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Submission + - Smallest-ever astronomical satellite launched
cylonlover writes: At the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, this morning (Feb. 25), the smallest astronomical satellite ever built was launched into orbit aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle C20 rocket. In fact, it wasn't just one satellite, but two – each of the twin BRIght Target Explorer (BRITE) spacecraft take the form of a cube that measures just 20 cm (7.8 inches) per side, and weighs in at under seven kilograms (15.4 lbs). The BRITEs were designed at the Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) of the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies. One of the two nano-satellites launched today, known as UniBRITE, was assembled at SFL and funded by the University of Vienna. The other, called BRITE-Austria, was assembled in Austria and funded by that country's Technical University of Graz – it is being promoted as "Austria's First Satellite."


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Never miss a deal, always be up to date -
The most important events and product news
with the MUSIC STORE Newsletters!
The EC2 features a Sound Shaping Technology ring mounted underneath two plies of 7mil film. By controlling edge vibration (instead of eliminating it), the ring isolates and damps higher overtones, enhancing low-end and attack, and enabling a broader tuning range.
EVANS EC2 SST B06EC2S features: individual damping with SST (Sound Shaping Technology) balanced pre EQ´d sound more attack and sustain simple tuning
Every month we are giving away a shopping voucher among all submitted reviewers worth 500 EURO!
Congratulations to the winner of December: Michael Rauser, Heilbronn (DE)
The winner from the previous month (November): Martin Reinert, Siegburg (DE)
You can rate this product if you like. By rating this product you will be automatically entered into our monthly shopping voucher giveaway!

subset: commoncrawl


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To say that Mr Nigel Case, owner of London's Classic Car Club, has a weakness for old motors seriously understates the severity of his affliction. Arguably his business is as much a support group as a club, and he admits that rather than curing him of his love for cars, "It's enabled it". Case in point: Mr Case admits to having found the possibility of buying a very plain, 1980s-era Peugeot 205 hatchback (emphatically not a GTI model) irresistible. Not that he's under any illusions about the foibles of old cars, or the demonstrable fact that in every practical sense they are vastly inferior to new ones. He resists the temptation to put any gloss on the subject and freely admits to the many problems that regularly bedevil classic cars. None of this, however, is enough to dispossess him of his affection for cars with soul.
A Ford GT40, one of the most iconic endurance cars
of the 1960s, at Mr Case's Classic Car Club
While it's possible to view him as merely irrational (an assessment with which he'd be the first to agree) we'd rather salute the passion of a man who's only slightly more excited about a beautiful 1967, 5.4L Corvette Sting Ray than he is about a very average 1980s hatchback. Mr Case gives every impression of being genuinely unconcerned with the image of cars in terms of what they say about their owner, but is clearly obsessed with the way they look, the way they sound, and, in some cases, the way the headlights open (see "Buick Riviera clamshell headlights" on YouTube to understand this last point).
It's a passion that we find so laudable that we're suddenly a bit ashamed of our enthusiasm for modern conveniences such as functioning windscreen wipers, effective heating systems and reliable starter motors.
Watch our film, above, for the inside track on Mr Case's enviable car collection.


text: Listen Elad Gevandshnaider enlists in the Israeli Defense Force Muhamad and Jafar with Elad and Tamir Sophie Katz | feb. 14, 2013 | Europe Eurasia: Israel The Israeli delegation who travelled to the World Games for Special Olympics in 2011 made history, when for the first time after 30 years of competition, two Arab athletes represented the country, with both of them being tennis players. Muhammad Kunbar and Jafar Tawil, one from East Jerusalem and the other from Beit Safafa, who practice at the Israel Tennis Center in Jerusalem, are the first Arabs to represent Israel in an international tournament and at the Olympic Games in particular. The two were joined by Jewish Israeli athletes Elad Gevandshnaider and Tamir Segal, who also train at the Israel Tennis Centers ("ITC"). Sport has the unparalleled ability to transcend barriers of language, politics and religion, and is a proven powerful tool for promoting tolerance, developing productive cross-cultural relationships and ultimately, peaceful coexistence. Indeed, the ITC aims to instill these values, and we are so proud of our four athletes, who represent our country with honor. About Me:I work for the Israel Tennis Centers, an organization which has worked for over 35 years to improve the lives of children through sports.Related:More on the Israel Tennis Centers website Read More Stories Pablo Ulises Lázaro: Los éxitos de madre e hijoLeilani GonzalezJuan Atilio: Venciendo prejuiciosLeilani GonzalezTestimonio de Atletas Líderes en General Electric MéxicoPaola MartinelliConstruyendo Comunidades en Baja CalifroniaPaola MartinelliGriselda Sandoval Directora de Baja Califronia gana el reconocimento Paola MartinelliNo Differences on the Playing FieldMaria Jose GonzalezI'm Fernendo Rios and I'm a ChampionPaola MartinelliFernando started participating in athletics, basketball and swimming – his current sport. His family, teachers and friends are very pleased with the accomplishments that Fernando has had thanks to his perseverance and effort.Athlete, Unified SportsJosé Martínez MoroteCoach Unified SportsManel CeleiroUnified Track: Breaking Down Barriers, TogetherDavid Albertini Friends Forever, the Surprising Lesson of Special Olympics :-)Robin Schermerhorn¿Tiene una historia para compartir?Comparta su historia Más historias


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2011-10-26 / People/Social
Columbiettes Chinese auction November 6
Our Lady of the Rosary Columbiettes will hold its annual Chinese auction, Sun., Nov. 6 to the benefit the Good Shepherd Hospice and Ss. Cyril and Methodius Outreach and Children of Hope. The auction will be held in the auditorium of Ss. Cyril and Methodius Church, Half Hollow Road and Deer Park Avenue, Deer Park. The doors open at 12:30 p.m. and admission is $7.
You must be an online subscriber to view this story.


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Includes (1) Plastic Pitcher and (4) Plastic Souvenir Cups. Pitcher holds 64 ozs. and cups hold 32 ozs. Reusable, BPA Free and top rack dishwasher safe. This is an officially licensed Collegiate product. Read More
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Investigators tell us 20-year-old James Taylor and another man tried to rob the Mosy's Grocery and Liquor Store on West State Street at around midnight. But it didn't quite go as planned.
Police say one of the employees grabbed a revolver and fired shots at the suspects. Taylor was hit and is currently in serious condition. Detectives tell us the other man fled the scene. Three employees were in the store, none of which were injured in the shooting.
"I didn't think they were going to jump over the counter," said the employee who shot the suspect. He chose to be unidentified. "One of them did, and started shooting at me. So it was just like, shoot or get shot, you know?"
Surveillance video shows the exact moment the Mosy's Grocery and Liquor Store store employee said he felt his life was in danger. The worker said he grabbed a revolver when he saw two men wearing painter's masks creeping along the outside wall of the West State Street store just after midnight.
"Yeah it just happened like, there was no emotion to it really," he said. "It's just like everything happened slow and fast at the same time. I can't even explain it."
The employee said the two men came in shooting. That's when, he said, he fired back, hitting 20-year-old James Taylor, who he said he held until police arrived. Investigators say the other suspect fled the scene.
"I really didn't want to shoot the guy," he said. "It was like basic instinct. After he started shooting at me, I shot at him. You know, I don't want to get hit by a bullet."
"I don't want it to happen to anybody, I tell you the truth," said store owner Mohamad Alkabsh. "Anybody, I don't want it to happen to anybody else, any person or any human being. But when you try to defend yourself you're going to have to defend yourself. I think he did good. I think he did the right thing."
The owner said this is the first time in the seventeen years he's owned the store that anything like this has ever happened.
None of the three employees at the store were hurt in the shooting. The employee who shot the suspect said he has had ringing in his ears all day from the sound of gunfire, but he said he's lucky to be alive.
If you have any information on the where abouts of the second suspect please called the Winnebago County Sheriff's Department or Crimestoppers.


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There is still time to join a local business in helping hospital stays be more comfortable for sick children. The Washington Wal-Mart's annual fund raising drive to help support the Children's Miracle Network is in progress. Sarah Adkins, with the Children's Miracle Network at the University of Iowa Children's Hospital says the money raised helps to fund research, special size equipment for the children, educational material for the parents, and enhancements to make the hospital visit enjoyable.
She says the Washington Wal-Mart raised over $13,000 during this campaign and adds last year they came in sixth place out of the 75 stores in the Network's market. Adkins says all of the funds raised go to the University of Iowa Children's Hospital. The fund raising campaign runs through June 15th.


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I think the definition of a 'fraction' raises some ambiguity: what is a fraction in terms of what can be defined by ?
All integers can be placed in a fraction, . ?
Decimals can convert to fractions, are they defined by ? And does this apply to both terminating and recurring decimals or just terminating?
I've never come across set terminology in class so I'm curious to know when the average school would use these.


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What if Bree had been spared that day in the clearing? Do you think she could -- and would -- have joined the Cullens as a vegetarian vampire? She says "if being able to tolerate the human the way these strange vampires did was my only hope for survival, then I was already doomed. I couldn't stand the fire," but do you think she underestimates herself? Does her instinct to reciprocate Fred and Diego's kindness -- even through the red haze of a newborn's thirst -- suggest she's got the reserves of human empathy she'd need to draw on? Would the twin drives of self-preservation and gratitude be enough to make a Cullen of her?
What about Fred? If he does runs into the Cullens someday, do you think he might be inspired by their example to try their difficult way of life?


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Captioning Guidelines » Web Accessibility » 4All » Tech Ease: According to the National Association of the Deaf, about 37 million people in the U.S. have some type of hearing loss. For those who have a hearing impairment, closed captioning is essential for ensuring equal access to information. This tutorial covers some of the guidelines in the Captioning Key for Educational Media prepared by the National Association of the Deaf.
Scooped by
Angela C. Dowd
onto Accessibility Awareness and Online Learning


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Gregg Popovich is the NBA's Coach of the Year after leading the San Antonio Spurs to 50 wins in the lockout-shortened season and the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
The announcement came Tuesday. Popovich also won the award in 2003 when San Antonio won its second of four championships, and he might be headed for a fifth ring if the Spurs keep this up.
After a 12-9 start, the Spurs lost only seven more games the rest of the season.
Popovich received 77 first-place votes. Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau was second (27), Indiana coach Frank Vogel was third (7) and Memphis coach Lionel Hollins was fourth (6). Boston's Doc Rivers and Denver's George Karl each received a vote.


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The results of three national assessments on women's entrepreneurship development (WED) in East Africa conducted using a new framework developed by ILO and UNCTAD, through its Division on Technology and Logistics, found that ICTs are increasingly important for women entrepreneurs. Thanks to the rapid spread of mobile telephony and improved international broadband connectivity, there are now more opportunities to leverage such technologies in support of entrepreneurship.
At a Knowledge-Sharing meeting organized by the ILO in Kenya, Nairobi on 25-26 November 2013, various stakeholders met to discuss the results of the first pilot studies using a revised ILO WED Assessment Framework. This framework has benefited from UNCTAD's support in integrating the ICT dimension.
Among the key findings was that ICT tools are becoming more and more relevant to facilitate the establishment and growth of women entrepreneurs. In Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, numerous mobile applications have emerged that make running a business easier. Mobile money, m-farm and other apps reduce the need for traveling, facilitate marketing, communication with customers, scheduling appointments and keeping records. In addition, ICTs are also making business development support to entrepreneurs more effective. For example, through SMS-based training notifications, the number of women entrepreneurs participating in business trainings had dramatically increased in Kenya.
The meeting made recommendations for the next phase of the WED project. ICTs and innovation were included as one of the main focus areas for future work in this area.
For further information, contact Ms. Marie Sicat, Associate Economic Affairs Officer, ICT Analysis Section of UNCTAD's Division on Technology and Logistics at firstname.lastname@example.com. For more information on the ILO/UNCTAD Project on Leveraging ICTs in Support of Women's Entrepreneurship, visit web section of ICTs and Women's Entrepreneurship.
Conferencia de las Naciones Unidas sobre Comercio y Desarrollo
Suscríbase a nuestro Boletín


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Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 20th Oct 2010 22:22 UTC, submitted by vivainio
This is kind of... Well, good news, I suppose? It depends on where you allegiances lie, but it seems like Ubuntu is warming up to the idea of using Qt to develop applications. It's no secret that Qt is a far more advanced development framework than Gtk+, so it only makes sense for Ubuntu - a GNOME/Gtk+ distribution - is looking at it.
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If they do this...
by darknexus on Wed 20th Oct 2010 23:47 UTC
Then they need to invest some resources into making QT communicate properly with the GNOME accessibility infrastructure. Otherwise, to use QT will directly contradict one of Ubuntu's stated goals, i.e. to provide an accessible desktop to all people. Not that I'd be surprised if they did go against this stated goal of theirs, they've certainly made decisions that sneared at it before such as using Webkit over Gecko in their core apps like Software Center.


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Content curation is a highly effective inbound marketing strategy and because of this there has been a rise of content curation tools and platforms.
Scooped by
Martin (Marty) Smith
onto Marketing Revolution
Brian Yanish is a good friend, a trusted Internet marketing source and his website MarketingHits.com provided a great example in how to create SEO from curation.
Brian creates a quick page about cool content he curates. Today Brian found a great "Ultimate Guide" from @YouBrandInc. Brian could push the link across Scoop.it, and he does use Scoop.it that way sometimes.
The YouBrandInc.com "Ultimate Guide" is great content. Anyone creating an "Ultimate Guide" understands SEO and how to do keyword research because "ultimate guide" is a HOT way to describe content right now.
Content handles come and go in popularity, but "Ultimate Guide" will probably always be valuable since it sounds so definitive. When you use a handle like "Ultimate Guide" be sure to deliver since your website could get hammered if your ultimate guide forgets 5 BIG tools everyone loves.
The cool thing about using "Ultimate Guide" is anyone you forget will beat a path to your door to be included and then you can update. Brian creates a "teaser" page on MarketingHits.com for You Brand Inc.'s Ultimate Guide to Curation Tools.
The advantage to a short page like this "teaser page", note Brian doesn't just copy their copy but writes a quick unique blurb and then pushes across to You Brand Inc., is your curation can bring social shares and juice to your website.
One of the big questions in my Free Internet Marketing Consulting for Small Businesses (SMBs) this last Saturday was, "How are we supposed to keep up with all of this?" Curation with teaser pages like the one Brian created for the Ultimate Guide to Curation Tools is a great way to build a SMB's authority without having to write thousands of words every day.
A tactic like this builds page spread, the number of pages Google' indexes, adds frequency (remember Quality Deserves Freshness or QDF) and become an easy way to "curate" your way to authority.
Problem with using a tool, even ones I love like Scoop.it, is SEO juice (rankings and Google value) go to the platform. Brian's example breaks off a piece for MarketingHits.com as you should for your content marketing website by stealing his "teaser page" approach to curation.
Brian and MarketingHits earn today's #StealThis.


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Hill-Rom Announces Fourth Quarter 2012 Dividend
Sep 04, 2012, 17:00 ET from Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc.
BATESVILLE, Ind., Sept. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HRC) announced today that its board of directors has declared a fiscal year 2012 fourth quarter dividend of $0.125 per share. This dividend is payable on September 28, 2012 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on September 14, 2012.
ABOUT HILL-ROM HOLDINGS, INC. Hill-Rom is a leading worldwide manufacturer and provider of medical technologies and related services for the health care industry, including patient support systems, safe mobility and handling solutions, non-invasive therapeutic products for a variety of acute and chronic medical conditions, medical equipment rentals, surgical products and information technology solutions. Hill-Rom's comprehensive product and service offerings are used by health care providers across the health care continuum and around the world in hospitals, extended care facilities and home care settings to enhance the safety and quality of patient care.
Hill-Rom…enhancing outcomes for patients and their caregivers.
SOURCE Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc.


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Thelma Eileen Hakola
Thelma Hakola passed awayTuesday, July 2 after an extended heroic battle with cancer. She was born on April 13, 1928, in Colorado Springs, Colo., the last of 15 children born to John and Myrtle Hitchcock. She married Matt Hakola on March 23, 1946, and they remained best friends and sweethearts throughout their lives.
Thelma was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, 13 siblings, a grandson, and a great- great-grandson. She is survived by her children Chip (Chrys) Hakola, Connie Hakola and Shelly Sprugel; three grandchildren: Brian (Dina) Adams, Ashlee Sprugel and Skyler Sprugel; three great-grandchildren: Keaton Adams, Angela Adams, and Matti Sprugel; one great-great-grandson Nate Adams, and her sister Merle Cox as well as many nieces and nephews and two special kids Dugan and Derek Walsburn.
Thelma spent her life living for God. She loved the Lord and wanted all those she loved to know Him too. A member of the Banks Lake Bible Church for over 50 years, Thelma not only ministered to several generations as a Sunday school teacher, she was an active servant of God throughout her community.
Lovingly known as the flower lady by all those who allowed her to raid their gardens for pulpit bouquets, Thelma loved flowers but would prefer donations be made to the Grand Coulee Dam Senior Center.
Memorial services will be Saturday, July 13, at 1 p.m., at Banks Lake Bible Church in Electric City.


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VOLO – Brian Wilson of Cary has been named as sales manager of Atom AMPD. Atom AMPD, headquartered in Volo, and with offices in Miami and California, provides leading-edge voice and data solutions. This includes the Atom AMPD line of Secure Direct single source network and communications software applications.
"Brian brings a solid background in creating strategic solutions and implementing account strategies through a consultative sales and solution-selling approach, which complements Atom AMPD's sales approach to the marketplace, especially our VoIP applications," said Dan Field, CEO for Atom AMPD. "He also has solid sales engineering experience, which provides the skills and capabilities to effectively translate complex technical issues from a client or prospective client to our business and product development teams."
Prior to joining Atom AMPD Brian was an account manager for MTM Technologies, a nationwide systems integrator, where his responsibilities included managing customer projects, strengthening channel partnerships, and analyzing industry specific trends.
Earlier, Brian was a channel sales manager for M5 Networks, one of the largest providers of a Cisco VoIP Hosted-PBX product. Previously, he was a senior sales executive for Cbeyond, which works in optimizing VoIP networks to deliver comprehensive voice, data, and web service applications.


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|2008-09-16, 04:34
|Link #1221
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Shitty old London. They must've been on drugs when they built this place, WTF were they smoking!!!
Age: 34
duh.......... how come i never thought about that... *@myself*
model car cases would work great as an alternative.
thanks man!
mine are in a glass cabnet (ikea detolf) about 2 metres away from the window, it definitely has SOME exposure to the sunlight coming into the room, is this still ok?
Last edited by Mecha_Trueno; 2008-09-17 at 10:11.
|2008-09-19, 19:22
|Link #1222
Not Enough Sleep
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: R'lyeh
Age: 42
I been wanting a set of the Neverland Heroine for a while but the set is really expensive and hard to fine
but i found this store is selling it for only $35
anyone lving in HI knows if this place is legit?
|2008-09-25, 21:33
|Link #1223
Love Yourself
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Northeast USA
Age: 32
Fading follows the same concerns as wall scrolls or paintings. Anything that is exposed to direct sunlight often will begin to fade where the sun hits it. This is partially dependent on the strength of the sun; if your figures are only being hit by the sunlight during sunset, for example, the risk of having their colors fade where the sun is hitting them is relatively low. Note also that reflected sunlight (from mirrors, water, etc.) is weakened sunlight. Strong sunlight reflected off of a clean mirror can still pose a threat, I'd imagine. If you're worried about this, consider tinting the glass on your case, tinting your windows, or just going the simple route and adding curtains or blinds to your window and putting them down during sunny periods. I used blinds on my south-facing windows to protect my wallscrolls, and it worked nicely.
Warping would be due to the heat from sunlight. Keep in mind that your figures are not living organisms - they can't sweat or do anything to regulate their temperature. Think about how warm or even hot some rocks can get that were sitting in the sun for a few hours - the same could happen to your figure if it's sitting in the sun. The risk of warping on PVC figures is supposedly worse than on cold-cast figures, if I remember right, but it's best to not risk it in either case. Similar to the fading principles, reflected sunlight is weakened in terms of its heating properties. I'd say that heat is almost a non-issue from reflected sunlight, unless it's being focused and reflected off of materials designed to absorb as little heat energy as possible.
|2008-10-01, 02:55
|Link #1225
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: B.C. Canada
Hey guys! See what I did!!! Unlimited Miku Works!!! XD
Spoiler for My September figures:
|2008-10-05, 01:48
|Link #1226
= Porsche 997 Twin Turbo
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: NZ
I was wondering has anyone who has preordered a figure from Playasia succuesfully receive your figure? I am asking this because I preordered a figure from them a while ago and the figure is releasing end of this month. But one of my friends who has preordered two different figures from them told me that they never got the figures he preordered in stock, not even after a year. I have also done a bit of google search and noticed that some other people were having a similar experience.
So do you think I should cancel my preorder now (which I have already paid for with Paypal and I know it's a stupid move) or just hope that they will get the figure when it releases? I never had any preorder problems with Playasia before but this is the first time I am preordering a figure from them.
|2008-10-05, 02:27
|Link #1227
Ah! Pretty Shining Love!
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Australia
I saw a pic of someone placing anime figurines (not sure what exact model or material) within their PC case! Mikuru was standing on the graphics card, Shana on the DVD-ROM drive, and some others scattered at the base of the box. Is this safe? I'll try and find the pic...
|2008-10-05, 02:59
|Link #1229
Are there any good local figurine store in Sydney, Australia? Does anyone know?
And I wish they'd re-release the Alicia Max Factory figure, saw it on ebay for a while for 200USD, thought it was a bit expensive and now it's gone.
|2008-10-05, 03:05
|Link #1230
Ah! Pretty Shining Love!
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Australia
|2008-10-05, 05:34
|Link #1232
Ah! Pretty Shining Love!
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Australia
Wow, Sydney doesn't have Hobby Japan? I thought that Sydney would have everything Melbourne has and more. But still, Chinatown or any Asian suburbs would be the best bet.
|2008-10-05, 09:43
|Link #1234
Salt Levels Critical
Join Date: Oct 2007
I don't think you should cancel the pre-order unless you can get the money back and/or have a definite shot of pre-ordering from somewhere else. If money isn't an issue you could also put in a second pre-order at another store just in case.
|2008-10-05, 21:46
|Link #1235
MMmmmm Bacon~~~
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: OPAI
Age: 33
|2008-10-05, 22:16
|Link #1236
Join Date: Nov 2003
I'd say the two on top are fine, the one on the HDD shouldn't have issues as long as it can withstand about 33C, as for the one under the graphics card, I honestly have no idea..... Can't tell the model number of the card with the fan and figure blocking it. :<
|2008-10-06, 00:06
|Link #1238
I brings a ruckus.
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: In a house. Duh!
Age: 26
I'm pretty new to collecting figures, but so far I have Nono, Haruhi Suzumiya, Yuki Nagato, Ryoko Asakura, and two Mikuru's.
I'm getting all four Lucky Star Figma figures, two Hatsune Miku's, and one Rei Ayanami for christmas.
|2008-10-07, 20:48
|Link #1239
Seiza + Katana = Ai-daiyo
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Houston (Clear Lake), TX
Age: 38
I think figures is one of my true Addictions a few years ago.... havent really bought many in the last 6-months to a year, though.... hard on the pocket book with minimal value towards living... even if they are very pretty... I've got a few that are not added to that site... but oh well.. wish I had more money to spend on figures and dvd... but right now watching my brand new house's value slipping under what I owe on it... pretty scary though in itself.
|2008-10-08, 02:59
|Link #1240
Absolute Haruhist!
Join Date: Mar 2006
Age: 31
Welcome to the world of figure collecting lol
Its so hard to stop, even my parents have no choice but to help me maintain my collection. Probably 50% of the pay when I was in the army, went into my figure collection, the nation literally funded me for my hobby lol
|Thread Tools


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Would it be possible to do a All Weekend Apocalypse game?
I was just curious if that could be accomplished. It would be a little complex but here's what I'm thinking.
The game starts on Friday afternoon and goes till Sunday afternoon. It's held in a separate room from the other parts of the convention but instead of having the players setting up and carting off their figs, the idea is to leave the game board as is when the days gaming ends. Each day the game is played and wherever the miniatures are on table when the timer runs out is where they stay. Everyone can only take their books, dice and other game-playing stuff with them, but the miniatures stay on the table. After the players leave, photos are taken of the board, the room is locked and monitored with cameras(like what is used for the live feed). There will have to be allowances made for the cleaning of the room after gaming ends of course, but I'm sure that can be worked out. Then everyone comes back the next day and playing resumes.
Granted if a vehicle or squad of figs is killed off, you can put them in the cases and take them with you, but they have to stay gone and cannot be brought back in for the following days gaming.
I ask now because it would be about not that planning would need to start. Plus this will require everyone playing to be willing to leave their miniatures over night so this does bring in a bigger trust issue,(not to mention a waiver to be signed) but if enough people are willing to play with these rules, then it should be possible. The rules for the game would need to be hashed out but honestly I think this would be a really cool addition to the Adepticon Convention. Especially for those gamers who aren't interested in the other events or want to try something new. This also brings in the aspect of the creation of a new game table, scenarios as well as a new style of team playing.
Any thoughts?


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Israel: What's Right about the Middle East
Prime Minister Netanyahu shows us the real face of Israel.
Click here if you are unable to view this video.
Give Tzedakah! Help Aish.com create inspiring
articles, videos and blogs featuring timeless Jewish wisdom.
(12) anthony benjamin, November 16, 2012 2:19 AM
(11) Noah, July 21, 2011 4:54 PM
Shmuel's remarks about stopping the world about hate, murders, etc. really confuses me. If one takes a child, from birth, teaches the child that up is down, black is white, to hate a people group is good, then what must be done? Correction by force if necessary, bringing the topic to the world exposing the ones who teach and encourage to kill and destroy because it is good. Or, cover ones head up and hope all will just go away. I don't think so!
(10) Elia, July 21, 2011 7:44 AM
Answer to Martel
Simply not talking about reality does not mean that reality goes away. In other words,if Arab Muslims commit murder in the name of their God, does that mean we should not call it what it is - evil murder? The logic of Schmuel & Martel are twisted & puts the blame on the realist audence, rather than on the actors. The audience will stop talking about the Arab Muslim hateful acts, when they stop their actions - not the other way around.
(9) Debbie, July 20, 2011 12:42 AM


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SAN ANTONIO Researchers presented Phase III efficacy data from the GeparQuinto study, a head-to-head comparison of neoadjuvant lapatinib and trastuzumab in combination with chemotherapy for patients with early breast cancer, at the 33rd Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 8-12.
"We had a primary goal to compare the standard anti-HER2 neoadjuvant combination of chemotherapy, trastuzumab, with the new combination of chemotherapy and lapatinib," said Michael Untch, M.D., head of the multidisciplinary breast cancer department at Helios Clinic in Berlin, Germany.
The GeparQuinto study was conducted at 85 centers throughout Germany and includes 2,500 patients, 550 of whom have HER2-neu-overexpressing breast cancer. This is the largest prospective patient cohort of chemo-targeted neoadjuvant therapy worldwide.
All patients received four cycles of 90 mg/m2 epirubicin and 600 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide every three weeks, followed by four cycles of 100 mg/m2 docetaxel. They were randomly assigned to also receive concomitant 6 mg/kg trastuzumab every three weeks or 1,250 mg lapatinib per day throughout all cycles.
At baseline, patient characteristics were similar between the two groups, with both groups presenting a clinical median tumor size of 40 mm. The researchers also reported a similar number of patients in each group with T4a-c or T4d disease, bilateral, multifocal or multicentric disease, and estrogen receptor-negative and progesterone receptor-negative disease.
The last of the patients are currently undergoing surgery, and Untch will present histological and surgical outcome results for these patients at the symposium.
"After assessing response to neoadjuvant chemo-targeted therapy in patients with HER2 overexpressing tumors, we are following the patients from this study to see whether pathologic complete response at surgery is correlated to the outcome of the patients," he said.
|Contact: Jeremy Moore
American Association for Cancer Research


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|21st April 2008, 09:26 PM
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 36
PT screws
I sorta remember that you gave a source for footstrap screws. I found a thread where you referred to them as "PT" screws. Do you know where I could get some?
|22nd April 2008, 08:19 AM
Dream Team - School
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 75
Roger will probably have the explanation for you. But, failing anything else, let me know if you haven't found any.
|22nd April 2008, 09:19 AM
Dream Team - School Guru
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,202
Hi Brian,
Yes, if it's for a Starboard product, let us know and we may be able to come up with the screws you need.
"PT" stands for Plastics Technology and was patented by one of the aircraft hardware manufacturers.
I have never found a good source for them, but one of the specialty fastener supply houses may be able to get you something close.
The PT screws that come with nearly all boards are kinda special, so they really need to be replaced with similar screws.
What happened to your existing screws?
Stripped out heads......?
Broken off.....?
If you've stripped out the heads, that's entirely due to using the incorrect size/type
Phillips screwdriver.
Pick up a couple of the good ones next time you are in Bonaire.
Caribbean Fastners has the Swiss made Fabrory Phillips #3 screwdrivers and they are the best I've ever found commercially.
The new 2008 Starboard "Tiki Tool II" seems to be pretty good as well.
Correct size ans geometry and they finally put the hardened and correctly coated/finsihed tips on them.
Hope this helps,
Sorry for the "correct tool" lecture, but that's what kills about 95% of windsurfing footstrap screws because the Stainless Steel (SS) they are made out of is quite
soft, and if you don't get full engagement of the tool in the drive recess of the screw,
the drive recess deforms and you get stripped screws very easily.
It always amazes me that the majority of FS screws get the recess damaged the first time the footstraps are installed.
A little soap on the screw (and in the plastic insert in the board) makes them go in much more easily and they can be tightened much more snugly after a session or 2.
|22nd April 2008, 10:00 AM
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 36
Thanks Roger and Ellen.
Actually I wanted to find screws for the inserts on the deck of a Starboard 12'6" SUP. Apparently the inserts are foot strap inserts. Don't really know what size or length to use, and there's really no info on the website.
Oh, and I appreciate the screwdriver advice too. Never got a tiki tool, but I have an old F2 screwdriver that's okay.
PS. and if you can solve the twisting foot strap problem on my old X-186 formula board, that'd be great too. Really nervous about tightening those screws to the point of breakage.
|22nd April 2008, 11:46 AM
Dream Team - School Guru
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,202
Hi Brian,
OK, I'll find out what the 12' 6" SUP board Footstrap insert configuration is.
Then we can go from there.
Do you have the black plastic anti-twist plates with the round tang on one side and the
little spikes on the other side, for your X-186?
If not, I have some.
I'll get back to you when I find out the SUP FS insert configuration.
|22nd April 2008, 10:27 PM
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 36
Thanks Roger. My X-186 doesn't have any anti-twist devices. I guess that's the problem. The foot straps that came with this board are sorta soft and don't hold shape well. The front strap twists a lot and I've been nervous about too much torque on the screws.
|26th April 2008, 04:14 AM
Dream Team - School Guru
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,202
Hi Brian,
I got an answer from Tiesda at Starboard HQ on your FS screws for the SUP
boards question.
The inserts are the same as on the windsurf boards, so 6mm x 28 mm PT screws
should fit very nicely!
As far as your X-186, can you send me a photo of the FS inserts in your board
(with one end of a strap removed)?
I may have some of the older FS anti twist plates, but I don't remember the exact
configuration that the X-186 was built with.
Hope this helps,
|26th April 2008, 10:26 PM
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 36
Thanks Roger. Not sure where I'll get the PY screws yet. I found a wholesaler, but not a retailer yet.
RE the X-186, I've got it stored for the winter still. I'll get it out this week and send the photos.
thanks again.
|27th April 2008, 07:45 AM
Dream Team - School Guru
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,202
Hi Brian,
How many screws do you need?
I can send them to you as repayment for the spark
igniter from Bonaire last year.
Send me your mailing address via the Private Message feature
and I'll send you some screws.
|29th April 2008, 08:16 AM
Dream Team - School Guru
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,202
Hi Brian,
I guess you have the SUP board with the mast track (slot) in the deck vs the SUP with the 2 inserts (like the 12'6" I have).
Ellen and I were looking for where the foostrap inserts are, and I had to write to Tiesda You at Starboard HQ to discover that there are 2 different "flavors".
The SUP boards with the mast slot have FS screw inserts and the insert holes are opened up and easy to locate.
The SUP boards with the 2 mast bolt inserts do not have any footstrap inserts at all.
Hope this helps someone as it was something I didn't know and probably never would have guessed.
Hope this helps,
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This program prepares you for a research-oriented career in which you could work in industry or academia to understand and cure diseases, develop new pharmaceutical drugs, treat toxic waste, modify and improve agriculture, and much more.
Research is a major component of the program. You will develop a research goal based on work in your assigned lab, carry out scientific data collection, and publish articles on your experiments and findings. You will also gain experience teaching undergraduate students.
The biological sciences faculty research strengths include topics related to reproductive biology, evolution and ecology, medical biosciences, neurobiology and cellular and molecular biology.


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I'm looking for a sound card solution for the Sun Fire V440 (Sparc 64) running Solaris 10 (06/06 release) in JDS3.
I've been looking through the supported device list to find a PCI card or external USB device that would do.
I've got some questions:
- Sound Blaster X-fi
This newer crop of cards isn't in the supported devices list for OSS. Will they be supported in the near-future?
- Creative Audigy SE
This doesn't seem to be supported either. Am I mistaken?
The reason I'm interested in this one is that it appears to be commercially available.
- Creative Audigy2 NX USB
This is listed as (BETA). Any idea when this one will no longer be in beta testing? How well does the beta version work now? This also appears to be commercially available.
- Creative Audigy2 & Audigy4
These are listed as supported, but don't appear to be widely available ... I assume because they are older cards. I can find a few listings on Ebay for these, but I need to reliably be able to procure a bunch of them.


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Almost 54 percent of Oregon voters decided Tuesday that the city should bolster its coffers through a sales tax.
A referendum for a 1 percent sales tax passed by a margin of 817 to 698 votes.
The wording of the referendum stipulated that it will be used to pay for public infrastructure or property tax relief.
Finance Commissioner Ken Williams, who supported the referendum, said he is pleased to see it approved.
"That gives us an idea now what the people would like to do to raise funds for projects like street work," he said.
Williams had estimated that the 1 percent sales tax would bring in $240,000 per year for the city and could help pay for the $15.8 million worth of projects outlined in the city's Capital Improvement Plan.
"I think it will a good thing for Oregon citizens because more than half the money will come from people who live outside the city," he said.
The additional 1 percent sales tax will not be applied to vehicles or anything with a title, groceries, or prescription and over-the-counter medications.
Williams said the tax will be assessed starting July 1, but the city won't see the additional revenue right away.
"It will be a couple of months until we get any of that money," he said. "So the construction season may be pretty well over for this year."
The city will work with merchants, Williams said, to complete the necessary paperwork to charge the additional tax and to get their cash registers reprogrammed.
Mt. Morris approves video gaming
In Mt. Morris, voters approved a referendum to allow video gaming in the village by a margin of 692 votes to 470.
Village president Greg Unger said the owners of five establishments in the community have expressed interest in having video gaming terminals.
Several other area communities have already approved the devices.
The Illinois Video Gaming Act enacted in 2009 legalizes the use of video gaming terminals in certain establishments that hold liquor licenses, including bars, truck stops, fraternal establishments, and veterans establishments.
According to the state statute, a maximum of five terminals is allowed per establishment.


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FOOTBALL: Week 2 Capsule Previews
A look around at Auglaize County's football match-ups this Friday night:
For full previews of this week's games around Auglaize County, see today's FanFare inserted in the newspaper.
Kenton (0-1) at St. Marys (0-1)
The St. Marys football team faces a Kenton team that has won at least a share of the Western Buckeye League title each of the past four seasons in a league opener on Friday night at Skip Baughman Stadium.
Kenton junior quarterback Grant Sherman threw for 288 yards and three TDs in his first start after taking over for the graduated Maty Mauk in a 41-22 loss to Coldwater last week.
Kenton wide receiver Justin Sawmiller made 16 catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns against the Cavs.
"It looks like they've not missed a beat," St. Marys head coach Greg Phillips said.
St. Marys lost 10-7 in overtime last week to Sidney. Phillips said his team will have to tackle well in space to have a shot against the defending state runner-up.
Last week, St. Marys linebacker Jarrett Taylor had 12 tackles and a sack to lead the Roughrider defense.
Rider running back Jared Knous had a big game, rushing for 40 yards and a score, had 76 yards receiving and intercepted a pass to end regulation.
Wapak (1-0) at Elida (1-0)
One of the marquee games of last season in the WBL ended with the Redskins' getting a 29-18 win over Reggie McAdams and the Bulldogs. While a lot of the key players have graduated from that game, it's still a key early tilt in the WBL standings for both teams.
Zach Schmerge rushed for 133 yards on 15 carries for Wapakoneta in a 49-13 win over Bellefontaine last week.
Elida had little trouble in a trip to Piqua last week, leaving with a 30-7 victory. Elida's defense held Piqua to under 85 total yards of offense.
Elida got solid play from sophomore quarterback Clark Etzler in his first varsity start. He accounted for three TDs, two of them rushing.
Lehman Catholic (0-1) at Minster (1-0)
Minster came into this season with high expectations after bringing back most of its skill-position players from a season ago. They looked the part of a solid team on Friday when they dismantled Fort Loramie for the third time in the last 12 months, 28-0.
Lehman Catholic was shut out by another MAC school — Anna — 14-0 last week.
Minster rolled up 401 yards of total offense last week while the defense held a Fort Loramie offense built on the run to just 108 rushing yards.
Minster's passing game with Adam Niemeyer, with help from a Troy Kauffman touchdown pass on a throwback pass, went 14 of 17 for 177 yards and three TDs. The running game rushed for seven yards per carry.
Defensive back Jay Eilerman led Minster's defense with six tackles.
Minster used big plays to pick up a 41-13 win over Lehman Catholic in Week 2 last season.
Fort Loramie (0-1) at New Bremen (0-1)
A pair of teams that will be looking to establish the run and are searching for their first wins will square off.
New Bremen fell to Covington 27-7 last week on the road. Jason McGarahan was pleased with the effort of his kids in his first game at New Bremen, but he is still searching for consistency.
He said his defense has to be ready for a steady dose of Fort Loramie running back Delaunte Thornton.
"They have some pretty good running backs including Thornton. He doesn't look to run around you but through you. We told our kids that you have to be ready to tackle a guy physical as him. We also can't let them get behind us because (quarterback (Seth) Guillozet has a pretty good arm."


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As an email system administrator for a Canadian university, we also see Google docs being increasingly used for phishing. We've also noticed Google's response to abuse reports has also improved considerably. If a few people submit an abuse report on a form, it will now usually get suspended in a matter of hours, where it used to take over a day. Unfortunately, those first few hours are the most critical when it comes to reacting to phishing.
You got it at the end. They set up a form on Google Docs, make it look vaguely professional and mail my users pretending to be me.
Most non-IT academics and just about all admin staff at my university seem to believe anything they have emailed. The phishers are relying on the IT administrators' reticence to block all of docs.google.com. If I see a specialized URL, I'll probably block the whole site, but killing all of Google Docs is a big decision. So they get a longer time of access than the specialized site would give them.
Yes, they are stupud, yes they don't listen. No, I have no idea what to do beyond a name and shame campaign that my bosses don't like.
Perhaps instead of a Name and shame campaign; you can perform a campaign of inconvenience...
When a user is found to be the victim of a phishing attack, put them on a daily password reset for a week or month.
Forcing them to create new passwords daily will be annoying while not crippling to their productivity and may *help* them be more vigilant in the future.
Perhaps instead of a Name and shame campaign; you can perform a campaign of inconvenience...
When a user is found to be the victim of a phishing attack, put them on a daily password reset for a week or month.
Forcing them to create new passwords daily will be annoying while not crippling to their productivity and may *help* them be more vigilant in the future.
Why not just issue him a two-factor authentication token, then you can actually solve the problem instead of a bandaid approach that won't really help. (even if he has to do daily password resets, if he gives up his password in the morning, the hacker has 24 hours to use it).
The tokens are cheap (even cheaper when it is a smart-phone app), every company with data worth stealing should use them.
Many universities aren't even willing to spend the money for a mail server anymore, I don't see how you could convince them to spend a quarter million dollars for tokens (assuming $1/user). And yes, that includes alumni, who likely wouldn't use the 2-factor because it's too much hassle, which would sink the entire project.
Yes, universities want alumni to keep their accounts, because that's the easiest way for them to beg for money.
When a user is found to be the victim of a phishing attack, put them on a daily password reset for a week or month.
The victims tend to learn from all the inconvenience caused by the attack itself. It's everyone that didn't get phished you need to reach.
Perhaps the solution is to send out a university-sponsored phishing attack, then conduct an Internet-safety education seminar for everyone who falls for it.
But why Google Docs? A form is a form, no matter what generates it. How is this different from using Word or even vi?
(and actually I am surprised enough people use Google Docs that there would be an uproar of a short shutdown)
I'm guessing it makes phishing ridiculously easy by hosting a form service on the web where you can easily and anonymously get the results back over the net.
I'm the same for
What I've done is written a script that generates random usernames and passwords and submits them to the form. The phishers then need to pick out the real stuff from the garbage I pumped in.
I've had phishers delete a form before Google did, simply because I pissed them off too much. *Very* satisfying, let me tell you.
Here's a phish I received just two hours ago: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1RPht7SPAZywd3L13_lLMeB1pCAz6ufe6LX-S7YKtaR8/viewform [google.com]
Feel free to join in the fun and type some garbage! The spam that contained the link was even written to spoof the quarantine message from our own antispam appliances.
You'd think. Or maybe the broken english, or the generic terms ("Dear Account User:"), or the vague threats ("Do this or you lose your email forever")... or any number of things.
You'd think they'd pick up on those. Then you see that they don't. Then you become sad. Or angry. Sometimes both.
Google docs is massively abused for phishing, and there doesn't seem to be much action by Google to prevent that.
If Google paid more attention to preventing or mitigating abuse using their network, or even paid active attention to reports of abuse, people wouldn't have to resort to blocking them.
They've gotten better. If I hit the Report Abuse link at the bottom of the document, it normally disappears inside three hours.
Why is this at all google's fault? Why should they have to police google docs in such a fashion? Blame the people who suddenly decided phishing was a good idea.
Why is this at all google's fault? Why should they have to police google docs in such a fashion? Blame the people who suddenly decided phishing was a good idea.
Because they are providing the tool that is so easily abused by phishers.
It wasn't too long ago that open email relays were very common (and were quite useful), but now they are quickly blacklisted due to spammer abuse even though it's the spammer at fault, not the owner of the email relay.
If I set up a booth outside your house giving away free universal keys that will open every lock in your house, you would probably have a problem with it even if the keys are perfectly legal to sell and have many legitimate uses. Even if it's only the criminals that will use the keys to break into your house, you probably wouldn't want me making it easier for them.
You'd think that with all of the brain-power that Google has, they'd be able to come up with an automatic detection method for these scams that triggers an immediate manual review of suspected sites with a quick takedown - even though Google responds to abuse notifications within a few hours (as opposed to the few days it used to take them), a lot of personal information can be stolen in a few hours.
So if I sell a knife to someone who uses it to rob a bank, I am responsible?
The first time, no.
Around about the 100th time, if you don't start instituting some security measures - such as requiring a photo ID of knife purchasers, and saving a copy of the ID and a bill of sale for every purchase - then yes, you could be held responsible.
There is absolutely no legitimate use for a Google Docs form for the username and password of an external mail system. Go on, try and think of one. I'll wait.
oh hey, please prove a negative! That can't go wrong at any time, right?
Go ahead, make an actual argument for why creating a strawman argument asking to prove a negative is even relevant. Go on, try and think of one. I'll wait.
You mean the university email system that delivers the malicious email?
I have a crazy idea, tell users not to give personal information out by email. It's that simple.
NEVER give out personal information by email.
You mean the university email system that delivers the malicious email?
I have a crazy idea, tell users not to give personal information out by email. It's that simple.
NEVER give out personal information by email.
The university doesn't control all avenues of email delivery - some people use Yahoo, MSN, and other providers so even if they had a perfect phishing filter, some would still slip through other avenues.
After you've worked in an IT help desk for a while, you'd learn that there is no way to get people to follow a simple "Don't do this because it's unsafe" policy (for one thing, the list of unsafe behaviors is longer than anyone can remember). Try telling your boss (or a tenured professor) "You're an idiot! We told you not to give out personal information on links clicked from an email", and he'll say "But look, this website has our university seal on it, and it said it was from the IT department so I thought it was safe".
The bluntest, least-energy thing I've been telling people is that the "From" address of ANY email is cosmetic. It can say anything. "But the email came from our domain!" "No, it SAID it came from our domain. There's a difference." Go into Outlook and change it to spoof the university president... it's four clicks.
True story: We sent out an email letting people know that a phishing attack was going on. We even provided a sample of the phishing email, which was your typical "Confirm your account, pleas
So, you just completely contradicted yourself. First you tell an anecdote about how easy it is to teach people not to respond to phishing requests. Then you tell a story about how your idiot users thought your email about a phishing request was a phishing request, and happily responded to it.
That's the whole point: you cannot rely on user education. There will always be a couple of idiots who send out their password. You can't go around every single flipping one of them and do the spoofing illustration in p
So, you just completely contradicted yourself. First you tell an anecdote about how easy it is to teach people not to respond to phishing requests. Then you tell a story about how your idiot users thought your email about a phishing request was a phishing request, and happily responded to it.
How did I contradict myself? I said it was the least-energy thing I could tell them. I didn't make any claims to its efficacy. Nor did I connect the two together. As point of fact, that explanation usually comes after a particular user has already been victimized.
I used to give detailed explanations. It didn't work. Then I tried less-detailed. Then even less detail. The "From address is useless" is just the latest thing I'm trying in our sound-bite society. Ask me again in a year if it actually has any effect (probably not). Perhaps by then I'll have simplified down to just an angry grunt.
I'm not disagreeing with your comments on the futility of trying to educate, mind you, as cynical as it is.
I looked at it seriously a couple of years ago, when it seemed like everything was set to "soft-fail" SPF checks, which was next to useless. There was also a lot of resistance from people using Gmail, Hotmail, etc. I'd look at it again, except now the spammers have given up spoofing our domain... they've discovered that mail coming in from *outside* claiming to be from us sets off more alarms than any garbage value they could think up. Now they just rely on the free-text part of the address, eg:
It's even worse than this. Occasionally, our University's IT actually does send out emails that sound like a phishing attack. The only difference is that they link to a legitimate website. However, because of the general mess of different sign-ons (e.g. billing, payroll, course schedule, parking, etc...) it takes me a while to remember if this is a real service or a fake one.
I think, somewhat optimistically, that people can be trained to not send username/password over email. However, far too many thin
Google offers free services. People will attempt to abuse them. That's no great surprise, nor is it specific to Google.
When someone abuses Googles services in a way that's a threat to other users there are only two ways to mitigate the incident. The best, by *far*, is for Google to stop the abusive behaviour. The other is for the affected parties to block access to (some subset of) Google. Those are really your only options.
Google is (based on externally visible behaviour) worse at mitigating abuse up-front
My university has been targetted too. They create a form on top of a spreadsheet, make it look legitimate because it can be customized and then email it around. http://www.gfi.com/blog/google-docs-phishing/ [gfi.com]
It gets past a lot of protection layers because Google Docs is trusted/whitelisted by most IPS filter lists.
ah, thanks for the link - now the story makes sense for me.
Something will someday push people over the edge and get them to give up on single-factor symmetric authentication. I know, breaking news...
Still baffled. Google Docs is a mail server? To use it, don't you still have to create the form, download it, then mail it out from your own account?
It sounds like end users simply "trust google", and thus ANYTHING on google docs is "trustworthy", because hey, "it's google".
I know, it's stupid as baloney. It's like trusting a billboard down the street that says "City Billboard" just because you trust your City government, totally being ignorant that any nutjob can post something to the billboard.
Some. People. Don't. Understand. Technology. AT ALL.
These kind of tricks don't have anything to do with people not understanding technology - it has everyting to do with the scammers understanding psychology. There are lots of ways to raise to the trust people have in you (which are not rational at all) that seem to get exploited, either by knowledge or by experience, by scammers and fraudsters worldwide.
One example would be the amounts 419 scammers ask to 'free your money'. Usually this is some weird amount like 423,50 instead of 500. Well, this is because a weird amount surprises us, and makes us more likely to believe the rest of the message!
What is happening here might be related to the 'authority by proxy' mechanism (don't take my word on it, I am not a psychologist in any way, I just like to read the science section in the newspaper). This is where people find it more likely for something to be true when you quote somebody else as the source. I.e. if I say "Cucumbers are bad for your teeth" you are less likely to believe that then when I say "Doctors say cucumbers are bad for your teeth". But if I can lie about the cucumbers, I might as wll lie about the doctors - there is no rational difference.
Some. People. Don't. Understand. Technology. AT ALL.
That's kind of the point of a lot of technology. It's a solution to fix a problem. The end user doesn't care how it gets done, it only matters that it gets done. I'm sure there's technology that you use, and yet you don't understand all of details of every functioning piece in the process.
Here's a typical Google-hosted phishing page. [google.com] Note that the page is long enough that the Google disclaimers at the bottom are pushed "below the fold", and some users won't notice. Such pages are used in conjunction with spam emails. Since the URL in the spam will be on Google, it makes it through most spam filters.
Google's own phishing detection catches some of these. Ones that mention "Microsoft Outlook" tend to be caught. This suggests that Google is using a simple classifier but needs a better trai
One of the things our SiteTruth system does is report on major sites that host phishing scams. [sitetruth.com] There are only 34 such sites today. As it has been for several years now, Google is at the top of the list.
Here's the list of all known phishing sites currently hosted by Google. [sitetruth.com]. Scroll down through all that background data about the company to a big block of red "phishtank report (2013-02-01): Phony site reported via PhishTank." lines. Click on the links for a PhishTank report. The raw data comes mostly from PhishTank. Most exploitable hosting services (especially short-URL services) check PhishTank and the APWG list automatically, but not Google.
Google has several vulnerabilities. It's possible to host an attack page not only on Google Sites and Google Docs, but also on Google Spreadsheets. Recently, Google added a new attack vector; there's an open redirector at Google Accounts. [phishtank.com]
Amusingly, for some, but not all, of these phishing sites, Google's own anti-phishing warning pops up. But the part of Google that generates that blacklist clearly doesn't talk to the part of Google that does hosting.
Here's the oldest phishing site hosted by Google. [google.com] On line since 2010-12-30. It's one of those "Habbo Coins" phishing pages, probably forgotten by the original attacker, since it forwards to a dead Hotmail account.
When we first started doing this analysis, Google wasn't on the list, because they didn't do hosting. There were about 150 sites listed in 2009. Through improved awareness, nagging and the Anti-Phishing Working Group, we're down to 34 - a few little sites with no clue, ones that just got hit by break-ins, and "bit.ly", which tries to keep up with their abuse problem but is falling behind. MSN, Yahoo, TinyURL, and most of the other big-time victims long ago solved their problems in this area. Google stands alone as a major service with an incompetent abuse department.
Thanks so much for doing this.
I am really just shocked at how stupid people are to fill out a form on Google Docs with their passwords and username. I always recommend that people who fall for really obvious phishing attacks be fired but in this case, you can't fire students.
there are days i wish we had "your" policy in place... but then it would make for a very deserted office
Read the article. It's not stupid, it's being focussed somewhere else. As the article notes, a senior professor considered a world expert in Aztec culture or hunting Higgs Boson might not be an expert in IT, or focussing closely on IT forms when they are trying to crack a tricky problem in their field.
I like it that you write off Oxford university academics and students as stupid. Mind you, to be fair I don't know where you got your education from
This has nothing to do with expertise in IT. You don't need to know how the telephone system works to know not to give your bank account information to some guy who calls you up and asks for it.
As the article notes, a senior professor considered a world expert in Aztec culture or hunting Higgs Boson might
I understand your point and I partially agree with it, but IMHO a doctor that only knows about medicine, will never be a good doctor.
Don't you think is valuable for a doctor to know some basic knowledge about psychology and/or sociology for example? I think it is. Not a Phd in those fields, but some basic knowledge sure will be useful in his career and make him a better doctor.
Back on topic, I think that the PC and the Internet are amazing tools, which knowing how to use them will make you a better prof
Why wouldn't oxford have just set up outbound email scanning? Once they detect an email account is spamming, cut off the user.
Worse, it only takes a few emails tripping the right filters or customer complaint bins before Hotmail decides to never accept email from that relay's IP ever again. No appeal, no cooling off, no support assistance, that IP goes into their blacklist and there is no digging it out afterwards.
I can't tell if you misunderstood me, or are just wrong. They are harvesting email addresses from students, profs, etc. There is a limited resource of available oxford.edu addresses. They wouldn't be able to send many emails if they used a different account for each one. Even if they did, the filter should just usie ranking system like spam assasin to red flag outgoing emails likely to be spam. One bad email sent, block that message, send notice to user. five sent, block account. Even if there are a lot of
They're not harvesting email addresses, they're harvesting *accounts*, which grant access to the outbound SMTP server. A "limited resource" numbering in the hundreds of thousands, and adding a few thousand every year.
At the university I work at, we do exactly what you suggest. The spamming still happens. Why? Because the spammers (a group of guys located in Laos, Nigeria, and a few spots in Malaysia and Israel) will use a stolen "test" account to trickle a spam email or two through to see what gets thro
My solution sucks as a long term solution, but as a short term solution its better and more effective than what oxford did. Ban or warn users after one suspicious email. Turn that on for one day out of every month to get people's attention. IT will become the enemy, such that people that don't *have* to use university email, won't. Which will keep out the rifraff who are most likely to get their accounts compromised. Which will reduce the odds of being labeled as a spam domain. Which will improve the qualit
Short-term solutions can be worse because you don't have time to warn people, and the results are often slap-dash.
For example, to do as you propose:
- I'd have to block all direct outbound SMTP connections, just to keep people from circumventing the protections. I'd *love* to do this, seriously. But you wouldn't believe the hostility from the user community for thinking about it, even if they don't *use* any off-site mail servers. Hell, right here on Slashdot, I'd be called a
Yeah, you don't quite understand what I'm suggesting. I don't really want to specify it any further. But basically I was imagining something less comprehensive. The goal of Oxford was to raise awareness. My suggestion still has that in mind, raise awareness about phishing, but punish fewer people.
Why is an organization somehow obligated to provide access to this application? Maybe they have promised something to their users, but otherwise Google Docs is not a universal human right; it's just another application offered by another company.
Typically every notable university I've ever heard of gives their students a "Free" copy of Microsoft Office.
I expect staff also use it for collaborative work.
Computing staff (and some others) might use a shared version control system and LaTeX or similar, and many others will email round MS Word documents, but Google Docs can be superior to both.
(One of the few Google Documents I have was sent to me by an academic at Oxford, he is collaborating on a project with one of my colleagues in London.)
Would you uses a bank that did not take security seriously?
Yes, because NON of them have adequate security for their customers. They protect their own servers with billions of dollars of protection, then let you pay by waving a card in the air or *shudder* sending a text message.
You can pay a maximum of $50 by 'waving a card in the air', and any 'wave-a-card' transaction you challenge will just be resolved in your favour.
They don't _claim_ there's anything particularly secure about PayPass etc. They're just playing a numbers game. They have figured that the revenue increase that results from the increase in security is greater than the loss that results from a) actual fraudulent usage of such systems and b) fraudulent *claims* of fraudulent usage of such systems.
It's exactly the sa
Sigh. I meant 'increase in convenience', not 'increase in security'. Damn you, lack of an edit button.
They don't _claim_ there's anything particularly secure about PayPass etc.
When I got my new credit card I actually phoned the company and specificaly requested (quite firmly) that they deactivate the feature on my card. I know they can't "special make" me a card that doesn't have the chip, but they absolutely REFUSED to deactivate such payments on my credit card account. They also kept repeating (as if they were reading) that it is completly secure.
If my bank shuts down my debit card for two hours without warning because my neighbor keeps leaving his at the bar? Yeah, that's an awful thing.
Google is not the internet, no matter how hard they try, and yet a large population thinks that if you can't reach google, the internet is down...
There are probably thousands of scripts around the world that ping 188.8.131.52 or some other well known Google IP address on a regular basis to test their Internet connectivity. For example, this script [blogspot.com]
suspending accounts sending spam? Punish those who deserve it, not everybody.
The Oxford administrators should phish their own students. Any student stupid enough to fall for it must attend compulsory remedial training. Rinse, repeat, rinse repeat until nobody falls for it anymore.
I can't speak for Oxford, but I know at my workplace, traditionally it's the students who fall for it the *least*. Their numbers even out, but that's only because there's a hell of a lot more students. In general, the kids coming in today are reasonably technically-savvy and sceptical.
In terms of percentages, the people you need to watch out for are the faculty. They're older, less experienced with modern technology, and frequently believe that a PhD in Aztec basket weaving means they've mastered life.
In the olden days (and I am thinking as recently as the late 1990s) the universities would bake their own IT solutions. It was considered an academic challenge, and each campus had its own peculiar requirements, culture, etc. In those days, you had two tiers of IT - the local lab support, which was generally a grad student in the department who had undergone a short training course - if they even needed it - to help lusers figure out which part of the computer is the screen, which is the keyboard, and whe
I completely agree. Same in corporations. The people with the purse strings will lap up the sales pitch from companies like ATOS and Capita, and flush the money down the toilet.
In parallel, the people that have responsibility for IT in the company have it locked down tighter than fort knox. At least on paper. Noone is allowed to create useful tools to fix problems in their department, it needs to go out to tender via a central funding pot.
Eventually you get people that, on paper, are "sales", but in reality
The problems all started with the MIS types, who are more bean-counter than wizard. They got it into the organizational culture of both universities and business that IT is an expense instead of a place to save money and provide services. In the old days, we'd look at the cost of mailing a bunch of fucking papers around everywhere, and drafting on draft tables etc, add up the cost of all the shit and then compare it with an IT solution that was designed to increase the speed of the whole organization whil
"How many teamsters does it take to screw in a light bulb?" "FIFTEEN!! YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT?"


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In honor of Memorial Day on May 25, KLRU presents programing throughout the month of May celebrating veterans and their families.
Operation Appreciation – May 21 at 9 pm, May 24 at 6 pm
Each week, retirees from Georgetown, TX, give heartfelt thank yous to soldiers reporting for duty at Fort Hood as well as those injured in combat. This documentary follows the volunteers as they collect cookies, brownies and doughnuts from local stores, and baked goods made by people in the community to distribute at the Army base. The retirees travel more than 50 miles with cars filled to the brim with treats to hand the treats to hundreds of soldiers getting processed at Fort Hood every Thursday. Not only do these volunteers walk the lines giving treats and saying thanks to the incoming troops, but they also bring food to the Wounded Warriors buildings, where severely injured soldiers are recovering, and to the Fisher House, which gives a home to military families to be close to a loved one during hospitalization. Many of the volunteers are veterans themselves, and have incredible stories of their own survival in war.
Lincoln Awards: A Concert for Veterans & The Military Family – May 22 at 8 pm
Enjoy a concert in celebration of the Lincoln Awards, which recognize outstanding achievement and excellence in providing opportunities and support to veterans and military families.
Salute to the Troops: In Performance at the White House – May 22 at 9 pm
President Obama and First Lady, Michelle Obama welcome Mary J. Blige, Common, John Fogerty, Willie Nelson, Romeo Santos, and also active duty military members U.S. Army SGT. Christiana R. Ball, U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Matt Smith and Capt. John Ed Auer will offer a musical tribute to the service and sacrifice of our troops and the often overlooked contribution of their families back home.
We Served Too: The Story of Women's Air Force Service Pilots – May 24 at 1:30 pm
This is a story of a group of young, determined and courageous women during World War II who broke through barriers and shattered stereotypes…the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs).
Dick Winters: "Hang Tough" – May 24 at 3 pm
Hang Tough honors one of World War II's most respected combat leaders – Major Richard D. Winters. Emmy-winning British actor Damian Lewis (Homeland), narrates the documentary and shares his thoughts on Winters, who he portrayed in the acclaimed HBO mini-series Band of Brothers. "Hang Tough" traces Winters' formative years growing up in Pennsylvania, his development as a leader in the U.S. Army, the famed attack on Brecourt Manor on D-Day, and the dedication on June 6, 2012 of the Richard D. Winters Leadership Monument in Normandy, France. In addition to Winters' own recollections, original members of Winters' unit, Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne, speak of his commitment to his men, his heroism and his legacy.
Day of Days: June 6, 1944 – May 24 at 4 pm
On June 6, 1944, thousands of Allied servicemen landed on the shores of northern France, tasked with liberating western Europe from Nazi tyranny. Over the ensuing hours and days, the men faced decimating machine-gun fire, mortars and artillery, eventually fighting their way inland, but not before suffering a staggering number of casualties. To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landing, four D-Day veterans gather at the famed Museum of World War II outside of Boston, Mass. to share their experiences from that fateful "Day of Days." Cameras eavesdrop on their conversations as they vividly recall details from their ordeal – from the perils of the amphibious assault to the invasion's gruesome aftermath. Their interactions with one another yield long-buried, and often painful, memories. They recount their transformations from boys to men, reveal their uneasiness with the term "hero," and grapple with why they survived when so many others did not.
National Memorial Day Concert – May 24 at 7 pm and 8:30 pm
Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise co-host the 26th broadcast of this night of remembrance honoring the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform, their families at home and all those who have given their lives for our country. The concert airs live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol before an audience of hundreds of thousands, millions at home, and to our troops around the world via American Forces Network.
Homefront – May 25 at 8 pm
View intimate portraits of America's military families, with unprecedented access to soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen and women in the all-volunteer military. The revealing documentary tells stories of pride and patriotism, sacrifice and resilience.
Arts In Context: In Their Own Words – May 28 at 7:30 pm
Darden Smith had never had a real conversation with a U.S. military service member until he met Lt. Col. Fred Cale. He quickly realized that they had much in common – both were music lovers. Through this meeting, Smith realized that the divide between soldier and civilian was not what he thought it was. He saw the potential for music and songwriting to help soldiers transition back into civilian life. Songwriting With Soldiers offers intensely immersive retreats to military veterans and active duty soldiers where they write songs about their experiences with the help of professional songwriters. Equal parts cathartic release and creative endeavor, SongwritingWith: Soldiers offers a chance at healing to the people who need it most.


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Photo: Gary Civins
Business Profile of ADT
Main Street to Wall Street
Inside an otherwise standard suburban office building in Boca Raton runs a "Main Street" with a salon/barber shop, fitness center, doctor's office, massage therapy, chiropractor, Starbucks and a cafeteria. On a weekday morning in August, it was abuzz with the hundreds of employees who filled the building as they readied the debut of south Florida's latest public company, residential and small-business security monitoring firm ADT.
"We're a $3-billion startup," jokes CEO Naren K. Gursahaney, who relocated from New Jersey to lead the company, which was spun off in late September from its Swiss parent Tyco International. It employs 625 in south Florida and 3,000 overall at its nearly 20 offices in Florida.
ADT's challenges include competition from cable and telcos and customer attrition, which ran 13.5% in the last reported quarter as a unit of Tyco. That said, the largest U.S. security company already has drawn takeover speculation. It has a 25% operating margin, grew even in the recession, hasn't seen its market share suffer and has lots of room to grow. Only a fifth of U.S. households have monitored security. ADT has a quarter of the $12.5-billion market. It typically posts 3% to 6% annual revenue growth. In its last quarter under Tyco, ADT saw a 5% increase in operating profit to $208 million on a 4% increase in revenue to $815 million.
Aside from providing work-life balance, Main Street has proved fruitful as a place to hold meetings and for serendipitous encounters on company business. Says Gursahaney: "It really does create an incredible open environment."


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10. Quick Turnaround Left No Time To Be Implemented Properly
The tax was passed into law as part of the transportation finance bill on July 26 and went into effect just one week later. While taxes are not due until September, local businesses are left scrambling to figure out how to charge their customers and if their services are taxable. Winslow said that many of the business owners are erring on the side of caution and taxing their services across the board to avoid harsh tax penalties later on.
"It's an absolute nightmare. Some of the busiest people in the state are accountants right now," said Rep. Matthew Beaton, who also voted against the tax and heard the same issue from his own constituents.


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Canon Premiere problem with .MOV file from Canon EOS 7D
"My father got a new Canon camera 7D that films in 1080p, when I tried importing the recorded MOV video to adobe premiere pro, it only puts the audio on the timeline and it won't put the actual video on there. Am I missing something?"
Now, Adobe Premiere Pro Support for RED Camera and 5.1 Audio, but it still can't supports MOV video from Canon etc HD camcorder natively.
Canon EOS 7D supports full HD videos recording, and recorded video format is MOV with H.264 codec. Canon 7D video format is good to record videos but is not easy to use in editing software, like Adobe Premiere Pro in Windows. Premiere supported best video format is WMV format, so it's a good choice to convert 7D MOV to WMV for Premiere, and you won't have audio or video problems after you transcode Canon EOS 7DMOV to WMV for Adobe Premiere Pro, you can follow the steps below to convert 7D to Premiere Pro best format.
1. Download and install Pavtube Canon MOV file Converter. It's an excellent software which can convert 7D MOV for Premiere, more output formats are also supported, such as MKV, AVI, MP4, etc.
2. Import the 7D MOV video you want to convert.
3. Click format column to choose the best video format for editing in premiere. Click and choose Adobe Premiere -> WMV (VC-1) (*.wmv).
4. You can customize output parameters as you want. Adjust the resolution, bitrate, etc according to your need; you can also keep the parameters as original.
5. After these steps above, click convert button to start converting Canon MOV to WMV for Adobe Premiere.
After conversion, you can edit 7D in Premiere as you want with no codec problems.
This Canon 7D to Premiere Converter will help you convert videos with best quality, video and audio quality and synchronization are guaranteed. This software will convert your videos very fast (up to 6X) with the NVIDIA CUDA and AMD ATI acceleration.You can also try iMedia Converter for Mac which also supports DVD and Blu-ray videos. For more information about Canon cameras and Final Cut Pro (X), please visit Canon Column.
More related:
Convert Canon 60D MOV to 1080p AVI/WMV
Convert Canon Powershot S95 MOV HD to AVI/WMV
convert Nikon D3200 H.264 MOV files to MP4
convert HD footages for burning with Windows DVD Maker


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Quick Search
Natural Vitamin E is an essential nutrient and is the body's primary, fat-soluble antioxidant. Vitamin E provides nutritional support for the cardiovascular system, skin, and the immune system. It helps fight cell-damaging free radicals that cause oxidative stress in the body, which may contribute to the premature aging of cells. This formulation provides natural Vitamin E (as d-Alpha Tocopherol plus d-Beta, d-Delta, and d-Gamma Tocopherols). It is offered in plant oil-based, vegetarian softgels to promote optimal absorption and assimilation.*
DV=Daily Value
Other Ingredients: Safflower Oil, Modified Starch (from corn), Vegetable Glycerin, Carrageenan, Disodium Phosphate, Medium Chain Triglycerides, Soy Lecithin.
FREE OF: Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Yeast, Sugar, Sodium, Artificial Flavor, Sweetener, Preservatives and Color.
SUGGESTED USE: As a dietary supplement for adults, take one (1) vegetarian softgel daily, preferably with a meal, or as directed by a healthcare practitioner.
If you are pregnant, nursing, taking any medication or have a medical condition, please consult your healthcare practitioner before taking any dietary supplement. Keep out of reach of children. Store in a cool, dry place. Do not use if outer bottle seal is missing, torn or damaged in any way.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.


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Square Enix Triple Triad
Anyone remember this game? The mini card game that was in FF8? There were countless online versions of the game for years. I've always wondered why Square Enix hasn't cashed in on this as the mobile touch format is absolutely perfect for the game.
I'm jealous of Android though:
I'm jealous of Android though:


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Houston, TX Extra Value Plans
EVP $75 is a smart choice if:
- You go places and get things done and like the 1 mo. rollover option.
- 10%off your driving turns you on.
- You think annual fees are for the birds.
What does it cost to join?
- You pay a one-time $25 application fee.
- Pre-pay $75 (your monthly commitment) and get that much in driving. Once your stash is used up, you pay as you go.
- And if you don't use it all, roll it over until the end of the next billing period.
- No deposit
What does it cost to drive?
- Depending on the car model, drive from $9.63/hour and $77.04/day (any 24-hour period) during the week and $11.33/hour and $89.65/day on Friday through Sunday. Gas, insurance and up to 180 FREE miles are included.
Can I change my plan?
- You may change up to another Extra Value Plan at any time. You may change down to another plan one time within six months, but after that you may be assessed a $25 change fee.
What about housemates or family?
- Once you join, you can add other drivers to your account. It's $25 to apply. You share the monthly commitment.
zip n' save cash
When you join
- Driving discount
- 10%
- Monthly commitment
- $75
- Rollover
- 1 month
- Application fee
- $25
When you drive
Monday - Thursday
- Hourly rates from
- $9.63
- Daily rates from
- $77.04
Friday - Sunday
- Hourly rates from
- $11.33
- Daily rates from
- $89.65
What's Included
- Gas
- Insurance
- 180 free miles
Aren't quite ready to commit?
If you think you'll drive less than twice a month or just don't have a clue what you'll do, our Occasional Driving Plan may be right up your alley.
Up to 180 miles included per day; additional miles from $0.41; varies by country; see details. Insurance is included; a damage fee of up to $1,000 may apply if you're involved in an accident with your Zipcar; see details.
Reservation rates, fees and taxes are subject to change and may depend on other factors such as applicable promotions or special offers. You may review your total estimated reservation cost before you confirm your reservation.


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|Medford, NJ
As a Sophomore in 2003: Played in 46 games, starting 45...Batted .329 with 51 hits, including a league-high 20 doubles...Finished fifth in the league in total bases with 88...Totaled 14 multi-hit games, including a 4-4 outing against Old Dominion on 3/22...Scored 34 runs, second on the team...Tied for the team lead in home runs with five.
As a Freshman in 2002: A Second-Team All-Ivy selection as a freshman... Honorable Mention freshman All-American...Played in all 49 games his rookie campaign and started in 48...Attained a .299 batting average...Scored 31 runs and had 46 hits, including 8 doubles and five homeruns...Recorded 33 RBIs and 6 stolen bases. High School: A graduate of Shawnee High School, where he lettered in baseball all four years...Also lettered in soccer for three years...Member of 1999 Olympic American Conference Champs in baseball during 1999 season...Team was ranked first in the East and ninth nationally by USA Today...Baseball tri-captain and All Olympic Conference All-Star...Named All-Burlington County All-Star, All-South Jersey and Third Team All-State...Hit .389 with five homers and 27 RBIs as a senior...Also co-captain of Olympic American Conference soccer champions...Member of National Honor Society and National Foreign Language Honor Society...Named to Principal's List all four years (4.0 GPA)...American Legion Boys State representative.
Personal: The son of Gary and Phyllis Nichols, Jeff has two sisters, Jody and Katie...Plans to concentrate in Engineering.


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Remember the dog days of summer as a kid … when your only worries were what to eat and what to do all day? It's these happy-go-lucky days of adolescence that inspired writers Nat Faxon and Jim Rash's directorial debut film, "The Way, Way Back."
That … and one awful family vacation that Rash recalled as a teen and used for the opening scene.
The film's protagonist Duncan (Canadian actor Liam James), is sitting in the back seat of a car facing both traffic and what he predicts to be the worst summer of his life. The film takes place in the present day, but the car appears to be a gas-guzzling family wagon from past decades, and there's a feeling it could be the summer of any generation.
For Duncan, it's intolerable. He has been forced to tag along to a cottage somewhere with his mom (Toni Collette), his bully stepfather Trent (Steve Carell) and Trent's unfriendly daughter Steph (Zoe Levin). To make matters worse, his stepfather believes humiliation is a form of inspiration. On the way he stares down Duncan in his rearview mirror and asks him to rate himself on a scale of 1 to 10. Duncan gives himself a 6, but his stepfather gives him a 3.
"That is verbatim, a scene that happened to me as a kid when I was 14 driving in a station wagon on our way to a summer vacation in Michigan," said Rash, during an interview he shared with Faxon. He has since told reporters, "I'm proud to say I've added 0.5 on my scale, 3.5 on his scale." Fans of the writing team – the longtime friends met while working at the Groundlings comedy theater in Los Angeles - would likely rate them a 7 or an 8. Their last collaboration as screenwriters for Alexander Payne's "The Descendants" earned them an Oscar.
The opening scene will have audiences cringing from seeing a child ridiculed and the antagonist being funnyman Carell ("The 40 Year Old Virgin). But it's typical of Rash and Faxon. Their stories tend to balance precariously on the edge of sorrow and comedy. And just as life improved for Rash (and many other awkward tweens), things also improve for Duncan.
While the adults around him, including Trent's obnoxious pals Joan (Amanda Peet), Kip (Rob Corddry), and cottage neighbor Betty (Allison Janney) attempt to relive their college heydays, and Steph continues to swat him away like a gnat, Duncan meets Owen (Sam Rockwell). He's a joke-cracking beachcomber who's also heroic and kind. As manager of the local waterpark Water Wizz, he offers Duncan a job and some much-needed mentoring.
Raise your hand if you had someone like this in your life? Or a day when suddenly you saw a glimmer of hope - that maybe your family vacation would be fun?
Besides lighting up every scene he's in, Rockwell's character paves the way for Duncan's transition from awkward kid to confident teen, even getting the girl (AnnaSophia Robb) along the way.
"The template for the Owen character was always Bill Murray from 'Meatballs,'" said Faxon, referring to the 1979 Canadian comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman. And when Faxon and Rash pondered over who could play the Bill Murray of his generation, it's Rockwell ("Seven Psychopaths," "Iron Man 2") who came to mind. "He's always shown incredible range and such talent in everything he does," said Faxon.
Rockwell, however, is more than a funny guy. He has a very caring and grounded personality and it's this part of himself that Faxon said "he brings to the part, elevating his character outward."
You believe he cares about Duncan.
"He comes to us via Vancouver. We loved the idea of a relative newcomer for the role," said Faxon about Liam James. However, Faxon said James ("2012" and NBC TV's "Pych") did a great job in understanding Duncan's role as the wallflower who gets a crash course in cool from Owen and his summer staff, including longtime-but-thinking-it's-time-to-leave girlfriend Caitlyn (Maya Rudolph).
Casting Rudolph was another natural choice for Faxon and Rash. They've known her since their days at Groundlings, and her sassiness and dry wit were the perfect condiments for Rockwell's hot-dogging character Owen.
"She's fantastic. Whenever I have a role like this, I will always go with Maya," said Faxon. He and Rash are also actors: Rash plays Dean Pelton on NBC's sitcom "Community" and Faxon worked on the now-canceled sitcom "Ben and Kate." It's no surprise then that the two would jump in front of the camera for their film. Rash plays the dorky waterpark staffer Lewis, while Faxon buddies up as Owen's mentoring sidekick Roddy.
It was a long road from page to screen for this movie said its producer Kevin Walsh ("War of the Worlds" and "The Hours") - at least eight years, but worth the time, according to Walsh.
"Everyone loved the script since day one. We supported every page of it. It's a movie about a kid who's being affected by all of these forces around him, and he just wants to grow up. He just wants to be treated as an adult and eventually that is what happens."
Nash hopes they have made a film that shows how things have a way of working out and that lessons are learned from both our negative and positive experiences.
Rash hopes it has an appeal that crosses generations. "Some people will identify with the blended families, or the awkwardness of that age," he said. "I want people to come away remembering a moment in their lives when they chose to evolve and change, because that's what all the characters, adults and kids, are going through this particular summer."
Rated: PG-13
Released: now playing at the Maple Art, 4135 W. Maple Rd., Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301.
Cast: Liam James (Duncan), Sam Rockwell (Owen), Steve Carell (Trent), Maya Rudolph (Caitlyn), Toni Collette (Pam) and Allison Janney (Betty) and AnnaSophia Robb (Susanna).
Our thoughts: "The Way Way Back" smells of summer and families will eat it up. All of the performances were good - although it was tough to see Carell's dark character. He plays the bullying stepfather Trent. Sam Rockwell's performance as the funny and genuinely kind mentor was brilliant. Also, the pairing of James and Robb ("Soul Surfer") seemed like a natural fit, as friends and comrades in arms against the adults in their life.
Academy-award winning screenwriters Nat Faxon and Jim Rash ("The Descendants") have created a refreshing and warmhearted summer movie, whose ratings are likely to heat up once word of its charm gets out.


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TotalTunes Control gives a lot of customizable shortcuts to control iTunes, search for a song, rate a song...
However, instead of other controllers, TotalTunes Control allows to quickly select a Playlist/Movie/TV Show. It means that you won't need to enlarge iTunes to select a new playlist.
iTunes is too large... close its window and open TotalTunes Control, it makes your life easier than ever.
What's New
- Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later
- iTunes 7.0 or later