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Santa Rosa County has received $1.76 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to replace sand on the beach that was washed away during Tropical Storm Debby last June.
NAVARRE BEACH � Santa Rosa County has received $1.76 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to replace sand on the beach that was washed away during Tropical Storm Debby last June.
Navarre Beach lost about 61,000 cubic yards of sand during the storm, Santa Rosa County Engineer Roger Blaylock said. The FEMA money will require about $600,000 in matching funds split evenly between the county and the state.
Santa Rosa started planning a new full beach restoration project last year that will begin at the end of this year or early next year. Rather than conduct an emergency renourishment project, Blaylock said the county is considering rolling that job into the full restoration project and using the FEMA money to help offset the $10.3 million cost.
The full renourishment project being planned will be about half the size and cost of the initial beach restoration work the county completed in 2006.
�We�re not having to build new dunes,� Blaylock said. �The 14�-foot dunes are still intact. It�s just the seaward beach has eroded away, which is what it was designed to do.�
Navarre Beach also lost sand during Hurricane Isaac last August. The county applied last month for $764,000 in disaster assistance elated to Isaac.
�We look forward to getting a timely response from FEMA relative to Hurricane Isaac and then discussing it with the board about the timing of our renourishment project and using these funds to offset the major project,� Blaylock said.
County Commissioners will have to decide how they want to move forward with the job. The county�s consulting team has already begun the permitting work for the full project and plans will have to be developed.
One of the biggest hurdles will be figuring out how to fund it.
The 2006 beach restoration project added 3.4 million cubic yards of sand to 3.7 miles of Navarre Beach. It cost about $21 million, with the state funding $12.6 million. Navarre Beach leaseholders paid about $7 million through a municipal services benefit unit and the county funded slightly more than $1.5 million.
Blaylock said the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has told the county that it will not to fund as much of the project as in 2006.
The city of Destin also has applied to FEMA for disaster assistance funds from Hurricane Isaac to recoup the added cost of its recently completed beach restoration project on Holiday Isle.
The project was originally expected to cost $6.77 million, but Isaac eroded the beach further. Additional sand was needed to complete the work, which added $700,000 to the bill. The final cost was $7.5 million.
�We haven�t heard back from FEMA,� said Lindey Chabot, Destin�s grants and projects manager. �We assume that it will be approved, but we don�t know that yet.�
Walton County did not have enough erosion to ask for help from FEMA, said county spokesman Louis Svehla.
Contact Daily News Business Editor Dusty Ricketts at 850-315-4448 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @DustyRnwfdn.


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March 11, 2010-Night Moves, v3
It started out small but by 6:30 you could surf on it; long, dark, rollers sweeping in from the North. We had no idea where they came from (other than the north) since the wind was from the east but they were here, they were big, and it was the last straw for the anchorage we were in on the north end of Koh Yao Yai.
Damn! We had to move, no question about that.
It was disappointing. Earlier in the day, while sailing past, we'd scoped out this place and in a settled easterly wind it was a gorgeous: 20 feet of clear water, complete protection from the East and a nice white sand beach to look at while sipping our 5:00 glass of white wine. We came back and anchored that afternoon with high expectations.
We didn't ask for too much: Just give us the predicted easterly wind, the wind we had all day, the wind in the forecast, some flat water, and let this place be as nice in the night as it was when we saw it in the daytime.
Nature laughs at us.
First there was the tide against the wind. We had the easterly wind alright, and some northerly, and also some southerly, but no matter which way the wind blew we faced south into the flood tide. Bummer! When the boat does not swing to the wind direction the motion is not comfortable and the ventilation below doesn't work. But we can live with it.
Then the squalls came. First out of the south, then the west, finally the north. Rain, wind, waves. Ugly! But squalls blow over, we can wait these out.
But when the swell arrived…We're moving, NOW!
Not much light at 6:30 PM but we decided to go to Ao Labu, a big bay to the south of us about 5 miles which we rejected earlier because it was shallow and you couldn't get in very far, plus we knew the easterly winds would fairly whistle through the bay due to the low isthmus on its east side. We knew all this; we'd been there before.
wingssail images-judy jensen
Planning a night move
And what choice did we have? We couldn't stay where we were and on this part of Phang Nga Bay there are damn few anchorages and none which are very good. Ao Labu it is. Besides, we knew the place and we felt we could go in after dark. Night moves are sometimes required.
In the growing darkness we weighed anchor and began motoring rapidly south along the Yao Yai shoreline not taking time to set the sails or even to switch off the gas barbeque but comforted at the fact that we were taking action rather than sitting in the heaving swells all night and hating every minute of it, unable to relax for a moment; we had regained control of our own destiny. The move itself was uneventful; Wings did her job, engine running smoothly, autopilot working, navigation and steaming lights on. The distant headland guarding Ao Labu was still visible when we got underway but in the gathering gloom it soon turned into a black shape and I watched it as we drew nearer, Judy frequently ducking below to track the position and progress on the electronic chart displayed on the computer in the nav station. She gave heading changes to me which guided us down the coast and finally around the corner into Ao Labu where, thankfully, the swells were blocked and the wind was gentle and steady out of the east.
So that is how we came to anchor at Ao Labu in the pitch black night, navigating by electronic chart and the depth sounder, creeping our way in until we got to 18 feet and there were anchor lights around us. We dropped the hook.
After that things got better; it was calm and we could rest the night.
Tomorrow morning we'll see where exactly we are.
Click here for another image of the Ao Labu chart
Click here to see the log book pages of our sailing trips in March 2010
Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Thailand

subset: commoncrawl


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"Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday Dear Nini
Happy Birthday to YOU!"
Yes, my litttle girl turned 6 today...
And Om and I got to spend part of the day with her class as it was Culture Day and parents were welcome to join in. So, we cut her birthday cake for the class around snack time in the morning after the Unity Circle. She was so excited she stayed up late and woke up early this morning... excitement was partly for the birthday and partly for being allowed to dress all fancy for Culture Day... the signs of exhaustion were apparent around playtime when she got upset that all her friends wanted to play with her bro... the pout lasted a good half an hour till lunch. When she started fussing, Om ran to the teacher and asked for help... he figured out all by himself that mom is not in-charge in a school setting and the teacher is the boss man... He did not complain, he asked very politely, ' Can you help? My sister Anusha Nini is crying... pease!' (and, no I did not misspell that :) I was just watching the whole drama unfold and the roles each of the kids involved assumed... play is such a clear giveaway of personalities! Anywhoo, she got over it soon enough and it was back to hugs and kisses, roses and sunshine once again in their little world and amidst cheers and claps they beat open the pinata with the help of Trey's dad.
We are ready to go out for dinner now and looking forward to a fun evening!


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|Columbia, MD.
|High School:
2014 Outdoor: Finished 21st in the 10,000m run at the 2014 America East Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Vermont… Also competed in the 1,500m and 5,000m events during the spring season… Clocked his best 5k time of 15:12.28 at the Colonial Relays at William and Mary… Selected to the America East All-Academic Team… Named to the America East Commissioner's Honor Roll.
2013-14 Indoor: Competed in the 3,000m run at the 2014 America East Indoor Track and Field Championships in New York, placing 15th overall… Recorded a top season 3k time of 8:38.79 while finishing fourth at the Navy Invitational… Raced in the one mile event at the NYU Team Challenge, finishing in 13th with a time of 4:22.82.
2013 Outdoor: Finished tenth in the 5,000m run at the 2013 America East Championships…Recorded a career-best time in the 5k event at the Mason Invitational by crossing the line in 15:06.34… His time ranks ninth all-time in school history… Also competed in the 1,500 during the season, registering a season-best time of 4:03.58 at the Morgan State Legacy Meet... Named to the America East Commissioner's Honor Roll.
2012-13 Indoor: Placed 11th in the 3,000m run at the 2013 America East Indoor Championships with a time of 8:42.09… Set a career-best in the event earlier in the season at the Penn State Nationals with a time of 8:30.37, the fifth-fastest time in school history.
2012 Outdoor: Ran UMBC's second-fastest time of the season in the 5,000m run, 15:13.67, placing 15th at the Duke Invitational... Finished 23rd in the 5,000m run at the conference meet with a time of 15:58.26... Named to the America East Commissioner's Honor Roll.
2011-12 Indoor: Placed eighth in the one-mile run with a time of 4:19.08 at the America East Championships... His time ranks tenth all-time in UMBC program history.
Background: Holds five individual records and helped set three relay records while competing in cross country and track at Reservoir High... Won the 2010 Howard County cross country championship... Helped lead the Gators to the 2010 outdoor track and field state championship... A member of the National Honor Society.
Personal: Son of Greg and Maureen Schuler... Has two brothers, Brian and Jason... Majoring in computer science and would like to work as a software developer... Born Apr. 24, 1993.


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Hey everyone,
What would it be like to hang out with Jim Carrey at his house?
For me if i'd get to hang out at his place I'd be so happy I would be so astounded as to how huge his place really is and so would my boyfriend, and friends get to hang out at his place too. If we hung out at Jim's place he'd show us around and then watch movies on his big screen tv, I'd also bring my old Nintendo consoles plus my Nintendo Wii so we could all play video games. and his place would smell of his scent his cologne. He'd also have a nice dinner and snacks made up for us too he'd be a great A hostess, we'd have such a great time at his house.


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Restore factory condition with Bosch spare parts.
With our original spare parts and reliable technical support, you can repair your dryer and still maintain its high quality. That way, you can be sure it will keep on running smoothly for the longest possible time.


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Fire Safety Tips
Know the following:
- Who to contact - If the event of a fire, immediately contact DPS at (202) 651-5555 (Video/Videophone), (202) 651-5444 (TTY), use the DPS email address (email@example.com), or dial 911 and report the incident.
- Closest emergency exit - Count the number of doors on your floor to the closest emergency exit. If you were crawling on the ground how many doors until you get to the exit door. Know alternate exit routes just in case one is blocked. The reality is you will not be able to stand up in the event of a fire.
- Smoke alarm - Look around your room or office to learn where your smoke alarm and fire alarm light is located.
- No Smoking - That includes trying to sneak one by a window, in your room or office. Fires from smoking related products are the cause of many fires.
- Reduce the number of posters and papers on your wall - They allow vertical fires to spread rapidly.
- Minimize extension cords - Use power strips and extension cords with UL approval only. No hiding extension cords under rugs.
- Practice fire drills - Yes they do interrupt your sleep or work but they may save your life in the event of an emergency.
- Fire extinguishers - know where the fire extinguishers are located on your floor, wing, or office. Do not use these safety tools as toys.
According to the District of Columbia Fire Prevention Division (Informational Bulletin, 2008-3) apartments and houses all must comply with applicable fire codes. The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs is responsible for the issuance of a business license and occupancy permit for rental housing. Make sure your residence is a licensed dwelling. A licensed dwelling is inspected to insure compliance with codes.
Know the following:
- Who to contact - If the event of a fire, immediately dial 911 and report the fire incident.
- Smoke alarms - Make sure there are working smoke alarms in all sleeping areas and hallways, stairwells etc.
- Test the alarms to make sure they are working. If the dwelling does not have any smoke alarms, contact the Office of the Fire Marshal at (202) 727-1600 to report missing alarms or any other fire code violation.
- Flashing Smoke Alarms for D.C. Residents – The DC Fire and EMS Department will provide free flashing smoke detectors for the homes of city residents. Request smoke alarms online on the DCFEMS website.
- Know two ways out of every room. Make sure all windows will open. If bars are installed on the windows they must be releasable or removable from the inside without the use of a key, tool or force greater than that which is required for normal operation of the window.
- Have and practice an escape plan; make sure all occupants understand. Have a common meeting point outside the dwelling. Don't re-enter the building once you have left.
- If the dwelling utilizes fossil burning fuels, a carbon monoxide detector should be installed to detect any carbon monoxide leaks.
- Keep candles away from flammable items and never leave one burning unattended.
- Don't overload extension cords, only used UL approved extension cords and power strips. Don't daisy chain multiple power strips.
- Keep a UL-listed multipurpose fire extinguisher in the home, if an apartment an extinguisher should be mounted in a cabinet or mounted on the wall in the hallway. Make sure extinguisher is in date and fully charged.
- If you use a space heater, make sure it is UL approved and is not operating too close to combustible items including bedding and clothing. Kerosene heaters are illegal to use in the District of Columbia.
- If you do smoke make sure all cigarettes are placed into ashtrays. Before dumping ashtrays, pour small amount of water to cover all smoking materials.
- If your dwelling has a fireplace make sure all ashes are cleaned and place in approved containers. Never put ashes in paper bags or dispose of close to dwellings.
Additional Fire Safety Resources
You will need Adobe Reader to view these PDF documents. Adobe Acrobat reader is free software that can be downloaded from the Adobe Reader website.


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CHELSEA BOSS RAFAEL Benitez said he may rest Fernando Torres in the coming weeks along with several other first-team players.
The Spanish striker has played 33 times this season in all competitions including all of the Blues' festive fixtures which his manager believes may have been too much for him.
He told reporters: "Fernando is one of the players who needs to rest. Two or three players have been playing too many games in the last weeks and months.
"Managing that was going well but against QPR it didn't work. Some of the players couldn't get to the level we were expecting.
"Without talking about names, if you have another striker you can play with two strikers if you need to.
"Or if you want to rest a striker then you can do that and at the moment we are a bit short."
Benitez has conceded it will be difficult for his side to close the gap on Manchester United at the top of the Premier League table with 14 points now separating the two sides.
"I haven't been worried about the league table, I've just talked about one game at a time and now it's the same situation," the Spaniard added.
"If you can't win your games it will be more difficult but the priority is to think about the next game and give the players the confidence that we had before.
"We will analyse what went wrong and try to carry on with the things that we were doing really well.
Signed, sealed, delivered: West Ham complete Maguire deal>
Super Mario World: 25 reasons why it's always Balotelli>


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- This event has passed.
Advanced Hands-on Locksmithing
August 27 - August 28| $375 per person
Workshop location information will be included with the registration receipt.
Payment Options
- Check
Mail a check payable to:
Training Services Association
1959 Cassim Lane
Tucson, AZ 85704
- Credit Card
Our office accepts Visa and MasterCard payments. In order to protect your online security, we only accept credit card transactions via telephone. Call us at 520-297-3868 for details.
- Purchase Orders
Contact us or call 520-297-3868 for details.


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Subscribe To Christian Bale Reveals The Origin Of His Batman Voice And How His Wife Found It Dumb Updates
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Now that Christian Bale no longer has to don the Dark Knight's cowl and cape, he's downright chatty about all things Batman! While he's technically doing the press rounds for writer-director Scott Cooper's Crazy Heart follow-up, Out of the Furnace, Bale's been winning headlines by dishing on how his Batman came to be and what his thoughts are on Ben Affleck and BatKid taking up the caped crusader's mantle.
Sitting down with MTV, Bale not only restated his pleasure in seeing the character get passed on, but also revealed the inspiration for the Batman voice that has become a signature part of his performance. He admitted the growling voice was something he took with him into the audition, where he famously had to wear Val Kilmer's old batsuit. Bale explains:
"I got there. They put me in Val Kilmer's suit. It didn't even fit properly, and I stood in it and I went 'I feel like an idiot.' What kind of guy walks around, dressed like a bat? And is then going to go 'Hello, how are you? Just ignore that I'm dressed as a bat.' Of course, he's meant to be doing this. If you look at the history of the guy and the pain that he went through. I went 'I can't do this in a normal voice. I have to become a beast in order to sell this to myself.'"
The audition he mentions above is now available as part of the The Dark Knight Trilogy: Ultimate Collector's Edition, and Bale is not terribly happy about it. "I hate it when they do that," he explains, "because when you audition for it, (you don't think of the possibility of the video getting out). They get you at your most vulnerable moment, the bastards." In case you missed it, here's a clip of his audition for Batman Begins.
Ultimately, Bale's BatVoice™ is part of what helped win him the coveted role. But he says when he got home from the audition, he was far from certain he landed it. He recalls:
"I went home that evening, and my wife said, 'How'd it go?' I went, 'I kind of did this.' And I showed her, and she went, 'Well, you f---ed that one up, didn't you?' Thank God they went for it. It ain't for everybody, you know. Ben is obviously going to have to do his own thing. But it was the only way that I could find to get into that."
You can watch the full Batman-centric interview clip here:


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Connecticut lawmakers are reviewing mental health care following the Newtown school shooting, even though they and the public have little insight into what might have been ailing the 20-year-old gunman.
A prosecutor said he cannot release any information about Adam Lanza's mental health because of state conduct rules for attorneys.
His office is reviewing whether details of Lanza's mental state can be released to the public after the police report is completed, possibly in June.
A legislative panel on Tuesday took testimony on potential changes to the state's mental health system.
State Rep. DebraLee Hovey said she and others who represent Newtown are "nervous about different conversations occurring without all of the information." But she says it's never too soon to analyze the system.


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"I've given up being socially acceptable."
"Yellowstone Super-Volcano. Total Financial Collapse. Over Population. Government Takeover. Worldwide Pandemic. Skynet."
Yep, I stumbled upon "Doomsday Preppers" on NatGeo. If you are unfamiliar with this intimate glimpse into the lives of the proud and paranoid Americans who will be our post-apocalyptic overlords, let me try and give a brief overview. Quick and dirty premise: the world is going to collapse, these people are going to survive and be just fine as their preparations for this collapse will allow them to survive and thrive. It's almost as if these people were meant to live in a time and place where no one else had to interact with them...on any level. My apologies, I shouldn't call them "these people", they refer to themselves as "preppers". As near as I can tell, preppers fall into two categories. Individuals who believe that an armory larger than the local National Guard base and faith in God Almighty will save them, and individuals who believe that their solar and wind power-run organic farm will be all they need to live out their days in patchouli-scented peace. There's a third category: individuals diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia recently released from the secure psych ward of their local hospital...I'm fairly certain this category encompasses the two previously mentioned categories.
After each prepper explains the catastrophe they think will end the world, they explain how they have, and are continuing to prepare for it, how they're not crazy, and how their family (really, truly, wholeheartedly) agrees with their chosen lifestyle. Once you get to see their bunker, their bullets, and the car running on nothing but bacon grease and positive vibes, the "experts" give them a score (how they became experts is unclear).
Still reading? Good. You score high on patience. This will be needed when you have to wait for 1,000 years for radiation levels to be safe following a nuclear reactor meltdown.
All this talk of killer monkey hordes learning to talk and taking over the world got me thinking, what have I done to get ready for the apocalypse? It didn't take much time to ponder...I have a bottle of good Scotch and that's about the extent of it. I can most likely trade this for food, or be drunk for the inevitable knock on my door from the T-1000's. Do T-1000's knock?
Resigned to my fate, I sat down at my desk and started to draw up my Apocalypse Health Care Directive (I'll put one together for you for a modest $49.99).
"If (when) the birds of Earth go crazy and attack and I am left pecked and clawed but still breathing, smash my head with a brick. Do not waste your ammunition, as you will need it."...and so it continued well into the night. The events described in the show may happen, but I believe that getting invaded by aliens, attacked by zombies, or machines evolving and using us as batteries is more likely, so I had a lot of writing to do. Personally? The sheer number of documentaries about zombie apocalypses has made me certain this will happen in my lifetime, so the zombie section was easy, if not extensive.
"If bitten, end me. Do not under any circumstances keep me locked up in a barn with other zombies while you wait for a nonexistent cure. Also, if, during the zombie apocalypse, my wife and kid turn out to be evil, soul-sucking trolls, please just let my best friend kill me."It continued for pages and pages...like I said, extensive.
At some point, I fell asleep at my desk and began to dream about trying to save my Packers stock from a horde of Viking fan undead. It was a vivid dream even if it is often difficult to tell a zombie Viking fan from a living, breathing one. Waking up, I glanced at my Packers share hanging on the wall and had an epiphany. I may not have prepped in the crazy, tin foil hat kind of way, but I was the proud owner of the perfect post-apocolyptic domicile. As an owner of Packers, I hereby stake my claim on Lambeau Field as my doomsday bunker.
"Franklin, you have no backup food supplies, you lack adequate access to fresh, uncontaminated water, your security measures consist of a six-iron, a frying pan, and a three foot length of 2x4, you currently reside in the middle of Minneapolis, surrounded by Viking fans who will likely not provide support during a catastrophe...
...you were given ownership of the Green Bay Packers as a gift, from someone who obviously is watching out for your well-being. If, during a zombie apocalypse, you hole up in Lambeau Field, you have an excellent chance of survival. Lambeau Field has an enormous supply of food, and if your stay there is indefinite, you will be able to grow crops and raise animals on the field. The number of cold and hot tubs, water bottles, and gatorade jugs means you will have plenty of storage for your water supplies. The security at Lambeau Field is impeccable. Franklin, you are not a zombie whose sole focus is eating brains, and you were unable to breach Lambeau's walls. You will have clear sight lines due to the height of the stadium and the open parking lots surrounding the stadium. A high-powered rifle will allow you to pick off the undead as needed. If you need to venture from the stadium, there is plenty of armor in the form of pads and helmets that will help protect you. I would recommend enlisting the support of Tom Crabtree, as he has a vote of confidence from those close to him in the event of a zombie apocalypse. Also, his Modern Warfare experience and extensive viewing of "The Walking Dead" should increase your chances of survival. If you are able to learn the intricacies of solar and wind energy, you should be able to generate enough electricity to power the HD video screen to watch movies, play video games, and watch Ted Thompson's DII scouting films to gain some distraction from the monotony of the end of the world.
All in all, you will most likely survive the zombie apocalypse in Lambeau Field, however, several others may claim the stadium as their survival bunker. We recommend that you quietly start auditioning these people to determine which will be most beneficial to you while living in Zombieland. This one has promise, but you must do the research on your own."
Those weren't direct quotes from the producers, but I'm sure they wouldn't be far off. I know some of you may also claim ownership, but this post serves as my post-apocalyptic claim. Rest assured, if you send in your proposal as to why you would make an exceptional bunker mate, I will review them all and respond in a timely fashion. Extra consideration will be given to those who can make cheese or beer. Bears or Vikings fans need not apply.
Oh, one more thing, you have to like R.E.M.


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Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, for the second week in a row, left a game with an injury. But this time he couldn't lead his team to a win when he returned.
Auburn continued is resurrection Saturday, upsetting the No. 7 Aggies 45-41 in College Station, Texas. The Tigers got a 5-yard touchdown run from Tre Mason with 1:19 to play go ahead by four points. Manziel and the Aggies (5-2, 2-2 SEC), who had three timeouts at their disposal, took the field and immediately marched into Auburn territory. But the Tigers sacked him twice for losses of 8 and 22 yards on two of the game's final three plays.
BOX SCORE: Tigers 45, No. 7 Aggies 41
PHOTO: Manziel in pain
Manziel had left Saturday's game against Auburn in the fourth quarter after injuring his right shoulder on a running play. Auburn's Nick Marshall threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 100 yards and two more scores for Auburn (6-1, 3-1), which lost 63-21 to the Aggies last season.
As was the case last Saturday, when he was briefly sidelined against Mississippi, Manziel returned to the Aggies' offense after missing only a single series. He proceeded to lead Texas A&M on a 12-play, 75-yard drive that he ended with a 1-yard TD run. The touchdown gave the Aggies a 41-38 lead with 5:05 to play.
For the game, Manziel threw for 454 yards and four touchdowns and ran for a fifth TD, while also throwing two interceptions.
The injury occurred as Manziel lowered his shoulder near Auburn's goal line, looking to gain extra yards with A&M ahead 31-24 with roughly 14 minutes left to play in the final quarter. Manziel was tackled by a pair of defense, falling forward with his weight on his right, throwing shoulder. The Aggies would eventually hit a field goal to take a 34-24 lead.
FOR THE WIN: Manziel leaves, scores
HIGHLIGHTS: How the top 25 teams fared in Week 8
Manziel stood up after the hit and took several steps toward A&M's sideline, gesturing toward either the Aggies' coaching or medical staff, before falling to the turf.
According to a report by CBS, which televised the game, A&M's medical staff took time looking at Manziel's shoulder, elbow and arm, and that Manziel engaged in a lengthy conversation with the team doctor.
Manziel was never taken to the locker room, which might mark a more serious injury – one that would demand an x-ray, for instance – but was escorted to an area beneath the team bench, out of sight from the crowd, where A&M has a separate training table and area.
A&M worked on Manziel there, according to CBS, and eventually brought him a football for him to attempt a pass before reentering the game.
Auburn would score two touchdowns with Manziel sidelined, giving the Tigers a 38-34 lead with nine minutes left.
Manziel injured his left knee on a rollout during last week's win at Mississippi, though he returned to lead the Aggies on a game-winning drive as time expired.


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Should you buy stocks?
NEW YORK — It took 5½ years, but the Dow on Tuesday finally crossed over its record closing high of 14,164.53 set in October of 2007.
Now what?
UPDATE: Dow hits new all-time high (again)
For investors, the question is pretty much the same as the one posed by English punk rock band The Clash in 1981 in its popular tune Should I Stay or Should I Go.
INTERACTIVE TIMELINE: Record-setting Dow
CHART: How the Dow 30 stocks have performed
DOW AT ALL-TIME HIGH: Pop the bubbly!
SHOULD YOU SELL STOCKS: Bears make their case for selling
Given that dilemma, we'll let investors make up their own minds. For a look at the bullish call, here are five reasons to buy now:
1. Bull has gas left in tank. History says there's more money to be made. The bull, which began in March 2009, is just entering its fourth and final stage, Laszlo Birinyi, founder and president of investment research firm Birinyi Associates, said in his 2013 preview. And the last phase, which he dubs the "exuberance" stage, historically has been a wildly profitable one for investors, with average gains of 38.7% in bulls since 1962. The first stage is "reluctance" (average gains of 49.4%), followed by "consolidation" (+6.4%), "acceptance" (+18.8%) and finally exuberance. "Our view," Birinyi wrote, "is that we are in the fourth leg of a bull market which will extend through most of 2013."
OUTLOOK: Does Dow's new high signal start of lengthy advance?
2. No signs of recession ahead. Economic contractions are often the cause of stocks heading lower. But incoming economic data are "not indicating that a recession is imminent," says James Stack, editor of InvesTech Research newsletter. He points to recent surveys that showed that both manufacturing and the services portion of the economy topped analysts' expectations in February and are at levels that suggest growth not contraction. An improving jobs market and a recovery in the housing market are also big economic pluses.
USA TODAY's Matt Krantz talks about today's record setting day on Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrial average jumped to an all-time high.
3. Cash stockpiles are ample. Capital is the fuel that powers bull markets. And right now there is no shortage of cash available that could eventually find its way into the stock market. "There's a lot of cash sloshing around the system," Birinyi notes. At the end of 2012, there was nearly $10 trillion parked in money market funds, bank savings accounts and certificates of deposit, according to Federal Reserve data. There's also another $1 trillion that has been funneled into bond funds in the past five years ended in 2012 by risk-averse investors, according to the Investment Company Institute, a fund company trade group. Add to that the roughly $1 trillion in cash sitting on balance sheets of non-financial companies in the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index, and you are talking about a lot of potential firepower.
TRACK YOUR STOCKS: Get real-time quotes with our free Portfolio Tracker
4. Shift from bonds to stocks underway. Wall Street is dubbing it the "Great Rotation." In short, that catchy phrase describes an investor mind-set shift from playing it safe to taking risks again. And the asset allocation shift is already underway, according to Michael Hartnett, chief investment strategist at BofA Merrill Lynch. Want proof? In the seven weeks ended Feb. 20, net inflows to stock mutual funds totaled $54.2 billion. January marked the first month of positive cash flows for stock funds in a year, according to ICI data.
Hadley Malcolm talks to USA TODAY's Jim Henderson about the Dow reaching a new record high. USA TODAY, Kaveh Rezaei,
5. Market still priced right. Despite the Dow's 118% gain since the March 2009 low, stocks aren't pricey by historical standards. The broad market, as measured by the S&P 500, is trading at less than 15 times last year's earnings. That's not only lower than the average price-to-earnings ratio of 18.8 since 1998, but it is also lower than the peak P-Es in the past five bull markets, according to LPL Financial. In short, bull markets don't typically end with P-Es this low. At the last market peak, in 2007, the S&P 500 was trading at nearly 17 times earnings. Stocks were even more richly priced in 2000 when the P-E topped 28, LPL data show. "Bull markets end at higher stock market valuations," says Jeff Kleintop, chief market strategist at LPL.


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Jack Balkin invited me to be on a panel yesterday at Yale's Information Society Project conference, Journalism & The New Media Ecology, and I used my remarks to observe that one of the things up for grabs in the current news environment is the nature of authority. In particular, I noted that people trust new classes of aggregators and filters, whether Google or Twitter or Wikipedia (in its 'breaking news' mode.)
I called this tendency algorithmic authority. I hadn't used that phrase before yesterday, so it's not well worked out (and I didn't coin it — as Jeff Jarvis noted at the time, Google lists a hundred or so previous occurrences.) There's a lot to be said on the subject, but as a placeholder for a well-worked-out post, I wanted to offer a rough and ready definition here.
As this is the first time I've written about this idea, this a bit of a ramble. I'll take on authority briefly, then add the importance of algorithms.
Khotyn is a small town in Moldova. That is a piece of information about Eastern European geography, and one that could be right or could be wrong. You've probably never heard of Khotyn, so you have to decide if you're going to take my word for it. (The "it" you'd be taking my word for is your belief that Khotyn is a town in Moldova.)
Do you trust me? You don't have much to go on, and you'd probably fall back on social judgement — do other people vouch for my knowledge of European geography and my likelihood to tell the truth? Some of these social judgments might be informal — do other people seem to trust me? — while others might be formal — do I have certification from an institution that will vouch for my knowledge of Eastern Europe? These groups would in turn have to seem trustworthy for you to accept their judgment of me. (It's turtles all the way down.)
The social characteristic of deciding who to trust is a key feature of authority — were you to say "I have it on good authority that Khotyn is a town in Moldova", you'd be saying that you trust me to know and disclose that information accurately, not just because you trust me, but because some other group has vouched, formally or informally, for my trustworthiness.
This is a compressed telling, and swerves around many epistemological potholes, such as information that can't be evaluated independently ("I love you"), information that is correct by definition ("The American Psychiatric Association says there is a mental disorder called psychosis"), or authorities making untestable propositions ("God hates it when you eat shrimp.") Even accepting those limits, though, the assertion that Khotyn is in Moldova provides enough of an illustration here, because it's false. Khotyn is in Ukraine.
And this is where authority begins to work its magic. If you told someone who knew better about the Moldovan town of Khotyn, and they asked where you got that incorrect bit of information, you'd have to say "Some guy on the internet said so." See how silly you'd feel?
Now imagine answering that question "Well, Encyclopedia Britannica said so!" You wouldn't be any less wrong, but you'd feel less silly. (Britannica did indeed wrongly assert, for years, that Khotyn was in Moldova, one of a collection of mistakes discovered in 2005 by a boy in London.) Why would you feel less silly getting the same wrong information from Britannica than from me? Because Britannica is an authoritative source.
Authority thus performs a dual function; looking to authorities is a way of increasing the likelihood of being right, and of reducing the penalty for being wrong. An authoritative source isn't just a source you trust; it's a source you and other members of your reference group trust together. This is the non-lawyer's version of "due diligence"; it's impossible to be right all the time, but it's much better to be wrong on good authority than otherwise, because if you're wrong on good authority, it's not your fault.
(As an aside, the existence of sources everyone accepts can be quite pernicious — in the US, the ratings agencies Moodys, Standard & Poor's, and Fitch did more than any other group of institutions to bring the global financial system to the brink of ruin, by debauching their assertions to investors about the riskiness of synthetic assets. Those investors accepted the judgement of the ratings agencies because everyone else was too. Like everything social, this is not a problem with a solution, just a dilemma with various equilibrium states, each of which in turn has characteristic disadvantages.)
Algorithmic authority is the decision to regard as authoritative an unmanaged process of extracting value from diverse, untrustworthy sources, without any human standing beside the result saying "Trust this because you trust me." This model of authority differs from personal or institutional authority, and has, I think, three critical characteristics.
First, it takes in material from multiple sources, which sources themselves are not universally vetted for their trustworthiness, and it combines those sources in a way that doesn't rely on any human manager to sign off on the results before they are published. This is how Google's PageRank algorithm works, it's how Twitscoop's zeitgeist measurement works, it's how Wikipedia's post hoc peer review works. At this point, its just an information tool.
Second, it produces good results, and as a consequence people come to trust it. At this point, it's become a valuable information tool, but not yet anything more.
The third characteristic is when people become aware not just of their own trust but of the trust of others: "I use Wikipedia all the time, and other members of my group do as well." Once everyone in the group has this realization, checking Wikipedia is tantamount to answering the kinds of questions Wikipedia purports to answer, for that group. This is the transition to algorithmic authority.
As the philosopher John Searle describes social facts, they rely on the formulation X counts as Y in C — in this case, Wikipedia comes to count as an acceptable source of answers for a particular group.
There's a spectrum of authority from "Good enough to settle a bar bet" to "Evidence to include in a dissertation defense", and most uses of algorithmic authority right now cluster around the inebriated end of that spectrum, but the important thing is that it is a spectrum, that algorithmic authority is on it, and that current forces seem set to push it further up the spectrum to an increasing number and variety of groups that regard these kinds of sources as authoritative.
There are people horrified by this prospect, but the criticism that Wikipedia, say, is not an "authoritative source" is an attempt to end the debate by hiding the fact that authority is a social agreement, not a culturally independent fact. Authority is as a authority does.
It's also worth noting that algorithmic authority isn't tied to digital data or even late-model information tools. The design of Wikileaks and Citizendium and Apache all use human vetting by actors prized for their expertise as a key part of the process. What seems important is that the decision to trust Google search, say, can't be explained as a simple extension of previous models. (Whereas the old Yahoo directory model was, specifically, an institutional model, and one that failed at scale.)
As more people come to realize that not only do they look to unsupervised processes for answers to certain questions, but that their friends do as well, those groups will come to treat those resources as authoritative. Which means that, for those groups, they will be authoritative, since there's no root authority to construct from. (I lied before. It's not turtles all the way down; its a network of inter-referential turtles.)
Now there are boundary problems with this definition, of course; we trust spreadsheet tools to handle large data sets we can't inspect by eye, and we trust scientific results in part because of the scientific method. Also, although Wikipedia doesn't ask you to trust particular contributors, it is not algorithmic in the same way PageRank is. As a result, the name may be better replaced by something else.
But the core of the idea is this: algorithmic authority handles the "Garbage In, Garbage Out" problem by accepting the garbage as an input, rather than trying to clean the data first; it provides the output to the end user without any human supervisor checking it at the penultimate step; and these processes are eroding the previous institutional monopoly on the kind of authority we are used to in a number of public spheres, including the sphere of news.


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Political Leaders No Closer to Sequester Solution
(WASHINGTON) -- Fresh off a golf trip in Florida, President Obama seized the pulpit Tuesday to shame Congress into action, hoping to avert the looming sequester spending cuts poised to take effect at the end of the month.
"They haven't come together and done their jobs, and so as a consequence, we've got these automatic, brutal spending cuts that are poised to happen next Friday," Obama said. "I am willing to work with anybody to get this job done."
As of Wednesday afternoon, not much had changed.
House Speaker John Boehner "is on the road this week for his House Republican team," according to an aide, even raising money off the sequester stalemate plaguing Congress. The aide said "for the past few days," Boehner has been in Florida "contrasting Democrats' failure to address our government's spending problem with Republican efforts to replace the president's sequester, cut spending, and put the nation on a path to balance the budget within 10 years."
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is fundraising in Florida and Texas this week, an aide says, and participating in a women's forum Wednesday with Rep. Lois Frankel in Palm Beach County. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are not at the Capitol either on Wednesday.
With lawmakers on legislative recess in their congressional districts, the sequester hangs over Washington like an ominous cloud, almost certain to wash away $85 billion in spending on March 1 – the first wave in a 10-year plan to cut $1.2 trillion in defense and domestic spending.
The sequester that strikes next week represents a 2.2-percent reduction in federal spending, which is projected to total $3.8 trillion this fiscal year.
Wednesday, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned that the Pentagon is poised to furlough 800,000 civilian employees if sequestration takes place on March 1, saving almost $5 billion.
"If sequestration is not avoided, the magnitude of the potential reductions will damage force readiness, slow major acquisition programs, and necessitate civilian furlough actions that will negatively affect our federal civilian workforce," Panetta warned. "Sequestration will put us on a path toward a hollow force and inflict serious damage on our national security."
Boehner and congressional Republicans continue to stress that Senate Democrats must first pass a bill in the upper chamber to establish a negotiating point against the GOP's proposal to offset sequestration, which passed in the last Congress.
"Despite dire warnings from his own Secretary of Defense for more than a year that the sequester would 'hollow out' our military, the president has yet to put forward a specific plan that can pass his Democratic-controlled Senate, and has exerted no pressure on the Democratic leadership of the Senate to actually pass legislation to replace the sequester he proposed," Boehner, R-Ohio, wrote in a statement reacting to Panetta's letter Wednesday. "As the commander-in-chief, President Obama is ultimately responsible for our military readiness, so it's fair to ask: what is he doing to stop his sequester that would 'hollow out' our Armed Forces?"
An aide to the speaker ruled out any one-on-one negotiations between Boehner and President Obama unless Senate Democrats first pass legislation to establish a baseline for discussions. Only then will Republicans considering further action, the aide maintained, although the source said Boehner would welcome a phone call from the president.
Earlier Wednesday, a group of House Democrats held a conference call with reporters urging Boehner to call the House of Representatives back in session. The House of Representatives next meets for legislative business on Feb. 25, beginning a four-day workweek that ends when sequestration takes hold March 1.
Even though Congress is not in session this week, the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee will hold a hearing at the Capitol Thursday to examine the "impact of sequestration on the American economy, middle-class families, and small businesses." Pelosi, D-Calif., is not expected to attend the event.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio


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Could sex with robots help extend human life spans? Some futurists seem to think so. An article on the website, Transhumanity, argues that robot lovers could help extend life spans by giving users mind-blowing "longevity orgasms" far superior to those from human "meat-bag" partners.
It goes on to say that, "Sexbots will be more desirable, patient and eager than their meat-bag competition plus their anatomy will feature sexplosive devices".
Are you frickin' kidding me?
Have any of you sexbot makers seen The Terminator? How about The Matrix? Ummmm, you don't need Nostradamus to tell you this is a disaster waiting to happen.
Let me make this very simple. Sexbots equal the end of the human race.
First of all, there's a balance among us "meat-bags". Sometimes we men don't get what we want or when we want it. See, that's a good thing. Because if I can plug in "Robo-Ho" and her upgraded lady parts that have no stop signs along the way…well, I'm never leaving my house again. Ever. And by ever I mean frickin' ever. Well, maybe part time. Just enough to pay the electric bill. Because other than taking a few moments to shell out a few bucks to them, the only thing I'll be doing is repeatedly getting all in that software. I'll be rebooting my hard drive twenty, thirty times a day. And I know you ladies are saying, "Yeah, that won't last long. You'll get bored soon." Wrooooooong! How can I get bored when I'm gonna be able to put my sexbot in more positions than a Rubik's Cube?
And….the one thing men will find MOST irresistible…the deal killer for the human race…no more drama. The biggest drama I'm gonna have in my life is whether to get them equipped with a toaster or not. Hey, a man has to eat once in a while. Yep, this is a complete disaster. A sexy, freaky, kinky, hot, beautiful disaster. Now that I think about it…maybe the end of the world isn't so bad. HASHTAG – waiting on my prototype.
Meat-bag out!


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BEVERLY, MA – December 31, 2012– Cellceutix Corporation (OTCBB : CTIX ) (the "Company"), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering small molecule drugs to treat unmet medical conditions, including drug-resistant cancers and autoimmune diseases, today provides a letter from the CEO regarding developments of the Company throughout 2012 and expectations for 2013.
My fellow Cellceutix shareholders,
Looking back at the past 12 months, I could not be more pleased with the progression of our Company or more excited about 2013. It has always been our contention that Kevetrin™, our flagship anti-cancer drug, holds a great deal of promise as a potential therapeutic for a wide array of cancers and this past year has provided evidence that many leading institutions also see the potential. I'd like to take a moment and look at the progression of Kevetrin in 2012 and where it stands moving into 2013.
Company-sponsored clinical trials at Harvard University's Dana-Farber Cancer Center and partner Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center began in November testing Kevetrin for safety against solid tumors. At this time, first cohort patients are about to begin their third cycle of dosing and the second cohort – in which dosing levels were doubled – are in their first cycle of dosing. The information that we have received at this early stage of the trial so far has been very encouraging with no data being delivered outside of the parameters of the protocol. We expect some information on pharmacokinetics from the early cohorts in the near term.
European trials that are being sponsored by and hosted at a leading European University (the "University") testing Kevetrin against Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) are scheduled to begin in the first half of 2013. We have been advised that the study, a phase 1b trial, will be titled "A Multi-Center, Open-Labe, Phase 1B Study of Escalating Doses of Kevetrin (Thioureidobutyronitrile) Administered Intravenously, with Cytarabine Adminstered A) Subcutaneously, or B) Intravenously, in Patients with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)."
The protocol for the clinical trials is completed and undergoing a review process as well as other regulatory preparations progressing smoothly. The University has conducted pre-clinical research that they shared with us but asked that we not disclose the data as they "plan to publish it at a later day." A very brief summary of the data showed Kevetrin causing apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancerous cells in addition to sensitizing and optimizing the cells to maximize the effectiveness of drugs used in combination with Kevetrin. We will be releasing details about the University very shortly.
The University has indicated they are interested in a second study of Kevetrin in combination with a compound of a major European pharmaceutical company. We will update shareholders as this moves forward in 2013.
Preclinical tests are being performed at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center testing Kevetrin in combination with Pfizer, Inc.'s multikinase inhibitor drugs as potential new therapies for renal cancer and melanoma. We have seen the data and it is very exciting to us, but, again, confidentiality agreements prevent us from providing any details at this time. Moreover, data of this nature is generally not discussed so that the institutions may present their findings at industry conferences when they deem appropriate.
We disclosed in an 8-K filing with the Security and Exchange Commission on December 27 that the Company has recently been approached by one of the world's most prominent cancer centers (the "Cancer Center"), located in the Southwest United States. The organization is interested in conducting and sponsoring studies on Kevetrin at their facilities. As stated in the regulatory filing, no assurances are made or implied that an agreement will be executed, but we are optimistic that the relationship will move forward early in 2013. We have now signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement with the Cancer Center and are quickly moving forward with a Material Transfer Agreement. Further details will be provided as permitted, but we are free to say that the Cancer Center is interested in the possibility of Kevetrin as a potential therapy for myeloma. Just like the other institutions, they will perform their own preclinical testing of
Regarding Prurisol™, our leading anti-psoriasis drug candidate, a Company-sponsored Phase II/III Proof of Concept trial is on target to begin late first quarter/early second quarter 2013. This will be a relatively short trial with only 30 days of treatment and 30 days of follow-up to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Prurisol. Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. has condensed the manufacturing process, saving us time and money. Manufacturing of cGMP Prurisol is expected to begin in about a months time. Given the outstanding data from our laboratory studies and the guidance from the Food and Drug Administration that a 505(b)(2) pathway is acceptable, we have high expectations for these trials to support a larger scale, late stage clinical trial. I believe updates on these trials will be quite frequent.
Although many of the expected studies on Kevetrin will be sponsored by outside organizations, financing is still critical to advancing those drugs further into human trials. To achieve this, we are extremely pleased to have received institutional support through a $10 million common stock purchase agreement with Aspire Capital Fund LLC in December. Aspire has committed to purchase up to $10 million of our Company's common stock over the next three years at prices based on the market price at the time of each sale.
2012 has put us at the forefront of some of the leading cancer research centers in the world and I could not be more proud. Kevetrin is an extremely unique drug, actually classified as a new class of chemistry in medicine, and its ability to re-activate p53 could simply be unprecedented if it continues to show low toxicity. There is no comparison of Kevetrin to any other compound. I think that the interest that has been shown by organizations approaching us wishing to conduct and sponsor research speaks for itself as to what some of the brightest minds in oncology see in the data. It has been well publicized what a major impact a p53 drug can have on cancer research and we are excited to be at the forefront of pharmaceutical companies in that space.
We are also very eager to evaluate Prurisol in clinical trials in a matter of months. While not as high-profile as a new cancer drug, psoriasis represents a multi-billion dollar opportunity and an area of great unmet medical need. Soon clinical research on
Prurisol will begin which we anticipate will validate our laboratories studies and allow us to have a very promising late-stage clinical trial in the mid-term.
Of course, a big key to this is the new association with Aspire Capital Fund LLC. Their commitment to provide us funding at such favorable terms will prove invaluable to developing our pipeline.
I have stated in the past, "the best is yet to come" and I believe that 2012 was full of our Company meeting milestones that has us firmly moving forward and gaining recognition as an innovative biotechnology company. We have distinguished ourselves through Kevetrin as one of only a handful of companies that is developing a p53 drug, but that is not all that we have to offer. Prurisol is jumping straight into mid-stage trials and we have six other compounds in our pipeline that hold great potential as well. 2012 has seen us transition into a clinical stage company and provided us with the financing to continue to move ahead, but I believe that 2013 will be a bigger year for us with clinical data coming from multiple trials and that the best is still yet to come.
We appreciate the support that we have received from our loyal shareholders throughout the year and pledge to continue to immediately provide as much information as possible through public disclosures as they happen in the coming year.
Thank you.
Leo Ehrlich
Chief Executive Officer, Cellceutix Corporation


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WTO Rules Against Labeling Meat
In June, the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled that the U.S. country-of-origin labeling law (COOL) violates the WTO's Technical Barriers to Trade agreement. It is the third time the WTO has ruled against U.S. consumer-protection laws in 2012. Earlier this year, the WTO ruled against dolphin-safe tuna labels, and then against a ban on clove, candy, and cola-flavored cigarettes.
COOL, which dates from 2002, has been popular with consumers because of growing concern about food safety issues, like the "mad cow scare" about beef from cows infected with BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy). COOL was expanded in 2008 to require labeling of other products, like fruit and vegetables.
The United States will have until some time next year to change the law or face WTO sanctions. In an email to the Washington Post, Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, said "What agribusiness, Mexico, and Canada could not get in Congress or through U.S. courts, the WTO delivered: Either we're supposed to gut our consumer protection or pay millions for the right not to be fed mystery meat."
A protest at the World Bank supported El Salvador's attempts to put human rights above corporate rights.
From Japan, Raj Patel on the expansion of the Trans-Pacific trade agreement and the homegrown battle to stop it.
How do Davids bring down Goliaths? Three tactics that worked.


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Style up your prescription with a shape to become your signature.
© Copyright MyOptique Group Ltd. and its affiliates 2004-2019. All rights reserved. UK company number: 05139004.
When you want a particular pair of glasses, and you just *have* to have them, then they need to definitely be in stock.
With this in mind, we've restricted our faster selling styles so that they can't go out on home trial when they're nearly sold out. This means they're definitely available for our customers who want to buy them.
If you're interested in one of these styles, it's worth moving quickly because it's likely that they'll be completely sold out fairly soon and replaced with another great value style.
It's still totally risk free, our 30-day no quibble guarantee means you can still return them if you're not 100% satisfied.
We want to make sure that when you have found that perfect pair you want to buy, they are on site and ready for you. Because many of our Boutique frames are limited in stock, we've temporarily removed all of our Boutique styles from our Home Trial service. This helps to make sure they're definitely available for when you've decided you want to buy them.
We will always try to make sure each Boutique frame is available for our Ditto virtual try-on so you can see how they look on your face. Plus, if you do decide to buy a Boutique frame, you can do so totally risk free - our 30-day no quibble guarantee means you can return them if you're not 100% satisfied.


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Maintaining Optimum Health with CBT
Making some easy lifestyle changes can help you to keep your health at its best. Here's a short list of simple tips and suggestions that can help you reach and keep up optimum health. Take a look and give them a try.
Eat well and eat regularly. Avoid fast foods and junk foods. Feed your body with wholesome stuff. Make an effort to cook, or learn to cook.
Take lots of exercise. Find sports that you enjoy and join a gym or sports group. Do enough to work up a sweat: Exercise releases a lot of feel-good chemicals called endorphins into your system.
Establish a good sleep pattern. Develop a bedtime routine that gets your body into sleep mode. Try to get up at around the same time each day so that your bedtime also becomes pretty consistent.
Strike a work/life balance. Be sure to make time in your schedule for leisure activities.
Pursue interests. Get yourself absorbed in activities that you enjoy and find rewarding.
Look after your living environment. Make your home a place you like to spend time in – maybe do some essential DIY or redecorate.
Relish your relationships. Spend time with people and socialise on a regular basis. Pay attention to the significant others in your life. If your social circle is limited, make an effort to join clubs and meet new people.
Hold a self-accepting attitude. Give yourself permission to be humanly imperfect and expect the same from others. Turn down your perfectionist tendencies or unrelenting standards.
Aim high. Set yourself goals to overcome any emotional disturbance or for personal development. Many people find that they're happiest when they're working toward a desired outcome.
Have a laugh. Humour really can be the best medicine. Try not to take an overly serious view of yourself and life: Find the funny side in everyday situations.


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InterCity Whangarei
Get bus fares from just $1 (plus booking fee) on New Zealand's largest transport network. InterCity operates a fleet of modern comfortable air-conditioned buses with daily services nationwide.
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InterCity operates one of New Zealand's lowest cost transport networks, with bus fares from just $1 (plus booking fee). Over 100 daily services connect more than 600 towns, cities and communities nationwide.
With our fleet of modern and comfortable air-conditioned buses, InterCity operates scheduled daily departures to most destinations across the North and South Islands.
InterCity also offers a range of economical pass products including InterCity Flexipass and InterCity TravelPass. Each allows you total freedom to explore the national network at discounted rates and includes tour and ferry options.
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InterCity Whangarei, 92 Otaika Rd, Whangarei, Northland, New Zealand.
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- All months of the year
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- 11km from Whangarei airport
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- We depart from all main regional coach stops
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If you thought you had designer Alessandra Branca's style pegged, think again. The classicist-with-a-twist opened a new shop in Chicago this May that takes her signature style and amps it up a few decibels.
Branca is a 2,700-square-foot lifestyle shop located in a historical 19th-century brownstone two blocks west of Chicago's Michigan Avenue. Bookended by Loyola University buildings, the shop is a study in contrasts.
"I wanted people to walk in and immediately feel disarmed," says Alessandra. "It's meant to make you smile and to inspire."
The palette is pure Alessandra—with a dash of verve. Traditional delft blue meets vivid raspberry and acid green. Exotic tribal textiles mingle with hunting-lodge plaids. Affordable pieces mix with "It's-how-much?" one-off finds. Antiques hold court with state-of-the-art contemporary pieces.
"We live in a world where everything seems to be made by the thousands. Things should be special—unique. We try to offer those things here, and to create a space that is home-felt," notes the designer.
And, of course, it wouldn't be Branca without a few of Alessandra's repurposed classics. Empire lamps are freshened with lampshades made of unfussy ticking. Delicate vintage fabric trims are framed and meant to be hung as works of art. Eighteenth-century French church artifacts live again as elegant lamps.
How does Alessandra make it all work together? "It all kind of comes together somehow," she muses, "a little like stir-fry."
Photography: Werner Straube


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- English (13) (remove)
- Visualisierung (13) (remove)
The visualization of numerical fluid flow datasets is essential to the engineering processes that motivate their computational simulation. To address the need for visual representations that convey meaningful relations and enable a deep understanding of flow structures, the discipline of Flow Visualization has produced many methods and schemes that are tailored to a variety of visualization tasks. The ever increasing complexity of modern flow simulations, however, puts an enormous demand on these methods. The study of vortex breakdown, for example, which is a highly transient and inherently three-dimensional flow pattern with substantial impact wherever it appears, has driven current techniques to their limits. In this thesis, we propose several novel visualization methods that significantly advance the state of the art in the visualization of complex flow structures. First, we propose a novel scheme for the construction of stream surfaces from the trajectories of particles embedded in a flow. These surfaces are extremely useful since they naturally exploit coherence between neighboring trajectories and are highly illustrative in nature. We overcome the limitations of existing stream surface algorithms that yield poor results in complex flows, and show how the resulting surfaces can be used a building blocks for advanced flow visualization techniques. Moreover, we present a visualization method that is based on moving section planes that travel through a dataset and sample the flow. By considering the changes to the flow topology on the plane as it moves, we obtain a method of visualizing topological structures in three-dimensional flows that are not accessible by conventional topological methods. On the same algorithmic basis, we construct an algorithm for the tracking of critical points in such flows, thereby enabling the treatment of time-dependent datasets. Last, we address some problems with the recently introduced Lagrangian techniques. While conceptually elegant and generally applicable, they suffer from an enormous computational cost that we significantly use by developing an adaptive approximation algorithm. This allows the application of such methods on very large and complex numerical simulations. Throughout this thesis, we will be concerned with flow visualization aspect of general practical significance but we will particularly emphasize the remarkably challenging visualization of the vortex breakdown phenomenon.
Feature Based Visualization (2007)
In this thesis we apply powerful mathematical tools such as interval arithmetic for applications in computational geometry, visualization and computer graphics, leading to robust, general and efficient algorithms. We present a completely novel approach for computing the arrangement of arbitrary implicit planar curves and perform ray casting of arbitrary implicit functions by jointly achieving, for the first time, robustness, efficiency and flexibility. Indeed we are able to render even the most difficult implicits in real-time with guaranteed topology and at high resolution. We use subdivision and interval arithmetic as key-ingredients to guarantee robustness. The presented framework is also well-suited for applications to large and unstructured data sets due to the inherent adaptivity of the techniques that are used. We also approach the topic of tensors by collaborating with mechanical engineers on comparative tensor visualization and provide them with helpful visualization paradigms to interpret the data.
In urban planning, sophisticated simulation models are key tools to estimate future population growth for measuring the impact of planning decisions on urban developments and the environment. Simulated population projections usually result in large, macro-scale, multivariate geospatial data sets. Millions of records have to be processed, stored, and visualized to help planners explore and analyze complex population patterns. We introduce a database driven framework for visualizing geospatial multidimensional simulation data based on the output from UrbanSim, a software for the analysis and planning of urban developments. The designed framework is extendable and aims at integrating empirical-stochastic methods and urban simulation models with techniques developed for information visualization and cartography. First, we develop an empirical model for the estimation of residential building types based on demographic household characteristics. The predicted dwelling type information is important for the analysis of future material use, carbon footprint calculations, and for visualizing simultaneously the results of land usage, density, and other significant parameters in 3D space. Our model uses multinomial logistic regression to derive building types at different scales. The estimated regression coefficients are applied to UrbanSim output in order to predict residential building types. The simulation results and the estimated building types are managed in an object-relational geodatabase. From the database, density, building types, and significant demographic variables are visually encoded as scalable, georeferenced 3D geometries and displayed on top of aerial photographs in a Google Earth visual synthesis. The geodatabase can be accessed and the visualization parameters can be chosen through a web-based user interface. The geometries are encoded in KML, Google's markup language, as ready-to-visualize data sets. The goal is to enhance human cognition by displaying abstract representations of multidimensional data sets in a realistic context and thus to support decision making in planning processes.
Sound surrounds us all the time and in every place in our daily life, may it be pleasant music in a concert hall or disturbing noise emanating from a busy street in front of our home. The basic properties are the same for both kinds of sound, namely sound waves propagating from a source, but we perceive it in different ways depending on our current mood or if the sound is wanted or not. In this thesis both pleasant sound as well as disturbing noise is examined by means of simulating the sound and visualizing the results thereof. However, although the basic properties of music and traffic noise are the same, one is interested in different features. For example, in a concert hall, the reverberation time is an important quality measure, but if noise is considered only the resulting sound level, for example on ones balcony, is of interest. Such differences are reflected in different methods of simulation and required visualizations, therefore this thesis is divided into two parts. The first part about room acoustics deals with the simulation and novel visualizations for indoor sound and acoustic quality measures, such as definition (original "Deutlichkeit") and clarity index (original "Klarheitsmaß"). For the simulation two different methods, a geometric (phonon tracing) and a wave based (FEM) approach, are applied and compared. The visualization techniques give insight into the sound behaviour and the acoustic quality of a room from a global as well as a listener based viewpoint. Furthermore, an acoustic rendering equation is presented, which is used to render interference effects for different frequencies. Last but not least a novel visualization approach for low frequency sound is presented, which enables the topological analysis of pressure fields based on room eigenfrequencies. The second part about environmental noise is concerned with the simulation and visualization of outdoor sound with a focus on traffic noise. The simulation instruction prescribed by national regulations is discussed in detail, and an approach for the computation of noise volumes, as well as an extension to the simulation, allowing interactive noise calculation, are presented. Novel visualization and interaction techniques for the calculated noise data, incorporated in an interactive three dimensional environment, enabling the easy comprehension of noise problems, are presented. Furthermore additional information can be integrated into the framework to enhance the visualization of noise and the usability of the framework for different usages.
Computer-based simulation and visualization of acoustics of a virtual scene can aid during the design process of concert halls, lecture rooms, theaters, or living rooms. Because, not only the visual aspect of the room is important, but also its acoustics. In factory floors noise reduction is important since noise is hazardous to health. Despite the obvious dissimilarity between our aural and visual senses, many techniques required for the visualization of photo-realistic images and for the auralization of acoustic environments are quite similar. Both applications can be served by geometric methods such as particle- and ray tracing if we neglect a number of less important effects. By means of the simulation of room acoustics we want to predict the acoustic properties of a virtual model. For auralization, a pulse response filter needs to be assembled for each pair of source and listener positions. The convolution of this filter with an anechoic source signal provides the signal received at the listener position. Hence, the pulse response filter must contain all reverberations (echos) of a unit pulse, including their frequency decompositions due to absorption at different surface materials. For the room acoustic simulation a method named phonon tracing, since it is based on particles, is developed. The approach computes the energy or pressure decomposition for each particle (phonon) sent out from a sound source and uses this in a second pass (phonon collection) to construct the response filters for different listeners. This step can be performed in different precision levels. During the tracing step particle paths and additional information are stored in a so called phonon map. Using this map several sound visualization approaches were developed. From the visualization, the effect of different materials on the spectral energy / pressure distribution can be observed. The first few reflections already show whether certain frequency bands are rapidly absorbed. The absorbing materials can be identified and replaced in the virtual model, improving the overall acoustic quality of the simulated room. Furthermore an insight into the pressure / energy received at the listener position is possible. The phonon tracing algorithm as well as several sound visualization approaches are integrated into a common system utilizing Virtual Reality technologies in order to facilitate the immersion into the virtual scene. The system is a prototype developed within a project at the University of Kaiserslautern and is still a subject of further improvements. It consists of a stereoscopic back-projection system for visual rendering as well as professional audio equipment for auralization purposes.
Linking Automated Data Analysis and Visualization with Applications in Developmental Biology and High-energy Physics (2009)
Knowledge discovery from large and complex collections of today's scientific datasets is a challenging task. With the ability to measure and simulate more processes at increasingly finer spatial and temporal scales, the increasing number of data dimensions and data objects is presenting tremendous challenges for data analysis and effective data exploration methods and tools. Researchers are overwhelmed with data and standard tools are often insufficient to enable effective data analysis and knowledge discovery. The main objective of this thesis is to provide important new capabilities to accelerate scientific knowledge discovery form large, complex, and multivariate scientific data. The research covered in this thesis addresses these scientific challenges using a combination of scientific visualization, information visualization, automated data analysis, and other enabling technologies, such as efficient data management. The effectiveness of the proposed analysis methods is demonstrated via applications in two distinct scientific research fields, namely developmental biology and high-energy physics. Advances in microscopy, image analysis, and embryo registration enable for the first time measurement of gene expression at cellular resolution for entire organisms. Analysis of highdimensional spatial gene expression datasets is a challenging task. By integrating data clustering and visualization, analysis of complex, time-varying, spatial gene expression patterns and their formation becomes possible. The analysis framework MATLAB and the visualization have been integrated, making advanced analysis tools accessible to biologist and enabling bioinformatic researchers to directly integrate their analysis with the visualization. Laser wakefield particle accelerators (LWFAs) promise to be a new compact source of highenergy particles and radiation, with wide applications ranging from medicine to physics. To gain insight into the complex physical processes of particle acceleration, physicists model LWFAs computationally. The datasets produced by LWFA simulations are (i) extremely large, (ii) of varying spatial and temporal resolution, (iii) heterogeneous, and (iv) high-dimensional, making analysis and knowledge discovery from complex LWFA simulation data a challenging task. To address these challenges this thesis describes the integration of the visualization system VisIt and the state-of-the-art index/query system FastBit, enabling interactive visual exploration of extremely large three-dimensional particle datasets. Researchers are especially interested in beams of high-energy particles formed during the course of a simulation. This thesis describes novel methods for automatic detection and analysis of particle beams enabling a more accurate and efficient data analysis process. By integrating these automated analysis methods with visualization, this research enables more accurate, efficient, and effective analysis of LWFA simulation data than previously possible.
Adaptive Extraction and Representation of Geometric Structures from Unorganized 3D Point Sets (2009)
The primary emphasis of this thesis concerns the extraction and representation of intrinsic properties of three-dimensional (3D) unorganized point clouds. The points establishing a point cloud as it mainly emerges from LiDaR (Light Detection and Ranging) scan devices or by reconstruction from two-dimensional (2D) image series represent discrete samples of real world objects. Depending on the type of scenery the data is generated from the resulting point cloud may exhibit a variety of different structures. Especially, in the case of environmental LiDaR scans the complexity of the corresponding point clouds is relatively high. Hence, finding new techniques allowing the efficient extraction and representation of the underlying structural entities becomes an important research issue of recent interest. This thesis introduces new methods regarding the extraction and visualization of structural features like surfaces and curves (e.g. ridge-lines, creases) from 3D (environmental) point clouds. One main part concerns the extraction of curve-like features from environmental point data sets. It provides a new method supporting a stable feature extraction by incorporating a probability-based point classification scheme that characterizes individual points regarding their affiliation to surface-, curve- and volume-like structures. Another part is concerned with the surface reconstruction from (environmental) point clouds exhibiting objects that are more or less complex. A new method providing multi-resolutional surface representations from regular point clouds is discussed. Following the applied principles of this approach a volumetric surface reconstruction method based on the proposed classification scheme is introduced. It allows the reconstruction of surfaces from highly unstructured and noisy point data sets. Furthermore, contributions in the field of reconstructing 3D point clouds from 2D image series are provided. In addition, a discussion concerning the most important properties of (environmental) point clouds with respect to feature extraction is presented.
The recognition of patterns and structures has gained importance for dealing with the growing amount of data being generated by sensors and simulations. Most existing methods for pattern recognition are tailored for scalar data and non-correlated data of higher dimensions. The recognition of general patterns in flow structures is possible, but not yet practically usable, due to the high computation effort. The main goal of this work is to present methods for comparative visualization of flow data, amongst others, based on a new method for efficient pattern recognition on flow data. This work is structured in three parts: At first, a known feature-based approach for pattern recognition on flow data, the Clifford convolution, has been applied to color edge detection, and been extended to non-uniform grids. However, this method is still computationally expensive for a general pattern recognition, since the recognition algorithm has to be applied for numerous different scales and orientations of the query pattern. A more efficient and accurate method for pattern recognition on flow data is presented in the second part. It is based upon a novel mathematical formulation of moment invariants for flow data. The common moment invariants for pattern recognition are not applicable on flow data, since they are only invariant on non-correlated data. Because of the spatial correlation of flow data, the moment invariants had to be redefined with different basis functions to satisfy the demands for an invariant mapping of flow data. The computation of the moment invariants is done by a multi-scale convolution of the complete flow field with the basis functions. This pre-processing computation time almost equals the time for the pattern recognition of one single general pattern with the former algorithms. However, after having computed the moments once, they can be indexed and used as a look-up-table to recognize any desired pattern quickly and interactively. This results in a flexible and easy-to-use tool for the analysis of patterns in 2d flow data. For an improved rendering of the recognized features, an importance driven streamline algorithm has been developed. The density of the streamlines can be adjusted by using importance maps. The result of a pattern recognition can be used as such a map, for example. Finally, new comparative flow visualization approaches utilizing the streamline approach, the flow pattern matching, and the moment invariants are presented.
Due to remarkable technological advances in the last three decades the capacity of computer systems has improved tremendously. Considering Moore's law, the number of transistors on integrated circuits has doubled approximately every two years and the trend is continuing. Likewise, developments in storage density, network bandwidth, and compute capacity show similar patterns. As a consequence, the amount of data that can be processed by today's systems has increased by orders of magnitude. At the same time, however, the resolution of screens has hardly increased by a factor of ten. Thus, there is a gap between the amount of data that can be processed and the amount of data that can be visualized. Large high-resolution displays offer a way to deal with this gap and provide a significantly increased screen area by combining the images of multiple smaller display devices. The main objective of this dissertation is the development of new visualization and interaction techniques for large high-resolution displays.
Multi-Field Visualization (2011)
Modern science utilizes advanced measurement and simulation techniques to analyze phenomena from fields such as medicine, physics, or mechanics. The data produced by application of these techniques takes the form of multi-dimensional functions or fields, which have to be processed in order to provide meaningful parts of the data to domain experts. Definition and implementation of such processing techniques with the goal to produce visual representations of portions of the data are topic of research in scientific visualization or multi-field visualization in the case of multiple fields. In this thesis, we contribute novel feature extraction and visualization techniques that are able to convey data from multiple fields created by scientific simulations or measurements. Furthermore, our scalar-, vector-, and tensor field processing techniques contribute to scattered field processing in general and introduce novel ways of analyzing and processing tensorial quantities such as strain and displacement in flow fields, providing insights into field topology. We introduce novel mesh-free extraction techniques for visualization of complex-valued scalar fields in acoustics that aid in understanding wave topology in low frequency sound simulations. The resulting structures represent regions with locally minimal sound amplitude and convey wave node evolution and sound cancellation in time-varying sound pressure fields, which is considered an important feature in acoustics design. Furthermore, methods for flow field feature extraction are presented that facilitate analysis of velocity and strain field properties by visualizing deformation of infinitesimal Lagrangian particles and macroscopic deformation of surfaces and volumes in flow. The resulting adaptive manifolds are used to perform flow field segmentation which supports multi-field visualization by selective visualization of scalar flow quantities. The effects of continuum displacement in scattered moment tensor fields can be studied by a novel method for multi-field visualization presented in this thesis. The visualization method demonstrates the benefit of clustering and separate views for the visualization of multiple fields.


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Charlie Sheen Will be Charged With Felony
Charlie Sheen Will Be Charged With Felony
Charlie Sheen will be charged with felony menacing in connection with the Christmas Day incident with his wife, Brooke Mueller, in Aspen ... this according to law enforcement sources.
We've learned in addition to the felony, Sheen, who stars in "Two and a Half Men" will be charged with misdemeanor assault.
We're told the criminal complaint will be filed either late tomorrow or first thing Monday morning.
Charlie Sheen is set to appear in court Monday for an arraignment, though we're told he is not expected to enter a plea.
In addition to the arraignment, the judge will hear arguments from lawyers for Brooke and Charlie to relax the protective order prohibiting any contact between the two.
Charlie Sheen's lawyer had no comment.
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By Graham Thomson from Calgary Herald
Graham Thomson
Yet another of Albertas proposed carbon capture and storage (CCS) experiments has died and the provincial government doesnt know whether to mourn or perform a little dance on the grave.
Officially, the government remains committed to the carbon capture and storage experiments as a way to reduce Albertas greenhouse gas emissions. But unofficially, Premier Alison Redford has displayed no great confidence in the experiments ability to deliver as promised.
Her skepticism is understandable. Carbon capture and storage is a troubled, and unproven, experiment that might yield limited results one day by pumping a few million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions from Albertas industrial plants underground. We have no idea if the government will be able to reach its goal of capturing 140 million tonnes a year by 2050.
Redford let it slip to Alberta journalists in 2011 that shed prefer to see better initiatives and opportunities than CCS to reduce CO2 emissions, although she still hasnt said what those better initiatives would be.
Doubts about CCS surfaced again on Monday with news that the proposed $285-million Swan Hills Synfuels project to turn coal into natural gas and pump carbon dioxide underground was being scrapped. The project simply didnt make economic sense.
That leaves Redford in a bit of a quandary. She seems to be a CCS skeptic, but she has no problem extolling Albertas commitment to CCS projects as a way to convince American politicians that her government takes climate change seriously.
She talked about CCS again this past weekend while in Washington, D.C. However, in a move that was positively Orwellian, at the same time she was touting Albertas carbon capture and storage experiments, her government was putting the final touches on a news release announcing the death of one of those experiments.
Its a far cry from the heady days of 2008, when then-premier Ed Stelmach announced his government was committing $2 billion for CCS.
Back then, the Alberta government foresaw a world where countries, notably the U.S., would legislate a reduction on emissions. Carbon capture and sequestration seemed to be the solution, and by announcing $2 billion worth of experiments, Alberta hoped to be first out of the blocks and a world leader in the technology.
Thats not how things turned out. The world economy stalled in 2008, and politicians suddenly lacked the money and political will for such green initiatives, and a concerted public relations effort by energy companies and climate change deniers helped pushed the issue off the public stage.
Now its back in the limelight thanks to President Barack Obamas renewed vow to make climate change a priority. But the curtain has yet to be raised on any of Albertas CCS experiments that are still years from reality.
Not that there are many experiments left. The government has just two proposed CCS experiments on the drawing board: the Alberta Carbon Trunk Line and a plan to strip carbon dioxide from Shells Scotford oilsands upgrader near Fort Saskatchewan. The total amount of money committed has dropped to $1.3 billion.
The most important domino to fall came last April, when TransAlta announced it was scrapping plans for Project Pioneer, which would have captured carbon dioxide from its Keephills 3 coal-fired plant west of Edmonton.
This was to have been the Holy Grail for the CCS industry: finding a way to efficiently and cost-effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions from a coal-fired plant. This is what the industry means when it talks about clean coal, but nobody has been able to do it on an industrial scale. CCS projects are not just experimental, theyre expensive.
They wont make sense economically unless governments introduce a carbon tax. Alberta has a nominal tax of $15 per tonne on a small fraction of emissions from large companies.
What is needed, say experts, is a tax of about $100 on every tonne of carbon dioxide released to force companies to reduce their emissions drastically.
When reporters asked this week if shell raise the tax on carbon, Redford was noncommittal, saying, Its far too early to say.
The political reality is Alberta wont move to a higher carbon tax unless Ottawa does, and Ottawa wont unless Washington does. That might be more of a possibility now that Obama has rediscovered the importance of dealing with human-induced climate change.
A major problem, though, is that CCS might not work as advertised, even if it is spurred on with a massive carbon tax. Capturing carbon dioxide from industrial smokestacks, compressing it into a fluid, shipping it to a storage site and then pumping it deep underground forever is difficult, expensive and an environmental question mark.
Technically, it is feasible for small-to-moderate projects, but unproven at the industrial size needed to put a significant dent in our emissions of greenhouse gases.
That might be why Redford, a believer in the science of climate change, is a CCS skeptic and why shes hoping somebody comes up with better initiatives and opportunities to significantly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
Graham Thomson is an Edmonton Journal columnist.
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Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/technol...#ixzz2MdojFRmj
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Join Rez and Mando, as they share special stories filled with virtues like Courage, Grace, Humility and Love. Be sure to sing along, dance and even play musical instruments!
About Story Hour
Book worms can enjoy our weekly Story Hour program every Thursday and Friday! The intimate storytelling presentation features a solo performer with roots in the community delighting our 'little audience' with a participatory and lively program. Performers have included Laura Bowman, Flor Bromley, Daniel Carlton, Alison Cox, Kelley Kelley, and Carletta Joy Walker.


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As far as first impressions go, Progrestar's Facebook zombie survival game The Last One isn't doing itself any favours. I show up in the game world wholly unprepared for the task ahead of me — torn pants, a chest wrap and a metal pipe against legions of flesh-hungry walking dead.
One would assume that shoes would be a priority in this dark new world. The less skin exposed to infected teeth the better, right? Yet here I am, looking like I do any Saturday afternoon. It's scandalous, I tell you.
The Last One is a game about survival, so eventually you do wind up securing some new duds. You've just gotta learn the ropes first. You've got to train yourself to click on zombies once in order to bludgeon them to re-death. You've got to learn to click on barricades to destroy them, which seems counterproductive if you ask me. You've got to learn to scavenge resources by clicking on trash cans and mailboxes. You've got to take it to the arena, where you can beat other players to death for no good reason.
Once you've gotten the hang of things you can visit the store and outfit your character in something a bit more protective than cutoff jeans. They don't look good on you. In order to pull off that look you've got to be some sort of quasi-infected indie girl mentor.
Exactly like that, yes.
The Last One refers to itself as "the scariest game." If it was anything like the world depicted in the game's official trailer (nice use of the Expendables) it would be. Instead it's goofy clicking fun masquerading as a survival horror game.