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Can O'Corn is one of Collectors' Workshop's greatest Original contributions to the 'find a borrowed object in a weird place' scenario. Hailed by all who use it as a brilliant bit of comedy business not to mention its GREAT Magic! EFFECT: The performer borrows a wrist watch, ring or other personal item from a semi-reluctant spectator. "Fear not, I will take care of this wonderful piece of jewelry." This is the first in a series of lies that will result in the disappearance of the borrowed object. "I am very sorry for the outcome, but wait. Magic being what it is I have some consolation prizes for you in this sack. Well, a prize anyway. Would you believe that I have something prized by Native Americans and a gift to the word; golden in nature and worth every bit as much as your missing piece of jewelry! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, acan of golden CORN! Please accept this as an exchange for a trick gone awry. ...Oh, I see you are not impressed. Maybe if you taste the sweetness of the golden corn you will change your mind. Here, please open the can. I have even brought along a spoon."
The spectator opens a hermetically sealed can of corn with a can opener and to his amazement and that of the audience, inside the sealed can and amongst the kernels of corn is HIS MISSING WATCH! All ends well and to tumultuous applause.
This is a beautiful effect constructed of the finest materials. The gimmick can be used over and over. All you need supply is a can of corn (or other food stuff, available at any market). Our gimmick is easily adapted to fit most 14/15 oz. cans. The gimmick is invisible and the gaff will NEVER be suspected. The can can be closely examined if nee- be before the effect and the spectator can open the can himself.
You are supplied with a sample can, special gimmick, complete instructions; all ready to perform after a few minutes of practice.
Can be used for:
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Brien Taylor, the can't-miss prospect who missed, was arrested yesterday on a whole mess of drug charges. This comes after an undercover operation by the Carteret County (NC) Sheriff's Office, in which cops allegedly purchased large quantities of crack and cocaine from him.
Taylor is charged with two counts each of trafficking in cocaine by possession, trafficking in cocaine by sell, trafficking in cocaine by deliver, trafficking in cocaine by manufacture, trafficking in cocaine by transport, and felony maintaining a vehicle.
He is also charged with one count each of possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver cocaine and sell and deliver cocaine.
Taylor was placed in the Carteret County Jail under a $275,000 bond.
Taylor was a high school superstar who held out for, and received, a then-record $1.55 million signing bonus from the Yankees. He tore up the minor leagues, but when he got into a fight in a North Carolina trailer park, he tore up his shoulder. He was never the same pitcher, never made the majors, and as recently as 2006 was living at home with his parents, on a street named after him.

subset: commoncrawl


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With unparalleled quality of life and the sixth highest median income in the nation, Lone Tree offers the premium lifestyle of living in a major city without the price tag. 98% of residents describe quality of life in the city as "great", with easy access to local and regional entertainment, in addition to the many parks and trails Colorado offers.
Although Lone Tree's cost of living is slightly above Denver Metro and the national average, it's well below that of many comparable cities to the West and East (CNNMoney).
Living in Lone Tree - The Numbers
Average Household Income
Median Cost of a Single Family Home
Average Cost of Rent
Fast Facts:
"It's kind of hip. It has all these amenities...at a price that's so much lower than you can find in a similar atmosphere downtown."
- The Denver Post, August 2014
9220 Kimmer Dr., Suite 100
(303) 708-1818
© The City of Lone Tree


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(EAST (Maryland, New York) / UNBEATEN UNCLE MO IS ODDS-ON CHOICE IN WOOD MEMORIAL – Unbeaten Uncle Mo, the strong favorite to win the 137th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) at Churchill Downs on May 7, is an overwhelming favorite to dispose of nine rivals in his final prep for the Run for the Roses in Saturday's $1 million Resorts World New York Casino Wood Memorial (GI) at New York's Aqueduct.
Trainer Todd Pletcher, bidding for a second consecutive Kentucky Derby victory following his 2010 win with WinStar Farm's Super Saver, will saddle Repole Stable's reigning 2-year-old champion in a bid to win the Wood for a second consecutive year. Pletcher won last year's renewal with Eskendereya, who was a strong favorite for the 2010 Derby until an injury ended his racing career.
John Velazquez will ride Uncle Mo, who has been installed as the 1-5 favorite after winning his four career starts by a combined margin of 27 ¼ lengths. The son of Indian Charlie will break from post five in his second start of 2011. He scored an easy 3 ¼-length victory in the $100,000 Timely Writer Stakes at a mile at Gulfstream Park on March 12.
The Wood will be Uncle Mo's first start at 1 1/8 miles and only his second at a two-turn distance. He won the Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) at 1 1/16 miles in November at Churchill Downs.
"He's never given me any concerns about distance limitations in any of his races or any of his training," Pletcher said, "so we're looking forward to it."
Others in the 87th running of the Wood Memorial include Toby's Corner, the Graham Motion-trained winner of Aqueduct's Whirlawa. He ran third last time out in Aqueduct's Gotham (GIII) to Stay Thirsty, a stablemate of Uncle Mo who also races for owner Mike Repole and is trained by Pletcher.
Eddie Castro will ride Toby's Corner, an 8-1 shot who will break from post two.
Norman Asbjornson, a late nominee to the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown who finished second in the Gotham at odds of 47-1, returns for the Wood. The son of 1998 Kentucky Derby winner Real Quiet is trained by Christopher Grove and will be ridden by Julian Pimental. He is a 15-1 risk this time around.
Others in the Wood Memorial field include Arthur's Tale, Duca, Preachintothedevil, Starship Caesar, Full of Scoundrels, Duca, Isn't He Perfect and Son of Posse.
Post time for the Wood Memorial is scheduled for 5:48 p.m. (EDT).
Wood Memorial Odds & Ends: Received a $250,000 purse boost to $1 million last month … Inaugurated in 1925, the race has produced 20 Kentucky Derby winners, including 11 who won both races: Gallant Fox (1st in 1930 Wood Memorial), Twenty Grand (1st in 1931), Omaha (3rd in 1935), Johnstown (1st in 1939), Count Fleet (1st in 1943), Hoop Jr. (1st in 1945), Assault (1st in 1946), Middleground (2nd in 1950), Count Turf (5th in 1951), Carry Back (2nd in 1961), Secretariat (3rd in 1973), Foolish Pleasure (1st in 1975), Bold Forbes (1st in 1976), Seattle Slew (1st in 1977), the filly Genuine Risk (3rd in 1980), Pleasant Colony (1st in 1981), Go for Gin (2nd in 1994), Fusaichi Pegasus (1st in 2000), Monarchos (2nd in 2001) and Funny Cide (2nd in 2003) … Two horses exited the race last year to run in the Derby: runner-up Jackson Bend (12th in the Derby) and third Awesome Act (19th in the Derby) … Last year's runaway winner Eskendereya, trained by Todd Pletcher, was declared from the Kentucky Derby six days before the race due to a soft-tissue injury to his left foreleg … Record of starters in the Derby since 1985: 61-4-4-2 … Bellamy Road (2005) holds the stakes record of 1:47.16 … Bellamy Road (2005) posted the highest winning Beyer Speed Figure (120, the record high for any Derby starter); Tale of Ekati (2008) recorded the lowest (93).
Earlier on Saturday's Wood Memorial card, Buffum, J J's Lucky Train and Smoke It Right head a field of eight in the $200,000 Bay Shore (GIII) for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs.
Godolphin's Buffum is the morning line favorite at 5-2 after finishing fifth Dubai's UAE 2000 Guineas over the all-weather course at Meydan Race Course on Feb. 10. J J's Lucky Train, the 3-1 second choice, won Laurel Park's Miracle Wood after finishing second to Toby's Corner in the Whirlaway.
Trainer and co-owner Benard Chatters will saddle Smoke It Right, a late nominee to the Triple Crown who enters the Bay Shore off a win in the Mountain Valley Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
Bay Shore Odds and Ends: Even though this race, inaugurated in 1960, is widely considered a graded stakes for sprinters, it has produced two Kentucky Derby winners: Bold Forbes (1st in 1976 Bay Shore) and Spend a Buck (3rd in 1985) … Record of starters in the Derby since 1985: 8-1-0-0 … Last horse to run in both races: 1989 Bay Shore winner Houston, who finished eighth in the Derby … Limit Out (1998) holds the stakes record of 1:20.54 … Limit Out (1998) posted the highest winning Beyer Speed Figure (116); Perfect Score (1999) recorded the lowest (88).
WEST (Arizona, California, New Mexico) / PREMIER PEGASUS INJURED, OUT OF THE SANTA ANITA DERBY AND OFF TRIPLE CROWN TRAIL – Owner-trainer Myung Kwon Cho's Premier Pegasus, who made a dazzling entrance onto the Kentucky Derby trail with a victory in the San Felipe (GII), has suffered an injury that has knocked the son of 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus out of Saturday's $1 mlllion Santa Anita Derby (GI) and off the road to the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown.
Premier Pegasus, originally listed as the 8-5 morning line favorite for the Santa Anita Derby, suffered a hairline fracture of the cannon bone of his left foreleg. Daily Racing Form reported that Maria Ayala, Cho's assistant, had said the injury was discovered in an X-ray taken after a Thursday gallop at Santa Anita.
"The doctor said he had a hairline fracture of the cannon bone," Ayala told DRF. "Not good. The horse is okay. He ate good. Mr. Cho, said, 'Maria, relax. It's not your fault.'"
Premier Pegasus became a major contender for the Kentucky Derby with his 7 ¾-length victory in the
1 1/16-mile San Felipe on March 12. It was his fourth win in five races and pushed his earnings to $293,400. Following the defection of Premier Pegasus, oddsmaker Jon White adjusted his morning line odds for the Santa Anita Derby. White listed San Felipe runner-up Jaycito as the morning line choice among the 10 horses that remained in the field in Saturday's 1 1/8-mile race.
The son of Victory Gallop will make his second start for three-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert. He will break from the outside post with jockey Martin Garcia in the saddle.
"Very sad for Mr. Cho and Maria," Baffert said in a text message to the Courier-Journal's Jennie Rees. "You never know what can happen to you. That's why my hair is white. We're all on pins and needles this time of year."
The Steve Asmussen-trained Silver Medallion, winner of the El Camino Real Derby (GIII) over a synthetic course at Golden Gate Fields, is the 7-2 second choice in the adjusted morning line.
The rest of the field includes Robert B. Lewis (GII) winner Anthony's Cross, CashCall Futurity (GI) winner Comma to the Top, San Pedro winner Indian Winter, California-bred stakes winner Bench Points, Mr. Commons, Midnight Interlude, Offlee Wild Boys and Quail Hill.
Post time for the Santa Anita Derby is 4:37 p.m. (PDT).
Santa Anita Derby Odds and Ends: The 1 1/8-mile race, which returns to dirt after a three-year experiment on a synthetic surface, received a $250,000 purse boost to $1 million for the first time since 2000 … Inaugurated in 1935, the race has produced 15 Kentucky Derby winners, including eight who won both races: Gallahadion (13th in 1940 Santa Anita Derby), Hill Gail (1st in 1952), Determine (1st in 1954), Swaps (1st in 1955), Lucky Debonair (1st in 1965), Majestic Prince (1st in 1969), Affirmed (1st in 1978), Gato Del Sol (4th in 1982), Ferdinand (3rd in 1986), the filly Winning Colors (1st in 1988), Sunday Silence (1st in 1989), Silver Charm (2nd in 1997), Real Quiet (2nd in 1998), Charismatic (4th in 1999) and Giacomo (4th in 2005) … Two horses exited the race last year to run in the Derby: winner Sidney's Candy (17th in the Derby) and third Lookin At Lucky (6th in the Derby) … Record of starters in the Derby since 1985: 83-7-6-6 … Lucky Debonair (1965), Sham (1973) and Indian Charlie (1998) share the stakes record on dirt of 1:47 … Indian Charlie (1998) posted the highest winning Beyer Speed Figure (111); A.P. Indy (1992) and Colonel John (2008) recorded the lowest (95).
MIDWEST (Illinois, Kentucky) / WATCH ME GO FAVORED AGAINST 11 INEXPERIENCED RIVALS IN ILLINOIS DERBY – He was a 47-1 surprise when he shocked heavily favored Brethren in the Tampa Bay Derby (GIII), but Gilbert Campbell's homebred Watch Me Go is now the morning line favorite as he prepares to face 11 foes in Saturday's $300,000 Illinois Derby (GIII).
Watch Me Go is the 7-2 favorite in the 1 1/8-mile race at Hawthorne Race Course. Regular rider Luis Garcia will be aboard trainer Kathleen O'Connell's son of West Acre, who will break from post four.
The Florida-bred Watch Me Go, who will race outside his home state for the first time, has won three of four starts in 2011 and has earned $311,345.
Other major players in the Illinois Derby include a pair of 3-year-olds with experience in graded stakes races. El Grayling, the 9-2 second choice, failed to finish in the Fountain of Youth (GII) won by Soldat at Gulfstream Park. but earlier finished third to Florida Derby (GI) runner-up Shackleford in a 1 1/8-mile allowance race at Gulfstream Park. The Fed Eased, the 5-1 third choice, invades from New York's Aqueduct following a fifth-place finish behind Stay Thirsty in the Gotham.
The field also includes the Todd Pletcher-trained Joe Vann, who is coming off a pair of wins at Laurel Park, and Lagoon of Diamonds, a late nominee to the Triple Crown with back-to-back wins to his credit at West Virginia's Mountaineer Park.
Others Illinois Derby entrants include Smarter Than Ever, Vouch for Victory, Sour, Zoebear, Roman Flame, Southern Sculptor and Future Empire.
Post time for the Illinois Derby is 4:37 p.m. (CDT).
Illinois Derby Odds and Ends: A $500,000 race for several years, the purse for this year's race was reduced to $250,000 but recently got a $50,000 bump so it could be worth $300,000 … Inaugurated in 1923,
the race was repositioned in 2001 to become a Derby prep … Record of starters in the Derby: 16-1-0-2 …
The lone winner was War Emblem, who won both races in 2002 … Two horses exited the race last year to run in the Kentucky Derby: winner American Lion (11th in the Derby) and third Backtalk (20th in the Derby) … Wild Rush (1997) holds the stakes record of 1:47.51 … Wild Rush (1997) posted the highest winning Beyer Speed Figure (114); Antrim Rd. (1993) and Distilled (2001) recorded the lowest (93).
PLUCK SEEKS REBOUND IN KEENELAND'S TRANSYLVANIA – After a disappointing run in his 2011 debut at Tampa Bay Downs, Team Valor International and Vinery Stables' Pluck will look to rebound with a strong run in the $100,000 Transylvania Stakes (GIII), the featured event on the opening day of the spring meet at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.
Ten 3-year-olds were entered in the 1 1/16-mile contest on turf and Pluck, a son of More Than Ready and the winner of last fall's $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Churchill Downs, drew the outside post. Garrett Gomez will ride the Todd Pletcher-trained Pluck, who ran fourth as a heavy favorite in his 3-year-old debut in a March 12 allowance race on grass at Tampa Bay Downs. Pluck is not nominated to the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown.
Other Transylvania contenders include Air Support, a two-time stakes winner at two, and Adirondack Summer, winner of the Dania Beach in January at Gulfstream Park.
Transylvania Odds and Ends: Julien Leparoux has ridden the last two winners: Stormalory (2009) and Nordic Truce (2010) … The opening day fixture at Keeneland hasn't produced a Kentucky Derby winner, but has yielded three starters since its first running in 1989: inaugural winner Shy Tom (10th in Derby), 1991 seventh Paulrus (7th in Derby) and 2007 fourth Sedgefield (5th in Derby) … The distance of the turf race is changed in 2011 from one mile to 1 1/16 miles … More Royal (1996) and Flying Dash-GER (2002) posted the highest winning Beyer Speed Figures (103); Chin High (2006) recorded the lowest (76).
SOUTH (Arkansas, Louisiana) – THE FACTOR SET FOR ARKANSAS DERBY; OAKLAWN HOPES SHARP IN DERBY WORKS – Three-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert says his speedy 3-year-old star The Factor is "locked in" for a return trip to Oaklawn Park for the $1 million Arkansas Derby (GI) on April 16.
George Bolton and Fog City Stables' son of hot sire War Front scored a 6 ¼-length win in his previous visit to the Hot Springs, Ark. track for the 1 1/16-mile Rebel (GIII). It was the first victory at a two-turn distance for The Factor.
Baffert confirmed the return trip to Oaklawn after The Factor worked six furlongs on Monday in 1:11.40 at Santa Anita. When he returns for the Arkansas Derby, Baffert's front-running star will probably face several horses in defeated in the Rebel in what is expected to be a full starting gate.
"I'm not too worried about that," Baffert said. "He just goes and does his thing. He's one dimensional, for sure. That only thing that could be a problem with a full field would be if he didn't break well, but that's the situation with pretty much any horse."
The Arkansas Derby will be the first race at 1 1/8 miles for The Factor, who is named in honor of Fox News television host Bill O'Reilly. The Kentucky Derby distance in 1 ¼ miles.
While The Factor prepared on the West Coast, several of his potential Arkansas Derby rivals have trained sharply at Oaklawn Park in preparation of next Saturday's showndown.
Sway Away, the runner-up to The Factor in the seven-furlong San Vicente (GII) at Santa Anita and a disappointing sixth in the Rebel, worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 on Thursday under jockey Luis Quinonez. Jockey Patrick Valenzuela will replace Garrett Gomez aboard Sway Away in the Arkansas Derby.
Elite Alex, fourth in the Louisiana Derby (GIII) last time out, donned blinkers in a sharp six-furlong work in 1:11.60 under Calvin Borel on Wednesday. He will wear that equipment in the Arkansas Derby.


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Or browse results titled :
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attenuation circuit recommends:
Plaquéby Peter Schubert & Andreas Usenbenz
Peter Schubert & Andreas Usenbenz attenuation circuit
transient behaviorby Keller/Stadlmeier
guitar impro project of Beat Keller and Sascha Stadlmeier attenuation circuit
25_36 / 16_26by Zwang-Eriksson/Kiesewetter/Stadlmeier
impro / free jazz trio attenuation circuit
If you like IMPLANTED, you may also like:
Fivefiles EPby Allenheimer
Recording as Allenheimer, Atli Bollason dismantles Icelandic pop songs, making illusory new ambient material from the component parts. Bandcamp New & Notable May 12, 2018
Sawaasch Garahschby Torben Unit Band / 2Morph
Very fine drone jazz from Berlin. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 9, 2017
Atrocity Tapes EPby Yokonono
featured on Bandcamp Weekly Jun 27, 2017
Bandcamp Daily your guide to the world of Bandcamp
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Divide and Dissolve Use Drone to Combat Oppression and Intolerance
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On Bandcamp Radio
A. Billi Free talks about her new LP and the art of juggling singing, rapping and producing.


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STOUGHTON, MA -- A group trying to save the Striar Jewish Community Center building in Stoughton, MA, was told that plans are still in effect to sell or close the building, according to the Patriot Ledger of Quincy, MA.
Last month, the Jewish Community Centers of Greater Boston (JCCGB) announced it was closing the Striar JCC and transitioning its services to the Old Colony YMCA of Brockton, MA.
The group Save the JCC met with representatives of the JCCGB and Combined Jewish Philanthropies—a nonprofit agency which owns the Striar building—over the weekend. David Starr, a Striar member who founded Save the JCC, said his group was told the building would either be sold to the Y in March or closed at the end of June if the sale does not go through, according to the newspaper. Save the JCC is not considering a lawsuit.
"If we fight, then we're going to lose, and if we scare the Y, we'll lose the [Combined Jewish Philanthropies] a lot of money," Starr told the Patriot Ledger.
Starr says he and other Striar members plan to negotiate with the Y ownership as to what programs they'd like to have retained with the transfer to the Old Colony YMCA.
Gil Preuss, a spokesperson for Combined Jewish Philanthropies, told the newspaper that his organization lost about $900,000 last year. He also says that JCCs throughout the country have been struggling to survive. Part of the reason is that many Jewish families with small children do not live near a JCC, Preuss says.


text: Converse has teamed up with The Simpsons on a collection that marks the show's first-ever footwear collaboration. As the longest running scripted show in television history, it seems strange that we're only getting a collection now but, as they say, better late than never. The Simpsons Chuck Taylor All Star collection features custom graphics revolving around the show's eponymous family. Look for the collection at Journeys and Converse beginning June 15.


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|Actually he usually catches these.
Let's use Dewan's plus/minus metric as our measuring stick. Ever wondered how that stat is calculated? Here you go:
A player gets credit (a "plus" number) if he makes a play that at least one other player at his position missed during the season, and he loses credit (a "minus" number) if he misses a play that at least one player made.Simple, and effective. Here's the leaderboard through last night:
Well maybe not. Ludwick is actually fourteenth at +4. Thirty teams in the league, he sits in 14th, that means he's spectacularly average in left. Let's take it one step further: how does he stack up against the rest of the NL West?
- Parra (AZ) +23. Statistically he's the best defensive LF in the game today.
- Ludwick (SD) +4. Surprised? He ranks 14th overall as we mentioned previously.
- Sands (LA) 0. He's a rookie; ranks 25th at the moment.
- C. Gonzalez (COL) -2. This surprised me a bit. Everyone knows CarGo (probably the stupidest nickname I've seen recently) has blossomed into a force at the plate, but I had no idea he was inept in the field. Gonzalez is ranked 27th.
- Ross (SF) 0. He spent a month hurt and is still rounding into shape. Dewan assigns him no rank based on a lack of data.


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On Monday, I wrote about the differences in the deposits at the big four U.S. money centers: Bank of America (BAC), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Wells Fargo (WFC) and Citibank (C). Today we'll consider the money these same institutions can access the Federal Reserve in order to meet requirements for reserves as set forth by Regulation D.
Since the financial crisis of 2008, the relationship the money centers have with the Federal Reserve has become very complex. Here is my take on the most basic and normal operating interaction of lending money to the Fed and borrowing money from it.
When a bank has reserves that are greater than it needs it may choose to lend money to the Federal Reserve system with those funds then being made available to other banks to borrow in order to meet their reserve requirements. This is called "Fed Funds Sold".
Conversely, when a bank needs reserves, it can borrow them from other banks through the Fed in what is called "fed funds purchased."
On an ongoing basis banks will carry balances in both categories; that is that they are both lending money to other banks through the Federal Reserve system and borrowing from it at the same time. In general, a healthy bank will lend more money (fed funds sold) to and through this system than it borrows (fed funds purchased).
If a bank has a pattern over time of lending lesser money to the system and borrowing more money from the system it may indicate that the bank is having problems either with the quality of the assets on its balance sheet or in raising equity capital and deposits outside of the system, from the private sector.
In the case of Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Citibank, there are a variety of observations worth noting.
Since the 2008 financial crisis, Bank of America is the only one that has consistently carried a greater balance of funds borrowed from the system than it supplies to the system. Although both are declining, this indicates that Bank of America is most probably having problems raising capital from the private sector and raises concerns about the ongoing quality of the assets on its balance sheet.
JPMorgan Chase is by far the most active in both lending and borrowing through the system as it carries balances in both categories that are more than double the balances being carried by the other three money centers combined.
The following is a list of carried fed funds sold /purchased, as of the third quarter of 2012 for each institution: JPMorgan -- $280 billion/$190 billion, Citibank -- $75 billion/$21 billion, Wells Fargo -- $36 billion/$25 billion and Bank of America -- $19 billion/$62 billion.
It appears that JPMorgan is actively using this system to create an ongoing profitable "carry trade" for itself. The company is borrowing money from the system at a lesser cost of capital than it is earning by recirculating the borrowed funds back into the system to be loaned out to other banks at a higher rate.
Wells Fargo's relative lack of participation on either side is most probably simply an indication of its business focus on the private sector.
Although Citi has almost doubled the amount of capital it lends to the system, its balance sheet problems are probably precluding it from leveraging an arbitrage carry trade similar to what JPMorgan is doing.


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Watch the introductionary video about all the features of Optojump Next
For a rapid start with the Optojump software, watch the video tutorial that will guide you step by step...
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Discover Optojump next in every detail
It is an innovative system of analysis and measurement that brings a new philosophy of assessment and optimisation of performance to the world of competitive sport: it is designed for the development of a specific and customized training programme for the athlete, based exclusively on precise objective data.
By acquiring the fundamental parameters that characterise the level of an individual's performance and physical condition, Optojump Next allows coaches, trainers and researchers to constantly test and monitor their athletes. This makes it possible to ascertain the abilities or physical fitness of an athlete in a simple and immediate way, creating over time a real database that makes it possible to compare values for that athlete or different athletes (even at a distance of months or years).
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General insurance mediation work is one or more Regulated Activities as defined in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. If you or your firm undertake any of the Regulated Activities below and receive any form of payment, reward or commission for doing so, then you will need to be regulated for this by the Financial Services Authority or an appropriate scheme such as the RICS Designated Professional Body (DPB) Scheme. There are six regulated activities in relation to general insurance work:
For more examples of whether something is a Regulated Activity, please see Appendix A to Guidance for the DPB Scheme. We have also produced a help sheet tailored to Property Managers which expands on regulated activities which is available at www.rics.org/dpb.


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I had the opportunity to touch nearly every aspect of the film's visual design, but the bulk of my work for Oblivion involved developing the Sky Tower, including Jack's Workshop and the stripped down Mech variant of the Drone. It was a designer's dream getting to develop this remarkable piece of architecture.
To see more OBLIVION Concept Art, head over to: THOMLAB.COM


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Fizik have revamped their footwear range for 2013, updating the existing models, introducing a new road model, and entering the triathlon and mountain bike markets for the first time. We got a pre-launch look earlier this month at Eurobike.
Best know for their saddles and bar tape, the Italian brand entered launched their first range of cycling shoes two years ago with the R1 and R3 road shoes - available in male and female versions. Fizik's philosophy with their shoes was (and still is) all about delivering maximum power and maximum comfort in a stylish package - their shoes are designed to co-ordinate with their saddles and bar tape. Nice.
To complement the launch of that first range of shoes Fizik also launched a customisable - Flash Fit - insole developed with French specialists Sidas. The R1 has that insole as standard and you can upgrade any of the other shoes in their range with a set. They also work in other shoes too - Tone has a pair in his Shimano MTB commuting shoes and swears by 'em… which makes a change to him just swearing... he's potty mouthed that one.
While the R1 and R3 have each been given a significant revamp, and we'll talk about them later, the big news is the launch of the R5 - Fizik's least expensive shoe. Like the existing R1 and R3, it's handmade in Italy but it has its own carbon-reinforced nylon outsole.
Rather than using kangaroo leather in the upper, Fizik have gone for synthetic Microtex with large areas of nylon mesh for ventilation – they've been keen to add more ventilation across the updated range.
The closure design is similar to that of Fizik's existing road shoes – two Velcro lower straps and a ratcheted upper strap – although rather than being made from sail cloth, the R5's straps are Microtex. The buckle is aluminium.
The R5 is a touch heavier than the other Fizik road shoes but it's still light compared to most; the claimed weight is 498g for a pair of size 43s. They'll be available in white/silver/red, black/metal red, and black with fluoro details.
The women's version comes in that black/fluoro finish and also this white/red design. Fizik's women range is free of girly colours or flowers - essentially the distinguising feature is that they are available in smaller sizes - 37 to 42 in half size increments and then a full size jump to a 43. There is some overlap in sizing with the men's range which is bad news for big-footed Vecchiojo who took a shine to those white and red ones.
Although UK launch prices have yet to be confirmed, they have just become available in Europe with a list price of €179 - it's likely that the R5s will cost between £150-£170 – not cheap, but Fizik are sticking with high-quality here. Sizing for the men's shoes is 40 - 47 (in half size increments with a jump to 48.
The top-end R1 and the R3 have been refreshed. The R1 gets a very stiff new carbon outsole and larger areas of nylon mesh than previously. There's still plenty of kangaroo leather used over the toe and at the heel, and it keeps its carbon buckle and mouldable insole. You're looking at a price of £299.99.
The R3 gets a similar amount of upgrading. There's a new carbon-fibre outsole - the one previously used on the R1, and completely new colours - the original all-red shoe is no more. You still get the same kangaroo leather/nylon mesh upper and aluminium buckle. Fizik reckon it offers the same level of quality as a top tier shoe from other brands. It's available in both men's and women's models at £219.99 for 2013. Sizing is the same as for the R5 and you get a choice of white/black/red or white/royal blue in the men's range.
The womens R3s come in either white or, our choice as the best looking shoe in the line-up, black/crema - which we failed to get a shot of at Eurobike. Check them out here though on the Fizik website.
Fizik MTB
Pretty much as soon as they launched the road shoe Fizik were being asked to do an off-road range, and here it is. The MTB range features M1 and M5 and M5 Donna models with similar features and materials and pricing as their road equivalents. We reckon that as well as mountain bikers, these might appeal to tourers and urban cyclists who need to walk in their riding shoes. Maybe that sole might be a bit chunky for round town.
The top-level M1 (above) comes with a carbon-fibre outsole and an upper that features kangaroo and anti-scratch leather and nylon mesh - oh, and those sail cloth closures. It also has it's own speically designed ratchet closure that allows you to micro-adjust on the fly. Although we didn't get to try it, Fizik say the tread is super-grippy. These are priced at £299.99.
The more affordable of the two MTB models is the £160 M5 which comes with a carbon-reinforced nylon outsole. The upper combines anti-scratch leather with Microtex and nylon mesh. These are available in both men's and women's versions at £160 a pair.
Fizik Triathlon
Not content with expanding into the MTB world, Fizik have also entered the triathlon bike shoe market with the K1 – the K standing for Kona, where Ironman Hawaii takes place – in both men's and women's versions (that's the men's below). It's top end only for their tri shoes with no K3 or K5 offerings.
As is usually the case with tri shoes, there's a large opening for you to get your foot inside while you're on the bike, plus a big heel loop to make it easier. There are two straps although, once set, you'll never need to alter the lower one.
Like the R1 and the M1, the K1 gets a mouldable insole so you should get good support in the arch, along with a 3D Flex outsole which, as the name suggests, flexes a little. The idea is to save your forefoot for the run. Plenty of ventilation in the upper should help dry out feet that are still wet from the swim.
The men's K1 is priced at £299.99 and the women's at £349.99 - we're not totally sure why the women's tri shoe is the most expensive shoe in Fizik's entire range. Those aren't two different colourways above - that's a pair. Got to say, the idea of different coloured left and right shoes is strangely appealing.
For more details on the Fizik range go to www.fizik.it or their UK importer www.extrauk.co.uk.
Mat has worked for loads of bike magazines over 20+ years, and been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. He's been road.cc technical editor for eight years, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a past winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer.


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A court ruling has found that Christians who want to provide foster care for needy children must promote homosexuality to them and that there is only a "qualified" right to exercise their Christian beliefs.
The judgment comes in a claim by a Christian couple that their biblical beliefs in opposition to homosexual behavior were being used by the government to discriminate against them regarding their application to be foster parents.
The couple, Eunice and Owen Johns, previously had provided foster care in the United Kingdom and had applied to resume their work, but suddenly became the target of government rejection because they expressed their Christian beliefs regarding homosexuality.
According to the Christian Legal Centre, which also posted online the judges' decision in the landmark High Court case, the judges refused to say the Johns should be allowed to provide foster care.
"There now appears to be nothing to stop the increasing bar on Christians who wish to adopt or foster children but who are not willing to compromise their beliefs by promoting the practice of homosexuality to small children," the organization said.
The judges, however, said it was the couples' view on homosexuality, not their biblically based beliefs about homosexuality, that created the problem. And the judges went further, declaring that Christianity has no role in the concept of justice in the UK.
According to the opinion authored by Lord Justice Munby and Mr. Justice Beatson, "the laws and usages of the realm do not include Christianity, in whatever form." They said, "the aphorism that 'Christianity is part of the common law of England' is mere rhetoric; at least since the decision of the House of Lords in Bowman v Secular Society Limited … it has been impossible to contend that it is law."
"It is important to realize that reliance upon religious belief, however conscientious the belief and however ancient and respectable the religion, can never of itself immunize the believer from the reach of the secular law. And invocation of religious belief does not necessarily provide a defense to what is otherwise a valid claim," they wrote.
The judges noted Article 9 of the European Convention, which explains all have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and the related "practice and observance," but they said the "manifestation" of Christianity is subject to "qualifications."
Munby and Beatson endorsed the belief that it "cannot therefore be justified" that a position "held purely on religious grounds" could be defended by the law.
On the specific issue of requiring foster parents to promote homosexuality, the judges said. "If children, whether they are known to be homosexuals or not, are placed with carers who … evince an antipathy, objection to or disapproval of, homosexuality and same-sex relationships, there may well be a conflict with the local authority's duty to 'safeguard and promote' the 'welfare' of looked-after children."
The ruling continued, "While as between the protected rights concerning religion and sexual orientation there is no hierarchy of rights, there may, as this case shows, be a tension between equality provisions concerning religious discrimination and those concerning sexual orientation.
"Where this is so … the National Minimum Standards for Fostering and the Statutory Guidance indicate that it must be taken into account and in this limited sense the equality provisions concerning sexual orientation should take precedence."
Munby and Beatson said in their ruling that there is only a "qualified" right "to manifest religious belief" and that "interferences in the sphere of employment and analogous spheres are readily found to be justified, even where the members of a particular religious group will find it difficult in practice to comply."
According to the Christian Legal Centre, the "judgment strongly affirms homosexual rights over freedom of conscience and leaves the Johns currently unable to foster a child as desired, despite their proven track record as foster parents."
The organization continued, "The summary contained in the judgment sends out the clear message that orthodox Christian ethical beliefs are potentially harmful to children and that Christian parents with mainstream Christian views are not suitable to be considered as potential foster parents."
The organization called the judges' claim that the Johns "were being excluded from fostering due to their moral views on sexual ethics and not their Christian beliefs" a matter of "disingenuous" statements.
"The Johns' moral views cannot be separated from their religious beliefs."
The Johns told the Christian Legal Centre "we have been excluded because we have moral opinions based on our faith, and a vulnerable child has now probably missed the chance of finding a safe and caring home. … Being a Christian is not a crime and should not stop us from raising children."
Andrea Minichiello Williams, CEO of Christian Concern and the Christian Legal Centre, said the family was "humiliated and sidelined and told by a government body … that their mainstream Christian views might 'infect' children. They have also effectively been told by British judges that their views may harm children."
Williams continued, "The judges have claimed that there was no discrimination against the Johns as Christians because they were being excluded from fostering due to their sexual ethics and not their Christian beliefs. This claim that their moral beliefs on sex have nothing to do with the Christian faith is a clear falsehood made in order to justify their ruling. How can the judges get away with this?"
J.E. Dyer, on the Hot Air Green Room blog, said the judges' interpretation of the law "is idiotic on its face. … The next obvious step is ruling that parents must endorse homosexuality to their own children."
"If the British High Court deems Christian beliefs on homosexuality 'inimical to the interests of children,' it will justify intervening between parents and their natural children, just as governments do the world over when child welfare is at issue."
WND recently reported that the last Catholic adoption agency in the UK was fighting for its life after being told it must give up its faith or close down.
That report at the Christian Institute, which exists for "the furtherance and promotion of the Christian religion," reported Catholic Care is the only one of 11 British Catholic adoption agencies operating in 2007 that has not been shut down.
Others have fallen to the bludgeoning of government regulations that demand that adoption agencies promote children to homosexual couples as well as married couples – whether or not their faith allows it.
The Christian Institute said the nation's Charity Commission interprets the Labour Party's regulations to mean that Catholic "adoption agencies must place children for adoption with same-sex couples, despite it being contrary to church teaching."
Catholic Care already has been told by the commission that church teachings on homosexuality "didn't justify their refusal to place children with homosexuals," reported the Institute, which according to director Colin Hart is a nondenominational Christian charity committed to upholding the truths of the Bible that is supported by individuals and churches throughout the U.K.
An appeal, however, has been filed on the decision.
"The commission is wrong in its decision," the Institute reported London solicitor Benjamin James saying. "We have lodged an appeal with the charity tribunal and the charity tribunal will request that the Charity Commission responds within 28 days."
The case developed as concern grows that Christians rapidly are losing their rights in the U.K. to the bludgeoning of "rules" adopted to favor homosexuals and other alternative lifestyles.
The Institute cited the reports earlier in 2010 of two bed-and-breakfast owners who were accused of refusing to provide double-bed accommodations to homosexuals.
– Prophecy News Watch


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* Western diplomats welcome the choice of new Somali PM
* Analysts say inexperienced PM and president must choose cabinet wisely
* Al Shabaab rebels say new PM is a foreign puppet
* Somalia rebuilding after more than 20 years of war (Adds comment by al Shabaab)
By Abdi Sheikh and Feisal Omar
MOGADISHU, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Saturday named political newcomer Abdi Farah Shirdon Saaid as the country's new prime minister, a man diplomats say is untainted by the clan rivalry and feuding that has plagued Somalia for decades.
"I know (Saaid) and have selected him because he is competent," said Mohamud, who along with his prime minister face the daunting task of trying to set up Somalia's first effective central government since the outbreak of civil war in 1991.
"I urge the parliament and the civilians to support him," he said in a statement.
Though both the president and prime minister are new in their jobs, they will be confronted by old problems: acrimonious clan politics, rampant corruption, maritime piracy and a stubborn Islamist insurgency.
Mogadishu, which until last year was engulfed in street battles between al Shabaab militants linked to al Qaeda and African Union soldiers, is now a bustling city where bullet-riddled houses are slowly being repaired and replaced.
African Union troops also pushed al Shabaab out of the southern port city of Kismayu last week, the militants' last major bastion after a five-year revolt, but the Somali government still does not control swathes of the country and the security situation remains fragile.
Al Shabaab militants, who say Saaid is a foreign stooge, are likely to hit back with bombings and guerrilla attacks. An al Shabaab suicide bomber on Saturday blew himself up some 30km (20 miles) from Mogadishu, wounding two government soldiers.
"The new prime minister is not different from those before him - they were all brought by Westerners," Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage, al Shabaab's spokesman, told Reuters.
"He will not change Somalia. We shall fight and keep on foiling the infidel government."
Saaid has been a prominent businessman in neighbouring Kenya and is married to Asha Haji Elmi, an influential Somali peace activist.
A Western diplomat said Saaid had a reputation for being above Somalia's notoriously volatile clan politics, similar to the new president, and the news of his appointment would be welcomed by foreign governments.
"Like all the decisions the new president has made so far, this is a good one, and Somalia is on a bit of a roll with the election of (Mohamed Osman) Jawaari as parliament speaker and Mohamud as president," the diplomat told Reuters.
Mohamud, a former academic and a political newcomer himself, was elected president in a secret ballot on Sept. 10, a result hailed by his supporters as a vote for change.
Matt Bryden, a director of Sahan Research think-tank and former UN-Monitoring Group coordinator for Somalia, said Saaid was the best candidate on the list but added that the inexperience of the duo may prove a potential pitfall.
"We now have a prime minister and president who have never held public office. The key question is what kind of cabinet will they appoint and from where will they solicit and attain advice," Bryden said.
Saaid's appointment as prime minister will have to be approved by Somali legislators, though both analysts and diplomats said this was likely to happen without problems.
"I request the parliament and the Somali people to work with me," Saaid said. "I will appoint the cabinet as soon as possible."
Rampant corruption and infighting between the clans are the other two major challenges the new administration will face.
In July, a U.N. Somalia monitoring group report said it had found that out of every $10 received by the transitional federal government between 2009-2010, $7 had never made it into state coffers. Then President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed dismissed those allegations. [ID: nL6E8JI0K9]
Saaid hails from a sub-clan of the Darood clan, which is in line with Somali tradition of sharing the top three political jobs between the main clans.
The president is from the Hawiye clan and the parliament speaker Jawaari belongs to the Rahanweyn clan, a split which analysts said was vital to make sure that the majority of the country feels represented by the new government.
Previous Transitional Federal Governments (TFG) have been characterised by infighting, particularly between the president and prime minister, who always derive from different clans and have to satisfy their own power bases.
"Saaid is very close to the president and so I think we are likely to see the prime minister and president working as a team rather than working as rivals, which was one of the problems that undermined the last TFG," Bryden said. (Additional reporting and writing by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Myra MacDonald)


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HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Coker College baseball team opened the 2012 season on Thursday falling to St. Augustine's College 9-1.
The Falcons opened the game with two runs in the first, but Coker quickly answered with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning. The score remained 2-1 until the top of the fourth when St. Augustine's added another two runs. The Falcons went on to score an additional two runs in the sixth and three in the ninth.
Andrew Goot (Oldsmar, Fla.) (0-1) took the loss on the mound for the Cobras. He allowed two runs on two hits in two innings of work.
At the plate, Chad Nader (Rock Hill, S.C.) Keith Wolf (O'Fallon, Ill.) and De'Ante Scott (Bluffton, S.C.) each had a hit for the Cobras with Nader scoring the Cobras lone run.
The Cobras will be back on the diamond on Saturday when they host the Hawks of Chowan University in a non-conference doubleheader starting at noon at Tom J. New Field.
McDonald's Player of the Game- Chad Nader
Nader was 1-for-3 with a run scored.
The McDonald's Player of the Game is presented by the Hartsville McDonald's and is given to the most outstanding performer during each Coker College home athletic event.


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Retired teachers and staff members from Erwin Elementary School met on Sunday, June 23, at the Wagon Wheel to reconnect, share memories, renew old friendships, catch up on each other's lives, laugh and brag on grandchildren.
Based on the response, It was decided to make this event an annual reunion.
Many of these teachers helped open Erwin Elementary in 1975.
The group represents more than 800 years combined years of teaching and guiding children in Lancaster County.
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Service Dogs Pick Up Scent of Diabetes Danger
About two times a night, Shana Eppler wakes up to an alarm and slips into her daughter Abbie's room to test the 8-year-old's blood sugar.
Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 4, Abbie experiences low blood-sugar levels, a potentially dangerous condition known as hypoglycemia that can cause the loss of consciousness.
The alarm Ms. Eppler uses to avoid a health emergency is a furry one named Gracie, an 70-pound, 3-year-old British Labrador retriever trained to sniff out high and low blood-sugar levels. When Abbie's sugar level rises or falls below a certain target at night, Gracie rings a bell and Ms. Eppler gets up.
"The scenting part comes naturally," says Ms. Eppler, of Colorado Springs, Colo. "They are hunting blood sugars instead of ducks."
Diabetic, or hypoglycemic, "alert dogs" are a growing class of service dogs best known for guiding the visually impaired, sniffing out drugs and bombs, or providing mobility assistance for people with severe disabilities. Most recently, they have been trained to sniff out cancer and oncoming seizures. Toni Eames, president of International Association of Assistance Dog Partners, estimates there are over 30,000 assistance dogs working in the U.S., including dogs that have been trained by individuals.
The dog's accuracy and speed can beat medical devices, such as glucose meters and continuous glucose monitors, according to doctors, owners and trainers. With their acute sense of smell, the dogs—mostly retrievers—are able to react to a scent that researchers haven't yet identified.
For centuries, doctors diagnosed diabetes by identifying sweetness in the urine of a patient. That scent comes from glucose that isn't absorbed when a person lacks insulin, but the chemicals produced during low-blood-sugar incidents have yet to be identified.
"Whatever is being secreted in that drop in blood sugar…we just don't know what it is," says Dana Hardin, a pediatric endocrinologist who works for Eli Lilly & Co. in Indianapolis. Her goal is to identify what chemical compound the dogs smell, "not only to train dogs but to possibly make a device," she says.
Most of the interest in diabetic-alert dogs comes from people with Type 1 diabetes—and parents of children with Type 1—because they are more susceptible than people with Type 2 diabetes to serious problems of low blood sugar. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease characterized by the absence of insulin production, and requires daily insulin injections. People with Type 2, which is brought on by a combination of genetics, inactivity and obesity, have trouble processing insulin but don't necessarily require external insulin.
Incidence of Type 1 has been rising in the U.S. by about 2.5% to 4% a year for reasons scientists can't explain, according to several large-scale studies published in peer-reviewed medical journals. The number of people with Type 1 diabetes in the U.S. is between 1.3 million and 2.6 million, accounting for 5% to 10% of the total diabetic
Type 1 diabetics work to balance their daily intake of carbohydrates with external insulin. Prolonged high sugar levels can lead to complications such as heart disease, kidney failure and neuropathy. But trying to keep sugars at a low level raises the risk of hypoglycemia, which can be lethal, particularly if a patient loses consciousness while driving or alone.
Many people develop a condition known as hypoglycemia unawareness, meaning they no longer feel the hunger, listlessness and irritability that typically alerts diabetics that their blood-sugar level is falling.
"They don't get the signs. They just can be having a normal conversation, go from feeling fine to passing out," says Dr. Hardin.
Diabetics can use technologies such as continuous glucose monitors to help prevent these episodes, but these don't record blood-sugar drops until after they happen. So hypoglycemic-alert dogs can be lifesavers, says Dr. Hardin, who presented the first scientific research on the dogs at this year's annual American Diabetes Association conference in Philadelphia.
Using perspiration samples from patients whose sugars were below 65 milligrams a deciliter—normal is 80-120 mg/dL—she trained a two-year-old Labrador/Golden retriever mix to recognize low blood-sugar samples placed in blinded containers on a Lazy Susan-like wheel. Modeled after how police sniffing dogs are trained, trainers around the country use similar techniques. Dr. Hardin's dog was then paired with Dustin Hillman, a 36-year-old patient who suffered severe hypoglycemic unawareness.
Before he got the dog, Mr. Hillman lost consciousness due to hypoglycemia more than six times over the previous two weeks, requiring emergency services. In the three months after, the owner only lost consciousness once and never required emergency service, according to the study.
Since having Tippy—short for Tippecanoe—Mr. Hillman has finished his dissertation and will receive his Master's in Chemistry on Sunday from Purdue University. He had been on the verge of dropping out of school and moving back in with his parents, he says.
A fully trained diabetic-alert dog can cost as much as $20,000. Many families conduct fundraisers to afford them. Nonprofit training centers offer dogs free of charge, or ask for a nominal fee, but the waiting lists are long.
Andrea Calamoneri, whose 15-year-old son Dylan has had Type 1 diabetes for nearly a decade, said she was initially skeptical. "I wasn't about to trust my son's life to something that is voodoo," she says. Seeing a dog respond to a low sugar reading convinced her. "It gives you chills when you see it happen."
Celeste, a 60-pound yellow Labrador, has been at Dylan's side for about a year. A few weeks ago, when Dylan got home from a 2½-hour wrestling practice, Ms. Calamoneri expected his sugars to drop. By bedtime, they hadn't. In the middle of the night, Celeste nudged the Danville, Calif., mother of three awake. Dylan's sugar level was 56, well below the target of 80.
"Your first reaction when you wake up is you almost want to say go back to bed, but you have to trust her and, sure enough, she's right," Ms. Calamoneri says.
She says the dog has alerted them of a pending drop in blood sugar well before the drop occurred. Celeste has missed an occasional alert, she says, which she attributes to a busy day when the dog got overly tired. Mostly, the dog naps whenever she is able, and typically the smell of a dropping sugar level will jolt her awake, Ms. Calamoneri says.
Interest in diabetic-alert dogs is rising, says Ed Peebles, president of the Las Vegas-based National Institute for Diabetic Alert Dogs, who says he gets up to 20 applications for a dog daily.
A family business his mother, a nurse, started a decade ago, the for-profit group has four locations, is hiring trainers and can't prepare enough dogs to keep up with demand, Mr. Peebles says. He charges $18,000 for one fully trained dog between 10 months and a 1½ years old.
"We have seen a huge, huge spike in interest," Mr. Peebles said. "I am five dogs behind."
Ms. Eppler's dog, Gracie, is always working. She bows to signal a low blood sugar and waves a raised paw to show a high level. When Gracie waves and then bows, it means that Abbie's sugar is high but falling. "Rarely will Gracie let Abbie get below 90," she says. "We joke that they are angels with fur."
Write to Kate Linebaugh at email@example.com
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Microsoft Announces New VP of International Research
Microsoft announced on Tuesday that the company has hired Jeannette Wing to lead Microsoft Research International, the company's applied computing research arm, spanning 13 offices globally with more than 850 PhD researchers in the organization. Previously, Wing did a four-year stint as the assistant director of research for the National Science Foundation, and headed the computer science department at Carnegie Mellon University. Wing will join Microsoft at the beginning of the year, heading up oversight for the company's labs in southeast Asia and England.


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An occasional episode of insomnia can make it difficult to handle the day, and regular episodes of insomnia can make it difficult to handle life. If insomnia bedevils your nights, you could at least take comfort in the fact that you're not alone. It is estimated that one in four people suffers from insomnia regularly, and about six million people in the United States have such a serious problem that they rely on the regular use of prescription drugs to treat it.
The causes of insomnia are varied, but psychological factors are present in more than 50 percent of the cases. Environmental and dietary factors also play a prominent role, and statistics show that, for unknown reasons, insomnia is more common in females than males. Fortunately, lifestyle changes and herbal medicines can help treat the problem.
On the subject of sleeplessness
Insomnia is classified into two broad categories: sleep-onset insomnia, or difficulty falling asleep, and maintenance insomnia, which causes frequent or early waking. Treating either type of insomnia should begin with an awareness of your needs as well as other influential factors. All people don't require the same amount of sleep, for example, and some might only think they have a problem because they don't fit into the norm. Sleep cycles can vary among people and throughout a person's life, and while one person may only require four hours of sleep, others need ten hours to feel refreshed.
In addition, insomnia can be caused by anxiety, tension, emotional arousal, pain, caffeine, drugs, alcohol, or even worrying about falling asleep. Pinpointing whether one or more of these factors is wreaking havoc on your nights can often bring relief because through your awareness you can try to improve the situation. One way to avoid mind-churning insomnia is to abide by the twenty-minute rule: if you lie in bed for more than twenty minutes and can't fall asleep, get up and do something. Get your mind out of the circular problem of being kept awake by the inability to fall asleep. Read, iron that pile of clothes, or write in your journal.
If such a simple method doesn't help and you still lie awake nights, consider the following suggestions.
Health: Sleep disturbances may have underlying physiological causes, so treating the cause can solve the sleep problem. People suffering from hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, for example, may experience unsettling fluctuations in blood-sugar levels during the night. The brain needs a constant supply of glucose to function, and a drop in blood sugar signals the body to produce hormones and neurotransmitters that stimulate sugar release. The resulting rise in blood sugar may wake a person up. (A small amount of fruit or juice upon waking will relieve the symptoms.) It is important to have a correct diagnosis, however. If an exam and blood test reveal that you are hypoglycemic, you may wish to ask your health-care provider whether nutritional measures are appropriate for your condition.
Candida yeast infections sometimes influence blood-sugar levels as well, and a diagnosis and nutritional program may be in order to clear this up.


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Dax Holdren tees off against Mark Williams
Sean Scott, shooting
Holdren attempts a shot over the block
Holdren, passing
Lucena, wound up
Despite the ferocity, Lucena gets blocked by Scott
Mark Williams, serving
Lucena ripping. Almost looks like a no-look shot.
Lane and Kumgisky receive a serve
Lane, hitting
Ran Kumgisky attemps a spike
Matt Fuerbringer puts a huge block on Kumgisky
Kumgisky, digging a hard shot
Scott Lane, passing
Ty Tramblie and Mike Morrison get twisted up over a serve
Will Strickland, passing
Brad Keenan: Captain Wingspan
Kennan attampts to block Canyon Ceman
Keenan digs a pass out of the net
Canyon Ceman hits past Keenan


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Jenya Malkin
15 hours ago
My baby! forever in my heart, i love you!!!!ya ochen privyazalsya k etoi chetveronogoi krasotke.
budu skuchat po tvoim podarkam v vide belok
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text: Share: Comments Print March 20, 2010 at 1:15 PM MLS and players union reach agreement (league release) Posted by Tom Wyrwich Major League Soccer and MLS Players Union Reach Agreement in Principle on New CBA NEW YORK (Saturday, March 20, 2010) – Major League Soccer (MLS) and the Major League Soccer Players Union (MLSPU) today announced that they have reached agreement in principle on the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement covering five seasons, commencing with the 2010 season and continuing through December 31, 2014. MLS Commissioner Don Garber and MLSPU Executive Director Bob Foose announced the agreement today via teleconference call, five days prior to the start of the League's 15th season. "We are very pleased to have reached agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the MLS Players Union," said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. "This new agreement allows us to work with our players to continue our mutual efforts to build the sport of soccer in North America. We worked hard during the past few months to develop a new agreement that addressed many of the players' most important issues and look forward to a meaningful and productive new relationship over the next five years." "I would like to thank the players and the leadership of the Union for their involvement and commitment to the collective bargaining process as well as our fans for their patience as we worked together to reach an agreement," Garber said. "I also want to thank George Cohen for his expertise in assisting the parties though mediation." "The Union is happy with this agreement as it addresses the core issue of players' rights and we look foward to working cooperatively with the League going foward," said Bob Foose, Executive Director of the Union. LA Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan said: "We have a deep appreciation for the commitment shown by the owners both historically and through this process to make MLS one of the top leagues in the world." The concluding phase of the negotiations was conducted under the auspices of George Cohen, Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. The agreement is subject to the approval of the MLS Board of Governors and the membership of the MLSPU. Major League Soccer's 15th season kicks off March 25 when the expansion Philadelphia Union travel to Seattle to take on Sounders FC in a nationally televised match on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN360.com. The other 14 MLS clubs are in action on March 26 and 27. Comments


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This problem always happens after I restore my apps from Titanium Backup and move them to the SD card, regardless which ROM. However, I noticed that this problem has something to do with the SD card. Since the logcat is too long, I posted it here:
- Logcat #1: http://pastebin.com/5qAEz3n7
- Logcat #2: http://pastebin.com/Hd7uXPrc
- Logcat #3: http://pastebin.com/Xc6evYsM
- Logcat #4: http://pastebin.com/yQFuXdTu
P.S. all these logcats occured during the same session, after that, the phone started becoming slow, hanging, then rebooting.


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TripAdvisor Appoints Chief Marketing Officer, Barbara Messing, to Lead Global Marketing Efforts
Former Vice President and General Manager of Hotwire's Travel Ticker Appointed as TripAdvisor CMO
Feb 23, 2011, 06:00 ET
NEWTON, Mass., Feb. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- TripAdvisor®, the world's largest travel site*, today announced that Barbara Messing has joined its management team as chief marketing officer, to lead the company's global marketing efforts. Messing will lead all of TripAdvisor's consumer marketing activities, including brand development and experience, customer relationship marketing, public relations, search engine marketing, traffic acquisition, and mobile partnerships.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080902/TRIPADVISORLOGO )
"Barbara has a wealth of experience developing and leading consumer brands and we're thrilled to have her on board," said Steve Kaufer, founder and CEO of TripAdvisor. "She will play a key role at TripAdvisor as we continue to expand our global footprint as the world's largest travel site."
Messing comes to TripAdvisor from Hotwire, also part of the Expedia, Inc. family, where she served in several key leadership roles. Most recently, Messing was vice president and general manager of Travel Ticker and in nine years at Hotwire, also served in roles including vice president of customer experience and director of product development. Prior to joining Hotwire in 2002, Messing was a product director at Keen.com and a segment producer at The Travel Channel. She holds an undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and a J.D. from Stanford University.
"I'm excited to join this talented team and confident that my professional experience will further enhance TripAdvisor's brand awareness," said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer at TripAdvisor. "I look forward to continuing to push the envelope in 2011, as we look to deliver exciting new offerings for our global community of more than 40 million monthly travelers."
About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor® is the world's largest travel site, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features (including Flights search, TripAdvisor Mobile and TripAdvisor Trip Friends) with seamless links to booking tools.
TripAdvisor® Media Group, operated by TripAdvisor LLC, attracts more than 50 million unique monthly visitors* across 18 popular travel brands**. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 40 million unique monthly visitors***, 20 million members, and over 40 million reviews and opinions. The sites operate in 27 countries worldwide****, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also operates TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to TripAdvisor's millions of monthly visitors. The division includes Business Listings, which allows hoteliers to connect directly to millions of researching travelers, and Vacation Rentals, which helps property managers and individual home owners list their properties and showcase hotel alternatives.
TripAdvisor Media Group websites have been recognized as top travel resources in 2010 by Conde Nast Traveller, Good Housekeeping, TIME magazine and Travel + Leisure.
TripAdvisor and the sites comprising the TripAdvisor Media Group are operating companies of Expedia, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPE).
TripAdvisor and the TripAdvisor logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of TripAdvisor LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners.
*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Media Group Sites, Worldwide, August 2010
**In addition to TripAdvisor, The TripAdvisor Media Group of websites includes: www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.onetime.com, www.seatguru.com, www.sniqueaway.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.travel-library.com, www.travelpod.com, www.virtualtourist.com and www.kuxun.cn.
***Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, Worldwide, August 2010
****TripAdvisor sites operate in 27 countries worldwide: www.tripadvisor.com, www.tripadvisor.co.uk, www.tripadvisor.ca, www.tripadvisor.it, www.tripadvisor.es, www.tripadvisor.de, www.tripadvisor.fr, www.tripadvisor.jp, www.daodao.com, www.tripadvisor.in, www.tripadvisor.se, nl.tripadvisor.com, www.tripadvisor.com.br, www.tripadvisor.com.tr, www.tripadvisor.dk, www.tripadvisor.com.mx, www.tripadvisor.ie, www.tripadvisor.com.au, www.tripadvisor.com.sg, www.tripadvisor.co.kr, no.tripadvisor.com, pl.tripadvisor.com, th.tripadvisor.com, www.tripadvisor.ru, www.tripadvisor.com.gr/, www.tripadvisor.co.id and www.tripadvisor.com.ar.
SOURCE TripAdvisor


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charity, Cheil, donation, drought, famine, Famine Aid, food shortage, Somalia, UNICEF, world food program
I can barely believe that I've gone through SEVEN WEEKS of eating famine rations. Seems like only a few days ago when I saw Made by Many Tim's call to action…
After an exciting few days of planning, I actually started. Now, it's all wrapping up after an exciting 50 days that have left me with lots of hope because of the wonderful things I hear people inspired by this project have done -particularly children giving up savings and less fortunate people contributing what they can. I am thankful for your help and kind words…
Now I must ask for the last push! With so little time left, I cannot help but think of every telethon in history, where the last few hours bring about a huge uptick in donations.
You guys have taken this up to close to $7,200 USD. Since Cheil will match whatever we raise up to $10K, I'd love to at least get up to that much until tomorrow evening. That would of course still leave the project at about a fifth of the original target… But a lot more than any of us could have given on our own.
Please! Call your friends, email them, tweet the hell out of this… Or just go to the UNICEF project site by clicking here and give what you can. We cannot stop the drought from happening, or fix the dreadful political situation in Somalia… But we can certainly prevent lots of children from dying. One does every six minutes today. Two since I started writing this, and one since you started reading.
Thanks. Go!!!


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Main Street, Canandaigue, NY
Built: 1858, expanded and renovated 1908
Houses: Supreme, County, Surrogate and Commissioner of Jurors
Judicial District: Seventh
Ontario has two buildings of historical importance, both of them in Canandaigua; the original county courthouse built in 1824, now used as the Canandaigua City and Town Hall and the present county courthouse built in 1858, diagonally across the street from the original. The more modest 1824 building shows both Greek Revival and Georgian influence in its tall lonic portico, tall circular domed cupola, and various details, while the larger 1858 courthouse, also of Greek influence boasts a large gold colored dome, visible for miles around as its most prominent feature. Inside the newer building at the second floor lobby is a most interesting civil war wall memorial of intricately carved marble showing superb craftsmanship.
This more recent courthouse was the scene of a most publicized trial involving Susan B. Anthony, the leader of the woman-suffrage movement, who in 1873 was put on trial here for illegally voting in the 1872 Presidential election. The trial received national attention and despite Ms. Anthony's articulate defense, she was convicted.
The present county courthouse underwent a major expansion and renovation in 1908 and has remained basically unchanged since then.
The original portion of the Courthouse was constructed in 1857 at a cost of approximately $57,000 including the furnishings. In 1908, a third story was added to the structure, and the building was extended outward on both the north and south sides at an approximate cost of $126,000.
In 1987 and 1988, the Courthouse was extensively renovated at a cost of approximately $6.5 million. The renovation added three additional floors of office space from areas previously used for storage. The architectural firm of Mendel, Mesick, Cohen, Waite, Hall from Albany was hired to oversee the renovation as their specialty was in the preservation and refurbishing of historically prominent buildings. The general contractor was Frank Marianacci, Inc. of Bloomfeld.
Over the years, the Courthouse has remained a symbolic structure of justice in Ontario County. It's visually prominent dome and Statue of Justice is a site to behold for all travelers entering the City of Canandaigua from all directions.
The Statute of Justice, referred to as "Lady Justice" or "Justicia", is the third to be placed on the dome, and was drafted by Dexter Benedict of Penn Yan. On August 13, 1983, Lady Justice was lifted to the top of the dome with a 12-inch copper time capsule being placed inside containing information relative to local happenings in 1983. The scales held by Lady Justice are the original scales from the first statute erected in 1858. The sword and helmet symbolize power and authority, and her eyes are blinded by swept back wings of an eagle to signify that the individual(s) on trial will not be judged by their appearance.
The courthouse serves two purposes as the focal point of the electorate . . .
Local Government
The County Administrator is appointed by the Board of Supervisors to oversee and coordinate the activities of approximately 40 departments in Ontario County, including, for instance, the Public Works Department which manages roads and highways, the County Treasurer's Department which manages the finances and taxes, Solid Waste Department which manages the recycling and garbage disposal, etc.
The County Administrator also provides the 21-member Board of Supervisors with assistance in performing their role as legislators in their town or city, by providing background information and recommendations on projects and issues so that they can make informed decisions.
The elected Board of Supervisors meets in the Sessions Room for their meetings which are held the third Thursday of each month. The Board members serve on several of the ten different committees, and render decisions involving all aspects of the county budget, county government, and reconstruction of facilities.
Judicial System
Court rooms are located on the first and second floors. The Courthouse houses four courts known as County and Supreme Court which hear criminal cases of individuals who did not obey the law, Family Court for cases involving families having problems, including child support and custody cases, and Surrogate Court for cases regarding property of deceased persons.
The Grand Jury meets on the third floor and consists of citizens chosen to hear evidence presented by the District Attorney about certain criminal offenses. It is their obligation to decide if a person accused of a crime should be held over for trial.
An optional video entitled "Justice on the Public Square - A history of the Ontario County Courthouse" narrated by the County Historian (approximately 45 minutes) is available for viewing in the Waiting Room located on the first floor.
Source: "Survey of Court Facilities in New York State", NYS Office of Court Administration...1981 pg 354; pamphlet entitled: "Ontario County Courthouse - Self-Guided Tour".


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Tag Archives: Toy drive
Dipstick Magazine and Power 105.1 Dj Self bring their "A Game" to Hanover Lanes!
Work Hard, Play Hard (Wiz Khalifa Voice) Dipstick Magazine definitely lived up to this meaning! Bringing their "A game" to Hanover lanes in East Hanover, NJ, they were able to counterbalance the idea of fun, with the virtues of an … Continue reading
Posted in Hip Hop Tagged athletes, BET, Bikini, Bowling, celebrity, CHARITY, disc jockey, DJ, donations, Events, fashion, football, giants, gifts, gutter, hanover, hip hop, hip hop news, hiphop, hiphopmedia, Hiphopnews, Hot 97, instagram, Intuition, lanes, Leave a comment, Magazines, media, models, MTV, music, music industry, New Jersey, New York., NYC, PICTURES, pins, power 105.1, self, singer, smiles, spare, strike, style, TMZ, tots, Toy drive, toys, Twitter, Utter, VH1, whatshotinhiphop, whihh, Wiz Khalifa Leave a comment


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The cookbook we will be discussing this month is "Weeknights with Giada." Stop by the library to check out a copy. Bring a sampling of a recipe from the book to share. The library will provide plates and silverware. Register at the Information Desk, or call 330-683-1065. Check out other new cookbooks in our catalog.
Event Type:


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|Your DUI Defense Pardner
|Welcome to the Law Office of Jim Forslund
We're Attorneys Jim Forslund and Gary Pareja, and we help people just like you who have been arrested for DUI. In fact, almost all of legal work we do concerns DUI.
Let us give you some advice about your case.
It is not a good idea to go to Court alone. Any thing you say to the District Attorney or the Court can be used against you. Under the new felony law, the stakes are now much higher if you have three prior lifetime convictions any where in the US. (You have a right to remain silent. Exercise your rights.) You may appear through an attorney for the first court date if you were served with a ticket and you did not have to bond out. (You do not have to be there in person, if you arrange representation with an attorney in advance).
If you have an attorney, the Court and the DA cannot talk to you without your attorney present. In addition, anything your attorney says cannot be used against you. And anything you tell your attorney is protected by the attorney client privilege.
Wheat Ridge DUI cases are filed with Jefferson County Court
A law officer must have reasonable grounds to contact you unless the contact was consensual. He may claim that you committed a traffic violation. If you were parked, he may claim that he was checking on your welfare. If there was an accident, he can investigate. During the contact the officer must develop a reasonable belief that your driving ability is impaired by alcohol or drugs before he can ask you to take a test. Whatever the claimed reason, it can be challenged.
DUIs are often charged in Wheat Ridge on Kipling and Wadsworth.
Your attorney will set your case for a pre-trial conference. The District Attorney is then obligated to provide your attorney with the evidence that he intends to use against as well as evidence that would be favorable to you.
For more information see DUI in Colorado.
To contact us, please call at 303-332-3602.
P.S. Your first conference with us is free, and there is no further obligation.


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Whether in the aerospace sector or in earth moving equipment, the use of hard-chrome plated piston rods in hydraulic cylinders as protection against corrosion and wear has been a standard practice for a long time. Stricter environmental regulations and demand for increasingly longer service life have led to the development of alternative piston rod coatings in recent years. But how do these new surface treatments affect the performance of the sealing systems? Is there an ideal coating for all applications?
Friction and wear of sealing systems, particularly of rod seals, have a crucial influence on the efficiency and service life of a hydraulic cylinder. As long as the drive power of the hydraulic pump is sufficient, seal friction has a small effect on the efficiency of the hydraulic system. The cylinder's piston rod seals and wipers prevent fluid leakage from the cylinder and ingress of dirt into the system — even in harsh ambient conditions such as when excavating a riverbed.
In addition to so-called convenience properties, environmental aspects are becoming increasingly important to the operators of modern fluid power systems. The friction properties of piston seals and piston rod seals are particularly important in this context. High static and dynamic friction not only have an adverse effect on seal wear — and, thus, on the efficiency of the entire hydraulic system — but also lead to detrimental stick-slip and high breakaway forces after prolonged rest — sometimes called the Monday-morning effect.
Platings and coatings
The surface roughness of hard-chrome plated piston rods progressively changes during the component's life cycle. The surface typically becomes smoother over time, which prevents the surface from maintaining a thin film of lubricating oil. The result is higher friction against piston rod seals. Micro-cracks can also form, leading to abrasion of the chrome tips on the piston rod surface and the formation of longer score marks across the entire running surface. These changes have a negative impact on the entire tribological system and can lead to functional failure of the hydraulic equipment.
The demand for piston rod coatings that do not change their roughness and structure even after long service periods has led to the development of new techniques. Parker-Prädifa has extensively tested the effects of these alternative coverings on the performance of piston rod seals. The test results detailed on the next page, plus many other relevant tests, show that the treatment or coating of the piston rod surface has a significant impact on the friction, leakage, and wear behavior of piston rod seals.
In addition to delivering results that could certainly be described as positive, many alternative, initially seal-compatible piston rod coatings were found to exhibit increased seal wear with the resulting premature failure due to leakage after prolonged testing cycles.
On the test rig
Piston rods with the following types of coatings were tested in the Parker-Prädifa physical lab concerning their influence on friction, wear and leakage of piston rods:
• hard-chrome plated piston rods from various
manufacturers with different degrees of roughness,
• hard-chrome plated piston rods with PTFE sur
face treatment,
• ceramic coated piston rods with and without a
sealing coat,
• salt-bath nitrided piston rods,
• plasma-nitrided piston rods (with and without additional grinding process),
• chemically-nickel coated piston rods,
• piston rods with melted compound coatings,
• nitrided and nitro-carburated piston rods, and
• HVOF spray coated piston rods.
HVOF (high velocity oxygen fuel) coatings are produced by first mixing a combustible gas and oxygen within a chamber. The mixture exits the chamber through a nozzle and ignites. A carrier gas then transports a powder feedstock axially into the ignited gas mixture, which distributes the molten particles uniformly onto the piston rod. The combination of kinetic and thermal energy causes the molten particles to impact the rod to produce a coating with characteristics unachievable with the other methods, such as plasma spray coating.
The HVOF process creates extremely dense coatings with bond strengths in excess of 10,000 psi. A clear advantage of HVOF includes the ability to produce very low surface roughness. This frequently results in faster and easier finishing — often eliminating the need for it. HVOF coatings also produce a very predictable and uniform chemistry.
Test methods and results
Dynamic tests on Parker OD, B3, and BS type piston rod seals were performed with piston rods having different coatings in a large number of short- and long-term friction and leakage endurance tests on universal hydraulic rod seal test rigs. The OD is a unidirectional, PTFE buffer seal that vents trapped fluid pressure back into the cylinder. It has a PTFE-filled bronze cap and nitrile-rubber energizer and is considered a low-friction, long-life seal.
The B3 is a nonsymmetrical, polyurethane U-cup with a knife-trimmed, beveled lip. It resists wear, extrusion, and compression set and has no secondary sealing lip. The BS is a nonsymmetrical rod seal made of polyurethane for long life and high extrusion resistance. It has knife-trimmed sealing lip and a secondary lip to enhance sealing and give a tight, stable fit.
In all cases, rod surfaces were analyzed at the beginning and end of the test and changes documented. Test parameters were selected according to in-house and international testing standards, with endurance tests conducted according to DIN 7986.
The graph illustrates the comparison of the friction forces with type B3 U-rings on alternative piston rod coverings. Except with the thermal-spray hard coated (TSHC) piston rod, all U-ring seals tested tended to exhibit the same friction force behavior and friction level on the piston rod seal surfaces with different coverings. The TSHC piston rod used a post spray coating process that produced a homogenous structure with the resulting positive effect on the friction behavior of the test seals. Surface friction remained low, even after the hydraulic system did not operate for long periods time. This positive behavior was considered and implemented in the design of cylinder systems for harbor crane systems, which often come into contact with salt water.
Graph shows friction measured on B3 U-rings mated piston rods seal with various coatings. Values are based on pressure at 20 MPa at a temperature of 60° C.
All coatings exhibit about the same roughness values, with the ratio between peaks and valleys on the surfaces varying significantly. In endurance tests these differences had a major impact on the leakage behaviour of the U-rings. After just very short running periods, a significant increase of leakage due to heavy wear of the U-rings was noted on the piston rods with ceramic coatings. As a result, several of the trials had to be stopped prematurely. In the case of the nitrided and nitrocarburized piston rods, significant wear of the test seals was noted as well. Leakage, however, occurred only on the nitrided rod.
The PTFE type OD sealing edge rings presented a similar picture, but the differences between the various tribological systems were more pronounced in this case.
An ideal plating or coating?
The results of the tests reveal that there is no ideal plating or coating for all application scenarios. Both the standard hard-chrome plating and the alternative techniques exhibit advantages and disadvantages with respect to their impact on the operating performance of piston rod seals.
Therefore, to design the optimal sealing system for a specific application, the total tribological system — the piston seal surface, the lubricant, and the seal — must be subjected to a detailed analysis prior to its use in the field.
Thomas Papatheodorou is manager of technical services at Parker Hannifin's Seal Group - Europe, Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany. For more information, visit bit.ly/OH52MC.
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Buy tickets to your favorite IMS events!
Join the IMS Kids Club and play Crash Course Concentration!
Check out the trailer for DreamWorks' Turbo!
Find out who does what during a Pit Stop and play Pit Row Spotter!
Learn about the history of the IMS Pagoda!
Get the scoop on INDYCAR and download and print cool photos!
Stay in the loop when you join the IMS mailing list!
Explore key moments in IMS history!


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Improvement reports
Nutritional assessment in elderly care: a MUST!
This Quality Improvement Report carried out an audit on the use of the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST). It found that patients did not consistently have a MUST score documented, the scores were calculated incorrectly and that high MUST scores were not being acted on appropriately.


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Just wanted to share this column that David Cook wrote for the Chattanooga Times Free Press on Thanksgiving 2012. In 2012, our first Thanksgiving without Christian, the day was also her Birthday.
She used to be all there, nice and neat, until pieces of her started disappearing. I don't know where she has gone or even if she will be back. ... Her name was My Plan. -- Christian Bryant, senior English essay
This is not a sad column. Not today, of all days.
Yes, there is sadness present. You cannot bury your first-born daughter, dressed in her graduation gown as the casket lowers, without sadness and grief becoming like stray dogs who never, ever leave.
You can't say goodbye to your sister or your best friend, the one who was loyal like the sunrise, without knowing sadness in a way teenagers should not.
But this is not a sad column. It's a Thanksgiving Day column.
"Life is a gift. Our children are a gift,'' said Robyn Bryant, Christian's mom. "I am so thankful.''
Tall, blond, brilliant and funny in a quiet, witty way, Christian wanted to be an environmental engineer. Headed to Georgia Tech. About to start her senior year at Girls Preparatory School. About to start her final season on the cross country team.
But days before the start of her senior year, she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. And a new, unexpected race began. A new set of plans emerged.
I trust that something positive is coming out of having leukemia. ... This may not be a part of My Plan, but it is a part of God's Plan. -- Christian
"She never complained,'' said Robyn. "Everything she did was so positive.''
In the fall of 2011, Christian began receiving treatment at Erlanger hospital's Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders. Within days, she was in remission.
But complications -- very rare complications -- from her treatment would cling like vines, never letting go.
Last Christmas, she had a stroke, leaving her unable to speak for several days. But one morning, when Dr. Eric Gratias -- her oncology doctor, pronounced "gracious" -- walked into her hospital room, she started speaking.
In a British accent.
"She tried to tell him the stroke made her talk like that,'' laughed Robyn.
Christian decorated the halls of the center. She started a recycling program there. She did her homework during chemo treatments. Went to English class after receiving treatment earlier in the day. She and Gratias hatched a plan to collect used, First World medical equipment and send it to impoverished countries.
"She wanted to change the world,'' Robyn said.
I have begun to formulate a New Plan. ... I know I will be okay. -- Christian
In March of 2012, after the shingles she'd contracted had entered her spinal fluid and double vision made it difficult for her to read her Bible, Christian was readmitted to the hospital.
"And she never left,'' said Robyn.
Her body began to shut down: shock, fever, infection. For months, her heart rate had been strong. Fast.
Like she was on the last lap of a very important race.
On May 26, her runner's heart began to finally slow down. From 150 beats per minute, to 100, to 50.
"To zero,'' said Robyn.
By her bedside, with a broken heart, Gratias spoke almost in divine ways: she broke the tape, he said. She won the race.
Scripture talks about the grain falling from the chaff, the seed falling to the soil. Through her death and illness, Christian gave life to so many.
Hundreds of people ran in her honor during the Seven Bridges Marathon. Many had never met her; they'd just heard of Christian.
The young woman signed on to room with Christian at Georgia Tech has dedicated her major -- biomedical engineering -- to the memory of Christian. They met once. In the hospital.
Friends who were like sisters and others classmates who barely knew her have told the Bryants of the massive influence Christian -- and her last race -- have had on their lives, decisions and testimonies.
Her parents established the Christian Bryant Foundation (www.thechristian bryantfoundation.com), with the long-range goal of helping the center become a free-standing hospital, and the short-term goals of providing assistance to families at the center.
Me? I was her teacher. But really, she taught me. About courage. Faith. How laughter can always outshine pain. How life should be lived.
"She made me want to be a better person,'' Robyn said.
So this is not a sad column. Really, it's a birthday column.
Because today -- Thanksgiving Day -- is Christian Bryant's 19th birthday.
And what else do you do on a birthday but celebrate life?
Living each day as it could be the best day is the New Plan, and I accept it with determination and a positive outlook. -- Christian Bryant, last line, senior English essay.


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Being one of the few remaining surfers around who can actually remember surfing the infamous break that was known as "Killer Dana" before the boat harbor was built and killed it off, I get asked frequently what it was like.
I have written about this before with a pretty solid historical look at the place. So today I thought I would just pass along a few of my favorite memories of the good ol' days at Dana Cove.
Before they built the harbor in the mid 1960's there was a very nice surf spot off the point in Dana Cove, just outside of the little pier. On a big south swell it could get very good and earned the name "Killer" for the heavy take off over a big boil right next to a big outside rock and then the race down the rocky point and into deeper water by the pier. Not only was it a great surf spot but it was one of the most beautiful places you could ever hope to find anyplace on Earth.
My first adventure into surfing Dana Point came in the late 1950's in the back of Mrs. DeCheverouxs' Buick station wagon. This was the mother of Mike, Mark and Morgan DeCheveroux and she was taking us on a "surf safari." It was pretty big that day and we were all kinda chicken so after a careful surf check we decided on looking at Doheny instead. That day we would surf Doheny and eventually made it out at San Onofre later in the afternoon.
But the impression of those great-looking walls wrapping down the point in Dana Cove stuck with me. Soon after that I talked my dad into a similar surf adventure day and we wound up back in the little parking lot next to the pier in Dana Point.
My first experience surfing there was pure joy. The waves were big but not huge. So the sets were just a little scary on the take off but very easy to make after that. It was a perfect day for a young dude just starting to like the "thrill" part of the surfing experience.
A few years later I had a girlfriend who lived in Dana Point and I would take the Greyhound bus down to visit her on the weekends. We used to love to walk around the rocky coves from Dana to Doheny. It was super romantic and a great place to stop here and there for a kiss or two. This would later evolve into "parking" in the little lot at night as we got a little older and I got a car. A perfect place for a young dude just starting to like the "thrill" part of dating, so to speak.
One of my favorite memories of surfing at Dana Point was one afternoon when I was out there with Mickey Munoz. There were some great medium-sized peelers zipping down the rocks off the point and we had it pretty much to ourselves. When it was like that, very close to the rocks, not too many people liked surfing there. But it was actually a great wave, you just had to be careful to not get too low on the wave or it would go past you and dump you right on nasty, sharp rocks.
We were sitting out there enjoying the afternoon. Conditions were always great there in the afternoons because the west winds would blow over the point and become straight offshore in the cove. And on this afternoon there was a strong westerly blowing so it was perfect for surfing. As we were sitting there we heard a sort of low humming sound coming from somewhere above us. We looked up and saw this little airplane struggling to fly into the wind right above us.
Mickey started laughing and told me that it was either Hobie or Hev's McClellend, or both. They had recently bought this funky old airplane, I think it was called an Aronka Champ, or something like that. It was a single engine thing that had about a half a horse power. One of both of them was up there making an attempt at flying around the point.
As we sat there transfixed, it was like watching a very weak old seagull trying to fly upwind when the wind was stronger than it could fly into. After about 10 or 15 minutes of staying pretty much in one spot it gave up and turned back downwind towards Doheny and the little airport in San Juan Capistrano.
It turned out to be Hobie. Evidently, it was impossible for both he and Hev's to fly together as that little plane couldn't take off with the weight of both of them at the same time. Funny the things you remember 50 years later.