle of the subway stairs.
3) When your friends are doing something you don't want to be doing.
Not into going to museums? Fair enough. Not really digging on this band? That's fine. Just trying to get through "Beauty and the Beast" in 3D? WTF is wrong with you?
We get it. Sometimes friends rope you into activities that might not be your bag, and, in an effort to be a good pal, you go along for the ride anyway, whiling away the time with Words With Friends until you can finally leave MoMA/Terminal 5/the movie theatre and drink.
But here's the thing, dude, your friends (the real ones, not the one that just played "Areola" for 73 points) are on to you. Mostly because, you know, everyone can see your phone glowing like an eye-busting beacon through this darkened theatre. So put it away and get some freaking culture.
4) Waiting for people at bars.
Your cellphone won't really dissuade the creepiest of creepers ("Hey lady, who you texting? Me? Oh, right, you don't have my number. Want it?") so give up the charade. Send your friend or date a quick "I'm here!" text and then quit illuminating your "going-out face" with the blue, blue light of your iPhone 4S.
"But what shall I do in meantime?" you may whine. "It's much too dark in this little dive to continue slogging my way through IQ84!" Well, why not chat with the bartender?
Folks of that profession are likely of the artistic-leaning variety, and require sad, sad tales to continue crafting the songs/books/short films that are their true passions. So let fly -- you can't really afford a therapist anyway.
5) Anywhere where you are not fully clothed.
We've said it before, but it appears that we have to say it again, judging from a recent study showing that 75% of respondents have used their phone in the bathroom. Just... c'mon you guys...


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Precise Rolling Ball Pens
by Pilot
Unique liquid ink formula maintains consistent writing strokes. Visible ink supply lets you see how much ink is left. Patented Precise Needle Point Technology. Available in extra fine point (V5) and fine point (V7).
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Average User Rating: Based on (3 Reviews)
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Rebecca F. from Madison, WI says:
We love these pens because they're soooooo smooth. Would use this over a normal ball point any day. Liquid rarely smears.
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Season: 1 | Episode: 5
Series: The Resident
Episode Name: None the Wiser
Three concurrent surgeries at the hospital push its staff to the limits. Determined to ease the pressure, Nic requests Jude for one of the operations, making Conrad jealous. Meanwhile, Dr. ...
Language: English
Subtitle Name: The.Resident.S01E05.720p.WEB.x264-TBS.srt
File Size: 56.88 KB
Release Name: The.Resident.S01E05.720p.WEB.x264-TBS


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The Dentist's Choice Las Vegas
Dental Handpiece RepairRecognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as ranking Number One in dental
handpiece repair, quality repairs at an affordable price and quick turnaround time are hallmarks of The Dentist's Choice.
We are a service driven company with the repair and maintenance of our customer's
handpieces our singular focus! Simply put.... The Dentist's Choice is the smart handpiece repair choice for dental professionals.
The Leading Franchised Network ofDental Handpiece Repair
Businesses(Ranked #1)


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… with python binding (!!) and a Salut (link-local) account configured by default using information from gnome-about-me. All you need is install Empathy+telepathy-salut, enable the salut account and you can chat with people on your local network. File transfer is not yet merged, we are waiting for the telepathy spec to be reviewed and approuved before implementing it in CMs and Empathy.
Thanks to all contributors!
We still have 67 open bugs… help is appreciated !
See release notes for more details.


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February 19, 2009
Pixelmator Team Releases Pixelmator 1.4 Sprinkle
Version 1.4 Features New Painting Engine, Support for Adobe Photoshop Brushes, Clouds Filter, Document Presets, and More
The Pixelmator Team released Pixelmator 1.4 today, the fourth major update to the revolutionary GPU-powered image editing tool that provides everything needed to create, edit, and enhance still images. Available as a free software update, Pixelmator 1.4, codenamed Sprinkle, features a new painting engine, Adobe Photoshop brushes support, a clouds filter, document presets, and more.
"By leveraging the power of Mac OS X, Pixelmator brings image editing to life," said Saulius Dailide of the Pixelmator Team. "With Pixelmator 1.4 features, the application is a superior image editor and an excellent painting tool that is as fun as it is powerful."
Pixelmator's new painting engine delivers smoothness, performance improvements, and new brush settings for painting tools in Pixelmator. New advanced brush settings in Pixelmator include scatter, flow, follow direction, size jitter, stroke jitter, angle jitter, opacity jitter, and color jitter. In addition to the ability to load and save brush presets, the application also allows users to import Adobe Photoshop brushes.
New document presets in Pixelmator can be used to quickly choose image dimensions and resolution for display, web, photo, or print projects. Users can also create their own document presets.
Pixelmator's powerful new clouds filter allows the artist to easily generate realistic clouds that can be used in either photos, special effects, or for creating natural textures.
Other new features in Pixelmator 1.4 Sprinkle include improved graphics tablet support, new brush presets, minor user interface, compatibility and performance improvements, and several bug fixes.
Pixelmator 1.4 Sprinkle is a free update for current Pixelmator users.


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Alfa DNA, all-American name.
The compact-car segment represents more than fifteen percent of all new car sales. Dodge's new entry in the segment, the Dart, uses architecture from an Alfa Romeo Giulietta — a benefit of being part of Fiat's family — and resurrects a name from the 1960s. The Dart is larger all around than its overseas sibling and is wider, longer, and taller than most compact sedans. Under the hood there are two available engines, both paired to a Fiat-sourced six-speed manual transmission as standard equipment. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder is available with a six-speed automatic transmission, and the 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder will be available with a Fiat-designed six-speed dual-clutch automatic. There's also an R/T model on the horizon that will be powered by a 184-hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder, but an on-sale date for that car hasn't been set yet. Dodge will also start selling an Aero model, which ekes out 41 mpg on the highway, later this year. The Dart has a smooth and well-controlled ride, and it feels both more substantial and more capable than most of its competitors. That said the Dart doesn't render other choices in the compact-car segment, such as the Mazda 3 and the Ford Focus, any less desirable. Competition is fierce in this group, but with the Dart, Dodge can put up a good fight.
Chevrolet Cruze
Ford Focus
Hyundai Elantra
Mazda 3
new for 2013
The compact four-door is currently available in four trim levels: SE, SXT, Rallye, and Limited. An R/T model will debut in the not-so-distant future, and an Aero model will debut later this year.
Ten air bags, ABS, stability and traction control, a tire-pressure monitor, and hill-start assist are standard.
High Mileage
Capitalizes on its Italian roots
Nice interior
Plenty of powertrain options
Lots of competition, likely more on the way
Underwhelming exterior styling
Base Price Range: $16,790–$20,790
DRIVE: Front-wheel
TRIM LEVELS: SE, SXT, Rallye, Limited
BODY STYLE: Sedan, 5-passenger
ENGINES: 1.4L turbo I-4, 160 hp, 184 lb-ft
2.0L I-4, 160 hp, 148 lb-ft
TRANSMISSIONS: 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic