text:
In response to the serious drought in the country, some academics have once again proposed that more reservoirs be built. The Water Resources Agency is already busy doing this across the country.
The controversial Hushan Reservoir (湖山水庫) in Yunlin County is under construction. Although its budget has been repeatedly blocked by the legislature, the Jiyang Lake (吉洋人工湖) project between Greater Kaohsiung and Pingtung County is about to begin. The agency is also planning to build the Bilin Reservoir (比麟水庫) in Hsinchu County and Pingsi Reservoir (平溪水庫) in Keelung, as well as re-evaluate the Meinong Reservoir (美濃水庫) project, which has been suspended.
Since it takes 10 to 20 years and billions of NT dollars to plan and build a new reservoir, is this really the most effective solution to an extreme climate?
First, take Greater Kaohsiung for example: If the water leakage rate could be reduced by 10 percent, water supply could be increased by more than 150,000 tonnes a day.
Second, in the Greater Kaohsiung Cijin District (旗津區), the Jhongjhou Wastewater Treatment Plant drains 800,000 to 900,000 tonnes of domestic sewage into the sea every day. If it could be upgraded to a third-level wastewater treatment plant, it could provide 300,000 tonnes of water for industrial use every day.
Third, Donggang Creek (東港溪) on the west side of North Dawu Mountain (北大武山) is a great water resource. The Greater Kaohsiung branch of Taiwan Water Corp takes 300,000 tonnes of water from the creek daily for industrial use in the city.
However, the creek has the potential for a daily supply of 480,000 tonnes during dry season and 980,000 tonnes during wet season. If the municipality could improve its livestock and sewage management and water quality to the level required for domestic use, it could utilize the Gangsi Pumping Station to deliver water to Greater Kaohsiung's Fongshan Reservoir (鳳山水庫).
This would increase the water supply in Greater Kaohsiung by 180,000 to 680,000 tonnes a day. At the same time, it would help revive the natural ecology along the creek and residents on both sides would enjoy a clean environment for recreational water activities. This is a win-win situation that would benefit both urban and rural areas.
Through the three plans proposed above — water leakage reduction, reusing domestic sewage for industrial use and improving the quality of water in Donggang Creek — the daily water supply in Greater Kaohsiung and Pingtung County could increase by 600,000 to 1 million tonnes.
In recent years, the Taipei Water Department has spent NT$5.5 billion (US$190 million) to reduce the water leakage rate by 4.17 percent, saving 230 million tonnes of water in total or 158,000 tonnes a day. This proves that leakage reduction is a better option than building reservoirs or manmade lakes.
In comparison, the first-stage construction project of the Jiyang Lake project will cost NT$16.1 billion, but it will only supply 140,000 tonnes of water a day after completion. This is one of the stupidest projects in history.
Indeed, the issue of water resources should be elevated to the national security level. However, more importantly, policymakers must change their thinking and switch the direction of the nation's investments.
If the government still thinks it should build more reservoirs to deal with water shortages, it will only benefit those who stand to profit from reservoir development, while delaying the nation's opportunity for prompt responses to an extreme climate.


text:
Phillies Phever (the actual phenomenon, not the late '70s disco version) is only going to grow between now and October, as it should. Visions of unassisted triple plays, Ryan Howard going deep to left and right in the same game, and the most unflappable Lee to wear a grey road uniform since Manassas are already dancing in our heads. But it wasn't preordained to turn out this way.
In an alternate universe, Roy Halladay pitched for the Phillies today. And they got clobbered. Check out what happened in the reality-based world:
TORONTO -- Cito Gaston says his young pitchers should go to Roy Halladay and ask for pitching advice. But after what happened on Monday, it might be wise to give Halladay a day or two to censor his thoughts.
Of the 12 hits Halladay allowed in the Toronto Blue Jays' 12-7 loss to Tampa Bay, about half were struck with authority. The Rays seemed partial to hits with a hump in the middle.
Halladay gave up an otherworldly (for him) eight runs, seven earned. One scored on an error. Another came in on a dribbler that travelled about 30 feet.
It wasn't that long ago that fans and Philly's radio sports talkers were unanimous in writing close to a blank check to Toronto to get former Cy Young Award-winner Halladay, thought to be the best veteran pitcher in baseball. The Phillies rejected a deal that would have sent starting pitcher J.A. Happ and their two best prospects to the Jays; instead they practically stole Cliff Lee from Cleveland for a package of solid but unspectacular up-and-coming minor leaguers.
The bottom line. Halladay is is 2-4 with a 5.23 ERA and has surrendered eight homers in his last six starts. Lee? All he's done since becoming a Phightin' Phil is go 5-0 with a 0.63 ERA. Had the Phillies management pulled the trigger on the Halladay deal, they would not have had Lee or Happ -- the likely National League Rookie of the Year -- in the rotation but would have been saddled with the suddenly mortal Halladay and the struggling Jamie Moyer in the mix instead. They might be clinging to first place by the skin of their teeth, rather than pulling away from the rest of the NL East.
So did Ruben Amaro and Co. know exactly what they were doing, or was it dumb luck? Either way, the Roy Halladay trade -- which was supposed to be all about winning in 2009, when the Blue Jays' ace in fact now seems shot -- is one of the best that the Phillies have never made.

subset: commoncrawl


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Frequent Links
IAU definition of planet
|This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2015)
The definition of planet set in Prague in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) states that, in the Solar System, a planet is a celestial body which:
- is in orbit around the Sun,
- has sufficient mass to assume hydrostatic equilibrium (a nearly round shape), and
- has "cleared the neighbourhood" around its orbit.
A non-satellite body fulfilling only the first two of these criteria is classified as a "dwarf planet". According to the IAU, "planets and dwarf planets are two distinct classes of objects". A non-satellite body fulfilling only the first criterion is termed a "small Solar System body" (SSSB). Initial drafts planned to include dwarf planets as a subcategory of planets, but because this could potentially have led to the addition of several dozens of planets into the Solar System, this draft was eventually dropped. The definition was a controversial one and has drawn both support and criticism from different astronomers, but has remained in use.
According to this definition, there are eight planets in the Solar System. The definition distinguishes planets from smaller bodies and is not useful outside the Solar System, where smaller bodies cannot be found yet. Extrasolar planets, or exoplanets, are covered separately under a complementary 2003 draft guideline for the definition of planets, which distinguishes them from dwarf stars, which are larger.
- 1 Reasons for the debate
- 2 The history of the definition
- 3 First draft proposal
- 4 Alternative proposal
- 5 Revised draft proposal
- 6 Final draft proposal
- 7 Final definition
- 8 Criticism
- 9 Impact
- 10 New dwarf planet subclass
- 11 See also
- 12 References
- 13 External links
Reasons for the debate
Before the discoveries of the early 21st century, astronomers had no real need for a formal definition for planets. With the discovery of Pluto in 1930, astronomers considered the Solar System to have nine planets, along with thousands of smaller bodies such as asteroids and comets. Pluto was thought to be larger than Mercury.
In 1978, the discovery of Pluto's moon Charon radically changed this picture. By measuring Charon's orbital period, astronomers could accurately calculate Pluto's mass for the first time, which they found to be much smaller than expected.[1] Pluto's mass was roughly one twenty-fifth of Mercury's, making it by far the smallest planet, smaller even than the Earth's Moon, although it was still over ten times as massive as the largest asteroid, Ceres.
In the 1990s, astronomers began finding other objects at least as far away as Pluto, now known as Kuiper Belt objects, or KBOs.[2] Many of these shared some of Pluto's key orbital characteristics and are now called plutinos. Pluto came to be seen as the largest member of a new class of objects, and some astronomers stopped referring to Pluto as a planet.[3] Pluto's eccentric and inclined orbit, while very unusual for a planet in the Solar System, fits in well with the other KBOs. New York City's newly renovated Hayden Planetarium did not include Pluto in its exhibit of the planets when it reopened as the Rose Center for Earth and Space in 2000.[4]
Starting in 2000, with the discovery of at least three bodies (Quaoar, Sedna, and Eris) all comparable to Pluto in terms of size and orbit, it became clear that either they all had to be called planets or Pluto would have to be reclassified. Astronomers also knew that more objects as large as Pluto would be discovered, and the number of planets would start growing quickly. They were also concerned about the classification of planets in other planetary systems. In 2006, the matter came to a head with the measurement of the size of 2003 UB313. Eris (as it is now known) turned out to be slightly larger than Pluto, and so was thought to be equally deserving of the status of 'planet'.[3]
Historical parallel
The refining understanding of Pluto echoed a debate in the 19th century that began with the discovery of Ceres on January 1, 1801.[3] Astronomers immediately declared the tiny object to be the "missing planet" between Mars and Jupiter. Within four years, however, the discovery of two more objects with comparable sizes and orbits had cast doubt on this new thinking. By 1851, the number of "planets" had grown to 23, and it was clear that hundreds more would eventually be discovered. Astronomers began cataloguing them separately and began calling them "asteroids" instead of "planets".[5]
The history of the definition
Because a new planet is discovered infrequently, the IAU did not have any machinery for their definition and naming. After the discovery of Sedna, it set up a 19-member committee in 2005, with the British astronomer Iwan Williams in the chair, to consider the definition of a planet. It proposed three definitions that could be adopted:
- Cultural
- a planet is a planet if enough people say it is;
- Structural
- a planet is large enough to form a sphere;
- Dynamical
- the object is large enough to cause all other objects to eventually leave its orbit.[6]
Another committee, chaired by a historian of astronomy, Owen Gingerich, a historian and astronomer emeritus at Harvard University who led the committee which generated the original definition, and consisting of five planetary scientists and the science writer Dava Sobel, was set up to make a firm proposal.[7]
First draft proposal
The IAU published the original definition proposal on August 16, 2006.[8] Its form followed loosely the second of three options proposed by the original committee. It stated that:[8]
A planet is a celestial body that (a) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (b) is in orbit around a star, and is neither a star nor a satellite of a planet.
This definition would have led to three celestial bodies being recognized as planets:
- Ceres, which had been considered a planet at the time of its discovery, but was subsequently treated as an asteroid
- Charon, a moon of Pluto; the Pluto-Charon system would have been considered a double planet
- Eris, a body in the scattered disk of the outer Solar System
A further twelve bodies, pending refinements of knowledge regarding their physical properties, were possible candidates to join the list under this definition. Some objects in this second list were more likely eventually to be adopted as 'planets' than others. Despite what had been claimed in the media,[9] the proposal did not necessarily leave the Solar System with only twelve planets. Mike Brown, the discoverer of Sedna and Eris, has said that at least 53 known bodies in the Solar System probably fit the definition, and that a complete survey would probably reveal more than 200.[10]
The definition would have considered a pair of objects to be a double planet system if each component independently satisfied the planetary criteria and the common center of gravity of the system (known as the barycenter) was located outside of both bodies.[11] Pluto and Charon would have been the only known double planet in the Solar System. Other planetary satellites (like Earth and its moon) might be in hydrostatic equilibrium, but would still not have been defined as a component of a double planet, since the barycenter of the system lies within the more massive celestial body (the Earth).
The term "minor planet" would have been abandoned, replaced by the categories "small Solar System body" (SSSB) and a new classification of "pluton". The former would have described those objects underneath the "spherical" threshold. The latter would have been applied to those planets with highly inclined orbits, large eccentricities and an orbital period of more than 200 earth years (that is, those orbiting beyond Neptune). Pluto would have been the prototype for this class. The term "dwarf planet" would have been available to describe all planets smaller than the eight "classical planets" in orbit around the Sun, though would not have been an official IAU classification.[12] The IAU did not make recommendations in the draft resolution on what separated a planet from a brown dwarf.[13] A vote on the proposal was scheduled for August 24, 2006.[9]
Such a redefinition of the term "planet" could also have led to changes in classification for the trans-Neptunian objects Haumea, Makemake, Sedna, Orcus, Quaoar, Varuna, 2002 TX300, Ixion, 2002 AW197, and the asteroids Vesta, Pallas, and Hygiea.
On 18 August the Division of Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society endorsed the draft proposal.[14]
According to an IAU draft resolution, the roundness condition generally results in the need for a mass of at least 5×1020 kg, or diameter of at least 800 km.[12] However, Mike Brown claims that these numbers are only right for rocky bodies like asteroids, and that icy bodies like Kuiper Belt objects reach hydrostatic equilibrium at much smaller sizes, probably somewhere between 200 and 400 km in diameter.[15] It all depends on the rigidity of the material that makes up the body, which is in turn strongly influenced by its internal temperature. Assuming that Methone's shape reflects the balance between the tidal force exerted by Saturn and the moon's gravity, its tiny 3 km diameter suggests Methone is composed of icy fluff.[16][17]
The proposed definition found support among many astronomers as it used the presence of a physical qualitative factor (the object being round) as its defining feature. Most other potential definitions depended on a limiting quantity (e.g., a minimum size or maximum orbital inclination) tailored for the Solar System. According to members of the IAU committee this definition did not use man-made limits but instead deferred to "nature" in deciding whether or not an object was a planet.[18]
It also had the advantage of measuring an observable quality. Suggested criteria involving the nature of formation would have been more likely to see accepted planets later declassified as scientific understanding improved.
Additionally, the definition kept Pluto as a planet. Pluto's planetary status was and is fondly thought of by many, and the general public could have been alienated from professional astronomers; there was considerable uproar when the media last suggested, in 1999, that Pluto might be demoted, which was a misunderstanding of a proposal to catalog all trans-Neptunian objects uniformly.[19]
Criticism of first draft proposal
The proposed redefinition was criticised as ambiguous: Astronomer Phil Plait and NCSE writer Nick Matzke both wrote about why they thought the redefinition was not, in general, a good one.[20][21] It defined a planet as orbiting a star, which would have meant that any planet ejected from its star system or formed outside of one (a rogue planet) could not have been called a planet, even if it fit all other definitions. A similar situation already applied to the term 'moon', such bodies ceasing to be moons on being ejected from planetary orbit; this usage had widespread acceptance. Similarly, the redefinition did not differentiate between planets and brown dwarf stars. Any attempt to clarify this differentiation was to be left until a later date.
There had also been criticism of the proposed definition of double planet: at present the Moon is defined as a satellite of the Earth, but over time the Earth-Moon barycenter will drift outwards (see tidal acceleration) and could eventually become situated outside of both bodies.[22] This development would then upgrade the Moon to planetary status at that time, according to the redefinition. The time taken for this to occur, however, would be billions of years, long after many astronomers expect the Sun to expand into a red giant and destroy both Earth and Moon.[23]
In an 18 August 2006 Science Friday interview, Mike Brown expressed doubt that a scientific definition was even necessary. He stated, "The analogy that I always like to use is the word "continent". You know, the word "continent" has no scientific definition ... they're just cultural definitions, and I think the geologists are wise to leave that one alone and not try to redefine things so that the word "continent" has a big, strict definition."[24]
On 18 August, Owen Gingerich said that correspondence he had received had been evenly divided for and against the proposal.[25]
Alternative proposal
According to Alan Boss of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, a subgroup of the IAU met on August 18, 2006 and held a straw poll on the draft proposal: only 18 were in favour of it, with over 50 against. The 50 in opposition preferred an alternative proposal drawn up by Uruguayan astronomer Julio Ángel Fernández.[25]
| (1) A planet is a celestial body that (a) is by far the largest object in its local population[1], (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape [2], (c) does not produce energy by any nuclear fusion mechanism [3].
(2) According to point (1) the eight classical planets discovered before 1900, which move in nearly circular orbits close to the ecliptic plane are the only planets of the Solar System. All the other objects in orbit around the Sun are smaller than Mercury. We recognize that there are objects that fulfill the criteria (b) and (c) but not criterion (a). Those objects are defined as "dwarf" planets. Ceres as well as Pluto and several other large Trans-Neptunian objects belong to this category. In contrast to the planets, these objects typically have highly inclined orbits and/or large eccentricities.
(3) All the other natural objects orbiting the Sun that do not fulfill any of the previous criteria shall be referred to collectively as "Small Solar System Bodies".[4]
Under this proposal, Pluto would have been demoted to a dwarf planet.
Revised draft proposal
On 22 August the draft proposal was rewritten with two changes from the previous draft.[27][28] The first was a generalisation of the name of the new class of planets (previously the draft resolution had explicitly opted for the term 'pluton'), with a decision on the name to be used postponed. Many geologists had been critical of the choice of name for Pluto-like planets,[29] being concerned about the term pluton which has been used for years within the geological community to represent a form of magmatic intrusion; such formations are fairly common balls of rock.[30][31] Confusion was thought undesirable due to the status of planetology as a field closely allied to geology.[32] Further concerns surrounded use of the word pluton as in major languages such as French and Spanish, Pluto is itself called Pluton, potentially adding to confusion.
The second change was a redrawing of the planetary definition in the case of a double planet system. There had been a concern that, in extreme cases where a double body had its secondary component in a highly eccentric orbit, there could have been a drift of the barycenter in and out of the primary body, leading to a shift in the classification of the secondary body between satellite and planet depending on where the system was in its orbit.[33] Thus the definition was reformulated so as to consider a double planet system in existence if its barycenter lay outside both bodies for a majority of the system's orbital period.
Later on August 22, two open meetings were held which ended in an abrupt about-face on the basic planetary definition. The position of astronomer Julio Ángel Fernández gained the upper hand among the members attending and was described as unlikely to lose its hold by August 24. This position would result in only eight major planets, with Pluto ranking as a "dwarf planet".[34] The discussion at the first meeting was heated and lively, with IAU members in vocal disagreement with one another over such issues as the relative merits of static and dynamic physics; the main sticking point was whether or not to include a body's orbital characteristics among the definition criteria. In an indicative vote, members heavily defeated the proposals on Pluto-like objects and double planet systems, and were evenly divided on the question of hydrostatic equilibrium. The debate was said to be "still open", with private meetings being held ahead of a vote scheduled for the following day.[35]
At the second meeting of the day, following 'secret' negotiations, a compromise began to emerge after the Executive Committee moved explicitly to exclude consideration of extra-solar planets and to bring into the definition a criterion concerning the dominance of a body in its neighbourhood.[36]
Final draft proposal
The final, third draft definition proposed on 24 August was:
| The IAU...resolves that planets and other bodies in the Solar System be defined into three distinct categories in the following way:
(1) A planet [1] is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit.
(2) A "dwarf planet" is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape [2], (c) has not cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit, and (d) is not a satellite.
(3) All other objects [3] orbiting the Sun shall be referred to collectively as "Small Solar System Bodies".
[1] The eight planets are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
[2] An IAU process will be established to assign borderline objects into either dwarf planet and other categories.
[3] These currently include most of the Solar System asteroids, most Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), comets, and other small bodies.
Plenary session debate
Voting on the definition took place at the Assembly plenary session during the afternoon. Following a reversion to the previous rules on 15 August, as a planetary definition is a primarily scientific matter, every individual member of the Union attending the Assembly was eligible to vote.
The IAU Executive Committee presented four Resolutions to the Assembly, each concerning a different aspect of the debate over the definition.[37] Minor amendments were made on the floor for the purposes of clarification.
- Resolution 5A constituted the definition itself as stated above. There was much discussion among members about the appropriateness of using the expression "cleared the neighbourhood" instead of the earlier reference to "dominant body", and about the implications of the definition for satellites. The Resolution was ultimately approved by a near-unanimous vote.
- Resolution 5B sought to amend the above definition by the insertion of the word classical before the word planet in paragraph (1) and footnote [1]. This represented a choice between having a set of three distinct categories of body (planet, "dwarf planet" and SSSB) and the opening of an umbrella of 'planets' over the first two such categories. The Resolution proposed the latter option; it was defeated convincingly, with only 91 members voting in its favour.
- Resolution 6A proposed a statement concerning Pluto: "Pluto is a dwarf planet by the above definition and is recognized as the prototype of a new category of trans-Neptunian objects." After a little quibbling over the grammar involved and questions of exactly what constituted a "trans-Neptunian object", the Resolution was approved by a vote of 237–157, with 30 abstentions.[38] A new category of dwarf planet was thus established. It would be named "plutoid" and more narrowly defined by the IAU Executive Committee on 11 June 2008.
- Resolution 6B sought to insert an additional sentence at the end of the statement in 6A: "This category is to be called 'plutonian objects'." There was no debate on the question, and in the vote the proposed name was defeated by 186–183; a proposal to conduct a re-vote was rejected. An IAU process will be put in motion to determine the name for the new category.[39]
On a literal reading of the Resolution, "dwarf planets" are by implication of paragraph (1) excluded from the status of 'planet'. Use of the word planet in their title may, however, cause some ambiguity.
Final definition
The final definition, as passed on 24 August 2006 under the Resolution 5A of the 26th General Assembly is:[40][41]
The IAU...resolves that planets and other bodies, except satellites, in the Solar System be defined into three distinct categories in the following way:
(1) A planet [1] is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit.
(2) A "dwarf planet" is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape [2], (c) has not cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit, and (d) is not a satellite.
(3) All other objects [3], except satellites, orbiting the Sun shall be referred to collectively as "Small Solar System Bodies".
[1] The eight planets are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
The IAU further resolves:
| Pluto is a "dwarf planet" by the above definition and is recognized as the prototype of a new category of Trans-Neptunian Objects[1].
[1] An IAU process will be established to select a name for this category.
The IAU also resolved that "planets and dwarf planets are two distinct classes of objects", meaning that dwarf planets, despite their name, would not be considered planets.[42]
The wording of the final draft of the definition has continued to be criticized. Notably, Alan Stern, the lead scientist on NASA's robotic mission to Pluto, has contended that Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Neptune have not fully cleared their orbital zones, just like Pluto. Earth orbits with 10,000 near-Earth asteroids. Jupiter, meanwhile, is accompanied by 100,000 Trojan asteroids on its orbital path. Stern has asserted: "If Neptune had cleared its zone, Pluto wouldn't be there."[43]
Most astronomers counter this opinion by saying that, far from not having cleared their orbits, the major planets completely control the orbits of the other bodies within their orbital zone. Although Jupiter does coexist with a large number of small bodies in its orbit (the Trojan asteroids), these bodies only exist in Jupiter's orbit because they are in the sway of the planet's huge gravity. Similarly, Pluto may cross the orbit of Neptune, but Neptune long ago locked Pluto and its attendant Kuiper belt objects, called plutinos, into a 3:2 resonance (i.e., they orbit the Sun twice for every three Neptune orbits). Since the orbits of these objects are entirely dictated by Neptune's gravity, Neptune is therefore gravitationally dominant.[44]
Some aspects of the definition are as yet difficult to apply outside the Solar System. Techniques for identifying extrasolar objects generally cannot determine whether an object has "cleared its orbit", except indirectly via Stern and Levison's Λ parameter, and provide limited information about when the objects were formed. The wording of the new definition is heliocentric in its use of the word Sun instead of star or stars, and is thus not applicable to the numerous objects which have been identified in orbit around other stars. A separate "working" definition for extrasolar planets was, however, established by the IAU in 2001 and includes the criterion: "The minimum mass/size required for an extrasolar object to be considered a planet should be the same as that used in the Solar System."[45]
The final vote has come under much criticism because of the relatively small percentage of the 9000-strong membership who participated. Besides the fact that most members do not attend the General Assemblies, this lack was also due to the timing of the vote: the final vote was taken on the last day of the 10-day event, after many participants had left or were preparing to leave. The claim is that only 424 astronomers were present for the vote, which is less than 5% of the entire community of astronomers.[43] However, sampling 400 representative members out of a population of 9,000 statistically yields a result with good accuracy (confidence interval better than 5%).[46] There is also the issue of the many astronomers who were unable or who chose not to make the trip to Prague and, thus, cast no vote. Astronomer Marla Geha has clarified that not all members of the Union were needed to vote on the classification issue: only those whose work is directly related to planetary studies.[47]
It is expected that the decision will have cultural and societal implications. It will affect the "industry of astronomical artifacts and toys."[48] Educational books need to be revised. The decision was important enough to prompt the editors of the 2007 edition of the World Book Encyclopedia to hold off printing until a final result had been reached.[48] The new designation also has repercussions in the astrological world and finds mixed receptions, with differences of opinion as to whether to make any changes to astrological practice as a result of the redefinition.[49]
Popular culture
The impact of the revised definition, particularly the change in the status of Pluto, has been reflected in popular culture. A number of musical contributions have commemorated the change:
- "Planet X" (1996), song by Christine Lavin. A good-natured protest against suggestions that Pluto is not a planet.
- "Pluto" (1998), song by 2 Skinnee J's. An impassioned defense of Pluto's status as a planet.
- Thing a Week, August 25, 2006 podcast by Jonathan Coulton. Featured a song "I'm Your Moon", from Charon's point of view, about Pluto being reclassified as a dwarf planet.
- "Bring Back Pluto" (2007), song by Aesop Rock on the album None Shall Pass. Hip-hop song supporting Pluto's status as the 9th planet in the Solar System.
- "Pluto" (2009), song by Robbie Fulks, part of his release "50-vc. Doberman." About Pluto's reclassification, remembered as a 9th planet from the times of the singer's youth, and re-presents Pluto as an unforgotten monarch of the Kuiper Belt.
The verb to pluto (preterite and past participle: plutoed) was coined in the aftermath of the 2006 IAU decision. In January 2007, the American Dialect Society chose plutoed as its 2006 Word of the Year, defining to pluto as "to demote or devalue someone or something, as happened to the former planet Pluto when the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union decided Pluto no longer met its definition of a planet."[50][51]
Society president Cleveland Evans stated the reason for the organization's selection of plutoed: "Our members believe the great emotional reaction of the public to the demotion of Pluto shows the importance of Pluto as a name. We may no longer believe in the Roman god Pluto, but we still have a sense of connection with the former planet".[52]
New dwarf planet subclass
On June 11, 2008, the IAU announced that the subcategory of dwarf planets with trans-Neptunian orbits would be known as "plutoids". In an accompanying press release, the IAU said that:[53]
|Plutoids are celestial bodies in orbit around the Sun at a distance greater than that of Neptune that have sufficient mass for their self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that they assume a hydrostatic equilibrium (near-spherical) shape, and that have not cleared the neighbourhood around their orbit.
This subcategory includes Pluto, Haumea, Makemake and Eris.
See also
- Clearing the neighbourhood
- Small Solar System body
- List of Solar System objects
- Minor planet
- Fusor (astronomy)
- Planemo
- ^ Orbits and photometry of Pluto's satellites: Charon, S/2005 P1 and S/2005 P2 Eliot F. Young, Leslie A. Young, and S. Alan Stern at Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado
- ^ Much Ado about Pluto plutopetition.com
- ^ a b c Gibor Basri; Michael E. Brown (2006). "Planetesimals to Brown Dwarfs: What is a Planet?" (PDF). Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences (California Institute of Technology) 34: 193. Bibcode:2006AREPS..34..193B. arXiv:astro-ph/0608417. doi:10.1146/annurev.earth.34.031405.125058. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
- ^ Pluto at 75: Still Crazy After All These Years Space.com
- ^ Soter, Steven (2007). "What Is a Planet?". Scientific American 296 (1): 34–41. PMID 17186831. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0107-34.
- ^ Stephen Eales, Prospect, p.p.31-34 (May 2007)
- ^ Eales, op. cit.
- ^ a b "The IAU draft definition of "planet" and "plutons"" (Press release). International Astronomical Union. 2006-08-16. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
- ^ a b Gareth Cook (2006-08-16). "Nine no longer: Panel declares 12 planets". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2006-08-16.
- ^ Mike Brown (2006). "How Many Planets Are There?". CalTech. Retrieved 2006-08-16.
- ^ Robert Roy Britt (2006). "Nine Planets Become 12 with Controversial New Definition". Space.com. Retrieved 2006-08-16.
- ^ a b "Draft Resolution 5 for GA-XXVI: Definition of a Planet". International Astronomical Union. 2006. Archived from the original on August 22, 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-16.
- ^ "Planet Definition" Questions & Answers Sheet". International Astronomical Union. 2006. Archived from the original on August 22, 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-16.
- ^ "Planetary Scientists Support Proposed Redefinition Of A Planet". SpaceDaily. 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-19.
- ^ Mike Brown (2006). "New Planets". Retrieved 2006-08-22.
- ^ Thomas, P. C.; Burns, J. A.; Tiscareno, M. S.; Hedman, M. M.; Helfenstein, P. (2013). "Saturn's Mysterious Arc-Embedded Moons: Recycled Fluff?" (PDF). 44th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. p. 1598. Retrieved 2013-05-21.
- ^ * Battersby, S. (2013-05-17). "Saturn's egg moon Methone is made of fluff". New Scientist web site. New Scientist. Retrieved 2013-05-21.
- ^ Robert Roy Britt (2006). "Nine Planets Become 12 with Controversial New Definition". Space.com. Retrieved 2006-08-19.
- ^ Pearson education (2006). "The Flap over Pluto". infoplease.com. Retrieved 2006-08-19.
- ^ Phil Plait (2006). "Congratulations! It's a planet!". Bad Astronomy. Retrieved 2006-08-18.
- ^ Nick Matzke (2006). "Wherein I argue emotionally about the definition of "planet"". The Panda's Thumb. Retrieved 2006-08-18.
- ^ Robert Roy Britt (2006). "Moon Mechanics: What Really Makes Our World Go 'Round". Space.com. Archived from the original on 2010-08-22. Retrieved 2010-08-24.
- ^ Robert Roy Britt (2006). "Earth's moon could become a planet". CNN.
- ^ Ira Flatow and Mike Brown (2006-08-18). "Pluto's Planet Status / String Theory". Science Friday. National Public Radio. Retrieved 2006-08-22.
- ^ a b Britt, Robert Roy (2006-08-18). "Pluto May Get Demoted After All". Space.com. Retrieved 2006-08-24.
- ^ "Details Emerge on Plan to Demote Pluto". 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-18.
- ^ Günther Wuchterl (2006-08-22). "The IAU Committee Presents Today in Prague the new Proposals for the Definition of Planet". Retrieved 2008-08-04.
- ^ Günther Wuchterl (2006-08-23). "The IAU's Definition of Planet develops further - Draft c". Retrieved 2008-08-04.
- ^ "Star-gazers puzzled by Pluto". Independent Online. 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-18.
- ^ "Geologists Force Astronomers To Rethink Pluto Plan". 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-18.
- ^ Elise Kleeman (2006). "Planet, pluton or rock?". Pasadena Star News. Retrieved 2006-08-20.
- ^ Geoff Brumfiel (2006-08-21). "Plutons, planets and dwarves : Geologists and astronomers wrangle over words". firstname.lastname@example.com.
- ^ Phil Plait (2006-08-15). "Congratulations! It's a planet!" (BLOG). Retrieved 2008-08-04.
- ^ Overbye, Dennis (2006-08-22). "Pluto Seems Poised to Lose Its Planet Status". New York Times.
- ^ "Astronomers divided over 'planet' definition". Deutsche Presse-Agentur. 2006-08-22.
- ^ Tresch Fienberg, Richard (2006-08-22). "The Day We Lost Pluto". Sky & Telescope.
- ^ IAU General Assembly Newspaper, 24 August 2006
- ^ "IAU General Assembly Newspaper, 25 August 2006" (PDF). IAU. Retrieved 2014-07-03.
- ^ "IAU 2006 General Assembly: Result of the IAU Resolution votes". IAU. 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-02.
- ^ "IAU 2006 General Assembly: Resolutions 5 and 6" (PDF). IAU. 2006-08-24.
- ^ "IAU 2006 General Assembly: Result of the IAU Resolution votes" (Press release). Prague: IAU (News Release - IAU0603). August 24, 2006. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
- ^ "IAU 2006 General Assembly: Result of the IAU Resolution votes" (Press release). International Astronomical Union (News Release - IAU0603). 2006-08-24. Retrieved 2007-12-31. ( orig link)
- ^ a b Paul Rincon (2006-08-25). "Pluto vote 'hijacked' in revolt". BBC. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
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- ^ Margot, Jean-Luc (2006). "What makes a planet?". UCLA. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
- ^ "A Passion For Pluto". thenation.com. Retrieved 2006-09-13.
- ^ a b Dennis Overbye (2006-08-24). "Pluto is demoted to 'dwarf planet'". NYTimes. Retrieved 2006-08-27.
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- ^ ""Plutoed" Voted 2006 Word of the Year" (PDF). American Dialect Society. January 5, 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-07.
- ^ "Pluto's revenge: 'Word of the Year' award". CNN. January 7, 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-20.
- ^ "'Plutoed' chosen as '06 Word of the Year". Associated Press. Jan 8, 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
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The "Me Generation" could be aging into the "Benevolent Generation" — at least evidenced by the humanitarian second acts of a number of Wall Street war baby and baby boomer retirees.
For their next chapters, these men and women who built lucrative careers in financial services are following another passion, working not to make money but to make a difference.
George Clooney and Angelina Jolie may bring star power to philanthropic pursuits, but the fabulous four profiled below — including two former financial advisors — are no less deserving of a shout-out.
Virginia DeCristoforo
Virginia DeCristoforo, 61, has never had a shortage of dreams that came true: to become a business success, a pilot and a hot air balloonist — and to one day discover who her mother was.
But not even in her wildest dreams did she envision adopting three at-risk young children at age 57 and in the aftermath of a divorce. Yet, that's what the ex-financial advisor did when she adopted Nicole, Tyler and Stella Rose — then 12, 11 and 7 — nearly half a decade ago. Siblings with a traumatic past, they had been split up and living in foster care in three different cities.
At the time, the ever-optimistic DeCristoforo — herself orphaned at age 2 — was a private banking vice president at Credit Suisse Securities in New York City, catering for 12 years to ultrahigh-net-worth investors and entrepreneurs with philanthropic foundations. Her prominent advisory clientele ranged from athletes to ambassadors.
About a year later, she retired to devote full-time care to Tyler, diagnosed as terminally ill and given six months to live. She had been an FA for 23 years.
"I didn't feel it was right to continue to come up with creative advice for clients while trying to save my son's life," says DeCristoforo, who by then was managing assets of $500 million.
She was originally an insurance adjuster specializing in airline disaster cases. Shocked at the numerous victims swindled out of proceeds by bad investment advice, she thought: "I can really help these people."
Thereupon, she picked up a master's degree and became the first MBA that Morgan Stanley hired in its then-new MBA training program.
Born in Chicago, DeCristoforo as a toddler was yanked from her abusive parents' home and abandoned to an orphanage.
At 18, never knowing who her parents were, she set out on her own, working three jobs daily to survive. A decade of night college later, she had a BS in hand. Following 10 years at Morgan Stanley, where she rose to vice president, she joined Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, later acquired by Credit Suisse.
More than two years after her retirement, son Tyler is doing so well he's even attending school.
DeCristoforo had taken the youngsters into her big, suburban Redding, Conn., home in 2006 — through Connecticut's Department of Children and Family Services — for "temporary respite care" in an effort, she says, "to put a family back together."
Ending a nearly four-decade search three months earlier, she'd finally located her mother — a week after her death — and five incredulous siblings who never knew she existed.
Friends told the single DeCristoforo, then 56, that she was "too old" to rear more kids, the youngest of them age 6. Her biological daughter, Megan Marie, 24, had reservations as well.
But DeCristoforo paid no attention. "I truly believe that I can create anything by my sheer will and with God's help," she says. "He never gives us a dream without the capability to fulfill it."
A year later, she legally adopted the children and received the People's United Bank Humanitarian Hero Award; the family was named The Voice of Adoption for the State of Connecticut.
"This has been a full-time emotional, intellectual and spiritual journey," DeCristoforo says. "I see my flaws. It's all about personal growth."
Does the former million-dollar producer miss Wall Street? Frankly, no. "What I liked about it was that we could really help people and provide tremendous service because clients weren't as educated then in financial matters as they are today," she says. Also, "all the scandals changed the industry. I didn't want my name associated with it anymore. I still have the spirit to help people — but in other areas."
Jim Owen
Watching Gene Autry and Roy Rogers westerns at Saturday kiddie matinees in Lexington, Ky., not only captured Jim Owen's youthful imagination, it gave him a set of life-long values.
"At the end, the good guys — honest, loyal, courageous — always seemed to prevail," says the forthright Owen, 70, a pioneering money manager and Wall Street Journal-dubbed rainmaker who triumphed in hedge funds and co-founded the Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA).
In 2004, dismayed by corporate scandals that were rocking business, he retired from financial services and wrote the book Cowboy Ethics: What Wall Street Can Learn from the Code of the West (Stoecklein, 2005).
Now, through his not-for-profit Center for Cowboy Ethics and Leadership (www.cowboyethics.org), he's dedicating his time to inspiring corporate America and educators to adopt the values of the Old West.
"I'm not a cowboy — I don't ride and rope. The cowboy is a symbol," says Owen, based in Austin, Texas.
In 2004, he saw the emotionally moving western Open Range. "That was the spark that caused me to change careers. It took me back to my childhood, and I literally lost interest in the world of business. I spent my whole career chasing the buck," he says. "Now I work for passion."
Starting as an investment management consultant in 1975, he forged ahead and eight years later became a partner in NWQ Investment Management Company, where he spent the next 15 years.
Today, he's driven to spread the cowboy ethics gospel. "We need to get back to basics, and the cowboy is a source of inspiration, representing the best of America: courage, optimism, self-reliance. Good ethics is good business," he says. "Wall Street is worried about how to rebuild trust…. That's why I do a lot of speaking to brokerage firms."
Beyond the corporate arena, about 20 high schools — and the State of Wyoming — have adopted the Owen-created cowboy ethics code, which includes: "Live each day with courage," "Be tough but fair" and "Remember that some things aren't for sale."
Owen now spends zero time studying the stock market, he says. "I'm bored discussing investing, stocks, economics and the Federal Reserve. I've been a right-brained guy in a left-brained career. Let's talk about music and art."
Jamie Waller
It's a huge stretch from director of separately managed accounts in New York City to Christian missionary in Guatemala City. But that's Jamie Waller's true-life story.
"I knew God would call me and send me someplace to do something. I just didn't know what or where or when," says Waller, 54, founder of the Guatemalan Orphans CadaNino Mission.
In financial services, he created ground-breaking SMA technology and started the organization that became the Money Management Institute.
Since his retirement at the end of 2008, Waller has been helping severely mentally and physically disabled children, ages 6 to 13 — unable to speak or even crawl — as well as others with profound developmental disabilities, all living in Guatemala's Centro Residencial Psiquiátrico Neurológico (Psychiatric and Neurological Hospital).
Living in an apartment two blocks away, he is a close-by and hands-on participant, giving the orphans play therapy and driving them to distant doctor appointments.
A 25-year Wall Street veteran, Waller ran Citigroup's SMA unit with about $50 billion on the books. He launched the non-proprietary multiple disciplinary account, considered at the time to be "unique and cutting-edge," he recalls.
Today, he misses the industry excitement and intellectual stimulation — "when times were good," he says. But working with the children is "immensely emotionally rewarding. After our basic necessities are taken care of, whether we're religious or not, we look for meaning in life. These are some of the happiest days of my life, fulfilling beyond my wildest imagination." (His blog is at http://cadanino.blogspot.com).
The Schenectady, N.Y.-born son of a Bache broker in management, Waller boarded at the prestigious Phillips Exeter Academy as a teen, then graduated from Syracuse University with a bachelor's degree in English.
Just before turning 40, he sold the company he'd founded, Security APL — whose technology helped create the SMA industry — to CheckFree Investment Services and found himself wealthy enough to retire.
He opted against that, however, staying in the industry another 12 years, at Citigroup from 2001 to 2003.
By the end of 2008, the tech company he was then running hit a wall. The following year, he began missionary work.
"I love the kids, and I want everyone else to like them conceptually. We ignore the needy and most vulnerable people in society at a time when, generally, we have so much," he says. "It's been a thrill getting to know these children and to see God's handiwork in their eyes."
Hal Young
He is Don Hal, or Boss Hal, to the orphans of Venga Tu Reino.
Hal Young, 62, spent 28 years as a financial advisor, chiefly helping clients plan for retirement. Now he's giving computers to destitute orphans in Nicaragua so they'll have skills to land their first job.
Co-founder of award-wining broker-dealer Brecek & Young Advisors, Young retired three months after the firm's 2008 acquisition by Securities America.
On a tour of Nicaragua four years earlier, he brought Christmas gifts to the children of Venga Tu Reino, an orphanage founded in an impoverished rural area near Leon for children whose parents perished in 1998's catastrophic Hurricane Mitch. The orphanage's name translates as Thy Kingdom Come.
"When we sold the stock in our company, we said we've been very blessed — now let's give something back. The children of Venga Tu Reino stood out as an opportunity to help people that were in need," says the father of seven with wife Denise. In 2006 the Youngs renamed their family foundation — established the previous year as a resource to help the orphans — Worldwide Child Relief Foundation (http://wwcrf.org).
Several times a year, Young and the other foundation volunteers bring the orphans a variety of supplies and crafting items. In February, they came with computers and began lessons in how to use them. Plus, the group cleared brush with machetes for a volleyball and soccer field. And Young was set to take six dentists with him in May to give extractions and provide preventive care.
The Santa Monica native's first career was teaching junior high school math. On the side, however, he and school psychologist Roland Brecek sold 403(b) retirement plans to colleagues.
By the mid-1980s, Young was making as much in part-time financial services as in full-time teaching. Come 1992, he and Brecek launched their own Sacramento-based broker-dealer with 33 advisors. That team grew to 400 nationwide; and in 2004, the B-D's gross revenues totaled more than $25 million.
Now an occasional advisor to advisors, Young plans to soon begin helping a second orphanage or school.
"All of us are God's children," he says. "What it gets down to is that one person isn't worth more than another."


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The residence LES HAUTS DE LA VANOISE is in the center of the resort, close to the church and the commercial center of Péclet.
The ski slopes are at 50 meters.
This nice studio of around 20m2 ,3rd floor, gets a north balcony.
It provides a pullout bed in the dining room.
The kitchen is fully equiped with fridge, oven and electric plates.
The toilets are in the bathroom.
Join us on Facebook :


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You should be well informed regarding Drywall Contractors in Metairie, LA. You should not enter into it blindly, and it's good to understand what to expect. We take the unexpected situations out of the equation by offering appropriate and detailed information. Begin by talking over your project with our client service associates once you contact 800-340-5756. We'll explore your concerns whenever you contact us and help you get organized with a meeting. We are going to work together with you all through the whole project, and our company is going to show up on time and ready.
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The British royal family are a strange bunch, but, surprisingly, Prince Harry did manage to hang onto a girlfriend for over three years. Surprising, since most women would break their backs trying to get at him, and probably did a few times. So any long term relationship is fairly amazing. From People: "Prince Harry and […]
Entries Tagged 'Prince Harry' ↓
Prince Harry & Girlfriend: DUNZO!
November 12th, 2007 — Chelsy Davy, Prince Harry


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Pictured: Evan Schindewolf won the 400-yard individual
medley at the ECAC Championships.
Photo Courtesy: David Silverman
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Harvard men's swimming and diving team moved into second place with a strong second day of competition, totaling 353.5 points Saturday at the 2010 ECAC Championships. Navy maintains the overall lead with 435.5 points in the meet.
Harvard began day two with a second-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay as Gregory Pelton, Evan Schindewolf, Eric Taylor and Nicholas DuCille posted a time of 1:32.36. Schindewolf followed by taking the title in the 400 individual medley with a time of 4:00.91.
Rick McKellar took third in the 100 butterfly with a 49.60 time in the finals and Brendan McIntee also finished third in the 200 free with a time of 1:41.01. The Crimson wrapped up day two with their second relay win of the competition, as McKellar, McIntee, Ryan Cutter and David Lynch combined for a time of 6:44.84 in the 800 free relay.
Harvard returns to the pool Sunday for the final day of competition at the ECAC Championships.
Men's Swimming and Diving Moves Into Second at ECAC Championships
Pictured: Evan Schindewolf won the 400-yard individual
medley at the ECAC Championships.


text:
Verizon Wireless Razzle Video clips
More Videos
more Verizon Wireless Razzle videos
Chubby Checker would be very proud of the Verizon Wireless Razzle TXT8030. The device looks like your average candy bar styled handset albeit with an aging feature set that includes a 2.2 inch screen and a 1.3MP camera. There is support for a 16GB microSD card and the handset has a physical QWERTY which is where the fun begins. The bottom half of the model swivels to reveal the QWERTY keyboard and when you're done sending off that important email or text, you twist the device and a speaker with music controls twists to the front of the phone. A D-pad stays on the same side as the display.


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CrystalGenomics Initiates CG100649 Phase 2b Study in Patients with Osteoarthritis
SEOUL, South Korea, May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CrystalGenomics, Inc. (Seoul, Korea) and CG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Emeryville, California), a biopharmaceutical company with 3 clinical stage candidates, has announced that the first patient has been enrolled for a Phase 2b clinical study of CG100649, CrystalGenomics' clinical stage novel NSAID candidate, in patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis (OA).
CG100649 is a first-in-class NSAID drug candidate that is a dual inhibitor of COX-2 and carbonic anhydrase (CA). CG100649's interaction with carbonic anhydrase in red blood cells provides it with a novel "tissue-specific" transport mechanism that is designed to deliver sustained levels of drug to inflamed tissues, while maintaining low systemic exposure. Its unique dual COX-2 and CA binding properties are designed to provide potentially superior safety to cardiovascular, renal, and gastrointestinal tissues compared to traditional NSAIDs or COX-2 inhibitor drugs.
An earlier placebo-controlled Phase 2a efficacy study in hip and knee in 248 OA patients in Europe showed that a 1.2 mg daily dose provided a highly significant efficacy profile vs. the three major OA symptoms of pain, stiffness, and physical disability. Although this was not an active-comparator trial, the efficacy profile of CG100649 appeared to be at least as favorable as other COX-2 drugs. This prompted CrystalGenomics to conduct a supra-threshold Phase 1 Multiple Ascending Dose (MAD) study in healthy subjects last year that showed that higher doses of CG100649 (2, 4, or 8 mg per day) are likely to provide even higher levels of efficacy while maintaining CG100649's favorable safety profile.
The current Phase 2b study is a double-blind, randomized, multicenter, non-inferiority, repeat dose study of CG100649 versus celecoxib (Celebrex®) in OA patients. This is the first time that the OA efficacy of CG100649 is being tested directly against celecoxib in the same clinical trial. Considering that CG100649 had already shown a high level of efficacy at 1.2 mg per day in its Phase 2a OA study, it is anticipated that doses of 2 mg/day and 4 mg/day in the Phase 2b study should demonstrate that CG100649 is at least comparable (non-inferior) to celecoxib in terms of efficacy. If the initial hypothesis is supported, additional tests will evaluate whether CG100649 produces superior efficacy compared to celecoxib. Biomarker results from two previous clinical pharmacology studies in healthy volunteers suggest that CG100649 may produce efficacy results that are superior to celecoxib in this Phase 2b study.
In this Phase 2b study, only subjects recording average pain scores of 4 to 8 on a 0-10 numerical rating scale will be randomized into the study. Study participants will then receive 28 daily doses of either 2 mg/day or 4 mg/day of CG100649, or 200 mg/day of celecoxib. Anti-arthritic efficacy will be evaluated using the standardized Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) OA Index and the WOMAC subscales that measure pain, stiffness, and physical function.
According to Dr. Joong Myung Cho, President & CEO of CrystalGenomics, "This is an important milestone for CrystalGenomics and OA patients worldwide as we will be generating very exciting efficacy data against Celebrex, a multi-billion dollar OA drug that has been one of the pharmaceutical industry's best answers to combat OA symptoms. However, there is still great unmet medical need in this area as Celebrex and other NSAIDs fall short in either efficacy and/or safety in many patients who continue to suffer from the disabling symptoms of knee and hip osteoarthritis. We believe that CG100649 has the potential to provide greater levels of efficacy in osteoarthritis patients while maintaining a high level of cardiovascular and GI safety. We hope that successful completion of this Phase 2b study will position CG100649 as the leader among the next generation of NSAIDs for treating pain and disability in patients with moderate-severe osteoarthritis."
Celebrex® is a registered trademark of Pfizer, Inc.
Media Contact:
Steven Kim
CrystalGenomics / CG Pharmaceuticals
SOURCE CrystalGenomics, Inc.


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An ancient tower in a forgotten land. A lone photographer on a desperate search. A once in a lifetime chance. Camera Obscura is a puzzle platformer where you attempt to summit a ruined tower, a relic of a fanatical sect trying to reach the sun. Facing dangerous animals, crumbling architecture, and perilous pitfalls, can you reach the Summit, and perhaps, redemption? Camera Obscura uses an innovative "Afterimage" mechanic where you can copy the level architecture in order to span gaps, create staircases, and freeze moving platforms in place. The ability to copy and manipulate each level allows players to find many paths through the tower's 100 maps. Camera Obscura is a 2D puzzle platformer that marries level design and game mechanics as closely as possible. By making it so that the player's main ability takes shape directly from their environment, we made it so that every map is its own solution, the level design is the lock and the key all at the same time.
No members were found matching the criteria specified. We suggest you try the member list with no filter applied, to browse all available. Join now to share your own content, we welcome creators and consumers alike and look forward to your comments.


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Error: The record you requested (403 (City of Sarnia) Wing AFAC, Sarnia - Lougar Ave) exists in the database, but access to it has been restricted from this area. This record may be incomplete or waiting to be updated, the program or service may no longer be offered, or the type of service may have changed making it no longer appropriate for the record to be listed here.
If you have questions or concerns about the status of this record, contact the record owner: Information Sarnia Lambton
- By Mail at:
PO Box 354
Sarnia, ON N7T 7J2
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The title of this entry is the same as that used in the new UK inquiry from the Science and Technology Select Committee in the UK Government. It's off to a good start already, avoiding the pejorative terminology of 'doping'. I am optimistic that it will broaden the debate and it's good to see it on the agenda. A representative from the Committee also attended the JMI meeting and our sport session yesterday. I reproduce their press release below:
Select Committee on Science and Technology
No. 24 of Session 2005-06
1 March 2006
The Science and Technology Committee is to conduct an inquiry into the use of human enhancement technologies (HETs) in sport, with particular reference to technologies which are likely to impact on the 2012 Olympics.
The Committee is examining the opportunities and problems presented by the increasing availability of technologies capable of enhancing sporting performance and is inviting written evidence on:
The potential for different HETs, including drugs, genetic modification and technological devices, to be used legally or otherwise for enhancing sporting performance, now and in the future;
Steps that could be taken to minimise the use of illegal HETs at the 2012 Olympics;
The case, both scientific and ethical, for allowing the use of different HETs in sport and the role of the public, Government and Parliament in influencing the regulatory framework for the use of HETs in sport; and
The state of the UK research and skills base underpinning the development of new HETs, and technologies to facilitate their detection.
The Committee would welcome written evidence from interested organisations and individuals addressing these points. Evidence should be submitted by Monday 22 May 2006. Oral evidence sessions will begin in June.
Guidelines for the submission of evidence
Evidence should be submitted in Word format, and should be sent by e-mail to email@example.com . The body of the e-mail must include a contact name, telephone number and postal address. The e-mail should also make clear who the submission is from.
Submissions should be as brief as possible, and certainly no more than 3,000 words. Paragraphs should be numbered for ease of reference, and the document should include a brief executive summary. Those submitting evidence are reminded that evidence should be original work, not previously published or circulated elsewhere. Once submitted no public use should be made of it, but those wishing to publish their evidence before it is published by the Committee are invited to contact the Clerk of the Committee to obtain permission to do so. Guidance on the submission of evidence can be found at http://www.parliament.uk/commons/selcom/witguide.htm
For further information please call Ana Ferreira, on 020 7219 2793. Previous press notices and publications are available on our website. www.parliament.uk/s&tcom
Notes to editors:
• Under the terms of Standing Order No. 152 the Science and Technology Committee is empowered to examine the "expenditure, policy and administration of the Office of Science and Technology and its associated public bodies". The Committee was appointed on 19 July 2005.
Membership of the Committee
Mr Phil Willis (Lib Dem, Harrogate and Knaresborough)(Chairman) Adam Afriyie (Con, Windsor) Mr Robert Flello (Lab, Stoke-on-Trent South) Mr Jim Devine (Lab, Livingston) Dr Evan Harris (Lib Dem, Oxford West & Abingdon) Dr Brian Iddon (Lab, Bolton South East) Margaret Moran (Lab, Luton South) Mr Brooks Newmark (Con, Braintree) Anne Snelgrove (Lab/Co-op, South Swindon) Bob Spink (Con, Castle Point) Dr Desmond Turner (Lab, Brighton Kemptown)


text:
Two New Studies Examine What Motivates Couples to Have Sex
For years, Julie Brinton's days have been filled with sippy cups and skinned knees, and the endless push of getting three young children through dinner time, bath time, bedtime. By the time she crawls into bed each night, she has one thing on her mind: zoning out to an hour or so of TV.
But some nights, her husband, Rob, reaches over to rub her shoulders and offer her a back rub. And then Ms. Brinton thinks: "Has it really been three weeks? I guess we should probably have sex."...


text:
The Pawn
Commodore 64
What do you need help on? Cancel X
Set in the mythical world of Kerovnia, this amusing and complex tale is subtle enough to appeal to the beginner and hardened adventurer alike. A revolutionary text-handling system allows input of complicated sentences and complete interaction with characters (including some very intelligent animals!). The Pawn represents all its characters and objects as if they existed in a real world, storing complex information about their attributes and properties linked to their particular position or context in the game. Your objectives are manyfold: The simplest is to escape from Kerovnia, but you will find others as you wander about the land and communicate with the characters you meet. The Pawn combines a rich text adventure with stunning color graphics and a language parser that will set the standards for years to come!


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Salomon will be doing a shoe demo at our Rumble Headquarters Saturday morning. Be sure to stop by their tent to check out the latest shoes!
The Coldwater Rumble is the fifth race in the Aravaipa Running – Desert Runner Trail Series, Arizona's premier trail & ultra run series.Quail (Short) Series = 4 Mile | Roadrunner (Middle) Series = 20 Km | Owl (Trail) Series = 20 mile | Hawk (Ultra) Series = 52 Km, 52 MileRACE INFORMATIONLocationRamada 20-21 in the "Turf Area"Estrella Mountain Regional Park, Goodyear, AZ. DirectionsCourse SummaryFollow desert trails that wind through the foothills of the rugged and jagged Sierra Estrella mountain range. Many trails at Estrella Mountain Regional Park have recently been re-worked and there are several new miles of trail in use for this new course. The 100 mile race will feature five 20 mile loops.WeatherForecast for Goodyear, AZAverage highs for this time of the year are in the mid 60's and lows in the low 40's. While a storm and/or a cold snap does happen, expect beautiful running weather in the Valley of the Sun!Bib/Shirt PickupThursday, January 16Packet Pickup 5:00-7:00PMGroup run 5:30-6:30PMiRun Phoenix4730 E. Indian School Rd. #125Phoenix, AZ 85018(602) 368-5330Friday, January 17 – 4:00 – 6:00PMEstrella Mountain Regional ParkSaturday, January 18 – 6:00 – 8:45AMEstrella Mountain Regional ParkAid StationsAid stations every 3.2-6.6 miles (mile 2 in the 4 Mile) including water, electrolyte drink, sweet snacks, salty snacks, and fruit. Please plan to run with at least one bottle of water.Race PerksGender specific race shirt (Men's & Women's styles)Chip timed race results displayed at finish lineScenic and challenging course on desert trailsWell stocked aid stations every 3.2-6.6 milesPost race food & socializingFinisher award pint glassBuckles to 100 Mile Finishers under 32 hoursCrews & PacersCrews are welcome to support runners at the start/finish line at Ramada's 20-21 in the newly renovated Turf Area. This will serve as the "Rumble Headquarters" for the duration of the 32 hour event!Pacers may join runners after loop 3 in the 100 mile race or at sunset, whichever comes first. Pacers may join 52 mile runners for their final short loop of the race.AwardsAwards to the top 3 male & female finishers at each distance.All finishers will receive a finisher award.Points earned in the Desert Runner Trail Series.Buckles to 100 mile finishers.Volunteer HelpersIf you would like to join our volunteer team, we are looking for help with event setup, aid station captains, aid station helpers, timing, photography, videography, social media, course sweep and event breakdown. Volunteer perks include a piece of Aravaipa merchandise or race goody and Aravaipa Race Credits. You can see our current opportunities and sign up here: Coldwater Rumble Volunteer Form
In an effort to continually lessen our race footprint, we are expanding our cupless events to the Desert Runner Trail Series. We will have UltrAspire reusable cups available at registration and on race day or feel free to bring your own!


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WHAT's On
We strive to be at the heart of our local community by providing a place for friends to meet, for families to relax and to host local functions and events.
We are the unofficial 'clubhouse' for a number of local sporting teams - a place to re-convene after matches, sell raffle tickets, celebrate victories and commiserate losses.
Contact us using the form below to find out how we may tailor a unique support program benefiting your club.


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Here was my thought process as I drove around parking lot of the Kerbey Lane in North Austin yesterday:
"Hmm, yes, looking for parking, looking for parking... driving up and down the aisles... driving, driving, driving... oh look, there's an open space OH WAIT NO IT'S BEING TAKEN UP BY AN ASTON MARTIN THAT PARKED DIAGONALLY ACROSS TWO SPACES. THAT'S JUST GREAT."
Listen, we may have joked about what cars would make us park like asshats a couple weeks ago, but I need to reiterate that in real life, this kind of shit is not okay.
Unfortunately this Aston Martin didn't have any front plates, so it's hard for us to identify them. But if you know who it is, shake your fist at them the next time you see them on the road.
Commence the Internet shaming!


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EHR Scope had some time to catch up with Ingenix's Kim LaFontana about the recent announcement of Ingenix's independent physician advisory board. The purpose of the board is to "design solutions that will meet real-world needs." Kim was very thorough in describing the challenges and successes of the current electronic health records industry and Ingenix's ONC-ATCB certified CareTracker EHR solution.
"Using technology in your office should not impede your cash flow, should not slow clinicians down and it should not prevent you from having information. It's a radical change to your world and the workflow, but what our teams have been focusing on, as we have introduced CareTracker EHR— is how to do it in a way that actually works for the physician and makes them feel like they are delivering better, more efficient care". –Kim LaFontana
Continue reading: Ingenix's V.P. Strategic Initiatives: Kim LaFontana and the Ingenix Expert Physician Advisory Board "Gets Docs to Meaningful Use Fast"


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Back to Top
IronRidge builds the strongest roof mounting system in solar. Every component has been tested to the limit and proven in extreme environments.
Our rigorous approach has led to unique structural features, such as curved rails and reinforced flashings, and is also why our products are fully certified, code compliant and backed by a 20-year warranty.


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From Leopard Gecko Wiki
Normal Leopard Geckos
Normal Leopard Geckos or Wild Type Leopard Geckos are generally a dull yellow color with a large amount of black spots on them. The tail will be white with black spots on it. Before all of the colorful morphs came about, Normals and High Yellows were the only morphs available.
Image Reference
- Ray. Designer Geckos. <http://www.designergeckos.com>.


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This ice dyed bandana was hand dyed in my studio using traditional shibori techniques with procion dyes.
This bandana is a 22 inch square and is 100% cotton
Machine wash cold, tumble dry
Shipping from United States
Processing time
2-3 weeks
Estimated shipping times
- North America : 1 - 5 business days
- Europe : 1 - 5 business days
I'll do my best to meet these shipping estimates, but can't guarantee them. Actual delivery time will depend on the shipping method you choose.
Customs and import taxes
Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.
Payment Options
Returns & Exchanges
I gladly accept returns and exchanges
Just contact me within: 5 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 14 days of delivery
I don't accept cancellations
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
The following items can't be returned or exchanged
Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:
- Custom or personalized orders
- Perishable products (like food or flowers)
- Digital downloads
- Intimate items (for health/hygiene reasons)
- Items on sale
Conditions of return
Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.
Privacy policy
Your personal information will not be used in any way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Custom and personalized orders
Please contact me with any special requests, due to the nature of my work I cannot guarantee any exact color matches, but will gladly work with you to make something special! Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for any custom orders.
Sizing details
Most sizes are open and found in the item description. Please feel free to ask for more specific measurements!
Gift wrapping and packaging
Gift wrapping is available at a cost of $4.50
Wholesale availability
I am happy to work with retailers. Please allow 6-8 weeks for the production of orders. I can be contacted by email at email@example.com or through an Etsy message.


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Home > 08 Sep 2017
O&O Defrag 19 Professional
O&O Defrag is a powerful and highly configurable hard drive defragmentation tool.
This program doesn't just support a single defrag strategy, for instance. Instead you can have your files reorganised in a multitude of ways, sorted by file name, access date, last modified date and more, whatever best suits your needs.
And if even that's not enough then you can set up an entirely custom layout scheme which optimises Windows, application files and your user data to deliver the best possible system performance.
As you might guess, this probably isn't the best choice for the PC novice. But it's not overly complex, either. Once you've set O&O Defrag to work as you'd like, it'll run mostly in the background, defragmenting your hard drive automatically as required, while you get on with other things. And because it's so light on resources, and can be configured not to run at all if your system is busy or other heavy-duty programs are running, it's most unlikely to ever get in your way.
The major addition this time around is a "Time View", which O&O say helps you understand how particular defrag actions have led to specific performance optimisations. The idea being that this will give you feedback on how the program is working, and help you make better defrag choices in future.
But if that all sounds a little too theoretical, O&O have also delivered solid improvements everywhere else that matters, with the program launching more quickly, making better use of TRIM to optimise SSDs, and defragmenting regular drives up to 40% faster than before.
How To Get Your Serial Code
Login (create an account if you haven't already done so), enter the magazine coupon code you can find in the November 2017 issue of Computer Shopper, then click the "Get Serial Code" button to receive your code. You can find this again account if you need the code in the future.


text: mental invalid 8 Posted August 22, 2003 yeah, im still pissed off..... Free Will Astrology horoscopes for week of August 21, 2003 Aries (March 21-April 19) Warning! The following statements may pop into your head with annoying frequency in the coming week: "Nobody sees me for who I really am." "Life is a bitch." "Sooner or later, everyone will find out how I've been faking it all these years." "I'll never have enough money." "I'm afraid to change even when I know the change will be good." Now listen closely, Aries: All those ideas are dirty lies. I don't believe in the devil, but if I did I'd say it was he who planted them in your mind. How can you fight back? Wage a ferocious campaign of positive self-talk. Barrage yourself with uplifting affirmations like these: "I face my fears with joyous courage." "I turn apparent setbacks into juicy opportunities." "I answer every criticism with a vow to be my best." "I am an amazingly gorgeous genius with unimaginable tricks up my sleeve." Taurus (April 20-May 20) I'm not necessarily suggesting you need a new soul mate. But if you do, this is the perfect astrological moment to go in search of one. Where should you look? I suggest you hang out in unfamiliar territory where you will be fresh and curious -- frontier zones where you're likely to uncover secrets about who you really are. For fastest results, visit the Costco Soulmate Trading Outlet, a clearinghouse for soul mates at the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert from August 25-31. It offers "quality name-brand and private-label soul mates at substantially lower prices than can be found through conventional wholesale sources." P.S. If you're happy with your existing soul mate, infuse your bond with a concentrated dose of smart, loving creativity. It's a perfect moment to propel yourselves into the next phase of your evolution together. Gemini (May 21-June 20) Robust singing skill is correlated with a strong immune system in songbirds. Male birds with the most extensive repertoire of tunes also have the largest spleens, a key measure of immune system health. No studies have yet been done on humans. But if there is a similar link, I expect you will be crooning with unrivaled beauty and power in the coming days. The astrological omens say you are currently at the peak of your ability to fight off bugs and adversaries of all kinds, including both the physical and psychic varieties. Cancer (June 21-July 22) So begins the information-gathering phase of your yearly cycle, Cancerian. You'll align yourself with the cosmic ebb and flow whenever you engage in activities that excite your love of learning and enhance your skills as a student of life. Here's a gem from poet Heather McHugh to inspire your quest: "The knowledge I'm interested in is not something you buy and then have and can be comfortable with. The knowledge I'm interested in keeps opening wider and wider, making me smaller and more amazed, until I see I cannot have it all -- and then delight in that as a freedom." Leo (July 23-August 22) Please muse a minute on the title of a book by Susan Harrow: Selling Yourself Without Selling Your Soul: A Woman's Guide to Promoting Herself, Her Business, Her Product, or Her Cause with Integrity and Spirit. I suggest you either consult this invigorating set of instructions, which works for men, too, or else create your own version of it. The astrological omens reveal you're primed to receive fresh intuitions about how to make money from doing what you love. (P.S. I don't know Harrow personally and have no financial stake in her book.) Virgo (August 23-September 22) Question: What form of entertainment would be most likely to cure your brain cramps? Answer: watching the demolition of an old building. Question: What lucky break could ensure you won't keep missing the forest for the trees? Answer: finding a bird's nest. Question: What soul medicine would be most effective in giving you access to your repressed intuition? Answer: reading mythic tales of resurrection. Question: What is the hardest yet most rewarding possible lesson you could learn right now? Answer: how to whistle with two fingers. Question: Where can you find a portal to another dimension? Answer: in your bedroom. Libra (September 23-October 22) "You have to recognize the demons or else they'll annoy you like mosquitoes," poet James Broughton told interviewer Jack Foley. "But if you acknowledge their existence, if you say, 'All right, here's a cookie, go sit in the corner,' then you can go about your work and you don't have to go into depression because of it." I suggest you follow Broughton's advice, Libra. Neither ignore nor over-indulge those pesky voices in your head. Scorpio (October 23-November 21) The Big Texan Steak Ranch restaurant in Amarillo, TX has a standing offer to its customers: If you can eat its four and a half pound steak in an hour without getting sick, the meal is free. Oh, and you've also got to finish the side dishes -- salad, shrimp cocktail, baked potato, and roll. Only about one in six brave souls succeeds at the test. Given your tribe's current astrological omens, however, I think five out of six Scorpios could win the bet this week. Your appetite -- not just for food, but for pleasure, wisdom, adventure, and self-transformation -- is gargantuan. Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) History is littered with the stories of people who didn't have sufficient funds to manifest their brilliant ideas. Mahlon Loomis was one. Guglielmo Marconi is known as the inventor of the radio, but Loomis created a wireless telegraph system two years before Marconi was even born. Unable to get financial backing, however, Loomis could not develop his innovation, and it remained a virtual secret. I'm hoping, Sagittarius, that this story will prod you into realizing how important it is to feed your own dreams with all the money they deserve. Don't let them languish in the realm of fantasy. Capricorn (December 22-January 19) This Saturday I'll leave for a visit to my version of paradise: the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert. For eight utopian days, I'll need no money and see no advertisements or TV. Exuberant works of art, erected in abundance throughout the seven-square-mile expanse, will feed my imagination. Half-naked dancing revelers who share my political and spiritual views will greet me everywhere I go. I'll do workshops and performances for people who appreciate my peculiar brand of crazy wisdom. I bring this up, Capricorn, because I think you would benefit from a similar escape. It's a perfect moment to make a pilgrimage to the place you consider heaven on earth. Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Bach's "St. Matthew Passion" is one of the most highly regarded musical compositions in history. Yet the score disappeared and the work was never played for many years after Bach's death in 1750. In 1829, composer Felix Mendelssohn rediscovered the long-lost manuscript being used as wrapping paper in the estate sale of a deceased cheese salesman. He arranged for a public performance of the piece, and its revival began. In the coming week, Aquarius, I predict you'll have a taste of the amazed and confounded joy Mendelssohn must have experienced. In an unlikely place with seemingly low value, you will find a neglected treasure. Pisces (February 19-March 20) Your thought for the week comes from French writer Alexander Dumas. "If you give the impression that you need something, you will get nothing," he said. "To make money you have to appear to be rich." The best way to get what you desire, in other words, is to be confident that you deserve it. Don't dwell on how needy you are; don't let yourself become a morass of aching deficiency. This doesn't mean you should water down the intensity of your longing. Indeed, passionate yearning is essential for bountiful satisfaction. But make sure your intense longing is propelled by a certainty that you will ultimately be fulfilled. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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What are you waiting for? Get the hell out of this GREAT country. We don't need or want your cowardly attitude here.And from a Canadian:
Welcome to the true melting pot.That's it in a nutshell.
Unlock your front door, grab a cold Canadian, exchange the uh for an eh & never forget what it means to be Canadian, & that's ... & that's...... Well, the answer won't come from some loud-mouth Rocker From Toronto, Living In Montreal with his beautiful, intelligent, American wife. She moved up here under the first King George. No, it will come from fine people like you. In fact, all of the immigrants sharing their culture with the natives, making them a little more intelligent & hopefully much more tolerant.
Yes sir America's loss is once again Canada's gain baby.
Do you think Kyle Couch's grandparents, or great-grandparents, or great-great-grandparents, or however many generations back it goes (something tells me Kyle is not a Native American) were cowards when they left the country of their birth?
I thank Kyle Couch and all of his ilk: you make it so wonderfully easy to leave.


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José Carlos Cortizo necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 71 diseños de 24 diseñadores freelance.
BrainSINS is an startup that develops technology for Internet companies, specially social networks and e-commerce sites. Our main product is a recommender system for social networks, but we are also developing a reputation system and a social search system.
(a) Social Networks
(b) E-Commerce Sites
(c) Other kind of websites
We are looking for a modern logo, high tech but not too web 2.0, friendly and not too corporate. It should include "BrainSINS" in some way. We will provide as much feedback on the designs as possible.
We would like that the logo could be extended for our product lines, which are called RecSINS (our recommendations engine), SearchSINS (our search engine), etc.
The logo should be suitable to be used as:
1. Header of our website and blogs
2. As part of an advertisement (web or print)
3. As part of business card, header/footer of document, email, etc
If there is anything else you need to know, please ask. We look forward to working with you.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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GAZA CITY, Gaza, May 11 (UPI) -- A Hamas official says the militant group will never recognize Israel as it would deprive future Palestinian generations of the right to "liberate the land."
Mahmoud Zahar said Wednesday Hamas would be willing to accept a Palestinian state "on any part of Palestine," marking the first time Hamas has publicly stepped back from its stated goal of a Palestinian state "from the [Jordan] river to the [Mediterranean] sea," The Jerusalem Post reported.
However, Zahar said, Hamas would not recognize Israel, because doing so would "cancel the right of the next generation to liberate the land."
Recognition of Israel could lead to Palestinian refugees losing their right of return, he said.
"What will be the fate of the 5 million Palestinians in the diaspora?" Zahar asked.
Zahar's statements come amid efforts by former Palestinian rivals Fatah and Hamas to form a unity government after they signed a reconciliation agreement in Cairo last week, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.
On Tuesday, a top Palestinian official said a unity government would be formed in 10 days.


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Neil Hennessy said that following the Japanese earthquake early last Friday, the SEC phoned him to inquire about his asset management firm's business continuity plan. In an interview on Monday with AdvisorOne, Hennessy reported that not only were the people who help run the Hennessy Select SPARX Japan and Smaller Companies mutual funds all physically safe, it was business as usual in the SPARX Tokyo offices.
In discussing the impact of the devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant explosions in Japan, Hennessy said that "when you have a catastrophic event you're going to have people running for the sidelines," but that he firmly believes the disaster will not cause any devastation in the financial markets.
"We look at things with common sense and logic," said Hennessy from his firm's Novato, Calif. headquarters. "We partner with people in Tokyo who are very good. They're not going to sell into" the market, where the Nikkei fell 6.2% in Monday trading, "and I support them for that; I back every decision they make."
Acknowledging that he is an "eternal optimist," Hennessy (left) noted that a week ago in Japan there was much consternation over the political situation—Prime Minister Naoto Kan stands accused of illegally receiving campaign funds, and there had been calls for him to resign his post. "Now," said Hennessy, in the wake of the earthquake "the politicians are working together." Indeed, the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), led by Kan, and its main rival, the Liberal Democratic party (LDP), which had dominated post-war Japanese politics until the DPJ won a 2009 election, agreed on Sunday to discuss a temporary tax levy to pay for the disaster cleanup.
The Japanese people, Hennessy reports, are "calm and methodical and they will get through this."
Hennessy is also optimistic over investing in Japan, which he calls an undervalued market but one that is changing, and for the better. "For the past 20 years no one has wanted to invest in Japan," Hennessy admitted, citing the country's spiraling debt, demographic issues and weakening economy, particularly when compared to fast-growing China. Now, he says, "the government wants businesses to succeed," citing in particular Japan's sponsorship of tourism and in changing its policies easing the way for increased tourism from China.
Hennessy argues as well that just as the Japanese "made a lot of money selling life-enhancing products to Americans," the country now has the "same opportunity" to sell similar products to the rapidly growing Chinese middle class. "You can look at the debt" of Japan, he says, but points out that it's internally financed. Japan remains the "gateway to Asia" with the products and the technology to grow.
Hennessy, who's a true believer in using the price-to-sales ratio in valuing a potential investment (see a recent AdvisorOne interview exploring why he expects the Dow to rise 8% to 12% this year) says that when he looks purely at the numbers—"in this business, when you come into the office you have to put your
emotions into the closet"—in Japan "you can buy a dollar of revenue for 50 cents." In the BRIC countries, by contrast, "you'll pay $1.85 for $1.00 in revenue." That's why he's surprised that there's only $2.6 billion invested in Japan-only mutual funds, compared to total Asia ex-Japan mutual fund assets of about $26 billion. Japanese companies are, like American ones, "cash flush, and they're looking to partner with other countries."
The Ramifications of the Disaster for U.S. Investors
So if the Japanese will recover and its companies will still be undervalued, what about the impact of the disaster on American consumers and investors?
Oil, for instance, declined on consensus expectations that there will be less demand from Japan as it focuses on its recovery. But Hennessy is skeptical of that reasoning. "The bottom line of why oil has been going up has been the futures market—speculators." Hennessy argues that "there's no supply issue" and as long as that's the case, "there's no reason for oil to be over $100 barrell." Moreover, once oil goes over $80 a barrel, "it's not in their favor in the Mideast," since alternative sources of energy become much more economical.
However, when it comes to non-oil energy sources, he argues that "the reality of the world, be it wind, nuclear or other alternatives, you still need permits, and no one," especially in the United States, "wants it in their backyard."
Turning again to Japan and the nuclear plant and oil issue, Hennessy says that while Japan is "energy dependent, they've figured out" how to run their economy "without much oil." He expects that the country will shut down its nuclear plants to ensure they're structurally sound, but then bring them back online.
One positive development to come out of the disaster, Hennessy believes, is that the international community, which has already marshaled its efforts to help Japan, will see the "ingenuity of the Japanese people come out."


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Select a Campus »
The social and economic impact of the California
State University on the state of California is enormous.
With more than
474,000 students on 23 campuses,
the CSU is the largest university in the United States and has
an extremely significant impact on the economy of the state and
the regions where its campuses are located.
This Web site highlights a
landmark study the CSU recently conducted, the first time a systemwide impact analysis
of this magnitude has been undertaken. The results show the CSU is an economic, social
and cultural powerhouse in the state of California, directly or indirectly affecting every
resident of the state. This Web site will highlight in more detail the significant role the
CSU plays in solving critical problems and providing innovative solutions for the state,
helping to provide a quality of life in California that is unparalleled.
Los Angeles Times:
San Bernardino, Fresno, Chico ... these universities save the state
Chancellor Reed speaks on the importance of CSU's impact
Content Contact:
Marge Grey
(562) 951-4657
November 26, 2008


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Live Music
Mercer & Johnson @ The Hub
Bummer dude!
This event has already happened. To be sure you don't miss anymore events in South Walton, visit the SoWal Events Calendar.
LIVE MUSIC at The Hub! You'll love the outdoor scene with great food and drink and some of the best music anywhere.
Come sit outdoors on comfy chairs and enjoy great food and drink with amazing live music entertainment on the outdoor stage on Scenic 30A in #SoWal. The Spring lineup is outstanding with local artists as well as visiting bands from the region performing special shows. Catch the show on any given night including weekends as well as Sunday afternoons.
The Hub Spring News 2017
The Hub is hopping this spring with a big lineup of great live music on stage, family movies, Sunday jazz brunch and special holiday festivals. Don't miss SoWal's biggest outdoor Eat Drink & Entertain destination. You'll love what's on the menu every day for lunch and dinner. It's always time for a cocktail at The Hub Bar.
Wed: Family Movie Night
Fri & Sat: Live Music
Sun: BBQ, Buckets of Beer + Jazz Brunch, Bloody Marys, Buckets of Champagne
Happy Hour with drink and appetizer specials every day from 4-6pm
Earth Day Celebration Apr 22
Cinco de Mayo Celebration May 5
Nashville Songwriters Florida Sunshine Tour May 6
Come out and enjoy Chef Stephan's delicious food from burgers to BBQ, tacos and seafood, and plenty of cold drinks at the bar. Shop at The Hub retails shops just next door - you'll love the unique shops, boutiques, art and more.
The Hub is a festive gathering place for friends and families to eat, drink, shop, play and relax. Several restaurants and a bar featuring everything you can dream of from burgers to seafood, fried chicken and southern comfort, pizza, tacos, BBQ, sweets and cocktail concoctions. The restaurants are situated around a lawn and patio area with comfortable seating, fireplace, event stage, and jumbotron. You'll find plenty of live music concerts and other entertainment such as sports or movies on the big screen. There's something happening every night.
The Hub is located on the south side of Scenic 30A at WaterSound Beach between Seagrove Beach and Alys Beach. You can't miss it - the greatest backyard party of all time is going on now. Open daily 11am-9pm. See restaurants and menus online at hub30a.com.
Follow The Hub 30A on Facebook for updates on food, happy hour, events, sports, movies, music and much more.
More Live Music at The Hub 30A
|6:00 pm
|The Red Bar Jazz Band @ The Hub Locals Night
|The Hub 30A
|6:00 pm
|DJ Dance Party @ Hub-O-Ween
|The Hub 30A
|6:00 pm
|Roshambo @ The Hub Locals Night
|The Hub 30A
Map of this Event
At a Glance
Link to Business
More live music?