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Lehigh Valley High School Football
Nazareth football coach Tom Falzone racks up win No. 50 against Whitehall
By Michael Blouse
Special to The Morning Call
Tom Falzone's 50th win as the Nazareth Blue Eagles' football coach featured a coming out party for super sophomore Mason Kuehner and a workmanlike performance from rugged senior Tyler Rohn.
Kuehner scored three touchdowns and Rohn contributed two in Nazareth's 35-14 triumph over Whitehall on Friday night at Andrew S. Leh Stadium.
Falzone's Blue Eagles clinched a berth in the District 11 Class 6A postseason and the opportunity to claim a third consecutive title. They also improved to 6-3 overall and 4-3 in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference South Division.
Whitehall lost its fifth in a row and fell to 3-5 overall and 2-5 in the South Division.
Kuehner scored Nazareth's first two touchdowns, the first on a 10-yard run and the second a 25-yard strike from quarterback Sonny Sasso. The 5-11, 165-pound 10th-grader intercepted two passes, his second going for a 21-yard TD early in the third quarter to break the game open.
Rohn, meanwhile, ran for 173 yards and two TDs on 31 carries. He also caught four passes for 65 yards.
"It's a great feeling to be out here and help the team in a big way," said Kuehner, who hauled in five passes for 43 yards. "But the whole team effort, everybody was dominating everywhere. It feels really great to bounce back after the loss [35-7 to Emmaus] we had last week."
"Mason stepped up early and made some big plays on the offensive and defensive end," Rohn said. "As the game got rolling we came together as a team and ran the ball real successfully, which is a lot of fun for me. This was a great team win."
Falzone, who with his 50 wins is the third-winningest coach in program history (Andrew Leh is No. 1), liked what he saw from both of his statistical stars.
Kuehner's contributions are especially crucial with top wideout Nolan Lobb sidelined with an injury.
"He's a weapon," Falzone said of Kuehner. "He's an offensive and defensive player; a super athlete. We've got to find ways to get the ball into his hands and tonight he did some of that on his own. I'm proud of his effort and how he's been growing.
"Rohn, running the way he did, he ran hard. We had them spread out and he caught the ball a couple times too, which was nice to see. He had a monster night but that doesn't happen without the guys up front. The line did a nice job; we made a little adjustment this week and I like what we did."
Nazareth opened up its 14-0 advantage fewer than seven minutes into the opening quarter.
Whitehall, however, bounced back to tie the score at 14. Sophomore quarterback Trey Dogmanits had some success through the air, passing for 255 yards and a touchdown on 30 attempts. He was intercepted three times.
Senior Demonte Foreman rushed for 75 yards and a touchdown.
"One thing I can't question in this five-game stretch is the effort of our kids," Zephyrs coach Matt Senneca said. "We don't have a ton of kids but they play both ways and they give you everything they've got. I love them to death for that. We're going to go back and keep fighting.
"Trey is going to be all right. He made some sophomore mistakes like you'd expect any sophomore to make. But he also made some phenomenal throws and great reads and good decisions. He's going through some growing pains but he's doing a heck of a job for us."
Fun opening act
Nazareth went up 14 with 5:05 left in the first quarter and it looked like it'd be a blowout.
Whitehall scored the next 14 thanks to its passing attack and appeared to seize momentum.
Dogmanits bounced back from his early interception with completions of 25, 34, 24, 40, 24 and 20 yards. His 40-yarder to Devin Donatelli went for a TD. Foreman scored the initial Zephyrs' TD on a 2-yard run.
Nazareth broke the 14-14 tie with a Rohn-powered possession. The running back covered a 25-yard chunk on a screen pass, then went for runs of 13 and 6 yards. His 6-yarder was a six-pointer with 3:30 left prior to intermission.
Rohn is now up to 781 yards rushing for the season on a team known for its aerial attack.
"I am enjoying that," Rohn said of the increased workload. "It's a lot of fun for me, especially when we get rolling. It's so fun to run through those holes. I've always got to give credit to my linemen in there battling every down opening up holes. If they do that, my job is easy."
Defensive dynamos
Nazareth junior Collin Wells was in on three quarterback sacks. Senior Broc Bender and sophomore Sean Kinney combined for a sack in the second quarter for the Blue Eagles.
Senior Jake Hilarczyk tipped the pass that Kuehner intercepted and returned for a TD. Sophomore Logan Hilarczyk added an interception.
Onto the next …
The Blue Eagles and the Zephyrs both conclude the EPC portion of their schedules next Friday night.
Nazareth plays its South Division finale against Easton. The Blue Eagles welcome the rival Red Rovers to Andrew S. Leh Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
Whitehall takes on unbeaten North Division champion Northampton. The Zephyrs and Konkrete Kids are set for a 7 p.m. start at Zephyr Stadium.
Both teams will qualify for the District 11 playoffs, which begin the weekend of Nov. 5-6.
Michael Blouse is a freelance writer.
NAZARETH 35, WHITEHALL 14
Whitehall 0 14 0 0 – 14
Nazareth 14 7 14 0 – 35
N: Mason Kuehner 10 run (Chris Bugbee kick), 6:43.
N: Kuehner 25 pass from Sonny Sasso (Bugbee kick), 5:05.
W: Damonte Foreman 2 run (Andrew Deutsch kick), 10:29.
W: Devin Donatelli 40 pass from Trey Dogmanits (Deutsch kick), 6:05.
N: Tyler Rohn 6 run (Bugbee kick), 3:30.
N: Kuehner 21 interception return (Bugbee kick), 10:31.
N: Rohn 1 run (Bugbee kick), 1:25.
RUSHING: Whitehall (23-29): Foreman 15-75, 1 TD; Quinn Wentling 1-0; Dogmanits 6-(-28); Team 1-(-18). Nazareth (46-217): Rohn 31-173, 2 TD; Michael Bonsignore 7-33; Kuehner 2-11, 1 TD; Luke Madson 1-4; Sasso 5-(-4).
PASSING: Whitehall (18-255): Dogmanits 18-30-3 for 255, 1 TD; Nazareth (12-152): Sasso 12-17-0 for 152, 1 TD.
RECEIVING: Whitehall (18-255): Bryce Bashore 4-94; Donatelli 5-74; Ryan Kovalchik 5-60; Thomas Buskirk 2-23; Foreman 2-2. Nazareth (12-152): Rohn 4-65; Kuehner 5-43, 1 TD; Broc Bender 1-9; Jake Hilarczyk 1-9; Frankie Mroz 1-8.


T.J. Dillashaw has posted a series of videos apologizing for his conduct and expressing his remorse after accepting a two-year suspension for his positive drug test.
Dillashaw posted on Instagram on Friday taking full responsibility for his actions. In the video, he claims his coaches, family and teammates had nothing to do with his positive drug test, and apologized to them all. He vowed that this was not the end for his career, and that he would return better and stronger.
Dillashaw recently received a two-year suspension after testing positive for recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO), a banned substance that synthetically increases production of red blood cells. Results from the substance allow for greater oxygen transportation in the blood stream and the potential for increased aerobic performance. His suspension was levied effective Jan. 18, and as a result he also surrendered his bantamweight title. The initial suspension from the New York State Athletic commission lasted one year with a $10,000 fine, and it was increased to two years by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
On Friday, the Ultimate Fighting Championship's Vice President of Health and Performance Jeff Novitzky also claimed that USADA will be testing previous samples from Dillashaw's earlier drug tests for EPO. Should those samples test positive for the substance as well, Dillashaw could be subject to additional sanctions.
Dillashaw competed at UFC Brooklyn in January, and attempted to become a rare two-division champion. His debut at flyweight proved unsuccessful, as he ended up getting knocked out by flyweight champ Henry Cejudo in 32 seconds. Cejudo has elected to move up to bantamweight to face Marlon Moraes for newly-vacated strap at UFC 238 on June 8.
"I messed up. Been having a hard time trying to forgive myself for this, which I should have a hard time. And I should have a hard time forgiving myself. I understand criticism and scrutiny coming my way, but what I really feel bad about is the kind of bad light I'm bringing on my coaches, my family, my teammates…they had no involvement in this, and I feel the worst for them. I got a 15-month-old son that I…I want to be a role model for him. I'm sure there's a lot of other kids out there too, it's tough. But I gotta man up to what I did, you know, I accepted all penalties, I didn't try to fight this thing.
Yeah, man, it's been weighing on me. And I say it should. This is who I am, I'm a fighter and I have to fight my way through this one. I want to apologize to -- I've already apologized -- but I apologize to my fans, anyone I've let down, obviously my family, my coaches, my teammates. I can't say sorry enough for stuff that you're dealing with because of me. But this won't be the end of me, I'll be back, and I'm making a promise now that I'll be back better, I'll be back stronger. And I'll prove that the hard work that I put in will allow me to come back…and not the bad decisions that I've made. And it's all I can do. All I can do is to redeem myself is work hard, be better. I want to be better, and I will."


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Inaudible Politics Audiovisual Language Installation History Visuality Technology Criticism
Antoni Muntadas
Entre/Between
Antoni Muntadas. Entre/Between Exhibitio. From November 23, 2011 to March 26, 2012
Daina Augaitis, curator: "The exhibition is titled Muntadas. Entre/Between, and that's because Muntadas occupies the space that is between. It's a little bit distant from certain places or locations or ideas, and I think it gives him an outsider's perspective on the big cultural and political ideas of our time, because that's really his artistic investigation. So, we wanted to really articulate that idea. And I think Between also is a space that allows for possibility, it's neither this nor that. So I think that his work is really not conclusive, it doesn't offer particular solutions. It occupies that space in between, it begins to suggest and it's really up to the viewer to be making decisions after that.
The exhibition's comprised of nine installations that are nine thematic fields and it begins with the idea of Microspaces. So how do we investigate the world through our body, in a very personal way. The second one is Media Landscapes which is a term that was coined by Muntadas in the 1970's. To really look at the massive amounts of information and advertising that come through mass media. There are both early and late works in that constellation as well. Then, we move on to Spheres of Power where we have the wonderful installation of The Board Room, that really analyses the gestures and the tone and the nuances of people who are in power, whether it's economic, religious or entertainment. And then to focus its attention a little bit more we go to the domain of fear and how this manipulation and control bring about a certain situation in the world and what are the mechanisms for doing that. Then we move to the places of spectacle and we look at the architecture of containment, especially in a structure like the stadium, and there we have a very dramatic and grand installation.
Then we move to communal spaces, which investigates the urban field, how do we construct our idea of the city, how do we interact, how do we frame different views and create different histories. Then we move on to the Archive and there is a question of how we create typologies and sections. In fact: is it objective or subjectively done? – which is a different framework for the world and all the information within the world. And one of the key pieces is of course the File Room, which documents acts of censorship around the world, and in an interactive website. And then we move to the spaces of translation, where we are right now. Muntadas has been preoccupied with the idea of translation and he has been doing a series since the mid 1990's. In every step of the way and every transaction that we do now in our global society there is some translation, not just words but ideas and gestures and values. And then we go to the final sphere which is the systems of art. And in Systems of Art Muntadas turns his critical gaze toward the art world. And there we investigate the hierarchies, the various systems of methods of display that we have in the art world. And there's a very large and important installation called Exhibition there, where we can really reflect on the place of art and perception in the art world."
Muntadas: "In 1998 I had an exhibition called Híbridos in what was then known as the Reina Sofia National Arts Centre. The exhibition consisted of a series of finished works plus a new piece titled Situación 88. This work explored the juxtaposition of the building's functions as a hospital and as a museum over the course of time. I used this room, which now holds works by Richard Serra, to refer to that situation, and I opened the
windows wide to let in the noise, the smells and the cold from Atocha.
I have chosen to focus on the new building as a kind of excuse; it is merely the top of an iceberg that leaves many other things out of the picture.
You are viewing the Sabatini wall from this room, and the glass panels on the wall are covered in text, a hypertext containing references, quotes and key words that are placed around an opening, a window the size of the screen and the projection. Fifteen minutes of intertwined conversations are projected on each floor, featuring people who were in some way responsible for the addition of the new building.
I wouldn't know how to define this work; I consider it a device that allows me to speak of the relation between art and architecture, architecture and museum, other complex matters like political decisions, or the use, function and circulation of the building. As for political decisions, we mustn't forget that the building expansion involved three different directors, in addition to the current one; three Fine Arts directors and two political parties. That's why Guirao argues that this kind of project requires a good architect and a good client, for all these political changes and lack of continuity made the client figure quite uncertain. There is one resulting architecture, but each director had a different view and a different program.
Architecture has certain functions. The project should come as a result of the activation of the building. You must listen to what the walls have to say."
Antoni Muntadas' Entre/Between is a retrospective exhibition of one of Spain's internationally best-known artists in the field of conceptual and video art. His work offers a critical analysis of the media, of image and of the two as spectacle.
The exhibition is divided into different blocks, including Places of Spectacle and Spaces of Translation, which organise the artist's oeuvre thematically instead of chronologically. An additional piece commissioned specifically for this exhibition talks about the architectural history of the Nouvel Building. The RRS podcast combines a brief interview with the exhibition curator, Daina Augaitis, with some audio clips from different videos in the exhibition.
As the curator discusses some of the important elements of Muntadas' work in general, the voices, noises and music from these videos can be heard. Usually, analyses of these types of work are aimed at the viewer, not the listener, although with the videos excerpted here, one cannot be separated from the other. This short piece is designed to contrast and highlight the artist's critical analysis of the media, as an equally valid alternative to visiting the gallery.
Exhibition view. Antoni Muntadas. Entre/Between, 2011
Embed in your site
Código copiado al portapapeles.
Realization:
José Luis Espejo
Voice-over:
Norah Delgado O'Neill
Creative Commons by-nc-sa 4.0
Audio quotes
Muntadas. TVE Primer Intento (1989)
Muntadas. This is not an advertisement (1985)
Muntadas. On subjectivity - About TV (1978)
Muntadas. Liege (1977)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


As we continue to delve into our Diabetes series, we recognize that you may be here because you have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes or even pre-diabetes. Likely, you may be craving for information to understand how your body is affected by the disease in addition to wanting to know how to move forward.
While every individual is different, knowing the common types of diabetes treatments can help prepare you for the road that lies ahead. With more than 100 million Americans facing a diagnosis of diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, know that you are not alone when seeking treatment options.
If you have been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, then you are one of the 1.25 million individuals with this disease, according to the American Diabetes Association. Type 1 diabetes affects only 5 percent of individuals with diabetes and occurs when the body does not create enough insulin on its own or your immune system destroys pancreas cells that make insulin.
Insulin: Children and adults diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes manage the disease with a variety of insulins. Insulin is delivered through pumps, pens or syringes. The dosage and frequency of use depends upon the severity of the disease and is managed by a physician.
Prescription Metformin: More commonly used by people affected by Type 2 diabetes, Metformin, in combination with insulin, may be necessary for people with Type 1 diabetes. This medication helps the liver process sugar and helps control the body's blood-sugar levels.
Prescription Pramlintide: This type of medication may be prescribed to help your body better control sugar. It acts as a hormone and is often used in conjunction with insulin, according to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Additional Medications: Since Type 1 diabetes can cause complications in the body, some patients are prescribed medication for high blood pressure and high cholesterol to help with overall health.
Lifestyle Changes: As with any type of diabetes, it is important to incorporate lifestyle changes to help control blood sugar levels. Your physician may create a low-carb diet plan for you and encourage exercise along with blood sugar monitoring and carbohydrate counting.
Type 2 diabetes is more prevalent than Type 1 diabetes, currently accounting for 95 percent of cases in the United States, according to the American Diabetes Association. If you have been diagnosed with this condition, it is a result of your body facing an insulin deficiency, over-production of sugar, or insulin resistance. Careful monitoring by a physician is essential when moving forward with treatment options.
Diet and Exercise: Many individuals with Type 2 diabetes are able to control the disease with a lifestyle change. Eating healthy foods, limiting carbs, and exercising can naturally help reduce your A1C. In fact, if you are overweight, a healthy diet can help you to lose weight and help control your diabetes.
Insulin: In some cases, people with Type 2 diabetes may need to treat the condition with insulin. While insulin is not as common of a treatment as it is for Type 1 diabetes, it may still be necessary for some patients.
Prescription Metformin: This medication is among the most common for people with Type 2 diabetes. Metformin helps control your body's blood sugar levels and your liver's ability to process sugar.
Additional Medications: In some cases, physicians may prescribe diabetes medication, such as Micronase, Glucotrol, Prandin, Glucophage, Avandia, Actos, Acarbose and Miglitol. Since each case of Type 2 diabetes is different, the variety of prescription options helps to accommodate specific needs, according to American Family Physician.
While a diagnosis of pre-diabetes may not be what you were hoping for, it is a less risky condition than Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. In fact, many people with pre-diabetes can prevent themselves from moving toward these two types of diabetes by embracing treatment options early on.
Physical Activity: If you are overweight or even obese, you are more at risk for being diagnosed with pre-diabetes. However, with more physical activity, you can lead a healthy life. With increased physical activity, such as walking, bicycling or jogging, you may lose weight which causes reductions in blood glucose levels, according to the American Heart Association.
Diet Management: What you put into your mouth matters, which is why an emphasis on eating low-carb meals and increasing your intake of vegetables is often recommended for pre-diabetes patients. Begin to count your carbs and follow a recommended diet plan from your physician to manage your condition and prevent Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
Regardless of whether you have been diagnosed with type 1, type 2 or pre-diabetes, you need support to manage the disease. Care Indeed is here to help, offering resources for patients and caregiving options for those in need. Beyond our comprehensive guides and blogs to let you know you are not alone, we also offer support in ways you need as a patient or a family member.
As an individual with a form of diabetes, support and care are essential. Know the signs and symptoms of the disease. Evaluate diabetes treatment options and seek out resources from local and national organizations, such as Care Indeed.
We work closely with patients to offer care that allows you to fight any type of condition or illness. And, with diabetes, guidance and support can make managing the condition much more bearable. Life with any type of diabetes is challenging and learning how to accept the challenge is the first step in living life. While you may struggle with the changes as a patient, caregiver or family member, the support you need is only a click away.


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Home Research Topics Politics & Policy Political Issues National Conditions
ReportJune 6, 2013
In Gay Marriage Debate, Both Supporters and Opponents See Legal Recognition as 'Inevitable'
Section 2: Views of Gay Men and Lesbians, Roots of Homosexuality, Personal Contact with Gays
Most Americans say they are not personally bothered being around gays and lesbians. Currently, 82% say "it doesn't bother them to be around homosexuals," while 14% say it does. This is only modestly changed from a decade ago, when there was far less acceptance of homosexuality generally. In October 2003, 76% said it did not bother them to be around homosexuals.
The new survey finds larger changes over the past decade in favorable opinions of gay men and lesbians. Ten years ago, the balance of opinion toward both gay men and lesbians was unfavorable: 37% viewed gay men favorably, while 51% viewed them unfavorably; 39% had a favorable impression of lesbian women while 48% had an unfavorable opinion.
Today, by a 55% to 32% margin, more have a favorable than unfavorable opinion of gay men. And about twice as many view lesbian women favorably (58%) than unfavorably (29%).
As with many attitudes about homosexuality, opinions about gay men and lesbians have become more positive across nearly all demographic and partisan categories over the past decade. Yet there continue to be wide differences among these groups in opinions about both gay men and lesbians.
More than eight-in-ten liberal Democrats view gay men (85%) and lesbian women (84%) favorably. Opinions are nearly as favorable among white women college graduates (81% favorable view of gay men, 80% favorable view of lesbians).
By contrast, just 36% of white evangelical Protestants have a favorable opinion of gay men, while 50% have an unfavorable view. White evangelicals express mixed views of lesbian women (39% favorable, 46% unfavorable).
Among African Americans, about as many have favorable views as unfavorable opinions of both gay men (42% favorable, 50% unfavorable) and lesbians (50% favorable, 45% unfavorable).
And while white women college graduates stand out for their positive views of both groups, white men who have not completed college have mixed impressions of gay men (41% favorable, 43% unfavorable) and lesbian women (47% favorable, 37% unfavorable).
Reactions to Learning Your Child Is Gay or Lesbian
In 1985, a Los Angeles Times survey found that 64% of the public said they would be "very upset" if their child told them he or she was gay or lesbian. By 2004, that number had fallen by almost half (33%). Since then, it has declined another 14 points, to 19%.
Instead, a majority (55%) now says they would not be upset if they learned their child was gay or lesbian, a 19-point increase since 2004 and a 46-point increase since the mid-1980s.
Again, this has been an across-the-board shift in attitudes. Yet the change has been more dramatic among some groups than others. In 2004, fully 82% of those 65 and older said they would be upset if their child told them they were gay, and 50% said they'd be very upset. Today, only about half (47%) say they'd be upset and just 24% say they'd be very upset.
Among Republicans, the percentage saying they'd be very upset if they learned their child was gay or lesbian also has fallen by half – from 44% to 22% – since 2004.
Views of Gays, Lesbians Raising Children
In recent years, there has been a decline in the percentage of Americans who think that more gays and lesbians raising children is a bad thing for American society. Currently, 35% view this as a negative trend for society. While that is unchanged from 2011, it represents a 15-point decline since 2007 (from 50%), according to a separate survey, conducted March 21-April 8 among 4,006 adults.
Over this period, the percentage saying more gays and lesbians raising children is a good thing has nearly doubled, from 11% to 21%. About four-in-ten (41%) say more gays and lesbians raising children does not make much difference.
The public also takes a more positive view of another social trend – more people of different races marrying each other. Currently, 37% say this is a good thing for American society, up from 25% in 2011 and 24% in 2010. About half (51%) say more interracial marriage does not make much difference, compared with 64% in 2011 and 61% in 2010. About one-in-ten (10%) continue to view this as a negative trend for American society.
Divided Opinions over Why People Are Gay, Lesbian
The public has divided views about why people are gay or lesbian: 42% say being gay or lesbian is "just the way some people choose to live," while nearly as many say "people are born gay or lesbian." Just 8% say being gay or lesbian "is a result of a person's upbringing."
A decade ago, in a slightly different version of the question, 30% said that "homosexuality is something that people are born with."
Opinions about why people are gay or lesbian vary widely by race, educational attainment, partisanship and religious affiliation. Fully 66% of African Americans think that being gay or lesbian is just the way some people choose to live, while just 20% say people are born gay or lesbian. Among whites and Hispanics, opinion is more closely divided: 44% of whites say people are born lesbian or gay while 39% say it is a choice; Hispanics' views are similar (48% born, 36% choice).
Overall, most (58%) who say that homosexuality should be accepted think that people are born gay or lesbian. A majority (63%) of those who say homosexuality should be discouraged think it is just a way some people choose to live.
However, while people under 30 are more likely than those 50 and older to favor societal acceptance of homosexuality, young people are actually more likely than older people to say being gay or lesbian is just the way some people choose to live.
Personal Contacts with Gays and Lesbians
An overwhelming percentage of Americans (87%) say they know someone who is gay or lesbian. Twenty years ago, far fewer (61%) say they had a gay or lesbian acquaintance, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey.
Nearly a quarter (23%) say they personally know "a lot" of gay or lesbian people, while 44% say they know some, and 19% have only one or two gay or lesbian acquaintances. Overall, nearly a third of Americans (31%) say they know no one who is gay or lesbian (12%) or have only one or two gay acquaintances (19%).
About half of Americans (49%) say that a close family member or one of their closest friends is gay or lesbian. And nearly a third (31%) say they know gays or lesbians who are raising children.
While large majorities across virtually all demographic and partisan groups say they know at least someone who is gay or lesbian, there are differences in the number of gay acquaintances that people have.
Adults ages 65 and older are half as likely as those under 30 to know a lot of gays and lesbians (15% vs. 30%). Roughly one-in-five of those 65 and older (21%) say they do not know any at all.
Familiarity with gays and lesbians also differs by religious affiliation. Three-in-ten (30%) of those unaffiliated with a religion say they know a lot of gays and lesbians and just 8% say they know none. Among Catholics, 22% know a lot of gays and lesbians, while 14% of white evangelical Protestants say this.
Democrats (24%) and independents (27%) are about equally likely to know a lot of gays and lesbians, compared to 13% of Republicans. There is also a divide based on community type: People who live in urban areas (29%) are much more likely to know a lot of gays and lesbians than suburbanites (20%) or people in rural areas (17%).
Gay Friends and Support for Same-Sex Marriage
Fully 68% of those who know a lot of gays and lesbians – and 61% who have close friends or family members who are gay – say they support same-sex marriage.
There is far less support for gay marriage among those with few or no gay contacts and those who do not have close gay friends or family members. Just 37% of those who know only one or two gay people favor gay marriage, as do 32% of those with no gay acquaintances.
People who have more gay contacts and close gay friends are more likely to be women, young, and religiously unaffiliated, groups that tend to be more supportive of same-sex marriage. But even holding demographic factors constant, those who have many gay acquaintances, or close gay friends and family members, are more likely to favor same-sex marriage than those who do not.
Most Visible Gay, Lesbian Public Figure: Ellen DeGeneres
Comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres is by far the most visible gay or lesbian public figure. When asked which public or entertainment figures who are gay or lesbian first come to mind, 32% cite DeGeneres. Jason Collins, the professional basketball player who revealed he was gay shortly before the survey was conducted, was named by 7%, while 6% named Elton John.
Overall, 38% of the public could not name any gay or lesbian public figure. This includes 61% of those age 65 and older and 57% those with no more than a high school education.
Next: Section 3: Religious Belief and Views of Homosexuality
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Complete Report PDF Topline Questionnaire Complete Report PDF Voices: Views of Same-Sex Marriage, Homosexuality Graphic: Changing Attitudes on Same Sex Marriage, Gay Friends and Family May 2013 Political Survey Dataset
In Gay Marriage Debate, Both Supporters and Opponents See Legal Recognition as 'Inevitable' Section 1: Same-Sex Marriage, Civil Unions and Inevitability
Reactions to Learning Your Child Is Gay or LesbianViews of Gays, Lesbians Raising ChildrenDivided Opinions over Why People Are Gay, LesbianPersonal Contacts with Gays and LesbiansGay Friends and Support for Same-Sex MarriageMost Visible Gay, Lesbian Public Figure: Ellen DeGeneres
Section 3: Religious Belief and Views of Homosexuality About the Survey
short read | Nov 15, 2022
About six-in-ten Americans say legalization of same-sex marriage is good for society
short read | Jul 7, 2021
On some demographic measures, people in same-sex marriages differ from those in opposite-sex marriages
short read | Nov 2, 2020
How Catholics around the world see same-sex marriage, homosexuality
The Global Divide on Homosexuality Persists
As family structures change in U.S., a growing share of Americans say it makes no difference
Political IssuesSame-Sex MarriageSame-Sex MarriageNational ConditionsBeliefs & Practices


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Home > News > Visualization – Jul 2, 2015 12:54 pm
E-on Software Ships Free Versions of VUE and PlantFactory 2015.2!
Ildiko Robledo
The VUE and PlantFactory 2015.2 Personal Learning Editions allow any Artist or Student to learn the best Digital Nature tool for free. The PLEs output files that can be rendered without limitation using an ATC license, allows users to work from home using the free PLEs and transport their work easily between resources.
Beaverton, OR – E-on software, maker of the leading solutions for Digital Nature, announced at the end of June for immediate availability the free versions of its recently released VUE 2015 and PlantFactory 2015 products.
This includes the VUE xStream and Infinite 2015.2 Personal Learning Edition (PLE), the VUE Esprit, Studio and Complete 2015.2 trial versions, the PlantFactory Producer 2015.2 PLE, the free the PlantFactory Studio, Designer and Artist 2015.2 trial versions, and finally the free PlantFactory Exporter.
E-on software also announced that both its VUE and PlantFactory Personal Learning Editions can now interact with other commercial or PLE versions. As a result, customers can test any combination of commercial and PLE products. (PlantFactory PLE interoperability with Carbon Scatter 2015 and LumenRT 2015 will be available within their upcoming 2015.5 release)
Finally, to celebrate the nomination of VUE xStream 2015 for Update of the Year and LumenRT 2015 as Innovation of the Year at the CG Awards 2015, the company is currently running a huge promotion on all of its software tiles: VUE, PlantFactory, LumenRT, Carbon Scatter and CloudFactory.
Artists can save up to 50% on their purchase until July 12, 2015. More information here.
New in 2015.2
All free PLEs and Trials are based on their most recent 2015.2 release, which includes (on top of other improvements) vastly improved export plugins and communication with ZBrush for PlantFactory, and compatibility with Autodesk 3ds Max and Maya 2016 for VUE.
Learn more about the new technologies in VUE 2015.2 at www.e-onsoftware.com/xstream/
Compare PlantFactory versions with the comparative chart.
Personal Learning Editions (PLE)
The 2015.2 PLEs are fully functional version of VUE xStream/Infinite 2015.2 and PlantFactory Producer 2015.2. With the PLE, users can create complete projects, render in FullHD and save their work (see website for other limitations).
01 – Watch short video on Working with PlantFactory and ZBrush
Users can download the 2015.2 PLEs at no charge from www.e-onsoftware.com/try
The PLEs are for learning purposes only. In particular, it is strictly forbidden to use the PLE for any commercial work. The PLE ships with a limited subset of the total content available in the commercial products. Users cannot exchange files with other users (except ATC Licenses) and renders carry a logo and will be watermarked after 30 days. Geometry exported from The PlantFactory PLE removes 1 polygon out of 5; import into VUE works with both the VUE PLE and full commercial licenses of VUE.
The Personal Learning Editions perform under all versions of Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 (64 bit only), and are Mac Intel (64 bit) for MacOSX 10.6+.
Users don't have to pay to learn!
The VUE and PlantFactory 2015.2 Personal Learning Editions allow any Artist or Student to learn the best Digital Nature tool for free. The PLEs output files that can be rendered without limitation using an ATC license. Students can thus work from home using the free PLEs and bring their work back to school for use (and final rendering) using their school's resources.
PlantFactory Exporter 2015 – Tweak Plants and Export as Standard 3D Meshes
Designed for CG artists using any 3D application (such as 3DS Max, Maya, Cinema 4D, Softimage, LightWave, Modo, etc), this very simple version of PlantFactory lets the users purchase exactly the plant species they need, generate variations, adjust age, health and season, and export as static 3D meshes*.
More information and download instructions is available online at: www.plantfactory-tech.com/exporter.php
* Mesh resolution can be adjusted per export.
30 Day Trial Versions
Trial Versions are designed to offer users a way to evaluate each specific version before making any purchasing decisions. The trail versions will work for 30 days and saving is disabled. Check website for other limitations.
Users can download the VUE and PlantFactory 2015.2 Trial Versions at no charge from www.e-onsoftware.com/try.
The Trial Versions are available in English, French and German for VUE and English only for PlantFactory, for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8, and are Mac Intel (64 bit) for MacOSX 10.6+.
About e-on software
E-on software is the leading developer of solutions for the creation, animation, rendering and integration of natural 3D environments (VUE, Ozone, Plant Factory and Carbon Scatter), as well as real-time immersive visualization tools for Architecture and GeoDesign (LumenRT). Offering a wide array of Digital Nature products and applications, e-on software provides solutions adapted to every project and budget. E-on software products are used worldwide by the film, television, architecture, game, science, educational and entertainment industries.
E-on software products were used in feature films such as "Jupiter Ascending", "Minions", "Guardians of the Galaxy", "The Croods", "Dragons 1&2", "Hunger Games", "Hugo", "Tintin", "Super 8", "Thor", "Avatar", "Clash of the Titans", "Sucker Punch", "Despicable Me 1&2", "The Wolf Man", "2012", "Lovely Bones", "GI Joe – The Rise of the Cobra", "Land of the Lost", "Terminator 4, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", "Indiana Jones 4", "Monster Vs Aliens", "Australia", "The Spiderwick Chronicles", "KungFu Panda", "Pirates of the Caribbean 2" and TV series such as "Spartacus", "Smallville", "Battlestar Gallactica", "Caprica", "Stargate Atlantis", "Stargate Continuum", "The Vampire Diaries" and more. Read more on these stories in e-on software's Spotlights section: www.e-onsoftware.com/spotlight.
E-on software was founded on the premise that powerful graphics tools should never get in the way of the designer's creativity. By investing significant resources into research and development, e-on software is able to deliver cutting-edge, user friendly technologies that produce stunning Digital Nature scenery.
E-on software is based in Beaverton, Oregon with an European office in Paris, France.
Filed under: News, Visualization
Story tags: 3DS, Cinema 4D, Mac Intel, Mac OS X, Windows XP, ZBrush
Comments for this story are closed


You will more than likely be filled with passion and motivation when embarking on a degree. However, you must ensure you not only pick the right degree for you, but you are fully prepared for life beyond university, so you are 100% ready to enter your chosen field.
If you want to find the right program and career path for you, simply readthe below tips on how to master an online degree.
With a traditional university, attending full-time classes on campus when you have a full-time job isn't an option. The great news is you can work full or part time & work towards a University of South Dakota online degree. With the online flexibility USD offers you can choose from over 40-degree programs, such as administration, criminal justice, health sciences, nursing, and more, so choose wisely.
You also must focus on developing a solid online presence, so you can open the doors to many employment opportunities once your online degree is over. For example, you should create a LinkedIn profile that details your career and academic history to-date, which should be open to the public to view.
What's more, aim to connect with people in your desired industry while studying to build a network of professionals and students. You never know what doors might open up for you in the future, as a result.
Once you have built up a strong network, don't be afraid to reach out to professionals in your desired industry to ask if they would like to meet for coffee. Some might be happy to discuss how you can break into a field or could offer you a position at their growing company once you have earned your degree. You could even gain an experienced mentor who can help you to embark on your dream career.
If you have browsed multiple career websites and can't find a prospective career in your industry, take your future into your own hands by cold emailing prospective companies once you've graduated. Send a friendly, polite and brief email detailing who you are, what you can do, and why you would appreciate an opportunity to work for their company.
Also, attach your resume and a link to your LinkedIn profile, so a prospective employer can learn more about you. Not only might they be impressed with your knowledge and experience to date, but they will view you as a proactive professional who is full of initiative, so it could help you to land a new job or career.
If you want to get your foot in the door with a company and gain vital experience that can aid your studies, consider applying for either an internship or volunteering opportunity when they arise. This will allow you to learn how a business works and will help you to improve your knowledge and skillset. Also, once the unpaid position comes to an end and you have received your degree, a company might be willing to pay you a salary to continue with a role.
Where Can a Nursing Career Lead How to Improve Your Career This Year in Style How to Take Product Photos of Clothing for an Online Store Ways to Protect Yourself When Online Dating What Should You Look For In A Shaving Product Company?


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Improving Our Community
Your Community-Based Primary Care Center and Medical Home
Patient-Centered Medical Home
Calumet Family Health Center
Calumet Family Health Center – Administration
Gwinn Family Health Center
Hancock Family Health Center
Houghton Family Health Center
Ice Lake Family Health Center
Lake Linden Family Health Center
Marquette Family Health Center
Menominee Family Health Center
Ontonagon Family Health Center
Sawyer Family Health Center
Billing / Pay Bill
Prescription Assistance
MTU Student Health Services
My Patient Portal
Welcoming Leah Abbott, MD, to the Team of Family Medicine Providers at UGL's Gwinn Family Health Center
GWINN, MI – Leah Abbott, MD, has joined the team of family medicine providers at Upper Great Lakes Gwinn Family Health Center (UGL).
Dr. Abbott is originally from Southeastern Michigan and grew up in Wyandotte, MI, a town about halfway between Detroit and Toledo. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology degree from Wayne State University in Detroit and then her Doctor of Medicine degree from St. George's University School of Medicine in Grenada, West Indies. Dr. Abbott moved to the U.P. to complete her family medicine residency in Marquette and in the process, she and her husband fell in love with the area and people.
Dr. Abbott looks forward to developing strong care relationships with her patients and caring for people throughout all stages of their lives. In addition to being board certified in Family Medicine, she is fellowship trained and board eligible in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Palliative Medicine is a specialty that focuses on the care and treatment of people with serious and chronic illnesses and aims to improve quality of life through symptom management and advance care planning. Dr. Abbott says, "I hope to expand community knowledge of Palliative Medicine and Hospice and Advance Care Planning. I am especially looking forward to providing care to patients in their home settings including nursing homes and assisted living centers." Dr. Abbott also performs women's health services including Pap smears, IUD placement and removal, and Nexplanon placement and removal.
"I consider being a doctor a true privilege. People meet me as a complete stranger and welcome me into their lives and homes, often when they are at their most vulnerable. That is a gift that I will always treasure," says Dr. Abbott.
Outside of the office, Dr. Abbott and her husband enjoy hiking, kayaking, camping, and traveling. Dr. Abbott enjoys reading books of all kinds but especially mystery and suspense novels.
UGL's Gwinn Family Health Center is located at 135 E. M-35, Gwinn, MI. To schedule an appointment with Leah Abbott, MD, call 906-346-9275.
← Melissa Hinkhouse, PMHNP-BC, Joins Team of Behavioral Health Providers at UGL's Sawyer Family Health Center
UGL Receives Health Center Quality Recognition Awards from HRSA →
UGL Staff Members Receive Awards from Michigan Primary Care Association (MPCA)
UGL's Marquette Family Health Center Welcomes Gregory Jones, MD!
UGL Receives Health Center Quality Recognition Awards from HRSA
Melissa Hinkhouse, PMHNP-BC, Joins Team of Behavioral Health Providers at UGL's Sawyer Family Health Center
View All Locations and Contact Information
Address: 506 Campus Drive, Hancock, MI 49930
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Call: 906-482-4357 or 1-800-562-7622
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In an emergency, go to your local emergency department or dial 911
Upper Great Lakes Family Health Center (UGL) is a Federally Qualified Health Center and is a Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) Deemed Facility.
UGL receives funding from The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and has Federal Public Health Service deemed status with respect to certain health or health-related claims, including medical malpractice claims for itself and its covered individuals.
This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number H80CS26511 Health Center Cluster, total award amount of $1,839,050 with 89.9 % financed from nongovernmental sources. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
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On 20 February 2019, we reported on the then current status of the "Directive on copyright in the Digital Single Market" (the Directive). Unlike the progress of the Directive up until now, matters have progressed quickly in the last couple of weeks.
The agreed wording of the Directive, which was approved by the European Council on 20 February, has now been published and can be found here.
Article 11 – requires EU Member States to put in place provisions which ensure that authors of content used on news aggregator sites receive "an appropriate share of the revenues… "obtained by such sites from using the content. Unfortunately, how one calculates what an "appropriate share" is remains unclear.
Article 13 – the final wording confirms that websites which host user-generated content need authorisation, such as a licence agreement, from copyright holders before they make copyrighted content publically available and encourages "cooperation between online content service providers and rightsholder" so as not to prevent non-infringing material being uploaded by users.
Paragraph 7 also makes it clear that no "general monitoring obligation" is placed on platforms, although under paragraph 4 they must use "best efforts" to obtain authorisation from rights holders and remove any infringing material "expeditiously" following notification.
This text is still subject to much criticism as the efforts which platforms are required to go to, both to obtain such authorisation and remove infringing content, is considered unclear.
Notwithstanding opponents' vocal concerns, members of the European Parliament's Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) voted in favour of the wording of the Directive on 26 February 2019, as approved by the trilogue negotiators.
Next, the Directive will be put to the European Parliament and voted on by MEPs. As anticipated, this vote is likely to take place either at the end of March or in April.
Even though the wording of the Directive has in theory been agreed, it is not safe just yet. The oppositions to the Directive, and in particular the controversial Articles 11 and 13, continue with vengeance. Demonstrations are taking place across the EU, a march took place in Cologne on 23 February, and online petitions and crowd funding pages have been set up to help support groups campaigning against the Directive. Some sources even say that 23 MEPs are planning on voting against the Directive.
The MEP vote is likely to take place after the UK is due to exit the EU, on 29 March 2019 (subject to any Brexit delay). If this is the case, as previously discussed, the Directive will not apply to the UK.


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What was learned during preseason: Lions could have issues
324dMichael Rothstein
Lions' Quin 'walking away' after 10 NFL seasons
8dMichael Rothstein
Darius Slay shows up at Lions fan's high school graduation party
23dMichael Rothstein
Roberts waived after Lions-Pats trade rescinded
32dMike Reiss
Logan Thomas, Teez Tabor helped themselves during Lions' offseason
Pats pick up another tight end in trade with Lions
33dMike Reiss and Michael Rothstein
Why ex-lacrosse pro is chasing NFL dreams with the Lions
The surprise offseason standout for all 32 teams
29dNFL Nation
Veterans who could be cut by each of the NFL's 32 teams
New Lions WR Jermaine Kearse returns to the familiar to reclaim career
Michael RothsteinESPN Staff Writer
Previously covered University of Michigan for ESPN.com and AnnArbor.com
Also covered Notre Dame for Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
It happened again over the weekend. Another preseason game and yet another performance, at least from the starters, that was less than stellar for the Detroit Lions. The offense failed to convert in the red zone. The defense struggled enough that Tampa Bay's third-string quarterback and second-string offense effectively drove on the Lions' top unit.
"It's a long season, it's a long process, and we've got a lot of work to do," Lions coach Matt Patricia told reporters after Friday's game against Tampa Bay. "I think we're still in that process."
That process has worked well where Patricia came from, in New England, where the preseason is largely used for evaluation and getting various players reps in both advantageous and adversarial positions. And Patricia himself said Friday night things should look different in September, October and November (when games count) versus now (when they don't).
LeGarrette Blount and the run game were one bright spot for the Lions against the Bucs. Douglas DeFelice/USA TODAY Sports
It's something he has echoed the past few weeks – as Detroit has not looked good in any preseason game when the starters were playing. All of that said, here's what stood out from a another rough Lions exhibition.
The defensive front seven is going to be an issue: This isn't new. There were some flashes against the Buccaneers that showed progress, particularly from Sylvester Williams and Kerry Hyder. But Detroit's down-to-down pass rush has been unimpressive. How Patricia's in-week game-planning can remedy that has turned into one of the top questions entering the regular season. If he can help there, then the Lions should improve. If not, it could be a rough year for Detroit's defense.
It goes beyond the pass rush. The team's run defense has not been good, either. Middle linebacker Jarrad Davis missed multiple tackles Friday night, adding to a preseason where his coverage skills have shown to be questionable. He's the Lions' best linebacker, so that has to be an area of worry.
The offense "should" be fine: The protection is still going to be a concern – Matthew Stafford was sacked five times in the preseason in essentially three-plus quarters of play -- but until T.J. Lang returns it's tough to give a full evaluation. The quicker Lang returns, the better it'll be for the Lions. Frank Ragnow continues to look like a better-than-expected first-round pick. But the real reason to feel better about the offense is how it moved in the first half against the Buccaneers.
The red-zone failings against Tampa Bay – and all preseason – are dicey, but Detroit moved the ball well before reaching the red area. Each of the Lions' four main backs averaged at least 4 yards per carry. And Stafford, when he wasn't getting sacked, was finding his receivers with ease. His 9-of-18 line against the Bucs was a misnomer because of multiple drops. That, of course, could be another concern but like the protection, it might be best to see if that's a preseason thing or if it translates to the regular season.
Some roster surprises could await: While the top-end players are set, there are going to be some difficult decisions for the Lions. Brandon Powell, the undrafted rookie receiver who has been one of the more consistent players in camp, is forcing Detroit into a tough decision whether to keep five receivers.
Hakeem Valles has arguably been the Lions' top tight end in camp and received first-team reps. It would be a surprise at this point if he didn't make the roster, but it could force the Lions to keep four tight ends. If they go with three, would it be Levine Toilolo or Michael Roberts who would be out of a job. The defensive line and linebacker depth remain a bit of a mystery overall, with a bunch of players being in toss-up positions – which is largely because none of them stood out. Same thing with the offensive line depth behind the starters and rookie Tyrell Crosby.
Bob Quinn has usually kept one person who has been a complete surprise each year. Powell was that guy for me originally, but he has played his way into the actual conversation. So here's another name to watch – Leo Koloamatangi. The Lions clearly don't seem to love their interior line depth and that Koloamatangi got some first-team work late against Tampa Bay tells me he might be closer to a roster spot than not. It would be surprising to see him beat out Joe Dahl and Kenny Wiggins – and I'm not sure that he will, to the point where I don't think I'll be putting him on my final 53-man roster projection – but his name is one that wouldn't surprise me.


Writing argumentative essays requires lots of time to complete, especially when you do not have an assigned topic. Choosing topics is a separate skill that you should learn and practice at school, so stop procrastinating and follow the easy tips below in order to come up with fresh ideas and create a good topic to work on.
Make sure you know what the special characteristics of an argumentative essay are. For example, you should keep the readers in mind when you select arguments to support your position. It is necessary to consider different points of view and choose one that you consider correct. However, you have to briefly describe the counterarguments while developing your essay topic.
Before you start writing your essay, you should study the sources relevant to the potential topic, and make certain that you have enough evidence to support your thesis statement. Otherwise, you have to think about choosing another topic.
Animals as subjects for scientific research.
Students should have more group work during classes.
Cheating on homework is beneficial for the majority of students.
Students should be allowed to use smartphones in classes.
How many books should students read every year?
Children cannot play video games for as long as they want to.
A healthy lifestyle – why is it so important?
Is it cruel to hold animals in zoos?
Sport or exercise as an essential part of a school's curriculum.
How does divorce influence children?
Why do children like holidays?
What dating skills should be taught in school?
Who is responsible for my low grades?
Why do people believe in bad signs?
How did students learn without computers?
How many sweets should kids eat daily?


So after some time drawing almost exclusively with graphite/charcoal, I decided I wanted to try to apply some color on my drawings.
And so I decided to buy a set of oil pastels without wasting a crazy amount of money (yes I know Sennelier oil pastels are the best but they are also too expensive). After a few searches on the web, and particulary after seing Robert Sloan's guide to oil pastels* I decided to go for the student grade oil pastels.
The image above is a landscape I have done based on one of the Virtual Instructor tutorials, I think it came out pretty good and I thought using oil pastels was not as difficult as it may seem on a first impression.
Now, concerning the oil pastels themselves I've got to say they are quite nice, especially considering the price I paid for them which was around 16 euros (for 60 oil pastels! In dollars is something like 18 $).
My two only complaints so far is the card box and the fact that they produce a bit of "crumbs", The card box is not very handy and sometimes it's kind of difficult to take the oil pastels out and off course the "crumbs" are sometimes quite difficult to take off which can be annoying.
Overall they kind of deliver what it's promised and perhaps even a bit more: student grade oil pastels at a competitive price, they don't claim to be artists grade. Also most of the oil pastels are actually lightfast (I believe you can get a chart with the properties on the official website) which is great. So I would recommend them if you are a beginner or want some cheap oil pastels for sketching for example.
When I get a bit more practice with oil pastels I will then perhaps invest a bit more money and buy a more expensive set of artist oil pastels. But for now these ones do the job just fine!


These two-soap gift packs are great, and I love getting custom orders for them! Here is an order for 58 of them in all-natural lavender and lemongrass. My customer will be handing them out to her friends and clients this holiday season.


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Ricky Rudd
Richard Lee Rudd (born September 12, 1956), nicknamed "The Rooster," is an American former racing driver. He is the uncle of actor Skeet Ulrich and former NASCAR Busch Series driver Jason Rudd. He retired in 2007 with 23 career wins. He was named the 2006 Virginian of the Year and was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. In October 2010, he was selected to the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame, which honors those who have contributed to sports in southeastern Virginia.
Rudd at Daytona International Speedway in 2005
Richard Lee Rudd
(1956-09-12) September 12, 1956 (age 62)
Norfolk County, Virginia
(now Chesapeake, Virginia)
1992 IROC Champion
1997 Brickyard 400 Winner
2006 Dan Wheldon Cup (Robo-Pong 200) winner
Most career starts in Nextel Cup Series modern era (906)
1977 Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year
Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998)
2006 Virginian of the Year
Virginia Sports Hall of Fame inductee (2007)
Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame inductee (2010)
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career
906 races run over 32 years
Best finish
First race
1975 Carolina 500 (Rockingham)
Last race
2007 Ford 400 (Homestead)
First win
1983 Budweiser 400 (Riverside)
Last win
2002 Dodge/Save Mart 350 (Sonoma)
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
3 races run over 1 year
1983 Sportsman 200 (Dover)
1983 Miller Time 300 (Charlotte)
Statistics current as of February 16, 2015.
Ricky Rudd was born in Norfolk County, Virginia, now Chesapeake, the son of Margaret (née McMannen) and Alvin R. Rudd, Sr., the president of Al Rudd Auto Parts.[1][2][3] He began racing as a teenager in karting and motocross, but did not attempt stock car racing until he was eighteen years old, when he made his NASCAR debut at North Carolina Speedway in 1975, driving the No. 10 Ford for family friend Bill Champion.
Qualifying twenty-sixth, he finished in eleventh place despite running fifty-six laps down. He ran an additional three races for Champion, his best finish being a tenth at Bristol Motor Speedway. He drove another four races in 1976 for his father, posting another tenth finish at the Firecracker 400. He went full-time in 1977, again driving the No. 22 for his father. He had ten top-ten finishes and was named Rookie of the Year.Rudd was forced to run part-time the following season after picking up only limited funding from 1st National City Travelers Checks. Despite the abbreviated schedule, he earned four top-tens and finished 31st in points. In 1979, he signed with Junie Donlavey to pilot the No. 90 Truxmore car, garnering four top-fives and a ninth place points run.
He did not return to Donlavey in 1980, and started out in a part-time run for his dad and D K Ulrich. He would end the season in the No. 7 Sanyo car for Nelson Malloch, for whom he had one tenth-place run.
1981–1987Edit
Rudd in 1984
In 1981, Rudd signed with DiGard Motorsports to drive the No. 88 car. Although he had no victories, he won his first three pole positions, and began his lengthy streak of consecutive race starts. In 1982 Rudd stepped into the No. 3 Pontiac for Richard Childress Racing. Rudd had six Top 5s but dropped down to 9th in the points standings. He was able to get his first 2 career wins in 1983 at Riverside and Martinsville respectively, but he again finished 9th in points. He also ran the only 3 Busch Series races of his career that season, winning in his debut event at Dover Downs.
In 1984, Rudd and Dale Earnhardt swapped rides, with Rudd moving over to the No. 15 Ford for Bud Moore. Rudd was involved in a horrific crash in the Busch Clash at Daytona, in which his car went airborne (in a crash that Ned Jarrett described as something like a "bucking horse") before suffering a concussion and a torn cartilage in his rib cage. His eyes were swollen so badly he taped his eyes open to be able to race in the Daytona 500, as well as a flak jacket for his rib injury. After learning of this long after the fact, NASCAR instituted the policy of examining all drivers involved in wrecks to ensure that they will be able to race safely the next week.[4] He won his first race for this team in only his second start at Richmond and improved to seventh in points. He moved up one spot in points in the following season, and then a career-best 5th-place finish in 1986. Despite an additional 2 victories in 1987, Rudd left Moore Engineering at the end of the season.
1989 No. 26 Buick Regal
Rudd joined King Racing beginning in 1988 in the No. 26 Buick Regal owned by drag racing legend Kenny Bernstein. He struggled with engine failures all season long and finished 11th in the point standings, his worst points finish in eight years. In addition, Rudd suffered a knee injury in a crash at The Winston.[4] After his only win of 1989, which came at the inaugural Sears Point event, Rudd departed the operation, and in 1990 he signed with Hendrick Motorsports to drive the No. 5 Chevrolet Lumina. He was able to win The Bud at the Glen and finished seventh in the point standings. However, he was involved in a fatal pit road accident in the season-finale Atlanta Journal 500, in which he spun into Bill Elliott's pit and crushed Elliott's tire changer Mike Rich, killing him almost instantly. That fatal incident caused NASCAR to implement pit road speed limits at every NASCAR track, for all of the series.
In 1991, Rudd won his only race of the year at Darlington Raceway. Later in the year at Sonoma, Rudd was the center of controversy in one of the most bizarre finishes in NASCAR. Rudd started on pole at the race, and was offered a bonus paycheck with the winning money if he won the race. Rudd drove up to second spot with 3 laps left, and when the white flag was waved Rudd tapped Davey Allison to take the lead. When Rudd came back around to the finish line he waved to his pit crew but was shown a black flag for the tap. His win was taken away and given to Allison who refired to end up in second place. Rudd ended up in second place; Rick Hendrick, and crew chief Waddell Wilson unsuccessfully tried to appeal the penalties.
He finished the year a career-best 2nd-place finish in points. The following season, he won the Peak Antifreeze 500, but dropped to seventh in points. After finishing another three spots lower in points in 1993, he left Hendrick to start his own racing corporation Rudd Performance Motorsports.
Rudd at 1994 Brickyard 400.
1997 Tide-sponsored racecar at Pocono
Ricky Rudd walks down pit road, before qualifying at Pocono Raceway 1998
Rudd took Tide and formed his own race team in 1994, Rudd Performance Motorsports and drove the No. 10 Ford Thunderbird that season. His first win as an owner/driver came at New Hampshire International Speedway, which led to a fifth-place points finish. 1995 saw his consecutive winning streak almost end before he won the Dura Lube 500 at Phoenix, the second-to-last race of the season. He had another near miss in 1996, but won at North Carolina Speedway.
In 1997, Rudd had two wins, one in the Brickyard 400 and the other at Dover International Speedway, making this his highest win total since 1987, but he dropped to 17th in the points standings, making this the first time he finished outside of the Top 10 in nine years. His only win in 1998 came at Martinsville Speedway, dealing with high air temperatures and a faulty cooling system. As a result, Rudd suffered burns and blisters over most of his body, and gave his victory lane interview lying on the ground breathing from an oxygen mask. This would be the last win of his consecutive victory streak, as he struggled with mechanical failures and wrecks throughout the season. The following year, Rudd failed to win a race, snapping a 16-season streak with at least one victory.[5] When Tide left his team, Rudd chose to liquidate his equipment and close his team. NASCAR reassigned the number to Tyler Jet Motorsports for an unrelated team.
After many rumors and speculation, Rudd was hired to pilot the No. 28 Ford Taurus for Robert Yates Racing in 2000. Although he still did not win any races that season, he had two poles and moved to fifth in the points standings, a 26-spot improvement over the previous year. In 2001, Rudd got his first win in three years at Pocono Raceway, followed by another win at Richmond late in the season. He also matched a career-high 14 Top 5 finishes. He won his most recent race at Infineon in 2002, but dropped to 10th in the standings. Rudd left Roberts Yates Racing at the end of the 2002 season.
In 2003, Rudd was hired to drive the No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing replacing Elliott Sadler and responded with four Top 5s and a 23rd-place finish in points. The following year, he won his final career pole at Talladega, but fell a spot in the standings. He was able to recover to earn nine Top 10s in 2005 and improved to 21st in points. The closest he came to winning a race between 2003 and 2005 was at Sonoma in 2005, when he led several laps and finished second to Tony Stewart after being passed by him with nine laps to go.
At the end of the 2005 season, Rudd left the No. 21 team and announced he would "take a break from racing", although he would not effectively retire. At the time he was known as NASCAR's "ironman", or record holder for most consecutive starts, ending at 788,[6] and holding the record until it was surpassed by Jeff Gordon in 2015.[7]
2007 car
Rudd spent most of 2006 out of racing, racing only at Dover, where he filled in for an ailing Tony Stewart. He made an appearance to meet and sign autographs for fans at the 2006 Carl Casper's Custom Auto Show at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky and meanwhile, he also raced in a karting event called the RoboPong 200 in Newcastle, Indiana in a race full of IndyCar stars, and eventually etching his name on the Dan Wheldon Cup, the trophy that since 2012 has become that event's signature trophy. Late in the season, it was announced he would return to Yates to drive the No. 88 Ford full-time. His best finish since his return to the sport was seventh in the Coca-Cola 600. Since he missed the Chevy Rock & Roll 400, it was the first time in his career where he did not make a start due to an injury. Kenny Wallace drove the No. 88 on an interim basis until Rudd healed, except at Talladega, where Mike Wallace drove the car. Rudd made his return at Charlotte, where he finished 11th. He finished his career with a 21st-place finish at the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami.
After racingEdit
After the 2007 season, and a 32-year career, Rudd resides at his home in Cornelius, North Carolina. In 2007, Rudd was inducted into the 2007 Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and in 2010, he was selected to the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame that honors those who have contributed to sports in southeastern Virginia. Rudd now lives what he calls "a very simple lifestyle" with his family.[8] On February 7, 2012, Rudd signed to be an analyst for Speed Channel's weekend motor sports news program, SPEED Center. Following the announcement he said, "I'm really looking forward to the next chapter. It's going to be a lot of fun working with the gang at SPEED.".[9] In 2013, Rudd made appearances in Series Two of the TV show Dallas in scenes filmed at Texas Motor Speedway as the hired driver for Christopher Ewing's methane-powered race car.
On February 17, 2014, Rudd was inducted into the Daytona Beach Stock car Hall of Fame by Rotary International.
His Hall of Fame bio information cites Ricky's lengthy career (second in race run to Richard Petty), his consecutive start streak, rookie of the year honors and wins total.
Motorsports career resultsEdit
NASCAREdit
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Nextel Cup SeriesEdit
NASCAR Nextel Cup Series results
NNCC
Champion Racing
RSD DAY RCH CAR
11 BRI
10 ATL
25 NWS
28 DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH DAR DOV NWS MAR CLT RCH CAR BRI ATL ONT
Al Rudd Auto
RSD DAY
DNQ CAR RCH BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR TAL
23 NSV DOV
33 CLT RSD MCH DAY
10 NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR
DNQ RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT
16 CAR ATL ONT
22 CAR
19 ATL NWS DAR
10 MAR TAL
28 NSV
10 DOV
27 CLT
17 RSD MCH
10 POC
7 TAL
4 MCH
7 BRI
16 DAR
7 RCH
7 CLT
8 ONT
37 RCH CAR ATL BRI DAR
10 NWS MAR CLT
28 NSV RSD MCH
9 POC
39 MCH
28 BRI DAR
36 RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT
27 DOV DAY
Donlavey Racing
9 DAR
6 TWS
13 NSV POC
14 RCH
3 DOV
6 NWS
Ulrich Racing
19 NWS MAR TAL NSV DOV
9 TWS RSD MCH
4 CAR ATL ONT
Nelson Malloch Racing
13 TAL
34 RCH DOV NWS MAR
DiGard Motorsports
3 NSV
5* DOV
4 RSD
38 RSD
Richard Childress Racing
6 ATL
1* POC
1* NWS
Bud Moore Engineering
3* DAR
1* TAL
3 GLN
24* DOV
1* MAR
15 GLN
24* CLT
7* CAR
2 PHO
26* ATL
6 SON
28 PHO
Hendrick Motorsports
11 SON
28* NWS
4* GLN
4 NHA
35* BRI
Rudd Performance Motorsports
17 NHA
7 IND
41 IND
23 TEX
43 LVS
5 HOM
Yates Racing
6 LVS
37 HOM
14 CHI
3 KAN
3 TEX
17* MCH
14 KAN
Wood Brothers Racing
3 CHI
4 CAL
Joe Gibbs Racing
DAY CAL LVS ATL BRI MAR TEX PHO TAL RCH DAR CLT DOV
QL† POC MCH SON DAY CHI NHA POC IND GLN MCH BRI CAL RCH NHA DOV KAN TAL CLT MAR ATL TEX PHO HOM
40 RCH NHA DOV KAN TAL CLT
† - Qualified for Tony Stewart
Daytona 500Edit
1976 Al Rudd Auto Chevy DNQ
1979 Donlavey Racing Mercury 11 31
1981 DiGard Motorsports Olds 5 3
1982 Richard Childress Racing Pontiac 16 35
1983 Chevy 1 24
1984 Bud Moore Engineering Ford 14 7
1988 King Racing Buick 27 17
1990 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy 19 4
1994 Rudd Performance Motorsports Ford 20 8
2000 Yates Racing Ford 2 15
2003 Wood Brothers Racing Ford 5 15
Late Model Sportsman SeriesEdit
NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Series results
NLMC
Zervakis Racing Team
DAY RCH CAR HCY MAR NWS SBO GPS LGY DOV
1 BRI CLT SBO HCY ROU SBO ROU CRW ROU SBO HCY LGY IRP GPS BRI HCY
31 RCH NWS SBO MAR ROU CLT
34 HCY MAR
International Race of ChampionsEdit
(key) (Bold – Pole position. * – Most laps led.)
International Race of Champions results
DAY TAL CLT MCH
^ The race is off for local boy Ricky Rudd | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com Archived 2007-05-29 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Ms. Rudd Is Wed To Edward Wax". The New York Times. December 9, 1990.
^ Virginian-Pilot Obituaries (HamptonRoads.com/PilotOnline.com) Archived August 8, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
^ a b "Charlotte: Rudd ready for "Iron Man" record". Motorsport Network. May 23, 2002. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
^ Shapiro, Mark (July 13, 2001). "The field of hopefuls". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
^ https://autoweek.com/article/car-news/ironman-after-788-straight-nascar-starts-ricky-rudd-calls-it-career-sort
^ https://www.motorsport.com/ca/nascar-cup/news/jeff-gordon-to-add-iron-man-title-to-his-racing-resume/2951932/
^ Pearce, Al (September 5, 2011). "Ricky Rudd". AutoWeek. 61 (18): 60.
^ Arneson, Erik (February 7, 2012). "CUP: SPEED Adds Rudd, Palumbo To 2012 Team". Speedtv.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
^ "Ricky Rudd – 1975 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
^ "Ricky Rudd – 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
^ "Ricky Rudd – 2006 Neighborhood Excellence 400 Presented by Bank of America". Racing-Reference. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
^ "Ricky Rudd – 1983 NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
^ "Ricky Rudd − 1992 IROC Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
Driver Spotlight
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ricky Rudd.
Ricky Rudd driver statistics at Racing-Reference
Ricky Rudd owner statistics at Racing-Reference
Sporting positions
Rusty Wallace IROC Champion
IROC XVI (1992) Succeeded by
Davey Allison and Terry Labonte
Note: Allison died before the final race and was replaced by Labonte for that event.
Dale Jarrett Brickyard 400 winner
Skip Manning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year
Ronnie Thomas
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ricky_Rudd&oldid=888779986"


text:
Late Pa Elton Honoured at the concluded WAFBEC2018
In the manner of the Convention, The Honour Night is the time where men and women who have laboured for the cause of the Kingdom are honoured. The Honour Night became a part of WAFBEC Experience in 2016 with the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa as its first recipient, while Rev (Dr.) Mike Oye, first Traveling Secretary of the Scripture Union (SU) was honoured in 2017 and the late Pa Sydney G Elton in 2018.
Explaining the reason for the honour night, Pastor Poju emphasised that it is not designed to give earthly rewards for spiritual service but to acquaint the younger generation with the impact and lessons of the preceding generation. Hence, breeding a transgenerational faith, one that is deeply connected to its past, fully in touch with the present, and running swiftly towards the future.
Pa Elton of blessed memory in no small way, contributed to the current Nigerian Pentecostal experience, church culture if you may.
The award was received by Pastor John Aladega who stood in for Pa Elton's daughter, Ruth Elton who due to old age, couldn't make it down and presented by Bishop Feb Idahosa, Pastor Godman Akinlabi and Pastor Yemi Davids. An act which is symbolic of the connection which the Honour Night seeks to establish between the young and the older generation.
In acceptance of the award, Pastor Aladega read a note written by Ruth Elton where she expressed her deep regards to Pastor and Mrs Poju Oyemade for the great work done through the Honour Night and also encouraged believers to keep up with the fight of faith.
Source: Ynaija
Nigerian Missionary, Pa Elton, Poju Oyemade, WAFBEC


The cause of Alzheimer's disease is not yet identified and there is currently neither an understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease nor a rational strategy towards a treatment. It is clear that deposits in the brain consisting of small peptides identified as beta-amyloids play some role in the destruction of brain cells that ultimately leads to dementia and complete loss of brain function. One of the leading hypothesis is that the beta-amyloid deposits bind copper, which then catalyzes the generation of hydrogen peroxide from dioxygen, which causes oxidative damage. Unfortunately, the structure of these Cu-amyloid deposits are not available and nobody knows how copper binds to these peptides.
IU Professor, Mu-Hyun "Mookie" Baik and coworkers have used TeraGrid resources, the NSF-funded Data Capacitor and the IU's Big Red supercomputer to construct a large scale computer model of these amyloid entities and examine the copper binding behavior. For the first time, a high-resolution structure of the copper bound beta-amyloid was obtained and communicated in a recent publication in the Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry in fall of 2008.
In addition to providing structural information, Baik found that the copper binding behavior is highly dependent on the length of the peptide oligomer. The biologically relevant amyloid is a 42-residue paptide, which is not very soluble. For experimental convenience many researchers use a close analogue, a 40-residue peptide, as a model to the biologically important amyloid. Baik showed for the first time that the copper bound structures of these two analogous peptides are dramatically different, providing a possible explanation for the dramatically different results and controversies reported in the literature, where peptides of different lengths were used as models. Baik's structural work provides a foundation for future work within Baik's and other research groups to address structural and reactivity inquiries. Baik's recently released results will fundamentally change the way medical researchers further study Alzheimer's disease and move toward the development of more effective treatments. Baik's potentially life-saving work could not have been accomplished without access to NSF-funded technology resources.


text:
Referred With A K.I.S.S.
First Financial revamps its tell-a-friend program to Keep It Simple (and Successful).
By Marc Rapport
First Financial Federal Credit Union ($182.0M, Wall, NJ) has put a cash bounty on rounding up new business.
It launched its "Tell a Friend" program in 2012, and existing members helped bring in 77 new accounts in 11 months last year.
Each year, First Financial refines the program to ensure the credit union stands out in its hyper-competitive metro market on the Jersey Shore just south of New York City.
Jessica Revoir, AVP of Marketing, First Financial FCU
"We have a financial institution on almost every corner within a small area, and there are two other credit unions that share the same charter and advertising space as First Financial," says Jessica Revoir, assistant vice president of marketing at First Financial. "In order to not get thrown into the mix, it's crucial our message is consistent, frequent, and reflective of our brand. None of our direct credit union competitors have a referral program like our Tell a Friend."
Tell a Friend has helped the credit union improve its year-over-year quarterly membership growth metrics from minus 7% in December 2011 to minus 0.68% in December 2015. In this Q&A, Revoir, who has been with the credit union for seven years, shares what the credit union has learned along the way.
How does the Tell a Friend program work?
Jessica Revoir: We launched in 2012 by paying $25 for each new referral who opened a checking account. In 2014 and 2015 we increased the referral bonus and made it easier to acquire by automatically depositing the bonus to the base savings account within 30 days of account opening.
first financial fcu
HQ: Wall, NJ
ASSETS: $182.0M
BRANCHES: 4
12-MO SHARE GROWTH: -1.35%
12-MO LOAN GROWTH: 1.15%
Now, any new member who opens a membership plus any other account or loan approval gets $25. The referring member gets $25 for the first referral, $35 for the second, and $60 for the third. The referring member's deposit is automatic upon new account opening of the referred member.
We would have increased after the third referral, but no one refers more than two people during the year.
How did you market and promote Tell a Friend?
JR: We place marketing collateral in each branch on TV screens for members to view while standing in line to wait for a teller, in poster frames around the branch, and via teller handouts distributed in drive-thru tubes and at the teller line. We also advertise in our electronic statements and online banking as well as on the printed statements as a banner at the top.
For 2015, Your Marketing Co. re-vamped all of our collateral and updated some of the pieces according to our brand.
Find your next marketing partner in Callahan's online Buyer's Guide.
How do you manage the campaign?
JR: Marketing provides the email, social media, and direct marketing pieces while the branch staff tells members who have positive experiences with us to refer their friends and family and get paid for it. We worked a lot with the branch managers to make sure the branch staff consistently talks up the campaign. The branches track the referrals via printed coupons and send them back to the marketing department.
Left: First Financial uses a print flyer as part of its Tell a Friend referral program. Right: To track of referrals, First Financial branch staff fills out referral coupons and sends them to marketing.
How much did you spend on the campaign in 2015? What were the results?
JR: We spent approximately $4,000 in 2015.
TELL A FRIEND REFERRAL RESULTS
For First Financial Credit Union | Data as of 11.30.15
# Of Leads/Referrals
# Of Accounts Opened
Dollars Spent
January 6 6 $300
February 6 3 $155
March 7 7 $350
April 6 6 $300
May 5 5 $275
June 9 9 $450
July 5 5 $250
August 15 14 $725
September 8 8 $400
October 9 9 $450
November 5 5 $250
TOTAL 81 77 $3,905
Source: First Financial Credit Union
What are your future plans for this campaign, and for others?
JR: We're waiting for final numbers for December so we can calculate our return on investment, but at first glance, we think the 2015 campaign was too cumbersome, so we've already made some changes to simplify it for this year.
For instance, tracking was difficult and the campaign was a little too complex for the branch staff. We've changed it to the same across the board for all for this year — referrers get $50 with each referral, new members who open their membership plus any other account or loan approval also get $50. It'll be easier for everyone and provides a higher incentive.
If the campaign is too complex and there are too many steps, it won't matter whether the referrer is getting $5, $25, or $50.
What lessons have you learned from this campaign?
JR: Keep it simple. It's not always about the amount of money received. If the campaign is too complex and there are too many steps, it won't matter whether the referrer is getting $5, $25, or $50.
Also, in years past we invested a lot of marketing dollars in personalized URLs for this campaign. We stopped that because we spent hundreds on PURLs and barely 2% of the targeted mail group used their PURL, even when there was a prize drawing for filling it out. There also was a login for the branches to redeem the offer from the PURL. It was too many steps and took too much time for the tellers, so they were bypassing the system altogether.
A simple coupon and info on our website and in an email — plus word of mouth by branch staff — does the trick for us.
— As told to Marc Rapport
Keep New Member Referrals All In The Family
How 2 Credit Unions Became Leaders In Member Growth
Leaders In Credit Union Membership
NCUA Pays Big Attention To Small Credit Unions
First Quarter Growth In 2015 Is Critical To Sustain Momentum
New Year. New Members. New Opportunities.
Consumer Sentiments And Employee Insights From Third Quarter 2014
Industry Performance (3Q 2015)
Industry Performance By The Numbers (4Q 2016)
Viral Catastrophe. Digital Response.
How To Write A Better RFP
Credit Unions And The Gift Of Financial
Life Lessons From Financial Education
$100M-$250M Email Marketing First Financial Federal Credit Union Growth Members New Jersey Q&A Referrals


text:
Hong Kong police raid Uber office after arresting 5 drivers
Hits & Misses: 7/25/15
A win for Uber in NYC
HONG KONG – Hong Kong police searched Uber's office in the Asian financial center on Tuesday, in the latest legal headache for the fast-growing company that's meeting resistance from regulators and traditional taxi businesses worldwide.
The raid came after officers posing as customers arrested five drivers offering their services through a mobile app, in an operation aimed at combating illegal taxis.
The five men were suspected of illegally carrying passengers and driving without insurance and are being held for further investigation, police said in a statement.
Police did not name Uber Technologies but local Cable TV news showed officers taking away computers and documents from the company's Hong Kong office, which opened in July last year.
It's the latest setback for the San Francisco-based company as its overseas expansion meets multiple legal and regulatory challenges.
Uber has also faced other challenges in greater China, where police this year paid visits to its offices in the mainland cities of Chengdu and Guangzhou as part of a widening investigation into its operations.
In a statement, Uber spokesman Harold Li said it "ensures that all rides are covered by insurance, and all drivers on the platform undergo an extensive background check."
The company said it stands by its drivers "100 percent" and welcomed the opportunity to work with the authorities on updating regulations.


The threat of robberies has prompted borough councillors to throw out a bank?s plans to site a cashpoint on a garage forecourt in Nuneaton.
Lloyds TSB has been refused planning permission to put the machine at the BP Anchor service station on the corner of Weddington Road and Old Hinckley Road.
Four objectors addressed last night?s meeting of the borough council?s planning committee and police said they would only approve if a red box was painted on the floor of the forecourt to prevent people standing directly behind those using the dispenser.
Councillors were told that the red box was aimed at discouraging ?shoulder surfing? -where would-be muggers stand behind their intended victim while they are inserting their PIN.
But Cllr Bob Copland (Lab, Poplar) scoffed: ?Is this the best the police can come up with? Robbers don?t politely stand outside a painted red box. Victims aren?t robbed by that nice man who was standing with his feet outside a red box.?
Residents in Old Hinckley Road told the committee that their lives would be made intolerable if the dispenser was installed. ?It would would lead to more noise, vandalism, violence and possible robbery,? said one.
Councillors voted 6-2 to refuse consent.


text:
Philippines: Scrap Visiting Forces Agreement for national sovereignty
By Communist Party of the Philippines |
Read more articles in Philippines
Fight Back News Service Is circulating the following Jan. 26 statement from the Communist Party of the Philippines.
The Communist Party of the Philippines challenges GRP President Rodrigo Duterte to walk his talk and actualize the termination of the 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). For decades, the Filipino people have demanded the abrogation of the VFA which has allowed for the trampling of Philippine sovereignty by US military forces, as well as numerous human rights violations including rape and murder.
However, the Filipino people are keenly aware of Duterte's tirades against the US government while playing up China and Russia with the aim of being prized with economic and military aid. Now, Duterte traitorously dangles Philippine sovereignty as a bargaining chip for more US weapons and military funding to be used in his counterinsurgency and fake drug war. His recent histrionics are aimed at securing these funds currently being held off amid widespread condemnation of his regime's gross human rights violations.
For many decades, US military forces have dominated the country through unequal pacts as the Mutual Defense Treaty, the VFA, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and Operation Pacific Eagle-Philippines. These have allowed the US military to exercise operational control over the Armed Forces of the Philippines and maintain secret facilities and stockpile weapons within military camps which are off-limits even to the top brass of the AFP.
Duterte has for several times now, declared his intention to abrogate the EDCA or the VFA only to recant soon afterward. The Filipino people must vigorously push Rodrigo Duterte to finally scrap the VFA and other unequal military treaties. They must also call for the pullout of all foreign troops from Philippine territory. The Filipino people must express outrage at another Duterte backtrack.


text:
MICROPOST: The Nevada State Athletic Commission (Part 1)
September162015
The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) is a government body overseeing amateur and professional combat sports in…Nevada. All fighters and fight promoters must go through the NSAC to do any business in the state. They are also the de-facto standard in combat sports regulation that all other states try to emulate. Being a taxpayer funded organization, the NSAC hearings are open to the public for transparency purposes. At these meetings, the agenda ranges from the issuing of individual fight licenses, the suspension or reinstatement of flagged fighters and various other things. My mouth waters in anticipation whenever a noteworthy case is tabled. These hearings are a constant train wreck, never failing to deliver head-shaking moments and absolute absurdity, almost always coming from the petulant and power-mad NSAC committee. I always viewed them as a source of comedy, never to be taken seriously. That is until this week, where the proceedings became very sinister and very uncomfortable.
A couple of days ago, the case of Nick Diaz, a UFC fighter and a known figure in mixed martial arts (MMA), was on the agenda. He was brought in for questioning regarding a third positive drug test for marijuana metabolites in his system. Just for clarification, the NSAC recently amended their guidelines to give more severe punishment for performance enhancing drug use. As of this writing, they have not gone into effect. As Diaz allegedly failed his test January 31st, 2015, he was subject to the older guidelines.
Under the NSAC's own current rules, he faced a maximum of two years of punishment for this Tier 1 offence (Tier 1 being the least dangerous of banned substances a fighter is forbidden to use. By comparison, anabolic steroids are a Tier 4 offence.) He was instead assessed an unprecedented five year suspension (From fighting professionally) and a fine of $165,000. All without 100% conclusive proof (Two of his three drug tests came back negative) and all because Diaz and his lawyers put on a very, very sound defence and didn't show the respect the NSAC felt they were entitled to. Nothing short of obeisance and begging for their forgiveness will satisfy this committee. To do otherwise is career suicide.
The MMA community reacted immediately with disgust and bafflement, as they should have. Their anger is not about the absurdity of marijuana being labeled a performance enhancing drug. The uproar to this case is about corrupt officials doing whatever they please in the most demeaning way possible and the abuse of power by bureaucrats, something everyone, fight fan or not, can understand and agree with. No one likes dishonest officials, much less openly tyrannical ones like the NSAC committee.
The NSAC has shown time and time again (On public record no less) that they don't follow their own guidelines, have a sickening amount of self importance, lack professionalism and unabashedly use a vindictive, scorched earth approach towards anyone who dares make them look incompetent, as if they weren't already doing that themselves. They have no accountability whatsoever except to their governor and by extension, Nevada state taxpayers, who as a whole, probably have little care for the plight of a pot-smoking prize fighter.
Even the UFC and its mercurial president Dana White have no real comment or opinion on the events of this past Monday, showing how much power the corrupt NSAC wields.
MMA analyst Luke Thomas (Without question, one of the best writers in combat sports media) said it best in an interview with 120 Sports:
This has to be the most unethical thing I think I have ever seen, certainly from any kind of government body related to regulation, far and away. They're trying to steal his career from him, certainly the end of it. Without justification, absolute and total lunacy. Insanity. And frankly, they owe Nick Diaz not only an apology but anything short of them tendering their own resignation, I find to be not acceptable. They are not fit to govern, they are not fit to run the commission and they are certainly not fit to oversee combat sports in the state of Nevada. The state of Nevada deserves better, the governor deserves better. The taxpayers deserve better and certainly all combat athletes deserve better.
Even at face value, Nick Diaz is hardly the most sympathetic figure and is a very flawed individual. But he's still a human being, almost painfully so. For the NSAC to treat him, in a professional setting, like subhuman garbage is immoral and outright disgusting. All to achieve their warped brand of personal justice. It's a shame Nevada has such a dubious regulatory body presiding over the health, well-being and careers of others. I know I'm risking whininess by discussing a topical issue on a fashion blog, but surely those who abuse their power and authority to this degree deserve to be put to task in any way, shape or form.
You can watch the NSAC hearing below. It's three hours and a half hours long and so riveting I watched the whole affair live (I know how sad this sounds…I really do.)
Nick Diaz suspended five years for failed UFC 183 drug test
Micropost, MMA, NSAC, Off-topic, UFC


Your trip will not be complete without a visit to a Hawaiian luau. A local style party with tastings of traditional style food, drink, music, and dance.
Your evening will begin with a shell lei greeting. You can enjoy local-style arts and crafts and have the opportunity to view the kalua pig as it is unearthed from the Imu or traditional Hawaii underground oven. As the evening progresses you will enjoy a fabulous local-style buffet with kalua pig, chicken, fish, beef, an assortment of salads, fruits, rice, sweet potatos, and desserts.
Rest, relax, and enjoy the beautiful sunset as the musicians and dancers play and perform songs and dances of Polynesia. It is truly a night to remember.


text:
Q: Rails validations running against original record during update I'm trying to figure out an inconsistency between what's happening in a functional test and what is happening in my development environment. I have a custom validation method unique_entry that is essentially a specialized version of validates_uniqueness_of. It looks like this:
def unique_entry
  matched_entry = Entry.first(:conditions => ['LOWER(field_one) = LOWER(?) AND LOWER(field_two) = LOWER(?)', self.field_one, self.field_two])
  errors.add_to_base('Duplicate detected') if matched_entry && (matched_entry.id != self.id)
end

The update action in the controller is very basic:
def update
  if @entry.update_attributes(params[:entry])
    flash.now[:success] = 'Success'
    render :action => 'show'
  else
    flash.now[:error] = 'Error'
    render :action => 'edit'
  end
end

This works just fine when I'm creating a new record. When I update a record, however, I get inconsistent behavior. If I test it from a browser in my development environment, it correctly renders the edit action with an error message, but in my functional test, it accepts the update as successful. Here is the test:
test "should not update entry and should render edit view if invalid update" do
  put :update, { :id => 1, :field_one => 'new_value', :field_two => 'new_value' } # 'new values' are the same as another existing record to trigger the duplication check
  assert_template :edit
  assert_not_nil flash[:error]
end

I looked at the test log and discovered that the values unique_entry is using are the record's original values instead of the values it should be attempting to update with. That is, the first line of unique_entry generates an SQL query like this:
SELECT * FROM "entries" WHERE (LOWER(field_one) = LOWER('original_value_of_field_one') AND LOWER(field_two) = LOWER('original_value_of_field_two')) LIMIT 1

What am I missing here? Why do my validations seem to be running against the original record instead of the new values only in the test environment?

A: In your test, shouldn't there be some reference to :entry, since that is what you are looking for in the controller params[:entry] ?

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