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I'm working frantically on an essay right now which is due tomorrow afternoon, so I don't have a lot of time. I don't want to reveal my source about this, but you know how Apple's opened up their API's and such for third party developers?
Yup, you guessed it.
World of Warcraft is now on the iPhone. In fact, Apple's secretly working on a product that completely strips every component they have from the iPhone to create a new device that is far more superior than it's predecessor in any way shape or form.
This new product is called the iRaid. You people with lives, yes you the ones that bail out at the last minute, now don't have any excuses to skip out on raiding anymore! With the portability of the iRaid, now players can literally raid whenever they want wherever they want. It's perfect for players whose lives are way too busy.
On top of that, the interface has been completely re-written. Actually, it's been completely removed. Now World of Warcraft can be played without having to mash any buttons or observe any tool bars. Everything has been designed with simplicity and automaticity in mind. There are no bars at all, raid frames, or meters to worry about. Threat is automatically calculated and should you hit the cap, then the iRaid automatically locks up preventing you from casting any further spells. There's a nice heads up display which shows useful information such as nearby players their information, nearby enemies, and their range.
How it works
Using Apple's intuitive touch interface, players can simply create motions with their fingers to perform certain actions.
For example
- As a Mage, drawing a circle with the letter "S" inside generates a portal to Shattrath
- As a Shaman, drawing an "X" over an enemy target will automatically trigger chain lightning
- As a Priest, drawing an oval creates a Power Word: Shield around the target
- As a Warlock, tapping an enemy target followed by a fast jab in any direction results in a fear
- As a Warrior, drawing swirls will trigger whirlwind
- As a Paladin, drawing a square with the letter "B" adjacent to it activates Divine Shield and your hearth stone
- As a Rogue, repeatedly tapping anywhere on the screen while adjacent to a target causes your rogue to perform sinister strikes
- As a Druid, targets you tap on will get moonfire spammed
And it gets better! During raids, all that needs to be done is for you to tape a person's health bar and it will cast the most mana efficient spell in order to heal that player. Heck, if you're busy, you can always toggle the "lock" switch which locks your iRaid device and sets it on autopilot. It will not register any taps or presses on the screen and perform the logical actions. The new iRaid essentially RAIDS for you so that you don't have to do a darn thing!
Chat Interface
The chat interface doesn't deviate much from the normal iPhone. It uses the same interface which you can rotate in either direction. Based on the nature of the message, the iRaid is capable of determining what chat channel or person to send your message to.
Other useful stuff
The iRaid comes with extra features like a "death time counter". It tracks the amount of time that you spend as being dead so you can prove to the rest of the raid just how useful you are because you spend such little time being dead.
There's loads more of other stuff, but it's either still under development or under wraps.
No one knows when this product will debut, but my guess is that we will not be seeing it for a long time. It's wonderful to see top companies collaborating together and combining innovative technologies and software to deliver even more fun addictions.
In order to maximize space, useless things like calendars, music players, browsers, and the like have been removed. Since the iPhone still has a mic and an ear section, voice communication has been built in to allow iRaiders listen to the praise of their raid leaders on what an excellent job they have been doing throughout the raid.
The all new iRaid: Buying skill is now a reality.


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1) Script Title: Glossy Accordion Menu with responsive headers
2) Script URL (on DD): http://www.dynamicdrive.com/dynamici...enu-glossy.htm
3) Describe problem:
I'd like to make the headers that can open and collapse act just like the menu headers that don't have submenus. In otherwords, when I click on a menu to expand it, I really want to open a new html page with the appropriate content for that menu header, along with the menu being expanded.
The example shows how to kind of do this by loading new content into an iframe (which I can duplicate via the onint() and onopenclose() event handlers), however I want to just use the href attribute to open a new page which shows the change of content and the expanded or collapse menu. Is there a way to indicate that action in the onopenclose() event?
Also, I can properly activate the menu items when clicking if I set the revealtype to mouseover, but I find it really distracting to keep having then menu items expand & contract upon mouseover, so I'd prefer a little more challenging approach to accomplish by clicking the menu header.
Thanks and Happy New Year!

subset: commoncrawl


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Transferring credits out of GRCC
Students wanting to transfer credits earned at GRCC to another institution can do so by requesting that their GRCC official transcript be sent. The receiving institution is responsible for evaluating and posting incoming transfer classes/credits. For more information, please visit the General Transfer Information webpage.
Transferring credits into GRCC
Admitted, degree-seeking students may have credits earned outside of GRCC evaluated and posted to their GRCC transcripts.
Some general notes on transfer credits:
- GRCC will only accept transfer credit from regionally accredited institutions.
- Transferred credits may only be applied as long as the original grade earned was a C or better.
- The process for posting transfer credits can take up to four weeks. For enrollment purposes, please be aware of this timeline.
- Students can see posted transfer credits by viewing their unofficial transcript.
- Transferred courses will have a generic grade T.
- Transfer credits do not impact the calculated GRCC Grade Point Average (GPA).
- They may be used toward both academic program (major) and graduation requirements.
- Students must complete a minimum of 15 credits at GRCC in addition to any program and graduation requirements to be awarded an associate degree.
Transfer credits can come in a variety of forms such as:
College and University Transfer Credit
Send your official transcript from another institution to the GRCC Enrollment Center. To see how courses from various Michigan colleges and universities transfer into GRCC, please visit the Transfer Equivalencies webpage.
Foreign Transfer Credit
Students wanting to receive transfer credit from colleges outside the United States are required to send a course-by-course evaluation completed by a NACES accredited credential evaluator to the Enrollment Center.
Credential evaluators accepted:
For additional accepted, accredited, evaluating agencies please visit the NACES website.
Test Transfer Credit (AP, CLEP, IB, Challenge Exams, ACE Credit)
- AP/CLEP: Have the American College Board send your official test scores to College Code 1254 (GRCC Student Records Office).
- Challenge Exams: If you achieve the minimum test score indicated on each faculty-developed study guide, the Student Records Office will be notified and post the credit(s) to your transcript. NOTE – Challenge Exams cannot be transferred to another institution.
- DANTES: Contact the testing service and have your official transcript sent to the Enrollment Center.
- ACE Credit: Visit ACE Credit Registry and Transcript System and have your official transcript sent to the Enrollment Center. Students that have coursework through McDonald's Corporation and have received ACE credit, learn how to apply for GRCC credit.
To see GRCC course equivalencies for earned test credits, please visit the Transfer Equivalencies webpage.
Military Transfer Credit
Military Transcripts are sent to GRCC in two methods depending on association:
- For Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard or Reserve: Visit Joint Services Transcripts.
- For Air Force: Have your transcripts sent for free by writing to:
100 S. Turner Blvd.
Maxwell Gunter AFB, AL 36114-3011
- Provide your full name, social security number, and GRCC address:
143 Bostwick Ave.
NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503-3295
You can also visit Credential Solutions and have your transcripts sent for a minimal fee.
For any further questions or clarity, contact the Veteran's Benefits Coordinator at (616) 234-4129.
Industry Recognized Credentials
Students that have earned a nationally accredited industry or professional credential may be able to apply for academic credit. View a list of currently accepted industry recognized credentials. To apply for the credit, visit the department chair of the department for which the credit will apply. More information on this can be found by reading the Industry Recognized Credentials/Test Credit policy.
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Credit
To receive credit for prior learning experiences, please visit the Prior Learning Assessment webpage.
For additional information about transfer credits, please visit the GRCC catalog.


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Times Square attack planned by Boston bombing suspects, authorities say
Updated at 7:10 p.m. ET
The suspects in deadly bombing at the Boston Marathon also planned to attack Times Square in New York, authorities announced Thursday.
"The surviving attacker revealed that New York City was next on their list of targets," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said during an afternoon news conference. "He told the FBI, apparently, that he and his brother had intended to drive to New York and designate additional explosives in Times Square."
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Dzhokhar Tsarnaev told interrogators from his hospital bed that he and his older brother had decided spontaneously Thursday night to drive to New York and launch an attack with their five pipe bombs and a pressure-cooker bomb like the ones that blew up at the marathon.
Kelly said that the city was notified by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force Wednesday night about the intentions of Tsarnaev and his older brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev traveled to New York at least once last fall. There is a photo of the suspect in Times Square.
The plan fell apart after the Tsarnaev brothers were intercepted by police in a stolen car and got into a fierce gun battle that left Tamerlan Tsarnaev dead, Kelly said.
"We don't know if we would have been able to stop the terrorists had they arrived here from Boston," Bloomberg said. "We're just thankful that we didn't have to find out that answer."
CBS News correspondent John Miller reported that from the moment the NYPD understood that the explosions at the Boston Marathon were the result of a bombing, they snapped into place a well-honed plan. It's called the CRV, critical vehicle response, and it involves flooding anything that could be the next possible target with an overwhelming show of force. That show of force was Times Square. It's part of a strategy to help prevent coordinated attacks at multiple locations.
As for what Commissioner Kelly meant by the brothers being spontaneous, Miller said that once they Were identified they knew things had to speed up. "So they went from being organized bombers to disorganized bombers," said Miller. "And I guess the irony here is if they had actually completed their drive to Times Square to place their bombs, what they would have run into wasa couple of hundred cops waiting for them."
Dzhokhar, 19, is charged with carrying out the Boston Marathon bombing that killed three people and wounded more than 260, and he could get the death penalty.
Kelly, citing interrogations carried out by the task force investigating the Boston Marathon attack, said that days after the bombing, the Tsarnaev brothers "planned to travel to Manhattan to detonate their remaining explosives in Times Square."
"They discussed this while driving around in a Mercedes SUV that they hijacked after they shot and killed the officer at MIT," the police commissioner said. "That plan, however, fell apart when they realized that the vehicle they hijacked was low on gas and ordered the driver to stop at a nearby gas station."
The driver escaped and called police, Kelly said. That set off the gunbattle and manhunt that ended a day later with Dzhokhar captured and 26-year-old Tamerlan dead.
Miller reported that the amount of fuel in the car's tank wasn't the major obstacle in the brothers' plan.
"It wasn't but for a tank of gas in the car," said Miller. "It was but for running into a bunch of cops with 200 machine guns."
On Tuesday, Miller reported on "CBS This Morning" that, according to investigators, the carjacking victim speaks little to no English, but authorities pressed him to remember recognizable words from his exchange with the bombing suspects.
The suspects openly boasted to the victim in English about their role in last week's bombing and carried out the rest of their exchange in Russian, Miller reported.
Miller reported that the victim said, "The only word I recognized was Manhattan," a word which "tripped a lot" of alarm for authorities, who quickly halted Amtrak service from Boston to New York and searched the trains.
The tip prompted the New York Police Department to "flip on its network of license plate readers at all bridges and tunnels coming into the city," Miller said. "They loaded all the license plates associated with these guys" to prevent possible entry into Manhattan.
On Wednesday, Kelly told reporters that he was told Dzhokhar Tsarnaev may have been intending to come to New York to party, or for a party, sometime after the bombings.
After his arrest, Dzhokhar was interrogated in his hospital room over a period of 16 hours without being read his constitutional rights. He immediately stopped talking after a magistrate judge and a representative from the U.S. attorney's office entered the room and gave him his Miranda warning, a U.S. law enforcement official and others briefed on the interrogation told The Associated Press.
Tamerlan had come under scrutiny from the FBI, the CIA and Russian intelligence well before the Boston attack. The CIA had added Tamerlan's name to a terrorist database 18 months ago, after Russian intelligence flagged him as a possible Muslim radical, a U.S. official told Miller Thursday.


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12:30pm PT by Michael O'Connell
'Fast & Furious' Actor Joins 'NCIS' New Orleans Spinoff
CBS continues to beef up the cast for the planted NCIS spinoff. The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Lucas Black has boarded the project as a series regular.
He'll play NCIS Special Agent Lasalle, a no-nonsense agent with a "work hard, play hard" motto. Lasalle is a longtime resident of New Orleans, where the spinoff is set.
STORY: TV Pilots 2014: The Complete Guide
Black, who appeared in Friday Night Lights (the 2004 film) and 42, is perhaps best known for his starring role in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, the third film in the ongoing franchise. Though Tokyo Drift has been Black's sole Fast credit to date, the actor will appear in the upcoming Fast & Furious 7 -- now set for an April 10, 2015, release after the death of Paul Walker halted production.
The addition comes a week after CBS tapped Scott Bakula for the starring role. The two-part planted pilot, set for a spring debut, centers on the NCIS New Orleans office. The group handles cases from Pensacola, Fla., through Mississippi and Louisiana to the Texas panhandle. NCIS showrunner Gary Glasberg and star Mark Harmon serve as executive produces. C.C.H. Pounder and Zoe McLellan are also attached to co-star.
NCIS already has a hit spinoff in NCIS: Los Angeles. The parent series attempted to launch another spinoff, NCIS Red, with a backdoor pilot last spring. It did not go any further.
Black is repped by ICM Partners.
Michael email@example.com mikeylikestv


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Register Now (click here)
Announcing July 19-21, 2019
Breakthrough Basketball Shooting Camp in Scranton, Pennsylvania!
Elite Skills Coach, Darnell Ford!
With this 3 day camp in Scranton, Pennsylvania your shooting percentage will go up, your mechanics will improve, and your shooting range will increase! In addition to all of this, we will focus on confidence, mental toughness, hard work, smart work, and other intangibles to develop great shooters.
Topics Covered In the Shooting Camp
Foundation of Shooting
This is the first step in becoming a great shooter. Some players will progress through this stage quickly, while others will need to spend a bit more time to correct some bad habits. You will also learn:
- How your stance could actually be causing your shot to go left and right and how to fix it.
- Why the parallel stance may not be the right fit for you.
- How your legs and not just your follow through can actually cause a flat shot.
- The proper release point and follow through.
- How inflexibility in your legs can affect your shot in a negative way.
- Learn the Steve Nash adjustment that allows players to shoot accurately from further distances.
Shooting Off of the Catch Like Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant
After we have built a great shooting foundation, we will progress to shooting off of the catch. You will learn:
- How to make your shot quicker.
- The mentality to making your shot quicker.
- The proper body position for every shot off of the catch.
- The proper footwork for different situations during the game.
- The proper hand position to create consistency and accuracy.
- How to pull up out of the fast break.
Shooting Off of the Dribble Like Russell Westbrook & Kyrie Irving
As the levels go up, it's very important to add a pull up jump shot off of the dribble. This gives you the ability to score as defenders rush out to defend the initial shot. You will learn:
- The often ignored, but important progressions for the shot off of the dribble learned from legendary Hal Wissel who coached in the NBA.
- Learn how to properly pick up the basketball and how doing it the wrong way could be causing your shot to miss to the left and the right.
- Learn how the pace of the dribble can make your shot quicker.
- Learn how to properly execute the sweep and step through to create space from your defender.
- Learn the mentality needed to have a successful pull up jump shot and how the wrong mentality can be easily defended.
Learn Advanced Shooting Techniques Used by the Pros
You will learn the keys to a quick release used by the pros such as Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. You will learn the Michael Jordan 1-2 step used to create space and hit the open jumper.
You will learn the details required to be successful with these advanced moves. If you're not ready for the advanced moves yet, we have a system setup that will progress players at the proper rates.
Why Should Your Child Attend Camps & Clinics?
With many youth basketball teams, the trend over the past couple decades has been to play more games and do less skill work. While games are important, your child needs a healthy balance of game time and practice time. The problem with more games and less practice is that your child will touch the ball much less. With more touches, your child becomes a better basketball player.
With all things being equal, we'll break down a typical 32-minute game:
32 x 5 = 160 total minutes for a team of 8 players.
160 minutes / 8 players = 20 minutes per player.
20 minutes per player / 2 = 10 minutes of time that your team is on offense.
10 minutes / 5 players = That means your child is only touching the ball for two minutes per game!!
During our typical skill sessions, the player will have the ball in their hands 60 to 90 minutes. That means you have to play 30 to 45 games to touch the ball as much as a player would during one of our skill sessions.
Also, during a typical game, you're lucky if your child gets 10 shots. During our skill sessions, they should get anywhere from 100 to 300 shots.
Shouldn't My Child Get Plenty of Skill Work During Team Practices?
Yes, they should be, but they are probably not. On top of getting limited gym time (typically 1 to 3 hours per week), most youth coaches will barely get enough time to teach team offense and team defense. As a result, very little time is spent on getting better at individual skills such as, ball handling, shooting, footwork, and other basketball skills.
Now you probably see the importance of skill work outside of team practices and games.
Who Can Participate?
This camp is for boys & girls 5th-12th grades, ages/skill levels will be separated.
Who is Darnell Ford?
Coach Ford has been working Breakthrough Basketball camps for the last three years. Darnell brings many years of experience including:
- 4 years Assistant Women's Varsity Basketball Coach where he was the head of development and helped them to conference and district championships.
- 8+ years AAU/TRAVEL Basketball Head Coach for multiple teams, 4th – 12th grade boys & girls.
- 8+ years Skill Development Coach where he coached over 1,000 student athletes, 3 McDonald All – American nominees, and ten 1,000+ scorers. Coach Ford has had over 30 players go on to play at various levels of collegiate basketball.
- 3+ years Point 3 Basketball Alpha Trainer. This is an exclusive group as there are only 27 Alpha Trainers in the world.
- 8+ years Tournament, Camp, & Clinic Director
Camp Details
Friday July 19, 2019 — 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Saturday July 20, 2019 — 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Sunday July 21, 2019 — 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Limited Availability
Each session is limited to 60 players to ensure a high number of repetitions and improvement
Backcourt Hoops
5 West Olive Plaza
Scranton, PA 18508


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Blackman on Taxes
Stop Smoking and Save Money
A full-page ad in a national weekly magazine stopped me cold. Its headline: Five years after you quit smoking, your risk of stroke is the same as someone who's never smoked.
What does this have to do with estate planning? Plenty! As an estate planner, my client's life expectancy is als front and center, a significant consideration in the planning process. This is particularly true when it comes to retirement planning and business succession. Your age, health and smoking (or nonsmoking) habit are the three most-important factors in determining your life expectancy.
Never can a stroke, cancer or a heart attack be anything but bad news. But hallelujah! Survive such an event for 5 yr. and your life expectancy statistically is likely the same as that for the rest of us living in America. Consider this quote from life-insurance consultants The Orchard Group:
"A person who has been cancer- and treatment-free with no recurrences can potentially be insurable at a standard risk classification after 5 years. A person with a prior cardiac incident that is considered stable by their doctor post-treatment also can be potentially insurable at a standard risk classification after 5 years. Both conditions will be dependent on the age of onset of the cancer or cardiac incident."
"Standard risk classification" is a rating used by life insurance companies to determine premium costs, and means your life expectancy is the same on average as other Americans the same age and sex.
Life insurance plays an important role in most estate plans. But let me say it loud and clear: No life-insurance company wants your money if it doesn't think you are going to live. The sad fact is that most people (worse yet, their professional advisors) don't have a clue that the wonderful 5-yr. rule even exists. We use the rule regularly in our estate-planning practice to enhance the wealth of each client who qualifies, without losing a penny to the IRS. Here are two examples.
Case study 1: Second-to-die coverage (two lives insured)
Joe, age 58, is a cancer survivor (free of the disease for 8 yr.) and married to Mary (2 months younger than Joe). They needed $2 million of insurance coverage for estate-tax purposes. Since no estate tax is due until the second death of a husband and wife, second-to-die is the perfect choice. Best of all, it costs less than single coverage ($18,200 per million dollars of insurance for Joe, and $16,210 for Mary, who is also a standard risk). Second-to-die, on the other hand, only cost $10,202 per million (only available because Joe now is insurable). Of course, they bought $2 million of second-to-die coverage.
Case study 2: Individual coverage (one life insured)
Sam, a 65-yr.-old widower, owns a profitable business, Success Co., which he wants to transfer to his son. Sam has two nonbusiness children whom he would like to treat equally. His accountant correctly told him he would need $3.5 million of insurance, together with his other assets, to reach the equalizing goal. Although Sam had suffered a heart attack in his late 40s, he passed his insurance physical. Sam used the funds in his rollover IRA to pay the premiums—$85,302 per year—on a $3.5-million life-insurance policy, solving an estate-planning problem he originally thought had no solutions.
The 5-yr. rule has a kiss'n cousin—the 2-yr. rule. This also is a big-premium money saver, but few people know it exists. Let's set the scene for when this rule is used: The insured is healthy enough to be insurable, but is a smoker. An inside secret that few professional advisors know: Most insurance companies will consider a rate reduction after 2 yr. of documented smoking cessation.
Case study 3: Smoker who quits after 2 yr.
Jack, 42-yr.old, is healthy but smokes. He needs $1.5 million in life insurance to fund a buy/sell agreement. ABC Insurance Co. rates Jack a standard risk, but charges him a smoker's rate—$18,586 per million for his new $1.5-million policy. The nonsmoker's rate for Jack: $9901. After Jack quits smoking for 2 yr. and provides documented proof that he is nicotine-free, ABC lowers his annual premium to $10,795, the rate for a 44-yr.-old nonsmoking male. Note: The typical physical necessary to buy insurance was not required.One final bit of advice: Have all of your life-insurance policies reviewed at least every 2 yr., and als get a second opinion. MF
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Day Leclaire eBooks
Day Leclaire started writing when she was just a child. After a long day of trying to keep occupied in the midst of a snowstorm, Leclaire and her three siblings ran out of things to do. In an effot to keep her own patience, Leclaire's mother challenged her to write her own story. That historical epic, based on Cinderella and set in the Wild West, was the beginning of her love of writing. Leclaire attended the University of California, Berkeley with the intent to major in anthropology. After her first camping trip, however, she realized she was not cut out for a life without running water and flush toilets, and dropped out of school to decide what she really wanted to do with her life. Shortly thereafter, Leclaire met her husband, Frank, and the two married after knowing each other only five months. They became entrepreneurs, running a film library in Berkeley, remodeling houses in Seattle, Washington, and then opening a produce market. When Leclaire became pregnant with their son Matt, she decided that she really wanted to be a writer. The next day, her husband bought her a computer.


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Case of 500 #Mini 4" x 5" Self Seal Kraft Bubble Mailers
These Kraft Bubble Mailers are great for shipping medium fragile items. Items that need some protection, but are not so fragile that require a box with Bubble Wrap®. Some items that work well in Our Own Brand Bubble Mailers are:
Music & Game
CD's DVD's
Collectible Cards
Coins Supplements
Vitamins and so much more.......


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Summit County Fishing Report: Lake trout abound in Summit area's iced waters
It won't be long before the rivers start to open up, but until then, it's tailwaters for open water and ice fishing. Tailwaters, such as the Blue River below Dillon Reservoir, remain low, clear and technical. Fine tippets, micro flies and stealthy presentations will produce.
Ice fishing continues to be the best bet for catching. Green Mountain Reservoir has more than a foot of ice and several inches of hardpacked snow. Numerous anglers have been drilling holes, and for good reason – fishing has been solid for small lake trout. Fish water from 40 feet to more than 100 feet deep. Jigs in the range of 2-3 inches tipped with sucker remain consistently good producers.
Wolford Mountain Reservoir has been producing decent numbers of trout using small flies just off the bottom. Consider a two-lure rig, with a jig for the bottom lure and a dropper fly above.
Another good option for lake trout is Williams Fork Reservoir. The fish have been suspending 5-10 feet off the bottom in deeper water. Silver spoons jigged in that range have been producing fish to 21 inches. Move shallow to locate pike.
Tournament fishers worked Granby over last weekend, so if you try it and things are slow, head over to Willow Creek Reservoir. This often-overlooked reservoir has been fishing well for rainbow in the 10-12 inch class. Most any trout tactic will work, but a small jig tipped with a wax worm and a fly dropper above is an excellent tactic.
South Park waters continue to see a lot of anglers, but those reporting in suggest the angler count is exceeding the fish count, so other waters are recommended, such as Turquoise Reservoir or Taylor Park Reservoir. Both have been fishing well recently.
Start a dialogue, stay on topic and be civil.
If you don't follow the rules, your comment may be deleted.


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Abbot President's 2012 New Year Address
Great Auspiciousness —
Peaceful mind, body, family, and activities.
Abiding in sincerity, forever at ease. Good fortune abounds!
Members of the monastic sangha, lay supporters, virtuous and distinguished friends. In the new year 2012, I hope that one and all will "abide in sincerity, forever at ease. Good fortune abounds!"
We are grateful that over the past year, with the steadfast contributions of our monastic and lay members, support from all walks of life and the practice of "Blessings lie in knowing our good fortune," we have understand better the meaning of "Happiness lies in counting blessings and knowing contentment, and joy lies in gratitude and giving." This year, 2012, the annual theme that Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM) has selected as a blessing and encouragement is "Great Auspiciousness." DDM Founder Master Sheng Yen, ever-concerned about the vital wisdom of sentient beings, rendered this blessing in calligraphy while he was still with us.
Abiding in Sincerity, Forever at Ease. Good Fortune Abounds!
What is "great" is also "true" and therein lies the key to "Great Auspiciousness." To be "true" means to be sincere, earnest, and truthful. We hope that each one of us, whether facing ourselves, interacting with other people, or dealing with the natural environment, can embrace sincerity, earnestness, and truthfulness, beginning with ourselves, our own minds as the starting point.
In teaching Chan, Master Sheng Yen has said, "A true mind is free from any concern of gain or loss, advantage or disadvantage. A true mind is actually no mind, wisdom." So the "true" that lies at the heart of "Great Auspiciousness" encourages everyone to learn and practice the Buddhadharma and thus experience the ordinary mind unconcerned with gain or loss, the pure mind free from afflictions, the wisdom mind that lets go of attachment, and the compassionate mind that reaches out to all equally. This, in fact, is "Protecting the Spiritual Environment."
"Protecting the Spiritual Environment" takes compassion and wisdom as its highest principles, humility as its fundamental attitude, and sincerity as its starting point, all of which are in accord with the "true." Starting from the "true," never deviating from sincerity, earnestness, and truthfulness in everything we do, we can enjoy auspiciousness everywhere, at every moment, everyday, and every year.
Methods for actualizing "Great Auspiciousness" begin with the "Four Fields for Cultivating Peace": cultivating a peaceful mind, a peaceful body, a peaceful family, and peaceful activity. A peaceful mind lies in reducing desires and knowing contentment, a peaceful body in diligence and simplicity. A peaceful family lies in mutual respect and help, and peaceful activity in respecting work and enjoying camaraderie. The next step is purification of our deeds, words, and thoughts. Of the "Four Fields for Cultivating Peace" the most important is cultivating a peaceful mind, which is used to cultivate a peaceful body. If our body and mind can be stable and at ease, we will naturally be able to cultivate peace in the family and activity. A peaceful mind and body increases our wisdom, while cultivating a peaceful family and activity extends our compassion. These are the aims and blessings of "Great Auspiciousness."
Education Takes Root, Development Ensues
The DDM organization has shown growth in many areas over the past year. Three-fold Education, comprising Extensive Academic Education, Extensive Public Buddhist Education, and Extensive Social Care Education, also showed new developments.
In the Extensive Academic Education area, it has been ten years since DDM Sangha University started enrollment in 2001. Over the past decade we have fostered over 150 monastics of the generation of "Chang" [whose Dharma names begins with "Chang"] that have graduated from the Sangha University and served in the sangha, with over 60 monastics now at school. Together with the senior "Guo" generation, our monastic sangha has now grown to almost 300 members.
Last year Dharma Drum Buddhist College and the Chung-Hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies cohosted the XVIth Congress of IABS (International Association of Buddhist Studies), with over 600 scholars from around the world gathering at the DDM World Center for Buddhist Education and the presentation of 500 theses, making it the largest IABS Congress since the organization was founded. The success of this symposium was made possible by the hosts meticulous planning, the assistance and collaboration of other units, and the enthusiastic reception provided by the volunteers.The congress not only allowed us to grow but also delighted the participating scholars, winning their acclaim.
Last year Dharma Drum Buddhist College also received the good news that, in addition to its previously approved bachelor and masters programs, the Ministry of Education approved its establishment of a doctoral program that will begin to enroll new students this year. The Chung-Hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies, fulfilling its role as a center for research in Chinese Buddhism, continued to publish journals, promote research projects, and actively encourage young scholars to join the research field of Chinese Buddhism.
By the end of last year a few buildings, including the student dormitory, gymnasium, and administration center, were gradually taking shape at Dharma Drum University, a further step toward realizing the Master's vow to establish the University.
Public Buddhist Education and Social Care to Realize Our Vision
DDM Extensive Public Buddhist Education program, as well as our branch monasteries and centers at home and abroad, also showed significant growth. The Field of Merit classes, classes in Buddhist teachings and Chan studies, and various spiritual practice courses and activities were well received by a broad audience. We also stressed Internet broadcasts such as the online Buddhist studies series on "Protecting the Spiritual Environment" and the Great Compassion Water and Land Dharma Service group practice, finding a large and responsive audience through live Internet broadcasts with programming that gets better with each passing year.
Major efforts by DDM Extensive Social Care Education program last year included Buddhist group weddings, birthday celebrations for the elderly, and year-end social care activities, as well as continuing post-disaster reconstruction work in areas affected by Typhoon Morakot, establishing Peace of Mind Relief Stations sharing the vision of "Protecting the Spiritual Environment" through various activities, and awarding student aid and grants.
On March 11 of last year a massive earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster struck northeastern Japan, and in August and September Thailand and Cambodia suffered a succession of serious floods. In timely fashion, the DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation began relief work. By providing essential material aid and charitable donations, as well as holding prayer rituals, DDM expressed sincere concern of our monastic and lay members and Taiwanese society as a whole, emulating the spirit of Guanyin Bodhisattva, hearing the cries of sentient beings and coming to their aid, making contribution and rendering care. This was also a learning and growing process for our organization.
DDM's domestic and overseas Dharma centers also blossomed last year. Ground was broken for the Baoyun Monastery in Taichung, Zhaiming Monastery in Taoyuan held a Chan hall inauguration ceremony, and the steel skeleton of the Water Moon Dharma Center at Nung Chan Monastery was completed. Overseas, a new Dharma center was purchased in Los Angeles, and plans were set in motion to set up permanent practice centers both in San Francisco and New Jersey, USA. These projects all reflect the growth of our organization. I visited many places last year both at home and abroad, encouraging our lay devotees, and reminding them that Dharma Drum Mountain's most important edifice lies in our vision - the concepts and methods advocated by our teacher Master Sheng Yen. We take "Protecting the Spiritual Environment" as our core principle, and strive to realize the vision of "Uplifting the character of humanity and building a pure land on earth" by promoting the Three-fold Education program, applying the methods of the Fivefold Spiritual Renaissance Campaign, carrying out the Six Ethics of the Mind, and implementing "Protecting the Four Environments." In other words, in constructing Dharma centers, our purpose is to acknowledge, practice, and promote the Dharma Drum Mountain vision, and this is the special character of DDM centers.
Cultivating Merit and Wisdom; a Mind at Peace, a Life at Peace
With the coming of the new year the world situation looks increasingly grim due to the influence of the global economical recession and disasters in many parts of the world. These factors, combined with predictions about the "end of the world," seemed to cast a shadow of instability over society. But does 2012 really have to be marked by insecurity?
Actually, Buddhist teachings do not talk about the end of the world. Buddhism explains the realities of the universe and life, teaching about impermanence, no self, and emptiness based on the principle of dependent origination, telling us that all phenomena arise and perish due to causes and conditions. Impermanence is not a negative sense of loss, but a positive sign of significance in that everything is renewed each and every day, full of hope and bright prospects. If we take all conditions, favorable or adverse, as the raw materials with which to cultivate merit and wisdom and give of ourselves in a concrete manner, those conditions allow us to attain peace amidst turmoil, or "A Mind at Peace, a Life at Peace" as Master Sheng Yen encouraged for all of us.
For most people, however, it is not easy to be completely unaffected when encountering problems. But even if it is not easy, we should still practice. How do we practice? The best methods are the "Four Steps for Handling a Problem:" face it, accept it, dealt with it, and let it go. Or we can settle our body and mind by reciting the holy name of a buddha or a bodhisattva, or engage in the mindfulness of breath method of Chan cultivation. Our thoughts change all the time, constantly arising, abiding, changing, and perishing. As long as we take up a practice method, we can gradually progress from a scattered mind to a concentrated mind. When we become more and more skillful in using the method, integrating our body and mind with the overall environment in a community of life, we will not be troubled by afflictions or worries. We will even be able to face all situations, good or bad, with a relaxed body and mind, calm and at ease.
i Relay: Protecting the Spiritual Environment
The year 2012 holds great significance for DDM's monastic and lay followers. In 1992 our founder, Master Sheng Yen, proposed "Protecting the Spiritual Environment," making 2012 the movement's twentieth year. We have thus designated the year 2012 as The Year of Protecting the Spiritual Environment.
February 3 of this year will be the third anniversary of the Master's passing, so on February 5 (Sunday) at the DDM World Center for Buddhist Education we will be holding "Third Anniversary of the Master's Passing and 20th Anniversary of Protecting the Spiritual Environment" activities as an expression of gratitude. We will also be holding a launch ceremony for our "i Relay: Protecting the Spiritual Environment" campaign, inviting virtuous and distinguished friends from all walks of life to participate. On that same day we will also be holding the Transmitting the Light of Dharma activity, symbolizing our inheritance of Master Sheng Yen's compassionate vows and their continuity over time, and transmitting the light of Buddhist compassion and wisdom, from generation to generation.
Protecting the Spiritual Environment is Master Sheng Yen's most precious gift to the human race. We hope that everyone will work together to relay this gift to an even wider audience.
Again, I wish everyone Great Auspiciousness. May you abide in sincerity, forever at ease. Good fortune abounds! Amituofo
(translated by DDM Translation Office)
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How can minority cultures gain acceptance in American society without abandoning their cultural values and traditions? The game of go may be one way.
One Friday last month, Academy of the Americas (AoA) students traveled to Kalamazoo, Michigan with the Go Cultural Ambassador International Program (GCAIP) where Detroit and Ypsilanti youth taught Kalamazoo students how to play go. They related the ancient board game to community building, anti-bullying and peer mentorship in the kindergarten through higher education continuum, influenced by the anti-bullying work of top pro Yasutoshi Yasuda.
GCAIP's mission is to promote global citizenship and cultural validation with an emphasis on academic excellence in the social sciences and humanities. It uses go to bridge and even transcend cultural differences. Eighty students aged 9-13 attended the daylong event at the Western Michigan University College of Health and Human Services. Participants analyzed the first Hikaru No Go anime with faculty assistance using the theories of "cultural humility" and "transformative complicity." The young students "grasped college-level theory leaving Diana Hernandez, WMU's Director of the Division of Multicultural Affairs, in shock," according to WMU Assistant Professor Dr. Roxanna Duntley-Matos who is also the co-founder of the Asociacion Latina Alcanzando Suenos (ALAS) and GCAIP.
Detroit youth paired up with El Sol Elementary teachers and students and with University of Michigan faculty Dr. Robert M. Ortega (known for his promotion of cultural humility in child welfare) to discuss how their game strategies reflected their personalities (i.e. risk taker, adventurous, aggressive or cautious). WMU provided university flags and patches to inspire participants to work hard and return in a few years as college students. Live music and a karate demonstration led by Martin Gatlin added to the festival-like atmosphere. "The day ended with students dancing the bachata and merengue giving the entire day a true Latino touch," Matos said. "All in all, we had people from two universities, three schools and one community program blending elements from Latino, African American, Euro-American and Asian cultures."
GCAIP has other activities in the works. It plans to visit groups in Grand Rapids and Wayne State University and hopes to connect with a new program in Puerto Rico. They already have ongoing relationships with programs in Oregon and Mexico. "Go is more than a game of strategy, it is a way of life. It connects people and communities together," says Oscar Hernandez, one Detroit youth GO Cultural Ambassador;
GCAIP, AoA and ALAS credit Dr. Earlie Washington, Dean of WMU CHHS and Dr. Linwood Cousins, Director of the WMU School of Social Work for providing invaluable institutional support. They also thank Kelly Alvarez, Terry Gay, Anne Bowman, Jinny Zeigler, Ernestina Iglesias and Jennifer Clements for helping to organize the Kalamazoo event celebrating AoA's 20th anniversary and honoring GCAIP co-founder and recently deceased AoA Principal Mrs. Denise Fielder. AoA's GCAIP Director Mark Duffy played a crucial role continuing the instructional work of Siddhartha Avila, GCAIP co-founder from Pipiolo Elementary School in Mexico. Special thanks from ALAS to Portland organizer Peter Freedman and karate instructor Martin Gatlin for weekly go training over the Internet for the past year.
– Roy Laird; photo: El Sol students learn go; photo by Diana Hernandez


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As a high school senior, you are likely looking forward to spring break, graduation, and of course college! While your senior year is a time of celebration and making memories, it can also be stressful as you look ahead to your college journey. By now you have applied to your top choice colleges and should be receiving acceptance and financial aid information soon. So what's next?
For many students and families, the amount of financial aid received from a college will play a big role in deciding which school to attend. Award letters can be confusing and you want to be sure you fully understand what is being offered and what your options are. Check out our post about deciphering award letters and the accompanying webinar recording to learn more.
Often the financial aid awarded by your college will not be enough to cover all of your higher education expenses. Then where do you turn? First you should explore options for what we consider "free money" for college – scholarships and grants. These awards do not have to be repaid (assuming you meet any conditions outlined).
Next up are federal student loans. These are typically offered within your award letter from your college. Read more about types of federal aid here.
Finally, you will want to review your options for private student loans, such as those offered through our credit union. These loans can help fill the gaps left once you have exhausted other means of paying for your education.
If you need help deciding how to pay for college, we can help! Our College Access Counselor offers free advice for all of your financial aid questions. You can also review our past webinars on topics such as finding scholarships, student loans, award letters, and more.
The next stage of your life is a big one, but you don't have to navigate it alone!
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Forms Jobs
City Ordinance concerning garbage collection.
For answers to other questions, call City Link at 336-727-8000.
I'm new to curbside collection. What do I do with my old garbage cans?
If you want, the city will recycle your old garbage cans, plastic or metal, any size or shape. Call City Link at 336-727-8000 and then set your cans at the curb with a note attached. Someone from Sanitation will come by and pick them up.
Why is the city switching to curbside collection?
Curbside collection is a more efficient way to collect residential garbage, which saves taxpayer money. It saves fuel, reduces emissions from city trucks, reduces injuries to city employees, and is less susceptible to disruptions from winter storms. Additionally, the city has received a positive response to the voluntary curbside collection program it started five years ago.
Will the cart be big enough for all my garbage?
The carts have a 96-gallon capacity and can hold 10 average garbage bags. This should be big enough to meet the needs of most families. They roll easily, even when fully loaded.
One 96-gallon container is not enough for me. Can I get another rollout cart?
Households may request up a second and third cart. However, an annual service fee of $40 will be charged for each additional cart.
I have a rollout yard-waste cart; can I use that for my excess trash?
No. Yard waste carts can only be used for yard waste. Citizens should never mix household waste with yard waste. The city will provide rollout carts to citizens for garbage at no charge, so there should be no need to share carts.
When will the city start curbside collection?
City households will convert to curbside collection as the carts are delivered. The Sanitation Division is scheduled to begin delivering 96-gallon rollout carts in August to city households that are not already participating in the curbside collection program. The schedule will depend on the ability of the manufacturer to produce and deliver the carts. All city households should be converted by the end of October.
What about those who are physically unable to roll out their garbage cart?
Exceptions will be made for households where no one is physically able to roll out the cart. Households may request an exemption via online form or by calling CityLink at 336-727-8000 and requesting a form. No exemptions will be granted without a written request. If you are exempt from using the rollout cart, you will need to continue to use your current garbage can; you will not receive a new rollout cart.
Is the cart mine to keep?
No. The city retains ownership of the cart. Each cart is assigned to a particular address. If you move, you must leave the cart for use by the next occupant.
Are these carts a traffic safety hazard?
The city has allowed yard-waste carts, which are the same size and shape as the garbage rollout carts, to be placed at the curb for years, and this has not created safety problems for vehicles or for pedestrians. There are areas where the steepness of the terrain, the narrowness of the street, the amount of on-street parking, or other unusual situations may require adjustment of the typical cart placements. In these cases, the Public Works staff will work with the affected citizens to identify the best placement locations.
How do we keep the lids and carts from blowing down the street once the crews empty the carts?
The lids of the carts are permanently attached to the carts and will not blow off. The carts are light enough to be easily maneuvered, but heavy enough to resist being blown over under normal conditions.
What happens if I forget to roll my cart to the street?
If you forget to roll out your garbage cart, roll it out the next week for collection.
Will my collection day change?
It may. After curbside garbage collection is fully implemented, the Sanitation Division may adjust some collection routes. This may lead to changes in collection days for some residents. The city will mail postcards to all households that change collection days.
What can I put in the rollout cart?
Can I set out other garbage containers?
Only the 96-gallon rollout cart issued by the city can be used.
Can I place excess garbage next to the cart at the curb?
No. All garbage must fit inside the cart. If you have more than will fit, retain the garbage for collection the next week.
Do I still need to bag my trash?
Yes. All trash must be bagged before being put in the rollout cart. City ordinance requires that garbage be bagged to reduce wind-blown litter and discourage vermin.
When should I put the rollout cart out?
Your cart must be at the curb by 6 a.m. on your collection day and no earlier than 5 p.m. the night before. Carts must be removed from the street by 8 a.m. the day after collection. Friday carts must be removed by 8 a.m. on Monday, unless the schedule is changed. Exceptions will be made during schedule changes due to emergencies or holidays.
What happens if I do not obey the guidelines for when to set out and remove my cart?
City code enforcement officers will be monitoring neighborhoods for compliance and will leave a notice when violations occur. Continued violations could result in penalties.
What if I have to be out of town during collection?
If feasible, retain your garbage until you're back in town. Otherwise, ask a relative or neighbor to roll out or roll in your cart. Because many people leave for a long weekend on Fridays, those households with Friday collections have until 8 a.m. Monday to remove their cart from the curb.
I was in the voluntary curbside collection program. How am I affected?
You are not affected. Continue to roll out your garbage as before. However, keep in mind that curbside collection is no longer a voluntary program.
What if my cart gets damaged or stolen?
The rollout cart is the property of the city and is assigned a unique serial number. All reports of damage or theft will be investigated and carts will be repaired or replaced if necessary. DO NOT write house numbers or put any other markings on the carts.
1. Curbside collection saves taxpayers' money. Aside from being a far more efficient way to collect garbage, curbside collection results in less personnel expense, less overtime, less fuel use, less workman's compensation claims, and less contracted services expenses. It all adds up.
2. Curbside collection reduces air pollution from trucks. Trucks will be idling for less time and there will be fewer trucks on the road.
3. Curbside collection allows garbage collections on more bad weather days. After a winter storm, road conditions are usually good enough for Sanitation trucks to travel, but the yards are not accessible due to ice or snow on the ground. The crew carts used by Sanitation employees did not roll in the snow. Curbside collection reduces these interruptions.
4. Curbside collection is less disruptive. Collection at the curb eliminates the need to enter citizens' property, eliminating early morning disruptions from barking dogs and the noise associated with employees emptying trash cans into roll carts.
5. Curbside collection eliminates missed pick-ups when access to garbage cans is blocked. Under backyard collection, obstructions to backyard trash cans made it difficult or unsafe to collect their garbage.
6. Curbside collection reduces effects of bad air quality days. When air quality reaches the orange, red, or purple levels it is unhealthy for employees to be working outside. Curbside collection is faster than backyard collection and will reduce the time that employees are exposed to poor air quality. Faster collection also reduces emission from trucks that can further aggravate air quality.
7. Curbside collection raises fewer collateral issues. With backyard collection, the city received complaints when collection crews mistakenly took items that were not trash but which were left in the backyard near the trash. Curbside collection eliminates this problem. It also eliminates complaints about pets escaping and about damage to lawns and flower beds.
8. Curbside collection eliminates citizen concerns about trash can lids. Under backyard collection, lids were sometimes damaged or lost. Cans filled with rain water and became too heavy to lift. Since lids are attached to the carts, these problem no longer exists.
9. Curbside collection is safer for employees. Employees will not be exposed to needles, broken glass, dogs, back strains due to heavy lifting, ankle sprains due to uneven walking surfaces, or other problems associated with backyard collection.
10. Curbside collection increases the number of Sanitation employees who are able to work until retirement. With backyard collection, refuse workers were liable to all the problems listed above, and the average refuse worker walked 40 miles a week collecting trash. Very few refuse workers made it to normal retirement. Most had to leave early on disability.
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This chapter describes the various components that you must configure to use server and client sessions.
This chapter includes the following sections:
Table 91-1 lists the configurable options for server sessions.
Table 91-1 lists the configurable options for server sessions.
Table 91-1 Configurable Options for Server Sessions
|Option to Configure
|Oracle JDeveloper
|TopLink Workbench
Internal connection pools (see Section 91.2, "Configuring Internal Connection Pools")
Primary mapping project (see Section 89.2, "Configuring a Primary Mapping Project")
Session login (see Section 89.3, "Configuring a Session Login")
Logging (see Section 89.4, "Configuring Logging")
External connection pools (see Section 91.3, "Configuring External Connection Pools")
Multiple mapping projects (see Section 89.5, "Configuring Multiple Mapping Projects")
Performance profiler (see Section 89.6, "Configuring a Performance Profiler")
Exception handler (see Section 89.7, "Configuring an Exception Handler")
Session customizer class (see Section 89.8, "Configuring a Session Customizer Class")
Server platform (see Section 89.9, "Configuring the Server Platform")
Session event listener (see Section 89.10, "Configuring Session Event Listeners")
Coordinated cache (see Section 103, "Configuring a Coordinated Cache")
Integrity checker (see Section 89.11, "Configuring the Integrity Checker")
Named queries (see Section 89.13, "Configuring Named Queries at the Session Level")
An internal connection pool is a collection of reusable connections to a single data source provided by any session that persists to a data source. By default, such a session provides both an internal read and write connection pool.
In this case, you can do the following:
Configure read and write connection pool options such as minimum and maximum number of connections, alternate connection configuration, and properties (arbitrary, application-specific named values).
Create named connection pools for whatever application-specific purpose you choose.
Create sequence connection pools that TopLink uses exclusively for obtaining object identifiers.
For more information about creating and configuring internal connection pools, see the following:
For more information about configuring the type of connection pool your session uses, see Section 97.4, "Configuring External Connection Pooling".
An external connection pool is a collection of reusable connections to a single data source provided by a JDBC driver or Java EE container.
By default, a session uses internal connection pools (see Section 91.2, "Configuring Internal Connection Pools"). For more information about configuring a session to use an external connection pool, see Section 97.4, "Configuring External Connection Pooling".


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OTTAWA — The Bank of Nova Scotia is sometimes praised for having a nearly perfect record with its investments in the United States. But it is the only one of Canada's five large banks that has largely avoided the American market.
Stephen Harper, the prime minister of Canada, is among the many Canadians who regularly remind the world that their country's banking system was left largely unscathed by the global recession and credit market collapse because of its regulation and prudent management.
Now several of the banks are taking advantage of their solid balance sheets as well as the current revamping and consolidation of the American banking system to again look south for expansion. Last week, the Toronto-Dominion Bank agreed to pay $6.3 billion for Chrysler Financial. And earlier this month the Bank of Montreal bought Marshall & Ilsley, a bank based in Milwaukee, for $4.1 billion.
Given the uneven success of previous forays south of the border, however, few investors expect much good to come of either deal.
"We don't think it's a great idea for Canadian banks to be expanding into the American market," said J. Bradley Smith, the head of research at Stonecap Securities in Toronto. "From a cultural perspective, we're very similar. But from a management perspective, the American market is not an easy threshold to cross."
Still, Canadian banks have few other options for expansion.
"The banks simply have no choice," said Louis Gagnon, an associate professor of finance at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. "They have to go beyond our borders to grow and the only market that makes sense is the United States."
In their home market, Canada's top five banks — the Royal Bank of Canada, the Toronto-Dominion Bank, the Bank of Nova Scotia, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and the Bank of Montreal — offer a complete range of banking, from retail to investment banking through a nationwide chain of branches. Changes in regulation have also allowed them to expand, on a limited basis, into insurance while most brokerage houses became bank subsidiaries.
That market dominance, and some regulatory restrictions, mean that competition from foreign-owned banks in Canada is limited. At the same time, the managers of Canadian banks are immune from takeover pressures because of federal laws that prohibit any person or company from owning more than 20 percent of a chartered bank.
While that has made for a orderly financial system for Canada that is very profitable for bank investors, the banks now find themselves accumulating substantial capital without effective ways to use it to increase their businesses within Canada.
The recent rise of consumer debt in Canada has added to the problem. Mark J. Carney, the governor of the Bank of Canada, suggested this month that it had become time for banks to restrict consumer lending, a proposal later echoed by Jim Flaherty, Canada's minister of finance.
The United States looks like an enticing market, but as Professor Gagnon said the results have historically been uninspiring.
By most estimates, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce has fared poorest in the United States. In 2007, burdened by claims from Enron investors against its American unit, the bank sold the bulk of its United States operations to Oppenheimer Holdings.
The Royal Bank of Canada's RBC Centura unit, which is mainly active in the southeastern United States, Toronto-Dominion's TD Bank, which covers the Northeast, and the Bank of Montreal's Harris Bank, based in Chicago, have not been similar experiences. But they are all consistent underperformers relative to their parent companies' operations in Canada.
Toronto-Dominion has been the most aggressive in the United States recently. Ed Clark, its chief executive, has exported a formula that he used to substantially increase Toronto-Dominion's lucrative retail business after it acquired Canada Trust, which he previously headed, in 2000. In short, it emphasizes improvements in customer service like longer business hours.
Whether that plan will succeed remains to be seen, but Canada's banks are not the only Canadian companies that have found that their success at home do not necessarily translate to the large and more competitive environment of the United States.
For example, Tim Hortons, the doughnut and coffee shop chain, dominates Canada's fast-food market to a degree without a parallel in the United States and successfully opens new stores rapidly. But continuing struggles with its American expansion forced the closing of 54 outlets in New England last month. Regardless, James L. Darroch, the director of the financial services program at the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto, said that the revamping of the American financial sector would most likely force Canadian banks to increase their investments in the United States.
"Either you've got to expand in the U.S. to become profitable or you've got to exit," he said. "If you want to stay in that market, now's the opportunity to shape it. The question is: 'Can you do it right?' "
Uniquely, the Bank of Nova Scotia has looked outside of the United States for its growth and expansion, primarily to Latin America and China.
While that strategy has brought some missteps, particularly during Mexico's currency crisis, it has generally been more fruitful than its competitors' efforts in the United States.
The downside of Nova Scotia's approach, said Professor Gagnon, who is a former senior manager at the Royal Bank, is that those markets usually take much longer to develop and do not afford the large takeover opportunities that are readily available in the United States.
While Mr. Smith, the analyst, is skeptical about further expansion by Canadian bankers in the United States, he has high praise for their skills, particularly in areas like risk management.
"I feel for the managers of Canadian banks because they're under a lot of pressure from analysts and investors," he said. "But the success of Canadian companies in general, even beyond banks, in expanding into the U.S. is pretty spotty over the long haul."


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IN THE LATE 1930s satirical comedies and theatrical performances were staged in the Rochester City Hall — now the Opera House.
Also in the same era others who appeared to showcase their talents at the same location were Johnnie Hebert, Joe Scagliotti, Ken Drapeau , Bill Marble, Paul and Lionel Bergeron, Bob Mortimer, Bill Weichert, Leo Dupont and Cy Longley.
Definitively, they were not comedians. They were members of the 1938 Rochester High School basketball team and they played their home games at the Opera House. Seats were removed from the cernter of the auditorium and fans occupied the sidelines and the balcony where as many as 500 attended games, especially when they played long-time rivals Somersworth and Dover High.
In 1939, Rochester played at the new Spaulding High school.
Somersworth's Jim Fabiano, former Rochesteer resident and once on the Elks Lodge Hall of Fame Committee member, was a formidable opponent for the locals, once scoring 32 of the Hilltoppers points in a 43-39 win over Rochester at the Opera House. Bill Marble scored 13 points in the losing effort. Against Dover, the home team had to contend with such players as Dinny Fogarty and Nick Bograkas (who was selected on the Southeastern All-Star team) during the 1938 season.
However, it wasn't always gloom and doom for the home team. Rochester High's Bobby Mortimer scored a game-high ten points in a 44-29 victory over Laconia while Marble and Drapeau each had ten points defeating Farmington High 48-33 at the City Hall auditorium. Farmington's Rollins took game-high honors with 17 points.
Rochester also had other independent basketball teams in 1938. Today they would be categorized as semi-pro or city league clubs. The Rochester Royals featured such stars of yesteryear like Harry Grierson (former Principal of Spaulding High School), Royal Edgerly, Sr. (former Rochester Mayor and Bowlaway Lanes proprietor) and Bernie Harrity (former owner of Fifield Printing on Union Street). Others on the roster included Ralph and Ray Witherell, Arnie Newcomb, Everett Crockett, Arthur Veno and Martineau. Among their opponents were Dover and Exeter.
The Royals played at the Opera House and the Humoresque then located at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and the Old Dover Road.
The Rochester Mechanics were more or less a city league-type team that included Bob Brooks, Harry Elliott, Ron Patch, Ken Emerson Billy Hall, Johnson, Spiers, and Chase.
Three quarters of a century ago low scoring games were the norm. To illustrate, in January of 1939, Portsmoth High defeated Rochester High, 47-4, in the Port City. Bill Kelleher scored the only points for Rochester. Today's game is a far cry from when James Naismith in Springfield, Mass., asked the school janitor for two boxes, 18-inches square, to serve as "goals". The janitor had no boxes but came up with two peach baskets, which Naismith tacked to the overhead running track, which happened to be ten feet off the gym floor.
In the first game in December 1891, one William Chase made hoop history by scoring the first and only basket. Strangely enough, while he nurtured the game and handed down rulings, Naismith only played basketball twice, in 1892 and again in 1898.
IN A RECENT story in Foster's Daily Democrat, the Rochester School District's Athletic Department reported since developing a pay-to-play program for youth hockey, fundraising efforts have improved and no parent has opted to pay the full sum of $1,000 per player. Families of Spaulding High hockey players have been able to maintain financial stability through fundraising as well as "working off" $100 for volunteerism. Last fall the team's "ice time" for practicing at a nearby facility costs $33,000 per season, but the school budget only provided $15,000.
In 1989, a budget of $18,000 annually was needed to support the Spaulding High hockey team. At the time it translated to approximately over $600 to put a kid on the ice. Players absorbed the expenses of skates at a cost of anywhere from $150 to $300 — and sticks at $20-$25 a whack. Players will go through nearly two dozen sticks during the season.
SADLY WE RECENTLY learned of the passing of former Rochester resident and outstanding Spaulding High athlete Dominic Germain "Germ" Cote in Branford, Conn., at the age of 86. Cote will be best remembered by Rochester baseball followers as a mainstay on the Allain's Jewelry semi-pro clubs in the late 40's and early 50's that played in the National Amateur Baseball championships in Wichita, Kansas. He wasraduate of Cushing Academy in Mass. And the University of Vermont, class of 1951, lettering in football, baseball and hockey.
Cote served in the United States Navy during World War II in the Soth Pacific where his ship, the Sommelsdikj was torpedoed by the Japanese on Christmas day, 1944. He was the head football coach for nine seasons at Branford with a record of 48-28, including an undefeated state championship season in 1958. Cote was inducted into the University of Vermont Hall of Fame, the Branford Sports Hall of Fame, the Rochester Sports Hall of Fame and the Branford Education Hall of Fame.
Lee Sanfacon is a life-long Rochester resident and a local sports historian.


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MSU Proxy/Primo Seedhead Timer (GDD 32)
through Tue, Jan. 28. 2020
To view color key / range descriptions, please enter your zip code at the top of the screen.
It appears to be your first time visiting GDDTracker
Please enter your zip code for a customized experience. Also, be sure and watch our video introduction video.
To view color key / range descriptions, please enter your zip code at the top of the screen.
We had an issue with the emailed alerts that should be resolved now, and apologize for any inconvenience. You may receive outdated alerts tomorrow (Saturday, March 10, 2018), so please check the details before taking any action. Thank you.
Please note that Dr. Frank has written another helpful article available from the MSU Extension web site.
Dr. Kevin Frank has posted a useful article at the MSU Extension website. Please note it is written specifically for Michigan but may apply to other midwest regions.
"Growing degree-days have accumulated quickly, but it may not yet be time to apply plant growth regulators to control annual bluegrass seedheads on golf courses.
Read more: http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/controlling_annual_bluegrass_seedheads_spray_now_or_wait
All air temperature data has been accounted for now.


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Donate Monthly to Help End Alzheimer's
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You will need an Internet connection with a network cable, wireless will not work. If you use a wireless router, you will need to temporarily attach a network cable between the router and the computer. It is also possible to do this with dial-up connection but it will take quite longer.
Can you still access the Internet? If yes – continue to the next step. If not – you will need to fix it first.
To be able to do that, you will need to download several programs on another computer and burn them to a CD or use a flash drive to copy them to your computer. You will need:
- Trend Micro's SysClean.com and the latest virus pattern file http://www.trendmicro.com/download/viruspattern.asp.
- Ad-Aware SE Personal and the latest definitions file (defs.zip) http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
- WinsockxpFix.exe
- Firefox or Opera or get both if you want to try them.
- These instructions in plain text file (right-click -> Save As…). Follow those instructions to restore your Internet access, then return here to finish cleaning your computer from viruses and spyware.
Step one: Plug in the network cable and start the computer in "Safe Mode with Networking".
To do that you will need to keep pressing the F8 key several seconds after you see the very first (logo) screen when starting the computer. If you have a BIOS password, start pressing the F8 key as soon as you enter it. If a "Select a boot device" screen appears, select the hard disk, press "Enter" and continue pressing F8. If the usual "Windows XP" screen appears, that means you've missed the moment. Wait for Windows to load, then restart it and try again. Eventually you will see the advanced startup screen of Windows (black screen with white text). Use the "Up" arrow key to go to "Safe Mode with Networking" and press "Enter".
Log into your admin account (or your account if you have only one) and dismiss the warning that windows is running in safe mode by clicking "OK".
Step two: Clean the Temporary Internet Files and Internet Explorer.
Go to Control Panel -> Internet Options, click "Delete Files…" on the "General" tab, then click "Settings…" just next to it, then "View Objects…" and delete all of them. Then click on "Connections" tab, then "Lan Settings…" and uncheck all three checkboxes there, then click "OK". After that go to the "Programs" tab, click on "Manage Add-ons…" and disable all. Click "OK", then "OK" again to close the "Internet Options" control panel.
Step three: Clean your temp folder.
Open "My Computer" and go to "Local Disk (C:) -> Documents and Settings -> [your account name]", then on that window's menu at the top go to "Tools -> Folder Options…" select the "View" tab and click "Show hidden files and folders" and uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types". Then click "OK". Now you should see a folder "Local Settings". Open it, then right-click on the "Temp" folder and select "Delete". Repeat this for the rest of your accounts if you have more that one. After that empty the trash.
Step four: Disable all startup items and non-windows services with msconfig.
Go to Windows' Start button, then select "Run", type "msconfig" and press "Enter". This is Windows "System Configuration Utility". Click on the last tab "Startup" then click on "Disable All". After that click on the "Services" tab, then on the "Hide All Microsoft Services" checkbox, and then on "Disable All" again. Then Click "OK" and "Exit Without Restart" to return to the desktop. This will disable all startup items and non-windows services. You can enable the ones you need later, after cleaning all viruses and spyware.
Step five: There are quite a few free programs and tools that would help you clean viruses and spyware. My favourites (at the moment) are below. Download, install, update and run all programs in that order:
Trend Micro's SysClean.com – download both sysclean.com and the latest virus pattern file. Then unzip them both in the same directory and double-click sysclean.com. It scans all files and may take some time to complete.
BitDefender's on-demand scanner – look for the free v. 8.0
This is a more advanced tool that will let you look at some of the inner workings of Windows. After starting it select "Do a system scan only". It is safe to check all checkboxes and select "Fix checked", as the program makes backups and you can restore any needed settings later.
If HijackThis reports unknown "winsock providers", use LSPFix to remove them. The default (Windows) ones are: Msafd.dll, Mswsock.dll, Mswsosp.dll, Rnr20.dll, Rsvpsp.dll and Winrnr.dll. If you have Novel Netware installed, you will have some of these: Nwws2nds.dll, Nwws2sap.dll and Nwws2slp.dll. If you see any other entries listed in LSPFix, remove them. Some antivirus programs have entries there too. You can remove these entries as you will have to either reinstall the antivirus or better switch to another, since your currently installed one has failed to protect your computer.
After you finish with HijackThis and LSPFix, restart your computer in normal mode. Uninstall your current antivirus and after restarting, either reinstall it back or switch to another one. You can also try one of the free antivirus programs. In the last two years I've been using AVG Free at home and never had any problems. If you are uninstalling Norton, you better run the Norton Removal Tool after restart.
After that get Firefox or Opera or get both if you want to try them. Both of these web browsers are a lot safer than Internet Explorer as almost all web based exploits work only in Explorer.


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DSV and Panalpina - achieving more together - see more at dsv.com
Panalpina offers forwarding services along with logistics support and supply chain management. Please note that Panalpina does not handle transportation of personal effects, nor household goods for any private individual.
If you have a regular contact person at Panalpina, please enter the name in the form so that your request will be forwarded accordingly.
We will respond to your request within 24 hours. At times, however, it is necessary for us to obtain further details from our overseas colleagues and it may take us a little longer.


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Facebook messages as email: an XMPP to POP/IMAP/SMTP gatewayPosted in Uncategorized on April 29th, 2011 by holmes – 44 Comments
I never want to look at Facebook.com again. Every one of their 2,000 very smart employees is focused on one thing: how to build the best machine to trick you into wasting your time.
Everything about their webpage is a rapidly self-refining experiment focused on how to trick you and waste your time.* Why expose yourself to that? Why make them better at it by showing them what you will or won't click on?
The goal: how to get any benefits from Facebook without looking at the Facebook website.
For example, if I want to share this post with friends, I can share it using their API, or email a tweet (which I've linked to Facebook) to
But what we really need is a POP / XMPP gateway. Connect to Facebook the same way my IM application does, but serve it up like a standard email account. Then you could add this account info to Gmail, Thunderbird, Mail.app, etc and send or reply to messages without touching the distraction machine.
If the sender is in your addressbook, there should be an option to change the "Reply-to" to their normal email address. That way you're helping your friends avoid the distraction machine too.
Google App Engine offers special services for interacting with XMPP and email. That'd be a great place to host this for starters. Or if you're worried about Facebook shutting it down, make a desktop app based on
* You could embrace the "rational actor" assumption and say that since people use it, Facebook is providing something of value that improves peoples' lives QED. But seriously, when was the last time you felt that way after spending an hour on Facebook? And if a crack addict argued the general point with an economist, who would win? The bottom line: if you're sleeping alone, and the only thing you care about is changing this, then sometimes Facebook will not waste your time. Otherwise, stay away.


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Our firm is dedicated to our clients and we treat them as a family with the utmost respect. Being a small firm allows us to stay in close touch with our clients while we fight to obtain the compensation our clients deserve. It's not uncommon for us to visit a client's home, hospital room or meet with a client after hours or on a weekend if necessary.
Felice & Ehrlich, Attorneys at Law will do everything we can to relieve the burden an accident imposes on your life.
Hours Currently Open
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We have a wide selection of themed bouncy castles and inflatables that are available to hire throughout Doncaster and the surrounding areas.
Take Advantage Of Aston Limo And Car Service from or to Stewart Airport NYIf you are flying from or to Stewart International Airport, it may be tough


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Hunting Ethics and Fair Chase
In addition to following the law, the responsible hunter develops and follows a personal code of ethics. Ethics are the rules for right and wrong, good and bad that societies and individuals develop. These rules help us to know how we should act in certain situations.
- A person with good ethics is somebody who understands right and wrong, and chooses to do the right thing in any situation.
- A person with good hunting ethics is one who will not do anything in the field he or she knows or feels is wrong, even if it is legal.
Fair Chase
Hunters are encouraged to develop their own ethic of fair chase. Fair chase means balancing the skills and equipment of the hunter with the abilities of the animal to escape. Responsible hunters do not take unfair advantage of game animals, even if it's legal.
But how do we know what's right and what's wrong? All responsible hunters obey hunting laws but sometimes we find ourselves in a situation where the law doesn't tell us what to do. Unfortunately, there is not a "list" of ethical rules to help. In these cases, you must decide for yourself based on your personal sense of what is right and wrong.
If you doubt your decision at any point, don't do it!
Do we have enough information now to answer the question we started with—What makes a hunter responsible? Let's list what we have learned. A responsible hunter:
- Knows and obeys laws and regulations.
- Views hunting as more than killing an animal.
- Develops a personal code of ethics and sticks to it.
- Takes full responsibility for his or her actions.
- Respects people, the land, and wildlife.


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Image Credit: Rick Diamond/Getty Images[/caption]
Levon Helm is truly the man of the hour.
The late drummer for The Band, who passed away on April 19 at 71, is seeing a spike in popularity. First there was the star-studded "Love for Levon" benefit concert in New Jersey; now, a 2010 documentary called Ain't In It For My Health is set to hit theaters nationwide next year. Shot by director Jacob Hatley, the film traces two years in Helm's life leading up to his 2009 album Electric Dirt, which went on to win the inaugural Grammy for Best Americana Album. Much of the film's action takes place in Helms' famed Woodstock, NY barn, home to the Midnight Ramble concert series.
A previous Band film, Martin Scorcese's The Last Waltz, notoriously drew Helms' scorn for its focus on guitarist Robbie Robertson (in his 1993 autobiography, he called it "the biggest f***in' rip-off that ever happened to The Band"). Ain't In It For My Health, then, should finally give the drummer and singer his due.
Read More
Bruce Springsteen honors Levon Helm with stirring rendition of 'The Weight'
Levon Helm: 1940-2012


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1932 Ford Highboy Coupe - Dynaliner Deuce Coupe
scott whitaker's radically chopped '32 highboy coupe is a tribute to hot rodding
There's always something interesting happening in hot rodding, and this can be directly attributed to one-of-a-kind, original-thinking individuals who live in our world. This month's featured cover car represents the fauxtina look, as it has grown to be a noteworthy addition to our hobby. The liberal use of both old and new (muriatic acid was used to age) parts gives these cars a place of their own.
The Dynaliner Deuce highboy coupe belonging to Scott Whitaker of Hamilton, Ohio, is the latest (and possibly the most creative) in a run of these cars. If this car looks vaguely familiar, you either attended the 2005 SEMA show or saw pictures of the featured vehicles. You may remember the "half car," or the half of a Bonneville coupe with the .5 number on the door. It was a hit at the show, but it also brought the point home for Dynamic Control, the manufactures of Dynamat, as an excellent traffic builder for its booth. (Dynamat is a solution to unwanted noise and vibration commonly found in many aspects of life--not just our hot rods.)
What you see may not be the entire story with the Dynaliner Deuce coupe. Scott, who makes his living with marketing, understands the hidden meaning and the importance of appealing to the creative souls in all of us. Therefore, the coupe is loaded with read-between-the-lines messages.
This car was built at Scott's hot rod shop, Speed Kings of Cincinnati (famous for faux'd automobiles), which is manned daily by Josh Shaw and Jamie Reedy, but Charlie Mallory, Ben Whitaker, Scott "Slick" Williams, and Jason Smith also contributed mightily to the overall project. With Scott's creative guidance, all the guys put in the hours, and we do mean hours, having built both the .5 car and the 1.0 car.
Let's take a closer look at the coupe and see if there is more than meets the eye. Look closely at the license plate. It appears to be a state of Ohio license plate reading 999 AU. Yes, but what does it mean? Well, the number designation of 999 is a tribute to Henry Ford and the 75th anniversary of the Deuce. According to Ford Motor Company records, Henry was seeking investors in his soon-to-be motorcar company, and, in an attempt to gain notoriety, had famous driver Barney Oldfield pilot the 999 car in 1902 and '03, breaking several speed records. In 1904, Ford achieved the publicity he desperately needed by breaking two records in the Arrow (sister car to the 999) on a frozen lake in St. Clair Lake, Michigan; he set a speed record (91.4 mph) and covered the mile in 39.4 seconds. And what about the letters AU? Well, for those of you who fell asleep in chem class, find yourself a periodic table. Clue: Look closely at the 79th element titled Au--it's gold. "Hmmm," you say, "the car is gold in color--that's clever." Well, the story isn't finished. Note that it's also the 75th anniversary of the Deuce and the traditional anniversary gift is a diamond, but the modern gift for the 75th is, you guessed it, gold.
The D/C class distinction painted on the side of the car truthfully stands for Dynamic Control, the company that markets Dynamat. For the record, if we were trying to get the right designation, the car would be an XF, which designates a Ford- or Mercury-production Flathead V-8. It too would carry the letters BG for blown gas, or possibly BGCC for blown gas competition coupe, but you get the drift. (Editor's Note: Yes, we are aware of the pre-'59 class designations, which were later turned around.)
One fun appointment is the spreader bar, which is made from an early Ford wishbone; and, while it is the rear spreader bar/bumper, note that it features a relatively quick release that allows Scott immediate access to the quick-change. Look closely at the pushbar and it too may look familiar. It's a pushrod all right, but this one didn't come from any ol' small-block; it is directly from a big-boy diesel--bend and all!
On the subject of the rearend, it is based on a Dick Spadaro Early Ford Reproductions (Altamont, New York) Winters quickie with 3.78 gearing, '37 Ford bells, and early Ford axles. Other rearend items include a POSIES (Hummelstown, Pennsylvania) SuperSlide spring, '40 Ford drum brakes, and scratch-built wishbones by the guys at Speed Kings. The Vintique 17-gallon gas tank was notched to clear the quick-change.
The body began life as a collection of pieces from Brookville Roadster (Brookville, Ohio). The idea was to complete the half-car that was such a success at SEMA and other shows like the Detroit Autorama. Beginning with a floor full of sheetmetal, other items, such as the nose, dashboard, and 31-louver hood, were all scratch-built to go along with the project. From here, Josh and Jamie Reedy got to work giving the coupe a slant chop--6 inches in front with a laidback A-post, and a 5-inch chop in back. From here, the hood came to life after two stock hoods were cut up and put together featuring 31 louvers, while the grille is another Speed Kings item called the Rocket, displaying 32 teeth.
The bodywork is yet another Speed Kings in-house project, handled by Jamie, while Josh tuned up his spray gun to apply the gold and ivory colors. Josh also applied all of the lettering and related artwork to the final sheetmetal. The headlights are '36 Ford with Vision X (Kent, Washington) parabolic reflectors and HID bulbs; the taillights are genuine vintage aircraft lights. The door handles are '34 and the mirrors are more vintage peeps. Look above the doors and you will see the famous yet hard-to-find Les Noyes--the driver of record for the Dynaliner--but we think you can "see" right through this humorous note.If you are looking for good vibrations or a cool breeze, you may be surprised--stereo comes by way of the blown Flattie, and the A/C is achieved by driving in the early morning hours! Inside, it's more vintage rodding. The Speed Kings steel dash houses the Cyclops speedo cluster that sports a vintage pointer, and gas, temp, and oil gauges. The 5-inch Stewart Warner tach is neatly housed in the column drop, creating an early version of the "knee knocker tach." Charlie Mallory of Speed Kings handled the wiring using an American Autowire system. The buckets are real-deal military aircraft, while Jerry Schnetzer (Hamilton, Ohio) upholstered the snap-on canvas door coverings. Look closely and you will note the liberal use of Dynamat products throughout the interior.
The powerplant is just that--powerful. An 8BA Flathead comes by way of its 284 inches via a Scat crank with forged H-beam rods (4.125-inch), a 3.312-inch bore, and a compression ratio of 8.26:1 on this Dick Lewis-built motor. You can't miss the blower--known by various names, such as Italmeccanica, I.T. Superchargers, and S.Co.T. (Supercharger Company of Turin [in Torino, Italy])--it was one of the most popular "roots" style blower kits available in the 1950s. Other popular vintage and modern-day speed equipment that gives this V-8 the looks and performance are twin Stromberg 97s with copper screens and hose clamps yielding an old-timey pair of air cleaners, as well as Sharp heads (available through Wilcap), Speedway springs and water pump, Powermaster (Knoxville, Tennessee) PowerGen, Vertex mag, Fenton cast-iron headers, Smithy's exhaust, and a gennie Hildebrandt oil filter. The car ran so cool on its maiden voyage cross-country during the POSIES Dirty Driven Tour that Josh had to tape off the lower portion of the Walker (Memphis, Tennessee) radiator to bring the engine up to suitable operating temps. Hooked up to the Flattie to finish out the powertrain is a Tremec T5 five-speed tuned up by Classic Chevy 5 Speed using a McLeod (Placentia, California) flywheel, clutch, disc coupled, and a swan-style shift lever, with an Inland Empire Driveline (Ontario, California) 'shaft.
Well, there are the basics. Come back next month and you will read and see more about how this Deuce coupe fared on its first outing across the country from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Las Vegas, Nevada, just in time for the 2006 SEMA Show. We will give you a hint--the car performed flawlessly. But, there is more to tell from the human-interest standpoint, and, let's face it, there is nothing like a good hot rod story to tell around the ol' campfire.


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The highest specification level of the Perodua Alza is actually a model called the Perodua Alza Advanced Version, which is basically based on the Alza 1.5 Automatic Premium and Manual Premium but with a few additional specifications. You can book this now but delivery will only start in March 2010.
You basically get a new bodykit which consists of front, rear and side skirts and a different rear spoiler. On the inside, you get leather seat covers for all the seats, but the leather treatment does not continue onto the door trim. Also provided is a 5 inch touchscreen LCD which has a Windows CE-based GPS navigation system with a SiRF Atlas IV chipset and 500MHz CPU. The LCD also displays a feed from a 150 degree lense reverse camera.
Finally, there is tinted film for all the glass in the Alza which Perodua claims is GPS and SmartTAG friendly. Perodua states the specifications as following: 95% IR rejection, 99% UV rejection, 70% light for the front windscreen and about over 50% light for the rest of the glass. This tint has a 5 year warranty against peeling, oxidisation, cracking, discoloration and fading. I assume that as an OEM option this tint is also JPJ-approved.
The Alza Advanced Version manual goes for RM66,490 for solid and RM66,990 for metallic, while the Alza Advanced Version automatic goes for RM69,490 for solid and RM69,990 for metallic. The S. Metallic option is missing because the Alza Advanced Version only comes in three colours – Ivory White, Ebony Black and Classy Purple, while the only special metallic colour is Pearl White.
I reckon you could probably get a good Garmin nuvi for under RM1,000 and add on a very good set of tint for about RM2,000 to RM3,000 or so maximum. If you don't want the leather seat covers and bodykit you're better off adding your own tint and GPS. Not sure about the cost of the reverse camera though.
Look after the jump for more pix of the Alza Advanced Version.
[zenphotopress number=99 album=635]
[zenphotopress number=99 album=636]


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MAC Eye Kohls
There are four MAC Eye Kohls ($15.00 for 0.048 oz.) in the upcoming Reel Sexy collection debuting on April 5th in-stores. They are: Heirloom (highly metallicized greyed lavender), Hyacinth (mid-tone blue), and Resort (deep amethyst plum), and Smolder (intense black). Smolder is not included, because it's a permanent shade that's been long-standing.
- Heirloom is a lilac-tinted light gray with a silvery sheen. It doesn't deliver the greatest color payoff, and it doesn't seem to layer as well as I'd like. I can't think of a similar shade to this.
- Hyacinth is a medium-dark muted blue. It's not a full-on medium blue, but it's not a navy blue–it's right in-between–and there's a softened quality to the color. The color payoff is so-so in a single pass. It doesn't skip so much as it just doesn't deposit an even, opaque layer of color. MAC Marine Ultra is more intense. Make Up For Ever #15L is a bit lighter. YSL #03 is a bit darker.
- Resort is an eggplant purple with red undertones. It has decent pigmentation in a single go, but again, it's not fully opaque, and it doesn't seem to get there even with layering. Make Up For Ever #4L is a bit darker, more burgundy. CoverGirl Violet Voltage is a bit darker.
With the amount of eyeliner formulas out there, MAC's Eye Kohls are not on my list of favorites. They're soft but not creamy, so they don't glide on effortlessly. Luckily, they're not dry, so they don't tug and drag painfully across the lash line, but I can never get a really great, opaque line of color. Even after going back and forth one or two times, it just doesn't look right. It seems to fold over itself and bunch up in places, so it does look nice and even. What is applied, though, does wear well. I was able to wear Heirloom for eight hours without any problems–it looked a little faded after ten hours. Some of the shades in the range are creamier than others, but these just didn't have enough give.
MAC Reel Sexy Eye Kohls Reviews, Photos, Swatches
MAC Eye Kohls
MAC Eye Kohls: Heirloom, Hyacinth, Resort
MAC Heirloom Eye Kohl
MAC Hyacinth Eye Kohl
MAC Resort Eye Kohl


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We took the kids to a sporting event today. After a while Mrs. Grumpy sent me to get drinks and nachos.
So I'm standing in line at the counter, with one guy ahead of me, buying a hot dog. I overheard this:
Mr. Hotdogbuyer: "It's $5.95 for THAT dinky hot dog! Geez, my dick is bigger than that!"
Counter girl: "I certainly hope so, sir."
Random moment #2
We stopped at Target to get assorted junk. Up in front they had various holiday gift sets. One of them was a "sampler set" in a green and red box with snowflakes on it.
What was it a bunch of samples of? Beer? Chocolates? Coffee?
Nope. Deodorant. Had 5-7 things of deodorant, different brands and scents. I swear.
If someone gave that to you, what would you think?