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Insurance executives are still grappling with an all-too-slowly recovering economy, declining returns on equity and increasing pressure to turn a profit any way they can—and carriers offering Homeowners' coverage face added volatility in light of recent catastrophic weather events like Superstorm Sandy.
In order to bring some balance to this equation, there is a growing need to better understand and manage risk in Homeowners' insurance.
The numbers tell the story: According to A.M. Best and the Insurance Information Institute, Homeowners' combined ratio swung from a high of 158.4 percent in 1992 to a low of 88.9 percent in 2006. The average combined ratio for Homeowners' carriers from 2008-2011 is 113 percent, compared to 102 percent across all other P&C lines.
As carriers look to address this conundrum, the notion of opting out of Homeowners' isn't a viable one for many—and would mean foregoing multiline advantages, such as:
- Meeting state regulatory requirements for carriers to write Homeowners' in order to write Auto.
- Responding to the significant portion of consumers that prefer to bundle their Homeowners' and Auto insurance policies.
- Spreading market and regulatory risk of an individual line over a broader portfolio of risks.
- Leveraging systems and operating processes to support multiple lines as a scalability benefit.
While carriers continue to mitigate weather losses by geographically dispersing and diversifying their Homeowners' risk exposures, historical results beg the question of whether the current risk-management practices they have in place are sufficiently effective—and whether carriers even possess a clear understanding of the risks they are writing.
"There is more emphasis on risk management as catastrophes are getting bigger and worse," says Morgan Davis, independent director of Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd. "I've heard from many CEOs who worry about their company's ability to survive tough years like what we experienced in 2011. CEOs are asking themselves, 'Do we know how much risk we have?'"
According to Ernst & Young's Global Insurance Outlook, the No. 1 thing carriers can do to improve their combined ratio is to achieve superior underwriting. Yet carriers face challenges in underwriting as they struggle to understand the risk profile of the properties they write and renew from year to year.
The magnitude and volatility of historical combined ratios support the notion that unacceptable Property and Liability risks are being systematically accepted and retained through the underwriting process. Additionally, properties are being renewed at insurance-to-value levels well short of 100 percent, causing premium leakage and negatively impacting combined ratios.
This confluence of market realities leaves carriers in search of different methods to improve the performance of their Homeowners' portfolio. Some carriers are implementing rate increases and geographic retraction, and many are also turning to the use of predictive analytics as a promising technology to help improve underwriting, claims and marketing.
What Is Predictive Analytics?
Predictive analytics uses statistical and analytical techniques to develop models that enable accurate predictions about future event outcomes. Predictive models can take various forms, with most models generating a score that indicates the likelihood a given future scenario will occur. Mining data in order to identify trends, patterns or relationships is a key component of building predictive models. Predictive analytics enables powerful and sometimes counterintuitive relationships among data variables to emerge that otherwise may not be readily apparent, thus improving a carrier's ability to predict the future outcome of a policy.
How Predictive Analytics Impacts Homeowners'
The use of predictive analytics in Homeowners' insurance has steadily increased over the past several years. A majority of Homeowners' insurers have utilized predictive analytics for many years in rate-making (i.e. loss-cost relativities, by-peril rating), rating-plan assignment (sometimes called "underwriting scorecards" for tier or company placement, declines and nonrenewals) and price-discount qualification. A widely known practice is the use of credit-based insurance scores in many states.
Homeowners' carriers are also integrating predictive models to help with claims handling, marketing and new methods of underwriting. Claims analytics models are being used by forward-thinking carriers in several ways, including to:
- Predict overall claim severity
- Focus on early identification of fraud
- Target the likelihood that a claimant will litigate a particular claim
Marketing departments are taking the lead from financial-service organizations to analyze consumer purchasing patterns and other behavioral attributes through the use of predictive models. This additional insight allows marketers to improve both their hit ratio (the percentage of prospective customers who buy a policy) and retention ratio.
Leading carriers have recently discovered better, more cost-effective ways of underwriting risks beyond the use of underwriting scorecards. The fundamental problem many carriers face is the lack of reliable data on the homes they insure, which diminishes an underwriter's ability to estimate the expected future loss performance of a policy. Using predictive models, carriers are able to redesign costly information-gathering efforts, such as property inspections, and re-focus underwriting efforts on homes that are most likely to have insurance-to-value deficiencies or condition and liability hazards. This allows a carrier to charge the amount of premium commensurate with the risk on the policy.
Best Practices in Predictive Modeling
Predictive analytics has many benefits to offer the insurance industry, and there are important factors that will enable a carrier to be successful deploying predictive models:
• Good, clean data is key to delivering results: Carriers collect considerable amounts of data. When this data is properly structured, carriers can build accurate predictive models. In the past, larger carriers were better able to take advantage of predictive models because of their large datasets and ample modeling and IT resources. However, there are now several third-party data and modeling resources available to all carriers that allow the small and midsize companies to compete effectively. Experts who have been using predictive models for decades testify to the importance of accessing representative and sufficiently sized data samples. Mark Gorman, CEO of The Gorman Group agrees, "Data, especially external data, has become even more important. Carriers have to access third-party data in order to be competitive."
• Predictive analytics enables consistent decision-making: Top carriers utilize predictive models to make data-driven decisions consistently across their underwriting staff. These models allow carriers to use evidenced-based decision-making rather than relying solely on heuristics or human judgment to assess risk. Underwriters thrive when they have reliable information to aid their expertise, and accurate predictive models have proven to outperform traditional decision-making techniques.
• Predicting future performance increases profits: Incorporating predictive analytics allows a carrier to anticipate the future performance of a policy, which is vital to managing risk and removing the uncertainty for what they insure. Gorman emphasizes the fundamental changes that occur when adopting predictive analytics: "This represents a complete evolution of the industry in terms of people, process and technology. At the same time, what we know from a revenue standpoint is that carriers who adopt predictive analytics earlier gain market share—profitable market share. Carriers who aren't moving in that direction are dealing with adverse selection."
• Using predictive analytics helps carriers know what they insure: Using predictive analytics enables underwriting, claims and marketing to make evidenced-based decisions that lead to better risk selection, pricing and claims handling. With recent data and technology advancements, carriers of all sizes can compete on a more level playing field. Predictive analytics offers a better, faster and cheaper method to allow underwriters to assert more control over their portfolio's performance. It is possible to counteract the unpredictable Homeowners' market, gain a competitive advantage in underwriting and improve operating performance. While it is impossible to control the weather, it is possible to understand more about the homes carriers insure and price them accordingly using predictive analytics.


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For the last year or so, the digital industry has convinced itself that the traditional Internet is going away and that the future is all about mobile.
And the industry is right about one thing: Mobile is certainly where the growth is.
There are still about 5 billion "feature phones" in the world, and all of them will eventually be smartphones. And mobile tablet sales are growing like crazy.
The growth of mobile is also extending "digital prime time" and allowing everyone to stay connected during their commutes, weekends, workouts, and bedtimes. That's very helpful for content, communications, and commerce companies that orient themselves to take advantage of mobile. And it's also obviously helpful for mobile software and gadget makers.
But the explosion of mobile growth has given rise to some myths. These have already claimed the lives of some startups and incinerated hundreds of millions of dollars of poorly invested capital.
What are these myths?
Here are the two big ones:
- The future will be mobile ONLY. No one will have any need for laptops or desktops anymore this story goes. We'll all just use tablets and smartphones. And "fixed Internet" content, communications, and commerce companies will be replaced by "mobile" versions.
- All companies should design for mobile FIRST, treating the desktop Internet as, at best, an afterthought. Those archaic keyboard-operated "big screens," this theory goes, will be replaced by small touch screens. And all advertisers, content, communications, and commerce companies need to radically change their focus to reflect this.
Anyone who believes either of these stories should look at the picture below.
This picture is a picture of the Business Insider newsroom, with the BI tech team in the foreground.
The BI news team includes some of the most aggressive "early adopters" of new technology on the planet. These folks are completely digital. Anytime a cool new gadget or tool comes out, they buy it immediately and incorporate it into their lives. They own smartphones and tablets. They're in the 20s and early 30s--card-carrying members of the "digital generation." In short, they're as digitally connected as anyone gets.
So, how much "mobile" do you see in that photo?
Not a whole lot (if any).
Why not?
Because, like many "knowledge workers," the members of the BI editorial team spend 8-12 hours a day in an office.
And they'll be damned if they're going to spend all that time squinting at tiny mobile screens.
The US smartphone market is already more than 55% penetrated. Most of the "knowledge workers" in the US--the folks who create and consume news and information, communicate digitally, and shop digitally (and make most of the country's income) already have smartphones. And within another year or two, they will also have tablets.
But these tablets and smartphones will not suddenly cause all knowledge workers to jettison bigger screens and "go mobile." They'll just enable these consumers and professionals to stay actively connected for a full 18 hours a day, instead of 8-12.
Yes, in the process, these mobile devices may cannibalize some desktop-based big screen Internet usage, but, for most companies, not a whole lot. Mostly, they'll just increase overall usage. And they will enable consumers to interact with their favorite digital brands and services for all of their waking hours instead of just their hours at work.
These "mobile" users, moreover, won't want to interact with their favorite brands and services ONLY on mobile, or even necessarily MOSTLY on mobile (It depends on the service: Mobile music, for example, is huge, as are some mobile games). They'll want to interact with them everywhere.
So the idea that most companies should reorient their entire businesses around "Mobile only" or "mobile first" seems misguided, at best.
Mobile is a huge global growth story, and companies should obviously think about how to take advantage of that.
But, for most companies, "mobile only" and "mobile first" should be seen for what they are: Myths.
SEE ALSO: The Future Of Mobile [Slides]

subset: commoncrawl


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by Hugh Hunter
"Purlie Victorious" (1961), written by Ossie Davis and now running at Allens Lane Theater, takes the audience back to another era. A distinguished African-American actor, Davis was also an early civil rights activist, and his play is another contribution to the movement.
Set in a cotton plantation in the South during the 1950s, Purlie V. Judson returns to his boyhood home. As a self-made preacher on a mission, Purlie tries to outwit the plantation owner and to reclaim and integrate a historic black church.
Maurice A. Tucker stars as Purlie. Dressed in formal black clothes, he looks like a cross between a preacher and an undertaker. The major characters in the play are caricatures, and their dress signals their reality (costumes by Tiffany Bacon and cast).
Purlie's nemesis is Ol' Cap'n Cotchipee, the segregationist plantation owner, played by Lawrence H. Geller with picturesque and hilarious understatement. Gitlow is Purlie's groveling older brother, and the comic timing of actor Kareem Diallo Carpenter is a delight to watch.
Rounding out the cast are E. RaMona Sewell as Lutiebelle, both Purlie's love interest and a pawn in his plotting; Gitlow's wife, Missy Judson (Tiffany Bacon); Idella (Meryl Lynn Brown), a housemaid; Charlie (Brian Weiser), Ol' Cap'n's enlightened son and The Sheriff (William F. McDevitt).
The ramshackle, clapboard family home creates a nice feeling of time and place (set design by David Ward, Scott Newport and Robert Anu). The production is vibrant and nuanced; it needs to be because the script is limited (and may be better suited to "Purlie," its 1970 Broadway musical reincarnation).
Ol' Cap'n Cotchipee totally controls plantation life, bullwhip in hand. That he becomes an endearing figure is enough to tell you the play is essentially a spoof.
Always seeking personal advantage, hero Purlie is more con artist than righter of wrongs. In some ways he is similar to the intruder heroes in "The Music Man" and "The Rainmaker," connivers who help the community conquer their difficulties almost by accident.
"Purlie Victorious" laughs at everyone. Director Robert Anu has put together a standout cast, and the stage brims with life. The cotton plantation becomes a metaphor for the American racial morass that is so complex and seemingly endless that it can even engulf its self-appointed reformers.
Young people today have little idea how long a reach American apartheid used to have. As a kid myself at the time that "Purlie" was first staged, I remember feeling shocked (everybody was) to be watching television and suddenly see black people in a commercial for toothpaste. That sort of thing was not supposed to happen.
"Purlie Victorious" is like a time capsule. Perhaps its most notable achievement lies in its political activism, that in 1961 there even was a hit Broadway show that concerned itself with the lives of black people.
Allens Lane Theater is located at Allens Lane near McCallum Street. "Purlie Victorious" will run through Oct 12. Reservations available at 215-248-0546 or allenslane.org.


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"Always" Next wrote:Hey guys,
I just finished picking my active players for my keeper league and here is how I ended up. Its a 12 team league. This is an auction league....getting closers was a bitch, everybody overspent early and I had to pay $46 for Hanley so I had to stand on the sidelines until the cheaper closers came out. What do you think?
C. Jesus Flores
C. J. Salty
1B. K. Youkilis
2B. B. Phillips
3B. A. Beltre
SS. H. Ramirez
MI. B. Roberts
CI. M. Jacobs
OF. A. Ethier
OF. J. Hamilton
OF. C. Granderson
OF. Ichiro
OF. P. Burrell
DH. J. Thome
SP. U. Jiminez
SP. J. Jurrjens
SP. E. Bedard
SP. M. Garza
SP. D. Lowe
SP. J. Cueto
RP. M. Gonzales
RP. M. Lidstrom
RP. J. Hanrahan
I'm not sure any of us are as knowledgeable about fantasy baseball as you are Always. But from the looks of your team, I'd say you have a very strong hitting team. Your Starters are nothing spectacular, but have the potential to get the job done. As for your closers...are they even closers??
I'm more interested in reading about what you think about your team. Maybe I can learn something about fantasy baseball strategy.


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Okay, it's only Monday, so it's entirely possible that something more awful than Kotex contaminated with the bacterium Enterobacter sakazakii could come down the pike. But we hope not.
According to NBC, Kotex is recalling certain lots of Natural Balance Security Unscented Tampons Regular Absorbency sold at Walmart in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas; Fry's in Arizona; and Smith's in Utah and Arizona. Contaminated tampons could cause UTIs, vaginal infections, and pelvic inflammatory disease. Kotex's parent company Kimberly-Clark is telling anyone who has used their tampons and has "unusual vaginal discharge, headache, rash, fever, vomiting or abdominal pains" to contact a doctor.
The only good news here is that according to the company, no one has yet reported any health problems, and only one tampon was found to be contaminated. Still, tampons are one of the things you really, really want to be clean and safe and Enterobacter sakazakii-free — 100% of the time. Hopefully Kimberly-Clark will be more careful in the future.


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UT Tyler Public Administration Division
Department of Social Sciences
The master of public administration degree program is a professional course of study providing preparation for mid- and upper-level management positions in public and nonprofit organizations.
Centered in the UT Tyler Department of Social Sciences, the MPA program also permits the incorporation of specialized fields of interest such as general administration, criminal justice, urban and regional planning, research and evaluation, and health care administration.
Proposed Two-Year Course Rotation:
UT Tyler Department of Social Sciences
Division of Public Administration
Dr. Richard C. Helfers


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Don't Just [Let It] Sit There; Do Something
Key Excerpts from Article on Website of Forbes Magazine
Don't Just [Let It] Sit There; Do Something
Forbes Magazine, December 14, 2018
Posted: 2019-01-21 13:12:57
At the end of 2017, U.S. corporations were sitting on a historic amount of cash: $2.1 trillion in total liquid assets ... up over 150% from a decade earlier. What are businesses doing with their new-found wealth? Many are buying back shares or snapping up other companies. And then there is Patagonia. Last month, Patagonia announced that they would donate the $10 million they are saving from a reduced tax obligation to grassroots environmental organizations protecting our natural resources and finding solutions to the climate crisis. "In this season of giving, we are giving away this tax cut to the planet, our only home, which needs it now more than ever," CEO Rose Marcario wrote in a blog. Patagonia's donation aligns with their unique activist ethos, but a growing number of corporations are joining them in recognizing that businesses not only can be part of the solution to challenges facing our planet, but that they must be; that their responsibilities extend beyond shareholders, to the environment and the communities they serve. Patagonia's decision ... is a powerful statement and a demonstration of how to consider all a company's assets in pursuit of better long-term business outcomes. Investing cash responsibly is not the solution to all of our problems. For starters, there's a much larger conversation that needs to be had about the inability of companies to invest for long-term value creation. But for companies who are new to using their assets for impact while still achieving their corporate purpose, investing liquid assets is a good way to begin, and do so quickly. Don't let your cash sit there; put it to work.
Note: Explore a treasure trove of concise summaries of incredibly inspiring news articles which will inspire you to make a difference.
Explore our index to revealing excerpts of key news articles on several dozen topics.
Don't miss amazing excerpts from the 20 most revealing news articles ever published.
Below is a sample of just three of those 20 articles.
U.S. Military Wanted to Provoke War With Cuba
2001-05-01, ABC News
In the early 1960s, America's top military leaders reportedly drafted plans to kill innocent people and commit acts of terrorism in U.S. cities to create public support for a war against Cuba. Code named Operation Northwoods, the plans reportedly included the possible assassination of Cuban émigrés, sinking boats of Cuban refugees on the high seas, hijacking planes, blowing up a U.S. ship, and even orchestrating violent terrorism in U.S. cities. The plans were developed as ways to trick the American public and the international community into supporting a war to oust Cuba's ... Fidel Castro. America's top military brass even contemplated causing U.S. military casualties, writing: "We could blow up a U.S. ship in Guantanamo Bay and blame Cuba," and, "casualty lists in U.S. newspapers would cause a helpful wave of national indignation." The plans had the written approval of all of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and were presented to President Kennedy's defense secretary, Robert McNamara, in March 1962. But they apparently were rejected by the civilian leadership and have gone undisclosed for nearly 40 years. The Joint Chiefs even proposed using the potential death of astronaut John Glenn during the first attempt to put an American into orbit as a false pretext for war with Cuba. Should the rocket explode and kill Glenn, they wrote, "the objective is to provide irrevocable proof … that the fault lies with the Communists." The scary thing is none of this stuff comes out until 40 years after.
Note: Why was ABC the only major news source to report on this highly revealing story? Read the shocking declassified documents on Operation Northwoods. Many military and political leaders look at the world as a grand chessboard. Sacrificing pawns (innocent civilians) is sometimes necessary to capture the queen. Explore revealing news articles on military corruption. Then check out eye-opening 9/11 news articles.
Inside the secretive Bilderberg Group
2005-09-29, BBC News
How much influence do private networks of the rich and powerful have on government policies and international relations? One group, the Bilderberg, has often attracted speculation that it forms a shadowy global government. Every year since 1954 [they have brought] together about 120 leading business people and politicians. At this year's meeting in Germany, the audience included the heads of the World Bank and European Central Bank, Chairmen or Chief Executives from Nokia, BP, Unilever, DaimlerChrysler and Pepsi ... editors from five major newspapers, members of parliament, ministers, European commissioners ... and the queen of the Netherlands. The chairman ... is 73-year-old Viscount Etienne Davignon. In an extremely rare interview, he played down the importance of Bilderberg. "I don't think (we are) a global ruling class because I don't think a global ruling class exists." Will Hutton ... who attended a Bilderberg meeting in 1997, says people take part in these networks in order to influence the way the world works, to create what he calls "the international common sense". And that "common sense" is one which supports the interests of Bilderberg's main participants. For Bilderberg's critics the fact that there is almost no publicity about the annual meetings is proof that they are up to no good. Bilderberg meetings often feature future political leaders shortly before they become household names. Bill Clinton went in 1991 while still governor of Arkansas, Tony Blair was there two years later while still an opposition MP. All the recent presidents of the European Commission attended Bilderberg meetings before they were appointed. Informal and private networks like Bilderberg have helped to oil the wheels of global politics and globalisation for the past half a century.
Note: Why is this meeting of top world leaders kept so secret? Why, until a few years ago, was there virtually no reporting on this influential group in the major media? Thankfully, the alternative media has had some good articles. And a Google search can be highly informative. Explore many other revealing major media news articles on powerful secret societies. And for those interested, check out reliable, eye-opening information covering the big picture of how and why these secret societies are using government-sponsored mind control programs to achieve their agenda.
[9/11] Hijack 'suspects' alive and well
2001-09-23, BBC News
Another of the men named by the FBI as a hijacker in the [9/11] suicide attacks on Washington and New York has turned up alive and well. The identities of four of the 19 suspects accused of having carried out the attacks are now in doubt. Saudi Arabian pilot Waleed Al Shehri was one of five men that the FBI said had deliberately crashed American Airlines flight 11 into the World Trade Centre on 11 September. His photograph was released, and has since appeared in newspapers and on television around the world. He told journalists there that he had nothing to do with the attacks. He has contacted both the Saudi and American authorities. He acknowledges that he attended flight training school at Daytona Beach in the United States, and is indeed the same Waleed Al Shehri to whom the FBI has been referring. But, he says, he left the United States in September last year [and] became a pilot with Saudi Arabian airlines. Abdulaziz Al Omari, another of the Flight 11 hijack suspects ... says he is an engineer with Saudi Telecoms, and that he lost his passport while studying in Denver. Meanwhile ... a London-based Arabic daily says it has interviewed Saeed Alghamdi. He was listed by the FBI as a hijacker in the United flight that crashed in Pennsylvania. And there are suggestions that another suspect, Khalid Al Midhar, may also be alive. FBI Director Robert Mueller acknowledged on Thursday that the identity of several of the suicide hijackers is in doubt.
Note: The deceptions in the 9/11 official story are clearly shown in this key story. The FBI never revised its list of alleged hijackers. These four are all listed in the official 9/11 Commission report as the hijackers. Click here and scroll down a little over half way to see their photos in the official report. For more, see this webpage. Explore also concise summaries of deeply revealing news articles with evidence of a 9/11 cover-up from reliable major media sources. Then examine an abundance of reliable information suggesting a major 9/11 cover-up.
The above three are excerpts from the 20 most revealing news articles ever published.
Below is a sample of the three articles most recently posted to this website.
Forget overpopulation. The world could soon face a population bust
2019-02-24, Los Angeles Times
An Indian woman coming of age in 1960 would have had, typically, six children, according to United Nations data. Today, Indian women have just over two children on average. It's a shift with profound implications, and one that doesn't fit most people's expectations. The U.N. Population Division predicts that 11.2 billion people will burden the Earth at the end of the century. If it happens, it would trigger an overpopulation crisis. But a growing number of demographers and other authorities are beginning to doubt those predictions. They believe the future will be defined not by a population bomb, but by a population bust. To research the planet's population future, we talked about family size with people on six continents — academics and statisticians and government officials, but also young women and men who agreed to sit down for a chat about their futures. In addition, Ipsos Public Affairs polled people in 26 countries — developed and developing — asking how many children they wanted. What we discovered is that almost everywhere women and men want about two children on average, a birth rate that will stabilize global population and may mean it will drop, rather than explode. Rapid urbanization appears to be what's driving the trend. Fifty-five percent of the people on the globe now live in cities. As people in developing companies leave the countryside, women gain access to media, to education, to information from other urbanized women, and they choose to have small families.
Note: Explore an abundance of solid evidence suggesting world population will be declining by the end of the decade. Read a BBC News article titled "'Remarkable' decline in fertility rates" for more on this emerging trend. For more, see this summary.
The EPA is meant to protect us. The Monsanto trials suggest it isn't doing that
2019-05-07, The Guardian (One of the UK's leading newspapers)
Ever since Monsanto introduced its line of Roundup weedkillers to the world in 1974, the products have been touted by the company and regulators as extremely safe. But the emergence of long-held corporate secrets in three public trials has revealed a covert campaign to cover-up the pesticide's risks and raised troubling questions about lax oversight of all pesticides by the Environmental Protection Agency and other regulatory agencies. Two recently concluded Roundup product liability trials in California have resulted in large damage awards against Monsanto, after juries found the company's herbicides contributed to cancer and that it failed to warn of the risks. Monsanto never conducted epidemiology studies for Roundup and its other formulations made with the active ingredient glyphosate, to see if the products could lead to cancer in people who used them. At the same time ... the company was spending millions of dollars on secretive PR campaigns – including $17m budgeted in a single year – to finance ghostwritten studies and op-eds aimed at discrediting independent scientists whose work found dangers with Monsanto's herbicides. When the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry sought to evaluate glyphosate toxicity in 2015, Monsanto ... engaged the assistance of EPA officials to delay that review. The efforts delayed the release of the public draft of the review ... until earlier this month. As Monsanto had feared, the agency's review found links between cancer and glyphosate.
Note: Internal FDA emails suggest that the food supply contains far more glyphosate than government reports indicate. For more along these lines, see concise summaries of deeply revealing news articles on corporate corruption and health.
Cancer-linked Chemicals Manufactured by 3M Are Turning Up in Drinking Water
2018-11-02, Bloomberg
When Cottage Grove, Minnesota's drinking-water panic began, Mayor Myron Bailey was at a conference. It was May 22, 2017, and the state health department wanted to give Bailey a heads-up. It was about to set a new, lower level for a type of unregulated chemical found in Minnesota's drinking water. And Cottage Grove's would exceed the new threshold. He had known for years that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (or PFAS) ... lingered in the water around Cottage Grove. 3M's factory had been churning out some varieties since the 1950s for the water- and stain-repellant Scotchgard. 3M also sold its PFAS to other companies to make Teflon, outdoor gear, greaseproof food papers and firefighting foams. Recent studies have linked widely used PFAS, including the varieties called PFOA and PFOS, to reduced immune response and cancer. That new evidence had stirred Minnesota's health department to act. "There was always a perception in our community that cancer was caused by the drinking water," Bailey said, but after the state's announcement, "people freaked out." Water tests show that 110 million Americans have levels of PFAS in their water that the most cautious scientists call unsafe. At the same time, new studies show how the chemicals can cause harm even at tiny doses. As awareness spreads, 3M has been named in dozens of lawsuits, several this year alone. Some target industrial sources. But most focus on airports where the chemicals were sprayed onto the ground in firefighting foams.
Note: For more along these lines, see concise summaries of deeply revealing news articles on corporate corruption and health.
The above three are excerpts from the news stories most recently posted to this website.
Explore our index to revealing excerpts of news articles on several dozen topics.
Don't miss amazing excerpts from the 20 most revealing news articles ever published.


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Lots of emails to Doctor D ask:
Why hasn't anyone figured out what's wrong with me?
This is frustrating for everyone. Patients get irritated with their doctors: "If I just had a smart doctor like the ones on TV I would have been diagnosed by now." Doctors, who like having answers and hate looking foolish, get frustrated with patients and wonder if the weird symptoms are all in your head. We need to all take a collective deep breath.
We all want uncover the mystery diagnosis, but we have to acknowledge an unfortunate possibility:
We sometimes won't find a diagnosis.
There are diseases that are very common and ones that are very uncommon. It also stands to reason that there are diseases that may be so uncommon as to not yet be discovered. Some diseases may be so uncommon as to affect only one human being, which could be you. If this is the case you could never find a "diagnosis" per say, because a diagnosis groups you with other people with the same disease.
There is a point at which we say, "We've done a thorough work-up and found nothing. You may have to live with this." Doctor D hates saying this as much as any doctor, but at sometimes it needs to be said.
When doctors diagnose diseases, we look for particular patterns of symptoms and physical findings that are specific to known illnesses. It feels great for everyone when Doctor D can say with confidence, "You have _____."
But naming your disease doesn't cure anything. Having a diagnosis is useful because we can look at research from others who have had the same disease to know what treatments work and how we can expect the illness to progress. The rarer the disease the less other patients we have to get useful info from. We can just name your disease symptoms after you (John Doe Syndrome). It might feel satisfying to give it a name but it really doesn't help us make you feel better.
Why? Even though the number of conditions that can cause discomfort are limitless, the mechanisms that can cause your heart to stop are fewer and generally well-known. Your large work-up has probably excluded most of the mechanisms that lead to premature death. A negative work-up can be a good thing.
Doctor D has often reassured frustrated patients about negative studies, "Trust me, you don't want the disease I was looking for."
The other good news: We don't always need a diagnosis to treat your symptoms.
Treatments do two things: postpone death and/or decrease suffering. A thorough work-up makes impending death unlikely, so we are left with easing the suffering. Doctors often treat symptoms even without knowing the underlying disease process. Whatever helps your symptoms and isn't dangerous is a good treatment—whether it be Tylenol, or nice sunset, or an off-label use of a medicine.
Sifting the aim of care from finding a diagnosis to learning how to treat and live with your symptoms doesn't mean that we've given up. It just acknowledges that the ultimate goal is not diagnosing diseases, but helping you find ease and comfort.
What do you think? Do you have a mystery illness? Are you a doctor who works up patients with mystery illnesses? What do you think about acknowledging not all diseases will be diagnosed? As always Doctor D loves to hear your stories and perspectives.


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Just saw the new front page of the xbox magazine will feature Dead Space 3. So, Who's Excited?! I know I am! I love the dead space universe and I can't wait to see what is in store for Issac!
Views: 327
Made it about half way through the last 2. I couldn't stand the lack of response in movement controls in the first one and the second one I just lost interest in (PC).
Well, that is unfortunate... That's why they make so many different games.
I played DS1 on XBox 360 and DS2 on my PS3. I never have a computer worth playing PC games on, they are usually lacking the proper graphics and processing power. So I stick to my consoles mainly. There were no movement issues for me when I played both games. I had to play on the edge of my seat since they kept scaring the **** out of me. Plus, the character is slowly going insane due to his exposure to the marker.
I can't wait either!
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Since 1995, Lawrence C. Ragan has led efforts to integrate new and emerging technologies into a variety of distance learning educational systems at Penn State. As director of faculty development for Penn State's World Campus, Ragan oversees the design and development of professional training systems and services to prepare faculty members teaching online and blended courses. For his contributions, Ragan will be recognized as a Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C) Fellow at the 17th annual Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning in Orlando, Fla., in November.
The fellowship acknowledges Ragan's national leadership in preparing faculty for online teaching success and for creating innovative approaches to the design of online learning environments. The consortium is a professional leadership organization that works to integrate online education into the mainstream of higher education.
The Sloan-C Fellows Program started in 2009, and the first Fellows were chosen in 2010. The second class of five Fellows has been selected for this professional distinction, which is based on demonstrated outstanding and extraordinary qualifications, contributions or leadership in the field of online learning, significant experience in online learning and a record of distinguished service to Sloan-C or the field.
Ragan has worked extensively with technologies in education since joining Penn State in 1984. Prior to the launch of World Campus in 1998 and continuing to the present, he has coordinated the design, development, delivery and evaluation of online instructional materials.
Ragan has shared his scholarship and expertise in online teaching and learning through publications, keynote presentations at national and international conferences and workshops. In 2009, Ragan was honored with the EDUCAUSE Institute Faculty Service Award for his participation in the design, development and delivery of the institute's Learning Technology Leadership program. Since 2009 he has co-directed the Institute for Emerging Leadership in Online Learning, a blended-learning leadership development program sponsored by Penn State and Sloan-C.
Penn State World Campus specializes in adult online education, delivering more than 70 of Penn State's most highly regarded graduate, undergraduate and professional education programs through convenient online formats. Founded in 1998, Penn State World Campus is the University's 25th campus serving more than 8,500 students in all 50 states and around the world. World Campus is part of Penn State Outreach, the largest unified outreach organization in American higher education. Penn State Outreach serves more than 5 million people each year, delivering more than 2,000 programs to people in all 67 Pennsylvania counties, all 50 states and 114 countries worldwide.


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The smallest draft class in Raiders history had great measurables. Now all they have to do is measure up.
Everyone knows about the skills of running back Darren McFadden. UConn defensive Tyvon Branch was one of the fastest defensive backs at the combine. Wide receiver Arman Shields ran a sub- 4.4 40-yard dash, and was a warrior on three-cone drills and the like at the combine. Wide receiver Chaz Schillens was another size, speed projection with moderate production.
Defensive end Trevor Scott ran a 4.54 40-yard dash in his private workout.
These guys not only looked good getting off the bus, they got off it faster than most.
With just five members in the Class of '08, the Raiders look to stock their roster for the rookie minicamp starting May 9, signing undrafted free agents. Teams will scramble for these guys, with the stone reality being that of all the undraftables the Raiders bring in, it's possible none of them will make the 53-man roster.
You hope for a Barry Sims, Tommy Kelly or Chris Carr. Last year, the Raiders didn't find a single undrafted free agent worthy of making a team coming off a 2-14 season.
So how did the Raiders fare this year?
Go ahead and give it your best guess, because that is all it is. Trash 'em if you wish, give 'em an A-plus, grades are meaningless and pointless until the players actually take the field.
It seems clear, however, that at least in Kiffin's mind, putting together a team will be more difficult than it was last year because of free agency and the draft. It probably didn't win Kiffin any points with Al Davis when he said it, but the coach allowed that the goal was to make it hard to determine the final 53. Last season, Kiffin said it wasn't all that tough with the Raiders because they simply weren't all that talented.
It was a classic Davis draft, but it's up to Kiffin to fit the pieces together.
There remain huge question marks, as gifted starting quarterback JaMarcus Russell is little more than a glorified rookie. The defense still has to prove it can stop the run and looks to be at least one pass rusher short, unless you're optimistic enough to see Scott as an instant impact player out of the Mid-America Conference.
But there is more talent on hand, with a head coach just getting back his sea legs as well as a defensive coordinator and several key assistants in the last year of their contracts.
There is also one of the easiest schedules in the NFL, although you could make the argument that a team with 19 wins over five years has no easy games.
A few notes and observations in the 22nd blog entry since Saturday morning:
— The rookie minicamp, which begins May 9, is not open to players with an accrued year of experience, according to offensive coordinator Greg Knapp.
That means even if Russell wanted to come, he couldn't.
— Not so for Michael Bush, who spent the season on PUP and doesn't have an accrued season. The drafting of McFadden had to be discouraging for Bush, with some projecting him as the Raiders feature back by 2009 or 2010. Now he's fighting for scraps with Dominic Rhodes behind Justin Fargas and McFadden, providing Rhodes remains on the roster after accepting a cut in pay.
Bush is fully rehabbed, but the level of intrigue regarding his skill has changed in tone, judging from Kiffin's off-hand reference to Bush Saturday.
"We're kind of piled there with a number of really good running backs and guys coming back, including Michael Bush, who we really don't know enough about yet," Kiffin said.
The fact is Bush practiced for only a short period of time, during the season, when teams are looking for quickness and timing and not laying each other out. One sideline observer of the closed sessions thought he looked slow.
Still, some players look slow who actually are moving well. You never really know until they're running from (or over) opponents during a game, and the Raiders never gave Bush that chance last year.
With Fargas' running style, Bush can still be an injury away from playing time and will finally get the chance to show what he can do in training camp and the preseason.
The Raiders, by the way, didn't overpay Fargas, and should he show signs of wear, Bush could still end up playing in tandem with McFadden.
— Ex-Raider personnel exec Mike Lombardi was floating the idea on the NFL Network that the New Orleans Saints might be interested in making a deal for LaMont Jordan, given Reggie Bush's role as a change-of-pace back and the fact that Deuce McAllister is coming off a knee injury.
More likely would be the Saints simply waiting for Jordan to be cut and getting to him quickly with an offer far less than the $4.7 and $5 million salaries scheduled for 2008 and 2009.
— Most everything about McFadden's skill set sounds fabulous, and perhaps it is. Just like it was supposed to be with Reggie Bush two years ago. In the draft, nothing is a sure thing.
— Good to know a single conversation with Tom Rathman has cleared McFadden's fumbling problem at Arkansas, although I'm guessing the college coaches may have mentioned the same fundamentals a time or two. I like Rathman, but I doubt he's the only running backs coach around who can teach backs how to carry a football.
— That said, fumbling can be cured. In his early training camps, Fargas was a frequent fumbler and now it isn't an issue.
— Shields missed 10 games last season with a posterior cruciate ligament injury, but is in no way this year's Michael Bush, a player who essentially lost his final year in college due to injury and was babied through training camp because of a badly broken leg.
Shields had great numbers at the combine and was shown running and jumping on the video presentation on NFL.com. He even wiped out on the field during one drill and popped right back up.
— Judging from the weight the Raiders gave the speed and strength workout numbers, I'm wondering who Oakland would have taken if someone had jumped up and selected McFadden before they had a chance.
I'm sticking with Vernon Gholston, given Kiffin's assurances that Kelly is the Raiders' three technique and that it didn't make sense to take Glenn Dorsey, a natural three technique.
(I told you during my ill-fated mock draft I was sticking with Gholston and going down with the ship . . . glug, glug, glug)
— The trade of Fabian Washington was a dump job on a far smaller scale than the one that occurred last season when Randy Moss was dealt to the New England Patriots for a fourth-round pick.
Defensive back John Bowie became the man acquired for Moss, Shields came to the Raiders a year later at No. 125 in exchange for Washington.
Moss forced the Raiders hand through his insistence he wanted no part of the program. Washington nudged the Raiders to unload him based on his spotty play and general indifference.
In 2006, Washington might have been the Raiders best defender at training camp. He was all over the field, making plays. True, those plays were coming against the horribly inept offense of Tom Walsh and Art Shell, but I remember writing at the time it looked as if Washington was ready for a breakout year.
Instead, Nnamdi Asomugha was the one who blossomed while Washington ranged from below average to above average. He was nothing special at training camp last season and ended up losing his starting job to Stanford Routt.
Worse yet, it never really seemed to bother Washington. Even corners who deserve to be benched are usually proud enough to give at least a stiff upper lip and insist they are quality starters. Washington was fine with it, and seemed to coast through the season happy to be on the team and collect a paycheck.
He also wasn't exactly what was advertised. His speed was undeniable, but Washington simply wasn't physical enough to play the sort of press coverage the Raiders need. At one point, with a group of writers, Washington conceded he probably weighed 170 pounds and had never been 175 in his life. He was listed at 5-foot-11, 185 pounds.
Washington ends up as another Phillip Buchanon and Derrick Gibson on Oakland's first-round defensive back scrap heap, except in Buchanon's case, the Raiders manged to take Houston for second- and third-round draft picks.
— All the trade speculation was no more than a yearly tease. Jeremy Shockey, Jason Taylor and Chad Johnson (not to mention Michael Huff and Derrick Burgess) are all still with their respective teams. The Cowboys managed to complete a deal for penal code-challenged cornerback Pacman Jones.
— It's only a mild surprise the Raiders didn't draft any offensive linemen. They're not looking for the same players as everyone else. The Raiders most consistent offensive lineman last season was right guard Cooper Carlisle. The Raiders got him as an unrestricted free agent last year with virtually no competition. He came from Denver, schooled in the zone blocking system.
— Once you get to the fourth round, everyone is a reach. That's they they're being drafted in the fourth round. So don't even bother applying the "bust" tag to any player who has no better than a 60-40 chance to make the roster anyway. Once you get to the fifth round, sometimes you're happy if they make the practice squad.
Johnnie Lee Higgins was getting glowing reviews a year ago. He may or may not be any better than Shields or Schillens. We'll have a better idea in July.
— According to the University of Buffalo Web site questionaire filled out by football players, the three people Raiders' draftee Scott would like to invite to dinner are The Rock, Mike Alstott and George W. Bush.
— Commissioner Roger Goodell, who pushed the idea of shortening the amount of time between rounds and making it more viewer friendly, should have made a unilateral decision Sunday to end the draft when a long-snapper was selected.
That would have been in the sixth round, No. 189, when Seattle took San Diego State long-snapper Tyler Schmitt.
— Either that or when the first person named "Pierre" was drafted. That was also in the sixth round, when Pierre Garcon, a wide receiver out of Mt. Union, was taken by Indianapolis at No. 205 overall.
— Remember how Davis made such a big deal over Kiffin's recruiting acumen? Kiffin had been in the living rooms of the country's top high school players, so in theory he had already done a great deal of background.
Ten USC players were drafted Saturday and Sunday. For the second straight year, none by the Raiders.
Chances are good there isn't a single player drafted in the Class of '08 that ever had Kiffin in his living room as a USC recruit. Kiffin said McFadden wasn't recruited because they knew he wasn't coming West.
None of the other four draftees _ Branch, Shields, Scott or Schilens, had the look of a USC recruit.


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Full name Stephen Meehan
Born date unknown, Queensland
Major teams Bath Rugby, Stade Français
Bath coach Steve Meehan began his coaching career in his native Queensland in 1999 working in various positions including a stint as Queensland Reds Under 19 selector.
Meehan transferred his skills to the northern hemisphere in July 2002 when he worked as assistant coach at Stade Francais alongside first Nick Mallett and then Fabien Galthie.
During his time in Paris, Stade reached the Top 14 final three years running, winning in 2003 and 2004, and losing in extra time to Biarritz 2005. Also in 2005 Stade lost out to Toulouse in the final of the Heineken Cup.
Meehan joined Bath as backs coach in 2006 and was almost immediately promoted to the role of head coach after a mass exodus, including Brian Ashton's promotion to the England coaching job. In 2008 he led the side to their first silverware since the 1998 Heineken Cup, winning the European Challenge Cup.
In October 2009, Meehan signed a contract extension, to keep him at Bath until 2012. Meehan was joined at the club by former Wasps and British & Irish Lions coach Ian McGeechan after the Scot agreed to become Bath's new performance director in June 2010.
But following a season where Meehan found himself increasingly marginalised following the introduction of McGeechan, the Australian left the Rec at the end of the 2010-11 season.
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I love you / I know Sleep Shirt
Goodnight, Han-boy
There are very few occasions in which this sort of snarky response is appropriate. And this very much is one of those moments.
What's the last thing you say to your honey before you go to bed at night? Generally it's something practical like, "Did you remember to set the alarm?" or "You're hogging the blanket again." But sometimes it's simply, "I love you." The correct response at this point for 99% of the population is either "I love you, too" or an intense snoring sound to prove you missed that entirely. The correct response for that select 1% of the population is, "I know."
Prove you know, too, with this Star Wars sleep shirt. This black, 100% polyester extra-long, scoop-neck t-shirt features a starfield with the Millennium Falcon in the foreground and the words "I love you" in yellow above. The words, "I know" are printed in glow-in-the-dark ink inside the body of the Millennium Falcon, so they only show up in the dark. Machine wash cold, tumble dry low or lay flat to dry. Made in the USA.
Please reference the table below to determine your size. This garment runs true to size- Ashley is wearing a size small in the photo.
|38 in.
|41 in.
|44 in.
|48 in.
|52 in.
|56 in.
|60 in.
|Body Length
|31 1/2 in.
|32 in.
|32 1/5 in.
|33 in.
|33 3/4 in.
|34 1/2 in.
|35 1/4 in.
|38 in.
|41 in.
|44 in.
|48 in.
|52 in.
|56 in.
|60 in.


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A Mystery Lover's Bookshelf
April is month of the Edgar Awards, among the most prestigious mystery prizes, and we're celebrating with a collection of 20 great mysteries published over the last two years, compiled by our go-to mystery reviewer, Joe Hartlaub.
Looking for more mysteries? We have 20 top mystery writers weighing in on the mysteries they recommend for twentysomethings in our "20 Over 30": Mystery Writers Recommend feature.
For more information on the Edgar Awards click here.
Curated by Joe Hartlaub


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Precious metals are off to a great start here in 2018: gold has been up for fourteen of the past fifteen days and silver had a strong 2017 as well. What's the secret?
Eric believes it's dollar-related. "The U.S. dollar has been very, very weak. The economy is not really showing great signs of doing anything, quite frankly. It's kind of coasting along. You have a new tax plan which is going to increase the deficit considerably…. Lot's of people know there's a high degree of recklessness going on at the federal government level. And people are losing confidence in currencies."
Add to that a weak U.S. jobs report, anemic wage growth and higher-than-suggested inflation, and "it's very difficult for the U.S. consumer to kind of hold it together here."
After a run-down of how the commodities markets will benefit from the anti-dollar sentiment, this week's wrap-up also includes a lengthy discussion on the "exchange for physical" phenomenon off of the Comex that you won't want to miss.
Finally, Eric closes out with a brief chat about what's going on with palladium.
To get his full thoughts, listen to the first weekly wrap-up of 2018 here: https://soundcloud.com/sprottmoney/sprott-money-ne...


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Welcome to SSU's Student Health Center
Accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc.
The Student Health Center(SHC) provides high quality medical, public health & health education services designed to support the retention, academic achievement & success of SSU students, facilitate healthy lifestyle choices & help promote a safe, healthy campus environment.
- Location: West side of campus, north of Schulz Library & across from Zinfandel Residence Halls. See map of our location.
- Hours: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm M-F excluding campus holidays & closures as shown on the SSU Academic Calendar.
- Summer hours & services may vary. Call 707 664-2921 for information.
- Meet our staff: Board Certified physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistant, registered nurses, pharmacist, clinical lab scientist & X-ray technologist.
- Appointment & Cancellations: To make or cancel an appointment call (707) 664-2921
Student Health Center Services include:
Medical Care: Confidential, high quality, outpatient medical visits for acute & sub-acute illness & injury, basic mental health concerns, women's health & contraception, sports & travel medicine, immunizations, preventative health & more. After hours care, specialist care & comprehensive care for complex chronic conditions are beyond the scope of the Student Health Center (SHC). Interim & transitional care including coordination with off-campus providers and/or referral is provided when chronic or specialty care, complex diagnostic testing, hospitalization, or other services beyond the scope or hours of operation of the SHC are indicated.
Lab & X-ray: Free & low cost diagnostic lab tests & basic plain X-ray studies for conditions that are being treated at the SHC.
Pharmacy: A licensed on-site pharmacist dispenses low-cost medicines prescribed by SSU SHC clinicians only, offers some non-prescription items & provides patient education. The SHC pharmacy stocks only the most common medications prescribed by SHC physicians. Prescriptions from off-campus providers should be filled elsewhere.
Health Education & Disease Prevention programs focus on keeping students healthy by taking public health steps to facilitate safe and healthy behaviors, minimize the spread of contagious disease on campus, and by addressing nutrition, fitness, contraception, psychosocial health, substance use, self-care, safety & other topics.
Eligibility & Fees: Most academic year medical visits are provided without charge to regularly enrolled SSU students. Discounted fees are charged for medications, orthopedic supplies, immunizations, complex diagnostic tests, special purpose physicals, & summer services. Students are financially responsible to the provider for medical services received outside the Student Health Center.
Other Important Information:
- After Hours: Call 911 for emergencies. For other after- hours medical needs, contact your personal off-campus physician, health insurance advice line, an urgent care clinic, or an emergency room. See the SHC After Hours Care Hand Out for some local sources of after-hours care. Students may call after hours to leave an appointment cancellation message.
- Health Insurance is not required to use the SHC, but is recommended for circumstances that are beyond the scope or hours of operation of the SHC. Insured students should keep their insurance card with them at all times.
- Medical Information/Medications: Students should know the details of their medical history, medications, & the contact information of their off-campus healthcare providers. Students should also bring a supply of medications they take on a continuing basis with them when they come to college.
- Treatment of Minors: Parents & legal guardians of students under age 18 should send the SHC a signed authorization for medical treatment of minors. Forms can be downloaded on the SHC forms webpage.


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Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy crashed out of the Accenture Match-Play tournament at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Course on Dove Mountain. Graeme McDowell survived another match where he looked like losing, once again.
Survivor G-Mac / Getty Images
Justin went down to Ernie Els, 1 up, while Rory lost to Harris English, on the 19th hole. G-Mac went three down after six holes against Hideki Matsuyama, of Japan. He then birdied the seventh and eighth to get within one hole, only to then lose the 14th to be two down with four holes to play. Graeme won the 15th and the 17th, and rounding off with a ten foot putt on the final green to seal a one up win.
He joked afterwards;
"Why do it the easy way when the hard way will do. I just got off to a slow start again, probably less so today. I was quite proud of myself when I got a half on three, so I was only two down after three, as opposed to three down. I tried to go out there today and execute my game plan and try not to give him any room, try not to make any mistakes, try not to give him anything, and he kind of played the same kind of golf back. He played very, very well.
"I made big putts on 15 and 16. The 16th especially was a massive putt to give me the opportunity.I feel very fortunate again today. I've certainly expended all my energy and emotions the last couple of days, but thankfully it's early in the season and I've plenty left in the tank."
Louis Oosthuizen dumped out Henrik Stenson 4-3, and Webb Simpson dispatched Brandt Snedeker by the same score.
George Coetzee is still doing fine, winning the 21 hole battle with Patrick Reed. Jason Day took even longer to overcome Billy Horschel, 22 holes.
Sergio Garcia is going along smoothly, a 3-1 victory over Bill Haas, while Jason Dufner eliminated Matteo Manassero by 2-1.
Sergio said he had fun out there today;
"It was good fun, we both played hard. We both tried to play as well as we could to beat our opponent and I was fortunate to be just a little bit better than him today."
A resurgent Rickie Fowler beat Jimmy Walker 1 up, Matt Kuchar beat Ryan Moore by the same score. Jim Furyk took care of Charl Schwartzel 3-2, and Jordan Spieth was too strong for Thomas Bjorn, beating him 5-4.
Victor Dubuisson continued to impress on his World Golf Championships debut as he overcame Peter Hanson 3 -1 to progress to face former Masters Tournament winner Bubba Watson, who saw off Jonas Blixt at the 17th hole when Jonas lost his ball under a bush. ( would have been ironic if Jonas had got a free drop, wouldn't it)
Some good match ups tomorrow and any of the remaining players could win, as Graeme McDowell said yesterday, this is a brutal format.


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Some maps can get away with being sort of...bland. These are the maps which probably wouldn't get past the graphics stage of the foundry process today, but I think are integrated into the site as classics, and subsequently will not be included in my list.
Other maps don't need a full revamp, but could do with some minor changes - EG. Age of Merchants because the font is often quite difficult to interpret. These maps won't be in the list either.
Furthermore, some maps just have poor gameplay and wouldn't benefit from a graphics revamp. Surprise, surprise, I won't be including them either.
(no disrespect intended to any of the artists who drew these maps, and remember that standards for maps on this site have changed over time)
Anyway, here we go:
- Ancient Greece
- Caribbean Islands
- Discworld
- Europe (could do with a change like Far East had because some borders are difficult to see)
- Extreme Global Warming (a close call)
- France 1789 (I guess this one has an old-timesy feel, but....eh)
- Greater China (maybe)
- Hong Kong
- Madness (mainly because some borders are unclear)
- Montreal
- Tamriel
- WWII Ardennes (this has some complicated bonuses to portray, however)


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January 24, 2008
By JOHN FLOWERS
MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury selectmen on Friday, Feb. 1, will finalize a Town Meeting Day warning that will have huge implications for the proposed in-town bridge project.
As the Addison Independent went to press on Wednesday, town officials were still working with financial analysts to determine whether to ask voters to endorse the $16 million Cross Street bridge in a single vote this March, or divide it up into two or more referenda spaced over two town meetings.
The decision is likely to come down to which scenario will get the town the best interest rate on 30-year bonds it will have to float to proceed with the plan. Officials are hoping to craft a financing scheme that will depend on little or no property tax revenues. Selectmen want to pay back the principal and interest on bonds through a combination of local option taxes, federal highway funds and a promised college contribution of $600,000 annually for 30 years.
"The appealing aspect is the rather attractive interest rates which would be available to the town should we bond for the entire amount," said Selectman Dean George, chairman of Middlebury's bridge committee.
Middlebury Town Manager Bill Finger noted officials originally estimated a 5-percent interest rate on bonding for the bridge project. Those estimates are now at around 4.2 percent, with the potential for even lower rates during some of the earlier years of the bond issue.
"The implications of the lower interest rate are pretty profound, with the potential savings over the life of the bond of $4 million to $5 million in interest," Finger said. "It makes a big difference."
George added that the town may be able to reinvest the bond during the early years of bond repayments and apply those proceeds toward interest payments.
MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury selectmen on Tuesday endorsed a contract that would allow the town to buy Steele's Service Center at 83 Main St. for $820,000, with the intent of eventually removing the business to make way for the proposed Cross Street Bridge.
The potential deal — which must be approved by Middlebury voters on Town Meeting Day — would allow Paul and Jane Steele to maintain their operation until the structure needs to be removed as part of the $16 million bridge project. The new span would link Main Street with Court Street across the Otter Creek, via Cross Street.
"It's a tremendously important piece for us in moving ahead with the bridge project," Middlebury selectboard Chairman John Tenny said of the Steeles' property.
The tentative accord with the Steeles leaves three other, less high-profile properties the town must acquire within the right-of-way of the proposed bridge. Selectmen are optimistic they will be able to strike deals with those landowners, too.
The potential sale and destruction of the service center would represent the end of a long, successful era for the Steele family. Paul Steele began working at the business in 1968, before acquiring it in 1982.
"We are pleased to have arrived at a mutually satisfactory agreement with the town," said Jane Steele, Paul's wife, who also works at the business.
"We will still be here during all the planning stages," she stressed, "and we will still operate a towing service no matter where we are located."
The couple already has the flexibility to relocate the business to the Frog Hollow area. The town several years ago granted the Steeles permission to perform auto repair services on their Mill Street property. The property comprises the garage and two homes at the base of Mill Street.
By CYRUS LEVESQUE
BRISTOL — Negotiations over teacher contracts in the Addison Northeast Supervisory Union have reached a pivotal moment. A fact-finding report released by a mediator to the parties this month and a Jan. 17 meeting led to agreement on several parts of a proposed new contract, but some major issues like salaries, health insurance and planning time remain unresolved.
The negotiating committees for the six ANeSU school boards and the teachers' union, the Addison Northeast Education Association, plan to meet again on Feb. 7 with mediator Ira Lobel of Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to continue talks.
Teachers in the ANeSU schools — Beeman Elementary School in New Haven, Bristol Elementary School, Lincoln Community School, Monkton Central School, Robinson Elementary School in Starksboro and Mount Abraham Union High School — have been working without a contract since July 2007 while the union and the school boards of the schools have tried to come to an agreement.
The mediator's fact-finding report will not be made public until Jan. 28, according to ANeSU Superintendent Evelyn Howard.
A number of components of the contract have essentially been settled, but all agreements are tentative until a contract is finalized and signed. Casey said the school boards and the union have reached tentative agreements on the sick leave, scheduling rules for extracurricular activities, and several related issues.
Details were not available on all those agreements as the Addison Independent went to press, but Joanne Casey, head negotiator for the teachers' union, said that most of those aspects of the contracts will probably remain the same as under the last contract.
MIDDLEBURY POLICE OFFICER Scott Fisher, left, listens as Vermont State Police Sgt. Lee Hodsden presents the results of his investigation into the Dec. 28 vandalism at the former Robert Frost summer home in Ripton. More than two dozen youths, most with ties to Middlebury Union High School, have been cited in connection with the case.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
January 21, 2008
RIPTON — Vermont State Police on Friday said they are citing into court 28 youths — the vast majority of them Middlebury Union High School students — in connection with an underage drinking party that caused an estimated $10,600 in damage to the former summer home of Robert Frost in Ripton.
The suspects are scheduled to be arraigned in Addison County District Court on Feb. 11 on various misdemeanor charges, including unlawful trespass; unlawful mischief; furnishing alcohol to minors; enabling the consumption of alcohol by minors; contributing to the delinquency of a minor; and underage drinking.
Police said as many as 50 people attended the party at the Homer Noble Farm on Dec. 28. Some partygoers destroyed antique tables, chairs, pictures, dishes, glasses, windows and lighting fixtures; sprayed the contents of two fire extinguishers around the first floor and vomited and urinated inside the building and on the damaged property.
Authorities, who announced the citations during a Friday morning press conference, singled out two individuals in particular: Andrew Ford, 17, of Ripton, a former seasonal kitchen staffer at Middlebury College's Bread Loaf campus, whom they allege planned the party, picked the site and put up money for alcohol consumed there; and Patrick Deering, 22, of Middlebury, who allegedly bought a large quantity of beer for the young partiers.
BRISTOL — Fuel prices have risen precipitously in the last year and a half, pinching the budgets of many Vermonters. But a few residents of the Bristol area, if they look very carefully at their bills in the coming months, may find the math a little confusing. They might not see a record of a delivery even though they distinctly remember one in recent days, or a fuel tank might last the usual amount of time even though the bill shows it was only filled halfway.
Customers of Jackman's Inc., though, needn't waste too much time trying to figure it out. The Bristol fuel dealer recently began its "Share Care" program to help its customers in need get through the winter. Jackman's Inc. is quietly paying parts of the bills of its customers who need the help the most.
"We were concerned if people could afford the fuel this year," said Jackman's bookkeeper Sharon Bushey.
Share Care began around the end of November when the company started a fund with $800 and solicited contributions from local individuals and businesses. Donations from individuals and businesses in the area have raised that sum to $2,120 so far, according to Bushey, most of which came during the holiday season. Jackman's Inc., which is unrelated to Jackman Fuels, is still seeking more donations.
"We're going to continue right through the winter," said Peter Jackman, co-owner of Jackman's Inc.
Fuel prices have been rising continually, and are now at $3.79 a gallon for kerosene and $3.37 a gallon for fuel oil, according to Bushey. In November of 2006 a gallon of fuel oil was going for $2.56.
By MEGAN JAMES
MIDDLEBURY — John Melanson thought for sure business was on the upswing at Carol's Hungry Mind Café on Tuesday. The staff member scheduled to work with him was out sick, and people had been streaming nonstop into the Merchants Row shop all day.
"It was so strange," said Melanson, who owns the two-year-old coffee shop. "At the end of the day before I looked at the till, I thought, 'Oh, here's a great day. I don't have labor, it's been busy all day.' I like to make $800 a day, but (on Tuesday) it came up to $600."
This was bad news for Melanson, who after cutting back on staff and hours, is struggling to keep the coffee shop afloat. Unless he can find someone, or some way, to support Carol's by the end of February, he will likely have to sell it, he said.
"Right now, I would need $70,000 more than I make per year (to keep the operation running)," he said. "That would include how much I put into it each year and a bit of a salary, and I would like that to be a little more than minimum wage."
Over the last few months, Carol's fans have come out of the woodwork to offer support and suggestions, but none yet have found a solution.
One woman offered Melanson a $5,000 loan, interest free, for a year. But that would only keep the coffee shop going for a month, and it would add $5,000 to his debt, Melanson said. So he declined.
Other community members have suggested operating the coffee house as a co-op, using membership fees to cover some of the costs. Melanson has even talked to the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op about becoming an annex to that operation, but the Co-op already has its hands full, he said.
CHILDREN WATCH WITH amazement as Middlebury College students make ice cream using liquid nitrogen during the Mr. Wizard Chemistry Show in Bicentennial Hall last Friday night. The college will host an encore performance of the popular event on Feb. 29.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
January 18, 2008
MIDDLEBURY — At Middlebury College's Mr. Wizard Chemistry Show last Friday, the children in the room, scattered throughout the overflowing audience at first, gradually got out of their seats and drew closer to the front of the room where five chemistry majors were concocting a magical treat. Dressed in lab coats and safety goggles, the students had filled two bowls with heavy cream, sugar and chocolate sauce and were topping off the mixture with a constant stream of liquid nitrogen.
"The kids were just like molecules extracted from the audience," noticed retired chemist and Vergennes resident Margaret Lowe, who had come to the show with her husband, Steve, also a retired chemist.
In a night of chemistry magic featuring color-changing liquids, eruptions of "elephant toothpaste" and no shortage of explosions, the liquid nitrogen ice cream was the biggest hit.
Like all of the experiments that night, the ice cream served to teach the kids about chemistry in a fun way they would remember. The college's Mr. Wizard shows in the past have been a little wilder — with a few more unpredictable flames — but this year, chemistry professor Roger Sandwick geared the event, which was held in the college's Bicentennial Hall, toward younger children.
"We're pitching this at a third-grade level, so probably it will be at the appropriate level for some of the adults as well," he said.
January 17, 2008
MONTPELIER — The Vermont Milk Commission issued a report this week that may come as a mixed bag to the state's dairy industry. The commission supported a minimum producer price on all milk sold in Vermont and a stronger safety net for dairy farmers, but it also advised the Legislature to repeal the part of a 2007 law that shifted the cost of hauling milk from farmers to purchasers.
It remains to be seen how many of the recommendations will become reality. Some of the conclusions in the commission's report, released Tuesday, were contingent on nearby states adopting similar plans, and Sen. Harold Giard, D-Bridport, said the Senate Committee on Agriculture would not support going back on the hauling charges legislation.
"How they can claim that that is in the best interest of the dairy farmer is beyond me," he said.
Giard is a member of that committee and was a sponsor of Act 50, one part of which required milk cooperatives, handlers and processors to assume the cost of hauling milk from the farm. Giard said that there is no good reason for farmers who are already struggling to pay the hauling charges.
"This is just one more (expense) we were pushing off the backs of the farmers," said Giard, a retired dairy farmer.
Stop and hauling charges, which are the fees dairy farmers pay to processors for trucking milk from farm to the processing plant, decrease the amount of money that reaches the farm by an estimated 60 cents per hundredweight (cwt). Typically farmers have been paid as little as $12 cwt or as much as $20 cwt.
If the Senate does ignore the Milk Commission's recommendation, the Act 50 requirement for purchasers to take on the hauling charges would take effect in January 2009, or when two other Northeast states implement similar regulations, whichever comes first.
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New Car Review
2014 Honda Civic: New Car Review
Despite a full redesign for the 2012 model year and updates for 2013, Honda still isn't letting the Civic lineup rest. The 2014 Honda Civic offers even more changes in new styling for the coupe, a few interior upgrades and a new CVT automatic to make things smoother -- and more fuel efficient.
While the Civic has seen a few changes, the model still offers the same old lineup that's proven popular for years. For the masses, there's the 4-door Civic sedan. Drivers interested in a sporty flair can get the Civic coupe or the more powerful Civic Si. For fuel efficiency, there's the Civic Hybrid. And Honda still offers the Civic Natural Gas, for drivers wanting a true alternative-fuel vehicle.
Honda has certainly done well in keeping the Civic excellent, and the upgrades for 2014 only seem to enhance the car's positive traits.
What's New for 2014?
Updates for 2014 include a re-styled front and rear end on coupe models, interior upgrades and, most importantly, a new CVT automatic that replaces last year's 5-speed. There are also a few new upscale features, such as keyless ignition, a blind spot camera and a larger center-mounted touchscreen.
What We Like
Plentiful model variations; good fuel economy; lots of standard features; CVT is an improvement
What We Don't
Uninspired driving experience; pricey compared to some competitors
How Much?
Fuel Economy
The Civic comes with a wide array of engine and transmission choices. Most civic models are powered by a 143-horsepower 1.8-liter 4-cylinder that makes 129 lb-ft of torque. It returns 28 miles per gallon in the city/36 mpg hwy with a standard stick shift, or 30 mpg city/39 mpg hwy with the new CVT automatic. HF models focused on fuel economy do even better, returning 31 mpg city/41 mpg hwy. HF models only offer the CVT.
If you want more performance, you'll be interested in the sporty Civic Si. That model uses a 201-hp 2.4-liter 4-cylinder, and comes only with a 6-speed manual. It returns 22 mpg city/31 mpg hwy.
Topping the Civic's fuel economy range is the gas-electric Civic Hybrid. While it only makes 110 hp and 127 lb-ft combined, the Civic Hybrid makes up for its lack of power with exceptional gas mileage of 44 mpg city/44 mpg hwy with a standard CVT automatic. Finally, the natural-gas-powered Civic Natural Gas returns 27 mpg city/38 mpg hwy.
Standard Features & Options
The Civic is offered in seven trim levels. Traditional Civic models offer LX, HF, EX and EX-L trims, while sport-minded drivers can pick the Civic Si. For fuel economy buffs, there's the Civic Hybrid and the Civic Natural Gas.
Available as a sedan or a coupe, the base-level Civic LX ($18,800) includes air conditioning; power accessories such as power windows, power locks and power mirrors; a 5-inch center display screen; a rearview camera; Bluetooth and a sound system that boasts a CD player, an auxiliary plug, Pandora Internet radio and an iPod interface.
Step up to the Civic HF ($20,500) and you get a model designed to maximize fuel economy. The sedan-only HF boasts low-rolling-resistance tires, aerodynamic wheels and underbody panels, and a rear spoiler.
Next up is the Civic EX ($21,000), which again is offered as a sedan or a coupe. It adds automatic headlights, alloy wheels, keyless ignition with push-button start, a power sunroof, Honda's LaneWatch blind spot camera, HondaLink smartphone integration and a 60/40 split-folding rear seat back.
Topping the traditional Civic range is the EX-L ($23,200), which includes larger alloy wheels, leather upholstery, heated front seats and fog lights. EX-L sedan models also include a power driver's seat.
Shoppers who go for the sporty Civic Si ($23,200), offered as a sedan or a coupe, get a more powerful 4-cylinder engine, along with a limited slip differential, sport suspension and fog lights. Many of the Si's features mirror the Civic EX's equipment.
If it's fuel economy you're after, the Civic offers two choices: the Civic Hybrid ($25,000) or the Civic Natural Gas ($27,100). The Civic Hybrid's equipment roughly mirrors that of the Civic EX, though some EX-L features are optional. The Civic Hybrid also adds standard forward-collision warning and lane-departure warning systems. The Civic Natural Gas boasts the same features as the Civic LX.
Like most Honda models, the Civic offers few options. The exception is for Hybrid, Si, EX and EX-L trims, which are available with a voice-activated navigation system.
The 2014 Honda Civic comes standard with stability control, side curtain airbags, front side airbags, a rearview camera and 4-wheel anti-lock brakes. EX and EX-L models also boast Honda's LaneWatch blind spot camera, while the Civic Hybrid includes forward-collision warning and lane-departure warning systems.
In government testing, the Civic earned five overall stars -- a score made up of 4-star ratings on frontal and rollover tests and a 5-star rating in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's side-impact assessment.
Behind the Wheel
The simplicity of the Civic is palpable, and it has a wonderfully effortless driving feel. While it's not the most entertaining car in terms of performance, it exhibits a feeling of lightness that inspires confidence in the driver.
The braking is forgiving but firm. The steering is light but exact. The climate control is laid out in a highly intuitive fashion. The drivetrain barely makes noise. And although it's a very fuel-frugal vehicle, it has the power to get up and go if you need it. Viewed with a positive attitude, this is a Zen-like driving experience.
Small touches such as silver trim and more obvious changes such as black carpeting give the Civic's interior a more upscale appearance. More soft-touch surfaces and better material for the seats, door panels and headliner improve the look and feel, too.
Still, the interior of the Civic remains simple and sturdy. All its bits are robust and well-built, with no extraneous items to worry about ruining or breaking. While modern, its sturdiness is reminiscent of vehicles from an earlier time.
The Civic isn't a big car, but delightfully the interior isn't small. Even tall drivers will find it roomy and comfortable in every direction. That's truly rare in small, fuel-efficient vehicles.
Other Cars to Consider
Ford Focus -- The Focus comes as a sedan or a 5-door hatch, making its lineup more practical than the Civic's. The Focus also boasts a plug-in hybrid model and a sporty ST version, which offer advantages over the Civic Hybrid and Civic Si, respectively.
Hyundai Elantra -- Hyundai's compact contender was redesigned for 2011 and remains highly competitive. Some shoppers like its flowing lines, while others appreciate several body-style choices, including a hatchback and a coupe.
Toyota Corolla -- Offered only as a sedan and not available with a hybrid model, the Corolla is fully redesigned for the 2014 model year. Prices, interior room and equipment are similar to the Civic -- so we suggest you drive both models.
AutoTrader's Advice
We recommend buyers look past the base model to the HF, which starts at $19,765. The HF looks sleeker than the standard Civic because it shares its body panels with the Civic Hybrid. It also offers 41 mpg hwy without adding thousands of pounds of hybrid components and batteries. Its simplicity makes the HF the version that's truest to the spirit of the Civic.


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About the Tour
The original HAUNTINGS tour of Savannah, Georgia. A 90 minute walking tour, departs 9pm nightly. BE PREPARED TO BE SCARED. Hear tales of encounters with the paranormal in one of the most haunted cities in America. Based on Margaret DeBolt's book 'Savannah Spectres', as well as ... Read More
Savannah Hauntings
The city of Savannah is literally built on its dead. Cemeteries were built on the edge of the settlement. As the colony grew into a port city the cemeteries were absorbed and homes and businesses built on former burial sites. Some of the dead were moved, some probably weren't. And some just turn up. A mummified body was found in the walls of the ... Read More


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Do you know someone who ought to be nominated for an award? This is your chance!
Awards are given out at Commencement on May 17, so get your nomination in as soon as you can.
Was there a great teacher at Tech who influenced your learning, career, and life? Nominate that person for the Distinguished Teaching Award. Email Dr. Mark Cal, firstname.lastname@example.com, with the reasons you think the person deserves the award. Please describe the efforts, methods and impact of nominee on your educational experience at New Mexico Tech. Previous recipients of the award are at http://infohost.nmt.edu/mainpage/faculty/dist.html
The Alumni Association gives two awards at Commencement, one for Distinguished Service (to a person who need not be an alum) and one for Distinguished Achievement (to an alum). To nominate someone for one of these awards, send an email stating why you think the person deserves the award to Rose Baca at email@example.com, or call her at 1-800-428-TECH, #4. Previous recipients are listed at http://infohost.nmt.edu/mainpage/alumni/dist.html.


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Ever wonder how important development is in the early youth stages of our lives as well as our children's? Do you believe that if you only knew what you know now perhaps 10 or 20 years ago that your life would be totally different today? Wouldn't you want that same power of choice in your child's hands, right now! Ever wonder how important development is in the early youth stages of our lives as well as our children's?
We have specially designed Career Development Coaching to assist students to choose the right study fields.
As well as to assist them with career guidance and career choices and help them accelerate with advanced learning skills and learning techniques to create and succeed in whatever field they have chosen.
Does what your teenager do sometimes catch you off guard, do you find yourself asking who your child really is?
We assist you even further by doing Personal Parent and Teenager Coaching which assists you in dealing with relationship and trust issues, we help family members and teenagers cope with change.
Your relationship growth together is highly important to us as we know that often we were never really taught to be parents, no one ever showed us what the magical formula is (if there is one) to a healthy and sustainable relationship with our children, that will continue to grow and strengthen as your understanding for each other deepens.
Our advanced Life Coaching techniques empower you and your teenager through this process, to achieve the results you want in your lives. Coaching can be done one on one, or Group Coaching for organizations, schools, universities etc. If any of the following characteristics are prevalent then it would be a great idea for your teenager/school to do Student Coaching right now, wouldn't you agree?


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Versus Versace Watch VSP791118
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Versus Versace watches are part of the collection from the first ever diffusion line launched by international Italian fashion house Versace. The range was introduced with a strong focus on flair, innovation and unconventional design ideas for those who wanted a more individual look. Versus Versace watches are one of the flagship collections from the line, along with leather accessories and a chic clothing range. The Versus Versace watch collection features bold, strong colours and a sporty appearance, using durable high quality materials and with many pieces offering water resistance of as much as five atmospheres. Each features the Versus logo within a uniquely designed dial, with straps ranging from elegant metallic through classy leather to practical fabric or plastic. For an even more diverse range of designs, check out the other Versace watches available from Watch Shop.
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Ottawa Suzuki Strings is a music school providing violin, viola, cello, guitar and voice instruction using the Suzuki method. Our experienced faculty have music degrees and are trained in Suzuki pedagogy. Students range from very young "Twinklers" to advanced students in Stellae Boreales. The combination of private lessons, group classes, and performance opportunities gives students a broad and exciting music experience. Many students have distinguished themselves competing in local and provincial competitions, and have also had the opportunity to perform in other Canadian cities and overseas.
Please contact the school administrator who can put you in touch with one of our faculty, or click here to register.
Thank you for visiting our site. Explore the menus to find out more about the staff, school, and other information about concerts and events. Come back from and visit us for regular site updates.
Registered Charity Number: 84838 8252 RR0001
© 2017 Ottawa Suzuki Strings


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Gene Chizik's Auburn Tigers had all the momentum from a national championship season and the accompanying exposure, and stockpiled highly rated recruits to keep the success going.
Gene Chizik's Auburn Tigers had all the momentum from a national championship season and the accompanying exposure, and stockpiled highly rated recruits to keep the success going.
Still, things quickly went disastrously wrong on the Plain.
The Tigers had discipline problems on the field, serious issues between the lines and a collapse that led to Chizik's dismissal Sunday after four seasons that brought glory and embarrassment alike.
Athletic director Jay Jacobs decided it was time to stop the rollercoaster ride.
"It was just last year our inability to compete oftentimes and this year the losses, I began to get concerned," Jacobs said Sunday.
He had reason to be concerned.
Many things led to the unprecedented two-year free-fall by an Associated Press national champ.
Many of the highly touted prospects haven't panned out yet, attrition and off-the-field problems have taken their toll and the quarterback play has been shaky since Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton's one season of domination.
The result was a 3-9 season when Auburn couldn't win a Southeastern Conference game or muster much of a fight in its last three league games against top-tier league opponents Texas A&M, Georgia and Alabama.
The Tigers were outscored 150-21 in their last three games.
It seems sudden. But it wasn't.
The warning signs crept up last season when Auburn wasn't competitive against LSU, Georgia or Alabama — teams the Tigers had beaten the previous season with Newton often lifting the team from deficits.
But those were top 10 teams. Auburn couldn't beat anyone in the SEC this year. And how they were losing became a major issue.
"The Mississippi State game, five turnovers, OK," Jacobs said. "But after the Arkansas game I became very concerned in our fundamental approach to the game."
The Tigers were beaten 24-7 by a struggling Razorbacks team and then things got even worse.
"It was like the dam just broke," said JC Shurburtt, national recruiting director for 247Sports.
Still, Jacobs believes there will be no shortage of quality candidates interested in the coaching vacancy.
"I think we're going to have the best pool we've possibly ever had to hire a head coach," Jacobs said. "Competing in the SEC and in particular the SEC West, people that want to win championships and people that have the personality we need to have to win championships, those are the people that will be coming to the front of the line. For those that are faint-hearted, they need to get in line."
Shurburtt said Auburn underachieved this year.
The Tigers brought in three straight top 10 recruiting classes, but it didn't translate on the field.
"I don't think it was a 3-9 collection of talent," Shurburtt said. "I think that that team quit with three or four games to go."
Lack of accountability might have had something to do with that.
Former Auburn offensive lineman Cole Cubelic said there wasn't much repercussion for poor play — or poor behavior. The Tigers ranked 115th nationally in total offense and 82nd in total defense.
"The fact that you have kids that are playing very poor football and are never taken out of the game or never lose their positions, to me, is inexcusable," said Cubelic, who hosts a Huntsville radio show. "When I played, if you had a bad series or even a bad play or two, you were taken out. Just to prove a point. These guys never even tried to prove a point with any of these kids."
Cubelic feels that probably contributed to problems off the field.
Auburn had a series of incidents that included two arrests for public intoxication over the summer.
"I do believe discipline was a big problem," he said. "I don't know how and when that started necessarily. It's a huge issue."
One that possibly began with what Shurburtt calls "derecruiting."
That's the process where the coaches go from the courting players during the recruiting process to the reality of hard work that translates talent to production.
"Certainly a lot of these kids are not living up to their potential," Shurburtt said. "I think that's pretty obvious."
The Tigers have another top 10 recruiting class lined up next season.
Whether Auburn can hold onto the players — or can win with them — likely will depend on who the Tigers bring in as their next coach and how quickly.


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