pestle zippy: February 2013

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Evaluating Benefits 101 - Small Business CEO

The current business environment is a difficult one. While businesses are still seeking to expand, prudent business executives and owners are also looking to economize in every way possible. These cost-cutting efforts will affect every department in a company, especially HR, as most companies spend the largest part of their revenue on salaries and wages.

Evaluating Employee Benefits

Not only will salaries and wages be tightly controlled but the depth and range of benefits packages will also be reconsidered every year. Lessening benefits and thus lowering premiums may seem the most obvious way to achieve savings but there are hidden costs that should also be considered before reducing a company?s benefits package. These hidden costs involve the recruiting, hiring and training of employees and can have a significant effect on the financial health and bottom line of a company.

Lower Premiums Don?t Necessarily Mean Lessened Benefits

It seems an almost immutable law of the business world that if a company or its employees pay less in premiums that it will receive less in benefits. While this notion is typical, utilizing an outsource HR vendor or Professional Employer Organization (PEO) can change the dynamics for the better.

In many cases, an HR vendor can, because of economies of scale, reduce administrative costs and thus reduce premiums to some degree. More importantly, an outsourced HR vendor brings consolidated purchasing power to their negotiations with insurance companies. Since the HR vendor represents many companies and therefore many employees, they can achieve significant reductions in premium costs without negatively affecting the benefit packages.

Lessened Benefits DO Mean Lower Quality Candidates

For many employees, especially younger ones, the allure of benefits pales in comparison to the salary or wage associated with a job. However, there are many, more mature employees who recognize the advantages of a well-designed and affordable benefits package.

A business owner or executive should recognize that people choose a job for specific reasons, and are not always entirely focused on which employer offers them the highest salary. While a superior benefits package may not always entice a higher quality employee to apply, a meager one can unintentionally deter many highly qualified potential applicants.

Superior Benefits Packages Attract and RETAIN More Qualified Applicants

More qualified applicants mean more qualified hires. In general, these employees are secure in their positions, and are more likely to train faster, stay longer, and be more productive. The savings in ?soft? costs that accrue due to higher employee morale and lowered turnover should not be underestimated. A superior benefits package can be instrumental in perfecting this aspect of the human resources equation.

Similarly, more highly qualified employees are most likely more familiar with the rules and regulations that affect their job, and are therefore more likely to follow company policy. In short, they are less likely to err when it comes to business laws, regulations, or company procedures. The result is lower workplace accidents, fines, and penalties levied by governmental agencies, and fewer harassment or other types of lawsuits. While not entirely an issue for some business niches, it is a significant benefit in many fields.

A Menu Plan Can Keep Benefits Affordable for Everyone

The multi-generational composition of most workforces demands that a company?s benefits package allow for customization. Different time-off options, medical benefits, educational opportunities, and other features can be chosen from a benefits menu, and unwanted options can simply be declined. The result is a benefits package that more closely fits the needs of every employee and also significantly reduces premiums.

For example, singles are more interested in investment options, families need the best health care plans, and seniors are probably looking for both. The only affordable way to accommodate these individual needs is to provide a menu plan. Even the simple expedient of offering separate medical, dental, and vision plans can make a difference to certain categories of applicants.

In short, the ability to ?pick and choose? from a variety of benefits options allows your company to attract the broadest range of top tier candidates while keeping those benefits affordable for both the potential employees and your company.

Benefits Can be the Tiebreaker

While a good benefits package may not overcome a significantly deficient compensation package, it can mean the difference between candidates choosing your company?s total compensation package over another?s. This fact presides in every business environment, good or bad.

At times there may be a glut of applicants, but the best talent is always in demand. A superior benefits package will attract them and, even more importantly, keep them from leaving after you have invested time and energy in their recruitment, hiring, and development.

In the same vein, properly trained and developed employees are less likely to run afoul of company policies or government regulations, saving the company time, expenses, and possibly an otherwise excellent employee. Lastly, a superior benefits package engenders better morale and a more productive workforce.

The Result

Each of the relatively intangible factors will considerably diminish the ?soft? costs to a company. The CFO may not be able to point to a line item where the savings appear, but the results will show on the bottom line.

This fact, when coupled with the great possibility that premiums can be kept constant or reduced, is a very strong incentive for a business owner or HR executive to examine the possibilities offered by an outsourced HR vendor or Professional Employer Organization.

About The Guest Author: Carolyn Sokol is a founder of PEOcompare.com and a frequent contributor to compareHRIS.com, both of which help match businesses to the right HR or payroll service provider for their particular needs. Her background is in marketing and communications, employee education and training, development of policies and procedures and the ongoing delivery of outstanding customer service.

Benefits Photo via Shutterstock

Source: http://www.smbceo.com/2013/02/27/evaluating-benefits/

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Gunmen kill Pakistani reporter near Afghan border

ISLAMABAD (AP) ? A Pakistani private news channel says gunmen have shot and killed one of its reporters in the country's tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

Rana Jawad, an official at Geo News, says their reporter Malik Mumtaz was targeted in Miran Shah, the main city in North Waziristan.

It was not immediately clear whether the attack on Malik was related to his work.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for Wednesday's killing.

Acccording to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least seven reporters were killed in Pakistan last year, making it the third most deadly country for journalists.

In November, police defused a bomb attached to the car of Geo's anchorperson Hamid Mir in Islamabad.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gunmen-kill-pakistani-reporter-near-afghan-border-125614286.html

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Supermassive black hole spins super-fast

Public release date: 27-Feb-2013
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Contact: Christine Pulliam
cpulliam@cfa.harvard.edu
617-495-7463
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Imagine a sphere more than 2 million miles across - eight times the distance from Earth to the Moon - spinning so fast that its surface is traveling at nearly the speed of light. Such an object exists: the supermassive black hole at the center of the spiral galaxy NGC 1365.

Astronomers measured its jaw-dropping spin rate using new data from the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, and the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton X-ray satellites.

"This is the first time anyone has accurately measured the spin of a supermassive black hole," said lead author Guido Risaliti of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) and INAF - Arcetri Observatory.

This research is being published in the Feb. 28 issue of the journal Nature, and featured in a NASA media teleconference on Feb. 27th.

A black hole's gravity is so strong that, as the black hole spins, it drags the surrounding space along. The edge of this spinning hole is called the event horizon. Any material crossing the event horizon is pulled into the black hole. Inspiraling matter collects into an accretion disk, where friction heats it and causes it to emit X-rays.

Risaliti and his colleagues measured X-rays from the center of NGC 1365 to determine where the inner edge of the accretion disk was located. This Innermost Stable Circular Orbit - the disk's point of no return - depends on the black hole's spin. Since a spinning black hole distorts space, the disk material can get closer to the black hole before being sucked in.

Astronomers want to know the black hole's spin for several reasons. The first is physical - only two numbers define a black hole: mass and spin. By learning those two numbers, you learn everything there is to know about the black hole.

Most importantly, the black hole's spin gives clues to its past and by extension the evolution of its host galaxy.

"The black hole's spin is a memory, a record, of the past history of the galaxy as a whole," explained Risaliti.

Although the black hole in NGC 1365 is currently as massive as several million Suns, it wasn't born that big. It grew over billions of years by accreting stars and gas, and by merging with other black holes.

Spin results from a transfer of angular momentum, like playing on a children's swing. If you kick at random times while you swing, you'll never get very high. But if you kick at the beginning of each downswing, you go higher and higher as you add angular momentum.

Similarly, if the black hole grew randomly by pulling in matter from all directions, its spin would be low. Since its spin is so close to the maximum possible, the black hole in NGC 1365 must have grown through "ordered accretion" rather than multiple random events.

Studying a supermassive black hole also allows theorists to test Einstein's theory of general relativity in extreme conditions. Relativity describes how gravity affects the structure of space-time, and nowhere is space-time more distorted than in the immediate vicinity of a black hole.

The team also has additional observations of NGC 1365 that they will study to determine how conditions other than black hole spin change over time. Those data are currently being analyzed. At the same time, other teams are observing several other supermassive black holes with NuSTAR and XMM-Newton.

###

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Supermassive black hole spins super-fast Public release date: 27-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Christine Pulliam
cpulliam@cfa.harvard.edu
617-495-7463
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Imagine a sphere more than 2 million miles across - eight times the distance from Earth to the Moon - spinning so fast that its surface is traveling at nearly the speed of light. Such an object exists: the supermassive black hole at the center of the spiral galaxy NGC 1365.

Astronomers measured its jaw-dropping spin rate using new data from the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, and the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton X-ray satellites.

"This is the first time anyone has accurately measured the spin of a supermassive black hole," said lead author Guido Risaliti of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) and INAF - Arcetri Observatory.

This research is being published in the Feb. 28 issue of the journal Nature, and featured in a NASA media teleconference on Feb. 27th.

A black hole's gravity is so strong that, as the black hole spins, it drags the surrounding space along. The edge of this spinning hole is called the event horizon. Any material crossing the event horizon is pulled into the black hole. Inspiraling matter collects into an accretion disk, where friction heats it and causes it to emit X-rays.

Risaliti and his colleagues measured X-rays from the center of NGC 1365 to determine where the inner edge of the accretion disk was located. This Innermost Stable Circular Orbit - the disk's point of no return - depends on the black hole's spin. Since a spinning black hole distorts space, the disk material can get closer to the black hole before being sucked in.

Astronomers want to know the black hole's spin for several reasons. The first is physical - only two numbers define a black hole: mass and spin. By learning those two numbers, you learn everything there is to know about the black hole.

Most importantly, the black hole's spin gives clues to its past and by extension the evolution of its host galaxy.

"The black hole's spin is a memory, a record, of the past history of the galaxy as a whole," explained Risaliti.

Although the black hole in NGC 1365 is currently as massive as several million Suns, it wasn't born that big. It grew over billions of years by accreting stars and gas, and by merging with other black holes.

Spin results from a transfer of angular momentum, like playing on a children's swing. If you kick at random times while you swing, you'll never get very high. But if you kick at the beginning of each downswing, you go higher and higher as you add angular momentum.

Similarly, if the black hole grew randomly by pulling in matter from all directions, its spin would be low. Since its spin is so close to the maximum possible, the black hole in NGC 1365 must have grown through "ordered accretion" rather than multiple random events.

Studying a supermassive black hole also allows theorists to test Einstein's theory of general relativity in extreme conditions. Relativity describes how gravity affects the structure of space-time, and nowhere is space-time more distorted than in the immediate vicinity of a black hole.

The team also has additional observations of NGC 1365 that they will study to determine how conditions other than black hole spin change over time. Those data are currently being analyzed. At the same time, other teams are observing several other supermassive black holes with NuSTAR and XMM-Newton.

###

[ | E-mail | Share ]
?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/hcfa-sbh022713.php
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Time to step in? U.S. weighs direct aid to Syrian rebels

PARIS (AP) ? The Obama administration, in coordination with some European allies, is for the first time considering supplying direct assistance to elements of the Free Syrian Army as they seek to ramp up pressure on Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down and end nearly two years of brutal and increasingly deadly violence.

Officials in the United States and Europe said Tuesday the administration is nearing a decision on whether to provide non-lethal assistance to carefully vetted fighters opposed to the Assad regime in addition to what it is already supplying to the political opposition. A decision is expected by Thursday when U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will attend an international conference on Syria in Rome that leaders of the opposition Syrian National Coalition have been persuaded to attend, the officials said.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the shift in strategy has not yet been finalized and still needs to be coordinated with European nations, notably Britain. They are eager to vastly increase the size and scope of assistance for Assad's foes.

Kerry, who was a cautious proponent of supplying arms to the rebels while he was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has been consulting with European leaders on how to step up pressure on Assad to leave power. The effort has been as a major focus of his first official trip abroad as America's top diplomat. On the first two stops on his hectic nine-nation tour of Europe and the Middle East, in London and Berlin, he has sought to assure the Syrian opposition that more help is on the way.

In London on Monday, he made a public appeal to opposition coalition leader Mouaz al-Khatib not to boycott the Rome meeting as had been threatened and to attend the conference despite concerns among Assad foes that international community is not doing enough. Kerry and Vice President Joe Biden made private telephone calls to al-Khatib to make the same case.

"We are determined that the Syrian opposition is not going to be dangling in the wind, wondering where the support is, if it is coming," Kerry told reporters after meeting British Prime Minister David Cameron and Foreign Secretary William Hague.

Hague said that the deteriorating conditions in Syria, especially recent scud missile attacks on the city of Aleppo, were unacceptable and that the West's current position could not be sustained while an "appalling injustice" is being done to Syrian citizens.

"In the face of such murder and threat of instability, our policy cannot stay static as the weeks go by," Hague told reporters, standing beside Kerry. "We must significantly increase support for the Syrian opposition. We are preparing to do just that."

The officials in Washington and European capitals said the British are pushing proposals to provide military training, body armor and other technical support to members of the Free Syrian Army who have been determined not to have links to extremists. The officials said, however, that the U.S. was not yet ready to consider such action although Washington would not object if the Europeans moved ahead with the plans.

The Obama administration has been deeply concerned about military equipment falling into the hands of radical Islamists who have become a significant factor in the Syrian conflict and could then use that materiel for terrorist attacks or strikes on Israel.

The Italian government, which is hosting Thursday's conference, said on Monday that the Europeans would use the meeting "to urge the United States' greater flexibility on measures in favor of the opposition to the Assad regime."

"They will be asking, in particular, that 'non-lethal' aid be extended to include technical assistance and training so as to consolidate the coalition's efforts in the light of what emerged at the latest meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council," the foreign ministry said in a statement. In a recent meeting, European Union foreign ministers agreed that support to the rebels needed to be boosted.

Officials in Washington said the United States was leaning toward providing tens of millions of dollars more in non-lethal assistance to the opposition, including vetted members of the Free Syrian Army who had not been receiving direct U.S. assistance. So far, assistance has been limited to funding for communications and other logistical equipment, a formalized liaison office and an invitation to al-Khatib to visit the United States in the coming weeks.

The officials stressed, however, that the administration did not envision American military training for the rebels nor U.S. provision of combat items such as body armor that the British are advocating.

The officials said the U.S. is also looking at stepping up its civilian technical assistance devoted to rule of law, civil society and good governance, in order to prepare an eventual transition government to run the country once Assad leaves.

In Europe, meanwhile, Kerry on Tuesday visited Berlin where he met his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, for the first time in his new post, spending more than an hour discussing the Syria conflict. Russia has been a strong supporter of Assad and has, along with China, repeatedly blocked efforts at the United Nations to impose global sanctions against the regime unless it stops the violence that has killed nearly 70,000 people.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the two met for an hour and 45 minutes, spending more than half that time on Syria in what she called a "really serious and hardworking session."

Kerry and Lavrov discussed how they could implement the so-called Geneva Agreement, which is designed to get the Syrian government and rebels to plan a transitional government for the time after Assad leaves office, Nuland said.

Lavrov told Russian news agencies that his talks with Kerry were "quite constructive." On Syria, he said the two reaffirmed their "intention to do all Russia and the U.S. can do. It's not that everything depends on us, but we shall do all we can to create conditions for the soonest start of a dialogue between the government and the opposition."

Syria's foreign minister was in Moscow on Monday and while there expressed a willingness to meet with opposition leaders.

The Syrian National Coalition is skeptical about outside help from the West and threatened to boycott the Rome meeting until a series of phone calls and meetings between Kerry and his ambassadors and Syrian opposition leaders repaired the schism. The council now says it will attend the meeting, but is hoping for more concrete offers of help, including military assistance.

___

Klapper contributed to this report from Washington.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-sources-us-weighs-direct-aid-syrian-rebels-014311467--politics.html

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LOCAL RECREATIONAL RESULTS: Swimming, Gymnastics ...

LOCAL SWIMMING

NORTH DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS

Regency Park Swim Team participated in the meet on Feb. 15?17 at Chinn Aquatic and Fitness Center in Prince William County. Team finished in third place overall (Girls finished second; Boys finished third). Individual Scorers: Girls?Jordan Durocher 4th, Margo Weber 8th;Boys?Brennan Paterson 1st.

Banzon, Christina (12): 50 Breast 40.96, 5th; 100 Fly 1:24.93, 7th; 200 Back, 2:37.91, 7th;

Brown, Madison (10): 500 Free, 7:36.86, 5th; 100 Back 1:19.62, 3th; 50 Back 35.90, 1st;

Carney, Kyle (10): 100 Back 1:30.88, 4th; 200 Free, 2:52.74, 1st; 100 Free 1:20.99, 7th;

Clarkson, Annabella (11): 50 Breast 41.14, 6th; 100 Breast 1:30.95, 6th;

Cole, Nathan (9): 200 Free, 3:12.59, 5th;

Cox, Anastasia (12): 100 Free 1:06.87, 2th; 100 Back 1:17.18, 3th; 50 Back 35.24, 2th; 200 Back, 2:46.98, 4th;

Daniel, Isabella (8): 25 Breast 23.84, 3th; 50 Breast 53.48, 8th;

Darensbourg, Kennedy (10): 100 IM 1:31.44, 8th; 50 Back 42.17, 7th;

Durocher, Jordan (8): 25 Free 16.08, 2th; 100 IM 1:26.14, 1st; 100 Free 1:13.49, 1st; 50 Free 34.19, 2th; 100 Breast 1:37.10, 5th; 50 Breast 46.06, 1st;

Durocher, Troy (9): 50 Free 33.14, 6th; 100 IM 1:30.31, 5th; 100 Back 1:28.42, 7th;

Elliott, Brandon (11): 50 Back 36.62, 8th; 100 IM 1:18.58, 6th; 50 Free 30.66, 7th;

Futrell, Brenna (10): 100 Breast 1:43.83, 4th;

George, Jeffrey (11): 500 Free, 6:31.77, 2th; 200 IM, 2:46.99, 6th; 200 Back, 3:01.78, 6th;

Hudak, Cole (10): 100 IM 1:30.89, 6th; 100 Back 1:26.20, 4th; 100 Free 1:20.17, 6th; 50 Fly 38.58, 7th;

Hudak, Ryan (12): 100 Fly 1:16.13, 2th; 200 Back, 2:56.10, 5th;

Hudson, Trevor (8): 25 Free 17.06, 7th; 50 Fly 38.95, 1st; 50 Back 45.97, 8th; 50 Free 37.77, 5th; 25 Fly 18.32, 2th; 50 Breast 53.23, 3th; 25 Back 20.58, 3th;

Kilkenney, Kaylee (12): 500 Free, 6:38.17, 5th; 200 IM, 2:47.16, 2th; 200 Free, 2:31.46, 5th; 50 Free 31.50, 8th;

Koch, Nicole (11): 500 Free, 6:50.65, 8th; 200 IM, 2:41.77, 1st;

Kyer, Michael (11): 500 Free, 6:34.86, 3th; 100 Free 1:03.37, 7th; 200 IM, 2:46.25, 5th; 200 Free, 2:23.05, 1st; 200 Back, 2:47.91, 3th; 100 IM 1:17.77, 4th;

Mesick, Megan (12): 100 Back 1:21.84, 7th;

Paterson, Brennan (11): 100 Free 59.30, 1st; 50 Fly 30.47, 1st; 50 Breast 38.80, 1st; 100 Back 1:11.47, 3th; 200 Free, 2:09.40, 1st; 100 Fly 1:07.11, 1st; 100 IM 1:08.68, 1st; 50 Free 27.40, 2th;

Peck, Garrett (8): 50 Breast 55.02, 5th; 25 Back 21.92, 6th;

Peck, Kyle (7): 25 Fly 21.09, 7th;

Perdomo, Cristal (9): 500 Free, 7:07.88, 1st; 100 Fly 1:20.13, 1st; 100 Free 1:09.45, 3th;

Polanosky, Natalie (11): 200 Back, 3:08.02, 8th;

Robinson, Nia (9): 100 Fly 1:41.72, 3th;

Ross, Marissa (9): 500 Free, 7:28.78, 3th; 50 Free 32.23, 7th; 100 IM 1:21.48, 5th; 50 Breast 42.68, 2th; 100 Back 1:23.61, 1st; 50 Fly 37.07, 7th;

Ross, Noah (12): 50 Back 35.44, 6th; 100 Breast 1:33.42, 7th; 50 Free 30.02, 2th;

Sandoval, Alice (11): 50 Fly 31.28, 4th; 50 Breast 38.93, 8th; 100 Back 1:10.28, 2th; 100 Fly 1:12.13, 6th; 100 Breast 1:23.09, 4th; 100 IM 1:10.23, 1st; 50 Free 28.52, 6th;

Sandoval, Samantha (9): 100 Breast 1:47.76, 7th;

Schmidt, Valerie (12): 50 Fly 35.29, 7th; 200 Fly, 2:53.81, 3th; 100 Fly 1:17.94, 1st; 100 IM 1:20.79, 8th;

Short, Caleb (7): 25 Free 16.45, 4th; 25 Breast 25.06, 7th;

Simila, Brooke (10): 50 Breast 41.72, 1st; 100 Back 1:23.34, 7th; 200 Free, 2:37.09, 3th; 100 Free 1:11.83, 8th; 100 Breast 1:35.27, 4th; 50 Back 38.02, 7th;

Smith, Eric (12): 200 Free, 2:27.90, 8th; 100 Breast 1:21.76, 5th;

Stephens, Marquise (11): 200 Breast, 3:39.56, 7th;

Turbyfill, Andrew (10): 50 Free 33.27, 7th; 100 IM 1:28.11, 4th; 50 Breast 48.15, 4th; 100 Back 1:27.92, 5th; 50 Fly 41.45, 5th; 100 Breast 1:43.17, 1st;

Urian, Maddie (11): 200 IM, 2:47.50, 3th; 50 Back 36.82, 7th;

Weber, Margo (12): 100 Free 1:01.25, 4th; 200 IM, 2:34.86, 5th; 100 Back 1:11.48, 6th; 50 Back 32.82, 4th; 200 Back, 2:32.51, 1st; 100 IM 1:11.13, 2th; 50 Free 27.91, 4th;

Wilcox, Justin (12): 100 Free 1:03.22, 1st; 50 Breast 37.02, 3th; 100 Back 1:16.40, 3th; 50 Back 34.34, 7th; 200 Back, 2:37.34, 1st; 50 Free 29.01, 8th;

Wilcox, Macy (9): 200 IM, 3:11.43, 8th;

Yankovich, Katrina (12): 500 Free, 5:59.24, 3th; 200 IM, 2:36.27, 7th; 50 Breast 38.65, 7th; 200 Back, 2:37.20, 5th; 100 IM 1:12.70, 5th;

Yazdi, Shahin (10): 50 Breast 49.71, 8th; 100 Breast 1:45.02, 3th;

NORTH DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Sharks Swim Team participated in the meet on Feb. 15?17 at the Chinn Aquatic and Fitness Center.

Born, Isabel (11): 200 Breast, 3:17.79, third; 50 Breast, 41.33, seventh; 100 Breast, 1:29.83, fourth

Born, Sarah (9): 100 Back, 1:29.73, second; 100 Breast, 1:45.29, fifth

Day, John (8): 50 Breast, 57.46, seventh

Foley, Sean (12): 500 Free, 6:50.73, eighth; 200 Back, 2:56.02, fourth

Friend, Aaron (9): 50 Back, 42.63, third

Leaman, Olivia (12): 50 Breast, 38.51,first; 200 Free, 2:18.82, eighth; 100 IM, 1:12.58, fourth

Lohr, Dylan (12): 500 Free, 6:39.88, sixth; 50 Fly, 31.88, fourth; 100 Back, 1:14.43, seventh; 100 Fly, 1:13.97, sixth; 50 Back, 33.44, third; 50 Free, 28.95, seventh

Morrison, Hannah (11): 200 Breast, 3:21.55, fifth

Mueller, Steven (12): 200 Breast, 3:46.75, eighth

Sherwood, Matt (12): 100 Free, 1:04.08, second; 50 Fly, 35.48, sixth; 200 IM, 2:44.57, third; 100 Back, 1:18.95, eighth; 200 Free, 2:25.53, third; 50 Back, 34.92, fourth; 100 IM, 1:16.01, second

Smolen, Daryn (11): 50 Free, 30.44, second

Williams, Trey (9): 200 IM, 3:37.54, third; 100 Fly, 1:45.06, third; 200 Free, 3:17.67, seventh

NORTH DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP

Tsunami Swimming participated in the meet held at the Chinn Aquatic and Fitness Center in Woodbridge. Fourteen New Tsunami Team Records were broken at the North District meet, Abigail Cook set sixs, Annika Luce set three New Team Records, Courtney Wolfgang set two New Team Records, Michael Luce and Cameron Murray each set one New Team Record. The 11-12 Boys 400 Free Relay also set a New Team Record.

Ainsley Allred G(10): 100 Breast 1:41.89 2nd.

Abigail Cook G (10): 500 Free 6:50.68 1st, 200 Free 2:39.66 4th, 100 Back 1:19.78 5th, 50 Free 31.90 5th,,200 IM 3:06.08 5th,,100 IM 1:24.23 6th,,100 Free 1:11.48 7th,, 50 Fly 43.03 7th, 50 Back 38.04 8th.

Ben Eckerson B(9): 200 Free 3:07.52 3rd.

KATIE Fiddler G(8): 25 Breast 25.41 7th.

Sierra Gibson G(12): 100 Back 1:17.01 2nd, 200 Back 2:40.67 2nd, 50 Fly 35.20 6th, 500 Free 6:15.42 7th, 50 Free 29.20.

Annika Luce G(8): 200 IM 3:19.26 2nd, 50 Back 42.87 2nd,,25 Free 16.46 3rd, 100 Free 1:26.82 4th,100 IM 1:40.23 5th, 25 Back 20.73 5th, 25 Fly 20.15 6th, 50 Fly 47.13 7th.

Ashlety Luce G(8): 200 IM 3:52.01 3rd, 20 Breast 25.24 6th, 100 IM 1:45.87 8th, 100 Free 1:36.42 8th.

Michael Luce B(8): 25 Free 15.80 3rd, 100 Free 1:26.61 3rd, 200 Free 3:12.56 4th, 25 Breast 23.55 5th, 25 Fly 19.67 5th, 50 Free 38.48 6th.

Ryan McOsker B(7): 25 Back 20.51 2nd, 100 Free 1:33.31 7th, 200 Free 3:31.42 8th.

Cameron Murray B(10): 50 Back 36.79 1st, 50 Fly 34.89 1st, 100 Fly 1:18.90 1st, 500 Free 7:24.00, 1st, 50 Free 33.11 2nd, 100 Back 1:23.30 2nd, 200 IM 3:16.81 5th, 100 IM 1:31.62 7th.

Joe Stephens B(12): 100 Back 1:09.41 1st, 200 Back 2:24.47 1st, 50 Fly 31.18 3rd, 400 IM 5:28.14 3rd, 50 Free 27.65 3rd, 200 IM 2:37.73 4th, 100 Free 1:02.03 5th, 100 IM 1:11.30 200 Free 2:15.39 6th.

Jacob Talkington B(12): 100 Free 1:07.92 7th.

Courtney Wolfgang G(12): 50 Fly 30.06 1st, 200 Fly 2:36.78 1st,100 Fly 1:10.21 1st, 200 Back 2:18.14 2nd.

11-12 Boys 400 Free Relay: 4:45.41 6th (J Stephens, J Talkington, A Plonka, D Wheeler)

NORTHERN DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Rappahannock Area YMCA Stingrays (RAYS) participated in the meet (12 & Under Champs) on Feb. 15?17 at the Chinn Aquatic and Fitness Center in Prince William County. Overall, the RAYS finished first as a team, with the girls finishing first, the boys finishing second. Individual scores, the following RAYS swimmers finished: Michaela Sizemore 5th, Kinsey Brooks and Makayla Williams tied for 8th in the female category, and Chase Hensen 6th and Patrick Pins 9th in the male category.

Eden Baroody (10): 10 & Under 100 Back 1:36.49Y 8th; 10 & Under 200 Free 3:04.64Y 8th.

John Baroody (8): 8 & Under 50 Fly 49.00Y 4th; 8 & Under 100 Free 1:31.45Y 5th; 8 & Under 50 Free 40.15Y 7th; 8 & Under 50 Breast 55.21Y 6th.

Devin Bateman (9): 9-10 50 Free 33.36Y 3rd; 10 & Under 100 Fly 1:29.42Y 3rd; 9-10 100 IM 1:27.43Y 2nd; 9-10 50 Breast 47.38Y 2nd; 10 & Under 100 Back 1:31.51Y 6th; 9-10 100 Free 1:21.21Y 8th; 9-10 100 Free 1:21.21Y 8th; 9-10 50 Fly 37.10Y 5th.

Ian Bennett (7): 8 & Under 50 Fly 58.07Y 5th.

Connor Brooks (11): 11-12 50 Back 36.22Y 7th.

Kinsey Brooks (10): 9-10 200 IM 2:48.97Y 1st; 10 & Under 100 Fly 1:23.88Y 5th; 9-10 100 IM 1:18.25Y 2nd; 10 & Under 100 Back 1:18.25Y 2nd; 9-10 100 Free 1:08.68Y 1st.

Nicholas Brooks (12): 11-12 200 Breast 3:16.59Y 5th;

Olav Brooks (8): 8 & Under 50 Fly 43.90Y 3rd; 8 & Under 100 IM 1:37.82Y 3rd; 8 & Under 25 Breast 24.36Y 6th; 8 & Under 50 Back 45.02Y 4th.

Tessa Campbell (9): 9-10 100 IM 1:31.31Y 7th; 9-10 50 Back 40.77Y 2nd.

Carlie Clements (8): 8 & Under 100 Free 1:21.18Y 4th; 8 & Under 50 Free 36.09Y 4th; 8 & Under 50 Breast 47.13Y 3rd; 8 & Under 25 Back 19.66Y 1st.

Abby Dickinson (10): 9-10 200 IM 3:24.89Y 7th; 10 & Under 200 Free 3:00.99Y 4th.

Sydney Duffy (10): 9-10 50 Free 32.95Y 1st; 9-10 50 Breast 47.75Y 7th.

Logan Euker (9): 9-10 50 Free 34.70Y 7th; 9-10 100 IM 1:27.60Y 3rd; 9-10 50 Breast 43.83Y 2nd; 10 & Under 100 Breast 1:35.53Y 2nd; 9-10 50 Back 43.90Y 7th.

Moira Euker (11): 11-12 500 Free 6:32.59Y 3rd; 11-12 100 Free 1:06.96Y 3rd; 11-12 200 Free 2:27.48Y 3rd.

Bayley Furuie (12): 11-12 200 Breast 3:15.79Y 3rd; 11-12 50 Breast 41.87Y 7th; 11-12 100 Breast 1:29.66Y 2nd.

Kayla Geller (12): 11-12 200 Breast 3:35.57Y 8th.

Josh Gilbert (12): 11-12 50 Back 34.86Y 3rd; 11-12 100 IM 1:18.99Y 8th; 11-12 50 Free 29.67Y 1st.

Maggie Heath (10): 9-10 200 IM 2:50.81Y 2nd; 9-10 50 Free 31.15Y 2nd; 9-10 100 IM 1:20.09Y 4th; 9-10 50 Breast 44.79Y 8th; 10 & Under 200 Free 2:32.06Y 2nd; 9-10 100 Free 1:09.74Y 4th.

Pam Heiken (8): 8 & Under 25 Free 17.37Y 7th; 8 & Under 50 Fly 45.61Y 4th; 8 & Under 50 Back 45.39Y 4th; 8 & Under 25 Fly 19.04Y 3rd; 8 & Under 25 Back 20.13Y 2nd.

Chase Hensen (10): 9-10 50 Free 31.42Y 2nd; 9-10 100 IM 1:25.64Y 5th; 9-10 50 Breast 43.76Y 1st; 10 & Under 100 Back 1:19.08Y 1st; 10 & Under 200 Free 2:34.16Y 2nd; 9-10 100 Free 1:08.58Y 2nd; 10 & Under 100 Breast 1:36.82Y 6th; 9-10 50 Back 38.05Y 3rd.

Cole Hensen (12): 11-12 100 Free 1:00.99Y 4th; 11-12 200 IM 2:38.77Y 2nd; 11-12 100 Back 1:12.75Y 4th; 11-12 200 Free 2:16.27Y 7th; 11-12 200 Free 2:16.27Y 7th; 11-12 50 Back 33.60Y 5th.

Tyler Hilderbrand (10): 10 & Under 100 Breast 1:48.79Y 5th.

Celia Howell (12): 11-12 100 Free 1:07.67Y 6th; 11-12 50 Fly 35.75Y 8th; 11-12 100 Back 2:40.83Y 3rd; 11-12 200 Back 2:40.83Y 3rd.

Sarah Hybl (10): 9-10 200 IM 3:07.34Y 6th; 9-10 50 Free 32.03Y 6th; 10 & Under 100 Fly 1:26.89Y 7th; 10 & Under 100 Back 1:19.77Y 4th; 9-10 100 Free 1:11.25Y 6th; 9-10 50 Fly 35.34Y 2nd; 9-10 50 Back 37.14Y 6th.

Alex Johnson (12): 11-12 50 Back 36.44Y 6th; 11-12 100 IM 1:19.97Y 7th.

Georgia Johnson (11): 11-12 500 Free 6:10.05Y 6th; 11-12 100 Free 1:02.86Y 8th; 11-12 50 Fly 33.90Y 2nd; 11-12 200 Free 2:16.89Y 5th; 11-12 50 Back 33.81Y 7th.

Bridger Johnston (11): 11-12 100 Free 1:05.32Y 3rd; 11-12 50 Fly 36.02Y 7th; 11-12 200 IM 2:48.29Y 8th; 11-12 50 Breast 40.83Y 7th.

Hunter Johnston (8): 8 & Under 50 Back 45.74Y 7th.

Joan Leist (11): 11-12 100 Fly 1:23.49Y 5th.

Erin Lipkin (11): 11-12 100 Free 1:05.89Y 1st; 11-12 200 IM 2:51.25Y 8th; 11-12 200 Free 2:30.26Y 4th; 11-12 100 IM 1:19.04Y 6th;

Aly Lodigiani (12): 11-12 500 Free 5:59.31Y 4th; 11-12 200 Free 2:15.50Y 4th.

Gillian Mansfield (11): 11-12 100 Breast 1:28.01Y 2nd; 11-12 100 IM 1:16.37Y 1st.

Anna Mead (9): 9-10 50 Breast 43.33Y 4th; 10 & Under 100 Breast 1:34.78Y 3rd; 9-10 50 Back 37.70Y 5th.

Makenna Moore (12): 11-12 100 Free 1:07.95Y 8th; 11-12 100 Back 1:21.86Y 8th.

Reilly Moore (10): 10 & Under 100 Fly 1:22.64Y 2nd; 9-10 50 Breast 46.51Y 2nd; 10 & Under 200 Free 2:42.52Y 7th; 9-10 50 Fly 35.71Y 4th.

Adam Morrison (11): 11-12 50 Breast 40.49Y 5th.

Kelly Morrison (8): 8 & Under 25 Free 16.72Y 4th; 8 & Under 100 IM 1:42.97Y 6th.

Patrick Pins (10): 9-10 200 IM 2:45.66Y 1st; 9-10 50 Free 30.21Y 1st; 9-10 100 IM 1:17.66Y 1st; 10 & Under 200 Free 2:32.22Y 1st; 9-10 100 Free 1:08.86Y 3rd; 9-10 50 Fly 38.92Y 1st.

Genevieve Ross (12): 11-12 50 Fly 34.10Y 3rd; 11-12 50 Breast 41.73Y 8th; 11-12 100 Fly 1:24.98Y 8th; 11-12 50 Free 30.38Y 1st.

William Ross (9): 9-10 50 Free 34.66Y 6th.

Mikayla Saar (8): 8 & Under 50 Back 48.45Y 8th.

Rebecca Saar (12): 8 & Under 50 Back 48.45Y 8th.

Martin Schalk (9): 9-10 50 Free 31.86Y 3rd; 9-10 100 IM 1:27.12Y 6th; 9-10 50 Breast 49.23Y 7th; 9-10 100 Free 1:10.77Y 6th; 9-10 50 Back 42.13Y 2nd.

Caitlyn Segrest (10): 9-10 100 Free 1:15.14Y 1st.

Michaela Sizemore (11): 11-12 400 IM 5:10.45Y 1st; 11-12 100 Free 1:01.01Y 1st; 11-12 50 Fly 31.60Y 6th; 11-12 200 IM 2:33.25Y 3rd; 11-12 50 Breast 37.54Y 3rd; 11-12 100 Fly 1:11.51Y 4th; 11-12 100 Breast 1:23.19Y 5th; 11-12 50 Free 28.84Y 8th.

Caroline Storen (11): 11-12 100 Breast 1:29.83Y 4th.

Kayla Surles (11): 11-12 200 Breast 3:12.80Y 2nd.

Natalie Szenas (9): 9-10 100 IM 1:28.15Y 1st; 10 & Under 100 Back 1:32.73Y 4th; 9-10 50 Fly 39.50Y 1st; 10 & Under 100 Breast 1:42.42Y 3rd.

Hannah Tse (8): 8 & Under 50 Fly 46.35Y 6th; 8 & Under 25 Breast 25.78Y 8th; 8 & Under 50 Back 47.50Y 6th.

Madilyn Walker (12): 11-12 50 Fly 30.40Y 2nd; 11-12 200 IM 2:27.87Y 1st; 11-12 50 Breast 40.31Y 4th; 11-12 100 Back 1:10.55Y 4th.

Shay Walker (10): 10 & Under 100 Fly 1:23.39Y 4th; 10 & Under 100 Back 1:15.46Y 1st; 10 & Under 200 Free 2:28.78Y 1st.

Stephen Wallach Jr (11): 11-12 500 Free 6:27.37Y 1st; 11-12 100 Free 1:07.45Y 6th; 11-12 200 Breast 3:01.77Y 2nd; 11-12 50 Breast 39.42Y 4th; 11-12 200 Free 2:26.88Y 6th; 11-12 100 IM 1:18.46Y 5th.

Ashley Wang (8): 8 & Under 100 Free 1:14.55Y 2nd; 8 & Under 50 Free 33.61Y 1st; 8 & Under 25 Fly 17.04Y 1st; 8 & Under 50 Breast 46.70Y 2nd.

Helen Wang (10): 9-10 200 IM 2:51.00Y 3rd; 9-10 500 Free 6:51.63Y 2nd; 9-10 100 Free 1:09.10Y 2nd; 9-10 50 Fly 34.71Y 1st; 10 & Under 100 Breast 1:34.15Y 2nd.

Makayla Williams (8): 8 & Under 25 Free 17.09Y 5th; 8 & Under 50 Fly 44.98Y 3rd; 8 & Under 100 IM 1:36.61Y 2nd; 8 & Under 50 Back 48.27Y 7th; 8 & Under 100 Free 1:22.33Y 3rd; 8 & Under 50 Free 36.64Y 6th; 8 & Under 25 Fly 19.00Y 2nd; 8 & Under 25 Back 20.93Y 6th.

Fiona Williamson (8): 8 & Under 50 Fly 47.43Y 8th; 8 & Under 100 IM 1:43.87Y 7th; 10 & Under 200 Free 3:07.96Y 8th; 8 & Under 25 Back 21.84Y 7th.

Allison Yablonski (11): 11-12 100 Free 1:07.31Y 5th; 11-12 200 Free 2:32.61Y 8th; 11-12 50 Free 31.24Y 6th.

LOCAL GYMNASTICS

EXCALIBUR CUP

Stafford Royals gymnasts competed at the meet on Feb. 15?17 hosted by Excalibur Gymnastics at the Virginia Beach Convention Center:

LEVEL 4

Kaitlyn Lawson (ChA): Floor 8.950 5th

Nora Peters (JrB): Vault 9.100 5th, Uneven Bars 9.350 3rd, Balance Beam 8.725 4th, All-Around 35.525 6th Gianni Morgan (JrB): Vault 9.150 4th

Kaelan Beggan (SrA): Vault 9.150 5th

Alexis Lingerman (SrB): Vault 9.150 3rd

LEVEL 5 (Team: 11th out of 23):

Mackenzie Fox (ChB): Uneven Bars 9.30 3rd, Balance Beam 9.225 5th

Breana Spain (JrA): Vault 9.15 3rd, Uneven Bars 9.525 1st, Balance Beam 9.40 3rd, All-Around 37.075 2nd

Emily Grooms (JrA): Uneven Bars 9.40 4th, Balance Beam 9.40 5th, Floor 9.20 5th, All-Around 36.725 5th

Lizzie Cole (JrB): Vault 8.70 6th, Uneven Bars 9.35 3rd

Jamie Macecevic (SrA): Vault 9.05 4th

LEVEL 6

Madison Klump (JrA): Uneven Bars 8.90 2nd

Karrie Stuchell (SrA): Vault 9.050 4th, Uneven Bars 8.45 3rd

Lauren Shaner (SrA): Vault 8.950 6th

Leah Morgan (SrB): Uneven Bars 8.35 4th, Floor 8.30 5th, All-Around 32.725 6th

Rachel Hunter (SrB): Balance Beam 8.60 6th

Kayla Rice (SrB): Vault 9.275 1st, Uneven Bars 8.70 1st

LEVEL 7

Brianna Arre (ChB): Vault 8.85 4th, Uneven Bars 8.20 6th, Balance Beam 9.275 6th, All=Around 35.325 6th

Katherine Pontarelli (SrB): Vault 9.000 5th, Balance Beam 9.025 5th, Floor 9.150 3rd

Faith Kelley (SrB): Uneven Bars 8.10 4th, All-Around 34.050 6th (tie)

LEVEL 8

Abigail Whitehead (Ch): Uneven Bars 9.50 1st, All-Around 35.850 4th

Brooke Hensen (SrB): Vault 8.775 4th, Floor 9.150 2nd, All-Around 33.675 5th

Aaliyah Kerr (SrB): Vault 9.275 1st, Uneven Bars 9.50 1st, Balance Beam 9.40 1st, Floor 9.350 1st, All-Around 37.525 1st

VIRGINIA ALL-STARS ? INTERMEDIATE

Ayzjah Mercer (Ch): Balance Beam 8.200 6th (tie), Floor 9.000 2nd

Brooke Keyes (Jr): Balance Beam 8.675 6th

Rachel Reisenfeld (SrA): Uneven Bars 8.900 2nd (tie), Balance Beam 8.925 2nd, All-Around 34.100 6th

VIRGINIA ALL-STARS ? ADVANCED

Anna Jordan (Jr): Uneven Bars 9.100 2nd, Balance Beam 8.925 6th, All-Around 35.925 5th

Hailey Roman (Jr): Balance Beam 9.225 3rd, Floor 9.200 5th, All-Around 35.825 6th

Alysia Gray (Sr): Uneven Bars 9.150 5th, Balance Beam 9.000 5th, Floor 9.100 6th; All-Around 36.175 6th

Caroline Posillico (Sr): Floor 9.175 5th

Sabrina Surles (Sr): Uneven Bars 9.250 4th

HAMPTON VA SPORTS FESTIVAL

Gymnasts from Paragon Training Center competed in the meet, hosted by Gymnastics, Inc., in Hampton on Feb. 16.

ALL STAR NOVICE

Kailey Carreno (6-7): Vault 7.95, 6th; Bars 8.45, 6th; AA 32.525, 6th

Emily Stoltenberg (6-7): Beam 8.35, 6th; Floor 8.2, 5th

Samantha Potts (8 Jr): Vault 9.525, 2nd; Bars 9.05, 4th; Beam 9.5, 1st; Floor 9.5, 1st; AA 37.575, 1st

Madison Harris-Bowman (8 Jr): Vault 9.575, 1st; Bars 9.425, 1st; Beam 9.15, 5th; Floor 9.15, 4th; AA 37.3, 2nd

Lacey Wilson (8 Jr): Bars 9.05, 5th; Floor 9.0, 6th

Makenna Simpson (8 Sr): Bars 8.45, 6th; Floor 9.1, 3rd

Martha Stitt (9): Vault 8.7, 6th; Bars 9.3, 2nd; Floor 8.65, 5th; AA 35.725, 5th

Kayla Horn (9): Bars 8.6, 5th

Lauren Bartyczak (10): Vault 9.45, 1st; Bars 9.475, 1st; AA 36.5, 3rd

Bella Stofka (10): Floor 8.9, 6th

ALL STAR INTERMEDIATE

Paige McElrath (7-9): Vault 7.75, 3rd; Bars 8.05, 4th; Beam 8.4, 4th; Floor 8.65, 4th; AA 32.85, 4th

Cameron Lyons (10): Vault 8.2, tied 5th; Bars 8.4, 4th; Floor 8.95, 2nd; AA 33.95, 6th

Isabella Cranshaw (11): Vault 8.6, tied 3rd, Floor 9.4, tied 2nd

Sarah Fleming (11): Bars 9.025, 1st; Floor 8.65, 6th; AA 34.6, 5th

Ashley Pelligrino (12): Vault 8.525, 4th; Bars 9.05, 1st; Beam 8.1, 5th; Floor 9.2, 2nd; AA 34.875, 3rd

Jocelyn Conroe (13): Vault 8.9, 3rd; Bars 9.125, 2nd; Beam 8.55, 3rd; Floor 9.25, 1st; AA 35.825, 2nd

Masey Low (13): Vault 9, 2nd; Bars 9.275, 1st; Beam 9.05, 2nd; Floor 9.15, 3rd; AA 36.475, 1st

Sydney Nickens (14+): Vault 9.1, 1st; Bars 9.65, 1st; Beam 8.9, tied 3rd; Floor 9.2, 2nd; AA 36.85, 1st

Brittany Krohmer (14+): Vault 9, 2nd; Bars 9.075, 4th; Beam 8.525, 5th; Floor 9.15, tied 3rd; AA 35.75, 4th

Kaitlin McClullen (14+): Bars 8.65, 5th; Beam 8.45, 6th; Floor 9.15, tied 3rd; AA34.2, 6th

Arianna Ponce (14+): Vault 8.75, 3rd; Bars 9.1, 3rd; Beam 9.05, 2nd; Floor 9, 5th; AA 35.9, 3rd

Diana Chavez (14+): Vault 8.2, 5th

EXCALIBUR CUP

Gymnasts from Paragon Training Center competed in the meet, hosted by Excalibur Gymnastics, in Virginia Beach, on Feb. 15?17.

LEVEL 4 (teamd 1st)

Lauren Moss (Child A): Vault 8.875, 5th; Bars 9.3, tied 3rd; Beam 8.75, 3rd; Floor 9.1, 3rd; AA 36.025, 3rd

Aubrey Nagy (Child B): Vault 9.25, 1st; Beam 8.95, 6th; AA 36.1, 6th

Camille Trotta (Child B): Bars 9.5, 2nd

Hannah Grau (Child B): Vault 9.2, tied 2nd

Deana Harris (Jr A): Vault 9.05, 6th; Bars 9.625, 2nd; Floor 9.4, 1st; AA 36.8, 2nd

Violet Fanara (Jr A): Vault 9.275, 1st; Bars 9.85, 1st; Floor 9.15, tied 5th; AA 36.425, 5th

Gabby Henning (Jr A): Vault 9.1, 4th; Bars 9.55, tied 4th

Kayleigh DiMattio (Jr A): Beam 9.1, 1st

Sophia Housand (Jr B): Bars 9.9, 1st; Beam 9.325, 2nd; Floor 9.5, tied 1st; AA 37.525, tied 1st

Kourtnie White (Jr B): Vault 9.4, 1st; Bars 9.75, 2nd; Beam 9.25, 3rd; AA 37.45, 3rd

Mailee Roberts (Jr B): Vault 9.225, 3rd; Bars 9.5, 4th; Floor 9.1, 6th; AA 36.825, 4th

Rachel Turman (Sr A): Vault 9.45, 1st; Bars 9.925, 1st; Beam 9.125, 2nd; Floor 9.35, tied 2nd; AA 37.85, 1st

Sara Miranda (Sr A): Vault 9.225, tied 4th; Bars 9.75, 2nd; Beam 9.1, tied 3rd; Floor, 9.45, 1st; AA 37.525, 2nd

Meghan Broyan (Sr A): Bars 9.65, 3rd; Beam 9.1, tied 3rd; Floor 9.35, tied 2nd; AA 37.225, 3rd

Samantha Tollefson (Sr A): Vault 9.275, 2nd; Beam 8.9, 6th; Floor 9.175, 6th; AA 36.35, 5th

Mia Allison (Sr A): Vault 9.15, 6th; Bars 9.2, tied 6th; AA 36.125, 6th

Maya Moffett (Sr A): Vault 9.225, tied 4th

Mazie Rudloff (Sr B): Vault 9.325, 1st; Bars 9.5, tied 4th; Beam 8.925, 6th; Floor 9.3, 2nd; AA 37.05, 2nd

Aurelia Manzanedo (Sr B): Vault 9.15, 5th; Bars 9.65, 1st; Beam 9.1, 3rd; Floor 9.6, 1st; AA 36.9, 4th

LEVEL 5 (teamd 2nd)

Kaylie Sutton (Child A): Vault 8.95, 4th; Bars 9.9, 1st; Beam 8.95, tied 5th; Floor 9.45, 2nd; AA 37.25, tied 1st

Peyton Van Dyk (Child A): Vault 8.85, 5th; Bars 9.45, 3rd; Beam 9.35, 1st; Floor 9.6, 1st; AA 37.25, tied 1st

Anneliese Koenig (Child A): Vault 9.1, 1st; Bars 9.4, 4th; Beam 8.95, tied 5th; Floor 9.425, 3rd; AA 36.875, 3rd

Rayla Buckner (Child A): Vault 8.5, tied 6th; Bars 9.25, 5th; Beam 9.0, 4th; Floor 9.325, 4th; AA 36.075, 4th

Zoe Gayle (Child A): Floor 9.075, 6th

Madelyn Miller (Child B): Vault 8.8, tied 4th; Bars 9.35, 1st; Beam 9.075, 3rd; Floor 9.2, tied 4th; AA 36.425, 2nd

Alley Arnold (Junior A): Vault 9.0, tied 4th; Bars 9.775, 1st; Floor 9.375, 1st; AA 36.95, 2nd

Trinity Luxeder (Junior A): Vault 9.1, tied 1st; Bars 9.55, 2nd; Beam 8.925, 6th; Floor 9.3, 4th; AA 36.875, 3rd

Paige Lingo (Junior A): Bars 9.2, 5th

Zayda Rodriguez (Junior B): Vault 9.225, 3rd; Bars 9.725, tied 1st; Beam 8.925, 6th; Floor 9.3, tied 5th; AA 37.175, 2nd

Chloe Bullock (Junior B): Vault 9.2, 4th; Bars 9.3 4th; Beam 9.15, 4th; AA 36.775, 3rd

Angela Potts (Junior B): Bars 9.725, tied 1st; Beam 9.0, 5th; AA 36.725, 4th

Harmony Derrick (Senior A): Vault 8.875, 2nd; Bars 9.275, 2nd; Beam 8.75, tied 5th; Floor 9.375, tied 1st; AA 36.275, 2nd

Kayleigh Turner (Senior A): Vault 8.55, tied 4th; Bars 9.25, tied 3rd; Beam 9.175, 1st; AA 35.825, 3rd

Ashley Young (Senior B): Vault 9.0, 2nd; Bars 9.475, 1st; Beam 8.9, 4th; Floor 9.5, 2nd; AA 36.875, 1st

Shelby Lam (Senior B): Vault 9.1, 1st; Bars 9.4, tied 2nd; Beam 9.0, 3rd; Floor 9.125, 4th; AA 36.625, 2nd

Kailey Schoolfield (Senior B): Bars 9.4, tied 2nd; Beam 9.15, tied 1st; Floor 9.275, 3rd; AA 36.125, 3rd

Makala Purifoy (Senior B): Vault 8.825, 3rd; Bars 9.15, 4th; Beam 8.85, 5th; AA 35.150, 4th

Erin Davenport (Senior B): Vault 8.65, 4th; Bars 8.55, tied 5th; Floor 8.8, 5th; AA 34.45, 6th

LEVEL 6 (teamd 4th)

Carly Baker (Jr A): Vault 9.175, 6th; Bars 9.325, 2nd; Beam 8.95, 1st; AA 36.15, 2nd

Kameryn Daniels (Jr A): Vault 9.25, 4th; Bars 9.35, 1st; Beam 8.9, tied 2nd; Floor 9.175, 1st; AA 36.675, 1st

Mia Hall (Jr B): Bars 9.15, 2nd; AA 34.625, 6th

Haylee Randall (Jr B): Vault 9.15, 2nd; Beam 8.55, 5th

Abigail Taber (Jr B): Vault 9.3, 1st; Bars 9.0, 3rd; Beam 8.5, tied 6th; Floor 8.875, 3rd; AA 35.675, 2nd

Annabelle Parker (Sr B): Vault 9.275, 4th; Beam 8.825, 3rd; AA 35.2, tied 4th

McKenna Whitesell (Sr B): Vault 9.375, 2nd; Bars 9.1, 2nd; Beam 9.0, 1st; Floor 9.35, 1st; AA 36.825, 1st

BASKETBALL

YOUTH FOUL SHOOTING CONTEST

Stafford Parks and Recreation

8?9 girls: 1. Brooklyn Duncan; 2. Isabella Richards; 3. Amber McComber.

8?9 boys: 1. Dawson McKoy; 2. Deshawn Henderson; 3. Andrew Goodman.

10?11 girls: 1. Morgan Dugan; 2. Lorelei Griffis; 3. Sierra Barbee.

10?11 boys: 1. Trevor Franklin; 2. Nevan Moran; 3. Ayden Jessee.

12?13 girls: 1. Amiah Mitchell.

12?13 boys: 1. Brian Diaz; 2. Maurice Johnson; 3. Andrew Merrow.

14?17 boys: 1. Angel McComber.

14?17 boys: 1. C, J. Kannan; 2. Cullen Johnson; 3. Tyler Rohrman.

Permalink: http://news.fredericksburg.com/sports/2013/02/25/local-recreational-results-swimming-gymnastics-basketball/

Source: http://news.fredericksburg.com/sports/2013/02/25/local-recreational-results-swimming-gymnastics-basketball/

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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Ikea's Swedish meatballs latest victim of horsemeat scandal

STOCKHOLM (AP) ? Swedish furniture giant Ikea was drawn into Europe's widening food labeling scandal Monday as authorities said they had detected horse meat in frozen meatballs labeled as beef and pork and sold in 13 countries across the continent.

The Czech State Veterinary Administration said that horse meat was found in one-kilogram packs of frozen meatballs made in Sweden and shipped to the Czech Republic for sale in Ikea stores there. A total of 760 kilograms (1,675 pounds) of the meatballs were stopped from reaching the shelves.

Ikea spokeswoman Ylva Magnusson said meatballs from the same batch had gone out to Slovakia, Hungary, France, Britain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Ireland. Magnusson said meatballs from that batch were taken off the shelves in Ikea stores in all those countries. Other shipments of meatballs were not affected, she added.

However, the company's Swedish branch announced on its Facebook page that it won't sell or serve any meatballs at its stores in Sweden out of concern for "potential worries among our customers."

Magnusson said Ikea saw no reason to extend that guidance globally. She said Ikea was conducting its own tests of the affected batch. She also said that two weeks ago Ikea tested a range of frozen food products, including meatballs, and found no traces of horse meat.

Ikea's stores feature restaurants and also sell typical Swedish food, including the so-called Kottbullar meatballs.

European Union officials were meeting Monday to discuss tougher food labeling rules after the discovery of horse meat in a range of frozen supermarket meals such as burgers and lasagna that were supposed to contain beef or pork.

The Czech authority also announced Monday that it found horse meat in beef burgers imported from Poland during random tests of food products.

Spanish authorities, meanwhile, announced that traces of horse meat were found in a beef cannelloni product by one of the brands of Nestle, a Switzerland-based food giant. The Agriculture Ministry said it was a case of fraudulent labeling but represented no health threat.

In a statement on its website, Nestle Spain said that after carrying out tests on meat supplied to its factories in Spain it was withdrawing six "La Cocinera" products and one "Buitoni" product from store shelves.

It said it was taking the action after the traces of horse meat were found in beef bought from a supplier in central Spain. Nestle said it was taking legal action against the company, adding that the products would be replaced by ones with 100 percent beef.

Some EU member states are pressing for tougher labeling rules to regain consumer confidence.

The 27-nation bloc must agree on binding origin disclosures for food product ingredients, starting with a better labeling of meat products, German agriculture minister Ilse Aigner said.

"Consumers have every right to the greatest-possible transparency," she insisted.

Austria backs the German initiative; but others like Ireland say existing rules are sufficient although Europe-wide controls must be strengthened to address the problem of fraudulent labeling.

The scandal has created a split between nations like Britain who see further rules as a protectionist hindrance of free trade under the bloc's single market, and those calling for tougher regulation.

Processed food products ? a business segment with traditionally low margins that often leads producers to hunt for the cheapest suppliers ? often contain ingredients from multiple suppliers in different countries, who themselves at time subcontract production to others, making it hard to monitor every link in the production chain.

Standardized DNA checks with meat suppliers and more stringent labeling rules will add costs that producers will most likely hand down to consumers, making food more expensive.

The scandal began in Ireland in mid-January when the country's announced the results of its first-ever DNA tests on beef products. It tested frozen beef burgers taken from store shelves and found that more than a third of brands at five supermarkets contained at least a trace of horse. The sample of one brand sold by British supermarket kingpin Tesco was more than a quarter horse.

Such discoveries have spread like wildfire across Europe as governments, supermarkets, meat traders and processors began their own DNA testing of products labeled beef and have been forced to withdraw tens of millions of products from store shelves.

More than a dozen nations have detected horse flesh in processed products such as factory-made burger patties, lasagnas, meat pies and meat-filled pastas. The investigations have been complicated by elaborate supply chains involving multiple cross-border middlemen.

___

Associated Press writers Juergen Baetz in Brussels, Karel Janicek in Prague and Ciaran Giles in Madrid contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/horse-meat-found-ikeas-swedish-meatballs-112154426--finance.html

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Relax: A Guidepost to Health - Marriott on the Move

A few months ago, I blogged about a letter my dad wrote me when I became president in 1964. ?I was only 31 at the time.? Included with the letter was his list of guideposts to being a good manager and leader.? The letter meant a lot to me, and I reviewed it throughout the years. ?I guess it struck a chord with many of you because I received a number of comments asking for more guideposts.

In the Pilates studio with the "Wunda Chair"

After reading an article in The New York Times?headlined: ?Relax! You?ll Be More Productive,? I was reminded of the first guidepost on my father?s list -- ?Keep physically fit, mentally and spiritually strong.?

My father recognized the importance of ?down time? long before our frenetic work lives took a turn for the worse with 24/7 Internet and email. ?Dad intuitively knew that relaxing and getting away from the office leads to better performance.? However, as?The New York Times article points out, this philosophy is ?at odds with the prevailing work ethic in most companies, where downtime is typically viewed as time wasted.?

In a study by Right Management, more than one-third of employees eat lunch at their desks on a regular basis.? More than 50 percent assume they?ll work during their vacations ? that is if they even take a vacation.

That was me for a long time ? a real work-a-holic.? Two heart attacks in the 80's and bypass surgery was my wake-up call. I needed to take better care of myself. Now, I take Pilates classes and workout on a treadmill.? I?m in fairly good shape for an ?old goat? as my younger brother, Dick, calls me.? (Sibling rivalry and grandchildren play a big part in pushing me to maintain my fitness.)

Programs like our TakeCare Wellness Challenges help Marriott associates maintain their health and fitness

?At Marriott, we?ve taken some big steps in the area of fitness. ?There's a company-wide health and wellness program called ?TakeCare.? It includes sleep seminars with tips from sleep experts; ?yoga and meditation classes in our fitness center; midday group walks, and other programs to help people get away from their desks and maintain their strong health and fitness.?

Like a top athlete looking to boost performance, we all need recovery time to perform at our best. As the New York Times says, ?It will boost productivity, job performance and, of course, your health.?

So, pace yourself and don?t be afraid to turn it off, unplug.? Get some exercise and fresh air.? And quit eating lunch at your desk.? My dad would approve.

I?m Bill Marriott and thanks for helping me keep Marriott on the move.

Listen to Blog

Source: http://www.blogs.marriott.com/marriott-on-the-move/2013/02/relax-a-guidepost-to-health.html

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U.N. told atheists face discrimination around globe

GENEVA (Reuters) - Atheists, humanists and freethinkers face widespread discrimination around the world with expression of their views criminalized and subject in some countries to capital punishment, the United Nations was told on Monday.

In a document for consideration by the world body's Human Rights Council, a global organization linking people who reject religion said atheism was banned by law in a number of states where people were forced to officially adopt a faith.

"Extensive discrimination by governments against atheists, humanists and the non-religious occurs worldwide," declared the grouping, the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) which has some 120 member bodies in 45 countries.

In Afghanistan, Iran, Maldives, Mauritania, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Sudan "atheists can face the death penalty on the grounds of their belief" although this was in violation of U.N. human rights accords, the IHEU said.

Further, in several others legal measures "effectively criminalize atheism (and) the expression and manifestation of atheist beliefs" or lead to systematic discrimination against freethinkers, the document declared.

It was submitted to the rights council as it opened its annual Spring session against a background of new efforts in the U.N. by Muslim countries to obtain a world ban on denigration of religion, especially what they call "Islamophobia".

Three of the states with legislation providing for death for blasphemy against Islam, a charge which can be applied to atheists who publicly reveal their ideas, are on the council - Pakistan, Mauritania and Maldives.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told the council on Monday there was a "rising trend" of Islamophobia, adding: "We condemn all sorts of incitement to hatred and religious discrimination against Muslims and people of other faiths."

OIC WANTS ACTION

And earlier this month a top official of the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said the body would be focusing on getting agreement on criminalizing denigration of religion in coming talks with Western countries.

In November last year, the head of the 21-country Arab League told the U.N. Security Council in New York his organisation wanted a binding international framework to ensure "that religious faith and its symbols are respected".

The IHEU, and other non-governmental rights groupings, argue that many Muslim governments use this terminology and the concept of "religious blasphemy" within their own countries to cow both atheists and followers of other religions.

A number of these governments "prosecute people who express their religious doubt or dissent, regardless of whether those dissenters identify as atheist", the IHEU document submitted to the rights council said.

Islamic countries - including Bangladesh, Bahrain, Egypt, Indonesia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Turkey - had also stepped up prosecution of "blasphemous" expression of criticism of religion in social media like Facebook and Twitter.

OIC countries have 15 seats on the council, all from Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and make up just less than one third of the rights body.

(Reporting by Robert Evans; Editing by Michael Roddy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-n-told-atheists-face-discrimination-around-globe-184534163.html

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Sunday, February 24, 2013

Suicide bombers target Afghan security forces

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? Suicide bombers targeted Afghanistan's intelligence agency and other security forces in four coordinated attacks in the heart of Kabul and outlying areas on Sunday in a bloody reminder of the insurgency's reach nearly 12 years into the war.

The brazen assaults, which occurred within a three-hour timespan, were the latest to strike Afghan forces, who have suffered higher casualties this year as U.S. and other foreign troops gradually take a back seat and shift responsibility for security to the government.

The deadliest attack occurred just after sunrise ? a suicide car bombing at the gate of the National Directorate of Security compound in Jalalabad, 125 kilometers (78 miles) east of Kabul.

Guards shot and killed the driver but he managed to detonate the explosives-packed vehicle, killing two intelligence agents and wounding three others, according to a statement by the intelligence agency. Provincial government spokesman Ahmad Zia Abdulzai confirmed the casualty toll and said the building was damaged in the attack.

A guard also shot and killed a man in an SUV filled with dynamite that was targeting an NDS building on a busy street in Kabul, not far from NATO headquarters. The explosives in the back of the vehicle were defused. Blood stained the driver's seat and the ground where security forces dragged out the would-be attacker.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the Jalalabad attack and two others in the eastern province of Logar in an email to reporters. He did not address the attempted assault in Kabul.

Shortly before the Jalalabad attack, a suicide attacker detonated a minivan full of explosives at a police checkpoint in Puli Alam, on the main highway between Kabul and Logar province. One policeman was killed and two others were wounded, along with a bystander, according to the NDS.

Also in Logar province, which is due south of Kabul, a man wearing a suicide vest was stopped by police as he tried to force his way into the police headquarters for the Baraki Barak district, said Din Mohammad Darwesh, the provincial government spokesman. The attacker detonated his vest while being searched, wounding one policeman, according to Darwesh and the NDS.

"Once again the enemies of peace and stability in Afghanistan ... staged coordinated attacks against the Afghan security forces and the Afghan people," the intelligence agency said.

The attacks were a reminder that insurgents are still on the offensive even as U.S. and other international forces prepare to end their combat mission by the end of 2014.

Afghan soldiers and police are easier targets than their NATO allies because their checkpoints and bases are less fortified.

More than 1,200 Afghan soldiers were killed in 2012 compared to more than 550 the previous year, according to data compiled by the Washington-based Brookings Institution.

U.S. troop deaths, meanwhile, declined overall from 404 in 2011 to 295 in 2012.

___

Associated Press writer Kim Gamel contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/suicide-bombers-target-afghan-security-forces-130914860.html

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Original Iwo Jima monument unsold at NYC auction

NEW YORK (AP) ? A long-forgotten World War II statue of the famous flag-raising at Iwo Jima that had been expected to sell for as much as $1.8 million was passed on by bidders in an auction on Friday.

Bidding for the 12 1/2-foot-tall sculpture of the 1945 flag-raising reached as high as $950,000, below the undisclosed minimum sales price, Bonhams auction house said.

"We're a little disappointed with what happened with the sculpture," Bonhams Maritime Art Department sales specialist Gregg K. Dietrich said.

Three potential buyers placed competing bids for four or five minutes, Dietrich said.

The sculpture's owner, military historian and collector Rodney Hilton Brown, did not wish to discuss the results of the auction.

Dietrich said prospective buyers could purchase the sculpture through Bonhams, which will negotiate a price on the seller's behalf.

History buffs have fawned over the sculpture, a miniature of the familiar 32-foot-tall bronze Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Va. That sculpture, designed by Felix de Weldon, was patterned after a Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press image of the Feb. 23, 1945, flag-raising by Marines and a Navy Corpsman on Iwo Jima's Mount Suribachi.

The smaller sculpture was largely forgotten about for more than four decades after de Walden placed it in the back of his studio, covering it with a tarp. That's where Brown found it in 1990 while researching a book on de Weldon. It was in desperate need of restoration.

Brown bought the 5-ton monument, paying for it with cash and two peculiar collectors' items: a Stradivarius violin and a silver Newport yachting trophy from the 1920s.

In 1995, Brown presented a restored version of the statute to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum on the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima.

Brown said earlier this month he wanted to sell the sculpture because "it doesn't fit in my living room."

"I want to find it a good home," he said, "so we can pass the flag onto somebody else."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/original-iwo-jima-monument-unsold-nyc-auction-231154329.html

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Former Meteorologist Loses Fight with Bone Cancer

By KBJR News 1

Former Meteorologist Loses Fight with Bone Cancer
February 22, 2013 Updated Feb 22, 2013 at 5:53 PM CST
Duluth, MN (NNCNOW.com) - A former Northland Television Meteorologist passed away this morning after a battle with advanced bone cancer.

Chris Snider used be a weather intern at KBJR 6 & Range 11 and went on to become Chief Meteorologist at FOX 21, before starting missionary work in the southern United States.

A Facebook message from his sister said they'd like to personally thank everyone who donated or took the time to send a message or video of support to Chris.

Snider just turned 29 years old.

The family has setup a benefit account:

Chris Snider
Benefit Account
c/o US BANK
130 West Superior Street
Duluth, MN 55802

Kevin Jacobsen
Bio - Facebook - Twitter - E-Mail
Source: http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/news/local/Former-Meteorologist-Loses-Fight-with-Bone-Cancer-192601661.html
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Stocks rally to close near session highs

JeeYeon Park , CNBC ? ? ? 1 day

Stocks finished near session highs Friday, recovering from a two-day slump, lifted by upbeat economic data from Europe and after comments from St. Louis Fed President James Bullard that the central bank's aggressive easy money policy will stay for a "long time."

The Dow eked out a slim weekly gain, avoiding its third-consecutive weekly decline. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 posted its first weekly loss this year, snapping its seven-week win streak.

Read More: Pros: Is Market Bouncing or Turning Higher?

"We're seeing some signs that the weekend anxiety is not that heavy," said Art Cashin, director of floor operations at UBS Financial Services. "We have the Italian election coming up [this weekend] and a sign that I look at is the U.S. dollar?it was higher this morning on some anxiety and there was a bit of a flight to safety in Treasurys, but that's abating and that's telling me that [the market's] not too concerned about the weekend so that's why we're having a good rally."

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied more than 100 points, led by Hewlett-Packard and Home Depot, while UnitedHealth dragged. Interestingly, the blue-chip index has so far posted a gain every Friday of this year, matching the Friday win streak from July through September of 2012.

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq also finished near session highs. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, traded below 15.

All key S&P sectors closed in positive territory, led by materials and techs.

Meanwhile, traders said leaked reports that Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has been downplaying worries that quantitative easing has spawned asset bubbles also helped lift markets.

Bernanke is scheduled to testify before lawmakers next Tuesday and Wednesday.

Earlier, St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard said the Fed remained committed to aggressive easing measures in the form of its $85 billion a month bond-buying program.

Read More: Pimco's Gross: Fed Not Vigilant Enough

"It's true that the committee is thinking about how are we going to handle this later this year, but that's a natural thing for the committee to be talking about," Bullard told CNBC's "Squawk Box." "Fed policy is very easy and it's going stay easy for a long time."

Uncertainty about the future of the central bank's bond buying program weighed on the stock market in the last two days.

Minutes from the Fed's meeting in January, released on Wednesday, showed policymakers were growing concerned about the impact of quantitative easing, suggesting the central bank may taper off its $85 billion per month purchasesearlier than expected.

Read More: Don't Exit Market Due to Fed: Brown

Among earnings, Abercrombie & Fitch posted earnings that easily beat expectations, while revenue fell slightly short of estimates and the company handed in full-year 2013 earnings guidance that missed expectations. Meanwhile, the firm increased its quarterly dividend to 20 cents a share from 17.5 cents a share. Shares tumbled to lead the S&P 500 laggards.

Hewlett-Packard soared to lead the S&P 500 gainers after the computer hardware giant easily topped Wall Street expectations and handed in current-quarter and full-year earnings guidance that topped forecasts. At least three brokerages lifted their price target on the company.

Read More: Expect HP Revenue Growth in 2014: Whitman

Texas Instruments jumped to lead the Nasdaq 100 gainers after the chipmaker raised its dividend by 33 percent and boosted its stock buyback program.

Darden warned it expects to see third-quarter earnings of between $1 a share and $1.02 a share, against current Wall Street expectations for $1.12 a share, hurt by economic headwinds, including rising gas prices and higher payroll taxes.

European shares ended broadly higherfollowing positive economic news from Germany and ahead of Italy's general election this weekend.

German business sentiment jumped at its fastest rate since July 2010 in February, suggesting the country is rebounding after its weak fourth quarter.

U.S. President Barack Obama will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Washington. Abe is expected to seek support for the hyper-easy monetary policies he has instigated to revive Japan's ailing economy.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/stocks-rally-close-higher-1C8496354

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Saturday, February 23, 2013

Facebook to put old, rarely viewed photos into 'cold storage'

Rosa Golijan , NBC News ? ? ? 13 hrs.

If a photo is on Facebook and no one looks at it, was it ever even uploaded?

Poor attempt at a joke aside, there's something with which we need to come to terms: There are a lot of photos on Facebook that just sit around, taking up precious data storage space. The social network can't exactly delete these photos just because no one's looking, but it can store them in a more cost-effective and energy-efficient way.

According to the Oregonian's Mike Rogoway, Facebook's testing moving what he describes as "archival posts that people don?t need every day" into cold storagein the social network's data center inPrineville, Oregon.

As fun as it might be to imagine a gigantic meatlocker full of servers, cold storage refers to a data center in which most of the computers are asleep, with a few keeping watch ? and able to wake the others ? for incoming requests to view older items. Compare that to a hot storage data center in which all the computers are wide-awake and ready to show you the information you request almost instantly. (Of course, the difference in the time it takes to grab something from cold storage versus the time it takes to grab something from hot storage is so slight that a typical user could never even tell the difference. Think second or millisecond delays, rather than anything more dramatic.)

Facebook says, according to Rogoway, that "82 percent of its traffic is focused on just 8 percent of its photos." Given that detail, it's not exactly tough to understand why the company's considering cold storage data centers ? especially since they will cost the social network about a third less than standard data centers, offer eight times more storage, and run five times more energy efficiently.

Want more tech news or interesting links? You'll get plenty of both if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on Twitter, subscribing to her Facebook posts, or circling her on Google+.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/facebook-put-old-rarely-viewed-photos-cold-storage-1C8485605

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