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In Late 1983 AMC announced a sport utility vehicle that would change the course of utility vehicles for more than 20yrs. The cherokee was a small version of Jeep's already popular line of Full size Utility vehicles. The cherokee was available in either a 2.5 4cyl or 2.8v6 cherokee cheif models. I owned a 1984 cherokee it had a 4cyl 5spd AX5 dana 35 rear and dana 30 front. I loved the way it handled snow and its low gear, it had a very smooth interior and was a blast to drive. In 1986 AMC was bought out by Chrysler corp. and the cherokee line got a drivetrain upgrade. The 2.8v6 now was an optional 4.0 fuel injected strait six 9.2-1 compression and 172hp, also offered was the Renault turbo diesel that put out a whopping 88hp and in foreign markets the italian diesel that put out 115hp in 1994. Xj was the term dubbed to the cherokee's and to their cousins the downsized wagoneers. A dana 30 took the front with rumors of dana 44's available in foreign markets from 97-01. The dana 44 rear was introduced in 1987 as an option with the towing package this rear end is highly sought after and is almost a direct bolt in to 87-95 wrangler's. In 1991 and on the chrysler 8.25 was used in place of the dana 44.
transmissions include:
peugeot BA/10
aisin-warner 30-40LE or AW4
aisin-warner AX-5
aisin-warner AX-15
a little history
Much in the same way that American automakers had downsized many of their cars in the previous decade, Jeep downsized one of its nameplates, the Cherokee, for 1984.
Prior to this year, the Cherokee moniker was attached to what amounted to a sportier version of Jeep's Wagoneer. Mostly unchanged since its debut in the early 1960s, the Wagoneer was a large, truck-based, four-door wagon with four-wheel drive.
The former Cherokee, introduced as a 1974, shared most everything with the Wagoneer, including dimensions and engine selections. The major differences between the two were that the Cherokee was initially available only as a two-door (with the same wheelbase and length as the Wagoneer) and the Cherokee cost less than the more luxurious Wagoneer. A four-door Cherokee joined the lineup in 1977.
The 1984 Cherokee shared nothing with its predecessor, save its name. A shorter wheel- base (over 7 inches less than the "old" model, at 101.4 inches) and overall length (at 165.3 inches, a decrease of 21 inches) combined with a much lighter weight of around 3,100 pounds (over 1,000 pounds less than before) went a long way toward better fuel mileage and easier maneuverability, on-road or off. Two-door and four-door body styles were offered.
Styling for the trim Cherokee was chiseled and taut, with muscular wheel well flares and a tall greenhouse that afforded good visibility for driver and passengers alike. The interior continued this theme with a likewise simple dash and control layout. Seating capacity was listed as five, though it was tight for three adults to ride in the backseat.
Trim levels were comprised of the base Cherokee, more luxurious Pioneer and the sporty Chief. The Pioneer featured carpeting, additional instrument panel gauges, full center console and a rear window wiper/washer. The Chief was the most stylin' of the trio with blackout exterior trim, hood striping and white-lettered tires.
Motive force came in the form of either four- or six-cylinder power. The 2.5-liter four banger inhaled its fuel and air through a one-barrel carburetor and made 105 horsepower. The optional, 2.8-liter, two-barrel V6 (which was actually supplied by Chevrolet) produced but 115 horses. Although these powerplants were adequate, serious thrust for the Cherokee was a still a few years away. There were three transmission choices for the V6: a standard four-speed manual, optional five-speed manual and optional three-speed automatic. The four-cylinder was limited to the four-speed manual as its gearbox.
Considered by many as the leader in the four-wheel-drive (4WD) vehicle segment, Jeep offered not one but two 4WD systems for the Cherokee. "Command-Trac" was a part-time, shift-on-the-fly unit and the "Selec-Trac" system allowed the option of full-time 4WD operation. A "Quadra-Link" front suspension design (which featured a solid axle suspended by coil springs and four links) contributed to the Cherokee's quickly acquired reputation for off-road prowess.
The new Cherokee was well received by the motoring press and the buying public alike, with nearly 78,000 Cherokees sold in its first year.
1985 brought the Laredo trim level to the Cherokee family. Standard on the Laredo were most of the features of the Pioneer with upgrades such as plusher interior materials, pinstripes, alloy wheels and chrome grille treatment.
Changes to the Cherokee in general included the addition of front headrests and passenger assist handles (for easier ingress and egress as well as something to hold on to when the driver went hog wild off-road). Two-wheel-drive versions were now offered for those who didn't need the capabilities of four-wheel drive. A few new options debuted as well, such as keyless entry and a Renault-sourced, four-cylinder, turbodiesel engine.
Two major hardware upgrades were hot topics for the Cherokee in 1986. A redesigned and more powerful four-cylinder engine was now standard. The replacement of the stone-age carburetor with fuel injection helped the 2.5-liter mill pump out a respectable 117 horsepower, an increase of 12 horses over the previous motor. Smoother operation and easier starting were other benefits of the more modern induction setup.
Geared toward serious off-road enthusiasts was a new "Off-Highway Vehicle" package that included heavy-duty suspension components, bigger (225/75/15) tires, skid plates, tow hooks, a 4:10 rear axle ratio (to help in climbing up steep grades and slogging through mud) and higher ground clearance.
Serious power became an option in 1987 when Jeep dumped the 2.8 V6 and put a stout, 4.0-liter, inline six-cylinder engine of Jeep's design on the option list. Kicking out 177 horsepower, the new "Power-Tech Six" could catapult the Cherokee from rest to 60 mph in around 9 seconds -- pretty quick, especially for an SUV. Another benefit of the increased muscle was more towing capacity -- rated at 5,000 pounds. The 2.5-liter, four-cylinder was tweaked for an additional four horsepower, for a total of 121 ponies.
A new, electronically controlled, four-speed automatic transmission replaced the former three-cog unit. The new automatic also offered selectable shift modes: Power (which provided better performance through higher-rpm upshifts and quicker downshifts) and Comfort (which was more relaxed and economical in operation). And the primitive, four-speed manual was history, leaving the five-speed for shift-it-yourselfers.
Cosmetically, the Cherokee received the option of two-tone paint. Inside the cabin were found new door trim panels with stowage bins.
A new, loaded-up Limited four-door model debuted halfway through the model year. Just about every luxury, performance and convenience feature was standard on the new top dog Cherokee. The Limited came with the powerful, 4.0-liter inline six teamed with Selec-Trac and could be identified by its color-keyed bumpers, gold wheels and gold pinstripes. Leather seats, power everything, keyless entry and an eight-speaker sound system were additional highlights of the Limited's lengthy standard equipment list.
Other models received minor changes, such as new plaid seats in the Laredo and revised blackout trim on the Chief.
1988 saw the addition of a Limited two-door and the subtraction of the unpopular turbodiesel engine option. Sharp-eyed enthusiasts could discern an '88 by a new eight-slot grille that replaced the former 10-slot unit.
Laredo models received new chrome trim as well as lower bodyside cladding. In an effort to offer a Cherokee for everyone (and leave no part of the potential market uncovered), a Sport two-door model was offered. The Sport added alloy wheels and special graphics to the plain-Jane Cherokee, allowing those on a budget to drive a sharp rig without breaking the bank.
The availability (on models equipped with the 4.0-liter engine, automatic transmission and Selec-Trac) of a four-wheel, antilock braking system (ABS) was the big news for the 1989 Cherokee. Jeep's ABS operated regardless of whether the Cherokee was in 2WD or 4WD (unlike some competitors who offered either only rear-wheel ABS or four-wheel ABS that wouldn't function when the vehicle was in 4WD).
Other functional upgrades for 1989 included two former options that were made standard. Base models received power steering and all Cherokees swapped their former 13.5-gallon fuel tank for a 20-gallon unit.
Changes were few for Jeep's most popular model for 1990. Safety was improved through the fitment of three-point seatbelts for all outboard occupants. And a new overhead console on the Limited featured a compass, outside thermometer and storage compartments for a garage door control and sunglasses.
Power for both the four- and the six-cylinder engines was boosted for 1991. A new, multi-point fuel-injection system helped the four-banger squeeze out 130 horsepower -- an increase of nine horses over the 1990 model. And the big six now cranked out 190 horsepower, bringing the zero to 60 mph time of the Cherokee down to under nine seconds.
Trim levels were shuffled about; the Pioneer was dropped, a new Briarwood debuted, (identified by its fake woodgrain trim on the bodysides) and a four-door Sport model joined the two-door Sport.
Making life easier for the owner of a '91 Cherokee were new double-sided keys, highlighted underhood service points and an optional illuminated entry system.
1992 saw carpeting added to the standard features of the base Cherokee. And Laredo four-doors could now be fitted with (optional) leather seating, just like the fancier Limited. Other than this, not much else changed for the Cherokee this year.
The Cherokee line was simplified for 1993, as the previous five trim levels gave way to just three; base, Sport and the new Country. The Country featured champagne-colored lower body, fender flares and bumpers as well as most of the luxury features of the defunct Limited. And Sport models were updated with a two-tone treatment that featured black on the lower body sides.
A long-life, stainless steel exhaust system was fitted to all models, helping to lower ownership costs.
Safety refinements were added for 1994. Side-impact beams were now found in the doors, the roof was beefed up for more crush resistance and a center, high-mounted stoplight sat atop the liftgate. Air conditioning now used CFC-free refrigerant.
For those who didn't like the champagne (the color, not the libation) of the year before, the Country was now available with silver as the secondary color. And in an effort to make the base model sound more appealing, the entry-level Cherokee now had the "SE" moniker added to its name.
In spite of looking very much like the 1984 version, the Cherokee continued to be popular among those looking for a manageable (both in size and cost) and capable SUV. 1995 brought a few notable changes, a driver's side airbag and the availability of an automatic (albeit just a three-speed) transmission for the four-cylinder SE. Sport and Country models continued with the 4.0-liter, six-cylinder engine hooked up to either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox. A few new colors, such as Moss Green and Aqua Pearl, completed the changes for this year.
Minor refinements continued for the Cherokee in 1996. Both the four- and six-cylinder engines were tweaked to run smoother and quieter. The inline six now produced its power at lower rpm, making it more responsive whether accelerating from a light or towing a trailer up a steep grade.
Safety and reliability were both enhanced this year. An automatic transmission/brake pedal interlock reduced the chance of an accident by requiring the driver to apply the brake when moving the gear selector out of Park. The electrical system was upgraded via a heavy-duty alternator and battery. And the engine received a stiffer block, new aluminum pistons and a new powertrain control module.
In addition to the aforementioned improvements, some new colors, such as Bright Jade and Stone White, helped extend the appeal of the Cherokee, now in its 13th model year.
Fourteen years after it debuted, the Cherokee finally received a facelift, well, actually quite a bit more than a facelift. The $215 million update occurred in 1997 when the front and rear ends were smoothed out, the interior was updated and noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels were reduced.
Although one had to look close to pick off a '97 versus an older Cherokee, a more cohesive appearance was achieved via softened corners at the nose and tail and with wheelwell flares that blended into the bumper ends. The front vent windows were dropped for a cleaner look and lessened wind noise, and larger side-view mirrors, new bodyside moldings, new wheels, optional deep-tint glass and a center high-mounted stop lamp completed the changes outside.
Inside, change was much more apparent, as the more modern cabin featured several key improvements in ergonomics, safety and style. A new dash (now with a passenger airbag), revised gauges and a new center stack with easier to use controls for the stereo (now available with both cassette and CD players) and climate control system sported a cleaner design with fewer pieces, which decreased the likelihood of squeaks and rattles. Other interior refinements included new door panels, lighted power mirror and window switches, a trip computer for the overhead console and a new center console that boasted integrated cupholders.
In an effort to improve build quality, Jeep made changes to the plant that made the body panels, using new or reconditioned stamping dies and tighter tolerances. More testing, including all electrical functions and increased use of robotic paint sprayers were employed, as well.
Having made extensive engine refinements in 1996, Jeep left well enough alone, but did improve the electrical system via upgraded connectors and a decreased amount of wiring.
For 1998 trim levels were juggled. The Limited returned to replace the Country as the top-of-the-line Cherokee, and the Classic debuted, slotted between the Sport and the Limited. The Classic added color-keyed bumpers and moldings, a roof rack, air conditioning, power mirrors and alloy wheels to the Sport. Three new colors, Chili Pepper Red, Deep Amethyst and Emerald Green, joined the palette.
Soldiering on into 1999, the Cherokee line continued with minor changes. The Sport model now had color-keyed bumpers and grille, a Sentry Key anti-theft system debuted, heated front seats became optional on the Limited, and engine efficiency was improved via revised electronics and a new exhaust catalyst.
The 2000 Cherokee got a more refined version of the 4.0-liter inline six. Introduced the previous year in the Grand Cherokee, the revamped engine ran quieter and cleaner (it now met Low Emission Vehicle standards) than the previous iteration. A new five-speed manual gearbox with improved shift quality was mated to the new six in SE (if the six was ordered) and Sport models, and a four-speed automatic was standard on Cherokee Classic and Limited.
The Limited traded its monochromatic appearance for a flashier appearance this year. Chrome highlights on the grille, headlight bezels and rear license plate brow along with silver alloy wheels served to further distinguish the Limited from the other Cherokees.
Lastly, some new colors debuted, including Patriot Blue and Silverstone Pearls.
The last year for the Cherokee, 2001, would pass without much fanfare. The 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine was finally buried, child seat tether anchors debuted, and Steel Blue replaced Desert Sand on the color chart.


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I have been neglecting my blog because of several paper and proposal deadlines. Rather than keeping the blog gather more dust, I decided to share some summaries from recent talks I attended and papers I read. This is a talk I attended couple months ago and enjoyed a lot. It is directly on the distributed systems topic, but in the future we may find ourselves programming these kind of distributed systems, and we will be dealing with a lot of bugs in our code for sure ;-)
Alper Bozkurt (NCSU) has been working on bionic cyber physical systems, which aim to fuse synthetic man-made systems with naturally occuring biological organisms, such as cockroaches, moths, dogs, lemurs, and eventually humans. His research is very interesting and has been featured at National Geographics, CNN, and Stephen Hawkins show "Brave New World". Here is the PhDComics coverage of his research (and this).
Alper primarily works with insects. He says insects are fabuluous because they are optimized aerodynamic systems with onboard efficient control systems and dense chemical fat stores. In other words, insects have sensors and actuators, collision avoidance, and power source. Any plane-like machine at the size of insect will not fly because of aerodynamics. At that size, you need flapping wings or helicopter blades.
He makes a good case for converting the insects to biobots. We, humans, have used ATP powered animal muscle before oil powered engines through the use domestication technology. We domesticated horses, donkeys, mules, dogs. But we couldn't domesticate the insects, because they are hard to train and teach. He argues that the biobots technology is just a domestication technology (a computer-assisted technology) applied on insects. Domesticating insects via biobot technology has applications in search and rescue, environmental sensing, industrial plant monitoring, and nuclear plant monitoring. Think of a colony of biobot insects networked together for exploration and mapping for challenging terrains. The cost of a raising insects is almost nothing. Starting with a male and female insect, you can go to a colony in two weeks. Alper's research is on developing low cost neurostimulation probes that can be easily applied to the insects. The vision is that a robot would be able to catch the insects and implant these probes to the insects with a minimally invasive way. Insects are simplistic, they only respond to reflexes, so the neuro control is much simpler to perform in insects. Insects also don't register pain, there are no pain receptors in insects, so there is no need for permissions for running scientific experiments on insects.
The payload that can be carried by the insect is not much, but now thanks to miniaturization in circuit technology with a few grams of payload, it is possible to store and carry megabytes of digital information (photos/videos). The challenge is how to implant the circuits to the insects without crippling or killing them in the process. Alper's research solves this problem by benefiting from the metamorphic development of the insect. During metamorphosis, 90% of the tissue is retained and in 1 week the terrastrial insect morphs to become a flying insect by developing wings and antenna. To explain how drastic metamorphosis, people use the analogy of transforming from wheelchair to an Apache helicopter. Alper's method performs the surgery before metamorphosis, and the wound caused for surgery is auto-recovered. The surgery does not require skill, and it will possible to automate the surgery to be performed by a robot.
They work with Carolina sphinx moth, which is 4-7 cm, with a wing spand of 10cm. This is quite a large insect and weighs 1-2 grams, and can carry a payload capacity half of their weight. They fly at 5m/s speed. With the probe installed, Alper's team can control the moth to initiate flight, stop flight, turn right, left.
For terrestrial locomotion control, the team works with pet cockroaches, called hissing cockroaches. These cockroaches have 5-7 cm size and weigh 5-10 grams. The insect looks down (doesn't need to look for predators) uses antennas for sensing like blind people with canes. If the probe gives the right antenna the signal, the insect turns to left. Thus, the team is able to make the insect follow the line very precisely controlled by a joystick.
The tissue electrode interface is a bottleneck in the implants. The team is experimenting with electroplating to optimize enough charge and charge storage. They also run some in-vivo electrochemical analysis to see if they can improve/optimize the process. Finally, habituation can become a problem: the insect may get used to the implant, and may start to ignore after a while. The control is not always very deterministic, so they try to automate and make the control system adaptive.
The team is also developing backpack implants for the insects with zigbee (and sometimes Bluetooth support). Networking the insects will enable controlling them as a swarm and move them in a coordinated manner.

subset: commoncrawl


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• Fayette boys: There were three good periods of play for Fayette, coach Todd Mitchell said, but unfortunately, he added, it isn't hockey.
The Eagles trailed Stryker by just a couple points going into the third quarter at home Friday, but the Panthers piled on the points in the final period to claim the 49-36 BBC victory.
Stryker missed only a pair of shots in their hot fourth quarter while the Eagles were coming up with too many misses.
"We didn't get too many offensive stops in the fourth quarter," Coach Mitchell said.
Overall, 11 offensive rebounds were given up to the visitors and five of them was converted into baskets.
The improvement for Friday's trip to North Central is obvious to Mitchell: "We've got to do a better job on the boards."
• Fayette Girls:A trip to Stryker Thursday turned out to be a good shooting night for Rachel Seiler, but that's about where the good news ended for Fayette fans.
The Panthers turned a 13-7 first quarter lead into a lop-sided affair by half-time en route to a 48-23 league victory over the Eagles.
Fayette's offense tried to find it's range from the outside, but ended up zero for seven, coach Ashley Oyer said. The Eagles put up just 32 shots total and sank eight of them. They fared better from the line, hitting seven of nine tries.
Seiler also led in rebounds with five. Danni Wyse, Trisha Bates and JeriAnn Lewellen each collected three.
• Morenci Boys: 2:04 in the first quarter. A significant moment in the Morenci-Summerfield homecoming clash here Friday.
A bucket by Summerfield put the score at 17-9, and that was the last time the visitors' trailed by a single digit.
Morenci's lead reached as high as 22 early in the fourth quarter on the way to a 78-66 TCC victory.
Morenci coach Tim Bovee was a little surprised by his squad's offensive advantage. After all, it was Summerfield who upended Madison a week earlier to deliver the Trojans' first league loss.
"We came out and we attacked," he said. "That was a huge first quarter."
Summerfield opened with a zone that stymied the Bulldogs at first.
"We made some changes to find a hole in the zone," Bovee said. "Jacob [Bovee] got through and started putting the ball through the hole. The other kids started feeding off that with assists and free throws."
Coach Bovee figures the Bulldogs may have gotten a little lackadaisical later in the game as the visitors finally closed the gap to 12.
"We need to keep the killer instinct," he said.
• Morenci Girls: A few Morenci shooters found their range Wednesday night at North Adams as three girls hit double figures.
After starting the season with seven consecutive league games, the Bulldogs finally had a non-conference date and trounced the Rams 54-15.
It took Morenci (4-5, 3-4) a few minutes to get on track, but once the barrage started, there was little hope for North Adams (1-9, 1-6).
By two minutes into the second quarter, the Rams had committed 12 turn-overs yet trailed Morenci by only four points, 11-7. That was due to five-for-23 shooting by the Bulldogs.
That ratio came to an abrupt halt when Nicolette Swimmer hit her next three shots. She was aided by a bucket from Tricia Black and a three-pointer from Brooke Barrett. The Bulldogs went five for seven to take a 23-9 lead. The Rams turned the ball over 20 times by intermission and went more than seven minutes without a point.
BRITTON—Coach Yatzek got balanced scoring from eight of his nine players when Britton visited Jan. 7. A 43-31 victory raised the Bulldogs league mark to 3-4.
The Tories trailed by just two at the half, but Morenci took a four-point advantage in the third and scored six points in the fourth while holding the visitors to single digit scoring.
HUDSON—Morenci didn't disrupt Hudson's strong season in a matinée Saturday. The Tigers advanced to 8-2 with a decisive 69-43 knockout.
There was no recovery from Hudson's 20-9 opening quarter.
Jackie Paris had her top offensive night of the season with 13 points, including three three-point shots.
• Morenci wrestling: Morenci's wrestlers came out on the short end of a pair of conference matches last week.
With nine bouts down and five to go, the Bulldogs had a 5-2 lead Wednesday against Madison, but things fell apart in the remaining matches.
Morenci fell 45-26 to the Trojans, then lost to Sand Creek by a nearly identical score, 42-24.
Voids made the difference again with the Bulldogs giving up four classes, plus two that were double voids.
Two of Morenci's top wrestlers lost to Madison. Chris Delaney (119) gave up six points in the final 30 seconds to lose 4-6. Kyle McClain (160) was pinned at 1:19.


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Hey HG, I love so many of your recipes! However, I don't eat mayo and my husband can't stand cilantro. Is there any way we can still enjoy recipes that call for those ingredients without including them? Swappin' Sandy
Hi Sandy,
The HG arsenal is pretty massive, so you may occasionally come across ingredients you don't love. Some of these, like cilantro, can just be left out. Others, like mayo, need a similar ingredient substituted. Your Q really made me think, so I decided to share some general ways to customize HG recipes... Toppings - Items that are sprinkled, drizzled, or dolloped on top of a dish -- like herbs and condiments -- can just be left off. If the recipe makes several servings, keep the toppings on the side so people can add them if they want to. Condiments Mixed Into a Dish - HG dips, scoopable salads, casseroles, etc., often feature one of the following ingredients: fat-free or light mayo, fat-free or light sour cream, or plain fat-free Greek yogurt. For the most part, these are interchangeable in savory recipes. So choose your favorite! Of course, mayo does have a different flavor from the others. But if you don't like the condiment called for, these swaps are worth trying. Just know that if a recipe calls for a fat-free ingredient and you use the light kind, the stats will be higher. Vegetables - Dying to try a certain stir-fry or foil pack, but can't stand one of the veggies called for in the recipe? Swap it for another one -- preferably one with a similar texture (so the cook time won't be drastically different). Don't like broccoli? Try sugar snap peas or bell peppers instead. Hate red onions? Go with the sweet yellow kind. Just pay attention to the cook time, and adjust it a little if needed. Meat Swaps - Portabella mushrooms are surprisingly meaty and a great swap for beef. Cut them into strips for a steak swap or finely chop for a ground texture. Also great? Boca burgers and ground-beef-style crumbles. For recipes calling for chicken, you can use a faux chicken product, like this one from Beyond Meat. For more meat-swapping info -- including trading turkey for beef and vice versa -- click right here. Egg Substitute - I get questions about egg swaps pretty often. In almost any recipe you can use egg whites (from whole eggs or from a carton) in place of egg substitute. A quarter-cup of egg substitute is equal to about two large egg whites, and the liquid egg whites measure cup-for-cup like egg substitute. Click for more info on this subject. Sweetener - Granulated sugar, stevia, and Splenda are interchangeable in terms of amounts -- but, of course, the nutritional info will vary. More and more often, HG recipes list two sets of stats: one if made with granulated zero-calorie sweetener (like stevia or Splenda) and one if made with sugar. As for packets, it takes two teaspoons of real sugar (about 35 calories' worth) to equal the sweetness of one packet of no-calorie sweetener. Those calories can really add up, so I suggest using a stevia-based sweetener like Truvia if you prefer something natural. Spices and Seasonings - You can easily leave out any spice or seasoning you don't love, but your dish might need a little extra flavor. Just season to taste with your favorites. Watching your sodium? Skip the salt altogether, but try a salt-free seasoning mix (like Mrs. Dash Original) to keep things from being bland. Now no matter what the recipe, you should be able to tweak it a little to make it work for your taste buds... and it'll still be guilt-free! Problem solved.
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Today, April 2nd, is National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. We have so many delicious, no-guilt ways to celebrate, it's almost silly. Almost...
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Freeze warning can't dim holiday spirit in St. Augustine
Nation's oldest city welcomes Christmas tourists
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – National Geographic called the holiday light display in the nation's oldest city one of the world's 10 best.
St. Augustine is a huge draw for tourists year round. But for those looking for Christmas fun in the sun, they are feeling this Florida freeze instead.
Chris Woolston took in the holiday lights along downtown St. Augustine Saturday. He is spending his Christmas in Florida for the first time.
The native of Great Britain told Channel 4 he found the weather welcoming.
"I can handle this. It's nothing," Woolston said
Copyright 2012 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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The debate over affordable housing and "smart growth" goes to the Carlsbad Planning Commission on Wednesday, when the panel is set to consider a 656-home development proposed for the site of an old rock quarry on the city's border with Oceanside.
City staffers have recommended approval of the Quarry Creek proposal. The developer calls the project an example of smart growth and the perfect place to concentrate affordable housing, while opponents say it is just the opposite.
Regional planners define smart growth as building homes close to shopping, services, transit centers and other needs, largely to lessen time and resources spent on commuting and to make neighborhoods more dynamic.
The 156-acre Quarry Creek site is along the southern side of state Route 78 between El Camino Real and College Boulevard. The Buena Vista Creek crosses the property and the historically significant El Salto waterfall is on the eastern end.
"We think we are a shining example of smart growth in the region," said Todd Galarneau, project manager for the Corky McMillin Companies, a builder in the area for more than 50 years.
Most of the homes will be built on land that was used as a rock quarry for 50 years, Galarneau said, and the rest will be on undeveloped land long designated for housing by the city. The site is near public transportation, a shopping center, MiraCosta College and other resources, he added.
Opponents of the project, such as Diane Nygaard of the environmental nonprofit group Preserve Calavera, disagree.
"This is not smart growth," Nygaard said. "This is dense development adding to traffic congestion."
The large number of homes would be devastating to the natural resources in the small valley along the creek, she said, and the additional residents would further compound traffic in an area that's already congested.
Carlsbad Senior Planner Van Lynch said the developer is working with Carlsbad and Oceanside on ways to handle the increased traffic.
One of the improvements being considered to help handle the traffic is additional right-turn lanes at the intersection of College and Marron, he said.
McMillin's plan calls for the housing, which would all be apartments or condominiums, to be built in two areas covering 50 of the 156 acres. There would also be community areas such as a day-care building and a recreation site. About 88 acres, or 56 percent of the property, would be set aside as open space, including the creek and the waterfall.
A portion of the property designated for the highest density development, a minimum of 20 units per acre, is on the northern side of Buena Vista Creek, where McMillin's plan calls for 332 dwellings on 18.2 acres.
The rest of the homes, 325, would be built in two separate areas totaling 37 acres stretching the length of the property on the south side of the creek.
Nygaard, who lives in Oceanside just across the border from Carlsbad, said she'd like to see a compromise that reduces the number of homes and keeps them on the eastern end of the property that was the quarry.
"It's just too much development for that particular location," she said.
Galarneau said McMillin's proposal is really the community's plan, based in part on 80 to 100 meetings with residents and officials from the cities, state and federal agencies and other interested parties.
The development has two access points — Marron and Haymar roads — he said, though both connect only to College Boulevard. Those two roads will be connected by a bridge the developer will build across the creek to create a loop through the living area.
There is no plan to extend Marron Road west to El Camino Real, he said, largely because it would have to cross the Buena Vista Creek ecological area.
The city's zoning allows as many as 788 homes on the 156 acres, Galarneau said.
"We have not only followed the rules, we have exceeded the rules in a lot of respects," he said.
All of the units will meet the state's requirement for affordable housing, he said.
"A really important part of this is that if those are not placed on the Quarry Creek site, then the city will have to identify other areas to locate those units," Galarneau said.
More than 500 of the homes will be what's considered "density-based" affordable housing and will be rented or sold at current market rates.
Density-based low-income housing is based on the theory that more units per acre lowers the cost of housing. Only about 15 percent of the housing will be "income-restricted" housing reserved for people with low incomes.
Once the city approves the project, Galarneau said, grading and site preparations should begin late this year or early in 2014, and buildings are likely to start going up in 2015.
The residential construction is the second phase of a development McMillin has been working on for more than a decade.
The first phase was the shopping center that straddles Marron Road on the western side of College Boulevard, with a Walmart, Kohls, Albertsons and smaller shops and restaurants. That portion of the project is in Oceanside.


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NEC Tournament Preview & Season Wrap-UpPosted by rtmsf on March 1st, 2012
Ray Floriani is the RTC correspondent for the MAAC and NEC conferences.
Tournament Preview
Opening Tip
The top teams in the Northeast Conference proved to be competitive and battled it against each other all season. Interestingly, the conference postseason shapes up as a very balanced eight team field. LIU Brooklyn is the defending champion and favorite. LIU will face challenges from Wagner, Robert Morris and St. Francis (NY) to name a few. Among the eight teams, even a hot Monmouth team poses a threat. It should make for an interesting tournament and if LIU Brooklyn repeats, they will have truthfully worked and earned it.
The Quarterfinals
The top eight in the NEC qualify for postseason conference play. Each individual game is at the higher seed of the two teams. The conference tournament begins on Thursday with all eight teams tipping it off.
- Sacred Heart vs. LIU Brooklyn – The Blackbirds were knocked off by Monmouth on Saturday but take a 24-game home winning streak in this meeting. Player of the Year Julian Boyd leads a well balanced and dangerous attack. Sacred Heart lost closes contests to Robert Morris and St. Francis (NY) in the last week. The Pioneers also took LIU Brooklyn to overtime before losing 103-91 back on February 16. Dave Bike's club will try to become the first #8 seed to knock off the regular season champion in NEC history.
- CCSU vs. Wagner – A Wagner-LIU semifinal is highly anticipated. First, the Seahawks have to knock off a dangerous CCSU team. The winningest team in the NY metro area, Wagner split with CCSU this season. The Blue Devils of Howie Dickenman are on a roll, winning three of their last four, included was that victory over Wagner on Saturday. With a versatile veteran and star in Ken Horton plus a backcourt talent in Rookie of the Year Kyle Venales, CCSU will not be an easy out.
- Monmouth vs. Robert Morris – The Chuck is not easy on visitors but Monmouth is arguably the NEC's most dangerous team at this point. The Colonials are on a roll of their own, winning six of their last seven. Monmouth, a preseason number ten pick, captured seven of their final nine under first year mentor King Rice. The ten NEC victories posted by the Hawks is their most since 2006 and includes victories over LIU Brooklyn and St. Francis (NY) the final week of the campaign.
- Quinnipiac vs. St. Francis (NY) – A season ending loss at FDU dropped the Terriers to a four seed. Glen Braica's group, a preseason 11 pick, will host their first NEC postseason conference game since 1997. St. Francis swept the Bobcats this season but Quinnipiac is another team with momentum, entering the NEC tourney winners of eight of their last eleven games. St. Francis will most likely be without two keys players in Travis Nichols and Stefan Perunicic who also missed the FDU contest.


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"Far and away, the best disappearing act I've heard from a loudspeaker with no exceptions."
" I heard comments from tube heads who couldn't get enough of the Sonicweld sound."
"Sonicweld's trademark CNC aluminum construction throughout is a mindblower."
"The result is one of the very most inert speaker structures ever made. Hear this one if you get a chance."
"We imagined they'd sound cold...Wow, were we wrong. The sound was the way we like it"
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text:
Industrial extender communicates over CAT-5 more than 1 km
The SED-1010S by Aaxeon Technologies transfers data to devices up to 1.2 km from a high-speed RS232 over CAT-5 extender.
Aaxeon Technologies' industrial extender, the SED-1010S, is a high speed RS-232 over CAT-5 extender that transfers data to devices at distances up to 1.2 km. This significantly extends the typical RS232 range of only 15 m. The extender also boasts the use of CAT-5 cabling, a common cabling used in many applications, making it easier to implement and deploy with an already fixed infrastructure.
The unit features an extended operating temperature of -30°C ~ 75°C guaranteeing the device will work in numerous operating environments. It has built in surge protection and can be used without a power adapter. An optional power supply is available for applications that need more power than the host can provide.
Aaxeon Technologies LLC
– Edited by Chris Vavra, Control Engineering, www.controleng.com


text:
MT4 is by far the most popular platform in online trading, but have you ever tried it with true STP execution? Download MetaTrader 4 today and try trading with us to see what you've been missing.
BDSwiss LLC is authorised and registered with the U.S. National Futures Association NFA ID: 0486419
BDSwiss Holding PLC is authorised and licensed by CYSEC (EU) (License No. 199/13)
BDS Markets is authorised and regulated as a Investment Dealer by the FSC on 06/12/2016 (License No. C116016172)
BDSwiss GmbH (Registration No. HRB 160749B) is the registered Tied Agent of BDSwiss Holding PLC in Germany.
Call Me Back


text:
J-Roll Passes Bowa
KK did it on the mound and J-Roll, in another milestone game in his career, did it on the second pitch of the game. His lead-off homer was all KK, Lindblom and Papelbon needed for the Phillies second straight shutout, 1-0, last night.
According to Elias Sports Bureau it's only the second 1-0 win in Phillies' history in which the only run came on a leadoff home run in the first inning. John Briggs smacked Bill Singer's second pitch of the game while Grant Jackson blanked the Dodgers in Los Angeles on June 12, 1969.
The win was a milestone for Charlie, too, his 700th win as a Phillies manager. He's setting the bar so high that it may never be broken. Most wins for a manager in Philadelphia baseball history? Connie Mack, 3,731 in 53 seasons with the Philadelphia Athletics. Guess Charlie's bar is Phillies only.
On the exact same date six years ago, J-Roll hit his 18th homer to break Granny Hamner's record for home runs by a Phillies shortstop.
Last night he passed Larry Bowa (1,730) for the most games by a Phillies shortstop, a bigger milestone. Bowa last played for the Phillies in 1981 meaning his record stood for 31 years.
Who held the record before Bowa? Glad you asked.
None other than Mickey Doolan (1,297). Mickey wore a Phillies uniform from 1905-1913. Bowa passed Mickey on August 19, 1978, at the Vet. So, Mickey's record lasted for 65 years.
But, Mickey hasn't been totally erased from the Phillies record book. In 1906, he had 395 putouts. No other shortstop in Phillies history has matched that.
Career Leaders, By Position
C Mike Lieberthal, 1,139 games
1B Fred Luderus, 1,298
2B Chase Utley, 1,076
SS Rollins, 1,731
3B Mike Schmidt, 2,212
OF Richie Ashburn, 1.785
Chase passed Tony Taylor last year and Lieby passed Red Dooin in 2006. Chase, J-Roll and Lieby have all played at Citizens Bank Park. But, you knew that.
Down On The Farm
Lehigh Valley was blanked for the third time in four games, this time, 6-0, at Buffalo. LHR Joe Savery who had 9 consecutive scoreless innings, gave up 5 in .1 inning. RHS Tyson Bummett (3-3) was charged with the loss, 1 run, 2 hits, 4 innings.
Reading won its third in a row, 7-2, at Trenton. 1B Darin Ruf hit his 28th homer, third in 2 games. 3B Cody Asche extended his hitting streak to 10 games with his second consecutive 3-hit game; he's gone from .229 to .270 in the 10 games . . . LHS Adam Morgan (2-0) won his second AA start, 2 runs, 5 hits, 5 strikeouts, 6 innings.
Clearwater won its third in a row, 4-0, at Tampa behind LHS Austin Wright (10-4), 6 innings, 6 hits, 8 strikeouts. He joins Tyler Cloyd and Jonathan Pettibone as 10-game winners in the organization.
Lakewood dropped a 4-2 decision at Augusta. LHS Hoby Milner (4-3) saw his consecutive scoreless inning streak end at 20.2 innings when he gave up 2 runs in the third inning. Charged with 3 runs in 4 innings, 1 run earned.
Williamsport: NL won the All-Star Game, 8-1. Chris Serritella was the starting DH for the NL, 1-2. Roman Quinn was the second shortstop for the winners, 1-2, a 2-run homer.
Gulf Coast League Phillies ended a 5-game losing streak, 6-4, at the Blue Jays, winning the game on RF Dylan Cozens' 2-run homer in the top of the 10th inning. He drove in the winning run last Tuesday.
August 15, 1990–Terry Mulholland pitches 60 no-hitter against San Francisco, the first ever at the Vet. It is the first by a Phillies pitcher at home this century and eighth of the 1990 major league season.
Visit www.phillies.com/alumni to read Paul Hagen's story on Mulholland's no-hitter. Great photo of Mulholland in Darren Daulton's arms in celebrating his gem and a video clip of the last out.


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I'm playing NBA 2K11 and NBA 2K12 on PC. This is my configuration : GTX 1080 - I7 6700K - 16GB RAM.
I'm playing with 1920x1080 resolution, 60Hz.
Both games work correctrly. But in manual replays, I have some lags/freezes every 1 or 2 seconds.
In game, I havn't lags/freezes in auto replays for exemple.
I have never been able to solve this problem which concerns only NBA 2K11 and NBA 2K12.
I havn't this problem on PC on NBA 2K9, NBA 2K10, NBA 2K13, NBA 2K14 ...
It's very annoying because I can not make videos with freezes during replays.
If anyone has a solution, I would be eternally grateful to him. Thanks.


text:
Probiotics are live, nonpathogenic microorganisms that may interact with gastrointestinal and vaginal microflora . Clinical studies indicate that certain probiotics may be useful in treating some diarrheal disorders, respiratory allergies , and eczema , as well as in controlling inflammation and reducing the risk of candidal vaginitis and colon cancer .
Dietary sources of probiotics are usually found in dairy products. Yogurt, for example, contains intestinal species of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, two groups of probiotic bacteria. Gastric survival rates of probiotics are estimated at 20 to 40 percent, with the main obstacles to survival being gastric acidity and the action of bile salts. Investigations into different modes of administering probiotics may expand their applications in functional foods .
SEE ALSO Functional Foods .
M. Elizabeth Kunkel Barbara H. D. Luccia
Gibson, G. R., and Roberfroid, Marcel B. (1999). Colonic Microbiota, Nutrition, and Health. Boston: Kluwer Academic.


text: Porsche dropped some b-roll of its latest widowmaker, the lightweight 911 GT2, destined for unveiling tomorrow at the Frankfurt Messe. The world's motoring press and a few close friends will get the first up-close look at the first stock 200-mph+ 911, powered by a turbocharged 3.6-liter boxer six with Porsche's VarioCam and variable-turbine setup producing 530 hp at 6500 rpm and 505 lb-ft of torque at 2,200-4,500 rpm. Curb weight is a stripped 3,175 lbs, totaling to a power-to-weight ratio of 5.99 lbs/hp. and 3.6 seconds to 60 mph. Don't expect to see a strenuous workout in the latest company-supplied video. Apparently the bond-trader protagonist is just blowing off a little steam after losing the Drüker account (actually, it's German ex-rallyist Walter Rohrl).


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Actually, and please correct me if im wrong, but very rarely, if ever, do guides have an "Invulnerable" tag set to them.
They are however flagged as non-kos to all mobs. Just a little heads up.
Ghesta Icepaw
Heroes Officer
Luclin Server
[ This Message was edited by: Ghesta Icepaw on 2002-03-05 10:18 ]


text:
If I stand all alone, will the shadow hide the colours of my heart?
The Daily IKN email digest, get all daily posts sent to you next day (& no ads)
The Friday OT: Everything but the Girl; I don't want to talk about it
If I stand all alone, will the shadow hide the colours of my heart?
On the subject of Goldplat (GDP.L), Susie Geliher of St Brides Partners, and insider trading fraud
"They will be in London next week to discuss their soon to be released Interim Results, which will be going live on Monday morning. The results are really positive and reveal a return to profitability for the Company."
US CPI and gold
Lithium X (LIX.v): Never underestimate the power of a Frank Giustra bullshit pump during a market bull period
PS: Did you ever get round to honouring your Patsy Cline debt, Frank? Or did you weasel out of that, too?
UPDATE: And Tommy can run all the righteous indignation he likes over at CEO CA Chat (thanks for the headsup youknowwho, I laughed hard) but what he can't do is deny his sweetheart "friends and family" 15c share deal. Because that's just plain true. Tommy sold his cute buns to Frank years ago.
Chart of the day is...
Yamana (YRI.to) (AUY) reports its 4q15, Otto wets his underwear
Because of this (fave bit bold-typed):
In early 2015, the Company designated certain assets to be placed in a separate division and established Brio Gold Inc. ("Brio Gold") as a subsidiary to hold those assets which include Pilar, Fazenda Brasileiro and C1 Santa Luz. Over the course of 2015, Pilar and Fazenda Brasileiro were able to improve the quality of production, improve costs, increase cash flow and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") generation, improve mineral resource models and mine plans, and increase mine lives. Given the significant operational improvements at these assets, it has been concluded that they currently carry considerably more value within the Company's portfolio than outside the Company.
IKN would like to thank...
A Flash update...
Is the Tahoe takeover of Lake Shore Gold in trouble?
"The Company is not aware of any material, undisclosed corporate developments that would account for recent trading in its stock."
This is like Dr. Evil demanding one million dollars in an Austin Powers movie
Good ol pal Setty sends in this link:
A Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation found that Grom certified that his March 29, 2012 research report about discount retailer Big Lots accurately reflected his own beliefs about the company and its securities.But in private communications with Deutsche Bank research and sales personnel, Grom indicated that he didn't downgrade Big Lots from a "buy" recommendation in his report because he wanted to maintain his relationship with Big Lots management.Grom agreed to settle the charges by paying a $100,000 penalty, and he will be suspended from the securities industry for a year. continues here
After the judgment was handed down, Grom was heard asking the judge "Cash or cheque?" and "I don't have that on me right now, will tomorrow do?".
Chart of the day is...
...gold, dailies:
If you ignore the hype blowoff, that's a pretty decent and constructive chart right there.
For those who care about Goldman Sachs and its technical anal ysis view of gold...
...I was just sent this, hot off the GS presses, Thursday 8am.
2. Gold Daily/ Weekly –The rally since December 3rd continues to look like an incomplete 4 of 5-waves higher. This means there's likely going to be at least one more move higher to fulfill the setup. Near-term support seems fairly strong between 1,192 and 1,185 (includes 38.2% retrace of the entire Dec./Feb. rise). This entire wave count stands within the A leg of an ABC counter-trend rise. Over time, should have potential to reach as far as 1,381-1,392. This longer-term target includes 38.2% retrace of the '11/'15 decline as well as the target from a declining wedge that developed off the Mar. '14 high.
Do with it what you will.
"Best mining bios ever...ever"
Mr.Timothy C. Mingo(CEO, President of Mingo Affiliates Services/ Mingo Gold)
As Founder, Managing Member, General Partner and Investment Adviser. Mr. Mingo also serves as the Chief Executive Officer and founding member of Olive Branch Home Buyer's, LLC, a South Florida based real estate investment and development firm specializing in the areas of residential and commercial properties including acquisitions, construction, and development. For 24 years Timothy worked in the public sector for the Florida Department of Corrections ("FDC") with a principal position as Warden of Prisons throughout the state before retiring in 2004. As Warden, he was responsible for care, custody, treatment of offenders and good order of all facilities. Administratively, he oversaw hiring, discipline, separation of employees, development and implementation of policies, procedures, rules and regulations. Timothy's duties also included insuring security and safety control in the prison and in the general public. During his tenure with the FDC, he managed the construction of prison buildings as well.
Mr. Mingo received his Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice Management from Bethune- Cookman University in (1978) and his Certification in Public Management Degree from Florida State University (1992). Timothy received his Life, Health and Annuities license in 1990 and was an agent with Midland North American and Hartford Life Insurance Companies. Mr. Mingo obtained his Series 6 license and marketed mutual funds and retirement plans for First American Classics Securities and North American Management. Mr. Mingo has 16 years of experience trading equities and options and has extensive training and experience in options strategies, fundamentals, technical analysis and charting. As an expert in developing and managing budgets vital resources, management of maintenance and construction projects, preparation for and passing of inspections, audits and other compliance regulations, Mr. Mingo brings a wide range of portfolio experience to the SUPRA VANTAGE FUND, L.P which his investment company runs.
Breaking: Steve Letwin quoted in IAMGOLD year-end financials news release after taking LSD
UPDATE Thursday morning: Ah, those wonderful moments.
New Gold (NGD) on Rainy River: I knew they'd say that
"The combination of our year-end cash, the remaining stream deposit and the amount available on our credit facility provides us with total liquidity of $595 million," stated Brian Penny, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. "Combining this liquidity with our expected free cash flow, based on the prevailing gold and copper prices and foreign exchange rates, leaves us well positioned to fund the remaining development of Rainy River."
So here's my bottom line on Rainy River:
- It's going to get built and move into production, period. When it does you remove the sunk costs from the project economics and are left with a mine that would be very profitable at current gold prices. It's one thing worrying about a mediocre IRR before a project is green-lighted, quite another when the capex is paid and you watch very decent free cash flow move through and pay off the financial debts quickly.
- As things stand today, NGD covers all costs and RR happens with no further share dilution or financial burden placed on the company.
- The risk from here is a 2016 of low gold prices and a capex bust for the project. If those happen, NGD may not be able to cover the capex.
- I think that risk is low, but admit that it may look tight for a while. Even so, NGD won't have any trouble in bridging any near-term liquidity issue as it has various options that could cover the final hurdle before commercial production is declared.
Obama smoking in Russia
I really don't see what all the fuss is about.
The photo is good graphic art and the captions, which translate as...
...are both factually correct and sound advice.
Chart of the day is...
...the precious metals miner ETF (GDX) versus the TSX venture exchange, 6 months:
To underscore the point made below.
Regarding 'Optionality' and the First Mining Finance/Clifton Star deal. And old men (from IKN353)
Here's one of the segments in IKN353 out last Sunday evening. It got a bit ranty
A rant on and from the First Mining Finance (FF.v) Clifton Star (CFO.v) deal
On the blog on Monday I published (23) a quick line on sourced intel about Keith Neumeyer;
He's looking to run a equity placement in First Mining (FF.v) to raise cash. In the very near future. So now you know.
In the end I was only half-right, or maybe three-quarters right, because come Friday the imminent deal became fact and First Mining Finance (FF.v) announced its latest deal (24) to buy Clifton Star (CFO.v) for 48.2m in shares. And yes, of course I had a personal comment on the deal on the blog that day, too (25). Let's be clear as we possibly can, CFO's development assets are plain awful. For sure it can talk up its projects and point to the fact it has over 900k ounces of gold (all categories, including inferred) under 43-101 compliance. But these are the type of BS moose pasture calculations that got the industry, especially the Canadian industry into trouble. I have no adjective strong enough, plus we know that nearby Osisko has already picked over their projects carefully and handed them back, but the definitive word on the "quality" of CFO and its exploration stage projects came from an e-mail pal (who will remain nameless and, on hearing of the deal, remarked, "Clifton Star, you've got to be joking! It's an arsenic mine with a refractory gold by-product.". When that popped into my inbox I was in a taxi. I had to explain to the taxi driver why I had burst out laughing so hard.
The "assets" are not that, they're liabilities. They'll never be taken seriously by any mining company worth its salt, the ounces will never be mined (unless, as my friend noted, somebody finds an amazing new use for arsenic and the market price for that element skyrockets), they will cost the holder of those concessions far more than they'll ever make.
Which brings us to the real reason FF.v bought out CFO.v, as a different mailpal "K" noted:
This acquisition is for the Agnico and Yamana shares that CFO obtained after suing Osisko in the twilight hours of the Acquisition of Canadian Malartic Saga. Long story short, Osisko had promised a loan to CFO.V under certain conditions. Osisko respectfully disagreed as they were being acquired and didn't care. Yamana, afraid of damaging their new asset with lawsuits, wanted Canadian Malartic cleaned up and convinced its dance partner to issue some shares to settle everything up.
$11M (was over $14M only 12 months ago!) in very liquid shares is like cash in these markets.
Easy as pie.
So yes easy as pie K, but at what cost? Paying 48.2m in shares for fixed assets worth zero zip squat nada, but a company with C$11m in cash, means FF.v is getting a tad under 23c in cash for each of those shares it's emitting. When your share price is 41c and 44c and you're willing to do such a deal, you're sending a clear message to people who know that CFO's projects are worthless (i.e. the serious end of the investment community, not the people FF.v is trying to rope in). That's seriously dilutive and surely it would have been better to go the route I'd heard about on Monday and simply run a equity placement to raise cash at, let's say, 35c or 40c?
Which brings us to the way in which FF.v has been operating this last year, aggressively buying up fixed assets of very dubious quality (aside from the Coastal Gold acquisition, which it snatched from under the nose of Stan Bharti and comes with a deposit that has a shot at becoming a real mine). To give an idea of the changes in less than one calendar year, consider these datapoints:
- On April 2nd 2015, when FF.v started trading as a public company, it had 73.767m shares out and a closing day market cap of C$36.14m.
- Today, less than a year later, FF.v has lost 19.4% in share price, but these days (if we go pro-forma on this CFO.v acquisition) has 356.1m shares out and a market cap of C$140.64m.
- And as this chart shows unless you were willing to trade in and out of the stock (notice the spikes, caused by paid promotional pumping via the contract FF.v has with stock promoter Daniel Ameduri at "Future Money Trends"), a started holder of FF.v is now 19.4% in the red on his position, despite having watched his charge almost quadruple its market cap.
Or are supposed to change, because I have serious doubts that optionality of the type being marketed to us by FF.v, a Mineral Bank full of subprime, is going to work this time around. It looks to me as though it's an old man's strategy, looks tired and won't be able to contend with the growing sophistication of the investment community. I would agree there's plenty of space to pick up decent quality assets at cheap prices and hey, that's exactly what I'm trying to do as I sniff around Almaden's Ixtaca property for my idea of a great entry price. But the FF.v type of optionality, the Greater Fool variety, is an error and it's already showing up as the market bifurcates. We're already seeing the good stuff rising and the bad stuff failing to catch a bid, being completely left behind. When the market turned, was it better to be holding a company with a portfolio of marginal properties, or better to be holding a company with world class assets that produces gold at an operating profit? Here's a hint to help answer that question:
Wasn't that the idea behind FF.v, that you the shareholder would benefit from the renewed interest in metals mining assets? Instead, your share price fails to budge and you get further diluted by "value" deals.
We live in an age in which information is far more freely available, which means known moose pasture properties with no chance at all of ever becoming mines will be known as such by more and more people. Not only that, but the peddlers of this tripe have already picked up reputations for being scammy operators and these days, just mentioning Name X as being associated with a company, a trade or a promotion is enough to scare people away. Add in the far greater choice of investment vehicles for (just as our small sector example) mining, such as triple-leveraged gold ETF tickers that give you all the gambler's trade-rush you can handle (and if not, play the call and put options on those things instead). I contend that the playing field is changing rapidly but people stuck in the past with models that used to work (so they think they still will) such as Neumeyer are making a serious mistake with their money. I just hope you don't let them make that mistake with your money as well, let them regress to the mean all by themselves.
PretiVm (PVG) (PVG.to) forgot to thank its ex-COO
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer James A. Currie has left the company to pursue other interests. Mr. Currie joined Pretivm in early 2014 and has played an important role in the development progress to date at Brucejack, having established highly competent engineering and operations teams which continue to perform effectively.
Seems legit!
I get impressive things mailed to me, such as this:
Blue Eagle Gold Making Technology Vid from Martin Burger on Vimeo.
Here's the blurb:
Amazing Alchemical Gold Making Technology eclipses what is popularly known in science and produces gold from barren artificial seed ores under LENR conditions. Bottom line is the proof is in the metal and as a former sceptic myself I can appreciate that position. What has been surprising in sharing the development story is how many of these authoritative fools dismiss the possibility, without even looking at the data. Notwithstanding the objections from the conventional scientific perspective, we do in fact have a proven precious metal making technology, US Patent Pending, and we see an executable technology pathway to industrial smelter scale with precious metal production price points near that of Aluminum.
Otto Rock is unwell
A quick thought on the gold/silver ratio
Gold goes up and silver fails to outperform. Gold goes down and silver gets hit even harder. Silver fanboys, I seriously think the market is trying to tell you something.
PS: Posting will be light today, your author has to play outside the matrix for a few hours.
An important message for all mining company executives
Regarding that deep, inner guilt you feel about what you do and the way you do it, the one you know you cannot share with anyone: You are absolutely right, you must keep it to yourself, it has to remain a secret at all costs.
Have a nice day.
The IKN Weekly, out now
Lionel Messi
What he did to Celta today, my stars. He truly is the best football player I've ever seen.


text:
Remember those mini OTE profiles we talked about? Well, finally, they're here. We're going to start running them while I'm away. But, like last time, I need to set everything up in advance.
So, if you are interested, e-mail me at email@example.com
Remember, profiles will include your name, a picture of you (any appropriate-for-a-public-forum shot) and your answer to five quick, fun, quirky questions.
I know Shimmy is on board.
Who else?
Remember, you need to e-mail me to be eligible, so I can send you your five questions.


text:
An object that manages a view hierarchy for your UIKit app.
- iOS 2.0+
- Mac Catalyst 13.0+
- tvOS 9.0+
- UIKit
UIView class defines the shared behavior that is common to all view controllers. You rarely create instances of the
UIView class directly. Instead, you subclass
UIView and add the methods and properties needed to manage the view controller's view hierarchy.
A view controller's main responsibilities include the following:
Updating the contents of the views, usually in response to changes to the underlying data.
Responding to user interactions with views.
Resizing views and managing the layout of the overall interface.
Coordinating with other objects—including other view controllers—in your app.
A view controller is tightly bound to the views it manages and takes part in handling events in its view hierarchy. Specifically, view controllers are
UIResponder objects and are inserted into the responder chain between the view controller's root view and that view's superview, which typically belongs to a different view controller. If none of the view controller's views handle an event, the view controller has the option of handling the event or passing it along to the superview.
View controllers are rarely used in isolation. Instead, you often use multiple view controllers, each of which owns a portion of your app's user interface. For example, one view controller might display a table of items while a different view controller displays the selected item from that table. Usually, only the views from one view controller are visible at a time. A view controller may present a different view controller to display a new set of views, or it may act as a container for other view controllers' content and animate views however it wants.
Subclassing Notes
Every app contains at least one custom subclass of
UIView. More often, apps contain many custom view controllers. Custom view controllers define the overall behaviors of your app, including the app's appearance and how it responds to user interactions. The following sections provide a brief overview of some of the tasks your custom subclass performs. For detailed information about using and implementing view controllers, see View Controller Programming Guide for iOS.
View Management
Each view controller manages a view hierarchy, the root view of which is stored in the
view property of this class. The root view acts primarily as a container for the rest of the view hierarchy. The size and position of the root view is determined by the object that owns it, which is either a parent view controller or the app's window. The view controller that is owned by the window is the app's root view controller and its view is sized to fill the window.
View controllers load their views lazily. Accessing the
view property for the first time loads or creates the view controller's views. There are several ways to specify the views for a view controller:
Specify the view controller and its views in your app's Storyboard. Storyboards are the preferred way to specify your views. With a storyboard, you specify the views and their connections to the view controller. You also specify the relationships and segues between your view controllers, which makes it easier to see and modify your app's behavior.
To load a view controller from a storyboard, call the
instantiatemethod of the appropriate
View Controller With Identifier:
UIStoryboardobject. The storyboard object creates the view controller and returns it to your code.
Specify the views for a view controller using a Nib file. A nib file lets you specify the views of a single view controller but does not let you define segues or relationships between view controllers. The nib file also stores only minimal information about the view controller itself.
To initialize a view controller object using a nib file, create your view controller class programmatically and initialize it using the
initmethod. When its views are requested, the view controller loads them from the nib file.
With Nib Name: bundle:
Specify the views for a view controller using the
loadmethod. In that method, create your view hierarchy programmatically and assign the root view of that hierarchy to the view controller's
All of these techniques have the same end result, which is to create the appropriate set of views and expose them through the
view property.
A view controller's root view is always sized to fit its assigned space. For other views in your view hierarchy, use Interface Builder to specify the Auto Layout constraints that govern how each view is positioned and sized within its superview's bounds. You can also create constraints programmatically and add them to your views at appropriate times. For more information about how to create constraints, see Auto Layout Guide.
Handling View-Related Notifications
When the visibility of its views changes, a view controller automatically calls its own methods so that subclasses can respond to the change. Use a method like
view to prepare your views to appear onscreen, and use the
view to save changes or other state information. Use other methods to make appropriate changes.
Figure 1 shows the possible visible states for a view controller's views and the state transitions that can occur. Not all 'will' callback methods are paired with only a 'did' callback method. You need to ensure that if you start a process in a 'will' callback method, you end the process in both the corresponding 'did' and the opposite 'will' callback method.
Handling View Rotations
As of iOS 8, all rotation-related methods are deprecated. Instead, rotations are treated as a change in the size of the view controller's view and are therefore reported using the
view method. When the interface orientation changes, UIKit calls this method on the window's root view controller. That view controller then notifies its child view controllers, propagating the message throughout the view controller hierarchy.
In iOS 6 and iOS 7, your app supports the interface orientations defined in your app's
Info file. A view controller can override the
supported method to limit the list of supported orientations. Typically, the system calls this method only on the root view controller of the window or a view controller presented to fill the entire screen; child view controllers use the portion of the window provided for them by their parent view controller and no longer participate directly in decisions about what rotations are supported. The intersection of the app's orientation mask and the view controller's orientation mask is used to determine which orientations a view controller can be rotated into.
You can override the
preferred for a view controller that is intended to be presented full screen in a specific orientation.
When a rotation occurs for a visible view controller, the
will, and
did methods are called during the rotation. The
view method is also called after the view is resized and positioned by its parent. If a view controller is not visible when an orientation change occurs, then the rotation methods are never called. However, the
view method is called when the view becomes visible. Your implementation of this method can call the
status method to determine the device orientation.
Implementing a Container View Controller
A custom
UIView subclass can also act as a container view controller. A container view controller manages the presentation of content of other view controllers it owns, also known as its child view controllers. A child's view can be presented as-is or in conjunction with views owned by the container view controller.
Your container view controller subclass should declare a public interface to associate its children. The nature of these methods is up to you and depends on the semantics of the container you are creating. You need to decide how many children can be displayed by your view controller at once, when those children are displayed, and where they appear in your view controller's view hierarchy. Your view controller class defines what relationships, if any, are shared by the children. By establishing a clean public interface for your container, you ensure that children use its capabilities logically, without accessing too many private details about how your container implements the behavior.
Your container view controller must associate a child view controller with itself before adding the child's root view to the view hierarchy. This allows iOS to properly route events to child view controllers and the views those controllers manage. Likewise, after it removes a child's root view from its view hierarchy, it should disconnect that child view controller from itself. To make or break these associations, your container calls specific methods defined by the base class. These methods are not intended to be called by clients of your container class; they are to be used only by your container's implementation to provide the expected containment behavior.
Here are the essential methods you might need to call:
Memory Management
Memory is a critical resource in iOS, and view controllers provide built-in support for reducing their memory footprint at critical times. The
UIView class provides some automatic handling of low-memory conditions through its
did method, which releases unneeded memory.
State Preservation and Restoration
If you assign a value to the view controller's
restoration property, the system may ask the view controller to encode itself when the app transitions to the background. When preserved, a view controller preserves the state of any views in its view hierarchy that also have restoration identifiers. View controllers do not automatically save any other state. If you are implementing a custom container view controller, you must encode any child view controllers yourself. Each child you encode must have a unique restoration identifier.
For more information about how the system determines which view controllers to preserve and restore, see App Programming Guide for iOS. To see an example of state preservation and restoration, see Restoring Your App's State.


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Monday, June 06, 2011
Two Hours at the Beach
(Above: Two Hours at the Beach, art quilt ... yup! It's more than three layers ... two of which are fabric ... held together with stitches! 51" x 38". Click on image to enlarge.)
I generally don't create work for specific competitions or juried shows. My "to do" list is already too long with my own ideas. Adding another project just seems unreasonable. So ... when the Brush Gallery's Art Quilt Lowell 2011 announced that there would be a theme for this year's event, I thought I wouldn't enter.
(Above: Two Hours at the Beach. Click on image to enlarge.)
Their theme is "the sea". I don't do "the sea" ... but a nagging idea kept haunting me. I couldn't resist the challenge. I couldn't resist the concept of using "trash" collected from the beach as the raw material for an art quilt. The piece is meant to resemble a cross section of the ocean ... from the rock floor, the plant life, and the white capped surface of the water.
(Above: Two Hours at the Beach, detail. Click on image to enlarge.)
My first trips to the ocean resulted in almost no waste. South Carolina's beaches are kept very, very clean ... especially in the late winter and spring months. Then, I went to Folly Beach ... to a location with easy access to the inlet just around the bend from the wide sandy areas. Here, trash was EVERYWHERE. It took only two hours for me to pick up all this "junk". Later, I separated all my "materials", washed them, and lay out my design on a large piece of acrylic felt that had once been used as packaging material for a kayak being shipped from a distributor to the local outdoors shop. (I blogged about this HERE ... with images of all the "junk".)
(Above: Two Hours at the Beach, detail. Click on image to enlarge.)
I used wedding tulle ... leftover from my I do / I don't installation ... over the top of the design. It was then placed on an over-sized piece of acid free, foam-centered board. I stitched straight through the tulle, the felt, and the foam-centered board. Some of the pieces had to be wrapped in tulle separately ... then stitched down. Some of the container tops were places on top of the tulle and held in place with a button from my stash. Most of the objects were either "couched" in place or stitched around to encapsulate them in the tulle. I trimmed the foam-board as I stitched the edge.
After it was finished ... something seemed "missing" on the top. I added the crab shells that I collected while visiting Daytona Beach last month with my parents. Since they are so fragile, I filled them with hot glue first. Since they were added after the back was complete, I can easily replace/remove them if they are damaged.
I used a piece of hot pink acrylic felt (which I have no idea why I owned) for the back ... stitching it along the edge ... straight through to the front. Black, wooden strainer bars were cut as a hanging device. I stitched it straight through the entire piece to the reverse and added a wire.
The old license plate dates to 1959, the year of my birth. It was given to me by my neighbor Gita who cleaned out her storage shed recently! I painted out the numbers using tinted shellac and added my name and the title of the piece.
Most importantly, I finished in time to enter it in this competition. Whether it is accepted or not isn't really important to me. I loved the challenge and the results. I love the message. (Can you believe that I found TWO plastic dental floss tools? Who flosses at the beach? Why do so many people leave all this trash along our seashore?)
9 comments:
- Julie said...
I hope your 'Beach' piece is accepted Susan, it's a very strong statement about the terrible waste that washes up on our shores all around the world and it looks exciting too.
- Mosaic Magpie said...
I noticed the flossers when I enlarged the photos and thought the same thing you thought. I had to laugh when I read that at the end of the post. All the handles to sand shovels and the bottles! Really neat stuff and leave it to you to make a masterpiece from them.
Another job well done. Your brain is amazing!
- Lynn Cohen said...
Weird to say but I am glad you found a dirty beach because the piece is terrific. And I do hope it gets in the show, it should.
- Elizabeth said...
Another wonderful piece witha great message. I know that Alot of this stuff ends up on the beach after being washed off of roads and into storm drains. most storm drains end at the beach. In my expereince at SC beaches in the charleston area, the beaches had alot of junk, especially after lots of rain!! I hope this piece is accepted!!!!!!
- Wanda said...
very neat piece. I like it. It goes along with the plastic bag dress and recycled clothing too. Some of this stuff relly does have to be washed to the shores by rainwater because it doesn't make any sense. I still don't get how you attached everything. I only really know how to attach rocks when they have little holes drilled into them.
I love the layered, zonal composition of this piece. And how nice to think the beach is a little bit cleaner now!
- lynda Howells said...
It is stunning and so beautifully put togetherx hope it gets exceptedx lynda
- lynda Howells said...
I also meant to say..you would have a great time on most English beaches....there is always flotsom and jetsom( think that is how you say it) floating around and deposited on our beaches. They are a LOT cleaner than they used to be 20 years ago but most of them could do better. I was amazed when in Barcalona when they had a small craft going up and down the beaches with nets catching everything before it got to the beach. Also they had cleaners on the beach within mins if anything was broken or spilt!!
- grey tail said...
love it! good luck, it looks great, disturbing...but great :-)


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Author: Jim Carroll, Chairman, BBH London
I attended an Edvard Munch show at the Tate Modern. Dark, melancholy, awkward stuff. Angst, loneliness, jealousy. A difficult relationship with society in general and women in particular.
It was striking that he painted quite a lot of pictures of women with their backs to the viewer. A powerful expression of exclusion, loneliness, unrequited love.
I spent my youth being turned away from London's elite nightspots. Perhaps it was the sleeveless plaid shirt, the white towelling socks, the caked on Country Born hair gel. But the bitter sense of disappointment hasn't left me. I can taste it now. And I learned more about clubbing from Spandau Ballet videos than actual experience…
As a young executive I was invited to apply for an Amex card. I applied and was duly rejected. Naturally I was confused and disappointed and I never spoke to them again. I'm sure consumers often feel a similar sense of exclusion from brands. Refusal and denial are shaming, embarrassing. The fear of rejection is almost as powerful as rejection itself. And then there are the coded gestures, the arcane language, the gender and cultural specific semiotics. The feeling that you don't belong, that you're not welcome here. It's a private conversation, you wouldn't understand.
I guess that's why strategists so often recommend that brands are more open, inviting, transparent. We want brands to look us in the eye, to reach out from the canvas with a knowing glance and a welcoming smile. Easier said than done, of course.
Yet the turned back does not have to be all bad.
The Danish artist Vilhelm Hammershoi often painted a solitary woman with her back to the viewer. She goes about her daily routine in a quiet middle class home, lost in private thought. Hammershoi's subjects seem more loved than feared. This distinctive reverse view gains its power in part from being so unusual. But also from the sense of intrusion on private time. The sense of seeing, but not being seen. It's a little awkward, but also intriguing. Am I encountering her truest self, her identity freed of relationships, social constraints and concerns about appearance?
It reminds me of the oft' cited quote from George Bernard Shaw: 'Ethics is what you do when no one is looking.' (I've uncovered versions of this quote from many sources. Henry Ford said 'quality means doing it right when no one's looking'. And of course, most recently Bob Diamond suggested 'culture is how we behave when no one's watching.')
So how do brands behave when no one is looking? What would the brand encountered in a quiet room be up to? Would we find it dutifully engaged in customer-centric endeavours? Would its jaunty personality be sustained when there's no one to impress? Would we discover an honest engagement with issues of citizenship and responsibility?
I'm worried that we'd most likely find the brand plotting a marketing and PR plan. I'm worried that in business as in politics too much thought nowadays is given to how things will play, how they will be perceived and reported. I suspect that too often the brand's instinctive ethical and commercial compass has been replaced by recourse to brand image tracking and favourability ratings.
I appreciate this may be a curious thing for an adman to say. I should perhaps celebrate the triumph of modern marketing, the inevitable victory of perception in the All Seeing Age. Perhaps like a modern celebrity the smile must always be on, the guard must always be up. But it still makes me a little melancholy…
And what of Agencies? How do we behave when no one's looking?
We are often perceived as conventions of feckless youth and superannuated yuppies. And I confess I was a little uncomfortable when Clients first started plugging in laptops, decanting lattes and working at our offices. I worried that they'd disapprove of our timekeeping, that they'd be offended by our cussing.
In the words of the great Brit Soul luminary, David Grant…'I've been watching you watching me. I've been liking you, Baby, liking me…'


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Muslims in the Philippines, Indonesia and Pakistan protested Friday over the killing of Osama bin Laden, with one cleric vowing the holy war against the U.S. "will not stop with the death of Osama."
People in the crowds referred to the former al-Qaida leader as a martyr.Story: Al-Qaida vows revenge for bin Laden's death
In Manila, Philippine police used anti-riot shields to stop a march on the U.S. Embassy by dozens of Muslims.
The marchers, who set off from Manila's main mosque, were prevented from reaching the boulevard leading to the seaside embassy compound after Friday's noon prayers. The protesters later dispersed peacefully.
Protest leader and Islamic cleric Alim Jamil Yahya said he condemned the "brutal killing" of bin Laden and described the al-Qaida founder's burial at sea as a desecration of his body.Story: Bin Laden wife: I didn't leave hideout for 5 years
He said that although many Muslims did not agree with bin Laden's methods, they still revered him as a martyr because he fought for freedom against oppression by "the satanic U.S. hegemony."
The group also expressed support for Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and called for an end to the NATO bombings.Slideshow: World reacts to death of Osama bin Laden (on this page)
They carried a banner saying "Stop genocide in Libya! Let Muslims rule their own land. US allies: Stay out of Muslim lands."
The Philippines is majority Roman Catholic but has a sizable Muslim minority.
The Philippine Star newspaper reported that before the march, the protesters held prayers and a memorial service for bin Laden at the Golden Mosque.
Citing a radio report, the paper said presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda had urged the Muslim group not to treat bin Laden as a hero.
- AP sources: Raiders knew mission a one-shot deal
- Slate: Is bin Laden's 'porn' worse than his terrorism?
- SEAL-mania grips US in wake of bin Laden raid
- Kerry: US-Pakistan alliance at 'critical moment'
- Bin Laden was logged off, but not al-Qaida
- US shows off warship that buried bin Laden
- NYT: Cities nationwide heighten vigilance on terror
- Pakistan threatens to cut NATO's supply line
Lacierda reportedly said that bin Laden had deserved to die a violent death and that terrorism should be shunned by Muslims.
The Deutsche Presse-Agentur news agency also reported a suspected Muslim militant was arrested in Manila on Thursday.
It said the man was reportedly a known member of the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf rebel group, who was wanted in connection with kidnapping and bombing cases.
'Down with America'
In Pakistan, about 1,500 people protested, saying more figures like bin Laden would arise to wage holy war against the United States.
Predominantly Muslim Pakistan has yet to see any major backlash after U.S. special forces killed bin Laden early on Monday.Video: US-Pakistan tension erupts in open
But his death has angered Islamists, with one major hardline political party calling on Pakistan's government to end its support for the U.S. war on militancy.
"Jihad (holy war) against America will not stop with the death of Osama," Fazal Mohammad Baraich, a cleric, said amid shouts of "Down with America" at a demonstration near the city of Quetta, capital of Baluchistan province in the southwest.
"Osama bin Laden is a shaheed (martyr). The blood of Osama will give birth to thousands of other Osamas."Video: Analyst: Bin Laden not easily replaceable
Others burned American flags.
Vows to avenge bin Laden's death
In Solo, Indonesia, scores of men rallied to publicly vow their readiness to sacrifice their lives to avenge the death of bin Laden.
The group, calling itself Al Kaida Solo, said it would focus attacks on the United States -- but there was no indication that it had the capacity to do so, or whether it was just bluster.
Several police kept watch on the rally in the city of Solo in central Java, but no one was detained.
"One hundred youths from Solo are ready to die to take revenge on the death of Osama," declared Choirul, a cleric in Al Kaida Solo and also a member of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) which has a history of violence including attacks on bars, nightclubs and the offices of Indonesia's Playboy magazine.
"His fight will not be ending," Choirul told the assembled group of around 60 men dressed in white Muslim robes with their faces covered to hide their identity.
Several other Indonesian Islamists have hailed bin Laden as a martyr this week, showing the continued militancy of some Southeast Asian groups, one of which predicted a major reprisal attack.
Security experts said the risk of attacks had risen.
"Osama had lived with a principle of living nobly or dying a martyr... But the U.S. said he was a terrorist and we objected to this view. Due to this lie we are committed to avenge his death," Endro Sudarsono, spokesman of the Solo group, told Reuters by telephone.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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Love is in the air in the upcoming Borderlands 2 Headhunter pack titled Mad Moxxi and the Wedding Day Massacre, but it's not Moxxi who's trying to get hitched for the, what, fourth time now? Instead you're trying to bring together a couple of robots who happen to be in love as well as the Hodunk and Zafard clans. So in the main game Ellie had you trying to sabatoge both clans, and now Moxxi wants you to bring them together. Of course Ellie tries to help out here, but not by keeping things civil.
Mad Moxxi and the Wedding Day Massacre will be available on Xbox Live Marketplace, PlayStation Network, and Steam on February 11th for $2.99, and the final Headhunter pack, Sir Hammerlock vs. the Son of Crawmerax, is coming in April. More info can be found on the latest 2K Blog post.


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Helen Adams, founder of the decades-old real-estate firm that became the largest one in Volusia and Flagler counties, died Saturday at the age of 87.
DAYTONA BEACH -- Helen Adams, founder of the decades-old real-estate firm that became the largest one in Volusia and Flagler counties, died Saturday at the age of 87.
Adams, whose company grew from about 12 people to more than 300 sales and referral associates at nine Adams, Cameron & Co. offices around the area, just missed celebrating the 50th anniversary of what she started in 1963.
"In those days, women who were very successful in business were rare," her son, Adams Cameron CEO Bob Adams, said Saturday. "But she did it. She did it all."
Helen Adams was still involved in the business — she was in the office Tuesday, her son said, the day before a big birthday celebration at Oceanside Country Club, where she was a longtime member.
Even as her son and grandsons became involved in the business, Adams interviewed most new hires, taught real-estate classes and attended Realtor conventions.
Adams' company is also one of the largest family-owned businesses in the Volusia-Flagler area. She won a "Boss of the Year" award from the Women's Business and Professional Association of Volusia County. She was also a past president of the Daytona Beach Area Association of Realtors and received a Realtor's Lifetime Achievement Award.
She got her start by selling her family's oceanside motels, the Rio Mar and the Emerald, in the 1950s. After selling those herself, Adams got her real-estate license and got a job with Harper Realty, which eventually made her a manager. By 1963, though, she wanted to start her own firm.
That started in her husband's office, then moved to a small building on A1A in Daytona Beach, then a bigger one in Ormond Beach. By the mid-1980s, Adams was no longer selling properties herself but overseeing her sales staff instead.
Former Florida Gov. Bob Graham appointed her to a task force against drug abuse. She also became president of the American Cancer Society of East Volusia.
In addition to her son Bob, Adams is survived by her husband of 72 years, Jack; her daughter, Jacqueline; a sister; seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Her funeral is scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday at St. James Episcopal Church in Ormond Beach.


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(The Root) — The winners and losers of the 2012 election remain unresolved in some states across the country (there are still elections that are too close to call), but where does any of this leave the one known as Donald Trump?
Now, before you say, "Who cares about Donald Trump?" let me answer that for you. I do. I've seen the "just ignore Trump" comments, but I honestly can't. Donald Trump — the supposed billionaire reality-TV star who has done everything besides call President Obama "boy" on national TV — has gotten to me.
Trump's unrivaled push of Birtherism has been beyond horrendous. He was one of the loudest voices demanding that President Obama show his papers, and quickly took credit when Obama finally did release his long-form birth certificate. But it didn't stop there. AOLnews reported in 2011:
"I heard he was a terrible student, terrible. How does a bad student go to Columbia and then to Harvard?" Trump said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I'm thinking about it, I'm certainly looking into it. Let him show his records …
"I have friends who have smart sons with great marks, great boards, great everything and they can't get into Harvard," Trump said. "We don't know a thing about this guy. There are a lot of questions that are unanswered about our president."
Recently, Trump attempted to guilt the president into releasing his transcripts by saying that all Obama had to do was show his grades and passport and he'd give $5 million to any charity Obama wanted, including inner-city charities in Chicago.
So why do I care about Donald Trump? The fact that he believes he can say whatever he wants, no matter how insulting — and with zero repercussions — sticks in my craw. The fact that he's not right makes it 10 times worse.
I'm not sure exactly how much Trump is worth, but if white privilege were currency, Mr. Trump would be swimming through it like Scrooge McDuck in his money bin. The man still has a cash cow of a TV show and lucrative deals with places like Macy's that carry his line of clothing.
Trump is a problem; his proud actions have caused anguish to many, many Americans. Don't believe me? Check out Baratunde Thurston's video response right after the birth certificate incident. Check out the episode of TWIB Radio (formerly known as Blacking It Up) the day of the release of the long-form certificate.
Trump's actions should have consequences.
Apparently I'm not the only person who believes that. A moveon.org petition has more than 400,000 signees asking Macy's to drop Trump. As we stand on the other side of the election, Trump's actions shouldn't fade into the darkness.
We are a country that forgets, and I'd argue it's to our detriment. How often do we read about problematic commentary from public figures, only to be reminded that this isn't the first time it's happened? Trump won't face bankruptcy by being dropped by Macy's. But maybe a shot across his wallet will make him reconsider opening his big yap. Maybe when enough rage about his actions spreads, others will reconsider creating partnerships with him.
Who knows — maybe being an a—hole might be looked at as being a bad thing.
Elon James White is a writer and satirist and host of the award-winning video and radio series This Week in Blackness. Listen Monday to Thursday at 1:30 p.m. EST at TWIB.FM and watch at TV.TWIB.ME/LIVE. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Tumblr.


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$1,500 cash back on select 2019 Chevrolet Cruze
Manufacturer Offers
- $1,500 cash back
Applies to this new 2019 Chevrolet Cruze.
The standard features of the Chevrolet Cruze LS include 1.4L I-4 153hp intercooled turbo engine, 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive, 4-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS), side seat mounted airbags, curtain 1st and 2nd row overhead airbags, rear side-impact airbag, driver and passenger knee airbag, airbag occupancy sensor, air conditioning, 15" steel wheels, ABS and driveline traction control, StabiliTrak electronic stability, power mirrors.
Applies to this new 2019 Chevrolet Cruze.


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At one time, the Nike Air Foamposite One was called the "alien" sneaker for its futuristic colors and sleek, flowing lines. This classic Nike basketba...ll model still maintains a space-age feel despite the advances in both the design and technology of basketball sneakers. The Air Foamposite One features a Foamposite upper, Zoom Air-Sole unit, inner bootie, polyurethane midsole, and a translucent rubber outsole that provides superior traction on the hardwood. Read More
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