text:
Visit Vocations Toronto at www.vocationstoronto.ca, a resourceful site in answering these questions.
What poverty have we become used to in our lives? Are there needy people
around that we have become used to and so ignore now? It does not have to
be material poverty. There are plenty of people who are poor in education,
poor in culture, poor in human formation, poor in spiritual formation, poor
in understand the ways of the world, etc. There is poverty all around us
and we can ignore it or we can begin to respond to it with the love and
care of Jesus Christ.
The Prophet Amos, in the first reading today, is proclaiming the same
message. Those who have so much of the best of the things in this world
can become totally insensitive to those who have nothing or very little.
Are you and I insensitive? And it is not even you that I must worry about.
It is myself. Have I become insensitive to the needs of others, to the
cry of the poor - no matter what kind of poverty it is?
The second reading today, from the First Letter to Timothy, speaks clearly
of a way to avoid becoming insensitive to the poverty of others: pursue
righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete
well for the faith.
The more spiritually sensitive we are, the more that we follow Jesus
Christ, the more we become aware of the poor. If we are not aware of the
poor and not going anything to help the poor, it is a clear sign that our
following of Jesus is not yet strong enough or that we are not listening to
Him or that we have taken a wrong turn spiritually. There is no way
honestly to follow Christ and not love the poor.
Our righteousness must always be a righteousness of love - a preferential
love for the poor and for our enemies because this is what Jesus asks of
us. He tells us with great clarity: love the poor and the outcast and
love your enemies!
It is our faith itself that tells us to develop devotion, faith, love,
patience, and gentleness - and the test is our love for the poor and for our
enemies. You and I are here today to worship the Lord our God. If we do
not love the poor and our enemies, then we cannot worship this God who has
called us in Christ Jesus.
Let us give thanks to the God who calls us. Let us pray for the spiritual
wisdom to know the poor and our enemies. May our love for them form us in
Christ Jesus. Amen.
Reflections are available for the following Sundays:


text:
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One of the display features in great demand is the ability to attach Dibond® material to a substrate without having exposed fasteners. The vast majority of this type connection is done using adhesives.
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Laird Plastics, Inc. offers acrylic, polystyrene and DURALENS lighting panels through various home centers, hardware stores across the United States and Canada.
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OPTIX Frost has a frosting additive incorporated throughout the sheet, providing an elegant textured surface on both sides.
Optix Patterns (DP-32, A-81, Adobe)
Laird Plastics, Inc. offers patterned sheet for applications such as shower doors, displays, indoor/outdoor furniture, point of purchase and home furnishing products.
Optix 95 Matte Finish
OPTIX 95 is a continuously processed acrylic sheet with a matte finish on one side.
Cast Acrylic (Polymethyl methacrylate or PMMA)
Cell cast acrylic is a lightweight, flexible and impact resistant substitute for glass. It has better optical quality and better physical properties than extruded acrylic.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Strategic Aim: Advancing the mechanics of civil and structural engineering systems within the broader context of the design, construction and operation of sustainable infrastructure and the stewardship of Earth's resources and environment.
The Division of Civil Engineering is led by Professor Simon Guest. The research topics grouped under this Division may be loosely categorised as those addressing issues related to civil engineering problems. The Laing O'Rourke Centre for Construction Engineering and Technology explores the future of constructions, seeking new paradigms and innovative models for delivery, drawing on the latest research in management, construction technologies and processes. The work of the Geotechnical and Environmental Group is based on the principles of soil mechanics which can address topics as diverse as clean-up of contaminated land and assessing the effects of earthquakes, to the design of underground spaces. Structures research covers a wide range of topics from the structure of a DNA molecule, to the safety of bridges to the design of deployable structures to be used in outer space. The Sustainable Development Group addresses the growing concern of all engineers to ensure their projects are sustainable within the context of today's society.


text:
Happy Bank Holiday!
Today is the start of 5 giveaways, Monday to Friday, so enjoy!
Today have I have Three Avon Speed Dry Nail Polishes for you in Red Hot, Twilight Blue and Sunshine (a gorgeous yellow).
Want to win it?
Answer This:
If you were a Cartoon Character, who would you be?
Is it wrong if I say Stan from South Park?
Yeah…I identify with a 9 year old boy.
Leave a comment and you will be entered!
Follow me on Twitter and retweet (RT) the following message:
RT @cosmetic_candy: Follow and RT to Win Three Avon Speed Dry Nail Polishes. For info go to – http://tinyurl.com/33c9qor
You may enter twice by using both methods too. Please retweet the message above without editing it please or I may not be able to read your entry.
Winner announced NEXT WEEK!


text:
From Genesis to Genocide in Palestine : The Golem Is Not Jewish!
November 18, 2009 | Updated May 15, 2010
'I am Anna Baltzer.
My first reaction when I heard these things by the way was complete disbelief.
I thought there is no way, there is no way that Israel is anything different from what I believe it to be, and what I know it to be.
When I met people who told me anything different, I thought well these are perfectly nice people, but they have been brain washed. They have been told propaganda. And I set out to sort of try and prove them wrong. To show them that I knew what I was talking about.
And as soon as I began to do some research, I realized very quickly that I was the one who is missing a lot of information on this issue.
And not knowing sort of who to believe anymore, decided to go there and see with my own two eyes what was happening in Palestine.
So that's what I travel around the country telling people about is what I found there.
I hope I can offer people a combination of sort of some of the basics of what's going on there, and then also some ways of going a little bit deeper into the history, and most importantly, where we can go from here.
I like like to start out by clarifying a few different categories that can be very confusing to people in addressing this issue.
I'd like to distinguish between what it means to be Jewish: so I am Jewish what does that mean. Somebody who is Jewish is somebody either of the Jewish religion, obviously, or the Jewish lineage. My mother is Jewish, her mother is Jewish, etceteras. It's a bloodline.
And that to be Jewish is different from what it means to be Israeli: an Israeli is a citizenship, and Israeli is a citizen of the state of Israel.
And that to be Israeli is different from what it means to be a Zionist: Zionism is the political ideology that supports the idea of a Jewish state in historic Palestine, sometimes no matter what that means in reality, and no matter what it does.
Anyway, these are different categories, Jewish, Israeli, Zionist.
And sometimes they overlap in the same person, but they are not the same thing.
There are Jews who are not Israeli, like myself.
There are Israelis who aren't Jewish, about 25, about 20 percent of the Israeli population is Palestinian.
There are Jews who are anti-Zionist, who say this land should be for anybody who's been living there for generations regardless of what their religion or their ethnicity is.
And then there are Zionists who aren't Jewish. The increasingly influential Christian Zionist movement, largely based in this country that talks about fueling this conflict to bring about the Armageddon, the return of the Messiah. Again, not at all pro-Jewish, right? You know what happens to Jews in the Armageddon is not about preserving Judeism, it is Zionism.
So we see this distinction and it's very important that we see that distinction and that we express it when we are talking about this issue.
First of all, because there is no reason to associate anything that Israel is doing in terms of occupation, oppression, segregation, things that were pretty sobering that I found when I was over there. These things have nothing to do with Judeism.
And likewise, to speak out when we see people's rights being violated is not anti-Jewish.
It's not anti-Semitic. In fact, it's in line with the tradition of social justice that has been the pride of Jewish people as well as many other communities for a very long time.
So I wanna start out with that, especially because I know that people talking about this issue are often, sort of, these names are called at you, and it's absolutely absurd.
There is nothing Jewish about what Israel's doing, nothing anti-Jewish about speaking out when we see it happening.' — Transcription by Project Humanbeingsfirst.org
Anna Baltzer: Life In Occupied Palestine
And Where Does That Still Leave The Silent Spectators?
"One can expect demonic conquerors to burn and maim others' children while they proclaim 'never again' for their own, but one cannot accept the apathy of the world idly watching…" — screamed the young canary in Palestine to no avail
Now hear the story of Palestinian Peoples (from Palestinians for a change)
"Somehow, the victim screaming in pain is considered biased, but their victimizers' description of their victims' plight is academic honesty and intellectual brilliance! … When we give higher currency to conscionable dissent makers whose prime cultural affiliations are with the victim makers themselves, over those voices of anguish of the victims, we do both the victims and other well intentioned bystanders longing to figure out how to make peace with justice, a great disservice! … The voices of the victims themselves describing their own fate are as potent, and as legitimate, as the Jewish moralist and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel's description of what the Jewish victims faced at the hands of another monumentally criminal oppressors. Just as the victims' own description of their Holocaust outweighs any detractors and revisionist historians claims to the contrary – indeed even laws are being constructed in many Western nations to make it illegal to challenge the victims stories and the victims suffering and the victims version of what calamity befell them – so must the systematic genocide and depopulation, terrorizing, and inhuman subjugation of an innocent peoples in their own words must now replace the many Diaries of Anne Frank." — The endless trail of red herrings
My Personal Story of Dispossession and Suffering
The Persistence of a Palestinian Family
I am a rebel, not a refugee, do you hear me?
And Learn WHO did it to the Palestinians, and to the Jews, WHY, and HOW (from non Palestinians for a change)
The Balfour Declaration by Arthur James Balfour to Lord Rothschild
The House of Rothschild is NOT a Za'bara!
Contested Histories – Contested Narratives : It's only Beneficial Cognitive Diversity!
The Secret King of Zion – House of Rothschild and the new Roman Jerusalem
Rescuing a Failed Struggle From Its Narratives: A Response to Anna Baltzer
Rothschild Connection to World Government and Zionism: David Icke – Origins and Symbolism of the EU
The Jewish Genocides Against The Amelekites
Visit Lords of the Ring Rothschilds' Monument to Justice in Zionistan
"[And] Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, for our son Joel and all the IDF soldiers, for al those who have come to fight the Islamic enemy."
And do visit the still ongoing Holocaust Museum in Palestine to witness that "Islamic enemy"
And so, finally, perhaps the thoughtful scratch their head
"Israel is not traumatized while committing such actions; but is traumatized while watching them"? — Fri, 16 Oct 2009
How do the god's chosen people routinely get away with their saintly chutzpah?
- With their repeatedly spitting and peeing on others?
- With brazenly writing their own Mein Kampfs – 'The King's Torah'?
- And without any effective repercussions to themselves?
- With most of the world instead even joining them in celebration?
- The odd moral-infighting aside that is: "A prominent rabbi of the Iranian Jewish community has urged his congregation to burn 'The King's Torah', a controversial book, which supports the murder of non-Jews. The Iranian rabbi, however, said on Monday that the book's message, in fact, directly contradicted the teachings of Moses. Rabbi Golestaninejad said the book was not based on the tenets of the Jewish faith."
- And the troubled goy's unsurpassed eloquence aside that is, which sees only one devil amidst thunderous applause from its own flock: "Jewry is the international albatross now hung around the neck of the world. What glorious destiny might have been ours without it. What we might have earned, what we might have discovered, what we might have accomplished without its enervating and meddling weight."?
- How is the entire world brazenly able to look at the finger pointing away at the moon, and yet only concentrate on the finger missing out all that heavenly glory?
That's How: by fabricating Zionism for a monstrous Hegelian Dialectic!
From Left-wing Reform Judeism of Moses Hess in 1828, to Right-wing Antediluvian Judeism of Rabbi Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira in 2009 – is one continuous synthesis in every generation to suit any genius in the flock to be returned to the Promised Land.
By Hook or by Crook!
Like the WWF wrestlers hurling mortal philosophy at each other in the pig-pen to attract the mesmerized crowd, while all the time sipping at the same trough outside the shit-hole, it is fed from the same coffers.
Despite repeated attempts to solicit condemnation from the elders, their silence affirms this Nietzscheian truth.
As with the secret of Samson's indomitable strength, this golem's (almost hidden) source of power lies deceptively elsewhere!
And that is the real Samson Option!
Want to get rid of the golem? You gonna have to pay in spades. This takes more than just writing scholarly books and conducting research into who's right and who's wrong. It takes more than just exercising one's enormous lung-power in weekend protest marches on catchy slogans which automatically get incremented each Nakba commemoration: "Our DATE is 60 years LATE, we shall return." Instead of the voluminous lung-capacity, it's going to take unemotional brain-capacity – both "Mens et Manus" – to engineer the neutering of the golem, beginning rightly with one's own House of Negroe first. That's the only effective Way Forward:
Maps of 62 Years of Al Nakba, of deal making, peace processes, and Nobel Peace prizes
(The latest Palestinian Uncle Tom for the Nobel Peace Prize:
Dr. Mustafa Barghouti
see prediction here, its confirmation here, antidote here)
But don't get rid of the golem – and you are next!
If you are still unconvinced, please read my appeal.
And visit From Genesis to Genocide in Palestine to witness what happens when Anna Baltzer's categories, Jewish, Israeli, and Zionist, overlap in the same person – when it's calculatingly combined in one 'ubermensch' entity – while you remain silent.
Watch carefully one's own future-history unravel in the mirror of the poor canary of Palestine.
Source URL: http://print-humanbeingsfirst.blogspot.com/2009/11/genesis-to-genocide-golem-not-jewish.html
Source PDF: http://humanbeingsfirst.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/from-genesis-to-genocide-golem-is-not-jewish-revised-may152010.pdf
The author, an ordinary researcher and writer on contemporary geopolitics, a minor justice activist, grew up in Pakistan, studied EECS at MIT, engineered for a while in high-tech Silicon Valley (patents here), and retired early to pursue other responsible interests. His maiden 2003 book was rejected by six publishers and can be read on the web at http://PrisonersoftheCave.org. He may be reached at http://Humanbeingsfirst.org. Verbatim reproduction license at http://www.humanbeingsfirst.org#Copyright.
From Genesis to Genocide in Palestine : The Golem Is Not Jewish! Project Humanbeingsfirst.org


text: Monday, July 30, 2012 APTA Moves Forward With Development of Clinical Practice Guidelines As part of APTA's strategic objective to reduce unwarranted variation in care, 32 association members representing 11 sections participated in a clinical practice guidelines (CPG) workshop on July 25-27 with the goal of developing a process to successfully complete and publish CPG. Joe Godges, PT, DPT, MA, OCS, and Sandra Kaplan, PT, PhD, facilitated the workshop, which included a presentation of a CPG development methodology and interactive discussion on how to apply the methodology to successfully develop CPG for the physical therapist profession. Workshop participates were chosen following a call to sections in April to submit nominations for a guideline lead and, if indicated, key team member(s) who had defined a key clinical question or topic they would like to address with CPG. Through the call, 13 topics were identified for CPG. They include falls, deep vein thrombosis, vestibular neuritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, lymphedema and pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and determining a review process for the current Orthopaedic Section guidelines. CPG development is part of APTA's evidence-based documents initiative, which stems from motions from APTA's Board of Directors. The initiative aims to provide structure, process, and resources for the development of evidence-based documents that facilitate the translation of research findings into physical therapist practice. In addition to CPG, the initiative supports the development of position statements, clinical summaries, technical summaries, critical appraisal summaries, and guidance statements. Sandra Kaplan, PT, PhD (left), and Joe Godges, PT, DPT, MA, OCS (seated on right), facilitated APTA's first workshop on developing clinical practice guidelines.


text:
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text:
If you have to change your plans after booking a flight, get ready to pay higher fees.
US Airways and United Airlines raised the fee charged to domestic passengers who want to rebook a nonrefundable ticket: It's now $200, up from $150. (The fee could be higher for international flights.)
And Southwest Airlines, the nation's largest domestic carrier, announced it would launch a new no-show policy starting with travel on Sept. 13. In the past, Southwest passengers who missed a flight and didn't cancel the reservation in advance could still use the credit toward a different flight. Now passengers who buy a "Wanna Get Away" or "Ding!" fare and fail to cancel will lose the credit.
The higher change fees, adopted over the last two weeks, and Southwest's new policy are expected to hit business travelers the hardest because their schedules are most likely to change at the last minute.
"The policy is intended to alter behavior, encouraging customers to cancel unused nonrefundable fares prior to a flight's departure," Southwest Chief Executive Gary C. Kelly said.
United officials noted that airlines lose money when seats are left empty.
"We carefully manage our seat inventory and incur costs when a traveler elects not to fly in a reserved seat," United spokeswoman Jennifer Dohm said. "We adjusted this fee to better compensate us for those costs."
For the nation's airlines, that compensation has been rising.
In the first nine months of 2012, the nation's 17 largest airlines collected $1.94 billion from cancellation or reservation change fees, up from $1.81 billion in the same period in 2011, according to federal statistics.


text:
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Dr. Copper says the fever has broken (3)
Commodity prices are an excellent way of keeping tabs in real time on the progress of the global economy. Copper has been leading the way, now up 124% from its lows of last year; crude oil is up 110%; the Journal of Commerce index of commodity prices is up 45%; the CRB spot commodity index (which contains no oil) is up 24%. With few exceptions, just about every commodity on the planet has risen significantly in price from its recent lows. While the almost universal rise in commodity prices might well have something to do with globally accommodative monetary policy, it must also reflect, in my opinion, a revival of global commerce and a resumption of global growth following last year's collapse.
I'm well aware that the global investment community is still heavily populated by bears. Many of the bears are awaiting the second coming of the global collapse, which they assume will be precipitated by the collapse of the Chinese economy and/or the withdrawal of Chinese government stimulus funds. Others point to the dangers of higher T-bond yields, and/or the inevitable reversal of the Fed's quantitative easing strategy. Still others fear that the heavy hand of Obama-fueled government and/or higher tax burdens will crush the private sector. And almost every day it seems, I see an article warning about the coming avalanche of home mortgage defaults and foreclosures, and commercial real estate disasters.
I think the bears underestimate, or fail to understand, the ability of markets to discount the future, and to reprice assets so that they can be redeployed more profitably. We will most likely see higher home foreclosures and increased commercial real estate defaults, but markets are well aware of this and the losses have been effectively priced in. The thing that disturbs markets is the unexpected. By last March the market had come to expect just about the worst combination of events that anyone could imagine. Since then the reality, while still painful to so many, has been much less bad than the expectations. Markets and the economy can rally even when faced with deteriorating conditions in some sectors, provided those conditions have been properly evaluated and factored into prices.
I think the bears also underestimate, or fail to understand, how much and how fast economic actors can adjust to changing circumstances. Free markets are still the rule in the global economy, and there are literally billions of people out there who are eager to work, make money, and improve their lot in life. The Chinese government may well be making some mistakes with its stimulus spending, but it's hard for me to imagine that a few hundred billion of stimulus funds could overwhelm or negate the efforts of the many hundreds of millions of Chinese—and Indian—workers who are driven by an insatiable desire to catch up to the living standards of the West, and who now have an opportunity to participate in the largest global free market ever created.
13 comments:
- Tom Burger said...
Love your optimism, Scott, and truly hope you are right. Can't help but notice, though, that what was left of the free markets in the 1930s couldn't overcome the government nonsense of that era.
Now we have totally unconstrained spending by government and the Fed because there isn't even the pretense that dollars mean something. If the Fed leaves interest rates near zero it could reignite all the worst speculative behaviors that we seen so much of this decade. Yes, that might mean another boom, but would give us a crisis for the history books a bit later.
Until we get a return to something closer to monetary and fiscal sanity, it's difficult to rejoice in rising prices. Lot's of people thought the housing boom was pretty nice -- until the consequences became apparent. That's what will happen this time if the Fed's program remains unchanged for a long time -- as they are promising.
- August 4, 2009 at 12:10 PM
- Scott Grannis said...
Tom: I note a lot of "ifs" in your comment. You are obviously assuming that all the things that are still up in the air will come down on the wrong side. I think the market is doing the same. What if the Fed manages to withdraw liquidity in a timely fashion? What if Obama's decline in popularity keeps his hands tied? What if growing voter resentment of big government finds an outlet and changes the dynamic of Washington?
- August 4, 2009 at 12:38 PM
- Tom Burger said...
Yes, I agree that there are many uncertainties and that the actual outcome depends on decisions that are yet to be made.
What the Fed and the government have already done, however, guarantees significant capital consumption, according to Austrian theories that I believe. The only question is where the damage will show up.
The Fed has never before let loose a trillion dollars and then "withdrew" it. I think that will prove to be impossible. If they do just withdraw that much money, I think we will then get the recession that we should have already had.
A "bad" recession without zero interest rate distortions would actually be just what is needed. The markets need to adjust prices of securities, goods, salaries ... everything without the Fed interventions that guarantee the prices do not reflect market valuations.
Maybe our most fundamental disagreement, though, concerns current stock market valuations. I do not think current prices assume that all these things will come down on the wrong side. My opinion is that the market action during this rally has been based on the opposite premise -- or simply reflects trillions of dollars worth of liquidity pumped into economies all around the world.
Just as in 2003-2004, I would say our chances of normal, healthy growth in the next few years is Zero.
- August 4, 2009 at 1:18 PM
- Scott Grannis said...
There's an important point to note about the Fed's liquidity additions. Almost all of the increase in reserves is still sitting unused at the Fed in the form of excess reserves. That money has never gotten into circulation, in a sense. What has happened is that the Fed has bought a lot of Treasuries and MBS, but the money that paid for them has not been used to expand the money supply. So to reverse this all the Fed needs to do is sell Treasuries and MBS. The amount they would need to sell is less than this year's budget deficit, so it's not an impossibility at all.
- August 4, 2009 at 1:22 PM
- Scott Grannis said...
A final thought: maybe normal growth is impossible, but we can still have growth, and I believe the economy is already growing.
- August 4, 2009 at 1:23 PM
- Tom Burger said...
If you define growth to be a rising GDP you are certainly right. But when monetary inflation is unleashed, it raises the measured nominal and so-called real GDP without doing anything positive for most economic participants. Besides that, the GDP is impacted by government spending -- which also doesn't do anything positive for most people.
So, yes I agree that the GDP will rise. We might even have another 2003-2007 type boom, but if so that is nothing to celebrate or a cause for optimism -- unless you are planning to sell at the market top and move to Argentina? :-)
Might be a darn good idea!
- August 4, 2009 at 1:42 PM
- Public Library said...
Your assumption is that the bears are not fully taking advantage of Fed policy as well.
On the contrary, I went long EM local, external, real return and commodities + non$ for currency exposure in April of this year. All of these bets have paid off. Do I think this is good for the US long term, not for a minute.
Timing of exit will be paramount when this ship returns to harbor in tatters.
Your faith in the Fed befuddles me. There is hardly any proof throughout history that they have done well at their supposed job and yet you base all of your hopes on this simple fact.
The Fed is hardly any closer to pulling out those treasuries and MBS products than I am to winning the lottery.
It is one thing to write papers about the right thing to do from the outside looking in, it is quite another when you are in the eye of the storm. Bernanke is in deep trouble and he knows it. His best bet may be to bow out now.
- August 4, 2009 at 2:54 PM
- Unknown said...
Did you notice the Dry Bulk Index has been coming down and it could not go higher than the previous high?
This worries me.
- August 4, 2009 at 6:27 PM
- Scott Grannis said...
Kelvin: I would never expect the Baltic Dry Index to rise forever. As it is, it is still 375% above its low of last year. That is huge. And consider also that new shipping capacity has been added this year and prices are still way up.
- August 4, 2009 at 7:47 PM
- Scott Grannis said...
Public: I have been an active critic of the Fed, and I think they have made some monumental errors in the past 10-15 years. I have warned that what they are doing now has a very good chance of creating higher than expected inflation. But I have also noted that to date there are no clear signs that hyperinflation or even double digit inflation is in our future.
Regardless, I continue to watch things like 1) the slope of the yield curve, 2) TIPS spreads, 3) gold, 4) commodity prices, 5) credit spreads, and 6) implied volatility. On balance these market-based indicators are pointing to higher inflation, but not super-higher inflation. I don't think that there is a reason to panic yet.
- August 4, 2009 at 7:52 PM
- CDLIC said...
Yesterday I sent your Mid-Year Forecast Review (July 14, 2009) to my mailing list; I titled it 'Scott's Economic Predictions for '09 Right On....Contrary to the Naysayers'. One of my recipients responded with the following:
"Scott wrote: 'Growth: the economy is going to recover sooner than the market expects.'
Here, I continue to disagree. Indeed, labor lags the market during a recovery but, and this is a big but, where is labor going to go? The jobs lost are for the most part, jobs permanently lost. i.e. there are no jobs to go back to. No jobs, no construction, no remodels, no new retail, no mortgage brokers, no real estate brokers, no automotive, no private sector jobs, higher taxes, no consumer spending. And those of us on pensions? The funds are broke, just like Enron was broke and all those counting on their Enron savings went broke. We will be liquidating assets, or living on retirement savings.
Please ask Scott where the employment is going to come from in the next 1, 2, 5-years."
Thanks for your answer in advance.
- August 7, 2009 at 10:18 AM
- Scott Grannis said...
CDLIC: The feelings expressed in the quote are typical of the despair that sets in at the bottom of a recession. I don't know exactly where the jobs are going to come from, but I do know that all the important indicators are pointing to the fact that we have seen the bottom in the business cycle.
It might help to view things in a stylized manner. Last year the threat of a collapse of the banking system caused people and businesses to stop spending suddenly, and to build up precautionary money balances. The sudden drop in demand caused inventory levels to rise. Rising inventories caused businesses to reduce orders. Reduced orders forced manufacturers to reduce production and lay off workers. Then the risk of a banking crisis declined and confidence began to reture. People started spending their precautionary balances. Demand improved. Inventories stopped rising and started declining. Businesses are now beginning to put in new orders to replenish inventories. Soon, manufacturers will begin rehiring and ramping production back up.
- August 7, 2009 at 10:31 AM
- Scott Grannis said...
And I would add that funds are not broke. Equity prices have rebounded significantly from their lows. The S&P 500 is now up 50% since early March! Corporate bond prices have rebounded significantly. Global equity markets are up significantly. Household net worth has increased by trillions of dollars in the past several months. Construction is no longer falling and should be rising. Things are definitely getting better.
- August 7, 2009 at 10:38 AM


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Knin: War and Suburbia
In these pages we have featured the books and work of Tim Judah. But this book is by his wife Rosie Whitehouse. A journalist at the BBC she left when she had her first child, Ben. In 1990, a few weeks after the Romanian revolution they set off to live in Balta Alba a suburb of Bucharest where Judah began working for The Times and The Economist. In 1991, after the war began in Yugoslavia they moved to Belgrade. While he covered the wars from Vukovar, Dubrovnik and Sarajevo she manned the home front. Whereas in Romania she had scoured for food, in Serbia she grappled with hyper-inflation and in Sarajevo decided it was time to take the (now two) kids home after hearing shots a few minutes after a wedding party passed by. "Let's go back to the hotel, kids," she told them. "I don't feel safe anymore." The shots, in which the father of the bridegroom in a Serbian wedding was murdered, turned out to be the first shots of the Bosnian war. This is a book with a difference told from a perspective not often heard. In this extract, Whitehouse recounts the family's arrival in Knin in Croatia in May 1991 on the eve of the referendum in which local Serbs were about to vote to secede from Croatia. They have been put up in the local old people's home. Ben is three and his sister Esti is six months old.
I plug in my portable electric cooker and whisk up fish fingers and peas, which I bought earlier in Bosnia. Tim goes out to a midnight rally. I am so delighted to have found something so easy to cook that the sinister nature of events outside passes me by. It is only when the kids have fallen asleep that I stop to think about it. The next day, in a Stalinist-style referendum, the local Serbian population will vote to remain in Yugoslavia with Serbia. Not to vote in the poll would be to identify yourself as not being Serb and hence you would have no right to carry on living here. It would put your life in danger. Knives are drawn. War is looming. The dark feels dangerous. I long to know what is going on outside. I wish Tim would come home.
While the Sunday morning ballot takes place, we walk downtown to buy some bread and cheese to make sandwiches. Ben is holding Esti's pushchair as we wheel into a small shop, which is covered in Serbian flags. They are playing traditional, rousing nationalist songs. The assistant passes me a loaf that is identical to every other loaf in the country. It's fat, white and elongated. In fact it's a fatter, fresher version of the loaves on sale in Balta Alba. Ben pulls my sleeve:
"Why's the window of that shop broken, Mummy?"
"Ssh! Wait! I'll tell you in a minute."
"It's been looted and belongs to Croats who have fled," I explain under my breath once we have left the Serbian shop.
"What does 'looted' mean?" he asks.
I could ignore him and dodge the issue but he needs to build up his vocabulary if he's going to understand his new world. I tell him.
We walk back up to the hotel and start packing the car. It's so filthy, that I decide to give it a bit of a clean. I sit in the front seat wiping the dashboard with a baby wipe, while I wait for Tim to file his story to London. A Scottish colleague of his sticks his head in the window and says:
"A bit of Sunday morning car cleaning? How civilised!"
I feel a complete idiot. The world is collapsing, war is about to break out, and I am tidying the car like a suburban housewife. Tim thinks this is a huge joke. I worry that it is in fact true."
We drive towards the coast through villages where some houses stand empty. They have broken windows. A few have been set on fire. Outside others, elderly neighbours sit watching the traffic.
"Cor! Who are they?" Ben points at a Japanese crew, who are recording the scene. "Where are they from?"
They look completely out of place. An old Croatian lady is shelling peas, on a bench outside her house. They film her carefully. She is completely oblivious to their presence, as if this happens every day. I don't feel so bad about cleaning the car. A few months later she and the rest of the Croats in the village have been driven out."
Are We There Yet? Travels With My Frontline Family. Rosie Whitehouse. 2007.
[pp. 59-60 / Reportage Press]
January 2009


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Jamboree leaders and parents sending their boys to the 2010 National Scout Jamboree can now view daily, meal-by-meal menus online. The BSA jamboree Web site also lists prices for the jamboree's many retail food outlets and snack bars. And it's the place to order a special celebration cake for boys who are celebrating their birthday at Fort A.P. Hill this summer.
With less than three weeks until the jamboree begins, these resources, available here, will help parents and leaders Be Prepared.
Parents who don't want to send their boys with a lot of cash are encouraged to purchase a Smart Bracelet. These bracelets let boys buy snacks, beverages, souvenirs, and supplies without using cash or credit cards.
The bracelets can be prepurchased online until Friday, July 9. After that, they must be purchased at the jamboree site for a $20 additional fee.
The snack bars and trading posts will accept Smart Bracelets, cash, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.
What's for dinner? As we reported in October, most nights will have a special theme. Here's what's on the menu:
- July 26: Western, barbecue pork on a bun
- July 27: Tex-Mex, beef chili tacos, chips and salsa
- July 28: New Orleans, chicken jambalaya and rice
- July 29: "Iron Chef" night, surprise ingredients
- July 30: All-American, hamburgers and cheeseburgers
- July 31: Arena Show (a no-cook meal)
- Aug. 1: Asian, chicken and vegetable stir-fry
- Aug. 2: Beef stew
- Aug. 3: Chicago, hot dogs


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Lonely Boy fills in for Fassy...again?
Zoe Kravitz and Michael Fassbender were together. Then in the summer, after the release of X-Men: First Class, she was seen around New York with Penn Badgley. It was thought that she and Fassy were over. But at TIFF, I saw them out together on consecutive nights, not just hanging out, but like obviously a real situation. And there was a sleepover. Click here for a refresher on the photos of the two of them heading to lunch together after spending the previous night at his hotel.
Last night however, in Toronto, Zoe was once again with Penn Badgley. They were with 3 other young girls at Terroni on Queen West. At one point, one of those girls started braiding Penn's hair. Later on, Zoe and Penn were kissing.
Thanks to C for sending me a link to a photo that someone snuck on their iPhone. Click here to see. I won't pretend to understand how Lonely Boy could possibly measure up in Fassy's absence. But I am not 24 anymore. Gwyneth Paltrow cheated on Brad Pitt when she was 24 and he was 33, the same age difference, curiously, as Fassy and Zoe. Not that Zoe is stepping out on Fassy. I don't think that is what this is. Rather, at 24, we want different things. And what she wants right now is Lonely Boy and not Fassy. The mysteries of youth.


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La España Verde, a todo lujo
Archivo Feve
Trans-Cantabrian train
Discovering Green Spain aboard one of the best tourist trains in the world, the Transcantábrico, is an unforgettable experience. You will be accommodated in cars equipped to ensure your comfort, with large suites fitted with their own bathroom, hydrosauna, turbo massage and steam bath...You will have an entire team of staff at your disposal and the international press every day. And if you want to have some fun, you will enjoy the elegant lounge-car with its bar and dance floor.
When you think that added to all of this you will have the chance to visit some of the most beautiful cities in Spain, such as Bilbao, Oviedo and Santiago de Compostela, and admire the stunning scenery, the plan couldn't be better. One last incentive: as a passenger of this train, during your tour you will be invited to taste exquisite dishes at the best restaurants in the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia.
Czy ta informacja okazała się dla ciebie przydatna?


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Power - engine, prop drive, electrics + charging and batteries for electric aircraft
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Submit an Edit
The Community Calendar is the #1 resource for planning your Jewish event in St. Louis! Posting your events on the calendar gives you increased publicity and the opportunity to plan around other community happenings. If you want to add your events to the Community Calendar, please submit your event here.
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Chair Yoga
July 19, 2016 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
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An event every week that begins at 11:00 am on Tuesday, repeating indefinitely
NORC event. Meet at The Gathering Place at the J.
RSVP to Laura at 314-442-3255.


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Super active fit
Skiing brings people together. It creates memories that last a lifetime. From the day you learned to ski to the day you teach your child to ski, it's the sport that puts a smile on your face. Especially when you're warm and dry! This was the original philosophy of founder Klaus Obermeyer and it couldn't be more true today.
Comfort and warmth on and off the mountain.


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Exclusive! 'Invisible Monsters' Remix Book Cover
Update: I spoke with WW Norton a little more about this project and was able to get the following details about what will be different about this version of the book.
"Injected with new material and special design elements, Invisible Monsters Remix fulfills Chuck Palahniuk's original vision for his 1999 novel, turning a daring satire on beauty and the fashion industry into an even more wildly unique reading experience. Laced in are new chapters of memoir and further scenes with the book's characters. Readers will jump between chapters, reread the book to understand the dissolve between fiction and fact, and decipher the playful book design."
Several months back we dropped some pretty huge news on you all when it was announced that Invisible Monsters would not only be re-released as a hardcover, but that it would be an updated 'remixed' version of the novel. For those in the know, Monsters is the only book of Chuck's that was never originally released in a hardcover format. That all changes next June 2012 when Norton will release this new version. And today we have an exclusive first look at the cover.
Pre-Order the 'Invisible Monsters' Remix Today!
Click to see a larger version and rate.
Here are some words behind the team that put this all together:
Norton's Art Director, Ingsu Liu:
Invisible Monsters is a wild, witty, poignant and exhilarating rocket ride of a read so I was quite excited to see that we'll be publishing the Remix edition with new materials. The author had the fantastic idea of designing the whole book to play off fashion magazines which helps to set the jacket direction.
I had fun packaging the original paperback cover with Rodrigo, it is great fun to do so again here with the Remix edition.
Designer, Rodrigo Corral (http://rodrigocorral.com/):
Invisible Monsters is a fan favorite, as proven by the release of this amazing story in hardcover. The success of his writing is demonstrated by the grotesque imagery brought to mind while reading this book and the cover is a reflection of exactly that. The image I chose is both an expression of how I see the main character as well as how she sees herself. As the entry into the rabbit hole of this book, the cover is meant to give a taste of what's to come.
Official Publication Date: June 11, 2012
Short copy: For the first time in hardcover, an expanded, radically refashioned "director's cut" of a favorite Chuck Palahniuk novel.
The cover will start appearing online around November. Till then, enjoy!


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The 8x16x8 is surprisingly spacious for its size. At 8 foot wide by 16 foot long and 8 foot high this shelter is ideal for large tractor mowers or any regular size mower. It is also suitable for general storage around the home.
The frame is constructed of DuPont Premium powder coated steel finish that will resist rust and corrosion. The frame is easy to assemble with simple bolt together hardware and requires just a few basic tools. A unique feature is the steel foot plates. The plates have predrilled holes which allow for easy fixing down to concrete or a wood base thus ensuring a good anchor point.
Shelter Logic use a ratchet tight tension system together with easy guide sliding cross rails that guarantee your cover will be smooth and taught at all times. This can be adjusted easily if slackness appears during heavy weather extremes of winter and summer.
Shelter Logic use an advanced engineered polyethylene woven fabric that is UV treated on both sides to withstand the elements. The 8x16x8 Shelter Logic as with most other sizes comes with front and back zipper doors that can be handy for access on either end or drive through if necessary.
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12oz Starter Kits White/Yellow with 12oz Citrus Refill
Germstar 12oz touchless G2 Dispenser is a versatile, battery powered dispensing system ideal for high traffic areas. Providing complete hand sanitation in 15-20 seconds, Germstar Sanitizers kill 99.99% of all microorganisms. Each Germstar Touchless Hand Sanitizer features an easy to use dose meter for a range in application volume from 0.7 ml to 6.0 ml. The G2 dispenser features a light sensitive night light and the capability to refill Germstar 2oz and 8ml products. Every dispenser comes with a table stand, drip tray, and wall mounting parts and has the option for AC/DC adapter or AA batteries.
Germstarå¨ Citrus is a natural favorite at Homes, Schools, Nurseries, Casinos and Fitness Centers with the same efficacy of our Noro solution but with a pleasant citrus aroma.
Formulated with 63% Ethanol and a subtle citrus fragrance
Additional Details:
Touchless 12oz Hand-Sanitizer Dispenser
Starter kit includes Dispenser, 12oz citrus solution, table stand, drip tray, and wall mount option
Powered by AC/DC adapter or batteries
Adjustable dose meter ranges from 0.7 ml to 6.0 ml
Built in night light feature and lockable dome
- Economical ‰ÛÒ up to 500 uses per 12oz refill
Width - 5.78"åÊ Height - 9.84"


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NIH Launches Web Resource on Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Evidence-Based Information for Health Care Providers
This page is an historical document and contains content that may be out of date.
For Immediate Release:
A new online resource, designed to give health care providers easy access to evidence-based information on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), was unveiled today by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) of the National Institutes of Health.
With this new resource, providers will have the tools necessary to learn about the various CAM practices and products and be better able to discuss the safety and effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine with their patients.
The portal on the NCCAM Web site at nccam.nih.gov is tailored to fit the needs of all health care providers, including physicians, nurses and nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and CAM providers. It includes information on the safety and efficacy of a range of common health practices that lie outside of mainstream medicine—natural products, such as dietary supplements, herbs, and probiotics, as well as mind-body practices such as meditation, chiropractic, acupuncture, and massage.
This resource was developed based on a series of NCCAM-sponsored focus groups where health care providers identified the need for an evidence-based, one-stop place to help answer their patients' questions on CAM. With this need in mind, NCCAM developed a resource that provides reliable, objective, and evidenced-based information on CAM, including:
- links to relevant clinical practice guidelines
- safety and effectiveness information
- links to systematic reviews
- summaries of research studies
- scientific literature searches
- programs for continuing education credit
- patient fact sheets
- NCCAM's Time to Talk tool kit on communicating about CAM.
Americans annually spend nearly $34 billion out-of-pocket on CAM products and practices. Surveys show that nearly 40 percent of American adults and 12 percent of American children use some form of CAM. Other surveys show that patients do not regularly discuss these practices with their health care providers. In fact, a recent study of Americans aged 50 and older found that overall two-thirds of respondents had not discussed CAM with their health care provider.
"NCCAM is charged to study and provide evidence-based information on the safety and efficacy of CAM health practices that are readily available and already used by a great number of people," said Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., director of NCCAM. "As a physician, I understand the need to have easily accessible and accurate information on all health practices. This Web resource is a way for NCCAM to share this valuable information with all providers."
To use this resource, please visit nccam.nih.gov/health/providers/.
NCCAM's Time to Talk campaign encourages patients to tell their providers about CAM use and providers to ask about it by offering tools and resources—such as wallet cards, posters, and tip sheets—all of which are available for free at nccam.nih.gov/timetotalk/.
This page last modified September 24, 2017


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Visualizing hedge's Results
Use one of
Using Visit
If you're using the 32-bit binary of Visit 1.12, go to /lib or wherever these libraries are and create these two symbolic links:
ln -s libreadline.so.5 libreadline.so.4
ln -s libncurses.so.5 libtermcap.so.2
to work around a bug.
Using Remote Visit from hpcgeek
On your local machine in .ssh/config, have a section like this:
Host hpcgeek* ForwardX11 no User kloeckner ProxyCommand ssh ccv nc hpcgeek 22
(The star at the end is important.)
Make sure your version of Visit matches the one on hpcgeek. Currently, hpcgeek is on VisIt 1.12.
To view the results from hpcgeek you have to make some settings in your local VisIt-installation:
Further, in advanced options check "tunnel through ssh".
To open/select a file you have to change to this host:


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The OneCard is an all-in-one, multipurpose identification and debit card. It provides students, faculty, staff, alumni and recognized affiliates access to a wide variety of campus services in a convenient, easy-to-use card. A OneCard offers safety, convenience and flexibility. Cardholders can add money to their account, turning their OneCard into a campus-wide debit card. The card can be used for parking, door access, copying and printing services, as well as food and bookstore purchases. Learn more about your OneCard.
To get your OneCard, bring photo identification (passport or driver's license) to the OneCard/Parking Service Center, located in the Welcome Center on the corner of Warren and Woodward Avenue, Suite 257.
Our hours of operation are:
Regular Hours (Fall, Winter, Spring/Summer semesters)
Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Now Hiring CWS Students!
- Use Your OneCard Off-Campus
- Royale with Cheese accepts the OneCard
- New Off-Campus locations accept the OneCard!
Add money to your OneCardThere are several ways to add money to your OneCard. Your OneCard Balance can not exceed $300.
Use your OneCard here!Purchase goods and use services on and off campus
Lost your OneCard?Lost or stolen cards should be deactivated immediately at: login.wayne.edu


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The Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans has been remarkably consistent: Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates came out on top for the 20th consecutive year when the annual list was released Monday, and the top three of Gates, Warren Buffett and Oracle (ORCL) founder and CEO Larry Ellison — whose fortune was unchanged at $41 billion — was the same.
Mark Zuckerberg was again an exception, as the Facebook cofounder and CEO saw his fortune swing wildly along with the valuation of his Menlo Park social network for the third consecutive year. After experiencing the strongest gains on the list in 2011 and the biggest losses in 2012, Zuckerberg's fortune doubled in time for the 2013 list, from $9.6 billion to $19 billion, putting him back in the top 20 at No. 20. He had the second-largest gain in terms of cash on the 2013 list, behind Buffett, whose personal fortune gained $12.5 billion to $58.5 billion; Gates' $72 billion led the list and makes him the richest person in the world.
Zuckerberg's 100 percent rise results from the improving fortunes of Facebook, which went public in 2012 at a record-breaking valuation of more than $100 billion, but quickly fell as investors doubted the company's ability to monetize its 1 billion-plus user base. After showing strong gains in mobile revenue in 2013, however, Facebook's stock price has risen to new highs well above its initial public offering price.
Zuckerberg's percentage gain was not the largest on the list, though, as he was topped by two other Silicon Valley luminaries. David Duffield, who founded and runs Pleasanton cloud software company Workday along with Aneel Bhusri, more than tripled his wealth to $6.4 billion with his company's successful IPO, placing him at No. 65.
Close on Duffield's heels was Elon Musk, CEO of Palo Alto electric-car maker Tesla Motors (TSLA) and SpaceX as well as chairman of San Mateo solar installer SolarCity, which went public in late 2012 and has experienced strong gains on the public markets. Musk's main Silicon Valley gambit, Tesla, also shot up in valuation, after showing its first profit and paying back a government loan earlier than expected in 2013, pushing his personal wealth from $2.4 billion to $6.7 billion and his ranking on the Forbes 400 from No. 190 to No. 61.
Ellison and Zuckerberg represent half of Silicon Valley's delegation in the top 20 richest Americans: Google (GOOG) cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin placed No. 13 and No. 14 with fortunes of $24.9 billion and $24.4 billion, respectively. Previously the two founders of the Mountain View search giant had the same war chest, tying for 15th in 2011 with $16.7 billion apiece and for 13th in 2012 with $20.3 billion.
Other Silicon Valley figures in the top 50 were Laurene Powell Jobs, wife of deceased Apple (AAPL) cofounder Steve Jobs, at No. 35 with $11.7 billion; and Google chairman Eric Schmidt, at No. 49 with $8.3 billion.
New additions to the list from Silicon Valley in 2013 included Robert Pera, founder of San Jose hardware company Ubiquiti Networks, who placed at No. 293 with $1.95 billion; part of Pera's fortune has been invested in the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies, which Pera now controls as principal owner and chairman. Nicholas Woodman, founder and CEO of San Mateo mobile-camera company GoPro, also debuted on the list, at No. 386 with $1.3 billion.
$1.3 billion was the cutoff for the Forbes 400 in 2013, the highest total needed to place on the list since before the Great Recession struck in 2008. The combined wealth of the 400 Americans on the list and their average wealth set records, at $2 trillion and $5 billion, respectively, Forbes reported.
Contact Jeremy C. Owens at 408-920-5876; follow him at Twitter.com/jowens510.
Bay area billionaires
Oracle founder and CEO Larry Ellison was Silicon Valley's only billionaire to place in the top 10 of the annual Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans for 2013.
Below is a list of Bay Area residents that were included on the list, along with their overall ranking, wealth as calculated by Forbes and the main source of their fortune.
3. Larry Ellison, $41 billion, Oracle
13. Larry Page, $24.9 billion, Google
14. Sergey Brin, $24.4 billion, Google
20. Mark Zuckerberg, $19 billion, Facebook
35. Laurene Powell Jobs and family, $11.7 billion, Apple
49. Eric Schmidt, $8.3 billion, Google
61. Elon Musk, $6.7 billion, Tesla Motors
65. David Duffield, $6.4 billion, PeopleSoft and Workday
74. Charles Johnson, $5.6 billion, Franklin Resources
77. Rupert Johnson, $5.5 billion, Franklin Resources
85. Dustin Moskovitz, $5.2 billion, Facebook
88. Charles Schwab, $5.1 billion, Charles Schwab brokerage
98. Gordon Moore, $4.6 billion, Intel
103. Reid Hoffman, $4.4 billion, LinkedIn
103. George Roberts, $4.4 billion, Kohlberg Kravis and Roberts
109. George Lucas, $4.2 billion, LucasFilm
110. John Sobrato and family, $4.1 billion, Sobrato Development
143. Riley Bechtel, $3.4 billion, Bechtel
143. Stephen Bechtel Jr., $3.4 billion, Bechtel
151. Doris Fisher, $3.3 billion, Gap
184. John Doerr, $2.9 billion, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
193. John Fisher, $2.8 billion, Gap
209. Marc Benioff, $2.6 billion, Salesforce
235. Dagmar Dolby and family, $2.4 billion, Dolby Laboratories
243. Ken Fisher, $2.3 billion, Fisher Investments
252. David Filo, $2.2 billion, Yahoo
252. Michael Moritz, $2.2 billion, Sequoia Capital
260. James Coulter, $2.1 billion, TPG
260. Richard Peery, $2.1 billion, Peery Arrillaga
260. Romesh Wadhwani, $2.1 billion, Symphony Technologies Group
273. Robert Fisher, $2 billion, Gap
273. William Fisher, $2 billion, Gap
273. Gordon Getty, $2 billion, Getty Oil
273. John Pritzker, $2 billion, Hyatt Hotel
293. Robert Pera, $1.95 billion, Ubiquiti Networks
293. Daniel Pritzker, $1.95 billion, Hyatt Hotel
296. Thomas Siebel, $1.9 billion, Siebel Systems
296. Meg Whitman, $1.9 billion, eBay and Hewlett-Packard
314. John Arrillaga, $1.8 billion, Peery Arrillaga
314. Peter Thiel, $1.8 billion, venture capital
325. Kavitark Shriram, $1.75 billion, venture capital
327. Jerry Yang, $1.7 billion, Yahoo
342. Robert Duggan, $1.6 billion, Pharmacyclics
350. Scott Cook, $1.55 billion, Intuit
352. Jim Breyer, $1.5 billion, venture capital
352. Vinod Khosla, $1.5 billion, Khosla Ventures
352. Thomas Steyer, $1.5 billion, Farallon Capital Management
382. Mark Stevens, $1.35 billion, Sequoia Capital
386. Jack Dorsey, $1.3 billion, Twitter and Square
386. Nicholas Woodman, $1.3 billion, GoPro
America's richest
The top 10 people on this year's Forbes 400 list are:
1. Bill Gates, $72 billion
2. Warren Buffett, $58.5 billion
3. Larry Ellison, $41 billion
4. Charles Koch, $36 billion
5. David Koch, $36 billion
6. Christy Walton & family, $35.4 billion
7. Jim Walton, $33.8 billion
8. Alice Walton, $33.5 billion
9. S. Robson Walton, $33.3 billion
10. Michael Bloomberg, $31 billion
Follow the money
Rich get richer: Forbes on Monday released its annual list of the top 400 richest Americans. Most of the top rankings didn't change, but the fortunes of the majority of the elite club's members grew, helped by strong stock and real estate markets.
Highest total ever: The people on the annual list posted a combined net worth of $2 trillion, up from $1.7 trillion a year ago. That marks their highest combined value ever.
Still no. 1: Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates remains America's richest man, taking the top spot on the list for the 20th straight year with a net worth of $72 billion, up from $66 billion a year ago.
Source: Associated Press


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This week we have an interview with an artist who specializes in something we don't see too much of here at ZBC: Concept Art and Matte Painting. About a year and a half ago, Rainart posted a tutorial on this subject, but he's hardly been a slacker since then! In fact, he's just released a DVD at Gnomon. Read on to learn more about this extremely talented individual.
To begin, I'd like to help people get to know you a little better. Could you talk about yourself and your background?
I'm a Frenchman (from the south of France). I like to travel, meet people… I went to an Art School in France to learn Photography and Fine Arts, and I decided to leave this country a few years later. I first started as a 3D General Artist (animation, rendering, lighting, modeling… I even did some rigging) using all the software available like Lightwave, 3D Studio Max, XSI, Maya, Modo and ZBrush. I ended up logically doing some compositing with Digital Fusion. In brief, after working for 10 years, I can say I've tried almost everything. This is, after all, an excellent experience due to the fact that in France it wasn't good to be too specialized in one discipline.
Recently, I slowly started to move from Matte Painting to concept art. It finally looks like a full circle. I went the opposite way of most of the 2D artists I know. Nowadays, we could work with a myriad of different media. Our job and the whole industry is changing, evolving, and I think this is really cool!
I'm very passionate about learning and trying new techniques, new ways of thinking and the most important thing: sharing and exchanging this knowledge with others. It's what makes us so unique at SteamBot; we work as a team.
How do you like Montreal? It seems like something of a Mecca for digital artists!
Yes, Montreal is a very interesting city, because it is the crossroads of many cultures, like European, Asian and American people. It's a great experience to work with all these people, and in this sense it's true: it's a kind of a Mecca. Some people make a long pilgrimage to come here because they move from really far away. GEEZ!!
Where do you work now? What is your title, and what does your job entail?
At the moment I'm working at EIDOS Montreal -- a very dynamic studio -- as a Senior concept artist on the upcoming game Deus Ex III. I'm specialised to create concept art and mood design for the environements.
What is your role in SteamBot? And for that matter, what is SteamBot's role in the digital world?
SteamBot Studios is another part of me. I'm a co-founder of SteamBot Studios with Barontieri (Thierry Doizon), Vyle (David Levy), Viag (Nicolas Ferrand), Feerik (Joel Dos Reis Viegas) and another talented friend Simonak (Partrick Desgrenier). We are all concept artists, matte painters, Artistic Directors and producers. We have to take all these roles at once.
About the role of SB, we are a company and an outsourcing studio of 6 digital artists. We are specialised in conceptual design, matte painting, high-end illustration, 3D assets development, consulting, conferences and original IP's creation.
Currently, we are under deadline to release our fisrt Artbook for next fall! The Artbook will be published by Design Studios Press.
What led you to concept art and matte painting? It seems like a very specialized area of digital art.
Yes it is! And that's one of the reason I got into it. But it's probably a direct consequence of my experience. I have tried many different media, explored 3D and compositing... to come back to concept art and Matte Painting.
Many answers lie in concept art's fundamentals, like painting, drawing and sculpting. I think, many digital artists, 3D artists, animators and compositors should try to do concept art. All the necessary informations about the design (the lighting, the colors, etc.) can be found in concept art. In brief, concept art is the essence because we get to learn a multitude of things.
We see a lot of sculptors, texture artists and illustrators using ZBrush, but not too many concept artists or matte painters. How did you come to start using ZBrush for your work?
Once again, it's because of my professional background. In fact, it's a simple question of curiosity, because if it's interesting for me to use ZBrush to create something special in my work... I just use it! And it's the same for matte painting. For example, it doesn't matter if I want to create objects in the foreground or in the background (like stones, vehicles, etc.), ZBrush is effective!
But it's true that concept artists use ZBrush in a different way. It's just because constraints are very different. We have no problem whatsoever with UV's, displacement, etc. because we often paint over. ZBrush definitely brings us many new possibilities. A new approach. Less traditional.
Moreover, Pixologic didn't (seem to) show a great interest in concept art at the beginning, but SteamBot saw ZBrush as a great way to enhance our creativity and workflow. I really would like to thank the whole Pixologic team for supporting SteamBot in our creative process. That's what led me to release a DVD.
Congratulations on that DVD! What can you tell us about this project?
It was difficult! Ahah! But the Gnomon team is really fantastic!
The DVD title is "From Speed Painting To Matte Painting: 2D/3D Production Pipeline with RAINART". It focuses on the creative process for doing a Sci-Fi rusty, industrial building. I have tried to show the entire production pipeline from speed painting to matte painting that I'm mainly using at SteamBot. I hope it'll help people interested in working in this industry. The goal was to create a full CG matte painting within the constrains of a real production pipeline. That's why I have tried to show a complex and efficient mixed-media process. I'm currently using this same pipeline to create environments for the video game and entertainment industry, and especially to design full CG Sci-Fi urban environments. The DVD shows some speed paintings, mood lighting, architectural design, textures and shaders, brush creation, modeling, sculpting and compositing techniques. Hopefully you'd be able to understand the entire methodology behind it, which is very straightforward.
The above video is a snippet from the DVD, courtesy of Gnomon Workshop.
Obviously, your DVD is aimed at other concept artists and matte painters. Solid technique is universal, though. How would your tutorials benefit digital artists in other fields?
I know many digital artists -- ZBrush artists, character designers, etc. -- who will probably learn to create things they're not used to creating, or things they've never been asked to create. Environments, for exemple. The DVD is for all people interested in environment design, even if they're not professional concept artists or designers.
I would gladly buy a tutorial DVD demonstrating sculpting techniques in ZBrush, even if I'm not a character designer. The more knowledge you can get, the better you become. It's always interesting to try and learn different techniques and disciplines. It's a great way to keep moving forward.
How has ZBrush affected you and your work as an artist?
ZBrush gave me more freedom and new possibilities. More ways to explore organic and non-organic shapes. For me it's another way to approach and think about 3D work, because it's a natural feeling: we just sculpt!
Thinking with polygons, like in a traditional 3D approach with more usual 3D packages, is for me really unnatural. Sculpting is natural. Contructing shapes with polygons is not. Even if people have accepted that since ages, like an old relfex -- a habit, in fact -- it's definitely an unnatural process.
ZBrush propels 3D full-circle to the fundamentals.
It's really common sense, and a great step forward that turns out to be necessary. That's why it's such an important step, artistic as well as techical. Tools that respond to artists's expectations at that level are unfortunately too rare.
What impact has ZBrush had on your workflow?
ZBrush has had a direct impact on the way we work, and we had to find a way to use it in our own way. With a "SteamBot style". But the challence for me was to use ZBrush also for non-organic stuff, like rigid and mechanical architecture.
How does ZBrush help with these kinds of images?
Very simply, I'm able to create something different!! Add many more details for example, making certain parts of an environment much more detailed... such as the foreground). There are really a lot of things to explore and try.
What feature in ZBrush 3 made you go "Wow!" when you first encountered it, and why?
I'm not a ZBrush specialist or a real ZBrush artist. I'm just a concept artist and matte painter who uses it! One of my favorite features is definitely the Stencil tool, because I can use it and work with a good natural feeling, just like when I'm drawing. Another thing is, in ZBrush I can use all the tools in an unconventional way. I can create artifacts with this same natural feeling.
It's exactly like brushes in Photoshop, but in 3D! It's really powerful to create procedural backgounds in a very short amount of time. ZBrush adds a new dimension.
How has ZBrushCentral affected you as an artist? Which members and/or artists here have really helped or inspired you?
It's really impressive to me to go to ZBrushCentral ... I'm afraid!!!!! Ahaha! ZBrush artists are certainly the community that has most evolved in the past few years, with the concept artists, and I think it's only the beginning.
Many artists are really good and inspire me, like Jelmer Boskma and David Giraud. Concerning David Giraud, thanks to him for this faculty he has to interpret particularly difficult concepts. David is not just someone who plays with precision. He has an excellent knowledge of anatomy. But above all, he's a very gifted artist who has a very personal artistic process.
Is there anything else that you'd like to say to our readers today?
Yes! BUY MY DVD! Ahhahaah ! And make love!
A few years ago, it was much more difficult to watch other artists' works. Disciplines, like concept art or matte painting, were really closed to the outide world and other specialties. Nowadays it has become much easier to meet other artists and share ideas. So you really have to be curious and take advantage of these opportunities. It's really one of the best ways to keep exploring different ways of thinking.
Many thanks to Sebastien for taking the time to speak with us! It's always a pleasure to hear from someone who's so clearly excited about what he does and having the opportunity to share it. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing his future contributions here at ZBC!
Be sure to keep checking back as we bring you future interviews!


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Late innings a work in progress for bullpen
MIAMI -- Late-inning letdowns have plagued the Marlins' bullpen over the past 12 games.
In Friday night's 8-4 walk-off win over the Mariners, a one-run lead was erased in the seventh inning. Prior to that, there have been several crushing home runs allowed by Miami's relievers.
The bullpen has surrendered seven home runs on the season, which is tied for the third highest in the game. Only the Angels (nine) and Astros (eight) have yielded more. A year ago, the Marlins regarded their bullpen as a strength, but thus far, its collective ERA is 4.02, which ranks 18th in baseball.
"I think if you'd have asked me if I thought our bullpen would give up some home runs late in the game, I'd say, 'No way,' after how good we were last year," manager Mike Redmond said. "But I do realize they're making adjustments too. We've made some pitches they can hit, and we're in a little bit of a cycle now that we've got to work through."
Mike Dunn, A.J. Ramos and Carlos Marmol are handling much of the eighth-inning duties. Closer Steve Cishek stepped up with a perfect ninth inning on Friday in a tied game, and he collected the win.
Cishek's crisp inning gained some momentum for Miami's first walk-off win of the season.
Bullpens, like the rest of the team, go through ups and downs.
"Just like when your offense struggles," Redmond said. "You try to figure out why your offense struggles. It's the same with the pitching, the bullpen and the starters.
"Sometimes it's a group thing. Sometimes you need somebody to go out there and pitch out of a big situation, get out of a jam, and that will kind of follow through to everyone else. That's what we need."


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What kind of person receives a compliment, then goes on the internet to brag about it? In most cases I would say such a person is behaving badly and needs a good dose of humility. But how else can authors, especially those without publicists, draw attention to favorable reviews, in hopes of persuading potential readers that their books have merit? There may be better ways, but I haven't figured them out. So, at the risk of my character, this post is about the reviews my novel Jim Wrenn has been getting.
When I published the book in January, I worried that even though it seemed a good effort to me, readers might find it be bad. Perhaps embarrassingly bad. When I was interviewed by the local paper after the release, I said just that. "I don't know if the book is any good. It might be embarrassingly bad." I'm pretty sure that is not the best way to drum up interest in the book.
But to my great delight and relief, the reviews have been excellent! I couldn't be happier with how powerfully the story is resonating with many of the people who have read it.
Jim Wrenn now has over 20 five star reviews on Amazon. Most are from people I don't know. I'm very grateful for good reviews from friends, but the reviews from strangers are particularly satisfying, because I don't have any reason to wonder about their sincerity.
Reviews on Amazon are very helpful to authors of course, so I very much appreciate them. But most readers don't leave Amazon reviews. And some of the comments I've received in other ways have been greatly encouraging.
At one event a woman came up afterwards and told me that she had spent 40 years working in the spinning room at the mill. She said my book was the best description of it she's ever seen. At another event, after telling me how much he loved the book, a farmer in his 80's told me that it reminded him of his childhood. "I know where Maple Grove is," he said, as if he'd figured out a secret. "I recognize the places you describe." He then announced, somewhat triumphantly, that Maple Grove was actually the community he grew up in (he called it by name)–a place I know only vaguely. It felt good to know that this man recognized his home in the book–even though it wasn't the same place I had in mind.
A woman I've know since I was a little boy sent me a note she'd received from her 80-something sister, also a former mill worker and tobacco farmer. "I really, really loved the book. So many good memories of my life growing up. Some so very real. Reading it has been one of the joys of my life….The man who wrote the book really has the facts right. Tell him thank you for me." What red blooded author wouldn't delight in receiving a note like that?
I'm very pleased that the book has also caused people to share their stories with me. After a talk I gave recently a man came up to me and said that his grandmother starting working at the mill when she was a child. At that time the rules required workers to be at least 12 years old (there was no such rule at the time of my story and many of the workers were under 12), so his grandmother smudged out the date in the family Bible, changing her date of birth to make it appear she was 12 so she could get the job. Later she tried to correct the date but left the entry so smudged that the family now isn't sure when she was born. Another friend told me on Facebook that while her mother started working at the mill at age 12, her aunt started when she was 9 and had to stand on a box to reach the loom.
Probably the review that most stunned me was sent to me by a friend, who had given the book as a gift to one of his neighbors (who I didn't know). The man liked the book so much that he bought copies for all his children, sending it to them with this note.
That's the kind of review an author dreams about. To know that at least some people are getting what I was trying to say and do definitely makes it worthwhile.
Finally, I was blown away by a short review left on Amazon by a reasonably well-known author from California. I have no idea how he found about my book. It's hard for me to imagine a better review: "A book that might save us. This is the novel I've been looking for. It is utterly gripping as it tells of lives that include great sorrow as well as joy. The values it promotes are the ones we need now, the ones that could save us."
Now I'm sure there are people out there who don't like the book. So far they've been kind enough not to say so.
So there. I have tooted my own horn. But be assured that if I had only a few good reviews amidst a bunch of bad ones, I wouldn't have done it.
Please consider requesting the book from your local library.


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For decades, the evolution of communications technology has laid the foundation for economic growth across the United States, benefitting towns and cities large and small. The next generation of wireless network infrastructure will be built using small-cell networks employing 5G wireless technology. The Smart City applications currently leveraging today's wireless networks are already showing significant benefits to communities, and are expected to transform local economies.
Full realization of this economic growth from Smart City solutions will depend on robust deployment of 5G networks, and will require new approaches from municipal leaders and local communities.VIEW THE REPORT [PDF]


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ANDREW Crofts, David Vaughan and Boaz Myhill will all miss Wales' friendly against Finland on Saturday through injury.
West Ham's Jack Collison has been drafted in to replace Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Crofts, who is suffering from an ongoing groin problem.
West Brom goalkeeper Myhill misses out with an Achilles tendon problem, and Vaughan, on loan at Nottingham Forest from Sunderland, is sidelined with a hamstring injury sustained in training.
Chris Coleman is no stranger to player withdrawals, the Wales boss having been forced into calling up nine replacements for the last two 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Macedonia and Belgium in October.
This weekend's clash takes place as doubt remains about Coleman's future, though reports in recent days suggest progress is being made in contract talks.
Finland will be looking to bounce back from a 3-0 defeat to France when they meet Coleman's men in Cardiff.


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Other than for blasting out of Earth's gravitational pull, the rocket-powered vehicle has never gone mainstream - kind of a shame, really! But lucky for us, LIFE has a gallery of some of the more exciting tries. Maybe next century.
To drive this 24-rocket powered Opel car, circa 1920, would have made you one very brave dude. Eight years later, a version of the vehicle was the fastest car in the world, hitting 80km/h.
This land-speed car, the Wingfoot Express, was the first rocket-propelled racer of its kind, and blasted away records throughout the 1960s. Pictured here are the man who designed it, Walt Arfons, and Bobby Tatro, the driver.
This little piece of vintage failed military experimentation - the "Grasshopper" - isn't technically a rocket, as the pack used a jet engine instead. Fine! From the giant cloud of dust kicked up and the man's flailing limbs, it doesn't look like it was exactly stable. I can't imagine an actual rocket would have worked much better.
Check the full gallery for more photos, ranging from the wacky to the scientifically solid. [LIFE]


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WARNING: Mishandling or incorrect or improper use of relays could result in
- serious personal injury or DEATH
- possible physical damage of the product
- faulty operation
- or create serious/dangerous hazards.
Please make sure that you read and understand how your relay/relay module board works, the voltage and current it is rated for, and the risks involved in your project BEFORE you even attempt to start putting it together. Seek professional and qualified assistance BEFORE you undertake ANY high power projects.
If you choose to follow the instructions in this tutorial, you do so at your own risk. I am not an electrician, and am not a qualified electrical engineer - so please do your research and seek advice BEFORE undertaking a project using a relay. Please check your connections and test them BEFORE turning the power on.
I accept no responsibility for your project, or the risk/damage/fire/shock/injury/death/loss that it causes. You take full responsibility for your actions/project/creation, and do so at YOUR OWN RISK !!!
Please note: It is illegal in some countries to wire up a high power project without an electrician. Please check your country's rules/laws/regulations before you undertake your project. If you have any doubts - don't do it.
What is a relayA Relay is an electrically operated switch. Many relays use an electromagnet to mechanically operate the switch and provide electrical isolation between two circuits. In this project there is no real need to isolate one circuit from the other, but we will use an Arduino UNO to control the relay. We will develop a simple circuit to demonstrate and distinguish between the NO (Normally open) and NC (Normally closed) terminals of the relay. We will then use the information gained in this tutorial to make a much more exciting circuit. But we have to start somewhere. So let's get on with it.
Parts Required:
- Freetronics Eleven or (Arduino UNO compatible board)
- 4 Channel Relay Module
- 2x LEDs
- 2x 330 ohm resistors
- Jumper Wires (male to male)
- Jumper Wires (female to male)
Fritzing Sketch
Table of Connections
Arduino Sketch
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46
/* =============================================================== Project: 4 Channel 5V Relay Module Author: Scott C Created: 7th Sept 2014 Arduino IDE: 1.0.5 Website: http://arduinobasics.blogspot.com.au Description: Explore the difference between NC and NO terminals. ================================================================== */ /* Connect 5V on Arduino to VCC on Relay Module Connect GND on Arduino to GND on Relay Module Connect GND on Arduino to the Common Terminal (middle terminal) on Relay Module. */ #define CH1 8 // Connect Digital Pin 8 on Arduino to CH1 on Relay Module #define CH3 7 // Connect Digital Pin 7 on Arduino to CH3 on Relay Module #define LEDgreen 4 //Connect Digital Pin 4 on Arduino to Green LED (+ 330 ohm resistor) and then to "NO" terminal on relay module #define LEDyellow 12 //Connect Digital Pin 12 on Arduino to Yellow LED (+ 330 ohm resistor) and then to "NC" terminal on relay module void setup(){ //Setup all the Arduino Pins pinMode(CH1, OUTPUT); pinMode(CH3, OUTPUT); pinMode(LEDgreen, OUTPUT); pinMode(LEDyellow, OUTPUT); //Provide power to both LEDs digitalWrite(LEDgreen, HIGH); digitalWrite(LEDyellow, HIGH); //Turn OFF any power to the Relay channels digitalWrite(CH1,LOW); digitalWrite(CH3,LOW); delay(2000); //Wait 2 seconds before starting sequence } void loop(){ digitalWrite(CH1, HIGH); //Green LED on, Yellow LED off delay(1000); digitalWrite(CH1, LOW); //Yellow LED on, Green LED off delay(1000); digitalWrite(CH3, HIGH); //Relay 3 switches to NO delay(1000); digitalWrite(CH3,LOW); //Relay 3 switches to NC delay(1000); }
The Red light on the Relay board turns on when power is applied (via the VCC pin). When power is applied to one of the Channel pins, the respective green light goes on, plus the relevant relay will switch from NC to NO. When power is removed from the channel pin, the relay will switch back to NC from NO. In this sketch we see that power is applied to both LEDs in the setup() method. When there is no power applied to the CH1 pin, the yellow LED will be on, and the Green LED will be off. This is because there is a break in the circuit for the green LED. When power is applied to CH1, the relay switches from NC to NO, thus closing the circuit for the green LED and opening the circuit for the yellow LED. The green LED turns on, and the yellow LED turns off.
I also show what happens when you apply power to a channel (eg. CH3) when there is nothing connected to the relay terminals. The respective onboard LED illuminates. This is useful for troubleshooting the relays, and knowing what state the relay is in (NC or NO). NC stands for Normally closed (or normally connected) NO stands for Normally open (or normally disconnected)
Here is a circuit diagram for two of the relays on the relay module (CH1 and CH2).
This was taken from the iteadstudio site.
The Video


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Self improvement is more than a good idea, it's vital, and the New Year is a logical time to start. But let's face it - for the next few weeks, the gyms will be busier, houses will be cleaner, the recycling blue boxes will be used more, people will say 'fuck' less often, people may be nicer, and then... everything will revert to the way it was. Temporary improvements seem to be the norm.
The truth is we all have a few things about ourselves we want to work on. And this is not only the beginning of a new year, it's the beginning of a new decade. Holy crap, that is too much to think about. A year at a time is good for me. So I do want a road map of some kind, though maybe not a firm list.
This is a big year -- we are getting married, building a house, and getting dog number three --- okay that last one is still under negotiation, but stay tuned for a standard schnauzer named Sherlock. Or Maclaine. Launching our new family, without getting buried in the workings of details and budgets, is priority number one for 2010.
As for resolutions? I want to do more and do better and learn new stuff at work, and do more and do better and learn new stuff with this blog. I am gonna eat better and exercise more. And I think I am even going to make a list...


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Confederate marker dedication Saturday
- Details
- Category: Community
- Published on 21 February 2014
- Written by Mount Vernon Optic-Herald
A Southern Cross Dedication Service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, February 22 at the Snodgrass/Brannan Cemetery in southern Franklin County. The three grandsons of Luther B. Brannon, all of whom served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War will be honored during the ceremony.
For directions to the cemetery, see the February 20 edition of the Mount Vernon Optic-Herald.


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Genes involved in age-related declines in brain volume may play role in Alzheimer's disease
The hippocampus, a brain region important to learning and memory, gradually loses volume as part of the normal aging process. This loss is significantly accelerated in older people with Alzheimer's disease, especially if they have vascular problems or diabetes. Now, an international team of researchers has identified four genes that may play a role in the age-related decline of hippocampal volume, a finding that may provide insight to risk for cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease. Conducted in part by NIA-funded investigators, the study appeared online April 15, 2012, in Nature Genetics.
The findings result from the combined analyses of several genome-wide association studies (GWAS) conducted in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia involving thousands of participants with and without Alzheimer's disease. GWAS analyze DNA to identify specific genetic variations associated with particular diseases. The researchers located four gene risk factors on chromosome 12 that may play a role in age-related hippocampal decline.
The genes implicated in the findings are involved in cell death, brain development and plasticity, oxidative stress and enzymes targeted by diabetes medications—all of which may contribute to the brain's vulnerability to Alzheimer's. While we need to learn more about the complex interplay between genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease and other factors that influence its onset and progression, these genes findings on age-related declines in brain volume could lead to new approaches for the devastating hippocampal declines wrought by the disorder.
Reference: Bis JC, et al. Common variants at 12q14 and12q24 are associated with hippocampal volume. Nature Genetics. doi:10.1038/ng.2237


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What is the RAHS?
The Rochester-Avon Historical Society (RAHS) was founded in 1969 to help preserve, collect and interpret the history of the greater Rochester area for present and future generations.
We believe that:
· By educating our citizens about their heritage, we celebrate our democratic way of life and instill an appreciation of our history.
· By perpetuating our past through the preservation of historic resources, we maintain a rich diversity in our community life.
· By respecting and restoring architectural integrity of structures and by conserving neighborhood environments, we preserve the unique character and document the historical evolution of the place in which we live.
"Pride in Preserving the Past" -- RAHS


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ILA Dockworkers ratify new 6-year contract
ILA Dockworkers ratify new 6-year contract
Posted on April 10, 2013
NORTH BERGEN, N.J. (AP) — Dockworkers along the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico have ratified a new six-year contract, ending more than a year of negotiations.
The International Longshoremen's Association, AFL-CIO, posted news of the ratification on its website late Tuesday. It said vote totals from its 14,500 longshoremen were still being tallied but that the contract was "overwhelmingly approved."
The contract between the longshoremen and the U.S. Maritime Alliance originally expired Sept. 30, 2012. Federal mediators negotiated extensions to avert possible strikes that could have crippled operations at major ports along the East Coast.
The union said the contract includes wage increases totaling $3 an hour spread out over the life of the agreement. By the final year of the new contract the hourly pay rate will be $35 an hour.
The progressive pay scale for lower tiered workers also will be shortened to six years from nine years. A new union member earning a base pay of $20 an hour at the start of the new contract will earn $35 an hour by the end of the six years.
Among the job protections won was contract language that "strongly protects" union workers who have been displaced due to new technology and automation, and terms that restrict outsourcing or subcontracting of Longshoremen's Association jobs to non-union employers.
No charges will be made to the health care plan.
"We all worked very hard, achieved landmark improvements and protected our members and our union for many years," said ILA President Harold J. Daggett.
Members of the Maritime Alliance, an alliance of container carriers, direct employers, and port associations serving the East and Gulf Coasts, will vote to ratify the contract on April 17.
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These photos are downloadable. To download a photo, click the photo to get its enlargement and then right click and save the photo. Thanks go to conference photographer Marty Welter.
Please note: Marty has also created a website with all of the conference photos on it, ready for download. To reach that website, go to: http://psaconferencepictures.org


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In a thrilling end to the HP Byron Nelson Championship, Sang-Moon Bae battled back and then hung on to win his first PGA Tour title. A great ending to an always special event. Congrats to Bae!
What I found so impressive with Bae's performance wasn't just that he had to chase down Keegan Bradley (who opened the tournamnet with an amazing 60 (with two bogeys!) on Thursday) but also how he regained his composure after he lost a four-shot lead on the final day. And it wasn't just that he was battling his nerves and former major championship winner in Bradley - he was doing it in wind gusts that were blowing near 40 mph!
And that leads us to this week's "A Lesson Learned". Trust me, if there's one thing we golfers in Kansas know all about - it's playing in the wind.
We could talk (write?) forever about playing in strong wind. But I want to keep it simple here, just offer a few thoughts that I want you to remember the next time you tee it up under gusty conditions.
1.) When hitting into the wind:
- Take more club: Don't be afraid to go one or even two or three clubs up. The worst thing you can do is swing harder so more club, less loft, is your friend.
- Grip down on the club, make a shorter backswing: Again, making too big of a swing will destroy your chances of hitting the golf ball the proper distance. Control is essential.
- Move the ball back in your stance: flighting the ball lower and making more a more controlled swing will give you the best chance of achieving your desired distance with the shot at hand.
2.) When hitting with the wind behind you:
- Remember that the wind will actually affect the higher shots the most - so short iron shots may show more effect than the longer irons.
- Controlling distance with your irons means you may still want a lower ball flight.
- It will be harder to stop your shot so play the roll out when determining distance.
3.) Hitting into a cross wind:
- If you can work the ball in directions, you want to work the ball INTO the wind.
- If you can't, obviously adjust your aim accordingly with the direction of the wind.
- A controlled, on balance swing is still the best swing for you.
- Flighting the ball lower will still be an advantage for you.
Obviously, there's many variables that go into playing a shot in strong wind. But these tips should give you a solid foundation and a better chance for a good golf shot. Playing in strong wind is never easy, but if you remember these pointers and keep your poise, you'll have a better chance than others who try to overpower the wind regardless of how it's blowing.
I hope these tips help and you play the best golf of your life in 2013!
Blake Graham is the PGA Head Professional at Hallbrook Country Club in Leawood, Kansas. Graham is a 3-time Midwest Section PGA Player of the Year and will be a competitor in the 2013 PGA Professional Nat'l Championship at Sunriver Resort in June. You can follow Graham on Twitter at @BlakeGrahamPGA
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