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Mets icons Wilson, Alfonzo to manage Futures Game
Two former Mets postseason heroes will return to Queens to match wits against each other in next month's SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game at Citi Field. Major League Baseball announced Tuesday that Mookie Wilson and Edgardo Alfonzo will serve as managers for the U.S. and World teams, respectively, in the annual game on July 14.
Both Wilson and Alfonzo entered Mets lore for their clutch play -- Wilson in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series and Alfonzo throughout the Mets' playoff runs in 1999 and 2000. Now, however, they will be guiding baseball's next generation of stars.
"It's big to be part of that event," said Alfonzo, who was named an All-Star in 2000. "All the players from each country and America participate in that event. It makes you feel really honored to be there."
Wilson was never named to an All-Star team during his 12-year playing career. He said that made his inclusion as the U.S. manager even better.
"Anytime you have the opportunity to be in the All-Star festivities and celebration, you have to consider it to be an honor," he said. "To me, it's special because I am no longer a player. It still means an awful lot to me."
The 15th annual SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game takes place at 2 p.m. ET on Taco Bell All-Star Sunday at Citi Field in New York and can be seen live on MLB.com, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD and followed live on MLB.com's Gameday. In addition, XM Radio will broadcast play-by-play coverage of the event live on MLB Network Radio XM 89. MLB.com will also provide complete coverage before, during and after the game. Fans can stay updated by following @MLBFutures on Twitter and can send/receive tweets to/from the U.S. and World team dugouts during the game by tagging tweets with the hashtags #USDugout and #WorldDugout.
Rosters for both teams will be announced on Wednesday.
For Wilson, the Futures Game will mark a return to the dugout. He served as the Mets first base coach from 1996-2002 and again in 2011. During his first stint as first base coach, Wilson had the chance to coach Alfonzo. Wilson described Alfonzo as the "ultimate professional."
"He was very detailed and I remember his work ethic," Wilson said. "As a person he couldn't be a nicer guy. I'm happy for him that he's still in the game."
After his time as the club's first base coach, Wilson returned to the Minor Leagues as a manager, first at rookie-level Kingsport from 2003-2004 and short-season Brooklyn in 2005.
But Alfonzo, unlike Wilson, has never even served as a Little League manager. He said he is looking forward to getting his first managerial experience on the big stage of the Futures Game.
"I would say it's going to be really interesting because it's the first time, but it also will be really fun," Alfonozo said.
To help him learn on the fly, Alfonzo said he will rely on his coaching staff, which will also have a Mets flavor. Former Mets reliever Neil Allen will serve as the World team's pitching coach, a role he presently holds in Triple-A Durham. Pedro Lopez, manager of the Mets Double-A affiliate in Binghamton, will also be on the staff. Jacques Jones will serve as the World team's hitting coach and Charlie Montoyo, Steve Scarsone and Julio Vinas round out the staff.
Alfonzo said his coaches will be especially important because of his lack of experience, both in making decisions in the dugout and with the players on the World roster.
"I think we'll work well together," Alfonzo said. "I think it's going to be easy because of the coaching staff."
The U.S. dugout will host a mini-1986 Mets reunion. Former Mets third baseman Howard Johnson will serve as the U.S. team's hitting coach, which is also his job with Triple-A Tacoma. The rest of Wilson's coaching staff is made up of pitching coach Brad Olman, Keith Bodie, Chris Cron, Andy Green and Dean Treanor. Carl Randolph, the Pirates Minor League athletic training coordinator, will serve as the U.S. team's trainer.
Wilson said he is looking forward to reuniting with Johnson.
"When you're around people you're familiar with, it makes it much more fun," Wilson said. "I'm happy for HoJo."
In the All-Star setting of the Futures Game, Wilson and Alfonzo likely won't have to make too many difficult decisions. But both are excited for the game and the rest of this year's All-Star festivities.
"It's an honor to be a part of it," Wilson said. "There's not going to be a lot of managing going on, but it's an honor to represent the organization."


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Welcome one and all who love cats.
You don't need to own a cat to join in the discussions.
You merely need to love them.
All are welcome.
So pull up a warm spot in the sun and help yourself to a bowl of milk.
Meow's and purrs to you all!
Iris wrote:New post to add that kitty got a home...Rob took him (I figured he would!) His name is Pharaoh. Actually, I suggested Boy George because of the dark eye "makeup." That didn't go over. Rob's son suggested Franken-doodle (must be a 17 year old thing). I also tried out Set and Pyewacket, neither of which went over very well. So, Pharaoh it is.
Pharaoh is a good name.
Glad he found a home.

subset: commoncrawl


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NEW ORLEANS – Months after cutting its print edition to three days a week, The Times-Picayune of New Orleans on Tuesday announced plans for a three-day-a-week tabloid called TPStreet available in stores and newsstands on days when the full paper isn't printed.
On the same day as The Times-Picayune's announcement, its rival The Advocate reported on its website that New Orleans businessman John Georges has completed his purchase of the Baton Rouge-based newspaper and named two former top Times-Picayune news executives to lead it.
Georges said he will serve as publisher and named former Times-Picayune managing editor Dan Shea as general manager and another former Times-Picayune managing editor, Peter Kovacs, as editor. The Advocate's announcement said current editor Carl Redman would remain in the position of senior editor.
The Times-Picayune's announcement came on its website, nola.com. Editor Jim Amoss said the 75-cent tabloid will be published Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning this summer and that the publication won't be available via home delivery.
Home subscribers will be able to get an electronic replica of TPStreet on the days it is published, in addition to an electronic version of the full Times-Picayune editions published Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays (including an early Sunday edition published Saturday afternoons.)
"It will allow our readers every day to zoom in on content as they browse through the e-edition's pages on their laptops, tablets and desktop computers," Amoss wrote.
In June of last year, The Times-Picayune's owner, privately held Advance Publications Inc., and a new subsidiary, Nola Media Group, announced the paper would lay off 200 employees and shift its focus to the free nola.com site. Advance has pursued similar three-times-a-week strategies with several other newspapers in the chain.
The decision met with harsh protests in tradition-bound New Orleans, where readers had a tight bond with the 175-year-old Pulitzer-winning paper, especially after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005.
Georges acquired The Advocate from the Manship family, which has owned the seven-day daily since 1909. The Advocate's announcement said the closing capped two years of negotiations.
Terms of the sale were not disclosed. The deal does not include WBRZ-TV, which will continue to be opened by the Manships.
The Advocate expanded its coverage of news in the New Orleans area in 2012, opening a New Orleans bureau and marketing itself as the city's only daily newspaper after The Times-Picayune cut back to three days of publication a week. Officials of The Advocate say about 20 per cent of its daily circulation of 98,000 copies and Sunday circulation of about 125,000 comes from the New Orleans area


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STEVEN ALAN'S JAPANESE TRIFECTA: Specialty retailer Steven Alan is opening three stores in Japan through a license with Beauty & Youth United Arrows in April. Two of the stores are planned for Tokyo — one in Shibuya; one in Shinjuku — with the third in Osaka. They will follow the Steven Alan's multibrand format and carry the Steven Alan collection, which United Arrows also holds a license to manufacture. United Arrows Ltd. is a publicly traded company established in 1989 with a specialty store and has since expanded into several different retail channels, including United Arrows Green Label, United Arrows Drawer and Youth & Beauty United Arrows, which specializes in casual merchandise and has 33 storefronts.
"They're very much a company that's similar to us," said Steven Alan, noting that United Arrows approached him for the license agreement. "They have their own stores and their own brand with four or five different types of stores under United Arrows. They've promoted great designers and really understand the Japanese market." United Arrows was also the first Japanese store to carry the Steven Alan collection back in 1998.
This story first appeared in the January 29, 2013 issue of WWD. Subscribe Today.
This is not Alan's first foray into the Japanese market. He set up shop under a previous license in 1998 and was forced to close the stores when that licensee went out of business in 2003. Alan also has five women's stores in Korea through a licensing agreement with the Galleria department store.


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The Mystery Surrounding Oracle DataBase 11g And Direct Reads
I do a lot of experiments and I commonly need to create a very specific load on one of my test servers. (This is why I created a simple synthetic load generator tool.) But when I installed 11gR1 over a year ago the top wait event db file scattered reads switched to direct path reads. Argh! This is not what I wanted.
For reference, when a server process asks the operating system for multiple blocks at once (for example, using the system call readv) and places them into the buffer cache, Oracle records the time using the wait event facility and gives the system call a standard name of db file scattered reads. Scattered read blocks are placed into the buffer cache so other processes can also access the blocks without issuing another operating system IO request. While there is overhead when finding free buffers and placing the block into the buffer cache (which requires acquiring and holding latches and updating internal lists) when a bunch of processes are going to access the same buffer, the caching strategy generally works fantastic.
Another strategy is to have the server process read the blocks, process them in its own PGA memory, and NOT place them into the buffer cache. This is quicker for this one process because buffer cache management like finding a free buffer does not occur. Plus if a lot of blocks are being read, think large full-table scan, then perhaps we don't want to fill our buffer cache with this particular table. This is why a direct read is sometimes called a selfish read... because only the issuing process benefits. But it can make sense. Oracle's touch count algorithm (paper, book) also plays into this, but that's out of scope for this post.
The optimizer decides whether a scattered read (multi-block IO call with the results stored in Oracle's buffer cache) or a selfish direct read (multi-block IO call with the results processed in the server process's PGA memory) is performed.
So in 11g I was shocked to find my nice little load generator not generating scattered reads like I expected and wanted. So something had changed. Well, I put this on my To-Do list. But this week, I couldn't wait any longer. I'm updating my Oracle Performance Firefighting courseware and also checking many performance aspects of 11gR2, so I had to deal with this! (As in FYI, there are significant differences between 11gR1 and 11gR2.)
This is a little complicated: There are supposed to be three factors involved in determining whether a scattered or direct read should result; size of the table, event 10949, and the resurrected instance parameter _small_table_threshold. It is supposed to work like this: if the size of the table is larger then _small_table_threshold (default 996 for my 11gR2 system) AND event 10949 is set to 0 (default), then a direct read results instead of a scattered read.
But my experiments repeatedly showed when full-table scanning a 6,823 block table (8KB blocks) Oracle was issuing direct reads instead of scattered reads. Huh?... it isn't supposed to work like that.
Strangely, the instance parameter _small_table_threshold had absolutely no effect on my experiments. I set it to values like 5, 50, 500, and the default of 996 (that's right, 996) and it made absolutely no difference.
Oracle did though decide to issue direct reads when table grew to 6,823 blocks, yet 6,823 blocks seems arbitrary. Fortunately and more importantly, by setting event 10949 to 1 (using both an alter session and setting an instance parameter) I forced Oracle to issue scattered reads! So now my scattered read load generator is back in business!
In my experiments I used my OSM toolkit script ipx.sql to report on a hidden, that is, underscore parameter. All the rest is standard SQL. Here is the SQL that I ran in SQL*Plus:
set echo off feedback off verify off
connect / as sysdba
@ipx %small_table%
connect system/manager
set echo on feedback on verify on
drop table test_table;
create table test_table (c1 number, c2 char(200), c3 char(200),
c4 char(200));
i number;
for i in 1 .. 50000
insert into test_table values (i,'a','b','c');
end loop;
exec dbms_stats.gather_table_stats(user, 'TEST_TABLE');
select num_rows,avg_row_len,num_rows*avg_row_len tbl_size,
from user_tables
where table_name='TEST_TABLE';
alter session set events '10046 trace name context forever, level 8';
alter system flush buffer_cache;
alter session set events '10949 trace name context off';
select count(*) from test_table;
alter system flush buffer_cache;
alter session set events '10949 trace name context forever, level 1';
select count(*) from test_table;
alter session set events '10046 trace name context off';
alter session set events '10949 trace name context off';
!ls -ltr /home/oracle/admin/diag/rdbms/prod18/prod18/trace | tail -10
I was running Oracle 11.2 on Oracle Linux 5.4.Here are the result from my experiments. Look carefully at the purple rows.
Notice the first test of 75000 rows Oracle decided to switch from scattered reads to direct reads. Whatever the threshold is, it was surpassed. (And this experiment demonstrates _small_table_threshold is not in units of rows, bytes, or blocks.) However, in the last test we took control and set event 10949 to the non-default value of 1. As a result, we forced Oracle to do scattered reads! In other words, I forced Oracle to place the blocks into the buffer cache and not do a selfish read, even when it didn't want to.
Just for reference, here is the instance parameter entry for event 10949
# 0: perhaps do a direct read for large multi-block reads (default)
# 1: always do a scat read for multi-block reads
event = "10949 trace name context forever, level 1
As a result of this experiment, when full-table scanning I can now force server processes to do scattered reads regardless of the table size (the exception is a 1 block table). So the mystery surrounding 11g and direct reads is no longer such a mystery!
Thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing from you!
Start my FREE 18 lesson Machine Learning For Oracle Professionals E-Course here.
Craig Shallahamer is a long time Oracle DBA who specializes in predictive analytics, machine learning and Oracle performance tuning. Craig is a performance researcher and blogger, consultant, author of two books, an enthusiastic conference speaker a passionate teacher and an Oracle ACE Director. More about Craig Shallahamer...
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me directly at craig at orapub.com.
|Watch Oracle Database Elapsed Time And Wall Time With Parallel Query
|Collecting True Oracle Database SQL Elapsed Times
|Important Article Published In DB Trends Magazine


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Select from A-Z to view the available business services we offer in consultancy and contract research:
At DMU there is always something to do or see, check out our events for yourself.
DMU is a dynamic university, read about what we have been up to in our latest news section.
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Everything that Week 7 was not, in terms of big matchups, Week 8 is. There are no fewer than five nationally significant major clashes, plus several more games that will greatly impact conference races. Here's a quick list, in rough order of importance:
No. 24 Texas Lutheran (5-1) at No. 2 Mary Hardin-Baylor (6-0)
No. 8 Wheaton (6-0) at No. 16 North Central (4-2)
No. 5 UW-Oshkosh (5-1) at No. 12 UW-Platteville (5-1)
No. 21 Rowan (5-1) at No. 4 Wesley (6-0)
No. 25 Whitworth (6-0) at No. 2 Linfield (5-0)
Those are the big five. For the uninitiated, one might assume the clash of undefeated teams is the biggest, but in all these matchups, there's some nuance. Three top-five teams are at home, where they rarely lose. Meantime, UW-Oshkosh's loss was to non-Division-III Robert Morris-Chicago, so when it comes to playoff positioning, we can toss the 23-21 Week 1 result right out the window. North Central's two losses are to Platteville, in overtime, and to Wesley, on a two-point conversion with seven seconds left. The Cardinals blew three-touchdown leads in both games. Rowan's loss is by three, to No. 23 Salisbury, Texas Lutheran's is by eight to No. 14 Hardin-Simmons, and Platteville's is by 10, to No. 6 UW-Whitewater. Platteville also beat Dubuque, which manhandled then-No. 8 Wartburg last week, 31-7 back in September.
In essence, each one of those 10 teams is powerful. One tier below, we have:
No. 10 Johns Hopkins (6-0) at Gettysburg (5-1)
Franklin & Marshall (5-1) at Moravian (5-1)
Delaware Valley (5-1) at No. 20 Albright (6-0)
Widener (4-2) at Stevenson (5-1)
No. 23 Salisbury (4-1) at Kean (4-2)
St. Lawrence (5-1) at Springfield (4-3)
Bethel (4-2) at No. 7 St. Thomas (6-0)
Hendrix (4-2) at Chicago (5-1)
Brockport State (4-2) at Cortland State (6-1)
Wesleyan (3-1) at Amherst (4-0)
Basically, it's one big slobberknocker. And if the above intro just looks like a list of games, names and records to you, then that's where Around the Nation columnist Ryan Tipps, editor and publisher Pat Coleman and I come in. Our job is to sort out this Battle Royale for you so you can make sense of Week 8. You'll have your eyes on one game, more than likely, but what else should you be paying attention to? Below the radar or clearly on it, we'll show you the way.
— Keith McMillan
Game of the week
Keith's take: No. 8 Wheaton at No. 16 North Central. My initial instinct was to pick the Texas clash, because TLU and UMHB don't have Pool A bids to fall back on if they lose. They're essentially competing for the same Pool B spot, and there's a Hardin-Simmons/UMHB game after this. But since Ryan has Texas covered, and a one-loss UMHB would be a Pool C (at-large) shoo-in, let's shoot up to Chicagoland. The Little Brass Bell rivalry game is at North Central's Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium, meaning higher-ranked Wheaton will have to make the seven-mile trek. But it's the status of Thunder QB Johnny Peltz (the Chicago Tribune says he's "listed as the starter" after missing two games because of injury) and North Central's desperation that makes this the game of the week. The Cardinals had both UW-Platteville and Wesley on the ropes and failed to deliver the knockout blow. NCC is clearly as talented as anyone, but a potential dream season goes up in smoke if they can't finish a game. And even if NCC wins, 6-0 Illinois Wesleyan looms next week; IWU and Wheaton clash the week after.
Ryan's take: No. 24 Texas Lutheran at No. 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor. It's hard to see this matchup listed and not hark back to last year's weather-delayed, two-day postseason game in which UMHB edged out a 27-20 victory. It was a starkly narrow outing compared with the Cru's regular-season 72-16 win against TLU. UMHB is as threatening as ever, with one of the nation's best scoring offenses; but not to be out-offensed (yes, I just verbed a noun), TLU is pretty skilled at putting points on the board, too. So this one will likely be which defense can step up and stop their opponent's onslaught most effectively. UMHB, though less effective halting the pass than halting the run, still holds the upper hand on that front.
Pat's take: No. 5 UW-Oshkosh at No. 12 UW-Platteville. Like the game Ryan mentions, this is also a game which may carry the fate of multiple playoff hopefuls in the balance. If Platteville beats Oshkosh, and they and Whitewater each win out to finish with one D-III loss, it's possible three WIAC teams could make the playoffs. If Oshkosh wins, Platteville is definitely still in the conversation thanks to its win against North Central and its early-season win vs. Dubuque, which now carries more weight than initially thought. But if Platteville wins, there's a chance someone's playoff bubble will eventually pop.
Surprisingly close game
Keith's take: Hartwick at Alfred. Maybe this is only surprising to those who have paid zero attention to the Empire 8 this season, since the conference race has been the demolition derby predicted in Kickoff '15. In a conference where five of nine teams have four wins overall, six have exactly two conference losses and the leader (Cortland State) wins by miracle seemingly every week, the Hawks have yet to get in on the action. But even though Hartwick is 2-4, 0-4, they're right there — Cortland and Morrisville State each won by just a field goal. So why wouldn't Alfred (4-2, 2-2), which has played one-score Empire 8 games against Cortland and Buffalo State, play another tight one with Hartwick?
Ryan's take: Cal Lutheran at Chapman. Chapman has bumbled to a 1-4 record this season as it struggled to get its offense rolling and swapped out a starting quarterback midseason. It's a far drop off of 2014, when the team's only two losses came at the hands of Linfield. Meanwhile, Cal Lutheran at 4-1 has been a seesaw of performance this season, winning games but leaving doubt about how good they really are. This will be an interesting matchup that will do one of two things: give more credence to Cal Lutheran's run or further muddy the SCIAC waters by letting another conference-title challenger hang around.
Pat's take: Montclair State at TCNJ. Closer than expected for a .500 team vs. a winless team. Once upon a time this was the premier rivalry in New Jersey small college football, and while that was supplanted by Rowan-TCNJ, this is still the oldest. TCNJ has too much going for it this season to finish 0-10 (or 1-9 with a win vs. Southern Virginia). The Lions will pick off one of the next two opponents, I think, and it could be this week.
Most likely top-25 team to be upset
Keith's take: No. 7 St. Thomas. We're going to have at least five top-25 teams lose this week, and in the spirit of taking a stab at a true upset, I'll go beyond those 10 ranked squads playing other ranked teams. There's no reason that the Tommies, a team I have higher on my ballot than their No. 7 overall ranking, should lose to this particular Bethel team. But the Tommies and Royals have such history — Bethel has won the past two, and knocked St. Thomas out of the 2010 playoffs with a 12-7 win that followed a 10-6 loss earlier in the year — that if there were a shocker in this week's top 25, this would be it. Both teams average 237 rushing yards per game, but the Tommies' defense only allows 62 to Bethel's 145, so it would take a Herculean effort up front.
Ryan's take: No. 20 Albright. Opponent Delaware Valley has far exceeded my expectations this season. With as much as the Aggies had to replace because of graduations, I was expecting them to be closer to 3-3 at this point rather than 5-1. The game against Albright starts the difficult stretch of the season for DelVal, but if they really have been able to reload rather than rebuild, Albright will be the first step toward DelVal re-establishing itself at the top of the MAC.
Pat's take: No. 8 Wheaton. My concern here is the same I've mentioned previously, that Wheaton is nursing some injuries and will be missing its No. 1 quarterback for this game. That negates a significant advantage. No. 16 North Central is playing for its playoff life at the moment, and pride, and the Little Brass Bell, and to get the CCIW title. They're quite battle-tested this season and a couple plays away from being in the top 10.
Pick a winner in a game that will affect a conference race later
Keith's take: Loras, at Simpson. I'm going to again board the bandwagon of the high-octane Duhawks, who are standing next to Albion at the "National Leaders in Total Offense" party, next to Wesley, Mount Union, St. Thomas, Wheaton and Thomas More, like they belong there. And maybe they do. With Dubuque taking control of the IIAC race last week, and playing 1-5 Buena Vista this week, Loras needs to win at home against Simpson (both are 3-3, 2-1) to set up a crosstown showdown for a share of first place next week. I'm not saying if we did D-III Game Day that we'd come to Dubuque, Iowa next Saturday for Duhawks-Spartans, but I'm not saying we wouldn't.
Ryan's take: St. Lawrence, at Springfield. The Liberty League is one of the many conference parity mashups that has been difficult to sort through this year. Hobart was king – they had been so for the past three seasons. But defeat at the hands of Springfield, as well as St. Lawrence's rise the past two years, provides an air of uncertainty to the LL. There are many directions this conference could turn, including seeing Hobart again emerge on top. The St. Lawrence/Springfield matchup will hopefully help with some clarity and give a bit of momentum to the victor (who I'm projecting to be St. Lawrence).
Pat's take: No. 7 St. Thomas, hosting Bethel. This game is for first place now, or a share of it, but I include it here because it definitely will affect it later as well, should Bethel win. St. Thomas has the opportunity to run the table and leave no doubt, but like the WIAC game I referenced above, there's a chance this game could feature multiple playoff teams, or multiple playoff hopefuls.
Pick a team with a losing record to win
Keith's take: Lycoming. The Warriors once ruled the MAC with an iron fist, but this year, everyone else is getting its shots in, as Lycoming is 1-5. Having lost nine in a row to the Warriors, FDU-Florham (2-4) would certainly like to join in. Both teams have lost three straight since beating Wilkes, but the Devils' losses have been by a combined 147-27, with 33 points the closest margin. Lycoming's past two losses were by three and four points, on the road, one in overtime. Look for RB Blake Bowman and WR Ryan Umpleby to have big games.
Ryan's take: Christopher Newport. The Captains are playing a 5-1 Frostburg State squad, but it's worth noting that the Bobcats' record comes with the help of wins against the bottom three teams in the NJAC. Of course, there's a chance that 5-1 mark will improve by beating the fourth-from-the-bottom team in the conference, but CNU has been at its best this season playing the toughest teams in the conference. CNU has a knack for stepping up when it needs to, whether that's against Wesley or Rowan or Montclair or, I'm betting, against Frostburg.
Pat's take: Pacific Lutheran. The winless Lutes — have you ever said that before this season? — have George Fox coming to town. GFU is 3-3, with two wins at home and a win at Arizona Christian. I wouldn't have thought PLU would have to hope for a win vs. a second-year D-III program, but it might be necessary. My thinking here is that a young program might need a little more experience before it can go on the road and beat an established program, even if it's a struggling one.
Pick a team with a winning record to lose
Keith's take: Springfield, against St. Lawrence. The Pride upended the usual state of things in the Liberty League with a 35-point second half to rally past Hobart. That opened the door for itself, for Rochester, for RPI, and for St. Lawrence. The Saints right now are in the drivers' seat, and with a respectable run defense (121 yards/game, 56th nationally) that should be familiar with Springfield's successful attack, and a Liberty-League-best scoring offense (30.3 points/game), they can stay there.
Ryan's take: Rose-Hulman. As much fun as the Engineers have been having on their undefeated run, that streak stops against Franklin. It should be an interesting battle to see the HCAC's top two quarterbacks sling it out against each other, but the bottom line is that RHIT hasn't found an answer for the Grizzlies since 2009.
Pat's take: Bethel at No. 7 St. Thomas. This game has traditionally been a slog, a pound-the-rock type of fight, and I would not expect any different in 2015. St. Thomas is even more ground game-oriented than previously, and when I saw Bethel play earlier this season, their secondary particularly impressed me. But St. Thomas is more talented and should be able to take this game based on the strength of their defense, their run game and special teams.
They'll be on your radar
Keith's take: The Centennial Conference. Johns Hopkins has been in control so long that it's easy to glaze over the CC when looking at which races will be contested. But with the 6-0 Blue Jays being trailed by three 5-1 teams and 4-2 Muhlenberg, this could get interesting, both locally and nationally. Between the four leaders, only JHU and Moravian have played so far (a 45-23 Hopkins win). This week, F&M goes to Moravian and JHU goes to Gettysburg, to give us a little bit more clarity in terms of what's ahead. If two teams begin to emerge, we could be looking at an unexpected Pool C contender. If it really gets crazy, we could be looking at a half-Empire 8 situation. Or Johns Hopkins could just be saving its best for last. So basically, that's why it's on the radar this week.
Ryan's take: Case Western Reserve. Consider the game against No. 16 Washington and Jefferson to be Case's opportunity to show what it's really made of, to show everyone that it has put the season-opening loss behind it and that it deserves to be positioned at the top of the PAC. Most of all, this will be a big test of whether Case has turned itself around after a couple of sub-.500 seasons. W&J quarterback Pete Coughlin and rusher Ryan Ruffing will undoubtedly make it a tough game for a team like Case.
Pat's take: Western New England. Once upon a time this was our predicted game of the year in the NEFC. Now the game vs. MIT is just another step for WNEU on its way to a potential 10-0 season, and maybe a first-round home game vs. Husson. (Although Husson hasn't won the ECFC yet and … well there are some other games to be played.)
We invite you to add your predictions in the comments below. Download the Around the Nation podcast on Mondays, where Pat and Keith review the picks that were prescient, and those that were terribly off base.


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Transfer files with Nokia Express Music 5320 is very easy. Just connect the CA-101 to your Nokia 5320 then plug into your Ubuntu.
From Nokia Express 5320 menu , select 'Mass Storage'.
In few seconds, it will be recognized as a USB storage. You can create any directories that you want.
I suggest to create based on category so it will easier for you to browse your files in the future.
Go to directory in your PC and select files that you want to copy.
Go back to your Nokia and move to the directory that you want to store your files and paste into it.
The copying process is done.
If you are done, make sure to do safe remove by select 'Unmount Volume' menu at 'Nokia 5320 icon' before you plug-out the CA-101 cable data.
This question below will occur if you deleted some files in your Nokia 5320 Express Music. I suggest to choose 'Empty Trash' because it will remove the deleted files from your Nokia trash bin permanently.
Ubuntu will write your copied files to your Nokia. Do not disconnect the media during the writing process otherwise it will damage your storage device in your Nokia.
Now, you can unplug the cable.


text:
The Grand Rubenesque!
In just a few days, I'm going to unveil my new curvaceous doll! Maybe tomorrow or the day after, or perhaps in thee or four, or five days….once I finish shooting her. Are you excited yet?
This is the first official shot of her, inspired by a very classical, if not cliche composition of a reclining nude, particularly Jean Ingres's painting The Grand Odalisque. The old masters sure loved painting reclining ladies in various stages of undress, and what's not to love here? I'm very excited to show you the rest of her.
I'd love to hear your opinions about her form.
This entry was posted on Friday, April 6th, 2012 at 10:53 pm
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56 Responses
Magnificent! Can't wait to see more pics!
She is amazing, Marina, congrats!
Perhaps it's due to the heavier pear shape, her legs and feet look even more dainty than the other EDs… Love the elegant soles.
Oh, oh, oh! She looks lovely! She does look like she'd fit in exactly in a classic painting. :D
The curves are gorgeous, of course. The bony prominences do look a bit sharper than one would expect from a body with more "meat" in it, but perhaps it's just the lighting. I can't wait to see more photos of her!
Great work as always <3
♥♥♥♥♥….Yep, that covers my feelings about her. Can't wait to see more.
Beautiful (jumping and and down clapping hands) can't wait to see more.
I thought instead of the Rokeby Venus by Velazquez, with her pose and the mirror offering a vague glimpse at her face.
From this angle she definitely looks curvy. It will be great to see her in full, to see how she turned out. Don't make us suffer too long :-P
Marina, I forgot to say, that is the most fabulous coloured hair I have ever seen, it's gorgeous♥
I think she's beautiful, but she doesn't look Rubenesque above the hips–maybe it's theangle, but she appears to have a tiny waist & narrow shoulders. Rubens' women, I think, were more rounded and zaftig.
So funny! Before the photo loaded and I had not seen a thing I thought about the Odaliske photos I have from DA and that I`d like to draw them and your photo is exactly like it :)
Can't absolutely wait to see more of her!… Bravo, Marina! And Happy Easter to you and Chad and your families!
Oohh she looks so gorgeous and slightly mysterious,lovely new shape too. It looks softer to me somehow,can't wait to see her face properly. Winner!!
I love it so so much …..
She is breathing, smoothly and gently, like the feather upon your fingertips.
cant wait to see !!!post as soon as you can please!!haha
she remember to me at la maja desnuda of GOYA!!!,big job!!
I am excited about the new body, but just look at her perfect little feet! And her reflection in the mirror! Great photo!
fabulous, can't wait to see more.
LOVE!!!! And I absolutely adore that wig… the deep red looks stunning on her, can't wait to see more!
Second look – still ravishing!! I think,with her colouring she looks like a Celtic princess. Beautiful hair
she looks fabulousï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼
She seem's to be a very beautiful pear shape woman. Please show more…you manage to keep us glued to our screen
love your doll she is beautiful in any way :)
i can't wait to see more pic adore the hair it so ravishing!!
I'd love to see her side-by-side wth one of your other dolls to get a better sense of the difference in their forms. :)
Stunning! I can't wait to see her. All your dolls are fabulous. I am not sure how you can top the last doll, but you always do! I would like to see them side by side too.
Can't wait to see more of her ! Love that she has more curves !!! It flows beautifully like a water drop…
To be honest I like the slim bodies of your other doll more :-) I am more into the fragile, tender look then into this round form… Beside that I agree with a comment above stating that there is a huge different OVER the hip and BELOW the hip! It is not so good balanced then your other dolls!!!! The upper body doesn't match so well with the hip and legs! I think if you do a rounder, bigger form you should do it to the whole doll but this is just my opinion…
But I really like the red passionate hair of her. English is not my motherlanguage so I apologize if there are any major mistakes in my text…
While she is absolutely stunning and the detail in her feet and toes blow me away.. I don't see her as anything other than an average women ( I mean that is a good way) except that she has thin arms and thin upper body. Maybe real Rubenesque women are not as esthetically pretty. Just my opinion.. Maybe the next one can be a little more proportioned and called "Full Figured". She is amazing however! and your work is brilliant. I have seen no other artist that is so focused on detail.
So looking forward to her! I do side with RoseMary a little on the full figured idea.. So many women, so many figures!
just kind of speechless and dizzy, wanting to see more of her. i'm loving what i'm seeing so far!
what i love is that her skin seems so soft, that you managed to sculpt a form that looks soft even though it's made of porcelain.
can't wait to see more!
and i love her hair too!
Absolutely stunning! Can't wait to see more pictures!
Bellissima! I like her very much and even my husband who is not a great doll appreciator was enticed by her. ;)
Wonder what character you will choose her to be…
beautiful as always, but I don't quite understand the need for the deep notches in the backs of the thighs
why are her arms fatter on the lower part then on the top?
Oh gosh, it looks beautiful in porcelain! Still very stylized, nothing chubby, pudgy or least of all fat. I wonder if I'll like her better than the regular girls. Beautiful work!
Janet: now that you mention it..
New doll!!!!!!! This is very exciting. Can not wait to see her. Fuller body or not, i'm sure she'll be exquisite just as your other girls. I expect nothing but perfection from head to her toes.
I like her shoulder blades, her back is lovely and I also can't wait to see more!
I love the shoulder blades and curves. I hate to be redundant, but the detail is amazing. Great work Marina!
Budu zde psát Äesky, VaÅ¡e panenky jsou nádherné, vracÃm se sem snad stokrát za den a nemohu se doÄkat, až zveÅ™ejnÃte v celé své kráse svoji novou panenku – úžasná tvorba.
Can I ask a question please? Are these for exhibitions/shows or are they going to be for sale to the fans? Thank you for your time
Marina, thanks for that prompt reply, much appreciated and looking forward……
Tiziano for me, not Rubens – and I love her
I agree with some others that she doesn't look balanced. If she's going to have a larger bottom and thighs, she also needs slightly broader shoulders, a bigger bust (going off the earlier pictures of her prototype), and a less bony back. She's still beautiful, but less realistic and more stylized than your other dolls because of these things.
Actually woman tend to get more meat on the upper arm, even skinny women have trouble with their triceps.
Love the bottom! Jointing looks better and I appreciate the under foot having more defined details than before.
my mother's shape is something like that and she is well balanced ;) I think it calls "pear shape".
She's very pretty, my only criticism is that her arms dont seem to be in harmony witht the rest of her. I'm really looking forward to seeing her face ^_^.
Marina, how she is extraordinary! A pleasant sight! I want to see her mysterious face!
I think when people see her face and the image as a whole, they will forget all of these "thin arms" ;-)
So beautiful and elegant, I love it!!!
I do see she is not as thick on her waist up,and her shoulder blades are more sharp than your original style dolls I believe….still beautiful though, beautiful I say!
Stunning, absolutely stunning!
Perfect as always. I wish she were here with me at my desk today.
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Marc Weiszer has a great post up about something that hasn't gotten much attention – the number of top-rated JUCO signees in Georgia's most recent recruiting class.
The late addition of defensive lineman Toby Johnson to Georgia's signing class on Tuesday gave the Bulldogs four players ranked among Rivals.com's top 25 junior college prospects, more than any other team in the nation.
Auburn has three and Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Kansas two each.
Johnson from Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College is ranked No. 8. Receiver Jonathon Rumph from Holmes (Miss.) Community College is No. 9, safety Shaquille Fluker from East Mississippi Community College is No. 22 and nose guard Chris Mayes from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is No. 25. Georgia also signed safety Kennar Johnson from Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Georgia had only two junior college players on its roster last year—nose guard John Jenkins and offensive lineman Mark Beard.
The Bulldogs added just one junior college player in each of its four previous signing classes: Beard in 2012, Jenkins in 2011, safety Jakar Hamilton in 2010 and kicker Brandon Bogotay in 2009.
That's obviously a big change in signing tactics. And it's made all the more interesting by something else Weiszer notes.
This wave of junior college players came after a clause was put in Richt's contract last year saying that "the recruitment of junior college student-athletes will be kept to a minimum, as determined by Richt and the Athletic Director."
Clearly, Richt and Greg McGarity determined that the Bulldogs needed to tap into help this time around from the junior college ranks.
That may be our first clear sign that Georgia football has entered a post-Michael Adams era.


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All Items : Glassware : Character and Promo : Pre 1970 item #801563 (stock #M-8400)
Everyday Things
Vintage casserole marked Fire King Anchor Hocking Oven-Proof 17. I have a clear lid that fits this casserole, but it is not the original, and I really don't know what kind came with it. I've seen several different lids on this type casserole, but I don't know if these were the right one. It holds a bit over 1 quart. There are no chips, cracks, breaks or rough rim, and very little sign of use. There are the usual Fire King milk glass oddities. I need your zip code to calculate the postage.


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Free Newsletter: Consumer Health Digest
Consumer health encompasses all aspects of the marketplace related to the purchase of health products and services. Positively, it involves the facts and understanding that enable people to make wise choices. Negatively, it means avoiding unwise decisions based on deception, misinformation, or other factors.
Consumer Health Digest is a weekly e-mail newsletter edited by William M. London, Ed.D., M.P.H, with help from Stephen Barrett, M.D. It summarizes scientific reports; legislative developments; enforcement actions; news reports; Web site evaluations; recommended and nonrecommended books; research tips; and other information relevant to consumer protection and consumer decision-making. It also calls attention to new articles on our Web sites.
- The chd Info Page tells how to subscribe.
Please record your password so you can access your account later. To unsubscribe, access your account or follow the instructions that will be included in each issue.
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Our subscriber list is private and will not be given to third parties for any purpose.
This page was revised on January 29, 2019.


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Smog hanging over cities
is the most familiar and obvious
form of air pollution. But there are different kinds of pollution—some
some invisible—that contribute to global warming. Generally any
substance that
people introduce into the atmosphere that has damaging effects on
living things
and the environment is considered air pollution.
The Leading Pollutant
Carbon dioxide, a
greenhouse gas, is the main pollutant that
is warming Earth. Though living things emit carbon dioxide when they
carbon dioxide is widely considered to be a pollutant when associated
cars, planes, power plants, and other human activities that involve the
of fossil fuels such as gasoline and natural gas. In the past 150
years, such
activities have pumped enough carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to
raise its
levels higher than they have been for hundreds of thousands of years.
Other Greenhouse Gasses
Other greenhouse gases
include methane—which comes from such
sources as swamps and gas emitted by livestock—and chlorofluorocarbons
which were used in refrigerants and aerosol propellants until they were
because of their deteriorating effect on Earth's ozone layer.
Another pollutant
associated with climate change is sulfur
dioxide, a component of smog. Sulfur dioxide and closely related
chemicals are
known primarily as a cause of acid rain. But they also reflect light
released in the atmosphere, which keeps sunlight out and causes Earth
to cool. Volcanic
eruptions can spew massive amounts of sulfur dioxide into the
sometimes causing cooling that lasts for years. In fact, volcanoes used
to be
the main source of atmospheric sulfur dioxide; today people are.
What Can Be Done?
Industrialized countries
have worked to reduce levels of
sulfur dioxide, smog, and smoke in order to improve people's health.
But a
result, not predicted until recently, is that the lower sulfur dioxide
may actually make global warming worse. Just as sulfur dioxide from
can cool the planet by blocking sunlight, cutting the amount of the
compound in
the atmosphere lets more sunlight through, warming the Earth. This
effect is
exaggerated when elevated levels of other greenhouse gases in the
trap the additional heat.
Most people agree that to
curb global warming, a variety of
measures need to be taken. On a personal level, driving and flying
recycling, and conservation reduces a person's "carbon footprint"—the
amount of carbon dioxide a person is responsible for putting into the
On a larger scale,
governments are taking measures to limit
emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The Paris
Agreement, a
voluntary agreement among 118 nations ratified on November 4, 2016, is
effort being enacted on a global scale to combat climate change. As a
part of
the agreement, each country agreed to take measures to combat climate
with the ultimate goal of keeping the post-industrial global
temperature rise
below two degrees Celcius. Another method is to put taxes on carbon
or higher taxes on gasoline, so that individuals and companies will
greater incentives to conserve energy and pollute less.
Source: National


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The open-source Flexible Extensible Digitial Object and Repository Architecture was developed at Cornell and the University of Virginia.
There has not been much work on best practices associated with an object repository or with Fedora. I have only found one bare-bones list. However, Johns Hopkins, UVA, and MIT have begun a large-scale evaluation of repository systems to uncover best practices and make recommendations for future development. For current status, see their project pages.
Note: This page and its children describe the implementation of Fedora in the IU Digital Library Program. Fedora is only one piece of the larger repository system. For more details about the entire repository system, start with the Repository Architecture page.
Fedora documentation
- Latest version is Fedora 2.2.1, see Fedora 2.2 for details
- Documentation for the 2.2.1 release
- Basic tutorials
- Documents from the Fedora user community
Fedora vocabulary
Fedora object – Think of this as an "object-oriented" object, rather than a single digitized item. It may contain an arbitrary number (and type) of media files.
Disseminator – Think "add-on methods". A named set of additional methods that are available for a Fedora object. A disseminator binds the object to a particular behavior definition and behavior mechanism. It specifies which datastreams are sent to the behavior mechanism to satisfy the user's request.
Datastream – Think "member". The data fields/elements/files that make up the Fedora object.
Behavior – Think "method".
Behavior definition – Think "interface". Lists one or more methods and their arguments, so a client knows how to interact with an object. Each disseminator subscribes to a behavior definition, which defines how the disseminator works.
Behavior mechanism – Think "implementing class". The implementation of a behavior definition. But the mechanism doesn't really implement the functionality; it is more a pointer to a web service that implements the functionality.
Managed datastream (M) – Fedora stores and manages the content bytestream. Disadvantage is that it is painful to access objects outside of Fedora; advantage is that you don't have to When a change is made to a managed datastream, a completely new copy of it is placed in the repository, so you always have access to both copies.
External datastream (E) – Fedora stores a reference (URL) to the content. Advantage is that you still control the content directly; disadvantage is that you have to track all the versions of an object. The user will see a Fedora URL in their browser's address bar. When a change is made to an external datastream, the repository doesn't notice. Changes to the administrative metadata are logged in the object, but probably don't matter that much.
Redirected datastream (R) – Very similar to External. Fedora stores a reference (URL) to the content, but will not mediate access to content. Any requests that Fedora receives for this datastream result in a redirect. This is useful in cases where the datastream is really some sort of streaming media that cannot be piped through Fedora, or the datastream is an HTML document with relative hyperlinks to the server on which is is normally hosted. Users will see the redirected URL in their browser's address bar.
XML datastream (X) – Fedora stores a name-spaced block of XML content within the Fedora digital object XML file, rather than storing the object in the normal datastore. When a change is made to an XML datastream, a completely new copy of the datastream is stored in the Fedora object, so you always have access to both copies.
Note that the fedora.fcfg file has an option "doMediateDatastreams" that purports to force all referenced (both R and E?) datastreams to go through Fedora before being acted on by a behavior mechanism. This provides an additional level of control/security, since the mechanism cannot act on the datastream outside of Fedora. This variable does not appear to affect any user-visible interactions.
Content models
Content model – A collection of disseminators that is applied to a given type of object. For example, all images may share an "image" content model, there may be separate content models for documentary photographs and art images, or there may be a collection-specific content model to provide some specific functionality.
Atomistic content model – A content model in which each digitized piece of an object has its own Fedora object (and Fedora pid). For a book, each page would be a separate Fedora object, and there would be a single "book" object that referenced all of the pages. This model means you have more objects, but it greatly enhances the "discovery" of objects in multiple contexts. All of the content models being developed at UVa are using this type of atomistic content model.
Compound content model – A content model in which each bibliographic record translates into a single Fedora object, with a separate datastream for each digitized component. This is similar to the way METS collects all of the representations of an object together. It can make searching more difficult than an atomistic content model. For example, it may not be simple to implement search over a collection of books so that the results actually match pages. This model results in far fewer objects than an atomistic content model.
Central Fedora web services/apps
The Fedora documentation doesn't have any place that collects all of Fedora's web-accessible features into a single list. This list isn't exhaustive either, but it's a good start:
Search system – http://hostname:port/fedora/search
Basic object access – http://hostname:port/fedora/get/PID
Object history – http://hostname:port/fedora/getObjectHistory/PID
Repository info – http://hostname:port/fedora/describe
Repository reports – http://hostname:port/fedora/report
Resource Index search – http://hostname:port/fedora/risearch
Backend security config – http://hostname:port/fedora/management/backendSecurity
OAI provider – http://hostname:port/fedora/oai
PID generation – http://hostname:port/fedora/mgmt/getNextPID
Saxon – http://hostname:port-number/saxon/SaxonServlet?source=xml-source&style=xsl-stylesheet&clear-stylesheet-cache=yes
XML-FO to PDF converter – http://hostname:port/fop/FOPServlet?source=xml-source
Image processing – http://hostname:port-number/imagemanip/ImageManipulation?url=url-of-image parameters
For information on applications external to Fedora, see Fedora Tools.
Other Fedora Implementations
The future of Fedora
Future plans include:
- web-based submission & workflow tools
- preservation system
- Web IR (Institutional Repository) client
- Cooperation with DSpace, aDORe
Determining where to implement functionality
Some repository functionality should be implemented "directly" in Fedora, through XSL transforms, or services that are only called by Fedora disseminators. We want everything in Fedora to be portable, and that often constrains what we can do. Other functionality should be implemented by the external infrastructure applications (ingest, delivery, cataloging).
A good rule of thumb is: Users will interact almost exclusively with the infrastructure applications. Fedora lives only to serve these applications. Fedora should only implment something if it is needed by multiple applications, or if it would make the writing of a single application much easier/simpler.
Keep in mind that these are the primary actions users want from our collections, and we should optimize for them (in this order):
- open collection initial page
- view individual item (from the PURL)
- search
- catalog/update item
- ingest items
- request archival-quality copy
1 Comment
I woild rather think "dissemniator" as "contract". A dissemnator binds bDef and bMech in the context of a Fedora object: it associates bDef with the object and defines which datastream can be used as "input" for bMech. After all, a disseminator links the abstract service def and mech with "real" object


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MAKE Asks: is a weekly column where we ask you, our readers, for responses to maker-related questions. We hope the column sparks interesting conversation and is a way for us to get to know more about each other.
This week's question: How do you take notes when working on projects? Be it on loose pages or a notebook, link to a scan that represents your work, or simply describe your note-taking process.
I document my projects in a loose, amoebic style on my Maker's Notebook. Often they consist of short lists that are outlined and separated from other sections. Notes from the same project will often be spread out over many different pages, but I can recall them based on the page's visual signature. Here is an explanation of the notes in the image above, counter-clockwise from the upper left (click here for a high-res version).
– Directions to the MoMA in NYC.
– Documentation as we were committing notes to tape for the Magnetotron.
– Parts costs for a recent project.
– Hours spent in working on the same project.
– Notes for the grease pencil markings made on the tape used for the Magnetotron.
– Fluorescent light SKU for use in a recent project
– Tool list for a recent construction job.
– Parts list for the Magnetotron.
– Parts costs for a recent project, continued.
Post your responses in the comments section.


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HQ location
Date established
Joined CEB
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and UN specialised agency dedicated to eradicating poverty in rural areas of developing countries. The Fund was established in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference.
IFAD provides low-interest loans and grants to developing countries to finance innovative agricultural and rural development programmes and projects. The Fund is among the top three multilateral institutions working in agriculture in Africa, and is the only institution that has focused exclusively on smallholder development.
IFAD-supported programmes and projects ensure that poor rural people have better access, and the skills and organisation needed, to take advantage of:
- Natural resources, especially secure access to land and water, and improved natural resource management and conservation practices
- Improved agricultural technologies and effective production services
- A broad range of financial services
- Transparent and competitive markets for agricultural inputs and produce
- Opportunities for rural off-farm employment and enterprise development
- Local and national policy and programming processes.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have guided IFAD's work since 2000, in particular the first goal to halve the proportion of people suffering from hunger and extreme poverty by 2015.
The great majority of IFAD's resources are provided to low-income countries on highly concessional terms, under which the loans are repayable over 40 years, with a 10-year grace period, at zero percent interest and a 0.75 percent service charge. In 2007, IFAD's Executive Board approved the Fund's debt sustainability framework (DSF), replacing loans with grants for poor countries unable to sustain debt. The framework is part of a unified effort by multilateral financial institutions to ensure that essential economic assistance does not cause undue financial hardship for countries most in need.
Since starting operations, IFAD has invested more than $12.5 billion in grants and low-interest loans, supporting about 860 programmes and projects that have helped about 370 million people achieve better lives for themselves and their families. Co-financing has been provided by governments, project participants, multilateral and bilateral donors, and other partners.
The Governing Council is IFAD's highest decision-making authority. Each Member State is represented on the Council by a governor and/or an alternate governor. The Executive Board is responsible for overseeing IFAD's general operations and approving the Fund's programme of work.
The Board consists of 18 elected members and up to 18 alternate members, all of whom have three-year terms of office. Membership, which comprises eight members and up to eight alternate members from List A, four members and four alternate members from List B, and six members and six alternate members from List-C, is determine by the Governing Council. The President is the head of staff and conducts the organisation's business under the direction of the Governing Council and Executive Board. The President chairs the Executive Board and is IFAD's legal representative.
IFAD membership is open to any state that is a member of the UN or its specialised agencies, or the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Countries may join the Fund after approval by IFAD's Governing Council and accession to the Agreement Establishing IFAD.
Following a change to IFAD's governance structure approved by the Governing Council at its 20th session in 1997 (IFAD res. 86/XVIII), countries in the former Category I (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) members) were reclassified as List A, former Category II (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) members) as List B, and former Category III (developing countries) as List C
The latter list has three sub-lists: Cl for countries in Africa; C2 for Europe, Asia and the Pacific; and C3 for Latin America and the Caribbean. Upon joining the Fund, new members decide which list they wish to be placed on, after consultation with the members of that list. States are also periodically allowed to withdraw from one list to be placed on another, with the approval of members on that list.
IFAD has a total membership of 166 countries: 22 in List A, 12 in List Band 132 in list C. States that are currently members or alternate members (shown in brackets) of the Executive Board, and whose term of office end in February 2012, are:
- List A
Canada (Ireland)
France (Belgium)
Germany (Luxembourg)
Italy (Austria)
Japan (Denmark)
Netherlands (UK)
Sweden (Norway)
USA (Spain)
- List B
Kuwait (UAE)
Nigeria (Qatar)
Saudi Arabia (Indonesia)
Venezuela (Algeria)
- List C
- Sub-list C1 Africa
Burkina Faso (Angola)
Cameroon (Egypt)
- Sub-list C2 Europe, Asia and the Pacific
China (Bangladesh) , India (Cyprus)
- Sub-list C3 Latin America and the Caribbean
Brazil (Argentina) , Mexico (Guatemala)
The Governing Council meets once a year, usually in February. The Executive Board meets three times a year, usually in April, September and December.


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I spun this 2 ply out of rambouillet blended with baby suri alpaca on hand cards. It turned out so soft it doesn't even feel like wool!
Also the colour is lovely – chocolate and tan with a bit of a shine! It has a really rich look and I love it.
I'm working on a pair of gloves for winter…I'll keep you updated 🙂
Have a great day!
If you might be interested in purchasing my handspun yarn, please visit handspunyarn.wordpress.com


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Q:I'm 60 pounds overweight and have type 2 diabetes. I want to get healthier, but I just read that it doesn't matter what I do -- I'm still headed for heart problems. Is it really a waste to diet and exercise? -- Darlene F., Charlotte, N.C.
A:What you read was about the Look AHEAD trial. And headlines like "ADA: Lifestyle Changes Don't Protect Diabetic Heart" and "Weight Loss Fails To Prevent Heart Attacks For Diabetics In Study" make it sound like taking care of yourself is useless. The headlines could not be more WRONG.
It matters a great deal if you diet, exercise, lose weight, decrease your waist size and take your meds so you keep blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible. That slashes your risk for diabetic complications, such as amputation, blindness, kidney disease and stroke, not to mention other problems like cancer, depression and dementia.
The lifestyle intervention programs at Dr. Mike's Cleveland Clinic Wellness Center have seen powerful results from upgrading diet and increasing exercise: 90 percent of participants lose weight and achieve better glucose control; 60 percent take fewer medications; and 10 percent see a reversal in their diagnosis of diabetes! That makes them much healthier -- and happier!
The Look AHEAD study may have been comparing two groups of obese participants with type 2 diabetes who reduced (or failed to reduce) the risk of heart disease equally. The so-called control group -- some of whom were taking statins and all of whom received counseling about managing diabetes -- may have taken that advice to heart (pun intended). They had results that were almost parallel to the "intervention group," who were put on an upgraded diet and exercise routine and aimed to lose weight. In short, everybody benefited a little.
The "diet and exercise" group did come out AHEAD in some respects: They shed 3 percent more weight, had lower lousy LDL cholesterol and blood pressure, and ended up taking less high blood pressure medication, statins and insulin than members of the "good advice only" group. So the study -- and the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Center programs -- prove your risk for a whole roster of health problems goes down when you lose weight, control blood sugar and get regular exercise. You'll see that life gets much better as your RealAge gets younger!
Q:My sister just went through chemotherapy, and although it seemed to beat her cancer, the treatment almost killed her. Will there ever be a better way to fight cancer? -- Katie J., Gainesville, Fla.
A:Chemotherapy is increasingly refined, and yet it still puts every patient through rough times. The good news is that often it's extremely effective. Stage 1 breast cancer, for example, now has a five-year survival rate of almost 90 percent. But a new wave of treatments, called molecular targeted therapy, are around the corner, and for certain cancers some are here already. What they do, or try to do, is destroy only cancerous cells without harming any surrounding, healthy tissue.
Herceptin -- a monoclonal antibody used to fight HER-2-positive breast cancer -- has been used for many years and is very effective (it cuts recurrence of breast cancer in half, compared with use of chemo alone), but it's useful only against 20 percent of breast cancers. Imatinib, another monoclonal antibody, works on certain types of leukemia by shutting down pathways that cancer cells rely on to function.
The latest effective targeted therapy, ibrutinib, is an oral "smart bomb" that works against chronic lymphocytic leukemia and mantle cell lymphoma by blocking a protein (kinase) that cancer cells need to thrive. Every year, there are more-sophisticated, individualized treatments available, and hopefully cancer treatment won't always be so tough to go through.
But we're not just learning how to treat cancers more effectively. Using medications like aspirin, nutrients like DHA omega-3 fatty acid, foods like broccoli and vaccines like the one against HPV, we're learning to PREVENT some cancers! Glad your sister's OK.
Dr. Mehmet Oz is host of "The Dr. Oz Show," and Dr. Mike Roizen is chief medical officer at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. Submit your health questions at www.doctoroz.com.
Q:I'm 60 pounds overweight and have type 2 diabetes. I want to get healthier, but I just read that it doesn't matter what I do -- I'm still headed for heart problems. Is it really a waste to diet and exercise? -- Darlene F., Charlotte, N.C.


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My name is Sandi and I just started to learn Java. It is really my first attempt at properly learning a programming language, so I'm both excited and a little overwhelmed. Before Java, I read up a little on C++ and Python, but I never really connected with either of those languages.
I haven't been programming Java long (maybe only a few months), but so far, I really like it! I love learning all of the little nuances about the language. When I first started out, I had a really hard time understanding how to read code I would find, but now, I can understand a good chunk of it. Plus, I'm slowly beginning to pick up terminology, so when I do need help, I'm able to be more self sufficient when looking for an answer.
This is the first programming-specific forum I've ever joined, but from what I've seen so far, I hope that I'll be able to learn a lot from all of the more experienced Java programmers here. It's an honor to be a part of such an amazing community.


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Joseph and Marianna are my great-great grandparents through my mother's father. After writing to the Poznan project, I have their marriage record from 1851 as as well as a few others. I will post these marriage records here with transcriptions as time permits. Here is a copy of the marriage record.
I transcribed this record, from a church in Gluszyna, Poland in order to glean a few hints off the record.
Here is the literal transcription (in Latin) and my rough translation is in italics
No. 4
Annus et dies benedictiones sacerdotalis: 11a Februarii — The marriage took place February 11, 1851.
Nomen sacerdotis benedictionmen sacerdotalem administrantis: J. Maciejewski The priest who officiated the marriage was J. Maciejewski.
Nomen, praenomen et cognomen sacro ritu coniunctorum. Sedes conditio et professio, et nomen benedictio sacerdotalis en ecclesia vel domi peracta sit. The names/personal names and family names of those who wish to be joined in the sacred right of marriage before this church.
Josephus Plensler, Juvenis Joseph Plensler, the young man
cum with
Marianna Lisieka, Virgine Marianna Lisiecka, the maiden
uter que status rupti calis de Wiorek
par: Gluszynensi sum copulati Have come to stand here together in Wiorek to be joined in marriage.
Utrum iam prius conjugum iniverint, nec non utrum ad hue sub potestate parentum vel tutorum sint. They are to put aside earlier times to undertake a life of husband and wife to protect and defend
Juvonis, Virgo
Aetas ages
Sponsi: 27 Groom, 27
Sponsae: 23 Bride, 23
Religio sponsi, sponsae Religion of the bridge and groom is Catholic
Consensus parentum et tutorum cum concentio parentum sponsi et patri sponsae: With the concent of the church and with joyous consent of the parents of the groom and father of the bride.
Dies proclamationes: Marraige banns (announcements of the intent of marriage were made)
Domea Va post Epiphany The fifth day post the feast of Epiphany
et Domea Septuag. During the season of Septuagesima
Dies dispensationum, si qua forent: nulla Were proper dispensations made in case of annullment due to form (Null, first marriage)
Nomen, conditio et professio testium qui benedictioni sacerdotali adfuerunt: Name and identification of witnesses
Andraes Plensler, frater, sponsi Andraes Plensler, brother of the groom
Polanus (? name) Wagner, avunculus, sponsae, etc. Polanus Wagner, uncle of the bride
So, we now know a few more tidbits about the Plenzler family:
- Joseph had a brother named Andreas (who, if he emigrated to the US, would likely have changed his name to Andrew)
- Marianna had an uncle with the surname of Wagner, meaning her mother's maiden name was Wagner.
- It is possible that Marianna's father was widowed. Consent was specifically mentioned that it was "father of the bride." Unfortunately, this record does not mention the parents' names.


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Chelsea will make up for Euro woe, says Luiz
Chelsea defender David Luiz insists his team-mates will make amends for their embarrassing Champions League exit when they return to domestic action at Sunderland on Saturday.
Chelsea routed Nordsjaelland 6-1 on Wednesday to secure a first victory under interim manager Rafael Benitez, but it wasn't enough to book a place in the last 16 as Chelsea became the first European champions to bow out at the group stage.
It was another dispiriting blow to Chelsea's morale after a torrid few weeks, which featured Benitez being repeatedly jeered by fans unhappy with his links to rivals Liverpool as the team failed to win any of his first three matches.
But, although they are out of the Champions League, Brazil star Luiz hopes the dominant performance against Nordsjaelland, and in particular the two goals scored by Fernando Torres, will provide a welcome lift ahead of the Premier League trip to the Stadium of Light this weekend.
"There was embarrassment in the dressing room and also sadness. We won the Champions League last season and to get knocked out after the group stage is a great disappointment," Luiz said.
"Now we have to look to the future and try to win the Europa League. The manager has just told us to keep working hard because the team deserves to win games.
"It was a great game from all the players with intensity and quality and we scored more goals, so this is good for the future.
"We have a new coach and philosophy and the quicker we get used to it the better for the team."
Depite Luiz's confidence, the premature Champions League exit puts even more pressure on Chelsea's domestic form and Benitez knows he has little margin for error.
Last weekend's second half capitulation at West Ham prompted reports - later denied by the club - that owner Roman Abramovich was already planning to draft in former manager Avram Grant as an advisor to Benitez.
And the Spaniard must halt a decline that has left Chelsea without a win in their last seven Premier League games or face more questions about his ability to see out the full term of his seven-month contract.
The woeful recent run means Chelsea go into the latest round of league matches in third place but with only goal difference separating them from fifth.
And with Benitez's side set to miss the following weekend's fixtures while they are at the club World Cup in Japan, their position could get worse before they face Aston Villa on December 23.
To make the situation even worse, the Blues will be without John Obi Mikel, who has been suspended for three games and fined £60,000 after admitting an FA charge of using threatening and/or abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour.
The charge relates to an incident in referee Mark Clattenburg's changing room after the defeat to Manchester United when Mikel believed the referee had racially abused him. Clattenburg was cleared of any wrong-doing.
Benitez might benefit from comparing notes with Martin O'Neill, the Sunderland manager whose future has come under increasing scrutiny with the Wearside club just one point above the relegation zone.
O'Neill was forced to deny rumours he offered to resign last month as he deals with growing unrest from supporters who have seen their side win just two of their last 22 Premier League games.
The former Aston Villa and Celtic boss remains confident he can turn things around, but acknowledges the frustration of fans.
"The frustration that seems to pervade here is nothing new to me. It's not surprising either," he said.
"The football club hasn't won anything for 40 years and it's about time we did. They're frustrated after a lot of false dawns.
"It'll take us some time to get out of this and be a proper team, but when we do, it will hopefully be worth it."
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Open to All • Amsterdam, New York
Regular price $15.00
Unit price per
There's a story behind this print. I spotted this engraving when passing through Amsterdam, New York, on our way home to visit family. The building used to be the city's public library, which is "Open to All." I remembered it our entire trip and on our return trip my (very accommodating and patient) husband drove three extra blocks down one-way streets (at the start of a 6 hour drive, no less) so I could jump out the car, dash across traffic, and capture it.
To me, it has SO many uses and meanings. It's a friendly welcome into a loving home, it's equality, it's friendship. I love the words and the gorgeous architecture. We're moving soon, and I think this will hang in a place of honor right by my front door in the foyer.
- Where: Amsterdam, New York
- Orientation: Horizontal
- Style: Architecture, Rustic, Classic, Travel, City
- Color(s): White, Grey, Black, Blue
- Room Recommendations: Entryway, Foyer, Office
Product Details
PRINT: Created on premium, archival luster-finish paper (not glossy). Standard, easy-to-frame sizes. Framing required.
PRINT + WHITE MAT: Arrives ready to frame, pre-mounted to an archival, 4-ply white mat with backing. Ready to pop into a frame. 5X7 matted to 8x10. 8X10 matted to 11x14. 11X14 matted to 16x20. 16x20 matted to 20x24. Great gift presentation! Framing required.
READY TO HANG CANVAS: Archival canvas print is professionally wrapped around 3/4" or 1.5" deep wooden stretcher frame with pre-installed hanging hardware. 3/4" canvas wraps have an open back; 1.5" have a solid back.
BEVELED-EDGE PLAQUE: Archival luster print is heat mounted to 3/8" deep wood substrate with white beveled edge (black available by request) and keyhole hanger. Finished with a matte, non-glare protective coating.
SOLID WOOD SIGN: Image is printed directly onto premium laminated baltic birch plywood for a warm-toned, textured, rustic finish. 1/4" exposed beveled edge and keyhole hanger. No two the same, due to the unique characteristics of the wood. Solid, not planked.Canvas, plaques & wood signs ship to US addresses only, please.
Selecting a Size
When choosing your artwork size, my advice is to always make your selection based on the amount of space you need to fill. My room displays offer suggestions, but everyone's space is different!
Just as you wouldn't choose a paint color without trying some samples, you shouldn't guess what size artwork you need. I suggest trimming blank paper in various sizes to tape up on the wall and see what fills the space nicely. I think many of us have it in our heads (from school picture days, perhaps?) that a 5x7 is "normal" and an 8x10 is "big." In reality, both sizes are quite small.
A comparison chart of some of my more popular sizes:
(Sizes shown indicate print size, not framed size. Mats are available, framing is not included.)
The other thing to keep in mind is matting and framing add to the finished size, canvas is true to size, and plaques and wood add very little.
All of my products are offered in industry-standard sizes, with custom sizes always available by request:
- Luster-Finish Unframed Prints are true-to-size, full bleed, as listed (no borders unless requested)
- 5x7 Matted Prints have a 1.75" wide mat & fit 8x10 Frames
- 8x10 Matted Prints have a 2.25" wide mat & fit 11x14 Frames
- 11x14 Matted Prints have a 3.25" wide mat & fit 16x20 Frames
- 16x20 Matted Prints have a 2.25" wide mat & fit 20x24 Frames
- Canvas Wraps are true to size
- Beveled-Edge Plaques are true-to-size plus (+) a 3/8" Beveled Edge
- Solid Wood Signs are true-to-size plus (+) a 1/4" Beveled Wood Edge
(a grouping of 11x14" prints with mats & frames)
(a single 30x40" canvas over a king-sized bed)
When in doubt, just ask! Quality artwork is an investment, and I'm always available to offer input and advice.
For some other ideas, be sure to follow my 'Displaying your Art' Pinterest board!
Shipping Information
Shipping Cost:
- Domestic (US) shipping is free!
- Shipping to Canada is $20, everywhere else is $25 (please see section below to see what I can ship). If the actual shipping amount is less I will refund the difference.
Shipping Times:
- Prints & Matted Prints ship in 1-2 business days.
- Canvas Wraps ship in about 3 business days.
- Plaques & Wood Signs ship in 4-5 business days
International Shipping:
- Due to increases in international package shipping costs, the largest size/item I ship internationally are 11x14" prints. If you would like a shipping estimate for a larger product, send me a note.
- Speaking of international shipping: Your country may charge you duty or VAT taxes, which are import taxes between you and your postal system. They have nada to do with me and I can't charge, assess, or remit them.
Returns & Exchanges:
- I go to great pains to ensure damage-free delivery, but occasionally USPS decides to take out its' anger on your package. Should that happen, let me know right away so I can replace your order.
- I do accept returns, but please note that ALL orders are custom made at the time of your order to your specifications. I don't have or keep anything in stock. If you'd like assistance in choosing a size, medium, color, etc. please ask and I'm very happy to help!
Customer Reviews
Star Rating Only-No Text
Star Rating Only-No Text


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Articles by Anatole Kaletsky
Anatole Kaletsky / October 15, 2015
Has the world economy's main engine of growth suddenly become its biggest threat?
Anatole Kaletsky / September 8, 2015
This policy's fatal flaw is the left-winger's belief that government money should be spent on his pet schemes
Anatole Kaletsky / August 20, 2015
The nuclear deal will stimulate global economic growth
The Chancellor has redefined conservatism for the 21st century
Anatole Kaletsky / June 18, 2015
Russia and China are a challenge to western powers
Anatole Kaletsky / May 21, 2015
Britain's economic success depends on four issues barely mentioned during the election
Three big political issues still cloud our economic outlook
Anatole Kaletsky / April 23, 2015
All the parties have failed to address the UK's dismal productivity. Here's what they should do.
Anatole Kaletsky / March 27, 2015
Grexit would not do much damage to either the euro's value or its survival
Anatole Kaletsky / March 18, 2015
Running fiscal plans five years in advance doesn't work


text: Kracky McKraken 0 Posted December 20, 2011 I just want to say how super stoked i am to here FA is being reprinted, that FFG is doing the reprinting and that K Wilson is involved. FA was a huge boardgaming milestone for me back in the 80's. This along with A&A and CotE are the Holy Trinity of Ameritrash. I can't wait to finally add a new copy to my collection. (my old one went by the wayside years ago.) As for the backstory? Lemme see if i have this straight. America builds big huge space lasers and the rest of the world get's pissed, forms up into three gigantic armies and attacks. Perfect. I like it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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nasty right in their very homes
Naughty homemakers spreading their legs and opening their mouths for some serious hardcore action.
Get Your Password Right Here!
And watch more kinky wives posing, stripping, cheating and fucking
All persons depicted herein were at least 18 years or older at the time of production.
All Rights Reserved.


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Directed by Kim Jong-chang (김종창)
Screenplay by Lee Seon-hee (이선희)KBS | Airing dates : 2011/03/02~2011/05/05
20 episodes - Wed, Thu 21:55
Jeong-Eun has been searching for her biological mother who had abandoned her since birth. Jeong-Eun and Young-Jo become close friends because they share the pain of growing up without a mother. Jeong-Eun's friend Yoo-Gyeong, however, is jealous of their relationship. At the age of 25, Jeong-Eun works as a part-time actress while waiting for her mother to find her. On the other hand, Yoo-Gyeong struggles for her debut as a film director and meets producer Young-Jo. Yoo-Gyeong seduces Young-Jo after discovering that he is an heir of a conglomerate and then gets pregnant. But when Young-Jo gives up on the family inheritance, she coldly cuts him off from her life. When Yoo-Gyeong goes into labor and is carried to the hospital due to premature birth, she registers herself as "Jeong-Eun". And when Yoo-Gyeong finally finds her biological mother, who is old, sick, and poor, she abandoned the mother and the baby. Jeong-Eun, who is desperate to have a family, takes Yoo-Gyeong's baby in and visits Yoo-Gyeong's mother Myung-Ja. And by doing so, Yoo-Gyeong changes her fate by pretending to be Myung-Ja's daughter.
You're reading the news with potential spoilers, make them spoiler free, dismiss
View all 986 pictures for "The Thorn Birds"
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Sound Capabilities : OpenAL
OpenAL is a cross-platform 3D audio API.
OpenAL is part of the Sound Capabilities category.
You are currently viewing games for Linux that are marked as Sound Capabilities : OpenAL. Games for other platforms are also tracked by this attribute. You can restrict the list of games below to any of the following platforms:
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Auto Publishers Price Starting at
*Based on model year EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your atual mileage will vary, depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle, driving conditions, battery pack age/condition (hybrid only) and other factors.VIEW OUR INVENTORY
Strong acceleration; great handling; muscle-car look and feel; daring design inside and out; good highway efficiency
Chevrolet adds a new trim level to the Camaro for 2015. The track ready Z28 trim transforms the Camaro from a powerful muscle car into a true sports car. Numerous modifications have been made to the Camaro chassis ensuring that the Z28 handles and stops as well as it goes. A new high performance naturally aspirated engine from the old Corvette Z06 powers the Z28 and being a focused performance machine, the only transmission available is a 6-speed manual. The Z28 trim slots in above the more powerful, but less focused ZL1 at the top of the Camaro hierarchy.


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Peace at hand? Calm coming to Dunlora via Parkway
Address: 944 King William Drive
Neighborhood: Dunlora
Asking: $449,950
Assessment: $494,800
Year Built: 1995
Size: 3,698 fin. sq. ft., 800 unfin.
Land: 0.38 acres
Agent: Steve Taylor, Cornerstone Real Estate 434-249-4972
Curb Appeal: 8 out of 10
Homeowners in the Dunlora subdivision have been patiently waiting for the dust to settle on the Meadowcreek Parkway. After years of construction work disrupting their daily commute, residents would like to return to a time when Albemarle County briefly opened its section of the road in 2010. Folks living off Rio Road are hoping this will reopen before the City builds its portion of the Parkway.
On the bright side, as a result of the new roadway, the entrance to the Dunlora subdivision was redesigned with a "curvilinear connector," eliminating a problematic intersection that was often the site of fender-benders.
King William Drive is a short distance beyond the formal brick columns at the entrance of the residential community of 378 houses. The structures in this older established section of the development vary architecturally, in contrast to some of the "planned" neighborhoods nearby. Mature plantings line the road, providing privacy and a homey feel.
This French Provincial-style house has a steep hipped roof and stucco exterior with a wing sheltering a two-garage from view. The exterior is handsome and timeless, and the front entrance is grand, with natural light streaming in from a Palladian window above a winding stairway to the second floor.
The house is unfurnished, which reveals its lack of architectural detail, although one decorative element– an over-sized pendant bowl light– hangs over the foyer. There are no built-in cabinets or bookcases. An unadorned formal living room opens to an adjoining dining room (distinguished by a chandelier).
The kitchen on this level– with black appliances, maple cabinets, and laminate counters– is original. The owner is offering to negotiate a kitchen renovation, which may entice a would-be buyer. Access to the garage, a large half bath, and several storage closets are just off the kitchen. An expansive family room with a gas fireplace fills the rest of the area. Ochre walls glow with reflected light from a grouping of windows. A glass-paneled door leads to a large deck overlooking a gently sloped yard.
Upstairs, the master suite has a second Palladian window in an eave that can be used as a reading nook; there's also a walk-in closet and an en suite bathroom with a large soaking tub and separate fiberglass shower. This area is also in line for an upgrade. Replacing the floor tile, white vanity, and cultured marble top seems essential in this competitive market. Three other moderately sized bedrooms complete the second floor, as well as a full bath with fiberglass tub and double sink vanity.
The walkout garden level is a maze of finished rooms— some with doors and closets, others with open doorways. A full bath makes this a convenient area to host guests. The largest area has French doors to the backyard. To help prospective buyers appreciate how each room could be used, photographs displaying the fully decorated and furnished interior of the house are posted on the agent's website.
The Dunlora community has bonuses: walking paths leading to the Rivanna Trail, tennis courts, a swimming pool, a clubhouse, and garden plots. Soon, the direct drive to Charlottesville via a completed Meadowcreek Parkway should restore calm and convenience to an area that has been rocked for years by ceaseless development.
Each week, a brave local seller invites the Hook in for a candid, warts-and-all review. Email to nominate yours today.Read more on: dunlora


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Arc'teryx Men's A2B Commuter Jacket
Versatile, mountain inspired softshell built for the rigors of everyday life. Kavan™ polyester fabric is water and wind repellent and delivers a dynamic two way stretch. Cut for the active commute, the fit is trim without binding. Integrated reflectors on the cuffs and collar add safety for active commuters, and tuck out of site for a cleaner look. Two zippered hand pockets and a zippered back pocket stow the goods.
The minimalist approach means only essential features are added, nothing extraneous. This is a core principle of Arc'teryx design, and a level of focus that elevates performance and enhances the aesthetic, both requirements for moving through the real world.
Arc'teryx is demanding when it comes to craftsmanship. From patterning to manufacturing, an elevated focus on function and quality is paramount. A pattern is created that fits the body without sacrificing freedom of movement, then the jacket is constructed with ergonomic articulation and gusseting for even greater freedom.
- Moisture-resistant outer face fabric
- Breathable
- Wind resistant
- Stretchy fabric provides freedom of movement
- Anatomical shaping for fit and comfort
- Gusseted underarms
- Drop seat
- Micro webbing zipper pulls
- Full front zip with chin guard and wind flap
- Long sleeves
- Shaped cuffs
- Drop back hem
- Two hand pockets with zippers
- Rear pocket with hidden zip
- Reflective elements on cuffs for enhanced visibility in low light
- TerraTex™—94% nylon, 6% elastane blend. Lightweight, breathable, stretchy, quick drying plain weave textile
- Kavan—100% polyester, 177 g/m². A two-way stretch double weave fabric with a special blend of polyester yarns that provide durability, stretch and an interesting back side visual effect. DWR finish for added water repellency.
- Machine wash in cold water or dry clean.
- Wash dark colours separately.
- Do not use fabric softener.
- Tumble dry on low heat.
- Iron on low heat.


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Centene Coming to Tyler, Looks to Hire 300-Plus Employees [VIDEO]
Centene Corporation is coming to Tyler and is looking to hire 300-plus employees over the next few years, which is very good news for East Texans. With the economy still on the brink of recovery from the recession, this really comes at a great time for East Texans still looking for work.
Centene provides health care at lower costs. Those who don't have insurance, or are enrolled in CHIPS, Medicaid, or involved in Superior Health Plan, will greatly benefit from Centene's services.
According to Centene's website, Superior Health Plan is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation.
Working to build healthy futures, providing community resources for families, and help build healthier families are all part of Centene's mission.
Watch: Centene's Philosophy


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Which ones are safe and easy to use?
Overall score includes:
Safety (50%): In our stroller safety assessment, conducted to the AS/NZS 2088:2013 standard, we look for hazards to the child and the carer using the stroller. Major failures include insufficient child retention, strangulation hazards, poor stability (tipping), head entrapment hazards and structural durability failures.
100% = no major or minor failures
80% = 1 minor failure.
70% = 2 minor failures.
60% = 3 or more minor failures.
40% = 1 major failure.
20% = 2 or more major failures.
Ease of use (50%): Assesses adjustments, loading, moving and carrying. Strollers are put through their paces in real life. We check how easy it is to adjust the safety harness, seats and handle. We apply the brakes and access the bottom basket. We push them over rough terrain, up and down stairways and through doorways. We fold and unfold them, carry them and lift them into and out of a car boot.
Durability: Strollers are put on a bumpy "rolling road" machine for 64 hours at a speed of 5km/h. We also attach each stroller to a machine that continuously simulates the action of mounting a kerb. Strollers suitable for jogging get an extra 10 hours at 10km/h on the rolling road. Durability does not contribute to overall score.
To earn our recommendation, a single stroller must have an overall score of 70%, double strollers must have an overall score of 65%. We don't recommend strollers with any major safety or durability failures.
Avg price includes the second seat where it's sold separately.
We've reviewed the Stokke Scoot to see how well it performs in these categories:
Get access to review


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Kylie rang our service as she was concerned about her five-year-old daughter, Mia, who was wetting the bed. Kylie had tried limiting Mia's drinks in the late afternoon and evening and was also getting up at night to wake Mia and take her to the toilet.
Our advisor explained that it may take children until they around 5 ½ years old before they gain bladder control during sleep. Kylie was advised to encourage Mia to drink well throughout the day and was cautioned against cutting out drinks in the afternoon and early evening. Kylie was discouraged from waking Mia at night to take her to the toilet. Kylie was provided with information on obtaining a referral from Mia's doctor to a bedwetting clinic if Mia continues to wet the bed past 5 ½ years of age.
"As a mum of two young children, I have experienced the joys of two pregnancies and postpartum recoveries. I was shocked after the birth of my first child to discover that my pelvic floor muscles had become weak. I sought advice from Bladder and Bowel Health Australia and learnt the importance of exercising these muscles. This knowledge helped, and because I was better informed second time around, I have now fully restored the dignity of my body and truly enjoyed the changes - and my motherhood. Thank you, Bladder and Bowel Health Australia, for informing young families about bladder and bowel health issues."
Doreen was becoming exhausted caring for her husband Tom, who has dementia. Tom was not always making it to the toilet on time and needed his trousers to be changed several times a day. Every day Doreen was also washing bedlinen and the four towels that Tom was laying on at night as he was soaking through his pull-up pants.
Tom was receiving a high-level Home Care Package, and Doreen was able to arrange with their provider for some of Tom's package to be allocated to funding continence assessment and management.
Our advisor went to Tom's home and conducted a thorough continence assessment. A continence management plan was developed with input from Doreen, and appropriate incontinence aids and linen protection were organised. Doreen is relieved that Tom's incontinence has reduced, and her washing load has lessened. Doreen is now confident that she can continue caring for Tom in their home.
Gary met with one of our Bladder and Bowel Health advisors, as he was concerned about his urine leakage that was persisting after his radical prostatectomy five weeks earlier.
Gary discussed his concerns with the advisor and was reassured that he was making good progress towards regaining bladder control. This reinforced the information he had received from his urologist. Gary was encouraged to switch to a smaller incontinence pad rather than continuing to wear the pull- up incontinence pants he had worn since his surgery. The advisor arranged some smaller pads for him to trial and provided details on where he could buy them close to his home.
Gary was encouraged to drink plenty of fluid (particularly water) and to increase his fruit and vegetable intake to avoid constipation. Gary was uncertain if his pelvic floor muscles were working properly and he was referred to a pelvic floor physiotherapist. Gary left the clinic in a brighter frame of mind, confident that he was improving and had clear strategies to further support his recovery.