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MINNEAPOLIS - Delta Air Lines got a little carried away with fare increases and had to adjust its pricing during the first quarter. It worked, allowing the airline to eke out a narrow profit.
Delta has been aggressive about boosting ticket prices. Sometimes it rolls out broad-based fare increases. Other times, it simply offers fewer cheap seats on a given flight.
Travel demand was strong heading into 2013, so tickets were priced accordingly, said CEO Richard Anderson. But automatic government spending cuts, higher Social Security taxes, and other factors kept some people from flying, so Delta filled seats with sales and promotions.
That move helped Delta record an operating profit in the first quarter, a slow travel period that's usually a money-loser for the airlines. Excluding special items, Delta earned $85 million, compared with a year-earlier loss of $39 million.
Delta begins planning how many seats to sell at what fare as much as eight months in advance. The pricing disclosures on Tuesday were a glimpse into adjustments that airlines often make as they try to balance their desire to charge as much as they can for each seat versus the need to fill as many seats as possible.
The world's second-biggest airline said a slowdown seen in March is continuing. Government agencies have cut back on travel to comply with mandatory budget cuts and demand from vacationers has weakened. As a result, per-seat revenue is down 2 per cent to 3 per cent this month.
Defence companies account for about 3 per cent of Delta's revenue from big companies, and flights by those companies have declined as much as 20 per cent over the past month, Delta President Ed Bastian said.
Lower fuel prices should help to offset the decline, the airline said. Delta has also been keeping a lid on flying, aiming to charge more for the seats that it does offer to passengers. During the first quarter, it cut flying capacity by 3 per cent. It said capacity will be flat to up 1 per cent in the second quarter, which includes the start of summer travel season.
Yield, which is one way to measure fares, rose 2.1 per cent — after jumping 9 per cent a year earlier.
Delta earned $7 million, or a penny per share, for the quarter that ended March 31. Not counting special items, it earned 10 cents per share — better than analysts had been expecting. The company reported net income of $124 million in the year-ago quarter, but lost money when one-time gains are factored out.
Revenue rose 1 per cent to $8.5 billion, matching analyst expectations.
Delta has been consistently profitable and paying down debt. Investors have been eager to see what it will do next with its cash. Options include paying a dividend for the first time since 2003, and buying back shares, which increases the value of the shares that remain outstanding.
Anderson said Delta will make an announcement in the first half of May about "how we will return cash to shareholders."
Shareholders love that sort of thing. Shares of Delta Air Lines Inc. jumped $1.59, or 10.5 per cent, to close at $16.73.
Delta's oil refinery near Philadelphia lost $22 million because of ongoing supply disruptions from Superstorm Sandy and an outage in its gasoline production unit. Executives said they're hoping the refinery posts a modest second-quarter profit.
Like most East Coast refineries, Delta's Trainer refinery has gotten most of its oil by ship from overseas. But abundant North Dakota crude has become a cheaper source, even if it has to be shipped by rail. Delta said it has lined up agreements to supply 10 per cent of the refinery's needs with that North Dakota oil.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Broomsticks, wands, crystal balls and a tombstone are going on show at the British Library in its highly-anticipated Harry Potter exhibition.
Harry Potter: A History Of Magic has sold more than 30,000 tickets, breaking records for advance sales at the British Library.
Items from author JK Rowling's own archives, which she picked out personally - including handwritten drafts of chapters from her famous stories, will be on display for the first time.
Highlights include an annotated sketch of Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry by Rowling, complete with the giant squid that lives in the lake.
The exhibition also features an eight-year-old's written response to the first few chapters of Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, when Rowling had been rejected by eight publishers.
The eight-year-old, the daughter of Bloomsbury's chief executive, wrote: "The excitement in this book made me feel warm inside. I think it is possibly one of the best books an eight/nine year-old could read."
The book was officially accepted by Bloomsbury the following day, becoming the most successful venture in children's publishing history.
Other objects include pages from a draft of Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince, annotated by Rowling and her editor, complete with the words "could cut".
The oldest items in the British Library's collection, the Chinese Oracle bones, engraved for a divination ritual over 3,000 years ago, will be on display.
Potter fans will be able to see Rowling's handwritten list of teachers and subjects at Hogwarts and paintings and sketches of Harry Potter, the Hogwarts Express, Dumbledore and Hagrid by Jim Kay.
The exhibition explores the tradition of folklore and mythology which Rowling drew on, but admits she "took liberties with to suit my plot", from across the globe.
Rowling praised the Library, saying it had done "an incredible job".
"Encountering objects for real that have in some shape or form figured in my books has been quite wonderful and to have several of my own items in the exhibition is a reminder of 20 amazing years since Harry was first published," she said.
Objects on show include the tombstone of Nicolas Flamel, a real historical figure who features in Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, a cauldron, thought to be almost 3,000 years old, and a broomstick owned by a 20th Century witch.
An 18th Century object purported to be a mermaid, a witch's "black moon crystal ball", an early written record of "abracadabra" - used as a charm to cure malaria, and a 400-year-old celestial globe, will also be on show.
Curators said the Harry Potter books were a "springboard to explore the history of magic" in the exhibition.
Julian Harrison said: "We've loved discovering the magical traditions that lie behind the Harry Potter books, and we've encountered so many amazing artefacts along the way.
"The exhibition takes visitors on a fascinating journey through the history of magic - from mermaids to crystal balls, from broomsticks to garden gnomes. It's been enormous fun choosing the exhibits."
The exhibition celebrates the 20th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, the first of the books in the boy wizard series, and runs from October 20, 2017 until February 28, 2018.


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Psycadelik Thoughtz
Tighter Slim Fit T-Shirt
Beautiful Girl Gold Plated Necklace
B.o.B films "Teach Me How To Dougie" remix video with cali Swag District, Bow Wow, JD and Red Cafe in Los Angeles, CA. Look out for the video coming soon.
!!!!!!!; - )!!!!!!!!
Bobby Ray u're everywhere! ... and i definitely like thatttt!
Waiting 4 the videoo!
aha ! i love u b.o.b


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(Crocodylus porosus)
The saltwater crocodile, also known as the estuarine or Indo-Pacific crocodile, is the largest of all living reptiles. This apex predator is formidable, opportunistic and adaptable, with a considerable range it is found in suitable habitats from northern Australia through Southeast Asia to the eastern coast of India.
The Saltwater Crocodile is usually found in deep, dark murky water. It may inhabit fresh or saltwater but is most commonly found in the brackish estuary areas of Northern Australia.
Saltwater Crocodiles take a wide variety of prey, although juveniles are restricted to smaller items such as insects, amphibians, crustaceans, small reptiles and fish. The larger the animal becomes, the larger its prey items are. Although a large male crocodile could take on a food item as large as a 1 tonne Water Buffalo, the majority of their diet consists of relatively small prey items such as crustaceans, fish, turtles, small mammals and birds.
Around breeding season, which usually takes place during the wet season, large male crocodiles will patrol their stretches of water protecting their territory from intruding males. When Saltwater Crocodiles are courting one another, they will rub their heads and bodies together. Mating takes place in the water. Between 4-6 weeks after mating, the female will lay 40-60 eggs in her nest. The nest may be up to 80cm high and is made of vegetation broken off by the female's teeth and scraped together with her hind legs.
Saltwater Crocodile Profiles
Sex: Male
Length: 5m (16ft)
Weight: 1000kg (2200lbs)
The largest, oldest and definitely the wisest salty we have. This croc is really old and knows every trick in the book. Trying to do a demonstration with Acco can actually be quite frustrating at times, with him sitting right in front of you but refusing to come out. This is one intelligent croc. He knows he has no chance of catching himself a keeper while we're watching him. He sits there as if he is not interested in what you're doing. Sometimes he won't move a muscle for ten minutes or more.
Acco is hoping we'll turn our backs or look at the crowd so he'll have a chance. We never take anything for granted when working around our crocs, because we know that if you take your eye off one of these guys there'll be no second chances. Suddenly, when you least expect, Acco screams out of the water with everything he's got. And this bloke has a lot on his side.
Measuring in at 16ft or 5 metres and weighing 1000kgs, Acco is one big boy. At his size Acco could easily take down cows, horses or water buffalo equal to his own weight.
Acco lives with another old crocodile. Connie is a large female about 9 1/2 ft and approximately 50 years old. She is a very demanding crocodile. Each croc has their own personality just like humans. Connie is one of those girls who wants everything her own way. She will leave her food to come over and try to steal Acco's, and if things don't go as she wants Connie really gives it to poor old Acco, often biting him and letting everyone know she's not happy. Lucky for Connie, Acco's a very patient croc and seems to enjoy her company so he just smiles and lets Connie have her tantrums. Sometimes we don't know how he does it...
Make a difference and adopt Agro today!
View our Adoption Packs
Sex: Male
Length: 4.7m (15.04ft)
Weight: 600kg (1320lbs)
This bloke is awesome; weighing in at over 600kgs and measuring over 15ft, this is one impressive croc. Agro was captured from the wild back in 1988. He was removed from Cattle Creek in north Queensland to protect him from being shot dead by hunters.
Agro is now very happy protecting his territory here at Australia Zoo. Not only is Agro protecting his waterhole, he is also extremely protective of his lovely female. The love of his life is Cookie, a large female of 10ft who was caught in exactly the same area as Agro, so these two were probably a bit of an item in the wild. She has a beautiful nature, and is the quietest and gentlest of all our crocodiles. Agro and Cookie are a perfect couple, they get on like a house on fire.
Maintaining the original waterhole that Agro and Cookie lived in at Australia Zoo was probably our most nerve-racking job. Mowing their enclosure was like a sport-you did not stop sweating. The entire time you were working it was hot-but because of nerves, not the weather!. You knew somewhere in that dark, dirty water Agro was lining you up. Agro hunted the lawnmower just like he would an animal in the wild. To date Agro has beaten us on four occasions. Yep, we have had to replace four lawnmowers because Agro has successfully attacked and killed them. (The machines, not the people!)
Many people ask why Agro hates the lawnmowers so much. Well basically, it is a really annoying sound that he sees as a threat to his territory. Agro will do anything to drive the lawnmower out of his territory and protect his family from this threat.
Make a difference and adopt Bindi today!
View our Adoption Packs
Sex: Female
Length: 2.9m (9.28ft)
Weight: 120kg (264lbs)
Bindi was caught by Steve in the East Coast Croc Management program back in 1988. She was classed as a problem croc and if she was not caught she would have been shot dead. To avoid such a pointless killing Steve promptly captured her and brought her back to the Zoo. Bindi is a very light coloured croc (we call her a blonde) and has quite an attitude.
She does not stand for any rubbish from anyone, especially our crocodile keepers. This of course can make life interesting when you are maintaining her enclosure and during nesting season she is even worse: a few years ago she ripped a fuel tank off a lawn mower while protecting her nest.
It is easy to see why Steve loved her as his favourite crocodile. Steve liked Bindi that much that when his first daughter was born, he named her after this crocodile. Bindi (the crocodile) is one of the best mothers out of any of the Zoo crocodiles. When it comes to building a nest and protecting her babies she is amazing. No snakes, goannas, rats or crocodile keepers are going to touch her nest without her permission.
Sex: Male
Length: 3.9m (12.48ft)
Weight: 250kg (550lbs)
Weighing in at over 250kgs and measuring almost 13 feet in length Bosco is a truly awesome crocodile.
He was caught in the Herbert River near Ingham in North Queensland in 2010. Having been recently relocated from the wild he still displays all of his true 'crocodile' characteristics, which makes him one of the most dangerous crocodiles to work with here at the zoo! You really need to keep your wits about you once you enter his territory!
He really loves his new home here at Australia Zoo and spends much of his time cruising up and down the pond patrolling his territory. When he is not defending his home he can usually be found sunning himself on the high bank, soaking up some much needed and loved sunshine!
Bosco shares his home with a gorgeous little sheila named Terra, who is 10ft long and 100kgs. Bosco and Terra are the perfect couple, getting along really well, to the point where Terra started nesting this season with Bosco often seen sitting beside her to keep her company.
At this size Bosco is not the biggest crocodile in the world, but he is one of the sneakiest and most dangerous crocs to feed because of his habit of stalking and then exploding out of the water to ambush the keepers. So, next time you're at Australia Zoo drop on by and check him out, and if you are lucky enough to see him getting a feed you certainly won't be disappointed!
Sex: Male
Length: 3.7m (11.84ft)
Weight: 350kg (770lbs)
Have a go at this bloke! This is one angry croc. As far as aggression goes this croc is the meanest fella I have ever come across. But it all comes from his up bringing - he hasn't had a lot of reason to like people. Hopefully after some fair dinkum Australia Zoo attention he'll settle right down and we can give him what every bloke needs - a cute little girl to keep him company. Casper is a white croc but he is not albino. Albinos lack all pigment in their skin Casper lacks only the black pigment - he is called leusistic. He was caught from the Wyndham Crocodile Farm in November 2002 by Steve, Wes and Briano. He weighed in at 250kg (550lbs) and is approximately 3.5m (11ft).
Sex: Female
Cassie is a female saltwater crocodile and was caught from the wild in 1988 from cattle creek. She is around nine feet long and weighs around 100kg and is her mid twenties. Cassie lives with a large male crocodile called Sharka who is very protective over her. It was love at first sight! Before Sharka, Cassie lived with Charlie and Amy until 2003. Their enclosure is out the back of the Crocoseum but Cassie does not take part in main Crocoseum show.
She is a fiery female and gives the croc boys the chase around on a regular basis. In breeding season, she won't let her keepers anywhere near the back of the enclosure where she nests.
Sex: Female
Length: 3m (9.6ft)
Weight: 150kg (330lbs)
Cookie is the love of Agro's life. She is a large female at 10ft and is an absolute sweetie.
All crocs are individuals and have their own personality. Just like us, you get active ones, angry ones, and some that are an out right pain in the neck. But every now and then you come across an animal that is an absolute delight. Cookie has the gentlest of natures. While we are maintaining the enclosure she'll lay their sunning herself, always watching but undisturbed. During feeding Cookie will ever so gently take the food out of your hand, much like a well trained dog (well one with big teeth!). All the time Agro is steaming out the ears at the fact you're near his girl. He'll protect her with his life!
Sex: Female
Length: 2.4m (7.68ft)
Weight: 90kg (198lbs)
Monty also lives with his gorgeous girlfriend Goldie who was caught from the upper reaches of the Burdekin River. Despite being a small female she sure knows how to keep Monty in line and every year this pair produces a clutch of fertile eggs.
Sex: Male
Length: 3.7m (11.84ft)
Weight: 350kg (770lbs)
Graham is the most notorious croc at Australia Zoo. He was caught at Townsville in north Queensland by Steve Irwin in 1988. He was hanging around the boat ramp because the fishermen were feeding him-not intentionally, but they were leaving fishing frames after cleaning their catch as well as left-over crab bait-great food for a young croc! For this reason Graham had made the boat ramp his home. Now when fisherman launch their boats at the boat ramp they need to enter the water, sometimes up to their waist, and seeing as how male crocs grow to more than 5m long and weigh one tonne, Graham had to go.
Steve was able to catch Graham by hand, but Graham never forgot or forgave Steve for catching him out in the wild. At the time of his capture he was six foot long, but as soon as he reached the Zoo he began to grow.
Graham outgrew his enclosure mates in a short while and started to become a bit of a bully. Steve decided to catch Graham and put him in another enclosure. Steve entered the enclosure with a top jaw rope to lasso Graham and a chicken to entice him out. Graham came out alright, so hard and fast that he went past the chicken and grabbed Steve by the hand. Graham pulled Steve into the pond in half a second. Luckily 95kgs of Steve landed straight on Graham's head, and when that happens you would normally open up your mouth and let out a bad word or two. Graham did just that, and Steve got away.
Steve had to wait a couple of weeks for his hand to heal before he could capture Graham and move him to a new pond. Little did Graham know he was in for an extra surprise! Steve gave Graham his favourite crocodile Bindi as a girlfriend. It was a match made in heaven.
One night when the Zoo was hit by a huge storm, 700mm of rain fell in only a few hours. Graham's pond was underwater and full of debris, and this was when we discovered just how protective Graham had become! Steve and Wes had to enter Graham's enclosure to clean the fences so they would not wash away. Graham spotted Steve and Wes and slipped from view.
It only took him a couple of seconds to swim the length of his pond (80 metres) and this is when he grabbed Wes by the leg and bottom. Luckily Steve jumped on Graham. Wes tore himself free and made sure Steve was safe before he jumped out. Graham was happily chewing on a pick handle that Steve had given him as a replacement for Wes. Graham was happy; he had protected Bindi from Steve and Wes and had chased them away. Wes had a very sore leg and backside for a couple of weeks. A few weeks later Wes was back feeding Graham again and made sure to give Bindi a wide berth so as not to upset Graham.
Wes and Steve do not blame Graham for biting them. Anybody who works with animals will tell you if they get bitten, scratched or clawed it was them who made the mistake, not the animal.
Sex: Female
Length: 2.9m (9.28ft)
Weight: 150kg (330lbs)
Now this sheila is a real handful! Lucy has attitude and boy will she give you trouble if you get in her way!! She was captured from a boat ramp near Townsville where she was hanging around for scraps left by fisherman. Although at her size she wouldn't be big enough to take on a food item the size of a person she sure could hang on to you long enough for Weipa to come over and sort you right out!!
Sex: Male
Length: 3.7m (11.84ft)
Weight: 400kg (880lbs)
Monty was captured from the Townsville boat ramp back in 1975 when he was around 3 feet long. At this time I was around three feet high so growing up together the two of us have built a pretty special relationship. I love Monty and Monty would absolutely LOVE to grab a hold of me! Monty was also the star of the show in many of the scenes for the movie "Collision Course". He doesn't give out autographs however you can take as many pictures as you like!
Sex: Male
Length: 4m (12.8ft)
Weight: 500kg (1100lbs)
Mossman is an impressive-looking crocodile. At almost thirteen feet in length he has reached the size where he could take down large mammals such as pigs, cows, horses and Asian Water Buffalo. This bloke has a big head. Large penetrating teeth protrude from a jaw that has three thousand pounds per square inch jaw pressure - one of nature's most powerful weapons. This guy can smash through bone like we eat toast at breakfast time. Not that he is slow; he can hit so hard and fast that animals with really quick reflexes like kangaroos and dingos are well and truly on the menu.
Weighing in at over 500kg, Mossman is in fantastic condition. Not particularly fat but with enough condition to sustain him through the harder months, Mossman could probably go for 12 months without eating a single thing. He would be a very hungry lad, but as he is a reptile and gets the energy he needs to warm his blood from the sun, he only needs a fraction of the food mammals like us need. At his size, Mossman would be looking to set up his own territory and find himself a girlfriend. We haven't given Mossman a girlfriend as yet. He has only been at Australia Zoo for 12 months and we want him to settle in and become comfortable before introducing him to a female.
Mossman is one of our most intelligent crocodiles. He is particularly cautious, cunning and very calculating. All good reasons to respect the big bloke and remind us that in the water and at the water's edge is a very dangerous place to hang out in croc territory.
Sex: Male
Length: 3.7m (11.84ft)
Weight: 300kg (660lbs)
Murray was caught by Steve in the Cattle Creek, a large estuary system between Ingham and Townsville, back in 1988. He had some of the scales on his tail missing which told Steve that he had been previously caught and released. Upon further investigation, Steve found out had been caught years earlier a few hundred kilometres away.
In his younger days, Murray had quite the reputation for his dislike of lawn mowers. Mostly he was just protecting his girlfriend Molly who he loves completely and who he will defend with all he has. The keepers knew to keep a close eye out when mowing in his home as demolishing mowers was his favourite game. Nowadays you can catch Murray chilling out with Molly and during his special appearances in the midday Wildlife Warriors show.
Sex: Male
Length: 4.3m (13.76ft)
Weight: 500kg (1100lbs)
Weipa is about 14ft long and he's armed with one of the biggest heads we've ever seen on a croc his size; it's huge and it's powerful. As his name suggests, he was caught in Weipa only a year and a half ago. Weipa is a town on the western side of Cape York Peninsula and is home to some of the more stable crocodile populations in Queensland. There are many large crocodiles living in this area, making it a pretty tough neighbourhood.
Weipa has some very distinguishing features that are results of growing up in such a populated area. He has suffered massive scarring on his tail. There is a series of scars at the base of his tail just behind his back legs and another halfway along his tail. These scars run nearly the whole way around his tail, indicating that it was nearly completely torn off by a larger crocodile, probably in a fight over territory. Lucky for this bloke, crocodiles have amazing healing abilities. If he was a mammal he would have bled to death.
Only being out of the wild for a very short period of time, Weipa still displays many natural behaviours. This makes him very difficult to work around because we never know what to expect. It does, however, make our feeding demonstrations with Weipa really exciting because this bloke hits like a bomb. He explodes out of the water in a heart beat and the sound of his jaw bones crunching together is immense. When we first released him into his new enclosure, no one saw Weipa for an entire month.
The feeding process started by leaving food on the bank which he would take at night. As he became more comfortable with us being around we, threw food from the opposite side of the pond. We knew when Weipa really started to settle in because instead of hiding be began attacking us. It's a little bit unnatural for a crocodile to feed on land but it is the safest option for our keepers. While it can take some crocs a long time to become accustomed to the technique, Weipa has really taken to it and is well worth the visit.


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April 23, 2013
A witness to the shootout called into Opie and Anthony and described in details what he saw:
"The sergeant was yelling — "Get down, get down!" "He's got a bag of grenades! He's got f**kin' grenades!" "There's a live ordnance on the streets!"
Apparently the police engaged in two different gun battles. "One on my neighbor's side yard, and one right in front of my house….between obviously each brother and different cops."
"Cops were shooting hundreds of rounds."
"The older brother got shot out front…he went down, the cops ran up to him, hit him in the face with a MagLight because he won't stop movin."
"The told him, 'don't move, don't move…or we're gonna shoot you in the f**king head."
"They were both over him (two of the police officers) and the SUV came speeding down the street, going like 60-80 miles and hour…and the cops jumped right at the nick of time and he f**king ran his brother over."
"It was a black SUV, it was like 2 in the morning, it was right in front of my house!"
"Saw him get run over, dragged him like 30 feet. He was a mangled mess. His pool of blood is right in front of my pickup."
Warning: contains profanity and graphic descriptions.
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The following crimes are from the week of April 17 to April 23, 2011.
April 14. 7800 block Ardleigh Street. Complainant states that a known person, Pascoale Nevy Jr., d/o/b 9-21-80, her stepson, who has been living with her, stole one access card and pill bottle from her purse. Complainant states that her stepson is on parole and has not returned home.
April 19. 7800 block Germantown Avenue. Complainant states that between 1:20 and 1:25 p.m., she parked her car in parking lot and when she returned she found the passenger side window broken and the following items taken: a black IBM Think Pad, Model A200, a Blackberry cell phone, Model A820, and a Magellan GPS.
April 20. 100 block Rex Avenue. Complainant states that between 8:30 a.m. on April 19 and 9 a.m. on April 20, an unknown person stole a black Acura MDX, Pennsylvania tag HM5849.
April 20. 600 block W. Hartwell Lane. Complainant states that around 7:30 a.m. she found rear kitchen door partly open. Her son told her that his backpack was missing. A while later she noticed that someone had gone through her purse and taken money and three credit cards. She found her purse under the driver's seat of her Audi A8, which was parked in the garage. House is alarmed, but alarm was not set.
April 23. 200 block E. Willow Grove Avenue. Complainant states that she was awakened by someone banging on her window screen. Complainant states she saw male at her window and he thought it was a friend's house, and then fled in an unknown direction. Reported at 12:01 a.m.
Summary — Five crimes for week: two burglaries, one stolen vehicle, one theft and one theft from vehicle.
Town Watch, 215-248-1320.
If you have been the victim of a crime and would like information, service or support, call Northwest Victims Service, 6301 Germantown Ave., Second Floor, Suite One, 215-438-4410. The service is free.


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The third annual Legends Luncheon presented by Nationwide Insurance
A unique, award-winning philanthropic event in central Ohio
Jack and Barbara Nicklaus
Nationwide CEO, Steve Rasmussen and his wife Cindy
Nationwide Children's Hospital CEO, Steve Allen, MD, and his wife Jamie
Special guests
Jim Furyk, 2002 Memorial Tournament winner and 2003 U.S. Open winner
Jimmy Roberts, NBC and Golf Channel Host and 13-time Emmy Award winner
Celebrating the alliance between the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation and Nationwide Children's Hospital, the Memorial Tournament and Nationwide Insurance are proud to host the third annual Legends Luncheon. With this aligned vision, all proceeds of the Luncheon will directly benefit the young patients served each day by Nationwide Children's. The goal is to not only support but also provide opportunity to advance the incredible care given in the most needed areas of Nationwide Children's.
A recognition award presented in the name of Jack and Barbara Nicklaus. The Nicklaus Youth Spirit Award is given to a young citizen who in some way has demonstrated a strong, driving spirit in overcoming obstacles, an unwavering optimistic outlook, and a strong conviction for their connection to Nationwide Children's.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Ohio Union, Archie Griffin Grand Ballroom
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
*The Ohio Union is located at the corner of 12th Avenue and High Street on The Ohio State University main campus
Parking is complimentary. Valet will be offered off West 12th Avenue or media can access the Ohio Union South Parking Garage from both High Street and College Avenue.
Media are invited to attend as guests for the catered luncheon. Space is limited. Please RSVP to Tom Sprouse (email@example.com) with your intentions.
Jack Nicklaus, Jim Furyk, Jimmy Roberts, Steve Rasmussen, Dr. Steve Allen, Nicklaus Youth Spirit Award winner
10:30 a.m.
On-site Media Center open
Traditions Room, Second Floor
11:30 a.m.
Guest Arrival and Event Registration
Archie Griffin Grand Ballroom, Second Floor
11:45 a.m.
Guest Seating
Archie Griffin Grand Ballroom, Second Floor
12:00 p.m.
Opening Remarks
12:15 p.m.
Lunch Served
12:20 p.m.
Conversation with golfing legend Jack Nicklaus and 2002 Memorial Tournament winner and 2003 U.S. Open winner Jim Furyk, moderated by NBC and Golf Channel Host and 13-time Emmy Award winner, Jimmy Roberts
1:00 p.m.
Introduction and Presentation of the Nicklaus Youth Spirit Award
1:10 p.m.
Closing Remarks
1:20 p.m.
Post media interviews in on-site Media Center (Traditions Room, Second floor)


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Q: Why is my pond cloudy in the summer and clear in the winter?
Mike – Baldwin, WI
A: Frustrating, isn't it? During the summer when it's warm and inviting outside by the pond, the water looks cloudy; when it's too cold to enjoy the outdoor scenery, the water appears crystal clear. What's the deal? Let's look below the water's surface to see what happens during the two seasons.
Murky Summer
A lot happens in your pond during the warmer months. Fish are actively feeding and creating waste. Pond critters, like turtles and frogs, are digging around in the mud and stirring up muck at the bottom of the pond. Rainstorms wash sediment into the pond along with fertilizer residue – which provides fuel to algae and pond weeds growing prolifically in the summer sun. With all that activity, it's no wonder the water looks cloudy!
Clear Winter
During the winter, however, activity slows. As your fishes' metabolism decreases, they fast and hibernate through the cold season. Turtles, frogs and other pond residents reduce their movement, too, which allows the muck and sediment to settle at the bottom. Ice and snow cover the pond, limiting water movement and blocking sunlight. Algae still grows, but at a much slower rate. As everything settles and slows down, the water clears.
Extending Winter
If you want that crystal clear water all year long, follow this three-step formula, particularly as the days get longer and spring warmth thaws the ice:
- Feed Your Bacteria: First, be sure to add some bacteria enhancer, like EcoBoost™, to the water. It binds suspended organics, provides trace minerals to fish and other pond dwellers, and helps break down fertilizers from rain runoff. It has no temperature restrictions, so you can use it throughout the seasons.
- Shield the Sun's Rays: Next, pour some Pond Dye in the water. The color reduces the amount of rays that into the pond. Like EcoBoost, Pond Dye has no temperature restrictions, so you can use it throughout the season.
- Add Oxygen: Aeration is the final – and most important – step in maintaining clean, clear water. By aerating your pond from the bottom up, you will circulate the water, improve the dissolved oxygen levels in your water column, and allow for increased levels of beneficial bacteria to accumulate in your pond.
Pond Talk: How do you keep your pond clean and clear all year long?
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Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury
What is an ACL injury?
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of four main ligaments in the knee. It provides stability for the knee joint. An ACL injury occurs when the ACL ligament tears, typically as a result of cutting and pivoting activities during sports.
The most common type of pediatric ACL injury is a complete tear of the ACL. Usually, surgery is recommended for these injuries with options varying by the patient's age and musculoskeletal maturity.
How we care for ACL injuries
Boston Children's Hospital Sports Medicine Division offers a wealth of experience treating children, teens and young adults with ACL tears. We're leaders in ACL research and pioneers in the development of ACL reconstruction techniques tailored to the patient's age and musculoskeletal maturity.
Our ACL team includes orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine physicians, athletic trainers, psychologists and nutritionists, ensuring the best possible care and a safe return to sports.


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informed consent
(in-FORMD kun-SENT)
A process in which patients are given important information, including possible risks and benefits, about a medical procedure or treatment, genetic testing, or a clinical trial. This is to help them decide if they want to be treated, tested, or take part in the trial. Patients are also given any new information that might affect their decision to continue. Also called consent process.


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Bed and Breakfast
Room Tour - Inn Tour - Area Map - Driving Directions - Welcome - Check Availability
Room Tour - Inn Tour - Area Map - Driving Directions - Welcome - Check Availability
Welcome to Portland Oregon's newest addition to comfortable
and affordable Bed and Breakfast Inns.
1927 NE 16th Ave. Portland, Oregon 97212 Phone: 503-335-0070
Located in vibrant, hip Northeast Portland, A Painted Lady Bed and Breakfast Inn offers a calm oasis in the heart of the city. Just steps from wonderful shops and fine restaurants, A Painted Lady will be your Portland home-away-from-home.
Built in 1894 and renovated to its full Victorian glory, A Painted Lady will cosset you from the rush of today's world. But do take advantage of the urban location by shopping at Lloyd Center, Oregon's largest mall, located just six blocks from A Painted Lady. Or hop on Max, Portland's excellent light rail transportation system that will take you anywhere in the downtown core area for free. Dinner in the Pearl District, theatre downtown, a Blazers game or concert at the Rose Garden- it's all within a few minutes of A Painted Lady. Stay for one night, or let us create a fun Portland package just for you!
After a restful sleep in one of three beautiful, comfy rooms, you will be treated to a sumptuous breakfast. Breakfast may be requested in your room between 9:00 and 10:00 or in the dining room at your request.
Room rates range from $109.00 to $179.00 per night and include the following:
No pets allowed.
We are looking forward to welcoming you here soon!
Your Hostess, Jody Runge


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Lovely cards, Korin!!!
Entire release prizes are way too much fun :-)
Great cards--I like the happy flowers and the cute teddy.
Both are such sweet cards but I love the teddy!! He's adorable! :)
Welcome back, Korin! Your cards are fabulous as always! Love those happy flowers and Rhubarb enjoying a cool drink in the pool...what a great release!
What delightful cards! So excited for this release!
Love these cute cards! The added bling on the flower card really makes it pop! And love the brown satin ribbon with the bear card!
What a fun release! The cards are really cute. :-)
What a great blog hop and great release!
Great Cards, Korin!
I love the Happy Place Stamps.
Anything with flowers.
Thanks for a great prize chance.
I've got my hoppin shoes on.
Have a great day.
I love that flower image. Definitely getting that set. And I adore Rhubarb Bear. I have most of the digis, but I think I need this set so I can paper piece him easier. I can't wait to see all of the release.
The CAS floral card is right up my alley! Rhubarb is as adorable as ever. I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else created! :)
darling cards! love them both!
Adorable cards, Korin!
Beautiful cards!! I LOVE the "Happy Place" card. It put a smile on my face! :D
Great cards, love how CAS the first is, and Rhubarb is so cute!
I especially love the blue flowers. My tendency would have been to color the leaves as you did the flowers: darker at the outer edges. But I love what you did so much more! The colors are beautiful on both, but the simplicity of the flowers wins me over. :)
great hop
What a terrific blog hop!!! Everything was wonderful, but I think my favourites are the vintage babies, and the "under His Wings".
Thanks everyone for sharing your beautiful work.
Love your cards, Korin! Rhubarb on the innertube is so cute! You are always so generous with your prizes - thanks for the chance to win!
LOVE that bear!!!
Love the clean, crisp summer colors. The paper used on Rhubarb's card looks like wavy water...so sweet!
ladies, you have done such a brilliant job on show-casing the new gorgeous release!
so many fabulous ideas! thanx a lot!
hugs and kisses from germany,
silvi xoxo
Love the clean lines of the new Happy Place stamp. Super sweet cards!!
Stunning cards! I love the colors.
I just love that flower card... TFS
Wonderful cards they are so cute, love the flowers and both sentiments, thank you for sharing them and the chance to win.
Everyone has great card samples! I could not leave a comment on Brenda's blog due to Wordpress.
I love both of your cards, Korin! Rhubarb is too cute! :)
Great cards, Can't wait to see the whole sets. Thanks for the inspiration and chance to win! Looking forward to the rest of the fun blog!
Can't wait for the prize drawing.
Super cute cards!
LOVE both of these cards! I think they will be my favorite sets of the release!
Oh I love both of these.
Oh, great cards! I love the colors of the CAS and of course, Rhubarb is adorable!
gorgeous cards! I'm so excited to start hopping!
OHHH! I love that first card--the white space with the blue!!! OHHH! LOVE:) And that second card is just too precious! LOVE that little teddy and your bow!!!!!! BEAUTIFULLY done x2!! LOVE!!!!!
Beautiful cards!!! I love Summertime Rhubarb!
OMGosh this is so cute, I must hurry to make your deadline!
Beautiful indeed, Korin!
The Happy Place set is soooo versatile! I can already tell that this is going to be a "Sweet" blog hop!
The floral card is so soft and sweet. I love it. The bear card is a great baby card. Great job.
Love your cards! So sweet!
Great CAS cards & stamps! Love the fun flower card.
Great new sets! I see some I want!
Another great release Korin. Lovely samples! :o)


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The concept of "technical debt," originally developed by Ward Cunningham,
typically occurs in systems while adding new features or during maintenance and
bugfixing. The phrase "we'll fix that later" is usually a good indicator of
technical debt. The use of debt as a metaphor is quite apt, as there are many
parallels with taking out a loan in order to buy something now, while paying
for it later, along with the accrued interest. Many projects, including OpenJDK,
suffer from a burden of technical debt, where the accumulation of delayed
cleanup projects slows down feature work and makes maintenance more difficult.
OpenJDK is an open-source implementation of the Java platform. Much of
OpenJDK is implemented in Java, and so when the Java platform evolves, it makes
existing code go out of date even though it hasn't changed. For example, prior to
the addition of generics, all types were "raw types." When generics were added in
Java 5, many APIs were updated to use generics, but much of the internal JDK
implementation was not. This implementation code still ran fine but was now
essentially out of date. Worse, mixing generic and raw types results in compiler
warnings. At one point there were over 10,000 warnings emitted during the JDK
build, when all compiler "lint" warnings were enabled.
In any project, there are many impediments to reducing technical debt. The benefits
of adding a new feature are clear; the benefits of cleaning up old code are
diffuse. There is opportunity cost. "Code cleanup" is not a very glamorous job
description with which to attract talented developers. OpenJDK has the additional constraints
of compatibility. Public APIs cannot be changed without going through the Java Community
Process (JCP). Some implementations cannot be changed without breaking application
programs. Newer constructs sometimes have subtle semantic differences from the old
ones that prevent simple drop-in replacement. In these cases a good deal of analysis
might be necessary to prove that making an apparently innocuous change doesn't
introduce an erroneous change in behavior.
Despite these issues, we have managed to make some progress reducing technical
debt in OpenJDK. We have targeted and slowly resolved the most serious issues found
by FindBugs. There have been several activities aimed at reducing warnings in the JDK
build. We have also made a "coinification" effort to introduce the Java 7 "Project Coin"
constructs into the code base. However, there is much work left to do. The Oracle JDK
team will continue these efforts during JDK 8 development, and we welcome involvement
from the OpenJDK community.
Stuart Marks is a Principal Member of Technical Staff in the Java Platform Group at Oracle. He is currently working on enhancing the core libraries of the JDK. He has previously worked on JavaFX and Java ME at Sun Microsystems. He has over twenty years of software platform product development experience in the areas of
window systems, interactive graphics, and mobile and embedded systems. Stuart holds a Master's degree in Computer Science and a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.
Follow @stuartmarks
on Twitter or read Stuart's blog at stuartmarks.wordpress.com
For information on exhibition and sponsorship opportunities at the conference, contact Sharon Cordesse at (707) 827-7065 or email@example.com.
View a complete list of OSCON contacts


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Hendrik Poinar, a scientist who believes he is close to cracking the woolly mammoth's genetic code, says that cloning extinct species is now possible. NBC's Jim Maceda reports.
Russian and South Korean scientists, including the cloning expert who was the focus of a stem-cell scandal six years ago, have signed a deal to try re-creating a woolly mammoth using cells recovered from 10,000-year-old frozen remains.
The papers for the joint research project were signed on Tuesday by Hwang Woo-Suk, chief technology officer for South Korea's Sooam Biotech Research Foundation; and Vasily Vasiliev, vice director of Russia's North-Eastern Federal University, during a ceremony at Hwang's office in Seoul.
Hwang is infamous for his role in human embryonic stem-cell research: In 2004 and 2005, he and his colleagues claimed to have extracted stem cells from what they characterized as the world's first cloned human embryos. But in late 2005, his work was found to have been based on fabricated data, and he was barred from continuing research with human cells.
Despite the disgrace, Hwang continued working with animal cloning techniques. Before the scandal broke, his team announced that they produced the world's first cloned dog, nicknamed Snuppy, and that claim has stood up to scrutiny. Last October, Hwang's team at Sooam unveiled eight cloned coyotes that had been produced by injecting nuclei from coyote skin cells into dog eggs. At the time, he said he was interested in cloning an endangered African dog species known as the lycaon ... and was interested in cloning a mammoth, too.
In December, Japanese news media said that scientists recovered a seemingly viable sample of bone marrow from a frozen mammoth thigh bone in Russia's Sakha Republic, and that a mammoth could be cloned back from extinction within five years. This week, Agence France-Presse reported that North-Eastern Federal University is working with the Japanese scientists and with the Koreans. The Beijing Genomics Institute is said to be taking part in the Korean-Russian project as well.
Reports from Seoul suggest that the mammoth-cloning effort could be launched this year if the Russians can ship the remains to Sooam's laboratory. "The first and hardest mission is to restore mammoth cells," a colleague of Hwang's at Sooam, Hwang In-Sung, told AFP.
Jung Yeon-Je / AFP - Getty Images
South Korean scientist Hwang Woo-Suk, (far left) and Vasily Vasiliev, vice director of North-Eastern Federal University of Russia's Sakha Republic (far right), exchange agreements during a signing ceremony on joint research at Hwang's office in Seoul on Tuesday.
Sooam Biotech Research / AFP - Getty Images
This diagram released by the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation shows the process of replacing the nuclei of elephant egg cells with those taken from the mammoth's somatic cells to bring a mammoth back to life.
The plan calls for extracting nuclei from the thawed-out mammoth cells, putting them into elephant egg cells and stimulating the cells to start dividing. Embryos would be implanted into elephant wombs for gestation — and if the effort is successful, a mother elephant would give birth to a baby mammoth around 22 months later.
That's a big "if," as I wrote in December when I discussed the Japanese-Russian project. In addition to the usual problems surrounding interspecies cloning, it's highly doubtful that genetic material recovered from tissue that's been frozen for millennia would be sufficiently intact for extraction and implantation. What do you think of Hwang's chances? Feel free to register your vote at right, and voice your opinion in the comment section below.
More about mammoths:
- Clone a mammoth? Not so fast
- Mammoths mated with a different elephant species
- Mammoth resurrection on the way?
- Woolly mammoth's DNA mapped
Alan Boyle is msnbc.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.


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In 1997, RAF Wing Commander Andy Green piloted the twin-jet-powered Thrust SSC to 763 mph to nab the land-speed record. Today, he's racing a Suzuki Hayabusa-powered Radical SR3 in a race at Brands Hatch. I wonder which one of those things is easier?
On this week's Chris Harris on Cars, Harris teams up with Green — who's about eight inches taller — for a Radical race. Green, who looks like he fell out of the pages of Better British Fighter Pilots And Gardens, once once went full opposite-lock at 650 mph.
But can he drive an awesome, sportbike-powered racecar in race traffic as well as he can drive an awesome, Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan-powered desert sled faster than the speed of sound? And how do those two awesome things compare?


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No, not you! You mean everything to me. I'm talking about the time change. Daylight Saving Time kicks in this weekend. When I was a kid, and even in the early years of marriage, fall was my favorite because I got an extra hour of sleep! Yay! Now I could not care less about the big event. I'll give you five reasons.
Enjoy your hour, if you can get it!


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|Final Fantasy X-2 OST
[back cover]
|Catalog Number: AVCD-17254/5 (limited edition zAVCD-17254/5)
|Released On: March 31, 2003
|Composed By: Noriko Matsueda, Takahito Eguchi, Kazuhiro Hara
|Arranged By: Noriko Matsueda, Takahito Eguchi, h-wonder
|Published By: Avex
|Recorded At: Unknown
|Format: 2 CDs
Disc One01 - Eternity ~Memory of Lightwaves~
02 - Real Emotion ~FFX-2 Mix~
03 - YuRiPa Battle 1
04 - Yuna's Theme
05 - YuRiPa Battle 2
06 - Mission Complete
07 - Sphere Hunter ~Seagull Group~
08 - Mission Start
09 - Gagazet Mountain
10 - YuRiPa Battle 3
11 - Game Over
12 - Sir Rupuran Has Everything!
13 - I'll Give You Something Hot!
14 - Shuin's Theme
15 - Besaid
16 - Kilika
17 - Luca
18 - Mi'ihen Highway
19 - Mushroom Rock Road
20 - Young Alliance
21 - Machine Faction
22 - Guadosalam
23 - Thunder Plains
24 - Macalania Forest
25 - Bikanel Desert
26 - New Yevon Party
27 - Calm Lands
28 - Zanarkand Ruins
29 - Sphere Hunter
30 - Temple
31 - Tension
Total Time:
Disc Two01 - Seagull Group March
02 - Great Existence
03 - Good Night
04 - Anxiety
05 - Infiltration!
06 - Rikku's Theme
07 - Chocobo
08 - Paine's Theme
09 - Bevelle's Secret
10 - Under Bevelle
11 - Yuna's Ballad
12 - Help Store ~Seagull Group~
13 - It's Our Turn Now!
14 - Labyrinth
15 - Confusion
16 - Summoned Beast
17 - Abyss of the Farplane
18 - Eternity ~Memory of Lightwave~
19 - 1000 Words (Original Mix)
20 - Nightmare of a Cave
21 - Party
22 - Vegnagun Starting
23 - Clash
24 - Struggle to the Death
25 - Destruction
26 - Demise
27 - 1000 Words (Piano Version)
28 - Ending - ~Until the Day we Meet Again~
29 - 1000 Words (Orchestra Version)
30 - Epilogue ~Reunion~
Total Time:
The debate over the Final Fantasy X-2 soundtrack has stopped, for the most part. At its release, there was an instant outcry, praising and decrying the oddity. It's not hard to see which group was louder; the music was definitely unlike any of Uematsu's efforts. In fact, it is very far removed from his style. My opinion is, and always has been, that it is often light, mostly inconsequential, and occasionally a tad bland. The debate stopped, I believe, mostly because people just decided that it wasn't really worth arguing about to begin with. Some people liked the style employed by Matsueda and Eguchi, and some didn't. I was indifferent to this soundtrack for a long time, even to the point of considering selling my copy.
I don't claim to be an expert in Matsueda's music up to this point. I have heard a little of Bahamut Lagoon's music, and a little of Front Mission's. Other than that, I am even now unfamiliar with the body of her work at large. From the little I have heard, however, I can say this: while she is definitely most comfortable doing music with a jazz tinge to it, she is competent in a variety of styles.
One of the things that was rarely mentioned about this soundtrack, and one that I consider to be very important to at least initial perceptions, is the sound quality. The sound quality on this sound track is some of the better synth I have heard in a long time. Some of the instruments might be sampled, I don't know.
(As a side note, the CD is "Copy Controlled". In theory, this means that trying to burn a copy is made impossible by clever programming on the part of the publishing company. In reality, this does nothing except bring up Avex's own media player when the disc is put in a CD-ROM drive. This would be a nice thing, except for the fact that the player plays the CD at a 48 kbps sample rate, which sounds like it was recorded in a cave. Ugh.)
Jazz is territory rarely explored in an RPG OST, and even when it is, it's not often of very high quality. Here, however, there are some tracks with nice, jazz-like rhythms. "Yuna's Theme," for example, uses an eletric piano and electric organ together in an upbeat melody that works unexpectedly well. "Sphere Hunter -Seagull Group-" is one of three different tracks that are used as themes for the group's airship, and it's the best of the three. Fast-paced, energetic, with some nice background percussion elements and a tinge of techno. The other two character themes are notable as well, "Rikku's Theme" being the most upbeat of them all. "Paine's Theme" is more of a subdued jazz melody, having a similar instrumentation to "Yuna's Theme," but a slower pace.
There are also beautiful, slow pieces on this soundtrack. The most notable of these, and the one that everyone likely remembers, is "Eternity - Memory of Lightwaves," from the game's intro. It was one of the tracks in the game that convinced me to buy the soundtrack. The other version of the track, on the second disc, isn't bad either. The melody is actually left identical, but the pacing and instrumentation are completely changed. This version has a more electronic sound to it. "Besaid" has a calm melody and a soothing percussion line: a nice, tranquil piece. "Abyss of the Other World" has slow background strings and some echoing percussion; it's hard to describe, but the result is slightly melancholy.
Some of the music also falls into an odd and not often seen category of orchestral semi-dissonance. Most of this material is on the second disc. "Great Existence," "Anxiety," "Confusion," "Summoned Beast," and "Clash" fall into this category. Some composers can do this well (FFXI's "Tough Battle" by Naoshi Mizuta) and some can't. The pieces listed above are good, but not great. They work within the context of the game, but not really well outside.
I have always disliked the vocals "Real Emotion" and "1000 Words," but I suppose that's mostly my anti-pop bias coming through. Kumi Kouda doesn't really seem to do that well in trying to add style to her performance. Her voice doesn't have the energy needed to carry "1000 Words," in particular, the orchestral version of the song. "1000 Words - Orchestral Version" is an excellent arrangement, by the way...except for the vocal. It's not that I dislike J-pop in general. In fact, I have liked a number of anime themes over the years. Once again, just my personal taste.
What's left? Quite a bit, unfortunately. All too much of the soundtrack is filled with tracks that are either bland, or unfulfilled. Many of the tracks seem to loop way too quickly, as if Matsueda didn't know what she could do to continue the piece. Many of the others just seem like they're missing something in the melody or background that would make the piece complete. "Thunder Plains," which ends up going nowhere, "Struggle to the Death," which does nothing, and "Chocobo," which started with nothing, are prime examples of this.
In the end, what is Final Fantasy X-2's soundtrack? It is ultimately forgettable, for the most part, but it is also enjoyable. Among my entire 35+ soundtrack collection, it definitely stands alone as unique. I do not really recommend it to anyone who is not familiar with the music already, especially because at $42 (Animenation), it's overpriced for the material here.
Reviewed by: Ben Schweitzer
With perhaps the most unique game in Square's ever so famous Final Fantasy series, comes what might as well be the most unique soundtrack of the same. Final Fantasy X-2, the first ever sequel in the series, is accompanied by the first FF soundtrack with no contributions whatsoever by Square's key composer, Nobou Uematsu (FFXI not counting). Even before hearing the soundtrack, fans have leapt to conclusions as to whether this benefits the score or hurts it. In his place are Noriko Matsueda (of Bahamut Lagoon and Front Mission fame) and arranger Takahito Eguchi. Naturally, without Uematsu, this particular soundtrack is expected to be rather different from your usual Final Fantasy music.
While the soundtrack opens with a pretty yet melancholy piano piece (Eternity ~Memory of Lightwaves~), it's immediately followed by the vocal track, realEmotion, which is quite loud, upbeat and energetic in sharp contrast to Eternity. Sung by Kouda Kumi, also Yuna's voice actress, realEmotion delivers a heavy dose of J-Pop, moreso than even that of Kingdom Hearts' Hikari by Hikaru Utada. What follows is a mostly upbeat and lighthearted soundtrack that at times employs the occasional jazzy beats, or energetic (electric) guitar, the latter of which works better in a battle theme (YuRiPa Battle 3). The mixture can be, at times, a bit of a refresher, though during others, rather grating. One can only imagine though, that a few of these more upbeat songs are more fitting to some of the game's out of the ordinary minigames - which include massaging and dancing, to name two.
No, the soundtrack doesn't completely step away from familiar styles of FF music. A few fitting mellow area themes here and there, and a couple of more melancholy piano pieces round out this score. Like the Xenosaga OST, great use is made of vocals (the choral kind) as shown in the hopeful sounding tone of 'Party' - a rather misleading song title, I know. A little into the second disc is when the score starts to sound more traditionally RPG-esque, in the dark, serious kind of way. From here, the music builds up to what seems like the final battle theme (Struggle to the Death), which, while not a standout as far as final battle tracks go, contains a rather peculiar looped sampling. Said sampling is indescribable other than to say it sounds more out of place than the Japanese voice in Final Fantasy VIII's Succession of Witches from the Fithos Lusec arranged album.
For those repulsed by realEmotion and prefer something along the lines of Final Fantasy X's Suteki Da Ne, Kouda Kumi also lends her vocals to the slower-paced Sen no Kotoba (1000 Words), which also plays a role in the story in the game itself. Like so many other games' vocal tracks though, you can expect to hear the melody in other parts of the game. Naturally, there's a piano version, and an orchestrated version with vocals at the end. Speaking of ending tuneage, the ending theme seems to take on a little bit of a Disney style, giving the impression that this game's ending is happier than that of its predecessor.
One final note here is to not expect any remixes, remakes, arrangements or such of any Final Fantasy X songs to appear here - if there were any, Uematsu's name would be coming up in the credits somehow. Again, while the stranger parts of the soundtrack may be at times refreshing to some, it may sound a bit too odd, lighthearted and/or simple for others. In the end though, the soundtrack is still a worthy purchase, but not if the price tag is high. A strong word of advice for starters: At the very least, avoid seeking this one out on eBay, even legitimate copies.
Reviewed by: Liz Maas


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Cubans Diaz, Despaigne show skills at Padres camp
PEORIA, Ariz. -- Infielder Aledmys Diaz and right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne put on their white World Baseball Classic jerseys with "Cuba" written in cursive across the chest, looked at each other in the dugout of Field No. 1 and took another big step forward in their long journey from Cuba to the Major Leagues.
Diaz and Despaigne, wearing their famous uniforms, showcased their skills during a 90-minute open workout in front of more than 50 scouts on a Padres practice field at the Peoria Sports Complex on Thursday morning. Both are hoping to sign with a big league team by the end of the month.
"This was an important day for my career," Diaz, 23, said. "It's every kid's dream to play in the Major Leagues, and I feel like I'm close to fulfilling that dream. I'm really grateful for everyone that came out to see us today."
Diaz kicked off the workout with timed sprints to first base. He later fielded ground balls at shortstop and second base. He took batting practice, then faced former Major League pitcher Michael Wuertz.
Despaigne, 26, threw an assortment of cut fastballs, changeups and sliders during his 35-pitch session. His fastball hovered between 92 mph and 94 mph and topped out at 95.
"I hope I can have half the career that [Orlando Hernandez] had, because he's been my idol since I was a child, but like him, I throw from a lot of different angles," Despaigne said. "I think I was able to do what I wanted to do today, and I'm hopeful the scouts that came are satisfied with what they saw."
Diaz has private workouts scheduled with teams starting this weekend in Florida and expects to sign a Major League contract sometime next week. Despaigne will be featured in an open showcase on Saturday in Port Charlotte, Fla., and is optimistic he'll be in a camp by the beginning of March.
"I thought it was a good turnout, and San Diego did a good job of accommodating us here," said Jaime Torres, who represents both players. "I'm pleased with how they performed. We'd like to have Diaz signed by the end of the month so we can process his work visa and have him participate in Spring Training games. We'll field offers shortly on Despaigne."
Diaz and Despaigne are already well traveled.
Diaz defected in the summer of 2012 during a tournament in the Netherlands and established residency in Mexico. Despaigne defected during a tournament in Europe last summer, established residency in Spain and began working out in Mexico.
Last summer, Major League Baseball declared Diaz ineligible until Feb. 19 of this year after he presented a false birth date in his paperwork. He'd declared that he was born on Jan. 8, 1990, which would have made him exempt from signing under the international guidelines established by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, but the date proved to be inaccurate.
The rules regarding Cuban players are complex.
Any defector who wants to do business with an American company must establish residency outside Cuba and the U.S., a process that can take several months, depending on the country of residence. Cuban players must also petition MLB to become free agents and be unblocked by the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control before they can enter into a contract. Unblocking can take several weeks.
Cuban players who are at least 23 years old and have played in a Cuban professional league for three or more seasons are exempt from the international signing guidelines, effectively making them free agents once they are eligible to sign with a big league club.
Last summer the Cuban government instituted a program that allows its athletes to participate in leagues outside the country. Alfredo Despaigne, a three-time MVP in La Serie Nacional and a national team star (no relation to Odrisamer), played in Mexico and returned after 33 games. The new guidelines do not make it easier for Cubans to play in the U.S. because of the American embargo on that country.
"There is a lot of talent in Cuba, and they are finally realizing that their potential can be realized here in the U.S.," Torres said. "Despite the Cuban government giving them permission to play in a lot of different leagues, these guys know there are restrictions that come with it, and more players are making the tough decision to leave Cuba."


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Environmental Recruitment Agencies Directory
The environmental sector contributes about £20 billion each year to the UK economy, and is closely tied to the fields of renewable energy and carbon regulation. At present, more than 200,000 people are employed in environmental industry positions, and the sector is expected to add many more jobs in coming years. In fact, the field is already seeing substantial growth, as recent governmental sanctions and subsidies have bolstered employment outlooks for environmental professionals. Contaminated Land Geologist, Waste Management Technician, and Environmental Assessor are just a few examples of popular jobs in the field, and recruitment agencies can help place jobseekers in a wide variety of diverse positions within the industry.
Salaries range from £17K for entry-level roles up to £50K and more for experienced and highly qualified professionals. Overall, the average income in the field is about £28K, but environmental workers in Scotland and Northern Ireland tend to make significantly more than their counterparts in other regions of the UK. In stark contrast to many other industries, London is actually one of the lowest paying regions in this sector.
Though many roles do not require special certifications or degrees, a university background in environmental studies is highly desirable, and the most competitive candidates will have completed post-graduate study.
Press "Search Agencies" when your new query is ready.
Nayr Recruitment
RSE Group Ltd
Hague Personnel
Connect Appointments
Covers: Scotland & North East England | Contract, Part Time, Permanent, Temporary | Salaries £15k - £100k+
Most Popular Environmental Job Roles
Contaminated Land
Corporate Social Responsibility Specialists
Environmental Compliance Engineer


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Search All
The easiest way to access different search engines.
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Search similar image by "Yandex search by Image".
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Search Links - speeds up search
Select the text, open context menu, click by desired search - you will be on the desired search page.
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A lightweight ( ~ 10 KB ) right click based Urban Dictionary search extension to find meaning of selected word. Highlight text, right click and select Urban Dictionary option. Opens search results in new tab.
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Search information on any opened website via special commands of popular search engines. (Google, Yandex, etc.).
If you right-click on some selected text, then it will give an option to search the selected text. If you click it, it will open a new tab where it will perform the search
Browse status of all hyip monitors on one page. Click to view domain details on www.allhyipmonitos.com
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Contacts, reviews and click to call from any web page.
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All in one web searcher is a simple and smart search tool to search multiple sites easily. Customize and search smarter.
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Replace the context menu with fancy Drag & DropZones
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A powerful offline indexing and searching tool to find matching tabs in a popup
BINGO! Search
Perform searches from the Context Menu and straight from the Omnibox.includes engines like google,amazon,youtube,baidu,twitter ...
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Forces Verbatim mode on Google and DuckDuckGo
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Search Wikipedia in every language from the address bar and context menu.
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A topic other than pregnancy today, aren't you excited? 😉
Jody, Ava, my sis and I went to the city's kiddie Halloween parade this morning. This was our first year to attend and there was a much bigger turnout than I expected. Kids, kids – everywhere! The weather was perfect for it though – sunny and not too hot and not too cold.
Two high school bands marched in it as well as hundreds of kids and parents. And many other kids, parents, grandparents, etc. stood by to watch the parade. After the parade (which spanned three blocks), several of the downtown merchants gave out candy to all the trick-or-treaters.
We decided to dress Ava as a rockstar this year after how much she enjoyed "Rockstar Supernova" on TV when we'd watch it and how much she enjoys "rockin' out" with da-da when he plays "Guitar Hero" on the Playstation. 🙂 We taught her to do the rock 'n roll hand gesture and along with it she says, "Rockin' out roll!" despite the fact we tell her it's "rock 'n roll." 😉
She happens to be a big fan of The Beatles, so I was quite happy to find her shirt at Target (in the toddler boys' section) last week. I made her guitar out of cardboard last night as a last-minute costume addition. After I finished it, she walked around the house strumming it and singing a song she made up that went like this, "rock n roll, rock n roll, rock n roll, etc." 😉 We gave her some punky blue hair today as well, but I don't think it showed up very well in the pics.
Anyway, here are a few pics from today. 🙂 Happy early Halloween!
Watching the parade before we jumped in it ourselves:
Riding high in the parade with Aunt Carrie and Da-da:
Our little rockstar:
The family (and yes, I am wearing butterfly wings):


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Selling Products
June 28, 2006 12:00 am
Language en | fr | de | jp | sp | it
Want to sell your Products in the Renderosity MarketPlace?
Then you have come to the right place!
The MarketPlace at Renderosity provides a high end e-commerce brokering system to help digital content developers market and sell their original products.
We offer the largest potential customer base of digital artists available anywhere through our vibrant online community. Our members are very involved and participate in all areas of this community. This is represented in the stats below.
Renderosity has over:
Benefits of broker through Renderosity:
Becoming a brokered vendor with Renderosity is easy!
Please review our Guidelines prior to uploading your product.
Product Submission Guidelines.
Ready to become a vendor with Renderosity? Please go to your Vendor Control Room below.
Vendor Control Room.
Thanks for considering Renderosity for your selling partner. If you have additional questions, please check our FAQ/Help or email the MarketPlace Staff


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"Babies born just a few weeks early have a higher risk of poor health," The Guardian reported today. According to the newspaper, new research has found that being born just a few weeks early can raise their risk of conditions such as asthma.
It is already known that babies born prematurely (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) may have a higher risk of immediate or longer-term health problems, and the earlier a baby is born, the higher the risk. To examine the issue, researchers followed over 14,000 children born between 2000 and 2002, and assessed their health at the ages of three and five years old. Outcomes including growth, hospital admissions, use of medication, asthma and long-standing illnesses were looked at particularly in relation to whether the children were moderately premature (32-36 weeks of pregnancy) or born at what the researchers called "early" full term (37-38 weeks). Babies born moderately prematurely or at early term were more likely to have been re-admitted to hospital in the first few months of life than babies born at 39-41 weeks. Babies born moderately prematurely also had a higher risk of asthma symptoms than full-term babies.
These findings are broadly in line with what is already known about the effects of prematurity, and do not change the UK's current definition of full-term pregnancy as 37 weeks and over. However, the study does show how different degrees of prematurity may affect health. Further study of the issue would be valuable, to explore longer-term health outcomes that may be caused by prematurity and the factors that may influence the likelihood of these poor health outcomes.
Where did the story come from?
The study was carried out by researchers from the University of Leicester and other UK institutions. It was funded by the Bupa Foundation and published in the peer-reviewed British Medical Journal.
The media generally covered this research in a balanced way.
What kind of research was this?
In the UK, the normal length of a pregnancy is classed as 37 weeks or above. It is already known that babies born prematurely (before 37 weeks) may be at increased risk of immediate and longer-term health problems, and that the risks are higher the earlier a baby is born. However, the authors say that there has been minimal research into the longer-term health outcomes of infants specifically born moderately preterm (which this study defines as 32-36 weeks) and at what the researchers termed as "early full term" (37-38 weeks).
To investigate this, the researchers used a cohort study. This is a good way to follow up and compare health outcomes in groups of people that have been exposed to different factors. In this case, the exposure was the number of weeks of pregnancy at which the babies were born. However, a cohort study that looks at a group's health relies on the accuracy of reported health outcomes and diagnoses. For example, one condition this study looked at was asthma, and the researchers asked parents about whether their child had wheezing symptom or asthma. However, this does not necessarily equate to a medical diagnosis of asthma.
This type of study also needs to take into account potential factors that could be related to both risk of prematurity and risk of the health outcome (confounding factors). For example, parental smoking is linked to an increase risk of prematurity, and also to an increased risk of asthma in the child.
What did the research involve?
This study involved participants of the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), a piece of research in which the subjects were gathered by random sampling of child benefit registers. It featured 18,818 infants born in the UK between 2000 and 2002. The number of weeks of pregnancy at birth was calculated from the mother's report of her expected due date. Births were grouped into:
- very preterm (defined by the authors as 23-31 weeks)
- moderate preterm (32-33 weeks)
- late preterm (34-36 weeks)
- early term (37-38 weeks)
- full term (39-41 weeks)
These are not the standard accepted definitions. For example, the charity BLISS, for "babies born too soon", defines full-term pregnancy as 37 weeks or more, moderately premature as 35-37 weeks, very premature as 29-34 weeks, and extremely premature as birth before 29 weeks.
Child health outcomes were monitored over five years of follow-up. Outcomes assessed included:
- child height, weight and body mass index at three and five years
- parental reports of the number of hospital admissions (not related to accidents) since birth or the previous interview, collected at nine months and at three and five years.
- parental reports of any longstanding illness or disability of more than three months' duration and diagnosed by a health professional, collected at three and five years (a limiting longstanding illness was defined as one which limited activities that are normal for the child's age group)
- parental reports of wheezing within the previous 12 months, and parental reports of asthma collected at three and five years
- parental reports of the use of prescribed drugs, collected at five years
- parents' ratings of child health, defined as excellent, very good, good, fair or poor, collected at five years
The researchers used statistical methods to look at the outcomes in groups born at different stages of pregnancy and compared them to (their definition of) full-term babies. Analyses were adjusted to account for various potential confounding factors, principally numerous social and demographic factors. The researchers also estimated "population attributable fractions" (PAFs) associated with preterm and early term birth. This is an estimate of the contribution that a particular risk factor has to a health outcome. PAF represents the reduction in the proportion of people in the population with a particular health problem that could be expected if the exposure to a risk factor were reduced to the ideal exposure. In this case, it would represent the proportion of children that would no longer have a particular health problem if all babies were born at full term rather than preterm.
What were the basic results?
After the researchers excluded participants in the MCS study with incomplete data on time in the womb at birth, they interviewed the parents of 14,273 children at 3 years of age and 14,056 at 5 years. They found certain sociodemographic factors, such as lower maternal educational status and maternal smoking, to be associated with prematurity, as is already known.
The researchers generally found a "dose response" effect of prematurity, meaning that the more premature a baby was, the higher the likelihood of general health problems, hospital admissions and longstanding illnesses. They calculated the odds of each outcome compared to children born at 39-41 weeks. The full details of these outcomes are as follows:
The odds for three or more hospital admissions by five years of age were:
- 6.0 times higher for children born at 23-31 weeks
- 3.0 times higher for children born at 32-33 weeks
- 1.9 times higher for children born at 34-36 weeks
- 1.4 times higher for children born at 37-38 weeks
The odds for any longstanding illness at five years of age were:
- 2.4 times higher for children born at 23-31 weeks
- 2.0 times higher for children born at 32-33 weeks
- 1.5 times higher for children born at 34-36 weeks
- 1.1 times higher for children born at 37-38 weeks
The odds for the child's health being rated as only fair or poor by parents at five years of age were:
- 2.3 times higher for children born at 23-31 weeks
- 2.8 times higher for children born at 32-33 weeks
- 1.5 times higher for children born at 34-36 weeks
- 1.3 times higher for children born at 37-38 weeks
The odds for asthma and wheezing at five years of age were:
- 2.9 times higher for children born at 23-31 weeks
- 1.7 times higher for children born at 32-33 weeks
- 1.5 times higher for children born at 34-36 weeks
- 1.2 times higher for children born at 37-38 weeks
The greatest contribution to the burden of disease at three and five years was among children born at late/moderate preterm or early term. The calculated PAFs for being admitted to hospital at least three times between the ages of 9 months and 5 years were:
- 5.7% for children born at 32-36 weeks (i.e. you would expect a 5.7% reduction in the number of young children admitted three or more times if babies were born at full term rather than moderate preterm)
- 7.2% for children born at 37-38 weeks (you would expect a 7.2% reduction in the number of young children being admitted if babies were born at full term rather than early term)
- 3.8% for children born before 37 weeks (you would expect a 3.8% reduction in the number of young children being admitted if babies were born at full term rather than very preterm)
Similarly, PAFs for longstanding illnesses were:
- 5.4% for early term births
- 5.4% for moderate or late preterm births
- 2.7% for very preterm births
How did the researchers interpret the results?
The researchers concluded that "the health outcomes of moderate/late preterm and early term babies are worse than those of full term babies." They say that it would be useful for further research to look into how much of the effect is due to prematurity itself, and how much is due to other factors such as maternal or foetal complications.
This valuable research examined childhood health outcomes in a large group of children born at different stages of pregnancy.
Important points to consider when interpreting this research include:
- The authors generally found that the likelihood of poorer health outcomes was higher with increasing prematurity (a dose response effect). This is in line with what is already known about the generally poor immediate and longer-term health outcomes among babies born increasingly prematurely.
- The greatest contribution to overall burden of disease at ages three and five years was calculated to be among children born at 32-36 weeks or at 37-38 weeks. Though a gestation of less than 32 weeks might be expected to have a greater influence on the burden of disease, it must be remembered that many more babies are born above 32 weeks of gestation than below it. Therefore, in the population as a whole, the greater number of babies born within the 32-38 week range would have a greater effect than the small number of babies born extremely early.
- The definitions that the authors used for the purposes of this study are not standard definitions. For example, the standard definition of full-term pregnancy is birth at 37 weeks or more, and it is not split into "early term" at 37-38 weeks and "full term" only at 39-41 weeks. Similarly, definitions of prematurity differ from those used by other UK health organisations.
- There is a possibility of inaccuracy as both age at birth and health outcomes were reported by parents, rather than assessed through medical records. For example, a parental report of wheezing or asthma does not necessarily constitute a confirmed medical diagnosis of asthma.
Overall, the study found that the more premature a baby is, the greater the likelihood of health problems in childhood, and that some effect of prematurity may even be seen in pregnancies approaching full term. Further study in this area would be valuable, both to explore the wider range of longer-term health outcomes that may be caused by prematurity, and to look into associated factors (medical or sociodemographic, for example) that may influence the likelihood of these outcomes.
Analysis by Bazian
Edited by NHS Website
Links to the headlines
Infancy health risk linked to early birth by research
BBC News, 2 March 2012
Babies born a few weeks early 'suffer health risks'
The Guardian, 2 March 2012
Links to the science
Boyle EM, Poulsen G, Field DJ et al.
Effects of gestational age at birth on health outcomes at 3 and 5 years of age: population based cohort study
British Medical Journal 2012; 344
Press release:
Population-based cohort study of the effects of gestational age at birth on health outcomes at three and five years of age
British Medical Journal, March 1 2012


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LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -- More than a dozen University of Kansas students wore empty gun holsters to class to protest the university's decision to delay implementation of full conceal-and-carry rights on campus.
Kendon Brawner, a student from Lawrence, told The Topeka Capital-Journal (http://bit.ly/1bYvue8") the protest Tuesday was intended to spread a message that participants feel gun-free zones aren't effective in deterring violence by people intent on using firearms illegally.
Under Kansas law, colleges and universities can allow someone with a concealed-gun permit full access to campus buildings, or the schools can request an exemption for up to four years.
The university received an exemption but has to open campus buildings by 2017 to people with conceal-and-carry permits. The university can keep the ban in place if it installs security systems at public building entrances.


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40 Pin break-away headers are perfect for use with these custom PCBs. Machine pin headers may be a better option for IC sockets.
Supported Devices: Pad layout fits all standard SSOP .65mm and can accommodate .635mm pitch devices.
If you are interested in Internet of Things (IoT) or M2M projects check our open source sensor platform Waspmote which counts with more than 100 sensors available to use 'off the shelf', a complete API with hundreds of ready to use codes and a low consumption mode of just 0.7µA to ensure years of battery life.
Know more at:
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Ponting has been found wanting of ideas. First in the match versus Bangladesh and then on several other ocassions.
Today, the field placings were poor giving the english too many easy runs.
After the Ashes, I think its time for a change of leadership. Warne back as captain and a one day come back? He has a good cricket mind. If the Australians do not find it uncomfortable that his personal life is not a great example, then why not?
Or maybe Gilchrist.
I dont know but Ponting is not satsifactory as captain at the moment.


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With growth elusive across industries and digital disruptors biting at their heels, traditional players are developing disruptive business models to compete. Yet many struggle because they do not fully align their operating models with these new disruptive business models.
To become more agile, traditional enterprises need digital operating models that integrate business, operations and technology into autonomous businesses-within-the-business called domains. These domains boost agility so companies can be truly disruptive in new areas while also supporting their traditional lines of business.READ THE REPORT [PDF]


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Your email address can be changed by typing in an updated email address in the Account section.
If you're having trouble changing your email address, please contact our customer success team at 866-238-0161, Monday – Friday 8:30 am to 5:30 pm EST.
Search for information about managing your account, how to use the site, and services iHire offers for job seekers.
Answer questions about iHire's employer services including posting job ads and searching resumes, among other topics.
We're here to help! Contact us with your questions or concerns


text:
Deadly day in Syria as diplomats talk
[CNN] Russia's top diplomat and an international envoy to Syria warned Saturday that the Middle East nation's conflict is becoming more militarized and sectarian, further endangering the region.
The statements came on what may be the bloodiest day since the unrest's start 21 months ago: At least 392 people were killed Saturday, the opposition Local Coordination Committees said. The toll includes 201 people who a captured Syrian soldier said had been executed in Deir Balbah, outside of Homs, after Syrian forces won a battle there, an LCC
front man
The Syrian government has not commented on the Deir Balbah allegations, and CNN cannot independently confirm casualty reports as Syria's government has severely restricted access to the country.
...back at the comedy club, Boogie sadly admitted that he was a better peeping Tom than he was a comedian...
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Lakhdar Brahimi, the joint U.N.-
Arab League
...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing...
envoy, held a meeting aimed at halting any such violence by bringing both sides to the negotiating table.
Brahimi warned the civil war was devolving into fighting between factions jostling for power, rather than an effort centered on bettering the lives of all Syrians.
"I think Sergey Lavrov is absolutely right that the conflict is not only more and more militarized, it is more and more sectarian," Brahimi told
news hound
s after the talks in Moscow.
Their meeting appeared to signal a shift by Russia, which has staunchly opposed efforts by the U.N. Security Council to oust Syrian
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir
Before going into the family business Pencilneck was an eye doctor. If he'd stuck with it he'd have had a good practice by now...
, a longtime ally.
Moscow remains opposed to any foreign intervention. But as the conflict rages and the casualty count climbs to an estimated 40,000, Russia appears willing to look at options for a political transition in Syria.
"Russia is in contact with all sides in Syria. Our priority is to stop violence," Lavrov said, adding only Syrians ultimately should decide their fate.
"A lot of things now depend on external players. It's very important to stop actions that lead to militarization."
Days before the meeting, Brahimi called for the formation of a transitional government in
...The capital of Iran's Syrian satrapy...
that would hold power until an election -- a key element of a proposed peace plan drawn up in June.
Lavrov also called for reviving the plan, which was crafted during a Geneva,
...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell...
, conference that included representatives from world powers that had been at odds over the Syrian conflict. It called for a cease-fire, a transitional government and a new constitution, though it did not specify whether al-Assad would have to step down.
Russia and China joined
La Belle France
, the United States and Turkey in agreeing on the plan, as well as Arab League nations.
But neither the opposition nor al-Assad's government has signaled a willingness to sign on to it. In fact, fighting escalated since then and rebels now control a number of locales they'd seized from al-Assad's forces.
Posted by: Fred 2012-12-30


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Two bin men are celebrating after winning £70,000 from a National Lottery scratchcard.
A new car and a trip to Disneyland in Paris are just a couple of options on the shopping lists of Stephen Inglis (46), from Bangor, and Frank McCormick (44), from Newtownards, after striking it rich on a Jewel 7s Doubler Scratchcard that they bought from Centra in Holywood.
And the best mates have a diet plan to thank for fattening their bank balances, after 'binning' their sausage rolls in exchange for Lottery gold.
"We're still in total disbelief," explained Stephen who has known Frank for nine years and worked with him for the last four. "Every morning when we're driving the bin lorry, we listen to Johnny Hero's 'Minute To Win It' quiz on U105 and see who can get the most answers right – with the loser buying the sausage rolls. "However, Frank's been on a diet recently so we swapped the sausage rolls for scratchcards - but we never thought we would win. All I can say is thank God that Frank needed to lose a bit of weight," he laughed.
Normally the duo choose a random scratchcard but, not having any success with this method, Stephen decided on this occasion to choose a Jewel 7s Doubler Scratchcard which they took back to the lorry and scratched in the car park.
"Frank always scratches the cards as I never win," continued Stephen, "and he said to me that we had a lucky 7 in one of the rows. Then after a pause, he said 'we've won 70, we've won 70'. I said '70 quid?' and he said 'no, 70 thousand'!"
He added: "We phoned Camelot and the rest is history. They confirmed our win and we still can't believe it. It feels like it's not really happening, but we're not complaining," he added.
Stephen said he won't waste his share of the winnings but instead will take his time deciding how to spend it after a celebratory meal with his children.
Frank, however, already has his eyes on a new car and also wants to take his family to EuroDisney and pay off a few debts.


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"Where They At," or "Wha Dey At," is the title of a song generally recognized as the first bounce release, recorded in late 1991 as a cassette-only release by rapper T.T. Tucker, with the late DJ Irv. It was also recorded a few months after by DJ Jimi Payton for producer Isaac Bolden's Soulin' Records/Avenue Distribution. To all accounts, these recordings marked the point in time at which New Orleans rap first found its own voice in that raw, celebratory, infectious block-party style.
Bounce's signature rhythms and call-and-response chants are deeply rooted in New Orleans' cultural heritage, including Mardi Gras Indian and second-line traditions. The exhibit "Where They At" documents pioneering New Orleans rappers from the 1980's, 1990's, and early 2000's, the period when bounce music melded and interplayed with lyrical hip-hop and gangsta rap in New Orleans to create a unique, hybrid Crescent City hip-hop sound – the newest branch of Southern roots music.
Photographer Aubrey Edwards and journalist Alison Fensterstock, over the course of 18 months, photographed and interviewed more than 40 rappers, DJs, producers, label and record store owners from the New Orleans bounce and hip-hop music scene. This archive includes original portraits and interview excerpts, original video and audio, and collected artifacts including vintage records, tapes, scene snapshots and other ephemera.
Alison Fensterstock is a New Orleans-based music journalist. From 2006-2009, she wrote an award-winning music column for the city's alt-weekly, The Gambit. Her writing on roots music and New Orleans rap has appeared in MOJO, Vibe, Q, Paste, Spin and the Oxford American Music Issue. Recently, she wrote the text for "Unsung Heroes: The Secret History of Louisiana Rock n' Roll," an exhibit currently on display at the Louisiana State Museum. She is the programming director for the Ponderosa Stomp Foundation. Her Gambit cover story on gay and transgendered bounce artists in New Orleans, "Sissy Strut," was selected for an honorable mention in Da Capo Press's Best American Music Writing 2009.
Aubrey Edwards is a Brooklyn and New Orleans-based music photographer and educator. Edwards was an award-winning, primary music photographer for the alt-weekly Austin Chronicle from 2004-2008; her present client list includes the United Nations, Magnolia Pictures, Playboy, SPIN, XXL and Comedy Central. She teaches photography and videography in low-income NYC public schools, and runs a continued education photography school in downtown Brooklyn. Her recent work in New Orleans includes guest lecturing with the University of New Orleans photo department, conducting workshops with the New Orleans Kid Camera Project, and completing an artist residency with Louisiana Artworks.
Abita Beer, Abrons Art Center, Adrian Saldana, Alex Rawls & OffBeat magazine, Austin Powell, Chris Robinson, Colin Meneghini, Dr. Ira Padnos & The Ponderosa Stomp, Emil Nassar, Eric Brightwell, Heather West, Iris Brooks, Jacob Devries, Jayme McLellan & Civilian Art Projects, Jeremy Smith, John and Glenda "Goldie Roberts", John Swenson, Johnathan Durham, Jordan Hirsch & Aimee Bussells, Loren K. Phillips Fouroux, Matt Miller, Matt Sakakeeny PhD, Matt Sonzala, Michael Bateman, Neighborhood Story Project, Our Kickstarter Supporters, Patrick Strange, Polo Silk, Rachel Ornelas & the Jazz and Heritage Festival, Scott Aiges, Sean Yent Schuster-Craig, Stephen Thomas, The Birdhouse Gallery, The Soap Factory, Wild Wayne & Industry Influence
D. Lefty Parker | Audio Mastering
Erik Kiesewetter/EBSL | Art Direction & Design
Rami Sharkey | Web Development
Jac Currie & Defend New Orleans | Funder
The Greater New Orleans Foundation | Funder
Ogden Museum of Southern Art | Partner
All the project participants who shared their time, their words, and their support.
"Make the coochie scream for a six-inch stick? /
I pushed an eight-pound baby out, so that's bullshit."
By the time I heard my first hip-hop record it was 1979. My mom bought the record for me. On the flip side of the record was the Sequence. Angie Stone was a member of the Sequence. She is one of our first lady rappers. They had a song called, "Funk You Up," and "Funk You Up" convinced me that girls could do rap music. I started writing my rap music down. I was nine years old.
Mannie Fresh and I grew up around the corner from each other, and Mannie's dad had bought him a Casio keyboard. He had turntables. We would go in his room and he would be messing with the turntables and I was like, "I could rap" and he was like, "Well, I know this guy named Denny D, he moved here from Queens, and we have a crew called New York Incorporated and we're giving dances at the Pentagon." Now the Pentagon is the big gray building on A.P Tureaud. It's another club now, but it was called the Pentagon. So he said, "We're looking for rappers, so come Saturday and get on the stage." I was like, "Okay." And Denny D was like, "I like her. She can be the girl down with the crew." So I became a B-girl in 1984.
The unladylike mentality is, we go to work. We raise families. We have businesses. We balance femininity and strength. That is what unladylike is. It's not uncouth. It's not vulgar. It's when you get on the microphone and somebody says, "A girl said that and nobody wrote it?"
For more information, please visit their page.
Enoja, Lamina, Slaughterhouse, No Limit
7th Ward
Years Active:
1993 - present
Collaborated with
Master P, Soulja Slim, Snoop Dogg, The Ghetto Twiinz and others