text:
Original URL: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/07/21/asbos_for_uk_businesses/
Will your company be hit by an ASBO?
Sidestepping fair trials?
Posted in Business, 21st July 2006 08:55 GMT
The Home Office wants to issue control orders to businesses as well as individuals. An ASBO for businesses is the central proposal of a parliamentary Green Paper from the Home Office published this week.
Home Secretary John Reid wants to tackle organised crime, and has proposed a series of measures that can be taken against businesses without the burden of proof required by a criminal court.
"Currently law enforcement authorities essentially have a choice between prosecution or no action when dealing with organised crime," said Reid in his introduction to the paper. "That can be a stark and unproductive choice and we see a place for something in between – organised crime prevention orders – which could be imposed on individuals or organisation in such a way as to prevent organised criminality continuing."
The paper itself says that the measures would be used where there was not enough evidence to prove wrongdoing, and to anticipate and prevent criminal activity before it happened.
"These sort of orders might be used in cases where there was a strong weight of evidence but either not enough for a prosecution, prosecution was planned but additional measures were urgently needed to prevent harms in the interim, prosecution had been ruled not appropriate on public interest grounds, or the evidence of criminal activity could not be prosecuted (e.g. because it took place overseas)," it says. "These sorts of orders could be imposed to prevent criminal activity in the first place."
The new proposals also make a case for more liberal data sharing between government bodies, and between public and private organisations.
"To make a real impact, law enforcement needs to use a lot more than the information at its own disposal," says the paper. "It has become increasingly clear from discussions with our stakeholders that data sharing with other parts of the public sector is highly patchy, while sharing across the public/private divide is rarely even attempted."
"This paper sets out some simple and practical steps for improved data sharing, which we believe could make a considerable impact against financial crime, fraud and money laundering," it says.
The Green Paper has been presented to Parliament and is subject to a consultation period that runs until 17th October. The results of that consultation will be made public in November.
If adopted as law, the proposals could have serious implications for hackers and others suspected of using computers to commit crime. The paper contains proposals permitting the confiscation of equipment under a Prevention Order as well as having limits placed on their financial activities, such as using only certain credit cards which have been cleared by the Home Office.
These sanctions would also be available to the government without the securing of a criminal conviction against individuals or organisations.
Struan Robertson, editor of OUT-LAW.COM, said: "The Government has a challenge on its hands to write a law that balances its proposal to punish people and organisations for crimes that it cannot prove with the safeguards in the European Convention of Human Rights, notably the right to a fair trial."
See also:
Home Office Green Paper (51-page / 1MB PDF)
Copyright © 2006, OUT-LAW.com
OUT-LAW.COM is part of international law firm Pinsent Masons.


text:
Admissions · Advising · Catalog · Financial Aid · Registrar · Scholarships
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Tarleton's art program so special?
Can I study Digital Media at Tarleton?
Yes, Tarleton has a BFA in art with an emphasis in digital media. This degree is suited for anyone interested in obtaining a studio art degree with interests in the broad spectrum of digital art media, which includes photography, video, sound, 2D animation, graphic design, and interactive art work. Some new art courses within the Digital Media emphasis include ART 381: Digital Print Based Media, ART 382: Digital Time Based Media, and ART 481: Interactive Art Media.
For more information about the Digital Media program at Tarleton, contact Assistant Professor Chris Ireland at email@example.com.
Will I have any opportunities to exhibit my work?
What is the Tarleton Arts Society?
Tarleton Arts Society is a student run organization that offers opportunities for art shows on campus, community involvement, and extra curricular activities.
Facebook users....join the Tarleton Art Society's Facebook page.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Toshiba readies zero Watt standby mode telly
Hero and zero
With the price of electricity always on the rise, the juice consumed by kit kept on standby can nibble away at the pennies. Now Toshiba has addressed this issue with a new chip said to create standby modes that require no power whatsoever.
Zilch. Zip. Nada.
The first telly to feature the new chip is the 32in Regza 32BE3, which the company reckons uses 27 per cent less power in general than its predecessor.
The telly's power management chip works with a high-capacity capacitor, which stores enough electricity to keep the set's infrared sensor active, while disposing of the need for constant power draw.
The Regza 32BE3 tackles energy wastage in other areas too, with two backlight modes that cut consumption by 50 and 75 per cent, respectively, by auto-adjusting the light intensity in response to what's being shown (or not) on the screen.
The Toshiba Regza 32BE3 rolls out in Japan sometime in December and will probably make its way over here next year. By which time, of course, leccy prices will have probably risen substantially enough that we still end up paying more regardless.
Then again, a saving of roughly £2 a year was never going to be a major selling point anyway. ®
Sponsored: Minds Mastering Machines - Call for papers now open


text:
11 Tax Free Components You Must have in Salary
Its appraisal season and employees are worried about their hike. But equally important is the salary structure as it determines your take home amount and also what you pay in taxes. Your salary consists of lot of components, some of them are fully taxable, and some are partially taxable while remaining is tax free. Here […] Continue reading →


text:
The Mid-Kentucky Kennel Club opened the giant Louisville KY weekend today with Denys Janssen calling the BIS. The truly superlative seven were the Irish Setter, CH Shadagee Caught Red Handed, the Scottish Deerhound, CH Foxcliffe Hickory Wind, the Boxer, CH Winfall Brookwood Styled Dream, the Smooth Fox Terrier, CH Slyfox Sneaks a Peek, the Pekingese, CH PalaceGarden Malachy, the Standard Poodle, CH Dawin Spitfire, and the Bearded Collie, CH Tolkien Raintree Mister Baggins.
BIS went to the big Poodle, Jetta, her sixth this year. Jetta just missed the top ten this week. Obviously with this win she will be back next week.


text:
Log In
Create A New Profile
SNWMF Phorum 2018
> Topic
Jimmy Dangler, original member of Reggae on the River team, passes away--
Posted by
Forum List
Message List
New Topic
Jimmy Dangler, original member of Reggae on the River team, passes away--
October 19, 2012 09:32PM
IP/Host: ---.dhcp.trcy.mi.charter.com
Registered: 48 years ago
Posts: 50
Jimmy Dangler Passes Away
Kym Kemp / Saturday, Oct. 13 @ 8:28 p.m. /
Today, Jim Dangler passed away. Dangler was well known and loved in Southern Humboldt. He is most remembered as a member of the Reggae on the River team, an original member of the Mateel Community Center Board of Directors, and owner of the former business, Singing Salmon.
According to an accolade Kim Sallaway sent out,
Jimmy Dangler was a motivator, an instigator, a commentator, a comic, a fan, a "man's man", and a good friend to a lot of people. He stood up for right, was righteous, and made things right when he was able. I knew the serious side and the hilarious side of my friend. I shared a few stogies with Jimmy across the years. We dined, wined, sipped and supped at some fine events together. Jimmy helped me so many times I lost count. As a photographer he accommodated my need to get access. He was gracious while sharing his cramped space in the sound booth.
There are many images in my archives I got because JD helped me get to where I needed to be.
Jimmy was a conscience and an adviser to many people in the local music industry. When he had his first stroke 7 years ago, we lost a vital part of the "team" that invented and staged Reggae on the River for so many years. Without his input, the festival is not the same. He was integral, and as involved in the productions as any single one of us, and way more than most of us.
Today he passed away after suffering another major stroke a few days ago. Damn. This is sad news. I called him my friend for over 3 decades.
RIP Jimmy.
Photo by Kim Sallaway
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/20/2012 09:43PM by ankhlove.
Newer Topic
Older Topic
Print View
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.
Click here to login
is powered by


text:
"Many of the initiatives presented today came directly from the public," BART Board member Lynette Sweet said. "There are prime opportunities in areas such as electrical, plumbing and concrete where small businesses ought to be playing a larger role at BART."
The initiatives presented include:
• Implementing a Small Business Bonding Program
• Developing guidelines for unbundling large construction, professional services and procurement contracts and issue multiple contracts where possible
• Exploring the feasibility of an on-call pre-qualified list of small business contractors
• Expanding technical support for small businesses during the pre-and post-bidding process
• Expanding community outreach to maximize opportunity
BART leadership will continue to refine these initiatives moving forward and will continue to engage a variety of local business groups for their input.


text:
As described previously here, there are good theoretical reasons to think that the so called AdS/QCD correspondence should provide a poor description of the collisions of strongly interacting particles like the proton, or their internal quarks and gluons. The idea for the correspondence was inspired by string theory where is can be shown that special (strongly interacting, supersymmetric, scale invariant) theories with gluons can be simply described by calculations on a curved 5D space called anti-de Sitter space, and abbreviated as AdS. While the theory of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) does contain gluons, it is not supersymmetric, not scale invariant, and, it turns out, not strongly interacting enough for the correspondence to work. The problem can be seen fairly easily in collisions. In QCD collisions of quarks and gluons tend to produce narrow sprays of particles, known as jets, that look something like this:
While in AdS theories the produced particle spread out uniformily in all directions like this:
Some theorists have shrugged their shoulders about this problem and tried to apply the AdS/QCD correspondence to heavy ion collision data pointing out that some particular measurements happened to agree with the AdS/QCD prediction.
The BackReaction blog points out that the latest data from the LHC again points to the inadequacies of the AdS/QCD correspondence.
The data most closely follow a model of ordinary QCD jet production, labelled YaJEM for Yet another Jet Energy-loss Model, rather than the AdS calculation. For the experts: while the jetty description of QCD continues to work at large number of colors, , the AdS description requires both and the coupling times the number of colors, , to be large, and it is the latter condition that fails in the real world.
Further reading:
- Systematics of the charged-hadron spectrum and the nuclear suppression factor in heavy-ion collisions from GeV to TeV
- Pathlength dependence of energy loss within in-medium showers
- The AdS/QCD Correspondence: Still Undelivered


text:
JOHANNESBURG — Opposition parties submitted a motion of no confidence on Thursday against President Jacob Zuma, saying that corruption and unemployment have risen, the justice system has been politicized, and the economy has weakened.
The motion, backed by eight opposition parties, was triggered by a violent strike at a platinum mine that killed 46 people, the downgrading of South Africa's credit rating by two major agencies, and big spending of state funds on Zuma's rural residence, according to a joint statement by the parties.
Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko brought the motion forward in the National Assembly.
The ANC's office of the chief whip called the motion ''a desperate, if not silly, publicity stunt by a group of attention-seeking opposition leaders . . . is not based on any fact or evidence, and therefore amounts to nothing but character assassination.''
The no-confidence motion was backed by the African Christian Democratic Party, the Azanian People's Organization, the Congress of the People, the Democratic Alliance, the Freedom Front Plus, the Inkatha Freedom Party, the United Christian Democratic Party, and the United Democratic Movement.
Associated Press


text:
CHAPEL HILL – Chapel Hill Police are searching for a suspect in connection with a car chase involving a stolen vehicle that happened Saturday night.
Sergeant Jeff House of the CHPD said that officers responded at 7:30 p.m. to a call reporting a stolen vehicle on Lindsay St.
House said the two suspects, identified as Marvin Ovie, 23, and Gregory Harris, 28, fled the scene in the stolen 2012 Buick, and then crashed at the intersection of Rosemary St. and Glenburnie St. Officers tracked the vehicle using the GPS system, On-Star.
House said reports indicated that Harris was the driver, lost control of the vehicle, and crashed into a stone wall. The single-car wreck happened within an hour of the initial call.
"The occupants of the vehicle fled from the vehicle. This led to a short canine track, and one of the people that fled from the vehicle was apprehended," House said. "The other subject got away."
Ovi was arrested on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle and resisting arrest. Harris was the suspect that got away. House said that he has outstanding warrants for his arrest. The police report listed Harris as a black male, approximately 5'3' and 170 lbs.


text:
Did you read today's front page stories & breaking news?
From the Wires
Fairy Light Fuses
Swinton Warns Homeowners of the Dangers of Fairy Lights
By: Marketwired .
Dec. 11, 2012 06:39 AM
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- (Marketwire) -- 12/11/12 -- Homeowners are being warned not to overload their homes with fairy lights as the UK heads into the festive season.
Swinton, the UK's leading home insurance provider is warning homeowners of the dangers that fairy lights and Christmas decorations can pose to homes, if careful consideration is not paid when erecting.
It is said that some Christmas trees such as the Scotch pine tree can become engulfed in flames within three seconds of it catching fire, so it comes as no surprise that Christmas trees and the decorations that come with them are common causes of house fires during the holiday season.
With this in mind, Swinton has the following tips and advice for homeowners this Christmas:
-- Check fairy light fuses are the correct type -- If bulbs are blown, replace them as this will help avoid any fusing that could occur in the circuit -- Always ensure fairy lights are turn off when sleeping or out of the home - if fairy lights are left on too long, they can get extremely hot -- Never let any Christmas decorations touch fairy lights - most decorations are flammable and when touching a hot surface, can easily combust resulting in a fire -- Do not overload plug sockets - plug sockets can get hot if left on for long periods of time and have been known to spark which can result in the start of a house fire -- Remember that a burning Christmas tree could easily set a whole room on fire in a short space of time so take extra precaution when decorating with fairy lights and decorations
Steve Chelton, Claims Manager at Swinton said: "Putting up Christmas decorations is a time that should be enjoyed by all, but careful consideration should be paid when doing so. A fire can start very easily if people do not pay attention to where fairy lights are put up, how many are plugged into the one socket or extension lead, and that they aren't near anything that could easily set alight."
About Swinton
-- With 553 branches nationwide Swinton is the UK's largest high street insurance retailer -- Unlike many other companies in the financial services industry, Swinton is committed to keeping its branches open for business, and part of the community -- Swinton provides a one-stop-shop for the insurance and related needs of its clients, offering home, car, caravan, business, holiday, motorbike and even classic car insurance -- With a dedicated team of advisors on hand at every branch to search a panel of insurers to offer quality cover at competitive rates
SOA World Latest Stories
Subscribe to the World's Most Powerful Newsletters
Subscribe to Our Rss Feeds & Get Your SYS-CON News Live!
SYS-CON Featured Whitepapers
Most Read This Week


text:
This post was inspired by the view out my window this morning. There is a large pond in my backyard, and two young men were testing the ice for ice fishing. Seeing them on the ice made me very nervous!
14 March 1879
Cape Ann Advertiser
"Essex Jottings.
Rescued from Drowning- Last Saturday, Percy,
aged six years, son of Mr. Hervey Allen, came
near being drowned while playing on the ice
in the river. He was caught by the arms, and was res-
cued by Annie Burnham, a young miss of eleven
Percy Eugene Allen was born 10 September 1873 in Marblehead, Massachusetts and died 3 March 1942 in Beverly, Massachusetts. He was the son of Hervey Allen (1841 – 1905) and Adeline Jane Andrews (1839 – 1886) of Essex, Massachusetts. Hervey was the brother to my 2x Great Grandfather, Joseph Gilman Allen (1830 – 1908). Essex Massachusetts is located on the coast, with marshland and the winding, tidal Essex River runs through the center of town, right near where the Allens lived. No doubt this is where little Percy fell through the ice.
In the 1910 Federal Census of Beverly he is listed as a laborer, for the city Street Department, living alone. On his World War 1 Draft registration he was living at 257 Cabot Street, Beverly, alone, and was an employee of the city of Beverly as a laborer. He listed his next of kin as Adeline Leighton, a cousin, of Beverly. In the 1920 census he is living in Oakland, Kennebec County, Maine, as a farmer, with a wife named May and a mother in law, Ellen M. McCartney. By the 1930 census of Oakland, he is a widower, no children, living alone again as an RFD currier for the Post Office.
Copyright 2011, Heather Wilkinson Rojo


text: life is not without online shopping, which saves you serious amounts of send convenience.when you perplexed any time experiencing assorted black friday sales thursdayinwards market place, we are going to assist you to work out questions. why not embrace the least expensive products though extreme the best quality?whatever you decide to are looking for a vogue black friday sales thursdayor even a tough 1, huge standard throughout tbdress.com is not going to help you disappoints. together leading wholesaler around the globe, tbdress means that you can get the cheapest, latest, most perfect products forever and ever.the ideal black friday sales thursdaypresented about tbdress volition satisfy your entire wishes. with honored reputation, tbdress promises you quality together with service.thus, it is a wise decision that you can buy this cool product on our website.


text:
New York, NY (PRWEB) December 04, 2012
Le Salon, located in New York, is an upscale boutique salon that has fully committed itself to the holistic quality of their client's experience by exclusively offering Organic Color Systems products which are free from harsh ingredients traditionally found in professional hair care products such as ammonia, parabens, sodium lauryl sulfates, and thioglycolatesands. With the relaunch of http://lesalonnyc.com clients are able to book appointments online and learn more about Organic Salon Systems, the leading provider of non-diverted professional natural salon products. These products offer a healthier and gentler alternative to professional salon products which appeal to the more environmentally, health conscious, and socially responsible salons throughout North America which hold their client's health in high regard.
"Le Salon's ethos is consistent with that of Organic Salon Systems and we have a great deal of respect for Salon's that show a clear sense of responsibility for the ingredient's they regularly apply to their client's scalps" said Scott Mitchell, chief executive officer of Organic Salon Systems.
Le Salon, located at 310 East 44th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue, has been exclusively using Organic Color Systems for over two years and tailors to a clientele that is more discerning about toxicity and ingredients as well as the overall quality of service. Ashraf, who has over 20 years of international professional salon experience, added "we have completely embraced Organic Color Systems products not only because they contain 100% Certified Organic ingredients but also because of their superior performance and the fact that our client's love the outcome. Also, as a seasoned salon professional specializing in Natural Hair NYC, I have learned that promoting an ammonia free environment leads to fewer health problems for me, my clients, and my staff."
About Organic Salon Systems:
Organic Salon Systems, headquartered in Palm Harbor Florida, has been serving the professional salon industry since 2003. Organic Salon Systems provides hairdressers with high performance products which maximize the use of gentle, nourishing, organic, and natural ingredients while minimizing the necessity for harsh or damaging chemicals. Organic Salon Systems is the exclusive marketing and distribution company for Organic Color Systems, which offers a revolutionary full range of professional salon products including our tightly integrated color, curl, care, and connect lines, throughout the United States and Canada.
About Le Salon:
Le Salon is an exclusively organic hair salon dedicated to superior service and personal attention in an intimate and relaxing atmosphere. They specialize in organic color, organic perms, and keratin treatments. Le Salon's focus is to provide their clients with the amazing benefits of using a certified organic, natural hair care and color system. This organic color system avoids the irritation and chemical fumes of traditional ammonia based hair color products and repairs the damage caused by other chemical processes. The products are enriched with jojoba oil, seaweed, chamomile and sunflower extracts. These organic botanicals clean and protect hair without stripping it of its natural oils in addition to strengthening and moisturizing your scalp and hair. All products are free of ammonia, sodium lauryl sulfate, thioglycolates, and parabens. Appointments can be made by calling (212) 949-6693 or visit http://lesalonnyc.com for more information.
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/12/prweb10173227.htm.
|Source: PRWeb
Copyright©2012 Vocus, Inc.
All rights reserved


text:
Welcome to the HF Digital Decoding article. While tuning around the HF bands, you are very likely to hear a variety of squawks, beeps and other sounds that, at first, defy description. While noise sources are a likely source (typical of HF), at least some will be some sort of digital signal.
Let's be clear at the outset - there are many such signals that will never be decoded. Most are assumed to be military in nature. The challenge is to find signals that can be decoded, or at least identified.
If you decide to get into digital, you will need better equipment than a simple portable. While some portables will work with reasonably stronger signals, the more complex the signal (or conditions), the more a portable will fall short. Tuning accuracy, selectivity, stability and even mode selection play a significant role in being able to correctly tune a signal.
While the number of newer desktop receivers has plummeted, a sharp eyed listener can often find such receivers at hamfests. Do your homework - use the Receiver Reviews article to begin your research. Even though most of the reviews do not specifically refer to digital capabilities, keep an eye on some of the characteristics mentioned earlier. Those folks with a modern ham transceiver have an advantage - they often have a general coverage receiver built in.
With propagation as lousy as it's been lately, a good antenna is an absolute must. The better the antenna the better the results will be, whether it's tuning digital signals or something else. See our HF Antennas article for more on this topic.
A critical part of any digital receiving station is a clean connection from the receiver to the PC. There are many ways to accomplish this without going through the expenditure of having a dedicated interface, although one is often used in the amateur service. Please see our Connecting Radios to Soundcards article for more information.
The RR forum for this article can be found here
By far the easiest place to start in this field is the amateur service. But don't be fooled - although, by regulation, no digital mode can be uncopyable, specialized software will be required to decode them. See the software section on this article for more on this.
If you want to be able to identify a signal by sound, or by viewing it on an audio display (many digital decoding programs - and some
soundcard programs - have this ability), then these sites are a good place to start


text:
Virtual Singer can be configured according to your needs, by modifying timbre, intonation, kind of voice (man, woman, tenor, soprano, etc.).
Above this, several different voices, in different languages, will be able to sing at the same time. Sample tunes and a complete manual (included in the Melody or Harmony Assistant documentation) are provided.
To each singer, a different voice and language can be related. Each singer can be fine-tuned, by modifying its timbre, intonation or kind of voice (man,
What's New
- Universal binary adds Intel support.
- This module is now completely included into Melody/Harmony and appears as a new palette.


text:
Myanmar-Sydney connection: student successfully presses for action in her home country on HIV/AIDS
22 November 2012
This year has been a year of change for University of Sydney postgraduate student Yu Nandar Aung and her homeland Myanmar.
Yu has spent 2012 completing a Master's degree in HIV, Sexually Transmitted Infections and Sexual Health in Sydney on an AusAID scholarship. In the year she has been away, Myanmar has undergone significant economic and political reform.
Hundreds of political prisoners have been released, economic sanctions have eased and the first genuine elections since 1990 have been held, resulting in the election to parliament of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Just this week, Barack Obama became the first sitting President of the United States to visit Myanmar. Our own Foreign Minister Senator Bob Carr visited in June this year.
After more then five decades of military rule and isolation from the international community, the reforms of the past year mean Yu will be returning to a country vastly different to the one she left a year ago.
"I don't know what the country is going to be like when I return in January. I'm excited to see the changes. I have never seen such dramatic changes in my life time," Yu said.
While at the University of Sydney, Yu has played her own part in Myanmar's reform process. In September, the University's new Sydney Southeast Asia Studies Centre (SSEAC) arranged for Yu to make a presentation on HIV in Myanmar to a delegation of parliamentarians visiting from the country. The Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament, Thura U Shwe Mann was part of that delegation.
The SSEAC will be officially launched by Foreign Minister Bob Carr at the University tomorrow.
"It was a very rare opportunity for me to meet with the decision makers in my country. I never thought I'd have the opportunity to meet with people of such high authority," Yu said.
"When the first cases of HIV started to appear in Myanmar in the late 80's, the government took little action. Since then the government hasn't paid enough attention to the disease and the infection has spread through the population.
"More than 240,000 people are known to be infected with HIV, this number is probably a lot lower than the actual situation because there is a lot of underreporting. Because of the lack of funding, only 25 to 30 percent of people infected with HIV have access to antiretroviral drugs.
"These are the hard statistics I wanted to present to the delegation. I knew it was going to be controversial because the government did not recognise much of the problem our country has with HIV.
"But I thought I had nothing to lose. I had been told the Speaker was a leader with vision. During my presentation I really believed that, especially when I told him that every year 15,000 people in our country were dying from lack of treatment. He commented that it meant 40 people were dying everyday. When he asked me what can we do to give more people access to drugs, I knew he understood the problem very well.
"I told him we need to get assistance from the international community, including training, technical and financial assistance. I also said we needed to see HIV treatment as a lifelong issue. Once a patient is infected with HIV, they have to take the antiretroviral drugs the rest of their life. This means the government, corporations and NGOs all have a role to play."
Two weeks after her presentation, Yu was surprised to read in the Myanmar Times that the government had announced US$2.3 million in funding for HIV antiretroviral medication.
"I didn't expect that such good news would come that fast. It is thanks to the Sydney Southeast Asia Studies Centre that I had a chance to advocate to key authorities in Myanmar which would otherwise have not been possible."
As part of her degree, Yu has had the opportunity to visit five sexual health clinics. When she returns to Myanmar in January she hopes to apply what she has learnt here.
"Australia is famous for HIV prevention. There is a very systematic approach here and HIV has been controlled very well since the beginning. I've learnt a lot from the Australian model especially in treatment and prevention. They are things I would like to apply in Myanmar," Yu said.
Her experience in Australia has also influenced her ideas about citizenship and rights.
"There are a lot of freedoms here, Australians have their full range of rights and opportunities. It's not just about having more developed infrastructure and a more skilled work-force you also have a different mindset."
"Here you challenge authority, that is something we didn't know we could do in Myanmar. But we are a patient people and we have endured a lot to see change," Yu said.
|Follow University of Sydney Media on Twitter
Enquiries: Sally Sitou, 9351 8647, 0401 135 962, email@example.com


text:
News Feature
Originally published in Community News, January 23, 2014
Cancer screening highlighted in January
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention/Maine Department of Health and Human Services recognizes January as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, according to a news release from the DHHS.
Before the development of the Pap test, cervical cancer was one of the most common causes of cancer death for American women. The Pap test can detect cervical cancer early when treatment is most effective.
Starting at age 21, routine Pap tests for women can find potentially cancerous cells growing in the cervix. For more information on this test, women should talk with their doctors, as screening recommendations can vary.
Help with paying for these screenings is available to women age 40 and older who are in need of breast or cervical screening tests and meet certain requirements. The Maine CDC Cancer Prevention and Control programs can provide information about cancer screening tests as well as limited resources for free cancer screenings.
Interested women are encouraged to call 1-800-350-5180
or 287-8068. TTY users should call Maine Relay at 711. More details can be found at maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/population-health/bcp.


text:
Flaherty played professionally for the New York Power of the WUSA and the Hampton Roads Piranhas of the W-League.
She was a three-year starter and All-ACC selection for Clemson from 1994-97 and earned "Defensive Most Valuable Player" honors for the Florida Gators in 1998. She was a US National Team pool member from 1996 to 2001.
"I am very excited that Meredith has joined the coaching staff. She brings great knowledge and work ethic to the team," SHSU head women's soccer coach Tom Brown said. "Meredith has been working with the team as a volunteer coach, so she is very familiar with our team and the university."
Flaherty served as assistant women's soccer coach at the University of Florida and LSU before becoming director of coaching for the Manatee Soccer Club in Bradenton, Fla., from 2000 to 2003. For the next eight years, she served as director of coaching for the Virginia Rush Soccer Club in Virginia Beach.
Her duties in Virginia Beach included seasonal training and game programming for individual teams, player development for competition in the Elite Clubs National League and training and game day coaching of individual teams and players. As an administrator, she was responsible for management of the professional coaching staff and coordinated scheduling, registration of players, and parent and coaching education programs.
Flaherty served as regional goalkeeper coach for seven years, traveling with regional teams to national and international soccer events. She also served as the Virginia Youth Soccer State ODP team coach.


text:
Full Episode
Late in the evening of April 19, 1989, Tricia Meili, a 28-year-old white investment banker, went jogging through Central Park in New York City. When she was found hours later, she had been brutally raped, beaten and left for dead. This film examines the notorious crime, the media response and the public outcry it triggered, and the miscarriage of justice that followed it, probing the larger issues it raises about our nation's complicated past.
Length: 1 hour, 59 minutes


text:
Can Cyborg Tech End Human Disability By 2064? 121
the_newsbeagle (2532562) writes "As part of a 50th anniversary celebration, IEEE Spectrum magazine tries to peer into the technological future 50 years out. Its biomedical article foresees the integration of electronic parts into our human bodies, making up for physical, emotional, and intellectual disabilities. The article spotlights the visionaries Hugh Herr, an MIT professor (and double amputee) who wants to build prosthetic limbs that are wired directly into the nervous system; Helen Mayberg, who has developed brain pacemakers to cure depression; and Ted Berger, who's working on neural implants that can restore memory function."


text:
Dr. Peter Ajemian, ex-worker plead guilty in LIRR disability scam
A Rockville Centre doctor pleaded guilty Friday in federal court to being at the center of a decade-long conspiracy to collect fraudulent disability pensions for Long Island Rail Road retirees.
In the "breathtaking and brazen" scheme, Dr. Peter Ajemian systematically signed off on phony claims to supplement the workers' early-retirement pensions, according to U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.
"By running the functional equivalent of a 'disability mill' and fraudulently qualifying hundreds of LIRR patients for undeserved disability benefits, Dr. Ajemian enriched himself and debased his degree," Bharara said in a statement.
Authorities have estimated the scheme that involved retirees, facilitators and doctors could have cost the government as much as $1 billion.
Of all the LIRR retirees who went to Ajemian between 1997 and 2008, 94 percent -- at least 734 retirees -- collected disability benefits, prosecutors charged.
"Beginning in or about 2002 I began seeing large numbers of LIRR employees who sought my assistance in having them declared occupationally disabled," a subdued Ajemian, 63, of Oyster Bay Cove, said Friday in a Manhattan courtroom.
"In truth and in fact, these employees were not in fact disabled and could have continued working in their railroad jobs, as they had without complaint right up to the time of their retirement date," he said.
The orthopedist, who did not agree to cooperate with prosecutors, faces up to 30 years in prison for conspiracy and health care fraud. Federal sentencing guidelines call for between 121 months and 151 months in prison.
He will be sentenced on May 24 by U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero, who took the plea Friday.
Ajemian also agreed to forfeit $116.5 million -- the disability benefits the government says retirees he fraudulently certified got from the federal Railroad Retirement Board.
He declined to comment as he left court with his lawyer, Thomas Engel.
Thirty-two individuals have been indicted, including two doctors -- Ajemian and Dr. Peter Lesniewski -- as well as more than 20 retirees, several so-called facilitators and Ajemian's office manager.
Former LIRR employee Karl Brittell, 62, of Long Beach, also pleaded guilty Friday to defrauding the federal disability system, including making unnecessary visits to doctors for the purpose of "padding" his medical files, prosecutors said.
He could serve up to 20 years in prison and have to pay back about $350,000 in disability payments he received since 2003. He agreed to cooperate with the government.
Ajemian and Brittell were the 20th and 21st defendants in the case to plead guilty.
Five others, including Lesniewski and Marie Baran, manager of the Railroad Retirement Board's Long Island office, could go to trial in July.
In addition to the guilty pleas, 44 individuals acknowledged getting phony disability pensions as part of an amnesty program that allowed them to escape prosecution in return for admitting wrongdoing and agreeing to give up the disability pensions. The deadline for signing up for amnesty has passed.
By agreeing to a $116.5 million forfeiture, Ajemian appeared to acknowledge prosecution claims that hundreds of people -- many more than those who have been charged or signed up for amnesty -- received fraudulent pensions. Prosecutors have not yet signaled whether additional criminal charges are coming.


text:
BMW 6 Series, 2004-2010. Click image to enlarge
Related articles
Manufacturer's Website
BMW 6 Series Owner Reviews
Review by Justin Pritchard
Sleek, sexy and powerful, the last-generation BMW 6 Series was a four-seat coupe or convertible that offered up luxury and performance to discerning, well-heeled shoppers. This was a machine with all the leading bells and whistles, and one that was engineered and designed to make drivers look and feel like a million bucks.
Look for top-notch luxury and technology features – including heated and chilled seats, navigation with voice command, a premium audio system, keyless engine start (after 2006) and plenty more. As pricey BMW models tended to go, the 6 Series packed world-class equipment levels as standard, though several option packages were available with increased equipment levels.
BMW 6 Series, 2004-2010. Click image to enlarge
Power came from one of two V8 engines. Earlier 6 Series models wearing a 645i badge got a 4.4L unit with 325 horsepower. From 2006 and on, a 4.8L V8 with 360 horsepower was fitted instead, facilitating a nomenclature change to 650i.
Look for rear-wheel drive on all models. A six-speed transmission was available in the driver's choice of automatic or manual as well.
What Owners Like: According to a limited number of owner reviews posted online, it seems that a combination of styling, power, luxury, comfort, technology and exclusivity were among the most enjoyed aspects reported by drivers. Steering and handling dynamics were said to be top-notch, as was seat comfort. Many drivers claim their 6 Series sticks to corners like glue, and is more than happy to provide hours of relaxing driving on a long road trip. Good headlight performance was also noted.
What Owners Dislike: Many 6 Series owners wished for a roomier back seat, better gas mileage and easier-to-use controls. In particular, many a driver talks about a less-than-ideal relationship with the complicated iDrive system, and more than one professional reviewer has called the system "overly complicated." Many owners report that BMW's iDrive central command interface overcomplicates manipulation of even simple vehicle functions.
Common Issues: Shopping for a convertible 6-Series? Be sure the motorized roof operates smoothly in both directions as outlined in the owner's manual. Note any binding, excessive wear or self-reversing of the top or power windows during roof operation. Duct tape is a bad sign, too. A variety of sensors and motors work the roof mechanism, and if any are faulty or failing, problems may result. Cycle the roof through a few open and close operations to be thorough.
Approach your test drive of a used 6 Series looking exhaustively for signs of electrical or electronics-related problems. The 6-Series is a complicated car – meaning a virtual rats-nest of wiring, sensors, modules and computers lies within. You'll want to ensure these are all talking to one another effectively. If that's not the case, a tremendous range of problems could result – from niggling and infrequent to obvious and annoying. Spend some time playing around with everything inside the 6 Series that runs on electricity, confirming proper operation.
Particularly, make sure the iDrive system, climate control, navigation and driver computer all work as expected. Try the motorized seats, all lights, and all accessories – including the key fob and paddle shifters, to be sure they're functioning properly.


text:
Love Augusta set for June 22.
Love Augusta is a project that allows area churches to show their love for the community in a tangible way.
Whether it is building a wheelchair ramp, a new porch or cleaning up debris, volunteers come together to make Augusta a little bit better place to live.
The project began because several area churches had members who would help their friends and neighbors and other church members with similar projects. That type of ministry is not new or unique.
But two years ago, the Augusta United Methodist Church broadened the scope of that ministry and made it a city-wide project.
This year, eight area churches will take part in Love Augusta on June 22. Volunteers will meet at PlayPoint Park that morning.
The churches – Augusta United Methodist Church, Life Church, First Baptist, First Southern Baptist, St. James Catholic Church, Christ Lutheran, First Christian Church and Haverhill Christian Church – will take applications from anyone in the community who needs some work done and they will show their love for the town where they minister.
The group will take applications for any project for homeowners. They will help renters too, but they won't be able to do structural work on those homes.
Obviously, for this project to accomplish all it can, Love Augusta will need funding and volunteers from these seven churches and across the community.
The group is using the Caring Center as a funding mechanism since they have an established 501c3 tax designation. Anyone can donate money there and designate it specifically to the Love Augusta project.
Volunteer forms may be picked up at any of the participating churches or the Caring Center. Forms to nominate projects to be completed may also be picked up at any of those locations.
If you have any questions about the group or want to nominate a project to be considered or volunteer electronically, send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com or visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/LoveAugusta.
June 29 is reserved in case of rain or to complete projects that aren't finished on June 22.


text:
Note: This message is displayed if (1) your browser is not standards-compliant or (2) you have you disabled CSS. Read our Policies for more information.
Contact: Jim Gavin
Dorothy Geisler-Tragardh arrested today in case investigated by Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita's Securities Division
(Indianapolis) Felony charges have been filed against Dorothy Geisler-Tragardh, the subject of an ongoing securities fraud investigation by Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita's Securities Division. Geisler-Tragardh was arrested this evening on one charge of securities fraud and three counts of theft, all class C felonies, filed by the Marion County Prosecutor's Office.
Geisler-Tragardh is a former partner in the clean coal energy company Praxis Resource Partners, LLC. Secretary Rokita's office recently opened a fraud investigation into her activities after receiving information she allegedly devised a complex stock-swapping scheme in order to keep investments she raised for the company for her own personal benefits and expenses.
The Indiana Securities Division presented additional evidence in court this week that described the scheme that alleges Geisler-Tragardh would sell investors shares in Praxis Resource Partners characterized as "Class B" which were valued at $56, but would actually issue them her own shares of "Class A" stock worth only 30 cents a share. Judge Patrick McCarty accepted an agreed order that will continue the freeze of the assets of Geisler-Tragardh.
"This is yet another situation where investors are sold a story that turns out to be scam," said Secretary Rokita. "I will continue to seek justice on behalf of Hoosiers who fall victim to these scams by both getting their money back and bringing charges. I commend Prosecutor Brizzi and his team for their efforts to work with us to hold this suspect accountable for what appears to be criminal acts."
The charges described are merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
For more information on how to avoid becoming a victim of investment fraud, visit http://www.in.gov/sos/securities/2521.htm.
About the Prosecution Assistance Unit
In 2004, Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita created the Prosecution Assistance Unit within the Securities Division of the Secretary of State's Office. Its sole purpose is to assist police and prosecutors in investigating and prosecuting criminal violations of the Indiana Securities Act and the Indiana Loan Brokers Act. The investigators and attorneys in the unit collectively have over 72 years of experience in investigating and prosecuting criminals. Since its inception, the Unit has helped to convict 38 criminals in state and federal courts across Indiana in cases that have resulted in over 310 years of time sentenced. In addition, courts have ordered defendants to pay over $29 million in restitution to crime victims.
Media Contact: Jim Gavin: 317.233.8655 or email@example.com.


text:
The New Zealand International Film Festival is including a record number of nine local documentaries in its 2012 programme.
That includes veteran local documentarian Costa Botes' Last Dogs of Winter which follows New Zealander and former TV actor Caleb Ross to Churchill ("the Polar Bear Capital of the World") in the Canadian province of Manitoba, where he helped local character Brian Ladoon in his unconventional conservation efforts with the Qimmiq, Canada's endangered indigenous Eskimo dog.
The film won acclaim - and featured in TimeOut - when it had its world premiere at last year's Toronto International Film Festival.
Also confirmed in the line-up is Pietra Brettkelly's Maori Boy Genius, the film profiling teenage prodigy Ngaa Rauuira Pumanawawhiti as he takes his academic gifts to Yale University.
Among the other New Zealand docos on offer are studies of the nuns of Jerusalem on the Whanganui River (How Far is Heaven); outsider artist Susan King (Pictures of Susan); and artist Edith Collier's time painting landscapes in Ireland (Village by the Sea).
The New Zealand International Film Festival opens in Auckland on July 29 and programmes are due on the streets in the last week of June.
- TimeOut


text:
Watch The ::God Is Imaginary Videos On YouTube ::
As far as the male homosexuals go, no, I would say that the dick needs to be hard in order to impregnate. If the man isn't attracted to the woman, then he will definitely not get her pregnant. But, don't worry, there are always plenty of horny heterosexual men around that will execute the deed. And, homosexual men can help their fellow humans survive by helping them.


text:
It was business as usual for Matt Ryan.
For the third straight week, Ryan led the Falcons to a go-ahead scoring drive and Atlanta is 6-0 for the first time in franchise history.
Matt Bryant kicked a 55-yard field goal with one second remaining and the Falcons edged the Oakland Raiders, 23-20, on Sunday.
Ryan, who shook off three first-half interceptions, got the ball at his own 20-yard line with 40 seconds left and the game tied at 20-20 following Darren McFadden's 2-yard TD run.
"We wanted to use up as much time as we possibly could," Oakland head coach Dennis Allen said of the drive. "Unfortunately we gave them a little bit too much."
Ryan found Jacquizz Rodgers for gains of seven and nine yards before hitting Harry Douglas for a short 4-yard pickup to put the ball at the Falcons' 40-yard line with 26 ticks on the clock.
Facing a 3rd-and-6 two plays later, Ryan fired a 10-yard completion to Gonzalez to move the chains. With a timeout in hand and 12 seconds to play, Ryan hit Gonzalez for a 13-yard reception over the middle, which set up Bryant's boot.
Bryant missed his first field goal of the season earlier on in the contest, but atoned for it by sneaking his field-goal attempt just inside the left upright.
"It's about handling the moment," Bryant said of the game-winning kick. "Handling adversity, whatever it takes.
Ryan was 5-of-6 for 43 yards on the march.
The fifth-year Boston College product finished the day with 249 yards through the air with a touchdown on 24-of-37 efficiency for the Falcons (6-0), who are the only remaining unbeaten team in the NFL. The previously undefeated Houston Texans lost to the Green Bay Packers later on Sunday.
Roddy White caught six balls for 72 yards and a score, while Julio Jones caught four passes for 63 yards in the win.
As a bonus, Atlanta head coach Mike Smith equaled Dan Reeves for the most victories in franchise history with 49.
Carson Palmer was 23-of-33 for 353 yards with a touchdown and interception for Oakland (1-4), which has lost two straight on the heels of its win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 23.
Darren McFadden ran for 70 yards and a score on 27 carries, while Denarius Moore had five receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown in the setback.
The game was tied at 13-13 in the fourth quarter when Oakland regained possession at its own 10-yard line following a Falcons punt.
Two plays into the march, Mike Goodson broke off a 43-yard run off the right tackle to put the ball in Atlanta territory at the 46-yard line. Brandon Myers took a tight-end screen on the next play into field goal range to the 32-yard line, but Palmer's lone interception came three snaps later.
Moore ran an out pattern to the right sideline, but Asante Samuel jumped the route, snatched the pick and ran and strutted the other way 79 yards for the score and a 20-13 Falcons edge.
"I let the team down," Palmer said of the pick. "Making that mistake I made is crucial. It's on me."
Undeterred, though, Palmer led his troops down the field for the tying score. McFadden's score capped off an 8-play, 80-yard trek.
Earlier, it was a mistake-filled first quarter for both teams.
Joselio Hanson intercepted Ryan's pass on Atlanta's opening possession of the game, but McFadden gave the ball right back to the Falcons three plays later after a fumble.
The Falcons didn't capitalize, however, as Bryant missed his 43-yard field goal attempt wide left.
Michael Huff's pick of Ryan on the second play of Atlanta's ensuing series led to a 52-yard Sebastian Janikowski field goal, which made it 3-0 late in the stanza.
Ryan and the Falcons countered with a 10-play, 80-yard drive, which was capped when White hauled in a 4-yard score in the back of the end zone.
Following a 22-yard Janikowski field goal, Tyvon Branch picked off Ryan on Atlanta's next touch. The Raiders took advantage and found the end zone two plays later when Palmer flipped a short pass to Moore, who made two defenders miss crossing the goal line for a 13-7 Oakland edge.
A pair of Bryant field goals, 41 and 20 yards, respectively, in the third quarter tied the contest.
Game Notes
The Raiders outgained the Falcons, 474-286 ... Oakland won the time of possession battle, 36:26-23:34 ... Ryan, who tied his career-high with the three interceptions, also had three against New Orleans in 2009. He had just three picks coming into the contest.


text:
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers will target "multi-dimensional" signings in the summer as he looks to bolster his squad for the Champions League.
The Reds are back in Europe's elite club competition for the first time since 2009 after finishing second to Premier League champions Manchester City this season.
However, the playing resources are in serious need of strengthening if they are to compete on two fronts and Rodgers is looking at some significant re-shaping of the squad.
He has already targeted Southampton and England midfielder Adam Lallana as a priority and he is interested in Sevilla's Europa League-winning left-back Alberto Moreno.
"Our criteria that we look for is players with strong technique and football intelligence," said the Reds boss after their 4-0 friendly victory over Shamrock Rovers in Dublin on Wednesday.
"They need to mentally have the attitude and the capacity to learn and they have to be so hungry to fight for every ball on every day in training and in the game.
"You'll get some players who are specialists and who need to play in particular positions, but if we can get players in who are multi-functional, and can play in different roles and are multi-dimensional in their work, it sets us up and gives me more options as a coach.
"We've developed tactically over the last couple of years.
"Our style has been the same, but the structure of the team has changed a number of times in order to fit the needs of the games and to give problems to the opponent.
"In order to do that, you need players with the capacity to be tactically intelligent. It also allows you to keep your squad smaller and tighter."
Liverpool banked over £97million from the Premier League prize fund and television money this season and Rodgers could have between £40million to £60million at his disposal in the summer if he offloads a few unwanted players.
The futures of defender Daniel Agger and midfielder Lucas Leiva, both regular first-team starters, remains up in the air while loan signings Aly Cissokho and Victor Moses will both return to their respective parent clubs Valencia and Chelsea.
Forward Iago Aspas, signed less than 12 months ago, seems destined to return to Spain while winger Oussama Ossaidi could join Stoke permanently if a deal can be done having spent the campaign on loan at the Britannia Stadium while Fabio Borini's successful spell at Sunderland leaves Rodgers with a decision to make over the summer.
A number of other fringe players could be moved on but the likes of Jordon Ibe, who put in a man-of-the-match performance in Dublin after a short loan spell at Championship side Birmingham, will be given a chance to stake a claim for a place in the first-team squad.
"Jordon Ibe is a young player, 18 years of age. We're coaching and developing him," added Rodgers.
"He's been a wide player traditionally in a 4-3-3 but he came in for the second half and played at the top of a diamond and he showed wonderful intelligence and quality - technically and tactically - to play."
The youngster has received plenty of encouragement from Rodgers and hopes to be able to kick on when the team gets back together after their summer break.
"The manager has told me to try to work on my end product and get more goals," Ibe told liverpoolfc.com.
"I missed a few chances (against Rovers) so hopefully I can do well in pre-season with the first team.
"It was a great experience playing at Birmingham and I've gained a little bit of experience, especially from the senior players.
"Hopefully, coming back here I can work on it through pre-season and become a better player."
Source: PA


text:
Long before New Mexico was a playground for the rich and famous, it was a playground for my family.
My Daddy's family hailed from there, going back to before statehood, when it was a dangerous and unsettled wilderness. Edward Arlington Robinson's line "We count our past backwards by the gravestones and the apple trees" fits my feelings about New Mexico perfectly. All I have to do is change "apple trees" to cacti.
My Daddy's family liked to go camping, again long before camping was an in thing to do. It was a time when the mountain roads were not paved and the winter air was so pure and cold you could see all the way to tomorrow.
The whole bunch of us — grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins — went on one of these camping trips when I was a toddler. I have no memory of this event, but I've been told they cooked breakfast. I have experienced a lot of these campfire breakfasts, eating scrambled eggs, hash browns and bacon, all cooked over a propane stove. The taste of food like that, when you're shaking with the bone-numbing morning cold and your family is all about you, surpasses any other gastronomic delight I have ever experienced.
Even though I have no memory of what happened that day, I've heard about it often enough to feel as if I remember it. Right in the middle of the cooking and laughing and sleepy-morning good times, I picked up a handful of gravel and tossed it onto the cooking eggs.
Fortunately for me, my family wasn't prone to spank children. The adult consensus was that I had gotten tired of not being the center of attention and made a move to focus attention on myself. So, they picked me up and laughed about it, tossed the eggs and had a breakfast of hash browns and bacon, instead.
That was also the camping trip in which my cousin, who was six months older than me, fell into the ice-encrusted mountain stream and had to be rescued and cuddled for warmth. There was evidently a lot of baby cuddling and laughter on that trip and it was the beginning of glorious memories of the mountains before they were trendy for both my cousin and I.
I'm telling you this story, not to confirm your suspicions that I was an indulged and adored child (I was) but to point out that two-year-olds behave a certain way, and when they behave that way, it's ok … for two-year-olds. Anyone with half a brain knows that baby people act out the primitive cravings for attention that never leave any of us in primitive, baby people, ways.
Anyone with half a brain also knows that certain maladjusted people, who maybe didn't get their fair share of cuddling and adoration when they were babies, don't grow out of this. Back before the internet, these jerks (there is no better word) visited their boorish behavior on those long suffering souls who had to work with them or have them over for Thanksgiving dinner. In short, the same families who'd messed them up in the first place had to pay the price of putting up with them for life.
But family fracturing and social isolation has deprived these folks of their traditional outlet. At the same time, the internet has given them another one. Far from being isolated on line, they've formed themselves into virtual clubs for the socially inept. They hang self-congratulatory monikers on themselves and spend a lot of time telling each other how special they are and how totally second-rate the rest of the world is.But this constant verbal back-slapping and repetitive proclaiming of their own superiority to one another doesn't give them enough attention from the larger world. Staying in their own little clubhouse and high-fiving one another until their palms bleed doesn't — nothing can — satisfy their hunger for attention. They need more.
They sally forth from their little enclaves to toss verbal sand into everyone else's eggs. Then they go hopping home to brag about their exploits.
One of their members recently wrote an accidental confession of sorts, based on his astounding discovery that you can't get people to dine with you if you throw sand in their eggs. What worked for me when I was two, just doesn't get the same loving tolerance from people who aren't your adoring family and who are operating under the (evidently inaccurate) assumption that you are an adult.
This little essay, titled "Why I'm quitting the online atheism community," is one atheist's discussion about how he has learned that he can't "convert" those "morons" who believe in God to his way of thinking by dashing onto our blogs and inserting himself into our conversations and calling us, well, morons.
I don't know exactly what led this young man to this flash of astounding social enlightenment, but, to be honest, I am more than a little amused by his belief that he's had some sort of interpersonal epiphany. I keep wanting to ask: Who raised you fella?
This atheist's essay interested me for a couple of reasons, other than the fact that it's accidentally funny.
First, it is a frank admission of what I think most of us already know. These clumsy trolls are trying to convert us to their way of thinking.
Second, these clumsy trolls actually think that their insults and tiresome verbal wanderings are some sort of discussion rather than an affliction and an intrusion.
I imagine that the idiotic billboards they hang up at Christmas fall into the same kind of activity. They think billboards with insults on them are saying something to people of faith. For our part, all we see are a bunch of adult two-year-olds, running around, pulling their pants down and tossing sand in our eggs.
When they cross the line from insults and adolescent grandiosity into coercion and discrimination, the laugh track dies. But that is a discussion for another post. Right now, I'll confine myself to the question of questionable behavior by those who are so lacking in social grace that they think yelling insults and annoying people will appeal to and "convert" them.
The moral of this story is that if you want to convert people, don't throw dirt, including verbal dirt, in their eggs. It applies to rude Christians as well as atheist trolls.
If you didn't get your loving as a child and feel an aching need for it that won't fill, turn to Jesus. His love is the love you were made for. Everything else is a faint copy.


text: you do not end up being dissatisfied when you buy some thing from tbdress. in this varlet, you will discover a great number of wonderful 2014 mens winter fashion rich in high quality along with low cost. tbdress affords the fantastic choice merchandise with nuptials outfits, dress wear, and also gadgets and many others. as you worldwide wholesaler, tbdress supplies a variety of 2014 mens winter fashion together with wonderful excellent and wholesale price. look currently on the improbable very low wholesale price using intercontinental transportation and relish the very best customer support. with this varlet, you will discover a great number of fantastic 2014 mens winter fashion with good quality in addition to good deal. you will not possibly be disappointed when you finally invest in one thing through tbdress. tbdress provides fantastic selection goods on marriage wearing apparel, dress wear, and gadgets etcetera.


text:
Mid-Prairie and Highland tied in their half of basketball last night at the Jamboree 26-26.
The Golden hawks were led by a couple of players with Dayton Hall and Reid Miller both scoring six points.
Mid-Prairie head coach Chris Kern said he thought his teams offense show a lot of life in the game,
"We definitely want to get some continuity on our offense and I think at times we had some good looks, we missed a lot of shots that I thought were good shots," Kern said. "Overall I was pleased offensively with what we wanted to get accomplish tonight offensively."
Highland was led by Talon McFarland who had 12 points, followed by Josh Brase with seven.
Highland head coach Marcus Hall said he thought shooting was good for a few stretches, but he would have liked to have seen more confidence.
"We're trying to find the right shooters in rhythm, and understanding shooting a ball with confidence is a big part of the battle, and I think we settled in a little bit," Hall said. "It's the first time since we've hit the floor, and the first time we're playing against someone else so I think there were some jitters there early, and for a stretch there I think we found some guys in transition."
Highland starts play on Monday against Harmony, while Mid-Prairie opens up play on Tuesday against Washington.


text:
Sony announces pre-announced netbook revamp
Vaio M debuts
Sony has launched the Vaio M netbook that retailers began including on their websites a couple of weeks ago.
Sony's Vaio M: bog-standard netbook spec?
As expected, the machine - the M11M1E, to give it its full model number - is based around a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor and a 10.1in, 1024 x 600 display.
The specs are netbook standard: 1GB of 667MHz DDR 2 memory, 250GB 5400rpm Sata hard drive, three USB ports and analogue audio connectors. The M also has 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1.
It will be available in black and white models, Sony said.
Available now, prices range from £300 to £350, depending on who you buy the M from. ®
Sponsored: Minds Mastering Machines - Call for papers now open


text:
With election over, jobs report gets less scrutiny
- Article by: JULIE PACE
- Associated Press
- December 7, 2012 - 2:50 PM
WASHINGTON - Reaction to the monthly jobs numbers isn't what it used to be.
Friday's unemployment report — the first since President Barack Obama's re-election — garnered just brief mentions from the White House and Republicans. Gone was the frenzy of political posturing that followed every monthly release throughout the presidential campaign.
Obama would try to cast each economic snapshot as a sign of slow and steady recovery, while Republican rival Mitt Romney bemoaned the unemployment rate as a sign that the country needed new economic leadership.
But there's a new political reality in Washington. Obama is sticking around for four more years, no matter what the unemployment rate is.
© 2018 Star Tribune


text:
|2012-12-06, 02:50
|Link #5201
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2004
Secondly Lucy was easily winning Flare did not have a chance against Lucy until Flare cheated by threatening the child.
The only part of this arc I did not like is that they cheated so badly cancelling out her powerful magic that the ones refereeing had to realize but did not act on it. That cheating was allowed basically in what is suppose to be the great games competition.
What I am curious is about why did the author cause her great magic to fail? I imagine the author wanted to make sure that her great magic is unknown so it can be used later as the major balancing factor that saves the day otherwise I can not fathom any other reason for it to be even showcased in this arc than cancelled out.
Two factors is why I think her great magic was able to be cancelled out..
For those that have not read the manga may not want to read this...
|2012-12-06, 14:21
|Link #5202
User of the "Fast Draw"
Thinking on it, somewhat annoyed Lucy was counted out at that point. Yeah, she blew most of her magic on that attack, but we've seen that someone like Loke can just open the gate via his own magic. On that not I'm just surprised that none at least showed up to help her leave the arena.
Also an issue of when the fight was over. She's considered out of the fight after her big move, but not when she's tied up and getting beaten half to death?
|2012-12-06, 15:53
|Link #5203
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2004
Good think Lucy said it under her breath when she told Flare that she would go that far.. Natsu's hearing is better than we knew and a good thing too he realized from the conversation that something was wrong.
Secondly the others attention was on Lucy and why all of a sudden she stopped fighting you could even see them leaning forward trying to figure out what was going on so would not have been able to see the hair even peripherally.
|2012-12-06, 18:29
|Link #5204
Lost & Found
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Cincinnati
It's not like Flare was waving 10 feet of hair in the back of Asuka or something lol. The hair was down near the ground and just waiting to pounce where no one could see it, including Natsu. The only reason Natsu knew where to look is that his superior hearing heard Lucy say Asuka's name. So Natsu rushed over there not knowing what the danger was until he got there and then saw the hair.
Also, as some have mentioned, I think nearly all the powerful mages in the arena new RT was cheating. The problem, as many have mentioned, is that no one can prove who it was that interfered and what specifically they did to interfere. So you can't prove anything even though you know foul play was involved.
I did think it was interesting that Lucy mentioned she wasn't at full power and even with Gemini she wasn't sure if she could pull off a full force attack. I wonder if that played into helping RT cancel her spell out.
Regardless, awesome episode!! They are really building a good foundation of emotion to make the arc epic! I'm just hoping Lucy get to avenge all her unfortunate battles by making the difference at the end of the series!
|2012-12-07, 02:30
|Link #5206
inFORM Decisions
Join Date: Dec 2012
The OVA was on point!!!
The animation is astonishing, if they do every episode with the same animation then we would be having good times
Why don't they do so anyway ?
Loved the manga scenes and Lucy was randomly hilarious
Last edited by homaster; 2013-01-11 at 03:48.
|2012-12-07, 12:11
|Link #5208
inFORM Decisions
Join Date: Dec 2012
What do you think is the best selling point of Fairy Tail?
Title said it all, to be more exact, what makes you want to keep reading this manga
Note: I'm posting my opinions about the positive and negative points, so don't get mad reading it
1. The Setting/The World/The Theme
A world where magic is the main source of power, and it can even be bought or sold. The age seems to be mixed between classic and modern.
Just a twist of a regular fantasy rpg world, used in many manga, and not really unique for me.
2. The Story/The Plot
A team of mage going to mission when somehow they got involved in bigger action including personal problem or guild war. But there are no really main goal like "pirate king" or "hokage", so the story usually going nowhere. Although lately there is a bit foreshadowing of main villain like Zeref and Acnologia, too many minor plot making the story still seems really slow
3. The Characters
Most characters in the beginning are unique and a bit too unreal (building-destroyer, stripper, etc) and people likes to see them. But because of this unique persona, it's hard to change them and some become weird if they got too much changes so mashima mostly makes them just the same from the beginning until now, and most old readers find them become a bit boring. Most new characters usually are not as unique as the beginning and some feels just an upgraded copy of them.
4. The Fighting/The Action
Most characters have their own unique style, but most of their moves feel repetitive after a while since they look basically the same. And some power-up becoming ridiculous because mashima seems to running out of ideas (eating lightning, hey). And he seems to be lazy to make chapters when they training and get straight to the main plot, so readers mostly think Natsu from before is still the same in the after.
Some battles can get heat and emotional, while some becoming comedy and TROLLING. Even serious battle feels like trolling because mashima repeating the same pattern
5. The Comedy
Many comedy makes FT feels lighter compared to other shonen manga and enjoyable. But too much comedy without dark side makes it sometimes boring and too predictable
6. The Drama/Tragedy
Some of characters flashback is a "bit" tragic, but when it ends it's just happily ever after with their guild. The guild sometimes get sad moment, but the way they "overcome anything with friendship" also becoming more ridiculous...
7. The Fanservice
okay, i found this manga got more fanservice compared to other usual shonen manga. Most of the girl are young, cute and big boobs (and i'm getting bored of it). And mashima sometimes inserted comedic fanservice inside serious fight.
Heck, even most of new chapters lately are fanservice.
8. Others.. (explain)
Last edited by homaster; 2013-01-11 at 03:47.
|2012-12-07, 12:49
|Link #5209
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2004
They are always out powered and out gunned but pull through do to there companions. They are the underdogs when it comes to being out powered by the villains. It is this tenacity that keeps me coming back. Even though they are out powered usually by an artifact they never try to take the artifact or weapon away but fight fair themselves.
Guess that is what keeps me reading it.
|2012-12-07, 22:42
|Link #5210
160 is out.
Spider woman vs. Ren, War Cry from QC vs. Orga from RT, and Mystogan vs. Jura... with an unexpected result (well, if you haven't read the manga, anyway, heh). Ultear is such a troll, heh. Other than that, not much to write home about. Other than Charle's bad premonitions (I know, it's supposed to be Carla, but I like Charle, dangnabit!)
Looks like Natsu gets into the action next week, with hints that a vehicle is involved, and thus his motion sickness will most likely get triggered...
|2012-12-07, 23:01
|Link #5212
Anime Critic
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: California
UNoubtable my favorite episode yet!
haha, they made it better than it was shown in the manga.
Too bad they didn't decide to extend it. Laxus expression of "Lame" at the end, gave me good laughs!
That aside, can't wait for laxus to fight!
|2012-12-08, 00:40
|Link #5216
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
For me I wanna be like Gray. Because he is used to the cold and also can form ice with his hands.But except I'm not gonna take my shirt off though..... That would be embarrasing. It's really cool when your used to the cold and you don't need a jacket to wear in winter
|2012-12-08, 00:49
|Link #5218
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
To those who have read the manga, Do you think they will animate ch. 298 and 299 in the respective time slots they happen, or do you think they will animate them after they animate 297 material? You know like animate 298 after ch. 290 for example. Or 299 after ch. 285. You know something like that? I kind of hope they do.
To those non manga readers wondering what they are. They are basically just side chapters that take place sometime during the grand magic games. Like the start of one says "during night 3 of the grand magic games" When the previous chapter we were on night 4 or 5 or something. Basically a flashback showing what happened that we didnt' see earlier. Again just a fun side chapter that affects nothing really. Most think Hiro was just stalling to have ch. 300 be some big reveal. Thus he threw in two "filler type" chapters.
Last edited by Simonsy; 2012-12-08 at 01:21.
|action, adventure, fantasy, magic, shounen
|Thread Tools


text:
The few open source network monitoring tools I've seen have been very crude and become commercial anyway. I've looked for them under Linux, Solaris and HP-UX. So there may be a *BSD type or NT solution but they were not viable for the last place this was needed. If you find a good open source one please let us all know. Or hopefully my ignorance will be erased by someone with a better background.
My favorite 'NMS' program is definitely MRTG [ee.ethz.ch] which produces many interesting graphics but may not fit your needs. But, if you have some time, you can program your own shell script that may ask your cisco switches some info
Anyway, OpenNMS is also fine and maybe you can be interested in Extreme Happy Netflow Tool" [sourceforge.net], more related to cisco and netflow.
For spanning tree info, I don't see anyhting but I don't see everything too so
Slightly off-topic : if you want see MRTG graphics, just have a look at our Student network [fpms.ac.be] or the Linux box who is currently on his knees because of users (P133 - 32 Mo RAM with apache, squid, mysql,
Netsaint [netsaint.org] I think netsaint i very cool. I.t checks for services in various network devices therefore reporting on uptime etc.. Sends out emails if one device goes down and so on. Very configurable. Love it, also ties in nicely with Cricket(link the devices with their respective cricket pages).A reporting tool for netsaint(Impress your boss!!)here [easynet.fr]
Cricket [sourceforge.net] bases on rrdtool [ee-staff.ethz.ch] which is written by Tobi Oetikers(the guy who wrote MRTG. If you look at the rrdtool page you see various other frontends, I just happen to like cricket. Great for graphing routers and switches(and pretty much else) through snmp(you can configure it to graph other things, for example their is a package that creates graphs of the RTA's of devices in netsaint(look at the cricket contrib page.
ntop [ntop.org] ntop, a sniffe with a web based interfaces(and a console one) were nice for monitoring various aspects of parts the network. Check out one of the newer cvs snapshots
I haven't had time to check out OpenNMS yet. Another nice tool is ethereal [zing.org], a awesome gui sniffer.
One thing that is especially great about netsaint and cricket and netsaint is the great number of 3rd party addons, which make life a lot easier
Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them. -- Bill Vaughn


text:
Graphics Cards Guide
Gainward GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2048MB Phantom
Gainward's Phantom edition is featured with innovative revolutionary cooling technology, reinforcing the heat dissipation efficiently. The Gainward GTX 560 Ti 2048MB Phantom is set at default GPU clock appearing to be 822MHz, while its shaders and memory is at 1645MHz and 4008MHz respectively.
Tags: nvidia, gainward, graphics card, geforce gtx 560 ti


text:
The faculty has selected the following students for the Wayne Highlands Middle School Principal's Recognition List.
The faculty has selected the following students for the Wayne Highlands Middle School Principal's Recognition List.
This special recognition is for those students who practice being good school citizens. This means they work diligently in all their classes, are well mannered, and are respectful in their treatment of the faculty and staff, their fellow students and their school.
Fourth Quarter
6th Grade
Mikayla Barnes, Krystal Bird, Cassandra Buranich, Danielle Case, Brianna Doherty, Tyler Duffy, Alexis Fay, Lily Fries, Lisa Galarza, Paige Gill, Trevor Gorel, Cyan Guerrero, Eli Hanson, Landon Hocker, Tyler Jackson, Jeremy Jacobsen, Thomas Kelch, Stephen Parenti, Joseph Rongetti, Megan Stokes, Mackenzie, Tagle, Brianna Weist, Casey Whispell
7th Grade
Aaron Branning, Montreal Brown, Cody Camenisch, Dylan Canfield, Dyllon Fillebrown, Patrick Hall, Justice Jackson, John Kuhns-Miller, Christopher Miller, Jacob Morgenstern, Kaylie Mosher, Michael O'Day, Brittany Rhodes, , Ryan Sheldon, Carter Terysen, Zoe Voloski
8th Grade
Mark Ambrose, Emily Bishop, Treverton Bryant, Haley Cowger, Rachel DaSilva, Tanner Gorel, Herbert Hall, Brandon Hull, Katelyn Jaycox, Alysha Lonsiak, Mary Catherine McDonald, Kevin Miller, Ryan Novobilski, Pierce St. Clair, Tyler Taninies, Tanya Thornton, Channell Turner


text:
Lansing's Board of Water and Light released a statement Monday, saying that an equipment malfunction led to an oil spill in the Grand River.
An equipment malfunction at the Eckert Power Plant on March 31 at approximately 10:30 PM caused turbine oil to spill and overflow a containment area. The overflow oil reached part of the plant adjacent to the Grand River.
Plant personnel were unable to contain the oil with oil-absorbing materials, and they estimated that fewer than 300 gallons of oil escaped into the river before the spill was contained.
Board of Water and Light staff deployed two oil booms from shore to shore across the river near Cherry Hill and Adado Riverfront Parks. The booms are made with special fabric, to absorb any oil that reaches them. The oil-absorbing materials will remain in place at the river booms for several days and will be properly disposed of once they have collected the oil.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency have been notified. The Board of Water and Light is following standard cleanup procedures, and the Department of Environmental Quality has inspected the BWL's cleanup activity.
Stay tuned to WILX News 10 and WILX.com for further updates.


text:
Checking in from Facebook Headquarters
Checking in from the entrance to every college students dream... the headquarters of the BEST networking (and procrastinating) technology the world wide web has to offer: Facebook Headquarters in Palo Alto, California.
I am currently on the West Coast preparing for my fourth and final coop block in mechanical engineering. Facebook headquarters was the first stop on my Silicon Valley tour over the weekend. Other headliners include Apple, Sony, Google, Tesla Motors, SpaceX, and Moog.
If you are looking to get the most out of your college experience, participating in the coop experience is an awesome way to start. My four mechanical engineering blocks have taken me all over the the industry and the nation. I have worked on products ranging from submarines - to satellites - grenade launchers - and now consumer electronics; working in product design, analysis, and manufacturing; living at home (Albany, NY), Buffalo, Vermont, and now California. RIT's diverse profile of companies allows students to truly figure out where they want to be when they graduate - company, location, work load, etc.
I'll be sure to keep all the followers up to date on the west coast experience - and good luck to all those in classes this quarter! @RIT_Alissa


text:
Hard skin accumulates easily on the feet easily, especially for ladies and gents on their feet all day.
When I was a kid, I used to watch my nan, mum and aunts, hardworking people that they are, cut off the hard skin off their feet with a razor blade. I actually did it for my aunt and nan a few times, quite cathartic, a little bit gross but highly effective.
But…it's hardly safe. Drew blood a few times….
"You didn't cut it too far in did you?"
*me, wiping off the blood* "No, of course not! I'm not an idiot!"
I've never had much luck with foot files or any kind.
Too soft! Chinese Feet + Light Exfolation = No joy.
Anyway, a decade on, a dodgy cuticle and a verruca aside I don't have many feet problems. I discovered these Japanese feet razors:
They are AMAZING. So good but gentle at the same time – a testament to Japanese engineering methinks.
So a while later a reader mentions something called a Ped Egg. What a bizarre sex toy I think. After further research, its actually this:
There's nothing I love more than these As Seen of Tv products. The nicer dicer? Got it. The halogen cooker? Got it. The 6 second abs? Got it.
Ped Egg is super cheap from eBay I got mine for £2.50.
It looks like….an egg. It comes with 2 files you can stick on the base if you wish.
I know, a cheese grater.
It comes apart to throw away all the dead skin cells. Yukky!
I like the Ped Egg, and yes, it does work. Mine leaked a bit though I have to say, and I had a nice sprinkling of er – foot flake. Aside from this, it has benefits over the Japanese foot razor because it has a place to catch the dead skin and is gentler. I still prefer the Japanese razor as it means business and really gets the dead skin off. This Ped Egg takes a bit more work and practise but it's pretty good, for £2.50.
You can't get addicted too or your feet will get raw and sore.
I see a business opportunity here – my family can ditch the razor blades and I can go round filing feet in return for Selfridges Vouchers. Oh, to be 14 again!


text:
Slide #1 – The Classic Spread Offense
The basic objective of Fedora's scheme is no secret. In slide #1, four wideouts (and no tight ends) are on the field with the intent of "spreading" out the defense to create man-to-man coverage. The general idea is that UNC's talented offensive players will consistently win these one-on-one situations — like tight end Eric Ebron. Below, Renner hits Ebron for 10 yards with a quick slant that is nearly impossible to defend.
Slide #2 – Using the Spread Offense to set up the run
Here's where the spread play in slide #1 creates more opportunities. It's third down, and the defense — wary of the quick slant to Ebron again, or any of the other four wideouts — is spread across the field and generally outside of the box. Renner simply hands off to Khris Francis for an easy three yards up the middle for the first down. (You'll notice one MTSU linebacker is even making a move towards the line to stop the run, but ultimately his attention is on the three wideouts at the bottom of the screen.)
Slide #3 – The Full Spread with motion
With a totally empty backfield and five wideouts, the defense is as spread out as it's ever going to be. Ryan Switzer will go in motion — receiving a pass from Renner in the flat — and use his quickness to pick up an easy eight yards.
Slide #4 – The Full Spread (no motion) sets up a run
Renner (while certainly athletic) is no running QB to say the least. But again, note how spread out the defense is with five wideouts on the field — when the play breaks down Renner easily scrambles for six yards on the ground.
Slide #5 – Variable sets – Running QB
Fedora has already brought a record-breaking offense to Chapel Hill without even fully recruiting players for his system yet — which anchors on a dual-threat quarterback. In slide #5, we see how dangerous that could be (Marquise Williams is on the field for Renner). There are FOUR players in the backfield that can all run the football (keeping the defense guessing), and two players who can throw the ball (Williams and AJ Blue). The defense has no idea what's coming and the result is an eight yard run for Blue.
Slide #6 (animated below) – Two passing/running threats in the spread
Here we see some trickeration that again involves players that can run and pass — the key to Fedora's future success at UNC. Blue goes in motion and Williams throws to him out in the flat. Blue then reverses the field and throws it back to Williams for a 23 yard gain. (Animated below.)
Slide #7 – EXECUTION?!
The play above is perfectly set up. Blue throws a fantastic spiral and Williams (after making a clean catch) starts heading up field with no less than FOUR Tar Heel linemen ready to block for their quarterback.
Of course, were it not for #60 Russell Bodine and #78 Landon Turner tripping over each other's feet (below), this play would have likely resulted in six points instead of 23 yards.
In a sense, this play is a microcosm of UNC's issues this year. All the talent and play calling is there; now they just have to execute.


text:
Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings, left, reacts after scoring as Portland Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum, from France, walks by during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)
Sunday, January 20, 2013 1:04 am
Jennings, Ilyasova help Bucks win in Portland
By JOEL FOWLKSThe Associated Press
Damian Lillard had 26 points and 10 assists for Portland, which has lost a season-high five straight games. LaMarcus Aldridge had 20 points and 14 rebounds, while Wesley Matthews added 21 points.
Mike Dunleavy had 14 points and Monta Ellis added 13 for Milwaukee, which is 5-2 since Jim Boylan took over as coach from Scott Skiles. Ilyasova shot 10 of 14 from the field and made all three of his 3-point attempts and all four of his free throws.
The Bucks went 3-1 on their trip. Milwaukee was coming off a historic victory of sorts, beating the Suns 115-107 Thursday night for its first win in Phoenix since the 1986-87 season, ending a stretch of 24 consecutive losses. The Bucks kicked off the trip by beating Toronto. They now head home to host Philadelphia.
Portland was one of the hottest teams in the NBA after winning 12 of 15 games between Dec. 10 and Jan. 10. But the Blazers have struggled with closing out games of late, losing each of their last five by six points or less.
The Bucks led by 16 with 3:45 remaining in the game, but the Blazers managed a 12-0 run to cut it to 104-100, with Lillard and Matthews hitting back to back 3-pointers. But Jennings and Ellis made six of eight free throws in the final minute for Milwaukee, while Lillard missed two 3-point tries.
Jennings and Ilyasova each had 15 points in the first half and Milwaukee led by 17 going into the break, after opening up a big first-quarter lead with a 17-0 run.
The Bucks extended their lead to 22 points midway through the third quarter.
Portland briefly cut the lead to eight when Lillard beat the third-quarter buzzer with a 3, but the Bucks went on a 7-0 run to open up the fourth, with Beno Udrih feeding Ellis for a dunk and Dunleavy hitting a 3.
J.J. Hickson had 15 points and 12 rebounds for Portland. Nicolas Batum was just 2 of 9 for seven points after injuring his wrist in practice Friday. However, he had seven rebounds and five assists.
Notes: Milwaukee C Larry Sanders was ejected late in the third after picking up two technical fouls for arguing with official Danny Crawford. . Rookie C Meyers Leonard returned to practice Friday for Portland after missing 10 consecutive games with a sprained ankle sustained Dec. 29 against Philadelphia. He dressed but did not play. . The Blazers had 19 turnovers for the second straight game.


text:
Managing food risk information in an online world
Food scares can undermine consumer confidence, ruin business reputations and create unnecessary panic. If these scenarios are to be avoided, industry needs to develop more effective strategies for communicating to the public. Focusing on online media, an EU-funded project has made a significant contribution by helping to better understand how information on food risk is spread.
The purpose of the three-year EU-funded FoodRisc project, which began in June 2010, has been to map out the networks and information sources that are used to spread information on food risks. In particular, the team has examined the potential of social media, with a view to helping risk communicators make better use of these platforms.
A number of innovative online tools have enabled the project to examine exactly how consumers react to issues. For example, an online data collecting tool called Vizzata has proved effective in uncovering reactions to content, how these reactions change over time and what people think when they are not in a group setting.
The team used this tool to conduct a recent consumer study on public reaction during the first week of the horse-meat contamination scandal breaking within Ireland and the UK. Results showed that consumers were mainly concerned that the labels did not match the contents of the products. There was, in fact, very little evidence of concern about health risks – although some wondered how government assurances about safety could be so conclusive given that the discovery of horse meat was completely unexpected.
Monitoring online activity has provided similar insights into the perception of other food-related issues, such as genetic modification and animal cloning.
Understanding consumer behaviour
"Through our research, we have found that citizens often feel quite confused due to conflicting views and contested information being presented to them regarding food risks and benefits," explains Dr Aine McConnon, FoodRisc's project manager. "The results and outputs of this project should alleviate these issues by helping those with a remit to communicate about food risks and benefits to understand citizens' views, and how best to react to these through their communications."
The project's focus on the role played by social media during a range of food crisis events has been both novel and in-depth. Crises covered have included the Irish dioxin crisis of 2008, the German dioxin crisis and E. coli outbreak of 2011 and, most recently, the horse-meat scandal, which came to light in January of this year. Here, the team studied the use of new media tools such as Twitter and blogs, looking at how much conversation was taking place online and which stakeholders were actively engaging with social media to reach consumers about such issues.
Dr McConnon adds that, as a multidisciplinary online research project, FoodRisc has been able to cross traditional disciplinary boundaries. "We have learned a lot about the potential, as well as the challenge, of working with this type of data," she says. "In addition, we have worked with a stakeholder advisory board throughout the project and interacted with a number of potential groups, including the European Food Safety Authority, to gain better insights into the practical challenges faced by industry."
The groundwork conducted by this project will now feed into the development of new online tools for more effective communication. The FoodRisc website is a good starting point. "As we know, food-risk issues can have a huge economic, cultural and social impact, particularly in a crisis situation," says Dr McConnon. "Effective communication is therefore key to effective risk management. It is envisaged that the FoodRisc project will add value to the risk-management strategies of many stakeholder groups working in this field."
Perhaps the most significant lesson learned by the FoodRisc project team is simply that food safety professionals can no longer afford to dismiss the use of social media as a communication tool. Approximately 2 billion people around the world have access to the internet, and a large and increasing percentage of them are using social media. In fact, Europe has surpassed the US in the personal use of social media. Online communication has a vital role to play in ensuring food safety, a research priority of the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for research and innovation.
Furthermore, the project's results indicate that organisations also need to take responsibility when things go wrong. Social media applications could prove especially useful in this area, as they provide the opportunity for direct communication and interaction with the audience.
Project details
See also