Author: Serkadis

Published Dec. 2009
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business staff

Washington River Protection Solutions, the Hanford tank operations contractor, is donating $500,000 to benefit local higher education programs at Washington State University Tri-Cities and Columbia Basin College.

The majority of the money will support science, technology, engineering and mathematics efforts at Washington State University Tri-Cities and Columbia Basin College.

The remaining portion will be used for general scholarships and local small business assistance through student internships.  Each institution is receiving $125,000 this year.  An additional $125,000 each will be awarded in 2010.

“Quality higher education opportunities, especially in technical fields like science and engineering, are critical to the success of both our company’s environmental cleanup mission and our community’s overall economic health and vitality,” said Chuck Spencer, WRPS Project Manager.

WRPS, which is owned by URS Corporation and EnergySolutions, with integrated subcontractor AREVA, is a prime contractor to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of River Protection and is responsible for reducing the risk posed by the waste stored in Hanford’s aging underground tanks.

The company is working to transfer the waste stored in 149 leak-prone single-shell tanks—some of which date back to World War II—to newer, safer double-shell tanks.  It is also preparing for delivery of the waste to Hanford’s Waste Treatment Plant where it will be converted to a stable glass form for permanent disposition.

“Both WSU Tri-Cities and CBC are dealing with substantial cuts in state funding, yet enrollment demand is up,” Spencer said.  “We want to help them maintain their programs as much as possible.”

At WSU Tri-Cities, the initial $125,000 will address a number of needs, including upgrades of Energy and Environmental Laboratory equipment, student research projects in science and engineering, student internships to support local small businesses with a preference toward those in the technology of manufacturing sectors and those located within the Tri-Cities Research District, and general student scholarships.

“This investment in WSU Tri-Cities benefits small businesses and employers – in addition to our students – by providing scholarships, undergraduate research, internships, and teaching laboratory development,” WSU Tri-Cities Chancellor Vicky L. Carwein said.  “In these times of tightening budgets and a growing demand for education, WRPS is helping economic development on multiple fronts with this gift to our campus.”

The CBC funds are targeted primarily for the college’s nuclear technology program re-established this past fall to train a new generation of workers in nuclear operations and radiation protection.

WRPS has committed to a base level of support for the program for five years through cash support, scholarships and student internships.  Additional funding will be provided to allow expansion of the program and provide for some general scholarships as well.

“The support from WRPS has been invaluable.  Without the funds we could not have begun the program this fall quarter, said Donna Campbell, CBC’s vice president for instruction.  “The initial donation was used for five full scholarships awarded to students enrolled in the Nuclear Tech program, and the remaining was used to purchase equipment needed to teach the class.”

Spencer said as the contractor’s demand for technically trained personnel to grow in the years ahead, the company will continue to work with both WSU Tri-Cities and CBC to look for ways to help meet that need.

Astell are delighted to introduce their Colour Touch Screen PLC Controlled Electrical Stand Alone Steam Generators. The Free Standing models, available with capacities of 48 / 72 & 96 kW are based on the successful integral steam generators used on Astell products for many years.

These models are designed with peak demand in mind, essential for Sterilizer and Autoclave cycles, but with the added advantage of a continuous supply of good quality steam for any other applications, such as chemical processing, textiles, food Industry, healthcare etc.

The pressure vessel, pipework and fill tank are all manufactured from either 304 or 316 Stainless Steel reducing the risk of contamination arising with lower grade materials.

Our Steam Generators are all controlled from our fully programmable Full Colour Touch Screen PLC Controller and are supplied as a single unit enclosed in an ergonomically designed case that would not be out of place in any facility. They can also be supplied in a Stainless Steel enclosure.

All units are CE marked and manufactured to PD97/23 EC Pressure Equipment Directive.

The new PI nano™ positioning system from Physik Instrumente (PI) is completely optimized in terms of form and performance to applications in optical microscopy.
The core component of the PI nano™ is an XY or XYZ nanopositioning system with 20 mm installation height and a large central aperture for transmitted-light microscopy. The drive is equipped with PICMA® piezoceramic actuators and provides travel ranges up to 200 µm with resolutions in the nanometer range for two or three axes with maximum reliability and proven superior durability.
It also has its own matched piezo controller with 24-bit USB, Ethernet and RS-232 interfaces and one analog interface. The software supports all conventional imaging systems.
A manual XY stage for sample positioning which can be equipped with stepper motor drives can be added if required. The XY stage can be mounted directly onto the microscope and supports the piezo nanopositioner.
Well-known for its high quality, PI has been one of the leading players in the global market for precision positioning technology for many years. PI has been developing and manufacturing standard and OEM products with piezo or motor drives for 40 years now. In addition to its three German factories, PI has eight subsidiaries and a total of over 500 employees worldwide.

Greenlight Innovation Corp. announces a new patent-pending solution for the monitoring of cell voltages in fuel cells and battery packs. The board-based device sets a new standard in accuracy and high speed data acquisition.Specifications include a precedent-setting accuracy of +/-1mV (using 16 bit A/D resolution) over a channel input range of +/-5V, allowing for applications in fuel cells as well as lithium ion and other batteries. Common mode (stack) voltage input can be up to 1000V, and the system also offers industry leading temperature compensation to maintain accuracy specifications over a broad temperature range. The CVM unit is available as a stand-alone system, or fully integrated into Greenlight’s testing equipment. It can also be configured for other standard I/O applications, such as thermocouple inputs.

Greenlight Innovation manufactures the world’s most sophisticated fuel cell testing equipment and electric vehicle battery testing equipment.
NO OTHER COMPANY CAN MATCH GREENLIGHT’S EXPERIENCE:
We have been manufacturing fuel cell testing equipment for 17 years, and we evolved in Vancouver Canada, right in the middle of the fuel cell industry cluster. We are able to draw on the vast local pool of talented and experienced resources. More than 75% of our staff previously worked in the fuel cell and EV industries. Are you buying experience or are you on someone else’s learning curve?

Ross Bailey, President of Greenlight Innovation, has been leading his team’s focus on innovative solutions for the fuel cell and battery industries:

“Our new CVM system offers the highest commercially available accuracy over this input voltage range. The fact that we have developed this in-house is a reflection of our expertise and the product itself is a reflection of Greenlight’s mission; to provide our customers with the best commercially available tools required to successfully commercialize alternative energy products.”

… for high resolution printer applications

Renishaw’s TONiC™ incremental linear encoder system offers many advantages for wide format printing; smoother velocity control to avoid ‘banding’ in the image, superior repeatability, easy installation, high reliability and a range of scales available on reels that provide cut-to-suit flexibility at the point of installation.

RGSZ gold tape scale with 19.991 µm pitch
Now, to specifically enhance performance on wide-format 12000 dpi printers, new developments of the TONiC system are being introduced. A new version of Renishaw’s RGSZ gold tape scale has a unique 19.991 µm pitch, which is compatible with a standard TONiC readhead. When combined with a new application-specific Ti interface which applies a special 9.444 interpolation factor, the encoder provides a resolution of 2.117 µm, which corresponds to 12000 counts/inch; the ideal match for 12000 dpi printing. Despite this fine resolution, the maximum speed of the system is still an impressive 1.8 m/s.

Super-tough polyester coating
To further improve ruggedness and long-term reliability, all TONiC RGSZ gold scale is now available with an option of super-tough polyester coating that resists harsh solvents, including acetone and printer ink flushing fluids.

As with all Renishaw encoders, the TONiC incremental linear encoder is backed by a truly responsive global sales and support network. Furthermore the product satisfies the highest environmental standards, with both WEEE and RoHS compliance.

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Etc., Crossover, GMC, Luxury, Off-Road

A little ahead of the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit next month, GMC has revealed its new 2011 GMC Acadia Denali. Although the Denali tag has been used across the GMC lineup to signify their top-of-the-range trim level, this is the first crossover from the brand to get the tag. We first heard about this Acadia Denali on Twitter, thanks to loose-lipped Buick GMC Communications Group Manager Dayna Hart. From where we sit, the Denali makeover makes perfect sense for the Acadia, as it should help retain those affluent customers who are ditching SUVs in favor of CUVs.

The 2011 Acadia Denali will hit showroom floors late next year and will be available in both front- and all-wheel drive in seven- or eight-passenger form. The package will include a brace of signature Denali design cues: monotone paint, honeycomb grille, unique front and rear fascias, along with HID headlamps, chrome accents and exhaust tips, and the usual badges. The Acadia Denali will also get special six-spoke 20-inch wheels like the polished jobbies seen above. The model will be available in Quicksilver Metallic, Summit White, Carbon Black, Red Jewel Tintcoat or White Diamond Tricoat.

Inside the Acadia Denali, you’ll find all of GMC’s top-level bells and whistles: Premium audio systems with XM, perforated leather, heated and cooled seats, mahogany accents, a heads-up display, the Dual SkyScape sunroof system, plus tri-zone automatic climate control, satellite navigation, Bluetooth, OnStar, rear-seat DVD, a rearview camera and even remote starting (in case you find yourself living near either Denali or Acadia!). No pricing has been announced, yet but hopefully we’ll get more details at the Detroit Auto Show next month. For now, there’s a full press release after the jump and a small gallery of high-res pics in the gallery below.

[Source: GMC]

Continue reading GMC reveals gussied-up Acadia Denali for 2011

GMC reveals gussied-up Acadia Denali for 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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They didn’t win the grand prize, but three Cal undergraduates in Senior Lester Center Fellow John Danner’s Entrepreneurship to Address Global Poverty class came back with $20,000 after the judges of the Movers & Changers competition in New York made a surprise announcement that the two finalist teams would receive prize money.

»Read the entire article from the Haas NewsWire.

Danny Westneat’s global-warming agnosticism

Editor, The Times:

Danny Westneat’s column “Climate change stirs much heat” [NWSunday, Dec. 13] was very discouraging.

He claims he is a global-warming agnostic, dismissing scientist’s concerns as political. He argues there is no way to know what is going on, given all the confusion. Yet when he interviews Dennis Lettenmaier, whom he describes as a moderate from the middle, Lettenmaier says global warming is happening, and that it’s untenable to pretend we can keep pumping CO2 into the atmosphere at the current rate and assume it’s not going to make a difference.

So where is the confusion? How soon will it all collapse? When will the rainfall pattern change enough that we have water rationing and power shortages in the Northwest? How many decades before ocean acidification causes such a biological collapse that our food supply is diminished?

These are details that may never have absolute answers, but do we really want to keep on with business as usual to find out?

The confusion is being heavily funded by a few corporations making billions off the status quo. Unfortunately, The Seattle Times is helping keep people confused. While the specific consequences may be in question, the cause of the problem is not. The longer we wait to make changes, the more drastic the changes will need to be.

The problem is not a political question, but a fact of physical reality.

The response is where politics and money come in to play. Do we really want to explain to our grandchildren that we destroyed their future because we were too shortsighted, lazy or cheap to make the necessary changes?

— Crispin B. Hollinshead, Port Townsend

Mohamed Axam Maumoon: a role model to all 15-year-olds

The Republic of the Maldives sent a 15-year-old boy as their ambassador to the climate summit in Copenhagen [“The people lead on climate change,” Opinion, Amy Goodman syndicated column, Dec. 11]. That island nation would be inundated with a sea-level rise of just a few feet if the climate continues to warm.

Though he is just 15, Mohamed Axam Maumoon understands the impact these changes will have on his home, and urged leaders to act now to head off climate disasters.

How many 15-year-olds in the U.S. have such a realistic grasp of the situation and are urging action now? Climate changes are subtle in most parts of the U.S., except in the Arctic where permafrost is melting and villages have been flooded.

Environmental science needs to be a required course in the high-school curriculum. Young citizens and future leaders must be aware of how natural systems work and how humans are disrupting those systems.

Some high-school courses may need to be combined or eliminated, but budget should not be an issue. Preservation of the Earth’s natural systems, and the future of mankind, should not be an elective issue, but a matter of survival.

— Sharon Sneddon, Edmonds

Krauthammer’s Copenhagen shakedown

In “Shakedown in Copenhagen” [Opinion, syndicated column, Dec. 12] Charles Krauthammer veils his true intent of defending the right of industrialists to pollute behind fictitious us-versus-them scenarios.

His first scenario is the crusade of the Third World to transfer the First World’s rightfully earned wealth into its corrupt coffers. The Third World has, in Krauthammer’s eyes, jettisoned the old phony egalitarian doctrine of socialism with the new soak-the-rich scheme of environmentalism.

Nice trick, equating the vanquished economic theory of socialism with a social movement whose aim is to preserve the livability of our planet. Not mentioned in Krauthammer’s piece is that the U.S., European Union, Russia and Japan account for 44 percent of global carbon emissions. Doesn’t this suggest some level of responsibility by the West to put its resources toward solving this global problem?

Krauthammer’s second scenario is the usurpation of the people’s power as represented by Congress to regulate carbon emissions by that wicked bastion of the leftist, the EPA. No way does Krauthammer give a fig for constitutional decency when it comes to the rights of the Democratically controlled Congress.

Rather, he knows this is the branch of our government most closely controlled by industrial interests and open to Republican chicanery.

— Timothy R. Nelson, Seattle

Blizzard’s World of Warcraft is hands down the biggest MMO in the world right now, and everybody wants to take on the king of the hill. Square Enix is getting into the ring with Final Fantasy XIV,

Tiernan Ray at Barron’s flags a particularly unsettling exchange that occurred during Bernanke’s re-appointment hearing.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke this morning, shortly before being nominated for another term by the Senate Banking Committee on a vote of 16 to 7 in favor, rebuffed worries over an asset bubble globally along the lines suggested by NYU bad-boy economist Nouriel Roubini.

Pressed by Committee chairman Chris Dodd on the matter of the carry trade, the cheap dollar being used to buy higher-returning assets, Bernanke responded that it’s only a problem for the U.S. if you think the economy is going down again, which is not the Fed’s view.

Ben, have you seen all this?

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• FedEx Completely Screwed Up Their Guidance… But Check Out Their V-Shaped Recovery
• New York Manufacturing Tanks In December After Four Months Of Recovery
• The Recovery Is Faltering

There have been a bunch of companies popping up lately that have allowed bands to help “pre-finance” an album, by getting fans to commit to pay up in exchange for some sort of added benefit. We’ve covered in great detail how Jill Sobule successfully used just such a method (on her own, not with a startup) to finance her last album. Earlier this year, though, the concept got a lot of attention when the group Public Enemy signed up with the company SellABand to try to raise $250,000 by the end of the year to finance its latest album. While we were impressed by such a well-known act trying such a system, we did note when it was announced that the “benefit” given by the group didn’t really seem that compelling. The pricing seemed quite high for what people were getting, and there was little effort to actually “connect with fans.” It was really just a very high-priced way of getting people to fund the next album.

So it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that Public Enemy is struggling to reach its goal. It has raised over $70,000, which is nothing to complain about, but that’s well short of the $250,000 goal.

There are definitely some important lessons to be learned from this. These sorts of models require a lot more than just putting it out there and expecting fans to automatically support you, no matter how big an act you might be. Jill Sobule worked really hard to cultivate and connect with her committed fanbase, and that’s what helped her hit her goal. Public Enemy didn’t seem to put much effort into that at all. Second, pricing really does matter. In giving people a “reason to buy” something, that doesn’t mean you just slap a price on stuff. The price needs to be reasonable and make sense to people. Public Enemy’s offerings just seemed pricey all around, even to fans of the group. At $100 you got a CD and a chance to buy a second CD at 50%, along with your name in a booklet? Eh. What’s so exciting about that. At $250 they add in a t-shirt? That’s $150 just for a t-shirt? You had to go all the way up to $500 before they would even autograph the CD. Sure, $1,000 for a 3 year unlimited backstage pass could be cool if you were going to see the band a lot, but that was the first offering that really seemed potentially worth the money for a serious fan.

So, I think there are some important lessons here. We’ve mainly focused on pulling lessons from the success stories, but the lessons from failures can be just as valuable. And, in this case, it goes back to our standard formula of Connect with Fans (CwF) and give them a Reason to Buy (RtB). Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Public Enemy really did much of either. They just expected the fans to come to them, and they priced everything too high, without giving really compelling lower end options. Because of that, they certainly got some people to pay up — and, again, raising $70,000 is nothing to put down — but it fell well short of the goal. In some ways, what they did is like a cargo cult: copying all the superficial aspects of what worked before, but not the really important stuff.

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While U.S. equity markets are doing superb since the March rally began, we’ve undergone tough times in this past decade.

Two bubbles, near-systemic collapse, and a credit crunch have really taken their toll upon our economy.

Hence, as we examine the world’s best performing equity markets over the last 10 years, we find that no U.S. or Western-European-based exchange can be found.

Instead, Russia, China, and Eastern  European nations take the cake.

Imagine getting a 900% return on your investment by plunking down a few thousand on an emerging markets index fund or ETF. You’d be ecstatic.

Click here to view the world’s best performing markets ->

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• The BRICs Will Power A Huge Year For Base Metals
• JPMorgan: Emerging Markets Will Surge 30% In 2010
• No Matter How Expensive Oil Gets, Emerging Markets Will Demand More And More Of It

For the third straight year, we preview the upcoming college football postseason. Here are our picks for bowls 1-17, which takes you from the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque to El Paso, Texas for the Sun Bowl.

Leave your thoughts on any of the first 17 matchups below.

 

New Mexico (December 19)

Matchup: Fresno State (8-4) vs. Wyoming (6-6)
The Line: Fresno State -11.5

The Lead: Wyoming makes only its second trip to a bowl this decade while Fresno State makes its 9th bowl appearance in the last 10 years. Fresno State returns to New Mexico for the second straight year (losing to Colorado State 40-35 last year).

Brian Pick: Fresno State -11.5
Jeff Pick: Wyoming +11.5

 

St. Petersburg presented by Beef ‘O’ Brady’s (December 19)

Matchup: UCF (8-4) vs. Rutgers (8-4)
The Line: Rutgers -2.5

The Lead: Rutgers just making a bowl game game is no longer exciting for their players and fans who had higher hopes coming into this season than to finish 3-4 in the Big East. UCF meanwhile will be playing less than three hours from their campus and should be thrilled to be there.

Jeff Pick: UCF +2.5
Brian Pick: Rutgers -2.5

 

R + L Carrier New Orleans (December 20)

Matchup: Southern Miss (7-5) vs. Middle Tennessee (9-3)
The Line: Southern Miss -3.5

The Lead: Southern Miss returns to the New Orleans Bowl for the second straight year. Last year, Southern Miss blocked a field goal in overtime to defeat Troy 30-27 in one of the more entertaining 2008 bowl games. Middle Tennessee State is one of the hottest teams in the country, having won 6 straight and reaching the 9 win plateau for the first time since joining Division I-A in 1999. Southern Miss has a perfect 3-0 record in the New Orleans Bowl.

Brian Pick: Southern Miss -3.5
Jeff Pick: Southern Miss -3.5

 

MAACO Las Vegas (December 22)

Matchup: Oregon State (8-4) vs. BYU (10-2)
The Line: Oregon State -2.5

The Lead: BYU was on top of the world after beating Oklahoma to start the season. Oregon State was on top of the college football world in the final Thursday night of the season when playing Oregon for the Pac-10 title. Things didn’t work out as either team had hoped from those points on though and they both fell to the pre-Christmas Las Vegas Bowl. Oregon State has plenty to prove though as they attempt to beat BYU, TCU and Boise State in the next 11 months and serve as the non-BCS school killer.

Jeff Pick: Oregon State -2.5
Brian Pick: Oregon State -2.5

 

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia (December 23)

Matchup: Utah (9-3) vs. California (8-4)
The Line: California -3

The Lead: With BC losing to Vanderbilt last season, Utah now owns the longest active winning streak in bowl games, having won their last 8 games including last year’s Sugar Bowl over Alabama. Cal is riding a seven game streak for bowl apperances, the longest in school history.

Brian Pick: Utah +3
Jeff Pick: Utah +3

 

Sheraton Hawaii (December 24)

Matchup: Nevada (8-4) vs. SMU (7-5)
The Line: Nevada -15

The Lead: This game features a very good WAC team against a very good C-USA team but does that mean that they are actually good teams? It’s tough to say. Neither team has a very impressive win this season and both seemed to lose all their games when they had opportunities to prove themselves. Will anyone watch the Christmas Eve game in Hawaii? Other than Brian?

Jeff Pick: SMU +15
Brian Pick: Nevada -15

Little Caesars (December 26)

Matchup: Marshall (6-6) vs. Ohio (9-4)
The Line: Ohio -2.5

The Lead: This game renews a rivalry game between the two schools located only 80 miles apart. Ohio and Marshall used to compete in the Battle for the Bell which is set to be renewed in 2010. Ohio leads the all-time series 29-17-6, however Marshall has won 8 of the last 10 matchups between the two geographic neighbors.

Brian Pick: Ohio -2.5
Jeff Pick: Ohio -2.5

 

Meineke Car Care (December 26)

Matchup: Pittsburgh (9-3) vs. North Carolina (8-4)
The Line: Pittsburgh -3

The Lead: What a disappointing finish to the season for Pittsburgh. Pitt lost to their backyard brawl rival West Virginia before losing to Cincinnati in a de-facto Big East Championship game. The Panthers led the entire game against Cincinnati but could not finish so now instead of the Orange Bowl they get a trip to Charlotte to play North Carolina in a “road” bowl game. Good luck getting your team fired up for this one, Dave!

Jeff Pick: North Carolina +3
Brian Pick: Pittsburgh -3

 

Emerald (December 26)

Matchup: Boston College (8-4) vs. USC (8-4)
The Line: USC -9

The Lead: The 8-4 Eagles travel to San Francisco for the second time this decade to take on the 8-4 USC Trojans. This is the first time in seven years that USC hasn’t played in a BCS bowl game (5 Rose Bowls, 2 Orange Bowls). Good news for the Eagles is the last time Pete Carroll found himself in a non-BCS bowl game, the Trojans lost 10-6 to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. You don’t think we would pick against BC now, do you?

Brian Pick: Boston College +9
Jeff Pick: Boston College +9

 

Gaylor Hotels Music City (December 27)

Matchup: Kentucky (7-5) vs. Clemson (8-5)
The Line: Clemson -7.5

The Lead: If Boston College’s 2008 performance in the Music City Bowl is any indication of how Clemson might play this year after the disappointing ACC Championship Game, it’s is going to be tough to watch for Tiger fans. But after losing to South Carolina, the ACC really doesn’t need Clemson, or any of its top programs, to lose to mediocre SEC teams. Clemson ticket sales for the bowl have been soft but hopefully Dabo can rally this team to victory.

Jeff Pick: Kentucky +7.5
Brian Pick: Clemson -7.5

 

AdvoCare V100 Independence (December 28)

Matchup: Texas A&M (6-6) vs. Georgia (7-5)
The Line: Georgia -7

The Lead: Georgia wraps up an otherwise disappointing, up-and-down season in Shreveport, Louisiana. For every quality win for UGA, there seemed to be an equally puzzling loss this year. Defeat Arkansas, get crushed at Tennessee. Defeat Auburn, lose to Kentucky at home, come back and defeat in-state rival Georgia Tech. Texas A&M has had a similar up-and-down season, but seemingly backed into the postseason having lost 3 of their last 4 games.

Brian Pick: Georgia -7
Jeff Pick: Georgia -7

 

EagleBank (December 29)

Matchup: UCLA (6-6) vs. Temple (9-3)
The Line: UCLA -4

The Lead: UCLA had to wait to see the result of the Army-Navy game before getting officially invited to this bowl game. In the bowl’s second season, I don’t imagine that their will be much hype this year compared to last year’s geographically favorable matchup of Wake Forest vs. Navy. Look for Temple to surprise some people and possibly knock off a BCS school in this one.

Jeff Pick: Temple +4
Brian Pick: Temple +4

 

Champs Sports (December 29)

Matchup: Miami (Fla.) (9-3) vs. Wisconsin (9-3)
The Line: Miami -3

The Lead: This year’s Champs Sports Bowl is a matchup of 9-3 ranked teams. Both teams are coming off strong finishes, each winning 4 of their final 5 games. Wisconsin finished the season with a 51-10 drubbing of Hawaii on the road, while Miami took care of USF 31-10. Miami is 2-0 all-time in the Champs Sports Bowl. Wisconsin played in Orlando last season, losing to Florida State 42-13. This is the last year the Big 10 will be represented in this bowl as the Big East will send a team to face an ACC opponent starting next season.

Brian Pick: Miami -3
Jeff Pick: Miami -3

 

Roady’s Humanitarian (December 30)

Matchup: Bowling Green (8-5) vs. Idaho (7-5)
The Line: Idaho +1.5

The Lead: Another game that might set an attendance record this season but not the kind of record that you want to be setting if you are putting this bowl together. Boise fans might already be on their way to the Fiesta Bowl so even getting a few locals to come out for this game will be difficult. Bowling Green has a pretty good WR, and Idaho plays home games in a dome. That’s all I have for this one.

Jeff Pick: Bowling Green -1.5
Brian Pick: Idaho +1.5

 

Pacific Life Holiday (December 30)

Matchup: Arizona (8-4) vs. Nebraska (9-4)
The Line: Arizona -1.5

The Lead: Arizona – having defeated the Trojans 21-17 to move to 6-3 in conference – will represent the Pac-10 as its #2 team in the Holiday Bowl. Nebraska won the Big 12 North, finishing the season at 9-4, 6-2 in conference. The Cornhuskers are coming off a heartbreaking 13-12 loss to Texas in the Big 12 Championship Game.

Brian Pick: Arizona -1.5
Jeff Pick: Nebraska +1.5

 

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces (December 31)

Matchup: Houston (10-3) vs. Air Force (7-5)
The Line: Houston -4.5

The Lead: The mighty Houston Cougars who knocked off Oklahoma State at home are only 4.5 point favorites against Air Force? Oh right, we later found out that Oklahoma State was not nearly as good as anyone thought the would be and failed to make a push for a BCS bowl by nearly losing to Colorado and then getting destroyed by Oklahoma to end the season. Air Force had another nice season but only managed a 1-5 record against bowl bound teams this season.

Jeff Pick: Air Force +4.5
Brian Pick: Houston -4.5

 

Brut Sun (December 31)

Matchup: Oklahoma (7-5) vs. Stanford (8-4)
The Line: Oklahoma -8

The Lead: This should be an intriguing matchup between the unstoppable force (Heisman runner-up Toby Gerhart and the 15th ranked Stanford Cardinal offense) and the immovable object (Oklahoma’s 7th ranked defense). Oklahoma has had an otherwise disappointing season, that is, up until they put a 27-0 hurtin’ on in-state rival Oklahoma State in Bedlam. Stanford may or may not be playing without the services of starting freshman quarterback Andrew Luck.

Brian Pick: Stanford +8
Jeff Pick: Oklahoma -8

His wardrobe may look like it suffered a major malfunction, but he sure as hell can kick ass like nobody’s business. His name’s Ashley Riot, he’s a Riskbreaker, and he’s crashing into the European PlayStation Store this

Maybe the bull argument — that the market is barely down despite all the bad news — won’t hold up.

The Dow is now down triple digits.

Gold is down over $30 and may not hold $1100/oz.

One trader we we talked to acknowledged a noticeably “different feel” to the market today.

Between the amazing, surging dollar, and all the other fears, we’d have to agree.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Gartman: Here’s How To Go Long Gold In Another Currency
• China’s Dumping Of The Dollar Has Begun
• The US Dollar Is On Fire Today!

Plate bevelling machine GBC EDGE 46, with high speed milling head, for high material removal rate. Once positioned on the plate edge the machine travels along the plate automatically, without any intervention by the operator.
Unit is equipped with stepless variable head type which allow bevel angle 15° to 60°.
Bevel angle change is made in few seconds – no tooling required.
Availability of different insert tips makes easy working exotic materials and alloys (Duplex, SuperDuplex, Hastelloy), up to 60mm (2 3/8″) wall thickness, always with perfect smooth, roughless surface finishing.

The MICHELIN® XDR™ was named one of Construction Equipment Magazine’s top 100 products.

This is the third consecutive year MICHELIN tires have made the list. The XDR was chosen from more than 3,000 construction-related products and was the only tire selected for the top 100 new products list. Learn more about the XDR!

You asked for it. We delivered.
You asked for a tough tire that would significantly reduce your costs and enhance your profitability. Now, you’ve got it. A new MICHELIN radial tire that lasts longer and can withstand the torture and punishment of the harshest mine and quarry conditions.

Meet the XDR™ – the latest addition to a total package of solutions – designed by Michelin to deliver measurable savings to your operation.

Works harder. Lasts Longer
Longer tire life means you don’t buy tires as often, and that saves you money. With an increase in tire life, the XDR™ radial helps reduce overall tire costs.

The non-directional tread simplifies tire matching, enabling you to reduce inventory.

The XDR also features extra tread rubber and thick, square shoulders that provide the cut and damage protection you need in severe haul truck operations.

The world’s deepest mining dredge is coupled with the longest drive train ever to reach the bottom of an underwater sand mine. In underwater sand mining, as with any problem-solving effort, getting to the bottom of it is the ultimate goal.

Dredging Supply Company, Inc., the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of cutter suction dredges and underwater pump mining dredges, is located in Reserve, Louisiana. For more information about the company and their products and services, please visit them at www.dscdredge.com.

NEW DREDGE WILL ENHANCE NIGERIAN CONTRACTOR’S FLEET
Dredging Supply Company, Inc. (DSC) recently delivered an 18” x 18” Shark class dredge to Nigerian customer Japaul Oil and Maritime Services PLC. The dredge was delivered and commissioned by DSC field service engineers in Lagos, Nigeria last month.

Dredging Supply Company, Inc., the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of cutter suction dredges and underwater pump mining dredges, is located in Reserve, Louisiana. The company exports several dredges a year to countries spanning the globe. In 2008, DSC was awarded the President’s “E-Award” for their significant contribution to the increase of American exports. For more information about the company and their products and services, please visit them at www.dscdredge.com.

With FIMPXL (Fiber Industrial Mini Patch) eks Engel has successfully taken a step that brings IT into harsh industrial environments.

FIMPXL is just unsignificantly taller than its older brother, but it is designed for up to 24 fiber optic cables.
A special feature of this new development: The MPO-technology with its high packing density which has long been used in the IT-sector, can now be used in harsh industrial areas in automation technology, too.

This is possible with a specially designed MPO-set called FIMPO which makes it suitable for industry. The MPO-coupling can either be used outside the housing or inside it. This new technology is also available for FIMP as of now.

Regarding the couplings in the frontpanel, the new box is really flexible. Users can choose between classic SC-duplex or compact couplings.

Furthermore, FIMPXL proves its flexibility regarding cabl-ing. Three cuttings at the top and at the bottom side make it possible that the box can also be used as dis-tributor for up to 24 fibers.

One of the interior qualities is that the splice box can contain two splice holders.

With FIMPXL eks Engel combines two totally different worlds, so that innovations from the IT-sector can now also be used in harsh industrial applications without any problems.