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At first I thought it was too early to look ahead at the new attractions coming to U.S. theme parks in 2013, but then I realized a number of big rides have already been announced and many more are already in the planning stages.
> Photos: Most anticipated new U.S. theme park rides for 2013
It already seems like 2013 is shaping up as a good year for ride enthusiasts and theme park fans. Big industry players have announced major projects, and several smaller parks are planning to roll out significant additions.
> Coming in 2012: Top 12 new U.S. theme park rides
A few projects delayed by the economic recession have been given a 2013 opening date that might be best described as tentative rather than definitive. Only time will tell. But we won't let that dampen our anticipation.
Since it is still early, I'll update my top 13 over the coming months as new projects are announced. Until then, here's my list of most anticipated rides for 2013:
1) Magic Kingdom - Fantasyland
The final phase of the ambitious Fantasyland expansion at the Magic Kingdom in Florida is expected to wrap up in 2013, featuring a Seven Dwarfs mine train coaster, a Little Mermaid dark ride and a dueling Dumbo attraction.
2) Silver Dollar City - Outlaw Run wooden coaster
The $10 million Outlaw Run hybrid wood-steel coaster at Missouri's Silver Dollar City will feature a double barrel roll and a 153-degree over-banked turn with nine airtime hills.
3) Six Flags Fiesta Texas - Iron Rattler wooden coaster
The 1992 Rattler wooden coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas will be reborn as the Iron Rattler hybrid coaster with a steel track on wood supports. The remade ride will feature a barrel roll inversion and a series of beyond-vertical banked turns. Rocky Mountain Construction Group will to handle the rehab, which includes the removal of the cliff-top triple helix.
4) Six Flags Magic Mountain - Full Throttle
The Full Throttle launch coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain will feature the world's tallest vertical loop (160 feet), with riders traversing the loop twice - once on the inside and again on the outside over a top hat element. Reaching 70 mph, the ride will feature three launches, including a backward launch.
5) SeaWorld Orlando - Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin
Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin will transform SeaWorld Orlando's 24-year-old Penguin Encounter habitat into a new winter-themed land with 55-foot-tall glaciers in the shape of nuzzling penguins towering over shops, restaurants and an as-yet-unannounced attraction. SeaWorld remains highly secretive about the new attraction, describing it only as a one-of-a-kind, family-friendly yet thrilling interactive ride offering varied adventures from a penguin's point of view.
6) Cedar Point - Gatekeeper winged roller coaster
Billed as the tallest, fastest and longest winged coaster with the highest inversion of any coaster in the world, the $30-million Gatekeeper will fly over Cedar Point's front entrance as the new icon of the Ohio amusement park.
7) Disneyland - Fantasy Faire
The Fantasy Faire medieval village at Disneyland in California will feature princess meet-and-greet areas and stage shows at the current location of the Carnation Plaza Gardens bandstand next door to Sleeping Beauty Castle.
8) Morey's Piers - Wooden roller coaster
The $10-million wooden roller coaster by Great Coasters International will span two piers and dive under the boardwalk at Morey's Piers. The New Jersey seaside amusement park is considering two names for the ride: Wildwoody and Boardwalk Flyer.
9) Dollywood - RiverRush water coaster
RiverRush water coaster at Dollywood's Splash Country water park will carry riders in a toboggan up a 237-foot-tall conveyor belt before plunging them down a 25-foot drop at 45-degree angle.
10) California's Great America - Gold Striker wooden roller coaster
California's Great America has relaunched plans for an oft-delayed wooden roller coaster by Great Coasters International that would send riders whirling into a one-of-a-kind twist around the Star Tower observation deck near the park's entrance. The 3,100-foot-long ride would include a terrain-hugging S-turn, a high-speed station fly-by and a series of zero-G camelbacks and bunny hops at speeds topping 50 mph aboard Millennium Flyer trains.
11) Fun Spot Orlando - Park expansion
Fun Spot Orlando plans an extensive expansion that will add thrill rides, a water park and a wooden roller coaster in 2013. The 2,000-foot-long White Lightning wooden coaster, built by Great Coasters International, would reach a height of 75 feet and speeds of 48 mph. (Shown: Prowler at Worlds of Fun)
12) Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - Undertow spinning coaster
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk plans to replace a 20-year-old steel coaster with the $5.5 million Undertow spinning coaster in summer 2013. The 50-foot-tall Undertow will reach speeds of 40 mph along a 1,400-foot-long track.
13) Steel Pier - Star Flyer
The once-famed Steel Pier on the long-faded Atlantic City Boardwalk will invest more than $100 million on new entertainment venues and amusement rides, including a 385-foot-tall Funtime Star Flyer dubbed the tallest swing tower in the world.


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OSSTF/FEESO employs a Pensions Officer and additional support personnel to provide advice and assistance to members regarding their pensions.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Jim Kelly, an African American actor and martial arts expert who starred opposite Bruce Lee in "Enter the Dragon," has died at the age of 67.
Kelly, whose credits also included the "blaxploitation" films "Black Belt Jones" and "Three the Hard Way," died Saturday in San Diego, said his ex-wife, Marilyn Dishman. No cause of death was disclosed.
"I broke down the color barrier -- I was the first black martial artist to become a movie star," Kelly told the Los Angeles Times in 2010. "It's amazing to see how many people still remember that, because I haven't really done much, in terms of movies, in a long time."
Distinguished by an oversized Afro, Kelly played college football but believed he had a better chance at becoming a karate champion than making it into the NFL.
Raised in Millersburg, Ky., and San Diego, where his father ran a locker-rental service for Navy personnel, Kelly excelled at sports in high school and attended the University of Louisville on a football scholarship, but he abruptly quit school in protest of a coach's racist treatment of a fellow player.
He discovered karate by chance in the mid-1960s and quickly made it his life's focus. By decade's end, he was living in Los Angeles, studying and competing with prominent martial artists and teaching at his own karate school.
"My ultimate goals were to get into the movie business, to become famous, to make a lot of money and motivate and inspire young people, people of all nationalities and colors," Kelly said.
PHOTOS: Hollywood backlot moments
"But I didn't know anything about acting. And there weren't a lot of black heroes in the movies at that time. I felt that with the martial arts, I could offer Hollywood something different. So my goal was to become a world champion martial artist and try to get noticed."
In 1971, Kelly won the middleweight division title at the Long Beach International Karate Championships.
Soon afterward, he was hired to train actor Calvin Lockhart in karate for the 1972 thriller "Melinda," and he ended up playing a martial arts instructor. His breakthrough role in "Enter the Dragon" came after Rockne Tarkington, the actor originally set to play Kelly's role in the classic film, dropped out of the production.
"Two or three days before we left to shoot in Hong Kong ... suddenly I was stuck without an actor," producer Fred Weintraub recalled. "Somebody told me about a school that Jim Kelly had on Crenshaw Boulevard. I went down to see him, watched him work out and hired him immediately."
In addition to "Enter the Dragon" and the blaxploitation films, Kelly subsequently landed some minor roles on television and some direct-to-video titles. But his career quickly petered out in the 1980s. He was a competitive tennis player later in his life, and a ranked senior and coach.
He said that working with Lee, who died in 1973, was one of the best experiences of his life.
"I probably enjoyed working with Bruce more than anyone else I'd ever worked with in movies because we were both martial artists," Kelly told Salon in 2010. "And he was a great, great martial artist. It was very good."
'The Heat' gleefully plays with the buddy-cop genre
'Monsters University' stops box office; women feel 'The Heat'
'The Heat': Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy like sisters at New York premiere
VIDEO: Upcoming summer films
ENVELOPE: The latest awards buzz
PHOTOS: Greatest box office flops


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Diseñadores de todas las partes del mundo están proponiendo diseños creativos a Andres Munoz en la categoría de diseño página web - custom.
A site targeted to business owners who will have a chance to optimize their Marketing/Ad efforts and fully understand the performance of their ad pieces.
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3. Another sidebar with tabs ( Case Study "Acme Landscaping...learn how One company Put Marketing Watchdog to work for them!)
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Expectation is to recieve a design of the landing page plus a design for the secondary page application which can multiply ofr all other content.
A clear, classy, yet modern look. Very "apple" looking where cleanness prevails yet there is always a hint of color and modernism within.
Clean, clear and avoiding a messy convoluted look!


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Thursday, June 14, 2007
Rails Edge / Sisters of Mercy
By the time I was 18, the Sisters of Mercy had retired from cosmological pyromania to the relative comfort of simply being a good band. I still went to see them twice that year.
The first show I saw, at the Riviera nightclub in Chicago, went way above and beyond the call of duty for a good band. They threw my brain in a blender, mixed it with the nectar of the gods, and served it back to me as a smoothie.
The second performance I saw, at the Alpine Valley stadium near the Illinois-Wisconsin border, embarassed me and nearly had me snoring. The Sisters sucked that time. The highlight of that show was Public Enemy. The industrial/goth/synth/rock band and the Afrocentric revolutionary rap group were doing a combined world tour.
Most people I knew were baffled by this, but these were my two favorite groups, so I was in heaven. Or at least, I'd been expecting to be in heaven. I'd been in heaven before the show anticipating it. When the time came, Public Enemy were great, but the Sisters had sound problems throughout their set and basically just looked ridiculous and incompetent.
Another very real difference was the vibe. People who went to shows at the Riv went to lots of shows; people who went to shows at Alpine Valley were much more driven by a band's popularity than by a genuine love of music. When you and a few hundred other passionate music lovers share a whirlwind generated by your favorite band's amazing performance, that's a much better experience than watching your favorite band fail miserably in front of thousands of people who don't really care one way or another.
End of story. Back to the future:
Last year, I went to Canada on Rails, a tiny, 100-person(-ish) conference in Vancouver. This year, I went to RailsConf, a 1600-person mega-huge-type-thing in Portland.
I hope you can see where this is going.
At Canada on Rails, DHH had a response for his critics.
It was brave; it was bold; it was funny. There was some filler, but the overall vibe was one of excitement and rebellion. There was a powerful feeling that something was really happening.
At RailsConf, DHH told us all a bunch of stuff we already knew - or at least, those of us who read Ryan Daigle's blog or stay up to date with Edge Rails - and during the one time he coded something onstage, he introduced a bug. He got the code of his own framework wrong. That wasn't quite the same as watching the Sisters of Mercy trying to perform onstage while their monitors kept losing power, but it did feel kind of familiar.
Canada on Rails wasn't quite the Riv, and RailsConf wasn't quite Alpine Valley, but it was a similar type of difference. Canada on Rails drew people who knew they were onto something new and amazing; RailsConf drew people like that, and also drew people who had seen DHH in BusinessWeek, Wired, or the Linux Journal.
The star of the show at RailsConf, as far as I'm concerned, was Avi Bryant, the Public Enemy to DHH's Sisters of Mercy. The most interesting part of both events was the counterintuitive support act. Although I saw a ton of great presentations, the more beginner-oriented stuff was less exciting, and a tiny, tiny smidgen of the nasty, childish arrogance the Rails community sometimes falls prey to was, unfortunately, present in attendance as well.
Obviously I'm using the analogy of the teenager who tells you that Band X was cooler when nobody had ever heard of them, and obviously that teenager is an annoying little brat. I know because I was that brat, and when I was that brat, I annoyed people. It was fun!
Here's what that brat knows. You get that kid together with a hundred other similar kids and one awesome band, you'll have a better party than you'd have with any number of regular people and the same band.
Technical conferences aren't concerts, but they are social occasions, so please pardon the conceit. The analogy is a stretch, I know. My only point is that a smaller conference might actually be a better experience than a larger one, under certain circumstances.
The Pragmatic Studio organize an additional, smaller Rails conference, called the Rails Edge. From the site:
Everyone using Rails is on a continuous learning cycle—experts and novices alike. The Rails Edge is a unique conference where we bring some of the best minds in the Rails and Ruby communities together with you in a single-track environment, so that we can all sharpen our edge.
If the beginner sessions at RailsConf seemed kind of pointless to you, you might want to check this out. I'm definitely interested (although not sure I can make it). You're probably looking at a smarter and more genuinely invested crowd at this mini-conference than you'd see at a larger event, and that's probably a tremendous advantage.
5 comments:
Hey Giles,ReplyDelete
A few of CVReg members went to the conference - here's my review of their review: http://cvreg.org/2007/6/13/mel-s-review-of-last-night-s-meeting
Though I paraphrased for the review I heard a lot of the same things you're mentioning.
- AnonymousJune 15, 2007 at 12:00:00 PM PDT
"Their songs tore holes in the fabric of the universe and set worlds on fire."ReplyDelete
Was there even the slightest bit of hesitation before writing this?
@anon - I don't get the question, but to answer it literally, I don't remember.ReplyDelete
hey Mel - yeah, I think a little differentiation among beginner things/advanced things could have been good. I think this post kind of pushed a little too far, actually, I'm definitely glad I went to RailsConf. I think the Facebook Platform announcement really kind of validates the whole REST buzz, although initially I was kinda skeptical about that.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 30, 2007 at 11:26:00 PM PDT
Hi Giles,ReplyDelete
Who gets to be the Patricia Morrison of the Rails World???
Ms. Jen


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Well, well! At the beginning of the year, Make posted about the inaugural Google Science Fair. Six months later, I'm happy to report that the gals swept the top prizes! The projects are nothing short of amazing – top-winning Shree Bose, 17-18 age group, studied how to improve ovarian cancer treatment. Amazing!
Google Science Fair Winners


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Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Rosler rounds on referee
Wigan boss Uwe Rosler accused Polish referee Szymon Marciniak of costing his side a place in the knockout stages of the Europa League.
Rosler's first game in charge of the Latics ended in disappointment as a 2-1 defeat by Maribor in Slovenia brought their first European campaign to a close.
Jordi Gomez gave the visitors the lead from the penalty spot in the 41st minute but moments later Maribor won their own penalty when Chris McCann was deemed to have handled Damjan Bohar's shot.
Marciniak showed McCann a second yellow card and, although Scott Carson tipped Dejan Mezga's spot-kick onto the post, the same player got to the rebound first to score.
Zeljko Filipovic grabbed the winner in the 59th minute with a superb strike into the top corner to ensure it was Maribor and not Wigan who progressed to the last 32.
Both teams knew victory would be enough for them as long as Group D winners Rubin Kazan beat Zulte-Waregem, and the Russians secured a 2-0 victory.
Rosler, who left Brentford to succeed Owen Coyle on Saturday, struggled to contain his frustration as he gave his thoughts on the penalty and sending-off.
The German said: "It was a deflected ball that led to a penalty, which could be discussed, but even worse was it leading to a sending-off.
"He shot from a very close distance onto his thigh and from his thigh the ball bounced onto his arm. First of all, it's not a penalty for me, and second of all, never a sending-off.
"I think the referee didn't have his best day, he influenced the game in a massive way. He looked to me very inexperienced, he made a lot of errors.
"I can only say I'm very proud of my players, not only with the way they played but they never gave up. We attacked more and in the last minutes it was one-way traffic.
"I think everybody in the stadium would agree that we were the far better team. With no sending-off, we would have won the game."
Marciniak laid out his stall early with bookings for Roger Espinoza and McCann, but Rosler added: "I didn't have a good feeling, and not when the referee gave the two yellow cards but when the game started.
"My players deserved better, that's all I can say about the referee."
It was a sixth consecutive defeat in all competitions for Wigan, who must pick themselves up for a derby clash with Bolton in the Championship on Sunday.
Rosler's desire to return to something like the passing football of Coyle's predecessor Roberto Martinez was evident from the opening moments, and the former Manchester City striker had nothing but praise for his players.
He said: "(The sending-off) wasn't a turning point in terms of performance because we controlled the game after that as well.
"I'm very happy with the way we performed. I think my team did exactly what we wanted them to do and totally dominated the game. I couldn't see them scoring goals.
"We didn't pass the ball in our own half most of the time, we passed the ball in the opposition half. We made them run, they got tired.
"In the second half, 11 against 11, we would have created more and more chances."


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Follow RFF News on your cell phone. Text follow rff to 40404 you will receive txt messages with RFF News
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Okay--I get that there may be a road there--but what and where am I looking in Ep8 for?? And don't we usually get a promo today? I was ready!
That "zero gravity" stuff makes me think of the Vomit Comet.
I dont know if its been said but the Ozzy and Danny confessional at the end of the episode is from Leg 3 in chile where David and mary were eliminated NOT IN GUAM!
I could see Dustin passing Dee at the guam RB (due to her meltdown), but don't C/M have a big lead in Guam?
Quote from: Michael D on April 23, 2007, 08:21:39 PMI could see Dustin passing Dee at the guam RB (due to her meltdown), but don't C/M have a big lead in Guam? Personally i think Charla and Mirna should come in first. But they are terrible at keeping leads [Malaysia!]. And i have a question!! I believe there is a spoiler at some airport with "pushy blondes" where was that? Cause from it the impression i got was they were first at the counter and the teams behind them made fun of them. So if this was in Guam for the blondes to be first at the counter mean they were first to leave the pit stop?
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Project ASTRO How-To Manual: Finding a Partner
For Astronomers: Finding a Partner Teacher
For Teachers: Finding a Partner Astronomer
By now you've decided you want to start a Project ASTRO partnership, but you don't have a partner. Having the interest is the first step; finding a partner may require some initiative and persistence. Even if the first person you contact does not work out, he or she may be able to refer you to the perfect person. Here are some ideas about where to begin.
Among the ways to find a partner teacher are:
1. Make contact with an individual teacher.
2. "Network" through school personnel and other people you know.
3. Publicize your availability through written material.
Making contact with an individual teacher is perhaps the best approach. Information left with school administrators can get lost before it reaches interested teachers. A good way to find the names of teachers is to start with people you know (see below) because they will have a greater interest in helping you. When you contact a teacher, explain that you want to volunteer as a Project ASTRO astronomer and describe some of what you'd like to offer. Be aware that not all teachers cover astronomy, so it may take some persistence to find a teacher who does, or wants to. Here are some suggestions about whom to approach as a first point of contact:
- Your child's classroom teacher or science teacher.
- Your friends' children's teachers, especially those who are interested in science.
- Classroom or science teachers in your local area (especially a neighborhood school). The principal, school counselor, or school science coordinator (if there is one) may be able to connect you with an interested teacher.
- County or District level Science Coordinator or Volunteer Coordinator. Contact the County or District Superintendent's office for names.
- A local planetarium or science center. Teachers who are interested in astronomy may be involved with special programs there. Ask for the education coordinator at these organizations.
- State science teachers' association (check the phone book, ask a teacher, or contact the National Science Teachers Association, 1840 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201 (703) 243-7100). Ask the officers or staff of the state organization how to reach interested teachers. They may be able to pass your name along to people in your area.
- Science education faculty at a local university School of Education. These faculty members may be familiar with teacher professional development programs, and may be able to steer you toward a network of interested teachers.
- Graduates of national astronomy education programs for teachers. These teachers may be interested in working with an astronomer, or may be able to refer you to other teachers in their area. Contact the organization that runs the astronomy program for names of teachers in your area. A complete catalog of national astronomy education projects is included in The Universe at Your Fingertips. Organizations with experience running teacher education programs in astronomy include:American Astronomical Society
Suite 400, 2000 Florida Avenue
Washington, DC 20009
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Education Department, MS 71
60 Garden Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Lawrence Hall of Science
Astronomy & Physics Education Program
University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
NASA Teacher Resource Centers
For a list of centers contact:
Lorain County JVS
15181 Route 58 South
Oberlin, OH 44074
National Science Teachers Association
1840 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22201
- Call us at Project ASTRO (415) 337-1100. We may be able to connect you with a Project ASTRO expansion site, or give you the names of teachers in your area from our growing database of participants in our programs and others across the country.
How to Approach School Personnel
When you call or write, communicate your desire to have an ongoing relationship with the school and to have an impact on astronomy and science education. Let the teacher, counselor, or administrator know that you would like to provide ongoing enrichment to the classroom lessons (not just a one-time lecture). Describe some of the specific ways you think you can be of help, and discuss your availability and commitment.
Bring a copy of the Project ASTRO How-To Manual, The Universe at Your Fingertips, and other Project ASTRO resource materials you may have to a meeting with the school principal or classroom teacher. Summarize or photocopy the brief description of Project ASTRO at the beginning of the How-To Manual.
Ask what ideas the teacher, counselor, or administrator has about how you can help with astronomy and science education. Emphasize that the focus of Project ASTRO is on astronomy, but the broader goal is to help students develop enthusiasm in science and logical reasoning skills.
Follow-up with a note and phone call. Teachers and administrators get extremely busy and may have difficulty getting back to you as soon as you would like. Take it upon yourself to make follow-up contact.
(Adapted from One Small Step…An Education Outreach Resource Guide produced by AIAA and NASA)
Because Project ASTRO encourages both amateur and professional astronomers to visit schools, there are several avenues to pursue to find a partner astronomer.
1. Contact local astronomy clubs
Many amateur astronomers belong to local astronomy clubs. Each club usually has some members who are interested in education and explaining astronomy to the public. Often, astronomy clubs hold star parties for the public, or go to local schools for one-time visits. You will want to find the club members who are interested in conveying astronomy to others and have at least some experience with children. Call the club president, attend a local meeting, or show up at an evening star gazing session and talk to the members. Most likely you will find someone who is enthusiastic. To find amateur astronomy clubs in your area, contact your local planetarium, community college astronomy department, or a local telescope store. Lists of amateur clubs also appear each year in a supplement section included in Sky & Telescope and Astronomy magazines, available in many libraries.)
2. Contact astronomy educators
Call your local planetarium, science center, or community college to find astronomy educators. Many of these institutions have at least one person on staff who teaches astronomy, usually someone with a Master's degree in astronomy. Staff and faculty at these organizations can be quite busy, but may be interested in visiting your school to enhance their teaching skills and experience, and to link with the community. If the main astronomer or faculty member is not available, he or she may be able to refer you to advanced students, amateur astronomers, or others in the local astronomy community.
3. Contact professional or research astronomers
The involvement of professional astronomers in K-12 education is gaining legitimacy as scientists in astronomy and other fields recognize the importance of supporting science education in the early grades. You can find professional astronomers through local colleges and universities, research labs, NASA centers, and industry. Graduate students and postdoctoral level professionals may be particularly interested in working with schools. At the university level, the best initial contact is the astronomy and physics department secretary. He or she should be able to give you names of faculty members or graduate students who have an interest in education. Ask if the secretary can post an announcement on electronic mail (astronomers use electronic mail as one of their main vehicles of communication), or distribute letters to all faculty and graduate students. If you need help finding astronomy programs and research centers in your area, contact the American Astronomical Society (2000 Florida Avenue, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20009 (202)328-2010). The AAS is the professional society for astronomers and publishes an annual directory of its individual and organizational members.
4. Call the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
We have a growing database of astronomers interested in Project ASTRO, and can help refer you to other organizations. You can reach us at (415) 337-1100.
About Amateur Astronomers
Amateur astronomers come from all walks of life and pursue astronomy as a hobby. Most amateurs have other careers – they may be doctors, or contractors, or business people, or software engineers (one dynamic amateur astronomer we know is a butcher). Some amateurs are retired professional astronomers, and, while the majority of amateur astronomers are men, there are increasing numbers of women involved in astronomy clubs. Amateur astronomy is an exciting hobby because amateur astronomers can actually make scientific discoveries and contribute to the field of astronomy. Because the sky is so large, there is room for many telescopes to keep watch for astronomical events. In fact, many new comets are discovered by amateur "comet hunters" and some exploding stars were first noticed by amateur observers. Many amateurs know a lot about the night sky, constellation lore, and observing through a small telescope. And their enthusiasm for astronomy can be contagious.


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7 Entries
Check out rootfire.net
Last week, I had a ton of fun writing a guest post over at rootfire.net. I super respect what Seth and the team are doing to build community and culture through their deep appreciation of their artists and reggae music. I had the pleasure of writing about one of my favorite albums; Wasted Days by The Slackers. It was highly influential in my life and my approach to music. Hope you guys can enjoy the read. Check it out here!Continue Reading
We are a RareBreed…
I remember being around 7 or 8 years old and finding a VHS tape in a stack of movies next to the VCR. It was a green case with a black man holding a microphone. He was wearing a bright red suit jacket and you could see the sweat dripping from his forehead. He had quite the intriguing smile. His expression revealed his passion and love for performing. You just saw it in the glow of his eyes. The title read "Marvin Gaye's Greatest Hits Live". The back cover gave you a brief history of Marvin's life mentioning briefly his start at Motown and how he went on to be one the world's biggest stars. From the moment I pushed the tape into the VCR and hit play I couldn't take my eyes away. While watching I instantly fell in love with Marvin "the performer". I was already in…Continue Reading
Coming 2015
Can't wait to show you the rest of this teaser!Continue Reading


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Wednesday, February 20, 2013
A smaller Hibiki 12 for Japan & Europe
From this spring, Suntory will be seeking to further push the global presence of its flagship premium blended whisky "Hibiki 12". It will come with a slightly different label, and will also be available in a slightly smaller size (500ml). After its debut at home on April 2nd, it will be rolled out in the UK and France, where it should be available towards the end of May.
Hibiki was created in 1989 to mark Suntory's 90th anniversary. Twenty years later, in 2009, the company decided to introduce a 12-year old version to the European market, with the aim of building a global brand. A couple of months later, Suntory also started selling their 12yo in Japan. It has picked up numerous awards since and its popularity - both at home and abroad - keeps growing, witness last year's 20% increase in total sales.
The introduction of a smaller sized bottle is an attempt to expand Hibiki's fan base. Suntory is hoping it will encourage people who haven't tried it yet to pick up a bottle for themselves whilst also making it a bit more appealing – economically, that is – as a potential gift.
5 comments:
Hi can this be Pre Ordered
J McGuire
- February 20, 2013 at 9:16 PM
- Stefan said...
There won't be any need to pre-order. It will be part of their core range, initially in Japan, the UK and France. Possibly in other markets later, too. It's not a "limited edition", so there should be plenty to go around.
- February 20, 2013 at 9:18 PM
- CaptinTom said...
Do you know if they have any plans to do the same thing for the 17 and 21 year old's too...?
- February 20, 2013 at 9:24 PM
- Stefan said...
No such plans at the moment. I think the price of those older expressions would work against such a move in the sense that a 500ml of a (relatively) expensive bottle would still seem expensive. Whereas with the 12yo, the perception will be that the 500ml seems quite reasonable. After all, people see the price first, and other matters (size, ...) follow that.
- February 20, 2013 at 9:27 PM
Good news for readers of Forbes, whose resident whiskey expert today declared Hibiki 12 his favourite Japanese "single malt".
- February 21, 2013 at 2:19 AM


text:
From Magic City Morning Star
Henry Lamb
Republicans and other conservatives had many reasons to be disappointed and upset with the Republican White House and Congress. Porous borders, and the steady march toward a North American Union are but a couple of the reasons Republicans switched sides in 2006, or worse - stayed home.
Democrats, of course, driven by a wildly radical anti-war base, never missed an opportunity to bash the President, and every other Republican in sight, for both real and manufactured faults. The result is a Democrat-controlled Congress, hell-bent on regaining the White House in 2008. Nothing else seems to matter.
Nancy Pelosi proudly admonished the President: "... step back; a new Congress is in town."
As bad as former Republican supporters perceived the pre-election situation to be, it was far better than the current situation, which is sure to get worse, much worse, unless a common sense tsunami sweeps across the country.
The "New Direction" that Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader, Senator Reid, proclaimed, is toward defeat in Iraq, toward the largest tax increase in the history of the United States, and toward enslaving, not only America, but the rest of the world as well, in the heavy chains of "global warming" bondage.
Both Democratically-controlled houses of Congress defy common sense, by playing general and commander-in-chief, as they ignore the funding needs of our military. In the supplemental military appropriation bill, they try to dictate how the generals must conduct the war, and announce to the enemy the date the military will cut and run. To win a very slim majority, the leadership had to add billions of dollars in pork to bribe enough Democratic votes. This is way beyond the absence of common sense; it is plain stupid. These actions certainly display the "new Congress in town," and it is embarrassing, and shameful.
The Democrat budget proposes to increase taxes by 400 billion over five years, nearly twice the 1993, Democrat-sponsored, largest tax increase in history, pushed to reality by Bill Clinton.
The budget bill is a long way from enactment, but it proposes increases on the poor as well as on the rich. Those who are now in the 10% bracket will pay 15%, and some five million low-income people will be added to the tax rolls for the first time. Families in the $60,000 income range will see a tax increase of nearly 60%. The marriage tax will be reinstated. And small businesses can expect to pay an additional $4,000 per year in taxes.
These blessings bestowed by "the new Congress in town" amount to a pittance compared to the atrocities that lie ahead as the new direction heads toward solving the non-problem super-hyped as global warming.
Consider this: everyone agrees that the greenhouse effect makes it possible to live on this planet. The greenhouse effect is created by what is called greenhouse gases that surround the earth. Think about the total of all greenhouse gases as a stack of 100 dollar bills - 100% of greenhouse gases.
At least 95 of those dollar bills are water vapor. The remaining five dollar bills consist of seven other greenhouse gases, one of which is carbon dioxide, which represents, perhaps, 71-cents worth of the hundred dollars. Of this 71-cents, fossil fuel combustion is responsible for only 14%, or about 10-cents.
That's right; all this hullabaloo about reducing carbon emissions is directed at .001% of the greenhouse gases. If all fossil fuel emissions ended tomorrow, it would change greenhouse gases by one-one-thousandth of one percent. Now let's see what other blessings the Democrats want to bestow to effect this meaningless change.
For starters, the Democrats want to join the Kyoto Protocol, which stipulates that the United States will reduce its carbon emissions by 7% below 1990 levels - by 2012. This would require a reduction in energy use in the neighborhood of 60%. Imagine: park your car 60% of the time; turn off your electricity 60% of the time. Unrealistic? You bet. Watch the Democrats, nonetheless.
If you are as rich as Al Gore, don't worry. Like him, you can live a "carbon-neutral" life by buying carbon credits. This is a hot-air scheme that is supposed to pay people for not using energy, to offset the extravagant use of energy by Al Gore, and many of his Hollywood friends.
Look too, for stricter mileage requirements from the new Congress in Town. Cars will cost more, and be less safe. Watch the Democrats press for even stricter emission reduction targets in the next phase of the Kyoto Protocol. This prohibition on use of abundant fossil fuel will sentence to death thousands of poverty-stricken people in developing nations who need electricity to refrigerate food and medicine, to pump and purify water, and fuel to power tractors to grow food.
The new Congress in town is certainly taking the nation in a new direction: they are taking the nation out of the Republican frying pan, and into the Democrat fire.
Henry Lamb is the executive vice president of the Environmental Conservation Organization (ECO), and chairman of Sovereignty International.
© Copyright 2002-2013 by Magic City Morning Star


text:
U.S. cotton producers grew a longer, stronger fiber in 2006 and produced the highest percentage in five years at base quality or better, according to USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, Cotton Division.
In addition, length uniformity is up significantly over the previous year, increasing for all regions. But the crop also had a higher average leaf grade of 3.4, compared to 2005.
The quality data was presented at the 2007 Beltwide Cotton Conferences in New Orleans by Robbie Seals, grading branch chief, USDA/AMS. The data represented about 90 percent of the cotton classed at that time.
The upland quality information is for around 18.4 million bales classed while Pima quality information is for 502,000 bales classed. AMS is expecting to class about 20.8 million bales for the 2006 season, "although many offices are continuing to raise their estimates by a few thousand bales, because the crop seems to have gotten bigger as we went along," Seals said.
Seals noted that 95 percent of the U.S. crop had a color grade of 41/32 or better in 2006, the best color grade since the 2003 crop, when 96 percent of the crop graded out at 41/32 or better.
There was little change in the color percentage from the previous year across all regions except the Southeast, which improved from just under 90 percent to 95.5 percent. The percentage at 41/32 or better ranged from 93.3 in the Mid-South to 99 percent in the San Joaquin Valley. Regions include the Mid-South; Southeast; Texas (Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas); Desert Southwest; and San Joaquin Valley.
Leaf grade increased from 3.2 percent in 2005 to 3.4 percent in 2006, the highest since 2002. However, 2005 was an exceptional year for the large Texas crop, which had an average leaf content below 3.0, "which had a large impact on the average for the rest of the crop that year."
Leaf grade ranged from a low of 2.5 in the Desert Southwest to a high of 3.5 in the Mid-South.
Extraneous matter across all regions dropped from 4.5 percent to 4.3 percent, although Seals expects the final figure for 2006 to be higher due to a late surge in cotton with high percentages of extraneous matter for west Texas.
Extraneous matter ranged from a low of 0.2 percent in the San Joaquin Valley to a high of 13.8 in Texas.
Micronaire across all regions increased to 4.4 after two years at 4.3. The biggest reason for the increase is due to a rise in mike in the Texas crop, which increased the average for the rest of the U.S. crop. The Mid-South and Southeast averaged a 4.6 mike, the Desert Southwest, 4.5, the San Joaquin Valley, 4.2, and Texas, 4.0.
Average strength of the U.S. crop increased slightly from last year, from 29.1 to 29.2, reflecting an upward trend. The San Joaquin recorded the highest average strength, 33.9, followed by the Desert Southwest, 29.8, Texas, 29.3, Mid-South, 29, and Southeast, 28.8.
Average staple length of the U.S. crop exceeded 35, (35.2). Average staple length for the Mid-South, 34.9, and Southeast, 34.6, were just below the threshold. Texas recorded an average of 35.8, while the Desert Southwest came in at 36.3.
"We were worried about the crops in the Southeast and Mid-South as harvest started last year because we had a lot of short staple cotton," Seals said. "We think a lot of it was coming from cotton damaged by the drought. After we began moving into the irrigated crop, we saw longer staple length."
Seals added that staple length varied significantly within regions in 2006. "In the Mid-South, the Louisiana cotton crop had a 34.2 staple, while the northern part of the region averaged better than a 35.5. The same thing occurred in the Southeast. The Alabama crop recorded a 33.9 staple, while the North Carolina averaged a little over a 35."
Uniformity, after taking dip in 2005 (80.7), is back to where it had been in previous years at 81.2, noted Seals. By region, uniformity ranged from 80.9 in the Southeast and Texas to 82.6 in the San Joaquin Valley.
The percent of cotton classed at base quality or higher, at 55.6 percent, is the highest since 55.9 percent in 2002. By region, the San Joaquin Valley recorded the highest percentage at base quality or better, 92 percent, followed by the Desert Southwest, 65.5, Mid-South, 59.0, Southeast 55.6 and Texas, 48.5.
Every region except the San Joaquin Valley increased its base quality percentage, with the Texas region recording the largest increase from 2005.
Statistics also indicate a trend toward increasing base quality in the Mid-South and Texas, while the Southeast, "has been up and down."
On the other hand, trends toward high quality are less significant, according to Seals. "In the Mid-South, the trend toward high quality of 31-3-35s, 27.5 strength and 80.5 uniformity decreased this year, while it increased in Texas and Oklahoma.
"I think the Mid-South produced a better fiber quality, but due to the rains in Missouri and west Tennessee, we had much more strict low middling and 4-leaf than normal. That's why you see that trending down this year."
Quality has remained fairly consistent in the U.S. Pima crop, according to Seals, with the exception of the 2004 U.S. Pima crop. For 2006, average mike is 4.0; staple, 47.8; and strength, down slightly to 40.2.


text:
Alert 2014-1
Subject: Counterfeit Cashier's Checks
Date: January 13, 2014
Description: Florida Community Bank, NA
Counterfeit Cashier's Checks of Florida Community Bank, NA, Weston, Fla.
To: Chief Executive Officers of All National Banks and Federal Savings Associations; All State Banking Authorities; Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Conference of State Bank Supervisors; Deputy Comptrollers (Districts); Assistant Deputy Comptrollers; District Counsels; and All Examining Personnel
The above-named bank has reported that counterfeit cashier's checks using a correct routing number of 066016766 are being presented for payment nationwide in connection with a secret shopper scam.
While the counterfeit checks resemble the bank's authentic items, counterfeit items may be identified by several traits. Counterfeit checks do not contain any type of border; they do contain, however, the following security statement in the top portion of the check: "WARNING: THIS DOCUMENT HAS SECURITY FEATURES IN THE PAPER." A security padlock icon is also visible on the right-hand edge of the check.
Counterfeit checks presented to date have been made payable in the amounts of $1,976 or $3,380 and include a remitter name of either Ryan Plat or Robert Harrison.
Correspondence accompanying the counterfeit checks contains the letterhead of "coraci market research, 2010 E. Randol Mill Rd, #602, Arlington, TX 76011 (571) 358-9159." The letter informs the recipients that they have been selected for "Secret Survey" assignments. The recipients are instructed to deposit the counterfeit checks into their bank accounts using their banks' automatic teller machines. They are further instructed to withdraw the funds after 24 hours, use the majority of the funds to purchase Green Dot prepaid cards, and send the 14-digit personal identification numbers on the cards to Ryan Plat at email@example.com.
For additional information and to verify the authenticity of Florida Community Bank, NA's cashier's checks, please contact Fraud Manager Melissa Favorite by mail at 2500 Weston Road, Suite 300, Weston, FL 33331; by telephone at (772) 225-5980; or by e-mail at email@example.com.
Consumers who receive counterfeit or fictitious items and associated material should file complaints with the following agencies, as appropriate:
Additional information concerning this matter that should be brought to the attention of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) may be forwarded to
For additional information regarding other types of financial fraud, please visit the OCC's anti-fraud resource at www.occ.gov/fraudresources.htm.
Ellen M. Warwick


text:
Quench Your Thirst Quick
Find local bars fast and easy that serve the draught beers you love. A perfect craft beer finder!
Quench Your Thirst Quick
Find local bars fast and easy that serve the draught beers you love. A perfect craft beer finder!
Find Bars Near and Far
Set the distance you are willing to travel to find your favorite beers on tap.
Revel, Review & Rate
Leave ratings and reviews for the bars you visit to help other Findmytap users choose their watering holes wisely.
I always wanted an application like this. Found so many bars I never knew about. This is must have for beer lovers!- Eric (SFO)
Easy to use interface and let's me look at the bar ratings. Never knew finding my favorite beers would be this easy. Spread the word guys - we need all bars on this app!- Joanne (Chicago)
Since I added my bar to this app, I have started seeing new faces in bar - they all knew what they wanted to drink. Go figure!- Andrew (Bar Owner, NYC)
Find your favorite on-tap craft beers with our location-based search. No more letdowns upon walking in the door as far as the draught selection goes, at least; the clientele is a different story.
Add your favorite bars to the application on the go. As the saying goes, 'tis better to give than receive.
A list of your favorite beers on tap wherever you are. Because sometimes you need a vacation from your vacation.
Get directions to bars serving your favorite draught beers including phone numbers and links, if available, for bars registered on Findmytap. When you call, ask for Anita Bath.


text:
AEMRN Donation
Aemrn Counter
Language Translator
Association of Afro-European Medical and Research Network (AEMRN) in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
Health as defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) is a state of complete physical mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
The provision of an effective, affordable, sustainable, culturally and regionally acceptable health care for the population globally continues to be a challenging task as disease, poverty and illiteracy keep affecting the human population in a seemingly non-ending vicious circle.
The efforts of health care providers and scientific researchers in their determination to control the apparently exponential rise of human morbidity and mortality continues unabeited and with renewed zeal.
Hence in this scenario, it is more evident that the provision of better medico-social care for the continuous well-being of the global population should be a multidisciplinary, multicultural, inter-continental and to some extend faith-based approach.
It was thus in the context of the above vision that the Afro-European Medical and Research Network was conceived and became a reality on the 17th May 2006 in Bern Switzerland. The network is since 2014 in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council(ECOSOC)
Our team, not only has a diversified training background, but it is also located in the USA, Canada, Sierra Leone, Sweden, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Switzerland, United Kingdom (UK-Africa Health Partnership) - http://www.ukahp.org/, Liberia, Nigeria Cameroon, Kenya, Ghana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Togo and in the Congo Democratic Republic from where our actions into these communities are launched and spread progressively.
Owing to the multitude of languages spoken throughout Africa and due to the paramount illiteracy rate, the need for training medico-social interpreters has arisen so as to establish a trialog communication between the medical personnel, patients and our trained interpreters.
Aware of the impact of such interpreters in the challenging work of humanitarian and development, we intend to work hand in hand with those who would express the need to share these human resources. And where necessary, we would welcome any assistance and expertise in the training process.
The environment being the second resource of Africa next to the human beings, will strive to enhance peace not only among people but mainly between the populations and the ecosystems. What a daunting dream which deserves a strategic approach and a tactful move to make it a reality.
We have just shaped the platform, but we expect ideas, pieces of advice, constructive criticism, assistance and collaboration from each and everyone.


text:
Writing in the Telegraph last year, Stephen Fry reflected: "Many of us like to believe that we understand the point of history. We all pay lip service to the idea that yesterday makes today, but it is hard to make the imaginative leap that truly connects us to the past. It is as if we are forced to move forwards in such a narrow passageway of time that the act of stopping to look behind us is difficult."
Fry surmised that the UK's blue plaques – erected to mark the physical locations occupied by people from history who have left a notable mark on our culture – were a living corrective to this. But are they really? What if these inert short-form stories were re-animated by augmenting the physical markers with a layer of digital information that made looking back in time from the present day a far easier, richer and more immediate experience? Wouldn't that be a greater step forward in terms of bringing history to life?
Even as Fry was writing this in June 2009, a project was already underway do just that – to open up that heritage and make it accessible, expanding the narrow passageway of time that Fry lamented.
Credit to kickstarting this goes to Frankie Roberto who came away from a conference on mobile learning for the museums and archives sector in January 2009 with a bee in his bonnet:
"You see them everywhere – especially when sat on the top deck of a double-decker bus in London – and yet the plaques themselves never seem that revealing. You've often never heard of the person named, or perhaps only vaguely, and the only clue you're given is something like "scientist and electrical engineer" (Sir Ambrose Fleming) or "landscape gardener" (Charles Bridgeman).
I always want to know more. Who are these people, what's the story about them, and why are they considered important enough for their home to be commemorated? I'd like to be able to find out all this, and to do so at the point at which I stumble across a plaque – which to me suggests something on a mobile platform."
In the 15 months since, this desire for deeper and more accessible context to these static emblems has crystallized in the Open Plaques initiative. An open source community project; it is also community-driven by necessity, due mainly to the data surrounding the UK plaques being fragmented between hundreds of bodies, and not only inconsistent but sometimes totally absent.
It gathered momentum when Frankie's early efforts caught the attention of Jez Nicholson, Simon Harriyott and Marvin Baretto who'd already (coincidentally) teamed-up to do a blue plaques project for the Open Hack London event in May 2009. So it happened that they prototyped a website that could pull this information together.
The Open Plaques service which emerged from this ad-hoc grouping (which I joined later last year) synthesises a number of tactics and workarounds to overcome the challenges it faces. As the plaques by their very existence are in public domain, Frankie has made a series of Freedom of Information requests for data and records of the plaques to several of the bodies that hold them, so they can aggregate them together and offer the data in standardised form for free re-use by others.
In turn, the already existent Blue Plaques group on Flickr proved useful and amenable, and the idea of using images from Flickr on the Open Plaques service gained an important leg-up when Flickr agreed to grant a "machine tag" option to photographs of plaques uploaded under a Creative Commons licence.
It's remarkably simple and works like this: each plaque location listed on the Open Plaques database (which you can search on their site by name, place or organisation) has a number. When the number is added as a machine code in the tags of the corresponding photograph on Flickr by the user – and if the user gives the photo a Creative Commons licence – the image is pulled from Flickr onto the Open Plaques website. The service also allows geo co-ordinates to be imported.
The site itself is still in Alpha phase of development but is already substantially populated – with 38.44% of 2297 known plaques in the database now having a corresponding machine-tagged photograph.
The whole project is still in the earliest of stages. Making it fully functional and accessible on mobile devices still lies ahead. Any number of possibilities for what could be done going forward suggest themselves. But in the very act of pulling it together, it already bears the DNA stamp of what it could some day become. The plaques themselves encapsulate people-powered history: a history of action, ideas and invention. Open Plaques has the potential to transform them into a living resource – and make each one a porthole that helps us connect with, understand and traverse moments in place and time, just like Stephen Fry said.
Re-shaping historical interest points nationwide as dynamic experiences is a mammoth task but Open Plaques – which is unfunded and 100% volunteer based – is already gearing up for a productive 2010. In February, Simon and Frankie attended the first ever English Heritage conference on commemorative plaques (yes, they're not all blue) to find out more about the organisation's thinking and plans, and talk to people about the initiative. Simon also talked about the project at last week's £5 App Meet in Brighton.
In the meantime, we need more people to help fill up the image database – yes that's you Flickr users! – plus help with the technical development. Spreading the word also matters and you can stay in the loop by following Open Plaques on Twitter.
Any input is welcome. You can even source and suggest plaques that aren't on the website's (incomplete) list. So if you'd like to get involved in connecting past and present, and do some local or further-afield exploring in the process, visit the site's Contribute page for more instructions, see Jez's blog and the Open Plaques group for simple Flickr tips or get in touch directly, and lend a hand in joining the blue dots.
[UPDATE 12/5/10] We now have an Open Plaques blog and I've added my first post: Meet the time bandits.


text: On Tue, 3 Oct 2000 08:35:04 +0700 (ICT), Putchong Uthayopas wrote: >On Mon, 2 Oct 2000, ElcomSoft GR wrote: > >Yes, this is the problem of our country's networkbandwidth. Can anybody >there in US kindly help provide the space. I can write CD and Just FYI - I started a download from here (London, UK), and saw transfer rates of 5.2Kb/s, which is not bad on a 64K ISDN line, where typical download speeds are around 7Kb/s. So, I wouldn't blaim Thailands network necessarily. regards, Per Jessen


text:
David Hayes
Maryland License
Home Inspector
David Hayes
Friday, May 05, 2017
GFCI Outlets
What is a GFCI aka ground fault circuit interrupter? These safety devices simply help protect against electrocution. Tracking down a GFCI is a matter of knowing where to look. Any outlet that is near water (bathroom, kitchen), garages, exterior and even crawlspaces should be protected by a GFCI outlet. These outlets can easily be recognized by the 2 buttons on the face. There is a test and reset button. These outlets should be tested once a month. Just push the test button, hear a click
The Rain Came Pouring Down
Who traded their car in for a boat this week? Rain for 4 days now? And more to come. Well hopefully you haven't had to deal with water in your house also. After inspecting a few homes during and after heavy rain I found old and apparently new leaks. Here are a few places I found them. At the top of the house. You don't have to go on your roof, just your attic. Take a look and see. This leak is caused by the old aluminum ridge vent being used still. The nails have no seals around them
Is it Hazy Outside?
Many times while inspecting homes I find the windows have broken seals. You know that moisture or cloudy haze on the window when you are looking out of them? While this can be annoying and costly to fix, the window is still functioning properly to keep the weather out and able to be used as an emergency exit. That may not be the answer you want the home inspector to give you. You may want all these windows replaced or repaired by the seller, which can always be asked for by the buyer, but
Just for Safety
Hey here is a quick post about a few safety issues I find while inspecting. 1) Railing on decks and porches. These rails should never be horizontal but balusters spaced every 4 inches. Horizontal rails can be climbed on and balusters spaced more than 4 inches apart can allow little children to squeeze through. 2) Check your smoke detectors and change the batteries at least twice a year. If your smoke detectors is 10 years old it is time to replace it. Just check the date on the rear, if
Keeping Your House Dry
Moisture problems are a headache and can lead to major problems to your home and your health. Water can cause so many problems for a homeowner. A leak at one end of the house can cause a problem at another location in the house causing a lot of frustration and costing a lot of money to fix. Water from the roof and gutter system to the little bit of moisture seeping through the foundation walls over time can cause issues that may go unnoticed until it is too late. I will point out some
Radon is a radioactive gas that you can not see, smell or taste. This is the second leading cause of lung cancer according to the Surgeon General. Ever wonder how a person who has never smoked a day in their life suddenly develops lung cancer? Radon gas is most likely the reason. Radon gas is everywhere. You're breathing it right now, how much is the question. I'm not writing this as a scare tactic. I'm writing this to help make you aware of something that most people, heck a lot of
Do You Smell That?
A septic system is a part of the house, if installed on your home, that the homeowner does not want to mess with ever. I know this article does not directly apply to the homeowners that live on a public sewer system, but even you should monitor what goes down that drain. But for those that do have a septic system in your yard remember this-Don't Forget About It! I read somewhere before septic systems are like roofs, you only think about them when they leak. I'm not writing this short
A New Year
Happy New Year! It's a new start. Every year people take this time of year to start something new or reset. Maybe I'll be a better blogger this year. What change are you going to make? A new house? Higher education? Home Improvement? Better health? Or prioritize your life? Whatever it is, start now. Like I stated in my first blog, my goal isn't all about your home but life too. A house should be more than a house, it's a home where life happens no matter how many people live there.
Is it Dark in Here?
Let's light it up in here! Or outside. Whichever you need. I remember when my wife and I first moved into our home 11 years ago, the previous owner had installed 100 watt light bulbs in every fixture. Sure it was great being able to see everything, but the possible damage to the light fixtures and the heat was not good. Needless to say I did change all the light bulbs to the proper wattage bulbs. But now I realized I couldn't see anything. We were in the dark! This wasn't going to work.


text:
About 4 million people will be paying $4 billion in penalties for not getting health insurance by 2016, and that figure will grow to $5 billion a year in 2017 and stay there, the Congressional Budget Office said late Thursday.
The CBO said in its report that roughly 2 million fewer people will be paying penalties provided for in the Affordable Care Act than had been expected as recently as 2012. At the time, the agency projected that those residents would put another $3 billion in federal coffers due to the rules under Obamacare. But the CBO and the Joint Committee on Taxation now say more people will be exempt from paying those penalties than previously forecast.
Roughly 30 million non-elderly people will remain uninsured in 2016, the report said, but members of Indian tribes, illegal aliens, low-income residents and those who are incarcerated will be exempt. Further, some will be granted hardship exemptions, the CBO says.
Penalties for not having insurance now total 1% of household income or $95, whichever is greater. That rises to 2.5% in 2016 or $695 for each uninsured adult.
The CBO says the government should collect $46 billion from 2015 to 2024 for those who fail to get themselves insured.
Follow Russ on Twitter @russbrittmktw
Follow Health Exchange on Twitter @MWHealthBlog
More must-read health coverage from MarketWatch:
Allergan trounces Valeant in green rankings
Obamacare data inconsistencies affect one-fourth of all applicants


text:
I am confused by Carolyn Moe's Letter to the Editor (10/26/12) "How to Vote". Rev. Billy Graham spoke privately to Gov. Romney on October 11, 2012. "Graham told Romney: 'I'll do all I can to help you. And you can quote me on that'," reported Adelle Banks of Religion News Service and published by the AP. This comment was confirmed by Graham spokesman A. Larry Ross, who stated the evangelist has been non-partisan but an unfailingly advocate for biblical values. I respect Rev. Graham. He said, "I hope millions of Americans will join me in praying for our nation and to vote for candidates who will support the biblical definition of marriage, protect the sanctity of life and defend our religious freedoms." During this most critical time, more influential Christians need to promote faithful citizenship and commitment to Godly principles when voting.
Theresa Bose,


text:
Hello All,
Vector linux Std 5.8, xfce 4.4.0
I have a problem with the panel; after virtually any
application has run, the panel disappears when the app
is closed. Any minimised app also becomes unavailable
as well, although I usually get one shot with Alt-Tab
to get a minimised app back.
Right-clicking the desktop brings up the menu,
and _Run program, _xfce4-panel restores the panel. But
it is as unstable as before.
Can anyone help with this?
Wakefield UK
Hello - me again,
Bizzarely, the panel seems to be behaving normally this morning . It obviously took exception to being mentioned online this way. SO the problem seems ...OK-ish... for now, but as I have no clue what "cured" it, or when it will go faulty again, I'd still be grateful to anyone who has any thoughts on this.
Sadly, however, I won't be able to give further info on how the problem manifests/ any dmesg clues etc at the moment.
Wakefield, UK


text:
It was 150 years ago when America was nearly torn in two. Commemorate this anniversary with a trip back in time and to places of your ancestors' sacrifices. This 5 year battle of brother against brother determining the rights of states and the authority of our Federal government ultimately ended with more than 600,000 dead but a single nation, scarred and preserved. This 45-coin map is a colorful and impactful way to learn of this great war, the generals and presidents involved and features coins of the era and the history surrounding their value along with modern coins representing the sides taken during The War. This collect-your-own coins map is an interactive and engaging way to turn a hobby or interest into a powerful presentation of art, history and value. This map accommodates a combination of everyday coins, coins yet to be minted as well as 4 coins of yesteryear, not easily found but within the reach of all.
This colorful 16.5" x 26" map includes colorful portrayals of significant events and battles during the U.S. Civil War. Each map is made with collectors in mind with extra thick board and recessed coin slots to protect your quarters and prevent scratching.
The coins you will be able to collect and store in this map are:
2010 Shield Penny
Civil War Era: Indian Head Penny, 2-Cent Coin, 3-Cent Nickel, Seated Liberty Half Dime)
Presidential Dollar Coins: 2010 Lincoln Dollar Coin, 2011 Grant Dollar Coin
National Parks and Sites Quarters: Vicksburg National Military Park, Fort Moultrie, Harper's Ferry National Historical Park, Gettysburg National Park
State Quarters: South Carolina, Georgia Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, Virginia , California, Maine, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Ohio, Delaware, Massachusetts, Oregon, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Iowa, Missouri, Vermont, Kansas, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Kentucky, New Jersey


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Some years ago, anticant attended a short introductory course on psychoanalytic method at the arch-temple of Freudianism in Hampstead.
It was a fascinating experience.
The group of trainees, students, or whatever we were assembled in the room shortly before the session was due to begin. On the dot of the hour, the group leader – a staff member – entered the room without greeting us and provided an interpretative running commentary on whatever transpired between the group members during the ensuing hour. On the dot of the finishing time, she rose and stalked out of the room without looking at anyone or saying goodbye, whatever group interaction was in progress.
Her gimmick was never to address any of the group members directly, or to respond to their questions or comments except impersonally and obliquely.
This gave rise to a few hilarious moments. One pugnacious young man did his damnedest to provoke her into a direct exchange, without any success. At last he said: "Are all XXX Institute consultants such a pain in the arse?" Obviously slightly stung, but endeavouring to maintain her aloof composure, Mrs Z looked into the distance and said: "Miss Y (who was at the back of the room) has been in other XXX Institute groups, and can doubtless give her assessment of the relative pain-in-the-arseness of XXX Institute consultants". Whereupon Miss Y demurely intimated that she wouldn't dream of presuming to do any such thing.
When the course ended, anticant thought to himself "Well, I'll see if I can get her to communicate directly with me". So he sent her a box of chocolates, with a note saying how interesting he had found the course.
He received a third-hand reply from her secretary, saying "Mrs Z has asked me to thank you for the chocolates".
At that point even anticant gave up!


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dPollution has been undertaking the commercialization of the Start Device, an innovative automotive aftermarket device that utilizes high-voltage electric current to break long-chain hydrocarbon molecules into shorter, lighter, and more volatile molecules. The patent-pending device produces a number of important benefits to combustion engines, including;
-- Lower emissions -- Reduced fuel consumption -- Improved engine performance
In conjunction with the acquisition on March 23rd, Mr. Peter Even Bell, the sole officer and director of the Company, tendered his resignation after the election of Mr. Daniele Brazzi to the positions of President and CEO and Mr. Jay Ameida to the position of Director of Operations. Both men were also elected as members of the Board of Directors of the Company.
In a related transaction, Mr. Bell and Mr. Brazzi entered into a Common Stock Purchase Agreement ("SPA") on March 26, 2012, wherein Mr. Bell sold to Mr. Brazzi, 176,000,000 shares of his common stock and agreed to cancel his remaining 37,487,500 shares. Following the transaction there are 349,819,293 common shares of the Company issued and outstanding.
We are dedicated to providing innovative emission-reduction and fuel-saving technologies to all customer segments throughout the global market place.
Our mission is to help you reduce your carbon footprint, while simultaneously lowering your fuel and maintenance costs.
Value proposition
Start Technologies Corp Inc.
Thanks for your interest in Start Technologies Europe I.G.
For investor relations please contact: Champions Financial 1 (813) 996-5658 firstname.lastname@example.com firstname.lastname@example.com
Sales Inquires Please email firstname.lastname@example.com
If you have a question, concern, or would like to speak with us for any reason, leave us your contact information along with a brief note about why you are getting in touch with us in the form below. We'll respond to you promptly!


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Sign into your email account to send this page to a friend:
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Locate Your Dealer
Sometimes the job calls for sheer power. That's when you call on the ZTrak™ R Diesel Series. The heavy-duty, large-capacity R Series gives you front-mower-like power in a zero-turn mower – along with the ZTrak productivity and dependability you count on.
The Z997R is available in four different deck configurations to fit your needs:
Your local John Deere dealer is the best resource for support of your John Deere equipment.
View a list of all technical publications for this product. Some Operator's Manuals are available for viewing in electronic format.
View the complete warranty statements for new John Deere Turf & Utility Equipment
Now you can purchase John Deere equipment with more confidence than ever before. The PowerGard Protection Plan* extended warranty covers failures due to defective materials or original workmanship of covered components.
The warranty for your John Deere equipment is tied to the specific region where the equipment was originally marketed.
Look up parts quickly and easily using the John Deere Parts Catalog.
We strive to ensure that John Deere products are of exceptional quality. Safety is our top priority.
*Manufacturer's suggested price. MSRP may be different in California. Taxes, freight, setup, and delivery not included. Optional accessories and attachments not included. Equipment, models and prices may vary by dealer. Product options and accessories may not be available in all regions. Product features are based on published information at the time of publication. Product features are subject to change without notice. Contact your local John Deere dealer for more information.


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Howison Real Estate
Located just off Highway 49, near the Little Biloxi State Wildlife Management Area, is the tiny community of Howison. From here, you can take a leisurely drive down Highway 49 South past the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport to the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. Or take Highway 49 past the communities of Perkinston and Wiggins to enjoy the day splashing around at Flint Creek Water Park.
If you are interested in Howison real estate, you'll find single-family one and two story brick, wooden, and all-weather siding homes around this community. Homes for sale in Howison offer rural living near vibrant coastal communities, as well as the grandeur of national parks like Pascagoula State Wildlife Management Area.
In the surrounding communities you also have access to schools, shopping and countless outdoor and coastal activities.


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Sexy star Carmen Electra made a splash by hooking up with Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte on a wild night out in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
The former "Baywatch" beauty was spotted flirting and sharing passionate kisses with the gold-medalist at Bootsy Bellows nightclub.
Lochte, who has previously called Electra his dream girl, was reportedly introduced to the model-actress earlier in the day while filming his upcoming reality TV show, "What Would Ryan Lochte Do?"
A source tells EOnline.com, "They were in a booth together and he had his arm around her and they were kissing on the lips. At one point, they were standing up and kissing and everyone saw them.
"They are both single and having fun and it was very flirty. She was his first crush and so I think that's why they were introduced. They hit it off straight away and decided to hang out that night."
Lochte later continued the flirtation via Twitter.com by posting a photo of himself with Electra, calling her "beautiful" and "my biggest crush since childhood."
Electra, who was recently linked to music mogul Simon Cowell, then tweeted, "So nice to meet u (sic)."


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Vice President Joe Biden addressed the ongoing "credible" terror threat related to the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attack on ABC's Good Morning America today.
"We do have talk about using a car bomb. We've been told that was an intention... from a credible source," Biden said. "But we do not have confirmation of that."
"We don't have a smoking gun," he said.
ABC News is reporting that the plot was was initiated by new al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, the successor to Osama bin Laden. Washington, D.C. and New York City are believed to be the targets of the plot.
"As we know from the intelligence gathered from the Osama bin Laden raid, al Qaeda has shown an interest in important dates and anniversaries, such as 9/11. In this instance, it's accurate that there is specific, credible but unconfirmed threat information," Department of Homeland Security spokesman Matthew Chandler said in a statement to the press Thursday night.
DHS has not yet activated the National Terrorism Advisory System — which took the place of the color-coded warning system earlier this year.
Watch Biden address the terrorist threat below:
video platform video management video solutions video player


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Here's something else for the President to consider while he's drafting the Social Security portion of his State of the Union message: Yet another poll demonstrates the public's strong support for Social Security, and its strong opposition to benefit cuts. But this one has a new twist: It shows that, by overwhelming margins, Americans would rather cut military spending than reduce Social Security benefits.
That's true of Republicans and independents as well as Democrats, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll. According to the poll's summary statistics, when asked whether they would rather cut Social Security, Medicare, or military spending, 55% chose the military. Only 13% chose Social Security, and Medicare, and 21% chose Medicare. Military cuts were preferred by a clear majority of independents and overall voters (55%), and by a plurality of Republicans (42%).
(TheTimes also reports that "nearly two-thirds of Americans choose higher payroll taxes for Medicare and Social Security over reduced benefits in either program," but both the summary and the raw data appear to show the opposite. We have asked the Times for a clarification.)
Even when forced to choose among benefit cuts for Social Security and Medicare, the policy options being considered in Washington were unpopular. Only 18% wanted to raise the retirement age, and only 8% wanted to reduce scheduled benefits for future retirees. They preferred to reduce benefits for Americans with higher incomes. (That's bound to win support when, as in this poll, they're not told who who's considered an "American with a higher income." If they knew that the Simpson/Bowles proposal (often mischaracterized as "the Deficit Commission proposal") classifies people who earn $20,000 a year as "higher income Americans" (that's where benefit cuts begin) or that another proposal (Concord Coalition) classifies family income of $40,000 per year upon retirement as higher income, this option might not be as popular.
The poll received a similar response for Medicare. Only 21% of respondents wanted to raise the eligibility age for Medicare, while 48% wanted to raise the premium for high-income recipients.
For reasons known only to the poll's designers, people were not asked their response to the public's preferred option: raising the cap on payroll taxes, which currently stands at approximately $106,000. Polling has consistently shown that this is the preferred option for majorities in all parties (and none). This was reaffirmed by a recent poll which showed that 63% of voters preferred this solution.
In the age old debate about "guns versus butter," the public's verdict is clear. A country that's still reeling from the Great Recession would rather cut Pentagon spending than do without its Land'O'Lakes margarine, and all the other necessities of life, when the time comes to retire.


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At Discoverymundo we provide to National and International travelers, the possibility to pre-arrange by internet ground airport transportation services at different Airport destinations within the countries we cover.
We have an inventory of over 52,086 Hotels, Apartments, Villas and Points of Interest near the Airport where you will land or stay.
What kind of ground airport transportation can you book?
Well, it depends on the destination. But here's a quick look at the type of services we offer:
Round trip Service: The day of your arrival, a Discoverymundo representative will be waiting for you at the corresponding Airport terminal in which you will land, to take you to your Hotel/Destination. On your departure date, the representative will come back to pick you up at the Hotel/Destination and take you to the Airport.
Arrival Service: On your arrival date, a Discoverymundo representative will be waiting for you at the corresponding Airport terminal in which you will land, to take you to your Hotel/Destination.'
Departure Service: On your departure date, a Discoverymundo representative will pick you up at your Hotel/Destination lobby where you are staying, to take you to the Airport.
More benefits of booking before landing at the destination?
Safety: You don't need to be harrased by timeshare vendors or taxi companies. When you arrive to the Airport with a service pre-booked through us, we give you detailed instructions on how and where to find your driver.
Professional Insured Drivers: Our driver are professional and courteous people, that have been working in tourism business for years. They will give you a warm welcome and can also make recommendations about the destination. Our units are fully insured and tracked by GPS for your safety.
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Guarantee: More than 30 years of combined experience behind us.
If you have any doubts regarding transportation reservations we suggest you visit our Help Center, where you can find answer to the most frequently asked questions by other Travelers.


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The Vampire Diaries' Nina Dobrev, Candice Accola, Kat Graham Look Back on 100 Episodes
Jan 21, 2014 10:00 PM EST
Which of Elena's The Vampire Diaries kills made Nina Dobrev feel like a bad ass? Whose script does Kat Graham have framed? What moment from Season 2 does Candice Accola call epic? The stars of the CW drama are… Read more


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Wendy's has been on a tear, snagging the number-two spot in the fast food industry from rival Burger King at the end of last year. Now, only McDonald's remains on the horizon.
And Wendy's CEO Emil Brolick has some big plans ahead for the red hot chain. He discussed what we can expect from his company in the coming year in an earnings call yesterday.
"The next 3 years are going to be the most intense period of change in the history of the Wendy's brand," he said.
These are the three big things that Wendy's is changing right now:
Wendy's is rolling out with a new marketing campaign next month
It will succeed its "You know when it's real" campaign.
Wendy's tries hard to be everything McDonald's isn't in the fast food space, unlike brands like Burger King which compete more directly with it. So a shift in marketing that differentiates Wendy's even more from its bigger rival can only reinforce the brand's power.
Brolick declined to go into any specifics about the ads themselves, but he did comment on what he wants the Wendy's brand to be:
"The fact is that too many consumers don't have top-of-mind awareness of what makes Wendy's better and what makes Wendy's different. We also see a distinct opportunity to create a consistent look, tone and feel for our advertising that will become synonymous with the Wendy's brand."
The W will be its big-time item
Wendy's isn't going to sit back on the Big Mac vs. Whopper war anymore. Now, it has its own product that wants to assert itself amongst the big flagship burgers.
It's the W, the new burger that Wendy's launched at the end of 2011. Here's what Brolick said about the W:
"We've made significant changes in the merchandising as well as in the TV advertising. The spot is much more directly competitive against the Big Mac. Now it never mentions the Big Mac by name,but it's pretty obvious of what we're talking about. But it does it in a very nice way. I think it's a spot that's very much akin to the kind of the Apple versus PC kind of spot, so you'll see that."
Wendy's has also upped the price on the W from $2.99 to $3.19, and increased the price of the combo by 29 cents.
It's adding a bunch of new products and going away from its value menu
The Wendy's menu is about to see a bunch of new products. Coming up is a Spicy Guacamole Chicken Club, a new type of fries (to go along with its current offering) and a new salad, reports Burger Business.
Wendy's is figuring out the best way to cut some of its value menu items without angering the menu's fans—likely by migrating people away from it slowly. It's a risky proposition to go away from its value menu, especially during an economic downturn, but Brolick stresses that it's necessary:
"If you look at our value menu, and we have what I'll call 6 center of the plate proteins on there. McDonald's has, I think, 2. Well, okay, and you just can't be that out of balance on there. And quite honestly, I think we're incurring the food cost for that but I don't think we're getting the sales benefit for that."
Brolick also mentioned some changes with the physical stores, intending to appear as a higher-end fast food chain with new, airier designs.


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March 7, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format
The Schedule
Tuesday, March 8, 2011, at 7:00 p.m.
ampm Big West Tournament First Round
UC Santa Barbara vs. Pacific (8-21, 5-11)
at UCSB's Thunderdome (6,000)
Series record vs. the Tigers - 49-14
Streak - Won 5
Last time out vs. the Tigers - W, 69-62 @ UOP (2/3/11)
Game broadcast streaming live online by clicking here and on AM 990 KTMS
Live stats available via Gametracker
Live video available through BigWest.TV
Friday & Saturday, March 11-12, 2011
ampm Big West Tournament (if necessary)
at the Honda Center
Games broadcast streaming live online by clicking here and on AM 990 KTMS
Live stats available via Gametracker
Live video available through BigWest.TV
Be There!
Fans can purchase single-game or All-Session passes to the ampm Big West Tournament by clicking here. This way fans can buy the tickets online and print at home to avoid all lines at the ticket window!
Seating in the Thunderdome for Tuesday's game will be general admission, so show up early to reserve the best seats in the house! For more information regarding the ampm Big West Tournament, call the Athletics Ticket Office at (805) 893-UCSB (8272).
On The Radio
All UC Santa Barbara basketball games are broadcast live in Santa Barbara on AM 990 KTMS and will stream live online by clicking here. Josh Suchon is the voice of the Gauchos, performing the play-by-play, while former Los Angeles Lakers and UCSB star Don Ford will handle the color commentary. On select road games, much to the chagrin of the listening audience, yours truly, Matt Hurst, will provide color commentary.
A History of Winning
UC Santa Barbara earned its 14th Big West title by virtue of a tie after defeating Cal Poly on Saturday. It is the third time in the past four years that the Gauchos have won the conference title and the 13th time in the last 15 seasons.
Eyeing 20
With a victory over Pacific on Tuesday, it will assure UCSB of a 20-win season. UCSB has 13 20-win seasons in its history, including a stretch of 10 in a row from the 1995-96 season to the 2004-05 campaign.
All-Big West Honors
Four Gauchos were honored by the Big West on Monday as Emilie Johnson was named a First Team All-Big West selection; Mekia Valentine was a Second Team All-Big West pick and the conference's Defensive Player of the Year; Sweets Underwood was named an Honorable Mention selection; and Nicole Nesbit was named to the All-Big West Freshman Team.
20/20 Vision
With a career-high 27 points and a season-best 20 rebounds on Saturday Mekia Valentine was named the Big West's Player of the Week, the second time in three weeks that the senior has claimed the prize. Her 20-20 game was the second in her career and the fourth in school history. Valentine also grabbed 20 boards for the third time as a Gaucho, marking the ninth 20 rebound effort in UCSB history.
Double-Digit Delight
UCSB guaranteed its 20th season, in the last 21, that it will finish Big West play with double-digit victories and the 21st straight season it finished above .500 in the conference.
Annual Event
The Gauchos are in the midst of a seven-game winning streak, their longest of the season and longest since ... this time last year. Last season UCSB went on a seven-game winning streak from February 20 to March 11. Two seasons ago, the Gauchos had a five-game winning streak from February 28 to March 14.
Points Aplenty
Emilie Johnson became the 23rd member of UCSB's 1,000-point club in the first half of the Feb. 26 win over Cal State Northridge and has already moved into 21st place on the list, surpassing Lori Sanchez (1979-83) and Mary Ann McLaughlin (1976-79). Mekia Valentine has scored 323 points this season, giving her 1,044 in her career between Wake Forest and UCSB. Unfortunately she is not a member of UCSB's 1,000-point club as not all of her buckets came as a Gaucho (she scored 351 points at Wake).
Double Dippers
Mekia Valentine is averaging 11.0 rebounds per game - first in the Big West and 13th in the nation - almost assuring her to become the first Gaucho since Erika Kienast in 1991-92 to average double figures in rebounds. Valentine only needs one rebound in the ampm Big West Tournament to guarantee herself double-digit in rebounds. Valentine also the chance to become the first UCSB player since Kienast in that season to average a double-double over a season. Valentine is scoring 11.1 points per game, second-most on the team.
Leading Lady
Emilie Johnson, whose 13.9 points per game are eighth in the Big West, leads the Gauchos in points, assists (92) and is second on the team in steals (31 to Kelsey Adrian's 32). Johnson has the chance to lead the team in those categories two straight seasons, which would be the third year in a row after Lauren Pedersen did it in the 2008-09 season.
Dynamic Duo
While Emilie Johnson and Mekia Valentine are two of the most potent scorers in the Big West - averaging 25.0 points between them - right now they need to pour in a lot more points to crack the school's top-10 all-time one-two punches. Johnson and Valentine have 726 points between them while the No. 10 duo of Patty Franklin and Nadine Ramirez (1980-81) is 179 points ahead of them.
Tickling the Twine
Mekia Valentine leads the Big West with her shooting percentage of 63.5%, which would easily be the best mark in school history. Right now Kira Anthofer's school record shooting percentage of 59.6% came in 1985-86 and Valentine shot 57.4% last season. Her current career shooting mark of 60.1% would be the best mark in UCSB history, topping Lindsay Taylor's (2000-04) current record of 55.9%. Valentine, however is just shy of qualifying for a national ranking because she is averaging 4.6 baskets per game and the NCAA rankings require a minimum of 5.0 made per game.
Mekia's Block Party
Mekia Valentine leads the Big West with her 3.7 blocked shots per game and ranks third in the nation. Valentine is second all-time in career blocked shots and became just the second Gaucho to reach 200 career blocked shots. Currently, her 108 blocks this season are second-most in school single-season history (behind her 120 set last year). Valentine trails only Lindsay Taylor (2000-04) by 15 swats for the most all-time in school history.
Blocking Through the Big West
Mekia Valentine's career block total of 228 swats moved her into seventh place in Big West history. Valentine had recorded 108 total blocks this year, becoming just the fifth Big West player to post two 100-block seasons in conference history.
Swat Team
This year's Gaucho squad has blocked 142 shots, the second-highest mark all-time in school history. As a team, the Gauchos are averaging 4.9 blocked shots per game, the best mark among Big West schools and 24th in the nation. Last season UCSB finished sixth in the nation with an average of 6.3 swats per game and set a school record with 202 swats.
Biggest in the Big West
The Gauchos have dominated the conference for more than a decade. Since the 1995-96 season, UCSB is 226-30 (.883) in Big West games.
Tenacious D
As a team, UC Santa Barbara is holding opponents to a 35.6% shooting clip, the best mark in the Big West and 22nd-best in the nation. UCSB is also allowing teams to score just 58.8 points per game, which is the lowest in the Big West and 78th in the country.
The Heat Will Rock You
UC Santa Barbara leads the Big West in field goal percentage with a 43.5% clip, ranking the team 33rd in the nation.
So You Know ...
The last time a Gaucho squad led the Big West in both field goal percentage and field goal percentage defense was the 2003-04 squad which hit 46.0% of its shots and limited opponents to a 35.9% shooting clip.
RPI Report
In the most recent release of the Ratings Percentage Index by the NCAA, the Gauchos are first amongst Big West schools with a 104 RPI ranking. Followed closely behind is UC Riverside (No. 110) and UC Davis (No. 123). UCSB's Tuesday opponent - Pacific holds a 289 RPI, out of 343 schools.
We're a Boarding School
Santa Barbara is averaging a conference-leading 40.3 rebounds per game, which leads the Big West. The Gauchos hold a +5.2 rebounding margin, which also is tops among conference schools and 32nd in the nation. It's largely due to Mekia Valentine and Sweets Underwood, who rank first and fourth, respectively, in the Big West with averages of 11.0 rebounds and 7.0 rebounds per game.
The Lindsay Gottlieb File
Lindsay Gottlieb is in her third season as the Gauchos' head coach, and she is just the fourth head coach in UCSB women's basketball history. Last season Gottlieb guided the Gauchos to wins in seven of the squad's last eight games, taking a team that finished 9-7 in the Big West to the conference tournament's semifinals, keeping alive a streak of 20 years that UCSB had finished Big West play with a record above .500. In her first season at the helm, Gottlieb led the team to a 22-10 overall mark (15-1 in the Big West) and the Big West regular-season and tournament championships. Named the Big West Coach of the Year, Gottlieb became the first coach in Gaucho history to win at least 20 games and the Coach of the Year award in her first season - and one of only seven coaches nationwide to do so. Gottlieb led the Gauchos to their 14th consecutive postseason appearance and the team won 20 games for the 12th time in the past 14 years. In her first two seasons with the program, Gottlieb has guided the Gauchos to national prominence, leading the conference in field goal percentage defense both years while having her team set a school record in free throw percentage (08-09) and blocked shots in a season (09-10).. No stranger to success, Gottlieb was formerly the associate head coach at Cal, helping the team to a 68-28 (.708) overall mark in her time there. Prior to that, Gottlieb was an assistant at the University of Richmond, where she helped the Spiders to three straight 20-win seasons.
The Gaucho Fund, launched as part of the Dare to Be Great strategic plan, is UCSB Athletics' annual giving program to provide vital funding support for scholarships, academic success and leadership development for Gaucho student-athletes. The Gaucho Fund is the anchor to the Dare to Be Great campaign.
GKids is the official kids club of UCSB Athletics. Members receive a free GKids t-shirt, free admittance to tons of Gaucho games, opportunities to be ball boys and girls at games, a special birthday greeting from Olie (the GKids mascot) and much, much more! For more information on GKids, or to become a member, please click here.