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The Issue: Antibiotics and the Food Animal Industry
Since the 1940s, antibiotics have played a critical role in protecting the public's health, and are responsible for saving millions of human lives. Unfortunately, inappropriate use of antibiotics is threatening their efficacy. The use of low doses of antibiotics by the modern food animal industry is responsible for drug-resistant bacteria emerging on farms which reach the general population through human or animal carriers, and through the food consumers eat. Because of the public health risks associated with antibiotic resistance, there is a push to end the use of low doses of medically important antibiotics in order to slow the development of antibiotic resistant bacterial strains.
What are Antibiotics?
Bacteria are everywhere, including on the skin and in the digestive system of humans. While bacteria are critical to normal bodily functions, some types can cause illness. In humans, antibiotics are used to treat health conditions caused by bacteria, including ear and skin infections, food poisoning, pneumonia, and meningitis. Antibiotics belong to a category of drugs called "antimicrobials," and include penicillin, tetracycline, amoxicillin and many other formulations that can kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria without causing significant harm to patients.
In the 1940s Penicillin was put into clinical use, and was one of the first drugs to prove widely effective against formerly untreatable bacterial infections. However, Penicillin's efficacy against some common bacterial infections was short lived. By 1955, 13% of common Staphylococcus aureus infections were resistant to penicillin, and by 1988 this percentage was up to 91%. F Today, penicillin is no longer recommended as the first line of treatment of Staphylococcus infections because it is effective in less than 10% of new cases, F and the growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has compromised the efficacy of many other important antibiotics.
What are Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria?
Similar to how immunization helps the human body fight disease by exposing the immune system to small amounts of a virus or bacteria, when bacteria are continually exposed to small amounts of antibiotics they can develop immunity to them. It's a case of "survival of the fittest," with the strongest bacteria, that are least susceptible to a specific antibiotic, surviving, adapting and multiplying. These are called "resistant bacteria" because they have adapted to the point where antibiotics are no longer an effective means of killing them. F As a result, some antibiotics have lost their effectiveness against specific infectious diseases. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that each year in the US almost 2 million people acquire bacterial infections in hospitals, 70 percent of which are resistant to at least one commonly used antibiotic. F
An example of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium that is the most common cause of staph infections, and can also cause pneumonia, meningitis, toxic shock, skin abscesses, heart valve infections and other serious and deadly medical conditions. F Many strains of s. aureus are now resistant to the antibiotics oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin, and strains of the disease have begun developing resistance to newer drugs like methicillin and vancomycin, powerful drugs once considered 'last resort' antibiotics for only the most serious infections. F F The threat of prolonged illness or death from an S. aureus infection has increased as it has become more resistant and fewer drugs are able to effectively control or eliminate it. According to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, approximately 19,000 deaths per year in the United States can be attributed to infection with Invasive Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a number greater than annual U.S. deaths from AIDS. F
The problem of antibiotic resistance has accelerated through overuse of antibiotics in humans and animals. Over-prescribing antibiotics for conditions caused by viruses like the flu or common cold, which antibiotics cannot treat, contributes to antibiotic resistance. Even when antibiotics are used for bacterial infections, studies have shown that antibiotic resistance can still arise from their use. F F Failure to complete the prescribed antibiotic regimen for a bacterial infection is another common contributor to the development of antibiotic resistance. F
Antibiotics and the Animal Industry
Industrial farms G have been adding antibiotics to livestock feed since 1946, when studies showed that antibiotics caused animals to grow faster and put on weight more efficiently, increasing meat producers' profits. F Between 1985 and 2001, the use of antibiotics in feed for industrial livestock production rose a startling 50%. F Today, antibiotics are routinely fed to livestock, poultry, and fish on industrial farms to promote faster growth and to compensate for the unsanitary conditions in which they are raised. F According to a new report by the FDA, approximately 80 percent of all antibiotics used in the United States are fed to farm animals. F This means that in the United States only 20 percent of antibiotics, which were originally developed to protect human health, are actually used to treat infections in people.
Modern industrial farms are ideal breeding grounds for germs and disease. Animals live in close confinement, often standing or laying in their own waste, and are under constant stress that inhibits their immune systems and makes them more prone to infection. FWhen drug-resistant bacteria develop in industrial livestock facilities, they can reach the human population through food, the environment (i.e., water, soil, and air), or by direct human- animal contact. F
One major way in which antibiotics and antibiotic resistant bacteria enter the environment is via animal manure. Industrial livestock operations produce an enormous amount of concentrated animal waste—over one billion tons annually—often laden with antibiotics and their residues, as well as antibiotic-resistant bacteria. It is estimated that approximately 75 percent of all antibiotics given to animals are not fully digested and eventually pass through the body and enter the environment, F where they can encounter new bacteria and create additional resistant strains. F With huge quantities of manure routinely sprayed onto fields surrounding CAFOs, antibiotic resistant bacteria can leech into surface and ground water, contaminating drinking wells and endangering the health of people living close to large livestock facilities. F Bacteria can also be spread by insects that come in contact with animal waste. A study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University examined flies near broiler poultry operations and found that many of the flies living near these operations carried antibiotic resistant enterococci and staphylococci. If these flies travel to nearby homes, they could transport these drug resistant bacteria from the farm to neighboring communities. F
Antibiotic Resistance and Public Health
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a growing public health crisis because infections from resistant bacteria are increasingly difficult and expensive to treat. The National Academy of Sciences calculates that increased health care costs associated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria exceed $4 billion each year in the United States alone—a figure that reflects the price of pharmaceuticals and longer hospital stays, but does not account for lost workdays, lost productivity or human suffering. F
Dr. Margaret Chan, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, released a statement on World Health Day 2011 about the bleak future of treating bacterial infections if no steps are taken to slow the development of antibiotic resistant bacterial strains. She warned that "in the absence of urgent corrective and protective actions, the world is heading toward a post-antibiotic era, in which many common infections will no longer have a cure and, once again, kill unabated." F Although everyone is at risk when antibiotics stop working, the threat is greatest for young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems, including cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplant patients and, in general, people whose health is compromised in some way.
In 2011, an amendment to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act called the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical treatment, was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. The goal of the amendment is to create legislation that is focused on protecting the effectiveness of antibiotics used in treating human and animal diseases. F In early 2011, it was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Subcommittee on Health, as well the House Committee on Rules. Following reports by these committees, the act will be sent back to the House for voting. F If the bill is passed, it will ban the use seven classes of antibiotics that are medically significant to humans for use by the food animal industry, as well as restrict the use of many other antibiotics in animal feed.
Sustainable Alternatives
Ending the routine use of antibiotics in animal agriculture is not only critical, it is possible and economically feasible. According to a study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, the increased selling price of chickens fed growth promoting antibiotics (or GPAs) did not offset the increased cost of the feed, resulting in a higher overall cost to the farmer. The study found that the use of GPAs resulted in an average loss in value per chicken of $0.0093, or about 0.45%. Along with expected decreases in health care costs that would stem from reducing the number of drug resistant infections, there is evidence to show that eliminating GPAs would be profitable for both farmers and the public as a whole. F
Today, many animal farmers do not use antibiotics at all, in large part because they don't have to compensate for unhealthy conditions associated with CAFO production systems. On these types of farms, animals are raised in clean environments with adequate space to reduce animal-stress and the likelihood of infections. F While these types of farms may use antibiotics, they only do so to treat acute infections in sick animals, just as they are used to treat infections in humans.
Federal standards prohibit antibiotic use in animals whose meat will be certified organic. GIn Eat Well Guide, farms where antibiotics are never given to animals carry the label "no antibiotic use," while those where antibiotics are only used to treat a sick animal carry the label "no routine antibiotic use." In these instances, a suitable amount of time must pass after an animal is treated and before its meat, milk or eggs can enter the food supply.


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UNDER 16s visiting a town centre shisha cafe are regularly being taken home late at night by concerned police, it has been revealed.
Blackburn police said each week youngsters, aged between 13 and 16, were visiting the Sahara shisha lounge in Blackburn causing concerns about their welfare.
The news prompted MP Jack Straw to issue a plea to parents to make sure they know where their children are.
It comes after the manager of the cafe was fined £1,520 for failing to stop customers smoking inside the Darwen Street premises on two occasions.
It is not illegal for young people to visit shisha lounges, but they are not allowed to smoke or buy tobacco under the age of 18.
Mr Straw said: "It's not long ago that my children were teenagers. It's hard keeping track of them but you have to do it because if you don't you never know where they are.
"My appeal to parents is, for their sake, look after your kids. There are lots of people out there who will simply exploit them."
Environmental Health officers visited Sahara accompanied by police on September 7 and November 9, last year and found a number of people smoking shisha pipes and cigarettes inside enclosed areas of the building.
Manager Adi Jaber, 28, of Arncliffe Avenue, Accrington was fined a total of £1,520 for the breaches by Blackburn magistrates.
The court heard Mr Jaber, who did not attend court, had been given 'ample opportunity' to comply with the law and that this was his second set of offences contravening the smoking ban under Health Act 2006.
Smoking shisha poses the same health risks and diseases associated with cigarette smoking but can be more damaging as smokers typically use shisha over a longer time period.
A one-hour shisha session is reported to provide the same amount of toxins as between 100 and 200 cigarettes.
Sgt Dave Clarke, of Blackburn town centre policing team, was present on the raids.
He said: "During several of the visits, we found large numbers of children in the premises. In November, we were forced to take 13 children aged between 13 and 16 home in police car.
"The situation is getting better but we are still having to remove young children on a regular basis.
"Town centre police have been visiting the Sahara on a weekly basis since it was caught breaking the smoking ban.
"Every week we are taking groups of children we deem to be at risk, home to their parents.
"I urge parents to ask where there children are going and if they are coming back smelling of smoke to press the issue and find out where they have been.
"If children are constantly going missing and turning up at shisha cafe's against their parent's will, this can be treated by police as an abduction offence."
According to Blackburn with Darwen Council there are 16 shisha venues in Blackburn town centre .
Nine have been fined since 2008 and one received a conditional discharge for contravening the smoking ban.
Chris Allen, head of public protection at the council, said: "We are making a determined effort to tackle illegal shisha businesses in the borough.
"Where advice is being deliberately ignored robust enforcement action will be taken to try to protect people from the significant health hazard from second hand smoke."
The council's executive board member for children's services, Maureen Bateson, said: "It is really important that parents know where their children are going. Not just where they say they are going, but where they are actually going.
"Youngsters like to congregate in warm places that are not necessarily safe places.
"I would say to parents, for God's sake make sure your children are safe.
"The police are obviously concerned about this as they having to take children home to parents on a regular basis."
Hyndburn Coun Noordad Aziz has also raised concerns about young people being tempted to smoke while gathering in shisha bars.
He said: "Personally, I would like to see a minimum age restriction placed on shisha cafe's.
"Hyndburn council recently passed a motion to write to the Department of Health on this very issue.
"Young people from the borough often travel to Blackburn specifically to visit shisha cafes.
"For us the safeguarding of the borough's children is of paramount concern."
It is legal to smoke in a shisha bar if 50 per cent of the premise's wall area are missing.
Customers found smoking inside enclosed public places are committing an offence and could face a fine of £50.
Mr Jaber was yesterday unavailable for comment.

subset: commoncrawl


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16 U.S. Code § 973m - Technical assistance
§ 973m.
Technical assistance
The United States tuna industry shall provide $250,000 annually in technical assistance, including provision of assistance by technicians, in response to requests coordinated through the Administrator. The Secretary of State shall designate an entity to coordinate the provision of such technical assistance as provided by the United States tuna industry and to provide an annual report to the Secretary of State regarding the provision of such technical assistance.
(Pub. L. 100–330, § 15, June 7, 1988, 102 Stat. 600.)
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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NBA: Williams' 11 treys, 42 points lead Nets past Wizards
NEW YORK — Deron Williams already had five 3-pointers in less than five minutes when he pulled up in transition well behind the line, just to see how hot he really was.
"Yeah, it was a heat check," Williams said. "I think I should have shot another one after that, too."
That probably would have fallen as well.
Williams made an NBA-record nine 3-pointers in the first half, finished with 11 and scored a season-high 42 points to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 95-78 victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday night.
Williams made his first eight shots behind the arc, became the first player in a decade to match the opposing team's score in the first half, and was one shy of the NBA record of 12 3-pointers as the Nets opened a huge early lead and coasted.
He missed from straightaway with 1:08 left in the game, leaving him one shy of the record shared by Kobe Bryant and Donyell Marshall.
"It kind of reminded me of my days when I first got in the league when I played with Ray Allen," said Nets forward Reggie Evans, referring to the NBA's career leader in 3-pointers.
Williams had four 3-pointers before Washington even made a basket, his fourth giving the Nets a 16-0 lead before Nene finally got Washington on the board. Williams answered right back with one, and then clearly realizing he was in the zone, pulled up from 25 feet on a fast break and nailed it to make it 22-2.
"He hit six 3s that quick. We wasn't making shots all night," Wizards guard John Wall said. "For him to six 3s and you're not scoring, three points add up quicker than two. That's 18 right there. It's kind of tough to get through that when you're not making any shots."
Evans had 11 points and a career-high 24 rebounds while making 5 of 16 free throws for the Nets, earning a standing ovation for his efforts.
Brook Lopez also scored 11 points the Nets, who go right back on the road Saturday for a big game at Atlanta, one of teams they are battling for fourth place and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Wall had 16 points for the Wizards, who played without rookie guard Bradley Beal, their leading scorer, because of a sprained left ankle and lost for the fourth time in five games.
Brooklyn plays only four of its 15 games this month at home, with lengthy time away for the A-10 tournament and then the circus.
The Nets celebrated Latin Night on Friday, with starting lineups announced in Spanish, and then Williams treated fans to a performance that was simply en fuego.
He finally missed a jumper with 3:21 left in the first period and departed with 23 points, and the Nets led 38-14 after their highest-scoring first period of the season.
"Deron, he was hot like fish grease," Evans said. "He was hot, so he kind of kicked it off and we just kept it going throughout the game."
Williams checked back in with 7:17 remaining in the half and needed less than a minute to reach 8 for 8, and his streak ended when he was short on a step-back attempt from beyond the arc with 5:50 to go.
But when he struck again with 1:07 to go, he and the Wizards were deadlocked at 33, and he just missed outscoring them for the half when missed an open 3-pointer off an inbounds pass with 0.7 seconds to go.
"I hit the first couple and just they were those shots where when they leave your hand they feel like they're good, and so I just kept shooting them," Williams said.
Tracy McGrady is the last player to equal or surpass the opposing team in the first half when he outscored the Denver Nuggets 37-32 on March 9, 2003, according to STATS.
Washington cut Brooklyn's 59-33 halftime lead to 74-58 after three, and tried to get closer by intentionally fouling Evans, who came in shooting 50.4 percent at the line. He missed five in a row at one point, including an airball that might've been 2 feet short.
But with fans standing and booming chants of "Reggie! Reggie!" filling Barclays Center, he eventually hit two in a row on one trip before exiting.
"I was enjoying the moment, didn't matter if I missed it or made it and stuff, because I was already confident we were going to win the game," Evans said, "so I was just excited."
Williams then knocked down one more 3, equaling Stephen Curry for the most in the NBA this season, but couldn't add another.
"He put on a shooting show, the nine 3s that he hit," Wizards coach Randy Wittman said. "It's hard to get the ball out of his hands because he's in transition just coming up on the 3-point line. He got hot. I don't know if I've seen him quite like that before in a game.
"It was just a hell of a shooting display."
It was by far the best performance of the season for the two-time Olympian, who didn't even make the All-Star game after signing a five-year extension worth more than $98 million last summer and shooting only 30 percent on 3s before the new year.
But he's been back at his regular level since sitting out a pair of games last month to get treatment on his ankles.
The Nets came in averaging 10.1 3-pointers over the past nine games, but Williams got there himself. He finished 11 of 16 behind the arc, occasionally holding three fingers in the air as he headed back down the floor.
Notes: Williams' seven 3-pointers in the first quarter was one shy of the NBA record for a period, set by former Milwaukee All-Star Michael Redd, Williams' teammate on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. … Vince Carter held the previous Nets record of nine 3-pointers, set against Memphis on Dec. 11, 2006.
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What looked like a small acquisition five years ago has helped BAE Systems break Lockheed Martin's monopoly on F-16 upgrades—a market that has grown as the U.S. Air Force and other users confront delays and possible lower production rates for the Joint Strike Fighter, and seek to extend their F-16s' service lives and improve their effectiveness against evolving threats.
Until now, Lockheed Martin has ruled the market. In April the USAF identified Lockheed Martin as the sole source for a major upgrade of 300-350 F-16s, intended to render them "viable in the threat environment beyond 2025." The company has signed an agreement with Taiwan's AIDC covering the modernization of 146 F-16A/B Block 20s, and has been awarded contracts for smaller batches in Indonesia and Thailand.
That winning streak ended late in July, when South Korea announced the choice of BAE Systems as prime contractor for the upgrade of 134 KF-16C/D Block 50/52 fighters.
South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Agency (DAPA) chose BAE to upgrade the fighters because its quoted price—$750 million—was lower than that of rival Lockheed Martin, which asked for more than $1 billion, according to the Segye (World) newspaper.
This is the first upgrade of any modern U.S. fighter that is not being led by the original equipment manufacturer. Companies such as Elbit have upgraded older U.S. aircraft, such as F-5s, Russian designs and some older European types. Aircraft like late-block F-16s are a different matter, having complex integrated avionics systems. The OEMs' experience with software integration and the development and release of operational flight program (OFP) revisions normally constitutes a high barrier to entry.
BAE Systems, however, performed a quiet side-entry into the F-16 business in 2007 by acquiring Dayton, Ohio-based MTC Technologies. The company had been selected by the USAF's Ogden Air Logistics Center two years earlier to provide a replacement for the obsolete fire-control computer fitted to older F-16 Block 25/30/32 fighters flown by the Air National Guard and Reserve. The Commercial Fire Control Computer (CFCC), the basis for the South Korea offering, acts as an ethernet hub for the other systems on the aircraft. BAE now says its CFCC experience and the hardware itself are key to its ability to compete with Lockheed Martin.
Adding equipment and engineering to be supplied by equipment makers, plus local installation work, the Korean upgrade program will reportedly cost 1.80 trillion won ($1.60 billion), of which 673 billion won appears to be allocated to the radar.
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) or Korean Airlines Aerospace will presumably install the equipment. KAI and its predecessor company, Samsung Aerospace, built the F-16s from 1997 to 2004.
The South Korean defense ministry aims to sign a contract with BAE this year and have all 134 fighters upgraded by 2021. The last will leave service in 2038, local media report. The project is to be completed by BAE Systems' U.S. electronics unit.
The most important element of the Korean upgrade is an active, electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. This is to be selected separately by DAPA, between the Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar (Racr) and Northrop Grumman's Scalable Agile Beam Radar (Sabr). It will also incorporate a Link 16 datalink, new GPS-inertial navigation system and improved cockpit displays. South Korea plans to arm the upgraded aircraft with the Raytheon AIM-120C and AIM-9X air-to-air missiles, and the Textron Defense CBU-105 anti-armor weapon.
Lockheed Martin still leads the market due to its sole-source status on the USAF's Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (Capes) program. This is closely linked to the F-16 service life extension program (Slep), intended to increase the F-16's lifetime from 8,000 to 10,000 equivalent flight hours. The first of about 350 Slep aircraft, modified from Block 40/50 aircraft, is due to enter service in 2017 and the first Capes aircraft in the following year, with "a substantial portion" of the Slep aircraft to be modified.
Capes includes AESA, Terma's ALQ-213 electronic warfare management system (already installed on many F-16s, but not on USAF aircraft), a center-pedestal display (making better use of the F-16's limited panel area, given the aircraft's dimensions and the pilot's knee position) and an integrated broadcast service receiver for joint force intelligence.
Also joining the fray is Boeing, which has said this year that it will consider participating in the market, based on its experience of modifying F-16s into target drones. According to some estimates, more than 800 F-16s could be suitable update candidates.


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Solo wrote:Well that's just silly. Does the dome spin around and light up? (Like it would do anything else...)
Solo wrote:Pretty sure you're talking about the Star Wars Trivial Pursuit randomizer but linked to the new x-box console by mistake. It was about 4 inches tall if I remember (mine's in storage right now) that acted as the die in that game and made sounds. Only went from 1 to 6 though. Had a little LCD screen on the front. Sound about right?
joecrowaz on Flickr wrote:Flynn you little wussy with a purple robed fairy for an icon,
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The recently completed Ryerson Image Centre has won the 2012 AL Light & Architecture Design Award for Best Use of Colour. The building was designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects, and has transformed an almost windowless former brewery warehouse – home to Ryerson University's School of Visual Arts – into a structure that illuminates the campus and announces a new cultural destination in Toronto.
The renovated and expanded building's exterior has a double-skin glass cladding that conceals its LED lighting system. At night, illuminated glass panels across three facades glow separately or in unison with a possible 16.7 million different colour combinations. By day, this opaque glass surface on the upper floors provides a seamless white backdrop to bustling campus life and contrasts the Centre's transparent glazing at ground level.
Elizabeth Donoff, Editor of Architectural Lighting magazine which sponsors the annual award, said this year's winners represent every sort of lighting challenge a designer could face. "The work shows moments of articulated restraint as well as moments of exuberant celebration," she commented, confirming the importance of lighting when enhancing the built environment.
Active programming of the Ryerson Image Centre light installation will be commissioned to artists and students, and even the public, who can create lighting sequences of their own using a Ryerson-designed app to interact and exert their creative control. This can be previewed by visiting Ryerson Image Centre LED exterior.MOV on YouTube.
Donald Schmitt, the Principal with Diamond Schmitt Architects, said the lighting installation is a key feature of the building's design and serves as an outward expression of the activity within the Centre. "The building's envelope encourages experimentation and creation, which are fundamental to the pursuit of mastering the visual arts."
The Ryerson Image Centre will open to the public on September 29, 2012, and features state-of-the-art gallery, research and archive space dedicated to the photographic arts. It will also house the renowned Black Star Collection of close to 300,000 images of 20th-century photojournalism.
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Church of Sv. Petra
Draga in Supetar: the church of St. Peter is located in Supetar cove that connects Upper and Lower Cara gift was Bishop of Rab Drago Benedictines in Supetarska stimuli. Since it was built 1059th The oldest church on the island. It was built much like the Church of St. Mary in the city, in a style three-nave basilica. Grant Bishop of Rab Drago 1070th was confirmed by King Petar Kresimir IV. The oldest church bell in the eastern Adriatic coast.
One of the oldest of the island particularly rich maritime tradcije surrounded the nearby island full of sand and pebble beaches, good restaurants, eco-products, accommodations on land and sea, offering everything for the small boater.


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30 September 2013, Monrovia, Liberia – UNITAR and the Angie Brooks International Centre (ABIC) for Women's Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security are jointly implementing a two-week training course on Conflict Resolution. Building on a "Training of Trainers" approach, the training is designed to enhance the capacity of local trainers to deliver courses in a conflict affected environment. During the opening ceremony, the chair of the ABIC board highlighted the overall goal of this training – to enable the participants to act as bridge builders and peace builders in their society.
The training, which is taking place from 30 September until 11 October in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Liberia, brings together participants from key civil society organizations of Liberia and the ECOWAS region. In line with the mission of ABIC, the course has a special focus on training women who work in the field of peace and security. Along with learning and practicing the methodologies for the delivery of trainings, the participants engage in topics such as conflict mediation and negotiation.
The partnership between UNITAR and the Angie Brooks International Centre goes back to 2011. The jointly implemented trainings covered subjects such as "Protection of Civilians" and "Transitional Justice". Hence the course which is currently delivered is not a one-time learning opportunity, but is part of a greater strategy and vision to enhance the capacity of African training institutions in the area of peacekeeping and peacebuilding. This is why the training of trainers component of this course on Conflict Resolution is key. During the three-phased approach, the institutes become increasingly empowered to deliver trainings independently, making these efforts sustainable.
Liberia is a country with a relatively young history of violent conflict. Whilst it is essential to support the local capacities in moving forward, a lot has been achieved already. As of today, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, president of Liberia, was awarded a statue in the "Garden of Nations" at the UN University for Peace in Costa Rica. The Garden honors prominent citizens of the world who, in their own ways, have contributed to the ideals of world peace. The statue was funded by the youth of Liberia with the campaign "Put ma Ellen there" in recognition of the transformation the country has gone through during Madame Sirleafs presidency.


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Yeison FlorentinoMinnesota Twins
Pitcher | Ht: | Wt:
|Twins | Two suspended
Wed, 14 Mar 2012 05:14:22 -0700
Minnesota Twins Ps Yeison Florentino and Ezequiel Zarzuela were suspended 50 games for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Florentino tested positive for metabolites of Nandrolone and Zarzuela tested positive for metabolites of Stanozolol.
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Helping Seniors Stay Mobile
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Support sustainable, community-based transportation services for seniors throughout the world by building a senior transportation network through research, policy analysis and education, and by promoting lifelong safety and mobility.
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- Site visits to the model ITN in Maine, and to your community by ITNAmerica staff
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When was the last time you sat down and wrote a personal letter to someone?
Emails, phone calls, texts and tweets: They're all quicker and easier. In an age of instant gratification, a letter sounds stodgy and old fashioned. But done with care, a letter can be the most heartfelt, intimate form of communication. A letter has the power to convey thoughts and feelings to someone we care about in a way that is memorable and lasting.
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QNAP TVS-663. Total installed storage capacity: 24 TB, Installed storage drive type: HDD, Supported storage drive types: HDD, SSD. Processor frequency: 2.4 GHz, Processor family: AMD G, Processor model: GX-424CC. Internal memory: 8 GB, Internal memory type: DDR3L, Memory clock speed: 1600 MHz. Ethernet LAN data rates: 10,100,1000 Mbit/s. HDMI version: 1.4a
Adorned with a box in gold color, the sophisticated TVS-663, featuring the easy-to-use QTS operating system, is a powerful, reliable, secure and scalable NAS solution designed for mission-critical and intensive business applications and to meet fast growing data storage needs. The TVS-663 supports 10GbE via optional PCI-E network expansion and delivers high performance with persistent throughput, providing a comprehensive storage solution for SMBs to build a reliable private cloud.- 10GbE-ready, highly-efficient storage solution for HD video editing and sharing- Enhanced data security with a high-performance hardware-accelerated encryption engine with AES 256-bit full NAS volume encryption and anti-virus- Use the TVS-663 as a PC with exclusive QvPC Technology and 4K display support- Run multiple Windows/Linux/Android-based virtual machines with the Virtualization Station- Manage, share, and back up business data with Real-time Remote Replication (RTRR)- NAS and iSCSI-SAN(IP-SAN) unified storage solution for server virtualization- Supports VMware®, Citrix®, and Microsoft® Hyper-V and advanced virtualization features- Transcode Full HD videos on-the-fly or offline with QNAP's unique transcoding technology and hardware transcoding engineHigh performance & efficiencyThe TVS-663 is equipped with the energy-efficient 64-bit AMD® Embedded G-Series SoC 2.4GHz quad-core x86 processor with AMD Embedded Radeon™ graphics and 8GB DDR3L-1600 RAM (upgradable to 16GB), SATA 6Gb/s, and 2 Gigabit LAN ports (expandable to max. 4 x GbE ports or 2 x GbE + 2 x 10GbE ports) for lightning-fast multi-tasking. The TVS-663 is a powerful NAS that delivers up to 937MB/s read & write speeds with 4 x GbE port configuration, and up to 1,441MB/s with 10GbE configuration. The TVS-663's hardware-accelerated encryption engine with AES-NI provides unmatched encryption performance in its class, up to 666MB/s with AES 256- bit full NAS volume encryption, boosting system performance & security while ensuring the safety of sensitive business data stored in the TVS-663. The next-gen AMD Radeon™ HD graphics provides hardware-accelerated transcoding performance and dual HDMI outputs with brilliant high-definition multimedia content playback. When installed with the latest Wi-Fi 802.11ac USB network adapter, the TVS-663 can offer remarkably high speeds for transferring large amount of files and streaming bandwidth-consuming multimedia.QTS - Simple and efficientThanks to the intuitive user interface of QTS, system operations of the TVS-663 are smooth and handy. Its intelligent desktop allows you to find desired functions quickly, create desktop shortcuts or group shortcuts, monitor important system information on a real-time basis, and open multiple application windows to run multiple tasks concurrently, bringing greater operating efficiency.Qsirch – A smarter, faster way to searchQuickly and easily find documents, photos, videos, and music with Qsirch, QNAP's new built-in NAS search application lets you find what you need by real-time, natural search. Simply type in as much as you know about what you are trying to find, including bits of the file name or even words/phrases in the document, and Qsirch will display a list of matches, complete with thumbnails, as you type. Qsirch even remembers your search history so you can quickly navigate to files you've previously searched for. Qsirch is a huge productivity boost – it greatly reduces the amount of time spent looking for files on the NAS so you can focus on other tasks.10GbE readyThe TVS-663 offers 2 inbuilt Gigabit Ethernet ports and supports 10 Gigabit high speed networks by installing a 10GbE network adapter. The 10GbE-ready TVS-663 delivers lightning-fast data throughput. Coupled with its large storage capacity potential, the TVS-663 is perfect for data centers to store big data and excel in fast data transmission, and for 10GbE home lab environment for technical professionals.More screen to see: QvPC 4K Ultra HD display via HDMICapture more details with 4K resolution! Coupled with QvPC Technology, you can connect the TVS-663 to a 4K UHD monitor via HDMI to take advantage of 4K's impeccable image detail for increased productivity. Photographers can view sharper and clearer high-resolution images, and you can get a larger workspace with one monitor when managing virtual machines.Run additional operating systems on the TVS-663With the support for AMD-V virtualization technology, the TVS-663 can operate the Virtualization Station, transforming the TVS-663 into a 2-in-a-box NAS that can function as an all-in-one NAS and a virtualization platform that supports multiple operating systems, fast virtual machine (VM) creation, VM import/export, snapshot, and enables desktop operations on web browsers. With the easy-to-use interface, you can centrally manage all of the VMs created on the TVS-663 with minimal effort. You can also download VMs on demand from online VM markets and import them to the TVS-663 without any complex procedures.Real-time & offline HD video transcodingPowered by a hardware-accelerated transcoding engine, the TVS-663 delivers superior real-time Full HD (1080p) video transcoding to convert videos in common formats to universal formats that can be smoothly played on PCs, mobile devices and Smart TVs. The TVS-663 allows you to enjoy instant videos on multiple devices - even those that lack computing power or have limited file format support - without the need for complicated and time-consuming file conversion.With the benefit of offline transcoding, if you can only connect to an Internet connection with limited/restricted bandwidth, you can still enjoy smooth videos by selecting a pre-rendered lower resolution to play the videos via File Station, Video Station, or the Qfile mobile app without affecting the TVS-663's system performance running other applications. The TVS-663 also allows you to set a dedicated folder for automatic video transcoding.Note: 4K video playback and transcoding are not supportedCross-platform file sharing, centralized data storageThe TVS-663 supports SMB/CIFS, NFS, and AFP protocols for file sharing across Windows, Mac, Linux/UNIX networks. Data, logs and ISO images of CDs and DVDs can be centrally stored on the TVS-663 and protected by an integrated antivirus solution. The Windows AD and LDAP services enable system administrators to configure user permissions by using an existing Windows AD server, LDAP server or built-in LDAP service. The TVS-663 supports SAMBA v4 and can act as a Windows domain controller to manage privilege settings.Well-rounded backup solutions to secure dataQNAP NetBak Replicator supports real-time and scheduled data backup on Windows including Outlook email archiving. Apple Time Machine is also supported to provide Mac OS X users with a solution to effortlessly back up data to the TVS-663. The USB 3.0 port on the front panel of the TVS-663 features a one-touch-copy function for you to instantly back up data from external drives to the TVS-663 with just one click, or alternatively to back up data from the TVS-663 to external drives. A wide range of third-party backup software such as Acronis® True Image and Symantec® Backup Exec are also supported.Disaster recovery solutions brings peace of mindThe TVS-663 offers various data recovery options. RTRR (Real-Time Remote Replication) supports real time or scheduled data backup to a remote Turbo NAS or FTP server and synchronizes files to a remote folder from a local folder with better backup efficiency and reduced backup time. The TVS-663 also supports the rsync protocol to back up data to another remote server on a scheduled basis. Data can also be backed up to and restored from a range of cloud storage services, including Amazon® S3, Amazon Glacier, Microsoft® Azure, ElephantDrive®, Dropbox® and Google Cloud Storage.Comprehensive security optionsIn the open network environment, business data might be exposed in potential hack. The TVS-663 provides numerous security options, such as encrypted access, IP blocking, and so on. Besides, IT administrators can control the access rights of each user to different folders, preventing unauthorized access to important files. The TVS-663 is validated with military level FIPS 140-2 AES 256-bit encryption, preventing the sensitive business data from unauthorized access and breach even if the hard disk drives or the entire system were stolen.Storage for comprehensive virtualization applicationsThe TVS-663 supports VMware® and Citrix®, and is compatible with Microsoft® Hyper-V™ and Windows Server 2012, benefiting flexible deployment and management in the virtualization environments. The TVS-663 supports VMware VAAI and Microsoft ODX to increase performance by offloading server loading for ESXi server and Hyper-V respectively, and supports QNAP vSphere Client plug-in and QNAP SMI-S provider with enhanced operational efficiency and management in virtualization applications.Powerful QNAP flexible volumeQNAP's flexible volume provides a more secure and flexible way to store NAS data. This next-generation volume offers powerful features such as storage pooling with multiple RAID group protection, thin provisioned volumes with space reclaim, block-level iSCSI LUN, and online capacity expansion. The QTS Storage Manager neatly presents tools and options for managing system storage which greatly simplifies the process of NAS capacity expansion and QNAP RAID expansion enclosure management.Comprehensive surveillance solution providing 24/7 securitySurveillance Station is professional network surveillance Video Management System (VMS) that offers a user-friendly management interface, over 2,700 compatible IP camera models, and expandable IP camera channel licenses. It supports real-time monitoring, video & audio recording and playback with a wide range of customizable settings. You can also install the Vmobile mobile app on your iOS® or Android™ devices to manage the monitored channels anytime and anywhere to safeguard your office environment, or install the Vcam mobile app to turn your device into a network camera to instantly record to your TVS-663. The TVS-663 offers 4 free IP camera channels and you can expand up to 40 channels by purchasing additional licenses .Seamless capacity expansionThe TVS-663 offers a high performance yet affordable storage solution to fulfill the needs of business in archiving rapidly-growing data & large files. The TVS-663 supports capacity expansion by connecting multiple QNAP expansion enclosure. With the QNAP scale-up solution, the raw storage capacity can be expanded on demand, making the TVS-663 an ideal file center for storage-intensive business applications such as video surveillance, data archiving, TV broadcast storage, and more.Easy system installationYou can flexibly choose different ways to set up the TVS-663, including using the Qfinder Pro utility for setting up without a CD, using cloud installation via setup portal start.qnap.com with a unique Cloud Key, using mobile devices to scan the QR code sticker on the TVS-663 to quickly go over the installation, configuring the setup through the LCD display, and even setting up your TVS-663 locally without a network connection: just connect a keyboard, mouse and HDMI monitor to the TVS-663, and the NAS installation process can be completed effortlessly.Install-on-demand apps to extend NAS functionalityThanks to its x86 architecture, the TVS-663 can support more NAS Apps than ARM-based platforms. The built-in App Center provides various install-on-demand apps developed by QNAP and third-party developers, including tools for backup/sync, business, content management, communications, download, entertainment, and much more. It is also a centralized location for managing & updating installed apps. In addition, QNAP's development platform embraces the open-source spirit to enable developers to create their own apps, adding potentially limitless potential for the TVS-663.High-quality construction and informative LCD displayThe TVS-663 is adorned with a box in gold color, offering an exceptional choice with impressive sophistication. Built with metal frame and parts, the sleek and sturdy TVS-663 also features a newly-crafted heat sink that can exhaust excessive heat with its passive cooling. The LCD display panel on the TVS-663 provides quick system information making system management even easier.


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Experience the romance and sophistication of Kalkan on the Lycian coast
Kalkan, situated along Turkey's beautiful Lycean coast, and nestled at the foot of the rugged Taurus Mountains, is enchanting and unspoilt. While tourism is the main trade here, it remains a romantic, upmarket destination, with low-level whitewashed houses looking down to the old fishing harbour, a charming old town complete with cascading Bougainvillea, and Ottoman Greek architecture.
Many of our holiday villas in Kalkan have views over the crystal-clear Mediterranean waters of the bay, and of several small islands that can be visited on boat tours, along with nearby coves and caves. Kalkan has a very clean white pebble beach and the surrounding area has several more beautiful sandy beaches with incredibly clear waters. With 300 days of sunshine a year, the warm blue waters are irresistible, and the water sports facilities here are first-rate; the area is considered to be one of the best scuba diving locations in Turkey.
In the town, narrow winding lanes take you down to Kalkan's harbour, where you can find many of the superb restaurants and waterfront cafes for which the town is famous.


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LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 7, 2013) – Not only did the ETSU volleyball team put forth dominating efforts on the court last season, but the Buccaneers also showcased impressive work in the classroom as the Blue and Gold received American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic honors, which was released by the organization on Wednesday.
The Bucs, who won the 2012 Atlantic Sun Championship and earned their first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament, registered a team grade-point-average of 3.592, marking the second-highest GPA by an ETSU team in 2012-13. Overall, 12 ETSU volleyball student-athletes registered a GPA above a 3.0 a year ago, while six players recorded a 3.7 clip or better. Meanwhile, in the fall of 2012, a record-high four Buccaneer standouts were placed on the A-Sun All-Academic Team.
ETSU was one of a record-setting 622 teams to receive the AVCA academic award, along with the NCAA Division I recording their highest-ever total number of recipients, honoring 130 programs.
"Excellence doesn't happen by accident, either on the court or in the classroom," said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. "It takes consistent preparation, relentless effort, and determined leadership. A full year of academic achievement, by an entire team of individual students, is a remarkable achievement. What better way to start a new season than with a celebration of an award so emblematic of all that is necessary for sustained success."
The award, which was initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale or a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale.
The AVCA Team Academic Award has become one of the AVCA's fastest growing awards programs, seeing an impressive surge in teams honored over the past several years. Since the 2000-2001 season, the number of recipients has increased every single year but one, while amassing an overall 300% increase over the span of the last decade. Since the award's inception in 1993, the amount of award winners has increased from 62 to its current number of 622.
The 2013 ETSU volleyball team reports to preseason camp later this week as the Bucs prepare for their season opener which is set for Friday, Aug. 30 versus UNC Greensboro.
ETSU fans wanting to receive Buccaneer news, score updates, in-game promotions and much more sent to their mobile device can do so by signing up for "Buc Updates." Click here to sign up today!
For more information on Buccaneer volleyball, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the volleyball page.


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CLEMSON, S.C. (Jan. 9, 2010) - A day after a pair of Buccaneer sprinters took home titles in the 60m hurdles and 60m dash, senior thrower Zachlynn Blackburn (Tazewell, Va.) stepped up and brought home gold in the women's weight throw Saturday afternoon on the final day of the Clemson Invitational.
Blackburn, who was coming off a fourth-place finish in the event in the season-opener at Appalachian State, beat out Clemson's Brittney Waller by well over one-foot to capture the title. The Tazewell, Va. native won the event with a toss of 51-11.25 (15.83m). Joining Blackburn with a third-place effort was sophomore Lili Barboza (Oxford, Ala.). After finishing second in the prelims, Barboza claimed third with a mark of 46-10 (14.27).
Fresh off his impressive first-place finish in the men's 5000m (15:20.40) on Friday night, red-shirt senior Michael Deren (Blasdell, N.Y.) capped off the weekend with a second-place performance in the mile run. Deren, whose nearest competitor was 27-seconds behind in the 5000m, finished with a time of 4:35.89 in the mile on Saturday.
Meanwhile, in the women's mile, junior newcomer Caitlyn Epps (Cookeville, Tenn.) placed third in back of Clemson's Stephanie Buffo and South Carolina State's Brittney Stewat. Epps clocked in at 5:33.92 and just missed clipping Stewart for second (5:33.70).
On Friday night, freshman Bethany Lender (Altoona, Pa.) finished fourth in the triple jump with a strong mark of 38-09 (11.81m).
Rounding things out for the Bucs on Saturday was junior Jasmine Ingram's (Frederick, Md.) fourth-place finish in the 300m. Ingram ended with a time of 40.77 in the event.
The ETSU track and field team returns to action next weekend when the Bucs head to Blacksburg, Va. to compete in the Virginia Tech Invitational.
For more information on Buccaneer track and field, visit www.ETSUBucs.com.


text: Simon thanks for an interesting article. I've been playing around with this as a learning exercise. One thought – if the aim is to handle text resizing why not specify the margins and padding in ems – and keep a consistent relationship between the line and the quote? (Works fine on Safari – but Firefox is still way off on the close quotes).


text: I'm wondering when and if y'all think it might be safe to try a soother for car rides only, based on this info. We've had nursing troubles such that I had to pump for 6 weeks before exclusive nursing started, no formula ever, baby is now 9.5 weeks old and 10 lbs 5 oz (was born at 9 lbs, went down to 8 lbs 1 oz), so obviously we've had slow gaining as well. But she has been healthy all along with lots of output, very alert developmentally, 2" longer than at birth. Pretty much unrestricted nursing except while driving, and we live far from the city so we do have quite a bit of driving for appointments etc. And she gets SO sad in her car seat. She's in contact with me pretty much all the time except when in the car, and I can't stand to hear her cry in her car seat, so usually I pull over and nurse her. But we have a trip coming up on Monday that involves getting my husband to the airport at a certain time and then the baby, toddler and me catching a ferry. About 2 hours in the car in all. And it's making me realize that I won't always be able to pull over and nurse her. Do you think it would affect my supply or her latch/suck (which is also kind of shallow) to offer her a pacifier just for car trips??


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Back pain pushed Denise Clements toward yoga more than a decade ago.
Then pain in her knees and hips curtailed Clements' regular yoga practice and almost any other exercise.
"Unfortunately, I didn't go talk to anybody about it," says the Medford resident. "I just stopped."
Arthritis spelled the same consequence for Clements at age 73 that it does for millions of Americans of all ages. Facing a diagnosis of arthritis, they cease exercising and minimize movement to safeguard their joints.
"They're very fearful of it," says physical therapist Amanda Olson.
In reality, sedentary adults with diagnoses of arthritis sacrifice other aspects of health, feel just as much pain and ultimately jeopardize an independent lifestyle if they're unable to perform everyday tasks.
"It becomes almost a Catch-22," says Olson. "The muscles become weak ... the joint itself can just become tighter."
Clements recognized the effects of her inactivity since starting physical therapy with Olson at Jackson County Physical Therapy's Phoenix office.
"Just two years of not doing yoga, my muscles were so stiff," says Clements. "They're not lubricated like they were," she says of her joints.
Therapy combines hands-on manipulations to help the joints glide better with gentle exercises, such as stationary cycling and stretching to promote range of motion. After about a month of therapy, Clements says her goal is rejoin Baxter Fitness Solutions, a gym for adults 50 and older, and start exercising again.
"We're going to try to train them in a really safe environment to try to stabilize that joint," says Andy Baxter, owner of Baxter gyms in Ashland and Medford. A "huge part of his clientele" has arthritis, he adds.
Fitness professionals aren't the only ones urging arthritis sufferers to exercise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed an educational campaign available to state health departments and community organizations called "Physical Activity. The Arthritis Pain Reliever."
The Arthritis Foundation uses the slogan "Moving is the best medicine" on the website www.fightarthritispain.org.
These initiatives correspond with the principles of Exercise is Medicine, a trademarked partnership between the American College of Sports Medicine and American Medical Association, says Bill Macy, director of Avamere Health & Fitness Club in Medford.
"Exercise is really the arthritis pain-reliever," says Macy. "That becomes the No. 1 recommendation."
Avamere creates a program, often with a physician's referral, that takes a patient's pain level and physical abilities into account, says Macy. About 80 percent of Avamere's approximately 500 members, all 40 and older, likely experience some degree of arthritis, he adds.
"It's a really natural part of aging, honestly," says Olson.
The term arthritis actually describes more than 100 rheumatic diseases and conditions that affect the body's joints and surrounding tissues, according to the CDC. The type of arthritis most commonly associated with aging is osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis, which often strikes younger adults, is thought to be an autoimmune response that leads to systemic inflammation.
Regardless of disease specifics, the main symptom is pain. But pain — contrary to long-held medical opinion — is no longer a reason not to exercise, say experts.
"Try to work through the normal, acceptable levels of pain," says Baxter, explaining that most physical activities will entail some minor pain for arthritis sufferers.
Certain aches, however, likely come from muscle soreness typically associated with working out, says Macy, adding that his staff tries to educate arthritis sufferers about the difference. The benefit for tolerating the discomfort of exercise is an overall reduction in joint pain while at rest or performing everyday activities. The ability to perform those activities is known as "functional strength."
"Without it, you lose your independence," says Baxter.
Functional strength is maintained or regained only through strength training as the aging body loses muscle mass, he says. Baxter Fitness uses air-resistance machines, rather than stacked weights, for this kind of training. The machines are suited to older people with diminishing neuromuscular control who also may lack the strength to resist gravity's pull on traditional weights, he explains. Baxter trainers also avoid "rotary movements" that put the burden on a single joint and instead design exercises that distribute the strain.
The important point to remember, say experts, is that muscles support joints, effectively lightening their load. While a lot of aging adults don't like to hear that walking and swimming aren't the best exercises for preventing or managing arthritis, it's the simple truth, says Baxter.
"These are great activities for many other reasons."
Recumbent cycling often is preferred, along with other elliptical movements for cardiovascular fitness in arthritis sufferers, says Baxter. A complete exercise program incorporates endurance and strength training with increasing range of motion.
Walking, however, is the Arthritis Foundation's way to highlight how movement can prevent or treat arthritis. The Southern Oregon Arthritis Walk is planned for Oct. 6 in Bear Creek Park and is open to the public.


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- Parent Category: News
Good News: Bears stickin' around !
The good news came from Olivet Nazarene University today. The Bears are be going to be around a while.
The Chicago Bears and Olivet Nazarene University announced a deal today (Monday ) that keeps the NFL team's summer training camp in Bourbonnais for the next nine years.
Local officials are relishing the good news from the Bears.
Bourbonnais Mayor Paul Schore says "we welcome the continued commitment and the business community will find this rewarding."
Thousands follow the Bears during their 12-day stay during mini-camp. And the fans keep dollars rolling in the community.
The agreement means the team's three weeks of preseason practice will continue at the private university, which hosts more than 100,000 fans over the course of camp each year.
As part of the agreement, Olivet plans to renovate and expand the team's locker room and athletic training facilities, as well as sod its four practice fields.


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Obama claims 'full responsibility' for website
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama claimed "full responsibility" Wednesday for fixing his administration's health insurance website as a new concern emerged: a government memo pointing to security worries, written shortly before the site's Oct. 1 launch.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius apologized to frustrated people trying to sign up for health coverage, telling a congressional committee she is accountable for the failures. The website sign-up problems will be fixed by Nov. 30, she said.
Both Obama and Sebelius defended the historic health care overhaul, which seeks to provide millions of Americans with government-mandated health insurance. The United States had been the largest developed nation without a national health care system.
Obama told an audience in Boston, "We are going to see this through." But he underscored his administration's unhappiness with the problems so far: "There's no excuse for it," he said."
The website HealthCare.gov was still experiencing outages as Sebelius faced questions from the House Energy and Commerce Committee about a security memo from her department.
The memo, obtained by The Associated Press, said incomplete testing created uncertainties that posed a potentially high security risk for the website. It called for a six-month "mitigation" program, including ongoing monitoring and testing.
It revealed that the troubled website was granted a temporary security certificate on Sept. 27, just four days before it went live.
Republicans argue the troubled website' glitches are proof the government is incapable of managing the complex health care program.
"You accepted a risk on behalf of every user ... that put their personal financial information at risk," Rep. Mike Rogers told Sebelius, citing the memo. "Amazon would never do this. ... This is completely an unacceptable level of security."
Sebelius countered that the system is secure. Added spokeswoman Joanne Peters: "When consumers fill out their online...applications, they can trust that the information they're providing is protected by stringent security standards and that the technology underlying the application process has been tested and is secure."
Republicans opposed to Obama's health care law are calling for Sebelius to resign.
HealthCare.gov was intended to be the online gateway to coverage for millions of uninsured Americans, as well those who already purchase their policies individually. Many people in the latter group will have to get new insurance next year because their policies do not meet the standards of the new law.
Starting Jan. 1, most Americans will be required to carry health insurance or face fines. At the same time, insurance companies will no longer be able to turn away people in poor health. The law provides subsidized private insurance for middle-class people who don't get health care on the job. Low-income people can access an expanded version of Medicaid in states that agree to expand that safety net program.
Lawmakers wanted to know how many people have enrolled in plans through the health insurance marketplaces. Sebelius stuck with the administration response, promising to release the data in mid-November.
Obama's White House legacy depends heavily on whether his massive overhaul of the U.S. health care system will succeed.
Sebelius testified as another controversy brewed over a wave of cancellation notices hitting small businesses and individuals who buy their own insurance. Republicans say that contradicts one of Obama's earliest promises about the health law: You can keep your plan if you like it.
The cancellations affect some of the 5 percent of Americans who buy health insurance on the private market.
"If you're getting one of these letters, just shop around in the new market place," Obama said. "That's what it's for."
He pointed to benefits already available under the health care law, including ending discrimination against children with pre-existing conditions or people with mental health issues.
He spoke in Massachusetts, where the state's health care coverage provided the model for the federal overhaul. Republican Mitt Romney, who lost to Obama in the 2012 election, was Massachusetts governor and signed the state's health care bill into law.
But in a statement Wednesday, Romney said he believes "a plan crafted to fit the unique circumstances of a single state should not be grafted onto the entire country."
The federal law doesn't create a government-run system like Britain's, but it does mandate that large employers provide insurance and that everyone must be insured or face tax penalties. Those who can't afford insurance can receive subsidies in states that accepted federal money for an expansion of the Medicaid program for low-income Americans.
Several Republican-governed states rejected the federal money and are not expanding Medicaid.
AP writers Stephen Ohlemacher, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Laurie Kellman, Jack Gillum and David Espo contributed to this report.


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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Canada's Valeant Pharmaceuticals International is nearing a deal to acquire eye care company Bausch & Lomb Holdings Inc from Warburg Pincus LLC for about $9 billion, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday.
Valeant shares spiked to their highest level since 2001 and were up 13 percent at C$86.86 in afternoon trading in Toronto.
"This deal would not be too surprising given that Valeant has said it wants to do a big, mega deal and there are not that many candidates," said David Krempa, an analyst at Morningstar. "Still, I would not expect that they are done doing big deals."
The source that spoke to Reuters on Friday requested anonymity because the matter is not public. Montreal-based Valeant could not be immediately reached for comment. Bausch & Lomb and Warburg Pincus declined to comment.
The Wall Street Journal, which earlier reported on the talks over Bausch & Lomb, said a deal might come as soon as next week.
Separately on Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice said that ISTA Pharmaceuticals, which Bausch & Lomb acquired in March 2012 for $500 million, pleaded guilty to charges related to the drug Xibrom, including offering doctors kickbacks to prescribe it. ISTA will pay $33.5 million related to conduct from 2006 to 2011, Bausch & Lomb said in a statement.
"It kind of removes an obvious overhang," said a Valeant shareholder. But "I would expect that, regardless of whether Valeant was going to be interested in them or not."
The shareholder, who asked not to be named as the transaction is not complete, said it makes sense for Valeant to increase its clout in opthalmology by acquiring Bausch & Lomb.
Valeant had attempted to buy eye drugmaker ISTA in late 2011 in a hostile bid.
Last month Valeant tried to acquire generic drugmaker Actavis Inc in an all-stock deal that would have topped $13 billion, according to sources familiar with the matter. The talks broke down, and Actavis ended up with a deal to buy pharmaceutical company Warner Chilcott Plc.
"At first glance, it looks like Mike Pearson has pulled yet another rabbit out of his hat," Gautam Dhingra, chief executive of High Pointe Capital Management, a small Valeant investor, said, referring to Valeant's CEO. "We are grateful for his magical acts but keeping a close eye on whether it is possible to keep pulling bigger and bigger rabbits out of the same hat."
Valeant has been on the acquisition trail since its 2010 takeover by Biovail Corp, which assumed the Valeant name. It has been pursuing deals with strong cash flow in high-growth areas where big pharmaceutical companies have little presence.
The company, known for prescription drugs such as anti-depressant Wellbutrin and over-the-counter remedies such as Cold-FX, has built up its dermatology and anesthetics portfolio in a dozen deals in the past year, most recently for Obagi Medical Products.
Bausch & Lomb would bring to Valeant its well-known contact lenses, drugs to treat eye conditions such as glaucoma, and instruments and devices used in eye surgery.
If the deal goes through, some analysts wonder if Valeant would spin off or sell Bausch & Lomb's surgical instruments business. That area would be new to Valeant, and big players including Novartis AG and Abbott Laboratories are already entrenched there. About 17 percent of Bausch & Lomb's $3 billion in revenues last year came from that business.
Valeant has become a stock market darling, jumping about 50 percent so far this year, in large part because of its success in cutting costs at the companies it acquires, particularly in research and development.
But Bausch & Lomb is run by a private equity firm, so cost-cutting opportunities may be below average, Dhingra said. Private equity firms generally have a reputation for being cost cutters.
Bausch & Lomb filed with U.S. regulators for an initial public offering in March. At the same time, Warburg Pincus was exploring an outright sale of the company, a source told Reuters.
Additional reporting by writing by Rod Nickel in Winnipeg, Manitoba; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn, Phil Berlowitz, John Wallace and Leslie Adler


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Playoffs get hot, heavy now
This week, the postseason parade on the softball and baseball diamonds heats up with regional tournaments for all the non-Poteau softball teams that won district titles last week — Heavener (Class 3A), Panama (Class 2A), Pocola (Class 2A), Wister (Class 2A) and Howe (Class A) — and Wister's baseball team in Class A. By the time you read this, the Leflore Savages (Class B) may be added to this list as their winner-take-all district title game was suspended by rain Saturday in Leflore and resumed Monday afternoon with the Savages leading the Buffalo Valley Buffaloes 7-4 in the bottom of the fourth inning.The Poteau Lady Pirates will begin their playoffs this afternoon in the Class 4A District Tournament, welcoming the Roland Lady Rangers to town.The playoff schedule is listed at the end of this column. However, the Class B Baseball Regional Tournament will not, since at press time, the Leflore-Buffalo Valley district title game will not have been completed. If the Savages hold on for the win, not only will their story the rest of the game be in Wednesday's edition but so, too, will be the Class B Regional Tournament schedule.ScheduleSoftballTuesdayPlayoffsClass 4ADistrict TournamentRoland at Poteau, DH, 4 p.m.Regular SeasonPanama and Sequoyah-Tahlequah at Red Oak, TBA.ThursdayClass 3ARegional TournamentAt OktahaStigler vs. Oktaha, noon; Heavener vs. Morris, 2 p.m.; Stigler-Oktaha loser vs. Heavener-Morris loser, 4 p.m.; Stigler-Oktaha winner vs. Heavener-Morris winner, 6 p.m.Class 3ARegional TournamentAt WisterWister vs. Colbert, noon; Panama vs. Pocola, 2 p.m.; Wister-Colbert loser vs. Panama-Pocola loser, 4 p.m.; Wister-Colbert winner vs. Panama-Pocola winner, 6 p.m.Class ARegional TournamentAt Wright CityHowe vs. Wright City, noon; Rattan vs. Porum, 2 p.m.; Howe-Wright City loser vs. Rattan-Porum loser, 4 p.m.; Howe-Wright City winner vs. Rattan-Porum winner, 6 p.m.FridayClass 3ARegional TournamentAt Oktaha4 p.m. Thursday winner vs. 6 p.m. Thursday loser, noon; noon winner vs. 6 p.m. Thursday winner, 2 p.m.; if-game, 4 p.m.Class 2ARegional TournamentAt Wister4 p.m. Thursday winner vs. 6 p.m. Thursday loser, noon; noon winner vs. 6 p.m. Thursday winner, 2 p.m.; if-game, 4 p.m.Class ARegional TournamentAt Wright City4 p.m. Thursday winner vs. 6 p.m. Thursday loser, noon; noon winner vs. 6 p.m. Thursday winner, 2 p.m.; if-game, 4 p.m.BaseballFridayClass ARegional TournamentAt ByngTushka vs. Latta, 2 p.m.; Wister vs. Byng, 4 p.m.; Tushka-Latta winner vs. Wister-Byng winner, 6 p.m. (winner to state)SaturdayClass ARegional TournamentAt ByngTushka-Latta loser vs. Wister-Byng loser, 2 p.m.; 2 p.m. winner vs. 6 p.m. Friday loser, 4 p.m. (winner to state)


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VICTORIA — Premier Christy Clark's B.C. Liberal government spent tens of thousands of dollars polling the public in an attempt to determine how to best shape and advertise its marquee jobs plan.
Documents obtained by The Vancouver Sun show the government asked questions about what tag line to use to promote the plan, what sectors of the economy people believe hold the best promise, and whether people would prefer to see the government protect existing jobs or create new ones.
The information, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, is contained in 334 pages of polls and related documents that Clark's government commissioned in the 10 months after she became premier.
But 227 pages — almost 70 per cent — were blanked out in the response because they are still being considered by cabinet.
In an interview Wednesday, Clark could not say how much polling her government has been conducting. "I couldn't even give you a ballpark, because different ministries will be doing different work on that stuff," she said.
Clark said her government uses polling to remain in touch with public sentiment, but she is careful not to place too much stock in the results.
"I'm very interested in getting feedback from the public about where they'd like us to go. Polling can give us part of that information," Clark said.
"I think, though, people want leadership not follow-ship. The problem you get into if you put too much stock into polling, first of all it could be wrong. But second you're following, not leading, and I think British Columbians want governments that will lead."
The documents that were released shows government spent at least $58,000 on polling for the jobs plan, along with an additional $67,200 on three other polls that were redacted from the package.
The document also shows the government paid a marketing and communications company another $146,000 for items on the jobs plan project, such as creative services, web design and production services.
A poll provided in the package shows Clark's government was trying to gauge public opinion in the lead-up to the Sept. 22 release of its jobs plan on how people wanted government to approach the economy.
Conducted by Angus Reid Public Opinion from Aug. 19-22, 2011, the poll found that "introducing programs to protect and create jobs in the province is the main priority [37%] across all demographics."
It determined people's top priorities are "exploring new markets for B.C. products," "promoting trade" and "improving B.C.'s trade with the Asia Pacific market."
The three pillars of Clark's jobs plan were: enabling job creation, getting goods to market and opening/expanding markets.
The poll also presented people with seven possible tag lines for the document, including: Accelerate BC, BC Jobs Plan, BC Jobs Strategy, Jobs BC and Jobs Matter.
It found that "Jobs: Made in BC" was the "clear winner" and the "first choice for those who are not satisfied with the government."
The government went against this advice, however, and chose "BC Jobs Plan," which ranked second last in the poll.
The government also commissioned focus groups after the launch of the plan to test its advertising campaign.
"The emphasis on families feels manipulative for some," said a passage from that document, which was prepared by Mustel Research Group.
New Democratic Party critic Jenny Kwan said the documents show Clark's government has set the wrong priorities.
"It really just reinforces it's all about imagery, it's not about the content," she said.


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It almost seems as if the USDA got together with the consensus to amend their differences as USDA forecasted supplies for corn, soybean, and wheat are in line with the analysts. South America and Russia continue to the be on everyone's radar as yields in South America and government involvement from Russia could affect the grain markets.
The USDA projected U.S. corn exports at 50 million bushels higher due to an increase in sales and shipments and a decrease in Argentina's supplies.
2011/12 U.S. ending stocks are projected at 801 million bushels, a 45 million bushel decrease from last month. The USDA narrowed the forecasted season-average farm price by $0.10 on both ends of the range to $5.80 to $6.60 per bushel.
The forecasted stocks to use ratio was lowered to 6.3% compared to 6.7% last month and well below the 5-yr average of 12.0%
2011/12 global coarse grain supplies are decreased by 3.1 million tons reflecting reduced corn production in Argentina and Paraguay. Argentina corn production is lowered by 4 million tons to 22 million, and Paraguay's production is lowered by 0.4 million tons.
We will continue to watch Argentina's corn production as La Niña weather patterns of extreme heat reduce yield prospects. Although Argentina has seen recent rain, extensive heat during pollination in December and January has caused irreversible damage to the early corn.
U.S. soybean exports are projected 226 million bushels lower than last year, but unchanged from last month at 1.275 billion bushels. 2011/12 ending stocks are unchanged at 275 million bushels. The U.S. season-average price range for 2011/12 was narrowed to $11.10 to $12.30 per bushel compared to $10.95 to $12.45 last month.
Global oilseed production for 2011/12 is projected down 4.9 million tons to 257 million tons due to lower production forecasts for South America.
U.S. wheat ending stocks for 2011/12 are projected 25 million bushels lower to 845 million bushels. Exports are increased by 25 million bushels due to strong sales, strong shipments, and competitively priced feed. The season-average price is raised $0.20 at the bottom end to $7.15 to $7.45 per bushel.
Global wheat supplies for 2011/12 are projected 2.1 million tons higher due to increased beginning stocks in Kazakhstan and increased production for India, Kazakhstan, and Morocco.
We will be closely watching Russia as their supply of wheat dwindles which could result in their government shutting down exports for the second time in two years.
Moving forward, the grain markets will be closely watching South America's corn and soybean production and how La Niña weather patterns will affect yields.
Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.