text:
ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss private bank Pictet is under investigation by the U.S. authorities, the bank said on Sunday, making it the latest Swiss bank to come under scrutiny in a U.S. probe into the use of foreign banks by wealthy Americans seeking to avoid paying tax.
Pictet said in a statement the U.S. Department of Justice had made a "general inquiry" into its wealth management business with U.S. clients, adding it would cooperate fully.
The U.S. investigation is part of a global offensive on the tradition of strict banking secrecy that has helped Switzerland build up a $2 trillion offshore wealth management industry.
Pictet issued the statement after Der Sonntag newspaper reported that the U.S. authorities were investigating Switzerland's largest unlisted private bank.
"Pictet has made it a priority to ensure that its business with U.S. clients complies with all the relevant laws and regulations governing its conduct," the bank said.
Pictet denied earlier this year it was being investigated by U.S. officials even though it had handed over some details of specific accounts to the U.S. authorities in November 2010.
UBS was the first Swiss bank to come under scrutiny by the U.S. authorities in a tax evasion crackdown, an investigation it settled in 2009 by handing over client data, admitting wrongdoing, and paying a $780 million fine to avert prosecution.
U.S. officials have subsequently mined the UBS data as well as a flood of voluntary disclosures by U.S. citizens and have widened their investigation to other Swiss banks, including Credit Suisse and Julius Baer.
Switzerland is trying to get those investigations dropped in return for the payment of fines and the transfer of names of U.S. clients. It is also seeking a deal to shield the remainder of its 300 or so banks from U.S. prosecution.
Reporting by Emma Thomasson; Editing by Greg Mahlich


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Brantley Gilbert Shares the Story of the Dog He Rescued, Alley
The old line about country music is that it's all about trucks, women, and dogs. And like most jokes, although it overstates the situation, it does include a nugget of truth.
Take, for instance, country newcomer Brantley Gilbert. His latest single, 'Country Must Be Country Wide,' is currently shooting up the charts, giving him his first hit — but that isn't as important to him as his relationship with Alley, his pet pit bull.
Gilbert shared the story of how he found Alley during a recent interview with Taste of Country, recalling that, the first time he saw her, he thought she belonged to someone in the audience at a show. "There were some guys feeding her beer and bar food and stuff from the bar," he remembered, "and kinda trying to get her drunk, and I thought it was that guy's dog. And it got time for show time and I was out back doing a meet and greet, and they got ready to come inside for the show and he threw a beer bottle at her."
Naturally, Gilbert stepped in. "At that point he was done with her," he said. "I didn't like that a bit so he and I had a little … conversation, I guess you could call it [laughs], and I called her to me. She came straight to me, and they fed her for me and kept her outside the bar, and when I was done with the show I took her to the hotel and had a friend of mine come pick her up in Alabama, and when I got home off the road she was mine."
Gilbert will head back on the road to promote his latest album, 'Halfway to Heaven,' when he joins the Taste of Country Christmas Tour in November.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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Model fit without chi square
Mplus Discussion
Confirmatory Factor Analysis
posted on Wednesday, December 02, 2009 - 5:46 am
My model has latent variable interactions, therefore no chi square is available in the output.
I have no particular competing/alternative model with which to calculate 2 x loglikelihood difference.
What alternatives are available for reporting model fit in this situation? Could I compare this model to one without the latent variable interactions?
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Wednesday, December 02, 2009 - 9:46 am
I would get a good fitting model without the interaction and then add the interaction hoping it does not worsen model fit which you cannot assess.
posted on Friday, December 04, 2009 - 9:33 am
I could compare a model with two LV interactions with one that has one LV interaction, using the -2*LL test with correction factor for MLR.
Are the degrees of freedom for this test the difference in the number of parameters (in my example, 1 less free parameter), so that 3.84 is the cut off at p < .05?
Does it matter if the chi square is negative -3.29, which presumably arises because the comparison model is more, rather than less, complex?
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Friday, December 04, 2009 - 11:05 am
The degrees of freedom is the difference in the number of parameters. And, yes, 3.84 is the chi-square cutoff for one degree of freedom.
You should subtract the chi-square of the least restrictive model from the chi-square of the most restrictive model. This should be positive.
posted on Wednesday, January 06, 2010 - 7:09 pm
Hi, Dr. Muthen;
I am trying to compare an interaction model to one without the interaction. I am wondering
1. Can I just take the �C2*difference between loglikelihood to get the chi-square, or should I do the TRd? From the earlier postings, it seems �C2*LL can be used, then when should the TRd be used?
2. Is the difference between the degree of freedom from the two models�� ��Number of Free Parameters�� under ��info criteria��?
3. Only the loglikelihood of the two ��H0�� should be compared, not the ��H1��?
4. If the two models can be expressed as Y on X, W, W*X is compared to Y on X, W. I have trouble understanding why introducing the interaction term to the Y on X, W model make the two models nested, because after the interaction is introduced, the models are not identical anymore.
5. the output for the main-effect-only- model don't have a Scaling correction factor reported, is there a way to request one?
Thanks for your help in advance! I tried to post a similar message earlier, but don��t see it, so trying it again.
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Thursday, January 07, 2010 - 8:40 am
The following two models are nested:
y ON x w wx;
y ON x w
The difference in degrees of freedom is the difference in the number of parameters. The test is -2 times the H0 loglikelihood difference.
You should obtain a scaling correction factor if you are using a recent version of Mplus and the estimator requires one. Please send the output and your license number if you think there should be a scaling correction factor and there is not one.
posted on Thursday, January 07, 2010 - 9:34 am
Dear Dr. Muthen, thank you so much for your reply, just to make sure, in getting the "-2 times the H0 loglikelihood difference"you mentioned, do I need to divide that # by the cd (obtained through scaling correction factor and df) to get a TRd? Or do I just use the raw difference from the two likilihoods? Thanks gain!!
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Thursday, January 07, 2010 - 10:05 am
It depends on the estimator you are using. Which estimator is it?
posted on Thursday, January 07, 2010 - 10:38 am
I did not specify any estimator in my model, I think it is using the default, ML (I have a SEM latent model)?
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Thursday, January 07, 2010 - 1:43 pm
ML does not require a scaling correction factor. The results will show the estimator used.
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text:
CAPITOLA — It took nearly 70 years for Gertrude McHale to discover that her late husband, Clayne Heywood, had saved 45 men from a sinking ship in World War II.
"I sat there with tears rolling down my face," McHale said. "I couldn't believe it."
The U.S. Navy awarded Heywood, Boatswain's Mate First Class, a Bronze Star Medal in 1944 for his heroics, but he never told his wife why.
McHale, who lives in Capitola, said her husband never talked about his war experiences, and gave the impression that the medal was not significant.
McHale applied for a military pension this year after enduring two hip surgeries. She was denied a pension, since Heywood died in 1960 from a heart condition he had had since childhood and therefore unrelated to his military service, McHale said.
However, the application process led her to her husband's military records, where she learned for the first time about Heywood's heroics aboard the USS Lanning, a rescue boat, in submarine-infested waters north of Bermuda in May 1944.
The sinking USS Fechteler had been torpedoed, leaving its men afloat in the water.
Realizing the imminent threat of another torpedo or explosion aboard the ship and without regard to his safety, Heywood jumped from his rescue boat and swam to save 45 men who would otherwise have perished, according a Navy report.
Heywood strung rafts and floater nets to his rescue boat and towed the men to a nearby tugboat, narrowly missing an underwater explosion that undoubtedly would have killed them, according to the report.
McHale said she cried for three days after making the discovery.
McHale, a frail 92-year-old, shuffled to the kitchen table of her Capitola mobile home, where she kept 40 love letters from her husband written during the war.
"I almost felt like I wasn't a very good wife because I didn't know," McHale said. "It just didn't seem possible. I was totally shocked."
Looking back, McHale said she now sees a different tone in the letters he wrote to her after the rescue.
"I just noticed more of a desperation to get home," McHale said. "He missed me so much."
The couple met at San Jose High School, when McHale was 15. Heywood, two years older, enlisted after graduating but stayed in touch. They were engaged three years later.
In 1941, Heywood was on a one-week leave when he decided he wanted to elope. Heywood hitchhiked from Norfolk, Va., to San Francisco where she was working at a telephone company to ask McHale what she thought about the idea.
"I went home, got some clothes and we went to Reno and got married the next morning," McHale said. "We had to eat apples all the way home because we didn't have any money."
McHale said Heywood wanted to get on with his life after the war, and never spoke about it. He became a carpenter and was building apartments in San Jose when he died at the age of 40.
McHale said she remembers her husband for his warmth.
"He was a wonderful father," McHale said. "He loved children."
In 1954, the couple adopted their son, Chris Heywood. He died in June 2000, but his son Scott Heywood lives in Scotts Valley with his wife DeAnna.
Scott Heywood, a technician at Capitola's Toyota dealership, said the discovery of his grandfather's heroics didn't change his perception of him.
"I've always just thought so highly of him from the beginning," Scott Heywood said.
After the war, Clayne Heywood volunteered for the Willow Glen Optimist Club, a nonprofit serving low-income children. When he died, the club created a yearly award in his name, given to the best youth swimmer at the Santa Clara Swim Club.
"I love my husband so much and I just want everyone to know what a wonderful person he was," McHale said.
Follow Sentinel reporter Kara Guzman at Twitter.com/Karambutan
©2013 the Santa Cruz Sentinel (Scotts Valley, Calif.)
Visit the Santa Cruz Sentinel (Scotts Valley, Calif.) at www.santacruzsentinel.com


text:
Then how about some videos of past baseball greats trying to keep you off the crack and the coke?
Home Run Derby has a nice little compilation of those "Just Say No" ad spots from the 1980s, featuring Hall of Famers Dave Winfield, Mike Schmidt, Reggie Jackson and Gary Carter. While the sly-eyed-Jackson and tuxedo'd-Winfield ones are great, Schmidt's has to be the best:
Just something about the way he says cocaine can kill me sends me into a fit of giggles that I normally can't achieve without the help of recreational drugs.
But seriously, kids, stay off the dope.
Don't do Drugs - 1980's Baseball Anti-Drug PSA's [Home Run Derby]
Image from No Mas's T-shirt line.


text:
The Mossberg Report
The Best Of Both Worlds
It used to be that if you switched from a PC running the Windows operating system to the small-selling but elegant Macintosh, you had to leave behind your Windows programs. Sure, there was one software product that allowed you to run Windows on a Mac and thus run Windows programs. But it was so slow that you wanted to shoot yourself whenever you were using it.
And then this year everything changed. Apple Computer, the maker of the Mac, switched to the same Intel-made processors for which Windows was designed. The new Intel-powered Macs, which began shipping in January, still come with Apple's own operating system, Mac OS X, which is more modern and more secure than Windows XP. But these Macs can now easily run Windows too, and they run it as fast as standard Windows-equipped PCs.
Why does this matter? It means that you can switch from Windows to the Mac and still use the one or two Windows programs you require that have no Mac equivalent.
Among the Mac models that can perform this feat are the iMac and Mac Mini desktop computers and the MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops. Apple's most powerful model, the PowerMac tower, is likely to be converted to the Intel chips by the end of the year, after which it, too, will be Windows-capable.
There are two options for running Windows on the Mac. They take different approaches, but in my tests, both have proved to be fast, stable and widely compatible with Windows software. One, from Apple itself, is free. The second, from a small Virginia company called Parallels, costs $79. But each carries an additional cost: You have to supply and install your own copy of Windows, which can run $200 or $300, depending on which version you choose.
The Apple system, Boot Camp, uses a technique called Dual-Boot. It splits your Mac's hard disk into two sections, or partitions — one for the Mac operating system and all its programs and files, and one for Windows XP and all its programs and files. You can start, or "boot up," the Mac in either operating system, but you can't run both simultaneously. To switch between a Mac program and a Windows program, you have to reboot the computer.
The Parallels system, called Parallels Desktop for Mac, uses a technique called Virtualization. It creates a virtual Windows computer inside a window within the Mac operating system. Parallels runs Windows a tad more slowly than Apple's Boot Camp, but allows you to run both operating systems, and compatible software, simultaneously. You can switch rapidly between the two environments without rebooting. I'm writing this paragraph on a MacBook Pro laptop, but I'm not using any Mac software to do so. Instead, I'm using the Windows version of Microsoft Word, which runs inside Parallels Desktop.
For this paragraph, I've switched back to the Mac side of the computer and am using the Mac version of Word. And I copied the previous paragraph from the Windows side and pasted it into the Mac document. It was fast and flawless.
Each approach has its strengths as well as weaknesses.
Apple's Boot Camp turns the Mac into a true, no-compromises Windows PC-just like a Dell or Hewlett-Packard computer. When you boot up the Mac in Windows, no trace of the Mac operating system is running; Windows has all the hardware and all the memory to itself. In my tests, Macs running Windows under Boot Camp were wicked fast and handled every single program I tried, including Microsoft Office for Windows, the Internet Explorer Web browser and various games. The downside is that pesky need to reboot when switching operating systems.
Parallels Desktop is much faster than the old software for running Windows on pre-Intel Macs, a Microsoft product called Virtual PC. That's because Parallels makes use of special virtualization features built into the Intel chips. And it has the great advantage of running Windows applications at the same time you are running your Mac programs. But while quite fast, Parallels can't match the speed of Windows running under Boot Camp, because it must share hardware and memory with the Mac operating system. Also, Parallels won't work with certain high-end Windows games, and it can have trouble recognizing some USB drives and CDs. In my own tests, Parallels did handle everything I threw at it, but I introduced only simple games. Everything ran as fast as it would on an average Windows PC, though not as fast as the programs ran under Boot Camp.
Because Windows is much less secure than Mac OS X, when you run Windows on a Mac, you have to take the same precautions you would with a standard Windows PC. That means you need to install and run both antivirus and antispyware software that is generally not needed under the Mac OS.
Apple's approach is more secure than Parallels's in this regard — with Apple's Boot Camp, Windows can't see or access your Mac folders or files. That means any malicious software running in Windows can't erase or damage your Mac files. Parallels, on the other hand, optionally allows you to share folders between the two operating systems; if you enable this feature, you could give a malicious Windows program an opening to damage or spy on the files on the Mac side.
Installing both programs is fairly easy, but it's a multistep process. With Apple's system, you first download and install Boot Camp. Then, using Boot Camp, you divide your hard disk into Mac and Windows partitions. Next you create a CD to be used later, under Windows, to install software "drivers" that Windows will need to control all aspects of the Mac's hardware. Then you install Windows. Finally, you install the CD you created.
Note that Boot Camp requires a full retail version of Windows XP, called "SP2." You can't use any other version of Windows, and you can't use an upgrade edition, which requires an earlier version of Windows to be present on the machine.
Parallels allows you to install any version of Windows, even a very old one. But if you use Windows XP, you will in most cases also need a full, retail version, not an upgrade package. You first must buy and install the Parallels program, which creates an empty "virtual machine." Then you install your copy of Windows inside Parallels. Finally, to enable certain key features, you have to install a program called Parallels Tools, which is included.
This all sounds harder than it is. In each case, the whole process took me about an hour and required no technical skill.
And it's worth the effort. Boot Camp and Parallels have turned the Intel-based Macintosh into the only computer that can run nearly every popular software program, whether it was written for Windows or the Mac. On the same computer you can edit photos in Apple's iPhoto program and check your e-mail in Microsoft's Outlook — simultaneously, if you choose Parallels. Now, that's progress.


text:
Konfigurasi Broadcom WiFi di Ubuntu
Problem using Broadcom Wireless in Ubuntu 9.10/10.04 because it is not supported by b43 driver ?
Assuming you have tried all normal installation procedures like using the Hardware Drivers tool and you still do not have a working WiFi setup this is what you must do:
1. Download the Broadcom drivers: http://www.broadcom.com/support/802.11/linux_sta.php 2. Unpack and modify the 'src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c': Line 35 (after #include <linux/etherdevice.h>) add:
#include < linux/sched.h >
3. Compile the code with: make 4. Copy the new driver: sudo mv wl.ko /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/drivers/net/wireless 5. Update dependencies: sudo depmod -a 6. Modify the blacklist to include the 'b43′ and 'ssb' drivers /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf (Add below the bcm43xx blacklist)
The part above you probably have seen a few times while googling for the answer. But there is a small problem, as you would have noticed, the 'ssb' driver cannot be blacklisted. It is included in the initrd as I remember from the ubuntuforums. To solve this issue modify the /etc/rc.local to include before the exit(0):
rmmod ssb modprobe wl
Now on startup the ssb gets removed and after that the new wl gets inserted. Adding wl to the /etc/modules will not help because the removing needs to be done first. So with the /etc/rc.local modification everything happens in the correct order for perfect WiFi.
This was tested multiple times on a MacBook Pro with the Broadcom 4328 chipset and should work for all chipsets not supported by the b43 drivers.
Update: Not all systems include the 'linux/sched.h' file. Install the 'linux-headers-generic' package if you get errors. The generic package is a meta package that should install the propper package for your kernel. If it isn't working install with Code:
sudo apt-get install linux-headers-$(uname -r)


text:
Why should staff interpreters become members of AIIC?
Sergio Viaggio considers why many staff interpreters don't choose to join AIIC – perhaps it's a lack of professional conscience
- Published:
- Last updated:
The question is ill-posed: it should simply read "why should interpreters be members of AIIC?", except that, not altogether surprisingly, interpreters still think and act as if a huge divide separated them: there's freelancers and there's "permanents"[1]. Freelancers are at the mercy of recruiters and the market, whilst "permanents" lead presumably happy existences married as they are, willy if mostly nilly, to their rich institutional spouses. Staff interpreters are members of their respective staff unions and their financial and related claims mingle with those of their co-workers – freelancers are on their own.
Professional working conditions
Yet, it is obvious that, when working in the booth – in other words, when actually practising the profession – both staff and freelance interpreters have a lot to worry about together, namely, working conditions. When it comes to uphold them, staff interpreters cannot realistically count on their institutional co-workers: the professional working conditions of interpreters – including, naturally, their very workload- can only be successfully addressed by interpreters[2]. And this is what a professional association of interpreters ought to have as its primary aim.
Salary cannot but be based on collective bargaining: there, staff and freelance interpreters play in different – if by no means opposed – teams. Working conditions should not.
And here, interpreters either stand or fall together. Or, rather, either staff interpreters stand together with their freelance colleagues or they risk falling alone. At least as far as the United Nations system is concerned, other than the "seven, exceptionally eight, meetings of some three hours' duration," maximum workload (based on an independent and surely obsolete medical study), documents dealing with working conditions do not say an iota about booth specifications, full view of speakers and listeners, reduced hours or increased manning strength for difficult technical meetings, documentation, etc.
It is freelancers – or, rather, freelancer members of AIIC – who have ferreted these conditions out of international recruiters – let alone the two-and-a-half to three-hour meetings that the AIIC/CCAQ agreement specifies instead of the "approximately" three hours allowed for in the staff interpreters' job description.
True, at some duty stations, freelance interpreters working for the UN system must put up with substandard, ill-placed booths, and meetings extended beyond the three-hour limit. If this is so, I submit, it is because their permanent colleagues have not been able duly to influence –let alone dictate – truly professional conditions (freelancers come and go, and those who become fed up never come back – staff interpreters mostly stay). In their fight to improve professional – and not only financial – working conditions, staff interpreters have a lot to gain from becoming members of the one professional organisation that is bent on doing precisely that.
Financial conditions at stake
But, in the long run, financial conditions are also jointly at stake. True, whatever the break that freelancers may get from the UN, salaries within the Organisation are not going to improve for interpreters alone. The same, I suspect, applies to all other institutions hiring both staff and freelance practitioners.
But a harder bargain from freelancers, negotiated from the position of enhanced strength that effectively representing the whole profession undoubtedly gives, would be a strong influence to push actual remuneration for staff interpreters up, for instance, by accelerating chances of promotion or increasing the initial grade at which they are recruited[3]. This, in turn, would probably benefit the institutions' staff at large – ultimately, the interests of those who live by selling their ability to work cannot but coincide.
Why bother?
All of this, I think, should be crystal-clear to any professional. Why then do so many staff interpreters actively refuse to become members of their one international professional organisation – the one, to boot, that negotiates with their own employers on behalf of the profession as a whole? My guess is that – as do many freelancers who also actively refuse to join – they see AIIC as a union of sorts, strictly interested in salary, travel and other financial or para-financial conditions.
Since here AIIC indeed has little to contribute to the welfare of staff interpreters (if not, as I hope to have proved, all that little), why should a, say, UN staff interpreter part with those inordinately high dues? The rhetorical question is practically answered as well by those, unfortunately numerous, freelancers (I am tempted to call then free-riders yet again) who figure that AIIC will negotiate on their behalf equally well if they spend those monies on themselves: insofar as there is enough of a critical mass of suckers to pay up and keep the Association running and reasonably strong… why bother?
The bottom line: money
In other words, I have come to think that the reason most staff interpreters (especially those who had little experience as freelancers before they were recruited by their organisation) do not deign to be part of the effort to uphold the profession is exactly the same why so many freelance colleagues keep their own distance: money!
Some think AIIC cannot relevantly influence their life – others that it will do so anyway, whether they pay or not.
A shame indeed, but an all too real one. Because, to my mind, our Association has two main problems: The lesser one is those who are in and ought to be out. The greater one is those many, way too many, who are out and ought to be in.
Professional conscience
Does this mean that those staff and freelance colleagues are simply unprofessionally selfish? By no means. In the vast majority of cases, it is not a matter of misperceived self-interest, but of a lack of awareness of what the profession – any profession – is about.
Marx spoke of the working class unto itself as opposed to the working class for itself. The latter is the one that has become fully aware of its place in the production system and of its legitimate claims and the best way to pursue them.
The real issue, then, is a lack of "professional conscience" among the profession at large – what with the grey market and all the other niceties that beset it from within[4].
The battle for the conscience of the mass of practitioners – even if only of practitioners of conference interpreting working for the agreement sector – is one of the major setbacks of the association: We are still a minority – if a militantly committed one.
But that is a different kettle of fish – or is it?
[1] There is a second divide as well, between freelancers who work mainly for international institutions and those -most particularly those with no "international" languages or domiciled far away from the institutional centres, i.e., the Third World- whose main activity is in the private market. These colleagues tend to see AIIC as representing and catering more or less exclusively to their colleagues who do. Since, despite its strenuous efforts, our Association became eventually unable to uphold its original position re professional domicile and fees outside the institutional framework, these colleagues have much less of an incentive to join.
[2] As a matter of fact, most co-workers feel that interpreters have an unfairly lenient deal and, I suspect, would be loath to fight too hard to defend it – at least in the U.N system.
[3] As a matter of fact, the upgrading of interpreter posts over the years (roughly a quarter of all U.N interpreters are at the top P-5 level — something unique, as I understand it, among professional staff) has gone hand in hand with the increase in freelancer's pay. It is moot, I submit, to argue about which is the chicken and which the egg: The net result is that communicating vases are there and improvements on one end tend to give rise to improvements in the other.
[4] From within indeed, and by no means from without: Many (but I would assume, by no means the majority) grey-market practitioners are as good as many of us AIIC members or better (and a few of us are worse than many of them).
Articles published in this section reflect the views of the author(s) and should not be taken to represent the official position of AIIC.


text:
With the arrival of the spring planting season in much of the country, the common garden impatiens is an uncommonly hot topic of conversation.
That's because a disease that has plagued Impatiens walleriana for the past several years in England, Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia was found in landscape plantings in the upper Midwest, the Northeast and coastal Southern California late last fall. Now infected plants have been discovered this year in residential and commercial landscapes in Florida.
The disease, impatiens downy mildew, is caused by a fungus-like microorganism called Plasmopara obducens. Warning signs of infection are stunted growth, off-color, light green leaves, leaf and flower drop, and, eventually, stem collapse, said Mary Hausbeck, a plant pathologist at Michigan State University.
"A tell-tale sign of the disease," she said, "is a white, downy growth on the underside of the leaves."
The disease is not new. "It showed up in a significant way in 2004 in the greenhouse industry," Hausbeck said. "Prior to that, you have to go back a long way to find even a small report about it." From 2006 until last year, it didn't seem to be a big problem, she said.
Now, it's a global problem and causing concern close to home in communities across the country.
After the disease started showing up in several regions in the United States in late August and early September last year, Ball Horticultural Company in West Chicago, one of the nation's largest producers of plants for the U.S. horticultural trade, issued a nationwide alert.
"We wanted to make landscapers aware of the problem so they could pull any infected plants out of the ground before they collapsed," said Colleen Warfield, corporate plant pathologist for Ball.
One of the mysteries about the disease is how it got to Florida. Plant pathologists aren't sure, Warfield said.
It's been suggested that "snowbirds" going to Florida homes for the winter could have unwittingly taken infected plants with them, she said. She also pointed out that the airborne spores could have hop-scotched their way to Florida on wind currents from infections in the Upper Midwest. "Spores of another downy mildew species have been projected to travel as much as 600 miles in 48 hours given the right environmental conditions," Warfield said.
Regardless of how the fungus got to Florida and despite the possibility the airborne spores could drift from infected landscape plants to nearby commercial growing ranges, Warfield offered words of comfort to gardeners who will be looking for impatiens in nurseries this spring.
"There is no evidence the integrity of the supply chain has been affected," she said.
That's because plant producers have very rigorous management programs and U.S. suppliers and finish growers are now better informed and have been putting preventative programs in place since last year's discovery that the disease had appeared in a significant way in landscapes in the United States, Warfield said.
Warfield emphasized that she does not believe any infected plants are knowingly being shipped for sale to either commercial landscape installers or to the general public.
Aaron Palmateer, an assistant professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida, agreed with Hausbeck.
"I was in two large production facilities in Miami-Dade County looking for diseased material to study in the lab," Palmateer said. "But I didn't see any. The only diseased material we found was in the landscape."
"I don't foresee any shortfall of clean plant material (of Impatiens walleriana) this year," he added.
Hausbeck offered a similar forecast for Michigan's bedding industry, saying she thinks growers there will have a good production year for Impatiens walleriana when spring planting season arrives. In some places it's still too cold to plant. "The high here today is just 39 F," she said recently from East Lansing, Michigan.
Warfield said it will help put gardeners' minds at ease if they to understand a few characteristics about the disease. Those are:
It is specific to Impatiens walleriana. It does not affect New Guinea impatiens or SunPatiens.
The pathogen cannot infect other garden plants.
There's no evidence the pathogen is transmitted to the plant by infected seed.
The pathogen also produces survival spores that can persist in the soil. They are released into the soil when infected leaves drop or stems collapse, which is one reason why it is important to promptly remove infected plants from landscape beds..
Because of the possibility of survival spores in the soil, it's a good idea to not plant impatiens walleriana in a bed this year where infected or suspicious-looking plants of impatiens walleriana were planted last year.
Plant pathologists have no idea how long the survival spores could live in the soil. "Those spores could survive at least five to eight years in the soil based on studies of other downy mildews," Warfield said.
Geography plays a role in where the disease takes hold. "It doesn't like hot temperatures or dry conditions," Warfield said. Favorable conditions usually occur in early spring or late fall when temperatures drop at night and there is excessive moisture from rain or humidity. These are the conditions that existed in the upper Midwest when the disease was detected in the United States last fall, she said.
For those who grow Impatiens walleriana, Hausbeck suggested a simple precautionary step: "Keep garden tools visibly clean to the eye," she urged. "Get the soil off. This is what harbors the survival spores."
Garden sanitation steps she recommends include:
Making potentially infected beds the last beds you work on during garden work days.
Washing tools with a strong stream of water.
Cleaning tools with soap and water and … cleaning them again.
Disinfecting tools with a solution of 10 percent Chlorox and water (if you want to be extra careful).
Gardeners who suspect they have infected plants should put them in sealed bags and dispose of them through municipal trash collections. These plants should not be composted.
Gardeners should also not try to cure an infected plant, Palmateer advised. "The disease is too aggressive," he said. "You have to throw diseased plants out."
For those who might decide not to plant Impatiens walleriana this year, some alternative shade-loving plants that would also provide summer color are:
New Guinea impatiens
Have other tips for growing impatiens? Leave us a note in the comments below.


text:
One last thought about competition. While the competition for members may be tough within the health club industry (you mean another club moved just down the block?), the battle going on between your members inside of the club may be just as fierce.
Don't believe me? Watch them. By "them" I mean your regulars, your diehards; what I like to refer to as your intimidators. They're the ones who have been scowling at your newbies since they started streaming in Jan. 1. They scoff at those having trouble adjusting the hamstring curl machine, and they usually think they're above the club's rules (of course I can change the television station; I've been a member for 10 years).
Besides walking around with an air of arrogance and ownership, they also wage a somewhat silent battle against one another for the ultimate fitness title: king/queen of (enter your club's name here). Unless you have studied them closely, you may not notice. But if you watch them, the symptoms are obvious. Garnered from my years of experience as a group fitness instructor and trainer, here are a few of the tell-tale signs:
- They take it as a personal insult if someone is on "their" treadmill
Ever sit at the wrong lunch table in middle school and quickly learn that sometimes ownership doesn't have to be explicitly spelled out? It's kind of like that — but with fitness equipment and those over the age of 12.
- They will not be outrun/out-biked/out-elliptical-ed/out-lifted
Take note the next time intimidators hop on a treadmill and unsuspecting newbies jump on next to them. Most often, intimidators will nonchalantly glance over at the newbies' consols and consequently speed up to match and beat the newbies' pace. Intimidators also won't end their workout until newbies do, giving up a battle that they probably don't even realize they are waging. One word of caution though: beware of intimidators working out in close proximity to each other. It almost never ends well, if at all.
- They take what they want, when they want it
You know the time you spent differentiating the personal trainers' stability balls from the group exercisers' from the members'? It doesn't matter. They'll take any of them, use them and put them in the wrong spot — if they put them away at all.
- They have two sides
They are buddy-buddy to your staff, referring to the club as their second home. They are also the first to convince your new members that there's a signup sheet for the showers and that front-row parking costs extra.
- They put in more hours than you do
They're waiting for you to open the doors at 5 a.m., and you're kicking them out at midnight. In fact, you might know them better than you know your top sales associate or even your significant other.
The intimidators are part of the reason the deconditioned market hates gyms. Although cleanliness, programming and location are important, the intimidators aren't helping. So what can you do (especially since the intimidators are typically your most loyal members)? Create a safe haven that doesn't appeal to the intimidators. Fill a room with light weights, easy-to-use equipment and minimal technology. Then, talk to them. Like most intimidators, they're probably already on a first-name basis with you, so use that to your advantage and let them know that some change is good, especially when it ensures that the health club is kept open, and you're financially able to invest in good equipment. With all that competition out there, you can't afford to let your guard down.
Do you have a funny story about your club? If so, e-mail [email protected] by March 31 with your best one. The top five stories will be featured online, and winning authors will receive a free Exerflex Flooring T-shirt.


text:
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Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson told his "700 Club" viewers that divorcing a spouse with Alzheimer's is justifiable because the disease is "a kind of death."
During the portion of the show where the one-time Republican presidential candidate takes questions from viewers, Robertson was asked what advice a man should give to a friend who began seeing another woman after his wife started suffering from the incurable neurological disorder.
"I know it sounds cruel, but if he's going to do something, he should divorce her and start all over again, but make sure she has custodial care and somebody looking after her," Robertson said.
The chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network, which airs the "700 Club," said he wouldn't "put a guilt trip" on anyone who divorces a spouse who suffers from the illness, but added, "Get some ethicist besides me to give you the answer."
Don't miss these Health stories
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Most Christian denominations at least discourage divorce, citing Jesus' words in the Gospel of Mark that equate divorce and remarriage with adultery.
Terry Meeuwsen, Robertson's co-host, asked him about couples' marriage vows to take care of each other "for better or for worse" and "in sickness and in health."
"If you respect that vow, you say 'til death do us part,'" Robertson said during the Tuesday broadcast. "This is a kind of death."
A network spokesman said Wednesday that Robertson had no further statement.
Disease rarely leads to split
Divorce is uncommon among couples where one partner is suffering from Alzheimer's, said Beth Kallmyer, director of constituent services for the Alzheimer's Association, which provides resources to sufferers and their families.
"We don't hear a lot of people saying 'I'm going to get divorced,'" she told The Associated Press.
"Families typically respond the way they do to any other fatal disease," she added.Story: Early Alzheimer's disclosures to become more common
The stress can be significant in marriages though, Kallmyer said, because it results in the gradual loss of a person's mental faculties.
"The caregiving can be really stressful on a couple of levels," she said.Story: Who wants to live forever? Scientist sees aging cured
"There's the physical level. There's also the emotional level of feeling like you're losing that person you love," Kallmyer said.
As a result, she said, it's important for couples to make decisions about care together in the early stages of the illness, when its effects aren't as prominent.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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[Empire of the Dragon Lotus] Game text comments
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Topic: [Empire of the Dragon Lotus] Game text comments (Read 3880 times)
Ron Edwards
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Posts: 16490
[Empire of the Dragon Lotus] Game text comments
August 22, 2003, 03:03:11 PM »
This is the first of a few little readings-over I've finally made time for. All of them are games that I think are phenomenal starting-out phases in their development, only a few playtesting experiences away from the I'll-buy-it point.
Empire of the Dragon Lotus
, by Sean Hillman of Azure Dragon Games, is an awesome initial phase for a Nifty Oriental Adventure game. Its strongest point is that its setting-material is just detailed enough to be usable and distinctive, without being chock-full of annoying filler. I think it's only a little skip away from being 100% saleable and playable. It would do wonderfully with ornate, courtly, yet somehow barbaric artwork. Sean, check out these artists: A. Bleys Ingram, Veronica V. Jones, and Marcio Fiorito.
Questions and minor points
Titles might better in two levels - (1) a Cover-like descriptor, as in Sorcerer, and (2) a gaudy title. E.g. "Court assassin" and "Preserver of Inviolable Secrets," meaning, the person who kills such that secrets remain that way. Maybe I'd have everyone provide the #2 on their sheet, then verbally clarify the #1 among the group.
Are Enemies, Allies, and Rivals to be defined using the other player-characters only? That's the impression I got. I do like the linking, but perhaps an NPC or two can be factored into a player-character as well.
Regarding initiative, is going first always better? Would it not be better to say, the winner of the initiative may either go first, or force the other (or another) character to go first? This is especially relevant since, per exchange, combatants get their full dice pool both for offense and for defense.
Success is based on 6-10 per d10 ... as far as I can tell, it's a pure 50:50 effect without any impact coming from the d10 in particular. Could not one use 4-6 on a d6? 2 on a d2? 11-20 on a d20? 50-100 on a d100? Heads on a coin? If this is the case, say so.
I really like the "Bowing Out" option.
Major point #1
I think the conflict resolution needs one more granular level of coolness, along the lines of Swashbuckler or The Dying Earth. Rather than introduce some new sort of mechanic, though, I suggest looking at the structural features that are already there and placing consequence-based options into it. For instance (and this is only a suggestion), looking at a particular die roll, one might see partial vs. total defense - and the latter might force the attacker automatically to lose initiative for the next round. Or, to take another tack entirely, the presence of any tied dice whatever within a roll (not between them) might permit a special effect to be brought in.
Let me break it down a little better, actually.
1. Structural features to work with include tied dice within a roll, tied dice between the two rolls, total vs. partial vs. wholly-off defense, and total vs. partial vs. wholly-off offense.
2. Consequence-features to work with include consequences for initiative, consequences for damage (more or less), consequences for the other person's next action options, consequences for the acting person's next action options. To break the "options" concept down a little, they might include a specification of stuff we already knew about (e.g. initiative, damage), or rather might include stuff that otherwise can't be brought into play.
So what I'm saying is pick something from #1 and have it affect something from #2, to provide that granular or option-oriented level to the conflict resolution sequence, so that exchanges don't devolve into rollin' the same-old same-old pools against one another, over and over.
Major point #2
Scenario preparation and application are a big deal for this game. To achieve the Narrativist goals outlined in the beginning of the text, pressure has to be applied on a character's Legacy, especially through the relationships. That's a given. Now, how is that done using the extensive (and in my opinion excellent) background and history of the setting? What does the GM do, and what do the players do? Exactly? I have my own ideas, and I have no doubt that Sean has his. The key is how to get the right ideas, for this game, into prose form in this game's text?
I don't have an easy answer. This issue is terra incognita for RPG texts that promote Narrativist play. All the Sorcerer books as well as Trollbabe represent a tortured struggle on my part to communicate something that is tremendously easy in play for me and for a number of other people, to others who have similar play goals but need some procedural guidance. Dust Devils, Legends of Alyria, Hero Wars/Quest, and My Life with Master all offer solutions of their own based on their authors' notions of what others might stumble over. I look forward to Sean's answer as well, with my only advice being, "It's absolutely necessary," and, "Do your very best."
Posts: 384
[Empire of the Dragon Lotus] Game text comments
Reply #1 on:
August 23, 2003, 06:11:59 AM »
Wow I knew Ron had been looking at the game but not quite that extensively. Thanks for the comments. I want to re-read some bits and give a full answer in a day or two but these are my comments so far. I will also say Ron, you picked up nicely on many of the issues that were bothering me as well.
Allies, Rivals, and Enemies. NPC's can be Allies, Enemies, and Rivals. The Fate will define them based on the campaign/setting. This points out though that I need to expand the Fate's section as its lacking.... which is exactly what Major Point #2 spells out.
Dice: Yes I was never happy with the 50:50 chance. I decided on d10 because I wanted a wider range of possibility but it really does not do that. Making it 7 to 10 only turns it into a White Wolf Storyteller frustration fest so I think it will be more appropriate to make 5-10 a success and 1-4 a failure.
The rest I want to think on some more. I have a great deal of food for thought now considering EODL. Thanks Ron and I will check out those artists.
I Am in the middle of re-forging (no pun intended) the websites. So EODL can be found under the Worlds and Settings link. The EODL page is not yet re-done but soon will be.
Posts: 384
[Empire of the Dragon Lotus] Game text comments
Reply #2 on:
August 23, 2003, 06:15:50 AM »
Grrr sorry I hit submit too soon.
Regarding a second idea for the Dice issue. Perhaps keeping the 6-10 range but giving the increasing numbers some degree of success? so a 6 is a success but a 7 is a better success. That does add another level of complexity or at least another set of numbers to the equation. I worry over the numbers creating numbers creating numbers mechanics of some systems and I was trying to be streamlined. Of course streamlined is not always better or even good, so...
Ron Edwards
Global Moderator
Posts: 16490
[Empire of the Dragon Lotus] Game text comments
Reply #3 on:
August 23, 2003, 10:14:04 AM »
Hi Sean,
I agree with you about the numbers creating numbers issue.
However, the 50-50 per die isn't a problem, itself. In fact, it's quite reasonable (see Universalis and Story Engine), because it makes the dice pool meaningful: More dice = higher chance, without target numbers complicating the matter.
Now, Universalis offers a good lesson, though, because although the dice are 50-50 in terms of
, their raw values (1-10 each) do make a difference in terms of
. For your game, I don't suggest the exact same principles be related to the raw values (narration, Director Stance) ... but I do think that the raw values can be used in some kind of interesting way, using the two points I laid out.
Once you get an idea of what features or effects you want those raw values to introduce into play,
what size of die can be decided upon, because the range should reflect the range of effects you're interested in.
Mark Johnson
Posts: 238
[Empire of the Dragon Lotus] Game text comments
Reply #4 on:
August 23, 2003, 10:23:26 AM »
If you do decide to implement a level of success rule. I might suggest that you make 6-10 a failure and 1-5 to a success. That way a "1" is a first degree success... a "3" a third degree success etc. If you keep 50/50 odds without degrees based on numbers rolled, simply make odds a success and evens a failure, that way players could use whatever dice that had on hand.
Mansion On The Hill -- Indie Music Radio
Posts: 384
[Empire of the Dragon Lotus] Game text comments
Reply #5 on:
August 25, 2003, 10:19:11 AM »
Ok I am going to throw a bit of an idea / example out so I am sure I am on the right page...
Lets ay d10 for resolution
1-5 Success
6-10 Failure
After you get a winner, look at the highest success for the winner...
a 5 = 0 extra successes
a 2-4 = 1 Extra Success on their next roll
a 1= Da Quing which I think means "Great Punch" (if I am wrong you chinese language scholars please correct me)
Now this could be a great advantage for the winner and represent momentum.
It could also put importance on the very first contest of dice.
Ron Edwards
Global Moderator
Posts: 16490
[Empire of the Dragon Lotus] Game text comments
Reply #6 on:
August 26, 2003, 10:58:55 AM »
Hi Sean,
I accidentally stuck this paragraph into the Thugs & Thieves comments, but it was supposed to go into yours. Here it is:
The "wandering, godless ronin" mechanics are surpassing brilliant. I love it, especially because it's a solid punishment mechanic that still permits, if one is so inclined, a chance for redemption. But it does not, thank you thank you, romanticize the "ronin" thing by making them more effective - the curse of most samurai RPGs.
Posts: 678
[Empire of the Dragon Lotus] Game text comments
Reply #7 on:
September 01, 2003, 07:22:27 AM »
I've been looking through EODL too, and have some editorial comments. I love the setting and it looks like a project that's realy coming together nicely, but the text is a little rough in a few areas.
Character - Chapter Definitions
The Talent descriptions in particular need to be stated a little more clearly. For example under Cunning, the term "outmaneuver" can mean tactical maneuvering as in combat. Perhaps -
Cunning: The ability to out think and outmaneuver opponents in social or political conflicts.
Talent Specialties - I'd rename these Special Talents, but that's just me.
Wounds - says how many you get, but doesn't actualy define what they are.
Assets : Not informative at all. As stated, this is just confusing.
Character Creation, Step 1
The first chapter opf Step 1 is confusing. A6ttributes don't actualy start at 6, for example. You could just drop the first sentence, and rephrase.
"Each player decides which of the three attributes is the most important to their persona, and which is the least important. The least important attribute is assigned a value of 5, and the most important is assigned a value of 7. The remaining attribute is assigned a value of 6."
I'd sugest changing the paragraph order so that you describe what the attributes are before describing assigning values to them.
Step 2: Decide Talents
The Cunning description needs altering as discussed before, clarifying that outmaneuver doesn't include aoutmaneuvering physicaly. I'd emphasize it's use in social contests.
Too much game system, tell me what they are before telling me about the game mechanics. Similarly, I'd save the example for later, when the reader knows what contests are and what the game mechanics references mean.
Lose the last one-sentence paragraph about gaining specialties and increasing stuff. It's not needed yet.
Step 3: Wounds and Assets
I don't see the connection between wounds and assets, that puts them in the same section.
I'd suggest that players fill in wound boxes with 'L's starting from the left hand most box working right, and 'S' from the right hand box working left. That way it's obvious whether the persona has more Ls or Ss.
In the second sentence on Assets, I'd replace 'anything' with 'any advantageous resource' and 'can come up with' with 'agree to'. Make it clear the Fates must agree to any asset, and has a veto over game-killing excesses.
Step 5: Legacies and Missions
Is a Legacy something passed down to them from their ancestors, or some achievement the character will leave 'as a legacy' for future generations? It's not clear why it's called a Legacy, as against a Goal for example.
Game Play
Conflict - third paragraph, last sentence -
"Combat Conflicts are also known as Phsical Conflicts."
Well ok, but not all physical contests are combat contests, so if I say "a Physical Conflict" and mean a combat conflict, that is ambiguous.
This suffers from an ordering problem. You're giving a special rule for modifying the normal contest rules before giving the actual contest rules. I'd consider re-oprdering the whole chapter.
Narrating Attribute Sacrifice
The example narration is confusing. it looks like the player is saying "Cao Zhang - Grrr I have no Magical ability... etc" Consider moving the quotes, as:
Cao Zhang - "Grr I have no Magical ability..etc"
So it's clear that it's Cao Zhang speaking, unless I've got the wrong end of the stick.
Third paragraph, third sentence. I think you've got an o (oh) character instead of a zero where it says "10 Tokens".
That's about as far as I've got going through the draft. All just minor editing and textual points. Lovely game, I look froward to readign more.
Best regards,
Simon Hibbs
Simon Hibbs
Posts: 384
[Empire of the Dragon Lotus] Game text comments
Reply #8 on:
September 02, 2003, 03:55:14 AM »
Thank you Simon, I think the text is more then a little rough :) I appreciate you picking up some of the rougher spots. I have added those I had missed but you had noticed to my list of revisions.
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The Super Rod (Japanese: すごいつりざお Amazing Fishing Rod) is an upgrade to the Good Rod that can be used to catch stronger Pokémon by fishing. A stronger Pokémon that can be found by fishing can be reeled in with the use of the Super Rod, and in some generations, Pokémon that would not be found in the open.
How to Obtain
Generations I and II
The Super Rod can be obtained by traveling to Route 12 in Kanto and entering the lone house on the Silence Bridge (below the Route 11 entrance). The tenant inside the house is one of the Fishing Gurus that inhabit the Kanto region, and will give the player the Super Rod.
Generation III
In the Hoenn region, the Super Rod is given to the player if they visit the northernmost house in Mossdeep City.
In Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen (which are updated remakes of Generation I), the Super Rod can be obtained at the same location as the first generation.
Generation IV
In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, along with Platinum, the Super Rod is given to the player by a fisherman in the Fight Area. It can only be obtained once the Sinnoh Pokédex is completed.
In HeartGold and SoulSilver, they can be obtained the same tradition as in Generation II, talking to the Route 12 Fishing Guru.
Generation V
After defeating Ghetsis and ultimately beating the game, Looker gives the player the Super Rod immediately after Team Plasma's defeat.


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Choose COLOR:
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Mon, 2 August 2010
Deconstructing Dinner has recently been reflecting on the model of agriculture itself as the primary source through which most people on earth access their food. From our exploration of ethnobiology to recent topics on permaculture, it's clear that there are other models available, which, for some people are a substitute for agriculture, and for others, complementary practices. But what within that dependence on agriculture are we all dependent upon? Multinational corporations? The chain grocery store? Perhaps the microwave!?
Well behind those dependencies, which are precarious at best, is a more deeply rooted dependence... soil - a dependence of which its once-deep roots have demonstrated over time to have become progressively shallower as 'modern' agricultural practices deplete soil depth and nutrients.
On this broadcast, Deconstructing Dinner features voices of researchers who have explored the evolution of agriculture and soil alongside civilization.
David Montgomery, professor, Earth & Space Sciences, University of Washington (Seattle, WA) - David is the author of the 2008 book "Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations" (UC Press). The book explores the idea that we are and have long been using up Earth's soil. Once bare of protective vegetation and exposed to wind and rain, cultivated soils erode bit by bit, slowly enough to be ignored in a single lifetime but fast enough over centuries to limit the lifespan of civilizations. At the University of Washingotn, David studies the evolution of topography and the influence of geomorphological processes on ecological systems and human societies. He received his B.S. in geology at Stanford University (1984) and his Ph.D. in geomorphology from UC Berkeley (1991). David was hosted at Oregon State University in July 2009 by PAGES and was later interviewed by Tom Allen of KBCS.
Ronald Wright, author, A Short History of Progress, (Salt Spring Island, BC) - Ronald Wright is a novelist, historian, and essayist, and has won prizes in all three genres, and is published in ten languages. Ronald was the 2004 Massey Lecturer - a presitigious annual public event in Canada, for which he presented A Short History of Progress. One of his more recent works is "What is America: A Short History of the New World Order". He was born in England, educated at Cambridge, and now lives in British Columbia, Canada.
Direct download: DD072910.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:12pm EDT


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In the fall of 2012, the Chicago Sinfonietta and the Zhou Brothers came together for an ingenious collaboration celebrating the opening of the Sinfonietta's 25th anniversary season. The Zhou Brothers created this magnificent painting Li: River of Souls, while the Sinfonietta performed Vivaldi's Four Seasons.
The Zhou Brothers will donate the proceeds from the sale of the painting to the Chicago Sinfonietta. Additionally, together we are printing a limited run of no more than 25 giclée prints of this collaborative masterpiece. Each print will be personalized by the Zhou Brothers. The pieces will be numbered, stretched on a wood frame ready for hanging, measuring approximately 32"x44".
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Published on Jul 25, 2013


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Officially 90,800 at the MCG on the 2nd day of Aus vs WI in 1961.Originally Posted by pasag
Officially 90,800 at the MCG on the 2nd day of Aus vs WI in 1961.Originally Posted by pasag
Unofficially, wouldn't there be some games at Eden Gardens with more people?
What a great, relaxing Boxing Day on the television:
Australia v England by day;
India v South Africa by night.
its a bit sad that it could be over by then
Yes, a real worry now, I think England will fight back and win the 3rd TestOriginally Posted by Laurrz
You know it makes sense.
Got tickets through the members lottery for Boxing Day (pretty good too - 10 rows from the fence, at 11 o'clock compared to the pitch - going to be awesome!
GOOD OLD COLLINGWOOD - PREMIERS IN 2010Originally Posted by Irfan
Is Cam White, Is Good.
I reckon the seires will still be alive by Melbourne (Just)
after that, its anyones guess
This Weeks Samit Patel Fact - Has been mentioned in 32 of my posts
The Rifles - Whats your verdict? www.myspace.com/therifles
Winner of Cricket Webs Shane Warne Award - 4-11th Feb
RIP Mr Woolmer, We are all poorer for your loss.
More than likely, I think crowds there are estimated around 100,000 when the stadium is packed out.Originally Posted by vic_orthdox
The Future of International Cricket - Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Ravi Bopara, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Shahriar Nafees, Raqibul Hasan, Salman Butt, JP Duminy
Proud Supporter of the Bangladeshi Tigers
Ryan ten Doeschate - A Legend in the Making
MSN: firstname.lastname@example.com
A very random thought for a Saturday night Craig! (Unless I'm missing something...)
He is Ashley Giles' replacement!
Maybe he'll bat at # 7 as he has a FC average of 36?
Well that makes sense then. Surely he won't get a game ahead of Monty tho...Originally Posted by Craig
Wouldn`t be instead of Monty, but instead of Mahmood.
Jesus brings life eternal
At Melbourne? Maybe Sydney, but aren't they more likely to go back to Anderson?
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text:
DomainJedi had een nieuw webpagina ontwerp nodig en lanceerde daarom een wedstrijd op 99designs.
Een winnaar werd gekozen uit32 ontwerpen ingezonden door10 freelance designers.
This site features blog posts from a variety of New York City blogs. I'm looking for a visually talented designer to create a stunning, but simple and intuitive design.
Desired Color Scheme:
Blog Text MUST be on WHITE background
Desired Style:
Simple and easy enough to use that my grandmother could figure out where the buttons are to click. I want a straightforward and prominent navigation bar across the top.
The design should be clean, simple, and obviously have some feel of NYC in it.
The website should have a persistent top-level nav-bar (at the top of the screen and going across horizontally) that includes the following 3 main navigation links, but should have a design flexibility to have a 4th link at some point in the future.
Home - NYC Blogs - Add Your Blog
The Home Page
This primary content here that should up-front and center is a long, scrolling page of blog headlines, and blog excerpts. The text of the blog entries should be dark against a white background. (Let me give you an example, the text in brackets is my explanation)
Donald Trump Seen Kissing Beauty Pageant [headline, should be large font]
posted by JoeTheBlogger [JoeTheBlogger] should be hyperlinked
Yes, really I was walking the other day and along came the Donald with a bunch of girls in bikinis and I had to stop and gawk and yelled out to him, hey man, you gonna fire these girls or what and he looked at me then he grabbed one of the girls and starting macking out with....(click here to read the rest of this blog post) [thts the excerpt from a blog and it will link to that particular blog]
There will be up to 25 or so of these on the home page and then a link to previous days archives.
There can be a smaller second column on the left or right-side of the above, that can feature some other related content:
1. An email box with a subscription link that says, "get the top nyc blog headlines in your email"
2. A space for "hot links"
3. A space for photos which will be a "flickr badge" featuring nyc photos, etc.
4. Search this site box.
If you have other ideas, feel free to express them.
The NYC Blogs Page
This is just going to be a listing of NYC Blogs sorted by category: Categories to start:
Local Politics
Add Your Blog Page
This will have a paragraph explaining about this site and a form to submit your blog for inclusion in the directory.


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Coconut Oil
What: Coconut oil is extracted from the kernel or meat of matured coconut harvested from the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) (Wiki). The oil contains antioxidant properties and helps in the healing of skin infections and bruising.
Coconut oil's emollient properties make it a popular choice for cosmetic products, used to moisturize and soften skin and hair. Coconut oil is said to be effective in treating dandruff, dry and itchy scalp, dull hair, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, and is used in many anti-aging skincare products. Coconut oil adds a protective layer, helping skin to retain moisture. It is also suitable for sensitive and irritated skin. Coconut oil is also an effective lathering agent, often used by cosmetic and soap makers.
Origin: In the wet process, coconut milk is made first and then the oil is extracted from the milk. Coconut kernel is shredded and mixed with water. Then it is pressed and the oil is extracted (Wiki).
Products Found In: Face cream, body butter and cream, body wash, shampoo, soap, facial cleaner, hair care, ointment.
Alternative Names: Coconut Absolute, Coconut Fatty Acid Triglyceride, Coconut Oil, Copra Oil, Acidulated Coconut Soapstock, Coconut Acidulated Soapstock, Coconut Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Cocoanut Oil, Coconut Butter, Coconut Palm Oil, Copra Oil, Free Coconut Oil (EWG).
Toxicity: Coconut oil (Cocos Nucifera Oil) is generally classified as having a low toxicity rating (EWG).


text:
To purchase tickets for the following Queer Lounge fundraisers, please click the event:
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A Brokeback Sundance February 10, 2006
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When openly gay filmmaker Gus Van Sant sent a film to the Sundance Film Festival years ago, he had high hopes of getting it screened at the prestigious event...more


text:
When you combine smooth leathers with adjustable straps, and a flexible sole, you get the Romika Ibiza 66 slide sandal. Your soles will thank you for the comfortable padded insoles that support your arch.
- Leather upper & lining.
- Removable microvelour insoles (compatible with Ibiza replacement insoles)
- Triple adjustable hook-and-loop straps.
- Direct-injected PU soles.
- Heel: 3.5 cm / Platform: 1.5 cm
- Width: G (Medium)


text:
Meir Tesser
I am very excited to have joined the 2018 Xtreme Runner event. Not only do I get to have a great time on the course but i can support a cause that is very dear to me and our community. Minyan Shelanu has become an integral part of the Lakewood community, providing love, mentor-ship, and a home for teens who may not be welcome anywhere else. I appreciate all the support I can get to help me reach my goal! Together we can overcome obstacles together!
Sincerely, Meir
1 donors


text:
Browsing by Subject "kep"
Now showing items 1-20 of 172Next Page
Janning, Finn (København, 2004)[More information][Less information]
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6436
Files in this item: 1wp6-2004.pdf (137.0Kb)
Toward a General FrameworkChristensen, Michael; Knudsen, Thorbjørn (København, 2002)[More information][Less information]
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6879
Files in this item: 1link02-07.pdf (353.7Kb)
Knudsen, Thorbjørn; Eriksen, Bo (København, 2002)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The recent decade's research on organizational forms has gained important headway in converging upon a few particularly important causes of the new forms that have been observed. Yet, most studies offer no explicit definition of "organizational form," and ignore the need to establish what should count as a "new form." In order to advance this research, the present paper therefore aims to provide a preliminary definition of organizational form, developed along the lines of organizational economics. A typology is provided that allows identification of alternative forms of organizing in terms of distinct architectures (topology plus dynamic rules) and a corresponding level of delegation of decision rights. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6876
Files in this item: 1linkwp02-25.pdf (320.9Kb)
Boutaiba, Sami; Bramming, Pia (København, 2004)[More information][Less information]
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6674
Files in this item: 1
tre samfundsvidenskabelige analysestrategierHøjbjerg, Erik (København, 2004)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Dette arbejdspapir er et forarbejde til et kapitel i bogen 'Socialkonstruktivistiske analysestrategier' redigeret for Samfundslitteratur af Niels Åkerstrøm Andersen, Anders Esmark og Carsten Bagge Laustsen. Bogen forventes udgivet ultimo 2004. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6328
Files in this item: 1wp9-2004.pdf (250.2Kb)
Er Nørbyrapportens anbefalinger til gavn for aktionærerne?Rose, Caspar (København, 2004)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Abstract: This article presents an empirical analysis of board composition and financial performance using a unique sample of Danish listed firms. In 2002, a group consisting of four prominent business leaders formulated Denmark's own code of good corporate governance, entitled the Nørby report, The report consists of various recommendations aiming at strengthen Danish firms competitiveness and value creation including some specific recommendations concerning board composition. However, the analysis shows that none of the recommendations impact Tobin's Q. Specifically, board size, proportion of insiders, positions held by board members in other firms do not significantly impact Tobin's Q. The analysis only finds that the average age of the board has a significantly negative impact on performance. Board diversity, measured by the fraction of women and foreigners in boards as well as the educational background of board members does not impact performance either. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7138
Files in this item: 1endeligt_wp_2004_2.pdf (675.6Kb)
Bennedsen, Morten; Kongsted, Hans Christian; Meisner Nielsen, Kasper (København, 2004)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Previous work on board size effects in closely held corporations has established a negative correlation between board size and firm performance. We argue that this work has been incomplete in analysing the causal relationship due to lack of ownership information and weak identification strategies in simultanous equation analysis. In the present paper we reexamine the causal relationship between board size and firm performance using a dataset of more than 5,000 small and medium sized closely held corporations with complete ownership information and detailed accounting data. We test the potential endogeneity of board size by using a new instrument given by the number of children of the founders of the firms. Our analysis shows that board size can be taken as exogenous in the performance equation. Furthermore, based on a flexible model specification we find that there is no empirical evidence of adverse board size effects in the typical range of three to six board members. Finally, we find a significantly negative board size effect in the minority of closely held firms which have comparatively large boards of seven or more members. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7566
Files in this item: 1wpec092004.pdf (252.8Kb)
An Assessment and a ReevaluationFoss, Nikolaj J. (København, 2002)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The famous three chapters in Nelson and Winter (1982) that focus on firm routines and capabilities are often taken to be solidly founded on an assumption of bounded rationality. I argue that, in actuality, bounded rationality plays a rather limited role in Nelson and Winter (1982), that the very different assumption of tacit knowledge is much more central, and that the links between bounded rationality and routines/capabilities are not clear. I then argue that the absence in Nelson and Winter of a clear methodological individualist foundation for notions such as routines, capabilities, competencies, etc. have resulted in certain explanatory difficulties in the modern organizational capabilities approach that has taken so much inspiration from their work. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6901
Files in this item: 1linkwp02-18.pdf (208.6Kb)
The Roles of Knowledge Sources, Complementarities, and Organizational ContextFoss, Nicolai J.; Pedersen, Torben (København, 2001)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: We develop a view of the MNC as a knowledge-creating and and utilizing entity, building on the extant literature on the differentiated MNC as well as on Lyles and Schwenk's work on corporate knowledge structures. The starting point for this conceptualization is that MNC management through choices regarding organizational control, motivation and context can influence the development, characteristics and transfer of knowledge. This extends existing literature. For example, in most of the literature, the characteristics of knowledge are seen as exogenous rather than endogenous variables. However, to the extent that management chooses a specific way of sourcing knowledge, it also implicitly chooses the characteristics of the sourced knowledge and the ease with which it can be transferred inside the MNC. This is because knowledge from different knowledge sources have different characteristics and are thus transferred at different cost. The six hypotheses that we draw from the main argument are tested on the basis of a unique and very rich dataset on subsidiary knowledge development (including information on the organizational setting, sources of subsidiary knowledge and the extent of knowledge transfer to other MNC-units) that has been constructed in connection with a cross-national project Centres of Excellence (Holm and Pedersen 2000a). The dataset covers more than 2.000 subsidiaries located in seven different European countries. 1 URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6930
Files in this item: 1linkwp01-30.pdf (285.8Kb)
The Industrial Enzymes IndustryNorus, Jesper (København, 2004)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This paper analyzes the foundations of regional knowledge and its long-term impact on the region's companies' and how a particular knowledge has developed an ability to stay competitive within a specific technological field. The case illustrates how the Copenhagen region has been able to develop a dominating position in the global market for industrial enzymes from 1870-2004. The case of industrial enzymes shows how a region has been able to build sustainable competitive advantages from its distinctive competencies. This is done through a mixture of outsourcing and in sourcing of competencies, knowledge and technologies from other regions in a ramified set of interacting networks. The key personnel within the regions firms are deliberately allowed to engage in the formations of these non-disclosure network activities so that professional knowledge communities has been established across regional boundaries and thereby formed the basis for globalization of the knowledge and the markets for industrial enzymes. Last but not least the paper demonstrates how the region's major firm, Novozymes, the world-leading manufacturer of industrial enzymes, even before the term virtual organization came into fashion, positioned itself as an interactive partner in the center of a globalized system of academic institutions, customers and clients. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6770
Files in this item: 1wp07-2004.pdf (120.8Kb)
Bramming, Pia (København, 2004)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This article is about how a constructivist observation of development within Human Resource Management (HRM) opens the possibility for communicating about development in the language of possibility, seen in contrast to a language of deficiency. HRM is discussed as a paradoxical development concept, where the paradoxical consists in that when one focuses upon a proactive development ideal from a linear development understanding, one develops regressively, directly counter to one's intentions. In this article two observation dimensions are developed, as well as two dimensions of how to cope with development on the background of the constructivist observation. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6708
Files in this item: 1
Fuest, Clemens; Huber, Bernd; Nielsen, Søren Bo (København, 2004)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Recent years have seen large swings in house prices in many countries. Motivated by housing price variations, proposals for taxing capital gains on housing have repeatedly been put forth. The idea seems to be that such taxes would curb the redistribution occurring between those owning houses and those trying to get into the market for owner-occupied housing. Our paper shows that at least in simple settings, a tax on real capital gains on housing will only lead to even bigger price swings and will not be able to redistribute between people appearing on either side of the housing market. Keywords: capital gains tax, housing market, price fluctuations JEL-Classification: H23, H24, R 31. Addresses: URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7640
Files in this item: 1wpec162004.pdf (178.3Kb)
Inference from the Business CycleRose Skaksen, Jan; Sørensen, Anders (København, 2004)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The relative demand for skills has increased considerably in many OECD countries during recent decades. This development is potentially explained by capital-skill complementarity and high growth rates of capital equipment. When production functions are characterized by capital-skill complementarity, relative wages and employment of skilled labor are countercyclical because capital equipment is a quasi- fixed factor in the short run. The exact behavior of the two variables depends on relative wage flexibility. Relative wages are rigid in Denmark, implying that the employment share of skills should be countercyclical. The labor market is competitive in the United States and therefore relative wages of skilled labor are expected to be countercyclical. We find that the business cycle development of the two economies is consistent with capital-skill complementarity. Keywords: capital-skill complementarity, relative wages, business cycle URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7537
Files in this item: 1wpec102004.pdf (313.9Kb)
Interessetilkendegivelse vedrørende oprettelse af et tværinstitutionelt center for grundforskning i "Læring i virtuelle miljøer"Danielsen, Oluf; Dirckinck-Holmfeld, Lone; Fibiger, Bo; Nielsen, Janni; Sørensen, Birgitte-Hom (København, 2004)[More information][Less information]
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6512
Files in this item: 107-2004.pdf (481.2Kb)
evidence from the copenhagen stock exchangeVoetmann, Torben (København, 2000)[More information][Less information]
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7178
Files in this item: 1wp2000-6.pdf (92.78Kb)
Impetus and SwitchingPedersen, Torben; Petersen, Bent; Benito, Gabriel R.G. (København, 2000)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: We thank the anonymous reviewers, Harald Biong, and Myles Shaver for their very helpful comments, Kim Vasant Nielsen for excellent research assistance, and Vibeke Henriksen for editorial assistance. Previous versions of this paper have been presented at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, San Diego, August 1998, the 23rd EIBA Annual Conference, Stuttgart, December 1997, and in seminars at University of Vaasa, Swedish School of Economics, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration, Norwegian School of Management BI, and at the University of Melbourne. We thank participants at these meetings and seminars, in particular Ingmar Björkman, Andrew Delios, Carl Fey, Karin Fladmoe-Lindkvist, Mats Forsgren, Jean-Francois Hennart, Jan Johanson, Heli Korhonen, and Stephen Nicholas for their many comments and suggestions. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6918
Files in this item: 1linkwp25.pdf (153.1Kb)
Knudsen, Thorbjørn (København, 2000)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The present study extends the competence-based view by appealing to cognitive frames as codeterminants of persistent performance differentials. It is suggested that financial performance is influenced by a causal chain running from cognitive frames through constrained information processing and perceived uncertainty. The empirical test provides evidence from survey data and archival data supporting this assertion. We are aware of no previous work that explicitly states or tests this causal chain. Furthermore, we introduce a novel method to estimate path models when the usual approach is infeasible. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6871
Files in this item: 1linkwp9.pdf (876.3Kb)
An Intraindustry AnalysisKnudsen, Thorbjørn; Eriksen, Bo (København, 2000)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Previous empirical diversification research has largely ignored the combined effect of inputand output diversity as drivers of financial performance. In view of this gap, the present paper provides an empirical analysis of the link between intraindustry commitment, diversity of the firm's product market portfolio and performance. We suggest that commitment constrains the ability to diversify, and that product market diversity can be evaluated with respect to the extent that increases in diversity lead to increases in coordination costs. Our results suggest that commitment to physical assets and technology choice drives product and product line diversity. Furthermore, financial performance increases in product diversity and tends to decrease in the number of product lines. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6896
Files in this item: 1linkwp6.pdf (167.8Kb)
Bramming, Pia (København, 2004)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The article will address competence, its' diffusion, application, and the consequence of this application within the field of Human Resource Management (HRM). The concept competence-in-practice will be presented and in conclusion the article will consider implications and possibilities of competence-in-practice as an alternative approach to Competence Development within Human Resource Management. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6718
Files in this item: 112 competence ioa working paper.pdf (202.1Kb)
Augier, Mie; Teece, David J. (København, 2004)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: In this paper, Mie Augier and David Teece outline the history and development of the ideas underlying an emerging approach within strategic management research: the dynamic capabili-ties framework. The framework was first outlined by Teece and Pisano (1994), and in the pre-sent paper elaborated further so the reader will be able to appreciate some of the most impor-tant intellectual resources underpinning it, such as the work of Schumpeter, Penrose, William-son, Cyert and March, Rummelt, Nelson and Winter. Although listed as intellectual resources by the authors, they also turn (some of) them into a topic for further discussion. For example, Augier and Teece identify not only the merits but also the limitations of transaction costs eco-nomics. In this way, the authors pave the way for a more dynamic framework while drawing upon organization theory and scholars like Cyert and March (a behavioral theory of the firm) and Nelson and Winter (an evolutionary theory of economic change). In the dynamic capability framework firms and markets co-evolve. Managers are now allowed to perform distinct strate-gic roles in shaping both firms and their markets, e.g. through asset- selection and orchestra-tion, including also the task of allocating resources between exploitation and exploration. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/6673
Files in this item: 12004-52pio.pdf (236.2Kb)
Now showing items 1-20 of 172Next Page


text:
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text:
A bearing puller is a tool specifically designed to remove or install bearings from rotating machine shafts or from blind bearing holes. Dependant on the size of the puller, the application can vary dramatically, ranging from transmission to complicated industry machinery.
Where can a Bearing Puller be used?
One of the main uses of a bearing puller in within a car, removing a caged set of ball and tapered bearings from a rotary shaft. Different types of bearing pullers will depend on the application they are used for:
Hydraulic pullers are designed to pull any bearing, belt pulley, gear, round wheel or other tightened part used within the machinery industry. One of the main features of using a hydraulic version is that the job of removing or dismounting a bearing is much simpler, faster and safer.
Strong back pullers are used for easy insertion between bearing and shoulders on a shaft, featuring a spring operated centre point and a safety valve, minimising puller overload.
Heavy-duty jaw pullers are considered the most versatile, they offer easy and effective dismount of bearings. They offer minimal damage to a bearing, through the use of a jaw, the whole operation is of pulling a bearing is easy and safe. Jaws are commonly used in industrial and commercial environments.
Internal bearing pullers can be used for removing grooved ball bearings efficiently from shafts and cases without dismounting a bearing. This is known as a user friendly option because some gear puller sets feature an elastic retaining ring which helps keep the puller arm in position.
How Bearing Pullers work
Usually a hand powered tool or tool kit that features a handle on the turn screw, or a male hex end to match a drive socket. There are mechanical pullet sets, hydraulic puller sets, gear puller sets and standard bearing pullers available that mimic the same actions of the hand powered gear puller.
Features of a Puller Kit
- Pullers are often made from tool grade steel, which means that they are harder than the materials that they are being used on. This ensures that they do not break when they are pulling bearings.
- Reversible for internal or external uses
- Two or three claw design
- Spring loaded centre point


text:
William Bradford
Class of 1969
Major/Minor: English, Spanish
The 1969 Sophie Kerr Winner
William Strong Bradford is a general surgeon with a solo practice in rural North Carolina. Since winning the Sophie Kerr Prize for his collection of poems and short stories, Dr. Bradford continues to enjoy good literature and still writes poetry and fiction. After graduating with a dual degree in English and Spanish, he completed the premed program at the University of Maryland, graduating in the top quarter of his class.
While pursuing his medical degree at a national university in the Dominican Republic, he conducted missionary work on the border of Haiti. He has published two medical articles on conch divers in the Dominican Republic related to decompression sickness and documented the first case of dysbaric osteonecrosis in that country.
The father of two is a strong believer in the liberal arts, crediting his own undergraduate experience with giving him the confidence to venture into uncharted waters.


text:
flat bird house
The base of all of our bird houses and feeders are made of a solid cellular vinyl, a wood alternative that gives you the look and feel of wood, with little maintenance. The end result is an architecturally pleasing house that looks like wood, but lasts like vinyl. The redwood roofs are made to endure the elements year after year. The shingles will weather to a silvery gray. Our copper tops age over time to a natural patina or you may choose a verde roof that will give you the patina look right out of the box!
- Overall Dimensions: 15.5"W x 7"D x 20"H
- Weight: 15 lbs.
ships fully assembled.


text:
Piston pump for multi-line lubrication systems on compressors
The multi-line JM oil lubrication pump is a high-pressure pump that provides a maximum continuous operating pressure of 600 bar (8700 psi). Its modular design features unique, adjustable, dual-piston pumping elements (separate dosing and high-pressure booster piston) in combination with an optical drip indicator that delivers outstanding reliability. Depending on the application, the pump can be machine or electrically driven. The JM pump is available in a pressure-tight design that is suitable for use with overhead lubrication oil tanks. It can deliver all mineral oils with an operating viscosity between 25 and 3 000 mm²/s.
Features and benefits
- Designed for 24/7 operation
- Three piston sizes cover an output from 0,17 to 5,0 cm³/min (0.01 to 0.29 in³/min) per outlet
- Individual outlet settings between 25 and 100%
- Pressure-tight design available
- Can be monitored according to the API 618 standards
- Most reliable replacement for all standard box lubricators