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TThank you, Provost Para, and welcome students, faculty, staff, Board of Governors, Alumni Association Board of Directors, 49er Foundation members and honored guests to the 2011-2012 academic year at The Beach. I first would like to thank our chair of the Academic Senate, Professor Lisa Vollendorf, and Provost Para for their thoughtful remarks and for their campus leadership in these difficult times.
I also would like to thank all of you, our outstanding faculty and staff, for the collaborative spirit that we commonly share on our campus which allows our university to keep moving forward for the benefit of tens of thousands of students each year, despite the fact that we live in a state which, according to a recent edition of The Economist magazine, has become a story of global interest, not because we have one of the world's largest economies; not because we have one of the world's most diverse populations; not because many of our fellow Californians are among the richest people on earth. According to The Economist, California has become a story of global interest because it has made itself "ungovernable" and "dysfunctional," and has inadvertently become "an experiment in extreme democracy gone wrong" and a "negative model for other democracies" throughout the world.
As you know, I always like to start Convocation on an uplifting note like that, and you know after six years that I do not believe in sugarcoating the environment in which we live. But I will speak much more about these issues a bit later in my presentation when addressing our challenges ahead. However, I must confess up front and be honest with you that my true objective this morning is NOT to keep my remarks to 20 to 30 minutes, the way I have done for the last five years. My primary objective is to keep you here until about 9 p.m. tomorrow night, after the Taylor Swift concert that I am scheduled to attend with my teenage daughters. My ears are in no condition to handle 22,000 squealing teenagers yelling at decibel levels unknown to mankind.
Convocation has always been a "kickoff" event for our campus and one of the few opportunities where so many within our campus community can come together in preparation for the upcoming academic year. Convocation also provides me with an opportunity to share with you some of our additional achievements, while discussing many of the issues and new initiatives that will occur during the new academic year, which I will discuss shortly.
However, I, too, would like to welcome our new cohort of tenure-track faculty, visiting faculty and lecturers who bring to our campus an extremely impressive set of academic credentials, backgrounds, and diverse talents. Please know that all of our dedicated faculty and staff will certainly do our best to ensure that you get off to a great start in your new careers at Cal State Long Beach.
I also would like to welcome a small cohort of new staff members to our campus family. Without a doubt, the foundation and strength of this great university is firmly vested in its talented people and human capital. Our faculty and staff are the reason over 71,500 students applied to our university this year. From our beautiful grounds to the classrooms and laboratories, our people are the reason why we continually rank among the best public universities in the nation. And, it is the strength of our people that has built this university into a national leader producing university graduates from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
Additionally, I would like to welcome all of our returning and new ASI student government leaders who every year do so much to enhance the lives of 35,000 students on our campus. I also would like to use this opportunity to invite you to our campus "move in day" tomorrow morning where we will welcome and help 2,500 of our residential students and their parents unpack their cars and relocate to their new campus homes. We will start at 8 a.m. and continue until 5 p.m. If you are able to join us I can virtually guarantee that you will be thoroughly impressed with the creativity of our students as they cram three truckloads of junk into a relatively small place. It truly is an engineering marvel!
Looking back at last year I would like to begin by expressing once again my sincerest gratitude to each and every faculty and staff member for the sacrifices that you made this past year. The statewide and national successes of Cal State Long Beach keep mounting and our reputation keeps expanding for many great reasons. Last year we were ranked as one of the best higher education university values in the nation by Kiplinger's magazine, U.S.News & World Report, The Princeton Review and many others. In fact, Kiplinger's magazine ranked Cal State Long Beach as the nation's top university for students seeking a university education that will leave them with the lowest amount of student loan debt.
Also, last year we opened numerous new facilities including the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, which has been a big hit since the first day and has recorded nearly 4,000 students per day during the fall and spring semesters. This has had a positive spillover effect on our library usage, student union, and even student attendance at athletic events.
Last year, despite the difficulties of this economy, our fundraising directors and professionals with the help of our vice presidents, deans, chairs, and many others, successfully raised over $26 million, which is our fourth highest year in history. This also helped the quiet phase of our capital campaign to reach over $120 million in gifts and pledged support. I am also pleased to announce that our endowment has bounced back to an all-time high of over $44 million, nearly doubling where it was six years ago.
Last year, because of your commitment and sacrifices, we "once again" graduated one of our largest, most diverse, and most successful graduating classes in our 62-year history, with over 8,700 students receiving 9,100 various degrees. Our success has not gone unacknowledged. In fact, last spring the Education Trust in Washington did a study of 1,200 of the nation's most prominent universities to determine which still excel in the following three areas: (1) university accessibility; (2) affordability; (3) while also demonstrating higher than average graduation rates which offer lower-income students a very good opportunity to graduate. At the end of the study, only five universities were acknowledged as being examples for the nation and Cal State Long Beach was one of them.
Last year our athletic programs not only won the prestigious Big West Conference Commissioner's Cup for athletic success on the playing fields for the second time in three years, but also was one of only a few athletic programs in California to retain a perfect record in the classroom by meeting the Academic Progress Rate standards for all athletic teams. Over the last three years those universities have been UCLA, UC-Berkeley, and Cal State Long Beach. Despite what you are reading with regard to the problems experienced at many other athletic problems, you can feel reassured that we have no interest in operating like them.
Last year, thanks to your efforts, we experienced our second most successful year in external grants and contract funding. In 2010-11 our university generated nearly $40 million in external grants and contracts.
Also last year, thanks to the work of hundreds of faculty, staff, and students on our WASC reaccreditation efforts, we successfully received full accreditation which should secure us for another decade.
Additionally, thanks to the assistance of Dean Roman Kochan, our library staff, and Governor Deukmejian, our campus became one of only two universities in California to become the permanent home of all the historical papers and records of a former governor of the state. Last spring these historical records, which chronicle the history of California for nearly four decades, were relocated from the Hoover Institute at Stanford to Cal State Long Beach at the request of Governor Deukmejian.
Last, but certainly not least, I also would like to thank our campus law enforcement staff for making our safety a top priority for another year. Last year Security Magazine ranked our campus as the third safest university campus in the nation. This is a remarkable accomplishment considering our urban proximity and the fact that our campus is located less than a mile from one of the busiest interstates in the nation.
We began this year with a major victory in Washington, D.C. Earlier this summer as the "debt ceiling" debates dominated much of the national news, it was feared that after three years of working to get more federal student aid into the hands of our students, it became apparent that our students had become a big target for many rookies on Capitol Hill. For the first time ever, I heard congressional representatives or their staffers refer to student Pell Grants as "student welfare" instead of educational investments that will build the human capital talents of this nation. After many weeks in Washington and thanks to the work of many people including our student organizations, we were able to keep student Pell Grants protected at their current maximum level of $5,550.
Why is this so important to us? CSU students are the largest single recipient of Pell Grants in the nation. In fact, our campus alone has nearly 12,000 Pell Grant-eligible students. To put this in perspective, the entire Ivy League combined, all eight universities, only have 7,000 Pell-eligible students, with endowments that top $80 billion combined. You might think with that kind of wealth these institutions might try to enroll a few more lower income students.
Furthermore, thanks to SAFRA and the adoption of the Direct Lending program eliminating the banks as a middle player and the impact of two major federal economic stimulus packages, our Cal State Long Beach students have seen the amount of federal grant aid increase from a total of $31 million to an all-time high of $58 million last year. This battle is not over, however, and we expect to be in the midst of this debate again later this year.
As we open the 2011-2012 academic year we also start with a big boost in facility improvements. This semester we officially open the much anticipated and badly needed Hall of Science building. This Hall of Science is a $110 million facility and offers state-of-the-art science classrooms and laboratories including 22 research laboratories, 31 teaching laboratories, and two 180-seat lecture halls and two 80-seat lecture halls. We also will begin constructing the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music Pavilion and Plaza thanks to a generous private gift which will give our music students and faculty a unique outdoor area for music concerts, classes, and additional office space.
All this good news, however, is much tempered by what I consider very bad news. Here are the hard facts: with no federal stimulus funds, which not only aided our university with substantial financial support in the form of nearly $63 million one-time funds over the last three years saving hundreds of jobs and thousands of classes, and no "maintenance of effort" leverage at the federal level, which placed a limit on how low states can reduce their higher education funding, Sacramento and our state legislature has indirectly decided that public higher education is no longer an important vehicle to economic prosperity. As The Economist's special report published this past April stated, California is "a case study in unintended consequences."
The results are startling and should be eye-opening to anybody concerned about educational opportunities, equity and the future standard of living for our next generation. Like much of the rest of the nation, since 1980 California has disinvested in higher education at a furious pace.
However, one ranking not too flattering to our state is that California is among the nation's 12 worst states in abandoning its commitment to public higher education. Over the last three decades state fiscal support for operating expenses of higher education per $1,000 of personal income, or Tax Effort, is down by over 50 percent from where it was in 1980.
Furthermore, with the new state budget in place, and no more federal "Maintenance of Effort" penalties for reducing state commitments, this pace of abandonment has intensified in California. This year we have already witnessed our university's budget reduced by 24 percent from last year's state budget. For our campus this means that we have lost $37 million in state support that could have been used to hire new faculty, reduce class sizes, improve classrooms and lab space, and provide access to 2,000 more students.
In addition to this new devastating budget, we are expected to lose another $8 million in December when overestimated revenue projections do not meet their target. To highlight the fiscal impact of this state abandonment, it is important to note that just four years ago Cal State Long Beach received nearly 42 percent of its funding from our state. As of this December, we will have dropped below 25 percent, from $6,700 in state support per student to $4,500 per student.
For the UCs and CSUs these reductions are the largest single year state reductions in history. In fact, you have probably recently read or heard that the UCs have crossed a major threshold for the first time and now have become more reliant on student funding than state funding. Well, the same is true for us at CSU Long Beach. Yet, a major difference for us exists in this development. Our student tuition and fees do not exceed the national average and the UC's considerably do. Our student fees are more than $2,000 below the national average.
Unfortunately, this trend indicates that instead of leading our nation in higher education policy development and funding, California has simply become a follower. Our nation witnessed the same threshold shift over a decade ago when students first passed state governments in providing more revenues to higher education. The primary culprit in this has truly been state governments which for decades provided 50 to 60 percent of the needed revenues to higher education and have dropped to approximately 35 percent due to shifting priorities, a lack of progressive thinking, and misguided ideological pledges and coalitions.
In conclusion, what does all this mean and what can we do about it? First, people want all the social benefits that accrue to their communities through having a higher educated workforce, but increasingly do not want to invest in it. In fact, it has become more commonplace today to hear news sources, individuals, and editorial pages proclaim that higher education is an individual benefit and should be paid for by those individuals directly impacted by its benefits. In other words, in this kind of pre-Horace Mann system, society wants the investment value of a higher educated society but wants to shift all the actual investments to the individual participant. Does this sound familiar? As The Economist pointed out, in California "more than 100 of the initiatives of the past two decades promised something for nothing, such as cutting a tax or expanding a service" or both.
Second, these funding changes mean that more of our state legislators and fellow Californians have become much more interested in the issues of the aging over the issues of generations on the way. Prisons, security and health continue to grow significantly as a percentage of our state budget while higher education and K-12 education get tossed aside. I find it interesting that despite being annually recognized by the Broad Foundation, McKinsey and Company, and the White House as having one of the best urban school districts and K-20 partnerships in the nation, LBUSD's reward was to send out 800 to 1,000 pink slips while also increasing their kindergarten class sizes from 30 to 37 children, much like most other grades. By the way, California already ranks first in the nation in children-to-teacher ratios.
Quite frankly, we are in danger of being the only generation in the history of the United States that leaves the next generation with a lower standard of living and economic expectation. We are in danger of being the only generation in the history of the United States that leaves the next generation with less educational opportunities and chance to attend and succeed in college. In 2008, the United States ranked 24th among 26 OECD nations in the percentage of students who finish their bachelor's degree 13 percentage points below the OECD average. And, we are in danger of witnessing the continual rapid decline of social mobility which has been an American and California ideal since first being projected to the world by Tocqueville, and fundamental to the development of our nation.
What can we do? First, as a university we need to continue to the best of our abilities to do what we do best, educating students and being a national model for public awareness, service to all socioeconomic groups, diversity and accountability. I believe we are the public university that the public wants, they just do not know it yet.
Second, we need to use our teaching, research, and public service to reverse many of the trends I have just discussed. The collective expertise and abilities of our faculty and staff are among the best in the nation and we need to harness these strengths to challenge an aging generation to think differently about California and our nation's future.
Third, we need to hold our legislators accountable for their actual votes. Go beyond their websites, slogans, pamphlets and commercials. Virtually all of our legislators say that education is a priority. It is not what was said but how their vote was cast that tells the real story regarding their commitment to education.
Fourth, we need to seek real state and federal higher education funding changes. At the federal level, we need to create new funding avenues that incentivize institutions to advance comprehensive public missions. Currently, there are very few fiscal incentives to maintaining strong public missions and this is why most public and private universities have reduced their commitments. Also, at the federal level we need to fight to incorporate "Maintenance of Effort" provisions with all higher education funding in order to stop the states from "supplanting" their own resources with federal money. It worked exceptionally well before and is needed badly now.
At the state level, we need to develop new funding formulas that reward institutions meeting state needs. Our university, Cal State Long Beach, ranks among the most efficient universities in the nation, most affordable in the nation, while also serving many of the expensive students in the nation. Furthermore, our graduates clearly demonstrate that a university's price has nothing to do with the quality of education that it offers.
It is because of your dedication and commitment to the children on the way and our students past and present that we are positioned to go forth as a national model for public higher education. We must play an active role through our teaching, research, and service in challenging and changing these disturbing trends. On the policy front we need to educate our legislators and the citizens of California that "grants" are not "student welfare" but useful investments with long term social impact. We also must educate the public at large that society must provide the assistance necessary to keep public universities "public."
Finally, we need to ensure that state and federal funding is going to public higher education institutions. Private higher education continues to siphon off invaluable public funds from Washington to Sacramento with very little end in sight. California has twisted and distorted its priorities long enough. It is part of our mission to set this state on a better course in order to provide our generations on the way a better standard of living, greater equality, and more educational opportunities.
No university in this nation leads better by its example. Thank you for your dedication to our students, and I hope you will welcome these challenges with open arms. And, thank you for your patience and kind attention.
Go Beach!
F. King Alexander


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I bought a used Casio FH100 from B&H. It won't focus. Every photos turns out blurry. AF lamp comes on. Does anyone know what the problem may be? If not I will return it for a refund.
Sony NEX 3 with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. Canon 300HS, Fuji F70, Panasonic ZS19.
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1. Re: Web SSO between Domino Server and JBoss AS 6.1 (LTPA token)Dan Gradl Nov 18, 2011 6:35 PM (in response to jawso)1 of 1 people found this helpful
I cannot answer specifically on the JBoss capability, but I do know a bit about LTPA. LTPA is an IBM proprietary SSO token, but its really quite simple. All it does is take the user identity (maybe a bit more), encrypt it and pass it in a session cookie. So this just means that the two servers need to:
- be on the same domain
- share a secret (encyption key)
- share an identity store (e.g LDAP)
I have used it before to SSO between IBM Websphere AppServers and PortalServers. It's easy enough to setup on the IBM side I'm sure and I think it would be feasible to use it on a non-IBM product (again I need to defer to someone else to comment on whether JBoss supports this).
Would the user authenticate on the Domino server or the JBoss server? That would just drive whether you expect JBoss to create LTPA tokens or just be able to read them.
In terms of an architecture I don't see any reason why you couldn't do it. I'm not entirely sure whether IBM will not go and change the way it works on you. In other words I don't know if they intend for you to use it outside of their products, so they may one day decide to change the way it is created.
2. Re: Web SSO between Domino Server and JBoss AS 6.1 (LTPA token)Anil Saldanha Nov 21, 2011 10:34 AM (in response to Dan Gradl)1 of 1 people found this helpful
LTPA is an IBM proprietary token. I do not think they intend it to be used in any manner (CRUD) outside of their ecosystem. There are ways by we are able to obtain a SAML2 token as a replacement for the LTPA token from IBM security services. But I cannot go over them in the forums. If you desire, you will have to contact our sales or consulting.
3. Re: Web SSO between Domino Server and JBoss AS 6.1 (LTPA token)jawso Nov 22, 2011 4:17 AM (in response to jawso)
Dan, Anil,
thanks a lot for your answers.
It's a tricky subject, even if I'm sure LTPA token could be handle through a WebApp deployed on JBoss AS.
But as you underlined it, LTPA is an IBM proprietary token, so...
Regarding the complexity and our schedule, this subject was finally put in brackets yesterday.
SAMLv2 was my first option too, and I hope I could handle these tokens in my next project.
Thanks for your help.


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Follow RFF News on your cell phone. Text follow rff to 40404 you will receive txt messages with RFF News
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Hell's Kitchen is the most ridiculous reality competition show that I've seenThe fact that you can be on the winning team and still get eliminated solely because the head (only) judge felt like it/doesn't like you is completely ludicrous. There is no rhyme or reason to the structure of the eliminations.If I wanted to watch someone pick and choose who stays in such a way, I'd watch the Bachelor (which I don't)Back on topic of Top Chef, I loved this week's episode, especially due to the eliminationOverall, however I feel like this season has been kinda blah... No more team tasks please!
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The Muscimancer
The Lord of the Flies, the Muscimancer has studied magics that summon, control and otherwise deal with flies. The Fly Mage is an unwholesome character, also likely to have magics of disease, rot and pestilence up his sleeves. After fighting through his swarms of flies and his loyal acolytes and slaves, the Muscimancer reveals his final power, transforming into a giant half man half fly hybrid. He can fly, acid vomit, as well as continue to use spells, wield weaponry and command his swarms.
Ideas ( NPCs ) | August 17, 2011 | 6xp


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Browny Morning
Chastity Abbott 12/20/2006 8:11:43 PMSo golden and so beautiful!!!!!!!!!! #575275
Cyn Valentine 12/20/2006 8:23:24 PMBeautiful! #3723537
Melissa G. Meiselman 12/20/2006 9:23:36 PMThe golden light, the surf and the person in the distance make for an awsome scene, Nilesh!! #3723650
Melissa G. Meiselman 12/20/2006 9:57:31 PMBeautiful!!!!!!!!!!! #3723696
Luciano Imperadori 12/20/2006 10:31:58 PMVery nice shot. Congratulation from Italy #3723730
Nilesh J. Bhange 12/20/2006 10:38:49 PMThanks to all of you. Good comments really helps. #3723733
Terri Beloit 12/20/2006 11:03:56 PMWOW, Nilesh, this is so striking! The colors and lines are excellent. This caught my eye right way from all the photos on the page...way to go! #3723758
Arlene Krassner 12/21/2006 4:17:10 AMA lovely photograph Nilesh. #3724406
Kay E. Mahoney 12/21/2006 4:19:53 AMNice capture. Beautiful colors. #3724421
Richard D. Cox 12/21/2006 4:50:41 AMPerfect comp. Beautiful colors. Very nicely captured. #3724598
Vladan D. Djordjevic 12/21/2006 6:07:45 AMBeautiful composition, great color, tones. Romantic! #3725037
Linda Blair 12/21/2006 5:55:29 PMLove the golden color, beautiful image, Nilesh!!!!! :0) #3727202
Roxana Kat 2 12/25/2006 3:34:18 AMYou captured such a beautiful place and time here! Congratulations! #3738212
Kathy Martin 12/26/2006 10:09:34 PMAbsolutely Stunning!!!!! Beautiful Colors, I'm in love with this image. #3742955
Kate Jackson 1/2/2007 1:13:40 PMAwesome image Nilesh! Fantastic composition and colours. The person in the distance is the icing on the cake! #3772693
Terry L. McKaig 2/24/2007 1:22:53 PMWow, the golden tone in this is amazing!
Crystal L. Craig 2/24/2007 2:07:21 PMVery striking! Congratulations Nilesh on making finalist :) #3984259
Kay E. Mahoney 2/25/2007 10:52:09 AMCongratulations on your beautiful finalist. Good luck in the next round. #3992012
Claudia Kuhn 2/25/2007 2:33:36 PMBeautiful Nilesh, congrats! #3993289
Tarun Bose 2/26/2007 10:28:43 AMCongrats Nilesh for your outstanding finalist. #3997400
Jeff Robinson 2/27/2007 5:43:12 AMExcellent work Nilesh; congrats on your well deserved Finalist! Jeff #4000404
Pranay Koka 2/27/2007 1:02:03 PMcongrats on ur win!! #4002311
Claudia Kuhn 2/27/2007 1:39:07 PMCongratulations on your beautiful win Nilesh!! #4002626
Gary Lange 2/27/2007 2:09:25 PMCongrats on your wonderful win, Nilesh!! #4002923
Mary K. Robison 2/27/2007 3:36:39 PMGorgeous, Nilesh!
Donna La Mattino Pagakis 2/27/2007 6:21:08 PMStunning work!! Congratulations!!! #4004122
Mark Peters 2/27/2007 8:37:35 PMGood work NIlesh. Congrats on your win! #4004823
Chastity Abbott 2/27/2007 8:37:38 PMHUGE congrats....it so deserved gold!! :) #4004824
Dominick M. Dimacale 2/27/2007 10:32:51 PMCongratulations Nilesh on your fabulous win...Dominick #4004985
Kate Jackson 2/28/2007 1:56:51 AMCongrats Nilesh on your fab second place! #4005139
Kay E. Mahoney 2/28/2007 5:23:02 AMCongratulations on your second place winner:) #4005874
Tarun Bose 2/28/2007 10:02:55 AMCongrats Nilesh on your excellent winner. Well done. #4007012
Janine Russell 2/28/2007 4:45:27 PMNilesh, great tones, lighting, clarity and composition; congratulations on your Second Place Win! #4008412
Nilesh J. Bhange 3/3/2007 1:12:32 AMWell well well I am so overwhelmed & happy that I just can't explain. It's a late reply since I was out of station & was not in touch with this site, anyway this is the photo of beach on Somnath taken early in the morning in my recent tour to Gujrat in INDIA. I just wanted to use the the waves of sea as leading lines & fortunately I got a gentleman praying to sea & sun in the morning to end the leading line. basically he has added life to this photograph. I agree colors,tones are good in this image but for a amateur photographer like me this happens one's in a blue moon occasion & I will like to say I am still beginner in this field Thanks again..Thanks a looooooot for so much love given to this photograph how happy I am I really can't explain. I will also like to add a note that the browny/orange color in this photo is enhanced than the original one. Even though that holy beach is really beautiful.. #4016716
Kate Jackson 3/4/2007 6:05:14 AMNilesh thanks for your wonderful description of why you took this shot! #4019763
Rahul Sharma 9/19/2007 9:23:15 PMThis is really an awesome photograph Nilesh...... Brilliant capture of fantastic beauty of nature here..... I love the description given by you on the capture..... Really liked your gallery..... really nice work you have done.... #4814116
Paula Showen 4/16/2009 10:04:26 PMStunning image! #7412804
Uploaded on 12/20/2006 8:10:26 PM
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Modified Mustangs & FordsProject Vehicles
Factory Five Roadster Hydroboost Brakes Install - Project Snake Charmer Part 13
One Step Closer to Paint With the Installation of Hydroboost Brakes
The engine on our Factory Five Racing Cobra replica has been wired and running for three months. Due to chassis wiring and other unfinished items, however, we felt no pressure to have our project driveable. Rolling the Roadster to the driveway to work on it was all we cared about.
Once we bolted in the direct-fit replacement driveshaft from Forte's Parts Connection, however, the gloves were off. All of a sudden, we knew our Cobra replica could move forward (or backwards), but we had no way to stop it. Sure, we had great-looking Stainless Steel Brakes discs at all four corners and most of the hard lines were bent and installed, but without some sort of master cylinder, there's no way for us to hydraulically control the brakes. We thought about taking the Roadster for a spin with only the parking brake to stop us, but we felt all of our hard-earned progress to date wasn't worth the risk. That and the wife thought yours truly was crazy for even suggesting it. Maybe she's right, but what were we to do?
Enter Hydratech Braking and its neat OEM type of braking assist called Hydroboost. For several decades, Hydroboost has been on all sorts of new cars and trucks as an alternative power-brake assist over the age-old vacuum diaphragm. Ford has used it on the Mustang since the mid-'90s and on Lincoln and Mercury product lines as far back as the early '80s. The Hydroboost-assist unit gets its power from the engine, but instead of engine vacuum, it's powered by the power-steering pump. Yes, hydraulic fluid from your power-steering system is used as the assist, giving you a nice power-brake-pedal feel without the need for the room to fit a big booster can. This means you can have a radical engine with poor vacuum, but still have great brakes and a light, power-brake-pedal feel. Even if you don't have power steering, you can still use a Hydroboost by mounting a power-steering pump just for the assist unit. Since we were already planning on power steering, the Hydroboost unit from Hydratech ties in easily to our project.
Hydratech Braking uses new Bosch assist units in its custom kits. When you order a Hydroboost system with hydraulic lines, you get a complete installation solution with all the fittings, adapters, and more. For a classic Mustang (which Hydratech has kits for), the company terminates the hydraulic hoses for a simple socket-and-wrench job, though you might need to rework a brake line or two at the master cylinder, depending upon what you use for a replacement master cylinder.
For our Cobra replica, Hydratech set us up with one of its Fox Mustang ('79-'93) kits that it tweaked for the FFR fitment. The installation went well, and with our Master Power Brakes remote-reservoir master cylinder (recommended for our application by Hydratech), we were able to install a complete braking solution over the course of a weekend. Now we can safely take our Roadster for some "go-cart" runs, which we did at around 7:30 on a Sunday night. This point of our build was just as exciting as hearing the car's Smeding 427 Windsor start for the first time.
Now it's time for some bodywork as we start to wrap up the year-long build of our Factory Five Racing Roadster.


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18 Night Voyage Of The Vikings (Amsterdam To Boston)
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Avg. Cost: $125 per night
Avg. Size: 270 sq. ft.
Avg. Cost: $142 per night
Avg. Size: 528 sq. ft.
Avg. Cost: $286 per night
Zaandam Features
Explore all 37 on board venues and features.
Beauty Salon
The menu at the Beauty Salon features manicures, pedicures, hair styling, blow drying, and other pampering pleasures.
Basketball Court
Don''t let that cross-over get rusty. Hit the top deck for a little pick up among ship mates.
Art Gallery
Step into the Art Gallery, lovingly tended by a knowledgeable curator, and discover pieces that flirt with your imagination.
Passengers can browse the onboard boutiques for souvenirs, luxury goods, clothing, and accessories.


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Donald L. Vasicek
So, you began your screenplay with a visual metaphor.
You've introduced your main character, the setting,
the time, the theme, and you're introducing other major
and periphery characters. You're getting to like your
story pretty well, when all of sudden you hit a
block. What is your story about?
This question is asked many times over each day
in the film business. So, you'd better be prepared for it.
Your story is about a character who reacts to something
that causes him (I'm using the male gender because I
honestly don't know what is correct when writing articles.
Someone please tell me how to deal with this so I can be
grammatically and politically correct.) to begin acting instead of
reacting to what is going on around him.
The first step in your main character's transformation
(you'd better have one if you want to sell and get your
screenplays produced)is when he reacts to the introduction
of the dramatic premise. Until this time in your screenplay,
you should have established your main character who
should be in a setting and time interacting with other characters who
should all be showing (I emphasize "showing" instead of "telling"
since all great writing "shows" instead of "tells") different aspects
of your theme. You should have established all of these elements by
about page 10 of your screenplay.
On or about page 10 in your screenplay, you show something that
occurs that is out of context of what you have set up so far. This
turning point in your screenplay is when you have your main character
react to something that establishes the dramatic premise of your
screenplay. This dramatic premise will be the plot of your
screenplay. Something happens to your main character that begins his
transformation arc because he is forced to react to something he has
been avoiding, but he must react to it until he overcomes it, or it
his life will never change for the better.
In the $56 million MGM screenplay I was a writer/consultant for,
"Warriors of Virtue", Ryan, the main character is shown in school,
with his friends, with his family and how he reacts to these people
and this setting. Problem is, Ryan wears a leg brace, a defect in his
leg he inherited with birth. Kids push him around. He can't play on
the football team. He argues with his parents. His dog barks at him.
He has a lot of problems until he's challenged to leap over this
rushing water to show other kids that he's not a wimp. Then, his
real problems begin. He leaps and falls into the water. He is swept
into an alternate universe where he has to change or he'll never be
able to return to his home. The evil Komodo and his army, a village
of "people" and five Kung Fu Kangaroos who need his help stand in
his way. This is where his transformation arc begins. This is where
the dramatic premise for the movie is established. From this point on,
Ryan begins to change, and to never be the same again.
This alternate universe (no different than what your main character
should be experiencing at this point in your screenplay)"attacks" Ryan.
He survives the plunge, but now he's being threatened by the evil
Komodo's soldiers in a forest. When some Kung Fu kangaroos rescue him, he
begins to see that someone cares about him, and he doesn't even know
why. And miraculously, he discovers that his leg is healed.
Fearful of the village, which is made up of a loving community of people,
at about page 45, Ryan foreshadows he is going to be at the end of the
movie. He meets a girl, Princess Anne and he isn't afraid of her. At midpoint, the village
is attacked by Komodo and his soldiers. Though fighting valiantly, the Kung
Fu Kangaroos are outnumbered. They manage to drive the invaders
away, but, they know, that unless they come up with some kind of
miraculous idea, Komodo is going to take over the village and kill
everyone. And now, Ryan has a stake in the outcome. Where before, he
cared little about himself, now, he not only cares about himself, but he
cares about Princess Anne as well. But, Komodo has kidnapped her to hold her for ransom
in order to force the village leaders to give in to his demands and give up
the village (Komodo desires the village because of its love and its peace
because this kind of behavior terrorizes him).
At about page 75, Ryan tells the village leaders and the Kangaroos that
he believes he can talk Komodo in releasing Princess Anne. Interested,
he tells them how.
At about page 90, Ryan, under the protection of the hidden Kangaroos,
Ryan confronts Komodo about releasing Princess Anne. Komodo, struck by Ryan's
audacity, challenges him to a duel with swords. Only Komodo knows his soldiers
are near to back him up, but unaware of the hidden Kung Fu Kangaroos.
Komodo, by far the superior warrior to Ryan, is about to take Ryan's head with
his sword, when some of the soldiers show their faces. At that point, the Kangaroos
show themselves. An all out battle ensues.
Ryan races to rescue Princess Anne. The battle is so fierce, the out-numbered Kangaroos,
are exhausted and about ready to admit defeat, when Ryan, grabs a sword and disarms
Komodo. The Kangaroos take over and defeat Komodo's soldiers. Ryan rescues Princess
Anne and saves the village.
In the closing scene, the village priest creates a mystical and spiritual avenue for Ryan
to travel so that he can return to his parents and other life. After a tearful goodbye to
everyone, Ryan leaves.
Upon his return to the town where he lives, his parents, friends, and the kids in school,
see that his leg is healed, and so is Ryan. Even his dog accepts him.
So, you need to take your character on a journey, by establishing the dramatic premise,
then roughly timing turning points in the story and in your main character. Page 1, a visual
metaphor that defines the theme of the story. Page 3, a line of dialogue, or an action
that directly pinpoints the theme of your story. About Page 10, establish the dramatic
premise. At about Page 30, something extraordinary should happen that spins your
character and story around 360 degrees and sends it off in another direction. At
about page 45, foreshadow how your main character is going to be at the end of
your story. Just a small action, something your character does to reveal this, like when
Ryan meets Princess Anne and he is unfraid of her. From this point forward, you must
have your main character creating all of the action. In other words, he/she must be
pro-active in all events. At about Page 60, midpoint, you must show that about all is lost
for your main character regardless of the new strength he/she is showing. By about Page 75,
have your main character change the way he/she is trying to accomplish his/her goal. At
about Page 90 of your screenplay, your main character should have a direct confrontation
with the villain (villain represents evil in fiction) or antagonist (doesn't necessarily
represent evil so much as representing the opposing force to your main character's goal).
This confrontation results in your main character winning and sets up how the story
is going to end. For the next several pages, your story should build to a climax where
your main character goes nose-to-nose with the villain or antagonist. Here, your
main character should have an epiphany. For Ryan, it was his discovery that he
must overcome Komodo in order return home to his family and friends. It is here where
your main character's fatal flaw (the flaw that has caused your main character to
pursue a solution to it because it is more overpowering than any other flaw)comes to
the surface and must be overcome by your main character. With Ryan, it was his fear,
and he overcomes it.
After the climax, wrap up all loose ends and end the screenplay as soon as possible.
And there you have it. Nine easy to steps to writing a screenplay.
Donald L. Vasicek


text:
Toll Free: (800) 685-7432
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DIRECTORY TOWNSHIP MAPS are listed alphabetically showing the location of the rural house and who lives there (owner or renter). Not all rural lake homes and housing developments are shown. Other information included on the directory maps are township names, section numbers, primary roads, secondary roads, road names, range numbers, lakes, rivers, cemeteries, pipelines, churches, towns, and railroads.
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text:
The U.S. economy is picking up steam and the Fed's quantitative-easing approach is helping, but investors should watch out for a possible spike in interest rates once growth is well under way, billionaire financier George Soros warned as he made the rounds at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
"Once the economy gets going, then interest rates are going to take a big leap," Soros, the founder of Soros Fund Management LLC, told CNBC in an interview late Thursday.
Soros said the move is likely to happen in 2013 and "may have already begun." Once uncertainty over the federal budget is overcome and investment decisions are made, "I think you'll see it," he said.
Soros, who famously made a billion dollars betting against the British pound in 1992, also said there's room for the euro to appreciate as other countries, such as Japan, take steps to weaken their currencies, Bloomberg reported.
Soros in September slammed Germany for foisting austerity on the euro zone and said the region's largest economy was potentially heading for a depression of its own.
On Thursday, Soros said Germany would do the "minimum" to preserve the euro, but said the euro-zone still faces a "tense" situation over the next two years, according to Bloomberg. Maintaining that the timing remains wrong for more austerity, Soros said tight fiscal and monetary policies will see the shared currency appreciate as other countries pursue looser policies.
"Currencies have been remarkably stable in the last few years," he said, according to the report. "Now there is the making of more fireworks, more volatility."
–William L. Watts
Follow on Twitter: @wlwatts


text:
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Who the heck voted for Stephen?
Sierra voted for: DebbieCoach for SierraJT for Sierra and Erinn for Stephen!!! says never again ?? what's that all about??NEXT wekk>> Families! Debbie turns on Coach
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Must Be The Weed? Superstar Career Takes A Turn: Miami Dolphin NFL Player Ricky Williams Future Career Is Now A Massage Therapist!
Ricky Williams turns to massage therapy in latest chapter. Shout out to Mr Exclusive
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|Datum: 2013-12-22 07:00 UTC
|Palena Volcanic Group
|Goes 13 - Pilot Reports.
|Aviation colour code:
|Summit elevation: n/a
|Eruption Details:
|exhalation around 21/2030z
|This data supplements the official Volcanic Ash Advisory Graphics and Volcanic Ash Advisories. The data is to be used with caution. The official Volcanic Ash Graphics and Volcanic Ash Advisories take precedence in all circumstances. Please refer to national NOTAMs for definitive boundaries of no-fly areas.
|SFC to FL200 - Ash concentrations between the surface and 20,000 feet.
|FL200 to FL350 - Ash concentrations between 20,000 feet and 35,000 feet.
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text:
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kids presents an amazing alternative to all-natural skin care and helping our world to be a better place. For every package of kids you purchase, Osana donates at least one bar on your behalf to those at risk of malaria and or sanitation-related sickness. By using Osana, you are not only helping those in need all around the world, but you are also preventing unwanted mosquito bites and protecting your body in a completely kids, kids way.
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Get an overview of this hotelVillage-style oceanfront resort in Puerto Aventuras
+VIP Access™ Hotel
Our customers receive consistently exceptional service at these hotels.
Expedia Rewards members get double value for their points when booking any VIP Access hotel.See details
Popular highlights
Beach community
Set on a white-sand beach 300 meters (328 yards) from the marina in the gated community of Puerto Aventuras, this hotel is 19 km (12 miles) south of Playa del Carmen and 80 km (50 miles) from the airport.
All-Inclusive resort
Daily meals and drinks, use of all recreational facilities at both this resort and the sister resort next door, plus daily activities and nightly entertainment are included in Catalonia Riviera's room rate.
Tropical rooms
Catalonia Riviera Maya guestrooms feature balconies or terraces with garden or ocean views. Tile floors, wood and iron furniture, blue and yellow accents add to the tropical ambience.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!Opens in a new window
Catalonia Riviera Maya Resort and Spa All Inclusive
Resort Amenities
All-Inclusive Details
This property is all-inclusive. Onsite food and beverages are included in the room price (some restrictions may apply).
Gratuities and taxes
Gratuities and taxes are included.
Food and beverages
- All meals, snacks, and beverages included
- Meals and beverages at companion properties
Activities and facilities/equipment
All non-motorized water sports, land activities, and use of recreational facilities and equipment are included.
Water activities
- Kayaking
- Sailing
- Snorkeling
Land activities
- Bicycling
- Fitness facilities
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Volleyball
- Aerobics
- Yoga
Kids' club
- Supervised activities for children between 4 and 12 years old
- Onsite entertainment and activities
- Access to onsite clubs
- Onsite live performances
- Theme parties
Not included
- Motorized water sports
- Scuba-diving certification
- Scuba-diving excursions
- Snorkeling excursions
- Surcharge for premium food items
- Surcharge for bottled wine
- Airport transfers
- Childcare
- Laundry/dry cleaning services
- Spa/beauty facilities and services
- Wireless Internet access
- Offsite tours
- Kayaking included
- Access to onsite clubs included
- Sailing included
- Taxes included
- Airport transfers not included
- Fitness facilities included
- Premium food items not included
- Tennis included
- Wireless Internet access not included
- Volleyball included
- Laundry/dry cleaning services not included
- Soccer (football) included
- Childcare not included
- Scuba diving excursions not included
- Snorkeling excursions not included
- Scuba diving certification not included
- Motorized water sports not included
- All available beverages included
- Bicycling included
- Spa/beauty facilities and services not included
- Offsite tours not included
- Yoga classes/lessons included
- Aerobics classes/lessons included
- Onsite entertainment and activities included
- Gratuities included
- All food and beverages included
- Surcharge for premium food items
- Surcharge for bottled wine
- Meals and drinks at companion properties included
- All non-motorized water sports included
- Onsite live performances included
- All land activities, and recreational facilities and equipment included
- Theme parties included
- Snorkeling included
Resort Amenities
A white sand beach and 3 pools, plus 2 more pools at the adjacent partner resort, provide ample opportunities for sun-worshipers. This resort's main freeform pool features a swim-up bar and children's area. Daily activities include pool games, regular and aqua aerobics, and kayaking. Guests can enjoy shows daily in the hotel's theater.
Massage services are available, and sundries, cigars, T-shirts, souvenirs, and handicrafts can also be purchased on site. The hotel offers 24-hour room service. A total renovation of this property was completed in January 2011.
- Free use of nearby fitness center
- Number of outdoor pools - 3
- Elevator/lift
- Number of bars/lounges - 9
- Number of poolside bars - 2
- Number of beach bars - 2
- Full-service spa
- 24-hour front desk
- Spa treatment room(s)
- Turkish bath/Hammam
- Billiards or pool table
- Porter/bellhop
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Year Built 2000
- Coffee shop or café
- Free self parking
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Steam room
- Sauna
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- Health club
- Children's club (free)
- Nightclub
- Children's pool
- On private beach
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Spa services on site
- Terrace
- Luggage storage
- Hair salon
- ATM/banking
- Number of restaurants - 10
- Concierge services
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Designated smoking areas
- Shopping on site
- Reception hall
- Pool umbrellas
- Outdoor tennis courts - 2
- Laundry facilities
- Total number of rooms - 423
- Number of floors - 4
- Arcade/game room
- Wedding services
- Number of buildings/towers - 15
- Tennis on site
- Garden
- Multilingual staff
Family Friendly Amenities
- On private beach
- Outdoor pools
- Children's pool
- Free Wi-Fi
- Outdoor tennis courts
- Children's club (free)
- Laundry facilities
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- In-room childcare (surcharge)
- Arcade/game room
- Playground on site
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Free self parking
Room Amenities
- Premium TV channels
- Furnished balcony
- Access via exterior corridors
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Air conditioning
- Minibar
- Coffee/tea maker
- Free bottled water
- Daily housekeeping
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- In-room childcare (surcharge)
- Desk
- Iron/ironing board
- In-room safe
- Cable TV service
- Plasma TV
- Free WiFi
Where to Eat
La Brisa - Breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets. Different theme each night, including Mexican, Italian, and International.
Bellavista - Casual trattoria-style à la carte restaurant serving Italian cuisine. Dinner only. Reservations required. Dress code: Casual elegant; long pants for men.
Ayami - Tepanyaki restaurant for dinner only. Dress code: Casual elegant; long pants for men.
Los Alebrijes - Rustic Mexican decor with thatched roof and wraparound windows. Regional Mexican cuisine for à la carte dinner only. Reservations required. Dress code: Casual elegant; long pants for men.
Bamboleo - During the day, guests can take advantage of this casual snack bar's drink delivery to the the pool area, while at night enjoy the a la carte steak and grilled-items menu. Reservations are required. The dress code is casual elegant; long pants are required for men.
La Creperie - Offering crepes and ice cream specialities, this spot is open evenings.
El Abuelo Lobby Bar - Located in the lobby area, this bar is open from late afternoon until midnight and features karaoke and live music in the evenings.
Margaritas - This swim-up bar at the main pool serves tropical drinks and beer from mid-morning through the afternoon.
La Terraza - Air-conditioned terrace bar overlooking the beach. Open from late afternoon.
Guests can also enjoy dining and drinking at the following spots at the sister resort, Catalonia Yucatan Beach:
El Mercado - American/Mexican buffets for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; includes bar.
Tequila Bar - Swim-up bar in the main pool.
Pure Chill Out Bar - Fully-equipped with arcade games and televisions, this sports bar is open from late afternoon until midnight.
La Piñata - Disco and bar.
Terrace Tapas Lounge - Open-air, a la carte restaurant with tapas specialties. Open for dinner only.
Nearby Things to Do
A coral reef lies just offshore, creating a shallow lagoon area with a sandy bottom, perfect for swimming and snorkeling. Catalonia Riviera Maya has one outdoor tennis court, available day and night; complimentary racquets and balls are provided. The activities center stocks kayaks, snorkeling gear, table games, and other equipment.
Golf enthusiasts can play the nine-hole Puerto Aventuras Golf Club across the street. The Golf Club at Playacar is 20 km (12.5 miles) away and the Mayan Palace Golf Course is 30 km (19 miles) from the hotel (surcharges apply for golf). The Puerto Aventuras Marina, 300 meters (328 yards) from the resort, is home to a boat launch, fishing charters, and a variety of restaurants and nightclubs (surcharges for all).
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the hotel; surcharges may apply.
- Snorkeling on site
- Free bicycles on site
- Golf driving range on site
- Golfing nearby
- Parasailing nearby
- Volleyball on site
- Kayaking on site
- Yoga classes/instruction on site
- Pilates classes on site
- Playground on site
- Boat tours nearby
- Fitness classes on site
- Sailing on site
- Scuba diving on site
Spa Services
Alegria Spa - Visit this spa for two floors of relaxation and invigoration. On the first floor, the gym offers complimentary classes and a beauty salon that offers manicures and pedicures. Visit the second floor for spa services including a complex hydrotherapy circuit with sauna, vapour, hydro-massage shower and plunge pool. The relaxation area includes tea and juices while there are treatment rooms for individual and couples massages.
- Number of treatment rooms 7
- Outdoor treatment areas
- Couples treatment rooms
- Massages on beach
- Manicures and pedicures
- Body wraps
- Body treatments
- Body scrubs
- Facial treatments
- Aromatherapy treatments
- Hydrotherapy treatments
- Sauna in spa
- Spa tub in spa
- Minimum age to access spa is 18
- Massages
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
- Accessible bathroom
- Roll-in shower
Resort Policies
Check-in time ends at midnight
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Minimum check-in age is 18
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Kids stay free! Up to 2 children stay free when using existing bedding.
- Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
- Cribs (infant beds) are not available.
- No pets or service animals allowed
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
No rollaway/extra beds available
No cribs (infant beds) available
No pets or service animals allowed
- Resort fee
Resort Name
- Catalonia Maya Resort
- Catalonia Maya Riviera
- Catalonia Maya Riviera Resort
- Catalonia Riviera Maya All Inclusive
- Catalonia Riviera Maya Puerto Aventuras
- Catalonia Riviera Maya Resort All Inclusive Puerto Aventuras
- Catalonia Riviera Resort
- Riviera Catalonia
- Riviera Catalonia Maya Resort
- Riviera Maya Catalonia
- Catalonia Riviera Maya Resort All Inclusive
- Catalonia Riviera Maya Resort All Inclusive Solidaridad
- Catalonia Riviera Maya Solidaridad
- Catalonia Riviera Maya
- Catalonia Riviera Maya Resort Spa All Inclusive
- Catalonia Riviera Maya All Inclusive Puerto Aventuras
- Catalonia Riviera Maya Inclus
We should mention
Reservations are required for massage services and spa treatments. Reservations can be made by contacting the property prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation. A resort fee is included in the total price displayed. No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property.
Privilege Level Bonus
Book a stay in a "Privileged" room category and receive the following benefits: Access to the Private Lounge with a la carte breakfast and light lunch service, concierge service, coffee service between 9 AM - 5 PM; separate check-in location; beach towels service; 1 day access to the Spa wet area; access to exclusive beach area with beach chairs and the Pure Bar; 10% off massages or treatments at the Alegría Spa (reservation may be required); 20% off romantic lobster dinner on the beach; vouchers for 4 dinners in theme restaurants; 10% off purchases at onsite boutique.
Full details at check-in. Offer subject to availability. Offer is not valid with groups/conventions and may not be combined with other promotional offers. Other restrictions and blackout dates may apply.


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Danilo Gallinari, the Denver Nuggets, and Man's Best Friend
November 15, 2012 Leave a comment
As I said back on August 30, 2012 in part I of my three-part series on the Arron Afflalo trade, I do not enjoy making reason of chaos. This continues to be the case. There is just too much wrong with the Denver Nuggets for my personal lifestyle to keep up. This is the main reason why my writing has taken a dip of late. I have too many other commitments to be spending an incalculable number of hours processing and illuminating the incomprehensible inadequacies of this organization and then postulating how I would have done things differently. And until an NBA team decides my abilities are worth their time and money, my abbreviated outrage on Twitter will remain.
That said, prior to the season starting, people were interested in my ideas on how the Nuggets could make their new roster of players work, rather than the litany of ways in which it would not. In response, I had to tell them there was no way of it working. Eight games into the season, we have seen a validation of my hypothesis. And that's sad, mostly because people being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars per year (if not more) are being tasked with making decisions I am better able to make in a few hours from my laptop at home for nothing.
The word "compulsive" describes the repetitive, irresistible urge to perform a behavior. A dog who displays compulsive behavior repeatedly performs one or more behaviors over and over, to the extent that it interferes with his normal life. The behavior he's doing doesn't seem to have any purpose, but he's compelled to do it anyway. Some dogs will spend almost all their waking hours engaging in repetitive behaviors. They might lose weight, suffer from exhaustion and even physically injure themselves. Dogs display many different kinds of compulsions, such as spinning, pacing, tail chasing, fly snapping, barking, shadow or light chasing, excessive licking and toy fixation. It's important to note that normal dogs also engage in behaviors like barking and licking, but they usually do so in response to specific triggers.
Courtesy: WebMD
In what comes as a shock to many, the Denver Nuggets (with one of the league's lighter schedules) are a middling team through eight games of the 2012-13 season. In what should come as zero shock to my faithful readers, I am not surprised. Now, with Denver struggling to keep their head above water, throngs of Nuggets' fans have began calling for more trades. Surprise, surprise. The dog is chasing its tail again.
On June 22, 2012, I wrote:
At what point do the players traded stop being the scapegoat and the people in charge of moving them take responsibility? When is the franchise going to have any form of stability? When will their best players be identified and then be held onto for the duration of their careers?
Since June 22, the Denver Nuggets have done nothing to stem the tide of tail-chasing. Instead, they've involved themselves in yet more trades. And the dog goes round and round again.
During the NBA's draft on June 28, Denver took swing-man Evan Fournier out of France with the 22nd overall pick. I guess Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Arron Afflalo, Jordan Hamilton, and Corey Brewer weren't quite enough to satiate their appetite for wing players. With only Kenneth Faried and Al Harrington on the roster at power forward, common sense would dictate Nuggets brass look for a backup power forward. Jared Sullinger, whom I advocated they take with their first overall pick (if they weren't going to trade up for Iowa State's Royce White — who I had no idea would refuse traveling with his team after signing an NBA contract), went to the Celtics immediately after Denver took Fournier.
The Nuggets further compounded their basketball inadequacies by taking Quincy Miller during the second round. I said on Twitter during the lead-up to the draft that if Denver decided to take Miller at any point I would "laugh my ass off in anger." I was forever grateful they didn't take him during the first round, but, became amused when they predictably did during the second. He's a nice player — puts up nice numbers — until you actually watch him play, an activity by which it seems Denver's front office very rarely partakes. How else would you explain drafting Kenneth Faried in 2011 and following it up by trading for JaVale McGee? Anyone who actually watches basketball knew those two wouldn't mesh. Everyone except Denver, I guess. How else would you explain the Nuggets then trading their only shooter this past summer for yet another diverse wing in Andre Iguodala? Anyone who actually watches basketball knew that wouldn't work. Everyone except Denver (Kevin Pelton, John Hollinger, and their echo chamber), I guess.
When NBA executives begin using the ever-elusive "productivity" to build their team, they've lost before even getting started. Which is why the cacophony of basketball illiterates is at it again. Everyone wants to trade Danilo Gallinari, one year removed from being what many called the third-best small forward in basketball (behind LeBron James and Kevin Durant; sorry Knicks' fans, even ahead of Carmelo Anthony). Everyone wants to move Gallinari because he's neither shooting the ball well nor getting to the free throw line with nearly the frequency he's accustomed to throughout his career.
Fancy that. When the Nuggets traded their only shooter in Arron Afflalo this summer for Andre Iguodala, it forced Denver to move Gallinari into a supporting role as a shooter — something he's not built to do. Not surprisingly, I made this point immediately following the trade. Not only did Denver hinder Gallo's development first by trading Nene for JaVale McGee, they further compounded their basketball inadequacies by trading the only shooter on the roster for a player four-years older, four-inches shorter, and with a similar skill-set to their 24 year-old, 6-foot-10, Italian phenom. The ignorance is so breathtaking it's palpable.
Danilo Gallinari is 24 years-old and in his fifth NBA season. Andre Iguodala is 28 and in his ninth NBA season. Danilo Gallinari is a 6-foot-10, 225-pound point guard in a forward's body, who can rebound, dish, and shoot at an elite level in the right situation. Andre Iguodala is a 6-foot-6, 202-pound tweener at shooting guard and small forward. He can't shoot well enough to be a prototypical shooting guard. And he's not big enough to line up at small forward and be defended by bigger, taller, longer opposing players (like those he'd face in Gallinari and Durant). Danilo Gallinari averages about half the assists and half the steals of his new teammate, but he's nearly ten points better than Iguodala at the free-throw line and nearly four points better from three. Gallinari also turns the ball over at nearly half the rate of Andre Iguodala. Their respective effective field goal percentages (EFG%) are naturally similar, however, Gallinari has a far superior true shooting percentage (TS%). Other than that, they're objectively the same player. Gallinari is merely able to do the same things in a much bigger body, which, in basketball, is kind of a big deal. (Oh, another pretty big deal? Gallinari is just now entering his prime. He can still become a better player. Andre Iguodala is on the downswing. Age and size are kind of important in basketball. Shocking, I know.)
If those numbers aren't enough for your brains to wrap around, here's more:
According to 82games.com's on-court/off-court statistics for the 2011-12 season, Danilo Gallinari had a better year (per 100 possessions) than Kevin Durant (see below), James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Dwyane Wade, Rudy Gay, Andre Iguodala (see below), Carmelo Anthony (see below), Nicolas Batum, Luol Deng, Paul Pierce, Josh Smith and countless others. Furthermore, Gallo's on-court/off-court statistics are steady throughout his career. His 2010-11 season is somewhat skewed because it's the year he was traded from New York to Denver. However, if you look at his 2009-10 season, it is better than Durant's 2011-12 iteration — when KD is arguably as good as he will ever be.
How do Durant and Gallinari compare statistically? They're scarily similar.
The NBA is fast becoming a league where every team has the same exact data at their disposal when making decisions. The front offices that find success are those that understand the data better than the rest, and hence, put it to use in a much more academic manner. Some basketball-stat folks are now saying they "aren't quite sold on Danilo Gallinari". Meanwhile …
So, to recap: the Nuggets traded a player they were asking far too much of in the first place (Afflalo) for a player who has the same skill set as the best young asset they received in the Carmelo Anthony deal (Danilo Gallinari). They then expected Gallinari to take over for Afflalo's role shooting the basketball (something he's not equipped to do), while moving Iguodala into Afflalo's starting spot in the rotation. Then they expected Iguodala to manufacture the same production he's historically known for, while being surrounded by a team of players not complementary to his skills in the least.
If any of that makes sense to you, then you would also be able to make sense of playing a 6-foot-11, 260-pound beast (and natural power forward) at center for nine years. If any of that makes sense to you, then you would also be able to make sense of a team trading that same beast (even if he is oft-injured) for JaVale McGee. If any of that makes sense to you, then you would also be able to make sense of a team offering a fairly generous contract extension to an undersized starting point guard who lacks both a mid-range jumper and floater — two skills found in nearly every starting point guard in today's NBA and an absolute necessity if your franchise is in earnest pursuit of success. If any of that makes sense to you, you probably spend more of your time staring at a spreadsheet than you do basketball players playing basketball games. If any of that makes sense to you, then you would probably be fine making the decisions for a team that never gets out of the first round of the playoffs, because … you would be running it.
And if any of that makes sense to you, you would probably chase your tail incessantly as a dog until you collapsed from exhaustion. That's why dogs have owners — to discipline them and ensure they cease with the compulsive activity. If and when they don't stop the tail-chasing, the responsible dog owner has three options:
- Keep the dog, love the dog, and put up with the poor thing until it dies.
- Put the dog up for adoption, knowing full well that another family is unlikely to bring it into their home with its affliction.
- Put the dog down.
It might be time to put the dog down.
You set yourself back ten years (arbitrarily speaking) by trading Nene for JaVale McGee. You've set yourself back at least another five years by trading Arron Afflalo for Andre Iguodala. And you will set yourself back a further ten years beyond that (if not more) by trading Danilo Gallinari. It shouldn't be that difficult to find and maintain success in the NBA, what with the dearth of talent that exists throughout the league. You just can't be … the runt of the litter.
Is there a way to fix this roster and maybe get them winning more games this season? I do not know. If so, it would take a drastic change in direction and philosophy — something George Karl and his staff have never seemed to embrace.


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Farrell Media necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 56 diseños de 14 diseñadores freelance.
Farrell Media
Farrell Media is a I.T. services company in Australia. We provide clients with a range of servcies including website hosting, email services, on-site technical support and more. Using a range of freelancers (like 99designs) we offer a range of website design, graphic design, printing and vinyl cutting services.
As we look to the future we hope to grow the company using a consistent and solid brand.
Our target market is small to medium business in a range of fields. We have completed work for mechanics, farmers, lawyers, car clubs, vineyards, radio stations and many more.
We require a new logo and matching business card set.
The text should read FARRELL MEDIA with graphic(s) of some sort.
Ideally we want a logo that looks good on both white and black backgrounds. It should also be able to be used in flat white or black as a mono style graphic. Please provide examples of all 4 scenarios.
We really like the designs offered in this contest,
But we are open to any suggestions and creative input - thats why we turned to 99designs :)
Some other designs we liked,
The business card should be in full colour and provide front and back images. It should allow for name, address, phone, fax, email and website information. This will be provided closer to the end of the competition to entries that are on the mark.
We will require the finished artwork in high resolution vector images, preferably EPS format.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. We look forward to seeing what you come up with.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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CUNA & Affiliates
August 12, 2002
Jonathan G. Katz, Secretary
Securities and Exchange Commission
450 5th Street, NW
Washington, D C 20549-0609
|Interagency White Paper on Structural Change in the Settlement of Government Securities: Issues and Options
Dear Mr. Katz:
The Credit Union National Association (CUNA) appreciates the opportunity to comment on a white paper titled "Structural Change in the Settlement of Government Securities: Issues and Options" (White Paper). The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve (Federal Reserve) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (collectively, "the agencies") have presented this paper to the public to generate discussion. CUNA, a national trade association, represents more than 90 percent of the nation's 10,300 state and federal credit unions.
The white paper identifies alternative utility types and different assessment criteria for evaluating these utilities. The alternative utility models mentioned are: an industry-owned depository and settlement entity that contracts with a commercial bank for the provision of most services; a private, limited-purpose bank that furnishes the operational support itself; and a public utility for which the Federal Reserve provides depository and settlement services.
The agencies asked if there were additional alternative utility types or additional vulnerabilities in the current system that should have been explored. CUNA believes that the agencies have explored all feasible utility models. CUNA does believe, however, that the agencies may want to explore explicitly the geographic vulnerability posed by having both banks that provide settlement services for government securities located in New York.
CUNA believes that the evaluation criteria listed in the white paper are all relevant; however, more consideration could be given to the high cost of entering into, and competing in, this business. A new entrant would need substantial financial resources to acquire the personnel, systems, physical infrastructure, and financing necessary to operate the utility. As a result, the initial investment for an industry utility would likely be a minimum of several million dollars. In addition, obtaining committed lines of credit would add substantially to the cost of entry. A utility would probably need $100 to $200 billion in intraday credit to be a serious competitor as a clearing facility. The utility would likely obtain the committed lines of credit from the banks investing in and using the utility; however, additional guarantees from the Federal Reserve might be necessary if the entire amount of required credit is not available from the banking industry. Any new entrant would face a major challenge finding this initial capital and competing with the two clearing banks that are well entrenched in the industry. In order to compete against its well-established competitors, a new entrant may have to offer lower prices initially. All of these costs and the pressure of competition may be prohibitive to all, except for the Federal Reserve.
The agencies asked for comments regarding how a utility could be motivated to improve its services. CUNA does not believe that concerns about efficiency, innovation, and competition can be addressed entirely through governance. Competition usually promotes efficiency and innovation. In a highly competitive industry, increasing market share, maintaining pricing power, and continuing product innovation are generally critical objectives for companies. Without competition, the reasons for attaining these objectives are less compelling.
The agencies asked about the feasibility of separating "core clearing", which includes the settling of trades and providing of intraday credit from "tri-party repo service", which includes overnight and term financing through tri-party repurchase agreements. CUNA believes that it is not feasible to separate the provision of core clearing from the provision of tri-party repo service. We believe clearing banks gain operational efficiencies from providing both core clearing and tri-party services. A utility that offers only one of these services would not have the benefit of these efficiencies. As a result, the utility would either price its services higher than a "full service" bank or price its services to compete with the "full service" bank, which would make it difficult for the utility to be profitable.
The agencies also asked specific questions regarding the structure of a privately owned facility. CUNA believes the users of such a facility should own it; however, there should be government oversight to ensure compliance with industry rules and regulations. The utility's board of directors should be chosen from a mix that includes its owners and disinterested parties, which would be similar to most corporate boards. The utility also should be a registered clearing agency based on the services it provides.
The agencies request recommendations for pursuing the goals of the White Paper. CUNA believes that the agencies should use the input from the comments to re-evaluate the proposed alternative structures and review the feasibility of any new structures suggested by respondents. This information should be disseminated to the public for review and additional comment, if necessary. The agencies should also establish a task force to participate in a decision-making process. The task force should include representatives from organizations that provide and receive securities settlement and tri-party repo services
If you have any further questions, please contact CUNA's Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel Mary Dunn or me at (202) 638-5777.
Michelle Q. Profit
Assistant General Counsel


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Megakaryocytes are large polyploid cells present of the bone marrow, which produce the blood platelets or thrombocytes, small disk-shaped cytoplasmic fragments that circulate in the blood and are essential components of the haemostasis system. Formation and release into the blood is under the primary regulation of thrombopoietin, a glycoprotein produced in the kidney and liver. During differentiation of megakaryocytes, continued DNA replication in the presence of abortive mitosis leads to the formation of polyploid nuclei, a process called endomitosis. It has been shown that polyploidisation is connected with the suppression of stathmin, a microtubule-regulatory protein that has a major role in the formation of the mitotic spindle. Platelets are pre-formed in the cytoplasm of megakaryocytes at sites of protrusions, called proplatelets. A megakaryocyte may form 10–20 proplatelets from the tips of which the platelets are released. Maturing platelets become filled with organelles and granules, which move from the megakaryocyte cell body to the tips of the proplatelets.
BIJOUX Shoes Lace LISA C Up Always Active
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Wall Street's biggest firms can't get a break in the bond business.
With trading profits dwindling, more dealers than ever are fighting for assignments managing U.S. corporate-bond sales, one of the few bright spots in fixed income. Companies from the most-creditworthy to the most-indebted have been selling trillions of dollars of debt, locking in record-low borrowing costs ahead of the anticipated rise in interest rates.
The increased competition is bad for JPMorgan Chase & Co., Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc., Goldman Sachs Group Inc., and Barclays Plc because the top five banks won the smallest share of the assignments this year for any comparable timeframe, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. A record 144 underwriters for the period have split an estimated $4.2 billion of fees on U.S. sales, the data show.
"One business is challenged, so people have become aggressive in other businesses," said Alison Williams, a senior financials analyst with Bloomberg Industries.
While the biggest firms are still dominant, they're losing their hold on a reliable profit center in an increasingly bleak fixed-income world. The five most-active corporate-debt underwriters this year landed 47 percent of the business, the smallest share on record. That's down from 59 percent of the assignments for all of 2009.
Smaller firms see an opportunity to break into the business as Wall Street's behemoths unload inventories of riskier securities in the face of higher capital requirements and limits imposed by the U.S. Dodd-Frank Act's Volcker Rule on the amount of their own money they can use to trade.
Royal Bank of Canada has climbed to 11th most-active underwriter of corporate bonds in the U.S., from 14th place in the period four years earlier, Bloomberg data show. U.S. Bancorp and a unit of SunTrust Banks Inc. are in the top 20 managers of the debt sales, from ranking 22nd and 28th, respectively, in 2010.
To make matters worse, fees on the $754 billion of corporate bonds sold in the U.S. this year are coming down, Bloomberg data show. Those tied to junk-bond issuances—more lucrative than underwriting higher-rated debt—have shrunk to the lowest on record.
Debt underwriting fees among the nine biggest banks were 5.8 percent lower in the first three months of 2014 compared with the same period last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg Industries. The slump in fees outpaced a 2.6 percent drop in the volume of global corporate bond sales.
Those easy-money policies implemented by central banks around the world increasingly look like anything but easy money for the biggest banks.


text:
book titles
mailing list
about us
Classical monlogues for older men from Aeschylus to Bernard Shaw.? The second?of two volumes covering the full scope of Western drama from the Greeks to the twentieth century. Over 250 monlogues of male roles from sources other than Shakespeare's plays.?
A must for actors, directors, teachers and students.
book titles |
gifts |
join mailing list |
about us


text:
Hey all -
New poster here! I wasn't sure where to post this question, so please direct me to the right forum if I need to ask
I have a hypothetical question about the order of an array in which 3 factors of a specific object need to be maximized.
Let's say I want to go on vacation, but I don't necessarily know where I want to go. Price means the most to me, so the
cheaper the better. However I want a place that has been reviewed favorably. Third of all, I want a place that has a lot of
amenities (let's say I want to go to a beach resort and a pool and a golf course would be great amenities I would look for).
So in theory, I want the cheapest spot, with the best reviews and the most attractions. However, there is obviously no way I
can find one that is #1 in all 3.
I want to be able to populate a list that will order a lit from "best to worst" (I quote bc it is subjective to the consumer)
So in example (assuming there are 20 important attractions) :
Resort A: $150/night...98/100 in favorable reviews...18 of 20 attractions
Resort B: $99/night...85/100 in favorable reviews...12 of 20 attractions
Resort C: $120/night...91/100 in favorable reviews...16 of 20 attractions
All 3 are pretty similar, and Resort B looks the most appealing in price, but it is 3rd in the other 2 categories. Wherein, I
can choose resort C for only $21 more a night and get more attractions and better reviews. Price is still important to me,
but Resort A has outstanding reviews and a ton of attractions - is $51 more worth the splurge?
I know that in terms of an actual website, you would have the option to bargain shop and read up more on each resort. But
let's say I needed something as objective as possible in an algorithm that sorts from 1 to n (n being the number of resorts to
choose from).
How would I go about maximizing the value for each resort? Should I put a weight for each factor (ie: 55% price, 30% reviews,
15% amenities) and come to the result of a set number and order them that way?
Do I need a mode, median and range for all the hotels and determine the average price, and have the hotels around the average
price hold the most weight?
I hope this makes a little bit of sense, but if it is a little confusing then check out Hipmunk: Better Flight and Hotel Search. They have an
airplane sort (and a hotel sort which is similar to my question) that they use as their own. I used resorts as an example to make my question hopefully make a little more sense. How does one put math to a problem like this?
Thanks for any help!


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PathSolutions necesitaba un nuevo diseño de otro y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 108 diseños de 12 diseñadores freelance.
PathSolutions' Total Network Visibility™ solutions represent a new paradigm in network performance monitoring software by changing how network optimization is done. The company's solutions are ready to go right out-of-the-box, acting as a network's eyes and ears. The health and performance of every device and link in a network is continuously monitored and problems are quickly diagnosed, making network resources more productive and efficient. Working with companies like Tommy Bahama, Dow Chemical and Alcoa, PathSolutions is focused on ensuring that every network performs optimally, no matter the size or resources available. PathSolutions is a U.S.-based company headquartered in Santa Clara, California.
This graphic will be for a 10x10 backdrop display, used at trade shows and industry events. We are looking for something clean and not busy. Our goal is for attendees at these events to see our backdrop and get a basic idea of what we do. It should be eye catching and look professional.
Our logo is a must - should be a main focus of the graphic. Our company's tagline is "Total Network Visibility"; this should be included as well.
We will project a product demo onto the backdrop; there needs to be a white rectangle-like shape (48"w x 36"h) for us to use as the projector "screen". Needs to be at/close to eye level - towards the top of the 10x10 graphic.
We'd like to explain a bit about our company/product, using this main text:
"Network Performance Management Solutions for VoIP and Data Networks"
and then 3 key characteristics (which should be smaller):
"12 minute full deployment"
"Continuously monitors network performance - all routers, switches, and links"
"Identifies and diagnoses the root-cause of network problems"
There is a jpeg image on the attached files of a character resting against a red checkmark - we'd like this included near the list of 3 features (a similar red checkmark might look good for he 3 features).
Our website should be included (but can be smaller): http://www.pathsolutions.com
For ideas on colors, style, general feel, etc. please check out our website: http://www.pathsolutions.com. We'd like the background to be a bright, pleasing blue that fits with our brand.
Design File Requirements:
Final design must be an Adobe Illustrator file. Graphic should be created at 100% at 150dpi
We will need .AI and .PSD file formats
Should be created at 100% at 150 DPI and CMYK.
The print size with bleed is:
125.9843"w x 91.535"h
Background should encompass the entire print size, but the main viewable area will be the following dimensions, centered in the print size. Please keep logo, text, etc. within these dimensions:
108"w x 88"h
Included in the attached files is an Adobe Illustrator template.


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Visit us at the Chelan Teen Center, located in the basement of the Methodist Church, Emerson St, Friday and Saturday nights from 6pm- 11pm. See you there!
Feb 18, 2012
Saturday Night
Sifrido & Chelsey Chelan Teen Center 509-683-2224
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