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The mission of Dallas Theological Seminary is to
glorify God by equipping godly servant-leaders
for the proclamation of His Word and the
building up of the body of Christ worldwide.
A Calling Fulfilled from In Touch Magazine on Vimeo.
With medical school under his belt, Dan Kim enrolled in a 7-year surgery program at Brown University. His parents were so proud. Coming from a Korean background, the family expectations were high—so, a few years later, when he announced that he would be leaving the surgery program to attend Dallas Theological Seminary, no one could believe it.
He had finished two years of clinical surgery and begun a research phase in his third year of the program, which gave him some free time. He spent this extra time studying God's Word, teaching Sunday school, and being involved in discipleship. As he studied the Bible, he found that his passion for Scripture was stronger than his passion for surgery.
Dan was encouraged by a book called Lectures to My Students by Charles Spurgeon.
"He talks about what it means to be called to ministry." Dan said. "Everything Spurgeon talked about I felt that I was experiencing. It really helped to confirm that God was calling me to full-time ministry."
His pastor, DTS alumnus Earl Comfort, had greatly influenced Dan by making God's Word come alive. Although Dan had considered other seminaries, what helped him make the decision to come to DTS was that he wanted the same grasp of the Bible that his pastor had.
"He preached the Word with such conviction, passion, and love," Dan said. "Choosing Dallas Seminary was not a hard decision."
In February of 1998, after he felt like God had confirmed this new direction, Dan made the decision to leave surgery.
"I prayed every day, even up to the day I left, that if God didn't want me to go, I would stay. My parents even gained peace about the decision, which was further confirmation of God's will."
After he made the decision, he felt like a great burden was lifted off his shoulders. The chairman of his surgery department was highly supportive, and he received several awards the last few months he was there. The department left an open door for him to someday return to the program.
"God really blessed me the last few months I was there. By His grace I was able to glorify Him even in leaving the program."
Currently in his last year of his Master of Arts in Cross-Cultural Ministries degree, Dan plans to return to Rhode Island with his new wife, Julie, to finish his surgery residency. After that, they hope to go to South Asia. They have a burden for Muslim and Buddhist communities and he hopes to work in or build a hospital in an impoverished and unreached region.
In addition to his studies, Dan has worked as a youth pastor for the past 4 years at a Korean church in North Dallas. He chaired the World Evangelization Conference and served as the president of the Student Missions Fellowship for the past two years. He also founded and led a homeless ministry, which reached out to street people in Dallas, bringing them hope in Christ.
What advice would he give to his fellow students?
"Holiness is difficult to obtain without discipline. We must be disciplined in all areas of life to be disciplined in any."
An updated story is available from In Touch: http://www.intouch.org/magazine/content/topic/Cross_Purposes


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There has been a lot of discussion this week about press coverage given to a new study suggesting that epidurals may prevent trauma to the pelvic floor during delivery. Basically, the idea is that an epidural relaxes the muscles such that they don't tear. I don't know whether or not that is true. I haven't read the study itself, only representations of the story in various places. I know that Amy Romano at Science and Sensibility is sceptical, and I think she is a pretty trustworthy source of information. It has been interesting to follow the discussion between her and the study's authors in the comments section of her blog. (And ire-provoking to see the known ideologue Dr. Amy Tuteur's $.02 popped in there, too—but I digress…) Whether or not the study's conclusions have merit, the coverage of the study, particularly in the Globe and Mail, has been quite atrocious.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with epidurals. They have an appropriate time and place, and the only person who can really say for certain whether or not an epidural is indicated is the woman with the baby descending through her pelvis. I'll trust her to be the judge of how she wants to manage those sensations. So, this is not an anti-epidural rant. Hell, I was practically desperate for one with my first baby—got to the hospital in transition and begged for one. I was too far gone, at 8 cm, to qualify—and in retrospect I'm glad that was the case, as it was a very cool experience to give birth without drugs—but at the time, if someone had tried to suggest that I was wrong to ask, I'm sure I would have wrung his or her neck with my own bare hands. That said, there are definitely risks involved with an epidural, just as there are risks with any invasive medical procedure. Risks v. benefits. That's the name of the game.
So, there may be benefits to epidurals that we didn't know about before. That's awesome. It's always good to learn new ways of preventing women from lasting harm to their bodies. Women want good options when it comes to health care. But a) this study isn't saying epidurals prevent tears—it's saying epidurals may play a role in preventing some kinds of pelvic floor damage; and b) the uncritical coverage of this study has not explained that there are also many other steps women can take to safeguard the health of their pelvic floors. The point is: there is nowhere near enough data to say that epidurals are necessarily the best approach, and they certainly aren't the only one, either.
What else can women do? There are the often-cited birthing strategies that include not giving birth on one's back, but instead choosing a position that is more in synch with physiological processes occurring and can benefit from gravity; avoiding fundal pressure; and pushing spontaneously, rather than following directions for pushing. But there are other things women can do as well, before they get to the moment when they are actually in labour—a moment when they may or may not want/be able to think about those strategies.
Women who perform simple pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy and after delivery can greatly reduce their chance of pelvic floor trauma and the speed of postpartum healing. The stronger the pelvic floor, the more flexible; the more flexible, the more likely those muscles will get up and out of the way and not tear while a baby passes through. A strong pelvic floor can also prevent/reduce the significance of other common pregnancy- and birth-related concerns, such as hemorrhoids, prolapse, and urinary incontinence. And as a bonus, contracting the pelvic floor automatically gets the transverse abdominus to co-contract, helping to tone the abdominal muscles. These are seriously awesome exercises that can be done anywhere, at any time of day, with no special equipment.
So, what do you do? Basically, you want to do a modified Kegel, which can then be performed in various series, at various speeds, and in various patterns. If you've never done a Kegel before, the idea is to draw the muscles of the pelvic floor (PF) up and into the body, as if you're stopping yourself from going pee. Draw them in, breathe, hold for a few counts, breathe, relax. Once you get the hang of that, you can move on to combine PF work with other core strengthening exercises such as curls (unless you have diastasis recti), superwoman, and cat-cow. You can do them sitting on a chair or an exercise ball, standing, lying on your side, on your hands and knees, in child's pose—there are many positions that work, all of which have a slightly different benefit.
The bottom line (pardon the pun) is: strengthen your pelvic floor. Pregnant or not, this is a good thing to do. But if you're pregnant or contemplating giving birth at some point, strengthening your pelvic floor is a noninvasive, key step in minimizing the risk of tearing and other significant trauma to the perineal region.

subset: commoncrawl


text: I'm from N.California/Sacramento I have 2 blenheim cavalilers my first is Ladybug 1 1/2 yrs my sweet shy pretty girl. The second one is Lighting (bug) 11 mths my baby boy "always". I'm some what of a aunt to a Tri Pepper 6 mths too she the tough one. I do belong to a toy dog group but no Caviliers.


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Replication Samples
Replication includes sample applications that demonstrate how to programmatically access replication functionality. In addition, SQL Server Books Online includes a comprehensive set of topics that demonstrate how to program replication. For more information, see Replication Programming.
The following table describes the replication samples.
This sample demonstrates the benefits of programming merge replication in an application that enables a sales person to manage sales data in a mobile, disconnected state.
This sample demonstrates how to use Replication Management Objects (RMO) to monitor a merge subscription at the Subscriber.
This sample demonstrates how to use the legacy Replication ActiveX Controls to synchronize a subscription from a native code application.
See Also
Other Resources
Replication Programming Samples


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Albert Morales, Jr.
Funeral services for Albert Morales, Jr., 61, of Sweetwater, will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 17, 2012, at Broadway Baptist Church, with Rev. Chris Stephens officiating. Interment will follow at Roscoe Cemetery under the direction of McCoy Funeral Home.Visitation was held Sunday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at McCoy Chapel of Memories.Morales died Friday, Dec. 14, 2012, at his residence. He was born May 5, 1951, in East Benard, Texas. He was a member of Broadway Baptist Church. He worked for Sweetwater Steal since 2007 and attended Roscoe Schools. He lived in Abilene for several years and in Sweetwater the last three years.Survivors include his sons, Reuben Morales of San Antonio, Jerry Morales of Abilene, Nick Morales of Plainview, and Chris Morales of Sweetwater; daughters, Jeannette Foster of Jenks, OK, Lucinda Garcia of Abilene, Amy Woodell of Colorado City, Gloria Rodriguez of Austin, and Crystal Morales of Lubbock; sisters, Liz Lara of Victoria, Susan Martinez of Roscoe, Rose Morales of Roscoe, Becky Alvarado of Roscoe, Penny Morales of Sweetwater, Mary Hardin of Abilene, Martha Dillard of Thorton, CO, Alice Ronquillo of La Merada, CA, and Mary Wren of Stroud, OK; brothers, Robert Morales of Roscoe, Victor Morales of Sweetwater, and Leroy Morales of Tomball (Houston); 25 grandchildren and one great grandson.He was preceded in death by his parents, Albert and Alice Morales; twin sons, Jonathan and Jacob; sister, Beatriece Ramierez; and brother, Joe David Morales.Pallbearers will be Chris Morales, Issac Aguilar, Adrian Aguilar, Eric Hartkopf, Johnny Harper, and Gabriel Galvan.


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For the record, I'm white. But I hope that people don't equate my being white and against AA with being a racist, as I am certainly not at all. At the end of the day, in my opinion, AA works contrary to the ultimate goal of equality favored by many successful minorities--goals that, I for one, strongly support.
Clarence Thomas seems to be stuck on this point as well. But were it not for affirmative action, he would not have been a Yale graduate, he would not have been head of the Civil Rights Commission, he would not be a Supreme Court Justice irrespective of his ability. Affirmative Action opened up the doors of opportunity for him - doors that would have been closed otherwise.
When the recent graduate with the fantastic numbers arrives for his first day of work, he notices that others stare at him in curious bewilderment. Despite the fact that he certainly "earned" his spot at Michigan, behind his back his colleagues wonder, "How did he get into Michigan Law? Hmmm, I wonder if he got in simply because of his race." Deservedly, the applicant with mediocre numbers is received with similar glances, reactions and comments in his new office.Is AA fair to minorities who have the numbers to get into top schools? Is it right that they will forever be looked at as though they benefitted from an unfair program or faced a different set of standards, especially given that they may have actually met or exceeded those standards? I think that AA needs to be eliminated, not necessarily because it is unfair toward whites but because it is unfair toward minorities who have earned and actually deserve their spots in America's top law schools.


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Men's Under Armour Escape 7" Printed ShortItem #UAM187
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Men's UNDER ARMOUR® ESCAPE 7" PRINTED SHORT :: Depend on these 7" shorts to go the distance, while enjoying breathable comfort mile after mile when you workout in the men's Under Armour® Escape 7" Printed Short. You'll love the lightweight feel of the woven fabric, while knowing you can rely on the durability of the material that's specifically designed for heavy wear. You'll be running airy and odor-free thanks to the internal mesh liner and antimicrobial properties, and you're sure to appreciate the convenience of the waist key pocket and side seam pockets on these shorts that'll let you stash your essentials with ease.
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text:
Computacenter bigwig dethrones older brother to head up Camwood
One Foxall is good, two is better, reckon board
Fresh from its MBO, application portfolio management firm Camwood has lured Computacenter (CC) alliances director Adrian Foxall to move across as CEO.
The board of the London-based Camwood bought out backers Matrix Partners and Foresight in April, some nine years after the venture capitalists first invested in the business.
Foxall, who is to join the firm on 2 July, was made alliances director in January and prior to that held various senior roles including hardware sales director, alliances director and director of Cisco.
Camwood Chairman Graham Norfolk said: "In this current economic climate the need for businesses to rapidly change and grow is paramount. Making this happen requires a catalyst."
The MBO was completed after Camwood sold its App-DNA software toolset for application management to Citrix in October for $92m.
Current CEO Frank Foxall, Adrian's brother, is moving to a non-exec board director role of Camwood Capital to assess "acquisition targets and technology incubation".
In the year to 31 March 2011, Camwood made an operating profit of £1.17m compared to £108,000 in 2010, on the back of 96 per cent rise in sales to £8.45m. ®
Sponsored: Minds Mastering Machines - Call for papers now open


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Toki Tori Review
Toki Tori has been riding a wave of hype since its announcement in February, and rightly so. As an award-winning Wii and Game Boy Color platformer, excitement is certainly justified as the title chicken waddles its way to the App Store. In this case, the port lives up to its expectations in an adventure that actually feels native on the platform.
A classic example of the chicken or the egg…
Toki Tori asks you to guide the title chicken around levels collecting eggs, opening a portal that takes him onward upon completion of each level. While the game may be a port, it is still ranks as one of the best puzzle platformers on the iPhone. Much like the Bobby Carrot series, its adorable style is deceiving when it comes down to difficulty. After a brief tutorial, you are confronted mind-boggling puzzles, forcing even the best of players to think outside the box. Harder puzzles also are available separate from the story levels.
Toki Tori's wide array of skills make up the core of the puzzles. These include building bridges, teleporting out of a tight spot and placing 'Instant Rocks', which expand where you place them. Each of the game's four distinct worlds–Forest Falls, Creepy Castle, Slimy Sewer and Bubble Barrage–also have their own unique mechanic. For example, Bubble Barrage gives you a 'Bubble Suit' so you can swim underwater and Creepy Castle has you setting traps in stone floors for ghosts.
In a typical puzzle in the game, the player must use a limited number of skills carefully with a thorough plan of action. The layout of a puzzle primarily consists of enemies, traps, eggs, platforms and ladders. During the first few worlds, levels are fairly straightforward, utilizing skills in practical ways with little chance of running out. In later levels of the game, one misstep or an incorrectly used skill could have you tumbling into a deadly enemy or an inescapable pit. It's can be aggravating, but in a good way. It's the kind of game that reaps incredible satisfaction when you solve a tough puzzle.
The game's simple control scheme works like a charm. Moving Toki Tori around is as easy as tapping where you want him to go. You can also zoom out to view the entire level and scroll around by using two fingers. A skill bar, which you can place on either the right or left side of the screen, displays any available skills for Toki Tori, as well as the pause button. Touching a skill allows you to use it.
Intimidated? You chicken?
Toki Tori also looks exceptional with graphics as polished as the Wii version. Plus, the game is loaded with personality. For example, if you do not do anything for a period of time, Toki Tori will follow suit and perform an entertaining action, such as looking around with binoculars or reading his plans for 'bridge building'. After completing a level, he does a little jig before jumping into the portal. Even the game's loading screens, which depict Toki Tori in his respective location, bring out his silly personality.
The biggest issue with the game is its lack of replay value, as Toki Tori comes without scoring or achievements. Once you complete all 80 puzzles packed into the game, there is no further reason to continue playing. There is plenty of content to keep a player satisfied for hours, however.
For anybody who loves puzzles, platformers or just want a game that will blow you away, Toki Tori is for you. Besides, how could you resist the temptation of this adorable chicken?


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Reggie Wilkinson may have been ruled out of the season before it has even started with reports that he has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament.
It is not know how the new University of Georgia (UGA) cornerback suffered the injury and the UGA are yet to publically address the issue.
Wilkinson was only enrolled this summer and was expected to play a significant role in the Bulldogs defence from the start of the season.
Georgia are already without starting defensive back Josh Harvey-Clemon as he is set to serve a one-game suspension after reports that he was found using marijuana.
The general recovery injury for a torn anterior cruciate ligament injury is six to nine months, meaning he could miss the whole of his freshman season.
Wilkinson was with the first choice defense for the recent G-Day game as Sheldon Dawson missed the match due to a hamstring injury and he was expected to be an emerging force in the coming season.
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text: UMW News BureauFive Bulldog senior basketball players earned all-conference honors for the 2009-2010 season. JaRon Brown, Layne Glaus, Terry Hauser and Brandon Lawson were named to the men's team. Kristen Luedtke was named to the women's team. By Wally Feldt [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="163" caption="JaRon Brown"][/caption] [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="162" caption="Layne Glaus"][/caption] [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="160" caption="Terry Hauser"][/caption] [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="160" caption="Brandon Lawson"][/caption] [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="160" caption="Kristen Luedtke"][/caption] Five University of Montana Western basketball players were selected to the 2009-2010 Frontier Conference all-conference basketball teams. Senior JaRon Brown was named to the men's first team, while seniors Layne Glaus, Terry Hauser and Brandon Lawson received second team honors. Senior Kristen Luedtke was selected to the women's second team. Brown led the Bulldogs in scoring with 16 points per game (ppg) and is co-leader in rebounds with seven per game. He was fifth in the conference in scoring and second in field goal percentage. Hauser and Glaus were second on the team in scoring with 11 ppg. Hauser led the team and was fourth in the conference in three-point field goal percentage. Glaus led the team and finished eighth in the conference in assists. Lawson was fourth on the team in scoring with 10 ppg. Luedtke shared team scoring honors with 10 ppg and team rebounding honors with five rebounds per game.


text:
DataNucleus AccessPlatform is a standards-compliant Java persistence product. It is fully compliant with the JDO1, JDO2, JDO2.1, JDO2.2, JDO3, JPA1, JPA2 and JPA2.1 Java standards, and provides a REST API. It complies with the OGC Simple Feature Spec for persistence of geospatial Java types. It allows access to all popular RDBMS available today, together with the MongoDB, LDAP, NeoDatis, JSON, Excel/ODF spreadsheets, XML, BigTable, HBase, and Neo4j databases.
Querydsl is a framework that enables the construction of statically typed SQL-like queries. Instead of writing queries as inline strings or externalizing them into XML files, they can be constructed via a fluentDSL/API like Querydsl. It supports JPA, JDO, Java Collections, SQL via JDBC, Lucene, and Hibernate Search.
An almost universal data server.
An XFCE4 desktop system built on uClibc.


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Ask Marilyn: Whither (or Is It Whence?) the Wind
Kevin Nichols of Searcy, Arkansas, writes:
Marilyn: I have always had a hard time remembering if a wind is named for the direction it comes from or the direction it's blowing. (For example, does a nor'easter come from the northeast? Or does it blow northeasterly?) What's a good way to remember?
Marilyn responds:
Here's a way: You're an American because you come from the United States. Likewise, you're an Arkansan because you come from Arkansas. So a "nor'easter" comes from the northeast.


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The Three Faces of ASP.NET AJAXby Jesse Liberty, Dan Hurwitz
The new Microsoft ASP.NET AJAX web development framework (which we'll refer to simply as AJAX throughout the rest of this article) is like a mythological figure with three faces to its personality: one is friendly but rigid, one is playful, and the third is, to most ASP.NET developers, a bit frightening.
Face number one is the friendly ASP.NET-like face of AJAX that lets you drag and drop AJAX controls onto your forms just as you would standard ASP.NET server controls, but gives you client-side, wiz-bang performance without having to understand a thing about JavaScript, the Document Object Model, DHTML, or Asynchronous communication with the host. Cool, eh? I love that face of AJAX, and I deeply resent that this wonderful, lovely, beautiful ASP.NET-like face is often the last one shown to ASP.NET programmers, which I why I wrote a rant on the subject last summer.
That said, there are times that you want to go beyond the controls AJAX provides you, whether server-side or client-side. Server-side, you might want to create a custom-control. Client-side, you might want to create your own AJAX extender to modify the behavior of an AJAX client-side control; that is the second face of AJAX. Microsoft anticipates this, and provides help for creating your own custom AJAX extenders.
Finally, sometimes (and far less often than some would have you believe) you may be forced to set aside all maps and guidebooks and bravely go where none have gone before. If you are a JavaScript and DHTML programmer, this is a piece of cake. It's what you do every day, and you'll laugh (laugh, I say!) at how trivial it is.
If, like us, however, you've studiously avoided writing JavaScript (ugly, untyped, nasty little language that looks like C but will bite you the first chance it gets), then you'll want to draw a careful pentangle on the floor, light the candles in just the right order, say the ancient incantations in Aramaic, and follow along closely as we reveal the third (rather horrifying) face of AJAX: the underlying gibberish that makes it all work.
Getting Set Up
To work with any of these characters, you'll need to set up AJAX for your development environment. Fortunately, this is now incredibly easy (and safe) to do. First, buy a computer. Second, install Visual Studio 2005. (You can also use Visual Web Developer, a free download, except you will not be able to create your own AJAX control extenders, which is the second face described in this article.)
Third, and finally, download and install the AJAX software. Go to the AJAX site (http://ajax.asp.net/) and complete the following steps:
- Download the ASP.NET 2.0 AJAX Extensions 1.0 installation file. This is a file called ASPAJAXExtSetup.msi. Save it to a convenient folder on your system, then double click on the file in Windows Explorer to start the installation process. Follow the wizard.
- Download the AJAX Control Toolkit and save it to a convenient folder on your machine. This will be a zipped archive file. There are two versions: AjaxControlToolkit.zip and AjaxControlToolkit-NoSource.zip. The first contains the source code for the components it contains, while the second contains no source code. You are a programmer. You should know which one you want.
- Unpack the AJAX Control Toolkit archive folder into a convenient folder on your computer
- Create a new website from the ASP.NET AJAX website template by opening the File menu, clicking New Web Site..., and picking ASP.NET AJAX-Enabled Web Site under "Visual Studio installed templates." (Yes, we know this is a strange way to install software, but we didn't make it up; the people at Microsoft did, and it is their toy.)
- Right-click on the Toolbox, select Add Tab, and name your new tab "AJAX Control Toolkit."
- Right-click inside that tab and select Choose Items....
- When the Choose Toolbox Items dialog appears, click the Browse... button. Navigate to the folder where you unzipped the ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit package. You will find a folder named SampleWebSite, and under that another folder named Bin. Inside that folder, select AJAXControlToolkit.dll and click Open. Click OK to close the Choose Toolbox Items dialog.
- You can now use the included sample controls in any of your websites.
If you are using VS2005, and you want to create your own control extenders, complete the following additional steps:
- In the folder where you unzipped the AJAX Control Toolkit archive, you will find a folder called AjaxControlExtender. Inside that folder is a file called AjaxControlExtende.vsi. Double-click that file to install it.
- Choose which templates you want to install (all), then click Next. Then click Yes to allow unsigned content, then Finish and Close.
Friendly Drag-and-Drop AJAX
The friendly face of AJAX is drag and drop, which lets you place client-side controls on your web pages just as ASP.NET lets you do with its server controls. Begin by opening Visual Studio (or VWD) and choosing Create Web Site . From the templates, choose ASP.NET AJAX-Enabled Web Site. Pick your language of choice (Visual Basic for this article) and a location on your hard drive; name your new application DragAndDropAjax, and click OK.
To get started, you'll create a simple application with a text box, into which an administrator may type a user's name and a Delete button (initially disabled). When the administrator enters a name into the text box, the Delete button will be enabled, and when the Delete button is pressed, the username will be deleted from the membership database (we'll fake that last part!).
Script Manager
Visual Studio (or VWD) will set up your environment to support an AJAX-enabled application. This includes adding an object of type ScriptManager to your default.aspx file, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Script Manager in boilerplate markup (Click to enlarge.)
The job of the Script Manager is to coordinate the action of all the AJAX controls on the page. Now drag and drop the following controls from the toolbox onto the page.
Set the Enabled property of the Button to false.
Source view will look something like Figure 2.
Figure 2. TextBox & Save Button in Design view (Click to enlarge.)


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Paul Justice: Hi there. I'm Paul Justice, director of passive fund research at Morningstar. Today I'm joined by Rob Arnott, chairman of Research Affiliates, manager of the PIMCO All Asset fund, and many other funds that are run by different companies such as Charles Schwab and PowerShares that follow some of his fundamental indexing concepts. Rob, thanks so much for joining me today.
Rob Arnott: Thank you very much for the invitation.
Justice: Now, you've got some interesting takes on the market today. I wouldn't put you in the bear camp, but you're certainly not a bull of the decades passed. Could you give us a little bit of your outlook on what you think the market has in store for investors over the next 10 years and some of the major hurdles that they are going to encounter?
Arnott: Well the big hurdles relate to what we refer to as the 3-D hurricane: the interconnected influence of deficit, debt, and demography. Deficits are a lot bigger than they seem because we have a lot of off-balance-sheet spending and a lot of unfunded prospective obligations. That means the debts are bigger than they seem. National debt crossed 100% of gross domestic product, but under generally accepted accounting principles, the correct number is already north of 600% of GDP. That runs headlong into demography. As the baby boomers slide off into the retirement sunset, the support ratios soar just as the debt burden has already soared. So it creates dangerous headwinds.
I'm cautious near term because we're facing the fiscal cliff. The worrisome part is not the cut in spending; that's probably reasonably benign. It's the rise in taxes on the affluent. If the affluent see their aftertax income tumble, they're going to cut spending. And if they cut spending, who is going to spend in their place. So I think that sets the stage for a recession. I think there's a decent chance, 50-50 anyway, that we may already be in recession; that the start of the recession could be pegged as second quarter; that's a dangerous situation. We're also facing the debt limit, and both the debt limit and the fiscal cliff are going to hit total gridlock until after the election. Neither has any reasonable chance of a resulting compromise. So this leaves us in a vulnerable spot.
Why doesn't that mean that I'm terrified of stocks and think we should prepare for another market crash? My hesitation there is very, very simple. If the affluent stop spending because of higher taxes, until the taxes actually go up, what are they going to do with their money? They are going to be squirreling it away in the liquid markets. So you actually have this possibility that can cushion some of that downside risk. We also have very rich yields in Europe and moderately rich yields in emerging markets. If you can get a higher yield in emerging markets and faster GDP growth, that seems to us to be a pretty good layup for better stock market returns in emerging markets than in the U.S.
Justice: It sounds to me like you're saying people should moderate their expectations going forward for what the equity risk premium or the returns on the market might be, but there are some alternatives. It's not Armageddon that's coming upon us. You like some of the other areas.
Arnott: That's exactly right. We don't like U.S. bonds. I mean a yield of less than the rate of inflation is not very interesting. We don't like U.S. stocks; they are the most expensive in the world because they are the safe haven to which people channel resources when they are afraid about Europe or Japan or uncertainties in China or other emerging markets.
We do like a spectrum of alternatives. Emerging-markets bonds have a premium yield despite debt levels that are very low relative to the developed world. Emerging-markets stocks have a higher yield than U.S. [stocks] by almost a 1%. Are they going to have slower growth than the U.S., I don't think so. So that represents an interesting choice. High-yield bonds are richer than historical norms in terms of their spreads relative to Treasuries. The yields aren't great, but their spreads are pretty darn good. So there are some interesting places to invest. A lot of folks think I'm a perma-bear. I guess over the last decade I've often seemed to be because I've been bullish fairly rarely.
Justice: I guess it's a good decade to be a bear.
Arnott: But I'm not a perma-bear. I like markets that are cheap, and looking around the world now, we see some markets that are moderately interesting.
Justice: Now it's interesting to me that you'd find some interest in European equities right now. Obviously, the fiscal cliff is grabbing a lot headlines, but the collapse in Europe is as well. But you've got some exposure there. Could you talk about how you've adapted to that market?
Arnott: Well, Europe is a slow-motion train wreck; it's a mess. It's an extremely simple problem, masquerading as something nuanced, complex, and subtle. It's not nuanced, complex, or subtle at all. It's the spending stupid, if I can borrow from President Clinton's campaign tagline back in the '90s. If you spend materially more than you take in taxes, you are going towards a cliff, and until the spending is cut, it will continue to look like a slow-motion train wreck. At some stage the spending will be cut, either by choice or by the markets forcing that solution on them.
So I view the Europe situation as emblematic of the problems across the developed world, but investors are terrified enough in Europe that the dividend yield of European stocks is 4%; [in the United States] it's 2%. That means valuation multiples there are half of what they are here. If you look at the value under the spectrum or fundamental index in Europe, the yield is 5%. If you can get a 5% dividend yield, that's a big step in the direction of earning very respectable real returns. So I'm cautious on European stocks. If they enter a new round of bear market, I'd start to be an aggressive buyer at that stage. We're not there yet, but averaging in, taking a modest allocation to us makes some sense, and emerging markets look to us to be entirely fairly priced.
Justice: So, really it's from a valuation approach that you like Europe at this point in time compared with U.S. equities.
Arnott: That's exactly right. For U.S. equities we have anemic growth in the years ahead. We have a relatively anemic dividend yield of 2%. That's not a formula for great returns. Our estimate is that during the next 10 to 20 years, stocks will give us 4% to 6%. OK, 4% to 6% is not a bad rate of return unless you expect 8% or 10%. And the problem is not a dearth of investment opportunities, it's unrealistic expectations. Investors broadly, all over the world, harbor this illusion that stocks should give them a 10% return. It's not going to happen. If you ratchet down your expectations, what are you going to do? You'll spend more cautiously, you'll save more aggressively, and you'll be fine. Most investors won't pursue that course.


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although the giraffes look different....
News to me.
Although the giraffes look different, if you put them in zoos, they breed freely.
Yeah, but that's hard to iterate over. Let's go with: giraffe[0], giraffe[1], giraffe[2], giraffe[3], giraffe[4], giraffe[5].
Remarkable bird, the Norwegian Blue, idn'it, ay? Beautiful plumage!
because i'm a nice guy and have been your google proxy today
merry christmas
Although the giraffes look different, if you put them in zoos, they breed freely.
Much like a (I live in Israel, so bear with me) Palestinian male will be "Isolated" from Tel Aviv and "Not interbreed" with his Jewish female counterpart
And if that remained reasonably consistent with two separate stable populations for (say) a hundred thousand years, the populations would diverge enough genetically that they'd lose their ability to interbreed. In reality, the Israelis and Palestinians probably *do* interbreed enough - even in the current political climate - to prevent this, and there's no
They call this science? Bah. Everything you need to know about giraffes is contained in this brilliant, revolutionary book:
For example:
The legs of giraffes are filled with various types of fruit juice. You see, giraffes love drinking fruit juices - pineapple, boysenberry, mango-lemon - but their bodes have no real use for fruit juice, so it all trickes down to their legs where it stays and squishes around. This should have been obvious to yo
Wouldn't that be considered bestiality?although the giraffes look different, if you put them in zoos, they breed freely
...groups that are reproductively isolated and not interbreeding,...
By this logic, supermodels and Slashdotters are members of different species.
If they CAN interbreed, they are not different species.
You have problems like dogs (Canis familiaris), and wolves (Canis lupus) being pretty inter-fertile
Isn't that because dogs are wolves artificially selected for domestication?
In the end it's just a human definition not a natural law.
What? Specie? Or criterion for belonging to a specie.
Then there is the problem of asexual organisms. Is every asexual individual its own species?
Being able to interbreed is a sufficient (rather than necessary) condition for being of the same specie.
"Isn't that because dogs are wolves artificially selected for domestication?"
Does it matter? Given your statement that
Being able to interbreed is a sufficient (rather than necessary) condition for being of the same specie.
then wolves and dogs should be classified as being in the same species, but they aren't, and haven't been since Linnaeus set up our modern classification system. The problem is that the folks had all sorts of implicit Aristotelean assumptions that inter-fertility went hand in hand with
Wouldn't the differenced in dogs and wolves be more of a name classification error then a problem with the definition of species?
Yeah, but that's sort of my point. The classification is mistaken in terms of the original, theoretical, basis for distinguishing species, but the assignment is kept because it is kept, presumably because classifying dogs separately from wolves is useful for other reasons.
Asexual organisms transfer genetic mutations and stuff through chemicals and proteins.
I'm not sure what yo
Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons.


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Festive Fruited Scones Recipe
4.5 2 3
Meet the Cook: I've found you don't need to put butter on these scones...they're delicious plain and simple. I especially enjoy them in the wintertime with hot coffee or tea. Married for 44 years, we have two grown children and five grandchildren. -Helen Carpenter, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Recommended: 19 Easter Bread Recipes
VERIFIED BY Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup diced dried fruit (apricots, apples or plums)
- 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon milk
- Additional sugar
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking sods and salt. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add fruit and orange zest. Stir in buttermilk until a soft dough forms.
- Turn onto a floured surface; knead gently for 2-3 minutes. Shape into a ball. Roll into a 7-in. circle. Cut into 10 wedges; place on a greased baking sheet. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 425° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm. Yield: 10 scones.
Originally published as Festive Fruited Scones in Country Woman November/December 1996, p33
Reviews forFestive Fruited Scones
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Reviewed Aug. 23, 2013
"I added an icing sugar glaze to the top of my scones and used 1 cup of fresh strawberries instead of the cranberries. My boyfriend said that they may have been the best scones he has ever tasted. A definite recommend to make again."
Reviewed Apr. 10, 2011
"A nice tender scone but we would have liked them if they'd been just a little sweeter. And next time I'll probably double the amount of fruit too."


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Harry Redknapp made a big gamble when he signed former Arsenal and Chelsea defender William Gallas for Tottenham in August 2010.
The Frenchman's past meant he had to prove to the White Hart Lane crowd, but a starring role as captain in the 3-2 win over Arsenal at the Emirates won over the majority of fans.
Since then, Gallas has racked up over 60 appearances for Spurs, and continued to feature this season, primarily in the Europa League. However, after two error-strewn games away to Internazionale, in which Andre Villas-Boas' men nearly threw away a 3-0 aggregate lead, and the recent 2-2 draw against FC Basel.
Gallas was an ideal candidate to help new signing Jan Vertonghen and hot prospect Steven Caulker integrate into the Spurs team given his vast experience, but Gallas now looks both slow and rusty. Unable to play the high line and offside trap that AVB wants his team to use, Gallas' lack of height and circumspect ability on the ball makes him appear useless in this current Tottenham team.
He picked up a clumsy yellow card in the first half against Basel, which then led to Gallas altering his game so he did not pick up a second yellow - this lead to Basel's first goal.
Gallas was also caught out of position, or found lacking in concentration, which allowed Basel to have clear efforts on goal, and the 84-capped France international was lucky not to pick up a second yellow when he brought down a Basel attacker in the second half.
The continued use of Gallas would be acceptable if there were no other candidates for the role, but both club captain Michael Dawson and England international Caulker started on the bench. Dawson has been used sparingly in Europe, but it is alarming that AVB will not use the young but talented Caulker instead of the old and rickety Gallas.
A defensive change was made in the second half, with Dawson coming on, but surprisingly it was left back Benoit Assou-Ekotto who was substituted, not Gallas.
To compound his day, Gallas hobbled with a calf injury that put Spurs down to ten men. That injury also inadvertently led to Gareth Bale's injury, as the Welshman had to fill in at left back.
About defender Gallas, Villas-Boas said to reporters: "he may have a small tear on his calf but it is about the assessment tomorrow."
Spurs fans will be ambivalent about Gallas and more concerned about the injuries to Bale and Aaron Lennon. Gallas' contract is set to expire in the summer. After his recent displays, he will not be missed.
DISCLAIMER: This article has been written by a member of the GiveMeFootball Writing Academy and does not represent the views of GiveMeFootball.com or SportsNewMedia. The views and opinions expressed are solely that of the author credited at the top of this article. GiveMeFootball.com and SportsNewMedia do not take any responsibility for the content of its contributors.
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The company invites interested parties to view its new web page with easy-to-use, GIS-enabled search features that show high-resolution views of topography, rail and road layouts and other significant characteristics of each Select Site parcel. For detailed profiles of CSX Select Site properties, search "Select Sites" at the company's website at www.csx.com. Or click the "Customers" tab, then "New to CSX or Rail?" followed by "Regional Development."
The CSX Select Site designation indicates "green light" properties along the CSX network where projects can move forward rapidly because all known risk factors have been identified and potential issues resolved.
"Ultimately, these sites will represent many of the best manufacturing properties along CSX's rail network in the eastern U.S.," said Clark Robertson, CSX assistant vice president regional development. "The Select Site designation promotes shorter decision timelines, increased speed to market and lower up-front development risk for companies seeking industrial property to place their manufacturing operations.
"All of the data suggest manufacturers prefer certainty in their selection of new plant locations," Robertson said. "We intend to assist communities across the network to identify sites that can provide certainty and compete effectively for these new investments and jobs."
To receive the CSX Select Site designation, the sites, from 100 to 1,000 acres, must meet a rigorous list of key criteria, including infrastructure and utility availability, environmental reviews, appropriate zoning and entitlement, air quality permitting, rail serviceability, proximity to highways or interstates and other attributes. CSX has partnered with The Austin Company, a nationally known site selection and certification consulting firm, to screen candidate sites and assist communities with the application and certification process.


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Cover Shot! is a regular feature here at the Café. I love discovering new covers, and when I find them, I like to share. More than anything else, I am consumed with the mystery that each new discovery represents. There is an allure to a beautiful cover. Will the story contained under the pages live up to promise of the gorgeous cover art?
Ninjas? Zombies?? I don't need to know anything else about The Undead Hordes of Kan-Gul by Jon F Merz. Bam! It's on the wish list!
In stores September 2013
Ninjas and zombies! Book 1 in a new series, the Shadow Warrior saga. A young ninja in a fantastic land of dreams and nightmares must face an army of zombies to save a beautiful sorceress.Book One in an exciting new series, the Shadow Warrior saga.
In the fog-enshrouded peaks of the island nation of Japan, Ran, a newly-minted ninja field operative is set loose on a musha shugyo, a wandering quest, whereby he must travel alone and hone his skills. Journeying from Japan to Korea aboard a merchant vessel, Ran hears tales of a mysterious lord believed to have the dead for his servants.
Soon these tales prove all too real as Ran comes to the aid of Jysal, a beautiful sorceress, whose undeveloped power gives her the ability to heal a land — or destroy it. But the Lord Kan-Gul also covets Jysal's power. And when Kan-Gul sends a army of the undead to take Jysal by force, Ran is faced with the ultimate warrior's choice: save himself, or face down a horde of enemies that cannot be killed for the simple reason that they are already dead!


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the tests for concussions and MTBI seem a lot like hand/eye games.
like 30 minutes of maddening little games.
troops do them now before and after deployments.
Gary has sent you five lives. Who the fuck is Gary?
Well, I may have alzheimers but at least I don't have alzheimers.
that works just as well.
Your major risk factors continue to be (in order): being female, being old, having Apolipoprotein E alleles of a certain type, cardiovascular risk factors.
You can't do anything about the first three, and by the time most people pay attention, it's far too late, so I'd focus on the last part, quite frankly.
(this is not saying we're not looking into biomarkers, or other things, but a shorthand about your actual risk as a person, if you're not in a family with high Early Onset AD risk)
Sounds like your mobile device is a mobile-device.
Old Guy: Stella! Where in the hell is my phone? Stella! Damnit!
Joe six pack: Old guy, Stella's been dead for 20 years.. you don't need no phone.. I'll drive you to the neurologist...
Old Guy: If Stella's dead, who in the hell has my phone with all the dirty pictures in it?
Joe six pack: Dad, thats my phone!
In less than a century, computers will be making substantial progress on ... the overriding problem of war and peace. -- James Slagle


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The winning app was based on a request from the Baltimore-based Jesuit university's Center for Community Service and Justice to match volunteers with needs in the community, combined with the work of three computer science students who did the programming and a fourth who became their marketing director. They won even though two of the three coders were on a semester-abroad trip to New Zealand when most of the programming needed to be done.
"All the development took place long distance, and we used email and Skype to coordinate everything," said Megan Gansfuss, the team member who remained behind in Baltimore.
[ More work for student coders: How To Close Gaps In Campus Apps.]
Loyola CIO Louise Finn said she was impressed by the way the team turned that potential liability into an advantage, crafting its own "follow the sun" strategy where Gansfuss would work on coding or bug fixing into the night and then pass the baton. "She would be handing off the project to the girls in New Zealand, and they would work all night while she slept and fip it back to her in the morning," Finn said.
The winning team was also clever about the way it designed its app to fetch content from the CCSJ website, Finn said.
Gansfuss said she thought they did pretty well, "especially given we only had about four months to both code and learn how to code the app." The biggest value she got out of her participation was learning the software development process in a context where her team was working with a client -- the social services agency that had asked for the app -- and needed to define all the requirements clearly, then make sure their software addressed them, she said. "It was a great perspective on what computer science is like outside of the classroom."
She also had a success story in mind, where one-time IT summer intern Joshua Phelps had produced a successful iPhone app promoting the university and gone on to work for MLB Advanced Media, the subsidiary of Major League Baseball that handles its TV and digital production. Phelps, who served on the advisory board for the contest, said he learned a tremendous amount in that process and is glad to see Finn carrying on the tradition.
"I have no idea what I would be doing right now if not for that internship," Phelps said. When he started his project, neither he nor his adviser knew anything about iOS programming, so beyond the specific technology one of the most valuable things he learned was how to teach himself things. "That's just as invaluable. When someone asks me if I can do something, I'm comfortable saying yes," Phelps said.
The students participating in the contest actually had it a little easier. Where Phelps had to teach himself Objective C, the native language of iOS programming, contest participants worked with Adobe's PhoneGap tool, which creates apps using HTML, CSS and JavaScript. On the other hand, Phelps pointed out they had to do their work while juggling a regular course load, whereas he did his work over the summer when he could give it his whole attention.
Finn said she conceived of the contest after attending a Gartner Inc. session where the analysts talked about the need for enterprises to field their own app stores. She saw the need to have a custom store to organize all the university-recommended or supported apps supplied by vendors, plus some that would be unique to the university. Since nobody on her staff was a mobile developer, her next thought was "our students are ready, willing, and able -- why not run a contest?" she said. "I'm always looking for ways to get students involved in technology from more than just an end user perspective."
Air Watch, a mobile device management vendor that cites higher education as one of its major environments, provided the private app store software.
While that was being prepared, Loyola ran the first phase of its iGoForth apps contest in the Spring of 2012, asking for app ideas from students, faculty and staff. From 37 submissions, a team of judges narrowed the field to five ideas that seemed practical and useful. The formation of student teams followed in the fall, with the 13 students who volunteers organized into three teams.


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The Bears announced have hired Aaron Kromer as their new offensive coordinator and offensive line coach and Joe DeCamillis as assistant head coach and special teams coordinator.
Kromer served as the interim head coach of the New Orleans Saints for the first six games of the 2012 season while Joe Vitt served a six-game suspension for the bounty scandal.
Kromer spent five seasons with the Saints where he had a number of different roles. In 2008, he was the Saints running back coach. In 2009, he became the team's offensive line coach and running game coach. He held those jobs for four seasons, except for the six-game stint as head coach.
The Bears new offensive coordinator has also spent time in Tampa Bay, Oakland, Northwestern and Miami (Ohio).


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Voices were heard through the ballot box Tuesday in this community in west-central Livingston County. The cry was resounding as Cornell will be swearing in a new village president after Steve Rapp defeated incumbent Mark Wayman by nearly 100 votes.
Challenger Rapp garnered 116 votes, beating Wayman, who tallied 23, and challenger and write-in candidate Phillip Cool (15).
Kenlyn Johnson, Terry Freese and Debbie Belter were elected as village trustees.
Rapp said he is taking this news with excitement as well as apprehension.
"We have so many projects on the table right now that need to be done and should be done and we anticipate getting done," he said. "It's really an exciting time that we can go forward and do so much for the village."
One of the biggest jobs Rapp will have is finding three individuals to fill the vacancies left after only three people ran for six trustee positions. Rapp said he has already spoken with Cornell Village Attorney Brian Gabor to ensure he uses all of the correct legal channels to nominate candidates before the board votes on them.
"I'm going to have to reach out and find some people who would be willing (to fill those vacancies)," Rapp said. "I'm sure they're out there and I'm sure they're very good people. I just have to do a little investigation and encouraging.
"I have some in mind," he added. "Some of them have been on the board before and I'd like to get them back in because I'd like some continuity along with the new board. It's always good to have veterans on board and people who have been through it along with new ideas to help us go on."
Rapp said that he is open to suggestions from people in the community as to who they would like to see fill those vacancies.
"It would be wonderful if I could get the opinions and advice of people around the community as to who they might consider to be a good representative," Rapp said. "The opinion of many is a whole lot safer than the opinion of one. I think that's been proven over and over again in history."
Freese returns to the village board after a four-year hiatus. He received 129 votes Tuesday. He says he's happy to see a new group of people leading the village.
"Obviously, the people wanted new leadership and that's what they got. I was impressed. I haven't seen that many people turn out to vote in a long time," Freese said.
"I just hope the people in the community keep coming to the board meetings," Freese said. "That way they can keep finding out exactly what's going on and they can have their voice in what's going on."
Like Freese, Johnson, who turns 22 Friday, is joining the board as a four-year term holder after receiving 86 votes.
Johnson says she was initially asked by people in the community to run for the seat because many believed a new, younger person may help matters.
"People throughout the town had said we needed some younger people on the board," Johnson said. "I said I wouldn't mind running and we didn't have many running, so I figured I'd give it a shot.
"I want this to be a learning experience for sure," Johnson added. "It's going to be something totally different for me. I just have to wait and see what it brings."
Belter, a write-in candidate for a two-year term for village trustee, received 11 votes Tuesday.
Belter's husband, Jerome, has been a trustee for the village. She said that after seeing Rapp in action as a trustee, she is looking forward to what he can do for the village.
"Steve was on the board and he seemed to want to do better," Belter said. "I think with the new board and new mayor, it'll make a difference because people want to see things go forward."
She agreed with Freese that the voter turnout was amazing for Cornell during this election.
"It was almost 300 people and that's good. The population of Cornell is 467 and then (you have to add the) rural Cornell residents, but for the area, that's a good turnout," Belter said. "I think people were interested in putting their two cents in this time. It may not go their way but at least they put their opinion out there and got their vote counted."
Big win for Rapp
Voices were heard through the ballot box Tuesday in this community in west-central Livingston County. The cry was resounding as Cornell will be swearing in a new village president after Steve Rapp defeated incumbent Mark Wayman by nearly 100 votes.


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Philosophizing the Proposed Playoff Profit-Pumping Plan
On Wednesday, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal tweeted that MLB has decided to go ahead with the new 10-team playoff format starting with the 2012 season. The official announcement has not yet been made.
The new format means that each league will have two Wild-Card winners instead of one, those with the best records after the division winners. Those 2 Wild-Card teams will then play a one-game playoff to determine who moves on. Please excuse me while I throw-up…
Bud Selig seems determined to be the most hated guy in the baseball universe once again. Congrats, Bud. You win 1st prize in my book.
Basically, a team who previously had no business being in the playoffs now gets to be in the playoffs. In my opinion, this demeans the hard work of all the division winners. One Wild-Card per division was already slightly annoying but two worse.
What is the point of winning your division when you now may have to play a mediocre team who may, simply by a stroke of luck, knock you out before you get a chance to play the best of the best? At least if you get beat by a good team, you can live with that. But to get beat by a team that should not even have been there? That is truly depressing.
Because as baseball fans know, it is not always the best team that wins. Injuries, scheduling, weather and pure luck play a big part sometimes. This new format increases the odds tremendously that an average team will catch a break and push a more exciting team to an early exit.
And then think about the logistics of such a schedule. Baseball has already struggled in recent years with weather delay's and postponements in October; this adds a new wrinkle to that conundrum. And how are they going to sell tickets for this one-game playoff? Because you probably will not know who the two Wild-Card teams are until very close to the last day of the season.
But more importantly, it is unfair. The new system caters to rich teams. As a Phillies fan, you cannot say I am biased on this issue…we have a huge payroll. This system gives big market teams a BIG advantage. For example, how would you like to see BOTH the Yankees and the Red Sox, who are consistently at the top of their division and of the AL, make the playoffs every year? You can now be pretty confident that at least one of those teams always gets in.
The Red Sox had a horrible September last year, winning only 7 games. But under these new rules, they would have been in the playoffs anyway. That is ridiculous.
I am sure there are plenty of people out there who think this is great. It offers more excitement with the one-game playoff and a chance for more teams to "profit," in more ways than one. Because no matter what reasons MLB gives us for the change, the bottom line is always the bottom line. That is, more ticket sales, more TV ratings…more MONEY. It is always about the money.
I wish MLB would not insist that this is for the betterment of the game and the enjoyment of the fans. Do not insult our intelligence…it is and always has been about the profits.
Maybe no one is really complaining yet…but just wait until the Yanks and Sox both make the playoffs for fans of low-market teams to start crying foul. And as always, feel free to disagree with me :O)
Thoughts to Ponder…
In my previous post, I posted a few silly interview questions I came up with to ask major league ball players that would be highly entertaining, but have zero chance of ever being asked or ever receiving an honest answer on. So instead of asking the players, I asked the readers to give their opinion. Here are a few fun responses from Jersey Josh, a fellow MLBlogger:
– (Not that this will ever be a reality but…) Would you agree to a pay for performance structure throughout baseball instead of the current guaranteed contracts? Why or why not? JOSH: I think any ballplayer would pimp slap me into next week if asked that one. The union wouldn't allow that one, they don't have performance based vesting contracts, just "appearance" based ones (games started, plate appearances, etc).
– Which teammate, current or former, do/did you dislike the most and why? JOSH: Dykstra probably owes everyone money.
– In a fight between Bud Selig and Satan, who wins and why? JOSH: Selig would postpone the fight indefinitely on the grounds that Satan cannot pass a drug test. (#1 answer, in my opinion :O)
Thanks to Josh for playing along!
"LIKE" us on Facebook for more updates & photos!


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Which is why Facebook is owned by Google, which in turn is owned by Microsoft, which in turn is owned by IBM, which.... oh wait.. nevermind. You can only buy if someone is willing to sell to you, no matter the size of your purse - if that is the entirety of your business road map you're bound to be left behind in the dust when someone comes along, innovative and unwilling to sell. Like Google+, Bing or OS2.
Without pioneering folks like Jack Kilby, you think we have electronic computers ?
Without hardware providers such as Intel which transformed CPU into affordable commodity items, you think we get $399 iPhone/iPad ?
And by the way, what kind of "innovation" FB has brought to the world ?
There is more innovation in home Garages and basements than Apple,Google,FB,Microsoft, and HP combined. They just lack funding.
lacking funding? no, not really.
the successful ones come from home garages such as apple, google, fb, and microsoft. In today's market it's even easier with stuff like kickstarter.
Anyone who would give the packaging to FB (same as Apple, really) has to give the packaging of AWS to Amazon...and on a technical level, they are leagues and leagues beyond FB on "innovation" in that packaging.
...or you could "innovate" one for them. Perhaps you could call it, I dunno, a "Preview button", maybe.
I'll tell you what Facebook innovated. (You're not going to like it, though, because we tend to think of innovation as synonymous with "progress" and progress is usually measured in terms of end user utility. And what I'm about to say is totally not that.)
Facebook somehow had a website that was popular (that's not a part of the innovation, but it's an extremely important prerequisite) and then got a million other websites to embed references to Facebook resources into theirs, like Google did with Google Analytics. Since most browsers, by default, are happy to load any embedded resource referenced on a page, that gave Facebook an incredible number of "hits" from diverse sources.
Most classical (i.e. naive) 1990s-thinking web people would see these "hits" as totally valueless, because they're not pageloads, they aren't showing ads that you got paid to run, or whatever. The clever people, though, saw that you use this sort of thing with a cookie and combined with referer[sic], to build marketing profiles.
The mid-late 1990s clever people knew that too, but their references were ads themselves (e.g. doubleclick). They had to pay to get other webmasters to embed this crap. Nobody is going to embed a doubleclick image (i.e. an ad for something) unless you give them money.
You don't get paid to embed Google Analytics javascript, though. You don't get paid to embed a Facebook "like" button. So Facebook can do all the same "spying" that doubleclick.net could do a decade earlier, but without paying for it.
And webmasters embed these things for free, because they feel they get something out of it. With Google Analytics, you get the reports and analysis. Sure, you could get a lot of that from your own logs, but not all of it (Google knows some things about your visitors, that you might not, and this is their business, they're able to "keep up") and GA is easy and there and waiting for you. With Facebook like buttons, discussions, etc, webmasters are counting on the popularity of Facebook, to make it so that people who use their own site, will generate events on their Facebook profiles which will be seen by other Facebook users who don't use their own site, and maybe someone will curiously click through and you get a new visitor.
You gotta give Facebook some credit for that. I get how Google turns their spying into money, but I still don't really understand how Facebook does. (Apparently Wall Street doesn't understand it either, judging from the ever-falling stock price.) But there's probably an angle, and however it can be used, Facebook has very successfully put into place at least half of it already. Getting so much of the web to embed your script or iframe (and without having to pay them for it) -- holy crap, I totally can't imagine that happening fifteen years ago.
So it's innovation. Just not the kind users like to see happen.
Facebook's business is not spying on third party pages. These are just "brand awareness" and trying to bring people into facebook. Make them sign up.
Facebook's business IS about you telling them about you. Who you are. What you are. Who your friends are. What you like. Where you are.
If you manage a page, you can get into the ad manager and start an ad campaign. Use the "advanced" options and see the segmentation options: location (city-level), sex, age, marital status, interests (likes). you can even target
You can only buy if someone is willing to sell to you, no matter the size of your purse
That someone, however, can be a group of stockholders with a controlling interest in your company.
It can be someone you owe a great deal of money --- someone who can force a change in management, ownership, or outright liquidation,
When all your in-house innovation leads to outhouse fabrication
How much innovation is needed to fabricate a tiny room [google.com]?
Buy everyone who innovates and shut out any possible competition
In this case, I believe you mean shit out any possible competition.
But I won't believe it till Netcraft confirms it.
glasses that give me information at all times
That will be awesome. A pint glass that displays FULL, HALF-FULL, EMPTY status. Two words: game changer.
Or balloon based WiFi:
http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/google-floats-balloons-for-free-wifi-20130615-2oamm.html [theage.com.au]
Fucking clickbait.
"To be fair, once Google gets their cars that drive themselves, glasses that give me information at all times, and provide TV/phone services through a high speed fiber connection for cheaper than anyone else, I'm ok if they take a break for a bit and coast, just improving what they've already done."
This brings up a bone I have to pick with OP's basic premise. I think he's got things a bit distorted here.
Look at the announcement of the new Mac Pros at WWDC. You may not agree with everything they did with it, but to say it's "not innovation" is just a little bit skewed.
Google's big successes so far have been (A) a search engine, and (B) cheap fiber to the home. And B isn't even original, they just did it for less.
Driverless vehicles are nothing new, and the technology isn't even theirs. They just threw money behind it. Glass is pretty much the same: not an original idea, or even a very good one... other companies are doing "augmented" and "virtual" reality better, and without a Google lock-in. They did good on Maps but they abused it too. Hell, Facebook wasn't even Zuckerberg's idea. And the only "innovation" Facebook really represents is how to make money via privacy intrusion.
Not to burst anybody's bubble, but other than Google's search engine, pretty much ALL of the successful ideas from both companies have been evolutionary, not revolutionary. Pretty obvious ways to go, actually. In fact, pretty much all the other attempts at "revolutionary" things at Google have failed.
I'm not trying to compare companies here. I'm just saying OP doesn't have it right. He lumps things together that don't belong together, and makes generalizations about them that are just plain false. Google and Facebook have not, for the most part, been innovators. They had one or two good ideas and ran with them. We should not expect those companies to come up with the the next big ideas. That would be asking too much.
Driverless vehicles are nothing new, and the technology isn't even theirs. They just threw money behind it.
Companies don't have ideas, people have ideas. Companies just throw money at those people to develop the ideas that the company will then own. But to say all of those people working on that project at Google haven't innovated is absurd!
And innovation isn't just coming up with an idea in a sci-fi novel, it's making the idea WORK in the real world. Show me anyone who is as close as Google to making self-driving cars a reality and I'll agree it's not innovation. And more specifically, "a driverless car" is just one vague concept. There have probably been dozens or hundreds of innovations in the course of that project so far. Same with MANY other successful projects you call "evolutionary"...
Your subject was too kind, instead of "hmm, maybe" it should have been "what bullshit!"
As you said, Google is attempting innovation left and right, spending millions of dollars on projects that may or may not ever see the light of day. For example, add to your list the very next
Here's a starter, would take hours to read about all of the research projects they are either sponsoring or working on in house...
http://r [google.com]
Google Glass is not completely new? In what way?
Yes there has been VR before and there has been AR before but not like this and not in a format digestable by any consumer.
I seriously think Glass is going to change the way people operate.
I agree with the first part! That's why Apple still hasn't figured out how to break into the living room. Everyone keeps rumoring that they will build an actual "Apple TV" (not just a $99 box you plug into one) but the problem is people don't want to buy a new $2000 television with built-in software obsolescence every couple of years (ie. Apple's primary business model), and the profit margin on most "normal" TVs way too low for an Apple product...
Don't agree with the iPad, though. To make it truly a "per
I seriously think Glass is going to change the way people operate.
Maybe, but it can as well end like for example cybersex of the 90. and 00. (anyone?
I suggest you learn about Wearable computing. Prof Thad Starner and Prof Steve Mann have been working on basically what is Glass for over 20 years. Students at MIT and UofT have been wearing and using glass for almost all of that time.
Let me guess, you also think tablets are new. I had a tablet in 1995 it was a 7" model and ran windows
Summary says: Apple, Google and Facebook "areN'T too big too fail". Shouldn't it it say "are too big to fail" ? Makes more sense IMHO...
They can absolutely fail, that they have not yet proves nothing. Nokia is barely hanging on, yet 10 years ago we would easily have believed that label on them.
And to extend your point...
Before Nokia, it was Motorola that made the best phones on the market.
But, they stagnated and Nokia took it over with their innovation.
After building their market, Nokia stagnated and others started taking over from them (Samsung comes to mind).
One can't always be the market leader because of the load of work on the company.
Being the biggest/best producer of something requires a company to supply a lot of product to meet that demand. So, a lot of resource is spent just on maintaining supply required by being in 1st place.
That doesn't leave as much resource or insight into "what to develop next." The leader in a market doesn't have someone else to look at to see what they need to develop... they can only look to themselves.
Competitors behind/outside of the market leader have the opportunity to see what directions that leader is trying out and to follow in step... focusing on how to take those concepts that seem to work and build upon them.
Innovate or replicate... two main strategies of product growth and success for a business.
If you're the leader, you have to innovate to keep your lead. Replicating a competitors innovation means "you're falling behind" and appear to be "failing" (whether that is true or not... it tends to be the perspective of the market).
As a competitor, you can innovate and/or replicate (and improve) to capture some of that market away from the leader.
Constant correct innovation is impossible to maintain forever for a single business.
Can you see the government bailing them out (as they did wall street and the car makers?
Thats what 'too big to fail means
I know what too big to fail means. I mean if you bail out Google Facebook or Apple, chances are a new "dot-com bubble" crisis could happen.
Facebook was the result of some epic timing, but I can't necessarily call them innovative. Before Facebook, there were some pretty well populated social networks, Myspace being the one whose problems they solved, but Geocities, AIM, and IRC before it also helped break ground. Facebook brought very few foundational ideas to the table.
Apple is a victim of its own success. No matter what they release, it will be compared to the iPhone (which brought smartphones and data plans to the masses), or the iPad (which all but started the tablet PC market). Very few companies have ever had products that successful, and the fact of the matter is that it's nearly impossible to maintain that momentum consistently.
Google might have a handful of good ideas left in it, but they have a different problem. When they started, it was basically a haven for geeks where they could throw Jell-O at the wall and see what stuck. I'm certain that there were projects that spent a week being added to the drawing board and were never pursued, to say nothing of the projects that have ultimately been scrapped over time. The problem is that Google has financial expectations on it now, which means that the geeks who could come up with some innovative ideas need to allocate their time pursuant to whether they can meet their deadlines. This kind of thinking leaves a lot of the gambling on the table.
Amazon doesn't need much innovation. They're the Wal-Mart of the internet, and this isn't a bad thing. They all but 'personify' the term "economies of scale".
The problem with innovation in this context is that it doesn't seem to count, except when it does. The Newton was innovative. The PocketPC was, at some level, innovative. "Innovation" isn't what's being looked for. What is being looked for is "Innovation that immediately captures the public's attention and makes a substantial amount of money, market share, and mindshare in a very short period of time".
Facebook has innovated.
They've innovated in data centers - you can't operate at the scale they do (bigger than Google or Apple in terms of networking and hardware) without innovation.
They've innovated in Big Data - hundreds of millions of users, billions of relationships between the accounts. Their Social Graph implementation is a big deal. Mining said data to enable search, photo tagging/suggest (just the scale of facial recognition going on is mind boggling) and of course for advertising / segmentation purposes.
They've innovated in their app program for developers - Zynga's FarmVille for better or worse was a sensation and would not have happened without FBs developer API.
They've innovated in Single Sign On / Federated ID - FB is the biggest provider of SSO in the western world (Weibo and TaoBao may have them beat in China). Salesforce is next followed by Twitter and LinkedIn.
I'm no FB fan as a consumer but to say they haven't innovated is the height of ignorance as a technologist.
Innovation does NOT occur just in "big pieces" in hardware and software. Arguably, the major innovations done today affecting the 'big pieces' are logistical and nano-structure components. Jounalists often see only the forest, not the trees, so they can't see what has just popped out of the soil.
These innovations are leading to miniaturization at a fast rate, parts with new properties, electronics with new functions, multi-functions, faster performance and software that knows how to integrate functions across devices and time.
The innovations inside the new MacBook Air don't excite a journalist as he has "seen that before", but to an innovator there is a lot to see both in hardware, ICs, battery and software. People forget that the MacBook Air is about 1/4th of the weight of the old PowerBooks of a half dozen years back and are faster and work longer hours on a charge.
Improved software systems are easy for journalists to ignore because that requires testing and journalists are basically lazy on doing actual testing and comparisons and retrospective analysis as software systems improve.
The truth is we don't know. Big groundbreaking ideas are rare which is why it is amazing Apple has had 3-4 in the entire history of the company (Not every year as media for some weird reason expects),
3-4? Lets see:
Apple II (Maybe a tie with Commodore PET and the TRS-80 for 'take home and plug in' personal computer).
Lisa/Mac GUI (Yes, I know it was inspired by Xerox, but Xerox weren't going anywhere with it.)
Laserwriter & DTP (Apple didn't invent the laser printer, but they put the pieces together: GUI computers with built-in networking to share the expensive printer).
Powerbook No they didn't invent the laptop, but the first Powerbook introduced the now-standard laptop format with the set-ba
Why would I even read the link if the first line of is an obvious, lazy, over-generalized lie?
"Over the last decade, just three companies — Google, Apple, and Facebook — have generated most of the new ideas and most of the business momentum in the world of computing."
Only a moron who's view of computing comes from the pages of Time magazine would make such a pathetic, sweeping overgeneralization ignoring the vast innovations that have been happening in the wold of computing, driven by thousands
The period from 1950s to the 1980s was the age of invention.
People haven gotten stupider since then. They have wisened up. Why spend hard work on invention when you can buy a patent. And these smart people have created an ecosystem which nurtures MBA, Law and other non contributing disciplines. Its the culture of "Manage" rather than do. And when everybody just goes ahead and wants a pie from the big machine, what happens, slowly but steadily, invention, innovation starts dying. Over every invention lies the sword of patent. Invent a new touch screen? Give it to XYZ for free because you are stepping on some tiny patent somewhere.
And this will continue. Very soon the engineers will vanish, and the world will be doomed, as deserved.
Companies do seem to go through a perverse transformation as they grow. I'd add "accountants" to your MBA and lawyer list. The companies start out as innovators and inventors when they're run by engineers. Once the bean counters take over, it's all about the quarterly numbers. When your time frame for decision making is 3 months, or at most a year, who cares about innovation and invention that *might* pay off years later?
I think patents definitely drain resources because companies are involved in defen
Article is nothing more than an attempt to play with the stock market. It is quite obvious when you start off with a giant pile of bullshit line like:
Over the last decade, just three companies — Google, Apple, and Facebook — have generated most of the new ideas and most of the business momentum in the world of computing.
Right, because there are only like 5 or 6 computing companies in the world. Certainly smaller companies could never contribute anything worthwhile to society. Oops, what he really means is that smaller companies are not good for stock trading.
And even still, the premise of "Apple and Google have run out of ideas," is ludicrous at best. (I will give him Facebo
The others are not really innovative.
Elon Musk has it right when he points out that Silly Valley is a great concentration of brainpower pursuing small ideas because of the ease of cashing in on them.
Maybe their will be more innovation in the internet space. After all it's attracting a lot of talent.
But really there are bigger problems. But because they are bigger it seems few want to take them on.
the most surprising thing about OS X Mavericks is that it's not named after a cat
Why is that surprising? They were running of cat names [xkcd.com]. The choices left were Cougar or Sabretooth. And then the next release would have had the same problem. They had to change the naming scheme eventually. They switched to big wave surfing spots. After a dozen or so versions, they may have to switch again.
From the summary:
it's been a long time since any of these companies introduced anything indisputably new
Like forever.
People who use the word innovation are either young or senile. Is there anything that is truly new? The secret to their success is not innovation but excellence. Apple, Facebook, and Google were not the first to make the products that they are famous for, not a single one. But theirs were maybe the best, or at least the favorite.
The reporter's focus on innovation instead of excellence is my first problem with the article. My other problem is his focus on the size of a company i
Sometimes geeks have an abysmal grasp of history.
http://www.carhistory4u.com/the-last-100-years/car-production [carhistory4u.com]
"During the period 1896 to 1930 over 1,800 car manufacturers were believed to have existed in America"
How many now?
Basically three, although there's a few niche makers like Tesla.
Mature industries consolidate into oligopolies.
Welcome to the end of the IT Boom.
The problem isn't a **current** lack of innovation...
The problem is non-techies do not understand the difference between a true 'innovation' and a new product that sells alot and gets media hype.
iPod sells alot, has good ads, and gets alot of press. iPod then becomes, in retrospect to the mind of a non-techie, an 'innovation'...and the marketer who brought it to completion...well he's the 'innovator'...
wrong. iPod wasn't an 'innovation' and Steve Jobs was a marketer/salesman.
however, that's not the end at all! The **click wheel** was the 'innovation' and it wasn't designed by Jobs. But ask any young kid to name an 'innovator' and they'll say Jobs, the salesman.
Not 'knocking' Steve Jobs (getting major lables to put their music on iTunes IMHO required true innovative salesmanship)...
The greater point is that a grand misunderstanding of why tech is awesome and the nature of 'innovation' in practice...that misunderstanding creates the context where this errant article could be developed.
Don't look at what sells to find innovation...that's a lagging indicator...look at what busy people in high stress jobs do to get things done...it's the pressure of necessity that mother's innovation
Mind blowing, industry disruptive invention is not going to stop. It's just that it doesn't happen rapidly and never has! Apple first built iPad prototypes internally and decided to take the technology to the iPhone and release it first. So in 2007 before the iPhone was announced there was an early iPad prototype. The iPad didn't get announced until 2010! So for three more years the iPad was refined and improved, while the iPhone was also improved. Only when Apple was satisfied enough with the iPad was it released to the public. The App Store wasn't announced until 2008. The MacPro hasn't changed much since 2010, but the new cylindrical MacPro was announced via sneak peak at WWDC 2013. I would bet money it's been in design for years! A new design starts after the last one shipped. There may be a bit of a break after a stressful launch but they always go right back to the drawing board when they return. One of the reasons the 2010 MacPro wasn't updated were Xeon delays at Intel. The Xeon E5 Ivy Bridge / E3 Haswell design hasn't really started shipping till now. The E5 Xeon is the processor of choice used in workstations and smaller servers. So the new MacPro cylindrical design will have dual E5 Xeon's with up to 12 cores (6 cores each).
Apple's pace hasn't changed, they have always been about releasing when it's ready and not before. The media forgets how long it took for these products to ship. I guess there was this long period of customer awe in between that's dissipated lately as new products are not as stunning. That doesn't mean there are not things in the R&D pipeline that will change the world! There has always been an attention to detail with Apple designs that exceed that of the rest of the industry. The secrecy is what drives articles like this. But it's also what allows Apple to compete. If they announce products early, the competition will have a "Me Too" product ready. Even though a "Me Too" doesn't come close, it will be cheaper and not as good but will still sell fairly well.
Apple is working on changing television as we know it. I have already built a home solution that far exceeds what the industry has available. However, it's extremely geeky and not ready for general consumer use. But I can watch the TV shows and movies I want, how I want, when I want, and where I want. I have complete freedom to beam it around the house from iPhone, iPad, and multiple TV's. I have a server that manages the content like a TiVo would but much much better. It's the media delivery mechanism and the content itself that has to adapt. Apple is no doubt struggling to get the media companies to play ball. Movies studios, TV networks, Sports distribution channels, etc. They all have to radically change the way they do business. It's not about Prime Time any more. I don't consume media on a schedule any more. I rarely watch live TV. I don't see commercials. I can pause a show in the living room and resume it in the bedroom or on an iPad (No, it's not AT&T Uverse either and it's not streamed from a data center). I can even have new shows transcoded and sync'd to the iPad so when I take a long train commute, I can watch my show on an iPad offline. Apple's competitors know they are working on TV and they are trying to produce new TV's that innovate. Samsung has voice and motion controls, Sony has PS4, Microsoft XBox One, etc. They all think they know what Apple is doing but I would bet they aren't even close. Apple cannot announce their new TV solution until they can get the content providers in line. They did it first with the music industry and they did it with the book industry now it's time to do it with the TV/Movie/Video industries.
Google is not a tech company, they are an advertising company that uses technology. Facebook is not a tech company, they are a social media advertising company that uses cheesy technology. Apple is not a technology company either but a design company that mixes technology and the liberal arts. HP, Samsung, etc., etc. these are electron
Google, Apple, and Facebook were never "groundbreaking". They were well executed implementations of largely known technologies and ideas. And much of the innovation that came out of these companies actually was acquired, when they bought up startups and academics, thereby also spreading the wealth.
And that's not going to stop either: people are going to continue to come up with innovative ideas, form small startups, and then the Googles and Apples of this world are going to buy them and stick their name on it.
Where it is a duty to worship the sun it is pretty sure to be a crime to examine the laws of heat. -- Christopher Morley


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Deer are ready to start pruning our trees and shrubs.
Although unconcerned with promoting plant health or aesthetics, in at least one situation deer can actually help us prune well.
Picture an overgrown shrub, especially one planted too close to a home. With age and a little neglect, said shrub begins to swallow up the home, or at least block the view from a window.
There are many approaches to dealing with an overgrown shrub. Briefly, you could, over the course of a few years, renovate the plant by each year cutting some of the oldest stems to the ground to make way for younger, shorter ones. Or you could lop the whole plant to the ground and start anew with all young shoots. Also worth considering is just grubbing out the shrub and replacing it with something, or even nothing.
Deer aren't much help with any of these approaches. But they can help out with another, which capitalizes on the venerability of such a plant: You and your hoofed friends can transform a selected portion of the plant into a picturesque, small tree.
An ideal candidate for this operation is yew, a fast-growing evergreen frequently snuggled against home foundations.
The first step in transforming an old yew -- or any other old shrub -- is to select two or three of the oldest stems to become the trunks of your tree-to-be. Once selections are made, cut away all other stems growing from the base of the plant.
The next step -- cutting away any branches growing off those new trunks between the ground and a few feet above the ground -- is where deer help out. They'll enjoy munching on all those smaller branches. You and your deer helpers will want to remove branches high enough along the trunk so the plant looks like a tree, or, in the case of the deer, as high as they can reach.
The final step in pruning will be to shorten and remove enough branches in the crown of your new tree to give it good shape.
In subsequent years, new sprouts will arise from ground level and off the trunks. Deer will be eager to nip off all those young sprouts.


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KODO Tickets
Traditional Japanese drum group Kodo has been performing together since the early 80s. They've been seen on some of the biggest stages in the world and now they are performing in several venues in the US in 2015. Don't miss the incredible show that Kodo puts on when you order tickets to any of their upcoming shows with GoTickets.
KODO Schedule and Dates
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Never miss a deal, always be up to date -
The most important events and product news
with the MUSIC STORE Newsletters!
Native Instruments KONTROL Z2 + K181 DJ UE - Set1×
Native Instruments Kontrol Z2 + Kontrol D2 - Set1× 2×
Native Instruments Z2 + F1 + Kontrol Stand - Set1×
Native Instruments Z2 + Riot DJ-Trolley - Set1×
TRAKTOR KONTROL Z2 puts an advanced DJ controller in the body of a professional mixer with two stand-alone channels plus hands-on control for two Remix Decks. Flawless integration with the included TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO 2 software deliver a lightning-fast mixing experience with uninterrupted creative flow. Launch loops, samples, and cue points with eight color-coded trigger pads and fine-tune with the loop encoders. Or connect multiple TRAKTOR KONTROL F1 and X1 controllers thanks to the Z2's USB hub: Freeing up additional ports on your laptop, and expanding performance possibilities. The integrated audio interface delivers 24-bits of high-output audio so your sets hit with maximum impact. Pro XLR and RCA outputs, knobs, buttons, and Innofaders™ combine for a fluid layout and rock-solid construction built to last.
!!! Please note our general conditions bying software products !!!
Rugged design, top notch faders and cool intergrated features. Actually it has nothing less compared to the Rane - Serato combo so its a money saver too. Touring artists will love it. A nice - handy addition to any studio and a good buy for every scratch dj.
Best choice if you are using Traktor and two turntables!
Very easy and fun to use, the cue points are really good for scratch djs, full access without touching the computer, I´m using it both in the studio and for live performances. Ive got mine for two years now and its been really used, so i can say this is a good choice!
Well built external soundcard, traktor controller, phono/CDJ/digital interface. Provided with timecoded vinyl and Cds. I only got one crash with traktor and I wish the digital routing (especially external INs) was more flexible.
In short, a very good piece of hardware, maybe just a tad overpriced.
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!


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New synth from Mode Machines called SID
Here's an upcoming box from Mode Machines called SID. Apparently there's some controversy over it's design (link). Chris Randall took the photo above at NAMM. It should go for about $600 USD.
"SID is an 8-Bit desktop synthesizer with a double personality. It's simplistic layout and ease of use delivers pleasure at the first touch and it's familiar step sequencer will have you programming patterns and beats in no time. 3 expression knobs control the key features of each Patch for instant results. But don't let it's simplicity fool you: The supplied SID STUDIO SOFTWARE enables you to tweak every parameter under the hood! Draw and design your patches with instant feedback from the SID. Also check out the NERD-PANEL, a powerful interactive blueprint which enables you to address the chip one pin at a time – also a great educational tool." – modemachines.com
For more info: modemachines.com


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Robert Falter, MBA/Sloan '76, PhD, was recently presented the 2006 Rookie of the Year award by the Worcester Regional Association of Realtors® (WRAR). This award recognizes a full-time Realtor® with 18 months or less experience who participates on an association committee. It considers his or her community involvement as well as continuing industry-related education. Falter serves on the education committee of WRAR, the education and events committee of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors (MAR). He is a graduate of the Realtor Institute (GRI), an Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) and a Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES®). Falter retired from the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service in 2001 and is a Life Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. He joined the Worcester Regional Association of Realtors® in 2004, resides in Shrewsbury, MA, with his wife, Kathy.
James H. Barton, MBA '90, was recently named vice president, New Business Technologies at Bausch and Lomb, responsible for the identification, evaluation, and development of external technologies, licensing and cross-marketing opportunities for the Global Vision Care business. Barton has been with Bausch & Lomb since 1990, most recently as vice president, Global Strategy and Commercial Development for Contact Lenses. Prior to that role, he has held numerous senior level positions with the company including executive director, Surgical and Pharmaceutical for Bausch & Lomb Japan, and vice president, Marketing and Strategy for Bausch & Lomb China. In addition to his Johnson School degree, Barton holds a Master's degree in International Relations (1995) and a Bachelor's degree in Asian Studies (1981), both from Yale University. He currently lives in Rochester, NY.
Helen Shan, MBA '93, is the vice president and treasurer of Pitney Bowes Inc. At Pitney Bowes, Shan provides overall leadership with worldwide responsibility for treasury operations, including capital markets, cash management, insurance, and pension fund management. In addition, she manages banking and rating agency relationships. She also serves as a member of the Chairman's Council and is a corporate officer.
Shan joined Pitney Bowes in the fall of 2005 after 13 years in banking at JPMorgan Securities Inc. and Salomon Brothers Inc. Her most recent role at JPMorgan was as managing director, Diversified Industries, where she was the investment banking client executive responsible for the relationship management of a portfolio of Fortune 500 industrial and business services companies, including Pitney Bowes.
Shan grew up in New Jersey and earned her dual undergraduate degrees from the Wharton School of Business and the School of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also involved in Asian Professional Extension Inc. (APEX), a New York City non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the development of Asian American youth, where she serves as vice president on the board of directors. She currently resides in New York City.