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With 2,051 votes tallied, readers voting on AdvisorOne have selected the 10 Best Wealth Manager Logos out of 25 finalists. The finalists were selected by the editorial staff of the Investment Advisor Group—the editors and art directors of AdvisorOne and Research and Investment Advisor magazines. The winners comprised firms with staff sizes from 227 down to just one, but all came up big regarding their logos' appeal to readers — and, therefore, potential clients.
The 10 winners were also featured in the July issues of Research and Investment Advisor. This expanded Web-only version includes photos of the winning advisors and their answers to questions about how they chose their logo and how they market their firm.
The intent of our original slideshow on AdvisorOne, Our 20 Favorite Top Wealth Manager Logos, and the subsequent readers' poll, was to help educate advisors on one way to stand out to both current clients and prospects, immediately and directly, in collateral marketing material—and we hope this has helped out a bit.
You can also check out detailed information on some of these firms, and other helpful information, at AdvisorOne's 2012 Top Wealth Managers landing page.
No. 10: Percension Wealth Advisors
Principal: Brian E. Betz, Founder
AUM: $5 million
Staff size: 1
Location: Seattle
How did you decide on your logo and tagline?
The credit for our logo goes to the graphic design genius of artist and friend, Jordan Ballard. He is a gifted designer! As for our tagline, "Building Wealth. Financial Health," I wanted it to be short and sweet, while encompassing what long-term investors desire most: Growing and maintaining their wealth so they may fulfill a healthy financial future!
How big a role has marketing played in your firm's success?
Marketing has helped us gain trust among new clients and establish the Percension footprint as a premier, up-and-coming advisory practice. Specifically, as wealth shifts from baby boomers to younger generations digital media becomes more instrumental, which we leverage to inform and educate. Investors today want real-time, compelling information that is easy to consume. We will always explore new technologies and marketing channels to grow our brand as a knowledge resource. Social media combined with our unique content enables us to connect with investors. This has been a major catalyst for Percension's steady growth.
No. 9: RMB Capital Management
AUM: $3.1 billion
Staff size: 78
Location: Chicago
How did you decide on your logo and tagline?
We introduced our current logo and tagline in 2010, replacing the original logo and tagline we had when RMB was founded in 2005. It was an evolution rather than a revolution; we felt it was important for our brand to stay fresh and to reflect new realities. The logo uses a sturdy, photo-realistic oak tree as the central image, which we believe reinforces our brand vision (to be the custodian of our clients' trust) and values (authenticity, excellence, rigor, solutions, and results). Our tagline ("Invested in your growth") is also rooted in the firm's vision and values and further supports our brand promise (to take care of each client's big picture as if it were our own).
How big a role has marketing played in your firm's success?
Our success is attributable to much more than traditional marketing; we've been fortunate to have grown primarily based on referrals from existing clients. However, we believe that organic growth has been supported by our branding, which has many different components that we've been very focused on since even before our firm officially launched. This includes tangible identity elements that we can control (like a logo and tagline) as well as abstract elements that are much more difficult to control (like the way clients perceive our brand). So, we strive to create alignment among employees around the foundational elements of our brand—primarily our vision and values—and to reinforce those elements in the business and operational decisions we make. We believe this focus has helped to enrich our clients' experience with us and thus has contributed to our success.
No. 8: OakPath
AUM: less than $100 million
Staff size: 5
Location: Northbrook, Ill.
How did you decide on your logo and tagline?
The words in our company name and logo, OakPath, represent the strength, stability and trust of an oak tree and our promise to take our clients down the path toward financial freedom. For example, think of a new client's retirement plan as an acorn. We take that acorn and care for it, nourish it, until it grows into a strong oak tree. We are engineered to grow only when we help our customers succeed first.
How big a role has marketing played in your firm's success?
Marketing has played a large role in our success. We utilize electronic media such as our website, a promotional video and e-newsletter, as well as social media tools like LinkedIn and Twitter. We also use good old fashioned direct mail to target prospective clients. We are currently exploring new ways to expand our digital marketing strategy.
No. 7: Retirement Security Centers
AUM: $1 billion
Staff size: 23
Location: Sacramento, Calif.
How did you decide on your logo and tagline?
With a focused business model set squarely on the unique needs of those approaching and entering retirement we chose a logo that incorporated an integral component of our proprietary EASE-Process in a visual way. The pyramid stems from a graphic that we use to categorize expenses into Core, Joy and Legacy and then link them to the income sources and assets of our clients.
When it came to the tagline we wanted to focus on the facts. In our world of retirement advisement we guide our clients, but they qualify the parameters of their particular circumstance. We reviewed three rounds of tagline options that we felt conveyed that fact prior to choosing "Define your future." We felt that it best incorporated the idea that we work with clients in an interactive fashion where they participate in the planning process through our extensive use of "what-if scenarios." We spent many months deliberating with our team before making our final choice on both logo and tagline. As surprising as it sounds making the final decision on our logo and tagline was one of the most challenging and fulfilling marketing choices we have made to date, and we wouldn't change a thing.
How big a role has marketing played in your firm's success?
Marketing has played an evolving, but critical role in Retirement Security Center's success. Our vision for the future is to capitalize on the amazing momentum we have gained with our new logo, website and an inspirational piece called the RSC Doctrine. We have designed a number of unique marketing strategies that will benefit our clients and prospects. We plan to implement these strategies over the next year as we "Define the future" of our enterprise, just as we do for our clients.
No. 6: Women's Wealth & Wisdom
Staff size: N/A
Location: El Segundo, Calif.
How did you decide on your logo and tagline?
For this startup, the Women's Wealth & Wisdom logo was designed distinctively feminine with the intent to differentiate our firm from images associated with more gender-neutral firms.
How big a role has marketing played in your firm's success?
Once we attract the attention from our target market to the logo, the hope is that she will recognize that the company's name is directed at her and become inspired to know about the rest of the branding and marketing message, which is where the real substance is. In marketing to this niche, more precisely, senior-level executive women and women business owners, we must take a sophisticated and educational approach to engage them to the next level, keeping it fresh and relevant to her needs.
No. 5: Stratos Wealth Partners
AUM: $1.05 billion in advisory AUM with Stratos RIA.
$5.15 billion in commission-based brokerage account assets custodied at LPL Financial
Staff size: 227
Location: Solon, Ohio
How did you decide on your logo and tagline?
Our logo represents a sun moving toward its zenith and reflects the elevation aspect of our tagline. We chose the tagline, "Elevating financial strategies," because we felt it most accurately fit our vision of creating an unprecedented level of care for advisors and their clients. Stratos is a firm designed for advisors, by advisors and we work hard to facilitate the success of our advisors by getting them set up with their business and offering them ownership in the firm. Advisors find it rewarding to own equity in the Stratos brand as we have set an elevated bar in building an intelligent, qualified team that has the capacity to develop innovative strategies for our clients.
How big a role has marketing played in your firm's success?
Marketing, in conjunction with public relations, has played a major role in accurately communicating our brand message to the right audiences. While most of our recruitment efforts in the past have been through referrals, we have recently taken steps to bolster our marketing to help connect with prospective advisors. We have grown exponentially since our inception in early 2009 and plan on ramping up our marketing and PR efforts in coming months so we can continue sharing our unique story and company news to help set ourselves apart in the financial industry.
No. 4: Align Wealth Management
AUM: $158 million
Staff size: 4
Location: Oklahoma City
How did you decide on your logo and tagline?
One of our expert marketing teams, Marie Swift and Impact Communications handle PR and marketing support and helped create this great logo; and the team at Jameson Marketing, based in Oklahoma City, helped us develop the name ALIGN.
How big a role has marketing played in your firm's success?
To us, the best marketing is to do great work for our clients, keep them informed, provide results and offer the same level of service excellence to the people our clients refer to us. Besides that, marketing has not played a crucial role in our practice, because, like most other advisors, we are not very good at it. However, we have spent time improving our marketing efforts over the years with the assistance of expert marketing teams, Impact and Jameson, with the focus on increasing brand awareness, improving our communications with clients, improving our online presence, and providing more informative client events.
No. 3: Winch Financial
AUM: $202 million
Staff size: 16
Location: Appleton, Wis.
How did you decide on your logo and tagline?
We decided upon "Investing for all seasons" because we advise our clients to prepare for every season of life, including when they're living and healthy, when they face a disability and when they want to establish a legacy. We also aim to advise them through every season of their life and, because we're based in Wisconsin, a four-season area, we also thought the slogan was appropriate for us. Lastly, in 2011 we launched a mutual fund called the Ginkgo Multi-Strategy Fund and we wanted our slogan to complement this Fund. The logo is both a rising W to reflect optimism and a rising market and because our firm name begins with a W. The gradient colors are to reflect the seasons of the year and of a life.
How big a role has marketing played in your firm's success?
Marketing has played a key role in our success and we are always expanding our efforts. In a referral-dependent business, we have enjoyed reaching out via social media, but we're also expanding old-school efforts like the classes we teach and the seminars we host.
No. 2: Family Financial Partners
AUM: $105 million
Staff size: 6
Location: Lexington, Ky.
How did you decide on your logo and tagline?
We understand that the families we serve desire to leave a legacy of growth and security for future generations. Because of this, our team strives to employ wealth management strategies that work well for our clients, while also keeping the interests of their children and grandchildren in mind. Our tagline and the image of the tree incorporated into our logo helps communicate this idea; as your family tree grows and expands, we'll be there to offer guidance and professional advice.
How big a role has marketing played in your firm's success?
At Family Financial Partners, our philosophy is that successful financial planning begins with a personal, one-on-one conversation. Our marketing strategies operate under this philosophy in that they help to facilitate an open dialogue. By using different types of media (social media, blog, website, direct mail), we are able to engage a broad audience, maintain strong relationships with our current client families, and forge new bonds with the next generation. Overall, a strong marketing strategy with a clear message has enabled our team to expand our reach and build connections with families who are striving to achieve their financial goals.
No. 1: StoneCrest Wealth Management
AUM: $75 million
Staff size: 3
Location: Chandler, Ariz.
How did you decide on your logo and tagline?
We are currently in the third year of a five year plan to "rebrand" the firm. The first step was to rename the firm; I had an idea of the message I wanted to convey but it took over a year of research and help from professional designers before we finally felt we had a name, logo and tagline that best represented the firm's service and culture.
How big a role has marketing played in your firm's success?
We continue to expand and leverage our marketing strategies as we feel this is a key element in developing relationships within the community as well as with other professionals. As Wikipedia says, "keystone" is the central supporting element of a larger structure; StoneCrest Wealth Management represents the "keystone" on the path to successfully reaching your financial goals and objectives.
Congratulations to all 25 finalists and the 10 winners!
Here's how the rest of the voting went:
11. The Presidio Group
12. Kairos Asset Advisory
13. Gratke Wealth
14. Old North Advisors
15. LifePlan Financial Group
16. Wealthcare Financial Group
17. Leber-Andesa Advisors
18. Stonebridge Capital Management
19. Full Circle Financial
20. TCI Wealth Advisors
21. Integris Wealth Management
22. Gerstein Fisher
23. Concierge Wealth Management
24. Target Date Solutions
25. Active Financial Group
Check out most of these finalists in Our 20 Favorite Top Wealth Manager Logos on AdvisorOne.
Feel free to comment by emailing us at email@example.com.


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Having been named one of the Academy Awards' five nominees for Best Foreign Film, it's clear that "War Witch" casts a powerful spell.
The Canadian film from director Kim Nguyen – also known by the French title "Rebelle" – follows Komona, a young girl conscripted as a child soldier in Sub-Saharan Africa who is believed to be a witch after surviving the massacre of her village, and who experiences a poignant love for a fellow soldier.
Featuring a powerful performance by Rachel Mwanza, a teenager who was herself a street child in the Congo city of Kinshasa, the film has been celebrated around the world: it competed for the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, and Nguyen's direction and Mwanza's performance collected accolades and nominations across the festival and critics' circuit before arriving at the Oscars.
Fresh off their experience at Hollywood's glitziest awards ceremony, Nguyen and Mwanza caught their breath in a modest Beverly Hills hotel suite as they readied the film for a limited release in the US, where Nguyen recounted their journey (serving as a translator for Mwanza, who speaks French) from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the Academy Awards.
What was it like attending the Oscars?
Honestly, I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy it as much as I did. It's still a blur. I would say that the Lynchian moments were arriving and leaving in the limos. There's like this four-lane street. I hope I am going to be able to use it in a film, just that frame when you just see four lanes of limos, and you got these people with speakers that are dressed like 1940s clerks, and they are yelling: 'Limo 232! Twenty seconds to go!' 'Limo 446! Limo 446 – ten seconds! Okay, limo 446 – next round.' And the limo goes around, and you've got this huge road full of limos and people walking, and so much surgery. Amazing moment.
U.S. & World
Rachel said that it was when we walked down the red carpet. They told us to come early, but they gave us a time, and it was really too early. We were the first ones to arrive on the red carpet. So the one thing that she liked the most was being around the big statue and taking the pictures. And the one thing she was sad about was that she saw Harry Potter – Daniel Radcliffe – but she didn't get to meet him. There were too many people around.
How did this concept of child soldiers crystallize into this particular story that you wanted to tell?
I did extensive research with child soldiers, the lives of child soldiers. I visited Sub-Saharan Africa, and all of these images were there without an actual structure, and at a certain point things started pulling together. There was like these three things, three realities, that superimpose on each other. And each had its own translucency, and that was the war elements of a child soldier, a very naïve love story, and just post modern 21st century Sub-Saharan Africa. In a way, that's what the story is: all of these three things at the same time kind of bounce back and echo each other.
Throughout the movie, it's jarring to see how much a belief in the mystical drives their actions, and yet here they are also toting high-tech weaponry that can annihilate a village.
That's the weirdest thing: the magic is all there. The magic beliefs and how they influence everyday life. What's really hard to believe in North America is that the magic elements that I put in the film are just the tip of the iceberg. There's so many things relating to magic, and how if somebody's car breaks down it's because an evil child touched it.
One of the only differences between the belief in magic there and here is that here it's been incorporated into our market. It's been exploited in a way to motivate the consumer to buy things. Creams will make you eternal. Buy a cola and you'll become a star. It's just the same, except it's been focused differently. And unfortunately in the Congo, when you get the situation of child soldiers, these magical beliefs are twisted to indoctrinate children to make war, to fight against evil enemies.
Tell us about challenging yourself by not having this thing too structured, and letting scenes kind of happen the way they happen.
That's the way I want to make films. That's the way I lead my life. I feel that my life is a little bit more like skidding – I don't make proper turns. That's what I like. They're more fun, skidded turns. So when I did films I pitched things that are impossible to do, like going into Congo. All of my films are a little bit challenging for producers: 'Really, you want to do THAT?' That's what I like about it. It's scary to do that. In a way, that's the analogy for this film. You kind of let go and, in a way, the real train tracks are life itself, that grasp you and let you skid in an inelegant way, but you got to let go.
What has all the Hollywood attention done for you both?
I think in the case of Rachel, I'm happy about this: I listened to what's been happening in Kinshasa with her recently, and a year ago or two years ago after the film what she really wanted was to become a star. I kept pounding things like 'Still learn another trade' and stuff like that. And she hated Uncle Kim for that – you know, still a teenager. But I am really happy because on the last day she's been telling me that she wants to do something else that is just as beautiful as becoming a star. She's saying that she wants to create a foundation for kids on the streets in Congo, and I think that could be much more rewarding. She's still not there yet to appreciate the depth of a character in French, so she's learning English. There's still at least four of five years of her learning before she can appreciate a script and work in the way that actors work in this standardized industry. If people would want to work with her now, she would have to use the same process as I did - and not everybody likes organized chaos.
And for you?
I really liked getting a taste of what the Hollywood and the industry scene is, and it's really interesting because a lot of the things are very different from what I expected. I was lucky to be guided to persons that are really creative and have a nice sense of what good scripts are about. I think that the really strong element of Hollywood and the US in general is being able to generate amazing writers and amazing actors. I think that the drawback from working in the Hollywood business is that more and more you get a sense that – I'm kind of quoting producers – it's more and more guided by huge multinationals that are with investors on the stock market, that are expecting revenue, and a return on their investment. And organized chaos and creativity and risks are very difficultly explainable in financial terms. There's kind of this clash between producers and investors. There's a risk of things becoming diluted, and then sometimes something amazing turns up.

subset: commoncrawl


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During the week, you know our life is no mystery: we are here working hard to make you happier and your horse healthier. But what do we do on the weekend, you ask? The mystery is revealed! Read about what SmartPakers did this past week and see if any of our adventures sound similar to yours…
"Above is my horse, Eden, after storm Nemo! Since she's from Texas and this was her first BIG blizzard she had an absolute field day in her paddock. At first she was skeptical but once she had a little bit of encouragement, she went off like a rocket! She had all four feet off the ground at once. She quickly adjusted to the white powdery stuff that covered the ground. Good thing she was wearing her WeatherBeeta blanket to keep her warm through the storm!"
– Mollie, Creative
"This was my very first snowstorm in the Northeast and man was it fun! We got about two feet of snow and lost our power for two days. The plows did a great job of getting the majority of the snow off the roads, but there were power lines down every few streets. The town I live in was lucky enough to get power back after 48 hours, but while it was out we definitely had the chance to test our creativity. The picture of the fire is proof of our resourcefulness when it came to food – we baked potatoes in the coals! I am so thankful to be back to normal life!"
– Jessica, Customer Care
"Last weekend was filled with snow, snow, and more snow. Even though I ended up losing power for 5 days, and we got over 2 feet of snow, I'd have to say that this was my favorite snow storm, simply because it shares its name with my 8 year old Morgan Nemo. On a much warmer note, the weekend before, I went out to Huntington Beach, California to run the Surf City Half Marathon with my mom. This is the third year we've gone, and it's always a fun trip. The race was great, with 70 degree weather, and a flat course along the Pacific Coast Highway next to the ocean. We spent the rest of the weekend on Balboa Island in Huntington, where my mom grew up. We also spent some time visiting family in Laguna Beach." – Ellen, Accounting
"The past few weeks have been filled with a lot of snow, too much for my tastes! My dog Tasha and I made out own outdoor fun exploring the snowy woods where I live (remove). While we waited for the road to get plowed the power to come back on. The snow banks ended up being taller than Tasha! Then this past weekend my Mother and Grandmother came to visit from New York, we enjoyed a day in Boston on Saturday and a girl's day in with movies and lots of baking on Sunday." – Elizabeth C., Customer Care
"On Friday, we took our kids to Disney On Ice. Since we went to Disney World in August My 3 year old, Max, tells me every single day that he misses Mickey Mouse. Here he is at 8am, and the show wasn't until 7pm! My daughter got to see her favorite princess, Ariel, and Max got to wave to Mickey to tide him over until we can go to Disney World again. I'm sure he'll ask again tomorrow!" – Kristen, Marketing
"Another New England weekend, another snowstorm, but this one was a breeze after losing power for 4 days after Nemo hit a week ago. My husband and I headed to the boat show in Boston and dreamed about warmer weather. I'm headed to sailing school in Florida in a few weeks, so I started to get excited about that. On the other hand, my golden retriever, Spaulding, was thrilled to get to play in another 6 inches of fresh snow. As for my horse, he has had it with the weather and packed up his stuff (with some significant help from me) and shipped off to Ocala bright and early on Monday morning for spring training." – Colby, Marketing
"This weekend I was working SmartPak's booth at the Scottsdale Arabian Show with fellow SmartPaker, Courtney Bruso. The Arabians are such a versatile breed, and in 4 days I've seen saddle seat, dressage, reining, and my favorite, the mounted native costume! We've also been having a blast getting to chat with our Customers and in some cases getting to meet their horses! If you're at the Arabian Show, come see us in South Hall. We are booth 128" – Casey, Customer Care
"Our recent big event was, of course, the blizzard that left us all in several feet of snow, and many without power. I was one of the lucky few with power at home and barn, so my main challenge was getting between the two! My fearless barn helper and I (geared up in our SmartPak Winter Jackets) braved the wind and snow to get the horses fed and out for a little while. By Wednesday, the sun was back out!" – Elizabeth R., Customer Care
"Last weekend I was lucky enough to escape to Connecticut and avoid the power and heat loss of Blizzard Nemo and enjoy time with my boyfriend and his family. My dog, Bentley, was a little lost in the snow, but had a lot of fun bouncing around! This weekend my parents came to visit me on their way to Maine for a mini vacation, and their dog, Brodi, came to stay with Bentley and me. As you can see they loved each other's company!"
– Paige, Customer Care
"I spent Saturday back at Fields and Fences in Gurnee, learning about the new USEF rider tests for Training, First and Second Levels from FEI 3* judge and "L" faculty member Maryal Barnett. She's giving these seminars around the country as continuing education for judges and USDF "L" graduates, but ours–hosted by the Illinois Dressage and Combined Training Association (IDCTA) – had a "bonus" presentation with Kerry Petty, certified Pilates and Yoga instructor as well as dressage judge herself, on how to strengthen the rider's core. Picked up another judging "gig" while there so hoping I'm ready to comment and score on these new rider tests when the time comes!" – Dr. Lydia Gray, Staff Veterinarian
"Desi Jasmine and Argent meet Nemo. Nemo, meet three retired horses that I help take care of where I live. They were a bit confused when I first turned them out but they were playing around shortly thereafter. It was a blast to watch them. Wish I could say the same about mucking stalls since then!" – Susan, Barns Program
"Being snowed in last weekend made our morning at the park even more exciting than it usually is! Henry and Merlin got to play their favorite games together. For Merlin, it's fetch. For Henry it's stealing Merlin's fetch stick."
– Tierney, Customer Care
"After being snowed in for about 5 days I was able to adventure down to the beach here on the Cape. My new horse Cash has been enjoying his adventure to the Cape and already has been for a ride to the beach!"
– Lindsey, Customer Care
"I was at the office all weekend. When I went to Dunkin Donuts at break time Sunday, I had to drive around a couple hundred lunatics that were running a road race through the park and the SmartPak parking lot." – Kevin, Production
"This past weekend I went snowboarding with my boyfriend Matt and a few of his friends. We headed up to Pat's Peak in NH and spent the day on the slopes. We lucked out with warm weather and no winds, and enjoyed exploring the trails on the mountain, as well as a nice warm lunch in the lodge. Sunday was spent working on the house – cleaning and touching up the rooms we've painted so far. Still lots more to be done but it's getting there!" – Michelle, Customer Care
"My sister and I hid from the blizzard at our parents' house in central Mass. Once the wind and snowfall were over, we ventured outside and played like we did when we were little kids!" – Jessica S., Customer Care
"I managed to be on one of the first flights out of Boston last Sunday after the blizzard and made it to Arizona for a workshop. Here I was thinking I'd escaped the cold Northeast, and it was colder that night that it was at home! The first two days were spent in a conference center, but I found a few hours to fit a hike in at South Mountain in Phoenix before catching my flight home. Beautiful – can't wait for my next visit!" – Jen, Store


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Pretzel Kids Manual
Parenting Magazine article featuring Robyn Parets and Pretzel Kids
Handout: The Pretzel Kids Bell Curve
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PK Statement of Ethics
Step #1: Centering and Circle Time
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Pranayama Techniques (18:15)
Step #3: Warm-Ups
Warm Up Exercises and Games (28:23)
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Sun Salutations and Games for All Ages (20:02)
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Transitions and Dharma Talks (35:14)
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Next Steps: Grow Your Business & Join the Pretzel Kids Teacher Network!
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Market volatility has been especially hard on small cap managers of late, but "Investing 101" dictates that what goes down must come up, and the steeper and deeper in, often (but not always) means the steeper and higher out.
On Wednesday, Zacks Investment Research released its list of the top five small cap funds. Yes, their smaller market cap buffer translates to higher risk, but that also means higher return potential (see aforementioned "Investing 101").
"These funds have the ability to deliver appreciably higher returns due to two primary reasons," Zack's writes in its analysis. "Firstly, they generate high volumes of sales in a booming market, leading to a rise in prices. In addition, research has shown that smaller firms reinvest their profits back into their business. This reassures shareholders of better performance over the long term."
Each fund listed in the following pages has earned a Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy).
ING Small Company A (NASDAQ: AESAX)—This fund seeks capital appreciation and invests the majority of its assets in common stocks of small cap firms, according to Zacks.
"It may also lend out a maximum of a third of the securities in its portfolio on a long or short term basis. This small-cap mutual fund has a 10-year annualized return of 5.23 %. The small-cap mutual fund has an expense ratio of 1.47% compared to a category average of 1.38%."
Steve Salopek is portfolio manager and head of Small Cap.
Nuveen Small Cap Growth Opportunities A (FRMPX)—This fund invests heavily in small-cap companies. According to the report, "These firms must have market capitalizations lower than $3 billion. Not more than 25% of its assets are utilized to purchase foreign equity securities. This small-cap mutual fund has a three-year annualized return of 4.75%."
The fund manager is Robert S. McDougall and he has managed this small-cap mutual fund since 2004.
Cambiar Small Cap (NASDAQ:CAMSX)—Cambiar Small Cap seeks capital growth over the long term. The fund invests a large proportion of its assets in small-cap companies with a market capitalization that must be lower than $3.5 billion or within the range of the Russell 2000 Index, whichever is greater. The small-cap mutual fund has a five-year annualized return of 1.49%.
The small-cap mutual fund has an expense ratio of 1.25% compared to a category average of 1.38%.
Portfolio manager Andy Baumbusch joined Cambiar in 2004. He oversees the day-to-day management of the Cambiar Small Cap Value strategy with Jeff Susman.
Needham Small Cap Growth (NASDAQ: NESGX)—Needham seeks capital growth with lowest possible tax implications, according to Zacks.
"The majority of the fund's assets is invested in domestic equity securities of companies with market capitalizations of less than $2 billion or is within the range of the Russell 2000 index, if greater. The small-cap mutual fund has a three-year annualized return of 6.87%."
The fund manager is Chris Retzler.
As of August 2011, this small-cap mutual fund held 75 issues, with 2.40% of its total assets invested in Plantronics.
Putnam Small Cap Value A (NASDAQ:PSLAX)—This fund primarily purchases common stocks of domestic small cap companies. Zacks says it focuses on investing in undervalued companies, "concentrating on small firms whose market capitalizations are within the range of the Russell 2000 Value Index. The small-cap mutual fund has a 10-year annualized return of 4.96%."
The fund manager is Eric N. Harthun and he has managed this small-cap mutual fund since 2008.


text:
Moderators: MetroSonus, Plink Floyd
gregwar wrote:k so I posted a pic of my DIY traps a few days ago
gregwar wrote:thanks guys
OP delivers !!
I have a peluso 2247le with a rare black steel tube made in Germany between 1940-60ish.
I started with a rode nt1-a condernser mic and that was harsh on the high end. then I got a Neumann tlm-103 from kijiji. it was like HD sound and I still think a great mic for the cost but very bright and modern sounding.
sold that and got the peluso and I really like the darker, more vintage tube tone. I still have the rode and might get Michael Joly rode modified at oktava mod. attached to the v-synth is an SM58 for the vocoder.
Purity_Control wrote:But are they load bearing?
gregwar wrote:
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text:
The concentration of growth for the next wave of Gold's Gyms will be in Texas and Oklahoma.
That's the latest from Gold's Gym International (GGI), which last month announced it was entering the Oklahoma City market and had rolled out its new Gold's Gym Express model.
Gold's expects to have more than 100 Express clubs by the end of this year. The first two clubs are under construction in Victoria, TX, and Brownsville, TX. Another eight Express clubs are under letter of intent or in lease in Texas and Oklahoma, all within range of Gold's headquarters in Irving, TX.
Although Gold's hinted late last year that it was working on a low-price model similar to Planet Fitness, the Crunch franchise clubs, ZX Fitness and Equinox's Blink clubs, the company made it official in March.
"The new Gold's Gym Express will allow us to expand the Gold's Gym brand in ways not possible before," said Jim Snow, president of GGI. "It will provide Gold's Gym International and our new and existing franchisees with another option to grow. From city centers to small towns, this concept is nimble enough to thrive in any setting, and the incredible value combined with Gold's Gym expertise will help us attract more members than ever."
Membership dues for the Gold's Gym Express clubs are expected to start at $9.99 a month and go up to $19.99 for an upgraded membership. The clubs will be between 10,000 and 25,000 square feet, smaller than a typical Gold's club. The lower cost structure, according to GGI, will allow expansion into rural and urban areas that might not otherwise support a full-amenity Gold's Gym.
Opening new concept clubs near company headquarters is not uncommon in the industry. The first Crunch franchise clubs last year opened on the West Coast, more specifically, in the San Francisco Bay Area, not far from the Lafayette, CA, headquarters of parent company New Evolution Ventures. Likewise, New York-based Equinox opened its first three Blink clubs in the New York City area.
In addition to the Gold's Gym Express model, GGI also announced the formation of a new financing arm called Gold's Gym Capital, created to help existing and future franchisees secure financing for both Gold's Gym Express and full-amenity Gold's clubs.
Chuck Lemar joined the company as senior vice president of Gold's Gym Capital. Lemar spent more than 10 years at Cybex International, Medway, MA, most recently as a senior vice president at Cybex and president of Cybex Capital.
In Oklahoma City, GGI has plans to open two new clubs in addition to the two Aspen Athletic Clubs it acquired in that market. The new clubs are expected to have a soft open this spring and a grand opening in June.
"We are bullish on the Oklahoma City market and see this as the first of many moves we plan to make long term," Snow said.
As part of the move to Oklahoma City, Gold's has reached a partnership with Mayor Mick Cornett to join the This City Is Going on a Diet campaign to improve the city's physical fitness levels and help the city lose a combined one million pounds.
"Our goal is to help make Oklahoma City one of the healthiest cities in the United States, and we look forward to working with residents, partners and the mayor's office to make it happen," Snow said.


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Your right to flight compensation for a delayed WIZZ AIR UK flight is laid down in EC 261/2004. You may be eligible if your delayed WIZZ AIR UK flight was operated within the EU, left from the EU or landed in the EU. It depends on the flight route and where the delay occurred. In addition, your delayed WIZZ AIR UK flight must arrive 3 or more hours late and WIZZ AIR UK must be at fault.
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By Steve Stout
TEMPE, Ariz. (KPHO) — Maybe it was the tinted windows, but two automobile burglary suspects had no idea they would get a rude surprise Saturday when they tried to break into an unmarked police vehicle – occupied by two uniformed Tempe police officers.
Paul Gardener allegedly opened the back door of the vehicle near Baseline Road and Butte Street and started to jump in when he noticed the seat was separated from the front by a cage and upon seeing the uniformed officers, came to the sobering realization he was in a police vehicle.
Gardener and Chad Leakey tried to run, but were quickly caught by the officers and arrested, a Tempe police spokesman said.
Evidence found on the two men linked them to another vehicle burglary and two attempted burglaries from vehicles in the same area.
According to the spokesman, Gardener also had a small bag of methamphetamine when he was arrested.
Leakey carried a backpack with several pieces of mail stolen earlier in the day, the spokesman said.
Both were booked into the Maricopa County Jail on one count of burglary and three counts of attempted burglary.
Gardner was also charged with possession of a dangerous drug.
The U.S. Postal Service was investigating the alleged mail theft, the spokesman said.


text:
"A moving and riveting read—one of Shaara's best."—Seattle Post-Intelligencer
"Whether you're a military veteran or currently serving in the armed forces, or you're a history buff or just enjoy a well-told tale, check out Jeff Shaara. Nobody tells war stories any better."—The Sacramento Bee
"Extraordinarily evocative . . . Told from the perspectives of combatants and military leaders, both American and Japanese, the resulting balanced overview lends historical authenticity to the gripping fictional narrative."—Booklist
"Fast-paced, engaging and absorbing."—Galveston County Daily News
"Highly recommended."—Library Journal


text:
Full-Time Student: a student who carries 12 or more credits per semester.
Part-Time Student: a degree or certificate candidate who carries fewer than 12 credits per semester.
Non-degree Student: a student who is not enrolled in a degree or certificate major. Non-degree status is specifically for students who wish to pursue course work with neither the responsibilities nor the benefits of degree status. A non-degree student can select courses without regard to degree or certificate requirements, assuming all course prerequisites have been met. A non-degree student may register for no more than six credits per semester, is not eligible for financial aid, and is not required to pay the application fee. If and when a non-degree student wishes to transfer to degree-seeking status, the rules in effect for degree-seeking applicants will apply.
Satisfactory Progress: As long as a student is officially enrolled and permitted to continue his/her studies toward a degree or certificate at the College, the student will be considered to be making satisfactory progress. Students receiving financial aid must meet additional criteria to remain eligible for continued financial aid.


text:
Thin Shadows and Dulled Lights
As the sun sets Friday, the full Hunter's Moon rises, shining all night long and reaching its highest around midnight. Like last month's Harvest Moon, the Hunter's Moon travels its shallowest arc along the ecliptic, rising far to the north of due east and setting far to the south. Rising so much farther to the north than other months, the Hunter's Moon reappears just 30 minutes later from night to night, as opposed to 50 minutes normally. The effect of this is several consecutive nights bathed in moonlight from near sunset to sunrise.
As the Hunter's Moon rises, look toward its lower edge for a slight discoloring, the telltale sign of the penumbral eclipse. Unlike a partial or total eclipse, where the moon's surface is obscured by earth's full, or umbral, shadow, there will be no missing bite from the lunar orb. Instead, only the earth's outer fringe of shadow, the penumbra, will cover the south-southeastern edge, casting an eerie glow over its surface. Hereabouts the best chance to spot this penumbral shading are from the time of sunset/moonrise until maybe 8pm.
The darkness between sunset Monday and daybreak Tuesday marks the peak for the Orionid meteor shower, which competes with the still-bright Hunter's Moon. But the Orionids tend to burn bright, so it could produce up to 12 or 15 meteors an hour. While the meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Orion, they are actually leftover from the passing of Comet Halley. Each time this year, earth crosses through the trail of debris left from Halley's millennia orbiting through the solar system. As the bits of dust and ice carom against the atmosphere, they ignite into meteors. Earth actually crosses Halley's orbital trail twice each year, the other time being in May, marking the Eta Aquarid meteor shower. Both the Eta Aquarids and the Orionids are fast-moving, striking the atmosphere at 41 miles a second.


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U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology
Coordinating, Developing, and Delivering Highway Transportation Innovations
Public Roads
This magazine is an archived publication and may contain dated technical, contact, and link information.
|Publication Number: Date: Sept/Oct 1997
Issue No: Vol. 61 No. 2
Date: Sept/Oct 1997
by Cynthia Burbank and S. Lawrence Paulson
The most controversial issue in the debate to develop a surface transportation authorization bill is how to apportion the funds among the states so that the "formula" will be acceptable to both houses of Congress.
The National ITS Program: Where We've Been and Where We're Going
by Christine M. Johnson
The National Intelligent Transportation Systems program is the foundation for a information and communications infrastructure that will enable the nation to develop a more efficient surface transportation system
The National ITS Architecture: A Framework for ITS Infrastructure by Lee Simmons
The National ITS Architecture is the centerpiece of the program for developing intelligent transportation systems.
The Intelligent Vehicle Initiative: Advancing "Human-Centered" Smart Vehicles
by Cheryl Little
The Intelligent Vehicle Initiative aims to accelerate the development, availability, and use of integrated in-vehicle systems that help drivers of cars, trucks, and buses operate more safely and effectively.
ITS Is Already Paying Dividends
by Maria Koklanaris
Many intelligent transportation technologies are already improving life for millions of drivers and passengers.
Building Smart Infrastructure to Serve Travelers and System Managers by Jeff Lindley
A critical goal of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is to develop an intelligent transportation infrastructure that will enable ITS products and services to work as a powerful and effective team to save time and improve the quality of life.
The ITS Professional Capacity Building Program
by Thomas F. Humphrey
DOT has launched a five-year program to elevate the knowledge, skills, and abilities of surface transportation professionals to advance new technologies and programs.
NHI Charts New Course for the Future
by Jacqueline M. Richardson
The National Highway Institute, a leading source of comprehensive technical training and educational programs for transportation professionals, is expanding its reach to other customer groups, designing courses to focus on learner results and improving the effectiveness and quality of NHI services.
Road Safety Audits: Scanning for "Gold" Down Under
by Michael F. Trentacoste
An American team visits Australia and New Zealand to learn about road safety audits, a process to identify potentially dangerous features of the highway operating environment.
Interactive Highway Safety Design Model: Design Consistency Module
by Raymond A. Krammes
The Design Consistency Module is one of five modules of the IHSDM, an integrated system of modules that highway planners and designers can use to evaluate the safety of highway geometric design alternatives within a computer-aided design (CAD) environment.
The Search for Optimal Asphalt
by Dr. Brian Chollar and Dr. Mohammed Memon
At the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, research on chemically modified asphalts is an ongoing project that has already resulted in furfural-modified asphalt, compatibilized crumb rubber asphalt, and chemically modified crumb rubber asphalt.


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UPS® (NYSE: UPS), an industry leader in supply chain management and the world's largest package delivery company, was recently recognized for third-party logistics (3PL) excellence. The awards were presented during eyefortransport's (eft) 12th Annual North American 3PL Awards Summit in Chicago.
UPS received top honors in several key categories, including: Best 3PL forAutomotive Supply Chains, Best 3PL for Pharma/Lifesciences/Healthcare Supply Chains, Best 3PL for Sustainability Supply Chains, and Best 3PL for Hi-Tech & Electronics Supply Chains. UPS was also named runner-up in four of the remaining six categories. To view the complete listing, click here.
Each year, eft, a global supply chain business intelligence and networking organization based in London, recognizes those 3PLs that continually deliver excellence in logistics operations and superior service to their customers. Nominees are shortlisted by a panel of industry experts, and winners are chosen by North American 3PL customers — those manufacturers and retailers who depend on and work with logistics service providers daily.
"It is truly an honor to be recognized by our customers, those partners who know firsthand that UPS solutions and services can streamline often-complex supply chains and make them more efficient," says Mike Delaney, UPS president of North America logistics and distribution. "From distribution and post sales services to transportation management and an array of value-added services, our people go the extra mile for our customers every day."
About 600 senior-level logistics and supply chain executives attended this year's summit, which included a "super session" focused on logistics-customer relationships. Last year, UPS received top honors in the Best 3PL for Industrial Supply Chains category.
"Customers have come to trust and rely on UPS's full range of logistics solutions and industry-specific expertise," said Alan Amling, UPS vice president of global logistics and distribution marketing. "We appreciate the confidence our customers have shown in UPS and remain committed to helping them win with outstanding customer service and industry-leading sustainability initiatives."
About UPS
UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including the transportation of packages and freight, the facilitation of international trade, and the deployment of advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Headquartered in Atlanta, USA, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories. The company can be found on the web at ups.com® and corporate blog can be found at blog.ups.com. To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com.
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121 Densmore Rd., Cobourg, ON, Canada, K9A 4J9
Phone: (905) 372-7007 Fax: (905) 372-9846
Supports Green Practices
"Supports Green Initiatives" designates a hotel's participation in an optional environmental program that includes the use of energy-efficient lighting, guestroom towel/linen re-use, and on-premise recycling. "Supports Green Initiatives" does not represent an official certification of any kind.
Join free while you book
There is no catch. Join for free, and get access to exclusive perks!
Access to exclusive promotions and low, member-only pricing
10 points per dollar that add up fast... for free nights, gift cards or your dream getaway
Instant extra rewards for your weekday travel
Exclusive flexible rate for Choice Privileges members when you book direct at ChoiceHotels.ca or through the Choice Hotels Mobile App. Valid at most International and U.S. Choice Hotels locations. Must be or become a Choice Privileges member prior to making the booking. Discount rate is non-transferable or redeemable for cash, cannot be used for future stays or existing reservations and may not be combined with other promotions, offers or discounts. Unless otherwise stated, quoted rates are per room, per night, based on single/double occupancy and do not include taxes, gratuities or incidental charges. Early departure fees, deposit and cancellation restrictions may apply and will vary by hotel. Not valid at vacation rental properties.
This Comfort Inn® hotel is in a prime location close to the Art Gallery of Northumberland, the Concert Hall at Victoria Hall, the Cobourg Creek Golf Course, Rice Lake and the Kawartha Downs race track and slots facility.
All bedrooms at the Comfort Inn Cobourg have one queen-size and a pull-out sofa or two double beds. All room feature a refrigerator, microwave, 32" LCD flat screen television, coffee maker, hair dryer, iron and board. Ground floor rooms are patio door accessible.
Cobourg's waterfront is beautiful, featuring white sand and pristine water. Children will love the colourful splash pad, swings and climbing gym at Victoria Park. Many year-round events and annual festivals draw visitors from all over, and the city offers a wide range of shopping, dining and entertainment options.
This Comfort Inn hotel offers many high-value amenities, including:
Check-In Time: 15:00 Check-Out Time: 11:00 Guest Rooms: 60


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5:30 pm KeyForge Casual Play (ChainBound Available) @ Greenfield
KeyForge Casual Play (ChainBound Available) @ Greenfield
Sep 17 @ 5:30 pm
Get in some weekly KeyForge, every Tuesday at our Greenfield location. Stop in any time between 5:30 and 9pm to meet up with other local players and get in some games with your favorite decks![...]
6:00 pm Learn-to-Play Tuesday @ North Shore
Learn-to-Play Tuesday @ North Shore
Sep 17 @ 6:00 pm
Join us for a night of open gaming hosted by our loyal Champion, Chris! Learn to play a new game or break out an old favorite. This event will run from 6pm until 9pm. Chris[...]
6:15 pm Magic – Modern @ North Shore
Magic – Modern @ North Shore
Sep 17 @ 6:15 pm
Join us on Tuesdays nights for Modern format Magic! Round One will begin at 6:15PM. Please arrive as close to 6:00PM as possible. Three Swiss rounds. Win your choice of booster for every match win[...]
7:00 pm Drop-In Dungeons & Dragons @ Oak & Shield Pub
Drop-In Dungeons & Dragons @ Oak & Shield Pub
Sep 17 @ 7:00 pm
Get in on Drop-In D&D every Tuesday! Each week, you'll explore brand new stories and face off with exciting challenges in the 5th Edition of D&D. DMs drink for free!* Each session, your table will[...]


text:
Clinical Trials
Hepatitis B Vaccination (HBV) in HIV Infected Children
The HIV Netherlands Australia Thailand Research Collaboration
ART AIDS Charity Fund
Information provided by (Responsible Party)
The HIV Netherlands Australia Thailand Research Collaboration
First received: April 22, 2009
Last updated: June 4, 2010
Last Verified: June 2010
History of Changes
The purpose of this study is :
- To evaluate prevalence of protective hepatitis B antibody comparing intradermal (ID) and intramuscular (IM) route in antiHbsAb negative HIV infected children treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)
HIV Infections
Biological : Intradermal HBV 1 course
Biological : Intramuscular HBV I course
Phase 2
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose: Prevention
|Official Title:
|Immunogenicity and Safety of Intradermal Compare to Intramuscular Hepatitis B Vaccination in HIV Children
Further study details as provided by The HIV Netherlands Australia Thailand Research Collaboration:
Primary Outcome Measures
- Proportion of children with protective antiHBs at 8 weeks after first dose of HBV ID is superior to HBV IM [ Time Frame: 8 weeks ]
- Proportion of children with positive antiHBs at 4 weeks after second and third dose of HBV [ Time Frame: 4 weeks ]
- Number of adverse events in HBV ID group and HBV IM group [ Time Frame: 7 months ]
- Proportion of protective antiHBs in HIV children after protocol defining immune recovery [ Time Frame: 7 months ]
|Study Start Date:
|April 2009
|Study Completion Date:
|May 2010
|Primary Completion Date:
|May 2010 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Active Comparator:
Intradermal HBV 1 course
Active Comparator:
Intramuscular HBV I course
Detailed Description:
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HIV share the same route of transmission and can have
co-infection. The prevalence of this co-infection was 8.7% in Thai adult[1, 2] and 12.1% in
African HIV vertically transmitted children[3]. Occurrence of HBV has effects to treatment
due to having the same medication, lamivudine, tenofovir, emtricitabine or entecavir, to anti
HIV medication. HBV can cause chronic liver disease, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
In Thailand, the routine HBV vaccination program was started since 1992. Few reports in severe immune compromise HIV children has been shown to lose their expected preventive measles and hepatitis B antibody from history of scheduled vaccination even after the immune recovery by HAART[4, 5]. Limited data in of prevalence of protective hepatitis B antibody response after immune recovery in Thai HIV infected children treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy. In addition, HBV revaccination in this group of children should be considered[6].
The response of HBV revaccination intramuscularly (IM) at 0, 2 and 6 months in 63 HIV children shown response rates 17.4, 82.5, and 92.1% at 2, 6 and 7 months respectively[6]. Protective anti-HBs were shown in the majority of non-responders to IM HBV vaccine health care workers [21/23 (91.3%)] by two doses of intradermal route (ID)[7].
We hypothesize to see the faster and higher response of antiHBs after first dose of ID compare to IM in anti HBsAb negative HIV infected children. No randomized control trial compare antibody response between IM and ID route in HIV children after immune recovery. The benefit from this trial would be decreased the vaccine cost for resourced limited country.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|1 Year to 18 Years
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- HIV infected individuals
- Age 1-18 years
- Current CD4 within 6 months ≥ 15% or ≥ 200 cells/ml in children age ≥ 6 years
- Signed written informed consent
- Negative HBs Ag, antiHBs, and antiHBc at screening visit
Exclusion Criteria:
- Active AIDS
- Active opportunistic infection
- Platelet < 50,000/ mm3 at screening visit
- History of hypersensitivity to HBV vaccine
- Using oral steroid or immunosuppressive drugs
Contacts and LocationsChoosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision.Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00886964
Locations Show More
|Bangkok, Thailand, 10330
|Pediatric infectious diseases section, King Chulalongkorn Memorial hospital
|Bangkok, Thailand, 10330
Sponsors and CollaboratorsThe HIV Netherlands Australia Thailand Research Collaboration
ART AIDS Charity Fund
|Principal Investigator:
|Torsak Bunupuradah, MD
|The HIV Netherlands Australia Thailand Research Collaboration
More Information
Additional Information:HIV Netherlands Australia Thailand Research Collaboration (HIV-NAT)
|Responsible Party:
|Torsak Bunupuradah, HIV-NAT, The Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Center
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00886964 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|April 22, 2009
|Last Updated:
|June 4, 2010
Keywords provided by The HIV Netherlands Australia Thailand Research Collaboration:HBV vaccine
HIV children
immune recovery
HBV antibody
antibody response after HBV vaccine
treatment experienced
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Hepatitis B
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this data on June 02, 2020
This information is provided by ClinicalTrials.gov.


text:
Clorox and Kleenex Cough, Cold & Flu
- Try different search words
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In the midst of right whale calving season off the Florida-Georgia coasts, federal officials had both positive and negative news to announce this week about endangered North Atlantic right whales.
The preliminary results of a necropsy done on a right whale that stranded in Flagler Beach on Dec. 19 revealed the whale's death was caused by malnourishment as a result of chronic entanglement, said Allison Garrett, a spokeswoman for the NOAA Fisheries.
The 26-foot-long whale was about a year old and had fishing gear wrapped around its tail. The necropsy report won't be concluded until after tissue evaluations are complete. However, Garrett said the scientist concluded the animal had not been feeding, had blubber loss and lesions in its mouth.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the University of North Carolina-Wilmington all participated in the necropsy.
But NOAA also had good news to reveal about previously entangled right whales.
They learned this week that a right whale that had been disentangled in 2008 off the Georgia coast has returned to the southeast, this time with a calf. This was her first known calf, NOAA officials said. The animal, nicknamed Equator for the white scar across her back, was seen Jan. 21 with her calf offshore of Cumberland Island, Ga.
Disentangling a whale at sea is dangerous work, but NOAA officials said this week that Equator's successful calving shows the "hard work responding to these animals is paying off."
Many organizations have been involved in efforts to remove fishing gear from the animals at sea, including the New England Aquarium and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Female whales travel south in the winter from the Bay of Fundy off of Nova Scotia to the coastal waters of Florida and Georgia for calving season. Several mother-calf pairs have been sighted off the coasts of Volusia and Flagler in the past two weeks, according to NOAA tracking information.
NOAA also announced that another whale that was disentangled in New England in 2010 has appeared with a calf in Cape Cod Bay. It's the eighth known calf for the animal, known as Wart.
However, NOAA officials said it was concerning that the animals were so far north while water temperatures are so cold.
Ultimately, the agency said, it is "striving to eliminate or minimize the human-associated risks to these marine animals."
Good, bad news on entangled right whale
In the midst of right whale calving season off the Florida-Georgia coasts, federal officials had both positive and negative news to announce this week about endangered North Atlantic right whales.


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T-Pain Video Blog #2: T-Pain Freestyle In Some Bathroom & Jewelry Stuntin! (Chain Game Is Ill)
Jordan Tower reports "THREE RINGS IN STORES NOVEMBER 11th 11-11-08!!!!!! JORDAN TOWER FILMS EXCLUSIVE!!!!!! JTF TO THE DEATH!!!!!!"
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Product 168/358
Item:Supreme Hockey Jersey Shirt
Estimated Delivery Time
Delivery to Australia, New Zealand ,USA ,Europe ,the Middle East & Africa
Order less than 100$ Estimated delivery time for an order is 7-10 working
days by standard shipping.
Order over 100$ is 5-8 days by standard shipping.
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Order less than 65$ plus 15$ shipping cost.


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Friday, April 22, 2011
I Will Drawing That For You! Day 13
16 comments:
- Rita said...
Leprechauns playing tag through an abandoned amusement park.
- April 22, 2011 at 6:58 AM
- Chris said...
(Awesome cowboys!)
Chutes and ladders: the playground version.
- April 22, 2011 at 7:51 AM
- Sarah Anne said...
I like the lephrechaun one!!
- April 22, 2011 at 8:33 AM
Bucking Ram... It's like the game "Ghost in the Graveyard."
- April 22, 2011 at 11:03 AM
- Botterfly Girl said...
Jack Frost playing "Freeze Tag"
- April 22, 2011 at 1:12 PM
- Q said...
It's (just after) Easter, after all, so: a bunch of rabbits having an egg race. You know, the kind where you hold an egg in a spoon in your mouth and try not to drop it in your mad dash to the finish. What happens when all you can do is bounce?
- April 22, 2011 at 2:52 PM
Two owls playing chess in a tree with a full moon. Or, a game of chess going on between an owl and a robin. Since the owl is awake at night and the robin at daytime, there would be a split screen(you know, the two of them facing each other but one side is night and the other day. The center of the board is split down the middle.)
- April 22, 2011 at 4:18 PM
Two children in Candyland playing board games, while eating them.
Two Eskimos bowling with a baby polar bear as the ball, and the pins are penguins.
- April 22, 2011 at 4:32 PM
Plinko. With walruses!
- April 22, 2011 at 6:03 PM
a super intense obstacle course between cats and dogs--and the prize is a golden easter egg! you can choose who is winning-are you a cat or a dog person???
- April 22, 2011 at 8:37 PM
- Clint C. said...
Cole: Disc war games at the Tron arena.
- April 23, 2011 at 1:59 PM
Link and Zelda having marriage problems (that would be awesome)!
- April 23, 2011 at 4:03 PM
- Pica said...
Would a scene from Kid Mercury count, since it was inspired by games?
- April 25, 2011 at 1:02 AM
- Jennifer said...
I'd like to see a heated chess game between two opposing coaches of NBA basketball teams in the middle of the court. The winner decides the outcome of a tied game. Anxious and sweaty players are being held back by referees from leaning over their couches shoulders, watching on with eager anticipation. The fans are on the edges of their seats craning their necks to see the outcome as the time clock ticks away for each of their moves.
- April 25, 2011 at 10:18 AM
um. Apples playing bananagrams and bananas playing apples to apples. yes.
- April 25, 2011 at 10:29 PM
- buttercup said...
Well, since you still haven't posted a drawing we thought we'd throw in a last minute idea....
Ada: kids having a water balloon fight.
- April 27, 2011 at 8:08 AM


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ARCADIA — It was a day of firsts Saturday during the inaugural Sunshine Millions Cal Cup Day at Santa Anita Park, a 10-race program that included six stakes races worth $1,150,000 and drew an on-track crowd of 11,052.
Kent Desormeaux, trying to decide if he wants to return and ride full-time in the Southland, rode his first stakes winners in California since winning the Grade I American Oaks at Betfair Hollywood Park in 2009 when he found the winner's circle with 65-1 shocker Susans Express in the $200,000 California Cup Oaks and Ciao Bella Luna in the $125,000 Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint.
Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and veteran jockey Mike Smith, a pair of Hall of Famers, each won their first Santa Monica Stakes when Scherzinger won the $200,000 Grade II race for older fillies and mares by a length, running the seven furlongs over the main track in 1:22.00.
Jorge Periban, a native of Mexico City who's been training since 1983, won his first stakes race in the U.S. when he saddled Susans Express in the Oaks. The Decarchy filly won by 1 1/4 lengths and returned $132.40, running the one-mile distance on turf against 13 other 3-year-old fillies in 1:34.72.
Desormeaux's main reason for returning to California would be his two sons, Jacob and Joshua, who he'd like to be near. The 43-year-old Desormeaux won three riding titles in the Southland during the 1990s before heading east.
He's named on only one horse today and hopes to make a decision soon about his future. He's seventh all-time in stakes victories at Santa Anita with 130 and sits eighth in overall victories with 1,015 after his two wins Saturday.
"This was a trial run and I have no answer right now, but I will think about it," Desormeaux said of his plans. "It feels great. It's a beautiful day and I was excited about the opportunities I got and had some success with some of them."
Asked if his goal is to return to California, Desormeaux was non-committal.
"It's a consideration," he said.
Other stakes winners Saturday included California Chrome in the $250,000 California Cup Derby, Weewinnin in the $250,000 California Cup Turf Classic and Big Macher in the $125,000 California Cup Sprint.
California Chrome, coming off a 6 1/4-length victory in the King Glorious Stakes at Hollywood Park on Dec. 22, rallied from third in the Derby to beat 9-5 favorite Tamarando by 5 1/2 lengths in the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds on the main track. Ridden by Victor Espinoza, he ran the distance in 1:43.22 while scoring his fourth victory in eight starts.
Trainer Art Sherman is undecided about a run at the Santa Anita Derby on April 5 but thought the Lucky Pulpit colt would run big Saturday.
"He'd been training like a bomb," Sherman said. "He's learned how to rate himself and have speed, and in California that's the type of horse you want, where you can place them close up."
California Chrome went postward at 5-2. Hollendorfer finished 2-3 in the race as Life Is a Joy ran third, 3 1/4 lengths behind Tamarando, who was last early on in the 10-horse field.
"I certainly didn't expect him to be that far back," Hollendorfer said of Tamarando, who won the Grade I Del Mar Futurity last summer.
P-Val says he's done
Patrick Valenzuela, 0 for 20 during the first 20 days of the Santa Anita winter meet, told agent Tom Knust in a text message Saturday morning he is not riding any longer. None of Valenzuela's 20 mounts finished in the money.
Knust said the text read: "I'm sorry, Tom. I'm not riding any longer, I'm sorry."
"He didn't say he was retiring," Knust said. "He said he wasn't riding anymore."
Known as P-Val to his fans, the 51-year-old Valenzuela's career has been filled with suspensions for a variety of reasons. He won the 1989 Kentucky Derby aboard Sunday Silence and has seven Breeders' Cup victories on his resume.
Valenzuela has 4,346 victories in a career that began in 1978.
Follow Art Wilson on Twitter at @Sham73


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CreateSpace books are now on Kindle Direct Publishing
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Foster Care Providers and other residents of Kings and Tulare Counties, California are entitled to check-out any of the Lending Library resources listed on this website. NOTE: Items are not available for check-out outside of Kings and Tulare Counties, California and the items listed in this Lending Library are NOT for sale. However, individuals are welcome to email inquiries to Miriam (firstname.lastname@example.com) about where resources listed on this website may be purchased if their own searches have proven unsuccessful (google.com or amazon.com will often have positive results).
Items are listed in alphabetical order by topic category; you may use the search engine at the top of the page to try to locate specific topics/subject matter. Click on the title below to see a listing of items available by topic area. Click on the title of the item to read a brief description.


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|Syrian chemical tanks [Image Source: Deutsche Welle]
Syria's chemical arms match Israel's nuclear arsenal: defected general
The Syrian regime has a large arsenal of chemical weapons, which matches up to Israel's nuclear arsenal, the defected former head of Syria's chemical warfare program told Al Arabiya on Monday.Meanwhile Syria's UN Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari points to the real threat, saying:
Major-General Adnan Sillu, who defected from the regime earlier this year, was party to top-levels talks about the use of chemical weapons on both rebel fighters and civilians.
He told Al Arabiya where the Syrian regime has stored its chemical weapons in specific cities across the war-torn country, highlighting chemical warehouses in the city of Homs and weapons stored also in scientific research center in Aleppo.
"Syria's chemical arsenal has reached similar levels to Israel's nuclear weapons," he said in the interview. Israel is believed to be one of the world's largest nuclear superpowers.
Sillu, who once led the army's chemical weapons training program, said in June that the main storage sites for mustard gas and nerve agents are supposed to be guarded by thousands of Syrian troops but that they would be easily overrun. "Probably anyone from the Free Syrian Army or any Islamic extremist group could take them over," he said. [more]
"We have repeatedly stated publicly and through diplomatic channels that Syria will not under any circumstances use any chemical weapons that it may have, because it is defending its people from terrorists backed by well-known states, at the forefront of which is the United States of America" [source]
If this were happening in your neighbourhood, what steps would you be taking?


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William Lagasse was my grandfather's nephew.
I don't believe Léo Lagacé Senior ever met William, but maybe he did. I don't believe he ever knew what had happened to William either, but then maybe he did.
I never knew anything about William Lagasse. He was just a name in my genealogy data bank. William Lagasse was the son of Antoine Lagacé (Anthony Lagasse) and Délia Bertrand. This is who I believe are Antoine and Délia.
This photo was sent to me by Sandy, my not so distant cousin anymore in the United States. Sandy does not know who they are, but we think it could be them.
Maybe we could be wrong. The man looks a lot like a Lagacé (Lagasse).
On the left is Stanislas Lagasse born in 1842 and on the right is his son Stanislas born in 1864
Antoine was Stanislas' son and was born in 1863. William is Antoine's son and was born in 1888 the same year his uncle Léo Lagacé Senior was born.
I am sure my great-grandfather Stanislas learned what happened to his grandson William in 1918. I am sure he did because he lived till 1927.
If you want to know what happen to William, click here… I have something to share with you.
If you are somewhat related to William Lagasse or his father Anthony Lagasse, please write me a comment below and I will get in touch.


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Path of the Earth through the Giacobinid streams. (Graphic by Author).
A total wild car meteor shower may be just around the bend. The Draconid meteor shower is usually obscure even on a good year, with rates in the 5-10 per hour doldrums. This peak usually occurs on or around October 8th, and passes with nary a notice. This shower has, however, been prone to sporadic outbursts of storm level intensity. 2011 might just be one of those years. [Read more...]


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This clip from an early 1990's AT&T concept video shows a futuristic world of voice recognition, networked computing and nearly sentient robotic sous chefs. And yet our protagonist's computer doesn't even know the word "HURRY." But what our machines lack in vocabulary they more than make up for in obnoxious pop up coupons right on your phone!
I digitized this from a VHS tape but sadly don't have an exact date or name for it. You see, in the early days of the Paleofuture blog I started researching and digitizing every retrofuturistic artifact I could find at a frenzied and obsessive pace. So obsessive in fact, I would often forget to go to class. In my haste, I would sometimes get sloppy and not label every DV tape or image file. Any ideas about the exact title of this AT&T concept video are much appreciated.
Previously on Paleofuture:
- Pacific Bell Concept Video (1991)
- GTE's Classroom of the Future (1987)
- Connections: AT&T's Vision of the Future (1993)
- Writer and Producer of Connections: AT&T's Vision of the Future


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Creative Spa Programming
In programming a club spa, a common mistake is to "transplant" popular, high-profile spa services - the kind typically offered at resort spas - into our industry. This approach may achieve a modicum of success, but it is surely the least effective way of developing a treatment program that will maximize sales at your club.
Programming Needs to Be Market Driven
Spa programming in a club setting needs to be conceived in terms of the needs and expectations of your target market. It also needs to be appropriate to your industry market segment.
The spa industry market segments (i.e., destination, resort/hotel and day spas) differ significantly from one another in terms of buyer demographics, treatment emphasis and goals. For example, one significant difference is that people who go to resort spas usually only visit once; day-spa goers, on the other hand, make repeated visits. Accordingly, programming can be more therapeutic and goal-oriented, as progress toward a goal can be easily measured and realized in the day-spa (or club) setting.
To get the best indication of what will be successful at your club, spend the time and money researching the different buyer groups likely to use your spa. Keep in mind your target market is two-fold: members and non-members from the local community. (Few club spas can subsist on business from members alone.)
Survey your membership regarding which spa services they would be most interested and willing to purchase at the club. Research indicates that the most in-demand services are massage, facials and nail services, and hair styling the least popular service.
With regard to the local community, investigate all day-spa competition that exists within a five- to seven-mile radius of the club. Conduct focus groups comprising affluent local residents (one for males, the other for females) to provide you with valuable programming input. In return for their help, you can offer them a complimentary spa service.
Spa Services Most in Demand
Generally speaking, spa programming that addresses practical beauty and grooming needs (e.g., nail services, scrubs, waxing, facials) and therapeutic modalities (e.g., neuromuscular and sports massage, acupuncture, Shiatsu, nutritional counseling and assessments) and anti-aging treatments tend to do the best. Members are extremely time-pressed, so shorter-length services that can be tacked on to the end of a regularly scheduled visit to the club, such as a 25-minute massage (specific to an area) or mini-facial, are popular.
Members also tend to book impulsively and often wait until the last minute. Since this is very detrimental to planning your payroll effectively, mount an effort to encourage members to book their services at least a few days in advance - to ensure they get the therapist and the time slot they desire.
On the other hand, you can also cash in on member impulsiveness. Offer blackboard specials at the front desk during afternoon prime time in which you publicize last-minute ap-pointment availabilities, as well as any specials or discounts.
Members Are Price-sensitive
In order to encourage member trial and achieve long-term success, offer preferential pricing on spa services to your members. This pricing can be in the form of a discount of 10 to 25 percent taken at the point of sale. There is no need to print this discounted member price in your spa brochure. Members can be made aware of this valuable membership perk through normal club communications.
Service Is Your Key to Success
As in the membership business, your spa's success will hinge on two pivotal factors: client referral and client retention. This means that the service component of what you offer needs to be consistently five-star. Never lose sight of the fact that your key organizational asset is your spa staff, and there is no substitute for good hiring decisions, staff training and development, and on-going quality control.
Deborah Smith is president of Smith Club & Spa Specialists of Aspen, Colo., which provides spa development, design, marketing and programming consulting services to the spa industry. She can be contacted at [email protected]
Keys to Club Spa Success
- Offer shorter, lower-priced treatments to attract members.
What's Hot
Research indicates that the most in-demand services are:


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Introducing Immanix: a Java library to process XML using parser combinators
28/02/2011 Leave a comment
Processing XML files is a PITA. There. I said it. Processing XML files using the Java standard XML API, i.e. JAXP is even worse. There are some nicer APIs out there that alleviate this pain, like XPATH, XStream, JAXB, Castor, etc.
But still, they all fail in some point or another, ranging from being verbose and tedious to write to not being able to handle large XML streams.
The latter is a killer for many of the higher level approaches out there. Try using XPATH or any mapping library on a file weighing more than a couple of megabytes.
To handle such cases, we are usually left with StAX. Don't get me wrong: StAX is not that bad an API, and I'd take it any day instead of JAXP even for small files. It still is a very low level API and parsing the simplest of files requires an impressive amount of code. Also, handling state with StAX is a painful exercice. You usually end up building a full-fledged state machine to do it.
It's in dealing with such cases that I thought that there must be a better way to do this. And that's how immanix was born.
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