text:
WASHINGTON — President Obama called on lawmakers Tuesday to quickly pass a package of limited spending cuts and tax changes that can head off the automatic, across-the-board reductions set to begin March 1.
Obama said Congress should delay the automatic cuts for a period of months to give lawmakers a chance to negotiate a full deficit reduction package that permanently resolves the threat of the so-called sequester.
''They should at least pass a smaller package of spending cuts and tax reforms'' to put off the automatic cuts, Obama said, adding that there is no reason to put at risk ''the jobs of thousands of Americans.''
The president said the economy had begun to recover, but he warned that continuing clashes over taxes and spending threatened to delay or derail that improvement.
''We've also seen the effects that political dysfunction can have,'' Obama said. ''We've made progress. And I still believe we can finish the job with a balanced mix of spending cuts and more tax reform.''
In the past, Obama has said cuts in spending must be balanced by an effort to raise new tax revenue by closing loopholes for wealthy Americans and the oil and gas industries. The president acknowledged that a broader budget agreement is unlikely to be reached by the March deadline, when the cuts to domestic and military programs will take effect.
Obama spoke at about the time the Congressional Budget Office released its annual economic report and its latest projection on the country's budget deficit.
The budget office showed that the deficit for the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30 would be $845 billion, lower than the last four post-crisis years in which deficits exceeded more than $1 trillion.
That $845 billion difference between government receipts and spending would be equal to 5.3 percent of the nation's total output, or gross domestic product — about half of what it was relative to the size of the weaker economy in fiscal 2009, when Obama took office, but still higher than the roughly 3 percent level that many economists consider the maximum sustainable level.
While the annual deficit is projected to decline as the economy recovers, the budget office once again emphasized that the deficit will rise later in the decade and continue do to so as the population ages — forcing greater spending for Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security — and health care prices keep rising.
New deficit projections will define the scope of the nation's spending problem and will help to shape the contours of the fiscal fights between Obama and the Republicans in Congress in the coming years.
The push by the president to avoid the sequester is an admission that efforts to reach a bigger deal with Republicans to cut spending and raise revenues is not likely to be reached in the coming months. House Republicans this week criticized Obama for failing to meet a deadline Monday to submit a budget to Congress.
''This was supposed to be the day that the president submitted his budget to the Congress, but it's not coming. It's going to be late,'' the House speaker, John A. Boehner, said in remarks on the House floor. ''That's too bad. Our economy could use some presidential leadership right now.''
Eager to avoid the cuts to military spending, House Republicans have proposed different spending reductions, which Obama and Democrats say would be harmful to important domestic programs.
''Republicans have twice voted to replace these arbitrary cuts with common-sense cuts and reforms that protect our national defense,'' Boehner said in a statement Tuesday. ''The president's sequester should be replaced with spending cuts and reforms that will start us on the path to balancing the budget in 10 years.''
Administration officials have been saying for weeks that the looming cuts have already had an impact on the nation's economy. White House officials say the sequester was intended to force a more ''balanced'' set of deficit reduction measures.
They say the cuts passed by the House do not meet that test. And they said the automatic cuts would have serious impacts on the services provided to some of the neediest citizens.
The White House has also been aggressively warning about the dangers of the automatic cuts to military readiness. Leon E. Panetta, the departing secretary of defense, said on Sunday's talk shows that the country's security would suffer if they went into effect.
''It is irresponsible for it to happen,'' Panetta said on ''Meet the Press'' on NBC.
The deficits that the budget office projects over 10 years are much larger than it forecast last August, mainly because the earlier forecasts reflected that all Bush-era tax cuts were due to expire at the end of 2012 and that the alternative minimum tax, which is intended for wealthy taxpayers with many deductions, would also apply to millions of middle-class Americans without any change in the formula in law.
But in the bipartisan tax deal last December, Obama and Congress agreed to extend the Bush tax cuts for all but about 2 percent of Americans, those with the highest incomes, and to adjust the alternative minimum tax.


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These rectangular stickers/labels are the same size as our rounded corner business cards, so there's plenty of room to showcase your business logo or product.
They're printed on thick, durable vinyl with a varnish coating you can write on, so they're perfect for things like address labels and conference name tags. Each label comes on a separate sheet.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Avg.Rate: US$ 108.00
Rating: 0 stars
Comfortable rooms with free Wi-Fi are offered in Tierra del Fuego. A daily breakfast is offered and Arenas Ski Centre is a 6-hour drive. Parador Russfin has practical rooms with cosy décor and private bathrooms. Russfin is less than 3 hour's drive from Deseado Lake and a 3-hour drive from Porvenir Aerodrome. Private parking is free and guests can make use of computers with Internet access at the lobby. Mere


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American Airlines and US Airways have won their first battle against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), getting a tentative start date of Nov. 25 for the trial that would hear DOJ's challenge against the carriers' proposed merger.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly granted the airlines' desire for an expedited schedule, ruling that DOJ's request for an early March 2014 start date was not reasonable. "March 3, I think, is too far off," the judge said in a hearing on the issue. "It needs to be a tighter, expedited schedule."
The carriers, which proposed a Nov. 12 start, are satisfied with the judge's decision. "We are pleased the court has set a schedule that will enable us to resolve this litigation in a reasonable time frame," said US Airways CEO Doug Parker and American CEO Tom Horton in a joint statement.
A DOJ spokesman said its side would be ready to present its case on Nov. 25.
Under the merger agreement, either airliner could theoretically walk away if a deal isn't done by Dec. 13. While both sides insist they want to see the deal through, wrapping the trial up before that date can only help, though there's no guarantee proceedings won't continue into mid-December. The trial's next court date is Oct. 1, when each side will present a status update.
The lawsuit's stakes are high. Earlier this week, American signaled that a prolonged delay in its exit from bankruptcy — which a 2014 trial date would have guaranteed — would threaten a long-planned regional jet order.
"American had completed much of the negotiations on business terms for the acquisition of a substantial number of regional jets to replace smaller regional jets or to replace older, inefficient, larger jets with large, modern regional aircraft," American wrote in an Aug. 28 court filing. "American intended to finance the purchases of these new aircraft with favorable export credit financing. However, this type of financing will only be available to American after it emerges from bankruptcy," which won't happen before the suit is settled.
American argues that any other financing that it might have access to in bankruptcy would cost it much more than the export credit agreements. The airline has been looking at an order for around 60 Bombardier CRJ900s or Embraer 175s.
Both the airlines and DOJ have indicated that an out-of-court settlement is possible. DOJ pointed out, however, that the airlines haven't presented a formal offer that would address its antitrust concerns. Those concerns appear to center around upholding competition at Ronald Reagan Washington-National Airport, but DOJ has also raised broader issues around competition in one-stop markets and the US Airways Advantage Fares scheme of discount prices.
If the case ends up in court and it is blocked, American would be forced back to the drawing board for a new plan to emerge from bankruptcy as a standalone business. That decision would likely delay investment decisions, such as aircraft orders, even longer.


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Previous Story
Well-deserved recognition
Posted On 29 May 2013
Tag: Lori Savit
Thanks so much for the wonderful article ("DAR Recognizes Graduates," May 24 edition); it means a lot to the kids and their parents to have their names in the paper.
What an enthusiastic group we had this year. They really deserved it.
Lori Savit, Laguna Beach


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A new case was just opened in the Delaware Bankruptcy Court. The case number and the debtor's name/adversary complaint plaintiff(s) and defendant(s) are: 16-50070- Charles A. Stanziale, Jr., solely in his capacity v. Kuehne & Nagel LTD.
This is a breaking news story. More details about this bankruptcy court filing are available on Chapter11Dockets.com.


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LAUREL, Md. (AP) - Police in Maryland say a person was found dead in a flooded camp where homeless people live in tents.
Lt. T.J. Smith says a body was found Thursday morning. The person apparently drowned. Smith says the person died before officials opened dams to ease pressure on the swollen Patuxent River.
Up to six inches of rain fell overnight in some areas along the Patuxent River, where the flood gate openings have prompted evacuations.
Laurel city spokesman Pete Piringer says the evacuations were ordered Thursday morning and affect several hundred people in the city's historic district.
The National Weather Service says the water releases will likely cause higher water levels than the area has seen in many years.


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Age: 28
Location: California
Dr Dick: I get off on making out or having sex in public spaces? Is this illegal? Am I Sick? Stefanni
All depends, Stefanni. Most jurisdictions, particularly there in the Golden State would
probably wink at a couple making out in public. I suppose you'd be pushing the envelope if the make-out session included heavy petting. And as to full-on sex in public…CumOn, honey, a 28 year-old female who can't discern if fucking in public is illegal or not, needs to be in supervised care 24/7. You're not sick, dearie, you're retarded.
Good Luck!
Name: stefan
Age: 24
Location: GA
Is it weird if I can suck my own dick? Sometimes I do it when I'm really horny?
Reminds me of the old joke about two guys sittin' around shootin' the shit. When they notice a dog over yonder lickin his balls. One guy turns to the other and says; "I wish I could do that!" And the other guy says, "Gee, I hope the dog doesn't bite!"
Is it weird that you can suck your own cock? Dude, it's every man's freakin' dream! Anyone who is limber enough and/or has a big enough dick to blow himself — wins, IMHO.
Good Luck!
Name: Chris
Age: 18
Location: TN
Dr Dick: I'm an uncut male, but am thinking about getting circumcised for the sake of appearance? I don't like how my dick looks like an anteater. Is this safe? Any suggestions where or what type of doctor to consult? Should I go to a urologist? Plastic Surgeon? Thanks, Chris
Whoa, puppy, stop right there. This ain't like getting a haircut or trimmin' your toe nails or even gettin pierced. Circumcision is irreversible and it's mighty risky too.
I need to say one thing from the outset. Circumcision is a particularly thorny issue for
me. I firmly believe in the right of an adult to augment, adorn and embellish, or in any other way customize his or her body. Just as long as that person has taken enough time to think it through. None of this, "OMG, I got so drunk and then the next thing I know I have this tattoo emblazoned across my chest!"
At the same time I am a furious proponent of genital integrity. So you see my conflict.
There are, of course, medical reasons for adult circumcision. But having a foreskin that looks like an anteater is not one of them. Besides, no self-respecting physician is gonna start cutting on an 18 year old guy's cock, just because the fella doesn't like the way his unit looks.
Here's what I want you to do, Chris. Take a really close look at your foreskin. I mean a really close look. What do you see? Veins, right? Now pinch your foreskin between
your thumb and forefinger as hard as you can. OUCH! Ya know why that is? Your foreskin is just chock-full of nerve endings, darlin'. Your foreskin contains about 240 feet of nerve fibers and tens of thousands of specialized nerve endings, which can feel the slightest pressure, the lightest touch, the smallest motion, the subtlest changes in temperature, and the finest gradations in texture.
In many ways, your foreskin is just like your eyelid. It covers, cleans, and protects your dickhead just like your eyelid covers, cleans, and protects your eye. Your foreskin keeps the surface of your dickhead healthy, clean, shiny, warm, soft, moist, and sensitive. And there are a whole lot of us who think a foreskin is like totally hot.
Your foreskin is a specialized, sensitive, and functional organ of touch. No other part of the body serves the same purpose. You may be too young to have noticed how pleasurable having an intact dick can be, how it enhances your sexual enjoyment. You
certainly have no frame of reference to the contrary. Therefore, I encourage you to hold on to your lace curtains till you have a little more experience. Besides, if you get cut it removes 50% of the skin of the cock. Do you really have that much to give away?
Finally, I'm of the mind that millions of years of evolution has provided us a covering for our dickhead for a purpose. And to remove it is simply unnatural.
So, Chris, keep your skin unless there's a medical necessary to remove it!
Good Luck!
Name: Nick
Age: 64
Location: Chicago
Are there any vitamins or minerals that will increase the amount of ejaculate? Thanks…your site is very cool and provides a great service!
Why, aren't you a sweetheart, Nick. Thank you for your kind words.
There sure are loads and loads of companies out there who claim to have products that will increase the volume of a man's ejaculate. When I search the web for products that promote male sexual enhancement of any sort, I do so as a skeptic. That's how anyone should go about such a search. If you keep your eyes open and look beyond the pseudo-medical babble you'll discover two things, as I did.
First, every site I visited advertises their product as a miracle medical breakthrough. Often there is a testimonial or two from some doctor (MD) or doctor (Ph.D.) who substantiates the claims being made. We never really discover who these professionals are, but we are encouraged to take their words as gospel…well because we all know that professional types would never knowingly try and hoodwink us. Exactly! And if you buy that we have some swampland in Louisiana for you too.
Each site also claimed that the product they hawk has undergone rigorous clinical studies proving its efficacy. But they never actually cite any of the studies in question or where these supposed studies were published. Here's a tip, If there is a sited study and that study was sponsored by the company that produced the product, or is published by them, then you know you're in trouble.
Second, inevitably each product makes the most outlandish claims. Take this one for instance. I'll not disclose the product name, because that would be like shooting fish in a barrel. But this is actual copy from one site. Product X will…
- Intensify ejaculatory contractions due to the strengthening of the vas deferens muscle (the muscle responsible for the expulsion of semen)
- Increase volume of released ejaculate
- Produce faster recovery for second orgasms
- Improve semen quality
- Produce more satisfying orgasms due to increased contractions and ejaculate
- Improve prostate health
- Improve Erectile Dysfunction caused by diabetes
- Increase sexual well-being and vitality
- Cure cancer
- End world hunger
Ok, I made the last two up.
One only has to look closely at the claims to realize they're hogwash. Besides, they don't really tell us anything other than the product in question might somehow improve something that may have something to do with male virility. The same could be said about a glass of water. Please read on…
The truth is, Nick, you can probably do just as well with a modest daily intake of zinc and lecithin supplements. For some, these nutrients have a noticeable effect on the volume of ejaculate. And they're a whole lot cheaper and easier to get then the trumped-up stuff you see online.
Also keeping yourself hydrated also will also increase the volume of your spunk. It just
stands to reason, the more hydrated you are the easier and more efficiently all your glands responsible for secreting a watery substance, like your prostate, will have getting water from the bloodstream. If you're dehydrated, your prostate will not have as much water available, and subsequently you'll spooge considerably less.
Good Luck!


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Thread: The Language of the Left
#1 The Language of the Left01-09-2013, 12:50 PM
The Language of the Left ...
Notice the code words used by government officials, particularly Democrats. Language that the left uses to describe words or concepts that would otherwise sound bad if you actually call it like it is.
• "Revenue" is the liberal code word for "taxes"
• "Investing" is how Democrats describe "government spending"
• "Letting the tax cuts expire for the wealthy" is another way of saying "increase taxes on the rich"
• "Revenue positive" is the lib way of saying "taxes will be increased"
• "Spending in the tax code" is what the left likes to call "tax breaks for people or industries they do not like"
• "Stimulus" became a dirty word, replaced with "job creation"
• "Jobs created" didn't get the numbers the left needed to support their stimulus spending, so the measurement became "lives touched"
• "Pork barrel spending" became "congressionally directed funds"
• "Global warming" lost its luster when the earth stopped getting warmer, so that became "climate change"
• "Bipartisan" equates republicans selling out conservatives
• "Negative Campaigning" is telling the truth about democrats
• "Undocumented worker" used to be an "illegal alien"
• "Disadvantaged" is what used to known as "unproductive"
• "Hate speech" or as we call it "unvarnished truth"
Feel free to add your own to the growing list ...
"Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a piece of sh*t by the clean end .. etal 0bama."
Last edited by Janice; 01-09-2013 at 12:55 PM.
Liberalism is just communism sold by the drink.
|« Previous Thread | Next Thread »


text: Ok, i know this isnt a video board topic, but it is video. I am building my firat new comp, and i want a 17in monitor. I want to spend no more that 350.00. I have been doing my homework and found the following brands and some reviews. Mag Vision, Optiquest, and Cybervision brands.I know there are like 3 different 17in models for each brand, but i am confused about which to get. Thanx guyz


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Storing Data in SimpleDB
Now that we have created a domain, the next thing to do is store some data in it. I've already mentioned that data is stored as items that have one or more attributes. StoreTrivialData.java (available here) starts by creating an item whose name is Vermont and which has two attributes whose name-value pairs are Abbreviation:VT and Nickname:Green Mountain State. Here is the code in method addData() that creates the item:
String stateName = "Vermont"; List<ReplaceableAttribute> attributeListVT = new ArrayList<ReplaceableAttribute>(); attributeListVT.add(new ReplaceableAttribute("Abbreviation", "VT", false)); attributeListVT.add(new ReplaceableAttribute("Nickname", "Green Mountain State", false)); PutAttributesRequest putAttributesRequestVT = new PutAttributesRequest(DOMAIN_NAME, stateName, attributeListVT); PutAttributesResponse response = client.putAttributes(putAttributesRequestVT);
We start by creating a list of ReplaceableAttribute objects, each of which is created by passing the attribute name and value to the constructor. The third parameter, false in our case, is a boolean that specifies whether the value should replace all existing values.
After we invoke method addData() which contains the code above, we next invoke method addMoreData(). This method is almost identical to the addData() method but notice that it can accommodate the fact that the state of Connecticut has two nicknames, the Nutmeg State and the Constitution State. Two attributes, each having a name of nickname but with different values are associated with the item Connecticut. This demonstrates the point I made earlier that a given cell can have more than one value so in effect the domain can be viewed as a 3D spreadsheet where the item names along the Y axis, the attribute names along the X axis and all attributes that have an identical X value stack on the Z axis.
After each of the two methods stores its data, it invokes the displayAttributesForState() method, which uses the following code to display all of the attributes that are found for the item having the name of the specified state:
GetAttributesRequest getAttributeRequest = new GetAttributesRequest(); getAttributeRequest.setDomainName(DOMAIN_NAME); getAttributeRequest.setItemName(stateName); GetAttributesResponse attributesReponse = client.getAttributes(getAttributeRequest); if (attributesReponse.isSetGetAttributesResult()) { GetAttributesResult attributesResult = attributesReponse.getGetAttributesResult(); List<Attribute> attributeList = attributesResult.getAttribute(); System.out.println(); System.out.println(Integer.toString(attributeList.size()) + " attributes found for " + stateName); for (Attribute attribute : attributeList) { if (attribute.isSetName()) { System.out.println("Attribute: " + attribute.getName()); } if (attribute.isSetValue()) { System.out.println("Value: " + attribute.getValue()); } } }
When you run the program, it produces the following output:
writing attributes for item Vermont 0 attributes found for Vermont writing attributes for item Connecticut 4 attributes found for Connecticut Attribute: Nickname Value: Constitution State Attribute: Nickname Value: Nutmeg State Attribute: Area Value: 5544 Attribute: Abbreviation Value: CT
But what happened to the data for Vermont? Did the program fail? The message "writing attributes for item Vermont" indicates that the putAttributes() method was invoked and there are no messages indicating that an exception was thrown. So what's going on? The explanation is that SimpleDB was designed to be "eventually consistent". To see that this is true, let's modify the code to comment out both calls to putAttributes() and rerun the program. When you do, you see the following output:
domain has already been created 2 attributes found for Vermont Attribute: Nickname Value: Green Mountain State Attribute: Abbreviation Value: VT 4 attributes found for Connecticut Attribute: Nickname Value: Constitution State Attribute: Nickname Value: Nutmeg State Attribute: Area Value: 5544 Attribute: Abbreviation Value: CT
The absence of the "storing attributes" messages indicates that no data was written (we commented out the calls to putAttributes()) and yet the attributes that were seemingly missing are accounted displayed. So, the first time we ran the program, some attributes were indeed unavailable but the domain did attain "eventual consistency". This is not a design flaw but rather a design point. It means that if your application relies on data being available immediately after being written, then you should either use another mechanism for persisting your data or, if some delay can be tolerated, you could build in checks for consistency after you write your but before you attempt to access it.
Since we are looking at characteristics of SimpleDB, I should point out another; not every item must be assigned a set of attributes that is identical to any or all of the other items. Notice that Vermont has an Area attribute but Connecticut does not. This characteristic is often referred to as "sparse population". It takes some getting used to but really simplifies things. In the relational database world, if data is missing for a field, you must specify a null value; when you are using SimpleDB, if an attribute is missing you simply don't record it.


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David West racked up 30 points behind a near-perfect shooting display, and the Indiana Pacers kept up their recent home dominance with an impressive 102-89 triumph over the defending world champion Miami Heat at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
West went 12-of-15 from the field and 6-of-6 from the free throw line while also pulling down a game-high seven rebounds. Four other Pacers scored in double figures and Indiana shot 55.7 percent as a team en route to its 13th consecutive win at home.
Paul George and Lance Stephenson each contributed 15 points to the victory, with George Hill adding 12 for Indiana.
"When we're at home we expect to play well," George said. "We expect to be dialed in. We expect to get the job done when we're at home. It's on the road where we have to work at and become a consistent team."
The Heat were coming off a 105-85 road rout of Brooklyn on Wednesday, but weren't nearly as sharp in this one and dropped to 1-2 on their current four- game trip.
Miami shot just 47.1 percent overall against the league's top-ranked team in field goal percentage defense, and committed 11 turnovers that the Pacers converted into 16 points.
LeBron James came through with 28 points and six rebounds for Miami, while Dwyane Wade finished with 17 points and Chris Bosh had 13 in the setback.
Down 23-20 with just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Pacers took control via a 13-0 run and never trailed thereafter.
Tyler Hansbrough sparked the surge by dropping in seven points, and his short jumper less than two minutes into the second quarter put Indiana ahead by double digits at 33-23.
A 9-2 Miami spurt capped by James' three-point play brought the visitors within 40-39 with five minutes left in the half, but a West basket followed by a Stephenson triple gave the Pacers some breathing room. Indiana would go into the break owning a 53-45 lead behind 16 points from West and a 54.3 percent field goal percentage as a team.
The Pacers came out strong to begin the third quarter as well, netting the period's first six points to extend the differential to 14 with under three minutes elapsed in the frame. Indiana owned a cushion of as many as 19 points during the stanza and entered the fourth quarter holding a comfortable 80-65 advantage.
"I think we tried to stop their running with a lot of jump shots," Heat forward Shane Battier said. "The best way to beat that team is to attack the basket."
Miami didn't seriously threaten in the final session either, with the Heat never getting their deficit under 12 points over the remainder of the tilt.
Game Notes
James was named the Eastern Conference's Player of the Month for January after averaging 27.0 points, 7.2 assists and 1.9 steals over 12 games. It's the third straight month the reigning NBA MVP has received the honor .... The Pacers have now won three straight regular-season meetings between the teams, including an 87-77 decision in Indianapolis in which the Heat were held to a season low in points ... Heat guard Ray Allen was held scoreless on 0-for-4 shooting in 27 minutes of action ... Miami lost for only the second time in 10 matchups with the Pacers since 2010-11 in which James scores 25 or more points ... Indiana's current home win streak is its longest since a 14-game run in 2002-03.


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Category talk:Arguments for the existence of God
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Argument from "fulfilled prophecy".
Argument from "fulfilled prophecy".
Latest revision as of 09:00, 9 May 2007
I've got a bit of an issue that's bothering me about this category. Currently there are a couple of articles, "Atheism is based on faith" and now "Atheism is a religion", that are in the category "Arguments for the existence of God". It seems to me that these are not an argument for the existence of God, they are simply attempts to insult atheists. I would think a more appropriate category would be "criticisms of atheism." However, I don't know where that would fit in under the category hierarchy. Should it still go under "Arguments for the existence of God"? Kazim 08:22, 26 December 2006 (CST)
I like the idea of a "Criticisms of Atheism" category, under arguments. Sans Deity 22:48, 27 December 2006 (CST)
So are you suggesting that the categories under the "arguments" heading should be:
- Arguments for the existence of God
- Arguments against the existence of God
- Criticisms of atheism
Is that right? Kazim 19:38, 28 December 2006 (CST)
- Yes. We can always move the entire category later, if we find a better spot for it. Sans Deity 09:11, 29 December 2006 (CST)
Need subcategory or page
Argument from "fulfilled prophecy". Smijer 09:00, 9 May 2007 (CDT)


text:
On the Ball: Advent Tree-at For Pets
When I saw the Littlest Pet Shop Advent Calendar for kids on lilsugar, I was instantly motivated! Being a fairly crafty gal, I decided to make an advent calendar for my lil' guy, North. I stopped off at a hardware store after work for some creative inspiration and was actually able to conceptualize and make this calendar from items I purchased or had lying around my house. It was so easy to make that when I sat down to work at the beginning of last night's Gossip Girl episode, by the end, I was done! To see how to make an Advent Tree-at for your pooch, kitty, or kiddie,
To make this advent calendar you will need the following items:
- One sheet of posterboard
- Green wrapping paper or cellophane (note: if you've got green posterboard, you can eliminate this step!)
- Writing utensils: a pen or pencil and marker
- Scissors
- Tape
- Glue gun or stapler
- 26 foil cupcake liners
- 25 yummy treats
To assemble it:
- Fold a piece of posterboard in half lengthwise and draw a tree with the middle of it on the seam (so it opens to a mirror image).
- Attach wrapping paper to the blank side with glue or tape, flip over, and cut out the tree shape.
- Fold and flatten 25 silver cupcake liners in half and number from 1–25.
- Seal the cupcake pockets with two drops of hot glue (or a stapler) leaving enough space to slide the treat inside later. If you're using small snacks, you can stick one in now and staple . . . but let glue dry completely before adding snacks if you are using the glue gun.
- Attach the cupcake pockets to the tree shape with glue or staples.
- Slide in one treat inside each little pocket.
- Cut out a star shape from the remaining cupcake liner and tape to the top.
- Cut out a trunk from the posterboard scraps and tape to the bottom.
Now you're ready to hang it up! Be quick about it — if you make this project on the floor as I did, your pets may try to sneak a sample!


text:
Police have charged three juveniles with deliberately lighting bushfires near the John Hunter Hospital at Newcastle over the last two days.
About 6pm on Friday 4 January, Fire and Rescue NSW responded to a number of fires that had been deliberately lit inside George McGregor Reserve located between the John Hunter Hospital, Lookout Road at New Lambton Heights and Rankin Park.
Six Fire Units responded to the incidents with two separate fires burning near the hospital. Both were quickly extinguished and a third fire was identified a short time later and also put out.
Emergency services had previously responded to a number of deliberately lit fires in the same area on the previous evening (Thursday 3 January 2013).
Due to the frequency of the incidents police from the Newcastle City Local Area Command continued patrols of the area and Fire and Rescue NSW left a fully crewed vehicle at the scene on permanent standby.
Police were conducting inquiries into a group of young males who were seen acting suspiciously in the area at the time of the fires.
Officers attended homes at Elermore Vale and Wallsend overnight where they arrested three teenagers.
The youths 15, 16 and 17-years-old were all charged with intentionally cause fire and be reckless as to its spread.
The 15 and 16-year-old boys were granted conditional bail to appear at Broadmeadow Children's Court on 5 February 2013.
The 17-year-old Wallsend male was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Children's Court later today. Inquiries into the incidents continue.


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HAYWARD — A woman charged with attacking R&B singer Lester Chambers at a San Francisco Bay Area blues festival has surrendered to authorities.
Alameda County Sheriff's officials said 43-year-old Dinalynn Andrews-Potter of Barstow turned herself in Thursday, a month after she was charged with assault and elder abuse.
Chambers is a member of Chambers Brothers, best known for their 1968 hit "Time Has Come Today."
He said he was performing the Curtis Mayfield song "People Get Ready," which he dedicated to Trayvon Martin at a Hayward blues festival when a woman jumped on stage and shoved him to the ground. The 73-year-old singer called the July 13 attack a hate crime.
Andrews-Potter told police she had a stress disorder and that a repetitive part of the song caused her to snap.


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 17, 2008
Center for Alexandria's Children Hosts Family Fun Day
The Center for Alexandria's Children (CAC), in partnership with the City of Alexandria, will host a Family Fun Day on Saturday, September 20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at John Adams Elementary School, 5651 Rayburn Avenue. The free event will feature food, live entertainment, and a variety of informative and interactive exhibits and activities that provide useful information and resources to keep children safe and families strong. The event will take place rain or shine. Partnering City departments include the Department of Human Services; Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities; Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse; Alexandria Health Department; and Alexandria City Public Schools.
Specific events and entertainment for children will include: Harlem Globetrotters' Spencer "Spinny" Johnson, music by the Grandsons and Doug Segree, a petting zoo, a moon bounce, face painting, and crafts. Digital identification kits for children will be available for parents through the Center for Alexandria's Children and SafeAssured ID, a proactive safety program designed to provide rapid emergency response and peace of mind to loved ones. Additionally, interactive exhibits will provide parents with information designed to help keep their children healthy, safe and strong.
The co-chair of this event is Charles Mann, a Washington Redskins legend. Mann has a long history of involvement with organizations that focus on helping children. "Charles Mann has been such an inspiration to the community, both for his achievements on the playing field and his commitment to the children of Virginia," says CAC Board Chair Nigel Morris. "We are so excited that he has agreed to be a part of this important event." Mann will be taking photos with and signing autographs for children who attend the event.
The CAC is a public-private partnership dedicated to the elimination of child abuse in the City of Alexandria. The CAC protects children and strengthens families by coordinating the investigation, prosecution, treatment and prevention of child abuse in a single location that provides children with a safe and supportive environment. The CAC is grateful to the following local donors providing food and other in-kind contributions to make this event a success: Bittersweet Catering, Noodles and Company, and the Bradley Bagel Shop.


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Epstein-Barr virus test
Epstein-Barr virus test is a blood test to detect antibodies to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antigens.
See also: Monospot test
How is the Test Performed?
A blood sample is needed. For information on how this is done, see: Venipuncture
The sample is sent to a lab, where a lab specialist looks for antibodies to the Epstein-Barr virus. In the first stages of an illness, little antibody may be detected. For this reason, serology tests are often repeated in 10 days to 2 or more weeks.
Preparation for the Test
There is no special preparation for the test.
How the Test will Feel
When the needle is inserted to draw blood, you may feel moderate pain, or only a prick or stinging sensation. Afterward, there may be some throbbing.
Why is the Test Performed?
The test is done to detect an infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The EBV antibody test will detect not only a recent infection, but also one that occurred in the past. It can be used to tell the difference between a recent or previous infection.
Normal Results for Epstein-Barr virus test
A normal result means no antibodies to EBV were seen in your blood sample. This result means you have never been infected with EBV.
Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or test different samples. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.
What Abnormal Results Mean
A positive result means there are antibodies to EBV in the person's blood, indicating a current or prior infection with EBV.
Epstein-Barr virus test Risks
There is very little risk involved with having your blood taken. Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Taking blood from some people may be more difficult than from others.
Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight but may include:
- Excessive bleeding
- Fainting or feeling light-headed
- Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
- Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
Johannsen EC, Kaye KM. Epstein-Barr virus (infectious mononucleosis, Epstein-Barr virus-associated malignant diseases, and other diseases). In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2009:chap 139.
Related Images
|Review Date: 9/1/2013
Reviewed By: Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Bethanne Black, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Further information
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.
© Copyright 1997- 2018 A.D.A.M., Inc.


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MENLO PARK (CBS / AP) — Facebook, the company that turned the Web social, has set a price range for an initial public offering of stock that values the company at up to $95 billion.
Facebook's IPO would be the biggest ever for an Internet company. Facebook disclosed the price range of $28 to $35 per share in a regulatory filing Thursday.
At the high end, Facebook and its current shareholders could raise as much as $13.58 billion. That happens if the underwriters sell extra stock reserved for overallotments, which they will likely do given the excitement surrounding the IPO.
That's much higher than the 2004 IPO for current record-holder Google Inc., which raised $1.9 billion including the overallotment. The IPO valued the company at $23 billion. Google is now worth about $200 billion.
Facebook Inc.'s IPO has been highly anticipated, not just because of how much money it will raise but because Facebook itself is so popular. The world's largest online social network has more than 900 million users worldwide.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who turns 28 this month, has emerged as a wunderkind leader who's led Facebook through unprecedented growth from its scrappy start as a hangout for Harvard students.
Facebook's offering values the company at $76 billion to $95 billion, based on the expected number of Facebook shares following the IPO. That's about 2.74 billion, according to Renaissance Capital, an IPO investment adviser.
Facebook's next step is to go on an "IPO road show," where executives talk to potential investors about why they should invest in the stock. On Thursday, Facebook posted a version of its road show online, with appearances from Zuckerberg; the vice president of product, Chris Cox; and other executives.
If all goes well, Facebook's stock is expected to price on May 17 and make its public debut on May 18.
Zuckerberg will keep tight control over the company even after the IPO. He will control 57.3 percent of the company's voting power, through stocks he owns or because other shareholders have promised to vote his way through shares that they own. This means he will have final say over the biggest decisions facing the company even after it goes public.
Zuckerberg will likely own about 31.5 percent of Facebook's outstanding stock after the IPO. At the high end of the expected price range, this will make his holdings worth $17.6 billion. This would put him at around No. 33 of the Forbes lists of the world's richest people, above the likes of Dell Inc. CEO Michael Dell and Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer.
Facebook's expected valuation will easily surpass well-known corporations such as Kraft Foods Inc. The amount it is trying to raise in the IPO would slot it among the world's 25 largest IPOs, although as recently as November 2010, General Motors raised $15.8 billion when it shed majority control by the U.S. government.
Among the IPOs that rank higher than Facebook's, according to Renaissance Capital, are Visa Inc.'s $17.9 billion IPO in March 2008, the largest for a U.S. company, and world-topper Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., which raised $19.3 billion in July 2010. These figures do not include extra shares issued to meet demand.
Facebook plans to list its stock on the Nasdaq under the symbol "FB."
(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)


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3.1. Questions about camera support
Is my camera supported?
Possible answers:
Check http://www.teaser.fr/~hfiguiere/linux/digicam.html for general information about digicam support under Linux, BSD, and others.
Check http://gphoto.org/proj/libgphoto2/support.php for camera support in the latest libgphoto2 release.
Is my webcam supported by libgphoto2 ? How can I use it ?
libgphoto2 is not meant in any way to use webcams. It only works with still image cameras, and is designed to fetch images out of the internal storage of these cameras. It also eventually can be used to remote control the camera to take pictures, it the camera has support for it and if the driver can do it. But not at all libgphoto2 has been designed to be tool to operate webcams nor do we support these devices. There are other solutions for that. Try searching Google.
3.2. Generic libgphoto2 FAQs (frontend-independent)
What can I do about the error message "Could not find USB device"?
The exact error message looks like
Could not find USB device (vendor 0x0000, product 0x0000). Make sure this device is connected to the computer
You have to set up the permissions on your USB device correctly. See Section 4.3, "Setting up permissions for USB ports".
Why do I get the error message "Could not claim the USB device"?
The exact message looks like
*** Error ('Could not claim the USB device') *** Could not claim interface 0 (Operation not permitted). Make sure no other program or kernel module (e.g. dc2xx or stv680) is using the device and you have read/write access to the device.
You have to make sure that no such kernel module is loaded and that you have set up the permissions on your USB device correctly, such that you have (non-root) write access to the camera device. How to set this up, is described at Section 4.3, "Setting up permissions for USB ports".
This can also happen with cameras that works as USB Mass Storage devices. A notable example is if you have an Olympus Camera that gets auto- detected as an Olympus C-2040Z. In this case, you can try, if you run Linux, to remove the usb-storage kernel module and attempt to use libgphoto2 with it. But, unless you want to control the camera (not all the model supports it), it is not a recommended solution. Keeps using USB Mass Storage. Some of these Olympus supports to be switched to "PC Control" mode in order to be remote controlled with an external program like one using libgphoto2.
Why do I get the error message "Could not lock the device"?
The exact message looks like
*** Error *** An error occurred in the io-library ('Could not lock the device'): Camera is already in use. *** Error (-60: 'Could not lock the device') ***
This means another process on the system is using the camera already. Cameras supported by libgphoto2 can be accessed by file managers like Nautilus or Dolphin via their virtual file filesystem and their technology opens the cameras as soon as they are plugged in.
One major system in use is the GNOME virtual filesystem
On MacOS X the built-in PTP camera tool might
block libgphoto2 usage. It is a process called
If this does not help, and you still get "Could not claim the device" errors, try this user supplied tool https://github.com/mejedi/mac-gphoto-enabler which does slightly more intrusive changes to MacOS to avoid it grabbing the camera.
gphoto2 does not find my camera. What shall I do?
First check that your camera is supported.
Then try to run
Then try to run
If your gphoto2 cannot access the USB device as non-root users, you have to set up hotplugging correctly. See Section 4.3, "Setting up permissions for USB ports" for details.
AND DO NOT RUN gphoto2 AS ROOT. And no other libgphoto2 frontend either.
I just downloaded the libgphoto2-2.1.1 distribution off sourceforge and it builds "libgphoto2.so.2.0.3". Has anyone else reported this?
Yes, many times. The release number ("2.1.1") and the library version ("2.0.3") are by their respective definitions completely unrelated. As we won't "fix" a problem which is not there, please stop bugging us with that "problem".
I run Linux 2.4.x and I can't get USB to work at all. I keep getting this error message in the syslog:
kernel: usb_control/bulk_msg: timeout kernel: usbdevfs: USBDEVFS_BULK failed dev 3 ep 0x81 len 64 ret -110
How can I make USB work?
No idea. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. If you know a solution, please let us know.
3.3. Questions about specific cameras
I have a special problem with CameraXYZ. Where can I find information about it?
You can look into the
I have a Kodak EasyShare™ camera, and gphoto2 can't detect it. What shall I do ?
Just press the button on the dock so that the USB device gets detected by the system and that gphoto2 software can detect it.
Why does my Canon PowerShot G1/G2/Pro 90 IS not work with gphoto2 when using the AC adapter?
This is a longstanding bug with the G1 and Pro 90 IS, and a relatively new bug with the G2. With the G2, it was introduced with a new camera firmware (G2 220.127.116.11 worked, 126.96.36.199 does not). We haven't fixed this bug yet since none of the active gphoto2 developers owned one of these cameras until recently (i.e. updated his G2's firmware).
Your options are as follows, in descending order of preference:
There is some more info regarding this at http://krixor.xy.org/fredrik/gp/canon-g1-ac-problem/. Good luck.
The PTP driver crashes on my Linux 2.4.18 system. What should I do?
There is a bug in the Linux 2.4.18 USB driver which may result in random crashes of the libgphoto2 PTP driver. Please upgrade to a more recent kernel.
I've got a serial camera, but gphoto2 doesn't work on SuSE 7.0 (or greater). You told me that my camera is supported! Fix it!
Cool down, Joe, and listen to the wise words of Linda MacPhee-Cobb:
If you are not getting a response from a camera plugged into
the serial port, check your
*This package use the ttyS0 device by default. The installation of this package only makes sense if you use a braille display.
[ This is from blinx, and you will need to turn it off, or better, uninstall it. ]
3.4. Questions about administrativa
I wanna have CVS/SVN write access. How do I get one?
We provide SVN write access to persons that show continued interest in a specific part of gphoto2. If there is already a person maintaining this specific part of gphoto2 (i.e. a camera driver), we prefer you submit patches to the maintainer who will then check them in or request modifications.
Note that CVS has been discontinued. We are using Subversion (SVN) since 2006-03-14.
You took away my SVN/CVS write access! What did I do wrong?
If your name is not listed in
Note that CVS has been discontinued. We are using Subversion (SVN) since 2006-03-14.
3.5. Miscellanous Questions
What's the best way to rotate downloaded JPEG images without losses?
You can get the jpegtran from the libjpeg package and jhead from http://www.sentex.net/~mwandel/jhead.
Dudes, Windows is the way to go. How do I compile gphoto2 for that environment?
We don't have the money to buy Windows and something like Visual C. Therefore, we can't provide you a gphoto2 for Windows. You have two choices (at least):
3.6. Installation FAQs
I've just compiled and installed a new version of gphoto2, libgphoto2, gtkam, etc. and now I just get a "relocation error" complaining about "undefined symbol: gp_library_version"
You are running your libgphoto2 frontend (gphoto2,
gtkam, digikam, etc.) with an old version of
libgphoto2, even though you compiled it with a newer
libgphoto2! Probably you have an old libgphoto2 in
To solve that problem, go through the following list.
gphoto2 does not work, the driver reports some error messages. What shall I do?
First of all make sure, that you have only one instance of gphoto2 and libgphoto2 installed on your system. Unless you know what you're doing you should remove all gphoto2 installation, then you may do (as root):
Above applies especially if you use both pre-packaged and CVS/SVN versions.
After that, install the newest version of libgphoto2 and gphoto2 and test whether it works now.
I want to use GNU stow, but that fails.
I don't know what stow is, but have a look at https://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=553647&group_id=8874&atid=108874" Sourceforge bug #553647 .
I just sucessfully compiled and installed libgphoto2-2.2.1.
But when configuring gphoto2-2.1.1 I get
If you don't have pkg-config installed yet, then please install it.
Otherwise, your PKG_CONFIG_PATH variable doesn't contain the
For a default installation, run
and now run the gphoto2


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It's day six of the Australian Open and it's another big day ahead at Melbourne Park as the competition starts to really heat up.
Good morning, and welcome to day six of the Australian Open. Big game on tonight as Bernard Tomic takes on Roger Federer but there is plenty happening before then. This morning last year's champion Victoria Azarenka will face Jamie Hampton from the USA on Rod Laver Arena, followed by Serena Williams' clash with Ayumi Morita. On Hisense Arena, Yanina Wickmayer will play Maria Kirilenko before Juan Martin Del Potro faces France's Jeremy Chardy.
That's just a taste of what's to come - should be a big day.null


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Drum Circles Resources
There are several great ways to stay connected and spread information. Here is information about upcoming drumming opportunities to specific rhythms from various cultures. If you know of a list that should be included here, please let us know at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Seattle Hand Drummers
Seattle Hand Drummers is about everything DRUM: community events, lessons, workshops, private and public performances, drum circles, drum building and maintenance! Looking for rhythm in your community? Interested in percussion and hand drums? We have something for everyone: special needs, seniors, kinds, families. Come jam with us at a drum circle or book us for a workshop or event. Drumming strong since 2010!
For more information: Meetup, Facebook
Seattle Drum Circle
The Seattle Drum Circle is a free-spirited, artistic gathering created by the people for the people. We will gather about an hour before sunset every Sunday throughout the Spring and Summer. The final session is scheduled for September 24th, the Sunday after the Autumnal Equinox. The main objective is to get in tune with each other and ourselves by sharing rhythm to create a collective voice.
The Seattle Drum Jams mailing list is an email community for Seattle area hand drummers and world music dancers. The Seattle-Drum-Jams list is the best way to share and receive up-to-date information about drum circles, drum & dance classes, festivals, performances, and similar events in our area. Get answers to your drumming-oriented questions. Share the high points of your drumming journey.
Drum Circle Facilitators
This list has a membership from all over the globe. Discussion focuses on all aspects of drum circle facilitation (DCF) such as uses, challenges, and dynamics of drum circles while working with a wide variety of groups ranging from school-age kids to special needs elders to youth-at-risk to corporate work groups. You can ask questions, share experiences, and offer advice.
|© 2002 - 2010 Seattle World Percussion Society - a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation


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Ladies love them shoes, says fashion watchdog Forbes.com.
Cohen estimates that shoes costing $1,000 and up account for less than 1% of total women's fashion footwear sales (fashion footwear is defined as anything other than athletic), but he acknowledges a growing group of women willing to pay more for their shoes now than they ever have been before. "It changed as early as a year-and-a-half ago but picked up steam in the past six months. Women consider footwear their signature item now."
Oddly enough, we consider women's feet our signature item, although we've been advised to stop wearing them to Sunday School.


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The number of McHenry County homes entering the foreclosure process or being repossessed by lenders fell from a year ago.
According to foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc., there were 40 foreclosure completions in May, down from 149 foreclosure completions in May 2012.
A total of 174 McHenry County homes entered the foreclosure process in May, compared to 273 in May 2012.
The numbers were slightly higher than April, when there were 164 foreclosure starts and 31 foreclosure completions in McHenry County.
In Lake County, 306 homes entered foreclosure in May compared to 538 in May 2012. There were 306 foreclosure completions, compared to 538 a year ago.
In Kane County, ther were 193 foreclosure starts, compared to 384 a year ago, and 96 completed foreclosures, compared to 184 in 2012.
Statewide, foreclosure starts fell from 8,401 in May 2012 to 4,021 last month, while completed foreclosures dropped from 3,603 to 1,701. Illinois May foreclosure starts dropped from the previous month, 4,243 to 4.021, while completed foreclosures were up from 1,183 in April to 1,701 in May.
Completed foreclosures jumped 11 percent nationally in May from the previous month, with monthly increases taking place in 33 states.
Home repossessions, however, were down 29 percent from May last year, reflecting the long-term downward trend.
Banks also started the foreclosure process on more homes last month. Foreclosure starts rose 4 percent from April, but were down 33 percent versus May last year, the firm said.
The increases come as the U.S. housing market continues to gain strength, propelled in part by growing demand for homes at a time when there's a thin supply of available homes for sale in many markets.
That dynamic has helped push home prices higher. They climbed nationally on an annual basis by 12.1 percent in April, the biggest gain since February 2006, according to data provider CoreLogic.
The combination of a tight inventory of homes for sale and rising prices makes for an opportune market for banks.
"Home prices are rising and demand is stronger, so they can recoup more of their losses when selling a bank-owned home, and in most cases should be able to sell relatively quickly," said Daren Blomquist, a vice president at RealtyTrac.
The prospect of more bank-owned homes hitting the market also is good news for homebuyers struggling with the short supply of available homes. But not so great for homeowners, Blomquist said.
"For homeowners who are current or own their homes outright, this could slow down the recent rapid rise in home price appreciation, which could mean the value of their home does not go up as quickly in the short term," he said.
As of the end of March, 19.8 percent of all U.S. homes with a mortgage were underwater, according to data provider CoreLogic.
Rising home prices have helped drive that number down from 21.7 percent at the end of last year, and returned roughly 850,000 homes to a state of positive equity in the first three months of this year.
All told, 38,946 homes were taken back by lenders last month. Repossessions increased on a monthly basis in 33 states, including North Carolina, Oregon and Wisconsin.
At the current pace, the nation is on track to finish the year with about a half million completed foreclosures, down from 670,000 last year, Blomquist said.
Foreclosure starts totaled 72,698 homes. They increased on a monthly basis in 26 states and rose on an annual basis in 14 states, including Maryland, Connecticut, Hawaii and Arkansas.
– The Associated Press contributed to this report


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After the classes, they had refreshments in the commons area and the jazz band played a couple of songs and then the chorus took the stage and sang a couple of songs. Marisa and her friend Haley were the featured duet soloists on the first song, so we got to hear her sing. Marisa told us afterwards that she was very nervous because of all the activities going on. She sure didn't seem nervous when she was up on the stage singing (however, she did tend to play with the bottom of her shirt most of the time). She had a lot of trouble sitting still and was up and running around alot so we didn't have much opportunity to visit with her.
Then, before we knew it, it was all over and the students were rushing to catch the school bus. We are very glad we were able to attend as this was a once in a lifetime event for Marisa. She will graduate from the eighth grade in May and move on to high school. She is just growing up way too fast for us.


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Intel swoops for Korean face recog start-up - reports
In your face, ARM!
Intel has reportedly swooped for Korean face recognition firm Olaworks in a 35 billion won (£19.3m) deal which could be useful for the chip giant in its continuing efforts to break into the smartphone space with its Medfield platform.
Although Intel told The Reg it refuses to comment on speculation, The Korea Herald claimed it was a done deal, citing an unnamed source who explained that Chipzilla was already familiar with the start-up because its VC arm Intel Capital is a major shareholder.
Olaworks produces face recognition technology which is used in smartphones, digital cameras and even CCTV and IP cameras.
The company's flagship service ScanSearch is a Windows Phone, Android or iOS app marketed as a visual search engine, which can bring up relevant contextual information if a user scans a bar code, QR code or even a street sign.
Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney told The Reg that Intel's decision to acquire was probably informed by the growing popularity of face recognition software in the consumer space.
"Many cameras and other consumer electronics are using this. Not for high security but for consumer uses where best case is good enough," he said.
"Android, which Intel supports, has a facelock mechanism that uses the camera to unlock the phone."
IDC's Bryan Ma went further, arguing that the buy could be part of Intel's efforts to showcase x86 to the industry and prove it's better than market leader ARM in the mobile space.
"It has been trying to position Medfield as a better performance processor using the same power consumption as ARM," he told The Reg. "In the spirit of this it would make sense for Intel to move for technology and apps which can harness that horsepower to differentiate it from ARM." ®
Sponsored: Minds Mastering Machines - Call for papers now open


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Whooping crane survey offers hope for species' survival
Updated 11:02 pm, Monday, February 18, 2013
Whooping cranes in Texas are caught up in a numbers game that produced one encouraging development this year but remains inconclusive overall.
The latest survey results released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concluded that there were 257 cranes wintering on the Texas Gulf Coast this year and 22 living inland.
In 2011, an actual count of the birds concluded that there were 283, four more than this year's total. All were living on or close to the coast.
The decline is not great, but an increase is what was hoped for.
Noteworthy about this year's numbers is that never before have so many cranes been documented living inland.
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One flock took up residence at Granger Lake north of Austin, and another appears to have established itself north of El Campo.
Texas is the winter home to the only self-sustaining whooping crane flock in the world. That diversity of wintering grounds provides insurance against an event such as a hailstorm or oil spill killing the entire flock.
The survey is great news for those who want to see the species recover.
But for those monitoring that recovery closely, the wildlife service's latest numbers also are frustrating.
"By their own analysis, USFWS offers a 95 percent probability that the actual flock size is somewhere between 178 to 362 birds," said Ron Outen, regional director of The Aransas Project.
The group is waiting for a ruling on a lawsuit it filed against the state. It argued that the state is over-allocating water from the Guadalupe and San Antonio rivers and thus harming the estuaries that the whooping cranes depend on.
That case hinges on the year-to-year population of the cranes as it relates to freshwater inflows.
Outen argues that with a population of around 300 birds, the Fish and Wildlife Service could get a much more accurate number by simply counting the birds instead of its current method, which uses a statistical analysis based on flight observations over the whooping crane's wintering grounds to reach a total.
"With this methodology, they can't say there are more birds or less birds than last year," Outen said.
In a news release announcing the new totals, the agency acknowledges that its methodology is not perfect and said it expects the accuracy to improve.
"We expect this process will take several seasons before the obvious and not-so-obvious factors can be incorporated into the survey protocol and statistical models," the news release states. "This is how science progresses."


text:
All aboard!
No. 22 Oklahoma State is rallying behind a third-string quarterback who in a matter of weeks has turned into a cult hero. Clint "Choo Choo" Chelf is the starter for Saturday's Bedlam rivalry game at No. 14 Oklahoma.
Coach Mike Gundy said Monday that "whatever train he's driving, I'm getting on."
Chelf was beaten out by Wes Lunt and J.W. Walsh for the starter's job in the spring but has led Oklahoma State to back-to-back victories and a return to the Top 25.


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A Native Mississippian on a hot, dusty Delta Blues Day
Together let's return back to the 1960's and 1970's, and we'll go back to our great and beautiful, flat, landscapes of our Mississippi Delta.
We shall leave our great and beautiful hill landscapes of Starkville, and travel about one and a half hours, heading west, down Highway 82 until we come to Carrollton.
On the last hill top we suddenly began to see both the hill as well as to the tops of trees covered with big clinging green vines called, kudzu. We almost feel as if we are in mountains rather than a hillside.
Suddenly our car just drops off into "Death Valley," and we are in those flat lands of our great and wonderful Mississippi Delta where we can see for miles and miles of white cotton swaying and dancing with the Delta blues music all dressed up in long and pretty 100 percent cotton white dresses. We are going to dance to the music of the famous live band called "The Red Tops" all dressed up in red tuxedo tops.
As we drive along heading to Greenwood, we see "Devil Winds." This is brown dusty dirt moving in circles which look like a small tornado making its way down the rows and rows of white cotton. These "Devil Winds" are everywhere as the slight breeze blows them along those miles and miles of rows and rows of "popcorn" cotton fields on this very hot hot dusty Delta day.
We can almost hear the Delta Blue's music being sung by our very own Mississippi singer, B. B. King.
We are coming nearer to Main Street Greenwood, and our car hits the old brick streets right in front of the famous Crystal Grill where you can stop and taste the best home cooked dinner in all of Mississippi.
Fresh turnip greens picked, served and eaten every day topped off with a piece of lemon pie where the white fluffy topping goes to the sky.
Their food is mouth watering delicious, and the hospitality of Johnny and his daddy as they are certainly welcoming, as they stop by each table to simply say, "Hello," and make you feel right at home. This is the Delta!
We'll pass by the beautiful very old First Presbyterian Church where you see as you walk outside the Sunday Church Service at 12 noon time into the bright sunlight all the Delta farmers looking upward to the sky and saying to themselves, "is it going to rain today or just be sunshiny?"
Farming the land is their life as well as their lively hood. They depend on good or bad weather to make each and every crop successful.
Suddenly I over heard someone say, "Hey there is Frank Davis from Mississippi State University, and did you know he has found a hill girl to become his wife from up there at Starkville?"
"He is Mallory Coleman (Bill) and Josephine's second son. Think he is getting his Ph.D. in Entomology. They will be getting married March 21 in the First Presbyterian Church in Starkville. Did yall know this news?"
We keep going on towards Money, Mississippi, passing by the famous WABG Radio station right smack in the cotton field to the left of the road. We are heading to see the old bridge where Bobby Gentry wrote her song that goes something like this, "It was the third of June...when Billy Joe McAlister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge!"
We stop and look down into those muddy waters and wonder and think that we might just see the face and body of Billy Joe McAlister floating by, but we don't see him so we just keep going on down the dusty dirt road.
Along the way we see the green mossy looking water with those big bald cypress trees above where the fish are jumping, and the big old frogs are sitting on a lily pad.. It is hot, hot, hot summertime, and the big mosquitoes are humming by too.
We are traveling to Four-Fifth's Plantation just north of Greenwood on Highway 49 heading towards Clarksdale to a little crossroads community known as Shell Mound.
Four-Fifth's Plantation is 3,000 acres of rich farm land where the sweetest delta farmer, Mallory "Bill" Coleman Davis, Sr., and his wonderful Delta wife, Josephine Holloman Davis became my Delta father-in-law and mother-in-law on March 21, 1964.
They were both native Itta Bena, Mississippians where Josephine's own father was Dr. Frank Marvin Holloman, a country Delta doctor in Morgan City.
My husband, Frank Marvin Davis, Sr., was named for his mother's father, Dr. Frank Marvin Holloman.
Mallory "Bill" Davis farmed and managed this large plantation where, at one time, there were over 100 tenant houses and families living right there on Four-Fifth's Plantation.
Cotton was called, "King Cotton," and was the absolutely top crop of the Delta. You could see men, women, and children out in those cotton fields with their hoes as they hoed the grass and weeds from taking over the fluffy popcorn cotton in those cotton patches.
You could spot the nine foot canvas burlap cotton sacks pulled by a strap slung over a shoulder which had a tar bottom to help make the canvas bag stronger and easier to slide up and down the cotton rows.
Suddenly the farming began to change from the old ways of doing things to the modern way and life of farming.
The old hoes were replaced with herbicides and the cotton canvas burlap sacks were replaced with big mechanical cotton pickers. Our entire life here in Mississippi was changing for a better life. Those 100 tenant houses disappeared, and "Bill" Davis began to have the latest and most modern production procedures used on his Four-Fifth's Plantation. He now had 10 or 12 tractor drivers. The land where those tenant houses use to be, became vacant land where cotton was then planted.
Suddenly as the years rolled by, cotton was no longer, the "King" crop, but soybeans, corn, cotton, and rice became all "Four Kings" as well.
Mississippi farming was in a transitional time between the old-fashioned way of farming to the more modern way of farming with more modern machinery. Farming became more efficient way of life.
Memories of growing up in our Mississippi Delta in the tiny little town of Money, Frank, my wonderful husband of 46 years remembers the hot, dry days, seeing the summer time of hoeing of the cotton fields by hand labor and those many white washed tenant houses dotting the landscape.
The autumn of the year seeing the cotton being picked and the long nine feet of cotton canvas burlap sacks being pulled up and down the forever and never seeming to end cotton rows that would go on for miles and miles.
Winter time was desolate and lonely, and spring time was the beginning of tilling and planting time and starting all over again with a new cotton crop for that new year ahead.
One of my very favorite paintings in my collection of work is this one titled, "A Native Mississippian On A Hot, Dusty, Delta Blue's Day." This is one of the most moving portraits I have had the honor to sketch and paint. I found him right outside, in front of his white-washed tenant house in the middle of a cotton patch on Four-Fifth's Plantation in the year of 1970 in that Shell Mound community
This is a 40 year old painting, and every time I look at it, my own heart skips a beat, and I remember painting it as if it were yesterday. I want to share it with you.
I introduced myself to my subject, and told him I was an artist. "May I sketch and paint your portrait?" He graciously said, "Yes," and walked back into his tenant house to get his "suit going to church coat" to put on. He did not put on a white shirt, only his coat.
He was born right here on Four-Fifth's Plantation, and spent his entire life there tilling, hoeing, picking cotton. We would say that he had a hard life, but it was the only life he knew.
His work was hard as he hoed the grass and weeds around each and every cotton plant. He picked and slid that burlap cotton canvas sack up and down the cotton rows as he sang and hummed his day away. His favorite music was the Delta Blues.
The hot sunshine beamed down on those same shoulders and that same face for years and years. Hard work and hard labor as he tilled, turned the soil, and then picked the mature cotton out of those cotton fields in the flat landscapes of Mississippi every early morning at sunrise until every late afternoon at sunset. All day long every week day till Sunday rolled around. Sunday was a day of worship and rest.
He was a gentleman all dressed up in his "suit coat!" He was an average sized gentleman. Look at the pride within his very eyes, Look closely at his nose and his lips as if he is telling us all about his own life.
His face, his portrait, tell us his life story. I remember how much my father-in-law respected him for his knowledge of cotton production. He was both loved and respected by him.
Look at his forehead, and see with your eyes the map of his entire life as it is etched within those wrinkles and scars of what life must have been like for him. Look at his hair and the top of his head.
Look at the neatly pressed 'ready to go to church suit coat' quickly grabbed out of his one closet inside his tenant front door house that he quickly grabbed to slip on for his portrait to be painted that day.
His house was a simple one, small and cozy that had just been white-washed with fresh white paint outside. The inside was old weathered brown wood which looked very sparse and barren much like a Delta winter time season.
He stood right in front of his house, and you can see the front door and one window along with a tiny porch in the background of his portrait..
The white washed house lends itself well against his black skin, black hair, and greyish/blue "Sunday Going To Church Suit Coat."
As I painted his portrait, he talked to me and told me his story of his life. See his lips are talking to you as "my viewer" right now. His face is so very expressive and he is telling you his story right now of his entire life.
Cotton use to be "King Cotton" in our flat landscapes of Mississippi. To me, a "hill girl" in our hill country of Mississippi, this very, very moving portrait of his face...he is "My King Cotton" on this canvas that I painted in 1970.
Today it is the year of 2010., and 40 years have come and gone, and deep down in my heart, I still am touched by his portrait. He was a proud gentleman who I took time to get to know, love, and paint him.
I captured this time 1970, this moment, this second of a kind human being... A NATIVE MISSISSIPPIAN ON A HOT, DUSTY, DELTA BLUES DAY!


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Andrew Demetriou finishes 11-year tenure as AFL chief executive
For the first time in 11 years, Andrew Demetriou will wake on Thursday morning without anything on his AFL to-do list.
His reign as AFL chief executive ended on Wednesday, his desk is cleared and "about 48 boxes" are ready to be delivered to his home from AFL House.
Demetriou's only concern, after Wednesday night's AFL Hall of Fame celebrations, might be ensuring the delivery guys do not arrive too early.
At his last media conference, he gave the impression the end could not come soon enough.
"I'm pretty relieved," he said.
"It's been a long farewell. I can't keep going to lunches and having nice things said about me continuously."
After saying goodbye to staff on Thursday, Demetriou has a long weekend on the coast to look forward to, then a few weeks away.
He says the highlight of his long goodbye has been a "really special" dinner on Tuesday night thrown by his successor Gillon McLachlan and the AFL Commission.
Eddie McGuire, Virgin Australia chief executive John Borghetti, AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick and McLachlan all spoke at the dinner with, Demetriou said, good humour.
But after a month spent saying goodbye, the long-time warrior for the code could not resist one final spray.
In the climate of falling attendances and rising match-day costs for fans, he took aim at the Victorian Government after failing to invest in the MCG.
Reeling off the figures that other state governments have given to major stadium works, approximately $50 million to the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC), the stadium's operators, seems to have been not enough.
"Here in Melbourne, it generates billions of dollars of economic activity, we pay $6.5 million to the MCC and I can tell you that would go a long way to help our Victorian clubs if we weren't paying it," he said.
"Whoever wins the next election, step up and support the MCC because it would help our competition."
Topics: australian-football-league, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia


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I made an infinity scarf for a friend--I think that was her favorite handmade gift.But generally, I'm not much into handmade stuff.I only made this because I wanted an infinity scarf that wasn't as generous (therefore not as poofy) as the ones I saw in the stores. And I didn't much like the fabrics I saw them in.
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Motorists and farmers can use these practical recommendations to avoid traffic collisions involving farm equipment.
Some counties have more of these types of events than others due to the intensity of the agriculture, the number of motorists and the terrain. Annual collision statistics for individual counties can be obtained online at the Michigan State Police Traffic Crash Statistics webpage.
Traffic collisions involving farm equipment and the injuries and fatalities they cause can be prevented. Whether you are a motorist or a farmer, please do your part to make our public roads safer by implementing the practices listed below. This is a shared responsibility for everyone.
Recommendations for motorists
- Slow down immediately when you first see farm equipment ahead of you on the roadway. Farm equipment usually travels less than 25 miles per hour. It takes less than seven seconds for a car traveling at 55 mph to crash into the back of a tractor 400 feet away.
- Be patient and wait for an opportunity to safely pass farm equipment. The tractor or combine operator will probably be aware of your presence and will try to accommodate if possible as traffic begins to back up.
- Drive defensively when approaching on-coming farm equipment. Impatient motorists may pull out suddenly to pass the farm equipment and enter your lane.
- Be on the alert when you see amber flashing lights ahead in either lane.
- Be prepared to stop at railroad crossings when following a vehicle towing an anhydrous ammonia tank. Anhydrous ammonia tanks look like the large propane gas tanks used by rural homeowners.
- Always mount a Slow Moving Vehicle (SMV) emblem to all tractors, combines and implements transported on public roads.
- Never use white lights on the rear of the tractor when driving on public roads. If you don't have a rear red light, have an escort vehicle follow within 50 feet of the tractor or implement of husbandry.
- Always use flashing amber warning lights on public roads.
- Check to see if traffic is backing up behind you and consider how to let traffic pass. Consider pulling over to the shoulder when it is safe for your vehicle.
- Use turn signals or proper hand signals to communicate your intentions to motorists.
- Never travel left of the center of the road after dark, during poor visibility or when approaching the top of a hill or a curve.


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It's where many couples said, "I do." Where many families wept as they and said good-bye to loved ones during funerals. Gospel readings used to echo off the walls, organ music lead everyone in song.
Editor's note: This is the first of a series of stories about the old Immaculate Conception Church.
Its beauty is gone.
Its appeal is nothing more than its immense stature and age.
And now uncertainty is the only future the former Immaculate Conception Catholic Church has is uncertainty.
Each day the sun rises and sets on the old building at the corner of Sixth and Lyon. The rain dampens the old roof, the snow blankets the crumbling steps and pigeons fly in and out of the bell tower, circle as a flock and land to gather on the building's north gable.
This isn't what life used to be like for the church. It was once gorgeous with stained-glass windows, religious statues and elaborate marble. It's where many couples said, "I do." Where many families wept as they and said good-bye to loved ones during funerals. Gospel readings used to echo off the walls, organ music lead everyone in song.
The building's erection year is a mystery. In the book, "History of Marion County 1884," it is stated that the church was built by the Pilgrim Congregational Church at a cost of $70,000. Hannibal authors Roberta and Hurley note in their book, "The Story of Hannibal," the original Immaculate Conception Church was a small, square building located at 512 Church St. According "History of Marion County 1884," the church was purchased Oct. 9, 1880 at a cost of $16,500. The new Immaculate Conception Church was dedicated April 24, 1881.
Until Blessed Sacrament Church was established, Immaculate Conception was the only Catholic church in Hannibal. America's Hometown had an increasing number of Catholics by the time the Sixth and Lyon church was purchased and the large facility could seat thousands.
Over the years the building not only was a place of worship, but a place of reception. The basement allowed for many church events like school plays. Even Mother Nature had her battles with the building. A windstorm damaged the roof July 26, 1907 and there were reports the structure may have been damaged during a tornado shortly before the Catholics bought the building.
"It was a beautiful church at one time. I remember when I was a kid and I was just amazed when I walked in there. It was like walking in the Cathedral Notre Dame," Hannibal Mayor Roy Hark recalls. "My first grade year of school, I was going to the Catholic school, and we went down there into the basement and we had a play. That's where I had my theatrical experience. I had to get up and say, 'Jack Sprat can eat no fat and his wife could eat no lean, so together they licked the plate clean.' Those were my lines."
In the mid-1950s, Hannibal's current Catholic church opened. Immaculate Conception was used by American Legion Post 55 and became a bowling alley.
Where many once prayed and worshipped, 10 bowling lanes were installed. The walls which once echoed the music of the Lord were now echoing cheers, jeers and the crashing sounds of collapsing pins.
"They sold beer, they sold sandwiches. They sold soda, candy, all kinds of stuff. They put a drop ceiling in with lights, you didn't see the upper part of the church," Hark said. He got a job there as a pin setter during his teen years. "You had five guys, usually worked back there on those alleys and each guy would set two lanes, and when they threw the ball down you'd pick the pins up, put them in this machine, waited until they threw the next ball. I just had to set them up in this machine and trip a lever and it would go down. That's the way it was back in those days."
The bowling alley eventually moved next door and the American Legion moved out.
Hannibal Community Theatre bought the building in the late-'90s and began showing their production in the basement. According to board member Stephen Boltinghouse, productions were performed there until 2009 when they decided to move out. They're credited with adding new heating and air conditioning units to the building, a feature they're still paying for to this day as they attempt to sell the old building for $15,000. Boltinghouse said the price has fallen $20,000 since the building originally hit the market.
It's one of the city's oldest church buildings with more than just religion embedded in the history of its solid structure. While the future of the building has yet to be written, some might say, in a fitting matter, "it's in God's hands."


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