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Ann Althouse has this small Sony, and a look at her blog will illustrate that it does excellent work. Unlike mine, though, it uses a proprietary rechargeable battery instead of AA batteries. I like the flexibility of being able to pick up fresh batteries anywhere in a pinch, though in truth I seldom have to do that.But you end up with a clunkier camera! Look how elegantly slim mine is! If you're really worried about running low, buy an extra battery. It's tiny -- 1.4 x .2 x 1.8 inches. Really, that would be much better than having to look around for a store where you could buy batteries, which isn't always so easy anyway.
November 22, 2006
Why this strange preference for a digital camera with AA batteries?
31 comments:
- Slocum said...
Not only do you end up with a smaller camera with the lithium ion batteries, but more importantly, those batteries don't have the very bad habit (unlike rechargeable AAs) of discharging when they're not in use. Leave a lithium ion rechargeable battery for a few weeks and it'll hold it's charge, but not with rechargeable NiMH AAs. It's very aggravating to pull out your camera out to use and having all dead batteries.
- Slowjack said...
Clunkier? Maybe it's just me, but I can't imagine wanting a camera any smaller than the one I have (which uses AAs). It's already so small that I find it uncomfortable to hold (and I have small hands). I feel the same way about cell phones. If it's already small enough to fit in my pocket, stop there! I don't need to hide it under my fingernail.
- john(lesser) said...
At a certain point, cameras become to small. Too easy to break or lose and too hard to handle. You can't forget to charge AA's, and you can get them at any convenience store/drug store or hotel gift shop. If you can't find one of those, I doubt you can find a wall socket to plug your charger in.
I'm with you, Ann, about the AA batteries. The last digital camera I had took 'em and sucked 'em dry at an alarming rate. Everytime I wanted to use the thing, the batteries were dead, and I never seemed to have any on hand. I can't tell you how much I spent on batteries before I switched to the Canon I have now, with its lithium ion battery that never seems to lose power.
- Molon_Labe_Lamp said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- Molon_Labe_Lamp said...
Hmm...Responses seem split, so if you're feeling ambitious try this project. Best of both worlds and a great conversation starter I'd imagine.
It's displayed with an iPod but the USB standard is 5 VDC, so anything that uses a USB cable for charging should work.
- Sigivald said...
I prefer AAs precisely because I don't use my digital camera often, and keeping a proprietary rechargeable charged is a pain.
(Plus when I do want it I'm often camping or the like, and can't possibly charge it. But I can just pull a few AAs out of the pack in the car or my bag and dump them in.)
Current cameras don't seem to suck batteries as badly as old ones do (especially if, like me, you don't use the LCD screen to compose shots) - and I'm talking about using cheap alkalines from IKEA, not even NiMH rechargeables.
This seems to vary by camera and manufacturer, according to reviews, with some cameras using a lot more battery than others for design reasons.
Me, I also don't want a camera much smaller than the A520 I have now - too small becomes too small to hold and too small to have decent optical zoom - and it's still smaller and lighter than any film camera I've ever owned except the Kiev 35A or a Minox.
And I just have a dislike for proprietary battery systems; though this is to some extent irrational because unlike film cameras, digitals improve so much over time, and price-per-quality drops so much that by the time you can't get a new battery, you're better off buying a new one anyway.
(I can't imagine using a digital from 10 years ago for anything, ever; at the same time I regularly use film cameras that are 40 or 50 years old.)
- Dale B said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- Dale B said...
I think that Ann and Glenn both have a point. That's why I have two cameras.
My Cannon uses AA batteries is the one I use for travel. Most of the traveling I do is on a motorcycle and I don't want to mess with a charger. AA alkaline batteries don't suffer much from self discharge and you can buy them almost anywhere (gas stations, drug stores, etc.). They have adequate capacity and I take one spare set of batteries so I'm never out of juice. AA NiMH rechargables are not a good choice for this. They self discharge quite fast, have less capacity than most alkalines, and you still need a charger.
My Casio uses a Li ion. I keep it in my briefcase for ad hoc use. Li ion batteries have an extremely low self discharge rate and high capacity. Yes I need a charger (and charging base) to charge the battery but the charger is sitting right on the computer table.
I actually prefer the Cannon. It's bigger and easier for me to hold. It also has a viewfinder which makes it easier to hold steady. The Casio just has an LCD screen. It's a nice large LCD but you still have to hold it out in front and is harder for me to hold steady. Yes, it has anti-shake and it works OK but I still prefer a regular viewfinder. The big advantage of the Casio is that it's small and light. It fits perfectly in one of the pockets of my brieffcase. It also fits nicely in a shirt pocket.
They both work for the way I want to use them.
- paul a'barge said...
Not to mention the fact that non-rechargeable batteries are an environmental anathema.
No thanks to you from the planet, Glenn.
Ann and Sony ... environmentally sound, eco-caring, to be applauded.
- Joe said...
My digital uses AA, and I like it for the same reason Glenn does, but I see the point about how quickly they run out. Clunkiness is not an issue - until very recently my camera was a big, old fashioned, elegant mechanical Nikon F3.
I know this is ancient history for the digicam world, but I bought a Canon S-100 (the first digital elph) when they first came out back in 2000. It used a proprietary li-ion battery - seemed to work great at first, held a charge for a long time, etc.
However after awhile the batteries didn't seem to hold as much charge - eventually I would get about half a dozen pictures then the little low battery light would start flashing on the screen.
I had a couple spare Canon batteries and also a 3rd party battery I bought somewhat later, but they all gave the same results...perhaps it was an issue with the camera(?)
At this point as the camera was a few years old I wasn't too interested in sinking another $50 for a new battery - also I was shooting a lot of film still so I didn't want to upgrade to a new digicam yet. At least rechargeable AA's would be useful for more than one device.
I did eventually buy an S3IS, which runs on AA's and seems to last quite awhile on a set of batteries...and yes, I am using rechargeables, but I do like having the option of being able to get batteries at almost any store if needed.
Still want more of a 'pocket camera', but will probably lean towards an AA camera for that two.
- Shawn Levasseur said...
I like the AA batteries because you can buy more at any drugstore. I used to do the NiMH rechargables, but I now swear by Lithium AA's. They last for a good long time, and I no longer deal with chargers.
I discovered Lithium AA's when I was on vacation and my rechargables were about to die out, and went into a drug store, and bought them, and was stunned to find that they were still working months later.
My Nikon Coolpix only takes two AA's, and it's a small enough camera. The battery chamber requires one end of the camera to have a bit of a bulge, which serves as a good grip to hold onto the camera
- Ann Althouse said...
I know you can buy AA batteries in a lot of stores, but often when you're doing photography, you're out somewhere in a noncommercial area, perhaps on foot. My camera holds a charge for a long time, so it would never run out on one day, even if I took a lot of pictures. So as long as I charge it overnight, it will always get me through the day. And the charger is a single, lightweight plastic rectangle with a built-in plug (no cord or "base station" or whatever). It's smaller than a pack of cards.
- Diane said...
We have two cameras, one uses AA batteries the other is rechargeable. I much prefer using the AA batteries made for digital cameras because they last for months with regular use, even with snippets of video. With the rechargeable you just never know when it will drain out, it could be at the worst possible time.
- altoids1306 said...
The charge on a Sony battery is utterly ridiculous! I've had to charge mine roughly three times a year (I'm a pretty light user).
I like Li-based batteries, I mean, how hard is it to have the disipline to maintain one fully charged battery at all times?
- T J Sawyer said...
I agree on the double AA as a requirement for any new camera I buy. Have a great Minolta Dimage X pocket camera that I still use but at $35 per battery I now have $140 into them. Takes two as a minimum when you shoot a couple hundred pictures a day on a trip. As they age they get down to under 50 shots per charge.
My newer Minolta Z (semi-SLR)is double A based and the Lithiums will last at least 2 to 4 hundred shots. In a pinch, a replacement is available anywhere, any country.
One of the things that sold me on Coolpix camera I have is the ability to either use a dedicated battery or a pair of AA.
If the dedicated battery dies, stop and pick up a pair of AA to get you thorugh the day. Very handy.
- Jim said...
Regarding the high self-discharge of NiMH AA batteries, there's two things you need to know about that.
First, is that Sanyo-made 2500 mAh batteries have been found to have severe issues with that; they have an abysmally high failure rate, with cells becoming unusable after only a few charge cycles. They're fine if used right off, but after just a few weeks, they're dead.
Newer ones may have been fixed, but the consensus of the battery geeks at www.candlepowerforums.com is that AA capacities beyond 2300mAh are problematic in regard to leakage current and internal resistance due to basic physics. Stick to the previous-gen 2000-2300mAh cells.
Note also that Energizers are made by Sanyo, so their cells of similar capacity have similar characteristics.
A way around all that, are the new Eneloops from Sanyo, and "Hybrio" from Rayovac. These trade capacity (around 2000 mAh) for much better charge retention. They come ready-to-use out of the pack; no need to charge them first. These will still have 80% or more of their charge after six months.
Their price is about the same as the regular cells, but be sure to shop around.
Lastly, Li-Ion batteris have one unfortunate characteristic; they have a 3-5 year lifespan or 500 charge cycles, whichever comes first. NiMH's, lightly used and properly treated, can go much longer.
- Ric Locke said...
paul a'barge said...
Not to mention the fact that non-rechargeable batteries are an environmental anathema.
Fooey. Or, more accurately, balls.
No battery is environmentally friendly. That being said, non-rechargeables other than the lithiums are chemical reactions that run to completion, leaving relatively inert or benign compounds behind. That's why they "run down" in the first place.
Rechargeables use heavy metals, and the chemical reactions in them are deliberately designed not to run to completion -- that's why they're rechargeable. The environmental load represented by a rechargeable when it finally does become necessary to throw it away is many, many times the worst-case load caused by a rechargeable.
If you want to be as nearly environmentally responsible as possible while still using batteries, buy old-fashioned carbon-zinc-caustic batteries. When they weather they leave almost nothing damaging behind. Of course, they have nearly no capacity compared to more modern formulations, but hey, you gotta give something to Mother Gaia, right?
Lithium is a special case. If you call yourself an "environmentalist" or "green", even partially, and keep lithium batteries of any type around you're a liar. Lithium is a particularly vile environmental poison. It's explosive, poisonous, and psychoactive all on its own, and many of its resultant compounds (once the battery is discarded) are all that plus carcinogenic and teratogenic.
The closest thing to an environmentally responsible battery -- in the terms most Greens use -- is NiMH. Nickel is a relatively benign heavy metal, at least compared to many, and the rest of the compounds are at worst mildly poisonous. They aren't too great as batteries, as several people have noticed.
Choices, choices...
- Ric Locke said...
...many times the worst-case load caused by a NON-rechargeable.
- Amber said...
I use my digital camera most when I'm traveling overseas for 1-3 weeks. Unless I want to carry around a charger and a power converter in my backpack the entire time, it's AAs all the way.
- michael a litscher said...
I thought Ann used a Nikon D70 - which I know does not use AA batteries.
- Rick Lee said...
I guess I should have something brilliant to say on this subject since it's my bailiwick, but I'm not sure. For a pocket camera, I enthusiastically endorse the Fuji F30 (F31 coming out real soon) which uses a small lithium-ion battery which yields something like 500 shots. Yeow. That'll keep me going for days and I'm a heavy shooter. Even when the battery indicator starts showing less than full, I know I can shoot a ton of shots before it dies. A lot of people complain about the small size saying that they can't hold it still. There's an old saying... Any camera you have with you is better than the one that's at home. A tiny camera is as easy to carry with you as a pair of sunglasses. You're a lot more likely to have it with you if it's small.
Having said that... professionally, I also use the Nikon D200 (with the add-on battery pack) and a Fuji S3. I love the fact that both of these cameras can run on AA batteries. The Nikon has 2 big lithium batteries but it also has a magazine for AA batteries that I can use in an emergency... and I can buy batteries at any 7-11 in America.
- Bradley J. Fikes said...
I recommended a line of Canon Powershot digital cameras for my newspaper (North County Times) precisely because it uses AAs. (These are for reporters, of course, the real photogs have professional digitals).
Our staff will be using these cameras a lot, and we need to be certain of having fresh batteries every time we go out on assignment. With a pool of rechargeable AAs on hand, along with an unused set of alkaline or lithium batteries as backup, we can be certain that is the case.
- IrishLad said...
Last night my friend's daughter's new Sony rechargeable battery caught fire and subsequently started her room on fire. The daughter's friend was standing in the room when it happened and said it just suddenly burst into flames. Fortunately, they were able to put the fire out before it went too far. It reminded me of the problem laptops where having some months ago.
So... be careful, be aware! This was a brand new battery. And, it was a Sony. Beware ANN and all of you other Sony users. My guess is that there's a recall coming. I saw the thread and thought you should be notified. Thank God the timing was such that someone literally saw it happen and they were able to react and put out the fire!
- HaloJonesFan said...
I guess my preference is not so much for AA versus rechargeable, as it is for availability. As it is now, I figure that I'm more likely to be able to find another pack of AA batteries than a useable 120v outlet...and the AA batteries are ready to use right out of the box, as opposed to the outlet which requires hours to recharge. (And I could just buy another battery, but then I'm lugging around extra stuff, and I can always just carry more AAs!)
For you computer-users, though, here's an interesting option: USBcell. http://www.usbcell.com/
- Christopher Fotos said...
I recommended a line of Canon Powershot digital cameras for my newspaper (North County Times) precisely because it uses AAs. (These are for reporters, of course, the real photogs have professional digitals).
Cameras, tape recorders, hand-held computers.....Whenever I'm traveling as a journalist, I never ever ever want to rely on some proprietary system. It really sucks to fly all the way to the end of the world--or run to a cross-town press conference--and discover you can't deliver the goods because your proprietary battery died.
There are very few places on the planet where you can't find AA's.
Interesting discussion; proprietary batteries aren't even on the table in my world so it's educational to see why some people like them.
(My current camera, which I've used mainly for personal use and my blog, is an old Powershot 510, very happy with it.)
- The Drill SGT said...
I'm late to the game here, but I need some advice. I'm in the market for my first digital camera. Price isn't a huge issue. I want something mid range but fairly idiot proof.
I have no digital experience, but used a Nikon 35mm quite a bit years ago.
Hey, just stopped in utterly clueless about the battery issue. I(like Drill Srgt) am attempting my maiden voyage into the waters of digital-camera purchasing. Glad to find all these facts and personal experience! Of all google dug up, this has been the most informative, with such a variety of points. Thanks for the help!
- Gordon said...
How do you charge a battery in a rural part of India? You can buy AA batteries anywhere!


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This is an excerpt from Survival Guide for Coaching Youth Baseball by Dan Keller.
Pitchers use two methods to deliver a baseball. The first, called the windup, is the full-motion whirlybird delivery that starts with the pitcher's chest facing home plate; the pitcher's first movement is a step back behind the rubber. This style of pitching is used with no one on base or with no base runners in position to steal a base. The second way of pitching, called the stretch, starts with the pitcher in a sideways position; the pitcher's movement begins with a leg lift. Because this stretch motion is much shorter and quicker to the plate, it is used when base runners are in a position where they may steal.
Here's some good news: In youth baseball, base runners can't lead off and can't steal until about the 9- or 10-year-old age group. Trust me, this is a huge responsibility off of a coach's clipboard. And this also means that a pitcher can use either the windup or stretch motion while learning to pitch. For these early baseball years, although you have the flexibility to allow an athlete to mimic the big leaguer he saw on TV last night, you just shouldn't do it! The recommended strategy is to start teaching pitchers from the stretch motion first. The stretch is short and simple, and it minimizes the degree of difficulty associated with throwing strikes. Fewer body parts and fewer movements equal more strikes.
Stretch Motion
The stretch motion is broken down into three simple steps that are easy to teach and easy to follow. Communicate this simple number system and use its similarity to the hitting technique described in chapter 7 to create an easy-to-follow instruction plan.
The upper body should follow through so that the back is just about flat, parallel to the ground. Again, the goal is to teach a comfortable and athletic position where the body has supported the throwing arm and has left the athlete in a position to field any ground balls or line drives.
Windup Motion
The windup begins with the pitcher directly facing home plate. The feet are once again roughly shoulder-width apart, the hands are high in front of the chest, and the eyes are locked on the target. The only difference between the stretch and the windup motions is two small steps: right and left. For a right-handed pitcher, the first movement is a step back and at an angle with the left leg (see figure 6.6a). Next, the athlete performs a small lift of the right leg before turning it open and placing it down right next to and directly parallel to the pitching rubber (see figure 6.6b). From this position, it's a simple 1, 2, and 3! The finish position is shown in figure 6.6c.
Read more about Survival Guide for Coaching Youth Baseball.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
go off (one's) rocker(redirected from gone off our rockers)
go off (one's) rocker
To become crazy or mentally unsound; to become extremely foolish or foolhardy. I'm going to go off my rocker if I have to hear that blasted song once more! I think Jane's grandmother has gone off her rocker lately. You must have gone off your rocker if you think that's a good idea!


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A Look at Packers Players Coming Off Injuries as OTAs Open
OTAs will provide a glimpse into how far several Packers players have recovered from injuries last season, such as Clay Matthews, Bryan Bulaga and Casey Hayward.
As Organized Team Activities begin on Wednesday in Green Bay and the Packers practice for the first time this season in a full-team environment, there's a feeling of "hope springs eternal" in the air.
Every NFL team has aspirations of a season ending in Super Bowl glory, and the Packers are no exception.
Fans will be getting a chance to see how rookies will fit into their team's plans and how players coming off injury last season are coming along in their recovery.
With 15 players placed on injured reserve last season, there's no shortage of Packers to keep tabs on as the offseason progresses.
What follows is a look at the Packers players whose seasons were ended by injury or didn't play in their final game last season and a projection on how much they'll still be impacted by their various ailments as the offseason progresses:
Linebacker Clay Matthews, Thumb
After breaking his thumb for a second time on Dec. 22 last season, there's legitimate concern about the long-term damage that could have been caused.
As someone that lines up on the line of scrimmage and uses his hands to grab, rip and shed, the strength of Matthews' thumb is important to his style of play.
There's been no indication that irreversible damage has been caused, but according to Matthews in an offseason interview with USA Today, surgery went beyond just inserting a screw in his thumb:
It's called a tendon transfer. I broke it (the first time), and they did a closed-pin reduction. (The thumb) was dislocated, so they put it back in there. The bones line up, but it was a real small piece of the bone. So, everything was fine. I was coming out, I was working hard, and I was in a cast. And unfortunately, on a sack of (Ben) Roethlisberger (on Dec. 22), the tip of my thumb (hit) my teammate's helmet. All that pressure went down the cast, broke it again. So then, to make it tighter, we took part of the tendon, turned it around, drilled some holes and they almost tied a knot through. It's stronger than (the left one). Now it's super tight.
As part of the same interview, Matthews expressed reluctance that he would be able to fully take part in the team's offseason program. While doing things like conditioning shouldn't be a problem, the Packers likely aren't going to take many chances with Matthews doing anything that would involve heavily using his hands.
Projected offseason limitations: Moderate to Severe
Cornerback Casey Hayward, Hamstring
Hayward originally injured his hamstring while working out on his own during the offseason last year and twice aggravated the injury: once during training camp and again in Week 10 of last season, eventually landing him on injured reserve.
Due to injury, Hayward was limited to just 88 snaps on defense over the course of three games last season, according to ProFootballFocus.com.
Enough time should have passed for Hayward to put his injury behind him, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the Packers put Hayward on some sort of "pitch count" in order to prevent him from overexerting himself.
It might be a different story when training camp takes place in July and August but for the time being, it's still just May and the season is still months away.
Said Hayward during an offseason interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in March:
At a time like this, in the off-season, there's no need to push it and go to the extreme. When we get to OTA's (oragnaized team activities), hopefully I'll be able to push it to that extreme....I'm still hesitant on it. It's being cautious more than anything. Trying to be smart with it.
Projected offseason limitations: Moderate
Tackle Bryan Bulaga, Knee
More than nine months have passed since Bulaga's torn ACL during training camp last season. And while he should be well on the road to recovery, it's doubtful he's ready to practice without limitation.
It wouldn't be surprising to see the Packers withhold Bulaga from all activity during OTAs, other than the normal and regular rehab that takes place, not wanting to take any risks.
Once training camp opens, the Packers will likely bring Bulaga along slowly from injury in hopes that he'll be ready to go in time for the start of the regular season.
For the time being, the Packers have plenty of options opposite David Bakhtiari at left tackle. Both Don Barclay and Derek Sherrod received playing time at right tackle when Bulaga was gone last season, and it will be interesting to see who lines up in his place once practice is open to the public on Thursday.
Projected offseason limitations: Severe
Center J.C. Tretter, Ankle
After breaking his ankle during the team's OTAs last season, Tretter took a long time to recover, being activated from the PUP list on the last possible day allowed by the NFL.
Tretter returned to practice late last season and finally made the team's 53-man roster in December, although he was never active for a game.
The fact that Tretter was able to practice last season should bode well for his recovery. As a player that's still relatively young, his timetable to return to full strength is probably shorter than most veterans.
With the starting center position up for grabs, Tretter can't afford to miss much time if he has any hopes of winning the job.
Center will be one of the most scrutinized battles of the offseason as Tretter, rookie Corey Linsley and others engage in a fight to be Aaron Rodgers' exchange partner.
Projected offseason limitations: Mild
Running Back Johnathan Franklin, Neck/Concussion
There may be no bigger unknown on the Packers roster than Franklin after it was learned he was placed on injured reserve both both a concussion and neck injury late last season.
While a concussion should not be taken lightly, enough time has probably passed to for Franklin to put those concerns behind him.
A neck injury, particularly if it has to do with his spine, presents an even bigger concern.
The Packers have been mum about Franklin's injury, although there's been no indication that anything is severely wrong.
Much more should be learned about Franklin's injury and recovery this week.
Projected offseason limitations: Moderate
Running Back DuJuan Harris, Knee
Like Bulaga, more than nine months have passed since Harris was placed on injured reserve during training camp of last year.
The good news for Harris is that his patellar tendon wasn't ruptured last season when his season was ended.
That being said, Harris did have a procedure done on his knee, and he also had a cyst removed from his lung last offseason as well.
Ever since the cyst was removed last June, Harris has practiced no more than a handful of times, so he has plenty to prove.
Projected offseason limitations: Mild
Tight End Brandon Bostick, Foot
As long as Jermichael Finley remains unsigned, Bostick has a chance to become the team's go-to receiving tight end in 2014.
Before that happens, however, Bostick has to put a foot injury that landed him on injured reserved last season behind him.
While the Packers haven't shared many details about the specifics of Bostick's injury, it's never been indicated that he had broken any bones.
Seeing as Bostick was placed on injured reserve with just two weeks left in the regular season, it could have been a case where injury was rather mild but there just wasn't enough time to return before the season ended.
Projected offseason limitations: Mild
Wide Receiver Myles White, Knee
White overcame long odds by simply making the team as an undrafted rookie last season, and actually became a contributing member of the team's offense when injuries to others occurred at the position last season.
Unfortunately for White, his season was ended late last year when he partially tore his meniscus in a December game against the Falcons.
The good news for White is that he did not fully tear his meniscus, which could be considered a silver lining.
If and when he's ready to go this offseason, White will find a crowded position group after the Packers selected three wide receivers in the NFL Draft.
Projected offseason limitations: Mild to Moderate
Linebacker Sam Barrington, Hamstring
At various points last season, fellow inside linebackers Brad Jones, Jamari Lattimore and Rob Francois all missed time due to injury.
Hypothetically, Barrington might have been able to take advantage of other's misfortunes, but unfortunately, he couldn't stay healthy himself.
The rookie linebacker was placed on injured reserve in November last season with a hamstring pull.
Enough time should have passed for Barrington to take part in the Packers' offseason program this year, but the team isn't going to want to see him suffer any setbacks.
Projected offseason limitations: Mild
Wide Receiver Kevin Dorsey, Toe
The Packers could have released Kevin Dorsey last season after spending much of the offseason program and training camp out injured, but they didn't.
Dorsey was placed on injured reserve during training camp with a toe injury, which, at the very least, kept him around the organization and gives him a chance to prove himself this year.
It's doubful the toe injury should linger for Dorsey, which is good for him considering he'll have his hands full trying to beat out the rest of the wide receivers on the Packers roster without having to worry about injury.
Projected offseason limitations: Mild
There are other players coming off injury that were limited last season such as Aaron Rodgers, Randall Cobb, Derek Sherrod, Jerel Worthy, and Nick Perry but all of them at least played in the the Packers' final game last season. They may encounter some limitations but shouldn't be severely limited.
These are merely an outsider's projections contained in this article and the official word on any of these players' injuries will come to light will have to come from the Packers organization.
Photo: Packers linebacker Clay Matthews by Larry Radloff Photography
Comments (4)
May 28, 2014 at 04:00 pm
RE: Matthews.
Conditioning isn't an issue, no, but I do wonder how much weight training he's been able to do since the break.
That said, I've hurt my thumb and pinky finger on multiple occasions (nothing as severe as what Matthews had) and found the pinky injuries to be surprisingly much more of a obstacle to lifting.
May 28, 2014 at 04:39 pm
Sherrod should be given all the snaps at RT he can get. We've all seen what Barclay can do. He's put down film. Sherrod is a first rounder who needs reps so he can get his best stuff on film; coaches need that to make an informed decision. And when Bak gets tired, push Sherrod over there and let Barclay get his reps at RT. We've got to see what Sherrod has.
May 29, 2014 at 01:50 am
Thanks for the article. It helped refresh my memory. Given the packers' penchant for being less than forthcoming about injuries, your warning to take the projections with a grain of salt is well warranted. CM himself has given quite a bit of detail about his procedures, but it seems that little is known about some of the players' status. When doing the way too early roster predictions, one should consider that GB might put some players, for example: Franklin or Harris, on PUP to stash them away for later in the season.


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Martyr Tathuil, and his sister, Bebaia
The Martyrs Tathuil (Thiphael) and his sister Bebaia (or Thivea) suffered for their bold and effective preaching of Christianity among the pagans. After long and intense torture, the pagans suspended the holy Martyr Thiphael on a tree and cut him with a saw. His sister Saint Bebaia was killed with a spear thrust in the neck.


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Chairman Richard A. Lidinsky, Jr. announced today the appointment of Rebecca A. Fenneman to the Senior Executive Service and her designation as General Counsel of the Federal Maritime Commission.
Most recently, Ms. Fenneman served as the Commission's Deputy General Counsel. She joined the Commission in 1998 as an attorney-advisor in the Office of the General Counsel. She also served as Deputy Director in the Commission's Bureau of Trade Analysis.
Ms. Fenneman holds a B.A. in History from the University of Virginia and a J.D. from the University of Maryland. She is a member of the Maryland Bar and a resident of Virginia. She is currently the President of the Maritime Administrative Bar Association.
"The Commission is fortunate to have Rebecca's exceptional legal and maritime regulatory expertise and judgment as we confront the challenges of ensuring that the economic recovery is supported by a strong, efficient, and sustainable ocean transportation system that benefits U.S. exporters and consumers," said Chairman Lidinsky.


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Pictures of Kellan Lutz at Love, Wedding, Marriage Premiere
Kellan Debuts Love, Wedding, Marriage With Leading Ladies Jessica and Jane, but No Mandy
Kellan Lutz suited up for the red carpet at last night's LA premiere of Love, Wedding, Marriage. His onscreen wife, Mandy Moore, wasn't on hand for the festivities, but Kellan was joined by costars including Jane Seymour, Jessica Szohr, and Dermot Mulroney. The romantic comedy features some shirtless shots of Kellan, and Mandy revealed in a recent interview that his abs made him a popular presence on set! The actor is moving on to the next phase of his career after recently wrapping work on Breaking Dawn. It's the last film in the Twilight saga, and many of the franchise's young stars are taking on exciting new projects as well. Kristen Stewart will put a new spin on Snow White, while Robert Pattinson's Bel Ami and Ashley Greene's Butter will both hit theaters soon.


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Reference Language | Libraries | Comparison | Changes
Store the robot's name into EEPROM.
name: string to be stored
Corrections, suggestions, and new documentation should be posted to the Forum.
The text of the Arduino reference is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License. Code samples in the reference are released into the public domain.


text:
Many prescription and nonprescription medicines can cause a
rash. A few common examples are:
If a rash occurs after you have begun a new medicine:
Last Revised:
February 21, 2012
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
William H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine & H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.


text:
- Library Overview
- Library User Information
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Did you know...
College Club Collection - PP86
Collection finding aids of Photograph Collections in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Maryland Historical Society Library
1954-ca. 1970
Prints and Photographs Division, Maryland Historical Society
201 W. Monument
Baltimore, MD 21201
Finding aid created by Katherine Cowan with funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, August 1999
The College Club, Inc. is the Baltimore Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), a social and community action group founded in 1894 and chartered in 1908 for the purpose of gathering together women with college backgrounds to socialize and exchange ideas. Among the original founders and members were Dr. Lilian Welsh, Dr. Mary Sherwood, Dr. Florence Sabin, Mrs. Fabian Ladd-Franklin, Miss Julia Rogers, and Mrs. A. Morris Carey.
In addition to cultivating its many cultural interests, the College Club developed into a community action organization involving themselves internationally as well as nationally and locally. In both world wars, the club was involved in giving aid to Britain, and in national defense at home. In more recent years, the club sponsored exchange programs enabling foreign women to study and work in Baltimore. Nationally, the group supported womens suffrage, and sponsored guest speakers and study groups to educate themselves on issues.
Locally, members of this group raised money for undergraduate scholarships to Goucher College, and eventually, through the AAUW, helped provide funds for women to do graduate work in a variety of fields, both abroad and in the United States. They also provided clothing and funds to local charitable organizations. Depending upon the interests of the current membership, the College Club has had a constant history of service to the community and nation.
Collection Origin
Gift of the College Club, Inc., Baltimore Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), 1983 (000326).
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of 1 box with 4 folders containing 12 photographs, for which dates range from 1954 to ca. 1970. The photographs depict activities of the group during the 1950s, including a holiday party attended by exchange students, and a College Club booth at the Flower Mart in Mt. Vernon Square in Baltimore. There is also a photograph of the clubs quarters ca. 1955, and the campus of an unidentified university, possibly the University of Maryland in College Park.
Note: Related materials are found in the following collection in the Manuscripts Department of the Maryland Historical Society: MS. 2555, College Club Records; MS. 2697, The College Club, Inc. Records Supplement; and MS. 2863, The College Club, Inc. Records Supplement II.
The photographs are arranged according to PP catalog number, and by subject.
Container List
1 Box
Box 1: 4 Folders
Box 1, Folder 1
PP86.1 College Club, foreign students at Christmas, 1954. 1 item.
Box 1, Folder 2
PP86.2 College Club, Club House at 601 W. 40th St. (Baltimore, Md.), ca. 1955. 1 item.
Box 1, Folder 3
PP86.3-.7 College Club at Flower Mart, ca. 1955. 5 items.
Box 1, Folder 4
PP86.8-.12 Unidentified college campus (U. of Maryland, College Park?), n.d. (ca. 1970). 5 items. © 2001 Maryland Historical Society - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Internet Management - WEBNETT


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An Old Tour of Our First Floor!
Way back in January 2002 I took a movie tour of the first floor of the "Crack House" and posted it to our web page at the time. Since then, for some reason, I took the links out of the web page and the files were removed from the computer because they took up too much space. It turns out that I left them loaded on my FTP space at AOL under an account that I never use and just recently (like yesterday) downloaded the files to the PC that we bought in 2006 that has oodles more drive space and have linked to from here for your viewing pleasure!
Living Room
Dining Room
I took a movie tour through the first floor on Thursday to show you how the rooms currently look so you can see the transformation that has been my nightmare. You will have to wait to view those though because we still have dial-up and the files are going to take forever to upload to my FTP space on AOL because they are quite large!
So, to make you happy while you wait I have posted this joke that was sent to me by a friend who generally tells really bad jokes. Maybe it will make some people think before they vote in future.
While walking down the street one day a US senator is tragically hit by a truck and
His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.
"Welcome to heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so
we're not sure what to do with you."
"No problem, just let me in," says the man.
"Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity."
"Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven," says the senator.
"I'm sorry, but we have our rules."
And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.
Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people.
They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne.
Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who as a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go.
Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises...
The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.
"Now it's time to visit heaven."
So, 24 hours pass with the senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.
"Well, then, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity."
The senator reflects for a minute, then he answers: "Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell."
So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.
Now the doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage.
He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above.
The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder.
"I don't understand," stammers the senator. "Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?"
The devil looks at him, smiles and says, "Yesterday we were campaigning...
Today you voted."


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The lightweight heavyweight: ENVY 13
The ENVY 13 balances style and substance. Carefully crafted details inside and out will satisfy the cravings of demanding mobile customers.
The HP Radiance display is twice as bright as other notebook displays in its class – 410 nit (a measurement of display brightness) – and provides an exceptional movie and photo experience, even in high ambient light conditions. With 82 percent color gamut (versus standard 45-60 percent), photos appear richer with amazing color depth. Additionally, with fast 8-millisecond response time, customers can view movies with TV-like performance.
The ENVY 13's strong performance is delivered in a small frame – less than an inch thin and weighing 3.74 pounds.(1) The exterior's aluminum and magnesium construction provides durability in a sleek design. An etched-metal palmrest further sets the PC apart from others, and a VGA webcam(3) optimized for low light also is included.
HP placed the same focus on design into its optional Slim Fit Extended-Life Notebook Battery. Taking the form of a "slice," it preserves the sleek look of the ENVY 13 while giving users up to 18 hours of battery life with the extended-life battery.(2) The standard battery is user-replaceable.
ATI Switchable Graphics technology dynamically switches between ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 4330 discrete graphics and the Intel® integrated graphics processor for either high-powered graphics processing or low power consumption for long battery life without booting the notebook. The Intel Core™ 2 Duo processor provides the power of dual processor cores while delivering extended battery life when the notebook is unplugged.
Designed with the most demanding mobile user in mind, the ENVY 13 notebook's premium AC adapter is small and light. It draws minimal power, has built-in surge protection and includes a rubberized strap that keeps the cables organized and the adapter from slipping off a slick surface. An optional HP USB Ethernet Adapter also is available.
For more information, join the team subscribe to the mailing list at the bottom of the Launchpad page http://launchpad.net/~hybrid-graphics-linux Please join this team if you are new by clicking on the "Join Team" link at the right of the Launchpad page. It's important to have as many users in the community as possible to request for appropriate support.
Thursday, 17 September 2009
HP ENVY 13 with switchable graphics
HP Redefines the Premium Notebook PC with ENVY
Posted by avilella at 05:35
Blog Archive
- ► 2012 (39)
- ► 2011 (70)
- ► 2010 (82)


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LONE WOLF, Okla. (KOKH) — A man took out his anger on a BancFirst machine that would not return his debit card, according to court documents filed in Kiowa County, Oklahoma.
Jason Willis was arrested on a charge of malicious injury to property after the alleged attack on an automated teller machine in Lone Wolf.
According to court documents, Willis went to the city on Dec. 12 complaining that the ATM had not returned his debit card after a transaction. When he was told the city did not service the ATM and that he would have to take it up with the bank, court records say he went to his vehicle and retrieved a pickaxe.
Investigators say the BancFirst ATM caught the entire attack on video. Court records indicate Willis left city hall and went to the ATM and showed the camera a copy of his ID and a utility bill before he struck the ATM screen with the pickaxe.
A picture of the aftermath sent in by a KOKH viewer shows the pickaxe embedded in the screen along with at least two other broken areas on the screen. The BancFirst branch that services the ATM told KOKH they could not talk to the media about the incident. However, court records indicate damage to the machine may exceed $2,500.


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Apple's top executives have cashed out more than 100,000 shares in the last two weeks, according to the company.
According to the Security and Exchange Commission filings report, the fire sale began June 15 when Apple senior vice president of software engineering sold off 1,911 shares (approximately $821,825). However, his numbers paled in comparison to what came next.
From the TUAW report:
- Apple chief executive Tim Cook sold 41,391 shares for $17,115,178.50
- Senior vice president of operations Jeffrey Williams sold 38,181 shares for $15,787,843.50
- Senior vice president of technologies Bob Mansfield sold 14,465 shares for $5,981,277.50
- Chief financial officer Peter Oppenheimer sold 37,828 shares for $15,641,878
- Senior vice president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller sold 37,878 shares for $16,287,540
- Apple's general counsel Bruce Sewell sold 37,828 shares for $15,641,878
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Most of the shares were vested June 21, so that's the reason for most of the cashing out. The second vestment date is March 21, 2016. Still, while this is "business as usual", we can't help but think that throwing all these shares on the market at one time when Apple stock is flailing can't help the dropping share price.


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Phone number: (03) 9466....
Fax number: (03) 9466....
URL: http://www.carpetcourt.com.au
Trading/Opening hours:
|Mon: 9:00am - 5:30pm
|Tue: 9:00am - 5:30pm
|Wed: 9:00am - 5:30pm
|Thu: 9:00am - 5:30pm
|Fri: 9:00am - 5:30pm
|Sat: 9:00am - 3:00pm
|Sun: - Closed -
|Public Hols: ---
Business Info
Carpet Court is a locally owned and operated floor-covering experts in Australia.
DIY Vinyl
Floor Tiles
Recommend This Business
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Some tips when posting a review: When writing a review, see if you can be as balanced as possible. What did you like, what didn't you like? Here are some things to think about - How was the customer service? How was the product or service quality? How was the price/value? Please also check and adhere to the editorial guidelines when posting a review.
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Jus Allah - Willing A Destruction Onto Humanity lyrics
[Verse 1: Jus Allah]
Hotboxing the whip with piff from the ziplock
Guns come from Big Lots, blunts from the Quick Stop
Scheming on a plot trying to rob Mr. Big Shot
Strip you for your little chip of the rock
Stay equipped with the Glocks, you left for dead sifting through rocks
Gave your girlfriend my dick in a box
All the dirt I got on my hands I should have rocks in my wristwatch
But I pick Glocks over chocolates in the gift box
Chase you down the staircase, pop you in the lobby
Feed you hot slugs, each shot is a hot tamale
Spot where we put the bodies is hot as the Mojave
Probably time to find a new hobby
Before cops is sending out the bloodhounds, rounding up the posse
Reckless n***as with more records than disc jockeys
Play their records on CNN and Hard Copy
Play the part where they show the heart in the autopsy
Everyone of you is alive, your d**h has got nothing to do with it
[Lyrics from: https:/lyrics.az/jus-allah/-/willing-a-destruction-onto-humanity.html]
You already survived many d**hs, but you don't know anything about it
How much have you learned in this life?
How much have you truly learned that makes a difference?
[Verse 2]
I'm a motherf**ing headhunter, a cold winter to a dead summer
Doesn't matter the weather, I'm still a lead-dumper
You can find the f**ing body in the red dumpster
20+ years, cousin couldn't dead hunger (Still hungry, motherf**ers)
See it's the gutter that I rap
I nickname gats, they my butterfly effect
The boxcutter or the TEC
Some of my brothers is on their deen, some of them provide the wet
And some of them provide the birdos
Jail motherf**ers that'll buck you on their furlough
I run through a wall, never heard of hurdles
Manos de Piedra, I'm Roberto, you a f**ing herb though
I've been getting money since my third show
My new Kel-Tec is berzerko, only smoke the purple
Y'all just f**ing stand around in circles
Me and Jus Allah controversial


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Whatever you earn at age 40 is likely to be the top of your earning potential. This is one of a gazillion things I've learned from talking with Al Lee, the director of quantitative analysis at PayScale.
Al's data, which is based on the careers of college graduates, is basically that the salary curve for most people in their 20s is very steep. Then it starts to flatten in the 30s, and then you get into the land of the 3% raise. In real dollars, those 3% raises are not actually raises, they are just keeping up with inflation.
The information is grim. But here are some things you can do with it:
1. Go Where The Men Are
To be precise, pay tops out at age 38 for women ($61K) and age 45 for men ($95K). But the difference, according to PayScale data, is not due to unequal pay for equal work. Rather, the difference is that women choose lower paying careers, and women are more likely to take time out of the workforce for kids. So the first thing you can do to prevent your salary from flat-lining is choose a career that men dominate. But it's not just about industry—it is also about influence. Stick to line-management positions rather than support roles. For example, skip human resources and go to supply chain management.
2. Rewrite Your Resume
If you're at the beginning of your career, focus on accomplishments rather than responsibilities. This makes you look like you're in a higher pay bracket so you will get larger salary increases. If you've been in the workforce for a while, cut anything that is more than 15 years old, including the date of your college graduation. Al says that there is no premium paid for two decades of experience because jobs change so quickly that long-gone experience is not particularly relevant. And because age discrimination creates a sort of penalty for more than 15 years of experience. So just leave it off. (Good resume editing tips here, at Quint Careers.)
3. Be A Lawyer
Have I ever given this advice before? I don't think so. Even the American Bar Association reports that law school is a ripoff. But I'm open to counter-arguments—Al says that the only profession where your pay increases after 20 years is in law. Because laws change very slowly, especially procedural law, and so much of being a good lawyer is your on-the-job training.
4. Specialize
By your mid 30s, if you don't have a specialty, it's hard to get your salary into the next bracket. You earn more money if your talents are more scarce. (Here's some information about how to specialize.) Also, don't give up hope if you have no idea what you're doing in your mid-20s. As long as you figure things out by the time you're 30, you will get a premium for 15 years of experience before your salary stops rising.
5. Buy A House Assuming You Won't Get A Raise. Ever.
When it comes to houses in the U.S., the average age of a first-time buyer is 33. So people go through their 20s gaining super-high raises, and then people buy a house in their mid-30s with the assumption that the raises will continue. In fact, though, you should buy a house preparing for your real income to remain unchanged until age 55, when it is likely to go down.
6. Recognize Your Limitations
People eventually start to realize that they are not going to get to the very top. They see that only one out of 100 web designers is the director, and only one out of 50 directors is a VP. Al calls this the funnel effect, and he says many people recognize this and start to trade time for money; people see that chasing the increasingly smaller raises is not as fulfilling as doing a wide range of other things with their time.
7. Focus On Maintenance
Most people in their 40s have a lot going on. Taking care of aging parents, young kids, community organizations—all these jobs are falling on people in their 40s, which means it's not a good time to be trying also to leverage one's highest earning power. So instead of killing yourself trying to earn more and more, be realistic and go into maintenance mode.
One of the most common but least-talked about career moves is to get to a relatively high spot and then see how much you can cut back in terms of effort and still maintain that level of salary and/or prestige. This seems like a reasonable strategy for a wide range of people. So do small experiments with cutting back early in your career because creating enormous efficiencies takes practice. And a nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic is not the training you need for this type of change.


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State essay contest winners announced at UH Manoa College of Arts and Sciences Nisei ForumUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
College of Arts and Sciences
HONOLULU — Winners of the 2006 VALUES FOR LIFE statewide high school essay contest were announced March 9 at the UH Mānoa College of Arts and Sciences' bi-annual Universal Values for a Democratic Society—Nisei Veterans Endowed Forum Series held at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi. The forum theme was "On Being Different."
Caitlin P. Godwin, Nicole Antonio, and Casey Fern took first, second, and third place, respectively, for their outstanding essays. Each responded to the prompt: "VALUES FOR LIFE are those principles and ideals that help guide one to do the right things. Interaction with people who are different, or who we feel are different, from ourselves—because of appearance, gender, ethnicity, background, sexual orientation, status, point of view, or behavior—may produce challenges, including the questioning of our values. Write about such an interaction and its positive or negative effects upon living in accordance with values important in a democratic society."
Godwin, from ʻIolani School, discussed the importance of accepting all sexual orientations with her essay "Awakening with a Passion for Gay Civil Rights." Antonio, also from ʻIolani, shared her opinions of our tendencies to discriminate with her essay "Self-Segregation." Fern, from Ho'ala School, described how it makes for a better society to embrace all people for their differences through his essay "Challenged?"
In keeping with the spirit of the contest, the forum series made a donation to a charitable organization of the student's choice in the student's name. The forum donated $250 to Ho'ala School in Fern's name, $500 to the VH1 Save the Music Foundation in Antonio's name, and $1000 to the Susannah Wesley Community Center in Godwin's name. An unexpected monetary gift was also given to the individual prizewinners in the amount of $125 for third place, $250 for second place, and $500 for first place, among other prizes. Hawaiʻi State Governor Linda Lingle provided a certificate of commendation to each prizewinner. All public and private high school winners were recognized with a certificate of merit.
This free public event also promoted reflection on issues of religion, culture, and current events affecting the world today through the thoughts of featured guest speaker, Dr. Saleem Ahmed, PhD, a former Fulbright fellow and author of several books on the subject. His presentation, "Celebrating Diversity in Unity," focused on acceptance of religious pluralism through reflections on Islamic teachings and Muslim practices as compared to spiritual principles of other religions.
Universal Values for a Democratic Society—Nisei Veterans Endowed Forum Series was established by the Colleges of Arts and Sciences at UH Mānoa to foster thoughtful discussions on values and their role in enhancing a democratic society by examining those values from all perspectives and from people of all walks of life. The monetary prizes of the essay contest were made possible by the Kosasa Family Fund of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation.


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Emirates Palace leads Ramadan celebrations in Abu Dhabi
Ramadan is fast approaching and a palatial Ramadan pavilion is under construction at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi.
The custom built pavilion sits on hundreds of square metres, overlooking the beach on one side and stunning façade of the hotel on the other, and will incorporate the existing 12- metre-high palm trees and grand fountain of the palace terrace.
Emirates Palace, considered the United Arab Emirates' Leading Resort by the World Travel Awards, has partnered with the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) and Wahat Al Zawiya to create a special Ramadan experience for residents and guests in what will be the largest purpose built Ramadan structure in Abu Dhabi.
Alexander Schneider, Emirates Palace hotel manager, said: "After providing a limited Ramadan experience in 2012, Emirates Palace decided this year to create an out-of-this-world venue for residents and guests that truly reflects the legendary Emirati hospitality.
"We are ready once more to impress our clientele with great offerings from our world-renowned culinary team, complemented by great service and the magical atmosphere of our Ramadan pavilion."
The elegant design of the Ramadan pavilion will incorporate the signature gold and traditional Mashribiya details of Emirates Palace in a light and airy space.
Comfortable seating spread throughout the pavilion will create cosy enclaves to enjoy time with friends and family throughout the Holy Month of Ramadan.
The pavilion can host up to 1,200 guests per day and will include four private majlises, a large open dining area for Iftar buffets featuring signature dishes from Mezlai, Emirates Palace's famous Emirati restaurant, as well as a separate lounge area.
A custom-built climate control system will keep guests comfortable around-the-clock, as the pavilion will be open both day and night.
During the day, the lounge will provide a tranquil sitting area for both fasting and non-fasting guests and visitors to enjoy the view of the glistening Arabian Sea, and at night the lounge will certainly be the perfect spot for a relaxing Suhour where guests can enjoy a delicious à la carte menu and fragrant shisha.
Emirates Palace executive chef, Sandro Gamba, promises the highest quality of food will be available throughout the month. Gamba is working with local farms and suppliers to procure local produce and other ingredient to ensure fresh and tasty food, and to enhance the authenticity of the festive menus.
This year Emirates Palace expects the number of visitors to exceed that of previous years.
The increase in visitors to Abu Dhabi is expected to continue throughout summer and the Ramadan Pavilion at Emirates Palace will provide a memorable Ramadan experience, as they welcome residents, visitors, guests and corporate groups from around the region.
Per person rates in the Ramadan Pavilion are AED 249 for Iftar and Suhour will be à la carte, excluding 16 per cent tax and tourism fees.


text:
Kurt Nimmo
March 27, 2010
Forget all the self-serving diatribes by Republicans about Obamacare. They are for government enforced health care. "Republicans were for President Barack Obama's requirement that Americans get health insurance before they were against it," the Associated Press reports this morning.
|Republicans trumpeted the health care "obligation" for decades.
Republicans trumpeted the "obligation" (at gunpoint) that Americans buy health care insurance from large monopolistic corporations for decades, long before Hill and Bill attempted to foist their version on the plebs.
Republican statists view health care at gunpoint as a "free-market route to guarantee coverage for all Americans — the answer to liberal ambitions for a government-run entitlement like Medicare."
Of course Republicans don't support Medicare. It does not fit the narrow confines of their partisan political ideology. Medicare was included as part of the Social Security Act of 1965, signed into law by president Lyndon B. Johnson, a Democrat.
Republicans are miffed because Obama and the Democrats co-opted their original concept, minus a mechanism they proposed for controlling costs. Republicans are not opposed to totalitarian care, they are simply opposed to the Democrat version.
If you believe Republicans are serious about controlling costs, look no further than Bush's $3 trillion budget proposal in 2008 (a record at the time). When Bush took office, the national debt was $5.73 trillion. When he left, it was $10.7 trillion.
Mitt Romney — who was billed as the man who would save us from Obama and the "socialists" during the selection, er election — forced the residents of Massachusetts to buy health insurance. Lord Romney said government mandated health care is "a personal responsibility principle."
Government invariably demands "personal responsibility" on the part of the plebs while it engages in corruption, starts wars under false pretense and kills millions of people, and enslaves future generations to bankster debt.
Romney's health care at gunpoint was backed by Scott Brown, the Republican that had Democrats and the usual suspects at MSNBC and CNN chattering about a fascist rightwing takeover of Congress.
Brown replaced the late Democrat Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. It was said his appointment would almost certainly lead to the collapse of Obamacare. Brown says his opposition to the new shakedown for large insurance corporations is over tax increases, Medicare cuts and federal "over-reach" — because Democrats are doing the reaching — on a matter that should be left up to states. It was a different story when his buddy Mitt was forcing gunpoint healthcare down the throats of Massachusettans.
In the case of states' rights, Brown might want to look at the example set by the former leader of his party, George W. Bush. The Bush administration violated the Tenth Amendment by repeatedly meddling in the states in regard to medical marijuana, the federalization of education, and state control of the National Guard.
- A d v e r t i s e m e n t
- {openx:49}
"The idea of an individual mandate as an alternative to single-payer was a Republican idea," health economist Mark Pauly of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School told the Associated Press. In 1991, Pauly published a paper explaining how a "mandate" (government coercion) could be combined with tax credits to force the commoners into compliance. Pauly's paper was embraced by the George H.W. Bush administration.
Republicans like to tell you they are opposed to taxation. Instead, they use taxes as a carrot and a stick to force government mandates down your throat.
Nixon before Bush backed the idea of a mandate that employers provide insurance. Even the Heritage Foundation back in the day supported this government imposed "individual requirement."
Later today in Nevada, the Republican Tea Party will gather and demand the ouster of Democrat Sen. Harry Reid and the Democrats for passing Obamacare. The event will be led by the darling of the establishment Tea Party, former Alaskan governor Sarah Palin. On Friday, Tea Party Sarah threw her support behind the establishment stalwart John McCain.
McCain's latest authoritarian outrage is the "Enemy Belligerent Interrogation, Detention, and Prosecution Act of 2010" that, if passed, would turn the country into a military dictatorship. It was introduced with the participation of the notorious warmonger Joe Lieberman. Apparently the legislation is backed by Tea Party Sarah.
The Nevada event was organized by the Tea Party Express, an organization in bed with Our Country Deserves Better PAC, which is closely affiliated with the Republican-affiliated consulting firm Russo Marsh & Associates. In other words, the event in Nevada will be strictly an establishment Republican affair. The objective is not to get rid of government enforced health care, but to get of rid of Reid and put in a Republican. It is another example of the false right-left paradigm in action.
In January, the Tea Party Express supported Scott Brown. As noted above, Brown supported Romney's version of Obamacare in Massachusetts.
Republicans will shamelessly exploit the compromised Tea Party and the efforts of the states to repeal Obamacare in order to win seats in Congress during the mid-term elections. If they manage to overturn the Democrat majority in Congress, they will not work to repeal Obamacare. They may nibble around the edges of the bill but will leave it largely intact. Republicans have no problem with the government forcing you to shell over your money to large insurance companies. Republicans are enforcers for the global elite and transnational corporations.
Both Republicans and Democrats need to be trounced in November. Obamacare needs to be challenged on Constitutional grounds. The establishment controlled Supreme Court, however, cannot be counted on to repeal the bill. It may take civil disobedience on the part of millions of Americans before this bill ends up in the dust bin of history where it belongs.
Our Christmas in July sale is now live! Get double Patriot Points and free shipping on our hottest products!


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Even my inspiration board is looking brighter - out with the rustic brown, in with the bright yellow!
And whilst in the mood of yellow and green I made these broccoli tartlets. I have been eating more broccoli this season than probably ever before and I am showing no signs of getting sick of it! These tartlets combine a crunchy crust with a soft and smooth broccoli filling - something I've been having with just about anything lately. These are quick and easy to make and a perfect treat to enjoy whilst day-dreaming of spring.
Broccoli tartlets
(Recipe adapted from Fresh Japanese)
50g rolled oats
20g puffed brown rice
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
80g whole spelt flour
3 tablespoons water
400g broccoli, cooked until tender
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1. Preheat oven to 180C and lightly oil 2 individual tart tins (or one bigger about 20cm across).
2. Put the rolled oats and puffed rice in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.
3. Place the oats, puffed rice and spelt flour in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the honey, olive oil and water. Combine this mixture with the dry ingredients and use your hands to bring the dough together. Set aside for 10 minutes.
4. Press the dough into the prepared tart tins and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
5. For the filling, put all the ingredients in a food processor and purée into a smooth paste. Top the crust with the filling and vegetables of your choice. Serve immediately.


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Enjoy Airplay streaming from your iPod Touch, iPhone, or iPad
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The receiver measures 6 x 17.1 x 13.2 inches (H x W x D) and weighs 18.1 pounds.
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I got as far as "Sulliden's project is in a geopolitically secure location"...
Tough market for junior explorecos?
Yup, tough market. This from Anconia Resources (ANA.v) on December 20th:
Anconia Resources Corp. (TSX VENTURE:ARA) ("Anconia" or the "Company") announces that it proposes to complete a non-brokered private placement offering (the "Offering") of units ("Units") and flow-through units ("Flow-Through Units"), at a subscription price of $0.10 per Unit and $0.12 per Flow-Through Unit, for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $2,100,000. continues hereAnd this from Anconia Resources (ANA.v) post-close Dec 31st:
Anconia Resources Corp. (TSX VENTURE:ARA) ("Anconia" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the closing of the first tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement offering (the "Offering") (see the Company's news release dated December 20, 2013) issuing 416,665 flow-through units ("Flow-Through Units") at $0.12 per Flow-Through Unit, for aggregate gross proceeds of $50,000. continues hereNuff said
UPDATE: Or if you prefer, here's Cadillac Ventures (CDC.v) from November 25th
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Nov 25, 2013) - Cadillac Ventures Inc. (TSX VENTURE:CDC) (CADIF) ("Cadillac" or the "Company") announces that it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement offering of units ("Units") at Cdn$0.05 per Unit and flow-through units ("FT Units") at Cdn$0.06 per FT Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of up to Cdn$1.5 million (the "Offering"). continues hereAnd here's Cadillac Ventures (CDC.v) six weeks later today, post-close Dec 31st:
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Dec 31, 2013) - Cadillac Ventures Inc. (TSX VENTURE:CDC) (CADIF) ("Cadillac" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the closing of the first tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement offering of units ("Units") at Cdn$0.05 per Unit and flow-through units ("FT Units") at Cdn$0.06 per FT Unit, issuing 200,000 Units and 2,090,666 FT Units for aggregate gross proceeds of $135,440 (the "Offering"). continues hereNuff nuff said.
Colossus (CSI.to)
PS: The above was written when CSI.to was trading at 9c this morning. It closed at 7c.
Gold price moves: Seems legit
OT: Dieting tips: The six major reasons why you can't lose weight (and what to do about it)
Kim Jong Un versus Barack Obama official State photos
Found on Twitter this morning, this is something to behold.
Presented with no further commentary.
My New Year's Resolution
1) The hack hasn't thought through the piece to the extent where true conclusions can be drawn2) The hack doesn't have the guts to make a statement and invite pushback from their target3) The hack is making shit up in the guise of real news and is using the device as a way of avoiding a libel case.
Ever notice how it's the short NRs from juniors that make you go "ouch" the most?*
It's when they just run out of BS. Here's Colossus (CSI.to) this afternoon:
December 30, 2013
Colossus Minerals Announces Director Resignations
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Dec. 30, 2013) - Colossus Minerals Inc. (TSX:CSI) (OTCQX:COLUF) (the "Company") announced today that Messrs. Douglas Reeson and Greg Hall have resigned from the board of directors. At this time, no replacement candidates have been identified.
Messrs. John Frostiak and Alberto Arias remain directors of the Company.
So, about that bidding up thing that's been going on in CSI the last 3 or 4 days. I recommend the casino next time.
*you think i read this shit?
A Flash update...
Dead reporters in LatAm
*oops, too much eggnog
Chart of the day is...
The IKN Weekly, out now
The eruption of the Chapparastique/San Miguel volcano, El Salvador
A quick geography question
Bad news for Dynacor Gold (DNG.to)
The Friday OT: Foo Fighters, Wasting Light (full album)
See if you can spot the exact date Sandspring Resources (SSP.v) announced its innovative funding deal with Silver Wheaton (SLW)
But hey, who are we to kvetch on the formidable due diligence powers of SLW?
What's that you say? Pascua Lama? Oh stop splitting hairs!
Average copper grade in Chile is up in 2013
Bolivia's record GDP growth year
*restrictions apply
Gold Resource Corp (GORO) drops its dividend to just 1c over the number it can truly afford
A silly company for silly people.
Chart of the day is...
The Real has taken a right battering, but the interesting one is the Peru Nuevo Sol. Its Central Bank has been pretty aggressive in protecting the PEN from downside and considering that Chile and Peru have similar exports mixes, there's the type of gap beginning to appear that would appeal to the currency futures traders.
Christmas cheer for Lara Exploration (LRA.v)
Some context is necessary because Lara Exploration (LRA.v) has had a rough year, just like the rest of the sector...
...and let's not kid ourselves that the rally is on anything but modest volumes. However, the last few days of price action in LRA has been more than interesting...
The accuracy of the Kitco News Weekly Gold Survey
- On the left the date of each survey. Simple.
- The next five lines are the raw data from Kitco, including a) the number of people asked (part), b) the number of responses garnered c) the number of bullish calls d) bearish calls e) and neutral calls on the week ahead in gold.
- Next the numbers were crunched into the percentage of bulls bears and neutrals, which you see in the centre of the above table (all cute with a colour code, too). Also in this section, I've highlighted in peach the most popular call of the week, i.e. the direction in which the overall survey is pointing for gold.
- Then comes paydirt. First the price of the gold bullion ETF (GLD that weekend and then the percentage change in the price of gold that week (result %).
- The final column of the table is the answer to a simple question: Was the survey accurate that week in its prediction for the price of gold. To decide this, I assumed any plus/minus movement on the week of under 0.5% was neutral, then above was a bullish result and below a bearish result.
Theft reported at Colossus Minerals (CSI.to): Somebody's stolen a zero
I'm sorry, does that say 230,000 ounces of gold in your brand new 43-101 resource?
Are you guys telling us that after all this schamoozle, you only had...? Ah, forget it.
Oh my stars, this one's going to be fun.
Ten IKN random predictions for 2014
1) Gold, at ~$1,200/oz today, is close to its bottom. I'm going to allow perhaps another $100 and make the 2014 low call $1,100/oz and the high $1,500/oz, which we'll see as the year draws to a close.
2) Quality junior mining companies and explorecos will finally split away from the cruddy juniors and we'll see an all-important gap develop between the companies that need to die and those that will survive and eventually thrive.
3) Copper will be weak in 2013, with supply outstripping demand and new lows of under $3/lb registered (put me down for $2.80/lb on multiple days, not just a single spike). Average for the year to be around $3.10/lb
4) Uranium won't break $40/lb at any point and the sector will continue to get the rah-rah from the promo people still holding their large bags.
5) Dilma Rousseff, President of Brazil, will be re-elected in 2014. The election is set for October 5th and Dilma will win it, no matter whether her coutnry manages to lift the major trophy of next year or not (see below). Dilma is liked and likeable, gets the key backing of Lula and notwithstanding bumps in the road during her current terms (economy not motoring well, corruption scandals in her government) has done a more than acceptable job so far. She'll get a second bite, no worries.
6) Evo Morales, President of Bolivia, will be re-elected in 2014. The presidentials in Bolivia are currently slated for October 5th 2014 (that might move by a couple of weeks, or might not) and even though there are doubts as to whether Evo can run again (Supreme court says yes because the constitution is a new one, opposition says no it's against the law because re-election is still not allowed) the chances are that he'll be the MAS Party candidate and once there, win his next (first? other?) mandate.
7) Juan Manuel Santos, President of Colombia, will be re-elected in 2014. We complete our trifecta of presidents to get second terms with Juanma. He's currently favourite without being a lock for the May 25th 2014 vote, but as the FARC talks make slow but sure progress (contrary to my 2013 prediction) and the economy is doing ok (GDP growth modest but acceptable, unemployment now at record lows) he should have enough in the tank to defeat the main opposition that comes from the Uribe-backed right wing, whose anti-talks/anti-FARC-deal candidate looks set to be Oscar Zuluaga.
8) Both Argentina and Venezuela will continue to defy and confound the non-stop barrage of criticism from the western media and get through 2014 just fine. Inflation in both countries will still be a problem, but there will be no defaulting of bonds, no forced changes of government no large-scale citizens uprising, no matter what dreams the country haters might have to the contrary.
9) Juan Martin Del Potro will win at least one of the Grand Slam tournaments this year. Argentina's ace tennis player is up against tough competition in Joker, Rafa, Murray and even a Roger who could put in a swan song, but I reckon it's time for Delpo to make good on the promise of a few years ago and shake off time lost through niggling injuries.
10) And finally, the big one: Brazil will win the 2014 World Cup. I'll be cheering for Argentina, but my head will rule my heart on the predictive stakes (love to see them both in the final, though). Obvious dangers are (and in order) Germany, Spain, Italy and Holland. The rest make the show, not the semis or the final.
The IKN Weekly, out now
IKN242 has just been sent to subscribers. It's a fruity combination of mango and strawberry, with just a hint of lime. Served over cracked ice and garnished with a playful paper umbrella.
Ah yes, you know Cusco don't you?
The 'Coqui-Dictionary': Argentina has fun translating Jorge Capitanich
Some mining e-cards redux
Iwnattos on the Silvercorp (SWM) news
Round Nine! The "Friday-Night-Bury-That-News-While-Market-Players-Are-At-Happy-Hour" NR stakes
There were plenty in the running for this week's award, but all are trumped by this short, sweet and nasty one from Colossus Minerals (CSI.to), a company that's just lost its lender of last resort.
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Dec. 20, 2013) - Colossus Minerals Inc. (CSI.TO)(COLUF) ("Colossus" or the "Company") On Friday, December 20, 2013 the Company was advised by Arias Resource Capital Fund II L.P. and Arias Resource Capital Fund II (Mexico) L.P. (together, the "ARC Funds") that the ARC Funds would not be proceeding with the two tranche financing previously announced on December 18, 2013.
The Friday OT: Robert Earl Keen; Merry Christmas from the Family
For the 5th year running, IKN's Friday OT features the world's greatest ever Christmas song.
Bolivia in SPAAAAAAAACE
Some mining e-cards
- You, the mining or mining related company, spend about a nanosecond of true creative thought on the subject.
- We, the recipients, think you are jerk-offs of the highest order.
The random nature of TSX delisting reviews
How to get a "social licence" in Peru
- Inside the meeting hall in the town of Cocachacra, 1,200 people assembled to hear SCCO do its thing. Which they did.
- Of those 1,200 people, those against the mine's development were very thin on the ground despite the overwhelming majority of Islay locals being against the project. Also, those against the mine, including the local priest (not normally known for telling fibs) were adamant that the assembly was filled with people shipped in from locations outside Islay and were being paid to attend by the mining company. Just the same as in other meetings, in fact.
- But even then, there was no sort of vote or formal public approval process. According to the justice-seen-to-be-done artificial Peru system, all SCCO has to do is give its presentation and hold its meeting, no sort of yea or nay decision is required, looked for or received. The people inside the hall may as well have been mannequins.
- Meanwhile, outside the hall with 1,200 people were 2,000 police officers, fully equipped with riot gear, as well as a couple of riot containment vehicles (armour plating, water cannon etc). Their job was to keep thousands of real locals away from the hall; the protesters who are against the mine project weren't allowed to attend the social audience meeting because we wouldn't want to encourage a real debate at a meeting now, would we? Anyhow, the police did a good enough job (according to all media reports), with just a few skirmish-type incidents in outlying areas and a few tear gas canisters to upset the near-total success of the containment operation.
Chart of the day is...
...gold, monthlies:
And here's a suggestion for Scotia's esteemed mining analysts
Good reading on Bill Ackman's Herbalife (HLF) short
A blog is not a newswire
Yours, bored with morons, Otto.
Mo' Aurcana (AUN.v)
Aurcana (AUN.v) news: Shafter shafted
I laughed.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Dec 19, 2013) - Aurcana Corporation ("Aurcana" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:AUN)(AUNFF) wishes to provide an update as to the status of its Shafter Project. The Aurcana Board of Directors, after careful consideration and review of the development and mining options for the Shafter Project under current economic conditions and low silver prices, has elected to put the Shafter Project on "care and maintenance". Employees were notified Wednesday, December 18, 2013.Aurcana is planning to initiate an exploration program designed to test targets within Shafter's known mineralized areas in further detail, to help determine whether additional higher grade mineralization can be delineated. Aurcana geologists have identified areas of interest to justify such a program.Lenic Rodriguez, Aurcana's President and CEO, states "Aurcana's management and its board of directors are very disappointed that (another batch of Lenic bullshit follows here)
$1,200 again?
Yup, $1,200/oz again.
Chart of the day is...
...the gold/silver ratio, 12 months:
The trend is clear and the moving averages indicate more of the same, within the daily fluctuations and noise of course. Or put another way, you think gold's had a hard year?
South American Silver (SAC.to)
Wassat you say, guv? Wot? Me?
Nah, nowt t'do wi me, mate.
(exit stage left, hands in pockets, quietly whistling)
The IAMGOLD (IMG.to) (IAG) strategy in Colombia: When in hole, keep digging
Not satisfied with its previous forays into third party juniors in Colombia for example...
Buying 15.38m shares of Tolima Gold for $10m (those are now worth $0.46m)
Buying 11m shares of Bellhaven Copper & Gold for $6.05m (those are now worth $0.36m)
Buying 12m shares of Colombia Crest for $3.42m (those are now worth $1.2m)
UPDATED: Colossus (CSI.to): We can safely say Sandstorm doesn't want to throw any more good money after bad
As has been previously disclosed, Colossus is in dire financial circumstances. Colossus believes that the Noteholders' Resolution is necessary in order for it to improve its balance sheet in order to raise the short term equity financing needed to implement the Company's de-risking strategy and thereby make it more attractive to future investors and potential partners to a mergers and acquisitions transaction.
UPDATE: That didn't take long. ARC Fund bites the bullet, the swimming pool dilutive placement is outlined as well as a loan that pays 20% per annum (!!) interest. Details here
Phoque it
h/t reader MM
Belo Sun (BSX.to): Meet the neighbours, Stan
Good news for the bullshit promo sharks in junior mining: The action in Carpathian Gold (CPN.to) proves there are still a whole bunch of suckers out there
1) As at end 3q13, before CPN explained to the world that it was facing a nasty cash crunch, it had a working capital of negative $102.524m (with very little of that in real cash) and on top of that, another $43m in long-term financial debt. The only thing balancing the sheets at that point was its declared property values (and if you think, for example, that its Romanian snafu is worth $50m, then jolly good luck is wished upon you) but as this isn't an asset story, it's a liquidity and (supposedly) cash generation story, what really matters isn't some mutually convenient fixed asset value but the financial parts of the balance.2) At end 3q13, it had 694.17m shares out. That means today's 12c share price gives it a market cap of $83.3m.3) According to its own Feasibility Study (that by way of a slight sidebar is looking a little long in the tooth, what with the changes in costs in the industry since its publication), at U$1,250/oz gold RDM has an after-tax 5% discount NPV of $172m.4) So therefore, even if we take a couple of giant leaps of faith, assume this perenially underperforming management team stops being crap and starts delivering 100% on its promises and then things go perfectly with operations at RDM, the NPV of the RDM project is less than the combination of the negative working cap and the current market cap. That's without even mentioning the LT debt portion.
Your gold mining Rorschach test of the week, courtesy of Argonaut (AR.to) and True Gold (TGM.v)
First the scenario: The world has offered up two interesting projects NR this morning:
1) The pre-feas of the large-ish Magino project, owned by Argonaut Gold (R.to), with a post-tax 18% IRR using $1,250/oz gold. Lots more details here.
2) The PEA (scoping study) of the smallish Karma project, owned by True Gold (TGM.v), with a post-tax 43.1% IRR using $1,250/oz gold. Again, mull over the details at the company NR, here.
And so to the test: We discount immediate reaction (eg this morning) and set the clock for, say, Thursday evening. Right now AR.to is priced at $5.43 and TGM.v is 38.5c, so let's see how those prices sit at the end of three days of market because if these projects can't bring love to these stocks, gawd help us all.
A brand new U$40Bn gold company to be created in 2014
Caracas, 16 December AVN: The Vice-President of the Economy, Rafael Ramirez, said on Monday that a JV gold company would be created by the Venezuela Central Bank and PDVSA."The only partner of the State oil company in this JV will be the Venezuela Central Bank", said Ramirez, who is also the minister of petroleum and mines, during a press conference."The company is very important because PDVSA, via the Venezuela Mining Corporation, has been granted the rights over 92 billion* ounces of gold," he said.Ramirez pointed out that this JV company is valued at U$40Bn, and would contribute to the re-launching of the Venezuelan] gold sector in 2014.He added that the make-up of this JV company will allow the State to receive a larger amount of the gold that's produced in the country
The badly reported Barrick (ABX) Pascua Lama layoffs story
Argentina: Barrick cuts 1,500 jobs at Pascua Lama ArgentinaThe decent local media channel covering the Northeastern Argentina region, El Diario Del Cuyo, first reported a story on Friday (13) which was then picked up by regional media and even made English language copy by yesterday Saturday (e.g. here's Reuters, reporting about ¾ of the story (14)). The need to know is:Of the 4,800 to 5,000 workers employed at Lama (the number varies), which is the Argentina side of the Pascua Lama project, the 3,500 workers who are residents of San Juan are being kept on until end April minimum. The other 1,300 to 1,500 workers, said to be comprised of 400 foreign nationals and around 1,000 Argentines from other provinces, are being laid off.At a best guess, the decision to employ the 3,500 (pre-crisis there were around 10,000 workers at Lama) instead of trimming workforce to the bone as was originally planned, will cost Barrick around U$30m until April and around U$70m if employed to the end of 2014. This would roughly double the U$60m ABX had originally set aside for care and maintenance costs in 2014 for the Lama end of the project, however it's the veritable drop in a bucket compared to the overall U$5Bn+ already thrown at the project.The decision to keep on the 3,500 local workers is almost certainly politically motivated and comes after some negotiations. As noted in the very interesting report linked on the blog last week (15) ABX was coming under pressure from the San Juan province to keep paying salaries, with the big bargaining chip being the "continued well-being" of Veladero, the ABX gold mine that lies South of the Pascua Lama project and also in San Juan. The provincial government's strategy may not have been very subtle, but it's probably the difference between full-scale lay-offs and the 3,500 who'll keep on receiving salaries. Also, the inference is that the April 2014 minimum employment will likely get extended, else cause "problems" for the other mine. It's how business is done in Argentina, ladies and gentlemen, though the April minimum decision does give ABX the chance to play hardball come the time, which is always a possibility if the world gold market deteriorates further. We shall see.Changing the subject slightly, we also had plenty of talk floating around the Southern Hemisphere last week that Barrick is actively looking for a Chinese JV partner to move Pascua Lama forward, one example of many this report in Chile's best biznews paper (16), which is one of those unsubstantiated rumours that makes a lot of sense. But as the saying goes down here, "Hay un gran trecho entre dicho y hecho" (close enough is "there's a big gap between word and deed") and as ABX really doesn't have much in the way of kudos to lose at this point in the South, there's no reason to suppose the propagation of the jungledrums equates to a near-done deal this time, either.
"The Trouble With 43-101": Garth Kirkham speaks for the defence
The IKN Weekly, out now