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Exclusive: The Electric Cars of the 2015 LA Auto Show
Dec 15, 2015
After Noel Adam's wife suffered a medical emergency while he was covering the LA Auto Show for EV World this year, he can now report on what he found as she is, gratefully, on the mend.
It was a bright sunny day as I made my way to the LA Convention Center through stop and go traffic. The traffic on the 10 was pretty typical with speeds around 20mph but getting to the freeway was a different matter as the streets approaching the freeway were gridlocked.
By the time that I arrived I had already missed the first press conference and but I wasn't too worried as it was unlikely that Alpha Romeo were going to announce a plug-in car. I was right, what they showed was the 2017 Giulia which is a 4 door sedan. The car will initially launch late in the second quarter of 2016 and will feature a 2.9 liter V6 that will give the car a 0-60 mph time of 3.8 seconds with a 2 liter version to follow next summer.
I had time to grab a quick breakfast and take a look at the press conference schedule before the next press conference began. The companies not having press conferences this year was quite surprising. Nothing from Toyota, Honda, Chevrolet, or BMW. Honda and BMW in particular had major announcements but chose not do this with a press conference.
I rushed over to the Ford stand which was already packed with people. They were having a combined press conference and I was hoping that they would show a concept of what would be the follow-up to the Focus EV but they just showed a video that did a reveal of the new Escape with no real details about the car, then moved focus over to the Lincoln stand where they announced the 2017 Lincoln MKZ.
The emphasis on this car was not on the horse power or fuel economy but on the new safety features. This would become a recurring theme in upcoming press conferences. The MKZ features adaptive cruise control, pre-collision assist which automatically applies the brakes to prevent or reduce damage in a collision. Another interesting feature is auto hold. At long stops the driver can push a button and the car will automatically keep the brakes applied until the driver presses the accelerator pedal. This is supposed to reduce driver fatigue. The MKZ will come with a 3.6 liter bi-turbo that produces 400 hp. They also mentioned that the current MKZ hybrid is their best seller in California but didn't say when, or if, there would be a hybrid version for 2017.
I hurried over to the Nissan stand which once again was very crowded but I did manage to find a place to stand where I could get a good view of the stage. I was hoping for a bit more details on the next generation Leaf which appears to be slowly leaking to the media but they didn't mention anything. What they did do is introduce the 2016 Sentra. This is basically a mid-cycle update with changes to the body style and the addition of a whole new range of safety features while leaving the power train the same. The 2016 Sentra will have intelligent cruise control, forward emergency braking, blind spot warning, and rear cross traffic warning as options. The base price will be $16,780.
I wasn't expecting any plug-in announcements at Fiat either but their press conferences are always fun so I made my way there and managed to snag a seat. They started out showing their commercial for the 500x where the guy loses his last Viagra which ends up in the gas tank of a fiat 500 that then beefs up to the 500x crossover. Then they announced that they would be making an all-wheel drive version of this car. Then came their big reveal, the Fiat 124 Spider. This is a roadster that has a look designed to be reminiscent of the iconic roadster that debut 50 years ago. Under the hood is the same 1.4 liter turbo charged engine that powers the 500 Abarth and offers 160hp. They also had a new ad for the car. The guy now finds his Viagra bottle empty so he hops in his Fiat 124 Spider and takes it for a spin through the countryside producing the same effect as the tiny blue pill.
Fiat also had a 500e on display that was done up to look like a Storm Trooper from Star Wars.
My next stop was Petree Hall for the Porsche press conference but on my way out of the door I noticed that Honda had a large display for the Clarity Fuel Cell vehicle. The Clarity was first shown at the Tokyo auto show and this was the first time it has been shown in the US. The car is a five door that runs on hydrogen as a fuel. It will seat 5, one more than the Toyota Mirai and it is projected to have a 300 mile range on a fill of hydrogen. Honda say the car will go on sale in the US towards the end of 2016 and is expected to sell for around $62,000
When I got to the Porsche stand, which takes up one small hall, it was so crowded that I could barely get through the door. I wasn't expecting much in the way of plug in vehicles from Porsche so I decided to head for the South Hall to check out BMW.
Porsche showed a couple of new models, the Cayman GT4 Club Sport which appears to be a race ready version of the Cayman GT4. They also showed an updated version of the 911 Targa 4S with a twin turbo flat 6 that can kick out 420hp. What I had hoped for was a replacement for the sold out 918 PHEV but none was forthcoming; perhaps at the Detroit show in January.
BMW was another company that elected not to have a press conference this year but they did have a pretty impressive display of plug-in vehicles. Their display was anchored by the i3 and the i8 both of which have been selling better than expected. I also got my first look at the X5 xDrive40e SUV which went on sale in October.
There was also the US premier of the 330e eDrive, a plug-in hybrid version of their 3 Class sedan. This car has a 7.6 KWH battery pack that will drive the car for an estimated 25 miles. Since this is based on the European drive cycle the EPA estimate will probably be less. The car will run in EV mode at speeds up to 75mph and tops out at 140mph with help from its 2 liter turbo charged 4 cylinder gas engine. The car can be charged on a level 2 charger in about 2 house and forty minutes.
According to the BMW rep I spoke with, the 330e should go on sale in late spring with a base price of $44,695.
My next stop was the Mercedes Benz press conference. Once again there were no plug-in cars being shown and performance was the name of the game. First off was the GLS which they described as the S Class of SUVs. It will come with 7 passenger capacity, all-wheel drive, and 4 different engine options including diesel. I was very surprised that they showed a diesel given VWs current issues.
Next they showed a couple of new entries from AMG, the C63 Coupe and the 577hp S63 Cabriolet. Finally they revealed the 2017 SL Roadster a nice looking car if not exactly fuel efficient.
Wondering when someone would reveal a plug-in I moved on to the Hyundai press conference. They started out saying that they were going to introduce the Genesis brand and said six new models would be introduced beginning in 2016 and this will target the luxury segment. They said they would have more details at the Detroit Auto Show.
They went on to reveal the new Elantra, which is their best-selling model worldwide. It comes with a 2 liter that offers a combined fuel economy of 33mpg, or a 1.4 liter turbo charged engine and 7-speed transmission that offers 40mpg highway and 35mpg city. It will also come with a variety of safety features including smart cruise control, lane keep assist, and automatic vehicle braking.
The next press conference was Mazda but since their philosophy is to build more efficient internal combustion engines I wasn't expecting any plug-in announcements so I had made arrangements to talk with Steve Majoros from GM. Mazda ended up showing the CX-9 full sized SUV.
While I waited for Steve at the Chevrolet exhibit I took a look around to get my first look at the Chevy Bolt prototype but to my disappointment it wasn't there. My first question to Steve was why. He told me that there was lots of demand to display the Bolt and they just didn't have time to get it ready for the LA show. He went on to say that this year they were showing cars that could be bought now including the 2016 Chevy Volt and the new Malibu Hybrid.
He went on to say that GM had listened very carefully to current Volt drivers and had incorporated many of their suggestions into the 2016 model. The biggest request was for more EV range so range was increased from 38 miles per charge to 53 miles as rated by the EPA. They also wanted a fifth seat and that too has been accommodated. Owners also asked for more control of regen so a paddle, similar to the one in the Cadillac ELR has been added to apply regen without touching the brakes. Another big change was the gas engine which increased to 1.4 liters and now runs on regular instead of super.
Steve also told me that LA was the biggest market for the Volt and so far over 900 2016 models have been sold in the LA area with the biggest problem being getting enough cars to dealers.
The 2016 Malibu hybrid uses the same Voltec system as the Volt but the Volt's 1.5 liter engine has been replaced by a 1.8 liter four-cylinder engine. It comes equipped with a 1.5 KWh lithium ion battery pack which, of course cannot be charged externally. Still, the Malibu hybrid does provides a combined fuel economy of 47mpg.
I asked Steve about the future of the Spark EV but didn't get a hard answer. It looks like GM will keep shipping a limited number of Spark EVs from Korea until the Bolt goes into production but its future is uncertain after that.
Next up came Subaru which showed the Impreza sedan concept. This 2-door sedan didn't look like anything special to me and Subaru did not give any details about the power train so I made my way over to the VW stand.
The VW stand was pretty busy but I managed to find a spot on the very left of the stage in front of what turned out to be the Golf GTE Sport concept. First, as might be expected, VW talked about their diesel issues. They are currently offering a deal that includes a $500 gift card and vehicle discounts. So far about 25% of owners have signed up for this offer.
Next they talked about the car just in front of me, the Golf GTE Sport Concept. This car is a plug-in hybrid which is projected to offer 31 miles of all electric range. I think this is based on the European drive cycle so the EPA range would be considerably less. Still, the car was good looking and was said to be able to do 0-60 in just 4 seconds. This car is currently in the concept stage and VW did not say if they had plans to put this car into production.
The next car up was the new Passat which actually looked a lot like the old Passat on the outside. The car does have some refinements on the interior and will come with optional safety equipment like forward collision warning with automatic braking, lane keep assist, rear cross traffic monitoring, and parking assist.
They also had two variations of the Beetle, both of which will be available as 2016 models. The Beetle Denim is a limited edition convertible. Only 2,000 will be made, 1,000 in white and 1,000 in light blue. The Beetle Dune will be available as a coupe or convertible. While I expected this to be a dune buggy it is actually meant to be reminiscent of the old Baja Beetle. It has a number of features that are different from the standard Beetle most notably an increase of four inches in ride height. I'm sure these cars will excite beetle fans but it is uncertain if they will bring new customers into dealerships.
As the VW press conference was winding down I got a phone call from my wife saying she wasn't feeling well so I had to leave and missed the Audi press conference.
The Audi press conference didn't have any flashy reveals just Scott Keogh, President of Audi America presenting on stage in front of two cars, the Audi A3 e-Tron and the Audi e-Tron Quatro. What he said was surprising.
The A3 e-Tron will be available this year. It was originally expected to go on sale in November but it looks like it won't be in dealerships until late in December. Mr. Keogh said that the car will have an all-electric range of up to 17 miles. The car will come with all the standard luxury and safety features people expect in an Audi at a base price of $37,900 before incentives. One interesting feature is that the car will come with a charger that supports both 110V and 220V rather than the 110 volt charger that comes standard with most plug-in cars right now.
Audi expect to launch some additional plug-in hybrids over the next few years finally leading up to the e-Tron Quatro, a fully electric car with a 300 miles range from a 95KWh battery pack and a 0-62 time of 4.6 seconds. The battery pack is engineered for the life of the car, defined as 15 years or 186,000 miles. Audi is also making plans to roll out a nationwide network of 150KW fast chargers that would allow the e-Tron Quatro to gain about 200 miles of range with a 30 minute charge. The e-Tron Quatro is expected to go on sale in 2018.
Mr. Keogh went on to say that Audi expects the e-Tron models to make up 25% of sales by 2025. He concluded by saying "The electric driving revolution isn't impossible, it isn't just likely, it is absolutely inevitable".
I couldn't make it back to the Convention Center on Thursday but there wasn't a whole lot going on so the main thing I missed out on was the ride and drives. I was particularly wanting to test drive the 2016 Volt but I guess I will have to wait on that.
Talking of the Volt, it won the Green Car of the Year award this year. I have been a critic of Green Car Journal's choice for Green Car of the Year for many years now as they have tended to select diesel over plug-in cars but given the VW issue this year there were no diesels in their finalists for 2015. The finalists were the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, Hyundai Sonata, and Audi A3 e-Tron. Personally I think the Volt was the correct choice as this car has the potential to be the first plug-in car to sell in really high volumes.
The other big reveal on Thursday, from the fuel economy point of view, was the Elio P5 prototype. Elio is developing a 3-wheel gas powered car that is targeted to get 84mpg at a base price of $6,800. The prototype looks quite good and has a three cylinder engine designed specifically for the car. They are currently in the process of raising money to get the car into production towards the end of 2016. They plan to do direct sales rather than building a dealer network and have partnered with PEP Boys to provider service for their vehicles.
People are now more accepting of three wheel cars and Elio does appear to have all its ducks lined up so they may stand a pretty decent chance of getting the car into production. I am a little skeptical that they can be profitable with the $6,800 price tag.
This year's LA auto show was pretty disappointing overall. It looks like companies are moving away from using Los Angeles to announce plug-in cars even though this area is the biggest market for these cars. Rumor has it, for example, that the production version of the Chevy Bolt will be announced early next year at CES. Still, it is encouraging to see more and more choices in plug-in cars out on display at the show, and on sale in dealerships.
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There is something about an snazzy older woman that is just so awesome. I saw a photo of an older woman and thought "WOW, whata dame!" That woman was Iris Apfel. I am embarrassed to say I had never heard of her before, and yet she is rather legendary. Talk about flair. This lady didn't shy away from style but really embraced it. She was (and is still) known for her flamboyant wardrobe and passion for accessories. She's also known for her trademark saucer-sized glasses. Though she ran in exclusive circles, her taste was very bohemian and wild. Iris effortlessly mixed Dior couture with flea-market finds, which I'm sure was a bit scandalous back in the day. Iris was more than simply a fashion maven, however, she was an extremely shrewd business woman—she and her husband Carl had a fabulously successful textile company that led her to travel all over the world.
Iris is 88 years young and has led an incredibly rich life. In addition to her jaunts around the world to exotic ports, Iris has been featured in Paris Vogue, hob nobbed with designers young and old and the Metropolitan Museum of Art has a standing exhibit of the contents of her Park Avenue closet. I think she's puttin' us all to shame.
As Iris says, "You only have one trip....you might as well enjoy it!" Here is a short but fun little video interview with the lady herself. Did you notice that even the tiger was wearing Iris glasses??? And by the way, I'm soooo getting some of those glasses when I get older.


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Hemingway's Hammock
Hemingway's Hammock @ the Truman Annex
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- Complex (Shipyard)
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The International Taekwon-Do Federation is honored to present and deliver into your hands a Program developed over several years, for the benefit of each of our Instructors over the world.
Since its origins our Taekwon-Do teaching system has become polished and improved like a handcraft. This has given it a special class and promoted it across our society. After achieving popularity among grown-ups, the teaching of TKD has spread onto children, with beginners as young as …3 years of age!
This new modality required a more professional system, suited to the infants´ demands, so we had to develop a new method of specific characteristics, where to include contents beyond the simple teaching of a self-defense art to the little ´uns.
There may be other overall TKD programs in the world but we deemed it indispensable to create an ad hoc Program that would abide by our technique, by our tenets and our tradition.
Consequently, the contents in this Program substantially express the characteristics of our ITF Taekwon-Do according to our Founder´ s conception, over the same basis and tenets as the adult program. It is easy to carry out for Instructors who are already working with children, so as not to limit themselves to entertaining or amusing, since the instructors´ role is neither that of a game coordinator nor of a kindergarten teacher.
Also, the implementation of our Program will prevent premature grading of children as black belts, because it leads up to the yellow belt grade, from where each child may go on with his/her natural learning cycle, having acquired an excellent technical and mental basis.
I am fully convinced that ITF Taekwon-Do is a wonderful art and one necessary for the community: it is up to us to find the best way to promote it and teach it in every corner of the world and help it become known through increasingly prestigious institutions. Taking school as the center of education, we shall accomplish our goal by putting into practice new and advanced systems such as the one we introduce here today and which sets clear from other martial arts.
However, it is our Instructors´ quality which makes the Difference and will continue to make it! Transcendental changes usually entail difficulties and high demands …but rest reassured, in this case the effort is well worth it!
The high standards set by this Program are the result of an excellent team of professionals who gave their very best to elaborate each of the contents and activities shaped up in this amazing text and who so selflessly worked for the benefit of the whole ITF community, generously relinquishing all copyright. Enjoy the ride!
Pablo Trajtenberg
International Taekwon-Do Federation
The first pattern we teach our TKD kids the following pattern,
Saju-Jirugi - (four direction punch)
it would be an advantage if they were able to practice this at home aswell as in class.


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You can print your courses and maps directly on a color printer. Alternatively, you can export the courses and maps to a variety of graphical formats for professional offset printing.
Condes supports many different formats of orienteering, including relays, and random order controls, and has features specific to different orienteering disciplines: Foot-O, Ski-O, MTB-O, and Trail-O.
Condes supports the "administrative" procedures involved in course planning, and can print out a range of different reports of the data.
A licence for Condes is valid for an entire orienteering club, and there is no limit to how many club members can use the program. You can purchase your club licence for Condes from the ordering page.
Print multiple maps on the same page...
This is just one of many possiblities with Condes
Condes functionality is based on ideas and input from a lot of Condes users. Condes supports Foot-O, Ski-O, Mountain-Bike-O and Trail-O, as well as Score-O, relays, etc.
Read more about Condes under About Condes and Features in Condes 9.
Export to PDF
In addition to printing the maps with courses on a printer, you can export to a variety of graphical formats. An important one of these exports is the export to PDF. When you export to PDF, all the courses will be included in one file, with one page per course. PDF is the ideal format both when you use professional printing and desktop printing.
Learn more
Click here to learn about the possibilities with Condes. Check out the on-line help, the demo videos, or download a User's Guide.
There is an article about how Condes makes colour printing easier. Read it here
Try out the "light" version for free
Download a free "light" version and try Condes.
The light version does not need a licence, and can be used for events with 2 courses and up to 25 controls.
At the support forum you can ask questions, express comments, and share ideas with other Condes users.
Licensed users are welcome to contact the author for support. Please see the contact page
Program languages
Condes menus and dialogs are available in English, Chinese, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish.
Unicode support
Condes supports the UNICODE 16-bit character set necessary to display non-latin alphabets used for example in Asia.
Condes is used world-wide: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greenland, Hungary, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, U.S.A.


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"PRIMERGY RX600 servers are high-performance systems that do their job very well. Thanks to the excellent support by the Fujitsu experts, our migration from a Solaris environment to x86 servers, running on SUSE Linux couldn't have gone more smoothly. Fujitsu also impressed us with their SAP expertise"
Norbert Poesch, Head of IT Infrastructure Management, EnBW
EnBW, Energie Baden-Württemberg AG, is one of the largest energy companies in Germany and Europe. EnBW generates, trades in, transports and sells energy, and operates in the fields of electricity and gas as well as energy and environmental services. In addition to the use of conventional energies, the increase in energy efficiency and expansion of renewable energies play an important role. EnBW AG's home market is Baden-Württemberg and Germany. The company is headquartered in Karlsruhe, Germany.
EnBW had originally been running its 350 SAP instances on Solaris platforms. Prompted by a reinvestment project, however, the Group had to decide whether it wanted to continue to use SPARC servers or to migrate to x86 systems. The decision was finally taken to opt for the highly virtualized Intel standard servers. The energy company's IT department soon realized that to implement a migration project of this magnitude as quickly and efficiently as possible, it needed an expert solution partner on board.
An expert team, comprising employees from EnBW, Fujitsu and NetApp, was responsible for planning and sizing the complex landscape, which included six PRIMERGY RX600 S6 quad socket servers, ten PRIMERGY RX300 S7 dual socket servers and three NetApp filers as SAN storage systems. The team was also responsible for the installation, migration and commissioning of the systems, including the SAP systems, and for implementing the new SUSE Linux server operating system.
As an energy utility company, EnBW also uses its IT systems to monitor its power plants. These operation management systems rely on fail-safe servers and storage systems. The consequences of downtime or even a fault in operations would be disastrous. It is little surprise then, that the IT department at EnBW AG took the utmost care in selecting their new IT systems and the partner who would be responsible for implementing the migration project.
As the prime contractor for this SAP Utilities (IS-U) project, EnBW commissioned Fujitsu. Fujitsu was responsible for supplying the PRIMERGY servers and NetApp filers as well as all attendant services. "There are major benefits to working with a strong partner who is able to take responsibility for both the services and implementation of the solution," explains Norbert Poesch, Head of IT Infrastructure Management at EnBW AG.
A particular challenge lay in migrating one of the largest SAP IS-U systems from the SPARC systems over to the new Fujitsu PRIMERGY RX600 S6 server systems within the required time frame whilst ensuring that all the required processes for day-to-day operation were designed redundantly. "We started by migrating only the smaller SAP systems over to SUSE Linux in order to gain initial experience," Poesch explains. "We left the more complex systems until the end. Thanks to Fujitsu's support, it all worked perfectly. We are very proud of this because we were breaking new ground, so therefore had no experiences of other companies to draw on as a reference."
The SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is a business critical operating system which performs equally well for high-end SAP applications, as Norbert Poesch affirms: "We were very meticulous in our research into all the different system environments. We were therefore confident that SUSE Linux offered everything we were looking for. It was still a very positive surprise though to see how smoothly it all went."
Since implementing the new environment, EnBW has achieved a drastic reduction in data center costs. This is partly down to the fact that there are now significantly fewer physical servers at the company's Karlsruhe data centers, meaning that less cooling is required. In addition, the homogeneous server landscape is much easier to manage and, thanks to virtualization from VMware vSphere 5, offers greater flexibility in the provision of resources. "The system environment has become much more flexible. This has of course helped to cut management costs, especially in respect of SAP system operation. Troubleshooting is also much easier now," says Poesch.
Fujitsu succeeded in completing its part of the EnBW migration project, including the implementation of all hardware components, in just 40 man-days. To achieve this, the Fujitsu experts worked closely with EnBW's IT team and the NetApp consultants. For Norbert Poesch, the joint effort was an out and out success:
"We were impressed by the whole package; the performance of the hardware, the services and also the individual service of the on-site consultants. Fujitsu's knowledge and expertise in standardization and automation made a significant contribution to this migration project. We simply wouldn't have managed the project without it. The Fujitsu experts were on hand at our premises throughout every stage of the project to provide precisely the level of support required."
Download the EnBW casestudy (437 KB/A4, 2 pages)
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Very versatile with the ability to play the three or four positions ... quick, athletic post player who also possesses great ball skills for her position ... healthy after suffering an ACL injury her sophomore season.
Career: Helped guide Duke to two ACC Tournament Championships, three ACC regular season titles and three trips to the NCAA Elite Eight over her four years ... part of 120 career wins ... suffered a torn ACL in her left knee on Feb. 15, 2012 against Virginia Tech ... played in 115 games in four years, while making 47 starts.
As a Senior (2013-14): Started 18 of 35 contests, while averaging 8.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.4 assists ... started the final 18 games of the season ... hit 51.1 percent of her field goals ... scored a season-high 19 points against eighth-ranked Maryland ... drained a career-high nine three-pointers on the year, while hitting 36.0 percent from downtown ... totaled double-digit scoring in 16 contests ... collected a double-double at 24th-ranked Florida State with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
As a Junior (2012-13): Played in only two games prior to January as she was returning from an ACL injury the year before ... on the season, started nine of her 27 games played ... averaged 5.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals ... notched double-figure scoring in four games, including 12 points in the NCAA Elite Eight against second-ranked Notre Dame ... had 13 points in the ACC Tournament against N.C. State ... totaled a season-high 16 points at Boston College on 6-of-8 field goals ... tallied 10 points at Wake Forest ... pulled down a season-high eight rebounds in the ACC Championship game against 15th-ranked North Carolina ... started the final six games of the season ... averaged 9.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals in three ACC Tournament games.
As a Sophomore (2011-12): Played in 25 games before suffering a torn ACL in her left knee against Virginia Tech ... had started 17 straight contests prior to the injury ... averaged 9.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.1 assists ... totaled 12 games with double-figure scoring ... posted a career-high 21 points, seven rebounds and five steals against N.C. State, while hitting 8-of-11 field goals ... hit 51.1 percent of her field goals and 37.5 percent from downtown ... collected her first career double-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds against Wake Forest ... notched double-figure scoring against her final three ranked opponents -- North Carolina (17), Connecticut (11) and Maryland (11) ... averaged 24.5 minutes ... hit 6-of-16 three-pointers, including all six over her final 12 games ... accumulated five old-fashioned three-point plays ... swiped a career-high five steals against N.C. State and Wake Forest.
As a Freshman (2010-11): Named a Preseason ACC Newcomer to Watch ... saw action in 28 games including earning three starting spots ... averaged 3.3 points per game ... registered 13 points, nine rebounds and one block against 18th-ranked Miami in her first collegiate start ... notched a career-high 15 points and five rebounds as she hit 6-of-9 field goals versus Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament ... all three of her starts came against ranked opponents -- 18th-ranked Miami, 13th-ranked North Carolina and 16th-ranked Maryland ... scored double-digits in two contests ... averaged 2.4 rebounds per game ...was injured in the first three minutes at Maryland and did not return ... missed five games during the regular season with a strained right shoulder ... swiped a career high three steals against UT Martin and Virginia Tech.
Rankings: No. 12 (Blue Star Report), No. 6 (ASGR), No. 6 (ESPN HoopGurlz), No. 25 (Collegiate Girls Basketball Report).
High School/AAU: Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year in 2010 … a McDonald's and WBCA All-America honoree … recorded 12 points and six rebounds in the 2010 McDonald's All-America High School game … 2010 Parade First Team All-America … Daily Oklahoma, Oklahoma Super 5 and Tulsa World Player of the Year in 2010 … tallied career totals of 1,506 points, 499 rebounds and 275 steals … a three-time Mid-State Player of the Year honoree … twice selected to the All-State Tournament first team … averaged 17.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.5 steals during her senior campaign …registered a season-high 29 points against Northside … tallied 11 games with 20 or more points … led the Bombers to the 2010 state championship, while being named MVP … recorded 12 games with 20 or more points … led her team to the 6A State Championship as a senior… a 2009 Big All-City First Team, Oklahoma Super 5 All-State and Jenks Tournament MVP selection ... a 2008 Big All-City Player of the Year honoree, while being named Mid-State Conference MVP, Jenks Tournament MVP, First Team All-State Tournament and MVP of the Springfield Tournament ... as a junior, averaged 15.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 3.9 steals ... hit 56.6 percent of her field goals ... led her squad to a 26-1 overall record and was the runner-up at the State Championship ... selected to the Jenks All-Tournament team in 2007 and the Harrah Tournament MVP in 2006 and 2007 ... her sophomore year, averaged 17.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.6 steals ... had a field goal percentage of 57.6 and tallied four double-doubles …her team finished with a 25-2 record and advanced to the final four of the State Championship ... as a freshman, averaged 15.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.9 steals in only 14 games played ... led the Oklahoma Select club team to two AAU National Championships … played for the KC Selects club team in the summer of 2008 ... invited to try out for the 2010 USA U18 Women's National Team.
Personal: Full name is Richa Shantel Jackson … born January 17, 1992 in Oklahoma City, Okla. … daughter of Richard Jackson and Sonja Searcy … has one brother, Richard (8), and two sisters, Shaletha (23) and Raven (8) … registered a 3.8 grade point average in high school ... majored in theater studies along with a minor in sociology and a certificate in policy journalism and media ... ACC Honor Roll selection as a sophomore.


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Missing: 10-foot long, 150-pound wooden cigarette. Last Seen: the front yard of Silver Spring, MD resident Jeannie Roule. If you have any information: contact local authorities right away.
The piece was one a favorite among the many in Roule's front yard. The FDA employee and her husband have a penchance for quirky yard art, including a yellow upright ladder and a parking meter.
"I personally want to say this was planned," Roule said. "You have to make sure you have enough guys. You have to make sure you have a pickup truck." That's because the giant cigarette started out as an actual telephone pole and at 10-feet long, is out of the league of normal teenage pranks. It was also planted in the ground with a concrete base and secured with heavy metal brackets.
The couple plan to file a police report—seriously, where are you going to hide something like that?—but hope that the thieves have a change of heart and return the artwork on their own accord. [Washington Post]


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Wednesday, March 30, 2005I can change my mind, right? You see, every once in a while, you get this gut feeling. This terrible pit of the stomach feeling that tells you you're on the wrong path. This morning I re-read my analysis on my blog. It makes sense. It sounds good. But... I think I'm wrong. Even in the best seasons, confessional analysis fails me once or twice. I think it's going to be this week.So I am going with Bobby Jon getting the boot tonight. I think it goes against all reason, everything we know, my final seven spoiler, and what we've seen so far. But shortly after I made this decision, I headed over to Blows to find my partner in blogging crime believes Bobby Jon is going home, too. So let's go for it.Of course, I suppose what I'm really saying is, I have no freakin' idea. Should be a fun Thursday night.
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Shakespeare's Scribe
In this second book of a series, we learn more of Widge's adventures. Widge is settling down into his role as an apprentice member of the Admiral's Men. Unfortunately, the Black Death is shutting down the London theaters and the players are forced to take to the road. English roads, though, are not a safe place for any traveler and Master Shakespeare soon finds himself with a broken arm as the result of a brawl. Widge is conscripted to be Shakespeare's p...
The Shakespeare Stealer
Widge, a country boy, begins a new life with the theater, his steps always followed by a evil, vengeful man. Widge, an orphan boy, lives with an eccentric doctor who teaches him a secret shorthand writing. One day, a tall, cloaked stranger enters the house, tests his proficiency, and buys his apprenticeship. We know little about the stranger, except that his name is Falconer and he is deadly with his rapier. Falconer takes Widge to Mr. Bass's house in...


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It must be hard to be a retired Formula One driver. David Coulthard just visited the KAMAZ HQ in Moscow and was forced to hoon their Dakar race truck in the snow. Later, he also won a game of bingo.
The KAMAZ-4326 is a 4x4 Diesel-powered truck designed to haul cargo to remote, hard to reach areas. Kamaz says it can operate in any environment, functioning reliably anywhere from -22 degrees to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Kamaz won the truck class in the 2010 Dakar.


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Bodylog.com is a new website and mobile app that tracks the most motivational fitness metric of all, "How do I look in the mirror?" By uploading and comparing photos over time, users create a visual journal of their fitness progress. Whether the goal is to lose weight, build muscle, or tone certain parts of the body, side-by-side photos makes it easy to see how your body has transformed.
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|Thin cut pork chops, dredged in a well seasoned blend of onion enhanced flour and cornmeal and pan fried in a cast iron skillet. Pictured here with succotash and fresh sliced Creole tomatoes.
Pan Fried Pork ChopsI have mentioned before how much I enjoy watching my husband eat a pork chop. He will gnaw every slap inch of that chop into submission! Don't you just love when somebody chows down on your food like that? A home cooked meal is an expression of love from the person who prepared it for you, and the best compliment is when somebody expresses how much they are enjoying that meal. To me, there is no better applause.
These chops are similar to my deep fried version, with a slightly more seasoned dredge and instead of being submerged for deep frying, they are pan fried in a lesser amount of oil. I prefer bone-in chops because just like chicken, I find the flavor so much better over boneless meat, no matter the cooking method, but especially for frying. Boneless chops will work just as well too of course. You also don't want an overly thick chop for frying, so stick with a thinner cut that is under 1/2 inch, and save those nice thick cuts for the grill or for stuffing. This is also a perfect recipe for breaking out your larger cast iron skillet.
|Pork chops sizzling in a hot cast iron skillet.
To earn the name Creole, they must be grown in the river parishes of south Louisiana - like the Vidalia onion, it's all about the soil. People drive from Florida and Alabama to Mississippi to snatch up these Creoles when they are harvested and come to market. Mine are from the Liuzza Farm in Tickfaw, Louisiana - a U-Pick farm that is a hop, skip and a jump from me. As always, tomatoes, like all produce, are best when they are locally grown, whether from your own backyard, or from a farm near your area, so always buy what is local to you.
These chops have a touch of cornmeal in a well seasoned flour dredge, which includes a nice accent of onion flavor that I think you'll enjoy. As always, seasoning amounts given here are a suggestion, so adjust them up or down to suit your own taste. Serve as is, or dress them up with a Honey Pecan Glaze or Honey Mustard Meat Sauce. Here's how to make them.
For more of my favorite pork chop recipes, check out my collection on Pinterest!
If you make this or any of my recipes, I'd love to see your results! Just snap a photo and hashtag it #DeepSouthDish on social media or tag me @deepsouthdish on Instagram!
Recipe: Pan Fried Pork Chops©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: About 4-6 servings
Total time: 30 minIngredients
- 6 bone-in pork chops, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick
- 1/2 cup of vegetable or canola oil (about 1/4")
- 1 cup of self rising flour
- 1/2 cup of cornmeal
- 1/4 teaspoon of granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning, or to taste
- 2 teaspoons of onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper
Place a rack over a pan; set aside. Rinse pork chops and let drain in a colander. Heat oil over medium high heat in a large cast iron skillet. Meanwhile, whisk together all of the remaining ingredients. Oil is ready when it shimmers. Dredge pork chops in the flour mixture, shake off excess and carefully slide pork chops in the skillet, cooking in batches, 2 to 3 at a time, depending on size. Don't overcrowd the skillet. Fry until browned, about 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through, depending on the thickness of the chops. Don't overcook. Transfer to the rack to drain; serve immediately.
Source: http://deepsouthdish.com
Requires Adobe Reader - download it free!©Deep South Dish
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Deep Fried Pork Chops
Smothered Pork Chops with Cream Gravy
Easy Pork Chop and Onion Bake


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Doug Batchelor - MiQ - Part 2 - Is the Bible True ?
As a teenager, Doug Batchelor had everything money could buy—everything but happiness. His search led him to drugs, fights, and suicidal fantasies. Convinced that life held no purpose, he soon found himself scavenging food from garbage bins and living in a cave in the hills above Palm Springs.
The happiness Doug wanted eluded him until the day he began reading the dust-covered Bible someone had left in his cave. What happened next can only be described as a miracle! Today, Pastor Doug is president of Amazing Facts, an international multimedia ministry, and can be seen and heard around the world on television and radio programs such as Central Study Hour, Amazing Facts Presents, and Bible Answers Live.
Doug's down-to-earth approach to living the Christian life stems from his own experiences. He is an energetic man of vision and deep spirituality with an unusual ability to communicate not only to church members, but also to the millions of secular-minded people of today. He is the author of dozens of books, including, The Richest Caveman, Caveman Theology, The Bible on Marriage, Divorce, & Remarriage, Broken Chains, and At Jesus' Feet.


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Mortgage rates moved lower today by the widest margin in over three weeks. The faster-paced movement is courtesy of political tensions in Italy surrounding the country's elections over the past two days. Markets had expected a Bersani victory, which would be as close to a status quo as possible and seen as best for European stability. Instead, Berlusconi may have won control of at least half of the Italian parliament. Markets perceive this as a negative development for EU stability, and such negative...
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Next Episode of Inside Out West is
Stories from in and around the Western region.
Regional current affairs programme Inside Out is back with a Brexit special, taking a close look at the impact the vote to leave the European Union has had - and will have across England.
Travelling the length and breadth of the country, Inside Out will find out how Brexit affects you and your community. Lukwesa Burak reports from BBC East Midlands on what the vote to leave the EU may mean for the region's car industry; for BBC West Midlands, Dr Ranj Singh looks at the NHS in Birmingham and finds how well it can cope if it loses EU workers; and BBC North West follows two MEPs to find out what the Brexit vote means for them, questioning them on their validity in this post-Brexit world.
This is Inside Out's 30th series and as ever it will bring viewers the best original journalism, surprising stories and exclusive interviews. The series begins with the Brexit Special, which will air on Monday 5 September on BBC One at 7.30pm across all 11 regions, and will be available on the BBC iPlayer for 30 days.
Alastair McKee(Alastair McKee)
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Rusty Crayfish
What does a rusty crayfish look like?Rusty crayfish can be identified by their robust claws, and by dark, rusty spots on each side of their carapace. The spots are located on the carapace as though you picked up the crayfish with paint on your forefinger and thumb. The spots may not always be present or well developed on rusty crayfish from some waters.
Why is the rusty crayfish considered to be a nuisance?
- Competition with Native Species - Being an aggressive species, the rusty crayfish often displaces native or existing crayfish species. Ultimately, this could result in less food for fish. Crayfish are eaten by fish, but because of their thick shell relative to their soft tissue, the food quality is not as high as many of the invertebrates that they replace. Less food or lower food quality means slower growth, which can reduce fish survival.
- Destruction of aquatic plant beds - When introduced, rusty crayfish reduce aquatic plant abundance and species diversity. This can be especially damaging in relatively unproductive northern lakes, where beds of aquatic plants are not abundant. Submerged aquatic plants are important in these systems for habitat for invertebrates (which provide food for fish and ducks), shelter for young gamefish, or forage species of fish, nesting areas for fish, and erosion control (by minimizing waves).
How do rusty crayfish affect recreational users?
- Anglers - When rusty crayfish are introduced to a new system, the impacts are potentially devastating. However, because of the nature of these impacts, it takes time for anglers to directly feel these results. When a plant bed's diversity is decreased, a variety of effects take place. Generally, many species have difficulty acquiring food, which is necessary to grow and reproduce. Eventually, certain species decline, which ultimately disrupts the larger food web and effects all the species in an ecosystem including gamefish.
- SCUBA Divers - Part of the lure of SCUBA diving is seeing life underwater. With the introduction of rusty crayfish, the benefit of seeing the diversity of underwater life will decrease.
- Swimmers - In the heavily-infested northern Wisconsin and Minnesota lakes, recreational swimming has been affected because large numbers of rusty crayfish now occupy favorite swimming holes. The fear of stepping on and getting pinched by the large-clawed "rusties" is very real.
Where is the rusty crayfish currently found?Rusty crayfish are thought to be native to the Ohio River Basin, particularly throughout the states of Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, and Illinois. But, now rusty crayfish are also found in Michigan, Massachusetts, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, all New England states except Rhode Island, and many areas in Ontario, Canada.
What is the rusty crayfish's potential to spread elsewhere in U.S.?Experts are concerned about the rusty crayfish's ability to spread for two reasons:
- It is believed that anglers using rusty crayfish as bait introduced these hitchhikers outside of their original range.
- Rusty crayfish can live in a variety of waters including lakes, rivers, ponds, and streams with adequate rock, log, and debris cover. They prefer substrates of clay, silt and gravel, and are most active from spring to fall when temperatures are above 8°C.
Short term benefits of the rusty crayfish don't override long term impactsWhile some anglers may find that rusty crayfish are an effective bait, use of them outside their traditional range can have drastic results. If anglers use rusty crayfish, you need to confine this use to the states of the Ohio River Basin.
How can I prevent the spread of rusty crayfish? Specifics to prevent the spread of species.
- Become knowledgeable about the crayfish native to your area,
- Be able to identify the rusty crayfish
- Do not release live bait into any waters.
What else can I do?
- Follow procedures to eliminate the spread of all nuisance species.
- Help inform others.
- Get involved in policy and legislative solutions.


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It is the anniversary to celebrate my life. You would be thinking that it is a wedding anniversary? No it is my cancer anniversary.
I was a passionate student of nearly 21 years old. I was enjoying life in each and everything like studying, reading, playing and watching movies, surfing internet. I was leading my life happily but a day I was shocked to learn a fact. It not only disturbed me but my family and friends. It changed my life and I was forced to lead life in a changed way after that news.
Seven years back, the same day I heard "You have cancer" by my doctor. I was totally surprised and spent the day in a situation that cannot be described. "Its' cancer" are the words sounding in my mind. I got first surgery immediately to avoid chemotherapy. It was not fun to spend a week in hospital for me in case of this serious disease.
- I learnt many things from cancer; the most important things in my life were my faith, my family and my friends.
- Lancer Armstong says in a commercial "Remember me cancer? You made me who I am today?" As 7 years have been past and today is my cancer anniversary.I learnt many things from cancer such as;
- My illness spreads the circle of my friends even those became my friends whom I don't know. I received many emails and cards from people whom I don't know. I was passion up with their love and support.
- There is nothing impossible in the world so you should try. I had heard death after cancer but it enabled me to fight and I won.
- My family was with me at each and every step and supported me.I was encouraged and felt a kind of power and positiveness in my mind.
- I did not feel any kind of self dignity in the gown I was at hospital. So I became humble and treated with everyone in a different way than past.
- I felt the real love of my friends and family even I was pale, sick, skinny and weak but still I was happy to have all this.
- It came in my mind many times to ask God, "Why". I suffered from it as a large number of people are enjoying their lives so why I have it.
- I learnt that prayers can change your life and Allah answered and my friends and family's prayers were fulfilled when I was completely cured.
- These are prayers that can keep your life intact. So don't be disappointed and struggle to fight.
Every morning when I got up I was reminded that I am in cancer. But today I celebrate my life of being cancer free. The cancer has changed my life which I cannot describe. I learnt the most important lesson today "Important and caring things are very simple … my faith, my family & my friends."


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The latest FCC status report on high-speed Internet access (PDF) was published yesterday, covering the market as of December 31, 2005. Broadband usage, defined as at least 200kbps in one direction, increased by 33 percent over the year-ago status check, and the number of such access lines totaled about 50.2 million in the latest update.
DSL gained a little bit of market share from cable modems, and it's the first time that this has ever happened. Maybe it's a result of the high availability of DSL, as providers of such lines have nearly tripled in number over the past year, or perhaps a result of DSL generally being cheaper than cable modems. However, the biggest jump was seen in mobile 'Net access. One-way high-speed plans for cell phones and handheld devices exploded from 380,000 just six months earlier to over 3.1 million this time around.
This checkpoint marks the first time at least 99 percent of all US zip codes have access to at least one broadband service, leaving parts of Alaska, most of the Florida Everglades, and a huge chunk of Northern Maine in the digital backwaters for now. At the end of 1996, 96 percent of the country was covered.
These reports are compiled twice a year, every year, based on mandatory reporting by the service providers themselves. Some of us might balk at the 200kbps cutoff point, arguing that it's hardly fast enough for streaming media, ISO downloads, and many other popular online activities for fat-piped consumers. In that case, page 11 of the report may be of interest, as it breaks out subscriber counts by various speed grades. 16.1 million American households are living with one-way speeds between 200kbps and 2.5 Mbps, for example, and 2.4 million lines connect at over 10Mbps.
So what's the next milestone to fall in the quest for universal US broadband adoption? Maybe it's two-way high-speed access, as only 85 percent of today's broadband lines qualify as such in both directions. Mobile Internet plans are particularly weak here, with only 50,000 two-way tubes of mobile fatness in service at the time of this report. That explains the lack of Web sites served by Apache running on Nokia platforms, then.
When WiMax hits the mainstream, fixed wireless service stats should take off. But it might be a nice start to bring at least half of all American households into the broadband fold—only 42 percent had it at the New Year, ranking us behind tech powerhouses like Belgium, Iceland, and the not-so-densely populated Canada. I'd be remiss not to point out that Sweden appears to have the highest uptake in the world of fiber to the premises. Maybe I should move back and get my own 100Mbps hookup. Over here, 56kbps dial-up is still fairly popular, after all.


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It's true: Rodents Will Chew on Your Car's Wires
Chew on this. Your warm car engine may also have a warm rodent nibbling on the wires.
"I had to replace some wiring due to rabbits chewing," a Times-Call reader said on Facebook.
"There is apparently an epidemic with squirrels and rabbits chewing electrical wiring and so forth under the hoods of cars," another called into the TC-Line on Jan. 4.
Not quite an epidemic, local mechanics say. But far from uncommon.
"It is a fact," said Scott Nichol of Hitek Professional Automobile Repair, who says he gets six or seven cases of rodent damage a year. "It is a cold, hard, nasty fact. Summertime, wintertime, fall, it doesn't matter. ... The more squirrels you have in an area, the more you see things like this."
Travis Paswaters of Hayes Automotive said he tends to see it a little more in the winter. Squirrels and mice aren't specifically looking for your wires, he said, they're looking for a place to nest -- and in the winter, a recently parked car that sits for a while provides a perfect home.
"We pull nests out of air boxes and intake valleys all the time," Paswaters said. "And if they get down and chew something you can't find, you can get a pretty nasty gremlin. One, I remember, chewed the ignition coil wires. The car would run rough because one of the cylinders wasn't firing."
And sometimes it can add up to more than just a rough ride. Last May, a car caught fire and burned; police later determined it was because of a squirrel nest in the engine.
"If they chew up the wiring, you can have a car-becue," Nichol said.
So what can a driver do?
First, keep the car in a garage if you can. You can't close off all the entryways a rodent would use -- they're openings that the car needs -- but putting the vehicle inside makes it less likely that squirrels will pay a visit. Mice may still be a risk, though, Nichol said, especially outside of town.
Second, open up the hood and check the engine regularly, Paswaters said. If you find twigs, bits of leaves or other nest-building material, you might just have a visitor. Having the oil changed regularly will help, too, he said, since the mechanic will be alert to signs of trouble.
One common home remedy is to use mothballs or paint the wires with Tabasco sauce to discourage chewing. That can work, Paswaters said, but it can also have unpleasant consequences, since the fresh air intake is near the core of the engine.
"It'll make the HVAC unpleasant," he said, referring to the passenger heating and cooling system. "You'll be getting that smell yourself."
Nichol advised not to try putting poison down near the car; the risk of a pet consuming it by mistake isn't worth it, he said. The best thing you can do, he said, is not to let the car sit.
"Don't keep it parked for weeks on end," he said. "Make sure the car moves."
George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist
Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA
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Now many people believe that the IAF used our skies to hit Sudan and they actually think and believe that those jets that broke sound barrier earlier today were actually Israeli jets.
I do not know about today's jets , up till now I am buying the official statement of Egyptian armed forces because there is no reason Israel would provoke our country now in this way not to mention this is an act of war but I know Sunday Times published an info graph about the Israeli attack on Sudan.
Eight IAF F15s sent to Sudan where they evaded the Egyptian radars and their electronic warfare equipment jammed Sudan's air defences. Of course if you watch what the Sudanese minister of defense Abdel Rahim Hussein and how he justified in last May proudly why the Sudanese air defenses did not stop another IAF attack , you will know how troubled the Sudanese armed forces are !!
What we can do !? The air defenses could not spot the jets because the jets turned off their lights !!
Now 3 Iranian military vessels have reached to Port Sudan. According to information that began to surface in international media from newspapers and websites. The Voice of Russia claims that Mossad knew about the agreement between Sudan and Iran after stealing the suitcase of Palestinian business and Hamas leading figure Mahmoud Al Mabhouh from two years ago. Of course one must ask if this is the case , why Israel had to wait two years and how come Sudan got the technology to manufacture missiles when its minister of defense is retarded and it has not air defenses.
Of course we need an official explanation regarding the matter in Cairo because this is a national security priority.


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Plymouth-based Plastipak Packaging Inc. has emerged as the successful bidder for the U.S. assets of blow molder Constar International Holdings LLC.Plastipak will pay $102.45 million for Constar's assets, according to a Feb. 6 asset purchase agreement.According to court documents, Judge Christopher Sontchi in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del., is scheduled to approve Plastipak's bid on Monday. Trevose, Pa.-based Constar had filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors in December.The sale of Constar's assets started in bankruptcy court, but they ended up in a bidding war between two of North America's largest blow molders.Hawthorn, Australia-based Amcor Ltd. originally looked like it was going to end up the winner. It was the stalking horse bidder when Constar first filed for protection on Dec. 19. Amcor is North America's largest blow molder, according to Plastics News data — the company's regional headquarters is in Ann Arbor.But Constar said the transaction with Amcor was subject to higher and better offers, and within a few weeks after the deal was announced, two other potential bidders emerged: Plastipak and Atlanta-based CKS Packaging Inc. Both filed objections with the court over the rules Amcor and Constar had set up for the sale.On Thursday, Amcor announced that it was dropping its bid for Constar. An Amcor spokesman explained to Plastics News that it had been outbid by another company. At the time, the spokesman would not name the actual buyer.The deal generated attention in the packaging sector, in part because of their history. Constar was a pioneer in the PET bottle business, and a few decades ago Constar and Amcor's U.S. predecessor — Johnson Controls Inc. — were major rivals and the top two blow molders in North America, according to Plastics News' rankings.Plastics News is a sibling publication of Crain's Detroit Business.
Plymouth-based Plastipak buying Constar International for $102M
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Many years ago, a Krishna friend said to me, "People often ask 'why?,' when what they really mean is 'how?'"
Initially, this statement confused me. But he explained it further. It made sense to me. And since that day, I have adopted his stance.
On Yesterday's show, we had a Christian caller who told us that she believes in god because she has personally witnessed miracles. Matt asked her to give us an example of a miracle. She said there were so many to choose from it would take too much time to go into them. Matt asked her to just give us one example.
If you are an atheist who is ever engaged by Christians, you know that it's important to get an example of a miracle, because Christians do not agree on what constitutes a "miracle." Like most other religious terms, the word is meaningless, and pretty much self-defined, along the lines of something like, "love" or "freedom."
The woman explained her "miracle" pretty thoroughly. But it didn't take much time to see this woman defines miracle as "a natural/reasonable occurrence that I interpret as a sign from god." Her definition is not unlike an autobiographical story I once read about a Christian woman who hated the color of carpet in her church. When it was changed out, she knew it was a sign she should marry her fiancé, because, prior to that, she had determined she must be married in that church, but couldn't bear to be married on that hideous shade of aqua carpeting. Most atheists don't think of these types of things as "miracles," so it's always good to check before assuming when a Christian uses a word that relates to the supernatural. Since none of it is available for examination/verification to anyone—we're left with the reality that any such term has only the meaning that any individual Christian assigns.
The woman on the phone said her reason for believing in god was that she began asking questions such as "why is the sky blue?" And she prayed ardently to a god (that she didn't believe in) to let her know if he was there. She also began to research different religions. And she found one that really spoke to her, and became a Christian. So, now, in her words, "I know that I know that I know [there is a god]."
There are some obvious issues with a claim of "not believing" a god exists while I'm repeatedly pleading to that god. But this is already going to be long, so let me jump to where it ties into another obvious problem: the problem of asking for signs from spirit beings to determine whether or not they exist.
In other words, any "sign" I receive as the result of prayer is only open to subjective interpretation, and not to any verification. Christians put forward that it's wrong to ask for any sort of verifiable miracle or definitive sign. To do so would be "testing" god—a serious no-no. So a person making this sort of plea is open to accepting any sort of subtle influence or coincidence. They're not asking for Earth-shattering, convincing evidence—just something "meaningful" to them, personally.
What's the obvious problem? Well, ask them how this sounds to their ears: "If you wanted to know if Big Foot exists, and I told you that I know Big Foot exists because I prayed to god for a sign to let me know if they exist. And after a few days, weeks, and months, I got nothing. So, I started researching Big Foot online—reading all I could find. I also kept on praying and asking to feel assured and have a sign. I prayed and prayed and kept on praying, and reading about Big Foot, until I finally encounter a subtle coincidence—a better job offer, a feeling of euphoria/peace, (or even a video of Big Foot online)—that convinced me god was telling me that Big Foot do, in fact, exist. And so now, I know that I know that I know Big Foot is out there in the woods."
Would they think I had justification for belief in Big Foot? Or would they think I wanted so badly to believe that I just drilled myself until I finally accepted anything as proof of Big Foot's existence?
If I want to know if a god exists, why not check into it like I would check into the existence of anything else—of Big Foot? Clearly define what it means to "exist," exactly what it is I'm seeking, and where it should be found manifesting, then check to see if it's actually manifesting there in the way I expect. If it's not, then what I am seeking doesn't exist. That's, honestly, the best anyone could do to make a determination of the existence of any item-X. Praying to item-X for assurance it exists makes no sense unless, on some level, I've already accepted all sorts of claims about the existence of this item and how it operates—even while I attempt to assure others I haven't presupposed these claims to be valid. I'm certainly throwing out everything I have learned in life about how to determine whether or not something exists and how to determine truth value, and it appears I've also, to some significant degree, accepted all the terms laid down by superstition in my search. And if I was truly skeptical—is this really how I'd go about it? Would I see proof of the validity of a god on supernatural terms? Or would I go with what I know to be tried and true in existent reality?
But that's a huge digression. Back to "why" and "how." Definitions can change, I understand. And I will be the first to admit that people I know use "why" and "how," often, interchangeably. I'm not writing to say "you're wrong." I'm writing to call out a subtle difference that may/may not speak to a difference in perspective that an atheist should be aware of when he or she is engaged by a Christian. When the Christian says, "I was asking myself, 'why is the sky blue?'" I should already be wary, because the Christian is potentially starting off asking the wrong (and potentially very loaded) question. With my prior disqualifier regarding definitions firmly in place, I'm going to appeal now to Webster for a standard, accepted definition.
"Why" is listed as basically meaning: "For what reason, cause, purpose or motive." "How" is listed as "in what manner, in what way, by what means."
Can they be used interchangeably? I think so. However, consider this: In a discussion about whether or not the universe is the result of natural causes or intelligent purpose, doesn't the term "why" carry with it the potential to muddy the waters with presupposition, whereas "how" is more unpresuming and more to the point? If a god did it, "how" will get to that. If a god didn't do it, "how" will also get to that. But if a god didn't do it, "why" may or may not get to that—depending on how we're using it.
Depending on what the Christian means by "why," the word comes preloaded to presume purpose and motive in creation. When I hear a Christian ask "Why X?," where X is a natural function, I will say, "I think you mean 'how' X." The less biased and more accurate question is "How is the sky blue?"
We use "why" rather than "how" so often that that last question may sound awkward to some. But I recommend getting used to it. And I recommend pointing out the bias that comes with a preloaded word like "why" when a Christian uses it. "Do you recognize that a more appropriate word would be 'how'—since 'why' presupposes motive in natural functions and causes? You're potentially already starting off with a bias that the universe has purpose. And since that is the very point of our debate, I have to declare that I don't know if there is any reason 'why' the sky is blue—but I believe we can discuss something of how the sky is blue; and if it leads to a purpose, so be it."
Am I being over-analytical here? I don't think so. Consider that the Christian on the phone was responding to Matt's question about what made her believe a god exi
sts. She answered that she was putting questions to herself, such as "Why is the sky blue?" What does that have to do with god unless you perceive a motive behind the reality that the sky is blue? If Matt had asked her a question about determining truth values or finding the cause of natural realities, then there probably would be no reason to consider the word "why" to have any ulterior meaning beyond it's interchangeable use with "how." But in the context of "Why do I believe an intelligent being is behind the natural universe?," the idea that someone pondered "Why is the sky blue?," takes on a whole new (pardon the pun) shade of meaning.
Make of it what you will. Draw your own conclusions. If you think I'm being too detailed in analyzing the language people use, then disregard my point entirely. But I find that definitions often are key source of misunderstandings in any discussion with a Christian. And, so, I see no reason to allow for more than will certainly already occur. "Why" has, over the years, become a red flag to me in discussions with Christians. I don't know there are any "why"s for the things they want to know. But we can talk about "how"s, if they're ready to investigate nature in an unbiased fashion.