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One way of presenting data is in a chart. There are a variety of chart types, each of which has its particular strength. Perl, not surprisingly, offers a wealth of modules for creating charts to present data. In this article, we'll examine a collection of modules, appropriately named Chart, that allows for the creation of charts. We'll take a look at using the module to create some basic charts.
Getting Started
There's very little to explain about charts in general that you don't already know, so let's jump right into the module by creating a basic chart.
The Chart module is, of course, available from CPAN, so obtaining it is simple:
$ cpan Chart::Base
Remember that Chart is actually a collection of modules, rather than a single module. Chart's usage reflects this. Instead of importing a single base module, as one might expect, we must actually import the module associated with the particular chart we want to create. Chart supports a number of chart types, but let's start with something simple. Say we want to graph average monthly temperatures for a particular city. A line graph would work well for this. So, let's use the Chart::Lines module:
use Chart::Lines;
Next, we have to instantiate a Chart::Lines object. Every operation is conducted through this object. The only parameters required are the desired width and height of the chart image. Let's make the chart 600 pixels wide and 400 pixels high:
my $chart = new Chart::Lines(600, 400);
Once a Chart::Lines object is instantiated, we can generate a complete chart with only a single method call. All we need is the name of the resulting image, and a reference to the data to be represented by the chart. The name of the image is a string, and the reference is to an array.
Let's assume that we already have data inside an array named @data, and that we want to create a chart named temps.png. To do this, we'd call the png method, like this:
$chart->png('temps.png', @data);
As you can see, there's not much to it. Of course, now we need some data.
{mospagebreak title=Adding Data}
In order for the graph to be created, it needs some real data. We'll be working with average monthly temperatures. Let's use data from Portland, Oregon, and let's just use the high values for now. (This data will be taken from The Weather Channel).
As has already been said, data is stored in an array. The array is actually a multidimensional array, however. The first element of the array should be a reference to an array of labels. In our case, the labels would be the month names. Subsequent elements should contain references to arrays containing the actual values corresponding with those labels. Each of these data elements is called a dataset.
So, if we want to graph the average monthly high temperatures for Portland, @data should be defined like this:
my @data = ( ['Jan', 'Feb', 'Mar', 'Apr', 'May', 'Jun', 'Jul', 'Aug','Sep', 'Oct', 'Nov',
'Dec'], [46, 50, 56, 61, 67, 73, 79, 79, 74, 63, 51, 46],);
If we call the png method now, then an image will be created named temps.png, containing the resulting chart. The image should look like this:
Now we should plot the average monthly low temperatures. If we do this, though, then the @data definition is going to start looking really messy. Fortunately, there is another way to add data which, in some cases, may make things easier and neater. Using the add_dataset method, it is possible to add datasets directly, without the need to create arrays that will only be used once. You just need to pass in the values as arguments. Let's go ahead and get rid of @data by using the add_dataset method, and then add data for low temperatures:
$chart->add_dataset('Jan', 'Feb', 'Mar', 'Apr', 'May', 'Jun', 'Jul','Aug', 'Sep', 'Oct', 'Nov', 'Dec');$chart->add_dataset(46, 50, 56, 61, 67, 73, 79, 79, 74, 63, 51, 46);$chart->add_dataset(37, 39, 41, 44, 49, 53, 57, 58, 55, 48, 42, 37);$chart->png('temps.png');
Note how the add_dataset method works for adding labels too. Also, when we call the png method, we only pass one argument.
The resulting graph looks like this:
The advantage of this approach is that datasets can easily be added as needed, without the complexities of manipulating a multidimensional array.
{mospagebreak title=Modifying the Graph}
Our graph isn't perfect, though. It has a number of pretty obvious flaws that need to be addressed in order for the graph to look good. For example, nothing is labeled, so it's unclear what the graph even represents.
So, we'll need to modify our graph's properties a bit, which is actually fairly easy to do. The set method is used, whose arguments operate like a hash whose keys are the property names to be modified and whose values are the new property values.
Let's start by giving the graph a title, so that viewers will know what they're looking at. The "title" element of the properties hash corresponds to the graph's title. Let's give the graph the title "Average Monthly Temperatures for Portland, OR:"
$chart->set('title' => 'Average Monthly Temperatures for Portland, OR');
Next, we should label each of the axes. For the x-axis, the "x_label" element is used, and for the y-axis, the "y-label" element is used. Here's the updated method call:
$chart->set('title' => 'Average Monthly Temperatures for Portland,OR', 'x_label' => 'Month', 'y_label' => 'Temperature (*F)', );
At this point, rather than stylizing an increasingly messy method call, let's create a hash. That way, each element can be set separately, and the hash can just be passed to the method by name. This will make the new properties easier to display in this article, anyway. Here's the rewritten code:
my %property;$property{'title' } = 'Average Monthly Temperatures for Portland, OR';$property{'x_label'} = 'Month';$property{'y_label'} = 'Temperature (*F)';$chart->set(%property);
The result is much neater for our purposes.
We should probably change the minimum and maximum values on the y-axis too. Right now, since the range of values is so small, it looks like there is an abnormally large spike in the temperature. This can be fixed by setting a more appropriate minimum. Zero would work as a minimum, and it would put the temperatures in context. In order to set the minimum value, the "min_val" property is used:
$property{'min_val'} = 0;
Since we're setting it at zero, however, it's also possible to set "include_zero":
$property{'include_zero'} = 'true';
The maximum value can also be adjusted to provide more room at the top. The "max_val" property is used for this:
$property{'max_val'} = 90;
Also, along the y-axis, the numbers are floating point numbers. The graph would look nicer (and there would be more room) if we were to make these numbers integers. This can be done by setting the "integer_ticks_only" property:
$property{'integer_ticks_only'} = 'true';
We should also set a proper interval for the ticks using the "skip_int_ticks" property:
$property{'skip_int_ticks'} = 5;
{mospagebreak title=Modifying the Graph, Continued}
The graph now looks a lot better than it did originally:
However, there are two changes I can think of which should be made before the chart is perfect. First, the lines need to be given names other than "Dataset 1" and "Dataset 2." In order to name these lines, the "legend_labels" element must be set. The value of this element must be a reference to an array. The elements of this array correspond to the names of the datasets. Let's name the first line "High" and the second line "Low":
$property{'legend_labels'} = ['High', 'Low'];
The default color of the first line is appropriate, since red is associated with heat. However, the default color of the second line is not appropriate. Blue would be a much more appropriate color, since blue is associated with coldness.
Fortunately, the color of anything in the graph can be changed using the "colors" element of the properties hash. The value of this element must be a hash. Within the colors hash, the colors of individual items can be changed. In order to change the color associated with a dataset, which is what we want to do, the "datasetN" property of this hash is set, where N is the zero-based number of the dataset we want to change. Let's go ahead and change the color of the second line, as well as explicitly specify the color of the first line:
$property{'colors'} = {'dataset0' => [255, 0, 0], 'dataset1' => [0, 0,255]};
Now the graph is perfect. It represents the data appropriately, which is the goal. The viewer can look at the graph and instantly tell what the graph represents, and he can see the general trend of the data.
Before we end, however, there is one more interesting thing I'd like to show you. Remember how each graph type corresponded to the name of a class? Well, let's say that we don't like the average monthly temperature represented by a line graph. Let's say that we'd rather have a bar graph. In order for us to change the graph from a line graph to a bar graph, we'd only have to substitute Chart::Lines for Chart::Bars in two places:
use Chart::Bars;my $chart = new Chart::Bars(600, 400);
The result is a bar graph which conveys the exact same data, but in another format:
However, we only had to change two lines in the source code to achieve this. This consistency across multiple chart formats makes Chart particularly appealing. If you create a program that creates a chart of a particular type, and later want to change the type, then it's very easy to do so.
Of course, there is more to Chart, including a lot more properties that can be changed to meet your needs, but, as you can see, the basics are very simple, making Chart an indispensable tool for data representation in Perl.


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Fifty years and 23 movies have come and gone since Dr. No, the first James Bond film released by MGM in 1962.
Skyfall due in U.S. theaters November 9, will extend the franchise, and the public's love affair with the super-spy with heavy doses of the essentials: global bad guys, bikini-clad women, and plenty of bling—the luxurious cars, liquor, jewelry and gadgets flashed onscreen.
"For two plus hours, the films take you out of the plainness of your life," says David Zaritsky, an avid fan and collector of Bond memorabilia.
Bond also sells: placing a product in James Bond's hands can be one of the most effective advertisements a maker of luxury goods could hope for.
London is turning out big time for Bond's cinematic 50th anniversary. "Designing 007,"an exhibition at the Barbican celebrating Bond fashion and design, opened in July. From Sept. 28 to Oct. 8, Christie's is hosting an online auction celebrating 50 years of Bond, drawing from the archives of the films' casts and of EON Productions, the company behind the films. (An additional evening auction is scheduled for October 5 in London.) All auction proceeds will benefit UNICEF's work for children and other charitable causes.
Bond films "are without doubt the best-dressed films," says Bronwyn Cosgrave, curator for "Designing 007." "It's just fantastic eye candy," she says.
Click ahead to see the accoutrements of the Bond lifestyle, past and present.
By Heesun Wee
Posted 26 Sept 2012

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Now Viewing:
This item is noncancelable and nonreturnable.
Schneider 95SSLR-4.5" Set-Screw Locking-Rings (SSLR) permit you to attach large filters to wide angle zoom lenses without vignetting. The SSLR slips on the outside circumference of the lens barrel and is firmly secured by an internal screw.
It should be noted that Schneider also makes Direct Screw-on Adapter Rings that provide convenient access for Series 9 and 4.5" drop-in filters. Schneider Direct Screw-on Adapters, sometimes referred to as step-up rings, are mounted directly to the front thread of the lens and provide access to a universal or larger-size round drop-in filter.
Both Adapter Rings and SSLRs are precision manufactured using high-grade aluminum and are coated with a black anodized finish.
Note: When using any brand SSLR adapter ring, the lens shade provided by the lens manufacturer cannot be used. If you must use your lens manufacturer's shade, select a Schneider screw-on filter.
|Packaging Infodbbrtfwrzyxuveaqsrzxrycq
|Package Weight
|0.3 lb
|Box Dimensions (LxWxH)
|5.9 x 5.5 x 1.1"


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Upcoming and Ongoing Events:
The Inverness County Centre for the Arts is a unique venue suited to a variety of exhibitions and events. The 8, 640 square foot centre is located in a tranquil setting, and has ample parking to accommodate large groups.
Our professional exhibition space showcases the talents of local and world-renowned artists. The gallery includes a large gallery with an observation balcony, adjacent outer gallery and the Third Meadow Gallery Shop featuring artists from across Inverness County and beyond.
We offer a spacious, naturally lit studio to host seminars, demonstrations, and instructional classes. The inspiring ocean views make the studio a perfect setting for private studio space.
Our large reception room is designed to accommodate a number of occasions, including meetings, conferences, luncheons, social gatherings, and musical performances. The space includes a raised performance stage, complete catering kitchen, bar, audio and video equipment, and several full-length windows.
Latest News


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"New wine in new wineskins." In his homily, Pope Francis dwelt on the renewal that Jesus brings. "The doctrine of the law," he noted, "is enriched, renewed with Jesus . . . Jesus makes all things new." He said Jesus brings a "true renewal of the law, the same law, but more mature, renewed." He explained that what Jesus requires of us is greater than the requirements of the law. The law allows us to hate our enemy; Jesus, on the other hand, tells us to pray for him. This, then, is "the Kingdom of God that Jesus preaches": a renewal above all "in our heart." We think that "being Christian means doing this, or doing that; but it is not so:
"Being Christian means allowing oneself to be renewed by Jesus in this new life. 'I am a good Christian, I go to Mass every Sunday from 11 til noon, I do this, I do that'. . . as if it were a collection. But the Christian life is not a collage of things. It is a harmonious whole, harmonious, and the Holy Spirit does it! He renews all things: He renews our heart, our life, and makes us live differently, but in a way that takes up the whole of our life. You cannot be a Christian of pieces, a part time Christian. Being a part-time Christian simply doesn't work! The whole, everything, full-time. The Spirit accomplishes this renewal. Being Christian ultimately means, not doing things, but allowing oneself to be renewed by the Holy Spirit – or, to use the words of Jesus, becoming new wine."
The newness of the Gospel, he continued, is really new, "but in the same law that comes in the history of Salvation." And this newness, he said, "goes beyond us," it renews us and "renews the structures." This is why Jesus says that new wineskins are necessary for new wine:
"In the Christian life, even in the life of the Church, there are old structures, passing structures: it is necessary to renew them! And the Church has always been attentive to this, with dialogue with cultures . . . It always allows itself to be renewed according to places, times, and persons. The Church has always done this! From the very first moment, we remember the first theological battle: was it necessary to carry out all of the Jewish practices in order to be Christian? No! They said no! The gentiles could enter as they are: gentiles . . . Entering into the Church and receiving Baptism. A first renewal of the structures. . . . And so the Church always goes forward, giving space to the Holy Spirit that renews these structures, structures of the churches. Don't be afraid of that! Don't be afraid of the newness of the Gospel! Don't be afraid of the newness that the Holy Spirit works in us! Don't be afraid of the renewal of structures!"
The Church, he said, "is free: the Holy Spirit carries her forward." The Gospel teaches this: "the liberty to always find the newness of the Gospel in us, in our life, and even in our structures." The Pope then re-iterated the importance of the "freedom to choose new wineskins for this newness." He added that the Christian is free, "with that liberty" that Jesus gives us. A Christian "is not a slave of habits, of structures. . . . The Spirit carries [the Christian] forward." The Pope then recalled that on the day of Pentecost, the Madonna was there with the disciples:
"And where the mother is, the children are safe! All of them! Let us ask for the grace of not being afraid of the newness of the Gospel, of not being afraid of the renewal that the Holy Spirit brings, of not being afraid to let go of the passing structures that imprison us. If we are afraid, we know that the Mother is with us. And like children who are a little afraid, let us go to her – and she, as the ancient antiphon says, – 'will protect us with her cloak, with her motherly protection.' Amen.
A group of Swiss Guard recruits took part in Saturday's liturgy, the last group to take part in the Pope's daily Mass before the summer break.


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Metal wheelchairs colliding, balls gliding, and players falling -- sounds like some hybrid between bumper cars and football. It's wheelchair rugby. These players who served and sacrificed their limbs for their country now play with more intensity than the best professional athletes. They are wounded soldiers brought together by ArcAngeles, a non-governmental organization (NGO). ArcAngeles' President Juan Pablo Salazar, a former International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) participant and member of the Michigan Wheelchair Rugby team, started the NGO as a means to provide opportunities for those with disabilities through sports. The organization helps wounded warriors and others channel their athletic skills into nationwide successes as wheelchair athletes.
On August 12, 2013, some of these athletes played for Secretary Kerry in his first visit to Colombia. The Secretary watched their match and played some sitting volleyball to recognize and honor their service and sacrifice for their country. As a veteran himself, Secretary Kerry said, "What I've learned is there are no limits, everything is possible. And you can be an amazing inspiration to so many people about how they can deal with either an accident or one of the things that happen in life…people can turn it into something very positive and become an inspiration to millions of people."
This particular story of positive transformation represents a collaboration among the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, and Colombia's National Government Department of Sports (Coldeportes). This organization uses sports as a means of inclusion for vulnerable communities, which have included disabled, displaced, demobilized people, ethnic minorities, and a special emphasis on wounded warriors.
This story also represents the efforts of civil society leaders. ArcAngeles and their partners are not only providing services in Colombia but also have begun to expand to other countries, such as Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, and Paraguay. This truly remarkable organization represents the transformation that has occurred in Colombia, and Colombia has become a model for the entire region. As Secretary Kerry noted in his press conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar, "I was never able to visit Bogotá before, but I am so happy to now say that I have visited such a beautiful city in a country that has an incredible story to tell the world about transformation."
Colombia stands poised to capitalize on its hard-fought gains, and Secretary Kerry's visit was a congratulation to the people of Colombia who have joined in an amazing transformation. At the Casa de Nariño, Secretary Kerry summed up Colombia's transformation well by saying, "This is one of the great stories not just of this hemisphere, but really of the world, where we see so many governments that are challenged today, some of whom are failing and some that have already failed. Colombia is a success story, and the United States of America is proud of whatever part we've been able to share with our friends in an effort to get where we are and to where we are going."
As someone who works at the U.S. Mission in Colombia, I look forward to seeing how the United States and Colombia move forward together, strengthening their strong partnership that brings constructive approaches to resolving global issues.


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National Baptist Memorial Church is a growing congregation on a wonderful journey of transformation.
v Our Bible studies spark spiritual growth that challenges us to demonstrate our learned spiritual principles with practical ministry application.v We provide opportunities to demonstrate faithful service through our Outreach Ministries.v Our journey is also transforming our worship service, which now includes contemporary gospel as well as traditional hymns.v Twice a month, we provide worship services at senior adult homes.
It is an exciting time! God is gifting our multi-ethnic, Christian community with opportunities to grow in God both individually and as a congregation so that we can live out our call to ministry by meeting the needs of the community.


text: Dear beowulfers, Do you know of a good program that would let my employer do the following with his beowulf cluster: A. Designate which employees had access to which nodes? B. Allow employees to use unused nodes, but it will kill the jobs when the rightful owner needs to use the nodes? I've looked at schedulers, yet haven't been able to find one that will permit these singular requirements. Cheers, Alex __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance - Get real-time stock quotes http://finance.yahoo.com


text:
Energumen is a science fiction fanzine produced by Mike Glicksohn and Susan Wood.
Published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the first issue appeared in 1970. Fifteen issues were released. Attention was paid to the layout, presentation and art work for the fanzine as well as the excellent writing, which made it exceptional.
Contributing artists include Alpajpuri (Carandaith), Terry Austin, Randy Bathurst, Harry Bell (Grimwab), Bonnie Bergstrom, Gregg Davidson, Phil Foglio, Jack Gaughan, Alexis Gilliland, Joan Hanke-Woods, Jay Kinney, Tim Kirk, Bill Kunkel (Rats!), Sandra Miesel, Bill Rotsler, Dan Steffan (Boonfark), and James Shull.
Covers were done by Alicia Austen (Kevas and Trillium), George Barr, Grant Canfield, Tim Kirk, and Steve Fabian.
The contributors most commonly associated with Energumen are artists Alicia Austin and Grant Canfield, writers Derek Carter, Angus Taylor, Rosemany Ullyot (Kevas and Trillium), and the editors.
Also featured were John Bangsund (Scythrop), Terry Carr (Entropy), Dean Koontz, Janet Fox (Scavenger's Newsletter), Joe Haldeman, Margaret Hamer, Patrick Neilson Hayden (Izzard), David Langford (Ansible), Walt Liebscher (Chanticleer), Dave Locke (Awry), Debbie Munro, Bob Shaw, Mae Strelkov, Bob Toomey, Bill Watson (Diablerie, Sappho), Harry Warner, Jr. (Horizons), Ted White and Gene Wolfe.
Alicia Austin won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist in 1971. Energumen won the Hugo Award for Best Fanzine in 1973 and Susan Wood, who was also publishing Aspidistra and Amor at the same time, won for Best Fan Writer in 1974.
A special "11th Anniversary Issue" was released by Mike Glicksohn in 1981 as a memorial to Susan Wood, who died in 1980 while they had been planning the issue.


text:
Students could see sprawling coastal views while they read their syllabuses at Coastline Community College's Newport Beach Campus Monday.
As the spring semester began, the concrete and glass building that dominates a 3.4-acre campus overlooking Banning Ranch welcomed students for the first time.
"Just looking outside at this expanse of nature and going upstairs and seeing it from up above, it just makes you feel good," art professor Chris Sullivan said.
She teaches a water-color class on the bottom floor of the three-story building.
"It's inspiring from a painting point of view. The class is ecstatic," Sullivan said.
Coastline cut the ribbon on the $48-million building in October, but Monday was the first day it could embrace its intended educational purpose. And many students got their first glimpse.
"The classrooms are modern. They look nice," said sophomore Brandon Hoang, who travels from Fountain Valley to take a critical-thinking class. "Our classroom — we have an ocean view, so it's very nice."
Coastline wanted a presence in Newport to make degree-required classes more accessible to coastal neighborhoods, spokeswoman Michelle Ma said
"We were really lacking in a location down in that area," she said. "Down in Newport we have a sailing center … but we don't have a full campus where you can take general education classes."
The building at 1515 Monrovia Ave. will also host acquired brain injury and paralegal programs, and the Coastline Art Gallery.
When it's at full capacity, the campus can serve 900 students, 35 faculty and 11 staff members, but Ma explained they're not operating quite that packed during they day; instead there's increased demand for night classes.
Construction was funded with money from Measure C, a $370-million bond voters approved in 2002.
It paid for the airy design that features floor-to-ceiling glass panes on the ocean-side wall and environmental elements like solar panels, zero storm runoff and a sustainable roof garden.
Sullivan said she's been anticipating the move after teaching for more than 12 years at a Costa Mesa campus Coastline leased from the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.
"That was cramped, and it was old, and there were ceiling tiles falling down, and there was no air conditioning, and the heater just blew around dust, but we made do," she said.
But her favorite part of the gleaming Newport building isn't her new teaching space.
"I like my classroom, but I also love going up to the roof garden. I was here on Thursday, and the sun was setting," she said. "You could smell the ocean coming in. It just was wonderful."
Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck


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Emirates, the world's largest airline by international traffic, will look at Islamic debt for future financing after paying a US$550 million sukuk.
"With the Eurozone debt crisis ongoing it's likely that Islamic financing, with its large pool of liquidity, will play an increasingly important role for us moving forward," Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said in a statement today. "The repayment of our first-ever sukuk bond is part of Emirates' varied financing strategy and reflects our robust financial position."
Emirates is building the world's largest fleet of Airbus superjumbo jets to establish Dubai as a long-haul travel hub and win passengers from Air France-KLM (AF) and Deutsche Lufthansa AG.
The Dubai-based airline is one of the biggest buyers of Airbus SAS A380 superjumbos and the Boeing 777s, and in November signed a deal valued at US$18 billion with Boeing Co. (BA)
The carrier repaid the seven-year Islamic bond, listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, in full on its maturity date today. The floating bond last traded at 99.36 cents on the dollar on June 15, according to Bloomberg data. The yield on the airline's 5.125 percent bond maturing June 2016 fell 16 basis points last week to 4.46%.
Earlier this year, Emirates raised AED1.9 billion (US$517 million) from an Islamic facility for the purchase of three aircraft. The 12-year loan will finance the purchase of planes including Boeing's 777-300ERs and Airbus's A380.


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|Released: April 21, 2018
|Full Length: 23 minutes
This sex dreamy scene pairs one of the best booties around with one of the best and BIGGEST tops! Tight tushed Tyler Hill and bonetastic Blake Mitchell can't keep their hands, lips and loins to themselves the minute they step into the bedroom! After a hot, heavy and handsy make out session, both boys grab one another's prized pieces before Tyler turns around and cracks a smile offering Blake his best side. Mitchell mashes his mug inside Hill's hot little hole while thumbing the tight tunnel. The horned up hottie begs our titanium top to put it in but Mitchell's massive uncut member desires some lusty licking. Tyler slurps the perfect piece down while Mitchell tweaks the twink's nipple. Hill plants a kiss on Blake then hikes a leg up, unable to resist his rumps need for a raw ramming. Using only natures lube, Blake busts inside Hill's horny hole and quickly puts the porn pedal to the metal. Our famous cock cam goes in from underneath as top man Mitchell teases Tyler's tasty tush with his expert skills, working his wang all the way out then slamming the super sized schlong back in deep down to the balls. Blake is always in cocky control and always lets his boys know exactly what he wants and right now he wants Hill to hop on his huge hog for a ride. Hill hops on the big dick highway and drives Blake's big rig up inside his hole, steering the stiffie to hit his hot spot. Mitchell puts his muscles to work by picking the tight bodied twink up to turn him over while keeping the kid corked with cock the entire time! He gets on his feet, mounting the spread eagle slut like a lion to dig deep. Blake takes the boy's booty on a tantric tour all over the bed in ever porny position imaginable before landing the lad on his back with his bone about to blow. With fuck me hard fanfare Tyler lets his load loose, covering his boyish blemish free flesh with fresh cream. Blake keeps bangin' butt with Hill in toe curling heaven as he's cumming close himself. He whips his whopper out then splashes seed into Hill's hairless hole with a wallop! Still convulsing and twitching from pure pleasure, he shoves that wonder weapon back inside Tyler's warm tush. Then, Hill grabs his gorgeous top, pulling Blake onto him for a hot cum covered kiss.
|Models: Tyler Hill, Blake Mitchell
|Themes: Bareback, Twink, Big Dick, Anal Sex, Hunks - Studs, Muscular, Blowjob, Uncut, Brunette, Rimming, Jock, Cream Pie, Jock on Twink, Tattoos, Kissing
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Government Representation
Find out who represents you!
Please review the information below to see how you are represented in the Montgomery County and Maryland State governments.
Montgomery County's Regional Services Centers
Montgomery County's Regional Services Centers are as follows: Upcounty, Mid-County, Silver Spring, Bethesda/Chevy Chase, and East County, and five satellite offices.
Some of the Center's services are:
- Linking the County and its residents and businesses by working with individuals, community groups, regional Citizens Advisory Boards, and other public agencies.
- Providing information, identifying and assessing regional problems and issues, and recommending and/or implementing solutions.
- Promoting a sense of community through their sponsorship of, or participation in, special community events.
Click here to find your Regional Services Center.
Montgomery County Council
The Montgomery County Council is the legislative branch of County Government. It has nine members, all elected at the same time by the voters of Montgomery County for four-year terms.
Some of the Council's responsibilities are:
- Appropriating money to fund the capital and operating budgets and sets the local property tax rate and other local taxes.
- Approving all land use plans including the General Plan, area master plans, and sector plans prepared by the Planning Board.
- Exercising oversight over County programs to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.
- Serving as the Board of Health for Montgomery County.
- Confirming major appointments made by the County Executive and appoints the members of the Montgomery County Planning Board and the Board of Appeals.
Click here to find your county council member and district.
Click here to subscribe to agenda and meeting notices.
Maryland State Legislature
The Maryland General Assembly is the legislative branch of the Maryland state government. It meets in Annapolis. The General Assembly has 47 Senators and 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts.
Some of the Legislature's responsibilities are:
- Acting on more than 2300 bills.
- Approving the States annual budget.
- Establishing executive offices.
- Proposing state constitutional amendments.
Click here to find your state legislative representatives and district.
Visit the Montgomery County Board of Elections website to find out how to register to vote.
Visit the US Citizenship and Immigration Services website to learn about US citizenship.


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From Northampton and around Northamptonshire our 8, 12, 14, 16 and specially built 22 seater minibuses will get your group to the airport of your choice relaxed and on time. We cover most major UK airports. If you require a pick up from the airport arrivals our team will monitor the flight landing times and make sure your driver is waiting to greet you as you exit the customs area.
We make regular journeys to the airports listed below but can accommodate travel to other airports too.
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So the lead up to the wedding has arrived and it's time to party. Our 8, 12, 14, and 16 seater minibuses are perfect for your party. Our drivers will take you to Northampton or any other town. They will wait for you and take you back to your hotel or drop you home safe and sound. If you need multiple drop-offs please be sure to tell us when you book your minibus.
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By Andria Cheng
As Target Corp. /quotes/zigman/253872/delayed /quotes/nls/tgt TGT scrambles to salvage the damage from its credit-and-debit-card security breach, consumers' perception of the company has plunged to a six-year low. Industry analysts say it could take months for the nation's No. 2 U.S. discounter's image to recover.
After the company warned last week up to 40 million card accounts may have been hacked, its customer perception level has dropped more in one day than either Sony's PlayStation or Citibank did one week after their security breaches became public in recent years, according to consumer perception research service YouGov BrandIndex.
In fact, before the news, Target's "Buzz score" was at 26, more than double the score of 12 for the basket of 20 other major retailers, which include Wal-Mart /quotes/zigman/245476/delayed /quotes/nls/wmt WMT , Macy's /quotes/zigman/467976/delayed /quotes/nls/m M , and Gap Inc. /quotes/zigman/227242/delayed /quotes/nls/gps GPS , Ted Marzilli, CEO of YouGov's BrandIndex, said in an interview.
Since Thursday, Target's score has dropped each day to a score of negative 19 on Monday, meaning 19% more shoppers have negative perception on the brand versus those with positive perceptions. Target is now the only one among major retailers that has a negative score, also Target's first since the index began in June 2007, he said.
YouGov, which interviews 4,300 people every day, said it had taken PlayStation about eight weeks to recover its brand image while it took Citibank four weeks.
"It's going to be about 12 weeks or more before Target recovers," Marzilli told MarketWatch, adding consumers' intention to shop at Target also has declined. "The magnitude of the drop is that much bigger. This is a pretty critical time of the year for the story to break."
Meanwhile, there were initial signs that Target's sales and traffic during the industry's crucial holiday shopping weekend were hurt as a result.
This past Saturday and Sunday — along with Black Friday — had been projected as among the top three shopping days of the year as shoppers made last-minute purchases ahead of Christmas. And early research and store visits by consultant Customer Growth Partners showed while most stores did see higher traffic on Saturday from a year earlier, sales and traffic at Target, despite the company's offer of a 10% discount to get shoppers back in its stores, was another story.
Traffic on Saturday at Target stores appeared to be down less than 5% from the same period a year earlier. Including the store's heavily advertised 10% discount, sales were down in the low double digits from a year earlier, Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, told MarketWatch, adding his 15-member nationwide field team did notice shoppers used more cash and other forms of credit and debit card tender while Target Redcard usage was down "sharply." His research team said notably, not many of the company's shoppers were aware of the card breach and thought of the 10% discount as just another Christmas sales promotion.
Investors are concerned, sending Target shares down 1.2% to be the biggest decliner in the S&P Retail Index on a day when the broader markets all turned higher.
The Redcards, which promise to give 5% discount on purchases, is one of Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel's key tools to increase sales and compete against larger rival Wal-Mart Stores Inc. /quotes/zigman/245476/delayed /quotes/nls/wmt WMT Redcard-purchases are estimated to represent one-fifth of the company's total business.
Christopher Horvers at J.P. Morgan had estimated Target could see a negative comparable sales impact of as much as 0.5 percentage points this quarter because of the card breach.
Target, which first confirmed the issue on Thursday, has faced a big PR nightmare as customers flooded its Facebook and other social media pages since the news broke to complain about service gridlock. The company reportedly is now the subject of three class-action lawsuits with more than $5 million in damages being sought in the cases. Two of the cases were filed in California and one in Oregon, according to USA Today.
The company, like T.J. Maxx parent TJX Cos — /quotes/zigman/243683/delayed /quotes/nls/tjx TJX — which survived a card breach of 45 million cards — has become more proactive in its response to shoppers over the weekend, with CEO Steinhafel sending emails to customers apologizing and providing updates. Target also has said so far there have been very few reports of fraud and there's no sign that customers' personal information like birthdates was accessed. It also promised that customers won't be responsible for any fraudulent charges.
The company said it also has reached out to state attorneys general and invited them for a call Monday afternoon with its general counsel. It said it's also working with the U.S. Secret Service and Department of Justice on the investigation into the malware that infiltrated its point-of-sale system. The company said it also has more than doubled the number of employees taking customer calls.
Those efforts appear to have paid off somewhat. By Monday, customers on the company's Facebook page had taken on a much more sympathetic tone.
Target will have to make sure it turns the tide on public opinion quickly.
— Andria Cheng
— Follow her on Twitter @AndriaCheng
More news from Behind the Storefront:
Retailers play catch up in final countdown to Christmas
Target breach recalls TJX incident in 2007


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Elizabeth has not received any gifts yet
Greetings Elizabeth
Welcome to Atheist Nexus---an internet world of rationality and peace, common sense and freethinking wisdom. You will find many like-minded atheists here--friendly, caring rational people.
We invite you to join the busy group "ORIGINS: Universe, Astronomy, Life, Earth, Humans, Religion, Gods, Atheism, Evolution, Darwin..." with 880 discussion topics and nearly 4000 members.
© 2019 Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: The Nexus Group. Powered by


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How We See It - Changes to the ATVM Loan Program
How We See It - Changes to the ATVM Loan Program
Thanks for the information.
Can you share any information regarding any collaborations between Tesla and the government to expand charger infrastructure, particularly high speed chargers?
Tesla buys their chargers, or has them made. As I understand it, they are not in the business to build recharging technology: they are in the business of designing and building all electric cars.
The question was about infrastructure. Elon has suggested Tesla might install chargers for free every 100 miles along major routes.
Hi Brian,
I assume that refers to Tesla Level 2 chargers? If that's all that's available along a major route be prepared for a long wait while charging. Much more than what it would take to fill up an ICE vehicle and have a leisurely meal at a roadside restaurant.
I'm sure you agree that what we really need along major highways are Level 3 chargers. Since they are so expensive I was thinking that Tesla would probably need some form of government assistance with such a program.
"Tesla buys their chargers, or has them made. As I understand it, they are not in the business to build recharging technology: they are in the business of designing and building all electric cars."
That's true, but at this early stage of EV adoption, it probably would be in Tesla's self-interest to address the average consumer's legitimate concern regarding inter-city range. After the initial early adopters buy their cars, there will probably be a lull in demand if meaningful steps are not taken to address charger infrastructure.
As I stated in my previous posting, I don't expect Tesla to entirely funded Level 3 chargers on their own, but they certainly should lobby the government for infrastructure. Hopefully, election politics won't inhibit the continuation of government grants for EV infrastructure expansion.
I think this is what Brian H is referring to...
around 33min mark Elon mentions Model S fast charging as independent technology developed by Tesla that they will install at 100 mile intervals on major highways free of charge.
Hope that plan sticks!
I imagine most of that will depend on the resources they get from the sales of Model S.
Tesla doesn't have the resources to do what Elon is thinking of...... yet. IF they get a success from Model S and it's successors (and I believe they will) THEN they have the option to start in on programs like the one mentioned here.
I read Tesla is applying for another government loan. I suppose it's a good idea to get cheap money when it's available, but I'm concerned about some of the political fallout. There is already a lot of animosity about tax payers funding luxury cars. Another government loan is just exacerbating the problem. Should Tesla really be sticking it's neck out like this after Solyndra? How badly does Tesla need the money? You've already received half a billion, plus $7500 off every car you sell. Perhaps it's better to be content with what you've got.
Loan is a loan. That is not a bailout money near-bankrupt US carmakers got or subsidies oil industry is getting that doesn't need to be paid back. Tesla needs to pay that loan back.
Tesla has twice as much money as it needs to bring the Model S and Model X to market as Elon has stated on Tesla's conference call (I think the Q1 call, though I didn't go back to check).
If they are applying for more money, my guess would be that it is to accelerate the BlueStar program and bring us a 30k EV. Remember that one of the requirements for this loan is that you must demonstrate viability without the loan money. The loan is for acceleration of advanced vehicle technology, not for bailing out cash-strapped companies. That's why GM and Chrysler did not qualify.
If Tesla "needed" the money badly, they certainly wouldn't get it. So, again, if they are applying for more money, I bet its to bring us BlueStar faster than they would otherwise be able to do it.
Either that, or they think they'll need to expand their production capacity to meet demand for the Model S next year.
I mean, look at the facts, Elon said he was shooting for 5000 cars in 2012. According to the reservation list, we're already past that 5000 mark in production series alone, nevermind the Signature series. I think this is Tesla saying to the gov, "Holy **** demand is past what we can supply! If you want a few more sure jobs, give us a little extra to get more cars out to people!".
Personally, I think it's a good investment.
1) Seems to be a recycled talking point that is no longer true. They were first to announce a product that would be coming to market, but the Leaf is certainly purpose-built and is out there now, and other not-a-conversion electric vehicles will be competing in 2012.
My next new car purchase will be a Tesla, as soon as I can get a job, get out of debt, and afford to buy things again. I'm very happy that Tesla got loans (not grants, LOANS) to speed their development, because that means that when I CAN afford to buy things again the cheaper cars might be available.
Backtrack: Here is autobloggreen's comment on the matter, including a quote from the original post.
I think "purpose built" means the frame up design, whereas the Leaf was build on an ICE frame. It's splitting some hairs making that distinction, but there's some merit in touting the fact that the Model S is design from scratch as an EV.
9-month later update: loan repayments will begin early, towards the end of this year. Reservations are now about doubled from Sept '11.


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December 2012
Recognizing the Value of Partners
The Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC) for the Center for Learning and Leadership/UCEDD and Oklahoma LEND recently decided to create a Partnership Award. The award will recognize people who showcase the Seven Partner Values, which were developed by the CAC members. People nominated for the award will be those whose actions and work on behalf of people with developmental disabilities and their families best represents the CAC's Seven Partner Values. Self‐advocates, family advocates, and professionals are eligible for the award. Up to three awards will be given each year that there are qualified candidates. Anyone may nominate a person for the award. The nomination form is available here. The deadline for nominations is January 9, 2013. The first award recipient(s) will be announced during 2013.
After the Election: A Consumer's Guide to the Affordable Care Act If you would like information about upcoming changes to the health care system as implementation of the Affordable Care Act continues, you can visit the Kaiser Health News Consumer's Guide. This guide answers a number of questions about people who are currently uninsured, changes to employer‐provided health plans, Medicare, and other aspects of health care reform.
Preparing for Winter: Resources for People with Disabilities People with disabilities may need to take extra precautions to prepare for winter weather and natural disasters. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offer resources to help people with disabilities and their families be prepared: Click here for emergency preparedness resources from FEMA Click here for general emergency preparedness information from the CDC Click here for winter weather safety information from the CDC Click here for additional winter weather tips
Assistive Technology in the Workplace Web Portal The Assistive Technology (AT) for Employers web portal provides information about AT solutions in the workplace. Designed for businesses, non‐profit organizations, and other employers, it includes contact information for state AT organizations, ideas for using AT on the job, and other resources. Go to atconnects.com/resources/at‐for‐employers to access the web portal. MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Oklahoma Early Access Autism Project Free autism screening for children ages 18 months to 7 years. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 405‐295‐5273 or visit www.earlyaccessok.org. January 18: McAlester January 25: Watonga February 1: Ardmore Jan. 15‐16: Supporting Children with Autism Training, 8:30 a.m.‐4 p.m. For paraprofessionals, teacher assistants, and Head Start providers Presented by Project PEAK Tulsa Technology Center, Riverside Campus 801 East 91st St., Tulsa, OK E‐mail Jennifer‐email@example.com for more information. Jan. 19‐20: Thriving Marriages Retreats ‐‐Free retreats for couples caring for a child with autism or Down syndrome Sponsored by the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative Embassy Suites, 2501 Conference Dr., Norman, OK For more information, visit yourthrivingmarriage.com, call Nancy at 405‐418‐3848 or e‐mail her at firstname.lastname@example.com.
From all of us at the Center for Learning and Leadership, may you have a wonderful holiday season! Our offices will be closed December 24-January 1. NON-PROFIT ORG.
focus facts
Center for Learning and Leadership/UCEDD
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
P.O. Box 26901, ROB 342
Oklahoma City, OK 73126
focus facts is published for the Center for Learning and Leader-ship, Oklahoma's University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). It is dissemi-nated to a statewide and national network of people interested in developmental disabilities. If you would like to submit informa-tion to be published in the newslet-ter, please e-mail or mail our Editor. Be sure to include the source, de-scription, and contact information relevant to the information you are submitting. Email: email@example.com focus facts is supported by grant #90DD0685 from the U.S. Depart-ment of Health and Human Services Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Addi-tional support is provided by Okla-homa co-sponsors: OU College of Medicine, The University of Okla-homa Health Sciences Center, and project partners: East Central Uni-versity and Cameron University. The University of Oklahoma pub-lishes this newsletter in compliance with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal laws and regulations. The University of Okla-homa, in compliance with all Federal and State applicable laws and regu-lations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices, or procedures. This in-cludes but is not limited to admis-sions, employment, financial aid, and educational services. www.ou.edu/eoo
Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections.


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This site is running BeerEngine 1.1-8419212-t, a system for branch websites developed by CAMRA. For more information on this system, please contact the developers, not the branch.
Some parts of the system build on components from others. These include:
- Mootools
- Mootools Datepicker
- RSS_PHP, used for fetching news feeds from other sites.
- SimpleDiff by Paul Butler, used for some administrative parts of the site.
- HTML Purifier by Edward Zang, used for cleaning up content.
- stdicon, for file download icons.
- The Iconic icon set.


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TLC's show Strange Sex will air an episode on an adult breastfeeding fetish tonight (Sunday).
Since it's hard to fight the media's love of sensationalizing breastfeeding (again), we thought we'd use this opportunity to shift the focus on to some of the amazing benefits of human milk for adults–other than sex–including some areas of potential medical therapeutic use. Here are a few:
An article in the UK's Daily Mail reported a few years ago that components of breastmilk are under study as possible remedies for adults who have the following conditions (component of human milk being researched in parentheses):
- Cancer (HAMLET)
- Rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis (lactoferrin)
- Dementia, stroke, traumatic brain injury (glyerophosphocholine)
- Diabetes and Parkinson's (stem cells)
- Acne (lauric acid)
- Diarrhea (oligosaccharides)
Other articles have indicated possible uses of human milk for the following diseases:
- HIV (not yet identified)
- Irritable bowel syndrome, bowel disorders (Lactobacillus reuteri)
- Burn treatment (epidermal growth factor)
- Many others, from pink eye to warts, and more!
Here's hoping some of the wealthy disease foundations that raise billions of dollars every year to find "the cure" will start putting some of their research dollars towards experimenting on the Miracle Milk™ right under our noses–it could be a veritable rainforest of unknown, natural and effective treatments! For more lesser-known facts about our mom-made wonder-food, click here.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons


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Product Recall: Hamilton Beach Recalls Baby Food Makers Due to Small Parts Hazard
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Consumers should stop using this product unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
Recall Summary
Name of Product: Baby food processor
Hazard: Use of the slicing/shredding disc with the motor shaft adapter can cause the stainless steel pin in the food bowl lid to loosen and fall into processed food.
Remedy: Replace
Consumer Contact: Hamilton Beach at (800) 672-5872 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET, or at www.hamiltonbeach.com and click on Recall Info at the bottom of the page for more information.
Recall Details
Units: About 790 in the U.S. and about 3,100 in Canada
Description: This recall involves bébé brand baby food makers manufactured by Hamilton Beach. The baby food maker is a small food processor. It has a white and gray motor base with an orange control knob, a clear plastic, five-cup food bowl and a gray-colored food bowl lid with a built-in food chute. "Hamilton Beach" and "bébé" are on the front of the motor base. The food maker comes with the following accessories: a chopping and mixing blade, a slicing and shredding disc, a removable motor shaft adapter, a food pusher, a three-cup steaming basket, 10 storage containers and two storage container caddies.
Incidents/Injuries: Hamilton Beach has received four reports of the stainless steel pin in the food bowl lid becoming loose, including three in which the pin fell into processed food. There have been no reports of injuries or property damage.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the slicing/shredding disc and contact Hamilton Beach to receive a free replacement food bowl lid, motor shaft adapter and slicing/shredding disc. Consumers may continue to use the baby food maker for steaming, chopping and pureeing.
Sold at: Buy Buy Baby stores nationwide, through specialty distributor Victor Co. Inc. and online at Buybuybaby.com, Hamiltonbeach.com and Walmart.com from September 2013 through February 2014 for about $90.
Importer: Hamilton Beach Brands Inc., of Glen Allen, Va.


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Thermalright Launches $99 Archon SB-E 2X HSF
Subject: General Tech | November 26, 2012 - 01:00 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: thermalright, sb-e 2x, hsf, heatsink, cpu cooler
Thermalright has announced a new tower CPU cooler called the Archon SB-E 2X. The new heatsink is a slim tower design, which is designed to not infringe on the RAM slots or PCI-E expansion slots. It measures 170mm x 155mm x 53mm and weighs just over 1.7 pounds (775 grams).
The heatsink itself is 53mm wide. The aluminum fins are attached to the baseplate using eight 6mm copper heatpipes. The contact plate and heatpipes are nickel plated with a mirror finish on the area that makes contact with the processor.
Thermalright is bundling the HSF with two of its silent-series TY-141 140mm fans. The fans are rated at 73.5 CFM and 21 dBA. Using PWM, the fans will spin anywhere between 900 and 1300 RPM. Including the two fans, the heatsink is 79.5mm wide. Thermalright claims that the heatsink will fit on LGA 2011 platforms without touching the RAM slots, however.
The new heatsink uses Thermalright's VX BTKII mounting system that allows pressure to be adjusted. It supports the LGA 2011, 1366, 1155, 1156, and 775 Intel sockets and the AMD FM1, AM3+, AM2+, AM2, and 939 sockets.
While there is no specific release date mentioned on the Thermalright website, it should be available soon. The Archon SB-E 2X will have an MSRP of $99.95 USD. At that price, it is putting itself into closed-loop watercooling territory. It will be interesting to see how well it performs and stacks up to coolers like the H80 and Noctua DH-14.


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A pond can become the best feature in your backyard, your favorite hangout, a project you'll be proud of for years. But if you don't plan for the maintenance up front, many ponds become just another source of chores and frustration. So we asked professional pond builders and longtime pond owners for their best advice on avoiding problems and maintenance. Before you grab your shovel or buy a bucket of goldfish, check out what they had to say.
Choose a tough liner
A leaking liner is one of the most common complaints of pond owners. Patching a leak is no big deal, but finding it can be a hole 'nother story. So a durable liner is a good investment. Most experts recommend 45-mil-thick EPDM rubber pond liners.
Tips and Lessons From Our Field Editors: Jim Boyle, Houston, TX
Best tip:
The soil in my area is thick "gumbo" that sticks to the shovel like peanut butter. So when I dug my pond hole, I took a tip from some local excavators: I continuously dipped the shovel in a bucket of water and the sticky soil slipped right off.
Lesson learned the hard way:
I have a 10-year-old pond liner that's in good shape—except for one area that's cracking beyond repair. My mistake was leaving that section of the liner exposed to direct sunlight. Some liner materials—like EPDM—stand up to the sun better than others, but none are completely immune to UV light damage. The underwater part of the liner doesn't have to be shaded, but protect the rest with stones, gravel or plants.
Protect the liner
Even the toughest liner won't stand up to sharp stones or roots. So when you're done digging the pond hole, take a few minutes to pick out stones and cut back any exposed tree roots. Before you install the liner, cushion the hole with underlayment, a spongy synthetic fabric that helps protect against stones and growing roots.
Pump and plumbing tips
If your pond will include a fountain or waterfall, you'll need a pump and tubing to move water.
- Don't set the pump directly on the pond floor where it will suck up damaging sludge. Elevate it on a brick or stone.
- For good water circulation, place the pump as far as possible from the waterfall or other inflow point. "Dead zones" where water stagnates are bad for fish and good for algae.
- Even if your pump has a built-in flow adjustment dial, install a valve in the tubing for more convenient adjustment.
Tips and Lessons From Our Field Editors: Ken Werner, Hamilton, NY
Best tip:
Filling my 6,000-gallon pond would have run my well dry, and the local pool service wanted $400 to fill it. So I bought 100 ft. of plastic corrugated tubing ($50) and connected it to my downspouts. That filled my pond with rainwater in about two weeks.
Lesson learned the hard way:
Water attracts wildlife. That's sometimes good, sometimes bad. Our worst visitor was a heron that poked holes in the liner while trying to catch goldfish with its beak. We found that the best critter deterrent is a sprinkler controlled by a motion sensor (the Contech Scarecrow is one brand; available through our affiliation with Amazon.com).
Keep runoff water out
Rainwater can carry soil, grass clippings and lawn chemicals into your pond. That means sludge buildup, algae growth, maybe even dead fish or pond plants. Keeping runoff out of pond water requires just a little extra care while you dig the pond hole: Make sure the rim of the hole is about 3 in. above the surrounding soil. If you're building in a low spot that becomes a swamp during heavy rains, make the rim a bit higher.
Make it easy to empty
To prepare for winter or to clean the pond, most pond owners occasionally empty the pond using the pond pump. A sump hole makes that easier. But don't place the pump in the hole during normal operation—the hole will be a gathering spot for debris that can damage the pump. If your pond will include a waterfall, install a tee in the tubing behind the waterfall. That lets you empty the pond without disconnecting the tubing at the waterfall.
Tips and Lessons From Our Field Editors: Mark Ripplinger Deltona, FL
Best tip:
When I ran the wiring to power my pond pump, I installed a switch by the back porch. We just flip the switch, sit back and enjoy the sound.
Lesson learned the hard way:
The first waterfall I built lost a lot of water because it trickled back between the stones just below the waterfall ledge. Take some extra time to carefully seal the stones behind and below the ledge. You can use mortar or "pond foam," black expanding foam sealant that's less visible than the yellowish stuff.


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Brahmaputra and the temples of doom
Climate change and upstream damming are causing the Brahmaputra to flood without rain, rhyme or reason
Lost island
Erosion is causing huge chunks of Majuli to literally fall off into the Brahmaputra. The island's landmass is down by a fourth. The people quietly rebuild their lives over and over, watching the government's futile efforts to manage the disaster and knowing that we must work with nature, not against it
The wettest desert on earth
Sohra (Cherrapunji) and Mawsynram's water crisis is entirely man-made, a visit to the world's wettest place reveals
Kaziranga's quandary
The Supreme Court's recent call for a tourism ban in core areas of tiger reserves has evoked a strong response from local communities of Assam's Kaziranga National Park, who are caught between the pressures of conservation of this World Heritage Site, 'development' through quarrying and mining, and the growing tourism industry that gives them a livelihood
Saving Sikkim's Shangri La
Cheap airline fares and package tours since the 1990s led to a flood of tourists but the consequent decline of the Khangchendzonga national park and biosphere reserve. Over the last 15 years a community effort in Yuksom has fought off the tree-felling, garbage, pollution and poaching that were destroying their Shangri La
The gods must be angry
For seven years, the local inhabitants of Dzongu in Sikkim have been opposing the hydropower project and 24 dams being built on the Teesta, which is destroying the ecology around their sacred mountain, Khangchendzonga. The quake of September 2011 came as no surprise to these indigenous people. A photo-feature by Shailendra Yashwant


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Enter your email below to get the information (it's free):
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Blizzard is Happy to be Home
By Jennifer Donovan | Published
Blizzard T. Husky is back on campus. Due to bad weather, electrical problems and other space-age gremlins, the space shuttle launch that he traveled to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to see did not occur. But Blizzard calls the trip a great success anyway.
"I had a wonderful time bringing Michigan Tech down to Florida and seeing NASA," he says. "I don't regret going. I look at all I did with my time in Florida and chuckle (even if it sounds a little like a growl), knowing that I put smiles on the faces of NASA staff and met Michigan Tech alumni and made families laugh when I was on the beach."
As far as the NASA staff could tell, Blizzard was the first mascot to visit the Kennedy Space Center.
Blizzard urges everyone to try to make a trip to either Kennedy or Johnson Space Center. "The amount of history in those walls is astounding. It documents some of the greatest engineering accomplishments of this dog's time."
Mascot to the Michigan Tech Huskies, Blizzard headed south to see the space shuttle Discovery launch originally scheduled for Nov. 1. The launch was delayed again and again, until on Nov. 6, Blizzard finally had to give up and head back home.
Blizzard paid most of his own way to Florida, with help from a private supporter of Michigan Tech athletics.
The big furry fellow stopped in Chicago and Augusta, Ga., on his way to the Cape. In Augusta, he had a chance to shake paws with alumnus Larry Robillard ('80).
While he was in Florida, Blizzard toured the Kennedy Space Center, clambered into a gravity-force simulator, frolicked on the beach, met Knightro, the University of Central Florida's mascot, and visited Ron Jon's famous Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach. On the beach, he met two more Tech alumni, Doug Mathews ('73) and Josh Mathews ('96), who had ridden motorcycles from Indianapolis to Florida and won tickets to the space shuttle launch.
On the way back to Houghton, the big, friendly Husky dropped in at Georgia Tech, trotted past the renowned golf courses at Augusta, Georgia, visited the Michigan Tech Research Institute in Ann Arbor, Mich., and had his picture taken in front of the colored lights that trim the 5-mile-long Mackinac Bridge.
"The most exciting part of the trip was the g-force simulator," Blizzard barks. "That was quite the experience. The world spun around me. It makes me want to tip my hat to those who work in such extreme conditions."
Blizzard has been Michigan Tech's mascot since he was named in a campus contest in 1997. His middle initial, T, stands for The. In other words, he is Blizzard The Husky.
As a sports teams' mascot, naturally Blizzard attends all the Michigan Tech Division I hockey and Division II football, basketball, volleyball and soccer games, but he is a busy dog even when the rink and field are dark. He helped McGruff the Crime Dog teach about crime prevention during National Night Out in August; he went bowling with students and their parents at Family Weekend; he rode a small sled on skis during Homecoming; and he posed for a "wash your paws" poster, part of a campus campaign to prevent the spread of flu virus last winter.
Michigan Technological University is a public research university, home to more than 7,000 students from 54 countries. Founded in 1885, the University offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, and social sciences. Our campus in Michigan's Upper Peninsula overlooks the Keweenaw Waterway and is just a few miles from Lake Superior.


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Here's a look at the top 15 players in the MCCAA through half a season. This list is one part production and another part potential. So, for instance, Austin Harper may not have as much potential as Jamie Stewart (that's debatable), but his production is insane. The comment section is open for suggestions.
1.) Austin Harper, sophomore guard, Glen Oaks: Harper, a WMU transfer, has been putting on a show so far this season. He is averaging 16 points per game with 11 assists. Harper, a sneaky good athlete from west Michigan, is shooting better than 60 percent from the floor and 65 percent from 3-point range. This was going to be Jamie Stewart's spot until I saw those field goal percentages — that's incredible for a guard.
2.) Jamie Stewart, sophomore guard, Henry Ford: Stewart is a reliable 3-point shot away from being a prototype shooting guard. He is ultra athletic with the ability to create shots for himself and his teammates. His mid-range game is impressive as well. He is averaging 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists this season. He will be playing at D-1 Montana State next season.
3.) Mike Brigham, sophomore forward, Mott: Brigham has actually been less productive than many had expected (13 points and eight rebounds). Even so, he's still a dynamic prospect who has improved his shooting and ballhandling since last season. Look for Brigham to have a monster second half. He started lighting it up over the some and impressed some scouts in Vegas. He has at least six D-1 offers from low to mid-major schools.


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Jackie Stewart took yet another win as his Tyrrell led home the field at Silverstone to take his second and final British Grand Prix victory.
The Scotsman increased his lead in the world championship after defeating Ronnie Peterson's March but it was Clay Regazzoni who qualified on pole position for Ferrari ahead of Stewart and Jo Siffert's BRM. Emerson Fittipaldi was fourth quickest for Lotus ahead of the March of Ronnie Peterson which was powered by a Cosworth engine again after an unsuccessful experiment with Alfa Romeo.
Regazzoni and team-mate Jacky Ickx led away with Stewart's Tyrrell third while British drivers Jack Oliver (McLaren) and Graham Hill (Brabham) collided at the back of the field which caused both of them to retire without a lap completed. Stewart moved ahead of Ickx on lap two as did Siffert and the flying Scotsman then took the lead on lap four after overtaking Regazzoni at the fast right-hander of Stowe Corner.
"The Ferraris were ahead of me at the start but they kept making mistakes," said Stewart.
Stewart then established a healthy lead as Siffert moved past Regazzoni on lap five but behind the leaders, Emerson Fittipaldi's Lotus worked its way up to the top six after a bad start dropped it to 11th place.
Siffert's challenge faded when he developed a vibration and was caught and repassed by Regazzoni while Ickx retired to the pits with engine failure after 36 laps. He was followed soon after by Siffert, whose BRM developed a misfire to add to its vibration.
That promoted Peterson to third, which became second when Regazzoni retired with engine failure. Up to third had came Tim Schenken (Brabham) but he was denied a podium finish as his gearbox broke on lap 63 meaning that Fittipaldi chased home Peterson with the March of Henri Pescarolo in fourth ahead of Rolf Stommelen and John Surtees in their Surtees TS9s.


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Sept. 15, 2007
NORTHFIELD, Minn. - MIT finished sixth out of 27 schools at the St. Olaf Cross Country Invitational, Saturday morning. Junior Jake Ruzevick paced a terrific performance for the Engineers, who made a strong showing against a field that featured eight nationally-ranked teams.
Ruzevick split 26:11 to finish 18th out of 184 runners, but the story on Saturday was MIT's team effort. Senior Brian Jacokes finished 46th with a clip of 26:46, giving the Engineers the fourth-fastest No. 5 runner in the field. The sixth-place effort put MIT ahead of national-ranked North Central College (No. 6) and Wartburg College (No. 16), while the Cardinal and Gray finished just back of fifth-place finisher Allegheny College (No. 8).
Senior Joe Roy-Mayhew ran 26:26 en route to a 25th-place finish, while juniors Yermie Cohen (26:37) and Trevor Rundell (26:38), finished 31st and 33rd, respectively, to cap the scoring.


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Today marks the midway point through the 2013 Vancouver Canucks season, and this club finds itself in a situation that they and their fan base is not accustomed to over the last several years, in that they have won less than half of their games played.
Thanks to the benefit of the loser point and a weak Northwest Division, the Canucks have held the division lead up until tonight's loss to Minnesota. The division lead of course means a the difference bewteen a third seed in the playoff seeding or finding your self in an uncomfortable fight for a playoff spot in the second half of the season.
Sure, there have been injuries, as Ryan Kesler and David Booth, when healthy, have the ability to be more than adequate second line (or first line) players, however, almost every team has had or has players that have been out due to injury that could boast the same claim.
What has plagued the Canucks, and should be of great concern to them, as well as their fans, is the seeming lack of desperation and killer instinct for sixty full minutes game in and game out. This has been of concern ever since their galvanizing win against the Boston Bruins last season. Since then, the team seems to have peaked, and plays as if they are comfortable that their skill set and sheer talent will carry them to victories night in and night out, often with success, however, on those nights (and they are happening more frequently) when their opposition comes to work hard for a full sixty, the Canucks seem unable to ramp their compete level to match their opponent, leaving games that should be put out of reach until the final minutes, or left to the Overtime skills competition, which Vancouver has proved to be less than adequate in through the years.
Too many games see this team either flat the first twenty, only turning it on to make a game close at the end, or they come blazing out of the gates to a quick lead, and then quit playing at the same level, and let lesser teams bring the battle level to them. Last Thursday against Columbus, under manned themselves, found the Canucks clinging to the game for long stretches, letting a far inferior team control the pace and play. This, quite simply, is unacceptable for this franchise with the skill and players that they can put on the ice night in and night out.
Special teams have been anything but. I do not know how many times this season the Canucks could have put a game out of reach in the third period with a key power play goal or a big kill, but have been unable to do so. If it was just a 10-15 game stretch, one could understand, as all teams will go through peaks and valleys through a year, however, going back to last season, this is a 50-60 game sample size, and that has become a trend that has to end, and end quickly, if this team wants to be able to be considered a legitimate threat to make noise in the Western Conference this season.
Is it a 'Country Club' attitude that has taken over this team, who has forgotten how to work hard to achieve results? Is it a weak Division that hasn't made this team play with desperation through a year to achieve success that is needed through consistent hard work, which is what, is required to get through the grueling spring playoff run? Has the team tuned out the message that Alain Vigneault and Rick Bowness preach for this team to have success? Or is a shake up, and not a minor one, to the roster required to bust this team out of its current funk? The answer is probably a little bit of all of the above. It can be fixed. There is enough character and skill in the dressing room to carry this team to more consistent play. It's become common to say wait until April when the 'real' hockey starts, however, if this team doesn't play April hockey earlier this season, it will find themselves in the same spot they were five games into an all too short playoff run last season, wondering just exactly what went wrong.
Your thoughts? Thanks for reading.
Follow me on Twitter: @RayRay2233


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We were walking from Le Puy to Conques. Winter was coming. Every morning was discernibly colder than the previous one. Breakfast at the Hotel de la Vallee was the most meager of meals yet. It didn't take us long to walk to Senergues where we bought some apples and peanuts, and continued along the … [Read more...]
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Welcome and Include
Timothy Dalrymple is managing editor of the evangelical portal at Patheos.com.
Two conversations come to mind when I consider how pastors and churches should respond to the prospect that same-sex marriage may become legal nationwide this year.
A young man once told me that he never would have become a follower of Jesus Christ, and certainly would never have reached sobriety, if the church had required him to overcome his alcoholism before it welcomed him into the embrace of Christian community. In being loved by the church, he learned of the love of God and responded to the gospel. Then (and only then) was he empowered to overcome the desires that controlled him.
He used the analogy of white oak trees, which hold on to their leaves through the winter and shed the vestige of their former life only when spring arrives and new life flows through the branches. We know that Christ died for us while we were yet sinners, yet we are too often unwilling to open up our lives to those who are caught in patterns of habitual sin.
Sometime later, a young woman whom I had not seen for several years came to visit. She entered nervously, and eventually told me she had "come out" as a lesbian. Our conversation continued in a friendly vein, and I asked how her spiritual life was faring. She began to weep. It was the first time, she said, that one of her Christian friends had treated her as though she, a practicing lesbian, could continue to have a relationship with God.
Her church in Tennessee had told her she was cut off from the church and cut off from God until she repented and "converted" to heterosexuality. It reminded me of the recovering alcoholic. In that case, the church confessed ...1


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This Month in HIV: Update on Hepatitis C/HIV Coinfection
September 2007
Welcome to This Month in HIV. I'm Terri Wilder. This month's topic is HIV and hepatitis C coinfection. Up to one third of people with HIV are estimated to also have hepatitis C, and living with both viruses is no picnic. The good news is that, unlike HIV, hepatitis C can be cured. The not-so-good news is that being cured is sometimes far from easy.
This podcast will focus on three people. I'll be talking to Tracy Swan, the Coinfection Project Director for the HIV activist organization Treatment Action Group. Tracy just finished cowriting a booklet about HIV/hepatitis C coinfection, and she will update us on the latest hepatitis C news and research.
But first, I'll speak with Greg Lamb and Dan Durbin, an HIV-positive couple who have been together for 10 years. Dan was diagnosed with HIV in 1998, while Greg has been living with HIV for 23 years. In 1993 he also discovered he had hepatitis C. Dan and Greg discuss how they've dealt with hepatitis C as a couple, from diagnosis to treatment to everyday support. Welcome Greg and Dan!
Greg: Thank you, Terri. Thanks for having us on and hopefully the information will help somebody out.
Dan: Yes, thank you Terri. I'm glad to be here and talking with you.
Great. Let me start with Greg. Greg, can you just tell our readers and our listeners about your personal history with HIV? Specifically, how did you find out that you were living with HIV?
Greg: In 1984, I had broken my back. During the hospital visit there, they tested and found that I was also HIV positive. It seemed surreal at the time with the other things that were going on. However, it grew to be something a little different than that.
Greg, where were you when you were diagnosed? What state?
Greg: I was in Portland, Ore.
Did you go to a Health Department? Or was it a hospital?
Greg: No. It was a hospital. The doctors there, while they were just doing the general blood workup, decided to do a test, and bingo! There it was.
Dan, you were diagnosed in 1998 with HIV. Can you talk to us a little bit about that experience?
Dan: Sure. In 1997, I was living in Key West at the time. That August I had had a test and tested negative. So, anyway, I had a severe back problem arise, like, Nov. 19 of 1997, and left Florida to come up to live with my sister to get help with it. March of '98, when I went to the doctor, then I was HIV positive.
So, where were you when the doctor told you that you were HIV positive?
Dan: Actually, I was living in Farmington, Minn., which is near Minneapolis.
Greg, you are also living with hepatitis C, and you were diagnosed with that in 1993. Can you tell us a little bit about that experience?
Greg: That came as kind of a shock. I'm not quite sure [what you mean when you say] experience. You mean, how did I get through it?
How did you learn that you had hepatitis C?
Greg: I had come in contact with somebody that I had found out had hepatitis C, so I decided, just as a precaution, to go and get checked out. The first time I went, the tests were negative. Then, as a precaution on a regular blood work, approximately six months later I got one, and that's when they found it.
When you say you had contact with someone, this was a sexual partner of yours?
Greg: Yes.
Okay. And so, just to clarify, if I wasn't clear in the beginning, Greg and Dan are partners and they live together in Minneapolis. The reason why we have Greg and Dan together is, we thought it would be neat to share their experience as a couple living with HIV, and also the issues that may come up when one partner is coinfected with hepatitis C.
Greg, talk to me a little bit about after you got your diagnosis of hepatitis C. What happened after you got your diagnosis? What did the physician or the nurses tell you would be the next step, as far as dealing with the hepatitis C?
Greg: Well, I didn't get a great deal of help right off the bat. They told me to, of course, change my diet and any alcohol, stop any alcohol intake, change my lifestyle, try and get to bed early -- all of the normal things that keep a person healthy, they wanted me to do. But they didn't really have any treatments that they were going to put me on until two years ago. And living with hepatitis C, the one thing that stands out most of all is just the fatigue, unbelievable fatigue from it.
Greg, when you say living with the fatigue, is the fatigue from the actual hepatitis C, or is it from the treatment that you have been taking?
Greg: Both of them, recently. However, I had a treatment about a year and a half ago. They started a treatment on me, interferon [generic name: peginterferon alfa-2a; brand name: Pegasys] treatment. Prior to that, I would live with fatigue daily. I would have periods of a couple of hours where I felt good, but then I would have periods of several hours where I felt very overworked, overstressed, mood swings, tired, cranky ... the whole nine yards.
Greg, you said that one of the things that they talked to you about was changing your diet. Can you be a little bit more specific? What specifically did you do?
Greg: My diet consisted of eating one meal a day. They wanted me to change to eating three meals a day. At the time, I just really didn't pay much attention to my health, in general. They were very helpful in getting me nutrition, making sure that my nutrition levels were up, making sure that I ate three times a day -- that was a big one -- just, start taking better care of myself, overall. I had, prior to that, been consuming quite a bit of alcohol. I had to make some very serious changes on that very quickly. I had to knock that off.
So, Greg. Tell me about starting the treatment for hepatitis C. Talk me through that process of you deciding to start the treatment. Then, if you can talk to us about your experience taking the treatment. Particularly, we're interested in hearing about any side effects that you may have had.
Greg: Well, thank goodness, I had a wonderful doctor from Hennepin County Medical. She had been with me through the whole thing, prior to and post treatment. [Dr.] Kay Schwebke told me exactly what to expect. We spent an entire visit together. She outlined what to expect, what injections I would have to do at home, what the downsides were, and what the possible hopeful outcomes were.
It took me about two weeks to mull it over, and then, I had been going through such a hard time of fatigue and irritability that I figured that anything would be better than what I was going through.
I decided to go ahead and do it. It meant injections at home. It meant frequent doctor visits. And I was in bed most of the time. I would say I was probably in bed much more than I was out of bed.
I was vomiting, feeling very sick most of the time. As I said, having to give myself shots; that was no fun. And being monitored. This went on for about eight months, until they found that the treatment wasn't working as well as they would hope it would, so they took me off of it. Then it took me about another six months to get over the treatment, to get back to where I felt like a human being again.
Are there any special things that you figured out to do to help kind of alleviate some of those side effects that you were feeling during the times you were taking treatment?
Greg: Well, my partner, I've got to say, is just a gem. He was able to stay with me and calm me down during the rough times, and take care of most of the things that needed taking care of so I could sleep. Sleeping seemed to be the big thing that kept me going. Thank gosh that I didn't have a lot of responsibilities outside the home in any way to deal with. Stress was just something I could not handle.
Dan, talk to me about some of the things that you did to help Greg through that period when he was taking the treatment.
Dan: Okay. Well, let's see. Sometimes, with the mood swings, I had to quickly remind him that he was having a mood swing. It would get better. Other things were just making sure that he had plenty of fluids, and had good food to eat, and a wide variety of food ... whether he could keep it down or not. It was kind of tough finding things that he would be able to eat because of his nausea.
What were some of the foods that you found he was more tolerable of?
Dan: Generally, less spicy. If you could stick with traditional American food and pastas, things like that. Something easy on the stomach.
Then you also mentioned drinking water. Why was water important?
Dan: Well, I think water is important for anybody, just to keep their body flushed of things that shouldn't be there. But I drink a lot of water myself, and so I have a tendency to push it on somebody else, too.
Greg: If I may interject there: I was sweating a lot when I was in bed, sleeping. I was going through tremendous sweats. So keeping myself hydrated was real important.
Did you find that drinking a lot of water would help with your fatigue, Greg?
Greg: Yes, I did, as a matter of fact. It was sure a lot easier for them to get blood draws when I was hydrated than when I wasn't.
Greg, you mentioned that you stopped the treatment, and then it took you about six months to feel kind of back to normal, if you will. Talk to me now about what your focus is on your hepatitis C now, since you're not taking the treatment. How are you making sure that you're staying as healthy as possible?
Greg: Well, I do exercise a couple of times a week. I do things like garden around the house -- the normal things that people would do -- as well as, I take vitamins, especially calcium and a super B complex, along with Centrum. I make sure that I eat three meals a day. Dan is a wonderful cook, so that's a real easy thing to do. I try to keep my diet light in the way of pastas and rices, as opposed to beef roasts and more of your heavy foods. I eat more of the white meats and fish.
I know that exercise has helped my fatigue level quite a bit. And keeping a regimen going of that, just even simple exercising. I don't stiffen up. My willingness to want to do something is better. My ability to do something is better. And I can squeeze more in in a day.
Talk to me about the health of your liver right now. You said that the treatment for hepatitis C didn't really work for you. Are you still monitoring your liver? Or what kind of medical interventions are being done?
Greg: Well, according to the way I understand it, the treatment that I went on, because it didn't work, none of the other treatments would be helpful, especially with the side effects that are involved. Some of the side effects are pretty devastating. However, there are a lot of new things coming down the pipe that are coming up in the next couple of years that I know that Dr. Schwebke is quite excited about that show great promise, where the other, older forms of treatment didn't. And so we're waiting till about 2010 to try it again.
Is she monitoring your liver? Does she still do liver biopsies? How does she monitor your liver?
Greg: With blood work.
Oh, with blood work. And what does the blood work tell you?
Greg: Whether or not my liver is stabilized, if it's getting worse or if it's getting better. Right now, it's stabilized. It hasn't gotten any worse for the experience, thank goodness. Overall, it was a nasty experience to go through. The treatment is not something that I would recommend to anybody lightly. If I didn't have Dan, I think I would have gone crazy a couple of times. It's very, very hard on people connected with the person, as well as the person themselves. However, I pulled out of it fine. I feel just fine now.
Dr. Schwebke is giving you the inclination that it's possible that you could be fine without any kind of other treatment?
Greg: Well, that I didn't do any harm by having the treatment.
Dan: If I may interject here, Terri.
Dan: That is that the doctor, when she first put him on the treatments, on a scale of 1 to 4 -- 4 being the worst -- he was at level 3, she said, as far as the condition of his liver. Even all through the treatment and everything, apparently, that didn't really change. So he's still hanging at about a 3. It's not cirrhosis, okay? It's the step before that ... if that helps any.
Dan, has she ever talked about if it does go to a higher level? Would you be talking about Greg going back on treatment? Or would we be talking about the possibility of a liver transplant?
Dan: Well, that she hasn't really said anything about. But it was kind of left up in the air. If his liver started getting worse again, we would attack that when it happened.
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