text:
A new generation of technology means a new generation of engineers.
As a student of military history, I've always been impressed by the coordination required to keep our country safe. From our nation's earliest skirmishes to the invasion of Normandy and Operation Desert Storm, teamwork across all branches of the armed services has been essential to the protection of our nation, and the world.
It's much the same in our industry. When you step back and look at what has made us successful, it's clear that the contributions of all players have made it possible for us to continue to accelerate the development and deployment of services that attract and retain customers and generate revenue.
As we continue to launch new generations of cable technology, industry organizations are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with operators, vendors and programmers to make that evolution as seamless as possible. I'd like to spend some time here talking about how CableLabs and SCTE – in cooperation with NCTA – work harmoniously to help our industry drive innovation and deploy new services.
In the past, there may have been a perception that SCTE and CableLabs were competitive with each other, with a great deal of overlap in function. The reality is that we're two organizations that bring different skills to the table but share a common goal: new technology that advances cable's competitive advantage.
Over the past several years, CableLabs and SCTE have forged a stronger partnership, with each organization's strengths complementing the other's. CableLabs' focus on technology innovation is a perfect match for SCTE's sweet spot – standards, best practices and workforce development that helps the industry to efficiently and effectively bring the fruits of CableLabs' labors to market.
Since the day last year when Phil McKinney joined CableLabs as president and CEO, we've spent many hours blueprinting ways to optimize the benefits of our relationship for the industry. Similar discussions between our respective CTOs – CableLabs' Ralph Brown and our own Daniel Howard – and at other levels have filled in details that are essential to any smooth partnership. Building on those relationships, SCTE has increasingly been able to anticipate the needs of the industry, resulting in joint SCTE-CableLabs efforts that are accelerating deployment to scale of new programs that drive workforce training to new levels.
Many of you who attended SCTE Cable-Tec Expo 2012 in Orlando saw a first-hand example of how the relationship looks. In front of a standing-room-only crowd, our organizations collaborated on a special session that was designed to increase engineering and operations professionals' understanding of and readiness for DOCSIS 3.1.
Choreographed by Howard, Brown and CableLabs' vice president of access network technologies Dan Rice, the session was a 90-minute tutorial on the development progress of the new DOCSIS specification, the benefits it will bring to the industry, and what workforce and plant preparations must be made to ensure the smoothest and fastest rollout possible. With Howard, Brown and Rice pulling together a blue-ribbon team of presenters to provide as much information and guidance as possible, the event forged a template that we expect will be followed for similar joint endeavors in the future.
While the DOCSIS session was notable, it was only one of numerous examples of the enhanced relationship between our two organizations. Whether it's a seemingly small step, like McKinney joining me on an Expo panel with Dane Snowden from NCTA, or Brown's seat on the SCTE board of directors, or our complementary work in the other areas, we're finding that SCTE + CableLabs = immediate and long-term benefits for cable technology.
In business services, for example, SCTE's new Business Class Services Specialist training and certification draws in part on the Metro Ethernet Forum expertise of CableLabs and complements CableLabs' work in new access network technologies. SCTE's parallel and complementary role in network operations is rapidly expanding, creating opportunities for more of the innovation that has become a hallmark of CableLabs. And in energy management, CableLabs' work in driving down energy use in home devices works hand-in-glove with SCTE's focus on reducing energy costs and consumption and ensuring energy availability within the network.
No segment of the technology community – not SCTE, not CableLabs, not operators or vendors – can do this alone. The combination of a DOCSIS 3.1 rollout with prepped networks and trained engineers translates into better service delivery and faster time to market. And in the areas cited above and other current and future activities, the parallel approaches by CableLabs and SCTE will result in solutions that enable operators to bring together the best possible technologies and the greatest possible amount of engineering and operations expertise.
Like the best generals, we need to be prepared for each new battle on new fronts. The migration of IP services, the emergence of new revenue-generating products and the need to ensure the best-possible utilization of available energy sources will be the fruits of a new generation of cable technology that will be implemented by a new generation of engineering professionals.
Email: email@example.com
I've always been impressed by the coordination required to keep our country safe. From our nation's earliest skirmishes to the invasion of Normandy and Operation Desert Storm, teamwork across all branches of the armed services has been essential to the protection of our nation, and the world. It's much the same in our industry.


text:
Never miss a deal, always be up to date -
The most important events and product news
with the MUSIC STORE Newsletters!
free with orders starting at 298 € (within Sweden)
The Rico Royal Baritone Reeds Strength 2 Box Of 10 reed combines the features of the traditional Rico cut with a French file. Designed for advancing players, Rico Royal offers an even response across the registers and more clarity in the sound. Rico's updated reed-making machinery and state-of-the-art process have made today's Rico Royal reed more consistent than ever before. Rico Royal reeds are offered in a wider strength range than Rico "Orange Box."
The main features of the Rico Royal Baritone Reeds Strength 2 Box Of 10 include:
*Image may not indicate correct strength.
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


text:
Melbourne's tricky weather took a Christmas Day holiday this year when the sunshine arrived just in time for lunches and church services.
Torrential storms lashed Victoria on Christmas Day last year with strong winds, flash flooding, and hail the size of golf balls triggering 3000 distress calls.
But in 2012 there was no repeat of the terrible weather.
The weather bureau is forecasting mostly sunny conditions with a south-westerly breeze to continue across the state until after Boxing Day.
It was just what those heading to beaches, family get-togethers, or charitable events had been wishing for.
Claudia Kaster was one of the many self-proclaimed Christmas orphans at Federation Square on Tuesday afternoon for a community picnic.
"I love to be outside," said Ms Kaster, who lost her partner two years ago and didn't want to stay home alone.
"It's really great for people to come together."
Co-organiser Joe Norster said the annual "Orphans and Exiles" picnic, which saw the square adorned with 250 plastic pines, was designed to ensure everyone had somewhere to spend Christmas, providing "a sense of community".
Thousands also attended church services. Both Anglican and Catholic church leaders in Melbourne used their Christmas Day sermons to preach messages of peace and love and urge people to remember the less fortunate.
Sick children were greeted by Santa Claus who gave them presents at the Royal Children's Hospital first thing on Tuesday morning.
The jolly man was joined by firefighters as he visited patients and their families before heading to Monash Children's Hospital.
John Hutson, a professor of surgery at the hospital, said he was thrilled to be at the annual event for the 32nd time.
"It's for the children. Kids are stuck in hospital and it's cruel to be in hospital on Christmas Day," he said.
Many others, however, were still at work on the public holiday, including paramedics, police officers and veterinarians.
Emergency services reported no major incidents across the state on Tuesday, until a distress call came in late in the afternoon.
Police responded to a report of a capsized boat near Venus Bay, southeast of Melbourne but further details were not immediately available.


text:
The following people were arrested on felony charges by law enforcement agencies in Davidson County, and, unless noted otherwise, were either placed in the Davidson County Detention Center or released from custody and are scheduled to appear in Lexington District Court on the date given:
• Joe Marvin Franklin Jr., 42, of 107 E. First Ave., was charged with two counts of felony breaking and entering, two counts of larceny after breaking and entering and felony conspiracy to break and enter into a building, $2,000 secured bond, July 11.
• Betty Lou Stone, 67, of 117-A Pine St., Thomasville, was charged with felony possession of controlled substance on prison/jail premises, $1,000 secured bond, July 10.
• Tilwanna Sherri Moss, 41, of 608 Vine St., Apt. A, Thomasville, was charged with misdemeanor larceny and eight counts of felony obtaining property by false pretense, $10,000 secured bond, June 26, Thomasville.
• Michael Dacotah Link, 25, of 200 Murphy Drive, Room 130, was charged with felony breaking and entering, felony larceny after breaking and entering and injury to real property, $25,000 secured bond, Aug. 5.
• Justin Jamal Dickerson, 20, of 803 Mary James Ave., Thomasville, was charged with felony attempting to break and enter building and felony possession of burglary tools, $10,000 secured bond, July 10, Thomasville.
• Jacob Landon Gardner, 18, of 2855 W. Center St., was charged with felony assault inflicting serious bodily injury, $20,000 secured bond, July 15.
• Jeremy William Franks, 26, of 49 Mill St., was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, felony possession of cocaine and simple possession of schedule II controlled substance, $1,000 secured bond, Aug. 1.
• Erica Shanta Hudson, 22, of 301 James Ave., Apt. B, Thomasville, was charged with felony obtaining property by false pretense, $2,000 secured bond, July 24, Thomasville.
• Casey M. Stewart, 20, of 2811 Woodleigh St., Winston-Salem, was charged with felony possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, simple possession of schedule IV controlled substance and carrying concealed weapon, $2,000 secured bond, July 30.
• Edgar Louis Taplin III, 25, of 833 Montlieu Ave., High Point, was charged with felony obtaining property by false pretense, $2,500 secured bond, July 17, Thomasville.
• Samantha Leah Hoyle, 27, of 506 N. Railroad St., was charged with felony probation violation, $2,000 secured bond, July 8.
The following larcenies more than $1,000 were reported to the Davidson County Sheriff's Office and the Lexington Police Department:
• Jewelry items valued at $1,539 were reported stolen from a home on Kennedy Road in Thomasville between June 8 and 10:10 a.m. Wednesday.
• A 1992 Honda Prelude valued at $1,700 was reported stolen from a home on Country Lane in Midway between 6:30 a.m. and 7:01 p.m. Friday.
• A 2001 Honda ATV valued at $1,300 was reported stolen from a home on Wildflower Trail between 4:30 p.m. Friday and 11:09 a.m. Saturday.
• An antique clock, 32-inch television, clock and checkbook valued at $1,710 were reported stolen from a home on Arnold Road between 11 p.m. Wednesday and 12:08 p.m. Saturday.
• A ventilation fan, storage unit lock, commercial office door, audio amplifier, audio speakers, audio microphone, combination safe, women's auxiliary sign and chain saw valued at $4,100 were reported stolen from a nonresidential premise on Central Avenue between 9 a.m. Saturday and 7:13 a.m. Sunday.
• A total of $2,100 in cash was reported stolen from a home on Glenwood Drive between 8 a.m. and 3:04 p.m. Friday.


text:
....has produced more unexpected results. Today I drove to the Wichita, Kansas animal shelter to seek at least one of two seal-points shown on their web site. After I finally found the shelter, it was realized that I was an hour early before they opened the doors. Right after I pulled into the parking lot, another car pulled in beside me. In it were an elderly couple with a cat to surrender to the shelter. She took the cat to the entrance for surrendered animals. In a few minutes she came back out, which she said, "they practically ran me out of the place" because, they didn't open the doors until 11:00 AM I noticed the pet carrier inwhich they had the cat, and remarked, "that is a pretty orange tabby cat you have there". She went on to explain that it was rescued from a business, and presented to her by her daughter. After some explaining, she asked "Do you want him?". Of course I said, "Yes". ('Cannot allow a beautiful orange tabby kitten be placed in a shelter where he may be euthanized). She went on to say that he keeps running in front of me, and we are too old to mess around with a cat, because of the danger of falling down, and besides, I am not interested in driving all the way out here again to surrender a cat! Also, she said that he was a very affectionate kitty and that he had his shots and vet's check-up. So, I took the kitten, and waited another 40 minutes for the shelter to open up. Afterwards, I went in and was told that both the seal-point Siamese that I had been looking for had been adopted yesterday. But that didn't make too much difference to me, since I rescued another very pretty (orange tabby) kitten.
On the way home, I drove through a small country town, where some folks had set up a yard-sale sign, with some goods displayed. I immediately recognized a pet carrier on the display table. So, I stopped and bought it because I was going to purchase a new one at Walmart's when I got home. Upon closer inspection it appeard brand new, and for only $5.00:) . (The 200-mile round trip was worth the effort for both the kitten and the new pet carrier.)
I brought the orange tabby inside, and almost immediately he began playing with Callie with a dangly-bird cat-toy, after a few hisses, but nothing important. She was right, he is very affectionate and loyal kitten,and his coat has definitely an orange hue. I havn't named him yet. He is about the same age as Midnight- probably about 4-5 months. I plan to take him to my vets' in the morning for a regular check up. This is another case of being at the right place, at the right time, because if I had been 5 minutes later, I would have missed the rescue.:D He is a cuddler kitten, who follow me around the house and purrs whenever I pick him up. Right now he is a little overwhelmed by the number of furkids, who want to know him, because he whines, and growls at them. But there has been no aggressive behavior from the others. This is a good sign of him fitting into my menagerie after a few days.:)


text:
Women's ASICS AYAMi SkortItem #ASW3050
VIP:$40.49 Get This Price
Loading product details ...
Reviews (1)
Need Help?
Product Description:
Women's ASICS® AYAMi Skort :: A versatile workout tog, designed with the AYAMi™ woman in mind. The fit is flattering and the security pocket on the internal boy short is perfect for concealing money or keys. The graphic design adds additional flair.
Features & Benefits:
Reviewed by 1 customer
Best Uses
Comments about Womens ASICS AYAMi Skort Fitness Skirts:
Very soft and well made. The sides of the skirt are scalloped causing the skirt to shape down vs. flare out on the bottom. I prefer more of a flared bottom to the skirt.
Your Help Is Here
Shop with confidence knowing your team of Fit Experts is waiting to answer all your questions. You can always find your perfect product and your perfect fit. Your Road Runner Sports Fit Experts will make sure you get exactly what you want and have tons of fun in the process! Give us a call, chat, or email!
Call 800-743-3206 to
You May Also Like


text:
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Fri 21st Oct 2011 23:17 UTC, submitted by jello
So, how serious is the legal battle between Apple and the various Android phone makers, really? Surely, it's just logical business sense that's behind it, right? Calculated, well-planned precision strikes designed to hurt Android where simply making better, more innovative products isn't enough? Well, no, not really. We already knew Steve Jobs took this personal - now we know just how personal.
Thread beginning with comment 493722
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
"I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple's $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong," Jobs said. "I'm going to destroy Android, because it's a stolen product. I'm willing to go thermonuclear war on this."
I watched WarGames recently too! More a less a direct quote from the film, albeit was 'Global thermonuclear war'.


text:
Heartbroken Ronan Keating turned to drink to help him cope with the breakdown of his marriage, admitting he has had "a horrible past few months".
The Boyzone star recently split from his wife of 14 years, Yvonne, and the Irish singer admits he hit the bottle as he struggled to come to terms with being single.
In a candid interview with The Mirror newspaper he says, "It's been a horrible past few months. This has been by far the hardest thing I have ever had to contend with in my life, the hardest thing Yvonne and I have had to do together.
"The decision was horrible but it was for the best, and we are great now and still very close. We really are friends and the most important thing is that the kids are OK and happy, that they're not affected.
"In a situation like this, children are always the priority, they always come first. I still see my kids, that side of things is completely fine - there are no issues. I've lost a bit of weight. I run a lot and basically I haven't been eating - just drinking all the f**king time. It's not healthy, really."
Even though he is moving on with his life, Ronan has no immediate plans to begin dating again, adding, "This whole split has been incredibly painful. I am very much single now but can't even contemplate dating again - that is the last thing on my mind, even the thought of it terrifies me. I'm just not interested."
There has been some good coming out of his heartbreak - it has opened up the creative floodgates.
He tells The Sun: "You can reflect on what's happened in your life and write. It's like somebody flicked a switch and I'm ready to write again."
Ronan and Yvonne initially split in 2010 amid allegations Keating had a fling with a dancer, but the couple rekindled the romance several months later. They split again late last year and announced the news in April.


text:
Italian researchers found that men who took green tea catechins for one year reduced their risk of developing prostate cancer.
In the study, only one of 32 men at high risk of developing prostate cancer were diagnosed with the disease, while nine of 30 in a control group did. They found epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) targeted prostate cancer cells for death, without damaging benign controls.


text:
Harvick wins 54th Coca-Cola 600; Kahne second
Kevin Harvick won his second Coca-Cola 600 on Saturday and his second in the past three years.
Harvick becomes the 14th different driver to win multiple Coca-Cola 600s.
"It was just a great night," Harvick said. "(Crew chief) Gil (Martin) made a great call at the end, and we were able to put ourselves in position and survive up until to the point it was time to go."
Kasey Kahne led with 15 laps to go, but chose not to pit as the rest of the lead lap cars came to pit road, including second-place Harvick.
"It was definitely our race to lose, especially those last hundred laps," Kahne said. "We just thought that some of the guys would stay out. I think there's three cars that just pitted within the last couple laps — five or six laps — just felt like they'd stay out and that would be a big enough buffer to someone who had two or four tires that we could get away. It didn't happen."
On the ensuing restart, Harvick passed Kahne and remained ahead for the final 14 laps of the race.
"The only frame of mind I was in was don't screw," Harvick said of his approach on the restart. "I knew they had put me in the best position to win the race. You don't want to make a mistake on a restart."
Kurt Busch overcame issues with his battery late in Saturday's race to come away in third place.
"It was a great run for our Furniture Row guys," Busch said. "We did the best we could with 600 miles. Solid pit stops. The car was a little tight here and a little loose there. All in all, brought it home third. Congratulations to Harvick. They're teammates of ours. It's great to see information bridge over. Happy for those guys to win. We got third. That's a good points night."
The night was marred by an incident involving a television cable that broke on Lap 122, which damaged several cars, including Marcos Ambrose, Trevor Bayne and then-race leader Kyle Busch.
The cable not only hampered race cars, but injured 10 fans. Charlotte Motor Speedway officials confirmed at the end of Saturday's race that all of those fans were treated and released from either on-track facilities or local hospitals.
Kyle Busch led 65 laps in the 600, but eventually blew his engine on Lap 252 — the same lap that Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s expiring engine caused a multiple car incident with Greg Biffle, Travis Kvapil and Dave Blaney.
The end of the race featured several incidents on the track that took out Sprint Cup points leader Jimmie Johnson, teammate Jeff Gordon, defending Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski and Danica Patrick among others.
After finishing as the runner up in last week's NASCAR All-Star Race, Joey Logano came in fifth place in the Coca-Cola 600.
Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex, Jr. and Marcos Ambrose rounded out the top 10.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is in Dover, Del. next week.
Multiple winners in the Coca-Cola 600
Darrell Waltrip (1978-79, 1985, 1988-89)
Buddy Baker (1968, 1972-73)
David Pearson (1961, 1974, 1976)
Bobby Allison (1971, 1981, 1984)
Dale Earnhardt (1986, 1992-93)
Jeff Gordon (1994, 1997-98)
Kevin Harvick (2011, 2013)
Jimmie Johnson (2003-05)
Kasey Kahne (2006, 2008, 2012)
Jeff Burton (1999, 2001)
Neil Bonnett (1982-83)
Richard Petty (1975-77)
Jim Paschal (1964, 1967)
Fred Lorenzen (1963, 1965)


text:
2006 Football
Bluffton 26, Anderson 11
Beavers improve to 2-2 in HCAC with 26-11 victory at Anderson
October 21, 2006
ANDERSON, Indiana - The Bluffton University football team took advantage of an injury-riddled Anderson University offense as the Beavers improved to 3-4, and 2-2 in the Heartland Conference with its 26-11 victory over the Ravens on Saturday, October 21, 2006. Anderson, without the services of its top two quarterbacks and All-American running back Denny Kimmel, found moving the ball difficult against the tough Beaver defense as the Ravens fell to 1-6, 0-4 HCAC.
Anderson got on the scoreboard first when Scot Schnebelt booted a 33-yard field goal on the Ravens first possession following a nine-play, 53-yard drive midway through the first quarter.
Bluffton responded with a 4 minute, 23 second drive of its own which was capped by a four-yard touchdown toss from Jared Owens (Van Wert/Crestview) to junior receiver Anthony Bryant (Reynoldsburg/Reynoldsburg). The 11-play, 80-yard drive included a healthy dose of Owens, on the ground and through the air, along with tailback AJ Ramthun (Springfield/Southeastern). During the drive, the Beavers converted on two third downs and scored on a fourth and two from the Anderson four-yard line.
Late in the first quarter, defensive end Kyle Rode (Delphos/Jefferson) blocked Schnebelt's punt attempt and the Beavers recovered on the Anderson 12-yard line. The Raven defense lived up to its billing, leaving Bluffton's Justin Guy (Oregon/Lake) with a 25-yard field goal as Bluffton took a 10-3 lead thanks to excellent field position.
Although the Beavers continued with great field position through the second stanza, both offenses struggled to move the ball until Bluffton took over with 6:24 to play in the first half. Owens found Joel Sienicki (Goshen, Ind/Northridge) for an 11-yard gain before picking up another first down with a 23-yard run. Guy converted on a 33-yard field goal after Anderson was penalized for roughing him when his 38-yard attempt went awry.
On Bluffton's next possession, its final of the opening half, the receiving tandem of Bryant and Michael Brown (N. Wales Pa./Calvary Christian Academy) led the way until Owens finished the drive with four runs for 18 yards and a touchdown, giving the Beavers a 19-3 halftime advantage.
The Ravens put together their only touchdown scoring drive of the afternoon on their first possession of the second half. Hyman Smith picked up Anderson's fumbled kickoff return and raced to the Bluffton 42-yard line, giving the Ravens a short field to work with. Vanderbrush moved the Ravens with his arm and completed the drive with an eight-yard scoring pass to Smith less than four minutes into the quarter.
Following Gordon Hagen's (Toledo/Libbey) second interception of the contest, the Beavers took over on the Bluffton 39-yard line. Consecutive Bluffton penalties gave the Beavers a second and 23 from the visitors' 26-yard line where Owens found a streaking Anthony Bryant for a 74-yard touchdown and 26-11 lead, successfully thwarting any chance of a Raven comeback with five minutes left in the game.
Bluffton forced Anderson to throw the ball, which it did unsuccessfully, on its final possession before the Beavers turned the game over to junior tailback Terence Clayton (Napoleon/Napoleon) who rushed on seven consecutive plays, picking up two first downs and burning the final 3:06 off the game clock
The Beavers picked up 18 first downs to only 11 for the Ravens while outgaining their counterparts from Anderson, 393 yards to 192. Bluffton was balanced offensively, throwing for 200 yards and picking up 193 on the ground. The Beavers converted on 7 of 17 third down opportunities while stopping Anderson on 12 of its 15 chances. Each time Bluffton entered the red zone, the Beavers put points on the board as they held the ball for 33:43.
Owens led the Beavers with 113 yards rushing on 25 attempts. He also completed 13 of 26 passes for 200 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Bryant hauled in five receptions for 119 yards and two scores, including a 74-yarder to ice the game. Aaron Whitlock (Grove City/Central Crossing) picked up three catches while Brown chipped in with two.
Jeremy Anderson (South Rockwood, Mi./Airport High) and Sam McCullough (Bluffton/Bluffton) led the Bluffton tacklers with eight apiece. Hagen picked off two passes for 43 yards and Rode tallied six tackles with a 16-yard sack.
The Beavers return home to Salzman Stadium on Saturday, October 28, 2006, to face the Hanover College Panthers. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.


text:
|Send News. Want a reply? Read this. More in the FAQ. News Forum - All Forums - Mobile - PDA - RSS Headlines Twitter
A new post on the Steam Website says ARMA II is now available "worldwide" via Steam. Bohemia Interactive's military shooter sequel appeared on Steam late last week, and it was released in Europe before that, so it's not clear what previously unserved territories are now entitled to the game, but there it is. The boxed retail edition of ARMA II is expected in North American stores on July 7.
Copyright © 1996-2018 Stephen Heaslip. All rights reserved.
All trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
Privacy Policy.
News CGI copyright © 1999-2018 James "furn" Furness &
Blue's News.
All rights reserved.
Chatbear v1.4.0/blue++: Page generated 24 May 2018, 02:34.
Chatbear Announcements.


text:
The Dolphins call this a measuring stick game.
And I would tell you that most observers who measure the Dolphins see them as a mediocre team -- at best. So what does a mediocre team do with starters that aren't quite stars but are good enough to threaten significant attention in free agency?
Whatever the Dolphins do it means the price of doing business with these players is going waaaay up after this season.
Whatever you think of Brian Hartline or Sean Smith or Randy Starks, all of them are going to get significant pay raises after their contract expire this year and heading into free agency. All of them. I tell you here the contract neighborhood those players expect to be after 2012.
I tell you where the contract talks are with those players. I also tell you here which player has had no contract negotiations with the Dolphins and is likely to be done playing for Miami after this season. (Hint: He plays running back).
Back to the measuring stick issue, today will offer comparison between the Dolphins and a team with championship aspirations. The Patriots, as you may know, are 18-0 in the second half of seasons since 2010, including 2-0 this year.
They're good.
So if the players we discuss above have a great game against New England or help the Dolphins beat the Patriots today, they will argue they're worth their high asking price. Fair.
But what if Miami loses? Does that mean those guys aren't worth it? I don't think so. The truth is the Dolphins can't really lose ground this offseason. They lost ground before this season in dealing away Brandon Marshall and Vontae Davis and now wide receiver and cornerback are team needs.
So they're going to lose Sean Smith or Brian Hartline -- a cornerback and wide receiver -- and make a hole a bigger hole? It's an interesting situation.
By the way, there's a live blog today. Starts in the comment section. I'll be there around kickoff.


text:
'The Ultimate Fighter Nations' Finale Preview
Bisping vs. Kennedy
A title shot has thus far eluded Michael "The Count" Bisping. | Photo: Daniel Herbertson/Sherdog.com
If the animosity, or lack thereof, between Canada and Australia on "The Ultimate Fighter Nations" left you wanting more, fear not fight fans: Michael Bisping and Tim Kennedy have you covered. The two middleweights have been trading barbs on social media, blogs and YouTube for months now, setting the stage for a chippy headliner on Wednesday at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Now that the talking -- and tweeting -- is done, all that remains is for the two rivals to settle their feud in the Octagon.
By comparison, relations between opposing "The Ultimate Fighter Nations" coaches Kyle Noke and Patrick Cote were positively cordial. With both men looking to make a mark in the welterweight division, their interaction in the cage should prove to be far more interesting than what went down on set. In addition, middleweight and welterweight winners from the reality show will be crowned, adding to the perpetually expanding list of athletes who can call themselves "Ultimate Fighters."
Here is a closer look at "The Ultimate Fighter Nations" Finale card, with analysis and picks:
MiddleweightsMichael Bisping (24-5, 14-5 UFC) vs. Tim Kennedy (17-4, 2-0 UFC)
Photo: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
Kennedy has won three straight.
Kennedy's animosity toward the Brit goes all the way back to UFC 127, where Bisping defeated his Ranger Up comrade Jorge Rivera. The fight was mired in controversy, as Bisping landed an illegal knee in round one that Rivera's team labeled intentional. After Bisping earned the technical knockout win in the second frame, he yelled and spit in the direction of Rivera's corner. Like Rivera before him, Kennedy has taken to YouTube to mock Bisping, and the two have also traded jabs all over the Internet.
Whether the animosity is real or manufactured matters little come fight night, however. Of greater concern is if Bisping experiences any lingering effects after a lengthy recovery process for a detached retina suffered in training. While even Bisping himself has said the eye will never be exactly the same, he has been cleared to compete inside the Octagon.
Kennedy is a tough draw for a comeback fight. While the former U.S. Army Special Forces member is not always pretty to watch, he is extremely tenacious and nearly impossible to put away. His only losses while competing for Strikeforce and the Ultimate Fighting Championship have come in five-round affairs against top-10 foes Ronaldo Souza and Luke Rockhold. Kennedy showed a different element to his game at UFC Fight Night 31, where he knocked out Rafael Natal with a jumping left hook late in the first round of their headlining bout. For the most part, Kennedy has not been a knockout artist on the feet, but his boxing has proven to be more than good enough to help him pressure his opponents. That could change as he continues to develop at Jackson-Wink MMA.
No matter what, expect Kennedy to be in Bisping's face from the outset. The Strikeforce veteran will attempt to land takedowns and drain "The Ultimate Fighter 3" winner in the clinch. It is possible that Kennedy could try to make this bout look something like Bisping's meeting with Chael Sonnen in January 2012, although the Strikeforce veteran is not nearly the decorated wrestler that Sonnen is. Even though Bisping lost the Sonnen fight via decision, he more than held his own with former NCAA All-American in the clinch, and he was often able to quickly return to his feet when taken down.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out over a five-round fight. Conditioning should not be an issue for either man. Bisping, with his boxing, movement and footwork, is the more technical striker, but he is rarely a knockout threat. Some of this has to do with his reliance on straight punches, which are most effective when he can bait an opponent into chasing him. If Kennedy is able to circle effectively, Bisping will have to vary his attack a little more.
Bisping has been known to mix in the occasional takedown himself, but Kennedy's defensive wrestling is solid, making it far more likely that "The Count" stays on his bicycle to attempt to control the distance.
If Kennedy can get takedowns consistently, especially as time progresses, he is smothering from top position. Even if he struggles to control Bisping on the mat, Kennedy can stay busy with dirty boxing and knees in the clinch. However, it is worth noting that before he was able to land the knockout blow against Natal, Kennedy ate his share of straight punches and leg kicks as he struggled to track down his Brazilian opponent. Bisping is far more advanced than Natal in terms of movement and striking, so Kennedy will need to do a better job of cutting off the cage.
The Pick: This could go either way, but look for Kennedy's persistence to pay off as he gradually outworks Bisping to capture a narrow decision.
Next Fight » Kyle Noke vs. Patrick Cote


text:
It's back: Warm Mineral Springs reopens
SUN PHOTO BY ANNE KLOCKENKEMPER, email@example.com
Warm Mineral Springs opened for swimming only Saturday morning and, while the day began slowly, more bathers came to enjoy the 87-degree, mineral-rich waters as the day wore on.
SUN PHOTO BY ANNE KLOCKENKEMPER, firstname.lastname@example.com
Visiting family from New York, Danielle Faynberg, 9, looks toward shore as she floats on a raft in Warm Mineral Springs Saturday.
SUN PHOTO BY ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH, email@example.com
North Port City Commissionier Tom Jones wades into Warm Mineral Springs Saturday morning after it reopened to the public.
SUN PHOTO BY ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH, firstname.lastname@example.com
A small group of residents line up Saturday just before 9 a.m. for the opening of Warm Mineral Springs.
SUN PHOTO BY ANNE KLOCKENKEMPER, firstname.lastname@example.com
Warm Mineral Springs staff, left, welcome customers to the attraction. Many who came to the Springs' opening day Saturday expressed how happy they were the site is no longer closed.
Lawn chairs and beach towels dotted the shoreline and the smell of sunscreen was in the air as Warm Mineral Springs officially reopened Saturday.
The 87-degree, mineral-rich water wasn't filled "body-to-body" as it was when Anna Chambers first visited the Springs from Canada 29 seasons ago, but by early afternoon there were lap swimmers in the middle, children splashing in the shallows and walkers skirting the perimeter.


text:
Social Media is an instrument for communication
Read more
Social media are media for social interaction, a set of methods to enhance social communication, using techniques that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content. The common link between social media websites is that users are able to interact with the website and with other visitors.
Getting involved with social media is essential in today's world. For organizations, social media participation can help maintain contact with users even when they have left their website, and learn more about their preferences and habits. For individuals and professionals it is a great tool for getting to know new interesting people, keep in touch with website users and make professional contacts. Adding social buttons to a website helps visitors to share the content more easily with their networks and increase the amount of traffic to the site in question.
External Links: What is Social Media? | Using White Space in your designs | Social Media Directory


text:
Sustainable Water Integrated Management Programme (SWIM) programme has started its network of demonstration activities in the Meditereanean.
Funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the SWIM- Sustain Water MED programmes overall objective is to contribute to the security of water resources supply in the Mediterranean region. it also aims to enhance and institutionalise non-conventional water resources in partnering countires.
SWIM will therefore controbute in creating a network of demonstation pilot activies on on adequate wastewater treatment and reuse in 4 target countries (Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia) being implemented by the programme partners. These activities will demonstrate innovative approaches related to dierent stages of sustainable integrated wastewater treatment and reuse. The main focus will lie on the treatment of municipal wastewater for irrigation purposes. In Jordan, the programme will help demonstrate (Jointly with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation) how treating wastewater with conventional centralized and alternative decentralized technologies can be reused in agriculture and the restoration of the environment.
In Morocco (State Secretary for Water), tackling wastewater at its source through source separation, decentralized treatment will demonstarte its efficiency in its reuse for energy and agricultural production, as well as improving rainwater harvesting. Jointly withr
In Tunisia (Jointly with the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture), the programme will work on controlling treated wastewater quality at storage and transfer to end users, including water quality based contracts between farmers and (waste) water providers. In Egypt, Providing secondary treatment and applying treated water for irrigation in agriculture will be the main goal, jointly with the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation. demonstration activities will therefore pour into a regional aspcet of knowledge exchange and capacity building, to ensure a common approach that allows for mutual learning and the comparison of results,allowing for a common established framework. The Programme Partners: Adelphi Research gGmbH – Germany, ENEA Agenzia nationale per le nuove tecnologie, l'energia e lo sviluppo económico sostenibile) – Italy, IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature – Belgium, BAU Al-Balqa' Applied University - Jordan, HCWW Holding Co. for Water and Wastewater - Egypt NRC National Research Centre - Egypt, ONAS Oce National de l'Assainissement - Tunisia, ABH-SMD Agence du Bassin Hydraulique du Souss-Massa et Drâa - Morocco For more information, kindly visit the webiste below. http://www.swim-sm.eu/


text:
Today Activision officially confirmed rumors from earlier in the week regarding the "Uprising" map pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. The map pack is coming to Xbox 360 on April 16, and includes four new maps and a zombie map with a mobster twist.
The "Mob of the Dead" zombie map does take place on Alcatraz as speculated, but the surprise is in its stars. It will feature four actors known for their roles playing mafioso: Ray Liotta, Chazz Palminteri, Joe Pantoliano, and Michael Madsen. The foursome of wise guys will play prohibition-era mobsters serving time in Alcatraz for their crimes. They even get their own mob flick era names, like Billy Handsome (Liotta), Al "The Weasel" Arlington (Pantoliano), Salvatore "Sal" DeLuca (Palmentiri), and Michael "Finn" O'Leary (Madsen).
This being a zombie map, they're quickly surrounded by the undead and have to escape the island while fighting off guards and fellow prisoners who have turned. Those beaten by the zombies will enter "Purgatory," an afterlife sequence with its own set of objectives.
Activision detailed the other four maps as well. "Magma" is a Japanese village next to a volcano, "Encore" takes place just after a London music festival, "Vertigo" is in an Indian high rise, and "Studio" is a remake of the Black Ops map "Firing Range," taking place on a Hollywood back lot.
As usual, the Uprising map pack will cost $15 (1200 MSP) and is available through the Season Pass. The announcement didn't detail PC or PS3 plans, but those platforms are likely to hit about a month after the Xbox 360 versions.
BOOM video 15105


text:
Dobrosav "Bob" Živković is a Serbian illustrator from Belgrade. He graduated from the Faculty of Applied Arts in Belgrade in 1987. He published his first work in student magazines like Student and Vidici in 1982. He established himself as a science fiction and fantasy illustrator in the 1980s, making cover illustrations for the Znak Sagite imprint and the fantasy annual Monolit.
He also made illustrations for magazines like Alaf, Politikin Zabavnik and Zeka, and had a popular children's comic called 'Jajzi' in Tik-Tak from 1987 to 1998. In the late 1990s Živković was Art Director and illustrator for the Saatchi & Saatchi offices in Serbia and Slovenia. He continues working in advertising business as well as a freelancer illustrator.


text:
With over 7 acres of hands-on displays and gardens and with over 40 years of experience in sustainability practice, the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) inspires thousands of visitors every year. Based in beautiful Mid Wales, the Centre overlooks the Snowdonia National Park, renowned for its stunning scenery and outdoor activities. Join us with your family, friends or come alone and explore what you can do!
Latest from the Blog
CAT e-news
Gift Membership


text:
When Duke3D was released, the engine was a fair bit behind its main competitors but it was fun because of the detailed artwork (especially the huge, complex levels) and the main character's one-lin
Someone with a subscription needs to tag this story Vaporware.
I'm not sure which would be worse
Spore seems like one of those projects that, if it remains vapor too long, should spark some "Linus of gaming" to start an open-source take on the whole thing. What I love about the concept of Spore is that its so modular - add some standards and it should be possible to share all the bits and pieces o
I really feel like the person who wrote the article doesn't know what he is talking about.
Nah. Procedural programming is indeed what made a project of this complexity possible. Just try to program Spore in line-number Basic, I dare you.
It's not that they're wrong that Spore is innovative this way(assuming it's ever more than vaporware), but rather that they do an exceptionally poor job of describing the way it works...The distinction here isn't between gated logic trees and 'actions', it's between static and dynamic content.
I think that part of the issue here is that they've both confused the concept of procedural programming(...) with procedural generation then proceded to give a better description of the first.
Exactly. And procedural generation isn't hard to understand (at least conceptually), he could just have given a brief on fractals, since they are a well-known example of procedural content generation. A tiny piece of code generates a nice-looking picture. And regardless of how much you zoom in, it never becomes pixelated, as new content is generated on the fly. The Mandelbrot set is an excellent example.
The word infinite gets abused quite a bit.
I agree
According to one of the talks, a Spore world is about an 80K data structure when compressed. 2^640000 is a really big number. My fuzzy back-of-the-napkin count gives something like 2^240 hydrogen atoms in the universe. I think hard math either needs to learn to share the word infinite or it had better file a trademark
That article is terrible. It reads like a 9 year old trying to explain something he doesn't understand.
Of course - since many today tend to do object oriented programming (for good and bad) the procedural programming may seem "fresh" for some.
And there are other programming areas that can be considered too;
Every game on the face of the earth advertises dynamic content in one form or another, and almost all of them fail miserably. Why?
With games I design, I strive to avoid this by doing what those games won't dare to do. Flexibility is key here, and it is really not that hard to achieve! It is the difference between designing your game around the dynamic content, or designing the dynamic content around the game. (It may also be the reason I have yet to release anything).
Arbitrary things are fun, but only when coupled with 100% user controllable variables. Two of my projects rely on a system where everything in the game world is created dynamically around a small number of settings that blend together in every aspect of the presentation. These variables procedurally control appearance, audio presentation and actual gameplay behaviour in a weighted manner, where each value has unique properties. This means everything is unique, but at the same time tied to a consistent set of rules.
What I found rather quickly just by pondering it was that this made for an experience that was too predictable in the sense that the player could really easily figure out the dynamics of the actual game. The world becomes reliable and believable, which is good for that exploration mechanic (where the player can actually learn 'the world' instead of 'the game'), but it is too simple to figure out. Thus, I throw in some fun little arbitrary events that happen with certain magical combinations, and it's much more exciting! The difference between m
From the description, this doesn't sound like procedural programming. It sounds like a rule engine. One of those things where there are rules that fire if the current situation meets all the preconditions. Multiple rules can fire simultaneously, and you need conflict-resolution logic to to choose which one to use when there's a conflict. If rules fire that want to set both "turn=right" and "turn=left", then some priority system or random choice has to pick one. And some hysteresis may be needed to preven
We appreciate the honest feedback and correction regarding the content of this article. While it was well intentioned, it was inaccurate and for that we apologize. Accordingly this article has been removed.
%DCL-MEM-BAD, bad memory VMS-F-PDGERS, pudding between the ears


text:
Bob Huggins spent one season (2006-07) at Kansas State before returning to take over as coach at his alma mater. Throughout his career, Huggins' teams have been rugged defenders and rebounders. In their first season in the Big 12, the Mountaineers hope to get a boost from three newcomers who sat out last season after transferring from Division I programs. One of those, 6-10 sophomore center Aaric Murray, could combine with 6-9 senior Deniz Kilicli to give West Virginia an imposing front line.
Coach: Bob Huggins, 120-56 in 5 seasons, 710-267 in 30 seasons.
Last season: 19-14 overall, 9-9 in Big East Conference.
NCAA Tournament: Lost to Gonzaga in second round.
Top players
Senior center Deniz Kilicli (10.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg), sophomore guard Aaron Brown (4.2 ppg), sophomore guard Jabarie Hinds, (7.4 ppg, team-high 108 assists), sophomore forward Kevin Noreen, sophomore guard Gary Browne, sophomore center Aaric Murray, sophomore guard Juwan Staten, senior guard Matt Humphrey.
Coach Huggins says
"We're going to try and play a little faster. We're going to try to up the tempo and play a little faster and do maybe some of the things that we did when I was at Cincinnati than what we've done. I didn't really like playing as slow as we had to play, but I like losing less. You have to do what you have to do."
West Virginia has three transfers from Division I schools who are eligible this season: Aaric Murray (LaSalle), Juwan Staten (Dayton), Matt Humphrey (Boston College). ... Since Bob Huggins returned to his alma mater, West Virginia has made the NCAA Tournament five consecutive years. That's the best run in school history since 1955-60. ... West Virignia had defeated 20 nationally ranked teams under Huggins. Eight of those victories came over top 10 foes during the last four seasons. ... West Virginia played six overtime games last season, tied for the most in the country. The Mountaineers won four. One of those overtime defeats came against Baylor, an 83-81 loss last December. ... West Virginia was 15-6 overall and 5-2 in the Big East when Kevin Noreen was lost with a broken ankle. The Mountaineers lost eight of their last 12. Noreen, a 6-10 sophomore, doesn't produce individual numbers but he helps a team win.
Season opener
Nov. 12 at Gonzaga
Top nonconference games
Dec. 5 vs. Marshall
Dec. 8 vs. Virginia Tech
Dec. 15 vs. Michigan
Jan. 19 at Purdue
Conference opener
Jan. 5 vs. Oklahoma


text:
Davidson County Clerk of Superior Court Brian Shipwash's charge of possessing an airsoft gun on the campus of the Charlotte School of Law has been voluntarily dismissed. The charge was dropped Aug. 9 in Mecklenburg County, according to court records.
Davidson County Clerk of Superior Court Brian Shipwash's charge of possessing an airsoft gun on the campus of the Charlotte School of Law has been voluntarily dismissed. The charge was dropped Aug. 9 in Mecklenburg County, according to court records.
Shipwash, 42, was served Feb. 5 with a misdemeanor criminal summons for the charge of weapons on campus/educational property.
Officer C.J. Pierce alleged Shipwash brought the airsoft gun on the property of the Charlotte School of Law on Feb. 1. Airsoft guns are spring-powered and are single-shot devices that launch plastic pellets. They are sold at stores, such as Walmart, other retail establishments and sporting good stores.
"I had the upmost confidence in our judicial process, and I knew once this allegation had proper screening that those who knew the law would find that a dismissal of this case would be proper," Shipwash said Monday.
Shipwash explained the airsoft gun was not functional.
"In cases such as mine where I go on school property as well as in the courthouse, where I am not authorized to carry a weapon, the second best alternative is the perception of lethal force should I ever be approached or attacked, and (I) feel like I need to give someone that perception," the clerk of court said. "You (referring to himself) have ruled against people for 15 years in matters involving money, family, kids. People do not appreciate the animosities that are sometimes created."
Shipwash said he is no longer carrying the airsoft gun after the February incident. He said the weapon fell out of his work bag on the school campus, where he has been pursuing a law degree.
"At no time did I ever brandish or show it," he said. "It unfortunately fell out of (his work) bag."
Shipwash said he was placed on academic probation while the charge was pending disposition in court. He said he's been assured by the school the probation status would be lifted once he showed a certified copy of the charge being dismissed.
"I think it was an over-reaching, overreaction by the law enforcement officials who were brought in prematurely by a school who did not properly investigate," Shipwash said. "… While I believe it could have been handled better by the director of security, I hold no bitterness (toward the Charlotte School of Law)."
William T. Harper, director of security for the Charlotte School of Law, declined to comment on the case, and a school spokesman was not immediately available for comment Monday afternoon. A spokesman for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department also was not immediately available for comment.
Shipwash, who is planning on running for re-election in 2014, says he is slated to finish law school in 2016.
"This is just to achieve my law degree," he said. "I wish to continue to serve Davidson County at least through the year 2022 if not beyond. I signed a contract, a declaration if you will; that is my goal. My goal is not to be a judge, not to be a lawyer. My goal is to be the best Clerk of Superior Court, and this law degree will help me do that."
Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
What is the band's name and how did it get that name?
Jump Taxi. We honestly went to band name generator and that popped up. We had two other names in mind, and so we put out a survey and Jump Taxi won.
Who are the members (full names) and what towns are they from?
Rickey Cornwall – Fox River Grove
Justin Lebreck – Cary
Matt John – Cary
Kevin Speilmann – Cary
James Allen – Fox River Grove
Kyle Loeffel – Cary
What instruments does each of your band members play?
Rickey Cornwall – lead vocals
Justin Lebreck – keys, vocals
Matt John – guitar
Kevin Speilmann – guitar/vocals
James Allen – drums
Kyle Loeffel – bass/vocals
How did the band get started?
Basically, most of us have been close friends since high school and always talked about creating a band. It wasn't until 10 years later we actually decided to pursue it, and our schedules lined up. We formed just over two years ago. Our original drummer was recently replaced by James [Allen].
Describe the music you play.
We play all the hits, everything from classic rock to new country and everything in between.
What makes your act different?
Our keys [Lebreck] is the owner of Waysound Recording Studios [in Fox River Grove]. He is a very skilled audio engineer and has designed our in-ear system and front-of-house mixes to deliver high-quality audio for every live show. We often use what we call a quiet stage setup where the actual stage noise is at a minimum so we have complete control of the mixes for the audience. We obtain this by using an isolation box for our drummer. Depending on the place we play, we use this setup.
Who are the band's three biggest influences?
That's tough to narrow down because we are such a diverse group and play all the genres. That being said, Journey, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Luke Bryan would have to be up there.
Why should people come see you (in 50 words or less)?
Not only do we offer a great variety of hits to dance, sing or just listen to, we take pride in our talents and being able to perform the songs the way they should be performed and have fun while we do it.
What is the best thing about being a musician?
Being able to express your emotions in a song. Whether it's one you wrote or just one that means a lot to you is one of the most freeing feelings in the world.
Pick one: Chuck Berry or Elvis Presley?
Chuck Berry.
Pick one: Michael Jackson or Madonna?
Michael Jackson.
What's the strangest thing that has happened to you while performing?
We were at Peggy Kinnane's [Irish Restaurant and Pub] right at the start of our band and there was this guy that must of been about 70 plus years old, and in the middle of a song, he came out on the dance floor and did the splits out of nowhere.
Where can fans find out more information about your band (official website, Facebook, etc.)
Visit www.jumptaxi.com or www.facebook.com/JumpTaxi.
How can people book your band?
Email preferred at email@example.com.
List your upcoming performances.
May 10 at Thirsty Whale in Algonquin; July 4 at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates; July 10 at Lions Park in Cary as part of the Cary Park District Concert Series.


text:
This fall, President Barack Obama is expected to dedicate the new President's House memorial in Philadelphia, which was briefly the nation's capital and home to President George Washington. The nation's first president lived there in a house given to him by his friend, Robert Morris – a house where both men kept slaves.
That America's first black president will dedicate a museum to this particular piece of U.S. history is an irony not lost on the project's champions, who have been dogged by controversy in their 10-year effort to open a memorial to the old executive mansion. It's the story of a nation that continues to come to terms with slavery. For RMU, it's a reminder of our own part in helping America keep its promise of equal opportunity for all.
He risked his fortune and his life to support the American Revolution. He offered his own ships to fight British frigates, and personally made sure the men who crossed the Delaware with Washington had food, blankets, and bonuses. He signed the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution.
Still, Robert Morris's sterling record as a patriot was of little interest to New Yorkers in 1790. In Manhattan, the Financier of the Revolution was Public Enemy No. 1.
Why? As they saw it, Morris stole their capital. The wealthy merchant who became one of Pennsylvania's first senators brokered a deal to move the new government out of New York City to Philadelphia. There it would remain for 10 years, until workers built a new federal seat on the Potomac.
Enraged New Yorkers savaged Morris. In one political cartoon, the devil uses prostitutes to lure him away to Philadelphia: "Come along Bobby, here's the girls." In another, Morris blindly steers the ship of state towards doom in the shoals as another devil calls, "This way, Bobby." A third cartoon shows a thinly disguised moneygrubber calling himself "Robert Coffer," clutching a bag of coins and tugging reluctant congressmen out of New York by their noses.
Morris lamented the vitriol in a letter to his wife that summer. "They lay all the blame of this measure on me, and abuse me most unmercifully, both in the Public Prints, private conversations, and even in the streets; and yesterday I was nearly engaged in a serious quarrel with one of them," he wrote. "However, I don't mind all they can do, and if I carry the point, I will, like a good Christian, forgive them all."
He did carry the point. And in a gesture of magnanimity, Morris offered his own Market Street mansion to his old friend and frequent houseguest, George Washington. The president was delighted. "It is, I believe, the best single house in the city," wrote Washington.
In 2000, crews excavating at Independence National Historical Park for an expansion of the Liberty Bell pavilion discovered the foundations of the old house, which had long ago been razed. But along with the old architectural remains, a new and uncomfortable truth was unearthed, one that has launched a ferocious debate about the purposes of history and memorial. Scholars soon confirmed that also living in the mansion with Washington and the First Lady were nine slaves. What's more, personal letters show the man who "could not tell a lie" actively conspired with a key aide to deceive his slaves, making sure they stayed unaware of Pennsylvania's gradual abolition law, which freed any non-Pennsylvanian's slave who lived within the commonwealth for more than six consecutive months. Washington went so far as to rotate his slaves periodically back to his Virginia estate at Mount Vernon to dodge the rule.
America's first president was hardly the only Founding Father who benefited from human bondage. Chattel slavery was the law at the time; those who lived in the Philadelphia house before Washington also kept slaves, Morris included. But now, the ghosts of Washington's slaves were at the threshold of the Liberty Bell, one of the nation's most powerful symbols of freedom. Many found it hard to bear "that in the City of Brotherly Love, the center of the abolition movement of this period, in the home of the first president, that freedom and slavery should be joined at the hip," says UCLA history professor Gary Nash, an expert on the colonial era.
A group of mostly black Philadelphians called the Avenging The Ancestors Coalition demanded that a new museum at the site be devoted not to the familiar story of Washington, but to that of his slaves, as well as the other Africans and their descendants who inhabited early Philadelphia, both slave and free. The National Park Service agreed, promising to give the coalition and other concerned citizens a say in how the site would be presented.
Slowly, the project has proceeded. Workers are almost finished with the new museum next to Independence Hall. The symbolic partial reconstruction follows the footprint of the old house, and will document with text and video reenactments the lives of Washington's slaves.
Doris Devine Fanelli, chief of cultural resources management for the National Park Service, has worked at the Independence Hall complex for 31 years. To her, the often tempestuous President's House project is an excellent example of civic engagement. "I have said that any museum, if they ever woke up and found hundreds of people on their doorstep demanding to come in, they'd be delighted," she says.
Not everyone agrees. Rob Morris, a software designer from suburban Philadelphia and a distant descendant of the house's former owner, is furious that his ancestor has been swept aside in the retelling. "Everybody knows George Washington's story, and there isn't a kid in America who hasn't heard about slavery," he says. "But this is the only place to tell Morris's story, and what is Morris's story? It is how free market capitalism saved the American Revolution."
Charles Blockson, a local expert on early African American history who has donated an impressive collection of artifacts to Temple University, is equally furious. He vehemently opposes rebuilding what he calls a "house of bondage." "There should be a memorial for those enslaved Africans. Just tell the story, and let it go."
At the center of the public maelstrom is Rosalyn McPherson. The city's appointed manager for the President's House project, McPherson brings what is probably the perfect resume to the job: She started out as a junior high school history teacher, then became a textbook editor, went on to Time Warner to develop a popular history series and later adapted the material for classrooms, then became senior vice president of the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia's venerable science museum.
And as a black woman who remembers seeing segregated drinking fountains when her family visited relatives in Louisiana, McPherson admits the project has had "a deep personal effect on me." She says she is eager to see busloads of visiting schoolchildren discover the stories of Hercules and Oney Judge, two presidential slaves who escaped to freedom during Washington's term in office.
"Our history usually has portrayed African Americans in a passive role, with others doing the emancipating. This exhibit tells the story of the role we played in securing our own freedom," McPherson says.
Nash, who is one of the project's chief historians, said Americans should not fear the new museum will wrongly sully Washington's reputation or rob him of his rightful place in history.
"My take is that it's only in a mature democracy that you can look history squarely in the face like this," he says. "I don't think we're kicking Washington out of the pantheon or knocking him off his pedestal. We are saying he was human, he was a man of the age, that he had warts, figuratively speaking. But there's still plenty of glory to be passed out to Washington, Jefferson, and the other slaveholding Founding Fathers. They accomplished a great deal."
Fanelli says she is sure the President's House will lead Americans to a better understanding of their history. During excavations, the park service set up public bleachers where day after day, people came to watch. "This is really exciting," Fanelli explains. "They comment to each other, and pretty soon a dialog ensues between people who may have never known each other before. It's very productive for harmony in our society."
Despite all the attention garnered by the rebuilding of the President's House, the man who did the most to get it in Philadelphia in the first place seems destined to linger in relative obscurity. Many people no doubt know Robert Morris's name best through RMU, which has no real connection to Morris; Richard Khuen, president of the university when it was known as the Pittsburgh School of Accountancy, selected Morris' name in 1935 because of the founder's role in financing the American Revolution.
Partly it is Morris's own bad luck. He eventually sold the house to pay for an enormous marble mansion in Philadelphia. It was a boondoggle almost from the start; Morris quarreled with the architect, Pierre L'Enfant, who was splitting his time between his client's massive project and the new federal city, which he famously designed. The huge mansion, mocked as "Morris's Folly," was never finished. He later lost it, along with nearly everything else he owned, after several of his land speculation deals went bust. Washington eventually had to visit his former host in debtor's prison.
But even if he is generally unknown to the public, Morris is still recognized by historians as a quintessential figure in the republic's formation. Morris occupies a prominent place in the most celebrated paintings of America's founding, including the dome of the Capitol rotunda. His statue stands in Philadelphia at the Second Bank of America, a few blocks from his old house.
That is far more than anyone remembers about Hero. Mostly there is just a notice in a Philadelphia newspaper from 1777. It is written by a concerned owner who, in the chaos as he and his neighbors prepare to flee the city in the face of the advancing British, has discovered that a valuable piece of his property has gone missing. In that ad, Morris describes his runaway slave: "Plays well on the violin, whistles remarkably well, and has an excellent ear for music."
Rex Crawley, Ph.D., chairman of the Robert Morris University Council on Institutional Equity and assistant dean of the School of Communications and Information Systems, says it pains him to think his ancestors were treated as less than fully human by the university's namesake. Crawley is the force behind the Black Male Leadership Development Institute, which each summer brings dozens of black high school students to campus, where they learn leadership skills and the value of higher education.
"Robert Morris is not my hero. Hero is my hero," Crawley says of the escaped slave. "When I close my eyes and envision Robert Morris's house as a place of bondage, and then think of the RMU campus and the BMLDI as a place of empowerment, there's that juxtaposition of history, and an ultimate good. Robert Morris probably never could have imagined that his legacy would include the education and empowerment of African Americans."
To find out more about the President's House visit the official website at http://www.ushistory.org/presidentshouse/
President's House in Philadelphia - The house where George Washington lived while president was given to him by financier and senator Robert Morris. Rosalyn J. McPherson talks about President's House, a new museum dedicated to the first president's slaves.
Robert and Mary Morris paintings - Portraits of Robert and Mary Morris, painted in 1782 by Charles Wilson Peale. The chief curator of Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia tells us more.


text:
I have to let the user press in a number, and the number that is being inserted is the amount that the program has to run.
so i have this already
System.out.println("How many simulations do you want");
numberSimulations = Input.readLong();
for ( y = 0 ; y = numberSimulation ; y ++) {
this way doesn't work because it has to be boolean,can anyone tell me another way of doing this??


text:
As GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain battles charges of sexual harassment from four different women, he has used a number of ploys to defend himself. At the end of the day, whether the issue is sexual harassment, who developed his 9-9-9 plan or his limited understanding of foreign policy, the source of Herman Cain's problems is his inability to command the facts.
His problems don't stem from the Perry campaign, "unstable women" or the liberal media; Herman Cain's problem is Herman Cain.
In addition to the seriousness of the sexual harassment charges themselves, Cain's inability to tell a consistent story about them has also presented a major credibility problem. His campaign has called the allegations, "unsubstantiated personal attacks." After emphatically denying any knowledge of the allegations, Cain later revealed that he discussed them with his former consultant and current Rick Perry strategist, Kurt Anderson. He then accused Anderson of leaking the initial story. According to Cain, "When I sat down with ... Anderson in a private room ... we discussed opposition research on me ... I told him that there was only one case, one set of charges, one woman while I was at the National Restaurant Association (NRA)." The problem with this story is that Anderson denies ever having had the conversation with Cain: "I didn't know anything about this so it's hard to leak something you don't know anything about."
Cain's modus operandi seems to be that he conjures up an explanation that he believes will work and then finds another when it fails. He denied any knowledge of the NRA reaching financial settlements with his accusers stating, "As far as a settlement, I am unaware of any kind of settlement ..." He later stated that the parties may have reached a severance agreement, but he was not involved in that process. Subsequently, it was disclosed that, "... one of the women involved had received a payout of $45,000, substantially more than the Republican presidential candidate suggested she had." As the president of the NRA at the time of the allegations and the settlement, it stands to reason that Cain would have been involved in discussions with NRA legal counsel about the legitimacy of the allegations, tactics to address them and any proposed settlements. When this denial failed, Cain then blamed the Democratic opposition for his woes, "... the Democrat machine in America has brought forth a troubled woman to make false accusations."
Cain has even gone so far as to claim that he never met Sharon Bialek, the only accuser to speak publicly about her experience. Cain's response to Ms. Bialek's allegations was, "I don't even know who this lady is...." Cain's assertion was contradicted by Ms. Bialek's former boyfriend, Victor Jay Zuckerman. Zuckerman recounted an evening that he and Bialek spent with Cain in 1997: "At that party, Mr. Cain engaged both of us in conversation ... "
Finally, when all else failed, Cain blamed the "liberal media." This is a play from the McCain/Palin playbook. When Palin could not answer simple questions such as "... what newspapers and magazines did you regularly read? ..." or misspoke about launching attacks into Pakistan, Palin attacked the "liberal media" and "gotcha' journalism."
As if his inability to get his story straight on sexual harassment allegations is not enough, Herman Cain can't tell the difference between an economist and an accountant. During The Washington Post-Bloomberg debate, Cain credited Rich Lowrie with developing his 9-9-9 plan, calling him "my lead economist." Cain stated, "He is an economist, and he has worked in the business of wealth creation most of his career." Lowrie actually holds a degree in accountancy from Case Western Reserve University, not economics. Some may call this an exaggeration. Others may call it the intentional misrepresentation of a substantial fact for personal gain, better known as a lie.
Some republicans seem to be so attracted to Cain's folksy charm that they seem willing to accept sexual harassment allegations by four different women as "unsubstantiated personal attacks." Some may even dismiss the reported eye witness account of former NRA political consultant Chris Wilson as an aberration. Wilson stated, "... I was around a couple of times when this [harassment] happened ... This occurred at a restaurant in Crystal City [Virginia] and everybody was aware of it ..." Some may even be able to accept an accountant as an economist, but they should not. They should demand more from a presidential candidate.
With globalization, the interdependency of international markets and instability in the Middle East, anyone seeking the office of president of the United States must have a firm grasp of the issues and an informed world view. The inability to pronounce Uzbekistan or stating that you'll defer to the generals on the ground to develop a Middle East strategy is not presidential. The commander in chief sets international policy. He does not have it dictated to him/her by the generals that he/she commands. That's not "leading from behind"; that's leading in reverse!
If Cain does not understand that China already possesses nuclear capability (and has for decades) - "They've [China] indicated that they're trying to develop nuclear capability ... " - and has too much "stuff twirling around in his head" to give a succinct answer on Libya, he's not ready for the world stage.
Cain has been placed in a position, whether wittingly or unwittingly, to serve a purpose for the Republican Party. Like Alan Keyes and Michael Steele before him, he is another "straw man." He is being used to promote a misperception of political inclusion within the Republican Party, and should be dismissed as the political minstrel show that he has become.