text:
A book in a week? Yes, a book in a week. It can be done! It's called a book sprint, and it's intense. As the documentation coordinator for OpenStack, I knew we'd find the right book to write with this technique. In February, it all came together thanks to generous funding from the OpenStack Foundation for $10,000 to fly the team into our Austin Rackspace location.
Fellow Racker Everett Toews and I assembled a dream team of writers at the OpenStack Summit in October 2012. Many contribute to the OpenStack docs regularly, and Everett had operated clouds with two of them in both Canada and Australia. We hired a book sprint facilitator, Adam Hyde, who has done 55 of these sprints resulting in a book each time.
Day one we had to come up with an example architecture. Why? Because OpenStack gives you a cloud and clouds can be shaped in many configurations. We had a good mix of clouds to pick from. We knew about Rackspace's Private Cloud offering and its use cases. We had a senior system administrator from MIT who has been running an OpenStack cloud for his researchers in the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab. We had two cloud architects from Canada and Australia, both running clouds for publicly-funded government projects. The use cases range from those running web servers for web sites to researchers needing real computing power and throughput. The only tiny bit of argument stemmed from choosing the network architecture – should it be multi-host or not? With that civil, gentlemanly arguing out of the way, we churned through sticky notes like there was no end to the stack. We split into two small groups right away to get the outline for an Architecture section and an Operations section. We didn't quite know what the book would be going in, but by the end of day one, we knew the book we'd write would be the one we needed.
We wrote about 10,000 words a day as a team, resulting in nearly 50,000 words and over 230 pages. The book, OpenStack Operations Guide, is now available at http://docs.openstack.org/ops/, and you can buy a printed copy on Lulu. It's priced at $29.90, and all the proceeds go to the OpenStack Foundation to fund more community efforts like this one.
We had a ton of help from Rackers in the Austin and San Antonio offices. Thank you Rackers! On Wednesday, day three of the sprint, the Rackspace videographer team of Jacob Forbis and Dennis Weaver made the great video explaining the method to our madness. Take a look, and please read the book and let us know what you think.


text:
Thursday, November 4, 2010
"Doing the Diaconate Right"
I once served on a diocesan staff where this situation took place. Well, the new bishop took over and announced to us that "if we're going to do the diaconate in this diocese, we're going to do it right, or not at all." Well that stirred things up! What does it mean to "do diaconate right"?
1) Select only those applicants who have the gifts and abilities to be servant-leaders across the whole range of diaconal ministry.
2) Approach the diaconate with the same energy and commitment given to the presbyterate.
3) Recognition by all that the deacon is not a part-time minister.
4) Deacons must be correctly perceived as being ordained for service to the entire diocese, not simply to a parish.
5) There needs to be a solid framework of human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral dimensions from the moment an applicant enters formation throughout his active ministerial career.
Is your diocese "doing it right"? What do you think? What would you add, substract or modify?
31 comments:
Dear Deacon Bill,ReplyDelete
Can you explain what you mean by a deacon not being a part time minister? Isn't the thought that most deacons work full time secular jobs?
Dear Michael,ReplyDelete
Once a person is ordained, they are ordained; the diaconate is not something you can put on and take off, like a suit or something.
One of the main reasons for the renewal of a permanently-exercised diaconate was that deacons would be present -- as ordained ministers of the church -- even in secular environments, such as their workplaces.
So, my statement is a theological one, not an employment one. Yes, we would hope most deacons would still be working in full-time "secular" occupations; but they do so as deacons. In other words, he's ALWAYS ministering.
Does that help?
Good post. Excellent topic. I would say:ReplyDelete
Applicants need to have a sufficent intellectual capacity as part of your "abilities to be servant-leaders across the whole range of diaconal ministry." There were guys in my class and in now who cannot handle even the most basic theological studies. IF deacons are to be credible and desirable ministers of the Word they must be able to accurately and intelligently preach and teach on a level equal to the priests.
This doesn't mean every deacon must be an intellectual at all but there should be the capacity to study on a college level. Many pastors I know here and have known in other dioceses hesitate to let the deacon preach because they say the formation was so poor and the knowledge so minimal. I think this compromises our vocation and ministry in the minds of many clergy.
I would also say deacons need to ne seen as ORDAINED period, let alone diocese vs. parish (though I fo agree with that 100%). I think much of the fault for out lack of perception as ordained clergy is our own fault by having an atittude of emphsaizing identification with laity more than clergy, especially in clercial garb when/where appropriate. Collar does NOT mean "I want to be a priest" or a desire to be seen as such. In the eyes of people (not just the faithful) a collar means one thing: ORDAINED. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
In my mind, accepting the deacon as clergy has little to do with wearing a collar. (BTW: I've been a deacon for 32 years; I do own a collar but only bought it prior to my 2007 pilgrimage to Rome. I have not worn it since.)
I do wear -- almost all the time when in public -- a small "Deacons' Cross" on my shirt/sweater/blazer. I prefer the style created by the deacons of Ogdensburg NY (even though my own diocese has their own design) because Ogdensburg has variants which list the years in service (mine says "30").
Now:I have argued for some time against a required use of the "collar" in my diocese and will continue to do so.
And, yes, I do have an earned doctorate and preach on a regular basis.
Deacon Norb in Ohio
I agree with Diakonos.ReplyDelete
It is my opinion that anyone entering the Diaconate should have a college degree of some sort. We are taking college credit courses accredited by our local seminary and receive grades every semester. One needs to be able to handle a college workload. Priests get their Master's degree and I think deacons should at least be on a close educated playing field. This topic has been brought up in our diocese but St. Jean Vianney always seems to come up.
The theological study needs to be on-going, even if one has already attained an MA. As one of my professors has pointed out, there are 2000 years of Chruch tradition, and most of us at best will comprehend 50 years! From my own studies I have come to understand that it is an essential, on going part of my deeper journey of faith, essential to sharing with othersReplyDelete
I agree with Diakonas, especially with regard to the wearing of a collar. If Deacons are of the caliber described and sought after in other posts the ability to wear or not wear a collar should be something a Deacon could handle. While I agree it doesn't have to be mandatory but it shouldn't be discouraged or outlawed. I will admit to being somewhat split on the educational element of this discussion. I am disappointed that my diocese doesn't attach academic credit for the studies there are men in my class that don't have as much formal education that have a better grasp and understanding on a human level of dealing with parishoners. By the way I am in my second year of formation so my perspective may be a little different from those who are already ordained.ReplyDelete
I have just re-reread my last post. Please excuse the grammatical and punctuation errors. I must be more tired than I realize.ReplyDelete
Norbert wrote:ReplyDelete
"I have argued for some time against a required use of the "collar" in my diocese and will continue to do so."
Good for you Norbert. Of course the problematical word here is "required." There are times when wearing the collar is very helpful in ministry as there are examples of when it is worn inappropriately. You would think that we deacons were old enough at 35+ to be able to make that judgement for ourselves, and so words like "required" and "forbidden" would be unnecessary.
In my archdiocese some years ago there was an edict of "forbidden." After dozens of letters to the archbishop saying "so are you ashamed of us?" that was lifted. In our case there were two or three men whom we all knew were wearing the collar inappropriately but, of course it was much easier for the authority to issue a blanket "forbidden" than to confront and counsel the offending parties.
Dcn Norbert: Congratulations on 32 years in ordained ministry! WOW. May God grant me such a grace.ReplyDelete
Re the Collar/Deacon Cross: I am assuming that you are in your late 60s or early 70s and so I think your generation sees this issue differently from mine (under 50 crowd who do not much if any memory of a pre-Vatican II Church).
Your generation of nuns, for example, abandoned religious dress choosing lay clothes with a cross or "identification pin". In hindsight we now see that this well intentioned experiement was an utter failure in serving as public witness and attracting vocations. The nuns who retained recognizable public religious dress are today trying to find more space for recruits while the other sisters are amalgamating their religious congregagtions in order to survive.
I think the same can be said about deacons. I think the cross/pin is great and should be used when in layt clothes but in ministry the collar serves as witness, serves as public presence of the Church, and also shows the younger men in our parish that a deacon is not just "the guy who helps Father at Mass and reads the Gospel". Collar-wearing deacons in ministry will result in more younger men SEEING US in action and at least considering our vocation as an option while young and not just when in retirement.
Also, I firmly believe from my experience on the Pacific Coast that the collar is really more of a turf issue. For example, seminarians can wear it at will and so can transitional deacons and no one worries about either being confused with a priest or questions them as to why they are dressing that way. Funny, huh?
Mr Diakonos, i am sorry but your argument does not follow. as far as i understand, the numbers of deacon has been growing in the past 30 years yet the common practice in most all dioceses has been to restrict the use of deacons using the collar. your logic does not follow, one could also say that if it is not broke don't fix itReplyDelete
Anthony - my post was on YOUNGER men becoming deacons, seeing it as a viable vocation, attracted to an active ministerial vocation as deacon at home,at work, in the parish or diocese, in charitable works. I am very well aware that retired/older men join up and that's cool, too. No way do I mean to put them down.ReplyDelete
As far as restricting the use of the collar, you are wrong to assume a bishop has this authority, He can only tell a deacon when he MUST wear the collar, not when he may not. It is a canonical right to wear clerical garb granted to ALL deacons (transitional or permanent)as well of course as to the other clerics - bishops and priests. Perhaps I should let someone else state the facts. Here is an excerpt from an well researched and footnoted article by Duane Galles, Homiletic & Pastoral Review magazine, 1997. He is a doctor of both canon and civil law. Nothing has changed in canon law since this article:
"But for canon 288, these considerations would argue in favor of the requirement that permanent deacons must ordinarily wear clerical dress and use the clerical style of address. This canon recognizes that, as clerics, permanent deacons have a right to clerical dress but at the same time permits them not to make use of their privilege of clerical dress and style of address, unless particular law makes a contrary provision and requires that permanent deacons wear clerical dress. Thus, unless the diocesan bishop has decreed that permanent deacons wear clerical dress, they are not required-by virtue of canon 288-to avail themselves of the privilege of clerical dress. At the same time since the regulation of clerical dress and address is given to the conference (and not to the diocesan bishops as in canon 136 of the 1917 Code), it is ultra vires of the legislative competence of the diocesan bishop to legislate on what consists of proper clerical dress and style of address in his diocese.
While the bishop can require the permanent deacon to wear clerical dress, he cannot forbid him to do so. Canon 1336 tells us that to deprive one of his right, privilege or title is to inflict a penalty. At the same time canon 1342(2) forbids an ordinary perpetually to impose a penalty merely by administrative decree in a penal case. It follows that an ordinary cannot perpetually deprive a permanent deacon of the privilege of clerical dress merely by administrative process. By the same token all deacons by virtue of their ordination have the right to their clerical style of address and cannot, absent judicial process, be perpetually deprived of it.
Thus, all deacons, permanent as well as transitional, as clerics remain free to make use of what has long been a clerical privilege and wear the black cassock, the black biretta, the black clerical suit with Roman collar. They also have a right to the clerical style of address "The Rev. Mr." These they may use or not use on their own initiative. They may not, however, be deprived of these privileges without due canonical process in judicial form."
The entire articel can be found here: http://www.deacons.net/Articles/Dress_and_address_of_deacons.htm
Sorry, link got cut off. Here it is http://www.deacons.net/Articles/Dress_and_address_of_deacons.htmReplyDelete
PLEASE ADD: "_deacons.htm" to the link. Don't know why it cuts off.ReplyDelete
Mr Diakonos,ReplyDelete
your first post made a comparison with Sisters no longer wearing a habit and drop in vocations, and that the same would happen with deacons if they did not wear the collar. but the diaconate in the US has continued to grow the past 30 years with the majority following the practice of Deacon Norb. that is why i said your logic does not follow.
Anthony - I see what you are saying about my post. I should have been clearer in expressing that I was referring to younger vocations. The Sisters communities that are dying out are filled with the elderly (average age of 72). The tradiional communities are vibrant and filling up (average age of 32). I guess I was thinking of an larger, more active and visible presence of deacons. Sorry for the confusion.ReplyDelete
Dear Friends,ReplyDelete
We always get lots of "play" when the subject turns to deacons in collars. Maybe some background will be helpful; much of what I'm going to share is based on my 20+ years as a deacon, and even more on my years of service at the USCCB, so I can give a bit of insight into how the US bishops see some of these things.
First, the pros and cons of wearing collars have been discusssed and debated for the whole 42 years that the "permanent" diaconate has been around here in the US. EVERY argument -- pro and con -- that could be made HAS been made. And the bishops get it. There is sign value to having deacons in collars that cannot, and is not, denied. But for every reason FOR a deacon to wear a collar, there are counter reasons NOT to. Some of the most passionate proponents of the "no collar for deacons" perspective are deacons themselves.
Second, the reason that the US bishops have never promulgated particular law on this subject is that they wish to keep this decision at the diocesan bishop level. In some dioceses, NO CLERIC wears clericals; if there was a national policy on this that REQUIRED collars, the deacons would be the ONLY people in collars. If there was a national policy that DENIED the collar altogether, and an individual bishop wanted his deacons in collars, he wouldn't be able to direct that. So, the bishops, after significant discussion, have left the issue up to individual diocesan bishop discretion.
Diakonos, you cite the article by Duane Galles; however, most canonists disagree with this analysis. In the language of canon law, the "learned doctors" are split on the question. So, your observation: "As far as restricting the use of the collar, you are wrong to assume a bishop has this authority, He can only tell a deacon when he MUST wear the collar, not when he may not. It is a canonical right to wear clerical garb granted to ALL deacons (transitional or permanent)as well of course as to the other clerics - bishops and priests" is not accurate. The bishop, under canon law, has full authority in his diocese to restrict any and all aspects of clerical ministry and life. He can direct, for example, that a priest not wear clerical garb while he's suspended for some reason, and he's fully within his canonical rights to tell deacons when the can or cannot wear clerical garb. The bishop has "full, proper and ordinary power" over the diocese. I'm afraid that Galles' analysis, while it sounds convincing on one level, has not been persuasive on other levels -- primarily because he does not seem to take the bishop's authority into account. Of course, I'm a theologian, not a canonist, so if Duane sees this and wants to correct me, I'd welcome it!
More in the next comment. . . .
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
Part Two:ReplyDelete
"Clerical garb" is whatever the diocesan bishop says it is. There's no international or national "description" of what constitutes clerical garb for anyone. As we all know, "clerical garb" into the 20th century was a plan frock coat: no collars, etc. What we see as standard now is a fairly recent innovation.
Finally, while I certainly agree that there are times when wearing a collar can be helpful (I've worn the collar on many occasions during my years as a deacon), I think there are other things we should be thinking about as well.
For example, like it or not, people associate the collar with the priesthood. Sometimes that gives us a lot of NEGATIVE baggage to lug around, too! It's not just a question of the positive dimension of being recognized as clergy; there can be negative ramifications as well.
Also, we deacons are SUPPOSED to be "clergy with a difference." Maybe we should be focused more on being identified, not with existing clerical structures, but with new and more creative ways of being visible. As Anthony observed, in a very astute point, is that the diaconate has grown from zero in 1965 to now over 36,000 largely without being associated with the collar, and there's absolutely not factual data to suggest that those dioceses that put their deacons in collars have any greater number of diaconal vocations than any other.
Just some reflections on the wonderful comments posted.
What do you think?
Deacon Bill - thank you for all your comments. I can see this is a very emotional issue for you. Though obviously younger than you, I also have postgraduate theology, canon law and a decent number of years of ministry in parish and diocese.ReplyDelete
Those of us of the younger, more traditional "JPII" generation, like our counterparts in religious life will assume the collar as wisdom and common sense in ministry tell us. We know we stand firmly on this canonical right unless it is clearly revoked by canon law which is above any local/diocesan regulations. And I am sure than many deacons of the Pius XII-Paul VI generation will continue in their lay clothes.
Dear Diakonos,ReplyDelete
No, actually, it's not a very emotional issue for me. It's just that I've had a lot of experience dealing with this question from a variety of perspectives because of my duties with the bishops. And, as I said, I have worn the collar in the past, and may do so again in the future as pastoral need suggests. So this is not personally a very emotional issue for me.
But I think you have a real weakness in your stance that a bishop cannot apply a practice in his diocese such as determining the use of clerical garb. As I said, you are certainly free to follow Duane's argument if you wish; however, it is -- in the judgment of most other canonists and especially bishop-canonists, that he is incorrect in his conclusion.
I also hope you're able to move beyond a generational attitude here. It's NOT just "older" guys who like to wear "lay clothes" and "younger" guys who like the collar. Wow, is that both judgmental and simplistic at the same time! Maybe it's you that is dealing with an emotional response to this whole issue, my brother. Believe me, around the country, there are plenty of younger deacons who prefer not to wear clericals and older guys who do. This really is not a generational issue.
And I do get emotional about that generational thing. When I was in the seminary, you never heard anyone say, "I'm a John XXIII priest"; that kind of personality cult business started during JPII's papacy, and it's dangerous. We are priests and deacons OF CHRIST AND THE CHURCH and not of any one pope. It implies a kind of "taking of sides" when we're supposed to be signs of communion.
I mean no offense here at all. I value your comments. But it's getting late and I'm teaching a graduate seminar all day tomorrow so I need to shut down for the night. Let's talk again soon.
God bless,
Deacon Bill - absolutely no hard feelings here at all. I love debate and discussion. If we stick to canon law which is what all are bound to, then we see that Canon 288 in regard to permanent deacons gives the Ordinary/Conference the option of stating when their deacons may NOT claim the exemption from clerical clothing (or the other canons listed therein). It gives no authority or option for what some dioceses have done in stating when the deacon MAY wear the collar or may not. I believe it is this action which is at the heart of the debate.ReplyDelete
Of course I believe that a bishop is the ultimate authority in his diocese for whatever areas the universal Church grants this to him. He has this authority from his apostolic office and it is exercised in obedient communionwith the See of Peter.
As to the generational thing. I do not usually appeal to it except when it is germane. I think no one who is conscious of contemporary Church history can deny the chasm between the generation of 1960s thirst for change the desire of the others for continuity with the tradition. I think this is a healthy tension that does no harm to fraternity or unity when done, as Augustine states, "in charity". I am not claiming affiliation of deacons with one pontiff or another...that was simply a way to refer to theological and ecclesial attitudes which are, indeed, very apparent and different.
Back to an earlier thread in this series: "Accepting the deacon as clergy." I have to ask: "Why is 'accepting the deacon as clergy' all that important ? I'm not at all sure that the folks I minister to are all that concerned about it.ReplyDelete
--On the "ugly" side of this debate is the issue of "clericalism." It can be defined in many ways but one is a overbearing attitude that you as clergy (bishop/priest/deacon) are something so special you do not associate with mere mortals (laity?).
--Critical to all of this is the role/interaction of bishop/priest/deacon. IF a vertical hierarchial
relationship is in place in a given diocese, the average laity can very easily assume a deacon to be either a "glorified altar-boy" or a "mini-priest." If there is a more triangular relationship -- where all three levels of orders respect each other's ministries, then having the laity to accept the deacon as clergy is going to be a lot easier.
--The local diocesan bishop is the key. If he respects his deacons as clergy, and values them -- both collectively and individually -- then the laity in the pews (and the priests in the rectory) will follow his example also.
Only the very best of blessings!
Deacon Norb in Ohio
This thread may be the longest in the blog so far, and it started out with one of the most promising take-off points for discussion: How do we do the diaconate right? Somehow, though, it veered off into clerical garb and canon law. I can't help but think this is revealing, but I'm not sure what exactly it reveals. Mostly, I'm just sorry it went that way.ReplyDelete
Dear Ron,ReplyDelete
Interesting comment! Thanks for bringing that up.
For anyone still following this item, what ELSE should we talk about "doing diaconate right"?
i think it might be helpful to try and follow Ron's comment, it might just reveal some insight at a major block in doing the diaconate right. the conversation could have gone many ways, but it took the path of clerical garb, canon law, using generational polemics,ReplyDelete
and a tone of "the bishop cant tell me what not to wear".
i think if one goes a little deeper, they might find some issues that deacons need to look at if they want to so diaconate right?
one can have all the programs and all the debates one wants, but i suspect that what determines the real value of the diaconate are how the actual deacons live their life of ministry and service.
And now maybe a different twist yet:ReplyDelete
In a recent e-mail I sent to our local Dean, I pointed out a fact few folks realize.
Our church needs more deacons than priests.
The reason for that is the probable maximum tenure of a celibate priest is 49 years of active ministry (ordained at 26; senior status/retired at 75). In comparison for deacons, while 75 is still the age listed in Canon Law for senior status/retirement, only a very few are ordained around 35. Most are in the late 40's to early 60's when they are ordained. Thus 40 years of active ministry as a deacon, while possible, is extremely rare. Maybe 25 years would be more average (half that of a priest).
My parish of current assignment -- approximately 4,000 people -- has one priest (the pastor) one active deacon (me), one senior status/retired deacon in ill health, and one deacon-candidate. We are barely keeping our head above the water-line. Would this possibly suggest a priest/pastor at 2,500 folks and an active deacon for every 1,000 more parishioners above that?
Another specific parish in our diocese with slightly over 10,000 folks on roster has one priest/pastor; one (rookie) priest/ assistant pastor; usually has one pastoral intern (either a fourth-year theology student or a transitory deacon); three permanently ordained deacons and one deacon candidate. They are also barely keeping their head above water as well.
I'd love to learn what works in other places.
Deacon Norb in Ohio
Dear Deacon Norb,ReplyDelete
Thanks for your comment, which I believe to be, as the Brits say, "spot on."
Only one minor clarification, if I may: Canon Law only specifies "retirement" at age 75 for diocesan bishops and for priests serving in the office of pastor (technically, if a priest is not serving as a pastor, canon law does not require him to retire at 75).
All other retirement ages are set by particular law, usually established by diocesan bishops. So, in your case, the bishop has obviously set the age for clergy (priest/deacon) retirement at 75. Other dioceses use 70; at least one diocese starts a "retirement zone" at 65, with mandatory retirement at 75.
My point is that, since all of this (except pastors and diocesan bishops) is set by a local lawgiver, that local lawgiver can change it.
God bless,
Great blog, I've had a great time reading it.ReplyDelete
Deacon Ditewig, in one of our classes you spoke about something I would like to hear again concerning the Transitional vice Permanent Diaconate.
It often seems as if we have two types of Deacons and not one ordained ministry.
I believe you pointed out that the Diaconate and Presbyteral ordinations and callings are different and should be treated distincty. An example may be that while someone may be called to the Diaconate, it does not necessari;y follow they are called to the presbytery and vice versa.
I ask for two reasons and things I have heard. The first is that deacons are often introduced as permanent or transitional deacons, not just deacons. The second is some persons making reference to priests being both priests and deacons, while permanent deacons are "just" deacons. What is your view?
Dear Al,ReplyDelete
You asked:
"I ask for two reasons and things I have heard. The first is that deacons are often introduced as permanent or transitional deacons, not just deacons. The second is some persons making reference to priests being both priests and deacons, while permanent deacons are "just" deacons. What is your view?"
The problem is that theologically we have ONE diaconate (there's only one order of deacons), but two different ways in which that diaconate is lived out. However, the USCCB and many diocesan offices have done away with the distinction. In the mid-1990's, for example, the USCCB "Secretariat for the Permanent Diaconate" was changed to the "Secretariat for the Diaconate." It was an attempt to stress the "oneness" of the diaconate.
One of the reason many of us argue for the elimination of the mis-titled "transitional" diaconate is to focus on the vocation of deacon. Men in the seminary are discerning a vocation to the presbyterate, not to the diaconate. And, just like the ancient church, there's no need for a priest to be ordained deacon first, any more than there's a need for a deacon to be ordained a subdeacon first. And, furthermore, most presbyters do NOT identify themselves as deacons after they're ordained as presbyters.
The "just deacons" thing comes from the older system that was in place until 1972, where all subordinate ordinations led inexorably to the presbyterate. Everything "less" than the presbyterate was "just" something "less" than the real ordination to presbyterate. For many people today, our popular imagination still things like that, even though the practice of the church on this point has significantly changed.
We're waiting for our collective popular imagination to catch up!
God bless,
Thanks so much, that is very clear and concise!ReplyDelete

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Tajh Boyd, in a bit of a surprise, has decided to stay at Clemson for his senior season.
Boyd, who capped a strong junior year by passing for 346 yards, accounting for three TDs, and leading the game-winning scoring drive against mighty LSU in a New Year's Eve bowl game, could have been an early-round draft pick.
[Previously: 2013 NFL MOCK DRAFT: Tajh Boyd rising.]
In a down year for QBs – Matt Barkley's been hurt, Geno Smith struggled in the second half of the season; nobody else has stood out – Boyd (6-foot-1, 220) could have snuck into the first round. He might remind some of Russell Wilson, who is tearing it up in Seattle.
[Previously: 2013 College Football Top 20: Clemson 18.]
In three categories, Boyd's stats were up significantly this year – completion percentage, yards-per-attempt and QB rating – and he was throwing to two future NFL receivers in DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins (the latter of whom definitely returns next year).
Boyd has four offensive lineman returning, and if Hopkins stays for his senior year, this could be one of the best offenses in the country. Chad Morris is a brilliant offensive mind, and with the right season, probably positions himself for head coaching opportunities in 2014.


text:
I'm all for the idea of having a universal remote. That said, I have yet to find one that makes me willing to ditch my home's many controllers. Will a $70 dongle do the trick? Zero1 certainly hopes so, because that's the idea behind the VooMote Zapper.
The VooMote Zapper is a little dongle that plugs into the iPhone, iPod touch and/or iPad, and turns it into the ultimate remote control. Companies have been trying to perfect remote control as long as there has been remote control. With everyone becoming so dependent on iOS and Android devices, companies are adding apps all the time. Do I need to pay $70 and attach something to my iPhone? Read on to find out.
Out of the package, the VooMote Zapper looks like something destined to get wedged in between the couch cushions — ah, a true remote control! If it doesn't end up in the couch, it will end up inside the dog. This thing is pretty tiny.
Upon plugging it into my iPhone, I was prompted to download the free VooMote Zapper app. Once launched, the VooMote app requires you to hold the device upside down, so that the dongle is on the top. There's no flipping and flopping, unless you plan to contort your body.
The VooMote Zapper app allows users to set up various rooms under one app. Once you pick the room, you're going to have to know the devices in it, including all of the model numbers. Even so, that might not be helpful.
My 2011 Panasonic plasma wasn't listed in the VooMote Zapper's limited menu. However, it was an easy enough fix. After choosing the brand, the VooMote Zapper prompted me to point the device at the TV. A few on-screen instructions later, it found the command codes that worked. The same went for my Sony Blu-ray player.
When it came to my Pioneer receiver, things got a bit more difficult. Currently, I have the new Pioneer VSX-822 hooked up. Not only wasn't it in the VooMote menu, but it wasn't able to guess the commands by pointing and shooting at the unit. Not to fear, though; there is a last resort. The VooMote does have the option to learn remote commands by pairing the device up with your component's original IR remote. Just point the two at each other and follow the on-screen prompts. Within a few seconds, all was well.
Well, it was until I got to my DVR. I have the new DISH Network Hopper, which not only wasn't in the VooMote Zapper's database, but couldn't link in any way. I can't fault the VooMote for that though; the Hopper uses ZigBee, which is not supported on this device.
The actual interface for the VooMote Zapper is pleasurable enough. It's easy to flip through devices and rooms and easy to customize the buttons so you won't have to live without those bells and whistles (my special Netflix button!) that you may have become accustomed to. Another nice touch is that the VooMote Zapper allows users to set up macros and group multiple actions (Watch DVD, Listen to Music, etc.) under the OneView section.
The graphics are big, but the controls are sort of small. If you fumble pushing typical remote buttons, a teeny iPhone screen is not going to make your viewing experience more pleasurable. Another thing worth noting is that when you have the VooMote Zapper dongle attached, there's no rest for your iPhone. It just never goes into sleep mode, so don't be surprised when your battery is drained later.
It's hard to image that anyone really enjoys having eight different remotes. A comfortable, one-device remote solution is the Holy Grail for most AV users. Is that the VooMote? For someone, I suppose. That said, it's not an out-of-the-box solution and can be frustrating at times, especially for those with newer equipment. Unless you really need to have that iOS device involved in every aspect of your tech life, there are better remote control solutions out there (Harmony for one) for around the same price.
Read a review of the Gear4 UnityRemote for iPhone.


text:
ReflectionsPosted by Video Man at 3:59 PM
Labels: Landscapes
0 comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
A collection of amazing photographs and slideshows from around the world. Also included are links and information on photography, public domain pictures and tips on using pictures while blogging. Use the labels in the right sidebar to find what you are looking for.
Labels: Landscapes


text:
Batman: Arkham Origins Videos: Mutiplayer Beta Footage Escapes Blackgate
Wondering how the multiplayer for Batman: Arkham Origins plays? So were we. That's why we're happy some footage showing gameplay from all three sides of the multiplayer story have found their way online.
Four different videos (one for each of the sides, plus an extra for Robin) were posted by various YouTubers, giving us our first real glimpse of Arkham Origins multiplayer. The original trailer gave us a few clues about what to expect, but these in-game playthroughs are a much better indicator of how the co-operative mode will play.
Each side definitely brings something different to the table, and our fears about this mode being merely tacked on for the sake of having multiplayer have been temporarily assuaged. There are a few instances of glitches, but this is just a beta, and not the finished product. Take a look, and see if Batman: Arkham Origins multiplayer is living up to your expectations.


text:
When it comes to feeding their babies, most moms put serious thought into what products they put into their child's mouth. But what about on their babies' skin?
Continue Reading Below
After two cancer diagnoses in their family, Ayo and Nigel Hart were so concerned about the products they used on their babies that they launched their own organic skin care line for children—and it took off. Now they are watching both their babies and business grow up.
Many businesses have started out of necessity: someone needed a product, couldn't find it and decided to fill the market void themselves.
After Nigel's mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, the family's oncologist encouraged her to avoid artificial and potentially harmful chemicals that can be found in everyday products, such as shampoo or deodorant, while undergoing chemotherapy. The next year, Nigel lost his father to cancer. His parents grew their own food on their farm in England, so the couple didn't think pesticides or chemical-laden food was necessarily to blame for the diagnosis. The Harts blamed environmental factors.
"We started becoming more aware that the things we were using weren't really natural," Ayo said. "It's a little bit of an eye opener."
"Two teaspoons of an eight-ounce bottle may be a chemical you probably wouldn't inject in the mouth," Nigel added.
As parents of twins, Ayo and Nigel wanted to make sure their children used only truly-natural products, which were hard to find. So, they launched their own line of baby shampoos and bath products called Dolphin Organics. All the ingredients in the products claim to be 100% natural and organic – as well as functional.
"I think the more targeted you are, the easier it is to market to the group, but it's also a much smaller group. So that may limit your sales potential"
"It's hip to be green, so people are plastering that word all over their bottles," said Nigel, noting that many so-called "natural" products will still contain ingredients such as paraben and phthalates. "We're not just natural, we're all-natural, we're all plant-based. Anything that can come in organic form, we're going to use it."
Finding Their Target Audience
Dolphin Organic shampoos, lotions, bubble baths, and body washes have been approved by Quality Assurance International (QAI) to certify their organic ingredients and The National Safety Foundation, which confirms products meet strict safety standards. Dolphin Organics is also a member of the Natural Products Association. In addition, Dolphin Organics products are made in the USA.
It is these associations that the Harts are hoping will separate Dolphin Organics from other natural lines such as California Baby, Burt's Bees and Johnson & Johnson Naturals. "We wanted a parent to be able to pick up our bottle and look at our logo and understand [what was inside]," explained Ayo. "We have responded to the frustration of parents and created an innovative ingredients label which is clear and easy to decipher. Dolphin Organics doesn't just say we're natural, we prove it."
Dolphin Organics launched in June after receiving input from parents dedicated to raising organic babies. The Harts kept the launch silent so they had time to learn more and better understand their market.
They put on product launch parties at moms' homes and relied heavily on word-of-mouth referrals to gain more exposure, particularly important among the mom circuit. After realizing that social media was a large source of recommendations and product reviews, the couple hired a social media expert and sent samples to moms requesting more information on the company's Facebook page.
"Getting [mothers] on your side is absolutely critical to having a long-lasting product" in the baby space, Nigel said.
The couple is still trying to determine whether to try to convert customers of brands with similar products, or try to win over non-organic consumers.
Dolphin Organics products are now in 29 stores across the country and available online. The Harts said they receive two to three requests daily about their products from independent retailers, and are planning a product expansion this winter.
From Idea to Viable Business
Neither Ayo nor Nigel had any experience in the children's product market. Nigel worked on Wall Street for 20 years and has found his business experience has been helpful with the startup. Ayo has been a stay-at-home mom for six years and coaches varsity girls' basketball at their local high school.
Working 15-hour days, the couple is confident in their product because they know they are bringing a unique product that consumers are looking for. There biggest tip for potential entrepreneurs is to become as knowledgeable as possible about their anticipated market.
"There's so much out there to learn and obviously we're bringing a product to market we knew about as a consumer, not a manufacturer. Knowledge is key. You have to know what you're talking about before you walk through the door to tell someone about that product," Ayo said.
When it comes to product testing, the pair recommended getting as much potential customer feedback as possible to ensure success. And don't forget social media.
"There's a lot of money in making sure everything's as perfect as perfect can be" at a large company, said Matt Herzog, who has been the CEO of Funky Monkey Snacks for five years, previously worked as a brand manager at General Mills and oversaw the launch of Yoplait Whips yogurt in 2000. "In a small company, you don't have that luxury, so it becomes much more about getting the most information you can with the resources available."
Herzog, who also worked at SC Johnson, credits sending products out for review and talking to potential customers helped Funky Monkey crunchy fruit snacks evolve into what it is today, sold nationwide at major retailers like Whole Foods Market (NYSE: WFM) and Target (NYSE:TGT), as well as in smaller retailers and online at Amazon.com.
Facebook and other social media platforms can serve as great – and cheap - multi-directional dialogue platforms for startups to communicate with their market. These venues are particularly important since startups face more challenges than big-name companies when it comes to getting their product on the market, not least of which is lack of name recognition, proof of sales and money for product research, development and consumer testing.
Budding entrepreneurs need to confirm that their idea or product can be sustained as an actual business where the costs won't outweigh the returns. Herzog stressed networking with other people in your particular industry to "make sure you really have a smart business model."
When trying to determine a specific market, a product needs to be relevant to enough people to bring in a profit.
"I think the more targeted you are, the easier it is to market to the group, but it's also a much smaller group. So that may limit your sales potential," Herzog added.
As for the Harts, they are still learning more about their business and their market every day.
"Besides being smart and having an idea … one must be courageous, a visionary and have tough skin," Ayo said. "At the end of the day, when you're starting a business, you're going to make mistakes, you're going to hit bumps, but the successful ventures are driven by leaders who are not risk averse and who are not afraid to do what they feel is right even when others disagree.
"Once you've tested the water, dive in and enjoy. That's where we are now. We've tested some things, we've learned a great deal and now we're spreading our wings."


text:
Mostly unfazed by the string of 787 headaches that have kept Boeing (NYSE:BA) in the headlines this year, the nation's largest airplane manufacturer revealed stronger-than-expected second-quarter earnings on Wednesday and raised its full-year outlook.
Continue Reading Below
Shares of Boeing climbed 2% in premarket trade to an all-time high of $109.91. Despite the rollercoaster first half, its shares have risen more than 43% year-to-date.
The Chicago-based jet maker now sees adjusted earnings between $6.20 and $6.40 a share, up from $6.10 to $6.30 earlier, and revenue in the range of $83 billion to $86 billion, increased from $82 billion to $85 billion, on higher defense, space and security orders.
Analysts on average are calling for non-GAAP EPS of $6.51 on sales of $84.12 billion.
In its most recent quarter, revenue was up 9% to $21.81 billion from $20 billion a year ago, marginally ahead of the Street's view of $20.78 billion.
Boeing delivered 169 planes in the three-month period, a 13% increase from 2012, and saw revenues in its commercial airplanes division soar by 15% to $13.6 billion. Boeing CEO Jim McNerney touted the $40 billion of new orders racked up for the 787.
"We further strengthened our market-leading position in commercial airplanes ... while our defense, space and security business delivered improved margins and market share in a tough market," he said.
Boeing reported net income of $1.7 billion, or $1.41 a share, compared with a year-earlier profit of $1.5 billion, or $1.27. Excluding one-time items, the jet maker said it earned $1.67 a share, topping average analyst estimates of $1.58 in a Thomson Reuters poll.
The company during the quarter fixed a battery problem that had its global fleet of Dreamliners grounded for several months earlier this year and resumed deliveries.
The Dreamliner faced new challenges earlier this month when an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft caught fire on a tarmac in the U.K., however investigators are honing in on an emergency beacon manufactured by Honeywell (NYSE:HON).


text:
|Full control
over layout
Powerful logical conditions let you build very dynamic forms that change depending on entered data and user's behaviour.
There are more than 20 types of conditions, including math, calendar and field comparisons.Show all features Try it now!
We don't tie your hands.
You are the owner of your forms and we trust that you know what you are doing.
You have full access to HTML, CSS and JavaScript code, so that you had a proper tool that supports your skills.Show all features Try it now!
Every form entry can be transformed to PDF printout upon an OpenOffice template.
For example, using data from the form, ActiveForms can generate customer agreement - ready to sign on paper.Show all features Try it now!
We provide simple REST API that gives you full control over your account and date.
Use our API to retrieve and delete entries, push entries to edit with a form or generate PDF printouts.Show all features Try it now!
Using HTML and JavaScript you can build your own controls or widgets for your forms.
If you need specific validation, sliders, maps or integration with an external service, just write a piece of JS code and embed it in your form.Show all features Try it now!
Data entered in your forms can be verified live - just after leaving the field. You can setup regular expressions, build logical conditions, calendar-dependent validators or even send data to external validation services.
All validations are performed on the server side. There's no chance that user hacked JavaScript and obey your verification.Show all features Try it now!
Option lists from dropdowns or radiobuttons can be synchronized with external feed.
Just setup a field with HTTP datasource address and it will always provide accurate and valid option list.Show all features Try it now!
We made a tool that we always needed ourselves.
Now, let it serve you.
It's the best software we ever made.
Wawrzyniec Hyska Product Manager ActiveForms
It all started in 2006, when Twitter has just been born and Android was still a SF movie. We worked hard on large e-commerce forms for ING Bank. We used to hard-code every single field, label, message and validation alert. Every modification was a change request and was expensive and annoying. Client was upset about his money and we were frustrated coding such ordinary things as web forms.
So we came up with an idea of a visual form builder - a tool where one could setup a form by himself with no coding. Where changes could be done within minutes, and they would not need deployments or regressive tests.
Second system syndrome
In the fall 2006 we started building ActiveForms. During first months we were errupting with tons of ideas. What worse, we started coding them! The idea of Minimal Viable Product was not so known these days, so we tried to make an all-in-one platform. Our design was mile-wide and inch-deep - what was good for our minds, but poor for our product.
We wrote thousends of lines of code that we then busily removed. Tough experience, that fortunately put us into era of focusing. Beeing much wiser, we made a lot of important project decisions:
|That we focus on
just as much
as FormBuilder
Where one can build
most sophisticated
web forms
And that we
build an API
and outsource all secondary features
After another year or two...
we finally get a product good enough to sell it to our enterprise customers. We implemented ActiveForms in Raiffeisen Bank Poland, Amway corporation and PZU (biggest insurance company in the country). And guess what: we got incredible tons of
Priceless feedback!
We listened to our users and watched their forms. We saw our baby helping them or annoying them. And we constantly tuned our soft, so that our early adopters still like us.
And since 2011 we've gone into area of user experience.
We wanted to show ActiveForms worldwide, but we knew, that it must be much nicer for demanding global users. We joined several modules into one FormBuilder and we pointed one evident target group: web developers.
It's about you!
We assumed that people working on professional, enterprise web forms have some technical skills. That they understand HTML, CSS and JavaScript and don't want to have hands tied.
That they have diffucult projects for demanding customers and that they need not a toy, but a professional tool.
We didnt' want to be another wufoo or survey monkey.
We created engine that is not that simple, yet extremely powerful.
Now it's ready.


text:
Here is a partial list of volunteer opportunities in the community:
Here is a partial list of volunteer opportunities in the community:
Communities in Schools in Jefferson County is seeking volunteers to help in the �Lights on After Dark� program at the Jack Robey Junior High School. Volunteers are needed to tutor and assist with scheduled activities from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Monday and Wednesday. Any business, organization, or individual interested in helping is asked to call 870-536-4762.
Girl Scouts � Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas is currently seeking volunteers who care about the lives of people in their community. Prospective volunteers are challenged to replace one television show a month with sharing their skills or hobbies with girls ages 5 to 17. The rewards will be priceless. For more information call Tiffany Stewart or Mary Ann Lee at 870-534-8563.
Healing Place Ministries is looking for volunteers to assist in local nursing homes and assisted living facilities, making follow-up phone calls and sending out birthday and get-well cards. For more information, call the Rev. Edna Morgan at 870-535-0101.
HOSTS (Help One Student to Succeed) is seeking mentors to work with students in math and reading in the Pine Bluff School District. Volunteers may select the day, time and location that is the most convenient for them. Greenville, Broadmoor, 34th Avenue all have HOSTS programs at their schools. To volunteer or receive additional information about the program, call Monica O�Briant at the Volunteers in Public Schools office at 870-543-4224 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Jefferson Comprehensive Care Systems Inc. � Headstart is seeking volunteers to work with special-needs students. The hours are from 9 to 11 a.m. If interested, call Lou Celia Courtney, disability coordinator, at 870-534-5913.
St. Mark UMC and Healing Place Ministries are in need of volunteers for its new �Family Life Skills Workshops.� The major emphasis of this program is to provide an opportunity for parents and their children to learn life skills in a community setting, to participate in activities to reinforce their learning, and to become more resilient and ready to meet challenges that are common place during this new millennium. If you love children and would like to help strengthen families, please consider being a volunteer by contacting Rev. Edna Morgan at 870-692-2400 or 870-535-0101.
Anyone wishing to list volunteer opportunities in this column may call Patricia Johnson at 870-543-4227 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.


text:
SAN FRANCISCO -- One didn't have to speak Spanish to decipher a common bond among the 12 players who accepted 50-game suspensions from Major League Baseball on Monday: They all hail from Latin countries.
Eight Dominican players, three Venezuelans and a Nicaraguan made up the list of players MLB banned for their ties to the Biogenesis clinic, which has been accused of distributing performance-enhancing drugs.
The list is headed by All-Stars Nelson Cruz and Jhonny Peralta of the Dominican Republic and Nicaraguan shortstop Everth Cabrera.
The sobering numbers were not lost on other Latin players, and Dominican outfielder Carlos Gomez of the Milwaukee Brewers said he personally knows all his countrymen who got disciplined and was bothered to hear the news.
"None of those guys lack the ability to play this game,'' said Gomez, a first-time All-Star this season. "I believe having the wrong people around you leads you to commit such stupid acts, which sooner or later come to light.They all have plenty of skills. I don't understand why they would do something this stupid.
COLUMNIST: Time for A-Rod to just go away
MORE: A-Rod says if he produces, Yankees will want him
MORE: MLB scores victory, but work remains
"It doesn't affect just Latin guys. It affects all of baseball, because whenever you do something outstanding, everybody starts looking at you like, 'Such-and-such is playing really well and he was never this good before, so we need to check what's going on. Maybe he's clean. Maybe not.' It's an epidemic for baseball.''
Gomez has spent the past 3½ seasons playing alongside Ryan Braun, who accepted a 65-game suspension two weeks ago in the scandal. Other than Alex Rodriguez, born in New York to Dominican parents, Braun is the only American-born player disciplined in the Biogenesis scandal. A-Rod is appealing his suspension.
Across the hallway at AT&T Park before Monday's game, some San Francisco Giants players also pondered the day's events. Venezuelans Gregor Blanco and Guillermo Quiroz said they did not feel embarrassed that so many Latin players were caught cheating, because every person is unique and responsible for his actions.
But they agree there are some common factors.
"They need to inform the players better when the come to the U.S.,'' said Quiroz, a backup catcher. "If you have an agent who tells you, 'This is going to help you give your family a better life and have a better career in the big leagues,' a lot of guys are going to do it, even without knowing what they're doing.''
Blanco said he feels for his baseball brethren.
"It's sad so many of them are Latin, but it's beyond that,'' Blanco said. "They're fellow baseball players, be they Latin or American, you don't like to see them make those mistakes.''


text:
Rally venues Around Montrose | Rally Nation
Below are the 5 nearest locations to Montrose.
Saltburn, TeesideMin. Age 11
159 miles from Montrose
Our truly extraordinary Teesside Rally Centre is one rip roaring adventure from the minute you clamber into one of our sensational race prepared rally cars until the final handbrake turn! Youll get plenty of opportunities to showcase your iron nerve, handling skills and racing capibilities on our awesome, purpose built rally stage! A rally day of incomparable brilliance awaits....book your spot now!
Elvington, Nr York (1)Min. Age 17
201 miles from Montrose
Our Elvington venue located in the heart of the Yorkshire countryside guarantees you a truly authentic taste of rallying, and with both tarmac and gravel stages to test your skills on you're in for the ride of your life!
Elvington, Nr York (2)Min. Age 11
201 miles from Montrose
This tailor-made rally stage is designed to test drivers of all abilities, so if you've always dreamt of throwing up the dirt in a race ready rally car there's nowhere better to experience the rush of rallying.
York, North YorkshireMin. Age 18
206 miles from Montrose
Get ready for one of Yorkshire's finest automotive adventures at our awesome York Rally Centre! We boast not only obscenely powerful Ford Rally Cars but also an immensely challenging rally stage with varying terrains that will test your driving skills to the maximum! An unbelievably entertaining experience and one that will definitely live long in the memory....don't miss out on this cracking venue!
Stafford, StaffordshireMin. Age 18
268 miles from Montrose
A fantastic venue located on a disused airfield. The circuit is approx. 1 mile per lap with some great straights to kick up some speed!
"Fab day im still grinning from ear to ear."


text: On Sat, 2007-04-21 at 13:16 +0200, Håkon Bugge wrote: > PIO is a term with an two different > interpretations. For a shared address space NIC, > such as Dolphin's SCI adapters, PIO implies a > sender CPU to write data directly into the user > space of a remote process on a remote node. The > cluster interconnect emulates a PCI to PCI bridge > in this case. On other NICs, PIO implies using > the processor to transmit the DMA description and > the data to the local NIC. Then the local NIC > issues a DMA to transmit the data/message to the > remote node from a local buffer on the NIC. The > main point is the local NIC doesn't have to issue > a DMA read to local memory in order to read the DMA descriptor and data. That would explain why qlogic use PIO for up to 64k messages and we switch to DMA at only a few hundred. For small messages you could best describe what we use as a hybrid of the above descriptions, we write the a network packet across the PCI bus and don't DMA at all. The downside to PIO of course is you need a CPU to drive it so besides the fact it's slow you can't make do anything asynchronously. > So, when Mellanox reduces the latency from around > 4 to around 1 usec, I assume they have modified > the hardware-software interface of their HCA to > enable PIO mode send operations, where DMA > descriptor+data is transmitted on the PCI(e) bus > using a single WC bus tenure. I haven't used a > PCI analyzer on their HCAs, but a thumb of rule > is that every I/O operation to a NIC takes in the > order of 1usec. So may be they have managed to go > from 3 to one I/O operation in order to kick off > a transfer. Pure speculation fro my side though. That's an interesting theory, but I suspect your numbers are a little out. My own measurements put a PIO word write in the region of .15 uSec depending on chipset. Of course if you are right then the remaining PIO write is happening in 1 uSec which leaves only .2uSec for the network which seems a little fast to me. Regardless of how they have done it 1.2 is impressive, what would make me even more impressed if it was quoted as 1.20 which would, as far as I'm aware, mean that they had the lowest latency of anybody. Ashley,


text:
12 CFR Appendix to Part 535, Official Staff Commentary
prev | next
Appendix to Part 535 - Official Staff Commentary
Subpart A - General Provisions
Section 535.1 Authority, Purpose, and Scope.
1(c) Scope
1. Penalties for noncompliance. Administrative enforcement of the rule for savings associations may involve actions under section 8 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act ( 12 U.S.C. 1818), including cease-and-desist orders requiring that actions be taken to remedy violations and civil money penalties.
2. Application to subsidiaries. The term "savings association" as used in this Appendix also includes subsidiaries owned in whole or in part by a savings association.


text:
Fleet Manager.
Discover our benefits and view our wide choice of cars ideal for fleet managers.
Why Mercedes-Benz?
Strong residual values, excellent build quality and reliability are key benefits of Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Cost-efficiency is too – and that's why we make a perfect partner for fleet.
In addition to exemplary safety and specification, many of our vehicles also offer outstanding fuel economy and low CO2 emissions, reducing both your running costs and Whole Life Costs.
Exceptional write-down values and flexible finance solutions bring even more benefits to our award-winning Mercedes-Benz range.


text:
Send Results to This Email:
Street Address:
Street Address:
Dana and Ray Brandon
Ray's Take: Some of us have already started gathering our records and receipts in preparation for completing our 2013 federal income tax forms. However, it's not too soon to be thinking about 2014 taxes as well. Changes in the tax code – from bracket revisions to the 3.8 per cent investment tax – could have an impact on your withholding and tax bill a year from now.
Most taxpayers should keep a bit more of their earnings in their wallets. For example, a couple filing jointly with taxable income of $100,000 could save $145 over 2013. However, it will be a different story for filers with higher incomes and more investment income.
For example, that 3.8 percent investment income surtax on net income gained from investments will still be with us along with a 0.9 percent Medicare tax on earned income for joint filers earning over $250,000.
While the federal tax exclusion on annual gifts remains the same as 2013, the lifetime gift and estate tax exemption will increase to $5.34 million. Tennessee residents have said good-bye to gift taxes, but the inheritance tax is not gone yet.
Every year changes like these, and countless others, can confuse and confound those who prepare their own tax returns. If you weren't aware of the changes that took place for tax year 2013, you could have a pleasant or nasty surprise this tax season.
It's far better to plan ahead and to talk to a professional. Ask your tax accountant about your tax bracket and what you can do to reduce exposure. "Bracket management" will be the buzzwords for a while. It may be time for you to consider converting qualified plans into ROTHs. Don't wait until this year is almost over to make the change. Get advice now, and be prepared later.
Dana's Take: Our 12-year-old son is devoting a lot of thought to outsmarting the IRS when he is an adult. Until he figures that out, he and rest of us can count on paying up every April 15.
People tend to get in a panic over federal income taxes, rushing around to find all the documents and papers they need to file. Some of this is understandable, since you can almost always count on tax changes. But, why not make it a habit to be prepared?
As soon as you and your spouse get your last pay stubs of the year, start a file just for taxes. As those tax-related documents and end-of-year financial statements trickle in over the next month or so, just add them to the file. Everything will then be right where you need it for your tax preparer – whether it's you or someone else.
This may not make paying income tax any easier to swallow, but anything you can do to make tax time less troublesome is certainly worth it.
Ray Brandon is a certified financial planner and CEO of Brandon Financial Planning (www.brandonplanning.com). His wife, Dana, has a bachelor's degree in finance and is a licensed clinical social worker. Contact Ray Brandon at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Copyright 1995 -
by The Daily News Publishing Co. Inc. - All Rights Reserved


text:
Tall John needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 163 designs submitted by 41 freelance designers.
Argyle Residences is an Australian seniors living business ("retirement village") which will provide quality, independent living to the elderly. The business takes its name from the Argyle diamond mine in Australia, which is the world's primary source of rare, high quality, pink diamonds. We are seeking a logo which reflects the owners' emphasis on the development of residences of high quality and class, which are built to endure.
Argyle Residences
See above
- Logo to reflect the emphasis on quality, class, reliability and endurance.
- Seniors living units are typically acquired by either single women or married couples in their mid 70s to mid 80s
- Women usually make the investment decision on which village to move into, so the logo needs to appeal to women in the above age group, whilst not being "offensive" (eg too feminine) to men
- Nothing Australiana and / or "tacky" (eg kangaroos, koalas etc)
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
Serbia takes 2-1 lead over USA in Davis Cup QF
Boise, ID – Ilija Bozoljac and Nenad Zimonjic outlasted the top-ranked doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan to give Serbia a slight edge over the United States in their Davis Cup quarterfinal.
The Bryan brothers fought back down two sets against the Serbian duo, though the fifth set proved to be too much. In a match that lasted 4 hours and 23 minutes, the Serbians edged the Americans 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-1), 5-7, 4-6, 15-13 on Saturday to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five tie.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will open Sunday's reverse singles against American Sam Querrey. The Australian Open champion Djokovic can send Serbia to the semifinals with a victory.
In the other reverse singles match, Viktor Troicki will take on American John Isner.
Serbia topped the 32-time titlist U.S. 3-2 in Belgrade in an opening-round tie three years ago in their lone previous Davis Cup meeting.
Team USA is captained by Jim Courier, while Bogdan Obradovic is guiding the visiting Serbs.
The winner of this quarterfinal tie will meet the Canada-Italy victor in the semifinals in September.


text:
RICHMOND, California (Reuters) - The federal agency investigating the fire that broke out in August at Chevron Corp's oil refinery in Richmond, California, faulted the state's regulatory system for not being proactive enough in preventing accidents.
"The California process safety regulatory system lacked sufficient well-trained, technically competent staff and also lacked more rigorous regulatory requirements to require Chevron to reduce safety risk," said the U.S. Chemical Safety Board's lead investigator Dan Tillema at a public hearing in Richmond on Friday.
CSB Western Regional Director Don Holmstrom called upon California to change its regulatory system to one called "safety case" in which high-hazard industrial plants such as crude oil refineries would not be allowed to begin operating until they have proven they have reduced all safety risks to as low as reasonably practicable.
"That is a pre-condition for operating," Holmstrom said in a prepared statement at a public hearing before California legislators on Friday.
"There's a need for step change (in safety regulation)," Holmstrom said while answering questions during the Friday afternoon hearing. "The whole system needs improvement."
Holmstrom said the change to a safety case system would be a reversal from the current system in which high-hazard facilities are allowed to operate and are punished when they have a mishap or found in violation of a regulation.
Chevron said it would look at proposed changes in safety regulations.
"We will engage in constructive dialogue regarding any proposed industry-wide regulations that will allow us to remain competitive and operate at the highest levels of safety," said Chevron spokeswoman Melissa Ritchie.
In preliminary other findings released in the weeks following the fire, the Chemical Safety Board has faulted Chevron's failure to replace a heavily corroded pipe on the 245,000 barrel-per-day crude distillation unit that ruptured setting off the fire, which caused only minor injuries at the second-largest refinery in California.
The board has also criticized the refinery for failing to shut the unit down when it sent firefighters on August 6 to try and find the leak.
California's worker safety regulator the California Occupational Safety & Health Division (Cal/OSHA) fined Chevron $963,000 on January 30 for 25 violations of worker safety regulations.
Holmstrom praised Cal/OSHA as better than many state safety regulators, but said it was one of three agencies with regulatory authority over the plant.
Cal/OSHA Chief Ellen Widess said the agency inspected Chevron's Los Angeles-area refinery in El Segundo, California, following the Richmond fire. The company was required to replace corroded pipe on a crude unit similar to the one in Richmond. The work was done in October.
Contra Costa County officials said they are ordering Chevron to pay for a full safety inspection of the refinery.
Refiners Exxon Mobil Corp, Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Valero Energy Corp, which operate plants in California, declined to discuss the recommended change in high-hazard facility regulation.
CSB is only an investigative agency, charged with seeking the root cause of chemical plant accidents and making recommendations to the industry. The board has no power to fine companies or issue regulations.
(Reporting by Braden Reddall and Erwin Seba. Editing by Andre Grenon and Lisa Shumaker)


text:
Friday, November 2, 2018 10:00am - 11:00am
Location: Lucknow Library
Pre-school Story Time is now held in Lucknow every Friday at 10:00a.m.Contact: Cassie Wood
Home | Brochure | Trail Stops | About Us | Business Listing | Contact | Site Map |
©2019 All Rights Reserved. Huron-Kinloss Icecream Trail
All data is subject to errors, omissions or revisions & is not warranted.
Website developed & hosted by Running Tide Inc.


text:
Skip to Main Content
Experience Modesto
How Do I...
Departments & Offices
Human Resources
Employee Information
Health & Enrollment Information
2019 Health Information
Active Employees
Health Savings Account (HSA)
Health Savings Account (HSA)
A Health Savings Account (HSA) is only available to employees enrolled in a HDHP medical plan (Fortress Gold PPO or Kaiser HDHP). A HSA is a tax-favored account that allows you to set aside funds to save and pay for qualified medical expenses incurred by you, your spouse, and any of your qualified dependents. The HSA is an individually-owned account that earns interest and the funds are carried over, without limit, from year to year.
Effective January 1, 2017 the City's HSA is administered through Optum Bank. Optum Bank has a $2 per month administrative fee which is automatically deducted from your account.
HSA Documents
How to Use Your HSA (PDF)
HSA Contribution Limits (PDF)
HSA Enrollment Form (Authorizing City of Modesto to Open HSA on your behalf) (PDF)
HSA Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
IRS Publication 502
Qualified Medical Expenses (PDF)
Optum Bank Online
Dental/Vision Plans
Flexible Spending Accounts
Health Insurance Information
Health Savings Account (HSA)
Income Loss Protection
Slideshow Left Arrow
Slideshow Right Arrow


text:
Your shopping cart is empty! $0.00 $0.00
Four element designs give a flat, beautifully corrected view. Optical elements are exactingly ground and hard-coated with magnesium fluoride. Precision metal parts are black-anodized for antireflection and machined to standard 1 1/4" diameter. Parfocal mechanical designs - no need to refocus when changing eyepieces. Comfortable exit pupil distance for observing ease. Threaded at the base to accept all 1 1/4" Vernonscope mounted glass filters.


text:
Georgia evened the series, as Robert Tyler tossed his first career complete-game shutout in a 2-0 win. Ole Miss was shutout for just the second time this season and held to three hits, which tied a season low.
"He was just terrific," said head coach Mike Bianco of Tyler. "Going in, we knew that he had a big-time fast ball, and today he threw an outstanding change-up. When you have that kind of fast ball and you're able to mix your off-speed in, it makes it really difficult. They didn't give us any opportunities. We didn't have many base runners on.
"On the opposite end, you have to your hat, too, because they got some clutch base hits, base hits with runners in scoring position that won them the game. It's a tough one. He was really good, and we weren't good enough today."
Ole Miss had a runner in scoring position with less than two outs just once, back in the first inning, when Braxton Lee led off the inning with a double to left. The next batter, Auston Bousfield, attempted to lay down a bunt to advance Lee, but Tyler threw Lee out at third.
"It's a signal given to him that we want him to move the runner up," said Bianco of the play. "He has the option to bunt. He's so good with the bat. He can do either, and he felt he could get it down. We could be really critical about that, but we're critical because it didn't work. We have bunted so many times this year and have had success. It's not about that. Sometime you steal, and you get thrown out. Sometimes you bunt, and they get the lead runner."
"I put the bunt down, and Braxton was thrown out," Bousfield said. "I was trying just move him over with a sac bunt. The pitcher made a good play and threw him out. Good play by him."
Offensively, Georgia scored its two runs on a pair of 2-out RBI, one in the eighth and one in the ninth. Before the first 2-out RBI, the Bulldogs had been 1-for-10 with runners on base and 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, leaving seven runners on base.
Bousfield led off the ninth with a hit by pitch, just the second leadoff batter to reach base for the game, but Tyler retired the next three batters in order. He allowed just three with no walks, a hit by pitch and four strikeouts over nine innings.
"He has a great arm, 95-97 mph most of the game," said Bousfield, whose 21-game hit streak was snapped with a 0-for-3 game. "He was throwing a really change-up up there and flipping a curve ball in when he needed to. You have to tip your cap. That's a really good pitcher they threw out on the mound, and we really weren't able to do much with him."


text:
So, to summarize your point, you would have liked to see Harry S. Truman indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity, is that what you are saying?Strangelove wrote:Ummm 2 wrongs don't make a right there.... Buster!Per wrote: The conventional bombings of Tokyo and Dresden killed more people and were at least as barbaric.
Thus I can accept the reasoning behind dropping ONE bomb.
Or 3.
We're talking about the slaughter of civilians here.... women & children!!
And I thought you said you liked The Bomb...


text:
Dumbo Rats
Has anyone got one ? my mum who has now lost her two rats wants to get one or two of these furries.
I think they are the same as fancy rats but with dif shaped ears, just wondered if they are the same to care for and are they best on their own or in pairs ??
'God turns clouds inside out to make fluffy beds for the dogs in dogs heaven,and when they are tired from running around and barking, the dogs find a cloud bed for sleeping, god watches over each one of them and there are no bad dreams'.
if its to be a pet (out of cage etc) they say they are best as singles, if its to be kept mostly in its cage then a pair of males are best. My daughter just rescued a hairless female that was being beaten up by the cage mates, shes blind in one eye and was on its way to be snake feed, they were being bred for this reason, some snakes can't take the hair.....geeeesh ...anyways, we're in the process of taming her now, rats are the smartest pets!!!
My daughter has a dumbo male. Same as the other rats, just a little different set ears. I find a male way friendlier. I prefer pairs cause they are very social, and I feel that they are not out of their cages enough to live alone. I do think that males mark their territory like dogs and this one pees alot on us. Never experienced this with females. Really nice personallity though. If you get two males get a large cage cause they are much bigger and and more odour.
Dumbo rats are to be raised the same as normal fancy rats. Dumbo's deffinetly come across a little slower but are more calm and affectionate then standard eared I have found. Rats come in many, many coat colour variations and coat types such as standard, satin, rex, double rex and hairless. Rats even come in tailless (which is rare).
They need to have rat friends, no matter what anyone tells you, they are very very social and should be kept in pairs or more.
Male rats are larger and often calmer, they have a more musky smell and tend to mark more. Male rats can be nutered and housed with females, which also reduces their likelyhood of sexual cancers and helps with odor and marking.
Females do not have much odor, mark less and are very energetic and acrobatic.
I have always had female rats and have always kept them in groups.
rats need to have an appropriate sized cage as they need room to move around well, and love to have boxes, bedding, hammocks and fun treats and chewies. Out of cage time in a secure area, and time spent with their human friends is always a cause for excitement. Be aware that they will chew things if they get bored while outside of their cages.
For more rate information there are several online websites providing lots of information.
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
Linear Mode


text:
Member of the ASD (Association Of Sound Designers). 21 years in the profession. Designed sound for approx 70 professional theatre productions, including shows in London and New York. Studio engineering for film (I Told You I Was Ill - The Life & Legacy of Spike Milligan), music, including The Dogs D'Amour & The Quireboys and more voice overs than I care to imagine.
For more information, check out www.willswillsaudio.co.uk
No results found matching selected criteria.


text:
Budd Lake NJ Real Estate & Homes For Sale
0 Properties Found
The median home value in Budd Lake, NJ is $287,200. This is lower than the county median home value of $420,100. The national median home value is $185,800. The average price of homes sold in Budd Lake, NJ is $287,200. Approximately 62.74% of Budd Lake homes are owned, compared to 29.31% rented, while 7.94% are vacant. Budd Lake real estate listings include condos, townhomes, and single family homes for sale. Commercial properties are also available. If you see a property you're interested in, contact a Budd Lake real estate agent to arrange a tour today! Learn more about Budd Lake Real Estate.
There are currently no properties in Budd Lake NJ. Please click the Refine Your Search button below to find other properties in the area.


text:
Israel News - Stay Informed, Pray Informed
The Israeli army's monthly magazine, B'Machaneh, recently profiled Sgt. Rima Baboo, an Israeli Arab woman with a Muslim father and a Christian mother.
Baboo said that her dual-religious upbringing left her feeling that she was "living a double life" and that she didn't truly "have a place."
As an Arab, Baboo was not required to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), but she felt that volunteering to do so would help her find herself.
"I knew I would find my identity in the army," said the young sergeant. "I wanted to wear the uniform of the IDF, to be like everyone else and fit in better. Today I know that I was right all along. It's not that all my problems have been solved or that my family tree has changed, but now I have a better sense of who I am and I'm not ashamed of where I come from."
In what can be seen as a rebuke of all those accusations that Israel imposes apartheid on local Arabs, Baboo stated that she "feels just as Israeli as anybody else."
[hat tip to media analyst Avi Mayer for reposting this story]
Want more news from Israel?
Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates
For Information & Reservations:
E-Mail: email@example.com
Israel Today
Free to Your Inbox


text:
You have not viewed any products recently.
EXCLUSIVE Put this playful pooch on the invite list for their next birthday bash! Our signature a-DOG-able® arrangement arrives ready to party 'til the dogs come home, with his adorable birthday hat and plush birthday present. Surrounded by an abundance of cheerful, colorful blooms such as mini carnations and poms, he brings a fun expression of your best wishes for any birthday star (even if they count their age in dog years).
Arrangement measures approximately 11"H x 11"L. Our florists select the freshest flowers available so floral colors and varieties may vary.
Order by 3:00 PM PST for same day pickup or delivery!
* Fee charged in addition to the Standard Delivery Fee
Enter full name. We'll ask for delivery information at checkout.
Box of Assorted Chocolates.
Add a cute plush from our plush selection. Selected plush will vary.
18" Happy Birthday Mylar Balloon. Styles may vary.


text:
Vanessa Minnillo — Crush of the Day
During the boy band craze of the late 90s and early 2000s, we cracked a couple (million) jokes about the guys in the groups like 98 Degrees, N'Sync and the Backstreet Boys. And man do we feel like schmucks now. Justin Timberlake is engaged to Jessica Biel and Nick Lachey has married and planted his seed in Vanessa Minnillo, pretty much the hottest TV personality right now. Take that, Maria Menounos!
We've racked our brains to come up with why Vanessa Minnillo is so hot and after much debate, long drawn out mathematical equations and a slap fight, we've got the formula — Not only is she Irish and Italian, but also half-Filipina. Being a 'pinay' is the universal 'x factor,' of hotness. Trust us on this one.
A former Miss Teen USA, Minnillo went on to host the since defunct MTV show, 'TRL,' in addition to acting as a New York City correspondent for 'Entertainment Tonight.' She's been featured on the covers of Maxim, Shape and Lucky magazines. More recently, she's been keeping busy hosting ABC's 'Wipeout,' and will soon be raising a family with a former boy band member.
It looks as though Nick Lachey is laughing last…at us.


text:
The Great Escape (Hardcover)
William Morrow & Company, 9780062106063, 420pp.
Publication Date: July 10, 2012
Perennial New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips now provides her fans with The Great Escape from ordinary women's romantic fiction.
One of today's most beloved writers, the incomparable Phillips follows up her utterly beguiling hit, Call Me Irresistible ("Phillips at her very best. Romantic, funny, sexy, and poignant" --Kristin Hannah) with a sequel that's equally impossible to resist. Returning in The Great Escape are some of Phillips's most adored characters, including headstrong, impetuous ex-president's daughter, Lucy Jorik, who's just abandoned her fiance, Ted "Mr. Irresistible" Beaudine, at the altar. Now she's looking for adventure--and perhaps a little romance--embarking on a wild and hilariously unpredictable road trip that begins on the back of a rather menacing-looking stranger's motorcycle. The winner of more Favorite Book of the Year Awards than any other romance author, including Nora Roberts, Susan Elizabeth Phillips offers her fans an Escape to remember, and they'll certainly want to come back for more
Praise For The Great Escape…
"With her latest flawlessly written romance, Phillips delivers the kind of complex, realistically complicated characters and richly emotional love story her fans have come to expect. Fueled with incendiary sexual chemistry, and deliciously witty, The Great Escape is another jewel from one of the genre's most incandescent stars."
-Booklist (starred review)
With brilliant dialog, sassy humor, and laserlike insight into what makes people tick, Phillips gifts readers with an engrossing, beautifully written romance that satisfies on all levels. Another winner from a stellar writer who never disappoints.
-Library Journal (starred review)
Phillips' signature mix of complicated characters, sexual chemistry and emotionally compelling writing is irresistible.
-Chicago Tribune


text: Since 1976 J.W. Hunter Company, Inc. has been dedicated to the business of making a home for our customers. Today we are leaders in property management, construction and land development throughout eastern North Carolina. We manage properties in Wilson, Raleigh, Clayton, Rocky Mount, Wake Forest and Goldsboro and we continue to develop communities across eastern North Carolina. We have twice been named Builder of the Year in Wilson, NC and have received numerous Parade of Homes awards for Wilson and Raleigh. Our attention to detail has carried over to the development and construction of our rental properties.


text:
"Big" Ed Mizerick stood on the mound at Fenway Park, one strike away from leading his little Templeton High School baseball team to an upset of monumental proportion.
As he was ready to go into his windup, he paused briefly and — along with the rest of his teammates — inexplicably gazed high above into the Boston skyline.
An airplane was circling overhead and to these country bumpkins, many who were making their first-ever trip to the big city, the sight of the airborne vessel was quite a novelty.
The home plate umpire snapped the players back to attention bellowing "Play ball."
So Mizerick rocked into his delivery and let a fastball zip past the batter for the final out.
It was June 20, 1936, and tiny Templeton High School, a school with a student body of 90, had knocked off mighty Somerville High, with more than 2,000 students, by a score of 2-1 for the state baseball championship.
In an era when schools were not separated into divisions based on school size, but were simply funneled into one bracket, the victory marked the first-ever state baseball championship won by a Central Mass. high school team.
Today, Central Mass. will have three baseball and two softball teams vying for state titles.
In baseball, Nashoba will be searching for its first state championship, Auburn hopes to capture the Division 2 title for the second time in five seasons, while Hopedale is gunning for its first state crown since the Class C title winners of 1968.
On the softball side, Division 3 Assabet will appear in a state title game for the first time, while in Division 2 Grafton hopes to make it two titles in a row, after winning it last year over Abington, 1-0.
There have been numerous state baseball and softball titles won by Central Mass. schools over the years, far more than you would find for basketball, ice hockey, soccer or field hockey teams from this area.
If someone were to ask you which Central Mass. baseball team has won the most state titles, how many of you could come up with the right answer — Hudson?
The Hawks have captured four state crowns over the years, while St. John's, Leominster, Milford and Nipmuc have garnered three each.
When it comes to softball, St. Peter-Marian is the queen of diamonds with four state championships won over a nine-year span, between 1977-85. Leominster, Oakmont and Hudson have won two each.
Contact Mike Richard at email@example.com.


text: Dads vs Twinks .com, the unique and exclusive site with gigs of videos of mature daddies exploring tight asses of fresh innocent guys. Ever wanted to see an old experienced dick in guy's hungry mouth and in his sweet willing ass? We got it all! More, how about watching unexperienced lad first time putting cock in his older lover's used butt? We got it as well!


text:
More Info
Key Features
- Internal Memory: 32GB
- Mega Pixels: 12
- OS: Apple iOS
- Data Standard: 4G
- Talk Time: Up to 21 hours
- Colour: Rose Gold
- Sim Type: Nano SIM
SIM Only 1GB
- Why Choose iD?
- iD provides advanced 4G coverage to 98% of the population, so customers get the fastest 4G speeds in the UK. Customers can choose between a wide array of plans. iD offers 4G pay-monthly contracts with a phone and monthly 30-day rolling SIM-only contracts.
- iD pay monthly handset plan features data rollover from one month to the next for free, bill capping which gives the ability to set spending limits and Roam Like Home in 50 destinations in the EU and beyond. If you roam more than you use your phone at home (we mean in the UK) over a 4-month period, we might think you are permanently roaming.


text:
Product Description
Cut Sheet: Click to View Specs (opens in new window)
Cold Air Compartment
Our innovative "Cold Air Compartment" maintains temperature evenly for each pan to preserve fresh food longer. In addition, the compartment isolates pans from the reach-in area to prevent food spillage.
Stainless Steel Cabinet Construction
The Turbo Air Super Deluxe model boasts a stainless steel interior and exterior (galvanized steel back & bottom). It guarantees the utmost in cleanliness and long product life. The Super Deluxe can add a touch of style to the most refined setting.
Convenient Cutting Board Side Rail
Our cutting board is 91/2" deep and 1/2" thick to provide ample working space, and is made of easy to use and sanitize LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene). The new side rail cutting board bracket makes it easy to secure and remove the cutting board and it accepts different sizes too (max. 1/2" thickness)
Hot Gas Condensate System
Through Turbo Air's creative innovation, the condensate system surfaces have been specially treated to resist corrosion. This not only increases efficiency without the risk of refrigerant leakage from corrosion, but also prevents the overflow of condensate water.
Insulated Pan Cover
Efficient Refrigeration System
Turbo Air's solid door refrigerators are designed with oversized and balanced (CFC Free R-134A) refrigeration systems. These include efficient evaporators and condensers for faster cooling and greater efficiency.
High-Density Polyurethane Insulation
The entire cabinet structure and solid doors are foamed-in-place high density, CFC free polyurethane insulation.
Magnetic Door Gaskets
Magnetic door and drawer gaskets are of one piece construction, removable without tools for ease of cleaning and replacement.
Durable Stainless Steel Drawers
Drawers are easy to clean and assemble.
Ergonomically Designed Doors & Drawers
Customers' fatigue fades away with easy door grip and drawers that open effortlessly. These features along with self-closing doors make this the ultimate choice in customer convenience. ABS sheet door liners resist water condensation with thermal efficiency.
Refrigerator Holds 33°F ~ 39°F for the Best in Food Preservation


text:
At Forest River, we believe everyone should be able to experience the vast beauty of Mother Nature. This drives our mission to provide Forest River owners with quality, dependable products. From the Grand Canyon to Niagara Falls and everywhere in between, our recreational vehicles provide the perfect venue for you to open up.
Forest River, Inc., is headquartered in Elkhart, Ind., and operates manufacturing facilities throughout the United States producing quality motorhomes, toy haulers, fifth wheels, travel trailers, destination trailers and camping trailers making it easier than ever for you to open up and explore.
Easy to use tools and information to make your selection process easy and convenient.
The Payment Estimator is to assist you in "running the numbers" to look at various scenarios to estimate your monthly payment.
We encourage you to contact your local dealer to assist you with your purchase decision or to simply answer any questions you may have.
Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions by our customers.
How-to and product videos to teach you to perform general maintenance and routine tasks on your Forest River recreational vehicles.
Designed to simplify your search and help you find the recreational vehicle that is the perfect fit for you and your family.
Provided for your convenience, these guides provide model, engine and maximum towing capacities for most tow vehicles in a given model year.
Important phone numbers and contact forms to utilize to make sure your camping experiences stay enjoyable.
Whether it's an RV, a motorhome, a travel trailer or a camping trailer...whether you drive it or tow it, we know you love the RV lifestyle. And GEICO loves it, too!
Find a wide selection of accessories and apparel with your favorite brand's logo. From hats and t-shirts to coffee mugs and flags, we've got it all.
Included with every purchase of a new Forest River RV. Emergency roadside assistance free for one year.
New, interactive owner's manuals provide easy navigation to information you need. Also available as a mobile app for iPhone and Android devices.
Customer Satisfaction is our #1 priority. We provide the tools to ensure that you have a pleasant ownership experience.
Defining some frequently used RV terms along with an overview of weight and RV type descriptions.


text:
Commercially aligned Apache Subversion services company WANdisco commented on the current state of Subversion 1.7, a position the company has taken after senior Subversion developers Phillip Martin and Julian Foad made significant contributions to the planning and delivery of this major new release.
"Subversion 1.7 represents a major step forward in addressing the scalability and performance issues encountered by large Subversion deployments, especially those found on the client-side," said Hyrum Wright, Subversion's release manager and WANdisco's director of open source. "The working copy metadata rewrite (WC-NG) and HTTPv2 enhancements were key to this effort."
Key Subversion 1.7 enhancements include a protocol rewrite of HTTPv2 designed to enhance performance between Subversion clients and the server by reducing the number of round trips between the client and the server with every request. Early reviews indicate that performance improves by "orders of magnitude", although no third-party or independent (or more accurate) verification of this speed increase appears to be available.
WC-NG — a rewrite of the working copy library that enhances performance by centralizing metadata storage so that Subversion operations don't have to walk the entire directory tree to gather the information about the working copy and apply changes to it. WC-NG also provides a foundation for supporting features such as shelving and offline commits in future releases.
Merge-tracking enhancements — Subversion 1.7 provides over 40 improvements to merge tracking, on top of the improvements that were added in the 1.5.x and 1.6.x series of releases. One of the most significant enhancements has been the isolation of subtree merge info updates to only the subtrees affected by a merge, rather than updating all subtree merge info.
svnrdump — a new client tool that provides the same functionality as svnadmin dump and svnadmin load, but on remote repositories. There's no need for administrator access to the source or target repository on the remote server.