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Copper mesh or metal plating on the case tied to the ground. Chokes on all connections. If touchscreen, you could be screwed since it might not like a copper mesh but if it isn't covered it becomes an emitter.
It's simple. just throw out the person with the radar dish, oscilliscope, and notepad.
Exactly so.
The equipment to carry out this snooping is easily spotted, and more easily foiled.
With more than one voting station in the room, said eaves dropper could never distinguish one vote from the other, and could certainly not CHANGE the results.
You would be better able to guess how persons voted by the color of their tie. http://www.tie-necktie-video.com/tie-color.html [tie-necktie-video.com]
If he went to the voting place wearing a tie, chances are that he's voting for himself.
The equipment to carry out this snooping is easily spotted, and more easily foiled.
mmm... let's not rely on that. More sophisticated and less bulk solutions may arise in the future, and with the potential to tamper with the electoral process, it's possible we might see some serious effort going into creating such solutions.
and could certainly not CHANGE the results.
The concern is that you wouldn't need to change anything. "Vote for me or I break your legs. I will know how you vote."
Several ideas. Of course, use LCDs, as the CRT circuitry is the bad one. Shield the data connections so they don't radiate too much. Make the connections that transmit unencrypted data short. Use low-contrast fonts, so the sharp edges do not cause large voltage (and therefore EMI) spikes. Randomise the low bits of data shown on the screen, so you create obfuscating noise.
Maybe you have to go as far as have a white noise transmitter to mask what you cannot elimiate. Plenty of room to move. Good on them for having such a contest - it flushed out all the 'Ooh, I didn't think of that' problems.
Actually, the same site that PDF came from says the biggest source from LCDs is the video cable, especially if the signal is all digital. This would be an improvement over a CRT because the CRT will shares the video cable problem.
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mgk25/emsec/softtempest-faq.html [cam.ac.uk]
My experience so far has been that with LCDs, the video cable is the most significant source of radiated information leakage. Where an analogue video cable (with 15-pin VGA connector) is used, low-pass filtered fonts have th
I suspect there is already an encrypted standard for digital monitor signals
The paper that the GP linked suggests using HDCP.
I did not say that it was not an issue with LCDs: There is obviously the data cable and data handling circuitry to consider. But it is a much greater issue with CRTs: literally, all you need is a VHF arial, feed the signal into a CRT, and tweak until you have a readable image.
With LCDs, if you can catch the digital signal, you can recover the data. But the signal is weaker (10s of volts, not thousands!), and higher frequency, so you need to be closer. The problem can be eliminated if you implement encryptio
Low-contrast fonts are probably right out, since you don't want to disenfranchise old folks and others with vision problems.
Easy. Take the machine, hollow them out, put a board in and use their shell as a guard from prying eyes for pen&paper voting. The manufacturers of the machines get the money and we get secure and anonymous voting.
Not much really. While it is possible to effectively protect a device from such snooping it is very expensive due to the testing and handling requirements. I don't see it on the link but I think there is a commercial Tempest standard.
http://www.eskimo.com/~joelm/tempestintro.html [eskimo.com]
The page has good info and you can try the anti-Tempest fonts for a grin. It's based on the paper also referenced on that page.
The anti-TEMPEST fonts seem to have been withdrawn:
Q: Where can I download low-pass filtered Soft Tempest fonts
Unfortunately, the existing font display mechanics in operating systems does not make it possible to implement this protection technique simply by installing a new font file.
For this reason, I am not providing any filtered font files.
My bad I'd assumed they were available but it seems they improved the attack enough to render them useless.
It was not the best solution and now that DSP and FPGA solutions have improved so much since I read that article you're left with doing the full Tempest hardening solution. I did not clue into the current state of the art as fast as I should have when I wrote that post.
A Van Eck setup that would have cost millions when that paper was written is now within the reach of some hobbyists and blackhats.
I am
It'd be nice if it could be made to work. The font had two images. One human eyes would see and one the Van Eck freak would see. I read some more and because technology has advanced dramatically and font technology does not allow real time animations that don't bother the user but do bother the Van Eck freak the authors dispensed with that line of protection.
The reasonable defense is a simple enclosure with a door - line the enclosure and door with tempest. Each voter closes the door while they vote.
Encrypted link back to head office, jobs done.
Exactly. It's pretty safe. This shows that a random citizen is unlikely to give an election to Mickey Mouse on a whim.
Instead it would take someone with significant knowledge and even serious funding to sway an election. Probably not just a someone, but even an organization.
So the only way this could ever effect elections would be if there were an organization or group of conspiring individuals with significant monetary resources - AND for that group of people to feel that swaying an election would be in their interest - AND for that group of people to then be so immoral as to decide to do so.
Clearly such a confluence of conditions is so wildly improbable that we can effectively rule out its possibility.
I'm not sure if your post was sarcasm and it whooshed over the head of the rest of Slashdot or if you're serious.
The KGB (now FSB) took Russia, the Republicans took the US, Ahmadinejad took Iran, Karzai has taken Afghanistan and so on all without winning the elections through fair process.
Unfortunately election fraud by organised groups happens far too often, even in nations where it really shouldn't because they're supposed to be role models (i.e. the US). I'm hoping then that your post was rather subtle s
I didn't think it was particularly subtle.
Well neither did I until I read everyone elses responses which made me second guess my judgement!
What options do you have to protect your self from Van eck phreaking? Lead casing? Foil voting boxes?
Honest replies welcome.
Put rubbish on the screen and send all your actual output through the caps lock LED with xled.
Not very useful outside in the real world, I know.
LCD screens are also sensitive... so I'd say maybe... Monochrome 640x480 LED Matrix and custom video chips.... or "Split-Flap type display" as seen here http://www.salient.com.au/products-splitflap.htm [salient.com.au]
Split-flap displays make a little click when they change characters. Given some of the known words sequences that will be displayed, variations in the sound of each click, and variations in the timing due to the addressing of the characters, I'm sure complete displays could be reconstructed.
The NSA Tempest guidelines are probably sufficient.
Of course, the requirements are potentially made weaker by what you're eavesdropping. Tempest is written assuming that eavesdropping is a problem, but that's not true with voting -- it's only a problem if you are then able to associate votes with individuals.
Reading through the comments, it stroke me the same. Van Eck phreaking can't be a problem because it provides literally the same information as exit polls.
What again is not a problem if one votes in densely populated area: emission from many voting machines would mix making it hard to differentiate a vote on a single machine.
It might be the problem with VIPs. But for the case one can really go extra mile and install proper shielding.
emission from many voting machines would mix making it hard to differentiate a vote on a single machine.
Stupid idea #523: equip the voting machine with say two extra displays on the back and make them show some obfuscation video sequence so that it would be hard (if feasible at all) to tell what the hell is going on on the first main screen.
some obfuscation video sequence
Or better yet the voting machine might emulate on the auxiliary displays the process of user voting for a random option.
Even if information can be still gathered, it would be heavily watered down by the fake voting information from the extra displays.
Randomize the image for each voting.
This will make it a lot harder to decide the selection for each individual voter since the image will be different for each voter.
So - yes you may be able to recognize that a voted did make a selection but you won't know what the selection really was unless you have some very expensive equipment.
And as a voter I wouldn't be too worried about that kind of eavesdropping. Who besides the authorities would really be interested in the vote of an individual person bad enough to
If you take a look at Ross Anderson's work in this area, you'll see that the picture quality on a Van Eck rig can range from almost static to highly legible black and white imagery. I'm sure it's installation dependent among other factors, but it can be very readable. Remember that it doesn't have to be machine readable, either. When you're talking about elections you're talking about a kiloton of money, which can likely buy a whole lot of people to sit there and watch the screens with their eyes.
Remember t
If i read the article correctly he is Van ecking the keyboard, so randomizing the button->candidate mapping should be enough. However for Van ecking you build a Faraday cage around the device (a pita that may not be possible for voting booths you need to get in/out of), or use active electronic countermeasures, this is not 100% safe, as your basically engaging in a race of creating random noise, vs filtering it, but that is a race that the jammers can generally win so 99.999%, in addition as the detect
What options do you have to protect your self from Van eck phreaking?
As far as elections go, the best protection against Van eck phreaking is the paper ballot.
When you have poll-workers from each political party and lots of poll-watchers, it provides fair elections and really scales very well. The only thing that scales well when you have electronic voting is the ability to perpetrate fraud.
Of course, there is the whole "If someone is going to that point, is it really worth the worry, or do we have more imprtant things to worry about?" (like someone sticking a hidden camera watching the screen)
someone else linked http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mgk25/pet2004-fpd.pdf [cam.ac.uk] which gives some countermeasures.
In summary firsly use a LCD screen, this pretty much eliminates emmisions from the display itself but the link to the display is still be an issue. Countermeasures against link snooping can include messing with foreground and background colours, adding noise or best of all using an encrypted (e.g. HDCP) digital link.
What's the most someone could do with this exploit? Basically it just allows for a more accurate exit-poll.
Basically.. all of the reasons you want voting to be done anonymously apply here.
If you can couple the emissions at the location of the machine with the emissions from a particular user - say, their mobile phone's signature - then you can go back to forcing people to vote for X and make sure that they do, roughing them up as an example to the others you told to vote for X if you detected a vote for Y instead, without a need to plant something on them or leaving any trace.
In theory, anyway.
What's the most someone could do with this exploit?
Uhh.. find out who someone voted for? All you need is two people, one in the polling place and someone else with one of these devices. If I really have to try to convince you of the value of secret votes, I give up.
As someone who grew up in a country, where "Open Voting" was the norm and using the voting cabin was being frowned upon I tell you: You have no clue.
... then we have security by openness
And you also have the 500-meter dash away from the polling station, where the thug, army, or police officer was waiting for you with his nice wooden baton to crack your skull open, after you cast your open vote against the ruling party.
You don't watch much news on TV, do you? Remember: 1) all the world is not made of latte; 2) Star Trek ain't real; 3) Pakhistan is actual country; 4) Bin Laden is livin' large.
Use it as feedback to calibrate a separate vote rigging operation. If your guy wins by 20% an investigation may be triggered. If he wins by 2% you may be in the clear. So how do you gauge the real vote, while there is still time to cast face votes?
Perhaps you read too quickly. "Secrecy," not "security." There are plenty of responses explaining the importance of secret ballots.
What's the most someone could do with this exploit?
A little context is needed in order to further explore this point. Brazil is a huge country, of continental dimensions. Voting is a mandatory civic duty (except for older citizens). In the remote and impoverished areas, intimidating voters or buying votes was a common, widespread practice, constituting what is termed an "electoral corral", that helped maintain veritable "political dynasties" in these areas for decades. One of the selling points of electroni
If an attacker were able to access the voting location enough to install an unnoticeable antenna, I'd be more concerned with small cameras. Even a large antenna in a nearby building would require somebody watching to see who was using which voting machine, in order to pose any real threat.
I'm not yet at "how do we get e-voting secure?". I'm still puzzled by the question "why the f. do we need it?"
Easier for the disabled. Easier to support multiple languages. Easier to have duplicate copies so you can't be surprised and "find" a box of ballots in a warehouse later. Less ambiguity in regards to intention (see Minnesota's Senate race.)
Easier for the disabled.
There are masks with braille that work pretty well. I have a friend who is blind and can vote just fine.
Easier to support multiple languages.
Last time I checked the US had their official language English. Learn it or don't vote. Also, I can't see what's so difficult about learning the name of your prefered party/candidate well enough if you utterly refuse to learn English and don't use a latin alphabet.
Easier to have duplicate copies so you can't be surprised and "find" a box of ball
There are masks with braille that work pretty well. I have a friend who is blind and can vote just fine.
But those have to be specially made, and with ballots ranging from Federal, to State, to County to City elections, that takes time to translate and print. Plus, what if you run out or they get lost?
Note, I simply said easier. I find voting easy to begin with, but there's plenty of people who don't understand "Only fill the circle of the candidate you want elected" (more on this later.)
Last time I check
but there's plenty of people who don't understand "Only fill the circle of the candidate you want elected" (more on this later.)
Then they're too stupid to vote. The system works, if you ask me...
Among the others, enabling a non-FPTP system.
If anyone isn't aware of how FPTP has hosed democracy, they should start here [wikipedia.org].
The primary concern I recognize is that FPTP collapses your system into a two-party system and makes third parties non-viable. Just try voting for Nader or Kucinich.
You don't need electronic voting to establish a non-FPTP system. Non-FPTP works fine in european states with paper and pencil voting.
I could be wrong, then. Tell me more about preferential voting and paper ballots that you're familiar with?
in Australia we number the candidates from 1 to x (where x is the number of candidates). The ballot papers are then counted manually into piles, and then once they've all been counted the smallest pile is broken up and split amongst the remaining piles, until someone has the majority.
Thanks for sharing. IRV is actually a pretty good system... in that it's better than plurality. In comparison, it could be better. [zesty.ca] Maybe there are manual count methods for better systems?
I have to say I'm still not entirely sure on the matter of electronic voting v. manual voting. I think most people who have strong opinions are basing them on too few criteria.
Besides all the shielding options, perhaps this is a good use for E-paper displays? The persistent nature of the display would minimize the constant refreshing. The slow screen response would be unlikely to be an issue with a ballot.
That's only part of the story.
The voting machines were vulnerable to more than just eavesdropping, although eavesdropping was the official story from the government and also what most of the press was about.
However, the voting machines have since been banned. The latest elections were held with paper and pencil. It's good that way.
Now if people would only understand this
You just overlooked one small issue: voter turnout is already a problem in most democracies, as it is somewhat boring to vote for things your are not that interested in. If there were more elections, you would have to vote each week. Nobody is going to keep doing that, as most people do not see it as their job, and it is a process with very little positive feedback. So only the zealots and paid shills will remain, thus making your country run by big money and zealots with a nutty agenda. Not unlike the US i
This is why I love the Canadian method: paper with circles, make an "X" in the circle you want, fold the paper and put it in the ballot box.
Yes, except I personally think that having to write a number is better. If somebody is unable to do that, it's probably for the better... (blind and other disabled people need an assistant anyway).
Why does the electronic voting machine have to be a touch screen? Why not a list of the options with buttons with an LED in them that light up when you press the button? The list could be on a separate display next to the buttons but nothing changes therefore the 'van eck phreaker' would only get the data on the screen, not the option picked... but I have no knowledge of this sort of stuff.
Maybe some places do that, but where I live we do vote by mail.
Because people are stupid.
because here in brasil we don't have voting districts, so in state and federal elections, a candidate from santos (a sea-side city in sao paulo state, some 80 km east of the state capital) can receive votes from people in ribeirão preto (a city 400 km west of the capital). this makes the candidate lists for federal and state deputies something in the thousands.
our voting system uses numbers. each party is assigned a number (ex. PP=11, PDT=12, PT=13, etc.) and every candidate have a number prefixed with
Why does the electronic voting machine have to be
Why does the voting machine even have to be electronic?
Even one good reason would be nice.
While in principle it is a good method for snooping a single monitor, it would take a ton of disentangling signals to read every monitor consistently at a polling place from any distance. It is not a practical way to screw with an election, considering that any party willing to snoop this aggressively is probably willing to do a lot more than just snoop.
Frankly, it shows just how effective Brazil's security measures are that hackers have to go this deep into the playbook to get even one sort of result.
The last thing one knows in constructing a work is what to put first. -- Blaise Pascal


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CSR takes hit as house projects dip
THE property downturn has caused a 50 per cent profit fall for building products-maker CSR, which says a recovery in the sector is unlikely before the middle of next year.
THE property downturn has caused a 50 per cent profit fall for building products-maker CSR, which says a recovery in the sector is unlikely before the middle of next year.CSR's net profit fell from $34.9 million in the first half last year to $17.5 million for the six months to September 30, reflecting a 14 per cent decline in housing construction over the same period.The result included $2.9 million in costs from the restructure of CSR's building products business and its aluminium joint venture, in response to weak activity."The key external drivers that impact CSR's profitability were all materially worse this period," managing director Rob Sindel said.CSR expects profit for the full year to March 31 in the range of $35 million to $45 million, down from $76.3 million last time.Despite the profit fall, CSR closed 10? higher at $1.65.The company forecast total housing starts in Australia in the year to the end of March 2013 would be down 9 per cent from the previous 12 months.Mr Sindel said there were signs of a recovery beyond that, most notably a rise in finance approvals over eight consecutive months."A combination of falling interest rates and improved state government stimulus programs in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia should enable a moderate recovery in residential activity in the next financial year," he said.But any recovery would likely be modest in its initial phases while consumer and investor confidence returned, he said.CSR's glass business, Viridian, remained a burden on the company, making a loss of $11.7 million in the six months to September due to low sales volumes and the high Australian dollar.Viridian is the most trade-exposed and highest fixed-cost business in CSR's portfolio.The building products division, which makes supplies including Gyprock and PGH Bricks, delivered earnings of $43.4 million in the six months to September, down 12 per cent.First-half earnings from CSR's aluminium business dropped 57 per cent to $18.3 million. CSR halved its interim dividend to 3? a share.
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subset: commoncrawl


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This newsletter is to provide an update on the recent and upcoming activities with Global Business and Information Technologies (BIT).
BIT now has 17 partners in 21 countries including Argentina, Chile, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Portugal and USA. Global partners are listed at http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/x1237.xml.
The BIT conference has become an annual event. Last year's conference was held on Jan 12-13 Santiago, Chile. It was attended by multiple BIT partners from USA, Colombia, Switzerland, Italy, Korea and Chile. Details on the conference and the presentations are at http://www.cetiuc.cl/bit2010/.
The next BIT Conference will be held on July 29-30, 2011 at UCLA Anderson in Los Angeles, USA. The upcoming conference is titled "Service Industrialization and the Global Information Economy" Details are at http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/2011BITConference.xml. This will be a 2 day event with Day 1 focusing primarily on Industry and Day 2's focus being academic. Please send your abstracts to email@example.com by May 15. In addition to BIT presentations, some time will be allocated to discussing BIT issues and future plans. Please send your recommendations for discussion to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Also upcoming is the publication of the third BIT book. Similar to the first two books, published in 2007 and 2009, this book will also be published by World Scientific Publishing Company. Please send your manuscripts for inclusion in the book by June 30, 2011 to firstname.lastname@example.com. Samples for formatting provided by the publisher will be forwarded for paper submissions.
The UCLA BIT team looks forward to seeing you at the upcoming BIT conference.
Warm Regards,
Uday Karmarkar and Vandana Mangal
UCLA Anderson School of Management


text:
Today is Read America Day, an event sponsored by the National Education Association.
In cities and towns across the nation, teachers, teenagers, librarians, politicians, actors, athletes, parents, grandparents and others develop NEA's Read Across America activities to bring reading excitement to children of all ages. Governors, mayors, and other elected officials recognize the role reading plays in their communities with proclamations and floor statements. Athletes and actors issue reading challenges to young readers. And teachers and principals seem to be more than happy to dye their hair green or be duct-taped to a wall if it boosts their students' reading.
In May 1997, a small reading task force at NEA came up with a big idea. "Let's create a day to celebrate reading," the group decided. "We hold pep rallies to get kids excited about football. We assemble to remember that Character Counts. Why don't we do something to get kids excited about reading? We'll call it 'NEA's Read Across America' and we'll celebrate it on Dr. Seuss's birthday." And so was born on March 2, 1998, the largest celebration of reading this country has ever seen.
Motivating children to read is an important factor in student achievement and creating lifelong successful readers. Research has shown that children who are motivated and spend more time reading do better in school.
And we start by reading to our children - as soon as possible. Some research has even shown that reading to children when they're still in the womb increases their intelligence.
So read to them. And just read the smiles on their faces.


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Police: Ratliff's blood alcohol content 0.16 percent
Dallas Cowboys nose tackle Jay Ratliff's blood alcohol content was 0.16 percent, which is two times the legal limit, when he was arrested on Jan. 22 for driving while intoxicated, according to Grapevine, Texas, police.
Ratliff was charged after his pickup truck crashed into a 18-wheeler. No one was injured.
Ratliff was arrested at the scene when officers suspected he was intoxicated after refusing to give a breath sample. He was released from jail that morning after posting a $500 bond.
The incident came on the heels of the Dec. 8 crash when Cowboys practice-squad player Jerry Brown was killed in a vehicle driven by teammate Josh Brent. The backup nose tackle was charged with intoxication manslaughter after tests showed his blood-alcohol content to be more than twice the legal limit.
Brent faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.


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im trying to use a jquery form validation, and i want the validating text to be arabic.
the problem is that when i change that phrase in the .js file, it shows squares instead of arabic letters.
this is my js file:
// Place ID's of all required fields here.
required = ["name", "email", "country", "message",];
// If using an ID other than #email or #error then replace it here
email = $("#email");
errornotice = $("#error");
// The text to show up within a field when it is incorrect
emptyerror = "Please fill out this field.";
emailerror = "Please enter a valid e-mail.";
so i want to change the last two lines "please fill..." and "please enter..." to arabic.
and i already tried adding this code: charset=UTF-8 to the head, it still didnt work
any ideas how to fix that??


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The lights are on
WoW has dominated the MMO scene - and the PC world - for a reason: it's the best game in the genre. At least, that's how you see it. After traveling from Silithus to Northrend, you've got a lot of experiences you'd like to share with those just starting ou
Picked up WoW around Nov after the failure that is FFXIV, and I must say I'm loving it.
I'm am alliance prot pally Currently lvl74, but I'm taking my time with it (leveling is so fast I capped my xp at 70 for a month).
although I'm relatively new I can help you out, I play with a friend of mine as well on Korgath if you want to play with people you have some kind of association with.
I've played WoW on and off for 4 years. Finally taking it seriously, I have a main Prot Pally on Echo Isles by the name of Aringo. I can't be on as much as I'd like due to college, but I'm slowly getting to 85 so I can finally raid
Think this forum maybe a little inactive, but I will introduce myself anyways. I have been playing WoW since BC. I have multiple 85's. My first class to ever play was either my Warlock or my Hunter, that was a while ago and they no longer exsist anyways. My main now is a Human Sub Rogue. He has been sharing a lot of time with my Human Frost Mage. I play on the server AM. My guild is a branch off of a top PvP guild that we left to do our own thing. I am usually on everyday at some point. Message me if you are on AM and want to hang. ALLY FOREVER!
my first time ever playing wow was when i was over at a friends house and he let me played his account when wow first came out my first character was a orc warrior but after a few months right before BC came out i gotten the game and my first legit character on my main account was my human warlock who is now around lvl 50 i think (i lvl all my characters quickly)my highest character who at lvl 85 is my human deathknight i play both horde an ally since i love both factions i got a dwarf hunter(lvl 68) a night elf druid(lvl34) a human palidan(lvl 54) forsaken rogue(lvl 34) goblin shaman(lvl 20) orc warrior(lvl 15) worgen warrior(lvl 23) worgen rogue(lvl 21) and i havent played for much due to having no money and such my anniversary of when i first played the game is on feb 24
mwahahahahahaha ima trotting >:D Xbox Gamercards
I play as a night elf hunter named Denadoran playing on starter edition right now and not sure if I should upgrade I have the money. one question if you skip a month will your characters be saved until you decide to pay again?


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This latest incarnation of the popular Disgaea strategy RPG series boasts major graphical improvements, Disgaea'smost in-depth gameplay yet, everlasting value, and the great sense of humor you've come love.
The new graphics engine truly brings TakehitoHarada's characters to life with fluid animations and high definition details. Create your own political party and take advantage of a slew of new battle and strategic features expanding upon the already staggering replay value. Finally, Disgaea 4 adopts an all new map-generating mode, enabling players to create and share custom maps with fans around the world! You can even design your own pirate ship to attack them with! This summer, Disgaea 4 will relentlessly invade your gaming room!
More articles about Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten


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For sale at 1 euro each: 20 historic hilltop homes in Sicilian sunshine
It's yours for less than the price of a cup of coffee - a historic house in a terracotta-tiled hill town in Italy.
In fact for the price of a full English breakfast, you could snap up half a dozen of them.
A town in Sicily which has endured decades of population decline and neglect has come up with a novel, and seemingly too-good-to-refuse, offer: it is selling off empty homes for just one euro each. That is $1.43 at today's exchange rate.
Gangi is a hilltop town set amid the rolling wheat fields and wooded valleys of central Sicily, about an hour's drive south of the picturesque holiday resort of Cefalu, and with views of the active volcano Mt Etna.
Founded in the 12th century, it boasts a castle and access to hiking trails in the surrounding countryside.
The local council wants to sell about 20 houses, many of them derelict, which were bequeathed by locals who had neither the money nor the will to renovate them.
The bargain-basement prices come with a few conditions, none of which are very onerous or particularly costly.
Buyers must pay a €5000 ($7200) guarantee to the local council to ensure they renovate the properties, rather than just leave them empty. The money will be redeemed once the homes are restored.
Owners have five years in which to bring the houses up to a habitable standard. Most of them are in a state of disrepair, if not derelict, with the cost of renovating them estimated at about €35,000.
Buyers would have to pay the legal costs associated with the purchase - estimated at about €6,000 per property, depending on its taxable value.
Gangi's council first launched the unusual initiative a couple of years ago, but, with none of the councillors speaking English, it received barely any attention and achieved few results.
Now the village of 7000 people has turned to Marie Wester, an English-speaking, Swedish property consultant who lives in Sicily, to help market the deal.
Through a newsletter she sends out to clients, she has already had interest from four British couples as well as Swedes, Americans and Russians.
"The people of Gangi want to attract foreigners to the town because they want to bring in new life," Ms Wester told London's The Daily Telegraph. "Since I got involved in the sale, there has been massive interest. I think it's a good deal."
After living in Italy for seven years, Ms Wester has a shrewd idea of what local builders would charge to undertake the renovation of the properties, all of which are in the historic centre of Gangi.
"The houses need new roofs and floors, you'd need to put in electricity, water and sewerage and re-plaster them at the end of it all. I reckon it would cost about €35,000 per property.
"The only downside I can think of is that the village is not near the coast, but it a lovely mediaeval town, it's very clean and well-kept and the people are friendly."
Two of the houses were bought last week by an expatriate Italian businessman and his Russian wife, who are based in Abu Dhabi.
"They fell in love with our village, with the tranquillity and the clean air," said Giuseppe Ferrarello, the mayor. "We've received more than 100 telephone calls from Italy and abroad. We are ready to welcome more people."
Gangi may be in the same province as Corleone, the town made notorious for its Mafia links by The Godfather books and films, but foreign buyers need have no fear of Cosa Nostra.
"The Mafia exists, of course, but they are operating at a different level - they are interested in multi-million euro construction projects, not restorations like this," said Ms Wester. "Some people think that if you come here you'll see them walking down the street with guns, but it's not like that."
Telegraph, London
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Rebecca Amsler » Centre College Directory
Use the directory below to search for contact information relevant to the Centre community. Should you not find the necessary information, please contact us using the main number listed below.
Telephone Number:
The main telephone number for Centre College is 859.238.5200. Calls to this number will be routed to the appropriate extension. In an after-hours emergency, call 859.236.4357.
Mailing Address:
Centre College
600 West Walnut Street
Danville, KY 40422
Office Hours:
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (Closed from noon to 1 p.m. for lunch)
Monday – Friday, excluding College holidays
Rebecca Amsler Assistant Controller Centre CollegeFinanceWork Centre College Finance Office Horky House work
Work Phone: 859.238.5455work Work Email: INTERNET
Email: email@example.com


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Microsoft has taken a big step toward fusing the management of on-premise IT equipment with mobile devices, including iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, with new capabilities in its new Microsoft System Center 2012 SP1 release, announced Tuesday.
In addition, the update brings the full range of System Center 2012 capabilities to the Windows Server 2012 platform and sets the stage for further enhancements to Microsoft's "Cloud OS" strategy, according to Mike Schutz, general manager of product marketing for Microsoft's Server and Tools division.
"Our strategy over the last few quarters has been to provide a consistent platform across customers' data centers, hosting providers' data centers and Microsoft's public cloud for a new generation of applications, big data and the consumerization of IT. Our vision is one platform that spans all three of these types of data centers," Schutz said.
Related: Analyst: Microsoft Has Sold Only 1 Million Surface RT Tablets
The System Center 2012 SP1 release leverages all the enhancements brought to Windows Server 2012, including virtualization, SDN and automation and extends new capabilities aimed at hybrid cloud management, Schutz said.
"These technologies are capabilities that we originally developed in Windows Azure in our own data centers for high-density hosting. Now we're bringing these capabilities and portals to service providers to deploy into their own data centers," Schutz said.
Microsoft has about 14,000 service providers currently offering Windows Server to customers, from low-cost solutions to companies offering targeted vertical solutions and high-level SLAs. "Our goal is to deliver the underlying technology and products so they can build for whatever segment they offer," Schutz said.
Meanwhile, Microsoft also announced a new companion service to System Center Global Service Monitor, which runs on top of the company's Azure platform in its global data centers and provides customers with "360-degree monitoring of their external-facing websites," Schutz said. The service is available by trial now and will be more broadly available by March, he added.
Another part of the System Center 2012 SP1 update is integration between Configuration Manager and Microsoft's Windows Intune, which allows users to leverage on console to monitor on-premise, corporate-owned equipment and BYOD devices belonging to employees.
"In the enterprise segment, [companies] used both independently [prior to SP1]. Now, they can unify the experience and extend that experience for the consumer-owned devices. In the smaller customer segment, fewer customers had deployed Configuration Manager. Those companies can get the benefits of Intune as well managing as the next generation of consumer devices."
NEXT: Answering The BYOD Call


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WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. - Con Edison is mobilizing hundreds of company crews and out-of-state personnel to respond to any outages caused by the strong nor'easter -- known as winter storm Nemo -- that began hitting the region Friday.
Heavy snow, freezing rain and strong winds might affect trees and overhead power lines. Safety should be a top priority, the utility company said in a statement.
The company will have approximately 500 personnel performing damage assessment, site safety and tree clearing. In addition to Con Edison crews, some 250 outside contractors will assist with power restorations.
Crews will make restorations as weather conditions permit and as roads become cleared of snow and fallen trees.
The company reminds customers to take safety precautions and avoid any downed power lines.
Report downed power lines, outages and check service restoration status by clicking here .
Depending on the severity of storm damage, crews will prioritize restoring service lines, which will provide power to the most customers as quickly as possible. They will then restore smaller groups and individual customers who are without power.
Call 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633) to report outages. When reporting an outage, have your Con Edison account number available, if possible. You can also report whether neighbors have lost power.
Customers who report outages will be called by Con Edison with their estimated restoration times as they become available.
Click here to sign up for Daily Voice's free daily emails and news alerts.


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UK.gov moves to close VAT loophole on etailers
Big boys will no longer be able to slip through
The UK government is planning to close the loophole in tax law that was allowing online retailers to funnel goods through the Channel Islands and thereby evade import VAT.
The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury David Gauke told the Commons yesterday that there would be further reforms to the relief from import VAT known as Low Value Consignment Relief (LVCR) so that small and medium businesses could have a level playing field. Oh, and so HMRC could net an extra £100m a year, so not entirely for the little guys.
Originally, the relief was intended to protect stuff that didn't cost that much from VAT, because collecting the tax would cost more than it was worth and to stop perishable goods shipments getting held up by customs.
That was when it was mostly applied to safeguard Guernsey's flower producers, but when online shopping came along, the relief meant that big etailers like Amazon could undercut small, local businesses on price.
All Amazon and Play.com and others had to do was build some warehouses in the Channel Islands and they were able to squeeze past VAT on the LVCR.
Back in March, the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osbourne said the government was "going to tackle the exploitation of LVCR that has left our high street music stores fighting a losing battle with warehouses in the Channel Islands".
He then proceeded to reduce the value of goods that counted under the relief from £18 to £15, which given the price of CDs these days wasn't really doing all that much.
Yesterday, Gauke said that was just the first step in reforming LVCR.
"I can announce today that, as from 1 April 2012, LVCR will no longer apply to goods supplied commercially, as part of a distance selling transaction, from the Channel Islands. Legislation to enact this change will be published in draft on 6 December for inclusion in Finance Bill 2012," he said.
"This will mean that supplies from business in the Channel Islands bear the same VAT liability as supplies from VAT-registered businesses in the UK."
The Forum for Private Business (FPB), which has been campaigning for an end to LVCR, welcomed the move.
"It's good to see the government has listened to the concerns of small retailers and acted decisively to stop this unfair, unjust practice. Of course, it will mean a few more pounds heading to Treasury coffers on every purchase, but I'm sure there will be a lot of happy record shop owners today," Jane Bennett, head of campaigns at the FPB, said in a statement.
"Virtually all the main players in the online industry mail CDs and other similar items like Blu-ray discs from the Channel Islands to customers. This totally unfair loophole has allowed them to totally dominate the market and put thousands of small, independent traders out of business."
The Channel Islands had been singled out because most of the international parcel post from outside the EU was coming from there and a lot of it seemed to be linked to exploiting the relief, Gauke said.
It was also going to be easier for HMRC to collect the tax on the islands as companies based there can join the 'Import VAT Accounting Scheme', which allows for automatic collection of VAT at source.
"The ease of access of companies based in the Channel Islands to the UK consumer market is therefore very similar to that of domestic UK-based companies, in contrast to their non-EU counterparts," he added. ®
Sponsored: Minds Mastering Machines - Call for papers now open


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The man suspected of stabbing a Las Cruces Police K-9 during an early-morning incident has been charged with a felony for causing serious injury to a service dog.
Alan A. Golden, 23, of the 5500 block of Big Sky Drive, is charged with one count of injury to a police dog. The charge is a fourth-degree felony.
Dave, the 6-year-old Dutch shepherd, was stabbed once on his left shoulder and rushed to the Las Cruces Animal Emergency Clinic where he received five staples to close the deep wound. Dave is recovering from his injuries at the home of his handler, a six year officer with LCPD. Dave has been with the Las Cruces Police Department for four years and with his current handler for more than two years.
Shortly before 1 a.m. Monday, Aug. 19, Las Cruces Police responded to a neighborhood near Lynn Middle School where a man was reportedly lying on the ground. Officers located the man, later identified as Golden, near the corner of Walnut Street and Dr. King Way.
As officers tried to make contact with Golden, they noticed he was carrying a large knife and refused repeated demands to drop it.
Golden sat down on a curb but held the knife to his own throat and tried to entice officers into shooting him. Officers deployed less-lethal beanbag rounds in an attempt to force Golden to drop the knife. At around the same time, K-9 Dave was deployed and engaged Golden.
During the struggle, Golden maintained possession of the knife and stabbed at Dave multiple times causing the one deep wound. Dave maintained his hold on Golden until an LCPD officer utilized a Taser to gain control of the subject.
Golden was transported to University Medical Center of El Paso for injuries he received from the dog. A warrant has been obtained for his arrest once he is released from the hospital.


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'The Attack of the Duck Billed Platypus'
Duane Eddy
With a career spanning nearly 60 years, Mr Eddy, 73, is often credited as one of the great rock'n'roll originals and a true guitar visionary. After a break of more than 25 years, he is now back on the road to promote his latest album, Road Trip, out this month. Here the Grammy-award winning musician tells us of the songs that have always inspired him
'Story of Three Loves (Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini)'
"My all-time favourite piece of music and the one I've returned to time and time again for inspiration over the years. It's absolutely glorious."
'Splish Splash'
Bobby Darin
"It went up the charts with my album Rebel Rouser, and Bobby was the first hit artist I met. We did our first tour of England together in 1960 and we were great friends until his death in 1973. Hearing this always brings me wonderful memories."
'He Stopped Loving Her Today'
george jones
"It's the quintessential country song. I grew up with country music, and the clever and sometime ironic ways with lyrics and stories is exemplified perfectly in this song."
'Heartbreak Hotel'
Elvis Presley
"The first of many Elvis recordings that changed my world, took me from playing in honkytonks as a sideman in a country band, and taught me how to be a rock'n'roll artist."
'One For My Baby'
Frank Sinatra
"A perfect performance - it creates such a mood that it's the most visual recording of any I have ever heard. It still gives me chills."
Mr Eddy plays London's 100 Club on the 21st of June and
Glastonbury on the 26th of June
Glastonbury on the 26th of June


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Heya guys!
After loosing my box with Tama's and vpets ( ) my collection is getting bigger again with also some I never had before!
Currently I have :
- Japanese Angel Blue/Silver
- Japanese P2 Red with white text
- Morino Yellow with green leaves
- Giga Pets Compu Kitty Golden
- Nano Kitty Clear orange
Still waiting for next ones to arrive but bought them:
- Japanese Umino (yay! ) Clear with blue markings (finally found this one for 60$ inc shipping!)
- US P1 Clear green
- Tamagotchi + Color white (thanks to Mochi_Dreams)
And perhaps looking into buying a Devilgotch but still thinking about that
I'll add some pics of the ones I currently already have!
My collection is growing again!
Started by Stefke2108 , Jul 24 2012 06:33 AM
Started24 Jul 2012
Last Post24 Jul 2012
Posted 24 July 2012 - 07:33 AM ( #2 )
There is already a topic for this. So please continue to post in this forum.
There is already a topic for this. So please continue to post in this forum.


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Easy come, Easy go! It seems like ever since Bethenny Frankel started rolling in the millions the lawsuits started coming at warp speed! In this latest lawsuit drama, the owner of a home that was used during the filming of Bethenny Ever After is suing the show and the network for illegally using his house!
For all of you fans (and some of you non-fans) who watched last season of BEA you'll remember Bethenny's fabulous Malibu beach house where Team Frankel celebrated Christmas. Well the owner of that house, Bijan Shahmoradi, has filed a lawsuit in L.A. County Superior Court claiming he did not authorize the house to be used for the taping of a show.
Apparently it all started when Bijan leased the 19936 Pacific Coast Highway property for a whopping $13,000-per- month, to "two people" who then "Illegally subleased" the home to NBC Universal (NBC owns Bravo) for the purposes of filming Bethenny Ever After! And when you film on location you must have permission from the property owner(s) if the site is private property. A photo of the house is below.
Bijan is now suing the tenant leaseholders for "allegedly violating their lease agreement" and also suing NBC Universal and Shed Media — the company that producers BEA and all the Housewives franchises. Mr. Shahmoradi claims that by showing the multi-million dollar property on television, it "invaded his privacy by exposing the mansion's interior to millions of people across the world," as he believes he has the right to keep his property out of the public eye.
In order to remedy the invasion of privacy he is seeking $25,000 in damages, plus "punitive damages and an injunction." The injunction being that Bijan wants NBC to bar any further airings of Bethenny Ever After shows that feature his home! Yikes.
The question is: How exactly did a company as large as NBC Universal find themselves in trouble for what seems like a rookie mistake? According to The Hollywood Reporter it happens when the "producers sign a lease to use the property without sorting the tenant from the landlord."
The lawsuit is claiming that NBC and Shed Media demonstrated "reckless disregard" by failing to practice due diligence to "inquire about the true owner of the property and publicly publishing the interior of the home without consent." So basically they took the tenants' word for it that it was their property and they had permission to use it however they saw fit!
As for how Bethenny is involved in this lawsuit — she is one of the producers of her own show! The suit does not implicate her or her wallet directly, but as a producer she is affiliated with the parties named in the suit. Of course, if Bijan is successful in blocking further airing of episodes featuring his home, Bethenny could possibly suffer financially as well. Who knows!
[Photo credit: WENN]


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It was a tough loss last week.
We went into halftime feeling real good about ourselves, but you could feel the momentum switching in the second half. It started with the turnover and then -- from that point on -- you could just feel the momentum was really on their side for most of the second half.
I know it was a tough loss for the fans as well, especially with the way we started a couple years ago when we went to the playoffs -- fans want to see that again. The idea of 2-0 was exciting, and we ended up losing a very winnable game.
At the same time, we dropped one game. We weren't on our Ps and Qs in the second half from all aspects -- players, coaches, whoever -- and we've just got to do better and finish the game out.
It's a 16-game season. It's not all off of two games. We've got 14 games left to get on the right track.
I believe that our talent will rise to the surface. We'll gel.


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If a physical WWE Hall of Fame is built in Orlando, the tourist capital of the world reportedly wants two WrestleManias every 10 years in return.
WWE Monday Night Raw had great segments from Vince McMahon, CM Punk, The Miz and Damien Sandow, along with two non-singles matches that stole the show.
Let's review:
Kane/Daniel Bryan beats The Prime Time Players. REACT: This match didn't do a thing for me. The Shield was very distracting. The finish with the rollup reversals was awkward. I liked The Shield's pack mentality beatdown of Kane and Bryan, though. Extremely effective.
Kane has the most matches of any WWE Superstar at 899. REACT: Kane is very underrated. This number proves that, if you've had your doubts.
John Cena chats with Sheamus. REACT: Strange interview that made little to no sense.
AJ Lee beats Tamina Snuka. REACT: I was fine with Tamina dominating what was an OK match, but not with Tamina losing. Another rollup win, too, was silly. This was a Divas feud that seemed to die with this match. Too bad.
CM Punk discusses WWE history. REACT: Punk stating he will be the longest reigning WWE Champion in the last 25 years is very impressive. I also really liked Punk stating he would belong on WWE's version of Mount Rushmore. He threw five names out there in Hulk Hogan, John Cena, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Undertaker. Sorry, Punk, I would put you sixth on this list. That's not to say your stock isn't rising though. For the record, my four would be Hogan, Cena, Austin, Undertaker. The Rock would be left out, much like he left WWE for Hollywood.
Punk talks angles. REACT: I liked Punk dismissing his associations with rogue referee Brad Maddox and The Shield group. I thought it was funny when Punk told the crowd to leave if they didn't like him. Imagine if the crowd left? Ha!
The Miz confronts Punk. REACT: Strong stuff from The Miz, who might have given Paul Heyman a new label in "walrus." I also liked the asterisk comment from The Miz for Punk's title reign.
NWO Revolution is the No. 1 sports DVD in America. REACT: NWO for life!
John Cena/Sheamus beat Dolph Ziggler/Big Show. REACT: Awesome match. Big Show's spear on Sheamus' top-rope leap was great. I loved the finish with Cena and Sheamus double-dropping Ziggler and Big Show.
Mrs. Piggy and Flo Rida promote WWE's 10th annual Tribute to the Troops show. REACT: Great, funny promo.
Damien Sandow looks for an apprentice. REACT: Classic segment that Sandow should continue to go with each week. I loved how Sandow had two easy questions and a diffcult final question. It'd be great if the "fan" got the last question right, but in not doing so, we can assume the fan is a "plant." Big surprise, huh? Ha!
Sandow beats Santino Marella. REACT: The comedy with the conch shell joke didn't work.
Brad Maddox segment. REACT: Informative, as we know he's sticking with the "good to great TV" angle and his cameraman's name is Carson.
Alberto Del Rio beats Sin Cara. REACT: Match got a needed pick-up when it went to the outside of the ring. Quick tap, but a much better match than I expected.
Vickie Guerrero and Vince McMahon chat. REACT: Awesome segment. I loved how McMahon made Vickie make Ziggler-Cena for the rights to the briefcase and how Paul Heyman vs. Ryback would have to take place next week on Raw if Punk was lying about AJ Lee and Cena.
Randy Orton beats Brad Maddox. REACT: Solid finish and good for what it was. I'm surprised The Shield went after Orton.
Dolph Ziggler tells Vickie Guerrero she is "an ungrateful, power-hungry amateur. REACT: Classic line.
Vickie Guerrero and Paul Heyman have a staredown. REACT: I thought they were going to kiss. I might have actually marked out for that.
John Cena and Vickie Guerrero chat. REACT: Is Vickie ever going to give AJ-Cena a rest? Doesn't sound like it.
Antonio Cesaro beats Kofi Kingston, R-Truth and Wade Barrett. REACT: Huge win for Cesaro. I liked how Teddy Long changed this from a tag-team match to a fatal fourway match for the title of the fans' choice. No surprise Cesaro's U.S. title (83 percent) beat out Kingston's Intercontinental title (17 percent). I was predicting 70 percent for Cesaro. I liked how R-Truth and Kingston had to wrestle. Cesaro's uppercut on Kingston's leap outside of the ring was nicely done. I also liked the dual champion tease in having Kingston win. Superb finish with mulitple finishing moves.
MizTV with The Miz and CM Punk. REACT: Funny how Punk acknowledged The Miz turning his microphone upside-down. Did The Miz really have a mom joke? Really? The lie detector test was good for what it was when it questioned Punk's belief in him beating Ryback. It's too bad we didn't find out answers to Punk's past match wins and Maddox, though. The Shield run-in and beatdown of The Miz was fine. Has WWE learned a lesson by NOT having wrestlers go into the crowd? I guess not. I was OK with Punk getting the best of The Miz and Ryback then destroying Punk, again. Effective segment, although we sadly didn't get answers for Punk's wins. The good thing, though, is we'll see a heavy dose of Punk vs. The Miz in 2013.
ANALYSIS: I really liked Punk's promo, Cena/Sheamus vs. Ziggler/Big Show, Sandow's promo, the promo by Vickie/McMahon and Cesaro's match. I didn't care for The Shield attacking yet more people. First Kane and Bryan. Now Orton and The Miz? They have too many enemies. That's not even counting Ryback. I also didn't like that we are still without answers for Punk's wins, and the first hour of the show was weak. The good overpowers the bad this week. By quite a bit. Pretty strong show overall. GRADE: B+.
Rumblings are surfacing -- again -- that WWE is thinking about building a physical Hall of Fame right up the road in Orlando.
This is no big surprise.
I first reported this in JAWBreaker on April 10, 2008, after WrestleMania XXIV was held in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, that this was a possibility. I also talked to Jim Ross about this on Nov. 20, 2008.
Here is what Ross said in 2008: He thought "any 'tourist' area like Orlando would be great." Ross also said "Stamford (Conn.) holds equity simply because it can constantly be under the watchful eye of the corporate types.
"I've heard nothing. I'm assuming that the WWE has bigger fish to fry these days than investing in a new entity such as a HOF. I do think it will happen but when is another question."
I had two more updates on this on Nov. 12, 2010 and Nov. 15, 2010.
Then, I said some of Orlando's big names were talking proposals -- with lots of money involved as WWE, at the time, wanted facility building and maintenance costs contributed to by the location partner.
The new reports suggest Orlando officials want WrestleMania twice every 10 years as part of the deal. I don't see that happening.
However, with the success at Full Sail University for WWE's NXT tapings, along with the state of Florida's very lenient tax laws, I see a WWE Hall of Fame in Orlando within the next 10 years. With a WrestleMania at least every 15 years, but probably 10 years.
Stay tuned. Again.
Tyler Reks verbally blasts John Cena. REACT: Cena is a big verbal target by a few wrestlers out there every once in awhile. Remember, Daniel Puder? Funny, these guys bringing the verbal bashing -- while that verbal bashing may be warranted -- have done little to nothing in the ring.
Ric Flair done wrestling? REACT: Sure sounds like it. Flair told WrestleNewz.com: "I want to be in the ring, but it will never happen again. I said I'd never wrestle in WWE... and then there's the Jerry Lawler incident." It'd be strange if Flair is done, but stranger things have happened.


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Seniors Anna Kendrick and Phoebe Robinson, junior Laura Huppert and sophomore Carolyn Talley are the Black and White's heavyweight selections, while sophomore Wynne Evans represents the Radcliffe lightweight crew.
Robinson, an applied mathematics concentrator, is being honored for the third straight season, while Kendrick and Huppert are repeat selections. Kendrick concentrates in history and literature, while Huppert is a molecular and chemical biology concentrator. Talley is a neurobilogy concentrator, and Evans is a Romance languages and literature concentrator.
CRCA Scholar Athletes are those sophomores, juniors and seniors who have competed in 75 percent of their team's races in an NCAA- or IRA-eligible boat who own a grade-point average of 3.5 or greater.
Huppert and Kendrick are members of the sixth-ranked Radcliffe heavyweight varsity eight and helped that boat earn a silver medal at the Eastern Association of Women's Rowing Colleges Sprints May 17. Both were named to the All-New England teams last week. Huppert was a first-team all-region selection, while Kendrick, a 2008 first-team All-American, made the second team.
Robinson and Talley row in the three seat and bow seat, respectively, in the Radcliffe heavyweight second varsity eight. They helped their boat earn a bronze medal at Sprints. They will be competing, along with the varsity eight and varsity four, at this weekend's NCAA Championships. It will be the third straight year that Robinson has competed at the NCAA regatta and the second straight year that Talley has raced.
Evans occupies the two seat for the No. 5 Radcliffe lightweights. She helped the Black and White post a 5-1 dual record, capture the Class of 1999 Cup and Class of 2004 Cup and climb as high as No. 2 in the national rankings. Radcliffe will compete for a national championship at the IRA National Championships June 4-6 in Sacramento, Calif.


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Ban the hunt
You recently did an article on foxhunting the one form of animal cruelty which craves not only exoneration, but respect and praise ["Hounded: What's so wrong with foxhunting," November 14] (http://www.readthehook.com/92725/cover-story-hounded-whats-so-wrong-fox-...).
The history of the hunt, the rules of the hunt, the traditions, the thrill of the ride, few foxes ever actually killed... all of this does not change anything. Except that the strongest stigma is that of self-deceit and self-indulgence.
The world is changing, and foxhunt fans should know we see them as they cannot see themselves– relics of the past.
Our laws should no longer coddle them, nor the media extol the grand traditions of cruelty they morbidly idealize.
Ban the hunt. Ban it even from the heart. The future will be different from the present, and that's where it will start.
Sky Hiatt


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Holly Madison Reveals Newborn Son's Name
Pretty on theme. More »
Pretty on theme. More »
Congrats to the happy family! More »
Playboy or Playgirl?
… More »
Another Playboy baby is on the way. … More »
You had to expect that Kendra Wilkinson would deliver her two cents on the whole Holly Madison vs. Hugh Hefner feud.
… More »
Holly Madison's new book Down the Rabbit Hole allowed her to open up about her "nightmare" experience living in the Playboy mansion for seven years.
… More »
In Holly Madison's shocking new tell-all memoir, Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny, the former girlfriend of Hugh Hefner, now 35, details the years of verbal and emotional abuse she endured while living with Hef in the Playboy Mansion.
… More »
It's now that time to start enjoying seasonal goodies, spend more time with family, and begin decorating every nook and cranny for the Christmas celebrations ahead.
To give you a little extra holiday inspiration, we've provided you with some of the most epic pine and plastic trees designed by none other than Hollywood's… More »
Are you ready to see the cutest celebrity kid pictures of the week? Great, because we're going to show them to you!
This week, we found 15 of the most adorable kid photos posted to Instagram by some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Celebs like Hilary Duff and Britney Spears posted the sweetest pics… More »
Instagram: Every mother's favorite app for obsessively capturing all the tiny and seemingly insignificant moments of their child's life.
Celebrity moms like Snooki, Shakira, and Hilary Duff, have been all been plagued by this problem. For some reason, a cute baby with a face covered with food, and sporting an adorable little outfit,… More »
Five and a half years after leaving Hugh Hefner and Playboy behind, Holly Madison finally ditched her bleach blonde hair for something a bit more appropriate for her newfound motherhood.
Trouble is, the former reality star can't seem to pick a color she likes and we aren't too thrilled with the newest results.
… More »


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Biology and Biomedical Sciences
The Department of Biology and Biomedical Sciences provides an understanding of the biological sciences through interactive classroom instruction, practical laboratory experimentation and field study.
While we expose students to the diversity of modern biology - from the cell to the organism to the environment - we also explore the moral and ethical consequences of new advances in the sciences. Our challenging curriculum engages students in discussions and debates, introduces them to relevant and historical scientific texts and literature, and provides them with access to modern, interactive computer programs and technology.
Most courses have a laboratory requirement that demonstrates scientific methods through hands-on exploration and discovery. Majors also have the opportunity to participate in exciting research opportunities through our educational consortium with colleges and universities across New England.
Our dedicated faculty help students hone the communication, critical thinking and analytical skills necessary for a career in the biological sciences. While many majors enter graduate programs, including medical, dental and veterinary schools, others find success in the fields of education, research and health care.


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Submission + - Revealed: Google Chrome WAS Exploited at Pwnium 2013 (internetnews.com)
Freshly Exhumed writes: Sean Michael Kerner has revealed an inconvenient truth: earlier this month, 'Google Chrome running Chrome OS was hailed as being a survivor in the Pwnium/Pwn2own event that hacked IE, Firefox and Chrome browsers on Windows. Apple's Safari running on Mac OS X was not hacked and neither (apparently) was Chrome on Chrome OS. Google disclosed this morning that Chrome on Chrome OS had in fact been exploited — albeit, unreliably. The same researcher that took Google's money last year for exploiting Chrome, known publicly only as 'PinkiePie' was awarded $40,000 for exploiting Chrome/Chrome OS via a Linux kernel bug, config file error and a video parsing flaw.' So, was it really Google Chrome, or was Linux to blame?


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They'll just play an animation of a book burning as they erase them remotely.
I just installed the Stanza app on my iPhone, and I can pull all the classics from Project Gutenberg for free. And when the new Star Wars novels come out, my wife downloads them on her Kindle app on her iPhone. Paid content and free content both accessible via free apps on the iPhone, and no $400 reader required.
I've tried reading ebooks on my desktop, my netbook and my iphone. I haven't been able to do it yet. Backlit screens just suck ass for reading for any length of time.
I tried stanza.
If you're the kind of gadget freak who is considering dropping $400 on an eReader, there is a decent chance you have an iPhone.
The iPhone has its faults, but one of the best aspects of the iPhone is that it replaces several other gadgets. It is one less thing to carry, charge, or worry about. It is also one less thing to purchase.
You're definitely going to carry a cell phone. Are you going to carry a Kindle?
You're definitely going to carry a cell phone.
True, but I carry an el-cheapo Audiovox phone from Virgin Mobile and I only use about $6 per month worth of airtime because I only make calls that I can't make from a land line, such as arranging rides. Until smartphone service becomes nearly this affordable, I'll stick with a separate phone and PDA.
Until smartphone service becomes nearly this affordable, I'll stick with a separate phone and PDA.
Here's a man that doesn't have deep pockets, but does have big pockets with lots of stuff in them!
...on the iPhone, and no $400 reader required.
I read ebooks on my netbook, no $400 reader required. I just had to buy the netbook; did you have to buy your phone first? And a netbook costs less than an iphone if you shop around. Netbooks have FAR larger screens than readers and readers even have larger screens than the little iphone so what's your point?
It is the hardware. Reading PDFs for technical books is not really practical on current eBook readers, because it takes a couple of seconds to refresh the screen.
It's fine for novels where you read from cover to cover, but if you need to flip back and forth, skim or scroll then two seconds is too much.
Maybe they should join up with Amazon. That sounds right up their alley.
I was starting to get worried about their eBook commitment with outdated PRS-500/505 models. Don't need Whispernet and don't need a freaking dedicated keyboard on a eBook device. Just give me the text and native PDF support.
I'm a big fan of Amazon but Kindle just rubs me the wrong way. I'm considered to be their target demographic too - a left coast liberal yuppie who loves to read obscure novels by authors who committed suicide. But I never made my peace with the device.
I'm a big fan of Amazon but Kindle just rubs me the wrong way. I'm considered to be their target demographic too - a left coast liberal yuppie who loves to read obscure novels by authors who committed suicide.
Actually in the first 5 of Kindle Top Sellers at this moment are Michelle Malkin's "Culture of Corruption: Obama and His Team of Tax Cheats, Crooks, and Cronies" and Glenn Beck's "Glenn Beck's Common Sense: The Case Against and Out-of-Control Government,...". There isn't a single liberal leaning rant anywhere in the top 30, but I also see Dick Morris and Mark R. Levin from the right. So your assumption about the target demographic might be a tad off.
Sony doesn't have Amazon's catalog and their software and net-fu are inferior.
The kindle will be buried either by either:
1- revolutionary advances in battery technology that'll make netbooks and tablets into book readers
2- Or by a company that has UI know-how, enough money and savvy to build a triple-A network and a willingness to lose money to gain a foothold on the market. (IE: Microsoft)
2- Or by a company that has UI know-how, enough money and savvy to build a triple-A network and a willingness to lose money to gain a foothold on the market. (IE: Microsoft)
I'd find the white text on a blue background very off-putting.
This very thought, the idea that the method of distribution could be gamed (much like the media) in an effort to guide/hijack public opinion, occurred to me as soon as I saw the article about Amazon deleting all the copies of "1984" from people's Kindles.
But my inherent cynicism (ironically/coincidentally, cynicism largely a product of my reading "1984") went a little further down the road with that idea.
Has anyone done comparisons of the actual text in the versions of a book on a Kindle with the text of pr
Occam's razor applies here. The rankings prove that using a brazenly partisan cable TV show to direct sheeple to read yet more of the same partisan crap in book/ebook form is far more thought control than furtive tweaking of content could ever be.
"plurality should not be posited without necessity."
I agree. But do those that have the means of doing such as I described in my post know that?
We have both the CIA and the NSA. Four branches of military that these days are pretty much redundant in many ways.
Hell, Warcraft and Starcraft from the same publisher.
Occam's Razor is an interesting principle, but unless your aware of it, and consider it, it is kind of moot.
You've pretty much described the Sony 505, although it's around $300 (although assumedly it will come down when the new 600 is released).
What you're paying for with the e-ink readers is the very-nice-screen, which looks like a printed page. If you're willing to suffer reading from an LCD screen, then check out the eBookwise reader [ebookwise.com], which is again pretty much exactly what you're describing. Although, very weird proprietary file formats.
I'm waiting for something with a reasonably decent screen, a decent flash drive, a few buttons. No subscription services, no wireless, no connectivity at all, no note taking or annotation features, no voice or recording... Just a thumbdrive hooked to a screen. That hardware should be WELL under $100. The extra features turn me off more than incentivize me. Currently, I'm using my DS, and it's adequate. It can scroll text, html, and pdf. Good return on a $7 cartridge, since I already had a DS.
Instead of buying this crap, you could just buy a netbook for $299.
There was a good article in the New Yorker which brings one up to date with the genesis and current state of the kindle, and e-books in general. The author orders one and then proceeds to write an article about his experience. He compares it to paper books, discusses amazons choice of a non free and closed format, and generally reviews it quite well. Having an ad blocker and hating all that is spamazon has kept me out of the loop with these new e-book readers so it was a nice intro to the current scene.
The article is available online at the following link: Kindle and the Future of Reading [newyorker.com]
and via iTunes. Music, movies.... books are just another story telling medium. And figuring digital distribution IS the future, why not?
Too bad about their break with Google over some stupid voice apps... because Google may have been a great partner (ie Google Books) for Apple to catch up to Amazon.
And the upgrade cycle would/is tremendous like the iPods were. Black/white small screen -> B/W big screen -> color screen -> flexible (?) screen -> ???
Right after the 1st generation Kindle, with it's fugly looks, probably would have been the best time to get in. Even now, it wouldn't be bad... the kindle isn't a computer, doesn't have speed, etc. All things Apple could one up for those people that want a book reader and something to browse with and that's it.
They don't need to. They already provide a platform (iPod/iPhone) that is the marketplace for content. They don't need to compete for "eReaders" because there are already dozens of them available on the Apple store.
http://www.tuaw.com/2009/08/05/app-store-rejections-tied-to-third-party-rights-infringements/ [tuaw.com]
Apple recently invited a great deal of criticism after it rejected Google's Google Voice application from App Store. At the same time, it pulled third party GV apps leaving their developers without recourse and forced to swallow refund costs that exceeded their initial per-sale earnings. Today Engadget notes Daring Fireball's story of a simple dictionary being censored. Now it looks as if Apple may be targeting the e-book section of App Store.
I only cut part of the article, feel free to read the rest, but Apple is up to something or maybe not. Considering you can "Kindle" on it through Amazon I am trying to work out why their stance has changed even for people with unquestionable rights to the material they publish
I am trying to work out why their stance has changed even for people with unquestionable rights to the material they publish
No rights are unquestionable. Just ask (the estate of) George Harrison, who lost a million-dollar lawsuit for accidentally copying Ronald Mack's "He's So Fine" into Harrison's "My Sweet Lord".
Usually someone is holding one and walking fast like it's a clipboard.
The prop in TNG is probably supposed to represent the successor to the Tablet PC [wikipedia.org].
"The software also is compatible with both PCs and Apple computers and enable the user to read PDF, Word, BBeB and other text files on the Reader."
- that right there.
When I first made my paperback book available in paperback format in early 2007 Amazon offered to convert it (it was in PDF format) to their kindle format for me, I said sure, and almost immediately found out that the formatting didn't work out. I pulled it from the kindle store and asked if I could do the conversion on my own. They said sure, but their format was html. Because of the charts and imagery and the way the text was done in the book there wasn't any easy way of converting the 162 page PDF into essentially a big ass website. I opted to ignore the kindle and since then haven't suffered for it in anyway.
Now my books are available in PDF format and I'm converting many of the stories into RTF versions for mobile devices. The fact that Sony now has a reader that can view html formated ebooks as well as RTF, Word and PDF files means I soon will have another outlet for my products without me having to do any type of special conversion on my end, which for me means I get another revenue stream, a potentially larger client base and no additional time cost. Win Win.
The problem is that the ebook readers don't like page formatted documents because they need to resize them to fit their screens and the font size selected. PDFs are crappy for this. I believe Amazon accepts other formats like doc and will convert them. If your book requires specific page formatting then it doesn't lend itself to most ebook readers.
Do either the Kindle or Sony ebooks have color displays?
Do either the Kindle or Sony ebooks have color displays?
Not yet. Color eInk is very new. The Kindle 3 (2011, probably) will probably have it.
It's a Sony Clie SJ22.
Yes, I know it's like six years old.
Yes, I know it's only 320x320.
Don't care. It works better as an eBook reader than anything bigger could, because it's small enough I can take it anywhere.
Plus it plays Alchemy and Bejeweled and Collapse and Seven Seas, and holds all my names and addresses and magic numbers.
And I can use it as an IR remote to freak people out in bars by surreptitiously turning the TV off and on.
Do that on your Kindle.
Try reading it outside in bright, direct sunlight (ie the beach).
Readers like these Sony ones and the Kindle are all about the e-ink displays, full stop. They are awesome, and the charge life is measured in weeks. LCDs are shit for reading books, honestly.
Try reading it outside in bright, direct sunlight (ie the beach).
Works fine, it's got a transflective display like just about every color PDA since around 2000.
Are you kidding? I've yet to see any kind of LCD screen stand up to direct sunlight. I read e-paper in direct sunlight all the time.
It's whole purpose for existing is to be able to be read in direct sunlight.
I guess E-Ink should close up shop then, because they clearly have no product, right? You should pick up the phone and let them know your old Sony's display beats the pants off their e-ink nonsense. You should probably let Amazon know too. Sony sure will be relieved to know they can fall back on this old product! You've just saved them a bundle.
trying to fight Amazon's PR ability is a losing battle, seriously, don't even bother.
The SONY readers can show PDF files which is great, but those screens are too damned small. You might as well carry around a Netbook. The good news is Amazon have finally backed off their proprietary+DRM stupidity and allowed PDF on Kindles' too:
http://www.labnol.org/gadgets/amazon-kindle-dx-for-pdf-documents/8455/ [labnol.org]
Now they should go the next step and give you an oyster fork so you can pry out their BigBrotheresque Wireless connection which from the 1984 debacle we've seen has more cons than pros.
The Sonys have a zoom feature that scales very well with most PDF files, letting you read them easily on the small screen. (Some scanned PDFs will not work, some will, anything thats not scanned will work every time).
Awesome news for us Kindle fans, we'll be seeing a price drop AND a Kindle Touch soon.
Sony? Who the hell cares about Sony?
Can anybody tell the difference between the touch edition and the PRS 700? As far as I can see its the exact same device (just cheaper).
Ok, where are they?
Ok, where are they?
Being held up in developed countries' customs until the patents expire.
(According to their about page [loc.gov])
Which means that the reader holds only 0.0000109375 LoC.
What are they smoking? Paperbacks cost less than that, and I'd expect something with zero production cost to be an order of magnitude cheaper.
This is just begging for piracy.
because they are releasing the ebooks at the same time as the hard back editions of new books, not a year later in paperback.
so it is significantly cheaper than the $25-40 price range of a hardback book.
there are also cheaper older books available as well.
and over 500,000 free classics.
and of course there's always calibre and torrent sites with LIT format books.
I'll consider getting another eBook device when they make it possible to lend an eBook the way I can lend a physical book.
I want to be able to lend Kindle books... commercial, protected, bestseller-type books... to a person with a Sony reader. I want to be able to replace my Sony reader three years down the road with whatever eBook reading device appeals to me and move all my books to the new device.
And I want to be able to make the transfers just as I can today with a physical book.
I have $300 worth of ebooks I purchased for my Rocket eBook. When I bought them I was assured that if I ever needed to replace the device, I could just give them the new serial number and re-download the books re-coded for the new device. Well, I my eBook device finally bit the dust. I now have $300 worth of eBooks that can be read only on a device that no longer exists, unless I buy a replacement device that doesn't exist, contact a customer service department that no longer exists, and re-download them from a server that no longer exists, operated by a company that no longer exists.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Technically, the company does exist. Nuvomedia, the maker of the Rocket, was purchased by Gemstar, who merged with TV Guide to become Gemstar TV Guide, who then merged with Macrovision Corp to become Macrovision Solutions Corp, and finally, just this past month, changed its name to Rovi Corp ( http://www.rovicorp.com/ [rovicorp.com] ).
Don't get suckered in by the comments -- they can be terribly misleading. Debug only code. -- Dave Storer


text:
Getting Started With Computers
GHC Computer Applications Training provided by Learning & Development will be approximately 3-4 hours in length unlike the courseware designation of 6 hours. Therefore, actual content covered in class will vary from this outline.
Course Description
Course Objective: Students will log on to Windows 7, explore its interface, identify the different components in the interface, customize the Windows 7 desktop, manage files and folders, use the common tools and programs available in Windows 7, and launch various computer applications. Users will also learn how to create, read, and reply to messages in Microsoft Outlook.
Target Student: This course is designed for any employee who needs knowledge in basic computer skills.
Prerequisites: None
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- log on to Windows 7, explore its interface, and identify the different components present in the interface.
- customize the Windows 7 desktop.
- manage files and folders.
- use the common tools and programs available in Windows 7.
- create, read, and reply to email messages.
Course Content
Lesson 1: Exploring Windows 7
Topic 1A: Identify Personal Computer Functionality
Topic 1B: Log On to Windows 7
Topic 1C: Explore the Desktop
Topic 1D: Work with Windows
Topic 1E: Access the Help and Support Feature
Topic 1F: Turn Off the Personal Computer
Lesson 2: Customizing the Windows 7 Desktop
Topic 2A: Customize the Start Menu
Topic 2B: Customize the Taskbar
Topic 2C: Personalize the Desktop
Topic 2D: Add Gadgets to the Desktop
Lesson 3: Managing Folders and Files
Topic 3A: Navigate to Folders Using Windows Explorer
Topic 3B: Work with Folders and Files
Topic 3C: Secure Folders and Files
Topic 3D: Organize Folders and Files
Topic 3E: Search for Folders and Files
Lesson 4: Using Common Tools and Programs in Windows 7
Topic 4A: Create a Document in WordPad
Topic 4B: Work with the Calculator
Topic 4C: Capture Screens Using the Snipping Tool
Topic 4D: Customize a Graphic with the Paint Tool
Lesson 5: Email
Topic 5A: Launch Microsoft Outlook
Topic 5B: Explore the environment
Topic 5C: Read and reply to emails.
Topic 5D: Create Emails
Appendix A: Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts
Appendix B: Personal Computer Basics


text:
High Triglycerides & HIV
May 12, 1997
Dr. Gallant: I have a question on high triglycerides related to HIV. Brief history, current CD4 count 800, viral load undetectable. Current meds., Crixivan, AZT, Zerit, 3tc. Two months ago trigylcerides were 9700, and I developed acute pancreatitis. I am now recovered and on lopid for the high triglycerides, 3 times a day. Recent triglycerides were 933 and a very low fat diet, 20 grams per day. Are high triglycerides caused by the virus, medications or what? Any suggestions to lower the triglycerides so I don't develope pancreatititis again. Thanks for your great information.
Response from Dr. Gallant
Although it's possible that your high triglycerides are unrelated to HIV or your medications, the most common reason for high triglycerides in HIV-infected people is therapy with protease inhibitors (Crixivan in your case).
Most of the time the high triglycerides don't do any damage, but when they become very high they can lead to trouble (like pancreatitis). Gemfibrozol (Lopid) is the drug most commonly used to treat this condition. It sounds like you are doing everything you can do to treat this, short of stopping your Crixivan.
One more thing--d4T (Zerit) can also cause pancreatitis, though it's not common. Also, there's evidence that taking AZT and d4T together may be a bad idea. The two drugs appear to compete with each other in the cell, and in one study people taking AZT + d4T did WORSE than people taking d4T alone. For that reason, it's now recommended that the two not be combined.
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California Receptionist Jobs
Looking for Receptionist Jobs in California? See currently available Receptionist job openings in California on receptionist.jobs.net . Browse the current listings and fill out job applications.
receptionist.jobs.net is the starting point for a job search in any receptionist job in California . We provide job resources for Receptionist positions throughout the industry in California. receptionist.jobs.net also provides Receptionist jobs listings from around the United States. Job seekers can search and apply for jobs in Receptionist by either city or state.
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text:
Get dining news including restaurant closures and qualify for giveaways.
Well Tea is a bubble tea house offering traditional Taiwanese cuisine on the BCIT Vancouver campus. With over 120 kinds of dishes and combos of your choice. From light snacks to full meals, there will is something for everyone.
I first went to Well Tea because I have been to almost all the eateries in and around UBC and this was one of the last ones I have not yet tried. Also, they specialize in Taiwanese food. I'm from Taiwan and I was excited about eating food from where I came from. All I can say is.. When I first saw the menu, I almost left because their bubble teas and other drinks were so pricey! They had a really large selection of drinks though and a pretty big selection in terms of the food.
I ordered a chicken curry.. It was too watery (not the curry I thought I would be getting) and a bit too sweet for my taste. (Is curry supposed to be that sweet? I couldn't even taste any spices.) My friends ordered beef noodle (he said that it was really good) and chicken nuggets. (This one was not bad. It was one of my favorite night market foods back in Taiwan) We all had to wait 20 minutes for our orders to come though.. extremely slow.
The second time I went, I only had a one hour break before class started. My boyfriend ordered a chicken nugget meal. I didn't order anything. After 50 minutes his meal still had not come yet.. I mean, the 20 minute wait the first time was already long enough. But 50 minutes?! Class had already started when they finally gave him his order. I mean.. I understand that they have a lot of customers and are busy, but a 50 minute wait just for one lunch is really too much. They also looked extremely confused when we asked about the order that we placed.. 50 whole minutes ago. I don't think I'll be going back there again.
|Curry Point (0 m)
|Loafe Cafe (74 m)
|Bento Sushi (190 m)
|Triple O's (199 m)
|Subway (218 m)
|Starbucks (218 m)
|Little Tea Shop (218 m)
|Sprouts (218 m)
|A & W (232 m)
|Delly (232 m)