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PWM August 2012 Digital Issue Mailing Today
Just a quick note for all the digital subscribers: the August issue link will be sent to your e-mail in boxes today and tomorrow, from "popularwoodworking.web" – so if you see that sender in your queue, open up the message!
The print issue will begin mailing on June 13, and it will be available on newsstands June 26. As soon as we have the August 2012 issue in the store for single-copy sales (both print and digital), I (or one of us) will write a bit more about it.
p.s. If you're buying single copies…why? You can save almost half off the cover price with a subscription. Click: Popular Woodworking Magazine digital subscription to have it delivered to your computer or eReader (it works on an iPad or any other PDF-enabled reader); click: Popular Woodworking Magazine print subscription if you prefer good old-fashioned paper. International print subscriptions are also available (though for some reason we've a separate subscription link for those in Canada) – but I recommend a digital sub for all non-U.S. folks, because there's no shipping charge.


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Aug. 16, 2014
7 a.m.: Breakfast in the Upton Ladies Aid building.
9:30 a.m.: Parade line-up at Pat Kenyon's, 142 Thistle Street.
10 a.m.: Parade from Thistle Street. Merchandise, food vendors and children's carnival open for business on Mill Road.
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: DVD show of logging in the past on Upton School House porch and the Upton Historical Society display on the second floor of the Upton School House.
1 to 3 p.m.: Chinese Auction viewing at Upton House Barn, 260 Thistle Street.
2 p.m.: Serving cake and ice cream at the Upton Ladies Aid building and drawing raffle for choice of three quilts (no need to be present to win).
3 p.m.: Chinese Auction (must be present to win).
5 p.m.: Upton Union Church service – Rev. Jane C. Rich presiding.
Free Parking.

subset: commoncrawl


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March 12, 2004
Santa Barbara, Calif. -
Down 1-0 at halftime, the Los Angeles Galaxy rallied for two scores in the second half to defeat the San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 in front of over 3,000 fans at UC Santa Barbara's Harder Stadium. Former Gaucho All-American Memo Arzate graced the pitch at UCSB for the first time as a member of the Galaxy, creating two great scoring opportunities in nearing stoppage time.
Booked for an illegal tackle inside the penalty box in the 21st minute, Los Angeles' Ryan Suarez set up the Earthquakes only goal of the night. San Jose's Dwayne De Rosario was awarded a penalty kick and blasted into the left side of the net past the Galaxy's Dan Popik.
Los Angeles evened the score less than five minutes into the second half when 2003 NCAA scoring champion and first round draft pick Joseph Ngwenya fed Arturo Torres at the top of the box on the right side. Torres quickly pulled the trigger beating the Quake keeper Pat Onstad high and to the left.
Nearly 35 minutes went by with the score knotted at 1-1 until Austrian International superstar Andreas Herzog dished a perfect clearing pass over the Earthquakes defense and onto the foot of the defending MLS scoring champion Carlos Ruiz. Ruiz took the ball in stride and carried it across the top of the box from left the right pulling Onstad off of his line. The Guatemala City native faked a shot low causing Onstad to go to the ground before chipping the San Jose keeper for what proved to be the game-winning goal.
Arzate did not enter the match until late in the second half, replacing Ruiz and playing just over five minutes. However, the two-time All-American did not disappoint his former home crowd that surpassed the 3,000 mark. In the five minutes, Arzate created two excellent scoring opportunities, his first was a dish through his defender's legs to Alejandro Moreno who missed just wide to the right. The former Gaucho then found the foot of a streaking Herzog at the top of the box the ended up going wide left just before time expired.


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Torment: Tides of Numenera - Story Trailer
Today we're excited to reveal the latest trailer for Torment: Tides of Numenera. This epic cinematic story trailer recounts the lore leading up to the very moment that players begin their odyssey as the Last Castoff – the flesh-and-blood byproduct of a megalomaniacal deity known as the Changing God.
A billion years in the future, a man discovered a way to cheat death. A seeker of knowledge and wisdom, his ultimate goal was to leave an unforgettable mark on the world....
Read More
Colin McComb Plays PS:T Live with GOG.com Today
UPDATE: Going live here soon! https://www.twitch.tv/gogcom
Torment's Creative Lead Colin McComb will be playing PS:T live today with the folks over at GOG.com in celebration of the game's coming release! He'll be live at 2 PM Eastern time today (11 AM Pacific), so be sure to check it out! We'll have an archived version available to watch as well.
You will be able to find the stream at GOG.com's Twitch channel.
Read More
Torment Facebook Contest - Win a PS4 Pro!
Interested in winning a PS4 Pro and a copy of Torment: Tides of Numenera? We're so excited the game is coming also to consoles that today we've got a surprise contest for all of you!
If you want to win a copy of Torment: Tides of Numenera for PS4, visit our Facebook page and post your best answer to the following question:
"Imagine that people living one billion years in the future find a random object from today. What is it and what do you think they would use...
Read More
Updated Our Journal #63: A Look Back on Development
tl;dr: Colin talks about Torment's development and the future; Monte Cook's novella now available; new Torment media
Hello Exiles,
Colin here. It's crazy to think that it's just about a month from Torment's release date. To start, we wanted to give you a taste of some of the game's quests in this interactive trailer. Hosted by, well, me, there's some early game side-quest spoilers, but it'll give you a taste of what the game has to offer if you haven't already jumped into t...
Read More
WCFTech Interview with Colin & Gavin
The guys at WFCTech have interviewed Creative Lead Colin McComb and Senior Writer Gavin Jurgens-Fyhrie about Torment. You can see the full article here, but we've posted a snippet below.
When you set out to make the spiritual and thematic successor to Planescape: Torment, one of the most beloved cRPGs of all time, it was no easy task. Do you feel you've accomplished your original goals with the project? Is the final game perhaps a bit different from what you had...
Read More
Torment: Tides of Numenera Preview Round-Up
A veritable smörgåsbord of Torment news has hit in the wake of press events both in the United States and Europe. We've got a huge number of articles coming out covering Torment, and we've decided to include just a taste of them below:
PC World:
Three hours disappeared.
That's how it felt when I sat down to play Torment: Tides of Numenera recently. I was the last one scheduled to use the PC that inXile had set up in the corner, and so I was told I could...
Read More
Torment: Tides of Numenera - A New Take on Combat
Today, we're excited to debut this trailer for Torment that focuses on the action. This one is all about our Crisis system, combat and the character and cypher mechanics behind it.
The world of Torment: Tides of Numenera is rife with conflict. Although you can avoid or resolve dangerous situations in bloodless ways, using deception, persuasion or stealth, sometimes your decisions or even just a bad roll of the dice may mean that blood will need to be spilt. See how you can...
Read More
Torment: Tides of Numenera - Interactive Quest Trailer
Today we're pleased to debut a special new Torment trailer. Hosted by Creative Lead Colin McComb, this one lets you play through the various options in one of the side-quests found early in the game!
Note that video annotations don't work on mobile, so we recommend you watch this on a desktop computer or laptop if you can!
Read More


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WASHINGTON (AP) Cole Dickerson scored 20 points and De'End Parker 19 to lead San Francisco to a 67-53 victory over American University on Monday night in the teams' first meeting.
Dickerson and Parker scored six points each, including a pair of 3-pointers by Parker, as the Dons (2-1) began the second half with an 18-8 run to go in front 51-39 after leading 33-31 at halftime.
Dickerson scored 13 points in the second half and made 9 of 12 shots in the game. He also led San Francisco in rebounds with seven and blocked three shots.
Daniel Munoz scored 16 points and Stephen Lumpkins 13 to lead the Eagles (2-2), who shot 61.9 percent (13 of 21) in the first half but cooled off to 42.9 percent (9 of 21) in the second. San Francisco shot better than 50 percent in each half and 53.1 percent (26 of 49) for the game.


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Need to call to Seychelles, and don't want to pay through the nose? Yolla is your best choice. Whenever you are - on Jamaica, Iceland, or somewhere else - just dial the +248 phone area number on your iOS or Android device, and get the unbelievably great call connection for unbelievably low rates. Or, that's even more: do 3 fast preparations, and call to Seychelles for free! So, let's go:
At first, refer to Google Play or App Store, and install Yolla to your smartphone. Reading this article on your desktop? Send yourself a link through e-mail to open it later on your smartphone.
Open Yolla, and follow to the Get Free Credits screen. Here you'll see your personal referral link. Share it to your friends, and get $2 for each friend who installs Yolla through your link, and tops up their balance in Yolla
After the bonus credits were added to your Yolla balance, you can make a free call to Seychelles, or any other country code area in the World.


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Discussion in 'The Bar' started by Kanye West, Jan 25, 2013.
with the hebrew
yea seriously fuck them
Hoya Saxa!!
my dog getting pussy tomorrow night
its a noon game brah
so maybe in the afternoon
I'm a UK fan so I really despise those shitbirds.
One of the most heartbreaking UK games ever was versus Gtown back in 84. UK shot like 13% in the 2nd half and lost by a few to Ewing and JT. :bang:
ill take the hoya's +5.5 in your honor
JT3's Princeton offense pisses me off because it limits what those guys can do with their talents.....this game is going to have me sweatin
Be prepared to watch Louisville hack and grab your guys all day. Pitino plays the ugliest style of basketball in the NCAA. It's effective at home, but in the NCAA Tournament when they run into an officiating crew that calls it tight, they lose badly.
lets hope the refs at the Verizon Center tomorrow will be on their A game then
Go Louisville!! Their player Luke Hancock played for George Mason..Great White Hope
fuck Lousiville Reggie
WTF tomorrow is Shabbos?
yea she dont give a fuck
i'm going to enjoy watching the Catholic 7
if Gonzaga joins it wont be bad
did you go to Mason?


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Whether posted to Facebook via mobile upload or carefully mounted in grandma's photo album, family pictures often tell revealing stories of "ties that bind." They capture facial features and physique shared by their members, and the interests and activities they hold in common.
Just released, the President's Report edition of The RECORD, GC Alumni, A Portrait, presents an emerging "family" picture of a different sort - the collective identity of Greenville College graduates. It draws from data gathered last spring through a survey of alumni who graduated between 1940 and 2011. The portrait, still a work in progress, reveals similarities shared by survey respondents, for example: Of the 68% who pursued advanced degrees, 79% said GC prepared them well for their graduate and/or post-graduate work. Of all respondents:
The issue also profiles select alumni whose stories illustrate the statistics.
"We pray that, in whatever field our alumni find themselves, they are empowered to join Christ's work in the world," writes Acting President Randy Bergen in introducing the issue. "We want them to live lives characterized by skill and integrity so they carry the name of Christ well." This RECORD offers a glimpse at how Greenville College alumni are carrying out that work.
Click here to view GC Alumni, A Portrait, The RECORD 2012 President's Report.


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Washington and Hurricane Sandy weren't able to ruin everything for retailers this year.
While one estimate put holiday sales gains at only 0.7 percent, retailers from Macy's Inc. to Abercrombie & Fitch Co. controlled inventories heading into the holidays, enabling them to limit discounts.
Analysts estimate earnings per share for consumer-discretionary retailers in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index will increase about 13 percent in the fourth quarter, according to data compiled by Bloomberg as of Dec. 21. A year earlier, profit slipped 3.4 percent on a share-weighted basis.
"The retailers coming out of the holiday season on top have done an excellent job with their inventories," Megan Donadio, a New York-based retail strategist for consulting firm Kurt Salmon, said yesterday in a telephone interview. "They've planned promotions carefully to ensure profitability."
Retailers are increasingly using sophisticated analytics in planning promotions, deciding how much to order based on previous sales and industrywide demand, Donadio said. Most chains secured holiday goods months before Sandy hit in October, reducing the harm from power failures and transportation interruptions in the Northeast.
Consumers also have been resilient. While Republicans and Democrats have been unable to agree on a plan to avoid federal spending cuts and tax increases of $600 billion that would come into effect in January without action by Congress, the Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index was little changed at minus 32.1 in the period ended Dec. 23, near a four-year high.
Fewer Deals
Ewing Concepcion, a 21-year-old student at Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts, said he spent more this holiday season while snagging fewer deals.
"I paid full price for a lot of stuff this year," Concepcion said while shopping yesterday at the Mall at Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hampshire.
Retailers have gotten better at managing their inventories in recent years, keeping them from having to resort to steep discounts to prevent merchandise from piling up. The improvement will show up in a company's gross margin, or the portion of sales left after subtracting the cost of goods.
Retailers projected to have wider gross margins this season include Ralph Lauren Corp., whose gross margin may expand to 59.2 percent of sales in the quarter ending Dec. 31 from 57.1 percent in the same period a year ago, according to the average of five analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Most Jewish homes, whether observant or not, have a small ornament-like object nailed or glued onto the doorframe of the entrance of their home. Known as the Mezuzah, after an ancient Akkadian word "Nazuzu", meaning 'to stand', this object, made from a variety of materials and with Hebrew letters or words inscribed on it, is actually a Mezuzah case which contains a small parchment scroll with biblical inscriptions and prayers that are said by many to be some of the most fundamentally important in the Jewish faith.
Read More


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The U.S. economy picked up across much of the country last month, boosted by auto and home sales, even as the outlook for unemployment showed few signs of improvement, the Federal Reserve said.
"Economic activity has expanded since the previous Beige Book report, with all 12 districts characterizing the pace of growth as either modest or moderate," the central bank said today in its Beige Book business survey, which is based on reports from the Fed's district banks.
The report, prepared for discussion at the Federal Open Market Committee's Jan. 29-30 meeting, may strengthen the resolve of policy makers who want to press on with the Fed's $85 billion in monthly bond purchases until the labor market improves substantially.
The New York and Philadelphia districts "rebounded from the immediate impacts of Hurricane Sandy" while Boston, Richmond and Atlanta reported that growth increased slightly in their districts. Yet, the report said that "labor market conditions remained mostly unchanged in all districts."
The Beige Book provides anecdotal evidence on the health of the economy. In the previous report on Nov. 28, the Fed said the economy expanded at a "measured pace" and "consumer spending grew at a moderate pace in most districts, while manufacturing weakened."
Anecdotal Accounts
The anecdotal accounts were collected on or before Jan. 4 and compiled by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
The report found that all 12 districts reported "some growth in consumer spending" and that "auto sales were reported as steady or stronger" in most districts. Tourism increased due to strong business and international travel and early snowfall in some ski areas.
Growth in residential real estate was "described as moderate or strong" in nine districts, as prices rose in all reports received. New construction was reported higher in 11 of 12 districts.
Contacts in Boston, Richmond, Atlanta, Chicago, Kansas City and San Francisco all reported delayed hiring "often in defense manufacturing, due to fiscal cliff uncertainties," referring to a legislative dispute over spending cuts and tax increases that went unresolved until Jan. 1.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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10 Photographers Who Captured the Romance of Paris, from Brassaï to Cartier-Bresson
Artsy Editorial
Signature: Notated with "#88" in photographer's hand in pencil on print verso.
An important influence on photography both as journalism and as art, André Kertész is known for the visual lyricism and humanism that characterized his practice. A Hungarian-born Frenchman, Kertész moved to New York in 1936, having spent 1925-1936 in Paris at the centre of the émigré art world, where he photographed fellow artists such as Brassaï, Piet Mondrian, Marc Chagall, Alexander Calder, and Constantin Brancusi. It was not until 1964 that his work gained recognition in the U.S., when he was given a one-man show at the Museum of Modern Art. Today he is best known for his series of Polaroid studies of Washington Square Park, as well as his distorted nudes of the 1930s, which take the radical angles and manipulation of light and shadow of his street scenes and apply them to the human body to obtain a similar de-familiarizing effect. "The moment always dictates in my work," Kertész once said. "Everybody can look, but they don't necessarily see ... I see a situation and I know that it's right."
Hungarian, 1894-1985, Budapest, Hungary, based in New York, New York
10 Photographers Who Captured the Romance of Paris, from Brassaï to Cartier-Bresson
Artsy Editorial
"Expiration Date" Explores Time, Death, and What Lies Beyond
New York, Through the Artist's Eyes
Artsy Editorial


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Google has applied for a European patent that includes "full-motion video of 360 degrees images, and live feeds from video cameras to provide enhanced driving directions". Microsoft are also working on video driving directions for Bing Maps. You can see a preview of Microsoft's research into video driving directions in this video,
If you can't wait for Google and Microsoft to finish their research into video driving directions then you can check out VidTeq who already have video driving directions in place in Bangalore.
VidTeq perhaps is the best example of how video driving directions should work. Using VidTeq it is possible to enter a start address and destination and then preview a suggested route on a map and a view a video of the journey.
As the video of the route plays arrows are superimposed on top of the video player to indicate when turns are required. Beneath the video the step-by-step directions scroll upwards to reflect the position displayed in the video.
If you want to view video directions on VidTeq then you can use the example directions given below the search box, 'S R & K B to Dhruv Inc'.
Virtual Highway is an experiment by the New Zealand Transport Authority to provide video footage of key travel routes and maps of the New Zealand state highway network.
Virtual Highway doesn't allow users to request driving directions but you can see how video driving directions could be provided by stitching together the required video segments from different roads.
Google's patent application however mentions "full-motion video of 360 degrees images". Streetview.ch is a nice example of how 360 degree panoramic video can work with Google Maps.
Streetview.ch includes a number of video Street Views shot on Switzerland's roads. It is a little like Google's Street View
only it uses panoramic videos rather than still panoramic images. As you play a video you can pan it around and look in any direction. As the video plays a marker on the map shows the current location shown in the video.
Again Streetview.ch doesn't have a facility to search for driving directions but again you can see how interactive video driving directions could be provided by stitching
together the required video panorama segments from different roads.


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42 U.S. Code § 3512 - Office to assist small manufacturers of medical devices; establishment
The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish within the Department of Health and Human Services an identifiable office to provide technical and other nonfinancial assistance to small manufacturers of medical devices to assist them in complying with the requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act [21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.], as amended by this Act.
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, referred to in text, is act June 25, 1938, ch. 675, 52 Stat. 1040, as amended, which is classified generally to chapter 9 (§ 301 et seq.) of Title 21, Food and Drugs. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 301 of Title 21 and Tables.
This Act, referred to in text, meansPub. L. 94–295, May 28, 1976, 90 Stat. 539, known as the Medical Device Amendments of 1976, which enacted this section, sections 360c to 360k, 379, 379a, of Title 21, amended sections 321, 331, 334, 351, 352, 358, 360, 374, 376 [now 379e], and 381 of Title 21, section 55 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade, and enacted provisions set out as notes under section 301 of Title 21. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 1976 Amendment note set out under section 301 of Title 21 and Tables.
"Secretary of Health and Human Services" and "Department of Health and Human Services" substituted in text for "Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare" and "Department of Health, Education, and Welfare", respectively, pursuant to section 509(b) of Pub. L. 96–88, which is classified to section 3508(b) of Title 20, Education.
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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Our Mission
The United Jewish Federation of Tidewater strengthens and perpetuates Jewish life. As a leader and facilitator of collective action, we develop human and financial resources to meet the evolving and vital issues of our world-wide community, partnering with local, national and global organizations. We allocate resources to assist Jewish agencies that provide healthcare, social services and education, and aid organizations that improve human relations and provide Jewish cultural programs. We care for those in need, rescue Jews in danger, enhance Jewish security and champion the State of Israel. By accepting responsibility for one another, we improve the world with acts of righteous giving and social justice.
Our Vision
The United Jewish Federation of Tidewater nurtures a vibrant, engaged, inclusive and caring Jewish community whose collective action is guided by our values.
In fulfilling our Mission and Vision we are guided by:
Our Values
- Klal Yisrael: We are one People, responsible for one another.
- Tzedakah: We have an obligation to share our resources with our fellow human beings.
- Tikkun Olam: We are to actively participate in repairing the world.
- Gemilut Chasadim: We have a responsibility to perform acts of loving kindness.
- Torah: We are committed to lifelong Jewish learning.
Improving lives, inspiring Jewish journeys and fulfilling our values is accomplished through our commitment to:
- Respecting the individual and different expressions of Judaism and Jewish life
- Welcoming interfaith and other forms of non-traditional Jewish families
- Promoting intergroup understanding, religious freedom and tolerance
- Developing and nurturing superlative lay leaders and staff
- Maintaining a standard of excellence and transparency in fulfilling our fiduciary responsibilities
- Cultivating collaborative planning and collective action


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Are you in Warren and you are in need of a comfortable limo and Taxi service ? Contact us !
ATLAS EXPRESS LIMO is devoted to providing you with a luxury service and feature with comfort and reliability.
Our company is designed to accommodate all of our clients transportation need . We are here to ensure the best service ever. Therefore, we do serve all airports  JFK , LGA ,  EWR ABD PHIL , WESTCHESTER NY. For your parties in Warren We are ready to accompany you for proms and graduation or any other special occasion.
We guarantee complete customer satisfaction on each and every assignment. We are here to make your parties more enjoyable than ever before.
We are ready to afford all kind of luxurious cars you need. For your travels in and outside Warren All of our drivers are expertly trained to navigate to any destination.
We offer pick ups to NJ NJ AND PA and go above and beyond to make your traveling experience with us enjoyable and stress free. Your journey will be completely different with us. You only have to trust us and you will be amazed by how our service will meet up to your expectations.
We look forward to earning your business and fulfilling your specific transportation need! Please don't hesitate to contact us


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8:00 pm
Antiques Roadshow "Vintage Phoenix" ANTIQUES ROADSHOW first visited Phoenix in 1997, when Arizona was buzzing about a UFO sighting. Since then many things have changed including the value of some of the treasures: The original 1897 "Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus," letter to the New York Sun is today worth up to $50,000, a $20,000 bump in value. Other treasures have not been so lucky.G
9:00 pm
Globe Trekker "Around The World - Pacific Journeys: Santiago to Pitcairn" Zay Harding takes off for island hopping from Santiago de Chile, gateway to Easter Island.G
10:00 pm
Independent Lens "The Undocumented" Border Patrol agents, Native Americans, smugglers, ranchers, retirees and samaritans form a constellation of people engaged with the Arizona-Mexico border on a daily basis - policing it, inhabiting it, crossing it, working it, making it safer or simply feeling its consequences. But at the center of it all is the migrant. This film tells the story of the migrants who die while trying to cross an unforgiving desert in search of a better life.G
11:30 pm
Charlie Rose NULL


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SAN FRANCISCO — It was with the expectation that he would provide some extra depth that the Dodgers signed veteran utilityman Chone Figgins to a minor-league contract during the offseason. The move has paid unexpected dividends with Figgins providing mentorship to Dee Gordon that Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said has been a key factor in the 25-year-old speedster's turnaround.
Going into Wednesday, Gordon was batting .372 (16 of 43) and led the majors with 10 steals (he's been caught just once). He also led the Dodgers with a .429 on-base percentage.
"I think Figgy's been a good influence" on Gordon, Mattingly said. "They seem to be together doing stuff all the time, so I think Figgy's been a great influence on Dee."
"(Figgins) was a dynamic guy up top," Mattingly said, noting his eight-year stintwith the Angels in which he was known for high on-base percentages and stolenbase totals. "He was a pain."
As has been Gordon this year since he's been getting on base more often. Going into this year, Gordon drew just 37 walks in 669 plate appearances over three seasons. He's already walked four times this year in 49 trips to the plate.
"The biggest problem with Dee offensively has been getting on base," Mattingly said. "I think we're seeing a maturity in him as far as the quality of the at-bats, taking pitches when he should and just trying to hit the ball on the ground. You see him having the right at-bat a lot."
Gordon also has made an easy move to second base this season after playing shortstop for most of his career — and an audition in the outfield in winter ball. That Gordon, who'd been viewed as a defensive liability at shortstop, has excelled in his new infield role hasn't surprised the Dodgers.
"I think we were a lot more comfortable than a lot of people were because of what we observed," Mattingly said. "He looked comfortable in the spring. He made a lot of nice plays in the spring."
If he keeps it up, Gordon could make the decision to bring up Cuban defector Alex Guerrero,the organization's presumed second baseman of the future, a tough one.
"(Gordon) gives us a little speed," Mattingly said. "He gives us a gives us a different dimension."
Vote of confidence
A day after giving up the game-winning run in a 12-inning 3-2 loss to San Francisco, beleaguered reliever Brandon League got a vote of confidence from his manager. The Dodgers are hoping League will bounce back from an awful season last year. The former all-star closer is in the second year of a three-year $22.5 million contract. His most recent outings have been uninspiring. Tuesday was his second straight poor outing. League gave up three runs in 2/3 of an inning in an 8-5 victory over Arizona on April 12. He's given up four runs (all earned) over his last 1 1/3 innings. Before that, he pitched four straight scoreless innings in his first two outings.
"I just think his stuff is good," Mattingly said. "It may not be what it was five years ago but it's still good. He's still capable of getting guys out."I do think he'll end up being a useful piece in our bullpen."Kershaw's rehab Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw continued to make strides in his recovery from a strained back muscle that landed him on the disabled list March 23, Mattingly said.
The reigning Cy Young award winner threw curveballs on flat ground Wednesday and will throw fastballs on a mound Thursday to build up his arm strength. But the pace of his rehabilitation will be determined by Stan Conte, the team's injury guru,and not Kershaw, Mattingly said.
"Stan's going to make all the decisions," Mattingly said. "It's already in a sense out of Clayton's hands from the standpoint of him making the decision … it's going to be Stan basically making sure that he's been able cross off enough boxes to where he can go out and rehab."
Billingsley update
A contrast MRI in Los Angeles revealed no structural damage to right-hander Chad Billingsley's sore pitching elbow, Mattingly said.
The Dodgers shut down Billingsley, who's recovering from Tommy John surgery, eight pitches into a bullpen session Tuesday in San Francisco. Billingsley was however diagnosed with tendinitis, Mattingly said, noting it wasn't yet known how soon he'd resume throwing.


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Zechariah's Song Lyrics
I've got a friend who carries flowers everywhere he goes. He picks a new one everyday and everybody knows who broke his heart. I've got a friend who brought a picture frame on his trip across the world but he broke it back in Denver. Never made it to his girl in California.
Why is it so hard to fall in love? You turn it on. You turn it off. A broken heart just keeps on breaking on and on and on.
I've got a friend in Guatemala who swears he's given up. "No conozco a esperanza and I don't believe in God. Not anymore." I've got a friend who talks to Jesus to heal her broken heart but she's holding on to pieces. She's never even thought of letting go.
We're still so young but our time is running out. This world keeps spinning 'round and 'round.
With one hand on my heart, the other covering my eyes I must confess I am the lie. I am the love song but I have never seen the light.
We don't have much time to get this right. (I've waited here a hundred years with my lover's heartbeat) You better get your kiss before it's midnight. (Echoing from distant miles, fear contends desire.) Don't you get the sense it's now or never (we march on through 'cause we are young and the sun is still strong) to find the song you love and dance forever?


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LocationRaynham MA
720 Church St. Rt. 44
Raynham, MA 02767
New 2018 Forest River RV FR3 29DS
This virtual tour must be opened in a separate tab. Click below to continue.
Open Tour
It's time to travel in comfort and style in your new FR3 29DS Class A gas motor home by Forest River. Image having everything you need at your fingertips. This unit features double slides for added interior space, an outside camp kitchen with an entertainment center for the outdoor chef in the family, and much more!
Step inside the wide entry door right behind the front passenger seat. There is a power fold away bunk above the cab area for added sleeping space when needed. There is also a nice work station in front of the passenger seat too.
Along the road side wall there is a slide out featuring a jack knife sofa with footrests, a double kitchen sink, and a residential microwave above a three burner range. A refrigerator and pantry are next to the slide for added convenience for your food storage needs. You can choose an optional 18 cu. ft. refrigerator if you like.
On the opposite side you will find a wrap-around booth dinette and a 40" LED TV. Next, there is a full bathroom including a shower, vanity with sink, medicine cabinet, and a toilet.
Continue on back to a sliding door that provides privacy in the rear master bedroom. There is a king size bed slide out on one side, and a wardrobe and LED TV on the other side.
Don't forget about the outside camp kitchen with an entertainment center also. This is sure to be one of your favorite spots!
You Save: $51,723
Sale Price: $79,995
Stock# 29879
Chassis: Ford
Interior Color: PEBBLE
|0 ft
|Ext Width
|8 ft 4 in
|Ext Height
|12 ft 2 in
|Int Height
|6 ft 10 in
|Interior Color
|Hitch Weight
|5000 lbs
|Gross Weight
|18000 lbs
|Fresh Water Capacity
|57 gals
|Grey Water Capacity
|42 gals
|Black Water Capacity
|42 gals
|Tire Size
|Furnace BTU
|35000 btu
|Fuel Type
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In 1996, Forest River founder Peter Liegl had a vision. He foresaw an RV company dedicated to helping people experience the joy of the outdoors by building better recreational products. Today that vision is a reality.
Continually growing, Forest River operates multiple manufacturing facilities throughout the midwest and west coast. Our large production capacity enables us to fill our customers' orders promptly without cutting corners or rushing through production procedures. This ensures that each Forest River product is conscientiously built and undergoes thorough, detailed inspection before it's shipped to the customer.
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To speak of organizing electronics recycling is, perhaps, an oxymoron. At least 17 states have passed e-cycling laws, starting with California in 2003. Many of them require the manufacturers of computers and televisions to play a financial role, but each state does it differently. And Texas doesn't mention televisions.
The proliferation got worse earlier this year, when New York City got into the act. The city council passed an ordinance that included a formula for imposing recycling quotas on individual manufacturers, with the quotas moving higher over time. Companies sighed with relief when Mayor Michael Bloomberg forced deletion of that provision from the broader measure on manufacturer responsibility.
But wait—there's a sequel .?.?. as there usually is in electronics recycling. The city's Department of Sanitation, in charge of the program, proposed that discarded electronics gear weighing 10 pounds or more should be picked up, at the manufacturers expense, if the customer requests it. Not a good idea, the equipment makers said. And so another wrangle began over how the program will be handled.
There's still some possibility of a federal law on the subject, according to Steve Skurnac, president of Sims Recycling Solutions' North American unit, but he told AMM that he wouldn't expect anything to happen until late 2009. Skurnac's company is the largest U.S. electronics recycler in terms of material processed by its own equipment.
An October conference call aired some of the frustrations and improvisations caused by the current patchwork. The 90-minute forum, featuring manufacturer presentations, was off the record. The "who" can't be disclosed, but a look at some of the viewpoints is illuminating.
One option is for manufacturer alliances to develop so that there won't be 80 or more separate takeback programs—an approach encouraged by some of the state laws already in place. But that agenda leads to a different complication how much should each participating manufacturer be paying? It might be pleasant to avoid a formula set by lawmakers, but there still has to be one.
Allocating responsibility is key, a panelist familiar with the issue said.
One company said it was exploring the possibility of reverse logistics. Since it has an extensive network for delivering goods to retailers, it might be able to use its own delivery system to bring back discards for recycling. But that could become a legal nightmare in states with electronics recycling laws that define "collectors" and specify qualifications, procedures and reporting requirements for them, he said.
Two participants said it's a bad idea to specify some products as eligible for recycling and other products not; if you're going to set up a program, take all your branded stuff, they said.
One speaker pointed to an analogous problem that California has encountered the legislature's definition of eligible products doesn't appear to have had much influence on the people who own and discard electronic goods. The "don't" list seemingly is ignored by ordinary consumers, so a company organizing a drop-off recycling event in California will discover that half the goods brought in don't qualify for reimbursement from the state recycling fund. (California's reimbursement payments derive from a tax-like surcharge on purchases of new electronics.) In the real world, nobody at the recycling event will tell the consumer to take the ineligible stuff back home. The unsubsidized equipment often gets recycled at a loss. Sometimes it simply is shipped abroad to a fate that might include polluting some other country's environment.
An interesting dialogue occurred regarding Vermont recycling. The speaker from one manufacturer pointed to that state as a jurisdiction where drop-off sites are conveniently available nearly everywhere without the legislature having acted. But those sites aren't well publicized, according to a Vermonter in the conference call's audience, who said the state probably recycles fewer pounds of electronic discards per person than many other states. At a minimum, manufacturers should be funding a statewide effort to make Vermont's recycling sites better known and to encourage their use, she said.
A Texas law passed last year was praised as an example of how to get product makers active in recycling without telling them how to do it. The measure, which took effect Sept. 1, requires no-fee takeback of a manufacturer's own brands of computers and monitors. Televisions aren't included. The Texas statute became a model this year, imitated by the legislatures of Missouri, Oklahoma, Virginia and West Virginia.
One speaker noted that states aren't the only entities that twist arms to foster electronics recycling. He mentioned that Wal-Mart has asked electronics makers that it buys from to fill out an environmental scorecard. The idea is that highly rated manufacturers will receive larger orders and better display from the retailer.
But the Wal-Mart executive that briefed the electronics community on the project also urged action by Congress, according to a Reuters report early this year. "We'd like to see some kind of federal legislation that would take all the individual state programs and bring it together," said Kevin O'Connor, Wal-Mart's general merchandise manager for consumer electronics.
During the conference call's question-and-answer session, an audience member praised Hewlett-Packard Co. for making public the exact questions it asks of recycling contractors in its efforts to carry out what is sometimes called "downstream due diligence"—checking up on what becomes of the products and materials in the recycling stream. If the results are displeasing, the contractor is dropped. Companies represented in the conference call should do the same thing, she added.
Several speakers said their agendas require maximum discretion in choosing vendors and contractors on the basis of low cost and acceptance of standards. "We want the ability to walk away from a vendor if we don't like what they're doing," one speaker said. "Some of the state programs don't allow us to do that." PAUL SCHAFFER
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Every month American Metal Market takes a statistical look inside the marketplace.
We actually don't know who his investors are. At the point when we are ready, we will investigate further. There are just so many things to handle and there are a lot of items to be considered with the project."
-- Charles C. Mitchell, Barstow city manager


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Springfield gun-maker Smith & Wesson has reported a 48 percent increase and recordssales in the second-quarter of fiscal year 2013.
It earned $21.2 million in profit, or 31 cents a share during the quarter ended Oct. 31. In the same period a year earlier, the company reported a loss of $1.6 million, or 2 cents a share.
Revenue soared 48% to $136.6 million, from $92.3 million.
The increase was led by continued strong sales across all of the company's firearm product lines, the company said in a press release.
The press release also said that the company now anticipates higher net sales from continuing operations.
The latest projections estimate between $550 million and $560 million in net sales for fiscal year 2013, which would represent year-over-year growth of approximately 35 percent.
James Debney, president and chief executive officer of Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. said, "Our strong fiscal second quarter financial performance reflects the ongoing successful execution of our strategic plan, and accordingly ... we are increasing our full year fiscal 2013 financial guidance.


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- Air Compressors, Tools & Accessories
- Air Compressor Parts & Accessories
- Air Compressors
Air Tools
Nail Guns & Pneumatic Staple Guns
Used to inflate tires, sporting gear, air mattresses & pool accessories
Used for craft projects, small garage work or building & construction
Used for industrial applications, automotive work & machinery
Auto body work, machinery repairs, tire changing and rotation
Take the elbow grease out of your next project. Leave the heavy stuff to the air compressor. Or maybe you just need air tools to install trim, inflate your tires and pool, paint your siding or clean a deck? The Home Depot has a large collection of stationary air compressors, portable air compressors, small air compressors, air conditioner compressors, commercial air compressors and quiet air compressors to meet your every need, from small to large.
Need to take the show on the road? Our gas air compressors can easily travel with you. And when you're not exactly sure what air compressor is right for you, you can look to our air compressor buying guide for some help.
The Home Depot carries the most trusted brands to meet the needs of any DIYer - Husky air compressors, Porter-Cable air compressors and Makita air compressors have the compressor to meet your needs. Don't forget to also check out our nail guns, air tools and inflators which will help you to complete any project.


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Is the fasting person who the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) encouraged us to give him food to break his fast with the poor person who is fasting, or one who is a stranger in the land, or the one whom we invite to break the fast with us at home, such as a guest who is part of the family or a relative? Can we attain the reward by offering food for breaking the fast to fasting people to whom we give a private invitation during Ramadan?.
It is proven that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever gives food to a fasting person with which to break his fast will have a reward like his without detracting from the reward of the fasting person in the slightest."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 807
What is meant by the fasting person here is any Muslim who is fasting, especially those who are deserving of charity, such as the poor, needy, and wayfarers. This is similar to the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): "Whoever equips a fighter for the sake of Allah has gone out on campaign (i.e., will have the reward of going out on campaign)."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2843.
And Allah is the source of strength. May Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and Companions. End quote .
Standing Committee fir Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah (vol. 2), 9/33
For more information please see also the answers to questions no. 50047, 118145
And Allah knows best.


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Cheaper than Therapy
What once started out as just a plain yard has, over the last 12 years, become a hobby for my husband and myself. The goal each year is to have less grass to mow. Maybe we will get there some day.
Back Yard Deck Fence Flower Close-ups Garden Hardscape Large (5,000 - 10,000 sq ft.) Lawn Medium (1,000 - 5,000 sq ft.) Patio Pond Side Yard Small (Under 1,000 sq ft.) Stone / Rock Water Garden Water-Wise
8 of 30: Antique bottles I bought at an antique show. Wrapped wire around the neck and then tied rafia around it.
9 of 30: Come spring, the chickadees are the first to nest in the bird houses. Later come the wrens.
19 of 30: This variety of Black-eyed Susan (?) self seeded itself in my yard. It seems to be more resistant to Japanese beetles. I love the way it grows in different spots in the yard every year.
25 of 30: My husband made rain barrels and placed them around the corners of the house. Watering the plants is no longer a chore.
Comments / Questions
Did you make your birdhouses?
I love frogs! Check out my pond and frogs!
Hey Lynn awesome Love your frog and the bridge the fish great job. Enter the contest so I can vote for you.
Beautiful ponds. I especially like the stonework margins.
Yours is another garden that should be higher up on the inspiration list! You definitely have my vote. (I'm beginning to think people who are voting are not doing it based on merit -- I'm seeing too many votes going to yards not nearly as lovely as yours.)
Show 7 more comments
Thank you for the tour! I have found inspiration.
Thanks for visiting me too - you visited my last year - I posted on for this summer too - It is funny for me to see all the changes I make in a season - if you look at my Lower Maintenance pics I bet you can see the changes too plus my frog!
Love your Title - I cant tell you how many times I have said the same thing - I even feel better when I am out there! We have many similarities in our yards - frogs, pond, passion flower, THERAPY, and mine has been about a 12 year hobby too! I loved every picture.
Love your paradise! You have such good ideas!
What a wonderful yard you have, so colorful and diverse! Thank you for sharing, and thank you for visiting our yard. Don't you just love when the frogs come back in the spring? Our goals seem to be similar - the less grass, the better!
what a nice little oasis
Thank you for the tour of your yard. Very pretty. I like your BLUE BOTTLE TREE. I too love BLUE and things that are different.
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Hey everybody.
As I am using an older PDA (Sony Clié PEG-NR70V) which still uses Palm OS 4.1, I have to use an older version of ScummVM, because everything up from 0.7.x uses PalmOS 5. As v 0.7 is not working for me (always crashes with the MemMove to NULL error), I am currently using 0.6.1 but this one has some bugs (for example Sam & Max is crashing, Simon doesn't even start and so on). Is there any way to compile a newer build (maybe even 0.11) from svn for PalmOS 4.1?


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PARSIPPANY, N.J., Dec. 12, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avis Budget Group has been inducted into the Women's Business Enterprise (WBE) Hall of Fame for its ongoing support of women-owned businesses. Presented by the American Institute of Diversity and Commerce, the national award honors companies, organizations and individuals that have demonstrated exemplary leadership and support in the success of women's business enterprise initiatives.
"We are committed to operational excellence and that entails embracing diverse suppliers," said Ronald L. Nelson, Avis Budget Group chairman and chief executive officer. "This commitment has enabled us to form great partnerships with hundreds of women-owned, minority-owned and small-businesses who have contributed to our success. We are proud to be named to the Hall of Fame."
Avis Budget Group has a long-standing tradition of supporting diverse suppliers. The Company is a member of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and has been recognized as one of America's Top Corporations for Women's Business Enterprises for 12 consecutive years. Avis Budget Group is also a corporate member of the Airport Minority Advisory Council, the Billion Dollar Roundtable, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin, the New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc., the National Minority Supplier Development Council, the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the United States Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce, WEConnect Canada, the Women's Presidents' Educational Organization and the Women Presidents' Organization.
About Avis Budget Group
Avis Budget Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:CAR) is a leading global provider of vehicle rental services through its Avis and Budget brands, with 10,000 rental locations in approximately 175 countries around the world. Avis Budget Group operates most of its car rental offices in North America, Europe and Australia directly, and operates primarily through licensees in other parts of the world. Avis Budget Group has approximately 29,000 employees and is headquartered in Parsippany, N.J. For more information, visit www.avisbudgetgroup.com.
The Avis Budget Group, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=8891
CONTACT: Alice Pereira (973) 496-6113 email@example.com
Source:Avis Budget Group, Inc.


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USC freshman offensive tackle Zach Banner is redshirting this season but the Tacoma, Wash., native made the travel squad for Saturday's game against Washington.
"This is a big bone (Coach Lane Kiffin) threw me," Banner said. "I think it's going to be a different experience for me, coming out of the tunnel at home and not getting any cheers."
Banner was one of the most sought after high school linemen a year ago but chose USC over Washington and Oklahoma. He said Huskies fans might not like him but the rest of the state respects him.
"I called (Washington coach Steve Sarkisian) and told him I would put a USC hat on at my press conference," Banner said. "A lot of recruits won't even call the other schools. He said he respect that. He knew I wanted to be different.
"I wanted to take a local name and become a national legend."
Banner will not get an opportunity to become a legend until next year, but he was asked Tuesday if he would pet the Husky dog mascot that sits on the sidelines at home games.
"I ain't going to pet it, I might kick it," Banner said.
Redd OK
Tailback Silas Redd left the Utah game with a sore back and wore a yellow jersey at Tuesday's practice but said he is fine for the Washington game.
"I have no doubts I'll play," Redd said.
Redd offered support for his former school, Penn State, which is off to a 4-2 start after it upset Northwestern.
"I'm very proud of those guys," Redd said. "I have a lot of friends on the team."
Another test for Woods
Wide receiver Robert Woods underwent another concussion test Monday and was OK. The wide receiver said his mother stopped watching the Utah after he was hit on a punt return and fell to the ground with what looked like a possible concussion.
"I was a little shaky when I hit the ground but when I got back up I was on," Woods said. "I didn't want (Utah) to think I was hurt."
Lee would like to play CB
Wide receiver Marqise Lee admitted he would not play cornerback but said he would like a chance.
"I want to do it," Lee said. "It's not going to happen. We're not getting a great start (defensively). If they need me to help, that's what I'll do."
Lee said he has not worked at cornerback while at USC but said he could make the transition.
"It would just be here and there (that I would play)," Lee said.
Meanwhile, safety Josh Shaw took snaps at cornerback for the first time this week as USC tries to shore up its weakest spot defensively. Torin Harris and Kevon Seymour are also competing at the same cornerback spot opposite Nickell Robey.
Colorado sellout
USC's game against Colorado at the Coliseum on Oct. 20 is sold out. The game will be televised on the Pac-12 Network.


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For Immediate Release
Contact: Jerry Horn
(540) 845-8269
Fr. Frank Pavone today announced that two more full-time priests have joined the staff of Priests for Life, the International pro-life organization which he has led since 1993.
Fr. Denis G. Wilde, of Villanova, PA, and Fr. Peter West, of Newark, NJ have both been released by their Ordinaries to devote 100% of their time to Priests for Life.
"This is an incredible day for our association," said Fr. Pavone, who is an official of the Pontifical Council for the Family in Rome. "We are very grateful to Archbishop Theodore McCarrick of Newark, and to the Very Reverend John Deegan, Prior Provincial of the Augustinian Order, St. Thomas of Villanova, for releasing these two priests to us at a time when priests are in such demand.
"It is gratifying to know that Priests for Life enjoys such tremendous support among the bishops of the United States. Since we began our mission, seven years ago, we have very consciously avoided building a separate structure apart from the Church; rather, we have endeavored at all times to work within the structure of the Catholic Church, in total union and cooperation with the Bishops, and to assist their diocesan pro-life offices to infuse the structure which already exists with ever-greater pro-life fervor, energy and effectiveness."
Fr. Pavone was in Washington D.C. to introduce the two new priests to officials of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and to various pro-life leaders. His D.C. stop comes at the beginning of a pro-life swing across the country that will take him to 14 states in 40 days.
The addition of Fr. West and Fr. Wilde to the staff of Priests for Life brings the number of full-time priests in the organization to four. "This will literally double our effectiveness" stated Fr. Pavone. "For the last several years, Fr. Richard Hogan, of St. Paul-Minneapolis, and I have been averaging three pro-life trips per week. We have preached against abortion in every one of the fifty states, and have personally reached an estimated 500,000 people with our message. We will now be able to do twice as much!"
Priests for Life has taken this occasion to make public a statement called "Choice in Christ," which challenges the notion that church communities and individual Christians can be "pro-choice" and still remain faithful to their calling.
"From the beginning of the abortion battle," said Fr. Pavone, "the pro-abortion forces, knowing their greatest obstacle is the Catholic Church, have attempted to silence and intimidate the clergy on this issue, and to say that a pro-choice position is consistent with the Gospel. It is time for them to realize that that game is over."


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Hi everyone,
I'm a new dad posting on behalf of my wife and our brand new baby girl (11 days old today!). We've had all kinds of issues related to breastfeeding and tried a lot of things.. my wife is at her wit's end and has declared that she will give up in a few days if things don't look up and just exclusively use formula. She gets so upset about it I can't really argue that point with her, so I am turning to you all for help.
Here comes the long story..
When our girl was first born, she seemed to have a bit of a shallow latch and maybe a weak suck. It caused my wife some pain and discomfort and more than one nurse commented that the baby didn't have enough of the areola in her mouth. The hospital's lactation consultant confirmed this, and we tried different things to improve the latch while in the hospital. She continued to make lots of wet diapers so we figured she was getting enough, either way.
When we were discharged it was noted that our baby was jaundiced and the bilirubins were climbing. Our first peds appt was the next day, and it turned out the bilirubin level was 19.3 (our docs wanted to admit for phototherapy at 20.0). Also, she hadn't had a wet diaper for 6-8 hours prior to that appt. We were instructed to begin supplementing with formula via a syringe to help keep her hydrated, and while this was laborious and slow, it seemed to help somewhat. The next day we were seen by our pediatrician and the bilirubin only modestly improved. At this point we were told to start with formula via a bottle to more aggressively hydrate and bring the bilirubin levels down. We were told to give, minimum, 2 oz every 3 hours. That first night, she took the formula as if she was starving and slept like a champ!
This strategy worked for the jaundice. Wet diapers were more frequent, skin seemed less yellow, and bilirubin plummeted to 14 within 2 days. We were ecstatic! But now the problem was the breastfeeding.
During this ordeal, my wife felt that her breasts engorged one morning (maybe day 5 postpartum?) and that her milk was ready to come in. However, that day we discovered, of all things, BED BUGS in our bedroom (which is where our baby's crib is as well). Total nightmare situation. Exterminator and landlord were called, we evacuated to a hotel (with my parents who were in town at the time), and stayed there for the night. Given the commotion and everything, my wife didn't have any time to pump or breastfeed until very late that night, which went poorly. Baby still seems to latch poorly, suck weakly, give up after a few minutes and cry out of frustration ... or just pass out at the breast after only a few minutes. Because of all this, my wife feels that she "missed her window" to establish breastfeeding and now it's just an uphill battle.
The next day, we hired an IBCLC who came highly recommended to help us out. She told us to rent a hospital grade pump (we did) and pump 10 times a day (my wife usually can do 9-10/day). She's already been drinking Mother's Milk tea, drinking lots of water and fluids, and doing skin to skin. So far it's been 5 days since we got the hospital grade pump, and my wife can generate about 2 oz of breastmilk every 2 pumps or so. She's very frustrated by the small amount (even though she knows that pump output does not necessarily equal milk production), exhausted by the constant cleaning and strict pumping schedule, and upset that the baby doesn't seem to take the breast and much prefers the bottle.
The best we can figure is that the baby is having nipple confusion, prefers the bottle because it's easier to suck, and fails at the breast because 1) she doesn't latch enough of the areola, and 2) my wife's milk production is still not up to par to provide enough milk for the baby. We tried a nipple shield because we heard that could help. We are using an SNS but it still seems like she's sucking weakly and doing just enough to drink from the SNS. We know she can generate a very strong suck because when we give her my fingertip to calm her, she goes to town on it (and my finger yields NO milk!).
The big problem right now, in my opinion, is that my wife is losing faith and motivation (I know it's very early! only day 11!). I read here all the time that moms stick with difficult breastfeeding and eventually it comes around and works out for most people. But my wife is almost totally burnt out on this already and is ready to throw in the towel, even though our lactation consultant remains very positive and optimistic. My biggest plea is that I need help keeping her motivated. She just got some reglan from her doc to try to help milk production, but as I understand it, that takes a week or so to exert effect? She may quit before then!
Please help me keep hope alive! Thanks in advance. Thanks for reading my novel.


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Tax Credits Have Changed Higher Ed Funding, but Who Benefits?
Tax Credits Have Changed Higher Ed Funding, but Who Benefits?
The late-1990's advent of the Hope and Lifetime Learning tax credit programs has significantly changed how higher education financial aid is provided to individuals. According to a recent study by Harvard's Bridget Long, the program's 1998 cost was $3.4 billion. In 2000 it was $4.9 billion—about 150% the cost of Pell grants.
Who benefits? State treasuries, not students, says Long. Apparently unintended, this consequence results from states calculating that the credits allow them to raise tuitions. One California analyst cited by Long says the credits will "create opportunities to increase the effective federal subsidy of California's higher education programs." The analyst estimates that tax credit-facilitated tuition increases would increase annual community college funding by $100 million without impacting the state budget.
The study reports other unintended program consequences, including:
- Individuals eligible for the tax credits were no more likely to enroll in post-secondary schools than were others, even though "tax credits were promoted as a means to increase college access."
- Reasons for failure to increase college access may include lack of knowledge about the credits and the fact that the benefit accrues only the year after tuition costs are expensed.
- Evidence that public, two-year colleges experienced reductions in state support for higher education in response to their ability to raise tuition.
- Lower-income people don't qualify for the credits because they owe little in taxes or may already receive other types of tax credits, deductions, or aid.
- Higher-income families don't qualify because of income ceilings on the credits.
The study concludes that, "these results document the importance of considering how a federal program affects the behavior of states and institutions in ways that might undermine the original policy."
Long, Bridget T. "The Impact of Higher Education Tax Credits for Higher Education Expenses", Working Paper 9553, National Bureau of Economic Research, March 2003. The full report can be purchased online at: http://www.nber.org/papers/w9553.


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Sale outdone by Rays' Moore in sixth straight loss
ST. PETERSBURG -- The trade proposed by Chris Sale following Tampa Bay's 3-0 victory Saturday night at Tropicana Field is not one being worked on by White Sox general manager Rick Hahn.
It certainly wouldn't be allowed by Major League Baseball. But Sale, who was named an All-Star for a second straight season approximately 30 minutes before first pitch, wanted to move personal glory in exchange for team success.View Full Game Coverage
ST. PETERSBURG -- The trade proposed by Chris Sale following Tampa Bay's 3-0 victory Saturday night at Tropicana Field is not one being worked on by White Sox general manager Rick Hahn.
It certainly wouldn't be allowed by Major League Baseball. But Sale, who was named an All-Star for a second straight season approximately 30 minutes before first pitch, wanted to move personal glory in exchange for team success.View Full Game Coverage
"Yeah, I definitely would trade [the All-Star selection] in for a win today," said a frustrated Sale.
Sale's 2013 All-Star honor came via a selection by American League and Detroit manager Jim Leyland. And as he has done all season, the 24-year-old southpaw proved Leyland to be a very astute judge of talent.
Yes, Sale is one of the best pitchers in baseball. Just don't look at Sale's 5-8 overall record as a basis for that analysis.
Despite allowing just two earned runs over seven innings and 118 pitches, while striking out nine and walking just one, Saturday marked Sale's sixth straight loss and seventh start without a win, leaving him empty on the plus side since May 17 at Anaheim. He has fanned 62 over the 49 1/3 innings during this losing streak and has watched his ERA rise from 2.53 to just 2.78.
His run of futility seems next to impossible, bordering on unimaginable, where a pitcher with Sale's electric stuff is concerned. Factor in the White Sox scoring just nine runs over those seven starts and it becomes a little easier to understand Sale's lack of success.
"He's fantastic," said Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon of Sale. "You talk about his stuff but that guy really competes and he's got great stuff. He has a great feel for a young guy. He's real good."
"Those are six games we should win when he holds a team like he does each and every time he goes out there and we don't score any runs for him," White Sox first baseman Adam Dunn said. "I look at that as six games, or at least four or five, we should win."
Tampa Bay (48-40) scored two runs off Sale in the second inning, with Luke Scott doubling home one and Desmond Jennings' groundout scoring a second. Third baseman Conor Gillaspie robbed Jennings of a hit, just as he did in the first inning, but Gillaspie's error on Jose Lobaton's slow roller to third also contributed to the scoring.
Scott's double down the right-field line marked the first extra-base hit for a left-handed hitter off Sale this year in 76 at-bats. Sale jumped ahead at 1-2 in the count before Scott pulled a changeup on a 3-2 offering and brought home Yunel Escobar.
"You want to make sure you take advantage of every situation where you can drive in a run," Scott said. "It's going to be slim pickings for the night, and it was for both sides."
"Good job by him, and he pitches his guts out," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura of Sale. "When you are not getting any runs, it seems like it's wasted."
Ventura's crew had prime chances to score in both the second and third innings against Matt Moore (12-3). But as has been the case for much of this season, they did nothing with them.
Jeff Keppinger opened the second with a double to left, but he was stranded there as Gillaspie and Dayan Viciedo struck out. Gordon Beckham's infield single extended the frame, but Tyler Flowers' popout to first closed out the rally with runners on the corners.
Moore hit Alejandro De Aza in the right wrist to start the third and then walked Alexei Ramirez on four pitches, with both runners moving up a base on a wild pitch with nobody out. Alex Rios followed with a line drive to third that was hit right at Evan Longoria, but De Aza strayed too far off the base and Longoria raced to third to double him off. Adam Dunn's deep fly to left was caught by Sam Fuld and left the White Sox scoreless.
"I didn't kill them by any means, but I felt like I put good wood on them," said Dunn, who also flew out deep to left against Joel Peralta to end the eighth. "They just didn't go."
At 34-50 overall, 15-30 on the road and 13 games behind the Tigers in the AL Central, the White Sox have hit a new low-water mark in both areas. That mark seems to sink on an almost daily basis for the South Siders.
Yet, frustration can't become finger-pointing or malaise in the mind of Sale, who has as much reason to complain as anyone on the team.
"Yeah, it's a mental grind and especially when you go through something like this," Sale said. "It's even more you got to be on your 'A' game.
"You can't get down on yourself or down on your team. Keep plugging along. I know that it's part of the game. It's not the first time this has ever happened. We are just focused on turning it around and getting right."
Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Merk's Works, and follow him on Twitter @scottmerkin.


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Simple Turkey Day Crafts
What a Turkey
Ask each child to write what she's thankful for on a paper feather, then stick it into this cute turkey centerpiece.How to make it: Cut a 1-inch sliver off the bottom of a 9-inch polystyrene ball. Wrap sphere neatly in thick dark-brown yarn, covering surface completely; knot on bottom. Make a 4-inch ball from light-brown yarn and attach to body with a wooden craft stick. Create simple facial features using felt: white circles (approximately the size of a quarter, with 1/8-inch pom-poms for pupils) for eyes, yellow triangles for the beak, and long red felt teardrops as the wattle. Cut feather shapes from colored craft paper and bend in half lengthwise to create seam. Glue wooden craft stick to the bottom third of the feather and insert in a fan shape on turkey body.
Fine Dining
Make a tablecloth from butcher paper and colorful craft paper. Bonus: Kids can color right on it.
How to make it: Trace dinner plate onto patterned paper; cut one for each guest. Attach to a brown butcher-paper tablecloth with double-stick tape. Cut a 2-1/2-inchsquare out of complementary paper and snip the edge of two corners to make utensil pocket. Attach double-stick tape to left, right, and bottom sides of pocket and bow pocket slightly before attaching to butcher-paper.
Mayflower Centerpiece
Kids can personalize the sails with the message of their choosing.
Plymouth Rocks
Instead of using paper place cards, coat stones in brightly colored tempera paint and glue on pasta letters.
Picture This
Personalized photo cup cozies will help little kids keep tabs on their drinks -- even if they can't read yet.
How to make it: Cut a 2-inch circle out of decorative paper and cut a close-up photo of child's face into a 1-3/4-inch circle. Center photograph on paper circle and attach with double-stick foam tape. Adhere to cardboard cup jacket with double-sided foam tape.
Watch this video to learn how to turn a paper cup into a pilgrim-hat snack cup.
Apple-Print Placemat
Help your kids decorate the holiday table with a homemade harvest-inspired craft.
What you'll need: burlap, scissors, freezer paper, iron, red and brown textile paint, paintbrushes, printed fabric, fabric glue
Make it: Cut your burlap to 13" x 17", or whatever placemat size you want to use. Then, sketch your apple shape onto the paper side of freezer paper and cut it out to form a stencil. Iron the freezer paper into place on the burlap, and then paint inside the stencil with red textile paint. Once it's dry, carefully peel your stencil away. Add a painted stem a funky leaf cut from printed fabric to finish. Pull a few threads from the edge of the placemat to make the fringe, and repeat until you have enough placemats for your whole family.
Thanksgiving Fortune Cookies
Remind your family to be thankful with these good fortune-filled cookies.
What you'll need: Fortune Cookie template (download from Kind Over Matter), color printer, cardstock, scissors, Glue Dots
Make it: Download the Fortune Cookie template, print, and cut out. Then, fold each circle in half without making a crease along the edge. Holding the circle in half with one hand, use the other to fold the two ends of your half-circle towards each other. Apply a Glue Dot to keep the two ends together. Then, type out and print a few things that you're thankful for and cut them into small strips you can insert into your cookies. Add to your table settings, and have your family "open" their cookies at the end of the meal.
Thanksgiving Pinata
Bring some action to your Thanksgiving dinner party with this super fun pinata.
Make it: Make the round pinata by covering a large balloon with newspaper strips dipped in equal parts water and flour -- don't cover the balloon's tie. Once you?ve got 3-4 layers and the newspaper is dry, pop the balloon by cutting the tie and remove it. Cover that hole with some more dipped newspaper strips and let dry. Then, cut two slits at the top and thread a piece of rope through so your pinata is easy to hang. Cut a "trap door," or three sides of a square, in the back, lift up the flap, and fill with candy, treats, or toys for your kids. Then, tape the trap door closed. To decorate, fold some colorful cupcake liners in half and glue them to pinata until it's covered. Hang and get cracking!
Turkey Cups
Don't get trapped in a continuous "Is that my drink?" loop. Make sure all your guests can find their cups by gluing on a few colorful turkey feathers. Write each person's name on the feathers, and then add some googley eyes and a triangle beak to finish.
Napkin Buddy
What you'll need: Empty cardboard tubes, scissors, colored craft foam, scalloped-edge scissors, foam mounting tape, googly eyes, Hold the Foam! glue
How to make it: Cut cardboard tubes into 1-inch-wide rings. Cut 5-x-1-1/8-inch pieces of foam; glue one around each ring. To make the turkey's body, cut out one 2-inch circle from craft foam. For the layered "feathers," cut out one 3-inch and one 4-inch circle from foam, then cut both in half. Trim the rounded edges with scalloped scissors. Glue the 4-inch half-circle to the center of the napkin ring; let dry. For dimension, use mounting tape to layer the 3-inch half-circle on top, then the 2-inch circle on top of that. Cut out a turkey head, beak, and wattle from foam. Glue the wattle, beak, and googly eyes to the head; let dry. Then glue the head to the center of the top circle.
Turkey Sign
What you'll need: One 15-x-9-inch piece of foam core, pencil, Mod Podge, foam brush, 6 ounces quinoa or similar grain, 1/4 cup each assorted dried beans, large tray
How to make it: Use a pencil to write "Gobble Gobble" (or another holiday message) onto foam core. Apply a layer of Mod Podge onto foam core. Working over a large tray, sprinkle quinoa over surface; let dry. (Try not to cover the letters too heavily.) Then, glue on beans to spell out your message; let dry. Glue more beans around the edges of foam to create a border; let dry. If you'd like to hang the sign, glue a large loop of ribbon or raffia onto the back.
Your Place or Mine?
What you'll need: Smooth rocks, craft paint, paintbrushesHow to make it: Make sure rocks are clean and dry. Paint designs onto rocks; let dry, then paint on the names of each of your guests. Use rocks as place cards.
Friendly Fowl
What you'll need: Solid-color adult- and child-size socks, scissors, pinking shears, dried beans, twist ties, stiffened or regular felt in assorted colors, one large and two tiny pom-poms for each turkey, fabric glue
How to make it: Cut off the top of each sock. Leave about 6 inches to the toe for each adult sock and 5 inches to the toe for each child's sock. Fill a sock with beans until it is two-thirds full. Gather the sock's opening, and close with a twist tie. Pull sock edges down and over exposed twist tie; glue to secure. Use pinking shears to cut out 6 turkey "feathers" from felt and glue over this area; this will be the back of the turkey. Cut out a felt wattle and beak; glue them to the front of a large pom-pom. Glue on two tiny pom-poms for eyes. When dry, glue head to the front of the turkey.
Tepees & Houses
What you'll need: Dessert-size paper plates, scissors, brown chenille stems, tape, small brush, sea sponge, craft paint, craft glue
How to make them: Cut paper plate in half. Roll ends to create a cone shape; tape to secure. Using a sea sponge, paint on a background with light-colored paint; let dry. Then, use a paintbrush to paint on designs; let dry. Cut chenille stems into three 3-1/2-inch pieces and glue to the inside of the top of the tepee.
What you'll need: Empty pint-size milk or creamer cartons, craft glue, spray-on paint primer, craft paint, pencil, brushes
How to make them: Glue container closed. Spray on paint primer; let dry. Paint top third of the container a darker color to resemble a roof. Paint the rest of the house a contrasting color; let dry. Use a pencil to sketch out windows and a door, then paint them on.
Indian Corn Magnet Craft
Dress up your fridge with this festive magnet. --Grace Dioguardo
Banner Craft
Welcome guests with this colorful banner. --Lauren Guerriero
Gorgeous Gourd Crafts
Find 8 creative ways to decorate with gourds.
Placecard Printables
Print your own festive placecards.


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- Inside Athletics
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JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 5, 2005) - The Buccaneer women's tennis team dropped a tough 5-2 decision to the Paladins on a sunny Tuesday afternoon on the ETSU tennis courts. ETSU's record now stands at 16-6 overall, 6-2 in the SoCon, while the Furman's record improves to 14-3, 5-0.
In doubles, action began with Furman's Mary Neill Hagood and Caroline Bentley defeating the Bucs' Masha Ilina (Kyiv, Ukraine) and Sylwia Ziolkowska (Warsaw, Poland) at No. 1, 8-2. Sandie Knight (Adamstown, Australia) and Elena Volobueva (Barcelona, Spain) then finished at No. 2 with an 8-3 win over Shannon Morris and Jacqueline Eckert. At No. 3, the pair of Olya Batsula (Minsk, Belarus) and Gemma Halim (Jakarta, Indonesia) took the point for ETSU in a close 9-7 decision over Marti Moore and Lauren Osborne.
In singles action, ETSU put up a fight, but Furman took five straight points for the win. ETSU's Batsula then added the Bucs only point at singles for the 5-2 final with a win at the No. 4 slot in a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 battle.
"Furman is tough and that's why they're SoCon champions year in and year out," stated Head Coach Steve Brooks. "I thought after winning the doubles point that we were going to do it, but we lost close ones at two and three, up a break in the third set and losing those ended up losing the match. We still have two matches to go before the tournament and hopefully we can win those to gain confidence before we head into the tournament."
The Bucs will now prepare to host Appalachian State this Saturday, March 9 at noon.
East Tennessee State 2, Furman 5
1. Hagood/Bentley (FU) d. Ilina/Ziolkowska (ETSU) 8-2
2. Volobueva/Knight (ETSU) d. Morris/Eckert (FU) 8-3
3. Batsula/Halim (ETSU) d. Moore/Osborne (FU) 9-7
Order of Finish: 1,2,3
1. Mary Neill Hagood (FU) d. Sandie Knight (ETSU) 6-2, 6-1
2. Caroline Bentley (FU) d. Masha Ilina (ETSU) 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
3. Shannon Moore (FU) d. Sylwia Ziolkowska (ETSU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
4. Olya Batsula (ETSU) d. Jacqueline Eckert (FU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
5. Marti Morris (FU) d. Elena Volobueva (ETSU) 6-3, 6-1
6. Lauren Osborne (FU) d. Gemma Halim (ETSU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-0
Order of Finish: 1, 5, 6, 2*, 3, 4
* - Clinching point


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Vacant buildings in Seattle must be secured and maintained to prevent unauthorized entry and deterioration from the weather. Our Housing and Building Maintenance Code contains the City's Vacant Building Maintenance standards.
If a vacant building becomes so deteriorated that it poses a danger to the public, we may seek an order allowing abatement – a court order granting us permission to enter onto the property and demolish the building. Before asking for a court order, we send a notice to the property owner and provide an opportunity for a hearing.
This ordinance does not cover:
Our ordinance requires that you:
Read the Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) sections on the vacant building standards SMC 22.206.200 and unfit building standards SMC 22.208.
Violations of the code may result in fines starting at $150 per day. Our vacant building monitoring fees range from $253.80 to $506.55 per quarter. If we have to board up or demolish a vacant building at the City's expense, we will seek reimbursement and a tax lien may be placed on your property to recover those costs.
Ask Us


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Originally developed at the University of North Carolina, it is being used by Google to test scheduler policies. "At Google we have used Linsched as a testing tool to validate the behavior of the kernel scheduler," details Google's Ranjit Manomohan, "We could cut down our validation time from several days to a couple of hours due to the ability to run multiple tests on several different types of hardware models."
This has already led to several improvements in the kernel scheduler, thanks to the high fegree of code sharing between LinSched and the 'real' scheduler. "Due to the high degree of code sharing between LinSched and the Linux scheduler, porting LinSched code to Linux is reasonably straightforward," Manomohan explains, "LinSched may be especially useful to those who are new to Linux scheduler development."
"Since Linsched allows arbitrary hardware topologies to be modeled, it enables testing of scheduler changes on hardware that may not be easily accessible to the developer," he adds, "For example, most developers don't have access to a quad-core quad-socket box, but they can use LinSched to see how their changes affect the scheduler on such boxes."
The code is out there.


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Nashua poet: 'I just like to play with words'By KIMBERLY HOUGHTON
Union Leader Correspondent February 06. 2014 7:44PM
NASHUA — Whether it is writing about getting old, neglected bills or weary moms, Stephen Scaer's passion for light-hearted poetry is evident in his first book released last week.
After 12 years of writing poems, Scaer, a Nashua resident for about 20 years, has finally published his first book.
"Pumpkin Chucking," a collection of about 50 poems, highlights the everyday occurrences and sometime tedious rhythms of life, but it also focuses on something of greater importance — family.
"I really wanted this book to entertain people," said Scaer, a special education teacher at Pelham High School. "Honestly, I am probably the most boring guy in New Hampshire."
Despite Scaer's modest outlook on his own life, his poems are anything but ordinary. While many of them entail normal situations such as hiking a trail, a bag floating in the street, sand flying in your face or even losing hair, they all seem to have an underlying message that is not only humorous but enlightening.
"I absolutely love the craft of writing, but it is very hard to write a serious limerick," said Scaer, who opts instead to focus on comical scenarios such as pumpkin chucking, an odd practice that has gained significant attention in New England.
Scaer describes his poem "Pumpkin Chucking," which is also the title of his book, as a devilishly tricky poem. There is a unique beauty watching pumpkins fly quietly through the air all alone, but then they have such an odd and funny ending when they splatter on the ground without much fanfare or afterthought, according to Scaer.
"This is a hobby for me. I have never seen it as more than that," Scaer said of his poems, many of which have been written while waiting in lines or waiting for events to begin. "I write automatically. I just like to play with words; it is that simple."
Scaer describes his collection of poems as nursery rhymes for adults, which are not abstract and can be understood by just about anyone.
"My target audience is people who, as children, liked Mother Goose, 'A Child's Garden of Verses' or 'Where the Sidewalk Ends,' but lost their interest in poetry when it lacked rhythm, rhyme and it stopped making sense," he said. "There's a magic to the metrical forms that I hope will win people back to poetry."
Scaer's book was officially released on Jan. 30, published by Able Muse Press.
Scaer admits that he doesn't write as often as he used to. When his children were younger, Scaer said, he wrote about a poem a day, but now he has time for about one poem per month.
With his first book wrapped up, Scaer is already working to create a second book of poems, which he says is about half finished.
"I love when the music of meter and rhyme stick in your head so you'll always have a few lines of verse with you when you need them," he added.
"Pumpkin Chucking" is available online at ablemusepress.com and amazon.com. Paperback and digital versions are also being sold at barnesandnoble.com.
* e-Edition subscription required


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NEW YORK (AP) The NFL is looking into Tom Brady's leg-up slide that hit Ravens safety Ed Reed in the AFC championship game.
League spokesman Greg Aiello said Tuesday "any play of that nature is routinely reviewed."
Brady could be subject to a fine if the league believes he violated any player safety rules.
During the final minute of the first half, Brady slid at the end of an impromptu run. The quarterback's upraised leg hit the onrushing Reed, who temporarily limped away. Reed was not injured.
Ravens safety Bernard Pollard said Monday that Brady should be disciplined by the NFL, which levies fines on defensive players for helmet-to-helmet hits.
"If you want to keep this going in the right direction, everyone should be penalized for their actions," Pollard said, adding Brady "knew what he was doing.
"It has to go both ways. Hopefully the NFL will do something about it. If they don't, that's fine. If they do, then that's fine."
Baltimore beat New England 28-13 for the AFC championship Sunday.


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Charter Communications (NASDAQ: CHTR) sells bundled cable, internet and landline telephone services to 5.7 million customers in 29 States.[1] Charter is the nation's fourth-largest bundled cable, internet, and telephone provider, but its revenues have contracted steadily as it struggles to compete with Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications. These cable providers are larger than Charter, and as a result they can offer cheaper and more extensive services. [2] [3] [4]
Charter's economic niche is also threatened by a growing number of telecommunications companies like Verizon, AT&T, Sprint Nextel, and Bell South. These firms are expanding into video and internet services by partnering with Satellite TV companies like DirecTV and Dish Network, while also developing fiber optics technology that will enable a video, internet, and telephone triple play at much higher speeds than what's possible with current equipment. To put this in perspective, Charter is only the 12th largest telecommunications company, despite the fact that it is the 4th largest bundled home service provider. [5] The single largest reason Charter has reported net losses year after year is its $21 billion dollar debt, eventually led to the company's bankruptcy.
Charter Communications sells monthly telecom services such as high-speed Internet access, video on demand, high-definition and interactive television, and VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) to residential and business customers. Charter also helps businesses with networking, entertainment, telephone and advertising services.
Due to its heavy indebtedness, Charter has acknowledged that its required interest payments will continue to cause net losses for the foreseeable future. Charter's financial situation prevents R&D and significant capital outlays. [6]
Charter's physical products (that require a serviceman to come to your house) can be split into three categories: phones, internet lines, and cable boxes. Charter also generates miscellaneous revenue from networking solutions and advertising. Charter tries to bundle these products together, but some are more successful than others and make up a larger part of Charter's business. The pie-graph below shows that Charter primarily sells cable boxes, fewer internet lines, and even fewer phones.
Here is a more in-depth description of Charter's products.
Video Service Units
Charter Communications provides standard hotel-room style television services with options to increase the number of channels available, buy digital video, premium channels, pay-per-view, OnDemand, high-definition, and digital video recording.
Internet Units
Charter provides monthly high-speed internet service to its users. It sells both standard high speed (30 Mbps) and high-speed plus (100 Mbps) packaged with free e-mail accounts, anti-virus software, and online storage. [7]
Telephone Units
VoIP technology digital voice signals over the internet allows unlimited nationwide calling and all standard land-line services. International services also provided.[8]
Additional Services
Charter has two additional revenue sources, Commercial Services and Advertising Sales, which charge businesses for networking solutions and advertising space. Revenue Efficiency and Expansion
The above graph shows that Charter's internet services have higher rates of return than their video and phone services. Despite lower rates of return, Charter gets most of its revenue from video services and is looking to expand more into the phone industry.[9]
Consumers are increasingly replacing their television viewing with online entertainment. Commercial-free streaming of television shows and movies online has become an attractive option, while Social media sites like MySpace and YouTube take away advertising revenue for communications companies.
Because of today's various media options, only the Fall season sees prime-time television programming dominate other entertainment alternatives. Young people want programming at more flexible times, necessitating downloading or digital recording which eats into advertisers' traditionally captive audience. [10] The changing media landscape has increased competition for Charter Communications, and has made Charter's services more easily replaceable. [11]
For Charter to avoid bankruptcy and find stability, it will be need to provide more flexible services to increasingly demanding customers and somehow retain advertising revenues in a declining market. That means competing head-to-head with telecommunications giants Verizon Communications (VZ) and AT&T (T) who have started providing video, internet and phone services backed by significant financial, regulatory, and technological advantages.
Economies of scale that exist in the communications business provide major competitive advantages for large firms. Comcast (CMCSA) and Time Warner Cable (TWC) dominate over 60% of the Multiple Service Operator market share. This allows the companies to negotiate national programming deals with entertainment companies, expand their video on-demand and HD technologies, and make other technology and customer service investments that rely on the revenue support of the company's large subscribers. [12] Scale also gives Comcast and Time Warner regulatory advantages - for instance, the FCC has allowed Comcast exclusive sports network contracting that affords subscribers improved viewing access. [13]
The television industry is also seeing major price increases for programming. Larger service providers have an advantage when it comes to affording these price increases, as they can spread the cost over their bigger subscriber base, and actually drive up prices through competitive bidding. Programming contracts must be renewed every few years, and Charter may have difficulty maintaining its channel variety in the next few years, which would further alienate its already thinning customer base. [14]
Charter Communications invests much of itself in a holding company called Charter Holdco. Charter currently has more than a 50% membership kljklkljkkjkkjkjkj in Charter Holdco. If Charter's membership interest in Charter Holdco dipped below 50%, Charter Communications' interest in Charter Holdco would be considered an "investment security" under the Investment Company Act. If a court were to determine that Class B common stock holders no longer held voting rights, Charter's membership in Holdco would dip below 50%, and Charter Communications would likely become an investment company (unless it were granted an exception from the Investment Company Act by appeal).
If Charter Communications were reclassified as an Investment Company, it would lose much of its ability to finance itself through issuing debt and selling its stock. Because Charter does not generate enough cash to cover its expenses through its operations, reclassification as an Investment Company could destroy Charter's liquidity and have other unpredictable negative impacts. [15]
Charter's direct competitors are other Multiple Service Operators. These companies provide bundled communication services which include television, internet, and phone services in discounted monthly packages.
Charter provides very similar services to other Multiple Service Operators at comparable or higher prices. [16] All Multiple Service Operators must compete in terms of each of their individual services.
Television Competition: The Satellite Sensation Sweeps the Nation?
Charter competes with other forms of video access like direct broadcast satellite, which 27 million Americans subscribe to due to its greater variety of channels. DBS packages are cheaper than comparable Charter Communications services by 30% on average [17] . Popular direct broadcasting satellite providers include The DirecTV Group (DTV) and EchoStar Communications (DISH).
The internet's increasing delivery of free, high quality television programs and movies also imperils a growing number of Charter's video services.
Telephone Competition: Threats of Verizon on the Horizon?
Charter's internet and telephone services directly compete with the entire telecommunications industry, containing many firms with greater financial and personnel resources, strong brand name recognition, and long-standing relationships with regulatory authorities and customers that Charter lacks. A growing number of these companies like AT&T (T) and Verizon Communications (VZ) are looking to become Multiple Service Operators by partnering with satellite television providers. [18]
Internet Competition: Will Web Business Ebb?
DSL services from companies like AT&T (T) , Verizon Communications (VZ) , and Bell South undermine Charter's internet service providing market. While most DSL providers cannot compete with Charter's download speed, Verizon Communications (VZ) has been beefing up its fiber deployment, which is allowing them to offer higher bandwidth services than Charter. [19] Charter's services, while priced at an average level, are notoriously inconsistent. Consumers consistently rank Charter's internet services poorly compared to competitors. [20], [21]