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4457997 necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 272 diseños de 56 diseñadores freelance.
Arabic Word for Employee Suggestion Scheme in English language called (Creative, Ideas, etc.)
My organisation is specialized in Highway and Infrastructure Design and Construction and from our value in continuous improvement and get our employees satisfaction by building a system in an employee suggestion scheme.
An Employee suggestion scheme can be described as a formalised mechanism, which encourages employees to contribute constructive ideas for improving the organisation in which they work. The overall aim of these schemes is to gather, analyse, and implement ideas in order to create results that have a positive impact on the business and or deliver new value to customers.
Our Target is our employees which can encouraged and enabled to offer ideas relating to the business which can enable organisations to find new sources of competitive advantage.
New ideas might relate to:
1.New products and services
2.Improvement of current products and services
3.Improvement of processes (e.g. continuous improvement initiatives).
It is important that organisations proactively seek feedback and suggestions and that mechanisms are established that encourage and facilitate the provision of ideas and feedback from employees.
Logo shouldn't contain words because i will use the Arabic word beside the logo and as i understand maybe it is hard to you to type word (creative) in Arabic language.
Be creative. Something new that I cannot find as a picture, graphics or pic art that currently exists on the internet. That is a no pass. Original is what I am looking for. Let your talent show through. Simple yet elegant, professional and inviting.
I will use the logo in emails, business cards, stationary and marketing materials. In essense branding.
Not for limitation the ideas from you but I like in logo to be in several colors and mixing them in unique way and creating an something related to (Creativity, Idea, Sharing, Improvement, Development, out of the box, ect. )
Need in format that I can use in templates for Photoshop, word, excel, powerpoint etc. You are the experts, give me the best you got and I am sure you will. Thank you in advance and looking forward to what you have to offer.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Call us: 01606 780260
Discover our range of green and khaki trouser braces all available for next day delivery.
My gift was gratefully received and delivered very quickly
Brought a pair of braces as a gift for my dad, they came quickly in the post. The are really good quality so much so he has asked for another pair for fathers day.
nice comfortable good and easy to adjust
Fantastic service! Superb braces! Thank you. I did ring your number on the day my two pairs of Y braces arrived but you were unavailable. What I was going say then I will say now.....Really speedy service, my goods arrived in less than 24hrs of my ordering, beautifully packed and in perfect condition. Well done. John F
Had your braces for many years great product first time I have bought on line because of obvious reasons the always get admired
Pleased with work braces, bought for my husband.
Prompt delivery. Excellent, high quality, product. Highly recommended.
A great selection of braces for all your uses good price and excellent service nice quality too.
My husband bought these for me in a lovely girlie pink, there absolute fabulous and do a great job of keeping my biking jeans up and are extremely comfortable. I would highly recommend.
excellent braces we will order more asap Thank you Sally Clark
Great service and excellent product at reasonable prices
Very prompt service, i cant comment on the braces as they were a gift.
Good choice, good quality, good service. Now my 'go to' place for braces
Good quality brace, exactly as described and quick delivery. Would recommend.
Very impressed with the service-braces arrived quickly, communication was excellent and love the braces! Would definitely buy from this company again.
Exactly what my husband wanted.
My husband loved these braces. They are strong enough to wear with work trousers yet very comfortable because they are wide.
Very happy with my order! Arrived very quickly. The braces are good quality. I've bought them as a birthday present for someone and I'm sure they'll love them.
These braces are excellent, fun to look at and certainly the only ones that keep the trousers in place. Would highly reccomend
God quality and great service. Thanks
Delivered on time. Comfortable to wear,

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Dog food reviews
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Dry Dog Foods
4 Star Premium Dry Food
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Naturapet Innova Large Breed Puppy Dry
Date of last review
Sun April 12, 2009
Recommended By
Average Price
Average Rating
100% of reviewers
None indicated
None indicated
Calorie Content:
3,566 kcal/kg (102 g = 1 cup)
367 kcal/cup (3.6 oz = 1 cup)
Turkey, chicken, chicken meal, barley, brown rice, rice, potatoes, chicken fat, pea fiber, egg, natural flavors, flaxseed, apples, sunflower oil, pumpkin, carrots, potassium chloride, sea salt, herring oil, cottage cheese, alfalfa sprouts, dried chicory root, direct-fed microbials, lecithin, rosemary extract, vitamins/minerals
Guaranteed analysis:
Crude Protein (min) 24 %
Crude Fat (min) 12 %
Crude Fiber (max) 4 %
Moisture (max) 10 %
Linoleic Acid (Omega-6 Fatty Acid) (min) 2.5 %
Calcium (max) 0.9 %
Phosphorus (min) 0.7 %
Vitamin E (min) 300 IU/kg
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) (min) 500 mg/kg
Omega-3 Fatty Acids (min) 0.5 %
Total Microorganisms (min) 90000000 CFU/lb
DHA plus EPA 0.1 %
Typical analysis:
Moisture 7.5 %
Protein 24.48 %
Fat 12.2 %
Linoleic Acid 2.55 %
Omega 3 0.54 %
Arachidonic Acid 0.08 %
Carbohydrates 48.31 %
Fiber 2.47 %
Ash 5.45 %
Calcium 0.9 %
Phosphorous 0.72 %
Magnesium 0.1 %
Sodium 0.3 %
Potassium 0.9 %
Chloride 0.57 %
Iron 105.44 mg/kg
Zinc 183.61 mg/kg
Copper 13.43 mg/kg
Iodine 2.64 mg/kg
Manganese 25.47 mg/kg
Selenium 0.48 mg/kg
Arginine 1.66 %
Histidine 0.53 %
Isoleucine 0.95 %
Leucine 1.68 %
Lysine 1.45 %
Methionine 0.55 %
Met-Cysteine 0.85 %
Phenylalanine 1.02 %
Phe-Tyrosine 1.7 %
Threonine 0.92 %
Tryptophan 0.26 %
Valine 1.15 %
Taurine 857.3 mg/kg
Choline 1578.76 mg/kg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 4.11 mg/kg
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 5.95 mg/kg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 46.79 mg/kg
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 5.4 mg/kg
Folic Acid 0.76 mg/kg
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) 20.08 mg/kg
Biotin 0.11 mg/kg
Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin) 70 ug/kg
Vitamin A 22634,97 IU/kg
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) 525.64 mg/kg
Vitamin D 2169.46 IU/kg
Vitamin E 350.43 IU/kg
Vitamin K 336.4 ug/kg
Calculated Calorie Content* 3577.51 kcal/kg
*Calculated amounts may differ from packaging as some packaging values are based on available feeding trial data.
Nutritional statement:
Animal feeding tests using AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) procedures substantiate that Innova Large Breed Puppy Food provides complete and balanced nutrition for growth. This product is intended solely for large and giant breed puppies under 2 years of age. For large breed dogs older than 2 years of age refer to Innova Large Breed Adult Dog Food.
Post a Reply
Registered: October 2005
Posts: 3953
Review Date:
Sun April 12, 2009
Would you recommend the product?
| Price you paid?:
Not Indicated
| Rating:
First three ingredients are named meat products, good quality ingredients
Insufficient meat content
The first three ingredients of this food are named meat products. The first two of these are inclusive of water content (about 80%). Once that is removed, as it must be to create a dehydrated product, the ingredients will weigh around 20% of their wet weight. It is thus likely that these dry ingredients may be more accurately placed much further down the ingredient list than the wet form (ingredients are listed in order of weight). Since the ingredient list is still headed by a meat meal ingredient, this does not cause considerable loss of confidence in the likely meat content of the food.
Behind the main meat ingredient, there are three grains and potato. With only one true meat meal ingredient ahead of the grain content, it appears likely that this food contains a greater amount of grain than meat (note this includes two forms of rice). The grains are, at least, good quality whole grains.
Pea fiber is filler, though this is a minor ingredient in the food. There is a range of oils high in omega 3 & 6 fatty acids, as well as some amount of fruits/vegetables and egg. We appreciate the range of probiotics.
Overall, this food appears to be of good quality and uses decent ingredients. It would appear to be rather grain heavy, however, and animals may benefit from the addition of real meat to the diet.
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Bollywood Journal: The Emotional Core of 'Talaash'
By Daniel Ashwin Pillai
Director Reema Kagti's eagerly awaited drama "Talaash" opens worldwide on Nov. 30 with Aamir Khan, Rani Mukherjee and Kareena Kapoor in lead roles.
The film centers on a high-profile police investigation into the death of a film star. During the investigation, the lives of inspector Shekhawat (Mr. Khan), his wife Shreya (Ms. Mukherjee) and a prostitute called Rosy (Ms. Kapoor) are linked in unexpected ways. The inspector and his wife are also forced to confront the emotions of loss, pain and confusion in connection with a past incident that involved the death of their son.
The promotions for "Talaash" show a dark world without glamour, something that isn't typical of Bollywood. Does that suggest "Talaash" is part of the Indian movie industry's new non-commercial wave? Ms. Kagti doesn't think so.
"'Talaash' is a commercial film and no one should think otherwise," the director told The Wall Street Journal's India Real Time. "I believe that loss, pain, sadness, and confusion can be commercial too and this is what my film explores. Just like the conventional Bollywood film, 'Talaash' is gripping and entertaining while bringing a new set of emotions to what we normally consider commercial."
"'Talaash' was a very tough film to make... I wanted to move the viewers by showing the darker side to the human emotions we're so used to seeing in Bollywood movies… Also, I don't want viewers to simply sit and watch, I want them to identify with the emotions of loss and pain that the characters are experiencing," she said.
In addition to sitting in the director's chair, Ms. Kagti co-wrote the screenplay of "Talaash" with filmmaker and writer Zoya Akhtar. The duo was also behind 2011's runaway success "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara."
What inspired Ms. Kagti to write and direct a suspense drama like "Talaash" after her 2007 directorial debut "Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd," a light-hearted romantic comedy? And how much of the dark emotions in "Talaash" are taken from her own life?
"I don't intentionally decide the genre of the film I want to make, I let my ideas flow organically, and this is how I arrived at 'Talaash,'" she says. "Zoya and I were chilling out and the idea came from something she had said briefly while we were brainstorming. The one comment turned into an idea and an idea into a story. It's quite natural."
Ms. Kagti added that the process of writing a film is very personal and that her own experiences sometimes find their way into her work. "'Talaash' has some of me in it, but I won't tell you where."
She explains that the three Bollywood stars in the film had different approaches and processes when it came to acting. Mr. Khan and Ms. Mukherjee loved the preparation, doing homework and understanding her thoughts about the film and its characters, while Ms. Kapoor was more spontaneous and avoided over-preparing as she believes it "prevents her from giving her best."
"Despite the differences in their approaches to acting, Aamir, Rani and Kareena were able to transcend their personas as big superstars and completely enter the skin of the emotions of 'Talaash.' We had to collaborate with one another, we shared ideas and discussed their characterizations in depth," Ms. Kagti added.
"Talaash" opens Friday.
Daniel is an expert on Indian movies and the celebrated 'Bollywood Insider' on Canadian entertainment show 'Bollywood Boulevard.' You can follow him on Twitter @Daniel_Pillai.
Follow India Real Time on Twitter @indiarealtime.
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New York's KMR Communications presents a special gift giveaway for one lucky Splash Reader. The gift pack includes a $50.00 gift certificate to the ultra posh Bruno Jamais Supper Club on Manhattan's Upper East Side, a collection of David Scott Cosmetics, Esente Skin Care products, Linden Leaves, In Love Again collection and a stunning Cuff Bracelet from the Bridget Lynne Collection of fine Jewelry. The total value for this fabulous giveaway is well over $300.00.
Before you begin your special Valentine's evening start by luxuriating in the Linden Leaves collection of In Love Again, bath and body products. Imported from New Zealand, In Love Again, comes in scented Vanilla and Sandalwood foaming shower gel, body oil and moisturizing lotion.
In addition to the In Love Again bath and body collection, pamper yourself with an Esente Hydrating Cucumber Mask facial to rejuvenate dry winter skin and be amazed with the fresh glowing results! Before you apply David Scott Cosmetics try the Esente Bio-Lift Lipoic Complex moisturizer to protect and restore damaged skin. And finish your skin care needs with Esente Bio-Plex Night Repair.
You will be so pleased, dear reader, with the results from your use of the Esente Skin Care line that your normal make-up routine just won't seem right. So try the collection of David Scott Cosmetics. Foundation that matches perfectly your skin needs without yellowing or fading. A slight blush to accentuate your cheek bones and translucent powder to create classic timeless beauty.
Finally ready: A simple understated piece of Jewelry from the Bridget Lynne Design collection. Bridget Lynne Nielsen, the inspiration and artist behind the collection of the same name is a New York State resident with a passion for fashion, beauty and classic jewelry design. Her love of art and gemology evolved, after years of study, into her collection of upscale, timeless, classic jewelry. Her gift to one lucky reader is the pictured Cuff Bracelet.
Now to dinner. What can be said about simply the most posh and very elegant Bruno Jamais Supper Club on Manhattan's Upper East Side? Opposite the grand façade of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a perfect place for an after dinner stroll, nestled in an historic Mansion, guests are welcomed to an incomparable dining experience.
Bruno Jamais offers two wine cellars to cater to even the most exclusive tastes. The magnificent wine selection ranges from a moderate priced, $40.00 per bottle to the amazing $9,000.00 per bottle. Mr. Jamais' generosity in allowing his restaurant to be used for events has allowed me to sample both wine and hor'dourves. The white wine, even for my unsophisticated palette, was smooth and light with a subtle fragrance and at first sip, charming and inviting.
Master Chef and culinary genius, John Keller offers magnificent culinary creations fusing Asian and French cuisine to create an entrée menu guaranteed to please even the most sophisticated palette. For your evening of fine pleasure and romance try A Duo of Lamb or Porterhouse for Two with bordelaise sauce and potato gratin. Chef Keller's specialty, the Lobster Brulee appetizer is filled with succulent lobster and a sweet sauce with mushroom duxelle.
Desserts are a must have and range from the sorbet de jour to chocolate soufflé. If you are going, and on Valentine's Day Chocolate is a must, so go all the way and get the soufflé. You can enjoy this dining experience with a $50.00 gift certificate good for six months from the date of issue.
On this Valentine's Day Splash Reader enjoy pampering yourself with good food, fine wine and amour!
For one Splash Reader this entire collection of skincare, body lotions, cosmetics, jewelry and an incomparable dining experience is yours! To enter this contest follow this link mailto:[email protected] add Splash Reader Valentine's Day in the subject. Please include name and contact information.
Winners will be selected randomly and notified via email. Bruno Jamais Supper Club gift certificate can be used up to six months from the date of issue. All other prizes will be forwarded through KMR Communications, Inc. http://www.kmrpr.com
For information on the products listed:


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Hi again everyone
I had a go at building micro scale for the current contest
Pic is Flickr link
BS link when moderated
Comments & critisism always welcome
smcginnis wrote:Cool! I can only hope DARKspawn doesn't enter... j/k.
LORD DOOM wrote:Is it just me though or is that rock the identical shape as the cliff you used in your vig with princess storm and the skellies?
DARKspawn wrote: It's the same technique but I pulled it off studlessly this time Here's that vig for comparrison.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests


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SHOPS and businesses of Northwich's yesteryear are featured in this week's Remember When after two intriguing advertisements were brought in by a Lostock man.
Keith Adams thought Guardian readers may be interested in looking at the adverts, which feature Fred R Yarwood's footwear and the Post Office.
"I was given them a couple of years back and with them being so old thought they'd be good to bring in," he said.
Both the adverts, which have been framed, are full of interest for those interested in Northwich town centre's history.
Fred R Yarwood was at 29 Witton Street, which has kept its footwear tradition as it is currently Shoe Zone.
The shop boasted 'a large stock of boots, leggings etc' as well as 'boots specially made for golfing, hunting, fishing etc' and also pointed out that it was 'contractor to HM the King's Auxiliary Forces, patronised by the nobility'.
The advert also features the shop's telephone number 3y2.
The second advert appears to be for a livery stable at the General Post Masters, in Cross Street, which no longer exists, and refers to the branch office at 28 Witton Street, now Quality Save.
Keith said: "I can't remember where that was in Cross Street and I'm 80 years old."
This advert highlights 'elegant wedding carriages, omnibuses, char-a-banc and waggonettes for private and picnic parties' as well as 'post horses and private carriages for hire'.
It also shows the stable next to T Astles joiner and undertaker.
If anyone has any more information or if these pictures have prompted further memories contact Gina Bebbington at firstname.lastname@example.com, ring 01606 813624 or visit the office at 5 Theatre Court.


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R. Kelly's Nephew Shot In Failed Robbery! (R. Kelly's Brother Speaks)
My Fox reports "R. Kelly's nephew was shot Thursday afternoon. Kelly' Brother. the victims dad, says police told him the shooting was in a connection to a robbery"
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Even though the mercury's dropping, die-hard sports fans know we're just getting to the best part of football season, when every game is do-or-die and championships are an arm's reach away. Some might even argue, especially those in the Midwest, that the cold is an inherent part of the tailgate experience, that tailgating just wouldn't be right without it (like port-a-johns or beer).
To keep your spirits high and your bellies warm, here are some tasty new treats to take with you while tailgating:
Kettle Bakes- With new flavors like Sour Cream and Onion, these baked-not-fried potato chips are addictive (and contain 65% less fat!). They're made ofactual slices of potato, not mashed up potato meal, which gives it the hearty crunch every snacker craves.
Tyrrells English Crisps- These super crunchy chips from England come in funky flavors, like Worcestershire Sauce and Sundried Tomato, but our favorites were the Sweet Chilli and Red Pepper and the Sea Salt and Cider Vinegar ones.
Hot Dogs:
Nueske's Smoked Weiners- We recently tried and loved these. With just the right level of smokiness and a great snap (thanks to a natural casing), these pork and beef dogs char up beautifully on the grill. Available through mail-order at nueskes.com.
Aidells Awesome Apple Chicken Hot Dogs: Not a red meat eater? Try these dogs, meaty with just a touch of sweetness from the apple.
Salt Lick BBQ Trio- While these aren't new, we can't get enough of this Texas classic's line of barbecue sauces, especially the spicy one. Use the rub sparingly (it's pretty salty), but feel free to slather that sauce onto everything from chicken to brats to ribs. Available through mail-order at saltlickbbq.com.
Eat Well Enjoy Life Spicy Yellow Lentil Hummus- This creamy, dreamy dip is a refreshing variation on classic hummus. The heat level provides just enough kick to keep things interesting while the chopped up dried apricots bring a hint of sweet tang.
For more tips on a great tailgate, check out my colleague's, Chris Malloy's, post.


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Capella C3 Series
Add to cart
The minimum purchase order quantity for the product is 1
Volume booster relay, YT-325 is used in pneumatic control valve which receives positioner's output signal and supply air pressure actuator to reduce response and adjusting time.
"Industrial Technical Services is a single source Instrumentation and Automation company. We provide certified calibrations, PLC programming, custom controls and Panels".
Please fill details below and one of our representative will contact you shortly.
YT-300 Small Size 1/4" Volume Booster
YT-305 Small size (1/4" Stainless Steel 316) Volume Booster
YT-320 Medium size 1/2" Volume Booster
YT-310 Large Size (3/4") Volume Booster
YT-315 Medium size 1/2" (Stainless Steel Type)


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HOUSTON – There's a new weapon in MLS these days and teams have been put on the alert of late. Goals off throw-ins have become increasingly prevalent this season and the Houston Dynamo were the most recent victims on Sunday in their first-ever competitive loss at BBVA Compass Stadium.
"Now, the way teams are playing, more plays are set pieces and every team seems to have a guy now that throws the ball in the box," Houston defender Bobby Boswell said. "I think across the league there are more teams trying to create havoc. Instead of trying to play out of it [the throw-in], teams are just putting the ball in the box.
"Sometimes you don't realize how far you can throw a ball and the set-up for it is to bring more guys back rather than playing it straight up," Boswell continued. "We had a meeting not too long ago that we watched video and we weren't the sharpest on throw-ins, me included. We've got to be sharper on those."
READ: Breaking down the streak: Most memorable moments of Dynamo's 36-game unbeaten run
Against Sporting, Boswell got a first-hand look at the danger a throw-in can present when Aurelien Collin scored the game-winner off a Seth Sinovic throw-in to end Houston's record home unbeaten streak.
Defending a throw-in into the box requires a whole new level of focus. And that's what makes the play so dangerous. It can catch a team off-guard or put them in a position to have to make a tough choice about how to balance their backline.
In addition to the throw-in goal vs. KC, the team was also victimized by a Chicago Fire throw-in which led to a Chris Rolfe goal in April.
Besides that, Houston's set-piece defending has also gone through some rough patches early this season. The normally sturdy Dynamo set-piece defense has conceded three goals on dead balls in 2013 after only conceding a league-low five in all of 2012. Factor in the two throw-ins and that's five goals of 10 conceded by the Dynamo thus far (50 percent).
READ: After weekend loss, Dynamo have chance to start new home streak vs. New England
The goals conceded may have been costly, but the Dynamo are still off to a franchise-best start and manager Dominic Kinnear refuses to hit the panic button.
"People want to cause alarms and create negatives out of something, but I don't see it," Kinnear said. "I think we've defended [the throw-in] pretty well, just not that one. They test you. There were a lot of balls in the box and obviously it's the winning goal."
Added captain Brad Davis; "It's something we talk about and look at, but I wouldn't necessarily say it's something to worry about. But without a doubt it's something you try to tune into and be ready for because set pieces can win games and lose games. This past weekend we happened to lose on one. So without a doubt, it's something to focus on."
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com.


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Lyndsay Wilson- 1998 Plymouth Voyager
To motor around town, third-year UVA student Lyndsay Wilson mans a good ole reliable 1998 Plymouth Voyager. ("Not a Grand Voyager," she says, "just a Voyager!")
While it's great for junkets from Downtown to Barracks Road, when the Voyager hits the open road– as it did last weekend on a trip to D.C.– things get more interesting.
"I thought I was hit by the boogey man," says Wilson. A victim of Chancellor Street hi-jinks, the van's passenger side mirror was ripped off. Wilson, unshaken, jammed the mirror back in and headed north. About an hour later, her quick fix failed. The mirror flew off, and– dangling wildly– banged against the side of the car again and again. By the time she stopped, the whole thing had completely let go and shattered on the ground.
"The Mini," as she lovingly calls her ride, has its fair share of dings, including a dent on the trunk and scratches on the side. Wilson's mother bought the van brand new in 1998 without power windows or even a back door on the driver's side and Wilson's been driving it since 2001. Wilson loves her Mini– even with all its flaws.
"They give it character," she says. "I used to get mad because I want to take care of my Mini, but I love her all the same." (However, she doesn't love it so much that she wouldn't consider trading it for a Grand Cherokee.)
Recently, Wilson and Mini were pulled over by a cop on foot in Newark, and she's thankful that the escapades show no signs of stopping.
"I give her a little kiss and say, 'Way to go, Mini!'"
What drives you? Call 295-8700 ext. 239, then pull up in front of Hook headquarters at 100 Second St. NW and tell us why you love your ride.
Lyndsay Wilson


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DEAR AMY: We had to put our cat down. We had no idea that he had health issues, and we woke up early one morning to the cat crying out in pain. We rushed him to the vet, where the decision was made to put him down.
The vet said that treatment might prolong his life by a few months. We did not want to see him suffer.
I am having a rough time. I cry when I am alone. I cry when I see pet commercials.
I put away everything that reminds me of the cat. But the last sight of seeing the cat in pain plays over and over in my head. I have had pets for most of my life, but these were my parents' pets, not mine. I spent most of the day with the cat since everyone else was either at work or school.
My kids seem OK with what has happened, but why am I struggling?
So Sad
DEAR SAD: There is no loss quite like the loss of a pet; these animals keep us company through important life passages and are beloved witnesses to our lives.
I understand your instinct to put away all of your cat's things, but it may help you now to memorialize your pet by creating a temporary shrine of sorts. Each family member can write down favorite things about him or memories of him; read their memories aloud and put the papers inside his bowl. The idea is to replace those traumatic last memories with much more lively memories taking place over the bulk of the animal's life.
Time will then do its job, which is to impose perspective. Then, when you're ready, I hope you will adopt another animal.
DEAR AMY: My divorced brother had an on-again, off-again relationship with my divorced sister-in-law (my wife's sister), which has ruined our family gatherings. We are all in our 50s.
My brother will not attend family gatherings if she is attending. He will stay home despite the fact that his sons will come to my house for family gatherings by themselves.
My brother will ask my mother to check with us to see if my sister-in-law is attending. It has gotten to the point where if my mother finds out that my sister-in-law is going to be at our home, she will plan a separate party for my brother. She argues that my sister-in-law and my brother were making a future together and now he is shattered. My wife and I think his behavior is immature and that my mother is enabling his bad behavior. When I told my mother this, she hung up on me. I am hoping you can share your views on this situation. We are hopeful that a sane reply in print may make a difference.
DEAR DISGUSTED: Given the family dynamic, I don't think a sane reply in print will make much difference, but my perspective is that the more your mother interferes and compensates, the longer your brother's heartache will be prolonged.
Whether a person is 5 or 50 years old, the best message to send when someone is hurting is, "I'm so sorry. This is tough. You can feel better and you will feel better. You can do it."
Your mother is conveying the opposite, and your brother is responding accordingly.
Send questions to firstname.lastname@example.com or Ask Amy, Chicago Tribune, TT500, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611.


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Researchers at the University of Delaware have discovered a novel technique--that acts like a "spell-checker" for correcting a misspelling in the DNA code--to repair the defective gene that causes spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). This hereditary neuromuscular disease is the number-one genetic killer of children under two years old.
Babies born with Type 1 SMA, the most severe form of the disease, can't walk, crawl, sit unsupported, lift their heads, or breathe normally. Fifty percent die before their second birthday.
The research is published in the Jan. 14 online edition of Experimental Cell Research. The study was supported by $477,500 in National Tobacco Settlement funds to the state of Delaware. The research grant was awarded through the Delaware Health Fund.
"Think of it like a spell-check program--we're erasing the wrong letter in the DNA code and putting the right one in," said Eric Kmiec, professor of biological sciences at UD.
Kmiec, who holds 14 patents for gene-editing technologies at the University, collaborated with research scientist Darlise DiMatteo and undergraduate Stephanie Callahan on the discovery in his laboratory at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute.
The technique has shown promising results in tests in mice and is now poised for development by OrphageniX Inc., based in Wilmington, Del. The start-up company was incorporated in 2005 to commercialize UD-patented technologies for repairing genes that cause rare, hereditary, "orphan" diseases, so named because they have not been "adopted" by the pharmaceutical industry for the development of treatments.
According to the Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy, an international, nonprofit organization, the disease affects one in 6,000 babies born, and one in 40 people is a genetic carrier.
A genetic 'bandage'
Spinal muscular atrophy is caused by a mutation in the SMN1 gene, which affects the motor neurons, the nerve cells in the spinal cord that control the muscles of the rib cage and limbs, which are essential for breathing, swallowing, sitting and walking.
Each gene is made up of a length of DNA, a code composed of the four chemical units that make up the genetic alphabet: A for adenine, G for guanine, C for cytosine and T for thymine.
In spinal muscular atrophy, a defect occurs in the SMN1 gene. There's a letter out of place--a T (thymine) occurs where there should be a C (cytosine). As a result, the gene doesn't make a protein that the motor nerves in the spinal cord need to survive, which leads to the gradual atrophy, or wasting, of the muscles.
To replace the function of the defective SMN1 gene, the UD research team used a gene in the human body that is nearly an exact copy (SMN2). Then they introduced a small fragment of this healthy gene's DNA--a genetic "bandage" referred to as an oligonucleotide--into a diseased cell, triggering the cell to heal itself.
Tests of the technique in mice with spinal muscular atrophy, conducted by Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, showed "very promising results" with the development of healthy muscle in the animals, Kmiec said.
"Babies with SMA die early in life," Kmiec noted. "But if we can deliver the healing agent to the appropriate cell, we can help address this horrible disease. We're not looking at a cure, but we hope this technique could lead to a series of treatments that could alleviate the symptoms and improve the quality of life of patients," Kmiec said.
The technique, known as targeted gene alteration (TGA), is among a group of UD-patented technologies under development by OrphageniX, a pre-clinical development stage biotechnology company that has moved quickly out of the starting gate since its launch in February 2007.
"OrphageniX plans to develop a treatment for spinal muscular atrophy with help from expert consultants in the field," Michael Herr, chief executive officer, said.
The development of a treatment for SMA would advance to clinical testing within a year from funding by either investors or commercial collaborators, Herr noted.
Patients with the less severe, Type III form of spinal muscular atrophy would be targeted for initial human trials. Although individuals with Type III SMA suffer from a range of muscle weakness and fatigue quickly, the disease generally is not life-threatening at this stage.
Herr said that OrphageniX is committed to helping people by commercializing scientific breakthroughs, but he noted that, "we must also provide an adequate return to investors for OrphageniX to succeed."
Truly translational research
For his latest research to be truly "translational," extending from the lab bench to the bedside, Kmiec said it has been critical to involve people like Darlise DiMatteo, who have a keen understanding of spinal muscular atrophy.
DiMatteo, who joined Kmiec's research team a year ago, formerly worked at Nemours Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, where she conducted research studies of muscular dystrophy and SMA for more than a decade. The world-renowned children's hospital continues to be an important partner on the project, Kmiec said.
"We've received significant assistance from Drs. Vicky Funanage and Wenlan Wang at A. I. duPont Hospital," Kmiec noted. "They would be a natural choice for clinical trials in SMA."
"I love coming to work knowing that this research could make a difference for families affected by this disease," DiMatteo said. "It's intriguing--why does a deficit in this particular protein cause this disease" And why do humans have an SMN2 gene that's almost identical to SMN1 when animals don't have that kind of backup" The effort will have been worth it if we can help find the answers."
The research also has had a profound effect on Stephanie Callahan, an undergraduate student at UD who helped carry out the laboratory experiments, working under DiMatteo's guidance.
Callahan had the opportunity to participate in the project through a summer internship in the IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program offered by the Delaware Biotechnology Institute when she was a student at Delaware Technical and Community College. Now she's finishing up her degree in biological sciences with a concentration in biotechnology and wants to pursue her master's degree at UD. After completing her education, she hopes to get a job doing research in industry, perhaps at a pharmaceutical company.
"It really opened my eyes to the possibilities and the potential applications of what you can do in the lab," Callahan said. "It's been a great experience for me."
Kmiec said the research so far has all the elements of a "real Delaware story"--connecting UD, A. I. duPont Hospital for Children, tobacco settlement funding awarded by the state, and a start-up company fueled by Delaware investors--and he's excited about the future.
"Publishing an article in a research journal is not the accomplishment--that is what some of us are paid to do, and my colleagues do this as well as I," Kmiec said. "But the fact that the research program is translational and is working in that direction with outside validation and support is the real news. I hope our experience will help UD and other researchers like us realize their technology possibilities," he added.
"What we've discovered--this gene spell-check--sounds very simple, where you erase one letter and put the right one in," Kmiec noted, "but finding the pathway has taken a long time, since 1994. Now, with this latest development, we've taken a laser shot out of the primordial soup. It's a chance finally to make a difference for families with this disease."


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True grit: <I>Hotel Rwanda</I> shows horror, heroics
Just when I'd settled on Saw as the best horror film of 2004, along came Hotel Rwanda with its depiction of real-life horror on a grand scale. The choice isn't as simple as Freddy vs. Jason, but there's room in the marketplace for both.
The genocide in Rwanda in 1994 was reported widely but not deeply in the U.S., and Director Terry George creates a stomach-churning depiction of events without showing more than the PG-13 rating allows.
He told the audience at a screening that occupying Germans, early in the 20th century, divided the Rwandans into two groups. The lighter-skinned Tutsis, comprising about 20 percent of the population, became the ruling elite, lording it over the darker-skinned Hutu majority. Control of the country was passed from Germany to Belgium, which maintained the division. (The Germans are omitted from the brief summary in the film.)
When the Belgians left, the Hutus seized power in Rwanda and began retaliating against the Tutsis for the decades of oppression they'd suffered. The situation peaked in 1994 when, just as the United Nations thought they'd brokered a peace agreement, militant Hutu forces pushed for total annihilation of the Tutsis, nearly a million of whom were slaughtered, mostly with machetes and clubs.
As Schindler's List focused on one man's bravery in the Holocaust, Hotel Rwanda is about a man, a Hutu with a Tutsi wife, who sheltered over 1,000 people in the Hotel des Mille Collines in Kigali.
Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle) is a manager who's aware of the importance of "style" and of kissing up to the right people– officers and diplomats who drink at the hotel bar and leave with complimentary bottles in their briefcases.
The good news of the treaty is quickly countered with bad news of the assassination of the Hutu president and a call to "Cut the tall trees"– wipe out those people the Hutus consider "cockroaches."
Paul is home with his wife, Tatiana (Sophie Okonedo), and their three children when terror reaches their neighborhood. Tutsi neighbors come to their house because Paul is "the only Hutu they can trust."
Paul steals money to buy temporary safety for his extended family by bribing officials. He installs them in a couple of rooms at the hotel, which is owned by the Belgian Sabena Corporation. A Red Cross representative brings children from an orphanage ("They're targeting Tutsi children to wipe out the next generation"). His white boss finds an excuse to flee, leaving Paul in charge; and while he says the hotel "cannot be a refugee camp," he soon has hundreds of refugees on his hands.
Col. Oliver (Nick Nolte), who commands the U.N. forces, brings bad news– "We're here as peacekeepers, not peacemakers. We're not allowed to intervene"– and good news: reinforcements are on the way. When it turns out the additional troops are only coming to facilitate the evacuation of foreign nationals, it's one of the biggest of a series of disappointments that make things look increasingly bleak.
Paul's situation becomes ever more desperate, and he becomes ever more resourceful to meet the challenges and protect his family and 1264 others. Cheadle is excellent as an intelligent man in an emotional situation, a man of peace in the middle of a war.
Until he's evacuated, Joaquin Phoenix represents the U.S. viewpoint as a journalist who photographs the massacre but accurately predicts that when it's shown on television back home, "They'll say, 'Oh my God, how horrible!' and go on eating their dinner."
The saddest, most shocking thing about the Rwandan genocide is that minimal international intervention could have prevented it, but since it was blacks killing blacks the Western world didn't care. And lest the events of 10 years ago seem like ancient history, look at what's happening in the Sudan today.
Even if it weren't successful as entertainment, which it is, Hotel Rwanda would be commendable as an eye-opener.


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Runners of a yearlong, multi-stage marathon toward the goal of establishing fees developers pay for civic improvements hit the finish line Tuesday night.
But Loveland city councilors collectively put one foot over the line — and stopped.
Four study sessions during the past 10 months have been devoted to setting levels for capital expansion fees, those that real estate developers pay to fund parks, public buildings, police and fire equipment and other big-ticket expenses.
A fully constituted council, with ninth member Dave Clark seated after a brief swearing-in ceremony that opened the meeting, voted 8-1 to adopt the new fees for residential projects but freeze those now in place for commercial and industrial developments.
"We've just come out of a huge recession, or are coming out of it," said Clark, elected to his post Nov. 6. "People are struggling out there. I have personal experience with it."
Capital expansion fees paid by developers for streets, parks, public buildings and equipment will rise slightly for single-family homes, fall for apartments and remain as is for commercial projects next year. Here is how they will apply:
Single family homes, per home:
2012: $12,531
2013: $12,939
Multi-family residential, per unit: 2012: $11,869
2013: $9,006
Commercial projects, per square foot:
2012: $1.15
2013, proposed but not approved: $1.95
Clark's construction business was a casualty of the recession that flattened the real estate development sector beginning in late 2008.
"If I had my way, I'd freeze these until we can take a closer look at them."
The biggest target for critics of the new fee proposal, put forth by Loveland fiscal adviser Alan Krcmarick after getting direction from councilors throughout the year, was its provision for increases in fees charged to industrial project builders.
"We want job makers to come in here, and we're talking about fees rising sixty-nine-and-a-half percent?" councilor Daryle Klassen asked. "I do not see a motion here that I can support."
Councilors agreed to modest increases on fees assessed for single-family homes, and a slight reduction in those applied to apartments that are currently the second-highest among 12 Colorado Front Range communities that KrcMarick used as comparisons for his fee study.
But they held the line in supporting a proposal, with councilor Joan Shaffer dissenting, to keep the fees for retail, office and industrial building projects as they are through 2013.
Councilors heard from Loveland resident Jim Welker, who said his efforts to develop a small parcel of land had been stymied by annexation costs and capital expansion fees.
"These fees are so onerous," he said. "I don't know why you don't look at sales tax. I thought that's how cities should pay for services."
Councilor John Fogle raised concerns about how fees are inequitably applied, with partial waivers granted to some developers while others pay the full freight.
"How in the world do we get off this merry-go-round?" he asked. "As these industries come into Loveland, I'm not sure we're sending the right message."
Clark said the 26-year history of the capital expansion fee system that the city relies on has allowed councilors to fund city projects without voter approval, creating "a perception in the community" that citizens have less control.
"The fact is, cities can approve these fees without having to go to the voters," Clark said. "Fees are something that we can just keep raising and raising and raising."
Tom Hacker can be reached at 669-5050, ext. 521, or email@example.com.


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Athleat necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 104 diseños de 31 diseñadores freelance.
We are a UK based company working with top flite sports people/clubs and organisations to assist them in getting the best performance from each individual. Currently this revolves around the supply of high quality whole food protein sources conveniently, reliably and economically. Our services will expand with time to support them in many other areas and provide a full resource for performance athletes and management, as well as being accessible at a consumer level for amateur clubs and fans.
Anybody involved with any sports where the health and condition of the human body is relied upon for their livelihood and/or sporting success. Professionals, sports management, aspiring amateur, fan, weekend warrior fitness enthusiast etc...
We need a logo that will be corporate enough to appeal to the management and owners of professional sports outfits whilst being commercial enough to have mass appeal to the players themselves and the general public.
It will be used for the website, stationary, marketing, cards, t-shirts etc and we would like to think that it would be 'slick'! So no really bright colours please...
Feel free to differentate the 'Athl' and the 'eat' to confirm it is not a typo and to give you something to work with but this is not a request and may not work - just an option.
Other than that we have no preconceived ideas on colour schemes or fonts or logos etc so please be as creative as you like. Any pics/emblems/logos should not be specific to an individual sport but can be based on a sports theme or completely abstract. The option to be able to change the colour for future endeavours would be useful but not essential as well as an addition for divisions of the company e.g Athleat 'Meat', or Athleat 'Nutrition' as and when they are created.
We like two types of branding:
1. Logo based e.g. Nike or Vodafone, where the emblem can stand alone or be presented with the brand name and in a varity of colours on different occasions.
2. Brand based logo e.g Virgin or IBM where the name is the logo and divisions of them make use of it with their own branding.
I'm rambling now - we are open to ideas!!
No tag line currenlty but our customers are 'powered by Athleat'
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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FV License Agreement
Copyright (Unpublished--all rights reserved under the copyright laws of the United States), U.S. Government as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. No copyright is claimed in the United States under Title 17, U.S. Code. Permission to freely use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its documentation without fee is hereby granted, provided that this copyright notice and disclaimer of warranty appears in all copies. DISCLAIMER: THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY WARRANTY THAT THE SOFTWARE WILL CONFORM TO SPECIFICATIONS, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND FREEDOM FROM INFRINGEMENT, AND ANY WARRANTY THAT THE DOCUMENTATION WILL CONFORM TO THE SOFTWARE, OR ANY WARRANTY THAT THE SOFTWARE WILL BE ERROR FREE. IN NO EVENT SHALL NASA BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, ARISING OUT OF, RESULTING FROM, OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH THIS SOFTWARE, WHETHER OR NOT BASED UPON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, TORT , OR OTHERWISE, WHETHER OR NOT INJURY WAS SUSTAINED BY PERSONS OR PROPERTY OR OTHERWISE, AND WHETHER OR NOT LOSS WAS SUSTAINED FROM, OR AROSE OUT OF THE RESULTS OF, OR USE OF, THE SOFTWARE OR SERVICES PROVIDED HEREUNDER.
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Spen King, father of the Range Rover among other ground-breaking vehicles, has died. He never regained full consciousness following a collision between his bicycle and a van two weeks ago; death was attributed to a chest infection and kidney failure brought on by the trauma of that collision.
King worked on a remarkable series of automobiles during his long tenure in the British car industry. Beginning with Rolls-Royce during World War II he moved to Rover in 1945, which was run by his uncles, Maurice and Spencer Wilks.
During the 1950s, King's expertise with gas turbine engines was put to use on a number of prototypes, including the Rover-turbine-powered BRM sports-racing car that ran at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1963 and 1965.
Gas turbines were eventually rejected for automotive use due to poor fuel consumption and throttle response. But one of the prototype cars evolved into the brilliant compact sports sedan, the Rover P6 (known here as the Rover 2000). In fact, its engine bay was designed to accommodate either a gas turbine or a four-cylinder, although the Rover V8 was subsequently wedged in there as well.
But at the time of the P6 launch, Rover was being submerged by the British Leyland conglomerate. Top management was too busy fighting off the unions to dedicate any resources - financial or managerial - to product quality, so much of King's outstanding engineering went under-appreciated.
Among King's other accomplishments were the Triumph Stag, the Triumph Dolomite with its terrific twin-cam 16-valve four cylinder engine, the K-Series of fours developed for Austin-Rover following yet another series of corporate mergers, and an experimental all-aluminum car which presaged both the Audi A2 and aluminum-bodied Jaguars of later years.
But the Range Rover will remain his lasting legacy.
Odd, perhaps, that yours truly who has often whined about the poseur attitude of so many SUVs (and their owners) is lionizing the man who essentially created the beast?
Not really. In 2004, King criticised SUV owners who drive their vehicles in urban areas, saying that vehicles like the Range Rover he created were "never intended as a status symbol but later incarnations of my design seem to be intended for that purpose."
Amen, Mr. King. May you rest in peace.


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This Blog focuses on Ancestor Stories, both the stories themselves about my family's ancestors and discussions of where they come from and how to prepare and share them. These stories may be non-fiction or fiction – we will always tell which is which, of course. Also see my KINNICK blog and The HOMEPLACE Series Blog, left sidebar, scroll down.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Follow Friday - 5 Feb 2010
"Blogging as Conversation" at geneabloggers.com is an excellent discussion of why we blog. I do my best to follow the recommendations. I hope you do as well.
Even if this is redundant, I am going to recommend the entire GeneaBlogger blog and related blogs of Thomas MacEntee based at http://www.geneabloggers.com/
For me, it is HOME BASE for genealogy bloggers. I have his RSS feed on my iGoogle page as my genealogy starting point each day of the week. There are always three new posts, each day, to direct my thinking and planning. I go a lot of other places as well, of course, but this is where I start, and where I come back to, every day. Check it out. Become familiar with it. I think you will agree with me.
Today I am going to recommend that you look at the 1940 Census Substitute and 1950 Census Substitute at Ancestry.com. They are made up of City Directories, so they are do not include our many, many rural ancestors. However, as a research reference source, they are very nice. I am just beginning to make use of them, but I recommend you consider them.
Families are Forever! ;-)
3 comments:
I'm curious, how many blogs to you follow on a regular basis?ReplyDelete
An interviewer asked me that a couple of weeks ago; it is not an easy question for me to answer, actually. I probably tend to read about 30-50 posts most days... however, they are not necessarily the same ones all the time. I use iGoogle feeds and Google Blog Alerts to pick out content, mostly. Now, of course, a number of the same blogs will come up, over and over, because the content is fairly consistent. Interesting, huh?! Right now, the other thing I do do... I tend to read the Genealblogger.com site on the days of the Daily Themes that I use... and read a bunch of them... trying to identify some new blogs every day... and the New Blogger weekly report. [Then, there are days like this week, with my little grandkids, I may only read 3-5 posts all day!]ReplyDelete
Does that answer your question? Hope you'll reply, again. I'm curious what you were looking for! ;-)
I just wondered. I read your blog daily - look forward to it, but have just explored some of the other blogs. I saw comments from you on some that you recommended, but I looked at some random ones and also saw comments. I'm impressed that you post daily, so I wondered how involved you were in reading others.ReplyDelete


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A stent graft is a tube shaped device composed of a rigid structure called a stent (mostly a metal) and a special fabric covering the stent. A stent is a metal mesh without any covering but a stent graft has a fabric covering and is mainly used in endovascular surgeries. A stent graft is used to repair abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in a procedure called as endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). In EVAR, a stent graft is placed inside the aorta through which the blood flows uninterruptedly, instead of flowing through the aneurysm sack which is the weak point. Stent grafts can be categorized into two major segments, namely, bifurcated and aorta-uni-iliac (AUI) stent grafts. The stent grafts market can also be segmented into abdominal and thoracic aortic stent grafts.
Browse Full Report with TOC: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/stent-grafts-market.html
The growth drivers for the stent grafts market are increasing acceptance of EVAR procedures worldwide, increasing efforts for creating awareness about aneurysms, rising demand for minimally invasive endovascular surgeries, aging population and rising incidences of diseases like obesity and diabetes. Increasing number of people affected by obesity and diabetes worldwide will drive the demand for endovascular surgeries. Technological advancements in EVAR and rising demand for minimally invasive procedures will drive the stent grafts market in future. However, increasing acceptance of balloon angioplasty may prove to be a restraint for this market.
The North American market, especially the U.S., dominates the stent grafts market with the largest market share followed by the European market. The Asia-Pacific market has shown the fastest growth in recent past and is expected to contribute more in future due to increasing healthcare awareness and facilities in the region. The major players operating in this market are Cook Medical, Inc., Covidien plc, Medtronic, Inc., C. R. Bard, Inc., Lifetech Scientific (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., B. Braun Melsungen AG, Shanghai MicroPort Medical (Group) Co., Ltd., Terumo Medical Corporation, W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. and Endologix, Inc.
This research report analyzes this market depending on its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. Geographies analyzed under this research report include
- North America
- Asia Pacific
- Europe
- Rest of the World
This report provides comprehensive analysis of
- Market growth drivers
- Factors limiting market growth
- Current market trends
- Market structure
- Market projections for upcoming years
This report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology, Porter's five force model analysis and detailed profiles of top industry players. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis.
Read More Reports On Medical Devices Markets: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/medical-devices-market-reports-6.html
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Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company providing global business research reports and consulting services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision-makers.
TMR's experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources along with various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information which is indispensable for businesses to sustain their competitive edge.
Stent Grafts Market – Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast, 2013 – 2019
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text:
Two Programs, One Trusted Partner
Ready to offer your customers and region the best in identity-based security solutions? Entrust offers two specific partner programs — for software or SSL certificates and services — to help you achieve success, add predictable revenue and build your footprint.
Select the program below that interests your organization. From there, it's just a few easy steps to begin the enrollment process. Your new relationship with Entrust comes with an established solution portfolio, world-class customer service, marketing support and more.


text:
Preheat the oven to 375°. Mix all dry ingredients together. Combine all wet ingredients and mix with the dry ingredients, forming a smooth batter. Lightly oil a cake pan and dust with unbleached white flour. Dump out the flour. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden. Remove and allow to cool before adding you favorite frosting or topping.
Per serving - 136 calories, 7 g fat (47% calories from fat), 2 g protein, 17 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 187 mg sodium


text:
NEW YORK -- Sexual assault occurs in myriad settings and the perpetrators come from every swath of U.S. society. Yet as recent incidents and reports make clear, it's a particularly intractable problem in the military, with its enduring macho culture and unique legal system.
The most significant factor, according to advocates, is the perception by victims in the military that they lack the recourses available in the civilian world to bring assailants to justice.
"The military says they have zero tolerance, but in fact that's not true," said Dr. Katherine Scheirman, a retired Air Force colonel with more than 20 years of service in the U.S. and abroad. "Having a sexual assault case in your unit is considered something bad, so commanders have had an incredible incentive not to destroy their own careers by prosecuting someone."
Insisting it takes the problem seriously, the military has put in place numerous policies and programs to reduce the assaults, notably since the 1991 Tailhook scandal in which Navy pilots were accused of sexually abusing female officers at a Las Vegas convention.
Still the problem persists, as indicated in a recent Pentagon report estimating that 26,000 service members were sexually assaulted last year, compared with 19,000 in 2011. Victims reported 3,374 incidents in 2012; there were convictions in 238 of those cases.
"That means there are thousands of felons walking around -- free and dangerous -- in the military today," said U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer.
Boxer is co-sponsor of a bill that would remove top commanders from the process of deciding whether sexual misconduct cases go to trial. Instead, that decision would rest with officers who are trial counsels with prosecutorial experience.
To advocates for assault victims, that would be a crucial step forward, given Defense Department findings that many victims are of lower rank than their assailants and most fear retaliation if they report the incident.
The missing element is accountability, according to Nancy Parrish of Protect Our Defenders, one of the groups urging changes in the military justice system.
"When military leaders are held accountable for countenancing bad behavior, then you'll begin to see a shift in the culture," she said. "They've proved they can do this with racial integration. Anyone who countenanced racist behavior would be fired."
Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has conveyed the same message, calling sexual assault "a crime that demands accountability and consequences" and describing it as "a serious problem that we must solve."
Outrage over the Pentagon's failure to stem the problem has grown following an embarrassing string of arrests and incidents of sexual misconduct. On Friday, in the latest disclosure, the Pentagon confirmed that the U.S. Naval Academy is investigating allegations that three football team members sexually assaulted a female midshipman at an off-campus house last year.
Some longtime advocates for assault victims say they've grown weary of promises to do better.
"They say they are dismayed, saddened, committed to making change, but all their rhetoric really boils down to is, `How do we not get caught?'" said Paula Coughlin, who as a Navy lieutenant in 1991 was instrumental in bringing the Tailhook scandal to light.
"There's an environment in the military that says you can get away with it - you don't go to jail if you attack women," said Coughlin.
In the civilian world, positions of power often are exploited by sexual abusers, as evidenced by the many cases involving clergymen, coaches and teachers.
Scheirman, now a physician in Edmond, Oklahoma, said issues of power and control are particularly pronounced in the military.
"Commanders have the power to destroy your career, to make your life a living hell," she said. "Though 99.9 percent of them don't, you can't take that chance. If it was a commander who assaulted you, you'd be delusional to think that if you reported it, any justice would be done."
While precise comparisons are difficult, the Defense Department's recent report suggests that women in the military and the civilian world face roughly the same risk of sexual assault. One crucial difference is that most civilian victims have options, such as going to the police or filing a civil suit, in the aftermath of harassment or assault that aren't available to service members.
"In the civilian world, all of these recourses act as a deterrent," said Anu Bhagwati, a former Marine captain who advocates on behalf of assault victims as executive director of the Service Women's Action Network.
In the military, Bhagwati said, "there's no freedom of movement, no right to quit your job, You're forced to coexist with your perpetrator."
Cynthia Smith, a Defense Department spokeswoman, says the military does offer options to assault victims, who can report incidents to a sexual assault response coordinator, a victim advocate, a health care provider or a chaplain.
The contrasts between the military and corporate America are stark to Marene Nyberg Allison, who was in the first class of women at the U.S. Military Academy, graduating in 1980. After six years in the Army, she became an FBI agent, served on a Defense Department advisory committee on women in the military, and is now a senior executive with Johnson & Johnson.
"If I go on a business trip and someone tried to sexually assault me, I could sue them, I could sue the company, I could sue just about everybody," she said. "In the military, you're not allowed to do that."
"At a corporation, no one is asking, `Does a woman really belong here?' " she said. "You see that in the military -- this whole idea of `Do women belong here at all?' "
Steps are being taken.
Two weeks ago, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered the military to recertify all 25,000 people involved in programs to prevent and respond to sexual assault. On Thursday the Defense Department launched a service called The Safe HelpRoom, enabling assault victims to participate in group chat sessions providing support and referrals.
Bhagwati says the biggest strides toward achieving lasting change would be to double the representation of women in the military from the current level of 15 percent and end the exclusion of women from certain units and missions. In particular, she said, more women are needed as officers, so they have the collective confidence to push for change.
"It's hard for women to go against the grain," she said. "It's not a culture that teaches moral courage, as opposed to battlefield courage."
It's also a culture that has been conducive to sexism and the degradation of women, Bhagwati contends.
"At bases overseas, there's commercial exploitation of women thriving around them, women being trafficked," she said. "You can't expect to treat women as one of your own when, in the same breath, you as a young soldier are being encouraged to exploit women on the outside of that base."
"We don't condone that kind of behavior," insisted Cynthia Smith. "We work in an environment where we need to treat everyone with respect."
Jessica Kenyon, who served with the Army in South Korea, recalled a pervasive tendency to scapegoat women.
"If there are any problems in the unit -- sex, drinking and driving, anything that could possibly be tagged to women being in the unit - it's seen as their fault," she said.
Kenyon said her Army career derailed after she was raped and impregnated by a fellow soldier in 2006. Now 32, she runs online support services for military victims of sexual assault.
"I treat my cases like they are incest survivors," she said. "You're willing to take a bullet for the guy you just met and to have that trust willfully violated makes the sense of betrayal that much higher."
One notable aspect of the Pentagon's recent sexual-assault estimates was the level of male-on-male assaults. Men were the victims in nearly 14,000 of the estimated 26,000 assaults, although women, comprising a small fraction of active-duty personnel, had a higher rate of being assaulted.
"Men need to be encouraged to come forward, so if you ask for help, it's seen a sign of strength, not of weakness," said Paul Rieckhoff, a former Army officer who heads Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.
Allyson Robinson of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, one of the groups which successfully campaigned to let gays serve openly in the military, said repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" has given more male soldiers the confidence to report same-sex assaults.
"Under `don't ask,' service members who were victims of assault by their own sex could have been accused of being gay if they reported it, and thus lose their careers," she said.
She disputed suggestions from some conservatives that repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" is responsible for an increase in male-on-male assaults.
"Sexual assault is never about sex or sexual orientation," she said. "It's a crime of violence that's about power and domination."
Cynthia Smith said commanders will be the key to any improvements.
"No one should be at risk -- male or female," she said. "Commanders are expected to provide the necessary resources or training so that both men and women know where to turn should they have questions or need support."
Dempsey, among others, suggests that the sexual assault problem has been aggravated by the strains of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Professor David Segal, director of the University of Maryland's Center for Research on Military Organization, said such strains are a key factor in the surge of suicides, spousal abuse and other problems in addition to sexual assault.
"The military has been phenomenally stretched over the last decade -- it's been asked to do too much for too long with too few resources," he said. "The veneer of civilization is very thin, and the wars have worn it down or cracked it."


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Source: www.mt-online.com
Water is an undervalued utility. Since many consumers essentially view it as a "free" resource, many plants make little effort to conserve water the same way they try to conserve fuels and electricity. While countless opportunities to conserve Btus and kilowatts have been explored over the past 30 years, less attention has been paid to reducing water consumption. But things are changing…
Severe droughts, like those seen in the Southeast and Southwest, combined with rapid population and industrial growth in those and other water-stressed regions, have created a water crisis in many parts of the United States. The available supply of fresh water is decreasing as residential customers compete with industry for available water supplies. (Witness the lawn sprinkling and car washing bans in many communities. Agriculture, the largest consumer of water, increasingly relies on irrigation to offset drought conditions that limit yields. Residential customers accuse farmers of drawing down the water table and causing local shortages. Meanwhile, government regulatory agencies are hesitant to wade in to restrict water withdrawal rates or raise usage fees force conservation, since most consumers view the plentiful supply of safe, clean water as an inalienable right.
The conflict is intensifying. What's worse, scientific and government forecasters predict no relief is in sight over the next decade. Blame it on global warming or not, the need to conserve water is here to stay.
On the bright side, most plants already have a water conservation program under way. It's called a cooling tower. As shown in Fig. 1, cooling towers conserve water by recycling it through equipment such as mechanical chillers, turbine condensers, air compressors, oil coolers and process heat exchangers. In the process, unwanted heat is removed and then rejected to the atmosphere by evaporative and convective cooling.
It is estimated that over 1,000,000 cooling towers—that's one million—are in service. They are used in every conceivable application where water conservation is a concern, including electric utilities, oil refineries, steel mills, manufacturing facilities, pharmaceutical plants, food processing operations, hospitals, universities, commercial buildings and many more.
Interestingly, plant maintenance teams play a critical role in keeping their cooling towers operating at peak efficiency. They focus on keeping plant equipment clean by preventing mineral scale deposits, mitigating corrosion, limiting bacteria growth, and controlling fouling. Because of the growing importance of water conservation, however, best maintenance practices have been updated to cover the operation of cooling towers in a way that reduces fresh water withdrawal rates and produces less wastewater. That means if you are still maintaining your cooling tower the same way you did five years ago, it's time to upgrade to the newer water conservation format.
Cooling tower basics Cooling towers work by evaporative and convective heat transfer. As water flows over the tower, some of it (about 0.1% of the flow) is evaporated to the atmosphere. About 1000 Btus of heat is removed for every one pound of water evaporated. Removing this heat from the bulk of the cooling water decreases the temperature by 10 to 15 degrees. On average, 75% of the heat rejected at the tower is by the evaporative cooling process; 25% of the cooling occurs due to the direct contact of cooler air with the warmer water. This varies, of course, based on weather conditions. If the air temperature is warmer than the water temperature, for example, all of the cooling takes place by the evaporative process. When the air is colder, such as during the winter, more heat is removed by convective heat transfer.
The water that is evaporated from the tower is pure—that is, it doesn't contain any of the dissolved minerals present in the raw water supply. As the evaporation process continues, these minerals concentrate in the cooling water. If this is allowed to continue without limit, the dissolved minerals soon concentrate to a point where they can no longer remain in solution. Here the less-soluble minerals such as calcium and magnesium precipitate to form an insoluble sludge, or an adherent, dense scale in the tower basin or within plant equipment. For these reasons, cooling towers must be operated to keep the dissolved minerals soluble. This is accomplished by bleeding a small amount of tower water to drain while replacing the water lost by evaporation and bleed with fresh makeup. The ratio between the dissolved solids in the cooling water and the dissolved solids in the makeup is called the "concentration ratio," "cycles of concentration" or, more simply, "cycles." This is an indication of how efficiently the cooling tower is recycling water. A simple way to measure cycles is by calculating the ratio of the specific conductance of the cooling water to the specifi c conductance of the makeup. Alternatively, if the cooling tower has a water meter on the makeup and bleed lines, you can estimate cycles by computing the ratio between the gallons makeup to the gallons bleed. The cycles determined by either method should be in fairly good agreement assuming there are no uncontrolled water losses due to leaks or an overflow condition.
Establishing the proper operating limit for cycles is one of the supercritical decisions one faces in cooling tower maintenance. Towers that operate at high cycles use less water and produce less waste than towers that operate at lower cycles. The maximum permissible cycles of concentration are limited by the makeup water quality, bleed rate and uncontrolled water losses. Set the cycles too high and you risk running the tower under scale-forming conditions. Set it too low and you waste water, chemicals and energy.
Makeup water quality is key The quality of the cooling tower makeup determines the maximum cycles of concentration. Since calcium and magnesium are the primary scale-forming impurities, tower operation is confined to keeping the cycles below the solubility limit of calcium carbonate. This requires a proper balance to be maintained between the calcium hardness, total alkalinity, total dissolved solids and pH in the recirculated cooling water. Since these variables differ from one water supply to another, the limitation on cycles also varies. As a general rule of thumb, the calcium hardness is limited to 350 to 450 ppm in most cooling towers. Other limiting factors—such as silica, phosphate and process contaminates—need to be considered as well.
Generally, cooling towers use potable water as their makeup supply. This is a good choice when a plentiful supply of fresh water is available. But, as competition for clean, fresh water heats up, plants are increasingly forced to use alternative sources. Reclaimed water from municipal or industrial wastewater treatment plants is often an alternative source for cooling tower makeup. Although this reduces fresh water withdrawal rates, some pre-treatment of the wastewater may be required to make it suitable for use in the cooling tower. In many cases, regeneration by simple filtration may be all that is necessary to reuse wastewater as cooling tower makeup. Reverse osmosis (RO) continues to gain favor as a method for pre-treating makeup for steam boilers. The RO process produces a continuous supply of softened and dealkalized water for this application. The downside of RO is that it produces a continuous waste stream that is sent to drain—25% of the feedwater to the RO is lost to drain, while 75% is recovered for use as boiler makeup. In many cases, the RO reject is perfectly acceptable for use as cooling tower makeup. Although dissolved solids in the RO reject are about four times that of the RO feedwater, if the water is softened ahead of the RO to remove calcium and magnesium, it is of acceptable quality for reuse in this manner.
If the plant does not produce enough recycled wastewater to meet the cooling tower demand, the wastewater may be combined with fresh water to produce a suitable blend. Using an alternative water supply in this way reduces fresh water consumption and wastewater generation.
Maximize cycles to reduce water consumption Obtaining maximum performance from a cooling tower requires it to be operated at the maximum permissible cycles of concentration. Since the concentration ratio is determined by the ratio between makeup and bleed (C=MU/B), reducing the bleed increases the cycles, and conversely, increasing the bleed decreases the cycles. As shown in the Fig. 2 of bleed versus cycles, a point of diminishing returns is soon reached at about 10 cycles of concentration. From a practical view, it is difficult to operate a tower at more than 10 cycles because of leaks, windage and other uncontrolled water losses that contribute to the "bleed" and thereby limit cycles. If 10 cycles of concentration is taken as our target, then cooling towers that operate at less than 10 cycles can be considered as less than 100% efficient as determined by freshwater consumption and wastewater generation.
Table I reflects measures of tower efficiency as determined by the cycles of concentration, if we assume 10 cycles represents a practical 100% water efficiency rating. This table suggests that cooling towers that use freshwater makeup and operate at less than four cycles are not achieving their full potential. This condition wastes water, consumes excess chemicals and produces more wastewater. Towers that operate at five to eight cycles are acceptable for most applications, although large systems can save significant volumes of freshwater by reaching eight cycles. Towers that are maintained at nine to 10 cycles are operating at peak efficiency in terms of water consumption, chemical usage and energy demand.
Strategies to achieve cycles goal If the cooling tower is on the low end of the efficiency scale, several maintenance strategies are available to increase cycles, including pH adjustment and softening the makeup.
The standard method for increasing cycles on high hardness, high-alkalinity makeup is to use a strong mineral acid—such as sulfuric or hydrochloric—to reduce alkalinity and control pH. Calcium carbonate scale forms as a result of the chemical reaction between calcium hardness and carbonate alkalinity. By neutralizing the alkalinity with acid, the chemical reaction leading to calcium carbonate is stopped. Enough acid is injected into the tower makeup to reduce the total alkalinity to 50 to 100 ppm and maintain the pH of the cooling water within the range of 6.8 to 7.5.
Acid also has the reputation for being "forgiving" in that if scale deposits should form, a slight drop in pH will help remove them.
On the negative side, sulfuric acid is a hazardous, aggressive chemical. An accidental overfeed will cause a very corrosive condition that will result in irreversible system damage. Low pH conditions will also cause deterioration of concrete basins, steel pipe and galvanized steel cooling towers. For these reasons, the use of acid is generally restricted to very high hardness and alkalinity conditions.
As mentioned previously, calcium in the makeup restricts cycles of concentration to a practical limit of 350 to 450 ppm. A makeup supply that has 100 ppm calcium hardness, for example, limits the cooling tower cycles to 3.5 to 4.5. A practical way to remove this restriction is to soften the makeup to remove the calcium and magnesium hardness. An industrial or commercial water softener removes essentially all of the hardness and iron from the makeup. This water can be used "as is" or blended with a percentage of raw water to produce a final makeup of any desired hardness. Reducing the hardness to 50 ppm by softening and blending would permit the tower in our example to operate at seven to nine cycles instead of 3.5 to 4.5.
Softening offers another advantage in that it does not remove the alkalinity nor depress the pH. The high alkalinity and pH of the cooling water tends to passivate (make less prone to corrosion) steel, copper and galvanized steel. The higher pH also serves to inhibit bacteria growth in that many organisms do not thrive at pH values above nine.
Benefits of improved maintenance Maintaining cooling towers at maximum cycles of concentration is a practical way to conserve on freshwater withdrawal rates and produce less wastewater. This has a secondary benefit in that operating a cooling tower more efficiently reduces chemical treatment requirements and saves energy.
The maintenance team plays a vital role in helping to increase profit, gain competitive advantage and protect the natural environment. Water and energy conservation are at the core of this effort. These simple upgrades in cooling tower maintenance practices will help achieve these goals now and into the future. MT


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Kurt Nimmo
August 31, 2012
The Israeli intelligence asset DEBKAfile reported earlier this week that Russia is prepared to abandon its naval base at Tartus in Syria if the country is attacked.
"Russian naval vessels have unexpectedly departed the Syrian Mediterranean port of Tartus and Russian arms shipments to Syria have been suddenly discontinued," the website reported on August 28.
According to DEBKAfile's sources, the "Russians are rapidly drawing away from the Syrian arena to avoid getting caught up in the escalating hostilities expected to arise from military intervention by the US, Europe and a number of Arab states. Russian intelligence appears to have decided that this outside intervention is imminent and Moscow looks anxious to keep its distance for now."
News of the alleged evacuation appeared after an August 27 meeting in Brussels between NATO leaders and officers of military forces in several former Soviet Republics, major African states, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf states. The participants reportedly arrived at a decision to act against Syria, according to Iran's Press TV. The Brussels meeting is said to have included discussion of the potential for Russian and Chinese intervention in Syria.
On Thursday, General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made comments about the prospect of intervention in Syria while visiting London. He said the comparison of the Syrian situation with Libya was a source of "amusement," The Independent reported.
Dempsey's remarks followed Obama's "red line" warning to Syria last week. "The red line for us is if we start seeing a bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized," Obama said during a White House press conference. "That would change my calculus."
"We are monitoring the situation very carefully, and have put together a range of contingency plans and communicated in no uncertain terms with every player in the region that is a red line for us," Obama said.
On Thursday, White House spokesman Jay Carney clarified Obama's "red line" statement after a prominent supporter of the CIA and MI6 supported Syrian rebels said Obama's comment on the use of chemical weapons by Syrian forces could amount "to a 'green light' for Assad to use as much conventional force as possible" against the foreign supported rebels. Carney insisted that the quickest way to end the bloodshed in Syria would be for Assad to step aside and have a peaceful Syrian-led political transition.
On August 23, DEBKAfile said U.S. "C130 transports stand ready at Middle East air bases to fly into Syria US elite units especially trained in combat against chemical and biological weapons and tactics for securing their arsenals."
The website claimed western intelligence sources had reported that "those units are on standby at bases in Israel and Jordan. Their assignments are to engage Syrian troops attempting to move those unconventional weapons systems to battle fronts or Hezbollah and to prevent them falling into the hands of radical Islamic rebel fighters, especially Al Qaeda."
In December, we cited a report posted on the website of whistleblower activist Sibel Edmonds stating that "foreign military groups, estimated at hundreds of individuals," had taken up positions in the city of al-Mafraq in northern Jordan on the Syrian border.
The presence of al-Qaeda in Syria is supported by the Council on foreign Relations. "The Syrian rebels would be immeasurably weaker today without al-Qaeda in their ranks," Ed Husain, a Senior Fellow of Middle East Studies with the CFR, wrote in a policy paper on August 6.
Save 60% on all of our hottest products during our Across the Board Flash Sale!


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195mm wide engineered wood flooring is a great mid-range option. Far from being any sort of compromise, a 195mm wide engineered wood flooring choice means that you're unlikely to ever tire of the floor you've chosen. While narrow floors and wide floors may come and go, you know that this mid-range width will stand the test of time.
Irrespective of what room in the home you're looking to re-floor, this 195mm wide engineered wood flooring will work a treat. Even in the likes of bathrooms and kitchens, where solid wood flooring wouldn't normally be considered ideal, this flooring will look great from the start and even after the test of time.
So take a few minutes and check out the great range of colours and finishes we have in stock, ready to deliver to get you started on your project sooner than you might imagine. If you're struggling to choose which option might work best for you, you can always ask us for advice, either online or by phoning us or calling into our London showroom.


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Matthew Bernius' research focuses on studying how different media tools alter the way groups communicate, and, in turn, how those changes affect the evolution of said tools. In addition to his role as a co-director and researcher at the Open Publishing Lab (OPL) at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Matthew is pursuing an Anthropology PhD at Cornell University, where he is researching the transformation of text based journalism within the United States. Prior starting his PhD, Matthew was a visiting professor at RIT's School of Print Media where he taught Database Publishing, Variable Data Print, and Web Development. He completed a Masters in the Social Sciences at the University of Chicago. Matthew started his career at Eastman Kodak where he worked in the consumer digital camera group and at Kodak.com. During his time at Kodak, Matthew was involved with web and product development, community management, and content strategy and earned one patent. In addition to his work with the OPL, he is member of RIT's Lab for Social Computing, a cross disciplinary center focusing on the use of computing tools to facilitate these social and collaborative interactions.
You can view his personal blog at www.waking-dream.com and follow his twitter postings at www.twitter.com/mattBernius.
For information on exhibition and sponsorship opportunities at the conference, contact Sharon Cordesse at firstname.lastname@example.com
Download the TOC Sponsor/Exhibitor Prospectus (PDF)
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Maine's medical marijuana program gets new manager with a diverse background
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) � Maine's medical marijuana program has a new manager.
The Portland Press Herald (bit.ly/Vs6wLl ) reports that Marietta D'Agostino was hired to fill the position left vacant in November when John Thiele was dismissed. She began work last week.
D'Agostino has spent her career mostly in social services, working as a child protective caseworker, a juvenile corrections officer and a captain at the Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset.
The Department of Health and Human Services says her "diverse experience in developing policy and program management, as well as a familiarity with law enforcement, makes her a good fit" for the job.
Maine voters legalized marijuana for medical purposes in 1999. In 2009, they approved a law creating a statewide network of marijuana dispensaries.
Information from: Portland Press Herald, http://www.pressherald.com


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3.6 Yards Rpbert Allen Howell Printed Poly Drapery Fabric in Burgundy. This printed fabric is perfect for window treatments, decorative pillows, handbags, light duty upholstery applications and almost any craft project. This fabric has a soft workable feel yet is stable and durable.
You receive an extra discount on this fabric due to the following imperfection(s): Bowed.
- Fiber Content: Polyester
- Width: 54" (inches)
- Note: the price is for the entire yardage in this listing


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The United States gave Tom Sermanni a title in his first tournament as coach of the American women's team.
Alex Morgan scored twice in the first half, and the U.S. defeated Germany 2-0 Wednesday night in the final of the Algarve Cup at Faro, Portugal. The Americans won the prestigious tournament for the ninth time in 18 appearances.
"It's great to continue the winning tradition that the U.S. team has," said Sermanni, who took over this year after Pia Sundhage left to coach her native Sweden. "At least I haven't been a jinx in the short term."
The Americans have won three straight Olympic gold medals, including two under Sundhage, but have not won the Women's World Cup since 1999.
"It was such a good foundation for us. Now we just need to work off that," defender Ali Krieger said. "Tom has done such a great job with us, and he has a lot of knowledge of the game and we need to let it all soak in."
Backup goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart protected the lead with some strong saves in the second half. Midfielder Megan Rapinoe was selected tournament MVP despite missing the final after straining a muscle in pregame warmups.
"This is obviously very unexpected. I thought I was getting punked when our liaison told me," she said.
Morgan started the scoring in the 13th minute. Sydney Leroux sent a cross that Germany central defender Josephine Henning tried to clear with a header. But the ball fell to Morgan just inside the area and she scored with her left foot.
Morgan connected again 12 minutes later. A mix-up between goalkeeper Almuth Schult and her defense let Morgan steal the ball and she rolled a shot into the empty net from the edge of the box.
"It's been a different lineup every single game, so I think that it's good for him to evaluate players and good for us to get games," Morgan said, referring to Sermanni. "Other than a World Cup or Olympics, we never really get this many games in this short a time."
Forward Abby Wambach came off the bench for the first time since March 9, 2011, against Iceland at the Algarve Cup. She entered in the 75th minute for Christen Press, but did not score. She remained at 154 career goals, four shy of tying Mia Hamm's international record.
NOTES: Three-time Olympic gold medal winner Heather Mitts announced her retirement. The 34-year-old defender made her international debut in 1999, played her last match in December and had two goals in 137 appearances. She had been allocated to the Boston Breakers for the new National Women's Soccer League. ... The United States has won Algarve Cups in 2000, `03, `04, `05, `07, `08, `10, `11 and `13. ... The Americans have not lost in 29 games, including victory at last year's London Olympics. Their last defeat was in this event a year ago to World Cup champion Japan. ... Tobin Heath started in Rapinoe's place and assisted on the second U.S. goal.


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This week our challenge for you is to use punches. Border, corner, shape... any kind of punch will do! Please remember that our weekly challenges are optional and provided as inspiration - any Christmas or winter-themed card will do! :)
Here are some fabulous samples from the design team to get those juices flowing:
Please link directly to the blog post or gallery page where we can view/comment on your creation and not just the generic link to your blog. Generic blog links will be disabled or deleted. To get the full URL, click the title of your blog post (which will load a page that has just that post on it), then copy and paste the URL.
Don't forget to post a comment so we know you added a card! If you are uploading to an online gallery such as Splitcoast, please use the tag SCCC13, so that we can all enjoy your cards.
Happy crafting!


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Try out Chromium. Courtesy of T 'spot' Callaway:
Using your favorite text editor (as root), create chromium.repo in /etc/yum.repos.d/, with the following contents:
[chromium] name=Chromium Test Packages baseurl=http://spot.fedorapeople.org/chromium/F$releasever/ enabled=1 gpgcheck=0
Then run (as root):
# yum install chromium
From spot's blog:
The packages are i386/i586 only (and the i586 chromium is a bit of a lie, it isn't compiled with the correct optflags yet) because chromium depends on v8, which doesn't work on 64bit anything (yet). Also, plugins don't work at the moment and some of the tab functionality doesn't work right, but as a general web browser, it seems functional enough. (And, it seems to pass the Acid3 test, which isn't surprising at all, since WebKit does and Chrome uses WebKit.)
Looks interesting!