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The health insurance industry has confronted many external challenges in the recent past, such as federal, state legislative and regulatory reforms, inability to meet the demand of more price- and service-conscious consumers, a fiercely competitive market, shift of customer mix and uncertain economic conditions in the U.S. and abroad, just to name a few.
Notwithstanding the headwinds, the industry is thriving under stress. Most of the top six players -- UnitedHealth Group Inc. ([url=https://www.zacks.com/stock/quote/unh]UNH[/url]), CIGNA Corp. ([url=https://www.zacks.com/stock/quote/ci]CI[/url]), WellPoint Inc. ([url=https://www.zacks.com/stock/quote/wlp]WLP[/url]), Aetna Inc. ([url=https://www.zacks.com/stock/quote/aet]AET[/url]), Humana Inc. ([url=https://www.zacks.com/stock/quote/hum]HUM[/url]) and Coventry Health Care Inc. ([url=https://www.zacks.com/stock/quote/cvh]CVH[/url]) -- ended 2012 on a high note with impressive earnings growth in the final quarter. Most of the carriers even raised their 2013 earnings estimates.
About the Industry
The health and medical insurance industry is an integral part of the U.S. economy. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. health expenditures account for about 18% of the country's annual GDP. According to the World Health Organization, health care expenditure per person in the United States is the highest in the world.
Despite huge sums of money spent on health care, millions of Americans lack health insurance coverage or are underinsured. This was largely attributed to a dysfunctional health care system, which was working for the past several years. To rein in the wastage and make health care more accessible effective and affordable, President Obama came out with the Health Care Reform in an attempt to overhaul the nation's ailing health care system.
Health Care Overhaul
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which was passed in 2010, marked the beginning of a multiyear implementation process. It is the most substantial overhaul in the history of the nation's health care sector.
The reform was intended to provide coverage to the 32 million uninsured Americans. The primary focus was to make health care facilities more affordable, expand coverage for customers with pre-existing health conditions and keep a check on health insurers.
Certain significant provisions of the legislation were: mandated coverage requirements, rebates to policyholders based on minimum benefit ratios, adjustments to Medicare Advantage premiums, the establishment of state-based exchanges, greater investment in health IT, annual insurance industry premium-based assessment, reduction in Federal assistance on Medicare Advantage, restriction on rescission of policies and elimination of annual as well as life time maximum limits.
The Reform had a rough patch since inception with opponents challenging its individual mandate and Medicaid expansion clause as well as dragging it to court. Insurers lobbied against most of its provisions and opposition political parties swore to repeal the whole law if they were elected. But the law survived the challenges with the Supreme Court upholding the constitutionality of its individual mandate – the core of the reform.
Also, the re-election of Barack Obama provides the necessary ratification to the health care reform. That said, the full implementation of the reform is far from guaranteed given the substantial leeway states enjoy in enforcing key parts of the legislation, particularly the setting up of exchanges and expansion of Medicaid.
The Changing Face of the Health Insurance Industry
Obama's second term of presidency will see implementation of key provisions across the industry. However, a vexing problem in the short- to mid-term is the uncertainty over how regulatory reform will play out. So far, the carriers in the industry have handled the impact of implementation of some of the less onerous provisions of the reform (relating to MLR requirements, ban on denial of coverage due to pre-existing ailment, dependent coverage up to age of 26, annual rate review) relatively well.
For the moment, however, the biggest wild card in the regulatory reform is how the law's biggest and most impactful provisions (relating to setting up of insurance exchanges, individual mandate, ICD-10 requirements, pre-existing conditions, Medicaid expansion, an annual insurance industry assessment of $8 billion in 2014 with increasing annual amounts thereafter), which are due to be implemented in 2014, will effect the industry. Investor sentiment toward the implementation in 2014 and beyond will be the key driving factor for managed care stocks.
Exchanges will act as an online marketplace where consumers who are underinsured or uninsured will be able to shop for subsidized coverage and small businesses can buy more affordable plans for their workers. A key risk to insurers is that insurance exchanges will lead to commoditization of insurance products, making product offerings highly standardized. This product standardization along with a framework for strong government price regulation will expectedly lead to very low profit margins for the carriers in the long run.
While the individual mandate provision will bring into loop approximately 32 million of the uninsured, the gain in revenues due to increasing industry enrollment is expected to be offset to a large extent by the costs to realign their business to comply with the new rules (ICD-10 coding) and deal with other challenges.
Several provisions in the Health Reform Legislation – excise tax on medical devices, annual fees on prescription drug manufacturers, enhanced coverage requirements and the prohibition of pre-existing condition exclusions – will likely increase insurers medical cost trends.
Moreover, the annual insurance industry assessment ($8 billion to be levied on the insurance industry in 2014 and it will increase to $14.3 billion by 2018 with increasing annual amounts thereafter) will increase premium cost. Also the temporary reinsurer's fee ($25 billion to be levied on all commercial lines of business including insured and self-funded arrangements, over a three-year period starting 2014) will increase insurers' operating costs.
In the meantime, rules of the road remain uncertain. Insurers do not know what exactly will be expected of them, what changes they will be forced to implement, or what expenses they might have to incur to meet new data and regulatory demands. Carriers may see potentially game-changing developments threatening their ability to achieve top- and bottom-line growth.
However, insurers are being proactive, trying very hard not just to survive but to prosper.
Aiming Global Markets
With organic growth remaining challenging, carriers in the health insurance sector are flocking toward the international markets, which specifically appear attractive on account of lesser regulations, higher margins and lower competition. Additionally, pressure on social health care systems along with increasing wealth and education in emerging markets are leading to higher demands for health insurance and financial security. This provides carriers with a vast market opportunity.
Companies like Cigna and Aetna, which have active presence overseas, believe that their international business is a positive differentiator and a key driver of higher-than-peer growth rates. Both companies are targeting to penetrate deeper mainly in the emerging economies of Asia and the Middle East.
UnitedHealth is another case in point. The company already has a presence in Australia, the Middle East and UK. In Oct 2012, it expanded its portfolio with the purchase of a controlling stake in Amil Participacoes, Brazil's biggest health insurer and hospital operator, for $4.9 billion. The deal will give it access to a fast-growing health insurance market with rising middle class.
Though U.S. health insurers had little international presence until the recent past, they are fast catching up. We expect to see more international deals going forward.
Health Insurers Investing in New Technologies
There has been unprecedented spending on health information technology (HIT). HIT includes electronic health records (EHRs), health information exchanges (HIEs) and other initiatives.
The federal government's emphasis on the use of health IT, which helps providers communicate better with each other about patient care, reduces medical errors, paperwork and needless duplicate screenings and tests, leading to better coordinated patient care and lower health care costs. Financial incentives offered by regulators to health care providers and hospitals for meaningful use of health care IT products are primarily driving huge IT spending.
Starting 2013, all hospitals serving Medicare patients with the most common conditions will be paid for the quality of care they provide in addition to the number of services offered by them. We expect the trend to continue as pay-for-performance takes root.
Reimbursement Cuts to the Medicare Advantage Program
Medicare Advantage plans are privately run versions of the federally funded Medicare program for the elderly and disabled people. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently announced that it expects costs per person for Medicare Advantage plans to fall more than 2% in 2014, which is a cause of worry for insurers as it can result in significant payment cuts.
Medicare Advantage plans also face cuts from the health care overhaul and from the steep federal budget cuts. Insurers' profits are also expected to be pressured by the growing cost of care and a premium tax imposed to fund the overhaul.
Medicare Advantage Still Remains a Preferred Market
Despite reimbursement cuts to Medicare Advantage, insurers remain attracted to this line of business as they expect to recover the revenues lost due to payment cuts from the significant increase in enrollment for the Medicare Advantage program. Enrollment in such plans is expected to increase in 2013 compared to 2012.
According to U.S. Census data, the population of Medicare beneficiaries will grow 36% by the end of this decade, led by a vast baby boomer population. Until recently, only two of the public providers -- UnitedHealth and Humana were the primary market share holders. However, consolidation in this market is scrambling market share ratios.
Carriers in the health insurance sector are in a race to win Medicare Advantage market share and the fastest way of achieving the target is to acquire a company in the same business. Some of the examples are Cigna's acquisition of HealthSpring Inc., UnitedHealth's acquisition of XLHealth Corp., Aetna's pending acquisition of Coventry Health Care Inc.
Consolidation Continues
Notwithstanding the fact that the health insurance industry has been witnessing copious mergers and acquisitions for the last several years, the landscape created by Health Care Reform has set the stage right for further consolidation. In the changed environment, small insurers are becoming inefficient. The inability to achieve the required scale to be profitable is forcing these small players to get acquired.
Over the next few years, growth opportunities for the players in the health insurance sector will be driven by the following factors:
- Gradually increasing health expenditure and reliance on managed care. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services total health care spending is projected to grow from an estimated $2.8 trillion last year to $4.8 trillion by 2021, an increase of 70%. This clearly points to the fact that the health care industry will most certainly outstrip broader economic growth. Moreover, over the same time frame, managed care penetration is expected to grow to about 1/2 of total national health care spending, up from approximately 1/3rd at present, driven by increased reliance on insurers in managing government's fee-for-service Medicare and Medicaid products.
- Recent Census figures show that seniors constitute a larger share of the American population than ever before. The trend will only gain steam in the years ahead. Consequently, the aging population is expected to drive industry demand as they would aim to reduce their health-related costs. We expect most of the companies within our coverage to benefit from the trend. Among others, Cigna Corp. with a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and UnitedHealth Group Inc., Humana, WellPoint, Aetna Inc. and Amerigroup with a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) will offer good investment opportunities in the upcoming years.
Let's have a quick look at some of these companies:
CIGNA Corp. remains attractive given its strong growth profile in the industry with its International segment growing in double digits, significant presence in Medicare Advantage book as well as self insured business. The company has been putting up strong earnings performances and the trend is expected to continue. We are more optimistic about the company as it has reduced exposure to its run off portfolio, which had traditionally been imparting volatility to its earnings.
Aetna has been performing favorably over the past several quarters. The company is also making strong progress in its Medicare business. It is also growing its international business for diversification benefits. A solid balance sheet, well-controlled debt and adequate liquidity will provide overall strength.
UnitedHealth has also been showcasing a favorable earnings performance for the past many quarters. In all likelihood, it will outperform in a rapidly changing industry environment given its best-in-class execution and management, product positioning, scale and technology. We also see the company's exposure to health reform downside risks as somewhat more contained than what was perceived before.
Though none of the health insurance stocks under our coverage hold a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) or even a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), we expect the following factors to negatively impact the industry:
- Health insurers are expected to face challenges related to medical-cost inflation. The Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services expects U.S. health expenditures to increase at an average annual rate of 5.7% to $3.3 trillion during the next five years. Furthermore, the demand for Medicare is expected to increase as the baby-boomer generation goes into retirement. Consequently, insurers will likely face increased pressure to maintain medical-benefit ratios due to the lack of funds for these programs along with government's initiatives to control costs.
- The U.S. economy continues to experience a period of slow growth and high unemployment. Workforce reductions have caused corresponding membership losses in insurance companies' fully-insured commercial group business. Continued weakness in the U.S. economy and still high unemployment rate will adversely affect medical membership, operations, financial position and cash flows.
The overall thrust of healthcare reform and regulatory changes will most definitely change the face of the industry over the long run.
In-Depth Zacks Research for the Tickers Above
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Prints by Conrad Marca-Relli
Composition IX
Date of creation: 1977
Medium: Etching and aquatint
Media: Gvarro paper
Edition: 75 + AP + HC
Size: 56 x 76 cm
Etching and aquatint on Gvarro paper hand signed and numbered in pencil by Conrad Marca-Relli. Published in 1977 by Polígrafa Editions, Barcelona. Plate size: 62 x 44 cm.
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subset: commoncrawl


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In a clearing deep inside the Laotian jungle, a group of Hmong fall to the ground and beg me for help as soon as they see me. Chor Her, a skinny man wearing torn camouflage, is the only one to remain standing. He salutes before joining the others on the muddy ground.
'We have no food, every day we have to run, we are being hunted like animals,' says one elderly woman,weeping. The young children surrounding her are also crying—I'm told it's the first time they've seen a foreigner. Indeed, these people have been largely cut off from the outside world since the Vietnam War.
Back then, the Hmong were fighters—secret fighters in a 15-year covert US operation backed by the CIA. Now they are forced to constantly run for their lives in a country whose government doesn't officially acknowledge they exist.Enjoying this article? Click here to subscribe for full access. Just $5 a month.
'The Americans gave us weapons and told us to shoot the enemy,' says Chor Her, waving a battered CIA-issued M79 in the air. 'Then they left us and we've been slowly dying here ever since…When the Lao Army kills one of our men, they feel as though they've killed an American in revenge for us helping them during the war.'
Almost before he has finished his sentence, another man jumps into the conversation, pleading for food and medicine. 'We are human beings, so why does the world turna deaf ear and blind eye to us?' he asks.
As the Vietnam War raged,Washington noticed that communist forces had spilled over into Laos. In response, the Americans launched what was later called a secret war. At the time, Laos had been declared 'neutral,' but with a growing communist presence, the CIA saw it as the next front in the conflict. A handful of CIA agents were flown in to build on existing tensions between the Hmong and the Laotian government, led by the communist Pathet Lao.
'They were better than anyone else around, every step they took was up or down so they could move a lot faster than the enemy,' says Bill Lair, a legendary CIA agent who headed the agency's paramilitary operations in Laos. 'They needed a leader and Vang Pao seemed like the most suitable man for the job.'
Vang Pao, or 'the General,' was selected for his charisma and leadership skills, honed when the Hmong had previously allied with the French against North Vietnamese forces. With the help of the CIA, he reportedly trained and armed more than 60,000 Hmong fighters. While the Americans set up a major military airport in Northern Laos, the Hmong were in charge of disrupting communist supply lines and rescuing downed pilots.
It has been estimated that the Hmong lost nearly 100,000 people during this secret operation. As the war progressed, and with casualties quickly mounting, Vang Pao and his CIA backers eventually had to turn to the use of child soldiers to keep up the resistance efforts.


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By Tim Grant, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Many young Americans are so deep in hock for student loans, credit cards and other consumer debt that they may foresee themselves dying before they pay off their debt. A new study by medical researchers suggest they could even die from their debt.
High financial debt, especially relative to household assets, has a negative impact on the health of young adults, according to researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine who found heavy debt is associated with higher diastolic blood pressure and poorer self-reported general and mental health in young adults in the study group.
"We already know from other studies that being in debt is associated with stress, depression and even suicide," said Elizabeth Sweet, an assistant professor of medical sciences at Northwestern University and the lead author of the study. "Our study goes beyond that to show that debt is also associated with worse physical health -- including worse overall health and higher blood pressure.
"Debt doesn't just make you feel bad, but can actually make you physically sick."
At a time when household debt has become a fact of life for many people who are using credit to pay for basic necessities, the topic of debt -- whether student loans, mortgages or the credit industry in general -- is increasingly a part of the broader national conversation about social and economic policy. Ms. Sweet said this study suggests that, on top of everything else, the potential health consequences of debt should be part of that conversation as well.
Researchers used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to explore the association between debt and both psychological and general health outcomes in 8,400 young adults, ages 24 to 32 years old. They found 20 percent of the participants reported they would still be in debt if they liquidated all of their assets.
Those with higher debt were found to have a 1.3 percent increase (relative to the mean) in diastolic blood pressure, which is a clinically significant level. A two-point increase in diastolic blood pressure, for example, is associated with a 17 percent higher risk of hypertension and a 15 percent higher risk of stroke.
The Northwestern Medicine study was published in the August issue of Social Science and Medicine.
"I'm not sure that young people are more or less vulnerable to the health impacts of debt than others," Ms. Sweet said. "That is a question that needs to be researched. The participants in our study were all young adults, and certainly we know that certain types of debt -- like student loans -- are of growing concern for that demographic.
"But debt is an issue for almost all Americans, and understanding the health implications of debt for people of all ages is important and should be studied."
The researchers did not know the specific kinds of debt the people in the study were wrestling with, but student loans are a growing issue for young people. The government has reported that the total amount of federal student loan debt has tipped the $1 trillion mark, a figure that dwarfs even credit card borrowing in this country. Debt has led a growing number of young adults to move back in with their parents and put many of their dreams of starting families and businesses on hold.
According to the credit reporting company Experian, young adults age 19 to 29 have the smallest amount of debt overall, but proportionally, their debts compared to the national averages are significant.
This generation's debt for mortgages is 17 percent lower than other age groups, but 421 percent higher for student loans, 136 percent higher for auto loans and 24 percent higher for credit cards.
"The participants in this study were young, 24 to 32 years old," Ms. Sweet said. "I think the fact that we are seeing an impact of debt on health in people this young is surprising, and speaks to how potent debt might be as a risk factor for disease. But it also speaks to how significant debt is becoming among young people."
Tim Grant: email@example.com or 412-263-1591 .
___ ©2013 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Visit the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at www.post-gazette.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services


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Gossip Girl
The Cullens move to the Upper East Side to start over. What will S and B have to say about this? XOXO Gossip Girl
Let me know how you like it!
Rating 5/5 Word Count 1890 Review this Chapter
Good morning, Upper East Siders,
Welcome to another year full of my favorite nouns: drama, scandal, and dictatorship. There's a new family in town, and everyoneis talking. Six foster children? Can anyone else smell incense burning, or is that incest? There hasn't been something this scandalous since S returned from boarding school, only to be rejected by B. Speaking of our favorite duo, we don't think they will take too kindly to being overshadowed by these newcomers. B and S aren't ones to take things sitting down. And, as much as a BFF can make you go WTF, we think that they'll have something to say about this...Send me the latest dish. I'll be watching.
XOXO gossipgirl
"Who is that?" Blair Waldorf sneered at her best friend, Serena van der Woodsen as their cell phones buzzed in the latest gossip girl hit. Serena shook her head in awe. Six of the most beautiful people just walked in to the St. Jude's and Constance Billard combined courtyard. They walked with enviable beauty and grace. It was only the first day of school, but Blair could feel her distaste for them growing before they spoke one word to her. She smoothed her new Stella McCartney lace-panel skirt, knowing it looked immaculate already. Her Zac Posen carriage blouse fit her perfectly, too, and the multi-strapped Prada pumps gave her a dangerous edge. Her dark hair was lacking its usual headband, but still looked gorgeous from its fresh blow out. Serena's black sequined Dolce and Gabbana mini skirt with her Oscar de la Renta ankle boots showed off her long, tanned legs. Her white t shirt with capped sleeves was tucked in to her skirt; every girl at Constance coveted everything about Serena van der Woodsen. No matter what she wore, she looked perfect. Her golden hair waved down her back. They both sat at one of the many tables in the courtyard; seated across from Serena and Blair was Kati Farkas and Isabel Coates, two main girls of Blair's 'merry band of psychos.'
There were three boys and three girls, all incredibly gorgeous. They all seated themselves at a table directly across from Blair and Serena's. They all looked extremely disinterested, almost bored. Serena couldn't help but wonder if they were all going to be horribly stuck up, the kind of people she hated, but invariably found herself surrounded by. She decided that later she would definitely go and talk to them, see if maybe they wanted to hang out sometime. She felt pity for them, moving to such a cliquey city.
Oh, S. You have no idea.
Bella POV
We sat at a table, close to the entrance of the courtyard. The courtyard was filled with girls in brightly colored tights, short skirts, preppy blouses, and headbands. Do they purposely coordinate their outfits, or is this the style here? I couldn't help but wonder. We all had bored expressions on our faces. Edward looked perfect in his St. Jude's uniform: khaki dress pants, yellow oxford shirt, and maroon striped tie. My discreet white blouse and navy blue skirt, shorter than I would prefer, looked nice and low key, exactly how I planned. I could still hear the obvious whispers, though, the rumors already being spread. I smiled.
"Emmett, apparently you and I are having an affair." I told him with a grin. He grinned back at me.
"I'm game if you are, baby." I rolled my eyes at him. "Oh, and I hear that we moved here because you had a child, who lives in France with the nanny, Alice. Oh, and Bella, you went to rehab." Emmett added. We all laughed at the ridiculous accusations. If only they knew our real secret, I thought wearily. We heard the warning bell, signaling that there was five minutes to get to your class. I stood up, feeling unnaturally stiff. The formal brick buildings of Constance Billard School for Girls and St. Jude's Academy for Boys were extremely formal looking. They were the type of buildings that looked like they had been built for a courthouse or bank in the 18th century. The courtyard and all the walkways leading towards the school were made of real cobblestones. The courtyard had potted plants and fancy, mahogany picnic tables. It all seemed excessively gaudy to me, but the girls here all seemed to indulge in the finer things in life.
Edward appeared next to me, holding his arm out to me.
"May I escort you to your next class?" He asked in a formal accent.
"I suppose." I said with a mischievous grin. I wrapped my arm around his waist and leaned against his shoulder. "I can't believe we have to spend all day apart." He nodded slowly with unwilling eyes. We walked quietly towards the archway that led out of the courtyard. This was where it separated in to St. Jude's and Constance. I looked up at Edward with agonized eyes, feeling almost panicked at the thought of having to leave him. He smiled sadly at me. He leaned down and kissed me once on the forehead.
"I will see you in exactly," he glanced at the large, antique looking clock that hung from the archway leading in to the courtyard. "Three and a half hours for lunch." I couldn't help but laugh in spite of myself. Three hours wasn't really that long, anyway.
"Bye." I murmured. He smiled.
"I will see you soon." He reminded me. He turned and walked away towards the St. Jude's part of the building. I concentrated very hard for a moment and forced my shield away from my mind, forbidding it from protecting me. I love you. I thought at him. I could almost hear him smile as he turned his head and winked at me. I laughed and smirked at my husband as he walked away. I turned on my three inch Manolos and walked towards Constance Billard's main building. I passed glaring girls and coveting boys as I walked gracefully up the stairs and in to the main office. We had obtained all of our necessary information the week prior, so I had my schedule and the school had my transcripts. Since it wasn't necessary to get anything from the front office I glided through the French doors that led in to the main girls hallway. I looked at my French manicured nails - it was a miracle in itself that I hadn't clawed the polish off already - and smiled. I looked just like the rest of the girls in my all designer outfit. I walked down the tiled floor, enjoying the melodic click-clacking of my heels, until I found my locker: number 119. I dialed the combination that I had written down on a sheet of paper, 12-34- 02. The lock popped open easily and I put my Birkin bag, full of my school supplies, in to the roomy locker. There was a built in mirror on the locker door that I couldn't help but catch a glance of myself in. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
I looked...intimidating...and beautiful. I smiled at my shock. I had become so used to being average that suddenly being superwoman was shocking. I retrieved my necessary notebooks from my bag and slammed my locker shut, only to turn to a group of five girls standing right behind me, grouped as though to keep me from running away. At the front of the group there was a stunning brunette. She had dark brown hair that was silky and perfectly wavy. She had a perfect, ski slope nose, and beautiful blue eyes. She had lips that were painted red in a menacing way. She looked threatening, even to me.
"Hi there, my name is Blair Waldorf." The girl said with false perkiness. I reached out to shake her hand cautiously. Her eyes never faltered from their helpful glare, daring anyone else to talk to interrupt what she had to say to me.
"Hi, I'm Bella, Bella Cullen; it's nice to meet you." I said with a tentative smile. She sized me up and raised one eyebrow.
"As head chair of the Academic Outreach Committee, it is my duty to offer assistance to anything you need. And, since I know it must be touch being new to this city, I was wondering if you wanted to eat lunch with us, on the steps of the met?" Blair asked assertively. It didn't seem like saying no was really an option. I thought about it, but then I couldn't imagine not being able to see Edward for the brief, 35 minute period we had together.
"Thanks for the offer, but I think I'm going to eat lunch with my family today. Maybe some other time?" I asked, not wanting to be rude. Blair's eyes narrowed.
"Of course. It was lovely to meet you...Bella." She looked back at her posse and gestured for them to move down the hallway. They followed her command like lost puppies. I decided it might be best for me to stay out of their way. I shook my head, utterly confused and made my way to Calculus, my least favorite subject. I opened the door and poked my head inside the classroom to find that it wasn't the correct room. I turned quickly to go find the correct classroom.
"Oh, hey, wait!" I heard a voice yell. I turned and opened the door a little wider. There was a stunning blonde girl sitting scribbling furiously on a sheet of paper. It looked as though she was taking notes. Her hair was long and perfect, almost identical to Rosalie's. Her dark blue eyes were piercing, but welcoming. "Oh, wow. You're one of the new kids, right? I'm Serena van der Woodsen; it's nice to meet you!" She seemed kind, and very energetic.
"I'm Bella Cullen. It's lovely to meet you, too." All these Upper East Side kids seemed to always say the perfect thing. They spoke with flawless articulation and had incredible vocabularies, so I figured I'd better start working on it.
"Could I help you find a class or something?" She asked thoughtfully.
"Actually, I'm looking for Calculus. Do you know where that is?" Her eyes brightened.
"That's where I'm headed. I was just finishing the homework; I didn't have time to do it last night, because I was at one of Blair's dinner parties." She rolled her eyes. She got up and walked out the classroom with her books, I followed.
"You know Blair?" I asked stupidly as I followed her. She laughed.
"Everyone knows Blair. But yes, she's my best friend." I couldn't help but feel shocked. "I know, but she's really amazing once you get to know her. She's just obsessed with being the queen of the high school. Social anarchy and all that." I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. She saw my confused expression and laughed again. Her laugh was contagious and I, too found myself laughing.
"I came from a very small school." I explained. She nodded.
"Yeah, well with shoes like those," she motioned to my Manolo Blahniks. "You'll learn quickly."
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text:
Location: Soil, Water & Air Resources Research
Project Number: 5030-12000-015-23-T
Project Type: Trust Fund Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Mar 1, 2017
End Date: May 14, 2018
Determine the effects of a humic product on corn crop growth and soil properties in on-farm production.
Sales of humic products have increased in recent years. These products claim to promote plant growth and increase economic yield in production agriculture, although little published research has evaluated such claims. Underlying mechanisms for improved plant growth remain unidentified: it is unknown whether they would involve improved nutrient supply or other traits of soil performance or instead whether the product would directly stimulate the plant. No information exists on whether soil type alters the field efficacy of humic products. The objectives of the proposed research are to first acquire publishable agronomic information that will demonstrate whether a micronized (i.e., super-finely ground) humic product can significantly improve corn growth in field conditions, and on two different soil types. Second, the proposed research will begin testing the hypothesis that a humic product directly alters plant growth through a hormonal-like stimulation and not indirectly through changes in soil properties. This second objective would expand on our existing collaboration with another company, which determines the field efficacy of their humic product made through the conventional alkaline extraction of lignite ore. In a farmer's field, the efficacy of the micronized product in promoting corn growth will be evaluated at two application times in replicated treatments. Crop measurements during the growing season will include leaf area, chlorophyll meter determination of nitrogen status, nutrient status in young leaves at three growth stages, plant height, total biomass and nutrient uptake at harvest, and grain yield as mapped by combine yield monitor. Measurements of plant hormones and other growth stimulant compounds will be taken at selected growth stages. Visual observations of early ear development and root growth will be collected. Post-harvest measurements of hand-picked corn plants will include 100-grain weight, cob length and mass, and stover concentrations of phenols, carbohydrates, and amino acids. All plant measurements will be repeated in two zones of the field that differ in soil properties. Soil samples will be collected at harvest and analyzed to determine basic soil properties and any beneficial or deleterious effects of the humic product.


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SFC Adequacy Standards
The School Facilities Commission's Adequacy Standards are used to guide both capital construction and component level projects (also know as minor capital projects). These standards help establish a uniform level of quality for educational facilities across the state.
Per W.S. 21-15-115(a), the uniform standards at minimum shall include: (i) requirements for educating students in a safe environment including all applicable building, health, safety, and environmental codes and standards required by law for all public buildings.
Statutes also require that the Commission conduct a review of its adequacy standards "not less than once every for years" and suggest any modifications to the Select Committee on School Facilities.
For reference, below are documents that have been utilized in assessing, developing and applying SFC Adequacy Standards.
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User talk:Gomache
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|Dear User Gomache, welcome to MeritBadgeDotOrg! We're glad to see you are interested in editing a topic. Although we invite all registered users to contribute, at least one of your recent edits was not considered constructive and has been reverted or removed. Please use a sandbox for any test edits you would like to make; also, take a look at the welcome, policy and help pages to learn more about editing/contributing. Also, please note that continuting to make non-constructive edits will be considered vandalism and cause your account to be indefinitely blocked, without further warning. So, if you have questions or you need help, do so at: Help:Questions. (You should remove this Warning, once you've read it.) Thank you. —ScouterSig 14:06, October 3, 2007 (EDT)


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Forms Jobs
Mickens, Jr., Emanuel – IR# 811761
Date of Incident: March 5, 2008 Location: 604 Dunleigh Ave.
Summary – Mr. Mickens was in the front yard of a vacant residence with three other individuals. A white mid-size SUV drove down the street and the rear passenger(s) rolled down the window and began shooting at the group. Mr. Mickens was struck several times by bullets and died as a result of his injuries.
Felix, Felix Francisco Juan– IR# 833439
Date of Incident: June 20, 2008 Location: 1331 N. Jackson Ave.
Summary – Mr. Felix was located in the yard behind 1331 North Jackson Avenue. Mr. Felix died as a result of a gunshot wound.
Bacilio, Ezequiel– IR# 837903
Date of Incident: July 12, 2008 Location: 3719-B Yarbrough Ave.
Summary – Mr. Bacilio was located deceased at 3719-B Yarbrough Avenue from an apparent gunshot wound.
Additional Information: Other death investigations may be reviewed by the Cold Case Homicide Unit on a case-by-case basis. If you have information on these cases, or any other unsolved Homicide case, you can call the dedicated TIPS line phone answering system at (336) 726-2039 and leave a message or call Crimestoppers at (336) 727-2800 or the Crimestoppers Spanish line at (336) 728-3904. Other ways to share information is by completing the TIPS form and either submit it online or print and mail it to us at Attention: Cold Case Homicide Unit, Winston-Salem Police Department, P.O. Box 2511, Winston-Salem, NC 27102-2511.
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Overcoming several big mistakes, the Bears came back to defeat the Browns 38-31 on Sunday afternoon in Cleveland.
The win gives the Bears (8-6) a half-game edge over Detroit in the NFC North pending the Lions' Monday-night game against Baltimore.
In his return to the lineup, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler completed 22-of-31 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns, with a pair of scoring throws in the final quarter.
Trailing 24-17 early in the fourth quarter, the Bears scored on three straight drives to seize control.
The first touchdown in the sequence — a 45-yard Cutler-to-Alshon Jeffery connection — was the most spectacular, as the Bears' star second-year wideout caught the ball in-between two Browns defensive backs to tie the game with 10:59 left in regulation.
Browns safety Tashaun Gipson, who twice picked off Cutler earlier in the game, had a chance at a third interception on the long pass to Jeffery, but he appeared to misjudge the ball. He leaped for the pass, but it soared over him, and Jeffrey hauled it in to even the game at 24.
The Bears would take the lead for good on the next series, as Cutler connected with Earl Bennett on a four-yard touchdown with 5:41 left.
The Bears would add their final score a 40-yard TD run by Michael Bush with 2:17 in regulation. Cleveland (4-10) cut the margin to 38-31 with 59 seconds left on a Jason Campbell-to-Josh Gordon 43-yard touchdown, but the Bears would recover the ensuing on-side kick and run out the clock.
More than half of the Browns' points came off of takeaways. Gipson returned one interception for a second-quarter touchdown, and his first-quarter pick set up Cleveland's first field goal of the game. Later, a 51-yard TD return of a Martellus Bennett fumble by T.J. Ward gave the Browns a 24-17 third-quarter lead.
However, the Bears' turnovers stopped there — and just in time for Chicago.


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How does OpenMP (for accelerator targets) provide interoperability between itself and another programming language or numerical library? (e.g. keeping data persistent on the device between OpenMP accelerator regions and an external accelerator-targeted library call)
Seems like there should be a way to expose and/or use device data addresses on the host side. Without this, it seems like it would be difficult to allow device data persistence between uses of OpenMP and alternative approaches.
Please let me know your plans on this topic and/or if I've overlooked something.


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MIDDLEBURY — Andrew Freeman willingly posted on Facebook footage of himself tumbling haphazardly over the Otter Creek Falls in downtown Middlebury in a kayak and is encouraging people to watch it and to tell their friends to do the same.
If he gets enough people to watch it — and like it — he'll will a grant.
Freeman's video, which he wrote and shot at various locations around Vermont on behalf of the Middlebury College Mountain Club (known also as MMC), was recently chosen as one of four finalists for fabric manufacturer Polartec's "Made Possible" grant.


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St Margaret's Summer Fayre 2017
Job adverts for re-enactors, schools, film, tv and events organisers please post here.
Moderator: Moderators
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St Margaret's Summer Fayre 2017
Hello, Our Fayre over the last few years has had a number of re-enactors that have provided great entertainment for our visitors, could we ask if any groups would like to try to put themselves into the forefront of the Main Ring at our Fayre. We hold a fund-raising Summer Fayre, which this year is on the 9th July. We raise funds to help with the maintenance of our 14th century village church, St Margaret's. We do not have a big budget for entertainment at the Fayre but we try to have a main entertainment feature in the main ring. Other attractions include, a classic vehicle rally, that brings in a lot of people, a funfair, Country Craft Village, barbecue, bar, teashop and many stalls. We don't charge for school age children and younger and we try to provide a feature that entertains the children and keeps the parents happy, included in this is a dog show, children's sports, adults tug-o-war, etc. Could please indicate whether you could be available and willing and a range of options to give an idea of possible costings. Our Fayre is at Highfield Farm, Uttoxeter Road, Draycott-in-the-Moors, ST11 9AE, we are on the east side of Stoke-on-Trent. We have a history of Romnan occupation as the main road (Uttoxeter Road) was the Rynekeld Street and in the centre of the village there was a transit fort.
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Tire Size: LT285/70R17/D
Serv. Desc: 121Q
Sidewall: OWL
Max Load: 1449.23 kg
Warranty (km) N/A
Availability: Call for availability
4.85 out of 5Submitted by Patrick in Idaho on 9/3/2016(1998 Chevrolet C1500 Cheyenne)
I've had them for 6 years. I drive maybe 500 to 800 miles a month. They've been wearing great. Sometimes I haul a 29 foot travel trailer, gross weight on the combination is about 14k. No issues to complain about. I've had them siped and buried this little truck in snow up to the windshield, never so much as spun a tire. Light road noise, but that's never bothered me. Getting 22mpg with a 350 v8 with these on it. Had wild cat open country tires for my last set and got about 19mpg. I'm sold on them. Planning to get them for my 1 ton dually.
4.85 out of 5Submitted by keith in West Virginia on 10/16/2013(2001 Dodge Trucks Ram 1500 ST 4x4 Reg. Cab)
I drove to work and back for five years before these tires wore down. They were the best I have owned on a pickup and now the only ones I'll run or suggest to others for the best bang for your buck.
4.55 out of 5Submitted by Jean-Claude in Pennsylvania on 10/12/2013(2000 Chevrolet Trucks Tahoe 4x4)
Good tire for the price.
Submit Review
Picked a set of these up about a year ago for my 1995 chevy 1500, bought them in 33x12.5x15. I have about 30,000 miles on them so far, a mix of highway and aggressive offroad action. Very minimal tread wear so far! Wide voids perform well in mud and water, tires clear mud out with minimal tire spin! On snow and ice I did have to deflate them to 15-20 psi, but once deflated they were fantastic! On highway there is some noise but not enough to bother me. Overall great tire!
I Hades a 94Toyota 4runner 2wd had it wrapped with these tires never ever had a problem with them and I out wheeled 4x4trucks all the time with a 2wd now looking at putting some new ones on my 82k2500gmc I'm sure they will exceed my expectations once again . And to you folks looking and thinking stop thinking just buy them .you will be happy with the performance...
I bought these tires in December of 2010, 6 years ago, and have put 38k miles on them. Driven through snow, on dirt roads, down the highway and never had a problem with these tires. In over 6 years I've only gotten one nail (and it didn't even make my tire go flat--just noticed it and took it to Les Schwab). I remember feeling instantly safer after they were put on my truck. I probably got about 20% tread left. I would buy them again. Thanks Cooper Tires, you guys are great!
Had these tires for a few years now and love them. Hands down the absolute best tires I have ever bought. A little more expensive than other brands but the quality of the tire more than makes up for the extra cost. Will be buying more of these in the future for sure!
One of the best tires I have ever owned, pulls good in mud, wears great, long tread life. Can's say enough about this tire if you do both hwy and off road applications.
1997 F250. I bought 35 12.50 R17s. I do go off road alot in alot of mud and tough terrain. I have never gotten stuck with these on my truck. Ive been in some thick slop too at my place in West Virginia. Great tread wear, very excellent on road performance as well. Not a loud hum, but it does have a noticible increase from an all terrain. I only wish they had a load range E for this tire, but these load range Ds havnt let me down! Great all around tire!
By far the best tires my husband and I have ever owned!!! Great for travel, farming, and just your every day work! I barely need 4 wheel drive on my Yukon after changing previous owners tires! We have had S/T's on every single vehicle we have owned and every set has performed above and beyond the specs! The only thing I warn about is this- if you have never used Cooper S/Ts before you should take a little caution the first time you put them on the road.....they grip VERY well and pull you around a tad...WHICH IS A GOOD THING by my standards!! Good aggressive tire and after the first couple of drives you never notice it!!!We have gotten many many more miles out of our tires than rated for and haven't had any other trouble!! OH and did I mention-I HAVE NEVER BEEN STUCK SINCE OWNING ME A SET OF THEM!!!!
LOVE COOPER S/T's and Cooper tires!!!
I use these tires on my F-150. I use it a lot on farm, and also on hiwghway pulling a load of hay or stock trailer. Have about 11,000 miles on them, and live them. Very aggressive, but not a bad roar on hwy.
2003 RAM 3500 drw 4x4. Ran 5 or 6 sets on all corners of work truck pulling 40ft goose neck trailer 10k empty loaded up to 25k. Moved set to steers every 10k. Averaged 70k on tires pulling them off with 5-7/32 left. Out lasted 4 other brands of tires, 40-50k and were all terrain/seasons. Very minor lug play when new under trailer doing unexpected lane change. Had truck in 48 states good to very bad conditions, stuck only one time trailer broke through packed snow crust. Only had 2 tires go bad in 100' temps. Tires had 55k on them with tread 12-13/32 left . loved new and fresh snow was good on very cold hard packed ice.
I have used Cooper Tires for many years so when it came time to buy for my truck I did not consider any other brand.
Coopers tires are the Best


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Ranking OpenInsight > Trend
DB-Engines Ranking - Trend of OpenInsight Popularity
The DB-Engines Ranking ranks database management systems according to their popularity.
This is a partial trend diagram of the complete ranking showing only OpenInsight.
Read more about the method of calculating the scores.
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text: Dade Posted August 27, 2008 Biography Randy Bailey (49) Hometown: Eagle Rock, Missouri Occupation: Wedding Videographer Randy Bailey wants to be personally responsible for crushing the hopes and dreams of all other contestants with delusions of winning SURVIVOR. He considers himself a ruthless bully who enjoys picking on those that were not blessed with his strength or intellect. Randy describes himself as angry, blunt, mean and sarcastic (yet charming), and admits he's a train wreck. Bailey declares he has no living relatives besides an older brother, from whom he hasn't heard from in years. He says he has never met a person who didn't eventually disappoint him. The only "person" he has ever loved was his recently deceased black Labrador mix, Johnson, with whom he lived for 13 years. His biggest pet peeves are cell phones and overly religious people, and he says he doesn't allow either in his home or car. Bailey's hobbies include scuba diving, marathon running and triathlons, including competing twice in the Hawaiian Ironman. Despite having competed in over 100 triathlons, he claims that he has not been off the couch in years. Instead, he now enjoys his nightly hot tub with a scotch on the rocks. He is also a private pilot, enjoys watching football and occasionally plays golf. Bailey's primary motivation for being on the show is to be hungry, tired, dirty and smelly. He also says he needs a long vacation where he will not be hassled with the mundane issues of his boring life. He's a SURVIVOR purist and guarantees he will win if the game is not "poisoned" with too many twists. Bailey is currently single and lives on a lake in rural southwest Missouri. Randy recently moved from Plano, Texas where he lived for 20 years and still claims to be a Texan at heart. He plans on returning there after he wins the million. He has an engineering degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, but chooses to work as a wedding videographer where he can set his own schedule. His birth date is March 31, 1959. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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My wife, Meghan, and I have found that a comfortable house, sturdy outhouse and woodshed can still be built for practically nothing here in the continental United States (as we'll soon relate) . . . but one thing definitely costs money today and that one thing is land. So we worked two years at jobs we didn't especially like—Meghan as a school teacher and myself in construction and other odd jobs—and bought our own little chunk of earth with the money we earned. After that, the rest came easy.
We chose to settle in northwestern Montana for four reasons: (1) to get away from hyperactive politics, (2) to drink sparkling, clear water from a mountain stream, (3) to breathe clean air and (4) to be part of the beautiful, snowy, peaceful winters. True, snowmobiles have destroyed some of that peacefulness . . . but the people who own such machines must hold a 9-to-5 job to support them and, therefore, can come up to the mountains on weekends only. Our paradise is still quiet five days a week . . . and it's here that we've built a two-room cabin, a woodshed and an outhouse—all three—for under $215.00 (1972 prices).
Start with Inexpensive Lumber
The cabin—except for log beams and log foundation—is constructed entirely of cull 2 x 4's. It seems that one of the many sawmills in our region cuts only this one standard size of lumber and many of the timbers produced by the still are short, split or have minor flaws. The culls, which average about seven feet long, are sold in large bundles for approximately 7 1/2¢ each. By laminating these "seconds", one on top of another, we found we could build a solid wall four inches thick that was not weakened by the imperfections in the individual pieces of lumber.
We began our new home last summer by constructing a foundation of fir log. We could have chosen spruce, balsam, birch or tamarack just as easily but—of the four—spruce and balsam rot rapidly once subjected to dampness . . . and birch is just too beautiful to cut. Tamarack and fir are both strong and long-lasting and we picked the latter only because two large fir trees were near our building site.
In addition to being tough and tenacious, fir—we soon learned—is also extremely heavy. We felled the trees, cut. them into 20-foot lengths, peeled them and let 'em dry and lighten in the hot summer sun. Even after seasoning, it was a three man job to wrestle each log into place.
Foundations should be both level and square . . . no small feat on our mountainous building site. We placed the largest logs we had on the downhill side of the slope, positioned the smaller ones uphill and filled in around them all until we had the beams anchored firm and true.
The best way to level a foundation without expensive tools is by picking up a new or used length of clear plastic hose long enough to react, diagonally across the structure you're building. Fill the hose with water and level from point A (a reference point) to point B by holding one end of the tubing up at A, allowing the hose to slump in the middle and moving the B end of the tubing up and down until the water's height at end A is on the reference mark. Check and you'll find the water at B at the same level.
Constructing the Cabin
To square a foundation, measure it diagonally both ways. When the diagonals are exactly the same length, you can be sure the structure is absolutely square.
Once our 20-foot-long foundation logs were firmly bedded, we placed 14-foot joists across them at right angles. We then nailed a floor of 2' x 4's across the joists and started stacking and nailing the cabin's walls, one on top of another. It was amazing to see how fast those walls went up.
We placed only one average-size window in the front and one in each of the cabin's two sides . . . and we've found that our lighting is inadequate. If we had it to do over, we'd now figure at least one large window per wall. Wood (and our house is nothing but) absorbs light and makes the building much darker inside than one would think.
The lower a structure is, the easier it is to heat. We therefore placed three equally spaced 14-foot log ceiling beams only 6 1/2 feet off the floor. Again, to save heat, the roof we built (of 2 x 4's) over laminated 2 x 4 rafters is very low pitched. So low pitched that we worried the typical worry that heavy snows might cave in the top of lodge . . . until we found that excess snow is melted off the building by escaping heat.
We installed durable asphalt roll roofing on our homemade home, taking care—as a local professional had instructed us led us—to put a double layer over building's eaves (where ice may form and tear the covering) and crown.
Our front door, made of 2 x 4 laminated vertically with a birch limb a handle, is so heavy that we to swing it from four 9-inch hinges. And folks be sure to move that monstrous wood stove in before you hang the door . . . we didn't, and we had to screw all those hinges on twice.
The six by fourteen-foot across the front of our cabin was built exactly like the cabin itself. We just extended the building's roof to cover it. In the summer (we faced our house south to take full advantage of the sun), that porch becomes a wonderful place to spend the long evenings. During cold weather, we stack wood on the porch and our dog lives underneath in a snug home insulated with straw.
Finishing Touches
As soon as we had our house and porch up and roofed, we caulked—or chinked—the walls of the main structure. We chinked only on the inside (maybe we'll catch the outside next year) and it took three to four cases—we lost exact count—of caulking compound to fill the cracks between the layers of lumber. With that detail finished, we moved into our new home! It had taken us 15 days—working from sunrise to sunset—to build the 20' x 14' cabin and six-foot-wide porch,
The first time outside temperatures dipped to 30 below last winter, we found the cold coming up through the floor of our brand new house. Straw stuffed under the building and snow banked completely around its foundation cured the situation for the rest of the season although a double floor with insulation between would certainly be a better permanent solution.
While on the subject of frigid weather I should mention that the lower the mercury dropped last winter, the more we noticed the draft coming in around our windows. We had gotten the windows free because they were slightly warped . . . and I'm afraid we didn't custom-fit our casings to the bowed sashes quite as tightly as we might have. I recommend more care with such details.
We deviated from our laminated 2 x 4 construction technique when we built the outbuildings on our homestead. In this age of concrete floors and aluminum walls, you know, many farmers are tearing down the old to make way for the new. We found such a farmer who wanted a chicken barn removed and we dismantled the structure for the lumber in it. The jolt gave us enough material to build an outhouse, a woodshed and the furniture and shelves in our cabin.
Building an Outhouse
While putting in the outhouse we began to realize that anyone digging a hole six feet deep and two-and-a-half feet square through rock and gravel . . . only wants to do it once. So we built a casing to fit that hole and prevent it from collapsing.
Our approach to designing the actual privy may be a little unorthodox . . . but what we did was we measured the toilet seats and just kind of worked out from there. Backhouses (being relatively small) don't need foundations in the sense that larger buildings do . . . so we just built a 2 x 4 frame for ours and embellished the structure with a generous porch across its front.
In addition to supplying us with siding, the barn we tore down gifted our homestead with a couple of doors, hinges, a milk can, chicken manure for the garden, two repairable work harnesses and twelve log rafters. We decided to use a few of those timbers to make a high peaked roof over our privy and its porch.
With the high roof on the outhouse, we had room for a ventilating window in front and another on the back of the building (both are screened to prevent bugs from entering). The privy door is the original front door from the chicken barn. And yes, you're right . . . no matter how it's built, an outhouse is cold in a Montana winter.
Building a Woodshed
The third structure we erected on our land was the woodshed. It was easy . . . no floor or foundation was needed. We built the frame from the last of the 2 x 4's and used recycled barn boards for the siding and the roof. The former back door on the chicken became the door to the wood and the few dollars we spent for the roll roofing with which we topped the building was almost our entire expense for the structure.
We designed the woodshed to six cords of firewood plus our carpentry and gardening tools . . . and since found the structure hand for drying weeds and flowers, hanging meat, storing dry goods or whatever.
With three snug buildings erected on our land, we thought our carpentry duties were completed . . . until we noticed that we owned more possessions than we could fit into a 14' x 20' cabin. So we made the house ten feet longer by adding another room directly to the back of the original structure.
The addition was easier said than done in some respects because there was a slight rise behind the cabin and we had agreed to build only with the contours of the land. So we elevated the back room.
Once the addition was completed we connected it to the main house by borrowing a chain saw and cutting a door-size hole in the back wall of original cabin. The severed stud were cased in with 2 x 4's (to make neat entry way) and two steps up the new room were added to the passage.
And does our new "split level" work? Probably better than you'd expect . . . because it contains the element of separation that is often needed when two people live together and alone for long, isolated periods.
We're kind of pleased with our outhouse and woodshed, too. For $215 ... we think we've done all right.


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This post originally appeared on PureMichigan.com.
If you've never explored the unique buildings or graced the diverse streets of Grand Rapids during ArtPrize, you may be wondering where to start. No worries, there are few simple things you can do to make visiting the worlds largest art competition simple, fun and inspiring. Todd Herring, Director of Communications for ArtPrize, shares these steps with us below.
Step 1 Get Inspired Visit artprize.org and click FIND ART. Artists from all over the world will be showing at ArtPrize 2013. Their work and their stories are inspiring, challenging and beautiful. Browsing 1524 artist entries might seem daunting, but you can filter your search by choosing specific venues, types of artwork and descriptive tags like music and photography. When you find artwork that you'd like to see, simply click the button marked Add to Collection. This feature allows you to create multiple collections or lists that you can reference when you visit.
Step 2 VOTE! Voting takes you from passive observer to active participant. There are two ways to register. If you have an iOS (apple) or Android smart phone, simply open the ArtPrize mobile app while you're in the ArtPrize district and you'll be registered to vote in a snap. Or you can check in at any ArtPrize voting site. When you check in, you'll get your free ArtPrize map, be registered to vote and able to purchase the complete ArtPrize event guide and transportation wristbands. All that's left to do is GO SEE ART! Cast your votes on the ArtPrize mobile app, online at artprize.org, or via text. Go to artprize.org/visit to learn more!
Step 3 Keep Moving Here at ArtPrize, we're all about experiencing ArtPrize in the most active way possible. Take the bus, ride a bike, or walk the ArtPrize district! This year we have five walking path options, all roughly 1-2 miles in length. They all begin at Rosa Parks Circle and will take you into our local neighborhoods:City Center, Heartside, Westside, Monroe North, and Hillside. Each neighborhood brings its own perspective to the ArtPrize event-eclectic, historic, natural, cultural, near the water or right in the heart of it all. Each walking path will help you explore the city and sample everything ArtPrize has to offer.
a display from ArtPrize 2012
Step 4 Stay in the know Every morning ArtPrize will publish a Daily that kicks out the news, daily schedule of events, major announcements and an Epic Events recap of the day before. The Daily can be found at www.artprize.org/daily. You can even contribute to the Daily with your very own Epic Events video clips by downloading the Epic Events app from the Apple App Store. Checking out @ArtPrize for daily interactions and updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram will also keep you up to date on all things ArtPrize.
Step 5 Attend ArtPrize Events From ArtFitness bike tours to Grand Prize Jury panels to Internet Cat Video Festivals, there is something for everyone. For a full list of events, visit artprize.org/events.
Step 6 Make it Your Own. Whatever you're in the mood for, there's a perfect starting point to plan your own adventure. You choose the views, how much art you want to see or how long to linger. ArtPrize is not the creation of one individual or team, it is the culmination of hundreds of thousands of independent voices, ideas and perspectives. It is art, creativity, culture and adventure, and its all waiting for you at ArtPrize.
Will you be checking out ArtPrize in Grand Rapids? Tell us in the comments section below!
Todd Herring is the Director of Communications for ArtPrize, an international art competition that annually draws more than 400,000 visitors to Grand Rapids, Michigan. With a background in product development and innovation, Todd now specializes in crowd sourced engagement models and speaks regularly on collaborative design, urban engagement and arts management.


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Questions about the corn ethanol industry's profitability are beginning to slip into news coverage that, on the whole, continues to be overwhelmingly positive.
Indeed, to an outsider, the industry's recent rapid expansion — and the seemingly unbridled enthusiasm surrounding it — might bring visions of a '90s-style dot.com bubble about to burst. But unlike the dot.com era, the corn ethanol industry's success is tied to one fundamental — strong demand for liquid fuels.
"In the U.S., we have had an insatiable demand for energy that isn't likely to change," notes Chad Hart, an Iowa State University (ISU) economist with the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development. "Because of this, ethanol has strong potential for growth."
To lend perspective to questions about the industry's future, we asked Hart, coauthor of a recent ISU study on the impact of the ethanol industry on agricultural commodities, to highlight challenges that could face the industry in the next few years. (The study, "Emerging Biofuels: Outlook of Effects on the U.S. Grain, Oilseed, and Livestock Markets," is available at www.card.iastate.edu/publications/synopsis.aspx?id=1050.)
Hart identifies five factors, in order of their potential impact, that could affect the profitability of the corn ethanol industry in the next few years. The factors highest on the list, such as dramatically lower oil prices and reduced government support for ethanol, are wild cards. They're unlikely, but if they were to occur, they could have a major effect. Other factors, which are lower on the list, are likely to occur, but are unlikely to have as much impact.
Factor 1
According to the ISU study, the oil futures market suggests that prices are likely to remain in the $65/barrel range for the foreseeable future. However, Hart says that oil prices tend to be volatile and that prices in the $20 to $40 range are fairly recent. So although dramatically lower oil prices aren't likely, they are possible.
"If we were to return to $30/barrel oil, that would tend to put the brakes on the U.S. ethanol industry," Hart says. A November 2006 ISU study calculated that, at $40/barrel oil, ethanol refiners could afford to pay $2.67/bu. for corn. "Today's corn prices couldn't be supported if crude oil was below $40/barrel," he adds.
Factor 2
Given recent energy bill deliberations, support for ethanol probably won't fall by the wayside. "The government is moving toward more support," Hart says. But this wild card could have a big impact if it were to occur.
Factor 3
Political support for ethanol from cellulose continues to be strong, but this technology isn't competitive with corn-based ethanol at this point. (See "Suitable cellulose," page 28.) If and when ethanol from cellulose becomes viable, the impact on corn-based ethanol could be substantial.
"Producing cellulosic ethanol is technically feasible, but it is not economically competitive at this point," Hart says. "Right now it costs at least $1/gal. more to produce ethanol from cellulose than from corn." Researchers around the world are working to improve the process, but getting breakthroughs from the lab to the pump could take years.
Biobutanol (butyl alcohol produced from biomass) is another technology to watch, though it also faces development challenges to improve its efficiency. If these challenges were solved, this fuel would have the advantage of being able to be shipped through gasoline pipelines, since it isn't as corrosive as ethanol.
Factor 4
Industry projections suggest that annual U.S. ethanol production capacity could reach 12.6 billion gallons in two to three years, more than enough to supply ethanol to blend with gasoline in states requiring 10% blends. The oversupply, often called the E10 bottleneck, will be a drag on ethanol prices — and dampen corn markets as well.
"We will be sitting with ethanol supplies that exceed demand, which will lower ethanol prices and cut back the profit margins of ethanol plants," Hart says. "This could lead to a pullback and consolidation of the industry."
Although other factors also are involved, the stock price of large ethanol refiners already might be reflecting this eventuality. In mid-July, the stock price of VeraSun Energy Corporation, the nation's second-largest ethanol producer (behind Archer Daniels Midland) was about $14, about half of its November 2006 value. The price of U.S. Bioenergy Corporation stock, number three in the market, was hovering at about $11 per share, down about a third from its all-time high of $17 in late 2006.
What will happen to corn prices under the E10 bottleneck scenario is open to debate, but the recent ISU study suggests that $3/bu. is a reasonable price to use for long-term planning.
Corn prices would be under pressure as ethanol prices trended lower, towards a price reflecting ethanol's relative energy value, which is about two-thirds that of gasoline.
"Once we hit that bottleneck, how quickly another outlet for ethanol develops will determine what happens to prices," Hart says.
The ethanol fuel market for E85 vehicles is unlikely to have a big impact in the short term, because few stations carry E85 fuels and the total fleet of E85 vehicles is relatively small — only 2 to 3% of the U.S. vehicle fleet.
Raising ethanol fuel blend mandates to 15 or 20% would soak up excess ethanol supplies, but such a state-by-state change could take years to go into effect, Hart says. Currently, only one state, Minnesota, has mandated a 20% blend, but with a provision that it goes into effect only if there is proof that vehicle operation isn't negatively affected by the higher ratio.
Factor 5
"There is potential for a backlash against ethanol if the public perceives it as a major driver in food price increases," Hart says.
The ISU report projects relatively modest food price increases in the 1 to 3% range, with meat facing the largest increases, as a result of increased ethanol production from corn. A widespread 1988-style drought could exacerbate public concerns about the food-fuel trade-off, but Hart doubts that the food price debate will rise to a level that will affect the outlook for the corn ethanol industry.
Similarly, he doubts that environmental concerns will have a big impact on policy or price, although there could be a public relations fallout. "I don't think the debate has reached a crescendo yet," Hart says. "We could see the debate broaden as the impact of adding more corn acres is realized. We are running a big test case now as we increase corn production."


text:
Cancelled: Due to Unseasonabley Warm Weather, We Will Not Be Holding The Tamarack Brewing Company Winterfest and Pond Hockey Tournament
We were looking forward to hosting the first Tamarack Brewing Company Winterfest and Pond Hockey Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 18 at the Missoula Country Fairgrounds, but due to the unseasonably warm weather we have had this winter we have to cancel the event.
Although we did everything we could to keep this event going, we feel this is the best decision for all involved. We are thankful to all who have helped us plan and prepare for this event, and we are eager to make it happen next year, as long as the weather cooperates.
If you have questions, contact Shawna Batt at 728-9300.


text:
No other online insurance agency can match the volume, quality and customer service excellence of TechInsurance.com. Unlike other online companies that position themselves as agencies but are actually just selling customer contact information to other agents, TechInsurance is a bricks-and-mortar insurance agency with a highly efficient online interface. They work only with the nation's most respected, A-rated carriers, and they're committed to providing personalized service and expert help.
Affiliates earn $5 per lead.
Allianz Travel Insurance is a global provider of travel insurance and assistance with offices in 28 countries and is owned by Allianz, the world's largest insurance company (Fortune).
Affiliates earn $10-$12 per lead.
Starting at only $7.99 per month, users can buy insurance for mobile phones and home electronics for as low as $2.49 per month. Other options include pet insurance coverage for cats and dogs in the event of illness, accidents and even vet visits starting at $14 per month. We also have insurance coverage plans for travel, protecting holders in the event of trip cancellations, baggage loss, and even delays.
Affiliates earn $4-$35 per lead.
Are you on the hunt for the best deals on insurance in South Africa? InsuranceHound.co.za is top dog when it comes to finding comparative insurance quotes that match your unique needs. Simply fill in one form and we will sniff-out the best policies from the top insurance companies and brokers in South Africa.
Affiliates earn R20 – R70 per accepted quote.
Your Online Quotes was created to help consumers save money by comparing rates from multiple insurance carriers. We help users find the best available rates from top rated insurance companies that provide services in their specific region.
Affiliates earn $0.80 per lead.
homeprotect is the UK's leading online provider of specialist home insurance. Our award-winning service allows all home insurance circumstances (including flooding, subsidence, criminal convictions, home business use and unoccupied properties) to be catered for via our online quote and buy facility.
Affiliates earn either £5 + VAT per quote generated or £40 + VAT per sale.
If you want to earn additional income from non-standard/specialist home insurance then our affiliate scheme is perfect for you.
Global Expatriate Healthcare offers a tailor-made medical and health insurance product, targeted specificly for expatriates worldwide.
Affiliates earn $100 on sales.
Save money on car insurance by working with Car Insurance Specialists. See how much you can save, start your Car Insurance Quotes online now.
Affiliates earn $10 per car insurance quote request submitted to local agents of the CarInsuranceSpecialists.Com network. Our service is available to consumers in all 50 of the United States.
Health Quote Insider is a very popular site with consumers, getting over 5,000 visits every day. It is a very easy to use site for obtaining Health Insurance Quotes from multiple agents or insurance companies.
This offer combines both a high conversion with a high payout. Affiliates earn $14-$18 depending on volume.
46 million people don't have coverage at all, 70 million don't even have a prescription plan, and 62% of all bankruptcies were related to medical bills.
Nowhere else in the country will you find real health insurance that:
- Has plans that start at $99/mo for individuals – extremely affordable
- Is backed by a top 5 carrier in the world – Transamerica – credible and trustworthy
- Has guaranteed enrollment – no approval process
- Has completely "agent-less" online enrollment
- Comes with a 30 day iron clad guarantee
- Benefits you can really use throughout the year – high usability
Affiliates earn $50 on new sign-ups.
Premier Health Care Online provides affordable health insurance and discount plans for individuals and small employer groups. This is the perfect plan for people who have no insurance, can't afford traditional major medical insurance or have catastrophic health insurance plans with very high deductibles.
The Premier Health Care Affiliate Program will pay $5 for every lead and at least $70 per application acquired through your efforts.
01insurance.com is an Internet focused insurance agency that partners with all the major carriers in the United States. We monitor the cost, features, and financial strength of multiple insurance products.
Affiliates earn $1-$1.15 per lead. This is a two-tier program paying 5% on the second tier.
AffiliatesWealth.net offers limited Health Benefit plans, discount Health plans and Dental, Vision and Prescription plans. We also offer a $25,000 Accident Medical plan, $5,000 Critical Illness plan and a Long Term Accident Disability plan that pays up to $10,000 a month.
We accept everyone regardless of pre-existing conditions.
The two-tier affiliate program pays monthly recurring commission of 30% on the first tier plus 10% on second tier sales.
It is FREE to become an Affiliate plus you receive a FREE automated Web Site to use as a sales tool to enroll members and build your sales team.
No licensing is required! Leads.
Join Today!
InsuranceLeadz.com offers the highest payouts of any insurance lead generation company. When you sign up to be an affiliate with InsuranceLeadz.com, you will work directly with our affiliate program director. Available 12 hours per day via email and phone, you will have unprecedented access to our affiliate support staff. We give our affiliates a great set of tools to accurately and easily track every one of their campaigns. Track your lead volume and commissions by state, type, date, time period, and many more parameters. No need to login to create new campaigns or tracking codes. Our easy to follow link structure allows you to create tracking links by yourself in seconds.
Affiliates earn $4-$12 per lead.
ProspectZone delivers quality leads in real-time. We use tested and proven methods to generate our leads — including email marketing, pay-per-click advertising, and competitive search engine placement.
All our leads are qualified. We don't lure leads in with promises of free iPods. We offer free quotes from insurance agents. Prospects visit our award-winning websites to learn more about their options and get matched with professionals. So when you get a lead sent to you, you're getting someone who wants to hear your offer.
As our partner, earn $8-$11 per lead, get access to real-time lead tracking software and proven conversion tools. Choose from a suite of eye-catching graphics, easy-to-complete forms and targeted calls-to-action.
Budget Direct is a well known Australian car insurance brand. We are proud to have received multiple awards, which is fantastic recognition of our great product features, top quality service and our low prices. Our passion is to save our customers money on insurance.
Our policies are underwritten by our own insurance company A&G Insurance Services.
Affiliates earn AU$49.50-AU$68.75 per comprehensive car insurance policy sales referral.
We invite Australian website owners and managers to apply.
Health Benefits Direct has developed a better way to apply for health insurance. With Health Benefits Direct, your visitors will never again have to play phone tag with multiple agents and companies. We are dedicated to making shopping for health insurance as easy as possible.
Your agent will guide them through every step of the application process right over the telephone with no paperwork.
Affiliates earn $75 per submitted insurance application.
aigdirect.com's 21st Century Insurance website is very well designed attractive and highly efficient. It moves site visitors quickly and easily through the quote process.
Affiliates earn $6-$12 per lead. Compelling Free Quote call to action for customers. Generous incentive bonuses.
eBike provides 100% web-based insurance whereby customers can buy, amend and renew their policies online 24/7. This means affiliate sales are completely trackable and there is no risk of leakage through phone calls.
Our policies are underwritten by our own insurance company Southern Rock and by cutting out the middle man and offering an online only service, our premiums are highly competitive in the marketplace. eBike also offers a unique Pay-As-You-Go option for monthly cover which has proved highly popular.
Affiliates earn NZ$10-NZ$20 per sale.
Join the Australian program here.
eCar provide 100% web-based insurance whereby customers can buy, amend and renew their policies online 24/7. This means affiliate sales are completely trackable and there is no risk of leakage through phone calls.
Our policies are underwritten by our own insurance company Southern Rock and by cutting out the middle man and offering an online only service, our premiums are highly competitive in the marketplace.
eCar also offer a unique Pay-As-You-Go option for monthly cover which has proved highly popular. The commission rate on these policies is lower as customers rarely renew their cover however the product is unique and meets the market demand for shorter term cover.
eCar's aim is to form a partnership with our affiliates and reward success. We pay affiliates AU$10-AU$40 on sales.
Fill out 1 simple form and get 3 auto or homeowners insurance quotes from 3 different insurance agents in your local area. Quotes are sent directly to your email. No phone calls, no sales pitches, no hassles. Our quote request forms are the most simple in the industry. We don't ask for private information such as social security numbers or drivers license numbers.
Affiliates earn $9 per valid lead.
EsureQuote.com is committed to helping you find Life, Auto, Home and Health Insurance that fits your needs and your budget. We have also partnered with InsureMe to put you in control, allowing you to compare up to five free quotes on the insurance of your choice.
Affiliates earn $1-$3.50 per lead.
CLICKinsure.com is the premier Auto insurance and Home insurance provider on the Internet, with instant rates and one-call coverage from the largest and best known insurance companies in the nation.
Affiliates earn $10 per auto insurance lead. CLICKinsure is a full service broker (we offer your visitors quotes and the ability to purchase coverage from up to dozens of companies). Unlike other insurance lead aggregator sites, we actually sell insurance.
Lifebroker is Australia's largest life insurance broker Its free service compares 15 companies to find you the best policy at the lowest price.
Affiliates earn AUD$12.50-AUD$20 per lead.
WebHealthPolicy.com offers of full range of quality health insurance plans for individuals and families, including vision, dental, prescription, chiropractic, etc. No medical exam required.
Affiliates earn $5 for the site visitor completing a 15-field quote box on the landing page. Campaign Restrictions: US only. No incentives. No co-registration.
The eLifePolicy.com offer pays $8.50 per quote based on completion of just 5 fields on the landing page (no private information required). The eLifePolicy.com offer is exclusive to the http://www.LinkValu.com Affiliate Network and is in cooperation with HSBC-North America.
Viewers can purchase up to $250,000 of term life insurance instantly online if qualified.
Campaign Restrictions: No Incentives. No Coregistration. No iFrames. No Sub-affiliates. Emailers must use suppression list. US only.
Consumers can save hundreds of dollars a year on auto insurance at this well designed, very Web 2.0 site powered by NetQuote.
Affiliates earn $6 per lead on completed application. Campaign Restrictions: US traffic only, age 20+. No incentives and no coregistration.
2Insure4Less.com specializes in providing free instant health, life, home owner, auto insurance quotes online.
Affiliates earn $4-$15 commission on sales.
iSelect has been established to help you choose a health insurance policy that suits your needs. iSelect.com.au has created one of the fastest growing destinations for consumers to compare, select and purchase health insurance policies from participating funds. Consumers are increasingly demanding more information prior to committing to a particular product. Working with participating health funds, together we help provide informed choices for consumers.
The two-tier affiliate program pays AU$40-$70 per sale plus 5% on the second tier.
NetQuote.com provides consumers with free insurance quotes for auto, home, health, life, and business insurance. Our network of insurance agents and brokers is the largest in the industry, and we pay on completed applications from all 50 states.
We structure our CPA pricing dependent on delivery of application volume, with the more volume supplied, the higher the payout per application. Beginning rates are $1-$9.50 on completed quotation requests (depending on type of quote requested).


text:
When Newton Community School District Technology Supervisor Bieghler presented the district's new website to the board of education in late-March — one day ahead of schedule — board member Donna Cook was ecstatic.
"I love it. You've done well, you've done well," Cook told Bieghler during the March 30 meeting.
Cook had been championing for a new site for a while, and she believes a more modern website would be appealing to young families looking to relocate so they could see the educational opportunities presented in Newton.
She also heaped praise upon the district's technology department and its partner in the site's development, Columbus, Ohio-based eSchoolView. ESV is a firm that exclusively develops websites for schools and school districts.
Michael Maloney, ESV director of business development, said Newton's site was the company's first "tailor-made" site in Iowa and explained what that meant exactly.
"We believe a district's website needs to be as reflective of its brand as possible so we don't use canned templates in the design process," Maloney said. "We start from scratch and work with our clients to create a look and navigation infrastructure that best meets their needs."
Maloney said the entire process of creating the new site took three months total to complete.
"We spent about 12 weeks from inception to launch," Maloney said. "That includes the design, development on the back end, moving content from the old site to the new site and training staff."
Beighler said, in past presentations to the board, that he and his team worked very closely with ESV to create a site that met all of the district's needs, had features that were requested by parents, staff and the board, and is able to be viewed similarly across multiple platforms.
"eSchoolView has a history of allowing district officials to be as hands on as they want to be or as time allows them to be," Maloney said. "Our team worked with Chris Biegler to ensure that we were able to design the site exactly the way they wanted. eSchoolView has a goal to help streamlines the process for schools with a design questionnaire. After Chris filled it out, he received an initial design."
Statistics show more and more people are accessing the more frequently on cell phones and tablets versus more traditional computers. Maloney said these facts played a key role in developing the new site and that ESV is just about ready to launch those versions of the site.
"Our mobile design allows users to access the district's site without sacrificing design or overall functionality," Maloney said. "The mobile and tablet versions also sync simultaneously with the desktop view when changes are made. This means there is no lag time when new information is uploaded or new pages are added to the site."
Besides mobile capabilities, other features of the new website include an easy to use content management system or CMS. Maloney said the CMS his company provides is entirely web-based and doesn't require software instillation.
"A content management system is a great tool for school districts because it's easy-to-use and does not require a technical background," Maloney said. "We developed our CMS on a platform that encourages collaboration so multiple users can contribute without special skill sets. We take care of the coding and development — they do the content.
"Adding a picture to a news article is as simple as clicking a button and navigating to the file on your computer. A photo gallery is a breeze because the CMS takes care of the slideshow function. We often compare it to having an interface like Microsoft Windows so it is easy for any staff member."
In addition to being easier to navigate, the new site places a higher focus on showcasing the district's students and their activities and accomplishments within the schools. The new homepage also makes district news easier to access as well as providing very visible links to other important areas of the site.
Another reason Cook had previously listed as to why the district should update its site was to make it more modern. The new site seems to meet those standards, but will it still feel as up-to-date in another couple of years?
"A major benefit of using a CMS tool is its adaptability — the district can add or remove components as it needs to keep pages relevant," Maloney said. "The innovation behind the hybrid mobile view pushes the district to the forefront.
"As for our products, we provide service updates every 60-90 days — at no extra cost — and typically add new tools during our an annual maintenance. We can do a redesign fairly easily and with minimal cost due to the way the CMS was developed. It does not interrupt the content."
ESV is hoping the successful launch of Newton's new website can open doors for them in Iowa.
"We've also established key partnerships with educational organizations around the country to help make our product more accessible to districts in a number of states," Maloney said. "We are eager to do the same in Iowa."
Visit NCSD's new site at its new URL: www.newtoncsd.org.


text:
Sony Vaio VGN-FE21B
This is a mini guide to configure a Sony Vaio VGN-FE21B on Arch linux 0.7.2
- Intel core duo T2300 1.66 MHz
- 80GB disk
- 1280x800 WXGA 15,4" LCD
- Double layer DVD-RW
- Nvidia GeForce Go 7400
- Intel pro wireless 3945
lspci output:
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile Memory Controller Hub (rev 03) 00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile PCI Express Graphics Port (rev 03) 00:1b.0 Class 0403: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 02) 00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 02) 00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 02) 00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 3 (rev 02) 00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 4 (rev 02) 00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #1 (rev 02) 00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #2 (rev 02) 00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #3 (rev 02) 00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #4 (rev 02) 00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 02) 00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev e2) 00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801GBM (ICH7-M) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 02) 00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) IDE Controller (rev 02) 00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801GBM/GHM (ICH7 Family) Serial ATA Storage Controllers cc=IDE (rev 02) 00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 02) 01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation Unknown device 01d8 (rev a1) 06:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Unknown device 4222 (rev 02) 0a:03.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments Unknown device 8039 0a:03.1 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments Unknown device 803a 0a:03.2 Mass storage controller: Texas Instruments Unknown device 803b 0a:08.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation Unknown device 1092 (rev 02
Power management
Power profiles and CPU frequency scaling works fine with powersave I have decided to install latest versions of powersaved and kpowersave (the arch version is outdated):
- Download both packages from powersave.sf.net
- Install hal hdparm acpid cpufrequtils vbetool
- Install both packages
- powersaved: ./configure --prefix=/usr && make && make install
- kpowersave: ./configure --prefix=/opt/kde && make && make install
- run 'groupadd power' and add your normal user to that group
- Copy necessary files
- Download them from http://cvs.archlinux.org/cgi-bin/viewcvs.cgi/daemons/powersave/?cvsroot=Unstable&only_with_tag=CURRENT
- copy powersave.conf to /etc/dbus-1/system.d/
- copy powersaved to /etc/rc.d
- Add the following modules to rc.conf: speedstep-centrino cpufreq_conservative cpufreq_stats cpufreq_powersave cpufreq_userspace cpufreq_ondemand
- Add the following service to rc.conf (at least after hal and debus): powersaved
- Restart linux
Once in KDE you can run kpowesave
Brightness control works with smartdimmer, but is not supported in powersave (or it is?)
TODO: Make suspend to disk work
That one is easy:
- pacman -S iwlwifi-3945-ucode
- Add module iwl3945 to rc.conf
I recommend to use this with WICD networkmanager. It works out of the box.
Nvidia drivers works fine (2D and 3D), you should set resolution to 1280x800
- make tvout work
- make touch pad scrolling work
No problems here
Special keys (fn and so...) Part 1
I didn't manage to make the fn key work, but that is what I have done:
- Mute key is hardware driven
- Volume keys:
- edit .kde/Autostart/keycodes.sh and add:
xmodmap -e 'keycode 174=F21' # lower volume xmodmap -e 'keycode 176=F22' # raise volume exit 0
- Run source .kde/Autostart/keycodes.sh
- Go to Preferences -> Regional settings -> Add actions
- Create a group named Vaio keys (or whatever)
- Add acctions:
- volup: dcop action, app: kmix, remote object: mixer0, function: IncreaseVolume, args: 0
- voldown: dcop action, app: kmix, remote object: mixer0, function: DecreaseVolume, args: 0
- brightup: command, I use ctrl+F5 bind key, command: ~/bin/brightdown.sh
- brightdown: command, I use ctrl+F6 bind key, command: ~/bin/brightup.sh
This is the contents of the bright scripts:
#!/bin/sh smartdimmer -d
#!/bin/sh smartdimmer -i
Part 2(About Volume Keys)
The method above works fine if you have only one keyboard layout. But if you use couple languages then keycodes are reseted. What I did to bypass this problem was to set these keys as F20 and F21 modifying keycodes in xkb.
Ok here's what I did:
I use "Generic 105-key PC" keyboard as my keyboard model.(You can change it in Control Center--> Regional& Accessibility-->Keyboard Layout).
after that edit corresponding keycode file(for "Generic 105-key PC" it was /usr/share/X11/xkb/keycodes/digital_vndr/pc), add key codes to your keyboard section or as I did it to pc_common section. It should look something like this:
<part of file>
xkb_keycodes "pc_common" { // "Function" keys <FK20> = 174; // <--- Volume button key code assigned to FK20 <FK21> = 176; //<--- Volume button key code assigned to FK20 <FK01> = 9; <FK02> = 15; <FK03> = 23; <FK04> = 31; <FK05> = 39;
</part of file>
after that you need to assign it as F20 and F21 buttons on your keyboard. To do that edit file /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc (or corresponding file if you use other keyboard model in Settings)
there you gonna find a part where F keys are assigned it should be something like this
<part of file>
key <FK10> { type="CTRL+ALT", symbols[Group1]= [ F10, XF86_Switch_VT_10 ] }; key <FK11> { type="CTRL+ALT", symbols[Group1]= [ F11, XF86_Switch_VT_11 ] }; key <FK12> { type="CTRL+ALT", symbols[Group1]= [ F12, XF86_Switch_VT_12 ] };
</part of file>
All you have to do now is to add our "new" keys here:
<part of file>
key <FK12> { type="CTRL+ALT", symbols[Group1]= [ F12, XF86_Switch_VT_12 ] }; key <FK20> { type="CTRL+ALT", //<-- for F20 key symbols[Group1]= [ F20, XF86_Switch_VT_20 ] }; key <FK21> { type="CTRL+ALT", //<-- for F21 key symbols[Group1]= [ F21, XF86_Switch_VT_20 ] };
</part of file>
That is it - now your volume keys are assigned. But they do not change the volume yet. To do that go to Control Center-->Regional&Accessibility-->Input Actions and add new group(name it as you like). Add new action, set Action Type to "Keyboard Shortcut -> DCOP Call(simple)". In a "Keyboard Shortcut" press the box and press Vol- button on your keyboard. In "Dcop Call Settings" set(case sensetive):
- Remote application: kmix
- Remote object: Mixer0
- Called function: decreaseVolume
- Arguments:0
Then press try. And your volume should go down. Press Apply button
Add the same action for your Vol+ button. except change "decreaseVolume" to "increaseVolume".
That's it now your volume keys shoud work. Hit/Tip: To check keycodes use type "xev" in terminal. Pressing button should give you output with keycode.
Nomail 08:40, 14 June 2008 (EDT)
Quake 4 sound fix
Yeah, I also play on arch linux
- Edit ~/.quake4-demo/q4base/Quake4Config.cfg
- Change s_driver value to oss
And you are done